The savages think as they please; they eat when they are hungry; they sleep when they are sleepy; they walk ' about when they choose; they do not torment themselves ' about the future, and their labours are their amusements. 'It is true that they have the villainous custom of some'times eating their prisoners.

This is the life of a hog, it will be said; this mode of 'living cannot however be so bad as it may be supposed to be, since three fourths of our noblemen live in the same manner; the difference between them and the savages is, 'that instead, like the latter, of eating their prisoners, they · often consume their creditors.'

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An historical journal of the campaigns in North America for the years 1757, 1758, 1759 and 1760, containing the most remarkable occurrences of that period, particularly the two sieges of Quebec, &c. &c. the orders of the Admirals and general officers, description of countries where the author has served, with their forts and garrisons: their climates, soil, produce, and a regular diary of the weather. As also several manifestoes, a mandate of the late Bishop of Canada, the French orders and dispositions for the defence of the Colony, &c. &c. by Captain John Knox, dedicated by permission to Lieutenant General Sir Jeffery Amherst. London, 1769. Two volumes, 4to. pp. 870. with portraits of Generals Amherst and Wolfe.

These are two heavy tedious volumes. The first one particularly, being principally taken up with a journal of his garrison residence in Nova-Scotia and New-Brunswick, where he was locked up in small forts, from which they could not venture a mile, without risk of attack from the Acadians and savages. The war between the English and French in this quarter, seems to have been carried on by both parties with the utmost barbarity. It had all the horrid features of Indian warfare, plundering, burning, and scalping. The second volume, which narrates the operations before Quebec, the battle in which Wolfe and Montcalm lost their lives, the capture of the city, and the final capitulation of the Marquis de Vaudreuil, and surrender of the Canadas to General Amherst, is interesting in spite of the author.

There are two anecdotes of New-England sailors that are worth transcribing. On their passage from Europe, and being separated from the fleet on the coast of Nova-Scotia, they fell in with a Massachusetts privateer, which at first alarmed them very much, as several prisoners were on the 'deck, dressed in bag wigs and sharp cocked hats,' which had been taken out of a French vessel that the privateer had captured a few days before. The captain offered to pilot them into Halifax, and for this purpose the two vessels kept together. In the afternoon we happily escaped run'ning foul of the privateer by the carelessness of his and 'our helmsmen: the American was immensely terrified, ' and instead of exerting himself as a British tar would do in like imminent danger, fell upon his knees to pray: 'whereupon the captain of our ship was obliged to give di"rections with his speaking trumpet, for the guidance of 'both ships, till at length by exerting the greatest activity, "we cleared him; and this accident gave the New-England " man such a dislike to our company, that he bore away and ' left us. Vol. 1. p. 12.

-The Endeavour narrowly escaped being dashed to pieces against a cliff on the south side of the Bay, which by 'the darkness of the morning and the haziness of the weather, they did not discover, until the vessel's bowsprit ' struck against the rock; it was not however broke, though it was curved; this was early on the 18th, the wind blowing hard at north, with a mountainous sea. The poor NewEngland seamen, according to their custom, were going to prayers, and ready to resign themselves to Providence ; but our soldiers, by the example of their officers, exerted 'themselves very spiritedly and cleared her off.' p. 124.— Tempora mutantur. New-England seamen now put their shoulders to the wheel and pray to Jupiter afterwards. It is impossible to read any English work on the subject of America in former times, without hailing most devoutly the glorious epoch, that redeemed us from colonial degradation.

Praise of his own countrymen and abuse of the enemy, constantly occur in the most vulgar style and manner. There is not a single description worth citing, unless the following may be considered an exception. A soldier of the Highlanders, was this day killed by lightning, and two others were much scorched. The rains in the summer season

' are exceedingly heavy, the thunder inconceivably loud, ' and the lightning most beautifully dreadful.' Vol. 2, p. 344. The work contains all the general orders, proclamations, &c. and has many materials for the history of the memorable campaigns of 1759 and 1760.

A concise account of North America: containing a de scription of the several British Colonies on that continent, including the islands of Newfoundland, Cape Breton, &c. as to their situation, extent, climate, soil, produce, rise, governments, religion, present boundaries, and the number of inhabitants supposed to be in each. Also of the interior or westerly parts of the country, upon the rivers St. Laurence, the Mississipi, Christino and the great lakes. To which is subjoined, an account of the several nations and tribes of Indians, residing in those parts, as to their customs, manners, government, numbers, &c. containing many useful and entertaining facts never before treated of. By Major Robert Rogers. London, 1765, 8vo. pp. 264.

This is the work of an officer, who served in, and travelled over many parts of the extensive regions that he has attempted to describe. It is a compendious, and for the period when it was written, not inaccurate account, of the British colonies. The title-page is a pompous one, but the work is rather a meagre abstract of the history of the Atlantick States, and a brief account of the country bordering on the great lakes and rivers of the west. 'The entertaining facts never before treated of,' are hard to be discovered; perhaps the following conjecture respecting the fogs of Newfoundland may be classed under this head, and as it was adopted by captain Knox, the author of the preceding work, to account for the fogs of Nova-Scotia, it was probably the received theory in military circles at that period.These coasts are observed to be extremely subject to fogs, occasioned by the vapours, which are exhaled from 'the lakes, swamps and bogs, with which the island abounds, 'as is generally supposed: but perhaps is more owing to 'the vast shoals of fish and sea animals which frequent 'these coasts, whose breath, warmth, and motion, occasion vapours to arise from the sea: hence I imagine it is, that,

' notwithstanding the almost perpetual fogs here, the air is 'wholesome and agreeable to most constitutions, which would hardly be the case if they sprung from bogs, swamps, and fresh water lakes.' p. 8. The quantity of knowledge in the world certainly increases, and probably at this time a sergeant-major would hardly attribute the fogs of Newfoundland, to the breathings and gambols of cod fish and porpoises.

The author discovers some warmth in his relation of the practices of Rhode-Island; and this, with the conjecture just quoted, are the only entertaining parts of his work.The form of government here is in all respects the same as in the colony of Connecticut. They are not however so scrupulous in keeping up to the terms of their charter, ' often dispensing with it in some pretty essential points, ' and taking liberties, not only detrimental to the other pro'vinces, but even to the nation; especially in times of war, by carrying on an illicit trade with the enemy, and 'supplying them with the most material articles. This

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they have certainly done with impunity, to my certain knowledge, in the course of the late war, when many scores of vessels went loaded with beef, pork, flour, &c. 'under the pretext of flags, which for a certain consideration could always be procured from their governor; when at the same time perhaps, they carried not more than one or two French prisoners, dividing the crew of one French 'merchantman they had taken, among a whole fleet of flags of truce, laden with articles more welcome to the enemy, than all the prisoners with the ships and cargo they took 'from them. Nor can it be greatly wondered at, that their governor should fall in with so clandestine a method for 'the procurement of a livelihood; when it is considered 'that they allow him but fifty or sixty dollars a year for his 'maintenance: besides, as he is annually elected, so there are always two or more, that are competitors for the gov'ernment; and generally, he that distributes the most cash, ' and gives the best entertainment, let him be merchant, 'farmer, tradesman, or what he will, is the man who obtains a majority of votes, which fixes him in the chair, (death only excepted) for that year. These election expenses generally run high, as each candidate endeavours to excel 'his competitor, and, if all put together, would amount to

a reasonable maintenance, and must be refunded some way or other during his reign, who happens to be elected, and 'provision made to act the same part over again next year.' The author asserts these facts on his own knowledge, but supposing some of them to be exaggerated, this inference at least may be drawn, that incompetent salaries are impoli tick and degrading.

An account of the countries adjoining Hudson's Bay in the north-west part of America; containing a description of their lakes and rivers, the nature of the soil and climates, their methods of commerce, of shewing the benefit to be made by settling Colonies, and opening a trade in these parts; whereby the French will be deprived in a great measure of their traffick in furs, and the communication between Canada and the Mississipi cut off. With an abstract of Capt. Middleton's journal, and observations on his behaviour during his voyage and since his return. To which are added; I. a letter from Bartholomew da Fonte, Vice Admiral of Peru and Mexico, giving an account of his voyage from Lima in Peru, to prevent or seize upon any ships that should attempt to find a north-west passage to the South Sea. II. An abstract of all the discoveries which have been published of the Islands and countries in and adjoining to the great Western Ocean, between America, India and China, &c. pointing out the advantages that may be made, if a short passage should be found through Hudson's streight to that ocean. III. The Hudson Bay Company's Charler. IV. The standard of trade in those parts of America, with an account of the exports and profits made annually by the Hudson's Bay Company. V. Vocabularies of the languages of several Indian nations adjoining to Hudson's Bay. The whole intended to shew the great probability of a north-west passage, so long desired, and which, if discovered, would be of the highest advantages to these kingdoms. By Arthur Dobbs, Esq. London, printed 1744, 4to. pp. 211, with a map. An account of six years residence in Hudson's Bay, from 1730 to 1736, and from 1744 to 1747, by Joseph Robson, late surveyor and supervisor of buildings to the Vol. II. No. 4.

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