27 JANUARY 1838, Page 19

The Prisoners of Abd-el-Kuder, by Monsieur A. De France. Translated

by R. F. PORTER. M. DE FRANCE is a Lieutenant in the French Navy, who venturing beyond the French posts at Ar- zew, a port near Algiers, was surprised and carried off by the Arabs, by whom be was detained five months. As a sober narrative of personal adventures, or as a note-book of observatiohs, the Pri- soners of Abd-el-Kuder seems to us utterly worthless; for M. Di FRANCE so exceeds the natural vivacity and vanity of his country- men, that eveiy thing which he says bears the stamp of exagge- ration for the sake of effect. To those, however, who are content with any thing " founded on fact," the book will not be devoid of interest or amusement ; for if the author is always inflated and perhaps often falser he is never dull.