The most perfect equality reigns among thefe iflanders. They are faid to have neither chiefs nor fuperiors, laws nor punifliments. They live together in families, and focieties of feveral families united, which form what they call a race, who, in cafe of attack, or defence, mutually help and fupport each other. The inhabitants of the fame ifland always pretend to be of the fame race; and every perfon looks upon this ifland as a poffeffion, the property of which is common to all the individuals of the fame fociety. Feafts are very common among them, and more particularly when the inhabitants of one ifland are vifited by thofe of the others. The men of the village meet their quells beating drums, and preceded by the women, who fing and dance. At the conclufion of the dance, the hofls ferve up their beft provifions and invite their guests to partake of the fcaft. They feed their children when very young with the coarfeft flesh, and for the moft part raw, If an infant cries, the mother immediately carries it to the fea-fide, and whether it be fummer or winter, holds it naked in the water until it is quiet. This cullom is fo far from doing the children any harm, that it hardens them againfi the cold, and they accordingly go barefooted through the winter, without the leaft inconvenience. They feldom beat their dwellings; but, when they are defirous of warming themfelves, they light a bundle of hay, and fland over it; or elfe they fet fire to train oil, which they pour into a hollow ftone. They have a good fhare of plain natural fenfe, but are rather flow of understanding. They feem cold and indifferent in most of their actions; but when an injury, or even a fufpicion roufes them from this phlegmatic flate, they become inflexible and furious, taking the most violent revenge, without regard to confquences. The leaf affliction prompts them to fuicide; even the apprehenfion of an uncertain evil often leads them to defpair.

The difcovery of an INLAND SEA, containing a great number of ISLANDS in NORTH AMERICA.

FROM

ROM the obfervations made by Captain Cook on the inhabitants of the wellern part of America, about the latitude of 64° north, it appeared that a ftrong fimiliarity appeared between them and the Efquimaux on the eastern coaft. Hence it was even then conjectured, that a communication by fea exifted between the caftern and western fides of that continent.

In this part of America, however, a moft furprising difcovery has lately been made, which, when properly authenticated, cannot fail to be of the ut moft utility, not only to fcience in general, but to the commercial and politi cal interells of mankind; not to fay, that it will undoubtedly contribute, by giving an opportunity for the advancement of civilization, to their moral interefis alfo. This, though not made by Captain Cook himself, took place in confequence of his discoveries on the north-weft coaft of America. In thefe parts he found that fuch quantities of valuable furs might be purchafed from the inhabitants, as promifed to be a very profitable article of commerce, provided any regular connexion could be established between that part of the world, and the British fettlements in the Eafl-Indies. This talk was quickly undertaken by fome fpirited adventurers, who unluckily have found themfelves oppofed both by friends and foes, viz. the East-India company, and the Spaniards; the former pretending that they had no right to difpofe of furs in the Eat-Indies, and the latter, that they had none to bring them from the wellern coal of America. Mr. Etches, who fitted out fhips for this pur

pofe, difcovered that all the western coaft of America, from the latitude of 48 degrees to 57 north, was not a continued tract of land, but a chain of iflands which had never been explored, and that these concealed the entrance to a vast inland fea, like the Baltic, or Mediterranean in Europe, and which feems likewife to be full of iftands. Among thefe, Mr. Etches' fhip, the Princefs Royal, penetrated feveral hundred leagues in a north-cait direction, till they came within two hundred leagues of Hudfon's Bay; but as the intention of their voyage was merely commercial, they had not time fully to explore the Archipelago, juft mentioned, nor did they arrive at the termination of this new Mediterranean fea. From what they really did difcover, however, it is probable, that there may this way be a communication with Hudfon's-Bay, in which cafe, the north-weft pallage to the East-Indies will be found through feas much more navigable than thofe in which it has hitherto been attempted. The islands, which they explored, were all inhabited by tribes of Indians, who appeared very friendly, and well-difpofed to carry on a commerce. Of thefe iflands, upwards of fifty were vifited, and we are informed, that fome fhips are now fitting out at one of the ports of for the fame place, fo that farther difcoveries may foon be expected. England

THIS

In

HIS country was firft difcovered by Tofman, in the year 1642, who gave it the name of Staten Land, though it has been generally dutinguifhed, in maps and charts, by the name of New Zealand, and was fuppofed to be part of a fouthern continent: but it is now known, from the late difcoveries of Captain Cook, who failed round it, to confift of two large iflands, divided from each other by a frait, four or five leagues broad. fituated between the latitudes of 34 and 48 degrees fouth, and between the They are longitudes of 166 and 180 deg. caft from Philadelphia. One of thefe iflands is, for the most part, mountainous, rather barren, and but thinly inhabited; but the other is much more fertile, and of a better appearance. the opinion of Sir Jofeph Banks, and of Dr. Solander, every kind of European fruits, grain, and plants would flourish here in the utmoft luxuriance. From the vegetables found here, it is fuppofed that the winters are milder than thofe of England, and the fummers are hotter, though more cqually warm; fo that it is imagined, that if this country was fettled by people from Europe, they would, with moderate induftry, be foon fupplied, not only with neceffaries, but the luxuries of life, in great abundance. Here are forefts of valt extent, filled with very large timber trees; and near four hun dred plants were found here that had not been defcribed by the naturalifts. The inhabitants of New-Zealand are flout and robuft, and equal in flature to the largest Europeans. Their colour, in general, is brown, but in a few deeper than that of a Spaniard, who has been expofed to the fun, and in many not fo deep; and both fexes have good features. Their drets is very uncouth, and they mark their bodies in a manner fimilar to the inhabitants of Otaheite. Their principal weapons are lances, darts, and a kind of battleaxes; and they have generally fhown themfelves very hoftile to the Europeans who have vifited them. As to their religious principles, they believe that the fouls of fuch as are killed in battle, and their flath afterwards eaten by the enemy, are doomed to perpetual fire; while the fouls of those who die a natural death, or whole bodies are preferved from fuch ignominious treatment, afcend to the habitations of the gods. The common incthod of difpofing of

their dead is by interment in the earth; but if they have more flaughtered enemies than they can eat, they throw them into the fea. They have no fuch things as morais, or other places of public worship; nor do they ever affemble together with this view but they have priests, who alone address the Deity in prayer for the profperity of their temporal affairs, fuch as enterprife agunt a hottile tribe, a fishing party, or the like. Polygamy is allowed; and is not uncommon for a man to have two or three wives.

NEW-GUINEA.

UNTIL the late difcoveries, was thought to be the north coaft of an

extenfive continent, and to be joined to New-Holland; but Captain Cook difcovered a frait between them, which runs north-eaft, through which he failed. Thus it was found to be a long narrow ifland, extending north-eafl, from the 2d degree of fouth latitude to the 12th, and from 56 to 75° well Jongitude; but in one part it does not appear to be above fifty miles broad. The country confifts of a mixture of very high hills and vallies, interfperfed with groves of cacoa-nut trees, plantains, bread-fruit, and most of the trees, fhrubs, and plants, that are found in the other South Sea iflands. It affords from the fea a variety of delightful profpects. The inhabitants make nearly the fame appearance as the New Hollanders on the other fide of the firaits.

To the north of New-Guinea, is New-Britain, which is fituated in the 4th degree of fouth latitude, and 75° 89' weft longitude from Philadelphia. It was fuppofed to be part of an imaginary continent, till Captain Dampier found it to be an island, and failed through a ftrait line which divides it from New-Guinea. Captain Carteret, in his voyage round the world, in 1767, found that it was of much leis extent than had till then been imagined, by failing through another frait to the north, which feparates it from a long ifland, to which he gave the name of New Ireland. There are many high hills in New-Britain, and it abounds with large and flately trees. To the eatward of New-Britain, and in both the above ftraits, are many iflands, moft of which are said to be extremely fertile, and to abound with plaintains and

cocoa-nut treets.

New-Ireland extends in length, from the north-east to the fouth-east, about two hundred and feventy miles, but is, in general, very narrow. It abounds with a variety of trees and plants, and with many pigeons, parrots, rooks, and other birds. The inhabitants are black and woolly-headed, like the negroes of Guinea, but have not flat nofes or thick lips. North-westward of New-Ireland, a clufter of iflards was feen by Captain Carteret, lying very near each other, and fuppofed to confift of twenty or thirty in number. One of thefe, which is of very confiderable extent, was named New-Hanover ; and the rest of the clufter received the name of the Admiralty Iflands.

Ingraham's Islands were discovered by captain Ingraham of the brigantine Hope, of Bofton in 1791. They are feven in number, and lie between 83' and 8° 55' fouth latitude, and between 140° 19' and 141° 18' weft longitude,

TERRA-INCOGNITA, or UNKNOWN COUNTRIES.

IN North-America, towards the pole, are Labrador, or New-Britain,

New North and South Wales, New-Denmark, &c. very little known, The inhabitants, like thofe of Nova Zembla, Greenland, Groenland, and the

In

northern parts of Siberia, are few, and these favage; low in ftature, and of an ugly appearance. They live upon the raw flesh of whales, bears, and foxes, &c. and go muffled up in fkins, the hairy fides next their bodies. thefe inhofpitable regions, the nights are from one to fix months, and the earth is bound up in impenetrabie fnow; fo that the miferable inhabitants live under ground great part of the year. Again, when the fun makes his appearance, they have a day of equal length.

All that vaft tract on the back of the British fettlements, from Canada and the lakes, to the Pacific Ocean, which washes America on the weft, is altogether unknown to us, no traveller having ever explored it. From the climate and fituation of the country, it is fuppofed to be fruitful; it is inhabited by innumerable tribes of Indians, many of whom ufed to refort to the great fair of Montreal, even from the diftance of one thousand miles, when that city was in the hands of the French.

In South America, the country of Guiana, extending from the equator to the 8° of north latitude, and bounded by the river Oronoque on the north, and the Amazons on the fouth, is unknown, except a flip along the coast, where the French at Cayenne, and the Dutch at Suarinam, have made fome feulements; which, from the unhealthfulness of the climate, almoft under the equator, and other caufes, can hardly be extended any confiderably way back.

The country of Amazonia is fo called from the great river of that name, which rifes in Quito, in 1° weft longitude, and difcharges itfelf into the Atlantic Ocean it is computed, that, with all its turnings and windings, it runs near five thousand miles, and is generally two or three leagues broad: five hundred leagues from the mouth, it is thirty fathoms deep, and near one hundred rivers fall into it on the north and fouth. The country has never been thoroughly explored, though it is fituated between the European colonies of Peru and Brafil, and every where acceffible by means of that great river and its branches. Some attempts have been made by the Spaniards and Portuguefe; but always attended with fuch vaft difficulties, that few of the adventurers ever returned back; and, no gold being found in the country, as they expected, no European nation has hitherto made any fettlement there.

Patagonia, at the fouthern extremity of America, is fometimes described as part of Chili: but as neither the Spaniards, nor any other European nation, have colonies there, it is almoft unknown, and is generally reprefented as a barren, inhofpitabie country. Some of the inhabitants are certainly very tall, to fix and an half and feven feet high; but others, and the greater part, are of a moderate and common ftature. Here, in fifty-two and an haif degrees fouth latitude, we fall in with the ftraits of Magellan, having Patagonia on the north, and the island of Ferra del Fuego on the fouth, which we have already defcribed.

THE END.