you do any thing so monstrous as to leave your allies in order to confirma such a system; should you forget your name, forget your ancestors, and the inheritance they have left you of morality and renown; should you astonish Europe by quitting your allies to render immortal such a composition, would not the nations exclaim, "You have very providently watched over our interests, and very generously have you contributed to our service, and do you falter now?" In vain have you stopped in your own person the flying fortunes of Europe; in vain have you taken the eagle of Napoleon, and snatched invincibility from his standard, if now, when confederated Europe is ready to march, you take the lead in the desertion, and preach the penitence of Bonaparte and the poverty of England!

As to her poverty, you must not consider the money you spend in your defence, but the fortune you would lose if you were not defended; and further, you must recollect you will pay less to an immediate war, than to a peace with a war establishment, and a war to follow it. Recollect further, that whatever be your resources, they must outlast those of all your enemies; and further, that your empire cannot be saved by a calculation. Besides, your wealth is only a part of your situation. The name you have established, the deeds you have achieved, and the part you have sustained, preclude you from a second place among nations; and when you cease to be the first, you are nothing.'

From the sentences which we have printed in Italics, it will be seen that we are not insensible to the licentious taste of Mr. Grattan's style of eloquence. But as the whole passage exhibits in a tolerably limited compass more of its excellencies, as well as more of its defects, than any other of his orations, we have not forborne to transcribe it. We have only to remark further on the character of Mr. Grattan's oratory, that it seemed as if his imagination in the later years of his life, had thrown off every restraint and incumbrance. He rises into mysticism and extravagance, and reminds us, (so frequently do the aberrations of the human intellect resemble each other,) when he talks of heaven and earth being set adrift from one another,' and making God Almighty a tolerated alien in his own creation,' of one of the impious flights of the Della Crusca school of poetry, in which the poet makes

b

the Creator blush to see, How horrible his works can be.'

Mr. Grattan, in the last hour of his eventful life, was constans sibi. With his expiring accents, he uttered his ardent desires for the liberty and welfare of his country. The Editor of these volumes has preserved a paper, dictated a short time before his death, containing a patriotic prayer for the indissoluble connexion of Great Britain and Ireland, but breathing a strenuous protest against the wild theories of democracy,-universal suffrage, and annual parliaments. ⚫ I have just breath,' he says,

⚫ to enter my protest against both.' Then follow his sentiments concerning the civil and political disabilities of the Roman Catholics, briefly but energetically expressed. •These reso

lutions,' he adds, contain my sentiments. This is my ⚫ testamentary disposition; and I die with a love of liberty in my heart, and this declaration in favour of my country in my hand.'

Art. II. Voyage of Discovery into the South Sea and Beering's Straits, for the Purpose of exploring a North-East Passage, undertaken in the Years 1815-1818, at the Expense of his flighness the Chancellor of the Empire, Count Romanzoff, in the Ship Rurick, under the Command of the Lieutenant in the Russian Imperial Navy, Otto Von Kotzebue. Illustrated with numerous Plates and Maps. 3 Vols. 8vo. pp. 1240. London. 1821.

THESE volumes comprise, besides a copious Introduction, Lieut. Kotzebue's Journal of his Voyage, occupying about half the work; an Analysis of the Islands discovered by the Rurick in the great ocean; a series of Miscellaneous Remarks and Opinions by the Naturalist who accompanied the Expedition, Adelbert Von Chamisso; and an Appendix, consisting of various contributions illustrative of the Geography and Natural History of the Islands visited by the Expedition. Although the voyage failed to accomplish the immediate object of the enterprise, and has not very materially extended our knowledge of the geography and hydrography of the Polar Regions, the information collected during the voyage, is both curious and valuable. Lieutenant Kotzebue has rendered an important service, by verifying in some instances the observations of former navigators, and correcting them in others. He has discovered several new islands in the South Seas, and has made us acquainted with the true position of more belonging to the same archipelago, respecting which his claims to be considered as the first discoverer may be questioned; and he has thrown much light on the formation of the coral rocks of which they consist. The volumes contain also a variety of interesting details, relating to the manners and customs of the Islanders.

The enterprise confided to Lieutenant Kotzebue, originated in the public spirit and munificence of an exalted individual, and was undertaken purely for the purpose of scientific discovery. The merit of suggesting the voyage, as well as of bearing the whole expense of it, belongs to Count Romanzoff. The Rurick sailed from Plymouth, in October, 1815. On the 28th, they cast anchor off Santa Cruz. After encountering several heavy storms, in doubling Cape Horn, they succeeded, on the 1st of February, in passing the latitude of Cape Vittoria, and on the 11th entered Conception Bay. Here the

Rurick underwent the necessary repairs, and these being completed, set sail for Kamtschatka. They looked in vain for Davis's Land and Wareham's Rocks, in the direction marked on Arrowsmith's chart; and Lieutenant Kotzebue is of opinion that the latter do not exist at all, but have been confounded with the Island of Sales. On arriving off Easter Island, they were surprised at being received by the natives with evident distrust and some hostile demonstrations. No women appeared among the multitudes assembled on the beach, whereas, preceding voyagers have had to complain of their importunity. And although the natives were eager to deal with the strangers, swimming to the boats with banana-fruits and sugar cane, which they bartered for any bits of iron, yet, on the attempt to land, the crew of the Rurick were saluted with showers of stones, to which they were obliged to put an end by some musket shots. They were obliged to have recourse to the same mode of self-protection in making good their retreat to the boats. This change in the behaviour of these hitherto friendly savages, was explained to Lieutenant Kotzebue on his arrival at the Sandwich Islands. The captain of an American schooner, who had employed himself in the year 1805, in catching a kind of seal, valuable for its skin, which is found in the little uninhabited island of Massafuero, resolved to establish a colony there, to carry on the fishery; and as he had no hands to spare from his own crew, he bethought him of the old expedient of man-stealing. In pursuance of this nefarious design, he sailed to Easter Island, and landing at Cook's Bay, endeavoured to seize upon a number of the inhabitants.

The combat is said to have been bloody, as the brave islanders defended themselves with intrepidity; but they were obliged to yield to the terrible arms of the Europeans: and twelve men, and ten women, fell into the merciless hands of the Americans. Upon this, the poor crea tures were carried on board, fettered for the first three days, and not released till they were out of sight of land. The first use they made of their recovered liberty, was, that the men jumped overboard; and the women, who attempted to follow them, were prevented only by force. The captain made the ship lie to, in hope that they would return on board for refuge, when they were threatened by the waves. He, however, spon perceived how much he had been mistaken; for the savages, used to the water from their infancy, thought it not impossible, notwithstanding the distance of three days' voyage, to reach their native country; and at all events they preferred perishing in the waves, to leading a miserable life in captivity. After they had disputed for some time as to the direction they should take, they separated; some took the direct way to Easter Island, and the others to the North. The captain, extremely enraged at this unexpected heroism, sent a boat after them, which returned after many fruitless efforts, as they always diyed at the approach of the

here. On learning that Kotzebue was the commander, the natives invited him to their tent.

A filthy piece of leather was placed on the ground for me to sit on; and then they came up to me, one after the other-each of them embraced me, rubbed his nose hard against mine, and ended his caresses by Ispitting in his hands and wiping them several times over my face. Though these signs of friendship were not very agreeable to me, I bore all patiently. To suppress their further tenderness, I distributed some tobacco-leaves, which they received with much pleasure, and were going to repeat all their caresses again. I hastily took some knives, scissars, and beads, and thus happily prevented a second attack. An almost still greater misery awaited me; when, in order to refresh me, they brought forth a wooden trough of whale-blubber, (a great delicacy among all the northern inhabitants of the sea-coasts), and I bravely took some of it,' sickening and dangerous as this food is to an European stomach. This, and some other presents, which I afterwards made them, sealed the bond of our friendly acquaintance. My host, the proprietor of the tent, and probably the chief of his countrymen present, after our meals ordered a dance; one of them stept forwards, made the most comical motions with his whole body, without stirring from his place, making the most hideous grimaces; the others sung a song, consisting of only two notes, sometimes louder, sometimes lower, and the time was beat on a small tambourine. After I had amused myself, with my friends, in this manner, for two hours, I took a short walk into the interior of the island, but was soon obliged to return on account of the fog. As I feared that it might increase before we reached the ship, I was obliged to quit the island sooner than I should have done, had the weather been fine. The savages appeared affected at our leaving them, and promised to visit us on board.'

pp. 192, 3.

Two days after, they received a visit from a detachment of natives from the northern side of the Islands, where a low tongue of land, extending to the west, has a singular appearance, arising from the subterranean dwellings of the natives, and the number of whale ribs set up perpendicularly between them.

'As soon as they perceived us, they pushed off from shore three baydares) each containing ten men. They left off rowing, when they had approached the Rurick within ten yards: and then, with doleful voices, commenced a mournful song. Upon this, one in the middle arose, holding up a small black dog, and after speaking some words in an expressive manner, drew a knife, with which he gave the dog a mortal wound, and then threw the poor victim into the sea. After the conclusion of this ceremony, during which the deepest silence was observed in the

A baydare is a large open boat, quite flat, made of the skin of the sea-lion. The Kamtschadales use them on shore by way of tents.

other low coral chains, they arrived at two other groupes, extending twenty-five miles from North to South, the channel between them being in lat. 11°. 11. 20". N. To these were given the names of Kutusoff and Suwaroff. On approaching the former island, a large boat, with nine islanders in it, came off towards them under full sail, and approached within a hundred fathoms of the Rurick.

The modest and agreeable manners of these islanders,' says Lieut. K. which differed so entirely from the savage behaviour of those of the Penrhyns, astonished us greatly, as we could not expect to find this in the South Sea, in an island that had never been visited. They were all unarmed, and the strictest subordination was evident. The chief sat on the left side with his legs under him, on an elevation, placed on the outrigger, which was ornamented with coloured mats, having his head adorned with flowers and shell-wreaths...... We admired the rapidity with which their boat sailed close to the wind: it had only one disproportionately large sail, of fine woven mats, which was in the shape of an acute-angled triangle, the acute angle being undermost. The skill and quickness with which they put about their boat in tacking, deserved the admiration of every seaman. These islanders were of a black colour, tall, and slender; their straight black hair was, tastefully interwoven with wreaths of flowers; their neck and ears singularly ornamented. Their clothing consisted of two curiously woven coloured mats, tied to the waist, one before and the other behind, descending to the knee; the other part of the body was naked. One could read the expression of obligingness and good nature on their countenance; and yet they have some resemblance to the Malays.'

They entered Avatscha Bay on the 19th of June, and in less than a month, their repairs and other arrangements being completed, the Rurick sailed for Beering's Strait. On the 26th July, (misprinted June,) she made Beering's Island, and on the 27th stood off the south-western part of St. Lawrence's Islands. Here Lieut. Kotzebue landed with a detachment of the crew, well armed, and had a friendly interview with the natives, who are described as resembling the inhabitants of Norton Sound, their language also being similar. Their clothing, which consists of skins, is filthy to the highest degree. They appear to visit this part only in the summer, for the purpose of carrying on the whale, morse, and seal fishery, their only dwellings being small tents made of the ribs of whales, and covered with morse-skin. The land has a most dismal appearance, consisting of mountains covered with snow. Not a single tree, not even a bush adorns the gray rocks. Only short grass sprouts up here and there between the moss, and a few stinted plants rise above the ground; and yet, many a flower blows