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'I am sorry to have pressed such a charge against you, Master Everett,' he said frankly, after running the situation over in his mind; but duty, sir, must not be done negligently. It has been a stiff day for the best of us, stiff enough to try the patience of Job. Is there no wine-flask handy which we can talk over in a friendlier fashion?'

Greatly relieved by this candid declaration, the Master busied himself with placing a jollylooking flagon on the table, while the Republican officer, who quickly gave some directions in an undertone, dismissed Humphries to join his comrades down-stairs.

SOME RECENT PHASES IN
BIBLIOMANIA.

In the past year or two, an unusual degree of interest has been excited among book-collectors, dealers, and the general public by the numerous fine libraries that have been disposed of by auction, and the exceptional prices in many cases procured, being far in advance of anything hitherto recorded in the annals of book-buying, and certainly, we should think, surprising more than any one else the owners of the books themselves. The campaign seems to have commenced in December 1879, by the sale of a portion of the library of Dr Laing of Edinburgh, chiefly celebrated for works relating to Scottish history and antiquities. Prices throughout ruled exceedingly high, showing the enormous increase in the value of many books within the last half-century. The next important sale was the Sunderland library, belonging to the Duke of Marlborough; which was immediately succeeded by the Beckford collection, removed from Hamilton Palace. That again was followed by the libraries of Mr Comerford, of Sir Richard Colt Hoare, and many others, including the collection of the Earl of Jersey, only recently dispersed. Nearly all of the above were of considerable antiquity, and, as a consequence, rich in early editions of the classics. In spite, however, of the fancy prices which many books realised at these sales, there is no doubt that a great number of scarce editions of the early authors were disposed of at much below their value, as compared with prices procured, often for the same identical copies, at the Roxburghe and other important sales at the beginning of the century; making it evident that the taste of modern collectors is changing. In a recent interview between Mr Quaritch, the well-known London bookseller, and the reporter of the Pall Mall Gazette, the former said: "The fashion has changed nowadays. Collectors go in for first editions of Keats, Shelley, Thackeray, Dickens, and for the engravings of Cruikshank and Phiz. Then sporting literature is greatly in demand.' And we

are sure our other large booksellers both in London and the provinces will amply corroborate this statement. We will therefore proceed to say a few words relating to this class of literature, now so extensively favoured by collectors.

Fifteen years ago, there seems to have been little or no demand for these books as curiosities; for, by examining the 1870 catalogues of a wellknown dealer, we find 'Oliver Twist,' first edition, uncut, offered as new at one pound; 'Sketches by Boz,' three volumes, 1837, fifteen shillings; or in one volume, 1839, one pound; and Egan's 'Life in London,' uncut, 1821, at twenty-six shillings. How little do those prices compare with present values. 'Sketches by Boz,' in three volumes, is now worth at least twelve pounds; has been sold as high as eighteen pounds; and even in poor condition, can seldom be procured for less than eight pounds; while for 'Oliver Twist,' we recently saw a copy catalogued at ten pounds; and 'Life in London' at the same price. Dickens' 'Sunday under Three Heads,' 'Great Expectations,' and 'Life of Grimaldi,' range in value from ten to six pounds; and 'Pickwick' (in parts) was recently sold in London for twentyfive pounds! The demand which first brought about such prices did not really commence until after the death (in 1878) of George Cruikshank, whose peculiar style of work seems now to be more highly appreciated than ever it was during the lifetime of that versatile artist. Indeed, the desire to possess books containing his original etchings, and the work of other artists of his school, has continued steadily increasing up to the present time.

It is, however, a remarkable fact that collectors are capricious in their special liking for particular works of one author; and we must not neglect to mention as an example of this, that in spite of the large prices demanded for many of Dickens' works, others, such as 'Dombey and Son,' 'Nicholas Nickleby,' 'Bleak House,' &c., may be procured at comparatively cheap rates. This peculiarity is also noticeable in the case of the five Christmas books of Dickens, all of which can be secured for a few shillings each, except the 'Christmas Carol,' which fetches as much as five pounds. These remarks apply equally to Thackeray's works; and it is worth noting with regard to books having no pictorial illustrations, and merely issued in three-volume form, that even they too may acquire an extraordinary value, as in the case of 'Great Expectations,' recently catalogued at ten guineas, and Esmond,' worth at least four guineas.

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Uniform with the original issues of Dickens and Thackeray come a long series of novels by Lever, Ainsworth, Maxwell, Albert Smith, Trollope, &c., invariably published in parts and illustrated with etchings by Cruikshank, Leech, or Phiz. Certain of these have acquired a fictitious value, such as Ainsworth's Tower of London,' and the sporting novels of Robert Scott Surtees, well known as the 'Handley Cross' series. The list of books illustrated wholly by George Cruikshank is so extensive, that many collectors content themselves with a selection of his most important works, and among those most in demand are "The Scourge' (1814), 'Grimm's Fairy Tales' (1823-6)—the Beckford copy of which brought sixty-three pounds-'The Omnibus' and

'Table Book,' and Brough's 'Life of Sir John Falstaff. Rather less in demand are early editions of Shelley, Keats, Browning, Byron, Leigh Hunt, Tennyson, &c.; but the prices asked for many of them, especially if anything like a complete set has been formed, are sufficiently startling.

It must, however, be remembered that the highest prices are secured only for copies in fine condition and with uncut edges, a fact which is demonstrated by the comparatively small prices obtained for inferior and dirty copies, numbers of which are constantly being thrown upon the market.

To Dickens' collectors, we can confidently recommend Mr Dexter's Dickens' Memento' (London: Field and Tuer) as the most complete guide yet published; and we hear of similar works on Thackeray issued by another London publisher. We may remark in conclusion, that the enormous increase in the value of many of our modern works is to a large extent due to the American demand; many valuable libraries in the States, which the writer had recently the opportunity of examining, attesting

to the fact.

WILD WILL.

A TEXAN TYPE.

SOME years ago, few names were better known in Texas than that of 'Wild Will.' It is to be presumed that at some time of his life he possessed a surname; if so, it was soon forgotten, for during the greater period of his short but eventful career he was only known by his baptismal, or, to use an Americanism, here probably more appropriate, his given name, with the adjectival prefix. In his hot and unregenerate youth, Will had been unpleasantly notorious as the chief of a gang of 'road-agents' (highwaymen) whose depredations had made them the terror of the State. His skill with the pistol was extraordinary both for accuracy and rapidity. On more than one occasion I have seen him with a revolver in each hand at arms-length, simultaneously hit a playing-card on two adjacent telegraph posts, while riding at full gallop across the railway track midway between the poles. Then turning his horse, he would gallop back, repeating the feat, with his arms crossed. A playing-card is a small mark for a pistol-shot standing, at twenty-five yards. On the back of a running horse, the feat is simply wonderful.

It was Will's boast that of all the men he ever killed, none was ever hit save in the head. On one occasion, a band of sixteen United States soldiers, under the command of a non-commissioned officer, were ordered out to arrest him, information as to his hiding-place having been given. They found Will hiding in a thicket, and opened fire. He responded with his revolvers; and at the close of the action, fifteen of the soldiers lay dead, each with a bullet in his brain, whilst the other two managed to escape. Will himself was severely wounded; but he managed to drag himself to the brink of a little pool, where he lay until night, when he was carried off by some of his gang.

Having recovered, Will after a time began to grow weary of the excitement of man-hunting, when he was the unfortunate 'huntee,' and thought a little sport, with himself at the other end of the chase, might not prove uninteresting. By some means or other, he managed to make his peace with his outraged government-never a very difficult matter in the western States-and got himself appointed a deputy-sheriff of the State of Texas. In this capacity the apprehension of all criminals whose daring rendered their arrest dangerous was intrusted to him, and in Texas he was not often unemployed. On one occasion he was summoned to the sheriff's office and informed that a specially tough' job was in store for him.

'Well,' said the sheriff, 'Texas Charlie's wanted.' 'Yes,' said Will.

'We want him alive, if you can; but at any rate, alive or dead.'

'So!' responded Will.

'Will you take'

'Don't mind if I do. Whisky for choice.' 'No, no; I didn't mean that exactly. Will you take any men with you?'

'Guess not,' replied Will.

'Well, well; just as you please; but remember we want him, alive or dead.-Now we'll have that drink.'

Will immediately set out on his expedition. He had received information that Charlie, a noted desperado, had been making his headquarters at the little village of N Thither he proceeded; and by chance I happened to be in N, looking up some missing cowboys, on the day of Will's arrival. We had met before on several occasions, and Will greeted me pleasantly, and insisted upon my taking a 'horn' with him, whilst he told me the duty he was engaged on.

After a short chat and further refreshment, Will started for the door with a cheery: See you again soon, old man! Get through this job pretty slick, I reckon.'

Just as he reached the door, however, a shout of, Hold your hands up, Will!' called all the inmates of the saloon to the street.

There stood Will, his hands in the air, calmly whistling a half-melancholy tune, whilst on the other side of the road sat Texas Charlie himself on a fine Eastern horse, accompanied by several of his gang, and with a fourteen-shooting Winchester pointed dead at Will's heart. (I may here state for the benefit of the uninitiated that throwing one's hands up is a sign throughout America that one doesn't intend to draw a pistol and shoot, and that, therefore, the other party should also drop his muzzle.)

'Well, Will,' said Charlie, 'they say yer goin' to take me, alive or dead.'

"Them's my orders, Charlie.'

'What d'ye think ov yer chance now?' Will calmly resumed whistling the unfinished tune.

'Well, Will, guess I've got the better ov yer.' 'Thet's so, Charlie.'

'Now, look here, old man. I don't want no kinder trouble in this yer town, so I tell yer ye'd better walk backwards out thar to the brush' (pointing to a thicket about half a mile away). When ye get thar, I'll shoot ye; but keep yer hands up. Fust motion down yer makes, I shoot.'

Well, it wasn't altogether a lively prospect for

' Journal

,

fetch from seventy to seventy-five

a man to walk backwards for half a mile with | valuable, selling from sixty-five to seventy pounds, his hands over his head, especially with the according to sex; whilst those used for riding certainty of being shot at the termination of purposes the journey; but off Will set, still whistling pounds. his tune as calmly as if he was going to a lyceum lecture. Two or three of the others and I followed, meditating a rescue; but the levelled rifles of Charlie's gang were anything but comforting to look upon. As for the townspeople, a murder more or less was not a rarity worth tramping half a mile out of town to see.

A portion of the distance was passed, and still Will's clear bird-like whistle rang cheerily out. Charlie's rifle was at his shoulder, covering the deputy-sheriff's heart, and behind, the boys, with rifles and pistols ready, warned off the spectators from approaching too closely. The affair grew thrilling, positively fascinating. I can never forget the calm, cheerful look in Will's eyes as he tramped along backwards, or the cruel, determined air of Charlie and his followers.

Suddenly Will stopped. Waving his hands gently in the air, he shouted: Don't hit him, boys; he don't know what he's doin'.'

Like a flash, Charlie turned in his saddle, fearing treachery, and that some one was about to club or stab him in the back. For a second, the deadly Winchester swung from its line; that second was Will's opportunity, and with the speed of lightning his hands were at his belt, his pistols out and levelled; and before the desperado could turn again in his saddle, he rolled to the ground with two bullet-holes through his brain. His companions were so thunderstruck that they did not attempt to revenge his death, but turned their horses and galloped off; not fast enough, though, for Will's bullets, swifter even than a Texas mustang, stopped two of them. The rest escaped.

Alive or dead," was my orders, sirree,' said Will. I'm sorry it ain't alive; but dead 'll hev

to do.'

That was the last time but one that I saw Will alive; on the next occasion he lost his life; but he fell gloriously-for a Texan, that is. The story, however, is too long to give now.

OCCASIONAL NOTES.

CAMELS IN AUSTRALIA.

In many parts of Australia are large tracts of arid country-deserts, we might call them-over which, especially in times of drought, it is difficult, if not impossible, for any but the aborigines to travel without the assistance of camels as carriers. Owing to the great increase of population at the antipodes, it has become a matter of some importance to have all possible facilities for opening out new districts; and in South Australia, attempts, not altogether unsuccessful, have been made to raise a home-bred stock of camels. At the present time, there are some two thousand or more of those useful animals in that part of Australia alone. These are greatly in demand, and regular market prices are quoted for them, the value of a good pack bull being sixty pounds, and a pack cow sixtyfive pounds. Camels for harness are even more

Camels were not imported into South Australia in any number until 1866, when Sir Thomas Elder entered into the enterprise with a determination to establish a herd, and succeeded in landing a hundred and nine, which shortly increased to a hundred and twenty-five. Soon, however, the little herd was attacked by a kind of mange; and the camels suffered so much from this disease, that at the end of six months their number was reduced to sixty-two. In time, however, by the most careful treatment, the disease was stamped out; the herd then throve well, and has now largely increased.

It was not until about 1883 that the settlers generally began to see the great value of camels in certain districts; and then the demand far exceeded the supply. In that year, Messrs W. R. Cave & Co. made a trial shipment of six; and this venture proved so successful, that in 1884 six hundred and sixty-one camels were imported. In India, great losses have been sustained from foot-and-mouth disease and tuberculosis; it has been therefore deemed necessary, as a protection to what has now become a very important interest in South Australia, that all imported camels should be subjected to a rigorous veterinary examination; and regulations to that effect were published in the Australian Gazette in December last. Those camels which have become acclimatised or are home-bred are particularly healthy; but the imported ones, as a rule, suffer greatly at first from skin disease of a highly infectious order (scabies), and many have died from this cause.

The remedies for the disease are ointments of sulphur and carbolic acid; tar and fat; and indeed any of the usual sheep-dressings of which sulphur is an ingredient.

For purposes of exploring, surveying, and for carrying stores, camels have proved invaluable aids; and in the interior of Australia, they are firmly established as most valuable stock, and are turned to many and varied uses. In that country, there must always be large tracts of land over which it will be difficult to travel; and there can thus be no doubt that the enterprise of the importers and breeders of camels will be rewarded. Should we, some years hence, have the misfortune to be engaged in another Egyptian campaign, we may perhaps be able to procure that absolute essential of desert warfare, a stock of camels, from our colonial friends.

PROTECTING THE SEACOAST.

A correspondent writes: "The subject of protecting the seacoast is of almost national importance; I therefore send you the following particulars, as I think you will consider them worthy of a notice in your Journal. The ordinary means of protecting property along the coast is to erect either timber, concrete, or stone groynes or walls between high and low water marks, so that the shingle, &c. which almost invariably travels along the coast may be caught and retained. increasing value of the property to be protected, and the frequent damage that has been sustained,

The

have caused many and various kinds of structures to be put up to attain this object. Judging by the experience gained in many places, it is evident that the benefits derived are frequently more than doubtful, and their cost generally very great. The accumulations of shingle which may have taken place during many months are often entirely removed during one or two rough tides.

'To meet these difficulties, Mr A. Dowson, C.E., 3 Great Queen Street, Westminster, has patented a system of open groynes, which allow the water to pass through them, at the same time trapping the shingle brought in by the waves. These groynes consist of a series of iron gratings attached to uprights firmly fixed in the beach. The effect has proved to be most satisfactory; for, instead of the waves loaded with shingle being dashed against a solid obstruction, as is the case with ordinary groynes, the water passes freely through the gratings, but leaves the shingle to accumulate until it becomes level with their tops, when it falls over, and travels forward to the next groyne. With this system, it is impossible that a backwash can be produced, as may be said to be the invariable result of the ordinary

groynes.

Other advantages of the open groynes are, that they can be erected in a few days, a matter of great importance when a foreshore is being injured during stormy weather. Their cost is also very much less than the old systems. These open groynes have been in practical and satisfactory operation on the foreshore of St Anne's, near Blackpool, for over two years, where at spring-tides the seawall is exposed to the full force of the waves from the Irish Sea. The Corporation of Brighton have also erected some of these groynes on a portion of their foreshore, where they have been subjected to some of the heaviest seas ever experienced on this very exposed coast. The result has proved the great advantages of the open system compared with the others previously adopted; for, while considerable damage was done to adjoining solid groynes, the open ones remained uninjured. At the same time, with the solid groynes there was much scouring away of the shingle; whilst the level of the beach protected by the open groynes was not lowered.'

A model, showing the system, may be seen in Group 3 of the Inventions Exhibition, London.

INTERESTING ROMAN AND GREEK DISCOVERIES.

The remains of a large Roman villa fitted with extensive baths have been recently discovered at Eining, near Abensberg-supposed to be the ancient Abusina-a town in Bavaria on the Abens river, near the Danube. The heating apparatus has been found in very perfect condition, together with many curious and interesting architectural details. But what is perhaps of more interest still, the skeleton of a woman has been found, having by her side a jug, a glass urn, and tearbottles-the last, usual offerings to the dead. In addition to this, there was the apparatus of her toilet, including hair-pins, pearl necklace, and bracelets. Some sculpture was also brought to light, though in a very broken state; but one piece, a woman's head in marble, was very well

executed indeed. A 'votive' stone was also found with an inscription of four lines, dedicated, as an offering, in honour of Dea Fortuna Augusta Faustina.' A large number of Roman weapons, coins, spoons, rings, and fibulæ, and many other articles, with Roman bricks, tiles, and stamps in considerable numbers, were also discovered amongst the foundations of this interesting villa.

An interesting discovery has recently been made in connection with the Forum at Rome. On cutting into the accumulation of the unexcavated portion of the north-east side, on which stands -between the Temple of Antoninus and Faustina and the church of St Adriano-the row of modern buildings which is ultimately to be removed for the completion of the excavations, a part of the pavement of the ancient street connecting the Forum with the Suburra has been uncovered. It lies at a level of some eighteen inches below the flagged area of the Forum, which dates from the seventh century. The street extends along the south-east side of that part of the Curia which is now the church of St Adriano. The pavement is in a fine state of preservation; and on one side of it stands a pedestal, probably of a statue dedicated, as shown by the inscription, to the Emperor Constantinus the Second, by Memmius Vitrasius Orfitus, who was profectus urbis from 355 to 359. Large masses of marble, such as pedestals of columns, pieces of cornice, and other fragments, were found one upon another under the accumulations but lately removed.

The Philologische Wochenschrift of Berlin referring to the recent discoveries of a number of cornice mouldings of porous stone at the Propylen at Athens, starts the curious theory that these belonged to the older Propylæa, but that they were used as building materials when the new structure was erected in the fifth century B.C. These stones are brilliantly coloured blue, red, and gold; they are in good preservation, and therefore may be given as excellent specimens of architectural colour decoration as practised by the Greeks two thousand three hundred years ago; a beautiful art, which of late has been successfully revived in our own country, and, when carried out with care and judgment, must always have a superb and striking effect.

MAY: A SONNET.

COME forth, my Sylvia; we must baste away
From out our city home, for Nature wills
That we should visit her green woods and rills,
And hold this for a cheerful holiday.

It is her holy honeymoon of May!
The ardent sun, whose benediction fills

The earth with joy, hath decked the leafy bowers
Wherein she sits, crowned all with love and flowers.
There is a witching music in the breeze,
A deep life-stirring tune that fills the heart
With longings wild and free, and bids depart
All mean intrusive cares: the whispering trees,
The sun, the flowers, the streams--all bid us roam,
And claim, to-day, the woodland for our home.

T. W. S.

Printed and Published by W. & R. CHAMBERS, 47 Paternoster Row, LONDON and 339 High Street, EDINBURGE

All Rights Reserved.

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POPULAR

LITERATURE, SCIENCE, AND ART

Fifth Series

ESTABLISHED BY WILLIAM AND ROBERT CHAMBERS, 1832
CONDUCTED BY R. CHAMBERS (SECUNDUS)

No. 74.-VOL. II.

may

SATURDAY, MAY 30, 1885.

RED RIVER REBELLIONS. Ar the present time, when the news of a combined Half-breed and Indian rising in the Canadian North-west is exciting both interest and alarm, be appropriate briefly to relate the causes which led to, and the results which were brought about by, the somewhat similar movement, known as the Red River Rebellion, which took place in what is now the province of Manitoba in the years 1869 and 1870.

PRICE 11d.

was habitually accustomed to do all that lay within its power to prevent the carrying out of projects likely to advance the prosperity of the country, being over-careful of its own interests, and jealous of all competition. The whole question, however, found a solution in the year 1869, when, following upon an exhaustive inquiry which had taken place before another Select Committee in the year 1857, it was mutually agreed that the Company should surrender almost the whole of its territorial rights to the government of the Dominion of Canada in return for a money-payment of three hundred thousand pounds. It was the method adopted for carrying out the conditions of this agreement which, in the first instance, occasioned the Red River Rebellion.

To help the better understanding of the matter, it may be necessary to remind the reader that Charles II., in the year 1670, gave a charter to a corporation which had then been newly formed under the title of the Governor and Company of Adventurers of England trading into Hudson's Bay. By this charter he granted to that There were at that time (1869) many old serbody the exclusive right and privilege of trading vants of the Company and others settled around over a vast but undefined tract of country which its chief trading-station, Fort Garry-now Winninow forms the greater part of the Dominion of peg-and along the banks of the Red River and Canada. For close upon two centuries the 'Hud- the Assiniboine. Many of these were Scotch; son's Bay Company,' as it is still called, enjoyed others had come up from the eastern provinces its huge monopoly, and was able at times to pay of Canada; a few were Americans; but a very very large dividends to its shareholders. The large number-some thousands-were Metis, or Company's claim to the territory in question French Half-breeds-descendants of the earliest was, however, by no means an undisputed one. servants of the Company, who had come up from As early as the year 1749, a Select Committee of the French-speaking province of Quebec, and who, the House of Commons inquired into and reported when they had served their time, had married upon the state of the country occupied by the Indian wives and settled down in the country. Company and the trade carried on therein. Many The children resulting from these unions presented high authorities maintained that the Company's many marked peculiarities of their own. They charter gave to it no actual territorial possession; possessed in some degree the characteristics both but, in spite of this, the Company continued, of the white and of the red skinned races; but until the last few years, to exercise a sole control their general habits, mode of life, and physique over its vast and silent territories, which it were those of the Indian rather than of the white governed exactly in the way that pleased it best. man. They usually dressed in trousers of a darkBut the days of monopolies had largely gone by; blue cloth, with a heavy woollen shirt of the same and some forty or fifty years ago, complaints began colour. In this they followed more or less the to be heard to the effect that it was scandalous that ways of civilised man; but the Indian love of so enormous an extent of country should be left finery showed itself in the bright brass buttons, the entirely in the hands of a commercial Company, scarlet waist-sash, and the bead-worked leggings consisting merely of a few private individuals; and moccasins with which they adorned themthat the Company had not in all cases exercised selves. Their wants were few. Rome was their its authority on the side of justice; and that it church. The Hudson's Bay Company was their

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