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No. 385, A«hmt ' & 1857.1 THE LBADEB. ?6...
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A COMPANY OF TRAVELLERS. Travels in the ...
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Note: This text has been automatically extracted via Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software. The text has not been manually corrected and should not be relied on to be an accurate representation of the item.
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Autobiography Of A Mohamedan. Autobiogra...
* Uver and jewels , and allotted him a glitter ing share . Finally , the Blieels faSclted the A ^ huns , and massacred them , only two or three escaping . L f SntitHL W speed of ^ S i for more than two hoars in a northern option Without looking back , making hairbreadth escapes over the precipices , rugged Shti anddeep vafleys . Sometimes I climbed where I saw the eloa ^ ind » rn » soS like an ocean ; at others I went down as if to the lowest region . Three hours rSJ howetS rendered me quite exhausted ; and not being able to move on any more , I dro pped down wader a tree to refresh myself . ^ . wka ™ At ni » ht he climbed a tree , fastened himself tO j a bough with his turban , ind ' slept as fast as a horse-merchant after the disposal of his horses . The reader here will observe the superior advantages of the gracefulAsia ic . arb
over the patchful light pieces of dresses of the Europeans , which can only be used for the Le particular purpose of covering the body closely , « n the , ° ther hand our convenient lonjr coat may be grac & fuUy put on to command respect ; and the same will se e a « a b ? d if we chance to have no other . Our dapatta , the waistband , is a zone on respectable occasions ; it is a sheet to cover one at night if required , or may be erected as a small tent to protect one from the burning sun . The turban is the most useful part of the Asiatic attire , far superior to the European hat in every respect ; it is a handsome ornament to the human head , and repulses the severity of the sun ; the hat on the contrary , attracts it . The turban is the best means to save the life of a , tl , ir ' st . v traveller in tire deserts and jungles , where , there is no water to be had except aid tne
in deep wells . In sucn a crisis , the precious liquid can be drawn by tne or turban with great ease . A silken turban ' s softness guards the head from the cut of a sharp sabre better than a helmet ; it can serve the purposes of bandages for wounds on important occasions , when surgical aid is wanting and not at hand ; and many other advantages can be derived from it , which , if described , would take up time and * pace unaffordable here . ¦ , ,-, ^ ' ^ . c ^ We mi <* ht occupy columns with extracts from the Munslu ' s delightful volume descriptive of his romantic adventures , his employments , his soliloquies , his views on the superiority of Mohamedanism to Christianity , and his impressions derived during a visit to England ; but the book , to be appreciated , must be read from the first to the last page . We will content ourselves , for the present , with two or three quotations . . Lutfullah , for the first time , sees the ocean : — _ of water and its ebb and flowI
On beholding the immense body regular , was struck with astonishment at the unlimited power of the one Supreme Being , before whom the whole of our universe is no more than an atom . Deeply engaged in such meditations , as I stood one evening at the sea-side looking at the waves on which the large ships moved up and down / l began to think of the Jain tenets , according to which matter is eternal and self-existent ; but before arriving at the conclusion of the blasphemous syllogism , I was startled by a severe bite from a dog in the calf of my leg . , There are extremely interesting passages on monogamy , on the burning of Hindu widows—a ceremony of that kind is strikingly described—and on other Eastern customs . Lutfullah also sketches an Anglo-Indian offi'Olctl * ¦ ¦ ¦ ' Lyhrr down upoa hie sofa , the great man dictated his letters to his cringing Munshi / who daTed not seat himself , either on the floor or on a chair , and was obliged to take down word by word , whether sense or nonsense , standing upon , his legs , with 3 iis inkstand fastened to his waistband . Who could stand such degradation as thisP
He defends the practice of secluding women . In Egypt , nevertheless , he enjoyed the English freedom of association , and bore away bright recollections of ' Mr . Tibaldie ' s sister , Mrs . Larking , ' < a lady consummate in beauty and noble in mind , ' a ' beautiful damsel , ' with a ' fair mouth scattering pearls of eloquent phrases : 'I confess that , in conversing with her , I considered myself having the felicity of confabulating with , one of the gazelle-eyed nymphs of Paradise . Fickle Lutfullah , however , saw Mrs . Larking ' s sisters : — These two fairies , I must say , surpassed their sister , Mrs . Larking , in their incomparable beauty . . The first Englishwoman he saw m England appeared to him of dazzling beauty . ' He comes to London and observes : — dukes btheir and
Palaces of nobles and are distinguished y large porticos superior ¦ construction . In one of them I saw two well-dressed men with ashes sprinkled over their heads , and thereby concluding that some death might have occurred in the house , I told Mr . Scott , who sat by me , that a mournful event might have been the cause of the dnst on their heads ; but the young man laughed at my beard , and said it was the old custom still preserved by some of powdering their hair . Upon the whole , one might imagine that this vast city , whose population is no less than twenty lakhs of inhabitants , contained the riches of the whole world . What shall be said to the barbarian who , visiting the Opera , sees in the ballet only ' very handsome ladies very indecently dressed , ' who whirl up their light fantastic attire ' to tantalize the assembly . ' LuMullah , in England , it cruelly critical . But his remarks are generally intelligent and always entertaining , although the most fascinating chapters of the narrative refer to his youth and the adventures of his less fortunate years .
No. 385, A«Hmt ' & 1857.1 The Lbadeb. ?6...
No . 385 , A « hmt ' & 1857 . 1 THE LBADEB . ? 63
A Company Of Travellers. Travels In The ...
A COMPANY OF TRAVELLERS . Travels in the Free States of Central Jinerica , Nicaragua , Honduras , and San Salvador . By Dr . Carl Scherzer . 2 vols . ( Longman and Co . )—Dr . Sclicrzer explored the region , of Central America from Guatemala to Costa Iticn , in company with J 5 r . Moritz Wagner . His book is written with a serious purpose—that of pointing the attention of Europe to the groat in-¦ dueonient offered by those countries to trade and emigration , and to show that Central America contains ' tracts of measureless extent in which prudent and industrious European settlors may not only secure a prosperous . and healthy material existence , but maintain their nationality and remain
in commercial and political relation with the land of their birth . ' By Humboldt theso hills and plains have already been described , but Dr . Scherzer ' volumes form a practical contribution to knowledge , composed as they are in a stylo of picturesque simplicity , and stored with the observations of a very intelligent traveller . The most entertaining chapters are those descriptive of the Indian town Mtttagalpa , of Totqcalpn , Dipilto , Tegucigalpa , among the mountains of Honduras , Snchitfco , and Ponsonantc . The political and social institutions of the free states in Central America are matters of particular interest at this moment , and Pr . Schorzer ' s report upon them is the best that we have seen . He enters minutely into the life of the people , marka their industrial progress , measures the capacity of their
Soil , their mines , their forests , and their waters , and affords in general a panoramic view of their condition , vividly coloured from , nature and pleasingly diversified by incidents of wild or humorous adventure . As a physician , he saw more of the native interior than is usually exposed to the tourist ' s eye . We rise from the perusal of his work with a clearer idea of Central American ' developments than we had gained from aiiy previous publication . Letters from the Slave Stales . By James Stirling . ( Parker . )—There is a particular reader whom we would warn not to meddle with Mr . Stirling ' s book . We mean the reader who , upon opening an account of the slave states , expects a chapter headed ' Am I not a brother and a man ? ' and unctious details of whipping-house inflictions , stripped quadroons inelegantly bruised with the paddle , men sacrificing solid flesh under the scourge , and other delicacies enlarged upon in that unctuous fable , Our World , or the Demacraf s Rule 4 Tlie Companions of Uncle Tom—a . 11 quivers , sobs and lacerations ; and
other monstrous compilations suggested by the success of Mrs . H . ii . btowe . Mr . Stirling ' s volume is plain and sensible , and deals fairly with the citizens of all parts of America . His opinion is that slavery will in due time succumb to the civilization of the Hew World , and that the North American Republic , already a success , will consolidate itself and flourish , without convulsion or decay , in spite of manifold obstacles in the way of her permanent prosperity . Many will refuse to accept Mr . Stirling ' s views , but there can be no question as to the integrity and intelligence with which he has investigated the problems now working themselves out in the southern provinces of America . . _
The Merchant Abroad , in Europe , Asia , ami Australia . A Series of Letters by George Francis Train . With an Introduction by Freeman . Hunt . ( Low and Co . )—Mr . Train , started by Mr . Hunt , rattles noisily from Java to Singapore , China , Bengal , Egypt , the Holy Land , the Crimea , England , Melbourne , Sydney , and other ' localizations , ' about which he has much to say in a free , flippant , superficial manner , more calculated to amuse than to inform . Mr . Train had a flying glimpse of India , and writes as confidently as if he had read every work on the country from . Orme to Mill and been attached to the covenanted service for twenty years . He
was invited to the Government House , the splendours of which appear to have dazzled his eyes , for he expatiates with childish wonder upon the two hundred servants in variegated costumes , the blaze of diamonds , and the terrible magnificence of the supper ; but recovering his critical humour , he remarks politely upon the ' stiff , black , state dress' of Lord Canning , and the personal appearance of Lady Susan liamaey , and a daughter of the commander-in-chief . " Neither of these young ladies need look for their portraits in the Book of Beauty , " says Mr . Train , with an adinh-able appreciation of the governor general ' s hospitality : —
Lady Canning did not dance while I was present , but reclining in courtly style upon the regal chair , received the court from her honoured lord and the several distinguished civilians and military officers present . The formality of her reception was freezing , for that aristocratic bow was worse than an electric shock . Her dress was of white tulle , over a white satin skirt , looped up with red roses , with a-head-dress of red velvet and pearls—not , in my opinion , elegant ; but the blaze of diamonds compensated for what was wanting in taste . She still , possesses the marks of earlybeauty , but time and the dissipations of her exalted position in London have taken from the attractions of youth . Mr . Train fancied that the pensioned princes attended ' in their stocking feet' by order of the governor-general , 'to remind them of their disgrace . * Here is an American glance at British Indian politics : —
For two centuries the natives have been brought in contact with the Christian race an ( j what i 3 there to show for it ? Ancient and modern writers assure U 3 that the products of the soil , the peculiar mode of irrigation , the strange fancy for copper utensils , the simple cotton cloth about the loins , the brilliancy of their colours and dyes , their extravagant love of jewellery—wearing them in ears , noso , on their toes , their ' ankles , their fingers , their necks , and their arms—the custom of eating alone , the religious seclusion of their women , the cutting off of goats' heads for the sacrifice , the training of elephants , and the extraordinary divisions of caste remaining unchanged ; habits and customs of a thousand years ago are tho habits and customs noAV . Tho Hindoo talent , then , of quick observation , perseverance , dexterity , tact , against tho vices of greediness , servility , and treachery , have gone through trifling changes for centuries . The European vices have been carefully studied ; but the European virtues don ' t flourish in the Hindoo ' s mind . Of course , there arc some exceptions ; but I have yet to learn that the merchant , tho missionary , or the soldier , havo been able to break up prejudices which have for so long been handed down from generation to generation .
India is a land of conquest , and requires an immense standing army to hold it . As a conquered country , tho Kast India Company may make as good masters as any other company or any other government . It is difficult to understand whore tho Company ' s power ceases and where England ' s commences—which is Blucher , and which is tho Duke of Wellington ?—tho . Hon . Court of Directors and the President of the Board of Control act in concert ; anxl the Company and the government aroso closely connected that they must soon amalgamate . So long as pensions , wagos , salaries aro paid to tho Sepoy troops , under able and popular English officers —so long as their caate or thoir roligion remains unmolested—so long as the natives continue to prove so faithless and pos toss so little confidence in soldier is
each other , England will hold her Indian empire ; for the Sjpoy proverbially true to his salt . There is one thing morally certain ; fortunes are not realizod by civil and military officials , by merchants , by professional man , by individuals and corporations , as in daya of yoro , for thoro aro very few who return to England with tho moans of supporting Indian extravagance or tho mean 9 of enjoying the luxuries of Indian life . A quarter of a century ' s service under the Indian aky purchases an Indian pension dearly bought—too often by the loaa of health , of spirits , and of friends . The Indian nrmy and tho Indian civil service still continue to otter employment , through influence , to tho youngar sons of Britain , who grow prematurely old in Borving their country , with tho hopes of bettering thoir Own position . An Indian fortune is like the mirage whiou Napplopn saw on tho plains of Egypt .
IJfe in China . By tho Rev . W . C . Milne , With Four original Maps , ( Eoutledgo . ) - ^ Mr , Milne resided for several years in China , whiqh he desoribes from the missionary point of view . He ie , howovor , lively and graphic , and produces an excellent picture of tl > o rainbow ; roulm of Ian * terns , fane , silk , satin , > mbroidery , junks , dragona , and rice-paper . i ) t course , we do not accept Mr , Milne ' s testimony upon points which bring
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Citation
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Leader (1850-1860), Aug. 8, 1857, page 19, in the Nineteenth-Century Serials Edition (2008; 2018) ncse2.kdl.kcl.ac.uk/periodicals/l/issues/cld_08081857/page/19/
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