The Sun.
London, England, 1863-05-23 00:00:00

FOREIGN TRAVEL AS IT WAS AND AS IT IS.

There were no young novelists in those days to make a
flying-trip to the Gaboon country to ascertain whether the
stories told by former tourists about shooting gorillas were
fibs or not, There were no English engineers, fresh from
Great George-street, Westminster, writing home to the
Athenceum to say that they had just opened a branch rail-
way up to Ephesus, and that (by the way) they had died
covered a praa-Imperial temple of Juno the day before
yesterday. Unprotected females didn't venture in " un-
whisperables " into the depths of Norwegian forests ; or, if
they hazarded such undertakings their unprotectedness led
them often to fall into cruel hands, and they never returned.
A great fuss used to be made, before the days of steam,
about the "Fair Sophia," who undertook a journey from
Turkey to discover her lover, Lord Bateman; but how long
and wearisome was her travail before she reached his
lordship's castle in Northumberland, and was informed
by the " proud young porter" that he was just then " taking
of his young bride in P" Madame Cottin's Elizabeth,when
she walked from Tobolak to St. Petersburg to crave pardon
for the exiles of Siberia ; Sir Walter Scott's Jeanie Deans,
when she tramped from Edinburgh to London on her
errand of mercy, were justly regarded as heroines. But
what were the achievements of those valorous young women
when compared with the ladies who make tours round
Monte Rosa; nay, for the matter of that, "all round the
world ?" B n'y a plus de Pyrdndes. Nay, there are no
more Andes, Himalayas, or Rocky Mountains. When the
late Mr. Albert Smith wanted to change the attractions of
his show, he calmly took a trip from Piccadilly to Hong
Kong; it would have been better for him, poor dear fel-
low, had he remained at home. When her Majesty wanted
to show the late Sultan of Turkey a slight act of civility,
she sent Sir Charles Young out to Constantinople to invest
Abdul Medjid with the Order of the Garter. Thirty years
ago, it is possible the estimable King of Arms might have
thought a mail-coach journey to York a somewhat serious
expedition, yet he took the P. and 0. boat for Stamboul as
blithely as though he were bound for a water-party at
Greenwich. If an Emperor is to be crowncd in Russia, or
Prussia, or Crim Tartary, all the London newspapers
despatch special correspondents to the scene of the
pageant. Mr. Reuter will soon have completed his
Overland Telegraph to China. At Liverpool they call
New Y ork " over thu way." The Prince of Wales's travels
in his nonage have made Telemachus a tortoise, and the
young Anacharsis a stay-at-home. Married couples spend
their honeymoon hippopotamus hunting in Abyssinia, or
exploring the sources of the Nile, And the Traveller's
Club are obliged to blackball nine-tenths of the candidates
put up for election, because now-a-days almost every toler-
ably educated Englishman has travelled more than 600
miles in a straight direction from the British metropolis.

The class of English travellers in former days,
we read a little later on, Ras composed mainly of
merchants, buccaneers, spies, political adventurers,
and religious refugees.
The unhappy political dissensions which raged in this
country from the time of the Great Rebellion to the acces-
sion of George the Third, and the infamous penal law, against
the Roman Catholics, periodically drove into banishment
vast numbers of loyal gentlemen and their families, and
ecclesiastics of the ancient faith, who expatriated themselves
for conscience sake, or through dread of the bloody enact-
ments levelled at those who worshipped God as their fathers
had done before them. The Irish and Scotch soldiers who took
service under continental sovereigns sprinkled the army lists
of France, of Spain, and of Austria with O's and Macs-
There was scarcely a European city without an Anglo-
Saxon or Anglo-Celtic monastery or nunnery, and scarcely
a seaport without a colony of British exiles cast upon
foreign shores after the tempests of the Boyne, of Sheriff•
muir, of Preston, or of Culloden. When these refugees
went abroad it was to remain for 10, for 20, for 30 years, or
for life. The travelling of the present century is spasmodic,
that of the last century was chronic.

We are sorry to find, from the conclusion of the
Preface that Mr. Sala is ill in body and depressed
in spirit. Such moments are not uncommon in the
life of the literary man.
"Chords that vibrate sweetest pleasure,
Thrill with deepest notes of woe."

His many readers and his many admirers will
join with us in wishing Mr. Sala renewed health
and fresh success in his enterprising career.

Taken upon Trust. By the author of 's Recom-
mended to Mercy." 3 vols. Tinsley Brothers.

This work is of a class which we have no desire
to see "taken upon trust," or "recommended to
mercy !" It is avowedly " a sensation novel," or
at least it aspires to be of that character, but We
confess that in turning over its pages we have ex-
perienced no "sensations" but those of disappoint-
ment ! The first chapter is entitled " After the
Honeymoon," it might be entitled " After the Mur-
der," for a murder has been committed, and the
coroner's inquest is being held. The wrong person is,
of course, arrested. The plot is very involved, and
very uninteresting ; the characters are very nume-
rous, and most of them very disagreeable. In the
preface the writer, defending the sensation novel,
seems to imply that those who condemn Lady
Audley's Secret, nevertheless take pleasure in un-
ravelling the thread of a narrative thus entangled.
We can assure her, for our own part, that while We
condemn the novel now before us, we have expe-
rienced in looking over it no pleasure whatever.

THE ETTRICK SHEPHERD A SALMON-SPEARING•
—ln the departed days of salmon-spearing, fine
sport was often had in the small waters in the neighbour-
hood of the lake, and of this sport almost (welly slier
herd and farmer was fond, and none more so than
Hogg himself. Pike-spearing, in the shallow or breed-
ing-places in St. Mary's Loch, was also a sport occasion-
ally indulged in ; and our friend, who has resided
from infancy in the district, gave us an account of
a ludicrous onslaught he made upon a large pike he W 55
anxious to secure. He knew the haunt of the giant ; and; 03
a day when the water of the lake was very clear, and well
adapted for the sport, he got a shepherd to row the boat, and
he was instructed to cause as light a ripple on the water
as possible. The fish was lying in the plane expected--
by the side of a weed-bed, in pretty deep water. The spear
was 14 feet in length ; and, certain that he could easily
reach the fish wi h it, he struck. But he had reckoned
without his host, for he himself followed the spear head-
foremost, and entirely disappeared for some seconds: WWII
he came to the surface he wildly caught hold of the boat:*
but found it impossible to enter without causing it to up 801.•
On seeing this the dull-brained oarsman cried out in a
a wild accent, "Lord, maister, ye'll hae to drown!" 14:
never occurred to him, until told, to give a stroke or two
with the oars by which to bring the boat to the shore.
The clearness of the water had caused the mishap ; and
when a stroke is made and the bottom not reached, the
sportsman, of course, follows his iAstrumemt in a gre
hurry,—Once if Wok.

o,r, 4s_

IT 0 N E-7Y- 371-A KE T

AND
COMMERCIAL INTELLIGENCE,

CITY, TWELVE O'CLOCK.

There has been less inquiry for money to-day, and
lower terms have been accepted by the banks and
discount houses.

About £B,OOO in gold was taken into the Bank
yesterday.
Since Monday last the imports of specie have
amounted to £231,000, and the exports to £586,000.
The directors of the Intercolonial Royal Mail
Steam Packet Company will recommend a dividend
at the rate of 5 per cent. per annum, free of income-
tax, at their meeting on Friday next.
The East India Irrigation and Canal Company's
report, to be submitted at the ensuing annual
meeting has been issued, and states that the prose-
cution of operations has been very favourable, and
that the confidence which the directors have enter-
tained in the success of their undertaking has re-
ceived continued confirmation. The call of 3 per
share made during the year has met with a satin
factory response, and the accounts appended show
that the sum received was £114,340, and that
£17,926 was expended, leaving in hand a balance
of £96,413.

The Madras Irrigation and Canal Company have
also issued their report in anticipation of the ensuing
meeting of shareholders. The directors state that
they have brought to a satisfactory conclusion the
recent discussions with the Secretary of State for
India, and that an arrangement has been made
with the Government whereby those difficulties
which have so long impeded the settlement
and execution of a formal contract, and
seriously retarded the progress of the com-
pany, have been removed, and the right to con-
struct and develop the entire scheme of works origi-
nally selected for the undertaking, has been secured
to the latter upon such advantageous terms as to
greatly improve its prospects. The accounts of re-
ceipts and expenditure up to Dec. 31 are also fur-
nished in this rt port, from which it appears the total
receipte have been £661,141, and the expenditure
£250,442, leaving a balance of £410,699.

Two O'CLOCK.

At Paris this morning, according to Mr. Reuter's
telegram, the French 3 per Cent. Rentes were
69f 45c.—inanimate.

Rather more firmness has been apparent in the
English Stock Market to-day, but the actual varia-
tion has been unimportant, Consols having closed
931 I for transfer, and at 9281, less the dividend,
for the account. The New Threes and Reduced
have been 924'x' ; India 5 per Cents. are 109 k 110 k;
and Exchequer Bills have not varied.
Increased business has been apparent in the
Foreign Market, and the dealings have been rather
limited, Turkish 6 per Cents., 1862, are 71/ ;
ditto Consolides, 5l 8 ; Venezuelan 56/ fl ; Egyp•
tian, 100 4 ; Greek, 32 / ; Mexican, 351 36 ; Spanish
Passive, 34 *; ditto Certificates, 12 ; and the
Confederate Loan par to 1 prem.
In the Railway Share Market the dealings
have been very limited, and the few operations
officially recorded show a slight decline in prices.
Lancashire and Yorkshire and North-Western have
declined 55.; London, Chatham, and Dover and
North-Eastern (Berwick), 10s.; and Bristol and
Exeter, 15s.
The Foreign and Colonial lines remained without
my material change in values.

Joint-Stock Bank Shares were in good demand,
and fully maintained the late improvement in
prices.

In the Miscellaneous Market business has been
lull, and quotations show material alteration. Eng-
lish and Scottish Marine Insurance shares are
quoted a to i prem.

BRITISH FUNDS—CLOSING PRICES.
I per Cent. Reduced Annuities
I per Cent. Consols Annuities
New 3 per Cent. Annuities
India Stock —
Ditto 6 per Cent llO 9/ 10/
Ditto Debentures, 4 per Ct., Oct„ 1863
Ditto ditto April, 1864 100/

'att. Bonds £l,OOO
Ditto under £l,000
Consols for account, June 9

FOREIGN FUNDS—CLOSING PRICES.
Brazilian 5 per Cent ...
Ditto 44 per Cent., 1852-b B-60
Egyptian 7 per Cent lOOl
Ditto, Second Issue
Greek 6 per Cent., 1824-5, ex-Coupons —
Ditto Account 3ll i 2 11
Ditto Coupons l4l
Italian 5 per Cent. (Marerainana Railway) 79 f
Mexican 3 per Cent
Ditto Account. 351 6
New Granada l6l 1
Ditto Deferred
Ditto Land Warrants (Hectares) .. 8 a
Portuguese 3 per Cent., 1853
Ditto 3 per Cent., 1856, '7, '9, '6O, 62 —
Ditto Account
Russian 5 per Cent., 1822, £ St —
Ditto 5 per Cent., 1862
Sardinian 5 per Cent.
Ditto Account..._ BBl
Epanieh 3 per Cent
Ditto Passive
Ditto Account 341 f it
Spanish Cert. of Coup not funded
Turkish 6 per Cent. 1854 —
Ditto 6 per Cent. 1858
Ditto Account .. 701 t
Ditto 6 per Cent. 1862
Ditto Account
Venezuela, 3 per Cent
Ditto 6 per Cent., 1862
Dividends on the above payable in London.
Peruvian Dollar Bonds, 44 per Ct. Ex. 4e. 24
Consols, Money TWO O'CLOCK. 93 1
Ditto Account 92k t xd