live in the vicinity of the Portuguefe poffeffions, wear aprons of blue ftriped linen, which is as thin as our boulting cloth. The women are only diftinguishable by having the hair braided in five or fix treffes, which they twift round the head and decorate with fhells, bones, and particularly with glafs beads. They all fmear their bodies with greafe, obtained by broiling the fheep-tails, which continues always in a fluid ftate. I myself was obliged to comply with this difgufting practice. My fkin was fo fcorched by the fun as to caufe me confiderable pain.-The houfes are built of reeds, wood, and elay, occafionally even of rough stone, but are very like the common huts, with a circular roof, in which an aper ture is made for letting out the smoke.

Their ordinary food is curdled milk, meal, fish, and the flesh of animals they take by hunting.-Of tame beafts they flay none except on holydays. The people in towns live better than thofe of the villages. Culinary veffels are known, though little in ufe, as they are fo ftrongly attached to their old hereditary way of drefling their food. In no other territory of Africa is hofpitality carried to fo high a degree as here. A traveller that is unacquainted with the country is never allowed to pursue his journey alone, but is always accompanied either to fome other village, or to a fpot whence he can no longer mistake his way. The people are in general goodhumoured and kind, cheerfully imparting to others of what they have, and abfolutely refufing to receive any acknowledgment. Injuries are acutely felt, and jealoufy is univerfally prevalent. If a man have but the flighteft furmife that his wife has a private understanding with another, or efteems him in ever fo fall a degree, the is obliged to attend him every where, that the may have no opportunity of being faithlefs to him.-Moft of the men are employed in the chafe and the fifhery, and exercife themselves in arms. Some make earthen wares, others forge arms, and others again

weave nets.

"I travelled with my guide through the villages Magay, Ahala, and Seehang, and spent the night in the town of Kungoha. This is fituate in a marthy diftrict, at the foot of a fmall chain of mountains. I counted here

I

about two hundred and feventy miferable houfes, and found ftinking water, fetched from the diftance of a mile and a half from the town. The generality of the inhabitants are miners, chiefly working in the adjacent mountains. Mafavah, king of Cacongo, is lord of the town, where he keeps two judges, who in fome fort form the magiftracy. I was very well received, though I perceived a neceffity for profecuting my journey the next morning, as I was taken for a white flave, and a defire to detain me was very apparent: however, on fliding a guilder into the hand of the judge, he fuffered me to depart." Vol. ii. p. 12.

THE YAGANESE.

"THE Yaganese, a small and poor nation, for the moft part dwell in forefts, living on tree-fruits and roots. The chafe is not very productive to them; as the tigers are in fuch abundance as to let no other animal become numerous. Only elephants and tigers are met with in any quantity; in exchange for the teeth of the former the people get javelins and huntingfpears.-The tract of country inhabited by this nation is properly a part of Malemba; but they made themfelves independent, and poffefs eight villages, which lie fo, that the inhabitants of them may in one day affemble together on the fame fpot.-Every village has a chieftain, chosen from among the valianteft. Concerning the origin of this nation I was not able to learn any thing: to me it seems not unlikely that they are defcended from that of Kongo. The number of fighting men, according to their account, is about a thousand, and they boast much of the bravery of their people. The king of Cacongo, who is styled protector and fovereign of the Yaganefe, can only rely upon the aid and affiftance of this nation fo long as he esteems and honours them; they never receive any arbitrary commands from him. Notwithstanding that he has far more warriors in his own country, yet he could do this small nation but little harm, were he never so much inclined to injure them, as they dwell on mountains, in forefts, and other hidingplaces. They are accufed of being much addicted to robbery, and even of feeding on human flesh. I never

perceived

CONTENTS.

TRANSLATOR's Preface.-Letter I. Journey from Copenhagen to Altona.-II. From Altena through Ofnaburg and Munster, to Wefel. III. From Wefel across the Rhine, and through Part of Belgium to Bruffels. IV. Stay in Bruffels, and Journey thence to Paris-V. Course of Inftruction in the Primary, Central, and Polytechnical Schools.-VI. Schools for public Services, viz. for the Conftruction of Roads and Bridges, for Mineralogy, Geography, Ship-building, Artillery, Fortification, Navigation, &c.-VII Schools for Medicine, Pharmacy, and the fine Arts; the French College.-VIII. The National Mufeum of Natural Hiftory. IX. The Central Museum for Arts at Paris, and the Museum for the French School at Verfailles. -X. Of the National Obfervatory at Paris.-XI. The fame Subject continued.-XII. Continued-Obfervatories of the Military School of the French College, and of private Perfons.-XIII. The Board of Longitude, the Board of Geography, the National Library, and the Libraries of the Arfenal and the Pantheon.XIV. The National Inftitute, with an Account of its Meetings.-XV. The Aeroftatic School in Meudon; French Monuments.-XVI. Prefent State of the Manufactures of France.

EXTRACTS FROM THE TRANSLATOR'S PREFACE-ACCOUNT OF THE AU

THOR.

"THOMAS Byggé, profeffor of mathematics and aftronomy in the univerfity of Copenhagen, and for the royal navy, and member of several learned focieties and academies of fciences, is, fince the death of Tycho Brahe, and the restoration of aftrono

my in Denmark, the eighth aftronomer in fucceffion, of the royal obfervatory at Copenhagen. After the deftruction of Tycho's obfervatory, on the island of Huen, Christian IV. in the year 1632, erected in his capital a new and ftately Uranienburg. It is a tower one hundred and twenty Rhineland feet in height, conftructed with great architectural fkill. From the fummit ftrength and folidity, and with much of the building there is a very fine profpect. The winding staircase which leads to it, forms with the horizon an angle of only 5 degrees, and makes an afcent fo commodious and easy, that, in the year 1716, the Czar Peter the Great feveral times rode up it, and his confort, the Emprefs Catharine, drove up and down in a coach and fix." P. vi.

guifhed rank, not only among the "Thomas Byggé holds a diftinmoft ufeful aftronomers of Europe, but likewife among the moft active promoters of the fcience of geography. He took an active effential part in compiling the excellent and beautiful maps, published by the royal academy of fciences at Copenhagen. When the formed, Profeffor Byggé was appointed defign of preparing thefe maps was the first trigonometrical and aftronomical obferver. But thefe are not the only fervices he has rendered to geography: in a more extenfive degree has he contributed to the advancement of that fcience, by forming under his care a number of young men. Soeberg, the brothers Wibe, D'Aubert, Rich, Pihl, Fievog, Ginge, Engelhart, &c.

names eminent in the annals of aftrono

my, emerged from the school of Bygge. A number of young officers in the Danish navy and army enjoyed Byggé's inftructions in practical aftronomy, and

under

under him acquired that knowledge which enabled them to furnish many ufeful and valuable obfervations from Norway, Iceland, Greenland, and the Eaft and Weft Indies, and thereby improved the defective geography of those regions.

"None of Byggé's predeceffors, fo immediately and directly as he, applied aftronomy to the benefit of his country, and to the advancement of navigation. By his very accurate menfurations, a fairer bafis of contribution, new calculations, and jufter fifcal regulations were established, which being more accurately proportioned to the poffeffions of the different contributors, many errors and defects in political economy, and innumerable litigations concerning landed property, were thereby prevented. He alfo determined and laid down with the greatest care, the true pofition of all the coafts, harbours, iflands, rocks, and fand-banks in the Belts, and the Categate, which are very dangerous to ships, and were before partly unknown; and thus he rendered the navigation of the Danish seas more fecure."

EXTRACTS.

P. x.

VALENCIENNES FRENCH VILLAGES CHANTILLY.

“VALENCIENNES is the first stage in Old France. I came in on that fide which was attacked by the Austrians. In the part near the rampart, whole ftreets and lanes have been demolished, fome have been levelled to the ground, and others burnt. They have not made the least attempt, fince the fiege, to rebuild or repair them. Copenhagen has been more fortunate in this refpect. The third part of that city was confumed by fire, and in lefs than three years the whole was rebuilt on an extenfive and improved plan, far fuperior to the former. Fire-engines are found to be of great use in Denmark, even in villages. I am not certain that fire-engines are used in France, or in what manner they are regulated and kept up fince the revolution.

"The French villages will lofe by comparison, in the eye of the traveller, who has juft paffed through the neat and handfome ones of the Netherlands. The first moment you fet your foot in the environs of Valenciennes, you are

encircled with a hoft of beggars, so importunate, that they rather demand than folicit charity. It feems that, fhortly after the revolution, a number of the youth of both fexes, engaged in the manufactures, were thrown out of employment, and reduced to the ne ceffity of living on the cafual bounty. of travellers.

"In order to fhow my pafs, it was neceffary that I fhould go to the muni cipality, and thence to the police-office (bureau de police). As these two did not fit at the fame time of the day, I went to the house of one of the muni cipal officers, a fhoemaker, whom I found at work in his shop. He did not detain me a moment, when I fhowed him the pass I had from the French minifter in Copenhagen. On fhowing him the royal Danish pass, he fhook his head; as much as to fay, That is of no use. His dress was not very fine, and yet he was the chief of the municipality. In all the other towns, in which there were barriers or turnpikes, I was only defired to fhow my pafs, which the officer never took out of my hands; but this was not the cafe in fortified or garrifoned places, where they examine them very attentively. Formerly they expected a fmall douceur on thefe occafions, which was ftrictly forbidden by the laft French proclamation; rien de votre générofité. I am told they were very well fatisfied with ten or twelve fous,

"It is not very far from Valenciennes to Frejus, where the French gained a remarkable victory. Here I faw a fmall monument, erected to the me mory of General Dampierre. Douay lies farther off: a fevere battle was fought there in the reign of Louis XIV.; and the French, in order to perpetuate the day, raised a monument on the road fide, which confifted of a fquare pyramid, about thirty feet high, inferted in a square pedestal, ornamented with pyramids of marble, in bas relief, with infcriptions on each fide. The pyramid is now ftripped of all these ornaments, which were broken down or carried away. Some fay that this was done by the Imperialifts, who could not bear that the defeat of their ancestors fhould be thus held out to the view of every paffenger. But others impute the dilapidation to Jacobins and terrorifts, who did not wish that even the fplendid exploits of their fore

fathers,

fathers, under a monarch, fhould be tranfmitted to pofterity.

"The French villages are inferior, in almost every reipect, to those of Belgium: Moft of the houses are built of common clay, and the little furniture betrays evident marks of poverty. Some of them, however, exhibit appearances of profperity and cafe. Befides common corn, clover, horfebeans, and walnuts are produced in abundance, from the kernels of which laft they exprefs oil.

"I faw a great number of boys and girls in the fields, gathering in the harveft; which led me to conclude, that those who ought to have been employed in that task, were called to the field of battle. I obferved that three-wheeled cars, or carts, were used instead of four-wheeled ones, which in general are very large, and fometimes require from two to four, and even fix, horfes to draw them; whilft one or two horfes will pull a greater load in the former. But I muft declare, that in no country with which I am acquainted, are the poor working horfes treated with greater cruelty than in France. There can be no doubt, that, where the ground is even, and the roads good, these threewheeled waggons, or carts, ought to be preferred to thofe with four wheels. "The roads in this part of France are paved, like thofe in Belgium. Some, however, are better than the highways in that country: though there are many hollows and rough parts in feveral places, and although the tolls are very high, all idea of repairing them feems to have been abandoned fince the revolution.

"Bouchain is a very strong fortification; for, by means of the wellplaced and finely conftructed fluices, the greateft part of the adjoining country can be inundated at pleature: fo that it would be very difficult to be fiege or take this fortrefs, if well fupplied with provifions. As to the town itfelf, its mean buildings have fallen into ruins: the inhabitants feem to fhare the fame fate, for you meet with poverty in every quarter of it. Along the whole tract from Valenciennes to Paris there is a ftratum of chalk-ftone, which is ufed in decorating the caft frames of the windows, doors, and gates; and, as you approach the capital, you meet

with fome houfes built entirely with this ftone inftead of bricks.

"Cambray is well fortified, and is furnished with a citadel. The city is well built, neat, and clean. Throughout the whole, you see the remains of wealth and profperity, for which, no doubt, it is indebted to its famous manufactories of cambric. From Cambray the road runs through Bonavis, Fins, Peronne (which is fortified), Marche le Pot, Fonches, Roye, Conchy les Pots, Carilly, Gournay, Bois le Liheu, and Pont St. Maxenze.

"The French pofts are under very proper regulations. The horses belong to the post-masters themselves, some of whom have near 120, a number of which are always in the stable; so that you are not detained a moment. The post-boy rides on one of the horses, and goes at a fmart trot over heights and hollows, rough places and finooth; and it is in vain either to entreat him to quicken or flacken his pace. This road is a great thoroughfare for car. riages of every kind, and at every poft houfe there is a blackfinith's fhop. As foon as you ftop, those fons of Vulcan come out, and inquire if their affiftance is wanted. The iron axle of my carriage happened to be broken by a ftone on my way to Pont Maxenze, They were glad to hear of it, took it out, welded it together, and in about two hours I was enabled to resume my journey. They asked a louis-d'or, which was not unreasonable; and it was fo well done, that it has not failed since.

"From Pont Maxenze I preferred the road round Chantilly. Here I tra velled through a fine grove of oak and beech, with much underwood of forward growth. This narrow way is bordered with lofty trees, whose fpreading branches form the moft agreeable and grateful fhade, especially from the noontide fun.

"Chantilly belonged to the Prince of Conde, and is well known for the beauty of its architecture, and the enchanting walks and plantations, parks and pleasure-grounds around it. The Jacobins have nearly demolished the fine park walls, and cut down the trees which fhaded the walks. All the internal decorations of the caftle, the paintings, looking-glaffes, tapestry, the valuable cabinet of natural hiftory, li

brary