MR. eAmen01.r. s mAnyrixtu ntscovrity Am) CHRISTIAN MISSIONS.

THE professed ()hint of this work is to trace the connexion be- tween maritime discovery and Christianity ; and to prove that our progress in g2ographical knowledge, more esoecinlly the discoveries of the passage by the Cape of Good hope, of America, and of Poly- nesia, all originated in pious wishes to convert the heathen. The principal, and indeed, with the exception of the prayer,: or CoLum- aus, the only proof' adduced of this opinion, is the religious ow- tire ostensibly assigned by Princes and Popes as the cause of their invading or permitting the invasion of newly-discovered re- gions and plundering the natives; which is ju 4 about as con- clusive as the theological proem of the lloly Alliance, or the pious flourish in the Articles of War setting 'firth that every one guilty of protinie swearing should be dismissed the service. Passing this erroneous view, which affects the work but little, Maritime Discover!, and Christian MiAsions must be pronounced a very able and useful publication. The historical prkis of the successive steps by which since the time of the Crusades mankind gradually acquired a complete knowledge of the globe, is distinct, rapid, very interesting, and for common readers perfectly sufficient. The account of the discovery of Polynesia, by \ ariutts navigators

at various times, clown to Cowes more complete aril laborious survey, together with the descriptions of the inhabitants and their customs, is somewhat fuller, and equally able, though of necessity deficient in the largeness of' subject which distinguishes the ex- ploring expeditions of the Portuguese along the coast of Africa till they eventually doubled the Caep, the life and voyage of

Cnumrorntat COLUMBUS, and the first circumnavigation of the globe by MAGELLAN. The history of the two first missionary voyages to the South Sea are also narrated at ample length, firm- ing in fact an abridgment rather than a prkis; and there is a complete and well-arranged account of the morals, manners; cus- toms, arts, and religion of the Polynesians when first discovered.

This, however, is by no means the whole of the work, nor pro- bably the most interesting part of it for that class of society to which it is chiefly addressed. The book contains a narrative of the circumstances which led to the formation of the Dissenting Missionary Society, the various steps which ended in the despatch of the Mi) Duff to Polynesia, and biographical notices of the founders of the Society.

It will be seen from this account of its contents, that the book falls very short of its subject if tested by the title. " Christian Missions" arc limited in Mr. CAMP:limes sense to the undertakings of some Protestant Dissenters in the South Seas, omitting the different attempts in India, Anteriea, and other places, under the patronage of the Society for the Propagation of the Gospel in Foreign Parts, as well as the various missions of the 'lowish Church, (which is still more closely connected with "Discovery.") Till the late works of DAvts and others, the accounts furnished ef China by the Jesuits were by far the most complete ; nor, indeed, is their value superseded now. 01' Paraguay, and other places in the inte- rior of South America, we were till of late years almost entirely in- debted to the Ronal-11 mis.donaries for what was knewn, as we still are of Cslifcmnizu : and in many other qtexters —as Tmtery, Africa, and North America—the civilized world has been greatly indebted for curious intbramition and some geographical discovery to the Roman Catholic missions. No doub,t the value of their works was much deteriorated by narrowness and ignorance, as well as by credulity and superstition : but these are essential faelts in all missionaries, though t he shapes in which they appear may differ. While we strenuously recommend this book, for the concise, readable, and interesting, view wIlich it gives of one of the most inaptrtaut brain:hes of human exertion, the reader will understand that it is a compilation, and drawn, we should conceive, from very obvious sources. In "lladtimeand Inland Discovery" in Lard- iter'8 ('yelup(fylia, the whole subject is daborately handled; WAsit- maw. la Visit has also gone over part of it, and, as regards the immediate lth:COV(Ty of America, with the greatest Minuteness, in his ',fie (■/' Cohort:fibs ; and the voyage of MAI:ELLYN has been se- lected as a subject by the conductors of the .1'0?7a/s,.::.4-/t Librury. ltmuacrsoN, in the 1114ory of ..toc:.ica, had previously told all that was necessary il,r general readers, re- specting the gradual progress of discovery, which ended in reaching India end America. othing theeelbre was fa' •Alr. CAme- nlir.t. but to s;dest the Host striking eiretunstates.s frAn those au- thorities, arranging them and stating Cum clearly; which he has ,lone. Ile bats it distinct perception of the leading points of an event, and at powerful mode of expressing his impressions; which t;aan, in feet, the characteristics a a good style. And, not- withettmlitee I he veer; Writer:; who have preceded him, we are by no nestle. sure but that some of ti,e great events of di:,ceve,;y are IROIV strikingly impressed by Yir. CAMPBELL than even by his laver: Lessors, front the greater closeness with which the main circumstances fbIlow each other. if the part of' the work up to the Mutins of the Moutty were publishe:I separately from the more direct Missionary proceedings, it would belii:�lyto fbret a popular book amongst a large class of readers.

As it S11(260101 01* Mr. CAMPBEIZS Style, take the following quotations.

nteeovcnv oc Tine. COMPASS.

1311h11 inter. st 'nest for ever atitteh to the d is bsery thie ;est re:emit ; and yet Itare tire suijeei s concerning which is fen.. ,.t. For a period, the hollow. of the hated ion %vas ascribed to Cits, a p'!or or ship (sestain, liorn at Pasitatio, a steed velem situated near Alciphi or A 7,'1■111t t!t! c^d of the

thirteenth centers.. Si ie claims, however, Iteve disputed. According to some, he did vet invent bit improve it ; and aceordiee to othees, he did seither. Much le:truing teal labetir have Itsen bedew,. I op es the suldeet of the dis-

covery. It has bet itschtleirsel by one eisss, ;'het (..en the Phemicians were the is venters ; by anther, that the Greeks and 'toilette; had e. knowledge of it. Such notions, liewevsts have been completely refitted. Cite 1,1, me:, teeerthe- less, of n v• clN temerealee eltenteter, Orelll'S in I Ice work of Coedited de Vitry, Bishop of Pith. estine its S•: rigs Ile went to Pal,.!..tiee during the !Mirth crusade, about the N ern 120-1; Lr rrlurucd afterwards to alai :labs( tiliClIt/y Weal; hack to Ifs' Italy Land, where he wrote Lie work entitled. •• I ! :oriel Oriel'.

tails," as mark as can he determined, between tits scare 121S, told le:SI. In Chapter nil, Id' that work, Iii bus this sit:gill:kr passage—e The iron needle, after emitatit with the loadstone, coma:1101y terns to the tart::-star, which, as the axis of the firtnament, remains inetioveelde, whilst it, ethers revolve ; and hence it is cesentialiy It:vessel.y to those nesies tiles en the worSs ere aS rxpiicit IN they ; 1!,e, Stale it filet raul announce a Ilse. The thing, tie:refine, e. 'Melt ,s,,W i. l y consed utes the com- pass, must have 11111 known lute; beiges tic W.:di:011 to this tact, there is ante her equally fatal to his „s the tele:ma. dleeeerer: it is

now set tied beyond a denlit, that the Chip, With the com- pass twig itetore the Europe:ins. It is eettein that thsse are aliesiees to the

nuquoice outAlle iit the traditionary period of Chime. history t 2,600 years before Christ ; and a AM more credible accomit of it is tome! is the reigit of

Chilies, ;mg, of the Chow d. nasty, before Cle ist I 1 1-!. All this, hewever, may be scsntel, without in the least imperieg the just claims of Gioia to the

gratitude or mankind. 'file truth appears to 'so ; the pot-nisi; of Gioia, in relation to tia• eminses:, was precisely that of ant relation to the stet:m- et:gine—the 4.1, meet. a xisted, he aligmented its utility.

The cotepess used by nuttiness in the lleditereattean, during the twelfth and

thirteenth , rut ueles, wets a very uncertain and ussmislitctory apparatus. It consisted ',Illy of a megnetie needle floating in a A:ISC or basitt Iv means of two straws or a hit of e(1,.!e, supporting it on the surface of the water. The compass used by the Arabians in the thirteenth reentry was an instrument of exactly the Sail!(' 1.:cscription. Now the inconveitietice and inefficiency of such an opp I re tis are (deletes; the agitation of the (mean and the tossing of the Teasel might render it useless in a moment. But Gioia placed the magne- tized textile en a pivot, which permits it to turn to all sides with facility. Afterwanis it e as at taelted to a card, divided into thirty-two points, called Rose des Tents; and then the box containing it ices suspended in each a manner, that, however the vexed might be tossed, it would always remain horizontal. emery of the directive virtue of the magnet was made anterior to the time of Gioia. Belisle that period, navigators, both in the Mediterranean and Indian seas, employed the magnetic needle ; but Gioia, by his itivaluable improvement in the principle of suspension, is fully entitled to the honour of being con- sidered the real inventor, in Europe, of the compass as it now exists.

DECISION or MAGELLAN.

oil the eve of Easter the fleet brought up in a port designated San Julian, where they lay several months. Here Magellan's trials began. A spirit of insurrection broke out in the squadron—a spirit founded in that savage feeling, nationality, ivied' has in all ages and countries disgraced reason, and shed tor- reets of human blood. Certain Spanish officers began to affect an inability to brook the indignity of serving under a Portuguese commander. In this enter- genes. :tlagellan adopted measures at which humanity shudders, but measures of Mei ible efficiency. Having written a letter to one of the captains, who had signalized himself by his insurrectionary clamour, he selected a proper per- smu to bear it, with instructions to stab the officer in the act of its perusal. The letter was delivered ; the seal was broken ; the document opened and sur- veyed, and the reader in it moment became a breathless corpse. Other mea- sures, less reprehensible and revolting, were instantly taken with other rebels; acct by these dreadful methods order was scion restored.

_after an unaccountable delay (s1' about five months, the fleet put to sea again on the 2 I st of Auguet. After another two months tarrianee at Santa Cruz, they sailed again ; and, about the Itfth of October, they discovered the strait or narrow passage which lies between the island of Tierra del Fuego and the southern extremity of the continent a; America, attd leads into the South Sea. This strait had been the object of his search, and on its appearance a council was held to discuss the prudence and practicability of proceeding through it to the ocean. Some faint In arts pleaded the shattered state of the fleet, and in- cd on yet tatting to Spain to refit ; and others, of firmer courage. voted for the prose, laical (sl. the voyage. Magellan, wishing to test the spirits of his officers, seiti nothing till he had fully elicited their several views, and then, with appalling decision, tic told them that, after all, diseuseion was nugatory, for it was his irrevoettble determination, in spite of every peril, and of all perils united, to prosecute his enterprise, and fulfil the assurance he bad given to his royal master. Ile then authoritatively commanded that, on pain of death, front that hoer no neat should mention either Lome or shortness of provisions; tint the reset should go forward, men if the crews and himself should be driven to eat the hides on the ships' yards.

CONVERSIONS Inv MAGELLAN.

Here ffir the first time a spirit of superstition mime over the mind of the boisterous admiral, who, in return for the hospitality of the islanders of' Ma- eaglet, determined, after his own notions, to make them Christians. (hi Festerday, accordingly, a party dam Spaniards went on shore to say inte,s, when some of them received the communion, so acted ; at. the close of which the mi- nded exhibited a deuce with swords, which greatly delighted the king. He next pi...seeded to erect on a hill-top a huge cross, garnished with hails ant iienteted by a crown of thorns, inffirmieg the islanders that, if they continued to present to it proper adoration, it would protect them from thunder, tempests, and various calamities. The Spaniards were then Ibrated into battalions; and Itaviag f rcd IL round et' musketry fen- the confirmation of their savage disciples, the returned to the ships.