engal edition, under the title of A Defcription of Hindoftan:" it nfifts of a fummary account of ch particulars as were not fully efcribed in the former divifions of e empire into foobahs, fircars, and ufbahs, and is highly entertaining. In treating of the fects amongst e Hindoos, who hold no lefs than ighteen different opinions refpectng the creation, we find the followng very remarkable paffage. "One ect believes that God, who hath no qual, appeared on earth under three human forms, without having been hereby polluted in the fmalleft degree; in the fame manner as the Chriftians fpeak of the Meffiah, The names of these three perfonages are, Ift, Brahma, the Creator of the World-2d, Bifhen, Providence and Preserver-3d, Mahadeo, or its Destroyer." The creation and final diffolution of all things, is a fundamental article of the Hindoo's Creed. Next to the religion, we have an ample illuftration of the aftronomy of the Hindoo philofophers, of their geography, with tables of the longitude and latitude of the principal countries of the habitable globe, calculated from the Fotunate Inlands, and divided into feven climates. The perfons, diftinct tribes, and duties of the Brahmins, are accurately delineated; the fects of philofophers, with their knowledge of various arts and fciences, particularly the occult, are fubjects of curious investigation, arranged under feparate heads. After his defcriptions of man, the nobleft animal of the creation, our author adds, to his former fhort account of the birds and beafts of Hindoftan, fome farther particulars, worthy of notice, refpecting them. Amongst other fingularities, he mentions a bird, called the Eahoubiya, about the fize of the fparrow, but yellow. "It is very docile, exceedingly fagacious, and may be taught to fetch and carry grains of gold with fafety. If carried a great diftance from his mafter, he will fly to him immediately upon hearing his voice." In the political part of the inftitutes, the art of governing a kingdom contains feveral excellent maxims and rules for the conduct of the fovereign and his minifters, and for preferving domeftic tranquillity by the obedience of the fubjects, fecured by their affection for a good prince, who is the father of his people. Concerning the adminiftration of juftice, the learned Hindoos faw, that law is comprised under eighteen heads. 1. Debt. 2. Depofit. 3. Claim of property. 4. Partnerfhip. 5. Gifts. 6. Wages, hire, and rent. 7. Tribute. 8. Buying and felling. 9. Herdsmen. Boundaries. 11. Abufive language. 12. Afault. 13. Theft. 14 Marder. 15. Adultery. 16. Difputes between man and wife. ritance. 18. Gaming." 10. 17. Inhe After perufing the digefts of the law of England, by our celebrated lawyers, the abfurdity of the foregoing arrangment will ftrike every judicious reader; but when the dif ferent fubjects are placed in their proper order, they will be found to embrace the principal objects of the civil and common law of the best European governments; but in the judicial adminiftration, fuch local customs, adherence to fuperftitious ceremonies, and ridiculous fentences, abound under several heads, that with great difficuly we have been been enabled to felect a few maxims analogous to European legiflation, or worthy of being adopted. The following are the most rational. "The plaintiff they call Badee, and the defendant Pirthadee. When a complaint is preferred to the judge, if the defendant is a debilitated old man, or is under the age of twelve years, or is an ideot, or infane, or fick, or is employed on the bufinefs of the ftate, or is a woman without relations, fuch perfons cannot be fummoned before a court of justice: the judge hall commiffion intelligent perfons to interrogate upon the cafe. But thofe who do not come under any of the above defcriptions, are obliged to attend." Article Debt. Upon adventures by land, 101. per cent. is allowable; and 251. per cent. for ritks by fea. In agreements for grain. (rice, or fay corn,) if the time of payment fhould be confiderably elapfed, the judge fhall allow for intereft five times the value of the principal; fuch attention is paid to the feller of the first neceflary of life to encourage him to give credit, and to fupply voluntarily fufficient quantities. Depofit of money, (banking or loans)" if a perfon has employed a depofit illegally, and, when it is demanded, demurs paying back the money, he fhall be fined half the principal fum in addition, for intereft." Partnership; the regulations under this head are perfectly equitable, and accord with our commercial laws. One brief inftance will fuffice. "If a partner lofes or injures the property of the partnerfhip, or it has been employed or carried away without the confent of the other partners, he fhall make reftitution." Wages, hire, or rent. " If they are received in advance, the agreement must be fulfilled. If it is broken, the offender fhall be fined in double the fum. Public revenue." If any one fails in the payment of his revenue (duties or taxes), his property shall be feized, and he thall be banifhed." Man and wife. "If, immediately after marriage, a man difcovers any natural defect on his wife, he may part with her without being fubject to any profecution." The law of inheritance differs from ours in the article of primoge niture" all the children, together with the widow, inherit equally;" and in the following fingular article "In default of all relations, the eftate fhall go to the deceased's tu tor, or, if he is not alive, then to his school-fellows." Gaming, "Whofoever plays with falfe dice thall be banished. If any one refufes to pay his game, it fhall be forced from him. The judge is entitled to a tenth part of whatever is gained at play." Our author next proceeds to defcribe the customs and manners of the Hindoos, and their religious ce remonies-fubjects which afford a confiderable fund of entertainment, and fome important information to thofe who wish to be well acquainted with man in all the diffe rent lights and fhades in which he is delineated in all parts of the habitable globe. The index to the two volumes, referring to, and explaining Arabic, Perfian, Hindovee, and Sanfcrit words, though copious, is defec tive, for we have in vain fought for the explanation of feveral words, effentially neceffary to enable the English English reader to comprehend their meaning. was bound to relate. Mr. Wood to give my opinion of him, having The Geographical Syftem of Herodo- followed him through most of the tus examined and explained, by a countries which he vifited, I would Comparison with thofe of other an- fay he is a writer of veracity in his cient Authors, and with modern defcription of what he faw, but of Geography. In the Course of the credulity in his relations of what he Work, are introduced Differtations heard.' We may add, that fuperon the itinerary State of the Greeks,, ftition made him credulous in bethe Expedition of Darius Hyfiafpes lieving many improbable flories, to Scythia, the Pofition and Re- but love of truth prevented him. mains of ancient Babylon, the Al- from afferting falfehoods. But his luvions of the Nile, and the Canals ignorance in certain points is infiof Suez; the Oafis and Temple of nitely more unpleafing than his fuJupiter Ammon, the ancient Cir- perftition; for, it may be obferved, cumnavigation of Africa, and othat, however diflinguifhed as an ther Subjects of Hiftory and Geo- hiftorian, geographer, and moralift, graphy. The whole explained by Eleven Maps, adapted to the different Subjects, and accompanied with a complete Index. By James Ren nell, F. R. S. WITHOUT understanding the language in which the father of history wrote, the major, to whom the geography of India has fo great obligations has most ably illuftrated the geography of Herodotus. "It is a common and juft remark, that the authority of his work has been rifing in the opinion of the world in latter times, which may be referred to the number of discoveries that have been lately made, and are continually making, in the countries which he defcribes. It was ignorance and inattention, therefore, that determined the opinions of his judges; a charge in which feveral of the ancients are implicated as well as the moderns. The fame want of attention has confounded together the defcriptions of what he faw with what he only heard, and which he might think he VOL. XLII. as a man of fcience and a natural philofopher, he ranks very low. This work is divided into 26 ing 1 ing divifions of this work relates to the knowledge Herodotus had of Africa, to which continent the remaining fections wholly relate, including the canals of Suez, the Nile, and Memphis, the Oafis of Egypt and Libya, the temple of Ammon, the Syrtes, the antiquity of Morocco leather, &c.; 24, 25, relate to the circumnavigations of Africa by the hips of Necho; and the laft fection prefents fome account of the voyage of Hanno along its western coafts. The whole is ilJuftrated by 11 maps, moft of which are curious and interefting. The major feems to have confounded the ancient Scythians with the later Tartars; and, contrary to the most learned commentaries and the Jewish traditions, he attempts to thew that only certain claffes of the Hebrews were carried away and fettled in Media. He concludes, that the diftant fource of the Nile is certainly not in Abyffinia, but in fome country to the weft of fouth-westward of it; which is confirmed by Mr. Brown, who alfo proves that the Niger does not join Sherborough found; and that Cernè is Arguin, and Madeira the Pæ of Ptolemy; in which cafe Cernè muff be one of the Canaries. The remaining part of the major's great plan will confift of the ancient geography, as it was improved by the Grecian conquefts and eftablishments, together with fuch portions of military hiftory as appear to want explanation. Maps of ancient geography, on fcales adapted to the purpofe, will accompany it; while the modern geogra phy (in which the moft prominent features of the ancient will appear) will be contained in a large map, fimilar in fize to the four-fheet map of India, already in the hands of the public. As the prefent volume forms a complete work of itself, fo will each of the fucceeding ones, they being no otherwife connected with each other than as being in the fame feries. The fame is to be underflood of fome large maps that are to accompany the volumes, but will be too large to be folded into them. racy. 4to. 2 Vol. 1800. IT appears from the dedication to the Nile. In his obfervations on The History of the Helvetie Confedethe alluvions of rivers, he has happily applied recent knowledge to ancient circumftances, and the currents in the fea on the African coafts to the illufirations of general geography. He has demonftrated that the temple of Ammon was really difcovered by Mr. Brown; a circumftance fince confirmed by Mr. Horneman. Gofielin fuppofes the voyage of Hanno did not extend beyond Cape Nors; and he infers that the island of Cernè is Fedal. Mr. Ronell Hippofes that the fouthern horn or teinination of Hanno's voyage was the king, that the author of this work is Mr. Planta, of the Britisla Mufeum; who is defcended, as we underftand, from the noble family in the Grifons, whofe name he bears. It is rather fingular that we fhould fo long have been without fuch a publication as this; and that no able pen has before been employed on a fubject which has lo many claims to our notice: for what country can offer equal pretensions, whether Whether we confider the wonders of its fcenery, its political peculiarities, its early atchievements the influence which it had in its maturity on the affairs of Europe, or its recent calamities? To give the hiftory of fuch a ftate is an arduous undertaking: but it has found in Mr. Planta an author who is fully equal to the task. The reader will here fee not only fresh light thrown on the affairs of other countries, and his view of European hiftory rendered more complete, but will meet with obfervations on characters, events, and periods, which are new and valuable; and which are highly creditable to the difcernment and judgement with which Mr. Planta has read hiftory. The early inftitutions of our rude ancestors, feodal regulations, monaftic inftitutions, the genius of the dark ages, civil and religious diffentions, the grand feparation from the fee of Rome, called the reformation, and the philofophy which threatens all that we venerate and cherish, come in the courfe of his work under the author's notice; and they are treated in a manner which fhews extenfive information, a found judgement, and a large Thare of impartiality. . Geography and chronology have been aptly ftyled the eyes of hiftory.. There is another requifite, of which we must be poffeffed, if we wish to behold in full day the events which the hiftory of any particular country details; and that is a competent knowledge of history in general, a fomewhat minute acquaintance with the tranfaction of adjoining states. The hiftory of Switzerland requires alfo that we should take great pains to make ourselves acquainted with its topography; fince otherwife it will confound and diftract us. Perhaps Mr. Planta would have better confulted the uniformity and popularity of his work, had he more condenfed the matter of the first three chapters, and thrown it into the form of an introduction; as the hiftory does not properly begin till we come to Chap IV. We learn from Chap I. and II. that modern Helvetia includes, in addition to the ancient, a large part of Rhætia: that the Helvetii, after their repulfe by Cæfar, found on their return that their numbers were reduced to a third; and that the Rhæti, who till the reign of Auguf tus remained unmolefted, were then almoft totally extirpated. About the commencement of the 4th century, the whole population of Helvetia was fwept away by fome of the barbarian tribes which at that time over-ran Europe. In the course of the 5th century, we find fouthern Rhætia occupied by the Oftrogoths; the northern, to the lake of Conftance, and across the Reufs as far as the Aar, by the Alemanni; and the whole western part by the Burgundians. Helvetia was fubject to France under the Merovingian and Carlovingian kings. It next formed a part of the new kingdom of Burgundy; the laft monarch of which, Rudolph III. bequeathed it to the emperor, Henry II. This bequest was the origin of the fupremacy of the empire over Helvetia. Though the author expreflies hims felf cautionfly, we may infer from the following paffage, that he ranks with thofe who are more fwayed by the authority of Montefquieu than by the arguments of Mably. The king's councellors, his friends, the mayors of the palace, the chancellors, the counts of the ci1 i 2 ties |