berty to about the forty-fifth year; to thofe who are further advanced in life, it fhould be adminiftered fparingly, and with caution. The author has found the application of oxygen to the roots of plants highly beneficial, in reftoring those that are decaying, and accelerating their growth. He thinks also that, adminiftered to fruit-trees, it heightens the flavour of the fruit. He propofes to give a delineation of the apparatus he employs, in applying oxygen to trees, in a fubfequent fafciculus or number, which will contain further experiments on the use of oxygen in the cure of diseases. The cafes and obfervations are illuftrated by plates, reprefenting two children, deformed and crippled by the rickets, with the view of fhowing the advantage they experienced from inhaling the oxygen; and a geranium, fiift as blighted and nearly deftroyed, by being expofed to a cold frosty air, then, from the influence of the gas, full of bloom and vigour.

ART. V. Travels in the Interior of Africa, from the Cape of Good Hope to Morocco, from the Year 1781 to 1797; through Caffraria, the Kingdoms of Mataman, Angola, Maffi, Monomugi, Mufchako, &c. likewife across the Great Defert of Sahara, and the Northern Parts of Barbary. Tranflated from the German of Chriftian Frederick Damberger. Illuf trated by a Map, and coloured Plates. 8vo. 9s. Longman.

1801.

WE

E are anxious, promptly, and we hope effectually, to de our utmoft in checking the circulation of what we cannot help confidering as a molt impudent and fraudulent publication. Some individuals on the continent availing themfelves of the public curiofity, with refpect to books of Travels, in general, and with what concerns Africa in particular, have, we do not the least doubt, from a Map of Africa before them, produced this farrago of falfehood and nonfenfe. Were the account given in the book true, which we are certain it is not, it does not afford one atom either of information or amusement, but is juft fuch ftuff as the moft ignorant of mankind might have put together, from any German Map.

We will infert a few particulars, which not only justify, but eftablish this fufpicion.

The volume confifls of about five hundred pages; of which one half is taken up with defcribing the traveller's journey through Caffaria, a portion of Africa, very well known for

having

having been moft inveftigated. The other half hastily runs through the diameter of Africa, about which every one is anxiously inquifitive, and which, if Mr. Damberger had actually examined, he muft neceffarily have defcribed to the extent, not of half a fcanty octavo volume, but of many entire books.

The compiler, for fuch we must call him, is perpetually inveighing against Europeans in general, and against the Englifh in particular, on account of the part they take in the flave-trade, and impudently and ignorantly afferts, that no Africans would have been made flaves, unlefs Europeans had come into the country. This information he has probably derived from fome ingenious and candid effays on the flavetrade; whereas if he had read fome authentic books, of lefs modern date, he would have found that expeditions for feizing flaves, are as old as the time of Sefoftris.

In one place, he defcribes himself as actually fainting from hunger, but after a fhort interval recovering himself, without having received any nourishment, he walks many miles with a large land-turtle on his back.

He fomewhere lofes himself, by finking fathoms deep in mud, but from this alfo he recovers without fuffocation. The gentleman comes to an inn, in Africa, as regularly as to the Three Kings at Brentford; and, pon many occafions, finds good entertainment for 20 Zimpoes. Whereas honest Poncet informs us that, in the interior of Africa, filver is of no ufe in the way of trade, all is done by exchange of commodities.

The

But in Page 147, Part II. we find Mr. Damberger in the fummit of his glory. He arrives at Kahoratho, and here fees a canal, which is conducted from the river Gambia. compass which he reprefents as having with him, must have been terribly out of order, for Kahoratho happens to be in longitude 42, and the Gambia is in longitude 22, the length therefore of this canal must be 20 degrees, or 1400 miles. If this be not in the ftyle of Munckhaufen, we know not what is. From this part therefore we will make a fhort extract.

"Here I chose to remain, because I perceived that it would not be poffible for me to reach the town of Bahahara, it ftill being three or four leagues diftant.-On the the 10th, in the forenoon, I came to that town; where I was immediately taken in custody by fix foldiers, and carried to the dwelling-place of the king. But he fent word to the guard, that, as he could not fpeak with me that day, they must take me back, and keep a ftrict watch over me. Accordingly, I was conveyed to a goat-hut, and prefented with victuals and drink in abundance.Next morning an order came to bring me to the king; I followed,

and

and was brought before him. At my entrance a variety of questions were put to me by one of his minifters *; namely: Wherefore was Į come into that country?-Whether I had brought the king any prefents?-Whither I intended to proceed?-And whether I was a chriftian? I answered, that I had thought it the nearest and also the safest way to travel through that country; that I was an unfortunate mariner who had lost all his property, and no christian; neither did I require any farther affistance than quarters for the night, and, if it were poffible, meat and drink for one day; but that if my prefence were difagreeable to the king, I was ready to quit the town immediately. On receiving orders to remain, as the king wanted to have fome conference with me himself, I was taken back to my hut, and again fupplied with meat and drink. I lived very comfortably here till the 14th, eating, drinking, and fleeping; but now my affairs took another turn. An officer fetched me from where I was, and conveyed me to the flave-hut; where, on the fucceeding morning, I was obliged to rife very early, and, by command of the overfeer, firft feed the horses, then prefs dates, and, at laft, carry the implements for hunting, fuch as a fpear, two fowling-pieces, and a water-veffel, into the foreft. Thefe offices, however, I retained only a few days. For once, as I was carrying the king's guns into the foreft, I examined them. The king obferving this, afked why I examined them. I answered, to fee, as they were in a very bad condition, whether they could not be repaired. The locks probably had not been unfcrewed and oiled for fome years, and were therefore all over ruft. The king, perceiving me thoughtful, afked whether I would put his arms in better order; on my replying in the affirmative, he faid, that I fhould have another dwelling, and more conveniencies, that very day.--I have remarked above, that in the country of Bahahara, and the adjacent parts, it is cuftomary for people to travel about on purpose to clean arms, and repair them when damaged. It may therefore be thought that my pre." tending to work in this way was fuperfluous; but, for clearing up this matter, I muft mention what follows: A few years before my arrival, the king of Haouffa declared war against the king of Bahahara, and did him confiderable mifchief. The armourers, as I may call them, had just at that time been putting the arms of the latter king in good condition, and were about to go away, when the king fent them orders not to depart, but to abide in his capital, that they might not furbish and repair the arms of his enemies. Refolving, however, to go, as there was no more to be earnt in that place, the king ordered them to be arrested and thrown into prifon, from which they were not to be delivered till the termination of the war. From that time forth they have never come into the country, notwithstanding the king has made them large promifes.-That very evening a roomy hut was alligned

"The king understood my language; but from ftatelinefs, chofe to talk with me through his minifter, as he only fpeaks with his officers and great men by his own mouth: and it was a teftimony of extreme grace and condefcenfion in him, afterwards, to converse personally with me,"

me,

me, adjoining to what is called the palace or the king; I had victuals and drink brought me whenever I chofe, and was waited on by a flave. I took my own time, worked very leifurely; but what I did was therefore of the more importance. On the third day I prefented the king with the firft repaired fowling-piece, on which I was loaded with encomiums, and difmiffed with affurances of the royal favour.After a fhort time I was again fent for by the king, who commiffioned me to rectify the damaged arms of all the foldiers, and likewife to furnish fome of the foldiers with directions to enable them in future to repair their own arms. In regard to the former I could not give him a fatisfactory anfwer; reprefenting to him that, as I was not able to make new locks and triggers, it would be impoffible for me to repair all the arms; but fuch as were within my ability fhould be done. He was fatisfied with my remonftrances, faying, that he did not require of me more than to do what I could, as the arms without locks and trig gers might still be of fervice. I, fome time afterwards, informed myfelf how this could be, and was told, that the foldiers who went with fuch arms to war, fired them by applying burning wood or glowing embers to the pan.-I had now a very good time of it, working at my own option, and at leifure hours ftrolling about the town, in order to make acquaintances, and to study the manners, customs, and ceremonies of the country. I not unfrequently attended the king to the chace, and found it a very agreeable paftime. The king repeatedly urged me to take a wife; nay, he even feemed difpofed to cede to me one of his four hundred concubines; but I diverted him from his purpose by telling him that I had already a wife and three children in my own country, whom, if he would permit me, I would go and fetch hither. At the beginning of March 1788 the king informed me, that the time was drawing nigh when he fhould leave. Bahabara, on account of the bad water at that feafon, and repair to Kahoratho, where a canal was conducted from the river Gambia, yielding fresh and good water. It was eafy for me to imagine that he would command me to 'attend him; and I therefore came to the refolution, either with his confent, or privily, to purfue my journey from that place. Two days previous to the king's departure, I actually received orders to get my elf in readiness to let out with him. Thanking the king for his gracious commands, and for the confidence he repofed in me, I at the fame time requested him to give ne leave to fet forward on my way home, that I might be back again with him before the rainy feafon came on." How many days journey haft thou to thy home?" interrogated the king.-I anfwered, "More than thirty."-" I will give thee two trufty perfons to accompany thee thither and back again."

That favour I cannot accept; firit, because I could not maintain thefe people on the road, and again, becaufe the arrival of them in my country would attract fo much obfervation, as would induce my king to put me in prifon, to prevent me from returning; fince it is my bufinefs there, as I have done here, to keep the guns of my king in good order; confequently I could not leave him by day, but muft contrive to come clandeftinely away by night, in order to return to thee."-By thefe arguments the king was moved to grant me permif fion fhortly to take my departure.-On the 13th we fet out from Ba

hahara,

hahara, in full court-ftate, namely, with twenty priests, four hundred men on foot, two hundred horfemen, and about a hundred wives of the king. Bahahara is upwards of a league in length, and about three quarters of a league in breadth, has few houfes, though a great many huts conftructed of rufes and palm-leaves, and having the lower parts plaiftered with mortar. The town is furrounded by a double pali fade, contains about a hundred temples very badly built, fcarcely better than the huts, and has four ftreets formed by the difpofition of the huts into five rows. The palace, like the few houfes, confifts only of one ftory, but is extremely fpacious, comprifing the fixth part of the whole town. It is inclofed by a wall built of flints and pieces of rock, five feet high, three feet thick, and very irregular. In the court of the palace ftand nine detached buildings, inhabited by the priests, the concubines and officers. On the north fide of it is a quadrangle furrounded with ftones, in which the horfes belonging to the horsemen on guard, ftand at night. The king's manfion is on the fouth-fide, and confifts of four apartments, which among us would be called ftables. One of them I plaiftered with mortar, painting it à green colour from young palm-leaves and the juice of tamarinds, at which the king was extremely pleafed.-In the town are two market-places: one not far from the palace, for fruits and corn; the other on the weft fide of the town, where fish, fowl, and other animals are fold and bartered. The merchants, of whom here are ten or twelve, make Mondays and Wednesdays, according to our divifion of the week, their principal days of business, when they publicly hang out on bare poles fuch commodities as they have for fale. Every year likewife two great fairs are held, to which foreign merchants are faid to come from the diftance even of twenty days journey. As neither of them happened during the time of my ftay, I can fay nothing farther about them." P. 142.

The reader will perceive, that Tombuctoo is here called Tambuka. A little further on, this traveller comes to Silla ;. with refpect to the fituation of which place, he differs totally from Mungo Park. This gentleman, whofe veracity has been never called in queftion, places Silla upon the Niger, and to the fouth-west of Tombuctoo; whereas, Mr. Damberger rcprefents it far from the Niger, and to the north-east of Tombuctoo.

We could eafily add a confiderable number of other blunders and abfurdities, but we think what we have produced will be fufficient to fatisfy the reader of the juftice of our determination. They incline us at leaft to be of the fame opinion with a facetious reader, who intimated that there must furely be a mistake in the name of the author, and that, for Damberger, we should read Humberger.

ART.