The Sun.
London, England, 1853-01-04 00:00:00

LITERATURE.

Bentley's Miscellany.—The readers of Bentley's
Miscellany will be charmed with its good appear-
ances and fair promises for the new year. Albert
Smith, in a few pleasant lines of introduction' tells
us that twelve years ago he made his literarydebut
in the pages of this magazine. He now is to be,
not the editor exactly, but an occasional contribu-
tor and superintendent. He gives us this ,month
a capital sketch from his portfolio de voyage,
" Brown, a Travelling Sketch." Mr. Shirley
Brooks, who, some little time since, related to the
readers of Punch the history of "Miss Violet and
her Offers," commences a tale, "Aspen Court : and
who lost and who won it," which is illustrated by
Leech. We cannot say much for the lines "On
the Funeral of the Duke of Wellington." " The
History of a Heart," an allegorical poem, is very
happily conceived and beautifully executed. " Who's
your Friend ?" is an amusing sketch, and the few
pages relating to the Countess of Lovelace will be
perused witeinterest. A portrait of this lady is
contained in the Miscellany. Professor Creasy has
commenced a history of the Imperial Four—Alex-
ander, Ciesar, Charlemagne, and Napoleon.
" Society and Letters in 1853," is worthy of atten.
tive perusal.

Fraser.—An interesting criticism of the recently
published letters of Thomas Moore is the first article
in Fraser for January. A brief account of Robert
Herrick and his vicarage will be read with pleasure
by many. The account of Wenham Lake Ice, and
the manner in which the lake is ploughed and the
ice divided, will, we doubt not, interest and asto-
nish the majority. It is well worth reading.
" Hypatia" is continued ; and many other interest-
ing articles are to be found in Fraser for January.

The Journal of Agriculture.—The first paper is
on Agricultural Architecture and Engineering,
continued from last number. It contains a great
number of illustrative figures. "Emigration," and
" Ireland as it is," are two of the most generally
interesting articles. There is a great variety of
agricultural information, and many useful tables
and calculations are given.

This month's number of the Zoist contains its
usual mesmeric information ; amongst which may
be noticed a chapter treating on the cure of ovarian
dropsy by mesmerism and galvanism, by Dr.
Motherwell, and some interesting cures in cases of
St. Vitus's dance, and other nervous complaints,
by galvanism.

The Journal of Psychological Medicine and Mental
Pathology. Edited by Forbes Winslow, M.D.
There is a very long article entitled " British
Institutions for the Insane," which gives very
nute details of those asylums, their mode of treat-
ment, their rules and observances, and the
general impression is that the result of such in-
quiries is favourable. " The Treatment of Crimi-
nal Lunatics," .and " Bethlem Hospital," have
likewise articles devoted to them, containing a
great deal of desirable information. The systems
pursued in Bethlem Hospital are censured, and a
hope is expressed that measures will shortly be
adopted to remedy such glaring evils as are there
found existing. It is remarked that kindness is the
most effectual remedy for madness, and as much as
possible coercion should be avoided.

Australia as it is : its Settlements, Farms, and
Gold Fields. By F. Lancelott, Esq. 2 vols.
Col burn.
The author of this work is the mineralogical sur-
veyor in the Australian colonies. He is, therefore,
evidently well qualified for the task he has undertaken
of describing the gold fields and general appearance
of the country with which, as a resident, he must be
naturally well acquainted. Though so much atten-
tion has been lately called to Australia by the dis-
covery of the gold districts, it is still compara-
tively little known, and as it is regarded with more
curiosity than formerly, this work will prove very
acceptable to the public. The author announces
his aim to be rather to instruct than to amuse, but
though not calculated to attract the superficial
reader, those who peruse it will find much to inte-
rest as well as to inform. There are descriptions of
the manners and customs of the colonists, and the
zoology, botany, and mineralogy of the country.
Much practical advice to emigrants is also given,
though little is said of sheep and cattle farming,
which subject, as the writer justly observes, has
already been treated of by others. The great differ-
ence between Australia and this climate is not per-
haps generally known. The following account is
interesting, as realising the distiiction :
" Almost everything in nature is, in Australia, the
reverse of what it is here. When we have winter they
have summer ; when we have day they have night ; we
have our feet pressing nearly opposite to their feet.
There, too, the compass points to the south ; the sun
travels along the northern heavens ; the mercury of the
barometer rises with a southerly and falls with a northerly
wind. The plumage of the birds is beautiful, their notes
are harsh and strange ; the swans are black, the eagles
are white; the moles lay eggs, and the owls screech and
hoot only in the day time ; the cuckoo's song is heard
only in the night ; the valleys are cool, the mountain
tops are warm ; the north winds are hot, the south winds
are cold; the east winds are healthy ; the bees are with-
out sting ; the cherries grow wit]) the stone outside ;
one of the birds has a broom in his mouth in-
stead of a tongue ; another creature (the duck bil-
leted platypus) unites with the body, fur, and habits
of a mole, the webbed foot and bill of a duck. Many
of h
without
thesmi
r bark instead of
ell ; most of the
trees
their leaves ; some indeed are without leaves, in others
t eTh
are e au
withouttif ul fl
shade,ower s are
and shed
the leaves are vertical ; and even the geological forma-
singular tion of the country, as far as ascertained, is most
."
There is an account given in the first chapter of
the early discoveries, and the years in which they
were made. There are also two illustrations, one
representing the town of Adelaide, the other givin
a plan of Summerhill and Lewis Pond Creeks. g

EXHIBITION OF POULTRY.—The entries which have
already been made to the Poultry Exhibition, at the
Portman-square Bazaar, next week, are stated to amount
to nearly 2,000 pens of specimens. The show ofoul-
try will be divided into 51 classes p
, consisting of Spanish
fowls, Cochin China fowls (cinnamon, buff, brown and
partridge-feathered, brown or white), Dorking fowls
(single combed, double or rose combed or white) Malay
fowls, game fowl (white and piles, black breasted, and
other reds, blacks, and brassy-winged, except greys,
duckwings, and other greys and blues), gold-pencilled
Hamburgh specimens, golden-spangled Hamburgh,
silver-spani'led Hamburgh, Poland fowl (black
with White crests, golden with ruffs or beards,
silver with ruffs or beards), bantams and any other breeds,
geese and ganders, ducks (Aylesbury drakes and ducks,
Rouen drakes and ducks, Muscovy drakes and ducks),
turkeys and guinea fowl. The pigeon classes are thusdi: vided—Pouters and croppers, carriers, dragons, almond.;
tumblers, short-faced mottles, short-faced bald hoer,
short-faced beards, short-faced tumblers Jacobines,
goodw
nuns, turbits, fantails, barbs, magpies, small pouters,beards,
feathered flying bald heads, good feathered flyifiyi;
tunli
good feathered flying mottles, good
to
t_
oregn e „asses
no
biers and foreign birds. There are
white,b In '
yellow
white,zd
rabbits, viz., long ears, black d
anhite, grey and
to be
white, tortoiseshell, blue and w
sums of money.
breeds of oul-
awarded consist of medals and
vsrious P
best self-colour and foreign rabbits.—The- Theobject of the club is to improve the -0,. English farm-yard
important an
The regulations of
produce a more
this country.
has hitherto been in
high condition, beauty of plumage,
and considered as a point of
the club state "that
ilie
f, preferred above mere weight,
try, &c., and to render this branch
iiraluiable feature than it
to
which latter quality
only that are remarkable for their
merit in those breeds.h
Dorking, Malay, and Cochin
HALF CENTURY. —Fifty years ago
size, a,
and purittyheof
Spanish, Dorking,
China.
+ ,ere un nown—now there are 3,000 afloat
team-boa.s u
8 •,• n waters alone. In 1800 there was not a
on Amen's' • the world—
s gle railway in now there are 10,000 miles
in the United States, and about 22,000 in America and
England. Half a century ago it took some weeks to
convey news from Washington to New Orleans. Fifty
THE FRUITS or Ak ,
years ago the moat rapid printing-press was worked by
year ago
steam prints 20,000 papers an hour
on a single press. Now is a great fellow, but will be
much bigger half a century hence.—Philaddphia Ledger.
It is stated in a Sligo paper that it is the intention of
Mr. Wynne, the under secretary, to proceed to the
Continent for some time for the benefit of his health.