ble condition of the streets of that city, and had a strong desire if possible to improve them. Having heard from some volunteers who had returned from the Texas revolution that a quantity of asphaltum could be easily procured upon the coast of the Republic, in the fall of 1837 I sailed for Texas; my object, among others, being to procure a return cargo for the vessel of the bituminous substance of which I had heard, with a view of improving therewith the streets of New-Orleans. Upon this subject I had already communicated with Mr. ELLSWORTH at Washington. On examination, I found that the 'chickatey,' so-called, was too scarce at that part of the coast to make its acquisition an object; I therefore abandoned the project altogether; but the fact of its being there at all, set me to thinking as to its origin and source; and after various conversations with sea-faring men, during the past ten years, I thought of transferring my thoughts from my mind to some journal, and the result is the article I send you.' We commend the paper to the heedful consideration of our readers. It may not be improper to remark here, that Mr. STUART has a facile pen in other departments than that of scientific research. Among several manuscript poems of his, which we have been favored with permission to read, and which we trust may find the light' before long, is one upon observing the Duke of WELLINGTON contemplating NAPOLEON's statue at Kensington Palace, London; 'moveless, gazing steadfastly on the face for several minutes, with his arms folded, in deep meditation.' Mr. PERRY, although but a boy, was at the Battle of Waterloo; having accompanied an uncle, an officer in one of the Irish brigades, who found in vain all attempts to thwart his youthful purpose. As to the coup-d'œil, Mr. PERRY says:

6

yet he distinctly remembers seeing through the dim curtain of smoke the squares of English infantry steadily resisting the waves of French cavalry that rolled on to break against and overwhelm them; the serried walls of men ripped up by cannonry, and yet amid the pelting of that iron tempest' standing firm in unbroken recruited ranks. At the time the left wing gave way, in front of La Haye Sante, a cuirassier made a lunge at young PERRY; but an Irish dragoon, who interposed, administered the fatal 'six' upon his casque, and he fell dead upon the ground. These were stirring scenes for a boy to witness, and they can never be blotted from his memory. . . . We take leave to disagree entirely with the writer of the paper on The equality of Human Intellect.' His is the same doctrine with that of the 'Learned Blacksmith,' (so called because he had acquired many languages, without the ability to pronounce any of them correctly, not even his own vernacular,) which was successfully combatted and controverted in the KNICKERBOCKER. The difference between men in an intellectual point of view' is not owing to an inequality of advantages and culture.' How many collegestudents' gang in stirks and come out asses!' Does 'B.' know any friend of his who would make a SHAKSPEARE, a NEWTON, or a MILTON? As easy might an acorn, by favorable or unfavorable circumstances, be nursed into an oak, or an oak into a cabbage, or the cabbage-seed into an oak.' 'B.'s argument is worse than that of Baron VON DULLBRAINZ before the Mudfog Association:' 'I shall show you,' he said, 'dat de t'ings dat is made is more superior dan de maker, so great is de intellects. Par examp.: I make de veel of de coach; yaäs, and dat veel roll hunder' mile, and I cannot roll one! I make de big tub for de cellar; it shall hold t'ousand gallons wine; but I cannot myself hold more as fives bottel!' Equality of usefulness in one's appropriate sphere

may perhaps in the main be conceded; but we know no better evidence of the inequality of mind than is afforded by a writer who contends that all men are equally intellectually gifted. . . . WE scarcely know any thing in any language more irresistibly touching than the last aspiration of the deceived, distracted, heart-broken MARGARET, in the closing scene of GOETHE'S 'Faust.' FAUST visits her in a dark dungeon; she hears his voice at length, and well she knows the sweet loving tone;' and holding once again his hand, that dear hand,' she tells him: 'I have killed my mother, I have drowned my child! I will describe the graves to you. You must see to them the first thing to-morrow. Give my mother the best place; my brother close by; me a little on one side-only not too far off! And the little one on my right breast; no one else will lie by me? To nestle to thy side- - that was a sweet, a dear delight; but it will never be mine again!' Loving, trusting, confiding, even to the last sad hour!... A FRIEND of ours, travelling recently by public sleigh from Newburgh to New-York, seeing that no amount of flagellation which the driver could inflict upon one of his team, could make the animal increase his pace through the creaking snow-path, proposed that he should be treated.' To that end, at the first stoppingplace a pint of whiskey was poured down the animal's throat. The horse shook his head at such treatment;' but presently he started off at a high speed, which he kept for twelve miles without abatement. The driver was delighted: 'I would n't ha' thunk it,' said he. It's the first time I ever see the influence of moral suasion tried onto a horse! It beats whippin,' all to nothin'!'... THANK you, kind congenial M; thank you! We wish we could leave our labors for a fortnight, and ply the hook in the streams that have their source in the Alps of the Empire State.' But since that is quite too much to hope for, let us make the offer to more fortunate lovers of the rod. Gentlemen:

'OLD Kaättskill holds the cataract

Among his mountains steep,

With streaming rills and sleeping pools,
Where trout and pickerel leap;

Then mount the line, my gallant hearts!
The hills are clear of snow;

Fling your bait soon and late,

While the Spring's fresh breezes blow!'

THE 'science of accumulation' is after all no great mystery. Mr. JOHN JACOB ASTOR has been heard to say, that the first thousand dollars he ever had were of more importance to his accumulative efforts than any subsequent acquisition. We thought of this remark just now, on seeing Young KNICK.' winding up his kite-string. It was very slow and difficult work with a small nucleus, but when the ball became larger, he gathered the line in long reaches, that soon swallowed it up. To be sure, the paper-bird may be so large as to take up the ball itself; but that is a natural result of careless 'kiting.' SOME Lines,' justly complimentary to the author of 'Songs of our Land,' (our fair and gifted countrywoman, and always welcome correspondent, Mrs. M. E. HEWITT,) from the pen of the clever author of Rome as seen by a New-Yorker,' were carelessly detached from the scrap of 'copy' upon which the piece was fastened, and have thus been lost. . . . TALK of permanent ' repudiation' any where in these states! We have just heard, through an esteemed friend in Alabama, that the ladies of that state have resolved to refrain from wearing silk dresses; and the money thus saved by each lady is to be paid into the state treasury, toward the payment of the annual interest on the state debt. Twenty thousand ladies will thus contribute, and most liberally, to sustain the credit of the state.

All honor to them!' exclaims the KNICKERBOCKER. AN amusing incident is pleasantly recorded in the following passage from a letter of a 'down-east' correspondent: 'SANCHO PANZA says, 'Blessed is the man that first invented sleep.' I do not say, 'Cursed is the man who first invented straps on pantaloons;' but I do say, 'Blessed is the man that first abolished their use.' In how many awkward predicaments have they not been the cause of placing us! How much more free! how much more comfortable! how much more natural, to dispense with these pulling, knee-irritating monstrosities! Is it not enough that we have 'suspenders,' or ' gallowses' as our juvenile nomenclature used to have it—and a very suitable name it was, by the way—to bind us down to earth with the pressure of the night-mare, but we must also have the upward pressure of the foot-straps, both drawing us together with the power of a twenty-horse hydraulic press! I rebel. For one, I have dispensed with both straps and suspenders; and I address you, Mr. KNICKERBOCKER, as a man of plain common sense, discretion and age, to do likewise. But all this is not furthering the object of my writing to you on the present occasion.' I wish to tell you of an incident that occurred to me some time since, when coming from Halifax to Boston, on board the packet brig A- -. It was all owing to those unhappy straps! One of my fellow-passengers was a fat old lady, who suffered very much from sea-sickness. More than twenty times in the day the old woman would put the good-nature of the steward, who was a jolly Irishman, to the test, by wishing to be lugged upon deck, and then below again; insomuch that they used to call her 'Mrs. TEE-TO-TUM. Sometimes she longed to recline on the deck; but then it was cold, and she had nothing to wrap herself up with. I made myself a great favorite with her by spreading out my buffalo-robe and 'tucking her up' with my cloak. You have no doubt been to sea, and are acquainted with the exceedingly easy toilets that gentlemen and ladies make (and unmake) on ship-board. Following the general practice, I usually, in pulling off my 'fie-forshames,' hung them up to the ceiling of the state-room, opposite the door, with my boots dangling in them. The old lady's berth was immediately opposite mine; and one morning she woke much earlier than usual, having been prevented from sleeping by certain 'serious qualms.' The doors of both our state-rooms happened to be wide open, and Mrs. TEE-TO-TUM, casting her eyes over toward mine, saw a sight which would have made each particular hair to stand on end' if she had had any of her own. She shrieked out at the top of her voice: 'Oh, GOD! Oh, LORD! Oh, LORD! Captain! Steward! Mate! Oh, LORD! Oh! Mr. W- has hung himself! He's dead! he's dead!' Out rushed the passengers from every berth, and down tumbled the whole ship's crew; and such another peal of laughter the broad Atlantic never before echoed. And all this was caused by my boots dangling in those pantaloons by their unfortunate straps! We deeply regret to hear of the death of Mr. E. W. HOSKIN, so long connected with the Courier and Enquirer' daily newspaper, and subsequently with the 'Albion' weekly journal. The French 'Courier des Etats Unis' was also planned, established, and for some time conducted by him. We have known Mr. HoSKIN for many years; and always as an amiable, intelligent, and most excellent gentlemen. It seems but a day since we were walking in the street with him, and he was describing to us the character of the first novel ever translated from the Dutch in America, 'The Adopted Son' of LENNEP, subsequently published, and noticed in these pages. Mr. HOSKIN's demise will be lamented by a wide circle of friends. . 'The Old Beech Tree' is a goodsome piece of

verse, so far as the sentiment is concerned; but it lacks skill and melody in the versification. The writer must try again. THE DOCTOR's idea went somewhat farther than 'C.' supposes. His sexual distinction of words embraced quite a list, among which we remember he-pistle and she-pistle, he-cups and she-cups. Perhaps ' phonography' might obviate the necessity of these distinctions.. MRS. G. W. CUTTER, formerly the distinguished Mrs. DRAKE, of the southern and western theatres, and now the wife of a galiant officer, who, with her eldest son, is engaged in fighting the battles of his country at the seat of war, is about putting to press a volume of her husband's poetry, for which nearly fifteen hundred subscribers are already obtained. Captain CUTTER is a true poet. 'Blackwood' has well said of his Song of Steam' that it could never die while steam existed. Many of his patriotic and truly American lyrics, however, are in no respect inferior to this highly imaginative and original effusion. We trust that Mrs. CUTTER's success in this city will be commensurate with the merits of her gifted husband.. SOMEBODY is claiming for the author of Puffer Hopkins,' in the pages of a contemporary, great credit for 'his articles' in the KNICKERBOCKER!' Bless us! He had two scrappish things in its pages, 'John Smith, Loafer,' and a kindred sketch, some twelve years ago, rendered admissible by the curtailments and emendations of the EDITOR hereof, and inserted as a personal favor to a friend, now deceased, (J. G.,) whose letters, accompanying the articles, are still extant. So far as the KNICKERBOCKER is concerned, the head and front of 'PUFFER HOPKINS' offending hath this extent -no more; although applications to enhance that extent' were by no means wanting. . . . FORREST, our distinguished tragedian, has been playing an excellent engagement at the Park Theatre, and his second' has been Mr. GEORGE JAMIESON, who has won new laurels by his admirable personations. . . . DID you ever meet BILL WARREN,' writes a correspondent at Buffalo, the son of WARREN, the FALSTAFF?' 'BILL' is enormous as a wit, without any pertness or impudence. His puns are always capital, and some of his stage witticisms, in which however he seldom indulges, are very fair. I recollect hearing or seeing him do RICHARD.' This morning, my lord, I found this paper,' etc.,' said CATESBY. Ah! indeed,' replied BILL;' the morning paper, probably!' He was standing on the steps of the Pittsburgh theatre, on the evening of the introduction of gas into that dingy town, and the bills were plastered over with the word

GAS!' in the largest possible Gothic and black letters. Somebody was passing at the time, and casually asked, 'Who plays Gas?'' 'PIPES,' replied 'BILL,' with ready promptitude; cast for it, at all events,' pointing to a heap of them on the side-walk.'. . . THE number of the fifth volume of the KNICKERBOCKER, which is wanted by our American friend G in London, cannot be obtained here. The bound volumes of this Magazine, however, complete from the commencement, he will find in the library-department of the British Museum, for which vast repository they were ordered some time ago. . . THE reform in hereditary law-mystification, which the KNICKERBOCKER has so often advocated, is about to be accomplished. It has at last been found that laws, as MEPHISTOPHILES says in 'Faust,' like an inveterate hereditary disease, trail from generation to generation; they glide imperceptibly from place to place, until that which might once have been reason becomes nonsense.' . . THERE will be 'admiring eyes wide opened' at our next number. The following articles are filed for immediate insertion: Jack Hilton's Nuptials; 'Thirty Years Lost,' from our Eastern correspondent; 'Love and Letters;' 'The Oregon Trail; The Egyptian Letters;' The Enamel of the Heart;' Angel-Love ;' 'Ingle-side Chat;' A Health,' etc.

VOL. XXIX.

50

LITERARY RECORD.We can do little more than indicate by their titles, and a word or two of comment, the prominent characteristics of the publications mentioned below. To some of them we hope to refer more particularly hereafter, when leisure and space shall better serve. WASHINGTON IRVING'S Life and Voyages of Columbus,' abridged by Mr. IRVING, and just published by the HARPERS, is a work that needs only to be announced. We do n't'gild refined gold' or 'paint the lily." The volume is embellished with a portrait, map, and other illustrations, and beside the 'Life and Voyages,' contains a delightful description of the author's visit to Palos, in Andalusia, (whence CoLUMBUS sailed for the discovery of the new world,) a very pretty view of which is given. Scenes in Nature, or Conversations for Children on Land and Water,' by the same publishers, is an instructive and entertaining little work, by Mrs. MARCET, who is favorably known by her excellent work, entitled 'Conversations on Chemistry.' She has learned the rare art of mingling in equal parts information and amusement. The Fireside Friend, or Female Student,' is the title of a volume from the same press, containing advice to young women on the important subject of education, by Mrs. PHELPS, late of the Troy Female Seminary. Two valuable works of the HARPERS', also, are 'Zumpt's Latin School Grammar,' translated by the Rector of the High-School of Edinburgh, and corrected and enlarged by Professor ANTHON, of Columbia College, and ‘Russell's Juvenile Speaker," comprising elementary rules and exercises in declamation, with a copious selection of pieces for practice. The HARPERS give us likewise another of the never-ending JAMES-romances. It begins with the old story. There is a forest, a storm, dark masses of clouds;' and a stalwart youth of twenty-five might have been seen' again, 'taking his way silently through the forest,' at one o'clock in the morning! We have also from the same press, ' Hallam's Constitutional History of England,” from the fifth London edition, (a sufficiently pregnant fact;) 'Great Events, described by distinguished Historians, Chroniclers,' etc., from the capable pen of Dr. FRANCIS LIEBER; 'Dr. Aikin's Juvenile Budget Re-opened;' and Number Twenty of that beautiful and most attractive serial, profusely and elegantly illustrated, the 'Pictorial History of England.' · MESSRS. APPLETON AND COMPANY are doing good service to the public in the excellent books of instruction which they are putting forth: 'Callot's French Reading-Book' is an invaluable auxiliary to the student of French. The selections are from the best dramatic authors of France; the language is easy, and the dialogue form comes greatly in aid of the colloquial practice of the reader. The Fairy Bower, or the History of a Month,' from the third English edition, is a charming little work, which introduces young persons to those scenes and situations of life which are their actual sphere and trial. HAZLITT'S translation of Michelet's History of the Roman Republic' is a work replete with erudition, and evinces a deep knowledge of human character. It is rich in philosophical reflection, and the style is true to the dignity of history.' • We have a well-printed volume in sober drab from our friends Messrs. CAREY AND HART, of which we should have been well pleased to say more than we can 'at this present;' the spirited and patriotic 'American Comedies,' by the PAULDINGS, senior and junior, containing 'The Buck-Tails, or Americans in England,' 'The Noble Exile,' 'Madmen All, or the Cure of Love,' and ' Antipathies, or the Enthusiasts by the Ears.'・・・ MESSRS. WILEY AND PUTNAM'S 'Library of Choice Reading' is enriched by a continuation of HAZLITT's 'Life of Napoleon Bonaparte,' and by a work, in two 'Parts,' of RICHARD FORD, author of 'The Hand-Book of Spain,' entitled Spaniards and their Country.' The writer has all BORROW's ease and freedom of style, while his incidents are various and interesting.. WILLIAM H. GRAHAM has published, in two cheap volumes, 'Goodman's Social History of Great Britain during the Reign of the Stuarts, It is sufficient indication of the merits of the work to say that the present publication is the third edi tion. AMONG the issues of Messrs. BURGESS AND STRINGER are The London Lancet' for March, a very interesting number, containing among other and a great variety of matter, a full account of the operation of the 'American Letheon' upon numerous patients in the various London hospitals; and the contiuuation of that deservedly popular series, Chambers's Information for the People. These publishers are about issuing an edition of another very attractive book, 'The Youth of Shakspeare,' and 'Shakspeare and his Friends,' It will command a wide sale.・・・ We have the sound and able ' Discourse delivered before the Maine Historical Society' in September last, by Hon. GEORGE FOLSOM. It is a clear and well-written historical synopsis of the early discovery and settlement of Maine, and the character of those who were most active in the work of its colonization. Our old friend DISTURNELL, now permanently established at Number 102 Broadway, has just published an excellent authentic Map of the Seat of War in Mexico,' which folds up in a porta ble cover like a pocket-wallet; together with his 'Rail-Road and Steam-Boat Book;' a convenient pamphlet, indispensable to travellers.

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