The Sun.
London, England, 1864-08-23 00:00:00

LEA.RND.G THE ALPHABET,

There is a curious story connected with the Javanese
alphabet, whether founded on fact or not I cannot say, but
I sh)uld rath,r be inclined to think an invention, devised to
impress tta letters on the mind of juvenile pupils, If such
is the c-,se, we cannot but admire the native shrewdness in
ador,,lng such a plan. A certain priest, whilst walking
►orongh a forest, found he had lost his kriss; but feeling
too fatigued to return in search of it, he approached a
woodman busily at work, and begged him to seek it for
him. The latter obeyed, and while he was absent, the
priest and his servant sitting on the clump of a forest tree,
refreshed themselves with some food which they had
brought with them. Some hours having elapsed before the
return of the messenger, the priest began to feel uneasy at
the prospect of not completing his long journey before
nightfall, and despatched his servant in quest of the wood-
man. The fcrrner had not proceeded far, when he met the
messenger returning with the kriss. As his master had
given him strict orders not to come back without it, he re-
quested the woodman to deliver it to him; a request which
the man, who anticipated a reward for his services, refused
to grant. The consequence was that a violent altercation
took place, ending in the death of both.

The story, told in the following manner, serves as a sort
of mnemonic aid to the young Javanese learning their
letters :

Ho no jto ro ko—He sent them both.
Dho to so wo lo—Who fell out and quarrelled.
Po do djo jo njo—They were equally courageous,
Mo go bo tho ngo--Both were killed.
The wedding ceremonies of Java, which are of great
length, ure fully described, as are also many other
of the native customs. Oa the whole, these two
volumes may be regarded as presenting an
eminently satisfactory picture of life in Java.

Vacation Tourists and Notes of ?ravel in 1862-3.
Edited by Francis Galton, author of "The Art 01
Travel." One vol. pp. 524. Macmillan and Co.
The editor of these collected travels may very
justly describe this new volume as containing great
variety in its contents. The Eleven papers here
clamed together are about as dissimilar in style and
subject as is well possible. The fiest article by the
Rev. N. B. Tristam, describes " a Winter Ride in
Palestine ;" the second, by J. G. Bertram, Esq.
relates to " Fish Culture in F:ance ;" the third is
about " the Turks in CeP.:itantinople ;" the fourth,
and one of the most charming of the series,contains
"Letters from the Cape," by Lady Duff Gordon.
As M. Jourdaiia spoke "prose" all his life " without
knowing it," so Lady Duff Gordon has con-
tribc!ed to a book—and some very ins
*.efesting contributions they are:—without
intending it I " You must have fallen into second
childhood," she says to friend to whom she had
addressed her original letters, " to think of printing
such hasty ranlnling scrawls as I write. I never
could w' to a good letter; and unless I gallop as
1151":1 as I can, and don't stop to think, I can say
nothing; only I fancy you will be amused by some
of my " impressions"-moths " you" intended for fhe
private friend may be very correctly addressed to
the public reader. Like the lady writer, who
naively said of herself " I gossip whenever I please,
and I please whenever I gossip"—so Lady Duff
Gordon, in her unpremeditated sketches, will give
pleasure to the many who may peruse at leisure what
she has hastily penned during the progress of her
travels. The remaining papers are as miscellanecu,
and as interesting as those we have already particu
larised. "Poland" and "Paraguay," " Sinai" and
" Servia," " The Ancient Sheli.mounds of Denmark,"
"The Medical Service of the Federal Army," and
" Wilderness journeys in New Brunswick' divide
the attractions of this very amusing and instructive
collection of the reminiscences of " Vacation.
Tourists" and Notes of Travel.

illexico Ancient and Modern. By M•
Michel
Chevalier, Senator and Member of the M.
Institute
of France. Translated under the Author's super•
intendence, by Thomas Alpass. Two vols. Max.
well and Company.
The name of M. Michel Chevalier oh the title

page is sufficient to attract particular attention to
any work. M. Chevalier having for some time oc-
cupied a prominent position in the literary and
political world at Paris has accuired for himself a
large circle of readers, and also, be it added, a large
circle of admirers. The presett work on Mexico
made its appearance in France before the recent
political arrangements in Mexico, and the author
naturally takes credit to himself that the course of
subsequent events has in a greet degree justified his
predictions. "The facts now accomplishing," he
observes, " also the re-awaken,ng of that monarchi-
cal sentiment which the anther had noted as still
vivacious in the hearts of Mexicans, and as that
which would rally round it the great majority of
the Liberal or Republican party, provided Mon..
archy presented itself under the escort of a group
of public liberties suited to the intellectual and
moral state of the country. Every day brings the
adhesion to the new regime of some of those chiefs
who fought under the orders of the Juarez Govern-
ments." " France," says M. Chevalier a little later
on, " could not, go to Mexico to found
there a new older of things except with the
condition of their being in conformity with the
spirit of the time. The honour of France, the
secret of her influence in the world, is that she re-
presents those immortal ideas known as the prin-
ciples 0f1789, which are the terror of oppressors and
the hope of nations oppressed." The author's re-
marks in reference to religious adminis-
tration are not likely to find favour with
the great body of Catholics, indeed his own
religious opinions may be called in question by
many of the readers of his book. The following
remarks on the new Emperor of Mexico are emin-
ently just, and it is to bs hoped they may also prove
prophetic :