The Sun.
London, England, 1854-02-14 00:00:00

LIT BRA TUR E.

Six Months at Marteban. By an Officer.
Partridge, Oakey, and Co.
A lively and intelligent volume, upon a subject
just uow of enthralling fascination, is here pre-
sented to us by an anonymous writer, who reveals,
through a style of youthful animation, the riper
merits of observation and experience. His theme
we learn at once, as we ought to do in all instances,
from the title page. He does not indulge in any
vagaries of designation. He refrains from bewilder-
ing his reader, like Mr. St. John, by telling him
that the book is descriptive of " There and Back
Again." Neither does he allow his work to emu-
late the monster in "Frankenstein," or the literary
puzzle of Sir Charles and Lady Morgan, by allow-
ing it to come forth from his hands as a cu-
riosity altogether nameless. Least of all does
he stamp his production with a preposterous hiero-
glyphic like—"&c"—that which was impressed
upon the latest volume from the pen of the Lady
Emmeline Stuart Wortley—a notion suggested,
one might conjecture, by that inscrutable symbol
prefixed to the first of the many jumbled chapters
of Southey's " Doctor"—Dr. Dove, the immortal !
No—here the theme selected is plain enough—as it
should be, coming from the hand of a soldier—as
plain as a pike-staff. " Six Months at Martaban,
during the Burmese War—by an Officer in active
service on the spot." During the Burmese War
By an officer "in active service on the spot I" The
bias of the argument may be conjectured on the
instant from those few syllables. Everybody
knows the force, the verve, the enthusiasm, arising
from the esprit de corps : we have no precisely cor-
responding phrase in our own language. Here is,
of this remarkable fact, in the volume before us, a
brilliant and by no means unacceptable illustration.
It constitutes literally nothing more nor less than
a vindication, in regard to the Burmese war,
of the course pursued by the Indian Go-
vernment. A vindication in which the author
has done Yeoman's service to the Company.
Now, from the first, from deliberate convic-
tion, from a careful study of the particulars
officially given to the world upon the subject in the
blue book laid several months ago upon the table
of the British Parliament—we regard that war
upon the Burmese e.s one of the most atrocious
wars recorded in the annals of our power in Hiu-
dostan. We consider it as one of the many blots
upon the Earl of Dalhousie's Government. We
look upon it as another and a very heinous evi-
dence of the criminality with which in those re-
gions we have, time and again, been developing our
pet system of territorial aggrandisement. The
story of the rise and progress of this war upon
Pegu and Burmah is altogether too long and com-
plicated to be adventured upon in the notice of a
bond pamphlet of 131 pages octavo. Besides, our
opinions upon this question have been already de-
tailed in our leading columns repeatedly. They
have been laid before the public too often and too
explicitly to remain matter of uncertainty to anyone
familiar with our views in regard to the general
policy of our Indian Government. It only re-
mains to us, therefore, in speaking of the work
here offered to our consideration, to remind our
readers what our real sentiments are in reference
to the Burmese war ; while, at the same time, in
doing so, we give our cordial welcome to this agre-
able journal of " Six Months at Martaban." Wel-
comed by us the book would be, if only from that
old English tone of fairplay which was foresha-
dowed in the classic days of that little scrap of
homely latinity, audi alteram partem, well-worn,
but worth remembering. In addition, however,
to this inducement to accord the book a hearing,
there is another if possible yet more persuasive.
An inducement which nay be recognised at once
after turning over the first few pages of the volume
—that arising from the fact evidenced in every
sentence, that the book is dictated by a manly
spirit, its views, no less than our own, being those
born of candid scrutiny and of impartial deduc-
tions. Any one might have seen on glancing
through Mr. Cobden's clever pamphlet about the
Burmese war, that its statements might reasonably,
some of them, be swallowed cur* yrano salis. Well,
here is the grain of salt to flavour them somewhat
more to the palate of the general community. Ap-
pended to the Writer's amusing accountuP `SixMonthia at Martaban," is a graver o-say upon " the political
causes which led to the establishment of British
Power in India"—according to the view, that is to
say, taken of those same causes by one among the
military admirers of the British Indian Govern-
ment. In the course of his argument upon this
ample topic, the writer, beginning with a reference
tc the decay of the Mogul Empire, passes under
review the successive administrations of Clive,
Warren Hastings, and Lord Cornwallis, embracing
the defeat of Suraj-a-Dowlali an 1 the downfall of
Tippoo Saib, recounting some of our more remark-
able triumphs in Asia from Plassy to Seringapatana.
Altogether—setting aside some of those views we
cannot but regard as most erroneous—the volume
before us must, in justice, be pronounced emi-
nently worthy of perusal, inasmuch as it affords
a picture of the seat of war in Burmah, sketched by
the hand of an eye-witness, one whose manner
throughout betokens him to be a generous, clear-
eyed, light-hearted English gentleman.

AUSTRALIAN AGRICULTURAL COMPANY.— The sub-
joined memorandum is from the
Agricultural
Agricultural
oompany :—" The Australian gricultural Company
have' received satisfactory advices to the 25th of Novem-
ber, 1853. The chief superintendent had held an experi-
t 1 sale by auction of live stock at Stroud, on the
men d
company's Port Stephen estate, which was numerously
attended, some of the largest breeders of stock in the
colony being present. The sum realized was 3,114/.,
the stock having fetched at wholesale retail prices. It
was intended in future to hold quarterly sales. The
colliery return shows 4,136 tons of coal raised in Sep-
tember ; 3,472 tons sold, realizing 3,211/. Arrange-
ments had been made for the immediate supply of ocean
steamers from the company's coal wharf at Sydney."
The quotations from the various continental cities
are generally favourable. On the Paris Bourse there
has been a further recovery of about a half per cent.
At the same time the exchange on London has become
decidedly firmer, although the dealers will still be able
to send gold from London at a fractional profit. From
Vienna the report shows a further reaction from the late
panic, the rate on London being 12 26, while the funds
have experienced an advance. This movement, how-
ever, s probably owing to nothing but the eager credu-
lity with which in the present state of the money-mar-
ket any assertions of pacifio intentions on the part of
the Emperor of Russia are received. At Hamburgh
money remains abutidant at 1i to 2, and at Amsterdam
the rate is 3 per cent., the exchanges at both places
tending in favour of this country. In Belgium the ex-
changes continue low, and money is 21 to 3 per cent.
From St. Petersburg it is stated that a limited business
was taking place in produce for future shipment, some
contracts being unconditional, and others with a pro-
viso that the buyers may pay a forfeit instead of receiv-
ing the goods. The depreciation of the currency had
now sent the rate of exchange to a point at which it
would pay to export gold, but any attempt to do so
would doubtless be prohibited.