Exclufive of this method of dealing directly with the natives, tranfient fhips, or those who only come for a small number, generally barter with the white traders refident on the coast, or with the factories established there, who take their whole cargo at once, and deliver them flaves, camwood, ivory, &c. according to their agreement, in a certain time. From the great number of flaves which are annually exported, and which, from this place and the parts adjacent, including Sherbro' and the Riomoonas, amounts to about three thousand annually, one would be led to imagine the country would, in time, be depopulated; inftead of which no diminution of their numbers is perceived; and, from every account we have been able to acquire from the natives themfelves, who travel into the interior country, it is extraordinarily populous: but how fuch a number of flaves are procured, is a circumftance which I believe no European was ever fully acquainted with. The best information I have been able to collect is, that great numbers are prisoners taken in war, and are brought down, fifty or a hundred together, by the black flave merchants; that many are fold for witchcraft, and other real, or imputed, crimes; and are purchafed in the country with European goods and falt; which is an article fo highly valued, and fo eagerly fought after by the natives, that they will part with their wives and children, and every thing dear to them, to obtain it, when they have not flaves to difpofe of; and it always makes a part of the merchandice for the purchase of flaves in the interior country.' Again, A defcription of the method of procuring flaves in the part of Africa where I refided, I have, in fome measure, anticipated in my former letters from Sierra-Leone, which were written at a time when I had no idea of a defign to abolish that trade being formed, or I fhould have applied myself with greater induftry to have acquired a more particular knowledge of the manners and customs of the natives of the interior countries; 1 fhall however endeavour to combat fuch affertions as are made ufe of by the advocates for the abolition of this commerce, as my own knowledge and information may fuggeft. That flaves are often captives taken in war, is a pofition I readily accede to; but that thofe wars are undertaken merely for the purpofe of procuring flaves, is by no means the cafe for it is neceffary to obferve, the king, or chief of a tribe, has not power to make war upon any other tribe without the consent and approbation of the principal people of his nation; and it can fcarcely be conceived that fuch confent could be obtained to a meafure that would draw down upon them the resentment of the neigh bouring ftates. Neither is it (as is alledged) in any inftance which has occurred to my obfervation or inquiries, by the inftigation of the European traders; for, whenever the people on the fea-coast are at war, it puts an entire ftop to trade; and I always found it my intereft, as well as my inclination, to reconcile their differences, and to preferve peace.-But furely no perfon can feriously imagine that the Africans are without paffions, or that their difpofitions are fo placid, as to be unmoved by anger or resentment, and excited to action by by avarice alone. In my former letters I have described the causes of the wars that fubfifted in the countries about Sierra-Leone when I arrived there; and I believe I may with confidence affert, that fuch causes are generally the origin of their quarrels. In answer to the charge of kidnapping flaves, I can only fay that I never heard of fuch a practice, nor do I know a word in their language expreffive of such a custom ever haying had existence ' The author then ftates and confiders the interefting question that meets the utmost wishes of our affociators. Let us fuppofe that the flave trade was abolished by every nation in Europe, would it abolish it in Africa, or would it in any meafure add to the happiness of the natives of that country? That it would not abolish it in Africa is an incontrovertible truth to thofe who are at all acquainted with the ftate of the interior country, or the commerce that is there carried on. The troops of the emperor of Morocco are compofed of black flaves purchased in the more fouthern parts of Africa; and it is not unlikely that other defpotic princes, both in the fouth and east parts, may compofe their armies in the fame manner; and I am credibly informed that in the northern and eastern parts of Africa the flave trade is carried on in large caravans of two or three thousand flaves and people travelling together, and are difperfed over every part of Turkey, Perfia, and Arabia: but, independent of the numbers exported out of the country, either from the western or other parts of the continent, by the Arab or by the European, there is an internal traffic amongst the natives. Slaves are the medium, inftead of coin, for the purchase of every neceffary, and the fupplying of every want; and every article is eftimated by its proportion to the value of a flave.' We have extracted these arguments in the author's own language, that, on fo interefting a fubject, we might stand clear of any fufpicion of warping them by abridgment. He concludes with fome general obfervations on the flave trade, which feem to merit attention; and which lead him finally, to this conclufion that the trade carried on by the Europeans, with the natives of Africa, for flaves, is probably permitted by Providence, as a means of preferving the lives of many thousands who would otherwife be put to death, and are thus made useful members of fociety.' On the whole, we farther recommend this book, on account of the entertainment and information which it affords in respect of the manners and cuftoms of the people, as well as of the natural hiftory of the country. ART. VIII. Emmeline, the Orphan of the Caftie. By Charlotte Smith. Izmo. 4 Vols. 12s. Boards. Cadell. 1788. NOVE OVEL-writing having for its object a delineation of the manners and characters of men, is, neceffarily, a difficult task; yet it is a province in which the tyro in literature is ever eager to try REV. Sept. 1788. R his his fkill. He views, perhaps, the production of fome diftinguished genius with aftonishment and delight: then haftily and rapturously exclaiming with Corregio, Ed io anche fon pittore! he presently commences a writer of novels. But, alas! he has miftaken inclination for ability; he has forgotten the precept of an eminent poét-totally forgotten that he is to "Admire fuperior sense, and doubt his own." Hence the many trifling, the many wretched productions in the Jine in queftion, which have recently come before us: for though -to continue the allufion we fet out with-a painter may have produced the foam he found it difficult to reprefent, by throwing his pencil in anger at the picture he was about to finish; yet it is not by accident, it is not by a cafual dafh of the pen, that a literary work is to be perfected, and fitted for the eye of the world. It must be the refult of attention, of a long and laborious ftudy. Thus much premifed, our fentiments thus made known, the cenfure we have fo frequently paffed on the modern novelift will fcarcely be confidered as fevere. But we have here a task very different to that in which we have been lately engaged. Mrs. Smith, the ingenious, and (knowing her only by her writings) we will venture to add the amiable authorefs of the prefent performance-fince almoft every page of it breathes the pureft and most benevolent affections-has long fince diftinguifhed herself in the poetical character. Having wandered for fome time in woods and wilds with the tuneful Maids, the now steps forth with courage into the haunts and reforts of men. Poffeffing a nice and accurate judgment, her drawing is elegant and correct. All is graceful and pleafing to the fight: all, in fhort, is fimple, femininely beautiful and chafte. Let it not be urged, in objection to this, that grandeur and fublimity are the furer indications of genius; and that in the walks of nature, the greateft objects are the moft deferving of our particular regard. To many, indeed, the wild but magnificent fcenery of Salvator Rofa is much lefs pleafing than the calm, the regular compofitions of Claude Lorraine. But a difference in tafte will diftinguifh the connoiffeur, as well as the profeffional artist. To follow the agreeable Biographer of Emmeline through the, course of her work, or to attend to the order and difpofition of its several parts, as the incidents are various and many, would employ by far too great a portion of our time. We must therefore content ourfelves with obferving, in general terms,-that the whole is conducted with a confiderable degree of art; that the characters are natural, and well difcriminated: that the *See Rev. vol. lxxi. p. 368, &c. &c. fable 1 fable is uncommonly interefting; and that the moral is forcible and just. The following animated picture of virtue and merit "waiting on fuperfluous folly," will ferve as evidence of the Authorefs's fufceptibility and fenfe of wrong. Mrs. Stafford, one of the principal perfonages of the hiftory, is fuppofed to speak: It is to you, my Emmeline, I could perhaps learn to be indebt ed, without being humbled; for you have an heart which receives, while it confers an obligation. But think what it is for one, born with a right to affluence, and educated in its expectation, with feelings keen from nature, and made yet keener by refinement, to be compelled, as I have been, to folicit favours, pecuniary favours, from perfons who have no feeling at all;-from the fhifting, paltryfpirited James Crofts, forbearance from the claims of debts; from the callous-hearted and felfish politician, his father, pity and affiftance; from Rochely, who has no ideas but of getting or faving money, to ask the loan of it, and to bear with humility a rude refufal. I have endured the brutal unkindnefs of hardened avarice, the dirty chicane of law, exercifed by the moft contemptible of beings and have been forced to attempt foftening the tradefman and the mechanic, and to suffer every degree of humiliation which the infolence of fudden profperity, or the infenfible coolness of the determined money-dealer, could inflict. Actual poverty, I think, I could have better borne. "I fhould have found in fome place of my foul A drop of patience." But ineffectual attempts to ward it off by fuch degradation I can no longer fubmit to.-While Mr. Stafford, for whofe love I encountered it all, is not only unaffected by the poignant mortifications which torture me, but receives my efforts to ferve him, if fuccefsful, only as a duty-if unfuccefsful, he confiders my failure as a fault, and loads me with reproach, with invective, with contempt. Others have in their hufbands protectors and friends; mine not only throws on me the burthen of affairs which he has himself embroiled, but adds to their weight by cruelty and oppreffion. Such complicated and incurable mifery muft overwhelm me; and then-what will become of my children?' These volumes contain fome few pieces of poetry, remarkable for their melancholy and plaintive air. Our Readers will be pleafed, we think, with the following fonnet: & Far on the fands, the low, retiring tide, R 2 1 Can Can the foft luftre of the fleeping main, Yon radiant heaven, or all creation's charms, Which Memory tortures, and which guilt alarms? Or bid a bofom tranfient quiet prove, That bleeds with vain remorfe, and unextinguifh'd love!'' We shall pafs over the little errors in point of language, which have ftruck us in the perufal of this performance. They are but as freckles on a beautiful face ;-freckles, however, which we cannot but with away. ART. IX. PHILOSOPHICAL TRANSACTIONS of the Royal Society of London. Vol. LXXVIII. For the Year 1788. Part I. 4to. 8 s. fewed. Davis. 1788. THE HE Philofophical Tranfactions are juftly confidered as the barometer of science in England. Their contents are, for the most part, either new discoveries in natural history, improvements in the various branches of philofophy, or the application of scientific principles to the ufeful arts. The purfuits which engaged the attention of the learned at the end of the laft century were chiefly confined to the new philofophy which was then introduced by Newton. Philofophers of the prefent times bave been much employed in the investigation of the properties of the lately difcovered elaftic fluids, and in the improvement of philofophical chemistry. A tafte for the Newtonian philofophy, however, is ftill to be found among us; for the only mathematical paper in the First Part of the prefent volume treats on a fubject which hath been deemed the foundation of the prefent doctrine of the motions of the heavenly bodies; viz. The Doctrine of Centripetal Forces. By Edward Waring, M. D. Prof. Math. Cantab. It is divided into thirteen propofitions. Thofe of them which are the most useful, have been demonftrated with great fimplicity by Sir Ifaac Newton, and others, on different principles. Dr. Waring proceeds analytically. In the firft propofition he proves that the area defcribed by a body moving round any centre of force in a given time, is a given quantity; and that in unequal times, the areas are proportional to the times; that the fagitta is ultimately as the force when the time is given, but when the time is not given, that it is as the force into the fquare of the time. The fecond propofition is a problem to find the relation between the distance of a planet from the centre of force, and the perpendicular on the tangent from the centre; the relation between thefe lines being given in another curve, and the forces and velocities in both curves being equal at equal diftances. The third contains two problems in the doctrine of curves; to find the relation between the two |