across the narrow strip of the peninsula to the old Presidio; but in the town we passed the hours pleasantly, became conversant with the Mormon bible and doctrine, rolled ten-pins and amused ourselves nightly at the monte in the casa de bebida de Brown; still there was a great stir and bustle going on. A number of large merchant ships had arrived, bringing the regiment of New York volunteers, and the beach was strown with heavy guns, carriages, piles of shot, ordnance stores, wagons, tents, and camp equipage, whilst the streets were filled with troops, who belonged to the true democracy, called one another Mister, snubbed their officers, and did generally as they pleased, which was literally nothing. However, in due time, they were brought into the traces and properly buckled to their duty, when their services were exerted in planting a battery of long 24-pounders, to command the straits, and their excitable spirits kept under control at their quarters in the Presidio. This was Yerbabuena as we found it on our first coming-rapidly springing into importance, and bidding fair at some future day, even without the advantages to be derived from the mines, which were then unknown, to become the greatest commercial port on the Pacific. MANNERS OF NUKEHEVA. We took a long stroll around the beaches and valleys at the head of the harbor, made a number of visits, then bathed in a shallow, discolored stream of mineral water. The district is not populous, and during our sojourn the king and many of the natives had gone to a high heathenish festival in an adjacent valley, on the opposite side of the island. Since the occupation by the French, perfect amity had existed between the different clans of Nukeheva, After bathing, we reclined on the thwarts of an immense war canoe that was hauled upon the beach, capable of holding at least fifty paddles, and amused ourselves watching a score of young girls swimming in the bay; they swam like fishes, but as there was no surf or rocks, I had no means of determining what novel or extraordinary feats they were able to perform; they were quite skilful little fisherwomen, and procured for us a cocoanut-shell full of delicious oysters-no bigger than shilling pieces which served to pass the time until we adjourned. to the king's house. It was rather a modern structure, of roughly-laid stones and boards, built by the French, though falling to decay. There was but a single apartment of tolerable size; floor and walls were strewn with mats, stools, a couple of bedsteads, spy-glasses, fowling-pieces covered with rust, spears, nets, calibashes, rolls of tappa, war conches, whales' teeth, circular crowns of cocks' feathers, beside an infinite variety of serviceable and useless trumpery, scattered indiscriminately around. Coiled up on a low, beastly collection of mats and tappa, was a repulsive object, half dead with some loathsome disease, and drunk with arva-he was the chief's brother, and was expected to die shortly, or be killed on the return of his sovereign -a custom strictly observed with invalids and old decrepid persons. Within a stone's throw of this habitation was another nearly completed, in native design. The foundation was raised two feet by a platform of large, round, smooth stones. The building itself was in shape of an irregular inverted acute angle, or trapezoid, at the ends, with the legs slightly inclined outwardly, and resting on the foundation. Large upright shafts of polished red wood supported roof and sides, which were nicely formed of frames where each petty chief and people are independent of white poles, lashed securely and neatly together sovereigns in their romantic and secluded valleys; by braids of party-colored sennit, and thatched evenly not so much for mutual friendship existing between and tastefully over by the spear-shaped leaves of the them as in hatred to their white visitors. The pandannus, leaving the front of the dwelling open French seldom wandered to any great distance from their quarters, fearing, possibly, the "Anthropopagian tastes of their cannibalistic brethren." The women were tall and well-shaped, with very much brighter complexions than the Hawaiians, and, with exceptions of young girls, were all more or less disfigured by the indigo hues of tattoo; the faces escaping with a few delicate blue lines or dots on lips or cheeks. They all seemed complimented, and gave us every assistance in deciphering different signs engraved upon their persons, and one buxom dame, who had a large painting similar to the tail of a peacock spread upon her shoulders, insisted upon doffing her drapery and preceding us, that we might study its beauties with every facility possible! for light and air. It presented a deal of ingenuity and nice mechanism in the design and construction. The French allow the king sixty dollars a month, and I should say, from the careless appearance of his household, that he made a bad use of it; besides, he was addicted to arva, which my friend assured me was a shade worse for the stomach than Prussie acid. I returned to the frigate in the evening, with a party planned to visit the Happar Valley, whose beauties we had heard much extolled, on the following day. The title of the book-Los Gringos-is rather cabalistic at first sight, but we see its appropriateness when we are informed that it is the epithet -and rather a reproachful one-used in California Many were decorated with bracelets and neck- and Mexico to designate the descendants of the laces of leaves or flowers, and some with anklets Anglo-Saxon race with a signification somewhat of human hair, toe-nails, and other valuable relics. similar to Greenhorns in modern parlance, or All were perfumed with cocoanut oil, and smeared with another equally odoriferous ointment, which dyed arms and faces a deep saffron. Neither cosmetic was I able to acquire a taste for, after repeated trials; and, indeed, I may admit that I have never conquered a disgust, perhaps engendered by too nice a sense of perfume. From a number of unmistakeable signs and ex pressions, I presumed the Frances were not entirely beloved, even by the women, although the men deigned ludicrous attempts in mode of beard, moustache, shrug of shoulders, and other little grimace, to copy French dress and manner. Mohawks in the days of the Spectator. From the Foreign Quarterly Review. Sommer Reise-Eine Wallfahrt (Summer Journey, a Pilgrimage), by FREDERIKE BREMER, Brockhaus: Leipzig. Williams and Norgate, London. Most people will admit that a very disagreeable cold-watery kind of sensation is produced, when, on entering a room which you thought to see filled with "old familiar faces," you unexpectedly find yourself in the midst of a circle of strangers. * *** The Swede cares Ought it not, therefore, to be very pleasant, when rive their support. we had reason to expect a group of new acquaint- not to adorn the outside of his house: his garden, ances, to meet with none but old friends whom we if he has one, is not filled with blooming flowers, as in the lands of the south. He has, perhaps, for have known for years? This agreeable surprise good reasons, no great confidence in the sun, and Miss Bremer has prepared for us in perfection. in the friendliness of the powers of nature. He The good, clever, stout-hearted matron-the ra- objects, too, decidedly to all unnecessary trouble; tional, cheerful, nay, jolly old maid-the fair and somewhat moonshiny young one-the gloomy, mysterious stranger who turns out to be a long absent son of the house, who has been lost, or at least mislaid, for many years, but whom we know the moment he steps across the threshold, though his nearest relations don't the large circle of brothers and sisters whose names (not having studied the noble science of phreno-typics) we can by no possibility remember-here they are all again assembled for a family festival, as we have so often met them before in Miss Bremer's pro ductions; we need not be at the trouble of introducing one of them. But, if in the so-called novel part of the "Sommer Reise" we find little novelty, we have, at all events, in the introduction, something surprising. What shall we say to this fantastic rhapsodical prelude to an entertainment so simple-not to say insipid? Is it that She on honey-dew hath fed, and he has a contempt, which only goes a little too far, for many of the conveniences and luxuries of life. The inside of the house is truly his home and this is more evident in the small towns than anywhere else. The streets are empty, and on the market-place, before the town-house, there are few passengers but four-footed ones, and the grass is growing on the uneven pavement; but out of the little windows of the little houses, from between white curtains, and from behind blooming geraniums and balsams, handsome inquisitive faces-men, women, children, cats, and dogs, look eagerly at the passing traveller. In the evening, too, when the candles are lit, through the windows veiled by no envious rolling blinds, there may be seen a complete gallery of pretty little domestic pictures. Life is very quiet in these small towns. Coffee-drinking parties and clubs make little disturbance, and only when there is a ball in the town, may one or two carriages be seen driving about to pick up the ladies. One decided advantage these insignificant towns have over both London and Paris-they have no beggars. The Swedish towns are poor, but they know no mendicancy. Smaland is a land with a rich variety of hills, and valleys, and small lakes; rather gloomy to Or if not, under what influence has it been com- wards the north, but southward, towards Blekinger, posed? It commences in this fashion. What I love-what since my youth up I have loved more than all created things-has a beautiful countenance. Not beautiful after the Greek model. No! His features are nothing less than regular. Not smilingly beautiful. No! Although the most beautiful smile beams across them, yet their expression is serious. It casts dark glances, and has unlovely scars and wrinkles. But I love even these. Why? I know not. Love is of a sunny nature; it kisses unlovely scars, and adorns defects with the blossoms of tenderness. Tall is the form of my beloved-great are the contrasts that exhibit themselves in him; from his feet which the waves of the Baltic bathe, and flowery meads caress-to his brow crowned by jagged icy rocks over which flame the Northern lights. At his feet will I sit and listen to his words, like a child at the feet of its mother. And sublime are thy lessons, Svea-my mother land, my father land! The sea is not so deepthe sunbeams are not so warm-the roses are not so sweet, &c. &c. Dear reader, can you guess what all this means? Or do you "give it up?" The introduction commencing thus auspiciously is no less than thirty-seven pages long; but, fortunately, in the intervals of such flights as these, the authoress does occasionally set foot on the ground, and then she favors us with agreeable lightly-touched sketches of Swedish scenes, dashed off, we may suppose, as the steamer passes up the gulf of Bothnia. From these we select a few passages. more pleasant, and inhabited by a lively, witty. contented population, so active and ingenious, tha: it is said" Set a Smalander upon the roof of your house, and he will manage to get his living." This character is most strongly marked in the distant wooded districts; the forest is the workshop, and, at the same time, the storehouse of the countryman. The juniper-tree and the bilberry yield him their fruit; he brews drink from them, and makes jam; he mixes their juice with his salt dry food, and remains healthy and cheerful over the work that seems a mere pleasure to him. He sings to wile away the time, while his lonely charcoal-kiln glows and burns in the recesses of the wood, and when he tars the valley, as it is called, it is a grand festival. The process of tarring the valley consists, we are told, in dragging into it a number of roots and stumps of trees to be kindled in order to obtain the tar. This is a grand occasion of rejoicing among the country people, who assemble in the burning valley to eat and drink and keep up the fire. The people of Smaland are said to have a tinge of romance and enthusiasm in their character corresponding with the wildness of their scenery; and this district has been tolerably fertile in distinguished men, amongst whom we may mention "Linnæus, the King of Flowers, who, when the sceptre fell from the hands of Charles the Twelfth, arose to give new splendor to the name of Sweden, and to extend his flowery sceptre over the earth;" and one or two others less known beyond the limits of their country than they deserve to be. Here the peasant Horberg, in the intervals of tilling his fields and driving home his hay, painted pale poverty too often has her seat beneath the turfcovered roofs of the low huts. And yet from the poorest districts of all, from Westmanland and Dalarne, proceed the strongest men. Along the coast of Sweden lies a series of little towns-daughters of the sea from which they de- | altar-pieces which are still highly valued; and here was born Hakan-Syogren, also the son of a poor peasant, who by his own exertions raised himself to a high academical rank, and by the most rigid economy accumulated a fortune of which he made the noblest use; who, old and gray, and looking like a moss-grown rock, still retained a heart full We should have been glad to have had some of life and warmth, and who, with his money-box further explanation of this fact, if it be one, for beneath his feet, [Query, is this intended for a figure we cannot feel altogether satisfied with that Miss of speech ?] assembled round him a troop of prom- Bremer offers. "So great is the power of spirit ising but poor young men, whom he supported with its contents a faithful representative of the character of the people of Smaland, and a living proof of the great things that may be achieved by paying attention to what is small in time-in money, in everything. Northwards from Smaland **** rises East Gothland, one of the largest and most fertile districts of Sweden, and forming with West Gothland the very kernel of the land of the ancient Goths. Deep, dark forests meet us here, which in the heathen-nay, long after, in the Christian time, no one entered without specially commending his soul to God. Memorials of murder are seen the whole way, on trees and stones, and the silence and profound solitude of the woods, and the distance from all inhabited places, awaken uncomfortable thoughts. In East Gothland the Götha Canal," the blue ribbon of Sweden," connects the North Sea with the Baltic. Northward from West Gothland lies Bohuslän, formerly Alfhem, the home of the Vikingr, and whose inhabitants, for ages after the Vikingr had ceased to exist, still bore a very indifferent character among their neighbors. Here Sigrid Storroda laid her plan of vengeance against "the little king," her wooer; and it is said there is still a certain hardness and ruggedness in the character of the inhabitants which are symbolized in that of the physical features of their country. Out of the blue waves rise granite rocks, which resemble a stormy sea suddenly stiffened into ice. In the mountains are found vast gloomy glens, and caverns, and heaths; and here and there, like oases in the desert, a few green fruitful valleys. The sea is the source of all the riches of the country-the field from which yearly millions of silver ears are reaped. On the coast of the Vikingr now stand only fishermen's huts, and while the man is out contending with the waves for a subsistence, the wife cultivates a little field of potatoes among the rocks, over which her children and her goats are climbing. West Gothland, Dalsland, and Wermeland surround the Wener Lake, the great inland sea of Sweden, the most important for her domestic trade, and celebrated for the conflicts that have formerly taken place upon its shores. Proceeding northwards from home, we come to Svea, the people's land," the Manhem, or "Home of Men," where, according to tradition dwelt the original tribe of the Swedes, as to the south abode that of the Goths. In this region are the largest and oldest mines; for here central Sweden is encircled by her girdle of iron : Iron ore forms the ground upon which the houses stand, from which the springs flow, on which lie the poor and unproductive fields. Poor and scanty, therefore, is the nourishment of the people, and over nature! So little can the earth, the old giantess Ymer, effect against the struggling, energetic will of man." Does she mean that people can grow strong, and large in body, whether they are fed or not, if they will only, as the lady in Dombey" says, "make an effort?" Eastward from this province lies the fine Malar valley, containing the Malar Lake, with which, according to tradition, all the flowing waters in Sweden are connected: and at its effluence. in the Gulf of Bothnia, stands the royal city of Stockholm. The approach to Stockholm from the Baltic lies along a far-extended coast of broken rocks, and countless larger and smaller islands and "holms." forming on all sides innumerable passages and bays, within which are continually opening inviting little prospects, of which one would gladly take a nearer view, but which are immediately succeeded by some other just as attractive. Many of these "holms" look like green bouquets flung upon the surface of the sea; sometimes they are rocks, but never quite barren. Fir woods clothe the heights, and groves of brightest green gleam forth amidst granite rocks. At the foot of the mountains, on the green shore, stand pretty, neat cottages, the abodes of fishermen-little fishing-boats, with their sails furled, lying tranquilly before them on the water. Higher up, on the terraces. we see elegant country-seats and summer-houses, lying embowered in trees; and the nearer you come to the city, the higher rise the buildings, and more closely throng the mountains. They terminate at length in a castle-a granite fortress, with a forest of pines crowning its battlements; but suddenly the mountains open, and there lies Stockholm in a magnificent amphitheatre, with its royal palace, its churches, and its mass of houses, encircling the wide harbor, with the flags of all nations flying on its bosom. Following thus the shores of the gulf to where they stretch towards Finland, we arrive at Tornea, where people are in the habit of going to make calls on the " midnight sun," his " salon de reception" being a certain hill near the Russian frontier line-which, it seems, is not beyond the reach of toll-bars, though lying in the everlasting solitude of the measureless primæval forest, "watered by nameless streams, and inhabited by plants and animals unknown to the rest of the world." Here, nevertheless, we find the personages of the novel, and others, forming comfortable picnic parties; and as there is, we suppose, no great probability that many of our readers will follow their example, (at least, during the present year,, we will turn to Miss Bremer's sketch of the scene, On the top of the hill the ground was tolerably flat. Pines and birch-trees grew on it, and rich masses of heath showed themselves between rocks | assailed by the sound of repeated heavy blows, and trees. There were about a hundred persons mingled with the most piteous cries of terror and assembled in various groups, most of them well agony. Scarcely had he time to comprehend that furnished with hampers of wine and provisions. a grand public execution was the cause of these Various languages were heard-Swedish, Finnish, *** distressing sounds, when he was seized by the Shah's attendants, and hurried forward to the royal presence. On his passage a greater and more revolting shock awaited him. Executioners dragging the yet palpitating trunks of eight headless victims, decapitated before the Shah, met him in his path, and rudely shoved him aside, to make way for their hideous train of carnage and mutilation. On reaching the court circle, pale, agitated, and confused, he remained for some seconds in an attitude of speechless horror. The Shah, with an air of composure which would have done him honor on the field of battle, inquired if the envoy was unwell; and then, for the first time, in language of just indignation, learnt what even the most despotic court of Europe would think of the bloody and barbarous reception just given to its representatives. Besides the appearance of insult offered to a friendly sovereign, no light shade of odium was cast upon the throne, when thus converted from a seat of The Frenchman of the party saluted its appear- judgment and mercy into the shambles of a butcher. ance by firing a pistol in the air; a German It is rumored that the king of kings, abashed by so princely pair, who had come thither on a wedding tour, by a conjugal kiss extraordinary; and the company in general, by a grand attack on the hampers brought with them with a precaution by no means unnecessary, as at the only house of public entertainment within any possible distance the hostess, being also chief medical officer of the district, had absented herself to perform a surgical operation; so that all the entertainment the house afforded was a place to cook in, if anything could be had to cook. We take it for granted that the authoress has herself made this excursion, and though she has introduced her fictitious personages into the scene, that it is faithfully described. We cannot, however, help regretting that, instead of a very flimsy and insipid nouvellette, she did not give us a simple account of her "Summer Journey," which, with her thorough knowledge of the country, and usually pleasant style, could hardly have failed to make an agreeable book. As it is, we have felt some disappointment, which we have expressed with less hesitation, from having had, on former occasions, a more welcome duty to perform. The great charm of Miss Bremer's earlier works is their truth, freshness, and domestic simplicity. Let her beware of affectation and mannerism. PERSIA AND TURKEY. A CURIOUS and dramatic scene is reported to have lately taken place at the court of Persia. The young Shah has been passing the holy month of Ramazan, which happens this year to coincide with the dog days, in a spacious garden not far from Teheran. The envoy of a great Christian sovereign having demanded an audience of his majesty, an hour was appointed for the ceremony. His Excellency, on arriving in due season at the royal encampment, was ushered into a tent, where he reposed a moment, while his arrival was announced to the Mahometan successor of Darius and Xerxes. Scarcely had he taken a seat, when his ears were well deserved a reproof, hung his head in the silence of youthful shame, and that the idignant envoy, on repeating his complaint to the prime minister, received the consoling assurance that he had probably earned by twenty minutes of annoyance the satisfaction of putting an end to a barbarous and hateful practice, which, though belonging to the good old times of Persia, was not the less a scandal to the age and a dishonor to the crown. There is a deep moral in such accidents-the finger of Providence appears in them. It is not to be supposed that the court of Persia sought purposely to insult a great power, by making its representative the unwilling eye-witness of a brutal spectacle of blood. No one, perhaps, thought of the indecency of coupling a public execution with the audience of a foreign ambassador. The Shah, from a mistaken sense of duty, or an hereditary passion for executions, having ordered that the supposed criminals should be tortured and beheaded before him, the audience in question was probably appointed for the same hour, from a mere motive of convenience, without any further design or consideration. But the diplomatist was naturally disturbed by so great an outrage to his sense of propriety, and, unrestrained by the stiffness of a lace coat, the man's heart leaped unconsciously forth, and for once at a royal audience the plain, unpremeditated truth was spoken out with becoming freedom. Prince D. had a right to take offence, and, at a distance of many hundred furlongs and versts from the scene, there was one to whom he could appeal for redress, and who was not to be offended with impunity. It is difficult to bring such actions into comparison with each other, and not at the same time to contrast them mentally with the improvements, whether in matters of administration or of policy, which are daily observed in Turkey. Far from presiding in person at the solemn expiation of crime by personal suffering, the sovereign of Turkey issues with reluctance his warrant for a public execution, and allows no capital sentence to be carried into effect without an open trial, a legal conviction, and the sanction of his supreme council. He has abolished torture he has forbidden the punishment of the bastinado, and the measures of his government tend continually to an equal administration of the laws to all classes on his subjects. The same benevolence appears in his external policy. Though united by ties of amity and mutual good will with all the powers of Europe, he joins with no alliance of sovereigns in a league against constitutional principles and the progressive improvement of society; he maintains order in his own dominions; but even in the performance of that supreme duty, he tempers justice with mercy.-London Chronicle. "CAPRICES" is the name of a volume of poems published without the author's name, by Robert Carter & Co., of this city. We have looked it over with more than usual interest, because we have found more in it than in most of the volumes of respectable poetry which are laid on our tablemore thought, more spirituality, and a deeper insight into nature. We have neither space nor time for anything like an analysis of its merits and blemishes the latter are mostly verbal-but we give our readers what they will probably like better, a sample of the collection: * THE GLOWWORM. Deep within the night, Close about its path Castle-top and grange Castle-top and grange, What are they to it, Light to know each step * In the night of time, Toiling through the dark, Reason's feeble lamp Giveth out its spark. Close about my path Beings of the air, Sad and warning eyes, From the years to come What are they to me, N. Y. Eve. Post. A WOMAN'S PLEA FOR MERCY. THE CONDEMNED POISONER, CHARLOTTE HARRIS. -Some charitably disposed inhabitants of Taunton recently memorialized the Home Secretary to spare the life of this convict, condemned for poisoning her husband, and now awaiting her accouchement, previous to the sentence of the law being carried into effect. Sir George Grey has officially announced his regret that the case presents no grounds that warrant his interference with the due course of law. The prisoner is expected to be confined every day, and as soon after as possible the extreme penalty of the law will, it is stated, be carried into effect. - Daily News. STILL keep the night-lamp burning, Her pinioned arms deny her Those spectres of my thought. To feel each cordial proffered The law, with strange compassion, Nay, what these thoughts may render Mother and queen, forget not But cause the mob ferocious Of butcher-work like this. Punch. |