The Sun.
London, England, 1842-09-02 00:00:00

THE GREAT WESTERN' MAGAZINE.

The whole of this Number is occupied by a series
of two•and-twenty letters on the correlative position
of the United States and England. The mutual inte-
rests of the two countries are discussed with freedom,
and not unfrequently with ability, as regards their
credit, commerce, and political relations. The writer,
who is an American, endeavours to remove many in-
ternational prejudices, which at present interfere with
and mar mutual confidence.

BRITISH FRIEND OF INDIA MAGAZINE.

"The War in China" presents a resume of the
British operations, both naval and military, which
have accompanied the proceedings on those shores.
A paper on the " Commerce of Bengal" gives some
valuable returns on that score, not elsewhero to be
met with : each of them respectively show a vast in-
crease during the last five years. As exhibiting,
however, a sad lack of requirement of intellectual
food, the returns show that while there is imported
brandy to the extent of about five lacs and a half,
only three lacs of rupees worth of books and pamphlets
are received from Europe. An interesting myll ey of
other articles on the affairs of India makes up a
very readable Number.

THE CHURCHMAN. Painter.
A paper treating on the late insurrectionary move-
ment among the working classes, attempts to investi-
gate the causes of this fifteen days' strike, but of
course finds no ultimate solution of the question.
" The Queens of France" furnish a recapitulation of
the unhappy lives or fates of those born to the cares
of Royalty. " College Life in France" commences
an account of the insurrection of the Breton College
boys against the " Catechism of the Empire" ordered
to observed by Napoleon. A proposal appears
among the correspondence for an Hospital or College
for Superannuated Clergymen.

FISHER'S earoNIAL• MAGAZINE.
The recent defeat of the British troops at Port
Natal, renders a notice of that South African settle-
ment of interest at the present moment. Details
show that it possesses great advantages for agricul-
ture and commerce, and evidence appears to show
that the native black proprietors have never shown
themselves hostile to the trade and establishments of
the whites. " A Tour through Egypt awl the Delta"
has some entertaining notes on the ancient Bubastis.
" An Account of Hang-Chow-foo," one of the lead-
ing. cities of the Chinese empire, derives interest from
the fact, that our troops have probably made their
march upon it from Ningpo before this, and that the
next mail may bring some important news respecting
this olden capital of Southern China.

LITERATURE.
RUSSIA AND THE RUSSIANS IN 1E42.
Vol. I. Colburn, London, 1842.
. We have read many descriptions of St. Peters-
burgh within the last four years, but none so copious
and circumstantial as those contained in this volume,
which is the production or M. Kohl, and forms the
first portion of an elaborate work on the present
social and political condition of Russia. The author,
Who resided for a considerable time in that conntry,
appears—so far as we can venture to form an opinion
—to have discussed his subject in a spirit of perfect
impartiality, and is certainly anything btit superficial
in his accounts. He describes, not merely the exter-
nal aspects of St. Pctersburgh—its streets, palaces,
quays, shops, promenades, &c. ; but gives us an insight
into the domestic habits and manners of its inha-
bitants, such as could only have been gained by one
who had been admitted, as it were, behind the scenes.
As regards the site of the Russian capital, he tells us
that not a city in the world stands on more dangerous'
ground, 'for if a violent west wind should take place
in. the spring, simultaneously with the highest tides
and the breaking of the ice, all its fortresses and
l' aces would be demolished, and the entire capital
perish in the floods. This reflection, he adds, wrings
the heart of many an inhabitant of St. Petersburg!),
their only hope resting on the iinprobability that
those three requisites for the certain accomplishment
of their destruction—the breaking up of the ice, high
tides, and a violent west Wind—will ever occur con-
jointly. As for partial inundations, these, it seems,
are of frequent occurrence in the capital, and in many
parts arc so frequent and sudden, that companies, on
breaking up. at night, if the wind has meanwhile
shifted, find the streets overflowed, and are unable, in
consequence, to return to their homes. We subjoin
some interesting particulars respecting the great flood
which took place in November, 1824 :

. -
The water rose quite gently and innocently, as it does
in all inundations at Petersburgh, since they cannot pro-
ceed from accidents ; and many people in remote parts
of the city, not hearing the alarm-guns, and suspecting
no harm, wondered to see the bright water glistening in
the streets. Thousands did not suspend their occupa-
tions on account of it, but drove and waded through ; and
hundreds forfeited their lives for their simplicity. Pro-
pelled by a most furious west wind, the water continued
to rise, and at length rushed through the streets with
such force as to carry away carts and equipages, pour-
ing through doors and windows into the ground floors of
houses, and rising in thick columns through the open-
ings of drains. The distress was greatest in Basilius
Eland, and the Petersburgh side. on which latter island
many people of the lower class live in small and ht• no
means solid houses. Many a wooden building was lifted
gently and without injury from the ground by the
water, and floated about in the streets with all its inha-
bitants. Carriages, whose passengers and drivers had
climbed to elevations above the reach of the water, and
the poor horses of which, unable to move freely on ac-
count of the harness, mostly perished miserably, col-
lected by dozens in the courtyards. Alt the trees IR the
public places were as full of people as they are at other
times of sparrows. Towards night the water had risen
so high and the wind become so violent, •that there was
reason to fear every moment that the men of war might
he driven from their moorings and:dash in among the
houses. The evil was more mischievous; because no-