pended on; and he is, moreover, wholly unacquainted with the prefent ftate of the Company's concerns, and even with the fituation of their factories.

XXV. The voyage of John Wood for the difcovery of a North-eaft paffage, between Spitzbergen and Nova Zembla, in 1676.

XXVI. Three voyages made along the North-west coast of Hudson's Bay, from Fort Churchill, at the expence of the Hudfon's Bay Company, in 1720, 1722, and 1737..

XXVII. Capt. Middleton's voyage to the North-west coast of Hudson's Bay, for the difcovery of a paffage into the Pacific Ocean, in 1741 and 1742.

XXVIII. The voyage made in the Dobbs and California, for the fame purpofe, in 1746 and 1747.

XXIX. Capt. Phipps's voyage towards the North Pole in 1773. See Review, vol. lii. p. 120.

XXX. The two voyages made by Lieut. Pickerfgill and Lieut. Young, to Davis's Straits, in 1776 and 1777.

XXXI. Capt. Cook's voyage to the Northern Ocean, between the continents of Afia and America, in 1776, 1777, 1778, 1779, and 1780 *.

We cannot omit remarking, on this chapter, that our Author feems particularly, and we think, in fome measure, unjustly severe in his ftrictures on the English voyagers.

Their conduct has, no doubt, fometimes been bad enough; but not, that we can fee, worse than that of their neighbours. We therefore think the Doctor has not dealt juftly by transcribing, at great length, all their bad actions, and even highly exaggerating them in fome inftances, while he paffed over, in entire filence, fimilar enormities in the voyagers of other nations. It would not become us to bring this charge of partiality, much lefs that of having wilfully exaggerated the cruelties which have been committed by Englishmen, without fupporting that charge. by producing inftances of it.

Page 278, he ridicules, with great juftice, as well as severity, the idle and cruel practice of feizing and carrying away the natives of uncivilized countries, in order to inftruct them in the principles of the Chriftian religon; when, most probably, they are obliged to kill fome of them in doing it; or, if they are fo fortunate as to effect their purpose without death, it is fufficient cruelty to carry away a man, who was, perhaps, the whole fupport of a numerous family, by which means that family is left to ftarve in an inhofpitable region. Thus far we perfectly agree with the Doctor, and only afk, why thefe remarks are applied particularly to the English, and the English alone? They never

* See Review, vol. lxx. p. 460; and vol. lxxi. p. 48. 122, and 283.

were more remarkable for this fuperftitious folly (to call it by no
worfe name) than other nations; and have long been much
lefs addicted to it, than most other Europeans. But when he
talks of the English attacking the innocent natives of West Green-,
land, unprovoked, he forgets that he had himself related, but a
few pages before, that after he [Frobisher] had made them fome
prefents, the inhabitants came on board the fhip (this was evi-
dently before any quarrel had happened), and the next day one
of them came on board in the fhip's boat, and was taken afhore
again; but the five failors who were with him, went to the na
tives, contrary to orders, and neither they or the boat were ever
feen again. Upon this, he seized on a native and took him along
with him,' &c., With what propriety then does Dr. F. call
them the innocent natives,' and talk of the unprovoked attacks'
which were made on them by the English? But we wish to call
the attention of our Readers to the mode of expreffion which the
Doctor has thought proper to make use of on this occafion,
From it we are left to fuppofe, that the people might have run
away with the boat, or that it might have been loft with the
people in it, without the natives being to blame at all in the
matter; but in the original account of this voyage, written by
Beft, who was Frobisher's Lieutenant, and printed by Bynnyman,
in 1578, immediately after thefe voyages were completed, it is
exprefsly faid that "the boat was intercepted by the natives.”
This is not urged with a defign to excufe the English for retaliat
ing on these poor people; they were utterly inexcufable for doing
fo;
but it is meant to fhew Dr. Forfter's want of candour to the
English nation, from whom he has received fo many favours,
and where he and his family might have been well and comfort-
ably provided for, if his own unhappy difpofition had not ren-
dered it impoffible for any person to keep upon terms with him.

This affair, though fufficiently cenfurable, is but a trifle to what the Doctor has done in his account of the very extraordi nary voyage which was performed by M. Hore and others to Newfoundland, in 1536, p. 293. We call this an extraordinary voyage, because we cannot conceive how any but the most depraved of human beings could be driven to the neceffity of murdering, and feeding upon, their fellow-creatures, in fuch a place as Newfoundland, where fifh abounds; and where, by their own account, there are great numbers of birds and other animals. But let this be as it may, Dr. Forfter has thought it neceffary, in order to throw a greater degree of odium on his good friends the English, to render the horrid bufinefs yet more horrible by a direct falfification of the account which he found in Hackluyt. Dr. Forfter's relation runs thus: One of them (the English) came behind another who was digging up fome roots, and killed him, with a view to prepare himfelt a meal from his fellow

creature's

1

creature's flesh; and a third, fmelling the delicious odour of broiled meat, went up to the murderer, and by threats and menaces extorted from him a fhare in this hocking meal.'

Hackluyt fays, "And it fortuned that one of the company, driven with hunger to feek abroad for relief, found out in the fields the favour of broiled flesh, and fell out with one for that he would fuffer him and his fellows to ftarve, enjoying plenty as he thought and this matter growing to cruel fpeeches, he that had the broiled meat, burst out into thefe words; If thou wouldeft needs know, the broiled meat that I had was a piece of fuch a man's buttock. The report of this brought to the fhip, the Captain found what became of thofe that were miffing; and was perfuaded that fome of them were neither devoured with wild beafts, nor yet deftroyed with favages."

Here, fo far from the third perfon forcing from the murderer a part of, and partaking with him in the horrid repaft, knowing what it was, it is manifeft that he was totally ignorant of what it confifted; and only expreffed his anger, that he should enjoy, as he thought, plenty, and at the fame time fuffer his companions to ftarve. He could not be a partaker of it, because, it is plain, the murderer had finished his meal before the alterca tion began, from his words, "the meat which I had." It is farther evident, that the third man was impreffed with a proper idea of the enormity of the other's crime, by his making a report of it to the Captain, whofe horror on the difcovery is very fully fhewn by his conduct on the occafion, as related by Hackluyt. But the idea which Dr. Forter's account conveys is, that they were all equally guilty, and equally ready to perpetrate those horrid and deteftable crimes. But farther,

Very few English readers, and perhaps few of any other nation in Europe, will read with pleafure what Dr. Forfter has faid relative to his friend Capt. Cook, as he every where affects to call him. His conduct on this head reminded us very forcibly of Dangle, in the Critic, who affents, in the moft unequivocal terms, to a long catalogue of the most ridiculous follies which Sir Fretful is charged with, one after another, adding to each affent, "Notwithstanding he is my friend." The Doctor takes great pains to exculpate himself from the reflections which have been made on his conduct in fome of his late writings, where it was prefumed he had endeavoured, as far as he could, to tear the well-earned laurel from Cook's brow, in confequence of their quarrels in the voyage when the Doctor went with them, He talks alfo of the tear which friend/bip pays to his memory;' and bestows on his dear friend' many general commendations; but, in the midst of all this, he more than infinuates that he was guilty of fome of the meaneft and bafeft crimes, fuch as treating his officers and midshipmen with rudeness (p. 407), and doing

X 4

ill

ill offices at the Admiralty, on his return home, to thofe who did not fubmit in filence to his bad treatment of them. He accufes him, in pretty exprefs terms (p. 404), of want of conduct; and afferts, pofitively, that his death was occafioned by giving way to his diforderly paffions; modeftly lamenting, 'that, in this laft voyage, he should have had no friend with him, who by his wifdom and prudence might have with-held and prevented him from giving vent to them.'

It may be afked where the proofs are which fupport these accufations of imbecillity and criminality in fuch a character as that of Cook. We think that the Author, in regard to his own reputation, fhould not have advanced one, without bringing the others forward at the fame time; but, at prefent, the whole refts on Dr. Forfter's word. On the other hand, we have the exprefs teftimony, as well of his officers as of others who failed with him, in direct oppofition to the Doctor's imputations. We were ourfelves intimately acquainted with Mr. Pickerfgill, the perfon whom he mentions to have fuffered in regard to his preferment by Capt. Cook's malicious refentment, and can affirm that Mr. Pickerfgill never knew, or ever thought that he had been mifreported of, or other wife injured by him, as he continued to fpeak of Capt. Cook with respect and attachment, to the day of his death.

The Doctor's fecond chapter, On the Discoveries made in the North by the Dutch,' begins with affigning the motives which firft induced the Dutch to attempt voyages on difcovery; and he concludes that their principal inducements to it were, intereft, and the powerful motive of revenge.' The fettling of this account does not concern us. He adds, "It cannot be denied, that the Dutch have, in former times, contributed (next to the English) more than any other nation, to the knowledge of the different countries and nations of the North.' As Englishmen, we return the Doctor thanks for this piece of civility; which, though faid in a parenthefis, we are willing to accept in part of payment for the many cruel lafhes he has laid on the English in his firft chapter; and having thus quitted scores with him, as it were, on the spot, we fhall proceed to enumerate the contents of the fecond. The voyages recorded in it are,

1. That by William Barentz, Cornelius Corneliffon Nay and Brand brands, in fearch of a North-eaft paffage by Nova Zembla, in 1594.

II. A voyage, made in 1595, toward the fame parts, and for the fame purpose. The name of the Commander is not mentioned; but it appears, from Purchase, that William Barentz was the chief Pilot, and James Heemskerke chief Factor.

III. A third voyage toward Nova Zembla, in fearch of a North-eaft paffage, was undertaken in 1596. The chief com

mand

mand was given to Jacob von Heemskerke, and the place of chief Pilot to William Barentz. After having traced the coaft of Spitzbergen as far as 80 degrees North, they went to that of Nova Zembla, where they were befet with ice, and the fhip was loft; in confequence of which, the voyagers were obliged to pafs the winter on Nova Zembla. Here they fuffered innumerable and inconceivable hardships. In the following fummer, they went from thence, in two open boats, to Kola, in Lapland-a distance of near 400 Dutch miles, or 1200 English miles. During this dreadful navigation, they loft their whole truft, and dependence, by the death of William Barentz, who was, without doubt, one of the most skilful navigators which those times afforded.

IV. A voyage made in the Dutch fervice, by the celebrated Henry Hudson, in 1609.

V. A fhort account of the discovery of Jan Mayen's Ifland, and of seven men who were left to winter there in 1633, but who were all found dead on the 7th of June following. Their journal was brought down to the 30th of April 1634.

VI. A note from the Philofophical Tranfactions, No. 118, concerning fome Dutch fhips which had failed to 80 degrees of North latitude, and about 120 Eaft longitude.

VII. VIII. and IX. Notes concerning Dutch Greenlandmen, but which contain very little information, except that fome Dutch failors wintered at Spitzbergen, in 1633, and returned safe to Holland in 1634.

X. The celebrated voyage of the Caftricom and Brefkes, two Dutch fhips, which failed from the island of Ternate, one of the Moluccas, in 1643, to examine the North-eaft coaft of Tartary, and that part of the Pacific Ocean which lies to the eastward of it. These ships were separated by a gale of wind off the Southeast point of Japan, and failed, in different tracks, along the eaftern fide of that ifland. Having paffed the northern extremity of it, they proceeded fingly on their intended expedition, and both fell in, as they thought, with a very extensive tract of land, called by the natives fef; but which has fince been found to confist of feveral iflands, being the moft foutherly and wefterly of those called the Kuriles. The difference between the accounts given by these two fhips, and the modern Ruffian difcoverers, has been the occafion of great difputes among geographers; and many have been inclined to think the two lands different: but there appears to be very little reason for this fuppofition, as lands of the magnitude which the Dutch represent that of Jejo to be, could not exift in these feas without having been discovered long before this time. Dr. Forfter, in order to reconcile the two accounts, is willing to fuppofe, as M. Muller had done before, that the land which now forms the Kurilian ifles might, at the time when the Caftricom and Brefkes faw it, be one continued land;