ments of it do not deftroy its utility. Laft year a man, who had abused his power, was cafhiered, on the representation of the people to the bailiff of the district. There are four in Norway; who might with propriety be termed fheriffs; and, from their fentence, an appeal, by either party, may be made to Copenhagen. Near most of the towns are commons, on which the cows of all the inhabitants, indiscriminately are allowed to graze. The poor, to whom a cow is neceffary, are almoft fupported by it. Befides, to render living more eafy they all go out to fish in their own boats; and fish is their principal food. The lower class of people in the towns are in general failors; and the induftrious have ufually little ventures of their own that ferve to render the winter confortable. Account of the Hoozuanas, a wandering tribe of Savages. From le Vaillant's fecond Journey into the Interior of Africa. cer THE Hoozuana is of a very fmall ftature, and he is a tall man among them who reaches five feet (five feet four inches English); but these small bodies, perfectly proportioned, unite with wonderful ftrength and agility a tain air of aifurance, boldness, and pride, which awes the fpectator, and pleafed me infinitely. Of all the tribes of favages which I have known, none has appeared to me endowed with fo active a foul and fo indefatigable a conflitution. Their head, though it has the principal characters of that of the Hottentot, is yet more rounded at the chin. They are alfo much less black, and have that leaden hue of the Malays which, at the Cape, is diftinguished by the name boo guined. Their hair, more frizzled, is fo fhort, that at first I thought them fhaved. Their nofe is ftill flatter than that of the Hottentot; or rather they have no nofe, and the organ in them confifts of two flattened noftrils, projecting, at most, five or fix lines. From this nullity of nofe it refults that the Hoozuana, viewed in profile, is ugly, and very like a monkey. Viewed in front there appears at the first glance fomething very extraordinary,the forehead feeming to occupy more than half of the face. Yet he has fo much expreffion, and fuch large and lively eyes, that notwithftanding this fingular appearance, he is agreeable enough to the view. 1 The heat of the climate freeing him from all neceffity of cloathing, he is quite naked during the whole year, except a very fmall jackalikin tied over his loins by two ftraps, the ends of which fall on his hams. Hardened by this conftant habit of nudity, he becomes fo infenfible to the variations of the atmosphere, that, when he tranfports himself from the burning fands of the plain to the fnows and frofts of the mountains, he seems not to feel the cold. His hut does not refemble that of the Hottentot. It is cut vertically in the middle, fo that one of the Hottentot huts would make two of these. In their emigrations they fuffer the kraal (or encampment), to remain; in order that, if any horde of their nation fhould pafs that way, they might make ufe of it. On the march, the emigrants have no other thelter fhelter for repofe than a mat fufpended and inclined on two sticks; and they frequently fleep on the bare ground, when the projection of a rock ferves them for thelter. If, however, they ftop any where to fojourn for fome time, and find materials for the conftruction of their huts, they then build a kraal; but at their departure, they leave it like all the reft. This cuftom of working for their comrades announces a fociable character, and benevolent difpofitions. In fact, they are not only good hufbands and fathers, but excellent affociates. In the fame kraal, no one appropriates any thing to himfelf, but all belongs to all. When they meet with other bands of the fame nation, they give them a kind reception and protection; in fhort, they treat them as brothers, though perhaps they have never before 1een them. Naturally active and nimble, the Hoozuana makes it his fport to climb the highest mountains and peaks; and this difpofition was of great fervice to me. The ftream on which I was encamped had a coppery tafte, and a naufeous odour, which rendered the water unfit to drink. My cattle, accuftomed to the bad waters of the country, were contented with it; but I was afraid that my people would be injured by it, and would not fuffer them to make use of it. My Hoozuanas had no milk for me, fince they only poffeffed fome poor ftolen cows. I asked them if they knew of any good fpring in the neighbourhood of their kraal to which I could fend my people for water; inftantly, without making any anfwer, they ran to their mountains, and in less than two hours brought all my fkins and veffels full of excellent water. During all the time of my ftay on the fiream, they ren dered me the fame service. One of these journies would have coft a Hottentot a whole day. When they are on an expedition, the want of water does not difquiet them, even in the midst of the deferts. By a particular art, they know how to difcover that which is concealed in the bowels of the the earth; and their kill in this point is even faperior to that of the other Africans. Animals in a like cafe, perceive the water, but it is only by the fcent; and the emanations must be brought by a current of air; confequently the water must be to windward. During my abode in the defert in my first journey, my favages had more than once fhewed the fame faculty; and, inftructed by them, I had alfo acquired it. The Hoozuana, more fkilful, has need only of a fight, He lies on his belly, looks to a diftance, and, if the intermediate space contains any fubterraneous fource, he arifes and points out the place with his finger. That etherial and fubtle exhalation, which afcends from every current of water when not buried too deeply in the earth, fuffices him for the difcovery. As to lakes and other exterior depofits formed by the rains, they have a fenfible evaporation, which points them out to him even when maiked by a mound or hillock. If there be running waters, fuch as brooks and rivers, their abundant vapours enable him to trace all the finuotities of the ftream. The Hoozuana has no other arms arms than a bow and arrow; the Were my project of croffing Africa entirely from north to fouth practicable, it could only be with these Hoozuanas. I am convinced that fifty men of this fober, brave, and indefatigable nation would have fufficed me to effectuate it; and I fhall ever regret having known them too late, and under circumstances in which innumerable misfortunes had compelled me to renounce my design,at leaft for the prefent. Account of the Celebration of a Good A card-party was formed on Friday evening, being the Vendredi Saint, the fingular object of which induces me to mention it. It was held at the apartments of the comteffe de Choifeul, and attended by moft of the fashionable people. Agreeably to the law of the affembly, the gains of the evening were to be difpofed of, at the difcretion of the lady of the house, in purposes of charity. This is a cuftom of ancient eftablishment, An affembly of this nature, where pleafure and religion are combined, muft give birth to many fingular impreffions. No day in the calen dar can wear a more gloomy face, or excite more devotional fentiments in the breast of a catholic, than the day of the crucifixion. Every means are employed to excite fuperftitious horror, and recal to the mind the memory of that darkness which enveloped the face of the earth. All that breathes the air of diffipation must be entirely banished, and amufement fo qualified by motive, and fo chaftifed by aufterity, as to receive the ferious caft of religious exercise. To-morrow is, I understand, the concluding day of this fevere penance: confolation will then be administered to the confciences of the devotees, who will emerge, fully acquitted of all paft guilt, and at liberty to commence a fresh account. The streets, parade and promenades will refume their brilliancy: at prefent, they exhibit a ftriking picture of fpiritual indolence. Superftition has long fince confecrated this week to purposes which are deemed incompatible with fecular occupation. The days being too facred for labour, and too long for devotion, a great part of the time is yawned away in liftless ennui. The confecration of days is a cuftom of barbarous origin; and the pious enthufiafm of the firft Chriftians gave it the fanction of their own obfervance. The church of England, which has had the merit of reftoring to fociety the day and weeks hallowed by bigotry, ftill retains fome few, which the refufes to fecularize,.and which ferve, like the ancient hangings in a modernized manfion, to mark the date of the edifice, and perpetuate the taste of those who undertook its reform. It is plain, the contract between prieft and people in those regions of fuperftition, is very much in favour of the former, though equally to the fatisfaction of each. The latter furrender without reluctance the fruits of their labour to the ufe of the former, who only engage for an undefined retribution --a bright reverfion in the fky-at fome future and diftant period. Account of the alteration produced by the French Revolution at Strafburgh. From the fame. The general complaint at Strafburgh was want of money. Nothing is to be found in circulation but paper and copper. "Tout iroit bien," faid an old man," fi on avoit de l'argent." At all the hops, the greatest apprehenfions are entertained of being paid for their merchandize in paper. This, 2 amongst each other, they are o bliged to admit; but in their intercourfe with ftrangers, they firuggle very hard for fpecie. I turned into the fhop of a marchande de modes to purchase fome articles. The bargain was ftruck, the feveral particulars wrapped up, and I was fearching in my pocket for the money; when obferving me draw out some paper by accident, the laid immediate hold upon the packet I had purchafed, and demanded with hafte, "Allezvous me payer en papier, monfieur?" Si fait," faid I. "Eh hien donc," replied the," je garderai ma marchandife." 1 foon relieved her of the anxiety fhe felt, and brought a glow upon her cheek, by counting out upon the table the fum agreed. This is indeed the greatest-I had almoft faid the only-grievance that I have difcovered among them; and they fcruple not to predict, that the very favourable fale of the national domains will raise the credit of their paper and give them as much money as they have liberty. I muft ailure you, that I found the ftate of the people in this part of France very different from what it had been reprefented. At Manheim and Worms, reports prevailed of the moft ferious tumults now reigning in France; and we were more than once cautioned against trusting ourselves amongst a canaille, who would hang us up at the lamp-poft for a word or a look. This statement has fo little connection with truth, that every thing paffes with the utmoft order; and, fo far as I can judge from obfervation aud report, freedom of remark encounters lefs danger bere than at the court of Manheim. Nothing Nothing could furpass the ftrictnefs which prevailed in every quarter where the fugitive nobility are received; and if I might draw conclufions refpecting the country at large from what I fee around me, restraint of opinion is exiled with thofe who owed to its exiftence their guilty pre-eminence. The day after our arrival was rendered feftive by a new enrol ment of national guards. This was formed out of the citizens above the age of eighteen years, and was effected without the leaft fymptom of diforder. Befide the guard thus regularly embodied, the citizens are feen every evening in different parts of the town, learning, against an emergency, the ufe of arms. It certainly is animating to read, in a thousand confpicuous places, proclamations fetting forth the right of private judgment; allowing to every man the free exercife of his opinion in matters of religion; and establishing to each individual the liberty of adopting that mode of worship he best approves. This would, however, be nugatory and ridiculous, were the flightest encouragement given to contumacy and disorder. This has been faid out of the country; but the contrary has appeared wherever I have enquired. I read upon the door of the cathedral at Strafburg an advertisement, which flated, "That a young man having behaved improperly in the cathedral during the performance of divine fervice; and, after admonition from the centinel, perfifted in a conduct unbecoming the folemnity of the place and occafion, was, by the officers of the police, fentenced to imprisonment for this infult of VOL, XXXVIII. fered to religious worship." This accords but ill with a toleration of diforder. Account of the Public Eating-haules at Vienna. From the fame. IN all these houfes the cuftom is, to give every man his portion feparate; infomuch, that though numbers dine at the fame table, they feldom dine in common. In almost all the dining-houfes here, a bill of fare, containing a vast collection of dishes, is written out, and the prices affixed to each are ticle. As the people of Vienna eat of variety, the calculation at the conclufion of the repaft would appear fomewhat embarraffing; this, however, is done by mechanical habit with great speed. The cuftom is for the party who has dined, to name the dishes, his quantity of bread and wine. The keller, who attends on this occafion, follows every article you name, with the fum which this adds to the calculation; and the whole is performed, to whatever amount, without ink or paper. It is curious to hear this ceremony, which is muttered with great gravity, yet performed with accuracy and difpatch. It is inconceivable how numerous thefe houfes are in Vienna, to which we have in England nothing. that correfponds exactly. There is fomething remarkably pleafant in this mode of living. An evening feldom paffes in thefe houfes without mufic, and the German dances have an air of vivacity and cheerfulnefs fuperior to all others. I have been often regaled by a firolling band at one of thefe houfes; where, deeming myself totally unknown, I was accustomed A a |