TILE ROCK.

Arrnomi not of the likeness, this volume is akin to the Annual family. It intermingles tale, description, and verse ; it claims attention for its plates, as well as its letterpress; it is well adapted for a present.

The Rock of Major Ilona, be it known, is Gibraltar ; and though it would be a stretch of politeness to say he exhausts his subject, or that his matter is not frequently rather flimsy, yet his book is pleasanter than many similar publications, and the framework is well enough adapted to his purposes. The volume opens with a description of the town and of the troops coming off parade, at the period when Prince GEORG E of Cambridge resided in the garrison ; whose military ardour and all other virtues were of an eminent kind. When the troops break up, three officers agree to explore the place,—one being a draughtsman, who sketches any striking scenes ;'another a musician, who fills up the abhorred vacuum by singing a song, or, as well as the third, effects the saute purpose by

telling a story—either a legend of other days or a talc of the present. From one of the latter kind is this description of

THE. CARLIST GRIEF COMES.

The two officers now entered St. Roque; and, passing the main street, reached a house by no means conspicuous for its superiority over those in other and better parts of the town, but in which the aide-de-camp was informed that Gomez resided. Accordingly they dismounted forthwith ; and having entered the building, in a few moments stood in the presence of the Carnet chief.

Never man was more surprised than was our young soldier, when, instead of the brigand captain, armed to the teeth with offensive mid defensive weapons of every description, be gazed on a prepossessing countenance, bespeaking a heart more attuned to kindness than to acts of savage cruelty. His dress was extremely simple ; fire-arms, knifb, or sabre—if, indeed, he wore any—were in- visible. His whole appearance more betokened a good-humoured English farmer than a powerful leader ; and, to complete the sketch, the children of the house were playing unreproved at his foot, amid, unchecked by a single angry expression, treated him as unceremoniously as they would -have conducted themselves towards any of their own family.

Here is a sample of Major HOUT'S description.

G IBRALTAIL

It was a hot sultry day at noon, in the month of March 1839; the air was as oppressively close as could be experienced at any more advanced period of the year in England ; vhen the sound of distant music in the street of Gibral- tar thre told the return of the troops from the Neutral Ground, where they had been exercising since an early hour in the morning. The streets, as usual, were crowded with contrabandris, who, arrayed in their fanciful yet picturesque costumes, were busily engaged in completing pur- chases, with the laudable and confessed intention of defrauding the revenues of their own country to the greatest extent their ingenuity could devise or their intrepidity effect. Here and there, the graceful figure of sonic dark-eyed senorita might have been observed gliding noiselessly along the sunny pavement towards the Spanish chapel, under whose portal she would suddenly vanish, as she entered the sacred edifice to offer up her mid-day prayers. But at the hour named, few ladies were to be met ; and though no scarcity of beauty was discovered peering, forth from behind the friendly shelter of the green jalousie, it is not the period when a stranger may expect to find a Spauish lady without the sanctuary of her own aback. Moors in their stately dresses of various hues, and the more humbly-ap- parelled Jew shuffling along in his yellow slippers, were to be met with in abundance; while Greeks, Genoese, Africans, and natives from every province in Spain, crowded the long street which forms the principal feature of the town.

The tales are not of calibre to bear an extract exhibiting their dramatic or narrative character; but we may take a sons. as a variety. If it does not display high poetry, the images are drawn from Spanish life, and it is something to copy nature.

Tun ANDAL U SIAN MAID.

I love, when the summer's sun has set O'er the dark blue hills of Spain, To list to the sound of the castanet, And the peasant's simple strain.

I love the mantilla's easy grace, When carelessly 'tis To shade vet show the lovely face

Of the -Andalusian maid.

I love to rest by the orange-tree, Whose perfume breathes around,

And gaze on the forms that seemingly

Scarce touch the velvet ground.

And. I love the zapato's glossy hue, As dark as the silken braid,

Which nestles to rest on the bosom true

Of the Andalusian maid.

I love, when the glare of day has gone, To watch the evening star, When borne on the breeze the strain comes on Front some distant light guitar. Awl who that has stood on the martial plain, Where the Moslem's spear was laid, Would not wish to visit the laud again Of the Andalusian maid?

The views by Mr. LAcv show more artistic tact than the generality of amateurs' sketches. They are not confined to Gibraltar merely, but, besides its picturesque points, in- clude landscapes and town scenes in the neighbourhood. The only buildings of any architectural pretensions arc a handsome Moorish edifice in which were P C GEORGE'S quarters, and two convents, with ;heir fountains-court and garden. The mixture of foreign and English characteristics in the streets of St. Roque— the Spanish cloak and mantilla, the Moorish turban and Greek scull-cap, and the British military costumes, being mingled toge- ther—has a very singular appearance. The tints of the litho- graphic prints, which are very neatly executed by WALTON, convey an idea of the warm climate and arid soil, from which spring the aloe and prickly pear. Major nom was ill advised to add to his publication the music it contains. If its drawings discover the hand of an artist, its songs display the absence of any thing approaching a silltilaT degree of excellence. A person sits clown to the pianoforte, strums a few commonplace harmonies, or recalls some threadbare phrase, and dreams that he is composing : of such sort of' materials is the music of' The Rock made up, and which the Major, knowing no better, calls "the production of talented composers."