A little west of Ashburton it forms a charming valley, and flows in placid beauty beneath the high hill, which is finely distinguished by the castle and church of Totness. Here the Dart is crossed by its last bridge, and, soon afterwards receiving the tide, it rolls in a majestic stream between bold hills covered with cultivation, woods, and villages, disclosing new beauties at every curve, and presenting a grand object to the adjacent country, varied perpetually both in its form and attendant features. The noble ruin of Berry Pomeroy Castle, an old seat of the Duke of Somerset, occupies an eminence on the east, at some distance from the river, below which a very picturesque rivulet descends through a dark winding dell, adding much to the solemnity and beauty of the scene, where the deep gloom of the overhanging wood, which encircles several majestic towers clothed with ivy, inspires that kind of awful dignity which seems suited to the most romantic periods of our antient history. The eminences which enclose the channel of the Dart become at last almost mountainous, forming on the west a barrier to the southern peninsula of Devonshire, between that river and the Tamar, and on the east to the Road of Torbay, while the river, winding between their wooded and rocky bases, passes the very striking position occupied by the hamlet of Kingsweare on its eastern bank, and the singularly irregular town of Dartmouth on its western, the whitened fronts of whose houses, built in stages over each other, and beautifully interspersed with wood and rock, form a curious assemblage of interesting objects. The ivied walls of Dartmouth Castle, with its rustic spire, starting out from beneath a bold rocky hill, close the prospect with great majesty, and strongly mark the proud exit of the Dart towards the sea.

THE TEIGN is the most eastern of all the Devonshire rivers, which take their rise in Dartmoor; its principal source is found near the village of Chegford on the eastern side of that wild district, not far from Moreton-Hampstead. Its course is at first eastward, inclining afterwards to the south till it reaches Chudleigh, a little below which place, the smaller and more western branch joins it; both thus united, form a broad, but short estuary, inclining to the east, which terminates in the bay of Teignmouth.

No peculiar character marks either of these streams before their union, but the large basin they at last form is a very striking object, filling the whole space of a winding valley between the protruding eminences, each side of which is beautifully interspersed with woods, pastures, and villages. Teignmouth is one of the pleasantest bathing places on this coast, and the bold red rock, which forms the western barrier of the Teign on its exit into the large bay at its mouth, exhibits a grand object, variegated with stripes of green herbage, and protruding its massy pile into the sea.'

We must desist from farther extracts, and shall only add that this volume will maintain a place in our travelling library, as worthy of the time, the expence, and the attention of a gentleman.

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ART. XIV.

The Philosophy of Natural History. By the late William Smellie, Member of the Antiquarian and Royal Societies of Edinburgh. Vol. II. 4to. pp. 515. ¡l. 1s. Boards. binsons, &c.

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'He first volume of this work was published in 1790, and was noticed in the 5th vol. of our New Series: a number of years have therefore elapsed between the appearance of the first and that of the second volume; and from the dedication, we find that this last is a posthumous publication, edited by Mr. Alexander Smellie, son of the late author.

In the commencement, the writer points out the utility of method in every science, and especially the advantages to be derived from a systematical arrangement of natural bodies. He then proceeds to give an historical review of the works of the most celebrated naturalists, with some remarks on the comparative advantages and disadvantages of their respective arrangements and systems.

The second chapter treats of the multiplication and continuation of species; and, after some observations on the division of animals into viviparous and oviparous, Mr. Smellie states the principal antient and modern theories, particularly those which concern the generation of the larger animals. We here find the theories of Hippocrates, Aristotle, Fabricius ab Aquapendente, Harvey, Malpighi, De Graaf, Valisniari, Leeuwenhoeck, Buffon, and Bonnet: but we must necessarily pass over these details, as well for the sake of brevity as on account of the respect which is due to delicacy in a miscellaneous work.

In the 4th Section of this Chapter, remarks are made on partial re-production; and the Earth-worm, Polypus, and Crayfish, are adduced as examples. In the following section, Mr. S. ridicules many of the supposed effects of the imagination on pregnant animals. Although he allows that any violent passion in the mother may occasionally produce deformed or even maimed children, yet he by no means assents to the reality of effects commonly supposed to have been produced by longing, or any other slight and temporary imagination of the mother; and he observes that, in these supposed effects of imagination, it may be asked, why are not the impressions, and often cruel ones, of the whip, seen upon the offspring of mares and -she-asses? it may perhaps be alleged that the inferior animals have no imagination: no person, however, who observes the economy of the most common quadrupeds, can entertain a doubt that they are possessed of this power; but they have not the folly to exercise it in a manner so absurd. A mare, a she-ass, or a cow, though hunger often obliges them to long violently

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violently for particular kinds of food; yet their offspring never exhibit marks of grass, of hay, of cabbages, or of turnips."

Chapter III. contains observations on the anomalous productions of Nature; and some instances are cited to prove that mules, sprung from the horse and ass, are not entirely unprolific. Remarks are also made to prove the non-existence of the Jumar, an animal supposed to be produced between the bull and mare;-after which, the author concludes the first section by shewing that an union frequently takes place between various species of small birds, and that the hybrids or mules produced by them uniformly retain their prolific powers. He then says; I close this section with remarking, that Nature seems to indulge more frolics in the mysteries of Venus than philosophers are apt to imagine; and that some animals, whom we are taught to regard as distinct and original species, may only be mules endowed with the faculty of transmission.'

The second Section contains a plan for cultivating raw silk in Great Britain but for the particulars we must refer our readers to the original.

Chapter IV. treats of the varieties of man which have hitherto been discovered in every region of the globe; -Varieties in Colour,-in Stature,-in Figure and Features,-in Manners and Customs,-in Religion, Religious Opinions, and Ceremonies;-of Cannibals both antient and modern,-of Human Sacrifices in the Old and New Worlds,-of War and Warlike Instruments, of Agriculture, and the spontaneous Productions of the Earth,-of Marriages, Burials, Civil Government, Arts and Manufactures, &c. &c.-This comprehensive chapter forms more than one third of the whole work, and is (as must be supposed) a very diffuse compilation. It is impossible, therefore, for us to enter into the various particulars; nor, indeed, does it appear to be necessary. We observe, with regret, that the author has not employed much discrimination in the choice of his sources of information: but, perhaps, the immense extent and variety of the subjects to be discussed may be deemed a sufficient excuse.

Speaking of Cannibals, Mr. Sinellie says, (p. 311.)

The Mysi, a people of Asia, in the neighbourhood of Troas, killed and eat such prisoners as they took in war*. Why, says Hieronymus, do I speak of other nations, when I saw, while I was in Gaul, the Scots, who inhabit a considerable part of the island of Britain, eat humn flesh; and, when they found in the woods shepherds and keepers of hogs, they cut off the hips of the men and the breasts of the women, which they esteemed as the most delicious re

Flor. lib. 4. c. 12.; and Schedius de Diis Germanis, p. 403.'

past.

past *. In describing the Scythians, Herodotus informs us, that to the north of a certain desert, a nation existed in his time called Androphagi, because they feasted on human flesh +. Herodotus, in the same book, makes frequent mention of these Androphagi. Antony, with a view to overturn the Roman government, took a solemn oath from his associates, which was attended with a most infamous solemnity. After sacrificing a boy, the oath was administered over his entrails, which afterwards were eaten by these conspirators ‡.'

Concerning human sacrifices, the author observes, that

Human sacrifices, even in the days of Plato, were not unfrequent in almost every district of Greece. The goddess Diana was supposed to be incensed, because Melanippus and Cometho were married in her temple on the very night of a festival. The oracle, upon this mo mentous occasion, was consulted; and the response was, that, to appease her godship, a boy, and a girl of the greatest beauty, should be annually sacrificed f. To a statue of some barbarous divinity, said to have been brought from Taurica to Lacedemon, the oracle com manded that human sacrifices should be offered. But Lycurgus abolished this horrid rite q. Pelopidas, when his situation in war was critical, dreamed that the favour of the gods must be obtained by sacrificing a young virgin. Some of his generals insisted that the will of the gods should be implicitly obeyed. But others opposed the perpetration of a deed so shocking and unnatural. While, says Plutarch, the chiefs were disputing upon this more than brutal subject, and Pelopidas himself was hesitating, a young mare, leaving her pas ture, ran towards the camp. Theocritus, the seer, instantly called out to Pelopidas: behold the victim the gods have prepared for you, and they expect no other virgin! The mare, with the usual solem nities, was immediately sacrificed **. It is impossible not to recollect the similarity of this event to that of Abraham and his son Isaac. A mare and a ram make no considerable variation in the two stories.'

These observations are concluded in the following manner:

What, in the name of wonder, should have given rise to an institution so apparently contrary to every principle of human nature, and yet so universally diffused over the whole globe? That it originated from superstition is unquestionable. But that answer is too general. There must be a progress in superstition, as well as in every other acquired affection of the mind. Whenever men, (which must have been coeval with their existence), acquired ideas of superior powers, they ascribed to them human passions, and human frailties. If they imagined that, by any action, they had incurred the displeasure of a

* Hieron. adver. Jovian. lib. 2.'

Herodot. Melpomene, s. lib. 4. § 18.'

Dio Cass. edit. Xiphilini, 27.'

Plato de Legib. lib. 6.; and Travels of Anacharsis the younger,

in Greece, vol. ii. p. 348. Trans.'

Pausan. lib. 7. cap. 16.'

Rev. APRIL, 1802.

*** Plutarch, vol. ii. edit. Bryan. p. 222.'

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particular god, or powerful being, terror was the inevitable conse quence. The next feeling was, how is this angry god to be appeased? It was not an unnatural thought, that such articles of provisions aa were agreeable to themselves would not be unacceptable to their gods. They accordingly began with offerings of their choicest fruits. But, after a priesthood was established, it was soon discovered that such simple offerings were not sufficient. They taught the people, that the gods liked more substantial food. The animal tribes were the next objects of propitiation for sin. This new object was particularly agrecable to the priests, who in all ages were fond of good eating. They at first contented themselves with sacrificing and devouring the feathered tribes, such as turtle doves, cocks, &c. This answered very well for some time; but still it was not enough. As the number of priests gradually increased, birds alone were not thought to be sufficient to support them. They, therefore, had recourse to the quadrupeds; because the sms of the land were still increasing, in proportion to the increase of population. Hence they proceeded to sacrifice lambs, kids, hogs, rams, and goats. Not satisfied still, the priests insisted that the people, in order to avert the vengeance of the gods, and procure pardon for their numerous and complicated iniquities, should feast them with heifers, bullocks, and oxen. These priests, it should appear, after tiring of birds and the smaller quadrupeds, like honest Englishmen, at last gave the preference to good roast-beef.

This sacrifical progression has not hitherto been unnatural. But the step from quadrupeds to the human species is very wide; yet there are many recorded instances, in almost all nations whose ancient history has come down to us, of this diabolical practice; and we have seen that it still exists in most of the islands of the Pacific Ocean which have been visited by our late navigators. Here the theory of feeding priests may seem to fail; but it must not be entirely relinquished. In the rude stages of society, Cannibals, or eaters of human flesh, have, at different periods, been diffused over the whole habitable globe. Superstition, or rather something more gross, must have given rise to an action so generally repugnant to human nature. The dreadful institution of murdering and roasting men, with a view to appease the wrath of the gods, was soon succeeded by eating their flesh. When this was perceived by rude and often starved barbarians, the priests, or superintendants of such detestable rites, preferred men to all other animals. This motive could not be held out to the people. To them a more powerful engine was exhibited. Upon particular emergencies, when their minds were in the highest agitations of terror, whether from real or superstitious causes, the poor deluded creatures were told, that the resentment and wrath of the gods were so great, that neither birds nor quadrupeds, nor any of the inferior animals, would be effectual to avert their vengeance. There was only one step farther. Instead of birds and quadrupeds, nothing less than individuals of the human species could appease these insatiable gods, the existence of whom was firmly believed by ignorant men, and strongly inculcated by wicked priests.

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