The Sun.
London, England, 1853-12-26 00:00:00

LITERATUBE.

A Narrative of Travels on the Amazon and Rio
Negro, with an Account of the Native Tribes,
and Observations on the Climate, Geology, and
Natural History of the Amazon Valley. By
Alfred W. Wallace. Reeve and Co.
It is unquestionable that there is much to engage
attention and impart amusement in this work on
a part of the world that is not frequently made the
subject of description. The author informs us that
he had a desire to behold the luxuriance of animal
and vegetable life in the tropics. In pursuing his
purpose of starting for " some land where endless
summer reigns," he thought that little was known
of the Valley of the Amazon in comparison with
the rest of South America. It is to be regretted,
however, that some considerable portion of the
traveller's notes and sketches were lost on the
homeward voyage in consequence of the ship taking
fire. However, what is here before us is suffi-
ciently interesting and satisfactory for the purpose
in view—the better understanding and apprecia-
tion of that remarkable country, whose forests and
rivers are the wonder of all who behold them. An
able description is here given of the Amazon, the
largest river in the world ; under another name
the poet has thus made mention of it—

" Swelled by a thousand streams impetuous hurled,
From all the roaring Andes huge descends
The mighty Oreliana."
"We were in the Amazon itself, and it was with emo-
tions of admiration and awe that we gazed upon the
stream of this mighty and far-famed river. Our imagi-
nation wandered to its sources in the distant Andes, to
the Peruvian Incas of old, to the silver mountains of
Potasi, and the gold-seeking Spaniards and wild Indians,
who now inhabit the country about its shores and
sources. What a grand idea it was to think that we
now saw the accumulated waters of a course of three
thousand miles—that all the streams that for a length of
twelve hundred miles drained from the snow-clad Andes
were here congregated in the wide extent of ochre-
coloured water spread out before us. Venezuela, Co-
lumbia, Ecuador, Peru, Bolivia, and Brazil, six
mighty states, spreading over a country far larger than
Europe, had each contributed to form the flood which
bore us so peacefully on its bosom."i

There is a great deal of labour expended in the
compilation of this work. After an elaborate de-
scription of the climate, geology, &c., of the Ama-
zon district, a table is given of the different lan-
guages. Altogether, this may be recommended as
an original and superior composition.

The Gold Rocks of Great Britain and Ireland.
By John Calvert. Chapman and Hall.
After the gold discoveries which have astonished
the world in California and Australia, and after
the thousands who have gone to those countries in
search of their treasures, it is somewhat surprising
to be told that gold might have been found under
our feet all the while, had we only looked for it.
Mr. Calvert, a mineral surveyor, who has recently
returned from Australia, gives a treatise on the
geology of gold in the present work, and a general
outline of the gold regions of the world. Having
obtained extensive practical knowledge of the
mineralogical structure of Eastern Australia, and
having much time and opportunity for the study of
his favourite pursuit, the author became convinced,
alter long consideration, of the existence of gold
mines in the British islands. He caused researches
to be made in the collections of the British Mu-
seum, and from that and other quarters he has col-
lected a chain of evidence which, he hopes, will
prove to the most scertical " that the gold minera-
logy of England is more worthy of attention than
_ .

it has hitherto been deemed to be." In the two
first chapters he has endeavoured to explain why
gold working in England has fallen into such ne-
glect. In the second part of the work is given the
history of gold mining in every part of these
islands ; also the particulars of the localities, &c.
There are also chapters on the foreign gold regions.
It will thus be seen that the work is arranged on a
comprehensive method ; and should the author
succeed in his researches, and prove his anticipa-
tions to be correct, he will certainly have the credit,
if not of making a new discovery, at least of draw-
ing public attention to au important fact which has
fallen into oblivion.

Rome Thoughts.
This pleasing little serial has now completed its
first volume. Some useful domestic information
may be found in it, together with chess, riddles,
arithmetic, work patterns for ladies, biographies,
medical recipes, and various other matters of
general entertainment.

Round Games for all Parties. Bogue.

At the festive season of Christmas, a little vo-
lume of this description is sure to be welcome to
all readers disposed for participation in the amuse-
ments here described. It is intended for the old
and. young, and " adapted to the understandings
of children from the ages of seven to seventy." It
is divided. into various departments, such as games
of action, games of memory, games requiring the
exercise of fancy, ac., and forfeits. The list of
forfeits is not very extensive or select, but the col-
lection of games is arranged with skill and taste.

CRUISING IN THE BLACK SEA.