Scientific Reviews. 35.1 
of the shipwrecked vessels of La Perouse’s expedition. The narra- 
tive of this first journey, which is given in Captain D.’s work, con- 
tains a fearful picture of the means by which commerce is oftentimes 
carried on. The natives are encouraged and assisted in warring 
with one another, to satiate their appetite for human food, and the 
price of the blood shed is paid by a ship-load of sandal wooed! On 
his return Captain Dillon commenced a correspondence with the 
Bengal government, which led to the fitting out of this expedition, 
in the search of further traces of the fate of La Perouse. Previous 
to his departure from Calcutta, a Dr. Tytler was appointed to the 
superintendence of the medical and natural-historical departments 
of the enterprize. This man, at the very commencement of the 
undertaking, was a cause of much serious annoyance to our author. 
To believe his own words, he shaved his head, and confined him to 
his house, when he never was in better health,—piled up the fuel 
of mutiny on board the ship, and then blazed out in open rebellion 
against his commanding officer. Captain Dillon, obliged to arrest 
him in the king’s name, was afterwards tried on this account, on 
his arrival at Van Dieman’s land, and subjected to corporeal re- 
straint. To judge of the doctor’s capabilities as a naturalist, and 
his anxiety to promote that science, and, at the same time, of the 
negligence that must have occurred in appointing such a madman 
to a situation of so much importance, even though supported by 
Captain Dillon, it may be mentioned that he frequently requested 
this gentleman to get a few stones and fragments of rock at Van 
Dieman’s Land, to fill up the chest sent by the Bengal Govern- 
ment for specimens of natural history. ‘‘ It was immaterial (he 
said) whether it were clods of dried mud, or stones of any sort ; so 
that he brought a large cargo it would answer the purpose, as there 
was no person in the Asiatic Society capable of judging as to their 
qualities.” What a contrast to D’Urville’s expedition! No doubt 
that every credit is due to the East Indian Government for its phi- 
lanthropy in equipping this expedition, but why entrust the second 
most responsible situation to a man who could only lay it open to 
the ridicule of all nations ? 
_ It is curious to see how many Europeans, some in small settle- 
ments, others singly or a few together, are met with scattered 
among the South Sea Islands. Some are left for misconduct, others 
by shipwreck, and even a few from their own desire, uniting them- 
selves with the fair natives of these shady coral rocks, er buffetted 
from isle to isle in frail barks of their own construction. Their 
superior knowledge, or the possession of European arms, leads them 
constantly to be the aggressors of the unfortunate natives, and those 
who love to dwell on the unequal warfare waged between the sa- 
vage and the civilized man, will find an ample fund of amusement 
in the pages of Captain Dillon’s Narrative. Part of the work 
contains an account of the manners and customs of the Friendly 
Islanders, derived principally from “ Mariner’s Account,” which 
was scarcely worth re-printing after its appearance in Constable’s 
