The Sexagenarian appears to have had from his childhood a remarkable partiality for books of voyages and travels, and sought after them with the extremest eagerness, from the ingenious and imaginary adventures of Robinson Crusoe, to those more important works of authentic discovery, and actual description, which have for the last century, and indeed much before, obtained the sanction of public approbation and esteem. This feeling naturally led him to seek the personal acquaintance of all those among his contemporaries, who had made themselves eminent, either by their geographical knowledge, or their actual visits to remote regions and countries, less perfectly known.

Of many of these personages he has left notes, which induce the disposition to believe, that he had, at one time, entertained the intention of writing something in a connected form, on the subject of the value of their different observations and discoveries. This, however, he did not do; but from the remarks which he had made, the reader may perhaps find some transient amusement in the selection which succeeds.

ALEXANDER DALRYMPLE.

This was a very considerable man, perhaps few, or none, of his contemporaries could compare with him, either for the extent or the accuracy of his geographical

graphical and nautical knowledge. His works on these subjects were very numerous and very important, and his original manuscripts, which, after his death, were deposited in the archives of the Admiralty, contain many valuable treasures.

It were to be wished, that as far as good policy and the national interests would justify such a measure, government would allow, under certain restrictions, extracts to be made from these papers, for the public information and satisfaction.

The English public have always been zealous and generous encouragers of all undertakings, which have had in view the increase of geographical knowledge. There are no publications more secure of success, than such as profess to detail the discoveries of regions before unknown; which describe the manners of those nations with whom we are less perfectly acquainted, thus combining, at the same time, information with improvement. Such propensities merit, on the part of government, as far as they can consistently make it, an adequate return.

Who could possibly be more proper for such an official undertaking, than the gentleman who succeeded Dalrymple in his situation of Hydrographer? It would be exceedingly difficult to point out a collection, without excepting even national repositories, where so great a mass of books and tracts on geography and navigation could be found, as in the library

library of Mr. Dalrymple. They amounted to many thousands, nor was there perhaps one, in which he had not made some manuscript observation. He had, moreover, the best and most popular works of this kind, in every language.

His conversation was lively, interesting, and full of information; he was obviously subject to great irritability, which might partly be constitutional, and partly perhaps induced by those severe fits of the gout, to which he was subject.

In the decline of life, his personal appearance was somewhat whimsical. Whenever he visited, he carried with him a small stool, which appeared indispensible to his comfort.

He was always ready and willing to communicate what he knew, and it well answered the purposes of those, who wanted information on the subjects of the kingdoms and oceans of the world, to listen with attention to Alexander Dalrymple.

The Sexagenarian appears to have been still more familiarly acquainted with

Dr. P. R.

A Russell

his brother author of History of Aleppo

CHAP.

Dare atque accipere te volo

Dei divites sunt deos decent opulenti
Et factiones-verum nos homunculi
Salillum animæ, qui cum extemplo amisimus

quo mendicus atque ille opulentissimus
Censetur censu, ad acherontem mortuus,

CHAPTER VII.

INDEED the memorandums intimate, that not the least interesting circumstance of his literary life was implicated in his connection with this personRussell age. This Dr. R. had a brother, who, for a long series of years had been resident in a remote foreign country, where he successfully prosecuted his profession. He became, from familiar communication and personal observation, so well acquainted with the natural history of the country, the peculiarities of the climate, its endemic diseases, the manners of the inhabitants, laws, usages, and singularities, that he wrote and published an interesting volume on the subject, which was very favourably received, and extensively circulated.

Dr.

Dr. P. succeeded to his brother in his professional reputation, situation, and local advantages, and exercising his mind on similar objects, with the addition of still more favourable opportunities, he very considerably added to the stores which his brother had acquired, and became eminently qualified, to reprint, with important alterations and additions, the work which had obtained to his predecessor, no insignificant degree of credit. He was called upon to undertake this honourable office, and he assented.

At this period, the Sexagenarian was a sort of scholar of fortune, and not being immediately engaged, as it should seem, in any work which exclusively demanded his attention, did not disdain the task of revising the manuscripts of authors, and superintending their labours through the press. For this employment, an adequate compensation was expected and rendered.

The parties, in the present instance, had frequently met, and were on certain terms of familiarity. One evening, the Doctor took the writer of these memoranda on one side, and proposed to him to undertake the revision of his work in manuscript, and the correction of it subsequently at the press. This was readily agreed to, but no terms were mentioned on either side.

The manuscript, which was of no ordinary bulk

or