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A VERY BAD BOOK. June: a Book for• the C...
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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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Two Philosopblees. Nomos: An Attempt To ...
T 6 fcn ! aiy ^ 0 ^ tf ^ itr ^ tK ^ nAtue eia be faBy understood except ^ n this assumption . - : ^ 3 ^*© Unj ? a Myst ery Is little less mysterious , though more metaphysical . ^ Tc ^ rit ^ B witKfb ¥ ce and has read metaphysical ( books . It is no disgrace ^^^ W ^ d % ^^§ the pr & lem tf Evil , ^ but it would ^ ave b & sa more priJenJ ^ e think , had he refrained from publishing his failure . ^^^ o 4 ^« peoi » l **»<> n 8 onthe Infinite and on Moral Evil , may ^ find ft ^ d in this Volume to their taste ; we cannot promise them anything rimarkabljr novel or profound .
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; ; v ; ¦ : THE TRADE OF NORTH AFRICA . Wanderings in North Africa . ByJames Hamilton . Murray When Cyrerie was an opulent city , gleaming like a gate of marble on the borders of the desert , great caravans came down from the African interior wltH Ivory , gbld , precious stones , ostrich feathers , and slaves , the luxuries of <^ e 6 ce . At regular intervals during the year similar caravans continue to bring down to the sea similar merchandize . But Cyrene is a ruin—a crowd of shattered temples , and theatres , and empty tombs . So , also , are the sister cities of the Pentapolis ; and the once flourishing commerce that was carried onbetween the southern coasts of the Mediterranean and the vast territories
of- Africa , beyond JBarca and the Libyan solitudes , has dwindled into a wretched traffic , chiefly in male and female slaves , who find their way to the-various ports of the Mohammedan empire , philanthropists and cruisers notwithstanding . But along the line of the highway , from oasis to oasis , the remains of splendid caravanserais attest the prosperity of the ancient trade . : The allusions of the Greek writers prove , that at an early period a large commercial marine was attached to the port of Cyrene , whose merchjaii t 0 ' were known as far as the shores of Asia Minor . The balmy gums of thislregion were sold in Rome for their -weight in silver . Moreover , the neui & baurrag . country : was flourishing and fertile . Nowhere did the olive
tbciye ^ moreJnxurianlJy . The immense tracts at present covered by it in eggry direction throughout the Pentapolis , show how extensively it must have been cultivated in an age of agricultural industry . _ Not even Sicily yielded richer crops of corn . The grape ripens in this happy climate during six months m the year ; the ancient accounts of harvests lasting nine mottths are corroborated by modern experience . The celebrated flowers of the Cyrefaatca still cluster on the ground . Cleopatra was perfumed with attar from the roses of Cyrene . The Greeks ate its honey , and compared ii ^ t ^' -iiieV'Weet ^ . gatherm ^ : of . Hymetti ^ . The Arabs still collect this honey , still possess the magnificent horses , nerds , and flocks for which their
pastures were renowned in antiquity . ^ * jt « fc Cyrene is scarcely less a ruin than Syracuse . The contiguous territOries , once flourishing and populous , have become wildernesses , scantily peopled , sparely cultivated , unknown to civilization . The verdure shrinks yearly to- a narrower circle round i ; he perpetual but neglected fountain . Tfac " coTnmerce & f the people is restricted to an interchange of dates and cfe « Ai fer ^ fud ^ arms and domestic utensils , except when , at long and uncertaW ^ ntferVftls ; the great caravan from Waday arrives . Then , says Mr . Hantflfon , theold picture of Cyrenean activity is for a short time renewed . TH ^ 'd ^ sei * , ; for weeks , is alive , witl ? long files of camels , which enter the tomv laden with ivory and mim . " . With these arrive also hundreds of slaves ,
the , § gojls of war , who have marched on toot across twenty-one degrees or . ti ^ 2 > arfih ) ng- latitude of ^ Northern Africa , who may have been twelve days a |« j » timejOiLthe road withoutwater , who have been dragged naked through thertorrid light with a handful of meal daily for their sustenance , and who , in ^ aU ^ caeee ^ have seen many of their number drop , expiring on the road . The profits of this traffic are still enormous , as may be conceived , when it is remembered that slaves are more valnable than ivory , which , when brought fran ¥ Wadayf sells in Europe , or in the East , at a profit of five hundred tfuP 3 # c ' ¦ ¦ .- ¦•¦¦ ' " ¦ 'TJie Stttyan of the interior kingdom of Waday is usually tlie proprietor of the ' greater part of / the caravan . Some of our readers have probably seen a ' jpic ^ re i of . his , J & conoroiea in the graphic book of the Sheikh El Touny , which ; has b \ een translated into English . At Benghazi , on the Mediterranean
coasts * hit agents . usually buy an abundance of gaudy cottons manufactured for that particular market , coral , paper , and arms , besides receiving for him the offerings of the Frankish dealers—now a carriage , now a service of plated silver . It needs a persevering imagination to realize the picture of tqe ^ Wadavari -king rolling in a Long-acre barouche among the conical jtaladesand tufted palms of Central Africa . He is said to have begun to c ^ hH'doliarB fr 6 m , a die sent to him from Europe , the old coinage being ^ 6 ^] iM wtth thp action of a native paper currency—unstamped , ungraved , i ^ nipr ^ iVen- ^ virgin ' . ' . ppper , without symbol or signature of any kind . The pru ^ G pf a fowl ja ope sheet of paper ; the price of a sheep , eight . It may
ofl *;» Waging ,. how lucrative are the royal monopolies of Wmlny , when it is . mentioned that the Turkish Government levies , at a station half-way acrosa th & desert , a > duty of 25 dollars on every ninety-eight pounds of ivory , oin . mpra than its original- value , and a duty of a dollar on each slave , who is fttfrther ^ axed seven dollars and a half at Benghrazi , unless he be destined for Constantinople . TWwahdering Majabta Arabs , who dwell near the oasis of Ialo , are , to a ' great extent , the carriers of the slave and ivory trade from Fe «* aAVw , berfe ; tbey purchase slaves from the wholesale merchants , who m ^ A jui annual incursion into Bornou , and return with five or six hundred StBtov . es , .- . ^ . / Lv' .. ' <> u \ h-. ,.-. ¦ : , t > i _ jkJ ^« Jli . gi » a 4 ( jr 0 utes u atte ^ fo llowed by the traders from the J 3 arbary coas t , 1 $ MWMttft £ p > vrt different ppiota . of that extensive belt of populous country tfip * 4 » toatohe 3 acrosB Central / Africa ,, and includes the kingdoms ot Waday , to be
Bp ^ vo ^ jg ^ odaiv ^ nd Timbuatoo . The route from Waday appears a mo ^ er ^ ra ^| yfifatiqp K > though Mr . Hamilton seems to connect it with one of t hJbt ^ i ^ iw »»* ft * Wr comrnQfce ., 'We think b » will find , however , that it was < W & fflltffN & QffiiP'qiguthq . ^ ftt / century . Slaves and ivory are also brought ^^« ^ lwi § P ^«*^ lNw ? ,, l 8 pwdan , the principal exports are slaves , ivory , i ^^ , w ^ . md'fiO /«^ lfeM ^ hftU Of the trade of thjscoun iry being leg » ti-I BWSn oW ^ JWjiP' ^ . W ! Ilikti ^ c i ^ wery ie ^ wraginfif . tOi thpBOwhQ deplore the prevalence of the trade in human beings . Wax began to be sent to Tripoli seventeen years ago , elephants' teeth fifteen , while it is only four
years-since'indigo-was ^ first-exported ; -: ~ -From-Timbuctoo no slaves are-sent As gold ; senna , gumdragon , and cassia are discovered in increasing quantities , ' the profits of the legitimate Commerce will be enhanced in proportion to that , of the slave-trade . ; Mr . Hamilton ' s volume , whence a ? part of this information is derived , contains an account of his journey from Benghazi , on tlie North African coast , along the cultivated sea-border to Cyrene , to the exquisite fountainwatered solitude of Grennah , to various Greek and Roman ruins , and to the ancient Apollonia and Tolmeta . Returning from this journey , He struck into the wilder route across the desert to Angila , along the line of the interior trade , to Angila , Ialo , and Siwah , which had not been visited by a European since Mr . Bayle St . John explored it several years ago . Mr . Hamilton ' s narrative of his residence is almost identical with that of his predecessor . He , too , describes the conferences with the Sheikhs , night attacks , forced detentions , insults from the bigoted Siwi chiefs , the Temple of the Sun , the
agriculture and the social economy of the oasis . The incidents of his various excursions , plainly but pleasantly narrated , are combined with observations on the antiquities , trade , and civilization of Northern Africa . For some readers his account of the Cyrenean remains will possess much interest . These remains consist of a vast necropolis ^ enclosing the ancient city , some built of masonry , some of monolithic simplicity , others deeply and elaborately hewn in the rock . Specimens of sculpture , with vases and intaglios are occasionally found amid the confused masses of marble walls , columns , cornices , and basements , indicating the agora , the theatres , the shrines of the dilapidated city , which was surrounded by walls still traceable , solid and imposing architecture . The main aqueduct , in its vastness and solidity , resembles a Roman work , though the stones are uniformly engraved with Greek characters . Neither buildings nor statues , however , appear to belong to the highest period of antique art .
Mr . Hamilton has broken ground in a part of Africa which has been little explored by recent travellers . There is no reason why others should not imitate his example , and dig among the Cipollino dust of Cyrene , instead of pic-nicing for ever at Thebes , or scratching the columns of Dendera .
A Very Bad Book. June: A Book For• The C...
A VERY BAD BOOK . June : a Book for the Country in Summer Time . By H . T . Stainton . Longman and Co . A pbbttieb or pleasanter subject could scarcely have been chosen than that of Mr . Stainton ' s book ; and it would require some ingenuity to make out of so charming a subject a book at once so worthless and so dull . It has all that " decent debility" which Sydney Smith noted in bad sermons , and it has no information to give its dulness the pretext of solidity . Mr . Stainton is an entomologist , and might , one would think , have told us something interesting about the insects of June ; for even his terrible style might be forgotten if it were the vehicle of instruction ; but when , as in this case , it is simply the vehicle of his own foolish sentiments , his preferences , and his rhapsodies ; the Teader is justly indignant . We have never seen any of Mr . Stainton ' s entomological writings , and-are willing to assume that they have their merits ; but alter this book on June , he will , we trust , never again venture beyond the limits of his special study . The first section is devoted to an analysis of the various ingredients which constitute a delightful day in June , which are said to be as follows : — 1 ° duration of daylight ; 2 ° temperature , warm bat rarely sultry ; 3 ° splendid appearance of the garden ; 4 ° rich and varied heTbage of the fields ; 5 ° dense , yet fresh green foliage of the -wood ; 6 ° the song of birds ; 7 ° the blaze of insect life , so suddenly at its maximum . ' These are dwelt on seriatim by Mr . Stainton with a prodigality of twaddle and niggardliness of sense or information such as only " decent debility " can achieve . We will quote the whole of what is devoted to No . 2 , begging the reader not to skip it , but to roll it leisurely over in his mind that he may taste its full flavour : — The Tempera-tithe Warbi but not Sultey . —It is a melancholy reflection that man should be so influenced by the weather , that his temper to a great extent reflects the skyey influences ; in cold ungenial weather in May , how many persons are crabbed ! feeling that " the times are out of joint ; " a pleasant warm summery day comesand then they are as agreeable as the weather .
, In July and August , on the other hand , there is an increase of hot sultry weather and again you hear the cry , «• What a disagreeable day ! I can stand any sort of weather bnt this ; it is so close , you feel as if you couldn ' t breathe . " Now June , taken as a whole , steers clear of both these faults ; taken as a whole , I say , because individual days in individual Junes may be found painfully cold ( I think I can remember wet days when the thermometer never reached 45 ° ) , and others in the opposite extreme , unpleasantly sultry . , The actual heat ia not so much a drawback to enjoyment as the absence of iresn breezes to moderate the heat ; for you may have very pleasant enjoyable weather , with the thermometor above 80 ° ; and you may have unpleasantly cold weather , witn the thermometer bolow 65 ° . .,, « ., i * .. „? : „„ * nf It is astonishing how rapidly the human frame habituates itself to the alterations oi temperature : the first two or three days of hot weather we have , we fool the near , but after that , we get quite accustomed to it ; and if the weather changes so « 8 to revert to the temperate climate we were previously enjoying , we at onco exclaim , v « how chilly it is I" Who , that is gifted with the faculties of observation , has noi
noticed this ? „ ., In No . 3 , which treats of " the splendid appearance of the garden , wr-Stainton thus moralizes : — . Now it is that tho ciatus expands its soon-to-be-prostrate potols , reminding one most forcibly of tho truth , that" AH that's bright must fade , , The brightest still the fleetest . " It scatters Ita white favours all around it , as if their beauties were not worth retaining , and the fallen petals serve to ornament many a humble plant beneath it . o" » we not then rather compare it to the bonevolont action , of one who , having more tan he requires for hi * own uao , imparta to those leas plentifully supplied , and aiiau " not deduce from it the mcral , that our talents are not to bo employed simply tor o Own gratification , bat should he exerted for the benefit and happiness of o ^ ere Happy Indeed . i » ho who does not , when bo seep tho fallen petals of tho cistus , ronu * - tlmt that . plant inns distributed mono than he has . ™ - , ^ niar ? But I must not omit to notice that singular plant , the mignonette . Why s « ngu'a
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Citation
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Leader (1850-1860), June 28, 1856, page 16, in the Nineteenth-Century Serials Edition (2008; 2018) ncse.ac.uk/periodicals/l/issues/cld_28061856/page/16/
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