The Press.
London, England, 1855-02-10 00:00:00

142

(unless peculiarly affected by overshipment) be maintained
in a fair proportion to the yield of gold ; and it atands to
reason that, if all labour in the diggings is compensated
proportionately with that of the digger, it is better for a
working man to labour at the trade be understands. The
uncertainty of the miner's life is thus avoided, and if the
profits are sometimes smaller, that is more then compen-
sated for by regularity ; for it is an extraordinary fact
that, let the diggings fall off as they will, the miners will
still require bread and breeches, and will find the money to
pay for them.
• • • • •

It is requisite for an emigrant of superior class that he
should possess at least three qualifications independent of
his abilities—viz., a small amount of capital, a good con-
stitution, and an absence of all pride but that which nerves
a man to accomplish all that he undertakes honestly, be it
what it may. Such a man is an acquisition to a colony,
and if his fortunes are adverse he is an exception to the
rule.

A few plain, homely sentences like these would
have more effect upon the emigrants of the
labouring class than any persuasions " not to
"go to the diggings." Go to the diggings is
the best advice to be given to a man proceed
ing to a gold country, and see and work for
yourself, and reflection will soon teach you
that, when once you have earned a little
capital, your own trade is the easier and more
certain of the two.
The book is illustrated with some most
graphic and humorous woodcuts, and with
several excellently-painted pictures of San
Francisco. The narrative is ♦ery entertaining,
and much sound information on the countries
visited, together with a plentiful fund of
amusement, will be found in this lively and
carefully-produced volume.

A Journal of the Swedish Embassy in the Years
1.653 and 1654. Impartially Written by the
Ambassador Bulstrode Whitelocke. A New
Edition. London : Longmans.
As this work, though excellent of its class, is
not widely known, the first edition having
been printed so far back as 1772, we may be
excused for noticing it at some length. It is
of d. üble worth, as pi esenting us with some
valuable notices of Cromwell and his policy
and of the Court of Sweden during the reign
of Queen Christina, when really governed oy
the Chancellor Oxenstiern.
The writer of this journal, known as Lord
Commissioner Whitelocke, was a lawyer, anti
early sided. with the Parliamentary party in
the contest with Charles I. He rose with the
fortunes of his cause, though never committed
to its extreme acts. He was named one of
the committee of thirty-eight to draw up the
charge against the King, but never attended,
and managed to escape all participation in the
proceedings of the " High Court of Justice."
Subsequently he was favourable to the restora-
tion of the Royal Family, and, as it is stated
in the memoir prefixed to this journal of his
embassy, advised Cromwell not to assume the
title of King, and persuaded him to enter into
a private treaty with Charles 11. This advice,
with some other candid statements of his
opinion, induced Cromwell to think that he
might be profitably employed on a foreign
mission, and, notwithstanding his disinclina-
tion to go abroad, he was ordered to proceed
on a embassy to Sweden to conclude a treaty
of alliance with the Queen.

The early part of this journal, written by
Whitelocke with great candour, is occupied,
with his doubts us to the course he should'
pursue. He was very unwilling to proceed,
yet he dared not refuse. His wife and daughter
entreated him to stay, and in the midst of his
perplexity he seems to have been mainly de-
cided by the common-sense counsel of an old
servant of his house. This bit of dialogue
between Whitelocke and his faithful William
Cooke shows the notion entertained at the
time of Croon% ell's power by the common
people :

Whitelocke : I perceive you are not so much against my
going as others are.
Cooke : I see no cause to be much against it, that's the
truth on't ; because I hope it may be for the good of you
and yours, which I wish with all my heart. and ever did.
Whitelocke : But do not you think it would be more for
our good for me to stay at home?
Cooke : That you know best ; but this I think, that if by
going abroad you may gain a good advantage to your state,
and by staying al home yon will only spend of it, then it
will be more for your good to go abroad than to stay at
home. But these till ogy are above me.
Whitelocke :,You speak reason, William.