The Press. — London, England, 1857-04-04 00:00:00

APRIL 4, 185'' praise. The comparative criticism on Mr. Disraeli, Sir E. B. Lytton, Dickens, and Thackeray, is remarkably well written, though we do not entirely agree with it. The Art Journal contains a great variety of matter. We have only had time to look through Part IV. of " The Book of the Thames," which takes in the part between Bablock Hithe and Godstow. We can say from personal experience that this portion is accu rately described, and the illustrations on the whole exceedingly good, especially Ensham-bridge and Godstow-bridge. The ruins of Godstow Nunnery, the burial-place of Fair Rosamond, are not quite so lifelike. The engraving conveys the impression of there being many more trees round the old walls than there really are. We doubt also whether it has been taken from the best point of view. " Osney Lock " forms a very pretty sketch. The principal illustrations are " The Ministering Angels," "The Harvest Field," and "Beatrice Cenci." The Eclectic contains a very good paper upon "Dutch History and Literature," and a very bad one upon " Liturgies and Free Prayer." A review of Mr. Thornbury's translation of the " Wandering Jew," and " Travels in Australasia," are average articles; but the number is deficient in light literature. The Churchman's Magazine. The principal at traction of this ably conducted magazine continues to be the biography of Bishop Blomfied. But all the other papers will be found useful and interesting to Churchmen. A curious case of sharp practice on the part of the Dean and Chapter of Rochester towards the parish of Goudhurst will be found at p. 232. PUBLICATIONS RECEIVED.—APRIL '2. nanxs. The Adventures of a Cat. Alfred Elwes. Addey and Co. A Twine of Wayside Ivy. Moxon The Balance of Beauty. Jane Kennedy. Kent and Co. Principles of Natural Theology. ltimington The Metaphysicians—?llemoi►s of Franz Carve! and Harold Fremdliny. Longmana _ _ . The Election Manual for Ewjland and Wales. Shaw and Sons Songs of!& Jaimliers and Roundheads, Jacobite Ballads, 4c. G. W. Thornbury. Hurst and Blackett Conversations on Topics of Interest Between Two Friends. Saunders and Otley The Eve of SI. Mark. A Romance of Venice. Thomas I)oubleday. Two vols. Smith and Elder The Principles of Currency and Banking. Groombridge Modern English Literature, its Blemishes and Defects. H. H. Green, Esq., F.S.A. Longman: Kansas ; or, Squatter Life anu Border Warfare in the Far West. Thomas H. Gladstone. Routledge . . Oliver Cromwell's Letters and Speeches. Thomas Carlyle. — Chapman and Hall Lives of the Lord Chancellors and Keepers of the Great Seal. By John Lord Campbell, LL.D., F.R.S.E. Murray The Annotated Edition of the English Poets. Robert Bell. Alma Theresa. David M'Culluch. U5Zt. John W. Parker Hall and Virtue ROYAL ITALIAN OPERA. Mn. GvE has issued his prospectus for the eleventh season of the Royal Italian Opera, the opening night of which will be Tuesday, the 14th inst., at the Lyceum. The director thus refers to the rebuilding of Coventgarden Theatre : Mr. Gye trusts, however, that for the season 1858, he will be able to restore to the Royal Italion Opera a home equal, if not superior, to that of which it has been de prived ; in the meant►me, he begs most respectfully to entreat the continuance of that warm and generous support which has so long been accorded to him, and without which he would scarcely have had the fortitude to battle with the consequences of the calamity of last year. The engagements have already been noticed in THE PRE3 9 ; they includ e th e o ld f avo ur i t es , Grist, Marai, Devries, as sopranos and contralto; Mario, Baraldi, Soldi, and Gardoni, tenors ; Ron coni, Graziani, Formes, Zelger, Polonini, Tegliafico, and Lablache, baritones and basses. The new corners will be Mlle. Parer', a grand-daughter of Seguin, so many years at Her Majesty's Theatre, and Mlle. Victoire Belie, a daughter of the well known composer of that name. Cerito anti Plunkett are the principal dancers, and a new one is specified, Mdle. Delechaux. As already announced in these columns, Auber's Fra Diavolo and Herold's Zampa will be the novelties, and Cimarosa's Il Matrimonio, and Donizetti's Don Pasquale will be revived for Lablache. Verdi's Traviata is to be introduced for Bosio, who has created a sensation at St. Petersburg in that work, and for Graziani and Mario, who so materially aided Piccolomini, in Paris, in the cast. Costa has the satne orchestral and choral force at his disposal as last year, and the revival of La Nozze di Figaro and Don Giovanni will afford him the best opportunities of developing their finest attri butes. With Ristori's tragic delineations, and the Crystal Palace Concerts, Mr. Gye will be enabled to make his season, until he can pitch his tent defini tively on the site of the old establishment. THE PRESS. Choral singing is making rapid strides in the metropolis. Last Tuesday night there were two grand demonstrations, the one at Exeter-hall, under the directio❑ of Mr. Hickson, and the other at the Music.liall, in Store-street, under the guidance of Mr. Benedict. The somewhat affected title of " Tonic Sol-Fa Association "is given to Mr. Hick4on's choral forces, who study under a very ancient system, turned t , ) popular account by Miss Glover, of Nor wich, and the Rev. Mr. Curwen, of Plaistow. Mr. Benedict's choir is called "The Vocal Association," and the notion is to employ the fine voices, which undoubtedly exist in this country, in the same way as the " Liedertufel" societies in Germany. From the displays made by the association, at the private hearing, it was palpable that Teutonic ama tours must look to their laurels—our amateurs will run them hard in part singing. The "Association" counts about 270 members. The intonation was generally good; and if the male altos could be en tirely dispensed with, 4. would be a great gain. Finer accent, greater p Mon, and better colouring than had ever before been attained, were the un deniable attributes of this novel combination. The trio in A, op. '27, by Silas, for pianoforte (Bauer), violin (Ernst), and violoncello (Piatti), was the event at the final Musical Union soiree. This fine work fully confirms every previous expression as to the abilities of Silas. Mr. Aguilar has been delighting his admirers with a pianoforte soiree, and Madame Oury has held another "seance musicale," in which she introduced a well-arranged fantasia on the popular Trovatore themes. A concert on a large scale at the Surrey Gardens, by Mr. G. Tedder, the tenor; an evening concert by the charming ballad singer, Miss Poole, at the Hanover•square•rooms, and the first of Dr. Wylde's New Philharmonic concerts, have been the other musical events of the week. A rococo serenade for wind instruments, by Mozart, exquisitely executed, was introduced in the New Philharmonic programme—it had nothing but the name to recommend it. Mr. Barnett's per formance of Mendelssohn's pianoforte concerto in G minor, in place of a Mlle. Staudach, from Vienna, who was prevented from playing by illness, was a most attractive item. Mme. Gassier was the vocalist, and was out of voice; and gymnastic variations with the vocal organ, unless done with perfect intonation and precision, are unbearable. HER MAJESTY . 3 THEATRE opens on Tuesday the 14th of Apiil. The inaugural p=rformances will be Donizetti's opera of La Favorita, in which Spezia and Giuglini have taken by storm the connoisseurs of the Imperial Court of Austria during its recent sojourn iu Milan. Mile. Pocchini will also make her debut on the opening night as an aspirant for Terpsichorean fame, and, with a courage which is said to be fully justified by her beauty and accom plishments, she has selected for her first appearance the character of La Esmei &do. THE PERSIAN EXPEDITION. THE intelligence of an engagement fought between the British and Persian troops at a place called Kooshab on the Bth ult., has reached us this week. Sir James Outram, learning that a large body of Persians, under the command of Soojah•ool Moolk in person, was hovering around Bushire, resolved at once to bring matters to an issue. The troops, consisting of the 3rd Cavalry, the Poonah Horse, the 04th Foot, the 2nd European Light Infantry, the 78th Highlanders, the Sappers and Miners, the 20th Native Infantry, the 4th Rifles, the 26th Native Infantry, the Beloochees, 3rd troop Horse Artillery, 3rd and sth Light Field Batteries—numbering ) all 410 sabres, 2,212 European Infantry, 2,02 . 2 Native Infantry, and IS guns, marched from Bushire on the evening of the 3rd of February. They were without tents or extra clothing of any sort; each man carried his great-coat, blanket, and two days' cooked pro visit ns. Sir James Outram, in an official despatch of Feb. 10th, details the proceedings : 10. After a march of forty.six miles in forty-one hours, during which the troops were exposed to the worst of weather, cold nights, and deluging storms of rain, they reached the enemy's intrenched position on the afterno , m of the sth, and found it abandoned; the enemy, on hear ing of our approach, had evacuated his intrenchments the previous night so precipitately that his tents and camp equipage and ordnance magazines were left behind. The former were being rapidly carried off by village plunderers operating for some hours before we arrived. I endeavoured to intercept the retreat of some of the " Eilkhanee's Horse, who had held the camp during the night, and were still in sight, and a little skirmishing took place, but even• tually they made off. 11. The enemy having succeeded in withdrawing their guns to the strong passes, where I did not deem it prudent to follow them, and being satisfied with the moral effect of our occupying their position for two days, I decided upon moving the troops back to Bushire. The return march was accordingly commenced on the night of the 7th, first destroying their magazines, found to contain about 40,0001b5. of powder with small•arm ammunition and a vast quantity of shot and shell, and carrying away large :43 stores of flour, rice, and grain, which the Persian Govern went had been collecting for a long time past for their army, thereby effectually crippling their future operations. Some of their guns are supposed to have been cast into wells, and as their wheels and axles fell into our bands, it will be impossible they can be used again for Cie present. 12. At midnight an attack was wade upon the rear guard by the enemy's horse, and parties threatened the line of march on every side. The troops were halted, and so formed as to protect the baggage, and resist the horsemen in whatever direction they might attempt to charge. Four of the enemy's guns of heavy metal opened their fire upon the column, while the darkness of the night prevented any steps being taken to capture them. 13. 1 should here state that, on abandoning their posi tion, Soojah-ool•Dtoolk, with his force, had taken the direct road to Shiraz by the " 111hak " Pass, and the Eilkhanee with his horse had retired by the one leading to the' Huft Moolla," and from information subsequently received, I learn that they had planned a combined attack upon our camp the night we marched! Indeed, the explosion of their magazines gave them the first intimation of our departure, when they hastened after us in the expectation o: being able to attack us on the line of march, and possibly create confusion and panic in the dark. 14. At daybreak the Persian force, amountir.g to be- tween 6,0(K) and 7,0(X) men, with some guns, was discovered on our rear left (north•east of our line of march) in order of battle. 15. Our artillery and cavalry at once moved rapidly to the attack, supported by two lines of infantry, a third pro tecting the bag gage. The fi ring of the artillery was mos t excellent, an d did great execution ; the cavalry brigade twice charged with great gallantry and success ; a standard of the Kashkai Regular Infantry Regiment was captured by the Poona!' Horse, and the 3rd Light Cavalry charged a square and killed nearly the whole regiment ; indeed, upon the cavalry and artillery fell the whole brunt of the action, as the enemy moved away too rapidly for the in fantry to overtake them. By ten o'clock the defeat of the Persians was complete. Two guns were captured, the gun ammunition, laden upon mules, fell into our hands, and at least seven hundred men lay dead upon the field. The number of wounded could not be ascertained, but A must have been very large. The remainder fled in a disorganised state, generally throwing away their arms, which strewed the field in vast numbers, and nothing but the paucity of our cave]," prevented their total destruction and the cap ture of the remaining guns. Id. The troops bivouacked for the day close to the battle-field, and at night accomplished a march of twenty miles (by another route) over a country rendered almost impassable by the heavy rain which fell incessantly. After a rest of six hours, the greater portion of the infantry con. tinned their march to Bushire, which they reached before midnight, thus performing another most arduous march of forty-four miles under incessant ram, besides figbtirg and defeating the enemy during its progress, within the short period of fifty hours. The cavalry and artillery reached camp this morning.—l have the honour to be, &c., J. OUTRAM, Lieutenant-General, Commanding Expeditionary Force. Total Killed—Europeans, 8 ; Natives, 7. Total Wounded—Europeans, 31 ; Natives, 31. Grand Total—Killed, 10 ; wounded, 0.2-72. Died of Wounds since the Action-3 Europeans at 4 3 Natives. M. Srovem., Superintending Surgeon. The name of the officer killed is Lieuienant A. C. Frankland, of the 2nd European Regiment and Acting Brigade Major of Cavalry, Field Force. Among the officers wounded were Captain J. Forbes, :3rd Light Cavalry, ball through right thigh severely ; Captain 11. Mockler, Her Majesty's 64th Regiment, contusion of calf of right leg front a round-shot ; Lieuten ant J. Greentree, Her Majesty's 64th Regi ment, seriously, by a round shot, which caused loss of left foot; Ensign Wooicock, 2nd European Regi ment Light Infantry, slightly, gunshot, left shin ; and Assistant-Surgeon J. M. Barnett, 26th Regi ment Native Infrantry, slightly, by spent ball, right arm. This brilliant affair was to be followed up by another expedition te Mohammerch, at the mouth of the Karun, where a strong Persian force is collected. It is hoped, however, that intelligence of the conclu sion of peace will arrive in time to prevent any fur ther effusion of blood. A letter from the camp of the 18th February says : I understand that Soojah 001-lloolk has been disgraced, and that an army of 30.000 men is being collected just below the mountain passes. Nothing would be more oppor tune than the descent of this army into the plains, since there can be little doubt but that our troops would give them a severe handling, and thereby open a more easy transit through the passes. A messenger who has just reached Bushire states that tire banks of the river near Dalike were strewed with hundreds of the wounded from the battle below Borazgsum, but which, having occurred nearer to the village of Kushab, may with more propriety be called the Battle of Kushab. THE WAR IN CHINA. LETTERS from Hong Kong to 17th Feb. make no mention of any material change in the state of affair. The China Mail of the 15th Feb. has the following statement with respect to the intentions of the Chinese Government:— We understand that a paper has been forwarded hither from Canton as well as from the North, purporting to be a decree of the Emperor. It directs the high authorities of the coast provinces to be on the a err hut m t to alarm the people ; etpresses connilence ii Yeh', lo,owledge of the barbarian, and his coisequent, capacity to settle this