The national era. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1847-1860, 1858-03-25

and subjugation Of the Indians, and considers
the subject of the EncomiendGs, which were
royal grants to persons for services :" to receive
and enjoy the tributes of the Indians who
should be assigned to them, with the charge OF
providing for the good of those Indians in spir.
itual and temporal matters, and of inhsbiting
and defending the provinces where these En-
comiendas should be granted to them" This
part of the volume, in connection with the ear
ly history of African as we'll as Indian Slavery,
is full of information, drawn from original
sources, and deserves careful perusal. Another
large portion of the book is devoted to the Con-
quest of Guatemala, and the last $50 pages to
the Conquest of Peru.
It might seem as if there could not be much
that was new or adapted to the popular mind,
in relation to the Conquest of Mexico and Peru,
after Prescott's admirable works. But Mr..
Helps states that he has not read any of these
modern works, and has resorted solely to
original authorities, from whom he quotes fire.
quently. His style is clear, compact, and yet
graphic. He sketches the characters and
events ably; and the relation of affairs to
American Slavery is feature of the plan of
no little interest to our readers.
The volume has also many small maps, part
ly in the text and partly separate, enabling Us
to trace the course of conquest in the geograph.
ical positions of one scene with another. Some
of these, perhaps, for mere convenience to the
reader, are repeated, precisely the same, with
out addition or alteration, two or more times
q thing we never recollect to have noticed in
any modern publication before. 1t may be a
mistake of the binder, but they so occur as to
render this hardly probable. The volume is a
good supplement to larger works, and for the
reader of those, will be regarded as useful by
the way Of review of such portions of history as
fall under its notice.
European Acquaintance; being Sketches of People in
Europe. BY J. w. De Forest author of Oriental Ac-
quaintance. New York; Harper Brothers. 1853
For sale by Taylor Maury, Washington, D. C.
The peculiar interest of this volume centres
in the fact that it brings us acquainted with
parts of Europe that have been described
scarcely at all before. At least nearly one-hah
OF it is new ground, relating to GrSffenberg
Preissnitz's famous water cure establishment
also, another in Switzerland, at Divonne, on the
Lake Geneva, and small, cheap watering
place, called Bex. We have lively series Of
sketches, introducing us to Preissnitz himself
and many of his patients from all parts of Eu
rope and abroad. The methods of cure, the
various baths, styles of exercise and recrea.
tons, as well as scenes and incidents, are de-
picted in an amusing way. There is somewhat
too evident an attempt at wit which makes
not few of the cases failures. The author
however, has genuine humor, and keeps up bis
readers attention, by shifting his pictures, and
presenting one after another of the oddities
that seem to have collected to try the efficacy
would think harsh enough to have prevented 6
second trial, but such does not seem to have
been the case; and he certifes to the benefit
derived in his own person. The time of tie
events was some years since, and Priessnit,
died shortly after the author was there. The
rest of the book relates to Paris, Florence, ani
other places, already often described.
The Bow in the Cloud and the First Bereavement B,
Rev. John r. Macduf, author of Morning and Nigh
Watches " Memories of Gennesaret,"&s. New York
Robert Carter & Brothers. 1858 For sale by w Bal
lantyne, Washington, d. c.
Another of those admirable volumes by THU
author, so recently made known to the Chris
| tan public. 1t embraces two works-the former
a series of meditations on passage of Scrip
ture for every day in the month, like tn,
"Words of jesus" and the other is designed
| as brief manual, containing Words address
| ed to a mourner on the occasion of q frs
trial"
| Both of them have that closeness of adapta
| ton to the wants of the child of God and th,
| afA cted that characterizes this authors othe
writings. He brings forth from his own expo
rience the feelings of sympathzing heart q
friend is converting with US, who knows how We
do feel and how We should feel. The language
is. simple, earnest, and pointed. There is kind
rebuke; there is encouragement and consola
ton and, like food that nourishes, we are in
vigorated for the trials and duties of life. Drop
of balm on the wounds that need the healing
remedy, SO gently applied, soothe the stricken
heart. Many mourner, we hope, may experi
ence the benefit of the words designed for til,
relief of those whose pathway is darkly shadet
| by clouds of afh lotion and death.
The Eclectic Magazine for March, 1855 New York: W
| H. Bidwell.
Two fine portraits-one of the late Empero
Nicholas of Russia, and the other of Lor,
Lyndhurst, wrongly spelled Lindhurst) -adorl
this number of the Eclectic. The latter of thes
engravings il masterpiece of mezzotint, b
Sartain. We do not recollect of ever havin
seen finer specimen, if, indeed, as fne one
before. As pendants to the former, are, an n
ticle from the National Reviep, on The Char
acter and Times of the Emperor Nicholas,
full of historical interest, and, besides, shor
sketch, giving the dates and incidents respect
ing the distinguished subject.
From the same Rericso is likewise given
paper of no small value on the Hashish," o
Indian hemp, embracing many curious partic
ulars as to the Authorizations caused by it.
The London Quarterly furnishes two abb
articles on " DR.. Livingstone's Researches
and Homer and his Translators !" the On,
versity Magazine, notice of Edwin Atherstone
Poem in Prose;" " The Handwriting on tn
WALL" from the Dublin University Aagasim4
in which number of spirited extracts ar
made.
The other articles of considerable length an
Adventures in Oriental and Western Siberis