of every seaman, that there was not a chart of the extensive shores of New-England, upon which he could rest the safety of his ship We rejoice that the remark has hardly gone from us, before the grounds of this complaint are in part removed, by the present admirable chart of one of the most difficult tracts of our coast. But our joy is a little damped by the reflexion, that a work of this kind does not appear under the sanction of government, as part of a general survey of our extensive territory. It is certainly among the wonders of this wonderful age, that a government, whose stability is believed to rest on the diffusion of knowledge; whose wealth may be said to spring almost wholly from commerce; whose strength and security in a great measure depend upon its sea-faring citizens; we say, it is a little extraordinary, that a government of this nature should be so insensible to the claims of a large proportion of its citizens, and so indifferent to its own honour, as to suffer enter prizing individuals to snatch from it the only kind of applause which it should be ambitious to obtain ; we mean that applause which is * the sure consequence of promoting useful national works; among which maps and charts, with a commercial people, hold the first rank. But we repress complaint, and enter upon our subject.

The chart before us, as has been observed in the title, comprehends four of the harbours of Massachusetts, of which the port of Salem is the most important. The number of vessels belonging to that port, many of which being employed in the East India trade are of a large burthen, and the numerous shoals and rocks in its harhour, rendered a correct chart of it peculiarly necessary. But the

necessity of this publication, and the great care with which it has been made, will best appear by the following extracts from the "Directious" which accompany, the chart.

The only chart (says Mr. Bowditch) of the entrance of the harbours of Sa lem, Marblehead, Beverly, and Man chester, is that published from the survey taken by HOLLAND and his assistants, just before the American revolutionary war. That period was par! ticularly unfavourable for obtaining an accurate survey of the sea-coast, as the Americans were generally opposed to its being done at that time, fearing that it would give the British the great advantage of being able safely to enter with their armed ships into any of our harbours. In consequence of this, Holland received but little assistance from our pilots, in exploring the sunken ledges and shoals off our harbours; and as it was almost impossible to discover them without such assistance, they were generally omitted by him. This deficiency renders those charts in a great degree useless, though they are accurate as respects the bearings and distances of the islands and the coast.

From the time of Holland's survey,. till the year 1794, nothing was done towards obtaining a more accurate chart. In that year a general survey of the state was ordered by the legislature; but it is to be regretted that this survey was not directed to be made in a manner calculated to ensure accuracy in the execution of it. Instead of appointing one or more competent persons to make the whole survey, and providing the best instruments for the purpose, the syrvey was entrusted to the several towns; in consequence of which, the responsibility, which an object of such magnitude demanded, was divided among so many different surveyors (not to mention other sources of errour, as the variety of instruments, &c.) that the laudable intentions of the legislature were very imperfectly carried into execution; and the map, formed from from these different and discordant surveys, was such as was to have been expected.

Mr. Bowditch then observes, that in pursuance of this order of the legislature, a survey of the

astonished at the deficiencies of Holland's, in the very part which was most important to mariners the ledges, shoals and soundings, many of which were wholly omit ted. Among the omissions, we observe the very long tract of foul ground in the vicinity of Baker's island. The shoal ground, called the Middle Ground, which the "Directions" inform us is a mile in length, and in which we see soundings marked of no more than five feet, does not appear in Holland's chart. Nor do we there find any of the numerous and dangerous ledges between Coney island and Peach's point, and between the Great Misery and West Beach. Bowditch's Ledge, Misery Ledge, Gale's Ledge, the Whale's Back, and others are not laid down in it. Satan, or Black Rock, which is laid down by B. as an island is omitted by Holland. We venture to say all these are deficiencies in Holland's chart, because we do not find them there, and we de find them in Mr. Bowditch's; and we presume this gentleman has not laid down any shoal that does not exist; it is more likely that there may be some inconsiderable ones which even his great assiduity has not discovered; though, when we consider how very minute Mr. B. has been in the work before us, we cannot believe there is a single omission of importance to navigators. He informs us indeed in the "Directions," that he explored several shoals and ledges that were hardly known to our best pilots," and many "which were so little known, that names had not been given to them." These are some of the principal advantages, in our opinion, which this beautiful chart has over the best hitherto published; and they are advantages, which, we feel confident,

will ensure to the able author an ample indemnity for the time and expense he has bestowed upon it, and will reflect credit upon the science of our country.

It is proper for us in works of this kind to speak particularly of the execution of the engraver's part; and it is with great satisfaction we can assure the publick, that it has been finely engraved by Messrs. Hooker and Fairman, at Salem, and, we presume, under the inspection of Mr. Bowditch; for he informs us in the "Direc tions," that the engraving is correct: It is printed on English su perfine imperial wove paper. It would give us pleasure also, if we could with truth say that the “Directions" were printed in a style suitable to the elegance of the Chart.

The type is good, though

rather too small; in the paper, however, we perceive a little of the odour of what has heretofore been called Salem economy, but what, in this instance, must be de nomined Newburyport economy, for there, it seems, the " Directions" were printed. We cannot entertain the suspicion, (if we may judge from the liberality which appears in the paper and engrav ing of the chart) that Mr. Bowditch is chargeable with the parsi mony apparent in the "Directions." We ought to observe also, that excellent as the engraving of the chart is, the skill of Messrs. Hooker and Fairman doubtless appears to less advantage than it would in a map, which af fords a greater field for a display of their art. This chart is constructed on a scale of about three inches to a mile.

Such is the admirable work, which Mr. Bowditch offers to his countrymen, and particularly to the sea-faring portion of his fellow

citizens; and it will doubtless be received with the same marked preference which his other nautical publications have found in the community.

For our part, we hope the applause which the work deserves, and will assuredly find, will not be the only consequence of its publication. The imperfection of our present maps and charts is well known to those who have it in their power, and, if we may judge from their well intended efforts, are solicitous, to remove this discredit from our country...we mean the legislature of this state. They well know that we have many unexplored harbours, especially in the eastern parts of our coast, a thorough knowledge of some one of which might, by saving only a single ship, be the means of preserving many lives, and perhaps secure property enough to pay the expense of a general survey; at least, it would lessen the hazards to which our vessels are exposed upon the coast during inclement and stormy seasons. We should think indeed, if the legislature should not order such a survey, that some of our liberal underwriters, who are certainly deeply interested, would gladly contribute to the expense of it. But we do hope, that the present publication, by showing us how much can be effected by the ability and enter, prize of an unassisted individual, will stimulate those who can command the resources of the state, we mean of Old Massachusetts, (for we sincerely hope that she will have the honour of leading the way among her sister states, as one of her natives has done among his fellow citizens) to order a correct survey to be made of our whole coast, and even of the whole state, under the direction of one

or two able surveyors. Such an undertaking would indeed be worthy of the publick spirit of New. Englandmen; such a work would, without any other point of pre-eminence, justly entitle the govern ment of Massachusetts to a rank with the most patriotick rulers, as well as with the most liberal patrons of science.

ART. 46.

The numbers of Phocion, whick were originally published in the Charleston Courier, in 1806,' an the subject of Neutral Rights. Charleston, Courier Office.ƒ/2.70.

THIS pamphlet is written with ability, and the arguments and reflections are those of a statesman. The author condemns that purblind policy, which extends only to objects that may be seen and felt, and maintains that our 717tional measures ought not to be predicated upon a fluctuating state of things, or to look merely to present circumstances, but should be bottomed on steady and perma"nent principles."

In considering the right of neutrals to interfere in the colonial commerce of belligerents, he examines the subject under two aspects, 1, as to the direct intercourse between the mother country and her colony; 2dly, as to the indirect intercourse, by an intermediate voyage to a port of the neutral. The denial of direct intercourse, he contends, is an antient principle not only enforced during the war of 1756, but universally deemed a part of the Law of Nations ;' and he proves that Mr. Jefferson in his Notes, and Mr. Madison in his commentaries on the commercial resolutions of 1794, warmly advocated that principle, which