The Sun.
London, England, 1859-08-10 00:00:00

LITERATURE.

The Military Opinions of General Sir John Fox
Burgoyne, G. (.B. Collected and Edited by
Captain the Hon. G. Wrottesley, R.E. Bentley.
At the present period, when the national de-
fences and the general system of our military
management are attracting so much of public at-
tention, the opinions of one who is in any degree
an authority on such matters is well worthy of
notice. The publication of Sir John Burgoyne's
opinions and recommendations is especially suit-
able, since he was strongly impressed with the
deficiency of our national defences, and wrote much
and forcibly upon the subject. When Sir John
Burgoyne was appointed to the office of Inspector-
General of Fortifications in 1845 he was immcdi-
diately struck with the defective state of our mili-
tary establishments, and the want of preparation
to resist an invasion in case of a war with our
neighbours. He wrote in consequence the emphatic
and vigorous letter which will be found in the early
pages of this work, and in reply to which the
Duke of Wellington wrote his celebrated letter on
the subject. The editor observes, in his preface,
that although the circumstances are changed and
our defences are no longer in the very defective
state then alluded to, yet the general reasoning holds
good to the present time, and may tend to prevent
our defences from again falling into such a condi-
tion. Sir John Burgoyne argues forcibly against
the different objections brought against any im-
provements by many persons at that time. Some
critics having said that the military endeavoured
to raise an alarm for their peculiar advantage, he
answers them by saying, that if a builder or brick-
layer told you your house was in danger of falling
you would scarcely neglect the warning because he
was an interested person, but you would immediately
examine into the truth of the statement. Although
times and circumstances are changed since Sir J.
Burgoyne made his survey, it may not be uninte-
resting to peruse his recommendations :
_

It is miserable for a country like England to be reduced
to such a condition.

A remedy is easily to be applied, and though at a large
cost, it is not one that can be put in the slightest degree in
comparison with the importance of the object.
1. A large increase of our regular army.
2. The immediate preparation and constant maintenance
of ample military equipments of the best description.
3. The organisation of the militia during peace, in a state
for being rapidly assembled and equipped whenever neces-
sary.
4. The protection of some leading points by fortifications,
particularly on the coasts, with some such defence at every
p_lrt in proportion to its importance, from a small battery to
defend the entrance of those of minor consequence, to the
surrounding in strength of our great arsenals. It is not for
me, in this place, to enter into details ; but, subject to
higher authority, I would say, that our regular army should
never in peace consist of less than 30,000 men, cavalry and
infantry, in Great Britain, that could be collected as an
available reserve independent of what is required at different
stations, including Ireland : that is (allowing for wants in
the colonies), an absolute increase of at least that amount
to our present army.
That such force should be so formed by regiments or
battalions of a small peace strength, so as to become a ready
nucleus for doubling it quickly on the breaking out of war,
or necessity for arming ; as it ought not to be less than
60,000 at such an emergency.
This, with the militia, would make us feel secure—would
enable us to reinforce any threatened colonies, to trust our
fleets away occasionally for important objects; and would
even instil into foreign powers some little dread of what
might happen to them at their own hornets, by an offensive
movement on our part—would tend to check their pugna-
cious dispositions, and afford us a powerful support in nego-
tiation.
With regard to the expenditure, he says, very sen-
sibly, that while deprecating any unnecessary ex-
travagance, that the expenditure should be with
reference to the real wants of the service, and not
to a given sum which, right or wrong, it must be
made to fit. "It is very well to talk of abuses,
and very right to lop them off without mercy, to

reduce such an allowance or establishment, and to
correct such and such bad arrangement; but it is
most impolitic to make these amendments (which,
in the .aggregate, only amount to a few thousands
of pounds), the plea for abstracting necessary hun-
dreds of thousands from the efficient wants of the
service." With regard to an excessive economy in
this respect in time of peace, on the plea of an
accumulation of wealth being the best provision
for war, he:observes that it is as if, for a security
against fire, you laid by your money at interest, to
be expended on making engines and organising
a proper fire brigade, as soon as the conflagration
commenced. The second portion of the work re-
fers to the war in the Baltic and the Crimea. The
third, which is perhaps the most important, treats of
general military subjects, and conveys the results
of Sir John Burgoyne's valuable experience. Of
this part of the work the Editor says :—" Several
of the notes in the third part of the work were
written during the Peninsular war ; but as those
which I have selected for publication are general
in their character, they are applicable to all periods.
They consist, in fact, of principles, and not of rules,
and may therefore be considered as immutable. I
should mention, as regards these Peninsular notes,
that they were consulted by Sir John Jones and
Sir Charles Pooley before the publication of their
respective, and that this will account for any coin-
cidence in language or treatment of subjects which
may be found with those writers." Authenticated,
as they are, by the consent which General Sir
John Burgoyne has given to their publication, and
treating of subjects in which, at the present time,
even non-professional men are interested, the
opinions before us are likely to command attention,
and will secure a large circle of readers.

Six Years' Travel in Central America. By Julius
Froebel. Bentley.
The wild and unsettled regions of Central
America have recently been visited by many curious
i m
travellers, who have given
us records oWanderers from the
pressions and experiences. their
Fatherland-
and
a have
the beenauthor
of h
conspicuous
tework
.among these
adventurers, us
has added another toseitleineele haveist.Theplansanfdo
contemplated
earpro-
jects which men of
rying into effect in those regions haanvde
survey
ytchtielit
numerous expeditions to explore(,
drawbacks. In 1850, t
l
mn s
Aw was
rgpesn
oe
country, and to study ithsenpartuo
jreaetqoufaeloifincsattriuoentsinagnda
rally believed gr realisation. slasttiho
ship canal acrosst htehenNeaircaitrsa
f
appeared to promise well for the
engineers had bueen sent thither for the necessary
surveys, all things
o these circumstances, resolved
carrying out fthis grand and useful project. The
author, attracted by
tof vsiosita country which promised to be the scene
momentous an undertaking. He travelled
of
the States of Nicaragua, Upper Mosquitia.
and the shores of the Gulf of Honduras, in his first
expedition. Of San Juan del Norte, otherwise
known as Greytown, he gives a favourable account.
The population he represents as very respectable,
and far superior in character to that of its neigh-
bour, Chagres. " The most perfect order and
security prevailed at the time of my visit, though
hundreds of Californians who had come through
the interior of Nicaragua from Realejo filled the
taverns. The English protectors of the King of
Mosquito kept up excellent police here. A consi-
derable portion of the inhabitants were coloured
people from the interior, as well as from the West
Indies ; but the better class was almost entirely
composed of foreigners—Americans, English,
Frenchmen, Spaniards, Germans, and Italians ; and
such the population has remained up to the present
time, representing a type of what the population of
Central America in general will, no doubt, in due
course become." In the ' environs of Granada
the Indian element predominates. M. Froebel
asserts that it is an erroneous opinion that
this people is naturally lazy. " Whatever may be
said of the descendants of the Spainards in this, or
any other American country, and however unwill-
ing the free negro may be to work, the Central-
American Indian is naturally industrious, and is,
without any doubt, the most useful and the most
respectable component in the Central-American
population." The ethnologist will be interested by
a curious fact which the author mentions in tracing
the races which inhabit the towns of Leon and
Granada—that the old animosities of different Indian
nations are still at the root of the civil wars of Cen-
tral America. With regard to the project of thr
canal, M. Froebel does not express himself very
hopefully. He does not profess to give a decided
opinion, but fears that the insufficiency of water
would be a difficulty. A canal deep and wide
enough for all the vessels which would avail them- '
selves of the passage would, he thinks, requite
more water than the Lake of Managua could supply,
supposing that line to be chosen. In another
chapter, speaking of the Honduras Railway, he
observes that the ship canal through Nicaragua, if
it were feasible, would be a work of a higher order
than any railway through Central America, but
that we must iemain in doubt whether any of the
existing generation will live to see ocean vessels
pass through Nicragua. He takes a rapid survey
of Central-American history, and remarks on its
general position, its geographical advantages, and
its future prospects. Two years after this expedi-
tion M. Froebel was invited to accompany the
transport of a firm from Missouri to Chihuahua,
and he gladly availed himself of the opportunity to
visit those back wilds of the North American con-
tinent, which are still unsafe and inhospitable tt
the solitary traveller. In this part of the work we
are introduced to the wandering Indian tribes and
to the wild and desolate regions which they inhabit.
M. Froebel remarks, in speaking of the Red men.
" It is very erroneous to imagine that the Indians
have a natural and instinctive hatred of the
white race. A white man, otherwise qualified,
who has a taste to be naturalised among
the Indians, is always received by them with wei:
come, and may attain to high honour in the tribe.
But what the Indian hates is civilisation, as much

in his own race as among the whites. He-.makes
no distinction of race in this respect, as is evident
from the fact that there exists no less hostility be-
t ween the settled and civilised Indians of Mexico,
and the savage tribes of the wilderness, than be-
tween the latter and the civilised whites. Even the
Pietas, who dwell on the Gila, and form a valiant
vanguard of old Mexican civilisation against the
Apaches, and other plundering tribes of the north
and east, speak of the latter in the same terms as
civilised people speak of barbarians. They are
savages who do not pursue agriculture." The an-
tagonism consequently, is not one of race, but of
mode of fife. On another occasion the indefatiga-
ble M. Freebel accompanied another trading expe-
dition of the same firm, when his journey. led him
from the coast of Texas, through the district of the
Gila and Colorado to San Francisco, thus traversing
varied regions, and forming a thorough acquaint-
ance with the different features of Central Ameri"
' can life. Speaking of the San Francisco, the author
graphically describes the mixture of races, charac-
ters, trades, and countries, their varied and con-
flicting objects, pursuits, and means of existence,
and then asks if it can be " a cause for surprise and
indignation that in such a mixed society, extend-
ing through the whole State, even to regions where
public authority exists only in name, crimes should
be constantly perpetrated—that offences should be
committed by the community as well as against it--
that quarrels should sometimes occur between the
different races ? " He thinks, on the contrary, that
Californian life should be considered as encouraging
in its aspects, since he believes that the most ell-
lightened European community could not exist upon
" a foundation so absolutely democratic, with s°
little public authority," without far greater evils;
The author intersperses his work with accounts and
anecdotes of the natnral history of the localities be
visited, and the numerous coloured illustrations
which are given enhance the attractions of his in-
teresting volume.

Instructions to Young Sportsmen in all which
,
relates to Guns and Shooting. By Lieut.-ColoneA
P. Hawker. Longman.
The fact of this book having now reached its
eleventh edition is of itself sufficient testimony to
its merits. A more appropriate period than the
present could not have been chosen for its repro-
duction, when the subject of which it treats engages
the general attention, and is of such paramoul!:
importance to the interests of the cemmunity•
is very satisfactory to meet Ath a work which re-
cords the experiences and contains the opinions (3'
an eminent authority. This edition is edited 11
his son, Major Hawker, and it possesses the al;
vantage of explanatory plates and woodcuts, which
are of essential service to those desirous of studying.
the work. The amount of information which 17,
contained in these pages is very considerable, ant:
the book is throughout written in the most carefl:
manner; at the same time the style is animate'
and likely toprove attractive as well as instructive:
The general intentions of the author will be best
understood by referring to the preface to the niutic
edition, which was the last he supervised him
not not having lived to fulfil his intention of bringing
out the tenth, which task has, however, been WI
ably performed by his son, who has made use
numerous memoranda and notes left by his father'
The following passage will serve, to some extent, t°
point out the purport of this interesting volume:":
"Every thing hero asserted has been the result of Ws%
years' trial and experience ; and, therefore, all reference
to other publications has been as much declined, as halto
statements from report ; and it has been attempted a
dilate most on what has been the least explained by eth
authors.
"So much, indeed, has been published by more able
writers, on field sports of every description, that little r
mains to be said on the subject. The pursuit of gemsho
„,
already too well known to require much instruction. t,
author has, therefore, thought it far better, instead of tiro
ing too copiously on that head, to give particular direct'sto
for (what gentlemen least understand) getting access
wild birds of every description.
" With regard also to guns, and the various other 0-4,,1;
jects that form the remainder of the book, he has takelli.
his pen with the determination of neither borrowing, Stag
out proper acknowledgment, from other works, nor trus'`--
to any thing from the experiments of other persons. bolli
"From having thus declined all assistance, and rir („9,
confined himself to the limits of his own humble experie,rao
he will have to apologise perhaps for some errors, en"t;d,
doubt for many deficiencies. But even this, it is h°Yto
will make the work less objectionable than swelling "to
dimensions to an unreasonable size, by relating ineideliof
that possibly never occurred, or commencing a systere,,io
piracy on other authors, which nothing would induce et
to do, after the very flattering manner in which his fort 9,
editions have been received by the public and the to
viewers.
" He now offers to their notice the ninth edition of
,telly
work, which has of late been in many parts inaterl,ae
altered and enlarged. The improvements here added irfe,
been the result of still further experience ; and, therel°'ti)
may be considered, in some degree, as finishing lessellstio
those young sportsmen who have before done bin'
honour to attend to his earlier instructions."

HEALTH OF LONDON DURING Too
WEEK.

(From the Registrar-General's _Report.) I,i¢ll
The last report showed a decrease on the '17,0..
mortality of the third week of July, and it is sirtg
factory to find that the present returns exhibl'elo
further reduction. In the two previous weeks the
deaths in London were 1,605 and 1,419; in
week ending last Saturday they were
Within the last four weeks the mean weekly te,t
per ature has fallen by continuous decrease front '
deg. to 63.8 deg.
of
In the ten years 1849-58 the average number lc
deaths in the weeks corresponding with last Wee
was 1,188 ; but, as the deaths contained in the pif
sent return occurred in a population that has 1::
creased, they can only be compared with the 0„
rage raised in proportion to the increase—namely'
with 1,306. The rate of mortality has therel4,
so nearly returned to its ordinary limits, Willer
' however, are capable of great and permanent &be
traction, that the deaths exceeded by only 31
+the
number obtained from former experience in
first week of August.
The births of last week exceeded the deaths
the same period by 381. in
The deaths caused by diarrhcea, which rose,
the third week of July to 415, fell in the folloWlcei
week to 382, and last week to 312. The corree.ta
average of ten weeks (in 1849-58) corresponclidi,
with last week is 170. In five metropolitan the
visions, the East districts, though net eel'
most populous, contribute as in former
the largest proportion of deaths by diorrna
In Shoreditch 19 deaths from it
occurred, t,
Bethnal-green 10, in Whitechapel 8, in Ola
George-in-the-East 16, in Stepney and Mile-endlw►
of
Town 19, and in Poplar 12. On the south se,
the river 13 occurred in the sub-district of St.l,`„oe
Walworth. Among northern districts Marylefc; 0.
returned 22, Pancras 21 deaths from diarrr
ho-
There are also 24 deaths recorded as due to core
lera ' and " choleraic diarrhoea," 14 of which Wes,
among children. Small-pox was fatal in 20 ensg,
diphtheria also in 20, scarlatina in 63, syphilitar
Three infants and an adult died by murder or 'the
slaughter. Five nonagenarians are returned, of
three oldest of whom died at the respectiveages
94, 95, and 97 years.
if Of
A girl, aged 14 months, died on the 29th uo,
coup de soleil, and on the day following a Nvi,u-ota
aged 83 years, died of " cerebral congestion
exposure to intense sunlight." • le
Last week the births of 860 boys and 858 glrdoe,
in all 1,718 children—were registered in Lenl3,-9-58
In the 10 corresponding w?eks of the years 107
the average number was 1,530. eaa
At the Royal Observatory, Greenwich, the or, itt
height of the barometer in th• week was 29'0 to
The barometer rose from 29.51 in. on Sundfiltbe
29.96 on Saturday, these being respeetivelY esa
lowest and highest points in the week. The n3deg,
temperature of the air in the week was 53'8 oie
which is 1.5 deg. above the average of the set).
week in 43 years (as determined b 3, Mr. Glailieet
The thermometer in the shade rose to its hi g est,
point, 80 deg., on Wednesday, and fell to its losvo
~re
48.9 deg. on Saturday. The range of tempera
tee the week was therefore 31.1 deg. The met'
daily daily range was 22.2 deg. On Wednesday the
toe
mometerin the sun rose to 100.3 deg. The differ; of
between the mean dew-point temperature and eett
temperature was as much as 11.7 deg. The nliets
degree of humidity of the air was 64, eenli)oer
saturation being represented by 100 ; on IN e-ore'
day the humidity was only 55. The mean tell*,
ture of the water of the Thames was 70 or,
which is higher by 6.4 deg. than that of theasts
The wind blew on every day from the south-sting
There was rain on the last three days, amour
to 0.13 inch, which fell chiefly on Thursday.