The Press. — London, England, 1853-05-21 00:00:00

MAY 21, 1853. if nut the necessity, of the ultimate reutoval of convicts from oar shores. Such has been the judgment hitherto pronounced by Parliament on this subject ; and I am persuaded that there is not a magistrate who has any emwrience of thee adminis tration of the criminal law, especially in the ruml districts, who will not express a strong opinion as to the great advan tage of not allowing 1111•11 who lime isen v u nnictett of serious crimes to return to their former homes. In come try villages the occasional return of sueh men is almost invariably attended with bad effects. They cannot, for the reasons which have been 80 often explained, find the means of maintaining themselves honestly. They are dtiven to re. same their former bad habits; and,.ll the spirit of _slava& which is so general among criminals, they make light of the punishment they have undergone, mid thus destroy the wholesome terror of the law in thee minds of the least steady of the young men of their neighbourhood, whom they instruct in all the arts and practices of ciimiuids. If this happens now, when only a small per ventage of criminals sentenced to transportation ever return to their homes, what will be the consequence when sons! two or time thousand men, who under the existing system would lost •Tranently renewed from the l'uitell kingdom, are to be annually turned loose ou society? Lord Campbell has expressed the s ame opinion ; and we concur with Lord Grey in thinking that the opinion of magistrates and judges will generally be found on the same side. It remains to be seen whether these high authorities will be disregarded, on the plea that they are " behind the age." It re mains also to be seen what punishment the Duke of Newcastle has substituted for that which he proposes to abolish by a stroke of his pen. Hitherto his work hits been the easy one of criticism and destruction. Of New Zealand, the brief notice which Lord Grey gives us is full of interest. He has been less successful in dealing with South African affairs ; the reserve of the ex-minister interfering with the licence of the historian. It is clear that he does not tell us all he knows, much less all he thinks ; and this reticence throws an air of obscurity over the narrative. It remains only to observe on the style and tone of this work. The former is remarkably characteristic of the writer—plain, perspicuous, totally devoid of ornament and even of verbal point, diffuse rather than eompressed, but everywhere clear and intelligible. Lord Grey evidently cares little for the verdict of literary critics, and is satisfied if he can make his meaning understood. He is, from first to last, the minister and parliamentary debater ad dressing an imaginary audience, or vindicating his policy in an elaborate minute. But, though the whole tenor of the work is argumentative, there is a striking absence of controversial acerbity. Questions on which Lord Grey has been assailed with a personal virulence rarely witnessed in these days are discussed by him in a temper not only calm but passionless, and with a dignity the more impressive beetutse evidently unstudied. In the thousand octavo pages of which these volumes consist, frequent reference is made to individuals whose sole claim to notice lies in the frantic invectives which they lutve at various times heaped on the writer. In no instance are these persons mentioned with censure, fitr less with any appearance of prejudice or personal dislike. So complete a separation of general and private interests—so utter an abstraction front self — is proof of no common organisation. In this respect, if in no other, Lord Grey has set an example which few public men can follow, but which tends to raise the character, not only of the individual, but of the class. Journal of a Cruise (many the Islands of tke Western Pacific. By John Elpl►inrstone Ers• kine, Captain R.N. London : Mu►tiny. UPON the permanent appointment of it co►n mnanding naval officer to the Australian station, ►unler Sir George Orey's government, it plan was formed for a periodical inspection of all the islands of consequenee w►thin the limits of his command, and the first cruise with this object, of which the work before ns contains the notes, was made in H.M.S. Havannah in 1849. - The later Freneh geographers, and the writers on the ethnography and geology of oeenniea attached to the United States Ex. ploring Squadron under Lieut. Wilkes, divide the eighty thousand square miles of islands which dot the ten millions of like measure ment comprising the Pacific Oceans into five parts—Australia, Malaisia, Micronesia, Poly UMW., and Melanesia. With the latter Captain THE PRESS. Erskine was on this occasion principally eon (Trued. It comprises all that part of Occattica inhabited by a Clark-skinned race with woolly or frizzled hair, and includes New titanca. New Britian, New Ireland, New Caledonia and the Loyalty isles, the New Hebrides, the Fee jecs. and the Solomon Islands. Most of these were visited by the ilarannah, but she coin meneed her cruise by bearing away to the north-east and visiting Niece, the savage island of Captain Cook. From thence she proceeded to the islands of Samoa, or, as they were called by M. de Bougainville, who discovered them in 1768, "L'Arehipel des Is; ILA' igitteUrSe" Upon one of these, lanai', or, as M. de hi Perottse wrongly called it, Mamma, M. de tangle, the second in command of the unhappy expedition of M. do la Perouse, was massacred, with eleven officers turd 11ICH, by the natives. Tunes, however, are changed. In ls:10 Mr. Williams, "the martyr of Ertututgo," esta blished at mission there. The missionaries now, says Captain Erskine, number eighteen (mostly married men with families), the main rity being Scotch Congregationalists. They have made considerable tarogress among the people, a large portion of ;vlieni are now pro fessing Christians ; and for several years, in spite of oceasional vexatious wars among the tribes, a stnuiger eonmider his life and property as safe in Samoa (as the natives term the whole group) as in any part of the world. These Samoan Isles are agreeable places. They have as yet escaped the bastard and baneful civilisation of Tahiti and Halvah). while they have freed themselves from the im putation of loving their neig,hhours little enough when living. though overmuch when rooked. (We say the imputation only, for we believe cannibalism has never been actually proved against the Polynesians, though they have never seemed to view the practice with proper abhomence.) The missionaries have great influence. The chiefs are not too savage, mind the people are gentle enough when gently treated. here is a sketch of an island beauty in case any of our readers should be tempted to marry and settle among yams, bananas, and cue( smut s We fwuul loitering about our boats at the head of the harbour several of the young ladies of the district. I ) n e, a etsparttish girl, apparently not more than fifteen years of age, although 1 was told she was at least three years older, was pointed out as a daughter of l'omale, a ruling chief to witton the former Mating,' succeeded, and she imme. tliately received from us the title of "the Princess," by which she was disfitiguished timing lbw stay. She was, as were all her compatoions, decently . clad in loathe garments, wearing Iwsides the titan*, deserthed he. fore us resendoling a small I 100, a white mat or petticoat (made triton the fibres of tlw [Nisei's), alai a neeklitee /of coloured lwads. Her Iloilr was cut short, which, our natio , mud told us, intimated she was ready for a husband; and her arms almove the elbow were marked with sears Ns if burnt. %Odell, we were informed, both 84 . x1 . .; do wit la a piece of lighted stick when in love, to demote the tire of the passion. I gave her a pair of .lo ves and a few trinkets, and delighted her the intim by limiting signs that I should lawn my anus for her sake.—LFie ! Captain Erskine. 1 — This girl is ealltvl Mahia (Maria), and she has had some education, as, when asked, she wrote her name on a piece let' paper for one of our facers. Although associating fami lial). with the other young w t al, she is looked upon as of a higher grade, being under the speeial Nov of the eltiet, who, with the consent of the roomed (or " folio "), will probably provide a suitable match for her. Chet visits of eeretnionv from other trilws take place, she is (Idled upon to play the part of " te-mai-tai," or great lady, and is then dressed in her smartest garments, and gives directions to the other woman. Month, she NI i 5 1 .11,1411144 111'114VIr, how. ever, or make a marriage without the co onsent of the author cities, she would reliantly lose this position, one, probably, net DMA eoveted ; indeed. she was said to have narrowly escatwol Ulan the will's of a Tutuilan dandy, who had al tuest rrsuatled her to eltope with him. Apia, a village of Upolit, another of the Sit moan group, is now the residence of Mr. Pritehard, of Tahitian notoriety, who, report says, has recently been converted to Roman ism. From the Samoan Islands the Hetrannoh proceeded to the Tonga or Friendly Islands, visited by Captain Cook in 1774. Two of these islands, Vionin and ilapai, are now completely Christianised, though in the third, Tonga ' tabu, or " The Sacred: there still exists a strong heathen party. The Feejees, the next group visited by the Harannah, are the first, in coining front the • eastward, in which we find the Polynesian negro, the black, as opposed to the copper coloured, or proper Polynesian. This group L was first regularly surveyed by the United States Exploring Expedition in ls4o. It con sists of nearly One hundred inhabited islands of all sizes. lu the smaller islands," says Captain Erskine, " forming the eastward or windward division, the W,,b b leyans ere ra . " pidly succeeding in the work of conversion. but the great mikjority of the inhabitants of the larger island:4 are systematically ad " dieted to bloodshed and cannibalism, to s. " degree not generally believed by civilised " nations, and which. indeed, may be said " scarcely to admit of exaggeration. in pro " portion, however, as they surpass the neigh .. bowing people of this ocean in the !wittily° " of these vices, do they exhibit their supe " riority in energy. intelligenee, and a know " ledge of the useful arts; mid it may be " questioned if this race, which seems to differ " wore intellectually than physically from the " African negro, be not pre-eminently that ono " of the Paeitie capable of the highest degroo " of rational civilisation." " siek of blots stoo•kiuint hortitleo (H' rails N s, gas, serno, loot consols, No on' %hero the wad,. So sings Bon ti,utltier. If he has not yet started, which we are inclined to doubt, in con sequenee of some reeemt intelligenee front the domains of Poesy, we should rceionmend him to choose the Samoans for the present rather than the Feejtatas, in spite of the dormant capabilities of the latter. The islands last visited, however, by Captain Erskine, New Caledonia, the New Hebrides, and the Loyalty Islands, have Unite interest for us at. present than any of the other groups. Comparatively unknown from the date of their discovery till the existence of sandalwood in most of them was ascertained about 10 4 25, they have till within the last few years been the scene of all the shameful anal discreditable pntetieem earried on by the erews of the trading vessels, who, as Captain Erskine says, " have often shown themselves in no way behind the blacks in cruelty and treachery, and indeed, with the sole exception of cannibalism, in the practice of all the vices we generally ascribe to savages." The story in all has been one, and the result the saute:—" Several British vessels " have been out off by the natives, from mo " lives either of cupidity or revenge, and minty " lives are still lost on either side." Still, however, the natives are gentle enough if well seated; and two large trading establishments, formed and conduetAal upon more generous and less diabolical principles—the onto by Mr. Itaddon, an Englishman, at Anciteum, the southernmost of the New Hebrides ; and the other by Mr. Towns, a merchant of Sydney, on the Isle of l'ineit—are not only in themselves thriving, but have opened their respective neighbourloands to Europeans, who reside there now in perfect safety. What hope there is for the future we learn front the fol lowing extract : The present Bishop of New Zealand, who, with unei ionpleol daring and olevo 16111 ill the Cause of Floristiontity, has o dready Isar made I wo sueeessful ‘oyages UI the New II elotioles, New enlesloonin, nod the IslOylilt) group, in esso•l %.;:t I sms. 1 lei I bra en.w of four witirtneil wen. taking Welt with hint to his diocese, for eoluestion, so•vernl willing Inds foot, the different hobnob', 111114 100 bilhif 1 , 1141 the urigillHtur of a better orgsnimisol and moon extended ststem, 1114. AlleVll4l4 of which, if his valuable lifts he spared for n few youEs, 11111 homily be doubtful ; and it is to be ho ped we shall also, throsigh his itootnimentelity, lOW • 1111/1011,1•41•11 of 11111/ lii Rot information OD the subjeet of the Melanesian people, ;of Awing+ the hollowing journal but a bast) mad imperfect sketch. We bitVe been so hi kilt up with the subject matter of the book itself that we have said but little of the author. This is, perhaps, as nmeh to his praise as anything we could say inure directly ; for in a —litho of this nature, whieh is not, and is not intended to be, a per sonal one, the modesty whirls refuses to mako "I " the prominent letter of the alphabet throughout the book is much to be avian!. elated. The narrative is clear and unaffected, and the whole book most interesting. Coalition Cabinets, Past and Present. A Letter h► the Earl qf Aberdeen. Second Edition London: .loho mortimer. 311Eler. are some people who think that tho Taws of the republic of letters are almost as clipricious and inconstant as those of the world of Fashion, and that the modem of think. wg in the first are often as whimsical as those f