Sir EDWARD SEAWARD'S Narrative of his Shipwreck, and con- sequent.discovery
of certain Islands in the Caribbean Sea, as written in his own diary, and edited by Miss JANE PORTER, is a publication of extreme curiosity. Literary forgeries are so fre- quent, and sometimes so ingeniously maintained, that they puzzle the critic, and lead to the perversion of truth: if this narrative be a ficlion,—and it would, from the serious manner in which the ap- pearance of truth is kept up, deserve the name of forgery,—then it is a most extraordinary product of the invention ; and in minuteness of detail and reality of effect, is at least the rival of Robinson Crusoe. But if the work be the. genuine diary of a Sir EDWARD SEAWARD, the discoverer, settler, and defender of cer- ..ain islands subsequently given up to the Spaniards, then it is the most curious and instructive work that has appeared from the press since the first dawn of discovery, and in the history of navi- gation. The characters are admirable, the incidents very striking and interesting. We cannot prevail upon ourselves to believe that such a work has for sixty years that have elapsed since the death of the writer lain in neglected obscurity, and should at this time of day only be accidentally brought to light : and yet we confess we can find nothing in internal evidence to throw discredit upon the story of the respectable editor, though there are numerous little matters which excite cur suspicions.
Sir EDWARD SEAWARD was the supercargo of a merchant-ves- sel bound to the Bay of Honduras : the ship was wrecked on. some unknown islands in the Caribbean Sea : of all the crew,. none were saved but SEAWARD, his amiable wife, and their little dog Fidele. Here they remain for some time, leading the life of solitary settlers, and dwelling in a cave ; they are joined by some refugee Spanish negroes, and the germ of a colony is established ;. it increases to that state of prosperity that the principal island is enabled to beat off a powerful Spanish fleet, and to carry on an extensive commerce; when the Duke of NEWCASTLE'S Admini- stration, in one of its base fits of policy, makes it over to the Spanish power, and the colony is removed and destroyed. Every step of this change, from solitude to prosperity and population, is. minutely described in the diary ; in the course of which the cha- racters of SEAWARD and his wife, and many others, are strikingly developed. SEAWARD visits England more than once, and is ad- mitted to the presence of Queen ANNE and GEORGE the Second ; and much curious matter (if true) occurs respecting the machi- nery of their governments. We will take an opportunity of looking more closely into the genuineness of this narrative ; and if we find reason to believe in. it, we shall have pleasure in again drawing the attention of our readers to its very singular details.
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