vre, to whom, as to the servant and representative of Great Britain, with much formality and ceremony, he had made a conveyance of the sovereignty of Owhyhee, in the hopes of being thus more strongly confirmed in his authority, and supplied with the means of resisting his enemies. "His dominion seems now to be completely established. He is not only a great warrior and politician, but a very acute trader, and a match for any European for driving a bar. gain, and is ever ready to take the advantage of the necessities of those who apply to him or his people for supplies

"His subjects have already made considerable progress in civilization, but are held in the most abject sub mission, as Tamahama is inflexible in punishing all offences which seem to counteract his supreme command.

"It was only in 1792 that Capt. Vancouvre laid down the keel of Tamahama's first vessel, or rather craft; but so assiduously has he applied himself to effect his favourite object, the establishment of a naval force, that at the period of our arrival he had upwards of twenty, vessels of different sizes, from 25 to 50 tons; some of them were even copper bot

tomed.

"He was, however, at this time much in want of naval stores, and to have his navy quickly placed on a respectable footing, would pay well for them. He has also a certain number of body guards to attend him, independently of the number who are required to accompany him on his journeys and expeditions.

66 In viewing this man my imagination suggested to me that I beheld, in its first progress, one of those extraordinary natures which, under o ther circumstances of fortune and si tuation, would have ripened into the future hero, and caused the world to resound with his feats of glory.What other was Philip of Macedon March 1806.

as pictured by the Grecian historians? A man who overcame every disadvantage of slight resources and. powerful rivals, and extended the narrow sovereignty of Macedon unto a universal monarchy, of Greece and the known world.

"Some convicts from Botany Bay having effected their escape to the Sandwich Islands, rendered themselves at first serviceable to Tamahama, and in recompence were put in possession of small portions of land for cultivation, On these they had raised some sugar-canes, and at last contrived to distil a sort of spirit, with which they entertained each other by turns, keeping birth-days and other holidays, until Tamahama, finding that such festivities greatly retarded his work, made some gentle representations on the subject.

"This lenity, however, produced no good effect; but the drinking, idleness, and quarrels among the new settlers, seeming rather to become more frequent than before, and their insolence being carried so far as to insult and maltreat many of the natives, Tamahama gave the stran gers to understand, that in their next fighting party he would make one of the company, and see who could best acquit himself on the occasion.— This hint produced the desired effect; the Botany Bay settlers were brought into complete submission, and a due sense of their situation.

"These particulars were collected from Mr Young-a man of strict veracity, who, having been long in the country, had the best opportunity to know the truth. He has been long in the confidence of Tamahama, whose fortunes he has constantly followed from the beginning, and who gives him daily proofs of the sincerity of his attachment. He add. d, that for several years Tamahama had adopted it as a rule, to request from all Europeans who touched within his dominions, a certificate or testi

monial

monial of his good conduct towards them; but that now, considering his character for honesty and civility to be established, he no longer deems such certificates of any important

use.

66

Tamahama's ardent desire to obtain a ship from Captain Vancouvre, was in all probability first excited by the suggestions of Young and his countryman Davies; but such was the effect of this undertaking, that Tamahama became immediately more sparing of his visits on board the Discovery; his time being now chiefly employed in attending to the 'carpenters at work on his new man of war, which, when finished, was named the Britannia. This was the beginning of Tamahama's navy; and from his own observations, with the assistance of Messrs. Young, Davies, &c. he has laboured inflexibly in

blue great coat, with yellow facings.

"With other things which Tamahama has learned by intercourse with Europeans, he has acquired a relish for our spirits, so that some navigators have exchanged their rum with him to very good account. Sometimes when his stock of liquor is exhausted, he employs the Europeans settled in his dominions to extract spirits from the sugar-canes, which grow there of an excellent quality.

"When Tamahama means to relax from his serious occupations, he invites his own wives, and those of his chiefs, to share his regale of spirits, which in its operation seldom fails to create disputes, and even quarrels, among the ladies, to the great entertainment of the master of the feast, and the other male guests."

has brought it to its present perfection, securing to him not only a decided superiority over the frail canoes of his neighbours, but the means of transporting his warriors to distant

parts.

"Some of his vessels are employed as transports, in carrying provisions from one island to another, to supply his warriors; whilst the largest are used as men of war, and are occasionally mounted with a few light guns.

"No one better understands his interest than this ambitious Chiefno one better knows how to improve an original idea. The favours of Vancouvre would have been thrown away on any other savage; but Tamahama possesses a genius above his situation.

"The body guards, who may be considered in some respects as regularly disciplined troops, go on duty and relieve each other as in Europe, calling out "All is well" at every half hour, as on board ship. Their uniform at this time was simply a

SOUTH WALES.

From the same.

THE town of Sidney, the capital

of the colony, and the seat of the government, is divided into two parts by a river which empties itself in to a cove named after the town.Sidney cove has thus a double advantage, that of being well and plentifully provided with excellent water, and at the same time possessing an harbour, which might contain with ease all the royal navy of Great Britain, These two-fold advantages rendered it much more eligible than Botany Bay, the original destination.

The peculiar circumstances which belonged to the first settlement of this colony, rendered it necessary to have storehouses erected for the reception of provisions, houses for the convicts, and barracks for the military, upon the arrival of the first settlers. These buildings, in different parts of the country most fit for cultivation, formed the outlines of the

pre

present towns, of which the chief are Sidney, Paramatta, and Hawkesbury. The adjacent country being parcelled out among such of the settlers as preferred this means of livelihood; others, of a more mechanical and sedentary propensity, collected together in the villages, erecting shops, establishing trades, and be coming factors, in the mutual exchange of commodities between the people of the country and the towns. From such beginnings the villages have increased to towns, and Sidney, according to the most accurate calculation I am enabled to make, has now a population of two thousand six hundred inhabitants.

They may be classed under the following denominations:

Military and civil establishment, 450 Convicts employed by the crown

in the public works, bridges, batteries, and dock-yards, Taylors, Shoemakers, Bakers, Butchers, Carpenters, and Ma

400

250

20

sons, Fishermen, People employed in boats, getting wood for shipping, bringing grain from the Hawkesbury, settlers in Bass's Straits, chiefly employed on the water, 350 Petty traders, or pedlars, who gain a livelihood by trading, Women, Children, .

40

600

450 The space occupied by the town is about a mile from one extremity to the other. With the exception of the store-houses, and other public buildings, eight out of ten of the houses are only one storey in height, and whether built at the formation of the colony, or imediately afterwards, are for the most part composed of wattle and plaster; and some few, but few indeed, of brick and stone. The absolute want of lime, or any sufficient substitute, except that made from shells, is an invinci

ble impediment against more sub stantial architecture.

Sydney,however, is in every respect well situated to become, in progress of years, a port of very active commerce. It already comprehends upwards of one third of the whole population of New South Wales. The effect of the climate has been rather over-rated. It is chiefly visible in children born in the country of European parents, but it is not visible so much in any defect as in a certain characteristic trait of countenance. These children differ nothing in size and stature from the common standard of Europe, but are invariably of one complexion, fair, and with white hair. Out of Eleven hundred children born in New South Wales, this national, as we may call it, disthere is scarcely a single exception to tinction. Their eyes are usually black and very brilliant, their disposition quick and volatile, and their loquacity such as might render them a proverb.

The settlers follow, as much as possible, the customs and manner of life of their native country, and are therefore liable to the same maladies with their countrymen of the same order. Intemperance, encouraged perhaps by the intensity and continuance of labour, so necessary in a new set. tlement, has many victims; and some have fallen a premature sacrifice to dysenteries, and complaints in the liver, the diseases of all new settled lands.

Nearly one half of the whole po pulation, both men and women, are Irish, many of them having been transported hither for their seditious practices. It is too much to be dreaded, that the evil of their treason is only removed to another sphere: thus far I will assert, that their transportation has not in any degree changed their principles.

The police of the colony is invested in the magistrates, who are appoint

ed

ed by the governor, one or more to each principal district. Under them, in every district, is a head or petty constable and for the better preservation of order, a certain number of watchmen, where the circumstances seemed to require it.

The celebrated George Barrington held the office of high Constable of Paramatta for many years, and in the faithful and vigorous discharge of his duty acquitted himself much to the satisfaction of the government. At this time, having absolutely lost the use of his intellectual faculties, he had retired on a small pension allowed him for former services. He was e maciated, and apparently in the last stage of human life; a melancholy in stance of abused talents, and the force of remorse and conscious sensibility, on a mind intended for better things.

Strange as it may appear, the multitude of law-suits and litigations in this colony exceeds all proportion to its population. There were not less than three hundred capiases, summons, and executions, to be brought forward at the next sitting of the civil court; and the fees of office to the provost marshall were said to amount to nearly three hundred pounds. Indeed the lawyers and publicans are the most profitable trades in the colony.

In a country like this, nothing is so absolutely necessary as a virtuous and industrious peasantry. At present these are composed of two descriptions of people, namely the convicts, whose terms of transportation being expired, or being released from the sentence of the law by emancipation have been permitted to settle; and men with their families who have come free from England.

The first description of these were the first settlers, men of the most dissolute characters, whose conduct during the period of their servitude had the appearance of reformation,

but was only restrained within the bounds of propriety from the fear of punishment; for no sooner were they restored to their rights and pri vileges as freemen, than their vicious depravity shewed itself in idleness, drunkenness, and all the crimes their certain effects.

I cannot enumerate above eight or ten instances in the whole where the smallest propensity to industry appeared, and of those the celebrated Barrington, whilst in the free exercise of his faculties, stood highly conspicuous. Another of the classes of freemen who became settlers were the soldiers (marines) who first embarked on the expedition, and as a reward for their services, were discharged and allowed to settle; these men, accustomed to restless lives, could not easily accustom themselves to domestic habits; they disliked hard work, and, released from the strictness of military discipline, they abandoned themselves to drunkenness and other vices, already too prevalent in the colony, and in a very few years their farms were sold for the consideration of a few gallons of spirits, and themselves wretched and miserable, glad to enlist again into the service.

There are another description of settlers, who consist of people who, with their families, have been sent from England by the government, at a very heavy expence, for the express purpose of settling in it.

From these people much was expected, but in respect to them, the government and the colony has been most grossly deceived.

From upwards of an hundred families who have been sent from England, there are not above eight or ten, between whom and the convicts the smallest degree of discrimination could be drawn. It may perhaps be deemed presumption in me to offer an opinion, but it is of the utmost importance to be guarded against

the

the improper characters who offer themselves as candidates to settle in New South Wales, and do by one means or other get recommended. It is a matter of the greatest consequence, both to government and the colony.

Amongst the numbers hitherto sent out as free settlers, have been characters of a very suspicious nature, who have narrowly escaped being sent out contrary to their inclinations; some of them low mechanics, who had failed in business

HESE anecdotes, which are an

they remained in the country, would have become burdensome to their parishes. Others, men of dissolute, idle habits, whose friends were glad to get rid of them by recommending them as settlers for New South Wales.

According to the present prospect, it may be safely said, that, with some degree of forecast, and encouragement of agriculture, and particularly the growth and preservation of live stock, animal food will be in great abundance, and this, and every other species of provisions, will be much cheaper than in the mother country; nor will this probably be at any great distance of time. A few years may be reasonably expected to produce this change. The writer is also of opinion, that if the settlement continues in that tranquillity, which may be reasonably expected from the attention and li berality of government, the growth of manufactures, from the present state and circumstances of the colo. ny, will be much more rapid than it has hitherto been. Government have already established a manufactory of coarse woollen cloth from the country wool; and though their workmen are at present but few, and the quantity manufactured, of course, very moderate, it promises a very rapid increase. Several pieces of linen and canvas have been likewise manu

of the works of this celebrated writer, are rendered interesting not only by the eminence of the subject, but by the talents of the writer, who, we understand, is Mr Chalmers, well known both for his biographical diligence, and his profound acquaintance with the science of political economy. A short abstract of it cannot therefore be uninteresting to our readers.

Sir James Steuart was descended from two families, the Steuarts, and the Dalrymples, who have furnished this island with warriors, statesmen, and jurists. He was the only son of Sir Jas. Steuart, Baronet, the Solicitor General of Scotland, during the reigns of Queen Anneand George I. and the representative in He was the grandson of Sir Jas. Steuart, parliament for the city of Edinburgh. who, from November 1692, was twenty years Lord Advocate of Scotland, and was regarded as one of the great civilians of his time; and he was the great grandson of Sir James Steuart, who was Lord Provost of Edinburgh, from October 1649 till the Restoration. Our au thor's mother was Anne, the eldest

daughter of Sir Hew Dalrymple, of North Berwick, who was Lord President of the Court of Session during twenty years. His grandmother, the wife of the great Lord Advocate, was Margaret Trail, of a respectable family. His great-grandmother was Anne Hope, the niece of Sir Thomas Hope, who was Lord Advocate of Scotland to Chas. And this great politicl economist

Wa