PLURALITY OF WORLDS. Two persons, who know all the telescope has told, are fighting the farther question, whether the stars and planets are inhabited. Until the matter is settled, I shall copy the answer given by a young aspirant for his degree when he was asked whether the sun moved round the earth, or the earth round the sun: "Sometimes one and sometimes the other," said he. In the meanwhile your correspondents may be allowed to pick up matter for a Note or two. The early Copernicans seem to have adopted the theory of stellar and planetary organizations, as almost a natural consequence of the new posi tion of the earth. Kepler, writing to Dr. Brengger in 1607, gives his opinion as follows: You take the globes of the stars to be perfectly unmixed and simple; in my opinion they resemble our earth. You, a philosopher, would be interrogated, Experience should speak [I here remit the question to a philosopher: if she could One of the opposed philosophers is an inhab- make a conjectural emendation of the text] itant of this earth, confessed; the other is only But Experience is silent, as no one has been identified by reasoning and analogy, like the in-there; whence she neither affirms nor denies. I habitant of a planet. But anything may be done myself argue as you do, by induction from the (or undone) by reasoning. Some months ago I moon, which has many points of similarity with was startled by hearing that fourteen persons the earth [Dr. B. had probably argued from were to dine, at the Crystal Palace, inside the points of difference]. And I moreover give mois skull of one of the pre-adamite monsters. But ture to the stars, and tracts which are rained on my composure was restored by hearing that this by evaporation, and living creatures to whom wonderful dining-room was only built by deduc- this is advantageous. For not only that unfor tion from some of the bones. "Oh!" said I," that tunate Bruno, who was roasted on a wood fire at may have altered the case: a hundred people may this opinion, that the stars have inhabitants. To Rome, but my friend Tycho Brahe as well, held dine inside an inference, if you draw it large this I the more readily agree, that I hold, with enough." Nevertheless it does lend a little force Aristarchus, the motion of the earth as well as to the reputed authorship of the anonymous treatise, that the reputed author, twenty-one of the planets." years ago, spoke of the universal dissemination of organized living beings as rather the idea of others than his own. Witness the following extract (some words of which I have put in Italics from the first Bridgewater Treatise, p. 272: If we take the whole range of created objects in our own system, from the sun down to the smallest animalcule, and suppose such a system, or something in some way analogous to it, to be repeated for each of the millions of stars thus revealed to us, we have a representation of the material part of the universe, according to a view which many minds receive as a probable one. It is very desirable that the question should be argued from time to time, because, as the only thing clear about it is that it will never be settled, Bruno certainly held the opinion, as appears by his work De Monade, etc. The curious letter of Scoppius, written from Rome immediately after the execution, puts this opinion at the head of the list of horrenda prorsusque absurdissima with which Bruno was charged, and winds up by saying that he was gone to tell the people in the worlds he had invented how blasphemers were treated at Rome.-Notes and Queries. Catherine, the Egyptian Slave in 1852. By the This fiction is founded on a fact and written it may form a point of comparison for the minds, for a purpose. Catherine, the heroine, is a Bosthe methods, and the states of opinion in different nian Greek and an Austrian subject, who has ages. Not, however, that it is quite clear. The been carried off and sold as a slave to Zoheirah, telescope is getting on; and it is not impossible the favorite of the late Mehemet Ali. The beauty that millions of moving specks may some day be of what might be called the Queen-mother is on found on the moon, the motions of which may be the wane, and she is envious of the fair Bosnian. utterly lawless, and may give strong suspicion of In a freak of rage she sends Catherine as a prefree will. Such a discovery, in the mere optical sent to a brutal slave-dealer; and in her strugpoint of view, would not be so great an advance gles, escape, protection by an Austrian Jew, upon us, as our best maps of the moon are upon abandonment by the Austrian Consul after a those which could have been made in the six-show of resistance, and various other adventures, teenth century. They talk of spots already, of not more than a few hundred yards in diameter. If there should happen to be a few thousand monsters, inside whose skulls the lunar philosopers are to dine five thousand years hence-or fifty thousand, as there is no occasion to be particular to a cipher, it would not be at all safe to take it for granted that Lord Rosse will not get hold of them. A lunar megalosaurus may figure on his tomb yet, for anything we can undertake to say to the contrary, with the tips of his claws duly inferred by Professor Owen from the curve of his back. consists the story. The author is acquainted with Cairene life, if not practically, through Lane; he writes with the purpose of depicting the vices and brutalities of the Mohammedans. He wants the art, however, perhaps the genius, to embody his knowledge and his object in fiction. When his Easterns discourse, they speak English ideas as well as words. The costumes, manners, and characteristic vices of the Orien tals, are exhibited while the essential story is standing still. With a certain class of readers “ Catherine, the Egyptian Slave" will be popular, but it wants life.-Spectator. LITTELL'S LIVING AGE.-No. 597.-3 NOVEMBER 1855. From the Times, 24 Sept. TIMES. FOURTH DIVISION CAMP, now?" all hope of retaking the Malakhoff. On Sunday, ere noon, we were walking about the streets of Sebastopol and gazing on its ruins. The army is now in suspense as to its future. The south side of the city is in the hands of Monday, September 10. the allies. On the north side the great citaTHE Contest on which the eyes of Europe del and numerous regular forts, backed by have been turned so long is nearly decided enormous earthworks and defended by a nuthe event on which the hopes of so many merous army, bid us defiance across a narrow mighty empires depended is all but determin- strip of water, and Russia may boast that she ed. Sebastopol is in flames! The fleet, the has not yet lost Sebastopol. The allied fleet object of so much diplomatic controversy and remains outside, paralyzed by Fort Constanof so many bloody struggles, has disappeared tine and its dependencies, and every one is in the deep! One more great act of carnage going about asking, "What are we to do has been added to the tremendous, but glorious tragedy, of which the whole world, from the In my last letter, a portion of which was most civilized nations down to the most bar- written ere the mail started on Saturday, I barous hordes of the East, has been the anx- was so confused by the accumulation of events ious and excited audience. Amid shouts of that I made a serious mistake in my dates, victory and cries of despair-in frantic rejoic- which I trust has been rectified at home. It ing and passionate sorrow-a pall of black is rather hard to have to sit down to save the smoke, streaked by the fiery flashings of ex- post when one knows that in fifteen minutes ploding fortresses, descends upon the stage, on from the time of his writing he will be the which has been depicted so many varied traits witness of a general assault on one of the of human misery and of human greatness, strongest places in the world. The last and such high endurance and calm courage, such decisive cannonade was, as the world knows littleness and weakness across which have ever so long ago, begun on the morning of stalked characters which history may develop Wednesday, September fifth, by the French, as largely as the struggle in which they were against the Russian right, consisting of the engaged, and swell to gigantic proportions, Quarantine Batteries, the Bastion Centrale, or which she may dwarf into pettiest dimen- and the Bastion du Mat with great vigor and sions, as unworthy of the part they played. effect, and at night began a devastating bomA dull, strange silence, broken at distant in- bardment, in which all the allied batteries tervals by the crash of citadels and palaces as joined. A frigate was fired by a French shell they fly into dust, succeeds to the incessant di- and sunk at night. On the morning of the alogue of the cannon which have spoken so 6th, the English and French together opened loudly and so angrily throughout an entire the cannonade, beneath which the Russian batyear, and tired armies separated from each teries were almost broken to pieces, and which other by a sea of fires, rest on their arms and they did not dare to answer. In the evening gaze with varied emotions on all that remains the bombardment was renewed and kept up of the object of their conflicts. How trite all all night; a fire appeared behind the Redan, these announcements appear! How disheart- and the enemy seemed by their constant sig ening it is to the writer to feel that all he is nalling to be in much uneasiness. It was obdescribing is known in England, and has been served that great quantities of forage were discussed and canvassed in every homestead being sent across the bridge from the north to ere he can sit down to tell the story, and that the south side, although there were no cavalry by the time his letters reach those for whom in the latter. On the 7th the cannonade was they are intended all that to him appears as continued in salvoes, as before, and it was renovel, and recent as it is interesting and im- marked that the town began to show in a most portant, will be a twice told tale! To every unmistakable manner the terrible energy of one out here the occurrences of the last few the nightly bombardment. Nearly every house days seem prodigious, startling, and moment- within range was split and in ruins. The ous. Time will show whether we duly appre- bridge between the north and the south side ciate them. On Saturday we felt that the was much crowded all day with men and carts great success of our valiant allies was some-passing to and fro, and large convoys were what tarnished by our own failure, and it was seen entering and leaving the town at the doubtful whether the Russians would abandon north side. Towards evening the head of the DXCVII. LIVING AGE. VOL. XI. 17 great dockyard shears, so long a prominent | Redan. At the same time a strong coluinn of object from our batteries, caught fire, and French was, I understand, to make a diversion burnt fiercely in the high wind, which was on the left and menace the line of the Basraging all day. A two-decker was set on fire tion du Mat, but I do not believe it was inby the French shells, and was destroyed, and tended to operate seriously against this part of a steamer was busily employed towing a large the town, the possession of which, in a military dismasted frigate to the dockyard, out of range. point of view, would be of minor importance In the middle of the day there was a council The cavalry sentries were posted at 8 30. At of Generals, and at 2 o'clock it became gen-10 30 the Second Division and the Light erally known that the allies would assault the Division moved down to the trenches, and place at noon on the 8th, after a vigorous can- were placed in the advanced parallels as quietnonade and bombardment. The hour was ly and unostentatiously as possible. About well selected, as it was certain that the Rus- the same hour General Simpson and staff sians are accustomed to indulge in a siesta moved down to the second parallel of the about that time. In the course of the night Green-hill Battery. Sir Harry Jones, too ill there was an explosion behind the Redan. And now comes the memorable to move hand or foot, nevertheless insisted on being carried down to witness the assault, and was borne to the parallel on a litter, in which he remained till all was over. It was, as I have said, a bitter cold day, and a stranger would have been astonished at the aspect of the British Generals as they viewed the assault. The Commander-in-Chief, General Simpson, sat in the trench, with his nose and eyes just facing the cold and dust, and his cloak drawn up over his head to protect him against both. General Jones wore a red DAY OF THE ASSAULT. Saturday, Sept. 8. The weather changed suddenly yesterday. This morning it became bitterly cold. A biting wind right from the north side of Sebastopol blew intolerable clouds of harsh dust into our faces. The sun was obscured; the sky was of a leaden wintery gray. Early in the morning a strong force of cavalry, under the command of Colonel Hodge, was moved up to the night-cap, and reclined on his litter, and Sir front and formed a chain of sentries in front Richard Airey, the Quartermaster-General, of Cathcart's-hill and all along our lines. No had a white pocket-handkerchief tied over his person was allowed to pass this line, unless he cap and ears, which detracted somewhat from was a staff officer or was provided with a pass. a martial and belligerent aspect. The Duke Another line of sentries in the rear of them of Newcastle was stationed at Cathcart's-hill was intended to stop stragglers and idlers from in the early part of the day, and afterwards Balaklava, and the object in view was proba- moved off to the right to the Picket-house bly to prevent the Russians gathering any in- look-out over the Woronzoff-road. All the timation of our attack from the unusual accu- amateurs and travelling gentlemen, who rather mulation of people on the look-out hills. At abound here just now, were in a state of 11 30 the Highland Brigade, under Brigadier great excitement, and dotted the plain in eoCameron, marched up from Kamara and took centric attire, which recalled one's old memoup its position in reserve at the Right Attack, ries of Cowes, and yachting and sea-bathing— and the Guards, also in reserve, were posted were engaged in a series of subtle manoeuvres on the same side of the Woronzoff-road. The to turn the flank of unwary sentries, and to first brigade of the Fourth Division served the get to the front, and their success was most trenches of the Left Attack the night before, creditable to their enterprise and ingenuity. and remained in them. The second brigade The Tartars, Turks, and Eupatorians were of the Fourth Division was in reserve. The singularly perturbed for such placid people, Guards who served the trenches of the Left and thronged every knoll which commanded Attack, and only marched out that morning, the smallest view of the place. At 10 45 were turned out again after arriving at their General Pelissier and his staff went up to the camp. The Third Division, massed on the French Observatory on the right. The French hill side before their camp, were also in re- trenches were crowded with men as close as serve, in readiness to move down by the Left they could pack, and we could see our men Attack in case their services were required. through the breaks in the clouds of dust, General Pelissier during the night collected which were most irritating, all ready in their about 30,000 men in and about the Mamelon, trenches. The cannonade languished purto form the storming columns for the Malak- posely towards noon; but the Russians, catchhoff and little Redan, and to provide the necessary reserves. The French were reinforced by 5,000 Sardinians, who marched up from the Tchernaya last night. It was arranged that the French were to attack the Malakhoff at noon, and, as soon as their attack began, that we were to assault the ing sight of the cavalry and troops in front, began to shell Cathcart's hill and the heights, and disturbed the equanimity of some of the spectators by their shells bursting with loud "thuds" right over their heads. A few minutes before 12 o'clock the French, like a swarm of bees, issued forth from their trenches close to the doomed Malakhoff, swarmed up its divisions of the second corps d'armee, the first face, and were through the embrasures in the and fourth divisions forming the storming twinkling of an eye. They crossed the seven columns, and the third and fifth being the metres of ground which separated them from support with reserves of 10,000 men. The the enemy at a few bounds-they drifted as French had, probably, not less than 30,000 lightly and quickly as autumn leaves before men in the right attack on the 7th of Septemthe wind, battalion after battalion, into the ber. The divisional orders for the 2d division embrasures, and in a minute or two after the were very much the same as those for the head of their column issued from the ditch the light division. The covering party consisted tricolor was floating over the Korniloff Bas- of 100 men of the 3d Buffs, under Captain tion. The musketry was very feeble at first John Lewes, who highly distinguished himself, -indeed, our allies took the Russians quite and 100 men of the Second Battalion of the by surprise, and very few of the latter were in Rifle Brigade, I believe under the command the Malakhoff; but they soon recovered them- of poor Captain Hammond. The scalingselves, and from 12 o'clock till past 7 in the ladder party consisted of 160 of the 3d Buff's, evening the French had to meet and defeat under Captain Maude, whose gallantry was the repeated attempts of the enemy to regain very conspicuous throughout the affair, in adthe work and the Little Redan, when, weary dition to the 160 of the 97th, under the gallant of the fearful slaughter of his men, who lay in and lamented Welsford. The part of the thousands over the exterior of the works, the force of the Second Division consisted of 260 Muscovite General, despairing of success, with- of the 3d Buffs, 300 of the 41st (Welsh), 200 drew his exhausted legions, and prepared, with of the 62d, and a working party of 100 men of admirable skill, to evacuate the place. Of the the 41st. The rest of Windham's Brigade, French attack on the left I know nothing, but consisting of the 47th and 49th, were in reserve that, if intended in earnest, it was not success-together with Warren's Brigade of the same ful, and was followed by some loss to our allies. division, of which the 30th and 55th were As soon as the tricolor was observed waving called into action, and suffered severely.over the parapet of the Malakhoff through the Brigadier Shirley was on board ship, but as smoke and dust, four rockets were sent up soon as he heard of the assault he resolved to from Chapman's attack one after another as a join his brigade, and he accordingly came up signal for our assault on the Redan. They to camp that very morning. Colonel Unett, were almost borne back by the violence of the of the 19th Regiment, was the senior officer in wind, and the silvery jets of sparks they threw Brigadier Shirley's absence, and on him would out on exploding were nearly invisible against have devolved the duty of leading the stormthe raw gray sky. I take it for granted that ing column of the Light Division, had the there is no one in England who is not by this latter not returned. Colonel Unett, ignorant time quite well acquainted with the exterior of the Brigadier's intention to leave shipboard, of the Redan, and who does not know its shape had to decide with Colonel Windham who and situation. In my next letter I will en- should take precedence in the attack. They He had it in deavour to give an idea of what it is like in- tossed, and Colonel Unett won. side; at present I have no time to describe it, his power to say whether he would go first or nor the appearance of Sebastopol, now that follow Colonel Windham. He looked at the one can walk through its flaming streets. shilling, turned it over, and said, "My choice In order to give an idea of the plan of the is made; I'll be the first man into the Redan." attack 1 send you a copy of the "Divisional But fate willed it otherwise, and he was struck After Order," in accordance with which it down badly wounded ere yet he reached the was arranged, and for the sake of comparison abattis, although he was not leading the colthere is appended to it a copy of the essence umn. Scarcely had the men left the fifth of the orders issued for the attack of the 18th parallel when the guns on the flank of the of June. It will be seen that the differences Redan opened on them as they moved up between the two plans relate to details, and rapidly to the salient, in which there were of not to principle. When the order was re- course no cannon, as the nature of such a work ceived on the 7th, the general remark was, does not permit of their being placed in that "This looks like another 18th of June." In particular position. In a few seconds Brigafact, the attacking columns were not strong dier Shirley was temporarily blinded by the enough, the supports were not strong enough, dust and by earth knocked into his eyes by a and were also too far behind, and the trenches shot. He was obliged to retire, and his place did not afford room for a sufficient number of men. Now it will be observed that, where we attacked the Redan with two divisions only, a portion of each being virtually in reserve, and not engaged in the affair at all, the French made their assault on the Malakhoff with four was taken by Lieutenant-Colonel Bunbury, of the 23d Regiment, who was next in rank to Colonel Unett, already struck down and carried to the rear. Brigadier Van Straubenzee received a contusion on the face, and was also forced to leave the field. Colonel Hand THE FALL OF SEBASTOPOL. cock fell mortally wounded in the head by a much, but some had been left behind in the The leaped into the ditch and scrambled up the other side, whence they got up the parapet almost without opposition, for the few Russians who were in front ran back and got behind their traverses and breastworks as soon as they It was a few minutes after 12 when our men them. To show what different impressions the saw our men on the top, and opened fire upon left the fifth parallel. The musketry com- same object can make on different people, let menced at once, and in less than five minutes, me remark that one officer of rank told me during which the troops had to pass over about the Russians in the Redan did not exceed 30 yards from the nearest approach to the pa- 150 men when he got into it, and that the rapet of the Redan, they had lost a large pro- men could have carried the breastwork with portion of their officers, and were deprived the greatest ease if they had only made a rush of the aid of their leaders, with the exceptions for it, and he expressed an opinion that they I have stated. The Riflemen advanced ad- had no field-pieces inside the breastwork. A mirably, but from their position they could not do regimental officer, on the other hand, positivemuch to reduce the fire of the guns on the flanks ly assured me that when he got on the top of and below the re-entering angles. The bravery the parapet of the salient he saw at about 100 and coolness of that experienced, deserving, yards in advance of him a breastwork with and much-neglected officer, Captain Fyers, gaps in it, through which were run the muzwere never more brilliantly displayed, or ur- zles of field-pieces, and that in the rear of it gently called for. And here let me ask how it were compact masses of Russian infantry, the is that an officer like Captain Fyers, with 21 front rank kneeling with fixed bayonets as if years' full service, who went through the cam- prepared to receive a charge of cavalry, paigns of Candahar and Affghanistan in 1841 while the two rear ranks over them kept up a and 1842, and was present in five actions- sharp and destructive fire on our men. who was at Khelat, and was with his regiment only way to reconcile these discrepancies is to throughout Nott's campaign-who was con- suppose that the first spoke of the earliest spicuous for his gallantry at the Alma, and stage of the assault, and that the latter rewhose conduct in the trenches has been be- ferred to a later period when the Russians may yond all praise, is exposed to the pain and have opened embrasures in the breastwork mortification of seeing young men who were and had been reinforced by the fugitives from scarcely born when he was a soldier raised the Malakhoff, and by the troops behind the above his head because they have had the good barracks in its rear. fortune to look at a battle from a distance, or doubt is, and incredible almost to those who Lamentable as it no to ride in the rear of some cautious general? know how the British soldier generally beI know nothing of Captain Fyers's past ser-haves before the enemy, the men, when they vices except by Hart's Army List, by which I got on the parapet, were seized by some strange learn, also, that he has purchased all his steps. infatuation, and began firing, instead of Of his conduct at the Alma and of his pre- following their officers, who now began to fall sent services I hear the praise from every lip. fast as they rushed on in front and tried to It is to be hoped, at all events that the ques- stimulate their soldiers by their example. tion will not do him any harm, and if it does Notwithstanding the popular prejudice to the not, it is as well that the country should know contrary, most men stand fire much better how well he has served her. However, it is than closing with an enemy. It is difficult time to return to our storming party. As enough sometimes to get cavalry to charge if they came nearer the enemy's fire became less they can find any decent excuse to lay by fatal. They crossed the abattis without dif- their swords and take to pistol and carabine, ficulty; it was torn to pieces and destroyed by with which they are content to pop away for our shot, and the men stepped over and through ever, but when cover of any kind is near at it with ease. The light division made straight hand a trench-bred infantry man finds the for the salient and projecting angle of the charms of the cartridge quite irresistible. The Redan, and came to the ditch, which is here small party of the 90th, much diminished, about 15 feet deep. The party detailed for went on gallantly towards the breastwork, the purpose placed the ladders, but they were but they were too weak to force it, and they found to be too short. However, had there been had to retire and get behind the traverses, enough of them, that would not have mattered where men of different regiments had already |