The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1856-02-19 00:00:00

ANTIDOTE TO THE SLAVE TRADE.

One chapter: in the history of botany still remains to be
written,—that showing the direct and indirect influence the
occurrence of a plant exercises on the moral and physical
condition of a country. A subject more redundant with
interest, a task more grateful to the phytologist, could hardly
be selected. A few leaves from the history of the oil-palm of
Africa will serve to illustrate this idea. The state of debase-
meat of the Negro races of Africa has long been a subject of
great concern to philanthropists, and numerous schemes have
been tried to raise them to the rank of intelligent beings, but
all have hitherto proved an utter failure,—a failure chiefly to
be ascribed to the fact that the natural resources of that
country were either entirely unknown, or, if known, so little
developed, that legitmate commerce on a large scale could not
be established. The traffic in slaves was found more profit-
able than that of other indigenous productions, and as long as
that was the case the establishment of society on a more
rational and firmer basis than that hitherto existing was out
of the-question. At last a ray of hope seems to glimmer, at
least for "Western Africa. A production scattered over that coun-
try with a bountiful hand has been found, the exportation of
which yields returns more ample than those of the abominable
traffic in human beings; and hence it may be fairly expected
that the selfish love of gain will tend to bring about that
reform in the social state of those degraded people, which un-
selfish philanthropy has failed to accomplish. The African
palm-oil, the production here alluded to, has, indeed, long been
sought after by Europeans, but it did not assume that im-
portance, either directly or indirectly, which it now claims,
until the introduction of new processes for manufacturing
atearic candles from it, first applied by Price's Patent Candle
Company, at Vauxhall, near London. By the introduction of
these and similar processes, palm-oil has become an article of
so much demand, and the trade in it has assumed such dimen-
sions, that it employs no less than 20,000 tons of shipping
from Liverpool alone. " The inhabitants of a vast extent of
coast," says Capt. Forbes, "have been led to give up the slave
trade; and why? Because they have been taught the im-
mense increase of the value of the palm-oil trade over that of
slaves."

The growing importance of palm-oil has received a
great impetus since the outbreak of the war with
Russia, which, cutting off to a great extent our sup-
plies of tallow from the North of Europe, has caused
a great increase in the consumption of palm-oil ; and
this article, from the peculiarity of some of its quali-
ties, is found more suitable for some of the purposes
to which tallow was previously applied. The position
it has thus accidentally, as it were, been made to
assume, is not likely to be lost ; on the contrary, it is
more probable that its consumption will continue to
increase as our manufacturers become more familiar
with its many and valuable qualities. In the extract
last given we see glimpses of that moral sunshine
which philanthropists have prayed for the dawn of on
the shores of benighted Africa ; and in a progressive
extension of the palm-oil culture we may look for a
further advancement of the social, the moral, and the
religious condition of the long-betrayed and degraded
negro.
The book under review is one abounding with in-
teresting facts, which are useful and instructive to
every class, but which are peculiarly important to
a mercantile community like that of Liverpool. It is
well arranged, and judiciously as well as pleasingly
written.

Sinai and Palestine in Connexion with their His-
tory. By Arthur Penrhyn Stanley, M.A. With
Maps and Plans. London :John Murray.

The object sought to be accomplished by the writer
of this book was a verification of Scripture narrative
by a careful study of the localities in which the lead-
ing events of the Israelitish pilgrimage took place.
To effect this object, the author betook himself; in a
great degree, to trace the route followed by the
Israelites in their journey from Egypt to Canaan.
The book does not consist of a diary of what its
reverend author did or saw, but it consists of carefully-
digested remarks upon scenes and circumstances
which he had noted and studied with attention. He
says, " the background of the whole history of the
Israelites" is to be found in the land of Egypt ; and
here. he commences his researches. As the children
of Israel themselves did, our author passes on through
Egypt to Palestine, and on his route he pauses fre-
quently to mark and learn ; and, in all, he so combines
history and geography as to render his narrative and
illustrations consonant with the Mosaic account,

which he does without introducing strained effects or
illogical conclusions. A favourable example of the
calm gravity of his inquiry will be found in the sub-
joined observations as to the spot on which the
Israelites were encamped when Moses received
THE COMMANDMENTS ON MOUNT SINAI.
If the Wady Feiran, from its palm-grove and its brook, be
marked out as the first long halting-place of Israel, the high
valleys of Gebel Mousa, with their abundant springs, no less
mark out the second. The great thoroughfare of the Desert,
the longest, and widest, and most continuous of all the valleys,
the Wady Es-Sheykh, would lead the great bulk of the host,
with the flocks and herds, by the more accessible though more
circuitous route into the central upland; whilst the chiefs of
the people would mount directly to the same point by the
Nakb Howy, and all would meet in the Wady Er-Raheh, the
" enclosed plain" in front of the magnificent cliffs of the Theis
Sasafeh. It is possible that the end of the range Furei'a, to
which the Arab guides give the name of "Sena," may have a
better claim than the Ras Sasafeh, from the fact that it com-
mands both the Wady Er-Raheh and the Wady Es-Sheykh ;
and that alone of those peaks it appears to retain a vestige of
the name of "Sinai." It is said to contain a level platform
with trees, and undoubtedly any future traveller will do well
to explore it. But no one who has approached the Ras
Sasafeh through that noble plain, or who has looked down
-upon the plain from that majestic height, will willingly part
with the belief that these are the two essential features of the
! 'view of the Israelite camp. That such a plain should exist at
all in front of such a cliff is so remarkable a coincidence with
the sacred narrative, as to furnish a strong internal argument,
not merely of its identity with the scene, but of the scene
itself having been described by an eye-witness. The awful
and lengthened approach, as to some natural sanctuary, would
have been the fittest preparation for the coming scene. The
' low line of alluvial mounds at the foot of the cliff exactly
answer to the " bounds" which were to keep the people off
from " touching the Mount." The plain itself is not broken
and uneven and narrowly shot in, like almost all others in the
range, but presents a long retiring sweep, against which the
people could "remove and stand afar off." The cliff, rising
like a huge altar, in front of the whole congregation, and
visible against the sky in lonely grandeur from end to end of
the whole plain, is the very image of " the mount that might
be touched," and from which the voice of God might be heard
far and wide over the stillness of the plain below, widened at
that point to its utmost extent by the confluence of all the
I contiguous valleys. Here, beyond all other parts of the Penin-
sula, is the adytum, withdrawn as if in the " end of the
1 world," from all the stir and confusion of earthly things.
And as in the Wady Feirfin "the bill" of Paran may be taken
as fixing with some degree of probability the scene of Rephi-
dim, so there are some details of the plain of Er-Raheh which
remarkably coincide with the scene of the worship of the
Golden Calf, evidently the same as that of the encampment at
the time of the delivery of the law. In this instance the tra-
ditional locality is happily chosen. A small eminence at the
entrance of the convent valley is marked by the name of
Aaron, as being that from which Aaron surveyed the festival
on the wide plain below. This tradition, if followed out,
would of necessity require the encampment to be in the Wady
Er-Raheh, as every other circumstance renders probable. But
there are two other points which meet here, and nowhere
else. First, Moses is described as descending the mountain
without seeing the people; the shout strikes the ear of his
companion before they ascertain the cause ; the view bursts
upon him suddenly as he draws nigh to the camp, and he
throws down the tables and dashes them in pieces "beneath
the Mount." Such a combination might occur in the Wady
Er-Raheh. Any one coming down from one of the secluded
basins behind the Ras Sasafeh, through the oblique gullies
which flank it on the north and south, would hear the sounds
borne through the silence from the plain, but would not see
the plain itself till he emerged from the Wady Ed-Deir or the
Wady Leja; and when he did so, he would be immediately
under the precipitous cliff of Sasafeh. Further, we are told
that Moses strewed the powder of the fragments of the idol
on the "waters" of the "brook that came down out of the
mount." This would be perfectly possible in the Wady Er-
Ritheh, into which issues the brook of the Wady Lejil, descend-
ing, it is true, from Mount St. Catherine, but still in suffi-
ciently close connection with the Gebel Mousa to justify the
expression, " Coming down out of the Mount." These two
coincidences, which must be taken for what they are worth,
would not occur either at Serbal or in the Wady Sebayeh.
In the case of the former, although there is the brook from
the Wady Aleyat, which would probably meet the description,
there is no corresponding contiguity of the encampment. In
the case of the latter, both are wanting.
With great pains and caution, Mr. Stanley traces
the circumstances and, elucidates the localities of many
of the striking events which marked the sojourn of the
Israelites in the wilderness. Hetraces withpraiseworthy
accuracy the physical features of the country, and
from these cautiously draws illustrative conclusions.
His book will be one of great value to biblical scholars.
and will repay with gratifying intelligence a careful
perusal by the general reader. It is liberally illus-
trated by maps and plans, which are so constructed as
to convey a lively idea of the physical peculiarities of
the various districts ; including also, under this head,
the atmospheric effects of mountain district, of lake,

or valley,
Punch. Part CLXXV. London: The Punch Office.

The present part commences the thirtieth volume of
this really useful family miscellany. As has been the
case for a considerable time past, the war—the singu-
lar pretensions of
,the Austrian and Prussian neutrals
—and the " peace at any price" party at home, furnish
ample themes for the keen satire and graphic pencil
of the Punch party, who, while assiduously attending
to this branch of their foreign office, do not neglect
the home department, but are sensitively and cleverly
alive to the whims and oddities which prevail in our
various home circles. Every opportunity is taken to
" shoot folly as it flies," and no quarter is shown to
pretentious impudence. As usual, it abounds in fun
and racy humour, and its contents are so varied as to
meet the tastes of all.

The Family Economist, for Town and Country.

London : Office of the Family Economist.

This miscellany aims at being useful and amusing,
and its intention is modestly carried out. Valuable
hints on household economy, gardening and rural and
town affairs, interspersed with short tales and direc-
tions for cookery, form the staple of this cheap and
well-got-up miscellany.

CHARGE OF MANSLAUGHTER AGAINST Two ARMY
SURGEONS.—On the 14th, an inquest was held at the Queen's
Head, Brompton, on the body of William Stinson, a private
in the 38th Regiment, who, it was stated, met with his
death in the Garrison Hospital, in consequence of having had
a large dose of laudanum administered to him in mistake for
a dose of senna, and which mistake occurred in consequence
of the alleged culpable negligence of the surgeons on duty at
the hospital. It was also stated that another man to whom
the wrong medicine had also been given was not expected to
live. The jury returned a verdict of "Manslaughter" against
Augustus Frederick Turner and Henry Bedwell, and they
were committed to Maidstone gaol.
NEw CHURCH-RATES BILLS.—The first bill, the title of
which is too long for quotation, is brought in by Mr. Packe,
M.P., and the Marquis of Blandford, M.P. The preamble
recites the expediency of " abolishing church-rates made for
the support of the services of the church and making better
provision for the maintenance of the fabric and fittings of
parish churches," and on this distinction between the ex-
pense of supporting the " service" and the " fabric" of the
church the principle of this bill is based. Accordingly, no
church-rate is to be valid unless made for the " maintenance
and repair of the fabric of the church," or "the supply and
renewal of the necessary fittings" thereof. In the event of
the archdeacon notifying to the churchwardens that money is
required for the above purposes, and the neglect of the church-
wardens to take the hint by calling a vestry to make a rate
within two months of the notice, or the refusal of the vestry
to grant an adequate rate, the Court of Queen's Bench may
issue a writ of mandamus, compelling the levy of a church-
rate. The rates are to be assessed and levied like poor-rates,
and an appeal from the assessment will lie to the Court of
Quarter Sessions, although the latter tribunal will have no
power to decide on the validity of any rate ordered by man-
damus to be levied. Occupiers may deduct church-rates from
their rent, but, in the case of existing tenancies, the landlord
may balance the difference by adding it to his rent. Owners
of freehold estates may contract for the redemption of their
lands from the rates, and, when they have been levied annually
for 10 years, the redemption money is to be 20 years' purchase
of the average of 10 years, and where no annual rate has been
made, then 20 years' purchase of the rate, varying with the
number of sittings in the parish church. Lands will be for
ever free from the burden of church-rates, on payment of this
redemption money. This act is not to alter the liability of
any rector or lay owner of great tithes to repair the chancel of
a church as now required by law, nor will it enable a church-
rate to be made where the rate could not be made before the
passing of this act.

THE FIRE AT RANGOON.—We have the following from
Rangoon, dated the 19th of December, 1855 :—" The leading
feature of this fortnight's budget from Rangoon is undoubt-
edly the fact that on Monday week last one-half of this
rising city, and the richest portion of it, was consumed
and destroyed by fire. The fire broke out about 4 p.m.,
among some loose huts in an unfrequented part, and was
unhappily carried by a northerly wind then prevailing to
a row of two-storied wooden houses in Dalhousie-street ;
the height of the buildings was such as to cause the
flakes of fire to be easily carried across to the south side of
the street, though it was 100 feet broad, and here commenced
the terrific and rapid work of destruction, for the flames did
not cease till they had gutted the contents of every pucka'
building and destroyed every wooden one within a square
containing six streets, and covering one quarter of a square
mile. The military were on the spot within half-an-hour
of the fire breaking out, and some two or three fire-engines
were brought down. In the first place, there was no water,
the only one or two wells that happened to occur in that
neighbourhood (constructed by the Burmese before our rule
commenced) having been choked up with cocoanuts and
Burmese boxes, &c., to save them from the fire ; again, the
immense number of bamboo houses that were ignited burnt
with such rapidity and fury as to have rendered useless the
whole London fire brigade had it been there. The goods
inside several brick godowns' were destroyed by the ignition
of the roofs, which in many instances are composed of leaves.
Had the Moguls torn these roofs off in the first instance they
would have saved a great deal of their property. The com-
merce of the town has been thrown back, the merchants say,
at least two years, the native merchants are most of them
ruined, and the English firms who are their creditors on ac-
count of piece goods sold, but not paid for, are great sufferers.
Doubtless there will be done now what should have been
done before ; there will be reservoirs of water formed within
each square ; there will be also fire-engines ;there will be
also some restrictions against the erection of bamboo and
leaf huts near- valuable property the use of tiles will be
insisted on, and the civil authorities must not put a stop to
brick-kilns on the plea of their being a public nuisance.
The only comfortable view to take of this sad occurrence is,
that but for the happy cessation of the wind and the exer-
tions of two European officers and the soldiers, the whole
town would have been burnt, instead of half. Major Phayre
acknowledged in a very handsome letter the very valuable
aid contributed by the officers and soldiers of the garrison ;
indeed, from the Brigadier and Commissioner downwards,
every one lent a hand in pulling down huts and taking off
roofs.— Calcutta Englishman.