The Sun.
London, England, 1854-06-29 00:00:00

LI

E.
Magdalen Hepburn : story of the Sottish Refor-
mation. By the Author of "Adam Grxme,"
" Harry Muir," &c. Three- Vols. Hurst and
Blackett.

The talented authoress of " Margaret Maitland"
and "Adam Grmme" here presents to her readers
a new scene and time for her tale. It is still a
story of Scotland, but of Scotland in its stormiest
time ; and though some may, perhaps, prefer her
domestic pictures and home stories of a more mo-
dern day, yet all must admit the originality and
talent displayed in the present undertaking. It is
not, however, without romance ; indeed, the great
events of the day only appear in a secondary point
of view as affecting the fortunes of its heroine..
Her father, an old knight with a small estate, dies,'
and she is left a ward of the Crown. She and her
household follow secretly the Reformed faith,
though not able openly to avow it. At the com-
mand of the Regent she comes to Edinburgh, and
after many troubles and annoyances the Regent
arranges a marriage for her, to which she strongly
objects. She flies by night, accompanied by her
faithful attendant, Isabel Larlder, and takes refuge
in England with the wife gof John Knox and her
mother. She accompanies them to Geneva, after
some years of anxiety and changeful prospects,
during which she is married to her cousin, to whom
she had long been P.itached. He is devoted to the
cause of the Reformation, and spends all his energies
in travelling throui Scotland and forwarding it.
After many mouths of separation and exile for
Magdalen, the times change, and she returns home
in peace after all her troubles. The characters are
vividly drawn, each so distinct and individual that
they seem like beings of real life. Magdalen her-
self is a most attractive character, full of firmness
and courage,4
nwithstanding her gentleness and
affection.. Isabel Lauder and her daughter Alice
are also full of interest ; but perhaps the most
striking and original of the heroines is Jean Bow-
man, the fisher girl of Fife, who afterwards enters
Magdalen's service. Ready for any emergency,
fearing no danger, with her ready wit and her true
affection, Jean is certainly a most useful attendant.
She is of great service on many occasions of peril
when no other could be trusted, and she always
accomplishes her part with success. The contrast
between the bold fisher girl and the stately Isabel
and timid Alice is well drawn. The leader of the
new doctrines, John Knox, appears frequently in
these pages; and certainly the energy and devotion
to the cause that he is' made tb display suit well
the remark of the Earl of Morton over his grave—.
There lies he who never feared the face of man."

HARBOURS OF REFUGE.

A Parliamentary paper just published contains the
reports of the several engineers for the past year, with
accounts of the sums already expended, and statements
of the further grants which will be required. Some par-
ticulars as to the history of these great undertakings,
which will ultimately involve an outlay of two millions
and a half, may not be uninteresting, and we will there-
fore trace their progress from the commencement. In
consequence of an address presented by the House of
Commons in 1839, a Commission was appointed "to
examine and report upon the state of the existing bar*
bours between the mouth of the Thames and Selsee Bill,
with reference to their being available as places of shel-
ter for vessels passing through the Channel in case of
distress from weather, and also as places of refuge for
merchant vessels from enemy's cruisers in time of war,
and more especially as to their being made stations for
armed steam-vessels employed for the protection of our
trade in the narrow part of the channel," for which pur-
pose the most important point to be secured was that
the harbours should be accessible in all states of the tide.
The commissioners reported, in May, 1840, and recom.
mended the construction of three harbours, one at F?re-
ness, the southern point of the entrance to the river
Thames, a second at Dover, and a third near Beach,
Head. The estimated cost of each was to have been
about two millions. In the then state of the national
finances, so large an outlay appeared inexpedient, and
nothing was done, except that, with regard to Dover,
further inquiry was made, and a less expensive project
was suggested. In 1842, Mr. Rice again pressed the
matter upon the attention of the House of Commons,
but with no immediate effect. The committee on

shipwrecks, which sat in the following year, examined,
among other witnesses, the Duke of Wellington,
who expressed his decided opinion that the con-
struction of a new harbour was absolutely necessary.
"There is," said his Grace, "now no security between
Portsmouth and the Downs. Dover Roads is a very
secure place in the period of a northerly or easterly
wind, but there is no security at other times ' • on the
contrary, it is a very dangerous place in a wind from the
south-west. They can run for the Downs, but there is
no great ease in the Downs, and certainly there is no
security in Dover, except from warlike attempts. I
should say that, considering the want of protection from
the weather and from military attacks in the Channel,
the trade of the port of London will be a very losing one
in a variety of ways in a time of war, if something is not.
done beforehand—if some precantiono aro not taken."
With this and other evidence before them, the committee
of 1543 reported strongly in favour of the construction
of new harbours, leaving the locality of each to be de-
cided by those practically acquainted with the matter.
Their report was brought under the consideration of the
house in the following year, and Sir R. Peel, thinking it
advisable that further professional opinions should be
obtained, issued a new Commission, of which Sir
Byam Martin, Sir Howard Douglas, Sir John Pelly,
Captain Washington, and others were members. The
commissioners reported minutely upon various places on
the eastern and southern coasts, and finally decided in
favour of Dover, Portland, Seaford, and Harwich. The
estimated outlay would, according to their plan, have
been as follows : —Dover, 2,500,0001. ; Portland,
500,000/. ; Seaford, 1,250,0001. ; and Harwich, 50,0001.
In 1845, a vote was for the first time taken, but owing
to some doubts which still existed as to the best mode
of constructing the works at Dover, a further reference
was made to the commissioners, and some time elapsed
before anything was actually done.
For the works actually determined on at Dover the
original estimate was 240,0001. Of this sum 210,0001.
has been voted in past years, 34,0001. has just been sanc-
tioned fur this year, and a balance of 1,0001. remains to
be provided for. The whole of the outlay has been ex-
pended on the construction of a pier, 800 feet long, at
Cheeseman's Head, and the contractors are pledged to
complete their work in the October pf the present year.
It appears that the progress made with the walls and
hearting of the pier sduringthe year 1853 was 74 lieneal
feet of an average height of 53 feet, founded in 30 fest
water at low water spring tides.
For the harbour of refuge and breakwater at Portland
the original estimate was 588,9591., of which 365,0001.
has been voted in former years, 90,0001. more has just
been authorised, and a balance of 133,9591. remains.
The Commissionobserve that there is every.
thing a
render the construction of a
Pebreakwater easy, cheap, and expeditious, and that
tlisnd of
1t0854
the holding ground in the road is particularly good.
" A large part of the island facing the bay is
Crown property, and contains abundance of stone. The
roadstead also possesses the advantage of an inner har-
bour at Weymouth." The labour of several hundred
convicts has been advantageously employed upon the
work, and the time of completion will depend on the
number of this class whose services can be made avail-
able. When finished, the breakwater will be 2,500
yards in length, and will completely shelter 2,107 acres
of Portland Bay, of which 1,758 have two fathoms
and upwards at low water spring tides, 1,590 three
fathoms and upwards. More than a million tons of
stone had been deposited at the close of last year, and
the breakwater has now advanced to a distance of 3,302
feet from the original shore line. Very considerable
protection will, it is hyped, be afforded by the close of
the year, and already ships in distress have experienced
the advantage of the portion which has been accom-
plished.
For dredging the harbour and improving the break-
water at Harwich, the estimate was 110,000/.' the whole
of which has been provided in former years ; but an ad-
ditional sum of 15,0001. for the removal of shoals, not
included in the original estimate has been taken for the
current year. Harwich harbour is noticed by the Com.
mission of 1845 as one of the finest in the kingdom,
offering a sufficient depth of water and good holding.
ground over an extent containing many hundred ships.
" It is," they add, the only safe harbour on this coast,
and is in the direct line of traffic between the Thames
and the northern ports of the kingdom, as well as of the
entrance into
the
trade from the north",ef Europe., At that period, how-
ever,nawn.itohwthfoeregxceenpetriaoln
pouf
rapeohsaesn,ntehe
channel
of 18 feet in
too
harbour was not deep enough to admit ships of more
than 12 feet draught at low water spring tides. In the
only one point at which
the of last year there was
the width of channel with this depth was as little as
500 feet, and further clearances have since been effected.
The works in the Channel Island were. originally
suggested by Sir Edward Codrington in 1842, but no
vote was taken for them until 1847. The original esti-
mates were—for Alderne 880,000/. ; and for Jersey,
700,0001. The amounts yg'ranted in former years amount
to
307,0001. and 262,0001., to which must be added the
Burns of 75,000/. and 23,0001., which have just been
Voted, leaving a balance of 428,000/. to be provided
for Alderney, and of 415,0001. for Jersey. It is esti-
mated that' eight years must elapse before the
works at Alderney are completed. The northern break-
water at Jersey is to be finished in the course of the
present year ; but the progress of the southern break-
water has been for some time suspended, and it appears
that no further outlay is at present intended. The
expenditure
is certainly enormous ; but it appears from.
the statement made by the First Lord of the Admiralty
on Thursday evening, that the subject has been lately
reconsidered by the most competent authorities, and that,
at any rate, the progress already made has been so great
as to render it more expedient to go on than to draw
back. We cannot, however, assist Mr. Milner Gibson in
his search for a person who will undertake to say that the
Alderney expenditure has been judicious, and we muck
doubt whether there are not localities on our own shore
which it would have been far better to attend to in th©
first instance. Mr. Walpole's hint as to the employ-
ment of convict labour deserves consideration. With
regard to Alderney, the arrangement was at one time in
contemplation, and we are not acquainted with the rea-
sons which prevented its being carried out.. The subject
grows in importance as the practice of transportation
to the colonies is discontinued, and Mr. Walpole will do
good service by bringing it, as he proposes, specifically
under the Letice realiaaito 011 wie *lgo occamioa,