Blackwood. (October.)—The traveller in Syria continues his lively sketches, and
this time adds his testimony to that of the many ob- servers who have declared that there is a flavour or aroma about Damascus,--a flavour at once of mysticism and of extreme antiquity, which is perfectly separate and most attractive. Damascus is the centre of the occult cults of Western Asia, and the traveller tried to find out something about them, but succeeded only in being intro- duced to it Sheikh of 'the Dervishes, who pretends to marvellous powers, but visibly does nothing that a Japanese juggler cannot do, except some disgusting things, such as causing dervishes to eat scorpions and snakes. It is most readable writing. M. Linden sends one of his pleasant, if thin, stories, so full of knowledge of the domestio'life of France ; and there is an interesting sketch of " Newspaper Offices," especially the Times, which contains, however, a statement that may be misconceived. There is competition of a kind among London daily papers, but notwithstanding the immense harvest to be made if one is successful, there is scarcely any competition against them. In this vast capital, the political dailies published in the morning can still be counted on the fingers, and there is no sign whatever of the forty or fifty papers which, in any other such city, would divide the public patronage. The author of " The Cabul Mutiny" distinctly pleads for reducing Afghanistan to a vassal State, and puts forward this menace, which, if he has been in any way officially in. spired, is most ominous :—" It is already clear that we shall have to send our forces into the Herat country, before peace can bo restored ; and in all probability, we may have to occupy that town. With Herat in our hands, the Russian expedition against the Tekke Turco. mans will cease to endanger the peace of the Afghan frontier, and we shall be in a position to watch its aims, and if necessary, to proscribe proper limits to its sphere of operations."
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