control over the members, but he is interfered with by no other authority." Sacheuse inquired if they had a pisasuak among them? (i. e. one who can kill more seals than his neighbour, either by stratagem or strength, and is artificial means of measuring the flight of hours. Their language resembles in many cases that of the more southern tribes, and Captain Ross has given a list of terms of this description. Their sledges are formed of pieces of bone, fastened together with thongs of seal-held in regard accordingly,) they said, skin. They had no knowledge whatever of canoes, nor indeed in their language have they any term to represent them. This is perhaps their most singular peculiarity; and, considering their maritime situation and modes of life, and that the use of the canoe forms so prominent a part in the knowledge and practice of all the other divisions of the Esquimaux family, it is inconceivable how they could remain ignorant of it so long; but it is another instance of the blankness of the unassisted human mind. They have a tradition, that their ancestors caught whales;' and therefore probably employed canoes; but this generation can do neither the one nor the other. There exists amongst them, as amongst all savages, a strong disposition to steal, and Capt. Sabine represents them to be very dexterous adepts in the art. This we consider unfavourable to the high moral charac- | ter given of them by Capt. Ross; as, from several circumstances, they had evidently a conviction of the criminality of this vice. They subsist entirely on the product of the sea; indeed, there appears to be no other resource for them, as the climate is incapable of producing vegetable food to any extent, though we are rather at a loss to know, why a wholesome and pleasant aliment might not be found in the hares and game that are stated by the natives to abound. Numbers of black foxes were seen by the crews, and Captain Ross is of opinion that a lucrative fur trade might be established here, and abundance of fish might be obtained in the bay. In the winter season, the only light and warmth that cheer their miserable dwellings, proceed from a vegetable moss, which is burnt in seal oil, contained in a stone bason, suspended from the roof. They produce their fire by the friction of iron and stone, or of two bones. Mr. Sabine says, they reside in families, nor had we reason to believe that they differ in their social regulations in any respect from the general custom of the Esquimaux, The head of the family has 66 there was such a man, that he was then at their winter residence, and that his name was Tolonak, (or the Raven) that he was a very good man, was much beloved, but was getting old. They have among them Angekoks, or conjurors, who profess to have control over the elements, to raise storms, or produce calms; to drive the seals away from the ice, or allure them to those parts, &c. and these powers they pretend to communicate to those they wish; one of these marvellous men is generally found in each family. Previous to the visit of our countrymen, the natives imagined that they were the only inhabitants of the world, and that beyond the white cliffs that surround their sphere of excursion, all was a wilderness of ice. They appeared to be affectionately attached to their wives and children, as they said they would carry the presents they received, such as necklaces, &c. to their daughters. Will the ladies allow us to smile at the evidence adduced here of their inherent fondness of personal decoration, of outward shew elaborate, of inward less exact?' We assure them, at the same time, that we are ready cordially to receive substantial arguments on the other side of the question. It does not appear, so far as a partial intercourse with the natives, and an imperfect acquaintance with their language, would enable our voyagers to ascertain the fact, that they had any distinct knowledge of a Supreme Being, or any conception of a future state. Captain Ross says-" It was clearly ascertained that they did not worship either sun, moon, stars, image, or living creature." And when one of them was asked, what the sun and moon were for? his reply was, "To give light." He had no idea how he came into being; and with respect to futurity, he could proceed no further than, "that when he died, he should be put into the ground." Captain Sabine, in his account, says, “So far as we could learn, their superstitions are precisely similar to those described by Crantz and Egede. Torngarsuk is the principal object of their religious veneration; they have the same mythological fable of the sun and moon, on which is founded Johnson's beautiful tale of Anningaut and Aiut, in the Rambler." Of this curious fiction, the following are the outlines: "The Greenlanders believe that the sun and moon are sister and brother. They, with other children, were once playing together in the dark, when Aninga behaving rudely to his sister Malina, she rubbed her hands in the soot about the extinguished lamp, and smeared his face, that she might discover by day-light who was her tormentor: and thus the dusky spots on the moon had their origin; for she, struggling to escape, slipped out of his arms, soared aloft, and became the sun. He followed up into the firmament, and was transformed into the moon; but as he has never been able to rise so high as she, he continues running after her, with the vain hope of overtaking her. When he is tired and hungry, in his last quarter, he sets out from his house a seal-hunting, on a sledge drawn by four great dogs, and stays several days abroad to recruit and fatten; and this produces the full moon. He rejoices when the women die, and Malina, in revenge, rejoices when the men die: therefore the men keep at home during an eclipse of the sun, and the women during an eclipse of the moon. When he is in eclipse, Aninga prowls about the dwellings of the Greenlanders, to plague the females, and steal provisions and skins, nay, even to kill those persons who have not duly observed the laws of temperance. At these times they hide their most precious goods; and the men carry kettles and chests to the tops of their houses, and rattle upon them with cudgels, to frighten away the moon, and make him return to his place in the sky. During an eclipse of the sun, the men skulk in terror into the darkest corners, while the women pinch the ears of their dogs; and if these cry out, it is a sure omen that the end of the world is not yet come; for as dogs existed before men, according to Greenland logic, they must have a quicker foresight into futurity. Should the dogs be mute, (which of course they never are, under such ill treatment,) then the dissolution of all things must be at hand." But the most extraordinary charac teristics by which these Esquimaux were distinguished, are thus mentioned by Captain Ross. "They could not be made to understand what was meant by war, nor had they any warlike weapons. They seemed to have no diseases among them, nor could we learn that they died of any complaints peculiar to this or any other country. We saw no deformed persons among them, nor could we find out that there were any." The first of these excellent and enviable peculiarities, if true, may arise from the singular fact of their not being acquainted with any human beings besides themselves; but we think there are indications of their regal governor swaying his icy sceptre with no small degree of authority. Indeed the three peculiarities are such, as put our faith to a test of great severity; and we think it safest to attribute their supposed existence, to the deficiency of the means and opportunities possessed by the voyagers, of holding communication with the natives. We would risk something on the event of their Metropolis being visited, and found destitute of such prominent traits in the general character of corrupted humanity. The persons of these Arctic Highlanders, as Capt. Ross has patriotically designated them, are of a dirty copper colour: their stature is about five feet; they are corpulent; and have features much resembling the Esquimaux of South Greenland; they wear beards and mustachios, but have no whiskers. Several of them had lost their front teeth, by holding in their dogs with them. Their dress is the same as that of South Greenlanders, being made of skins of the bear, the dog, and the seal. The women have the same habiliments, but none of the fair sex were seen by our voyagers. The only weapons scen in their possession were very rugged knives, made by affixing small pieces of iron in the end of a handle of bone; and very rude spears about five feet long, made of pieces of bone of the sea unicorn. These instruments were probably used when they attacked seals. A singular account is given of the iron produced in this country. One of the natives, in answer to an inquiry respecting it, said "it was not English nor Danish, but Esquimaux iron; that it was got from two large stones on a hill near a part of the coast which we had lately passed, and which was now in sight; the stones were very hard; that small pieces were knocked off from them, and beat flat between other stones. He repeated this account two or three times, so that no doubt remained of his meaning. In reply to other questions, we gathered from him, that he had never heard of such stones in South Greenland; that the Esquimaux had said, they knew of no others but these two; that the iron breaks off from the stone just in the state we saw it, and was beat flat without being heated. Our subsequent visitors confirmed the above account, and added one curious circumstance, that the stones are not alike, one being altogether iron, and so hard and difficult to break, that their supply is obtained entirely from the other, which is composed principally of a hard and dark rock; and by breaking it, they get small pieces of iron out, which they beat as we see them. One of the men being asked to describe the size of each of the stones, made a motion with his hands, conveying the impression of a cube of two feet; and added, that it would go through the skylight of the cabin, which was rather larger. The hill is in about 76° 10′ lat. and 64° long.; it is called by the natives Sowilic, derived from sowic, the name for iron amongst these people, as well as amongst the southern Greenanders." Its meteoric origin seems to be quite a settled point, especially since its analysis in England has produced the usual portion of nickel. But we find it rather hard to comprehend, how a cube of iron could be suspended in the atmosphere, till it attained the dimension of two feet. [To be concluded in our next.] 66 evidence in behalf of the views he is so anxious to support, does not tend rather to subvert those views, and give more than an implied testimony in favor of a very different doctrine. It would appear, it is presumed, that Buffier, notwithstanding his willingness to have made the wager proposed, yet actually never met with a person to bet with him; and if so, then how does it appear that it was not, to use his own words, necessarily decreed" that he should not raise his hand thrice successively in any given quarter of an hour, in his whole life, and that he never should obtain a guinea by any such means? Had he manifested any reluctance to wagers in general, or had he been indifferent to the experiment which he offered, it would not have told so strongly against him; but having no scruples, being fully determined to make the trial, and so anxious to commence it, that he offers a thousand guineas to one to have it decided in fifteen minutes: yet, after all this determination and desire on his part, in point of fact does not do it, and never could get the opportunity. Which, it is inquired, does this look the more like, the "freedom of human action," or, fixed fate?" But, suppose it possible, that Buffier should have met with the poor tool, which was so necessary for the display of his favourite demonstration; he admits, that such a person would be in danger of passing for a fool, if not so in reality, which all must agree to; for either mad or foolish he certainly must have been. 66 But, now to the doctrine of liberty: was this poor fellow lunatic or simple from free choice? And how came Buffier to meet with this unfortunate, just at the full of the moon, when under the influence of one of his worst OBSERVATIONS ON BUFFIER'S SINGU- paroxysms? Was this too, of free LAR WAGER. [Inserted, No. 5, Imp. Mag. col. 414.] TO THE EDITOR OF THE IMPERIAL MAGAZINE. SIR, THE writer of this, as well as your correspondent S, in your last number, is convinced in his judgment of the fact, that man is free; but whether he has precisely the same idea of freedom, with that correspondent, he is not prepared to assert. Nor is he quite certain, that the singular wager of Buffier, instead of supplying any favourable will and liberty? But, whosoever might bet with Buffier, respecting the lifting up of his hand, &c. he could only take the alternative, that he should, or should not lift it up; for to do both is a natural impossibility. Buffier, therefore, could do but one of these, and that one did not depend upon his own free agency in any respect, but upon another's, over whom he could have no control; and why then might it not be according to a previous decree? Suppose the wager concluded, and it be, that within the prescribed time he shall not 66 lift up the hand, of course the cham- | evidence for the cause upon which it pion of liberty raises it in triumph, was introduced, and even gives a preand gains the bet; but does he esta- sumptive testimony in favour of its adblish his theory? What proof does versary, but it seems to exhibit an erthis afford, that he is not necessitated roneous view of the subject in dispute. to lift up his hand, in the manner and There are no Necessarians who will at the time in which he does it? For contend with any man, that he may by doing it, he has gained a guinea not raise or fall his hand, just as often and saved a thousand; both of which as his will shall direct, and he may he would have lost, if he had not done have occasion so to do, provided he is it. And who can tell, that the person not infirm or paralytic; and, without who engaged with him in this mad en- doubt, a much smaller sum than a terprise, was not under a similar neces- thousand guineas, would be considered sity. All he had to venture was a sin- by most men a sufficient inducement gle guinea, for which he had the to the will, to move the hand up and chance of gaining ONE THOUSAND. down, as often as any one chose to He might have reasoned, that the risk continue the offer. If, therefore, this was but small, it could not be of be the liberty and free-will, which is serious consequence if he lost; the ob- contended for, and which is, as cerject to be gained was valuable, and tain as that we possess an immaterial well deserving of some sacrifice; the principle;" then it will not be requichance, though not very promising, site, to "fathom the bottom of their was still within the region of probabi- minds, who advocate the doctrine of lity; human life and health are but fixed fate ;" to obtain " a latent conprecarious possessions; his antago-sciousness that man is thus free;" nist may die within fifteen minutes, or by some fatal calamity be deprived of the use of his hands, and thereby his haughty spirit may be subdued and taught, that he is not at his own disposal, but under the control of One who has previously determined every movement of his body, as well as the extent of his power, and "the bounds of his habitation." Or he might argue, that surely this advocate of free-will, will bethink himself before the wager is decided, how much more effectual to his cause he might make it by losing, than he can do if he gains. For, in the latter case, he would establish a principle of the Necessarians, that the will is certainly determined by the great-motive. est motive; but by losing, he will have it in his power to say, that moral motives do not operate like physical causes, for that he has put it to the test, and given a practical demonstration, that the smaller motive of losing a thousand guineas has preponderated, &c. All this is surely not impossible; and under such circumstances, it approaches to probability, that an enthusiast or a bigot, might work himself up into such a state of infatuation, as actually to accept the ridiculous challenge of Buffier; and, if he should do so, how is it apparent, that he, as well as his competitor, is not equally under the dominion of "fixed fate." But, Sir, this Singular Wager," not only appears totally deficient, as No. 7. VOL I. but, on the mere statement of this being the question, a bold, candid, and unequivocal avowal will be unanimously made, that it is true, and past dispute. Here, then, controversy may cease; both parties may shake hands, and ever after live in peace; what one required, the other has freely given. Necessarian is a mere name without a meaning, and denotes a near relation of the same family. But, it is vain to talk of peace, when there is no peace: it must not be concealed, that this is not the question. Every man may raise, or fall his hand, whenever he chooses; but, will he choose to do either, without a reason or Necessarians say that he will not, and upon this foundation their whole system is established. Do any object to either premises or conclusion? Here, then, they must join issue, and shew, 1st, That motive is not essential to choice; or 2dly, That choosing according to motive, does not establish any sort of necessity in the matter of his elections. And when they have done this, they will have accomplished more than Philosopher or Divine has ever done before them. But in their treatment of the doc trine of motives, let them be on especial guard, not to waste their time in the silly inquiry," how far moral motives act like physical causes?" because, such a position was never dreamt of, by any who did not wish to 2 R 66 calumniate a cause which they could | oldest of which is in the reign of Ptonot otherwise disprove. This war of lemy the son of Lagus, in the year bewords, may be safely left to live and fore Christ 295, when the Moon," perish in the hands of Drs. Gregory says he, " just touched the northern and Crombie. The only influence of star in the forehead of the Scorpion; motives which Necessarians contend and the last of them in the 13th year of for, is, that the strongest will always Philadelphus, when Venus hid the fordetermine the choice; or, in plainer mer star of the four in the left wing of terms,—that, in all voluntary actions, Virgo." a man will uniformly do that, which, upon the whole, is most agreeable to himself. It was the intention of the writer, to have submitted a few remarks, for the sake of inquiry, upon the very interesting discussion that appeared in several of your Numbers, arising out of your review of Verax; and which he is still inclined to furnish, had he reason to think that his communication would be deemed acceptable. N. R. I am, respectfully, yours, HISTORY OF ASTRONOMY. [Continued from col. 505.] Aratus, much celebrated for a Greek poem called the Phenomena, lived about 270 years before Christ; and near the same time lived Aristarchus of Samos, who was a strenuous assertor of the Pythagorean system of the world. Several astronomical works are attributed to him, and he appears to have been a person of a more penetrating genius than all the ancient Astronomers: a most striking instance of which, he has given in his method of determining the distance of the Sun from the Earth, by means of the Moon's dichotomy. Eratosthenes, born in Cyrene, 271 years before Christ, was well acquainted with the science of Astronomy; but very little remains of his works now, besides his manner of determining the measure of a great circle of the Earth, by the means of a gnomon. His reputation for learning was so great, that he was invited from Athens to Alexandria by Ptolemy Euergetes, and made by him keeper of the royal library at that place; and it was by his advice that the same Ptolemy set up those armillas, or circles of brass, in the portico at Alexandria, with which Hipparchus and Ptolemy afterwards so successfully observed the AFTER the death of Alexander the The first who cultivated Astronomy at Alexandria, were Timocharis and Arystillus, who began their observations on a new plan; by being more exact in noting, and more particular in setting down, the several times when their observations were made. Ptolemy, in his Almagest, assures us, that Hipparchus made use of their observations; by which he discovered that the Stars have a motion in longitude, of nearly a degree in one hundred years. He cites many of their observations, particularly those of Timocharis, the Archimedes, flourished about 220 years before Christ. The very name of Archimedes conveys, to the mind of the mathematician, an idea of the utmost extent of human invention. He was the first who assigned the true area of any curvilinear space whatsoever, which he did by demonstrating, with all the rigour of the ancient geometry, that the area of every parabola is to that of its inscribed triangle as 4 to 3. Nor was his skill in Astronomy inferior to what it was in geometry. Macrobius says, that he determined the distance of the Moon from the Earth, of Mercury from the Moon, of Venus from Mercury, of the Sun from Venus, of Mars from the Sun, of Jupiter from Mars, and of Saturn from Jupiter; and the |