was the more furprized, as not knowing how he could merit fuch inveterate malice. All the friends of the family were convened; it was univerfally agreed, tnat it was a moft terrible affair, and that the government fhould be folicited to offer a reward and a pardon: a fellow of this kind would go on poisoning family after family; and it was impoffible to say where the deftruction would end. In pursuance of these determinations the government was applied to; ftrict fearch was made after the incendiary, but all in vain. At last, therefore, they recollected that the experiment was not yet tried upon the dog; the Dutch maftiff was brought up, and placed in the midst of the friends and relations, the feal was torn off, the pacquet folded up with care, and foon they found, to the great furprize of all-that the dog would not eat the letter. Adieu.

LETTER CVII.

TO THE SAME.

I HAVE frequently been amazed at the ignorance of almost all the European travellers, who have penetrated any confiderable way Eaftward into Afia. They have been influenced either by motives of commerce or piety, and their accounts are such as might reafonably be expected from men of very narrow or very prejudiced education, the dictates of fuperftition or the refult of ignorance. Is it not furprizing, that in fuch a variety of adventurers not one fingle philofopher fhould be found? for as to

the

the travels of Gemelli, the learned are long agreed that the whole is but an impofture.

There is fcarcely any country how rude or uncultivated foever, where the inhabitants are not poffeffed of fome peculiar fecrets either in Nature or art, which might be tranfplanted with fuccefs; in Siberian Tartary, for inftance, the natives extract a ftrong spirit from milk, which is a fecret probably unknown to the chymifts of Europe. In the moft favage parts of India they are poffeffed of the fecret of dying vegetable fubftances fcarlet ; and of refining lead into a metal which for hardnefs and colour is little inferior to filver; not one of which fecrets but would in Europe make a man's fortune. The power of the Afiatics in producing winds, or bringing down rain, the Europeans are apt to treat as fabulous, because they have no inftances of the like nature among themselves; but they would have treated the fecrets of gunpowder, and the mariner's compafs in the fame manner, had they been told the Chinese used such arts before the invention was common with themselves at home.

Of all the English philofophers I moft reverence Bacon, that great and hardy genius; he it is who allows of fecrets yet unknown; who, undaunted by the feeming difficulties that oppofe, prompts human curiofity to examine every part of Nature, and even exhorts man to try whether he cannot subject the tempeft, the thunder, and even earthquakes to human control; O did a man of his daring fpirit, of his genius, penetration and learning travel to thofe countries which have been vifited only by the fuperftitious and mercenary, what might not mankind expect how would he enlighten the regions to which he travelled! And what a variety of know

ledge

ledge and useful improvement would he not bring back in exchange!

There is probably no country fo barbarous, that would not difclofe all it knew, if it received from the traveller equivalent information; and I am apt to think, that a perfon, who was ready to give more knowledge than he received, would be welcome wherever he came. All his care in travelling should only be to fuit his intellectual banquet to the people with whom he converfed; he fhould not attempt to teach the unlettered Tartar aftronomy, nor yet inftruct the polite Chinese in the ruder arts of fubfiftence; he fhould endeavour to improve the Barbarian in the fecrets of living comfortably; and the inhabitant of a more refined country in the fpeculative pleasures of fcience. How much more nobly would a philofopher thus employed spend his time, than by fitting at home earnestly intent upon adding one ftar more to his catalogue; or one monfter more to his collection; or ftill, if poffible, more trifling'ly fedulous in the incatenation of fleas, or the fculpture of a cherry-ftone!

I never confider this fubject, without being furprized that none of thofe focieties fo laudably establifhed in England for the promotion of arts and learning, have ever thought of fending one of 'their members into the moft eaftern parts of Afia, to make what difcoveries he was able. To be convinced of the utility of fuch an undertaking, let them but read the relations of their own travellers. It will be there found, that they are as often deceived themfelves, as they attempt to deceive others. The merchant tells us perhaps the price of different. commodities, the methods of baling them up, and the propereft manner for an European to preserve his health in the country. The miffioner, on the other hand, informs us, with what pleasure the

country

country to which he was fent embraced Chriftianity, and the numbers he converted; what methods he took to keep Lent in a region where there was no fish, or the fhifts he made to celebrate the rites of his religion, in places where there was neither bread nor wine! fuch accounts, with the usual appendage of marriage and funerals, infcriptions, rivers, and mountains, make up the whole of an European traveller's diary; but as to all the fecrets of which the inhabitants are poffeffed, thofe are univerfally attributed to magic; and when the traveller can give no other account of the wonders he fees performed, very contentedly afcribes them to the power of the devil.

It was an usual observation of Boyle, the English chymift, that if every artift would but difcover what new obfervations occurred to him in the exercise of his trade, philofophy would thence gain innumerable improvements. It may be obferved with ftill greater juftice, that if the ufeful knowledge of every country, howfoever barbarous, was gleaned by a judicious obferver, the advantages would be ineftimable. Are there not even in Europe many ufeful inventions known or practifed but in one place? The inftrument, as an example, for cutting down corn in Germany is much more handy and expeditious, in my opinion, than the fickle used in England. The cheap and expeditious manner of making vinegar without previous fermentation is known only in a part of France. If such discoveries therefore, remain ftill to be known at home; what funds of knowledge might not be collected in countries yet unexplored, or only paffed through by ignorant travellers in hafty caravans!

The caution with which foreigners are received in Afia may be alleged as an objection to such a defign. But how ready have feveral European merchants

merchants found admiffion into regions the most fufpecting, under the character of Sanjapins, or northern pilgrims; to fuch not even China itself denies accefs.

To send out a traveller, properly qualified for thefe purposes, might be an object of national concern; it would in fome measure repair the breaches made by ambition; and might fhew that there were still some who boafted a greater name than that of patriots, who profeffed themselves lovers of men. The only difficulty would remain in choofing a proper perfon, for fo arduous an enterprize. He fhould be a man of a philofophical turn, one apt to deduce confequences of general utility from particular occurrences, neither fwollen with pride, nor hardened by prejudice, neither wedded to one particular fyftem, nor inftructed only in one particular fcience; neither wholly a botanist, nor quite an antiquarian; his mind. fhould be tinctured with miscellaneous knowledge, and his manners humanized by an intercourfe with men. He fhould be in fome measure an enthufiaft in the defign; fond of travelling from a rapid imagination and an innate love of change; furnished with a body capable of fuftaining every fatigue, and an heart not eafily terrified at danger. Adieu.

VOL. III.

EE

LETTER