Their whole exercife through the day is hunting, fighting, or dancing. They are expert in throwing their lances, and in time of war ufe fhields made of the hides of oxen. The women are employed in the cultivation of their gardens and corn. They cultivate feveral vegetables which are not indigenous to their country, fuch as tobacco, water-melons, a small fort of kidney-beans, and hemp, none of which I found growing fpontaneously. The women make their baskets, and the mats which they fleep on. The men have great pride in their cattle; they cut their horns in fuch a way as to be able to turn them into any fhape they please, and teach them to answer a whistle. Some of them ufe an inflrument for this purpose, fimilar to a Bofhman's pipe. When they with their cattle to return home, they go a little way from the house and blow this small inftrument, which is made of ivory or bene, and fo conftructed as to be heard at a great distance, and in this manner bring all their cattle home without any difficulty. The foil of this country is a blackish loomy ground, and fo extremely fertile, that every vegetable fubflance, whether fown or planted, grows here with great luxuriance.'

The fourth journey was again directed northward, and extended to latitude 28 deg. 33 min. where a new tribe of Hottentots was discovered. A little to the fouth the travellers turned eastward, and went in a north-easterly direction fo far as Kamisberg, part of the chain of mountains which they travelled over in their fecond journey, and fome of the highest land in that district. From thence they went almost directly westward, till they came to the Atlantic ocean. The laft houfe that they met with, is fituated on a branch of the Kamifberg, in latitude 30 deg. and 2080 feet above the levelof the fea. The direction from the mountain was nearly that of Coufie or Sand river: the country confifted of sand, or a fandy clay; the water generally brackish; and the only marks of living creatures, the prints of lions feet and the dung of elephants. They afterwards proceeded northward, where they had often no water for two days, and what they occafionally found, except in one fpot, was brackish and difagreeable. The whole was a fandy defert, with little vegetation, except near the fountain, till the travellers reached Orange river, called in the former maps Great river. Near this fpot they found an oftrich's neft with thirty-fix eggs. The Hottentots which they discovered, were only eleven in number, and yet they had a chief. Their huts were more lofty. and convenient than ufual, but in other respects they were the most dirty and miferable tribe that has been discovered of this Putrid fish, when fish is thrown on fhore, feems a delicacy, for they remove their huts to this fpot. They ate, apparently

race.

parently with good appetite, fome old fhoes, which the Hote tentots, who attended on our author and colonel Gordon, gave them, food which their own Hottentots did not difdain in time of need.

Thofe are the principal or most interefling circumftances which we can collect from the journey: what relates to natural history we shall mention after we have given fome account of the Appendix. The first part contains meteorological obfervations made at the Cape from May 22d to November 18th, of 1778, the winter and fpring of the antarctic regions. On the 30th of May we perceive the thermometer to have been at 45 deg. but its ufual range was from 50 to 60. About the beginning of June its range was nearly the fame; and towards the end it vibrated from 43 to 48.. In July it varied much between 40 and 60: in August it funk lower: on the fecond and feventh it was at 30; yet on the twentieth it was at 67 deg. and through the whole of the latter part of the month, it was from 40 to 60. In September it rose often to 80 and even to 95, though once in the morning it was at 60. In October and November it was very variable, fometimes below 50, and at others above 70. The weather was usually fair, though often cloudy. The winds almoft conftantly N. W.; fometimes indeed S. E.; occafionally, though very feldom, N. and in November, fometimes S. W.

The two next parts of the Appendix contain pretty accurate accounts of the animal and vegetable poisons of Africa and the Eaft Indies. The poisonous animals are described by the common, and not by the fcientific names. The Bramin's pills our author has found fuccefsful in bites of the Indian fnakes: their effects are thofe of a very inflammatory and intoxicating ftimulus.

The plates are well executed. The first represents the amarillis difticha, a plant ufed for the poisoning points of arrows by the Hottentots. The aloe dichotoma, a very curious fpecies of aloe, which feems to be common in the northern parts of the peninfula, and whofe peculiarity confifts in the divided leaf, is reprefented in four different plates. An hermannia and stapelia, plants, which we find are very frequently found in fome parts of Africa, are engraved on the two following plates. An euphorbia, a very virulent poifon, is reprefented in two plates. A new geranium, which deferves the name of fpinofum, also occurs, but this trivial name is also given to another new fpecies of geranium, which is fpecifically different in other refpects from the former, and is engraved in a subsequent plate. A plate of a very curious and new plant belonging to the pentandria monogynia is alfo inferted; another

another of a new fpecies of mimofa and one of a new species of loxia. The plate of the Bofhmen's habitations we fufpect to be taken from defcription, as our author does not mention having feen them, and the plate contains few characteristical appearances, while thofe which we find, are not characteristic of this peculiar race. The Hottentots near Orange river may be more correctly reprefented; but we perceive nothing very peculiar in their appearance.

There are no fcientific details of natural hiftory in this volume; but there are many curious, and we think, interesting circumstances interfperfed. The account of the amarillis difticha is of this kind; as well as the measurement of the camelopardalis, which was killed by M. Van Renam. Though we have extended our article farther than we expected, we fhall tranfcribe our author's obfervations refpecting the mimofa and its inhabitant, the new fpecies of loxia; and with thefe remarks we must conclude.

In the courfe of this journey I had frequent occafion to mention the mimofas, which abound particularly in the Great Nimiqua Land; and I cannot clofe my Journal without once more calling the reader's attention to a vegetable production, which muft ftrike every traveller with aftonishment; not only from its uncommon fize, but from the different ufes for which nature feems to have intended it. It produces quantities of gum, which is confidered by the natives as a peculiarly delicate fpecies of food; the leaves and lower points of the branches feem to conttitute the principal aliment of the camelopardalis; and, from the extent of its boughs, and smoothness of the trunk, it affords a fufficient defence to a fpecies of gregarious bird against the tribe of ferpents and other reptiles which would otherwife deftroy its eggs.

The method in which thefe birds ufually fabricate their nefts is highly curious. In that of which I have given a representation in the annexed plate, there could be no les a number than from eight hundred to a thoufand refiding under the fame roof. I call it a roof, because it perfectly resembles that of a thatched house, and the ridge forms an angle fo acute and fo fmooth, projecting over the entrance of the nest below, that it is impoffible for any reptile to approach them.

Their industry feems almoft equal to that of the bee;. throughout the day they feem to be bufily employed in carrying a fine fpecies of grafs, which is the principal material they employ for the purpofe of erecting this extraordinary work, as well as for additions and repairs. Though my fhort fay in the country was not fufficient to fatisfy me by ocular proof, that they added to their neft as they annually inescafed in numbers, ftill, from the many trees which I have feen borne down with the weight, and others which I have obferved with

their boughs completely covered over, it would appear that this really was the cafe; when the tree, which is the fupport of this aerial city, is obliged to give way to the increase of weight, it is obvious that they are no longer protected, and are under the neceffity of rebuilding in other trees.

One of thefe deferted nefts I had the curiofity to break down, fo as to inform myself of the internal structure of it, and found it equally ingenious with that of the external. There are many entrances, each of which forms a regular street, with nefts on both fides, at about two inches distance from each other.'

Travels in Switzerland. In a Series of Letters to William Melmoth, Efq. from William Coxe, M. A. F. R. S. F. A. S. In 3 Vols. 8vo. il. Cadell. 45. in Boards.

EN years

TEN

have elapfed fince Mr. Coxe published his vo lume of Travels in Switzerland; and twenty volumes have intervened of our Journal, from the XLVIIth, where we examine ed it. In that interval he has not been idle; and, in the fame period, we have carefully gleaned from various travellers what obfervation, fcience, or experience have contributed to our knowledge of this diftri&t. To Switzerland we have been un-' ufually attentive; for, in its remote receffes, philosophers have added to our knowledge of nature; mineralogifts have explored more intimately the recondite ftones of the earth; poetry has enlarged the ftock of harmlefs pleasure; and liberty, flourishing undisturbed, has given an example to travellers, which has increafed their admiration of their own conftitutions, or excited their emulation, if they were not already free. If we contemplate this country on a map, and find it placed to the eaftward of France, to the fouth of the moft fertile provinces of Germany, and a little to the north only of the Garden of Europe, Italy, we shall be led to look on it as the most favoured fpot of the habitable globe. If we furvey it with the eyes of an intelligent traveller, or examine it with our own, it will at first prefent a very different profpect. Its vaft inacceffible mountains; its torrents, cafcades, and impracticable rivers; its feas of ice, impatiable ravines, and perpetual or deftructive fnows, will mark it as the most chearless portion of the universe. If we look fill nearer, we fhall find it inhabited by a race at once virtuous, laborious, steady, perfevering, and ingenious. Liberty gives the zeft to their homely fare, and makes them dif regard the overhanging mountain, or the equally dangerous avalanche. It is the Swifs only who pines for home, and finks under a disease which affumes its name from this caufe; it is the inhabitant of the cantons who paffes his life in procuring inde

pendence,

pendence, and returns to enjoy it in the spot which gave him birth. The Swiss, however, have obtained their liberty only after many fevere ftruggles: they have preferved it by their fpirit, their mountainous fituatien, which renders oppofition to an invader easy, and by the jealousy of the furrounding powers. The intrigues of France had reached Geneva; but liberty has again conquered; and, in her prefent contefts for freedom, fhe will learn its value too well to encroach again on it. If the Swiss would only recall their countrymen who are in the service of other powers, or prevent the regiments from being recruited in the cantons, they would remove the only ftain which remains on their national character. It ill becomes a free people to rivet the chains of defpotifm.

In the volume of our Journal, which we have already referred to, we have paid our traveller the tribute of commendation which was his due. In this new and enlarged edition we perceive many important additions, fo minutely blended with the former accounts, that it was not eafy to publish the new obfervations in a separate form. Our author enters Switzerland from Germany on the north, goes to the lake of Zell, the lower part of the lake of Conftance, coafts weftward along the Rhine, the northern boundary of Switzerland, so far as Biffort, proceeds foutherly to Bienne, goes to Zurich, and returns to the lake of Conftance. From thence he goes to the fouth again on the eastern fide, and in a devious line croffes the heart of Switzerland in various directions. His most fouthernly termination is at Como, and the most westernly Geneva. The Tour contains not only a picturefque defcription of the wilder and more majestic beauties of the country, but an account of the towns, the government, and a fhort political hiftory of the different cantons; of the public literary establishments, and of literary men; of the commerce of the country, and of the amiable fimplicity of its inhabitants. Much of this work is undoubtedly the production of the clofet, and its fource is not an obfervation of the country, but the volumes of different hiftorians; yet we ought not to blame what has afforded us both entertainment and inftruction: while the author defcribed what he faw, every intelligent reader will with for a fhort hiftory of preceding ages, and the different works are neither easily procured, nor easily read. The additions relate frequently to the defcriptions of the country; the difcoveries of different authors, in these tracts; to various literary eftablishments, and fome mifcellaneous topics.

Properly and correctly speaking, Como; and indeed the whole of the country to the fouth of the Levantine Valley, is not in Switzerland.

VOL. LXVIII. Dec. 1789.

G