BOOKS.

A. SICETCTIER'S TOUR ROUND THE WORLD.*

Tars volume is an agreeable and informing book in itself, and somewhat singular in its circumstances. Without any apparent pursuit beyond a taste for line scenery, which he sketches with

facility and spirit, Mr. Elwes made a journey round the world, not in a vessel chartered for the voyage, but trusting as it were to the -chapter of accidents. He sailed to Madeira in a "regular trader"; he got a passage thence to South America in a Queen's ship ; he rode across the continent from Buenos Ayres to Mendoza at the foot of the Andes on horseback,—another gallop, in fact, across the Pampas; a mule carried him over the Andes.' From the vale of Paradise, (which by no means answers to its designation,) to lima, and from Peru to the Sandwich Islands, Mr. Elwes was again lucky enough to get a cast in men of war; from Honolulu, the Caroline, a schooner of Hobart Town, on a sort of roving com- mission in the South Seas, called with him at Tahiti, and wrecked him on Flinders Island; whence he made his way to Van Die- men's Land and Sydney. Another trader took him to Manila by the Papuan archipelago ; whence he got a passage to Hongkong. Be was now on the line of joint-stock companies. After a trip to Shanghai and Canton, he returned home by Canton, Bombay, and the Overland. passage. The spirit that carried Mr. Elwes unflinchingly round the world is infused- into his book. Go where he would, he has something . curious or Attractive to tell. Occasionally there may be a few -pages Of _commonplace observatiens, but as a whole the narrative is varied and interesting in its matter, lively in its pictures, sen- fsible in its remarks. Beyond the perception of external things, which the pursuit of pictorial art brings with it, Mr. Elwes does not seera'te• have a faculty of learned observation derived from a 'knowledge of the natural sciences ; but he has something better—

good sense, with an interest in actual affairs, and the genial ad-

aptation to other men's characters, which a cosmopolitan traveller ,must possess to get on Wherever Mr. Ewes passed or.sejourned, he found something to interest hi:itself and his reader. A great part of the ground was indeed fre.sh, and . some of it very rarely trodden.; but We have retul books about South America, the South SCAB, or China, which do not possess half the attraction of a

Sketchers Tour Round the World.

Much of this is prObally owing to a plain common sense, which -forms its own judgment of things, and rejects humbug, especially -of the claptrap kind ; and to a genial bonhomie, that •finds itself at home with men of all characters Here is a picture of invalids at Madeira, which goes far to explain how few are really benefited 1'1y a resideime in that island, or by any change of climate. " People have an idea that Madeira is like.a hospital, and thatit must be • very eadanCholy to see nothing but sick people; but this is a mistake. A . Amager may constantly meet the invalids without knowing, from their ap- -pearance, that anything ails them. They engage every day in riding parties, sketching, picnics, &c., and one would think they must enjoy themselves ; for instead of being confined to a warm room an the winter, directly. they ,eome to Madeira, they feel comparatively well again. This coavaleseence, in • latact, tends to do agreat deal of harm, as they make too free; and the fault -is then laid to the climate, when really it is the sufferer's own imprudence. :111orse..exerciae is very beneficial, so ladies .go long expeditions, and get up nod seniet4nes return so completely knocked up that they are obliged to be lifted off their horses. T.hey,go out also to diuner-parties, , especially the young men, walk home with a cigar, and wander they do not well. , Then they .go the tour of theisland ; and one can hardly imagine worse than being caught in rain amongst the mountains, having to ride at a foot's pace for hours in the wet, for there are no houses for shelter '011 the road;. and then arrive at a town, which, though comfortable enough for a traveller, is not fit-for an invelid. These sort of-expeditions are con- . tumidly beingmade iandan Ennehah when, perhaps,, it has just set in for are- solar wet day, you hear peoplerernark, • What-a dreadful time the So-and-So' s will have in the mountains; theyaitarled fine morning for the North of the . island.' And these are people who.cotaefor the benefit of their health ! -The Ara izne.i rode to St. Anna I found two young fellows sitting at lunch in the ilibierafria,• 1,110y were both invalids, and the next morning intended to go to the top of' Pico Ruler} to see the sun 1140. Now, it would be difficult to conceive, anything more likely to give one cold, or to hurt a delicate per- non more than this sort of trip; for after getting up three or four hours be- 'fore sunrise, and riding to the top of the mountain, yomarrive there (an ele- vation of about 6000 feet) in the coldest time of the twenty-four hours, have to wait perhapariquartarof an hour or more in a strong breeze, or crouched under a rock, and then return—if you are lucky enough not to be caught in a mist—to the warmaegiena whiebyoushould never have left. Others dislike the sea voyage though that does Mm e more geed than anything, and instead of going in a ee thrafortable sailing-vessel, prefer a steamer, which is always in a draught. The idea that people are obliged to go for the winter is disagree- able enough, andinany have no employment or occupation when away from 'their homes; bat that is the pose with idle people in any foreign town."

, Whie reoegnizing the social, economical, and moral .evils of , slavery, Mx. Elwes sees distinctly enough the weakness and vices

• of the slaves. The listlessness-of the 8panish awl Portuguese -character wouldaeeni to operate unfavourably on the intelligence

• of the Negroes. It would be difficult -to imagine that the urban slaves of Anglo-Saxons should be so helpless as the Blacks are de- serrlied to be at Rio Janiero.

"The best and strongest Negroes not brought up as servants or to any • trade, are employed in carrying coffee from the stores to the customhouse, -where it is shipped. They work in gangs of ten or twelve, each carrying a bag of coffee on his shoulders. They are well fed, look fat and healthy, and work cheerfully, one singing a song and often carrying a rattle' whilst the • others join in chorus, and always go at a jogtrot. The work is too hard for them, and they soon get knocked up, but they like it; ae after they have earned a certain sum every day, which they pay to the masters, the rest be- comes their own. Many slaves are sent out into the street in this way, often With a basket to do porter's work ; then they have to pay their owner a mil-

• A Sketcher's Tour Round the World. By Robert Elwes, Esq. With Illustra- tions from original drawings by the Author. Published by Hurst and Blackett.

rei (two shillings), and keep the rest themselves. They appear much like machines, or rather children, and can never be trusted to goanywhere alone. When hired and loaded, it Is always necessary to walk before them. They then follow with apparent indifference ; but if they lose eight of their hirer for a moment, they:are lost, and so is whatever they have been intrusted with.

" The Brazilians appear in general to be kind masters to their slaves ; and it is their own interest to feed them well and take care of them, as they then do more work, just as the owner of a horse keeps him well for his own inte- rest ; but with a slave he must also be kept cheerful and happy. They sometimes flog them, but I cannot see how that is to be avoided ; and though it appears cruel to the spectator, who only sees one side of the.question, yet if he inquired into it, he would generally find that the slave richly deserved punishment. Many of the slaves are excessively idle, and are led away from their work by the least thing. They get drunk with their master's money, steal and commit all sorta of crimes ; and how is the owner to punish theta? If he puts them in prison he loses their labour, and has to.. pay for their maintenance, and this is a mode of treatment the Black does not dislike. The master cannot fine him or stop his wages, as he has neither money nor pay. He cannot turn him of as one does in England, because the slave is his property and not hired. The only thing is to let him out to some man who has a quarry or plantation, where he will be kept at hard work, and then, if idle, he will be flogged; so it comes to the same thing in theend."

The mode in which our author travelled, and the out-Of-the-way places he visited, often threw him among strange companions. 'In the very centre of South America he fell in with a singular Scotch- man, and heard of another.

" Charles Stewart, or Don Carlos as he is here called, was a very rough diamond from Perth. He had been many years in the country, having left the banks of the Tay when young, and come to the Villa del Rio Quarto. Ile had undergone many vicissitudes of fortune—one day well off, and the next pillaged of everything ; now dying from the riotous townspeople, now leading them to battle against the Indians. Once driven away by some tu- mult, he had lived for a fortnight on a small island in the river. He was civil and hospitable ; and 1 remained with him all the next day, partly ' to rest, and partly to hear about the Indians, who were reported to be near the town in some force. Stewart, however, knew little, except -that they were a few leagues to the Southward, and had made seve,ral incursion. lately. I called on the Gobernador, but he could tell me nothing more. The natives were in great alarm, though a number of soldiers (four hundred) were in the town, and it could easily be defended. The town was airmailed place, and very hot and dusty. " I wrote a letter for Charles Stewartt, to his friends .isaSeatland, he being quite out of practice, as he said, both of writing and of English. I found it rather a difficult task, for he hardly told me.anytbing that he wanted to say ; but I finished it, took it with me, and pouted it at Valparaiso. * * * "One of the Arcos, whom I met in Vaarai.so, told me that in the Pam- pas, South of Buenos Ayres,iieniet a Seotinall who hardly knew kny Ian- gusge ' - he had almost forgotten Euglishand had not learnt mach Spews' h, excepts few badly-spoken phreee,s, Just to express what he actuallYwanted) and that very imperfectly.', , An English adventurer at Manilla was not a much greater aloe. - ter .of languages, though he "turned his disease to commodity." "One day I was much amused at an apetion, where, as I walked pest the ZT,i,wcre2r:fortdbi:24°112zI hear.. 'dathdeosaurliftife;"er;rdno=regg,'S?anisil in • &e:;: and looking in, I founa-aiat the knight of 101C hammer was an English- man &One avhmhadaet -up here as an auctioneer, with the apparent disadvantage of blowing very little of the language Bat he tab:line. 00 my speaking to him, that this had quite a contrary effect, observing, "TUy. • understands me wellcnough, and it-makes 'em laugh, and then they bids." "

. . _

At Cant*, Mr. Elwes explored the suburbs-and the outskirts-- _the city can only be entered at the.-xisk of a row and robbery. This is the account of part of his visits. The Canton insaripfinns are not widely different from the shop-puffs at home, whioh,pro- bably originated with the Celestials.

"We first visited Old and New China Streets, inhabited by aheplosegere .. who deal principally with the merchants, and all speak fluently the strange sort of 'English before mentioned. We went into the chief shops of china- ware, which were full of jars, basins, bottles, plates, all modern, and quite No. 1.' It must not be supposed that the Canton shops arelike-the splendid establishments in Regent Street or Band Street. Compared with these, they are very small affairs ; and as ladies do not goshoppmg an China, the large counters, elegant rooms, and numerous shopmen, are not required. There were some good silversmiths' shops, where card-cases, studs, Sm., were made in filagree work, excessively pretty and -very cheap; and further on, some very attractive curiosity-shops with ivory, sandal-wood, and bamboo carv- ings, fans, chessmen, and other things. I determined to buy mothing the first day • but the ehopmen were quite willing and pleased to show me every- thing, and wisely seemed to consider that part of their -business was to try and please their possible customers. In one silk shop, the elmpman, after showing me two or three patterns of red and white pocket-handkerchiefs, was proceeding to undo more parcelehimwhen, to save in the trouble, I u‘4... is that I knew what was inside, utheturned-to me, and, smiling, emir% No can see, how can sabe ? ' I replied that I-did net want to-bay ; but he maid Can look 'ae see.' I did so, and on a subaeguent day bought several pieces of him. "Passing into some genuine Chinese streets, I came to the conclusion that, altogether, Canton presented the most extraordinary sight I ever -be- held. The streets are very narrow, and hung about in all directions with signs and advertisements. Every shop- has a large upright board an each aide of the door, usually painted white, and on it in red or black letters is inscribed a list of all the articles sold. Other signs are hung out over the street, and some are fixed to poles reaching from one side of the streetto the other. Many bore puffing advertisements, each as, 'This Old and Esta- blished Shop, &c.,' Refuigent Sign. Original Maker of the finest Quality of Caps, &c:,''''llanton-Sectuity Banking Establishment,' and No Two Prices at this Shop' wai a' very common notification. The Chinese writing looks very well in this way, and being generally red letters upon white, black upon red or yellow, and blue upon white, the array of signs had a most gaudy and extraordinary effect. In addition to this, the shops are all open in front, and a large ornamented paper lantern is hung over the door. The best street, the Regent Street of Canton, was called Curiosity or Physic Street, from the number of curiosity and druggists' shops in it. The former are very attractive, and have some curious collections of old bronzes and old china, which is always very highly prized by i the Chinese, who value any- thing that very old and strange, and will give higher prices for old china than we should give in England. Jade stones, which hook like green opaque glass, carvings in bamboo, and innumerable other things, are among their wares. The carved rhinoceros horns are very 'handsome, and look, when fixed in a carved wood stand, like eornuoopias. They are rather expensive, fetching 81. or 101.; but it is difficult for a stranger to buy anything really

good. The best carvings are done in the cities of the interior, and residents pick them up at the death of mandarins and rich men, when their effects are generally sold."