The Sun.
London, England, 1838-02-08 00:00:00

SADLER'S WELLS.

A new nautical piece, called The Floating Kingdom, or
the Last Voyage of Captain Cook, has been brought out at
this theatre. The plot is as follows :—Captain Cook's
Lieu-
tenant (Mr. Worrell, late of the Haymarket) falls in love with
Karrabeca (Miss Watkins), daughter of the King of the island
of Otvhyhee (Mr. James) ; and is, through the agency of
Will Wattman (Mr. Campbell), a British sailor, secretly
conveyed on board Captain Cook's ship, the Resolution.
Koah (Mr. Smith), a fierce island chief, much attached to the
Princess, comes to demand her. An inquiry is instituted,
when Will, while undergoing an examination by the Captain,
is made to confess his knowledge of her flight, and refusing to
disclose her place of concealment, or give up the name of the
person by whom he was induced to take her away, is sen-
tenced to be shot. The hour of execution arrives—the
musket is levelled, and the awful command about to be given,
when the Princess, who had been secreted under a sail,
rushes forward and saves his life. At this moment
Lieutenant King, who had been sent on shore, returns—
acknowledges that the Princess was removed under his
orders—and is immediately stabbed by the jealous and re-
vengeful Koah. The Princess, Koah, &c. arc conducted back
to the island byl the Captain, who promises to attend and
pledge the King in friendship, at a religious ceremony to be
holden next day. Koah in the mean time meets with Will
Wattman, who had been discharged from the &squaws for
being privy to the Princess's removal, and proposes to engage
him in a conspiracy to assassinate the Captain at the cere-
mony. Will, thinking that by compliance he may be instru-
mental in saving his commander's life, and get re-installed into
favour, consents. The morrow comes, the ceremony is held
disputes arise, a scuffle ensues, the English are overborne, by
unequal numbers, and the Captain seized, bound, brought to
a hut, and about to be murdered, when he is rescued by Mal-
colm (Mr. Forrester), his Mate ; but as he is proceeding to
the beach Koala suddenly comes upon him, and he falls. The
piece concludes with a long and desperate combat between
Koah and the Boatswain (Mr. Scarbrow), in which the former
is killed. The contrast between the bloody and vindictive
savage Koah and the firm but temperate and justice loving
Englishman is throughout the entire piece strong and strik-
ing. In Will Wattman and Malcolm the English sailor's
manners and feelings are well depicted. The piece is wholly
free from indecorous and immoral expressions ; and the lan-
guage is good, if not sometimes forcible. All the characters
were well sustained, particularly those of Will, Koah, and
Malcolm. This piece was preceded by the Black Domino
and the Grand Army, in both of which Miss Vincent per-
formed the leading character with considerable ability.

NARRATIVE OF THE RESIDENCE OF THE
THREE PRINCES IN LONDON IN 1835 AND 1836; with an
Account of their Journey from Persia, and Subsequent Adven-
tures. By J. BAILLIE FRASER, Esq., Author of " The Per-
sian Adventurer," &c,...---From the subject, and from the author,
we certainly anticipated an entertaining publication; but we
had no idea that even the latter could have made the former
so very curious, as well as so very entertaining. The genuine
portraiture of these spoiled children of the East, the strange
effects of our manners upon them, and the odd reflected light
which their manners and feelings threw upon our own, at least
in the upper circles of society,. form, altogether, as amus-
ing and interesting a description of international inter-
course as it has ever been our lot to read. From his previous
oriental acquirements, as well as from his acknowledged talents,
Mr. Fraser was, perhaps, the individual of all others in this
country best suited to be the guide of these Princes during
their sojourn amongst us, and to give us an account of them,
and their sayings and doings, after their visit had terminated.
We have accordingly a most agreeable and tempting work.
Literary Gazette.
TEE TOTAL TONTINE.—A society has recently
been formed by the tee-totallers of Dairy on the following
principle. The members meet every Saturday night and de-
posit a sixpence. All who fail in their abstinence vows are
expelled, and leave what they have contributed behind them
in the funds. All who persevere in their abstinence resolutions
will have the funds equally divided among them at the end of
the year. Every surviving adherent will thus have at least
his own money back, with his sober habits strengthened by
the twelve months practice, while defaulters will not only loose
what they have contributed, but loose all the benefit of their
' abstinence resolutions, awl the cost of backsliding to the bar-
gain.—Paisley Advertiser.