Weekly national intelligencer. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1841-1869, 1854-06-24
NOTES ON NEW BOOKS.


LIFE IN ABrssA icing Notes collected during Three Years.
Residence and 7rarss in that Country. by MAssTIKLp
PARKySs. vols. New York: D. APPLETON s Co., 1854.
Here are two volumes over which RoBT. SorTHEY
in his best days would have gloated with oil the
avidity OF literary epicure and doubt very much
whether, with all his travelled lore" ii often fell TO
his lot to peruse more racy and piquant narrative
than that OF Mr.. MANSFIELD PARKYYs, an adyen-
turous Engislman who would seem to have been
born veteran traveller, which, TO say the least is
quite as natural as to be born pous like Madame
De Genlis, or "veteran democrat" like dis
tinguished American statesman. Mr.. Parkyns is a
genuine gd9dmando, a sort of naturalized savage,
who, having become disguised with civilized life,
sought refuge from its cheats and shams in region
which "the pngress has not yet reached
We would MT like to say that the work has all
the interest Of romance for the genial author
sures that ifhs book has any merit it is that he
/" believes mos, Of ii to be true" We believe cer-
tain privileges not approved by Mrs Opie are gen.
orally coladsd to all travellers, and indeed it
must be confessed that the writer's Of books Of tra
ves and OF army bulletins are class, under Pc
culiar temptations to fb it like so many Cretans.
Whether Mr.. Parkyns has been successful in resist
ing this penchan: Of the yoyagng fraternity we have
no means Of Judging very accurately but If, as the
French proverb declares, he is bon n,eeur qua "a
de lotn, Mr.. Parkyns has certainly shown wonder
full degree Of sefdenia if hapy he has not ayailed
himself of his rare advantages to practice now and
then on our credulity.
Truth, we know, is sometimes stranger than fc-
ton, and that too not only for Byron's reason-be
cause there is less of it-insomuch that we judge
Mr. Parkyns is quite correct in saying that stayat-
home critics generally hit upon true stories to pick
to pieces, and make point of believing the credible
lies, much after the manner as he himself illustrates,
of the old woman and her sailor grandson. Jack
was relating how he had gone by the overland passage to
join the ship, then in China. Well, and what did you
see by the way I" asks granny. "why, we saw flying
fish in the Mediterranean what. fish with wings ~
Yes; and some Of them, flying away from the dophns
fell decks" "Ah! Jack see you've learned no
good with all your travels, back and make game
of your poor old grandmother Who in their would
believe that sh could hy:" Jack, finding that his
truth passed for lie thought he would the
order Of things uit to whether lie might not be
counted truth So when in the Of his story, he
said that he had been at Suez and the spot where the
children of Israel crossed the Red Sea in their from
Egypt, she asked him, swell, and what did you see
there - g OH wesaw lot of Pharaohs charotwheels
some of which in very handy for repairing the pad
dies of our steamer. Perhaps you don't believe that
granny" "Of course do " said she :" how can help
believing what is in the Bible:"
We cheerfuly accord Mr. Parkyns oil the benefit Of
this anecdote His narrative has carried among scenes
and characters with which too little famiarized
to enable to judge how much he is superior in veracy
to certain of bis countrymen and countrywom like
wise, who have made own unhappy land the theatre
of their peregnations. And he to have found
the Abyssnians much agreeable and interesting
people than good fortune to appear in the eyes
of Capt. Easil Hall and Mrs Trolope we may at least
rest satisfied that if traveller has made any slips
the pen here and there he has always done with the
best possible intention that of magnng the excelences
of his warm-hearted friends in Tgre and in Abyssina
generally II: r".
In order that our readers may form idea of Mr..
Parkyns's ferce quality" traveller let US snatch
hasy glance at his portraiture of life and manners in
Abyssinia. When travelling during "krumpt,' or
rainy season. these febre districts of Africa, it
was his wont bvouack by night between two fires which
plan he u.s. though not very agreeable in that hot
and swery climate until you get used to it, is capital
preventive of disease AS these fires intended to
counteract the cooling Of the atmosphere, by which
heavy dew generated most preudical to health 1t be-
came necessary traveller to lie in such close prox
unity to them that he obliged to cover himself with
piece of hide or coarse native weoen cloth to prevent
the sparks or embers which might fly out setting fire
his cotton clothes Smoking is also spoken Of good
preservative against the miasmatic exhalations of the
country the homeopathic principle we suppose, sa
sinli5us eaatur The natives of the low districts in
Abyssinia nveerate smokers it seems, and the
niggers of the White Nile, both men and women ac-
cording to Mr. Parkyns without pipe in their
mouth some of which (the pipes we mean) would con-
tain pound of tobacco We not responsible for the
above orthography of the term negro Mr. Parkyns, hay
ing become Abyssinan than English, exhibits q
most profound contempt for the institutes of polite and
civilized lexicography)
Most people, says Afrcanized hero hold the
day sun in great dread but for his part saamandrous
is his nature he while in Africa retired into the
shade avoid the most perpendicular rays of that torrd
umnary and for four years. he he never
any covering his head except the rather scanty allow
ance of hair with which nature had supplied him, only
occasionally adding little butter for the purpose
of ornament imagine than any thing else butter,
seems the sole pomatum known in Abyssinia Dur
ing the whole Of this time Mr.. Parkyns never had o
headache
Ones appetite Is never very keen should Judge in
those hot climates, and accordingly learn that there
are good cooks in Abyssina, while the tap of the
most inferior quality Like Horace in his famed Brundsan
Journey tAe African tourist is therefore compelled to de-
clare against the belly but this semstarvation, so
FAR from being the hardship which travellers have
represented is according to Mr. Parkyns, one of the
gresest possible blessings Of course, lie adds, man
who cares straw about what he eats should never at
tempt travel in Africa. The digestive of Af
tourist should be constructed the principle of the
d lx~Iot Joaa Such