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THE f SUN, LONDON, AONDAY EVENP,G, MAY 12, 1832.

LIiERA7URE.

us; they have comparatively little to lose, and they
can always find subsistence on the sheep and catTle
of the settlers; unencumbered, too, with baggage,
and independent of a regular commissariat, they
can move freely and with great rapidity, and
can always choose when and where to make a stand;
and in the neighbouring forests they are sure in
case of need of finding a secure retreat." -War,
then, with such a race can hardly be profitable un-
less the aim be to exterminate or reduce them to
slavery. All newly discovered countries are to the
white race a sort of promised land, of which the inha-
bitants are as so much vermin to be eradicated in the
cause of progress. That the natives don't al ways seem
to see it in its proper light is a natural consequence
of their uncivilised and heathenish state ; nor need
we feel surprise at their sometimes throwing ob-
stacles in the way of the absorption of what they
ignorantly suppose to be their lands. But their
doom is sealed—their struggles are futile, and a
tatooed head or two, with an occasional war-club
will soon be all the records left of the Maori
race. Meantime, we commend Mr. Swainson's book
to the notice of those who may wish to emigrate to
that colony or may feel interest in its government.

2118 JAPANESE MISSION.

-.o'.- -------

The members of the Japanese EmbasF,y, accompanied on
all occasions by Mr. Macdonald, are making the most of
the time allotted for their stay among us. Yesterday, at-
tended by some of the principal officers of their suite, they
paid visit to Kew-gardens, returning by way of Richmond-
park in the evening to their quarters at Claridge's Hotel.
On Saturday they went to see the London< Dock, the Thames
tunnel, and the Tower. With the docks they are said to
have been greatly struck, as affording a clearer insight into
the immense extent of our commercial relations than
they had previously been able to realise. They afterwards
took lunch with some of the outhorities. At the entrance
to the Thames-tunnel they were received by Mr. Mason,
the superintendent, who explained, through their inter-
preter, the circumstances attending and the machinery em-
ployed in its construction. On being conducted over the
Tower they were amazed with the enormous quantities of
arms stored there. In the evening they were present at the
assembly of Lady Palmerston, at Cambridge-house. On
Friday, at half-past 3 o'olcck, they went in state to the
Foreign-office, by appointment, and had an interview with
Earl Russell, to whom they delivered the autograph letter
addressed by the Tycoon to her Majesty. The Marquis of
Lansdowne was present at the ceremony, as were also Mr.
Layard and Mr. Hammond. The interview lasted about half
an hour, and n the course of conversation the Ambassadors,
through their interpreters, said they were delighted with all
they had seen in England, and with the, courteous reception
they had everywhere experienced. On the same day they
paid a lengthened visit to Buchanan's archery warehouse in
Piccadilly. Mr. Buchanan took great pains to explain the
nature and virtues of the various rare woos employed oy
nue. Ile also instructed his visitors in the English
method of shooting, while they in turn exhibited the mode
adopted by themselves inJapan. On Thursday they were
invited to lunch with a select party at Grosvenor-house,
by the Marquis and Marchioness of Westminster, and
were afterwards present at an assembly held by the Mar-
chioness. On Saturday Dr. Mitukury and Dr. Matski-
Ko-aan, accompanied by Otah, an officer of the mission,
paid another visit te King's College Hospital. They
were received by Mr. W. H. Smith, the chairman, Mr.
Fergusson, Mr. Moody, Mr. Cheese, Mr. Sambrooke, and
Dr. Guy, and afterwards proceeded to the operating theatre,
which was imusally crowded on the occasion. Among
the distinguished foreign visitors were Dr. Despine, Dr,
Duchenne, Sir Joseph Oliffe, and others. The Japanese
occupied the reserved seats, A number of important opera-
tions were performed (as usual, under the influence of chlo-
roform) by Mr. Fergusson and Mr. Bowman. At the con-
clusion the Japanese visitors expressed their gratification
with the attention shown to them by the hospital staff, and
presented them with pipes, specimens of coins, china,
drawings, and autographs. They seemed to receive with
much pleasure the cartes de visite and autographs offered to
them in return by the medical men connected with the hos-
pital. The Ambassadors intend shortly to pay a visit to
Liverpool, where, it is said, they will be entertained at a
banquet by the Mayor and corporation.

Studtes iron life. By the author of " John

Halifax, Gentleman." Hurst and Blackett.
A very am eable addition to the " Standard
Library" is this collection of " studies," by Miss
Muloch. Varhd in subject, graphic in style, show-
ing a command over both humour and pathos, it is
a volume suited either to a summer day or a
winter evening ; whilst old and young will find
amusement in its pages, or food for thought. Open-
ing the volume at hazard we struck upon the essay
called "Poor People's Children," and very excel-
lent it is ; the social probicm it discusses being of
grave. importance. That it is highly imprudent for
poor people to have children every sensible person
will admit. Still there is no help for it. "What can't
be cured must be endured," and the question is how
to ameliorate the evil, and raise as healthy a crop
of human plants as possible at the lowest outlay,
one means here suggested being the establishment
of infant nurseries. eln a normal state of society
these would be unnecessary. Each mother woald
attend to her own offspring. But as most poor
men's wives have to labour for bread, the children
must scramble into existence how they can, and
in Manchester not one half of the children born
survive to their second year." A significant fact.
And how about those who do survive ? Is it not pro-
bable that their etonDsuuLl..., t,ary LcWu y,ears.enea
by neglect, and that they grow up puny ailing
mortals, instead of models of sturdiness and health.
Impure air, scanty and unwholesome food, fami-
liarity with all things squalid and vile, tend to
lower the stamina of both mind and body. No
classes, perhaps, ever lived at any time more wretch-
edly than the poor of our great cities ; owing,
partly, to the value of space. What becomes
of the decencies of life when a room contains a
family ? Who can wonder if, in such a case, the
inmates strive to spend as little time in it as pos-
sible, and that the gin-palace should be considered
by them a terrestrial Paradise. Make the home a
fetid den and any place will seem preferable.
Granting, however, that to labour is the lot of the
poor, and accepting as a fact that they will increase
and multiply, the question with regard to the chil-
dren is, whether it is better that they be sickly and
criminal or healthy and virtuous. True, there is
no making them good by rule, but at least give
them a chance, and one means to this end is the
establishment of infant nurseries, to be, if possible,
self-supporting ; and it is a visit to an establish-
lishment of this kind the author describes. We fear
however, that they are, as yet, far from being
general. Against institutions such as these poor
people are prejudiced. They are apt to think that
those who set them afoot are actuated by interested
motives. Ignorance is always averse to change,
and there can be no doubt that one of the greatest
obstacles to the amelioration of the condition of the
lower classes is their antipathy to what they con-
sider interference with their habits. Essays such
as this, however, direct attention to the evil and
pave the way for remedy. And we commend the
volume as one of the most readable miscellanies that
has of late appeared.

The oes of Our Faith, and How to Defeat them.
By a well-known author. Darton and Hodge.
The preface begins by telling us that " The
writer of this work is one of the most successful
authors of the day, both in theology and in general
literature; but as he believes the plan of his book
to be entirely original, and the ground over which
he has gone to have been untrodden before, he is
anxious that the public should form their opinion
of its merits without reference to the name of the
author." The author's originality is on a par with
his modesty. He first explains to us that the six
days of the Mosaic creation were not days of 24
hours, but lasted as long as you please ; next, that
a miracle is a miracle and nothing else ; and finally,
that the late Hugh Miller " may, taking all circum-
stances into account, be regarded as the greatest in-
tellectual prodigy of his age." Of course the writers
of " Essays and Reviews" are, in his estimate,
apostles of antichrist, and the road to salvation lies
through the gate which he is so considerate as to
hold open. His intention is doubtless good, but
intolerance and conceit are the main features in his
work.

The Last of the Incas. By Gustave Aimard

Ward and Lock, Fleet-street.

The locality of this tale is laid among the " deso-
late pampas of South America," and the plot shows
how an Indian chief called Nicobctha tried to
revenge the wrongs of his countrymen and re-estab-
lish the empire of the Incas. His plans succeed, he
captures the Spanish town of Carmen, and is
even crowned in the Square; but in his hour
of triumph he is treacherously poisoned by a Spanish
girl whom ho was weak enough to love, the Indians
are massacred, and their hope of empire is lost for

Cassel's Publications—Popular Natural History.
Reptiles are described in this number, and numer-
ous illustration are given of alligators, tortoises,
and lizards.—lllustrated Family Bible. This part,
the thirty-sixth, concludes the Prophets, and the
third volume of the work.—lllustrated Family
Paper. " The Maroon" is continued, and the minor
articles display the usual variety.

Poems and Songs. By David Wingate.
Blackwood and Sons.
The faculty of expressing thoughts and feelings
in verse is with the bulk of writers an accomplish-
ment similar in nature and value to drawing and
music. For one with innate genius for art there
are a thousand who dabble in it either to kill time,
to gain applause (or bread), or to gratify their love
of imitation. Among those, then, who possess re-
finement and leisure writing poetry is an ordinary
and harmless amusement, requiring merely a love
of nature, a rhythmical ear, arid a familiarity with
certain figurative exprEssions easily acquired by
reading other poets. Works thus produced are of
course ephemeral. They are annuals, not perennials.
Having no inherent vitality, they fade as soon as
born. One crop succeeds another, is greeted by the
epithets "pretty," and ''pleasing," and then vanishes
to the limbo of good intentions. It would almost
seem, then, as if the lower one descended among the
social strata the greater would be the chance of
poetry being genuine, but such is not the case.
That the rhythmical faculty will be rarer from want
of leisure and opportunity is unquestionable, but it
by no means follows that it will be purer in quality.
In all forms of art, culture is essential, and neither
a painter nor a poet can possess too much of it. To
think fluently and accurately we must be familiar
with the thoughts of others. The germ, it is true,
must exist in ourselves ; for none can give us " the
vision and the faculty divine." Übless impelled by
the imagination the pen is powerless to invest "airy
nothing" with "a local habitation and a name;"
though to give form to " fancy's images " will task
the highest artistic skill. But in poetic, as in pic-
torial art, there are degrees of difficulty. Lyric
poetry is far simpler than dramatic, a man may
produce a very tolerable portrait who is quite un-
equal to an historical picture. And he who would
fail lamentably in an epic may succeed perfectly in
a song or a short descriptive piece. Still it is, in
every case, necessary that he should be prompted
solely by his own genius, that the thoughts and
feelings excited in him by objects and events should
be not only true but new. He must draw his in-
spiration direct from nature herself, not accept it
after filtratian through other minds. In forming
an estimate then of Mr. Wingate's poems, we must
consider the circumstances under which they have
been produced. He says, in his preface, "If I have
sung badly, or thought sillily, let it be no excuse
for me that I am, and have been, a collier
since my ninth year." That a collier should
write verses at all is highly creditable to his
taste, and he may even write good and sensible
verses without gaining the right to rank as a poet.
A man may possess
great love of nature, a warm
heart, perfect integrity, considerable power of versi-
fication, judgment enough to enable him to steer
clear of absolute nonsense, and yet be destitute of
that genius which alone car, blossom forth in im-
mortal song. If Mr. Wingate has failed to take his
stand among the chosen few, thousands have failed
before him ; bui he has at least produced a volume
of considerable merit, and one which will, we hope,
materially better his position. We give a few
stanzas from one of the most agreeable poems in the
collection, called

The Nationol Magazine.—A photograph of the
East front of the International Exhibition is given
in this number, the building itself is described, and
the principal tale is called " Losing, Seeking, and
Finding," by the author of Aden Power.

Good Words.—The opening article by the editor
is called " Missions in the Ninetecth Century." Tho
author of " The Recreations of a Country Parson"
contributes an essay " Concerning Beginnings and
Ends," and the story of " Mistress and Maid" has
reached its tenth chapter.

Once a Week.—Miss Martineau's story, " Sister
Ann's Probation," is concluded, and the remaining
contents are, as usual, meritorious and interesting,

Every Boy's Magazine—The paper on "Domef tic
Pets" describes the rabbit. " Hints on Cricket',
are given, two tales are in progress, and one is con-
cluded.

Newton's London Journal of Arts and Sciences.
" The International Exhibition" is commented on,
there is an article on " War Armaments„' and the
plates represent " Cupola Ships of War," &c.

.History of England. By Charles Knight. Brad-
bury and Evans. The fifty-seventh part is now
before us, concluding the reign of William the
Fourth, and illustrated with portraits of the Queen
and Prince Albert.

The Exchange.—Many of the topics of the day
are handled in this number; among others, we may
mention, " Ships in Armour," " Exhibitions of In-
dustry, National and International," " The Budget
and the Income-tax, &c.

Orley Farm. By Anthony Trollope.—Part 15
has reached LIS.

Barrington—By Charles Lever—is now in the
fourth number.

2IIE KING' OF ITALY A7' NAPLES.

This morning (May 4) there was a great review
of the National Guard. The King walked to the
front of this magnificent body of armed citizens
which was drawn up in the Piazza del Plebiscito,
and made the distribution of medals to the flags of
each battalion. This solemnity over, Victor Em-
manuel repaired to the church, where he was re-
ceived by the Bishop of Ariano. The prelate said
to the King, "Your Majesty has been elected by
God to liberate Italy from the thieves who have
robbed her so many years. But this is not your
place—your place is Rome. Go to Rome, and get
rid of the foetidness of the temporal power, and
ascend the steps of the Capitol, blessed by your
people." This allocution of the Bishop was re-
ceived with thundering vivas. It was a scene which
no pen can describe.
The other day, as the King was returning from
Caserta, he was surrounded by a dense crowd of
people. The National Guard wanted to make room
for the royal carriage to pass, but all was of no
avail. " Let the fellows approach the carriage,"
exclaimed his Majesty. " What do you want of
me, my good people 9" "We want to go to Rome,"
answered the people, some of whom had by this
time jumped into the carriage. "But, my good
friends," answered the King, "to Rome we cannot
go by means of arms ; we must patiently await
a peaceful solution." Then," replied the peo-
ple, "let us go to Venice."
" Well, as for
Venice,
it is another question. But you must enlist
in my army ; every young man must become
a soldier." " Yes, yes, Sire," answered the
are all ready
crowd, "we to fight under your
orders." Victor Emmanuel then got
hold of a boy
who was on the foot-board of the carriage,
and,
lifting him up, said to him, 'n
" You wish to be-
come a soldier ?" " Yes, yes," answered
"Then," said the King,
Come h the boy.
Thewit affability me, I will
place you in a military college;'
the King had a great success, ty of
and the royal car-
riage wits rather carried than drawn to the palace.
For the Neapolitan the King •is no longer Victor
Emmanuel, or Vittor,.-io as they used
.to call him—
he has become their 'valiant
. mu. stacione, an affec-
tionate nick-name, which is derived from the long
moustaches his
Majesty wears. Francis 11. may
set his heart at rest, for the King of Italy has
already become more popular than San Jarman°.

SPAE CRAFT.
My bairn, while thy mither rests„ tired wi' her toil,
While the pan's chirmin' sweetly its promise to boil,
While nae ncebor draps in the " wee stranger to see,"
Or to " taste" and foretell what a beauty thou'lt be,
Shall I play the warlock wi' nae evil eo,
And glint at the future that's waiting on thee?
Come, let thy wee haun' lie sae gently on mine
And let me peer into ilk curve, cross, and lino :
This shows where Prosperity's path should run clear,
And these where the crosses o' life interfere.
Alas I thy wee haun' seems o' crosses filled fou,
But surely, oh surely, 1 dinna read true
I see thee, sweet bairnie, a bud on life's tree,
Wi' twa shelterin leaves in thy mither and me;
I see thee, while sweeps the blight blast o'er the field,
Cour cozy and trustfully under thy bield •;
But twa bonny buds o' mair promise than thee
Ilse shrunk 'neath that shelter, and fa'en on the lea.
Bight puirly, I trow, wi' thy haun' hao I spel ;
Let's see what grand things in thy face may be read :
Thou smil'st, and what merry cheek dimples are seen I
And heaven's ain blue's in thy twa blinkin' een.
Cauld, cauld were the heart, and far harder than aim,
Could o' thee say waur than " God bless thee, my bairn."

New Zealand and the War. By William Swaincon,
Esq. Smith, Elder, & Co.

Having filled the post of Attorney-General for
New Zealand, Mr. Swainson has some pretension
to be considered an authority on the subject of
which he treats, and his
views are both able and
impartial. His opinion of the country as a field for
emigration is most favourable, but he considers the
late war " not only a crime but a blunder. A war-
like and high-spirited race like the New Zealanders
may be civilised, or they may possibly be extermi-
nated, bat they can hardly be subdued. In the art
of war, they are quite equal to ourselves ; in know-
ledge of the country they have the advantage over

ROYAL MATERNITY CHARITY.—The Lord Mayor
will to• morrow preside at the festival of this valuable insti-
tution, and the statement and report of the good effected
by its operations in this hugo city is extremely encou-
raging.

A letter from Alexandria, dated April 28, says :
—All that has been accomplished, up to the present,
in actual work amounts to very little. The small
rigole de service has been dug up to the sand heights
of El Djisr, and the men are now chiefly employed
in cutting through the latter, so as to admit the
water of Lake Menzaleh into the basin of the Tim-
sah lake. The cutting in question will be about 70
feet in depth. I have no doubt that this cutting
will be finished before long, and that there will be
a great floutiAi of trumpets about it. But, then,
a clltch of 13 to IS feet wide, and ore to two fet4 in
depth, is very far from being a maritimo
I should like very much to go and make a personal
inspection of the works, but Ithink it would be
better to do so a little later on.
Of course I could not go with the idea of doing
anything but acquainting myself with thtiemwatoerkl
now executing or actually done. Any es
might form as to the magnitude of the engineering
difficulties, or as to the all-important question
whether the capital of the company is sufficient for
the accomplishment of its objects, would hardly be
looked upon as of so much value. What renders
it most difficult is, that all French engineers seem
to say one thing, and all English engineers pre-
cisely the reverse. I will, however, say, that after
reading, 1 think, very nearly all...that has been
writen on the subject, and hearing reports from all
quarters, my opinion is that there is nothing to
prevent the company digging a ditch or canal
across the isthmus, and it is very likely that they
will do so, especially if the French find encourage-
ment in the idea that England fears the existence
of a passage from the Mediterranean to the Red
Sea. I think that Mr. Stephenson made more
than there was any reason for of the difficulty from
the existence of sand. Throughout the greater
length, the sand merely covers hard ground and
clay, and even the heights of El Djisr are
simply a question of labour. But a canal such
as I have mentioned will not constitute a great
maritime canal. To keep it open through Lake
Menzaleh will be a very tough job, but the great ques-
tion of all, I think, will be the jetties at Port Said.
Mr. Robert Stephenson said that no engineer could
estimate what they would or would not cost, and
that, it may be expected, is the point upon which
they will fail. As to 'whether the thing will pay as
a commercial speculation, the French shareholders
have evidently been getting very uneasy on the sub-
ject, and this uneasiness, I think, must increase,
and will very likely end by being fatal to the con-
tinuance of the scheme—probably before very long,
unless it is kept alive by an indirect political and
commercial advantages to arise from the supposed
evil effects which the canal is to have upon the
naval and commercial supremacy of England. You
may have observed how industriously the French
have all along published, far and wide, any hostile
remarks from English statesmen. I am rather
sorry, therefore, to see that the subject is again to
be brought up in the House of Commons. The best
way for Englishmen to treat it is to laugh at the
scheme, and to show that it must end in financial
disaster to all concerned in it. This, I believe, to
be simply the truth. I believe that even the most
intelligent Frenchmen have a more or less distinct
notion that the existence of the canal would be a
great blow to English naval supremacy. But I
think their main idea is that, whether the
work comes to a successful end or not, it is the
means of strengthening French influence in Egypt,
and they look to the Egyptian Government ulti-
mately to bear the money losses in case of failure.
Lesseps himself, I think, is an enthusiast, with his
head full of the glory which be thinks will redound
upon him. As regards the question of forced la-
bour, no Frenchman believes that Englishmen take
it up for mere philanthropic motives, and it cer-
tainly is the truth that the fellahs here will not en-
list to any public work, whatever the pay that
might bo offered them, and that no public work
of any magnitude has ever been or can be carried
on in Egypt without impressment.
As I have said, very little work has actually been
completed, and this most Frenchmen admit; but
they say that a great deal has been done in bringing
together materials and machinery, providing lodg-
ings, food, and water, &T., for the workpeople. This
no doubt is true. They have set up foundries and
shops, and they have collected machinery and stores
of all kinds, and they have laid out plans of towns
and organised everything most completely ; bat the
question is whether this has not absorbed too large
a proportion of their capital. They say that this was
' nearly half the work. It is more likely that their
difficulties are now only about to commence,