hoped, iu no distant period, he founded on his moral and intellectual pretensions, without a too exclusive regard to the ac scholastic logician has prevailed over the tion of the causes of Sir James Mackin-'0 MR. WYNN. (Secretary at War).— tosh's not holding a higher place among statesmen and philosophers. As it is, how ever, he is by far the best informed and most philosophical speaker or writer in either House of Parliament-a compliment which my respect for his talents and acquirements make me regret is just now so little worthy of his acceptance.some Honourable Member's motion, reLORD JOHN RUSSELL (Paymaster of the Forces).-The advocate of the advans tages, in a moral and social point of view, of a titled aristocracy, like to that of which Mr. Wynn is the walking Hatsell of the House of Cominons--it is he, and notthe Speaker, who lays down the law with "respect to the proceedings of the House ou all occasions. Is a petition, informally worded, laid on the table, or does a question arise touching the regularity of specting even a turopike bill, Mr. Wynn Lord John Russell is a member, might have entle rules and usages of parlia Noble Lord was early taught that the "vi view to filling the Speaker's chair as many quote hint as a favourable specimen. The ment a careful study, whether with a name of Russell was synonymous with beheve, or in the spirit of a member patriotism and honour, and, by the cir-"of the Society of Antiquaries, it is not easy cumstances of his fortune and station into determine; probably there was a mixsociety, was exempted from all temptations ture of both motives, in which the latter to violate either. Hence, what was origi-prevailed. It strikes me, that it was more nally artificial and unconnected with sound as a curious branch of history that Mr. morality, has become a habit of consistent Wynn made himself so proficient in the high-motived public conduct; and hence laws and precedents of the Journals, than as and this is important to the entire argument a making himself up for the Speakership, his avowed conviction that such conduct is and that his accidental proficiency was compatible with the breeding and usages in taken advantage of by his political friends of the less aristocratically born. This is as a valid ground for patting him forward the more worthy of notice, as neither in as a candidate for the office, rather than person, talents, nor information, does the that his proficiency was the result of an Noble Lord exhibit those advantages usu- ambition to sit as chairman. Mr. Wynu ally sought for in one who affects to disdain labours under one defect, which is incomthe crowd. In figure and countenance hepatible with the efficient performance of is scarcely less mean and insignificant than the duties of the Speaker of so important his friend Tom Moore, and, without that an assembly as the House of Cominonslittle worshipper of title and wealth's his voice † is ludicrously shrill (hence he is genius, is not a wit more un-common-called Squeak Wynn) and infantile, not place and less superficial in his acquire-unlike in tone and compass a schoolboy's ments. He has written some pamphlets, two octavos, and one huge quarto, and made some half dozen speeches on Re form, in all of which we seek in vain for a single passage above mediocrity, or indicating originality or width of thought, or eloquence of expression, while in every sentence we are accosted by a "I am Lord John Russell, the descendant and biographer (bless the mark!) of the great patriot martyr (the pensioner of the French king, if we may believe contemporary writers), Lord William Russell" tone which would be less offensive, were it more the echo of natural egotism. And then his hemming, hesitating, lisping, hawing, effeminate voice, and the air of selfcomplacency of the polished nobleman, too proud to conciliate, too feeble to subdue, the prejudices of the multitude. But the day for aristocratic Irauteur is fortunately gone by; the supremacy of influence of one man over his fellows will, it is to be VOL. VI. 3 G i broken penny trumpet; and this incurable defect, and it alone, has been the obstacle to the Right Honourable Gentleman's attaining a very commanding station among our modern statesmen. It would be a curiously instructive speculation, to estimate how much a man's success or ill fortune in life depends upon some apparently slight defects of physical conformation-one, indeed, much more con} 'nected with what are usually considered the bias and eccentricities of genius and The force of this observation, concerning Mr. Wynn's defect of voice, will appear the stronger to those who have heard the remarkable voice of Mr. Manners Sutton, the present Speaker. Who that has heard the right honourable gentleman pealing "Order! order!" can ever forget it: and yet it is not easy to describe it, but by negatives. His voice has nothing of mere noise in it, and yet it is singu larly loud; it wants intellectual expression, and yet it savours not of the mere machine, and is imposing, grand, and organ-like; and it is not put on for the occasion, and yet it reminds one of what an archbishop's ought to be in full consistory. talent, than a superficial observer could well imagine, and of which modern biography furnishes very interesting materials. Mr. Wynu is a man of talent, very extensive information, noble person, high principles, great courage, and influential connexions, and yet possesses no weight, save ou one subject, and that one generally cousidered beneath the dignity of men much less intellectual than himself, all owing, perhaps, to a thickening to the extent of halt the breadth of a nail of the chord vocales, or some other member of the vocal organs. Had he more talent, or a spark of the invincible obstinacy of genius, it is not improbable that his defect would have operated as a stimulus to great and successful exertions-had he less, he might have passed his days as a morose recluse, or, if cursed witha morbidly nervous sensibility of temperament, might have become actually insane. Considerations of all importance in the management of the young suggest themselves, which, however, it would be out of place now to enter upon. LORD HOLLAND (Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster).—I know not well how to tell the reader, without disparagement, that Lord Holland is in every thing, physical and mental, a miniature likeness of his immortal uncle. It would be nearer to my meaning to say, that if Mr. Fox be considered the quarto edition, his nephew is an exact octavo copy; for there is not that difference of degree between their capacities and acquirements, which the term miniature would imply. In features they are alike, save that Mr. Fox's were more massive-the brow was bolder, the mouth fuller, and the eye had less roving fire than Lord Holland's. They have the same inartificialness and occasional indistinctness of enunciation; and as with his unele, Lord Holland is borne, as he warms in his subject, by the vehemence and variety of his feelings and ideas, so rapidly, that he outruns his breath, and after a high key screech effort-painful to witness-to give vent to his thronging emotions, actually loses his voice for about half a minute. Lord Holland too, among his friends-I do not mean all those who are invited as curiosities to Holland House has all that social warmth and ingenuous simplicity of manner, which won the hearts of all his great uncle's associates. The eloquence of both has the same veræ voces ab imo pectore character, springing fresh and uncontrollable from Nature's well of feeling, unalloyed by the puerilities of rhetoric, without melody of sound, or any other embellishment than that with which manly good sense, heartfelt conviction, and an accomplished mind, spontaneously furnish it. As with Mr. Fox-though as I have said before in degree—Lord Hol land is best in reply-whether it be that the necessary bracing for reply precludes the abruptness and apparent unconsecutiveness observable in his opening speeches or that his fanciful jokes, and his palpable hits, tell then with more raciness and effect, from their more unpremeditated air. Loid Holland, however, has not the force or the vigorous judgment, or the originality of his illustrious relative; nei, ther has he his habitual slovenliness of arrangement, or his wordiness, or his too frequent defectiveness of style and grammar. If Earl Grey reminds us of the reserved-Martello tower loneliness, so tʊ speak-manner of Mr. Pitt, -, "As if a man were author of himself, Lord Holland equally reminds ns of the warm, benevolent gregariousuess of Charles Fox. Lord Grey or Mr. Pitt commands our respect; Lord Holland, like Mr. Fox, wins our love. LORD DURHAM (Lord Privy Seal).—If the term cleverish, not unfrequent in conversation, could receive a place in our dictionaries as standard, it would be the predicate of Lord Durham's intellect. He never says any thing but what is cleverish; he has never said any thing that is more. He has about the mental calibre of Lord Antinous Ellenborough, and indeed resembles that popular nobleman in more points than it is plain he would be inclined to boast of. Like him, Lord Durham is an assiduous cultivator of the graces; and like him also, is seldom embarrassed by any maiden diffidence in his own knowledge or ability. They are both remarkably fluent and elegant-Lord Ellenborough partienlarly so; both are zealous cultivators of the outside ornaments of the head (the bust of either would be a window prize to a haircutter); and both have yet to prove that they are the heaven-born statesmen they evidently mistake themselves for. SIR JAMES GRAHAM (First Lord of the Admiralty)—The late Mr. Tierney, on be ing asked his opinion of the right hon. representative of the county of Cumberland, replied, in his usual pitly, sarcastic manmer, "Graham is a manly puppy-the cleverest of the set." Harshly as this may sound, coming from Mr. Tieruey, it meaut high praise, and describes the man very graphically. The right hon. baronet is a powerfully made man, of almost Herculean proportions, smart and fluent in speech, industrious and most pains-taking in making himself acquainted with his subject, but with the lisping, affected, half-whining delivery of a carpet-knight. Then his precise dandyish attire, and the air of Adonis self-complacency contrasts so provokingly with the information and good sense so abundant in his set speeches. This mixture of the "nice lady's man" and the intelligent debater has given rise to opposite opinions of his merits equally remote from truth. By some he is described as a mere flippant, self-confident House of Commons coxcomb; by others, as a man of great knowledge and great statesmanlike abilities. He is neither the one, nor the other. Among mere dandies, he is an orator and a statesman; among orators and statesmen, a clever coxcomb. He is a man of no originality of either thought or expression; has made a character for himself simply by expressing in more neat phraseology, and at a riper moment of the public ear, what Mr. Hume has been boring the House with since he became a member of it. The pamphlet on "Corn and Currency" is clever, but only as a well-written and condensed statement of what has been repeated twenty times over by others; and so with his speeches last session on the civil list. Such a man must always be a most useful ally, whether for attack or defence; bnt for the very same reason will never rank higher than an ally. Had he "the stuff in him," as Mr. Windham used to say, he had a fine opportunity in reply (Jan. the 20th) to George Dawson and Sir Robert Peel. He made the attempt, but evidently came off but "second best." Talking of Sir Robert Peel, I never heard the ex-home secretary so elaborately jesuitical, nor so Joseph Surface candour professing. Mr. Hume's reply was much to the point, and shows how much the member for Middlesex has improved by practice. SWAN RIVER.+ worthless vagabonds, and have been eagerly taken up by the inhabitants of Capé Town and Van Dieman's Land. Those two places are so excessively jealous of the colony of Swan River, fest the tide of emigration should turn towards ns, that the former use every means in their power to induce the settlers in their way here to remain with them; and they have been but too successful, having detained nearly two hundred labourers. The grounds of complaint are, that the colony is not equal to the representation given of it, and that it has not answered their expectations. The account in the Quarterly Review, as far as it goes, is correct, with one exception; but the impression it is calculated to make, when in unison with the hopes of needy adventurers, is too favourable to be realised. The Review observes, that the land seen on the banks of the Swan is of a very superior description, and this is undoubtedly true; but the sanguine feelings of many have induced them to suppose that all the land on the banks of the Swan, and the whole country besides, is included in that description. Now, the good land is chiefly confined to the banks of the rivers, the rest is sandy, but it is covered throughout the year with luxuriant vegetation. The cause of this arises in some measure from the composition of the soil beneath, which, at an average depth of five or six feet, is principally clay, which holds the water in lagoons, that are to be met with in every hollow in every part of the country on this side the mountains. It unfortunately happens that none of the good land is to be seen even as far up the river as Perth, the whole soil of which is sandy; hence all new comers are at first disappointed, and, without taking any further trouble to examine the country, leave the colony in disgust altogether. But it has now been found that the land at Perth, notwithstanding its unpromising appearance possesses capabilities which Perth Town, Swan River, Western Australia, intelligent and experienced persons fore Oct. 4, 1830. My dear A ship being about to sail in the course of a week for England, I must not lose the opportunity of giving yon a few lines respecting our movements and the state of the colony. The information which I can give you may be implicitly depended on. By the late accounts from England, it appears that the most exag gerated aud false reports prevail regarding the present state and probable prospects of the colony. They have been industriously disseminated by a set of idle, We have copied from the Literary Gazette, No. DCCXXXV, the above recent and interesting account froin this new colony.' saw, and that it only requires time and patience to develope its surprising qualities; at this moment there are vegetables growing to an enormous size, scarcely credible, and which, for the sake of truth, I actually measured. What say you to radishes twenty inches round, and grown in nothing but sand, without any manure or preparations of the ground? Turnips, cabbages, peas, lettuces, all flourish in the worst soils here; but I fear the climate is too warm for potatoes, though well adapted for most of the tropical fruits, as yams, bananas, &c. The soil and aspect of the country seems well suited for the vine, which, from the little experience we have had, does exceedingly well. There are " 1 no esculent productions worth mentioning indigenous, but there is some fine timber, which will no doubt become a valuable article of exportation; it is between the mahogany and the elder, and may be ap plied to all the purposes of the former; its greatest recommendation is, that the white ant will not touch it, and it will consequently be a great desideratum where that insect abounds. We have like wise the red and blue gum, but in no great quantity, in the immediate vicinity of Perth. The animal productions are the same as on the other side of the island, as also the birds. The rivers swarm with fish, every one of which is good eating; but it is only lately that we have been well supplied with them. There is abundance of lime-stone ready at hand in most parts of the river, as well as the finest and strongest clay, plenty of which runs along the shore that bounds Perth, for a mile and a half. Of the mineral resources of the country nothing is as yet known; for every one has been too much occupied in locating himself, to give that subject any attention. By the reports from England, it appears that from the misfortunes which happened to the first ships that came out, a very unfavourable opinion is formed of the safety of the port. Cage's roads afford a very good anchorage during the summer months; but, being exposed to the northwest winds, it is a very insecure station during the winter, the ground being rocky and a loose sand; but this evil, I am happy to say, is in a great measure obviated by the discovery of a good anchorage about four miles to the southward of the month of the river, and called the Britannia roads. The bottom is firm holding ground, and has been proved to be a very secure anchorage during the late gales, when all the ships in Gage's roads went on shore, while those on the Britannia's roads rode it out, with the exception of one ship, which broke her anchor. Besides, a pas sage has lately been found out from Gage's roads to Cockburn, into which ships may run, if they are too much leeward of the Britannia roads; so that you see we may always have a refuge from the storm. hope you will take care to give publicity to this circumstance, because it is one upon which the success of the colony mainly depends. The bar at the mouth of the river, and the flats in various parts of its course, are a great drawback to our internal communications; but these evils will no doubt be remedied in the course of time, and that without much expense. There is a clear channel all the way up the river for vessels of 500 tons, commencing about a mile, and a half above Freemantle to Peith; then there are a succes sion of flats until you pass the islands, where the navigation continues clear for many miles up the river. sea The The climate of Swan River is the most delightful that can be imagined, and must always prove a most powerful › recommendation of the place. The atmosphere is so exhilarating, and the heat of the day is so deliciously tempered by the breezes,asto render it more salubrious and more congenial than any other on the face of the globe. I do not send you the range of the thermometer, because it does not altogether serve as a criterion to judge of the temperature, inasmuch as the degree of heat which would be intolerable in England is here most delightful. prospects of the colony are every day improving, to the satisfaction of all classes; and the great number of respectable settlers, and their patience and perseverance in establishing themselves, are the surest grounds for the ultimate prosperity of the settlement. The only objections, as I can see, that can be urged with any degree of plausibility against the success of the colony, are, that the land at Perth, and in the neighbourhood, is not of that description to induce the settlers to cultivate, and that all the good land being now granted, there is no more on this side the mountains to satisfy the demands of new settlers; but these objections are, I am happy to say, about to be removed, as an ensign of the 63rd regiment (a Mr. Dale) has lately returned from a tour of discovery into the interior, and has brought intelligence, that to the eastward of the Swan River there is a large and fertile tract of beautiful country, with a river passing through it, which, from a subsequent visit by Mr. Erskine, a lieutenant of the 63rd, is likely to prove of the greatest importance to the colony. Those of the settlers who have not taken up their grants of land mean to secure them here, and myself among the number, a grant having been allowed me, at the rate of three thousand two hundred acres. The governor is quite delighted, and now con siders the ultimate success of the colony to be certain: he intends visiting the country, and tracing the course of the river; and it is my wish to accompany him, if possible, that I may select my own grant. Our society consists chiefly of the government officers and their families, and are all pleasant and agreeable. The go. vernor is much liked, and justly so; he is a most active, intelligent, and zealous man; his conduct is above all praise; his attention to the wants of the settlers, and the interests of the colony, entitle him to be called the father of the state. On the cess of painting as themselves. Another barbarons custom, that of cutting gashes in different parts of their body, but principally about their shoulders, is common among them, and a means of distinguishing the various tribes or families. From these gaslies elevated cicatrices are raised, and are considered marks of distinction. They also perforate the septum of the nose, and wear a feather in it. 123d of April, a levee was held at the Go-tained, their cloak undergoes the same pro, vernment Hoose; and a dinner was afterwards given to his excellency by the magistrates and civil officers of the place, at the Perth hotel: we sat down about seventy, and at a time, too, when we were supposed to be in a state of starvation. The bachelors of Perth have issued invitations for a grand ball, to meet the governor and his lady, on the 21st instant. We have a literary and philosophical institution, supported by all the most respectable settlers; it combines the advantages of a museum, library, and news-room; there is a whist club likewise for the gentlemen of Perth, who meet in rotation at each other's houses every Friday evening, which generally concludes with a good supper, and all the convivialities of English society. Hence you will see that we are not so badly off, or so wretched, as reports will make us. In fact, the disagreeables and privations attendant upon the first stage of colonisation are passing by; every thing around us is assuming a more favourable appearance, and daily improving both in prospect and reality; tents and temporary sheds are giving way to substantial and comfortable buildings; and the settlers, beginning to enjoy themselves in a manner more congenial to their old habits, are happy and contented. NATIVES SURROUNDING KING GEORGE'S SOUND.† THE natives in the vicinity of King George's Sound, a race of whom hitherto little has been known, resemble in many respects, the aborigines of Sydney. Their only article of dress is a cloak of kangaroo skin, reaching to the knees, and fastened about the shoulders with a rush, so as to leave the right arm free. But, in common with all other Indians, they make a free use of a reddish-coloured earth, mixed with grease, with which they disfigure themselves. Painting their bodies is not, however, as at Sydney, a sign of war, but seems to be more general, and carefully attended to, as grease is more or less to be had; and when plentifully ob The above is an abstract of au interesting paper relative to the natives in the vicinity of King George's Sound, communicated to the toyal Geographical Society, February 14, 1831, by Mr. Niud. This gentleman accompanied the party to form the settlement in that part of Australia, in 1826, in the capacity of medical attendant, and remained there till 1829. It appears that they have few or no chiefs; the most influential persons among them being doctors, or mulgarrocks, who claim to themselves supernatural powers. Mr. Nind witnessed an attempt of one of these mysterious persons to stop a thunderstorm. His process was to stand in the rain, making violent gesticulations, shouting loudly, throwing his arms about, and shaking his cloak, for a length of time. They also believe they can cure disease, but their attempts are attended with as little success, as they are likely to be on the elements. They are generally a healthy race, and are very particular in the diet of their sick. Roots only are at first eaten by them, then lizards, bandcoots, opossums, &c. Polygamy is general among them, but the customs relating to these matters, Mr. Nind says, are yet in obscurity. The whole of the natives are divided into two classes, and it is a law that they must intermairy with each other those who break this law being subject to heavy punishment. The girls are pronised by the fathers even before they are born, and are always at their disposal. There are instances, however, of elopements, as among ourselves; and the displeasure of the parents is great, during the temporary absence of the parties. A period sufficient, however, to wear off the impresof six months, or a year, with presents, is barbarous practice, in the event of any of sion of such misconduct. They have a their women having twins, of putting one to death-generally preserving a female, and asserting as a reason, that the mother has not sufficient milk for both. Their principal method of taking game, is by setting fire to the face of the country, which, being generally dry burns very rapidly. The men place themselves in the paths which are most frequented by the animals, and vast numbers of kangaroos, oppossums, and emus, are thus destroyed. ing too far, they barn it in consecutive In order to prevent the fire from extendportions. Snakes, it appears, form an article of their food. When they kill one, they are particularly careful to beat its head to atoms before they take it in their hands. If they find it has recently eaten |