The Press.
London, England, 1853-08-06 00:00:00

THE PRESS.

Do not covet ;
The great God
Will strictly carry out his laws.
Those who obey Heaven's commands
Will enjoy celestial happiness ;
Those who are grateffil for Divine favours
Will receive Divine support.
Heaven blesses the good,
And curses the bad ;
Little children,
Maintain correct conduct.
The correct are men.
The corrupt are inn's.
Little children,
Seek to avoid disgrace.
God loves the upright,
And he hates the vicious :
Little children,
De careful to avoid error.
'The great God
Sees everything.
If you wish to enjoy happiness,
Refine and correct yourselves.

THE AZTECS.
TO THE EDITOR OE " THE PREPS."

Hanover-scram Rooms, Aug. 4, 1859.
Sir,—We (the guardians of the Aztec Illiputians)
are anxious to correct some mistatements which
occur in the letter of " A Traveller " in your impres-
sion of last week.

"A Traveller," in his critique as to the Aztec chil-
dren, characterises them as a "got-up trick," and infers
that they are therefore unworthy of public patronage,
in reply to which we would quote from a published
letter of Professor Owen, who examined the little
beings most minutely at their private residence.
Mr. Owen says—" They are objects of peculiar in-
terest to the physiologist and naturalist," and that they
have " a character of peculiar singularity which
cannot fail to surprise and gratify all beholders."
It has been our object from the first to satisfy the
public mind that they are no impostures, by submit-
ting them to the examination of all the scientific
men of the metropolis, and by taking them before
the Ethnological and other learned societies, by
whom they have been regarded with the gravest
attention. Your correspondent declares it to be im-
possible to guess either their sex or age ; but while
the sex of each is easily discernible when the spec-
tator surmounts the difficulty of their peculiar dress,
their age has been determined with comparative ease
by every physiologist who has examined them. "A
Traveller" next asserts that the head of either is
"smaller than that of a new-born baby." Now, the
smaller head of the two is as large as that of a Euro-
pean child one month old. And, as to the statement
which lie makes of the face protruding " like that of
a negro or a monkey," and it being difficult to con-
jecture " whether they belong to human beings, or
to some new species of baboon," it is one of their
most remarkable anatomical peculiarities that the
lower jaw does not project like that of the negro, but
recedes most markedly so as to form a second facial
angle at the lower part of the face. And, with reference
to their being suggestive of a new species of baboon,
Professor Owen, in the letter above referred to, dis-
tinctly says—" These children manifest no charac-
teristics which ally them more closely than other
human beings to the brute creation." Your corre-
spondent declares their appearance to be disgusting.
This we can assure you is not the opinion of the
majority of visitors, as you may convince yourself by
visiting the room. On the contrary, it is one of our
greatest difficulties to keep them from being mal-
treated in the vigorous efforts of our visitors to
obtain the favour of an Aztec kiss. We would also
submit that when taken to the Palace her Majesty
remained an hour with them, and that they obtained
special approbation from Prince Albert, whose
artistic taste did not appear to be offended by their
presence.
With regard to the story of their discovery by
Velasquez, to which " A Traveller" refuses his cre
dence, it is given as we received it. From Velasquez
we obtained both the children and the story. Throw
aside the story and we have nothing to tell you about
the children. Nor, indeed, does anybody else seem
able to assist us in such a dilemma, or to tell us
whence the children came or what their history.
When we are provided with such information wo
shall he very happy to impart it. As it is, Velasquez
is our only "guide, philosopher, and friend." Your
correspondent calls in question that part of his story
which can be most easily substantiated. We mean
the existence of the mysterious city. He can believe
in a village, but will not accept a whole city, while he
finds the fact of its existence corroborated, not by
Stephens only, but by Bernal Diaz, by Gage, by
Judge Kennedy in the Literary Gazette of July 16,
and by any one who has been to Belize and talked
with the Indians there.

We are disposed to believe that your correspondent
would not willingly have made a mihtatement to our
injury, and that he will not consider our reply to him
criticism to be impertinent, while we rely upon your
murtesy for its insertion.—We are, air, your obedient
servants, Josarn Moms.
Jogs HUM ANDZIIO2I.

THE CAMP AT CHOBITAM.
THE past has been a busy week at the camp. Wed-
nesday was the only day of rest, if such it could be
called when the troops, released from active ma-
nteuvrings, were busily occupied in preparing for the
operations which her Majesty was to witness on the
following morning. Saturday and Monday were
devoted to held evolutions, the particular hypothesis
on which they were conducted being that of a re-
treat, accomplished in the presence of a superior and
advancing foe, whose numbers and success, however,
did not prevent the army from retiring in a most
orderly manner, with frequent brilliant onslaughts
upon their antagonists as occasions offered, and ulti-
mately gaining the entrenchments, where the enemy
knew better than to attack them.
On Tuesday there was a fierce and prolonged
assault upon the cantonments, whence, at. the end,
the enemy were repulsed with great slaughter.
Thursday witnessed the restoration of its early
glories to the heath by the presence of the Queen,
and some thousand visitors. Prince Albert, the
Prince of Wales, and the Crown Prince of Wurtem-
berg also accompanied her Majesty to the camp.
The manoeuvres appointed for the day, moreover,
presented some novelties in the char of attacks
upon entrenchments, field works, de., in which the
British army, as represented at Chobham, had not
hitherto been exercised. A number of men had been
employed during the precious afternoon in throwing
up an entrenchment on • hill opposite the royal
pavilion. Upon this a grand series of attacks were
directed, and it was generally supposed that the in-
tention was to storm it and blow it up—(the electric
wires for this latter operat. being on the field)—
but the works not being quite completed this part of
the performance did not take place, the whole of the
manoeuvres of the day resolving themselves into a
series of very brilliant advances under cover of artil.
lery, and as rapid retreats under protection of cavalry,
the latter force making a most gallant display,
thanks to the indefatigable energy of the Duke of
Cambridge, who, on one occasion, led the whole body
of horse, thundering in full charge, up the opposite
hill, as if, like another Murat, lie would have taken
the battery at a gallop. The conibination of the
Royal Horse Guards Blue and the Scots Greys in
one charge had a remarkably fine effect.
The manieuvres of a short and brilliant field-day—
a kind of pike de eireonidance invented for the occa-
sion, to show the points of strategy in a little time
and within a small space—being concluded, the
troops defiled before her Majesty. The Queen
exhibited great interest, anti replied with much ani-
mation to numerous questions put to her by the young
Princes.

At half-past two her Majesty remounted her
charger and proceeded along the lines of the Guards'
encampment to the royal tent on Magnet-hill, where
luncheon was prepared. After due refreshment the
Royal party walked to the spot where the bands of
the several regiments in camp were all assembled
together, a group of Highland pipers standing at a
short distance. lly her Majesty's suggestion the
collected bands now performed in concert a selection
of favourite pieces. Her Majesty then quitted the
camp amidst reiterated cheers from the soldiers and
spectators.
Previous to leaving the ground Prince Albert
shook hands with Lord Seaton, and expressed the
high satisfaction of her Majesty and himself at the
appearance of the troops, and the skilful manner in
which the various manoeuvres of the day had been
conducted.

It is stated that the encampment will be broken
up finally on the 25th inst.; and it is also rumoured
that on the pith Lord Seaton will resign the command
of the troops to the I►uke of Cambridge.