The Press.
London, England, 1854-12-16 00:00:00

THE PRESS.

bounded admiration, and the commander, at their unanimous
desire, granted the extraordinary request.
On the evening of the 18th of August, 1849, after the
last solemn farewell had been taken and the messenger let
down from the walls by means of a rope, all at once an
immense column of fire and smoke rose from the rocky
projection, accompanied by a terrible explosion, which
shook the neighbourhood fur miles around. In another
moment the small town at the foot of the castle rock was
covered with the falling ruins of the fortress which had
disappeared from its lofty position.
The deed was done. The fifty Szeklers had sealed their
fidelity to their fatherland with their lives; but the crown
belongs to the woman whose superhuman courage lighted
the fiery train which hurried those heroic spirits into
eternity.
Omer Pacha's birthplace is situated in the
mountains which have given to Austria some
of her fiercest soldiers :
In the wildest and loneliest part of the Croatian monn-
tains—the great Capella range—lies the small village of
Plaski, the birthplace of Omer Pacha. It belongs to the
regimental district of Ogulin, where his father, Baron
Littas, then held the rank of captain. Omer Pacha was
born in 1801, and brought up from childhood for the mili-
tary profession, which he embraced with great ardour, and
in his twentieth year entered one of the Grenzer regiments
as lieutenant. In consequence, however, of some quarrel
with his colonel, he suddenly left the Austrian service, and
went to Turkey. There, having changed both his name
and faith, he offered his sword in defence of the Crescent.
His offer was accepted, and he rose rapidly, signalising
himself by his conspicuous military abilities ; and now,
in his fifty-third year, he tills the highest and most im•
portant post in that realm after his sovereign, the Sultan.
The gipsies are witty, but timid :

Where— he thinks himself a match, the gipsy is over-
bearing and a great bully; but if blows ensue he is the
first to take to his heels. Of his bravado and mock cou-
rage the following anecdote conveys a tolerable idea. A
Morre, when travelling with his old mare on a very bad
and muddy road, remarked another cart approaching. He
called to the driver from afar, with threatening gestures,
that if he did not make room for him he would just see
what he would do. The intimidated Jehu instantly pulled
up. As the gipsy triumphantly drove past the other asked,
" What would you have done if I had not got out of the
way? " " Why, you stupid fellow," replied the Morre, with
a shrewd grin, and a flourishing of his whip, " in that case
I should have made way for you."
- - -

But they bear their privations with singular
cheerfulness :
A Morre was once found sitting on the banks of the
Theiss, supping the water from the river with a spoon.
On being asked what he was about, he gravely replied,
"I am eating fish soup." " Well, but where are the fish ?"
"In the river," was the rejoinder. Another went into the
market to buy something to satisfy his appetite, which was
just then greater than his means. He therefore tried to
get the cheapest and the largest quantity of eatables for
his money. After a long search he purchased a bunch of
horseradishes, and began greedily to chew the pungent
roots. Tears soon streamed from his eyes upon the un-
palatable food ; still he went on eating, only thus apostro-
phising his eyes: " Ay, you may eat on, it's all your fault ;
why d►d you not look better after what you had pur-
chased?"
Another, strolling through a village on a rainy day in a
pair of torn boots, was accosted by a passer-by, who sug-
gested that his boots were much too bad fur such weather.
' You are mistaken, sir," the Morre said, proudly, " it is
the weather that is too bad for my boots."
Here are some good anecdotes of their
timidity :
No Jew ever abhorred firearms more than the Morre
does ; therefore his services as a soldier are of no value.
In that capacity alone he loses his gaiety, and becomes a
misanthrope. His despair is graphically pictured in the
following laconic letter which a gipsy recruit sent to his
mother. As he could not write, he requested a comrade
to indite a letter for him. " Write to her," he said,
" 'woe '—again, ' woe'—and a third time, woe,' even to
the soul of my grandmother ! Net a word more ; my
mother will understand me perfectly."
History has only one fact on record where the Morre,
musket in hand, faced the enemy. This happened in the
middle of the seventeenth century, when an Hungarian
commander, in want of better troops, entrusted the gipsies
of Nagy-Ida with the defence of an intreuchment near
Kassa. The affair, as usual with the gipsy, took a comic
turn, but unfortunately terminated in a tragedy.
On the commander assuring the brown warriors that no
enemy's balls would hit them in the front, they not only
courageously met the attack, but repelled the Austrians
after a fierce combat with great loss. Seeing them re-
treating, the Morres, elated with victory, mounted the
breastwork, calling out after them, " You cowardly fellows,
you are running away just as we had used up all our pow-
der." The enemy, on hearing this, and taking it for a
fact, as it really was, returned to the attack, and, as the
garrison had no ammunition, carried the intrenchment,
putting all the gipsies to the sword. Since that fatal day,
whenever a Morre speaks of a friend's misfortune, he ex-
claims, " It happened to him just as to our brothers of
Nagy-Ids."
A vein of pathos runs through many of the sto-
ries, although for the most part they record only
the casualtie 3 of everyday life in the late war,
but they have great merit, and show a keen
perception on Miss Birkbeck's part of the
character she attempts to delineate—a romantic
nationality stifled by the heavy yoke of superior
force.

SATURDAY,

ALMANACS FOR 18455.
1. The British Almanac and Companion. Knight and
Co.-2. The Colonial Almanac. A. and C. Black.
—3. The Literary and Scientific Register and
Almanac. Bogue.-4.. The Boudoir Almanac.
Waterlow and Sons.-5. The War Almanac.
Clarke.-8. Zadkiel's Almanac. Piper.

1. This Almanac, with its Companion, produced with
accuracy as to its tables and calculations, and judg-
ment as to its selection of original papers, continues
the most useful year-book extant. It looks back as
well as forward, and so forms a double guide, chroni.
cling results of the last year's industrial history and
national movement, while giving data for all future
transactions. Among the original papers in the Com-
panion is one by Professor De Morgan on the " Pro.
gress of the Doctrine of the Earth's Motion," between
the times of Copernicus and Galileo, scarcely appro-
priate here, as it has no immediate relation to present
events ; another, more suitable, on the " Occupations
of the People," founded on the census of 1851, bring-
ing out the singular and almost incredible fact, that
in this hard-working nation half of our population
do nothing for their livelihood; and a third, on the
" History of the Campaign," succinctly recounting its
leading incidents.
2. The " Colonial Almanac " is well designed and
carefully compiled. It embraces statistics on all sub.
jects relating to colonial interests, as the shipping
engaged in various colonial trades—the value of
colonial produce—Government offices and officers-
-emigration returns—and much other detail of a
similar nature. From the evident usefulness of the
publication it is likely to take an established place
in the counting-house of the merchant and broker.
3. A useful compendium of information upon
most points in science, literature, and art, and, being
available as a pocket-book, may be always kept at
hand for easy reference. It is well printed, well got
up, and, having been in existence many years, has
been gradually improved. There are, however, a few
typographical errors in the mathematical pages ; and
Mr. Gutch does not appear to be aware of the little
importance Professor Potter's views are considered
by the scientific world with regard to Laplace's cot•
rection of Newton's theory of sound. Mr. Potter's
peculiar views, which appeared in a number of the
Philosophical Magazine in 1851, have been abun-
dantly answered and refuted by many eminent men
in the same publication, and hence his paper on
acoustics ought not to be quoted [in 1854-5] as an
" important communication."
4. The "Boudoir Almanac," printed in colours and
mounted on cardboard, with a glowing view of
Stamboul surmounting the months, forms a pretty
ornament either to frame as a picture or lie on a
table.
5 and 6. W need only acknowledge the receipt of
the "War Almanac," containing Lord Raglan's
despatches and ome slight notice of the most distin-
guished of the allied commanders in the army and
navy; and of " Zadkiel," with his usual amount of
mysterious prediction, and a portrait of the great
Chinese Unknown, Tao Sze.

The Story of the Peasant-Boy Philosopher. By
Henry Mayhew. London : Bogue.
THE object of this book is, by a simple relation of
mechanical and other experiments, to excite a taste
in youth for natural science, and hence will be seen
the necessity of correctness, clearness, and
simpli3ity in its statement of elementary truths. Mr.
Mayhew, however, has, we believe, entirely sacrificed
the two first principles to the last, and in several of
his explanations of experiments he has incorrectly
related the results, for the sake, we charitably sup-
pose, of simplicity. For instance, in his explanation
of the principle of the lever, pp. 40-2, he has described
an experiment which if performed in the manner he
relates would have led to results very different to
those stated. It' the boy philosopher had rash
" tossed," "flung,' or "dropped" the bullets at.
the scale, as Mr. Mayhew desnibos, we suspect that
the equilibrium of the stubborn beam would have
been destroyed considerably earlier in the experi-
ment. The simple fact is, that Mr. Mayhew, as is
commonly the case, has confounded the statical and
dynamical effects of force, and, in applying a propo-
sition to " impulses " which is only true of
"pressures," has committed an error at the very
threshold of his subject, which tends to produce con-
fusion of thought, and inevitably leads to a super
ficial knowledge of the subject, if to nothing worse.
Again, at p. 132, we meet with the following state•
ment :—" The parts of a revolving body acquire a
" greater or less tendency to fly from the centrein
" proportion to the rate of revolution." Now here
Mr. Mayhew entirely leaves undefined this rate of
revolution. Is it the angular or linear rate? Again,
the phrase " in proportion to," unless it possess a very
unusual meaning, by no means accurately expresses
the law of variation of centrifugal force, and we are
left in doubt whether the author himself clearly.
comprehends the truth he intends to express ; but

that he does not communicate any intelligible mean-
ing to his reader, or, if any, most probably the wrong
one, there ~,an be little doubt. It is unnecessary to
multiply instances. We make these remarks only
because we consider such errors—very common in
similar " popular wo ks" upon science—tend to pro-
duce a superficial intellectuality in the rising genera
tion. " Popular knowledge," said the late Dr. Knox,
"is only another name for imperfect knowledge,"
and although we admit with Sidney Smith that in
the present advanced state of science we must be
content to know many things imperfectly, yet this is
not to be considered as referring to certain elemen-
tary truths. Our knowledge of such truths should
be accurate ; but if that knowledge be obtained from
such works as the present, it will, undoubtedly,
prove not only imperfect but also inaccurate. That
Mr. Mayhew's book is one of those " popular e 1...
mentary works "of the day, and that it suffers from
the common error of its ciass, we are compelled to
admit ; and though we are willing to allow him due
praise for his intentions in behalf of education and
science, yet we regret that lie is not more accurate
in his statements, and at the same time, we may add,
less diffuse in his scientific dissertations.

A Manual of Civil Law. By E. R. Humphries, LL.D,

London : Longmans.
AN intelligent digest of the Institutes of Jus.
tinian; the first of a series, composed for the use of
law students and of general scholars desiring an ac-
quaintance with the history and principles of civil
law, which is in great measure the foundation of the
common, chancery, and ecclesiastical law of this king-
dom. Mr. Humphreys has composed the present
manual in a clear, succinct style, and it appears well
adapted to fulfil the purpose for which it is designed
and to become a superior educational work.

1. Popular British Conch°logy. By George Sow-
erby, F.L.S.
2. A Popular History of British Mosses. By R. M.
Stark.

London: Reeve.
A SEASHORE ramble, or rural stroll, is always more
thoroughly enjoyed when some knowledge is pos-
sessed of surrounding objects to quicken observation
and afford employment to the mind. The little and
the great in nature are but relative terms, and though
we do not quite agree with Mr. Stark that it is more
useful to contemplate the infinitely little than the
other extreme—nor go so far as Boyle, who consi-
dered the eye of a fly afforded better proof of design
than the sun himself—yet no one can doubt that our
enjoyments are multiplied, and our being improved,
as we extend our knowledge of nature in any of its
varied departments.
1. The natural history of the molluscous animals
living about our own shores is rich in instructive
facts ; and in this little volume the various species—
° how they live and where they wander "—are care
fully described. The language is as free from diffi-
cult technicalities as regard for precision will admit,
and those specimens with which we are most familiar—
the oyster, scallop, Sae —are properly noticed in
detail from being most useful to us. Many
of our readers will be surprised to learn that
the scallop in the ocean is as joyous and
animated as 4 bird on the wing. It can sail as
freely as the nautilus itself, and is " a happy,
" active creature. It can raise itself to the surface,
" and, though unaided by fins, can skim cleverly
" through the waves. I have seen a little fleet of
" them skipping about most merrily as if engaged in
4• some frolicsome dance. On watching their zigzag
" evolutions I found that their valves were to them
" in water what wings are to the bird in the air.
4' Every time they opened and shut their valves they
" were rapidly propelled several yards, and they had
° only to repeat their operation and their sportive
movement VMS continued." The volume has
twenty plates, each containing many figures, and all
clearly engraved and beautifully coloured.
2. The history of British mosses, though scarcely
so attractive in subject as the above, is yet treated in
a manner to well reward attention. It is computed
that mosses "form perhaps a fourth part of the
4, vegetable covering of this island." Muller sup-
poses that there are 2,300 different varieties. In our
own country we can number forty genera, and up-
wards of three hundred species. The coloured
plates are admirable, portions of the plant being
shown of natural size, and also highly magnified
that the peculiarities of their structure may be better

seen.
Both these books well deserve success, and are
appropriate as presents to the youth of both sexes.
Compilel by masters of their subjects, the state-
ments may be relied on, though it would be an error,
we fear, to place them in the hands of young people
without some little previous or accompanying in-
struction ; for in these, as in other branches of
knowledge, books, though excellent aids to learning,
cequire living, present intelligence to explain their
purport and direct their application.

The Works of Samuel Warren. Vol. IV. London

Blackwood and Sons.
THE fourth volume of this cheap edition of Mr.
Warren's works is a greater boon to the public than
its predecessors, as the writings it contains have been
less extensively circulated in other shapes. " Now
and Then" has already secured its place in classic
fiction for its excellent English, its portraiture of
character, and its " vindication of the ways of God
to man." " The Lily and the Bee " and the lecture
upon the " Development of the Age" are also in-
cluded in the present volume.

The Planetary Worlds. Being the Topography and
Telescopic Appearances of the Sun, Planets, Moon,
and Comets. By James Breen. London: Hard-
wicke.

AN historical summary, by a practical astronomer, of
the discoveries relative to the telescopic appearances
and physical constitutions thence deduced, of the
bodies of space. A trustworthy work like the pre-
sent, which confines itself to facts actually observed,
will be found most acceptable at the present time,
when the discussion of that unsettled question " the
occupation by human beings of the heavenly bodies"
is again agitated. Upon this point Mr. Breen seems
to incline to the opinion of Dr. Alembert—"Qu'on
n'en sait rien "—an opinion in which most men ex-
cept the disputants cordially join. The present
volume is well written, and, to enhance its value, is
illustrated with woodcuts of the curious appearances
which some of the heavenly bodies present, derived
from the earliest and latest observations.

Ilanderahan, the Irish Fairyman ; and Legends of
Carrick. By John O'Neill. Second Edition.
London : Tweedie.

JOHN O'NEILL, now near his eightieth year, is a
remarkable man. By trade a poor cobbler, he has
yet found time, during a long and industrious life, to
write many poems, good in themselves, and marked
by a vigorous and sound morality, to aid in the im-
provement and elevation of his class. Now he gives
us a series of Irish fairy tales, simple in style but
true to character, fresh from the furze-clad hills and
sparkling mountain streams, concerning those bright.
eyed little fairies, now fast becoming a tradition of
the past, that were wont to lurk under buttercups or
peep under dockleaves. These tales are so genuine
and humorous, yet earnest in their tone, that, with
the fair writer of the preface, we cannot help regret-
ting that the author did not at some earlier period of
his life turn his attention to a subject in which he
might have been unrivalled. We recommend them
in sincerity as some of the best fairy tales ever told.

First Steps in Economic Botany. For the Use of
Students. By Thomas Croxton Archer. London :
Reeve.

ECONOMIC botany teaches the useful properties of
plants, and renders us conversant with the positive
raw produce, and with the origin of those materials
which form the objects of commercial enterprise and
manufacturing industry in this and other countries.
This little volume is an abridgment of a large work
by the same author, and is confined chiefly to the
imported produce of this country, which is classified
under regular heads. The letterpress is illustrated
with lithographic plates, and forms a useful elemen-
tary manual.

fflontg Vadat and 6itg

FRIDAY Evziarro.

Anticipations of the Royal Speech on the opening of
the Parliamentary session occupied the speculators
at the commencement of the week, and inspired them
with confidence. The rise in prices noted during the
previous se'nnight was established on Monday, when
Consols were quoted without the dividend as high as
921. Sales effected in order to real se profits
on the advance, subsequently brought down the
quotations slightly, but the market showed much
firmness, and the closing rates were 92 I to
Before the close of business next day, the text
of the Speech was known on Change, and this
caused a marked depression in the quotations of
stock. The anticipated effect had in fact been some-
what over "discounted" beforehand ; and, although
the address was considered favourable on the whole,
expressing a vigorous resolution for the prosecution
of war, and announcing that the state of the revenue
was altogether " satisfactory," nevertheless, the
general term of the manifesto was not believed to
bear out the sanguine expectations previously enter-
tained. Prices accordingly ranged down to 911 and
closed a little better at 91i 2. On Wednesday, the

extremely unsatisfactory description given in the
House of Commons by Lord John Russell of the ac-
tual nature of that Austrian treaty on which so many
hopes had been founded, produced a most unfavorable
influence on the Stock Exchange, and the quotations
experienced a reaction from which they have not
since recovered. The prices declined full t per cent.
during the day, and transactions were effected at one
moment as far as 91/. The closing rates were
911 to 1. Yesterday the prices were considerably
better, the market having experienced the usual re-
bound from its sudden depression. Consols were
quoted as high as 91$, and lett off firm at that price
for the opening.
Today the market has continued to be steady, and
the prices are well supported. The ruling rates
have been Consols 011 1 1 ex. div. for account of the
10th. Reduced Three per Cents. 911 to 911, and
New Three per Cents. 911 to 911. India Bonds
from tis. to 12s. Bank Stock for the opening, 207
to 209. Exchequer Bills are better at 4s. to Us.
premium. Ditto Bonds, 955.

FOREIGN.
There is little movement of importance to be
noticed in Foreign Stocks. French Renter, which had
improved, like our own Consols, at the beginning of
the week, fell again when the Queen's Speech trans-
pired by telegraphic agency on the Bourse. In other
funds we have only to mention an improvement of
Turkish scrip, caused by the discovery that the set-
tlement was more " bearish " than had been expected.
At one time these securities rose to 64 die., after
having been as low as 8 0. This afternoon the
prices were as low as 74 to 7 dis.
SHARES.

Wednesday was " making-up day "in the Railway
Share Market. The subsequent settlement yesterday
showed that the result was again adverse to the
speculation for a fall. Business has consequently
since been done at improved rates in most descrip-
tions of the more approved stocks. This afternoon,
Eastern Counties about weaker. Great Northerly;
steady, at BSI. Great Westerns have fallen 2s. ed.
London and Brightens improved 11. London and
North• Westerns were firm, at 1001. Loudon and
South-Westerns have been done at 841. South-
Easterns are i lower.

BRITISH FUNDS. - Closing Prices.
OFFICIAL QUOTATION.

MoullTimid. Wed. Thurs.• 7445 p.
-- - - -
3 per Cent. Consols 93 1
2i; 91'
——f—
Ditto for Account
3 per Cents Reduced ~ 91 1011 1 2 1 191 xdrll 111 d
1 901 01 1 911 i
3 per Cents
Long Annuities
Bent Stock, 7 per Cent 209 2071 209 204
India Stock, 101 per Cnt —
Exch. Bills, 21d. per diem 3 ,3 Op 3 6 9p 6
India Bonds, (1,0001.) 9 12; 12 9 1

_

BANK OF ENGLAND.
An Account, pursuant to the Act 7th and Bth Victoria, cap. 82
for the week eliding on Saturday, the 9th day of Deo., 1864.
illlitlC DEPANTIIIENT.
Notes Issued .... A 27,334,415 Government Debt 211,012,100
Other Securities .. 2,984,900
Gold Colts tt Bullion 18,334,412
Silver Bullion ....

4117,334,L16

127634,410
DANKING DICTLATIIItIIT.
Proprietore'Capital 514,553,000 (Government Sect'.
Rest
Public Deposine ♦,611,408 Deed Weight An., £11,604.287
Other Deposita
qeven Day A other rote■
BlUs
-- ---
A:13,938,5)9 , 0.1,936,199
• Including Exchmquer, Savings Banks. Commissioners of
National Debt, and Dividend Accounts.

FOREIGN RAILWAYS.

Antw.& Rttrdui.
Iletra.to Orals'.
Belgian East. J.
Cherie. & Erque.
Dijon & Besting.
Dutch Rhenish
East Indian
Do. Extension
Gt. Indian Pen
Grand J. of Frit
G. W.of Cen„Sh
„ B. (2d is.) 1578
1.e.& Pis.s p opt
Luxembourg
Lyons I Geneve
Madras
Maria Antonia
Na. Lge.(w. in)
rtbrn. of Frac*.
Norw. Truk. l'rf.
Paris A Lyons
Paris & Orleans
Paris & Rouen
Paris & Straabg.
P.,Caen & Cher.
4bec.& Melanin!.
Rouen A Havre
Royal Swedish
4ambre& Meuse
S. E. of France
dthrc of France
Upper Ind. Scrip
Tim. Flanders
'Attn. of France.
Weetrn. of Switz.

Mold.

Wednes.

- -

d

1 i

721 f4i:l
I I I,
1161 741

Ilde
4i
►
81 9i
19 12011'
ad el
37 9

204 11

iii

1 _
is

at ftli
Plitp
I Ibe 74

d

•
44e
se
p
\2l) i
16 d

dii
7i d

-

Lealead

I- 4
*

/20s 11.1

e'pl

1 4 I
4 I P
- "
16j 'T

Thurs. Friday
.61

3 —;Zs 8— cliii
ill plii2 Pi
I P i 0
I iv I i
IP
,161— 111-6-8 77e

Ipl
d spli

-
- dis di.
1 p id 1p
/id in id Par
-
84 7 64
7 34
84 9 944
81 te
194 p 19i 1p
Il 8 48
'3 40 38 40
-
r rm
dig
/o 4
34 14 204 1
it
- d
ri 1 Tt
PI
Pm pm
*-
i4r 84 it4P
I 104 1

31
84 311
(19 if'

db.

cq
74 8 1
PI

0„„
1"1 1
dig
j7t t
1,1

PIDj
I,—
4p 31 4
d
let i 161 I

se 4
6 4;
dim