The New York Herald Newspaper, January 24, 1852, Page 6

SIGHTS IN CENTRAL AMERICA. Our San Salvador Correspondence. Crry or San Mieren, San Salvador, Ca., Nov. 29, 1851. WNotes of Travil by an Attentive Observer — Religion in Ceutral America—Fortifications—Churches— Volcanoes —Nutural Productions, &., Se. While rewaining at the Castilla rapids on the San Juan River, ] passed away much of the time inexploring the ruins of a Spanish fortification, upon the summit of a mound-liko hill, some 150 feet in height, commending a view of the river and the rapide beneath. The fortification is quite exten- sive, built of stone and cement; it is in an excellent state of preservation; itis surrounded by double walls, and occupying the entire top of tho hill, was well oaleulated for defence and to withstand a siege. Tho watch towers still remain, the stairs leading through narroy passages to halls, rooms, and vaults beneath, are almost perfect. It was ‘ge equare bricks, and covered partly with tiles; it i 200 feet square, has three large rooms wi tchos are in the walls, masonry firm, with cemon rd as the stone itself. it is entirely over, a with bushes, weeds, moss, and vines, andi od only by numberlegs bats. The fortification was approsvhed fr a paved road, which e bridge over a ary or door, upon cac cannon sad ha large gateway hare port holes for | saint in a tinecl d ’, were—and needed water, and a scrubbing brush—with a There was quite a around upon the brick 3 was silent and gloomy, sound was the echo of the footsteps of those g around. I strolled through the build- ing, before each altar as I passed down upon one side, and returned upon the other. As I passed around, | ecrutinized closely each saint, angel, or apostle ; they were all dressed after the Central American fashion, St. Peter, and St Paul, and others, with mustachios—and Christ in the same style. The soulpture was coarse, rude, and ancient inappearance, while many looked as though they wero in great distress, mentally and physical- ly.” Near the door, standing upon a pedestal, I ob- served their saint; she was somo four feet in height, carved out of wood, with a pals, long, and sorrowful expression of countenance, paiated like a sixpeppy doll, with eyes like peeled onions, and heavy, high arched, black eyebrows, and long eyelashes, the face varnished, go that it looked more hke having been well slushed, or greasod. Its head was a little recliniog on one shoulder; in her left hand, at one grasp, she spauned arouad tho waist of a little fat image of the infant Jesus, which ebe squeezed co tight that its logs and arms spread out in agonizing mood, and locked moro like @ mammoth bull frog than an infant human being. An old woman, some seventy years of ago, quite crooked backed, wearing an enormous pair of round spectacles, was busily engaged Sresting the placing a gilt neoklace z & hoadaress of the number floor, before the altars and the only around its neck, p same around its hea drops ef the F200 rd y material upon it, attor t road snd 2 immodist leadieg to v pletely fille Giscoverca « d vines, which we ev ae rere ena “masa of rude le ranslsto. I s¢ aa of the ev Setters are dou San Carlos:— ugh this gateway, nother door or passage ato—soveral of tho 3 called the oa: £ or fort, o on Sexpogotycomenanpras 0 po Saangadsy ENYADEE A ow as DLAG\ EACOYNGLEDIT45 | sar 23 LAvBATSPALY Ro | { ROYYRD \OYOANY RO OCASELLDY YBVEN\ DNAZRYOTORRAL | VOSEPERP ¥CYOHANONY AGABA RONDHASOBRASELANODEL 89 | Tho raina are well worth a visit from those who | pase there; they give a good idea of Spanish fortiG- oations ard the durability of their works. The ruins of a smaller fort are to be seen at the foot of | the bill; siso, two old rusty iron cannons. With the exception of these ruins, there is nothing to be scon | of interest in that part of Nicaragua, at loast I | could hear of nothing. Isailed from San Juan del Sur on the lth o: November, and with a fine breeze, in thirty-six | hours made the Golfo de Fonsicao Amapala, and | entered the port of La Union, some 150 miles northwest of Del Sur, and anchored ia front of the town of San Carlos, in the State of San Salvador. ‘The port of La Union is one of the best upon the coast; after entering the gulf, you enter into the port, pass ceveral islands with high voleanic moun- tains, and through a narrow channel of about a quarter offs mile in width ia which thereis no an- chorage, afier pasting h wo entered a largo and magnificent bay, completely land-locked and | surrounded upon all siles with volcanic mountains and hilis; tho eastern side of the harbor is in the | State of Honduras, the port of which State is at Tigro {sland, a high volcanic m n thereon, | Situated in ike gulf, the mouth of a river which comes fr ior of th whioh goods aro tak e port in bu Tigre Isiand is somo fiite port of La Un t @ beautiful lake, and large enough to accommo world, date nearly half the commerce of th It is | very safe, and ve 5 waters of a emall | at ancho balance b: the + being the ox of the Unite floated upe dy locked and the much rosp nation, and y be Bho op Central built by and devola ona tabl irty ray, @ane, when i nies of country ; and be some- iovis, in Nicaragua, While [ was i ity of Was beld the foust of their potron gaint, St Ro sa rio ntered the churcb, a temporary buildiag, | GMb by Abe side of he came of tags aigMe 1g a fair eway of the removing, and | Ic ia a confused | this gilded doll po: | miles di | take her with me. our of the ame on shore with our ¢ clothes; We pawed one | eentine 3, but the second woald placed upon its head, Q bei dglory. Litt the 2 for ringing of I reioed up ed the ttor of cracked od up_my hor and wa2 so0u on the » wholo affair looked * represontation upon tho people by there upon such things visit of an angel, and beli y would upon tho actual reality, acd chat to make them attention an in passing through thei: towns, en y the rond side, you willsec rade oronees ere, to remind the passer by of ra- ligion. 1a almoxt every native buildiog you Will find @ rude cross over the docrway or hanging upon the wall, wich everand anon a coarsely paiated litho- graph of Christ upon the eross, the virgin Mary and chi'd, or come saint or apostle of the church. But enough of this and to my letter. ‘This being the time of an apnual city of San Miguel. fourteen leagues, or forty-two tant northwest of the port island, | doter- mined at once to visit that pluce. The city of Sia Miguel is the principal business depot for the sale of foreign merchandise, az well as of the products of the Stato. These fairs are held for the purpose of selling merchandi: ond purchasiog from the poo- plo their indigo, & The fair commenced oa the 17th instant, ond lasts from eight to ten days. There is generally a gathering of people from all poe ofthe State, and many from the neighboring State of Guatemala. Haviog my lady with mo, whom I met at Greytown, waither sho had come for tbat purpose from New York, I determined to For that purpose I provided two fine spirited borses; and ay the weather at midday istoo warm for travelling, we determiacd to staré at four in the morning, in company with two Eng- lish gentlemen going to the same'plaos. Having pro- vided mygel with tue horses, | supposed, of course, that I was in'a perfect fit out; bat what was my eur- prise in fudingmyself proveded with horses only, and no saddles or bridles. of a friend, I ascertained that it was expected all travellers in Central America would, as a mattor » held at ths | of course, bring with them ali their borse eqaipaga; thus. almost at the cloventh hour, I found myself in this predicament, andit was not until after running over the whole town of San Carlos, at quite late at Tight, that I succeeded in obtaining a saddio bere and a saddlo there, as well asa bridle bore and i » etirrup hore and e stirrup the diflerent places, w nm, and at last wo found in Con- a ride al! for we could neither und dus; bat he took po: D i 4 bis wish to faspoct plied with, and eff a few minutes in b he let us repack not allew us to him nor b of our carpe’ bi the conten opened them taking out cur co! them, and we p threo doors and no gtinnt ond being wit WO Chairs, Was aod of 4 in the our two Er ng in this cou 3 the roads ar - from San Carlos xen, on the puch their Teaw th r P . The people are d seem pleased to J was muchamused y to gota oes z, barefooted, uld approach oking up pitifully into my e smething in Spanish, which L under i, bot with his hands and could not mowsa endeavoring to remind me that 1 bad agt | over suiiciont | ‘Through the interprotation | lept upon a hide | nowt | company | i ofa fal a eee ee ee same sors, the anda ) taste, 3 upon Bs corporeal dovelopoments speak: | oF woather; while some who are very ueat, for foar 1g two words for and one for me. I put of soiling Shele. pants, roll them up above their him off with their characteristic, celebrated knees. other two sides of the are Ooom « tiempo,” or byo and which is celebrated | pied for stores and business purposes. among then when one is in . At last, about 1 took @ walk through the city, and obsorved eloven o'clock, we arrived at a small settlement, on | threo or four old churohes, fast going to ruin; also tho bank of a brook, which was more than half- | an old monastery, with its and buildings oi and sto; at a bash house, much to the | attached. It is oeoupied by natives, the mo: delight of our hombra. We gota chicken, or old | having long sineo left Te Religion in this country hen, cooked, which was brought in and set before | is bocoming much modernized, and the people are us in a calabazh; we brought out our stock of cak more liberal in their opinions. ‘They are Catholic, bread, cheese, and claret, and went at it in go but not of the extreme order. Thoy care but little earnest, mon our fingors in placa of knives and | about the Pope of Romo, and consier him some- forks, as such things aro scarcely known among | what of a humbug, believing their salvation to rest the common people, while all tho natives of the neighborhood, men, women, children, sud all, stood gazing at us, but moro erpovially at’ Mrs. A., to see if she actually did eat, and if so, how. After we had finisbed, our hombra came dancing ip, and the way chicken bonos, crackers, tortillas, &o, dissppeared, would have been @ caution to epicures; bis mouth worked so fast that both his hands were unable to sapply, the demand for more; at lest he paus.d, for the best of reasons, thero was nothing more to cat; he licked his chops, then his fingers, and reluctantly, with a sorrowful counte- nance, slowly loft the house. Ata M.,, we mounted our horses and pro- cecded en our way; Wo paszed more native huts natives, men avd women, on horses or mules. After crossing eeveral email brooks, late in the after- noon %8 came out upom the bank of tho river Rio Grande, which we forded, and found our- selves within two miles of the city. Tho balance of tho road was through & lovol, beautifal, cultiveted country. On either side, fields of corn ‘ar Cane Were growing, while groves of plan- in and bapanas were spreading their long broad s gracefully upon ail sides, with soattoring s of the orange, lime, and oocciput. Th whole country bears evideot marks of voloani@ eruption nical mountains are to be seon on all Ger, ag {nr as tho eye can roach, lifting their sharp the olonds. are of frequent ence throug narica. Tcould y realize the fact that I scarcely a8 travelling in the land of but when ned my oye: a | Little to my left, and < rd to the smoking peak of the volcano el, rising like a buge pyremid to the height of © 7,000 feet, [ could but realize the truth of my vision. The vol cano had beco in view du the entire distance from San.Carlos, aud it seemed wo were almost at ite base during tho efiernoon. ‘The last craption of this mouniais, of much importance, was eight Jears ago. Since then it has been inactive, until three years since, when it sgain broke out; from that time to within threo months it has been ina | tive. At this time it is again smoking; but as | yot there has been eruption, or any appearance of | fire. A stream of water burst out, a few weeks ogo, upon ite west side, which has formed a large Isgeon, but doing little damage. The inhabitants expect hourly an eruption or an earthquake. From almost apy nt youoan eee more than adezen extinot voloanoea, while the whole country is co- vered with volcanic matte . Just after the dark of | the evening we entered the city; the strects were thronged with natives; now and then a singlo lamp, hung upon a crane stuck in the side of the buiid ings, weuld throw its dim light about tho narrow | etreets, aud guide us on our way over the rough pavements. A fewsquares abead we saw the lights trom a bundred candies, and hurrying on, 6002 found ourselves at the grand plaza, inthe centre of the city of San Miguel. Tho wholo plaza was co- vered with rudo huts, built of small poles, placed upright, and covered with hides or canvass; the streets were thronged with people, and it was with | the greatest difficulty we could got along. Wo forced our way through the crowd; at last a sol- | dier placed his musket before us, and wo were com: | pelled to halt. There being no public housos, and £0 many people in the city, that almost every room was cocupicd, and being disappointed by not meet- ing with a Spanish acquaintance, who professed himself o friend, and promised to have a room pro- vided for us (which promiso, wo found, be never intended to fulfil), we were throwa entirely upon | tho By of our two ene friends for a | night’s lodgivg. After considerable persuasion with the coldier, he allowed us to pas:, but onl7 en cendition of all the men dismounting, and iead- | ing our horses, andthen Mrs. A. could ride. I had | been suffering allday with pain from a gore foot, and, when I dismounted, found I could scarcoly walk; but tho soldier's authority being positivo, I hobbled along over tho rugged pavements, and at last found ourselves in our friend’s spartments— | a single room at tho corner of a stroot and the para The room was hang full of hammocks, a young Muglisb geutloman, doing business in iua- ‘a; he nad taken about half 2 dozen houseless in with him, acd his room was fairly occa. if but he kindly furnished os with a bed, ora piace to ele back room, among saddles and horse trappi our Birst night in : 6h ofa roou oa aad no wisdows, ; but we were ms toMer. WH Ginto toe | streets, and found them © bad no other piace to sien of the pavemenis, indle and fo: | laying avhWert hth | the bu: mp and had taken p le, and wore t heads aginst the opposite side and from thsro juga and atifling d, but not to slesp. ower atone t, at every hour of tilten, and then comm % at four pt up the most dizcordant old cracked and tofa human broken bella | being to with tles, burg up, rer Cr that od ethe grea 1 rom 15,000 to 20,000 iat baze of the volcano o! adobe, one story iu from wh g outa ee wh h like tho tow bippers must sit, h stand upon tho 4 to the r nded clu gion wale portion to vation who'ly with them in attendance, ox ng men, d ularly emaller their dir heir heels, rg egeir ont, © from ® by at-too from a rmall snare drum, abou! the size ef a figdrum. Tho soldiers ay acmued With oid Glnt look muskets, with bare, than inthe morning, and met several parties of and, with their furniture and baggage, left but e | sinall vacant spaee; it had beon hired by Mr. H, | murelikea man | | with themeclver, without depending upon othor: except through or by the influence of tu cif officlating Dams, Min Ge sok Spon Anne hely.man, an capable of influenoo for their happiness in this world, aa well az that to como. ye Standing in the plaza one day, after the break- ing up of the fair, taking a view of the people, I observed two soldiers approach the church, and lace themselvos on each sido of the door. Soon a ox, Eomewhat like a portablo shower bath, maw its appearance, carried by four natives, the +e soldiers malin oneach side. As it entered tho piesa, the kettles began to ring, and the Oagle to low, and the drums to beat; off went their hats, and down went the people upon their Xieos until it had passed. Not being accustomed 40 such seones, I was of course curious to know what particular as sociatious wore connected with se portable bath looking machine that caused such a rattling of bells, kneeling, &o. Upon inquiry | asoortained that it contained their pedre, whom they wore carrying to his house. his, thought I, is ro- quiring much attention by a pricst of the humble religion of Chriat, yot it chowed their respect, aad tho Light ia which they look upon their padre But to tho fair. Tho plaza and streets wero turned into a rude bare These small buildings in the streets were built with sinall poles, driven | into the ground, and covered with hides or canvas. ‘The plaza wae like a labyrinth, and in cash sup rate hut wers displayed ali kinds of fo cbhundiee enitable for this market. , and drinkables. Women wor gets in hides, selling straw h whilo many were moving around in tho throug | their heads, cont es | while @ perfeot jam of natives | g and, making their purchases, or | pon tho scene. 6 weather was extromaly | fe was almost suffocating to move about his variegated aud motley group of dressed and undrested beings. Thero were vory few ar- native manufacture offered for salo, and air was wholly and solely for the sale of forcign merchandise in exchange for the products of the country, or for ore. The indigo manufas- | tured here is of enormous guantities, and suppligg | aimost wholly tho markets of Europe and tho | United States. The merchants assemble here | from different parts of Central America at this | time, to purchase goods, or indigo, or cochinoal. There is a large quantity of Mugtish goods in thia market, but trade this season has been exceedingly dull, owing in a great mcasure to tho b!oskade of | | this port @ year or two since, which was for the purpose of making tke governmené or individuals | pay thoir indebtedness te tho English, which so | excited the people that the merchants of the coun- | try ecnt for their own goods to foreign ports, thereby making the demand more limited, ond a larger supply on hand than for which there is de- mand, which of course would have a tendency to make goods lew. Several cargoes of English goods have been sent from La Union to other poits upon the Pacific, to find sale therefor, thus showing the bad pclicy of the interference of tho British govern- ment for what they term the British interest in Central America. A few more like movements b; the British government will show them that it is impolitio, and in direct opposition to the interests of British subjects doing business in Central Ame- rica. Almost every move they make is lessoning their influence, and lowering them in tho cstima- tion of the people. Already there is gown tho seeds of dislike and revenge; but the governmonts of Central America are weak and fooble, and com- pelled to yield to the strong and powerful in many things, }et thore is a limit beyond which it is not tafe to go. lhave not time to enter more into par-iculars, and in a lotter it would occupy too much spaco in your valuable Hzrai.p, yot much could be said upon the subject of British movements in Central America, which has been a themo of controversy for scme time, and is well understood by all who have paid any attention to these things for a few years past. But in travelling through the country, seeing and bearing these things, among and from the people themselves, we ascertain many facts as to their feelings and eontimonts, which cannot bo acquired otherwise. Suffice it to say, the people throughout Central America are not at heart friend!y to the English, aithough compolled under circumstances to sacrifice their feelings aud in- terests, and submit in their woaknoss, brought on by revolution and internal dissension, to injustice ard corgarable dewiands, compelled to be complied with } st powerf At this time revolu- ceased, and Contral America is quiet, kely to remain thus for any length of ‘be revolution in Nicaragua has passed 8, oat | g beside | or eatables, | ming U, quietly away in favor of the old goverament—the arms ammunition inthe poszession of General Munor having been delivered to tho government— ond bis agreement to lonye the State. In San Salvador ail is at peace, oxcept upon the subject of the election of a President, which takes place in a short time, the reenit of which, in favor of oither | one of those singular turns in the tide of the for. | world no seats, and | be bare | \ , iz not unlikely to raise a revolution by the party defeated In Guatemala all te quiet, and, under the edministration of Carrera, their President, who is characterized for his promptness and severityia the execution of his commands, itislikely to remain thus foratime The rise of Carrera, twelve years ego, from his humble station of a mule driver in the monntains, who could neither read nor write, to the command of an army, his dofeat of Ganoral foragen, and placing himeelfat the head of the goveroment of the State of Guatemala, which he ruled as dictator for three years; his entering into xico, caused by tho manifestation of dissatisfac- tion of his government; hia return to Guatimala ; bis being placed at the head of the army undera Vresident, who could do nothing without hia sano- n;: and finally, to his recent election, and some two woeks sinco taking bis station as Presidont, and | Commander in Chief cf the army of Guatemala, is fow individuals in the history of the | Lhave been conversing with » merchant rom Cgatemala, who informs me that Carrera is only man who could govern the Stato, and keep tin peace and quietnees. At this timo he is very ry, and is about tho only native in favor of gueta, with whom he encourages trade, and toaptests a desire for the sdvaneomeat and im- | provement of the people, in accordance with the tunes of a | attempted in neing spirit of the age. We can do but little g bis lifo-time, exe. ay the fon it wa avich, and od who is in ¢ in the city, w whore wo & own us by t am | iodeb , ed for little | jm the od bat country. ions, und heviag Te field, and rooeived writ ou of the spivit of in indivi comics aCg pleased him, oud a} ed Indy. For euch | | mon to visit forcign c # it must bo for the | benefit of bie own—end nugura well for the & He will have an opportunity of inspeoting vari eptigive of Wiudy, Hiawd by Oa Mucvdnog diddy ald. ht have been | ? a2 B, had an roemaalty fined of the inhabitants, ception, easy and affeble in thelr manners jon, ir and hospitable, As a matter of course, peaking of a people, by travelling through the as live upon the road sido in pigs, dogs, and goats, are not specimen of tho whole populat: Ly are to be stage het f nation, or comm them.’ We ehall loave, -2i8, city in e day or twe, returning to the port’! La Union. From thence we hall gail a shor istance up the const of Guate- mala, and frem -Hence to the islands of the South Pacific. You “8y expect a communication from some island /¢ the Pacific, or any other part of the lobe 1 may Visit. Wherever 1 go, meoting Li: f bh or «merican, boing anxions for nows, their first e»duiry is for the Henatp, which eoems to bo vniversally popular. It sounds strange to hear this eiquiry made for @ paper published so remote— moie especially when one is in the interior of a dis- tant land—yot it makes me feel at home, and oer- tainly is not a poor recommendation for it. Ire- gret exceedingly not having a supply on hand to accommodate the numereus applications. To those who have them, all | can say is, “pass thom round” With many apologies tor the length of thie letter, yet trusting it may bo acceptable, aud wishing bealth, bappineas, and prosperity to your: eelf, and tho readers of the Hexap MY ramet The Almanac of Algerian for 1832—The Colony As Lt Is. [rom the London Atheneum, Jan 3.} The Almanac for Algeria is a very me fact liitle werk, published under tho patronag: the Miristere do la Guerre, and with no preten- sions to any idea of its ow: ust euch an almanse as a Dictator would author read—if Psetoriuvs ever read. 1b contains wifacts, and still fower figar urcB are BUEgE things, @ far from being devoid of iat tiny volume i In tho cas lgeria, the first conclusion to, thanks to tbe figures of our littls books, is, that tho French aro not a oclonizing people. consider that a terrilory eq ip al to two-thirds of Frar nd presenting a lino of coast of 250 learuer, within three days’ voysge of the mo Jy, wt least, ua- der French occupation for upwards of twenty years, and that the Luropean population— exsiusive of the m even now, to little moro then i souls, we think there can be little doubt of this fuct. In spite of the woll founded repugnance of colonists of aj) nations to settle uader the pro- tection of a military government, wo think we may safely ffiim thet the Anglo-Saxon rage would have mads beticr use of tho Sppertaniiy. Tho sitprke inereases when we lock more closely into statistics. In thie ecanty population, the Froncs, as compared to other nations, figure in the proportion of fifty- two to forty-eight, or number something loss | than gixty-six thousand souls. Those who come next on the list are, as might bo ox- pected, the Spaniards—who may bo estimated at about thirty-two per cont of the European popu- lation; and then, in nearly equal numbers are tho Ttalians and Anglo Maltese. Each ef those latter countries is represented by upwards of seven thou- sand scula, and forms about 6ix percent ofthe total number of Europeans. >: ‘ i Naturally enough, ths three proviness into which Algoria is divided receive their imm‘grauts re- spectively from those countries which aro nearest to éach—the western province of Oran being the chiof | resort of Spanish colonists, while the Anglo-Malteso and Italians are to bo found principally in the pro- vincee of Algiers and Constantine. The English and the Irish elements can ecarcely be said to bo repre- sented—their joint numbers amounting to merely two bundred and twonty: one souls. Algeria, though divided, politically a peaking, into three provinces—Algeirs, Oran and Constan- tine— may bo said, in reality, to have boen divided by nature into two distinct zonea, running parallel to tho Mediterranean sca. To the north, the Tell (Tellus), with its fertile soil, fine forests, compara: tively abundant springs and mineral resources, would offer an incomparable field for induarey and wealth, if to all the blessings of nature could be added the still greater blessing of # good civil government. On the south, the Sa cele not quite realiz- ing the diemal pictures conjured up by tho name —is composed of desert tracts, with here and there a raro oasis—and is not likely to be ever tenanted but by the native tribes which form its tcanty population. Each of the three provinces includes a pertion of these two zonos—boing, as it were, sliecs in which the lean and the fat of the land are unequally distributed. It may, thorafore, be eafely prophesied that in duo time the provinco of Constaxtine, inwhich the Tell portion is equalto that of Oran and Algiers put together, will bothe most tempting field for agricultural settlers. For the present, the least fertile of the threo provin- ces affords sufficient scope for French colonization during many yea and it has been calculated that tweoty-two millions of inhabitants might be introduecd into Algeria without rendering its popu- lation proportionate to that of France. At the Great Exhibition of all nations, the products of Al geria there expoved, theugh not numerous, indicat- ed natural weaith which, rightly developed, would insure the prozperity of any colony. Some mineral specimens attracted especially the attention of the learned in such matters A work by M. Fournel, published in 1849 under the title of “Richesse Mi- néralo de Algérie,” gives a full and satisfactory account of his explorations undertaken by order of the French government to ascertain the mineralo- gical resources of Algeria. Something doubtless soust be abated from his report, whichis written with ell the enthusiaem of a discoverer—and there seems somo exaggeration in saying that the under ground conquest will be the only moans of achieving and consolidating the above-ground vic- tories. Nor do the manrers and habits of the Ka- byles—as far as our knowledge extends—seem to fit them eapecialiy, as has been advanced, for min- ing ccoupatiens. Still, there can be no doubt that the mineral riches of Algeria are both abundaat and varied. : e Ofthe government of Algeria there isa groat deal to be said great deal more than can be article apropos of an almanac. Opinions ate divided on that subjoot—as indeod on overy other—in l'rance: some strenuously advo- cating a complete assimilation of the colony to tho mother country, while others maintain that tho continuance of military tule is neceseary for the preservation ofthe conquest. Itis, perhaps, super- fluous to add, that the former opinion is that of civilians of all ciasece, and tho latter the view adopted by the military of all ranks, ‘I'he prosont mixed régime, intended to conciliate thes: i ly leaves tho suporior authority H t many of the regulations governn fion of municipalities throug) bave received no application, und have *, in fact, roe bi dadead letter. Novw ng the royal ptembor, 1 ero arc as yet x in Algeria— s Ie , Blidah, ¢ f atagan on ‘ing thet in ail go corded fe gotten; ar » Whieh stl exnl n of Egypt, and re js and Aboukir, has but fai ‘ego of Zaatcha or thet Of ber two Afr France eceme to have taken to her hevri the simile in defoat ay ot the ge perate condiiion, uce of thore “forty © 5 anya pride the Pyrew t the red were looking on. ‘The Algerian conqne Leen wantiog in that romantic interest and mys Ce he sympath' ug &® COMmpar 1d NO ef diaouse: gment ¢ 0 porilous « man has done bi corel has deverted liko Monou, 2 © tb and fnstautiy k led the care and the valing of tho bridge, and m from the latter by the pacing trnia which Ce ee A et Le ee en fhe Expedition to Cent Prom the London m,Jea 3) and letters bave jast been re- ceived from een Barth, Tbey rei despatched from Kuka on tho 2lst of August, later than the last oommunicuti the ordinary caravan, which is tho reason for thoir arriving se much later, comparatively. ‘The travellers, ever on tho alert to avail them- telves of favorable Speen for exploring unknown parts of the interior of Africa, were on the point of starting on a highly iatoresting journey to Borgu, @ mountainous country, lying e the eying ed of rane Taad, about Bey, oa @ Fo DF ype and never yet visited by aay European. ite ited by the Uelai Soliman —the well-known powerful Arab tribe who are in- timately allied with Borna. 1 so happens that the Sultan of Wadai, o large coustry to the east of Lake Tsad, lately died, und since his decease the whole country bas been involved in a civil war. The Velad Soliman are determined ta poet by this, and to invade the country; and undor thoir protection our travellers hops to oxplore Wadai, compricing the entire onstern sido of Lake Taad. ‘Tho projected (it is to be hoped by this time ae Pela ) journey to Borge is important in a fourtold light. First, tho expioration of this coan- try is in itself interesting; secondly, Borgu forms alink between the basin of Lake Tad aad that of the Nile, and tho observations of compstent tra- vellers extended thus for towards tho esstern part of Africa would seem to promise important resulta; thirdly, itis hoped that from Borgu, and under the protection of its people, Wadai end tha celo- rated babr cl Ghazal wili be ecovésibls to the tra- voilers, who hitherto, during their stay at Kaka, had seen ne prospect of entering that country from the wes'; lasdy, and thie, perhaps, is the most im- portant point, tho traveilers thus escape the daa- gers of passing the rainy serzon at Kaka, os was at first intended. Borgu ii mouxtainous, tha at- mospkere is said to be very pure, its numerous velloys are irrigated by p nial rivece, and aro extremely fertile in date tre **At all events,” adds Dr. Barth, ‘I hopo that tho puro eir, the olcar spring wator, and the dates and camels milk of Borgu will prove highly ro- \ avd will sirengthen ua for the sub- j y.” Tho Sheikh of B ed twenty Arabs expressly for tha purpose of ¢ sting the travellers gafe to Borgu, and has inthe kindest manuer recommended them to the ohiefs of that conutry. Dr. Barth estimates the distence at a month's merch, and the whole timo for this journoy will be at least three months. | After the cufe return of tho travellers, and their successful exploration of the eastern portion of that remarkable basin of Lake Tsad, thoy witl | direct all the'r evergies to the south | Asregards this last stego of thoir gigantic jour- | noy—namely, from Kuka to the sores of the | Indian Osean, whiod is ost imporiaab as woll | as prove ult portion Of it— Barth believes, from # mass of inturmation rospoot- | ing the intervening regions whioh he has already collected, that a more eoutherly routs, ia the | direction or Lake Nyassi, will be much more prac- | ticable than a straight line to Mombas, one boating of about southeast. Tho information collected ro- | specting tho Nyassi line indioates many poworfat Kingdoms sanrely: peopled, interseoted by nume- | rous rivers, very fertile, and abounding in forests. | Let us pause to consider for a moment the re- sults already gained by the cxortions of two tra- vellers who began their work without noise or assumption, and who consider Lake Tead ouly as the commescoment of their more important labors. From a smal! map which I have constructed for the Journal of the Royal Geographical Society, the extent of their exploratious and dizcoveries may be seen ata glance. Tho routes already performed amount, at a rough estimate, to 3,700 geozraphical miles, and tho itineraries sent home by Dr. Barth, form a network which covers the Boner portion of Northern Africa. Nor would it be right to moa sure their investigations by mere distances; for it must be borne in mind that up to this timo—exoept within the countries in the vicinity of the sea- shore—the entiro continent of Africa, betweon Tripoli and the Cape Colony, and betwoon the Nile and the lower course of the Kawara, does not present a single point tho position of which had been determined with any degree of accuracy. Our maps of the moon are, in fast, more correct acd complete than those of tho interior of Africa. The positions of Lyon, Denham, and Clapperton, are merely approximations to the trath, Rpaee larly their determinations of longitudes. ith re- spect to the astronomical observations, Barth and ouly tea days at came with | Bequ were prea instructed by Prof. Encke, of the Roysl Observatory at Berlin, in their use. None of these obgervations (eave the latitude of T'in-Tellust) have as yet been sont home; but Dr. Overweg in- formed me in his last letter that tho wholo of his astronomical, as well as by sometrical and moteo~ ological observations, will be sent to Iarope pre- viously to their leaving Bornu. Dr. Overwog is aleo the first geologist who has visited thoge regions. Within only three or four menths afcer their arri- | valat Kuka the travellers had already snocossfully navigated Lake T=ad, and penetrated 450 miles to | the south; while Denham, during hia stey of seven- teen months at that place, failed in accomplisaing either of these desiderata. Next May cr June, whon the travellers intend to depart from Lake Tsad to tho south, they will have devoted two years and a half to tleir under- takirg ; and two yearsmore are considered necos- sary for accomplishing the second ite of their jour- ney. The funds at their command for this journey, | of from four to five years, aro indoed very inade- | quate. Having now received the whole of the sum | originally gran:ed by the English gsvernment— Balak of a few hundred pounds—and well nigh exhausted their own private means, their ehief re- sourecs are £200, which are to be at their dispozal only when reaching the shore of the Indian ocean. It is to be hoped that the genorosity of tho F lish government will not let these brave follows drop, and that some succor will be seat out goon enough to reach them bofore their departure from Lake Tead. Musicel and Dramatic Gossip Abroad. (From the London Atheneum, Jan. 3) | Her Majesty, with whom it appears habitual to command a musical performance ofsome im portanca on New Year's Day, has opened 1852 with Mondels- sobn’s music to the “(idiphus.” Oa the camo dey, at the grand ceremonial got upin Notro Dame de Peris, to signaiize the re election of the Pre: dent, was revived come of Lesuour’s church musi written for tho coronation of the origiaal Napoleon. Mr. Hullab’s monthly concerte this yesr will be four in number; to be hold on the third Wedaes- day of their rerpective months. Tho first wilt bo given on the 2lst inst. “Tae following entire worke,” rays the programme, “will bo performed, in the courte of the season for tho first time at the: Bandel’s cantata, * Aloxandor’s Feast ;’ Festival Anthem, ‘Let Ged ariso:’ a new by Mr. Macfarren; and Mea- ?salm.” ragedy of «) oth” noth” was g Lady jon of the n'a host, ' dof hor Mr. Anderzon’s Mae his delivery painfally dat tho Prin- a inju igious. wrerque, bus monotenons On Tuesday, Mr a the ps Keon appeare 1 things of 1851, of Miss Rosetta 1 bo presumed, & ° Seppho"), and Mr. J. F King’s scholarships in our Royal wy of Me Tho anpoaray ce of Madame Tedoseo as Fidos tn “Lo Prophete,”* stems nos to have been suecossful. ti is said that the rate of taxation of the Parisian theatrer, in aid of th + may be reduced from eleven to three per cc Sqguer Verdi is now ig Paris. Thither, too, hes come Signor Sarmiento, one of tho minor Italian muestr?, with the hope o i 0 of his operas. New eperas by MM. danx, Bazir, and Grisar, are said to havo been accepted at the Opéra Comique. Herr Dehn, curator of the wusisal portion of the Royal Librery at Borlin, who haa been deputed by bis’ government to cxamine inte the stores of turic in Pruseia, has boen, apparently, very successful in his researches in Silesia: having there discovered, say the journals, ‘ upwards of fours teen hundred unknow compositions, dating as far | back os the thirteenth century.” A young Swedish 1 le. Ebeling, whom wo have more than joned a8 a possible rival to Malle. Jenay fow days rineo at Uorlin, on the vory a onthe stage, Dr. Rum tho same capital, at an , be chiefly romem- orld, as having oosupied and honorably hold by mo Sontage stable tmpred- composers We may mention ty namoy aro How to us a ner, recently prod: monic Socicty of / | New Year's paragraph of Gorman mt 1m Overweg are well supplied with instruments, and _