The National Register.
London, England, 1817-08-25 00:00:00

REVIEW OF LITUUTURE.

SOU TM AMERIC N DISAFFECTION.

A?Crllt'A ESPANOLA, &C.—Sixtaish America, orobserv-
at;cms on L's presew stwe of Ottni.vit .4oterica, and
on the mist clti,:acious me Ins col terminating the pre-
..ent disturbances there.—By a Spaniard, the lover of
his country.

This, we believe, is !hr first tract that has appeared
in this country front the pen of a Spaniard, respecting
Spain and her Colonies, and we notice it with the
more pleasure, front the dispassionate view which the
writer seems to take of his subject. He sets out with
denying that the object for whit.* the revolted dis-
tricts are contending, is a freedom of commerce ;
and that were Spain even to offer this as the boon of
reconciliation, it would be refitsed with disdain by the
insurgent leaders. From the total want of permanent
and settled government in these provinces, even where
independence has made the greatest progress, he deems
it utterly impossible far the mother country to enter
into any sort of negotiation tin the pacification of her
colonies. NVith respect to foreign mediation, he seems
to consider it as a useless experiment, because the resti-
tution of the present independent districts to Spain
must be insisted on, and were this to be done, even at
the price of throwing open the commerce of the
country so all nations, yet so inveterate arc the hatred
and opposition of the leaders of the independent party,
not only against the government of Spain, but against
the whole nation, that there is no likelihood whatever
of their fulfilling the terms of any treaty which had
restitution for its basis. The writer nest enters upon
the question of the right which Spain, in common with
every other state possessing colonises, has, of reserving
to herself the entire trade therewith ; and insists, that
were the ports of South America, thrown open, that
country, instead of being an advantage to the parent
state, would, in her actual situation, be a positive bar-
then, because she possesses scarcely any of thos'.: arti-
cles, which are objects of need with the colonists. On
the important question of the advantages which the
maritime States of Europe would derive from a free
trade with South America, he denies that they would be
at all equal to what many persons conceive, because,
though Spain held that trade enolusively in her own
. hands, yet she purchased almost all the articles of which
it consisted of England and other European countries.
We, however, think this the weakest part of his reason-
ing. There is more truth in what he says respecting
North America ; he can easily conceive why the Inde-
pendents meet with so many partizans in England,
notwithstanding the strict neutrality which the go-
vernment has observed ; but he is utterly at a loss to
account for the aid which is afforded them by the North
Americans, since, were they to succeed in establishing
their independence, it would be attended with the most
injurious consequences to that republic, as there is
nothing produced in it which is not to be found in
greater abundance in South America, and which, from
the comparitive cheapness of labour in the latter, might
be furnished to Europe at vastly lower prices, grain
and flower in particular.
We never have considered the accounts received in
this country 'respecting the successes of the Independ-
ents, as deserving of implicit credit; and we are therefore
the more willine,o to attach confidence to what this
writer states on the subject. If, he .observes, a spirit of'
independence had been general in South America, it
must long ere this have been lost to the mother country;
but the contrary is the fact; the independent govern-
ment of the provinces of Rio de la Plata is the only one
in the whole peninsula that possesses any thing like
stability, allt he others being formed of the most discor-
dant materials. The whole of the Northern Provinces
from Panama to California are completely tranquil ; in
the parts contiguous to the United States, the coasts
particular, there are parties, which under the mask of
independence disturb the public tranquility ; but these
are composed, for the most part, of foreign adventurers,
acting without concert, dependent on no government
whatever, and guided solely by their own personal views'
and advantages ; owing their existence and support in
great measure to the numerous privateers, or more pro-
perly pirates, which swarm upon the coasts ; on the in.!
tenor they have no influence; every thing there is tran-
quil ; in proof of which he mentions that in September
1816, a person travelled more than 360 miles without
acing a single insurgent. The great dependence of Spain
against the Insurgents, according to our author, are the
Creoles, or native Colonists; they are devoted to her cause,
and in more than one province have united and defeat-
sl the Insurgents. To them therefore she ought to look
for the salvation of htr colonies, and all that is wanted
to give full effect to their loyalty is skilful officers to
train and lead them ; these it, is proposed should be,
sent from Spain without delay. The next object of at-
tention, must be the destruction of the privateers which •
swarm in those seas ; we fully agree with this writer'
that the other maratime powers of Europe are almost.
as much interested as Spain in crushing this species;
of force, which in many respects is little better than a
system of piracy ; and we have no doubt will become
completely such, if vtorous measures be not adopted

AUGUST U.

against it. According to this writer, Spain is not in a.
condition at present to maintain a naval snaperiurity in
that quarter, she must therefbrc prevail upon some Eu-
ropean state to aid her—the only foreign aid which can
be of any avail to her. The destruction of these priva-
teers he considers as a certain means of bringing ruin
upon the insurgent bands which infest the coast and'
provinces ; because it is from them that these bands
twelve succour of every kind, and a refuge in defeat till
they can again gather strength sufficient to make ano-
thrn. descent ; this was- the case with the expedition of
Bolivar, which, butt kir these privateers, never could
have quitted St. Domingo. The tinal measure proposed
is judicious, and completely in the power of the parent
state to adopt ; this is to nominate persons to till the
offices of governor, ore ther high situation, who possess
real abilities, moderate principles, and who aro evely
way disposed to execute the duties intrusted to them
with mildness and integrity ; while the parent govern-
ment must bury in oblivion all that has occurred, and
instead of attempting to inflict punishinent, seek only
by kindness and au equitable system of government to
tic the doubtful, and to bring back the lisalfected to
their allegiance.

MIRLNER'S ACCOUNI UI THE TONGA ISLANDS.

The duster of island's in the South Pacific Ocean, to
which the natives give the name of " Tonga," is the
same as that to which Captain Cook gave the epithet
" Friendly.' The interesting work now before us
has been produced in nearly the same manner as Adams's
Narrative of his residence in A Inca; being a compilation
from the communications of William Mariner, who re-
sided several years on those islands, by Dr Jolla
Martin.

'lle Editor infiirms us in his intrAuction, that in
the year 1805, William Mariner, then little more than
13 years of age, embarked on bthuil the Port au Prince,
private ship of war, commanded by Captain Duck, a
friend of his fittlier. This vessel had a two-fold com-
mission, if not successful in her cruize for prizes within
certain latitudes, she was to double Cape Horn, and
procieeed into the Pacific Ocean in search of whales.
To this ulterior destination, Captain Durk found it
necessary to proceed. The first forty pages of the
work are occupied by a journal of proceedings until the
arrival of the Port an Prince off Lefooga, one of the
Hapai islands, the same place where Captain Cook had
formerly anchored. But previous to this Captain Duck
had died, and a mutinous spirit had manifested itself
among the crew, which was increased by the inju-
dicious management of Mr. Brown, on whom the com-
mand had devolved. In the midst of Mr. Brown's
bickerings with his crew, the ship was surprised by the
natives, and all on board butchered except Mariner
and the cooper, who had saved themselves in the gun-
room until thecarnagc had ceased. Mariner was sent on
shore, w here he indu red manyinkmities, until he was sent
for by Finow, the King, who bad taken a fancy for him,
having seen him on board the vessel. After being wash-
ed and oiled and refreshed by a night's sleep, Finow
took him on board again, where to his surprise he foun
several of the crew. These had been saved by being on
shore at the time of the massacre, and were now brought
on board by order of the King, to work the ship in shore.
When this was effected she was plundered by the na-
tives, and then set fire to for the purpose of more easily
obtaining the iron which was in her. By the direc-
tion of Finow, Mariner's situation was now made as
comfortable as it could be in such a state of society, and
during the four years which he resided amongst them,
he, as well as some of the other Englishinea who had
been saved, rendered themselves highly useful, in the
wars which Finow carried on against his neighbours.—
We shall give the account of Mr. Mariner's escape in
in the words of the Narrative, and in our succeet'ing
number we shall give extracts of such portions of it as
may serve to make our readers acquainted with the
mailers of a people hitherto but little known.
In time of peace, when he had nothing in which to
employ himself, but objects of recreation and amuaerneut.
sometimes with Finow, or other chiefs, and sometimes by
himself, among several amusements, be would frequently gu
out for three days together, among the neighbouring small
islands, on a fishing excursion : as he was one evening re-
turning homeward in his canoe, after having becu out three
days, lie espied a sail iu the westward horrizon just as the
inn had descended below it ; this heart-cheering sight n•
sooner caught his attention than he pointed it out to the
three men hi the Canoe with him (his servants that worked
on his plantation), and desired them to paddle nu board.
holding out to them what an advantageous opportunity now
odered itself to enrich themselves with beads, axes, looking-
glasses, &e.; an opport tttt ity which they might never again
meet with : to this they replied, that they had seen her be.
fore, hut that their fear of his wishing to go on board pre-
vented them from pending her out to trim, for they had often
heard their chiefs say., that they never meant to let him go if
they could help it ; and hence they were apprehensive that
their brains would be knocked out, if they suffered him to
escape. Mr. Mariner then condescended to entreat them to
pull towards the vessel, promising them very 'it'll rewards.
Alter conversing together, and muttering something betwet
themselves, they told Mr. Mariner, tint notwithstanding the
esteem and respect they had for him., they owed it as a duty
to ;heir chiefs to refuse his request ; and upon this, they
began to paddle towards the nearest shore. Mr. Mariner
instantly demanded in an elevated tone of voice, why they
talked about the fear of chiefs ; were they not his servants.
and !Mite not a right to act with them tulle pleastil? lie

AUGUST 25.

then took in his hand his musket from behind him, when the
man who sat next immediately declared, that, Who made any
resistance, he would die in opposing him, rather than allow
him to escape' upon this Mr. Mariner summoned up all his
strength, :sod struck him a most violent blow, or rather stab,
near the loins, with the muzzle of the piece, exclaiming at
the same time, '• To gi ho Holm co homier •." This lunge
produced a dangerous wound, for the musket being a very
old one, had grown yoke sharp at the muzzle, and was besides,
impelled by the uncommon force with which, inspired by the
prospect of escape, he felt himself animated : the man im-
mediately fell fiat in the bottom of the canoe, senseless, and
scarcely with a groan 1. Mr. Mariner pulled his legs out
straight : he then presented his musket to the other two,
who appeared minimise panic-struck, and threatened to
blow out their brains if they did not instantly obey his orders,
and pull towards the vessel. They accordingly put about,
and made towards her. The one that Mr. Mariner wounded
was a puree of a warrior, but the other two had nes er been
in battle, and, as be supposes, did not know but what he
email sire Aids musket as often as he pleased without load-
ing it ; be this as it may, they were now perfectly obedient,
and he eueourageil them farther, by reminding them that
they had a good excuse to make to their chiefs, Mice it was
by compulsion, and not by will, that they had acted. In the
mean time, he kept a strict eye hulls upon them and the man
in the bottom of the canoe; upon those, lest they should
take au opportunity to upset the canoe, and swim to the
shore, with which they were well acquainted, and arm this,
lest he should recover and attempt the same thing, or elm
make an unexpected attack : fortunately he did not stir the
whole night.l They did not come up with the vessel till about
daylight next morning, owing to the distance they had to go,
fur they were about four miles off the northwest part of VA.
rum, and the ship bore west-south-west, about five miles
distant, steering uuder easy sail, to the south rod of that
island : besides width, they were much fatigued with having
pulled about the whole day against a heavy sea, and were
short of any provisions, except raw fists. During the whole
night, the man in the bottom of the canoe lay perfectly still,
and 'hewed no signs of life, except a slight gurgling noise in
his throat, which was heard now and then. As soon as the
canoe pulled up along side the brig, Mr. Mariner, without
stopping to hail, on the impulse of the moment, jumped into
the main chains, and had liked to have been knocked over-
board by the ceutinel, who took him for a native, for his skin
was grown my brown, his hair very long, and tied up in a
knot, with a turban round the head, and an apron of the
leaves of the obi tree round his waist : this disguise would
have warranted the conduct of the centinel, but, as soon as
Mr. Mariner spoke English, and told hius he was au Engliah-
man, he allowed him to come on deck, where he addressed
the l'aptaio, who cortlially shook hands with him. 'the lat-
ter bad heard from the captain of a schooner the whole un-
fortunate affair of the hurt au Prince I for the schooner
brought away two men from one of these islands during the
time that Mr. Mariner was in another quarter, upon some
business for Snow."

• Meaning, literal/y, " Strike your llotooa. there's your death !"
which are forms of energetic exprevions, used like oaths, um extra-
ordinary oczasions, calculated w express vengeance.
t Tins man. whose mute was l'ooo Fontinga. well deserved the
fate he met with : lie used to beat Lis wife unmercifully, fur which
Mr. Mariner had frequently knocked him down with a club: he
formerly had a wife who, in time of scarcity, he killed and ate: since
that time having several children more than he wished, he killed a
couple of them to get them out of the way. His best quality was be-
ing au excelh•nt fisherman, and a hard-working fellow.
It way be remarked, also, that this was the season for sharks,
and their tonscienees, probably, were not quite clear from having
infringed sonic prohibition or another, in consequence of which, ac-
cording to their notions, they veers liable to be dewoun.slby sharks.