rowed their researches; (comparing, perhaps, two races the most different from each other possible, and overlooking the intermediate races which formed the connecting links between them;) or from their having failed to examine other species of animals, and compare their varieties and degeneration with those of the human race. The first error appears in placing together, for example, a Senegal Negro and an European Adonis, without remembering that all their points of difference gradually approximate, by such a variety of shades in different individuals of the same races, or in intermediate races, that no physiologist or naturalist is able to establish a certain boundary between each gradation, nor consequently between the extremes themselves. The second error arises from not reflecting, that all the varieties of the human species are not more strange than those which take place before our eyes, in many thousands of other species of organised beings. The Professor has written a curious paper against each of these errors, which has been translated from the German, and printed in the Philosophical Magazine, Vol. III. p. 141-147, and p. 284-290. In refutation of the first error, he asserts and vindicates the two following propositions:-1. That between one negro and another there is as much, if not more, difference in the colour, and particularly in the lineaments of the face, as between many real negroes and other varieties of the human species. 2. That the negroes, in regard to their mental faculties and capacity, are not inferior to the rest of mankind. In refutation of the second error, he draws a curious comparison between the degenerations and varieties of the human race and those of swine; which race of animals he selects for the comparison, because both are domesticated, both are dispersed throughout all the four quarters of the world, and both, consequently, are exposed, in numerous ways, to the principal causes of degeneration arising from climate, mode of life, nourishment, &c.; and because the descent of these animals from one original race, as well as their degeneration, is unquestioned. Since, therefore, no bodily difference whatever is found in the human race which is not observed in the same proportion among swine, while no one, on that account, ever doubts that all these different kinds are merely varieties that have arisen from degeneration; this comparison, he argues, ought to silence those who have thought proper, on account of the varieties in the human race, to assert the necessity of more than one parent stock. These sceptical reasoners throw out their crude speculations without the smallest regard to the authority of scripture; and, perhaps, it may be asserted, without any breach of charity, that their speculations originate in a wish to

weaken the evidence of divine revelation. We rejoice, therefore, when we see writers step forward to refute them on their own ground, and we are glad of the opportunity of introducing their arguments to our readers. We find it the constant result of all investigations of this nature, that every objection against scripture, deduced from the state or history of the earth and its productions, or of the living beings which inhabit it, is retorted upon the assailant. The external evidence to the truth of scripture is thus daily acquiring strength; and the Christian, who has time and opportu nity to examine the subject, will find that the very enmity of unbelievers is often the occasion of this accession of evidence, by exciting enquiries which always end in the refutation of infidelity.

ITALY.

A Latin translation will shortly be pub. lished in Italy, of the important Papers and Memoirs of ANTONIO DE LEONE, who lately died at Mexico, where he was at tached to the office of secretary of state. He is said to have possessed the most ample collection that ever existed of ancient Mexican monuments of every description: He was distinguished for his intimate knowledge of the Calendar, the Chronology, the Numismatics, and the Gnomonics of that people; who have been erroneously considered as plunged in gross and degrading ignorance, but who, on the contrary, without any intercourse with the old world, had made considerable progress in arithmetic, astronomy, mechanics, and other sciences.

SICILY.

CAVALIERE LANDOLINA, of Syracuse, is said to have recovered the art of making paper from the Papyrus, which grows abundantly in Sicily.

RUSSIA.

Major ANTHING, in conjunction with Mr. SAUNDERS, an English engraver, is about to publish a Picturesque Tour through Russia. They have access to the extensive Besborodsko Collection, exhibiting views in Russia. The first number will begin with the Russian antiquities in Mos

COW.

EGYPT.

Some officers in the English service in Egypt have attempted to decypher the inscription upon the pillar hitherto called Pompey's. In some parts a few characters are effaced; but it appears unquestionable from those which remain, that this pillar, contrary to the prevailing opinion, was erected in honour of Diocletian by the then prefect of Egypt, whose name is in part effaced, but appears to have been either Pontius or Pompeius.

THEOLOGY.

The Nature and Duties of the Christian Ministry, and the Co-operation of a Christian Society with the Labours of its Ministers. Two Sermons, preached at the New Meeting-house, in Birmingham, Jan. 23, 1803, on undertaking the Office of a Religious Instructor in that Congregation. By John Kentish, 1s. 6d.

Sermons preached, occasionally, in the Episcopal Chapel, Stirling, during the eventful Period from 1793 to 1803. By George Gleig, LL. D. 8vo. 7s. boards.

Letter to Dr. Goodall, Head-master of Eton School, on the Importance of Religious Education, 1s.

Letters to Mr. Andrew Fuller, on the Universal Restoration, with a Statement of Facts attending that Controversy, and some Strictures on Scrutator's Review. By William Vidler, 3s.

An Enquiry into the Nature, Necessity, and Evidences, of Revealed Religion. By

Thomas Robinson, A. M. 8vo. 6s. boards.

Sermons from Advent to Whit-Sunday,

;

selected from minor and scarce Authors adapted to the Epistles, Gospels, and first Lessons of every Sunday, or to the several Seasons of the Year. By S. Clapham, M. A. large 8vo. 8s. boards.

Practical Sermons. By the Rev. Theophilus St. John, large 8vo. 6s. 6d. boards.

Six more Letters to Granville Sharp, Esq. on his Remarks upon the Uses of the Article in the Greek Testament. By Gregory Blunt, Esq. 8vo.

The Harmony of the Prophets; or, Gleanings from Interpreters of the Apocalypse, who have adhered to Mr. Mede's Foundations, 4d.

A Sovereign Remedy in Affliction; a Sermon, preached at Wanstead, March 27, 1803. By the Reverend S. Glasse, D. D.

8vo.

MISCELLANIES.

A Journal of Travels in Barbary in the Year 1801. By James Curtis, Esq. Surgeon to the Embassy to Morocco. With Observations on the Gum Trade of Senegal, 12mo. 4s. boards.

Account of the Life and Writings of Thomas Reid, D. D. late Professor of Moral Philosophy in the University of Glasgow. By Dugald Stewart, F. R. S. 5s. boards.

Eccentric Biography; or, Memoirs of

remarkable Female Characters, Ancient and Modern, 12mo. 4s.

An easy Grammar of Geography; intended as a Companion and Introduction to the "Geography for the Use of Schools," by the same Author; with Maps. By the Reverend J. Goldsmith, 12mo. 2s. 6d.

The History of Pennsylvania, from the Settlement by William Penn, to the Year 1742. With an Account of West New Jersey, &c. By Robert Proud. 2 vols. 8vo. 17s. boards.

History of the Maroons, from their Origin to their Establishment at Sierra Leone; including the Expedition to Cuba, and the

State of the Island of Jamaica for the last Ten Years. With a succinct History of the Island previous to that Period. By R. C. Dallas, Esq. 2 vols. 8vo. £.1. 1s. boards.

The Trial at large of Colonel Despard, for High Treason. Taken in Short Hand by Joseph and W. B. Gurney, 8vo. 5s.

Select Criminal Trials at the Old Bailey; ral interesting Points reserved for their Dewith the Opinions of the Judges on sevecision. 8vo. vol. 1, (To be continued.) 9s. boards.

the earliest Times to the Middle of the A General History of Mathematics, from Eighteenth Century. Translated from the French of John Bossat. To which is afeminent Mathematicians. 8vo. 9s. boards. fixed, a Chronological Table of the most

lations of the Army in Miniature, shewing Elements of War; or, Rules and Reguthe Duty of a Regiment in every Situation. By Nathaniel Wood, Lieutenant in the 40th Regiment. With Engravings,

12mo. 7s. boards.

The English Military Mission into Turkey, Syria, and Egypt. Travels into Turkey,

Asia Minor, and across the Desert into

Egypt, during the Years 1799, 1800, and 1801, in company with the Turkish Army, and the British Military Mission under the command of General Koehler. By William Wittman, M. D. of the Royal Artil- . lery, Surgeon to the Mission, and, upwards of Two Years, Physician to the Grand Vizier. 4to. Embellished with nearly thirty coloured Engravings, from Drawings on the Spot, £.2. 12s. 6d. boards.

A Vindication of Europe and Great Britain from Misrepresentation and Aspersion, Translated from Mr. Gent's Answer to Hauterive. 2s. 6d.

OTAHEITE.

THE last accounts from the Missionaries at Otaheite are dated the 8th July, 1802. A

civil war had broke out in that island a few months before, in consequence of the king having taken by force, from the peo

ple of the Atahooroo district, a piece of wood to which they had been in the habit of paying divine honours. The Atahoorooans made incursions into several adjoining districts, carrying devastation wherever they came. The forces of the king having been defeated in several engagements, he, with such of his people as effected their escape, fled for refuge to the Missionaries, who were enabled, by a very unexpected concurrence of circumstances, to afford them sufficient protection. The Norfolk, Captain House, from Port Jackson, had been driven on shore, and lost in Matavai Bay about the end of March; but the crew, amounting to seventeen men, together with the guns, stores, and cargo, were saved. A Captain Bishop and six men were employed, at the same time, on shore, in salting pork for another vessel. Thus strengthened, the Missionaries, under the direction of the two captains, took every necessary precaution for guarding against an attack, and defending their position. The natives, however, gave them no inolestation; deterred, probably, by the preparations which were made for their reception. The Nautilus, Captain Simpson, arriving while things were in this state, the king applied to the Europeans for aid in reducing his rebellious subjects. Captain Bishop consulted the Missionaries on the occasion, and requested their co-operation. They declined engaging actively in the war, but were of opinion, that Captain Bishop might assist the king. Captain House being solicited by Captain Bishop to permit his men to join him, replied, that it was contrary to his orders from Governor King to take part in the affairs of the country; but the Missionaries having agreed to indemnify him to Governor King for his breach of orders, he at length consented. In consequence of this arrange. ment, Captain Bishop was enabled to join the king's army, with twenty Europeans; exclusive of one of the Missionaries who acted as surgeon, and the boat's crew of the Nautilus, who were sent to assist with a boat and a four-pounder. In an expedition against the rebels a partial engagement took place, in which the rebels lost one of their chiefs and a few of their men; but little progress seems to have been made in extinguishing the rebellion. The crews of the different vessels were expected soon to leave the island, a circumstance which might considerably affect the security of the Mission. The Missionaries in their letter to the directors propose an increase of their number, with the view of rendering themselves independent of the natives, and secure from future attack. It is added, that they had begun to preach in the native language, and were listened to with more attention than formerly; but no farther effect seems as yet to have followed their labours.

INDIA.

Mr. Carey, one of the Baptist Missionaries in Bengal, writes, that a body of the natives, amounting to two hundred, composed partly of Idolaters and partly of Mahometans, who resided about sixty miles from Serampore, had voluntarily laid aside their cast, together with all their idolatrous practices and their reverential acknowledgment of Mahomet, and had sent three deputies to Serampore to enquire into the nature of Christianity. One of the Missionaries immediately repaired to the place of their residence, and gave them the information they required, putting into their hands, at the same time, copies of the Bengalee New Testament. After they had perused the Testament with great care from beginning to end, a meeting was held to consider its claim to divine authority, when it was agreed that they should receive the Christian Scriptures as the word of God, and be ruled for the future by its precepts. They are said to have studied the New Testament with such attention, that they could refer with facility to almost any passage which was mentioned. The doctrine of the Trinity, the most offensive of all to Musselmen, they had admitted on the testimony of scripture. "It is a mystery; we cannot comprehend, but we believe it." The regular worship of God had been established among them, and Mr. Carey adds, that it was delightful to observe the animation with which they united in singing the Beugalee hymns. He was of opinion, that many, if not all, of them might be regarded as real converts to the Christian faith. They had begun to experience a severe persecution from their countrymen, particularly the Bramins, and their lives were considered to be in danger; but the Missionaries had made an application to the government of Calcutta, (which they trusted would be successful,) to employ its influence in protecting the natives who might embrace Christianity. We hope soon to lay before our readers a more particular account of this singular and interesting transaction.

JAMAICA.

The following Act of the Legislature of Jamaica has already been referred to by us in our religious intelligence for March, We now submit it to the attentive perusal of our readers.

"An Act to prevent Preaching by Persons not duly qualified by Law.

"Whereas there now exists in this island an evil which is daily increasing, and threatens much danger to the peace and safety thereof, by reason of the preaching of ill-disposed, illiterate, or ignorant enthusiasts to meetings of negroes and persons of colour, chiefly slaves, unlawfully assembled, whereby not only the minds of

the hearers are perverted with fanatical notions, but opportunity is afforded to them of concerting schemes of much private and public mischief; we, his majesty's most dutiful and loyal subjects, the lieutenant governor, council, and assembly of this your majesty's island of Jamaica, humbly beseech your majesty, that it may be enacted; and be it therefore enacted and ordained by the authority of the same, that from and after the passing of this act, in case any person not duly qualified, and authorised, or permitted, as is directed by the laws of this island and of Great Britain, shall, under the pretence of being a minister of religion, presume to preach or teach in any meeting or assembly of negroes or people of colour, within this island, every such person shall be deemed and taken to be a rogue and a vagabond, and within the intent and meaning of this, act, and be punished in the manner hereinafter directed.

"2. And be it further enacted by the authority aforesaid, that it may and shall be lawful for any magistrate of the parish wherein the offence aforesaid shall be committed, on complaint made to him on oath, or upon his own hearing or view, to cause the offender to be apprehended and committed to the common gaol, and shall forthwith associate with himself two other justices of the peace of the same parish, and have authority to summon all persons capable of giving evidence to appear before them, which three magistrates so associated, shall, upon the due conviction of the offender, adjudge him or her, if of free condition, to be committed to the work-house, there to be kept to hard labour for the first offence for the time of one month, and for every subsequent offence for the time of six months each; and in case the offender shall be a slave, such offender shall for the first offence be committed for hard labour to the nearest work-house for one month, and for every subsequent offence be sentenced to receive A PUBLIC FLOGGING, NOT EXCEED

ING THIRTY-NINE LASHES; provided always, that whenever the offence committed by a white person shall appear of extraordinary heinousness, it shall and may be lawful for any one or more of the justices of the peace, and he and they are hereby required, to secure the appearance of every such offender at the next subsequent supreme or assize court by sufficient bail, or commitment, to answer for the offence, and on conviction TO SUFFER SUCH PUNISHMENT, AS SUCH COURT SHALL SEE FIT TO INFLICT, NOT EXTENDING TO LIFE.

"3. And be it further enacted by the authority aforesaid, that from and after the passing of this act, in case any owner, possessor, or occupier of any house, outhouse, yard, or other place whatsoever, shall knowingly permit any meeting, or assembly of negroes or people of colour,

(Signed) M. ATKINSON, Cl. Con. "I consent this 18th day of December, 1802.

"(Signed) G. NUGENT."

On the above law we have already made some remarks in our fifteenth number, page 151. It may be important, however, to state more distinctly, that in the island of Jamaica, containing a population of three hundred thousand souls, there are only twenty churches, and that in not more than one-fourth of these is public worship regularly performed even on Sundays *. Of the twenty rectors, therefore, who are appointed to superintend the spiritual interests of the island, only a small number engage, in any degree, in the work of public instruction; and not one of them bestows any more concern upon the slaves than if they were beasts of burden, and had not souls to be saved. This inattention on the part of the clergy is in no respect counteracted by the proprietors. With one or two honourable exceptions, not an attempt has been made by the Jamaica planters to communicate to their slaves the knowledge of Christianity. Can there be a more satisfactory proof, that they themselves are ignorant of its nature, and regardless alike of its blessings and its high obligations? A charge of fanaticism, when preferred by such persons, is liable to peculiar suspicion. The purity and perfection of the Gospel cannot but be odious in the eyes of men, whose sentiments are so much at variance with its spirit and precepts. We mean not to allege, that fanatical teachers may not have found their way to Jamaica, but certainly the Jamaica planters are very incompetent witnesses of the fact. Beal to save souls must appear to them a very extravagant principle; nor is it likely that their estimation of its extravagance will be materially lowered by the utmost meek

*This statement must be considered as applying to the period antecedent to the year 1797.

ness or submissiveness of demeanour. Men who pretend to act from motives of which a Jamaica planter has never felt the force, must necessarily appear to him either an impostor or a fanatic.

We admit, however, that the Jamaica legislators deserve some attention, when they speak of the political evils to be apprehended from the permission of irregular teachers. Those evils may furnish a good ground for temperate regulation, but never can justify that extreme rigour which characterises the present measure. It ought to be remembered, however, that for the last ten years teachers of this description have been employed not only in Jamaica, but in the other islands, in instructing the slaves: yet not one instance has been referred to of either public or private mischief having resulted from their labours. The planters of St. Vincent's, about ten years ago, passed a similar act to that now under consideration, which his majesty was pleased to annul; but it has never been affirmed that the repeal was productive of any evil: on the contrary, it is well known, that not only in St. Vincents, but in Antigua, St. Kitts, Nevis, and other islands, very happy effects have resulted from religious toleration, and that both master and slave have been benefited, and the public security increased by

the success of Moravian, Methodist, and Dissenting teachers. Sedition ought, with out doubt, to be punished, and in none more severely than in the teachers of religion; but surely the bare apprehension of sedition will not justify religious persecution. Is not the fear of sedition (for their fears are prospective) to be considered rather as a convenient colouring for the studied cruelty of this anomalous law; a law to which we shall find few parallels, except in the annals of revolutionary France, until we ascend to the days of Diocletian: It is such an one however, as might be expected from an assembly of men, who are familiar with the trade of buying and selling the flesh and blood and bones of their fellow-creatures. Since the passing of this law, a methodist preacher of the name of Campbell, who lately went to Jamaica with a view to convert the slaves, has been committed to prison by the magistrates, and their proceedings have been sanctioned by the grand court. How many slaves, during the same period, may have suffered the punishment of thirtynine lashes, for endeavouring to convey to their brethren in bondage those cheering hopes which they themselves may have derived from the knowledge of a Saviour, there are no very accessible means of ascertaining.

THE question of peace or war between Great Britain and France is at length decided, we are truly sorry to say, in favour of the latter alternative, and both countries have, in consequence, withdrawn their ambassadors. This event was announced to both houses of parliament on the 16th instant, by the following message from his Majesty.

"G. R.

"His Majesty thinks it proper to acquaint the House of Commons, that the discussions which he announced to them in his message of the 8th of March last, as then subsisting between his Majesty and the French Government, have been terminated; that the conduct of the French Government has obliged his Majesty to recal his ambassador from Paris; and that the ambassador from the French Republic has left London.

"His Majesty has given directions for laying before the House of Commons, with as little delay as possible, copies of such papers as will afford the fullest information to his parliament at this important conjuncture.

"It is a consolation to his Majesty to reflect, that no endeavours have been, wanting on his part to preserve to his sub

jects the blessings of peace; but under the circumstances which have occurred to disappoint his just expectations, his Majesty relies with confidence on the zeal and public spirit of his faithful Commons, and on the exertions of his brave and loyal subjects, to support him in his determination to employ the power and resources of the nation, in opposing the spirit of ambition and encroachment, which at present actuates the councils of France; in upholding the dignity of his crown; and in asserting and maintaining the rights and interests of his people."

In HIS MAJESTY'S DECLARATION the grounds of the war are stated to be1. That while his Majesty's conduct to wards France was open, liberal, and friendly, the proceedings of the French Government have afforded a striking contrast. The prohibitions which had been placed on the commerce of his Majesty's subjects during the war, have been enforced with increased strictness and severity; violence has been offered in several instances to their vessels and their property; and, in no case, has justice been afforded to those who may have been aggrieved in consequence of such acts, nor has any