nor amusement of any fort. To the cold phlegmatic temper and inactive way of life may perhaps be owing the prolific tendency of all the African peafantry. Six or feven children in a family are confidered as very few; from a dozen to twenty are not uncommon; and most of them marry very young, fo that the population of the colony is rapidly increafing. Several, however, of the children die in their infancy, from fwellings in the throat, and from eruptions of the fame kind they are fubject to in the Cape. Very few inftances of longevity occur. The manner of life they lead is perhaps lefs favourable for a prolonged exiftence than the nature of the climate. The difeafes of which they generally die in the country are bilious and putrid fevers and dropfies.

"The men are in general much above the middle fize, very tall and ftout, but ill made, loofcly put together, awkward, and inactive. Very few have thofe open ingenuous countenances that among the peafantry of many parts of Europe fpeak their fimplicity and innocence. The defcendants of French families are now fo intermarried with thofe of the original fettlers, that no diftinction, except the names, remains. And it is a remarkable fact, that not a word of the French language is fpoken or understood by any of the peafantry, though there be many fill living whofe parents were both of that nation. Neither is a French book of any kind to be feen in their houses. It would feem as if thefe perfecuted refugees had ftudied to conceal from their children their unfortunate hiftory and their country's difgraceful conduct. "The means of education, it is true, must be very difficult to be had among a people fo widely scattered over a vast extent of country, as the peafantry are in the colony of the Cape. Some have a perfon in the house whom they call the fchoolmafter. This is generally a man who had ferved out his time in the ranks, His employment, in this new fituation, is not only to infruct the children to read, to write, to fing pfilms, and get by heart a few cccnfional prayers, but he muft alfo make himfelf ferviceable in other refpects. At one place that we paffed, the poor fchoolmafer was driving the plough, whilft a Hottentot had the more honourable post of holding and

directing it. The children of thofe who either cannot obtain, or afford to employ fuch a perfon, can neither read nor write; and the whole of their education confifts in learning to fhoot well, to crack and ufe with dexterity an enormous large whip, and to drive a waggon drawn by bullocks.

"A book of any kind is rarely feen in any of the farmers' houfes, except the Bible and William Sluiter's Gefangen, or fongs out of the Bible, done into verfe by the Sternhold and Hopkins of Holland. They affect to be very religious, and carry at least the devotion of religion fully as far as the most zealous bigots. They never fit down to table without a long grace before meat pronounced with an audible voice by the youngest of the family; and every morning before daylight one of William Sluiter's Gefangen is drawled out in full chorus by an afsemblage of the whole family. In their attendance at church they are fcrupulously exact, though the performance of this duty cofts many of them a journey of feveral days. Thofe who live at the dif tance of a fortnight or three weeks from the nearest church generally go with their families once a year.

"Rude and uncultivated as are their minds, there is one virtue in which they eminently excel-hofpitality to ftrangers. A countryman, a foreigner, a relation, a friend, are all equally welcome to whatfoever the houfe will afford. A Dutch farmer never paffes a houfe on the road without alighting, except indeed his next neighbour's, with whom it is ten to one he is at variance. It is not enough to inquire after the health of the family in paffing: even on the road, if two peafants fhould meet, they instantly difmount to fhake hands, whether ftrangers or friends. When a traveller arrives at a habitation, he alights from his horfe, enters the houfe, fhakes hands with the men, kiffes the women, and fits down without farther ceremonyWhen the table is ferved he takes his place among the family, without waiting for an invitation. This is never given, on the fuppofition that a traveller in a country fo thinly inhabited muft always have an appetite for fomething. Accordingly, ・ What will you

.

make ufe of? is generally the first queftion. If there be a bed in the houfe, it is given to the ftranger; if

none,

none, which is frequently the cafe among the graziers of the diftant diftrict of Graaff Reynet, he must take his chance for a form, or bench, or a heap of sheep-fkins, among the rest of the family. In the morning, after a folid breakfaft, he takes his fopie, or glafs of brandy, orders his flave or Hottentot to faddle the horses, shakes hands with the men, and kiffes the women: be wishes them health, and they with him a good journey. In this manner a traveller might país through the whole

country.

"If the economy of the African farmer's house be ill managed, that of his land is equally bad. The graziers, indeed, in many places, are not at the trouble of fowing any grain, but exchange with others their cattle for as much as may be neceffary for the family confumption. But even thofe who have corn-farms near the Cape seem to have no kind of management. They turn over a piece of ground with a huge misfhapen plough, that requires eight or ten horfes, or a dozen oxen, to drag it along; the feed is fown in the broad-caft way, at the rate of about a bufhel and a half to an acre;

a rude harrow is juft paffed over it, and they reap from ten to fifteen for one. No manure comes upon the ground except a sprinkling for barley. In low fituations near rivulets, where the water can be brought upon the ground, they reap from thirty to forty for one. Water in fact is every thing

in Southern Africa. Not like the Chinefe, whofe great art of agriculture confifts in fuiting the nature and habit of the plant to that of the foil, which he alfo artificially prepares, the Dutch peafant at the Cape is fatisfied if he can command only a fupply of water. He beftows no kind of labour on the ground but that of throwing in the feed the reft is left to chance and the effects of an excellent climate. The time of feeding is in the months of May and June; and of harveft, from November to January. The grain is trodden out by horfes on circular floors in the open air; and the straw is left to rot or to be scattered about by the winds." P. 76.

(To be continued.)

XIII. A Journey from London to the Ile of Wight. BY THOMAS PENVOL. V.-No. XLIV.

MAP.

LIST OF PLATES.

VOL. I.

Temple Stairs.
Trinity Hofpital.
La Duchefe de Chevreuse.
Sir John Packington.
Norfolk Hofpital.
Perry's Dock.
Charlton Manor-house.
Lefnes Abbey.

Edward Brown, M. D.
Tilbury Fort.
Rochester Cafle and Bridge.
Fofils, Plate I.

Plate II.
Feversham Abbey.
Plott, Dr.
Reculver.
Dent de Lion.
North Foreland Light-houfe.
St. Auguftine's Monaftery.
Canterbury Castle.
Deal Caftle.
Walmer Cafile.
Dover Caftle.

Ancient Chapel and Watch-tower.
Sir Thomas Erpingham.
Maifon Dieu."
Shakespeare Cliff.

VOL. II.

Map.
Sandgate Castle and Town.
Winchelfea Church.
Haftings Caftile.
Battel Abbey.
Sir Anthony Browne,
Pevensey Caffle.
Newhaven.
Pavilion at Brighton.
New Shoreham
Arundel Caftle,
William Harvey, M. D.
Chichefter.
Em/worth.
Warblington.
Cowes Caftle.
Carbrook Caftle.
Coffin of Princess Elizabeth.
L

Another happy nuptial connexion fuppreffed every defire to leave my firefide; but, in the fpring of this year, I was induced once more to re'new my journies. My fon had re⚫ turned from his laft tour to the continent, fo much to my fatisfaction, "that I was determined to give him every advantage that might qualify him for a fecond, which he was on 'the point of taking over the kingdoms of France and Spain. I wifhed him 'to make a comparison of the naval 'ftrength and commercial advantages • and disadvantages of our island, with thofe of her two powerful rivals: I ⚫ attended him down the Thames, • vifited all our docks, and, by land ⚫ (from Dartford), followed the whole coaft to the very Land's End. On ❝his return from his fecond tour I had great reason to boast that this excurfion was not thrown away: as to my felf, it was a painful one; long abfence from my family was fo new to 'me, that I may fincerely fay, it caft an anxiety over the whole journey.'

"The intereft which every reader muft feel in the description and delineation of thefe portions of our ifle, will be greatly enhanced by the confideration that this is among the pofthumous remains of that correct observer, and experienced inveftigator, whofe glance penetrated through all the recesses of nature-whofe tafte in embellishment and accuracy in defcription, fubjected to the eye, and indelibly impreffed on the mind of his reader, those images which were fo happily conceived, and fo intereftingly blended in his own. This work is among the laft treasures drawn from that mine of learning and fcience which the hand of Providence has closed for ever-that mine by which our national treasures have been copioufly augmented, and from which fome of the most eftimable ornaments of British literature have been derived. "Confidering thefe tours as part of a grand unfinished project, they prefent a model to that kindred genius who shall venture to perfect what Pennant left incomplete. Confidered as a fragment of an illuftrious author, they will not want value in the eyes of his countrymen, as they difplay that grand portion of the British territory where force, wealth, and that commerce from which both are derived, have

fixed their chief, and, it is hoped, immoveable refidence.

"These tours, now presented to the public, were kindly communicated by David Pennant, Efq. the fon of the author. The editor has fpared neither. pains nor expenfe to render this work in all refpects equal to Mr. Pennant's former publications: it is embellished' with forty-nine plates, confifting of views of the most important places mentioned in the tour, and portraits of illuftrious perfons.

"It is neceffary to apprize the reader, that the manufcript has been scrupuloufly adhered to, and that two or three breaks, left by Mr. Pennant, are not filled up. This confcientious adherence to literary veracity will require no apology; the editor despaired of embellishing, and would not risk diffiguring the work of fo excellent a hand."

ADVERTISEMENT TO VOL. II.

"ALTHOUGH the title of this tour, in the original, comprehends A Journey from London to the Land's End, yet the editor is concerned to add, that the manufcript is complete. no farther than the Ifle of Wight: but as he intends to publish a continuation, in a third volume, for the purpose of completing Mr. Pennant's original plan, he is authorized to inform the public, that the undertaking will be affifted by all the information which can be derived from a gentleman who accompanied Mr. Pennant during the tour, who affifted in his refearches, and was acquainted with his opinione and intentions."

to reft entirely on a few good works, to expiate for a multitude of fins, to compound with Heaven for a life most enormously wicked: he was treacherous, diffembling, mean, and cruel. The Howards muft not boaft of their blood in this corrupted stream. He is mentioned as fubtiliter fubdolus, and a cunning ferpent; the groffeft flatterer alive; externally a Proteftant, internally a Roman Catholic; adapting his religion to his conveniency. He enjoyed the highest honours of the times, yet could fink into a pandar, and promote the intrigue between the favourite Somerset and his own niece, wife to the injured Earl of Effex. To fill the meafure of his iniquity, he perfuaded the murder of Sir Thomas Overbury, and, fortunately for himself, died before the detection of that nefarious tranfaction.

"He had the hardinefs to profecute, in the Star Chamber, certain perfons, who had been indifcreet enough to fay some severe truths of him. Sentence was about to be paffed on them, when the honeft Abbot, Archbishop of Canterbury, arofe, and bluntly told the court, that there were fufficient grounds for the reports, and, pulling out a letter of the Earl's to Cardinal Bellarmine, read from his own confeffion, That his conformity to the Proteftant religion was no more than a compli'ment to the King, but his heart ftood firm with the Papifts; and that he would be ready to further them in any attempt.' His Lordship was fo ftruck with this, that he went home, made his will, confeffed himself a Roman Catholic, and died foon after. As he was warden of the Cinque Ports, and governor of Dover Caftle, he was buried there; and a superb monument, made by Stone, at the expenfe of 5ool. erected over him in the chapel of the Caftle: his figure is represented kneeling on a farcophagus, in the robes of the garter, and with his hands clafped. His heirs feemed to have inherited his love of flattery; for, at each corner of the tomb, they have placed a figure of a cardinal virtue. His death happened on June 15th, 1614. In 1696, when the chapel grew ruinous, his body and tomb were removed into the chapel of the hofpital." Vol.i. pi20.

PURFLEET-MAGAZINES OF GUN

POWDER.

"FROM Erith, we croffed the river obliquely to Purfleet. Its great chalk hill rofe before us, in this flat country, like an Alp. A confiderable quantity is burnt into lime, for fale. We landed at the tremendous national magazines of gunpowder, erected here about the year 1762. Before that time, they were at Greenwich, which was thought to be too near our capital. They confift of five large parallel buildings, each above a hundred and fixty feet long, and fifty-two wide, five feet thick, arched beneath the flated roof; the arch is three feet in thickness, and the ridge of the roof covered with a coping of lead twenty-two inches broad. The building was referved for the reception of the barrels of powder brought out of the magazines, in order to be tried in the proof room, to which there is a paffage with a railed floor, covered on the bottom with water; fo that, should any grain drop, no accident could fet them on fire. At prefent this building is difufed, all the experiments being made in the open air, and in the mufketry, or artillery, to the ufe of which it is deftined. All these buildings are furrounded, at a diftance, with a lofty wall. In the two outmost is kept the powder, in fmall barrels, piled within wooden frames, from the bottom to the roof; and between the frames is a platform of planks, that the walkers may go in without fear of ftriking against any fubftance capable of emitting a fpark. As a farther fecurity, those who enter this dreadful place are furnished with golofhoes and a carter's frock. Nothing of iron is admitted, for fear of a fatal collifion. The doors are of copper, the wheels of the barrows are of brafs. The four buildings ufually contain thirty thousand barrels of a hundred pounds weight: should an explofion take place, London, only fifteen miles diftant, in a direct line, would probably fuffer in a high degree. The dread of fuch an accident by lightning, ftruck the Board of Ordnance fo forcibly, that, in 1772, it confulted the Royal Society on the moft effectual method of preventing it, A committee from the Society was appointed, who determined on fixing conductors: fuch were fet up with un ufual precaution. These were on the principle