The daily union. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1845-1857, 1846-11-11

"Etchings of Whaling Cruise, with Notes Of
Soiourn on the Island Of Zanzibar. To which is
appended brief history Of the whaling fishery, its
past and present condition, by J. Ross Browne. IL
Illustrated with numerous engravings on steel and
wood: New York, Harper q Brothers, 1876"
We have seldom read more interesting volume
than this, from the pen of our young felow-ctzen.
He has chosen an admirable heme-a theme re-
plete with novel incident and spir-slirring adven-
,ure, while it has afforded him an opportunity to
make Impressions on the minds of the philanthropc,
which must do much towards bringing about an
amelioration Of the condition of the useful and
numerous class of persons employed as seamen
in the American whale fishery. This appears to
be the object Of the book, which is as well cal
cuated to work out its object as that Of Dana to
produce the late remarkable revolution in the cond
ton Of sailors engaged in the merchant service
proper Of the United States.
The authors narrative Of his whaling cruise, be-
sides teemng with adventure--which makes it all
bu, as exciting as "Rileys Narrative" that every
body has reads told in language concise and
piuuan that the reader be made Of stuf
than ourself not to his ship jokes, and SYM
pathize in the sufIerings of his shipmates. His hui
nor is as effective his pathos; and his descriptive
powers exercised on such men and such things as
form the subiect-matter Of the book, together mark
him for writer destined to fame if he should fol-
low up this excellent first effort
The book embraces (by way of appendix) sta
tstical history of the whale fishery, evidently
piled with great care and labor, and affording, in
comparatively small compass, more useful informa-
ton upon this now 30 important trade, than is to
be found in any other single work on the subject.
He also presents a sketch of men and things in
the island Of Zanzibar, the seaport Of which is the
capital Of the Imaum ofMusca who has of late be-
come quite famous on this side of the Atlantic.
One of the chief merits of this book (and it pos
sesses many is the total absence of the too common
error of young Notwithstanding after effect. He
writes, indeed as though but anxious to spread
FACTS before the world; and to this evident design
may be attributed his excellent success in making
a readable book-a book to satisfy the million, who
read to acquire useful and entertaining information
We have seen it objected to this volume that its
Jokes are too Yet critics raising such objec-
tons to the book in question have forgotten to sug
ges how plain and faithful narrative of forecastle
life, in any service, can be written without embra-
cling "saor's yarns" and illusions to their "larks"
which the world know are delicate as the jour
despril and amusements of refined society on shore
Tous, the point ofthe book is great recommends
ton. The author is evidently bent on awakening
public opinion to the necessity Of reforms In the now
common method Of prosecuting the whale fishery.
To do this, he has grouped facts from the journal of
his voyage in so strong light that the reader, on
laying down the volume, can hardly refrain from
acknowledging that if the incidents Of this journal
be real, land we must suppose they arc,) the hor-
rors of the whale ship are well-nigh akin to
those of the slave ship. His description Of the
lashing. the starving, the over-working, and the
cheating of his felow-,eamen, il strkes ~, will
be more than sufficient to excite he good people
who dwell in the region from whence American
whalemep are principally sent forth, to ameliorato
the condition of that large and worthy class of citi
zens by whose energy and usefulness this important
branch of our national industry Is prosecuted.
In conclusion we heartily recommend this work
to all who read either for information or amusement;
and take occasion to say, that we have seldom met
volume embracing more to interest the lover Of
genuine fun, the seeker after knowledge, and the
philonthropist