Abbildungen der Seite
PDF
EPUB

very judiciously extended this field of fcience, and has difcovered another planet belonging to our fyftem. This gentleman's application to the science, and the liberal manner in which he has tranfmitted his obfervations, deferve great commendation.

"I trust this short sketch of the origin and progress of aftronomy, and of the advantages it has procured for us, has not been unpleafing or useless, as the human mind must always feel fatisfaction in tracing fuch things from their fource to their utmoft range; and no doubt but the important inferences, deducible from this epitome of ancient knowledge, must tend to enlarge the minds of those who have not been previously acquainted with thefe circumftances.

"To preclude criticism, I must beg the historian to obferve, that I did not think it neceffary to my plan to introduce any thing of those times in which this fcience was not cultivated or improved; as to have related all the falfe fyftems that prevailed at different times, would have afforded but a mortifying retrospect, not tending to promote my grand defign, in recording the fpeculations and works of paft ages, which was, to excite in my dear pupils a spirit of inquiry from the inftances I produced of the advantages refulting from investigation; which rule of felection has occafioned that want of connection neceffary in writing the hiftory of paft ages, but not, I prefume, in relating the hiftory of the rife and advancement of aftronomical knowledge, as it must neceffarily have included matter foreign to the fubject of these lectures."

An elegant engraving of Mrs. Bryan, and her two children, forms the frontispiece; and this ingenious female aftronomer informs the public that the receives young ladies, for the purpose of education, at Bryan Houfe, Blackheath. We with her every poffible fuccefs in her laudable undertaking. It is greatly to the praise of the fair fex, that they are in the prefent age fo difpofed to improve their minds-they may reft affured that intellectual improvement in conjunction with moral excellence, forms the trueft and most permanent bafis of their refpectability.

[blocks in formation]

Travels in the Interior of Africa; in the Years 1795, 1796, and 1797. By Mungo Park. Abridged from the Original Work. "Crosby and Letterman.

AFRICA, the moft barbarous and uncivilifed part of the globe, is become the fubject of enquiry, and by far the greatest part of it ftill remains unknown. The dangers attendant on its examination must at least, for the prefent, preclude any confiderable acquaintance with it; but the time may come when it may be equally known with the other quarters of the globe.

From this narrative it appears that Mr. Park has, with incredible labour and perfeverance penetrated into this barbarous country, obferved their cuftoms and manners, and, after fubjecting himself to a variety of dangers, has returned to England. His peregrinations are here detailed, and afford no fmall amufe

ment.

The fecond chapter conveys much curious information, and fhall be inferted in its entire form; it will enable the reader to form a just opinion of the remaining part of the work.

"Defcription of the Feloops, the Jaloffs, the Foulahs, and Mandingoes-Account of the Trade between the Nations of Europe and the Natives of Africa, by the way of the Gambia; and between the native Inhabitants of the Coast and the Natives of the Interior Countries-Their Mode of Selling, Buying, &c.

"The natives of the country bordering on the Gambia, though distributed into many diftinct governments, may be divided into four great claffes. The Feloops, the Jaloffs, the Foulahs, and the Mandingoes. Among all these nations, the religion of Mahomet has made, and continues to make, confiderable progrefs; but the body of the people still maintain the blind, but inoffenfive, fuperftition of their ancestors, and are till tiled by the Mahometans, Kafirs, or Infidels.

"The

"The Feloops are of a gloomy difpofition, and are fuppofed never to forgive an injury: they are even faid to tranfmit their quarrels as deadly feuds to their pofterity; so that a fon views it as incumbent upon him to revenge his deceased father's wrongs. If a man lofes his life in one of those quarrels, which continually happen at their feafts, his fon endeavours to procure his father's fandals, which he wears once a year at the anniversary of his father's death, until a fit opportunity occurs of revenging his fate, by facrrficing the object of his refentment. This fierce and cruel temper is, notwithflanding, counterbalanced by many good qualities. They poffefs gratitude and affection to their benefactors, and are fingu lar in their fidelity in every truft committed to them.

"During the prefent war, they have more than once taken up arms to defend our merchant's veffels from French privateers; and English property, to a confiderable amount, has been left at Vintain, entirely under the care of the Feloops; who have manifefted, on fuch occafions, the most scrupulous honour and punctuality. How greatly is it to be wished, that the minds of a people, fo determined and faithful, should be softened and civilized by the mild and benevolent spirit of Christianity!

"The Jaloffs are an active, powerful, and warlike people; inheriting great part of the tract which lies between the river Senegal and the Mandingo ftates on the Gambia: yet they differ from the Mandingoes, not only in language, but likewife in complexion and features. The noses of the Jaloffs are not fo much depreffed, nor the lips fo protuberant as among the generality of Africans; and, although their fkin is of the deepest black, they are confidered by the white traders as the handsomeft negroes in this part of the continent. They are divided into feveral independent ftates or kingdoms, which are frequently at war, either with their neighbours or with each other. In their manners, fuperftitions, and form of government, they have a great refemblance to the Mandingoes; but excel them in their manufactures. Their language is copious and fignificant. The Foolahs, fuch of them as refide near the Gambia, are chiefly of a tawny complexion, with soft filky hair, and pleafing features. They are much attached to a paftoral life, and have introduced themselves into all the kingdoms on the windward coaft as herdsmen and husbandmen,

I 3

paying

paying a tribute to the fovereign of the country for the lands which they hold. The Mandingoes conftitute the bulk of the inhabitants of moft of the diftricts of the interior of Africa. Their language is univerfally understood, and very generally fpoken. They are called Mandingoes, having originally emigrated from the interior state of Manding; but, contrary to the prefent conftitution of their parent-country, which is republican, the government in all the Mandingo flates, near the Gambia, is monarchical.

"The power of the fovereign is, however, by no means unlimited. In all affairs of importance, an affembly of the principal men or elders, is called, by whofe councils the king is directed, and without whofe advice he can neither declare war, nor conclude peace. In every confiderable town there is a chief magiftrate, called the Alkaid, whofe office is hereditary, and whofe bufinefs it is to preferve order, to levy duties upon travellers, and to prefide at the administration of juftice.

"The negroes have no written language: their general rule of decifion is, an appeal to ancient custom; but, fince the fyftem of Mahomet has made fo great a progrefs among them, the Koran converts have introduced many of the civil inftitutions of the prophet; and where the Koran is not found fufficiently explicit, reference is made to a commentary, called Alfharra, containing a complete digeft of the laws of Mahomet, civil and criminal. This appeal to written laws has given rife in Africa to profeffional advocates or expounders of the law, who are allowed to appear and plead for the plaintiff and defendant, nearly the fame as in the courts of Great Britain. There are Mahometan negroes, who affect to have made the laws of their prophet their efpecial fludy; and in the arts of perplexing and confounding a caufe, they are not furpaffed by the ableft pleaders in Europe. At Pifania a caufe was tried, which furnished the Mahometan lawyers with a fine opportunity of difplaying their talents. An afs, belong

ing to a Serawoolli negro, (a native of an interior country near the river Senegal,) had broke into a field of corn belonging to one of the Mandingo inhabitants, and deftroyed great part of it. The Mandingo having caught the animal in his field, immediately drew his knife and cut its throat. The Serawoolli thereupon called a palaver, fimilar to bringing an action in Europe, to recover damages for the lofs of his beast on which

he

he fet a high value. The defendant confessed he had killed the afs, but pleaded a set off, infifting that the lofs he had suftained in his corn, was equal to the fum demanded for the animal. To afcertain this fact was the point at iffue, and the learned advocates contrived to puzzle the cause in fuch a manner, that, after a hearing of three days, the court broke up without coming to any determination upon it.

"The Mandingoes are of a mild, fociable, and obliging difpofition. The men are commonly above the middle fize, well thaped, fong, and capable of enduring great labour; the women are good natured, sprightly, and agreeable. The drefs of both fexes is comprised of cotton cloth of their own manufacture: that of the men is a loose frock, not unlike a furplice, with drawers which reach down half the legs; they wear fandals on their feet and white cotton caps on their heads. The womens' drefs confifts of two pieces of cloth, each of which is about fix feet long and three broad; one of these they wrap round the waist, which, hanging down to the ancles, anfwers the purpose of a petticoat; the other is thrown negligently over the bofom and fhoulders. The head drefs of the African women, is diverfified in different countries. Near the Gambia. the females wear a fort of bandage, confisting of a narrow ftripe of cotton cloth, wrapped many times round immediately over the forehead. In Bondou, the head is encircled with ftrings of white beads, and a small plate of gold is worn in the middle of the forehead. In Kaffon, the ladies decorate their heads in a very tafteful manner, with white fea-fhells. In Kaarta and Ludemar, the women raife their hair to a great height by the addition of a pad, (as the ladies did formerly in Great Britain,) which they decorate with a species of coral, brought from the Red Sea, by the pilgrims returning from Mecca, and fold at a great price. In the conftruction of their dwelling-houfes, the Mandingoes alfo conform to the general practice of the African nations on this part of the continent, contenting themfelves with fmall and incommodious hovels. A circular mud wall, about four feet high, above which is placed a conical roof, compofed of the bamboo cane, and thatched with grafs, forms alike the palace of the king and the hovel of the flave. Their household furniture is equally fimple, a hurdle of canes placed upon upright stakes, about two feet from the ground, upon which is fpread a mat or bullock's

« ZurückWeiter »