which this honour was assigned to Cadmus, is the resemblance, in some respects, of the Greek and Phenician alphabets.

The Greek B, г, Z, 1, 2, are nearly the same as the Phenician, with this remarkable difference, that the latter characters stand from right to left. Now we know that the ancient Greeks occasionally wrote from right to left, the traces of which custom are still extant in the Sigean inscription, where the lines are written Bourgondor, i. e. from right to left, and from left to right alternately, which was obviously an intermediate step between the Phenician mode of writing and that of the later Greeks. A testimony in favour of the colony under Cecrops is the similarity of the Egyptian and Greek mythologies, and the absolute identity of some of their deities. Lastly, a very strong argument against Dr. Marsh's hypothesis, that the Pelasgi bequeathed their language to the Greeks is this, which we have before touched upon, viz that the language spoken by the people confessedly Hellenic, particularly the inhabitants of Asia Minor, differed exceedingly, and with an excellence, from the dialect of those tribes which were undoubtedly Pelasgic, to wit, the Arcadians, Laconians, and inhabitants of Magna Græcia; the inference from which is, that the language of Homer, or Hellenic, was cultivated and spoken in its original purity by the Ionians, but only partially adopted and incorporated with the old Pelasgic or βάρβαρος γλῶσσα, by the other states.

On the whole, we are of opinion that considerable research and much ingenuity are manifested in this little work, but there prevails throughout a want of compression and lucid arrangement which renders it somewhat laborious to read. We are disposed to concur in many material conclusions, but have some fault to find with the mode of establishing them. Dr. Marsh is a very able and acute controvertist, and a good scholar; but it appears to us that antiquarian and philological inquiries demand a degree of doubtful and deliberate hesitation, a careful examination and weighing of authorities, to which (in this work at least) he has not always paid sufficient attention. The tone is not so much that of inquiry as of assertion; it is not a diffident examination, but a stern profligation of the opinions of many eminent and learned writers, who are successively mowed down by the scythe of irrefragable argument.' We prefer the temper of Livy-Quæ ante conditam condendamve urbem, poeticis magis decora fabulis, quam incorruptis rerum gestarum monumentis, traduntur, ea nec affirmare, nec refellere, in animo est: and we would recommend the polite salvos by which the critics are accustomed to qualify their hard blows-Plane hallucinatur V. D.-ni fallor. Omnino nihil videt in hoc loco V. C-mea saltem sententia, &c. Under cover of which learned courtesy we make our retreat from the field.

ART.

ART. IV. Journal of a Cruize made to the Pacific Ocean by Captain David Porter, in the United States Frigate Essex, in Toth the the years 1812, 1813, and 1814, containing Descriptions of Cape de Verd Islands, Coasts of Brazil, Patagonia, Chili and Peru and of the Gallapagos Islands. Also, a full Account of the Washington Group of Islands; the Manners, Customs, Dress of the Inhabitants, &c. &c. Illustrated with fourteen engravings. In two volumes, 8vo. pp. 440. Philadelphia. 1815.

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IT will be thought superfluous, perhaps, to put the English reader on his guard against a book which he may never have an opportunity of perusing; for we believe that ours is the only copy which has crossed, or is likely to cross, the Atlantic :—if accident, however, should throw it in his way, or if some English publisher should be desperate enough to reprint it, it may save him both expense and trouble to be apprised of the fallacies held forth in the lengthy title-page. We can assure him that he will look in vain for the promised description of the Cape de Verd islands, or for that of the coasts of Brazil, or of Patagonia, no part of the two latter of which, in fact, did the writer even see. For the rest, 'A sequel to the Adventures of the Buccaneers of America,' or to The History of the Pirates,' would, in our estimation, have been va far more appropriate title to this Journal of a Cruize,' than the one assumed. It would, however, be an act of injustice to the memory of the gallant Captain Morgan, the undaunted Ann Bonney, and many others of the same class, to associate with theirs -the name of David Porter: to them we cannot refuse the merit Lof heroic courage and disinterested generosity; but our adventurer,' as we gather from his own narrative, is utterly destitute of both.

In hinting at any similitude, however, we would not be under stood to allude, in the most distant manner, to the capture or de{struction of the whale-fishing vessels in the Southern Pacific, and the mass of individual distress occasioned thereby:-private property, met with on the sea, however innocently employed, is, by the practice of war, unfortunately excluded from that protection which is usually granted to it on shore. Our charges against Captain Porter are of a more flagitious nature, and out of his own mouth shall we condemn him.

The style or rather jargon of the book is that of a boatswain's mate; and with regard to any new information, nautical, geogra phical, or moral, it is so trifling in its extent, and of so little importance in any point of view, that the notice of it will not detain us long By far the greater part of the book is occupied with a tedious detail of the author's exploits in capturing unarmed whalers, in maltreating his prisoners, and in wantonly murdering un

offending

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offending savages, of all which he is hardy enough to make an exulting recital.

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The first port that David Porter, Esquire,' of the United States frigate Essex, touched at, in this memorable cruize,' was Porta Praya, on the island of St. Jago. The friendly attentions which he there met with from the allies of Great Britain," were as surprising as they were unexpected; a moment's reflection, however, solved the mystery-they arose, it seems, from a comparison of his amiable and gentlemanlike manners with the haughty unconciliating conduct of the commanders and officers of British vessels of war.' But they carried their friendly attentions' yet farther they were highly gratified,' Captain Porter says, the accounts I gave them of our success against the ships of that imperious navy and such a portion of his own ardour did this heroic chief instil into the breast of the Portugueze governor, that be offered to protect him against any British force that might arrive there. p. 25. This was the more generous, as, it appears, from the captain's own account, that there were but four serviceable muskets on the island.' The return which this mirror of transatlantic politeness makes for these distinguished civilities on the part of the allies of Great Britain,' is to ridicule their whole establishment. This, with the price of fowls, and a few desultory remarks on bad rum, petmonkeys, and baracouters, (baracouta,) constitutes the description of the Cape de Verd islands,' so prominently put forth in the title-page.

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As the run across the tropical latitudes is an event of rare occurrence in the history of navigation, it was not to be expected that this able navigator would pass over in silence the phenomenon of the trade-winds, the cause of which we do not recollect to have any where met with so briefly and intelligibly explained. They are caused, he says, by the passage of the sun from east to west, or rather' (for either of the two causes it seems will do) 'the earth's rotatory motion from west to east.' Hence, we conclude that the reason why we, who dwell without the tropics, have no trade-winds, is, that our sun does not pass from east to west, or rather, that our portion of the earth stands still, at least has no rotatory motion from west to east.

Here he captures the Nocton packet, of ten guns and thirty men and boys, including passengers. On this occasion his humanity is as conspicuous as his bravery.. 'He forbore to make use of his great guns; but, as he apprehended that this formidable cockboat was about to rake him, he poured a volley of musketry into her,' which killed one man. His prisoners, meanwhile, were quite ravished with their good fortune in falling into his hands: they seemed (he says) to consider their capture and trip to America

more in the light of an agreeable adventure and party of pleasure than a misfortune.' p. 36.- How can you be so cruel,' said Beckford to a warrener, to sew up the mouths of your ferrets?' Lord, sir!' replied the fellow, they likes it.' Captain Porter must have read this passage. On another occasion, his prisoners, many of whom had been in irons, being put on board' an old ship, and a dull sailor,' on taking their departure, 'gave him three hearty cheers, and many good wishes for his success; in which, the captain says, he doubts not they were sincere!

On approaching the small island of Fernando de Noronha, Captain Porter disguises' the Essex as a merchantman, hoists English colours, and sends his first lieutenant on shore, in plain clothes, to inform the governor that the ship was the Fanny, Captain Johnson, from London, bound to Rio de Janeiro;-short of water; crew sick of the scurvy ;-in want of refreshments;—and unable to anchor, all the anchors being lost, and the cables bad.' This lie circumstantial' procured him intelligence of two English frigates having been there the week before, and that the governor had a letter addressed to Sir James Yeo, of the Southampton, which had been left with him to send to England. In consequence of the latter part of this information, the lieutenant was a second time dispatched with a lie direct,'-' that there was a gentleman on board who was intimately acquainted with Sir James Yeo, and was going from Brazils direct to England, who would take charge of the letter and deliver it to Sir James.' The unsuspecting governor delivered the letter, which David Porter, Esquire, made no scruple to break open; but the information it contained was rather alarming to the nerves of the fictitious Englishman, (and never was the name so disgraced before,) who immediately shifted his ground to avoid falling in with a British frigate. The sum of the information, therefore, concerning this island is that there are no females on Fernando Noronha-for no other motive that our author can conceive, unless it be to render this place of exile more horrible.'

t

The next place which he visited was the island of St Catharine's, where we find very little worthy of remark, except his punishing a man for paying a dollar for a dozen of rotten eggs.' Here, too, he takes occasion to speak contemptuously of the Portugueze establishments, in return for their civilities: the walls of the fortress were covered with trees, the guns were honey-combed, the gun-carriages in a rotten state, and the garrison consisted of about 20 half-naked soldiers; the church was within the fortress, and a broken crow-bar was suspended at the door as a substitute for a bell-this is the substance of the information concerning the island of St. Catharine's, which, with what we have already stated

with regard to Fernando Noronha, comprises the description of the coast of Brazil'-a coast, of which, in point of fact, he never once came within sight. A report, indeed, of some British frigates in the neighbourhood' determined him on getting to sea again with all expedition; and as the southern Atlantic was likely to prove too warm a station, he resolved to make the best of his way round Cape Horn for the Pacific, where plenty of prizes were to be had without fighting for them. To keep his crew in good humour, he addressed to them a note,' which he says produced the happiest effects-and well it might:-it is couched in the meanest buccaneer-style-the rapacity without the spirit-'Sailors and Marines!.... The unprotected British commerce on the coast of Chili, Peru and Mexico, will give you an abundant supply of wealth, and the girls of the Sandwich islands shall reward you for your sufferings during the passage round Cape Horn.'

One would suppose, from the terrors which haunted Captain Porter on this passage-the black clouds,-the torrents of rain,the whistling of conflicting winds- Libs, Notus et Auster-and the roaring of breakers-with the repetition of which we are entertained through a chapter of thirty pages, that the Essex was the only ship which bad doubled Cape Horn since the days of Lord Anson, whose misfortunes, he tells us, served only to 'rouse his ambition,' and to prompt him to make the name of the Essex as well known in the Pacific Ocean as that of the Centurion, by retorting on the haughty English the evils which Lord Anson had done the Spaniards!' p. 76. Captain Porter's ethics and logic are on a par; and the thought was worthy of him. La Perouse had said that the navigation round Cape Horn was like that of all high latitudes;' and this observation draws from our hero expressions of high indignation against this unfortunate navigator, which, however, are somewhat qualified by ascribing them probably to the false or prejudiced statements of the editor.' He forgets, surely, for even he cannot be ignorant of the fact, that no less than forty or fifty whalers have, for the last twenty or thirty years, annually doubled Cape Horn at all seasons of the year, and, as we believe, without the loss of a single ship in that part of their voyage-but David Porter, Esquire, betrays in no part of his journal any indications of seamanship. His directions for doubling this formidable Cape are, never to attempt it in the month of February,'-the best month, by the way, in the yearand never to attempt it at all, if you can get there by any other route.' We suspect, however, that there might be a motive for all this blustering of the winds and weather: to describe the Essex as crippled by the elements, was the most plausible way of preparing the reader for her subsequent capture by the Phoebe.

z 3

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Once,