which may prove useful for the ftudy of natural history,

We alfo procured the bread-fruit tree, for the purpose of tranfporting it into our Weft- India islands; we were obliged to leave it, however, at Soura-baya, in the island of Java. At our departure from thence, we took a receipt from Lahaye, the Dutch gardener there, for eleven young plants of this invaluable tree, and as many roots and stocks, all in prime condition, which we had brought away from the Friendly Islands, after having had them nearly eleven months in our poffeffion. The roots and plants together amount to twenty-two, all in high prefervation; and as the tree grows very rapidly, this quantity will fuffice to replenish the lflands with them, in fix or eight years time. They were at Jarnarang, in the island of Java, on the 20th of March, 1795. We must not confound this excellent fpecies of bread fruit tree, with the wild fpecies of it found in the Moluccas, and obferved for a long time paft in the isle of France. In this fecond fort, the grains do not mifcarry, while in the good fruit tree, they are replaced by a food truly delicious, when baked under afhes or in the oven. In other refpects it is a most wholefome viand, affording us a pleafant repaft, during the whole time of our continuance on this island, and for which we willingly relinquished our ship's flock of baker's bread. The Molucca fort produces thirty or forty fmall fruits; while every tree of the Friendly Islands produces three or four hundred, extremely large, of an oval form, the greateft diameter being from nine to ten inches, and the smallest from feven to eight. A tree would be oppreffed with fuch an enormous load, if the fruit were to ripen all at once: but fagacious nature has fo ordered it, that the fruits, fucceed each other, during eight months of the year, thus providing the nations with a food equal

ly falubrious and plentiful. Every tree occupies a circular space of about thirty feet diameter. A fingle acre occupied by this vegetable, would fupply the wants of a number of families. Nothing in nature exhibits a fimilar fecundity. As it produces no feeds, it has a wonderful faculty of throwing out fuckers: and its roots frequently force their way up to the furface of the earth, and there give birth to freth plants.

It thrives exceedingly in a tropical climate, in a foil fomewhat elevated above the level of the fea; and fuits very well with a marly foil in which a mixture of argillaceous clay preponderates.

We quitted the Friendly Islands on the 10th of April, 1793.

The next day we obferved a fmail ifland named Tortoife.

April 15th, we faw Errouan, the moft eastern of the islands of the Archipelago of the Holy Ghost, and afterwards that of Anatom. The eruptions of the volcano of Tana, prefented in the night a fpectacle truly fublime.

April 27th, fteering for New Caledonia, in a night darker than ufual, we ran among fome iflands furrounded with breakers, not noticed till then by navigators. We were only apprized of our danger by an uncommon circumftance, the flight of a flock of fea fowl over our heads about three o'clock in the morning. This indication of the proximity of land induced the officer upon watch to flacken fail, and lie to, at a critical juncture, when an hour's more failing must have dashed us to pieces against the rocks. These new-difcovered iflands lie about thirty leagues N. E. of New Caledonia, where we anchored April 18th.

After the defcription that Cook and Forfter have given of the inbabitants of New Zealand, we expected to find realized the advantageous portrait given of them by thofe cele

brated

brated voyagers. We had reafon, however, partly to fufpend our belief of those accounts, when we afterwards observed a number of human bones, broiled, which the favages were devouring, eagerly faftening on the finalleft tendinous parts which adhere to them. This fact at least fuffices to prove, that the New Zea landers are cannibals. They often attacked our boat; but the good countenance we exhibited prevented their affailing or maffacring any of our company. Notwithstanding thefe hoftilities, the hip was every day vifited by numerous bodies of the iflanders. The foil being every where barren, we perceived but few veftiges -of any taste for agriculture, ftill, however, we obferved in fome gardens, the Colocafia, the Caribbee cabbage, the banana tree, and the fugar-cane. The cocoa tree bears but very diminutive fruit, the water of which is far from being pleafant.

The barbarous cuftoms of the natives did not prevent our reiterated excurfions into the interior parts of the country. On thefe occafions, we kept together to the number of twen ty, always well armed. As evening came on, we commonly took our ftation on fome elevated poft in the mountains, where we paffed the night in a fituation which protected us from hottile affaults. To guard against furprize, we kept watch by turns.

Obfervations made for twenty days together in this extenfive region, of which Forfter had but a glimpfe, (being fick all the eight days of his being of the island) furnished us with a variety of novel materials, efpecial. ly in the vegetable kingdom.

On the 6th of May, we loft Citizen Huon, Captain of the Esperance. He had been for fome time before

afflicted with an incurable marafmus. We buried him in Obfervation Island.

May 9th, we weighed anchor, and failed before the wind for the north. In our course, we obferved the eaftern part of the reefs and islands, the western fide of which we saw the year before.

May 21ft, we were clofe on the ifland of Saint Croix, and fent in two boats to look out for an anchoring place. While the failors were employed in founding, one of the natives, at the distance of upwards of eighty paces, lanced an arrow, which flightly wounded the forehead of one of them. A volley of fire-arms, however, foon difperfed the groupe of canoes which had furrounded the beats, and from which the lance proceeded. Although the wound was apparently fo inconfiderable, it was attended with a tetanus which proved mortal to the unfortunate failor after only eight days. The arrow did not appear to us to have been poifoned, as it is well known that beafts pierced with the fame weapons do not experience any fatal fymptoms. In India, it is no uncommon thing to fee the flighteft puncture followed by a fpafm, which is a certain forerunner of death.

After this, we proceeded to vifit the Arfacides Islands; and that part of Louifiade which Bougainville did not explore, the northern part of which is very difficult of accefs. We anchored after this near fome very lofty mountains on the fouth-east coast of New Guinea. After having paffed through Dampier's Streights, we difcovered the northern fide of New Britain *.

July 16th and 17th, we failed in view of the Anchoret Islands of Bougainville.

July

July 20th, we loft Entrecafteaux, our Captain. He died of convulfions, every fit of which was fucceeded by a fpeechless fupor.

After having taken fome notice of Traitor's Iflands, and part of the elevated lands of New Guinea, we an-, chored at Waigiore.

Aug. 16th 1793, in 129° 14′ of eaft longitude, and fo near the equator, that we were only half a minute to the fouth. Here the inhabitants brought us very large fea turtles, the foup of which we experienced to be a falutary remedy for the fcurvy, which was now prevalent among us. In this ifland we procured a num ber of interesting objects, and quitted it August 29th, and failed for Bouwo, where we anchored September, 3d, 1793. In this mountainous ifle, where the productions of nature are extremely varied, we had a favourable opportunity of continuing our botanical researches, &c.

We paffed thro' Button's Streights, from September 23d to October 9th, frequently coming to anchor and going afhore for the fake of enlarging our collections. Here feveral of our men died of a contagious bilious dy. fentery, contracted in the low marfhy grounds of this country.

Oct. 28, 1793, we caft anchor in the road of Sourabaya, in the isle of Java.

Here fome divifions broke out among the crews, in confequence of gaining intelligence of the further progrefs of the French Revolution. D'Auribeau infamously hoisted the white flag, Feb. 19th, 1794, and fhamefully furrendered the two veffels to the Dutch. He also feized all the journals, charts, and memoirs, which were connected with the voyage, and in the most daftardly manner arrested all thofe of the fhip's companies that were obnoxious to his own political fentiments. One journal, however, was fortunately faved, by having been flowed in a box of tea.

In this bazardous, yet important voyage, of 215 perfons, 36 loft their lives; the aftronomer Pearfon, died at Java; and Ventenat, at the isle of France. Riche, the naturalift, remains at Java, as well as Billadiere. Lahaye, the botanist, is also there; having under his care the bread fruit trees, brought from the Friendly Ilands. Piron, the painter, tarried with the governor of Jourahaga. Defchamp, the naturalift, remains. with D'Auribeau.

or, renounced his impious engagement. By fuch a conduct the emperor merited the following act of generofity toward himself. A citizen lent him 100,000 ducats, and received a bond from Charles. The next day the citizen invited the emperor and feveral perfons of the court to a banquet. When the deffert was put upon the table, the Bohemian ordered the emperor's band to be placed in a golden cup, and prefented to Charles, with this fpeech: The other part of this repaft, fire, you share equally with the rest of my guests. This cup belongs to you only, and I muft beg you to accept it as a prefent.

ESSAY

169

HOMER

OMER impreffes on our minds the idea of his heroes' reality, One is remarkable for height of ftature, another for the breadth of his fhoulders; one for the elegance, another for the rufticity of his apparel; one adepts a peculiar attitude in haranguing a public audience, another ftrikes us with the grace or deformity of his perfon. The colour of the hair, the device of a fhield, or beauty of the creft, and a hundred other minu tiæ, mark and diverfify his charac

ters.

He refembles our bard likewife in giving, occafionally, fome little characteristic trait, or anecdote, generally communicated in familiar converfation, not always indeed effential to the ftory, but which, from that very circumstance, is often more interesting. When Diomede starts afide from the natural tenor of his dff. course to boast of his horfe's pedigree or of his own; or when Neftor as unfeasonably expatiates on his former exploits, we, at once, become acquainted with them. In fuch kind of manners painting converfation (particularly friking in the latter part of the Odyffey) we lofe fight of the poet. It feems to be the genuine effufion of nature, and its inartificial appearance ftrengthens the deception. Shakspeare never ftudied Homer, but was as deeply read as the Grecian bard in the page of nature. In the familiar and confidential converfation occafionally held by his characters, we catch their minds, as if by furprize, in an undress; we detect their peculiar habits, and feel, like confidants in an intrigue, a fatisfaction in having those fecret traits communicated to us.

Who, for instance, can doubt that the "proud northern Lord Clifford Ed. Mag. March 1797.

of Cumberland," exercifed his baronial privilege of fwearing, uncontrouled, to an eminent degree, when we read Warwick's and Richard's fcoffing addreffes to him as he lay expir ing on the field of battle?

WARWICK.

They mock thee, Clifford, fwear as

"thou was wont."

RICHARD.

"What, not an oath! nay, then the "world goes hard

"When Clifford cannot spare his friends ❝ an oath

"I know by that he's dead.”

Hen. 6th, 3d. part, A. 2. S. 9. are merely drawn from images, formIf we fuppofe fuch representations ed in his creative mind, ftill they live to us; and, through his happy mode of introduction, we become as well acquainted with them as with our own cotemporaries. I am, however, inclined to fufpect, that Shakfpeare, where he does not follow the beaten path of hiftory, drew his cha

racters and incidents from tradition

ary ftories and family anecdotes ;fometimes, probably, from preceding dramas in which they were pretions that have long fince perished in ferved, and other fhort-lived publicathe tide of time.

The reflection thrown out by Sur rey to cardinal Wolfey, from its being fo circumftantial in point of time and description of perfon, appears to have been founded on fome wellknown ftory in Shakspear's time. "I'll ftartle you" [exclaims th' intemperate Peer,]

66

Worse than the facring bell, when the "brown wench

"Lay kifling in your arms, lord Cardi"nal." Hen, 8th, A. 3d, S. 5. It may be noticed, however, that Wolfey was particularly edious to the nobility; and his cotemporary Y

Skelton