The Press.
London, England, 1857-07-18 00:00:00

DEATH OF BERANGER.

THE poet Beranger is dead. Pierre Jean Beranger,
the great song-writer of France, was horn in 1780,
in Paris, of very humble parents. The future poet's
earlier days were passed in poor employments, but
the thrill of exultation that run through France when
the news arrived of the victory of Marengo,
awoke in the breast of Beranger the slumbering
spirit of song, that has ever since poured out its
notes to gladden and vivify the nationality of
Frenchmen. His works rapidly became so
popular, that their author was enabled to enjoy
in purse the independence which was the real
jewel of his soul, and on he went, enjoying
life himself, and singing what greatly promoted
the enjoyments of others. But the Bourbons in
time were restored, and the freedom of our poet's
thoughts did not suit their politics ; so, in 1821, they
put Beranger into gaol for three months. He bowed
and endured, and, the three months expired, came
forth from prison, and again wrote his songs, and was
again, in 1828, put under lock and key for nine
months. When Louis Philippe came, he proved to be
no more favourable to free expression in type than
his relations, the elder Bourbons, had been ; but in
all ill-fortuno Beranger still had his good temper
and his muse to console him, and manfully lived
through the evil days. When the revolution of 1848
resulted in the Republic, nothing would suit his
countrymen but making Beranger a senator, and he
was accordingly elected a member of the National
Assembly. From the duties of his heavy post he
pleaded age and the claims of his muse as an
exemption. _ _

llenhad written very little of late. The Empress
of the French was amongst those who sent most fre-
quently to inquire after the poet in his last illness.

HONG KONG:

THE Times correspondent has reached Hong Kong
at last, and in the first of his letters gives us a
slight sketch of the town, and its first effect upon a
fresh Englishman :

Twenty-four hours in British China have not enabled
me to. do much towards examining and correcting the
ideas I have obtained from diligent perusal of Pantier,
13azin, Staunton, Ellis, Hue, Fortune, Davis, Montgomery
Martin, l'Abbe Grosier, Stanislas Julien, and a host of
others. Bear with me, therefore, if in the intervals of
the study of the great problems before me I send you
only a few scraps of news and a few vague first im•
pressions.
My earliest impression undoubtedly is that our facetious
European friends who advise us to " go to Hong Kong"
have not an accurate knowledge of the spot. A gentleman
who should " go to Hong Kong " in the present state of
affairs, although he may have his pocket full of dollars, is
not unlikely to be obliged to sleep upon the pavement of
Queen•street, and will be indebted to the protection of
the Malay guard if his throat is not cut before the
morning. It is a town of beautiful houses, but its
powers of accommodation are not capable of indefi-
nite expansion. The flight from Canton and other causes
have filled it. General Garrett and his staff, who might
reasonably have anticipated some preparations for their
reception, found it convenient to sleep on board the
steamer, and were glad to shelter themselves whert they
might. The general, on the day after his arrival•, with
great difficulty got a room at an inn, and his suite were
happy to avail themselves of the hospitality of the Hong
Kong Club—an establishment to which we cannot be too
grateful; and if there is any gr..titude in Pall-mall the
military clubs should be open to every member when he

visits London, in requittal of good offices rendered in
utmost need. These soldiers, however, are all old cam•
poigners, who have reminiscences of the winter before
Sebastopol, and will soon reduce matters here to their
proper bearing.
In other respects, Hong Kong is a place where a turkey
and a ham costs 5/., and where a dollar, whose par value is
4s. 21, costs sa. in English bills or gold. It has some
other peculiarities which strike a new comer. If you
dine with a merchant here, you notice that when your
host takes leave of you at his outer door, he has a Malay
soldier standing sentinel in his hall with a loaded
musket. He explains to you, also, that the house is so
arranged that all those long-tailed domestics who waited
it dinner are or can be shut off from that part of the
house in which the Europeans sleep. If your host should
accompany you a few steps towards yourown domicile he is
careful to buckle his revolver round his waist, and—say it
is nine o'clock—he is uncomfortable if he goes ten paces
without being challenged by an armed patrol.
We have given no thought to the " hostile shores" of
China, yet just across is the land of the enemy. His rocky
mountains seem to rise from behind the last line of
shipping, and probably would be still more nra^ly
approached by them but for a circlet of low rocks which
rise the crater of a volcano in the midst of the strait, letting
the blue water, however, eddy in the hollow. At the foot
of those lay hills is an enemy's batter) of four guns. But,
although there is a great noise of firing among these sis-
terly ships, which are always saluting each other, and
whose kisses are of the heartiest smacking sound, yet the
four Chinese guns never join in the pastime. The braves
of Mr. Commissioner Yeli bide their time until the ships
be gone home. and the police of the town aro disbanded.
Rusticuo el-pedal."

Meantime, expectation is rife as to what Lord Elgin
will do.l "Sir," said a military man to our corre-
spondent, "you must blow your way through Canton
at the point of the bayonet, and you must hold the
city in the name of the three allied powers." That
is the prominent feeling of every one in Hong Kong.

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