The Queen's Speech was transmitted, by the THE PRESENT. electric telegraph on the South-Western Railway. OH! slight not the present-the past is arrayed A copy of the Globe, containing it, was received In a dim and indefinite mantle of shade; at the London terminus at half-past-two. In two Disturb not the calm of its mist-covered plains, hours, the entire speech, containing 3500 letters, Where glide the pale ghosts of lost pleasures and was received at the Gosport station, and immedi- pains. ately afterwards, printed and distributed through The future! what mortal may pierce its thick the town. A letter from Mr. Cooke at the Goscloud! port station, acknowledging the receipt of the The future is wrapped in uncertainty's shroud; Dark trials, keen cares, from that shroud may speech, was returned to town, and printed and published in the Globe before 7 o'clock the same evening. arise, Or its secrets may ne'er be disclosed to thine eyes. own. I seek not, like vain thoughtless minstrels, to sing spring; I woo thee not lightly, to while the fleet hours At a meeting of the Polytechnic Institution, Dr. Ryan delivered a lecture for the purpose of notic-But the bright sunny present, at least, is thine ing an apparatus by Mr. Phillips, called the "fireannihilator." After explaining the theory of the earlier chemists, and the more modern views of Lavoisier and others, and the consideration of the supporters and non-supporters of combustion, he pointed out the effects of volumes from nitrogen or from carbonic acid upon the flame of coal gas; and after showing that combustion instantly ceased in an atmosphere containing but a short per centage of these gases, he proceeded to explain that Mr. Phillips used a mixture of coke, nitre and sulphate of lime, with a little water. Dr. Ryan kindled a fire in an iron house, and as soon as the combustion was complete, he introduced a small apparatus, not holding more than two ounces of the material, and in half a minute, the fire was completely extinguished. BOOKS RECEIVED. THE unceasing press of Harper & Brothers supplies us, this week, with NEW ORLEANS AS I FOUND IT, by H. DIDIMUS. This is an original work, we mean a copy-right; and is only the first part, which shows how the writer found it in 1835-6. The second part will show the changes of nine years. KEEPING HOUSE AND HOUSEKEEPING. A Story of Domestic Life, edited by Mrs. Sarah J. Hale. This little book is on a subject which interests us all, and being by Mrs. Hale, is, of course, both pleasant and good. WANDERING JEW. Nos. 9 and 10. THE ILLUSTRATED AND ILLUMINATED BIBLE. No. 22. VOYAGES ROUND THE WORLD. Of this delightful little book hundreds of thousands will be scattered over the land. It contains the Voyages of D'Entrecasteaux, Marchand, Vancouver, Edwards, Wilson, Fanning, Turnbull, Baudin, Freycinet, Duperrey, D'Urville, Bougainville, La Place, Krusenstern, Kotzebue, Lutké, Hall, Ruschenberger, Fitzroy, Meyen, Wilson, Belcher and Ross. Price 50 cents! SOUTHERN LITERARY MESSENGER, for March, 1845. I WILL BE A LADY: a book for Girls, by Mrs. Tuthill. This is a counterpart to I'll be a Gentleman, by the same publishers, Messrs. Crosby & Nichols, Boston, And gently some service or kindness impart, And feel that for Him thou could'st part from them all. Thus live, and thou wilt not in weariness cast BEATRICE. Metropolitan. WITH drooping eyes and drooping curls, She stands beneath the evening light. And o'er her lovely face the while, The lingering hues of dreamy thought For she hath left the jesting throng Of friends, to feed her pensive mood, Where leaves and streams are at their song, In a green summer solitude. And quiet as the scene around, The maiden stands with placid face, She will not smile-she will not look; Metropolitan. From the Athenæum. United States Exploring Expedition. Wiley & Putnam. THE second volume of this important work has now come to hand. As the first scientific expedition fitted out by the United States, we felt from the first, and continued to feel, the sincerest interest in its progress and results. In rendering an account of both, we are desirous, indeed, of abstaining from criticism, and, considering the adventure as a virgin experiment, to treat it with consideration and respect. We shall, therefore, take the account substantially as it stands, and give to the commander the benefit of his own position. the slaying, plucking, and dressing. While this was going on, the stones for the Tahitian oven, so often described by voyagers, were heating, and when they had acquired the proper temperature, the ashes were carefully swept off-bread-fruit, taro, and plantains, wrapped in leaves, were then laid on the stones, with the fowl in the centre, and the whole covered up. In about an hour the oven was carefully opened, the contents exposed, and found to be thoroughly cooked. The dinner was then served in an earthen dish, with a knife and fork, when, although the fowl was somewhat tough, it was greatly relished. The dinner hour was one o'clock. Taua, according to the universal opinion of the squadron, did not improve upon We find our explorers, at the opening of this a closer acquaintance. His intrusive and greedy volume, in sight of Tahiti, and are soon called disposition, not to mention his fondness for the upon to witness their arrival and reception. Nor bottle, rendered him daily a less welcome visitor is there any delay in commencing operations. An than at first. I must, however, do him the justice observatory, furnished with both astronomic and to say, that if he were wanting in other traits of magnetic instruments, is at once established, and character that ought to distinguish a chief, he did parties are sent out for the survey of the principal the honors of his house admirably, and that he harbors and the intervening channels. A large must be seen in the capacity of a host, if a favorbody of officers and naturalists were also sent able opinion is to be formed of his character." across the islands to visit Orohena, one of the highest peaks, and lake Waiherea. They could not, however, reach the desired spot, but some days afterwards Captain Hudson, with his officers, succeeded in measuring the elevation of Aorai, the peak which is next in height to Orohena. This he found to be 6,979 feet; Orohena appeared to be about 1,500 feet higher. From these two peaks, ridges descend to all parts of the coast; they are precipitous and narrow, their summit being often a mere edge, where walking is not only dangerous but sometimes impossible. Here, too, we meet with the American and French Consul, and with Mr. Pritchard. The following passage introduces us to another important personage: Honorable mention is made of Mr. Pritchard and his mode of conducting the schools; there are, indeed, few natives who cannot both read and write, even those advanced in years. The account of the island is altogether favorable, and so is the testimony borne to the utility of the missionaries. The latter, however, are subject to some animadversion :— "Although much has been done for the improvement of the natives, still it appears evident that much more might have been done if the missionaries had not confined themselves so exclusively to teaching from the Scriptures. The natives, by all accounts, are extremely fond of story-telling, and marvellous tales of their ances"The governor of the district of Matavai, Taua, tors and ancient gods, are even now a source of was the first acquaintance of any distinction that amusement. The missionaries, as I am told, poswe made. He had already visited the Vincennes sess much information in relation to the history on her anchoring. He is a fine-looking man, of and mythology of the island, embodied in the huge proportions, and has a large establishment superstitious tales still occasionally current among near Point Venus, where he monopolized nearly its inhabitants. It is to be hoped that they will all the washing, which was performed by his preserve a record of these, before they are obliternumerous dependents. By this business he de- ated by their exertions to destroy the ancient superrives some remuneration for the cost of feeding and stition. But they would have succeeded sooner in clothing them, putting the gains of their labor into eradicating the practice of reciting these legends, his own pocket. Such, at least, is his own had they provided a substitute in works of fiction, account of the transaction. Taua's usual dress inculcating moral or religious lessons, or teaching was a striped cotton shirt, nankeen pantaloons that useful knowledge. So also, while it was indishad once been yellow, and a round jacket of blue pensable to put down those amusements which cloth. Both shirt and pantaloons were too tight, and were the means or incentives to debauchery, this he had neither suspenders nor stockings, although measure ought to have been accompanied by the he wore shoes. In this guise he had an awkward introduction of innocent modes of recreation. For look, which he probably would not have exhibited want of the first resource, much time is now spent in a native costume. He was profuse in offers of in unmeaning gossip, and the necessity for the hospitality at his own house, and many of the offi- other is often shown in a listless idleness. No cers were induced to accept his invitations. His attempt has been made by the missionaries to entertainments appear to have been of the same introduce the mechanic arts, or improvements in general character with that to which I was treated, agriculture, yet it cannot be doubted, that to have and which will, therefore, serve as a specimen of taught them even the simplest of these, would the node in which such things are done by the have materially aided the progress of civilization, 6 good society of Tahiti. We reached his dwell- and reacted favorably upon that of religion. The ing in time to see the preparations for the feast. failure of a cotton manufactory, with expensive These were entrusted to his man of all work, machinery, which was erected on the island of Stephen, or as he called him, Stiffin.' This Eimeo, affords no argument against the probable useful personage exhibited his dexterity, not only success of less complex arts. The natives were in cooking, but in killing the poultry. The bird not prepared to pass at once from habits of deselected was a cock, for the Tahitians well under-sultory exertion, to the regular and stated occupastand the difference in value between it and the tion of the mill. But the spinning-wheel, the hens; and Stephen exhibited much adroitness in hand-loom, and the plough, would not have re quired such a decided change in the number of | Orohena, by Dr. Pickering and Mr. Couthouy. hours of labor, and would have served as a prepa- By nine o'clock in the morning they had, after a ration for more continuous industry. The two walk of about six miles, attained a higher point former implements have at length been introduced than any on their former journey, about 3,500 by other hands, and have already been adopted feet:with eagerness by some of the natives. The change of dress which has been introduced by the missionaries and other foreigners, has, on the contrary, had an injurious effect on the industry of this people. While they wore their native tapa, the fabric, though of little value, gave employment to numbers of women; and this change of dress, though intended as an advance in civilization, has had the effect of superseding employments which formerly engaged their attention, and occupied their time. The idleness hence arising, and the artificial wants thus created, have no little influence in perpetuating licentiousness among the females, to whom foreign finery is a great temptation. The European dress, at least as worn by them, is neither as becoming, nor as well adapted to the climate as that which it has almost superseded. Many of the missionaries now see these things in their true light, and informed me that they were endeavoring to pursue a more enlightened course." We shall now follow our explorers to the harbor of Papieti. There the commander invited the great chiefs on board : "When they had reached the altitude of fifteen hundred feet they no longer found any paths; on arriving at this point, they halted for some time to make collections of land-shells, and some very interesting specimens were obtained of Helices, Patulas, Cyclostomas, Curocollas, and Pupas; after this they continued ascending, the ridge gradually becoming narrower, until they reached a spot on the ridge where there was not room for one person to pass by another, and where they could look down a precipice on each side to depths of two thousand feet. Plants that were below of small size here grew into large woody shrubs among them a species of Epacris was found growing luxuriantly along the crest of the ridges, and magnificent arborescent ferns on the mountain sides, some of them forty feet in height; another species was seen whose fronds were more than twenty feet in length. Their path was much impeded by the tangled ferns and wiry grass (Gleichenia) which it was impossible to get through without the aid of a knife or a hatchet. They had now reached four thousand five hundred feet, the highest point yet attained, according to the guide, by white "The ship was dressed for the occasion with men; two o'clock had arrived, and as there was flags, and they were received with every mark of no place where they could encamp, or any chance respect. Luncheon was prepared for them; and of reaching a point suitable for passing the night when they were all seated at it, it struck me that in, by the advice of Vahaore [their guide] they alI had never seen such a collection of corpulent lowed him to look for one. The mountain top persons. Previous to eating, one of the oldest was still estimated to be six miles distant; they chiefs said grace. Their appetites were good; had little doubt that it could be ascended by folnone of the food appeared to come amiss. They lowing the ridge, and it was thought that they seemed heartily to enjoy themselves, and conducted could accomplish the task if time permitted. The themselves with a propriety that surprised us all. day was fine, and they enjoyed a view of the They were cautious in partaking of the wine whole mountain, which appeared as if it were the which was set before them, and seemed evidently centre, from which the different ridges of the upon their good behavior. This was the case island radiate in ten or twelve directions towards with the high chiefs, who, to the number of about the coast, having deep and narrow valleys between fifteen, had been invited; but, besides these, about them, through which the mountain torrents rush; an equal number of others contrived to get on these valleys spread out as they approach the board without invitation; the latter thrust them- coast, and the ridges become more rounded and selves forward with eagerness to occupy places at accessible. After reconnoitring the ground for the table, but were compelled to give place to some time, Vahaore recollected a place where those of higher rank. A second table was, how- they might pass the night, which he thought was ever, prepared for them, at which they took their not far distant. He therefore immediately began seats, and did ample justice to what was set before to break a road, which he continued for about a them. The variety of costume which was exhib-quarter of a mile along the ridge. He then ited at this banquet was amusing. The princesses reached a place where the descent might be made, were dressed in white frocks, shoes and stockings, and chip bonnets, but looked awkwardly in them, and appeared more like boys in girls' clothes than women. Some of the men wore full suits-coats, vests, and pantaloons-of a variety of colors; others had sailors' round jackets; others again had only shirts and pantaloons, all too small, both in breadth and length. Some had black felt hats, of all possible fashions, and others wore them of straw; some had shoes on their feet, others had none. Paofai's son attracted attention by his ridiculous appearance: he wore a red check shirt, light white pantaloons, that reached only half way down his legs, coarse shoes without stockings, and a short-skirted drummer's coat of blue, plentifully faced with scarlet. The latter was so small for him, that no force would make it button upon him. To finish all, he had a high-crowned conical felt hat stuck upon the top of his head." Another attempt was made to reach the top of which, however, to all appearances, presented as few facilities for the purpose as any they had before looked at. They, however, tried it, and after a hard scramble reached, about sunset, the place he sought. The descent was estimated to be about two thousand feet, and was performed partly by leaping from tree to tree, and partly by lowering one another by ropes over precipitous ledges from ten to twelve feet in height. In the words of Sacket, No man in his senses ever went down such a place before, and none but a fool would attempt to do so again.' At the foot of the descent lay the first valley, and they found themselves among groves of the wild banana (fahies.)" It having been determined to make a thorough examination of the group of the Samoan Islands, Tutulia, as the most central, was selected for their station : "The men of Tutulia, are a remarkably tall, The following incident, which took place at Upolu, is suggestive : fine-looking set, with intelligent and pleasing of the district of Faleletai, was at the massacre of countenances. In comparison with the Tahitians, the party of La Perouse. He was then a boy of they would be called sedate. The women are far thirteen years of age. He remembered the occurfrom being good-looking, with the exception of rence, and that three of the Papalangi were killed. some of the younger ones. They are remarkably The perpetrators of the deed were some young domestic and virtuous, exhibiting a strange con- chiefs from the district, who were on a 'malanga' trast to those of Tahiti. Here there is no indis-to Tutulia. At that time Aana district had the criminate intercourse; the marriage tie is respected, rule, or was the Malo' party, and domineered parents are extremely fond of their offspring. The over the inhabitants of the other islands and disinhabitants are disposed to be hospitable to stran-tricts." gers, although they expect remuneration for it. Travelling is generally believed to be safe throughout the island of Tutuila, and the natives, as far "At noon we descried the Peacock lying in the as our experience goes, are not the blood-thirsty harbor of Apia, and shortly afterwards I received race they have been reported to be. The unfa- a message from Captain Hudson, saying that my vorable estimate of their character has, I presume, presence was required on shore. In the hope that been derived from those who first knew them, and it was not a business of such a nature as to cause particularly from their attack upon the expedition detention, I left the Vincennes in the offing, while of La Perouse. Of this conflict I obtained the I went ashore in my boat. On reaching the land, following particulars from the Rev. Mr. Murray, I found the chiefs engaged in the trial of a native who had them from an old man, who was a wit- called Tuvai, who had killed an American named ness of the affray. The latter is the only individ- Edward Cavenaugh, a native of New Bedford. It ual now alive in the settlement who was present appeared that on Captain Hudson's arrival the when it occurred, and his testimony was corrobor-murderer was pointed out to him in the village, ated by others who had heard of it from those who upon which he very properly determined to have witnessed the scene. On the morning of the the offender punished, and gave orders to have him massacre, the vessel stood in towards the land. arrested. He was in consequence seized in a About noon the boats went ashore, as recorded by house near the water, and carried on board the La Perouse, and while on shore, a number of Peacock. Being taken by surprise, he offered no canoes, belonging to the island of Upolu, (to which resistance to his capture. Captain Hudson then Tutuila was at the time subject,) went from the requested a conference with the neighboring chiefs, shore, and proceeded directly to the vessels. When who in consequence had assembled on the 27th. these canoes were alongside, a young man in one The fono, as such assemblies are called, was held of them laid his hand on an iron bolt in some part in the council-house, or fale-tele, where the chiefs of the ships, with the intention, it was supposed, were collected. The Rev. Mr. Mills acted as inof stealing it. He was fired upon by the French. terpreter on the occasion. Captain Hudson, The ball passed through his shoulders, and mor- through him, stated that the object of his having tally wounded him. The natives, on seeing the requested them to assemble was to bring the effect of the shot on one of their number, were accused to a trial before them, in order that if his greatly enraged, and immediately left the vessels, guilt were established, he might be brought to and hastened to the shore, where they found the condign punishment: he then pointed out to them boats that had gone to get water. On reaching the guilt and consequences of the crime of murder, then, they began the attack, which resulted in the and declared the course he had considered it his massacre of M. De Langle, and of those who were duty to adopt. The chiefs listened attentively to with him on shore. When the natives began this this address, and in reply, through the principal attack the great body of the French were absent one, admitted that the man taken was in reality the from their boats; some were in the bushes gather- guilty person, a fact known to every person upon ing plants, and others talking to the females. On the island. Captain Hudson then stated to them the commencement of the disturbance, they all that it was absolutely necessary that Tuvai should rushed towards their boats, and the confusion be promptly punished, in order that others might became general. The minute circumstances of be deterred from the commission of the same crime. the affray, farther than the above, cannot now be He suggested, however, that in spite of the uniascertained from the natives. They are, how-versal belief in Tuvai's having committed the ever, very clear in reference to the cause, and to crime, it was proper that he should undergo a trial, those who were the actors in it, viz., the natives or at least an examination, in order that he might of Upolu. The Tutuilians maintain that they en- have the privilege of being heard in his own dedeavored to save the lives of the French; and, on fence. This suggestion being approved, Tuvai the following day, as soon as they dared to venture was brought on shore under a military guard, and from the mountains, whither they had fled during placed in the centre of the building. He was an the massacre, they collected the bodies, which ill-looking fellow, of about twenty-eight years of they found in a state of nudity, dressed them in age, and manifested no fear, but looked about him native cloth, and buried them in the beach, as with the greatest composure. The trial was they were accustomed to bury their own chiefs. simple enough; he was first asked by the chiefs The actors in the massacre proceeded at once to whether he was guilty of the crime, to which he Upolu, which will account for their having been answered that he was; being next asked why he afterwards seen there, and recognized by the had committed it, he replied that he had done it in French. Our inquiries relative to the spot where order to possess himself of the man's property they had buried the bodies, were not satisfactorily (clothes and a knife.) The chiefs, among whom answered. How the carpenter's son escaped is was Pea, of Apia, to whom the criminal was disnot known. He is said to be still living at a vil-tantly related made every effort in their power to lage on the eastern part of the island. There ap-save his life: stating that he was in darkness, and pears to be mention made of a boy among the therefore unconscious of the guilt of the action, missing, in La Perouse's account. Levasii, a chief when he committed the murder; that as they had 6 but just emerged from heathenism they ought not to death might naturally excite a desire of revenge. As we proceed with the volume before us, we are constantly provoked to be critical; but shall, except on one topic, persevere in our original intention, of giving the commander the unquestioned benefit of his own statements. Our next extract is of a legendary character :"Messrs. Dana and Couthuoy visited a lake |