THE ANNUAL REVIEW; AND HISTORY OF LITERATURE. CHAPTER I. VOYAGES AND TRAVELS. N comparing the books of voyages and travels, and foreign topography, which have been published during the last year, with those that are noticed in the former volume of the Annual Review, there will be found a small increase in number, on account of the short cessation of hostilities between Great Britain and France. As soon as the treaty of Amiens was signed, multitudes of our countrymen were induced by interest and curiosity to visit a nation, doubly strik ing from the political changes that it had undergone, and the gigantic energies that it had displayed; in whose capital were concentrated all those luxuries and elegancies that native ingenuity could invent, or of which an unexampled series of victories could compel the surrender from Italy and Germany. Itineraries and guides, maps of the roads, and plans of Paris, were the first publications that “ dicated the new direction of our moveable population, which during the war had passed the summer months among the watering-places, and the mountains of Wales, Cumberland, and Scotland. The eagerness of those who remained at home to hear the remarks of their countrymen upon the state of France and its metropolis, was first gratified by the "Journal of a Party of Pleasure to Paris," noticed in our former volume: this publication was soon succeeded by others of various merit, and the number would doubtless have much increased, if the sudden recommencement of the war had not again closed the ports of France to British visitors. Among the works on this subject which fall within the limits of our present volume, the "Rough Sketch of Modern France" deserves particular distinction: the information communicated is great in quantity, and most judiciously selected; the advantages and inconveniences, the circumstances of pleasure or disgust, the vices and the virtues of modern France are stated in an able and ANN. REV. VOL, II, B truly candid manner. To the visitor of Paris, would have proved an excellent i manual, and those who have missed the opportunity of personal inspection, may here obtain a correct and interesting representation of that great metropolis. Mr. Carr's "Stranger in France" is also a book of much and peculiar merit, as its author seems to have enjoyed freer access to the society of Paris than most other British travellers. Mr. Weston's Praise of Paris, and Mr. Morris's View of Modern France, are entitled to notice; the former as a light elegant sketch, and the latter as containing all that kind of information which it is essential for a traveller, a stranger, and especially an Englishman, to be acquainted with. The travels of M. Karamsin, a young Russian, have been translated into English: from Moscow he traversed Prussia and Germany to Swisserland, whence he proceeded to Paris and London: The principal objects of his attention seem to have been the manners and state of society in the various countries which he visited; but without a perfect command of the language, a long residence, and numerous introductions, it is in vain to hope for accuracy in these important, complicated, and highly interesting investigations. Mr. Muirhead has presented the public with the result of his observations on a journey through Holland, the Low Countries and part of Germany. It is a work that indicates the good sense of the author, and will be read with satisfaction by those who are not so unreasonable as to expect much novelty of description in a route that has been so long worn by the wheels of British travellers. Mr. Hunter has republished his travels, with some additional letters relative to Hungary; but they are more calculated to interest his private friends than communicate information to the scientific or general reader. The late Mr. A. Butler's journey through the Low Countries, France and Italy, in the years 1745-6, has been published, we know not why, except perhaps to inform the catholics in this country of the religious foundations established by their ancestors on the continent, and to prop up the declining reverence for relics and monastic institutions. The second volume of Professor Pallas's tours in the Crimea has made its appearance, and compleats our knowledge of this celebrated and interesting country. Egypt being restored to its former anarchy, is no longer in a situation to excite the hopes and fears of any European state; and the two warlike nations who so lately made it the theatre of their furious contentions, are mustering their forces for nearer and more desperate enterprizes. The memory however of our Egyptian campaign has not yet lost its interest. Captain Walsh's "History of the Military Proceedings," (which, on áccount of its technical nature, we have referred to chap: xiv.) is a most valuable and authentic document. The author of the "Non-military Journal" sketches, with a light though faithful pencil, the principal occurrences and objects that presented themselves in the casual intervals from active service. Dr. Wittman, presuming on the indiscriminate curiosity of the public, has risked his character, by allowing his name to be prefixed to a work copied, for the most part, from Maundrel and other travellers. Our acquaintance with Africa has not been much increased during the last year. Those, however, who read with discrimination may collect some particulars worth knowing from Dr. Winterbottom's "Account of the Settlement of Sierra Leone;" from Mr. Curtis's travels in Barbary, and the translation of M. Golbery's observations on the country about, the Senegal. The "Walks about the Cape of Good Hope" give, in a short compass, many interesting pictures of the immediate vicinity of that settlement, and of the manners of its inhabitants. The Pelew Islands, so advantageously introduced to notice by the narrative of the late Mr. Keate, have been again visited, and have experienced the munificent gratitude of the East India Company, the particulars of which are subjoined as an appendix to a new edition of Mr. Keate's work. But the most valuable publication, in this department of literature, which the last year can boast of, is Mr. Percival's account of the Island of Ceylon. We have seldom seen a book so uniformly excellent; every page is pregnant with information: the judicious selection of facts, the plain and unaffected language in which they are communicated, and the humane and generous spirit which breathes through the whole, are truly honourable to the abilities and principles of the author. No modern voyages of discovery have been recorded during the last year, but two historiographers of former expeditions have offered themselves as candidates for public approbation. Mr. Clarke has undertaken, with dubious success, to illustrate the expeditions of the Portugueze on the coast of Africa and the East Indies; and Captain Burney has commenced, with more favourable auspices, a History of the Discoveries in the South Sea. ART. I. A Chronological History of the Discoveries, in the South Sea or Pacific Ocean. Part I. Commencing with an Account of the earliest Discovery of that Sea by Europeans, and terminating with the Voyage of SIR FRANCIS DRAKE, in 1579. Illustrated with Charts. By JAMES BURNEY, Captain in the Royal Navy, 4to. pages about 400. voyages of each, is liable to the same objec tion. THE plan and object of this work are explained by the author in a dedication to Sir Joseph Banks; " it is intended as a contribution towards the advancement of a plan for the digest of maritime geographical discovery; a work which has fong been wanted, and which every addition to the general stock, renders more necessary." If "A third method, which seems to me to possess many, if not the greatest advantages, is that of classing the voyages according to some hydrographical division of the globe. This has been attempted, but in few instances with any tolerable degree of success. the divisions have been judiciously allotted, they have not been strictly preserved. The same irregularity has prevailed in collections where it is difficult to imagine that any good which consist wholly of republications, reason could exist against an adherence to correct arrangement. 66 pro "The utility of method and compres sion, to prevent irregular exuberance in so important a branch of science, is evident beyond contradiction. The manner in which the attempt may be made with the best spect of success, seems the only object of enquiry. Various modes of reducing the voyages into methodical order present themselves; and probably each so far eligible as to possess some peculiar advantage. To place the whole in the order of time, would be attended with this great inconvenience, that to obtain a satisfactory account of any one subject, it might be requisite to consult every volume in the collection, however extensive, "To distinguish the discoveries of different nations, making a distinct class of the It is not to be supposed that any mode of arranging the subject could be devised, which would obviate every inconvenience. The following division is proposed as one which appears capable of preserving its classes in a great measure distinct from each other. "The first class may contain the voyages to the north of Europe; those in the North Seas, and towards the North Pole. The second, those along the West coast of Africa to the Cape of Good Hope; and the discoveries of the Atlantic islands. "The third, East from the Cape of Good B 2 Hope to China, including the Eastern Archipelagos between New Holland and the coast of China. Japan might have a section to itself as a supplement to this class. "The fourth might contain the whole of the discovery of the East side of America, except the Strait of Magalhanes and of Le Maire, which are more connected with the voyages to the South Sea. The fifth class may comprehend the circumnavigations and voyages to the South Sea. With these, the discoveries on the West coast of North America are so much interwoven, that they cannot without disadvantage, be separated. "The discoveries made by the Russians in the seas near Kamtschatka, and from ihence to the North, would appear not improperly as a supplement to the fifth class. New Holland might form a sixth class. This country would naturally have divided itself between the third and fifth, had not its importance so much increased within the few last years, that it now requires a distinct class to itself. "For the subject of the present work, I have chosen the discoveries made in the South Sea; to which my attention has been principally directed, from having sailed with that great discoverer and excellent navigator, the late Captain Cook; under whose command I served as Lieutenant in his two last voyages." Upon this plan Captain Burney has condensed into one volume, the history of the discoveries in the South Sea, from the time when it was first known to Europeans, to the voyage of Sir Francis Drake. Nec mole dum decrescit, visu fit minor, Quin auctior jam evadit, & cumulatius Contracta prodest erudita pagina. Sic ubere magis liquor e presso effluit; Sic pleniori vasa inandat sanguinis Torrente cordis Systole; sie fusius Procurrit æquor ex Abyla angustiis. Three centuries ago the whole of the Pacific Ocean, and even its existence, was unknown to Europeans; the geographers of that time believed that one open sea extended from the western shores of Europe and Africa, to the eastern part of Asia. Upon this error Columbus proceeded; mistaken as the Portugueze were in their estimate of the talents of the adventurer, perhaps the greatest man and the most blameless whom modern times have produced, their reason for rejecting his offered services was well founded, and actually in consequence of their superior science; he proposed to reach Japan, the Cypango of Marco Paolo, by sailing westward. Joam II. referred his project to the Bishop of Ceuta, Mestre Rodrigo and Mestre Josepe his cosmographers, and they with good reason pronounced it impracticable; they affirmed that they were seeking India in the true direction, and they were right. Columbus persevered, and his discoveries received the name of India from his accredited error. When it had been ascertained that America was not a part of Asia, its extent was not supposed to be such as to obstruct a At the very time when Vasco da Gama western passage to the eastern Indies. was on his voyage, the two Cabots sailed from England, in quest of a way to the north of the Spanish discoveries. In 1500 Gaspar Corte-Real sailed from Lisbon or the Azores in the track of the Cabots he discovered the Labrador coast, and sailing a second time to prosecute his discovery, was heard of no more. His brother Miguel sailed with two ships in search of him, and they also were lost. King Emanuel, who was attached to the brethren, for they had been brought up in his household, sent out two vessels to seek them, but no tidings were had discovered and called Terra Verde, ever obtained; the province which they was called, in remembrance of them, Terra dos Corte-Reaes. The third brother, Vasco Eannes, would have followed in their search, but Emanuel forbad him, being now warned by experience. The first Europeans who saw the main land of America were the English under Cabot, but the whole glory is due to Columbus. It has been idly regretted that Americus Vespucius should have affixed his name to the new world, as if any real honor had accrued to him from the success of his falsehood. When America is named, who thinks of its derivation from Americus or Amerigo, or Aymerique? Next to the bible, no history is so generally known as the voyages of Columbus: Vespucius is now never mentioned but to be censured; by perpetuating his name, he has only obtained a perpetuity of disgrace. In a chart printed at Rome 1508, Brazil, or Terra de Santa Cruz, as it was then called, is delineated as being separate from the northern continent. But now every year furnished new discoveries, for never at any period was the human race so persevering and desperate in enterprize. The Europeans were certain that a sea existed to the west of the new continent, because they knew that the eastern parts of China were |