FEW writers of the present age have been the means of communicating to the public so much correct, and valuable, and interesting information as the author named below. In the choice of his subject he has been most fortunate. No portion of history can be more interesting to the British public, than the history of the British colonies. It relates to a vast portion of the earth, united by the most intimate connection to our own country. Their wealth forms our chief supply of many useful and indispensable commodities; their wants animate and reward our domestic industry. No tariff imposed by jealous or hostile states can interrupt the beneficial commerce by which a constant succession of exchanges is made to supply our mutual wants. Their boundless tracts of vacant land will, for ages, afford ample space for our overflowing population, where millions of our countrymen will enjoy competence, and wealth, and honour, the legitimate rewards of their industry and enterprize, who, deprived of the resource of our colonies, must otherwise have languished in penury, or have never been called into existence, as if their deaths anticipated their births. But though the history of our colonies is to us much more important, and ought to be more interesting than that of foreign nations, it is certainly much less known. The history of the world has been too much a history of wars, and most people are contented if they have some vague knowledge of the wars which other nations have carried on

against each other, or against ourselves. Thus men are led to know something of the principal nations who have the power of making peace or war, while they are content to hear little or nothing of the dependencies which can have little influence on the fate of wars even when undertaken for their protection. To many it seems a desperate task to learn the history of our colonies. Their population, their commerce, their condition, are changing every day, and unless one learns quickly, there is some danger that the knowledge will become obsolete before it is acquired. Their relations even as colonies, are perpetually changing-that to-day being an independent state which yesterday was a colony, or has lately become a colony of ours, having formerly belonged to the Dutch, or Portuguese, or French, or Spaniards. This makes the study of colonial history particularly displeasing to many minds, as the numerous accounts which may be found in the contents of every well stocked library, must be read with considerable distrust, as being more calculated to mislead, than to inform, in reference to the present day. In this state of things, Mr. Martin has created a valuable addition to the literature of the country, by giving a com plete, although brief account of the past history, and present state of all the British colonies. For this task he was particularly well fitted. His knowledge of the colonies, acquired by his own personal experience, is equal, perhaps, to that of any other individual, and he appears to have studied every work

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that deserves perusal, on the subject. His views of things are, in general, just and liberal; his style is easy, and he merits the highest praise for his scrupulous regard to veracity, and the caution with which he distinguishes be tween certain history, and doubtful statements. The latter, he neither suppresses, nor entirely relies on; but gives to the reader, together with a reference to the authority on which he makes it.

Of the works whose titles appear at the head of this article, the former is a thick volume, in royal octavo, contain ing about 1000 pages, in double columns, price £2. 2s. It is chiefly composed of tables, and it probably contains ten times as much important historical, geographical, and statistical information, as ever was given to the public in the same space, or for the same price. The history of this work, is thus given by the author, and we repeat it, with pleasure, as it reflects credit upon all parties.

"The colonial-office, in Downingstreet, has received, annually, for a series of years, a blue book' in manuscript, from each colony, containing a variety of commercial, financial, ecclesiastical, and general information, for the use of government. The blue books' were commenced about the year 1828. Three blank books, with ruled columns, and printed headings. are sent to each colony, every year; the blank columns are filled in, by returns from the different departments, under the authority of the colonial secretary, in each settlement; these returns are then sent, in duplicate, to Downing-street; and one of the three copies is retained in the colony, for the use of the governor.

"In 1836-7, a committee of the House of Commons, then sitting, to inquire into the financial condition of the colonies, examined witnesses, with reference to the possibility, and expense, of reducing these blue books' into a form, adapted for publication. In consequence, perhaps, of the

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The answer was favourable, and led to the publication of "The Statistics of the British Colonies." It appears almost incredible that such a work, as the present, should have been compiled in the short space of one year, even by one so well acquainted with the subject as Mr. Martin. Some idea may be formed of the labour of this work, when we inform the reader, that there are about three million figures in the volume, and that nearly an equal number was required, to form the additions, subtractions, &c. While observing, with praise, the author's diligence on this head, we venture to suggest, that it would be a very great improvement to this work, if, in any future edition, Mr. Martin, when writing very large numbers, would place a point before every third figure. The points are of material assistance to any person reading or comparing very large numbers;

and habit has rendered them almost inThus we are indispensable to some. formed, that the total colonial expendi ture, is £24998660; and that the cir culating medium is £5994724 : while it would add very little to the trouble of the author, or of the printer, and save much fatigue to most readers, if, in such cases, the sums were written thus: -expenditure £24,998,666, and circulating medium£5,994,724. This may appear a trifling matter, but the slightest impediment is of moment, if it stands between the public and any useful information.

The

On examining the tables presented to us in this volume, the mind feels astonished, and almost dismayed, at the magnitude of the subject. colonies of England, contain a popu lation of more than 100,000,000, and an area of more that 2,000,000 of square miles. Thus, our fellow-subjects form one-tenth of the population of the world, and more than one-eighth of the habitable globe is subject to the sway of England.

The British colo

nies alone are capable of affording ample subsistence to a greater number of people than can be found, at any peNor do riod, existing in this world. our colonies yield the necessaries of life only. On the contrary, there is no article of comfort, or of luxury, no raw material of any manufacture, which our colonies are not capable of producing in abundance, and of the best quality, with the two doubtful exceptions of wine and tea. We call these exceptions doubtful, for as the soil and climate of a considerable extent

When the ancient Gauls invaded Italy, their incursions were sometimes accounted for by the supposition, that those barbarians were attracted by their love of wine, which their native country was incapable of producing for them. That country now produces, incontestably, the best wine in the world. But it requires experience, aud repeated trials, not only to discover the best methods of making wine, but also to select the best sites for vineyards, in any country. Were another France to be suddenly discovered, and colonized, would the colonists immediately fix upon Chateau Margaux, Lafitte, and Chambertin, as the most promising sites for their vineyards; or would they cultivate the grape, and make the wine with that care and skill, which, combined with the natural advantages of those celebrated districts, have procured their produce such well-deserved reputation? Would it not be more probable, that the wines produced, for a considerable period, in this second France, would be equal to the present French wines of average ordinary quality, such as are called cargo wines, and are certainly not superior to the wines which we receive from one of our colonies-the Cape of Good Hope. This consideration ought to lead us, at least, not to despair of a gradual improvement in the wines of that colony, until at length they rival the choicest wines of France.

To some, our prospects of obtaining a supply of tea from the British colonies, may appear more desperate, as even at present we do get some wine from them, and we may hope, that its quality will gradually improve; but in no country, except China, has a pound of tea been ever produced for the English market. China has hitherto possessed the monopoly of supplying the whole world with tea. All nations appear to have concurred in the opinion, that nature had established that monopoly so firmly, as not to be shaken;

Has this opinion been received, so universally, on insufficient grounds? We think it has; and that experience will prove it to have been erroneous before the expiration of many years. We admit, that experience shows, that a particular production, of a peculiar quality, may be confined, by nature, to a particular spot. It is not more extraordinary that Ceylon, alone, may be capable of producing cinnamon, of that peculiar flavour, in which its value consists, than that a particular vineyard should, alone, yield wine of some particular flavour. But in such cases, it is uniformly found, that there is little variety in the good commodity produced, and that its production is confined to a very limited extent of country. But that teas, of every quality, should freely grow in a district of China, containing more than 80,000 square miles, and should not be yielded fit for use, though readily growing in many other countries, would be a single instance of a fact opposed to all the analogy of nature. To the variety of soils and climates which produce good tea, at present, there appears nothing in common but the name of China. Our opinion, on this head, is further confirmed by the authority of Mr. Martin, who speaks thus of Assam, a province in the north-east of India, ceded to us, in 1826, by the king of Ava: "The result of the researches of the tea deputation. despatched to Assam, under Dr Wallick, respecting the tea plant in that country, gives every reason to expect, that tea will become, in a short time, a prime article of export from India. The plant has been found in extensive natural plantations; and the localities are such, as to encourage the belief, that it exists far more extensively, than has actually been discovered; and to warrant the conclusion, that Assam, and our nor thern frontier generally, will afford the most ample field for tea cultivation, of every var.ety."*

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