Retrospect of Domestic Literature—Voyages and Travels. 
Vers of Guyana ;” by Henry Borrne- 
BROKE, esq. of Norwich. “ Emolument 
(observes the author) is not the induce- 
ment for attempting this statistical ac- 
count, but a wish of displaying the im- 
portance of the settlements now posses- 
sed by the British along the northern 
coast of South America. They are un- 
dervalued ; and were abandoned at the 
peace of Amiens with a levity which 
Jowered the character of our statesmen 
for information. - If this endeavour to 
make the district more known should suc- 
ceed, the author’s endis reached. It will 
be a sufficient gratification for him: to 
have had it in his power to disclose a new 
field, where British industry and perse- 
verance are likely to reap an early re- 
ward, and to be able to found an immea- 
surable eimpire.” 
“ The Oriental Vayager, containing de- 
scriptive Sketches, and cursory Remarks, on 
a Voyage to Tnilia and China, in his Mo- 
jesty’s Ship Careline, performed in the 
Years 1803-4-5-6 ; tnterspersed with Lx- 
tracts from the best médern Voyages and 
Pravels. The whole intended to exhibit a 
topographical and picturesque Sketch of 
all the principal Places, which are annu- 
ally or occasionally visited by our Last 
India and China Fleets.” Mr. Johuson 
leads his reader a round of more than 
forty thousand miles; and though he ts 
aware that many of his descriptions, im 
his voyage to India and China, have been 
anticipated by other writers, be wishes it 
to be remembered that their accounts are 
scattered through various expensive works, 
were written a number of years aga, and 
arg surrounded bya great variety of mat- 
ter, which cannot be either instructing or 
interesting to a cursory visitor of ‘the 
Fast. Prefixed i is a chart, exhibiting the 
tracks of his Majesty’s frigates Caroline, 
outward bound to India, and the Medusa, 
on her voyage home. 
. As a general specimen of the work, 
we shall quote the remarks upon the ow 
ribbee islands, 
‘“* The Caribbee islands, especially the 
more northern, are as much overvalued 
in Great Britain as the Contiuent is un- 
dervalued. hey have ceased to be in 
use: they have performed their appoint- 
ed task in the civilization of the world. 
Without first undertaking the cultivation 
of sugar in small islands, whence the 
Afnmcan labourers could not run away, 
tltere would have heen no possibility of 
rearing and training a creoie peasantry, 
adapted fur the coasts of the West In- 
dian Archipelago. The blacks, whom it 
591 
was attempted to inure on the Continent 
to agricultural toil, deserted incessantly, 
as they do in the neighbourhood of the 
Cape, and formed their kraals, or gipsey 
villages, of bush negroes, who were al- 
ways ready to harbour discontented 
slaves, and to conspire with them for 
plundering and burning the plantations, 
and murdering the persons of the whites, 
This creole peasautry is at length reared, 
{nnumerable negroes are now grown up 
iu the West Indies, who have never 
known the satisfaction of sloth and inde- 
‘pendence, and who have _ no idea of any 
other possible manner of subsistence, 
than that of working regularly for the 
planter who issues their allowances. 
These home-born negroes, when trans- 
planted to the Continent, do not desert 
into the wilderness; they prefer the regu- 
lar task of moderate toil, and the certain 
aud comfurtabie maintenance it insures, 
to the privations and hazards of the sa- 
vage state. But the sooner this creole 
peasantry is transferred from the Carib- 
bee islands to the continent of Guyana, 
the better. For the same number of la- 
bourers can produce every commodity of 
-the Caribbee islauds, more cheaply and 
abundantly, and with less exertion, on the 
mainland. While uncleared, the ‘islands 
are rapidly depopulated by contavious, 
disorders; and when cleared, become 
se by drought, so that there is al. 
ays a superfluous expence to incur for 
fe waste of labourers, or fur the deti- 
ciency of crops. These islands, there- 
fore, should in preference be ceded to - 
France and Seba if any thing must 
be restored; or, by the - artificial discou- 
ragement op ned agriculture, be. in- 
duced to transfer to Guyana the mass of 
their population and capital.” . 
With Mr. Hatv’s “* Travels in S: ote 
land, by an unusual Route,” we confess 
ourselves to have been rather disap- 
pointed, although the characters and 
anecdutes in many parts are highly inte- 
resting. One of the mnost valuable por- 
tions is that which relates to the state of 
society in the Shetland and Orkney 
islands. 
Connected with the same department 
are “ The Adventures of Ropert Dru- 
ry, during Fifteen Years Captivity in 
the Island of Madagascar; containing a 
Deseripiion of that “Island, an Account. 
of its Produce, Manufactures, and Com- 
merce, with an dccount of the Manners 
and Customs, Wars, Religion, aad civil 
Policy of the Inhabitants; to which is 
added, a Vocubulary of the Madosascur 
Language, 
