; Retrofpeé? of Erench Literature.—Mifcellanies, - - 
mulated in the northern: part of the ter- 
reftrial globe, which ts an enormous mag- 
net ; the fecond, becaufe it is accumulated 
in the fouthern.”” 
it was formerly fuppofed, that iron 
alone was capable of contracting the mag- 
netic virtue; but it now appears, that 
two other metallic fubitances participate 
in the fame property, although in a {maller 
degree: the one, we are told, is zzcke/; the 
other, cobalt. ; 
The laft part confits of a theory of 
light. In thisthe author difcuffes the two 
opinions; that of Newton, which fup- 
poles this flud to be an emanation of Ju- 
minous bodies, fucceeding each other with. 
out interruption; and that of Defcartes; 
who imagines it to be f{pread through (pace, 
and vifible only when the prefence of lu- 
minous hodies puts its molecule into a 
fiate of vibration. He frankly gives the 
preference to the opinion of the fit of 
thefe philofophers, and in genera! bears 
the mot ample teftimony to his genus as 
well as his edrotrable precifion. 
« Tableau du Climat & du Sol des 
Etats-Unis d’ Amerique.’’—Defcription of 
the Climate and Soil of the United S:ates, 
by C.F. Votney, Member of the Con- 
fervative Senate, the National Inftitute, &c. 
In all ages, travels have been confidered 
as one of the principal means for the in- 
ftruction of individuals; and. the philo- 
fophers of ancient Greece were accufhomed 
to vilit the moft diftant countries, in order 
to fearch for new cuftoms, manners, and 
ideas. M. Volney may be confidered as 
one of the mof ccleb:ated travellers. in 
modern times. Scarcely had he attained 
his nineteenth year, when he formed the 
project of repairing to the Ea&, for the 
dole and exprefs purpof> of bebolding and 
making hisremarks on Egypt, Syria, and 
Arabia. From that moment, he predicted 
that a grand revolution was about to take 
piace in thofe diftant countries; and he 
wifhed to behold fo extraordinary an 
event. His remarks were detailed to the 
public in one of the ableft and mof fatis- 
fasiory productions of the laft century. ; 
and both the Hoglith and Fiench officers 
in Egypt have afforded an unidlicited tef- 
timony to the precifion cf his remarks, 
and his rigorous adherence to truth upon 
ali occafions. 
fis other works, fuch as Les Ruines, 
Le Cathechijiz de Morale, Legous fur 
a‘ Hiffoire, @c. have beew confidered far 
inferior to the firt production of his pen, 
and are no longer in fathion, in his native 
country, fince the republican form of go- 
yeroment has yiskied to the imperial one. 
615 
The Trans-Atlantic continent, relative | 
to an interefting portion of which, he 
now prefents us a detailed account of the 
climate, foil, &c. is pregnant with mate= 
rials for the hiltorian, tbe philofopher, and 
the naturalift, Invited by a prolific foil, 
a temperate government, excellent laws, 
and a variety of fortunate circumftances 
to alpire to the moft unbounded profpe- 
rity, all Europe naturally turns its eyes toe 
wards this riling empire, and is eager to 
become acquainted with its prefent fitua- — 
tion and its future deftiny. | 
The author ia his Preface ftates the 
difpofition. of mind in which he com- 
menced his voyage to the United States, 
It appears to have been far different from | 
what it was when he undertook to. vifit 
Egypt aad Syria, The hopes and pro- 
jects of youth had evaporated, and he had, 
been difguited with many of the fcenes 
that took place during the latter portioa 
ef the French revolution. In America, 
he hoped to find a happy alylum among 
the genyine fons cf freedom: but there, 
too, he has been in fome meafure difap- 
pointed ; for although he pays many 
comp.iments to the good qualities of the 
natives, he does not think the country the 
moft agreeable for thofe who have con- 
trated the manners, habits, and cuftoms 
of France. jin particular, he confiders 
the climate as unfavourable; and his ob- 
fervations are fupported by fo many faéts, 
that this part of his reafoning feems con. 
ciunve. ie 
The firk chapter is occupied with a 
geographical de{cription of the United 
States, bounJed, on the eaft, by the At- 
lantic Ocean; on the fouth, by the Gul,h 
of Mexico, and the Weft Indian Sea; on 
the welt, by the MifhMfippi 3 and, on the 
north, by Canada, and the five great lakes. 
This fpace .occupies a portion of the 
world, eftimated by Hutchins, at 112,000 
fquare miles, according to the ald ttandard 
ot France. Although this is allowed to 
be an exaggeration- by Volney, he cconfe - 
ders it, however, as being much more 
than double, in point of extent, to the 
whole termtory of the French Republic. 
The population has new become for- 
midable; yet, in 1781, the whole of this 
immenie crack was inhabited by no more _ 
than 5,214,800 inhabitants. 
It is here remarked, that thevembou- 
chure or mouth of the MiffiMppi cain- 
cides, in an inverfe fenfe, with that of rhe 
Nile; and thefe immenfe rivers are {aid 
to prefent phenomena, relative to their fers 
tility and overflowing, nearly fimilar.” 
Other marks of analogy are alfo difco. 
‘_vered 
