though they do this, yet, occurring in other places, reflect fartherlight on the fubject. Mau...e. art.

ART. II. A Journal of Transactions and Events, during a Refidence of nearly fixteen Years on the Coast of Labrador; containing many interefting Particulars, both of the Country and its Inhabitants, not hitherto known. Illuftrated with Proof Charts. By George Cartwright, Efq. 4to. 3 Vols. 21. 2s. Boards. Robinfons. IN defcribing the manners and cuffoms of nations, or the climate and productions of countries, feldom vifited by Europeans, a ftrict regard to truth has by no means been invariably obferved. The journalists of the prefent day, as well as thofe of more early periods, too frequently attempt to impofe on the credulity of mankind; and too often violate thofe rules which every hiftorian ought to regard as facred.

Amid the variety of publications of this defcription which are daily foliciting the notice of the public, we are happy in bearing our teftimony to the fidelity with which the volumes now before us appear to be executed. They contain the obfervations of the author, during a refidence of nearly fixteen years on the coaft of Labrador, and they relate the daily tranf actions in which he was engaged.

In the preface, we are prefented with a fhort sketch of the life of Mr. C. He was born in the year 1739, of an antient and respectable family: but his father, having only a moderate eftate, and nine other children, was not able to do much toward the establishment of our author, who was a younger fon. Having received a common education in the country, he was, at the age of fourteen, appointed a gentleman cadet in the cadet company at Woolwich; and he modeftly laments the want of genius, or of application, which prevented him from improving the advantages that awaited him at the Royal Academy in that place. In the following year, he embarked for the Eaft Indies; where fortune was by no means favourable to his expectations, as he returned to Europe in the year 1757 with the 39th regiment, in which he bad obtained only an enlign's commiffion. Being afterward promoted to a lieutenancy, he was ordered to Germany, through the intereft of the late Marquis of Granby, whom he there ferved in the capacity of aidde-camp. This appointment, instead of proving to Mr. Cartwright the line of his promotion, neceffarily led him into thofe expences, to defray which, and to fave himself the mortification of ferving under junior officers, he found himfelf compelled to exchange for half pay.

Naturally fond of the fports of the field, Mr. C: in the fpring of 1767, made an excurfion to Scotland, to indulge his

favourite

favourite propenfity: but he foon found that 28. 4d. a day was infufficient to keep himself, a female companion, two fervants, a couple of horfes, and three brace of dogs.' At the approach of winter, when the fcarcity of fifh and game frequently enjoined a fast, he fold his furniture, and returned with his lady and dogs, by fea, to London.-Having no particular engagement, he refolved to accompany his brother (a lieutenant in the Guernsey man of war,) on a voyage to Newfoundland; and hearing that bears and deer were plentiful' in that country, he was eager to be amongst them.'-On his return to England, he found that the Marquis of Granby had obtained for him a company in the 37th regiment of foot. Mr. C. joined his corps in the following fummer at Minorca: but the climate of that ifland difagreeing with his conftitution, he was obliged to return to England. The Guernsey was then again lying at Spithead under failing orders for Newfoundland, and he obtained permiffion to make a fecond voyage for the recovery of his health, which gave rife to his future voyage to the coaft of Labrador.

The modefty, with which Mr. C. introduces himself to the public, might lead the reader to imagine that there were many important inaccuracies in the prefent work: but in this conclufion he would err. The journal is written with care and fidelity; the ftyle of the author is plain and manly; he delivers his fentiments with freedom, and with confidence afferts only thofe circumstances which, from his own obfervation, he knew to be facts.

Confcious (fays he) of my inability to entertain the reader with the ftyle and language of fome late writers, I humbly folicit his candour and indulgence for the many inaccuracies he will meet with in the perufal of the work. However great fome of its defects may appear, I hope they will in fome measure be compenfated for by the veracity of my narrative. I do not pretend to give animated defcrip tions of a country I have never vifited, nor of the cuftoms and manners of a people I have never feen. The tranfactions of the day were in general entered at the clofe of the fame; and little did I then fufpect that they would ever be exhibited to the eye of the PUBLIC. They were written for no other purpofe, than to serve as memorandums for my own ufe and perfonal reference.'

It was fuggefted to me, that I ought to have put the manufcript into abler hands, who would render it lefs unworthy of the public eye: but as it appeared to me, that by fo doing I fhould arrogate to myfelf an honour to which I was not entitled; and alfo pay fuch a price as would fwallow up the greater part, if not the whole of the profit arifing from the fale of my Books; I did not approve of the one, nor could I afford the other.

The only merit to which I have any pretenfions, is that of a faithful journalist, who prefers the fimplicity of plain language and downright

10

downright truth, to all the fpecious ornaments of modern style and defcription. I humbly trust that this apology will fatisfy my friends, and ferve to extenuate thofe errors, which must be too obvious to be overlooked by critical examination.'

Mr. C.'s object, in fettling on the coaft of Labrador, was the purfuit of various branches of bufinefs, and particularly the cultivation of a friendly intercourfe with the Efquimaux Indians, who have always been accounted the moft favage race of people upon the whole continent of America.' How juftly they are now to be thus regarded, the reader will judge from the words of the author in his laft volume, where, fpeaking of thefe Indians, he obferves: I will content myfelf with faying they are the best tempered people I ever met with, and most docile: nor is there a nation under the fun with which I would fooner trust my perfon and property; although, till within thefe few years, they were never known to have any intercourfe with Europeans without committing theft or murder, and generally both."

The Red Indians, the original inhabitants of Newfoundland, are almost become extinct fince the Europeans formed fettle. ments in their country. Formerly, a beneficial barter was carried on in the neighbourhood of Bonavista, which would probably have extended itself to the other fettlements, had not the treacherous conduct of the Europeans obliged the natives to Teek fecurity in the mountainous and interior parts of their island. -We are forry here to obferve the confirmation of a circum ftance which reflects no fmall difgrace on the British name:

Our fishermen (fays Mr. C.) are much greater favages than the Indians themselves, for they feldom fail to fhoot the poor creatures whenever they can, and afterwards boaft of it as a meritorious action. With horror I have heard feveral declare they would rather kill an Indian than a deer.'-

I could relate feveral recent inftances, fome of which I had from the account of the perpetrators themfelves, but they are fo diabolically fhocking, that I will fpare the reader the pain of perufing, and myfelf that of writing, an account of acts which would difgrace the greatest favages.'---

What number of thefe Indians may ftill be left, no person can even hazard a conjecture; but it mult decrease annually for our people murder all they can, and alfo deftroy their stock of provifions, canoes, and implements of all forts, whenever a furprize forces them, by a precipitate retreat, to leave thofe things behind them. This lofs has frequently occafioned whole families to die by famine.'

Having established a friendly intercourse with the Esquimaux Indians, Mr. C, relates many particulars of their ingenuity, difpofitions, and propenfities:

Very little more (he obferves) than the mere neceffaries of life (which, a little reflection will convince every one, are very few in

deed)

deed) will fatisfy an Indian; for he has no ftimulus to induftry. When he has killed food he has generally procured clothing alfo; therefore he will work no longer. As feals are infinitely more valuable to an Efquimau, and much more certain to be killed by him, than foxes, martens, or any other animals, on the skins of which luxury has fixed a better price; it is not furprifing that he will flick close to the chafe of the one, to the great neglect of the other. Befides, the catching of furs is fo fatiguing and precarious, and the carcafes so small, that, were he to give up his time to that bufinefs, his family must perish with hunger. Yet I have not a doubt, but commerce will, in progrefs of time, have the fame effect on these people, that it ever has had on other nations: it will introduce luxury, which will increase their wants, and urge them to much more industry than they at prefent poffefs. They will then purchase traps, learn to build death falls, and contrive other devices to kill furs, at fuch times as a fuccessful feal-chafe fhall give them leifure to pay proper attention to that branch of trade.'

That the reader may be enabled to form fome idea of the general tenor of the prefent work, and of the mode in which it is executed, we fhall lay before them the following random extract:

January 1772. Monday 27. Wind N. W. bard.-I was free from complaints to-day, but the badnefs of the weather kept me at home; I fcraped an otter skin, and did fome other trifling things. Charles appears rather to mend, but is ftill very ill, (from exceffive drinking.) By thrufting his feet out of bed, four of his toes were burnt by the froft; notwithstanding the foot of his bed was no more than fix feet from the kitchen fire; which was conftantly a good one. This evening I cut off the mortified parts, fomented them with a strong decoction, and dreffed them with bafilicon to bring on a fuppuration. I had hitherto made ufe of mild fomentations and poultices, although I well knew the confequence; judging it better to facrifice the end of his toes, than endanger his life; which I was apprehensive the application of cold water would have done.

Hard froft, with fnow and drift.

Tuesday 28. S. E. hard. This being another bad day, I employ. ed myself in netting, attending my patient, and in ftudying phyfic and furgery. At night [moderate], the evening, or some other star, fhone remarkably, and appeared luminous and large; it bore South at ten o'clock and feemed to be not very high.

• Continual fnow till night, then quite clear,

Wednesday 29. N. W. fresh.-I attended my patient, fcraped an qtter-fkin, and bottled off fome Jamaica rum.

Some fnow in the morning, dull and raw afterwards.

Thursday 30. S.S.E. little.-I went up Profpect Hill, cleared and fresh tailed the traps: the fnow is much deeper now, than at any time this winter, and fo light, that I funk a foot deep in my Indian rackets. No fign of any thing in the traps. Bottled off the remain der of the rum,

Hot fun, with fharp, pleasant weather.

Friday 31. S. E. little.-At noon I took a walk up the river, and faw the track of a wolvering in Juniper Droke, and of a marten at

the

the lower fhoot; to which place I fhifted the uppermost trap, and brought home the lower one from Watfon Brook.

Clear day, dull evening; froze very little.

February. Sunday 1. S. E. moderate-At three o'clock in the afternoon, Mr. Bullock, a midshipman, belonging to the garrifon of Chateau, and a marine, arrived from Seal Inland.

Foggy, drizzling, cold, thawing weather.

Sunday 2. E. S. E. freh.1 read prayers to my family. In the evening Charles grew worfe again, and had a very indifferent night. • Weather as yesterday.

Monday 3. S. E. fresh. After breakfaft Mr. Bullock went with me to the traps under Belvoir Hill, which I found covered deep with fnow, and brought them home; likewife the flip which was in Sawyer's Path. It was very heavy walking, the fnow being wet. In the afternoon, a man whom Mr. Bullock left at Seal fland yesterday came up here; he faw the flot (foot-mark*) of a brace of deer on the bay; they came from the Caribou Iflands, and went upon the Cape land on the fouth fide of White-bear Sound. Charles was exceedingly bad all day and night.

Cloudy weather, with free thaw.

Tuesday 4. N. W. moderate.-After breakfast Mr. Bullock and I went up and Brook, where we faw the tracks of two wolverings, one of which had been caught by a hook, that I had hung from the branch of a tree, with a bait upon it, and had broken it; he afterwards got into a trap which was not far off, and carried it to fome distance, where the creeper caught hold of a bush, and he escaped after a very long struggle. I tailed that trap on the island below the rattle, the other where it was before, and two double fpring ones, which we brought home yesterday, by the fide of the brook. Mr. Bullock fhot a fquirrel and an owl. Charles was exceedingly bad all day, but rather better at night. The marine being not well, I bled him; and being indifpofed myfelf, I took an emetic.

Gentle froft, with clear, warm, pleafant weather all day; at night we had rain, hail, and fnow.

Wednesday 5. W. fre.-Mr. Bullock and I went up Profpect Hill, but could not find the trap on the barrens; we brought home that by Long Pool, and fresh tailed the reft. The marine and I were very well to-day; Charles was better till the evening, but then grew worfe.

A clear, pieafant day.

Thursday 6.-After breakfaft Mr. Bullock accompanied me up the river, and to Snug Pond; we both fired at a fpruce-game, without doing any execution. During our abfence, my faithful old fervant Charles breathed his laft. I fet the cooper to make a coffin

for him.

Clear, pleafant weather.'

Though many of the occurrences recorded in this Journal are equally unimportant with thofe which are contained in the

A gloffary, prefixed to each volume, explains a number of phrafes ufed by mariners and hunters.

preceding