The Sun.
London, England, 1856-11-11 00:00:00

MALTA.

We have received Malta news to the 501 of
November. The squadron under Rear-Admiral
Sir R. S. Dundas continued at anchor in Valetta
harbour.

Her Majesty's steam gun boat Wanderer re-
turned from Naples with despatches, announcing
the departure thence of the British Legation, as
well as that of the French Ambassador and Lega-
tion on the 28th.

On the 31st October a French screw steam ship
of the line embarked in the Bay of Naples.
_ _

Her Majesty's steamer Osprey was dispatched by
Rear-Admiral Dundas on the 3d, with sealed
orders, steering in the direction of the Faro of
Messina.

Her Majesty's steam frigate Gorgon arrived from
England and Gibraltar on the 3d, bringing Lieut.
Smith, R.E., Messrs. Watts and Prinsep, and four
sappers and miners, destined, it is said, on a scien-
tific misiou to the island of Mytelene, near the
Dardanelles.

Her Majesty's steam frigate Gladiator left Malta
for Marseilles on the 31st October, .conveying, on
their way to England, Mr. Skeene, the British
Consul at Aleppo, Major Mehmed Aga, Messrs.
Mallouf, Giraud, and Tabet, witnesses in the forth-
coming court-martial, which General Beatson, of
Bashi-Bazouk notoriety, has demanded, in order to
clear himself of the grave charges preferred against
him by General Shirley.

The Australian Auxiliary Steam Clipper Company's
first ship Istamboul, left the Victoria Docks, according
to arrangement, yesterday, at eleven o'clock, with a full
cargo and passengers for Melbourne. This vessel was
loaded by the use of hydraulic machinery, at the rate of
200 tons per day. It is ratisfactory to find that owing
to the great facilities afforded by the Victoria Dock
Company the Istamboul was enabled to fill up in so
short a space of time, and to sail punctually on the day
axed for the departure, viz., the 10th of November.
THE MAILS,—SOUTIIAMPLON, Monday, Nov. 10.—
Royal Mloi steam ship Tyne, Capt. Valler, sailed this
afternoon with the usual monthly contract mails for
Lisbon, Madeira, Teneriffe, St. Vincent's (Cape. Verde),
Pernambuco, Bahia, Rio de Janeiro, Monte Video, and
Buenos Ayres, taking out 150 passengers, among whom
are the Duke and Duchess of Saldauha, a full general
cargo, specie value 80,0001., and jewellery value 40,0001.
The next homeward mails are due on the 16th met. by
the Avon. There will be no departure on the 23d of
this mouth from Southampton for the Brazilian ports, the
steamer usually despatched by the Union Screw Collier
Cpmpany having been withdrawn. The United State,'
mail steam-ship Hermann, Capt. Higgins, with dates
from New York to the Ist inst., is expected off Cowes,
en route to Bremen, on Fr,day next. The steam ship
Barcelona, from Barcelona, Malaga,Walencia, Alicante,
Cadiz, Corunna, and Santander, is expected at South-
ampton about the 13th or 14th inst. The Royal tnaq
steamer Parana will take out the West India and Pacific
mails on the 17th iNst.

FROM AMERICA TO ENGLAND Via. CANADA.--The ar-
rival of the Dean Richmond in England, direct from Chi-
cago has created sensation, but it is Dot. exactly true that
she is the first vessel that has reached Great Britain
from the interior lakes of Canada. Others, if our memory
be accurate, have preceded her. A similar error mvails
as to what steam vessel hasthe right to clainithe priority
in making a Transatlantic voyage. Many award this
honour to the Sirius, Capt. Roberts, .which arrived here
the same day with the Great Western, Capt. Hoskin.
The first British steamer crossed the Atlantic several
years before either the Sirius or Great Western ; she was
built in Quebec and called the Royal William, and was
owned wholly or in part by Mr. Stevenson, of that city.
This circumstance is still fresh in the minds of many per-
sons in the "ancient capital." But a. vessel having an
auxiliary steam apparatus on board crossed the Atlantic
many years before the Royal William even. She was
owned in mad sailed froA New York shortly after the
close of the war of 1812. We throw out these remarks
in the hope that some person whose remembrance of such
facts is bettor than ours will give the true statement,
with the proper chronology of these important events in
the history of navigation. The Canadian papers continue
their warm eulogies on the line of steamers, and are na-
turally proud of their achievements. The only thing to
be regretted is that the climate puts an end to their voy-
ages during the winter. Portland, which is an open port
during the frosty months, will then receive them. Now,
is an open port also during
St. John, New Bruns wick,
the winter. Why cannot the railroad project through
New Brunswick be revived ? What of the St. Andrew's
and Quebec railroad? Will some of our friends in that
province enlighten us ?—Beeton, Anglo-Saxon.
DISAPPEARANCE OF CHOLERA FROM MADEIRA.—By
accounts received from Madeira we learn that cholera
has left the island, and that the place is now happily re-
stored to its wonted condition of healthfulness. Visitors
and invalids were already returning to the island for the
purpose of enjoying its mild and genial climate during
the winter. The food and clothing sent out by the London
committee were being: carefully and judiciously distributed
by a local committee, while the Government stores were
issued to the distressed people under the direction of
Staff -Surgeon Dr. Matthews and a purveyor of the
Eneish army, with the guidance and advice of the
consul, the principal merchants, and other influential
persons on the island. The Governor, Brigadier-General
Onneeirn, wae, as ha tr,q !,een during the whole cnurse
•; ~;
directed aid has be en of incalculable value to those
whom the epidemic bas made widows and orphans, and,
indeed, to the Whole .of the destitute poor of the ielaad.

LI I ERATURF.

Maunder's Treasury of Geography. Continued
and completed by William Hughes. I Vol.
Longman and Company.
A wonderful compilation. A marvellous bock
—compacting together within the compass of 1,000
pages an unexampled store of geographic knowledge
—Physical, Historical, Political, and De i3riptive.
Commenced by the original designer of these cele-
brated worksofrofcrence, the late Samuel Maunder,
the laborious and indefatigable compiler of so,v,ny
inestimable Treasuries—the " Treasury of Know-
ledge," the "Treasury of Natural Hisory," the
"Biographical Treasury," the "Historical Tre'a-
sury," the "Scientific and Literary Treasury "
those portable and accessible repertories of Infor-
mation—this " Treasury of Geography," the
crowning work of the series, the key stone of the
arch, as it were, of Maurelor's classic and authori-
tative compilations—has at lenElth been, as far as any
such work can be—perfected. It has been continued
and completed, as the title-page intimates, by Wu':
Hughes,F.R.G.S., author of a " Manual of Geo-
graphy," and recently Professor of Geography in
the College for Civil Engineers. A gentleman of
whom we might safely have predicated what the
' book before us positively and substantially testifies
—namely, that he of all men is about the very one
most singularly well calculated to prove in a labour
of this remarkable kind, Samuel Maunder's not
unworthy collaborateur. The " Treasury "as it
now stands may take rank with the very best of
its predecessors. It, is as complete in every
way —as lucid in treatment —as admirable
and symmetrical in the manner of its general
arrangement. After a few "Introductory Re-
marks" explanatory of the precise uses and of the
, proper character of a popular and practical digest
of Geography—comes a succinct and rapid " Out-
line of the History of Geography." Thereupon
follows an ethnological chapter upon the " Varie
ties of Races and Languages," and an account of
the successive peopling of the world's chief conti-
nents—the three great continents of the old or east-
ern hemisphere. Subsequently, we have a beautiful
treatise, delineative, of " The Earth," its form
and magnitude I. Followed, in due course,
by an exquisitely graphic account of the
diurnal and annual motions of this our
globe, as well as of those of her sister
planets. Afterwards the reader, or more strictly
speaking the consulter of " Matinder's Treasury of
Knowledge "—for productions of this particular
class are designed to be dipped into rather than to
be perused consecutively page after page from
Preface to Appendix—afterwards, we say, the
consulter of the " Treasury of Knowledge " has
unfolded to him in the form of a separate section
the astonishing " Principles of Physical Geo-
graphy," as regards the Land, the Water, and the
Atmosphere. Then come the six grand divisions
of the book as a work of reference—.complete, and
therefore comprehensive. I. EußorE—embracing
under that head Great Britainwith its subdivisions
of England, Wales, Scotland; Ireland : France
viewed in regard both to its Provinces and its De-
partments; Belgium with its 4,500,000 inhabitants;
Holland with its standing army of 20,000 ; Switzer •
land with its burghs and cantons ; Austria with all
h er vast foreign provinces, including Northern Italy,
a huge portion of Poland, the whole of Bohemia,
and the whole of Hungary ; Prussia beginning
with Brandenburg and ending with Pomerania ;
besides the smaller states of Germany, includine'
the minorprincipalities (not here worth mentioning),
and with them Bavaria, Baden, Saxony, Hanover,
and Wurtemburg ; Denmark, and with Denmark
the twin provinces of Schleswig-Holstein ; Sweden
and Norway, the Ching and Chang of Geographi-
cal Europe, to adopt Sir Edward Lytton's nomen-
clature ; ussia with her sixty millions of serfs
under the heel of one irresponsible Despot; Turkey
on the northern side of the Bosphorus; Greece
with her "faineant" King and her degenerate
people ; Italy, that mere geographical expres-
sion, according to Prince Metternich, embrac-
ing, within the compass, of the expression, Lom-
bardy, Sardinia, Tuscany, Naples, Sicily, Parma,
Modena, and the Slates of the
,hurcli ; Spain,
with her mockery of a Constitution, and Portugal,
with her stripling sovereign. IL ASIA follows, as
a matter of course, next iu order to us Europeans.
Asia subdivided into—the Asiatic portion' of Tur-
key • the Asiatic portion of Russia • Japan—China
—Arabia— Turkestan Persia—hindostan—aff-
ghanistan Beloochistan Burmah— Siam—An-
nam—and the East Indian Archipelago. India
reticulating, so to speak, into Ceylon, the Protected
States, the Independent States, and the three reat
Presidencies—those of Bengal, Madras, and Cal-
cutta. 111. AFRlCA—besides the Coasts to the
West and the East ; besides the impenetrable Cn,-
tral part of it; besides the Islands; besides the
Sahara, and Egypt, and Nubia, and Abyssinia—
treats of South Africa, meaning the Cape Colony,
Natal, and Caffraria, and of North Africa, or, as
it is otherwise termed, Barbary, signifying Mo-
rocco, Algeria, Tripoli, and Tunis. IV. AMERICA
—in reference to the North' and the South—
" North America" embracing Canada, the United
States, and Mexico, together with the West
Indies, and such minor sections of that
vast continent as _Newfoundland and the
Hudson's Bay Territory—" South America," in-
cluding Venezuela—New Granada—La Plata—
Ecuador Guiana Brazil Peru —Bolivia—
,)hili —and Patagonia. V. AusTßALlA—relating
to both South Australia and western Australia to
Aew South Wales —Victoria and Tasmania.
Finally, VI. POLYNESIA—with its congeries or
ganglion of Islands, great and small, barren and
fruitful, inhabited and uninhabited, savage sale
civilised. As in a very marked manner illustra-
tive of the boldness and distinctness of the politi-
cal opinions enunciated in this masterly com-
pilation, we may refer to those' expressed un-
der the head' of " France, " in relation to its
present government. Due mention having
been made of the transformation of the Repub-
lican fasces into the Imperial sceptre while
grasped iu the strong right hand. of Napoleon
111. "If there be evil," says the ",Treasury,"
" in the present position of a great people, subject
to the strictness of military rule, and dependent in
great, measure upon the will of a single individual,
with restrictions upon tho free expression of
opinion, whether by writing or by word of mouth,
still there can be no doubt that they aro of less
mouient than the opposite evils of democratic
excess, and the certain results which would follow
the triumph of Socialism." A copious and compre-
hensive "Index," alphabetically arranged, com-
pletes the value of this noble and unrivalled " Trea-
sury of Geography"—diminishing the labour of
research to the student by rendering almost every
separate atom of information compacted together in
the volume under notice—instantaneously acces-
sible. A wonderful compilation, we repeat—one
that can be perused -with pleasure and consulted
with confidence.