The Sun.
London, England, 1836-11-30 00:00:00

TO TEE EDITOR-OF THE SUIT

Sin,—A letter having appeared in the Literary Gazette
of last Saturday, attempting to vindicate a supposed censure
of Captain Back as a navigator, said to be
contained in a
wOrk entitled "'Narrative of a Journey to the Shores of the
Arctic Ocean, by Richard King," which the Editor " thinks
is ill-judged, and not likely to incline willing, to listen to his—the cars present writer's—own desiges," fe-
cuting a further -survey of the or prosnorthern coast of N9rth
America, in February next, it is of the utmost importance
that the earliest opportunity should be seized of responding
to these charges. Under such circumstances, and in con-
sideration of the national character of the project, I shaft
feel truly thankful if you can spare room in The Sun for the.
following remarks,
Au essertion In the Literary Gazette, that I have "
siquated that Back abandoned the Arctic coast too Soon" in
the history of ray Journey—which I will leave for the reading
public to decide whether or not the work contains any pas-
sage that will bear such a construction—has given rise to
three extracts from Captain Back's Journal, quoted by Mr.
Charles Beek, of Verulam-buildings, Gray's-Inn-lane.
The first is Inc:ant te demonstrate that in leaving the coast
Captain Back was guided entirely by his orders, wherein lie
was desired 44 on no account to prolong his stay beyond
period varying from the 12th to the 20th of August." -
The second speaks for itself. August 15, Captain Back
states, "_Every resource was exhausted ; and it was in vain
to expect that any efforts, however strenuous could avail.
I had for some timo cherished the notion of dividing the
party, leaving four to protect the boat and property, whilst
the remainder, with Mr. King, would have aecompanied me
on a land journey to Point Turnagaln ; but this scheme
was completely frustrated by the Ldpracticability qf carrying
any weight on a soil in which, at every step, we sank haft:
leg deep."
The last extract is intended to prove that, according to
Captain Back's instructions,'" he was bound to explore the
Great Fish River," consequently that " he would not have
been justified in exploring the Fish River."
With regard to the first extract, it appears Mr. Back does
not give his brother credit for that Nelsonian character,
which at p. 21 of his Preliminary Chapter, it will be seen he
so eminently merits. After stating that no plan could be
devised for prosecuting further discoveries in the North,
Captain Back adds :—" Had I not been fully convinced of
this, I should, in the hope of accomplishing one of tho'great
objects of nay mission, have undoubtedly ventured to remain
out another season, even though such an act had not received
the sanction of the Committee."
This is sufficient to show, that, in leaving the Polar Sea,
Captain Back was not guided by his orders, but, like an
intrepid and fearless traveller, that he had not determined
upon retracing his steps until there remained no prospect
of his further progress.
The second is a most unfortunate extract, which I would
have willingly left unnoticed, had not more than one re-
.viewer of my Narrative tendered opinions that therein is
" hinted disapprobation of Captain Back"—a statement as
ungenerous as it is untrue. Now as the inaccuraoy lam
about to mention has not hitherto been the subject
my
pen, it is to be hoped the public will charitably
' mit have in this instance, at least, refrant's,' 'from
my commander."
At p. 415 of Captain Back's Journal it is stated I
" as
censurtnating
despatched a party, furnished with a telescope and compass,
to get the bearings to the westward. * * The exploring party returned at 11 p.m., and reported that, with
hard labour, thq." had been able to follow the land for 15 miles."
To make a distance, in a day, of 20 miles, "on a soil in
which, at every step, the men sunk halfileg deep," must have
required herculean strength indeed and I fear, therefore,
that Mr. Back's seeorid extract will carry with it but little
weight.
Relative to the third extract, it is again necessary for
me to inform Mr. Back, whether his brother was justified,
or not justified, in exploring the Fish River instead of the
Great Fish River, that Nelson-like he would have done so,
if he had anticipated by so doing the benefit of his country ;
which will be made evident on a reference to
.pages 59, 75,
80, 81, 82, 87, &e. of his Journal ; and as the observationb
in the latter page is short, to save .the reader's time I 'have
thought proper to' quote it :—" Ultimately, after much em-
barrassment and perplexity, I decided on following up the
original plan, as laid down in the paper read before the
Royal Geographical Society."
I have the honour to be, Sir,
Your obedient humble servant,
RICHARD KING.

4, Piccadilly, Nov. 28, 1836.

DRURY-LANE THEATRE.

She
follows
ezlei:lrn,l:aohtEtiali,,oadkm. .
The announcement of Mr. Sheridan Knowles's new play,
entitled The Wrecker's Daughter, attracted a crowded au-
dience to this theatre last night. The plot of this piece is
as follows :—Marian (Miss Huddart) is the daughter of an
old wrecker, Robert (Mr. Knowles), who had been mar-
ried to a woman of somewhat superior birth and of su-
perior nature; by whom,, and during whose life he had
been weaned from the early habits of his dreadful trade.
Upon her death he had, however, relapsed, but is still re-
strained from any excesses of heartlessness by the influ-
ence of his (laughter, in whom all the noble qualities of
her mother survived. A mutual and fervent love
exists between Marian and a young sailor, Edward (Mr.
Cooper), who wins his livelihood honestly from the
Ocean, and now enters upon one last voyage previous
to their union. She is, however, also an object o 1
the foul desires of a wrecker named Norris (Warde),
a man looked upon as the most remorseless of the coast-
ruffians, and whose passion is stimulated in this instance
by a hatred which he bears his more reputable young rival.
Edward sets out on his voyage, but the fair wind that bears
him outward is converted to a storm, which throws a hapless
strange vessel into the hands of the wreckers. Old Robert,
in spite of the fervid remonstrances of. Marian, hurries to
share in the spoil.lt is night.
Norris, in order to get both father and daughter within
his power, affects a sudden friendliness for the former,,
and gives him liberty to try his fortunes on a specially fatal
reef of the coast, which the ruffian had always appropriated
to
,himself. Here a shipwrecked man, whose heart still
beats, is thrown ashore, and Norris, finding that, in the
darkness and confusion he is mistaken by Marian for her
father, stabs the body within her sight, and hastily retires.
He has used the knife of Robert in this deed of villainy, and
takes other means, through the connivance of an associate
named Wolf (Mr. Diddier), to throw every suspicion of the
murder upon the old man, who is consequentlyseized. Norris,
in order to get him out of the way, offers to let him escape
from his custody, and urges him to fly to some foreign land.
This scheme, is, however frustrated by the indignation of
the father upon finding that Marian .betrays a conviction
of his guilt. He is accordingly again carried to prison.
Marian is compelled to appear against him—she cannot but
swear to what she believed to she had, and on her evi-
dence he is committed, and his death appears assured. To
crown the misery of Marian, a rumour reaches her at the
same time of the loss of Edward's ship and'. all its crew,
Norris now fancies the game to be in his own betide, and
offers Marian that ho will sat'e her father's life, an
prove his innocence, on the condition of her giving him her
hand in marriage. She consents in utter despair—her re-
pugnance to Norris having been rendered intense in eanse-
quence of a dream Which she had bad, in which he appeared
as the murderer of his own father, under eiromnstances simi-
lar to those which she had subseqUently witnessed. In
point of, fact, in an interview between Norris and Wolf,
the latter discovers to the former, that he had, in
ifsioit:lsrhaouenletdtedeliueyopef.eeaochsurti
his
authorities
yearoi,rltefsai
eel
Ignsetoroi:tl.cer.efaltioiviefs!: A
ItCti
1.1
\hoealetti'll. iiloailivb:.;
the . murder jut committed, been a Parrioide. Nor-
nnleyatslaoi
irfs,
idtultl,:cielewiseinloo,aolanidtniilila.mslpdv
bati pur-
suance -1.1.
reality a most prosperous voyage. This event alters not
the determination of the-heroine, although it gives the last
and deepest hue to her wretchedness. She goes to the church
as to her grave---her senses wander—and the recollection
of her dream comes powerfully across her mind—she relates
it involuntarily and with all the farce which her imagination
lends to it at the moment. The ruffian betrays by his manner
the application of the dream, but persists indragging her to
the altar. At the entrance to the church he is, however,
abruptly confronted with his associate. Wolf, who had re-
turned homewards, NH of
remorse, and who reveals more
distinctly the fact of the crime of which he had been privy.
Norris, in the height of his fury, at this unexpected inter-
vention, stabs, Wolf, and by this rash villainy alone makes
himself amenable to the law. He is seized and dragged to
prison, raving and cursing i
all around. At the same time,
Marian ends all her woes in an union with her lover.
The great merits of the Wrecker's Daug)iier are, first,
the skilful way iu which its plot is evoked ; and secondly,
its strict adherence throughout to the truth of nature.
Though it contains many rare poetic passages, yet these
always befit the characters.of those from whose lips they
fall. There are no inappropriate ornaments or allusions ;
no sacrifices of propriety to offoot, except, perhaps, in one
or two of the minor ineidents where the surprise trespasses
a lithe (111 the melodramatic, as in the case of the abrupt
appearance of Wolf at the altar—just as Marian and Norris
are going to be married—who is. placed there evidently for
the sake of " creating a seeeeteetat' There is no earthly
reason why he shglliti have been discovered, half maniac as
he is, ruminating beside the altar. Far better, because
More natural, that be had encountered the wedding wets'
in the ordinary way, while wandering, e ecevarses-etricken
man, about the scenes wllicl h, 7.4liza, but dared not, to
quit. The I,'-feei;rephe would have been brought about just
tTi s. tea „, dile aIA 'the melo-dramatic surprise would.have been
saved. If we except these few blemishes, we have nothing
to object to.; but, on the contrary, neteehe.eeeee riw4oi—to
praise, in the Ifirceeris: pirpg,47,.. its 4a.racters are
fiqely 049c.in*Aealh'osp pspeemiiy of 414 ligt),ert. m- •
10•.---
.

, —Arian,