The Sun.
London, England, 1861-11-02 00:00:00

THE ISLAND OF SARK.

We reached Sark after two hours' sail ; but the little har-
bour not being very convenient to reach, or at least not the
best for our cutter to start from on her return to Guernsey,
we were landed at a place where there were no means of
reaching the upper world of Sark without a somewhat dan-
gerous climb over wet rocks and up a steep cliff. This dif-
ficulty being happily overcome, we made our way to the
little hotel, and soon began to examine the curiosities of the
place.
Sark is not only remarkable for the difficulty of reaching
it and escaping from it, but also for numerous objects of real
interest. It may be worth while to describe some of these
for the benefit of futare travellers, should any venture into
so dangerous a place.
The coast of Sark is singularly wild and bold. A lofty
wall from two to three hundred feet high, with numerous
outlying rocks and islands, is all that is seen from the sea.
Here and there are small bays, where the sea washes over
pebbles and large boulders reaching rocks covered with sea-
weed at the foot of inaccessible cliffs, and in one or two
places having a sandy beach ; but none of these would be
selected as giving access to the interior. So completely is
this the case, that the island might be sailed round in calm
weather without a single place being discovered which a
stranger would venture to land at in a small, boat.
. .

The island is very nearlydivided into two unequal parts,
called Great and Little Sark, and the coast is not only in-
dented with small bays, but surrounded by numerous rocks.
Wild sea-birds scream ; the waves are white as they betray
the sharp points of rocks covered treacherously by a few feet
of water; gloomy caverns gape and yawn in every direc-
tion, and if it were not for a few small boats moored by long
ropes to rocks that seem equally difficult of approach by
land and water, one might readily fancy the whole place
uninhabited.

As the extreme length measured from a point of land
almost detached from Greater Sark, on the north, to the
last rock that stretches to the South in Little Sark, is barely
three miles and a half, and the greatest width is certainly
not more than a mile and a half, the tourist accustomed to
do Switzerland in a fortnight, including the journey there
and back, and perform other feats by aid of steamboat and
railroad, naturally imagines that a day, or a couple of days
at the most, must be sufficient to ransack the whole place,
and leave no place unvisited. But if our little island is per-
verse in keeping against their will those who come to see
her, she is not deficient in charms, and, small as she may
seem, will tax the powers even of Alpine travellers to ex-
haust her stock of wonders in a short time.

The struggles of Brown, Jones, and Robinson are
continued, Robertson experiencing great opposition
from his partners in all his wild attempts at
wholesale advertising. The story is clever in its
way, and is intended to show up the present
wild and reckless mode of trading carried on by
many at the present time. Under the head of
the " First Principles of Physiognomy," the cha-
racters of certain noted individuals are described
to explain the writer's meaning. Plate No. 8 of
" Bird's-eye Views of Society," is equal in excel-
lence to many of its predecessors. In fact, you
may look at any of the plates for half-an-hour,
and the longer you look the more will be found
to look at. " National characters," compares the
various peculiarities of different nationalities. A
paper on " Cooks" must have been written by
one of themselves, such a nigh position is given
to them in society. " A Description of the Manu-
facture of paper" gives a full account of the process.
Chapters 14 and 15 of " Agnes of Sorrento," com-
plete the number.

Baily's Sporting.
The frontispiece represents George Lane Fox,
Esq., which is, of course, well executed ; a
biography is also added of George Lane, who, for
a long time, had been master of the Branham-Moor
Hounds. The remarks of the gentleman in Black
are clever, and his remarks, on many subject, sen-
sible. Number VIII of Wild Life is a continuation
of Australian Life ; but the author takes good cares
not to define his locality, which might be hard to
find, for it combines all the luxuries of civilised life
with more game of every kind than is to be found
in any one known place. His descriptions are,
nevertheless, truthfully and well written. In
" Farming and Fox-hunting," from the able
pen of Scutator, the author dilates at some
length on the connection and mutual interest
which should exist between the Farmer
and Fox-hunter, and shows how, if each party
would act in good faith towards the other, that it

would be to the advantage of both. He also gives
a history of the farmer and squire of olden times,
and the rise of the present class. " The Old
Country Squire" furnishes, by way of a change, a
Highland legend, in a running mnsical rhyme,
entitled—

A LAY OF GLEN LOCHAY ;
011, THE LEGEND OF COILLICH WOOD.
I will sing you a lay of Glen Lochay,
The tale of the Coillich Wood ;
Of the fearful affiright, of the weaver that night,
At the tree were the bogie stood.
Good Duncan MTherson, a weaver by trade,.
Tried to keep Donald Brown from evil;
But Donald the farmer, quite deaf to the charmer,
Surrendered himself to the devil.
For Donald's black heart was as hard as the door
Which he shut in the face of his friend ;
Though known to be rich he was hard to the poor,
Neither morals nor manners he'd mend.
" Our Jockeys" is continued, and we have a paper
on " Our Eleven in Winter Quarters," and their
proposed Australian voyage. " Our Van," and
other sporting news, conclude.

Orley Farm.

We are introduced to Felix Graham's intended
wife, whom he is bringing up or "forming" for
himself; it is evident, however, that they are not
to be united, each party being in love with some.
body else. Felix Graham, in spite of himself
with Madeline Stavely, and Mary Snow'
with some unknown lover whom she endeavours to
shun as a matter of duty. Mr. Furnival looks for
assistance, feeling certain from all he hears that
Lady Mason is guilty, although he will not
acknowledge it even to himself. He seeks ad vice from
an old friend of his, an Old Bailey counsel named
Chaffanbrass, and they consult. Down at the Cleeve
Love was still the lord of all, Sir Peregrine proposes,
and is accepted by Lady Mason against what she
thel. struggle which
considers right. In this chapterfeefeelingly
in desc
goes on in her breast is very
contention,ri described,
wishes, duty, and interest all b'
the lastchaptershows the differeing
Mason and young Peregrine Ormeeutw viewa i nwk: hnliftctieurg,
both objecting to the match from pride, but of
two different kinds,
of his grandfather, Young Orme, for the charac-
teran old man marrying a corn-

paratively young woman beneath him in station,
and Lucius because his mother removes herself from
his injurious guardianship. Both characters are
well defined.

aunders, 01ley, and Co.'s Literary Budget for
England, India, China, Australia, and the Colo-

nies. No I.

This is a successful commencement of a new
series of publication, to appear monthly with the
magazines, and to give a resume of all matters
connected with literature. It will, no doubt,
prove attractive to the reading public, as they will
thus be enabled to glean important information and
interesting intelligence on a subject of which no
one would willingly be ignorant in these days of
advanced intelligence and extended knowledge.
The plan on which this serial is carried out seems
a very excellent one, and it is really surprising to
mark the extent and variety of its contents. There
are notices of all the books recently published that
at all deserve to be called of consequence ; there are
short recognitions of the smaller class whether good,
bad, or indifferent, that are always lying in heaps on
the library tables or crowding the shelves of all in
any way concerned in crit:cising the current ema-
nations of the press. We find also entertaining
accounts of the progress and prospects of literature
abroad, and the followieg fact is mentioned which is
truly said to be sufficient to make English contem-
poraries very naturally envious. " Victor Hugo
has just sold the copyright of a novel to a Belgian
house (Lacroix) for 400,000 francs, in other words
for £16,000. This novel is in eight volumes, and
is to be entitled "Les Miserables." This is the
most signal proof we have yet had of the rising
value of literary workmanship." There are some
smart verses interspersed among the contents which
serve to enliven and animate their pages. One of
these is called " The Strand."

There's not a street that's worth comparing
With that from Temple Bar to Charing—
The Strand, the Strand I
For Balmoral boots set hearts a-flutter,
And various journals nonsense utter,
In the Strand, in the Strand I

0 how I love the Strand, boys 1
I do, I do.
At noon or night
'Tis my delight
To stroll along the Strand, boys?

Learning there is in gretivariety—
King's College and the Royal Society,
In the Strand, in the Strand 1
And what a treat 'twill be when men are all
As wise as her Majesty's Registrar-General,
In the Strand, in the Strand

111.
For gold the Westminster or Coutt's—
Milo's or Bewlay's for cheroots is
In the Strand, in the Strand I
And if you walk its south side thorough
You'll find two uncles—Attenborough—
In the Strand, in the Strand!

Two theatres its sides are built on;
Who's for a night with " saucy Wilton"
At the Strand, at the Strand ?
If in perfection you've never seen tea,
Try Antrobus for black tea, Twining for green tea,
In the Strand, in the Strand I

The Globe each evening pleases one set,
And the only Sun that will rise at sunset,
In the Strand, in the Strand I
The Press comes out to praise the Tories.
Bell's Life with lots of sporting stories,
In the Strand, in the Strand I

If you want cheap news there are journals many—
Why, the famous old Chronicle's down to a penny,
In the Strand, in the Strand I
While if for a monthly you would pay, sir,
There's worse magazines by far than Fraser,
In the Strand, in the Strand I

The Lowther Arcade with its toy shops glorious—
Exeter Hall with its oratorios—
In the Strand, in the Strand I
And if so many excitements fool you,
Why, there's lots of IN enham Lake ice to cool you,
In the Strand, in the Strand I
0 how I love the Strand, boys!
I do, I do.
At noon or night
"Es my delight.
To stroll along the Strand, boys I
The others are named "The Beast and his Image,"
and Mr. Bellew's Novel." They are good specimens
of the satirical and dashing style of verses, and are
sure to gain numerous admirers, as this sort of thing
when at all fairly executed invariably proves
popular. The article on " Sensation Literature"
is very well done, and contains some useful hints to
writers, and some good advice that may prove a
word in season to some inexperienced or mistaken
authors It is justly observed that "A proper infusion
of excite-Anent is not only pardonable but essential
alike to drama, novel, and epic; it enters largely
iuto the composition of the very best models of
each class, let us say into " Hamlet," "Ivanhoe,"
and " Paradise Lost." But excitement is not the
sole aim or the sole merit of the noblest produc-
t:ono, though a low class of mind may seek them
greedily for that alone Authors and readers
should remember that the taste of a generation, and
the art of a generation, are mutually informed, and
are bastard or legitimate, false or correct, flagitious
or respectable, alike and together. If art be too
didactic be sure that the age is too stolid, if art be
too pictorial the age is sensuous and vain. The
first conjunction makes a fault only in national
temperament, the second promotes social
levity as well. But faulty temperament
social levity, and moral delinquency are one and all
embodied in that worst of all artistic characteristics
that an author can cultivate, or society require,
"sensation." There are the following remarks met
with in the comments on the literary promises of
the month :

" It is surely most justifiable to attach some public im-
portance to the prospects of our general literature. Books,
like other consumable commodities, have now become sub•
ject to the laws of general supply. Month by month and
year by year the average of demand increases or slackens
from causes precisely analogous to those which regulate
production in other directions. Society is, to say the least
of it, fully as much interested in the quality or quantity of
its literary harvest, as it is in the fortheomihg supply of
any other article of mere luxury. Books, if no more, are
among the most desirable elegancies of life to all—to many
they are well-nigh one of its necessaries ; and it is hardly
too much to say that after good food and good raiment,
good books rank next, both from their intrinsic value, and
in virtue of the exteat of their consumption."
On tfie whole, considering the variety of the sub-
jects brought forward, and the vigour and vivacity
that for the most part pervade their tenour, we
must congratulate the managers of this new Serial
on its excellext arrangement, and on the superiority
of the greater portion of its contents. If it is car-
ried on with at all the same spirit and energy as
mark its outset, there will be no cause for them
to fear it will have other than a favourable recep-
tion, or not fulfil its promise of being a Literary
Budget on an extended scale and an elevated
principle.

The National Magazine.

Although not equal to some of the new serials
published at the same price, this magazine has a
good deal of pleasant light reading and plenty of
amusing or affecting tales for the lovers of romance.
One of the most attractive features in this number
is a beautiful photograph of New Westminster
Bridge, of which there is also a brief and in-
teresting account.

Cassell's illustrated Family Bible. Superior edition.

Part -XI.

This beautiful edition of the Holy Scriptures is
continued with unflagging merit. Many of the
illustrations are beautiful in design and excellent
in execution. We heartily commend it to all who
wish to secure a superior copy of the Sacred
Volume, and whose means might not allow of their
procuring it in a complete form. It is issued in
monthly shilling parts, and is thus placed within
the reach of a very large circle.

The Sixpenny Magazine.
_ _

In the Hzpenny Magazine the burlesque on the
Greek robbers and gendarmes, entitled " The King
of the Mountains," is continued. It is certainly
original. " The Round of Wrong" is a clever
French novel under another name. "Pen and
.Pencil Sketches" are descriptions of various places
in England. " Trips after IL alth" is continued,
and several papers on various subjects are to be
found, some of no great pretensions, but good
i
enough in their way. But the beat article n the
number, as in fact it has been in former ones, .
" Animal Life in the Ocean," in which much curious
information is to be found of the monsters and
mites of the deep.

The Eclectic.

This serial-contains;;;;;Yinietesting articles, and
Is much improved under the new management. A
lengthened paper on the Rev. Alfred Vaughan's
"Hours with the Mystics," is the first to meet the
reader, and will well repay him for perusing it•
Montalembert's " Monks of the West," and two of
our new poets are also subjects for criticism; and
a very attractive paper entitled " Alter Icebergs,"
founded on a recent account of northern voyage
and adventure. Other articles of various merits
arc also to be met with.

Cassell's Publications.
Thie indefatigable publisher continues to main-
tain his various serials with undiminished spirit
comesand
down Theto lllustrated 1 utr
terminationatFdHistory o
f of England"
Napoleon's
career, and is adorned with the portraits of several
of his marshals. " The Popular Natural History"
has many excellent illustrations, and is published