and in many particulars revife their feveral labours, as far as was practicable.. No perfons have been employed to collate MSS, who were not properly inftru&ted, and well qualified to defcribe all the common variations: and the fixed rule has been, that every variation, which was uncommon and difficult, was marked for my own examination. In general; before a perfon was admitted to collate any MS, he was first of all exercised in transcribing collations before made; then was tried in collating part of a MS well collated before: and, when thus proved to be careful and exact, has been then entrusted with an uncollated MS, under the reftriation specified in the preceding fentence. And, after all, that every degree of fa tisfaction may be given, to my own mind as well as to the minds of others; it is my fixed intention (if I live, and am fufficiently encouraged to prepare this work for the prefs) to re-examine, with my own eyes, all the MSS in England, in many of the most important paffages: that fo this work may appear with as much perfection, as my care can give to it.'

By the foregoing account it appears, that tho' much has been done already, much still remains to be done, before this work can be prepared for the prefs: the selecting, connecting, adapting, tranfcribing, and re-tranfcribing such an infinity of materials will, if poffible, exceed in fatigue even the paft collation. This, it is evident, can never be executed without feveral affiftants. Dr. Kennicott therefore humbly submits it to the greater and more illuftrious among his patrons, upon what plan of Support and encouragement he is now to proceed. The paft fubfcription was formed in order to enable him to dif charge the expence of the collation, as at firft undertaken; and it has more than anfwered its original purpose, because it has enabled him to make that work more complete, by procuring the examinations of more MSS, than feemed poffible at first,

The feveral fubfcriptions, which have appeared in the annual accounts for these ten years, amount to £ 9117 75. 6d. But our learned and worthy collator has made it appear, to the fatisfaction, we apprehend, of all unprejudiced perfons, that the whole fum (excepting about £500, which will by no means difcharge the expences of the collations yet expected) has been fairly and faithfully laid out in the accomplishment of this extensive undertaking.

As the difinterefted friends of literature, we can only wish, that the learned and induftrious collator may have health and fortitude fufficient to complete his defign; and that he may be amply rewarded for his aftonishing labours in completing a work fo greatly fubfervient to the honour of revelation; a work facred to the glory of God, and the good of mankind.

VI. The

VI. The Prefent State of the European Settlements on the Miffifippi; with a Geografbical Description of that River. Illuftrated by Plans and Draughts. By Captain Philip Pittman. 6. Nourse.

NE

TEAR two thousand years ago the banks of the Rhine and Danube were in the fame condition that the banks. of the Miffifippi are at prefent. Defert, uncultivated; the few inhabitants, wandering tribes of favage and barbarous nations, with here and there a poft or fmall establishment of Romans. Some centuries hence, what the Banks of the Rhine and Danube now are, thofe of the Miffifippi will in all probability be. A description of the former, written at that time by a Roman officer, would be accounted in these days a most curious remain of antiquity. It would afford the judicious reafoner an excellent opportunity of making obfervations on the wonderful alterations which time and the art and industry of man produce upon the face of nature. So, in the fame manner, a few centuries hence, when thofe deferts, through which the Miffifippi now runs, are become fully cultivated, and the seat of a mighty empire, the work now under our confideration will be accounted a precious and a curious relick.

This performance is written in a plain fimple ftile, and poffeffes all the internal and external marks of truth and au thenticity. It is calculated to be particularly useful on one account, namely, to remove thofe prejudices which careless obfervers and ill-informed perfons have conceived, and have been too affiduous as well as fuccefsful in propagating, about the province of West Florida, particularly with regard to its infalubrity. We fhall here fubjoin, as we conceive it must be of general use, what our author, captain Pittman, has obferved as to this most important article; and he speaks from experience and obfervation on the spot, if not the only, certainly the best ground-works of knowledge.

I am surprised that, nobody has yet attempted to wipe off the unfavourable impreffions that have taken place in the minds of many people, from the unjuft reports made of the climate of Weft Florida, and which ftill retards the fettling of that fine ceuntry, A regard for truth, and a defire to render fervice to that valuable province, the welfare of which has been obftructed by ignorance and mifreprefentation, makes me take this occafion to fhew the true caufes of its fuppofed unhealthinefs.

• Pensacola and Mobile have both proved fatal to our troops; the former from mifmanagement. the latter from its fituation.

When

DIFFERENT TO. Different to is an expreflion often used by good writers: yet I can't help thinking it to be exceptionable.

This is different to that.—They are different to each other.—These expreffions seem hardly to make fenfe. Is not the word from here more natural than to ? and does it not make better fenfe? For inftance; This is different from that.-They are different from. each other. We don't use the word to with the verb: nor do I fee why we should use it with the adjective. If any one should fay, This differs to that. They differ to each other. The impropriety of the expreffion would be glaring, and would shock every hearer. I know that cuftom often reconciles improprieties of this fort; yet there are fome cafes, where it never reconciles them entirely and this appears to me to be one. : I would therefore give my vote for different from, and would banifh the expreffion of different to.'

IF IN CASE. This expreffion, which is the fame as if if, and is confequently nonfenfe, is continually in the mouths of the lower people, who seem to have a mighty affection for it, and to think it nervous and elegant. It is likewise not infrequently used by many who ought to know better. Yet these words would not be improper, provided the if made part of one member of a sentence, and the in cafe of another. Suppofe 1 fay, for inftance, If, in cafe of a war between France and England, the king of Pruffia fhould join with France; this is very good fenfe. Here the if belongs to the king of Pruffia fhould join with France, while the in cafe belongs to of a war between France and England: and, in order to make the distinction, it is neceffary to put a comma at if, and another at England. But, as I have already faid, these words as they are commonly ufed are nonfenfe.'

NEITHER READ NOR WRITE.

This is the common way of fpeaking; but it is certainly wrong, it being much more proper to fay He can neither write nor read, than he can neither read nor avrite. To what purpose is it to say that a man cannot write, after having faid that he cannot read? for, if he cannot read, it follows of courfe that he cannot write.

It being, for the reafon here given, better to say He can neither write nor read, than he can neither read nor write, it is confequently better to say He can both read and write, than be can both write and read, fince, if a man can write, we must neceffarily suppose that he can read.'

• LEFT OFF.

We fee continually in our News-Papers advertisements written in the following manner.

To be fold-The flock of Mr.

goods of fuch-a-one, left off houfe-keeping.

-, left off trade-The

• This

climate, fuffered almost as much. I fhall only add on this fubject, which is a little diftant from the true intent of my preface, that Weft Florida poffeffes the greateft advantage, as to its fituation for commerce, and the communications to the different parts are rendered eafy by fine navigable rivers, the banks of which are covered by a fresh luxuriant foil, capable of producing every thing natural to thefe climates.'

The foregoing quotation is from the Preface. The body of the work confifts of defcriptions of the different pofts or fettlements on the banks of the Miflifippi..-Thefe defcriptions refuse all abridgement, being extremely concife, which their original intention required, being written for the use of the fecretary of state. There is very little hiftorical matter in it; there is, however, one article extremely curious and but little known, viz. an account of the manner in which the Spaniards took poffeffion of the province of Louifiana, ceded to them by the court of France.

• Monf. D'Abbadie died in February 1765, fince which the paper money iffued by him has fallen twenty-five per cent. from its ori ginal value. On the death of Monf. D'Abbadie, Monf. Aubry, commandant of the troops, fucceeded him as governor, and Monf. Foucault, commifaire ordonnateur, as intendant. Thefe gentlemen continued to act in their respective stations, notwithstanding the ceffion of the colony to the crown of Spain in 1764. Don Antonio D'Ulloa arrived at New Orleans about the middle of the year 1766, but refused to take the government of the colony on him, until he fhould have a fufficient armed force to eftablifh his authority. In the beginning of the year 1767 two hundred Spanish foldiers were fent from the Havanna, but these he did not think sufficient to enforce his commands in a country where the Spanish government was held in the utmost abhorrence and deteftation; he fent about fixty of these troops to erect two forts, one oppofite fort Bute, on the mouth of the Ibbeville, and the other on the weft fide of the Miffifippi, oppofite the Natches; the remainder were fent in the autumn of 1767 to build a fort at the mouth of the river Missoury; but the commandant was forbid to interfere with the civil government of their fettlements in the Illinois country, where Monf. De Saint Ange continues to command with about twenty French foldiers. Don Antonio D'Ulloa, who had already carried a high hand over the inhabitants, received fome orders from his court, by which the commerce of the colony was greatly restricted, and which were fo difagreeable to the colonists, that they revolted from the dominion of the crown of Spain; and the council, by an edict, Inferted at the end of this work, obliged him and the principal Spanish officers to leave the province in November 1768, notwithftanding Mr. Aubry's remonstrances and the proteft he made against the edict of the council.

Monf. de Sacier, one of the council, with two other gentlemen of the colony, was fent to France with this edict, and to implore the protection of the king; they were imprifoned on their arrival, and have never been heard of fince.

Pittman's Prefent State of the Settlements on the Missilippi. 371

During fix months, which elapfed before news could be received from Europe, the unhappy colonifts vainly flattered themselves with hopes of being juftified for the fteps they had taken by the court of France. On the 23d of July, 1769, news was brought to New Orleans of the arrival of general O'Reily at the Balize, with eighteen tranfports, followed by ten more from the Havanna, having four thousand five hundred troops on board, and loaded with ftores and ammunition. This intelligence threw the town into the greatest confternation and perplexity, as, but a few days before, letters had arrived from Europe fignifying that the colony was restored to France.

In the general distraction that took place, the inhabitants of the town and the adjacent plantations determined to oppofe the landing of the Spaniards, and fent couriers requiring the Germans and Accadian neutrals to join them. On the 24th an exprefs arrived from general O'Reily, which was read by Monf. Aubry, to the people in church; by this they were informed that he was fent by his catholic majefty to take poffeffion of the colony, but not to dif trefs the inhabitants; and that when he fhould be in poffeffion he would publish the remaining part of the orders he had in charge from the king his mafter; and fhould any attempt be made to oppofe his landing, he was refolved not to depart until he could put his majesty's commands in execution.

The people, diffatisfied with this ambiguous meffage, came to a refolution of fending three deputies to Mr. O'Reily, viz. Meffrs. Grandmaifon, town-major, La Friniere, attorney-general, and De Mazant, formerly captain in the colony's troops and a man of very confiderable property; these gentlemen acquainted him, that the inhabitants had come to a refolution of abandoning the province, and demanded no other favour than that he would grant them two years to remove themselves and effects. The general received the deputies with great politeness, but did not enter into the merits of their embaffy, farther than affuring them that he would comply with every reasonable request of the colonists; that he had the intereft of their country much at heart, and nothing on his part fhould be wanting to promote it; that all paft tranfactions thould be buried in oblivion, and all who had offended fhould be forgiven to this he added every thing that he imagined could flatter the expectations of the people. On the aft of August the deputies returned, and made public the kind reception the general had given them, and the fair promifes he had made. The minds of the people were now greatly tranquilized, and those who had be fore determined fuddenly to quit their plantations now resolved to remain until their crops were off the ground.

During the absence of the deputies, feveral of the principal inhabitants applied to captain lieutenant Campbell, late of the thirtyfourth regiment, then at New Orleans, to acquaint the governor of West Florida that they were defirous of becoming British subjects, and to beg that he would send a proper perfon to tender them the oath of allegiance, and to diftribute the lands, on the banks of the river betwixt the Ibbeville and Natches, for them to fettle on, and that they were to be joined by near two thirds of the French inhabitants, and by German and Accadian families, of which fix hundred men were capable of bearing arms. Thefe would have proved a valuable acquifition to the province of Wett Florida, and it is rather unfortunate that at this time there were no troops in the forts of Natches and Ibbeville to give them protection.

Bb 2

• On