The Press.
London, England, 1857-12-19 00:00:00

THE PRESS, DECEMBER 19, 1857.

1236

be found one, the Buaze, growing on the banks
of the Zambesi, possessing a fibre so far
adapted for paper that it is superior in every
quality to the fibre of flax. Of animals and
their habits there is much valuable detail. An
entirely nets species of antelope, the Leche was
discovered, and a new light altogether thrown
upon the lion. He is by no means that daring
and magnanimous creature as hitherto repre-
sented. He " funks" at a. " pitfall," and runs
away from you in daylight ; and as for his
roar, writes Dr. Livingstone, " to talk of it as
" being majestic" is mere majestic twaddle
Then he is very cunning ; in general he
attacks only the defenceless young of other•
animals, but when very hungry the sight
of an animal " may make him commence
" stalking it. In one case a man, while
" stealthily crawling towards a. rhinoceros,
" happened to glance behind him, and found
" to his horror a lion stalking him ; he only
" escaped by springing up a tree like a cat."
Numerous anecdotes, most interesting because
the result of personal observation, of the
habits of other beasts, birds, serpents, and
ants, will be found in this valuable book ; and
we can only say in conclusion that, although
Dr. Livingstone may prefer " crossing the
African continent" once more to writing an-
other book, he has given us so excellent and
agreeable an example of his powers of compo-
sition that we trust, if he is spared to return
to us once more, he will forego his hasty reso-
lution, for never in the history of travels has a
book abounding in such vivid representations
of bush life, and at once so truthful, instruc-
tive, and interesting, been presented to the
public. Apart from this there is a greater
value to be attached to it, for it offers us the
only sensible solution of that great problem,
the abolition of slavery, and the extension of
Christianity and commerce over Interior Africa.
The book, though somewhat bulky, is very
handsomely printed, ani contains numerous
engravings from exquisitely characteristic
drawings.

PUBLICATIONS REC E IVED.—DEcnmER 17.
BOOKS.

Morrie England: its Sports and Pastimes. By Lord Wil-
liam Lennox. Newby.

arfuril Essays. Contributed by Members of the Univer-
sity. J. H. Parker.
Cambridge Essays. Contributed by Members of the Uni-
versity. J. H. Parker.
The Eighteen Christian Centuries. By the Rev. J. White.

- -
Blackwoods.
The Sporting Woad. By Harry Hioever. Newby.
The Lettere of Horace Walpole, Earl of O.rford. Edited by

Peter Cunningham.

Bentley.

Katharine, and
Lady Wallace.

the Moment of Fortune. Translated 1;;y
Three Vols. Bentley.
_

Memoirs of Alebrated Characters. By Alphonse de Lamar-

tine.

Bentley•

Our Antipodes. By Lieut -Col. Godfrey Charles Mandy•
Bentley.
Gardenia. By William S. Sanders. E. 3. Milliken.
Clara Leicester. By Captain G. de la Poer Beresford.
Three Vols. Hurst and Blackett.

Four and Twenty Fairy Tales. Translated byJ. R. Manche.
Routledge.
The Hundred Days of Napoleon. By Archibald Belaney.
Hall and Virtue.

PAMPHLETS.

A Selection of Articles and Letters on various Indian
Ques!ions. Chapman and Hall.—lndia. By Richard Con-
Breve. Chapman.—. 4 Lecture on India. By T. H. Gil-
lam, M.A. J. H. and J. Parker.—Speech of the Earl of
Derby in the House of Lords in answer to Her Majesty's
Speech. Hatchard.—lrish Protestant Liberalism in 1847.
By .1 H. B. Herbert. The Educational Franchise.
ilateliard.—Answers to the Questions Communicated by Lord
Orerstone to the Decimal Coinage Commissioners. Rickerby.
—Lieut.-Col. Macdonald's Letters on the Bank Charter Act of
1844 and the Currency. Ilichardson.-21 Letter in Defence
of the Liberty of the Press in India. By John Cameron,
M.A. Algnr and Street.—Addreas to the Right Hon. Sir
John M'Neill, G.C.B. Blackwood. —St. Luke's Hospital for
Lunatics: Reports for the Year 18:A. Teapea.—Euphraies
versus Sues. E. Wilsomm.—Tables of Contributions for Pay-
ments in Sickness, cc., for Friendly Societies in England.
Eyre and Spottiawoode.—Time Inaugural Addresses delivered
by Lords Brougham, Russell, Sir J. Pakinglon, and Sir B.
C. Brodie. Parkes.

PERIODICALS.
I °Mon rnirrrAily Magazine. Hall and Virtue.—Jour-
nal of the Statieticai Society. J. W. Parker.

nx.+wlNG.
The Victoria Bridge at Montreal. Agar and Street.

HER MAJESTY'S THEATRE.-At the close ofJullien's
performances, the bal masque on Monday night
will entirely conclude the series. Her Majesty's
'Theatre will he enlivened for a short period by the
presence of the Piccolomini, who, with Giuglini, will
appear on Tuesday, Dec. 29th, Thursday, 31st, and
Saturday, Jan. 2nd, in the three operas II Trovatore,
La Traviata, and Lucia di Lammermoor. After

the conclusion of this short opera interlude the
theatre will be given up to the workmen to be fitted
for the approaching performances in honour of the
marriage of the Princess Royal. These per.
formances, we believe, will be four in number, and
will include, first, the tragedy of Macbeth, in which
the veteran Bartley and Mr. T. P. Cooke will
assume the character of witches; second, a comedy
and farce ; thirdly, an English opera ; and, fourthly,
an Italian opera, in which Piccolomini and Giuglini
will appear. The arrangements are principally in
the bands of our old friend Mr. Mitchell, upon whose
care and judgment we may rely to bring
together all the available talent of the English stage,
so that every part may be well sustained. The
fittings and decorations for the occasion will be
entirely new, and we have no doubt that the house
on these four great occasions will present the most
brilliant appearance within the memory of the
present generation.
PRINCESS'S THEATRE.—Mr. Harris, stage.
manager of the Royal Italian Opera, will succeed Mr.
Charles Kean as lessee of this theatre. Shake-
speare's King Lear will be brought out about the end
of January.

[Advertisement.)
MONSTER GUNS.
TO THE EDITOR OF " THE PRESS."

Sir,—As T wrote to you on the 28th ult. that I had never
seen Mr. Mallet's 30-inch mortars till a few weeks ago,
and did not now think much of them, I consider his
repeating his accusation (that I wish to be thought the
manufacturer) in your last impression such a wilful
calumny that I have asked my solicitor if it can be promul-
gated with impunity.
My inventions differ from M. Thiery's exactly in the
same particular as Mr. Mallet's from the original bom-
bards, like Mons Meg at Edinburgh. As Mr. Mallet took
part in the discussion on my paper to the British Associa-
tion in August last, his memory must be bad. In page
152 of his book, which T quoted in my letter of the 20th
ult., he calls this the essential difference between his and
others. As I took my patent in February, 1855, T cannot
have been anticipated by his paper read June 25 same
year, nor could he have got any information from me, as
patents are not published for some months. This one
principle discovered by each of us independently I con-
sider the only redeeming point of his mortars. A few days
will show.—l am, sir, yours, &c.,
T. A. BLAKELY.
Manor Lodge, Tunbridge Wells, Dec. 10.

mane, Carpet ant) 6ttg 4uttiligtatt,

FRIDAY EVENING.
ME return of the Bank of England for the week
ending Wednesday last, the 16th inst., shows the
following changes compared with that for the week
prece ling :
Decrease in Circulation
Increase in Public Deposits
Increase in Other Deposits 636,704
Increase in Government Securities 12,109
Decrease in Other Securities
Increase in Bullion
Increase in Rest
Increase in Reserve 1,880,576
Bullion in both Departments
Circulation, including Bank Post
Bills
This comparison shows that the present return is
the most :favourable of any that has appeared
during the commercial crisis. The position of the
Bank is amazingly strengthened by the large
additions to the Bullion and the Reserve ; and, on
the other hand, a considerable amount of Private
Securities have been redeemed, although that item is
still in excess of twenty-nine millions and a quarter.
The notes in reserve amount now to 5,757,1751.
The Bank is thus apparantly in a condition to
cancel the 2,000,0001. issued under the authority of
the Government letter, and to replace the securities
against them in the banking department, leaving
nearly 4,000,(1001. notes in the till. From this fact
we infer that the extra issue will not continue more
than a week longer, if it has not been cancelled
already.
The Money Market has shown signs of returning
ease, owing partly to the improved position of the
Bank, as shown by the above comparison, and partly
to the diminished commercial demand, which has
left the joint-stock banks and discount-houses with
large supplies on hand. In the open market the
best bills are done at one and one and a quarter per
cent. below the Bank minimum. The Bank, how-
ever, maintains the ten-per-cent. rate, and will
continue to do so until the reserve is so strengthened
that the 2,000,0001. of notes issued against securi-
ties under the authority of the Government letter
have been cancelled. This appears to be the case
now.

The Bank of France yesterday reduced its rate of
discount all round to six per cent. There are, there-
fore, no discriminating rates between one, two, and
three months' bills.

According to the returns published in last night's
Gazette, the gold imported during the week ending
on Wednesday last was to the value of 1,001,9874

•
while the silver amounted to 420,9081., making a
total of 1,512,895/. The exports were 71,5351. of
gold, and 86,5561. of silver: total 158,0911.
Consols have been steady at nearly one price all
the week. Llst Fridsy they closed at 91f to ex
div., and the lowest quotation since has been 91/ to
I. The decline was caused by sales on account of
some of the savings-banks in the manufacturing
uistricts, where the diminution of employment has
compelled the depositors to withdraw a portion of
their savings. Yesterday afternoon they improved
to 91; to 92, in anticipation of an early reduction in
the rate of discount, and the market left off good.
To day they were very firm, and closed at 92i to
ex div.

In the Foreign Market the most remarkable
feature has been a rise of nearly two per cent. in
Turkish Six Per Cents. Buenos Ayres stock has
also advanced.

Railway Shares, on an average, have improved ono
per cent. in the course of the week. Midlands,
however, have advanced two per cent. The market
generally has been very good ; but the buying has
been principally of a speculative character. French
shares have advanced—Canadians, however, in con.
sequence of the reduced traffics. To-day the im-
provement was confirmed.
Joint-stock Banking Shares have recovered the
fall of last week ; but the dealings in them are upon
a very restricted scale.

Exchequer Bills remain at 4s. dislto par.
Commercial accounts from the country are again
extremely unfavourable. Numerous failures have
taken place in the manufacturing districts, and pro-
duction is diminishing on all sides.