The Sun.
London, England, 1856-08-26 00:00:00

LITERATURE.

. ,
Illustrated Band-book of Military Engineering and
of the Implements of War. By It. Forrest.
Day and Son, Lithoaraphers to the Queen.
Had this work made its appearance a year or
two ago we could have predicted for it, with safety,
a heavy demand, illustrating, and rendering intel-
ligible to non-professional readers, as it is intended
to do, and actually does, the various necessary-tech-
nical expressions used in modern warfare. As it is,
however, the work is likely to meet with an extensive
sale, for the use of these expressions is not confined
to the period of actual war, but is continued dur-
ing peace by the historian, to the comprehension
of whose descriptions of bygone conflicts in modern-
times a knowledge of the terms in question is essen-
tial. To this knowledge the numerous engravings
in the work before us are likely to contribute in an
eminent degree. They are well executed,- and leave
a clear impression as to what this or that expres-
sion really means.. The work is dedicated, by par-
mission, to Lord Panmure.

The Companion Library. Henry Lea.
Under this appellation the public are being pre-
sented with a series of tales, &c., original and
select, in separate volumes, at the exceedingly low.
cost of 21. each. The series opeus with " Ivan; ,
or, the Immured," a Russian tale of some interest,
by Thomas Gaspey, E.,q. The unfortunate hero is
no other than the infant CzAr of that name, who,.
after a few months nominal reign, was imprisoned
in a fortress, and, after many years' incarceration,
put to death by the Empress Catherine.

_ .
Dictionary of Familiar Saying's- 'aikl Phrases.
Edinburgh : Sutherland and Knox.
A useful little work for those. who wish
come acquainted with the recognised tupatkino,..ami,'
real or .supposed origin of most.of thesayinors and
phrases current among us. Illustrative_aikeZdates :
accompany the explanations.

A BURMESE ROBINSON CRUSOE.

A Burman, says a letter from Rangoen, of •the 20th
of June, arrived here a few days ago, having been-picked
up by a Chinese junk at sea, in a small boat by himself,
about ninety mile? east of Tavoy. The man's history of
himself is a strange one.
He was one of six men who proceeded about seven
months ago, in a boat from Tavoy, to one of Preparis
island?, named Bundur. Their object was to obtain a
c trip of c)cna nuts. It is an understood and an an.
knowledged rule among the Burmese tribes that inhabit
the westtrn coasts oZ Tenasserim, that the first party
arriving at any of these islands has the sole right aed
title to the cocoa nuts of the'season.
A day or two after the Tavoy men had reached the
island of Bundur, a party of the Mouhnein men arrived
at the same place for the same 6Ljtel, and were of
course somewhat annoyed to find the Tavoy men had
arrived before them. They asked to be allowed to go
halves in the nuts, but the Tavoy men insisted on their
right to the whole, and told the Moulmein men they
might get the cocoa-nuts from the neighboaring island of -
We. The Moulmein mon went an returned the same day,
laying there were no nuts worth having, and said they
woul I remain on the island cf Bauder and would take
what were left by the Tavoy men. This was accordingly
seta: d between them. It seems that nuts could only be
obtained in fine weather, or from souse reason or another
they did not try to get any when it rained, but fished for
sea-Jugs instead, a fish highly prized by the Chinese,
and Etching a good price where there are Chinamen.
One rainy day, as the Tavoy men were fishing, three -
being on the sea-shore and throesin the water, of whom
the narrator was one, being fired at, swam out to sea,
Two of these, after swimming some hours, sunk,- and the
third and only survivor, being a very good swimmer,
floated on his back, and, while doing so, states that he
went to sleep, and awuke in the middle. of the night,
finding that the tide was drifting him into the island
again. He regained the shore before it was light,'
and finding that, as he stumbled along the shore, a
hollow trunk of a tree standing upright with
a hole at the top, he got into it, and that tree
actually was his place of concealment for six months.
He could see through a chink' in it when the Moul.
mein men went abroad, and managed to get cocoa.
nuts whoa lie knew they were not about. The kernel
was his food, and the water or milk his drink. At
last he found his enemies had gone, and venturing
abroad and going round the island he perceived teat
they bad taken both boats with them. Ile declares
that one night he dreamt that in a certain part of the
island there was lying a small boat, and on proceed.
hag to the spot next morning ho found it.
This seems like romance, but the man gave his eyi.
deuce in a calm and clear manner to the magistrate
here, Dr. Martin, and had told the same story to the
captain of the Chinese junk as soon as he came to
himself after being taken on board, for he was at first
too agitated to say anything. To continue the strange
narrative, our Robinson Crusoe remembered that ono
of his comrades had broken the blade of his knife in
opening a cocoanut, and had thrown it down in a per.
ticular spot. He found the knife on the ground among
the grass, and, though the blade w.is broken, managed
to cut a rudder and a mast. These he attached to the
little boat, and taking a supply of cocoa-nuts with hint,
started for Tavoy, being guided by the sun by day
and the stars by night. He was proceeding on his
course when he was picked up by the junk.
The truth of the man's story was partly confirmed hi
court, for one of the native officials connected therewith
told the magistrate that his wife, who had lately re.
turned from Moulmein, had mentioned to him that the
wife of the person whom our .Robinson Cresoe had
named as the head of the Moulmein crew, had lately
come out in very costly garments, and that her (laugh.
tars also were very richly dressed, and that it was gene.
rally known that the man had made lately a very sno.
cessful expedition to one of the Preparis Islands, and had
brought back a rich load of cocoa nuts.
Robinson Crusoe has been sent to Moulmein to iden-
tify the murderers, whom he knows by name as well as
by their appearance. Conceive their horror and amaze.
ment, when they are confronted with the man they must
have long ago considered drowned and devoured by
sharks.

Time will show whether the man's story turns ont
,rue. His narrative was clearly and dispassionately

given

NEW CEIANCERY STAMPS.— On Monday next new
Chancery adhesive starop3 will be issued from 6d. toil.
Fees are net taken in the offices.

THE SUSPiC;;;MTIIRDER AT HAMPTON COURT.....
EXHUMATION OF THE BODY.—Yesterday, in accordance
with previous arrangement, Mr. Brent, the deputy core.
ner, attended, in company with Mr. Heskett, an anato.
mical dissector, from London, at the Hampton church.
yard, to witness the exhumation of the remains of Lewis
Solomons (who, as: already stated, is suspected to have
been murdered), i
onu order that they might undergo more
minute examinat. Dr. Garrett, who had made the
previous post mortem examination, was in attendance.
The examination was principally intended to find out, if
possible, whether deceased died from the effects of sever
ral stabs, as considered by Dr. Garrett, or whether the
wound in his side was inflicted by a gun or pistol shot.
The body having been carefully reopened, Mr. llesktitt
dteirrnecar organs,
dhiattention to the more seriously injured in.
the heart and lungs, and after a carefnt
examination several large swan shot were discovered in
the left lung. The stomach of the deceased, with its
contents, together with other portions of the body which
might have become impregnated with poison having
been secured for subsequent analysis, if necessary, and
sealed up in a suitable jar, the body was once more con.
signed to the grave. The police have been unable to
discover anything of the large sum seen in the possession
of the deceased man the day he was missed for the first
time. It is supposed that the stomach of the deceased
and its contents will be analysed to discover, if possible,
whether be was drugged or not,

7
Kars and our Captivity in Riissia. BY Wend
Atwell Lake, C.B. Richard Bentley.
The fall of Kars has excited too much interest
throughout the length and breadth of the country
not to render the most ample particulars of the
defence and of the captivity of the gallant de-
fenders of that stronghold acceptable to the reading
public. Notwithstanding, therefore, the work by
t)
Dr. Sand with,' the present volume makes its ap-
pearance with a fair prospect of welcome. That
prospect a perusal is admirably calculated to con-
vert into certainty, revealing, as the volume does,
so much of the characters as well as of the heroics
performances of General Williams and his devoted
band of English subordinates. Tire contents of the
work consist principally of letters from Captain
Thompson, General Williams, and Colonel Lake,
the narrative portion (introductory and concluding)
foraiing but a small part of them. The reader
being briefly possessed of the outlines of the story,
has next the opportunity of becoming acquainted
with the details, and of gathering from the corre-
spondence of the above individuals the circum-
stances under which what seemed incumbent ou
them to attempt was set about, and what it was
their fate to contend against. Disorganised troops,
rascally paellas, neglect at Constantinople,
treachery, famine, and disease, all these the reader
is aware are to be found in the category. ,The
letters of Captain Thompson tend greatly to en-
hance our regret at his premature decease. A fine
gallant genial spirit pervades them all. The
letters of Gen. Williams are not less illustrative of
the man, and so far as Colonel Lake is concerned,
the readers of his work will see no reason to regret
the acquaintance. Ho is especially anxious to
impress on their minds the bravery of the Turkish
troops, and the kindness and hospitality of his
Russian captors. This leads unto one ground of
complaint against him, as also against his com-
panions in trial and captivity. It is greatly to be
desired that they had been equally anxious to do
justice to the brave Hungarian Generals Guyon
and Ktnety, by whose zeal and ability the prepa-
rations for the siege-weregceatly-prOi2oted. This
is a blot, if the only one, in the deeply-.interesting
work before us, to which we feel bound to draw
attention. We are afraid some subtle influence
has been brought to bear to prevent that recogni-
tion of these gallant soldiers' claims, which the
innate generosity of the " heroes of Kars'' must
have prompted them to render.