THE EUROPEAN MAGAZINE, AND LONDON REVIEW, FOR JULY 1802. JAMES RENNELL, ESQ. F. R. S. OF LONDON AND EDINBURGH. [WITH AN ENGRAVING.] W with an admirable Portrait, we HILE we present our Readers muft express our regret that we have it but little in our power to fatisfy the laudable curiofity of the Public as to the perfonal history, of so justly eminent a character. After receiving a private education, his first outfet in life was in the naval fervice. While yet very young, he was employed at the fiege of Pondicherry, and was much noticed for his active affiftance in cutting out fome French men of war from the roads in the night. At what time he exchanged the naval for the military fervice, we have not heard; but about the year 1770 we find him in India, attached to the corps of Engineers, his zeal and fervices in which promoted him in no long course of time to the rank of Major; and his very extenfive and accurate acquaintance with the requifite fciences foon pointed him out to the Government as the most proper perfon to fill the important office of Surveyor-General in Bengal. We remember to have heard from good authority fome years fince, that one day, marching in India at the head of a detachment, he was fuddenly attacked by a tyger; when with great coolness he received the animal on the point of the bayonet, which he thruft down his throat, and dispatched him: the bayonet was much bent by the force of the thrust.-It is worthy of remark, that, in the war before last, Major Rennell was for the fecond time engaged in the fiege of Pondicherry. Some time, we believe, about the year 1778, while in India, he mar ried Mifs Thackeray, daughter of the Rev. Dr. T. many years Head Master of Harrow School; by whom he has living two fons and a daughter.Few men (particularly who have travelled) are so much attached to domeftic enjoyments as the Major, who, having long declined public employments, now leads, for the most part, a retired life in the bolom of his family, but affiduously purfues his literary labours. In his intercourfe with his friends, the Major poffeffes a remarkable flow of fpirits, and abounds with interefting fubjects of converfation at the fame time, as to whatever relates to himself, he is one of the most didident, unaffuming men in the world. To the indefatigable labours and profound knowledge of Major Rennell, the fcience of geography has been more indebted than to any modern writer that we can name, not excepting even D'Anville or De Lifle; and when his name was enrolled among the Fellows of the Royal Society, that learned body received, perhaps, as much honour as it conferred. We entertained a hope that we should have been enabled to furnish our Readers with fome account of the Major's active military fervices in India, of which we understand he bears many honourable teftimonials about his per fon; but in this expectation we have been for the prefent disappointed at a future time, however, we may, perhaps, be enabled to render more complete and fatisfactory, both to the Public and to ourselves, a Memoir which we must here clofe by a brief but B 2 complete 349980 complete enumeration (with occafional remarks) of the literary productions of Major Rennell. 1778. "A Chart of the Bank and' Current of Cape Lagullas:" with Letter-prefs. 1781. "A Bengal Atlas," in folio: with Letter-prefs. "An Account of the Ganges and Burrampooter Rivers;" which interfect the country of Bengal in fuch a variety of directions, as to form the most complete and easy inland navigation that can be conceived. This account is contained in a letter written from the spot to the Prefident of the Royal Society, and accompanied by a plan of the course of the Ganges, than which we find the Burrampooter (though much less heard of) is a ftill larger river. They both "derive their fources (fays the Major) from the vaft mountains of Thibet, from whence they proceed in oppofite directions, the Ganges feeking the plains of Indoftan by the Weft; and the Burrampooter by the Eaft. The Ganges, after wandering 750 miles through mountainous regions, iffues forth a deity to the fuperftitious, yet gladdened, inhabitants of Hindoftan or Indoftan. From Hurdoar, in latitude 30 deg. where it gushes through an opening in the mountains, it flows with a fmooth navigable stream through de. lightful plains during the remainder of its course to the fea (which is about 1350 miles +), diffufing plenty immediately by means of its living productions, and fecondarily by enriching the adjacent lands, and affording an eafy means of tranfport for the productions of its borders. In a military view, it opens a communication between the different pofts, and serves in the capacity of a military way through the country; renders unneceffary the forming of magazines, and infinitely furpaffes the celebrated inland navigation of North America, where the carrying places not only obftruct the progrefs of an army, but enable the adversary to determine his place and mode of attack with certainty. In its courfe through the plains, it receives eleven rivers, fome of which are equal to the Rhine, and none fmaller than the Thames; befides many others of leffer note." The inland navigation of Bengal gives conftant employment to 20,000 boatmen ; and by the latter end of July all the lower parts of Bengal, contiguous to the rivers, are overflowed more than 100 miles in width.-From what we have here extracted, the reader will fee that this is a very curious work, and will well recompenfe the trouble of a reference to the Philofophical Tranfactions, in which it will be found at length. 1782. "Memoir of a Map ‡ of Hindooftan; or, The Mogul's Empire: with an Examination of fome Pofitions in the former Syftem of Indian Geography, and fome Illustrations of the prefent one: and a complete Index of the Names to the Map." 4to. An analytical review of this work will be found in our IIId volume (for 1783), P. 52. 1784. A Second Edition of the "Memoir," &c. improved. 1788. "A Map of Hindooftan in four Sheets: with a new Memoir, in 4to. "A Map of the Peninsula of India in two Sheets." 1790. "Memoir on the Geography of Africa," 4to. with a Map of Africa. This was fubjoined to the Narratives of Meffrs. Ledyard and Lucas, in the "Proceedings of the Affociation for promoting the Dif covery of the interior Parts of Africa" a work not fold, but printed for the use of the Members of the Affociation. 3791. "On the Rate of Travelling as performed by Camels; and its Application, by a Scale, to the Purpoles of Geometry."-This paper was prefented to the Royal Society, and the Major had the prize medal awarded to him for it. It gives the refults of the obfervations of feveral travellers in the Great and Little Deferts, and is extremely curious. 1792. A Second Edition of the "Me Philofophical Tranfactions, Vol. LXXI. Part I. The Map itself is on two sheets. Phil. Tranf. Vol. LXXXI. Part II. Mr. Carmichael, Colonel Capper, Mr. Hunter, Mr. Irvin, Mr. Holford, &c. moir" moir" of 1788 was published: with additional Maps and Letter-prefs. "The Marches [to Seringapatam] of the British Armies in the Peninsula of India, during the Campaigns of 1790 and 1791; illuftrated and explained by Reference to a Map, compiled from authentic Documents tranfmitted by Earl Cornwallis from India." 8vo. with a large Sheet Map. This is a very important and interesting military detail, and affords the moft regular and beft connected narrative that has yet been published of the operations to which it relates. 1793. A Third Edition of the "Memoir" of 1788 was published. "A new Map of the Peninfula of India," in one Sheet with a Quarto "Memoir," on occafion of the Treaty of Seringapatam in 1792. A Second "Memoir on the Geography of Africa;" for the African Affociation, "Obfervations on a Current that prevails to the Weltward of the Scilly Inlands."-This was printed in the Philofophical Tranfactions. 1798. A Third "Memoir" on the Geography of Africa, with a Map illuftrative of Mr. Parke's Route (for the African Affociation).-In these geographical illuftrations the fources of modern error on the fubject of the Niger are well pointed out; the authority of Herodotus is established; the course of the Senegal river afcertained; the grounds for the conftruction of a map of Africa, and the variations of the compafs, judiciously laid down; the phyfical and political geography of North Africa well difcuffed, and the comparison of the ancient and modern geogra phy made with great judgment and precifion. 1800. "The Geographical System of Herodotus examined and explained, by a Comparison with thofe of other ancient Authors, and with modern Geography. In the Courfe of the Work are introduced Differtations on the itinerary Stade of the Greeks, the Expedition of Darius Hydafpes to Scythia, the Pofition and Remains of Antient Babylon, the Alluvions of the Nile, and the Canals of Suez; the Oafis and Temple of Jupiter Ammon, the ancient Circumnavigation of Africa, and other Subjects of History and Geography. The Whole explained by Eleven Maps, adapted to the different Subjects, and accompanied with a complete Index." One volume, quarto. We find, however, that this volume, though complete in itself, is only the commencement of a great plan of its Author, to correct the Geography, ancient and modern, of that part of Afia which lies between India and Europe; a task which the Major tells us, in his Preface, he had many years ago undertaken, and which he has fince performed to the best of his abilities, fo far as his ftock of materials admitted; but that it would have been an act of imprudence in an individual to venture on fo great an expence as the execution of the work in all its parts required. The Geography of Herodotus, therefore, in the prefent volume, may be confidered as the first part. The remain. ing parts will confift of the ancient geography, as it was improved by the Grecian conquefts and establishments; together with fuch portions of military history as appear to want explanation. Maps of ancient geography, on scales adapted to the purpofe, are intended to accompany them. "A corrected Sheet Map of the Peninsula of India, in which the Par tition of the whole Empire of Tippoo Sultan is fhewn; and the Cellions of 1792 clearly distinguished from those -of 1799." 1802. A Fourth "Memoir" on the African Geography, with an improved Map of Africa, and a Mip of Mr. Housemann's Route (for the African Affociation). The foregoing lift exhibits ftrong proofs of the talents and industry of Major Rennell; who ftill enjoys a ge neral ftate of health and spirits that enable, and will we hope encourage, him to lay the learned and political world under additional obligations. J. SOME ACCOUNT OF THOMAS GARNETT, M. D. &c. Lonfdale, of a refpectable family. tion at his native village, he was placed fituation, which was far too laborious "the Laws of Animal Life," Thus, in the prime of life, at the ESSAYS り THE ESSAYS AFTER THE MANNER OF GOLDSMITH, ESSAY XVIII. "My mind to me a kingdom is."-Reliques of Ancient English Poetry. HE mind is an indefeasible estate for which we owe homage to no Lord or Baron; it is derived from the Creator himself; a treasure kindly beftowed on his creatures for their felicity, fufficient, if used with difcretion, to bear us through life, and comfort us when all other treasure fails. How truly great, how independent, is the human mind, when unenslaved by vice or prejudice, and how fuperior to the attacks of tyranny or the fcorn of fools. The man of fenfe may feel himself reproached or neglected; but he has only to retire from the objects of his vexation to Solitude, who will at all times receive the exile from the world, and prefent him purer delights and pleasures for his entertainment and intruction, unfading and immortal. There are few rational people who have not tasted at times the blifs of being free, who have not left the metropolis and its cares to fnatch a moment of tranquillity, abftracted from common pursuits and amusements; who have not looked behind on the town with a kind of triumph, and cried out, with exultation, "Good bye! I am at liberty !" And yet, wander where we will, the tyranny of wealth and power will purfue us. Moredius was one of those beings who asked little from fortune or ambition; he was quiet and inoffensive, and thrunk back like the fenfitive .plant at the touch of rudenefs. Moredius was fond of peace and retirement, and one day straggled from a country village near town, within the boundaries of a Nobleman's paik, through which there was a public foot path. Moredius, attracted by fome beautiful fcenery to the left of the entrance, in cautiously bent his steps toward the fpot, to indulge in contemplation, when his attention was awakened by the voice of a man who was purfuing him at a distance, accompanied by a dog. Moredius ftopped; when the man in rude and infulting language ordered him back, telling him, that it was his Lordship's orders that no one fhould go out of the footway. Moredius instantly obeyed, without uttering a fyllable, and kept the path with the most exact measurement, walking as fast as he could, and looking behind nection |