Year: 1872

souls than provender and raiment which come
of toll, is the mere cessation from it, and
this, in sense, travel gives us. even if it
merely changes one work for another, just as
the man rested himself when weary of saving
wood by splitting it. Of course, the crowd
just now in hansitu for the old half of tho
globe is so diverse that it is impossible very
accurately to classify motives There is tho
fashion of it to begin with huge portion Of
the procession embarks because it is the mode
so to tempt the wave. Then this woman is
going for the sake of her throat, and that man
on account of his third-rate digestion. This
pilgrim means money, and the other means
spending it. These have always, for no par
ticular reason, meant to go, and cannot expect
better opportunity. A part are for the
scenery some for studying art; some for tho
observation of cities; some for that of men
while not few hope to taste the delights OF
courts. Perhaps the majority have no we'll
defined motive, and as they take nothing ont,
so they will bring nothing back again. This
need not disturb us-better there than here,
those who love not bores might say, but for
fearful looking-fOr of intens ifed boring here
after. There is gentleman on the ship who
means to write book about his adventures,
and it is curious to consider how small his
chances are of writing a good one. There is
really so little left for mediocre
man TO say. In the old time tho
traveller not only saw many new and curious
and startling things but those who had also
seen them were few, and he had no martingae
upon his imagination, or, to put the matter
plainly and politely, he told what lies he
pleased. There were not so many then, there
was perhaps nobody to contradict him. He
was read with wonder, though only half be-
lieved. How can we have fresh books like
"Purchas his PIlgrimmes," when Terra Incog-
nita has grown to be such a narrow land, and
the oldest corners of the world have been laid
open to us9 Mr.. Hawthorne has shown us, it
is true, that there is always a novel object for
the observing eye but travellers of his breed
are not over common. OF much abroad, it may
be fairly said, that further description thereof
is not to be desired. That book of travels
now will be of value whose author would have
got into new and original relation to his sur
roundings, even if he had stayed at home.


Travel is not we must allow, what it was.
With the danger and difficulty, the dignity
has also gone. To see man who had seen
Rome, was once a wonder; but all this has
grown cheap and common now. We have
done with distance. There is nothing to be
taken now pro mirifcO. We are past gaping,
save for WEAKNESS. We are not in the least
moved by accounts of things which every trav-
eler is expected to see There is glut of the
old-fashioned Books of Travel; we insist that
the journey man shall give us something new
and his own, and often we insist in vain.
since with the best will in the world he has
nothing to give. Travelling may therefore bo
considered now as private amusement with
which the public has no more to do than
kindly to wish all travellers good luck by sea
and by land-health, if they seek it; amuse-
ment, if nothing more and safe return in
a meek and quiet spirit.