Retrofpect of American Literature—Pcetry. 
fal Geography,’’ of which a fourth edition 
has lately appeared. ‘That it contains a 
large ma{s of valuable information con- 
cerning America, mutt be admitted ; but 
that a confiderable proportion of this is 
much more crude, inaccurate, and inde- 
finite, than it ought to be at the prefent 
day, is equally undeniable. 
Mr. Humpureys’s “ Reports to Ben- 
jamin Stoddert, Secretary of the Navy, on 
the Subject of Docks, and Remarks rela- 
tive to the Ports and Harbours of . the 
Eaftern States,’” contain a large aflemblage 
of facts and ftatements, which feem to 
have been compiled with much labour and 
refearch, and, we doubt not, will prove a_ 
very valuable document in the hands of 
all whio are led, either by duty or cu- 
riofity, to make inquiries on this fub- 
ect. 
et The Hiftory of Cambridge,”? (Maf- 
fachufetts) by Mr. Hotmes, is chiefly 
entitled to notice on account of his topo- 
graphical defcription of that town, which 
is minute and fatisfactory, and of fome 
ftatiftical details which are not undeferving 
of attention. 
POETRY. 
The Mufes hitherto do not feem to be 
difpofed to take up a refidence in America. 
It is, indeed, fomewhat furprifing, that, in 
695 
that quarter of the world, no traces fhould 
yet have been difcovered of thofe bold, 
lofty, and inventive, powers, which are 
effential to the conftitution of genius in 
metrical compofition. The beft fpeci- 
mens ot American poetry we have yet 
feen can only be confidered as fuccefsful 
imitations of {ome of the refpectable wri- 
ters ot the old world. 
Mr.M‘Kinwnon’s ** De{criptive Poems’” 
contain fome things which deferve to be 
regarded with a favorable eye ; but, on the 
other hand, the blemifhes are numerous, 
and fome of them fuch as ought not to 
have been permitted to fall from a writer 
whofe profeffed object is chiefly to pleafe. 
We fear the general charge of deficiency 
of genius in American poetry will not be 
cancelled by Mr. Linn’s ‘* Powers of 
Genius,”” a fecond edition of which has 
lately appeared. Nor do we find that the 
want of this quality is compenfated by 
any remarkable harmony of verfification, 
or by any thing excellent in the notes, 
which are pretty thickly ftrewed through- 
out the Poem. In the extenfive range of 
profe, the difappointed votaries of the 
Mufes may have ample opportunities of 
indemnifying the public as well as them- 
felves. 
END orf THE FIFTEENTH VOLUME, 
Printed by J, Aptarn, Duke-ftreet, Smithfield. 
