The Portland daily press., 1863-02-11
MISCELLANY.
HOMEOPATHIC Criticism.

Homeopathic Criticism.
Like cures like in logic, If not in physic.
The following amusing travesty of Bishop
Colenso's book on the Pentateuch is taken
from the Guardian, an English Church news
paper:
"TEN WEEKS IN NATAL" CRITICALLY EXAM
INED.
/. A few years ago book purporting to be
by DR.. Colenso was published under this title,
and was valued as an interesting and useful
work by large number OF readers who sup
posed it to be a genuine narrative of facts.
2. shall now proceed to show, by means
of a number of prominent instances, that the
book contains such remarkable contradictions,
and involves such plain impossibilities, that it
cannot be regarded as true narrative of ac-
tual historical matters of fact. l need at pre-
sent examine but few of the earlier pages to
prove this.
3. The writer says, "My intention was to
visit different parts of the district and make
acquaintance with the inhabitants of all clas-
ses, Christian and heather, whether resident
in European towns, villages. or farm-houses,
or collected ia Kafiir kraals !" and he calculates
that the whole might be done efIectually in
three months. Now, he admits that the coun-
try in extent is $4,000 square miles-about
third of England and Wales.
A. 1t is certain that 10 make acquaintance
with the people of different tongues scattered
over a country destitute of railways and roads
would occupy much longer time than in the
case of an English district of the same extent
But could this be done even in England
The Bishop of Salisbury is an active Bishop,
but has he been able in nine years to make ac-
quaintance with all the inhabitants of his d.
ocese, consisting of 2046 square miles? Not
with tenth part of them. The mere travel
ing distance for close inspection over $4,000
square miles would amount to some 5000
miles it is simply incredible that the writer
could calculate to do this efiectually in three
months.
s. He begins with stating, II sailed in COM
pany with the Bishop of Capetown and Mrs.
Gray" and at page 2 he writes, 1--WE dropped
anchor in Table Bay" There is no mention
made of any other persons, or of any machn-
cry by which this might be done; nor any
claim of miraculous power. l assume, then,
that It is absolutely undeniable that the narra-
tive distinctly involves the statement that
three persons. two men and one woman, and
no others, did raise and heave into the sea an
anchor which suppose could weigh not less
than ten or fifteen hundred weight.
o. Along the east coast of Africa "a cur
rent runs (as we are told at the rate of three
or four miles an hour !" take the mean ofthree
and half miles. and this would give eighty
four miles in day; but he presently informs
W. 6idt tnuhSu StcdtuiiiS WIFI might ana mann.
the Aforesaid current carried us backward 100
miles. How 1t is conceivable that in spite of
steam power Ii could have caused the steam
er 10 retrograde faster than its own flow :?
And the singular result of this heightened voy-
age with its 100 miles Of retrograding is that
they took the people of Durham their destina-
tion) by surprise, and -sused actual inconve-
nience by the steamer arriving week before
1t was expected.
Z. On landing he is met by one of the
church-wardsns, but at page he informs us
that there is not a single church, chapel, or
school erected in the district. Was it, then,
the churchwardsn of church TO be erected
No, the narrative puts the explanation out of
the question by adding that the Bishops let
ter had been read In the church on the day
previous.
g. In Durham, we are told that the streets.
which are OF considerable width, and the mar
ket square, are covered foot deep with white
sand. Putting aside the just incredulity with
which simple minded native of the Fens
would hear this statement, let us examine the
incredible insertion gravely made with regard
&c this sand. Let us first premise that these
wide streets would not be less than thirty feet
wide, and suppose them to be but half mile
In extent and the market place only sixty feet
square, here would be $500 cubic yards of sand.
This quantity of sand" says the author, sis
now In my eyes and mouth" How thankful
we must be that latter this critcsm) we are
no longer obliged TO believe that an English
man sat down to write his journal with 1900
cubic yards of white sand in his eyes and
mouth!
8. The chronology, too, is obscure; in one
sentence (page l4l we have the word noc
used twice, referring rs to one and the same
time, to February 2, 1854, and to January l.,
1856
10. These difficulties / meet with in the
first fourteen pages of the volume. cannot
but feel that this much is more than enough
to show the unhstoric character of the book,
and the groundlessness of that notion of its
yeracity and honesty with which so many,
drought up, alas in the school of simple
trustfulness) have regarded it, and doubtless
will regard it, until their attention shall be
drawn to the facts which make such view
impossible for rejecting and inquiring minds