The British Press; or, Morning Literary Advertiser.
London, England, 1808-12-17 00:00:00

FRENCH RAIRASSY nfltraVolL
It in matter of public ihotorintlit#4*.tirvral.
ago the French General tisr4mOlniii 140 Eta a
mission to.the Persian MenantrvierwelltY
the intention of procuring Ms. ii 84188116011 iV
plan of attack upou our Last Indian po3.3ebsiono.
Au octavo volume 'fins jolt been publirlied at Mi-
rth. giving au eteeoiant of the pmgress of that ma-
.l:i.o3y. It is entitled. Travels in Turkey, Asia.
sad Persia, au Me sears 1507 and 1806 ; 10,
Asp De Cartlaue, First Secretary of Loritivu.
The following interesitilig observations on We
work are extructed from one of the minor French
papers:

Travel. written in the form of an itinerary are of
greet utility, in a geographical point of view, when
the distaucts are given in a positive manner, and
without any chasm. It is by a couttiarisoo of mo-
dem itineraries, with those which the inacientsitere
left as, that at discover the position et .the,Pliiit:
an acquaintance with which is indisPensaiblY
sary for understanding history. It is a species of
utility which ei n vulgar minds allow to compose-
ti ve geography ; but to plidoespiters, who ire wor-
thy of appriaiating tliataticitee, it is in itself an
interestiag spectacle to see again called forth into
esistesiee. upon is regruphie_al map, those king-
doms, sad those republics, whose annals we have
learned by heart, *hose legislators and heroes we
eillesim, but with eshoseertent, physieel.ereentees,
commeree, and revenues. history makes us hut im-
perfectly siegentintied. To confine ourselves to the
smeetries if which M. Gardens treat., is it not
much mere interestingto know what means the nu-
tient( telitpfiss. niteetimv, Afforded the gr. a 31i-
-0101110.10:4111114 der as long a time, the con:
gesemegithe world. Chao the Precise date titan the
MU* Okla iswilisafise *II) the Romans ? Who
00116 4se history of the wars
the Periliihno and Romans, without having
pL studied the physical geography of the
teeefieines meenteins of Curdistan, where so
..Many Remiss Generals, from Anthony to the
"giuvero..; were failed in their attempts, and
res...ished their former glory?
Though much has been done to elucidate the
geography of that traitor 'the Asiatic Continent
through which M. Claideni contitneti his readers,
still we think it not at all unlikely that the Worm-
ries through 'Orient Pirrygie, which be has given.
will induce geographers to alter mine positions;
beta diseitesioamf thin point would lead us into
greater lengths than onr limits will admit. We
shall, therefbre, merely point out.to nsen of scicoce
.this merit its the itinerary of M. delienef.'ltat we
think it mar duty to direct the attention of 4111
be in general to another kind of interest„iridelsidis.
tiegniehes themuount of this traveller. Weillude
to those Misty sketches inadiela he delineatei the
moaners and present state elf the ems.
The pergola composing the Peen* lirmissisy
paid a visit to the Packet of Nierigmfla? .Tlie pier.
objects that struck their view weeirelendileill Mike
of two persons, one of vdioin
the other beheaded. eilendcdeeeletlihreobsidiidthe
door. They men the
celebeated Anima Pache; asid berefOth Anthem- '
don of Pews and Peak are presented with horses,
covered with goldmei pearls. to make their entry
into that city. Here they fall in with a hiede of
Curds, who attempt to pleader the caravan : there
shepherds, earthy of ancient Arcadia. guide into
the right hack mete of our travellers who had lost
their way. In the centre of Asia Iktisor, Chapan
Germ raises enormous contributions in his own
name, and gives himself out to the iuhtbi(iusts pp
their sovereign. while they dare neither appeal&
nor even to find fault wit's him. At Bagdad, the
Bache Soliman respectfully receives the hore-tails
sent bins by the Porte; but fora hundred and
twenty Years his +incest—en and himself have held the
same goverisamwe., from which the orders of the
Grand Signior hers net been able to remove them ;
or, is ether words, these "'eches are hereditary Mo-
narchs, who, out of politeness, tranamie intelligence
to the Porte, of their accession to the throne. Jr
short. Turkey in Asia is iu a state of :march) , winch
predicts the mine fate to the Ottoman empire as
formerly befit that of the aishiti. The condition
eif the people differs according to the character of
the Pashas; and the happiest provisoes are tho-e
in which these tatraPs kave possessed themselves of
Itereffstery pater. But amidst the barbariiiin which
peeved.* this portion of the world, may still be per-
ceived mate brilliant traces of ancient civilization.
The people appear highly susceptible of a good le-
gislation, and wherever any order and tranquillity
prevail, the intishitauts manifest an honest and hos-
pitable disposition.

Persia exhibits a very different spectacle. It
is now an empire regularly organiAed, and infinitely
more civilised than Turkey. The Court is mag-
rutioent; gold and diatuouds glitter on the gar-
ments of those who conipme it ; you walk on no.
thing but carpets covered with embroidery in gold,
or ou anperb niosa•, pavements; costly perfumes
at. kept burning in vessels of precious stone ; the
apartments are cooled by fountains of limpid wa-
ter, which fall into }►ashes of marble and porphyry.
The people, who anc extremely submis,ive, are
engaged in useful work-, pay their taxes, nod app.
ply the army with recruits. M. Gartlane only ob-
serves, that the Persians are very slow, even id I Lie