The Express.
London, England, 1867-11-19 00:00:00

THE EXPRESS, TUESDAY EVENING, NOVEMBER 19, 1867.

Arabs and Kabyles either wholly expelled or
driven to the extreme frontiers of the country, and
replaced by Europeans, there will be no hope for
Algeria. He expresses a wish that the time may
not be very far distant when this shall be the case,
and believes that in about another hundred and
fifty years (rather a long period, by the way, to
anticipate) the Arab population of Algeria will
have become a fact of the past. He concludes his
work with a few words of advice to his readers as
to the various preliminary arrangements proper to
be made should any of them feel disposed to take a
journey to Northern Africa. At the same time he
throws out a hint that, instead of travelling
abroad, they had better buy his book (taking
several copies for themselves and friends), and
read it over the tire at home, " making an occa-
sional note of admiration in the margin." The
volumes are adorned with frontispieces and
vignettes, very well executed, representing the
cities of Tunis, Constantine, and Biskra, and an
Arab girl.
A strange book comes to us from the Messrs.
Longman, under the title of With Mo.rimilion in
Mexico, from the Viet.-book of a Mexican Officer. It
professes to be by " Max., Baron von Alvensleben,
late Lieutenant in the Imperial Mexican Army."
It also professes to be a truthful narrative of
events in which the writer actually took part, ex-
-1 tending from February, 1856, to April, 1867. The
writer save that, having acquired a taste for mili-
tary service as an officer of the United States army
during the rebellion, he was glad, after the close
of the struggle, to offer his sword to the then Im-
perial ruler of Mexico, in the hope that it might
help to prop up the declining fortunes of the foreign
government. Being himself an Austrian, the baron
had ties of nationality and of language with the
Emperor, to whose memory he dedicates his
1 volume in a very laudatory and high-flown inscrip-
tion. He obtained a poet in connexion with the
Engineers, and, according to his own account, had
some very rough work with the Juarista. In May,
1866, however, his small force was overwhelmed by
' a much larger force of the enemy. He him-
, self was wounded and taken prisoner, but after
awhile he escaped, and once more joined the Im-
perial army. Ultimately, when, owing to desertions
and the gradual collapse of the Imperial cause, his
company could no longer be got together in its
normal strength, he accepted the command of a
detachment of contra-guerillsa, but, being sur-
rounded by the Juarists at Acapulco, he and his
companions cut their way through with great diffi-
culty, and escaped in boats sent from an American
vessel in the harbour. This was the end of the
baron's experiences in Mexico, and he was not
sorry to arrive at New York. He gives a very dis-
mal account of the whole sorry business. The
French, he says, were not far away on the occasion
of the battle in which he was taken prisoner, yet
they made no attempt to go to the aid of their Im-
perial allies, and, on hearing of the defeat of the
latter, plundered the town which they had occupied
and abandoned it. The Juarists are described as a
set of bloodthirsty miscreants, and the baron
quotes a proclamation of General Escobcdo, enjoin-
ing the extirpation of the enemies of the republic,
and the pillage of towns which after a certain
date should still resist the national forces. On the
other hand, the Imperialists seem to have been
equally desperate. "The Emperor," Bays the present
author, " knew that strong party spirit reigned
among his adherents, even among the military, and
his constant endeavour to keep all factions in check
was one of the most arduous duties of his admi-
nistration. The unreliability of his ministers and
councillors obstructed his efforts all the more,
because he could not detect the offenders. Ru-
mours and warnings had aroused suspicion, and
brought about arrests and examinations, but with-
out leading to any results. Hia honest heart would
not believe in the treachery of those nearest to his
person, although circumstances clearly pointing to
its existence were of constant occurrence. There
was, however, one officer in the Imperial army
whose penetrating intellect, whose prudence, and
whose invincible fidelity did good service to the
Emperor. This was Mejia." These details would
be interesting, if we could place any faith in the
authenticity of the narrative. But there is a ro-
mantic colour in most of the incidents, and in the
style of the writing, which makes us very suspi-
cious. The book has unquestionably been " cooked
up," so as to read in many parts like a novel of
the G. P. R. James order. It is certainly
amusing ; the incidents are wild and stirring ;
the descriptions of scenery sufficiently pic-
turesque ; and the style, despite a little senti-
mentality, bright and agreeable. The writer seems
to be really acquainted with Mexico, and with the
recent course of events in that country, and proba-
bly did in truth go through some of the expe-
riences he here relates. But the tone of romanti-
cism goes on increasing with the progress of the
book, until, in the closing chapters, we find the
baron tracking down a very highly wrought con-
spiracy against the Emperor, in which Lopez is
described as being concerned. The incidents here
are quite in the manner of a Surrey Theatre melo-
drama of the old school ; and the baron relates
long conversations which it is next to impossible
he could recollect with so much particularity, and
which, moreover, are too highly coloured to bear
the complexion of truth. The account which the
author gives of his escape from Acapulco is also
very suggestive of "the long bow.' The work
looks as if it were of American origin, and we
should like to know something more of the Baron
von Alvenaleben before we put much faith in him.
The book, we repeat, is entertaining ; but as a con-
tribution to the history of the war it is of no value.
Miss Sarah Tytler has written a charming little
tale in one volume, called The Diamond Rose : a
Life of +Love Ind Duty (Strahan). The story was
originally published in the grit volume of Good
Words, under the title of " Lear FKlttlernile's
Maidens ;" but it Las now been completely recast,
and forms • delightful picture of old Scottish life.
The scene is laid in Edinburgh at the commence-
ment of last century, just when the legislative
union of Scotland with England had converted the
northern capital into a species of provincial town.
The quaint architecture of the old city—even more
quaint then than now—the staid, formal manners
of its inhabitants—their deep feeling combined
with the habitual suppression of emotion—the
rough freedom of the men, and the quiet coquetries
of the women—all are delineated with the mastery
of one who knows well the scenes and characters of
which and of whom she writes. We are also intro-
duced to a family of French protestant refugees,
who give variety to the dramatis persona. Pathos,
and a sort of grave cheerfulness, sometimes passing
into humour, alternately characterise the book ;
and a religious feeling, very distinct from cant or
bigotry, is observable throughout the progress of
the tale.
A little story, with a more decidedly religions
tone, comes to us from France, in the shape of an
authorised translation of the Countess de Gas-
parin'a novelette, Camille (Edmonton and Douglas).
The countess is a protestant, and the fiction to
which we are now referring will doubtless find
many readers in England and Scotland amongst
those who are not generally inclined to look with
favour on the productions of French fiction. From
the Count de Gasparin, also a protestant, we have
a volume on The Family ; its Duties, Joys, and
Sorrows (Jackson, Walford, and Hodder), which is
evidently the production of an amiable and accom-
plished nature.
Whoever has a fancy for studying the mysteries
of coats of arms, and the other insignia of chivalry,
will find a good gguriiide to those recondite matters
in EnOish Heraldry , by Charles Bound], M.A., with
450 illustrations (Cassell, Patter, and Galpin).
And to the lover of science we can recommend the
sixth edition of Mr. Jabes Hog's comprehensive
volume on The Microscope: its History, Construction,
cad Application: being a Familiar Introduction to
the Use of the Instrument, and the Study of Micro-
scopical Science (Routledge and Sons), illustrated
with upwards of five hundred engravings, and
coloured plates by Taffen West.

017 ORD, Nov. 18—The election to Adam de
Brente's exhibitions at Oriel College has terminated aa
foLlowc—Callendar. James Montague, Cheltenham Col-
lege. Rowlett, James Clarke, Orkl College. Proxime
Aoomeit : John Edward Payne, Chank7's Hall. nag
wens 30 eandidates.