tation of his nerves, entirely missed him. The lion, however, did not even deign to notice the report of the gun, but kept fast hold of his prey. The Hottentot reloaded, fired a second time, and missed ; reloaded again, and shot him through the head. This fact, being well authenticated, seemed to me curious, and worthy of being mentioned."

In the Appendix are inserted some anecdotes of the lordly Brute, collected by the author's friend; the most remarkable of which are those which show the impression sometimes made on him by the human countenance. Diederik Miller, one of the most intrepid and successful lion hunters in South Africa, had once been out,

"Hunting in the wilds, when he came suddenly upon a lion, which, instead of giving way, seemed disposed, from the angry attitude he assumed, to dispute with him the dominion of the desert. Diederik instantly alighted, and confident of his unerring aim, levelled his mighty roer at the forehead of the lion, who was couched in the act to spring, within fifteen paces of him: but at the moment the hunter fired, his horse, whose bridle was round his arm, started back, and caused him to miss. The lion bounded forward-but stopped within a few paces, confronting Diederik,-who stood defenceless, his gun discharged, and his horse running off. The man and the beast stood looking each other in the face, for a short space. At length the lion moved backward, as if to go away. Diederik began to load his gun; the lion looked over his shoulder, growled, and returned. Diederik stood still. The lion again moved cautiously off; and the boor proceeded to load, and ram down his bullet. The lion again looked back, and growled angrily and this occurred repeatedly, until the animal had got off to some distance,-when he took fairly to his heels, and bounded away.'

"Gert Schepers, a Vee-Boor of the Cradock District, was less fortunate in an encounter with a South African lion. Gert was out hunting in company with a neighbour,-whose name, as he is yet alive, and has perhaps been sufficiently punished, I shall not make more notorious. Coming to a fountain, surrounded, as is common, with tall reeds and rushes, Gert handed his gun to his comrade, and alighted to search for water. But he no sooner approached the fountain, than an enormous lion started up close at his side, and seized him by the left arm. The man, though taken by surprise, stood stock still without struggling, aware that the least attempt to escape would ensure his instant destruction. The animal also remained motionless, holding fast the boor's arm in his fangs, but without biting it severely,-and shutting his eyes at the same time, as if he could not withstand the countenance of his victim. As they stood in this position, Gert, collecting his presence of mind, began to beckon to his comrade to advance and shoot the lion in the forehead. This might have been easily effected, as the animal not only continued still with closed eyes, but Gert's body concealed from his notice any object advancing in front of him. But the fellow was a vile poltroon, and in place of complying with his friend's directions, or making any other attempt to save him, he began cautiously to retreat to the top of a neighbouring rock. Gert continued earnestly to beckon for assistance for a long time, the lion continuing perfectly quiet and the lion hunters affirm, that if he had but persevered a little longer, the animal would have at length relaxed his hold, and left him uninjured. Such cases at least, they maintain, have occasionally occurred. But Gert, indignant at the pusillanimity of his comrade, and losing patience with the lion, at last drew his knife, (a weapon which every back-country colonist wears sheathed at his side,) and with the utmost force of his right arm, plunged it into the animal's breast. The thrust was a deadly one, for Gert was a bold and powerful man; but it did not prove effectual in time to save his own life,-for the enraged savage, striving to grapple with him, and held at arm's length by the utmost efforts of Gert's strength and desperation, so dreadfully lacerated the breast and arms of the unfortunate man with his talons, that his bare bones were laid open.

The lion fell at last, from loss of blood, and Gert fell along with him. The cowardly companion, who had witnessed this fearful struggle from the rock, now, however, took courage to advance, and succeeded in carrying his mangled friend to the nearest house,-where such surgical aid as the neighbours could give, was immediately, but vainly applied. Poor Gert expired, on the third day after, of a locked-jaw."

On the whole, we sincerely recommend Mr. Thompson's nar rative to that class of readers, and it is not a small one, who are fond of books of travels; and we can assure them that it may be read from beginning to end without incredulity or discontent.

ART. VII.-Personal Sketches of His Own Times. By SIR JONAH BARRINGTON, Judge of the High Court of Admiralty in Ireland, &c. &c. &c. 2 vols. 8vo. London: 1827.

Ir may be positively stated, that there is no country in which Americans in general feel so much interest as Ireland; and that, individually, no persons of foreign birth take so strong and lasting a hold of their affections as Irishmen. The causes of this superior concern and predilection are easily discovered, in the ties of consanguinity; political sympathies; the numbers of the sons of Erin who are incorporated with our society; the services which they have rendered to the Republic, and the excellent traits and racy peculiarities of their character. Ireland was never regarded here as part of the mother country, in relation to us: with her, we have never had a political quarrel;. but, on the contrary, when we deemed ourselves oppressed or injured by England, we have ever viewed the Irish in the light of fellowsufferers, themselves detesting the yoke which we were successfully endeavouring to throw off; ready to condole with us in our disasters, and rejoice with us in our prosperity; and even anxious to contend, if it were possible, on our side, against the royal decree, or royal standard.

It cannot perhaps be said, that the mass of the Hibernians are either monarchists or republicans; comparatively few of them being so educated or circumstanced, as to entertain any specific theory of government: this, however, is certain, that no people of Europe are less attached to the kingly system, and that their situation for several centuries has directly tended to disgust them with it in all its details. We may claim the largest portion of the enlightened, as republicans in heart and principle; and we know the unequalled facility, earnestness, and efficiency, with which, when they emigrate to us, they adopt and imbibe our republican spirit and creed, and wed and mould themselves to our institutions and habits. Personally, they win our confidence and affection,

sooner and more entirely than the English or Scotch, whether from the circumstances which have been noted, or the greater warmth and cohesiveness of their natures, and the frankness and cordiality of their manner. Far be it from us to disparage or underrate the others, either in a social or political sense; we barely notice a fact, within the experience of almost every adult American:all citizens, or residents, of foreign birth, have it in their power to identify themselves here with the natives, in every relation of life; and those, especially, who speak the same language with ourselves, and with whom we trace a common descent. But, while the Briton remains in some degree attached to the institutions of his original country, and in many instances designs or would prefer to return to it and his allegiance, the Irishman, almost universally, looks back upon the government and general condition of Ireland, not with regret or admiration, but with utter aversion and shame-and considers himself as for ever separated from them, and indissolubly joined in an order of things which he loves, and under which he can flourish, whatever may be his religious creed, or however humble his calling.

In noticing the force of what we may call Irish attraction, some part, undoubtedly, is to be ascribed to the oddities and eccentricities by which the nation is distinguished. Even the English or American traveller in Ireland finds more that strikes him as singular and peculiar, whimsical and piquant, than among any other people whom he may have surveyed. We can state this to have been the case with ourselves, during a personal observation of some months, which included several of the principal cities and counties of the island. If we had enjoyed no previous acquaintance or connexion with individuals from that meridian, we should still have received, while there, indelible impressions of wonder, regard, admiration, pity, mirth-all strangely blended, and adapted to perpetuate in our minds that lively concern for Irish welfare, and keen appetite for Irish anecdote, which prevail so generally in these Ünited States. The lettered American is affected, too, by more than their extraordinary moral qualities and natural intellectual endowments: he thinks of the works and reputation of their Steeles, their Swifts, their Berkleys, their Burkes, their Sheridans, their Grattans, their Currans, their Moores.

The books which have been published respecting Ireland by English tourists, are sufficiently numerous; and though, for the most part, suspicious as to the colouring, if not as to much of the narrative and opinion, they furnish a great deal of what is accurate, with regard to external appearances and general condition and habits. Until of late years, few Irish authors undertook to paint their own country in detail; now, there is a large indigenous fund, of description, anecdote, stricture, fact, and specula

tion: we need mention only the massive quartos of Wakefield, the writings of Miss Edgeworth, and the several series of such productions as the Tales of the O'Hara Family.

Of all the books of this kind which have fallen into our hands, the most entertaining, and we may add, the most instructive, are the volumes, the title of which we have placed at the head of this article, and from which we mean to draw as copiously as we can, consistently with our limits. In using the term instructive, we do not refer to statistical knowledge or political philosophy; but to varied and vivid illustration of peculiar customs, faculties, and propensities; and to the ample and graphic delineation of conspicuous men, by which the structure of society, the springs of public action, and the operation of characteristic virtues and vices, are clearly and amusingly displayed. Sir Jonah Barrington, our author, is at present Judge of the High Court of Admiralty in Ireland; his Sketches are dedicated to the Chief Justice of that country, as his particular friend; he boasts an opulent and honourable lineage; he was a lawyer of eminence, a king's counsel, a prominent member of the Irish Parliament, and throughout the greater part of his life of "sixty solar revolutions," held familiar intercourse with the haut ton of the sister kingdoms in both. politics and fashion. He seems to have professed and exercised loyalty to the British government from an early period; always strenuously co-operating with the ministry, until the epoch of the Union; when, angry with that measure, he ceased to be subservient, and became not absolutely an antagonist, but something of a frondeur-a free critic. Neither his old enemies of the Opposition, nor his old friends of the ministeral ranks, gave him credit, however, for superabundant principle in any phasis: and we must confess, that we did not rise from the perusal of his volumes, with much respect for the career or dispositions of the man. He falls into frequent and gross egotism; writes of suicides, duels, and other modish crimes, with extreme indifference or levity; often indulges his political and personal resentments, and totally disregards the annoyance which many of his stories must occasion to the unoffending relatives and friends of the individuals who are the subjects of them. Several of his anecdotes and pictures, are nearly, if not utterly incredible, although it seems almost impossible that he should have sent them forth without a direct knowledge, or thorough conviction, of their authenticity. He himself terms his Sketches a singular medley, and remarks, in explanation of the prodigious anomalies which he records:"there is something so very different from other people in every deed or word of the unsophisticated Irish, that, in fact, one has no right to be surprised, whatever scenes may by them be acted." And again he says—

"In travelling through Ireland, a stranger is very frequently puzzled by the singular ways, and especially the idiomatic equivocations, characteristic of every Irish peasant. Some years back more particularly, these men were certainly originals quite unlike any other people whatever. Many an hour of curious entertainment has been afforded me by their eccentricities; yet, though always fond of prying into the remote sources of these national peculiarities, I must frankly confess that with all my pains, I never was able to develop half of them, except by one sweeping observation; namely, that the brains and tongues of the Irish, are somehow differently formed or furnished, from those of other people." This is candid enough, but it must not be received in an invidious sense; any more than our own reference to that fantastic particularity of character, with which are associated so many of the finest qualities of the head and the heart. Our author calls Miss Edgeworth's Castle Rackrent, "an admirable sketch, and a faithful picture of Irish nature, under the circumstances which she has selected." We may presume, that from the partial alteration of circumstances, the picture does not altogether suit the present time; just as some of Sir Jonah's own sketches of things during his boyhood must be considered as faithful, only to the past, or, in themselves, instances of the richest exaggeration. His first sixty or seventy pages are allotted to his "family connexions" and his early education-topics which include, of course, a variety of pleasant incidents and pictures. He was adopted, as soon as he was born, by his grandfather, an Irish country gentleman of the old school, in whose mansion of "Cullenaghmore" he resided nine years, learning legendary tales as repeated by the "old people," and, when he could read, poring over Gulliver's Travels, Robinson Crusoe, and the History of the Bible-books which, along with a very few others that he enumerates, then composed the whole library of an Irish squire of high degree. A part of the manners of the day is thus illustrated :

"I have heard it often said that, at the time I speak of, every estated gentleman in the Queen's County was honoured by the gout. I have since considered that its extraordinary prevalence was not difficult to be accounted for, by the disproportionate quantity of acid contained in their seductive beverage, called rumshrub-which was then universally drunk in quantities nearly incredible, generally from supper-time till morning, by all country gentlemen, as they said, to keep

down their claret.

"My grandfather could not refrain, and therefore he suffered well:-he piqued himself on procuring, through the interest of Batty Lodge, (a follower of the family who had married a Dublin grocer's widow,) the very first importation of oranges and lemons to the Irish capital every season. Horse-loads of these, packed in boxes, were immediately sent to the Great House of Cullenaghimore; and no sooner did they arrive, than the good news of fresh fruit was communicated to the Colonel's neighbouring friends, accompanied by the usual invitation.

"Night after night the revel afforded uninterrupted pleasure to the joyous gentry: the festivity being subsequently renewed at some other mansion, till the Gout thought proper to put the whole party hors de combat; having the satisfaction of making cripples for a few months such as he did not kill.

"Whilst the convivials bellowed with only toe or finger agonies, it was a mere bagatelle; but when Mr. Gout marched up the country, and invaded the head or the stomach, it was then called no joke; and Drogheda usquebaugh, the hottestdistilled drinkable liquor ever invented, was applied to for aid, and generally VOL. II.-No. 3.

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