concerning Egypt were then highly interesting. It is this which constitutes the essential merit of Mr. Browne's work. As to its geographical accuracy, Major Rennel's testimony is full and explicit. He had no sooner completed this publication, than he prepared for another journey. In 1800, he visited Athens and Smyrna, and subsequently Cairo, where he passed the winter of that year. Early in 1802, he went to Salonika, explored Mount Athos, and afterwards sojourned for several months at Venice. In 1803, he employed a considerable time in viewing the antiquities of Sicily. On his return to London, he arranged the materials collected during these expeditions, but afterwards abandoned the design of publishing them; from what motives, is not apparent. The extracts from his papers contained in Mr. Walpole's second volume, were taken from the MS. which he prepared for this purpose. But he was not idle. Oriental and classical literature employed the greater part of his day. He mixed little in general society, leading the life of a retired scholar in the vast solitude of the metropolis. His friendships were founded upon similarity of studies and pursuits. The late amiable and excellent Mr. Tennant, a person highly distinguished for his chemical and literary attainments, was among the most intimate of his associates he had a singular fondness for Oriental literature, and felt peculiar gratification in Mr. Browne's society. By strangers, however, the character of this accomplished traveller was apt to be misunderstood. Whether from temperament or from acquired habit, he was unusually grave and silent, and, in general society, he was cold and repulsive. For some time, even with Mr. Tennant, he would remain gloomy and thoughtful; but after indulging himself a few minutes with his pipe, his countenance brightened, and he discoursed in a lively and picturesque manner on the subjects of his travels. In a letter written by Mr. Tennant to an intimate friend soon after he had received the account of Mr. Browne's death, I recall,' he says, ' with a melancholy pleasure the Noctes Arabica which I have so often passed with him at the Adelphi, where I used to go whenever I found myself gloomy or solitary; and so agreeable to me were those soothing, romantic evening conver'sations, that, after ringing his bell, I used to wait with great anxiety, fearful that he might not be at home.' After passing several years in London, his ruling passion returned, and he meditated new expeditions. Many projects suggested themselves, but he at length fixed upon the Tartar city of Samarcand and the central region of Asia around it. In the summer of 1812, he departed from England, and at the close of the year, proceeded from Constantinople to Smyrna, where he established himself for some time. In 1813, he travelled in a North-easterly direction through Asia Minor and Armenia, and arrived on the 1st of June at Tabreez on the frontiers of Persia. Mr. Browne remained there several weeks, and received from Sir Gore Ouseley every aid toward the prosecution of his meditated journey into Tartary. Having at length completed his preparations, he took his departure for Tehraun, intending to proceed from that capital. What subsequently happened, can be known only from the testimony of those who accompanied him. After some days, both the servants returned with an account, that, at a place near the river Kizil Ozan, about 120 miles from Tehraun, they had been attacked by banditti, that Mr. Browne had been dragged a short distance from the road, where he was plundered and murdered, but they were suffered to escape. The soldiers who were despatched with orders to search for Mr. Browne's remains, and to make strict search for the assassins, reported on their return, that they had failed in both objects, but that they had fully ascertained the fact of Mr. Browne's death, and had found some portion of his clothes they added, that they believed the body to have been abandoned to beasts of prey. In his person, Mr. Browne was thin, of a dark complexion, and pensive countenance. He was remarkable for the steadiness of his attachments, and the warmth of his friendships; though far from affluent, he was yet liberal and generous; and (what is very important in reference to his character as a traveller) a man of exact and punctilious veracity. He had no brilliancy of parts; but he was an intense student. As an Orientalist, he may be ranked among the most learned in that branch of letters in his familiar acquaintance with Eastern manners, he was unrivalled. It was this which enabled him to personate the Oriental character with such rare exactness and propriety. Although a good scholar, he was deficient in taste; and an ambition to shine betrayed him into perpetual faults as a writer. 'The affectation of his style,' says Mr. Wishaw, formed a singular contrast to the simplicity of his manners and conver'sation.' Another of his peculiarities was his enthusiastic admiration of Oriental life, acquired, no doubt, partly from long residence in the East, and partly arising from the natural tranquillity and repose of his disposition. It had, indeed, a considerable effect on his understanding, since it produced the paradoxical dissertation at the end of his Travels in Africa, in which, after an elaborate comparison between the Eastern and the European nations, as to wisdom, morality, and happiness, he gives his decided preference to the former! On opening his will, a paper in his hand-writing was found enclosed, containing a remarkable passage from Pindar, expres sive of that generous ambition and contempt of danger and death, which are the inspiring principles of all great enterprises. His most intimate friends were scarcely aware of those powerful but deep feelings which the habitual reserve and coldness of his character effectually concealed from observation. Ο μέγας δὲ κίνδυ νος αναλκιν = φω τα λαμβάνει. Θανεῖν δ ̓ οἷσιν ἀναγκα Pind. Olymp. carm. 1. v. 129. We make no apology for having thus imparted to our readers the substance of this interesting piece of biography, which is the sketch of no common hand, and the product of a mind which knew how to temper the warmth of private friendship by a strict regard of what is due to truth and to justice. From Mr. Browne's journey in 1802 through Asia Minor, we extract the following passage illustrative of the manners of a tribe little known to Europeans. Erakli is agreeably situated in the midst of gardens full of fruit and forest trees. About 40 minutes from the city, begins the ascent of the mountainous ridge, a continuation of Taurus. It took us five hours to reach the summit. A little further we came to a small village, near which was an acre or two only of cultivated land. The Turkmans with their flocks, dwelling under tents, inhabit this almost inaccessible region. The air is cool and salubrious, and pellucid springs give spirit and animation to the scene. In my visits to the Turkman tents, I remarked a strong contrast be tween their habits and those of the Bedouin Arabs. With the latter, the rights of hospitality are inviolable: and while the host possesses a cake, he feels it his duty to furnish half of it to his guest. The Turkman offers nothing spontaneously, and if he furnish a little milk or butter, it is at an exorbitant price. With him it is a matter of calculation, whether the compendious profit of a single act of plunder, or the more ignoble custom of receiving presents from the caravans for their secure passage, be most advantageous. The Arab values himself on his husb we nasb, that is, his pedigree; the Turkman on his personal prowess. With the former, civility requires that salutations be protracted to satiety; the latter scarcely replies to a Salam aleikum. * * * * The dress of the Turkmans consists of a large striped and fringed turban, fastened in a manner peculiar to themselves; or sometimes of a simple high-crowned cap of white felt. A vest, usually white, is thrown over the shirt: the Agas superadd one of cloth; and in general, they approximate to the dress of the capital. But the common people wear a short jacket of various colours. A cincture is indispensably necessary, in which are fixed an enormous yatagan,* and a pistol, Many of them wear half-boots, red or yellow, laced to the leg. The female dress is a coloured vest, and a piece of white cotton over the head, covering part of the face. They are masculine and active, performing all the harder kinds of labour required by the family. Their features are good, but not pleasing. The men are muscular, tall, straight, and active. Their teeth are white and regular; their eyes piercing; their complexions clear, but sun-burnt. In a word, they have every thing denoting exhaustless health and vigour of body. A general resemblance is visible betwixt them and the populace of Constantinople: but the latter appear effeminate by the comparison. Every action and every motion of the Turkmans is marked with dignity and grace. Their language is clear and sonorous, but less soft than that of the capital; expressing, as may be conceived, no abstract ideas, (for which the Turkish is indebted to the Arabic alone,) but fitted to paint the stronger passions, and to express in the most concise and forcible manner, the mandates of authority. Their riches consist of cattle, horses, arms, and various habiliments. How lamentable to think, that with persons so interesting, and a character so energetic, they unite such confirmed habits of idleness, violence, fraud, and treachery! From the rising of the sun till his disappearance, the males are employed only in smoking, conversing, inspecting their cattle, or visiting their acquaintance. They watch at night for the purpose of plunder, which among them is honourable in proportion to the ingenuity of the contrivance, or the audacity of the execution. Their families are generally small, and there is reason to believe that their numbers are not increasing. But my experience among them was too short to enable me to point out the checks which operate to counteract the natural tendency to multiply. pp. 125–128. The following anecdote is characteristic of Mr. Browne's promptitude and expertness in oriental customs. I embarked in a small boat with several passengers for Larneka in Cyprus. None of the company departed from the rules of civility and mutual forbearance, but a Derwish. The order to which he belonged was one of the strictest; yet many individuals who are members of it unite great profligacy, vulgarity, and insolence, with pretensions to superior sanctity, and gross worldliness and servility with extraordinary professions of devotion and self-denial. This man talked incessantly in a very forward and irrational manner, and occasionally threw out hints that he suspected me to be a Christian, declaring at the same time, how much he despised and hated infidels. His pointless satire I bore patiently, reserving my reply for a proper occasion. Being one day together at the table of the Custom-house officer, the Derwish suddenly left off eating, and looking directly at me, said, “ La illa ila ullah”—There is no other god, but God: to which I instantly replied in a cheerful tone, A sword with a broad blade, concave, and cutting with one edge nearly straight and inclining in a contrary direction to the sabre. "We Mohammed abduhu we rasoulouhu”—And Mohammed is his ser vant and his ambassador ;-and I immediately added, "I congratulate myself, father Derwish, on hearing the sacred profession of Islam drop from your tongue; but I should be still better pleased at learning that the faith had place in your heart. God built the Islam on five things; but of the five you possess not one. You receive alms, and never give; your knees are bent at table, but never on the carpet of prayer; but you abstain from food only when no one will give it to you. Your ablutions are performed with dust instead of water; and your pilgrimage has only been from the Tekiè to the brothel. You drink no wine, but you are drunk with opium; and your embroidered cap, instead of being a crown of sanctity, is a badge of folly. With such morals, any marriage that you could contract, would not be a marriage, but a repetition of the sensuality to which you are accustomed; and if any one of the true believers here should consent to give you his daughter in marriage, I am content to bear all the obloquy that you can utter for a week to come." It may be supposed, that I did not venture to talk on in this strain, without having previously ascertained in what degree of estimation the Derwish was held by the rest of the company; and far from taking his part, they acknowledged by their loud laughter the justice of my reproof.' pp. 138, 9. Mr. Browne resided much at Constantinople, and his inquisitive mind of course collected considerable information upon subjects which less diligent observers have passed over unnoticed. But, though we are by no means disposed to derogate from Mr. Browne's qualifications as an observant traveller and acute geographer, and are willing to allow that Major Rennel's testimony as to the merits of his Travels in Africa, in respect of geographical discovery, ought, in strict justice, to outweigh the minor exceptions that may be taken to the stiffness, and we may say heaviness, of that produc tion, we must acknowledge our disappointment in the notes of his journey through Asia Minor, inserted in the volume we are now examining. But Colonel Leake's communication of his tour through some of those provinces, amply compensates for the deficiency of Mr. Browne's. We consider that the scientific world are already under no trivial obligations to the enlightened researches and persevering industry of this enterprising officer; and the papers inserted by Mr. Walpole, have not a little augmented the debt. Asia Minor, with the exception of one or two routes, is still a terra incognita to the modern race of travellers. The ignorance and suspicious nature of the Turks, who, having no idea of scientific travelling, can scarcely imagine that any other motives would attract a traveller to so remote a country and so toilsome au expedition, than a preparation for hostile invasion, or a search after hidden treasure ;-the deserted state of the country, which not unfrequently occasions a total want of the common necessaries and conveniences of life;the enfeebled authority of the government of Constantinople, |