Retrospect of French Literature— Miscellaneous. 
posed crew were particularized by appro 
priate emblems. The monarch himself 
was painted with a harlequin’s jacket; 
and as the ridicule was very striking, it 
gave him great offence. 
“ Defense a’ applaudir au Théatre de 
Cassel:—Prohibition to applaud at the 
Theatre of Cassel. 
That the antient German spirit was 
er opletely subdued, the foliowing copy 
» order, emanating from the late 
nigrave of Hesse-Cassel, but a few 
s since, will fully demonstrate : 
‘<The public is once more informed, in 
confurmi!™ to the injunctions of October 
9, 1794, chat every species of applause 
is ir:crdicted at the Theatre, unless their 
} hnesses shall first deign to testify their 
sent in that manner. 
Cassel, October 1, 1798.” 
* Sur Charles Wadstrom.”—Some ac~ 
count of Charles Wadstrom. . 
Charles Bernes Wadstrom, a person 
well known in England, was born at 
Stockholm, in 1746. After having finish- 
ed lus studies, he was employed _ in the 
service of the King of Sweden, in 
quality of an Engineer. His attainment 
in mechanism was deemed so considera- 
ble, that, notwithstanding his youth, the 
grand project undertaken for the ex- 
press purpose of rendering the cataract 
of Troijhaetta navigable during the years 
1767 and 1768 was confided to his care. 
He was also a Mineralogist of sufficient 
reputation to be employed in working the 
copper-mines of Atredaberg, in 1769. 
These different occupations frequently ine 
troduced him to the conversation and ac- 
quaintance of Gustavus. 
But one of the plans which occupied,and 
in some measure absorbed the whole at- 
tention of Wadstrom, was the enfranchise- 
ment and civilization of the portion of 
the human race which inhabits the vast 
continent of Africa, At length, with a 
view of. obtaining authentic documents 
relative to the state, the manners, the 
characters, and the dispositions of the 
nations in question, he undertook a voy- 
age to that portion of the globe, where he 
remained during two whole years. 
There are persons who have attributed 
this undertaking, less to a desire to im- 
prove the condition of an unhappy por- 
tion of mankind, than for the purpose of 
discovering the New Jerusalem, which, ac- 
cording to the geography of-the Il/u- 
munati, was placed somewhere in the 
midst of regions hitherto unvisited by 
any Europeam. It would appear, how- 
ever, that this traveller, although no 
715 
stranger to the opinions of Swedenborg, 
had not carried his complaisance so far, 
as to undertake an expedition to Africa, 
for no other purpose than to realise the 
visions of this singular man, Candour, 
on the contrary, induces those best in- 
formed to believe, that the dangers, and 
perils, and poverty, to which he exposed 
himself, were wholly produced by an 
abhorrence to negro slavery, which 
proved one of the ruling passions of the 
heart. 
Immediately on his return from the 
wastes of Atrica, Wadstrom repaired to 
England, where he resided tor a conside- 
rable time. The grand question relative 
to the abolition of the slave- trade, was 
then agitated in parliament; and during 
the course of this discussion, he was ex- 
amined at the bar of the House of Com- 
mons; on which occasion, he produced. 
the journal into which he had daily en= ~ 
tered the minutes of his proceedings, as 
well as observations, while on the coast 
of Africa., The intelligence exhibited by 
him, was regarded as net only as very cus 
rious, but very useful; and his testimony 
was frequently quoted, during tlie interes 
esting proceedings that followed. 
In ‘fine, the information thus afforded, 
relative to the commerce in slaves, and 
the ideas suggested concerning a system 
of philanthropic colonization, at length 
produced the settlements of Sierra Leone 
and Bulama, which ought to be consider- 
ed as so many monuments erected to the 
honour of humanity. 
After this, Wadstrom published a thick 
‘volume in 4to. containing the result of 
his observations relative to Africa, ac- 
companied with a variety of plates, as 
well as useful observations concerning 
colonies in general,and those on the coast 
of Africa, in particular. He carried but 
three copies of this work with him to 
Paris; two of these he disposed of among 
his friends; and asto the third, it was pre- 
sented to- Bonaparte, at his own special 
or when he repaired to Egypt. 
Wadstrom also published a very interest- 
oe 
ing correspondence relative “to Sierra. 
Leone, in the Magasin Encyclopédique, - 
which was afterwards published separates 
ly in the form. ofa “ Notice sur Sierra: 
Leone.” 
‘While he was thus devoting his time to 
subjects of this nature, a mortal malady 
sapped his health, and produced at lengtit 
a pulmonary consumption. The cha- 
grin, the ingratitude, and the unfortunate 
events, he “had encountered, all preyed 
on his mind, and aggravated his disorder ; 
So 
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