Current:

Northern Star (1837-1852), 8th March 1851, Edition 2 of 2, Page 3

Page 3
Page 3
3 of 8

On this page

  • Departments (4)
    • pttir?
    • Keweing
    • ^ amttflcmttu*
    • »armm>
  • Text (14)
  • Transcript

    • 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.

      Additionally, when viewing full transcripts, extracted text may not be in the same order as the original document.

      ; Mabch 8, X85l The Norther^ Sffar^ . *

      ; Mabch 8 , X 85 L THE NORTHER ^ SffAR ^ . *

      Pttir?

      pttir ?

      The Press. Tntnilliormillion Tongues Are...

      THE PRESS . tntnilliormillion tongues are thine , and they are heard - 5 ] 5 peaki 5 peaki & £ of hope to nations , in tbe prime OOf FreOf Freedom ' s day , to , hasten on , the time bhen thhen the wide . world of spirit shall be stirred . itith higth hig her aims than now—when man shall call lEacb . lEach man his brother—each shall tell to each IHis tiliis tale of love—and pore and holy speech ^ mush music for the soul's high festival ! trtiy ge & y gentle notes , are heard , like coral waves , IKe autlteaching the mountain , plain , and quiet vale—1 Thy IThy tbunder ' tones are" like the sweeping gale , iuddingdding the tribes of men no more be slaves ; ii nd camd earth ' s remotest island hears tbe sound 1 l hat fl'hat floats on ether yrin £ B the world ground 1

      Iihbihb Bust Of Dead Men's Grates Bt E1u...

      IIHBIHB BUST OF DEAD MEN'S GRATES BT E 1 ULT VARSDEli . Tl The ashes of the smouldering oak - To men no history tell ,. 0 ! Of how , in by-gone years , it grew , Luxuriant and well . - T They speak not of the summer breeze , That through its branches stray'd , ' \ When lowing herds and fleecy flocks Reclined beneath iu shade . 5 3 « or state they how the woodman came , And cast a glance around . 1 Beheld the monarch of the field .

      And fetPd it to the ground . ! So , too . the dust of dead men ' s graves , How voiceless and how mute ! How all unknown its ancient fame , Its credit and repute . The dust within the lone church aisle , The soxtun sweeps away , "Was it of prince or peasant horn , In life ' s momentous day ? The whirlwind wafts it ' mid the tombs , 3 Tor canst thou tell , O man ! Which ia the fine patrician flour—Which tho plebeian bran .

      Keweing

      Keweing

      Rhtfheeraqfthe Casars. By M. A. Romieu. ...

      rhtfheEraqfthe Casars . By M . A . Romieu . P Paris . tetfHE idea of ruling by physical force is b y no aeaieans confined to the Red Republicans , as is ; en ; enerally supposed and assumed in respectable lircircles . Practically , all Governments , at the vraresent moment , are based upon a mixture of bnbrce and fraud—the former being brought into jlailay whenever ^ the latter fails to effect the purpose , and carry out the will of the rulers for ihelhe time being . ! This fact , however , h in such coconntries as our own pretty well disguised , ononder cover of . oar representative institutions ,

      anand we are accustomed to hug ourselves in the bebelief that physical force , whether from above oror below , is not , and never can be , any very prpronunent orspowerful element ia English , G Government Perhaps so ; but it is not the leless true , that all the writings and p hilosoph y olof an eminent writer , and one highly esteemed ilia influential quarters , point in another direc-^ tion . With a deep and earnest sympath y for 1 human wretchedness , Thomas Carl yle sees no i mode of relieving it or removing it , except by 1 having recourse , to the rough and ready strong 1 handed methods of past times . He is a true

      1 hero-worshipper , and haa done much to propa-I gate his own faith amongst a not . inconsideri able or uninfluential section of the people . For what the world calls progress he has an infi-: nite contempt , and keeps his eyes fixed on the Past in order to read the Future . "With forma of Government are nothing . Men are everything . The only effective , strong , and Godordained Government , is that of the best , most virtuous , strong-minded man amongst us . The best is always at the . t / op , no matter from what class he may be drawn . Now , in this political creed , there is a great truth , but it is overlaid

      with crotchets aud eccentricities . It is onl y part of tho truth , and Mr . Carly le takes it for the whole . . True it is , that whatever may be the forma of Government in any country , they will be beneficial j or the contrary , in action according to the spirit in which they are administered . But the permanent wellbeing of society can never rest securely on the will , intelligence , or ability of individuals . Tho progressive improvement of nations depends upon Institutions—not upon a man . These Institutions , in fact , form men . They provide the necessary material and influences

      for developing tbe organic capabilities of each individual , and in proportion to their expansive or restrictive character , will be the amount and quality of mental power brought into action for the general advantage of the community . 31 . Romieu is of quite a contrary opinion . He has mounted a hobby which he calls " Cajsarism , " and rides it stoutly . He , like Mr . Carl yle , would substitute the will of one man for the more complicated machinery of representative government . He abases heartil y all parliamentary forms and delays , and ex *

      presses his unqualified admiration of the brutal power oftho sword ; but his " Csesars " need not , like Mr . Cariyle ' s " heroes , ** be the wisest and best men of their age . He takes them without a character , and from the mere fact of their success , concludes they are worth y of power . With him , Might is emphaticall y and literall y Right . A Caesar does not mean , as one mig ht naturally suppose , an Emperor , or a hereditary chief of anykind , but merely a chance product of political convulsions representing force for the time being . Csesarism is the rule of successive Csesars : and to

      Csesarism AT . Romiea -affirms that all countries of Europe , and even of America , are predestined —all those at least which have been afflicted with the plague of " constitutional government / ' But we will allow him to explain his own meaning : — Casaris m , which I forseo has the general form of a fasi approaching Future , and which I see even now hitrodaced among us , will , on its first appearance , be mistaken by saanyfor monarchy , —from which it differs however in one material point : this latter can be founded and maintained only inasmuch as it inspires belief , —the former lives and

      subsists bfitself . It tends constantly to monarchy , to which it never attains . Each Roman Cajsar thought to make his family endnre by sharing the purple with his son , and yet two successive generations always witnessed the failure of the attempt even under the venerated hands of Vespasian , Severos , Constantine , or Tbeodosius . It is not by authority that monarchies are founded , but by faith . This latter feeling takes its rise in tlie infancy of nations ; it grows and is developed by time till it becomes exalted into a dogma , —but it cannot take birth , or even exist amidst tbe discission of

      principles oy which we are surrounded . I muss be understood , therefore , to say that the present epoch caUslondl y for strong rather than for hereditary power , that no hereditary power is possible until i j- d . ay , wnen education will have fashioned a baicemg instead of a judging generation , and that it j * puerile to seek social security in any of the combin ations of the Past . . . * . . lean imagine nooUicr sequel ( I will not say end ) to our troubles than a succession of masters , called into existence b Posing events , —important to found , although prompt to establish themselves . I term these UCSUV

      The de 6 nition is clear enoug h . Csesarism means Force , —and Force , in M . Romieu ' s ° l'imon , resides in the sword . It may , indeed , P ^ w that moral and material strength shall 06 united ia one individual , —the most forta-» ate soldier may be also the greatest man of h « day ; but this , according to the author ' s theory , V 011 ]^ ^ on | fortnnate coincidence , a dding nothing to his Caesarism . Commo"u and lleliogabalus were Casars quite as and aS ^ and MarcGS Aurelius * Atti , a r . " * 'aric , barbarians though thev were , were to

      JjJ ^ ms according M . Romieu ' s definition of « tat * ' , ^ ' an avowedl y pre-eminent -w « on an absolute requisite ; for the author 2 ^' ? tells us that Stilieho , the Vandal de-^/ - . Wof the dishonoured Koman narnej was t * r ^' " " ^ hereas , Honorius , his feeble nias-^ Jas onl y an emperor . By the same rule admit , f " * " qaite snre that M # Komiea < h'an f * Csesarism—ire should pronounce Charle-Vi 10 * ° * laVe De ? C » Bax-m , and after , ** a mei * e ting . Indeed , itis easy , « WSl ! ? - % go « g definition , to of th e AV » mind ' s eye dosra & e lonS ro 11 W orld ' s History ,. and trace the course

      Rhtfheeraqfthe Casars. By M. A. Romieu. ...

      of Csesarism from the great Julius , its founder , down to Carl yleV Caesar , Dr . Francia , and Soulouque ,. the Last representative of the prinicplc . The word once understood , —the wonder increases . . How is Cjesarism to agree , with parliaments , newspapers ,-electric telegraphs , peace congresses , and exhibitions of industry ? Is the European world to retrogade 1900 years at one step , —and all the progress of human

      intellect and reason to be annulled before the reign of cannon ?—Progress ! Reason!—M . Romieu scouts . at the words . There has been no progress!—there is . no reason 3—there is nothing but force . Force is justice , —force is truth—force is at the bottom of everything < It is the onl y solution of every social problem , the ultima ratio of , all human discussion . .. As to progress and reason , our readers shall see what M . Romieu thinks of them : —

      The word Progress has been often repeatei since the last quarter of thia century . The term has no meaning when applied to the moral world . Comfort , no doubt , is increased , physical sciences are better known , a corner of tbe curtain which veils the great theatre of natural troth has been upraised ; but nothing has been done , nothing can be done , to alter the passions of mankind , —those unchanging actors in all present and future scenes . The word Progress , as it is generally understood , is an unexampled absurdity which the folly of rhetoricians alone could have brought into fashion—a fashion that will unfortunately last for a long while to come . —Ths noble creed of self-denial and of the dominion of the soul over the senses—the grave

      doctrine which arose on the ruins of paganism—nas been the only social progress since the historic times . Infirm reason , which totters and gives way before the simplest problem of the mind , and which has substituted discussion for dogmas , has thereby delivered up the world to the perplexity of deciding between pleaders of oppo site causes , and replunged our unfortunate species into tho darkness of doubt and hesitation . That which is progress for one ia retrogression for another , and there is no absolute judge to settle the dispute . A sad and dismal epoch this!—replete with chaos and darkness , fraught with danger for the soul and despair for the mind ! Salvation in times like these is clearly indicated ; and nations rush towards it , sacrificing their pride to their repose .

      The road to salvation is indicated , as he thinks , very clearly in his book ,, as far as France is concerned , at least by an elaborate attempt at an analogy , the purpose of which is obvious enough , and which , no doubt , was flatteringly received at the Elysee by the present President of the French Republic . We confess , however , that the analogy which he points out between the present epoch and the Roman world before the accession of Augustus has failed to strike us . One similiarity we

      are willing to allow , —and even that concerns France alone .. It is certain that two great captains have appeared at a distance of about nineteen centuries ; that one governed Rome after conquering Gaul , —and that the other reigned iu France after conquering Italy . It is equally certain that each of these two Caesars had a nephew much inferior to himself in talent aud military renown , whom the glory of his name first brought into notice . There we stop . We see our way no further . We find no Philippi , no Actium , to convert a modern Octavius into an Augustus . But we

      will not attempt to refute M . Romieu ' s parallel , lest we should be drawn into the sphere of political allusion : —we will say onl y that the questions which distracted Rome iu the days of Marius and Sy lla , and which the despotism of the Csesars set at rest , appear to us totally different from those that are perplexing modern Europe . The conflicting claims of capital and labour , the evils of pauperism , the limits of the suffrage , and the laws which should regulate association , are problems , we suspect , which it would have puzzled the great Julius himself to solve or even to define .

      We shall . not attempt to follow the author in his other parallels , but dismiss them with the simple remark that he takes some rather extraordinary liberties with history , in order to make them dovetail ; a skip over six centuries at once in order to bring in by hook or crook , a fact to suit his purpose , is , however , just what mig ht be expected from so eloquent an advocate of Force , pure et simple , as M . Romieu . It may be said that such a book , by the very audacity of its extreme opinions , can have no effect upon opinion . We dissent from that opinion . Taken in connexion with the steady aggression of the Continental despots

      upon existing European liberty—looked at as not remotely connected with apparently ecclesiastical , butreally political aggressions at home , we book as a timel y warning to tbe friends of Rational Progress and Constitutional Freedom , that all the world is not walking their way . if . Romieu affords valuable insight into the real sentiments and p lans of the party he represents ; and we ought to be thankful to him for being so frank in his avowals . Forewarned ought to he followed by forearmed ; and it is hig h time we were looking about ourselves and girding on our armour , when we read the following candid and forcible denunciation of Reason and glorification of force as the sole arbiter of human

      affairs : — It is not enough to have shown to what the theory of Reason applied to hum an affairs may lead us , — it is necessarr to show that the theory is no sooner applied tban "i t no longer suffices , but is obliged to lean for support on tbe sole active and enduring principle— " Force . In what consists , for instance , ihe mncb-vaunted progress of sell-taxation by the nation , and of legislative power confided to representative Assemblies ? It is merely a hindrance to the inarch of business which , in absolute monarchies , is directed by one will and regulated by Force . An Assembly entertains a project : much time is lost in getting it printed and distributed to members , in nominating committees and making reports .

      A public debate takes place , in which every one has a pre-conceived opinion , which no phrases or arguments can alter . * * Then comes the vote . Two hundred senators happen to be of one way of thinking , and two hundred and one are of a contrary op inion . This means that the country has sided with these latter . The figure 1 , which is tbe cause of it , suddenly assumes the historical proportions of Peter the Great or Louis XIV . ; it wills and commands , for such is its good pleasure ; and if you do not obey , it sends you , just as though it were Peter the Great or Louis XIV ., i ts collectors , its bailiff * , and its soldiers ; it will have you dragged to prison , and , if needful , will cut ofl jour head

      . .... . .. _ "What would a law be without a penal sanction , and what is a penal sanction butForce ? When ever vou cease to have recourse to it , and I seethe law executed notwithstanding , I will fall down and worship your Progress , —till then , 1 must beg to consider it an inconvenient humbug . We might multip ly extracts , —we mig ht transcribe attacks as virulent on the Jury , on the Press , on every free institution;—but we

      have exceeded our limits , and must be content with one more samp le . The author indulges in abuse against those covetous masses , who are always trying to improve and better themselves ( what he terms "poisoning themselves at our educational tables" ) , —whereas the world would go on smoothl y if they would only rest satisfied with their destitution and ignorance . But he sees no hope of this , and exclaims : —

      I have not proclaimed the power of Force from choice , —I have merely presented it as a fact . I find it at tite bottom of all human institutions , even of those which are considered to owe their birth to Liberty . It was apparent in all tbe plainness of a dogma among the ancients , and has only become obscured in modern times since the irruption of the Ideologist ? , a species of civil barbarians , who have undertaken the conquest of the world with speeches and writings . Their tyranny is as bard to bear to our cotemporaries as that of the German tribes can have been to our Gallic ancestors . They have disturbed the unconscious peace of the most secluded village homes ; tbey have ravaged tbe mind and destroyed the soul ; anil now remain alone , struggling among themselves in the desolated land .

      There is a mistake here . The Ideologists , as M . Romieu calls them—the champions of Rca « on against Force , the friends of discussion argument , and free . examination , whose arms are speeches - and writings-have-not only undertaken the conquest of tbe . world s they " have achieved it . Tbey have forever wrested the dominion of mankind from Caesar *

      Rhtfheeraqfthe Casars. By M. A. Romieu. ...

      and Praetorians , inquisitors , and gendarmes . A northern Crcsar exclaimed , in' speaking of his kingdom , — " God gave it to me / and the devil , shall not take it from mo : "—so may the "Ideologists ' ' say' of their intellectual empire , — " Reason has given , and Force shall not take away 2 "

      Rovings In Th Pacific, From 183? To 18a9...

      Rovings in th Pacific , from 183 ? to 18 A 9 , with a Glance at California . By a Merchant . 2 Vols . London : Longman aud Co . THE author of these volumes left England in 183 J as an adveuturer , to seek his fortune . He says that "blighted hopes and ruined affections '—but the context would rather imply the impossibility of finding any opening in England—disgusted him with his country , and he determined to go abroad any how or anywhere . Making confidants of some staid commercial men , who " used the house " where he was stopping in the Borough , one of

      them got him a passage to Sy dney in a convict ship , on the condition of his making himself useful . He had advantages in poiat of mess , and might have had in some other respects , but , preferring to grapple with difficulties at once , he worked his way to Sydney as a foremast-man . There he procured several situations ; but not . finding ; the colony sufficiently answering his pecuniary hopes , he started in 1810 as a merchant adventurer . He made several voyages to New Zealand—he purchased a vessel wrecked on a reef , in latitude 21 deg : 41 min . South , and about 17 ^

      deg . 14 min . East longitude , with several thousand dollars biiricd in . the sand , a half of which be fortunatel y recovered . He established a trade in Biche de mer ; he employed native divers in a diving speculation for mother-of-pearl shells , with the chance of pearls ; though bitterly opposed to the French at Tahiti and involved in frequent squabbles with them , he took contracts from the Governor ; and , in short , sailed whithersoever there was business to be done at a probable profit . The field of his operations extended from New Zealand to the Sandwich Islands and

      California , and from Valparaiso to the Philippine Islands and Canton ; in the course of his voyages to and fro he touched more or less frequently at the princi pal groups of islands in the Pacific , and at many places only known by uaroo to professed geographers ; but Tahiti was his head-quarters , aud after his marriage to the daughter of an Englishman his established home , in spite of the French occupation . The book is not without interest and novelty in many parts , but it does not equal the expectations which the opportunities of the author might fairly raise . The author looks at matters too much in the trading point of view , without having the variety of knowledge , or reach of mind , which are necessary to give general interest to the commoner doings of mercantile adventure .

      The island of Rotumah was a sort of occasional station for our author . Near it was a remarkable object , called the " split rock ; " a small island split in two by some convulsion of nature , leaving a passage through it . A visit made to this place in company with a man named Emery , who had lived for some years on a neig hbouring island to which he had given his name , is one of the most interesting passages in the book , for the picture of wonderful natural phenomena , as well as of the power that man can attain in feats of agility .

      We steered for the south side of the island , that we might paddle through the " split . " As we neared , the weather was so calm , that though no soundings could be obtained close to thu island , and tbe side we were rounding rose perpendicularly from the water , the long glassy undulations of the ocean laved the rocky base without creating a ripple . We approached within an oar ' s length of this immense rock : its grandeur imposed feelings of awe , and I could scarcely reconcile my mind that we were in a safe position ; however , I left it to Emery , who was an experienced hand . On gaining the passage , ' I felt less at my ease ; it is only of sufficient width to admit of a canoe being paddled

      through , and is about two hundred feet in length . The two sides of the cleft correspond exactly , and at about one-third from the summit of the opening a massive block is firmly wedged ; and from its appearance , I am confirmed in the opinion , that in the convulsion that caused this singular phenomenon , as the fearful chasm was about to close the upper part of the island tottered from its centre and tumbled into the yawning gulf , where it got immovably jammed and prevented closer union , leaving this passage a memorial of tho terrific convulsions that must have troubled these seas , and reminding man of the insignificance of all his works when compared with the grand and mighty

      operations of nature . The water in the passage appeared of immeasurable depth ; and tbe long , smooth , rolling swell that swept through it , seemed like the convolutions of some monster of the deep . We had only one native with us who had been to the island before , and he desired us to turn face about , that we might work the canoe through stern first , as the l anding place was on our larboard hand , ' and the out-rigger being on the larboard side of the . canoe , we should get dashed to pieces unless we shifted . I was somewhat startled , and being no swimmer , did not altogether relisli the intelligence ; but the imperturbable coolness with which old Emery set to work , caused me to suppress any observation I felt tempted to make . On clearing the passage , prepared as I was for an awkward landing place , I was

      not quite prepared for what I saw : the island is a wall of rock shooting upwards from four hundred to six hundred feet -hi gh , and curving like a horse shoe , the south-eastern extremity of the curve being split and riven into a thousand pinnacles and rocky needles . The passage we came through is exactly in tbe centre of the crescent ; but instead of finding the sea placid in the "hollow , " as it was outside , it was tumbling about , foaming and seething like a boiling cauldron , roaring and dashing up the rocks as if trying to overleap the opposing barrier , and in its retreat forming such eddies tbat I momentaril y expected to be shivered like the rocks around us . The whole swell of the ocean sets into this "hollow , " and even if there is no breeze , the contracting points of the curve confine the roiling billows , which in their recoil create this dancing turmoil .

      Well was it for us that the natives from Wea had paddled into the hollow before us , as they were accustomed to the island , and to land on its steep and slippery sides . The way they managed was admirable . They balanced their canoes so close to the precipitous rock , that the lashing sur « e broke just under their bows and went roaring a hundred feet above them . Wondering what they were going to do , we noticed two of them plunge into the crest of a gigantic roller , and when it had spent itself and I expected to see their mangled remains swept back in its rushing retreat , the men were standing on the rocks high over head , smiling and nodding to us . One of them had a long rope coiled round his waist , and he threw the end of it down to us : Emery gave

      it to me , and told me , when the next swell hove us nearly on a level with tbe men , to leap with all my might towards them . My amazement at this cool request was too great for utterauee , but somehow I did as I was desired . Watching the favourable moment , 1 gave a spring , and tlie natives who held the rope seconded the impetus , jerked me alongside them like a fish out of water ; Emery followed immediately after , aided in the same way . The man with us who had already visited the island threw hvmseif overboard , and in a few minutes lie also had secured a footing , dripping like a water-sprite The two left in the canoe lost their presence of mind and would infallibly have been lost , had not the natives from Wea reassured them and directed them

      how to act . » . * * ' » There is a little soil on the summit or wall-like ridge of the island yielding a growth of coarse grass and a peculiar variety of scrub . The natives have likewise succeeded in rearing a few cocoa-nut trees . The ascent to a novice is rather perilous , and made me wink : you have to wind your way up laterally , and at one point you have to pass round the salient projection of a ba ' ld rock where the footing is shelving and not fourteen inches broad , the rock overhead bulging forward , while below you have a sheer fall between two hundred and three hundred feet in depth . I was for giving it up , when Emery took the lead , telling me it was the only dangerotw spw : but then , he was barefooted , and foryears b ad been

      habituated to go so ; the tenderness of my feet would not allow me to dispense with shoes , and tlieslippery soles made my case more perilous : wise shame prevented my retreating , but at the time 1 could not help considering that the object to be obtained was scarcely worth the risk . When I had sidled half way across this very awkwatd pass , my arms extended and fingers stretched out nervously clutching at any little unevenness of surface , and whilst I was hesitating where next to put my foot , groping in vain for some fissure into which I might thrust my finders or for some root that lnv ' gh : grasp , I caught sight of the' frightful , descent , my head swam , and 1 was turning sick . At this moment of imminent risk , a native daringly swayed himself outside me , striking me smartly on the back

      Rovings In Th Pacific, From 183? To 18a9...

      with KL I - L ff f 00 . tin a ' The rapidity hrirfnl . fc th , 8 b 0 ld actioa was performed is sur KSp * f ? mflB i the » an ' sbody must have SSfeu 2 ?« 2 Si ltro -- < , f J ?? . '' luld ^ belie ? ° 1 ™? J Zl \ a 1 hadI' slipped when he was passing £ > * 7 e beeu iuvolTcd in « ertMndestruc-Much of the diving took place atthe Bow island of Cook , or in'its vicinity . This is the account of the process ;— '" l ' ' onre 7 bvte »/ T ^ n 611 . the ' boatwasse . cureu oy its painter to a projecting branch ; and the

      3 TB ^ , cd t 0 divd frdni i { ln «' direction ' s ' ; ' thpJ ^ Si ' ^ 1 U P the sll elIs so thoy threw fRwX i , 8 ha , I ° * water on tl 10 to" *' , until « ntSS ? beC ! »» e scarce , or they became tired aud SJ P . u 11 to aether station . Shell . fl . hof Sfr p ' are cached to and wedged in the coial ^ ranches , apparently having grown with Uhir '; - 0 n a "i 1 calm . dayyoVmayseeto the bottom at ton or twelve fathoms , and tlie shell-M whon feeding reflect tints of the most brilliant and beautiful } Wo . and fish of every conceivable form and colour may be seen sporting in the interstices of the coral . branchos . '

      It is a curious . sight to watch the divers : with scarcely a movement they will dart to the bottom like an arrow , examine beneath every protruding rock , and on continuing their investigations , by a simple movement of the arm will propel themselves horizontally through the water , and . this at the depth of sewn and eight fathoms . I timed several by the watch ; and the longest period ' I knew any of them to keep beneath tho water was a minute and a quarter , and there were only two who accomplished tc . One of them from his great skill was nicknamed by . his companions , the . " Ofai" ( stone ) . Rather less thun a minute was the usual duration . In fine weather , they can see the shells , whon , if the water is deep , they dive at an angle for them ; and as the shells adhere firmlv : to the coral by strong beards

      , it requires no little force to detach them . I was , astonished on one . occasion at witnessing a diver after one or two ineffectual attempts to tear away a large oyster ,-sink his legs beneath him , and getting a purchase with , his feet against the coral , use both his hands ,. and fairly drag it off . When tbey dive in very deep " water , they complain of pubis in the ears , and they sometimes come up with their noses Weeding ; but it is rarely that you can get them to attempt such . diving , as , let the shells he ever so abundant , they , will como up and ' sweatthere are none : the exertion from the great pressure is too painfully distressing . It has lrequently happened , after , a set of worn-out divers have sworn that no more shells could bo obtained , that a fresh set has come and procured from fifty to sixty tons without difficulty .

      Sir Pmhp Hetlierington. By The Author Of...

      Sir PMHp Hetlierington . By the author of 'Olivia , ' ( Parlour Library . ) Simms and M 'In tyre . This is neither a translation nor a reprint , but an orig inal novel , of the Miss Austin School , in which the authoress depicts with very considerable power , and we doubt not , accuracy , English society of a somewhat exclusive class in country places . It possesses none of the thrilling incidents and striking melo-dramatic ' situations' -which characterise a large portion of our " modern fictitious literature , but flows steadily and smoothil y on

      towards the end ; and , though that end cannot be a doubtful one to the experienced reader , yet , the different phases of character and the gradual development of the story are so artistically managed , that the work possesses an unflagging interest throughout . The story is briefly the transformation of Sir Philip— -a man of g ood . natural powers—from being a 'finegentleman , ' absorbed by his dress , and his own attractions into a man of earnest purpose and sterling , through the instrumentality of a plain , but clever young lady , who thinks for herself , has neither been spoiled by tbe conventionalities of « good society' or the

      flattery addressed to her beautiful sister . While we admire the directness and simplicity with which the story is evolved , and the fine discrimination of character generally displayed by the authoress , wo must enter a cavrat against her picture of a Radical , as embodied in Major Adams , " the villain of tbe plot . We trust the authoress of * Olivia , ' in her next tale , will not endeavour to make * serious young ladies ' believe , that persons who believe the Jews should be emancipated

      and the people enfranchised , are unprincipled , scheming , selfish , passionate , heartless , l ying scamps—such as she depicts the Major . If she can emancipate herself from- the narrow boundaries in which ' Earls / ' Deans , ' baronets , ' and ' respectable people' are accustomed to more and from the still narrower prejudices which induce these people to imagine they monopolise all the virtues and the good breedin g of the world ; her works will not only be truer in fact , but more useful in fnture .

      This may almost seem like breaking a fl y upon the wheel ; but in the present age fiction enters largely , aud properl y also , into the formation of public opinion j and it is , therefore , a duty , on the part of the critic , to point out where such works , under the guise of portraying life as it is ! ' bear false witness against their neighbours , ' simply because they happen to be of a different part y or sectarian shibboleth to their own .

      Familiar Things; A Cigclopcedia Of Enter...

      Familiar Things ; a Cigclopcedia of Entertaining Knowledge and Ustful Information . No . III . For ' March . A . Hall , Virtue , and Co . The article on the Carpet Manufacture in this number is a well written and instructive history of the ori gin , progress , and present position of that branch of industry , as well as of the chemical and mechanical processes employed in the fabrication of these domestic comforts , which well repay perusal . Under the title of " The Bouquet" we have an admirable and popular written Botanical article . As a specimen of the contents of this useful and cheap Cyclopaedia we extract the following account of

      A BOX OP ri'CIFEnS . How little do we regard this familiar object , yet bow greatly does it contribute to the comfort of our homes 1 Imagine the days whim the clumsy tinder-box formed our only medium for producing fire . Hear the vexatious click of the flint and steel as the hurried housewife vainly endeavours to direct tbe erratic sparks upon the perchance damp tinder . Becal the time—and many of us canwhen a shilling , ay , five shillings , was tho common price for a box of matches , which , moreover could only he lighted by being plunged into a phial containing a chemical preparation ; and when you are comfortably and without trouble lightincr your

      candle , your fare , or your cigar ,, with the cheap mid unerring match which modern science has supplied you will be able fully to appreciate theblessings of a Box op ; Locipers . What a marvel of cheapness , and what a striking instance of the results of a division of labour are here displayed ! Let us think about it ; perhaps , in the . course of our reflection * we may find both instruction and amusement lurking even under the lid of a lucifer-match box . The first thmgthat strikes us is its extreme cheapness . How can the manufacturer afford to make this neat little spill box , and all these regularly formed pieces of wood , leaving the sulphur and phosphorus

      | U ' , of the question , for a half-penny » It is trnlv wonderful ! Consider . There is the box , formed of an outer and an inner case ; each of which has first to be cut from the plank then divided into the required lengths and breadths , then bent into the form of the box , and pasted round at the corners with paper , to keep it firm . And now the matches have to be made , for which purpose the wood has to be split upjnto very small regular pieces , which pieces have to be then dipped in sulphur , then dried , then separated , for the dipping process causes them to stick together in bundles , then dipped in phosphorus , dried again , and finally packed up in boxes for sale .

      The whole of this process has to be performed before we can hare a , box of luctfers , and yet all the remuneration which the manufacturer nsks is —from tho trade—very little more than a farthing per box . Let us sec how this modern magic is performed . } . ow , f or ff 0 ff 0 fe t 0 8 ct to work upon a box of lucifers , we would find a great , if not an insuperable difficulty in preparing tho wood for the case . Certainl y we could not scale off such a

      thin piece of wood with a knife , The manufacturer has afneiid , however , who can do this part of the business with the utmost precision and despatch . This ally does his work by steam and sometimes by water , and scales up a great many fir trees in the cource . of a day , which scales are then by a skilful division of labour bent into ' the required shape , glued , pasted at ' the corners ' ; and finished off by boys . The rapidity with which these operations arc conducted is truly amazing . The next step is

      Familiar Things; A Cigclopcedia Of Enter...

      to out up tho . wood for the luctfers . This is done by a saw-mill , which first rends up the fir deals from end to end , and then euts the pieces- into lengths of five inches long . These pieces , which are the exact thickness of a lucifer , but twice the length , arc then made up . hiio bundles of eighteen hundred each . ¦ ; Tho boxes and splints boiiig now made are conveyed to the dipping house , ' which is generally a lowlwobdon building , In some isolated spot in the suburbs ; for of course the authorities will not allow the manufacture of explosive articles in the heart of London . The dipping 18 here pel formed by boys , who take a bundle at a time , and plunge ¦ first one end and tbon the other into a' vessel of liquid sulphur . The bundles are then placed on

      a rack to dry , when they undergo an operation called dusting , to sepavatu the splints which have been stuck together by tho sulphur . The during is performed by striking the end of tho bundles with a mallet . For the best lucifers , tho matches are twice dipped , in sulphur , for the second quality only once . The bundles are now dipped in pho * . pborus , or chlorate of potash , A word or twoon sulphur and phosphorus . The former , commonly called brimstone , is found in combination with most of the metals ; also to a greater estent . in . combination with oxygen . In this suite it is found in great abundance at Naples , and in ibo neighborhood of volcanoes . In some cases sulphur is obtained avtificially by roasting copper ore . Tne works for this purpose are constructed at'tlicfbot of a steep rid ge of rocks ; they arc not unlike the

      high-blast iron furnaces , except that the top is cuppod with a dome of-brickwork , from which" pro ceeds a horizontal flue , about the size of a common chimney , which terminates in a large brick chnmbei \ built at the top " of the rock . SomcligUted fuel is introduced by means ot a door in the dome of tbe roasting furnace , and a few baskets full of ore , broken in small pieces are thrown in . As the proceeding parcels get lighter more ore is added ; sufficient air i » admitted to cause slow combustion , by means of a-door at the bottom of the kiln , which also serves for taking out the ore when ' sufficiently roasted ; the part of the sulphur which escapes combustion rises in vapour to the chamber , where it collects on the' side' and roof ; each chamber has a door , by which means they are cleaned ; this is done about once in six weeks .

      This rough sulphur is in spongy pulverated crusts , of a dirty greyish yellow : it is melted in a large boiler , and by skimming and subsidence is cleansed of lis impurities , and is then poured into moulds , forming the common roll sulphur , or into cones two feet high , it then forms loaf sulphur . But sulphur is also to be found in some animal substances , as , for instance , eggs . Our readers have no doubt observed that silver egg spoons soon become black and discoloured ; this is accounted for by the discovery that sulphur formed a component part of an egg . We must , however , regard sulphur as belonging to the mineral kingdom , since it is obtained most extensively in mines , cither in combination with oxygen , or some of the metals . The largest sulpher trade , is with Sicily . Phosphrus was first

      discovered in 1669 by one Brandt , an alchymist , who tried for along time to keep his discovery secret , Brandt ' s process was very peculiar and complicated . Phosphorus is- now obtained from animal bones by calcination . Bones have been found to contain phosphoric acid combined with lime ; so that when tho bones are burned the charcoal is entirely expelled , and the phosphoric acid remains . This white mass of ashes being reduced to a fine powder , is then digested for a day or two in the form of a thin paste , which has been formed with a small ' quantity of wiiler , and half their weight of sulphuric acid . Sulphate of lime is now formed , the greater part of which remains insoluble , and a superphosphate of lime is found in solution . This is then evaporated in a copper vessel , and the

      precipitate being separated , the clear fluid , which is chiefly phosphoric acid , has to be evaporated until quite dry , and mixed with one-fourth of its weight of powdered charcoal . This mixture has then to bo heated in a retort , the beak of which is kept in water . By the action of heat , the phosphoric acid yields to the carbon , and forms carbonic acidlor oxide , which is evolved in a gaseous state , and the vapour of phosphorus , which is condensed by passing into water . Thus the vegetable , mineral , and animal kingdoms havo all to aid in tbe production of a box of lucifer matches . The lucifers which ignite without noise , and burn with a pale flame , are made with phosphorus , and those which make a crackling noise are made with chlorate of potash . It will be remembered that the splints , when made

      up in the bundles , were five inches long , twice tlio length of a lucifer , which is generally about two and a half inches long . So that there is yet another operation to bo performed before the manufacture is completed . Tho bundles havo to be cut in two ; this is done at a bench by a large knife , something like that of a chaff-cutting machine , which is brought down on the bundles by strong leverage . The boy who performs this operation , compresses the bundle of matches by means of a strap , which he tightens with his foot , and at the same time works the lever-knife with his right hand . The matches are now of the proper length , in fact

      they are finished , and the boxes are quickly filled , rolled up in packets of a dozen , and sent out to the trade . The wholesale price for the best lucifers , that is , those which have been twice dipped , is id . per dozen boxes ; for tho inferior quality , 2 Jd . and 3 d . per dozen . In London there are about ten manufactories , and the average number of boxes made at each is about 7 , 000 daily . Two thirds of this quantity are exported or sent out into the country , the other third is consumed in London . It has been calculated that London consumes about four million boxes of lucifer matches annually , but we should imagine this was much under the mark .

      But beyond all this , lucifer matches claim our sympathies as a means of livelihood to hundreds ; and although the uncharitable and the hard-hearted may say their sale forms a cloak oi idleness , yet we believe , that without them , many who now earn a scanty pittance would literally starve .

      ^ Amttflcmttu*

      ^ amttflcmttu *

      Haymarket Theatre. The Town Has Lost Too...

      HAYMARKET THEATRE . The town has lost too many of its old favourites not to welcome back one of its choicest , after a long and severe illness , with great heartiness ; and the warmth of Mr . Wallack ' s reception at this theatre on Monday night was commensurate with his merits and his popularity . He selected for his ro-appearanco the character of all others requiring the greatest amount of animal spirit and animal energy—that of Don Ctosar de Bazun , in the French Spanish drama of that name . The personification oi this character Mr . Watlack has made his own , as far as the English stage is concerned ; and his

      late indisposition , we are glad to perceive , has not caused him to abate one jot of his gallant energy , nor damped those fine animal spirits which impart to the character of the dissolute rou « , an interest and even an elevation which his vices are not able to subdue , It is unnecessary to dilate on the other portions of a drama so well known as this . Miss Heynold & performed the part of Maritana with sufficient interested Miss llorton added , as sho always does , to the general interest of the perform * ance . The chorusses of lively music , and continued excitement of the story , seemed not to have lost their power on the audience , who were rapturous in their applause .

      The Cabnival In Pabjs, —We Read In The G...

      The Cabnival in Pabjs , —We read in the Gazette des Trikmam : — "M . G , a superior emplove of a public administration , attended one of the recent masked balls at the opera , and while seated alono in a box was joined by an elegantly attired domino . Presently he got into conversation with her , and sho was very polite . After a while she consented to accept a supper , and then took off her musk The gentleman saw that she was young and beautiful , and demanded to be allowed to visit her , but she refused to give him her address , because she said she was married . She also forbade him to follow her . She , however , promised to write , and a few days after he received a letter , in which , after stating that her husband was absent , and that she was going to a ball the next evening at Bom-got

      with one of her female friends , she gave him permission to accompany her , and said that her friend would present him to the family by whom the ball was to be given , as a relative . The place of appointment she fixed at eleven o ' clock at night , at the corner ol the Rue Laffitte , and said she would be in a carriage . At the time appointed a carriage drove up , and the gentleman , who was waiting , entered it and found hia charmer and her friend . The vehicle drove off rapidly , and tho gentleman got into such a delightful conversation that he did not notice the direction taken . All at once the carriage stopped , and the ladies saying , ' This is the place !' alighted . The gentleman was surprised to see no

      house and to find himself in a deserted road , but before ho could speak he was seized by three men masked , who knocked him down , and seising him by tbe throat fold him that if ho moved they would strangle him . They then toek his watch and money , and even stripped him of his clothes , after which they and the woman entered tho vohiclo and drove rapidly off , Mr . G —~ wandered about somo time , and at last found himself in tho village of Bobigny . Ho knocked at the door of tho house occupied by the deputy mayor , and that person on bearing his story gave him hospitality . The deputy mayor also sent tho gendarmes in search of tho . thieves but notwithstanding all efforts thoy have not yet been discovered . "

      Deaih of the Earl of Harrisoios , —This nobleman expired on Monday morning at Brighton after a short illness , in his 71 st year . The heir to the title is . the , Hon . Leicester Fitzgerald Stanhope { brother . to the lato earl . ) - Lord Harrington was a loonelmtho army and his successor is a cohmander of the order of the Saviour

      »Armm&Gt;

      » armm >

      Vauayo , On The Bay Of San Francisco/Has...

      Vauayo , on the Bay of San Francisco / has been chosen as the iuiore capital of California . 1 ue Coal Whippehs ' JorjB . viL . ~ The London Coal-whippets have issued prospectuses for a new Journal , which is about to be edited by members of their own fraternity . _ Why are th e English tho worst judges of cattle in the wot Id f—Becauso the Tope sent them a bull , and they thought it was a bore . A Mom STATBUKNT . -Tne Umtel Stos tfterwry World animiinces , that " hereafter authors will not lw allowed lo review their own " books in its columns A iilo ^ k of granite of above 4000 cubic feet , or about 300 tons , without crack or fliw , h » s been raised aiCh ^ esewrinehill Quarries , Cornwall .

      A bay nursery , where the children of factory operatives will be taken care of during the time their mothers are at work , has been established in Manchester . Pekskverakce . —The old darkey ' s definition of " peysfvev-DDce" was not a bad one , ami will do for a life motto . Ilsro it is ; " Cotch—hold—hold fastand nebhe . r leave go . " The oiuqinal Mrs . Partington remnrked to us , quite recently , that there were so many intimations of her , nmv-a-days , she hardly knew how to indininify herself . Cahelk ? snkss . —A sorvnut in the employ of Mr . Ashby , i . f S amford , s « i . lire to his master ' s premises on Wednesday week , by burning off a candle from the . bunch instead of uniting the wick .

      Tbavkllisg . —People should travel , if for no other reason ihaii to receive everv now and then a letter / Vow home . The place of our birth never appears so beautiful as when it isout of sight . A aoBUxr clergyman meeting a physician , ran to hide behind a wall ; being asked the cause , he replied : —'' It is so Ions ; since 1 have been sick , that 1 am ashamed to look a physician in the face . " Conusduum . —Why is an oyster the most contradictory thing there is ? Because he ' s got a beard without a chin ; And ymi are obliged to take him out of bed—to tuck him in . A Dirty dinner . —A dirty waiter once excused a bad dinner to Lord Chesterfield because " every man eats a pound of dirt in his lifetime . "— " That may be ' " was the answer , " but no man is obliged to eat itallattt meal . "

      OnsiMVAnoN for Foreigners . —Our foreign vMtor * . during the Exhibition , will observe many things that will he new and strange to them . Among others—indepemlenrly , ictus hope , of any coercion —they will i . bseive Sundny . —PmieA , A Bull . —Mr . Reynolds , the member for Dublin , lately said , that Cardinal Wiseman " was . In m of Irish parents , in Seville , 5 n Spain ; lie lived ihero until he was seven years old , and after that visited his own mtive county of Waterford . "—( Laughter . ) A Ci'Xfkssixg Pkxitent . —A peasant , being at confession , accused hin . so . lf of having stolen some hay .. The father confessor asked him how many bundles he hud taken away from the stack ? " That is of no consequence , replied he ; " you may set it down a waggon-loud ; for my wife and I are going to fetch the remainder soon . "

      £ iXKRno . v .-Don t live in hope with your arms folded . Fortune smiles on those who roll up their sleeves and put shoulders to the wheel that propels them on to wealth and happiness . Cut this out , and carry it about in your vest pocket , ye who idle in bar-rooms or at the corners of the streets . The Brahmins . —There exists in Bengal a particular class of Brahmins , known by the name of Kulins , who are notorious for the number of their raarriafies . One member of this caste has been known to have formed thieo hundred matrimonial alliances , and to have wives scattered over a vast extent of country .

      Curious Epitaph . —On a tombstone in one of the oldest burial grounds in New Hampshire , is engraved , among other devices and inscription !! , an hour-glass , with its accompanied motto : — " My glacis ran , " which dya slight operation of some Yankee brain and jack knife is now made to read , " My glass is runt . " Dressmakers' Half-holiday . —The Manchester Guardian announces a new movement in that city , the object of which k to obtain for the milliners and dressmakers a weekly half-holiday on Saturday afternoons , and to limit tho hours on other days to a definite period , not exceeding twelve hours , including proper intervals lor meals .

      A Lively Union . —A bride of _ some months , finding herself one evening alone with her spouse , was attacked with a severe fit of yawning . " You are tired of my company , I presume , " gaid lie , s-ome * what offended . "Not at all , my dear love , " she replied ; ' but you and I are now but one ; and , to say the truth , I always get stupid when lam alone . " DuEWitxo , —A . U old guntieman , whose character was unimpeached and unimpeachable , for some slight cause was challenged by a desolute young Hotspur , who was determined that the old gentlemen should give him honourable satisfaction . The old gentleman very good mtturedly refused to fight , and the fellow threatened to " gazette" him as a coward . "Well , go ahead—I would rather fill twenty newspapers than one coffin , " rejoined the old gentleman .

      A Clerical Courtier . — Doctor Mountain , whose wit pleased on all occasions , being at Court with Geortie II ., who liked bis company on that account , news was brought to the King of a vacant bishopric . "I know not ; " said his Majesty , " at present to whom I shall give it . " Dr . Mountain instantly rose , and putting his hand upon his In-east , said : "If thou had ' st faith as a grain of mustard seed , thou would ' st say to this Mountain , ' Be thou removed , and cast into the see ! ' " Coffek . —Government has , it is said , at ( asuome to the determination of putting a stop to the adniteva * tion of coffee . Proceedings at law are in the course of being instituted against several of the fraudulent venders of that article . A sum of £ 1 , 500 ha-also been subscribed by merchants interested in colonial onffee , for the prosi'cutioii of grocers and others adulterating coifco with other substances than chicory .

      London Delusions—The Morning Post says , that unhappy Londoners positively live on shams and delusions : — " Our milk contains everything but milk ; our bread is we know not what ; our water full of fighting devils of most ferocious aspics ; our white pepper eoiisists chiefly of ground rice , and our black of iron-filings and the sweepings of the Custom-house floors ; and the component parts of our coffee are chicory , burnt beans , and roasted wheat , coloured with burnt molasses . " Clever Puns . —An announcement of a marriage between a 5 Ir . Thornberry , turnkey of the Armagh prison , and a Miss Hughes , elicits some jokes from a punster , who writes in the Ulster Gazette . The latter sincerely dopes " there will be no bar to their matrimonial felicity , and that neither will be inclined to boh , after the ceremony ( save and rxcept the doors ); yet I f , ; ar , if Miss Hughes does nor misuse her time , her j-ath in vea-lock instead of roses will bestrewed with little Thorn-berries . ' "

      A WoxDRitfin , Safe . —A correspondent of the New York Courier anil Enquirer writes an aci ; > Ut ) fc of a now iron safe , which was exposed to a hciu that completely destroyed its competitor , and from which was taken , after the trial , a live rooster and a lump of stampedbutter . The butter was harder than when it was put in , the stamp remaining perfect , and the rooster came ont ' alive and well , only suffering from the cold , and almost frozen by the coldness of tha temperature to which he had been exposed . The Test . —An Irishman had been sick a long time , and white in this state would occasionally cease breathing , and life he apparently extinct for some time , when he would come to . On one of these occasions , when he had just awakened from his sleep , Patrick asked him , " An' how'll we know , Jemmy , when you ' re dead—you ' re after wakin' up ivery time ?"— " Bring ms a glass o ' grog , and say to me , ' Here ' s iiil ye ' , Jemmy ; ' and if I don't raise up and drink , then bury me . "

      Climates . —If any one has a horror of icioley , and would never have a mild temperature oftho air interrupted by tbe presence of a hoar frost , let htm migrate with the climate , Let him spend the month of January in Portugal ; February in Madeira ; March in Spain ; April in Sicily ; May in Lspland ; June in Italy ; July in Switzerland ' ; August in France ; September in England ; October among the forests of America ; November in Crete ; and December in the Islands of Cape de Verd . In this rotatory motion ho may enjoy a delicious temperature all the year round . But where is " Home , sweet home V

      Aok of Animals . —A bear rarely exceeds twenty years ; a dog lives twenty years ; a wolf , twenty ; a fox , fourleen or sixteen . The average age of cats is fifteen years ; of a squarrel and a hare , seven or eight years ; and a rabbit seven . Elephants have been known to live to tho great age of four hundred years . Pigs have heen known to live to the age of thirty years ; the rhinoceros to fifty . A horie has been known to live to the age of seventy years , but averaging twenty-five to thirty . Camels some ' times live to the age of a hundred . Stags are longlived . Silie . ' p seldom exceed the age often . Cows Ji ve about fifteen years . An eagle died at Vienna of the age of a hundred and four years ; ravens frequently reach the ai-e of a hundred . Swans have bean known to livo three hundred ; pelicans ate long lived . A lortoiso has been known to live much above a hundred and ninety years .

      Things which may not bk expected at tub forthcoming E . tHinrrtON . - The Chair of St . Peter , from Rome .-The Passport of Abd-el-Kader , from France—The Payment of a Government Bond from Spain , ov Pennsylvania . —The Emancipation of a Slave from the United Stifes . —The Liberation of a Pole from Siberia . —The Unity of Germany *'< ' 001 Prussia . —The . Copv of an Unpirated B iek from Belgium . —The Freedom of tbe Press from Austria or Italy . —The Abolition of SerMom from Russia . — hmch .

  • Citation
    • Northern Star (1837-1852), March 8, 1851, page 3, in the Nineteenth-Century Serials Edition (2008; 2018) ncse-os.kdl.kcl.ac.uk/periodicals/ns/issues/ns2_08031851/page/3/