The Sun. — 1865-09-01 (London, England)

FRAZER'S.—An interesting number of Frazer opens with an article on Mannahatta, which, as most of us know, is the old Indian appellation for New York. The name is said to be derived from the great Indian spirit Manettio, who, according to Knickerbocker, made this island his home on account of its uncommon delights, since Indian traditions picture it as an earthly paradise, the bay, a translucent lake, full of gold and silver fish, and the island itself adorned with every variety of fruits and flowers. A sudden irruption of the Hudson is supposed to have washed away all these marvels and the great Manettio along with them. The sketches of American life and character given in this paper are animated and life-like, and the story of the early fortunes of the island and the city during its transformation from the Mannahatta of the Indians to the New Amsterdam of the Dutch settlers, and, finally, to the busy and brilliant New York of the nineteenth century. Yankees, speaking of its varied population, the writer says It is a short and easy method of travelling round the world to take one's stand on Broadway—the world will pass by you if you stay there long enough." In one day he has seen painted and feathered Indians, pigtailed Chinamen and Japanese, while we all know that every variety of European nationality and society is represented there. We are carried to a very different world by the concluding part of the reminiscences of a Russian general officer, who tells us the direful story of the murder o the Fmperor Paul I. His version of the affair is worth notice, as being written by an actor in the drama, although no participator in the crime. The picture of the Russian Court life half a century back is not very attractive. An essay "On Lessening the Irksomeness of instruction," very sensibly objects to the excessive use of extracts and abbreviations in the reading books. No sooner, it is urged, is a child's attention fairly gained, and his interest excited by the matter in hand than the subject is changed. "Supposing that he reads a page or two about Christopher Columbus, by the time he begins to understand that Columbus was a human being sailing about the planet at a remote era, and by the time that the child may possibly begin to wish to know a little more about him, he passes on to the natural history of the elephant ; no sooner does he begin to feel a little at home with the elephant than he is hurried off to Elizabeth Woodcock ; and by the time that he is comfortably buried with Elizabeth in the snowdrift, he is summoned to the Eddystone Lighthouse." The case is, of course, far worse where the subjects selected are of themselves dry and uninteresting ; but we are inclined to agree with the writer in thinking that more would be gained in the early stages of instruction by awakening a child's interest by narratives of incident and action. There is a free translation from the Icelandic "Edda," which shows some affinity between the old Northern legend and the German "Lenore." "Gilbert Rugge" continues with painful interest. Poor Gilbert, as is but natural in the humdrum trials of everyday life, falls miserably short of his high ideal, and certainly displays himself in a most unamiable light. But melancholy as his position is, the reader's pity for him is secondary to his interest in the sergeant, who, through no fault of his own, sees himself the cause of so much misfortune ; and, cut off by insuperable barriers from all he most loves and cherishes, Gilbert is bringing a punishment on himself ; for the poor sergeant, convinced of their incompatibility of manners and education, and believing himself to be a drawback to his son, takes his solitary departure at the end of this part. There is another tale which possesses the now rare merit of beginning and ending in one part. It is called by the quaint name of " Abigail," and tells a pleasant story o  English domestic life—a little heavy and diffuse in the manner of tolling, but with a point and a meaning nevertheless.