The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1843-11-14 00:00:00

Edinburgh and

ains so many artic

[es of in-

terest and novelty, that though we took it up with a view
to a passing glance, we were insensibly led on from page
to page, until we had nearly perused the entire book,—

gratification, but (and we cannot bestov'v a
higher compliment) to the sacrifice of a much greater
portion of our editorial time than we had by any means
bargained for. We have, imprinzis, No. lof " Adven-
tures in Texas—A Scamper in the Prairie of Jacinto,"
a most interesting narrative of a youthful novice, who
had lost his way, and nearly his life, in pursuit of his
runaway mustang (or wild horse), in one of those bound-
less and unpeopled levels peculiar to that extraordinary
country

much to our

a prairie, enamelled with the most beautiful
herbs and flowers, and the monotony of which is here
and there broken only by immense clumps of forest trees
of the most beautiful foliage and blossom, called
" islands " ; frequently presenting, in the rays of the
sun, the appearance in reality of the isles of gold and
silver in fairy legends. Our adventurer's sufferings
from hunger, exhaustion, and the apprehension of never
again reaching a human abode, are feelingly and inte-
restingly described ; and he has so won upon our affec-
tions, that we look with considerable anxiety for the
final result of his search for the tract of land which he
had purchased from a speculating company, who had

field out go
No. 2 of th

den promises probably- never to be realised.
" Travels of Kerim Khan," in this country,

and often quaint and satirical, entertained by a native of
the East, of the customs, manners, &c. of the distinguee
of our metropolis. His description of the Lord Mayor's
dinner, at which he was present, is highly graphic and
amusing. We have next No. 1 of " The Banking
House," a matrimonial tale, in which the author incul-
cates, in a pleasing form, a high Christian and moral
principle. " The Wrongs of Women" is a fair speci-
men of light and playful reading, with a spice of scho-
lastic lore. " Marston, or the Memoirs of a States-
man," (part 5,) in continuation of the personal narra-

Live, proceeds with increasing interest, embracing the
most interesting passages in the early stages of the
French revolution. The dreadful events of the day
gave the deathblow to the mighty monarchy of
is pourtrayed in colours so painfully
as to leave us fully assured that the

the Bourbons
true and affect

author witnessed what he so feelingly describes. The
next article embraces a succinct history of the beautiful
Ceylon—the past barbarities of its native princes and
people, and its improvements and brightening future
prospects, under our oriental government. The writer,
after stating that the island is, by natural adaptation,
fertility, and climate, the very gem of our Indian pos-
sessions, thus concludes :—" Ceylon will he born again ;
in our hands she will first answer to the great summons
of nature ; and will become, in fact, what by Providen-
tial destiny she is—the queen lotus of the Indian seas,
and the Pandora of islands." Under the head " Com-
mercial Policy," appears an able statistical and artzu-

ntative article, in refutation of the assumptive doc-
trines of Mr. Cobden and the anti-colonial faction ;
showing the superior comparative value, in every sense

e, manufacturing, individual, and national—
of our colonial over our foreign trade ' • yet advocating
the encouragement of both in mutual, advising that
each should contribute to the welfare of the other, and
lvance the glory and prosperity of the common
" But perhaps the best article in the number
in point of national importance is the last—" On the best
means of Commercial Intercourse between the Atlantic
and Pacific Oceans." This of course refers to the re-
cently promulgated project of the French to construct a
ship canal across the isthmus of Panama. The remarks
of the writer are valuable, from his apparent long study
of the subject, and his personal observation on the spot.
We have not space, however, to notice them at length,
but shall probably recur to a subject which since 1699
has from time to time engaged the attention of this and
other European countries, and the discussion of which,

—mercanti

country

in this age of improved civil engineering, now gives
promise of being brought to a successful result. Our

author does not deny the practicability of a ship canal ;
but is strongly in favour of a railroad in the first instance
as a preparatory step, particularly as a valley or gap in
the chain of the Andes mountains has by recent survey
been found, by which the level could be carried at a
small expense—the same uniting the waters of the Rios
Chagre and Trinidad, and the trip from sea to sea not
taking more than from six to eight hours. He suggests
that the several maritime and commercial nations should
first join in the project in a friendly manner, " so as to
secure for themselves a safe and permanent transit for
the benefit of all." We foresee some difficulties in this,
and, though not selfish, would prefer England with her
ample means to do the work, and exact a modera4.e toll
from the vessels of other nations ; but we shall, in re-
ig to the topic, be enabled to submit a more matured
11100

vertin

We concur with him, that our government
evince a strange apathy on the subject.—There is not a
single line of poetry in the present number.