The Express.
London, England, 1864-12-27 00:00:00

LITERATURE.

Siberian Overland Route 'loin Peking to Petersburg,
through the Dassris and Steppes of 4Botwolia,, Taz-
tory, *c. By eitaxAnnitt Zdtczus London :
J ohn Murray.

and ail lanwuAhwdt journey
ohelohoel inur itinerary w
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of China
it possesses other qualities which, without that,
usoltoouithaa2:tchrooebbliineaueifileoPcirestiitattaißn d dtfhrießautndsts,
would certainly secure for it a share of public
favour. Mr. Alexander Michie is not a traveller
who hurries over the road noting nothing but what
be observed on the line of his route ; he pauses
frequently and surveys the surrounding scenery, be
uses his pencil as well as his pen with skill, and
marks his track across the Asiatic Continent with
pleasure and instruction. K Hue has said
something of part of the ground comprehended in
the present survey, but Mr. Alexander Michie's ac-
count, besides correcting some of M. Hue's errors,
gives increased value to his work by completing
his partial observations on the western portion of
the Chinese empire. Our author passed from
Shanghae onwards to the Gulf of Pechili, and by
the Takoo forts, memorable for a British defeat
and victory, to Tientsin, and thence to Peking. He
stayed for some time in the Chinese capital, and
then, by a north-westerly route, promeded to
Irkutsk, in the vast desert territory of
Russia. This town lies close to the Lake
Baikat, in 53' north latitude ; but our tra-
veller had to advance further north still, and at
length, having reached the 571.6 parallel, kept
pretty well upon it till he reached Moscow, whence
be proceeded to St. Petersburg. It would convey
little information to our readers to mention
the unpronouncible names of the places through
which he passed. We shall convey a better idea
of the importance of the journey when we say that
it extended through about 100 degrees of longitude
from east to west in a right line, that is, over
considerably more than one quarter of the globe's
circumference in that latitude; if we add to this the
many detours and deviations which must necessarily
have been made from the right line, we shall see
that the distance covered must have been much
more than the measurement of the meridians would
indicate. This journey was rendered passible by
the treaty of Tientsin aid the convention of Peking,
ratified in 1860, though the Chinese, with charac-
teristic trickery, endeavoured to dispute the appli-
cation of the treaty to Mongolia, or at least of that
clause of it which guaranteed freedom of transit to
the subjects of the allied powers throughout the
whole empire. The author's account of the voyage
up the Yang-tare presents no new information of
importance, but of the city of Peking he has much
to say which is both new and interesting, besides
which he gives us an excellent engraving of its
wall., from a photograph taken with great care.
We are, of course, prepared to hear that
the capital of China is hut, dusty, filthy, and
foul-swelling to a loathsome degree, but we were
not prepared to hear that there are restaurants in
Peking where you can not only get a good dinner,
but where you can eat it in good company ; where
the mutton was good, the rice clean, and the fish
kept alive to ensure their freshness ; where, iu short,
if you went provided with your own knife and fork,
7ou could dine must satisfactorily. Notivithatiunl-
mg the foulness of the atmosphere they are con-
tinually breathing, the Pekingese are a healthful,
robust, and good-tempered people, and our author
seems to have much enjoyed their society. There are
engravings from photographs of the most remark-
able buildings in the capital, which convey a good
idea of the taste and skill of the Celestial archi-
tects. Peking is the most play-going city iu the
world, the theatres are open day and night, piece
succee.ls piece without cessation, but there is little
dramatic power either in their composition or act-
ing ; they are little more than spectacles made
up of gorgeous costumes and bright colours,
with a recitative accompaniment delivered
in a monotonous sing-song drawl, unutterably pain-
ful to European ears. The foreign community in
Peking is small, all foreign trade is interdicted, and
therefore there is but little prospect at present that
the stagnant life of the capital will be moved by
any impulse from without. Mr. Alexander Michie
glances at the labours of Christian missionaries
among the Chinese, and strongly commends the
method of the Loudon Missionary Society, that of
establishing medical agencies iu combination with
those that give instruction in the doctrines and
practice of Christianity. We cordially concur iu
the author's views ; the human mind in learning
naturally proceeds from the visible and sensible to
that which is a deduction of reason, and where the
Cl.ristian physician, by his wisdom and skill,
benefits the body of a China man, he is very
likely to win Grit confidence which will give
ethcacy to the teachings whereby he hopes
to benefit the soul. From Peking our
author advanced to Chian-kia-kow, encountering
on the way many inconveniences, and receiving in-
numerable proofs of the complete absence of any-
thing like a mural sense or conscience iu his Celestial
fi lends and attendants. The transit through the
neaintaiu pass of Niiiikow was full of inconvenience,
• and even danger, but not destitute of a certain rude
grandeur. Leaving this city the author passed
Iwyuild the great wall, and entered upon the
Mongolian desert. The author and his fellow tra-
vellers journeyed by night iu carts, and encamped
in the day-time, an arrangement that gave him
ample time to write up his journals, and to make
h 'sorely observations on the neighbourhood of the
lilting places. Of these opportunities lie has made
excellent use ; he describes in agreeable style the
character of the Mongolian nomads and settled
tribes, their method of living, and their domestic
ecoiotity —if the term be applicable to tent life.
We have here a very good engraving representing
;• au eucampruent iu the vast desert of Gobi, which
as,i.ts us touch in understanding the author's de-
criptions. Having spent wetly days iu the desert,
thee re.e lied at h. ligth the laud of vegetation, and
rej..n.cd in the sight of trees ; but here their pro-
, gress was obstructed by the savage river Tuna,
which blinds suddenly from the side of a mountain,
and rushes through the adjacent valley and plain
with great violence. They were obliged to swim
this stream on the backs of camels, mules, and
and happily got across without any fatal
accident. We recommend our readers to look
' attentively at the picture which illustrates this
achievement. Our space will not permit us to
• characterise at length tho author's vigorous and
graphic representations of the couutnes through
which he passed, and the people with whom be
associated. He divides the homogeneous race of

the Mongols into three sections—the Kalkas, the
sa'mucks, and the Bouriats, and of each of these
he gives an excellent account. From Irkutsk
the author proceeded with short delays to
Ekaterinburg, and thence to European Russia across
the Volga, on to St. Petersburg. We have already
indicated our opinion of the artistic and literary
merits of the work ; it remains to say that it is
written with an evident desire to be truthful and
natural. The author's long residence in China has
liberated him in a large measure from those preju-
dioes with which English eyes are prone to see
everything foreign to their own habits of life. He
judges, therefore, with moderation things that are
opposed to his own views, and is very far from the
presumptuous insolence of setting up the customs
of England as the he plus ultra of civilisation and
wisdom. We have read the book with pleasure, an
recommend it to our readers.

TELEGRAPHIC INTELLIGENCE.

(zscrria's Tawauxe.)
FRANCE.

EMI.% Dsc. 26.

La France asserts that General Fremont will be
appointed United States minister at Pasia,.intne
place of the late Mr. Dayton.

THE BANK OF RUSSIA.
ST. PETERSBURG, Du. 26.
_ _ _

The Bank of Russia has issued a notice, an-
nouncing that the subscriptions to the lottery loan,
which closed the day before yesterday, amount to
115,26'0,000 rubles.

MAILS FROM INDIA AND CHINA.
SUEZ, Doc. 23.
. _ _

The Menageries Imperiales steamer Tigre arrived
here to-clay, with the above mails, 123 passengers,
and 833 packages of merchandise.

(By telegraph freer time.)

CALCUTTA, DIE. 8.
Shirting' improving. Exchange on London,
2i, Id.

BOMBAY, DEc. 8.
Cotton advancing. Exchange on London, 2s. led.
CANTON, Nov. X
Grey shirtings and twist dull. Tea unchanged.
Exchange on London, 4s. 9d.

SHANGHAE, Nov. 21.
Tea dull. Silk advancing. Exchange on Lon-
don, 6a. sd.

WRECK OF THE HYDASPES.
SUEZ, D.C. 96.

The packet Hydaspes has been wrecked in the
straits of Rhio, between Singapore and Batavia.
The passengers and cargo were saved.

JAPAN.

PARIS, Dic. 26.

The Paris papers publish news from Japan stet
log that the treaty between the European powers
and the Taicoon, in reference to the Prince of
Nagato, stipulates that an indemnity be paid of 18
millions of francs, and that a port of the Inland
Sea be opened for trade.