BENNETT'S WANDERINGS.

A CAREFUL and leisurely perusal of Mr. Bereriarf s volumes, has not greatly changed our opinion of his character as a writer, but it has increased our estimation of the value of his work. He still appears to us deficient in the graphic power, as well as in the grace or energy of style necessary to paint the scenes of nature, the general appearance of the productions of art, and the manners of

men. But he cm learnedly and clearly describe things by their parts and properties, when he has a sufficient knowledge of the subject in hand ; and he has a sufficient knowledge of many things. Surgery and medicine are his profession ; natural history is his pursuit; practice in his various " Wanderings " seems to have given him some idea of commerce and the general business of life. He is also a busy observer; and in rambling over so large a portion of the world, and mixing in strange and new states of society, he has of necessity seen much which is reflected, though not very vividly, in his pages. The two volumes contain in the whole a great number of facts, much scientific, some general informa- tion, with pleasant anecdotes of classes and individuals. Dim visions of tropical richness, grandeur, and beauty—of the oppres- sive solitude and wildness of the Australian bush, with the grateful relief afforded by its dots of settlements—are also raised up in the mind; although the outline only is presented, and the imagination is left to complete the picture.

Mr. BENNETT left England for Sydney in May 1832. The vessel appears only to have touched at the Cape Verd Islands ; and accomplished her voyage in a short time (about Sixteen weeks), but quite long enough for the cooped-up passengers. Our author, however, had resources within himself to beguile the irk- someness of a sea voyage. He found food for meditation and employment in the wonders of the great deep; in its marine plants, the animals that inhabit its waters, and the marine birds that make their home upon " the mountain wave ;" failing these, he had the various appearances of the sea itself. When he reached Australia, he made several excursions into the in- terior of the colony, examining its botany, shooting and dissect- ing its animals, noting its improvements and modes of life, and picking up some characteristic stories. From New South Wales he proceeded to Batavia, and thence to the Pedir district in Sumatra. His employments at both these places were nearly the same as in Australia, though carried on upon a smaller scale. At Pedir, however, there was a commercial Rajah and his court, to vary the subject ; and this part of the work contains some useful commercial information. Leaving the monopolizing monarch of the betel nuts, the vessel sailed for Macao. Here Mr. Bssisierr looked at the ladies, and Mr. BEALE'S splendid aviary and gar- dens, and took a turn or two in the environs. From Macao, he went to Wharnpoa and Canton; and thence to Singapore. Of this settlement—always important, but doubly so since the open. mg of the Chinese trade, of which it will most probably become the emporium—a pretty full and interesting account is given. From the island of Singapore they sailed to St. Helena, without touching anywhere; and, stopping long enough for Mr. BEN- Ian to examine all things relative to NAPOLEON, reached Gravesend in the beginning of May 1834.

The matters best handled by the author are those relating to natural history ; the subjects most immediately interesting in themselves are those relating to Australia. Our specimens shall be confined to these two.

THE ALBATROSS AND ITS FLIGHT.

To watch the flight of these birds, used to afford me much amusement; com- mencing with the difficulty experienced by them in elevating themselves from the water. To effect this object, they spread their long pinions to the utmost, giving them repeated impulses as they run along the surface of the water for some distance. Having, by these exertions, taised themselves above the wave, they ascend and descend and cleave the atmosphere in various directions, Without any apparent muscular exertion. How then, it may be asked, do these birds execute such movements? The whole surface of the body in this, as well as, I believe, most, if not all, the oceanic tribes, is covered by numerous rur-cells, capable of a voluntary inflation or diminution, by means of a beautiful muscular apparatus. By this power the birds can raise or depress themselves It will, and the tail and great length of the wing enable them to steer in any direction. Indeed, without some provision of this kind to save muscular exertion, it would be impossible for these birds to undergo such long flights Without repose, as they have been known to do; for the muscles appertaining to the organs of flight, although large in these birds; are evidently inadequate in power to the long distances they hnve been known to fly, and the immense kngth of time they remain on the wing, without scarcely a moment's cessation. . When several species of the albatross, as well as petrels and other oceanic birds, are about the ship at the same time, no combats have been seen to take place between them ; but on the death of one, the others soon fall upon and devour it. When one of this tribe of birds is captured and brought upon the deck, it appears to be a very muscular bird, .judging from its external form. This deception is occasioned by the quantity of down and feathers, with a very dense integument, and the air-cells being often inflated in a slight degree.

When thew are removed, the body of the bird is friend to be of &smaller site than would have been supposed ; and, comparatively speaking, does not possess the muscular power, which, from its long flights our ideas might lead us to

suppose. I remarked that the albatross would lower himself even to the water's edge, and elevate himself agaiu without any apparent impulse ; nor could I observe any percussion of the wings when the flight was directed against the wind ; but then, of course, its progress was tardy. Many, however, have differed with me in considering that the birds never fry " dead against the wind," but in that manner which sailors term " close to the wind ;' and thus. make progress, aided by, when seemingly flying against, the wind.

FIRST VIEW OF AUSTRALIA.

As we sailed by the Australian coast, its barren aspect neither cheered aor invited the stranger's eye; even where vegetation grew upon its shores, it dis- played so sombre an appearance as to impart no animation to the scenery of the coast. To an emigrant—one who has left the land of his fathers, to rear his family and lay his bones in a distant soil—the first view of this, him adopted country, cannot excite in his bosom any emotions of pleasurable gratification ; despondency succeeds the bright rays of hope, and he compares with heartfelt regret the arid land before him with the fertile country he has forsaken, because it afforded not sustenance for himself and family, and thus reluctantly caused him to sever the affectionate ties that united him to dear friends in his native land, the place of his birth, the soil and habitation of his forefathers for centuries.

One does not behold the graceful waving of the cocoa-palm, the broad and vivid green foliage of the plantain, nor the beautiful luxuriance of a tropical vegetation, which delight the vision of the wearied voyager on a first approach to a tropical region, where the soil teems with cultivation, or a profuse natural vegetation extending from the loftiest mountains even to the ocean's blink. But on landing and viewing the interior of Australia, the wanderer, although seeing much to confirm his first impressions, will also view many parts of the country recalling to his memory features resembling the land he :las left.

The experience of Mr. BENNETT inclines him to support the opinion maintained by the opponents of penal settlements, (that transportation is a very slight punishment,) in opposition to the views both of the Governor of Van Diemen's Land and the Archdeacon of New South Wales. We take some bits found here and there from his remarks upon this subject. If not contradietery, they show both sides of the question ; relating of course to different persons.

The opinion which appears generally to prevail, that prisoners of the Crows are placed in the colony in a better situation than free men' there is too much reason for regarding as correct. They are well fed and clothed, take good care to be never overworked, and have an hospital, with the best attendance when. sick. An assigned servant or convict may be correctly defined as an individual who is well fed and clothed, insolent and indolent, and takes care that the little work he has to perform is badly done. When sick, which often proceeds from lyiog idle too long in the sun, he walks to the hospital ; and, from the exertion,. together with the thoughts of "bleeding, blistering, and physic," he soon re- covers, and returns to his master, to again undergo the fatigue of doing little or nothing. One of these characters applied fur his ticket of leave, but soon re- turned, wishing again to be employed by his former master, if only for his food; at the same time observing, that he was better off before, in bondage, than he was now, partially free; so his fellow servants persuaded him to send Ole ticket back, and say, "it waS all a mistake." The following anecdote may serve to illustrate the misery an iron gang occa- sions to spirit drinkers. A convict was once weighed by his comrades, and the weight at that time marked with chalk upon the barn door. A short time after this took place, he was sentenced for an offence to an iron gang for six weeks. After the term of his punishment had expired, and lie returned to his master, he was observed to he in a stouter and more robust condition than before; his com- rades again weighed him, to see what he had gained in flesh, if not in my moral benefit, by his punishment ; when it was ascertained he had gained twenty pounds. As this man had, when on the farm, been continually toping, and as, when with the iron gang, he had no opportunity of continuing his potations, that circumstance may have occasioned his increased good health and condition. This may be a hint, therefore, to send all the sick whose illness may arise prin- cipally from habitual drunkenness, instead of an hospital, to an iron gang for a short period.

The London pickpockets are considered to make the best shepherds in the

colony, as it suits their naturally idle habits; the industrious labourer cannot endure the very wearisome and lazy employment of looking after sheep ; the petty larcener soon gets attached to Iris-woolly charges, and the sheep, nodoubt, by a oatural instinct, to hint; and thus the animals are tended with some degree of care; but the regular workman, detesting the occupation (unless incapaci- tated from a more active employment, by age or accident), seldom takes any interest in the valuable property intrusted to his care : the former are, therefore, to be preferred. The shepherds, when tending their flocks in the pasturage, while away their leisure time by manufacturing coarse but durable straw hats.

• • a • • • • •

I remarked with some degree of pleasure that although most of the stations are solely under charge of assigned servants (convict is an obsolete word in the colony), yet the huts are clean and well arranged. The men in most instances take care of the property intrusted to their charge, and are surrounded by every comfort; many uf them (particularly three front the sister kingdom) have fre- quently assured me they never were so happy and well off before; and regarded their transportation as a blessing from Providence; and it certainly appeared to be a delightful change to many of the poor fellows, from the previous wretched lives they must have passed, both from their "unvarnished tales," mwell what we know to be too true in unhappy Ireland.

When travelling as a stranger in the most secluded part of the colony, and sometimes obliged to seek refuge for the night in a hut, of whom the person in charge and those about him were convicts, or having to depend upon them for directions as to the road, having my watch and other property with me, I never missed the most trifling article, and always found them ready and willing to afford every assistance : there are, of course, always exceptions among a multi- tude; but I state the result of my own experience, after travelling upwards of six hundred miles in the colony.

There are some amusing anecdotes of the natives, and some sensible speculations on their character. Referring the reader to the volumes for the latter, here are some of the former.

AN ABORIGINAL DEFINITION.

The following is the definition of a clergyman as once given by one of the aborigines. " He, white feller, belonging to Sunday, get up top o' vraddy, pile long corrobera all about debbil debbil, and wear shirt over trowsel."

NATIVE IDEA OF A CONVERSION GRANT.

Proceeding on my journey ; between this farm and Lupton's Inn, I was ac- costed by a native Black, who asked me whether " I white feller parson, for me want shilling ;" but not being of the clerical profession, I did not consider my self liable to be placed under coutribution, more particularly upon the highway. It occurred to me at the time, that he must have beard of the five hundred

pounds, eranted sun wally from the colonial funds for their conversion, and con, chided that all clergymen should bestow their shillings on himeelland comrades. We paved with this conditional bargain, that if be Inuught mu birds aud other animals, he should have shillings in return.

PHRENOLOGICAL PIPER/MUSTS.

When on one occasion the bead of a native was under examination, a gentle- man preeent asked the wondering Black, " if he knew what was doing to his bead ? " Blackee answered in the negative. " Why you will no more be able to catch kangaroo* or opossums." No sooner was this said, than the Black started away in anger, seized and flourished his spear, exclaiming, " What for you do that? What for you all the same that ! " And the unfortunate manipulator of savage craniums, as also his companion, began to be apprehensive, that the practice of the science was in a high degree dangerous among uncivilized beings.

On another occasion, the temporal muscle was found unusually large in the head ef a native Black under investigation : this was remarked by the phreno- logist to a gentleman who stood near him, at the same time squeezing it, and paying to Bier-tree, " Cohlrong (large) this." " Ah ! " exclaimed the Black as he made off at a rapid pace, "me now see what you want ; you want patta " (eat) ; and escaped as quickly as possible from the ravenous cannibal appetite he supposed the phrenologist to possess.

It should be mentioned that an appendix is added to the last volume containing some scientific discussions and the results of some examinations whose insertion in the text would have destroyed its continuity. We may also remark, that part of the baldness of style we formerly alluded to may arise from a peculiar idea of the author as to the proper mode of book-writing, and some spurring applied to hasten the appearance of the work. He does not seem to have rewritten his notes, but merely to have arranged and corrected them; and these notes appear to have frequently been rather memorandums than such full impressions as JACQUEMONT committed to paper. It is well to have" the notes taken at the instant of observation," if they convey the best idea of the sub- ject that the writer is capable of imparting : if, however, they are mere refreshers, awakening full ideas in his mind indeed, but only tantalizing the reader, it is the duty of a writer to expand them if he can ; but if the impressions they should revive are weak- ened or gone, then let him expunge them.