Supporters.] Two favages, wreathed aboutous generical names of polypes, corals, mathe head- and middle with laurel, holding drepores, fea-pens, tenia, or tape-worn, branches of trees in their hands, all proper. fponges, fea-fans, &c. Motto. Virtute et opera. (By virtue and industry.) Seats.] Duff-houfe,, in the county of Banff; Balreny Caftle, and Rothiemay, in the fame county, all in Scotland. Memoirs of Profeffor Pallas. By Mr. Coxe. HE prefent learned and eminent na The free accefs which he had to the mufeum of the prince of Orange, and other curious collections in Holland, enabled him to enrich his work with the defcription of a great variety of thefe productions which were brought from both Indies. He has defcribed each species at large, and given it a new name characteristic of its real dif Tturalift and traveller, Dr. Pallas of tinctions: and (what especially increases the Petersburgh, is fon of Simon Pallas, profeffor of furgery at Berlin, and firft furgeon of the charity hofpital in that city. Simon Pallas, the father, made himself known among the writers of phyfic, by a treatise "on the Operations of furgery," publifh ed in 1763; and by a fupplement to it, "On the difeafes of the Bowels," in 1770; in which year he died, at the age of 76. 9 In this Peter Simon Pallas, the fon, was born in 1731, and probably received the early part of his education at Berlin; but in 1750 he was fent to Gottingen to study under the celebrated Haller, to whom he was ftrongly recommended by Dr. Meckel, the colleague of his father at Berlin, and profeffor of anatomy. He afterwards purfued his ftudies in Holland, and, in 1760, took his degree of M. D. on which occafion he wrote a very ingenious treatife, under the title of "Differtatio inauguralis de infeftis viventibus intra viventia. this tract the author appears to have taken great pains to diftinguith thefe noxious animals; and has, with fingular accuracy, defcribed particularly thofe worins which are found in the human body. The talents of the author probably recommended him very early to the favour and patronage of the celebrated Gaubius, at that time principal profeffor of phyfic at Leyden; and, through his recommendation and intereft, he feems to have obtained a fettlement at the Hague, where we find him in 1766, when he publifhed a much-esteemed work under the title of Elenchus Zoophytorum.' The attention which Dr. Pallas had beftowed on the zoophytes, or animal-plants in the investigation of the worms which in-feft the human body, as he acknowledges, feems to have led him into this line of natural fcience, and in which he has fhewn a great degree of accuracy, and furprifing induftry. In this work, which is printed 8vo. pp. 451, after having treated on the nature of thefe ambiguous kinds of animals in a general way, and giving the various opinions of authors relating to the place they ought to hold in the fyftem of nature, he defcribes, from his own infpection, more than 270 fpecies of thofe worms and animalcules, which are known under the vari value of his work) he has with wonderful induftry, extricated, as far as poffible, the fynonyms of former authors, both ancient and modern; thus rendering his book highly useful to those who are curious in this branch of natural hiftory. That our author's character, as a man of fcience, muft have been well established, éven before the publication of this book, may fafely be inferred from his being elect ed member of the Royal Society of London on the 7th of June, 1764, and of the Imperial Academy before that time. It is probable that the credit of thefe works occafioned the removal of the author to his native city [Berlin], where he was refident in 1767; and in the fame year he was invited, by the Emprefs of Ruffia, to accept the profefforfhip of a natural history at Peterfburgh; and was, at the fame time, made infpector of the Museum. The fovereigns of Ruffia had, at various times, deputed learned and skillful men to vifit the most diftant provinces of their vaft empire, with a view to enlarge the bounds of fcience, and extend the knowledge of ufeful arts among the natives. About the time of our author's establishment at Peterfburgh, two of these expeditions had been planned: Dr. S. Gmelin had the conduct of one; and Pallas was placed at the head of the other, with Meffrs. Falk, Lepekin, Guldenftaedt, as his affociates. Dr. Pallas quitted Petersburgh in the month of June, 1768, [and in short, after vifiting the moft diftant provinces of the empire and penetrating to the confines of Calmuc Tartary, Tobolik, the neighbouring fhores of the Cafpian, and the boundaries of the Mongol hordes, dependant upon China, &c.], he returned to Petersburgh on the 30th of July, 1774, after an abfence of fix years. The account of this extenfive and interefting tour was published by Dr. Pallas, in three parts, containing 2004 pages, in five volumes in 4to, which has greatly contributed to extend his fame and establish his character. The author in this valuable work has entered into a geographical and topographical defcription of the provinces, towns, and villages, which he visited in his tour, accompanied with an accurate account of the their antiquities, hiftory, productions, and commerce he has difcriminated many of the tribes who wander over the various diftricts, and near the confines of Siberia; and detailed, with peculiar precifion, their cuftoms, manners, and, languages: he has allo rendered his travels invaluable to the naturalift, from the many important difcoveries in the animal, vegetable, and mineral kingdoms, with which he has enriched the fcience of natural hiftory. Thefe travels are written in the German language; but the author has added to each part an appendix in the Latin tongue, which contains 395 fcientific defcriptions of feveral quadrupeds, birds, fish, infects and plants. He has alio greatly contributed to increase the utility of his performance by 9 charts and 123 engravings of various antiquities, of feveral Tartar dreffes and idols, and of many animals and plants. The curious naturalifts and philofophers of England could not fail confidering a tranflation of thefe travels, and thofe of Georgi, Lepekin, and Gmelin, of which the former were made, and the latter were printed, under the infpection of Pallas, as a valuable addition to our knowledge of thofe diftant parts of the globe.... Dr. S. Gmelin, after having loft many of his papers and collections, funk under grief and difeafe, and expired in a mall village of Mount Caucafus in 1773: Falk died in the courfe of the journey and Profeffor Lowitz was wantonly maflacred by the inhuman Pugatchef *. : Dr. Pallas fortunately returned, but not without having endured many hardships, and having narrowly escaped from the moft imminent dangers; as we may conclude by the manner in which he finished the account of his travels. "And on the 30th of july I reached Petersburgh, with a very enfeebled body and grey hairs, though only in the three-and-thirtieth + year of my age; but yet much fironger than when I was in Siberia; and full of grateful acknowledgments to Providence for having hitherto proferved and delivered me from numberless evils." Dr. Pallas, known to the generality of the English readers only as a great naturalift, N 0 T E S. * "Lowitz was employed in levelling the projected canal between the Don and Volga. In this inftance, infult was added to cruelty: being informed that he was an aftronomer, Pugatchef wantonly ordered him to be tranfExed upon pikes, and raifed in the air, in order to be near the ftars; and in that fitua tion he was massacred by the command, and in the prefence, of the barbarian." deferves a confiderable place among those writers who have fuceeded in developing the complicated hiftory of the roving tribes that are fcattered over thofe extenûve regions which ftretch from the heart of Siberia to the northern limits of India. The profeffor has, in a recent publication, entitled "Collections on the Political, Phyfical, and Civil hiftory of the Mongol Tribes,” thrown new light on the annals of a people, whofe ancestors conquered Ruffia, China, Perfia, and Indoftan; and, at than one period, eftablified perhaps a larger empire than ever was poffeffed by any fingle nation. The materials for this publication he collected partly during an intercourfe with the Mongols, Burats, and Calmucs, and partly from the communication of Muller and Gmelin. more Hitherto moft authors who have written on thefe Afiatic hordes have called them all indifcriminately by the name of Tartars; but this erroneous appellation is rectified by Dr Pallas, who proves unquestionably, that the Mongol tribes are a diftinct race from the Tartars; that they differ from them in their features, language, and government; and resemble them in nothing but in a fimilar inclination to a roving life. This primitive nation of Afia, whofe origin, hiftory, and prefent ftate, form the fubject of this interefting work, dates its celebrity from its founder Zinghis Khan, whole exploits and glovereignty have been already mentioned. When his vaft dominions fell to pieces under his fucceffors in the 16th century, the Mongol and Tartar hordes, who had compofed one empire, again separated, and have fince continued diftinct and independent. The Mongol hordes Dr. Pallas divides into three principal branches, called Mongols, Oerats or Calmucs, and Burats; and each of thefe he separately defcribes with that precifion and accuracy which dif tinguifh all his writings. This volume, defcribing their hiftorical, civil, and political flate, is to be followed by a fecond, that that will contain a very circumftantial account of their religious establishment, which contifts in the worthip of the Dalai Lama. It is the religion of Thibet, and of the Manfhur fovereigns, who now fit on the throne of China. "A work," as Mr. Tooke juftly obferves, "that will enrich the flock of human knowledge with discoveries, the great eft part entirely new, and which no per on but Dr. Pailas, is able to communicate* ". In the fame year in which the Profeffor printed his "Elenchus Zoophytorum,' he alio put forth a treatile, under the title of N O T E. "Tooke's Ruffia Illufirata, Introd. * ↑ Above, his birth has been dated in 1731. If fo, in 1774, he must have been in the three-and joriteth year of his age. p. cxi." EDIT. "Miscellanea By intelligence received during the courfe of lat year, we find that he is employed in the arrangement and publication of a fplendid work, which is to be executed at the Emprefs's expence, and is to contain the entire botany of the Ruffian empire. It is to be embellished with several hundred plates of the more useful or scarce plants. It will be of the large fized paper, and will be delivered out in numbers. "Mifcellanea Zoologica quibus novæ impri-Icones Infectarum, præfertim Ruffiæ, Simis atque obfcuræ Animalium species def- beriæque peculiarium,' &c. 4to. Erlang cribuntur et obfervationibus iconibufque il- or, Figures of Infects, principally of thole luftrantur." Hag. Com. pp. 118, with which are peculiar to Ruffia and Siberia," 14 copper plates. This work is in a great accompanied with defcriptions and illufira-. meafure incorporated into a fubfequent pub- tions. These two numbers treat of the lication, made the next year on his return fcarabæi, curculiones, tenebriones, bupetrei, to Berlin, entitled, "Spicilegia Zoologica;" "melordes, cerambyces, with fix plates, conand which has been continued in numbers, taining coloured figures of 180 infects of at uncertain periods, until 1780, when the thofe genera. 14th was delivered. It contains, befide.the letter-prefs, 72 plates, and has reflected the. higheft credit upon the author, as a moft careful obferver and critic in zoology: it comprehends a rich magazine of knowledge for future writers, not only from the great number of new animals difcovered in confequence of his travels through the Ruffian empire, but alfo from a vast fund of new obfervations on thofe before known, and particularly from the light he has thrown on the defcent of several of the domefticated kinds, theorigin of which had been hitherto involved in the utmoft obcurity. The works of Count Badon, the illuftrious French zoologift, amply teftify the labours of Pallas in the fupplementary volumes; and our own excellent writer on the fame fubject, Mr. Pennant, makes frequent acknowledgments of his obligations, to the fame fource, particularly for his new edition of the "Synopfis of Quadrupeds," having received from Dr. Pallas confiderable additions and cor rections communicated in a long feries of letters. In June 1777 the learned Profeffor read before the Academy of Petersburgh, in a meeting at which the king of Sweden was prefent, a "Differtation on the Formation of Mountains, and the Changes which this Globe has undergone, more particularly as it appears in the Ruffian Empire." This curious treatise, written in the French tongue, was printed at Petersburgh; and a tranflation of it is given by Mr. Tooke in his "Ruffia Illuftrata." In 1778 he published "Nove Species Quadrupedume Glirium ordine." This performance, printed at Erlang in 4to, contains 388 pages and 27 plates, and deferibes numbers of the rat genus, and their anatomy. In 1781 he brought out "Enumeratio Piantarum quæ in horto Procopii à Demidof Mofcuâ vigent," (Pet. 8vo.) or, Catalogue of the Plants in Mr. Demidof's Gardens at Mofcow;" and in the fame year he gave to the public two volumes in 8vo. called, "Neue Nordifche Beytrage," &c. or, "New Northern Collections on various fubjects of Geography, Natural Hiflory, and Agriculture." The third volume made its appearance in 1782. [All the treatifes in the three volumes, composed by himself, are here specified.] In 1782 he put forth two numbers of Exclufive of thefe feparate publications he has likewife read before the Imperial Academy feveral differtations [here fpecified] which have been printed in the Tranfactions of that learned body. It cannot but be pleafing to the lovers of fcience to be informed, that Dr. Pallas has been lately diftinguished with a mark of Imperial favour, being appointed member of the board of mines, with an additional appointment of 200l. per annum. The Hiftory of Gothic Architecture. without diftinction, Gothic; but erroneously. They are of two forts; the one built in the Saxon times; the other in the Norman. Several cathedral and colle LL our ancient churches are called, giate churches of the first fort are yet remaining, either in whole or in part, of which this was the original. When the Saxon Kings became Chriftians, their piety (which was the piety of the times) confifted in building churches at home, and performing pilgrimages abroad, especially to the Holy Land; and thefe fpiritual exercises affifted and fupported one another. For the most venerable as well as the most elegant models of religious edifices were then in Palefline. From thefe, our Saxon builders took the whole of their ideas, as may be feen by comparing the drawings which travellers have given us of the churches yet ftanding in that country, with the Saxon remains of what we find at home; and particularly in that fameness of ftyle in the later religious edifices of the Knights Templers (profeffedly built upon the model of the church of the Holy Sepulchre at Jerufalem) with the earlier remains of our Saxon edifices. Now the architecture of the Holy Land was Grecian, but greatly fallen from its ancient elegance. Our Saxon performance was indeed a bad copy of it; and as much inferie inferior to the works of St. Helena and Juftian, as theirs were to the Grecian models they had followed. Yet ftill, the foot-fteps of ancient art appeared in the circular arches, the entire columns, the divifion of the entablature into a fort of architrave, frize, and cornice, and a folidity equally diffufed over the whole mafs. This, by way of diftinction, should be called the Saxon architecture. But our Norman works had a very different original. When the Goths had conquered Spain, and the genial warmth of the climate, and the religion of the old inhabitants had ripened their wits, and inflamed their miftaken piety (both kept in exercife by the neighbourhood of the Saracens, through emulation of their fcience and averfion to their fuperftition) they struck out a new fpecies of architecture unknown to Greece and Rome; upon original principles, and ideas much nobler than what had given birth even to claffical magnificence. For this northern people, having been accustomed, during the gloom of paganifm, to worship the Deity in groves, (a practice common to all nations) when their new religion required covered edifices, they ingenioufly projected to make them resemble groves, as nearly as the diftance of architecture would permit; at once indulging their old prejudices, and providing. for their prefent conveniencies, by a cool receptacle, in a fultry climate. And with what fkill and fuccefs they executed the project by the affiftance of Saracen architects, whofe exotic ftyle of building very luckily fuited their purpofes, appears from hence, that no attentive obferver ever viewed a regular avenue of well-grown trees, intermixing their branches over head, but it prefently put him in mind of the long vifta through a Gothic cathedral; or ever entered one of the larger and more elegant edifices of this kind, but it reprefented to his imagination an avenue of trees. And this alone is what can be truly called the Gothic ftyle of building. the one to reprefent the branches, and the other the leaves, of an opening grove, and both concurred to preferve that gloomy light which infpires religious reverence and dread. Laftly, we fee the reafon of their ftudied averfion to apparent folidity in these stupendous maffes, deemed fo abfurd by men accuftomed to the apparent as well as real ftrength of Grecian archit cture. Had it been only a wanton exercife of the artift's fkill, to fhew he could give real ftrength without the appearance of any, we might indeed admire his fuperior science, but we muft needs condemn his ill judgment. But when one confiders, that this furprizing lightnefs was neceflary to complete the execution of his idea of a fylvan place of worfhip, one cannot fufficiently admire the ingenuity of the contrivance. This too will account for the contrary qualities in what fhould be called the Saxon architecture. These artifts copied, as has been faid, from the churches in the Hely Land, which were built on the models of the Grecian architecture, but corrupted by prevailing barbarifm, and fill further depraved by a religious idea. The first places of Chritian worship were fepulchres and subterraneous caverns, low and heavy from neceffity. When Chriftianity became the religion of the ftate, and fumptuous temples began to be erected, they yet, in regard to the firft pious ages, preferved the mafiive ftyle; made ftill more venerable by the Church of the Holy Sepulchre, where this ftyle was, on a double account, followed and aggravated. Such as is here defcribed was Gothic architecture. And it would be no difcredit to the warmeft admirers of Inigo Jones and Palladio, to acknowledge it has its merit. They muft at leaft confels it had a nobler birth, though an humbler fortune, than the architecture of Greece and Rome. Serpent Marin, or Sea Serpent. [From d'Obfonville's Philofophical Ejays.] HE approach of the coafts of India TH Under this idea of fo extraordinary a fpecies of architecture, all the irregular tranfgreffions against art, all the monitrous offences againft nature, difappear; every thing has its reaton, every thing is in order, and an harmonious whole arifes from the fludious application of means, proper and proportioned to the end. For could the arches be otherwife than pointed, when the workman was to imitate that curve, which branches of two oppofite trees make by their interiection with one another? Or could the columns be otherwife than fplit into diftinct shafts,, when they were to reprefent the ftems of a clump of trees growing clofe together? On the fame principles they formed the fpreading rainification of the ftone work in the windows, and the ftained glass in the interflices; ing. is almost always known by thefe ierpents, which are niet at from twenty to thirty leagues difiance. Their bite may be mortal, if not timely counteracted by fore of the fpecifics mentioned. hele repules appeared to me to be from three to four feet long; I do not know if there are any larger. I do not believe they are precifely amphibious, that is to fay, that they have the power alto of living on land. I have often feen them on the fore, but they have always been thrown there by the furges, and were either dead or dy The Collection of Voyages and Travels. The Voyage of Captain Cook round the World. (Continued from Page 522) ON The N the 30th the captain went on fhore very early, and having gained the fummit of a hill took a furvey of the coaft, and adjacent iflands, which being done, he took Dr. Solander up an inlet which had been difcovered the preceding day. weather proving unfavourable, they returned early to the ship, having seen only two Indians, who followed the beat a confiderable way along the fhore, but the tide running ftrong, they did not think it prudent to wait for them. This day Mr. Banks went with a party on fhore, and having met with a piece of fwampy ground, covered with mangroves, they refolved to pafs it, which they did, up to the knees in mud, and fometimes crawling on their hands, when they had flipt between branches of trees, which were interwoven on the surface of the fwamp; having performed this difagreeable task, they arrived at a spot where the natives appeared to have flept on the grafs, and where there were the remains of a fifh fupper, which had been roafted by four small fires. The fecond lieutenant at another place, faw the track of a large animal, near a gulley of water; he likewife heard the voice of the Indians, but did not fee any. Two turtles were feen at this place, fome water fowls, and a few finall land birds. As no water was to be found, the captain called the inlet Thirdly found, which they left on the 31st of May, and having failed round three fimall iflands anchored in fifteen fathom water. On the first of jone they got under fail, having a number of islands in fight as far as the eye could reach. On the 2d at noon they faw a high promontory, which was called Cape Hilijborough, and feemed to abound in wood and herbage, diftributed on hills, plains, and valleys. There are numbers of fmall iflands in this neighbourhood, on fome of which they faw fmoke arifing in different places. On funday the 3d, they difcovered a point, which was named Cape Conway, and between that and Cape Hillsborough a bay which took the name of Repute Bay. The land about Cape Conway is diverfified by hills and dales, lawns and woods, and forms a delightful appearance. By the help of their glaffes they difcovered three perfons on one of the iflands, and a canoe, with an out-rigger, like those of Otaheite; they this day named the islands Cumberland Islands in honour of the Duke, and a paffage which they difcovered, was called Whitjunday's Paffage, from the day on which it was feen. At dayGent. Mag. November, 1785. break, they were abreast of a point, which took the name of Cape Gloucefter. Names were likewife given to three other places, viz. Holborne jle, Edgecumbe Boy and Cape Upfart, which latter was fo called, becaufe it rits abruptly from the low lands that furround it. On Tuesday when near the fhore, they faw very large columns of fmoke rifing from the low lands. This day they gave name to Cleveland bay, the caft point of which was called Cape Cleveland and the weft Magnetical jle, because the compais did not traverse well when they were near it. The points, as wel as the main land within them, lie high, and form a barren, rugged, and rocky coaft. On the afternoon of Thurfday they faw leveral large columns of fmoke, likewife fome canoes, and feveral natives, with fome trues, that they thought were, of cocoa-nut, in fearch of which fruit Meffrs. Banks and Solander went a-shore with Lieutenant Hicks; but they returned in the evening with a few plants, which they had gathered from the cabbage palm, and which had been mistaken for the cocoa-tree. On Friday they gave the name of Point Hillock to a point of land, between which and Magnetic Ifle the fhore forms Hallifax Bay, which affords fhelter from all winds: at fix this evening they were a-breaft of a point of land which was named Cape Sandwich, near which lies Rockingham Bay. Hence they ranged northward along the fshore, toward the cluster of islands, on one of which about 40 men, women and children were standing together, and looking at the fhip with a curiolity never obferved among thefe people before. The north point of Rockingham Bay was called Dunk Ife which is fcarcely to be diftinguished from the fhore, it lies fo very near it. On Saturday morning they were a breaft of some small islands, which were named Frankland's Ifles, near which lie two places; which were called Cape Grefion and Green Ifland. Here Melirs. Banks and Sclander went afhore with the captam, whofe chief view was to procure water, which not being eafy to be got, they foon returned on board, and the next day arrived near Trinity Bay, which was fo called because it was difcovered on Trinity Sunday. As no accident remarkably unfortunate had befallen our adventurers during a navigation of more than 1500 miles, along coats every where abounding with the moft dangerous rocks and fhoals, no name expreinve of diftrefs had hitherto been giving to any cape or point of land which they had feen. But they now gave the name of Cape Tribulation to a point which they had juft discovered, as they here became acquainted with misfortune. This cape is in 16° 6' fouth lat. and 214° 39' went long. |