of Indian princesses) he passed his time pleasantly, though expensively, At length, being heartily tired of bis Danish captain, who had cheated him in every possible manner, he submitted to the loss of his passage money, and embarked the 29th of September, on board an English South Sea whaler. The superiour comforts of this ship he praises highly, though he still seems to have had some apprehensions; "it being the practice of Europe, that whenever the ships of two enemies meet at sea, the most powerful carries his adversary with him into one of his own ports, and there sells both ship and cargo for his own advantage."

Of St. Helena he gives one of the best descriptions we have yet seen; and relates to a fearful battle, which his captain had, in a former voyage, sustained with a number of marine animals, " of a size between a horse and an ass, which they call seahorses." He notices in his course, "the Fortunate Isles, whence the Mohammedans

commence their

longitude;" and the "entrance into the Mediterranean sea, which runs east as for as Aleppo." And being driven by unfavourable winds from the English channel (the meaning of which term he explains, as well as that of "bay and sea") he anchored on the 6th of December in the cove of Cork.

"We found here not less than 40 or 50 vessels of different sizes, three of which were ships of war. The bay resembles a round basin, sixteen miles in circumfer ence. On its shore is situated the town, which is built in the form of a crescent, and defended at each end by small forts. On one side of the bay, a large river, resembling the Ganges, disembogues itself. This river extends a great way inland, and passes by the city of Cork. The circular form of this extensive sheet of water, the verdure of the hills, the comfortable ap. pearance of the town on one side, and the number of elegant houses and romantick cottages on the other, with the formidable aspect of the forts, and so many large ships lying securely in the harbour, con

veyed to my mind such sensations as I had never before experienced; and al though in the course of my travels, I had an opportunity of seeing the bay of Ge noa, and the straights of Constantinople, I do not think either of them is to be compared with this." vol. i. pp. 94, 95.

Nor, though the cove on a nearer view disappointed him, did he fail to be delighted with the fertility of the neighbourhood, and the hospitality of the mistress of the postoffice, whose mature charms (for though the mother of 21 children, she had still the appearance of youth) astonished the inhabitant of a country, where a woman is old at five and twenty.

It is a pleasing circumstance in this Persian's journal, that in every part of our united kingdom, he met with hospitality and kindness. He here left his vessel, and was proceeding to Dublin to wait on lord Cornwallis, when he received a visit from an officer whom he had known

in India, and who conducted him to his house in the neighbourhood of Cork, where, on an estate of a few

hundreds a year, he was enjoying, as Abu Taleb assures us, more comfort and plenty than an English gentleman could in India, upon an income of a lack of rupees. At Cove, he had seen a spit turned by a dog, but here the machinery for roasting was moved by smoke, and together with the dressers for holding china, and the pipes and arrangement of a steam kitchen, excited his warmest admiration. This officer had two fair neices, who, "during dinner," says the Mussulman, "honoured me with the most marked attention."

"After dinner, these angels made tea for us, and one of them having asked me if it was sweet enough, I replied, that having been made by such hands, it could not but be sweet. On hearing this, all the company laughed, and my fair one blushed like the rose of Damascus." v. i. p. 103:

We shall not follow him minutely through his journey by Dublin and

Chester, to London; we must however observe, that in the former place, where he spent some time, he first beheld the phenomenon of a fall of snow, which greatly delighted him by its novelty, and that he was quite reconciled to the coldness of the climate, by the power it gave him to bear fatigue, and by the many advantages which it confers on the inhabitants; making, as he asserts, the men vigorous, the women handsome, and both sexes open-hearted and sincere. "Boys and girls of fif teen years of age, are here as innocent," in the Persian's opinion," as the children of India of 5 or 6, and have no wish beyond the amusement of play-things, or the produce of a pastry-cook's shop." Nay, many grown persons of wealth and rank are, as he assures us, in an almost similar predicament!

"What I am now to relate, will, I fear, not be credited by my countrymen, but is,

nevertheless, an absolute fact. In these

countries, it frequently happens, that the ponds and rivers are frozen over; and the ice being of sufficient strength to bear a great weight, numbers of people assemble thereon, and amuse themselves in skating." vol. i. p. 147.

On the whole, he seems more delighted with Ireland, than with any other place which he visited, and manifests a very natural preference of the urbanity, good nature, and intelligence of these, his first European friends, over all other nations. Some of the traits which he mentions are, indeed, really national, and show in a strong light the peculiar character of that hospitable and good natured race; but it must not be forgotten, that here every thing was new, and that consequently all the amusements of which he partook were more attractive in his eyes. Here, for instance, he was first at a theatre, where he received the greatest entertainment from the adventures of an "Ethiopian magician called Harlequin." Mr. Astley's horsemanship, and the Panorama of

Gibraltar, gave him great delight; but he was rather scandalized than pleased with the estimation, approaching to idolatry, in which statues of lead and marble are held.

"It is really astonishing that people possessing so much knowledge and good sense, and who reproach the nobility of Hindoostan with wearing gold and silver ornaments like women, should be thus tempted by Satan to throw away their mo ney on useless blocks." Vol. i. p. 129.

Of the meanness of the hot baths

he bitterly complains; and though he expresses a pious hope that the flesh brush was composed of horse hair, yet a doubt seems lurking in his mind, that its bristles were shorn from a less holy animal. He noticed, on his road froin Holyhead, Conway, with its ancient walls resembling those of Allahabad; and Chester, with the verandahs which line the principal streets; and on the 25th of Shaban, corresponding to the 21st of January, 1800, arrived safe in London, being five days short of a lunar year from the period of his leaving Calcutta.

In London he appears to have chiefly remained during the rest of his stay in England. He made, indeed, an excursion with some friends to Windsor, Oxford, and Blenheim; and at the second of these places was greatly delighted with the 10,000 oriental manuscripts in the Bodleian, and the different specimens in the anatomy school. The publick buildings, he observes, are "of hewn stone, and much resemble, in form, some of the Hindoo temples."

But not all these wonders, nor even the charms of Mr. Hastings's dairy and farm yard, could long detain him from London, where, with a naïveté almost equal to that of Mr. Ker Porter, "Cupid," he observes, "had planted one of his arrows in his bosom;" and whose "heart-alluring damsels" he celebrated in a Persian ode, in which he asserts:

"We have no longing for the Tubah, or Sudreh, or other trees of Paradise, We are content to rest under the shade of these terrestrial cypresses.”

Abu Taleb seems, indeed, notwithstanding his horrour of hog's bristles, to have been soon very completely reconciled to the habits and liquors of infidels, and, "according to the advice of the divine Hafiz," to have given himself up to love and gayety.

It may be well imagined, that the head of a man, who had been so far elated by the attentions of the provincial beauties of Cork, would be completely turned by the blandishments of rank, fashion and luxury which surrounded him in London; and it is truly amusing to observe the complacency with which he relates how much his society was courted, while his "wit and repartees, with some impromptu applications of oriental poetry, were the subject of conversation in the politest circles."-Poor Abu! he little suspected that all the while he was only entertaining from the Caftan outwards.

In the middle, however, of dissipation, more serious studies were not neglected. He saw the tower, and the freemasons, and the Eidouranion, and the Irish giant; and amidst all the curiosities of the British museum, selected, as most worth notice, the good woman whose forehead was decorated with horns. And though the slight mention of the joys of Paradise, and his ready compliance with the use of wine, may be considered as blots in his character among the True Believers, yet, on the other hand, he takes care to inform those of his own faith, that, in a conversation with an English bishop, he stoutly main tained the divinity of Mohammed's commission, and almost, as he imagined, persuaded his right reverend friend to embrace the tenets of Islam. There are, however, many better things in his book, and which VOL. V.

N

really evince an active and curious and, when acquired, able to digest mind, bent on acquiring knowledge, it. The following observation would not be, perhaps, unworthy of the most civilized and philosophick describer of the effects of English mechanism.

"On entering one of the extensive ma. nufactories in England, the mind is at first bewildered by the number and variety of articles displayed therein; but after recovering from this first impression, and having coolly surveyed all the objects around, every thing appears conducted with so much regularity and precision, that a person is induced to suppose one of the meanest capacity might superintend and direct the whole process. Whatever requires strength or numbers, is effected by engines; if clearness of sight is wanted, magnifying glasses are at hand; and if deep reflection is necessary to combine all the parts, whereby to ensure a unity of action, so many aids are derived from the numerous artists employed in the different parts of the work, that the union of the whole seems not to require any great exertion of genius." Vol. i. pp. 244, 245.

In his miscellaneous observations on the English character, education, and form of government, we are often forcibly reminded of the Spanish worthy, to whose travels we lately alluded; and it is no slight praise to the author of that entertaining work, that the sentiments which he gives to his hero are so nearly the same with those of a traveller to whom all was new. The praise which he lavishes on all the higher powers, however deserved, is not, perhaps, free from suspicion, since at the time of publishing his Persian journal, he was still subject to British governours, and still a candidate for British patronage. But the detail is curious; and though he taxes us pretty smartly with pride, philosophy (meaning atheism) and laziness (for which last vice he recommends as a cure, shorter meals and longer beards) yet the impressions which he evidently feels are most flattering to our nation.

It is, of course, impossible that his views of every subject should be just; and we find, accordingly, that many misconceptions relating to laws, juries, and government, are to be found in every part of his work; and when he compares a certain honourable house to two parties of parroquets, scolding on opposite mango trees, it is evident that he describes from fancy. But though he is often misinformed, he is seldom absurd; and, in truth, we are not sure whether his journal would not be more entertaining, if it had more of the oriental leaven. The following observation, however, may be excepted from this stigma. He is speaking of an unfortunate class of females, whom he considers as more numerous in London than the truth, we believe, will warrant.

"The conduct of these women is rendered still more blamable, by their hiring lodgings in, or frequenting streets which, from their names, ought only to be the abode of virtue and religion; for instance, 'Providence street,' 'Modest court, St. James's street,' 'St. Martin's lane,' and 'St. Paul's Church yard. The first of these is one of the epithets of God, the second implies virtue, and the others are named after the holy apostles of the blessed Messiah. Then there is Queen Anne street,' and 'Charlotte street;' the one named after the greatest, the other after the best of queens. I, how ever, think that the persons who let the lodgings are more reprehensible than the unfortunate women themselves." Vol. ii.

pp. 45, 46.

His summary of the last war, and of the politicks of Europe, though not free from errour, is really, considering his situation, extraordinary; and we rejoice that such an account, from an impartial quarter, of British heroism by land and sea, exists in the universal language of the East. It would be, in our opinion, an object worthy of an enlightened policy, by the aid of the press, to give currency in every possible manner to the original, both in Persia and Hindoostan. There are some few

things which are offensive to Eng lish nationality; but we may well endure, that, where so much is said in our favour, some blame should be mingled; and, at any rate, a clear and sensible view of the manners of Europe, as it may tend to reconcile the nations of the east to a preponderance, which must be chiefly supported by opinion, is of the greatest advantage to the country which has the greatest stake there.

Of Paris, which the author next visited, as compared to London, we have already given his sentiments; but it is fair to own, that he expresses, in pretty strong terms, his preference of French to English politeness. He had complained before of our aversion to taking any trouble, even for a friend; and in this respect he says our neighbours are very superiour "to the irritable and surly Englishman." On the whole, however, he did not like a residence among them, and complains heavily of their idle, slovenly, and trifling habits, which he thinks will effectually prevent their gaining a superiority over their insular neighbours. The women, too, he does not like: "They were painted to an excessive degree, were very forward, and great talkers." Amorous as he confesses himself by nature to be, and easily affected at the sight of beauty, he never met with a Frenchwoman who interested him. In the English charge des affaires then at Paris, he seems, if his report is correct, to have had a tolerable specimen of the indolence, nonchalance, and utter want of information, which too often characterize the young men who fill that important office. By his advice he was persuaded to abandon the usual road to Constantinople, through Germany and Hungary, for the more tedious course of Italy and the Mediterranean. The ever-waking eye, which is turned so wistfully towards the east, did not overlook our tourist; the scavans, Langlais and De Sacy, were em

ployed to cultivate his acquaintance; and he received repeated invitations from Talleyrand, and at length from Buonaparte. Indisposition, however, prevented his accepting them, and he passed on by Lyons and Avignon to Marseilles. During this journey he noticed the famous bridge of St. Esprit, as having been built by order of one of the Cesars; and in the diligence, between Avignon and Marseilles, witnessed a kind of brutality in his fellow passengers to a handsome Egyptian girl who was in the coach, which it is painful to conceive possible in any country, and which may be safely pronounced peculiar to France. Not content with the most licentious freedoms, they even snatched his cane, and struck her several severe blows with it. Surely this was enough to make Abu Taleb recall his assertion of the superiority of French politeness and delicacy.

Genoa, Leghorn, and Malta, are in their turn described. At the first of these places he gives us a natural testimony in favour of Italian musick. Leghorn he did not like, and prays that "the curse of God may light on such a city and such a people."

At Constantinople he only found four praiseworthy institutions; "the boats"" the horses kept for hire" -"the publick fountains" and "the several bazars for merchandise." Of the Turks he says but little; his stay in Constantinople was short, and they and the Persians have no liking for each other. He allows them, however, many amiable qualities; and, what is singular, does not consider the power of their Sul

notice, or his own, are the shrines and tombs of saints on the road. Perhaps he was a little anxious to efface, at the sepulchre of Ali, the guilt of his compliances with infidel customs, on the banks of the Thames and the Liffey. He curses the Turks heartily for hereticks and soonys; and notices a minaret which shakes and trembles at the name of Ali, while it remains immovable by all possible mention of Omar. There are, however, many particulars in this part of his work, worth the attention of future travellers, who may take this little frequented route; and we have not yet seen a more satisfactory account than is here given of the Vahabies. The founder of this powerful sect, Abdul Vechab, it is well known, forbad all worship of Mohammed, and all reverence to tombs and shrines as idolatrous, and giving partners to God. He was, like the original impostor of Arabia, a warlike fanatick; and though his son Mohammed, to whom he transmitted his authority, is blind, he is ably supported by an adopted brother of his father's, named Abd al Aziz, an extraordinary man, of gigantick sta ture, and, though eighty years old, possessing all the vigour of youth, which he predicts he shall retain, till the Vahaby religion is perfectly established over Arabia.

Although the Vahabies have collected immense wealth, they still retain the ration in their desires. They sit down on greatest simplicity of manners, and modethe ground without ceremony, content themselves with a few dates for their food, and a coarse large cloak serves them for clothing and bed, for two or three years. Their horses are of the genuine Nejid breed, of well known pedigrees; none of their country." vol. ii. pp. 332, 333. which will they permit to be taken out of

The successes and sacrilege of this "wicked tribe" grievously offend Abu Taleb, and he calls on the Sultan and the Shah to unite in repressing them. Both Sultan and Shah, however, have need, as it