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. .1346 - T H E Ii E AD E R. [No. 455, D...
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LITERATURE, SCIENCE, ART, &c.
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LITERARY CHRONICLE OF THE WEEK. —? This ...
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MADAGASCAR, TJtree Visits to Madagascar,...
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ATHENE CANTAD1UGIENSES. Athena* Cantabrf...
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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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. .1346 - T H E Ii E Ad E R. [No. 455, D...
. . 1346 - T H E Ii E AD E R . [ No . 455 , December 11 , 1858 .
Literature, Science, Art, &C.
LITERATURE , SCIENCE , ART , & c .
Literary Chronicle Of The Week. —? This ...
LITERARY CHRONICLE OF THE WEEK . —? This week there have been plenty of story books for good little boys and girls , and good store of novels and novelettes for the ladies — plttvia nuffarum— 'hvA no great book for strong men to read , mark , and learn- These last have had enough upon their hands in attending to the oxen and the pigs at Baker-street , and speculating upon how far fatty degeneration can be made compatible with wholesome Christmas beef . The
literature-produci ng section of mankind has been busying itself in a more demonstrative manner than usual . Mr . Charles Dickens , not sent , but going of his own accord to Coventry , there to receive a gold watch as a testimonial , is a pleasant spectacle . To the Institutional Association of Lancashire \ and Cheshire , assembled at Chester , Mr . Dickens * had also eloquent and plaeent ' words to addresss , —sensible words too ,
A prince in Israel has come to grief—a magnate of the press has fallen upon evil days . Herbert Ingram , Esq ., M . P . for Boston , being charged with conniving with the late John Sadleir , who drank poison on Hampstead-heath , to represent himself as the purchaser and owner of an estate which he never really possessed , for the purpose of preventing Mr . Yincent Scully from purchasing the same , him
and obtaining payment of a large sum due to from Sadleir , has been mulcted in 300 / . Lujele Veneres Cupiduiesque / Let us hope , however , that Mr . Ingram will know how to clear his name from this stain ; for , know-ing the high and honourable position which he has so long occupied in connexion with the London press , we are inclined to be as sceptical as Mr . Deputy Hubbard with regard to his guilt .
opening a * eal understanding of the true function of Mechanics' Institutions , a contempt for tire shams and platforms for mediocrities , which most of them have become * and a kindly app reciation of the intellectual requirements of the working man . How much of deep probing into that most sensitive of organs , a poor man ' s pride , before arriving at the truth hinted at in that pregnant phrase , ft the impertinence of patronage !"
The Crystal Palace direction , animated , we presume , by the threatened opposition at Muswellhili , proposes great things . Its new Art Union scheme , if thoroughly carried out according to promise , will be an undoubted success ; but we are inclined to augur less favourably of the Burns Anniversary and its prize poem . That they will get some thousands of copies of rhyme—more or less badwe have no doubt ; but they will no more resemble
poetry than the compositions of the bard of Moses or of the great Cornelius himself . The names of the three competent and unbiased judges , whose hard task it will be to sift all the chalF for a very problematical grain of wheat , are not yet divulged . It has crept out , however , that the office was tendered to the Philosopher of Chelsea , Mr . Thomas Carlyle ; but that great man refused , possibly deeming that the completion of the Life of Frederick was of more moment to the world than the sifting over all
this nonsense at Sydenham . The very fact that Mr . Carlyle has been so invited is of itself a sufficient proof of the want of judgment that characterises the whole proceeding ; for a worse tnan for thn purpoao , ono lcoa fitted to judge poetry as poetry , it would be difficult to find .
Albeit not in the secret of all literary cliquesfor we do not , like Mr . ex-Inspector Field , dine with " Mr . Phillips , who writes Diopems , " or " Mr . Ed-, wards , who writes in Punch "—yet wo hear occasional ramours of things about to be . Thus , it comes to us as pleasant news that Cyrua Redding , the veteran journalist , the historian of the grape , the genial gossiping autobiographer , has a life of his old friend Tom Campbell nearly ready for the press . Mr . Redding , it will bo remembered , coedited with Campbell Colburti ' s New Monthly , and they were firm friends . IW , therefore , enjoyed such opportunities for collecting matoriala for this biography .
There is expectation among authors and publishers respecting the oauso of Napier v . Grant , which is to be tried next week . The question , it will be remembered , hangs on whether Mr . Jamoa Grant , in his Life of Montroso , has infringed the copyright of the plaintiff in several works on tho Bftmo topic . It is likely to bo a cattsQ cltlebre .
Madagascar, Tjtree Visits To Madagascar,...
MADAGASCAR , TJtree Visits to Madagascar , including a Journal to the Capital , $ c . By the Rev . William Ellis , F . 1 I . S . John Murray . The great island of Madagascar , off the east coast of Africa , has been long known to . Europeans , and still longer to Arabian merclumts ,. but is , notwithstanding , less . well known than many more recently discovered countries . It is nearly a sixth part larger than France , and more than four times as large as England . At once mountainous and flat , situated within the southern tropic , it has a great variety of climates and of productions . Only three days' steaming distant from our flourishing colony of the Mauritius , and abounding in cattle , while rice is cultivated to a great extent , it is exactly adapted to supply the most urgent wants of the colony . At the same time , from it the intelligent Malagasy , ready to adopt improvements , delighted with photographs , railways , and telegraphs , might conveniently import a practical knowledge of the arts 6 f Europe , and gradually become a numerous , civilized , and powerful people .
Vast as the island is , according to Mr . Ellis , it contains less than 4 , 000 , 000 people ; according to Mr . M'Culloch , 4 , 700 , 000 , and it might contain , without being more populous than France , 50 , 000 , 000 , and might , by skilful industry , supply food for twice this number . Forty years ago we had considerable communication with one part of the island , and with one © f the most conspicuous chiefs . "We instructed his troops , provided thorn with arms , and took some Malagasy youths into our service to teach them all our arts . " YVo
contributed to make Radama supreme over the island . Christianity wns prdmotcd by him in return for our assistance ; the slave-trade was repressed , and trade encouraged . An alphabet was introduced ; many of the nativeslearnedloroadandtowritc ; many learnt to be carpenters , builders , tanners , & e ., after our fashion , though the Malagasy had cultivated many usoful arts after a fashion ot their own , and Madagascar for nearly twenty years went onwards , and scorned in a fair way to become a not unimportant member of the civilised world . In 1823 , however , lladama , an intelligent sovereign , diod . Under the next ruler , tho nolicv of the Government wus changed .
Tho Christian religion wus prohibited , Christian oonvorts were persecuted , and after struggling till 1830 , tho missionaries and artisans loft the island . Quarrels ensued between tho Governments ; tho traders established at Tamatavo in tho island complained of being oppressed , and a unitod squadron of English and Frondi in 1345 , having failed to obtain redress , attacked tho town , but wore drivon away with loss . Tho Madagascar Government prohibited trade , and cattle and rice , ao accessary to the Mauritius and tho Islo of Bourbon , could no longer bo obtained from tho island . For eight years tho trade was interrupted . Towards ISO 2 ,
the . Government relented , favourable chants bc ^ an and in 1 S 53 , Mr . Ellis was invited to proceed on a visit to Madagascar . Thither lie went but not being allowed to proceed to the capital because cholera prevailed in I he Mauritius , 'he returned to England . A sort of treaty , however , was nC » o iiated , and on the payment of ¦ 15 , 000 dollars V the merchants of Mauritius , which they eagerly subscribed , the trade between the two islands was reopened . Both parties equally desired it . In 1 S 55 he received permission to repair to the capital and in lS 3 G , \ vith true devotion to his cause , he a ^ aiii left England for Madagascar . On ¦ his return lie was struck , he says—With the change ' which the opening of the trade after our visit iu 1853 had produced . The native population appeared to have greatly increased , a number of houses for foreign trailers had been built , and others -were i n course of erection ; among them , and not far from the landing-place , is nn hotel aud boarding house , the fint ever erected in Madagascar . Considerable quantities of rice appear to Lu collected for exportation , and upwards of 1000 head of cattle have , since the opening of the trade , been annually exported to Mauritius alone . To the ¦ . ¦ Mauritius the trade seems so essential , and to Madagascar , with its attendant civilisation , so bcneucial , that it will probably be continued and . extended . Tlie island abounds in iron ore ; probably other minerals will be found hi abundance ; poultry is plentiful ; gum , becs ' -wax ,. and caoutchouc arc common . productions ; palms of various kinds , if we may " include in the category the celebrated trav ' cllers ' -tree , supply both iuoJ an ! drink . The ¦ people , ' consisting of ; diHerent races , some negroes , others of those Malay ' tribes whicli have spread over Polynesia , are generally' docile and kindly , aud supply a link to connect Europe both with the tribes oh " the eastern coasts of Africa and those in the islands of tiro ' Indian Ocean . They are exceedingly fond of bartering , buyintr , and selling , aud continually olFer articles of-food or furniture for bale . They are inquisitive , and delighted with pictures and portraits , take au iuterest in such works as Tim Illustrated Ltjiulu )! , Neics , learn foreign languages speedily , and have very quickly acquired the art . of writing their own . language . " They and their country promise to the quiet , ' peaceful trader who supplies them with articles suited to their wants , such as European implements and instruments as they learn to use them , light mid cheap clothing , & c , and to the patient - missionary who supplies them with instruction , a rich harvest . AVc are not sure tliat in the capacities of this island , in the docility of its people , and iu Hie connexion between them and the other races , there may not be found the true solution of the slave question . The island is available alike to tho growth fit cotton ¦ ami the cultivation of . sugar , and both , as the population increases , may bo obtained from it to any extent . The island may materially help to supply he growing dcmtunl of Europe for both , mid sy reiul tio useful cultivation of both with an improving cmuwitiou over Africa . That the eutcrpmnig traders of Europe have as vet made so lit to use ol us capabilities is to be- attributed , to the little knowledge they have of thorn . Mr . Jillis ' s book vjU piquo their curiosity and gratify it . On Mi ino points wo have briefly referred 4 o—on tho ¦ lmtuioj history of tho country , especially its inngiuliocni I'lorn ; on tho manners ' and disposition ol the ncop e , on tho progress which Christianity has nitule , j aa of the obstacles to its futhcr progress ; on V' ° "" *" gunge and origin Qf tlio j > eoj > lo—Mr ; lillia 1 f ! y , 0 JS very precise and extensive information . illb , might , with udvmitago to himself aud the muu have been more condensed ; but though homo ows dof . ails are trivial , they are all recounted in mwi j amiable spirit that we reudily pardon what sow * . times seems superfluous .
Athene Cantad1ugienses. Athena* Cantabrf...
ATHENE CANTAD 1 UGIENSES . Athena * CantabrfyhnM . « y Clinrlod ifonry CooP » , F . S . A ., and Thompson Ooopor . Vol . I . — "; ' '" CJmnbrkltfo i Dolghlon , Hull , « ndt 0 < Njjaiuy two hundred yours l > uvo olapaoa aujoo Anthony A . Wood , tho liwtorian of OxloiU , com
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Citation
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Leader (1850-1860), Dec. 11, 1858, page 10, in the Nineteenth-Century Serials Edition (2008; 2018) ncse.ac.uk/periodicals/l/issues/cld_11121858/page/10/
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