ANNUAL REVIEW;

OR,

REGISTER OF LITERATURE.

CHAPTER I.

VOYAGES AND TRAVELS.

THE

HE works produced during the last year in this important and most interesting department of general knowledge are, with few exceptions, by no means of first rate consequence. The most valuable are translations from the French and German; for the list of native English authors is singularly deficient both in numbers and merit. The account by Mr. Sauer, of commodore Billings's unsuccessful attempt to explore the Arctic and Tatarian seas, and the travels of Acerbi into Sweden and Lapland, although written originally in the English lan'guage, are rather to be considered as the contributions of foreigners than the produce of our native literature. The publication, by the society for exploring the interior of Africa, of the intelligence received from its emissary Hornemann, is rather calculated to excite than to satisfy the public curiosity in the most important part, his journal is both inconsistent with itself and contradictory to the report of Mr. Browne. The voyages of Mr. Mackenzie are of more consequence, though not so satisfactory as might have been expected. By combining his researches with those of Mr. Hearne, it is rendered highly probable that the northern regions of the American continent do not advance nearly so far into the circum-polar sea as the projecting parts of Asiatic Russia. The geography of the great Slave-lake and its vicinity is also considerably illustrated; and the practicability of a passage across the great ridge of the stony mountains from Canada to the Pacific Ocean is fully ascertained.

Of the translations from the French and German, the relation of Marchand's voyage round the world, though containing some matters of general interest, is chiefly valuable to professional men. Sonnini and Olivier have communicated much information, and in an engaging manner, concerning the Turkish empire' especially its natural history, the customs and domestic economy of its inhabitants, ANN. REV. VOL. I.

B

the personal and political subjugation of the Greeks, and the ominous weakness of its administration. Denon has afforded us a lively and interesting sketch of the military events in Upper Egypt, resulting from the invasion of that province by the French; and has ably availed himself both of the pencil and the pen in describing the colossal remains, the eternal monuments, which attest the high and Professor Pallas has thrown a new antient civilization of the valley of the Nile. light on the mineralogy and other departments of the natural history of southern Russia; and the lively, the good-humoured, the entertaining travels of Fischer, reflect, in an enchanting camera obscura, the characteristic features of Spanish scenery and Spanish manners.

ART. I. A Voyage round the World, performed during the Years 1790, 1791, and 1792, by ETIENNE MARCHAND, preceded by an historical Introduction, and illustrated by Charts, &c. Translated from the French of C. P. CLARET FLEURIEU, of the National Institute of Arts and Sciences, and of the Board of Longitude of France. 2 vols. 4to. 1100 pages; also another edition, 2 vols. 8vo. 1400 pages. THE careful narrator of this voyage are indebted to the expeditions which has prefixed to his work an historical in- the largely estimated profits of that trade troduction, extended through nearly 200 provoked, for much of the geographical pages of the translation, in which he has knowledge of the north-west coast of Competitors in this new spegiven a summary of the various attempts America. which different nations have made within culation arose in three quarters of the the last 250 years, that is to say, from globe: Europe, by means of the ports of the expedition of Cortes, towards an ex- England, America by those of the Unitamination of the north-west coast of ed States, and Asia by those of Bengal America. In reverting to these antient and Bombay. If even Spain and Pordiscoveries, which first brought us ac- tugal could rouse themselves, and prequainted with that part of the new con- pare for making expeditions, the government of France, to use the words of tinent, M. Fleurieu endeavours also to M. Fleurieu, "intent on every thing ascertain what motive determined each that could give, at the same time, more expedition, in what respect the immediactivity to the national commerce, and ate object of discovery was attended more extension to the navigation of the with success, and in what particulars it failed: he marks the successive advances French, could not behold with indifferwhich geography has made, and appor- ence the general movement which was tions to countries and commanders, with preparing in foreign trade, and this common and simultaneous direction of all fidelity and impartiality, the honours and the merits to which they are respectively these speculations towards the same object." entitled.

A few furs were procured by the crew of captain Cook, during their stay in Prince William's Sound and in Cook's River, from the Indians in exchange for European commodities of insignificant value; and these furs being carried to China, and sold at exorbitant prices, suggested to captain King (who on the death of captains Cook and Clerke had succeeded to the command) that great advantages might be derived from a voyage taken to that part of the American coast, purely for commercial purposes. If we are indebted to captain King for opening to us a new source of commerce with China, the fur trade, we

France, however, before she would embark in a speculation where there were so many competitors, thought it prudent that the north-west coast of America should be visited by vessels belonging to the state, in order to make a deliberate and unprejudiced estimate of the advantages that she was likely to reap from engaging in the rivalry. To the general instructions of La Perouse, who was then about to commence his disastrous expedition, were superadded particular injunctions to survey the north-west coast of America; and of that coast, most carefully to visit the parts comprised between the latitude 49° and 57°, where the per

was, however, obliged to be abandoned. in consequence of the putrescent state of the water, in the casks, towards the middle of May; he shaped his course, therefore, for the islands called Las Marquesas de Mendoza, situated in the pa rallel of 10° south, and about the 141st meridian from Paris. On the 14th of June the Solide came to anchor in the bay of La Madre de Dios: part of the crew went ashore on the island Santa Christina, where they were received with caresses by the natives, with whom they bartered for whatever commodities they wanted.

M. Fleurieu takes the opportunity whilst our voyager is at anchor, to enter elaborately upon a general description of the Marquesas, and a particular one of the island of Santa Christina or Wahitatô: he gives an account of the soil, productions, animals, and climate of the island; describes the inhabitants, their persons, dress, and ornaments; their food, industry, manners, characters, customs, &c. &c. This account is drawn up from the narratives of the Spaniards, the English, and the French. The coincident remarks of captain Cook, Messrs. George and Reinhold Forster, captain Chanal, and surgeon Roblet, are noticed; and when any variations occur in their accounts, such variations are reasoned upon, and generally they are satisfactorily reconciled. This digression, for it cannot be considered as strictly relevant to the narrative of the voyage, is ably executed, and very interesting. All agree that the native Mendoçans surpass every other nation in the regularity of their features, the symmetry of their proportions, and the masculine beauty of their limbs. If voyagers have not exaggerated the admiration with which they were struck at the sight of the Mendocans, we shall think with them that sculpture might take her models at Santa Christina; she would there find Hercules, Antinous, and Ganymede. As to the females, the softness of their skins, their light, graceful motions, the elegance of their form, the easy melting outline, the harmony of their whole contour, and superadded to this assemblage of voluptuous attractions, the fascination of their smiles, and the witchery of their little playful manœuvres, seemed to have called into action all the gallantry of the crew.

The Mendoçan belles are not singular in the liberality with which they confer their favours: we know from the authority of captain Cook, and of others, that in many islands of the Pacific Ocean, or as it is here called the Great Ocean, women seem to consider the offer of their persons to strangers, whom they never saw before, as the mere ordinary pledge of hospitality. There is a circumstance more important, in which navigators. who have visited these islands are agreed, namely, that the inhabitants are gene rally mild in their manners, and friendly in their disposition.

Surgeon Roblet, and captain Chanal, each compiled a separate vocabulary of Mendoçan words, and M. Fleurieu has added a third column, in which are a few words of the same language correspond. ing to some in the preceding columns, given, upon the authority of captain Cook, according to the English pronunciation.

"The language of the inhabitants of Santa Christina, has the greatest affinity to that of the Society Islands, or rather is the same tongue which proves that although the two archipelagoes are separated by a

space

of sea of two hundred and sixty leagues, and although it is presumable that their canoes do not maintain between them an habitual communication, the people who inhabit them must have had a common origin: a native of the Society Islands, who was enbarked in the Resolution, conversed fluently captain Cook says that the English, who with the natives of La Madre de Dios; but must in their visits to Taheitee have acquired a knowledge of most of the words spoken there, could never succeed in making themselves understood at Santa Christina. *"

From the anchorage in the bay of La Madre de Dios, there was perceived on the horizon to the west north-west, and north-west by west, a fixed spot which presented the appearance of the summit of a lofty peak: on the next day the same appearance was observed, and it was naturally supposed, although no chart indicates any, and no voyager mentions any, that this spot, must be land. the 20th of June Captain Marchand set sail from the bay, and steered according to the bearing which he had taken, and discovered a new group of islands forming but one archipelago with the Marquesas de Mendoça: these he ex* Cook's second Voyage, vol. is page 308.

On