SPECTATOR'S LIBRARY.

TRAVELS,

The Lands of the Bible Visited and Described, In an extol:levy Journey undertaken with special reference to the promotion of Biblical Research and the Advancement

• of the cause of Philanthropy. By John Wilson, D.D., F.R.S., &c. With Maps and Illustrations. In two volumes. •Longman and Co.; Whyte and Co., Edinburgh. Aorosieoasexty,

Sketches of German Life and Scenes from the War of Liberation In Germany. Se- lected and Translated from the Memoirs of Varmitagen Von Etc. By Sir Alexander

Duff Gordon, Bart. (Murray's Home and Colonial Library.) Murray.

FICTION,

Grantley Manor; a Tale. By Lady Georgians Fullerton, Author of "Ellen Middleton.' In three volumes

MISCELLANEOUS LITENATONN,

Paddiana ; or Scraps and Sketches of Irish Life, Present and Past. By the Author

of "A Hot Water Cure." In two volumes. Bentley.

WILSON'S LANDS OF THE BIBLE.

DR. JOHN WILSON is known to a religions section of the community as an active missionary of the Church of Scotland at Bombay, and a fre- quent writer on philology and theology in reference to the religions of India. A sojourn of more than fourteen years in the East had impaired his health, and in 1843 Dr. Wilson proceeded home to recruit. With the habitual energy of his country, he determined to make his journey homeward subservient to a religious and philanthropic purpose; to follow the wanderings of the Israelites in the Desert, explore the lo- calities of Mount Sinai and Petra, and visit the principal places in the Holy Land. The identity or description of place was not his only ob- ject: he wished to examine the present condition of the Eastern Chris- tians, and of the Jewish sects of Palestine, and to compare the latter with their fellows in India ; be had also an eye to such matters as the probable success of missions in the Turkish dominions, and the restora- tion of the Jews.

For a book of mere travels, there was not much interest in Dr. Wil- son's route. A steam voyage from Bombay to Suez could furnish little of incident. The Desert trip from Suez to Cairo is made by shoals of travellers three or four times a month ; the Pyramids and Cairo have been described by persons of every order of mind ; the principal places of the Holy Land are nearly as hacknied ; and if the journey through the Wil- derness to Mount Sinai and Petra is not so common, the subjects have been handled by very superior travellers, and Petra in particular has been exhausted. Still, Dr. Wilson had some advantages. He came from In- dia instead of Europe, and was familiar with the manners and character of Orientals ; his acquaintance with Hebrew and Arabic enabled him to converse with Mahometans and Jews ; his objects often gave him and them some topics in common, besides furnishing him with a continual pursuit.

The book, however, by no means equals the expectations that these advantages might induce one to form; nor will it add much to Dr. Wil- son's reputation with the general public. A more mistaken twelve hun- dred pages we have rarely encountered. Nearly everything is done to death. The author would seem to suppose that his reader knows nothing, and has no means of knowing anything, of Egypt, Arabia, or Palestine. He draws no distinction between the trivial and the important; the merest occurrence is told with as much specificality as if it were an incident of importance. A judicious stroke of the pen would have got rid of a hun- dred pages of tedious narrative from Bombay to Cairo, and left the reader fresh to start with the Israelites on their journey to and through the Red Sea ; and other though shorter passages might be expunged with advan- tage. The real source of the expansion, however, is deeper, and perhaps beyond the reach of revision. The observer cannot but have remarked that a habit of extempore speaking is fatal to closeness and character of style in writing; and this is more especially the case in platform and sec- tarian pulpit oratory. The lawyer's training gives him closeness of reasoning and expression ; he is continually in the habit of writing ; and even in speaking he must seem to speak to some point. The more learned education of the Anglican divine, and the general habit of preaching from written compositions, contribute to a closer and more scholarly style than obtains among sectarians with whom written preaching is a sort of sin. A popular sectarian minister, too, has generally more reliance on his audience ; let him say what he will, it is "acceptable." Hence, minuteness, and personal detail either of act or thought, become a habit with the generality of missionaries and nonconformist divines ; which tells against them when they take up the pen to address a mixed class of readers.

A temptation to undue extension in The Lands of the Bak was the error of making the book a continuous narrative of travels at all. Disquisition and exposition are the true characteristics of the mat- ter. Probable routes, the site of places, the truth of tradition, the con- dition, opinions, learning, and prospects of religious sects in the East, with traits of the people at large, are the real topics of the work, and those which Dr. Wilson is best fitted to handle. As a mere descriptive traveller, he wants the vivacity of mind and vigour of delineation which alone enable a man to write his travels with effect when he is passing over exhausted ground. These remarks, however, are general. Dr. Wilson may know the demands of a certain class of readers ; and to many his inter- polations, of the nature of sermons, will be acceptable enough, however critically faulty. Dr. Wilson differs from Dr. Robinson on many points, and those often capital questions. He does not agree with him, for instance, as to the passage of the Red Sea ; and he holds, in opposition to Dr. Robinson, that tradition is correct in regard to Mount Sinai and the spot whence the Ten Commandments were issued ; whereas Dr. Robinson wished to change the site. Numerous other identifications of places mentioned in Scripture are discussed, indeed every place of note in Palestine. In the main we think Dr. Wilson uses a sound judgment and exhibits a ra- tiontd conclusion in these discussions; though ever speaking in the ex./ treme Protestant views of Romanism. The more generally -interesting portions of the volumes are those which relate to the character Of the 'people. In this very important part of a traveller's business Dr. Wilson enjoyed many advantages, not only in his religious objects, but his Oriental experience, and his acquaintance with the languages. His judgment is upon the whole more favourable to the Arabs, Jews, and Syrians, than that of many other travellers. Dr. Wilson brought more consideration and a _luster spirit of dealing to his intercourse with the Arabs ; and, without losing sight of externals, he does not dwell so much upon mere modes in his description, as is the case with writers who have no means of penetrating beyond the outside. Much misconception in wild countries would be saved if the traveller could always communicate directly with the people, and would do it in the spirit of Dr. Wilson at Petra. His Arab escort thither had no power in that district, beyond what they could enforce by the strong arm, and either from fear or interest wished to get the travellers away as soon as they arrived.

We sent for Sheikh Suleiman, now at the head of the Fellahin of Wadi Musa; and we got him engaged in a peaceful conversation. On our blaming him, and the people of his tribe, for their want of hospitality and kindness to the strangers who, in past years, had come from distant lands to examine the wonders of the place, he solemnly declared that all along they had been misunderstood and misrepre- sented. ' We wish only,' he said in his own way, to maintain our own rights; but these are not respected by the camel-sheiks, and the English and French gentlemen whom they conduct to our yanks. While they are here, they seek to put our own authority in abeyance. They despise the protection which we are ready and willing to afford. They set their camels loose, to destroy our small pasturage and even our crops; and they never think of repairing the damage which they do to us. They sometimes make demands on our service without recompensing us for it, and carry off the provisions which they get from us with- out paying us. Bat these evils we are determined to tolerate no longer. We have five hundred stand of arms; and we are determined to use them. We shall show that our injured tribe is as strong as any which can oppose us.' 'We are men of peace,' we said in reply, and we have no wish to tight. Most of the Franks who have come to Wadi Musa have likewise been men of peace; but they may have made a mistake in treating with their Arab conductors, instead of with yourselves, the occupants of these territories. We have made no agreement with our Arabs in your behalf; and we shall be happy to give you reasonable remune- ration for the protection which you may afford, the supplies you may furnish, the services you may render to us, and the damage which may be done to you by any of our people.' On this declaration, the Sheikh's countenance brightened; and complimenting Ss for our consideration, he added, This is all we want, and for a hundred piastres for each of you, and for daily wages to your attendants, you are welcome to stay with us as long as you please.' The bargain was instantly closed; and he told us that he would let us have as many men as we pleased, to show us everything in the place, answer all our inquiries, and render to us whatever ser- vices we might exact. He was perfectly faithful to his eats; and he fre- quently visited as to inquire if his men did their duty, and to mark our progress in our researches. During the ether days we continued at Petra, we did not meet with the slightest impediment or annoyance."

EXCAVATIONS OF Prim!. AND INDIA COXPARED.

Referring in general to the excavations which we have now noticed, I may be excused for hinting at a comparison of them with the works of a similar character which I have frequently visited in the West of India. As efforts of architectural skill, those of Petra undoubtedly excel these of the Hindus; which they also exceed in point of general extent, if we except the wonderful works at Verula or Ettore. In individual magnitude, they fall far short of many of the cave temples, collegiate halls, and monastic cells of the farther East. Their interest, too, is wholly exterior; while that of those of India, with the exception of the great Bralimanical temple of KAMM, and the porticos of the Buddhist Vihars of Sashti and Karli, is princi- pally in the multitudinous decorations and fixtures, and gigantic mythological figures of the interior. The sculptures and excavations of Petra have been prin- cipally made by individuals, in their private capacity, for private purposes; and the comparatively limited amount of workmanship shoat them has permitted this to be the case; while most of those of India, intended for public purposes and re- quiring an enormous expenditure of labour and wealth, have mostly been begun and finished by sovereign princes and religions communities. At Petra, we have principally the beauty of art applied often legitimately to subdue the terrors of nature in perhaps the most singular locality on the face of the globe, and the cunning of life stamping its own similitude on the mouth of the grave to conceal its loathsomeness; but in India we have debasing superstition, enshrining itself in gloom and darkness and mystery, in order to overawe its votaries and to secure their reverence and prostration. The moralist, on looking into the empty vaults and tombs of Idumea, and seeing that the very names of the "kings and counsellors of the earth which constructed these desolate places for them- selves" are forgotten exclaims, in the language which we have already quoted, "They are destroyed from morning to evening; they perish for ever with- out any regarding it. Doth not their excellency in them go away? they die even without wisdom." In entering into the dreary and decaying temples and shrines of India, he thinks of that day when "a man shall cast his idols of silver and his idols of gold, which they made each one for himself to worship, to the moles and to the bats; to go into the clefts of the rocks, and into the tops of the ragged rocks, for fear Of the Lord and for the glory of his majesty, when he ariseth to shake terribly the earth."

SPECIMEN OF ARAB WARFEL&

We observed the party of Arabs who had joined us on our leaving Petra, and had crossed the Arabah with us in the course of the day, studiously keeping at a distance from us at night. The occasion of their shyness was a quarrel which they had had with Sheikh Hosein, one of our conductors; and which originated in a conversation on the respective merits of the camels of the party, and on a sub- ject which we had understood the Badawin are averse to speak about, the suit- ableness and serviceableness of the female members of their community:. Sheikh Husein was in fault for introducing this last delicate topic, and for the injudicious manner in which he brought it to the notice of the strangers. "Your wives and daughters," he tauntingly said, "are such tender and fastidious objects, that they can neither drive a sheep to the waste nor recall a wandering camel. They can neither bake, nor boil, nor grind, nor bring water. Instead of serving you, you have to serve them and assist them. They are the sheikhs, and you are the slaves." This impudence met with a corresponding response. "Get down from your camels, and we shall show you that you lie. Our wives are women; but not so are yours, who are so dirty and smell so rank that a man cannot sit with them in the same tent" Worse than this followed; and had not we peremptorily inter- fered, the consequence might have been lamentable, as both parties became ab- solutely frantic with rage.

HEBREWS AT HEBRON.

It was about nine o'clock when we arrived in Hebron, that ancient city which was "built seven years before Zoan in Egypt," and which is so hallowed in the history of the great patriarchs. We entered it on foot by a low gate; and groping our way through its dark streets, we went direct to the Jews' quarter, where our friend Mordecai had for weeks been awaiting our arrival. We knocked at the door by which is the entrance to this division of the town; and as soon as it was announced that the "travellers from Hind" had arrived, there was a general turn-out of its inmates, to bid us welcome to the place which became the first possession of Abraham in the land of promise. Everything, they told us, was in readiness for our reception at the house of one of the Rabbis. Before we passed its threshold, we were embraced by all its members, of all ages and both sexes; and so many persons offered us their services that we really knew not how to avail ourselves of their kindness. We were conducted to a vaulted room' raised from the general passage, having diwans in the Turkish style at its extremity, and covered with carpets. We were told that it was the best in the house; and that it was set apart for our use while we might remain in the place. Several lamps with olive oil, the product of the Vale of Mamre, and a fire of charcoal, immediately mmediately kindled. Our luggage, carried from the gates by some of the willing youth who came to our assistance, was quickly at our command. The damsels brought us water for our ablations, offering at the same time to wash our feet, in discharge of the primitive rites of hospitality. • We were speedily arrayed in dry clothes. A dainty repast was set before us; and everything which we could desire was at our command. After escaping the exposure and toils of the Desert, and the rough travel of the night, we found ourselves, amidst all these comforts, in some measure grateful, I trust, to our Heavenly Father and Guardian, from whose grace they flowed. In our social worship, we returned thanks for all the protection extended to us during perhaps the most perilous part of our journey, and for the mercy and goodness which He was making to continue with and abound toward us.

It will be seen from these extracts that there is often a great deal of curious and characteristic matter in Dr. Wilson's pages. It is only to be regretted that an error in judgment, and the want of a habit of se- lecting his thoughts, did not induce him to throw aside the narrative form altogether ; treating the inquiries into routes and sites as disquisi- tion, and presenting his observations upon the actual manners and cha- racters of men as extracts from his journal. By this means, the tedious minuteness of commonplace travel would have been got rid of; as well as the frequent extracts from other travellers, which, though exhibitina a wide range of reading, and Dr. Wilson's laborious preparation ftir his journey, are rather out of place in a work of this form.