1 to bring it to a happy conclufion. But no human prudence can guard against the dangers of the ocean, the confpiring elements, or deftructive rocks; and unforeseen accidents often render the beft concerted voyages abortive. After quitting the veffels, M. de Leffeps departed from St. Peter and St. Paul on the 7th of October, 1787, accompanied by several Ruffian gentlemen, four ferjeants, and a like number of foldiers, and pursuing his route through Yakoutsk and Irkoutsk, near the lake Baikal, proceeded to Tobolfk, the capital of Siberia, from which he travelled to Petersburgh, and thence to Paris, where he arrived on the 17th of October, 1788. As M. de Leffeps undertook this journey neither for pleasure nor to make difcoveries, the reader muft not expect in it that information or entertainment which is generally fought for in books of travels. He himself seems to have been fenfible of this, for he very modeftly gives it the title of a Journal; but he has made fuch obfervations on the countries through which he paffed, and the manners and customs of the inhabitants, as time and circumftances would permit. That our readers may judge for themselves we shall give a few extracts from the work. The people of Kamtfchatka,'. fays M. de Leffeps, < are of a mild and hofpitable difpofition; they are neither thieves nor robbers; and they even poffefs fo little cunning, that one may eafily deceive them by taking advantage of their fondness for ftrong liquors. They live together in the greatest harmony; and it appears that they are the more induced to this on account of the smallness of their number. This union leads them to affift each other mutually in their labours; and this is no small proof of their defire to oblige, if we confider their natural lazinefs, which is very great. An active life to them would be insupportable; and the greateft happiness, in their opinion, next to that of getting drunk, is to have nothing to do, and to enjoy themselves in indolence. This disposition is so powerful amongst these people, that it makes them neglect the ineans of providing the neceflaries of life; whole families may fometimes in winter be seen reduced to the extremity of want, because they did not give themselves the 'trouble, during the fummer feafon, to lay up a proper provifion of fish, which is almoft their only nourifhment. If they thus forget what concerns their existence, it may be readily concluded that they are equally careless with respect to cleanliness, which appears neither in their persons nor their habitations; on the contrary, we may reproach them with being exceedingly dirty. Notwithstanding this flovenliness, and other natural faults, we are obliged to regret that their number is fo inconfiderable; for, from what I have feen, and what was confirmed to me by feveral people, if you wish to meet with sentiments fentiments of honour and humanity, you must fearch for them among the real Kamtschadales; they have not yet bartered their rude virtues for the polished vices of the Europeans fent thither to civilife them.' Moft travellers have obferved that favage nations become profligate and degenerate in proportion to the intercourse which they have with the Europeans. Mr. Vaillant, who lately returned from travelling into the interior parts of Africa, remarks the fame thing when speaking of the Hottentots, and, by contrafting the character of different tribes, fhews the vaft difference there is between those who live under the Dutch government, and those to whom its influence has never yet been extended. The following reflections of M. de Leffeps ftill tend to confirm this affertion At Belcheretsk I first began to perceive the effects of their influence. I saw there, in fome measure, the traces of European manners ftill remaining among the inhabitants, in their motley race, in their idim, in the conformation of their features, as well as in their difpofition and manner of living, which do not always announce a great flock of virtue. This remarkable difference between them and the original inhabitants arifes only from an introduction towards civilifation; and the following are the reasons upon which I found my opinion: • Bolcheretik was not long ago the capital of Kamtschatka, especially from the time that the governors thought proper to eftablish their refidence there. The chiefs and their attendants carried thither the European manners and cuftoms: it is well known that these are generally changed when tranfmitted; and this change becomes more perceptible in proportion to the diftance from their fource to which they are diffused; but it is to be hoped that the Ruffian government will, as much as is poffible, entrust its authority, and the execution of its orders, to officers only of approved merit, if I may judge from those who are there at prefent; and if this precaution be taken, it is to be prefumed that thefe officers, in the places where they refide, will give no examples but such as display the virtues, knowledge, and other eftimable qualities of civilifed people.' The fair fex, in all ages, have been fond of pleasure; and this paffion is confined to no country or climate. It appears under the fcorching beams of the tropical fun, and is not checked by the cold atmosphere of the northern regions. Those of Bolcheretsk, according to our author's account, are not deficient in this respect. With regard to the women of Bolcheretfk,' continues he, who came to our affemblies, and who, for the most part, were (of a mixed breed, or born of Ruffian parents, I obferved that their faces in general were not difagreeable. I even faw, fome who might be accounted pretty; but the freshness of their com plexions does not continue long; and it is doubtless their bringing forth children, or the fevere labour to which they are fubjected, that makes them thus wither almoft in the flower of their age. They are of a cheerful difpofition, and extremely lively, perhaps a little at the expence of decency; they seek of their own accord to amufe thofe among whom they are, by every expedient that mirth and joy can fuggeft; they are alfo fond of finging, and the found of their voice is foft, and far from being difpleating; it is only to be wished that their mufic had not fo great a refemblance to the climate, or that it approached nearer to ours. They speak both the Ruffian and Kamtschadale languages; but they all preferve the accent of the latter. I did not expect to fee the Polish dances here, and still less country dances in the English tafte. Who would believe that the ladies here had any idea of the minuet? Whether it was that my being at fea for twenty-fix months had rendered me lefs difficult, or that the remembrance of former fcenes, which this spectacle revived, had fascinated my eyes, I thought thefe dances executed with more precision and grace than I could have imagined. The dancers of whom I fpeak carry their vanity fo far as to dif dain the songs and dances of the Kamtschadales. In order to finish my obfervations upon thefe balls, I must say, that the women are not negligent in their drefs; they ornament themselves with the most elegant articles which they poffefs, or confider as of the greatest value. Thefe dreffes of ceremony confift principally of ilk; and, from what I have written on their commerce, they muft coft very dear. I fhall here add a remark, which I had an opportunity of making both in these affemblies and in those of the Kamtfchadales, at which I was afterwards prefent: It is that the greater part of the husbands, whether Ruffians or natives, do not appear to be jealous; they readily shut their eyes on the conduct of their wives, and are very indifferent on this point.' We fhall conclude our extracts from this work, the style of which we cannot call either elegant or correct, with an account of the manner in which the Kamtfchadales hunt bears: They attack them various ways, and fometimes lay fnares for them. Under a heavy trap, fupported by a pretty high fcaffold, they place a bait of fome kind or other to attract the bear, which no fooner fmells it than he approaches to devour it; by doing this the animal shakes the feeble fupporter of the trap, which, falling upon his neck, punishes his voracity by crushing his head, and fometimes his whole body. In paffing through the woods I have feen many of them caught in this kind of trap, which remains fufpended until a bear is killed by it; and a year often expires before that happens. This manner of hunting bears, it may be faid, neither requires a great share of courage, nor fubjects the hunters to great fatigue; but there is another method employed in this country, for which both ftrength and courage are neceffary. Whether accompanied or alone, a Kamtschadale fets out in queft of a bear, with no other arms but his fufee, a kind of carabine, the but-end of which is very small, a lance, and his knife. All his provifions are confined to a packet, containing about a fcore of dried fish; and with this flender provifion he penetrates into the thickest woods, and fearches fuch places as are frequented by the animal: He generally posts himself among fome bufhes, or the reeds that grow on the borders of lakes and rivers, where he boldly waits. with patience; if neceffary he will remain thus on the watch for a whole week, until a bear makes his appearance, and as foon as he perceives him, he fixes in the earth a forked stick, in order to fupport his mufquet. By the help of this stick he is enabled to hold his piece with more fteadiness, and to take a furer aim. Though he uses only a fmall bullet, he feldom fails to hit the animal, either in the head or the shoulders, which are the moft fenfible parts; but he must instantly reload, for if the bear does not fall on the first discharge, he rushes furiously on the hunter, before he has time to fire again. In such a cafe he has recourfe to his lance, in order to defend himself from the animal; but his life will be in great danger if he does not mortally wound the bear; and it may be readily conceived that in these combats the hunter is not always the conqueror. This, however, does not prevent the inhabitants from expofing themfelves in them almost every day, though they frequently fee others perish. They cannot fet out upon a hunting excurfion of this kind without reflecting that they must either conquer or die; but the idea of this fevere alternative neither intimidates nor checks them.' We obferve that an English translation of this work is adver→ tifed to be published. MONTHLY CATALOGUE MONTHLY ART. 12. For MAY 1790. MISCELLANEOUS. Female Characters in Married Life; an Epigrammatic Sa tire. Humbly addressed to the Wife without a Fault. 4to. 2s. 6d. Stalker. London, 1790. TH HIS poem is, in many parts, much too coarfe for the politer circles, which is the more to be lamented because it abounds in paffages neither deficient in point, or deftitute of force. As a fpecimen, we have felected the following from the various characters of wives pourtrayed by this ingenious fatirist: Little accomplishments are dangerous things; ; Who blows Fame's trumpet at the fmalleft end, ENG. REV. VOL. XV. MAY. 1790. Bb There |