the British navy, from its rudeft efforts, to the prefent high ftate of fuperiority, we had almoft faid, of perfection.Thefe details are given in that mixed and defultory manner, which renders this part of the work what fome would term a readable book, well calculated for the particular clafs of perfons whom the author had in his eye; and not less useful as a book of reference to all, who in their political or hiftorical inquiries may have occafion to treat on maritime. fubjects.

The Appendix, which is contained in the two laft volumes, gives us the ftate of the navy of Great Britain, its various fucceffes and loffes, with a comparative view of the fucceffes and loffes of other nations; a lift of fleets, fquadrons, and lines of battle; an account of the different offices in the naval department, with the names of those noblemen and gentlemen who have served in each; a list of the admirals and poft-captains who have borne commiffions in the royal navy, with an account of the fervices they have performed; and other mifcellaneous information refpecting the hiftory, or prefent ftate of the navies of Europe.

From this Supplement, we are tempted, on the present occafion, to extract a few minutes, which may exhibit to our readers, in a very small space, the progrefs of our navy in its fucceffes, during the period of a century, that is, from the conclufion of Queen Anne's war to the late peace :

"In Queen Anne's war, England fuftained a lofs of 38 fhips, carrying in all 1596 guns, and France loft 52 fhips and 3094 guns, leaving a balance in favour of England of 14 fhips and 1498 guns.

"During the war from 1739 to 1749, firft with Spain, and afterwards with France and Spain, the enemy loft 41 fhips of the line, and the British 13, leaving a balance in our favour of 28. In the fame war the French and Spaniards captured 26 frigates, and the British only 22, leaving a balance of four frigates in favour of the combined powers, a circumftance which we have no wish to conceal, because it is the laft of the kind which occurs in the annals of their navy.

"In the war from 1755 to 1763, the French had 35 fhips of the line taken or deftroyed, with 58 frigates and 10 floops; the Spaniards loft 14 fhips of the line, and five frigates, making in all, of the line, 49 fhips, while Great Britain loft only 16, and had confequently a balance in her favour of 33; and upon the comparative loffes of floops and finaller veffels, fhe had a balance of 34.

During the war, ufually called the American war, from 1775

to

to 1783, when Britain had to contend with America, France, Spain, and Holland, her loffes amounted to-

"The Americans had 53 fhips from 40 to 10 guns taken, and

32 destroyed.

་་

"The French lofs was,

"The whole balance in favour of Great Britain is 16 fhips of the line taken; the other rates are in proportion, but from the unequal tonnage and names given to fome of the small veffels, our author has not been able to make out an exact comparative statement. Our loffes by ftorms in this war were very great, but of frigates we had only 15 captured, while we took from the French, Spaniards, and Dutch, no lefs than 49.

"We now come to the late war, which demands our particular attention. The comparative ftatement of loffes, according to our author, ftands thus :

"While the lofs to the British was only 21 fhips of the line, fix fifties, 55 frigates, and 94 floops, in all 176 fhips. The balance, therefore, in favour of Great Britain, was SIXTY-SIX fail of the LINE, three of 50 guns, 148 frigates, 94 loops, &c.

î

making a total of 321. But it is neceffary to add, that of the 21 fhips of the line, stated to have been left by Great Britain, FIVE ONLY were taken by the enemy, the rest being burnt by. accident, or wrecked in various ways, unconnected with the line, of war. On the other hand, of the 54 French fhips of the fate feven only were loft by fimilar accidents, and five were burnt at Toulon by land, but all the reft were taken in various engagements. To the glories of this war we may still add, that in the courfe of it, we took from the three naval powers, 1006 priva. teers and armed veffels, carrying 7839 guns, and 47,246 men, but this we shall not inuft upon particularly, as we have in this work no counter-ftatement of loffes of that kind in our own fhipping."

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From the preceding accounts, our readers will perceive that the fuperiority of the British navy has been uniformly progreffive for a century, a period which we have fixed upon, partly because our documents are more accurate, and partly, because it is during that time the other maritime powers have struggled by all means to rival us on the ocean. do this effectually, they found that combination was neceffary; but it is evident, however wonderful, that our greatest exertions have been followed by our moft brilliant fucceffes, when those combinations appeared moft formidable, namely, during the two laft wars. Another conclufion to be drawn from this work, confirmed by undeniable facts, is, that in all our principal battles, we have had to contend with a fuperior force, fuperior in number of fhips, of guns, and of men. The reader will find this almoft uniformly the cafe throughout the whole of Captain Schomberg's details; and it is furely quite unneceffary to appeal to recent inftances for a farther confirmation of the fact. It remains for politicians, for naval men, for philofophers, to account for a fuperiority, in all periods of our hiftory, fo decifive, and irrefiftible. Ample materials may be found in these useful volumes, to affift fuch inquiries, and to determine why other nations, not deftitute of refources, phyfical or mental, certainly not deftitute of courage, have never been able to attain our accomplishments in fkill, bravery, and difcipline? It is fufficient for us, who cannot be fuppofed competent to fuch difcuffions, to look up with pious gratitude to the God of all power and might, who has thus fhielded us against the moft extenfive and unprincipled tyranny that ever defolated the world. From the above statements it will appear, that our deliverances have at all times been many and great, yet within thefe few weeks we have heard of victories which M m tranfeend

BRIT, CRIT. VOL. XXVI, NOV. 1805.

tranfcend all that are upon record; victories which, while they feem to gratify all that human ambition would attain, or can imagine, aught always to be referred to the interpofition of that Being to whom it is owing, that amid the convulfions of the whole civilized world, we are ftill a nation powerful, independent, free, and happy.

ART. VII. The Hiftory of the Orkney Islands: in which is comprehended an Account of their prefent as well as their ancient State; together with the Advantages they poflefs for feveral Branches of Induftry, and the Means by which they "may be improved. Illuftrated with an accurate and extenfive Map of the whole Iflands, and with Plates of fome of the most interefting Objects they contain. By the Rev. George Barry, D. D. Minister of Shapinfhay. 4to. 509 pp. 11. 11s. 6d. Longman and Co.

THIS

1805.

HIS volume fills up a very interefting and important chafm in topograghy, for we have never had any authentic or well-written hiftory, in detail, of the Orkney Ilands. The prefent is very elaborate and circumftantial; and whoever from local situation or connection, or from that curiofity, which directs its attention to fuch purfuits, has wifhed to fee an undertaking of this kind accomplished, will have abundant reason to thank the industrious author of this publication.

Dr. Barry has very judicioufly arranged his matter under three heads, which he has divided into an equal number of books. His firft, comprifes a geographical view of the iflands. His fecond, exhibits an account of their earliest inhabitants, their manner and cuftoms, their monuments of antiquity, their fituation under fucceeding fovereigns. The third book defcribes the prefent ftate of the Orkney Islands, their natural history, their population, manners, and cuftoms, their agriculture, manufactures, commerce, and fisheries. An appendix is fubjoined of various original and authentic papers, illuftrative of what precedes, and forming by no means the moft unimportant part of the author's valuable communications.

From each of thefe judicious divifions of his work we fhall felect an extract for the reader's amufement and information.

Dr. Barry (who fince, or immediately before, the publi cation of his book has terminated the career of life) reprefents himself to be minister of Shapinfhay, an island

2

which

which may be called the centre of the Orkneys; we shall therefore give his description of it.

Shapinfhay, fituated to the north of the Mainland*, from which, in fome places, it is no more than a mile diftant, is the first of the north ifles that prefents itself, about three miles removed from Kirkwall. If its greateft extent be confidered, the dimenfions will amount to nearly feven miles by five; but as it bears fome refemblance to a crofs, of which the length may be viewed in the light of the body, and the breadth in that of the arms, fuch a confideration of it will convey no very diftinct idea of its furface. To fubject it to measurement, it must be reduced into a regular form; and in that cafe, nine fquare miles would be all it contains.

Much of this extent, efpecially on the north and fouth fide, is cultivated; and indeed almoft the whole is capable of cultivation, were due attention paid to it. So far, however, is this from being the cafe, that to the detriment, no less than to the difgrace of the proprietors, fome of the arable lands are yet lying runrig, which is well known to throw an infuperable bar in the way of culture, befides furnishing matter for endlefs difputes and contentions.

"The whole of this island formerly made a part of the tempo. rality of the bishoprick of Orkney.

"In its fouth-weit corner, lead ore was found of a flattering appearance; but owing to fome difficulties that unexpectedly arofe, the work has not been profecuted.

"The foil, though various, is in general fhallow, compounded of clay, peat, and fand, very imperfectly cultivated and as there is more dependence on fea-weed, than on either dung or compoft as a manure, and no regard whatever paid to either lime or marl, though they exift in the ifland, the crops of bear and oats are neither fo plentiful as they otherwife might be, nor is the grain of fuch fuperior quality. The grain that is raised annually is fufficient for the inhabitants, though the rents are paid in kind, and a large quantity thus neceffarily conveyed to the king's ftorehouse in Kirkwall.

"On one eftate, the ordinary mode of husbandry has been exchanged for one that has been long practifed in the beft cultivated countries to the fouth; and the experiment has exceeded the most fanguine expectations: and as there is nothing either in the foil or fituation of that place peculiarly favourable, the fame mode, adopted in other inftances, might be attended with the fame happy confequences. The farming flock has kept pace with the im provement of the land in the inftance above alluded to, as it now exceeds triple its former value. Through other parts of the island, the farming ftock is of a piece with their agriculture, their horfes and cattle being as puny as they are numerous. are kept in great numbers, without herding or confinement, to the

The largest island is fo called, Rev.

M m 2

Swine

unfpeakable