The Sun.
London, England, 1856-10-16 00:00:00

LI FE ItATURE.

The Measures, Weights, and Moneys of all Nations.
By W. S. B. Woolhouse, Esq., F. R.A.s.,
F.S S., &e. John Weale.
A work of great public utility, long and loudly
called for by the mercantile community, and exe-
cuted with the al ility and conscientiousness to be
anticipated from one who, as a mathematician and
actuary, has acquired a European celebrity. The
vaine of the boon hero offered can only be duly
appreciated by those who are acquainted with the
extreme diversification in the comparative values
and systematic relations of the measures, weights,
and moneys established throughout the world, and
know by experience the difficulties attendant on
dealing with them. The labour of classification
must necessarily have been immense, while the
reader is not left to the established character of
Mr. Weale's Rudimentary series—the recognised
position in the scientific world of the author, nor
his assurance at the outset exclusively—to be con-
vinced nothing has been wanting on his part to
render the classification correct and easy of refe-
rence. A glance over the work will of itself
suffice. The order of philosophical discovery is to
infer what we do not know from what we do, and the
tables we have examined convince us of the accuracy
of those which remain to be so—while the uniform
regularity of the tabulation with the separate
quantity or value of the English equivalent oppo-
site to every separate quantity or value in each
locality is so obvious as at once to challenge atten-
tion, as well as in the practical application to su-
persede almost entirely the necessity of any
calculation. I brief statement of the comprehen-
sive principles which influence the fluctuations of
exchange, and correct rules for computing the
sterling value of coins and bullion, add to the
value of this portion of the book. The tables for
the conversion of the standard, linear, and square
measures of one country into those o f another
were, we are told, before published in another
form, and had recently become out of print. They
will be found here enlarged and more conveniently
arranged, so as to be of still greater practical utility
to those who have occasion to consult the architec-
tural and other works of the continent. As we
have already indicated the work is divided into
parts—the second and concluding relates to the
admeasurement of Time, and comprises a detailed
investigation of the Christian, Hebrew, and Ma-
hometan Calendars with formulae, tables, and
practical rules for performing the various calcula- '
tions. These subjects the author has felt compelled
to go into at more length than he otherwise would
have deemed necessary, because imperfectly treated
iu Chronological works generally. A proof of
the necessity for doing so, and at the same
time of Mr. Woolhouse's accuracy and pains-taking
fidelity, is apparent in his detection of au eiror
which vitiates all the chronological tables of a par-
ticular class extending beyond the year 1,900 of
the Christian era—not excepting the celebrated
French work L' Art de verefier les Dates, so justly,
as he remarks, regarded as the greatest authority
in chronological matters. Passing " from grave to
gay " for dates, if good eating are grave subjects
and moneys are not imponderable, we have been
impeded a little in our task by perceptions of the
ludicrous while glancing over some of the tables in
tho first part of the work. What havoc, we could
not but think, would Mrs. Malaprop not make
with the remarkable, outlandish designations of
some of the coins, weights, and measures ; and
what astonishment you would produce in a city
acquaintance if, anxious to increase his stock of
useful knowledge, you took him by the button and
gravely informed him—" Twelve scheffel make ono
malter, two sechszehnerli make one atcherli (the
deuce they do !) two quarti make one mina (or)
ten drams one oki, between eight and nine palmi
one canna (ma conscience !), twelve atomi one
punto. The post meile (mile) is 24,000 fuss."
How he would stare ! Into what helpless bewil-
derment would he not be thrown ! As for Mrs.
Partington, only fancy that impracticably practi-
cal good lady, knitting-needles in hand, listening
and commenting as follows :—Two soks make
one ken. " What work it is to mend them when
they are so far gone I suppose." Four qwarters
make one stop. " That depends on the price." Fif-
teen boccoli make one quarterone ! " I can't soo
that—they didn't use to do so when I was young."
Two garnotz make one tschetwerka. "Um ! I'm
sure my two garnets don't ; but perhaps its dif-
ferent in foreign countries. Tsch—it makes one
sneeze. What silly names foreigners give things."
Pie measures. "Really, I wouldn't have believed
it." Twelve drachms make one mocha. " Yes,
I should thing mocha would be wanted after twelve
drams." Ten fuss make one rutho. " That's true,
if it doesn't take more ; for Ruth is all fuss, and
no work." The reader has had enough, and, if a
capitalist, perhaps too much, of this " fooling," as
Shakspere calls it, on subjects which, by many,
are deemed worthy of more reverence than the
Bible. By way of conclusion, lot us remark,
" Weights and Meausres of all Nations " is al-
ready stereotyped, and will add considerably to the
value of the series to which Mr. Woolhouse had
previously contributed an essay on the Difibrential
Calculus.

The Draper in Australia. William Freeman.
The results of a hasty glance over the earlier
pages of this work was an almost overpowering
temptation to cast it aside as "twaddle." Reluc-
tant, however, to believe that a middle class man
could have been three years in Australia with-
out having something to tell, we persevered, and
were rewarded for our pains. On his arrival at
Port Jackson, the platitudes and elaboration of
words which had offended ns in a great measure
disappeared, and the Anglo-Saxon spirit and point
we looked for was apparent. Our " Draper" sets
about his enterprise like a man—nukes his way
through all obstacles to the scene of his intended
labour—sets to work—gives over when labour is
hopeless—strikes his tent, and pitches in a loca-
lity where gold is to be had for working, and when
a maimed limb puts a stop to his mining labours
he becomes an auctioneer. Cheerful, buoyant,
fertile in resource throughout, the manner in which
he spent the greater part of his three years of eel!-
imposed exile lends weight to his counsel, and we
aro disposed to recognise in him a trustworthy
adviser for the intending emigrant. Altogether
we are pleased with his book, notwithstanding its
many faults of composition, and its occasional
driblets of indifferent rhyme—the former of which,
at least, by the way, are candidly admitted in his
modest preface. The work embraces the author's
experience in New South Wales and Victoria,
life at the gold mines, town life, and life in
the bush—descriptions of the principal towns,
and of the various productions of Australia,
with ample particulars as to the demand for parti-
cular kinds of labour—the rates of wages—and,
in fact, all the intending emigrant of humble
means will be des'rous to know, brought down to the
latest date. The book we take to be a reliable and
valuable guide, and not an adverti6ement ; and as
such wo recommend it to our readers of the middle
and working classes.

Narrative of the Arrest, Trial, and Condemnation
of Colonel Turr. By Colonel Turr. G. Rout-

lege.
The sufferer's own account of the treatment Col.
Turr experienced at the hands of Austria, from the
period of his arrest at Bucharest to the hour of his
liberation at the intervention of England. The
narrative, consequently, may be relied on, and from
it the reader will gather how Austria respects in-
ternational law. Anything more flagrantly un-

justifiable than the colduci of that Power to the
gallant Hungarian was probably never beard of.
It not only involved the greatest injustice to him,
but was also a gross affront to us as a nation.
Austria actually bad the effrontery, in violation of
international law, to seize Colonel Turr at Bucha-
rest, a neutral territory, and, while in our employ,
try him and condemn him, on the plea that he was
a subject of Austria, guilty of revolutionary ante-
cedents and practices ! But why repeat what our
readers are acquainted with ? Suffice it to say the
impressions previously prevailing as to the charac-
ter of the Austrian Government will be deepened
by the present work, and dastard, retrograde,
cruel, and unscrupulous will seem by no means tco
harsh terms in which to describe her. Humanity,
we are told, is a heinous capital crime in Austria.
Who can doubt t ? The particulars of the Colonel's.
i
examination, as here recorded, are not likely to
escape the reader's notice.

The New Quarterly Review.—The literary his.
tory of the quarter is thus summarised : "The
last three month 3 have produced few works of
note. We have had the average quantity of clever,
dull, and indifferent novels ; and an unlimited
supply of poetry written upon principles of bad
taste and silliness—setting at defiance all propriety
of diction, and combining as much hackneyed
commonplace, with some real beauties as has ever
appeared Eince the days of Sappho. We have,
however, had some extremely entertaining volumes
of travels, some good average miscellaneous books,
and one profound political work." The volumes
of travels include " Burton's First Footsteps in
Africa," The Oxonian in Norway," " Mansfields
Paraguay," and the " American Japan Expedi-
tion." The profound political work,
we take
it, is "De Tocqueville's France before the Revolud-
tion." The most eventful fact in the history is said
to be the discovery of another copy of the first ed
of " Hamlet," more perfect than the Duke of
Devonshire's copy. Having passed through a host
of literary reviews and miscellaneous notices, some .
of them of consider Ole ability, and the majority

- • - •• e

enriched by extracts illustrative of the works re-
viowed, the .
reader finds presented to his notice a
revtew" The Minute, by the Marquis of
D dhousie, &0.," printed by order of the Hotie of
annmons, being the subject. The review is not
favourable to the Marquis. "Reviews of the
French and German Literature of the Quarter"
follow, and from tho retrospect by which the former
is prefaced we gather the singular fact—if it be a
fact—that under the present despotism the number
of readers, rather than of books published, has di-
iniuished, and this to a serious extent. Is not this,
if true, indicative of a worse state of things than
a dilninution of the number of works issued would
• indicate ? In German literature there does not ap-
pear to be anything worthy of note. The genius
of Allemagne surely was not in the German
Legion !.