The Press. — London, England, 1854-07-08 00:00:00

640 . . who took her in telling the officers that there was in Australia " gold enough to copper all " the ships in Port Jackson.' Subsequently Mr. Malone visited the diggings, but his ac count of these, though full and doubtless accu rate, differs in no respect from those which other travellers have given. In New Zealand he visited the stockade or fortified pah of Kua pekapeke., which cost so much trouble to take in the Maori war. The road along which guns bad to be conveyed was rough and broken ; the fort itself had been considered by the natives impregnable. It is said that it was taken on a Sunday, when the garrison were off their guard, expecting no attack ; but this version of the capture differs from the official one. The stockade was of enormous strength, made of the largest timber-trees, which bore marks of a heavy cannonade. Of the natural beauty of New Zealand, Mr. Malone does not seem to think highly, but he does ample justice to its climate and capabilities. He tells one of the best-authenticated cannibal stories which we remember to have read, such tales generally coming through many narrators, and on very dubious authority : An awful proof of the cannibalism of the Maories took place at Banks' Peninsula, before the settlement was made. In 1830 two chiefs agreed with the captain of a British brig of 300 tons that she should convey Heko, son of Te Pahi, and Te Raperaha and their people from the northern island to the country of Te Marinewie, Banks' Peninsula, where the war was to be carried on to extermination. There was a fine fleet of war canoes, with about one hundred picked warriors on board the English brig. The English captain describes, that Te Pahi and Te Itaperaha caused their people to be concealed on their arrival. Te Marinewie went immediately on board the brig to negotiate for the trading, and he demanded two donble•barrelled guns by way of tribute to himself. The trade commenced, Marinewie confiding fully on the Englishman's honour. After he had been seated in the cabin a short time, Te Heko and Te Raperaha jumped on him, as did all their people on all those who attended him on board. The scene which followed is too dreadful to describe. Under cover of night, Te Itaperaliii and 're Pahi and their men landed, and suc ceeded in capturing the wife and daughter of Te Marinewie ; they sent them on board, and a work of death ensued utterly indescribable for the horrible cruelties which were perpetrated. The whole population of the place who did not escape were killed, except about fifty, reserved to be taken back. At daylight the victors were seen actively employed in nutting up and preparing for the steam• kettle the dead bodies of the slaughtered victims of the night. The crew of the vessel described the horrors they witnessed as beyond everything dreadful ; the whole of the day was occupied in salting, and packing in baskets, heads and bodies to be conveyed back. Among the victims was a fine young woman near her aceouchement, who was cat open, her unborn infant extracted, her head and part of her body salted, and the remainder, in presence of the captain, officers, and crew of. ii British ship, given to the pigs. Each basket contained a human being, and there were about a hundred baskets. I luring the passage back the chieftain Te Marinewie and his wife, knowing the dreadful tortures that awaited them, strangled their own daughter; the captain then placed Te Marinewie and his wife in irans, to prevent them destroying themselves. It was understood that after undergoing torture the heart of Te Marinewie should he sent to be eaten by Te Heko's mother, the widow of 're Pahi, who had been eaten by Te Marinewie ; that Te Raperaha should eat his brains, Te Heko his eyes, Te Heko's sister his tongue, and the rest of his body be sent as presents to the chiefs of the interior. Travellers receiving Australian hospitality are, or wore, liable to meet strange guests : At one evening party we were at, after a picnic, we noticed a rather tall, geirtleunanlike•man leaning against the mantel piece of one of the moms alone, and not joining in any of the amusements, but in an evening dress, quietly looking on and apparently in thought. A number of the officers of the Afith and of the Famtenne were present, and we could not find out who he was, till, to our astonishment, just as we were going away, we found out that it woe I'ate, the man who was coward and villain enough to strike the Queen. This man was an officer in the regiment, and was transported for his crime, and came to be assigned as a prisoner-servant to the host of the evening, who, I believe, knew something of his family at home, and received annuities from them for him ; so his situation as a servant was but nominal. The host of the evening would not tell us wise he was, knowing that we, as officers of her Majesty, would not remain in the room with such a man. Mr. given him a hint to vanish, but that called no more ou the gentleman who . • - Ala • ‘...op••••••••••-s,, THE PRESS. if need be, with his own ban4o. Married men ' get on best : they have an additional motive for steady work, and the want of society does not urge them, as it drives many single men, to habitual drunkenness. That is the one great vice of all British colonies, indulged in by wealthy and " respectable " settlers to an extent unknown in England. The diggings, though an excellent place of temporary resort, are almost always quitted after a year or two. The business is less profitable than it seems ; extravagant prices deduct largely from the digger's gains; and few men's health will bear a long continuance of the hardship and expo sure which such labour involves. Mr. Malone has brought together a multi tude of statistical details respecting the colo nies, unattractive to readers, but useful for reference. The Wife's Manual ; or, Prayers, Thoughts, and Songs on Several Occasions of a Matron's Life. By the Rev. W. Calvert, M.A. London: Longmans. THESE meditations are in verse, and comprise the thoughts and feelings most appropriate to a gentle and loving woman's mind, from the moment when the ring is placed on her finger to the hour when she soothes her dying hus band's pillow, or prepares her own spirit for its flight. There are prayers for purity of heart, for strength to resist temptation, for fortitude in trial, for the safe-keeping of rela tives and friends, for patience under afflic tions, for comfort in trouble, for resignation and hope when death enters the household and tears away the best-loved there. But some meditations, introduced we suppose to ren der the book more complete, might have been dispensed with. It is not pleasant, nor perhaps profitable, for a young wife to con template the possibility of losing her hus band's affections. We do not recollect any previous work by Mr. Calvert, but he has evidently drank deeply at the spring where the most poetically-minded of our classical divines—as Ken and Jeremy Tay lor—imbibed their inspiration. His verse is of that kind which, from its union of piety and feeling, of holy aspiration and human sympathy, is peculiarly suited to homes where charitable desires and domestic affec tions, mingling together, and running still but deep, are esteemed as life's best possessions. As a specimen of the book we may quote the piece entitled FORGOTTEN BLESSINGS. Where are the stars—the stars that shone All through the summer night? Where are they and their pale queen gone, As if they fear'd to be look'd upon By the gaze of the bold daylight? Gone they are not. In the far blue skies Their silent ranks they keep; Unseen by our sun-dazzled eyes, They wait till the breath of the night-wind sighs, Then come and watch our sleep. Thus oft it is,—the lights that cheer The night of our distress, When brighter gladder hours appear, Forgotten with our grief and fear, Wake not our thankfulness. Yet still, unmindful though we he, Those lamps of love remain ; And when life's (shadows close, and we Look up some ray of hope to see, Shall glad our hearts again. The volume is beautifully produced ; the style of ornamentation is adopted from that "Book of Christian Prayers" printed in 1569, commonly known as Queen Elizabeth's Prayer Book, some of the borders being copied from that work,—while the binding, solid and hand some, is well-adapted for a gift-book intended for life-long preservation. Ths Midshipman ; or, Twelve Years at Sea. By the Rev. F. NV. Mant, late Royal Navy. London: Routledge and Co. THE title of this little volume is a very attrac tive one just now, and the memoirs of one who is an ex-middy and a clergyman are calculated to excite attention. There is not enough of gunpowder in the book to please readers fond of stirring scenes, but, though Mr. Mant's ad ventures were not very remarkable, he tells us many amusing anecdotes, and illustrates in a Pleasing way the varieties of hfe afloat. Ife gives us a laughable account of his own sense of importance when he first put on his naval uniform, and he thus records the indignities offered to his sea-chest At last one of the oldsters cattle inand ur trapssit"ifl youay youngster. I advise you to look after yo ur don't want them stowed down in the hold. What have you brought with you? " " One cocked-hat box, two bandboxes, two trunks, one portmanteau, and one chest, painted bright blue, with my name in white letters on the side." " Well, if Dawson does not send half of them on shore, I'm a Dutchman. One would think you were the Governor-General of India. Why, where on earth do you think we are to stow the ship's provisions, if every reefer brought such a cargo as that? But come, youngster, be off and look after them, at all events, and we will see what can be done." So out we sallied on the lower deck. On casting my eyes around me, my first immediate impression was that the ceiling was very low, and that the heat and noise were abominable ; and then, as I saw the vast heaps of boxes and trunks, which were scattered about in all directions, I thought most surely that they would never be stowed away, and that I should get into a precious mess for adding so materially to their quantity; infield, 1 felt more than half inclined to disown my smaller luggage, rather than incur ridicule or disgrace from its profusion. " Here is a cocked-hat box and a quantity of traps by the chain pumps," observed my Mend ; " are these yours?" " Yes, " 1 replied, trembling, " I believe so. I di d n ot think that I should have required so much luggage, but Sir James said— " " Sir James ! Does he know what you have brought?" " I suppose that he dues," I. returned, " as it was from his list that my clothes were provided." " His list ! is he a relation of yours? " " A cousin," I said. " Humph! not so good as a nephew. But never mind ; I have no doubt if you are rigged by his directions be will take care that your things are not turned out of the ship, but I suspect Dawson will growl like a bear with a sore head. if the skipper had not lived so long on shore him self, he would have recommended a more moderate outfit for a youngster like you. Well, now for your chest—what does it look like? what is its size ? " " I do not know about its size," I replied; "but we shall easily know It. It is painted bright blue, with F—W—M—, Royal Navy,' in white letters on the front." He burst into a loud laugh. "Is it one of those, youugster ? " said he, pointing to a number of chests, looking exactly alike, being covered with a thick coat of whitewash, which effectually destroyed all their indi viduality, and ranged along the bulkhead upon either side of the steerage. "Oh dear no! " I exclaimed, with a tone of great decision, " mine was blue, with white letters, quite different from these." " Well, take my advice, youngster," said he ; " and don't waste your time in looking for blue chests or white letters here : the atmosphere of the lower deck is very fatal to delicate complexions. 'Why, 1 have seen a blue chest change its colour in'five minutes after landing from the hatchway ! If you want to discover which is yours, run your finger along the top, and take the one which has been last daubed over. See, here is a fresh arrival," and as he spoke he pointed to a newly-whitened concern, which re tained no truce of the tints or titles iu which I had so much gloried. It might as well have belonged to Cheeks the Marine, as to F—W—M—, Royal Navy. " 1 do not know whether that is mine," whimpered I. " Well, try your key in the hole, that is the only way," was the answer. I did so : and sure enough the shabby concern before me was an old friend with a new face, being by no means improved by the alteration. We have heard much lately about " whop ping" stories. Here is an account of one ad ministered without the aid of a monitor: — As I before observed, from my extreme youth and the smallness of my stature, 1 had been treated with great indulgence by boys and masters, and was, indeed, the pet of the school. Unfortunately the same reasons qualified me to be its plaything : and 1 accordingly used to be hired out, night after night, through the different rooms to be tossed in a blanket, my price being gingerbread or tennis balls. For myself, 1 liked the fun well enough, and as my owners, that is to say, the room to which I belonged, gave me a fair share of the emoluments, and my employers seldom let me fall, there was nothing objectionable in the proceeding. One night, however, as ill luck would have it, the master's step was heard at the door: i was in the very act of ascending : my propellers in the midst of their noisy merriment : out went the lights, off scampered the company, down came the blanket, and down came 1. " Did you ever go up to the sky with a bounce ? Did you ever come down to the floor with the Mlle ? I have tried at both ends, and can safely pronounce, Heads and tails, with a child, are utipleasantieh game." But this was not all : Johnny was very wrath; and I was the only enemy left in the field—quid piera f as I had been taken out of bed for the exercise, no preliminaries were necessary ; he had a large hand, and 1 received immediate martyrdom. Now for one in which a Dutchman was the " whopper" and a shark was the "whoppee" I saw once a curious instance of a shark being foiled by a swimmer, in a packet in which I happened to be in the course of my many wanderings ; the performer being a Dutchman who had dropped his cap overboard, and jumped after it, although a shark had been seen cruising under the stern a very short time before. Some of us immediately ran up into the top, and watched the surface regretted he had not given him a hint to vanish, but that was too late, and we called no more ou the gentleman who gavo the party. Mr. Malono's chapter on emigration will be read with interest by those whom it concerns. His advice is not uew, but contains truths which cannot be too often repeated. Tools, books, and working clothes ntust be taken oat: beyond these, the less luggage the better. It , often happens that English-made articles 44„, are so iu Australia below their cost price. I, lll‘ No . *we can prosper as an emigrant who 444 his gentility, and is above working, „ div i L r• t SATURDAY, of lite afloat. tie at of his own sense it put on his naval )rds the indignities one in and said, " I say, after your traps, if you he hold. What have you ofboxes, two trunks, one ited bright blue, with my d half of them on shore, d think you were the Liy, where on earth do you p's provisions, if every at? But come, youngster, events, and we will see allied on the lower deck. me, my first immediate was very low, and that the ; and then, as I saw the which were. scattered about oat surely that they would should get into a precious o their quantity; infield, d to disown my smaller icule or disgrace from its I a quantity of traps by the rid ; " are these yours?" " I believe so. I did not •ed so much luggage, but what you have brought?" eturned, " as it was from yrided." of yours ? " ephew. But never mind ; ed by his directions he will of turned out of the ship, wl like a bear with a sore ved so long on shore him- ed a more moderate outfit , now for your chest—what fp 9 "