The Sun.
London, England, 1835-04-16 00:00:00

ry.

LITERATURE.

...........fi............
'NARRATIVE OF A VOYAGE OF DISCOVERY
TO AFRICA AND ARABIA. 2 Vols.

R. Bentley. London, 1833.
The author of this work is Captain T. Boteler, who
,w,ls aPpointed to the situation of First Lieutenant of
14 Majesty's ship Barracouta, when that vessel, to-
gether with the Leven, under the command of Captain
Thomas Owen, sailed for Africa, in the year 1821,
for the
purpose of exploring the whole of the eastern
coast, with Madagascar, and the other adjacent islands.
The book would have been published long since, had
11°t its progress been interrupted by a series of more than
°rdinarily oppressive calamities, that befel the family
°I.. the author. In the first place, he himself fell a
victim to the pestilential miasma of an African cli-
mate, before he could put the last finish to his
Journal ; secondly, his brother, to whose care it
W as consigned, died while engaged in the duty of
fitting it for publication ; and lastly—as if the
Cup of anguish were not yet full—his third brother,
1 whom the task would then have devolved,
was drowned on his way home from Halifax.
rune brother yet remained, and to his superintending
careta we are indebted for a work, published under more
selancholy circumstances than any with which we are
!equainted. Viewed in a scientific light, we cannot say
that
it possesses any very superior recommendations
ut it is anecdotal, agreeably written, and occasionally
gives Picturesque descriptions of the scenery of the
eastern coast of Africa, and racy, and even humorous
oilsaleta of the manners of the Aborigines. There are
smany curious particulars respecting that strange
tonnal the hippopotamus, which we believe is peculiar
the African rivers. The crew of the Barracouta's
avant boat fell in with one whose huge red mouth,';
Y, 8. Captain Boteler, " was about three feet and a
ha
sit in extension, and exhibited a more formidable and
age appearance than I have ever witnessed in the
to teest of the brute creation." Poor Lander, if we
ornernber rightly, was impressed with an equal sense
ho the Physical power of this river-horse. Fortunately,
tfw,ever, his activity is by no means commensurateA
t' his strength, or he would be as great a scourge to
tine lea as even her climate. We have little space or
„4 to go into the details of this " Voyage of Dis-
'7ery
y; suffice, it tneretore, to state, that it terminated
1)078 most African voyages and travels do—in disap-
?tinent ; for the majority of the persons embarked
bri It died of fevers and malarias, before they could
taihng their discoveries to any successful issue. Cap-
pilb4l.°wen's narrative of the voyage has already been
pie,l3lled---so this may be considered as a sort of sup-
."ent to it.

UNITED SERVICE JOURNAL.
Colburn, London, 1835.
ns,th •
solne mistake, which is of rare occurrence with
tine 18 Periodical was overlooked in our last Maga-
eler We regret this the more, because it is a
or.di4er number, and evidently got up with more than
414141'Y Care. We must make amends for our re-
ness the first fitting opportunity.

tfiredllES'S PRINCIPLES OF DISSENT.
`6.BI?NTERS' JUVENILE MAGA,ZINE.
W Simpkin and Marshall, London, 1835.
kre eleiss these two works together, because they
ttfe,"°tll published by the same bookseller, and have
ter epee to the same objects—the instruction and en-
,f;4l:llnlent of those who dissent from the principles
to ;" tstablished Church. These objects they fulfil
the
tette r, and therefore deserve encouragement.
Ot
7,-;•IIIAJDS—THEIR VARIETIES—CHARA C-
-4411S and CONDITIONS.—One Vol. Post Bvo.
Smith, Elder, and Co., London.
One
tile of those books *which occupy a place in the
444 °FY amangst the most agreeable reminiscences. The
ttilb,
st
of the author is to snatch from obloquy—equally
Litii„ and cruel—a large class of women who have
thia;_rtP been sneered at as Old Maids ; and in doing
leddeveiopes a fund of sound moral feeling, a know-
Ve of the female heart, and some pleasing humour.
tio,e,autbor truly remarks in the preface that writers of
ke.lB, and manufacturers of tales, in sketching Old
tet4ids' have studied effect rather than truth—some
foh.atkable oddity has been selected and brought
by 'ward
as 'a specimen of the entire class—or some
tarioti-te ahAl fanciful portrait drawn by the hand of a
134i4t-e"duriB%4 held up as a model. He, however, has
are Wt an eye to truth, and we think Old Maids
'gender 'et 'Jeep obligations to him. What can be more
TeahblY vv4orked out than the following ?
ttltsltit-sel,re Pie amongst literary ladies many whom intellectual
1:114 -seuoa're so far purified from the. calls of passion, that they
arty of 1:1! the intrusion of Cupid, and spoil for ever the
toy
ealm„, 4 roped wings with speckled plumes all dight," '
lte:lll.44lllZatheir. ink-stand upon him, did he so much as dare
%Ai
them,
lienithenir
dearor draw his ebon bow within arm's
others so fearful of their sex's weakness
v:ith te)P vould, hadn they a chance, transfix his little majesty
rkot steel-pen and try whether his immortality was
(t (felt ist cold iro'n
hltiertillikir;letieeshtlow withherea a
are who have levelled the tiny God' by a
ponderous folio, and others who keep
by a continued discharge of chubby duodecimos.
4ridiag.here
"'" guard their chastity by a shield of old calf. skin
11,5k1;!'aor',44E! others who trust their virgin honour to gilding
hitt; akrcso leather. Others who constantly flatter the rosy
othlvith
__D,revent him stringing. his good bow, or who blind
hikelsrse wh'LooqrV
their hearts
and thus escape his darts.
and freeze their blood by cold
Otherseet evivrho coagulate life's genial current by
14.71eP„'; g dos i.s of political economy—so that should love's
to"o.ll—Cri be. infused, it_ would produce no effect on their
eEiof Itirculiition. Others who wrap themselves in the
theltNee etar,hysics, and in this horny covering doze away
tqle4 eLeslul others who suffero theirster souls to wander amongst
of `ti.(!f or bury them shells, or in the hollow
Pe, gek "4( .atherium. Others who lavish the whole sum
119; 'affections upon a butterfly's wing, or the colour of a
14 a and others whose love must be sought
14t.sco, Ten fathoms deep,'
tthmed `i,s-Pg. or lead-mine.
Others whose soul's treasure is
of '1'1„ a .block of granite, iron-stone, or grey
- wacke_,- and
se' passions and desires are fixed upon the Loves
11)4N s!' the sons of Anak, or the gigantic Cyclops.
.to f' hink only of the loves ofthefairy elves, the sing-
' tn.P.?adours, or the clashing.. of spears in some gallant
14101.4 Others whose brains are turned with the fervid de-
a 1111 .'of Sappho, Anacreon, Bion, Mosc.hus, and Tibullus,
011C154, 'nd the approach of a mere man without.' the adjuncts
to 4, 'eel declamation, so different from the picture sketched
k:tlat,r their heated imagination, that he is repulsed
.as
.a
ryi4tit ' Thus are Literary 'Maidens ' armed cap a pte.
Nt4t the assaults of love, and the shafts of the boy god
them as little cared for as the idle wind."
'l4 I summing up of the labours of involuntary Old
1,4!` A is, perhaps, equally graphic.
1rtt.451l for them—charms and divinations, poetry . andh
nausic and melancholy, grace and gaiety, the wt!och:
t 4tvilo„:lt dwells in woman's tear; the magic of her. sibin
11,131, geology, and necromancy have been alike vain—va ,
ye
been all their little feminine allurements—

Nunc et latentis proditor intinio,
Gratus puellce ricus ab angulo,
Piquasve deceptum lacertis,
411 d'l' Aut digito male periinaci.
aPPointrnent and the sickness of hope delayed, have
!` port' crept over the hearts of the involuntary maidens.
;?tics og twentY summers they have toiled in vain. The la-
typh the Danaiides were not more fruitless—the stone of
th„4s not more perverse. They have striven vigorously,
uave served to illustrate the Norman adage, Ocni
„ .rn torquere.'
it air
alvs. creature, mourn not, let no discontent cloud your

Cease to lament for what ye cannot help,
And p for that ye now lament ;
" y Time isthe nurse and breeder of all good.
kit oa .
' 1411 a\ 0 done your best, and no mortal can do more.
1p Maur, therefore, for if you have not earned the crown
.0 Trljnlial, you have eared the crown of Old Maidism;
N144%,:.a- "onour you, although your titular dignity is in-
!, 1).1 rY."
'4l/ classification of the " order" might, perhaps,
1111 t been made more minute, with advantage to the sex;
we
doubt that all spinsters will readily find their ap-
ip orate Status in it. There is a mine of quiet wit
t)1 ,Be relation of one of those unaccountable break off
t
Ibv,t 'F's Which often times occur, and which puzzle
4, or tne., without any body being able to tell the
wherefore. It will be found in the chapter

on " Inexplicable Old Maids." The following note
was received by a young lady from her lover, when they
were on the point of being married. It is a curiosity in
its way, and embodies feelings many men undergo on
such occasions, but which few have courage to confess.
" Captain Sandeland begs his warmest respects to Miss
P., and though ashamed and angry with himself, he is to-
tally unable to account for his unwonted and extraordinary
absence from her side, dear as she has been to him. He left
her the night before last, if possible loving her better than
ever; yet he had the mortification to find in the morning
that this feeling had most mysteriously evaporated ; and though
quite conscious of the impropriety of his behaviour, he must cor-
dially acknowledge that his repugnance to renew his vows
is just now so powerful, that he cannot prevail upon himself
to visit her. He ventures to express a hope, that the mys-
tery will speedily disappear, and in the meantime would
pray that he may not suffer in her estimation."

" Old Maids" must become a favourite, if pure mo-
rality and good humour can please the reader.

FINE ARTS.

CHRIST WALKING ON THE SEA-DEDI-
CATION OF THE TEMPLE.

Two impressive scriptural subjects treated by Mr.
Martin in his usual striking, but somewhat monotonous
manner. This artist's skies always lighten ; and his
clouds are invariably charged with thunder. We wish
he would allow his heavens to brighten up a little, and
give us a" glimpse of sunshine, if only by way of no-
velty. These constant November atmospheres are
beginning to be insupportable. It is provocative of
suicide, even to look at them. We say nothing
against his architectural displays, though even here
we think he might vary his style to advantage. Of
all the great painters that ever existed, we know of
none who has traded so long and so profitably on one
idea, as Mr. Martin. Though he has now been be-
fore the world upwards of fifteen years, he has actually
given us but one original painting—Belshazzar's
Feast. All his subsequent ones have been, more
or less, copies of the first. The best we can say
of his " Christ walking on the S2a," is that, in its
depth of shade, it reminds us, not unworthily, of Rem-
brandt. But the figure of our Saviour—which should
be the chief object in the painting—is a sad failure,
being deficient in height, grace, and dignity. The
" Dedication of the Temple" is much better, chiefly
because it is made up of magnificent architecture, and
vast masses of human beings, in the dexterous dispo-
sition of which Mr. Martin has long been unrivalled.

SWITZELAND. PARTS IX. and X. G. Virtue.
London, 1835.

This work will call up many agreeable recollections
in the minds of those who have ever journied among
the Savoy Alps, or voyaged over the Lake of Geneva ;
for the sketches arc singularly true to nature—though
many of the engravings are somewhat carelessly
executed—and the points of site selected with a quick
eye to the picturesque in effect. The " Lake of
Lausanne above Pandex " is, perhaps, the best point
from which this unequalled reach of water could have
been sketched. The eye ranges at a glance over al-
most its entire expanse, and rests on nothing but what
helps to set off the landscape. All is repose and beauty.
The unwrinkled water of the lake sleeps in the sunshine
at the foot of the vast mountains that seem to hang
over it, as if enamoured of its peaceful loveliness ; and
the vessels that here and there, gem its surface, scarcely
stir with life. The landscape is one that might set a
poet stark staring mad with extacy. " Basle on the
Rhine" is in the same quiet style of beauty, though
the engraver has given a harshness, a muddiness to
the shadows on the river, which greatly detract from
the effect of the scene. However, considering the
cheapness of the work, we have less cause to complain
of, than to be surprised at, the way in which the plates
are executed.

SHIPPING.-(THIS DAY.)
FROM LLOYD'S.

DEAL, APRIL 15.—Wind N. E.—Arrived the Emerald Isle,
Buck, from Dublin ; and Rapid, Miller, from Waterford. Ar-
rived from the River and sailed, the St. Hilda, Barnes, for
Quebec ; Monkey, Cargill, for St. Michael's ; Eliza Williams,
Baines, for Waterford ; Jane, Randall, for Limerick ; and
Thomas King, Williamson, for Demerara. Five p.m.—The
wind has suddenly shifted to N. E., and blows strong.
PORTSMOUTH.---APRIL 15.—Wind S. S. E. to N. N. E.

PLYMOUTH, APRIL 14.—Wind S.W., light breezes.
FALMOUTH, APRIL 14.—Wind variable, light breezes.
ISLE OF WIGHT, APRIL 14.—Arrived off port, the Margaret,
Russell, from Havannah.
LIVERPOOL, APRIL 14.—Arrived the Amity, Jefferson, from
Laguayra ; Rolla, Wallace, from Nassau ; and Cumberland,
Hastie, from Mobile.
CLYDE, APRIL 13.—Arrived the Funchal, Picken, and
Grace, Tenman, from Barbadoes ; and John Hayles,
from New Orleans.

CORK, APRIL 13.—Arrived the Harbinger, Champion, from
Leghorn.
BELFAST, APRIL 13.—Arrived the Hero, Taylor, from Lon-
don ; Pomona, Davis, from Palermo ; and the Alamode, Tubb,
from Messina.

LONDONDERRY, APRIL 13.—Arrived the New Harriet,
Dixon, from Riga.
SHOREHAM, APRIL 14.—The Oak, Portius, bound to the
North, is on shore on the Bar. Wind N., blowing strong.

The Ann of Newport, Gainey, was upset in the Bristol
Channel, on the 14th inst.---crew saved.

The William the Fourth, of Liverpool, apparently timber-
laden, was fallen-in with, on the 19th ult., in lat. 37 long. 39.
abandoned and full of water, by the Grace, Fenman, arrived in
the Clyde.