The Sun.
London, England, 1826-10-02 00:00:00

MONDAY EVENING, OCTOBER 2, 1826.

. MAGAZINE DAY.

Our.extracts of this month, from the various periodicals,.
are so Unusually lengthy, that we can afford but little space
for original comment. Enough to say of each Magazine,
generally,.that if it be not very particularly brilliant, it does
not in any instance disappoint expectation : this more
especially applies to the " Monthly and European Maga-
zine," which, in point of variety, solidity, and general en-
tertainment, is by far the best of the month. In the
" London," there is a pleasant gossipping article on
Head's .tournies across the Pampas :"—En void :
BEAD'S JOIJRNIES ACROSS THE PAMPAS.
(From the London Magazine.)

Captain Head is as extraordinary an equestrian as Captain
Cochrane is a pedestrian. The expence of keeping the nether
man in decent order, of which there are such grievous complaints
in Captain COchranis travels, NV11111(1 have been absolutely ruinous
to the galloping Captain Head, had he not at last resorted to that
natural clothing of the limbs, which, by a wise provision in case
of any abrasure, possesses the faculty of self.rediutegration. " I
cannot express," says be, " the delightful feeling of freedom and
independence which one enjoys in galloping without clothes on a
horse, without a saddle." Captain head, after being landed at
Buenos A.yree, took to galloping across the continent of America ;
he would start from the Atlantic and gallop to the Pacific, and
then setting out from the Pacific, he would re-arrive in a gallop
at the Atlantic. " Change horses and back again," was the per-
petual figure of his country or continental dance. Six thousand
miles did the Captain gallop, rapid anti rough, as he says, and so
far from the fatigue injuring him, he declares that he rode " till
he felt that no exertion could kill him." Though the pace of
the Pampas is an impetuous gallop, Captain Head did not ride so
fast as to prevent him from taking notes on the back otitis horse
rough notes," of course, but still very easy to read. His
style is not particularly smooth—we fancy we can perceive the
motion of the hors. ; but, nevertheless, the matter is not much
injured by the tolutation of the writer. • It is true that the
sketches are hasty, but they are striking—the eye knew the points
for selection, and has almost invariably Axed upon the objects
worth looking at for themselves, and which are :characteristic of
the scene to be described. These Rough Notes are a most agree..
able specimen of the lighter kind of travels. In a small volume
we cannot have, neither do we want, much scientific or statistical
detail--nor much political or historical discussion : we are glad to
find lively descriptions of manners, scenery, costume, and in
short the general appearances of man and of nature. All this we
have and more, and that too done in a hearty and generous spirit
which we love, and which all mankind loves. Captain Head was
an officer of engineers, when he became enlisted by the directors
of one of the Bubble Schemes, as superintendent and manager of
a Mining adventure. This scheme seems to have been, what is
called in the linspot franca, a regular risco. Miners and mining
implements; commissioners, surveyors, and assayers, were all dee-
patched to America in the most beautiful order; nothing appears
to have been omitted hut the values : they were to follow as a mat-
ter of course. Was not capital forthcoming, and where capital is,
can any thing be wanting ? Honest Head seems to have been
very much begone on finding that no mines were to be found,
where the directors at home bad told hint they were only waiting
—iminitiently waiting—to be worked. However, mines it was
necessary to have ; and though not, perhaps, the mines mentioned
in the prospectus in such glowing colours, yet other. mines that
would do just as well, as the glowing colours were always ready
to gild any mine--gold'or silver. Accordingly the Chief Com-
missioner Head set off on a galloping tour in search of sense con-
ient hole, down to which he might set his Cornish train : 411,
the mean tiaw,- the Cornish men were likely to he doing little
but getting drunk, and as their wage* were going on All the
time, it was necessary to mate haste and dincovera -mine as soon
14 pniable. It is in this " Tour in Search of aMine," ;bat these
tough Notes were made, and these were the reasons that induced

note-taker to get on as fast as he could.
The Pampas are extensive plains, which spread from the Pin
de la Plata to the Andes--they are productive chiefly of long
grass and thistles ! roads are scarcely tracked through them ; in
some parts they are marsh, in some bog, in some loose sand.—
Inhabitants are thinly scattered over this vast and almost inter-
minable extent of level territory; such property as they have is in
droves of wild horses and other cattle ; poverty is much more
common than property; but with a horse and a lasso, and a pair
of spurs, the galloping Gaucho, which is the name of the dweller
in the Pampas, never knows, or at least never regards, privation.
His food is strips of jerked beef, his drink is water ; his pleasure
is galloping, and his pnrsuit either catching. horses and bullocks in
hie lasso, or throwing the bolas at the guanaco, or the ostrich.--
During the hours of exertion he is on horse, no fatigue can touch
him ; during the homa of repose he lies hint down in the open
air, and sleeps all night with no covering but his poncho, or cloak,
and with no bedding but his saddle, or the skeleton of a horse's
head for a pillotv. Hie life is hard, but se is he ; privations are
his daily fare. His luxury is freedom. He lives the life of per-
fect liberty—restriction of any kind, excepting the natural one*
of fktigue and labour, see= unknown in the Pampas. The
Gaticho is as happy, and pretty nearly as uncivilised, as when
"wild in woods the noble savage run." The Pampas, as has
been said, spread from the Atlantic, and are stopped in their
course to the Pacific, by the Cordelira of the Andes, which runs
down the continent of South America, pretty much after the man-
! ner of the chine in pigs, and the spine in man ; excepting, indeed,
that it is a good deal on one side, being much nearer to the Pacific
than the Atlantic. Neither duet the country on the other side of
the Andes in the least correspond with the Pampas, as ribs corre-
spond to ribs. On the Pacific side extend perpetually to the
ocean, innumerable ramification, of the mountains, which conse-
quently dissect the country of. Chile into alternations of lofty bill
and deep valley. Both
.sides of the Andes—both the Pampas
and Chile, are the scenes of Captain. Head's observations.

" The Greenwich Pensioner," from the Monthly and
European Magazine, is an excessively clever paper; and
what is better,' true, in every particular, to nature. We
extract it for the amusement of the reader : '

you as his dearest friend. The heroee of this same story, are our
pensioner and a shark : a tremendous shark that used to be the
terror of the harbour of St. Thomas's. Upon this shark, and the
piece of the mainmast of the Victory, is our pensioner content to
restsill his importance during his life, and his fame with pos-
terity. He will tell you that he, being caterer of the mess, let
fall a piece of beef out at the port-hole, which this terrible shark
received into 'its jaws, and twisted its body most provokingly at
the delicious mouthful. Hereupon our pensioner—it was before,
he reminds you, he had lost a limb—Auks leave of the first lieute-
ant (fur the captain was ashore) to have a bout with the shark :
leave being granted, all the crew are qnickly in the shrouds, and
upon the hammock-netting, to see Tom—" tackle the shark."
Our pensioner now enters into a minute detail of how, having
armed himself with a long knife, he jnniped overboard, (lived un-
der the shark, whom he saw approaching with distended jaws, and
inflicted a tremendous wound with the knife in the belly of the
fish ; this is repeated thrice, when the shark turns itself upon its
back—a boat is let down, and both the conqueror and the con-
quered are quickly received upon (leek. You are iloubtle,a as-
tonished at this ; he, however, adds to your surprise by tilling
you that the mesa regaled off the piece of beef recovered from the
fislf; be snore astounded at this,-although mingle no doubt in your
astonishment, and he will straightway promise some day to treat
your eyes with a sight of a set of chequer-men, cut from the very
dorsal bone of the immolated shark ! To he the hearer of a sailor's
tale, is something like undergoing the ancient ordeal of red-hot
ploughsliaree ; be innocent of unbelief, and you may, as was held,
journey in safety; doubt the smallest point, and you are quickly
withered into nought. Whet an odd contrast to his early life is
the state of a Greenwich pensioner! It is as though a part of the
angry and foaming sea should lie stagnant in a bathing-tub. All
his business is to recount his fanner adventures—to plod about,
and look with a disdainful eye at tries, and bricks and mortar.; or,
when he would indulge in a serious fit of spleen, to walk down to
the river's side, and let his gall feed upon the mishaps of London
apprentices, who, fearless of consequences, may have ventured
some five miles from home in not a " trim-built wherry." A
Greenwich pensioner fresh front sea is a most preposterous crea-
ture ; he gets up every morning for a week, a month, and still
finds himself in the same place; he knows not what to make of it
—he feels the strangeness of his situation, and would, had he the
patience and the wit, liken himself to a hundred unsettled things.
Compare him to a hippopotamus in a gentleman's park, and he
would tell you, he had in his day seen a hippopotamus, and then,
with a good-natured grunt, acquiesce in the resemblance ; or to a
jolly-boat in a flower-garden ;orto a sea-gull in the cage of a
canary; or to a porpoise upon a hearth-rug; or to a boatswain's-
whistle in a nursery; or to a marling--spike in a milliner's work-
room ; or a tar-barrel in a confectioner's ; with any one or all of
these misplaced articles would our unsettled pensioner ormitathire,
until time shall have reconciled him to his asylum ; and even
then, his fancy, like the shells upon our mantel-piece, will sound
of the distant and the dangerous ocean. At Greenwich, how-
ever, the mutilated old sailor has time enough to indulge in the
recollection of his early days, and, with what wisdom he may, to
make up his mind to meet in another world those whom his arm
may have sent thither long before. Death, at length, gently lays
the veteran upon his back—his last words, as the sailor puts his
withered hand upon his heart, are " all's well," and sea and earth
have passed away. ilia body, which had been forforty years a
bulwark to the land, now demands of it but. " two paces of the
vilest earth ;" and if aught could spring from the tomb charac-
teristic of its inmate, from the grave of the pensioner would arise
the stout, unbending oak—it would he hie fitting monument ; and
•the carolling of the birds in its branches would be his loud, his
artless epitaph.

The New Monthly litagazjse is, on the whole, a good
number; the " Irish Portmit ;,'' in Ti e,l, by, we believe,
Mr. would redeem rnar,;. neeeinierily bad ones, for
they ate.adiniralde, and, we have no doubt. faithful in their,,
way. We prefer fri ring, tinwevir; for obvious reaPions,

between us on that occasion, I should, on meeting him in the
course of the same week at dinner at the English atithwatior's,
hare requested one of the secretaries who was intimately acquainted
with him, to introduce me to him in regular form. Hie Lordship
here testified his perfect recollection of me, but in the coldest
manner, and immediately after turned his back on me. This
unceremonious proceeding, forming a striking contrast with pre-
vious occurrences, had something so strange in it that I was at a
loss how to account for it; and felt at the same time much disposed
to entertain a less favourable opinion of his Lordship than his
apparent frankness had inspired me with at our first meeting. It
was not, therefore, without surprise, that, some days after, I saw
him in the street corning up to me with a smile of good-nature in
his countenance. He accosted me in a familiar manner; and,
offering me his hand, said :—" I am an enemy to English etiquette,
especially out of England ; and I always make my own ac-
qua►ntances without waiting for the formality of an introduction.
If you have nothing to do, and are disposed for another ramble, I
abaft be glad of your company." There wee that irraiiistlble
at-
traction in hit manner, of which those who have had the good
luck to be admitted into his intimacy, can alone have felt the
power in his momenta of good humour ; and I readily accepted
his proposal. We visited again more of the most remarkable
curiosities of the capital, a description of which would be here hut
a repetition of what a hundred travellers have already detailed with
the utmost minuteness and accuracy; hut his Lordship expressed
much disappointment at their want of interest. He praised the
picturesque beauties of the town itself, and its surrounding scenery;
and seemed of opinion, that nothing else was worth looking at.
He spoke of the Turks in a manner which might have given rea-
son to suppose he had made a long residence among them, and
closed his observations with these words:—" The Greeks will
sooner or later rise against them ; but, if they do not make haste,
I hope Buonaparte will come and drive the useless rascals away."
About,this time it was notified to all the English who happened
to be at Constantinople, that Mr. Adair's public audience of the
Sultan, preparatory to his Excellency's return to England, would
take place on a certain day, when they were invited to attend at
the British pilace*, for the purpose of acoompanying him to the
Seraglio.
Turkey being then the only Continental state at peace with
England, a great number of English travellers had flocked to
various parts of Greece, and came up to Constantinople with the
hope of being present at the public audience, which, from the
announcement of Mr. Adair's approaching departure, was expected
soon to take place.
Every one prepared to appear hefore the Ottoman throne, and
great was the interest exerted to obtain a place in the list of the
favoured fourteen, who alone were to be admitted into the audi-
ence-chamber. The applications were so numerous and pressing,
that it was judged necesaeary to show no partiality to any one
who Was not, as an attache to the embassy, entitled to the entrees.
Two exceptions we, however, wide, in favour of Lord Byron and
Captain Bathurst of the Sakette frigate; and no one could have
found fault with them. The number was to be filled up on the
spot, as circumstances and chance directed.

- In the circular note of invitation sent round, it was requested
that those gentlemen who chose to attend should be at the palace
exactly at four o'clock in the morning of the appointed day. This
was rather an early time for a formal visit to an Emperor ; but
the Turks have not yet been taught the advantages which arias
from reversing the order of those natural rules by which many of
their customs are governed ; hence, they commence business with
the rising sun, dine and sup at early hours, and retire to rest soon
after sunset, taking occasionally a nap in the middle of a aummerle
day, when the extreme heat of the season inclines the body to re-
pose and the mind to indolence.

We were, then in the early part of June ; and as the dietaries,
from the tieraglio, and the formaities we should be required to
go through on our way thither, were considered likely to take wp
much time, it lied been deemed necessary that we eliould be ready
to start et daybreak.
So grest was, the anxiety arnoug the. English not to miss being
present at this celebrated ceremony, that many did not go to bed on
the preceding night, for fear of over-sleeping themselves.
The important day dawned at last, and at half-past, three the
great gates 'of the palace were thrown open. Theextensive grounds
which surround the buildings were soon filled with a crowd of ser-
vanta, grooms, and a number of horses saddled in the English and
Turkish fashion. Along the front avenue, three, corn pa nit* ,of a
regiment nf-ianissaries, who were to act as are extra-guard of be-
gone, took their station, as well as twenty-four marines of the
Sakette. An officer of rank, acting as under-master of the cere-
monies at the Seraglio, arrived on horseback, for the purpose
of conducting the Ambassador. Ile was followed by ten subaltern
officers alio mounted, and by four Arab grooms, who led as many
houses tieblr Caparisoned, sent to his Excellency as a present from
the gultan.

The suburb of Pere, which foreigners of all nations have chosen
for their town residence, is situated on an eminence, and is the
continuation of several street*, each about a mile and a half in
length, leading to various parts of the quays that border the har-
bour of Constantinople. The British palace is at the furthest
extremity of it ; and neither the distance to the place where we
were to erase the harbour, nor the dignity of the Ambassador,
could admit of his going to it;on such an occasion on foot. Car-
riages have not yet come into use in this Eastern capital, at least
for men; and, moreover, as it is customary among the Turks to
perform their visits of ceremony on horeeback, this was the mode
chosen by his Excellency. A regular procession was to be formed
on leaving the palace; the order of it had been settled by the Am-
baesador, and made known to the persons concerned by a written
list, which was circulated among them on their assembling at the
palace. The Secretary of Legation having the character of Mi-
nister Plenipotentiary, in which capacity he was to succeed Mr.
Adair, had been designated in the list, as the person who should
ride next to the Ambassador in the procession, and after him, Lord
Byron and the Consul-General.

Whilst most of us were lounging about the numerous suits of
lofty apartments, waiting for the word of departure, I observed
Lord Byron take up the list of procession in a careless manner,snd
almost immediately after throw it on the table, and walk hastily to
the next room. Here Mr. Adair was standing ; and Lord Byron,
whom I had followed, scent up to him and spoke in a manner
which evidently implied a reference to the paper he had just seem.
As neither his Lordship nor his Excellency showed any wish that
their conversation should remain unheard I approached them near
enough to become soon convinced that soy suspicions relative to
the subject of it had been correct. Lord Byron expressed sur-
prise that, as a Peer of the realm, 114 name should pot have bees
put in the list next to the Ambassador's. Mr. Adair assured hint,
that, by the arrangements made, nothing like disrespect to his
Lordship was intended to be conveyed ; but be begged leave to
inform him, that the place next to himself on this occasion be-
longed to Mr. Stratford Canning, the Secretary of Embassy, and
could be assigned to no one else. Lord Byron replied with some
warmth, that he did not coincide with his (Mr. A.'s) view of
the matter, and teali astra rather
mp g him.
ear tchoancsonnyfionr m t o it, hr
To
this l‘
wouldir Adair
altogether
relinquish the pleasure
rejoined, in a tone of cold civility,
athigioodt hismorLuoinrdgs,haipm.twhaeas,t.itl:
coarse, at liberty to act lit he, thought proper; whereupon
speedily known to. all the English
,the right of a't'ilnoetrerroatitteoicerpededreietedaa-t
ehLordf
to,This
ta:l
the palace.
yprinoino n es altercation,i
beings h tsl,lvi
its ve
hiw Excellencya
s a
t)
then at the palace, gave rift to a goad deal' of debate among
dines on an official orschctsoostilloni:lo,hhapviserwteihliesihrenint.drhpeoorinenweeinasthdeTetoiLoontkulealaictfrtuni:tpiferFureiiymo.ef
eCoNnotni''t tioi,nugbwt;hheleino;i:iieußompanied with the investment of actual au-
thority there. When the Duke of Wellington, I.ordClasuarty,
and Lord Castlereagh as British Minister of Foreign Affairs, went
tthoethAeuCstoriiiagnressc oofurNtlenbnayial,.
the
ethueryzt
nwoeisrhe formally
rj"Tknthr: CceoruertmOnwyhoof 1n
nhe audience I must reserve for My nut
pit per.

• The !Total of thepritish Ecubalkay at Constantinople i 4 a° called,

Blackwood's Magazine is more than usually serious thin
month, with less than its accustomed variety' of subject,
The article on Greece, howeVer, is strong and eloquent,
vehement kiguiiht the Turk (who, with the 'faults, has at
imist the splendid virtues of the barbarian—honour, libe-
al'iYhospitality, cottrage)—and scarcely. doing justices
rfrottnits-deSperete partiality, to,the, cause it professes to