to a feather; a third, to a shell ; a fourth to a leaf, and so on, ad infinitum.

The market-places are large and well supplied, the sellers sit under small booths, exposing all sorts of commodities for sale, and the usual amount of haggling goes on ; for somehow or the other, in the affair of buying and selling, mankind differ very little all over the world. Several gang's

of

negroes, men, women, and children, chained together by the neck, have passed the fort; they are some unfortunate wretches re-landed from a slaver, driven on shore by a storm a few days ago; it is said that nearly half the slaves in her were drowned in attempting to pass them through the surf in crowded canoes.

During the whole day there has been a constant influx into the fort of women bearing large pots of palm oil on their heads; some of them come from considerable distances. The oil is tested by means of heat and then poured into casks and measured, the women, in the meanwhile, keeping a sharp look out after their own interests. I passed some little time in watching their manoeuvres, and in reflecting how very important an influence this and all other legitimate trade must inevitably have upon the slave trade in this the head quarters of that traffic.

While I was thus engaged a party of fetish men came in to visit Mr. Freeman, and the palm oil women, as well as a number of women who were occupied in counting out a cask of cowries, dropped on their knees and began clapping their hands in concert and with much energy, by way of paying respect to the worthy priests.

In the cool of the evening we walked to the billiard room, which is in some large stores of Mr. de Lonza's on the outskirts of the town; the table and all belonging to it are totally unfit for service, but our walk was rendered exceedingly agreeable by seeing rose bushes growing in the courtyards of some Portuguese houses we passed. We procured some roses, and although they were almost scentless, it was extremely pleasant to handle such old friends.

We were very much amused at dinner by the extravaganzas of a master of a merchant vessel, who, among other Munchausenia, told us that he had been on board a slave felucca, whose yard-arm was four hundred and eighty-two feet long. After coffee, Mr. Roberts and I went to the French Fort and had a cheerful chat for an hour or two about Paris, grisettes, &c. We have just returned under the guard of two naked fellows armed with muskets, and preceded by another bearing a lantern, which the polite Frenchman would insist upon sending with us, notwithstanding the almost daylight of a most lovely moon, which now looks upon a strange scene in the courtyard, where are assembled the bearers and others engaged for the journey, and whose early presence to-morrow morning we have secured by locking them in all night.

Friday, March 26.—We were up some time before daylight to distribute the various parcels among the bearers, and this, as may easily be imagined, was a labour of no little difficulty and noise ; the more so as there were about forty women, who, it must be remembered, are in this country as much, if not more, accustomed to hard work than the

Many were the complaints that such a load was too heavy ; many the prayers for something less bulky, and still more numerous the attempts to slip away with a light load, in which the schemers were foiled by the precaution we had taken of placing a sentry at the gate with strict orders not to allow any body to pass. At length, the last of the luggage was sent off, and we got into our hammocks, which were each attended by eight or ten fine men. The governor had been very kindly supplied by Mr. de Lonza with an Herculean set of fellows, but all were strong and active, and soon carried us clear of the town.

Two miles of excellent path led us through an open country with clumps of trees here and there, and numerous fan and date palms dotted about in all directions, to a very pretty little wood, from which we emerged into the same open country as before, and, after an hour's more travelling, passed through a neat little village or kroom, the enclosures of which were very elegant, and composed of palm leaves entwined with bamboo stakes. A few yards from this kroom we got out of our hammocks, to walk over fifty yards of a corduroy road, rudely made by logs of wood laid in marshy ground ; we then travelled five miles through a more open and less pretty country, and, passing through some large plantain plantations, entered a path on both sides of which was a perfect wall of the most splendid and luxuriant creepers, which, supporting themselves on the trunks of some stately banyan and adoom trees that threw their magnificent arms high over our heads, fell in a cataract (no other word will convey an idea of the reality) from the lower branches. A quarter of an hour carried us through this beautiful scene, and we passed two or three small fetish houses into the market-place of Toree.

There were some very large trees in the market-place, and we sat down under their shade, but had not long taken up our station, when Mr. Freeman came galloping in on a white war-horse belonging to Mr. Roberts, and dismayed us with the announcement that we should have to wait for some time before we could breakfast, as the bearers of the canteens were far behind. I was trying to fall asleep, my usual remedy in such desperate cases, when my eyes were gladdened by the sight of the tea-kettle coming in on the head of a small boy-a fire was immediately lighted—the kettle filled with water, which we had to buy, for water is of value in Dahomey—and the other things soon arriving, we were in a short time seated at a substantial breakfast, taken al fresco, in the middle of the market-place, to the great edification of the natives.

When I had satisfied an appetite at no time bad, but now considerably sharpened by the long journey, I took a stroll over the village, which is tolerably large, well built, and clean.

As soon as all the bearers had come in from Whydah, and had had sufficient time to refresh themselves, we made a new distribution of the luggage, according to the capabilities they had shown in performing this first stage of our journey, and then started off again.

Six miles through a country that was rapidly losing the open character of that we had hitherto passed over, brought us to the small village of Assowey; the heat of the sun was very great, and I felt grateful to the caboeire of Whydah for his attention in having placed a man in a shady spot by the way side, to supply our party with water and palmwine.

The pole of the governor's hammock had got a little out of order, and its re-adjustment detained us for half-an-hour in the market-place of Assowey, which was, as at Toree, and everywhere else throughout Dahomey, shaded by some noble trees. There was nothing to remark here excepting that the dragon-tree, which is sacred, and of which we

had as yet seen few specimens, was abundant and planted round every fetish house.

After leaving Assowey, we found ourselves in a dense forest, whose shade was exceedingly agreeable ; the sides of the path abounded with flowers of the most beautiful kind, the air was filled with the rich perfume of the honeysuckle, which hung in festoons from nearly every tree; myriads of butterflies of all sizes and hues dazzled the

eyes,

and the sweet notes and familiar song of thrushes strongly recalled to my mind dear old Devonshire, in which county I have passed many happy spring days.

We had travelled thus for an hour, when we suddenly came upon one of the most beautiful spots that I have, perhaps, ever witnessed; the forest opened into a magnificent glade which, studded with glorious and isolated pyramids of verdure, stretched far away to our right; in a few minutes more we passed through a deserted encampment, consisting of about two hundred small huts made of branches of trees, and in shape and size very much resembling the waggon-roof tents of our English gipsies ; soon after this we again plunged into the forest, three or four miles travelling through which brought us to a large extent of land cleared by fire ; over this we passed to a small kroom of some half-dozen houses ; half a mile further we came to a large and gaily dressed assembly, celebrating some “custom,” and dancing away with great vigour ; and in ten minutes more we arrived at Alladah, our resting-place for the night. An abode had been prepared for us by the taboga's head servant, who had preceded us for that purpose ; it is made up of several court-yards and houses, or rather sheds, for they are not by any means superior to a common cowshed (not cowhouse) in England, and are built in precisely the same fashion ; however, as travellers must be satisfied with what they can get, we selected the best shed, divided it into three compartments, by means of cloths stretched across, and soon had our beds made.

The tent was pitched in the yard, and, after a good dinner and a refreshing glass of champagne, Mr. Freeman and I went to take a moonlight stroll over the town, which is of considerable size and honoured by being one of the king's residences, the nearest, indeed, to the coast. We passed through the market-place and across a large open square to the palace, which is a middling-sized building of only one story, but I should imagine that the grounds were pretty extensive, judging from the wall that surrounds them. An immense fetish-tree, planted round with dragontrees, stands in the square. Two or three small dragon-trees, and a very fine orange-tree, are planted outside our door.

On our return home we found that the head man of the town had sent the governor some very good water, which is really a valuable present, for the water in general is exceedingly bad. I write these notes while coffee is preparing, for early to bed and early to rise is now the order of the day. Before finishing the subject of Alladah, I must make mention of the bats, which are of immense size and abound in the trees : they are two and three feet from the tip of one wing to the tip of the other, and live upon fruit. Between every native who met us and our hammock-men, the word akorm (welcome) passed.

LIFE AND REMINISCENCES OF THOMAS CAMPBELL.

BY CYRUS REDDING, ESQ.

CHAP. XVI.

The Chevalier Pecchio-Greece and its Hopes - Field Flowers and Note

Remarks on Bowles's Letter to Roscoe-Mrs. Baillie's “ Martyr”—Lord Holland and Fox-State of Ireland, in 1826– The Poet's Politics - Economical Ideas regarding Ireland—His Sensitiveness on paying Visits— The Celtic and Gothic Races - The Lord Rectorship of Glasgow- Inaugural Address and Anecdote-Second Election.

THE Chevalier Pecchio was an accomplished foreigner, who had been driven into exile by the tyranny of the Austrian government over his own unfortunate country. He formed one of the little circle of foreigners among the poet's acquaintance. He went out to Greece in 1825, in order to fulfil a commission for the Greek deputies in London, in behalf of a cause of which he had ever been the warm advocate. The account of his voyage was not at that moment devoid of interest. Touching events move like the cloud's shadow over the

grass

and

pass away into the general oblivion.

At that moment every honest heart beat in behalf of the Greeks, and rejoiced to find the mother of arts and eloquence elevated once more in the scale of nations, little foreseeing her second degradation under a ridiculous boy-king, sacrificed to the base jealousies of each other by the greater European states. Campbell was all enthusiasm in the Greek cause, for in his mind the recollection of what that country had been, as, indeed, might well be the case with all, was continually uppermost. He expatiated much on our duties upon

the
score

of intellectual obligations. Pecchio wrote his observations on the country and upon its position in 1825, and his picture of Greece at that time is, perhaps, the best we possess. It was inserted in the magazine. He met in Greece with Mr. Emerson, now Sir James Emerson Tennant, where they contracted an acquaintance, both returning to England, and both writing an account of what they had seen there, and disposing of their MSS. to Mr. Colburn, who was at that moment exceedingly liberal in doing business. In the article so purchased were several letters of Campbell's lamented friend Count Santa Rosa, who had fallen in the Greek cause.

Pecchio became a candidate for the professorship of Italian in the London University, but gave up the application on finding it was of very small value. He received afterwards the appointment of master in foreign languages at a Dissenting college near York, where he married a lady of considerable fortune. He ultimately settled at Brighton, where he died. He was of an amiable temper, a warm friend, and an agreeable companion. He was one of the few who would combat Foscolo in argument during his furious fits of passion, while Campbell was dumb with astonishment. He was the intimate friend of Philip Ugoni, persecuted so cruelly by the Austrian government, an event which made a considerable noise at the time it occurred. He wrote much in periodical works in this country, but in general anonymously, and all he wrote was liberal and enlightened in its tendency. He was the intimate friend of another illustrious and accomplished exile, Count Porro, of Milan, whom the present Emperor of Austria has, in a mode so honourable to himself

, restored to his family and estates. There was one remark which Pecchio wrote in a letter that struck Campbell respecting popular outbreaks, even those for liberty. “ Enthusiasm is by nature fleeting; after a time it evaporates, or grows chill ; even revenge grows satiated, and the love of glory, like all other passions, becomes enfeebled, languishes, and expires even while the object that kindled it is still menacing its dearest interests."

The poet continued to watch the cause of Greece with the greatest anxiety. He took a deep interest in the subject of Greek education, for his attachment to the learning of that classical country was deeplyrooted.

He made many inquiries of Pecchio about the difference between the ancient and the modern tongue, and whether they were not in general much greater than those given by Byron as parallels from St. John's gospel. He seemed at one time as if he thought it possible for the Greeks to return to their pure tongue again through the medium of well-appointed schools, overlooking too much the physical obstacles existing to such a restoration, as was indeed his mode in considering favourite subjects. In fancy every obstacle was conquered, the slightest of which would have arrested the poet's efforts had he had to encounter them in reality. He was pleased to find from Pecchio that a school of mutual instruction had been established at Argos, and that the ancient Greek, or the literary Greek, was already to be taught in relation with the modern tongue. Two schools were even then established at Athens.

“How mighty still is the name of that little country,” said Campbell, speaking of it. “ Rome carries no resemblance to what it was in the days of the Cæsars, and after all, they are still Greek as they were in the days of Homer, they have arisen again. They have much of their old spirit, too, according to our friend Pecchio, who says their names are in sound like those that must have come upon the generations two thousand years ago.”

With the rest of the empire Campbell had great hopes from the influence of Canning after his accession to office, in settling the affairs of Greece. The ancient valour of the people did not seem to be diminished by their long slavery, although slavery might have deprived them of many virtues enjoyed by freemen. He was much affected with one letter of Count Santa Rosa which Pecchio added to his notes, breathing the integrity of a most excellent and accomplished statesman, whose zeal was unabated under all difficulties.

“I cannot tell how I was so pleased with Santa Rosa, but among all the illustrious exiles whom the despots of the continent have driven to our shores, I know none to compare with him, and he has fallen! Byron, too, has fallen there, and a great number of able men—something must come of it. How sickening it is to see the great powers looking on without interference, out of pure jealousy of each other.”

He thought it was the duty of England, above all other powers, to interfere and prevent further bloodshed--but what could be hoped from a government that had made itself conspicuous in keeping down freedom wherever it was exhibiting itself?

During the year 1826, the only poetical effort of Campbell was the pretty little

poem

called “Field Flowers."* The last portions of his lectures upon poetry comprised his prose articles. There were one or two instances, afforded, too, this year, of that inconsistency, or rather fluctuation, of feeling and opinion which, in certain things, marked the poet's

Since the last number of this Magazine was published I have received the following lines, suggested by a stanza in this simple and sweet little poem. They are not mistaken in the poet's feeling upon the subject to the last, unless that