The Sun.
London, England, 1847-10-07 00:00:00

COLBURIV'S UNITAI) SERVICE.

This number-opens with an animated and very in-
teresting narrative of "Six Weeks on the Coast of
Some°, during the overations against the Sultan of

. •••

Brune, in the summer of 1846 ; by an Officer of the
Squadron." The dispatches of Sir Thomas Cochrane
already published in this periodical gave the official
statement of the proceedings of the expedition under
his command An account, how-ever, by an intelligent
eye-witness of the events cannot fail to be gratifying,
more particularly since the public attention has been
directed so much to the proceedings of the enterprising
and philanthropic Reja of Sarawak, who has just
returned to his native land for t brief period, and by
whose zeal and energy a new field has been
opened for the commercial enterprise of our mer-
chants in the East. " Twelve Months on Norfolk
Island" contains not a very flattering description of
the state of the ultra-penal settlement, the recep-
tacle of doubly-convicted felons; indeed, although
richly endowed by nature, and possessing all the
choicest gifts of climate, scenery, and vegetable pro-
ductions, it might be made almost a paradise, it is
changed by the crimes and atrocities of its wretched
inmates, N% ho are expiating and suffering the punish-
ment due to their former offences, into a hell upon
earth, disfigured by crime, vice, and misery. " Re-
collections of Waterloo," by a Staff Officer, is con-
tinued ; the present part contains the account of the
great day, up to the meeting of the English and
Prussian Generals, Wellington, and Blucher, after
the victory had been gained. " Justice for the Navy
Progressive," continues the list of the cases in which
naval officers are not placed on an equal footingwith tl ose
of a corresponding rank in the sister service. " A
Tale of the Sea" is concluded ; the heroine, who
boldly visits her father in her widowhood and distress
is received to his home and heart, despite the oppo-
sition.of her vulgar stepmother. A few weeks after
the mate, who by the death of a relative, is placed in
an independent position, being in possession of 6001.
per annum, declares his love, which is favourably re-
ceived, and they are married with the full consent
and approbation of her father, who settles upon her
a fortune equal to that of her husband. At his death
which occurs shortly after the birth of his first grand-
child, it is found that he has bequeathed his entire
fortune to his once deeply afflicted child, while his
unamiable relict discovers too late that her vexatious
conduct has been properly felt, and that 1,00011 is all
that she is ever to receive out of his ample fortune.
"Guard-room Stories" are also brought to a conclu-
sion.; the bombardiers escaping with a very slight re-
primand. " The Autobiography of Sir John
Barrow" is also finished; "Hints for the Military Stu-
dent," and " The present War in Kafirland" are
continued; and "The Old Six-pounder" relates his
Dublin reminiscences, while a Medical Staff Officer
offers his suggestions for the improvement of the ser-
vice. A new story is commenced by Mr. Curling,
the talented author of " John of England," which
promises to possess a great deal of interest; it is
termed " Attack and Defence," to a knowledge of
which, embodied in an amusing tale, it professes to be
a sort of introduction. It is, therefore, properly ad..'
missible Into a periodical chiefly devoted to profes-
sional subjects, and will suit both the military and
the general reader. The time of action is laid in
the year 1645, shortly after the battle of Naseby, so
fatal to the fortunes of the first Charles. Sir Hilde
brand Oldcourt, a fine old English gentleman and a
staunch cavalier, is, with his beautiful daughter and
a servant, attempting . to gain the shelter
of his family mansion, Oldcourt House, a
vast, irregularly-built, thick-ribbed old manor-
house in Derbyshire, which he hopes to defend against
any force that can be brought against it ; they are,
however, closely pursued by four of the Roundheads,
who have out_tripFed their companions, and gained
so far, that escape had become impossible without a
contest. The veteran fearlessly risks the encounter,
but wile he is engaging two of the pursuers, one of
whom he has felled to the ground, and his servant is
in fierce contest with another, his daughter is placed
in the greatest danger, but is happily rescued by a
young stranger, who, taking the weaker side, speedily
finishes the combat, and the fugitives make their
escape, leaving their four assailants dead on the field.
They have, however, but a brief respite, for their
place of refuge is closely beleaguered, so that there is
but little prospect of escape. The stranger gallantly
abides by those to whom his former services were
so valuable, and it is manifest that he will be the
lover of the fair Blanche. In the third chapter we
are introduced to a body of the Puritan soldiers, to
whom an order comes to do summary execution on
the malignant Oldcourt, with all his followers, sparing
neither man, woman, nor child, of the establishment,
in the event of his refusing to surrender. We augur
most favourably of this tale ; indeed were it the produc-
tion of an unknown author, the part already pro-
duced would afford the strongest evidence of its future
success. In Mr. Curling's hands we doubt not that
it will more than fulfil our expectations. We can
truly recommend the present number, which main-
tains the well-established character of the United
Service Magazine.

DOMBEY AND SUN. No. XIII. By Charles

Dickens.
The number opens with a narrative of the farther ad-
ventures of Captain Edward Cuttle, mariner. Honest
Captain Cuttle bethinks himself of opening the sealed
packet left in his keeping by Sol Gills, seeing that the sti •
pulated time (a year) has elapsed. " The Captain, in
his honour, would as soon have thought of opening
the parcel one hour before the expiration of the time,
as he would have thought of opening himself, to study
his own anatomy." Previously, however, to carrying
his researches into the mysteries of the packet into
execution he has an interview with Mr. Toots, who
reveals his love for Florence in this wise :—"lf I
could be dyed black," said Mr. Toots, " and made
Miss Dombey's slave, I should consider it a com-
pliment. If at the sacrifice of all my properly I
could get transmigrated into Miss Dombey's dog-1
—I really think I should never leave off wagging my
tail." Captain Cuttle can hardly credit an assertion
of such extravagant affection. " I'm in such a state
of mind,' cried Mr. Toots, and am so dreadfully in
earnest, that I could swear to it on a hot piece of iron,
or a live coal, or melted lead, or burning sealing wax,
or anything of that sort; I should he glad to hurt
myself as a relief to my feelings.' And Mr. Toots
looked hurriedly about the room, as if for some suffi-
ciently painful means of accomplishing his dread
purpose." Shortly afterwards Rob the Grinder
gives the Captain warning, and goes his way,
having
previously tweaked the midshipman's nose as a parting
indignity. Then does Captain Cuttle,
in a solitude
like that of a second Crusoe, bestir himself as to the
sealed parcel. It is opened in the presence of the
oracular Captain Bunsby, and proves to be old Solomon
Gills' will—leaving the property to Warr, or, in the
event of his non-return, to Ned Cuttle. On entering
the instrument-maker's parlour, Bunsby is assured of
the fulfilment of his prediction about Walter.
"' Aye, aye ?' growled Bunsby.
" ' Every letter,' said the Captain.
" ' For why ?' growled Bunsby, looking at his friend
for the first time. ' Which way ? so, why not ?
Therefore."

And now the citadel is stormed by the fell Mac
Stinger :

" She came so
itatiswl
Cuttle l .fn"-
Yndouanhsel
dimsosiltly,
air from the
neighbourhood of the East India Docks,
that Captain
feninth leikveerayruaschtinogf
sitting looking
he had been tn d* her, before the calm face with which
e n
dismay. g, changed to one of horror and
" But the moment Captain Cuttle understood the full
extent of his misfortune, self-preservation dictated an
attempt at flight,
opened from the Darting at the little door which
cellar steps, the parlour on the steep little range of
the hitter, like Captain made a rush, head-foremost, at
who only a man indifferent to bruises and contu-
sions,y sought to hide himself
in the bowels of
the earth. In this 11
succeeded, but for trt ant effort he would probably have
and Chowley, who the affectionate dispositions of Juliana
those dear children Plging
him by the legs—one of
holding
on to each—claimed him as
their friend, with lam
Mrs. Mac Stinger, whoentable cries. In the mean time,
importance without previously
entered upon any action of
sly inverting Alexander Mac
Stinger, to bring him within
of slaps, and then sitting him down
range of a brisk battery
down to cool as the reader
first beheld him, performed that
solemn rite, as if on this
occasion it were a sacrifice to the Furies;
posited the victim on the floor,
oor, made
at the Captain with
a strength of purpose that appeared to threaten scratches
to the interposing Bunsby."
By Bunsby's intervention the
otherwise have been a lost man, Captain (who would
is saved, Mrs. Mac
Stinger is decoyed away, and)
even Midshipman the traps are
conveyed safely to the Little
the terrible locality of Brig..lac from
fol-
lowing chapter Mr. Dombey,P still In the
in his pride that a slightly condescending bend
of his head " rustles and crackles stiff cravat,"
has a quarrel with his second wife.s
The differ-
ence between them is told with W
onderful power
and effect. Cleopatra, moreover, is gradually sinking
from the results of her paralytic
seizure,
and is re-
moved
with her daughter and Florence
for change of air. At Brighton the ric h to Brighton
mother and
daughter encounter a poor mother and daughter, in
the persons of good Mrs. Brown, and Carker's former
mistress. Chter the forty-fist is
r headed
"New Voices on the Waves," bc
and eautifullounts ty he death
of Cleopatra. Besides this, it narratese
o a visit paid to
Db
the old school where little Paul toiled of
yore at his studies, by Florence and Mr.m
Toots. We
are of course introduced again to Dr. Blimber with
his learned legs (a sort of clerical pianoforte
oCornelia,
author, further on), to Mrs. Blimber, t
Mr. Feeder, 8.A., who has his Herodot us to
stop on,
and in full play, to Briggs, and Tozer, and
Johnson,
and the re3t, all of whom are "still i grinding
in the mill of knowledge," to Btih erstone
p
(no longer Master Bitherstone of Mrs. pchin's),
and even to the weak-eyed young man ,4
'foots is whose im-
becility of grin at sight of Mr.
character personified."
Dr. Blimber
's,
leaving Bli 's,
the
Mr. Toots—valorous Mr. Toots—actually—pops
question. Florence, of course, though in the kin dest
proposal
for will not understand his words as a
for her hand ; whereupon Mr. Toots breaks away
despair, wishing her good bye, and assuring her 'it in
's
of no consequence, thank you i it's not the least con-

sequence in the world." Mrs. Skewton's death is the
principal event, however, in the number, and is
described with a truth that is berrible.

110 WI I 7'S JOURNAL.

The second volunia of this popular miscellany pro-
ceeds swimmingly, though, with all submission to the
taste of the editors, we could wish its pages were
cleared of the fag-ends of personal quarrels and con-
tentions. A glimpse of John Barnard's great picture
of the Mississippi is afforded in the first engraving.
Redgrave's admirable painting •of The Deserter is
scarcely done justice to in the second; a portrait of
Thomas :3ewick, the reviver of wood engraving, is
given (though not after the most complimentary
manner), in the third ; and a sketch of the Primrose
Gatherer is the fourth. The last mentioned is de-
cidedly the most agreeable; but the letter-press has
immeasurably the advantage this month over the il-
lustrations ; and this principally owing to the
graceful and appropriate contributions of William
and Mary Ilowitt themselves. Thomas Miller has
some dainty lines, telling us how " May was first
made," and certainly, with hini, we admire the ma-
nufacture.

DOLMAN.

The striking and, in many parts, powerful narra-
tive of the Riots of 1779 and 1780 by the Rev. Editor,
are in this number brought to a conclusion. They have
possessed for us and, we doubt not, for.a large portion
of the readers of Dolman, an interest quite apart
from the enthralling character of those religious
broils and brutalities. We have been curious
throughout to see how a Roman Catholic priest
would narrate scenes such as might naturally be ex•
pected to excite feelings of acerbity towards the
Church which was so miserably misrepresented in the
persons of Lord George Gordon And his gang of cut-
throats. From first to last, however, of these
chapters on the penal laws and the riots we have not
been able to detect a single sentence which could have
been dictated in other than a spirit of charity and
tolerance. This we are compelled in all fairness to
acknowledge. The rest of the magazine is of its
usual ability.