Such was the motive to the voyage here related; a motive founded on patriotic rectitude, with the view of releafing us from a dependance on a fet of monopolifts, who have not been actuated by the moft laudable principles, nor have they always conducted themselves in the moft generous, or even humane manner. To elude the jealousy of the Dutch, to be able to navigate the narrow feas with fafety, and to accommodate himself to the abilities and humours of a Malay crew, Capt. Forrest undertook this expedition, in a Sooloo boat, of about ten tons burden, which he named the Tartar galley: and his company confifted of twenty-two, of whom only four, including himself and a paffenger he left at the ifland of Sooloo, were Europeans. Ifhmael Tuan Hadjee, before mentioned, was one who went with him, but was a refractory kind of affociate, and left him by the way; fo that confidering the complexion of Capt. Forreft's affociates, with the nature of the voyage, it required no little fortitude and difcretion to go through with the undertaking. Mankind are ever on the fearch after fomething new; when, therefore, we meet with an intelligent traveller or voyager, we engage cordially in his undertaking, enter into his circumftances with avidity, intereft ourselves in all his adventures, fear, hope, and rejoice with him, until he returns home: but then-inftead of fympathizing in the pleasure he must feel in the accomplishment of his purpose, or in the repofe he enjoys after his fatigues and dangers, we are apt to repine that he has no more to go through for our amusement ! The most valuable particulars, however, in a voyage for dif covery, are not thofe which furnish entertainment for the gene ral reader. The nature of tides, variations of the compafs, bearings of land, foundings and quality of harbours, and the productions of countries; all thefe are frequently paffed over as dry ftuff, for the pleasure of dwelling on a quarrel with a wild Indian about a cocoa nut, or a stolen handkerchief. But though mifcellaneous incidents claim an occafional fhare of Capt. Forreft's attention, he never forgets the errand upon which he was fent: and his conduct throughout fully juftifies the confidence repofed in him. When the Tartar galley arrived at Dory harbour, on the north fide of New Guinea, fearch was made for the nutmeg tree, at firft with no fuccefs; but on promising a reward for the discovery, feveral were found on an adjacent small inland called Manafwary. Many young ones fpringing round the old trees, Capt. Forreft planted above a hundred in baskets with earth round them, to carry to Balambangan; and his first disappointment is the easier accounted for, by the inhabitants not regarding the nutmeg as a fruit of any kind of ufe: of course it gave way in their esteem to the plantain, the cocoa nut, the bread REV. Apr. 1779. T fruit, fruit, and pine apple. The nutmeg hunters learned that the tree was common in the country,, but the crew were unwilling to make any inland incurfion, or to proceed any farther down the coaft. A neat perfpective view is given of the galley lying in Dory harbour, of the appearance of the native Papuas, and of the peculiar ftructure of their habitations. The following account of the place is given by the Author : Off the mouth of the bay, before the harbour, but out of the fwell, a boat, with two Papua men, came on board, after having converfed a good deal with our linguifts at a distance: fatisfied we were friends, they haftened afhore, to tell, I fuppofe, the news. Soon after, many Papua Coffrees came on board, and were quite eafy and familiar: all of them wore their hair bufhed out fo much round their heads, that its circumference measured about three foot, and where least, two and a half. In this they ftuck their comb, confifting of four or five long diverging teeth, with which they now and then combed their frizzling locks, in a direction perpendicular from the head, as with a defign to make it more bulky. They fometimes adorned their hair with feathers. The women had only their left ear pierced, in which they wore fmall brafs rings. The hair of the women was bufhed out alfo; but not quite fo much as that of the men. We anchored about four in the afternoon, close to one of their great houfes, which is built on pofts, fixed feveral yards below low water mark; fo that the tenement is always above the water: a long ftage, fupported by polts, going from it to the land, just at high water mark. The tenement contains many families, who live in cabins on each fide of a wide common hall, that goes through the middle of it, and has two doors, one opening to the flage, towards the land; the other on a large ftage towards the fea, fupported likewife by posts, in rather deeper water than thofe that fupport the tenement. On this ftage the canoes are hauled up; and from this the boats are ready for a launch, at any time of tide, if the Haraforás * attack from the land; if they attack by fea, the Papuas take to the woods. The married people, unmarried women, and children, live in these large tenements, which, as I have faid, have two doors; the one to the long narrow ftage, that leads to the land; the other to the broad tage, which is over the fea, and on which they keep their boats, having outriggers on each fide. A few yards from this fea ftage, if I may fo call it, are built, in ftill deeper water, and on ftronger posts, houfes where only batchelors live. This is like the custom of the Batta people on Sumatra, and the Idaan or Moroots on Borneo, where, I am told, the batchelors are feparated from the young women and "the married people. "At Dory were two large tenements of this kind, about four hundred yards from each other, and each had a house for the batchelors, clofe by it: in one of the tenements were fourteen cabins, feven on a fide; in the other, twelve, or fix on a fide. In the common hall, Haraforas, people who inhabit the in-land parts, and cultivate the foil. I faw the women fometimes making mats, at other times forming pieces of clay into earthen pots; with a pebble in one hand, to put into it, whilst they held in the other hand also a pebble, with which they knocked, to enlarge and fmooth it. The pots fo formed, they burnt with dry grafs, or light brushwood. The men, in general, wore a thin ftuff, that comes from the cocoa-nut tree, and refembles a coarfe kind of cloth, tied forward round the middle, and up behind, between the thighs. The women wore, in general, coarse blue Surat baftas, round their middle, not as a petticoat, but tucked up behind, like the men; fo that the body and thigh were almost naked as boys and girls go entirely. I have often obferved the women with an axe or chopping knife, fixing posts for the stages, whilst the men were fauntering about idle. Early in a morning I have feen the men fetting out in their boats, with two or three fox looking dogs, for certain places to hunt the wild hog, which they call Ben: a dog they call Naf. I have frequently bought of them pieces of wild hog; which, however, I avoided carrying on board the galley, but dreffed and eat it afhore, unwilling to give offence to the crew? : When navigators intrude themselves into strange lands, where the artless natives are not able to exercife the juft power of repulfion if they diflike their vifitors; there is fomething pleafing to find the intercourfe cultivated in the manner practifed by Capt. Forreft, who fome days afterwards gives us the following relation: To-day I repaired to the large tenement, near which the veffel lay. I found the women in the common hall, making cocoya mats as ufual; also kneading (if I may fo term it) the clay, of which others formed the pots, with two pebble ftones, as before defcribed. Two of them were humming a tune, on which I took out a German flute, and played; they were exceedingly attentive, all work ftopping instantly when I began. I then asked one of the women to fing, which he did. The air fhe fung was very melodious, and of a species much fuperior to Malay airs in general, which dwell long on a few notes, with little variety of rife or fall. Giving her a fathom, of blue baftas, I asked another to fing: fhe was bathful, and refused; therefore I gave her nothing: her looks spoke her vexed, as if dif appointed. Prefently, the brought a large bunch of plantains, and gave it me with a fmile. I then prefented her with the remaining fathom of baftas, having had but two pieces with me. There being many boys and girls about us, as we fat in that part of the common hall, that goes upon the outer ftage of the tenement, I feparated fome of the plantains from the bunch, and diftributed to the chil dren. When I had thus given away about one half, they would not permit me to part with any more: fo the remainder I carried on board. I could not help taking notice that the children did not snatch, or feem too eager to receive, but waited patiently, and modeftly accepted of what I offered, lifting their hands to their heads. The batchelors, if courting, come freely to the common hall, and fit down by their fweethearts. The old ones at a distance, are then faid often to call out, Well, are you agreed? If they agree before wit T 2 witneffes, they kill a cock, which is procured with difficulty, and then it is a marriage. Their cabins are miferably furnished; a mat or two, a fire-place, an earthen pot, with perhaps a china plate or bafon, and fome fago flour. As they cook in each cabin, and have no chimney, the fmoke iffues at every part of the roof: at a diftance the whole roof feems to fmoke. They are fond of glafs, or china beads of all colours; both fexes wear them about the wrist, but the women only at the left ear. They are exceeding good archers, and fome of their arrows are fix feet long; the bow is generally of bamboo, and the string of split ratan. They purchase their iron tools, chopping knives, and axes, blue and red baftaes, china beads, plates, bafons, &c. from the Chinefe. The Chinese carry back Mifoy bark, which they get to the eastward of Dory, at a place called Warmafine, or Warapine; it is worth 30 dollars a pecul (133 lb.) on Java. They trade alfo in flaves, ambergreafe, fwallo, or fea flug, tortoiseshell, fmall pearls, black loories, large red loories, birds of Paradife, and many kinds of dead birds, which the Papua men have a particular way of drying. The Dutch permit no burgher of Ternate, or Tidore, to fend a veffel to the coast of New Guinea. They are not willing to trust thofe burghers, while they put a juft confidence in the Chinese; that they will not deal in nutmegs, as formerly mentioned. The Chinefe have a pafs from the Sultan of Tidore, and wear Dutch colours.' On his voyage back to Balambangan, Capt. Forreft put into the harbour of Magindano, or Mindanao, where he staid some months to refit; he accordingly here makes ufe of his leifure to defcribe feveral parts of the inland, the manners and customs of the inhabitants, their hiftory, and even the prefent state of politics at the Sultan's court. From the Sultan he obtained a formal fealed grant of an adjacent small island called Bunwoot, about eighteen miles round. This acquifition was the more feafonable and important, as the Company could erect a fort, and warehouses upon it, and as, during his abfence, the Sooloos had difpoffeffed the English of the island of Balambangan : for however we may accuse these rude nations of capricioufnefs, it is among them as among the polifhed nations of Europe, where the validity of treaties depends on the balance of power. This young remote factory being thus deftroyed, the Tartar galley went to Fort Marlborough on the coaft of Sumatra; and time must determine what commercial purpose may be answered by the voyage. We cannot avoid hinting, in conclufion, two material circumstances often neglected in works of a geographical nature. Navigators writing from their journals, are apt, fometimes, to introduce, abruptly and familiarly, the names of places, perfons, and things, intimately known to them on the spot, and at the time of writing, without explanation; and without confidering that fuch terms must be very obfcure to readers whofe comprehenfion depends on the fufficiency of the relation. Gentlemen, indeed, who have traverfed the Eaftern feas, may perhaps defpife fuch affiftance; but when a relation is given to the Public, it ought to be generally intelligible. To illuftrate this complaint, leads to another defect, which diminishes the value of all literary performances above the fize of a pamphlet. Meeting frequent mention, in the latter part of this work, of the Buggefes, we wifhed to know who they were; but either because the term was not explained before, or fuch explanation had been overlooked, none could be found throughout, on turning back; as there is no index to affift the reader in occafional references *.-If this valuable work fhould come to a fecond edition, of which there is little doubt, it is hoped the deficiency here noticed will be duly fupplied. * There is, prefixed, a very copious table of contents; but this will not answer all the purposes of a good alphabetical index. ART. IV. Obfervations concerning the Public Laws, and the Conftitutional Hiftory of Scotland: With occafional Remarks concerning Englife Antiquity. By Gilbert Stuart, LL. D. 8vo. Murray, &c. 1779. Noth 5 s. boards. O branch of knowledge is more generally interefting than that of hiftory, nor is there any in which it is more difficult for a writer to excel. Great knowledge and refined taste are feldom found together; more feldom ftill is a fpirit of persevering diligence united with the vigorous ardour of genius. From thefe caufes, the greater part of the numerous hiftories that have been written contain either dry details of uninterefting events, or entertaining narratives of fanciful occurrences; for it is fo much easier for a fertile imagination to form an ideal state of civil fociety, with which all known facts are made to agree, than to trace the gradual revolutions that have happened in human affairs from a change of trivial circumftances now involved in obfcurity; that few are willing to undertake the more arduous talk who have abilities to write an entertaining romance, which is better adapted to please the vulgar, to raise the reputation of an author during his own time at least, and to enrich his publifher, than a history more conformable to truth and nature, but lefs pictorefque, lefs fhowy, and lefs amufing. In thofe ages of fuperftition and ignorance in which Europe was involved after the deftruction of the Roman empire, nothing worthy of notice in the hiftorical line could be expected;" and, after the revival of letters, it was long before any adequate idea of the operations of the human mind could be obtained by thofe who ftill doubted whether all liberal difquifitions ought not to be difcouraged as dangerous to religion. Voltaire had the merit of first directing the attention of Europe, hitherto confined T 3 to |