Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1854-10-31
LIT T. IL 4 IL y

LITERARY
rHE Cruise OF THE Steam YACHT NORTH STAR
BY REV. JoHy OvERrox CMorLrs, ID. D.
GOULD e. LINCOLN, BosroS.--R Received from MI
Woodhousc.]
This is a narrative of q most delightful e1cursl"
10 England, Russia, Denmark, France, SPAN, ltaiy
Malta, Turkey, Madeira. &c, made by the la"h
North Star, belonging to Mr.. Vanderbilt. The sly!
is particularly genial and attractive: the incidents re
lated bv the Reverend author and his dcscriptloh U
Foreign lands have Il quiet beauty without; ole ''nc'
of narrowness or prejudice. The production Ii vii"
we might expect from n mind full of Godiy serenit
and unegotistical simplicity. The arrival OF tn
North Star in England was au event which caiie'
on; the attention Of the public press all over the King
dom. The London daily papers contained nunier"u
descriptions of the ship and various articles upon he
proprietor and his undertaking.. II could not be other
wise than a matter OF pride anu qualification to Amer
leans that q private individual had thus shown thu
mechanical skill and ability Of our country TO alnos
every nation in Europe. Mr.. Vanderbilt has cause Il
congratulate himself upon the success Of lls eXcur
sion. and on his good fortune III meeting 80 many
harmonious elements in the persons OF his eomP"S'
NCHN ne t"y"-''
FREAKS OF FORTUNE: Ry j. 4. JONES. P"6tshc"
By Peterson, Ph,ladelpL!a. iEcccivci from MIR
Woodliouse.
The scene of this new tale is laid in Philndript!ia.-
There il an admirable combination Of humor and pa
,hos in the narrative, and the sketches Of some Of the
characters, clerical, political, legal, and mercantile
are particularly :ine. The book is well worth peru
sing. We deem it the best which liz popular author
has yet produced.
From the Home Journal
TRIP TO CALIFORNIA.
10 had a pretty hard time crossing the country.
from the time he len ST. Louis, in Nav. mntilhc reach
ed San Francisco. in III" May t"ll"wIn |! II was
no; one :..iirs IL w1s another; ~ one time he was at
tackled by a party Of PGwnces, and came. very near
being killed; a, another by a fray bear. who liked To
have put an end Ia his lie. Again, he WINS near be-
in. burnt up by a fire in tn" pra!rics. very judlclonslr
kindled by tho Indians. He escaped all three, and
was alive a, the end Of h- journey. to tell the story
oi his troubles. He used to describe the attack oi
the bear. He was sitting very quietly down, being
tired after % long days march. when something came
behind him and took hold "t his shoulders. He turn
ed round. thinking i; was HIS companion trying Ia
frighteu - by way OF h Joke. 1t was no joke, how
ever; il was u pretty serious matter, to he ut the llcr'
Cy of d great beast, who could Ill an instant close hlT
paws, and where would he be then! He might as
we'll submit ut once 10 his fate. But there was Il
CLEAN of hope: he had heard that hears would never
touch a dead man; in all instant he was on the ground
not moving Il muscle. He heard the bear moving
about him, and felt the touch of his paws: but he did
no. attempt any injury. 10 afterwards laughed al
the want nj sense in the bear. a. another time, he
was taken by the Pawnccs. The chief determined
that he must marry Il wife or else die; Il
WIS Scvlla or Charybd;s. 10 did not like either;
he determined 10 slip away when they were all asleep
Night after night NJ waited patiently; he Away
found, however, some one awake; j. was either acci'
dental or by design; they, no doubt, had an indistl'c'
idea If his intentions; h. never could got u chance 81
escape: so he determined to wait with patience. IL,
was Obliged 10 lnarry; he took Sunbeam Breaklne
Through q Cloud: her father, the old CHIEF, SAID ht
knew human nature-that 10 would not run away,
A. his opinion was law, the whole tribe agreed VIII
tim; nobody thought ii WAS necessary 10 wa'ch ,n'
prisoners motions. But. as often happens III tM'
world, the whole party, chief and all, were OUT II
their calculations; for, one fine morning, 10 inc u'ie'
establishment Of everybody, 10 was nowhere to be
found-hc had disappeared III the night ana ieil III
tGac".
MS DIFFICULTIES AFTER HIS ESCAPE.
He knew they would be after him; youmny he SURF
h" was pretty ~circumspecl; he would iio'' II p"7Slnle
get into another trouble. Ii Is strange some people
SEEMED destined 10 i'll luck; they escape one evil ant
immediately fall into another. In consequence OF be
Ing captured by the PRwnees, he declared ne ~"ul'
have nothing 10 do with any OF tho Indian tribes. az
was Il gentleman Of impulse; his impulse was 10 Gu
the Indians entirely: he followed his impulse. In s"
in. from the Pawnccs into California. the traveilc
usually passes through several tribes. 10 very dc
ciGedl: resolved 10 take Il new course; he dcteriiiiic'
10 reach California By Il short cut across the noun
tHiaS. Now nothing is more dangerous thaii a shor
cat; a short cut to fortune too often ends in q short Gu
Ia poverty; and short cuts To knowledge, III snort cut
I" ignorance ind confusion. The best way is nStlaH.
the long way-thc way approved by the experienced
and the sensible OF society. Had 10 followed this, h
would have probably met with little trouble nm
reached California III Il reasonable time on
lac endured much suffering, and reached Call
tnrnia III NJ unreasonable time. WY wa
this he did not perceive consequences; he perceive,
but did n; feel them; he did not feel them with sue
force us Ia produce action: Ia produce action, thcr
mus; 5c a deep sense of consequences, Just rs tlcr
must Le III the SINNER an alarming sens" oil srn To brln
hun I" the right course. There was no feeling OF thi
kind in 10; he saw what might arise h
would risk the consequences he would tax
the moum,aiN track and taco the devil. And il wa
facing tie devil. There was every reason I" look fl
difficulty. In the first place, il WAS the wrong tim
OF Year IpeCcmber,l 10 venture on the mountains
Everybody knows what the Rocky Mountains are
the ino>' dangerous places, especially ut certain ser
Sons -, the YEAR, WHEN the SHOW may be looked Tor
New this WAS the very judlcious time 10 WAS ahul
TO take the journey Ia avoid tho Indian tribes
they were his great terror, because he had suticrc
from them. lie had never suffered from the moui
tains he would risk all they could infct, because b
had actually never suffered their infections. llo
often we are guilty OF similar folly, lie determine
OH his mad course; all the dis>audrrs in the worl
would not nave stopped him. There was difficulty
setting our tncIe NIS uchN nl u fortnight on III
pia,ns-hc could not command the strength, he was
weakened by q fever. This delay ought Ia have Doe
considered a bad omen he should have instant,
when he found he could not reach the high region
soon as he expected, have Just gwen up all though
Of the expedition, and said, If | cNuil have bogu
the Journey al the time | intended IT, 1t would ha,
been reasonable now il is not; l shah step, lhi
however. be did no: say. Go Oh. z" ON: IL" crIe
in his folly. lIe went on. There was little lnped
nent at first; his first weeks walk was p!easa,
cuou ,h-every,hing went on beautifully the scc"!
week much the same; 4; the end OF the third, !
came To The foot of the mountain: Ac-c there WI
some iard work there was contention with thori
and orlars, aud sliarp rocks and slippery, which II WI
pretty paiutai 10 get over they werc al overcome
there wGs caa!;h':ou ~ the thought ut the worst h
IN" past. Ba: II ls always unwise 10 conSraiuii1
ourselves too soon. From the Very moment Of col
graduation, new trouble, began, 10 felt the cold Il
when bosihning to ascend The mruM,ain; he natara
~ concluded Ii would be colder hut the terrible COLI
Hess that afterwards came, he hul 10 idea Of-evcr
hour, as he proceeded upwards, il grew colder IN
colder. 1t began " snow; every hour the snow hi
came deeper and deeper; 4, Inst. Inc could scarce NOV
one lcS before the other, 70 weak was he by eXertiou, an
sodeep was the ~snuw-ahont three feet II WAS impo,
s.bl, 10 20 on; it was almost impossible 10 20 back Il,
s,ruc,ion stared him in the face; 10 be left To peris
or the top OF the Rocky Mountalns-to G" 4
n,any IL one had gone before ltni-and al through Ii
own madness i'll attempting 10 cross them at such
t.n,c II was no time for regret, il was time for actor
wAa; should h. do he could not remain all night
III" snow he might be- buried. He decided on a tree
be WAS Immediately furious to secure q piece lii III
branches. "Unce there, l shall" be thought, "bs OF
of immediate danger" Alas! il proved no great ~
yior after all he had scarce strength enough left fc
climbing; several times his limbs refused 20 help him
III last, II vigorous excrtion overceInc all o1stscies-