an efflorescence of Glauber's falt, which is alfo found in the mud it is full of cracks and openings, and fhakes under the traveller's feet like a bog or quagmire: the air feels warm, though the mud, at the time of its emiffion, is cold to the touch; and a greater quantity of it is thrown out in warm than in cold weather. The falt fprings are not far diftant, and wholly occupy a valley about 300 paces in diameter; they have a round opening, and fome of them throw out a small quantity of mud, but in general they are full of muddy falt water, on the furface of which the petroleum or naphtha fwims, forming a fcum about a foot thick. The foil near thefe fprings is marly, and in fome places forms itfelf into a greyish or yellowish aluminous fchiftus, impregnated with petroleum. From this fchiftus, which, by expofure to the air, falls into thin laminæ, alum may be made.

Thefe curious phenomena might have been more fully defcribed we do not remember to have met with any account of them in the writings of modern travellers. The country indeed is but little known; if, however, its prefent poffeffors can be brought into a greater degree of civilization, it may become lefs dangerous for naturalifts to vifit them, and give a more circumftantial account of the curiofities with which the country abounds.

The fecond part of the work contains a catalogue of the native plants, with defcriptions of fuch as are either curious or useful. The author does not merely defcribe the indigenous plants, but fuch as may be cultivated in gardens, or in the fields; he enumerates alfo the trees which feem beft adapted either to the climate or the foil, and gives fome general hints toward improving the face of the country, and enriching its inhabi

tants.

In looking over the catalogue of indigenous plants †, we ob ferve that, in general, they are fuch as are natives of the southern parts of Europe; fome Afiatic plants occur, as alfo fuch as are peculiar to Alpine fituations; moft of them appear to be the fame which TOURNEFORT defcribes as natives of the oppofite fhore of Natolia. Their variety is, doubtlefs, a proof of the excellence of the climate and the fertility of the foil.

The third and laft part is appropriated to the enumeration of native and domeftic animals of the country. Among the firft are wild horfes, antelopes, elks, fallow deer, wild boars, wolves, foxes, hares, with others which are common to the

* The width of thefe wells or fprings is not mentioned.

The Linnean fynonyms which are given in this catalogue are very carelessly printed. Typographical errors are indeed obfervable in most parts of the book.

fouth

fouth of Europe. Among the latter are dromedaries, horfes, cows, affes, goats, and fheep. Of the laft mentioned, the author particularly notices a variety peculiar to the country between Koflow and Pérécop. Their skin is remarkably fine, and the wool of a grey colour; but if removed to another part of the country, they degenerate. The author therefore justly attributes the variety to the effect of the falt marshes, and the faline plants on which the fheep feed: and in confirmation of this opinion, he fays, that these paftures ameliorate the breed of fheep in general.

Birds, fish, amphibious animals, and infects, have each a fection allotted to their description. The account which the au thor gives of the mullet may ferve as a fpecimen of the manner in which he treats this part of natural history:

The mullet is one of the best of fea-fish; and is caught, in great quantities, on the coafts of the Black Sea, efpecially in the neighbourhood of Koflow and Kaffa. Its length is from one half to three quarters of an Archine*; its figure is long, fmall, and almost round; its head, broad and flat; the fcales are large, prominent, and of a filver white, except those of the back, which are deep coloured. Its flesh is white, fat, of an agreeable tafte, and almost free from bones; it is good when falted and fmoked; and from its spawn is prepared a dish much efteemed for its fine flavour, known in Italy by the name of Botargo. In the towns above mentioned, it is made in the following manner: immediately after the mullet fpawns, the fpawn is put whole into a ftrong brine, and flightly fimmered; when it is thought fufficiently done, it is put into pots, and covered with melted wax, to prevent it from fpoiling; and it will thus keep for a long while, and may be conveyed to very diftant countries. The times for catching the mullet are in fpring and autumn; like the herring, it migrates annually, purfuing the following courfe at the beginning of the fpring it enters, by the ftraits of Conftantinople, into the Black Sea, in large fhoals; and keeps on the western coaft till it arrives at the mouth of the river Don: thence it fteers directly to the peninfula of Crim Tartary, and is, in general,, first feen in March, in the neighbourhood of Koflow; three whole months are employed in coafting the peninfula, after which time it departs, by the ftraits of Yenicale, into the fea of Azow, where it stays

*The French tranflator has, through the whole work, ufed the Ruffian measure, for the fake, as he fays, of avoiding the fractions which would have occurred had he reduced them to French measure. We fubjoin a table of the Ruffian measures, with their value in Englifh feet and inches.

no longer than the months of June and July; it then goes back by the fame way that it came, and employs about three months more before it again arrives at the Straits of Conftantinople: hence it paffes into the Mediterranean, where it is taken in great quantities.

With respect to the manner of catching it on the coafts of Crimea, the Tartars generally ufe the fweep-net; and as the mullet, like the anchovy, is attracted by a light, the fishermen chufe the nighttime for their expeditions, when they go with torches or refinous pine stakes; and the fish, decoyed by thefe lights, are brought into the net. The management of the net, efpecially in drawing it, requires a peculiar dexterity, which can only be acquired by habit."

To enumerate the many other particular animals that inhabit the country and its feas, would take up too much of our space; we shall therefore conclude this article with informing our readers that the book hath afforded us much fatisfaction in its perufal. The naturalift may think it defective in fome particulars, but he must confider, as we have before remarked, that the country is little known; it is therefore to be hoped, that future travellers will bring home farther particulars, and ftill more interesting intelligence.

AR T. XV.

Hiftoire des Membres de l'Academie Françoife, &c. i. e. Hiftory of the Members of the French Academy, who died between the Years 1700 and 1771, by the late M. D'ALEMBERT. 6 Vols. 12mo. Paris. 1787.

THE

HE firft volume of this work contains the Eloges publifhed by the late Secretary himself, in 1779 *. The five other volumes appear now for the first time.

The ift article in the 2d vol. is not entitled an Eloge, but an Apology for Fran. de Clermont-Tonnerre, Bishop of Noyon, and is rendered extremely pleafant by the account of the good Prelate's ruling paffion, VANITY, which is defcribed in all its forms and combinations, illuftrated by numerous traits that are extremely characteristic.

The fublime ideas which he entertained of his own dignity and importance, gave birth to the following Epitaph:

Here lie, and, ftill more ftrange! here humbly lie,
Of great NoYON the whole remains ;

For now this little monumental fty
The Prelate's mortal part contains.
When Paradife he view'd, and none efpied
But fouls of meek and humble kind,
He foon withdrew, and, fcornful, cried,

"There's nought but black-guards here, I find!"

* See Review, vol. lxi. p. 556.

In the notes are fome admirable reflections on the unbounded adulation that was paid to Louis XIV; but alas! their force is much diminished by the Author's own flattery of the late King of Pruffia, then living, and in correfpondence with the Secretaire perpetuel of the French academy.

Much amusement and found criticifm are to be found in the 2d article of this vol. the Eloge de Segrais, the Poet. Segrais began his career by paftorals, and tranflations of Virgil; if the affiftance he gave to Mad. la Fayette in her two celebrated Romances of the Princess of Cleves, and Zaide, be excepted. In this laft Romance, M. D'ALEMBERT fpeaks with great ardor of the new and affecting fituation of two lovers, who, being forced to feparate, and ignorant of each other's language, fet about learning it, and carried on their correfpondence in the new dialect. But Shakespeare had this idea long before Zaide was written, in the scene between our Henry the Vth and Katherine. The compliment paid to Segrais as a tranflator, in his Epitaph, is ftrong, but ingenious flattery: Virgil meeting him in the ElyfianFields accofts him in French, and tells him that he had taught him to speak that language."

The most interefting part of the 3d Eloge, which is bestowed on Charpentier, relates to the difcuffion of the queftion, whether infcriptions on public monuments fhould be in the living language of a country, or in Latin? and to the unhappiness of men of letters. Vigneul Marville bas given a lamentable lift of unfortunate members of the republic of letters, who have been either ftarved to death, or died in extreme indigence. Urban VIII. (fays he) founded an hofpital at Rome for the retreat of poor gentlemen late in life. It were to be wished that one were founded for authors of known abilities who are dying with hunger.' Here follows a long catalogue of indigent writers of eminence, and a recommendation of a book to the perufal of his readers, intitled De Infortunio Literatorium, where they will find a great number of unpleafant facts on the same subject. The lift, fays M. D'ALEMBERT, might be greatly augmented in our own times by the names of those who have died in wretchedness, and been buried at the expence of their friends, or the parish. But in prefenting this melancholy picture to their brethren, it would be but just to accompany it with the animating, though not very numerous lift, of writers whofe works and talents have been productive not only of fame but of fortune. It would be likewife expedient to examine whether the chief part of the misfortunes of literary men has not been occafioned by their own imprudence. The advantages and evils of the profeffion of Literature form an interefting queftion, which well merits the difcuffion of all learned focieties.

Charles

Charles Perrault is the next academician whofe merits have been the fubject of M. D'ALEMBERT's difquifitions; and here it is but equitable to obferve, that though thefe Ellays are called Eloges, they are nothing less than indifcriminate and infipid panegyrics; as the author never lofes an opportunity of cenfuring the foibles of his predeceffors, and the bad tafte or injuftice of the age.

Perrault, in his youth, quarrelled with the regent of his fchool, and began to teach himself: which fecond education, fays M. D'ALEMBERT, was beyond all comparison the beft of the two; and he afferts (in defiance of our proverb, which fays, that he who teaches himfelf has a fool for his mafter"), that what we learn alone, without affiftance, makes a deeper impreffion than what we are taught by others; and perhaps we only know perfectly, what we have learned in this manner. How many great men of every kind might be enumerated, who have had no other inftructor than themfelves, and who have been the more celebrated on that account?

Perrault's apology for writing his Eloges des Hommes illuftres, in fo fimple and unadorned a ftyle, is admirable. I know I might have acquired more reputation by attempting more eloquence; but I was thinking of the fame of others. I know that funeral orations are in general rather panegyrics on the preacher than on the defunct; and though the Author's reputation may be increased by it, he generally leaves that of the deceafed where he found it.'

The controverfy between Perrault and Boileau concerning the comparative merit of the ancients and moderns, is fairly examined, and illuftrated with many admirable reflections. And the late fecretary, in moft of thefe Eloges, appears more in the light of a faithful hiftorian and an acute critic than a panegyrift. It has long appeared to candid Frenchmen, that the Perraults, as well as Quinault, and many other men of genius and, fcience, were hardly treated by the four fatirift Defpreaux; and pofterity is now doing them that juftice which their contempo raries denied them.

We pass over many Eloges of academicians whofe names are little known to the generality of English readers, and which would foon have been forgotten in France, but for this publication; which is embellished and enlivened, after the manner of Plutarch, with anecdotes, aphorifms, and bons mots, applicable to the perfons and things under confideration.

In the 3d vol. we have notes on the Eloge of Nicolas Boileau Defpreaux, which had been published in 1779. A freedom of difcuffion appears in thefe notes, and in thofe of all the laft 5 volumes of the prefent edition, which feems to have rendered it

neceffary