The star. (Cincinnati [Ohio]) 1874-1875, 1875-03-06
LITERATURE.
The March Md0dStnes.

The opening article is handsomely
illustrated description Of that patch or
land in the stormy Irish sea, called the
Isle OF Man. From its shores glimpses
of Ireland, Scotland, and old England
can be seen in bright sunlight.
It IS not much greater than Staten Island in
area, and an ambitious Californian mighr look
upon it as a fair-siZeu ranch. But SlnaII a5 II
is-a mere speck on the map Of Great Britain
it has government of it's own, with House
OF Parliament, people infused with noble
blood, and thrilling and eventful history:
Hawthorne found it out while he was consul
at Liverpool, and has praised it in the delicious
prose Of his English Note Books; scott gath
cred material for Peveril Of the Peak from its
romantic scenery and legends; and Words
worth comemmorated visit to 1t in q sonnet.
But 1T is not in these few literary associations
varied fortunes and ancestry Of its superstitiOus
people have a peculiar interest, dating as they
do from the thrilling age when the Norsemen
were mighty in the Vest. i.
Prior to the reinvestment Of the sovereignty
in the British crown, agriculture was greatly
neglected, and the eXerti0ns OF the peasantry
Were devoted to smuggling and the herring
fisheries. But since that event decided I'M
provement hastaken place, and the best meth
ods Of cultivating lands haye been adopted.
The holdings are very small, and though some
include two hundred acres, the greater num-
Der consist OF not more Than o hundred or q
hundred and fifty. About two-thirds of the
whole Island are productive; the remainder is
sterile and neglected. Some Of the land in the
south resting on limestone is said to be equal
to the best in England, and IN the north large
quantities OF mari are found, which possesses
highly valuable chemical properties.
Mines OF lead, iron and copper are worked
extensively at four places, and the exports of
these minerals affords considerable part Of
the insular income. the lead mines in general
yield a mixed ore, two-thirds "bende" and
one third lead, In ton OF which there are from
seventy tive to one hundred ounces OF silver.
Quarries OF Lime, marble, and granite are also
worked on moderate scale at FoXdale, Scar
lett, and Ballasalla.
AT the beginning Of the eight century the
population consisted Of about three hundred
families, and in 1861 it had increased to fifty
two thousand. Not few OF the p ,opl are
descended from the Scotch and IRISH IN MI
grants OF centuries ago; but the pure-blooded
Manx are in the majority. They are jealous Of
foreigners, and in some remote villages in the
mountains and on the coast they intermarry
among themselves. In manner they are stolid
and reserved, suspicious Of questionings and
more disposed to listen than to answer. They
are very temperate in the use OF strong drinks,
and are well educated and intelligent. Since
the year 1903 they have had q complete system
Of compulsory education.
james Parton contributes "Caricature
in the Middle Ages" taking exceptions
to the burlesque designs that were SO
prevalent on temples and prayer-books,
illustrations. of many of which are given
with e1planAtions. Remains of Lost
Empires, by Eugene Lawrence, is also
admirably Illustrated. There Is an il
lustrated paper on the last days Of Liv-
ingstone in Africa accompanied by his
portrait and those of his faithful SER
wants, Ohuma and Susi. Miss Thack-
ary's story progresses satisfactorily.
The editorial department has the GUS
tomary variety and excellence.
ATLANTIC.
In the opening articles Mr.. Hoppin
describes in detail several of the histori-
cal portraits that were lately exhibited
in Paris under the auspices of the Soci-
ETY. for the Protection Of the Dwellers of
who remain loyal to
France. In order to give great interest
to the exhibition and make it profitable,
numerous private collections OF house.
hold treasures were loaned for the occa-
sion. Madame de Rothschild and her
son alone furnished statues, old furni-
ture, and bric-a-brac, the value Of which
was estimated by experts, for the pur-
pose of insurance, at several millions Of
francs. The article before US, however,
Is chiefly devoted to describing the his
torical portraits that appeared in the
collection.
Mark Twain contributes the third pa
per on Mississippi life. An article writ
ten by Jules Marcou, Frenchman, will
attract attention from his novel eXDla-
nation Of the origin OF the name Ameri-
ca. He claims that Amerious Vespucius
did not try to steal the honor from Co.
lumbus, but that the name came from
Americ, the name of q mountain range
in Nicaragua.
We may suppose that Colombo and his COM
paniOns on their return to Europe, when relat
ing their adventures, would boast of the rich
gold mines they had discovered through the
Indians of Nicaragua, and say they lay in the
direction Of Amerlc. This would make popu-
lar the word Americ, as he common designa-
tion of that part Of the Indies in which the
richest mines of gold in the New World were
situated.
The word Americ, synonym for this golden
country, would become known in the sea- ports
Of the West Indies ana then IN those Of Eu-
rope. and would gradually penetrate into the
interior OF the continent, 80 that printer anu
bookseller in Saint Die, at the foot Of the Vos-
ges, would have heard the word Americ with
out Understanding its true meaning as an in
digenous Indian word, but would become ac-
quainted with it in conversations about these
famous discoveries, as designating country
in the New Indies very rich in mines of gold.
Hylacomylus, publisher Of Saint Die. igno-
rant OF any printed tccOunG Ol tuebc voyages
but those of Albercus Vespucius,-published
in Latin i'll l5U5, and in German in 1906
thought he saw in the Christian name Albert
Gus the origin of this, for him, altered and cor
rupted word, Americ OF Amerique, AMI renew
ing the fable OF the monkey and the dolphin,
who took the Piraus for a man, called this
country by the only name among those Of the
navgators that had reached klm, and which
resembled the word Americ or Amerque.
The error was propagatcd and prolonged by
fha NH n n N n6 nf
phlet of Hyiacomylus and Strasburg in I5U9
and by the appearance at Basle, in 1922, of the
first map upon which was seen America pro-
yincia.
This map, with the name America upon it,
reached Spain long after the death of Cristoforo
Colombo, which took place in 1906; and the
companions Of his expedition, almost all un-
learned men, were also either dead or gone
back to the Indies, and no one was there who
could correct the mistake, even supposing that
the map gave the origin of the word. The
name Amerc had been heard, not as that of q
man, but of country, Of an undetermined por-
tion of the terra 1irma Of the New World, and
1T was accepted without difficulty. no attention
being paid TO the mistake Of the printer and
bookseller of SAINT Die, whose pamphlet was
probably unknown IN Spain.
Hon. David A. Wells contributes an
article entitled, "Taxation Without Ju-
risdiction Unconstitutional"
John james Piatt gives sketch of the
poet Forceythe Wilson, whose writings
excited 30 much interest a few years
since. The stories and poems of the
number are good.