The Sun.
London, England, 1850-06-13 00:00:00

LITERATURE

THE DA iTONS. No. 11. By Charles Lever.
Our acquaintance with the fictttious characters of
the narrative is extended in this number to the
family of the Onslows. Sir Stafford Onslow, being
ill, is hid fora while from our observation, but we
obtain some familiarity with the dispositions of his
wife, Lady Hester Onslow, of his children, George
and Sydney, and of Dr. Grounsell, his old college
mate and physic;an. Little Hans gets almost killed
by trying to rescue one of Ellen Dalton's wooden
figures from destruction. Colonel Haggerstone ob-
tains an interview, anti afterwards cultivates an in-
timacy with Lady Hester; and the latter personage,
by way of dissipating the ennui of her monotonous
life at Baden, on going out one stormy night to pay
a visit of charity to Hans Itoeckle, finds herself sud-
denly and unexpectedly in the midst of the family of
the Daltons. Here the eighth chapter terminates.

SOUTIIEY' S LIFE AND CORRE-
SPOND ENCE. Vol. IV.
Between 1813 and 1819, or, in other words, between
the thirty-ninth and forty-sixth years of Robert
Southey's life, the correspondence compressed into the
present volume is comprised. Obviously, therefore,
the interest of the work displays in this the latest in
etalment of it a very perceptible increase, the curiosity
of the reader being of count enhanced proportionately.
Io 1813, fur example, we can trace through his
letters the progress of his poem of Roderick," and
of his splendid biography of the immortal Nelson.
It is then, also, that we can watch the effects pro
duced upon him by his appointment to the office of
Poet Laureate. In 1814 and 1815 he writes a
variety of odes as Laureate., and dreams of
a variety of literary undertakings. So on
throughout the subsequent years alluded to,
we can distinctly trace the growth of his intellect,
the development of his fancy, and the fluctuations of
his ambition. Many interesting revelations start
upon us, here and there, throughout the correspon-
dence. Thus we are interested to hear, from Southey
himself, when speaking of James Montgomery's new
poem, in 1813, that he himself had once planned a
poem on the Deluge. Again, it is with some sort of
surprise, and almost of incredulity, that we learn
from a letter, written by Southey, to Walter Savage
Landor, of a comedy, written by that veteran conver-
sationalist. Fancy a comedy by the author of
the Hellenics I As yet, of course, the manuscript of
it has never passed through the hands of the
typographer. Southey's pilgrimage to Waterloo is
an entertaining episode in the narrative, a
narrative uneventful, like almost all the lives of men
celebrated in literature. So also is the account of his
tour to Switzerland in 1817, prior to which we find
him tempted by the offer of a lucrative appointment
connected with the Times newspaper. Intimations are
given here and there throughout the correspondence
of the effects made upon Southey and his brother-
lakers by. Lord Byron's formidable hostility. The
work altogether promises more and more favourably
for itself, as a valuable contribution of materials for
the future historian of English literature.

A NARRATIVE OF ARCTIC DISCOVERY.
By John J. Shillinglaw.
Most happily timed, considering the interest in-
spired as to the fate of Sir John Franklin, whose
engraved likeness is prefixed to the volume
as its most appropriate frontispiece, this narra-
tive of Arctic discovery extends from the earliest
period to the present. Besides this, it comprises
many copious details of the measures adopted by her
Majesty's Government for the relief of the missing
expedition. The whole history (in itself a glorious
episode in our maritime annals) is penned by Ar.
Shillinglaw in a style calculated to secure to it a
large amount of popularity. The retrospect recedes
to that remote period when distinct details become
imperceptible, and the records of the human race lose
themselves in the "twilight of fable." The author
descants in an agreeable mood of antiquarian gossip
upon the results of Scandinavian enterprize, and
upon the possibility of those northern barba-
rians having discovered the American continents
previous to the birth of Columbus. We cannot,
however, but think that Mr. Shillinglaw has been
rather too discursive in his introductory chapters, al-
though those chapters peculiarly display his many
qualifications to become the historian of Arctic dis-
covery. In the form of an appendix we have a sort
of tabular catalogue of the various expeditions sent
out by England between 1818 and 1850. For ex-
ample, we have Sir John Ross's expeditions of 1818
and 1829, Captain Buchan's expedition of 1818, Sir
W. E. Parry's expeditions of 1819, of 1821, of 1824,
and of 1827, Sir John Franklin's expeditions of 1819,
of 1825, and of 1845, from the latter of which he has
never yet returned, Sabine and Clevering's ex-
pedition of 1822, Lyon's expedition of 1824,
Beechy's expedition of 1825, Back's expeditions
of 1833 and of 1836, Mqore's expedition
of 1848, Kellett's of 1848, Sir James Clark Ross's of
1848, Saunders's of 1849, and the two new expedi-
tions of 1850, one under Austin, the other under
Collinson. In all, twenty-one are enumerated, and
the author thus significantly closes his narrative of
these extraordinary undertakings by saying—
" We could earnestly hope that, should it please the
Almighty to send back the gallant Franklin and his de-
voted crews in safety, England will be careful of again
risking the lives of her adventurous sons in further at-
tempts to discover what cannot be looked upon in any
other light than thht of a geographical ignis fatuus, THE
NORTH-WEST PASSAGE."
Whether that aspiration be realised or not, we
cannot but think, for our own part, that all efforts in
the way of prosecuting Arctic discovery must con-
tinue, as heretofore, fruitless of all happy or valuable
results, and the certain means of renewing again and
again a feeling of scientific disappointment.

AN ARCTIC VOYAGE TO BAFFIN'S BAY
AND LANCASTER SOUND. By R. A.
Goodsir.

An appropriate companion to the work just criti-
cised, this interesting and brilliant volume possesses
other attractive characteristics such as must secure to

it an immediate, though it may not be very perma-
nent popularity. As the record of one of the latest ex-
peditions in search of Sir John Franklin and his com-
panions, the book before us demands an attentive
perusal, and we doubt not but that it will afford its
readers a more vivid notion of the aspect and pecu-
liarities of the northern regions than could be ac-
quired by them from any previous work of a similar
description. What strikes us as the most conspicuous
merit of the present narrative, in truth, is that evidence
which is visible in every sentence and expression that
it is a faithful delineation of nature under an un-
wonted aspect, the delineation being invested with
the warmth of novelty and the distinctness
of a punctilious similitude. - What is de-
scribed by Mr. Goodsir is described by him
not from hearsay, not on the authority of
another, not second-hand—but from the individual
recognition of the features and peculiarities of those
wonderful regions of everlasting winter. What is
yet more, Mr. Goodsir has not given us the lukewarm
Orchaufee of a few scattered reminiscences—be has
written down his narrative, chapter by chapter, upon
occasion, in all the heat of first impressions. Hear him
telling of the strange habits of the whale, and you will
at once feel that he writes with the fervour of a spec-
tator. " The deep boom of their blowings," he, says
in one part, " resound through the still air
like the distant bellowing of a
,herd of wild
bulls. My ears should have been pretty well
accustomed now to the blast of the whales, but it was
not until this time that I ever bad noticed the pecu-
liar hollow boons of their voice, if voice it may be
cAled." Again, it is with an unusual animation of
style'that he writes as follows:--
_ .

." I have noticed a peculiarity about the whale, that if
there is a piece of ice within sight it will run towards it,
and come to the surface beside it. And when beside a
floe, it always rises beside its edge, and never appears at
any distance from it. And, moreover, it there should
be a crack or bight in the floe, it is ten chances to one it
will rise to blow in it, in preference to the outer edge of
the floe. This is well known to the whalers. Such a
crack being now opposite to us, and at such a di-tance
from where the whale was last seen, it was likely she
would rise there next, and we pulled towards it. Here
we lay for some minutes in breathless expectation, our
oars out of the water, and the harpconer silently motion-
ing with his hand to the boat-steerer which way to
scull.' Up in the very head of the crack the water was
now seen to be circling and gurgling up. There's. her
eddy,' quietly whispers our barpooeer. ' A couple of
strokes now boys—gently—that'll do.' Looking over
my shoulder, I could see first the crown, then the great
black back of the unsuspecting whale, slowly emerge
frOm the water, contrasting strangely with the bright
white and blue of the ice on each side—then followed the
roar of her-.blast. Bat short
with sure aim and single
ibrirdeeat,chriinhgabtliem
,lihuarsdt lsihnge—fur,
tug of his trigger string, the keen iron was sent deep in
behiud her fin. Harden up, boys I' be cries, and the
boat is pulled right on to the whale, when be plunges
the hand- hirpoon deep into her back, with two hearty
digs. The poor brute quivered throughout, and for a
second or two lay almost motionless; then diving, and
:hat with such rapidly increasing speed, that the line was
whirled out of the boat like lightning. The mutt' signals
were now made to the other boats that we were fist,'
" For the first few minutes the lines were allowed to
run out with.,ut interruption, then, one, two, three turns,
were successively thrown round the bollard.' This had
the dr' ct of stopping her speed somewhat, but the line
still ran out with a great strain. The boat's bow was
fireibly pressed against the ice, and crushed through the
under washed ledge, to the solid floe beyond ; the har-
pooner sitting upon his thwart,' allowing the lines to
run through his hands, which were derended by thick
mitts : stopping the progress of the fish as much as he
could, as the rest of the boats were still some distance
from us. Every few minutes the fish seeming to start
off as with renewed strength, the boat's bow would be
pulled downwards, threatening to pull us bodily under
the floe. But then allowing the line to run out, the strain
was partly removed, and the boat's head again ruse, but
only to be again dragged downwards. Upwards of
twenty minutes had elapsed since we had 'got fast,' and
the strain now began to slacken, but it was lull time—

wewere drawing nigh the bitter end.' The welcome
sound of a gun was heard, and in a few seconds, looking
down the edge of the floe, we could see one of our boats,
with the well-known blue Jack' flying. A few fathoms
more of line were rapidly drawn out, and rhen the strain
as suddenly ceased. We commenced hauling them in,
and whilst doing so, could see a third boat 'get fast.'
The rest of the boats were now at hand, and as she ap-
peared at, the surface, closely surrounded her, and busily
plied her with their lances. It was in about an hour and
a half from the time we first struck her, that we heard
the distant cheers anneuneing her death. From the time
the second boat had got fast we bad been busily engaged
hauling in our lines, and thus slowly approaching the
cluster of boats round the dying whale. But long ere
we had finished this they had succeeded in killing her,
and she was lying safe and sound, made fast to the edge
of the floe. The boats now collected and prepared to
tow the dead fish to the ship. This was eves more
tedious than hauling in the lines, but as I had volun-
teered to take my place in 2 boat, I said not a word, but
tugged away at my oar in silence."
With similar felicity of pen- sketching, our voyager
depicts the other phases of Arctic enterprise, the rigour
of the climate, and the occasional splendour of the
frozen seas and the frozen atmosphere. A pleasant
air, moreover is diffused over the whole narrative
from the prevailing good t; mper and unruffiable bon-
hommie in which it is written. Either the author
must have a capital digestion, or the northern circle
must hate a most exhilarating influence; for, through-
out the entire. volum?, we can find no despondence,
no blue-devilry, no solitary token of submission to
the sway of the most evanescent melancholy. The
work is a healthy effusion, thoroughly in earnest upon
its subject, and replete with materials for entertain-
ment and for mental speculation. We commend it
especially to the scrutiny of all those who are in-
terested in the fate of the missing expedition.

BANKERS' MAGAZINE.
The number for the present month contains articles
on the " Proposed Savings Banks Reform,"
the " Sale of Encumbered Estates in Ireland,"
the "Proposed Alteration of the Law affecting
Banking in India ;" a second letter on " Joint-Stock
Management," treating of the appointments in banks ;
and a continuation of the consideration of the Report
of the Bullion Committee of 1810, together with a
paper detailing the law relating to the acceptance of
bills of exchange.

THE DUBLIN UNIVERSITY MAGAZINE.
This able periodical for 'June contains more than
an average quantity of useful and amusing informa-
tion. The first paper gives
.an instructive and inter-
esting account of " The Wonders of Modern Loco-
motion." The details appear to have been extracted
from a work by Dr. Lardner, entitled " Railway
Economy; a Treatise on the new Art of Transport,
its Management, Prospects, and RelAtions, Commer-
cial, Financial, and Social, Ste." According to
the calculations supplied in this work, it would ap-
pear that in .1849 there were in operation in different
parts of the globe, a total length of 18,656 miles of rail-
way, on which a capital of 365,567 had been expended,
and that when the lines in progress of construction
shall be brought into operation, the population of
Europe and the United States will have completed,
within:a period of less than a quarter of a century,
26,485 miles of railway—a greater length than would
surround the globe, at the prodigious cost of above
five hundred million sterling !! ! "Maurice Tierney,
The Soldier of Fortune," is continued. The next
paper, " On Government-,-by A Liberty Boy," is
very ably and elaborately written ; but the writer
appears to have fallen into the very error which he so
touchingly and powerfully deplores and condemns—
" Dung vitant stulti cilia in contraria currunt."
The learned and graceful contributors to the Uuiver-
sity cannot be classified under the poet's category;
but while he devotes considerable space to show that
the repeal of the corn-laws has not lowered the price
of bread to the many, and still feelingly laments the
want of a practical application of good government to
the great and admitted evils of our social and political
polity, we cannot help feeling that he has unwittingly
fallen into, not the opposite extreme, but the very
error which be condemns in such singularly
happy terms. If "Billy Malowney's Taste of
Love and Glory" will not exercise the risible
muscles of its readers, Punch must set to
work at once to invent a new screw. "The
Revolutionism of Mirabeau :" this sketch
of this extraordinary being is characteristic, it is
strong and graphic, and exhibits a most vigorous
power of antithesii. " Sonnets on France," by B. B.
Feltus, are descriptive of several stirring epochs in the
history of France from the middle ages to the Presi-
dency. " Private Theatricals—Moore—Miss O'Neil
—Chief Justice Buahe ;" a Chapter from " The Do-
mestic History of Ireland." Our space will not, we
regret, permit us to do justice to this deeply interest-
ing paper, nor to the other important and clever con-
tributions which compose the present number. The
closing papers are—" Embassy to Japan," " An Af-
ternoon with the Italians," " A Night in the Bell
Inn," " Grote's History of Greece," " Love," " A
Taste of French Theatricals," with a very useful and
copious index.