the weft till about twelve, and walked up the whole way. The night was remarkably fine and starry: towards morn, the ftars faded away, and left a fhort interval of darkness, which was foon difperfed by the dawn of day. The body of the fun appeared moft diftinct, with the rotundity of the moon, before it rofe high enough to render its beams too brilliant for our fight. The fea which bounded the western part was gilt by its beams, first in flender streaks, at length glowed with redness. The prospect was difclosed to us like the gradual drawing up of a curtain in a theatre. We faw more and more, till the heat became fo powerful, as to attract the mills from the various lakes, which in a flight degree obfcured the profpect. The fhadow of the mountain was flung many miles, and fhewed its bicapitated from; the Wyddfa making one, Crib y Diftill the other head. I counted this time between twenty and thirty lakes, either in this county, or Meirionyddfhire. The day proved fo exceffively hot, that my journey colt me the skin of the lower part of my face, before I reached the refting-place, after the fatigue of the morning.

On this day, the sky was obfcured very foon after I got up. A vaft mist enveloped the whole circuit of the mountain. The profpect down was horrible. It gave an idea of numbers of abyffes, concealed by a thick fmoke, furiously circulating around us. Very often a gust of wind formed an opening in the clouds, which gave a fine and diftinct vifto of lake and valley. Sometimes they opened only in one place; at others, in many at once, exhibiting a moft ftrange and perplexing fight of water, fields, rocks, or chafins, in fifty different places. They then clofed at once, and left us involved in darkness; in a finall fpace, they would feparate again, and fly in wild eddies round the middle of the mountains, and expofe, in parts, both tops and bafes clear to our view. We defcended from this various fcene with great reluctance; but before we reached our horfes, a thunder storm overtook us. Its rolling among the mountains was inexpreffibly awful: the rain uncommonly heavy. We re-mounted our horfes, and gained the bottom with great hazard. The little rills, which on our afcent trickled along the gullies on the fides of the mountain, were now fwelled into torrents; and we and our fteeds paffed with the utmoft rifque of being fwept away by thefe fudden waters. At length we arrived fafe, yet: fufficiently wet and weary, to our former quarters.

It is very rare that the traveller gets a proper day to afcend the hill; for it often appears clear, but by the evident attraction of the clouds by this lofty mountain, it becomes fuddenly and unexpectedly enveloped in mift, when the clouds have just beone appeared very remote, and at great heights. At times, I have obferved them lower to half their height, and notwithstanding they had been difperfed to the right and to the left, yet them. have met from both fides, and united to involve the fummit in one great obfcurity. ·

The

The quantity of water which flows from the lakes of Snowdonia, is very confiderable; fo much, that I doubt not but col lectively they would exceed the waters of the Thames, before it meets the flux of the ocean.

The reports of the height of this noted hill have been very differently given. A Mr. Cafwell, who was employed by Mr. Adams, in 1682, in a furvey of Wales, measured it by inftru ments made by the directions of Mr. Flamstead; and afferts its height to have been twelve hundred and forty yards: but for the honor of our mountain I am forry to fay, that I must give greater credit to the experiments made of late years, which have funk it to one thousand one hundred and eighty-nine yards and one foot, reckoning from the quay at Caernarvon to the highest peak.'

This work is adorned with a frontispiece and eleven plates, fome of which are well executed, particularly the head of fir Richard Wynne, by Cornelius Janfen, finely engraved by Bartolozzi. There is likewife given with this volume a fmall fet of fupplemental plates, etched by Mofes Griffiths, whom our author recommends to the public as a worthy, sober, and ingenious man, and an almoft felf-taught genius. Thefe etchings are faithfully performed, and, confidered as firft efforts, have no inconfiderable merit.

Remarks on the Influence of Climate, Situation, Nature of Country, Population, Nature of Food, and Way of Life, on the Difpofition and Temper, Manners and Behaviour, Intellects, Laws and Customs, Form of Government, and Religion, of Mankind. By William Falconer, M. D. F. R. S. 4to. 18s. boards. Dilly.

IN

Na preface to this work, Dr. Falconer defires the reader would obferve, that he has not given it the name of a - treatise, or essay, but of Remarks; as he means not to infinuate that it affords a complete difcuffion of the subject, but only a collection of fuch obfervations as occurred to him on a general view of the influence of phyfical caufes on the moral world. In regard to those who have treated of this subject, he mentions, as a common mistake, the making their pofitions too univerfal. The effects of climate, &c. he farther obferves, are all of them general, and not particular; and if a confiderable majority of the nations, as well as the individuals, that live under a certain climate, are affected in a certain manner, we may pronounce decifively on its influence, notwithstanding there may be fome exceptions. It must also, he remarks, be taken into confideration, that the influence of

one of the above caufes often corrects the other; a circum stance which he illuftrates by a few examples. Numerous as are the causes of physical influence mentioned by Dr. Falconer, he means not to have it understood, that he has comprehended the whole which can be fuppofed to operate on the human character; but though they may be only a fmall part, he believes them to be among the most powerful and important.

The work is divided into fix books, and thofe into chapters and fections. The author begins with the confideration of climate; fhewing the firft effects of heat upon the living human body, and afterwards those of cold. To give our readers an idea of the principles upon which he proceeds, we fhall lay before them the fecond and third chapters of this book.

On the Effects of Heat upon the living Human Body

Heat is perhaps the most universal stimulus with which we are acquainted; when applied in any great degree to the human body, it excites the action of the nervous fyftem in general, and of the cutaneous nerves especially, which are most exposed to its influence, and renders them more fufceptible of any impreffion. If the heat be long continued, it produces a moisture upon the fkin, called perfpiration, which, by relaxing the cuticle, keeps the fubjacent nervous papillæ in a fupple ftate, and obvious to every impulfe. It likewife expofes the extremities of the nerves to external impreffions, by keeping the fkin in a smooth state, and void of corrugation. Heat alfo, by increafing the fecretion of perfpiration, caufes the perfpirable matter (fimilar to what occurs in other increased glandular difcharges, as the faliva, the mucus of the nofe, &c.) to be very much attenuated, and confequently fit for being eafily and quickly evaporated, without the fame portion of it remaining long upon the fkin, or leaving muchrefiduum; which renders the cuticle very thin and fine, and of confequence fit for tranfmitting fenfations through its fubitance. By increafing the perfpiration, heat diminishes the other evacuations, and even the fecretions. The urine is separated but in fmall quantity, and the alvine evacuation is very flow. The bile however must be excepted, which is confiderably increafed in quantity, and as fome think rendered more acrimonious in quality. The difpofition of the body and juices to putrefaction is alfo much augmented.

Effects of Cold on the living Human Body.

Cold, on the contrary, in fimilar circumftances, corrugates or wrinkles the cuticle, and caufes the cutaneous papillæ to contract, and to retire deeper into the skin. It also closes the orifices of the cutaneous glands, and thus prevents the accefs of any irritating fubftance. By contracting the nervous papillæ, it dimi

nishes

nifhes perfpiration, and probably makes the perfpirable matter more vifcid, which renders the cuticle more dry and rigid, and even confiderably thicker; by all which the accuracy of fenfation or feeling is much diminished. Perhaps too, as Mr. Montefquieu obferves, the conftriction on the miliary glands may render the nerves of the skin in a degree paralytic; and this I am inclined to believe may be in fome measure the cafe, from that infenfibility which occurs in the accefs of fevers, efpecially intermittents, where the cold fit is the most strong and diftinguishable.

• The fecretion of the bile is diminished by cold, and its qua lity rendered lefs acrimonious. The urinary and alvine evacuations are more regular, and more proportioned to the quantity of food taken in. The bodily flrength is alfo greater, the bulk of the body larger, and its humours lefs difposed to putrefaction.'

In the fourth chapter the author examines the effects of heat on the temper and difpofition. Having obferved that heat increases the faculty or power, as well as the accuracy, of fenfation or feeling, he next remarks that this fenfibility of the body is by fympathy communicated to the mind; producing that almost incredible degree of mental fenfibility which prevails in hot climates. Hence, he obferves, arifes, among the inhabitants of thofe climates, their paffionate temper, remarked by Hippocrates, and their impatience under feveral circumstances of behaviour, which never affect people of a more phlegmatic temperament. He adds, that this is particularly obfervable in Europe among the Italians, and in America among the inhabitants of the Weft India Islands,

The author obferves, that to the fame fenfibility is owing the amorous difpofition of the people of hot climates; which difpofition, in its turn, increases the fenfibility that produced it. This, as well as the jealoufy attendant on love, has been always remarked as a part of the character of the people in thofe countries.

Concerning the vindictive disposition, we meet with the following obfervations.

From what has been faid of the fenfibility of the people of hot climates, we might be inclined to think that their difpofition would be exceedingly mild and tender: but this I do not believe to be the general character of the people. The fenfibility with which they are endued, however it may teach them to feel for others, caufes them to have very quick fenfations on their own account. Thus many circumftances, which are overlooked in cold climates, are conftrued into irreparable affronts in Japan, and fuch as nothing but death can expiate. Even the Chinese, who, as a commercial people, are obliged to have fome com

mand of temper, are, when much provoked, violent and vindictive. The fame difference is, in fome measure, obfervable between Spain and Italy, and England. The cruel revenges likewife, fuch as by the dagger and by poifon, fo frequent in hot climates, with the inhuman treatment of prifoners which generally prevails there, prove evidently their difpofition to be of this nature.'

On the principle of fenfibility the author alfo accounts for the levity or inconftancy, fo remarkable among the inhabitants of warm climates.

Another characteristic difpofition generally imputed to the inhabitants of hot climates is timidity. Dr. Falconer obferves that this likewife is partly owing to the fenfibility of the people; but that other caufes concur. For instance, the 'great perfpiration to which they are subject, weakening the body, the languor is communicated to the mind.

In refpect of indolence, which conftitutes an ingredient in the character of the inhabitants of hot climates, Dr. Falconer obferves that it proceeds from several caufes, fuch as heat, languor, and great perspiration.

I am likewife inclined to believe, fays he, that the bilious difpofition of the inhabitants of these countries, has fome fhare in caufing their indolence of difpofition. Hot climates, I have before remarked, tend to increafe the generation of bile, which alfo is often obftructed in its paffage into the inteftines, and regurgitated into the fyftem; and this takes place fo frequently there, as to form, in fome meafure, a characteristic of the people. Now the bile, although intended by nature to be an active stimulus to the intestines, exerts an effect totally dif ferent when abforbed into the circulatory fyftem. It there produces an aversion to motion, or exertion of any of the faculties of either mind or body; from which effect, it may reasonably be fuppofed to contribute towards forming this part of their character. The tendency, likewife, of the animal fluids to putrefaction, which is almoft always the cafe in fuch climates, and is probably owing to the conftant perspiration, has likewife, I imagine, fome effect in producing this inactivity of difpofition, as nothing fo much or fo quickly debilitates the human body. This we fee inftanced in the cafe of putrid fevers, a fudden and remarkable proftration of strength being one of their most distinguifhing fymptoms, Even the cowardice of the people operates as a caufe of their indolence; which last favours the other again in its turn.'

In the fifth chapter, our author confiders the effects of a cold climate on the temper and difpofition. He observes that cold, by blunting the power of feeling, tends greatly to diminish the fenfibility of the fyftem in general; and that the