5 SEPTEMBER 1840, Page 15

TtIESE volumes contain the autobiography of a military surgeon, "

lie then passed to the next senior officer, Lieutenant-Colonel Dodgin

from ltis birth till his marriage and establishment in Canada. Commencing in 1791, and closing with the past year, the remini-

scences extend over a long period, and embrace a variety of topics, inure than once mistaken fur 4■1 York. Napoleon looked at for the most part interesting in themselves, and not unpleasantly ;X:lie="oTteZ , which happcmd o be the Vittoria medal; but presented. In boyhood, our hero was an angler, an admirer of as satin as he read that word of fear, he drapped it instantly, and rather nature, and a lover of his cousin; and experience having tempered abruptly. It was no mere fancy of mine, bat a matter of plain tket, observed

a warm Irish imagination his memorials of childhood and

youth are less flat or inflated than such matters frequently are. son let ling fall something tmet ut and disagreeably hot."

having studied at Edinburgh and London, the future Staff-Surgeon procured in 15 hi an appointment in the Army, with a theility which overlaying nor oyerlabouring his pictures. Sometimes, indeed, he

too conspicuously puts forward his own "notions," especially upon gratification of the phrenologists.

" auld hang sync." suffer least in the transphmting.

Quartered at St. Helena during a considerable period of NAPO- TIIE IIIIIt; HT 51011 or CAMPAIGNING.

home is also obseurel hinted at. will be envied by candidates in these piping times of peace and II titus tic pit.smt cal-

overstocked professions, and immediately Set sail for Portugal.

Thence till the peace of 1814, he accompanied the Peninsular (Janie user; Ira ea wile:111)e face NV:I. Army, and took his full share of the pleasures and privations of n'airce(.. campaigning, as well as of' the anxieties and toils of' active service, whilst the exquisite- serenity it Ader a six-months' breathing-time, he was ordered to the East traSt VIth th recollection t 1t Indies; and thence to St. Helena, where he remained till .Napoleon's lent life.

death. Returning to England with the suite ot' the Ex-Emperor, sjtri teadh al e a 1:7,1 %rid), v .7; some of whom he had professionally attended, he luxuriated awhile in the dignity of a peninsular campaigner, a fellow-islander wills the usualP:mittei -dine '- BONAV.UTE, a medico present at the opening of his body. - But a soldier in a marching regiment is the football of chance, or ' the Horse Guards, which sends him anywhere at a moment's nifelttiisekgeiturially , ered, ..vas a coat of fat au inch and a notice. In Is:27, our author accompanied his regiment to Canada; • heart, were 'l,',11(dettln • as!. rean was remarkably small and the and, after visiting the principal towns in the regular turn of duty, • —1 l' contradiction ts oar se:stions, and in proof of the has settled there for life, with a wife of the country—his early love e sating paradox, that it is p›: .e to haying died ere he entered the world ; a matriinonial scheme in heart. Spain baying miscarried through a kick received by the donkey ! 7"teMilli`,',1,j."Ntkrt..Y03.41se nfe,. which was to have carried the eloping lady ; and hit proposals to t :s had been echoed Le 1,nic• ••- , an Indian belle being stopped in limbic by the announcement u she was engaged to another man, stomach as its seat and sourec : Although not devoid of the rattling liveliness which gives a This organ was hound most ex character—and, properly subdued, an agreeable character-0 to an otitltully1Nallitolzenon—tiltihe . old campaigner, the Staff-Surgeon is very much beyond a mere At military man. Ile has had a classical education, and seems to throug'h lthe.:tonrialch, . have kept up a taste for literature amid the bustle of a military cent liver. After all, the liver was-four:Ytba'e'' life. His professional ssudies have made hint aequainted with the principles of physiology ; which he applies naturally and aptly, without the parade Of learning, to the incidents occurring in his and they pursued their end without the slightest regard to the mo- rality of tilt ir means. At the same time, ins it determined to do his duty and avoid being made the implement of N tromstes- or, as one of their agents expressed it, " l'homme de l'Enipreur "— could have pleased the hilt able and Initial minute exile. Some- thing unffivourable to Sir Ilunstes's position in high quarters at Emperor in company with the other officers. His picture of the manners and appearance of NAPOLEON differs from that generally painted—.

" lie was dressed in a plain dark green uniform coat, without epaulettes or any thing equivalent, but with a large star on the breast, which had an eagle in the centre : the buttons were gold, with the device of a mounted dragoon, irt high relief. Ile had on white breeches, with silk stockings, and oval gold buckles in his shoes, with a small opera-bat under his arm. Napoleon's first

appearance was far from imposing: the stature was short and thick, head sunk into his shoulders, his face fat, with large folds under the chin ; the limbs appeared to be stout, but well proportioned ; complexion olive, expression sinister, and rather scowling. The features instantly reminded us of the prints of him we had seen. On the whole, his general look was more that of an obese Spanish or Portuguese friar than the hero of modern times.

" Bonaparte walked round the room, with an attempt (as it seemed) at the old dignity, and addressed a few words to most of the officers."

The conversation at this interview does not possess much pecu- liar interest, being little distinguished from the cut and dried regal discourse used on ceremonious occasions, except by the military acumen of the principal person. One trait, however, is natural,

TtIESE volumes contain the autobiography of a military surgeon, " lie then passed to the next senior officer, Lieutenant-Colonel Dodgin C. 11., who had several clasps and medals on his breast ; he was, besides, a re: mark:day fine military-looking man, and when walking ti inc in Loudon, scences extend over a long period, and embrace a variety of topics, inure than once mistaken fur 4■1 York. Napoleon looked at for the most part interesting in themselves, and not unpleasantly ;X:lie="oTteZ , which happcmd o be the Vittoria medal; but t•y,,,naisnd took !hi with 1.k lingers of the most glitter- presented. In boyhood, our hero was an angler, an admirer of as satin as he read that word of fear, he drapped it instantly, and rather nature, and a lover of his cousin; and experience having tempered abruptly. It was no mere fancy of mine, bat a matter of plain tket, observed early ma spoken or at the time by us all, that 1,1: get tore was exactly that of a per-

The following particular- ef the post inertsm examination have an interest from their non-I.s -IA character, whilst the scientific

; and every all present 1 ; .:,1 eounte- ,., h...4.1xst kind;

.•. the .. i striking con-

as chit icier, and turbu-

- :quell of the mysterious and in-

ir. otaparte's inanimate remains con- - :1].-tamling his great sufferings, and . il.at destroyed him, the body was susceptible of material disintegra-

:..italile. Orir the sternum, or breast-bone,

• . great man with a very little ase of which Bona- - faulty organ, and before the illus- tbe misebief to the *1,e event proved.

7 was ulcerated. e as exactly the spot the intesnues begin. n nicer that had eaten edhesion to the adja- and every organ sound except the stomach. " Several peculiarities were noticed about the lie appeared at some time to have had an issue opened in the arm, and there o-.1, a slight mark like a

wound in the leg but which might have been ct It ■• a suppurating boll. pursuitof angling and field-sports. Ile has also an eye for natural The chest was not ample, and there was somethe ; . eininc delicacy in the objects, and considerable cleverness in describing them, neither roundness of the arias and small

.ness cf the hands

" The head was large in proportion to the body ; with a tine, massy. capacious forehead. In other respects there were no remarkable developments for the affitirs in Canada; and sometimes he deals in mere sentimental "The diseased state of the stomach was palpably and demonstrable the cause words: but these are only occasional blots. In general, 7W/it s of death; and how Napoleon could have existed tor any ilia: with such an organ front my BONI() are lively and characteristic sketches of man was wonderful, for there was not an inch of it sound."

world. The writer carries the reader with him, whether he wanders . book do not tell better for being separated from the context. among the scenes of his childhood, alternately enjoys the luxuries There is more of continuity and of sustained interest in the Staff- of a Southern climate, and shares the exciting hardships of war, Sturgeon's narrative, than is usual in wotks of this class ; and a good or paints the sterile grandeur of the shores of St. Lawrence, the deal of the agreeableness, especially of the incidents, is derived loneliness of an American forest, the wondrous beauty of a Cana- front the easy anti natural manner in which they are brought in. diau autumn, or the jovial scenes in which he has taken part in However, we will cull a few miscellaneous samples, that promise to LEON'S detention, the then Assistant. Surgeon had good opportuni- It is not very usual to jump the One 'kr from the sublime to the ridiculous, ties for forming a judgment on some of the points which agitated : but it is comm'on cncaell to iesserd uom this elevation to the oecupations and the wotdd ; and his opinion is in fitvour of Sir lit osos Low E. Sir amusements a ,,,,lliary life. Thos. ;tiler the contemplation of the sad story HUDSON WIN Hot, he SaNS, Of attractive manners, and his temaCr was of Ignes de Castro. In ret timing along the rut cr my eye was attracted by some lively fish plarimt about and glancing in the water. Instantly Inv senti- not peculiarly gentle, or perhaps under the best control: but, in a meu'ediiies too, %■-ing—the ola to in Preailections resun:ed their.asee.ndanev : general way, there was mal,ing particularly to complain of in these I I - aast cued home, put in order the eanc-rod that 1 ii sat s carried with me„ ie.- respects. 'Hwy disqualified him, however, front coping ails-an - paired to the river- side, began to fish, and in an hour succeeded in persuadiug a tageonsly in personal encounters1 itl I w_..I _ON ApARTE ; whose juso_ dozen i.lood-slied dace to accompany me home to dinner, lence of' manner and violence of haulier, real or assumed, NIVIT I found that inv valet had not Overrated his culinary qualifications. lit' made sonic tolerable soup out of the tot2-11 ration beef, at.,i iciest the tish nicely very difficult ffir any one to deal with In all beyona this he con- . , , • fit - - r. . • . , . . . Nt Ittl NO ■I:eite. 'sh drawn from the olive -11, ,.• s oa cue m ighoouring ha. A siders Sir lit osox perfl‘ctly blameless. That Narommx and i ,,u,u ,,Ii t,..'s i acart„ roasted, was at SO t ON 1.! ol, r: ,, t'OOkia : Alla %%11011 the cloth " Death had marvellously -

Ie " As during his eventftil carecr

found enormons‘lv the Horse Guards, which sends him anywhere at a moment's nifelttiisekgeiturially , ered, ..vas a coat of fat au inch and a notice. In Is:27, our author accompanied his regiment to Canada; • heart, were 'l,',11(dettln • as!. rean was remarkably small and the "111.;•Lo 1 '—w ',list the omentinn, kidneys, and.

and, after visiting the principal towns in the regular turn of duty, • —1 l' contradiction ts oar se:stions, and in proof of the u 11111A e JoN., ouncement that trious fferer himself', -with

all over like a honeycomb. 'J.

under various circumstances and of nature in various parts of the This is one of' the rare instances in wh:cit extracts from the

pica in attentions to the wounded and preparations for burying the dead, as I had expected, I beheld a scene of the most dreadful drunkenness, violence, and confusion. Parties of intoxicated men, loosed from all discipline and restraint, and impelled by their own evil passions, were roaming and reeling about ; firing into the windows, bursting open the doors by the discharge of several muskets simultaneously against the lock ; plundering, shooting any person who opposed them; violating, and committing every horrid excess, and sometimes destroying each other. There were many Portuguese, but the majority were English sol- diers ; and amongst these, two regiments of the third division, the Eighty — and — were disgracefully conspicuous. I proceeded amidst a desultory but dangerous firing, by the detour of the Talavera gate, tu the main breach. There, indeed, was a most awful scene, where " — Mars might quake to tread."

There lay a frightful heap of fifteen hundred British soldiers, dead but yet warm, and mingled with some still living, but so desperately wounded as to be irre• movable without more assistance than could be 3-et afforded: there they lay stiffening in their gore, body piled upon body, involved, intertwined, crushed, burned, and blackened—one hideous and enormous mass of carnage ; whilst the slanting morning sunbeam, feebly irradiating this hill of slain, appeared to my imagination pale and lugubrious as during an eclipse. At the foot of the castle-wall, where the third division had escaladed, the dead lay thick, and s great number cf corpses were strewn near the Vincente Bastion. Several were scattered on the glacis of the Trinidad Bastion ; and a number, who appeared to have been drowned, were lying in the eunette of the ditch at that place. But the chief slaughter had taken place at the great breach. There stood still the terrifie beans across the top, armed with its thickly bristling sword-blades, which no human strength nor dexterity could pass without impalement. The smell of burned flesh was yet shock ingly strong and disgusting. Joining sonic of the medical officers-, who were assisting the meat urgent cases, and atnputating limbs shattered by round-shot, I remained during the morning And forenoon ; -then, hastily eating a biscuit, partiall,y blackened with itin - powder, and taking a mouthful of wine from a soldier s wooden canteen, I re- turned to my charge at Campo Mayor. The bells were still ringing merrily at intervals, and every body was rejoicing--rejoicing! after what 1 had just wit-

nessed! • S

On our return through Elvas, the town was full of wounded: yet, in passing through the hospitals, one would form a very incorrect opinion of the miseries and agonies that followed the storm, from the appearance of the patients. To have been wounded end to have escaped with life from such a tremendous con- flict—involving a display of the most sustained, unflinching; and perfect valour, in the course of many ages—was, in itself alone, a cause of pride and gratula- tion. I never witnessed such cheerfulness in suffering as amongst these fine fellows ; and there was something of meral interest that obtruded- itself on the mind in observing their manly bearing, and the kindness and sympathy evinced towards each other. These brave men had dared the dangers and undergone the fatigues of the trenches and the batteries, the siege and the storm; and the warmest admiration of their noble conduct through all could be felt, without any admixture of a neutralizing feeling. They were untainted with the pillage of the devoted city, and the thousand ateocious crimes comprised in that fatal word.

We must pass to India, and begin with one of the strange stories travellers tell. Our author, indeed, with misgivings in his mind, says that any " old Indian " will confirm his tales : but an" old Indian" will vouch for any thing to "gammon a griffin."

TRICKS UPON A1331. TANTS.

The adjutant is a harmless and useful bird, that performs the duty of a sca- venger in India ; devouring offal, and punishing stlakvS, or which he is very fund. Ills valuable services are so fully appreciated, that the Company have taken him into their charge, and placea his whole fraternity under their pro- tection, punishing with a heavy fine the murder of one of these birds. Yet, such is the ingratitude of mankind, that the poor iaotrensive adjutant is per- secuted by the most annoying and cruel tricks. Shank-bones of mutton are cleaned out and stuffed with-gunpowder, with a slow match applied; then the meat is thrown out and swallowed ; and when the poor wretch is chuckling over his savoury morsel, it explodes and blows him to atoms. A more venial trick, and not unamusing I confess, is to tie two lees of mutton together with a piece of whipcord, leaving an interval of three or four yards; the jiyi:its are then tossed out amongst the adjutants, and soon find their way into the stomachs of a couple of the most active of the birds. As long as they keep together, it is all very well ; bat as soon as the cord tightens, both become alarmed and take wing, mutually astonished at the plucaomenon, no doubt. A laughable tugging match then ensues in the air, each wijulant striv- ing to mount higher than the other, till at lest they attain a great elevation. NS hen at length the weaker bird is forced to di-gerge his mutton, a new power comes into play, the force of gravity, and the pendulum leg of mutton brings the conqueror down to the earth a reat deal faster than he WISIICS.

A SUB'S INDIAN ATTENDANTS, AND APOSTROPHE THEREON.

I had my Surdar.bearer, supposed to be honest por excellence, and bound by every honourable tie to let nobody cheat me but himself; nine common bearers for my palanquin ; two Chohkliedars, or watchmen ; my Dhoby, or water-carrier ; my Dhurjee, or tailer ; my litiitmugar; my Mnausalgee, the Syce and his assistant to take care of my horse ; three men to look after the bullocks; some others, whose duties I forget; and my incomparable Bastee Rlaamm, with resplendent jet-black moustaches, curling like the horns of his namesake, to superintend my Hookah. 0 Antonio, my faithful valet, and thou hard-fisted Jonathan Wild, my trusty groom I often did. I regret von, when groaning in the splendid bondage of being Lord over twenty and nine Ledizereel, and bemuslined, and sashed, and slashed, and elippered, stud turbaned attendants.

AN INDIAN ARMY.

To one just arrived, after campaig:.ing itt Eurepe., the novelty and luxury of an Indian camp were extremely plea-rig and amusing. There was a large and heterogeneous host of followers, ',holt twenty for every eoldier, consisting of the Bazaar people, Coolie?, Inn,gy wallies, Jugglers, :Veatch girls, officers' and soldiers' servants, tent-peei.1, , end attendants on the numerous public ekpharits, camels, and bulloeks. We had a good bazaar, and plenty a provi- sions; and as one proof of the goodnesa of our fare, I may rnention, that ut the mess we had green peas in abundance, that hal been carried in baskets on men's shoulders Iron, Dinapore.

AN ELLPHANT's

There chanced to be a female th pliant and her calf stationed not far from my tent. I tarried the young one a large basin of sweet tea, after breahlaet one ovoning, into be dipped hia trunk, and drained the contents in an instant ; and, perceiving his mamma looking on wistfully, f procured her (mrie also, whim.), she drat.k a all to 06 gusto. Burin after this introduction we be- came great friends, and thy mother and her Son were regular peneieners of toy teapot ; the lady permitting DM to take many liberties with her person, such WI toying with her delicate ear, Kfitelliog her neck, &c., and giving me flOW and timer, a boy about th,: waist with her trunk, which in W) itifsta.f1,:*m C XCeeded the riesusenuble beunde of a frieselly embrace. One marning yawn she was par- ticularly affectionate, I took a fancy to fuel her pulse ; and; when handling her ear, I groped for an artery at the base, and noted the number of' pulsations in a minute, which was tnenty-four—and I need scarcely add that there was no want of strength.

INDIAN CAMPAIGNING.

There was very great desertion amongst the followers of the camp, chiefly

the bazaar people, on this first day's march in an enemy's country, from appre- hension of the Ghoorkah mountaineers, who had acquired a high warlike name amongst the effeminate Asiatics: our personal servants, however, continued stanch during the whole campaign. The mess marquee was souse up, and the dinner was put upon the stocks forthwith; and certes, it was no small enjoy. tent to sit down in those wild solitudes, not merely to a gold but a luxurious dinner, with our wine cooled artificially, in an absolute literal " wilderness of monkeys" chatterine, high above our heads, and surrounded by beasts of prey; liable, too, to be washed off, en maw, by any accidental thunder-storm in the mountains; for the river, that now lent us its dry bed for a couch, and was kind enough to trickle between the large stones, in a stream scarcely percep- tible, but still sufficient to water man and beast, might, in an hour or two, save the Ghoorkahs a world of trouble.

Next day our Nullah fairly ended in a euf-de-sne; and after exploring in all directions, the Quartermester-General could find nothing bat a faint and doubtful sheep-track : yet this was all the high-road that the country fur- nished ; consequently we set to work to enlarge it for the passage of the artil- lery. The bearings of our route being known, the pioneers began to hew and burn, clearing their way through the primeval forest, guided only by the com- pass and the sun. And now the scene was grand; the lire, and tile axe opening us a path into the enemy's country; and glorious trees, a hundred an 1 fifty feet high, were seen spouting out huge pyramids of Ilante before us, the beaems of our advance ; whilst a touch of the groteaque was added to the sublime by the utter alarm and consternation of the great white-faced baboons with which they were peopled.

THE ST. LAWRENCE.

At length we saw the low, desolate ieland. of Anticosti, at the month of the St. Lawrence, but were a we,J1t beating up the river. Tire little European rivers hide their dimialsheil heads compared with this magnificent stream. As we advanced, the shores grew hold ana wild and primeval, with the pines and the rocks as they appeared a couple of centuries after the Fioad. This savage uni- formity- at length became fatiguing to the eye ; for nothing was visible but firs and granite ; not a morsel of a clearance, nor s:noke, nor human habitation. At length a straggling house began to peep out of the eternal forest on the Gaspe shore ; and 03 we approached Kamouraske, the monntaies on that side receded from the shore, and the country became flat and alluvial, hut only to an inconsiderable dietanee frolic the water. Oct tile North sore the aspect was still abrupt, high and hit: and we tonall just see she extraordinary fissure, OF deep ravine, through which the Sagueney tonics its copious tribute. Then begin the long lines of white houses, and the nerrow selvages of green along the banks, and every seven or eight miles a shining church, and the picturesque islands, and the lofty cascade of Montmorency, tilt we drop anchor in the tine basin of Quebec.

CANADIAN 70LIAGE.

Both ties spring and autumnal coloer:ng of the vegetable world are richer and fresher here than at home. Vegetation, ding oppressed by a severe winter, bursts at once into luxuriousness and liberty, with the apparent gusto of animal seam- tints, as if determined to enjoy the genial but transient saintlier to the utmost. In the autum the jokes are not dried up he the leaves by a slow sereing Ke- ens, as in Englend, beine they fall o:f shrivelled arid diecoloared; hat the iirst • smart night-frest in SiTtenttler tlatug:i the foliage at once, with much sap still circulating vigorously, into red, brown, yellow, or other tints, as if by a ditent chemical or dyeing operation. All shall be green during our evening walk, and in the morniug the aspect of the threst may be entirely metamorphosed: and we are presmted with the snort rich and varied picture of different irat harmonious hues, according to the nature of the leaf, its smoothness of sur- face, strength of texture, and the age of the braneh from which it proceeds. The woods, at this .eason, present one mageitieent and unrivalled mosaic paint- ing. The birch and the white•:1,11 turn brown and yellow in a night; the but.. ter-nut tree adopts a buff livery ; the maple becomes oft rich bloout red—ere family has its own peculiar eolotring, rhile the herd.). pine tribe leaf defies the cold, and preserves its green unaltered amidst the general change. The nice grades of colour vary iorinitely, according to the age and pentium of the trees, the quality of' the soil, the earlier or later cold weather, the severity of the frost, with many other causes that have hitherto escaped abiereation. We have drawn pretty freely upon these volumes, because they are an American publication, and not readily procured in England, if procurable at all. :./ri/l front any Porthlio was born at Quebec; and has, in externals, all the appearance of a colonial bantling, where the useful is prie'crrad to the ornamental : the pages are full of' letterpress, the margins very small ; and the volumes, thought thin, contain, we should imagine, nearly double the matter of a book from a ffishionable bibliopole.