The Press.
London, England, 1857-02-28 00:00:00

PAMPHLETS.

The Second Congress,anilihekussian Claim to the Isle of
Serpents and Bolgrad. J. Ridgway--Education Difficulties,
How they are to be Met. Hatt:hard—Metropolitan Comma.
nications and Thames Bridges. Stanford—A Letter to
Viscount Palmerston, E.G., from Lady Franklin. Ridgway
—Fashion's Forte; or, the Conventional World. J. E.
Adlard—Nults on the Geology, Mineralogy, and Springs of
England and Wales. Longmans—A Review of the Judy-
went of the Right Hon. Sir John Dodson, Kist., D.C.L.
Charles Francis Trower, Esq., M.A. J. T. Hayes—lie-
marks on the Proposed ',iteration of the Law of Naval
Prizes. J. W. Parker and Son—Composition and Elocution.
Samuel Neil. Houlston and Wright—Hine's Patent Self
Breaking Perambulator. Dodd and Company—The Marcy
Convention. Thacker and Co.—Hardwicke's Shilling
Baronetage fur 1857. Hardwicke—Revised English Version
of the Holy Scriptures. American Bible Union. Triitrner
—The Sergeant Philosopher. Longmans—.4n Inquiry into
the Origin of the Liverpool Town Dues. Richardson—The
Hudson's Bay Company, Canada West, and the Indian Tribes.
Richardson—A Few Words on the Question, Whether there
is by Law any Effective Control over the Public Expenditure
Ridgway—The Late War. A Christian. Booth—Proceed.
ings the Royal Geographical Society of London. Stan-
Crd Third Letter to J. A. Roebuck, Esq , M.P.
Maynooth. A Dialogue. S. li. Aldham Educa.
tional Difficulties. Hatehard—Suggestions on the Treat-
ment and Disposal of Criminals. Hatchard-7'urkey and
the Crimea. Hatchard—The Oude Question. Smith and
Co. Algeria in 18.50. Viscount Cranborne. J. Mitchell
—Physic and the Phases. Simpkin and Marshall—The
Euphrates Valley Route to India. Sampson Low and Co.
—.4 Letter to the Right lion. Robed Vernon Smith, M.P.
Benning—London Sewerage. E. Wilson—Lord Brougham's
Speech on the Property of Married Women. Ridgway—
Culvertvell r. Sidebuttom. Wilson—Proceedings of Vie
Students' Literary and Scientific Society, Bombay.—
The Report of the President of the Queen's College, Gal-
way, IKSII. Thom and Sons—What is to be Dune with our
Criminals. Hall and Virtue—A Letter to the Right Hon.
Lord Panmure—Financial Reform. Longmans—The New
Palaces of Administration. Macmillan and Co.—Econo.
mics I Causes of Slavery in the United States. Hardwicke
—Opium Revenue of India. Seeley and Jackson—The
Bombardment of Canton. Effingham Wilson.

AN INTERESTING PAPER by General Monteith
was read at a recent meeting of the Geogra
phical Society. General Monteith described the
position of Bushire and the surrounding country.
Bushire itself is scantily supplied with water, nor
can a good supply be obtained at a less distance than
two miles. Along the shore, at a distance varying
from ten to thirty miles, there is a tract of low arid
land at the foot of the mountains, which rise imme-
diately from it. Those mountains present a formid-
able appearance ; but General Monteith is of
opinion they are not so impracticable for an army as
they appear to be, as there are several passes through
which artillery might be transported without much
difficulty. The height of the highest passes is com-
puted to be about 5,000 feet. General Monteith
stated that the mountain tribes are warlike, and
friendly to the English ; and, being in a great
degree independent of Persia, he believes that they
would join our standard. Sir H. Rawlinson spoke at
considerable length in illustration of the ancient
history, the physical geography, and the productive-
ness of the country. After sketching the history of
the country to the present time, Sir H. Rawlinson
described its general appearance. All along the
western shore the land is exceedingly arid, but on
the north of the Gulf there is a large extent of the
most. fertile country in the world, extending to
Schuza, near the foot of the mountains. If the
war should continue, this portion of the country
would in all probability be taken possession of by
our armies, as it is very accessible, and capable of
being occupied with advantage. It was a mistaken
notion to suppose that the English intended to enter
Persia by crossing the mountain range to the east of
Bushire, which Sir H. Rawlinson considered more
impracticable than General Monteith appeared to
do, and would, he said, present a must formidable
barrier if held by a warlike enemy. Mr. Layard
described the people in the country on the north o
the Gulf as a superior class of men, though some
what given to thieving, and in his long intercourse
with them they manifested great friendship for the
English nation. Before the close of the proceedings

211

Sir Henry Rawlinson was called upon to explain the
position of Herat, which be did very graphically,
and observed that it would be impossible to reach
Herat by the Persian Gulf; but there would not be
much difficulty in taking it by a British force march-
ing from India. It would be impossible, however,
for a British force to hold it withont deporting all
the present inhabitants of the country. Sir Henry
Itawlinson stated that Herat never belonged to
Persia; and it might, in fact, be more correctly
stated that Persia belonged to Herat. The country
around it is one of the most fruitful in Asia, and
could maintain a large army for many months.