The Express.
London, England, 1847-12-27 00:00:00

THE EXPRESS, MONDAY EVENING, DECEMBER 27, 1847.

metaphor), while prose is the lean ; and although the
fat (that is, the verse) is not always edible or swallow-
able, still its use and presence gives juioe and gusts
to the prose. Hence it is that no poetry, or bad
poetry, is a very bad sign for prose, and indicates &-
cadence not merely in one department, but in both.
Still, there is no general rale or censure without
exception. And we must say that Mrs. Hall's "Mid-
summer Eve " is, for prose and woodcut, as pretty as
any annual of the olden time. So is Leigh Hunt's
" Jar of Honey from Mount Hybla," and its prose all
redolent of the poesy of the author's younger days. A
nicer story, with a finer moral, than that of " King
Robert," it were difficult to find.
Amongst the annuals that seem to us meet success-
ful, are children's annuals, of which, indeed, the nam-
ber is so great as to preclude even enumeration. We shall
merely mention the " Nursery Annual," " Charles
Boner's Book," Mrs. Clarke's " Shakspeare Maxims,"
" My own Annual," a most instructive and amusing
one.

The most apt Christmas book we have seen is the
"Family Jo Miller," that hitherto forbidden volume to
the delicate taste of our age; which was hard, con-
sidering that this is a moat mirth-loving age. Much
learning has evidently been spent by the editor upon
"Joe," and his life certainly rivals the senii-conjeeta-
ral ones of the bard of Avon by his most enthusiastic
living biographers. "Joe Miller's" jokes form, how-
ever, but a tithe of the good things of the volume,
which contains a cento of all the jests uttered
since, even down to Mr. Sydney Smith's last. These
are all strung up appositely, like votive offerings,
in this Christmas crimson-bound temple to " Joe
Miller." Kenny Meadows and Doyle have, as usual,
enacted their share of the work most admirably.
This leads us to the more artistic annuals. Not
many keep up the portrait form of illustration, once so
favourite. There still, however, goes on in these
engravings a struggle between the pleasing, graceful
smile found in nature and adopted by Ste Joshua
Reynolds, and that other smile and simper bequeathed
by Sir Thomas Lawrence. Fisher's, or rather Mrs.
Norton's, Drawing-room Scrap Book championises the
former, which has able exponents in Herbert, Cat-
termole, and Redgrave.
As an artistic annual, nothing can be more beauti-
ful than the illustrated volume of Byron's Tales and
Poems, published by Orr.
Musical annuals are not the least welcome of the
new appeals to Christmas purchasers. Jukien's own,
as well as his collection or Jenny Lind's airs, in an
album which bears her name, are both excellent,
though we recognise mere " old friends" than " new
faces" amongst them. The quadrilles and illumina-
tions of the ' Musical Bijou' are unexceptionable.
Journal of a Residence at Ms Cape of Good Hope, with
Excursions into the Interior, and Notes on the Natural
History of Me Native Tribes. By C. J. F. BUNBUIVI.
This is the best account of a colony, as it presented
itself to a casual visitor, that we have met with. The
author is a man of clear and quick perceptive powers,
exercised by scientific pursuits, and a naturally deli-
cate taste, which has been carefully cultivateu. He
seinowledges ant he visited the Cape of Good Hope
by no means free from prepossessions with respect to
different classes of its inhabitants; but, as he worked
himself free of them during his residence, the admis-
sion only entitles him more to our confidence.
Mr. Bunbury visited the Cape colony on the invita-
tion of Sir George Napier when appointed governor
in 1837. His principil inducement was the opportu-
nity thus afforded of examining its natural produc-
tions. He remained in the province rather more than
a year, and during that period made an excursion as
far as Graham's Town, and into the ceded territory.
One great charm of the book originates in Mr. Bon-
bury's power of viewing the scenes presented to him
with the minute accuracy of a naturalist, and repre-
senting them with the broad free touch of an artist
He has also jugged well in resting contented with
giving us the first fresh impressions made upon him
by external objects. Praise is due to the unforced
manner in which he realises to our imagination
the scenes presented to him by comparisons with
those which are familiar to the home-keeping public.
He has by these means succeeded in conveying a
more real and faithful notion of the appearance of the
colony than any preceding traveller—Pringle not
excepted.
This, however, is the least praise to which Mr.
Bunbury is entitled. He has exerted himself to
appreciate accurately and impartially the social rela-
tions of the Cape and the various races who people it
and the surrounding regions. His account of the
state of education there, and the various efforts to
promote it (including the valuable memoir by Sir
John Herschel on the subject, which he publishes in
an appendix), have not only a statistical importance,
as bearing on the actual condition of the colony, but
are of consequence as illustrations of the general prin-
ciples of education.
Probably, however, the volume will be more
useful on account of the honest and candid ac-
count it gives of the Hatch farmers and their
emigration than for anything else it contains.
The missionaries and the anti-slavery party—
from no dishonest purpose, we believe, but for
want of comprehensive sympathies—promulgated 11
most distorted and absurd representations of the
beers on the one band and the aborigines on the,
other. Their statements were confirmed, and even
exaggerated by a class of supercilious and imper-
tinent subordinate officials sent out from this country,
whose vanity was shocked by the rough independence
of the farmers of Dutch race. The result has been
licenced oppression of the briers, resulting in the ex-
tensive emigration and other dislocations of civil
society, the remedy for which it is not easy to con-
jecture.
The importance of this subject, and the gross mis-
conceptions which pervade the public of the mother
country regarding it, are the reasons why we confine
oar extracts to matters relating to the beers alone, and
for making these extracts rather ample. The history
of the rise and progress of the emigration is thus
given comprehensively and fairly by as English
traveller for the first time.

I have touched, in more than one place in my journal, on the
various causes which led to the emigration of the Dutch farmers from
the colony ; but it mar be well here to recapitulate them in one gene-
ral view. According to the beet information I was able to collect, the
chief grimancee which they alleged were these:
1. The inadequate compensation allotted to them on the emancipa-
tion of theit slaves by Be act of 1833. It does not appear that they
comety and, at least in any great degree, of the emancipation itself;
nor that they were very destroua to maintain the system of slavery ;
but they complained that, wherees the English government had
emancipated their slaves under a promise of full comp mutton, they
had In reality received scarcely a third of their wine ; and is thh
complaint there appeared to be • considerable degree of Juelice. I
have been angered that the .bare of conipenration-money allotted to
the slaveownen of the Cape was much lees, In proportioo, than that
received by the other colonies.
The average value of slaves in the Cape Colony awe nearly double
what it was in the Went Indies, and the compenratlon was calcu-
lated with reference to those latter notaries. What wan worse, the
money ass to be paid in London, so the the slave-owner. of the gape
had to pay diecount and commis:don to the amount of 12 per nt
and upwards,in order to receive their share a; CUpe Town, and for
this many of them had to travel fleece six hundred miles. An Eng-
lish speculator, taking advantage of this state of things, went oat to
the tape with a large sum of money, to buy up compensation claims,
which many of the owners, disgusted with the trouble and lam they
were exposed to, were willing to sell cheap ; and it tuned out, I be.
lien, a very profitable speculation.
2. The want of adequate protection naiad the inroads of the Kaf-
fir., Bushmen, and other aborigines, was always mind as one of the
erievances of the colonists rending near the frontier. At first It
strikes one as rather singular that they should reek to remedy this
evil by plunging into the very midst of the ravage tribes, and
braving the inroad effects of their hostility. But their object woe, to
be able to take the law into their own hand., without the ft:granite
imposed by the British government They thought that they could
defend themselves more effectually, if unchecked by those restruinte,
than if they were defended by our troops; and the event proved that
they thought rightly. But it h evident that this grievance could be
alleged only by the frontier colonbste, not by there of the interior die
trine, who nevertheless emigrated in pedal:webers,
3. A real and wee evil was the prevalence of vagrancy. Great
numbers of Hottentots &relearns emancipated or runaway
and other; roomed about the colony, without any employment or
regular means of artaistance, taking up their temporary residence
wherever they thonOt fit, teasing work when offered to them, and
committing number Gas depredations on the property of the farmers ;
and this without any cheek, owing pertly to the absence of a regular
pollee, and more to the want of a law for the repression of vagrancy.
It certainly did appear to me, and, I believe, to mast strangers at the
mr Mtetnah" ofeorsduerhantodw war one
for the .t'airitti"y oftbng.
propertmy". Et tut tbeti forertloe
this alwayswar, that tire finiettionthance (mend by Genera; tienshes in
1628, and piecing the Hottentots on • footing of heal equality with
the white iolmbitante of the colony) whit an insuperable obstacle to
the passing of a Vagrant Aar which would in effect press chiefly on
that retch It le trae, also, that there would have been cacuriderable
in staking such a law really fair and metal In practice, be-
soy, wane of the interim districts there were but veryee,
few, if
soy, mia qtralttled by resales and moral training for the office of
sud s wwg tf admingtration
I. sail bands, mightw
malty be rendered • anima engine of ope were entrested
ne-
d., y 1.1 the ieas aertidf, that the want of any soca prnMeion
wee pareft felt se n serious sad larnabg evil, and contributed to
Oat dlumWeedon with the sdethig state of things in the colony,
wide It Mamma so many of she Boas to rams..
4. • rut number of etnain. nubs WU* sol limo were
frr Ilts we of the array adages Isfir Wel t• Ink were
alturward• mate to obtain say empermSto tor He lam that!
US** mom of discontent wee added the disarm seseelooed by
=L&welts to the north/ea sag tweet...stern cassette. The
ases region., unable to ambit Irtth their large families
cm ewe inured end exhanead Imcla am r. irr felt a teUb to better
Hs* east after the easmile et dais SaMktiters, to seek
mem peagairmaleyeestili salutiel
act b• lea Am. • very arty peeled of the set-
tlement, tt lad bus a a the ationiall kraus to
Terms Illimets• sat** byres *mkt as AN es
dor booll thissaivesdilltiond br sears by west
inet rem. mg heel any =gestation el lading mare &natant tuesta• th. not aaleateed. Maly petaled as ars all the tate.

• -
fteegrtar altricilte petw:tterdthe CsPece thikessecesaY. thB=e;imethellw.lse so Mitt erw:
purer el Ile led Is reedy bed ea eserattof
• the west dweller, elletsireetemeefee= eititheglielle to
effort few lhoellles. The eseetew Mew ellesset eserywhere
eetelfee es the calomel, reeelre lee Wet lime •
wade goes kg the bean of =eel Imes; see the were
/r
dent elligh shire the asellee set meth.
emillent te veer elms
tle the paler put ewe et
ewe aLmva eta wne4 St kr preerege caries mot seven
distrait.
The gerseers ewe eeesafesd may Neap, be Wed we
use
the
grimy ries et the and" satheleelle It
Off
sacs white bee foie wisiwarari. It wield sot
hew te sary lam' et glom& Illsertnelli, sal mealy not
to say eseertke et tedeptedgess. Pee ems teas presisee to tbe
oneeeememlwt der wet asigtetton. w Remise bad awned
the see, eels Null ;erase eed wed tar into the I
Mee seeeisir emealaff N the north-named. le morel of glee
end water be lisk eels. lone of them peeseetei as far as Port
Natal, ma met bask gash brilliant accounts of the fertility et that
diettiet, Vet edam were Melted In follow thew Bat there
weelossellYel et until see the doe et the Katlic
war, elm gent Wpm to elt Meant et the
Stocissehmelsegap, sad et the billet feeisethe preetkd for
the &sem geleekle Ow et Or fret trim et the ~eon,
Eder Lek{ who boil to hose hem $ tesyseteles eel at
men, 'bed elsreit ego a serreigendeese with the
esterelledisestr=lithe evader et proteedos spinet
Dar dieselsesee t eel le estelledois, -he determined to
golttheeseetry; slew gale aelsttleem joined him, end
they asses 8M ewer& Peet- lbefeL
It weld rem dot eves sleds time the generality of the Boers, so
far hem lamb* soy geed lelestlon d thereto, off the yoke of Eng-
huld, were not swore that whet they were doing was illegal. lem
aseureed that the Ikest,geverate lilleeteastrom, in reply to a question
as to the leednyotthwesigreles,webilelyanddlettortlydeclacedthat
• "be knew of no law be gees the inhabitants from examine the
boundary, and if there wee mit slew, it was arbitrary end tyran-
nical." This deekrstlas ls slit le have had a great in axon-
' r and eseelerethig the seowessent. Indeed, lame person., well
soq with the edgy sod its people, are of opinion that the
liesteret, pewees, Eight et ads lime have ehecked, or even ore.
• mated, any peers! tedgestles, if he led treated his fellow colts.
nista with eosaideratirm. downs disposition to Ilsten to their com-
plaints, and distinctly gemmed thaw wind the step which they were
taking. It is mud also that he siselaratme was quite erroneous in
pint of fact, for that there was a law of old deeding, enacted before
the English conquest of the Cape, by which the colonitts were ex-
Needy forbidden to crone the frontier without a written permission
from the auUaoritles.
In this suite of things, the movement spend rapidly, sod multi-
, lodes from all parts of the colony began to emigrate, some Impelled
by discontent, some by a desire to improve their condition, I.oole by
the spirit of imitation- A young man, one of semis soon being asked
by • friend ermine whether he isteuded to emigrate, at first hesitated
to give an answer,— etidently haring intirivinge in his own mind
as to the legality of the act, bat being farther premed
on the eubject, he acknowledged that he had some
thoughts of it, "for be did not see 'what he could
' do ;he could not remain • burden to his parents" (This imeedute
may serve in some degree to illustrate the feeling by which many
were actuated in the trot instance.) Thus, influenced by a variety of
motives (a part of which were really praiseworthy, and another part
at leant innocent), and mewed, on the authority of the lieutenant-
go vernor, that they were doing teothiog illegal, continually ineveltaing
number. ..relied the tide of emigration. The desire to " trek" (as it
' was called) been= a perfect punkin, and infected even the long.
settled districts near Cape 'town; and, by the time when we
arrived in the colony, the numbers of the emigrants had
beetene so greet as to excite both astoniattment and mishap;
but it was then too late to check the movement. One of the first cons
enterable parties of emigranue which quitted the colony soon after the
close of the Kaffir war (1837), was headed by a man of the name of
' Louis Prtechard. Croming the Orange River they followed • north-
emtetly course, keeping slang the western Bide of the great Quath-
lambs chain of mountains; but, bring little acquainted with the
country, they penetrated too far to the northward, and, having en.
treed upon the swampy and pestilential plains in the neighbourhood
of Believe Bey, were cut off in great eumbers by the fever which pr_-
valle there. The great body of the emigrants, although they took the
same direction, did not advance so far, but spread themselves along
• the banks of the Likwa or Vaal River, which formed the southern
boundary of the dominions of the great Matebili Moseleketm.
This savage, of whom a copious amount will be found In Captain liar-
ria's " Wild Sports of Southern Attica," had rendered himself the
mourn and terror of ell that pert of the country, as Chska and Lhn-
gaan were of the recaons to the east of the mountains. Ile had shown
hltneelf not unwilling to receive Eureyean strangers who rune by
way of kuruman or New Latakoo, considering the missionaries at
that pram as his best friends; but he had positively forbidden all
strangers to enter hie dominions by way of the Vaal River.
Seeing the Boers totally rewarillem of this prohibition, and finding
that they brought him no pements, and made no attempt to ormeillate
him, he regarded them as enemies, and at once determined on their
destruction. Accordingly, in May, 18a6, the emigrants, who were scat-
tered In small parties along the banks of the river, unsuspicious of
danger, and taking no precautions against it, were suddenly attacked
by the Matabili warriors, many of them slain, and a part of their
Bock, and herds carried oft In October of the same year the attack
was repeated, with more formalable numbers, and under the com-
mand of Moselelenteca chief captain; but thin time the Boers
were on their guard, and the as miens were repulsed
with great low. Nut many months afterwards, being
reinforced by fresh swarms from the colony, the emigrants retaliated
by an attack on bloseleicatsela own kraal, in which they we re com-
pletely succereful. The chief himself, however, nemped ; and the
victors, instead of prosecuting farther beetilitier against kink turned
• their enterpriees In another direction. Peter Reiter was elected, rte
the course of the year 1037, to be their governor and cornomeder-in-
chief ; and under his guidance they moceeded in finding a way across
the Quathiamba mountains into the fee the country about Port Natal,
where they were desirous to settle.
•

Uf Natal, our youngest colony, Mr. Bunbnry
speaks in these terms:—
Port Natal is now a. part of the British possession; having
been formally annexed to the dominions 1.1 the crown while Lard
Stanley was at the head of the Cohnial.officc. It a ruled
by a lieutenant-governor, subordinate to the governor of the
Cape ; It boa a recorder to preede over the judicial dePar
with • clerk of the peace under hint; arid a collector ofeentrenstut
Rationed at the port Pieter-Mastts-burg, the chief settlement el the
emigrant foots, some distance inland from Port Natal, Iva grown up
into a considerable town, which now boosts of a mesa anti
of a newspaper. The settlement appears to be thriving and
..annd the relight:ea
noe :Lin% native
read te tribes,
of
ratt
whitbably by e
men, men appear to ete
be fa; mono tractable an 4 submissive than
those no the frontlet of the old colony. The ..It and Wheat/
are thought to be suitable for the cultivation of mites, of whirch rave-
ral plantations hare been farmed, and hitherto with very medians
suction. A correspondent of sue of the Cape newspaper t, who visited,
early in the present year, a cotton plantation • t about three
hours' ride from Hater-liariteburg, states that the plants, raised
iron seed In the prerimis December, were, at the time of his visit, Ye
feet high. and in the finest condition ; "the planting of ten acres did
not cue to, and they will yield about 1201. worth of cotton next
, mouth." A company had been projected to carry on this branch of
industry, and to beep up the regalar supply of labour, by amours-
' ging emigration from Europe ; but It was thought by some that the
• labour of the natives, who seemed willing to engage in such occupa-
tion., would be both cheaper and more efficient It is stated that a
large proportion of the pants of land already made by the govern.
moot in the neighboorhood of Natal have fallen into the hands of •
few great specubtpea, who have aecordlogly become the owners of
Immense tracts of hind ; two are mentioned, whose pomeasiona ex-
tend respectively over ISO and 12f aquae miles.
I Vdthough • comiderable part of the emigrant farmers remained
I
quietly in the Natal territory, when it became subject to British rule,
another part moved away into the interior, to the north-westward,
beyond the Quathlareba maintains; and it would appear that the
commandant of this party still 211111IIMell much of the authority of an
independ- fir potentate. Panda, the present king of the Zoolooe, In
said to be very &rims of removing the whole of his .objects Into the
interior, es be finds that he cannot tarp up his despotic authority
over them, in its fullextent, In the neighbourhood of a British colony;
and his power Is conch reduced by the frequent desertion of his dis-
contentid eubjects,who escape from hie tyranny by placing themselves
under the protection of our laws,
The disadvantage of Natal, aa a settlement, is the difficulty of enter-
lag the harbour, the mouth of which is entail by a sand-bar, which at
low tide has bat aix feet of water on it; even email cowls can enter
only in the finest weather. The surf on that coast Is described as
tremendous.

The naturalist, the politician, and the mere reader
for amusement, will all find interesting matter in Mr.
Bunlntry's pages.

INTERESTING BOOKSELLER'S CATALOGGE.—Among
the literary curiosities lately proposed for publication by the
Camden Society is the Day-book of John Dome, a foreign
bookseller, resident at Oxford, giving the prices, and often
the printer, place, character, size, binding, and purchaser of
the books uhich he sold, day ltilt day, during the year 1620.
This unique contribution to bibliographical history is pre-
paring for the press by two distinguished teholars—Dr.
Cotton, the archdeacon of Cashel, and the Rev. John Wil-
son, Fellow of Trinity College, Oxford. The society will
produce it as soon as is consistent with the care and atten-
tion necessary to identity many of the " rare tomes" recorded
by Master Dorne.—Athesmuns.

fftnt arts.
TRANSFERRING PAINTINGS FROM WALLS.—There
were on the ceilings and vaulting§ of the apartments in the
Castle of Vincennes, near Paris, 800 square feet of allegorical
paintings from the pencil of Leaueur. M. Landry, who is
atached to the royal mweums for transferring old paintings
to new canvasses, has taken off the paintings at Vincennes
with great and successful care; and on Wednc aday transported
them to the Louvre in frames made for the purpose. They
were carried up to M. Landry's atelier above the Spanish
Museum, and th. re be will immediately proceed to put them
on ca van.—Galignani.

12ibt 'Drama.
CHRISTMAS PANTOMIMES.

- - -
The managers of the theatres have been for weeks
past employed in the production of their respective minto-
mimee, burlesques, &e. The subjoined programme will
convey an idea of the amount of amusement provided for
the holidays:
DRURY-LANZ THEATRE—The annual harlequinade at
this theatre is entitled " Friar Rush; or, Harlequin and
King Gold." The opening is by Mr. Alfed Croaquill, as
well as several of the comic scents ; the others are invented
by Mr. Albert Smith.
HAYMARKET THEATRE.•-In the absence of Mr. Planche,
Mr. Gilbert it Beckett and his literary associates have, it is
expected, laboured to simile successful ends in the ferth•
coming burlesque opectac,e, named "The World Under-
ground; or, the Magic Flute." The well-known vocal talent
of the company for that description of music, has enabled
the authors to lay under contribution the most popular
music of the day in parodies of song, duet, glee, and chorus.
Previous to the burlesque, Sheridan's comedy of the
" Rivals" will be acted.

Lrcaux THEATRE.—Madame Vests* it in rid,. will have
exceeded all her former effort in the production of a bur-
lesque fairy extravaganza, written by Mr. Ylauche, and
called " The Golden Branch."
_

ADELPHI Tricartte.—lß addition to " The Pearl of
the Ocean," a new feature will he added to the
other attractions of the bill in the person of Mona
Paul Lenand, a popular pantomimist from the Its-
Han and French theatres, who will appear in a
new entertainment, or Italian pantomime, in two parts,
called" Pierrot, the Married Man ; or, Polichinelle, the I
Gay Single Fellow." The style of this performance is totally
opposite to that of • harlequin pantomime, as played in
English theatres, and may be termed an experioent to re-
produce a most amusing description of ballet of action, prac
tised with infinite success many years back.
PEINOMES'S THEATILE.—Mr. Rodwell is the anther of the
harlequinade hare. It is nulled " Old Father Time ; or,
Harlequin and the Four Seneca"
MARYLEBONII THEATRIL—The Christian novelty pro-
vided by Mrs. Warner bean the somewhat novel title of
" Eyes, Nose, and Mouth; or, Harlequin Prince Perfect and
the Birth of Beauty." Amid the numerous comic events
will be found the current foibles, manias, and objects of
attention new so rife in public attention.
Sumter THRATax.—The title of Mr. Bunn's bane.
quiaade this year is " Battledore and Shuttlecock ; or, Har-

, lequin and Trap, Bat, and Ball.. Mr. Nelson Lee is the I
author, and the once [mous Joseph Southby is to be the
clown. Previous to the pantomime The Earl of WlLT-
wick," popular in the days of Betty, the young Bosch's,
will be brought to the ordeal of a Surrey audience.
°inure Tueartut—The Christmas offering at this
theatre is entitled The British Lion ; or, Harlequin Panic."
Tie orming scene discovers Panic in the Hall of a Thousand
unpaid BBL, panic being a pawnbroker on a large scale.
The concluding scene represents the Gallery of England,
with all the great sod noble characters of Albion, amid a
corruscation of effulgent light, Everything has been done
to ensure success, and the interior of the theatre is now
second to none in the whole range of London minors.
Weise THEATHIL—This house, remarkable
ter being the early home of the great pantomimist., still re-
tains a fair share of its previous excellence in that depart-
went, " Harlequin Little Great Britain ; or, Jack and
the Beanstalk, and the Ogre's Golden Hen" is the panto-
mime here, written by Mr. Greenwood, the co-lessee of Mr.
Phelps, being the title of this year's pantomime.
ASTLEY'S TIVIATIMIL—The pantomime here is entitled
" Doctor Syntax ; or, the Dapple Grey Mare," and bort well
as that at Surrey Theatre, written by Mr. Nelson Lee.

THE ANTIGONE OF SOPHOCLES, WITH MUSIC BY
MINDILBBOIIN.—This chef dceuvre of the ancient Greek
drama., with music by the late illustrious Mendelsohn
Bartholdy, is in preparation at the St. James's Theatre,
where it will be produced with considerable splendour on
Wednesday, January 6. M. Jules Benedict, the friend
end countrymen of the great composer, has undertaken the
direction and superintendence of the music, and the more en
scene will be directed by Mons. Bocage, who will also sus-
tain the character of Cleon, as originally performed by him
on the occasion of the successful production of this celebrated
ploy at the Theatre de l'Odeon, Paris.