if we shall find occafion to point out any defect, the removal of which may render his future labours more perfect and more ufeful.

The first volume of the work before us, contains Differtations on the geographical Divifions, and the Theology of Hindoftan.

Mr. Maurice introduces himfelf to his fubfcribers in a long, but very interesting preface, which it would be extreme injuftice to pafs over-without fome notice. The hiftory and literature of India have not, in a particular manner, engaged the attention and curiofity of the public, till within thefe laft ten years. The grand repofitory of the fciences of this vaft region, is the Sanfcreet language, a language with which very few individuals are even yet acquainted, and in which three gentlemen only are familiarly converfant, namely, Sir W. Jones, Mr. Halhed, and Mr. Wilkins; the first of these, a man never to be mentioned, where literature is held in honour, without reverence, has published a tranflation of SACONTALA, an Indian drama, written by Cali das, who it is faid flourished about a century before the christian æra. Mr. Halhed is famous for his tranflation of what our author juftly calls," that astonishing proof of the early wisdom of the Indians, and their extenfive ikill in jurifprudence, THE CODE OF GENTOO LAWS."

From Mr. Wilkins has been received the GEETA, or diaJogues of Creefhna and Arjoon, being part of a Sanscreet poem, denominated the MAHABBARAT, which is believed in India to be of the venerable antiquity of four thousand years.-The fame gentleman has fince obliged the world with a translation of the HEETOPADES, or amicable inftructions.-Thefe four publications have been employed by Mr. Maurice to rectify what was falfe, and elucidate what was obfcure, in the ancient hiftorians, and geographers of Greece and Rome; and he claims to himself the merit of being the first author, who in Europe has undertaken the arduous task of comparing Sanfcreet and Greek literature. In page 11 of his introduction, our author confiders the incidents of the great war recorded in the Mahabbarat, and indeed all the apparently fabulous events of the remote periods of Indian hiftory, as to be referred to the contests of the fons of Shem and Ham for the empire of the infant world.The idea is certainly original, and the argument ingenious; it opens an entirely new view of a fubject hitherto inadequately explored, and tends to place the unfubftantial ftructure of fable, on the folid base of truth.-In page 17. After making an apo logy, which to us feems unneceffary, for entering at great length into the astronomical fpeculations of the Oriental world, Mr.. Maurice presents the following fatisfactory justification of hismotives:

" I have

I have entered farther into thefe aftronomical difquifitions than my friends may think was either neceffary, or, in regard to the fale of my book, prudent; but this particular fubject was intimately connected with others of a higher nature, and more momentous research. The daring affertions of certain fceptical French philofophers with refpect to the age of the world, whofe arguments I have attempted to refute, arguments principally founded on the high affumptions of the Brahmins and other eaftern nations, in point of chronology and aftronomy, could their extravagant claims be fubftantiated, have a direct tendency to overturn the Mofaic fyftem, and with it, Chriftianity. I have, therefore, with what fuccefs the reader must hereafter determine, laboured to invalidate thofe claims, with all the perfevering affiduity which an hearty belief in the truth of the former, and an unfhaken attachment, not merely profeffional, to the latter fyftem, could not fail of exciting and animating. While engaged on thofe enquiries, the fortunate arrival of the fecond volume of the Afiatic refearches, with the various differtations on the fubject, of Sir William Jones, and of Mr. Davis, who has unveiled the aftronomical myfteries of the famous SURYA SIDDHANTA, the most ancient Sanfcreet treatise on that science, enabled me to pursue with fatisfaction, with fecurity, and, I truft, to démonftration, the plan which I had previoufly formed, and upon which alone the difficulty can be folved."

In the courfe of this introduction, the curious reader will find fome elucidations of proper names, intimately connected with the researches of the hiftorian and the claffic. We have been taught, from our childhood, to name the bold opponent of Alexander Porus, his real name it feems was PORAVA. Adam may be traced to the Sanfcreet root ADIM, the firft; in the prophetic and regal title of MENU of India, may be recognized the patriarch NOAH; BALI, the great Indian hero, is no other than BELUS.-P. 23, contains foine acute remarks, intended to prove that the figures of the conftellations of the Zodiac are not of genuine Egyptian origin.-This fubject is purfued through many fucceeding pages with much ingenious obfervation.

P. 34. From the circular dance in which, according to the hiftorian Lucian, in his treatise De Saltatione, the ancient Indians worshipped the orb of the Sun, Mr. Maurice is induced to believe, that in the most early periods, they had difcovered that the earth in form was fpherical, and that the planets revolved round the Sun.

Lucian cannot properly be called an hiftorian; and the observation which follows betrays a little of the fpirit of hypothefis,: a' determination to accommodate every thing to a beloved lyftem. The circular dance might doubtlefs intimate the motion of the planets round the Sun, but how it could by any means imply a knowledge of the fpherical figure of the earth, is far beyond our comprehenfion.

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The tract of Lucian, to which Mr. Maurice refers, is very curious, and the particular paffage of which use is here made, is, we conceive, the following: speaking of the Indians, he says, προς την ανατολην σαντες, ορχήσει τον Ήλιον ασπαζονται, σχηματίζοντας εαυτός σιωπής και μιμεμενοι την χορείαν τε θες, that is, ftanding with the face towards the eaft, they worship the Sun in a dance, moving themselves at intervals in filence, and imitating the dance of the God.-oxati Corres cannot eafily be rendered in our language; for the word σχημα οι σχηματιον, from which it comes, fignifies a kind of dance in which the performers fometimes ftood still.See the Pax of Ariftophanes.-Lucian, the reader will obferve, draws no other deduction, than that this religious dance reprefents the feeming motion of the Sun in its orbit, for that the Sun moved round his axis, was probably then unknown.

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Page 47. We entirely agree with Mr. Maurice in reprobating the infinuation, that nothing either "novel or interesting can be expected from an author, who has never visited the region he defcribes."

Page 55. We revere the fpirit which dictated the verfes which are here inferted, a tribute to the memory of a beloved wife, and we can properly praise the verses themselves; but we think them mifplaced in a work like the prefent.

With respect to the orthography of 'Indian words mentioned in page 60, it has certainly been a matter attended with a great difficulty to the writer, and perplexity to the reader.-Recent discoveries, from a more careful inveftigation of this fubject, have detected various mistakes in the otherwise valuable work of Mr. Richardfon. But thefe difficulties will progreffively become lefs, and we think that the plan which Mr. Maurice has adopted, will contribute its part to this desirable end.

Mr. Maurice's apology for his ftyle, does not to us feem neceffary. It is generally nervous and good; there appears however throughout, fomewhat of a predilection for words of lefs ufual occurrence.

Page 23. The author, finding in his progrefs, that maps and engravings were effential to the accomplishment of his purpose, apologizes for the neceffity of increafing the price of his book. The liberality of the public is feldom backward in answering fuch claims, and the present seems a cafe in which it certainly ought not to be lefs prompt than usual in the encouragement of literary industry. The engravings introduced in this work, are well explained from page 90 to page 113. This very learned 'and interesting introduction, concludes with a reprefentation of the predicament in which the author ftands with regard to the public. He difclaims all bafe and mercenary motives; at the fame time he finds, that confiderable property has been expended in this ar duous

duous undertaking, in which alfo his health has been deeply, but we truft not irretrievably injured. He hopes, and his hopes have at least our warmest wishes for their accomplishment, that his labours may fo far attract the curiofity of the public, as may in fome degree compenfate his exertions.

The remaining part of the firft volume contains the geographical discoveries of Indoftan.-On this fubject the claffical writers of Greece and Rome are first considered.- -Our author. difputes the science of Geometry to have originated with the Egyptians, and thinks the arguments in favour of its being first known in India far more plaufible; great as our refpect is for Mr. Maurice, we do not think his reasonings on this fubject fatisfactory or conclufive.-The overflowings of the Nile first taught, as is fuppofed, the fcience of geometry in Egypt; but ma ny parts of India, fays Mr. Maurice, are annually overflowed, not only by the Ganges, but by many other confiderable rivers. But the cafe is by no means parallel.-In Egypt, where there is little or no rain, the inundations of the Nile are indispensably neceffary to the cultivation of the lands, and extend nearly over the whole of thofe that are occupied for agriculture; confequently when, in early times, the boundaries were fuch as became obliterated by the water, it was necessary to have recourse to geometry, after the recefs of the river, in order to affign to every man his proper portion. This at leaft is the light in which the ancients reprefent the fact but the Ganges and other rivers, though they overflow, do not fo far extend over the cultivated land, in their inundations, as to have rendered this expedient at any time neceffary.

We fhall here take our leave of Mr. Maurice for the prefent month, again repeating our approbation of his learning and his industry, and our hope that both will obtain the remuneration they fo well deferve.

[To be continued. ]

ART. II. A Narrative of the Campaign in India, which terminated the War with Tippoo Sultan, in 1792. By Major Dirom, Deputy Adjutant General of his Majefty's Forces in India. 4to. Faden, &c. l. is,

ΑΝ N event of fuch magnitude as the clofe of our late war in India, by which the British power, according to all probable appearance, is established on the continent of Afia, beyond all fear of external injury, for a very confiderable period, naturally excites an eager curiofity in all the

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fubjects of this empire; we wish to be minutely informed by what steps fo great advantages were fecured, what obftacles were furmounted, and by what means; how far the glory of our country is increased by the manner, as well as her interest promoted by the nature of the conqueit.

:

The detached accounts from time to time tranfmitted, during the progrefs of fuch tranfactions, cannot fully fatisfy this rational curiofity thefe, being only parts divided from each other by long interruptions, lofe their natural connection, and the dif tinctness of their reference to the whole; and, the neceffary explanations and illuftrations not being always attainable, this disjointed hiftory is feldom fully understood. We are gratified therefore with the appearance of any connected narrative, which may fill up thefe deficiencies of information.

It is not often that a very recent event is fo related as to give the narrative a place within the clafs of finished hiftory; time, and much careful enquiry, are neceffary to form a masa, like that of Thucydides, whofe confeffion of the difficulty there is in obtaining accurate intelligence, even from eye-witnelles, ought always to be prefent to the mind of an hiftorian. The firft narratives which follow great tranfactions, may in general be confidered only as fingle evidences in a complicated cause. To an officer of fome rank, however, the events of a single campaign, quorum pars magna fuit, may be better known than civil or political occurrences can to any individual; and among fuch narratives, that of Major Dirom well deferves to hold an honourable place. The diftinctnefs of his arrangement, the clearness of his ftyle, the unaffected fimplicity of his narration, free from modern varnish, and false tafte, contribute to render his work, which is neceffarily interefting in point of subject, highly pleafing alfo in the mode of communication.

Major Dirom very fatisfactorily explains the fources of his information journals and authentic documents prepared while the events were recent, compared with the knowledge poffeffed by other officers, who were themselves alfo engaged in the great fcenes of action; and the best affiftance in the world, that of Major Rennel, in drawing out the maps. We have reafon to be well fatisfied with the ufe made of all these means. The narrative has every appearance of candour and correctness, and the maps, and other illuftrations, are as clear as can be wished, and executed in a good style.

The divifion of the work is natural and good. It confifts of three parts, the firft contains the tranfactions of the British army and the allies, during their recefs from Seringapatam; the fecond gives the return of the forces to Seringapatam, and the operations before that place, concluding with the ceffation of hoftilities;