238 REVIEW OF LITERATURE. 



rugged nnd abrupt, sinuous and intricate, wearying and perplexing, that 

 distract and amaze the searcher after knowledge in his first essay, are by 

 such hands as the author of this work, rendered easy and accommodating he 

 is, as it were, a social companion on the road an easy intelligent fellow, in 

 the midst of whose stories we find ourselves at the end of our journey, and 

 only grieve we have no further fellowship. The grave mysterious doctor 

 makes more blockheads than ever he will discoveries, and contrives more to 

 obstruct the way with doubts than ever his wisdom will serve to remove 

 again. 



Our author thus describes his motives and views in his preface ; 

 " The great principles upon which Geography ought to be studied, so as 

 to become auxiliary to the momentous purposes of individual improvement 

 and social utility, the events which, transpiring in successive ages, have ma- 

 terially influenced the political state of the world, and subserved the pro- 

 gressive advancement of the knowledge of its diversified empires and inha- 

 bitants ; the distinctive natural features, the internal economy, the religious 

 creed, the natural characteristics of the different countries of the old and new 

 continents, and the probable effect of those mighty moral agencies which are 

 now in operation in almost every region, and in almost every variety of the 

 human race the author has endeavoured to describe and to illustrate, as far 

 as his abilities would permit, and as his limits would allow. " 



We regret our limits will hardly allow us to say more of this excellent 

 work it is unapproachably, without question, the most perfect of its kind 

 yet published. It is impossible in a cursory review of its contents, to dis- 

 tinguish errors, which in a work so elaborate, must necessarily have found 

 place ; but, even from the imperfect examination of it, which its magnitude 

 and our time would permit, we may with satisfaction pronounce it a most 

 invaluable composition of ancient and modern Geographical knowledge. 



AGRICULTURAL REPORT. 



THE busy seed-season of Lent is hastily approaching, and great exertions 

 are making on all hands to put the lands into a befitting state of preparation. 

 We have, in our late Reports, described the state of the heavy and clay lands, 

 from the continued mildness and moisture of the season, rendering it either 

 altogether impracticable or useless to ventnre upon them with the plough or 

 cart teams, for the purposes of sowing and manuring, or winter fallowing. 

 Thence the lateness of the wheat-seed season upon so great a part of the 

 heavy lands, on a certain part of which it has been found impracticable to get 

 the wheat in ; consequently, such lands remain over year, waiting a favour- 

 able change of the weather, either to be sown with wheat or a spring crop, 

 should that be deemed more eligible. The weather, however, has continued 

 in the same state of moisture until within these few days, and similar difficul- 

 ties are experienced in fallowing for the Spring crops, the sowing of which 

 must either be late or imperfectly performed, particularly with respect to 

 drilled crops, unless a favourable change of the weather shortly supervene. 

 Of this we entertain some hopes from the experience of the last three or four 

 days, during which the frost, though far enough from severe, has been con- 

 tinuous ; and should it fortunately last during two or three weeks, the lands 

 above referred to will be dried and rendered friable, and in a fit state for stir- 

 ring, weeding, manuring, and receiving the spring seeds in good time. 



The constant moisture of the atmosphere during Autumn and since, has 

 revived among the farmers the old dispute of to which plan the preference is 

 due in a wet season, autumnal ploughing and fallowing the lands, or leaving 



