The Sun.
London, England, 1859-08-18 00:00:00

LITERATURE.

Female Influence.

By
_Lady Charlotte Mari

Pep-ys. 2 vols. Hurst and Blackett.

This is a very agreeable novel ; it possesses many
sources of amusement and edification, and, although
it is not of a first-rate order of merit, it certainly
can lay claim to attention on the score of exhibit-
ing skill in detail of events and shrewdness in de-
scription of character. The real heroine, Oriole, has
not at all an estimable nature ; she is singularly
brilliant, distinguished alike by her personal
charms and her mental attributes, but she is
vain and selfish, and she ended by forming no last-
ing friendship. Some of the other ladies who ap-
pear on the scene are very gracefully described to
us. Gertrude and Adela are the best. The latter
is a charming sketch of a disinterested disposition.
She is very gifted, but far from making a-parade
of her talents like her friend Oriole Montaigne,
she kept in the shade, and it was to the surprise of
many of her most intimate friends when she was
acknowledged as the successful candidate for a prize
poem. There is something refreshing in the por-
traitures of such as Adela—they impart a grace to
the pages of fiction, and adorn the record of domes-
tic scenes and the sketches of social life with a
more enduring lustre than is reflected by the mere-
tricious splendour of a style like Miss Mon-
taigne's. There are many persons introduced
into this work, and this, among other peculiarities,
goes far to prove that it is a first attempt on the
part of the authoress. If such is the case there is
ample evidence of merit in many passages of these
volumes to argue better things for the future, when
experience will have toned down some of the ex-
aggerations that appear in the style, and have con-
centrated in a greater degree the plan of the story,
which in this instance is somewhat disjointed. The
links in the chain are dropped for too long a period
when sketching the progress of events in the
family of the Tract's. Hertford is a very good
representation. It is very well described how at
first he was greatly struck with Oriole, with her
rare beauty, and her great talents, but as time and
opportunity developed her character more fully, he
was disenchanted, and gradually recognised the
less shining but far superior qualities of Adela.
Mrs. Tracy is a gentle and gracious being. She
does not appear very prominently on the scene
after the first part of the story ; but her resignation
in her long and painful illness, and her faith in her
last hours, are touchingly and yet forcibly dwelt
upon. Gertrude, her cousin, is a pleasing young
girl. She is very enthusiastic and inexperienced
when we first meet with her, but she improves
during her wanderings, and is far more sensible
when we take leave of her.. "Female Influence"
contains some lively sketches of society ; and alto-
gether may be considered as a fiction of an average
standard.

The Cruise of the Pearl ; with an Account of the
Operations of the Naval Brigade in India. By
the Rev. E. A. Williams, R.N. Bentley.
• This is a pleasantly-written volume, which gives
some account of the exploits of those whose ser-
vices well deserve commemoration. A book on the
achievements of the Naval Brigade in India is a
fitting accompaniment to the many volumes which
have been published recounting the adventures of
the rival service ; and since we believe this is the
first work that has done so, it possesses some de-
gree of novelty, even though the subject has been
worn by the pens of many writers. The Pearl, to
which the reverend author was attached as chap-
lain, is a screw steamship, which it was intended
should join the fleet assembling for the third expe-
dition to the Baltic. The Russian war being how-
ever concluded unexpectedly, the Pearl was ordered
to sail for the South American and Pacific station.
She accordingly proceeded across the Atlantic, and
after about six weeks' voyage anchored in the
splendid harbour of Rio de Janeiro. This harbour
is supposed to have no rival except that of Sydney.
After passing some time in South America, the
Pearl started across the Pacific for China, pausing
at the Sandwich Islands on her way. In June,
1857, she arrived at Hong Kong, having been one
of the ships selected to take part in the Chinese
war. She was not, however, destined to dis-
tinguish herself in that locality, for she was only a
month in China, and during that time her men
were only once in action against the enemy, when
they were sent on a boat expedition to destroy
some Chinese pirates. The intelligence of the out-
break in India induced Lord Eigin to despatch the
troops which were intended for the Chinese expe-
dition to the scene of danger, and H.M.S. Shannon
and Pearl immediately sailed for Calcutta, Lord
Elgin being on board the Shannon. The exploits
of the gallant officers and crew of that vessel under
her heroic commander, the late lamented Captain
William Peel, are familiar to all. It remained for
Mr. Williams to give some account of the labours
and achievements of the less celebrated Pearl.
Their scene of action was laid in the Upper Pro-
vinces of India; and the author observes in his
preface—" It is not that more credit can be claimed
for this small force than for any other equal num-
ber of Britons under similar circumstances; but it
is considerations arising from the difficulties that
were overcome, the isolated position that was occu-
pied, totally unsupported by Europeans, for many
months; the holding of an advanced post exposed
to constant attacks, and removed from the rest of
the army so far that its services and dangers have
been little known, that afford an additional excuse
for describing the part taken by the Royal Navy,
and which may fill up a hitherto vacant niche in
Indian history." He gives a fair and succinct ac-
count of the operations of the Naval Brigade, who
were especially fortunate in the success of their
manoeuvres. The men displayed the greatest
readiness and agility in adapting themselves to
their new position, for which Mr. Williams thinks
them deserving of much credit—
" The men of the naval brigade were always on excellent
terms with their companions in arms—they seldom were
long in camp with any corps without leaving them as
friends. Sometimes when a swell trooper commenced pok-
ingi fun at Jack, he was always ready with his answer,
giving as good a piece of humour as he recei'ed. Occa-
sionally a little badinage was interchanged about Jack's
costume or seat on horseback, which may not have been
quite military, not being bestocked to the throat, or
so
trimly buttomed up to the chin. They were told they might
chaff, when they could fire a broadside, or furl a
sail in a
gale of wind, as well as Jack handled
difficult
matter nns an
tod gal-
loped his horses on shore.' It is no
a
Briton inspired by bravery and ready to mount a horse
and join in a charge on the enemy's ranks ; but it is not
every day that men are m
required,
cana manage gf
furl
ral shipher in
sails a
tornado, can rig orunrig
storm, and weather the most boisterous tempest ; and
fahuearcl ifwrh eqouTeid
ina
stepping off the plank to terra firma, can harness their
horses and mount them; can lay down the boarding-pike
and take up the rifle ; can make a gun-carriage, a limber
and harness, and then come off victorious in upwards of
twenty engagements."
Mr. Williams describes an interview with Jung
Bahadoor, the Nepaulese chief, who was arrayed
in a costume of Fare white, with a magnificent
tiara. His descriptions of Madeira, Rio Janeiro,
Honolulu, &c., give a variety to the work which is
not possessed by many of its class. The following
amusing anecdote relates to one of the superstitions
of the Sandwich Islands, where the natives believe
they possess the power of praying each other to
death ; and very often the fear of th..-ir enemy
doing so produces the dreaded effect :
"They do not believe themselves endowed with the
power of praying a white man to death. They have had
a practical example of their impotency in this matter. It
was once tried on John Young, who had been a boatswain
in the American' ship Eleanor. He was detained on the
island in consequence of the taboo having been laid on the
canoes, which were not allowed to leave the shore. The
ship put to sea without him, and on finding himself a resi-
dent on the island, he married a native lady of a noble
family, and was himself created a chief. Having had a
quarrel with one of the natives, he resolved to pray him to
death. So he built a hut on the top of a hill, and periodi-
cally went up to his lofty retreat to pray John Young to
death. His friends told him that his end would soon come,
for his enemy was praying him to death. The brawny tar
had been travelling too long over the world, and had
weathered too many storms, to be alarmed by such a tale •
so he collected several of his friends and sallied up the hill.
They soon built a hut alongside that of the man who was
praying for his death, and both he and his friends united
in ono voice a counter. supplication, which so terrified the
unfortunate native that ho went home discomfited. He
felt that it was all over with him, and that he had been
outprayed; becoming melancholy, he subsequently died.
After this failure the natives became thorougly convinced
that it was quite impossible to pray a white man to death."
All who are interested in the achievements of
our brave sailors will find pleasure in perusing these
records of their prowess under most disadvantageous
circumstances.

MELANCHOLY OCCURRENCE. A very melan-
choly case of choking took place at Nairn, on Thursday
night last, Mr. David Reid, contractor there, had a daugh-
ter married on that night, and the company had just left,
when, some beef being served, he commenced to cut and
eat it, and, before any one observed, he had fallen down
dead. Tho usual rostorativei were applied without avail.
On a post mortem examination being made, a piece of beef
was found in his throat, which there is no, doubt was the
cause of death.—Scotsman.
A SWINDLING SCHEME IN NEW YORK.—A
swindling scheme has been discovered in New York, but
not until a numerous band of the family of the " gull" had
been handsomely bled. It was based on a pretended loan of
14,000,000 florins for the Grand Duchy of Baden, connected
with a lottery, which was to have its drawing, August 31.
The swindlers, who called themselves Constantine, Fal-
ner, and Co., professed to be the agents for L. 0. Roth-
childs and Co., of Frankfort-on-the-Maine, which name
was enough like that of Roth(s)childs to give it a metallic
twang, not to speak of the address. The swindle went on
successfully fur some time, and was only blown up by the
magnitude of the operations to which it gave rise—the num-
ber of letters the false firm received attracting attention at
the post-office. Most of these letters Caine from the south
and the west, quarters of the union that appear to have far
more than their proper share of the gullible element of our
population. The lottery will never be drawn, and the tickets
will answer to file with Mississippi bonds and other curious
documents of the same character,