A General History and Collection of Voyages and Travels Volume Xviii Part 35

228. The natural History of Iceland. By Horrebow, 1758. folio.

229. Von Troil's Letters from Iceland. 1780. 8vo.--This translation is not nearly so accurate as that into French, published in Paris, 1781. 8vo.

230. Travels in Iceland during the Summer of 1810. By Sir G. Mackenzie, 1811. 4to.--Almost every topic on which a traveller is expected to give information is here treated of: the history, religion, natural history, agriculture, manners, &c.; and all evidently the result of much previous knowledge, good sense, and information collected on the spot.

231. Hooker's Journal of a Tour in Iceland in 1809. 2 vols. 8vo.--Natural History, especially Botany; the travels of this author, Mackenzie, and Henderson, would seem to leave nothing to be desired on the subject of this extraordinary island and its inhabitants.

232. Journal of a Residence in Iceland, 1814-15. By Henderson. 2 vols.

8vo.--The state of society, manners, domestic habits, and religion, are here treated of; but there is too much minuteness, and a tediousness and dryness of style and manner.

233. Voyage en Islande. Par Olafsen et Povelsen. Paris, 1801. 5 vols.

8vo.--This work, translated from the Danish, though tedious and prolix, supplies many curious particulars respecting the natural history of the country and the manners of the people.

234. OEconomische Reise durch Island. Von Olavius. Leip. 4to.

235. Landt's Description of the Feroe Islands. Translated from the Danish.

8vo.--This work, which was published at Copenhagen in 1800, is the only accurate account of these islands since the Feroe Reserata of Debes in 1673; but it is too minute and long for the subjects it describes.

236. c.o.xes's Travels in Poland, Russia, Sweden and Denmark. 5 vols.

8vo.--The substantial merits of this work are well known.

237. Acerbi's Travels through Sweden, Finland, and Lapland, to the North Cape, in 1798-9. 2 vols. 4to. 1801.--These travels are interesting and attractive; but they bear evident marks of having been made up by an editor. The author has been attacked by Rihs, a Swede, for misrepresenting the Swedes, and for having borrowed largely without acknowledgment from Leemius; and by his fellow-traveller, Skieldebrand, with having appropriated the views and designs which he made. The latter published in French a Picturesque Tour to the North Cape.

238. Lachesis Lapponica, or a Tour in Lapland. By Linnaeus, 1811. 2 vols.

8vo.--These travels were performed in 1732, when Linnaeus was very young.

Botany of course forms the princ.i.p.al subject; but the work is also instructive and interesting from the picture it exhibits of the character of the author, and of the manners of the Laplanders.

239. Travels through Norway and Lapland. By Baron Von Buch; with Notes by Professor Jameson, 1818. 4to.--This work, translated from the German, contains much new and valuable information, chiefly on mineralogy and geology.

240. Thomson's Travels in Sweden, during the Autumn of 1812.

4to.--Mineralogy, geology, satistics, and politics form the chief topics: the work is carelessly written.

241. Travels through Sweden, Norway, and Finmark, to the North Cape, 1820.

By A. de Capell Brocke. 4to. 1823. Picturesque.

242. Nouveau Voyage vers le Septentrion. Amsterdam, 1708. 12mo.--The customs, religion, character, domestic life, &c. of the Norwegians and Laplanders are here sketched in an interesting and pleasant manner.

243. Lettres sur le Danemark. Par Mallet. Geneve, 1767. 2 vols.

8vo.--This work is worthy of the author, whose introduction to the History of Denmark is so advantageously known to English readers, by Bishop Percy's excellent translation of it. It gives an excellent and faithful picture of this country in the middle of the eighteenth century, and comprises also the southern provinces of Norway.

244. Voyage en Allemagne et en Suede. Par J.P. Catteau. Paris, 1810. 3 vols. 8vo.--Sensible and judicious on arts, manners, literature, literary men, statistics and economics; but more full and valuable on Sweden than on Germany. Indeed few authors have collected more information on the North of Europe than M. Catteau; his Tableau des Etats Danois, and his Tableau General de la Suede, are excellent works, drawn up with great accuracy and judgment. The same may be said of his Tableau de la Mer Baltique; in which every kind of information relative to the Baltic, its sh.o.r.es, islands, rivers, ports, produce, ancient and modern commerce, is given.

245. Voyage en Norwege, traduit de l'Allemand de J. Fabricius. Paris, 1803.

8vo.--This too is an excellent work, especially in what regards the natural history and economics of the country.

246. Reise en die Marschlander au der Nordsee. Von J.N. Tetens. Leip. 1788.

8vo.--Holstein, Jutland, and Sleswick, countries in which we possess few travels, are accurately described in this work.

247. Reise durch einige Schwedische Provinzen. Von J.W. Schmidt. Hamburgh, 1801.--These travels contain curious particulars respecting the Nomadic Laplanders.

248. Arndt, Reise durch Schweden, 1804. 4 vols. 8vo. Berlin, 1806.

There are several travels by Linnaeus (besides the one published by Sir J. Smith, already noticed) and his pupils into different provinces of Sweden, relating to their natural history, which botanists will value highly; but we omit them, as interesting only to them. They are written in Swedish, but German translations have appeared of most of them. There are also valuable travels by Germans, especially Huelfer and Gilberg, which give full and accurate details of the copper mines, and the processes pursued in them; but these also we omit for a similar reason.

RUSSIA AND POLAND.

Whatever object has once been pursued by a Russian sovereign, seems to descend as a hereditary pursuit to his successors. This is true, not only of their plans of conquest, but also of their means of improving their country; but it is evident of all countries, and especially of such a vast extent of country as Russia exhibits, where new districts are from time to time added, the very limits of which are scarcely known, that no sure and regular means of improvement can be adopted, until the actual state and the capabilities of each district are fully known. The Empress Catherine gave great attention and encouragement to these enquiries: a number of men, well qualified for the undertaking, were sent to investigate the state of each district, especially its natural history, and the addition to the national strength and wealth which might be drawn from it. When the name of Pallas is mentioned as one of the scientific men employed for this purpose, and empowered to direct the enquiries of his a.s.sociates, and to revise them, in it a sufficient pledge is given of the accuracy and value of their labours.

249. Michalonis Lithuani de Moribus Tartarorum, Lithuanorum et Moschorum Fragmenta. Basle, 1615. 4to.--We notice this work as exhibiting a lively picture of the manners of these nations at this period. The same reason induces us to notice the following. Indeed, the chief interest of these old works, and it is no languid one, is derived from being introduced into the midst of ancient manners and people.

250. Ulfedii Legatio Moscovitica. Franck. 1617. 4to.--This work, which particularly notices the Tartar tribes at that time subject to Russia, proves, by a comparison with what Pallas relates of them, that their manners, customs, and acquirements had been quite stationary for nearly 150 years.

251. State of Russia. By Captain Perry. London, 1716. 8vo.--Captain Perry, who visited Russia in 1706-12, at the request of Peter the Great, to a.s.sist in the formation of a fleet, navigable ca.n.a.ls, &c., has in this work given an accurate account of this vast empire; the first indeed that may be said to have introduced a knowledge of it into England.

252. View of the Russian Empire during the reign of Catherine II. By the Rev. W. Tooke. 3 vols. 8vo.--As this work is drawn up from a personal knowledge of the country, and aided by access to the best authorities, we have admitted it into the Catalogue, though not exactly falling within the description of travels. It is full of matter, physical, statistical, political, commercial, &c.; but heavily written, and displaying rather extent and accuracy of research, than a perspicuous and profound mind.

The following are the princ.i.p.al works by Pallas and his a.s.sociates, or works undertaken with similar objects. They require no particular criticism, after the general notice we have given of them.

253. Reisen durch verschiedene Provinzen des Russischen Reichs, 1768. 1773.

Peters. 3 vols. 4to.

254. Bemerkungen auf einer Reise in die Sudlichen Statthalterschaften des Russischen Reichs, 1793, 1794.--Of these travels by Pallas, the last is more particularly devoted to science, and therefore is interesting to general readers. Both have been translated into French, and the travels in 1793-4, into English.

255. Georgi Bemerkungen auf einer Reise im Russischen Reichs, 1772--1774.

Peters. 1755. 2 vols. 4to.

256. Georgi Beschriebung alter Nation des Russischen Reichs. Leipsic. 2 vols. 4to.

257. Georgi Geographische, Physicalische und Naturhistorische, Beschriebung des Russischen Reichs. Koning. 3 vols. 4to.--This work of uncommon labour and research, treats of the geography, physical, and natural history of Russia, divided into zones, each of which will be separately described, when the work is completed.

258. Gmelin, Reisen durch Russland. Peters. 1770-4. 3 vols. 4to.--Of the Travels of Lepechin, the other a.s.sociate of Pallas, which were performed 1768-1771, and published in Russian, there is a German translation.

Altenburgh, 1774. 3 vols. 4to., of which we have not been able to procure the exact t.i.tle.

259. Reise von Volhynien nach Cherson en Russland, 1787. Von J.C. Maeller.

Hamb. 8vo.

260. Bemerkungen uber Russland en rucksicht auf wissen-schaften Kunst, Religion. Von J.J. Bollerman. Erfurt. 1788. 8vo.

261. Mineralogische, Geographische, und andere vermischte, Nachrechten von der Altaischen Gebirgen. Von H.M. Renovanz. Freyberg. 1789. 4to.

262. Tableau Historique et Statistique de l'Empire Russie a la fin du 18me siecle. Par H. Storch. Paris, 1800. 2 vols. 8vo.--This work, by the author of the Picture of Petersburgh, well known to the English reader, is admitted here for the same reason which gave insertion to Tooke's Russia.

It is, however, we believe, not yet complete according to the original plan of the author; and the French translation only comprises what relates to the physical and civil state of the inhabitants. Storch's Work, in conjunction with that of Georgi, on the geography and natural history of Russia, will comprise all that is interesting respecting this vast country.

263. Polonia, sive de Situ, Populis Moribus, &c. Poloniae a Mart. Cromero.

Cologne. 1578. 4to.

264. Sarmatiae Europeae Descriptio. ab Alex. Gaguin. Spire, 1581. fol.