The Sun.
London, England, 1866-11-06 00:00:00

THE MAGAZINES.

COLBURN'S UNITED SERVICE.—The contents of
this number may be called outlandish, for they
range over Europe and stretch to the further limits
" of Ormus and of Ind," not stopping even at Ben-
gal, but touching on and into the very heart of
Burmah, with China to boot, and a glance at
Japan, on its telegraphic route to Australia and New
Zealand ! This is all very well as far it goes, and our
" Communications with the East Indies" forms the subject
of an interesting article, founded chiefly on the Report of
Mr. Crawford's Parliamentary Committee of last session—
the best practical work of an impracticable House of Com-
mons. No doubt the establishment of better and more
direct communication with India, by telegraph, will become
an absolute necessity when the steamers now building for
taking our troops from England to Alexandria, and thence
across the Isthmus from Suez to Bombay, commence run-
ning. The saving of fatigue to our soldiers, of a dreary
voyage round the cape of hurricanes and forlorn hope, re-
ducing the time from about four months to less than one,
with the freshness of provisions and cheering variety of
scene, will be immense. It will be almost changing a
penal voyage into one of pleasure and geographical know-
ledge. It will have a political as well as a beneficial effect,
for the tawny sons of Egypt will see with their own eyes
the warriors of the North, with—
" Pride in their port, defiance in their eye,
They see the lords of human kind pass by."
Nor in these days of political economy, when so much is
talked about saving in theory and spending in practice,
will the new route be less valuable to the health and com-
fort of our soldiers, while it will be cheaper to those who
have to pay the expenses—no small recommendatien to
John Bull whether he pays in Europe or in India. Besides
the advantage of shortening the passage to the outgoing
soldier, it will prove a tenfold benefit to the hapless invalid
returning from his long sojourn in the regions of the sun,
with shattered frame and weary heart, to end his days in
the land of his youthful hope and welcoming friends.
Wherever his services have been required and cheerfully
given, still the love of "home, sweet home " is so strongly
implanted in the breast of every true Briton that he is al-
ways on the lookout for the return to England. As the
poet has well said—

" Let the eagle change his plume,
The leave its hue, the flower its bloom,
But ties around his heart are spun
That cannot, will not, be undone."

The names of these steamers, five in number, are appro-
priate. Two from England to Alexandria—the Crocodile
and the Seraphis, and three from Suez to Bombay—the
Jumna, Euphrates, and Malabar—all splendid ships of over
4,000 tons ; each capable of conveying a whole regiment,
1,000 strong, with wives, children, baggage, and military
stores. The like has never been seen for accommodation,
speed, and comfort. It will be bringing India almost to
the Horse Guards, and much good may be the conse-
quence, we trust, and so does every unlucky soldier pant-
ing for his long-looked for promotion. "From England
to Tonghoo, Burmah," is concluded, and a very interesting
account it is. The country is admirably described, with
the quaint manners of the people —the most unpleasant
feature being the long continuance of rain, lasting five
months, and almost flooding the country. We make a
great fuss about cur system of education, but the Burmese
children, boys especially, are all taught to read, write, and
even to cypher by the priests, and all for nothing. What
will Mi. Bright say to this ? It even tops his "incom-
parable" Americans, though their good girls teach the
people, as they ought to do in Lancashire, and no doubt
would, but for their "spinning jennbs." The Burmese
have some singular customs—one is in burning their
priests, by way of a religious bit of fun. In Burmeh there
is a handsome tree called the traveller's tree, which pro-
duces water where the leaf is broken off, and there is also
a water vine, a creeper which grows on the mountain side,
and when dissovered supplies a large quantity of water to
the parched and weary wayfarer. These aro two
of the wonderful provisions of nature, for which
the Burmese gives thanks to the great Spirit that
rules over and fills everything. The Burmese is a happy,
good-humoured fellow on the whole, with little thought
for the morrow. His condition is much improved since
the English took him under their protection. The ex-
ports of Burmah are teak and rice. "Abyssinia and the
British Captives" is another paper of surpassing interest,
and a country which we suspect neither Johnson nor
Rasselas knew much about in their days of erratic travel.
The information given here is from the report of Mr. Con-
sul Plowden to the Earl of Clarendon some ten years age,
but the character of King or Emperor Theodore is singu-
larly graphic, and we must say far more favourable than
we could have ever hoped to find it. He seems to be a re-
markable chief altogether; he is not only a self-made so-
vereign, but a self-taught man—one who enforces obedience
by practical example ; in short, a reformer that would suit
Mr. Bright to a T, for he likes to have everything his own
way, and finds fault with everything he don't like ! We
hope he will yet relieve the captives. There are many
other articles which we have not room to specify ; but we
must not omit Massiiao d'Azeglio's estimate of Garibaldi—
" a heart of gold with the head of a buffalo,"—reminding
one of Bernadotte's description of the great Napoleon, an
iron hand with a velvet glove.
_

THE ST. JAMES'S MAGAZINE.—The story of " A
Life's Mystery" is continued and occupies a promi-
nent position in this number. In its peculiarities
and its extravagances it exceeds the former instal-
ment, and the heroine proves herself to be a most
singular young woman who has become involved
in some questionable proceedings. The other tale, " Out
of Charity," is apparently approaching a conclusion, and
the unlucky Eva seems at last on the right track to dis-
cover her unknown parents. " The Lusiad" of Camoens
forms the subject of an interesting paper. The tragic
vicissitudes in the life of Portugal's greatest poet are
familiar to most students of literary history. He died in
a Lisbon hospital after having been frequently in want of
bread ; his only means of support during his previous ill-
ness having been that a faithful Indian servant went out
begging at night to pe,ocure money to keep his master.
I saw him die," said a monk, " in an hospital in Lisbon
without having a shroud to cover his remains, after having
sailed 5,500 leagues, and borne arms victoriously in India."
So much for the honour which a prophet receives in
his own country ! " Across Ross-shire" is continued
pleasantly enough, with sundry quotations from
legend, romance, or poem. "The organization of the Mili-
tary in Prussia" is the title of an article which will just
now be read with interest. The writer attributes the suc-
cesses of Prussian arms less to any particular superiority
of the weapons than to the perfection of her military orga-
nization. " Guilty or Not Guilty ?" cites a curious page
from the history of the French Revolution, and the verdict
of impartial readers is likely to be the latter. The Lakes
of Killarney are described at some length, and a brief paper
chronicles the melancholy fate of Alexander Somerville,
once well-known in connection with the League and now
lying ill and helpless in a Canadian hospital.
THE SIXPENNY MAGAZINE.—" How I Rose in
the World " is the title of the first story in this part,
though we are glad to find the element of fiction
less prominent than usual. A paper on " Country
Commissions and Country Cousins" very amusingly
describes the inroad on the usual routine of peaceful
citizen life by energetic, excitable country cousins, who are
bent on seeing all that can be seen, and doing all
that can be done, during their stay in London.
Divided in their minds between the pleasurable excitement
of shopping and sight-seeing, and the fear of thieves and
fire, which they consider inseparable from great cities,
after having turned the whole house upside down, and
rushed about from morning till night., they retire to their
sylvan shades, exhausted and worn out, firmly convinced
that London is a bedlam on a large scale. "Stonehenge
and Old Sarum," "A Literary Camp Follower," and "An
Excursus fur Practical People," are among the remaining
papers.

lIIE MONTH.--The Month contains in this num-
ber several very interesting articles. One of its
principal attractions is Lady Georgiana Fullerton's
historical romance, " A Stormy Life ; or, Queen
Margaret's Journal." The life chronicled is a stormy
one indeed, for it is that of Margaret of Anjou, wife
of our hapless Henry The Sixth. It is written with all
Lady Fullerton's power and pathos, and the clouds are
gathering thickly round the fair young head of the brilliant
and wilful Queen. A sketch of Messina and Catalina,
from the pen of Lady Herbert of Lea, will be read with
interest. "The Story of Alexandrine" is not, as its name
might seem to imply, a romance, but a reality —the life of
Madame de Ferrouays, which is to be continued in the
next part. The series of "English Premiers" has come
down to Lord North; and, not inappropriately, next to it
in the table of contents comes an essay on French Criticism
on America. Altogether the number is more than usually
attractive.

HER MAJESTY, &c•

WINDSOR CASTLE, Monday.
The Queen with Princess Christian drove in the
grounds this morning. ,
Princess Beatrice rode in the Home-Park.

His Royal Highness the Duke of Edinburgh, at-
tended by Lieutenant llaig, went to London this
morning.

Prince Christian went out shooting, attended by
the Gentlemen in Waiting.
Countess Blucher, Lady Charles Fitzroy, and Sir
James Clark have arrived at the Castle. Mr. Helps
left to-day for London.

The Princess of Wales.
SANDRINGHAM, Monday.

Her Royal Highness the Princess of Wales,
attended by the Hon. Mrs. F. Stonor, General
Knollys and the Hon. Mr. Stonor, arrived here this
afternoon. Her royal highness left Marlborough
House about one o'clock, and was received at the
Bishopsgate station of the Great Eastern Railway
by Colonel Palmer, and was at once conducted to
the saloon carriage, the special train leaving at
1.58 under the care of Mr. Scott and Mr. G. Attock,
Colonel Palmer also accompanying the royal train
to Wolferton, where it arrived at 4.40, stopping only
at Cambridge and King's Lynn. Her royal high-
ness and suite performed the remainder of the jour-
ney iu private carriages. Her Royal Highness the
Princess of Wales will continue at Sandringham for
a few days, the Duchess of Cambridge remaining
her royal highness's guest, and next week the Prin-
cess of Wales is expected to visit the Queen at
Windsor Castle.