during a period of thirty years, traced his steps, or penetrated into Abyssinia, the value of the information contained in his work must remain undiminished, until some fortunate accident open that country to the rest of the world, and the public owe to circumstances not to be foreseen, what has been denied to scientific curiosity.

"The merits of Mr. Bruce's work may now be considered as sufficiently well known, but they can be estimated in detail only by the light of future discovery. Its imperfections must be finally ascertained from the same source; but when criticism and envy have both exhausted their severity, the author will occupy a place far above the ordinary description of travellers.

"The appendix to this volume consists partly of a selection from Mr. Bruce's correspondence with a variety of persons, eminent in literature, and in public life. Some letters have been admitted, not on account of their intrinsic value, but because they contain additional notices and illustrations; others have been inserted, as characteristic of their authors. Those written from Algiers, particularly, display the indignant spirit with which Mr. Bruce was accustomed to resent every attack on the honour, the privileges, and welfare, of his country.

"The notices of the Ethiopic MSS. will, it is hoped, be acceptable to such as intend to examine Abyssinian history, or the sources from which Mr. Bruce extracted his account of it. The description of the Abyssinian customs and provinces, however imperfect, has not been compiled without more labour than it may be altogether prudent

to confess. An ordinary acquaintance with oriental literature is, in this country, seldom reckoned either useful or profitable. The study of the Ethiopic and Amharic may therefore possibly be judged such a misapplication of time, as ought to be corrected by more than negative discouragement.

"In No. XLVI. Part I. the reader will find an abstract of the transactions in Abyssinia immediately preceding Mr. Bruce's entry; of the history of Ras Michael, a leading character in the Travels, compiled from Ethiopic MSS.; and likewise an extract from Mr. Bruce's Journal, written at Gondar, in March 1770, containing an account of his own reception and first occupation at court. These are followed by the most important parts of his Journals, in Italian and English, relating to his journey into Agowmidre to visit the sources of the river.

"In the same number, Parts II. and III. is arranged all the miscellaneous information concerning Habbesh, Atbara, and Sennaar, which could be found amongst Mr. Bruce's papers. It is hoped that this will supply the want of minute explanatory notices in some parts of his work; in many instances confirm the reports of other travellers; and shew, that his inquiries respecting the interior of Afri ca were extensive and indefatigable.

"The additions made to the articles of natural history, in the edition of 1805, are reprinted here in No. XLVIII. The observations of longitudes and latitudes are likewise inserted in the number succeeding.

a The specimens of the Abyssi

nian languages contained in Volume I. of Mr. Bruce's own edition, and engraved in a more correct state for that of 1805, are annexed to this account of his life, along with vocabularies extracted from a MS. compiled for him at Gondar. These may probably be of considerable use to future travellers: and it is evident, that, if a distinct classification of the African tribes be ever attempted, it must be formed chief ly from their languages, the only permanent monument of nations that have no written records."

The additions and emendations of which Mr. Murray speaks, to the life of Bruce, may perhaps appear interesting to those who entertain the same exalted opinion of him as he does. It is superfluous to observe, after what we have just stated to be our opinion of Mr. Bruce, that we cannot, by any means, agree with Mr. Murray in thinking that he "will ever occupy a place far above the ordinary description of travellers."

"Notices of the Ethiopian MSS. will (it is hoped by Mr. Murray) be acceptable to such as intend to examine Abyssinian history."Perhaps they may. But the num. ber of those persons who intend to examine Abyssinian history, we presume, must be very small. Neither can the history of Ras Michael, though a leading character

in the Travels, appear either interesting or instructive to any intelligent European reader, who reflects that life is infinitely too short to read every thing that is printed; and that the first attentions are due to the best books and the greatest and best men. As to the study of the Ethiopic and Amharic, thinking far differently from what Mr. Murray appears to do, of the science of etymology,* which we consider as vague and uncertain, we should think it, indeed, "a misapplication of time."

Of the numerous letters contained in this volume, to and from Mr. Bruce, the far greater part will appear to be extremely trivial, except to such enthusiastic admirers of that traveller and hero, if indeed there be any such, now that his works have been long published, as Mr. Murray. Of the insipidity, and we may say inanity, of most of these, the following is a specimen :

"Letter from Bajerund Janni at

Adowa to Mr. Bruce at Gondar, giving him notice of the arrival of a box and some articles from Captain Price at Jidda.

"After salutation: There has arrived here Hagi Jawher, attending the Abuna, who has delivered to our people a box with letters in it, informing you of its contents, which, when you shall receive from their

their hands, give the person who brings it a kefla and half a dahab. The expense for it is seven rials (pataka) to Mahommed Adoulai in the way from Masuah to Adowa; and four rials from Adowa to Gondar, and a kefla and half a dahab to him who delivers it; in all seven rials, and four give to our people, and the kefla and half-dahab to the bearer. And when you have received the box, write a letter to the Captain that you have received it safely. Inform us also concerning the war, and the purposes which brought you from Egypt. With respect to the journey which you intend to make to the sources of the river (el maiat el bahar) before peace comes it will not be possible to travel in this way or that. Preserve yourself; and salute in our name our beloved Georgis, and your servant Michael, and our brother Asaleffi Petros, and Sidi Paulos, and the people of our house (Greeks). An answer is expected. The writer of this letter (the scribe, or secretary of Janni), salutes you. Our brother, Constantine, the respected, salutes you. Peace be upon you."

Of the letters to Mr. Bruce, the most worthy of notice are those from the celebrated Dr. Blair, who, though he compliments Mr. Bruce much more than he deserved, and more, no doubt, than the doctor believed him to deserve, conveys very just strictures on his writings in as inoffensive and polite a manner as was possible.

"Letters from the Rev. Dr. Hugh

Blair to Mr. Bruce.

"1. Dear Sir,-I have at length got hold of your book, and gone through it all. As I was so great

an advocate with you for the publication, you may naturally expect to have my opinion of it when published. With the rest of the world, I had great expectations from the work, and I can now say, that I have not been disappointed. Large as your book is, and in all its parts not equally interesting, I can assure you I was sorry when I had done with it. It contains much information, and much curious matter. You have made a great addition to our knowledge of the geography of the world, and revealed a part of the earth that was before unknown.

"There has been a sort of prejudice against your Abyssinian Annals; and I believe it is the part of the work the least generally read. I went through the whole, however, and was entertained with the history of that strange and savage people. There is much ecclesiastical information in that part of the work. Indeed, without reading that part of it which approaches to our own times, when we come to the reign of king Bacuffa, there is no understanding the subsequent intrigues of court, which occur in the history of your own adventures. I must observe, however, that in these intrigues, there occurs sometimes a confusion and intrica

cy,

cy, through the similarity, and sometimes the sameness, of Abyssinian names for different persons. In your memorable passage through the Nile with the king's army, for instance, before the battle of Limjour, in the third volume, you mention Ayto Aylo, and Tecla Mariam, as lost in the passage, and never more heard of. As I knew these persons to have been great friends of yours, I was very sorry for their death, and wondered that you did not lament more over it. But I found afterwards (if I am not mistaken), that your two friends of that name were still living, and that these must have been some other persons. We hear afterwards of a Tecla Mariam, a young lady of great beauty, who, I suppose, from the name, must have been a daughter of your friend the secretary. In that multitude of strange names, however, great distinctness in repeating them was requisite.

"Your adventures in your return from Abyssinia, and the many perils you had to encounter, is a most interesting part of the work. By that time, however, I was become so much acquainted with your Abyssinian princes and chieftains, your Ras Michael, that terrible fellow, and your Messrs. Fasil, Gusho, Powussen, &c. that I was sorry to leave the history of their adventures. You make me absolutely in love with your Ozoro Esther. Have you never heard a word of what is become of her, and your other old friends there? I should wish much to know. You drop a hint, that you had heard a report of king Tecla Haimanout's being defeated and slain. Considering

the great connexion you had with him, and still more with these two brave men, Ayto Confu and Engedan, I wonder you did not manage some correspondence, by means of Jidda, to hear something of the state of that country after you left it. You see that you interested me in your Abyssinian story.

With regard to your being so much the hero of your own tale, which all the petty critics will be laying hold of, that is what I find not the least fault with. On the contrary, I have been always of opinion, that the personal adventures of a traveller in a strange country, are not only the most entertaining, but among the most instructive parts of the work, and let us more into the manners and circumstances of the country, than any information that general observation can give us. You have gone through more hardships, and have encountered dangers in a greater variety of trying circumstances, I am fully persuaded, than any man now alive. ever those, who are unacquainted with you, may think, they who know, as well as I do, the uncommon powers both of body and mind which you possess, will find nothing but what is perfectly natural and credible, in any circumstances which you relate of your conduct.

And what

"In the course of your work you have introduced some discussions, which I see will be considered as necessary. What you have said in defence of oriental polygamy is ingenious, and I really think well supported. I am in the same sentiments with you about what you call the paroxysm of modern philanthropy respecting the

slave trade; but I do not see that you had much occasion to enter into that controversy. In the long dissertation in the first volume concerning the Cushites, their carriers the shepherds, the origin of language, &c. you are very learned. But, in a subject of such remote antiquity, the authorities are, to say the truth, very slender and doubtful. However, your discus. sion is as plausible as any of that sort of conjectural erudition can be.

"Before your finally leaving Abyssinia, I expected you to have given us some general views of the country where we had been travelling so long; respecting the size and extent of the empire; the num. ber of its population, so far as you could conjecture; the climate and soil in general; the character of the people; and any miscellaneous observations on manners which had been omitted. Several of these things, I confess, may be picked up in different parts of your narrative, and in the chapters where you give an account of the division of the Abyssinian provinces, &c. But still it would have been of great use to have brought together, in one view at last, such of these particulars as I have suggested, in one chapter, that the reader might leave the country with a distinct and summary impression of it on his mind. If there be any desideratum in the book, I think it is this; and in a subsequent edition, I should be very glad to have such a chapter added. It is, for instance,

a very singular circumstance in Abyssinia, that there is no sort of dancing practised, in which they differ so totally from the nations on the western coast of Africa.* You do mention this, but slightly; it would deserve, I think, to be more fully brought out, and would naturally lead into some discussion concerning the character and temper of the natives, their general manner of living and passing their time, &c. In conversation I re

member your telling me, that Abyssinia was a kingdom not so large as France. I do not remember any general view of its extent or population in your book.

"With regard to your style, I was so much carried along with the matter, that I gave no critical attention to it; in general, it appears to me easy, natural, and unaffected, which is all that, in a work of such length, is required.

"Your description of what passes at an Abyssinian feast, was necessary to be given, as a historian, though it exhibits, I must confess, a very indecent scene, and gives a view of manners carried to a degree of public dissolution, which prevails not in Otaheite, nor in any regular society I ever read of. This, I think, might give room for such discussion on the manners of the people, as I wished to be added to your book. They are certainly, as you often hint, a very sad race. In what manner do the ordinary and common people live?

"I am fresh come, as you may see, from reading your book, which I have