came on board at that moment, acquainted us with the hostile intentions of the inhabitants, and of the whole valley's being in an uproar.'

The houses of Nukahiwa, if such they deserve to be called, are built of bamboo, interwoven with fern and the leaves of the cocoa-tree. The inside of the dwelling is divided into two parts by a beam; the front being paved with stones, and the back part covered with mats, on which the family sleep indiscriminately. A door, about three feet high, is made in the middle of the dwelling, and round it the inhabitants generally sit. Their tools consist of little more than a pointed stone with which they bore holes, and of axes made of small pieces of iron which they have received in barter from Europeans, and fastened to a handle. As to cultivation, they pay very little attention to any thing that gives them trouble. The bread-fruit-tree, the cocoa, and the banana, require scarcely any care; nothing more being necessary than to dig a hole and fix a branch in it, after which the plant is in full growth in a month's time. Fishing is equally neglected, on account of the labour attending it; and the natives generally pass the greatest part of the day in lolling on their mats. In addition to bananas, their food consists of yams and sour pudding, a kind of dough, which is not disagreeable, and may be compared in taste to an apple-tart. Abundant as provisions might be rendered, seasons of scarcity sometimes occur. Captain K. was unable to learn (p. 160.) the exact nature of certain associations formed by the King, the priests, and some other leading persons, on the principle of affording food to the members at the expence of the head of the club at all seasons, even under circumstances of the greatest scarcity but there can be no doubt that the parties receiving this favour were pledged to a specific service in return; since nothing like disinterested attachment was perceptible among them. The King's club consisted of twenty-six members, the largest number in any of the associations, he being the person possessing most property in the country; and, if we judge from his conduct, he is not likely to diminish that property by unprofitable donations :

The King gave us several examples of his want of liberality, or rather of his greediness; nor did he, in any instance, afford a single proof of his gratitude or benevolence. On every visit, I made the King presents, certainly of no great value in themselves, but of some importance to a Nukahiwer; yet he did not even once bring a cocoanut in return; and when, upon the misunderstanding which, as I have related in the seventh chapter, nearly led to a dispute, he came on board and brought me a pepper-plant as a proof of reconciliation; he seemed even to regret this present, and in about half an hour afterwards

terwards asked me, in case I should make no use of, to return it to him.'

The men always go naked, and in this respect even the King was not different from the rest; for I do not consider as clothing, the small coarse piece of stuff, made of the bark of the cloth-mulberry plant, which they wear round their loins.' The dress of the women consists of a girdle, drawn like that of the men between their thighs, and of a piece of stuff, which, as I have already mentioned, scarcely covers them, and hangs down to the calf of the leg; sometimes, when they swam off to the ship, they threw away every thing, even to their tschiabu. They anoint their body every day with the oil of cocoa, which certainly gives it a great gloss, but is accompanied with a very disagreeable smell. Whether this is intended as an ornament, or to protect them from the rays of the sun, and from insects, against which the men preserve themselves by tatooing, and a yellow colour mixed with oil, rubbed over their bodies, I cannot positively determine; but I believe that both these purposes are effected by it.'

From the information which I collected of their family-connections, they do not appear to be of the happiest nature. Although the Nukahiwer has so far removed himself from the brute creation, that the generality of the women are bound by connubial vows, still this oath is very little observed by any of them. It is probably an agreement to live together, arising either from a mutual inclination or interest; and is afterwards continued from habit, or from the original motive still remaining in force; and notwithstanding the shortness of our stay here, we found sufficient to convince us, that the virtuous ideas of the duties and relations of a married state, avowed by some of the people of this ocean, even to an extraordinary degree, are entirely unknown in Nukahiwa:-in a word, adultery is a crime tolerated by them all.'

Captain Krusenstern had proposed to hold a new course from the Marquesas to Kamtschatka, in the hope of making discoveries but the insignificance of the live-stock procured on the island of Nukahiwa made it his duty to proceed to the Sandwich islands, in order to obtain fresh provisions. On reaching that quarter, he stood in for the coast of Owhyhee, and coasted along shore under top-sails, heaving-to whenever he saw any canoes put off. Their cargoes, however, did not answer his expectation, being composed of stuffs of the manufacture of the island, with scarcely any provisions. Repeated intercourse with American navigators had rendered the natives indifferent to iron or tools as objects of barter, and no articles were acceptable but cloth, or such as would flatter the vanity of the wearer. The inhabitants displayed considerably greater skill in navigation than their southern brethern of the Marquesas, but they were much less handsome, and disfigured by marks of disease apparently consequent on, their intercourse with Europeans. Captain K. accordingly left Owhyhee with little other gratification

gratification than the sight of its immense mountain Mowna Roa, which is computed to exceed 13,000 feet in height; and here he parted, for a season, from the Neva, whose destination was not to Japan, but to the Aleutic islands. An expeditious passage of a month from Owhyhee brought him to Kamtschatka, and enabled him to anchor, on the 14th of July, in the harbour of Petropaulosk, or St. Peter and St. Paul. He enters at considerable length into the description of this remote and desolate region:

The first prospect of St. Peter and St. Paul might raise in the mind of a person newly arrived, and ignorant of the history of this Russian establishment, the idea of its being a colony founded a few years before, but recently abandoned. Nothing is visible here that could at all persuade any one of its being inhabited by civilized people not only Awatscha bay, but the three adjoining ones are entirely forlorn and uninhabited; nor is the beautiful harbour of Saint Peter and Saint Paul enlivened by a single boat. Instead of this the shores are strewed with stinking fish, among which a number of half starved dogs are seen wallowing and contending for possession. —It is perfectly in vain that you look about, upon landing, for even one well built house in vain does the eye seek a road, or even a well beaten path, along which a person may walk in safety to the town: no garden, no meadow, no plantation or inclosure of any kind indicative of the least cultivation; the only things to be perceived are a few huts, mostly in a decayed state, Balagans and Jurten. Instead of bridges over the few small brooks that flow from the neighbouring mountains into the valley where the town stands, are merely planks laid across them, and these only passable with the greatest attention. Five or six cows feeding in the vicinity of the houses, and innumerable dogs lying about in holes which they dig as resting-places, and as a shelter against the flies, rendering it, if not impossible, at least extremely dangerous, to walk after dark, are the only objects at Saint Peter and Saint Paul. As the greater part of the inhabitants are from Sachalin, and are absent during the whole day, you may remain here several hours without meeting a single person; and in the pale emaciated countenances of those you do at length perceive, it is not easy to recognize the descendants of the heroic Von Rimnik, and of Trebbia.'

There is scarcely any difference between the life of the officer, the merchant, the priest, or the soldier: the one may, indeed, possess more money than the other; but as money is not held here in any estimation, this naturally produces a great equality in their rank, at least in their mode of living.'

Bread and salt are two articles invariably possessed by the poorest beggar in Europe; but in Kamtschatka, where, owing to the increased number of the military, the consumption of bread is very considerable, and the conveyance is so very difficult and expensive, the soldier obtains only half his ration in flour, and the other half in money, yet never to an amount sufficient to enable him to purchase it: for the merchant of Kamtschatka will not import flour, because it is frequently

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frequently injured during the journey, by which means the cost is sacrificed, whilst, on the contrary, gin is always sure to produce a clear and immediate profit.

The scarcity of salt is still greater than that of bread; on our arrival a few pounds of salt were considered as a valuable present, and great as was their partiality for spirits, those who brought us fish, berries, or game, were infinitely more thankful for a little of the former, than when we rewarded their labours with gin, which I scarcely ever gave to them.'-Black bread, and fish dressed without sauce or spice, without salt, vinegar, or pepper, are the only provisions which the officers, as well as the men, are able, for a constancy, to set upon their tables. There is nothing a hardy soldier will not endure so long as he is in good health; but if he falls sick, to what a wretched, miserable, helpless condition is he reduced! No physician, no medicine, no reviving draught, nor strengthening diet, are to be procured at St. Peter and St. Paul.'

Notwithstanding these discouraging circumstances, the author is of opinion that considerable improvements may be effected in the situation of this very wretched settlement. The climate, he maintains, (Vol. ii. p. 220.) is less unfavourable at a distance from the sea, and would enable the inhabitants to grow corn, and many kinds of vegetables. Along the coast, the great annoyance arises from frequency of fogs; which, however, are by no means insurmountable obstacles to the cultivation of vegetables. The destitute state of the settlement is chiefly owing to the indolence of the inhabitants and their immoderate use of spirituous liquors; since, whatever may be the scarcity of other articles, gin is always to be obtained. Were this harbour frequented by ships from Europe, a large portion of the adjoining continent might be supplied with foreign goods from our quarter of the globe, instead of having them dragged, by over-land carriage, across the whole of Russia and Siberia. A residence at Kamtschatka has been deemed so great a penance, that the Russian government found it necessary to offer double pay to the officers and soldiers who go thither, with liberty to return at the end of five years, and with a certainty of additional advantage if they choose to remain. Indeed, nothing less than temptations of this nature are necessary; for such is the starving state of the settlement of Petropaulosk, that the number of horned cattle does not exceed twenty, and the Governor took the trouble of sending more than four hundred miles for a pitiful supply of five oxen.

In St. Peter and St. Paul there were only two houses at all better than the rest, one of which was inhabited by Major Krupskoi, the commandant of the fort, and the other by two artillery officers. Both of these houses, one of them of considerable size, consisted of very habitable rooms, kitchens, store-rooms, &c., and both, particularly that of the Major, might, with very little alteration and decent furniture, be rendered very tolerable dwellings. Although,

even in the condition in which we saw them, they were the very ornament of Kamtschatka, the furniture of the anti-room consisted merely of a wooden stool, a table, and two or three broken chairs. There was neither earthen-ware nor porcelain table-service: no glasses, decanters, nor any thing of a similar nature: two or three tea-cups, one glass, a few broken knives and forks, and some pewter spoons, constituted the wealth of these good people, who were both married. But what most of all distressed me was the condition of their windows: they had not double sashes, which, in a cold climate, are as necessary to health as to comfort; but such even as they had were in a very wretched condition. The panes were of glass, but notwithstanding their extreme smallness they were all of them broken, and made of pieces fitted together. They afforded no protection against the snow and frost; and I could not, without feelings of commiseration, behold the children, who in no part of the world are brought up so wretchedly as here. Milk, when the parents are sufficiently rich to keep a cow, (and few are in this condition,) is the only thing with which they are nourished. Jukula and coarse black bread is hard food for a child from twelve to eighteen months old, and must, in case of any obstruction, contribute to terminate their existence.

The houses of the other inhabitants are invariably ill built, and all of so little elevation that, during the winter, they are entirely covered with snow. From the door a path-way is cut through the snow, and this, as it forms a thick wall round the house, may indeed contribute to the warmth, but must necessarily occasion a very unhealthy atmosphere within them, as it rises considerably above the house, and prevents the possibility of introducing any ventilator. They have therefore no fresh air throughout the winter in any of the rooms; and it is to this, and to the badness of their provisions, that I, in a great measure, ascribe the pallid hue of all the inhabitants, even of the youngest females.'

[To be continued.]

ART. II. A Topographical Dictionary of Ireland; exhibiting the Names of the several Cities, Towns, Parishes, and Villages, with the Barony, County, and Province, to which they respectively belong; the Valuation and present State of the Ecclesiastical Benefices; the Distance and Bearing of every Place from the nearest Post-Office, and of the Post-Offices from the Metropolis; -Fairs;-Members of Parliament, and Corporations; -CharterSchools; and Assizes. To which is added, Miscellaneous Information respecting Monastic Foundations, and other Matters of Local History. Collected from the most authentic Documents, and arranged in alphabetical Order. Being a Continuation of the Topography of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland. By Nicholas Carlisle, Fellow and Secretary of the Society of Antiquaries of London. 4to. 21. 12s. 6d. Boards. Nicol and Son.

WITH

ITH that spirit of patient research, and that sollicitude to obtain the most authentic information, which were so laudably