The Sun.
London, England, 1860-02-06 00:00:00

MISCELLANEOUS MAGAZINES:

The National keeps up its improved tone, and
offers a variety of pleasant reading to the general
public. The editor contributes another of his
smart political sketches, taking Mr. Cobden for his
sitter. Mr. Copping continues his novel of " Sun-
down," and there are several other agreeable papers
and poems.—The Eclectic is a magazine of a more
serious turn, adapted to the taste of the religious
and reflective reader. It is Nonconformist in its
principles, and addicted to the discussion of theolo-
gical and controversial subjects. There are, how-
ever, several papers of general interest, prominent
among them being articles by W. Thornbury and
Frederika Bremer.— 7he Church of England
Monthly Review is another magazine of a profes-
sedly religious character. It supplies a deficiency
long felt, and being entirely free from bigotry or
prejudice, it addresses itself to a large circle of
readers, while the ability and variety of its con-
tents cannot fail to attract the reader of cultivated
taste.—Prominent among the monthly parts of
weekly periodicals we find Once a Week, which for
entertaing reading on an extended class of subjects
—light, without being superficial, and offering in-
formation without dulness—can fairly match any
other serial of the same class—The Welcome Guest,
7he Parlour Journal, and Pastime are cheap
miscellanies without any distinctive features.
Scientific works have now taken up a recognised
position among the monthly publications. New-
ten's London Journal has long recorded the pro-
gress of invention, and the patents that have been
taken out for improvements in manufacture. It
now prefixes to its contents a short treatise on the
topics of the day connected with its subjects, and
the present number discusses the Emperor's Com-
mercial manifesto. The Mechanics' Magazine con-
tinues to preserve its high character. It is un-
doubtedly the first journal of its class, and the
great amount of practical scientific information it
contains will be no less interesting to the amateur
or student, than valuable to the mechanician or
engineer. We are glad to see the improved and
enlarged series is conducted with so much spirit.
The new edition of Tire's Dictionary of Arts, Ma-
nufactures, and Mines, is not likely to pass un-
noticed by the scientific world. It is
under the able editorship of Mr. Robert Hunt,
whose name is a sufficient warrant for its careful
and authentic compilation. It is chiefly rewritten
and greatly enlarged, and illustrated with nearly
two thousand woodcuts. The fourth part contains,
among other valuable information, articles on
caoutchouc and coal. There is also some account
of chlorometry, the process by which the
strength or value of substances containing chlorine
is tested. We are very glad to see a work of
such a standard character as the late Dr. Ure's
Dictionary reproduced in its present enlarged and
completed form.—Charles Knight's publications
maintain their usual degree of excellence. The
Popular .History of England comes down to the
termination of the American war by the Peace of
1783. The sixth volume is brought to a close at
this grand political division, and the seventh vo-
lume will bring us to a yet more exciting and event-
ful period.—The English Cyclepeedia continues in its
accustomed manner. Its character is now so well
known as scarcely to need criticism. A few pages
are deficient in this part which will be supplied
next month. When the four divisions are com-
pleted the Englisn Cyclopsedia will scarcely yield
precedence to any work of reference in our libraries,
for extent, variety, and moderation.—Rorstledge'e
Shakespeare having reached the forty-eighth part
brings us to his poems and sonnets. We may
therefore infer that the work is approaching its
conclusion, when we shall notice it -at greater
length.—Routdedge's illustrated Natural history
has reached the eleventh part, both prose and pic-
tures being of a high order. The people's edition
of Moore's National Airs offers a boon to all lovers
of good music, since ten songs of lyrical and musi-
cal excellence can be obtained for a shilling, the
compass and arrangement being within the
reach of moderately gifted amateurs.—One
of Them, by Charles Lever, is written in
that sparkling author's accustomed manner
and will probably afford his admirers much plea-
sant reading hereafter.—Plain or Ringlets is an-
other of the humourous sporting stories by the au-
thor of " Handley Cross.. " Leech's pencil as usual
does good service, and adds considerably to its at-
tractions.— The Universal Decorator is likely to im-
prove the public taste by its suggestions for artistic
embellishments of honsehold goods. Some of the
numerous illustrations are full of grace and har-
mony. The editor, Mr. Wilson Ross, contributes
a pleasant memoir of Quintin Matsys, the black-
smith painter. A 'variety of excellent prose mat-
ter
is contained in it, as well as the decorative sug-
gestions.—The Literary and Educational Year
Book for 1860 has :an endless variety of literary
and scholastic information: It gives us a list of all
books, journals, periodicals, and engravings, pub-
lished during the past year; of all metropolitan and
provincial newspapers ; providing us also with an
account of all learned, literary and artistic societies;
of all mechanics' and educational institutes for the
improvement of the people ; giving us the names
of the projectors and managers of these schemes,
the localities where they flourish, and the nature of
their efforts. The heads of the Universities are
cited, and an account of the questions proposed for
the Oxford Middle-class and Society of Arts Insti-
tutes' examinations are given in full.

"BROWN BESS" AND THE CHINA

EXPEDITION.

To secure uniformity of ammunition, it is ordered
that the native force shall be armed with the smooth-
bore musket, such
as is used by the Indian regi-
ments now serving in China; and corps now armed
with rifles are to have them exchanged before em-
barkation for the old Brown Bess— a merciful wea-
pon, which is warranted never to hit anything it is
aimed at. The Chinese, on the contrary, have for
a long time been providing themselves with arms
of precision ; they were well supplied with them
at the Pei-ho, and are said to have largely in-
creased their stock since that affair. The contents
of the Governor-General's order will tie known to the
Mandarins long before the arrival of the Expedition,
they will not fail to profit by the advantage it offers
them. How the cunning rogues will chuckle at the
simplicity of the barbarians, who are wilfully dis-
arming themselves in order that the Chinese may
be able to pick them off with impunity! These is a
passage in the fourth paragraph of Major Honner's
despatch, describing his successful operations
against the Waghurs, which furnishes a practical
comment on this extraordinary regulation. The
major states that the matchlock men " quietlystood
looking at us, but beyond our fire (common mus•
kets)," and that Lieutenant Hallett was struck by
a matchlock ball at a distance of 600 yards. For-
tunately it lodged in the brass of his telescope. It
is hard to imagine why the order in question should
have been given at all, and still harder to believe
that it should have been given for the reason
alleged, namely, to secure uniformity of ammuni-
tion.—llonzeward

AUSTRALIAN GOLD.—The total amount of th•
gold shipments announced by the present Australian mail
is only £352,000, per the ships Roxburgh Castle, Cleadon,
Saldanha, Essex, and Indemnity, the pressure in the money
market checking remittances. The aggregate at sea forth-
coming is thus raised to £558,000, of which about £206,000
is due or nearly due. The particulars are given below :
Gold.
on board.

.. —.-
Name. Soiled. Out. ~.
Ouncos.
Donald M'Kay Nov. 9 .. 87 days .. 36,932
Commodore Perry .. „ 16 .. 80 days .. 14,591
Roxburgh Castle 7l 22 • . 74 days .. 22,286
Cleadon
Saldanba
Essex „ 8.. 58 days .. 14,241
Indemnity