The Sun.
London, England, 1860-09-11 00:00:00

LITERATURE.

The Chevaliers : a Tale. With a.True Account of
an American Revival. By Maria Louila Birkin-
shaw. Simpkin, Marshall, and Co.
This is an amusing tale, which presents many
interesting features of American life, and which
will be a change for those who are tired of stories
of home. The description of the revival will be found
very entertaining, and it is remarkably well done.
It is satisfactory to find that William Vaughan
spoke against such absurdity, which, carried on in
such a manner, became almost profane. There is
nothing more extraordinary and extravagant than
the manner in which those meetings are carried on.
The tale itself is not pleasing, but it represents the
folly of people acting on impulse, like Mary when
she married William. As might have been ex-
pected from such a beginning, the marriage turned
out most unhappily, Leila is a very charming
girl, and in George Singleton she met one in every
way worthy of her. The misfortunes she and her
widowed mother underwent are most affectingly
described. It was an imprudent thing for two
females to attempt arranging a complicated law-
suit by themselves, and had it not been for the
opportune arrival of Singleton the consequences
might have been very serious. This book is worth
perusing by those who wish for an entertaining
narrative which gives on the whole a fair view of
many important transactions of life, and which
affords a great variety in its descriptions.

The Corsair and his Conqueror. By H. E. Pope.
-

Bentley.
The author of this pleasant book of travels was
induced to spend a winter in Algiers for the benefit
of his health, and the particulars he gives as to
climate, epidemics, &C., will be of service to those
who propose visiting Africa on a similar errand.
His work consists rather of sketches of Algerine
life and habits than of a description of the country,
and aims more at being a pleasant and readable
volume than a dry record of facts and journeys.
He gives numerous amusing anecdotes and enlivens
his pages by frequent quotations, though the in-
flated style of a young writer is sometimes percep-
tible. At the conclusion of the book we find a
brief outline of the history of Algiers, from the
days when its corsairs were the terror of Chris-
tendom down to its present occupation by the
French. We subjoin a few extracts as fair
samples of the style and character of the book :

THE CHAMELEON.
I hat singular reptile, the Chameleon, may be purchased
occasionally in the market. It has a long thin body and a
large head, with the most hideous mouth that can well be
conceived, while its eyes—like diminutive brilliants set in
globes of green leather—protrude from their sockets, and
and have the singular power of looking different ways at
once, so that while one optic may be apparently directed to
an object in front, the other turns slyly to see that no trea-
son is going on behind. Its four feet are jointed in the
manner of the human arm, each foot being terminated with
three long claws, like fingers, with which it slowly picks its
journey. Its method of locomotion is extremely quaint and
amusing, especially in climbing trees. First it gives a
careful glance round to see that all is safe, and then slowly
advances its front leg, opening the claws like an elderly
gentleman about to shake hands. Having grasped a twig,
it pauses for another moment, looks round again, and then
seizes the twig with the other claw. The same o peration
is performed with the two hind legs, till it rests al together
on the twig, around which it curls its tail, as it lot oks care-
fully about for another step in its singular progrei is. The
original idea of its subsisting entirely on air has now given
place to the more rational theory of small flies or ae rial ani-
macula3, which, by quickly darting out its long tc rogue, it
is enabled to entrap. That it has the power of c hanging
to blue or white is also an undoubted exaggeration , but, at
the same time, it is capable of materially altering its shade
from a greenish yellow to a dark green, according to the
dark or light colour of the object which it may• wish to
resemble. I placed a chamelon, one day, on a tabkt strewn
with pale coloured leaves, and remarked, as it pi eked its
way along, that it was of a colour almost similar to the
vegetation. I produced a red silk handkerchief, witih which
I partially covered it, and was surprised to see that in an
instant it had altered its hue to the darkest imaginable
shade, while, on again removing the handkerchief, it im-
mediately assumed its former pale yellow tinge. It is clearly
apparent, therefore, that this wondrous gift is bestowed on
it (like the foetid stench the " skunk " is saic i to emit, or
the inky fluid of the scuttle fish) for the purpose, of self-pro-
tection, in order that by assuming as nearly as possible
the shade of surrounding objects it might thus he enabled,
in almost every instance, to bate the pursuit and escape
the detection of an enemy, however powerful and vigi-
lant.