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breeze with smooth water, the vessels went at more than six miles an hour, yet the canoes paddled at so superior a rate, that they would shoot a-head, and run round the ship like so many porpoises. At five o'clock in the afternoon they entered a snug harbour, to which the king directed them, in order to land the cattle and presents; and, while the ships were mooring, the king with his attendants went on shore, to prepare for their reception."

"The English continued in the discharge of every friendly and good office towards the natives, who on their part made every return in their power, till the 27th of June, when the vessels sailed from the Pelew Islands, to carry into execution their orders for a survey of the coast of New Guinea.

"Upon this occasion the good old king again manifested his zeal and care for the benefit of his own people, as well as his firm confidence in the friendship of the English; for understanding from captain M'Cluer, that it was his intention, after the business the ships were going upon should be finished, to stop again at his islands on their way to China, the king requested that some of his people might go with the English ships, and that they would leave one or two of their countrymen with him, until the expedition was over, that his people might be made conversant with their manner, and as like Englishmen as possible. Accordingly two boys were left with the king, and three of the natives embarked on board the Panther, on a voyage of instruction and discovery. The friendly Abba Thulle, with his accustomed attention and

care having himself seen the vessels. clear of danger, took his leave, after first giving the youth Pimmoo an affectionate admonition for his future conduct, and earnestly intreating his friends the English to return to him as soon as their business should be finished.

"Some other occurrences not altogether unworthy of notice may here be mentioned, before the final departure of the ships from the islands, occurrences, which, hap pening on coasts and seas hitherto unknown, when faithfully related, will, I trust, at least amuse, if not instruct the reader.

"On Saturday the 16th July, they saw land, and commenced their survey on the northern part of the coast of New Guinea, which they continued for the space of two months; during that time their intercourse with the natives was friendly and kind. Being rather short of provisions, the vessels steered for Amboyna, where they arrived on Wednesday the 28th September; they remained here twelve days, completing their stock of provisions and water, and experienced every attention and accommodation the Dutch and the inhabitants could afford; the Dutch chief, Mr. Van Schilling, exerting himself to the utmost in supplying their wants, and in doing away every idea of jealousy or rivalship between the two nations: he informed them they were the only English ships that had visited that island for above a century. The ships left Amboyna and these friendly Dutchmen on Monday the 10th October, and resumed their busi ness on the coast of New Guinea on Monday the 24th.

"Early on the morning of Wednesday the 26th, they saw several canoes coming off from the

shore i

shore; about nine o'clock eleven of them were near the ship, and as the people in them made every possible sign of friendship, Mr. Nicholson, the surgeon, was induced to go into the long boat, that was towing a-stern of the Panther, judging that a conversation with them, and a few presents, would render them familiar, or at least well disposed. In this good office he was employed for some time; but having given to one man, who appeared to be a chief, a piece of chintz, he in return invited Mr. Nicholson, into his canoe, this offer he unthinkingly accepted. They then endeavoured to force the boat keeper out of the long boat, which caused an alarm; when they immediately discharged a flight of arrows into the ship, which wounded four of the crew. Mr. Nicholson seeing his danger, attempted to regain the long boat, but unfortunately could not effect it; for receiving a violent blow from a club, he fell into the water, and, the barbarians piercing him with a spear, which forced him under, he was seen no more. The great guns and small arms were now discharged, which soon dispersed these savages; and a consultation was held on the propriety of landing to demand justice from the inhabitants of the village from whence the canoes had come; but as this measure would have involved the innocent with the guilty, not to mention the risk of lives in the execution, it was deemed adviseable to give up all thoughts of revenge, and to proceed on the voyage. Such has been the humane conduct not only of an individual ship, but of the people of England at large; who have always shown themselves more studious to pacify animosities than to increase or re

venge them; never wishing to unsheath the sword, except in such cases as have deeply affected immediate security, or the honour and prosperity of the nation. On this unfriendly and savage coast they continued till Wednesday the 21st December, when having completed their survey, they stood away for the coast of New Holland, and from thence to the island of Timoor, where they were most hospitably received. That this was not the first instance of hospitality towards our countrymen, their conduct towards captains Bligh and Edwards, with the people that remained of the Bounty and Pandora, will sufficiently testify. The season being sickly, all the kind as sistance experienced from the friendly Dutchmen could not arrest the hand of death; they buried an of ficer, and one of their Pelew passengers.

"From Timoor the vessels sailed in the afternoon of Saturday the 24th March, for Bencoolen, where they arrived on Wednesday the 27th April. During this passage an other of the Pelew passengers died, the youth Pimmoo. The ships remained at Bencoolen till Friday the 17th of August, when they again sailed for the Pelew islands, stopping in their route at the islands of Sooloo, where they took in as much seed, grain, and cattle as the vessels could receive; and on Monday the 20th January 1793, they arrived at Pelew. No sooner were they an chored within the reef, than they were crowded with the natives, who brought the melancholy tidings of the death of the humane and beneficent Abba Thulle. This sorrowful event took place about three months after the vessels left the islands; the surviving brother, or the Clow Arra Kooker, whose name,

or

or family, is Angusswangaa, being now the king or Abba Thulle. "Here, I trust, the reader will give me his attention for a few moments, and with feelings of gratitude unite with me in contemplating the ways of Providence. A distressed and shipwrecked people are cast away upon a distant and unknown coast; they are there succoured and cherished by the natives with a liberality if not unknown, yet not surpassed in any civilised country; nay, in some instances, far exceeding any thing before experienced; for in relieving the wants of these strangers, they frequently gave up their own usual and accustomed portions of food. We have in the course of this nar

rative had abundant testimonies of the hospitality of these people. And even in their primitive state we have found humanity and charity shining forth in all their actions. The blessings of superior knowledge conveyed to them by the English, were most gladly and thankfully received and acknowledged. Behold then these generous islanders in all their actions; no lapse of time, nor even the untoward circumstances of delay or apparent neglect, could wean their affections from their friends and instructors, whom they considered not as being of a superior order, but as men of more enlightened minds.”

PICTURESQUE DESCRIPTION of SWITZERLAND.

[From N. KARAMSIN'S TRAVELS, Translated from the German.]

"I

LEFT Grindelwald this morning at five o'clock, and passed by the upper Glacier, which afforded me far more pleasure than the lower, for its pyramids are of a much purer, and more beautiful azure colour. Above four hours I kept ascending, and was as much fatigued to-day as yesterday. The mountain-swallows flew around me, and twittered their melancholy notes. I heard the distant sound of bleating flocks; and the grass and flowers diffused around me odours that renewed my sinking strength; the pyramidal Schreck horn, the loftiest of the Alps, being, according to Pfyffer's measurement, two thousand four hundred fathoms in height, was on one side; and before me rose the terrific Wetterhorn, which often attracts thunder-clouds, and is enveloped in livid

lightnings. Two drifts of snow, which the sun had loosened, fell from its summit before my eyes. At first I heard a tremendous report, which made me tremble, and instantly saw two prodigious masses of snow rolling along from one declivity of the mountain to another, and at length falling with a faint noise, like distant thunder, succeeded by an immense white cloud of snow-dust.

"On the mountain Scheideck I found more herdsmen, who treat ed me with cheese and milk. After this light and wholesome repast, I am now sitting on a knoll of the mountain, and viewing the eternal masses of snow, in which I discover the springs of those streams which water our vallies.

"This snow is the great reservoir of nature, from which, in times

of

of drought, she revives the parched world; and, were it possible for this snow to be melted all at once, the earth would be inundated by a second deluge.

"It is impossible to behold, with out a certain shivering, these limits of the earthly creation, where even not the least vestige of life presents itself not a tree nor shrub-all around is a melancholy desert. Nothing interrupts the death-like si lence of these rugged rocks, but the king of birds, the Alpine eagle, which now and then carries off a poor shamoy, as his prey. The shamoys endeavour to save them selves through their agility, but in vain!-in vain they bound from rock to rock! the cruel enemy does not leave his prey till he has driven it to the edge of a precipice, where the unfortunate victim can find no path to escape. With a powerful stroke of his wings, he then precipitates it into the abyss; where, notwithstanding their agility, they are infallibly lost. He then draws them out with his sharp claws, and bears off his prize in triumph. However, this bird is not the only enemy of the defenceless shamoys. The hunters are still more destructive to them. These hunters climb, fearless of all dangers, up the steepest rocks. However, many find their graves in the cliffs and precipices, or are overwhelmed in the snow. Many dreadful accidents of this kind are related. For instance: a shamoy-hunter, from Grindelwald, was hunting on the Schreckhorn. He pursued his prey from rock to rock. His foot suddenly slipped, when on the very summit of a steep eminence. The abyss yawned beneath him, and, already, the sharp rock threatened to impale him-he only hung by his feet from the rock, and thus-sustained him

[109]

self above the horrid precipice. Only imagine the horrors of such a situation!-None of his companions were able to assist himrock. Thus he hung, between none durst leap on the edge of the heaven and earth-between life and death, till he was able to place his hands against the rock, and, in this manner, to raise himself upon his feet, upon which he crept down again by degrees."

Valley of Hassley.

with the shepherds, I continued my "After resting about two hours route down the mountain. The first remarkable object which now presented itself, was the Glacier of Rosenlawin, indisputably the finest of all the Glaciers. It consists of the purest sapphire-blue pyramids, which proudly elevate their jagged summits.

shade of ancient fir-trees, which
I walked now in the
screened me from the rays of the

sun.

human creatures was to be seen.-
Around me no vestige of
Wherever I turned my eyes, I be-
held nothing but a desert wilder-
ness.

foaming rivulets precipitated them-
selves, whose noise was augmented
From grey, moss-clad rocks
by the echo of the woods. When
I came into the valley, I found the
most delightful odoriferous mea-
dows that it is possible to conceive.
I cannot describe the pleasure I
felt at the sight of these verdant
fields, after having so long seen
nothing but sterile rocks and masses
of snow. In every meadow I rest-
ed a few minutes; and, in thought,
kissed every blade of grass.
at length arrived at a small vil
lage, whose inhabitants live in the
genuine simplicity of the pastoral
state.
but breeding of cattle; and milk is.
They understand nothing

I

their

their only nourishment. Their large cheeses are chiefly exported to Italy. The dairies, in which they make the cheese, rest on high pillars, or props; and are constructed of thin boards, to admit a free circulation of air. As I was extremely thirsty, I requested a young shepherd, who was seated at the door of a cottage, situated on the bank of a limpid streamlet, to bring me a glass. He did not understand me immediately, but as soon as he comprehended what I wanted, he instantly ran into the house, and brought a cup. It is clean,' said he, in bad German, showing it to me. He then ran to the rivulet, filled the cup several times with water, which he poured out again; at the same time looking at me with a smile. He at last filled it, and brought it me, saying, drink, my friend, drink our water.' I was about to press the good-natured obliging man to my heart as my brother. Oh! my friends, why were we not born in those times when all men were shepherds and brethren? I would willingly renounce most of the comforts of life, for which we are indebted to superior knowledge and illumination, if I could return to that state of nature in which mankind originally existed.

"The true pleasures of life those delights of the soul which render us truly happy, were enjoyed by mankind in those times and even more than at present. What delights did they not derive from love, which no law prevented, when the gifts of nature were of far more value than those of blind chance, which are incapable of imparting true worth;-How happy were they through friendship, and the contemplation of the beauties of nature!-It is true, our

present habitations and clothing are more convenient; but, are our hearts more tranquil? Ah! no!— a thousand troubles, a thousand cares, to which man, in a state of nature, was a perfect stranger, now distract our minds; and every enjoyment is followed by its shadow, disgust.-Ruminating in this manner, I left the shepherd. I looked back, and perceived that he followed me with his eyes, in which the wish was clearly to be read

Go, and be happy!' God knows, that I also wished him all possible happiness; but he had already found it. A violent noise broke the thread of my ideas. What is that?' I asked my guide, and stood to listen. We are approaching, answered he, the most celebrated cataract of the Alps, the Reichenbach.' Though in a tour in Switzerland cascades are so common, and the traveller is so often wet by the drizzling rain arising from them, that he at last becomes indifferent to those objects, yet I was very curious to see the chief and principal of the Swiss cataracts. The distant noise promised me something grand and sublime, and my imagination was anticipa ting the beauties of this spectacle, when I suddenly discovered another magnificent prospect; which, for a time, made me forget Reichenbach. Alas! that I am not a

painter!-that I cannot instantly transfer to my paper the beautiful and fertile vale of Hassly, which appeared like a garden in the highest state of cultivation, between rugged rocks, whose summits are enveloped in clouds! Groves of fruit-trees, between which are small wooden houses, forming the village Meyringen; the river Aar traversing the valley in a longitudinal direction-numerous small streams precipitating

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