laws to which it is fubject with refpect to the diftribution of heat and cold. We cannot determine precifely the portion of heat felt in any part of the globe, merely by measuring its diftance from the equator. The climate of a country is affected, in fome degree, by its elevation above the fea, by the extent of continent, by the nature of the foil, the height of adjacent mountains, and many other circumflances. The influence of thefe, however, is, from various caufes, lefs confiderable in the greater part of the ancient continent; and from knowing the pofition of any country there, we can pronounce with more certainty what will be the warmth of its climate, and the nature of its productions.

The maxims which are founded upon obfervation of our hemifphere will not apply to the other. There, cold predominates. The rigour of the frigid zone extends over half of that which should be temperate by its pofition. Countries where the grape and the fig fhould ripen, are buried under fnow one half of the year; and lands fituated in the fame parallel with the most fertile and beft cultivated provinces in Europe, are chilled with perpetual frofts, which almoft deftroy the power of vegetation. As we advance to thofe parts of America which lie in the fame parallel with provinces of Alia and Africa, bleffed with an uniform enjoyment of fuch genial warmth as is most friendly to life and vegetation, the dominion of cold conti nues to be felt, and winter, though during a fhort period, often reigns with extreme feverity. If we proceed along the American continent into the torrid zone, we fhall find the cold prevalent in the New World extending itself alfo to this region of the globe, and mitigating the excess of its fervour. While the negro on the coaft of Africa is fcorched with unremitting heat, the inhabitant of Peru breathes an air equally mild and temperate, and is perpetually fhaded under a canopy of grey clouds, which intercepts the fierce beams of the fun, without obftructing his friendly influence. Along the eaftern coaft of America, the climate, though more fimilar to that of the torrid zone in other parts of the earth, is nevertheless confiderably milder than in thofe countries of Afia and Africa which lie in the fame latitude. If from the fouthern tropic we continue our progrefs to the extremity of the American continent, we meet with frozen feas, and countries horrid, barren, and fcarcely habitable for cold, fooner than in the north.

Various caufes combine in rendering the climate of America fo extremely different from that of the ancient continent. Though the utmoft extent of America toward the north be not yet difcovered, we know that it advances nearer to the pole than either Europe or Afia. The latter have large feas to the north, which are open during part of the year; and even when covered with ice, the wind that blows over them is lefs intenfely cold than that which blows over land in the fame high latitudes. But in America the land stretches from the river St. Laurence towards the pole, and spreads out immenfely to the weft. A chain of enormous mountains, covered with fnow and ice, runs through all this dreary region. The wind, in paffing over fuch an extent of high and frozen land, becomes fo impregnated with cold, that it acquires a piercing keennefs, which it retains in its progress through warmer climates, and is not entirely

mitigated

2

mitigated until it reach the Gulf of Mexico. Over all the continent
of North America, a north-westerly wind and exceffive cold are sy-
nonimous terms. Even in the moft fultry weather, the moment
that the wind veers to that quarter, its penetrating influence is felt
in a tranfition from heat to cold, no lefs violent than fudden. To
this powerful caufe we may afcribe the extraordinary dominion of
cold, and its violent inroads into the fouthern provinces in that part
of the globe.

Other caufes, no less remarkable, diminish the active power of..
heat in thofe parts of the American continent which lie between the
tropics. In all that portion of the globe, the wind blows in an in-
variable direction from eaft to weft. As this wind holds its courfe
across the ancient continent, it arrives at the countries which stretch
along the western shore of Africa, inflamed with all the fiery parti-
cles which it hath collected from the fultry plains of Afia, and the
burning fands in the African defarts. The coast of Africa is, ac-
cordingly, the region of the earth which feels the most fervent heat,
and is expofed to the unmitigated ardour of the torrid zone. But
this fame wind which brings fuch an acceffion of warmth to the
countries lying between the river of Senegal and Cafraria, traverses
the Atlantic Ocean before it reaches the American fhore. It is
cooled in its paffage over this vaft body of water, and is felt as a re-
freshing gale along the coafts of Brafil, and Guiana, rendering these
countries, though among the warmest in America, temperate, when
As this
compared with thofe which lie oppofite to them in Africa.
wind advances in its course across America, it meets with immenfe
plains, covered with impenetrable forefts, or occupied by large rivers,
marshes, and ftagnating waters, where it can recover no confiderable
degree of heat. At length it arrives at the Andes, which run from
north to fouth through the whole continent. In paffing over their
elevated and frozen fummits, it is fo thoroughly cooled, that the
greater part of the countries beyond them hardly feel the ardour to
which they feem exposed by their fituation. In the other provinces of
America, from Tierra Firmè weftward to the Mexican empire, the
heat of the climate is tempered, in fome places, by the elevation of
the land above the fea, in others, by their extraordinary humidity,
and in all, by the enormous mountains fcattered over this tract. The
islands of America in the torrid zone are either fmall or mountain-
ous, and are fanned alternately by refreshing sea and land breezes.'-

After contemplating thofe permanent and characteristic qualities
of the American continent, which arife 'from the peculiarity of its
fituation, and the difpofition of its parts, the next object that merits
attention is its condition when firft difcovered, as far as that de-
pended upon the industry and operations of man. The effects of hu-
man ingenuity and labour are more extenfive and confiderable, than
even our own vanity is apt at firft to imagine. When we furvey the
face of the habitable globe, no small part of that fertility and beauty,
which we afcribe to the hand of Nature, is the work of man.
efforts, when continued through a fucceffion of ages, change the ap-
pearance and improve the qualities of the earth. As a great part of
the ancient continent has long been occupied by nations far ad-
vanced in arts and industry, our eye is accustomed to view the earth

His

in

of

in that form which it affumes when rendered fit to be the refidence of a numerous race of men, and to fupply them with nourishment.

But in the New World, the state of mankind was ruder, and the afpect of Nature extremely different. Throughout all its vast regions, there were only two monarchies remarkable for extent of territory, or diftinguished by any progrefs in improvement. The rest of this continent was poffeffed by fmall independent tribes, deftitute of arts and industry, and neither capable to correct the defects, nor defirous to meliorate the condition of that part of the earth allotted to them for their habitation. Countries, occupied by fuch people, were almoft in the fame ftate as if they had been without inhabitants. Immenfe forefts covered a great part of the uncultivated earth; and as the hand of industry had not taught the rivers to run in a proper channel, or drained off the ftagnating water, many of the most fertile plains were overflowed with inundations, or converted into marshes. In the fouthern provinces, where the warmth of the fun, the moisture of the climate, and the fertility of the foil, combine in calling forth the moft vigorous powers of vegetation, the woods are fo choked with its rank luxuriance, as to be almoft impervious, and the furface of the ground is hid from the eye under a thick covering of fhrubs and herbs and weeds. In this ftate of wild unaffifted nature, a great part of the large provinces in South America, which extend from the bottom of the Andes to the fea, ftill remain. The European colonies have cleared and cultivated a few fpots along the coaft, but the original inhabitants, as rude and indolent as ever, have done nothing to open or improve a country, poffeffing almost every advantage of fituation and climate. As we advance towards the northern provinces of America, Nature continues to wear the fame uncultivated aspect, and in proportion as the rigour of the climate increases, appears more defolate and horrid. There, the forefts, though not encumbered with the fame exuberance of vegetation, are of equal extent; prodigious marfhes overfpread the plains, and few marks appear of human activity is any attempt to cultivate or embellish the carth. No wonder that the colonies fent from Europe were aftonished at their first entrance into the New World. It appeared to them wafte, folitary, and uninviting. When the English began to fettle in America, they termed the countries of which they took poffeffion, The Wilderness. Nothing but their eager expectation of finding mines of gold, could have induced the Spaniards to penetrate through the woods and marthes of America, where, at every step, they obferved the extreme difference between the uncultivated face of Nature, and that which it acquires under the forming hand of industry and art.A

From this extract the Public will be led to form an high idea of the hiftory of America. Nor will it be disappointed. As the subject on which the Author enters is grand, his execution is matterly, and we obferve in it the character of his former works, and recognize the well-known hand of Dr. Robertfon. It is not neceffary for us now to enter into any difcuffion concerning the merit of an hiftorian. with whom the Public is well acquainted. His former productions have been

read

read with avidity, and received with uncommon admiration. When the Hiftory of Scotland was first published, and the Author altogether unknown, Lord Chesterfield pronounced it to to be equal in elegance and beauty to the productions of Livy, the pureft and molt claffical of all the Roman hiftorians. His literary reputation has not been confined to his own country; the teftimony of Europe hath been added to the voice of England. We will venture to mention it as the characteristic quality of his manner, that he poffeffes, in no common degree, that fupported elevation which is fuitable to compositions of the higher clafs. He difplays in this, as in his former works, that happy union of ftrength and grace which becomes the majesty of the hiftoric Mufe.

But though we confider this teftimony as due to Dr. Robertfon, our impartiality will lead us in the progrefs of our attention to his work, to point out fome cenfurable particulars. Wherever we differ from him in his conclufions, or think that either his plan or mode of execution might have been improved, we fhall exprefs ourselves with our ufual freedom, and fubmit to the determination of the Public.

The fuccefs of fome eminent hiftorians has drawn many candidates to this field of fame, and made the writing of hiftory very common of late years in England. Perhaps there is no kind of compofition that lies fo level to the capacity of both writers and readers, and in which authors of very different talents may be usefully employed. A poet without genius will always be reprobated; but if an hiftorian poffeffes industry and fidelity, he will make no contemptible figure. There is even fome merit in condenfing fifty dull books into one. The Public indeed will learn to know the difference between a compilation and a history, and will distinguish between the laborious man who compofes a mere chronicle of events, and the man of genius, who, to the elegance of a fine writer, adds. the views of a politician, and the comprehenfion of a philofopher.

(To be continued.)

st.

ART. X. A Voyage round the World, in his Britannic Majefty's Sloop, Refolution, Sc. By George Forfter, F. R. S. &c. [Continued from the Review for April laft, p. 266.]

HAY

AVING mentioned the Author's defign in the publica-. tion of this performance, we fhall proceed to extract fuch particulars from it as have moft ftruck our attention in the perufal of it.

On the night preceding the arrival of the fhips off the Cape of Good-Hope, our Philofophical Voyager availed himfelf of a good opportunity of inquiring into the caufe of the luminoufnels of the Sea; which, according to his own words, REV. June, 1777.

Hh

ap

uniformity of

appeared that night to be in a blaze. After having beftowed great attention on fome of this illumined water, drawn up in a bucket, Mr. Forfter was convinced that the appearance was occafioned by innumerable minute animals, of a round fhape, moving through the water in all directions. One of thefe luminous fparks, which stuck to his finger while he was ftirring the water with his hand, was examined by the common magnifier of Mr. Ramfden's improved microfcope; and was found to be globular, transparent like a gelatinous fubftance, and fomewhat brown fh. By means of the greatest magnifier the orifice of a little tube was difcovered, which entered the body of the animal; within which were four or five inteftinal bags connected with the tube. He imagines that these animalcules may be the young fry of fome fpecies of medufa or blubber; and confiders them as poffeffed of the power of shining, or withholding their light, at pleafure.-By a faculty fomewhat analogous, we fhall obferve, though exerted poffibly on a different object, the Gymnotus and Torpedo, even when swimming in a conducting fluid, are enabled to collect the electric matter, and to retain or emit it, in larger or fmaller quantities, ad libitum.

In his account of the Cape, the Author vindicates the character of Kolben*, as a faithful and accurate obferver, against the afperfions of the late Abbé de la Caille. It would be easy, he obferves, to refute almost every criticism which the Abbé has paffed on that intelligent and entertaining voyager. It feems that the Abbé lived with a family at the Cape, who were of a party directly oppofite to that which had fupported Kolben. He daily heard invectives against him, and never failed to write them down, in order to give himself importance at the expence of the other.

Nul n'aura d'efprit,

Hors nous & nos amis.'

Boileau.

In the run from the Cape to the Antarctic circle, they had very early notice of the fuperior cold of these fouthern regions. Even in fo low a latitude as 50 degrees, and in the middle of fummer (December 10, 1772) the thermometer was very near the freezing point; and they paffed a large cubical mafs of ice about 2000 feet long, 400 feet broad, and at least as high again as the maintop gallant-maft head, or 200 feet.'-From hydrostatic principles the Author calculates that this enormous icy mafs funk 1800 feet under water; fo that its whole height was not lefs than 2000 feet.

After having reached 67 degrees 15 minutes South latitude, an immenfe field of folid ice, extending as far as the eye could reach from the maft head, prefented itfelf; and made it impof

• See our last Appendix, p. 545.