ship-loads of young and intelligent women | energy before it should go the way of all perpetually wafted over to the shores of her neighbors'. India, and the number of years the relays She begins at once with the things imof this home commodity have been going mediately under her notice-the great gal on, it might be thought that nothing re- lery-like rooms-the dull dinner partieslating to our Eastern colonies could have the languid conversations everlastingly about been by this time left unsaid. And perhaps the changes in the service, till she wishes no more striking proof can be given of the all appointments were permanent-the mode enervating effects of idleness and luxury, of passing your time, which seems to be than the comparative absence of all lively spent alternately in tiring and resting one's feminine works upon a country where for self;' and above all, those great babies,' nearly a century well-educated English- the native servants, who throughout furnish women have had the amplest means of ob- her with occasion for fun, and never for servation. We do not overlook Miss Ro- complaint. In this respect their domiciliaberts's capital sketches of Hindostan-nor tion at first in a friend's house at Madras Mrs. Elwood's traits of Indian life in her made little difference, Overland Journey-a work for which we take this opportunity of expressing our sin cere admiration; but neither of these gives the humours of this antipodes state of society like our nameless lady. Not that her position differed in any way from that of which every day brings a repetition. She married, and went out to India-halted a short time at Madras-and then proceeded up the country. Nor are her letters any thing beyond what a lively, happy, welleducated young woman would write to her family upon her first domiciliation in a foreign country-full of sense and nonsense -describing every thing as it came in her way-just as it suited her fancy or her fun. The only advantage she possessed, and one it is to be hoped not very uncommon, was that of being united to a worthy, sensible man, who encouraged her vivacity, but directed her judgment, and allied her with himself in whatever was useful and benevolent. There is no question, therefore, of the sound domesticity that pervades this book-indeed no happier family group has come under our notice-even the dash of flippancy which occasionally jars upon us proceeds evidently from too light a heart for us to quarrel with it. his own establishment of servants, so as to give For in an Indian house every visitor keeps no trouble to those of the household. The servants find for themselves in the most curious way. They seem to me to sleep nowhere, and to eat nothing-that is to say, not in our houses, nor of our goods. They have mats on the steps, and live upon rice. But they do very have an ayah (or lady's maid) and a tailor, for little, and every one has his separate work. I the ayahs can't work; and A. has a boy, also two muddles (how charmingly expressive!), one to sweep our room, and another to bring water. There is one man to lay the cloth, another to bring in dinner, another to light the candles, and others to wait at table. Every horse has a man and a maid to himself; the maid cuts grass for him: and every dog has a boy. I inquired whether the cat had any servants, but I found she was allowed to wait upon herself; and as she seemed the only person in the establishment capable of so doing, I respected her accordingly. Besides all these acknowledged attendants, each servant has a kind of muddle or double of his own, who does all the work that can be put upon him, without being found out by the master and mistress.—p. 38. 'Every creature seems eaten up with laziness-even my horse pretends he is too fine to switch off his own flies with his own long tail, but turns his head round to the horsekeeper to order him to do it for him.'-p. 50. What first struck our fair incognita seems their mats strewing the floor like cats and dogs. 'They are indeed a lazy race—they lie on to have been the great difference between and begin to puff and whine whenever one the listless ladies of Madras and her lively gives them the least employment. The truest self. They could tell her nothing-knew account of their occupations was given me in nothing-cared for nothing. Their minds her blundering English by my muddle. I said. seemed to have evaporated beneath an InEllen, what are you doing; why don't you dian sun, never to condense again. The come when I call you ?" "No, ma'am.” “ What seven years' sleep of the Beauty in the fairy-meaning, I am doing nothing'-p. 54. are you doing, I say?" "Ma'am, I never do" tale was nothing to the seven years' lethargy of a beauty in Madras, for the enchanted lady awoke to her former energies, and the merely enervated lady, she thinks, never can. Our young bride is therefore anxious to make the most of her stock of English Then -or rather 'I never do any thing.' ted tatties, the temperature can be with diffi- generally to Pariah Christianity—or even culty kept down to 90°. And our lady sits granting it as sincere, this only increases under the wet mats, with her hands in a the barrier to its progress beyond these outbasin of water. And the leaves of the casts who have nothing to lose by any trees are all curled up, and the grass crack- change. les under one's feet like snow, and the sea is a dead yellow color, and the air and the light a sort of buff, as if the elements had the jaundice and we are all so crosscreeping about and whining, and then lying down and growling-I hope it won't last long.'-p. 78. Nor does it, above ten days. She says most truly that a small income is real wretchedness in India; for what would be luxuries in England, such as large, airy houses, carriages, plenty of servants, &c., are there necessaries, indispensable for health, to say nothing of comfort. 'The real luxury, and for which one would give any price, would be the power of going without such matters.' tianity, is, indeed, sufficient proof that in their case the lesser good must be made the pioneer to the greater. Speaking of a worthy missionary settled near them, whose native hearers, having gratified their curiosity, had entirely abandoned him, and who honestly confessed that he had not met with a single instance of a real desire for truth, she very sensibly observes, That is the great difficulty with these poor natives. They have not the slightest idea of the value and advantage of truth. No one in England knows the difficulty of making any impression upon them. The best means seems to be education, because false notions of science form one great part of their religion. Every belief of theirs is interwoven with some matter of religion, and if once some of their scientific absurdiNow, however, comes a refreshing change ties were overthrown, a large portion of of scene. A. is appointed district judge at their religion would go with them.' (p. 198.) Rajahmundry, in a really Indian part of The readiness, or rather positive ambition India'-and they move thither with a ship- of the caste natives to acquire the rudiments load of goods and an army of servants, and a of knowledge, so long as they are not dilittle lady baby in addition, who greatly enli-rectly mixed up with the doctrines of Chrisvens the scene. There they live like 'most uncommonly great grandees,' or rather, to our view, like a thoroughly sensible, rightthinking English family-visiting with their Rajah neighbors, instituting schools and reading-rooms for the natives-performing divine service in their own house-making roads, digging wells, and doing all the good in their power. Whoever, indeed, wishes to know more upon that painful, disappointing, and mysterious subject-the absence of all real and effectual progress in the conversion of the Hindoos-will here find much practical good sense, none the worse for being sprightily given. That the exertions of many admirable and devoted men in this field have done some good, as the example of all good men must, there can be no question; but also that there are many who have retarded more than promoted the cause of Christianity, by insisting on teaching the natives nothing else till they had taught them that, is equally beyond doubt. Experience has proved that there is no more the Judge, held forth to the boys. This certain way of preventing the entrance of Christianity among the Hindoos than the open attempt to introduce it; and that at best the easier admission of it among the Pariahs only bespeaks that previous indifference to matters of religion which makes the conversion worthless. I of Mistress' caste, I eat anything'-this is the key too The newly-appointed Judge and his active lady were no sooner settled up country than they busied themselves at considerable trouble and expense in establishing a school for caste boys. A Brahmin was engaged to teach Gentoo, and a half-caste to teach English-the Bible was freely read and translated-the attendance rapidly increased to above eighty scholars, and almost every day a pretty little boy was found' salaaming' at the gate for admittance. All, in short, was going on as well as sense and benevolence could desire. At this time a dissenting missionary happened to pass-was received at their house with customary Anglo-Indian hospitality, and having, in return, favored his hosts with his opinions regarding the enormity of bishops, and the bigotry of ordination, he adjourned to the school, and without the knowledge or permission of soon created a disturbance, which he proceeded to augment, by seizing hold of a native's lingum, or badge of caste, and taking it away. At this, the grossest insult you can offer a Hindoo, the whole population rose in a ferment-the boys brought back their books, and although the dissenter was obliged to restore the badge, the feeling was so strong, that the school was abandoned for | Spanish territory the lady had touched, awhile, and then recommenced with not half they are received with distinguished honthe number of scholars. ors; and balls, dinners, and operas, female Cræsuses and men millionaires pass before us in a perfect blaze. Thence another tedious voyage, made most amusing to the reader, to Vera Cruz, with a renewal of festivities. There is plenty of temptation for quotation in this merry volume-the visit to the Rajah-the dog Don's scene with the family of monkeys-the petitioners to baby-the Moonshee's idea of the planetary system, and his astonishment that Europe lady or gentleman' should go to hell! &c. But we must pass on to a very different degree of longitude, though our latitude does not much vary. Madame Calderon de la Barca is very distinct from the ladies that precede her. She has as much liveliness as our Madras friend as much intelligence as Mrs. Meredith, and more spirit than Mrs. Poole; but with all this, though her book engages the attention in a high degree, and exhibits great and various ability, it fails to interest us in the writer. Something of this, however, may be owing to a reason, which is perhaps meritorious, and certainly fortunate in her as the wife of a foreigner; viz. to the very un-English nature of her writing. Madame Calderon was a Scotchwoman-and a Presbyterian, we have reason to suppose; she is now a Spaniard-and a Roman Catholic, as we have more than reason to suppose. And, accordingly, we have a Spanish indifference to bloodshed, a Spanish enthusiasm for bullfights, a Murillo glow of color, a Cervantes touch of humor, a gentle defence of the cigarito, and a hard hit at John Knox, which can leave no doubt of our quondam countrywoman being perfectly at home in her adopted land. The reel and the bolero may be nearer allied than we imagined. Madame Calderon, we are told, was distinguished in early days for her accomplishments and personal attractions among the circles of her native capital, Edinburgh; instead, however, of taking a Scotch advocate or W. S., and settling there, she removed with her family to New York, where again she steered clear of all Yankee importunities, and finally accomplished her destiny by bestowing her hand upon a Spanish diplomatist, a collateral descendant (we believe) of the great dramatist Calderon, who was shortly after appointed minister for the Court of Madrid at Mexico. The work commences with the departure of the envoy from New York; and the easy humor and brilliant description of the first shipboard chapter show at once the power with which the story is sustained throughout. At Havannah, the first There they take mules for Mexico, breakfasting en route with General Santa Ana, and then launch into a wilderness of all the glowing productions of Terra Caliente-pineapples, oranges, lemons, bananas, and granaditas, above their heads-roses and myrtles, carnations and jasmine at their feet-' delicious eggs, butter, and custard off new and wonderful trees,' within arm's length-splendid woods, fertile plains, stupendous mountains, glimpses of distant sea, and expanses of sapphire sky, and not a human being or passing object to be seen which is not in itself a picture.' And all this in the month of December! What an earthly Paradise! It is quite a comfort to know that the road was enough to break their bones, and that there were daily robberies and murders committed upon it. At length, distant volcanoes and spires innumerable announced the city of Mexico; and our authoress's thoughts had wandered back to the time when the great panorama first burst upon the eyes of the King-fearing, God-loving conqueror; and the mild bronze-colored Emperor advanc ed himself in the midst of his Indian nobility, with rich dress and unshod feet, to welcome his unbidden and unwelcome guest;' but speedily her ruminations were put to flight by a very different crowd, consisting of half the population of modern Mexico, who had turned out to welcome the bearer of the olive-branch from old Spain, and who now constrained them to enter a splendid state-carriage, all crimson and gold, and drawn by four white horses. In the midst of this immense procession of troops, carriages, and horsemen, we entered the ancient city of Montezuma.' This is succeeded by fêtes, serenades, masked balls, and bull-fights extraordinary, in honor of the Ambassador; with the introduction to all the Mexican world of fashion, and a most animated description of dress, jewelry, visiting, etiquette, and bad servants. But it is impossible to follow a lady who seems never to have known one moment of fear, lassitude, or repose. All is excitement from morning till night. Nuns taking the veil-full-dress processions to the Virgin This scene is characteristic both of the lady and the country-namely, the Herraderos, or branding of the bulls. The next morning we set off early to the Plaza de Toros. The day was fresh and exhilarating. All the country people from seve ral miles around were assembled, and the trees to their topmost branches presented a collection of bronze faces and black eyes, belonging to the Indians, who had taken their places there as comfortably as spectators in a one shilling gallery. A platform opposite ours was filled with wives and daughters of agents and small farmers-little rancheras with short white gowns and rebosós. There was a very tolerable band of music perched upon a natural orchestra. Bernardo and his men were walking or riding about, and preparing for action. Nothing could be more picturesque than the whole scene. fierce and likely to afford good sport, and of This is very striking and picturesque writing, and would do admirably under Basil Hall's, or any other man's name; but, to our feeling, there is neither a woman's hand nor heart in it. Modern philosophers may think and write what they please about the mental equality of the sexes, but ladies may depend upon this, that some of the most vigorous and forcible writing in the English language would lose all its charm with a woman's name prefixed to it. men may become orators and heroes in sudden emergencies-they may do feats of mental or physical manliness to defend a parent, a husband, or a child, which command our most enthusiastic admiration ; but take away the sacred object-remove the high occasion which nerved her nature, or suspended Wo 'Seven hundred bulls were driven in from the plains, bellowing loudly, so that the whole air was filled with their fierce music. The universal love which the Mexicans have for these sports amounts to a passion. All their money is reserved to buy new dresses for these occasions-silver rolls, or gold linings for their hats, or new deer-skin pantaloons, or embroidered jackets. The accidents that hap-it, and however wonderful or beautiful in pen are innumerable, but nothing damps their itself the power exhibited, she may be sure ardor: it beats fox hunting. The most ex- that the feeling she wounds is far closer traordinary part of the scene is the facility to our heart than the feeling she gratifies. with which these men throw the laso. The Madame Calderon's description of a bullbulls being all driven into an enclosure, one after another, or sometimes two or three at a time were chosen from amongst them and driven into the plaza, where they were received with shouts of applause if they appeared fight in the country is equally spirited and unwomanlike. Even the little pity vouchsafed has the air of being thrown in for decency's sake. We give Madame Calderon credit for capital nerves; doubtless she would stand a public execution as well. But we have another lady's account of a bull-fight, quite as characteristic, in Mrs. Romer's book, The Rhone, the Darro, and the Guadalquivir.' It is true that before the Spanish ladies were well warmed to the scene she was pressing her hands before her eyes in terror and pity, and by the time one noble horse was gored had fled the arena in horror and shame that she had ever sought it. But what Mrs. Romer dared not see has left a far more vivid impression on our minds than all that the Scotch-Spaniard composedly examined. 'In the afternoon we all rode to the Plaza | discovered, which was that the bulls, if so inde Toros. The evening was cool, and our hor-clined, could leap upon our platform, as they ses good, the road pretty and shady, and the occasionally sprang over a wall twice as high. plaza itself a most picturesque enclosure sur- There was a part of the spectacle rather too rounded by high trees. Chairs were placed horrible. The horse of one of the picadors for us on a raised platform, and the bright was gored, his side torn up by the bull's horn, green of the trees, the flashing dresses of the and in this state, streaming with blood, he was toreadors, the roaring of the fierce bulls, the forced to gallop round the circle.'-p. 130. spirited horses, the music and the cries, the Indians shouting from the trees up which they had climbed, formed a scene of savage grandeur which, for a short time at least, is very interesting. Bernardo was dressed in blue satin! and gold-the picadors in black and silver the others in maroon-colored satin and gold. All those on foot wear knee breeches and white silk stockings, a little black cap with ribbons, and a plait of hair streaming down behind. The horses were generally good, and, as each new adversary appeared, seemed to participate in the enthusiasm of their riders. One bull after another was driven in roaring, and as here they are generally fierce, and their horns not blunted, as at Mexico, it is a much more dangerous affair. The bulls were not killed, but sufficiently tormented. One, stuck full of arrows and fireworks, all adorned with ribbons and colored paper, made a sudden spring over an immensly high wall, and dashed into the woods. I thought afterwards of this unfortunate animal-how it must have been wandering about all night, bellowing with pain, the concealed arrows piercing his flesh, and looking like gay ornaments. If the arrows had stuck too deep, and that the bull could not rub them against the trees, he must have bled to death. Had he remained, his late would have been better, for when the animal is entirely exhausted they throw him down with a laso, and, pulling out the arrows, put ointment into the wounds. Mrs. Romer's well written book introduces us to our third and last class,-books recording wanderings of great length, undertaken solely for pleasure and curiosity, consuming much time and money, and as such indulged in, especially by those who have both at their command. This class extends to ladies of the highest nobility in the land, who, by the publication of their own journals, have undesignedly introduced many a reader to the manners and phraseology of a state of society quite as foreign 'The skill of the men is surprising; but the as any they can undertake to describe. We most curious part of the exhibition was when are naturally anxious to know how those a coachman of -'s, a strong, handsome Mexi- who go clothed in purple and fine linen, can mounted on the back of a fierce bull, which and fare sumptuously every day, get on in plunged and flung himself about as if possess the rude ups and downs of travelling life; ed by a legion of demons, and forced the animal to gallop round and round the arena. The for though yachts may be furnished with bull is first caught by the laso, and thrown on every luxury-though medical men and airhis side, struggling furiously; the man mounts cushions, and ladies' maids and canteens, while he is still on the ground. At the same and portable tents and Douro chairs, and moment the laso is withdrawn, and the bull daguerreotypes, and every modern invention starts up, maddened by feeling the weight of that money can procure, may be included his unusual burden. The rider must dismount in the same way, the bull being first thrown in their outfit-yet the winds will blow, and down, otherwise he would be gored in a mo- the waves toss, and the sun beat down, and ment. It is terribly dangerous, for if the man the dust rise up, and the rain soak through, were to lose his seat his death is nearly cer- and hunger, and thirst, and fatigue, and tain; but these Mexicans are superb riders. things their delicacy knew not of before, The amusement was suddenly in- assail them as if they were mere flesh and terrupted by sudden darkness and a tremen-blood like other people. Upon the whole, dous storm of rain and thunder, in the midst of which we mounted our horses and galloped home. 'Another bull-fight last evening! It is like Pulque; one makes wry faces at it at first, and then begins to like it. One thing was soon however, these tell-tale books are very creditable reporters, and show us that spirit of good sense, good feeling, and good principle which we have ever fondly attributed to the highest ranks of our English women. |