"As ever counting (when the fitful breeze "With strange and hollow sound sung through the trees) "Counting the sallow leaves, that down the current went. "He saw them NOT "Earth seem'd to him one universal blot. "Sometimes, as most distemper'd, to and fro, "Inscribed with secret characters of woe; "Upon a beaked promontory high, "Dark vapours roll'd o'er the tempestuous sky, "When creeping WINTER from his cave came forth; ""Stern courier of the storm, (he cry'd,) WHAT FROM THE "NORTH?יי NORTH WIND. ""SHOUTS, AND THE NOISE OF BATTLE!' and again "But rousing him from his desponding trance, EAST WIND. "SHOUTS, AND THE NOISE OF WAR!" (P. 190.) In these instances, it is plain, that the author has been enticed from his accustomed track by a wish for variety; and perhaps by a desire to accommodate himself to the mode, which might have prevailed at the time they were composed. But it is easy to produce specimens to make good the opinion above expressed respecting the inferiority of this volume to the author's former productions. His " Melodies of Remembrance," which relate to a subject with which he might have been expected to be more than commonly inspired, prove that, even in his proper field, his vigour is abated. What can be duller or more common-place, than the following effusion, except the attempt at humour in the note ? 4 "Ah, no! forgive the vain intruding thought, "Love thee with fervent friendship, that would bear, Lest it might be possible, however, to exceed the insipidity of these lines, the author, as if resolved, that none should win from him the palm of dulness, has composed a dirge: "THE DIRGE OF NELSON. "TOLL NELSON'S KNELL! a soul more brave "Sad o'er the Hero's honour'd grave, "TOLL NELSON'S KNELL. "The ball of Death unerring flew : " He sinks, amid his gallant crew! "TOLL NELSON'S KNELL. "Yet lift, brave Chief, thy dying eyes; "Aloft the flag of conquest flies! "THE DAY IS WON! "THE DAY IS WON-PEACE TO THE BRAVE! "But whilst the joyous streamers wave, "We'll think upon the VICTOR'S GRAVE! "PEACE TO THE BRAVE!" + The reader may place any name he likes best, with the excep. tion of Chloe, Delia, or Dorothy! Few readers will be found so fastidious, as not to be pleased with some of the productions of this writer's pensive and descriptive genius: but it is not likely that many, who shall examine his last work, will regret that he has closed his book for ever.' AN ACCOUNT OF THE EMPIRE OF MAROCCO, AND THE DISTRICT OF SUSE; COMPILED PROM MISCELLANEOUS OBSERVATIONS, MADE DURING A LONG RESIDENCE IN, AND VARIOUS JOURNIES THROUGH, THESE COUNTRIES. TO WHICH IS ADDED, AN ACCURATE AND INTERESTING ACCOUNT OF TIMBUCTOO, THE GREAT EMPORIUM OF CENTRAL AFRICA. BY JAMES GREY JACKSON, ESQ.---.. -Printed for the Author, by W. Bulmer and Co. and sold by G. and W. Nicol, Pall-Mall. 1809. As this had appeared to me to be a very interesting pub lication, involving many curious and some truly important particulars, I held it to be a duty, which I owed both to my readers and myself, to employ every means in my power for tracing certain matters, which seemed to rest upon simple affirmation, to their true and genuine sources of authority, before I set my name to a review of Mr. Jackson's volume. He informs us in his preface that it has been "Compiled "from various notes and observations, made during a resi"dence of sixteen years in different parts of the Empire of "Marocco." This is a claim, which very few of our travelled authors have to prefer, and certain it is, that the Englishman, who for sixteen years has voluntarily devoted him. self to the hazard and horror of living under the dominion of a Moorish despot, has fairly and to a certain extent earned a title, to be believed, when he is describing what he has seen and known and learned of the country: yet if he tells of things altogether new and strange, and such as it is hard to credit, there should be something more than mere assertion on his part to ensure our faith, and reconcile us to the tale of wonder. When, for instance, in the chapter, that treats of zoology, we are told of the swiftness and abstemiousness of the desart horse, possessing such extraordinary powers, and refusing all sustenance but that of camel's milk, and above all of the heirie, or camel called tasayee, which in traversing the desart, performs the length of nine days journies in one, with a swiftness, which seems to elude all description except that of a telegraph, we assuredly want something more solid than mere narration to support the fact, and keep our faith from staggering. When in the region about 'Timbuctoo, as yet unvisited by any English, (and I might say any European traveller) we are informed of a river, which would convey us to Grand Cairo through a tract as thickly strewed with populous towns as China, and that this river is in fact a western branch of the Nile itself, to be traced from its source in the Jibbel Kumra, or Mountains of the Moon, so called, to its junction with the Eastern or Egyptian streams ;-the geographer is startled by intelligence so new, and would naturally urge those questions, which I have anticipated, and require that explanation, which I have sought for and obtained. When a traveller makes notes of his own adventures, with a pre-determined purpose to impart them to the public, and enjoy the luxury of writing a book, he makes himself the hero of his story, and of course must make the story worthy of its hero. This certainly was not in the contemplation of Mr. Jackson; the engagement, that occasioned him to make so long a residence in a Mohammedan country, and to perfect himself in a language, that is spoken in all parts wheresoever Mohammedans are, were of a political as well as a commercial 5 sort. In that character he was appointed by the old government of Holland, agent to the States General, and, having negotiated with the Emperor Muley Yezzid, hoisted their flag at Agadeer or Santa Cruz, and opened that port to foreign commerce. Here he established himself in trade, till he was obliged to leave Santa Cruz, when the present Emperor, jealous perhaps of the natural strength of the place, situated at the extremity of the Atlas Mountains, ordered it to be evacuated. This measure, dictated in the suspicious character of Marocco policy, obliged Mr. Jackson to cross the Atlas Mountains with the Prince's army, and repair to the Emperor, who then held his court at Marocco: this inland capital was no station for our author's purpose, and he was permitted to go to Mogodor on the coast at the distance of about a hundred miles, where he again established a house of commerce, under the firm of James Jackson and Co. when upon the death of Mr. Layton the partnership being dissolved, the survivor came to England, and having no other object but to render his communications useful to the African association, after several interviews with them, was induced by the liberal suggestions of the Earl of Moira to publish those remarks and that body of information, which are to be found in the volume now under my review. Thus it came to pass, that Mr. Jackson, without courting the fame of an author, has become the unobtrusive narrator of his own observations, and these he has committed to the public with less parade of dictation, and more modest avoidance of egotism, than I can recollect to have observed in any other writers of the same description, whether their scale of travel has been great or small, foreign or domestic. For it shall sometimes happen that the passenger in a stage-coach between Bath and London, shall blow as loud a trumpet to puff his pennyworth of adventures, as if he had penetrated into unexplored latitudes, and added newly-discovered countries to the map of Earth. 1 |