any thing to which he has been unaccustomed, he will hear you, and examine with candour. If he approves it, he will adopt and acknowledge it without scruple. The English are not inclined to believe any thing they do not thoroughly comprehend; but what they really believe, they are not backward to acknowledge; and since freethinking is carried to a great extent in this country, from the nature of the constitution, so we meet with as many sceptics here as there are hypocrites in other places. But, though in Italy the number of atheists and sceptics seem to be very small, they are, in reali. ty, more than elsewhere, because most of them wear the mask of religion through fear. In England, ge. nerally speaking, it is very easy to distinguish characters; the religious, of course, is commonly what he appears to be. This is the general result of English liberty, which, with some inconveniences, is productive of much more good than evil, and a superiority of benefits to the people at large. The English have a great deal of charity for the unfortunate, and they do not absolutely hate those who are guilty of trivial failings in their conduct, and tolerate Jews, Turks, and Pagans; yet, when their own country-men dif. fer from them in religious opi-. nions, or in matters really indifferent, their hatred and persecution frequently knows no bounds; so that in England, if a man wishes to live in peace, he must, of course, be esteemed perfectly orthodox, or perfectly heterodox. A stranger among them must believe all or no. thing; but in this religious antipathy they are not singular; a Turk hates a Persian much more than he hates a Christian; a Catholic hates a Jansenist worse than a Calvinist. The clergy in England are not so reserved in their manner of living as in many other countries. They do not deem it indecent to be seen at a playhouse, and even in the coffeehouses. However, their conduct and behaviour in the pulpit is serious and edifying. They generally stand up in their preaching as still as stocks or stones, and, with downcast eyes, explain their texts with method and perspicuity. In this respect they are quite the reverse of the preachers on this side of the water, whose thea trical and extravagant action, stamp ing, turning, and twisting about, is more adapted to excite the smiles than the sighs of their hearers. Some people censure the English divines because they read their sermons; but they forget this advantage, viz. that their discourses are connected, and without tautology. My ears, I confess, were not a little offended by the first sermon I heard after my return from England. I had not been used to desultory declamation, but in this instance I was witness to so many repetitions that I was con vinced the whole sermon, which took up an hour, might have been delivered in a quarter of the time. Between the English and French I have made the following rom. parison - The French reason, but the English think most. The French have the most wit, but the English the best judgment. The French are showy in their clothing, the English are plain. The French eat most bread, the English had not been a law, against it." The Frenchman denies himself little; the Englishman still less. In his meat the Frenchman regards quality; quantity is the Englishman's principal object. In his cookery, the Frenchman follows his fancy; the Englishman his palate. The French drink to quench thirst, or raise their spirits; the English for drinking-sake. The Frenchman believes previously to examination; the Englishman exa mines all before he believes any. The French women are very free in their manners, though their husbands are never jealous; the En English, most meat. Both arc warm, but the heat of the French is in the blood, that of the English is in the gall; hence the anger of a Frenchman is greater than the anger of the English, while the hatred of the English is of longer duration than a Frenchman's. A Frenchman spends his means in decking his person; an Englishman thinks of nothing so much as his belly. A Frenchman is governed by the fashion; an Englishman by his fancy. A Frenchman always goes with the stream; an Englishman against it. A French, man soon makes a friend, and soon dispenses with him; an English-glish women. are still more free man is a long while making a friend, and keeps him long when he is made the Englishman loses his friend by degrees; the French man breaks with his friend all at once. The French honour their superiors; the English pay the most respect to themselves. The French are the best citizens; the English the best men, The French have the greatest latitude in their faculties, but the English excel them in the mind's gifts: both of them frequently perform heroic actions ; the French for the love of fame, the English for the love of virtue. The French seek reward in the approbation of their countrymen, the English in the act itself. The French, in common with other people, transgress the laws with the hope of escaping punishment; the English frequently trans-glish character is manifest from this gress when they know that an escape representation of circumstances not is impossible. When a French- to be found elsewhere. But should man says, "I would willingly do so any one object that I have exag. and so, if it were not for the law;"gerated the virtues and vices of the the Englishman says, "I would English, I reply that, in respect to never have done this or that, if there a nation that observes no medium than the French women, though their husbands are mad with jealousy. The imagination in the French and English is extremely fruitful; but more orderly in the French than in the English, which frequently exceeds all bounds. The French mostly live cheerfully in care, want, and misery; the English have every thing in abun dance, and yet seem to despise life. They need not be forced to go to the place of execution; their criminals go there laughing, singing, or jesting; and, if an executioner is not to be found, will hang themsclves. Hence it is not strange that a great degree of hatred should sub. sist between two nations, whose minds and manners are so discor. dant. The peculiarity of the En itself, itself, it must be very difficult indeed for a writer to adopt a medium in describing their manners. State of Religious Sects and Observances, in various parts of the World. [Extracted from the Journals of the Missionaries.] Present State of Otaheite. THE Otaheite, Dec. 12, 1804. HE inhabitants are diminish. ing every year, through the still-prevailing causes, frequently noticed. Civilization appears to be making but small advances; perhaps it would be wrong to say it is making none. The chicfs are in general very dissolute; and the common people lovers of ease; and both so much attached to their own ways of doing things, and have so little intercourse with foreigners, that they do not plainly see the value of improvement, nor do they apply themselves with much dili gence to it. Since the death of Pomarre, Otoo has maintained his authority without opposition. For the past seven months he has been residing at Eimco his return to Taheite is uncertain. His family has lately sustained another loss in Pa-cete, who died in Eimeo a few weeks hack: others of his near relations are on the decline. An addition is making to the number of fire-arms that are in the hands of the natives, by almost every vessel that calls here. The Harrington has been keeping up a constant barter for hogs, with muskets and powder; so that now there is scarcely a petty ratteras who has not one in his pos. session. The natives are as desirous as ever after such articles, and frequently give hogs to the value of between thirty and forty pounds, for a musket not worth ten shillings. We suppose that this kind of traffic is not for nought; and expect to see, sooner or later, some fatal consequences attending it. That our personal safety is more endangered by such an influx of fire-arms, must be obvious to every one who considers our peculiar situation. While the king has been at El meo, he has, by gifts and force, got the greater part of the muskets that were in the hands of the ratteras there, into his own possession. It is rumoured that he expects to do the same in Taheite, when he returns; but it is also said, that those who have them, are determined not to give them up to him, but with loss of life. If the king is resolved on the matter, war we think will undoubtedly follow. If it should please the Lord to remove Otoo, as he has Pomarre, we appre hend there would be very serious times on this island, as there is no one who seems to possess sufficient authority to take the government, and many would be aspiring to superiority. We have a vessel of about fifty tons in building for the king, which will not be finished for some months. . The Harrington, since her stay at Oparre, has bartered away between three and four hundred weight of powder, thirteen or four teen muskets, and some pistols. The seamen expended near 7001. worth of property upon the women they had. They were constantly taking up clothing from the cap tain. The wife of the deceased chief of Hapyano arrived in the district, in her way to Hapyano. She has got the discase which proves so fatal to her countrymen, and which it is probable will carry her off in a short time. When the Duff first arrived here, she was the comeliest woman on the island, and we have always found her one of the kindest and best behaved. Besides her husband, she has, within two years, lost her mother and two brothers. A few days back, the wife of a priest in Opeimanno was given out to be dead, and so continued two days; when, to the surprise of her husband and neighbours, she unexpectedly revived again. She has given a long and nonsensical account of the Po, or other world; which, notwithstanding its absurdity, her deluded countrymen seem to receive with a strong persuasion of its reality. Many, from all parts of the district, have gone to gaze on this supposed wonderful per. sonage, and to hear her story. About eight months back, a similar matter was transacted in Ewkaa, by the wife of a great priest there." The natives continue their disposition of thieving, and plunder all they lay their hands on. Egyptian Apis in India. Coromandel Coast, Jan. 11, 1806. This day a great feast, called Waumavataumit, began, which is to last for several days. 12th.-Much annoyed by the noise of the heathen celebrating their festival. The whole town filled with men leading bullocks decorated with flowers, from house to house. The owners of these auimals obtain large sums of money from the people for the privilege of worshipping them! 13th. This morning the bramin who instructs us in their native language, came to ask leave of ab. sence for the day, that he might join in celebrating the feast. Ali expostulations with him on the folly of these things, seem at present to have but little effect. With many others he acknowledges that they are wrong, but pleads the custom of his forefathers as the most pow. erful motive for attending them. 30th. We were visited this morning by a large family of Hindoos, who had come two or three days' journey to the celebration of the late Moorish festival, by which we have been kept awake for several nights past. A very old grey. headed man led the group, followed by his children and grand-children. They appeared greatly surprised when reviewing the house, furniture, &c. as if it had been the first time they had seen a European face, or had an opportunity of be holding European manners. We were greatly delighted with their simplicity. Remarkable Seet in India. Tuttacoryn. The Sanaers are a sect of people more robust than other Indians, very dark in com. plexion, their features completely European, their ears protracted to their shoulders by weighty orna ments of lead. They divide themselves into five families, one of which exclusively ascends the trees; from which practice their hands and feet acquire a peculiarly clumsy shape. Their religion is not Braminical, but con consists in the worship of one Mandan, formerly a washerman. Their habits of life are extremely simple. They are quarrelsome, avaricious, and deceitful. The tribe of Sanaers is very numerous both here and in Travan. core. In the latter country they are called Teers, and I do not know if these resemble in all respects our Sanacrs. In this district I compute them to be at least fifty thousand in number, of which, perhaps five thousand belong to our protestant church, and constitute from forty to fifty congregations, under the care of about thirty native teachers. A few of the latter (perhaps eight or ten) are rather respectable servants of God, as far as their knowledge goes. But the greater part have been enlisted in a hurry from among the Sanaers themselves, reading and writing being the only qualifications required. From these catechists, and their base, deceitful, and unworthy conduct, my worst troubles arise. But, till a seminary for forming better ones is established in these parts, the evil must be borne with, and the only thing I can do is to keep them in awe. It is also to be lamented, that many of them receive too little wages. If they have families, they can scarcely afford to buy a little palmyra sugar to satisfy the cravings of nature. My heart bleeds for them in this respect, for this extreme poverty often prompts them to take bribes and presents, to do what they should not. State of Roman Catholics in India: May 1st.-Set off for Anjengo; the most ancient English possession in Travancore. I was struck with the number of handsome Romish churches along the beach; at every thousand yards there is a church, and there were formerly still more. They are mostly built by private persons in consequence of some vow or other but no inference is to be drawn from the number of these churches with regard to the flourish. ing state of religion. In most of them, mass is performed only once in two years. I will take this opportunity to give my opinion on the number of Roman-catholics in the peninsula of India. I know, from good authority, that there are beyond a thousand missionaries dispersed over the country. If we allow each of them a nominal influence on two or three thousand souls, as is not improbable, it brings the number of Roman-catholics to between two and three millions. Those that are well-informed, think my calculation falls short of the truth. This is the work of three centuries. Could we suppose their religion will go on to spread in the same ratio, we might fix the period, humanly speaking, when India would be a Roman-catholic country! It is true, that at the outset the missionaries were abundantly zealous, and powerfully seconded by government; the archbishop of Goa was governor-general of the Portuguese possessions; money was sent from Europe in considerable sums. Circumstances are now altered, but the resources of the Romish priests in this country are still conside. rable fines, indulgences, fees, presents, masses for the dead, are inexhaustible sources. the acquaintance of father RayAt Anjengo I was introduced to mond, a Piedmontese, and vicargeneral |