Mr. Pridham, in his Historical, Political, and Statistical Account of
Ceylon, mistakes what the public want, and rather overrates his own ability to furnish it. For the statist, or the man of business,fa.ets about s colony, that can be turned to some practical account, or that help to some conclusion on current topics, are the things requisite : when they do not admit of being set forth tabularly, they should be presented in the briefest mode, with no more commentary than may suffice to point their appli- cation, or to correct anything which may require qualification. For the public at large, more of literary and varied ability is required : the an- tiquities and history of the country, its physical features, the nature of its productions, the character, customs, religion, and institutions of its peoples, must be mastered and reproduced, if not with the comprehensive power of genius or the freshness of original knowledge, at least with the taste and tact of a literary compiler. Neither of these courses is fol- lowed in the two bulky volumes before us ; which in some sections are little more than an oils podrida of Mr. Pridham's undigested reading, and throughout faU short of what such a book ought to be. Useful informa- tion and interesting particulars about the past and present story or state of Ceylon will be found in the volumes ; but the best of them are already familiar to any one who is acquainted with the most trustworthy authori- ties upon the subject ; and the matter will have been encountered in a more attractive form, except when Mr. Pridham quotes the words of his authors.
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