SPECTATOR'S LIBRARY.

VOYAGES AND TRAVELS, Adventures in the Pacific; with Observations on the Natural Productions, Manners, and Customs, of the Ni 'ea of the various Islands ; together with Remarks on Miscdonaries, British anc other Residents, &c. By John Coulter, M.D., Sze. FICTION, Longman and Co. ; Curry, Dublin. Pomfret ; or Public Opinion and Private Judgment. By Henry F. Morley. In three volumes • Conniff SCTENTIFIC GOSSIP,

A World of Wonders; with Anecdotes and Opinions concerning Popular Superstitions.

Edited by Albany Poyntz Bentley. BIOGRAPHY,

Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass, an American Slave. Written by Him self Webb and Chapman, Dublin.

DR. COULTER'S ADVENTURES IN THE PACIFIC Is interesting for its subject and its scenes. Whether it is the impres- sion made in youth by the narratives of the early navigators and the story of Robinson Crusoe, or whether there is some intrinsic attraction in the life described, readers feel a strange kind of interest in nautical adventure removed from the routine of civilization. To "wood and water" at a sea-port, is a circumstance about which no one feels the slightest interest, and whose particulars would resolve themselves into a bill for "work and labour done"; but as the vessel we have accom- panied for months nears the uninhabited island, with some doubts whether her wants may be supplied, part of the crew's anxiety is trans- ferred to the readers. Even if the spot be a "watering-place," there is an almost equal feeling of what must be the crew's joyousness at the relief from the monotony of the ship, the independence (though but for a few days or hours) of life on shore, where man is monarch of all -he surveys, where the tameness of the animal creation, if not "shocking," as to Selkirk, is strange ; whilst contrast, or the freshness of pri- meval nature, gives a peculiar charm to those islands scattered through- out the Pacific, wasting their sweetness on the briny air, or upon "natives," whose softness of manner, even among the very best of them, is the sole thing that has prevented them from being painted as monsters of cruelty and profligacy.

Nor throughout these regions is the romance most congenial to the British mind yet at an end. From some peculiarity of disposition, or restlessness under their present lot, willing Crusoes are scattered through- out this vast ocean ; and though many soon get tired of their island solitude and escape from it when opportunity offers, men are yet found who prefer it to such civilization as they can have access to, and are content with the occasional society of a vessel touching, or of some runaway sailor. Near the coast of America, Crusoes may be found in the last stage of development, with subjects over whom they rule with despotic sway. One of such settlements Dr. Coulter fell in with, at the Galapagos, a group near the Equator, and not very far from the coast of Peru. On one of these islands a Spaniard of the name of Vilamil ha:d taken up his quarters ; having some claim upon the Government, he was paid by a grant of Black criminals, and permission to establish ,a colony in the Galapagos ; which he did upon monopoly principles, with unfortunate results.

"Now a few words about Vilamil, his people, and their property or farms.

" Those people work hard, and plant their grounds, which produce abtm

If they require an article of clothing, (which they did from their landing, br they were sent off nearly naked,) or an implement to repair their houses, or cul- tivate their plots of land, or any other necessary, they go to the Governor's store, and get it in exchange, (where a small account is run up.) They give a mort- gage on the crop nearly ripe. The produce of this, when ready, is taken away from them; and they are left bare enough, with little else than a bitter feeling of dark Spanish hatred to the Governor for thus depriving them of their crops. This system was carried to such an extent, that scarcely a family owned. what was growing on their own ground. It was all mortgaged long ago, root and branch, to Vilamil, against whom and his store there existed the most deadly hatred. After I became thoroughly informed of all, and the people's good wishes towards him, I was anxious to be off, not knowing the moment some insurrection might take place. "I was afterwards informed that my anticipations were realized. Shortly after we left, the people got out of all patience with him, made three attempts to assas- sinate him, and finally finished the affair in real Creole Spanish style, by cutting him down with their machettas. I was also told many of the people left the island; but some remained. To me they appeared and were very kind; and I am disposed to think that he might have gone on safely enough but for his oppressive conduct" Nor in these remote seas is business itself without interest and ad- venture, either with the Polynesians, the Spanish Americans, or the great sperm whales. We had traits of the continental trade in Dana's Two Years before the Mast; in Dr. Coulter's Adventures in the Pacific we have some stirring descriptions of whale-fishing, and an account of the economy of the trade : but the notices of the Polynesians are some- what superficial. At least we have better of an earlier date; and a "View of the Pacific Islands as they now are" is a desideratum not- withstanding the American Exploring Expedition. It requires a more philosophical mind to depict society, and estimate its character, than* describe single adventures or particular scenes. From incidental notices it appears that Dr. Coulter has been surgeon to South Sea whalers, and in that capacity has made several voyages round the world. A description of some of the most striking incidents that occurred during his navigation in the good ship Stratford, which was "ready for sea" in October 1832, is the basis of his book ; but he occa- sionally varies the narrative by reminiscences from other voyages. He has also promulgated some general views about Tahiti, which seem to have been his reason for publishing; though these are by no means the most valuable parts of the book, and we think he overrates the interest felt by the public in the fortunes of Queen Pomare. Luckily, however, there is not much of Tahiti ; the matter of the volume being what we have already indicated,—incidents at sea, the chase and capture of the sperm whale, accounts of the economy of a whaler and of the occupations of the crew, descriptions of the scenery at various coral islands or groups, together with notices of some of the Polynesians. The only things aP- preaching to adventure, properly so called, is Dr. Coulter's exploration of Chatham Island by himself, while the crews were engaged in refitting and coopering their whale-oil ; and his compulsory sojourn at Hivaooa, one of the Marquesas, when the ship was blown off the shore. During the time of this detention, the Doctor was made a chief, honoured with the order of tatooing, and engaged in a general action among the Marquesans, after due inquiry into the cause of the war, and observing that he was fighting on the weaker side. The Marquesan tactics do not appear to be very scientific, nor is the description of Dr. Coulter very graphic; but some of the traits are Homeric ; as is the conclusion, when the enemy, after a sound drubbing, came over and surrendered the cause of war—the mother and little child of a chieftain, who had been carried off, but luckily not devoted to the island gods.

The book is somewhat loose in structure, from Dr. Coulter's having judiciously passed over the commonplaces of his voyage, presenting in- cidents rather than a continuous narrative. The style is clear, unaffected, and buoyant ; occasional weaknesses showing the unaccustomed writer, but without any injury to the general character. Like all such authors, however, the effect is dependent upon the original matter, and owes no- thing to the art of the writer; though Dr. Coulter rises with his theme. Here is an instance, in a difficult and exhausted subject—a storm at sea; where the waves and the sailors are both brought out.

A STORM IN A NEW SHIP.

Being now perfectly ready for the dark-looking gentleman to windward coming fast down after us, the breeze died away, until the ship had scarcely steerage way on her.

After a little the air felt cooler, the wind freshened up, and blew from the Northward; another hand was added to assist in steering. On the gale came with a roaring sound; the ship kept right before it. We were now steering under a close-reefed main-topsail, and the ship fairly hissing through it; the wind forced the swell fairly down, the clouds cleared away, and nothing could be seen but one bed of foam. There was a description of the sea then given, in a very few words, which I have not since forgotten—" This is the old wash-tub, with the suds all on the top." Such are sailors, that amidst the war of elements which surrounds them, and often threatens them with instantly being engulphed, they will have their joke out. Now no one could bear the other speak, such was the force of the storm. You could feel the ship almost lifted along. The scene was grand; no _pen could describe it; the power of the great Creator's breath was on the water, and man was nothing. The surface of the water was blown up into mist, like spray which rose from the foam, as it were, like dust, to the height of several feet, and was forced along .before and around us. On, on we went, like something carried along by an in- visible power, over which man has no control. The wild but beautiful scene ar pared unearthly; there was something enchanting in watching the swift and si- lent passage of the vessel through this as it were hissing snow. To the non-nautical reader I may here remark, that the running of a ship before the wind creates both a different motion and noise in the ship than one hove to, or running with the wind abeam. The violence of the storm was now so great that any sound or noise we could make on board was inaudible from the roaring of the wind and foaming of the sea around us. The ship seemed to have life, and bounded away from every threatening wave. This being the first time we had an opportunity to run before the wind, or try our new ship's qualities in scudding—in fact, we had no alternative, forthe storm was too strong to attempt to round the ship to, we would have gone down in an instant—there were relieving-tackles rove, lest the wheel-ropes should part; and as we had nothing but a clear sea before us, every one watched closely the ship's action, on her new and first trial in this way. The old seamen looked excited and pleased; the younger ones at last felt so much delighted with the ship, that they danced and waved their clear arm, (for one held on,) and appeared like madmen.

From the following picture, Selkirk's isle must have been not such a bad place after all ; though the bullocks and dogs are additions since his _time.

JUAN FERNANDEZ.

the houses or rather huts, of a Chilian settlement abandoned,] in a state of ruin, After leaving the beach, you arrive at a large strip of level land, the remains of were scattered about on either side; also the remains of an old jail or lock-up. On passing the huts, this level land is found to extend to twenty or thirty acres. There were vast quantities of rose-bushes in full bloom, with immense beds of mint, so tall that you could hide in it without being discovered. The fragrance of this valley was enchanting to us. The small bills surrounding it, thickly covered with middling-sized timber in rich foliage, and a small rippling stream running through it, all added to its beauty. In strolling up the hills, we soon discovered that the smaller timber had a very loose hold in the earth, which was mostly red mould, as some of our men, in laying hold of them to assist them- selves up, came back accompanied by the tree. The entire island is a succession of small hills and rallies, each with its little stream; and those rivulets, often uniting, came dashing over the cliffs with great force. On it we discovered some bullocks, goats, and dogs, all hi good condition, but very wild, dashing through the thickets like deer when disturbed.

A WHALE-CHASE.

On the third morning after leaving Charles's Island, while in sight of Albetnarl, ' the look-out on the foretop-gallant-yard sung out—" There he blows there again !" and at regular intervals "there again!" "Where away ?" "About four points on the lee bow, sir," "put the helm up." "Ay, ay, sir," responded the helms- man. "Steady: steady it is, sir." We got the telescopes at work, (and first-rate ones they are always in whale-ships.) After a steady look, our well-experienced skipper pronounced it to be a large sperm whale. "Boat's crews of the larboard side, stand by to lower three boats." "Ay, ay, sir," rang fore and aft the ship; when, about a mile from the whale, the helm was put down, lee main braces let go, and the ship became stationary, with the main yards aback. "Beady there?" -" All ready, sir." "Lower away." The boat-tackle falls rattled through the block, and the boats were in the - water. No huntsmen ever followed a pack of hounds with greater glee than the • boat's crews of those ships pull after their game. We now filled away on the ship to have full command over her, and to keep to windward of the boats. They uiled silently and steadily on. The whale was going along easily. By-and-by the chief officer's boat got close up; and one iron darted into the body of the fish, then another, and the boat was fast. They were by this time so close to the ship, you could hear him sing out, "Stern all now I" and the boat was pulled quickly astern; the whale reared itself hag out of the sea, then buried its head in it, raised his enormous flakes, gave a bllOw on the surface of the water, the sound of which you could hear far off; then he, went down, or, as they call it, sounded; the boat was drawn right over him, sad the line whirring through the chalks as he descended. When the second tub was all but out it stopped; then they commenced hauling in the line, and coiling it loosely in the stern-sheets as fast as they could. This hauling-in of the line is grays accompanied by the cheering " Hurra, hurra, hurra r &c.

ffhey got in. the line very fast; and when the whale came up to blow, the boat

was not more than four hundred yards off, the oars all peaked, and out of the water: he then started to windward, towing the boat after him at about fifteen miles an hour, the water boiling and foammg high up on either side of it. All hands in the boat now laid hold of the line, and kept hauling up on him; and as they passed not far from the stern of the ship, they got alongside him by bowing the line. The officer lanced; and after each dart of the lance into the fibh, the shank of it had to be straightened, which is easily managed in the bow of the boat After running about two miles to windward of the ship, the fish blew up blood out of his spout-hole. This is at once the indication of the deathblow being given. He stopped suddenly; the boats slackened the line, and pulled astern out of the way, as he was going into his death-flurry. They had scarcely got well clear of him, when he rolled heavily, reared his great head up, beat the water with his fins and flakes in great fury, made one tremendous plunge, and was no more.

This whale was on the whole easily taken; but the case and results are often very different, even with much smaller ones. The sperm whale is a very active flab, and it frequently tests its powers by destroying boats and their crews with both jaws and flukes; often I have seen our boats stove in pieces by the whale. As soon as the crew see the danger coming, they jump overboard, afterwards get,ep on the wreck, or take an oar under thew arms until the other boats come and pick them up.

The account of Dr. Coulter's observations and adventures is limited to the 180th parallel of West longitude. If his present volume be favourably received, he will on a future occasion carry the reader across the meridian into East longitude, "and tell him of adventures and occur- rences at islands and other places, where a civilized trader seldom and a missionary never landed.' This must refer, we suppose, to New Guinea and the adjacent islands, as well as to the groups scattered be- tween Australia and Japan. Such a book we should be glad to see ; for the subject has all the interest of novelty, and of the mystery respecting unknown regions which is almost cleared away in every other direction.