Retrofpect of Domeftic Literature.—Voyages, Travels @c. 
the local advantages it may command ina 
political, military, and commercial point 
of view, either with refpeét to itfelf, or 
in its relations with other countries ; its 
refources, and their application; its re- 
venues, jurifprudence, population, and a 
variety of other points which, when atten- 
tively taken, form a topographical and 
{tatittical account, whence both the ftate{- 
man and the philofopher may be inftruét- 
ed and amufed. It may be ftated, that 
one main object of this volume is to /t- 
mulate the Englifh government to recon- 
guer the Cape. Mr. Barrow had before 
folicitoufly avoided any political difcuffion, 
confidering that one fentiment’ had pre- 
vailed univerfally as to the importance of 
the Cape to the interefts cf the Britith 
Empire, and particularly to the Eaft India 
Company. Exceedingly mortified that it 
fhould have been thought. neceflary to re- 
Jinquifh the poffeffion of it, he has now 
entered very fully inte the queftion of the 
political, military, and commercial advan- 
tages of his grand outwork, as he calls it, 
of all the European poffeffions. in India. 
Mr. Barrow has divided bis work into 
fix chapters: the firft is devoted to pre- 
liminary and mifcellaneous remarks ; the 
fecond gives an account of a military ex- 
pedition to the Caffre frontier; the three 
next ere intended to fhew the importance 
of the Cape of Good Hope, confidered as 
a military and a naval ftation, and, ina 
commercial point ot view, as a depét for 
the fouthern whale fifhhery. By a military 
{tation Mr. Barrow does not fimply mean 
a garrifon for the defence of the feitle- 
ment, but as a fituation where we may 
recruit our armic-s for India ; the cliinaze 
being of that moderate temperature which 
may prepare the raw foldier for futtaining 
the extremes of heat and cold. Mr. Bar- 
row is moreover very minute in defcribing 
the Cape as a naval] ftation: he fays, that 
it affords good fhelter to fhips injured or 
diftreffed by fo:ms ; that the fituation is 
one of the beft in the world for affembling 
convoys ; that fhip’s crews may be pro- 
vided here, at a reafonable rate, with 
fruits, vegetables, und frefh provificns, 
&c. &c. As to the commercial advantages 
to be derived from the Cape, Mr. Batrow 
has taken confiderable pains to fhew that 
thefe, although confeifedly iniertor in point 
of confequence to others which he had 
enlarged on, are yet by no means unim- 
portant. The concluding chap er is devot- 
ed toa topographical and ftatittical account 
of the fettlement, which is drawn up with 
great care and judgment. This volume 
Me NTHLY Mac. No, 517. 
657 
is illuftrated with. charts and engravings. 
We underftand that a fecond edition of 
the firft is about to be publithed with 
fimilar embellifhments.* 
‘© Walks and Sketches at the Cape of 
Good Hope. To which is fubjoined, a 
Fourney from Cape Town to Blettenburg's 
Bay. By RopertT SEMPLE.” 
An amufing volume, particularly to the 
admirers of fentimentality. The defcrip- 
tions are varied, and the work is nct defti- 
tute of information. 
Mr. PercivaL’s “ Account of the Cape 
cf Good Hope” is, like his Account of the 
Ifland of Ceylon, a work of fterling merit. 
Mr. Barrow enters into a defeription of 
the interior parts of the country conti- 
guous to the Cape; the prefent author 
confines himfelf to an account of the man. 
ners, cuftoms, difpofition, and policy of 
the inhabitants of Cape Town and its 
immediate vicinity ; eftimating, however, 
the importance of the fettlement in a com- 
mercial, military, and political point of 
view. We fhall not draw any invidious 
comparifan between the volumes of Mr. 
Barrow and Mr. Percival: the former 
gentleman is a firft-rate naturalift, the 
Jatter does not pretend to an extenfive ac- 
quaintance with natural hiftory. This 
obfervation is due to Mr. Barrow. Much 
information on every other fubject con- 
nefied with the fettlement, is to be derived 
from both thefe valuable publications. 
“© An Account of Native Africays in the 
Neighbourhood of Sierra Leone. To which 
is added, an Account of the prefent State of 
Medicine among them. By THOMas WIN. 
Ts RBOTTOM, Phyfctan to the Colony.” 
The latter of thefe two volumes treats 
of the difeafts of the Africans, their regi- 
men, medicines, &c, and proves that Dr. 
Winterbottom is a moft attentive and ju- 
dicious obferver of what relates to his 
profeffion. The firf{ volume is for gene- 
ral readers, treating on the genius and 
manners of the- various African nations 
which furround the colony of Sierra 
Leone. Hre we meet with but little 
that is new: indeed we have had fo many 
Travels through this part of Africa, that 
much novelty was nat to be expected. 
<A Supplement to the Account of the 
Pelew,Ijlands, €c. Ge. by the Rev. JORN 
Pearckt HOCKIN,” 
Who will not be pleafed to learn fur- 
* 
fir. Barrow was fecretary to the Earl of 
Macattney on his embaffy to the court of 
Pekin, and weare glad to fee, in an advertife- 
ment, tiat he is abou: to publith an Account 
of his J ravels through the Chinefe Empire. 
4R ther 
4 
