ent of the hazards of the voyage), and that in the space of three years. It must, however, be confeffed that this charming country has one advantage, which is, that if a man become tired of life be may easily terminate his existence without committing the crime of fuicide. He need only remain at Senegal a little while, or if he would wish to make it fhorter ftill, let him undertake a voyage to Galam. Thofe on the contrary who wish to prolong their life a little must be fatisfied with negro food-and heavens! what food! The females pound millet in wooden mortars upon the fand, but it is fo ill prepared that it grates between the teeth. Walking or riding out is no amufement here, as it is ever attended with danger, and as there are no fituations tolerably agreeable nearer than ten leagues from the colony. Befides, a man is always expofed either to the danger of being made captive by the inhabitants of the country, or to be devoured by wild beafts, fuch as the tiger and the lion. Neither can fuch excurfions be made without danger, even when the colony is at peace with the natives of the country. This, however, does not involve a contradiction, for there are in Senegal, as in every other part of Africa, troops of robbers who carry away whatever they meet with, and who wage war with all the world. A perfon may, therefore, be in danger even in time of peace, more especially as one or other of these gangs are always couring the country. Thefe robbers never attack the inhabitants of the colony on their own ground, but whenever they find them upon the territories of their enemies, they fail not to lay hold of the occafion, to the ruin of those whom curiofity leads abroad. In fine, in order to give a juft idea of this wretched colony, let it fuffice to obferve, without exaggeration, that it is the most deteftable spot on the face of the earth; and that nothing but utter ignorance, or a total want of any other means of fubfiftence, can induce a man to fettle there.'

M. Saugnier relates a trading voyage which he made up the river to Galam, and which terminated unfuccefsfully: but, excepting the occurrences that attended this adventure, little is to be expected from a man who profeffes, that Engaged entirely in commercial concerns, on which my all depended, and not being in circumftances that allowed me to dedicate any of my time to the purpose of making obfervations, I paid but little attention to the natural hiftory, the fites, and the productions of thefe countries.'-He clofes his voyage, however, with fome inftructions for conducting the trade at Senegal and Galam, which may prove useful to those whofe fortitude may brave the dangers attending the purfuit of gain, under obftacles already described.

In the preface, which, as we have already mentioned in our laft Appendix, loc. cit. comes from the pen of M. de la Borde, we are informed that M. Saugnier,

Since his return, has employed every moment in the acquirement of a knowledge of geography, botany, aftronomy, &c. in the

hope

hope of once more travelling through countries where he experienced fo many misfortunes; but whither, nevertheless, be ardently wishes to return as his circumftances will not permit him to undertake it at his own expence, he takes the liberty of addrefling the following reflections to government.

A tafte for discoveries in every way is the characteristic of an enlightened age. One of the kinds of knowledge of the most useful acquirement is inconteftably that of the globe we inhabit; it is perhaps the only one that we can ever hope of carrying to perfection; for it confifts only of pofitive things, and notwithstanding the multitude of those things their number is limited.

There are parts of Europe lefs known to our men of science than feveral parts of Afia and America. As to Africa, which is at fo small a distance from us, we hear it spoken of from our infancy, and yet we are hardly acquainted with its coafts.

The difficulty of penetrating into fome of the inland parts has not repreffed the efforts, nor damped the zeal, of feveral travellers. Meffrs. Sparman, Gordon, Paterfon, Le Vaillant, Mason, Bruce, and a few others, have already afforded, and will yet afford to Europe, aftonished at their courage, new information concerning people, till their time, fufpected of cruelty, though perhaps the gentleft in the univerfe. But their knowledge did not extend beyond the Caffres, the Hottentots, and the Abyffinians, whofe territories are but a very inconfiderable portion of the immenfe countries of Africa.

All the interior part, which is filled in our maps with the vague word defert, or by the names of pretended nations, that probably never exifted, deferves, perhaps, as much as the reft, the honour of being visited by European travellers.

The French government might, at prefent, at very little expence, fet on foot fome of the most important researches that have ever yet been undertaken on land.

The following are the obitacles to be overcome, to insure the fuccefs of the enterprize.

1. The unhealthiness of the climate.

2. The pretended ferocious difpofition of the inhabitants.

3. The ignorance of the Arabic tongue.

4. The dreadful fatigues of fuch a journey.

5. The difficulty of conveying the different inftruments, abfolately neceffary to make useful oblervations.

6. The uniting in one or two perfons the variety of knowledge, without which the expedition would be almost useless.

7. The indifpenfable charges.

If the author of the travels here offered to the public, were chofen to put the plan he propofes in execution, the four first obftacles would be removed in regard to him; for, 1. It is proved that he can bear the climate, having been a flave in the defert, and escaped its baneful effects. 2. He is accustomed to the manners and cuftoms of the people, who fo far from being ferocious, are the best people in the univerfe, when one knows how to conform to their way of life. Befides, having been the Emperor of Morocco's Dave, his perfon is facred in the eyes of the numerous nations, who, REV. DEC. 1792.

Dd

far

far as well as near, acknowledge that fovereign as their lord paramount. He is perfonally acquainted with the reigning Emperor, and the Sirik, or Great Saint, whofe fpiritual power extends indifcriminately to all the Mahometans of the defert, and to whom they pay unbounded refpect and deference. Letters of recommendation from these two great perfonages, which he is fure of obtaining, would infure the fafety of his perfon from Mogador to Egypt. 3. During his flavery, and ftay in Africa, M. Saugnier learned Arabic enough to fpeak it fluently. 4. He has crofled on foot all that part of the defert, confined between the Niger and Cape Nun; and fince that time has never been on horfeback or in a carriage, as much from tafle as through economy. He cannot therefore dread fatigue, of whatever kind it be.

It would not be extremely difficult to remove the fifth obftacle, in a country where there are as many camels as inhabitants. Thus the small number of inftruments indifpenfably neceffary to take altitudes, and draw plans, might be eafily conveyed on the backs of thefe animals.

If a very fcrupulous regard be not had to the fixth article, M. Saugnier flatters him felf be fhou d be able to juftify the confidence that might be repofed in him. Originally intended for the church, he received a tolerably good education; and having fince his return affiduously studied whatever might be useful to him in fuch a journey, he would be capable of making good obfervations in almost all the effential matters that regard a traveller.

No apprehenfion need be entertained as to the laft article; for the expence is next to nothing in a country where one goes almoft naked, and where there are no other means of travelling but with the caravans, among people who have not even an idea of luxury, and who confine the neceffaries of life within very narrow bounds. Thirty thoufand livres at moft, would fuffice for an expedition of about four years, which M. Saugnier would undertake with a friend, who, having been his companion in flavery, is as much accultomed to fatigue as himself. The only recompence he would ask, would be a penfion of a thoufand crowns, fhould he be fortunate enough to return from fo dangerous an enterprize.

The plan propofed is, to go to Morocco, there to procure the ne, ceffary recommendations, and then to proceed to Senegal, and from thence to Tombut, up the ftream of the Niger; from that city M. Saugnier could undertake one or other of two journies which have never been attempted by any European, and which would afford information abfolutely novel, concerning nations whofe very existence is unknown to us. The firft would be to repair from Tombut to Abyffinia, either by travelling through Bilidulgerid, or by vifiting and afcertaining the fource of the Niger, as Mr. Bruce did that of the Nile; the fecond would be to go from Tombut to Mozambique, after having paffed through the very heart of Africa. Perhaps it would be poffible to establish a regular trade from that coaft to Senegal, and to make immenfe gain in thofe vast countries where gold is the moft abundant production of the earth.'

Such

Such is his propofal, which coincides with the wishes of many people here, however unfuitable it may be to the present circumftances of the nation to whom it is addreffed; and, as to be well-difpofed is the leading qualification to fuch a perilous undertaking, we heartily with him fuccef. We apprehend that fome pilgrims of fimilar difpofitions may have got the start of him: but Africa is a continent wide enough for them all. N.

ART. III. The Life of the late Rev. Philip Skelton, with fome curious Anecdotes. By Samuel Burdy, A. B. 8vo. pp. 240. 3s. 6d. fewed. Dublin, Jones; London, Robin fons. 1792.

THE

'HE divine, whofe life is here depicted, is chiefly known to the public as the author of a theological work entitled, Deifm revealed, and of feveral volumes of fermons. From this narrative it will appear, that he was not only a zealous advocate for religion, but a man who united many fhining virtues with fome peculiarities of character. Many particulars in his life, recorded in this volume, are certainly well worth preferving; for mankind cannot be too often stimulated to great and meritorious actions, by the exhibition of bright examples of benevolence; and even fingularity, as fuch, may deserve remembrance, as furnishing curious matter of fpeculation to the inquifitive obferver of human life and manners. We have felt much intereft in feveral relations of actions of humanity performed by Mr. Skelton; and we have been much amused by feveral uncommon traits in his character: but we should have been more pleafed with the work as an entire performance, had the writer been more nice in the felection of his materials, and had he taken more pains to clothe his memoirs in correct and elegant language. In narrating the life of this ufeful man, we do not fee that it was necellary, in order to enlarge the lift of curious anecdotes, to infert ftories of his courtfhip, his quarrels, his feats of ftrength, agility, and courage, his dreams, the vulgar fayings of his parishioners, &c.

That we may do our part toward obtaining a favourable attention to a work, which, notwithstanding fome defects, is calculated to ferve the cause of virtue, we fhall extract a few of the more interesting paffages;

As foon as Mr. Skelton became poffeffed of a tolerable income from a living and fchool, he began to perform fome of those wonderful acts of charity, for which he was fo remarkable during the reft of his life. The falary derived both from the cure and tuition, confidering the trouble he had, was but very fmall. Yet he gave as leaft the half of it away, hardly allowing himself clothes to put on. The following inftance of his charity while there is well worthy of Dd 2 notice.

notice. Returning from church one Sunday, he came to a place where a cabin with three children in it had been just confumed by fire. Two of the children were burned to death; the third fhewed fome figns of life, but was so horribly scorched, that the skin came off a great part of it. The poor people he faw in want of linen to drefs its fores, and, touched with compaffion, ftripped off his clothes, and tearing his fhirt piece by piece, gave it to them, as he found it neceffary, till he fcarce left a rag on his back.'

Mr. Burdy gives the following amufing account of Mr. Skelton's journey to London, to difpofe of the copy of his Deim revealed:

This was a work, he thought, of too great importance to be published in Ireland, and therefore refolved to take it to London. Accordingly, his Rector having offered to do duty for him in his abfence, and pay him his falary, he fet out for that metropolis (in 1748) to difpofe of it. In this expedition he was accompanied by a Mr. Thompfon, a clergyman.

Having taken Oxford in his way, he fhewed his production to Dr. Connebear. This good man, who himself food forth a ftrenuous fupporter of our faith, after flightly looking over the manufcript, approved of it as far as he went. He then took down from his library the Effays of Mr. Hume, whole curious method of weighing evidences, as a fmall dealer does his ware, is so much admired by his ingenious difciples. "Have you feen thefe," he said,

that were lately published?" Mr. Skelton replied he had not; but on reading parts of them here and there, he remarked that he had anticipated anfwers to the chief of Mr. Hume's objections. However, in compliance with Dr. Connebear's defire, he introduced Hume's cavils about a balance, and anfwered them on the principles of common fenfe, which that gentleman, in his refinements, feems to have forgot. It is ftill to be lamented, that the enemies of truth are often fuperior to its friends in clearness of expreffion, and elegance of style, the chief requifites of an agreeable writer. The defenders of our holy religion, depending on the Arength of their arguments, have fometimes paid too little attention to arrangement and perfpicuity. Whereas the advocates for infidelity, who are deftitute of folid arguments, endeavour to make amends for this defect, by the beauty of language, and allurements of eloquence, which, like the voice of the Syrens of old, are only defigned to charm us to our ruin. "What's the reason, Sir, (I faid to Mr. Skelton once) that thefe deiftical writers, Hume, Bolingbroke, and Gibbon, are fo clever, while their opponents, worthy good clergymen, are often inferior to them in point of compofition?" "Do you think," he replied," the devil ever fent a fool of his errand " He then remarked, that God Almighty often made ufe of weak inftruments, like him, in the fupport of his religion, to fhew, that with the most puny defenders, he could overcome all the ftrength of his enemies. For the weakness of God is Atronger than man.

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