SPECTATOR'S LIBRARY.

VOYAGES AND TRAVELS,

Narrative of the United States Exploring Expedition, daring the years 1838, 1832, 1840. 1891, 1842. By Charles Wilkes, U. S. N. Commander of the Expedition, Mem. ber of the American Philosophical Society, &c. In five volumes, and an Atlas.

Volume I Wiley and Putnam- Tammoar, Essays on Christian Union Adams and Co. ; Oliphant, Edinburgh. HERALDRY, The Curiosities of Heraldry. With Illustrations from Old English Writers. By Mark Antony Lower, Author of "English Surnames," &c. With numerous wood- engravings, from designs by the Author Russell Smith. Flamm,

Saint James's, or the Court of Queen Anne ; an Historical Romance. By William Harrison Ainsworth, Esq., 'Author of "The Tower of London," 8re. &c. With

Illustrations by George Cruikshank. In three volumes Mortimer-

THE UNITED STATES EXPLORING EXPEDITION.

Tins splendidly printed and illustrated folio forms the first of five volumes that are to be devoted to an account of voyages and discoveries, scientific facts, and general observations, resulting from an expedition set on foot by the Government of the United States, and extending over five years, from 1838 to 1842. The full range of the expedition was a voyage round the world ; but the more immediate fields of exploration were the South- ern and Pacific Oceans. The primary objects of the voyage were to ascertain the existence and fix the position of rocks, shoals, and islands, which are laid down as doubtful in the charts, to endeavour to penetrate as far as possible towards the South Pole in various longitudes, to make a survey of several Polynesian groups which have been imperfectly examined or not at all, and to subject "the territory of the United States on the seabord, (of the North-west coast of America,) and of the Co- lumbian river," to a similar minute examination. After this, the sea of Japan and some adjacent seas were to be the field of observation; on the completion of which, the squadron (consisting at the outset of six ves- sels) was to return by way of China, Singapore, and the Cape of Good Hope. The secondary objects of the expedition were those of general science; to accomplish which, a staff of draughtsmen and naturalists, to- gether with a philologer, were engaged.

What was eventually done will appear when the whole work is pub- lished. The more novel features of the volume before us are confined to a sojourn of part of the Expedition at Orange Harbour, Terra del Fuego, whilst the remainder made two attempts to reach a high Southern lati- tude, but were driven back by ice and icebergs without in any case pene- trating beyond 70 degrees of latitude, and to a surveying examination of the low archipelago or Paumotu group, adjoining the Society Islands. The other sections are more commonplace. Madeira, Rio Janeiro, a call at the Rio Negro and its port, with a view to ascertain if that poor settlement could furnish a growing field for American commerce, Val- paraiso, Callao, the port of Lima, and the intermediate voyages, fill up the remainder of the book.

The narrative appears as the production of Lieutenant Wilkes, the commander of the Expedition ; but many parts are merely embodied by him from reports of the persons engaged in the action described, as inland-trips at Rio, Valparaiso, and Callao, and the voyage of part of his squadron to the Southern ice-field. It is written with great clearness and equability; nor is it devoid of the peculiar fluency which we have often noticed as a characteristic of American travellers, though some- what subdued by the character of the man or of his official position. It is rather strongly distinguished by an American manner in its mode of complimenting individuals, and by its indirect allusive style in reference to the executive branches of the Government, intimating misconduct with respect to the means of the expedition, and on some other grounds of complaint. All which is obscure to readers on this side of the Atlantic ; and somewhat strange, for we expect that when a public officer makes complaints or charges against other public officers, he should state distinctly what his charges are, and whom he is accusing.

Making allowance for this national peculiarity, the character of the spirit and subject matter of the book is that of the older voyages and travels. The day-by-day look-out for objects even the most minute, the occasional recourse to foreign or unfrequented ports to refit, the exami- nation of unknown or little known islands in the watery main, and the cautious intercourse with savages who had rarely or never seen a ship, plainly tell the reader that he is not perusing one of those jogtrot voyages which science and custom have rendered as safe and common- place as a journey by diligence. No doubt, there are other matters of a less exciting character in the pages of The United States Exploring Eedition, such as compilations of the modern history of Br C and Peru. Some of the land-trips, too, are not distinguished by any particular novelty, though well enough told. It should, however, be observed, that as yet we are only on the threshold ; the remaining four-fifths of the work m'ty carry us farther away from the common- places of frequented shores. We fear that it is too late to hint that a little more of variety and character—a truer reflection by the style of the nature of the things described—would have imparted greater interest to parts of the work. There is no doubt about the hardships suffered in the efforts to reach the ne plus ultra of Cook in the Atlantic Ocean : fogs, winds, frost, and environing ice are indicated ; but the description is rather technical—too much of a matter-of-course style. A long introduction opens the volume, and an appendix of various public documents closes it. They both indicate the importance attached in America to a "first national' expedition ; which, though proper and useful, could lay claim to no striking character, as its chief aim was only to examine with greater care the previous course and discoveries of other navigators. From the direct complaints and more covert intima- tions that are found in the introduction and are scattered through other parts of the volume, it would seem that neither the public departments nor the lower officials are very efficient or very honest. Notwithstand- ing the interest the expedition excited in the States, there was great de lay, bad managethent, and -waste in its organization. The ships were ill adapted to the voyage, in ball condition; andhaffiy found. The stores sent from the States to Meet their at Rib Janeiro were defective even to the bread and flour ; the men's clothing was bad and insufficient for the service in the Antarctic cruises. From various allusions to courts- martial, " discipline," and the " persecutions" which Lieutenant Wilkes underwent on his return, we infer that he had reason to be dissatisfied With of the officers of the expedition. Want of zeal for the pecu- liar service, a disposition to cavil at orders, together with more inde- pendent ideas than consists with our European notions of discipline, seem to have been at the bottom of this branch of the business ; but it is intimated so vaguely that we can only conjecture.

The most useful portions of the scientific observations, relating to geographical and other facts whose results are expressed in figures, are not well adapted for consideration in a miscellaneous journal, and at all events will be better entertained on the completion of the whole. We may observe, however, that the existence of several shoals and other risks to navigation is disproved in the present volume, at least in the position usually assigned to them. For . some of these errors in maps Lieutenant Wilkes gives the following feasible example as one cause of Mistake.

ORIGIN OF SUPPOSITITIOUS ROCKS.

At eight a.m. the .look out cried out, " Rocks, or a wreck on the starboard bow " which at once created an excitement on board. We stood for it. It had at first every appearance of a rock, then that of a wreck with the masts gone. It r:7143, however, to be a large tree of cotton-wood, one hundred and twenty feet in and fourteen feet in circumference at the height of five feet above the iTut.e... It had been a long time in the water, was full of barnacles, and much eaten by the teredo navalis. Great quantities of fish were about it, consisting of dolphins, sharks, Sic. We did not, however, succeed in taking any. In rough Weather it might easily have been mistaken for a rock, particularly if passed in twilight or at night. There is little doubt in my mind that many of the nine ?pus yigias that appear on our charts have as little foundation. No current was espenenced hereabouts; and I am led to the conclusion that a sort of eddy or still water is here found, wherein most of the wood carried by the Gulf stream becomes deposited for a time.

:aramerca.iv EXERCISE OF THE RIGHT OF SEARCH : RIO, 1839.

On the 5th January, the Porpoise was ordered to drop down near a slaver, on board of which it was reported some of our men had been smuggled, to form a Part of her crew. She was boarded; and though the captain denied that they were on board, after a search two were found. One of them was a Black, who had him- self bean a slave, yet he had been induced to enter for the purpose of ' on this nefarious traffic. This was the brig Fox,- and though undoubtedly tt for islaver, she sailed under English colours. It was given out that she was bound for New Zealand.

The squadron was for some time occupied in examining the Terra del Fuego, its celebrated promontory of Cape Horn, with the inlets, bays and ever-changing races and currents that abound in that neighbourhood oT fear to mariners. Considering the interest which attaches to its iron- bound coast, it is to be regretted that a less technical and more effective style of description had not been adopted. The passage of the Straits of Le Make, however, is a rather Cooper-like description, from its brevity and clearness.

" The next morning we made Staten Land; and soon afterwards Cape St. Diego, Terra del Fuego. The land was broken, high, and desolate. The Straits of Le Maire were before us: we were just in time to take the tide; and with a fair wind we sailed rapidly through the strait, passing its whirls and eddies, now quite smooth, but in a short time to become vexed and fretted by the returning tide. The.squadnon glided along with all its canvass spread to the breeze, scarcely Ong a ripple nuder the bows. The day was a remarkably fine one for this climate, and the sight beautiful, notwithstanding the desolate appearance of the shores.

_ " I cannot see why there should be any objection to the passage through the Straits of Le Maire, as it gives a vessel a much better chance of making the pas- sve round the Cape quickly. No danger exists here that I know of. A vessel with the tide will pass through in a few hours. As for the ' race and dangerous Sea,' I have fully experienced it in the Porpoise on the side of Staten Land, and ara well satisfied that any vessel may pass safely through it at all times and in all weathers, or if not so disposed may wait a few hours until the sea subsides and the tide changes. We were only three hours in passing through. We entered the straits with studding-sails set, and left them under close-reefed topsails."

Whether mariners may feel inclined to follow this advice " in all times and in all weathers," may be doubted. Some will probably think the ','remarkably fine day, for that climate," had something to do with the success.

rilteThe following extracts are amusing, but have no characteristic of a voyage of discovery—they might have found a place in any voyage by anybody. The same remark might be made upon the greater part of the book; and this induces us to infer that the compilers of the narra- tive have attached an importance to every thing that fell under their observation, in which the world at large will not participate. We sus- laat five folios will turn out rather too voluminous for what the Expedition has really new to tell.

MADEIRA A GENUINE WINE.

The inhabitants of Madeira are much alive and justly jealous of the reputation of their wines, which are generally the engrossing topic of conversation. An amusing excitement existed during our visit. A London paper (the Times) had asserted that foreign wine had frequently been introduced into Madeira, and after- Winds exported as the genuine article, to the United States in particular; and What gave more force to the story, it was stated as a fact, that seventy pipes had lately been entered, at the expense of 1,000 dollars, and remanufactured. Every- body was up in arms. The Commercial Association of Funchal passed resolutions denouncing the publication in strong terms, as designed by certain interested per dons to injure the reputation of the wine of Madeira. So strict are the laws to pre- vent frauds, that even genuine Madeira, after being once shipped, cannot be returned to the island. I heard, however, of an attempt, and but one, to smuggle in Te - neriffe and Fayal wines, which was discovered. The casks were broken, the wine destroyed, the boats confiscated, and the smuggler condemned to be transported to the coast of Africa.

SPANISH WAY OF DOING BUSINESS. RIO NEGRO.

Mr. Waldron, our purser, made an endeavour to purchase some vegetables for the crews, from an estancia on the river-side, of which an old Spaniard was the owner; this affording him an opportunity of disposing of many of them: but the Conditions were, that the articles must be on the beachin a few hours, Which was ample fame to have dug up an acre. As soon, however, as he learned these teribls, ' he shrugged his shoulders and declared the thing impossible, took down hisOf*, seated himself in front of his house, and began to play a lively air, whieh his sons accompanied with their voices.

BRAZILIAN LAW OF LOSING AND FINDING. r.

The Court of Fin ga and Losings is one of the most singular in this respect, It takes charge of all t lost and found, making it the duty of a person End-. ing an thing to deposit it with the Judge. The loser, to prove property, mutt have three witnesses to swear that they saw him lose it, and three others that they saw the Ender pick it up; otherwise it remains in deposit. To show the working of this system, a gentleman of Rio found a bank-note of four hundred milrees (about 250 dollars.) The owner went to hint and claimed it, proving sa- tisfactorily to the finder that the identical bank-note was his; upon which the Ender gave it up. The Judge of Findings and Losings heard of the circum- stance, sent for him and asked a statement of the case; which the finder unsus- pectingly related. The Judge praised his honourable conduct, and was puncti- liously polite. The next day, however, he issued an order for the deposit of the money found; and because it was disregarded, the finder, a respectable foreign merchant, was arrested in the street and sent to prison, to be confined with com- mon criminals. The gaoler, however, having private apartments for those who could pay for them, he became his guest, and was preserved from the disgust of being a close prisoner, and the companion of degraded and depraved wretches. Before he could regain his liberty, he had to pay the amount found, the decision being the forfeiture of a like sum, together with the gaoler's fees, 8tc.

Considering the freedom of the allusions to various public persons, which may perhaps be applied in America, it seems strange that this work should be published under the direction of the United States Govern- ment; yet such appears to be the case. To this cause is doubtless to be attributed the splendour of its appearance, and the profusion of its plates and cuts. Some of these latter, freely intermingled with the letterpress, add greatly to the effect of the descriptions, by bringing the thing de- scribed visibly before the eye. Occasionally they effect what no words could accomplish—as in the very curious exposition at Rio Janeiro of the different marks resembling tattooing, which the African tribes adopt as a distinguishing test. A knowledge of these is the great acquirement of the slave-dealers ; as by indicating the nation they indicate the native disposi- tion, strength, industry—in short, the worth of the man.

Since this notice was written we have received the second volume of the work ; which contains, inter alia, a narrative of a second Antarctic cruise, and the discovery of a Southern continent prior to D'Urvffle and Ross. We shall return to it at a convenient opportunity.