The Sun.
London, England, 1862-09-18 00:00:00

THE SUN, LONDON, THURSDAY EVENING, SEPTEMBER 18, 1862.

LITEI?A7U.RE.

The Maroon. By Captain Mayne Reid. 3 vols.

Hurst and Blackett.

In the work before as Captain Mayne Reid has
abandoned his favourite prairies of the far west,
and introduces his reader to the Island of Jamaica
as it existed in its prosperous days, when the plan-
ters were in their glory, and the " institution" of
slavery seemed to them an inexhaustible Eldorado.
Of course, the state of society here depicted belongs
wholly to the past; the planters no longer revel in
luxury, the blceks no longer tremble at their frown,
and the sun of Jamaica, set for the pale face, shines
without a cloud for the " man and the brother."
Nevertheless, the author draws a vivid picture of
the island as it then appeared, and we doubt not
that his tale, in its present form, will find numerous
readers. The Maroon, nominally the hero, is cap-
tain of one of those bands of coloured men who seem
to have been a distinct race from the negroes, and
who, entrenched in the mountains of Jamaica, re-
sisted all the efforts of the planters to subjugate
them ; and he is certainly one of the most important
personages in the story, inasmuch as but for his
aid the fate of the two characters in whom the
reader feels the strongest interest, would, in all pro-
bability, have been far from happy. As it is they get
.through their troubles; not without difficulty and
anxiety 'tis true, but still with ultimate success,
The real hero of the story is one Herbert Vaughan,
whose uncle, Loftus Vaughan, a rich planter, is
proprietor of an estate called Mount Welcome, as
well as being Justice of the Peace and Custos
Rotulorum, To his generosity Herbert, who has
been brought up in England, where he has just
lost his father, appeals, but without success. The
planter has no sympathy for penniless relations,
and he, moreover, designs the hand of his only
daughter, Kate, for a Mr. Montagu Smythje, a
London exquisite, who owns a rich plantation ad-
joining his own, for which he had been trustee, and
who had visited Jamaica for the first time in the
very ship which bore the unlucky Herbert. Re-
pulsed from his uncle's door, though not before
Kate has seen and fallen in love with him, Herbert
passes the night in the woods, and the next morning
assists the Maroon, Cubina, to defend from blood-
hounds and bloodthirsty pursuers an Indian Prince,
son of a potentate on the slave coast, whose sister,
Yola, had been caught by an opposition tribe and
sent to Jamaica, consequently he took passage in a
slave ship with four and twenty human chattels to
exchange for her. To his great surprise and dis-
gust, however, he was, on his arrival, treated as a
slave himself; and after being branded and
flogged, ho runs away, and would have
met with a worse fate had not Herbert
and Cubina rescued him ; as it turns out, how-
ever, that his sister Yola is servant to Mies
Vaughan and sweetheart of Cubina, he is, of course,
in perfectly safe hands. Herbert, after this adven-
ture, is introduced, against his will, to Jacob Jessu-
ron, a Jew slavedealer, and this worthy, having a
keen eye to the main chance, and knowing Herbert
to be legal heir to the Mount Welcome estate, in-
vites him in, makes much of him, gives him the
post of book-keeper, and commands his handsome
daughter Judith to give him every encouragement
to fall in love with her. His scheme was this:—
Aware that Vaughan's daughter Kate was a mustee,
that is, the illegitimate child of a quadroon, and
that, as such, she could only inherit her father's
property by a special act of the Legislature, he de-
termined to poison Vaughan by aid of a malignant
negro named Chakra, when Herbert, married to
Judith, would come into the estate. But, like many
other cleverly concocted schemes, this only meets
with partial success. Vaughan is poisoned in a cup
of " swizzle," a favourite Jamaica drink, consisting
of " a mixture of rum, sugar, water, and lime juice,"
and dies on his road to Spanish Town, whither he
was proceeding to take steps to make his daughter
heiress of his property ; but the efforts of Judith
Jessuron to make Herbert in love with her have
been fruitless, though she has fallen a victim to the
tender passion herself, as revealed in the following
dialogue with her parent :

On arriving opposite the door, he knocked, not loudly—
at the same time pronouncing in a half whisper, the name
" Shoodith

"That you rabbi ?" inquired a voice from within, while
a footstep passing across the floor told either that the
Jewess had not yet sought her couch, or had sought and
again forsaken it.
The door was opened; and the worthy father of this
wakeful daughter passed inside.
" Well," said she, as he entered, "I won't inquire what
errand you've been on, my good papa Jessuron : some
slave speculation, I suppose ? But what have Ito do with
it, that you should compel me to sit up for you till this
time of the night ? It's now near morning, and lam
precious sleepy, I can tell you 1"
" Ach Shoodith dear," replied the father, "everything
ish goin' wrong I s'help me, everything !"
" Well, one might think so, from that doleful phiz of
yours. What's troubling you now, my worthy parent ?"
" Achl Shoodith I Don't dishtress me by your speeches.
I hash something of importance to shay to you, before I
go to shleep."

" Say it quick, then: for I want to go to sleep myself.
What is it, pray ?"
"Well, Shoodith, dear, it ish this : you mushn't trifle
any more with thish young fellow."
" What young fellow do you mean, my good man?"
" Vochan, of coursh—Master Vochan."
44 Ho I ho I you've changed your tuno. What's this
about ?"

" I hash reason, Shoodith; I hash reason."
" Who said I was trifling with him? Not I, father
Anything but that, I can assure you."
" That ish not what I mean, Shoedith."
" Well, then, what do you mean, old gentleman? Come
now I make yourself intelligible."
" I mean thish, Shoodith : you musthn't let things go
any further with the young fellow—that ish, shoost now—
till I knowsh something more about him. I thought he
wash going to be rich—you know I thought that, mine
daughter—but I hash found out, thish very night, that—
perhaps—he may never be worth a single shilling; and
therefore, Shoodith, you couldn't think of marrying him—
and mnsthn't think of it till we knowsh more about him I"
" Father " replied the Jewess, at once throwing aside
her habitual badinage, and assuming a serious tone, "it is
too late I Did I not tell you that the tarantula might get
caught in its own trap ? The proverb has proved true : 1
am that unhappy spider I"

Stung with jealousy the Jewess attempts to kill her
rival, Kate, but Yola saves her mistress by striking
p the pistol, and the Jewess involuntarily slays
herself'. Meanwhile the corpse of Vaughan is on
back to Mount Welcome, where the de-
us
t thet
r
road
o
y
ers have
determined tak alreadying
lls been.plan teesForri,fe,noct
Chakra
with
tohouse,
plunder
his burn it, and
carry off his daughter, for which villainous
he fraternises with
the leader of a band of black
brigands, and their plans succeed but too well. The
servants, taken by surprise, make but a feeble de-
fence, the s terrified
barrel, and the mytbje takes refuge in a treacle
Chakra to his den i n fainting
the :puppy's hole. The place,
so called, was at the bottom of a steep cliff, o'er
which rushed a waterfall ' • and th
was by a kind of ladde the only access to it
r, formed by the stems of
climbing plants. To this
spot
but Chakra is forced to leave his Kate is conveyed,
prey to attend a
summons from the Jew, though,
administers to her a sleeping ere he goes ho
draught to hinder her
escape. But rescue is at band.
Herbert and
Cubina, who had started early in,
the morning to
prevent the murder of the planter, •
, in which they
were unsuccessful, find, on their return, the house
in ruins, and Kate in Chakra's power, and they
start at once in pursuit. Penetrating to the villain's
lair him they find absent, and
gate they think
dead, till she is revived by the use of an anti-sopo-
rific draught. The lovers then leave the cave, and
the Maroon posts some of his men to intercept the
Jew and Chakra on their return. They, little sus-
pecting the snare, descend and embark on the
lagoon formed by the cataract, when the F
oolah
Prince, whom the Jew had made a slave, and who,
after his escape, had joined the Maroons, exasperated
beyond endurance at the sight of his enemy, fires,

the bullet strikes the paddle from Chakra's grasp,
and their fate is thus described:--
Chakra's bitterest enemies could scarce have desired to
bring that scene to a speedy termination. No avenger need
have wished his victim in a more terrible situation than
were he and his confederate at that moment.

The former, acting under the instinct of self-preserva-
tion, had not yet given way to despair ; while the terrified
look of the latter, who appeared to have already succumbed
to it, might have restrained his deadliest foe from inter-
ference.

Between the long, sinewy arms of Chakra and the
strength of the current, it was difficult to decide which
would conquer. For many minutes the forces appeared to
be equally balanced. But the strength of the man was de-
clining, while that of the element remained the same. In
the end the waters must prevail. Chakra at length ap-
peared to become convinced of this, and cast around him a
glance of mingled inquiry and despair.
At that moment an idea seemed to strike him—some
thought, perhaps, that promised him a chance of escape.
All at once he desisted from his hopeless efforts to stay
the canoe, as if some resolution had suddenly became fixed ,
and, turning towards his companion,
he bent down, appa-
rently with the intention of whispering to him. His wild,
dark look, however, declared his design to be far different.
When fairly within reach he threw out his long arms
with a sudden jerk, and clutching the Jew by both shoulders,
drew him up into his embrace, like some gigantic spider
seizing upon its prey.
Suddenly changing his hold, he grasped an arm and
limb; and, raising the body high in air, with an immense
muscular effort, he projected it clear over the gunwale of
the canoe.

One shriek from the Jew—emikted in,the extremest
accent of grief—was heard simultaneously with the plunge;
and then the body of the unfortunate man disappeared be-
neath the dark waters of the lagoon.

His hat and umbrella alone floated on the surface, both
rapidly carried along by the current.
The wretched creature rose again, but not to discover
any chance of saving himself from destruction. The only
gratification he could have drawn from his temporary
emergence was to perceive that his false confederate must
perish as well as himself.
Chakra had hoped that by lightening the canoe he might
contend more successfully with the current ; but it soon be-
came evident that his hopes would prove vain.
In disembarrassing himself of his compagnon du voyage,
ho had lost way, and before he could recover it, the canoe
was sucked into a charybdis from which even the power
of the paddle could not have extricated it.
In less than ten seconds the craft entered the embouchure
of the gorge, gliding downward with the velocity of an
arrow.

It was but a despairing effort on the part of its occupant
to seize upon a tree that grew horizontally from the rocks,
though in his despair Chakra clutched it. Even had the
bush been firmly rooted, his strength would not have sus-
tained him against the fierce, resistless flood.
But it was not. The roots gave way ; and in another in-
stant the Coromantee and his canoe were precipitated an
hundred feet sheer among the black rocks below.
His confederate had preceded him only by two seconds
of time; and the dead bodies of both came once more in
close contact,,circling round and round, amidst the frothy
spume that creamed over the cauldron below.

After this there is little more to be told. Her-
bert and Kate of course marry happily. So do the
Maroon and Yola, who proceed with their relation,
the Foolah Prince, to his native land, where their
sense of savage justice is gratified by the Yankee
captain, who had consigned the Prince to slavery,
being caught, killed, and eaten. The work, as we
have intimated, abounds with stirring melodramatic
incident, and we should not be surprised if it
proves to be one of the most popular that Captain
Mayne Reid has produced.

AMERICA.

LIVERPOOL, WEDNESDAY.

The Canadian mail steamship Hibernian, which
left Quebec on the 6th inst. reached this port this
morning. _ _ .

A telegram of the 2d inst., from Memphis says :
_ _

H. P. Anderson, an attache of the British Lega-
tion at Washington, has arrived here, and recom-
mends all bona fide British subjects to make de-.
clarations of their nationality within fourteen days,
before the Provost-Marshal of Memphis. By this
means it is hoped that the British subjects will be
prevented from suffering from the inconveniences
which are inseparable from a state of war. Gen.
Sherman publishes a card, saying that British sub-
jects must send in their names.
A Washington despatch of the 4th inst. gives
the following account of the position of affairs in
and around that city :
All prisoners of war taken by the Federal forces
and enrolled, and now within the military depot of
Washington, are required to report immediately at
General Wadsworth's headquarters. This is sup-
posed to be with a view to an exchange.
The work of getting the army into a good posi-
tion in front of Washington has been accomplished
with entire success. So well conducted has been the
process of getting back from Centreville to its pre-
sent position of defence and perfect security, that
not one army waggon was left on the route. Every-
thing was carried through in the most systematic
manner.
Many of the troops now occupy positions a short
distance from the positions of last fall and winter.
The division of Major-General Fitz John Porter,
composed of the brigades of General Morrell, Mar-
tindale, Butterfield, and Griffin, have their tents
pitched near the camp ground of last year.
The tents of the famous Griffin's battery have
their camps upon the identical piece of ground
occupied by them last year.
Lieutenant David R. Smith, of the 14th New
York Volunteers, and - Colonel M'Leod Murphy,
against whom charges have been preferred by
the colonels, have been honour ably dismissed
from the service by order of the President.
This is already known. This city and its neigh-
bourhood were recently in a feverish state of excite-
ment and alarm, owing to the late battles and the
retrograde movement of our troops, but at the same
time a feeling of security was generally felt among
our citizens that the capital was not within the
easy grasp of the enemy. When the war first
assumed a serious aspect many of our citizens, to-
gether with sojourners, left Washington, in alarm,
but now it was not known that any have taken
their departure under a panic of serious apprehen-
sion of danger by the rebel invasion. The chain-
bridge, the timbers of which were, it is reported,
removed several days ago, was to-day made use of
for military purposes, thus facilitating intercourse
between Virginia and Maryland.
It has been already stated that a number of gun-
boats have approached within view of Washington.
The appearance of them in the vicinity of George-
town this afternoon was indeed a wonder, such
craft never having before been seen in that part of
the Potomac, the river shore in that vicinity was
lined with spectators, and the day being beautful
the surrounding scenery and the movement of the
troops presented a scene at once beautiful and im-
pressive. The military movements were conducted
in an orderly and evidently deliberate manner.
There are numerous reports concerning the move-
ments of the rebel troops. It is difficult to ratify
them ail, but there seems to be no doubt that they
have passed to Dramsville, Leesburg, and further
up the valley.
A gentleman who arrived from Fredericksburg
last night, a Union citizen of Washington, reports
that the destruction of bridges over the Rappahan-
nock at that place was not completed by our troops
before they all evacuated. The wire bridge was
passable only for foot passengers and light teams,
having only been partially injured, and which has
since been repaired by the citizens. Scott's
foundry was not blown up as reported, although
powder was placed therein for that purpose.
After our troops left Fredericksburg, the citizens
were afraid to venture into the building, being ap-
prehensive of torpedoes or infernal machines left by
our troops in the building, over 'which the national
flag was still floating
when our informant left.
Jackson, in the recent action, Was, according to
the report of captured rebels, slightly wounded in
the foot.
There is nothing new from the front to-day. Our
troops are still getting into position, and have for

the greater part received the precise localities held
by them previous to their leaving the peninsula.
Quite a number of field officers are in the city to-
day,-including Generals Pope and Sumner. There
are constant arrivals of troops both on the Virginia
and Maryland side of the Potomac. This descrip-
tion of business has never been more lively than at
present. There seems to be no doubt that the Miry-
land side is now free from armed rebellion.

Five spies crossed over yesterday at Edward's
Ferry, and were seen near Poolesville. They did
not long continue in that neighbourhood. Stich
reconnaissances are of frequent occurrence.
A regiment of rebel cavalry was at Edward's
Ferry yesterday, and amused themselves with
saluting our men on Maryland side with field pieces,
doing no damage.
It is ascertained that the enemy's forces last seen
at Vienna were for the most part worn-out or in-
valided soldiers, gathered there as a place of refuge.
The rebels in the recent battles did not fight with
their entire forces, having powerful reserves, to be
made use of if emergencies required. The most reli-
able among the conflicting rumours is that the rebel
forces, comprising, at a guess, 100,000, were still
moving towards Thoroughfare Gap, branching off
to the valley, and stretching upwards to Harper's
Ferry.

Parolled prisoners say that the rebel soldiers ex-
press their confidence of crossing into Maryland in
heavy force. In the course of four days they will
doubtless make the attempt.

General Sigel arrived here to-day. On his ap-
pearance at the hotel be was warmly welcomed by
his friends. General Carl Schurz is also here. It
is publicly denied that General Sigel has lost any
guns. The clerks of the different government
departments have commenced drilling.

The New York Herald's Washington correspon-
dent says :

A gentleman just from the rebel camp estimates the
forces under the generals, viz., Jackson, Longstreet,
Ewell, and Gustavus Smith, at no less then 250,000
men. They are all consolidated at Manassas, ex-
cepting Smith's column, 30,000, which is marching
upon Fredericksburg.
All the regiments engaged in the late battles
fought gallantly. The loss is said to be 40 per
cent of the forces engaged. The meeting of hostile
battalions of cavalry was terific, over 300 being
dismounted by the shock.
A Washington letter says the rebel mortality
has been enormous, and their captured officers and
surgeons admit a loss of from 10,000 to 12,000
killed and wounded up to Saturday night.
The Tribune's Washington correspondent says
the Government will immediately institute an in-
quiry into the cause of certain recent events with
the view of punishing the responsible parties.
One hundred and fifty waggons under negro
drivers were sent to the field of battle under a flag
of truce to get our wounded. The rebels consented
to the removal of the wounded, but held the negro
drivers.

In regard to affairs at the West, a despatch of
the 4th inst from Cincinnati says:
Active military preparations continue. All busi-
ness is suspended excepting butchers,' provision
dealers, and bakers.

Kirby Smith's forces were posted yesterday at
Lexington, Versailles, and Georgetown. The posi-
tion is a good one for an advance on Cincinnati or
Louisville. Troops continue to arrive rapidly.
The Evening Times was suppressed this afternoon
for an article censuring the administration on the
conduct of the war. The preparations for defence
are unabated.

The city was lively all the afternoon with the
marching of troops. There is no alarm.
Proffers of armed men are being received and
accepted from a large number of towns in Ohio,
Indiana, and Illinois, and will arrive in large num-
bers to-night or to morrow.
The Paris. Kentucky, operator evacuated his
office at 11 a.m. The rebel infantry and cavalry
were then entering the town. Nothing has been
heard from the enemy.
An Indianopolis despatch says :

Troops are being sent to Cincinnati and Louis-
ville as rapidly as possible. Two regiments are to
leave to morrow morning, and more will follow. A
gunboat has been ordered to ply on the Ohio, be-
tween Louisville and the mouth of the Tennessee.

From Chicago it is telegraphed :—Bolivar is re-
ported invested by a heavy force under General
Price, and there is also a large force within seven
miles, threatening to attack.
General Villeppigrie is reported to have crossed
the Hatchie river at Boonsville on the night of the
Ist, and is probably making towards Bolivar.
A New York despatch says :

An arrival from Cardenas reports that an iron-
clad war steamer arrived at Cardenas on the 19th,
flying a piratical rebel flag. The pirate steamer
has already captured several merchant vessels, al-
though they were heavily armed. In her cruise of
the Bahamas her pirate captain told the authorities
that she was a rebel war steamer without a name.
She is undoubtedly the Oveto.
Late advices from Savannah say that city is gar-
risoned by 5,000 troops under Mercer. The ram
Tingal would not be ready for five weeks. The
floating battery Savannah is conceded to be a failure.
A large steamer, supposed to be the Nashville,
loaded with arms, is lying at Savannah, having run
the blockade via Warsaw Sound.
Governor Curtain, of Pennsylvania, had issued a
proclamation, recommending all the people of the
State to suspend business at three o'clock, hence-
forth, and organise into companies and regiments,
and drill, thus placing themselves in an efficient
state to respond in case of an emergency. Arms
will be furnished.

The Granada Appeal of the 2d says:—

The forts below New Orleans have been surren-
dered to a fleet of Confederate gunboats, and that
Baton Rouge had been evacuated by the Federals,
and the forces taken to New Orleans to defend that
place. When our advices left Baton Rouge they
took the machinery in the Penitentiary, and after
setting free the convicts received them into the
army.

The same paper states that the Federals had
destroyed the town of Bayon Sara.
General M'Clellan returned to his army in front
of Washington on the 3d inst. He was received
with intense enthusiasm and deep feeling by the
troops while he went through an inspection of the
men and the fortifications.

A telegram from St. Louis, dated the 3d inst.,
says :

Governor Gamble yesterday made a requisition
on the banks and savings institutions for 160,000
dollars to buy arms. The requisition was made in
anticipation of the money to be collected under the
recent assessment order. It is understood that the
banks have responded favourably, and placed the
amount at the disposal of the governor. The hope
was entertained that the order would not be en"
forced to the full amount, but this is dis:iip d
•
The full amount will be assessed and colic:e:l•
a
the
The Old Merchants' Exchange was closed
d t
There
Ist inst. by order of the Provost l‘lronstrations,
cieinfl
was general evidence of disloyal
reappear. The
and they will be punished if theyo al, ,
arm its pro-
association was thoroughly I
tstdey.-ter, a notorious
perty will be confiscated. Pa— condemned its a
guerilla leader, has been captured,
spy, and will suffer death.
saya.
A Washington despatch
of the Ist inst. are said to
The Richmond palTerte
and reliable accounts of
hour of the 31st ult., at which
have contained comp
affairs affairs up to early
forces were pushing towards
time they said,
Washington after the retreating foe."
They claim this result of Saturday's fighting as
their greatest victory of the war, asserting they
captured 80 pieces of artillery, 5,000
prisoners,
many stand of arms, colours, flags, &c. In all the