little interrupted, and continues through life. It is unnecessary to enquire which shape is most desirable.

Besides the bones of the eye-socket, the

motion of the eye itself is not similar in man and the inferior animals. To the eyes of brutes seven muscles are attached, to the eyes of man caly five. I do not contend that these distinctions mark any superiority, but they are sufficient to determine the genus.

We must not accompany our author in his eulogium on the eye and its properties; but shall come at once to what should be the most distinct, clear, and satisfactory article in his book. We cannot compliment it as possessing those qualities in a super-eminent degree. The Dr. rather enquires than proves; rather suggests than demonstrates.

We know sufficiently well that the external skin of a negro, is not itself black; but derives its blackness from the hue of a substance seen through it. This substance demands examination. Dr. J. thus describes it.

Next above the culis vera, or true skin, is the corpus mucosum, a substance nearly fluid, and perhaps would be entirely so, were it not preserved in its situation by numberless small fibres, which pass through it, te connect the under to the upper skin. To these fibres the corpus mucosum adheres. This substance (the corpus mucosum) is the seat of colour; which, in the African, is black; in the European it is inote or less brown, inclining to white, and in our own island, and in Germany, in many instances, it is colourless, resembling semi-transparent jelly.

In some of its properties, the corpus mucosum resembles the serum of the blood; but in others, it is so unlike that substance, as to make it evident that they are distinct. The serum is incapable of becoming black, and it separates from the other parts of the blood when allowed to be at rest. But the corpus mucosum never spontaneously separates. The serum is obtained by any mode of decompositron, and is a constituent and necessary part of the blood; but the corpus mucosum is a secretion from it.

The corpus mucosum is not of an equal thickness in every part of the body, for every part is not equally black; that which is the least so, is the inner sides of the arms and the contiguous sides of the chest. The tongue is destitute of a corpus mucosum.

As a national colour, the jet black is proper only to Africa, or to the inhabitants who reside between the twentieth degrees of north and south latitude; further north or south, the complete negro colour disappears, and a dark olive occupies its place.

We presume that our author had not inspected Mr. Daniel's plates of South African objects, when he wrote this paragraph; as that gentleman found jet black natives of the country several degrees further South.--And Mango Park within "the Foulahs in these limits, found general of a tawny complexion"-and some "of a yellow complexion." Travels, p. 59. While the Moors, who have now been some centuries in the land of negroes, "resemble in complexion the Mulattoes of the West Indies." p. 58

Dr. J. proceeds to institute comparisons between the colour of the pair, and that of the eyes; between freckles on the skin, the blackness that sometimes occurs on the breasts of women giving suck, and the true negro complexion. He concludes, that heat and moisture are the causes of swarthiness; and that blackness is the continued effect of these causes prolonged by a descent through many generations.

Freckles are natural to no one, for an infant is never freckled; exposure to the weather produces them in some persons, in the same way that it tans others. The parts most exposed, as the face and neck, are those which are the most liable to be freckled. The colour of the African may be called one entire freckle; were the freckles of an European concentrated, they would form a very considerable spot, of a very dark colour.

At birth, the child of a negro is not blacker than an European's, but the tendency to colour is so strong in them, that it appears much earlier than freckles in an European, but corresponds with them in being the darkest at the same period of life.

In old age much of the colour an African possessed in his youth disappears. Dr. Camper has preserved several specimens of the skins of Africans which have lost much of their colour. Freckles not only fade as the current of life begins to ebb, but entirely leave the skin, and never afterwards appear. Some change evidently passes on the vessels which secrete the colouring matter of the African skin, by which its colour is diminished; and as the colour of a freckle is fainter, it is obliterated.

The idea I wish to enforce is, that the nature of the colour of freckles, and of the entire colour of the African, is the same, and differs only from circumstances which admit of explanation. No aged person is freckled, nor is any so completely a megro as in youth Freckles are produced in summer; in winter they almost disappear; bit the cause of their existence is so deeply rooted, that age alone can expunge them. In many cases, it is easy to trace the ex. ct portion of

the face and neck that had been uncovered Can the African endure the region in which and exposed to the weather; and in some he was born, cau he enjoy the elimate of his instances the person is acquainted with the native soil? Yes; it is salubrious and balmy precise season in which the freckles became to him, but it is not so to others; an Euro numerous and of a deep colour, and have pean inhales from it pestilence and death. assigned it either to a summer when the bath | There is some natural cause for this difference; was frequently used, or of great exposure to and that cause, I scruple not to say, is indisunshine and moisture. cated by the complexion; a certain state of the juices of the body being ever connected with a certain state of the skin. The assertion is bold, and may disgust and offend, but I advance it without fear of refutation, that the perfection of the human colour is the negro blackness; it is the most complete, the most permanent, and the most useful, and therefore it is the most perfect. The negro can bear the hottest, or the coldest regions; he can sustain the vertical blaze of the meridian sun; he can traverse the arctic but it is not thus with any other people, circle unannoyed; he resists every vicissitude;

It is possible that a more happy arrangement of facts, might have had stronger effect in producing conviction on our minds, that the Dr. has suggested the true causes of this variety in the human complexion, than we at present feel. Were we giving an opinion on the subject, we should pay much greater attention to the power of light, as an agent, than the Dr. has done. We should have enquired what colours are strengthened, deepened, by exposure to light, as in the instances of leaves of plants; also in those of certain metallic oxydes; we should have enquired whether the watery particles of perspiration may not pass freely through the skin of a negro, yet leave behind them a something which admits of gradual change of colour also, what is that something? and whether the action of light on it is capable of illustration? It is certain, that the fairest skins are the most subject to freckles; but mere heat does not cause freckles: and absolute exclusion from the solar rays, ensures against them. It is certain that the most profuse perspiration (as in dancing), never tans the skin but, light, for instance reflected from water (which may be supposed to have absorbed much of the heat that accompanied the direct ray), does tan and any person, though his face be carefully sheltered from the solar beams, by a hat, may prove this in a few days' exposure to the dazzle of the waves in summer time. Light, in fact, appears to be the great colorific agent, throughout nature: why not, therefore, on the human skin?

Dr. J. seems to think the perfection of colour in our race is blackness. He goes so far as to consider this as the mark of the sovereign of the globe.

What is beauty, but the expression of something that is desirable? And if there be any such property in a black complexion, it cannot be destitute of beauty; so that even this ground of dislike is merely prejudice.

Beauty is not an independant principle; its excellency is not in itself, but in what is implied by it.

There is, doubtless, an advantage, a privilege, in being fitted for every vicissitude of the weather, for every change of climate. There is an advantage in being like the negre. Contrast his case with that of the pale, but proud European, who arrogates to himself a vast superiority over others: he endangers his life by leaving his birth-place; his complexion is unformed, yet he boasts of it; a few hours sunshine, and its imaginary beauty is gone, it is tarnished. That which is unfixed and changeable, is unworthy of high estimation. The negro can bear heat or cold; but some Europeans can sustain neither.

We must acknowledge, that we should not have discovered this preeminence, had not the doctor pointed it out. That the skin of a negro admitted of ready transmission of the serous fluid, we knew ; and that this, being probably more highly volatilized than in Europeans was capable of more rapid evaporation, we could conceive. Hence blacks are cooler than whites and this refrigeration renders them attractive to European sensualists in some parts of India, where a negress is the favourite sultana during the heats. On this transpiration, we believe, depends the exemption of negroes from many diseases of hot climates that are fatal to Europeans.

Much more might be said on this subject it is extensive, and entitled to investigation; but to render that investigation useful, it must be accurate; and accuracy can be attained only by actual observation, in a great variety of cases, and under very favourable and fortunate circumstances. close our account of this volume, by We must, therefore,

wishing it had contained a greater collec- | containing many particulars not elsewhere tion of facts, derived from competent witnesses, foreign as well as native; in exchange for which we would willingly resign, an ample portion of hypothesis, suggestion, and inference, whatever honour they may reflect on the ingenuity of the author.

1083] Mr. Leckie's Historical Survey of the Foreign Affairs of Great Britain. [1084

in the territory of Mineo, abon? fifty quarters of wheat, which then bore a nigh price, as it was a year of scarcity :--the giurati or corporation, without asking any questions, broke open the same, and took the wheat to their town. The farmer's complaint to the tribunal was answered by a full, approbation of the conduct of the giurati, but with an or der that he should be paid by them, allowing a credit of some months; during this interval, the office of these '(who are chosen annually) expired; their successors refused to pay, and the farmer having prosecuted the corporation, before the same tribunal, which had given the above order, was cast; so that he was first plundered, and the public robbery thus sanctioned, by a decision of the court, made contrary to their own orders. This person is still alive, and is baronial governor of Gran. michele for the Prince of Butera!

rity over all ecclesiastical lands, and the copyholds granted thercon by the crown; thus no act whatever with regard to landed property can be done without its cognizance. In the same manner as ali duties on exports and imports (which auswer to toonage and poundage), and which are enforced with all possible rigour, and the exports and imports themselves, interest the royal revenues; so that this board has assumed a dictatorial right to command, not by fixed rules or general laws, but by issuing an order or permission on every individual occasion. None of the produce of the country, that is corn, oil, and some others, as cattle, &c. can be exported without its permission, though the exporter offers to pay the duties; the permission to export hemp is given annually, as an exclusive privilege, to one person in a maritime district; so that the inerchant who would export it must not only pay the duties to the The privilege of supplying the city of Paking, but a duty to this individual; thus the lermo with oil and cattle is granted to ensTribunal, after obliging the merchant to pay tractors; these exercise every kind of tyrantax, farins another for their own emolument ny; as the tribunal supports them in every to the best bidder. With regard to corn, measure which they can devise to oblige the cattle, and oil, the greatest difficulty occurs holder to sell to a disadvantage, and these in the exportation; and a particular order is gentlemen are in return handsomely compli requisite from Palermo, to obtain a permis-mented by the contractors. Until these las sion for the same; to procure this the traderhave bought the oil they want at the price must bribe through thick and thin. Sometimes the right of exportation is allowed for a short time, and then suddenly stopped; and thus causes the ruin of those who had provided a quantity to ship off.

which suits them, no exportation is allowed; and even then the tribunal makes so many difficulties in order to get bribes to permit the exportation, that the whole disappears in contraband thus the smuggling trade saves the country from absolute ruin; and if it could be prevented, no one would think it worth his while to press out his olives; as the above illicit trade prevents the prices from being totally degraded. Two years since, though the failure of the autumnal rains prevented the growth of the pastures, and though the cattle were dying every where for want of food, every one seeking to get rid of that portion which he could not support, the stupid tribunal never relaxed the prohibition to export.

The Tribunal of Pairimony sends a strict order, either to the corporations of the towns, or the corn deputies, where these exist (for every town in Sicily has its particular government, weights and measures, by which much profitable confusion arises), to provide as mach wheat as will serve for the whole year; this, under pretence of being directed for the public good, produces the disorders and injustice which it is here our business to unfold. The corn trade is a monopoly in the hands of the corporations: in order to support them in this abuse, these are invested with an ab- By another effect of the consummate ignosolute authority to prevent the produce of rance and wickedness of this board, the detheir district from being carried to a neigh-ties on the importation of these commodities bouring town, and to forbid that of another from being admitted into their territory. Thus arises a complete stagnation of the inland trade; if once the prices of corn should fall after the corporation has made its provision, the severest penalties are inflicted on any one who should endeavour to bring his corn to market, and he must submit to sell it, giving up his profit to the corporation, or let it spoil in his magazines; if he grinds it into flour, it is seized; and should he attempt to export it, he runs the risk of being cashiered and ruined.

A curtain farmer of the town of Granmichele, in the Val di Noto, had, in a granary

bear no proportion to that on exportation; and foreign produce re-exported, is not wors treated; so that it seems deliberately intended to encourage foreign agriculture at the ex pence of their own.

It will be natural to ask who are the men who compose this board? They are lawyers, whose whole lives having been spent in scenes of the most iniquitous litigation, pesess no kind of information on commerce, when they are promoted to this rank; so that all commercial regulations, which with us are fixed by act of parliament, are her left to their absolute will and caprice, to ig norance and venality.

Foreign imports are taxed ad valorem, and a tariff has lately been made to that effect; but the raw produce of the soil, which is the only source of riches to Sicily, finds so many obstacles to exportation, from the difficulties which are ever thrown in the way of the merchant, that it seems as if the Tribunal of Patrimony took all the pains possible to keep the balance of trade always in favour of foreign nations.

As this tribunal has a control over all the corporations in the kingdom, it has multiplied its regulations and orders so much, with respect to the privileges of each town, that though these are clear and explicit, and though the law prescribes the extent of their powers, the tribunal has by degrees caused every thing to be referred to itself. This has been done in order to multiply fees and writings; and it has so well succeeded, as to cause all the confusion which at present reigns the suppression of papers and documents, which are wilfully set aside, so that delay, discouragement, and ruin, are and have been the inevitable consequences.

Another law is in force in Sicily, with respect to corn, the absurdity and barbarity of which is unknown in any other part of the world, which however it has not been possible to get rid of.-In every township, with the exception of a very few, the corporation takes an account at harvest, and obliges every fariner, renter, or landholder, to give in a declaration of the quantity of corn his lands have produced; the price of grain is fixed by an assize on the 15th of August; at this price the holder is obliged to deliver in, to the corporation, the third part of the produce of his estate on demand, notwithstanding the prices may have risen considerably. Sometimes the corporation, after having given permission to the landholder to sell his corn off, saying they had a sufficient quantity, two months after has called on him for his quota, and he has been obliged to buy the quantity required, late in the season, at a loss of 30 per cent !

coincides with what he saw of the Greeks, and their disposition in the Peloponnesus; when he visited that country in 1790, he has the more confidence in laying it before the reader.

This man is a native of Sphakia which has never been subdued either by the Venetians, or Turks; the whole district being 3defended by passes, and the people so detero mined not to submit, that hitherto the Turkhave in vain attempted to subdue them.Sphakia has about twenty villages dependent on the little town which gives its name to the whole district: they have about four thousand men exercised in arms; each village is governed by its chiefs, who are united by the common danger which surrounds them, but who are also sensible of the inconveniences and defects to which their constitution is subject. There are men among them not ignorant of the ancient freedom of Greece, and their future independence of the Turks is the subject of ardent desire, and the theme of prophecies among them.

In the rest of the island where the Greeks are in the power, of their masters, they are more cautious, less independent, but fully as inveterate against them; and the following anecdote will justify the assertion. In 1798, when the French went to Egypt, it was supposed that the island of Crete would shortly have fallen into their power; the Turks, who had hitherto trampled on the Greeks, but who now feared that the tables would be turned, were fain to court them, and every Turk chose a Greek for his patron, under whose protection he was to support the political reverse. The Greeks acquiesced in this arrangement, and it was hoped that the Cretans would thus become one people, by destroying the civil distinction between the two religions-this would have been an happy event for the people, had the French established their power; but as soon as they were driven out of Egypt by the British, who were the friends and allies of the Porte, the danger was passed, and each barbarous client murdered his patron, to efface the memory of his intended submission. Thus the breach is irreparable between the two nations.

Certainly we shall not attempt to vindicate such absurd cruelty; and we wish it to be remedied by the sovereign authority: but it does not follow that we recommend To the mind of this people the first consithe British system of corn laws, as the best substitute in the world, for the adop-deration is the expulsion of their oppressors; and, indeed, ou no other consideration can tion of the Sicilians. they hope to enjoy the freedom which they so ardently desire.

We incline to consider the account given by Mr. L. of the present state of the Greeks, as the most interesting part of his work we presume that it is correct, also: and therefore submit an tract to our readers.

ex

The following account of the state of (Crete) was communicated to the writer of these tracts by a Cretan, and as it-perfectly

The French have sent officers to defend Constantinople and the Dardanelles; they

are now the declared friends of the Porte. But at the same time they have attracted a Greek of the name of komies to Paris, who is their party writer; his works inculcate the independence of his nation, and songs have been composed by him, tending to animate