REVIEW.

Colonist, Volume II, Issue 174, 21 June 1859, Page 2

REVIEW.

A Volume entitled The Truthful Traveller, being soms account of Noslen^bu a Traveller in those parts, giving a sketch of the Country, its Inhabitants, their Manners, Customs, Amusements, Literature, Politics, <&c. By CitsuacThis singular work—the lucubrations of some active traveller unknown to the: modern world— was bequeathed to mankind in a most singular manner. For ought we know, it seems probable that it is the posthumous production of one, judging by the marks of age and the cuneiform lettering of the manuscript, who must have lived about the year 59. , The name of the author we never recollect meeting before, but this does hot affect its authenticity one iota; for if the Alexandrian library of 700,000 volumes.had not been.destroyed" .by the Caliph Oniar, doubtless we should have read more than sufficient, of this-agreeable and truthful author to asfonjsli'ws and,,jmmortalise ' Mm, and for ever silence the'insensafe"\nibejievers/Sufficient for us is. it to know the heathenish remark of this.Mahomedan incendiary—"lf these writings agree with the Koran 'they are useless, and need not be preserved ; if they, disagree .tliey are pernicious, and ought to be destroyed ;" and burnt they were accordingly,' and in consequence all attempts to trace the biography of this author (Citsuac) are fruitless. The. manner in which this escaped the conflagration was "by the mere accident of its being lent out at the time, and' but for the Crusades would have never reached this Christian community. It appears that a commanding officer in the Caliph's army had given great offence (to .a man of very great platitude, but who arrogated to himself superior talents) by refusing to demise to a certain renegade named Sbigg a large tract of auriferous land which this officer had no authority from the Caliph to " sell. This so incensed the regenade friends, that ene day when the officer happened to use a wrong expression in his speech, he was a few days;after set upon by a band of hirelings who had long been watching an opportunity to deprive,him of his power. This redoubtable work interested him, aa it depicted a country and people with whom he was familiar, was then fortunately in his possession, for he had borrowed it from the library previous to the calamity before alluded to, and with this volume of truth, he defended himself with gret-t valour, against great odd 3, using it as a shield. The hirelings mirsued a cowardly course, they tried to throw dust into his eyes; but with great presence of mind, he managed to get to the windward, side of them, and consequently all the dust went in their own instead, and this caused them a virtual defeat, for, blinded, frenzied, disappointed, <md incapable of further action, they only remained victors of the field, and felt very much ' like Pyrrhus, who exclaimed, " one such victory more, and lam undone." Their intended victim, thus freed from danger, with great mercy and magnanimity, declined taking advantage of their,but quietly walked to the barracks, as usua' ? where he joined his staff, and in thankful remembrance of the value of the work, he decreed that 600 volumes should be published and distributed. The original has been obligingly sent to us by Sir Stratford de Redcliffe, the English Ambassador in Turkey. After the late war with Russia, it was given to him by the Sultan, as a valuable mark of regard for the friendly offices ot Great Britain in the late struggle. Having,, therefore, shewn that an .interest attaches to this work, if only on, the score of antiquity, we place before our Readers the following extracts, describing a country called Noslen in so clear and dispassionate a manner, that wo cannot for a moment doubt the accuracy and truth of the narrator : — " Many years after Julius Cesar had landed in Britain, the country being in a disturbed state, I ■left its shores, and obtained a passage to the colony of Wen Dnalacz, through the instrumentality of the firm of Silliw, Nnag, and Co. They were large soothsayers, for they said that I should soon make my fortune, and promised I should enjoy every comfort on board their ship, and have a good voyage; but I cannot say whether I was happy or miserable, for I was in the intermediate. I shall not describe the listlessness and discomfoit of a sea journey, so I merely state that after four months, we were gladdened by the sight of land. This land was called the Elddim Dnalsi, which was like first love to me, for 1 loved it at sight, ; and as I.resided there many years, I shall attempt . to describe it. "It is famous for its well indented coasts and land-locked harbors, for its high mountain ranges, and mineral wealth, for its pellucid streams and ; teeming' soil. It boasts of some fine lodes of copper, which are so solid and massive, that for seven years they have not been able to cart a lode away yet. ' , ' ■> >■'■■ ".The northern part of this island is ruled by the same laws and customs as other nations of the civilised world, although their language is slightly dissimilar, as may be observed by the peculiar way' in which their "towns and cities and great men's names are spelt. The aborigines of the soil are called Seiroam, their conquerors, who now hold possession, Snaeporue. Their principal city is called Noslen, which name it receives from one of their terrible warriors, who was so unconquerably ' fierce, that with one arm and one eye, he overcame the combined fleets of Ecnarf and Niaps. In celebration of this event, most of their public streets and squares are named. They have a splendid mill, which they take great care of, and do not use, lest it should become penmnently injured. • Their houses are built with the newest acoustic improvements, which shews the high moral tone of society there, f6r as any listener outside can hear all that is said in, it follows that few things are said inside which' they, are ashamed to hear repeated. Another advantage they possess, is in the airiness and coolness ofsome of Iheir buildings, to cause which, their wood is cut green, sent thus to the builders, and then at once used. When the house is "nicely finished the 6iin and the wind bless that house, and it shews its gratitude in minute and yawning fissures through which the wind plays and the rain percolates. 'The streets are laid out at right angles, and are bounded on the north by a river over which flying' bridges are thrown. These are so called because the impetuous floods, by disintegrating the banks, sometimes fly away with them. To confine the wrath of this stream many works of boards have been made by a Board of Works, the success.of which is not yet established. On the whole, however, their water operations have been very feeble, indeed, the only advantage attained in (his instance being, that from a spot called the Doowgnillbc Bridge, people can see ducks and drakes made with their money for a long distance. "To give an idea of the people,-1 must revert to the time when I first landed. I then, saw a vessel they called a steamer, and was told it was very useful, especially to adventurers. On asking what sort of folks they were, I was informed that they usually 'walked into the affections of storekeepers, and then cut their sticks' on those vessels; and confirmatory of the latter part of the remark, I saw many shavings in some of the stores, and among the freight charges on -board the vessels. On the Beach-road, my. attention was* drawn to some very decent looking girls, by some vulgar little boys rudely shouting ' Who's your cooper?' They appeared to my unpracticed eyes-tobe enveloped in an ■ eel basket, covered with a fancy integument, which made them.look like so many diving bells supported by two fragile stalks with stockings on. If they wear this dress, I mentally exclaimed, when they scrub the floor they must look unique. Some are very affable, and as approachable as the dress allows; othen are very

proud, and like their crinolines, empty, inflated, and stiff. '■' ' ''' " The men'are nothing particular in appearance ; they are mostly clothed by the children of Israel, and one who carries the Royal Mail wears a slop which probably came from the Red Sea, judging by the color of it. The society is good, but various, and the hospitality of all classes is sincere; they each move in a different orbit, and this isabout the gradation of them. ; The flockowners and professionals look down upon the merchants, who look down upon the storekeepers, who look down upon their assistants, who look down upon the servants, who look down upon the Seiroam, who don't care a straw for any of them. These classes seldom meet together except in a ballroom;: and then they-don't meet, as Navillus (an Hibernian friend 6f mine) once said, for owing to the lines of demarcation-existing between those who are ladies, those who are not' ladies, those who never will be ladies, and those who are ladies ladies, there is always a difficulty. The last are the most intolerable and indescribable, .because if they did know their place once, they never will again until the wheel of fortune brings them back to the old position. On this subject a great deal more could be said, and about the gentlemen too, but I think the least said the , better. Their amusements comprise music, dancing, racing, cricketing, and kite-flying. To judge by that which they have the most practice in, I must say they, excel in the latter. There is this difference observable between their amusements and ours, namely, that whereas with us the wind raises the kite, in this part of the world the kite raises the wind. ■'■■■ -■'■ '• ' - ."•■"' ; "'' . ;-'':: '.. "At their concerts and" theatricals those who enjoy the highest postti'otf; are the gods. These are unlike those mentioned in thei heathen mythology, as may be seen by their habiliments, but yet they are highly favored beings, and their thunders shake the house. They whistle the performers on, they hiss them off, and if Bacchus inspires them nothing can stop them except Nagaf, the sergeant of the city. As a proof of the manner in which they are favored, I Was told by the doorkeeper that they are charged half less than the rest. Doubtless this is from the supposition that gods do not carry earthly dross about with them. " The merchants pay their duty to the Queen, and obey her customs" with utmost loyalty and regularity. Though their word is as good as their bond, the roughs generally take their goods for their bond instead; and the obliging and accommodating merchants readily submit with a grace, well knowing that'such a course is a kind of hint which teaches them to remember her Majesty first, pay their duty to her next, and then go about their business. " I have been in their large houses and stores, and partaken of their hospitality, and must say they are the most affable .men'in the world ; and so far above the imputation of being proud, that they will condescend to sell a single coat, a pair of boots, or a flat-iron. I could have hardly imagined such courtesy had I not witnessed this pleasing act of a merchant prince to an inferior mortal. But this is hardly noticeable, for with two exceptions, they are all'alike; and I only make this remark to prove, from my own personal observations, that merchants do dwell in this land, although their; detractors say they are nothing of the kind. Despite this disparagement, they are held in great awe b}' the people, for they disperse a great quantity of merchandise among them in the course of ayear, and every month the people sign their name across a piece of paper, which they present as a token of their submission ; they also hasten on the fourth of the month to a temple called the Knab, where they propitiate these sublunary gods by a peace-offering of money, and so ■exacting are they, that an omission on the part of the people inflicts a fine equal in amount to half-a---•erown of our money; and should the infidels to this arrangement make, no propitiation whatever, •they are visited awfully, for the goddess of credit •discards them, the merchants withdraw. Faith, Hope, and Charity, and at last a fearful gaoler named Nosregor immures the malefactor where he is placed in Cimmerian gloom, with nothing to .employ him but a book and his own reflections, unless he is a good handicraftsman ; then he is Allowed to build,,a.tjhy_ ship of the line. '".Those who taste file blessings freedom can imagine the pangs of the sufferer, for if he is a tailor, he lias no goose to console him, and is only legally .-allowed to have a stitch in his side; and if he is a ■painter, he looses his palette, and is not allowed to ■brush, so dull and spiritless he mopes away, abandoning the idea he might have had,' ' To irilrt refined gold. t,o paint th^ lily, Or add another hue unto the rainbow,' well knowing that, with his restricted means, it. would be 'wasteful and ridiculous excess.' Oa expressing surprise that they could be happy on the fourth of-the month, they affected gaiety, and t»Jd me they were us?d to it, and instanced a mighty nation (which Heroditus don't mention), •called Yankees, who have a notion of independence, and celebrate that anniversary on one of their fourths, which surprised me still more, for I always deem it the most dependent day in the whole calendar. " The storekeepers who seem thus jolly, are numerous and respectable. Though an incongruous lot, 1 presume they give a color and character to society, for they are black, green, snowwhite, smart, an-slow, and wright. They keep birds, dawes, and jays; and possess a baker, a. coulraan, a king, and a dark. Although they have more than one good-man amongst them, and are numerous and respectable, yet they are lamentably deficient: in moral courage, for they could not shut their shops of their own free- will, at 7 o'clock, until they consulted the fraternity, chose little Senoj for their secretary, and held several meetings to settle this momentous question. And then when they had decided upon this, their pusillanimity was such, that after the specified time, one man could not refuse a customer three yards of tick on credit, and another was caught surreptitiously opening his door to one who only wanted change for half-a-cro wn ! This was enough for the Association ; in vain the weak culprits pleaded that they did it without any and for no ■consideration, and merely to oblige their own cusr tomers; but this was considered unjustifiable, so they have been severely punished, by everyone else keeping open as late as them. This may cure them, as some doctors affirm that 'similars are cured by similars,* which no doubt equally applies in a case where a man breaks his head against a brick wall, and his neighbor instantly imitates him, in order tocure the sufferer. So that the present motto appears to be, ' The man who shuts early is a perfect Symon.' I hope that they will take sufficientr after seven o'clock to build a monument to celebrate their Ow,n weakness, on which Senoj should inscribe all their broken resolutions, and state that they will take no further thought of their precious minutes now lost." , [Further extracts, referring to the literature and politics of this singular people, will appear in our next issue.] .