The remainder of the first part of the memoirs is employed in conveying an idea of Turkish funeral ceremonies, proceffions, legal proceedings, in placing before the reader a number of mifcellaneous articles, which lead to a more intimate acquaintance with the people the author describes. We fhall give an example or two as a fpecimen.

Thofe among the Turks, who have once given themselves up to the immoderate ufe of opium, are eafily known by a kind of rickets, which this poifon never fails to produce at laft. Not able to exift agreeably, except in this fpecies of intoxication, these perfons are particularly objects of curiofity when they are affembled in a part of Conftantinople, called Teriaky, Teharchiffy, or the Market for the takers of opium.

6

There, towards the evening, the lovers of this drug are feen coming down all the streets which lead to the Solimany; their pale and melancholy figures would be fufficient to raise our pity, did not their lengthened necks, their heads turned on one fide, their backbone distorted, their shoulder raised up to their ear, and a number of other extravagant, attitudes which refult from their disease, exhibit a picture of the most ridiculous nature.

'A long row of little shops are built against one of the walls that furround the fquare, within which is the mofque. These fhops are fhaded by an arbour which reaches from one to the other, and under which the mafter takes care to place a little fofa to accommodate his guests, without ftopping up the paffage. The cuftomers arrive, and place themfelves in order, to take the dose which the habits each have contracted render neceffary.

The pills are diftributed. Thofe most used to the practice, perhaps fwallow four, larger than olives, and each immediately drinking a glafs of cold water, waits in his particular attitude. An agreeable reverie, at the end of three quarters of an hour, or an hour at moft, never fails to animate these automatons; caufing them to throw themselves into a thoufand different poftures, but always ex! travagant and always merry. This is the moment when the scene becomes most interesting all the actors are happy, and each returns home in a state of total irrationality, but likewife in the intire and full enjoyment of happiness not to be procured by reafon. Difregarding the ridicule of thofe they meet, who divert themselves by making them talk abfurdly, each imagines, and looks and feels himfelf poffeffed of whatever he wishes. The reality of enjoyment often gives lefs fatisfaction.'

The humanity of the Turks towards animals, fo much extolled by fuperficial travellers, is here placed in its proper light. The immenfe number of dogs in Conftantinople that have no particular mafter, make the moft wretched appearance. "Always miferable and meagre, and often maimed, "they feem to cry out against thofe travellers who have fo "much exaggerated the happinefs of their existence." As the religion of the Turks obliges them to abftain from cer tain parts of the animal, fuch as the liver, lights, &c. thefe

are

are difpofed of by the Dgiherdgis (fellers of livers) to the Christians, or to the Turkish old women, who like other old women, are fond of their cats. But Ottoman idleness, perpetually in want of amufement, and perpetually feeking for it in things the moft trifling and abfurd," affords the Dgiherdgis other means of a very extenfive fale."

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The manner of living of a Turk fufficiently wealthy to have nothing to do, is to go out every, day, and take his feat in the fhop of a dealer in tobacco. There under pretence of trying the different forts, he fmokes feveral pipes without paying any thing; and be fides, enjoys the profpect of the paffeugers; who, on their parts, admire the indolent gravity of the Turk, and the refpectful demeanour of two or three fervants, who ftand by his fide with their hands croffed before them. In this pofition, the first liver feller who paffes, ftops, and brags of his ability to bring together all the cats in the neigbourhood: cracks a few jokes to divert his excellency, and obtains permiflion to begin his operations. The paffengers gather round, the cats affemble, in a twinkling at the watch word; the fhoulders of the dealer are covered with them, they hang about his clothes, and he makes hafte to feaft his friends for their alacrity. The important perfonage for whofe diverfion the fcene was intended, pays the performance; and the European who does not understand the language, or understands it but ill, and does not live among the Turks to study their genius and manners, believes he has feen an act of charity, publifhes it at fuch, and only propagates an error.'

Here we muft ftop for the prefent. But, in another number of our journal, we fhall lay before our readers what we have farther to obferve concerning the work before us.

ART. IV. The Life and Adventures of John Chriftopher Wolf, late principal Secretary of State at Jaftanapatnam, in Ceylon; together with a Defcription of that ifland, its natural Productions, and the Manners and Customs of its Inhabitants. Tranflated from the original German. To the whole is added, a fhort but comprehenfive Defcription of the fame Ifland, by Mr. Efchelfkroon. Svo. 4s. boards. Robinfon. 1785.

ALTHOUGH the principal fecretary of state at Jaffanapatnam be not fo highly cultivated by letters, and converfation with the polite world, as our European courtiers commonly are, yet he appears to be a man of found common fense; and of great fimplicity and honefty; qualities which courtly education by no means beftows. And although a plain, unlettered man, is not placed on fo high ground as á man of science, and cannot therefore take fuch extenfive views or make fuch various comparisons, he draws his de fcriptions wholly from life and nature; he feels what is most ftriking to humanity; and being free from the peculiarities of particular theories, reprefents things as they appear at firft ENG. REV. 1785. G view

view to the common perception of mankind. Such a man is John Christopher Wolf, who, fetting out in the most early part of life, with a folitary fhilling only in his pocket, and without either friends or education, raised himself, by patience, induftry, and an inviolable attachment to truth and fecrecy, to a fituation equally afflulent and honourable. His curious and adventurous turn which fet him afloat at first on the wide ocean of the world, remained with him throughout life. He was employed either in active purfuits or in curious obfervation. What ftruck him he naturally conceived would strike others, and therefore he committed it to writing for their information and amusement. This narrative carries in it all the marks of a plain man of low education, but of natural integrity aud rectitude. He ufes proverbs, has a degree of quaintnefs and naivetè, and is more circumftantial than is neceffary, because he is unaccustomed to that abftraction and precifion of thought which separates what is, from what is not to the purpose; and confines the thread of narration, defcription and discourse of every kind to the point in queftion.

He records the falutes that were beftowed on him by fentinels, and his refufal of the governor's niece of the Dutch fettlement in Ceylon. We fhould be tempted to imagine that vanity had fome fhare in the relation of thefe anecdotes, if honeft Chriftopher Wolf did not even feem to think it his duty to give a faithful account of the drubbings received from the governor.

There are fome of our author's reports which border upon the marvellous; but when we reflect on the vast variety of nature, which every day's experience more and more evinces, and on the fimple manners of Mr. Wolf, we are inclined, we confefs, to give him credit even though one of his ftories confirms Lord Monboddo's affertion, (to whose attention and countenance we beg leave to recommend him) that men have been found, and women too we prefume, with tails. The following particulars concerning the elephant are very

curious.

1. A certain korah has been used for thefe many years past, in which most of the elephants in Ceylon are caught. In order to have fome idea of this korahl, you must imagine to yourself a large fishing-net, with two flaps ftanding out wide from each other, and terminating in a bag. Now this fnare confifts of a collection of ftout and vigorous trees, partly growing wild on the fpot, and partly planted there for the purpose. These trees ftand very clofe and near to each other; and where there is any gap, very strong palifades are brought

This word, according to Salmon and Goch, (prefent State of Indoftan and Ceylon) means, in the language of Ceylon, "Toils for elephants."

to

to fill it up, fo that the elephants cannot by any means get out. As foon as the hunters have given information that they have difcovered a tolerable numerous troop of elephants, the principal people of Ceylon are obliged to bring together feveral thoufand men. By means of these, the whole drove, thus inclofed, is driven flowly to wards the first opening of the korahl, that takes up an enormous fpace. When they have got them thus far, the game is, as it were, in their hands. The whole train of huntfmen and country people now unite, and draw up clofe into this opening, and making a great noife and uproar, as well by their cries as inftruments, which they carry with them for the purpose, they contrive to get the ele phants, who keep together in one drove, like a happy and peaceful family, into the imaller fpace, which is called the porting korahl. Here there is likewife formed a palifadoe (as it were) of fix or seven thousand men, who make a large fire, and at the fame time an intolerable din with fhouting, drumming and playing on the hautboy of that country, fo that the elephants are frightened; and, instead of going backwards, move forwards towards the fmalleft fpace, called the forlorn hope. This ftrait is closed likewife with a large fire, and a great clamour is made as before; by which means, the elephant being feemingly stunned (as it were), looks round about him, on all fides, to fee if he can obtain his freedom, which he hopes to arrive at by means of his great bodily ftrength. He tries each fide of the Korahl's fence, but finds, that with his ftrong trunk, he is not able to fell the ftout trees that are planted there: in confequence of which, he begins to be in a paffion, inflating his probofcis with all his force. He now obferves that the fire comes nearer and nearer to him: accordingly he ventures into the fmall outlet of the korahl; and seeing the tame elephants ftand at the end of it, imagines that he has at length obtained his freedom. This nar row paffage, through which one of these animals only can pafs at a time, is covered at top: on this top are placed fome expert huntf men, who drive the elephant to the end of the paffage with a stick, to the top of which is faftened a sharp pointed hook. As foon as they have got him here, they take away the beams which close the end of the paffage, and leave the opening free. Now the elephant rejoices like a prifoner just broke out of his confinement. Accordingly he takes a pretty large leap: but just at that moment he finds, ftanding by his fide, the two tame elephants, (called hunters, and more commonly crimps) who oblige him to ftand ftill, and keep him faft between them. If he refufes to ftand and be obedient, they be gin to difcipline him with their trunks; and by their mafter's orders, thresh him with thefe flagellatory inftruments in fuch a manner, that from the mere pain he is forced to evacuate the contents of his body. Now, when at length he finds that he cannot escape from the power of thefe unrelenting beadles, he gives the affair up, and with a good grace allows himfelf to be led to a tree, at a finall distance; to which he is bound by the hind-leg with a ftout thong of untanned elk or buck-fkin, and where they leave him, and take the tame animals back again. When one of these beafts has thus been led out of the korahl, the others follow more willingly, being all in hopes of obtaining their liberty, as they have feen nothing to make

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make them fufpect the fate of the firft that went out. When the hunt is quite finifled, all the elephants are feen faft bound to trees. In that manner they are to stand several days, being all the while kept low in point of food, in order that they may know that they are not now their own mafters, but subject to the will of others. Attendants are placed by the fide of each animal, who give him his food by little and little, to the end that he may learn to diftinguifh, and grow acquainted with mankind. At first he looks very four on an attendant of this kind; in the course of a few days, however, he becomes more refigned to his fate, and allows the former to come near him and handle him. He likewife foon comes to understand what his governor fays to him; and even fuffers a strong rope to be thrown round his neck; with which rope he is coupled to a tame elephant, and fo led into the ftable. This is performed in the following manner. A tame elephant has, on either fide of him, a wild one; and, if he is of a great fize, he has even two fmaller ones on each fide. The kornack fits on the tame animal with his fharp pointed hook, with which he turns the creature by the head the way he would have him go, and thus leads his captured elephants to their stables, in which are driven down ftout poles or trunks of trees. To thefe they are fastened by the hind leg, at fome diftance from each other, fo that they cannot come together; and thus they are fuffered to stand, being fed daily with cocoa-nut leaves, and once a day led to water by the tame ones, till the proper time arrives for taking them to market and felling them. It is easy to imagine, that this kind of hunting is attended with more trouble, noife, and tumult, than thofe which are fet on foot by our princes and great people in Germany, as neither dogs nor fire-arms can be ufed here. But what is moft to be admired in all this affair is, the great boldness of the huntfinen, who know how to manage this animal, in itself fo terrible, as readily as a skilful huntfman in our country manages his hounds. Thefe kornacks or huntfmen, have a trifling penfion: but the country fellows that help to drive the elephants together, have only that one day taken off from the number of days on which they are obliged to labour (as vaffals) on ordinary fervices.

II. Another method of taking these animals, is that which is practifed (in the countries respectively fubject to them) by the orders of the feven tributary princes, whom I mentioned in a curfory manner, when I was treating of the extenfive power of the governor. They have pits, fome fathoms deep, in thofe places whither the elephant is wont to go in fearch of food. Acrofs thefe pits are laid poles, covered with leaves, and in the middle baited with the food, of which the elephant is fondeft. As foon as he fets eyes on this, he makes directly towards it, and on a fudden finds himself taken unawares. His new fituation at first fets him almoft mad; at length however he becomes cooler, and bethinks himself what he fhall do in thefe difagreeable circumftances. Accordingly, having first thrown from him the materials of his fnare, which had fallen in with him, he makes fome endeavours at getting out; but finding himself too heavy to accomplish this, he cries out for fome of his own fpecies to come to his affiitance. At length he fees fome of

them