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beral curiofity, fubdued by kindnefs, or ftimulated by dignified emotion. The remarks of Dr. Reid refpecting the effects of vigilance are illuftrative of the preceding obfervations:

Conftant vigilance will be likely to produce intanity, by subjecting the mind habitually to that increafed violence of feeling, which we must have oblerved to take place during the darknefs, the filence, and the folitude of the night. Really it is aftonithing, in how much more lively a manner we are apt in thefe circumstances to be impreffed by ideas that prefent themielves, than when the attention of the mind is diffipa ed, and its fenfibility in a confiderable degree abforbed by the action of light, found, and that variety of objects which, during the day, operate upon our external fenfes."

To the oppofing of paffion by reafon, and the fetting paffion in array againtt paffion, a third method of cure is uggested, impreffive by its novelty, and alluring by its apparent facility-The complete gratification of the abforbing feeling. To wave the real impracticability with which this mult frequently be attended, or the licence which it feems to allow, and againft which your correfpondent has not fufficiently guarded, I would recall to his attention fome remarks in the former part of his paper:

The habitual indulgence of any propenfity in oppofition to the dictate of reafon, tends gradually to weaken, and at length to destroy altogether, the influence of that faculty."

The fenfibility conftantly goaded by exceffive ftimuli cannot fail in time to be thrown into a morbid itate."

"Moft actions, however pleasurable at firft, by a frequent repetition of them become indifferent. That is, the pleature connected with the performance of them dininifhes, whilft the pain of abstaining increafes in the fame proportion? So that the relinquifhment of a habit is then found to be most difficult and painful, when it has arrived at that pitch of inveteracy, as even to be unattended with confcioufnels." "In thofe perions who carry intoxication daily to fuch a pitch as induces a temporary madnels, it items likely that this fate fhould from the force of habit become permanent."

"Although a state strictly deferving the name of mania frequently does not follow as the immediate confequence from a tranfgreffion of fobriety; yet, as fuch tranf

greffion in every infance diminishes the power of reafon, as well as gives an unnatural strength to all the paffions, and to that in particular to which the conftitution is peculiarly prone, its tendency to produce at length a complete and obftinate diforder of the mental faculties muit be too evident to ftand in need of any faither proof or elucidation."

If the madnefs of an angry man is eafed by the blow inflicted on the object of his refentiment, will not the facility of gratifying this paffion fimooth the way, both morally and medically, to its more frequent recurrence? If forrow finds relief in tears, will not forrow be rendered permanent by habits of repining? If the fenfualift quen. ches his fire in intemperate gratification, are habits of purity and felf-controul to be expected from this indulgence? Let us beware, while we confefs our imbecility, how we fanction our errors. The death of paffion fucceeds, fays Dr. Reid, to its complete gratification. To a pofition fo loofely Rated, where are we to af fign limits? How many paffions are continually progreflive, how many attend us to the grave, and even look beyond it, how many by indulgence are rendered perpetually craving? This indeed appears to be of the nature and effence of strong paffion,-I speak not of tranfient appetite. When may a paffion be faid to be completely gratified? If only when it is extinguifhed, the pofition refolves itself into vain repetition, or a felf evident axiom. Upon this principle, how would individuals exift in fociety, how would the rights of others be refpected, what would become of prudence and propriety, of fortitude, of temperance, of felf-controul?

In proof of the obfervation of Dr. Cullen, that the paffions are rendered more violent by the indulgence of the motions which they produce, the contagious and fympathetic effect of these motions (or geftures) may be alleged; paffion by its gettures and expictions is communicated from mind to mind with electric rapidity. Paffion, whether morbid or mental, is checked and diverted even by the efforts ufed for its reftraint; reiteration and habit are its grand auxiliaries; no indulgence becomes dangerous till fixed by repetition on the mind; neither, as is justly observed by Dr. Reid, is there any mental emotion, indulged to exce's, which may not induce maniacal derangement.

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For the Monthly Magazine.

An authentic ACCOUNT of FRENCH GUIANA, commonly called CAYENNE, extracted from the JOURNAL of a FRENCH OFFICER, who by Order of the late GOVERNMENT OF FRANCE undertook three different VOYAGES to explore and afcertain the NATURE of the SOIL, CLIMATE, and PRODUCTIONS of that COLONY.

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HAT part of South America which extends along the Atlantic Ocean from the left banks of the river Maragnon or Amazon, nearly under the equator, to the Oronoko, is called Guiana. The boundaries of that country,within land, are not yet exactly known, nor is it very material to ascertain them, as the ground is cultivated only within a moderate diftance from the coaft. It is, however, pretty generally agreed, that they extend as far as the Rio Negro, which feems to be an arm of the Oronoko, and empties into the river Amazon, fo that under the appellation of Guiana is comprised that vaft extent of country, which is fituated between the Atlantic Ocean, the river Amazon, the Oronoko, and Rio Negro.

This extenfive tract of country was formerly divided among four powers, viz. Portugal, which poffeffed a space of about twenty-five or thirty leagues between the rivers Amazon and Cape North; France, which owned the part of Guiana fituated between the latter river and the Maroni; Holland, whofe dominions extended from the river Maroni to the Pomaron; and Spain, which occupied the extent of country between the latter river, and the Oronoko. While this divifion remains unaltered in regard to Portugal and Spain, Dutch Guiana has already changed her mafter, and French Guiana or Cayenne is likely to follow her example. No other known country is interfected by fo numerous rivers as Guiana, most of which are very confiderable, and the mouths of fome of them are one, two, and three leagues in width. This is chiefly owing to the tide, and the nature of the ground, which is very low towards the coaft, and does not in the least obstruct the expansion of the rivers.

On furveying on the map the great number and direction of these natural canals, which at their rife feem to tend to one common centre, and on their fall into the fea expand in the form of a fan, it should feem extremely easy to penetrate into the interior of the country, to convey its produce to the fea in an expeditious and unexpenLive manner, and to connect the different MONTHLY MAG, NO. 60,

parts by means of navigable canals. But this is unfortunately impeded by infurmountable obftacles. All these rivers are interrupted in their courfe by falls, more or less numerous and confiderable, where by the navigation is completely intercepted. The light veffels or boats are hauled on fhore, carried by men above the falls, and then the journey is further pursued. Troublesome as this proves in regard to the most infignificant cargoes, it would be impoffible with respect to veffels of a larger fize. In this cafe, a number of veffels would be required lying conftantly in the river to receive the goods conveyed thither by land carriage from the veffels difcharged on the other fide of the falls, which would occafion a delay and expence hardly to be compenfated by any advan. tages of trade produced by this tedious and expensive navigation, which is, moreover, attended by another inconvenience ftill greater than the former. In several of these rivers, the first cataract is found when the boats have fcarce fix or feven miles worked up the ftream, and at that point the bed is frequently narrowed in an uncommon degree, and fometimes obstructed by rocks, which render the navigation extremely troublesome and dangerous. To fee a river, whose wide expanfe and majeftic courfe a few hours before excited our admiration, at once contracted within the breadth of the Seine at Paris, forms a fingular afpect. Most of these rivers are therefore navigated only for a small extent from their mouths; and thus of this extenfive country little or nothing is known but the coaft.

French Guiana, which is frequently, though erroneoufly, called the Inland of Cayenne (the latter only forming a very inconfiderable part of the former), extends from the river Cape North, about two degrees north latitude, where, at a small dif tance from the river Amazon, it is bounded by Portuguese Guiana, to the river Maroni, where it borders upon the former Dutch, now British, Guiana, or Surinam.

The French formed their first settlement in Guiana about the year 1635. Having abandoned it foon after, they were fucceeded by the English, but again took poffeffion of the country about the year 1664, and retained it ever fince.

The foil of this colony is in many parts uncommonly fruitful; the productions are upon the whole of an excellent quality; it is eafy to gain a fubfiftence; the climate is more heathful, than in any of the Antilles, and, in point of extent, French Guiana is far more confiderable than the

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largest of the West India iflands. That, notwithstanding all thefe advantages, this fine colony has hitherto made fo little progrefs in culture and trade, is merely to be afcribed to its value not having been fufficiently known, and nothing having been done on the part of the French government to promote its profperity.

The town of Cayenne, although infignificant in itself, yet deferves to be noticed, as it is the capital, nay the only town in the colony, and the feat of government, of the courts of justice and the military.

The town of Cayenne is feated clofe to the fea, in four degrees fifty-fix minutes of north latitude, and fifty-four degrees and fome minutes weft longitude, on the right banks, and near the mouth, of the river of the fame name, which is there about one league in width. The town is fmall; the houles are of wood, and badly conftructed. It is furrounded with a fwampy moat, and miferable walls, which form a fort of irregular hexagon. The fort, which commands the town, is conftructed of earth, and tolerably strong towards the fea, efpecially for this reafon, that, from the want of depth of water, fhips of a middle fize only can approach it within gun-fhot.

The government's palace, and the ancient manfion of the Jefuits, are the only buildings which deferve fome notice: they form two large façades, fronting the place of parade, which offers a profpect, trikingly pleafing to an European. It is bordered with two rows of orange-trees of of the largest fize, which exhale an exquifite fragrance, and are crowded with colibris skipping from branch to branch. The population of the town of Cayenne having increafed of late years, and its circuit not admitting of a propertionate enlargement, a new town has been built on the neighbouring Savanna, feparated from the former merely by a ditch. This new town, which is already more confiderable than the ancient city of Cayenne, and is daily increafing, is conftructed on a regular plan; the ftreets are wide, admit of the free access and circulation of air, and contain fome elegant houses, the beautiful appearance whereof becomes more ftriking from every thing about them bearing obvious marks of poverty and wretchednefs. Cayenne, the metropolis of the whole colony, is alfo the capital of the island of the fame name, formed northwards by the fea, and in other directions by the rivers Cuya,Cayenne, and Orayu. It is therefore no caly matter to account for the opinion of many people, who imagine that the Iland of Cayenne is as much separated from the

Continent as any of the Antilles; it being disjoined from it only by a canal.

This ifland, which is but five or fix leagues in length, and three leagues in breadth, is the more diftinguished from its elevated and mountainous ground, as nearly all the other parts of the coaft of Guiana are low, and covered with fwamppines, a fpecies of large trees, which grow in the fea, and form forefts at a confiderable diftance from fhore. All the productions of the continent of Guiana are alfo produced in the island, with this difference only, that the latter is, as it were, exhaufted, and does not indemnify the planter for his trouble and expence, while, on the contrary, more remote lands are fruitful in fo aftonishing a degree, that hardly an idea thereof can be formed in other countries; yet the produce of the foil is not obtained without labour and expence. Falfe opinions having long been entertained on the nature of the ground best qualified for cultivation, and feveral enterprizes, which could not fucceed, having failed of fuccefs, the most unfavourable ideas have been formed on the climate and fertility of Guiana. No body chofe, therefore, to wafte his money and induftry in the cultivation of a foil reputed fo ungrateful, and the country remained accordingly in a ftate of infancy and unimportance.

The number of inhabitants amounts, exclufively of the garrifon, at higheft, to about one thousand or twelve hundred whites, who moft of them refide in the town of Cayenne. They confift of fome feeble remains of the unfortunate expedition to Kourou, under the adminiftration of the late Duke of Choifeul, of poor emigrants from Canada, and fome other perfons, moftly of the loweft clafs, chained down, as it were, to the glebe of the colony, because their means allow them not to emigrate to other parts. They cultivate no more land than what is requifite for their fubfiftence; unable as they are to expend any money for the purposes of a more extenfive culture, they have hitherto in vain folicited the fupport of government for that important end. The rulers of France, fetting not the leaft value on the poffeffion of Guiana, and unconscious of the importance of that colony, have only made it a point to fend thither none but men of very moderate abilities, who condemned themfelves to this exile, in hopes of getting clear of their creditors, and who were more anxious to mend their ruined circumitances, than to improve the country.

This finall number of whites, who have fcarcely

fcarcely to difpofe of eight or nine thousand negroes, difpirited by the total neglect they experienced, and fenfible of the infufficiency of their means for any important enterprife, dared not even to fofter the favourite idea of planters, to amafs a fortune, and pafs their latter days in Europe. They vegetated, in the ftricteft fenfe of the term. Poffeffed of a climate and foil like that of

Guiana, they could not be uneafy as to their fubfiftence; nay, they were certain, that they could never experience a real want of the principal neceffaries of life. Being neceffitated to procure from Europe wine, flour, cloathing, and fome other things, they raised exactly as many commodities as were tantamount to the value of those articles, for which they exchanged their produce. They exported, therefore, little or nothing for the benefit of the mother country, and as the latter was obliged to keep agents in Guiana, it began even to confider this colony, which might have become a fource of great opulence and wealth, in the light of a burthenfome poffeffion.

The inhabitants, thinly fcattered over vaft defarts, were furrounded by negroes, who, fo far from rendering their fituation more comfortable, threatened to become dangerous to their fafety and peace. Cut off from all fociety with perfons of their own defcription, bylimpervious brakes and brambles, through which they could not move, unless preceded by negroes with axes in their hands; and moft of them poffeffed of fmall miferable houses, in a country where it rains feven or eight months out of twelve, they had no pleasure left but that of enjoying a great variety of fifh and game, a pleasure which poffeffes but feeble charms for men infulated and fequeftered from the world. Under these circumftances, feveral planters relinquished entirely the cultivation of the foil, and confined themselves to the rearing of cattle, which could be kept without care and expence in the immenfe favannas or natural meadows of the country. Thus difcouragement and poverty forced them to imitate the indolence and idlenefs which prevail among the Spanish planters in the fineft parts of St. Domingo, Porto Rico, and even in Cuba.

them, poultry and cattle, while the truth is that this colony, if it were lefs diftant from the mother-country, would, in a fhort time be able to fupply all France with cattle and poultry.

(To be continued.)

For the Monthly Magazine. HISTORICAL PARTICULARS relative to the EMPEROR of GERMANY'S BOTANIC GARDEN at SCHÖNBRUNN.

[Extracted from the Preface of N. 7. Jacquin's Plantarum rariorum Horti Cafarei Schoenbrunnenfis Defcript. et Icones.]

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HE emperor Francis I. caufed in 1753 a field at the back of, the garden of the palace at Schönbrunn to be laid out for garden-plants and exotics. By the advice of the great Van Swieten, the then celebrated florift Adrian Steckhoven was invited from Leyden to Schönbrunn, where he erected many greenhoufes and hot-houses, and other neceffary buildings. In the mean time Richard van der Schot, of Delft in Holland, was appointed first gardener; and was commiffioned to bring with him to Vienna the rare plants of Steckhoven, which had been purchased, and other exotics from feveral Dutch gardens. Thus, after the lapfe of only one year, the garden was become already rich in valuable plants.

M. Jacquin, who then refided in Vienna, vifited the garden at Schönbrunn for the purpose of determining to what genus fuch of the plants belonged as had not yet received a fyftematical appellation. On this occafion he became known to the emperor, who made the propofal to him, to undertake at his expence a botanical expedition to the Weft-Indies, and the warm parts of America, for the purpose of enriching the garden with the plants of thofe regions. Jacquin accepted this offer, and actually fet out from Vienna in 1754, accompanied by Van der Schot, the gardener and in paffing through Italy, he was joined by two other affociates, John Buonamici and Ferdinand Barculli (two Florentine naturalifts), who were to collect animals, &c. for the Imperial menagerie and cabinet of natural history. He travelled over the islands of MartiWe must here be allowed to point nique, Grenada, St. Vincent, Domingo, out an abfurdity, which has been fre- Euftatius, St. Chriftopher, St. Barthoquently repeated in French journals, and lomew, Aruba, Jamaica, Cuba, Curawhich betrays the groffeft ignorance on çao; and returned to Vienna in 1759. the part of those who propagated it. In From August 1757, to the middle of a pretended letter from Cayenne, it was January 1758, he could do but little for the faid, that the ill-fated exiles entreated their advancement of botany: as he was during friends in the most preffing terms to fend four months very ill with a lientery, from 3 Y 2

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which he at length recovered in Jamaica. And as the war had juft broken out betwixt France and England, he had the misfortune to be taken prisoner at fea, and obliged against his inclination to vifit Montferrat and the defert ifland Gonave. The first collection of plants for the garden had been fent in August 1755 from Martinico, by way of Marfeilles. In February 1756, Van der Schot failed from the fame ifland with the second under his care, which was very confiderable, and contained a great variety of trees and fhrubs. All these arrived in good condition, except the heliconia fpecies, which had on the voyage been attacked by the mice. The trees were from 5 to 6 feet high, and of the thickness of a man's arm, and the most of them had already borne fruit in their native land: their tops had been cut off; and only the principal branches left, about two feet long. The fhrubs remained unmutilated. They had all been taken out of the ground, by digging at a proper diftance a circular trench around them, fo that as large ball as poffible of their native foil was left between the roots. These lumps of earth were tightly bound round with leaves of the mufa and ropes made of the bark of the bibifcus tiliaceus, and thus kept firmly to gether, fo that no mould could efcape. A fingle tree packed up in this manner, weighed above a hundred pounds. The balls were fparingly watered, and hung up in the open air, where they foon began to vegetate. Left by the fhaking of the carriages by land the earth fhould be Joolened from the roots, these trees and fhrubs were conveyed in boats down the rivers to the harbour of St. Pierre in Martinico, from which place they were tranfported on board of fhip to Leghorn, and thence carried on the backs of mules to Schönbrunn. Never, perhaps, was richer cargo of living plants brought from the torrid zone to Europe. In Auguft 1756, Buonamici failed from the ifland St. Euftatius with the third collection to Leghorn. Towards the end of the fame year, the fourth collection was fhipped. The fifth went from Curaçao to Amfterdam, under the care of J. A. Vefuntin, who died in Germany of the flux. This collection was the richest in corals and other marine productions, which even now conititute a principal ornament of the Imperial cabinet of natural hiftory. The fixth collection was fent in the fame year and from the fame ifland to Amfterdam. In January 1759, Jarquin and Barculli embarked with the last collection from the

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Havannah to Ferrol, and reached Vienna in July. This laft cargo was particularly rich in various kinds of animals.

Thus, in a few years, the number of exotics in the garden of Schönbrunn confiderably increased; and was, besides, augmented by purchases from other places. After the death of Francis I. in 1765, his widow, Maria Therefia, ordered that the garden fhould be maintained in the fame condition. A fhort time before the deceafe of that emprefs, a great and irreparable lofs happened to the garden. The gardener, Van der Schot, was in his old age attacked by the gout, fo that for many weeks he was unable to leave his room. The men to whom during his illness the care of the plants had been committed, were very negligent in their business; and the perfon, whofe duty it was to attend to the large hot-houfe, forgot, in one of the coldeft nights of winter, to kindle a fire in the ftove; and, in the morning, ignorantly thought he might make amends for his neglect by putting in an unusual quantity of fuel: but, unluckily, the fudden tranfition from cold to heat killed many beautiful plants. Among the fplendid ornaments of the garden thus deftroyed, were all the cinnamon trees from Martie nico, with ftems of the thickness of a man's arm, and fpreading tops; several crefcentias, achras, annonas, and portlandias, and a Coccoloba grandifolia, which was already twenty feet high, and had leaves two feet broad.

A fecond lofs to the garden was, that in Feb. 1783, a large collection, which M. Céré had fent from the Ile de France to Trieft, arrived wholly spoilt.

In the mean time the emperor Jofeph II. had authorised MM. Jacquin and Von Born, to propofe men properly qualified to undertake a literary journey into dif tant regions of the world. Profeffor Märter was appointed director of this expedition; and to him were associated Doctor Stupicz, the gardeners Boor and Bredemeyer, and the painter Von Moll. This fociety left Vienna in April 1783, and in the following September arrived in Philadelphia. They travelled through Pennsylvania, Virginia, and Carolina. Mr. Boor went in company with Mr. Schöpf, who had joined him, to Florida, and thence to Providence-ifland. Bredemeyer returned with a collection of beautiful plants in 1784, by way of England, to Vienna. Boor, after he had during eight months collected on the Babama iflands, a great number of rare plants, arrived in Vienna in September 1785.

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