Weekly national intelligencer. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1841-1869, 1853-06-18


eating tigers the frantic elephants the sulen brutal
bufaloes the impeuous wild boars not to mention the
tremendous boa constructors of the Oriental unges which
are the chosen and worthy foes Of Mansfield and his band
Of joyial hunters
Major Campbell has sojourned long in india has seen
service and done good duty as soldier and Isl what IS
more the present purpose, an approved and noted
sportsman in the Presidency Of Madras, wherein is laid
the scene Of the wild adventures and scapes
which form the principal attractions Of this enchanting
volume.
It.may be thought that after Gordon Cummings aston
ishng South African sports and the nnumercbe
slaughers Of elephants and hppopotami by herds lions
by packs spring books and bes books and wildebeess
by myrads therein recounted the Of sporting works
might be deemed filed up 10 repetion and the destruc
tive propenstes of the nsatse of readers satisfied
by the forest bucheres of this mghtiest of modern
Nimrods.
There is however, in truth resemblance VIII ateyer
between the two works in plan in design, in fill out
in arrangement much less in spirit toIe sentiment
The work of Cumming is the plain, INV arnished
straightforward narrative Of sporting adventures perhaps
the extraordinary that befe civilized chris
tan sportsman the least extraordinary part of the
whole affair being the fact that gentleman of birth and
breeding should submit the privatiols not to say
sers Of such life for three precious years OF time
spent among society envabe than that OF Bush
men, Hottentots Beers and Cares with no other motive
than that of Staying, should imagine not 10 safety
only, but to surfeit and disgust.
We do not intend TO dispsrage the work Of Mr.. Cum
ming: it is not book be dsparaged for it Is, we
doubt not truthful and vigorous rescript of genuine
hunters journa-blunty and roughly blocked out and
written without much regard style effort at the
beshment redoent Of the odor of the camp and giving
somewhat the impression of having been written with
ramrod and diluted gunpowder, instead of the more ac
customed implements of pen and ink In Cummings
book there is little description Of scenery except merely
ncdental attempt at deineation OF characters very
little of real personal perlous adventure, II except
the day with on, the most exciting thing in the
volume for strange say in dealing death to all these
millions of demdevs there to have been little
no risk scarcely enough keep up the excitement
and absolutely not word Of romance
The interest of Cummings book rests wholly on the
facts not on the mode Of relating them the prodi
gousness of the saughers and their strange bloody and
butehery details-so appalling to appear to many
mere Munchausensm out-Munchausened. But this is
not 50. Beyond a doubt Gordon Cummings book is
truthful in the main the prodgious incredbleness
OF Of his tales is proof sufficient Of their absolute
truth. No living dares have invented such lies.
STILL though and others deemed the book curiosity,
revelation Of things heretofore undreamed Of one,
gne could have read it with pleasure much of
ii without actual pain and disgust-the logging oxen
half to death with rhinoceros-hide knoMs the firing
whole broadsdes Of bullets into unoeHdng unresstiug
bleeding weeping cameleopards the protracted tortur
ngs Of that nobes and human Of the brute creation
the hafreasoning elephant, repeated 9ae ad nauseam
positively sickening, if heartrending The book
though clever readable truthful curious and addition
science, is disagreeab!e. We conceive
reading il at all Ten pages one would imagine, would
satisfy the decided boomer that camored for
permission do manservice The best say of it
is . lis true, It's pity pity It's It's true" Yet fact
tells is read and read byits tens Of thousands of
all classes.
To all this Major Campbelrs volume IS the very anti
podes The story the the chivalry, senti-
ment is every hinga is in the Of producing
the The Old Forest Ranger is the arstica pro-
duetion Of person least able with his pen with
his war-weapons
The individual adventures not pretended to have
occurred as they are related they only assumed to
he rraiscmlLrlt and might have happened such
party is described and such as form other,
did occur at some time parties, is proved by
reference to the authors and his brothers private jour
nails In the Old rangers narratives scenery and
the beauties Of described with taste enthu-
siasm, and the picturesque effect.
The instincts habits and pecularites Of the various
animals described skfuy distinguished wildly de-
truly artistic vgor.
Individual characters neatly and graphically touch
ed of National Of strange uneivized tribes Of
the savage Pagans Of the Eastern forests Of the poyga
Todahs, among whom, reversing the law Of the Ko
ran each wife has many husbands Of the intolerant
Mahometans Of the voluptuous Brahmins distinct
ly and effectively delneated
Contrasts Of all kinds abound the uxuries Of the Euro
pean continent the rehnements Of civilized e and the
Witcheres Of English beauty stand side by 81 with the
wild battue in the orange valley and the bloody bearfgh
From the comforts Of the hunters camp, with its brown
launches and gamecures, its cool carets and strong
coffee its wax lights and hookha its howdahed elephants
and patient cames and troops Of salaamng natives
change in the twinkng Of eye to the fierce charge Of
the maneating gress, TO the trumpetng Of the ufurate
ungeelephant 10 the hair-breadh escape Of old Lori
mer the rescue Of the redoubtable Macphee
Nothing in its way be better managed than the
whole work From the thread Of neatly interviewer love
story the jokes and absurdes Of the Scotch doctor
from the bits Of sentiment such the death Of the GAL
liant Arab challenger to the fercest tusse with wild
beasts, every thing is well done, nothing IS oyerdone
1t is book for the sportsman than for a man
Of letters the stess lounger, the delicate beauty
All will find something to amuse, to interest and if they
will, TO instruct.
THE SNAKE AND THE CROCODILE.