For fup This last argument recoils upon the orthodox. pofing Chrift to be God, he is by himself conftituted mediator between himself and man. In this tract the author examines, first, the expofition which Socinus has given of the beginning of St. John's gofpel; and afterwards the interpretation of his followers. We do not perceive, by any direct affertions, that this writer is an Athanafian; yet we cannot understand the following paffage, upon any other fuppofition. If Chrift, as the Socinians affert, was merely and abfolutely man, the Perfians are not greater idolators than the Christian world; that fmall part of it excepted, which has been enlightened by the doctrines of Socinus. If he were of a fuperior nature, and declared fuch, the Socinian is as great an apoftate from Chriftianity as Julian himself.' This argument affects every hypothefis, but that of Athanafius because no created being whatever can be the proper object of divine worship. In this writer the Socinians have met with an antagonist, who has repelled the darts of his apponents with dexterity, and given them fome fevere and unexpected ftrokes. Journal of Captain Cook's last Voyage to the Pacific Ocean, on Difcovery; Performed in the Years 1776, 1777, 1778, 1779. 80. 6s. in boards. Newbery. THE feveral voyages lately performed round the world have been objects of public curiofity: but the laft, in particular, on account of the important view with which it was projected, excited uncommon expectation. The hope of dif covering a north-west paffage from the Atlantic to the Pacific Ocean, feems now to be for ever extinguished. We have only to regret, that fo valuable a navigator as captain Cook, with whom we may join his fucceffor, captain Clarke, fhould have been added to the other victims which, fince the fifteenth century, have perifhed in the profecution of this enterprize. Of the name of the author or editor of this Journal we are not informed; and cannot, therefore, determine in refpe&t of its authenticity. The editor, however, affirms, that what immediately relates to the object of the voyage, the places the hips vifited, and the reception of Omai at Otaheite, are, in general, related with fidelity, though the colouring, on fome occafions, be perhaps a little heightened. We doubt not, that many readers, in reliance on this declaration, will have re £ 3 courfe courfe to the prefent narrative, until the account by authority fhall be published. The two fhips employed in this voyage were the Discovery and the Refolution, which failed in the fummer of 1776. The first object of the expedition was to carry back Omai to Otaheite; and the next, to proceed on the difcovery of the north-weft paffage. The editor of the Journal gives the following account of Omai, from Mr. Foster. "Omai has been confidered either as remarkably ftupid or very intelligent, according to the different allowances which were made by those who judged of his abilities. His language, which is deftitute of every harsh confonant, and where every word ends with a vowel, had fo little exercifed his organs of fpeech, that tfiey were wholly unfit to pronounce the more complicated Englifh founds; and this phyfical or rather habitual defect, has too often been mifconftrued. Upon his arrival in England, he was immediately introduced into general company, led to the most fplendid entertainments, and prefented at court amidst a brilliant circle of the firft nobility. He naturally imitated that easy and elegant politeness which is fo prevalent in all those places; he adopted the manners, the occupations, and amufements of his companions, and gave many proofs of a quick perception and lively fancy. Among the inftances of his intelligence, I need only mention his knowlege of the game of chefs, in which he had made an amazing proficiency. The multiplicity of objects which crowded upon him, prevented his paying due attention to thofe particulars, which would have been beneficial to himself and his countrymen at his return. Be was not able to form a general comprehenfive view of our whole civilized fyftem, and to abstract from thence what appeared moft flrikingly ufeful and applicable to the improvement of his country. His fenfes were charmed by beauty, fymmetry, harmony, amd magnificence; they called aloud for gratification, and he was accustomed to obey their voice. The continued round of enjoyments left him no time to think of his future life; and being deftitute of the genius of a Tupaja, whofe fuperior abilities would have enabled him to form a plan for his own conduct, his underftanding remained unim proved After having spent near two years in England, Mr. Fofter adds, that his judgment was in its infant ftate, and therefore (when he was preparing to return) he coveted almost every thing he faw, and particularly that which amufed him by fome unexpected effect: to gratify his childish inclinations, as it should feem, rather than from any other motives, he was indulged with a portable organ, an electrical machine, a coat of mail, and a fuit of armour." We are informed, that on the arrival of the veffels at Otaheite, the riches of Omai, and the favour fhewn him by cap captain Cook, excited much envy and jealoufy among the chiefs of that island. The feveral officers, and Omai, were foon invited to dine with king Ottoo. The dinner confifted of fifh and fowl of various kinds, dreffed after their manner; barbicued pigs, stewed yams, and fruits of the most delicious flavour, all served with an ease and regularity that is feldom to be found at European tables, when the ladies are excluded from making part of the company. As foon as dinner was over, the guests were conducted to the theatre, where was in readiness a company of players to perform a dramatic entertainment. The drama, fays the editor, was regularly divided into three acts: the first confifted of dancing and dumb-thew; the second, of comedy; which to those who understood the language was very laughable, as Omai and the natives appeared highly diverted the whole time; the laft was a mufical piece, in which the young princeffes were the fole performers. There were between the acts fome feats of arms exhibited. The combatants were armed with lances and clubs. One made the attack, the other tood upon the defenfive. He who made the attack brandifhed his lance, and either threw, pushed or used it in aid of his club. He who was upon the defenfive, ftuck the point of his lance in the ground, in an oblique 'direction, fo that the upper part rose above his head, and by obferving the eye of his enemy, parried his blows or strokes by the motion of his lance. By his dexterity at this manœuvre he turned aside the lance, and it was rare that he was hurt by the club. If his antagonist struck at his legs, he fhewed his agility by jumping over the club; and if at his head, he was no lefs nimble in crouching under it. Their dexterity confifted chiefly in the defence, otherwife the combat might have been fatal, which always ended in good humour.' On the arrival of Omai's mother, and several of his relations, they teftified their joy at his return by ftriking their face and arms with fharks teeth, till they were all over befmeared with blood. The following are the particulars relative to the death of captain Cook, who was unfortunately killed by the favages, at O-why-ee, in February, 1779. On the morning of the 14th, our great cutter, which was moored to the buoy, was miffing from her moorings, and, upon examination, the boat's painter was found cut two fathoms from the bucy, and the remainder of the rope gone with the boat. This gave cause to fufpect that fome villainy was hatching, and, in order to prevent the ill confequences that might follow, both captains met on board the Refolution, to confult what was beft to be done on this critical occafion. The officers from both fhips were prefent at this council, where it was refolved to feize the king and to confine him on board till the boat fhould be returned The With this view, early on the morning of the 14th, captain Cook, with twenty marines, went on fhore under cover of the guns of both fhips. The Indians obferving our motions, and fee. ing the fhips warping towards the towns, of which there were two, one on each fide the harbour's mouth, they concluded that our defign was to feize their canoes. In confequence of which moft of their large war canoes took the alarm, and were making off, when our guns, loaded with grape and canister fhot, drove them back; and the captain and his guard landed without oppofition. We obferved, however, that their warriors were cloathed in their military drefs, though without arms, and that they were gathering together in a body from every direction, their chiefs affuming a very different countenance to what they ufually wore upon all former occafions. However, captain Cook, attended by Mr. Philips, lieutenant of marines, a ferjeant, and ten privates, regardless of appearances, proceeded directly to the king's refidence, where they found him feated on the ground, with about twelve of his chiefs round him, who all rofe in the utmost confternation on feeing the captain and his guard enter. captain addreffed the king in the mildeft terms, affuring him that no violence was intended against his perfon or any of his people, except against thofe who had been guilty of a most unprecedented act of robbery, by cutting from her moorings one of the hip's boats, without which they could neither conveniently water the fhips, nor carry on the neceffary communication with the fhore; calling upon the king, at the fame time, to give orders for the boat to be immediately restored; and infifting upon his accompanying him to the fhips, till his orders fhould be carried into execution. The king protefted his total ignorance of the theft; faid he was very ready to affift in discovering the thief, and fhould be glad to fee him punished; but fhewed great unwillingness to truft his perfon with ftrangers, who had lately exercifed very unusual feverities against his people. He was told that the tumultuous appearance of the people and their repeated robberies made fome uncommon feverities neceffary; but that not the leaft hurt fhould be done to the meanest inhabitant of his ifland by any perfon belonging to the fhips, without exemplary punishment; and all that was neceffary for the continuance of peace was, to pledge himfelf for the honefty of his people. With that view, and that view only he came to request the king to place confidence in him, and to make his fhip his home, as the moft effectual means of putting a stop to the robberies that were now daily and hourly committed by his people, both at the tents and on board the fhips, and were now fo daring as to become infufferable. The king, upon this remonftrance, was preparing to comply; but the chiefs, taking the alarm, began to fteal away one after another, till they were ftopped by the guard. In about half half an hour the king was ready to accompany captain Cook on board; but by that time fo great a body of indians were got together and lined the fhore, that it was with difficulty they could break through the multitude, who now began to behave out rageoufly, and to infult the guard. Captain Cook, observing their behaviour, gave orders to the officer of marines to make way, and if any one oppofed, to fire upon and inftantly dispatch him. This order lieutenant Philips endeavoured to carry into execution, and a lane was made for the king and his chiefs to get to the boats, but they had fearce reached the water-fide, when the word was given, that Tu-tee was about to carry off their king to kill him. In an instant a number of their fighting men broke from the crowd, and with clubs rushed in upon the guard, four of whom were presently dispatched. A ruffian making a ftroke at captain Cook, was fhot dead by the captain himself, who, having a double barrelled gun, was aiming at another, when a favage came behind him and striking him on the head with his club felled him to the ground; and then thrust his pa-ha-he (a kind of poignard made by our armourers at the request of the king, the day before) through his body with fuch force that, entering between his fhoulders, the point of it came out at his breaft. The quarrel now became general. The guns from the fhips began to pour in their fire upon the crowd, as did likewife the marine guard, and the marine from the boats; and though the flaughter among the favages was dreadful, yet, enraged as they were, they ftood our inceffant fire with aftonishing intrepidity, infomuch that, in fpite of all our efforts, they carried off the bodies of the dead, as a mark of triumph.' The volume, which is not deftitute of information and entertainment, befides fome plates, is decorated with a chart reprefenting the course of the voyage. Sea Sermons: or, a Series of Difcourfes for the Ufe of the Navy. By the Rev. James Ramfay. 8vo. 45. ferved. Rivington. THE HE author of these difcourfes, finding that common ones were not fitted for the circumftances of a fhip of war, drew up thefe for the use of his majefty's fhip the Prince of Wales, and adapted his inftructions to the particular fituation of feamen. They are offered to the public, not as finished effays, or accurate difcuffions of particular points of doctrine, but as helps to reflection. Men are not ignorant, but careless of their duty; and therefore the preacher very juftly thought it more neceffary to give his hearers a right turn, than to inform their understanding, The |