The Press.
London, England, 1854-06-03 00:00:00

THE PRESS.

reign of a man desirous of elevating the character of his coun-
trymen in the scale of civilised nations, or of contributing to
their commercial prosperity, 1 n spite of civil wars and bad go-
vernment the city of Buenos Ayres has contrived to extend
itself, although the country round it is more or less in a
state of desolation; but he has failed to leave any enduring
personal impress, either outside or inside, of those walls
where for many years he ruled lord of life and means, and
almost of thought, so comprehensive and exhaustive was
his despotism. The town residence alluded to is now oc-
cupied by the executive for public purposes, and the private
one at Palermo will soon go to ruin and decay. This
latter characteristic evidence of selfish gratification, with-
out either taste, utility, or architectural design, has cost
endless sums of money ; but the approximate extent of the
outlay will never be known. Palermo is built on a swampy
bank of the river, with only a ground floor, at times
several feet under water, which must be a prolific source of
fever and ague.

• • • • • •
A good level road has been carried from the city to Pa-
lermo, at considerable expense, the approach being
" through an avenue of willows," made to look as park-
like as possible. About the house, or palace, as it might
have been called in the days of its glory, are numerous out-
buildings and barracks for cavalry, of which Roses always
kept a strong body-guard, as might naturally have been ex-
pected from his antecedents, he having principally risen to
power in the first instance among his fellow guachos by the
superior daring and dexterity of his horsemanship ' • added,
of course, to his extreme adroitness in turning to his own
account the dissensions of his rivals in the race for power.
Passing the house, down another long avenue towards the
river, you are surprised at seeing a large vessel, evidently
fitted up for some special purpose. It appears she was
driven ashore there in some heavy gale, and Boggs had her
converted into a pleasure-house, where balls and parties
were held—another toy or plaything suited to the character
of the man. Nature being found rather stubborn in yield-
ing to the wishes of the owner of Palermo, immense sums
were expended in planting orange-trees, evergreens, and
exotics, of one kind or another, which were brushed and
combed daily, and coaxed into a sickly existence, but it
would not do. Nothing but willows nourish, or will con-
tinue to flourish, over the dilapidated abode from which
issued many a bloody decree of this Borgia of the Pampas.
Of Urquiza a far more favourable character
is given. He is represented as mild, tempe-
rate, and only too well disposed to be a fit
ruler for a barbarous people like the Pamperos.
No wilder race exists on the earth's surface
than these. The true guacho raises no crops,
performs no regular labour, lives on flesh and
water exclusively, and supports himself by the
slaughter of his half-wild cattle. The knife is
his constant companion, necessary to his ex-
istence, and often used in affrays. The nature
of the country secures comparative impunity
for crime; hence law is little respected, courage
and adroitness being the first requisites for
success, or even safety.
Of Paraguay and its rulers we have a more
satisfactory description. The country is emi-
nently fertile, and, as now proved, accessible
to commerce : the people appear inclined to
peace. On Francia s death all was disorder.
That extraordinary man had centralised the
whole government in his own person, ruling
literally without a minister, and reducing his
employis to the position of simple clerks.
Education was at a standstill; all schools
closed ; even many of the churches deserted
(a rare event in Spanish America) ; trade
ruined, agriculture neglected. Fortunately to
these evils nothing was added by the ambition
of rival leaders. Lopez stepped quietly into the
vacant place, at first aided by a colleague, who
instead of embarrassing his government rea-
dily deferred to his intellectual superiority.
The President, previous to his elevation, had
led the life of a country gentleman, abandon-
ing that of a lawyer as too dangerous. This
absolute retirement saved him from Francia's
cruelty, and he seems to have owed his suc-
cess simply to the respect inspired by a high
character combined with recognised abilities.
His administration has been mild, just, and
politic, contrasting in every respect with that
of his predecessor, for whom no one except
Mr. Carlyle was ever found to say a good
word. The Paraguayan tariff is still high;
but a desire for foreign trade has sprung up
among the people, with whom the prospect of
increased communication with the outer world
is popular.
Ample justice is done by Mr. Hadfield to
the diplomatic victory obtained by Lord
Malmesbury and Sir C. Hotham in the open
ing of the great rivers. He predicts that the
Amazon will soon be similarly set free to the
trade of all nations. Brazil requires nothing
more than steam navigation, her immense
territorial area, and the want of roads, forming
the great obstacles to her development. Some
years ago a revolt in Para remained Unknown

SATURDAY,

at Rio until the news arrived—by way of Eng-
land !

Of the Brazilian character Mr. Hadfield
speaks highly, and gives the Government full
credit for sincerity in its efforts to put down
slave-trading. Slavery exists throughout the
empire in a mild form, as even philanthropists
admit. European immigration has commenced
on a large scale, but the climate is unsuitable,
and importers of labour are beginning to look
to China for their supplies. The humanity
and comparative civilisation of the Brazilian
character were admitted in the Buenos Ayrean
wars, when their troops alone gave quarter to
prisoners taken in arms. It is no slight gua-
rantee for Brazilian progress that the standing
army is small, and without political influence.
It numbers in all less than 23,000 men, the
militia being double that number. Neither
the Emperor nor his Ministers are soldiers.
The debt is small, the Government constitu-
tional, the Imperial Family personally beloved..
Unless Mr. Hadfield is much misled, all, in-
ternally as well as externally, promises well
for the prosperity of the only transatlantic
monarchy.

Dona Blanca of Navarre. An Historical
Romance. By Don Francisco Navarro

Villoslada. London : Bosworth.
IT is stated in the translator's preface that the
original of this fiction has met with great suc-
cess in Spain ; and we should not be surprised
at such a fact, as its striking scenes and
strong colour are calculated to recommend
such a tale amongst a romantic people. The
plot is laid in Navarre during the troubles by
which it was distracted in the fifteenth cen-
tury, and the tale seems to be founded on
some of the facts recorded in Quintana's life
of Don Carlos. In construction the story is
very deficient, as a period of fifteen years is
supposed to elapse between the end of the
first and the beginning of the second volumes,
and the incidents throughout are too loosely
put together to satisfy English readers. The
most striking character in the tale is Ximeno,
a captain of Free Lances, by birth, but not by
creed, a Jew; and the retributive justice which
he inflicts upon one of the Queens of Navarre
for having poisoned a maiden whom he loved
is powerfully described. Several passages are
interspersed throughout the story written with
intensity, and, with more practice in the art
of storytelling, the author could probably gain
considerable distinction. In some parts we
are reminded that he has studied " Ivanhoe "
and " Kenilworth," but his historical descrip-
tions want verisimilitude and antiquarian
familiarity with the times of which he treats.
As a specimen of the author's intensity we
shall take a portion of his description of a Jew
buried alive, clasped in a contrivance of his
own invention fur securing a chest of dia-
monds !

Oh! who can describe the shriek the old man uttered
when he attempted to rise, and found himself fixed,
crushed against the metal plate, doomed to die of thirst
and hunger, beside those treasures which might have pro-
vided food for entire armies? To find relief, he even licked
from the iron the drops of perspiration which fell from
his forehead ; and the coldness of the metal assuaged his
thirst for a moment, only to irritate it more
What frightful tortures did he suffer on account of those
fatal treasures, which he had accumulated at the cost of
so many privations and so many crimes ! For a cup of
water he would have given the half of his diamonds. A
cup of water: The most glowing imagination cannot
picture to itself richer, sweeter, more enchanting illusions
than those which the old man saw through the glass of
fresh, pure, crystal water. Translucent streamlet ; foaming
cascades, which sprinkled their flowery margin with Pearla
and were overhung with rainbows of the softest hues;
roaring torrents, grottoes, fountains, transparent rivers—
the sea! But it was a sea, black, deep, boundless : a sea,
calm and terrible—fit emblem of the Deity ;it brought to
his memory the crimes which he had committed—the black
billows became red—the water was turned into blood;
and there floated Carlos the Prince of Viana; Blanca of
Navarre; Catalina de Beaumont—pale spectres relieved
against a tempestuous sky, furrowed at intervals by light.
ning, flashed, as the Jew fancied, from the eye of the
Omnipotent.
But as the hours passed his hunger and thirst became
more and more intolerable ; he thought the vault was filled
with serpents which gnawed his vitals; and to rid himself
of those loathsome reptiles he tore his breast with his
nails ; and such was his thirst that he greedily sucked
the blood with which the tips of his fingers were besmeared.
In the midst of his horrible sufferings he once thought he
heard footsteps over the slab which covered the entrance to
the vault. Oh ! what a transport of jk-• did he fee!! He
tried to shout, but his voice was hoarse, feeble, faint; he

JUNE 3, 1854.

could only produce an inarticulate bellowing noise, which
died within those massive walls. There was no hope, no
mercy ; and the Jew blasphemed, cursed God and man,
gold and diamonds. Oh! how many good works omitted,
how many deeds of beneficence neglected, how ■rainy lost
enjoyments were represented by that heap of valuables,
which were not now worth a crumb of bread—a drop of
water! But the tread of footsteps continued with some
intervals of silence ; Jehu knew that his abode had been
invaded by persons who were in search of him, but who did
not light upon the entrance to the vault--the spring of the
slab. How dear did he now pay for his excessive precau-
tions, his care, his watchfulness to preserve that heap of
gold, which he would have to abandon very soon. But the
footsteps were succeeded by strokes—there was no doubt
they were opening the eutrauoe—they had heard the cries
of the poor old man—they had taken compassion on him—
they were now descending—they were at hand—the Queen
--her squires—oh !he had now nothing to fear—he was
saved, with all his treasures. The Jew now forgot all his
dangers—all his tortures; his riches were saved, but they
were discovered—they were exposed toithe covetous eyes
of strangers : oh ! what a sorrowful embrace did the Jew
now ifive to the chest so despised just before !
" No, there is nothing here," he cried "minerals--earth
—for medicines. Nothing, nothing !" he said, making an
effort to shout, and echo faintly repeated his last words,
" Nothing, nothing !"
The wretched man paused to listen, holding in his
breath ; he turned his eyes towards the stair and—
nothing! nothing!
It was all an illusion. Nothing more than hunger, thirst
—a burning, devouring thirst which was not now contented
with blood derived from his lacerated breast, but sought a
fountain in every finger which he gnawed and sucked—
nothing, nothing !
Those who like "historical " novels will find
much freshness of style and many interesting
descriptions in "Dona Blanca of Navarre."

The Caucasus. By Ivan Golovin. London :
Triibner and Co.
MR. IVAN GOLOVIN is at work again ; and in
this volume he has really given us a good deal
of curious information, mixed with some
strange opinions and not a few apocryphal
statements. His intense hatred of everything
connected with Russian administration makes
him a doubtful witness, though an amusing
narrator. We do not believe, without better
proof of the fact than a single unsupported
assertion, the story told of the Aleoutes and
their governor :

Forty years ago the governor, Baronoff, in order to try
rifles, used to place twelve Aleoutes by the side of one
another and order his soldiers to fire on them, in order to
ascertain through how many heads a ball would go.
Such a pastime is now out of fashion, because the
Aleoutes are too scarce. Indeed, their islands have been
so brutally devastated that the population of the island of
Kadiak, which amounted to 10,000, is now reduced to 500.

The best part of this volume is the account
of Schamyl, which we extract and abridge :
Selismyl is now fifty-six years old ; he is fair, with grey
eyes, and a regular nose. He is a middle-sized man, and
his constitution is rather delicate, though he has from his
youth endeavoured to strengthen it by exercise. As well
as bis actual antagonist, Prince Vorontzof, he suffers from
pain in his eyes ; his hands, his feet, and his mouth are
small, and the colour of his skin is more white than that
of his countrymen. But now his heard is grey.
Schamyl is a Lesghian by birth, and he was born in 1797
in the soul of Hernry. His knowledge of the tongue, of
the literature, and of the philosophy of the Arabs is very
extensive. He is indebted for his superior learning to
Moullah Dshelal-eddin, whom he has always treated with
great veneration, and who contributed much to raise him
to power.
Ambition, dissimulation, and the calm which fits the
prophet as well as the chief, are the distinctive features of
his character. .

He considers himself as the arm of Providence; and the
Murides believe that he is inspired. The wonderful luck
with which he has three times escaped a death which was
deemed unavoidable has confirmed the faith of the people
in him, and keeps up his own energy.
Wounded in 1831, at the storming of a fort,
where his bravest companions were killed, he
disappeared, and was not heard of again for a
considerable time. The Russians say he was
captured ; it is certain that two of his sons
were educated at St. Petersburg as cadets ;
one, however, escaping afterwards. Three
years after this first escape he was attacked by
some Russian partisans among his own
countrymen, and singly survived a general
massacre. And in 1839, when 2,400 Circas-
sians were either killed or taken at the fall of
Ak hovlgo, Schamyl alone, though command-
ing the garrison, contrived to make his way
out. How this almost miraculous deliverance
was accomplished seems still unknown; he
himself, of course, ascribed it to the favour of
Heaven, and in order to strengthen that im-
pression kept the human agency employed a
profound secret. His misfortunes do not
appear to have daunted the prophet-chief, for