little known to the nations of Europe, and furnished with fo many ftriking and uncommon objects of nature, my time paffed not unpleafantly; and I began to flatter myfelf that I had efcaped the fever or fea foning, to which Europeans, on their firft arrival in hot climates, are generally fubject. But on the 31st of July I imprudently expofed myfelf to the night dew, in obferving an eclipfe of the moon, with a view to determine the longitude of the place: the next day I found myself attacked with a smart fever and delirium; and fuch an illness followed as confined me to the houfe during the greatest part of Auguft. My recovery was very flow but I embraced every fhort interval of convalefcence to walk out, and make my felf acquainted with the productions of the country. In one of thofe excurfions having rambled further than ufual in a hot day, I brought on a return of my fever, and on the 10th of September I was again confined to my bed. The fever however was not fo violent as before; and in the course of three weeks I was able, when the weather would permit, to renew my botanical excurfions; and when it rained I amufed myfelf with drawing plants, &c. in my chamber. The care and attention of Dr Laidley contributed greatly to alleviate my fufferings; his company and converfation be. guiled the tedious hours during that gloomy feafon, when the rain falls in torrents; when fuffocating heats opprefs by day; and when the night is fpent by the terrified traveller in liftening to the croaking of frogs (of which the numbers are beyond imagination,) the fhrill cry of the jackall, and the deep howling of the hyena: a difmal concert, interrupted only by the roar of fuch tremendous thunder as no perfon can form a conception of but those who have heard it." On the 2d of December 1795 he departed from the houfe of Dr Laid ley in order to purfue his journey, taking with him a negro fervant who fpoke both English and Mandingo tongues, named Johnson, a native of Africa, who in his youth had been conveyed to Jamaica as a flave, had been made free and taken to England by his malter, where he had refided many years, and at length found his way back to his native country. He was alfo provided with a negro boy named Demba, who was promif. ed his freedom on his return if he behaved well. He had alfo a horfe, and was accompanied by a free man named Madiboo, who was travelling to the kingdom of Bambara, and two Statees or flave merchants of the Serawoolli nation, who offered their fervices as far as they were refpectively to proceed, as did a negro named Tami returning to his native country. They were accompanied alfo by Dr Laidley, Meffrs. Amfley, and a number of domestics the two first days journey. On the 3d of December he took his leave of them and rode flowly into the woods. His fen. fations at this moment are thus defcribed: "I had now before me à boundlefs foreft, and a country, the inhabitants of which were strangers. to civilized life, and to most of whom a white man was the object of curiofity or plunder. I reflected that I had parted from the laft European I might probably behold, and perhaps quitted for ever the comforts of Chriftian fociety. Thoughts like thefe would neceffarily caft a gloom over the mind, and I rode mufing along for about three miles, when I was awakened from my reverie by a body of people who came running up and ftopped the affes, giving me to understand that I muft go with them to Peckaba to prefent myself to the King of Walli, or pay customs to them." With this demand, after fome attempts at explanation, he was obliged to comply. E 2 On : On the 5th of December he reach ed Medina, the capital of the King of Walli's dominions, where he was received with great hofpitality and kindnefs. He was preffed not to proceed in his journey, and warned of the danger he incurred. Thefe warn. ings, however, had no effect: he took a farewell of the King, and on the 7th departed from Konjour, and croffing the wildernefs arrived at Tallika, in the kingdom of Bondou. On December 14th he left Tallika, and on the 21ft entered Fatteconda, the capital of the fame kingdom, where he had more than one interview with the King. After fome delays, he was permitted to depart on his journey, and they took leave of each other in terms of friendship. On the 24th of December he arrived at Joag, the frontier town of Kajaega, where he was ill-treated and robbed of half his effects by order of Batcheri, the King, and he was at the fame time ftrongly folicited by his companions to give up his journey, which it was alledged was too dangerous to be perfifted in. His fituation was critical and hazardous. He was kept without food, which it appeared impoffible to procure. On this occafion he experienced the kindnefs of a female, whofe charity deferves particular notice. "Towards evening," fays he, "as I was fitting upon the Bentang chewing ftraws, an old female flave, paffing by with a basket upon her head, afked me if I had got my dinner. As I thought the only laughed at me, 1 gave her no anfwer; but my boy, who was fitting close by, anfwered for me, and told her, that the King's people had robbed me of all my mo benevolence, immediately took the basket from her head, and fhewing me that it contained ground nuts, asked me if I could eat them. Being answered in the affirmative, fhe prefented me with a few handfuls, and walked away before I had time to thank her for this feafonable fupply. -This trifling circumftance gave me peculiar fatisfaction. I reflected with pleasure on the conduct of this poor untutored flave, who, without examining into my character or circumftances, liftened implicitly to the dictates of her own heart. Experience had taught her that hunger was painful, and her own diftreffes made her commiferate those of others." From this diftreffed fituation he was relieved by a vifit from Demba Sego, nephew of the King of Raffon, who offered to conduct him in fafety to that kingdom: an offer which he readily and gratefully accepted, and accordingly fet out on the 27th of December. On the 29th he came to Tufee, where he was detained fome time, and on the 10th of January 1796 left that place for Koniakary, which he reached the 14th. He was the next day admitted to an audience of the King, who he found well difpofed towards him, but full of doubts as to the truth of the motives affigned for his journey. On the 1st of February he departed for Kemmo, and was received with great kindness by the King of Kaarta, who advised him of the dangers he would be subject to from purfuing his journey, on account of the approaching hoftilities with the King of Bambara. Difregarding this caution, he took the path to Ludamar, a Moorish kingdom, being accommodated with a guide to Jarra, the frontier town of the Moorish territories. (To be continued.) SOME SOME ACCOUNT OF THE HON. JAMES BURNET, OF MONBODDO; THIS very learned and refpectable Judge was the eldest son of Burnet, Efq. of Monboddo, in Kin cardineshire, and was born in the year 1714. After paffing through the ufual courfe of ichool education, he profecuted his ftudies at the univerfities of Aberdeen, Edinburgh, and Leyden, with diftinguished reputa tion. He was admitted an advocate in 1737, and on the 12th of Feb. 1767, he was railed to the bench by the title of Lord Monboddo, in the room of Lord. Milton, appointed a judge the 4th of June 1742, and who had fucceeded Sir John Lauder, of Fountainhall, admitted Nov. 1, 1689, being the third on the bench, in fucceffion fince the Revolution. He married Mifs Farquharfon, a very amiable woman, by whom he had a fon and two daughters. Lord Monboddo is well known to the world as a man of letters. His first publication was "a Differtation on the Origin and Progrefs of Language," in 2 vols. 8vo. 1773; which were followed by four more vols. the laft published not long before his death. In this work, intended chiefly to vindicate the honours of Grecian literature, he afcribes the origin of alphabetical writing to the Egyptians; and strenuously maintains, that the Ouran-Outang is a clafs of the human fpecies, and that his want of fpeech is merely accidental. He also endeavours to establish the reality of the exiftence of Mermaids, and other fictitious animals. He was induced to undertake another work, for the purpofe of defending the cause of Grecian Philofophy; and published, in 5 vols. 4to. just completed in a 6th, a work entitled, "Antient Metaphyfics, which, like the other, is remarkable for a furprising mixture of erudition and genius, with the moft abfurd whim and conceit. : 37 As a Judge, his decifions were found, upright, and learned, and marked with acute difcrimination; and free from thofe paradoxes and partialities which appear in his writings. He attended his judicial duty with indefatigable diligence till within a few days of his death, which happened at his house in Edinburgh May 26. (1799,) at the advanced age of 85. His private life was spent in the practice of all the focial virtues, and in the enjoyment of much domeftic felicity. Although rigidly temperate in his habits of life, he, however, delighted much in the convivial fociety of his friends, and among these he could number almost all the most eminent of those who were diftinguished in Scotland for virtue, literature, or genuine elegance of conversation and manners. One of those who esteemed him the moft was the late Lord Gardenftone, a man who poffeffed no mean portion of the fame overflowing benignity of difpofition, the fame unimpeachable integrity as a judge, the fame partial fondness for litera ture and the fine arts. His fon, a very promifing boy, in whose education he took great delight, was, indeed, snatched away from his affections by a premature death. But, when it was too late for forrow and anxiety to avail, the afflicted father ftifled the emotions of nature in his breast, and wound up the energies of his foul to the firmeft tone of ftoical fortitude. He was, in like manner, bereaved of his excellent lady, the object of his dearest tendernefs; and he endured the lofs with a fimilar firmness, fitted to do honour either to philofophy or to religion. In addition to his office as a Judge in the Court of Seffion, an offer was made to him of a feat in the Court of Justiciary. But, though the emoluments of this would have made a convenient addition to his income, income, he refufed to accept it; left its bufinefs fhould too much detach him from the purfuit of his favourite ftudies. His patrimonial eftate was small; not affording a revenue of more than 300l. a year; yet, he would not raise the rents, would never difmifs a poor tenant for the fake of any augmentation of emolument offered by a richer ftranger; and, indeed, fhewed no particular folicitude to accomplish any improvement upon his lands, fave that of having the number of perfons who fhould refide upon them as tenants, and be there fuftained by their produce, to be, if poffible, fuperior to the population of any equal portion of the lands of his neighbours. The vacation of the Court of Seffion afforded him fufficient leifure to retire every year, in fpring and in autumn, to the country; and he used then to dress in a ftyle of fimplicity, as if he had been only a plain farmer; and to live among the people upon his eftate, with all the kind familiarity and attention of an aged father among his grown up children. Altho' the estate, from the old leafes, did not afford an income of more than three or four hundred pounds a year, he could never raife the rents upon his old tenants, nor difplace an old tenant, to make room for a new one who offered a higher rent. In imitation of fome of the rural economy of fome of the ancients, whom he chiefly admired, he accounted population the true wealth of an eftate, and was defirous of no improvement fo much as of increafing the number of fouls upon his lands, fo as to make greater, in proportion to the extent, than that of thofe upon the estate of any neighbouring landholder. It was there he had the pleasure of receiving Dr. Samuel Johnfon, with his friend James Bofwell, at the time when these two Gentlemen were upon their wellknown Tour through the Highlands of Scotland. Johnfon admired nothing in literature fo much as the difplay of a keen difcrimination of human character, a juft apprehenfion of the principles of moral action, and that vigorous common fenfe which is the moft happily applicable to the ordinary conduct of life. Monboddo delighted in the refinements, the fubtleties, the abftractions, the affectations of literature; and, in comparifon with thefe, defpifed the groffness of modern tafte and of common affairs. Johnfon thought learning and science to be little valuable, except fo far as they could be made fubfervient to the purposes of living ufefully and happily with the world, upon his own terms. Monboddo's favourite fcience taught him to look down with contempt upon all fublunary, and efpecially upon all modern things; and to fit life to literature and philosophy, not literature and philofophy to life. James Bofwell, therefore, in carrying Johnson to vifit Monboddo, probably thought of pitting them one against another, as two game cocks, and promifed himself much fport from the colloquial conteft which he expected to enfue between them. But Monboddo was too hofpitable and courteous to enter into keen contention with a stranger in his own house. There was much talk between them, but no angry controverfy, no exafperation of that diflike for each other's well-known peculiarities with which they had met. Johnfon, it is true, ftill continued to think Lord Monboddo what he called a prig in litera vehicle that was not in common ufe among the ancients, he confidered as an engine of effeminacy and floth, which it was difgraceful for a man to make use of in travelling. To be dragged at the tail of a horse, instead of mounting upon his back, feemed, in his eyes, to be a truly ludicrous degradation of the genuine dignity of human nature. In all his journies, therefore, between Edinburgh and London, he was wont to ride on horseback, with a fingle fervant attending him. He continued this practice, without finding it too fatiguing for his ftrength, till he was upwards of eighty years of age. Within thefe few years, on his return from a laft vifit, which he made on purpose to take leave, before his death, of all his old friends in London, he became exceedingly ill upon the road, and was unable to proceed; and had he not been overtaken by a Scotch friend, who prevailed upon him to travel the remainder of the way in a carriage, he might, perhaps, have actually perifhed by the way fide, or breathed his laft in fome dirty inn. Since that time, he has not again attempted an equestrian journey to London. T In London, his vifits were exceed ingly acceptable to all his friends, whether of the literary or fashionable world. He delighted to fhew himself at Court; and the King is faid to have taken a pleasure in converfing with the old man with a diftinguifh ing notice that could not but be very flattering to him. He ufed to mingle, with great fatisfaction, with the learn ed and the ingenious, at the houfe of Mrs Montague. However, after the death of his friend, Mr Harris, he found a very fenfible diminution of the pleasure he had been wont to enjoy in the fociety of London. A conftitution of body, naturally framed to wear well and laft long, was ftrengthened to Lord Monboddo by exercife, guarded by temperance, and by a tenor of mind too firm to be deeply broken in upon by thofe paflions which confume the principles of life. In the country he has always ufed much the exercises of walking in the open air, and of riding. The cold bath was a means of preferving the health, to which he had recourie in all seasons, amid every severity of the weather, under every inconvenience of indifpofition or bufinefs, with a perfeverance invincible. He has been accuftomed, alike in winter and in fummer, to rife at a very early hour in the morning, and, without lofs of time, to betake himself to ftudy or wholefome exercife. It is faid, that he has even found the use of what he called the air bath, or the practice of occafionally walking about, for fome minutes, naked, in a room filled with fresh and cool air, to be highly falutary. His eldeft daughter became, many years fince, the wife of Kirkpatrick Williamfon, Efq, a Gentleman who holds a refpectable office in the Court of Seffion, and is univerfally beloved and efteemed. His fecond daughter, in perfonal loveliness one of the finest women of the age, was beheld in every public place with general admiration, and was fought in marriage by many fuitors. Her mind was endowed with all her father's benevolence of temper, and with all his tafte for elegant li terature, without any portion of his whim and caprice. It was her chief delight to be the nurfe and the companion of his declining age. It is fhe who is elegantly praised in one of the papers of the Mirror, as rejecting the moft flattering and advantageous opportunities of lettlement in marriage, that the might amufe a father's loneliness, nurse the fickly infirmity of his age and cheer him with all the tender cares of filial affection and felf-denial. Her prefence contributed to draw around him, in his houfe, and at his table, all that was truly refpectable among the youth. of his country. She mingled in the world |