it justifies our criticism by anticipation. Its per- and prejudices-by his strength and his weakness, sonal and literary sketches are unequalled, gar- to supply it. In this he is far more assured of nished as they are with select scandal, and sur- success than in any political or philosophical hisrounded with all the accompaniments of dramatic tory. With what confidence and delight would art. Hastings' trial is a picture to which that of the public follow his guidance, from the times of Lord Erskine, highly wrought though it be, is Chaucer to those of Cowper, when our literature vague and forced, and which, in its thick and ceased to be entirely natural, and even a stage or cruded magnificence, reminds you of the descrip- two further! Of such 66 progress" we proclaim tions of Tacitus, or (singular connection!) of the him worthy to be the Great-heart! Secondly, paintings of Hogarth. As in Hogarth, the variety we infer from a retrospect of his whole career, of figures and circumstances is prodigious, and the evils of a too easy and a too early success. It each and all bear upon the main object, to which is by an early Achillean baptism alone that men they point like fingers; so from every face, fig- can secure Achillean invulnerability, or confirm ure, aspect, and attitude, in the crowded hall of Achillean strength. This was the redeeming Westminster, light rushes on the brow of Hast-point in Byron's history. Though a lord, he had ings, who seems a fallen god in the centre of the to undergo a stern training, which indurated and god-like radiance. Even Fox's "sword" becomes strengthened him to a pitch, which all the after significant, and seems to thirst for the pro-consul's blandishments of society could not weaken. Socidestruction. But Macaulay, though equal to ety did not-in spite of our author-spoil him by descriptions of men in all difficult and even sublime its favor, though it infuriated him by its resentpostures, never describes scenery well. His land- ment. But he has been the favored and petted scapes are too artificial and elaborate. When, for child of good fortune. There has been no example, he paints Paradise in Byron, or Pande- " crook," till of late, either in his political or litmonium in Dryden, it is by parts and parcels, and erary "lot." If he has not altogether inherited, you see him pausing and rubbing his brows he has approached, the verge of the curse, "Woe between each lovely or each terrible item. The to you, when all men shall speak well of you.” scene reluctantly comes, or rather is pulled into No storms have unbared his mind to its depths. view, in slow ́and painful series. It does not rush It has been his uniformly to— over his eye, and require to be detained in its giddy passage. Hence his picture of India in Hastings is an admirable picture of an Indian village, but not of India, the country. You have the "old oaks"—the graceful maiden with the pitcher Let us congratulate him, finally, on his tempoon her head-the courier shaking his bunch of rary defeat. A few more such victories as he had iron rings to scare away the hyenas-but where formerly gained, and he had been undone. A few are the eternal bloom, the immemorial temples, more such defeats, and if he be, as we believe, the vast blood-spangled mists of superstition, idol- essentially a man, he may yet, in the "strength atry, and caste, which brood over the sweltering of the lonely," in the consciousness and terrible land-the Scotlands of jungle, lighted up by the self-satisfaction of those who deem themselves eyes of tigers as with infernal stars-the Ganges, injuriously assailed, perform such deeds of derringthe lazy deity of the land, creeping down reluc- do as shall abash his adversaries and astonish even tantly to the sea-the heat, encompassing the himself. country like a sullen, sleepy hell-the swift steps of tropical Death, heard amid the sulphury silence "Pursue the triumph and partake the gale." Better all this for his own peace than for his power, or for the permanent effect of his writings. STANTINES, MOSQUE OF ST. SOPHIA, AT CONSTANTINOPLE. -the ancient monumental look proclaiming that ON SEEING SOME ANCIENT TOMBS OF THE CONall things here continue as they were from the foundation of the world, or seen in the hazy dis- ERECTED, BY THE SULTAN'S ORDERS, NEAR THE tance as the girdle of the land-the highest peaks of earth soaring up toward the sun, Sirius, the throne of God? Macaulay too much separates the material from the moral aspects of the scene, instead of blending them together as exponents of the one great fact, India. But we must stop. Ere closing, however, we are tempted to add, as preachers do, a solid inference or two from our previous remarks. First, we think we can indicate the field on which Mr. Macaulay is likely yet to gain his truest and permanent fame. It is in writing the Literary History of his country. Such a work is still a desideratum; and no living writer is so well qualified by his learning and peculiar gifts-by his powers BENEATH Sophia's wondrous dome I stood, Tait's Magazine. From the Newark Daily Advertiser. STRANGE season, evanescent Are the feelings thou hast brought! The air as bland as June, And the brook to joy would move us. Of the birds among the trees, And the cattle that were feeding Upon the mountain-sideAnd the flocks their young ones leading. Where the rivulets do glide. Now, we only hear the rustle Of the dry leaves as we tread; Or the timid squirrel startle Or his greyhound's fleet foot bounding We feel the sun of summer, But its verdure do not see, Which checks the voice of gladness Yes 't is the INDIAN summer, Are shadowy forms of warning Thus summer's ghost keeps beckoning While we forget the reckoning That in this dreamy present NEWARK, Nov. 1847. E. C. K. From the Richmond Southerner. MR. EDITOR:-About five miles from the village of Smithfield, Isle of Wight county, Virginia, may be seen the ruins of an Episcopal Church, bearing every appearance of having been built in the earliest days of the colonies. In the bosom of a forest of ancient trees, lonely and drear, stand the remains of a once neat and even splendid temple of worship. The tower and belfry are truly antique, and the butricesses, a part of architecture not known in these days, bear every mark of the ravages of time. The ivy clings to the crumbling brick, and even trees of from twelve to fifteen feet in height, have taken root in the crevices, and yearly put on their green garments, and wave in the howling storm. The interior of the church presents a solemn view of the devastations of time, and the slow workings of the finger of decay. The altar and pulpit are, it is true, of more recent structure; but the Gothic character of the window, which once was ornamented with stained glass, though now "bricked in," proves the great antiquity of the edifice. Modern Vandals have made the walls a record of their names, their poetical abilities, and their wit; for it is a propensity to which most persons of the present age must plead guilty, to let their fellowtravellers to eternity know that they have held communion with times past and gone, by honoring a sacred relic with their attention. The earliest record of this venerable pile is a resolution before the trustees of the church, to appropriate a certain sum for repairs of the building; and this was recorded over two hundred years ago. During the war, the building became the quarters for the British troops, who destroyed the stained window glass, and otherwise desecrated the sacred walls. Religious service was held in the building a few years back, but it now appears to be totally abandoned to the ravages of decay, the owl and the bat being the only tenants of its moss-covered walls. Some time since a number of citizens, curious to know something of its origin, dug at the four angles, for the purpose of finding the corner stone, and "removing the deposits," but without, sucUnder the aisle were found the bones of a human being, supposed to be those of one of the original pastors, who died within the remembrance of an old negro man, now upwards of one hundred years of age. cess. If the following lines, which were written within the walls of the venerable church a few days since, are worthy of a place in your journal, they are at your service: THE OLD CHURCH. I stand within the forest drear, A clear blue sky is o'er my head; The gnarled oak, with leaves all sere, Looks down upon the sleeping dead. The broken slab no record bears Of those who lie the turf beneath; And thro' the pine's mysterious airs The winds of winter seem to breathe. The lizard and the adder sleep Beneath the cold and crumbling stone; Aye-all alone! thou dreary pile! To Christians bent in penitence. Or blithely rings the nuptial peal; Thy worshippers-long sleep is theirs! And death hath fixed the lover's seal. The living linger round thy walls To hold communion with the dead, And hear the spirit voice that calls The wearied to a calmer bed. Norfolk, Jan. 23 1847. J. H. H. From the London Morning Herald, Nov. 2. SUCCESSFUL RESULT OF THE HUDSON'S BAY COMPANY'S ARCTIC EXPEDITION. still wore beads round their wrists which they had obtained from on board those vessels. They had never heard nor seen anything of Sir John Franklin. Having unloaded the boats, and placed one of them, with the greater part of the cargo, in security, the other was hauled three miles up a rapid and narrow river, which flowed from one of the lakes we were to pass through. This work occupied us the whole of the 26th, as the current was very strong, and the channel so full of large boulder stones, that the men were frequently up to the waist in ice-cold water while lifting or launching the boat over these impediments. From a chart drawn by one of the party I inferred It is known that in July, 1846, the Hudson's Bay that the Arctic sea (named Akkoolee) to the west Company despatched an expedition of 13 persons of Melville peninsula, was not more than 40 miles from Fort Churchill, in Hudson's bay, under the distant, in a N. N. W. direction, and that about 35 command of Dr. John Rae, for the purpose of sur-miles of the distance was occupied by deep lakes; veying the unexplored portion of the Arctic coast so that we would have only five miles of land to at the north-eastern angle of the American conti- drag our boat over, a mode of proceeding which I nent. This expedition has now returned, after had decided upon, even had the distance been much having traced the coast all the way from the Lord greater, in preference to going round by the Fury Mayor's bay of Sir John Ross to within a few miles and Hecla strait. of the Straits of the Fury and the Hecla-thus proving Sir John Ross to have been correct in stating Boothia Felix to be a peninsula. The details will be found in the following abstract of a report just received by the Hudson's Bay Company :To the Governor, Deputy Governor, and Committee of the Hon. Hudson's Bay Company. Hon. Sirs-I have the honor to inform you that the expedition under my charge, which left Churchill on the 5th of July, 1846, for the purpose of tracing the coast of America between Dease and Simpson's furthest, and the strait of the Fury and Hecla, returned in safety to this place on the 6th inst., after having, by travelling over the ice and snow in the spring, surveyed the coast from the Lord Mayor's bay of Sir John Ross to within eight or ten miles of the Fury and Hecla strait; thus proving that eminent navigator was correct in stating Boothia Felix to be a portion of the American continent. After leaving Churchill the crews of the boats were divided into watches, so that we continued under sail day and night whenever the weather was sufficiently moderate. On the 15th, when about 10 miles to the north of Cape Fullerton, we first met with ice, which was so heavy and closely packed that it was at last found necessary to seek shelter in a deep and narrow inlet that opportunely presented itself. We were detained here two days, during which I found that our harbor formed the estuary of a considerable stream, on the beach near the mouth of which a great number of seals were lying. The latitude, 64d. 6m. 45s. north, was observed; variation of the compass, 22d. 10m. west. We reached the most southerly opening of Wager river on the 22d, and were detained all day by immense quantities of heavy ice driving in with the flood and out again with the ebb tide, which ran at the rate of seven or eight miles an hour, forcing up the ice and grinding it against the rocks, causing a noise resembling thunder. On the 23d we made the traverse from the south to the north side of the entrance of Wager river with some difficulty, and holding on our course toward Repulse bay, about 7 P. M. on the 24th we rounded Cape Hope, and sailed up during the night to within eight miles of the head of the bay, where we cast anchor for a few hours, under shelter of a small island near its south shore. At three P. M. on the 25th we entered Gibson's cove, on the banks of which I was rejoiced to observe three Esquimaux tents, and four of the natives standing on the shore. They appeared much alarmed at our approach; but their fears were soon dispelled on my landing with the interpreter, and explaining our friendly intentions toward them. None of the party had ever visited Churchill, but one or two of the women had seen Capt. Parry's ships both at Igloo-lik and Winter island, and they Our landing-place was found to be in latitude 66d. 32m. 1s. north. The rate of the chronometer had become so irregular that it could not be depended upon for finding the longitude. During the winter it stopped altogether. On the 27th, leaving one man in charge of our stores, &c., which were placed en cacho on the rocks and covered with oilcloths, the rest of the party, assisted by three Esquimaux, carried what baggage and provisions were necessary to the boat. The distance from this part of the river to where it issues from the lake being only a mile and a half, and the current being less rapid, we soon reached the lake, which was six miles long, and varied from half a mile to 200 yards in breadth, its depth being in some places upward of 30 fathoms. After traversing several lakes, and crossing over six portages, on the 1st of August we entered a shallow stream flowing to the northward. Following this, we arrived at the sea at 5 P. M in lat. 67d. 13m. north; longitude, by account, 87d. 30m. west. The tide being out, the men had some rest, which they much required after their hard labor. I expected to have got the boat floated during the night, but was disappointed, as the water did not rise by two feet so high as it had done the previous day; a circumstance which I could account for only by a change of wind from north-west to south. Early on the morning of the 2d we carried the baggage a mile further down the stream and afterward, with much trouble, dragged our boat over some shoals. We were now afloat in a salt water lake of a few miles in width, and we steered toward the only apparent opening, bearing north. On passing a point to our left two Esquimaux tents came into view. As we had not yet breakfasted, I went on shore, while the men were cooking, to ascertain if there were any inhabitants. After calling once or twice outside the door of one of the tents, an old woman popped out her head, and an aged man soon after appeared. From them I learned that the sea before us was continually full of ice, and could with difficulty be traversed in their kayaks, or small ca noes. Appearances led me to suppose that this information was correct, but it was necessary to judge for myself, and at least make an attempt to get forward, although not a pool of open water could be seen to seaward. After landing three of our men, who had assisted | seen feeding among the rocks, and I landed for the us across, and were to return to Repulse bay, and purpose of endeavoring to get some venison, but the giving some presents to our new friends, we pushed animals were too shy to be approached. An hour's off, and stood to the north-west among heavy and sunshine dried our clothes and bedding, and thus closely packed ice, through which we made very made us feel rather more comfortable than we had little progress. Ranges of low granite hills lined been for some days past. The breeze having the coast, at some places a few hundred yards dis-driven the ice a short distance off shore we ran a tant from it, at other places projecting into the sea. league to the north. The wind having increased After tracing the shore for 11 miles we passed a to a gale it became dangerous to proceed among steep rocky point which was named Point Har- the ice; we therefore pushed for the shore, which grave. When a few miles past Point Hargrave, was only a quarter of a mile distant, but we had being completely stopped by ice, we put on shore much trouble in reaching it although pulling six and found a large wooden sledge, half of which we oars, and ran much risk of being crushed by overcut up for fuel, intending to pay the owner, whom hanging masses of ice, under which we were I was pretty sure of finding on my return. obliged to pass. At 11 A. M. on the 3d we rounded a high bluff cape, which was called after the lady of Sir John Henry Pelly, Bart., Governor of the Hudson's Bay Company. It is situated in latitude 67d. 28m. north; longitude, by account, 87d. 40m. west. With much exertion we advanced three miles beyond the cape when we were enclosed by the ice, so that we could neither advance nor retreat. The shore still kept its northwest trending, and presented a succession of low muddy points and alternate bays. Into each of the latter a deep ravine opened, which, during the melting of the snow in spring, must form the beds of considerable streams, although at present they were nearly dry. The tides here were very irregular in their height, one tide flowing 8 or 10 feet, and the next not above half as much. The depth of water within 100 yards of the shore was from three to five fathoms on a bottom of mud and sand. There was a fresh breeze off shore on the 5th, which had but little effect upon the ice; I therefore determined on returning, and if possible crossing over to Melville peninsula for the purpose of tracing its shores to the Fury and Hecla straits. By chopping off some pieces of ice and pushing aside others, after much exertion we succeeded in getting our boat among ice somewhat less closely packed. During our detention the weather had been so foggy that no observations of any value could be obtained; our clothes were all the time either quite wet, or damp; our fuel was nearly expended, and we had much difficulty in finding water that was drinkable. I had travelled five miles along the coast, but the walking was so fatiguing that I gave up all hopes of performing the service on foot at this season. Working our way among the ice until a mile or two past Point Hargrave, there now appeared to be sufficient open water to allow us to cross over to Melville peninsula, the nearest point of which bore N. E. (true) distant 10 miles. We completed the traverse in five hours amid torrents of rain, accompanied by thunder and lightning, the wind having shifted from south-west to east. Having secured the boats to the rocks, the men, although drenched to the skin, went immediately to sleep in their wet clothes, 18 hours' hard work at the oars and ice poles having thoroughly tired them all. There was a thick fog with rain all the night of the 6th, but about six o'clock on the morning of the 7th a fresh breeze from S. E. dispersed the mist. As soon as the weather cleared up we started, but our progress was very slow; in four hours we gained as many miles, and were again stopped by our constant enemy. Some deer were Early on the 8th it became calm, and so slight had been the effect of the late gale that the ice had nearly surrounded us before we got our anchor up. The boat could not be placed in safety here; I therefore decided on running back to our starting point, and there await some favorable change. A light breeze aided our retreat, but the ice followed close in our rear, and before we had been half an hour under shelter every spot of open water was filled up. I learned from our Esquimaux acquaintances that the deer had already commenced migrating southward. This being the case I prepared to walk across to Repulse bay, to learn how the men left there were getting forward with the arrangements for wintering. Leaving three men in charge of the boat, I started on the 9th, in company with the other three, and reached our destination on the following day at two P. M. A few deer had been shot and some salmon caught, but neither were yet abundant. The Esquimaux had gone to the lakes and stationed themselves at the several deer passes, where they watch for and intercept the animals with their swift canoes, and spear them in the water. After mature consideration I determined on giving up all hopes of prosecuting the survey at present. My reasons for arriving at this conclusion I shall here briefly mention, as such a step may seem somewhat premature. I saw, from the state of the ice and the prevalence of northerly winds, that there was no likelihood of our completing the whole of the proposed survey this season; and, although part of the coast, either toward the strait of the Fury and Hecla or toward Dease and Simpson's furthest, might be traced, yet to accomplish even this might detain us so long that there would be no time to make the necessary preparations for wintering, and we should thus be under the necessity of returning to Churchill without accomplishing the object of the expedition, or if we remained at Repulse bay run the risk of starving, for I could obtain no promise of supplies from the natives, and all the provisions that we carried with us amounted to not more than four months' expenditure, which was all that our boats could carry. We should thus have to depend almost altogether on our own exertions for the means of existence both in regard to food and fuel. On the 11th, retaining one man with myself, to guard our stores and attend the nets, the remaining six were sent to assist in bringing over the boat. They returned on the 15th, having been only two days crossing. Two Esquimaux had accompanied them to assist and also to act as guides; three of the portages were thus avoided, and the party had likewise the advantage of a fine fair breeze in the lakes. The Esquimaux had wrought well and were liberally rewarded. One of them, a merry | spring journeys were commenced. Two sleds, little fellow, named Ivit-chuk, (Anglice Seahorse,) resembling those used by the Esquimaux, were was engaged to accompany me on my intended made by nailing together some of the battens which spring journeys over the snow and ice. formed the ceiling of our boats: All hands were now busily occupied in making preparations for a long and cold winter. To build a house was our first object, and, there being no wood, stones were collected at a favorable spot, in a hollow on the north side of the river, a quarter of a mile from the sea. Our hunters, Nibitabo and Ouligbuck, were continually on the look-out for game, and whenever I had leisure I shouldered my rifle, and had frequently some fine sport among the deer, shooting seven one day within two miles of our encampment. In the beginning of March the reindeer began to migrate northward, but were very shy. One was shot by Nibitabo on the 11th. I had intended setting out on my journey over the land and ice on the 1st of April, but an accident that happened to Ouligbuck detained me until the 5th, on which day I left Fort Hope, in company with three men, the Esquimaux, Ibit-chuck, and Ouligbuck's son, as interpreter. Our bedding and provisions were placed on two sledges, each drawn by four dogs; for two days On the 2d of September our house was finished. our route was the same as that by boat through the Its internal dimensions were 20 feet long by 14 feet lakes last autumn. On the 7th, when two miles broad; height in front 7 1-2 feet, sloping to 5 1-2 from the sea, we struck across land to the westat the back. The roof was formed of oilcloths and ward, and built our snow house on a small lake moose skin coverings, the masts and oars of our four miles from Point Hargrave. This being the boat serving as rafters. The door was made of last fresh water lake we were likely to see for some parchment deer skins stretched over a frame of days, our sled runners were re-iced, and an Esquiwood. It was named Fort Hope, and it was situ-maux who had assisted us thus far with his sled ated in latitude 66d. 32m. 16s., north longitude (by a number of sets of lunar distances) 86d. 55m. 41s. west. The variation of the compass on 30th August, 1846, was 62d. 50m. 30s. west; dip of the needle 88d. 14m.; and the mean time of 100 vertical vibrations in the line of declination was 226s. During the open water, salmon were caught in the bay, but a marine insect, somewhat resembling a shrimp in miniature, cut up our nets so much that it was impossible to keep them in repair. Steeping the nets in strong decoction of tobacco had no effect. On the 16th of October the thermometer first fell to zero, and the greater part of the reindeer had fled. We had at this date shot 130 of these animals, and during the remainder of the month, and in November, 32 more were killed, so that with 200 partridges and a few salmon, our provision store (built of snow) was pretty well stocked. Sufficient fuel had been collected to last, if economically used, for cooking until spring, and I had shot a couple of seals, which produced oil enough for our lamps. By nets set in the lakes under the ice, some salmon were caught, but the numbers caught were latterly so few that on the 4th of January the nets were taken up. Our house, long before that time, had become sufficiently cold, the temperature in my room (a. small space separated from the rest of the dwelling by a partition of oilcloth) was frequently from 10d to 12d below zero. The men's quarters, on account of the numbers crowded together, were rather less cold, nor did we receive any heat from our fire when cooking, as the chimney (not being built on the most approved principles) obstinately refused to allow any smoke to pass through it without the door being open. Fortunately the majority of the party had been accustomed to cold weather, and being all in excellent health our trifling discomforts furnished the subject of many a joke. The winter was extremely stormy; indeed, so much so that frequently we could not move 50 yards from the house for several days together. On those occasions we took only one meal per day. The prevailing winds were from the northwestward, and the lowest temperature we experienced, 47d. below zero, occurred on the 8th of January. Toward the end of February preparations for our and dogs returned to his home. A strong breeze of head wind, with thick snow drift, impeded our progress on the 8th, but we nevertheless advanced seven miles beyond Cape Lady Pelly before encamping. The 9th proved fine, and the ice was less rough than that passed over the previous day, but our dogs began to fail, and one of them having become quite useless was shot. About mid-day on the 10th we arrived opposite a rounded point which was named Cape Weynton. Our course now lay across a bay about six miles deep and ten wide, which received the name of Colville, in honor of the deputy governor of the company. Not being able to reach the land on its north side, we built our house upon the ice. The north point of the bay, which we reached the following forenoon, was called Beaufort, after the learned and scientific hydrographer to the Admiralty. The land, which had hitherto been rocky, and ran in a N. N. W. direction, now turned to the north and became gradually more level, exhibiting every indication of a limestone country. Our next encampment was in Keith bay, situated in lat. 68d. 17m. Ñ., lon. 88d. 22m. W. The coast here took a sharp turn to the westward, and our Esquimaux companion informed me that by crossing overland, in a northwest direction, to a large bay which he had formerly visited, we should shorten our distance considerably. I decided on adopting the plan proposed, and left the coast on the morning of the 12th. On the 15th, which was very stormy, with a temperature of 20 deg. below zero, we arrived at the steep mud banks of the bay spoken of by our guide, and called by him, Ak-ku-li-gu-wiak. Its surface was marked with a number of high rocky islands, towards the highest of which (six or seven miles distant) we directed our course, and were before sunset comfortably housed under a snow roof. We had the extreme good fortune to find some fuel by digging under the snow, and could thus afford to have our pemmican warmed and a kettle of tea made. A gale of north wind made this the coldest day we had been exposed to during the journey, and not one of the party (not even the Esquimaux,) escaped without being severely marked on the face. As the dogs were now nearly useless I determined on leaving them here with some of the party including the Esquimaux, for the purpose of recruit |