Art. II. Journal of a Voyage, in 1811 and 1812, to Madras and China; returning by the Cape of Good Hope and St. Helena; in the H. C. S. the Hope, Capt. James Pendergrass. By James Wathen. Illustrated with twenty-four coloured Prints, from Drawings by the Author. 4to. pp. 250. Price 31. 3s. Nichols and Co. Black, Parry, and Co. 1814.

THE Author of this volume has long been known to artists

and amateurs, and also to the inn-keepers in the valleys, and the farmers and cottagers on the mountains of Wales, and other romantic parts of these islands, as a most indefatigable explorer, admirer, and delineator of picturesque scenery. Independent in his circumstances, exempt from domestic cares, simple in his habits, vigorous in physical constitution, active, cheerful, and friendly, in disposition, and impelled by a uniform, unremitting, insatiable, and yet discriminating, passion for the beauty and magnificence displayed in the ever-varying aspects of nature, he is known to have walked thousands of leagues, with an eye incessantly vigilant for striking forms, and a pencil as prompt and faithful to trace their images. The result has been a vast multitude of sketches, presenting, of course, almost all conceivable forms of landscape, afforded by this portion of the world.

However ardent, therefore, might be Mr. Wathen's patriotie feelings, and however partial (almost affectionately so, as his recollective musings in India betray) he might feel it his duty to be to the tracts watered by the Wye, he clearly had a very good right to cast a wishful look toward remoter regions. His friend the Captain of the Hope had almost anticipated his wishes in an invitation to go and steal some of the images of Nature on her eastern side.

It was, at the same time, quite in correct taste that, though India was the main object of the expedition, he resolved to commit every possible theft on the way; accordingly he commenced mariner in the river, instead of meeting the ship at Portsmouth; and, in coasting round to that station, found ample cause to be pleased that he had begun at the beginning. On board the ship much was new to him, and every thing entertaining; and with a perfectly unaffected apology for mentioning a number of particulars unimportant in themselves, and to a proportion of his readers sufficiently familiar, he gives a description truly graphical (to employ an epithet which is coming to be used on all occasions) of the economy and inhabitants of the ship, and the concluding transactions with the landen who had helped to furnish its complement of men and other animals, and cargo. We will cut out one small part of the picture.

Several agents attended for the purpose of paying the crew and settling with the crimps. These are a set of men who profess to procure seamen for the company's ships, and for all other vessels. The system of crimpage cannot, perhaps, be defended upon principles of morality; but it is one of those anomalies, those necessary evils, with which human society abounds. The crimps in general therefore, are not very solicitous respecting moral cha racter, and are furnished from that class from which we derive informers, thief-takers, sheriffs' officers, executioners, and other odious though necessary appendages to civil authority. Many of the children of Israel have pitched their tents among them. To describe the whimsical scenes acted by these men and the tars for two successive days on board the Hope, and to give a faint resemblance of the dialogue and of the language used by the interlocutors, would require the genius and humour of Smollett; while, to exhibit the countenances of the actors, the pencil of Gillray would be inadequate; Lavater himself would have been puzzled to class their physiognomies.'

While spending several weeks at Portsmouth, our Author was occupied, and beyond measure delighted, with the grand engines and operations for preparing those floating volcanoes, the sight of which produced in his mind a sympathetic explosion of patriotism.

It is impossible to express my astonishment, and the national pride I felt, in rowing through the harbour, and observing the bulwarks of Britain lying peaceably in her bosom, ready, however, to carry destruction and annihilation to her enemies, wherever they presume even to question her empire over the whole world of waters.'

Before completely launching forth into the perils of that most inhospitable' world,' that scene of treachery and barrenness, which so well repays this proud ambition, he very properly takes some account of the power of buoyancy of the ship which was to carry him, and of the number of its human and brute population. The former, who were of various nations, languages, and colours, amounted to 384. His adieu to England, after passing the Land's End, was accompanied with a mingled emotion of apprehension, friendly solicitude, and hope in Providence.

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The incidents of the voyage were not numerous, nor extraordinary; but they are related in an entertaining manner. The Voyager was fully alive and attentive to them all; and to all the marine phenomena, the grand appearance and action of the waves, the water-spouts, the flying fish, albatrosses, dolphins, sharks, and whales. By the time of passing the Cape of Good Hope, the deaths on board had amounted to fourteen.

With full competence of health, vivacity, curiosity, and

friendly assistance, he met the novelty, variety, and bustle of Madras, in which place and its precincts his utmost faculties of seeing, hearing, walking, banqueting, and depicturing, were kept in exercise for a number of weeks. The most interesting portion of his story in this part is the relation of the visit to Conjeveram, a place of peculiar sanctity with the Hindoos, situated about forty-seven miles west of Madras, on the road to Vellore. Another man of taste accompanied him, and they visited this depôt of shrines and sacred monkeys with merely the ordinary privileges of Englishmen, which of course were insufficient to open to them any of the secrets of the sanctuary. This was, perhaps, less mortifying to our Author, at the time, than after his return to Madras, where he was introduced to an Indian prince, or something of that kind, who told him that had he been informed of this excursion to Conjeveram, he would have, introduced Mr. W. to the principal priest of the Zuyam'bra pagoda, who would have permitted him to see some places in the interior but rarely shewn to strangers.' The scene, nevertheless, presented enough to fill and elate our Author's imagination, and offered plenty of subjects to his pencil. A succession of objects captivated his attention by the way; among the rest a strolling party of jugglers, who played some frightful tricks with serpents, and one of whom thrust a short sword down his throat to the hilt, a performance perfectly free from all deception. A school taught by a Brahmin presented a spectacle of order, liveliness, and, as far as could be judged, as much readiness in literary as in manual exercises. The groves of tamarind and banian trees, imparted the most luxurious sensations. The ground on each side of the embowered road, near Conjeveram, was thickly planted with odoriferous shrubs and the most beautiful flowers; the air was perfumed by their ' odour, and the scene altogether realized the description of the groves of Shadaski, in the Tales of the Genii; I almost ex'pected the appearance of some of those supernatural beings, when we perceived at a small distance many persons busily employed under the shade.' These were the population of a little sylvan village, who were spinning and reeling cotton, and weaving in the open air. Here our Author became the unresisting captive of enchantment.

This scene, so remote from the turbulence and vices of populous cities, could not but raise emotions in our minds of the most pleasing and soothing nature. Here we witnessed, in these gentle beings, primeval simplicity of manners, laudable industry; and, surely their mild and expressive features truly depicted the innocence of their hearts. May the Almighty continue his protection to this harmless race; and never may the savage yell of war disturb the repose of these delight

ful shades.'

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It would have been a very proper addition to the benediction of the Christian traveller, had he also desired for them that it might be granted them to know that Almighty Being to whom he thus commends them. With respect to that sweet innocence, of which the signs, in countenance and manner, were admitted as so infallible, as we are to consider our Author as rather, perhaps, recording the impression made on him at the time, than expressing an ultimate opinion, we may well assume he has since learned enough to convince him that a man must be more than a few hours, or a few days, in the society of those gentle and harmless tribes, to know all that there is under their meekness of aspect. At the same time we think it may be marked and blamed as a defect of reflection, that 'the consideration of the vicinity in which this particular sample of apparent innocence was presented, should not have been a warning against so easy a faith in appearances. The comprehensive testimony of history and moral geography, unites with the probability of reasoning, to forbid our trusting any appearances implying such an anomaly as an uncorrupted state of character and society under the shadow, and almost the eaves-droppings of a cluster of pagodas, fraught and fuming with the pestilential abominations of Seeva and Vishnou, for it was in the immediate precincts of Conjeveram that Mr. W. felt this delectable complacency in the amiable qualities of the species. He passed directly from the bowers of these pure and happy beings, into the premises of their teachers and their gods, and found himself confronted by a pagoda which, with its accessory temples, mausoleums, and oratories, required a wall of near a mile in circumference to guard the consecrated site from profane intrusion. The Englishmen, however, with their guide, but no others of their native attendants, were permitted to enter the great court or area. Those attendants might amuse and edify themselves, if they pleased, by contemplating the carvings which ornamented the masonry of the wall, and which were rich and elaborate, representing mystic figures in grotesque attitudes, as well as • fanciful decorations."

• Our admiration was extreme when, on entering the gateway, we saw the great number of buildings, of costly materials, and of more costly workmanship, which glittered before us. One in particular claimed our admiration It was a monumental pillar, erected by a Brahmin, who was at the time of our visit the chief priest of this pagoda, to the memory of his father. This pillar was made of copper, richly gilt with burnished gold, was thirty feet high, and about six in diameter at the base; it stood on a pedestal twelve feet in height, with steps to the shaft of the pillar. Not far from the golden pillar stood a large, spacious, and beautiful temple, which was the largest of all the numerous buildings within the walls. We ascended into it by a

flight of twelve steps. The roof at the entrance is supported by pillars twelve feet high, each pillar being ornamented by grotesque, and some disgusting figures. The interior of the buildings is disposed into four long aisles, or passages, extending from the one end to the other. We were permitted to walk through one of the aisles, and had an opportunity of seeing the vast extent, richness, and beauty of the building. It contained one thousand pillars; each pillar, highly ornamented, supports six lamps, which are all lighted at some of the festivals celebrated in honour of Vishnou. These festivals are not permitted to be seen by any but the worshippers of Vishnou.'

The town appears to consist chiefly of a regular street, near a mile long, with virandas, and fine trees planted in front of the houses, which, being for the most part inhabited by people whe have business with the gods, are, as might be expected, more handsome and commodious than the houses of ordinary towns. The choultry where the Englishmen were to lodge, a large building kept for the accommodation of the collector of the duties during his periodical residence at this station, was found in the full occupancy, of white and brown spotted squirrels, and a species of crows, all perfectly tame and familiar.' A little less of this familiarity would sometimes have been more agreeable to their visiters, on whose viands they committed alarming depredations. The extensive garden also was found to be inhabited, but by a tribe whose familiarity would have been considerably less amusing. It was in a neglected state, and over-run with long thick grass of luxuriant growth. Attempting,' says Mr. W. to explore this enclosure, we were soon obliged to relinquish our design, on perceiving that at every step we disturbed large snakes and other noisome reptiles, the curse "of this in other respects most happy climate.'

Much as Vishnou has to shew in this consecrated territory, he is forced to acknowledge himself in the neighbourhood of his betters. The loftiest structure attests the superiority of Seeva. From a basis of great extent, (of which Mr. Wathen should have given us an actual or conjectural measurement,) this edifice towers up to its summit by fifteen stories or stages, progressively contracting in horizontal dimensions nearly to the top, and each ascended by a ladder of fifteen rounds. Of whatever could be seen of this most venerable mansion, he appears to have made, in several visits, an attentive survey, with his pencil constantly in ́his hand, and it is said that his companion went into the templeno satisfactory inspection, however, was permitted of the form or contents of the interior. But certainly nothing to be seen there, even could he have been admitted by a ticket from Seeva himself, would have deserved a look in comparison with what he was so elated in contemplating from the summit, and