‘Retrofpe of Domeftic Literature—Viyages, Travels and Tours. 6 35 
the Otaheitans, however benevolent and 
kind and docile, are ftill like the other 
iflanders attached to the cuftoms and fu- 
perftitions of their forefathers; nor can it 
be concealed that the Calviniftic doétrines ~ 
which were inculcated, are of too gloomy 
and uninviting nature to feduce their re- 
luétant affections. The prefent voyage is 
compiled from the journals of the officers 
and miffionaries : the narrative of itis in- 
troduced by a preliminary difcourfe, con- 
taining a geographical and hiftorical ac- 
count of Otaheite, of the Society Iflands, 
of the Friendly Iflands, of Navigator’s 
Ifland, of the Marquefas, &c. &c. &c. 
A letter of excellent inftruction follows 
from the Directors of the Society, to 
Captain Wilfon; and the body of the 
work is fucceeded by an Appendix, di- 
vided into fourteen feétions, comprifing 
an account of the inhabitants, religion, 
manners, natural hiftory, &c. of Otaheite ; 
and concluding with twenty-one articles 
of faith drawn up and fubfcribed by the 
Miifonaries. The volume is moreover 
illuftrated with maps, charts, and views, 
drawn by Mr. W. Wilfon, and engraven 
by fome of the moft eminent artifts. 
* Mr. Coore, Chaplain to his Lordthip, 
has publifhed the narrative of “ A Voy- 
age performed by the late Earl of Sand- 
wich round the Mediterranean, in the 
years 1738, and 173g, written by himfelf.” 
His Lordfhip when he commenced this 
voyage was only nineteen years of age; 
much folidity of remark therefore, or mi- 
nutenefs of refearch were not to be 
expected : the prefent volume moreover, 
lofes much of its intereft from the long 
interval which elapfed between the voyage 
and the publication. His journal at the 
time muft have been extremely valuable, 
but the path which he trod has fince been 
fo repeatedly purfued by travellers of va- 
rious taftes and qualifications, that the new 
information imparted by the prefent pages 
is very inconfiderable. His Lordfhip is a 
lively and elegant writer, and feems even 
at the early age when this voyage was 
performed, to have taken a wide excur- 
five range in the garden of Claffica! Li- 
terature. The prefent volume is illuf- 
trated with a portrait of his Lordfhip and 
with. feveral engravings of ancient build- 
ings and infcriptions, and with a chart of 
his courfe. Mr. Coote has moreover pres 
fixed Memoirs of the noble Author’s 
Life : concerning the private portion of 
which, his biographer has very prudently 
faid little, 
Major Symes has publifhed a very cu- 
rious and interefling Account of an 
Embaffy to the kingdom of Ava, fent by 
the Governor General of India, in the 
year 1795. The authority of the king- 
dom of Ava extends to the frontiers of 
the Engiifh dominions in Bengal : it-has 
now by right of conqueft added to itfelf 
the former fovereignties of Pegue and 
Siam, and the colleétive empire is called 
Birman. Some delinquents of the Bir- 
man empire having taken refuge near 
Chittagong, the boundary of the Britith 
territories; the haughty monarch, without 
foliciting their ceffion from the company, 
abruptly marched an army into its diftriéts 
for the purpofe of taking the fugitives in- 
to captivity. A difpute naturally enfued, 
which was amicably adjufted by the 
united fpirit and difcretion of General 
Erikine. To prevent, however, for the 
futtire, any fuch unceremonious incur- 
fions, and to imprefs the mighty Emperor 
of Ava with juft ideas of the power and 
amity of the Britifh nation, as well as to 
fettle fome commercial tranfaétions, the 
Governor General, Lord Teignmouth, 
thought it expedient to fend a formal em- 
baify to the Birman court. Major Symes 
was the gentleman very wifely felected for 
this purpofe, and the pages before us re- 
late, in an elegant and ftriking manner, the 
progrefs and reception of the embafly. Our 
knowledge of the vaft empire of Ava has hi- 
therto been very imperfect ; Major Symes, 
by-that curiofity, and eagernefs for infor- 
mation, which, in conjunction with other 
qualities, rendered him peculiarly proper 
to conduct the deputation, has now core 
rected our geographical errors in regard 
to that kingdom, has increafed our ac- 
quaintance wich its natural hiftery, and 
given us much information as to the reli- 
gion of the Birmans, their various eftab- 
blifhments, civil, military and_ ecclefiaf- 
tical, their manners and cuftoms, as alfo 
the power and extent of the empire. 
In our laft. Retrofpeét, we mentioned 
that Dr: HunriR had tranflated, with a 
rapidity that precluded correCtnefs, So- . 
nini’s Travelsin Upper and Lower Egypt: 
a more labored and more accurate 
verfion has fince made its appearance in 
one {plendid quarto, by an anonymous 
writer, who, oitended at the celerity of his 
rival’s pen, indulges himfelf in language 
highly unbecoming and indecorous. On 
a comparifon of, the two tranilations, the 
prefent is decidedly fuperior: the writer 
is far more intimately acquainted with 
the French language, than the Doétor, 
whofe mifconftructions were very  fre- 
quent and fometimes even ludicrous: and 
as a Natural dittorian, the fuperiority ee 
tee 
