New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1855-12-11
NEW PUBLICATIONS

TIE PRISON OF wELTyvREDgv By wALrER NJ
G1Bsos. l21o, PIP +e4 ). O. RitsL
The adventures Of Mr.. Gibson in the East IadiAn
Archipelago are matters OF general notorety'
While performing trip Of pleasure AID curiosity
in those waters he fell under suspic on Of treason
able practices, was arrested by the off ;sls oil the
Dutch Government, and thrown into the prison OF
weltevreden in the Island Of Java, from when,
after detention Of fifteen months, he succeeded
in making his escape. In this volume ne MS
thrown the record of bis experience into the torn
of q romance, embellishing the incidents OF ms
eventful history with the gsyest colors OF the
;mapipation This, we think, is a decided error Oh
iudement The facts which be describes are 30
strange and startling in themselves, that many
readers would regard them az fabulous, even II
presented in narrative as simple as that OF Rob-
insoe Crusoe, but when clothed in costume that
would seem to be borrowed partly from Herman
Melville and partly from Ossan, they have per-
picking air of unreality ill-adapted to awaken
the confidence of the reader. We do not call In
question the accuracy Of Mr.. Gibson's general
statements-we believe that they are founded on
satisfactory eyidence-nor do we underrate the
ipportar ce of his researches and discoveries but
only regret that they should be presented to the
public in such shape Is to make them read like
an eusion of fancy instead Of narrative of facts
For example, wishing to inferm us tina. he made
bis escape from prison in vessel that had been
wrecked on the Java shore, Mr. Gibson discourses
in the following rbapsodical strain:
Ga far evening, i the Java Sea- en- board of one
OF An etica's lar, ard feeest clippsr hJmeward
bound from China, ledy seated on the quarter
deck, leaning u, on the tssla0t rail, and gazing
earnestly upward at The starry splendors of lovely
Indian tky.
Ste eazed with quiet JOY upon the stars, and some
fsibt ing tsts of rich ropic sun Ell a. gentle
uumur of the waters riopDg by tue ships sides,
made soothing melody to her soul yet was she ssd in
her Ievery
Though each breath Of air waited that ship on it's
way to Der IatiVe land and home-to the loved ones
around the old homes hearth ye, there was a pain
fai yep OF space. weay lapse of time 10 pass away
She YVES feeble In fealhi and there were causes
more besides to make the voy age u and pleasing;
aid to mai the long time that Yet to psss away
lcok still lor6er. she onged as only prisoner and
lonely passenger a. sea can long, for coDpan-
oDsfip to help chase away the dr. airy solitude of that
quarter deck.
The lacy siPbs and thinks Of home, feeling thst
there alone, and not till seated there she hope for
any swer TO her souls want aud she signs, mo- that
it should be tbus but t. at bone is 30 far off, t1a hre
are three or ore weary months 10 pass away before
lock to brig hen with sOme cheer the long, long days
that US. be lived through board that cherries chip.
She sees no hand of Providence leading tnst snip,
as it silently wings ts way on that uprofed sea, be-
nea'h that calm starry sky of the Indian Archipelago
She only those twin islts, the 1.-TWO Brothers.
and little way off The "Watcher,' which seems In
some way typical Of herself and her hearts loDgiDgs
and though the gees it not, those longipgs arise from
some sympathy with The near approach OF the work
ipgs of that Hand which was l. adog that ship on
pathway Oh which ship bad never gone be ore
The great clipper glii's onward through the Phos
pborestent aters amid the ceepeDiDg shades Of sht
Her officers pace her decks in confident security, add
the woo Is parsed that all is well. Toey have looked
al the charts and think their pathway clear they see
10 hidden rocks, Dor reefs nor shoals in the course
they would pursue for the nigh. There were some
coral lodges marked dosn, which their observations
placed about three miles off their cardboard bow
but their place Oh the chart was wrong.
of cheer to this soil ude, Is h re the long track of
waters before me- What bope,-there is a re-
bound and quiverDg shock felt tbrous bout the ship:
there is Gull, grating sound risins up. from the
waers benea h The bows and see the confused hurry
Of officers and men, as they cry aground aground!
we're aground"
Ire clip had struck on Brewers Shoals.
On the morning Of the 2sth April 1853, the Palmer,
a large American chip was 10 be seen leaving the
roadstesd Of Batavia, with all her canvas spread TO
catch the soft land breeze, that came in aromatic Fafs
from off the Java shore.
Her commapo or crew and passengers were all on
deck king toward the port they were leavog with
gaze Of intense anxiety. Two long twese'Podnder
CANTON Wee run out for ste'n chase, and stout,
rugt edlt okng were standing by with hands
already blacsened with pc vder aud there we're other
signs which would TO show alta Of war, or the
attack OF some hostile sesrover. Butt Is netoer war
prt that is the Gauss OF this ships warlike trim.
There is man on board for whom his anxiety lie
shown; for whom these guns ave pointed. He has
just come up fom out of the sb hold, where be has
been lying hid for come time. He looks very pale,
bleacbed by long, unchangng stay within condoiog
walls; and this pallor contrasts strangely with thcx,
black hair on his head, and long, unsixhty black hair
on his lips; but this is not his own; his lighter
bair peers from beneath, and his strengthening, i'll
fitting garments do not seem to have bean made for his
peron.
euised costume and countenance, and his anxious,
hunted LOOK, tina. be was fugitive; aud 1t wou be
no ess easy to Judge from the stir on board around
him, al the lookout toward Java, that he had jus.
escaped from that island and the people on bard
were expec ing pursuit, and STOOL ready 10 beat OIL
all attemp; TO retake tim
The land breeze now freshens up, AID the clipper
su,ges ahead az rate that would oey the pursuit of
any craft with sail or steam, 10 lose seas Zoe City
OF Batavia has sunk from view, bu' Dutch war
steam ers long black wreath of smoke is yet to be
seen above the horizon.
The story which Mr.. Gibson is about to relate
takes its form from the same incident. 1t expands
and gltters like sOap-bubble though certainly
Of frmer texture than that airy nothing:
The sun has set and the weary crew and passengers
are retiring to AL early rest The officer Of the watch
is pacing, to and fro, and the man a. the wheel is
There ore three persons who are lingering on that
quarterback; they are gazing wstfally on. upon the
sparkling sea- ana hen at the sDleodor Of the Indian
nghsky ard two Of these are ladiee, and the other
is the fus itive.
He d,s near and they speak Of the beauty Of the
sea and the stars. The ladies were tsbins Of the