I

Mr. URBAN, Birmingham, Feb. 24. BEG your acceptance of three Kentish views. Fig. 1. is the Church at Nockholt, the next parith S. E. from Cudham, whofe hiftory is fo amply detailed in vol, LXXIV. 880, 901. Mr. Hafied (ifiory of Kent, vol. 1. p. 126) fuppofes Nockholt to have taken its name from the old English words Noke, a corner, and holt, a wood; a derivation which apily expreffes the fituation of this place at the noke or corner of a wood:" but I am inclined to think its true ety. mology is Ock-holl, i. e. the Oak Wood. The propenfity of the common people to aflix the letter N to words that begin with a vowel, has been noticed by many authors. It is, indeed, nothing more than dividing the article Au, and joining its laft let. ter to the fubftantive. Dr. Nafh (Hiftory of Worcelierfhire, vol. II. p. 167), mentions au eftate in the parish of Marteley called "the Noke, or more properly the Oak," and its having belonged to the family of Ash (de Fraxino), which from the caufe above-mentioned, was denominated Nath of the Noke, infiead of Ath of the Oak*. In confirmation of the idea that Nockholt is merely a corruption of Ockholt, it may be remarked, that a manor there was antiently called "the manor of Schottis, alias Ockholt.

Other lands alfo are defcribed as lying in the demefne of "North Ockholt. (Hafted, ut fupra.)

Fig. 2 is the Priory Gate at Dover, with the Caftle in the dittance.

Fig. 3 is the remains of the Priory at Tonbridge, now converted into a barn. An account of a Stone Coffin found there is recorded in one of your former volumes.

Yours, &c. WILLIAM HAMPER.

An Expedition against the MOLUCCAS, by the Squadron of ADMIRAL RAINIER, in 1795.

(Continued from p. 602.)

apt time for revenge: they affembled to requeft that the Admiral would de liver the Dutch to them, and feemed to have no idea that this could be refufed; but the Dutch feulers who fled into the fort were received under our protection. The Admiral remonftrated with the Malays, and commanded hem to difperfe; but his orders were difre garded: they became fiill more enraged, and, increafing in numbers, threatened to attack the Fort; they drove he fick from the hofpital with ftones; they aflembled in large bodies on the shore, and in canoes in the harbour, till seves ral were wounded by the guns from the fhips; then they ravaged the fub urbs, plundered and deftroyed the houfes of the Dutch, murdering many unhappy victims who fell in their way. On this occation one of the Duch fettlers, who was styled Baron Van Semele, had a narrow efcape; for, being at dinner with his wife, he faw at fome distance a party of Malays making with speed towards his houfe. The Ba ron was confcious that if he was taken he should find no mercy; fo without hefitation he leaped out of the window, and efcaped just in time to fave his life. His houfe was pillaged, and his wife owed her prefervation to her alliance with the native chiefs. These riots were at length fuppreffed by the fpirited meafures of the Admiral, and fome of the ringleaders were executed.

The rainy feafon prevailed in July and Auguft, accompanied with fudden gufts of wind blowing with great fury through the apertures between the mountains, which, together with the very heavy rains, might have done mifchief had the houfes been elevated above one fiory. Owing to the frequency of earthquakes, fearce any are built higher we felt two or three flight fhocks, both on-board the fhips, and on the Island; and I heard from a Captain of the Garrifon who had been here many years, that they were al ways felt as if they proceeded from the

boyna, we found the Malays in a very turbulent flate; the Dutch, their tyrannic mafters, were no longer in power, and they confidered this an

people were very fickly; many who were much expofed to the weather were carried off by a difeafe which refembled the Yellow Fever.

GENT. MAG. August, 1806.

This

This and the neighbouring iflands produce no fort.of grain; in the room of which, Nature has amply fupplied the fago tree, which affords the inhabitants both food and fhelter. This tree grows to the height of 30 feet; its fibrous bark inclofes a glutinous meal, which is hewn out of it with fall wooden hatchets, when the tree is felled. The branches begin near the root, and are of a triangular form, a little concave at the inner fide; they rife gradually till their weight makes them drop near the extremities; the leaf is narrow and extenfive, beginning near the infertion of the brauch, it runs tapering towards the end. Thefe trees are inhabited at night by a noily green fpecies of frogs, who perch on the branches like birds, but their notes are by no means melodious. When the meal is fcooped from the aree, it is firit washed and ftrained through a cloth, then dried and baked into little cakes which ferve for bread. At night they make incifions in the ́tree, under which they hang veflels to receive a liquor drank after fermentation; it is called Sacavare, and is a favourite with the natives for its intoxicating quality, it taftes like the toddé, which in India is obtained in like man.ner from the cocoa-nut tree.

honefily confefs the truth, they will confefs that Seeing Sights with advan-. tage, or even with pleafare, is not quite fo ealy as they fuppofed when they first took up the purfuit. And the repeated and fullen difappointmentsof thofe who make a practice of going to fee whatever is to be feen, furely form a very powerful argument in favour of fome regulations in this important matter. Travelling, in Summer, we all know to be delightful, even if it confifted only of rapid motion from one place to another; but when travellers wifh to combine a little more, and to indulge themfelves with a view of the Beauties of England and Wales, it is much to be regretted that they fhould return difappointed; and, yet more, that this difappointment fhould be almoft entirely their own fault.

The ufual error which prevails on this fubject is, that when we fet out to fee what is to be feen, we have nothing more to do than to fix our eyes on fuch objects as may be pointed out. I grant, indeed, that thofe who fall into this error are deceived by an opinion, which fome will think natural enough; namely, that the eyes are given us for the purpofe of fight; and that nothing more is neceflary, in order to fee an object, than to direct these important organs towards it. The fact is, however, and much experience, proves it, that the eyes alone are infufficient for this purpofe; and that they may be as well fint, if not affifted with fouie finall portion of underfianding. And this, I am perfuaded, will be found requitite in Seeing all thofe Sights of which it is worth while to boast, although, as to other objects and fpectacles for which no lefs eagernefs is often difplayed, the ufe of the eyes, without any help from the underftanding, may be quite fufficient.

1 have been led into these remarks by a late vifit to that celebrated feat of learning, Oxford; where I happened to have frequent opportunities to obferve in what manner vifitors from London, and other places, enjoyed the fights with which it abounds. The refult, generally, feemed to be difappointment, or that frigid and indifferent fpecies of fatisfaction which can fearcely form a few civil words of thanks for the pains taken by the Cicerones of the place. Some, I am perfaded, left Oxford with no other reflection than that they had feen what they had never

feen,

feen before; and with no other knowledge than that Oxford differed from the place whence they came. Libraries were fhown to thofe who never read, and the portraits of Philofophers to thofe who had never heard of their rames. Buildings were defcribed, which created, no emotion but that of the nioment; and Antiquities were pointed out to thofe who were as indifferent to the paft as to the future. Yet, Imuft confels, difcoveries and remarks, of no common kind, were occafionally inade. In the Picture gallery fome found out their familiar acquaintances among philofophers and poets; among the Arundelian marbles, fome were reminded of the ftatues at Bagnigge Wells; and a judgment of the Libraries feemed, generally, to be formed from the dimenfions of the room. In the Gardens the clipt yews were very much admired; the Bowling-green of New College loft nothing by a comparison with the most envied things of the kind at Iflington; and the cedar fcreen of Lincoln was felt with profound veneration. The chapels frequently ex-cited a momentary gaze of furprize. I once overheard a gentleman, in New College, calculating how much money had been funk; while his lady laid hold, with fome avidity, on a prayer-book which, the faid, was open at the Epifle for the day.

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Such reflections, and fuch difcove ries, might be important if they lafted; but I was told, they were generally forgotten in the progrefs of the next flage; and, before night, little more. was remembered, than that the buildings were numerous, and the taverns extravagant. When imparting thefe remarks to a friend, in whole hofpitable manfion I took up my abode, he affured me, that my experience in thefe matters would afford me ample fcope for my lucubrations, if I chole to inake a longer ftay. But," added he, "Mr. PROJECTOR, this is not the worft. If thofe who come to fee our fights would be content with them, as exhibited by the fervants of the refpeclive colleges, we, who feel a little pride in difplaying them to thofe who can relish them properly, might fave But the mifmany a mortification. chief is, that every week, parties of thefe vifitors are configned to the care of fome refident gentleman, by a friend, or the fecond or third acquaintance of a friend, and he is expected to devote

his time to a more particular difplay of what, nine times in ten, these visitors look at with either a foolish face of wonder, or, what is yet more provok ing, a ftupid indifference, the combination of want of knowledge and want of tale. Our diftant friends make no fcruple to give fuch letters of recommendation to their acquaintances, and are very much offended if we do not walle two or three days in pointing out what cannot be feen with pleasure, or relifhed with a zeft. It is natural for us to have a degree of fonduefs for our Sights; and when we difplay then to thole who partake in the enthusiaẩm which local emotion produces, our task is, indeed, delightful. But to be obliged to make the tour of our Colleges with perfons fo illiterate as not to underftand what a College was built for, to introduce into Libraries thofe who have never been even in a bookseller's fhop, and to point out the monuments and portraits of the illuftrious ornaments of Church and State to thofe who have never heard of their names, and are perpetually afking who they

re, is a fpecies of punishment which feems referved for friendship only to inflict; and which feems to require more philofophy to bear than is expected from the victims of tyranny and

torture."

or

or object of any kind they are to fhow; they ought to point out its original ftructure, the changes it has under gone, and its particular beauties or defects. But let not thofe who afpire to be candidates for this office think that this knowledge of the fubject is all that is necellary. They must not expect to earn their falaries fo easily. They muft befides be men of the greatett meeknefs of difpofition, and of patience, approaching to infenfibility. They must hear and anfwer queftious of every measure and degree of impertinence, ftupidity, and ignorance, with a placid and inflexible gravity of countenance. With fome rafte themfelves, they must not be offended if their vifitors know not even the term; and with fome enthufiafm for the remains of antiquity, they must never expreis the leaf wonder if they can convey no portion of that enthufiafm to their company. If they defcribe the munificent plans of Cardinal Wolfey, they muft not be furprised if they are afked whether he be the man in Shakspeare; and when they are expatiating on the quadrangle of All Souls, or the walks of Chrill Church, they mufi hear with complacency of the quares in St. George's-fields, or the quarters in Moorfields. In a word, they mult exercife a degree of patience which excludes the flightest refentment of ignorance or impertinence, and muft not even by a fiuile feem to hint that their visitors are not extremely well informed, and capable of every delight which the beauties of Art or Nature can infpire.

This part of my Project I propofe, merely to relieve gentlemen refident in any place where Sights are to be feen, from the continual mortification of being obliged to fhow them to thofe who can neither fee nor feel; and who at the fame time do not with to acquire that kind of infenfibility, which I have conditioned for in public exhibitors, Toa the latter will bargain for very handfome falaries, may naturally be expected; and that, if qualified as I have defcribed, they will deferve them, may, I think. be fairly allowed. Nor will there be much difficulty in raifing a fund for this purpose from the ufual fums paid for Seeing Sights." I would, for this purpofe, remove the old women who at prefent are employed in certain places, to mumble

tied to indulge their curiofity. And this confideration will not take up much time; or, if it be a matter of doubt, they may be eafily refolved by making an experiment on a small feale, If, for example, they can view any of the monuments of amient and learned munificence, without an' emotion fronger and more pleafing than what is excited by a modern villa, or a public garden, they may be affured that fomething is wanting, and that, to prevent fimilar difappointments, they ought not to be at the trouble of infpecting the magnificence of Oxford or Canbridge. In going likewife to view paintings or fculpture, fome finall knowledge of thefe arts will be found neceffary to make the exhibition worth the money; and without fuch know, ledge, they had better confine themfelves to their annual vifits to Somerfet-honfe, where one half the pleasure is to find out their friends hanging on the wall, and the other half to talk with them fitting on the benches. I might inftance other branches of knowledge which are neceflary, to enable the fpectator to relith the lights which it is fashionable to fee, particularly that of books, in order to receive plea fure from the view of an extenfive li brary; but what I have advanced may

be