(To be continued.) Some Account of the Rev. Robert Black. points of view. From the commencement his name with so much reputation. The of the internal commotions, the party of proceedings of that memorable day are the magistrates had a decided fuperiority well known; one of the most important for a long feries of years, and the people refolutions originated with, and was ably repeatedly remonftrated and complained fupported by Mr. Black; and his fpecc! against their exceflive prerogative. By on that bufincfs does honour, both to the the late revolution, the people acquire the goodneis of his heart and his oratoric. afcendency; the magiftrates in their turn, powers -Hefnd, "As a man and ai are difcontented, and firuggle against the à chriftian, as a diffenting Clergy nap ang ufurped anthority of the people. The as an Iriff independent volunteer, he fformer may be called the æra of arifto- conded the motion, he rejoiced in cracy; the latter, of democracy. 'Tis the hope, that that refpectable affer this laft period which remains to be ex- would give a public teftimony of thự hibited, which conflitutes the third and regard for their Roman Catholic brethret laft epoch of the difentions of this Re- The illiberal fprit of Ligotry had to public; viz. From the crifis of 1768 to long divided this land; and, in the ar this prefent current year. vour of religious difputes, the contita tional rights of Irishmen were forgotter. Seeking political freedom, let us discoun tenance religious oppreffion. Dɔ w with to fee Roman Catholics liberal aud tolerating let us fct them the eximpic. We have too long delayed fhewing them and the world, that perfecution has, in thefe enlightened days, no fuppet from Proteftants. He fiid, be supported the motion not from a mean principle of policy, but from a clear principle of coty, it might, with tome, be policy; but be was fure it was benevolent, and pericaly confonant to the genuine spirit of chefianity. The Roman Catholics of Irelan are our countrymen, and our fellow-fubjets; they are equally interested in the freedom and profperity of the kingdom; and wherefore thould we doubt their attachment to either?--Let us confider them as our friends, and let us convince then that we are theirs. Conficeret will beget confidence, and every generous Hillman, forgetting all palt enmity and raiftaken policy, will hold his fellowcitizens to his bofom." THENEVER men diftinguish them. felves either by their exertions to enlarge or fecure the liberties of mankind, or endeavour to promote the peace and happiness of fociety, they become the fit objects of applaufe, and are certainly entitled to every mark of refpect and efleem which the gratitude of their fellow-citizens can beflow. The Rev. Robert Black received a liberal education, and gave early proofs both of his tafte and genins. Being defined for a diffenting miniter, he pfied the ufual time at the college of Glafgow, but with more than ufual application and fucccfs. On his return to Ireland, his ta lents were too conipicuous to lie unnoticed, and he was foon called to officiate for the congregation of Dromore in the county of Down, in the room of the late worthy and muca refpected.Dr. Col ville. At the commencement of our volunteer affociations, Mr. Black took an active part in promoting and encouraging them; he was a chaplain and adjutant as their fpiritual or their temporal concerns occafionally required. His fpirited conduct, as a volunteer, and as a friend to the rights of his country, attracted the public attention; and a number of repectable young men in his neighbourhood, having formed themfelves into a company, they unanimously elected him their commander.- -Hence he obtained the honourable title of the Rev. Captain Black. This fpeech, which was delivered with the utmost grace and energy, was received with a degree of applaufe which evinced the abilities of the speaker, an the force of bis arguments. The happy N O T E. There were two refolutions on the fubject of toleration; the firft was, "Thi we hold the right of private judgment, a matters of religion, to be equally ficred a others as in ourtelves." Then followed the other: "Refolved therefore, That, as me and Irifhmen, as Chriftians and as Prote ants, we rejoice in the relaxation of th penal laws againft our Roman Cathol. fellow-fubjects; and that we conceive thr measure to be fraught with the happies confequences to the union and profperity of the inbabitants of Ireland." effect 1782. effect which thefe proceedings I had on the minds of the Roman Catholics is too recent for us to repeat; it is fufficient to fay, that, when, "the delegates of the north became advocates for the Catholics of the fouth," the union of the people was irrefiftible, and the rights of Ireland were folemnly recognized by the king and parliament of Great Britain. nearly refembles mankind, not only in The laft of the ape kind is the Cynoce the fkin than the bone. It differs alfo in having a large callous red rump. The face Although Mr. Black has already acquired a very confiderable degree of reputation in the political work, he is but a young man; and if we may judge from the part he has hitherto adopted, he promifes to be an eminent and ufeful ornament, not only to thofe of his own profeflion, but alfo to the community at large. The Natural Hiftory of Animals that most appears different in its difpofitions, being nearly approach Humanity. [From Buffon, Goldsmith, Pennant, &c.] (Continued from p. 592.) THE animal next to thefe, and to be Tplaced in the time clare, is the Apt, properly to called, or the Pithekos of the ancients. This is much lefs than the former, being not above a foot and a half high, but walks erect, is without a tail, and is easily tamed. able creature. Of this kind alfo is the Gibbon, fo cal led by Buffon, or the Long-armed Ape, which is a very extraordinary and remarkIt is of different fizes, be ing from four feet to two feet high. It walks erect, is without a tail, has a face refembling that of a man, with a circle of buthy hair all round the vifige; its eyes are large and funk in its head; its face tanned, and its ears exactly proportioned. But that in which it chiefly differs from all others of the monkey tribe is the extraordinary length of its arms, which, when the animal tands erect, are long enough to reach the ground; fo that it can walk upon all fours and yet keep its erect pofture at the fame time.. This animal, next to the Ouran Outang and the Ape, mot NOTE. It is faid, that thefe celebrated refolutions paffed in an affembly, the great majority of which were Prefbyterians, bas wrought fome alteration even in the bigotted minds of Lord George Gordon's followers in Scotland;-they begin to think, that the fpirit of toleration is not really fo dangerous a thing, or the Dif fenters of Ireland would not have adopted fuch a measure, furrounded as they are by at least five times their number of Roman Catholics. fullen, vicious, and untractable *. Defcending from the more perfect of the monkey kinds, we come to the baboon and its varieties, a large, fierce, and formidable race, that, mixing the figure of the man and the quadruped in their conformation, feem to poflefs only the defects of both; NOTE. The baboon, properly fo called, is from apples, and ripe fruit) they do not go three to four feet high, very strong built, fingly to work, but in large companies, with a thick body and limb, and canine and with preconcerted deliberation. Oa teeth, much larger than thofe of men. It thefe occafions, a part of them enter the has large callofities behind, which are enclosure, while one is fet to watch. The quite naked and red. Its tail is crooked reft ftand without the fence, and form a and thick, and about seven or eight inchés line reaching all the way from their fellong. Its freut, for it can hardly be called lows within to their rendezvous without, a face, is long and thick, and on each fide which is generally in fome craggy moun of its checks it has a pouch, into which, tain. Every thing being thus difpofed, when fatiated with eating, it puts the re- the plunderers within the orchard throw mainder of its provifions. It is covered the fruit to those that are without as fat with long thick hair, of a reddish brown as they can gather it; or, if the wall or colour, and pretty uniform over the whole hedge be high, to those that fit on the top; body. It walks more commonly upon all and these hand the plunder to those next fours than upright, and its hands as well them on the other fide. Thus the fruit is as its feet are armed with long sharp claws, pitched from one to another all along the instead of the broad round nails of the ape line, till it is fafely depofited at their head kind. quarters. They catch it as readily as the moft fkilful tenis-player can a ball; and while the bufinefs is going forward, which they conduct with great expedition, a mot profound filence is observed among them. Their centinel, during this whole time, continues upon the watch, extremely ac xious and attentive: but if he perceives any one coming, he inftantly fets up a loud cry, and at this fignal the whole company fcamper off. Nor yet are they at any time willing to leave the place empty-handed; for if they be plundering a bed of melons, for inftance, they go off with one under their arm. If the pursuit is hot, they drop firft that from under their arm, then that from their hand, and, if it be continued, they at laft let fall that which they had hitherto kept in their mouths. An animal thus made for ftrength, and furnished with dangerous weapons, is found in fact to be one of the moft formidable of the savage race, in those countries where it is bred. It appears in its native woods to be impelled by two oppofite paffions; an hatred for the males of the human fpecies, and a defire for women. Were we affured of these ftrange oppofitions in its difpofition from one teftimony alone, the account might appear doubtful; but, as it comes from a variety of the moft credible witneffes, we cannot refuse our affent. From them, therefore, we learn, that these animals will often affail women in a body, and force them into the woods, where they keep them against their will, and kill them when refractory. From the Chevalier Forbin we learn, that in Siam whole troops of thofe animals will often fally forth from their forefts, and attack a village, when they know the men are engaged in their rice harveft. They are on fuch occations actuated as well by defire as by hunger; and not only plunder the houfes of whatever provisions they can find, but endeavour to force the women.Thefe, however, as the Chevalier humoroufly relates, not at all liking either the manners or the figure of the paltry gallants, boldly ftand on their defence, and with clubs, or whatever other arms they can provide, instead of aufwering their careffes, oblige their ugly fuitors to retreat; not, however, before they have damaged or plundered every thing catable on which they can lay their hands. At the Cape of Good Hope they are lefs formidable, but to the best of their power equally mischievous. They are there under a fort of natural discipline, and go about whatever they undertake with furprifing skill and regularity. When they fet about robbing an orchard or a vineyard (for they are extremely fond of grapes, The natives of the Cape often take the young of these animals, and, feeding them with theep and goats milk, accustom them to guard their houses; which duty they perform with great punctuality. Thof, however, that have been brought into Europe, are headstrong, rude, and untractable. Dogs and cats, when they have done any thing wrong, will run off; but thefe feem carelefs and infenfible of the mischief they do; and I have feen one of them break a whole table of china, as it would feem by defign, without appearing in the leaft confcious of having done amifs. But, however violent the defires of these animals may be, they are not found to breed in our climate. The female brings forth ufually but one at a time, which the carries in her arms, and in a peculiar manner clinging to her breast. As to the reft, thefe animals are not at all carnivorous; they principally feed upon fruits, roots, and corn, and generally keep together in companies. The largeft of the baboon kind is the Mandril; an ugly disgusting animal, with a tail fhorter than the former, though of a much larger ftature, being from four to five feet high. The muzzle is ftill longer than that of the preceding, it is of a bluish colour, and ftrongly marked with wrinkles, which give it a frightful appearance. It is a native of the Gold Coaft: it is faid, to walk more frequently erect than upon all fours; and when difpleafed to weep like a child.There was one of them fhewn in England fome years ago. It feemed time but ftupid, and had a method of opening its mouth and blowing at fuch as came too near. The Wanderow is a baboon rather lefs than the former, with a body lefs compact and mufcular, and the hinder parts feem, ingly more feeble. The tail is from feven to eight inches long; the muzzle is prominent as in the rett of this kind; but what particularly diftinguishes it is a large long white head of hair, together with a monftrous white beard, coarfe, rough, and defcending; the colour of the reft of the body being brown or black. In its favage itate, it is equally fierce with the others; but, with a proper education, it feems more tractable than most of its kind, and is chiefly feen in the woods of Ceylon and Malabar. The Maimos of Buffon, which Edwards calls the Pigtail, is the laft of the baboons, and in fize rather approaches the monkey, being no larger than a cat. Its chief diftinétion, befides its prominent muzzle, like a baboon, is in the tail, which is about five or fix inches long, and curled up like that of an hog; from which circumflance, peculiar to this animal, our English naturalifts gave it the name. It is a native of Sumatra, and does not well endure the rigours of our climate. Edwards, however, kept one of them a year in London; and another of them hap. pening at the fame time to be expofed in a fhew of beafts, he brought the two exiles together, to fee if they would claim or acknowledge their kindred. The moment they came into each other's prefence, they teftified their mutual fatisfaction, and feemed quite transported at the inter view. The varieties in the larger tribes of the monkey kind are but few; in the ape we have seen but four, and in the baboon about as many. But when we come to the fmaller clafs, the differences among them feem too tedious for enumeration. Thefe, as was obferved in the beginning, are all fmall in ftature, and with long tails, by which they are diftinguished from the prereding, that entirely want the tail, or are arge and have but a fhort one. The vanetics in the form and colour of dogs, or Hib. Mag. Dec. 1782. fquirrels, is nothing to what are found among monkies of the smaller kind. Bofman mentions above fifty forts on the Gold Coaft alone, and Smith confirms the account. Condamine afferts that it would take up a volume to defcribe the differences of those to be found along the river of the Amazons; and we are fure that every one of thefe is very different from thofe on the African coaft. Naturalifts, however, have undertaken to make a catalogue of their numbers; and they either tranfmit their defcriptions from one to another, or only enumerate these few that have found their way to Europe, and have fallen within the narrow circle of their own obfervation. But, though it may be proper enough to describe fuch as fall under our notice, it is certainly wrong to offer a fcanty catalogue as complete, and to induce the reader to fuppofe he fees a picture of the whole group of thefe animals when he is only prefented with a fmall part of the number. Such, therefore, as are fond of the reputation of adding new defcriptions to the stock of Natural Histo ry, have here a wide, though furely a barren, field to enlarge in; and they will find it no difficult matter, by observing the various animals of this kind, that are from time to time brought from their native coafts to this country to indulge in defcription, and to ring the changes upon all the technical terms with which this moit pleasing science is obfcured and rendered difgufting. But, though their numbers are very great, their differences are very trifling. There is fcarce a country in the tropical climates that does not fwarm with them, and fearce a forest that is not inhabited by a race of monkies diftinct from all others. Every different wood along the coast of Africa may be confidered as a feparate colony of monkies, differing from thofe of the next diftrict in colour, in fize, and malicious mifchief. It is indeed remarkable that the monkies of two cantons are never found to mix with each other, but rigorously to obferve a feparation; each fureft produces only its own; and thefe guard the limits from the intrusion of all ftrangers of a different race from them&lves. In this they fomewhat refemble the human inhabitants of the favige nations, among whom they are found, where the petty kingdoms are numerous, and their manners oppolite.There, in the extent of a few miles, the traveller is prefented with men fpeaking different languages, profeffing different religions, governed by different laws, and only refembling each other in their mutual animofity. Character of the Spaniards. By Francis Chara&er of the Spaniards of Malaga. HE people of Malaga, a trading fea- THE courfe with foreigners from all parts, differ widely, and are greatly degenerated from the ancient virtue and fimplicity of their forefathers. A love of diffipation, and public amusements, universally reigns among them; and, as their traffic is lucrative and their property extenfive, each feems to vie with his neighbour in fhow and expence, and every one endeavonrs to move and maintain himself in a sphere above him; the mechanic appears a tradefman; the fhopkeeper, a merchant; and the merchants, nobles.-The ancient Spanish black drefs is exchanged for the tawdry laces of France, whofe mafque rades they awkwardly imitate during the carnival; and the Seguidillas and Fandingoes have made way for the country dances of England; but in the inland towns and villages we ftill behold the Spa, niards pretty nearly in the ftate the Romans left them. Drefs of the Spanish Shepherds. A Spanish fhepherd is a most respecta-. ble figure in the hotteft as well as in the coldelt feafons his dress is the fame: a leather waistcoat, fhort and laced before, upon which he wears a fheep's fkin with its flecce, whofe thickness equally preferves his back from the cold in winter, and from the piercing rays of the fummer's fun. Over his knees hang a flip of leather, to defend him from the bri ars; his feet are always bare, and fhod with hempen fandals the Montero, or Spanish cap, is both warm and conveni ent. Charader of the Spanish Peasants. Temperate in their diet, abftemious, fober above all nations, fond of their country, obedient and faithful to their king, thefe peasants make moft excellent foldiers; and, as the levies in Spain are for three or five years only, each district affembles annually and chufes out, among its young men, those who are unmarried, and can best be spared: by this wife method, their troops are armies of volun. teers, and the whole country a militia that have all feen regular fervice. The Spanish husbandmen-ftill preserve the cuftem of their forefathers, by travelling on foot not only from village to village, but over the whole peninfula of Spain. A piece of bread in one of their pockets, and a born-cup in the other, is their only pro vifion; they carry their cloaks, doubled fo Defcription of the Drefs of the Spanish W men. The women in the country villages and farms wear their garments long and mo NOTE. + When I visited the court of Madrid in 1758, my fervant not enly kept pace with the chaife, but fupplied us, during the whole journey with game. In 1754 another young man, with a fidelity and affection which characterizes the Spanish nation, followed my horfe from Seville to Lisbon, notwithstanding my entreaties, and foretelling him the ill ufage he afterwards met with from the antipathy of the Portaguefe to the Spaniards, on his retura, when I should not be with him to protect him. And on my embarking from this prefent journey, all-Malaga was witness to the distress of my fervant, who shed tears, and earnestly entreated to be permitted to attend me to England. deft; |