ted. In the winter feafon, when the winds are more fresh, thefe difficulties might not occur, otherwife, it would be impofiible for any veffel, which was not a very prime failer, to whale here with fuccefs; though at a certain feafon any quantity of fperm oil might be procu red. The oldeft whale-fifhers, with whom I have converfed, as well as thofe on board my fhip, uniformly declared that they had never feen fpermaceti whales in a state of copulation, or fquid their principal food in fhoals before; but both thefe objects were very common off these ifles, and we frequently killed the latter, of four or five feet in length, with the granes. Young fpermaceti whales were alfo feen in great numbers, which were not larger than a finall porpoife. I am difpofed to believe that we were now at the general rendezvous of the fpermaceti whales from the coafts of Mexico, Peru, and the Gulf of Panama, who come here to calve: as among those we killed, there was but one bull-whale. The fituation I recommend to all cruizers, is between the fouth end of Narborough Ifle and the Rock Rodondo: though great care must be taken, not to go to the north of the latter; for there the current fets at the rate of four and five miles an hour due north. Narborough Ifle falls gradually down to a point at the north, south, and east ends, and may be equal in produce to any of the neighbouring ifles; but of this I can only conjecture, as I did not myself examine it; nor does it appear that the Buccaneers ever landed upon it.

"The Rodondo is an high barren rock, about a quarter of a mile in circumference, and is vifible as far as eight or nine leagues, has foundings round it at the dittance of a quarter of a mile thirty fathom. Here our boats caught rock-cod in. great abundance. I frequently obferved the whales leave thefe ifles and go to the weftward, and in a few days, return with augmented numbers. I have also seen the whales coming, as it were, from the main, and paffing along from the dawn of day to night, in one extended line, as if they were in hafte to reach the Gallipagoes. It is very much to be regretted that these isles have to this period been fo little known but only to the Spaniards."-Pp. 146--148.

During the whole of the voyage Captain Colnett only loft one man, whofe back was unfortunately broken by the jolly boat dafhed against him by the violence of the furf on the rugged fhore. For though the crew were attacked with the fatal yellow fever, yet Captain C. by his obfervations when a prifoner in South America, had the fatisfaction of adminiftering fuch medicines to them, and prefcribing fuch a diet and applications, that he recovered them all. We publish his procefs for the benefit of future navigators.

"The whole crew had been, more or lefs, affected by the yellow fever, from which horrid diforder, I was, however, fo fortunate, as to recover them, by adopting the method that I faw practifed by the natives of Spanish America, when I was a prifoner among them. On

the

the first fymptoms appearing, the fore part of the head was immedi. ately fhaved, and the temples and poll washed with vinegar and water. The whole body was then immersed in warm water, to give a free courfe to perfpiration; fome opening medicine was afterwards administered, and every four hours, a dofe of ten grains of James's powders. If the patient was thirfty, the drink was weak white wine and water, and a flice of bread to fatisfy an inclination to eat. An increafing appetite was gratified by a fmall quantity of foup, made from the mucilagenous parts of the turtle, with a little vinegar in it. I alfo gave the fick, sweetmeats and other articles from my private ftock, whenever they expreffed a diftant wish for any, which I could fupply them with. By this mode of treatment, the whole crew improved in their health, except the carpenter, who, though a very tout, robust man, was, at one time, in such a state of delirium, and fo much reduced, that I gave him over; but he at length recovered.

"As the yellow fever feldom attacks any one twice, while he remains near the fame place, my apprehenfions were now confined to the fcurvy and other incidental diforders; but they were fuficient to quicken my anxiety, to find a place for refreshment, whenever it might be wanted. For though my crew were at prefent in good health and fpirits, I had learned by my former expeditions, that there is no circumstance which operates more favourably on the temper and difpofition of failors in long voyages, (whenever they are attacked with thofe difeafes to which they are fo fubject and of course fo frequen ly dread) than the certainty of a port or harbour to which they may be taken; experience having alfo taught them, that the fmell of the fhore and change of fea diet, in general, remove the greatest part of their complaints.*"-Pp. 80-82.

Captain Colnett returned to England, on November the ift, 1794, fo that his voyage occupied twenty-two months. He was not fo fuccefsful as a commercial man in the whale fishery as might have been expected, but, as a navigator, he has certainly fupplied our merchants and nautical men, with

* "I do not pretend to any other medical knowledge, but fuch as I may have acquired, by fome little reading on medical fubjects, and the attention I was obligated to pay to the diseases and complaints of feamen, in the various voyages I have made, as it frequently became a nice point to judge, whether a man neglected his duty from idleness or sickness. I alfo paid particular attention to the practice of the different Indian nations, when an opportunity was afforded me, and, from the circumftance of having no furgeon on board, it became a duty in me, to make part of my ftudy, fuch an important fubject, as the health of my crew; and I was fo fortunate as to fucceed in the applications I ufed, as to reftore health through means, which the fuggeftions of the moment only dictated to me."

fome

fome excellent charts and engravings. The work is dedicated to Sir Philip Stephens, who has both publicly and privately patronized the author; it is illuftrated by fix charts, and ornamented by a well engraved portrait of this Lord of the Admiralty, and two other engravings. The margin is un.commonly ample, and we conitantly meet with unclaffical expreffions, as "fouther'd our Latitude," "prepondering in my mind." But, the information is correct, the longitude and latitude of places are given with precifion and accuracy, and the whole voyage is entitled to the perufal, approbation, and thanks of the navigator and the merchant.

ART. VII. The Hiftory of the Progrefs and Termination of the Roman Republic. By Adam Ferguson, LL. D. F. R. S. E. late Profeffor of Moral Philofophy in the Univerfity of Edinburgh, Member of the Royal Academy at Berlin, of the Royal Academy at Florence, of the Etrufcan Society of Antiquaries at Cortona, and of the Arcadia at Rome. A new Edition, in five Volumes, revifed and corrected, with Maps. 8vo. Price 1. 15s. Robinfons, London; Bell and Bradfute, Edinburgh. 1799.

IN reviewing the edition before us, of a work fo very im

portant in any period of literature and politics, but more efpecially in the prefent age, when the defire of innovation, fo very prevalent, renders an appeal to the moral and political leffons of hiftory and experience peculiarly beneficial, we fhall, for the fake of thofe readers who may not have recently perused Dr. Ferguson's Hiftory, give a fhort account of the work in general, before we come to the improvements of the prefent impreffion.

The contemplation of human nature has been the principal object to which this illuftrious man has turned a mind, equalled by few of his time and country in acutenefs, force, comprehenfiveness, and depth; in the variety, multiplicity, and importance of its attainments. Thoroughly acquainted with ancient lore, deeply converfant with mathematics and phyfical science, the circumftances in which he was placed, and his own choice, have directed the principal exertions of this veteran in learning and philofophy, to metaphyfical, pneumatological, moral, and political enquiries and deductions. He has analyfed, inveftigated, and exhibited man's understanding and affections, with a rigid rejection of hypothefis, and an unvaried adherence to obfervation and expe

rience.

rience. Having anatomized both the cognitive and active powers, he has alfo fhewn them in operation, in the various afpects of fociety and ftages of civilization, from the most favage ftates to the highest pinnacle of refinement, under the most abfurd and wicked inftitutions, and under the wifeft, moft liberal, and beneficial. His labour has been to demonftrate what wisdom and what folly are; what virtue and what vice are; how they refpectively work; and what effects they produce, beneficial or hurtful, to mankind. Having man before him in his powers, relations, duties, actions, and refults, in all ages and fituations, he undertook to write a history on a fubject the most momentous that could engage the thoughts of a philofopher. The grand view he takes of the fubject the reader will recollect, by re-confidering it as ftated by the author himself, in his introduction :—

"The Romans," he fays, "who made their first step to dominion by becoming heads of the Latian confederacy, continued their progrefs to the fovereignty of Italy; or, after many ftruggles in that country, with nations poffeffed of refources fimilar to their own, united its forces under their own direction, and from thence forward became the conquerors of many kingdoms in Afia and Africa, as well as in Europe; forming an empire, if not the most extenfive, at least the moft fplendid of any that is known in the history of mankind. In poffelion of this feeming advantage, however, they were unable to preferve their own inftitutions; they became, together with the conquefts they had made, a prey to military government, and a fignal example of the viciflitudes to which profperous nations are expofed.

"This mighty ftate, remarkable for the finallnefs of its origin, as well as for the greatnefs which followed, has, by the fplendour of its national exertions, by the extent of its dominion, by the ability of its councils, or by its internal revolutions and reverses of fortune, ever been a principal object of hiftory to all the more enlightened nations of the western world. To know it well is to know mankind; and to have feen our fpecies under the fairest afpect of great ability, integrity, and courage. There is a merit in attempting to promote the study of this fubject, even if the effect should not correfpond with the defign.

"Under this impreffion the following narrative was undertaken, and chiefly with a view to the great revolution by which the republican form of government was exchanged for defpotifm, and by which the Roman people, from being joint Sovereigns of a great empire, became, together with their own provinces, the fubjects, and often the prey of a tyranny which was equally cruel to both.

"As in this revolution, men of the greateft abilities, poffeffed of every art, and furnished with the moft ample refources, were engaged, in oppofition, or in concert together, the fcene is likely to exhibit what may be thought, in action at leaft, the utmost range of extent

of

of the human powers, and what may furnish to thofe who are engaged in tranfactions any way funilar, models by which they may profit, cr from which they may form found principles of conduct, derived from experience, and confirmed by examples of the highest authority.

"The event which makes the principal object of this history, has been fometimes confidered as a point of feparation between two periods, which have been, accordingly, treated apart---the period of the republic, and that of the monarchy. During a confiderable part of the first period the Romans were highly diftinguished by their genius, magnanimity, and national fpirit, and made fuitable attainments in what are the ordinary objects of purfuit--wealth and dominion. In the second period they continued, for fome time, to profit by the advantages which had been formerly gained; and while they walked in the tract of the commonwealth, or practifed the arts and retained the leffons which former ages had taught, ftill kept their poffeffions. But after the fprings of political life, which had been wound up in the republic, no longer continued to act, when the ftate was become the concern of a fingle perfon, and the veftige of former movements was effaced, the national character declined, and the power of a great empire became unable to preserve what a fmall republic had acquired. The example, whether to be thunned or imitated, is certainly inftructive in either period; but moft fo in the tranfition that was made from one to the other, and in the forfeiture of thofe public advantages, of which the Roman people, in fome part of their courfe, availed themfelves with fo much diftinction; and which, in the fequel, they abused with fo much disorder at home, and oppreffion of their fubjects abroad.

"With this object before me I haften to enter on the fcenes in which it begins to appear, and fhall not dwell upon the fuppofed hiftory of the firft ages of Rome, nor even flop to collect particulars relating to the forms of the commonwealth, longer than is neceffary to aid the reader in recollecting the circumstances which formed the conjuncture in which this interefting change began to take place."

The hiftory of the commonwealth of Rome, whether we confider its unity and completeness, its beginning, middle, and end; the fplendour of the incidents which it contains, the force, variety, and importance of the characters which it exhibits-of all fubjects of that fpecies of compofition, prefents the most ample field for the exertion of genius and philofophy, and affords the most useful materials for moral and political inftruction. Particular portions of Roman history are extant from ancient writers of great industry and genius. Livy, from his introduction, evidently projected the hiftory of the rife, progrefs, and termination of the Roman republic; and, from the manner in which those parts of his work which have been preserved were executed, we have every reason to believe that he composed a history which exhibited the whole