The Sun.
London, England, 1851-04-25 00:00:00

FRIDAY EVENING,

the country . I certainly am not favourably impreFscd
*- • • .• • - •

OAKS.
3 to 1 arrbst Aphrodite.
The only stake that has filled for to-morrow is the
two and three yrs old Selling Stakes, for which Guy
Mannering, Firebolt, b f by St. Francis, out of Prioress,
2 yrs old, are nam EPSOM RACES.
Handicap for the Aristocratic Race.
Agis, 6 yrs, 12st 121b—Thringarth, 5 yrs, 12st—
Kissaway, 5 yrs, list 1216—Warwick, 4 yrs, list 101 b
Escape, 6 yrs, llst 61b—Reindeer (h b), aged, llst 21b—
Mogador, aged, lOst 121b—Miss Spring, 4 yrs, lOst 121 b.
CURRAGH APRIL MEETING, APRIL 23.
The visitors to the 6' Short Grass" who left Dublin
yesterday in anticipation of enjoying good sport were
most miserably disappointed; a walk over by Chatter-
box for the Wellingtons being the only event of the day.
The attendance was thin.
The following paidforfe:
Wellington makes, 30 soya. h ft. Three yrs old Course.
Mr. Watts'6 b c Chatterbox, Bst.. (Fole ) walked over
Belli-
rr.sTriawuifr,d's chW
nafad (dead). ogid, Bst 131b—Mr. Murphy's ch h
7t Dough,2llrw3ires ch h
actelnrtdoerpds'sndeehnefe,Aloydress,ty7,st42b.r—s,
Lord Waterford's b c Bullion, 4 yrs, 7st—aud Mr. J.
Bond's b c Larry's-the-Lad, 4 yrs, 7st.

BRIGHTON..—ELECTION OF HIGH CONSTABLE.
The annual court leet for the hundred of Whalesbone and half
hunched of Dean was held en Easter Tuesday, at the Town
Hail, Brighton, before F. H. Gel], Esq., acting for the
steward of the lord. After the jury had been absent for
nearly an hour, Mr. Gell was sent for into the jury room,
and on his return be announced that l\lr. Montagu David
Scott was unanimously elected high constable. This an-
nouncement was received with great cheering, particularly
as Mr. David Scott is the son of an old and respected inhabi-
tant of the town.
LINCOLN'S INN, APaIL 24.—The undernamed
gentlemen were this day called to the degree of barrister-at-
law by the Honourable Society of Lincoln's Inn, viz., Wil-
liam David Cathcart Monypenny, Esq., Clarke Watkins
Burton, Esq., John Heyward Jenkins, Esq., John Caldecott,
Esq., and Charles Barrett Eusseil, Esq.

:`,--`l7 to
1849. By a Merchant long !resident at Tahiti.
Reader, have you an hour to spare ? We hope so, for
your-sakeeeeed we say, get the book bearing the above
title, and if you like that kind of interest which at-
taches to, or derives from, the love of adventure
.and
spirit-of truth, begin readin-g it at once. We believe
the sequel to be a matter of course. Nay, more,
yielding perhaps too readily to a first impression, we
might feel inclined to warn you against a certain
amount of danger, but for the distance which sepa-
rates us from the scenes the author describes, and
doubt not but many would be found willing to ex-
plore at all hazards the regions and scenes he so
vividly portrays, were it not for that damper upon
the spirits of many.a would-be traveller, the igno-
rance of which is part of the bliss of a savage, as our
author proves it, (page 93,) when he says, "the natives
do not understand the value of time. All our persua-
sions could not induce them to quicken their move-
ments, acc."—viz., the full knowledge of the value of
time, and the necessity to make the best of it. But
ere we proceed further in our account, one word
about the writer. Of him, whoever he may be, we
know nothing, save through his work; but if aught
can justify envy, we verily believe we must plead
guilty to the charge. Three things there are we do
envy him for, his free and independent spirit, his life,
his book. His name would pleasingly associate in
our memory with these interesting records of his
singularly chequered career ; but known or unknown,
this affects not the work before us, and if this be his
first appearance before the public, which we are in-
clined to believe, we can only say that we hope it
may not be the last. But let us start with him, and
like him crave a clear stage and no favour. The
opening of this work introduces him to the reader
under circumstances which may well claim his best
sympathies, and a limine, we admire his fortitude
under a certainly most trying ordeal. To begin the
world thus is hard—to exchange the comforts of home
for the hardships of a seafaring life—to sink the feel-
ings of the gentleman into the patient endurance of
the common sailor, must be painful indeed. Luckily,
we find him imbued with that indomitable energy
which enables him to rise superior to his assumed
station, and a voyage which might have been expected
to prove a sad subject of lamentation becomes hu-
morously entertaining, and personally interesting. As,
for example, (page 19,) when we have the writer's
messinatee introduced to us. Living pictures are
those of the boatswain; of old sails, of chips, of the
steward. Wish you to know how a poor sailor fares
on board ship ? ' Beef! heavens, what an halluci-
nation; the fagged end of a birchen rod steeped in
brine possesses as much delicacy and flavour." Again,
(Page 23)
" Old horse, old horse, what brought you here?
You have drawn turf for many a year,
With knocks and kicks and sore abuse,
Now salted down for sailor's use."
Or else, would you see the frailty of human nature
acknowledged, and the spirit of mischief, fresh from
school, at work—due allowance being made for the
apology offered—proceed to page 27 ; but we leave
the gem where we found it. May be you would like
to know the writer's poetic view and graphic repre-
sentation of a storm at sea
"I had read of boundless seas, waves rolling moun-
tains high, and similar expressions calculated to inspire
awe and dread; but I cannot say that my notions of stu-
pendous grandeur were realised: the visual horizon is
too cies° upon you, you lose the idea of boundless space,
and the waves never rise above fifteen or twenty feet,
(quite high enough if any of them should happen to
break on board you). It they met with obstacles op-
posing resistance, foam might bet dashed to the height of
sixty feet, or even higher, and spray might be carried to
the height of three or four hundred feet; but as for ves-
sels riding upon the tops of mountains, seething billows
rising in overwhelming masses above the topmast head;
all I can say is, I never witnessed anything of the kind:
instead of being alarmed at the mad howling of the
blast, it had, on the contrary, quite an exhilarating
effect. But it is not between decks where one would en-
joy this sensation, particularly if it was your watch be-
low and you telt dispose d to sleep; it is scarcely possible
to conceive a more helpless or uncomfortable situation
than to be embowelled inn vessel, kicking and plunging
like a racehorse in traces. Your body, without any vo-
lition of your own, is first rolled to one side, then to the
other; now you are almost perpendicular, anon you will
be standing on yeur bead. You bend your knees and
form an acute triangle with your body to try and fix
yourself, but you get the skin chafed off at the hold-
ing points—the crupper-bone and knees—and desist in
despair. You stretch yourself to the fullest extent,
making your head and heels the holdfasts, at the immi-
nent risk of becoming bald. A deceptive lull takes
place, you relax your extensors for a single moment,
and the next sees you sprawling upon the deck, with en-
franchised chests, mess-kids, tin plates, pots, and all the
miscellaneous rubbish usually to be met with on board
ship, all bent on performing an Irish jig. In the gale
off the Cape the courses or lower sails were hauled up,
and we were under closed-reefed topsails, scudding be-
fore it. Four men were stationed at the helm, two at
the wheel, and two at relieving tackles; the weather
helmsman, whose movements guided the others, kept
glancing over his shoulder, eyeing the seas that appeared
ready to leap on board. At last in his nervousness he
gave a sudden jerk to the helm; his mates seconded the
impetus, and brought about the very eoneequenoes he
tried to shun. The vessel broached to, the starboard
quarter gallery was carried away, the cabin passengers
were washed out of their berths, sea after sea broke over
us; confusion and dismay reigned para Mount; the mate
lost his presence of mind, and I expected we should have
all gone to the bottom. The men were shouting and
swearing, the ladies were shrieking, a couple of 'prentices
and myself were struggling to gain footing, for a heavy
green Bea of many tons weight had broken over the
quarter-deck, which knocked us down, and continued
washing us to and fro, till I secured a grip of the cap-
stan. Presently the captain rushed out in his nightcap
and drawers (twits past ten, nen.). Without evincing
more than ordinary concern, he gave a few short orders,
clear and distinct, which were attended to by those who
best understood them, whilst I maintain, d my loving
embrace of the capstan. Presently discipline was re-
stored, and the vessel was again- staggering before the
gale. The sea that broke over the weather bulwarks in
a green mass carried the smell mite of a 'prentice away
in the body of it like a scarecrow, arms and legs ex-
tended. Look out, Jack!' was the cry choked in my
throat by the rushing of many waters; but Jack had no
need of admonition, for when the turmoil was over, I
observed him quietly dropping from the main rigging."
But we hasten and reach Sydney ; there we find the
future merchant entering upon a new phasis of his
existence, and we gladly leap with him from the fore-
castle to the quarter-deck. Leaving to the reader his
account of a two years and a half's residence in New
South \\, ales, we sail with him to New Zealand, and,
exploring that country, see strange sights, meet
strange people, and gather strange knowledge, ever
seeking fresh scenes and encountering fresh adven-
tures, one of which we deem exceedingly curious, as
evincing an amount of coolness, self-command, and
devotion little to be expected from a savage :
" It was fortunate, perhaps, that we failed on this oc-
casion, es it soon afterwards became known ashore that
two of the seamen had smuggled two slave women be-
longing to the chief on board, and had contrived to con-
ceal them from the knowledge of any one; and had we
succeeded in getting out, the probability is, we should
have been met by the natives in their war canoes, end the
vessel would have been plundered. On resuming our
berth, the chief suppressed all outer show of knowledge
or resentment till the dead of night. The crafty savage,
accompanied by a single attendant, then stole softly on
board, and suddenly stood over the sleeping men as they
were lying in the forecastle. He aroused the delinquents
by a gentle grip on their throats, and their horror may
be imagined, on starting from sleep, to find themselves
in the clutch of the justly incensed chief, whose eyes
were glittering with ferocity. I was told the fellows
were completely paralysed, and made no attempts at de-
fence or resistance; Lot that either would have availed,
ate the two athletic savages could have destroyed with
their tomahawks all in the forecastle before they had re-
covered from their flight. The chief enforced silence by
waving his tomahawk with one hand and placing the
fore-finger of the other on his lips. The trembling
women sank speechless to the deck; and the guilty sea-
men, with nervous trepidation, opened their chests and
made signs for the chief to take anything ho pleased as
payment. He weeded them pretty decently, taking from
them their Sunday clothing, their whole stock of money,
amounting to between four and five pounds, and every
other serviceable article. Seizing the women by the hair
of the head, he then dragged them up the forecastle
ladder, and forced them to descend into the water by the
chain cable, and having secured his booty, he quietly
got over the vessel's side and paddled after the women
in the saute noiseless manner he had come on board.
Not a soul but those in the forecastle knew any thing of
this summary proceeding, the news uf it being carefully
kept from the officers and myself. Of course no such
occurrence could have', taken place had a proper anchor
watch been maintained; as it was, every soul lay buried
in sleep. The chief administered a severe flogging to
the women, and, not content with rifling the seamen's
chests, the opportunity for plundering the vessel with an
apparently justifiable motive was too great for his cupidity
to withstand."
The following advice may be useful to some
" I am no geologist, botanist, or agriculturist., and can-
not judge of the mineral resources of New Zealand.
Botany is an amusing pursuit for the leisurely researches
of superfluous talent iu old countries; but I should have
thought that our Pearmacocceia and alimentary lists
were already replete with the agencies of life and death;
nor do I see that civrlizfd life, with all its aids, is ex-
te ndectto greater leegila of dais than savage life. Many
are of opinion that New Zealand will make a fine grain
country: this may be; but my opinion is that it would
be a much finer one if its bogs and marshes were filled
up by its tutnoltuous jumble of hills. This earth of ours
mutt have been sorely troubled with the colic when New
Zealand sprang into creation. It bears marks of having
been upraised from the deep by tbo mightiest throes and
wildest eructations: it possesses some good harbours,
valuable as whaling stations, and it bas limited capabi-
lities of furnishing an export of timber. So long as the
British Government maintain an expensive establish-
ment, and capitalists go there, the settlements around
head-quarters will thrive, but an inversion of the order
of things will take place; those who brought wealth will
lose it, and the peer will become rich; the hard-working
labourer and the astute store-keeper will be the princi-
pal recipients and holders of the money introduced into

to light to a'id una cf oifinion that our
Australian colonies would have benefited far more if we
had suffarel any other nation than our own to colcniz)
it. Some drc,ad that it might have nursed a naval po er
that would one dry compete with our own, and interfere
with British commerce in the Pacific. It is true that
our formally taking possession will keep others from it,
but it will prove rather an expensive act of diplomacy,
or I am greatly mistaken."
And now we are fairly roving from place to place,
and visiting not only those islands in the Pacific
where aught is to be done in a speculative point of
view, but also where aught is to be seen worthy of
the attention of the philosopher; and in course of time
we reach what we consider the most singularly inter-
esting part of these volumes—the description of Auth
Luna, or Split Island, and witness wonders performed
by mere men, with a degree of ease and coolness which
baffles our notions of the possible. We can hardly
refrain from quoting the following. incident:—
"There is a little soil on the summit or wall-like
ridge of the island yielding a growth of coarse grass,
and a peculiar variety of scrub. The natives have like-
wise succeeded in rearing a few cocoa-nut trees. The
ascent to a novice is rather perilous, and made me wink;
you have to wind your way up laterally, and at one
point you have to pass round the salient projection of a
bald rock where the footing is shelving and not fourteen
inches broad, the rock overhead bulging forward, while
below you have a sheer fall between 200 and 300, feet
in depth. I was for giving it up, when Emery took the
lead, telling me it was the only dangerous spot; but then
he was barefooted, and for years had been habituated to
go so; the tenderness of my feet would not allow me to
dispense with shoes, and.tbe slippery soles made my case
more perilous; false shame prevented my retreating, but
at the time I could not help considering that the object
to be obtained was scarcely worth the risk. When I
had sidled half way across this very awkward pass, my
arms extended and fingers stretched out nervously
clutching at any little unevenness of surface, and whilst
I was hesitating where next to pat my foot, groping in
vain for some fissure into which I might thrust my fin-
gers, or for some root that I might grasp, I caught sight
of the frightful descent, my head swam, and I was turn-
ing sick. At this moment of imminent risk, a native
daringly swayed himself outside me, striking me smartly
on the back as he passed: this recalled my senses, and I
arrived in safety on firmer footing again. The rapidity
with which this bold action was performed is surprising;
tor a moment the man's body must have been off the
centre of gravity, and I believe the poor fellow endan-
gered his life to inspire me with confidence, for had I
slipped when he was passing me, he would have been
involved in certain destruction." . `_,..

We at length reach Tahiti, and there again the au-
thor's pen assumes a new duty—an ungrateful one,
we fear, but likely to do good; but we leave his re•
marks to the comments of the reader ; thence we
proceed to pearl fishing—then to an interview with
the natives of an island said to have been till then un-
visited by white men, which proves the cause of ra-
ther an awkward predicament for our merchant, or,
as we
_might now say, our hero, and now his vessel
wanting repairs, we follow him to Valparaiso, where
new scenes await us. But here we must, however,
reluctantly yield to necessity, and pause, not, how-
ever, without indulging the expectation of reverting
on a future occasion to these entertaining volumes,
and tracing further the author's course, were it but
to have with him a concluding glance at the new El
Dorado, the land of promise, the all-attracting Califor-
nia. Meanwhile, reader, trusting that you are, like our-
selves, restricted by the negative agency of time and
space, we would end as we commenced, and say, only
devote a leisure hour to the opening of the work, and
we doubt not but it will recommend itself to a con-
clusion with more force than all we could say in its
favour.

MUSICAL EDUCATION; with Practical Obser-
vations on the:Art of Pianoforte Playing, including
a Model of a Scale of Practice for Pupils of all
Ages. By Eleanor 111. Geary, Professor of Music.
IV ew and revised Edition.
We are rejoiced to find that the public has de-
manded a new edition of this admirable work, and
cannot but augur favourably for the cause of good
music, from the extensive circulation of Miss Geary's
excellent observations on the art of pianoforte play-
ing. Herself one of the most perfect pianoforte per-
formers of the present day, and at the same time are
of the most successful of teachers, Miss Geary has in
this little work given us the results of her extensive
experience, and has shown, both to professors and
pupils, not only what they are to do, but what they
are to avoid. She has laid down a model of a scale of
practice extending over a series of ye ars, a regular
adherence to which will, without fatigue and without
injustice to other studies (Miss Geary recommends
that on no occasion should more than two hours
in each day be devoted to practice), constitute a
brilliant pianiste. We fully agree in opinion with
Miss Geary that desultory practice should never be
indulged in, and join with her in deprecating the bad
habit, too commonvwith junior governesses and ama-
teur teachers, of " telling a child the names of the
notes she 'is to play, and in many cases actually
placing her fingers on the notes she is to strike."
At the conclusion of the work we have some valuable
observations on the various methods of teaehing the
harp, and the guitar. Miss Geary has rendered good
service to the cause of sound musical education by.
the publication of this excellent little work.

THE CHARTIST PROGRAMME.
The following programme was adopted by the
Chartist Convention on the 10th of April :
" The paramount duty of a Chartist National Con-
vention is to promote Chartist organization—to keep
that organization distinct from every other political
movement or alloy, and to spread through all classes
political and social knowledge to the utmost of its
power. _ _ _

_
" I.—lt is, therefore, resolved, for the better reorgani.
zation of Chartism:—

"1. That, since by each and all of the franchise mea-
sures now before the people (excepting that embodied in
the Charter), the middle class would gain tar more votes
than the working class, which would place the latter in
a more powerless position than at present, the Charter
must be agitated for in its entirety—that the omission
of any one of its points would impair the utility of the
remainder, and that, therefore, popular support must be
withheld from all franchise measures falling short cf its
provisions.
" 2. That the clause in the original Bill for the Char-
ter, specifying that every male adult should have the
vote, unless convicted of crime, be modified to imply a
deprivation of the vote merely while undergoing punish-
ment for crime, since, the punishment for an offence once
undergone, no after penalty ought, in justice, to attach
to the individual.

" 3. That a national petition for the Charter be pre-
sented to Parliament, such petition to be prepared on the
following plan:—Simultaneous meetings for passing the
petition to be held in every town or borough, where
practicable. At such meetings two tellers to be ap-
pointed to count the numbers present; the petition, to-
gether with a declaration affirming the numbers in favour
of such petition, to be signed by the tellers and the chair-
man of the meeting.

" 4. That, in anticipation of a dissolution of Parlia-
ment, all boroughs where the Chartist body are strong
enough to contest the election, forthwith fix on candi-
dates pledged to the Charter in its entirety, form election
committees, subscribe funds, commence agitating the dis-
trict, and bring their influence to bear on the constitu-
ency. That where the candidate cannot go to the poll,
a Chartist be put in nomination on every hustings in
the kingdom, when it is possible to seize that opportu-
nity for spreading Chartist knowledge.
" IL Municipal and parochial power should be vested
in the hands of the people, since disfranchise meat in local
matters is as unjust as the restriction of the elective fran-
chise. Theie. ore it is resolved—

" 1. That the assistance which Chartist organization
may derive from municipal and local power be not lost
sight of, and that practical steps be taken in all townships
and parishes (where democratic organization is in exist-
ence) to contest the municipal elections.
" 2. That addresses be issued to the people relative to
municipal and parochial legislation, and that the ques•
tion of municipal and parochial universal suffrage be
brought before the public on principles analogous to those
of the Charter.
" 111. It is further resolved that the agitation for the
Charter be carried among the trades, to strengthen both
movements through mutual aid; that communications be
entered into with the executive: of the trades' unions,
the various trades' bodies and associations of working
men, for that put pose, pointing out the reciprocal advan-
tage to accrue from the co-operation between the two
great sections of reformers.
" IV. That the agricultural counties be divided into
districts; that tracts and addresses to farmers and la-
bourers be prepared and issued.
" That missionaries, taking with them a supply of
such tracts and addresses, be sent into the several
districts, and that public rasetings and lectures be
held in the rural towns for the purpose of establishing
localities.
" That missionaries be also sent to the Irish people,
and the colliers, miners, and railway labourers.
" The expenses, where necessary, to be borne by the
National Chartist Fund.
" The Convention is further of opinion, that the best
way to enlist sympathy with the Chartist movement is
to show its bearnaes on the grievances of all suffering
classes, that those classes may be taught to see in
Chartism the leverage of their hopes; that the best way
to impress and weaken class government, is to show those
who yet support it that the Chartists would do them
more good than class government can or will afford;
pouring one continuous stream of agitation on class go-
vernment, from ere y portion of the toiling community;
attacking every one of its monopolies; assailing every
one of its strongholds, and breaking them down in detail,
even to their foundations.
" The Convention in also of opinion that a political
change would be inefficacous unless accompanied by a
social change; that a Chartist movement, unless accom-
panied with social knowledge, would result in utter
failure; and we aught to enlist, not merely the politi-
cian, but the man of business; that we cannot claim or
receive the support of the labourer, mechanic, farmer, or
trader, unless we show that we are practical reformers—
that power would be safely vested in Chartist hands—
that we know their grievances, and how to redress
them; that the Charter would confer on them a positive,
immediate, and permanent benefit, and at once increase
alike their comforts and resources.
" The Chartist body should, therefore, stand foward