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]Sfo. 393, OraiK&^i £, 185.7:] Tffl : -'...
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A PACIFIC LOVE-LEGEND. Kiana: a Traditio...
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THE STORY OF A MISSION" VOYAGE. Two Year...
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Note: This text has been automatically extracted via Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software. The text has not been manually corrected and should not be relied on to be an accurate representation of the item.
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If, As M. Montijuux Asserts, America Doc...
aame . population , in . / H ? e ~ Where a London publisher issues an edition of 1000 , a . Philadelphia ,. New York , or Boston publisher would print 5000 . In fact ,, the number of readers with us . is as-twenty to one . as compared , with the same class in England . Here tLe mere announaenient of a new "book by a popular author—nay , the mere announcement of a book with a catching or popular title—will cause a large edition to be ordered in advance . They are more slow across the water . They wait to see what tlie critics say of , it before they invest their money in the purchase . With ua , too , almost every book is stereotyped—on the chance of continuous demand , for itwhereby the cost of production , on a large sale , is greatly diminished . But . a London publisher , afraid of the risk ( tliough stereotyping adds less than half to the expense ) , rarely ventures to put the first edition of a book into stereotype . He prints and sells off one edition , and . carefully waits to calculate the chances of aaiother being disposed of—often losing a large sale by not being able to supply th « demand as rapidly as the demand arises . He goes to press with , the second edition , having the delay and extra cost of getting the whole book re-composed in the printing-office , and probably , by the time he has the new edition ready , may find thai some later novelty has supplanted it . An American publisher with his stereotypes , would catch the market at the moment the demand arose , and instantly supply it . The fact is , London publishers—with the exception of Routletige , and one or two go-ahead and cheap re-publisners—are terribly behindhand in their own business . They do things now much as their fathers did some thirty or forty years ago . Even Thomas Carlyle , the author , belongs so much to the old school , that , for over twenty years , he conientcd himself with selling his works ( in editions of 1000 each ) to CEiapman and Hall , h . is publishers , and going to the expense of having the type re-set for each reprint ! By this lumbering process , the high selling price of his books "was kept up , - and their sale kept down . JLt was only a few months ago that he unwillingly consented to have his works produced in a compact form and at a diminished , price . And , by this process he will obtain more profits from them in one j'ear , than he obtained during all the years which have elapsed since they respectively appeared . Were we asked why there are fewer readers in England than in America , we would answer , First , because for one person who can read in ' the old country , ' twenty persons can read , among us . Thanks to our generally-diffused and ¦ well-grounded education , almost every American , male or female , can read . Hence , the immense circulation of our newspapers , as compared with newspapers in other countries . A second reason why we have more readers is very practical—books are very cheap here , very costly abroad . A book which sells for a dollar here would cost from five to seven dollars in London . Here , therefore , every person buys books . In England most people who are not rich , only hire them . Two-thirds of the first edition of an English book are purchased l ) y the circulating libraries , which hire out the books at remunerating yearly subscriptions , or to casual customers , at the rate of six to twelve cents a- volume . Generally speaking , the run of private book-buyers in England do not usually purchase a work which they intend to read only once from curiosity .
]Sfo. 393, Oraik&^I £, 185.7:] Tffl : -'...
] Sfo . 393 , OraiK &^ i £ , 185 . 7 : ] Tffl - '' llEiDEl 955
A Pacific Love-Legend. Kiana: A Traditio...
A PACIFIC LOVE-LEGEND . Kiana : a Tradition of Hawaii . By James J . Jarves . "Low and Co . Mb . Tarvks has picked up a pearl of romance in one of the Pacific Island ? , and has wrought it into a fanciful story . Long before Captain Cook discovered the Sandwich and Hawaiian groups , says tradition , a young Spanish priest , a . girl , a Mexican , and several men rescued fro m a wreck , landed and lived in Hawaii , acquired power and consideration from their -strange appearance and superior knowledge , and for a while were venerated . as godB . Some of them intermarried with the aborigines , and traces of their blood remain in several noble families of the island . They left sin impress , also , on the customs , ideas , and language of the people , and taught them the use of iron ^ the ore of which does not exist in their soil . Captain Cook found among them the remnant of a sword blade and another bit of steel . Such is the legend . Now for the hypothesis of Mr . Jarves . Shortly alter the conquest of . Mexico , Cortez sent three vessels upon an exploring expedition to California . After sailing to a remote latitude northwards , one of the caravels was sent baclc to report progress . The others were never heard of again . Possibly , one of them Avas driven to the coast of Hawaii jukI there wrecked ; and if this was not its fate , we are at least willing to be credulous in order that a very pretty tale may have the credit of being founded in fact . Mr . Jarves has produced an elaborate study of Pacific scenery , manners , and customs as the theatro of his fantastic drama . First , however , we see the lone caravel lying crippled on the ocean , and drifting to some unknown shore . On board are several dying men , with a priest and a young girl , a soft-haired , delicate blonde . This desolate hull , wandering over the waters , is at last tossed upon the Hawaiian coast , and the white strangers find themselves in a wondrous land , under a purple sky gloving with fruit and flowers , with gardens , lakes , and villages raised upon terraces of turf and stone . Olmcdo , the priest , and Beatrix , his companion , imagine at first that their disembodied souls are dreaming of Paradise , but _ are . speedily undeceived . They enter a temple decorated with uncouth idols and wreaths of ilowers , and next a deserted palace : — They found thomselvcs iu a apaciona room formed by white posts driven into tlio ground , with rafters springing from them , making a lofty roof , covered throughout with thatch , fastened on iu the neatest manner with neatly braided cord . The lloor was spread with white mats . Every part was scrupulously clean . Tliere were raised divans of fine mats variously coloured , and as pliuble ns the coarsor cloths of Europe . These invited repose , tliough the pillows being of wood covered with matting indi-• cated 3 io eueminacy in the slumbers of their owners . Several of these divans were curtained by gaily . pain ted cloths , differing in texture from smything they had man before . It was something between paper and tho cotton fabrics of Mexico , ( iarmeata -of the- same material , but of softer and liner quality , hung about tho walls . There wero also wooden bowls of beautiful grain , highly polished , and indicating no slight < legrce of mechanical skill ; also vessels for water , formed from tho gourd plant and prettily ornamented ; fans , graceful plumes of crimson and golclon foutliers " , protective armour of net or basket work , war clubs , spears , and other weapons . In line , th < sy ttnuid themselves within a house , which afforded all that was necoasary to their wants in that climate , and much that showed no inconsiderable degree of reitnuincnt mid tasto , but no ono to challenge thoir intrusion . The prince and his people have gone upon an expedition . They return , ana awe-Btruek by the beauty of the white girl , the armour of the Mexican , and the attitude of tho priest , mistake them ibr deities . From this point tne narrative becomes one of wild and exaggerated romance , an unpleasant episode being introduced concerning a passion springing up between tic sweet Beatrix and the priest , who isbound in the chains of celibacy . Kiimu , wiejung , and Tolta , the Mexican , are also enamoured of the Spanish girl ;
but she is not the only p ersonification of the ideal in this entertaining legend . Here comes a maiden of Hawaii : —¦ Nofasvn could , tread lighter than she trod .. Every motion was lithe and elastic . Her limbs were full and tapering , beautifully : proportioned , and her flesh soft yet springy . With so . few summers she was mature in person , having in . this climate attained thus early that perfection of physical development which marks the most seductive period of woman . The fineness of her hands ; the tapering fingers and nicely adjusted wrists ; the velvet softness of her clear olive skin , and through , which the blood could be distinctly seen underlying it with richer colour ; and her proud , yet graceful carriage , showed that she belonged to the highest rank . ... She wore on her neck a wreath of rich yellow feathers . Another of gossameT light-: ness , the effect of which was increased by alternate rows of crimson feathers , waa interwoven with her long , dark wavy hair . Over her delicately-moulded bosom was thrown , a loose white mantle , which hid her form as the foam conceals the wave , but to heighten its beauty . Lililia , the Hawaiian damsel , befriends Beatriz , spreads fine mats for her to sleep upon , and presides while her waiting women manipulate all weariness out of her . limbs by the Lomilomi process . At length , however , the plot having thickened inextricably , the priest being passionate , Beatrice immaculate , the Mexican supremely cruel , and the islanders difficult to deal with , the melodrama becomes a tragedy , and there is an Imogen ' s grave in the midst of the southern seas .
The Story Of A Mission" Voyage. Two Year...
THE STORY OF A MISSION" VOYAGE . Two Years' Cruise off Tierra del Fuegro , the Falkland Islands , Patagonia , $ c . A . ' Narrative of Life in the Southern Seas . By W . Parker Snow . 2 vols . Longman and , Co . The South American Missionary Society must defend itself against Captain Snow's attack , or its credit will be irretrievably damaged . These two volumes , though containing a narrative of wild and curious adventure , assert the existence of a system of selfishness , hypocrisy , and despotism which call for public inquiry . It has long been thought that an official inspection of missionary stations all over the world might be followed by very salutary results ; in the meantime , we must receive the reports of travellers , and are fortunate when such a witness appears as Captain Parker Snow . In August , 1854 , he ' offered the South American Missionaries to take command , gratuitously , of their yacht the Allen Gardiner—named from the brave captain who died of hunger on Starvation Beach . —but . the Society insisted on paying him . Consequently , lie went out as paid commandei * , witli a crew of strict Churchmen . Some little difficulties as to expenses were incurred , but these the captain overlooked , knowing that certain gentlemen , very much concerned for the heathen , are also very careful of themselves . But , once at " sea , the most extraordinary demonstrations were made by the mates to the men , and Captain Snow found himself in a floating conventicle . His officers , when he ventured to remonstrate with them , went off into pulpit tirades , called him ungodly , or reminded him that he had a soul to lose . This was a bad beginning , but as his proceedings were highly approved by the Committee , he took his troubles quietly , and hoped for general success . He had provided himself , at his own expense , with the necessary nautical works , and wsis altogether very independent of the Society a-nd its myrmidons , afloat or ashore . But at last the two homilizing mates became so unbearable that it was necessary to dismiss them , and to procure others of a less dogmatic turn of mind . While engaged in this work , Captain Snow had to leave his vessel in charge of three French marines ; lie might , of course , have punished the two mad and insolent mutineers , but , being a better Christian than either of them , was content to pay up their wages ; and get more pleasant companions . lie himself worked in the hold with his men , and the Allen Gardiner was not the less cheerful or righteous because two hypocrites had skulked out of the service . The next mishap was occasioned by one of the rigorous-minded crew , who , in a fit of intoxication , knocked the captain down , and lucked his ribs ; but this was followed by a still more embarrassing predicament . Captain Snow paid all expenses on boaTd and ashore , and the Committee sent him no money ; he was neglected in every possible way by those who nevertheless desired to cripple his every action , and yet the Mission authorities at home were compelled to throw themselves upon his enthusiasm , and implore him to lift them out of their difficulties . " One graphic and well-written account of a visit to the natives would do more to raise it ( the Society ) than anything else . " The account was published , and the funds went up . In the Tierra del Fuego—Land of Five—Captain Snow had a dispute with a catcchist who wished him to kidnap two native boys . " I must admit that there was what might have been called a great temptation to do so , and I should no doubt have been well thought of hud I brought two real live Fuegians off ns a trophy for the Committee in their pamphlets to tell the public that ' native boys were at the Mission station . ' " Captain Snow stated his objection to missionary kidnapping and sent home his remarks , but regrets to say that the Committee put quite a different construction on his words and made him appear to say quite the contrai'y . He asked Jemmy Button , the Fuegian who had visited England , and numbers of adults and children , whether they would agree to accompany him , but one and ull they positively declined . " The reverse has been stated ; 1 now publicly deny it . " And jet the missionaries have practical reasons . The youths who are inveigled under the plea of civilizing and converting them are very wisely put to honest labour , of which the prenclicrs and eateehists reap tho fruit . What do the Society ' s publications say in their peculiarly ingenuous stylo ? " In tho cave of our cattle the Putagoniaus will iiiul congenial employment ; in fishing and scaling , and in taking sea birds , we shall lind work nud food tasteful to the Fuegian youths . . . To build houses , & c , the natives can bo brought , but they cannot run away . " As Captain Snow suggests , this looks very much like taking slaves without paying for them , ami wo hope and believe that the Committee will bo shocked by the idea that thoy will instantly order the discontinuance of all such practices . But then , who will tend their cattle , or fish , or scale , or take -sea birds , or build houses for them ? What servants so convenient will they have , who can be brought but who cannot run away ? It appears tSiafc these Missions are not only composed of
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Citation
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Leader (1850-1860), Oct. 3, 1857, page 19, in the Nineteenth-Century Serials Edition (2008; 2018) ncse.ac.uk/periodicals/l/issues/cld_03101857/page/19/
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