SPECTATOR'S LIBRARY.

Travels in the Himalayan Provinces of Hindustan and the Plin;.ab; in Ladakh and Kashmir; in Peshawar, Kabul. Koncluz, and Bokhara; by Mr. William Moor. cro!t anti Mr. George Tiebeck. from 180 to 1825. Prepared Sim the press. from Original Journals and Correspondence, by Horace Hayman Wilson, NIA FR S.. &c. in two rots :Murray.

Brooaspnv,

The Martyrs of Science; or the Lives of Galileo, Tycho Bribe, and Kepler, By Sir Dat-id Brewster, K.H.D., C.L. &c. Sze Murray.

PIVLOSOPHY OF MANUFACTURES.

Engines ot War: or, Historical and Experimental Observations on Ancient and Mo- dern 1V.trike Machines and Implements, including the Manufacture of Guns, Gunpowdm., and Swords, with Remarks on Bronze, Iron. Steel, &c. By Henry "WEisiusea, 11.1t.A.S.. Honorary Member of theUnited Service Institutiou,'Sce.k.c.

luuyman mad Cu.

INDIAN TRAVELS BY MOORCROFT AND TREBECTI.

THE contents of these volumes are not altogether new, for frag- ments from the Journals and Correspondence of Moonertorr and TREBECK have from time to time found their way to the press.

Along part of their route, too, they had been preceded by ELPHIN- STON, and succeeded by BURNES and others. Still, the publication is a proper one. It was due to the enterprising and unfortunate travellers to vindicate their reputation as pioneers, even where ampler collections have been made by more recent followers in their footsteps. And for a very interesting portion of the countries which they explored they still remain the only Europeans who are known to have penetrated into them. Moreover, a perusal of these volumes satisfactorily shows, that the fragmentary notices of Mooa- CROFT'S observations which have appeared, have in some instances led to misconceptions, which nothing but this complete publication could remove. For example, an allusion in an extract from one of Mooncaorr's journal's, published some time ago, has led the eminent geographer RITTER into a considerable error regarding the Western frontier of Chinese Tibet.

Of the literary talents of the travellers this publication can fur- nish no test ; for we learn from the preface, that "prepared for the press" means entirely rewritten. If the character given of MOOR- CROFT'S journals by the redacteur is correct—and there is no reason to call its accuracy in question—if they were so "voluminous, un- methodical, and discursive," so " rambling " as he represents them, this could nut well be avoided. But it necessarily detracts from the interest of the book for mere readers for amusement. Had the travellers survived, even though they had found it necessary to em- ploy the services of a literary friend, he might have ventured to make the narrative a little more readable, with their superintendence to keep him accurate in fact and faithful in colouring. But, obliged as Mr. WILSON has been to translate the desultory jottings of the dead into readable English, a painstaking care not to say more than was written down, has necessarily given a hardness and dryness to his style. At least thus we account for these travels, with all the advantages of a magnificent and often untrodden country, and pri- mitive race of people, being what the editor calls "not quite so amusing as those of some more modern voyagers," and what we feel tempted to call intolerably meagre and prosaic.

This is said not in disparagement, but to warn mere amusement- hunters to stand aloof lest they be disappointed. Mr. WILSON has discharged his task in the only way open to an honourable and conscientious man : he has given us the truth as far as he could elicit it from the fragmentary materials put into his hands. The literary character of the travellers is not compromised, because we know they did not survive to arrange their narrative for publica- tion. And the interest which attaches to these records is of a far higher kind than a mere literary interest : it is that with which we watch the fortunes of two energetic and resolute characters front- ing danger for an important object, and meeting death under the most depressing circumstances, undismayed, because they felt they were in the path of duty. .MOORCROFT does not, from aught that we can trace in these volumes, appear to have been in any high degree susceptible of the pleasures which some derive from the contemplation of the forms and operations of the elements on a grand scale. "His scientific attainments," says Mr. WILSON in the biographical sketch, "were strictly professional ; and be had neither the preparatory train- ing nor the means to investigate profoundly the mysteries of nature. Neither was be an Oriental scholar, or an antiqua- rian; although he had a practical use of some of the dia- lects of the East, and took a ready interest in the remains of antiquity which he encountered. His chief objects were, on elf occasions, rural economy and manufactures ; as he entertained a notion that much was to be learned in both from the natives of the East, as well as to be communicated to them." We are also informed, "that in many respects he WM most eminently qualified, and was not to be surpassed in determination, hardihood, endur- ance, and spirit of enterprise." The story of MOORCROFT'S life corroborates this judgment of his character. He was intended for the medical profession, but became a veterinary surgeon. At an early period of life he realized a handsome fortune by that pro- fession; the greater portion of which he threw away upon an in- judicious project for manufacturing cast-iron horse-shoes. To restore his dilapidated fortune, he accepted an offer from the Couri; of Directors of the East Indian Company to go out to Bengal as superintendent of their military stud. His sanguine temperament prompted him to conceive and undertake a magnificent project for improving the Company's breed of cavalry-horses by importing some from Balkh and Bukhara; and with his he combined a plan for establishing a commercial intercourse with the 'rrans-Hima- layan districts. He wrung from the Government of India a re- luctant acquiescence in his journey to Bokhara ; and he induced two of the mercantile firms of Calcutta to intrust to his care a supply of goods to the value of about three thousand pounds. He travelled with an es.cort of Sipahis and two small mountain field- pieces. There is in all this a strange mixture of the mind of an unimaginative drudge engrafted upon the temperament of an en- thusiast, with which his day-dream of repose after his toils is in exquisite keeping. "So much was he impressed with the capa- bilities of the country he visited, and the advantage to be derived from the cultivation of their products, that it was his serious in- tention to settle upon his return in the lower range of -the Hima- laya, and devote the rest of his life to the occupations of a farmer." Of the character of his young companion we learn less. By all who knew him he is spoken of with e arm affection. Of his field-books Mr. WILSON says—" I have the authority of Mr. John Arrowsmith for stating, they are minute, careful, and accurate : the measurement is made in paces, but the bearings by compass are marked with great precision, and corrected or confirmed by re- peated comparisons. The latitudes of Le, of Kashmir, and of various intermediate points, were determined by observation, and the height of the barometer and thermometer at the principal ele- vations set down." And this reminds us of a grievous otnis- vion on the part of 111r. Wiesos : he has not stated the result of one of these observations for latitude, much less its elements. The map prefixed to the volumes is on too small a scale to supply the omission ; and even the larger map by Mr. ARROWSMITH, which is promised, will not entirely do so. No map can be trusted in such a matter unless accompanied by a memoir ; without which, we are at the mercy of the steadiness of the engraver's hand. The over- sight is the more blameable, that Mr. Wiesox renounces all claim to be considered "amusing," and rests upon the solid inform- ation contained in the book as its recommendation.

The route of the travellers through the Himalayan districts has been gone over in a much more exhaustive and satisfactory manner by the GERARDS, HERBERT, and others : still the observations of Moorteitorr, who saw every thing in his favourite economical point of view, adds something to what we have learned from them. The same remark applies to the portion of the work which relates to Afghanistan and the valley of the Oxus, although his notes regard- ing them seem to have been much more fragmentary than those made during the earlier period of his excursions. 'rwo remarks force themselves upon us in relation to this part of the work. The first is, that MOORCROFT'S partiality for rural economics has enabled him unconsciously to convey a more vivid impression of the cha- racteristic vegetation of Afghanistan and Tibet than any other writer. The second, that his safe and agreeable excursion as a solitary stranger into the land of the predatory Wazziris, and his melancholy fate in Oxiania, provoked apparently by his numerous attendance, is another lesson regarding the best method of exploring barbarous countries, in addition to that taught by the success of the lonely LANDER and the failure of PARK with his military escort, and many other examples we could mention. As a stranger, he was safe amid the anarchy of an Afghan tribe ; as a rich and powerful traveller, he fell a victim to the avarice of MURAD BEG of Kunduz. This is a lesson of which the wise propounders and patrons of the Niger Expedition seem to be at present in need of being reminded.

. The most complete departments of the work are those which relate to the residence and excursions of TR EBECK and MOOR- CROFT in Kashmir and Ladakh. Their proceedings in these two districts show talent for examining a country and its products. They evince skill in arranging their excursions so as to enable them to trace a skeleton map of the whole territory, and a vigilant and acute observation that nothing could escape. Their deficiency in scientific acquirements has prevented their adding much to science or natural history, and apparently a defect in imagination rendered them unfit to give a graphic expression of what they saw ; but the geographical outline and the statistical details could not be better given. Even in Kashmir, we learn more from them than front almost any other travellers ; and this gives us confidence in their accounts of the country of Ladakh, within which they are as yet the only Euro- peans who have made extensive excursions and a protracted stay.

The book is of too uniform a character to furnish manageable matter for characteristic extract, but we subjoin a few specimen passages.

A LADHAKI PARLIAMENT.

The authority of the Raja of Ladakh, or rather that of the Klialun, is ab-

solute, and is exercised through a chief who seldom visits Piti, except at har- vest-time to collect the revenue. This office is therefore discharged by a deputy, who is rarely a person of much influence, and whose measures are completely controlled by the Gatpos, corresponding with the Sianas of Gerh- wal and the Mukhyas of Bisahar—householders acting for a month in turn as elders of the villages. These should meet five or six times a year to discuss the interests of the district ; but unless some matter which they consider im- portant is under agitation, those most distant from the place of rendezvous rarely attend. When they meet, these delegates of the Piti Commons display more vehemence than wisdom : they seldom proceed to business before their faculties are whetted by copious draughts of chang, and the cup circulates freely during the debate. They sit down on the ground without any order; and one man may be seen resolving some grave question whilst he twirls a roll of yarn, and another contemplating views of policy through a mist of tobacco smoke. An orator rarely makes much progress in a lengthy harangue; and the lungs of the whole assembly are generally in full play throughout the discussion, each being more anxious to be heard than to hear. If a dispute arises between indi- viduals, the Parliament of Gatos must settle it ; if a robbery is committed, they must inquire into it ; and if the thief be discovered, award his punish- ment. The consequence is, that thefts are constantly perpetrated with im- punity. A knotty question with them was the provision of porters for my baggage; as how could they spare me half-a-dozen men, when they were all

under military requisition for the warlike purposes of the Khalun ? The con- clusion they came to was, that the men could not be supplied, but that I might hire or buy ponies or wises ; or, if I preferred it, I might have the women—its many as I pleased.

CHECKS UPON GOVERNMENT IN LADAKH.

The government of Ladakh is a simple despotism ; but it is curiously modified by the circumstances of the people and the influence of the hierarchy ; so that, unless a person of more than common talent and energy, the Raja is an individual of little real power, mid may be deposed or elevated at pleasure; his sucoessor in the former case heiug a member of the reigning family. Darin.- the nay part of my residence at Li, a revolution of this kind had nearly tam' place. At a solemn festival, at which the Raja presided, a Lama of great celebrity as an astrologer was interrogated by the former, publicly, as to the events of the coming year : an abundant harvest was the reply to the first iuterrogation. The second was, what conscquences would result from the novel visit of Eu- ropeans? Nothing but good, ,'as the answer: but the Lama becoming the interrogator, demanded of the Raja what he dared to expect ; and then, turning to the people, he declared to them, that the Raja by his tyranny had be- come unworthy to reign, and called upon them to depose him, and seat his son upon the -throne. The proposal was received with acclamations. The Lama professed to be unconscious of what he had uttered, and the intimation was received as the voice of Heaven. The Raja was confused and frightened, and announced his readiness to abdicate in favour of his son. His Rani, a Mo- hammedan by birth, was less accessible to the terrors of superstition, and easily detected in the Lama's pretended inspiration an intrigue instigated by the Lompa, who had been affronted by the Raja, and whose wife was the nurse of the heir-apparent. Assisted by the Khalun, a strong party was made by the Rani in her husband's favour ; and when the assembly was convened, at which his renunciation of his rights was to have taken place, he declared his resolu- tion to maintain them, and threatened his enemies with punishment. There the business terminated. The Raja retained his authority, the Lompa his office, and the Lama his reputation and immunity.

AN INDIAN CHANCELLOR OF THE EXCHEQUER.

He had lately introduced a new principle of rating the annual collections, which, without diminishing the amount, was likely to be satisfactory to the peasantry : this was by a rough analysis of the soil. A given quantity of the earth was put into a fine muslin sieve, and washed with water until all the mould was carried through and nothing but the sand left ; and, according to its proportion to the whole, a deduction was made from the assessment. Four rupees for two bigabs was the fixed rate for rich soil: three of it contained one- fourth of sand, two of it had a half, and one where the sand was three-fourths of the quantity. The general character of the soil of the Panjab, composed chiefly of mould and sand, renders this mode of appreciating its assessment more correct than might be supposed ; and it was, at any rate, preferable to the old plan of assessing the land according to the estimated out-turn of the stand- ing crops. The persons appointed to form this estimate made use of their power to oppress the cultivators, and to levy from them heavy exactions, in which the zernindars not unfrequently were sharers, defrauding the state without benefit to the peasantry.

MC RA.D BEG.

He had been the agent through whose means the permission of Murad Beg for our coming had been obtained ; and he now adjured him, if he had any re- gard for his character, not to violate the pledge of safe conduct which he had given. Murad Beg replied to his remonstriuices, " What have I, what has an T.Jsbeek to do with character? Do I not sit here to plunder the Faithful, and. shall I withhold my hands from an Infidel?" The Mirza then said that he would bring disgrace upon his Pir Zada, or spiritual guide, Mir Fite Hak, by disregarding his intercession : and this so far weighed with the robber, that he said, as the holy man took an interest in us, he would let us off for fifty thou- sand rupees, otherwise we must have a taste of the summer of Kunduz. "Tell them," he concluded, "what I say, and let us hear their reply." My answer was, that I bad no money, and he might do his pleasure. • * I arrived at Kuuduz on the same day, and on the following morning prepared to march, but was told that the chief wished to see me. He inquired after my health, and said he had meant to do rne no harm, but only wished to ascertain who I was. He asked me what I had got for him ; to which I replied by inquiring what he wished ; and I found that my chair had taken his fancy. I told him if he would send a man for it, it should be his. He then desired me to visit Mirzah Abdul Tusah, who was ill, and had been attended by Mr. Guthrie. I met Murad Beg again at his house : some medicines had been prepared for the patient, emetics and purgatives, which were to be left with him ; but Murad Beg laid his hands upon them, saying, "I will take these, you can have others prepared for the Mirza." I was seated close to Murad Beg, and scarcely ever beheld a more forbidding countenance. His excessively high cheek-bones gave the appearance to the skin of the face of its being unnaturally stretched, whilst the narrowness of the lower jaw left scarcely room for the teeth, which were standing in all directions : he was extremely near-sighted.

FLOATING GARDENS OF KASHMIR.

Another and an important use made of the abundant water surface of Kash- mir, is the formation of floating gardens. Various aquatic plants spring from the bottom of the lakes, as water-lilies, confervw, sedges, reeds, Fee.; and as the boats which traverse these waters take, generally, the shortest lines they can pursue to the place of their destination, the lakes are in some parts cut as it were in avenues amongst the plants, which, in shallows, are separated by beds of sedges and of reeds. In the latter places, the neighbouring farmer attempts to establish his cucumber and melon floats, by cutting off the roots of the aquatic plants just mentioned about two feet under the water, so that they completely lose all connexion with the bottom of the lake, but retain thew former situation in respect to each other. When thus detached from the toil, they are pressed into somewhat closer contact, and formed into beds of about two yards in breadth and of an indefinite length. The heads of the sedges,. reeds, and other plants of the float, are now cut off and laid upon its surface and covered with a thin coat of mud, which, at first intercepted in its descent, gradually sinks into the mass of matted roots. The bed floats, but is kept in its place by a stake of willow driven through it at each end, which admits of its rising or falling in accommodation to the rise or fall of the water. By =mum of a long pole thrust amongst the weeds at the bottom of the lake from the side of a boat, and turned round several times iu the same direction, a quantity of confervw and of other plants is torn off from the bottom, and carried in the boat to the platform ; where the weeds are twisted into conical mounds about two feet in diameter at their base and of the same height, terminating in the top in a hollow, which is filled with fresh soft mud, drawn from the bottom of the lake, to which sometimes wood-ashes are added, though much more fre- quently omitted. The farmer has in preparation a large number of cucumber- and melon plants, which have been raised under mats; and of these, wheu they have four leaves, he places three plants in the basin of every cone or mound, of which a double row runs along the edge of every bed, at about two feet dM- tauce from each other. No further care is necessary, except that of collecting the fruit ; and the expense of preparing the platforms and cones is confined to the value of the labour, which altogether is trifling, as the work is very soon done. Perhaps a more economical method of raising cucumbers cannot be de- vised; and though the narrow beds are ordinarily almost in contact by their aides, yet, by their flexible nature, they are so separable, that a small boat may be readily pushed between the lines without injuring their structure; and for the most part they will bear a man's weight, but generally the fruit II picked off from the boat. I traversed a tract of about fifty acres of these floating gardens of cucumbers and melons, and saw not above half-a-dozen unhealthy plants ; nor have I seen in the cucumber and melon grounds in the vicinity of very populous cities in Europe or in Asia so large an expanse of plant in a state equally healthy, though it must be observed, without running into luau-

• • riance of growth. • Thefts of whole floats are sometimes committed by persons joining in two or three boats to tow them off to distant parts of the lake in the night ; and the property thus stolen is difficult to be identified. To prevent such depredation, as well as night-robbery of the cones, two persons generally sleep in a boat, which is pushed under the shelter of a roof of mats. The floating gardens are generally cut off from the body of the lake by a belt of floating reeds, which also serve in some degree to protect the cones against the winds. The boat- ways through the fences are closed by twisted withes of willow twigs, which, passing through the ends of the beds, join them closely together.

THE CITY OF KASHMIR.

The general character of the city of Kashmir is that of a confused mass of ill-favoured buildings, forming a complicated labyrinth of narrow and dirty lanes, scarcely broad enough for a single cart to pass, badly paved, and having a small gutter in the centre full of filth, banked up on each side by a border of mire. The houses are in general two or three stories high : they are built of unburnt bricks and timber, the former serving for little else than to fill up the interstices of the latter : they are not plastered, are badly constructed, and are mostly in a neglected and ruinous condition, with broken doors, or no doors at all, with shattered lattices, windows stopped up with boards, paper, or rags, walls out of the perpendicular, and pitched roofs threatening to fall. The roofs are formed of layers of birch-bark covered by a coating of earth, in which seeds dropped by birds or wafted by the wind have vegetated ; and they are con- stantly overrun with grass, flowers, and seeds. The houses of the better class are commonly detached, and surrounded by a wall and gardens, the latter of which often communicate with a canal : the condition of the gardens is no better than that of the building, and the whole presents a striking picture of wretchedness and decay. There are no public buildings in the city of Kashmir entitled to notice for their architectural or antiquarian merits.