likewise yams, sugarcanes, and fish, whence they threw a volley of stones. for small pieces of cloth and linen, Notwithstanding their hurry and mostly blue, though scarlet and crim- alarm they collected together, and son being their favourite colours, they carried off all the pieces of the flag. were eager to obtain the least shred The canoe was brought away by our that bore those dyes Unfortunately, people. It was a source of much and in result fatally for them, the uneasiness on board when we were signal flag, that was hoisted at one informed of the poor fellow's death. end of an island, which we had named He was a fine, stout, cheerful young Skull island, on account of several man, who had been jumping and human skulls being found upon it, dancing on the quarter-deck all the for the purpose of serving as a station morning. He was unarmed, and not to assist in the survey then taking of in the same canoe by which the flag, the harbour, had a great deal of scar- which was the object of contention, let in it, being the union-jack. About had been carried away; nor did he noon, on the 29th of May, four ca- appear to have taken any active part noes that had been round the ship all in their proceedings. We had no the morning, put off from her all to- opportunity of observing whether gether, and made towards the point they fetched the body away, or whewhere the flag was flying. From the ther they performed any funeral obseship they were observed to land and quies. The only circumstance which to seize upon the colours. Upon this we took notice of during our stay, rethe first lieutenant, with one of the lative to their mode of disposing of mates and four men, went after them their dead, was, that on one part of in the jollyboat. The natives stopped Skull island an entire human skeleon the point till our people arrived, tou was found, under a slight frame when, appearing to comprehend the of wood work, in which there was cause of their leaving the ship, they likewise found inclosed a calabash for made signs that they only wanted to holding water. examine the flag. They stepped For several days after this menquietly into their canoes, and paddled choly occurrence no canoes came off"; away to the side of the island oppo- and the weather being perfectly calm, site to that abreast of which the ship without a ripple on the water, or any lay. But the boat had no sooner thing to disturb the death-like stillreturned on board than they resumed ness that reigned around us, the their purpose, pulled the colours gloom that hung over us augmented down, and hurried in their canoes the regret we felt for the recent towards a large island, which lay about a mile off. The first lieutenant Various schemes were resorted to instantly pursued them, taking the to entice the natives to renew their boatswain and serjeant of marines, visits. Their canoe, was taken back with two musquets and some ammu- to the spot whence it had been nition. They were nearly in shore brought, and left there with some before the jollyboat got within mus- green boughs in it. Three or four quet shot, when two musquets were days more elapsed without our perfired over their heads, upon which ceiving any signs of inhabitants. At they threw overboard a small piece length we observed, one of their of the flag, and renewed their efforts to reach the shore. Another musquet was then fired, after which they threw several spears. Upon this, at the command of the lieutenant, the boatswain and serjeant loaded with ball, and fired at the same instant. One of the natives was killed and fell across a canoe, the ball entering his breast on the left side. Another was wounded, yet not so much as to prevent his jumping out of the canoe and getting on shore, as all the others did,

event.

largest double canoes making towards the ship. Every thing that could be collected of their favourite colour was held up to entice them on board, which, as their canoe came alongside, several of them did, without shewing` any symptoms of fear or distrust.There were sixteen men, two girls, and a boy in the canoe. In return for our presents they offered some of their cloth, a few bagos, and some baskets. Six of them passed almost the whole of the day in the cabin,

At times the heat was very oppressive, and none of the passengers or crew were sorry when the anchor was weighed, on the morning of the 18th of June.

and behaved with great propriety and yellow fins; various other tints, most decorum. We left nothing undone fancifully and beautifully contrasted, that we thought could please and adorned other individuals of this speamuse them. Some of our seamen cies of fish. Water snakes were also danced under the orlop-deck to the seen in abundance, and very handsound of a violin, but the natives some, being of a delicate white, with much preferred the flute, on which, jet black spots or rings. to their great delight, the captain and one of the officers performed several tunes. They listened attentively to the songs which a lady on board saug to that accompaniment, and joined chorus with her in the tune of After leaving the harbour we con"tink-a-tink." Their voices were tinued our course as near the coast as reckoned soft and melodious. They we could with safety. Some parts of partook of no sustenance all the day, it seemed more mountainous than excepting some ship's biscuit and what has before been described, and water, yet towards evening their spi- the reef appeared a formidable barrier rits were very much exhilirated. The the whole way. It was not till the cance being made fast under the 22d that, not a little to our satisfacstern, those in the ship kept looking tion, we passed the extreme point of out, and pressing their friends to it, as we had had several very unpleacome on board. At length all of sant alarms, the man at the mastthem, except two or three men and head having called out three or four the two girls, who were not permitted times that we were in the midst of to enter the ship, left the canoe. the breakers. At one time rocks They got up the stern ladders, and in above water were thought to be disat the cabin-windows. The faces, cerned, but upon nearing the supforms, and gestures of the group now posed danger, it was found to arise assembled in the cabin, who were from the reflection of the clouds passdestitute of ali covering, intermixed ing the sun. This reef, so fraught with the Europeans, and the distinct with danger, extends for three hunview from the cabin-windows of the dred miles along the south-west coast wild scenery of the country, by the of New Caledonia. light of a full moon, then rising from behind the lofty peaked mountains, would have given ample scope for the abilities of a painter; and much regret was expressed at the want of a food artist on board, who might have

taken a characteristic of the strange but interesting scene.

[To be continued.]

W.

On the MANAGEMENT of the AFFAIRS of the Poor.

A PLAN has lately been adopted

by the guardians and overseers of the poor, of large districts and The boats being all employed in towns, to send a printed account of making a survey of the harbour, few their yearly receipts and expenditures opportunities occurred for excursions to each other, to shew how the moof pleasure or instruction. On the ney has been applied; but there is evening of the next day the seine generally something omitted in each was hauled on the fine sandy beach of them, to prevent a stranger from of an island at a little distance from deriving the information he could the ship, but with very indifferent wish from their statements. If the success. We sometimes caught very different articles of provision, clothfine snappers with hooks and lines. ing, inedicine, wages, and gratuities The colours of these fish were beau- for encouraging and rewarding industiful beyond description: some of try, were given with their respective them were covered with circles of a sums under separate heads, and the bright lilac colour, with a black spot average number of the poor either in the centre of each circle, and their fins and tails of a deep yellow; others were of a fine pink colour, with purple undulatory lines, and purple and UNIVERSAL MAG. VOL. MI.

occasionally or permanently relieved, both within and out of the house, were correctly mentioned, it might then be calculated how much each

Ο

person cost in the year; the propor- gentleman's table. I have known, in tion between the population and the some workhouses, that it hath been poor of the town or the district found an exceedingly nourishing and might be obtained; and in short, by healthy diet. As the number of young comparing the account of one town children nursed out of the house is with another, considerable knowledge not mentioned, it is impossible to would be acquired, by a person seek- judge how many there were of them, ing after the method of conducting or whether they were separated from the affairs of the poor in different their parents. places.

While examining these yearly accounts, I selected one for the county and town of Kingston upon Hull, from the 2d day of February, 1808, to the 2d day of February, 1809: and I now propose to offer a few observations on some of the principal articles therein mentioned.

It appears by the last year's account, that they paid 4291. 16s. for young children, after they had deduct ed 3571. 8s. 6d. they had received for bastards. To a stranger 7871, 4s. 6d. appears a large sum for nursing young children; and it further shews us, that the Rev. Mr. Malthus's plan for preventing the poor from marrying, would avail but little in checking the progress of population. As such young children as are left to be brought up by the parish are generally put out to

poor women, who have a living to get, it cannot be expected that they can shew them all the care and attention they require, and it is a desirable thing to know whether there are not more of them die in proportion to their number, than there are of those in a well-regulated workhouse. ̄

I find they expended, under the different heads of provisions, about 33951. 148. and that the average number of the paupers did not exceed 370; and that the rate of expence nurse at Kingston upon Hull to for each pauper was 3s. 34d. a week. By the returns of the overseers for the county and town of Kingston upon Hull, A.D. 1803, they had no more than 206 poor persons in their house; and how does it happen that, in the short space of six years, there should be an increase of 164 in poor? Sure. ly something extraordinary must have occurred, or there must have been some error in the return. If the poor are so rapidly increasing, the cause of it ought to be seriously investigated, and a remedy applied to prevent or check the progress of such an alarming evil.

If we may judge from some of the articles in the annual account, there appears to be a liberal establishment in the house at Kingston upon Hull, which may have been continued from one guardian to another, till it is fixed by custom, and any innovation may cause murmurings and complaints by those who are fed by the public bounty; but this ought not to influence the conduct of the present governors.

Where young children are put out of the house to nurse, is not 330l. 16s. 8d. a large sum for milk Such an indulgence seems unnecessary, when butcher's meat to the amount of 8641. 3s. 10d. is consumed in the course of a year, and as rich a soup might have been made for breakfast and supper, as is brought to a

Before Mr. Whitbread attempts to bring in his bill to regulate the affairs of the poor, it is much to be wished that he would endeavour to collect a little real information from facts, before he changes old laws for new projects. If the guardians and the overscers of the poor were obliged, by act of parliament, to answer a set of pertinent questions, many important truths might be establislied to coun teract opinions founded upon prejudices, errors, and mismanagement, and we might then expect to see remedies provided for such existing evils as are proved, without hazarding the further burdening of the public with fruitless expences.

But there is another article in the annual accounts of the establishment at Kingston upon Hull, of 44851.128.6d. for relieving of the out-poor, in money, bread, potatoes, and rice, but the number is not mentioned, either of those who are occasionally or permanently assisted; and, for want of further information, many may think this a large sum.

If we reckon the number of out

poor at 520, then the average sum ties. But an economical system is paid to each pauper will be 81. 8s. 8d. the last thing to be thought of in which is a large contribution to so every department, where the public many individuals; but the sum must are to pay the expence. have been much larger to many of them, as it is very probable, that they who were occasionally relieved, received only a few shillings. The spirit of industry appears very languid in the house, as there is no more charged for the amount of the earnings of the in-poor than 1217. 6s. 11d. which will average about one penny three farthings weekly for each person. From this trifling sum of 1217. Os. 11d. there are deductions for the clerk, the master, the spinning master, the spinners, and others, to the amount of 774. 7s. 8d. which leaves only 43. 10s. 3d. to their institution, for the labour of the whole year.

If a person steps forward to reform abuses in privileged jurisdictions, the Messrs. Justice, Butcher, Grocer, and Draper, who preside as chairmen at public-houses, generally endeavour to prejudice the minds of their evening associates with insinuations unfavourable to reformers. This is continued week after week, month after month, and year after year, till those who have exerted themselves for the good of the whole community are driven with disgust from their office.

It is difficult to say for what reason so many persons receive such deductions from the earnings of the paupers, as it cannot be for keeping them to work; and they appear to be liberally paid for there is the sun of 4121. 17s. 6d. charged for medical attendance, medicine, and wages. The paupers who act as servants in the house, and of course have provisions, clothing, and lodging, found them, have also wages to the amount of 65. 13s. 1d. They who are able to work, yet throw themselves upon the public, ought to give up their time and their labour to those who support them, receiving at the same time some little gratuity, weekly, as an encouragement. In times like the present, parochial and other taxes are, with difficulty, collected, and they ought to be expended with a careful and a frugal hand.

Our legislators may think that they shall be able to provide remedies for every existing evil, by passing acts to build schools; but when they have imposed additional burthens, they will find the evils complained of still remaining.

There never will be any thing done to lessen the expences for maintaining the poor, till the business is taken out of the hands of the trading part of the community, and the overseers, and the guardians of workhouses, are compelled to buy such articles as they require for the poor at the cheapest rate, and till they are further prevented from spending any of the public money illegally.

But abuses must not be corrected even in parochial affairs, lest the people should be clamorous for extending the reforming hand a little further. There are some candid persons who will acknowledge that there are many public evils both seen and felt; but they ask, how are they to be prevented? Tell us how it is to be There are many other articles in done, and we will do it. To which this annual account, which appear to it may be answered, Let the idle, the a stranger to require the attention of drunken, the worthless, and the the guardians, and especially those noisy petitioner for parochial relief be which relate to militia-men's wives, put to hard labour, and, if they are as many gross impositions have been able, let them have no more to eat practised by them, where magistrates than they will earn, and they will have been ready to make orders soon quit you, and provide for themwithout much examination. Under selves, and you will be relieved of the every head of the parochial expendi- burden of maintaining many of the ture, as much economy ought to be present inhabitants of workhouses. introduced as is consistent with a Let those who have brought up their liberal provision for the sober and in- families with credit, and cannot work dustrious poor, who are worn down any longer, by reason of their age with hard labour, age, and infirmi- and infirmities, be treated with ten