to whom this occurred at Malaga: they were hurt at the circumstance, and strenuously urged the host to take the amount of their bill, and give it to the person who had discharged it; but he resolutely refused, and protested he was ignorant of those who paid this compliment to Englishmen. It was common, if our countrymen went to a coffee-house or an ice-house, to discover, when they rose to depart, that their refreshment had been paid for by some one who had disappeared, and with whom they had not even exchanged a word. I am aware that these circumstances may be attributed to the warm feelings towards our country, which were then excited by universal enthusiasm, but they are, nevertheless, the offspring of minds naturally generous and noble.

I should be glad, if I could, with justice, give as favourable a picture of the bigher orders of society in this country; but, perhaps, when we consider their wretched education, and their early habits of indolence and dissipation, we ought not to wonder at the state of contempt and degradation to which they are now reduced. I am not speaking the language of prejudice, but the result of the observations I have made, in which every accurate observer among our countrymen, has concurred with me in saying, that the figures and the countenances of the higher orders are much inferior to those of the peasants, as their moral qualities are in the view I have given of them.

Mr. J. has alluded to religion: as the practical part of religious profession is open to all observers, and marks the influence of mind; and as much of the fervour accompanying the present resistance of Spain to French oppression is maintained by the religious orders, we shall insert a part of our author's reflections on the subject:

The feelings of religion are supported by every object that presents itself to the view: at the corners of most of the principal streets, the shrines of various saints obtrude themselves upon the passenger; even the fronts of many of the houses are adorned with their images, to which the pious stranger uncovers his head with hu mility, and silently expresses his devotion by making the sign of the cross.

In the midst of the gayeties which commence about five o'clock in the evening, when the Paseo, or public walk, is crowded with company, dressed in their most splendid attire, and indulging in the liveBest conversation, the sound of a bell an

nounces the approaching hour of sunset. At this signal, which is called oracion, every one, as if by magic, seems fixed in his place; every head is uncovered, and the whole company repeats, or is supposed to repeat, a mental prayer: after a few minutes devoted to these formalities, the lively scene is resumed, and the conversation continued from the point at which it met this pious interruption. This ceremony takes place in every part of Spain; and where theatres or other public amusements are open, the sound of this bell suspends the entertainment till the prayer is over; so great is its effect, that it is even said that assassins, at the mo. ment of executing their horrid design, have held their hand at the sound of the oracion, and, after repeating the habitual prayer, have perpetrated their diabolical

purpose.

However decorous the Spaniards may be in the performance of their public devotions, nothing can be more indecent and slovenly than the manner in which their domestic worship is conducted; a circumstance which I have frequently noticed in the family with whom I lodge. Towards the conclusion of supper, when seated round the table, the master of the house commences with repeating ten Ave Marias; the wife repeats the Pater Noster and her ten Ave Marias; others at table repeat in the same manner, while one of them with a rosary of beads keeps the account, till they have repeated the Ave Marias fifty times, and the Lord's prayer five times, the number being accurately corrected by the string of beads. then say a litany, adding to the name of every saint of a long list, "ora pro nobis ;" then a prayer for the dead, another for protection during the night, and conclude the whole with a Gloria Patri. words are uttered with as much rapidity as possible; and if any employment calls away the person who is repeating, he performs the work without interrupting the prayer or losing any time; in fact, the Spaniards appear to act slowly and deliberately in every thing they undertake, except it be in this one instance of family worship.

They

The

Under every strong emotion of mind, a Spaniard has recourse to religion, and naturally crosses himself, to calm the rage of passion, dispel the horrors of fear, and allay the feelings of surprize and astonishment. The solitude of a churchyard, the loneliness of a desart, and the darkness of night, are disarmed of their terrors by this magic sign, and even the exclamations of wonder, excited by English ships of war and English regiments

(and nothing has excited more wonder) can only be silenced by using this neverfailing and powerful charm.

On his

With all this attachment to forms and ceremonies, it might naturally be expected, that the clergy would be looked upon as objects of veneration; but so far as I can judge, this is by no means the case. The language held towards the ministers of religion, is not always respectful, and is sometimes scurrilous. A few days ago, the auxiliary bishop of this city made a tour round his diocese, for the purpose of confirmation; from every person confirmed, a small sum of money was required, which was either an increase of the customary fee, or a novel demand. return to the city with the money he had thus collected, he was attacked by a banditti, who robbed him not only of his extorted wealth, but also of all the clothes and vestments which he carried in his coach. The knowledge of the story excited the jokes and the merriment of the people, mixed with wishes that the clergy were the only victims of robbers. The character and conduct of the friars is generally the object either of virulent reprobation, or ludicrous jocularity. They have lost the esteem of every one, and instead of being respected for their seclusion from the world, they are reproached by all classes for their indolence, their voluptuousness, and their profligacy; their dispersion is generally looked forward to with pleasing anticipation, as an event that must take place, if ever the people of Spain are assembled by their representatives the Cortes.

But, with whatever sentiments his observations on the religion of the Spaniards might inspire him, our author describes the Inquisition as by no means terrific; he even ventured, heretic though he was, to inspect the "whole" buildings of the Holy Office at Seville. This "whole," however, proves to have been with several exceptions, concerning which" he could obtain no replies" to his questions.

Circumstances have changed with regard to the Merino flocks, so entirely since Mr. J. was in Spain, that we cannot now coincide in his opinion that they have suffered little from the French: but we believe his account of the power of instinct in these creatures, when he says,

The shepherds lead the flocks to the pastures in which they fed during the pre

ceding winter, and in which most of them were brought forth; and such is the sagacity of the animals, that, if not conducted thither, they would of themselves discover it, nor would it be easy for their leaders to guide them to more remote dis

tricts.

In the month of April, they begin their route towards the north. The sheep become restless as the time approaches, and must be narrowly watched, lest they should escape the shepherds and enter on their march alone; for instances have frequently occurred of flocks wandering from their guides, and proceeding several leagues towards the north, early in the morning before the shepherds were awake.

What will our commercial readers exclaim when they learn that so few merchant ships had been built in Spain of late years, that it was impossible to carry on even the little trade they had, during the war with England, without employing vessels not of Spanish construction, in direct defiance of law!-In consequence, the government tolerated the transgression, for two years: a remarkable instance of the universal confusion produced in the commercial world, by the disturbance of the political world.

Our author has obtained some useful information on the growth of sugar in Spain, the expenses on which he calculates. The following is the most direct ancient description of the process for obtaining granulated sugar that we are acquainted with:

It is not generally known, that sugar is one of the productions of Spain, for at least seven hundred years, and that the process of planting the canes, grinding them, and granulating the juice, has been. very little, if at all, improved within that time. I am indebted for this fact to an Arabian author on agriculture, who wrote in the kingdom of Seville, about the year 1140 called Ebn Mahomed Ebn Ahmed Ebn el Awaum. In his directions for the mode

of planting the sugar cane, he quotes the authority of another author of the same nation, who is known to have written in the year 1073, called Abn Omar Aben Hajaj: as the fact is interesting, I shall translate a few passages on the subject.

"The canes should be planted in the month of March, in a plain sheltered from the east wind, and near to water; they

should be well manured with cow dung, and watered every fourth day, till the shoots are one palm in height, when they should be dug round, manured with the dung of sheep, and watered every eighth day till the month of October. In Janua ry, when the canes are ripe, they should be cut into short junks, and crushed in the mill. The juice should be boiled in iron cauldrons, and then left to cool till it bemes clarified; it should then be boiled again, till the fourth part only remain, when it should be put into vases of clay, of a conical form, and placed in

the shade to thicken; afterwards the sugar must be drawn from the vases, and left to cool. The canes, after the juice is expressed, are preserved for the horses, who eat them greedily, and become fat by feeding on them."

It is to the honour of our country, that the propositions of an Englishman, and his reasonings on the best mode of assembling the Cortes, were preferred by the most judicious Spa

niards to those of a native of their own country. This is more pleasing to us as a deference to Britain, than a thousand exclamations of " Viva les Ingleses," and "Moriar Napoleon :" for the same reason we admire, in this land of cork trees, the good sense of the Spaniard who sent to Malaga for corks of English cutting, and wine bottles of English blowing.

The notice taken by Mr. J. of the pictures and buildings he inspected in various convents-of the meteorological effects to which his feelings as well as his sight bore testimony, of the mineralogical formation of hills and mountains, the situations of many towns on their sides and summits, with other incidents, we must forego. They discover a readiness of mind, and are expressed with perspicuity and ease.

THESE journies constitute a portion of that plan for the investigation of the different parts of our Western country, which was adopted soon after the acquisition of Louisiana, and which reflects no less lustre upon the wisdom that projected it, than upon the zeal and intrepidity that led to its successful execution. A knowledge of the nature of the country, of the courses and depth of its various streams, of the manners and character of the different Indian

tribes who roam throughout it, though of the very first necessity, could not be accurately obtained from any means of information extant. Some of the boldest rivers of America, and mountains that vie in height with any upon earth, were unknown to the civilized world: and immense tracts of country had never been crossed by any but the savage foot. With the purpose of discovery, therefore, chiefly in view, but at the same time to throw light on

the science and character of the country, about the same time that Messieurs Lewis and Clarke were directed to explore the Missouri, Mr. Pike was employed in the journies of which this work gives a detail. The first two parts relate to these: the third, which gives an interesting account of New Spain, with maps of the' different Provinces, comprises the particulars of a journey which made no part of the original plan but arose from Mr. Pike's having accidentally entered the Spanish territory upon the river Nord; whence he was conducted through a great part of that country on his return home.

:

This work, therefore, comprises three distinct journies. The first was for the purpose of exploring the sources of the Mississippi; and was commenced from St. Louis, on the 9th of August, 1805: whence Mr. Pike with a guard of twenty soldiers proceeded to the heads of the river, and returned to St. Louis on the 30th of April, 1806. The second journey was commenced on the 15th of July, 1805, for the purpose of exploring the internal parts of Louisiana, with a view to the establishment of a boundary line between Louisiana and North Mexico. Mr. Pike began this journey also from St. Louis, ascending the Missouri and the Osage, in company with twenty-three others, and proceeding thence to the Arkansaw and up to its sources. This part of the tour concludes with his arrival at the Rio del Nord in February, 1807. The third part contains a history of his journey thence in the same month, under the conduct of the Spanish officers, who conducted him and his companions to Chihuahua and thence by a circuitous route, by which he approached within about four hundred miles of the city of Mexico, to Natchitoches, where he arrived on the 1st of July, 1807.

These journies are written in the journal form, with copious statistical and geographical appendices, from notes which the writer states were fre

quently composed by fire-light, when hungry and fatigued, he had ended at night the various labours of the day, which his situation exacted from him. But though a mere journal of occurrences and observations, made often in this unfavourable manner, they present a variety of interesting situations, and engage deeply the attention of the reader. The narration, though simple, bears the original impression of the spot; and carries with it that most desirable of all qualities in a traveller, an innate air of truth. While they interest our feelings in the toils and dangers of Mr. Pike and his companions, they lead us through a variety of country, of people, and of manners; and the narrative thus produces a romantick and interesting effect.

But it is to the geographer and the statesman that Mr. Pike's labours will be invaluable. The Mississippi has been traced to its very sources. Its courses, its tributary streams, its portages, its falls, and its lakes, as well as the rude nations who glide on its bosom, or roam upon its banks, are now, for the first time, known with accuracy. In like manner, that vast country lying between the Missouri, the Mississippi, and the Mexican mountains, with its noble rivers and majestick mountains, has been fully developed. Nor are the accounts and maps of the rivers, towns, population, manners, &c. of the different provinces of New Spain, particularly of those bordering upon Louisiana, less interesting, though beyond our boundaries: more especially in the present situation of the world, when that part of Spanish America so particularly interesting to us, appears to be on the eve, with the rest, of freeing itself from the shackles of foreign domination.

A

Each of these journies we purpose to notice distinctly. At present we return to that which is first in point of time, the voyage up the Mississippi. Mr. Pike continued his voyage in boats until the 16th of Octo