the poor fellows agree, as a proposal from an in the army now. The students of medicine officer is tantamount to an order; but they from all the universities are forced to enter never see more than one-fourth of the money, the army before they have completed their which is disposed of as follows:-The colonel course of study, which ordinarily occupies five takes one-fourth, the majors commanding bat-years, but is now curtailed to three and a half talions another, and the captains of companies years. It may be objected that I use the term a third, while the other goes to the soldiers forced, when they are only invited to join the themselves! This may account for the find-army; but, with few exceptions, the invitaing only black bread in the knapsacks of the tion, if not accepted, will speedily be followed killed and wounded. I have given these ex- by an order. Many surgeons have lately aramples in order to show the system under rived from America and Prussia, who are at which these men fight so desperately, and once despatched to the seat of war. In Simwhich prevails throughout the whole empire pheropol nearly all the wounded English pris-one vast system of fraud, peculation, and oners were attended by Americans. pillage.

As illustrative of the difficulty experienced Notwithstanding the immense establishments in Russia in transporting their armies, may be for the education of military men that exist in mentioned the journey of the Sisters of MerRussia great difficulties are experienced in cy from St. Petersburg to the Crimea last obtaining officers for the new levies. All the year. They left the capital about the middle officers must be nobles, and undergo an exam- of November, and, as far as the chaussée exination in various branches of science. A tended, travelled without any mishap; but colonel sent to obtain officers to a certain town from Koursk-where the chaussée finishes-to in the south, persuaded a number of copying Kharkoff, they met with great difficulties, as clerks from the government offices to enter the they travelled in large diligences like those of army. These men, though of noble birth, France. It was on leaving the latter town only knew how to read and write. As they that they experienced all the pleasures of a were earning a miserable pittance, they were Russian autumnal road. They left the town glad to embrace the offer, which opened to with fifteen horses to each carriage, and reached them a prospect of advancement: but they in safety the first station, situated in a valley, expressd their fears of not being able to pass about ten miles from the town; but on atthe required examination. They were, how-tempting to ascend the mountain, the wheels ever, reassured by the colonel, who said that stuck fast in the mud, and the fifteen horses he would examine them himself. This he did could not stir it; the number was increased to in the following manner:- -Col. "What is ge-thirty, but without moving the vehicle. Evenography?" Ans. "I don't know; I never tually oxen were procured that dragged them heard of it before." Col. "Nonsense! you must know! On which bank of what great river is situated the town of E?" (the town they were in.) Ans. "On the right bank of the river D." Col. "There, I was sure you knew all about geography!-you are passed." Another time the subject was mathematics. Col. "What are mathematics?" Ans. "I never saw them." Col. "Add two to two." Ans. "Four." Col. "There, that will do- The English prisoners of war will be able to you are passed!" Of course I was not pre- give a good account of the evils of Russian sent at either of these examinations, but I had travelling. I saw them all, poor fellows! as the facts upon good authority. These are the they passed through the town I was then remen who are to replace those polished gentle- siding in, and can say that their sufferings men, whose knowledge of the European lan- were more intense than those of their comguages and suave manners have been the ad-rades who were left behind. Those who were miration of all who have met them.

out, and in this manner they proceeded on their way to the Crimea, to attend the sick and wounded, at the rate of two miles an hour! This was a case of the most urgent necessity. With such a state of things, would it not be better and wiser for Russia to employ those means in improving the internal state of the country, which she is now wasting on a ruinous war?

taken first, and who arrived at their destinaThe militia is chiefly officered by those who tion before the severe colds set in, suffered have been in the army before and are retired; comparatively little. Then they were still a but if in any of the governments there should novelty, and excited a great deal of curiosity, not be enough of these, the nobles choose them which in a Russian is never without compasfrom among their own body. There is in gen- sion. Of this the first parties who passed eral a great reluctance to enter this service, as reaped the benefit. Besides, they were all well as military service generally, for the ma- fine men, taken at Balaklava and Inkermann, jority of the Russian people is anything but about which battles every one was eager to warlike, notwithstanding their boasted martial get what information he could from persons prowess. who had assisted at them. Still these sufferThe want of proper medical aid is much felted severely from deprivation of all the com

forts they had been accustomed to, and which cember, a party of prisoners, of all nations, they were unable to procure in the villages numbering either seventy-three or seventy-five, they passed through, even when they had the I am not quite sure which-left Simpheropol means; for tea and coffee are unknown lux-in charge of a captain, a Greek, with the uries to the Russian peasant, but would have usual escort. He, kind, humane man, pro been very acceptable to the prisoners after posed, through my informant, an English sol their long march of fifteen or twenty miles dier, who spoke a little Greek, to provide the through the mud reaching to their knees, with whole party with provisions, alleging, that the the prospect of a miserable billet in a mud-country they were about to pass through was hut, in which so many were placed that there nearly exhausted, so that, with their ignorance was scarcely room to lie down, and a piece of the language, it would be next to impossiof black bread washed down with a little brack-ble for them to procure anything. To this propo ish water, or kras (a sour liquor much used in sal they all agreed without hesitation. Instead of Russia. But those who left Simpheropol in giving them good food, he gave them little December and January, underwent hardships more than black bread; so that out of the enthat were heartrending to listen to, for then tire number, only nineteen reached Ekaterinthey experienced all the severity of a Russian oslav! a distance of about 270 miles from winter during a march of about six hundred Simpheropol, the remainder being left sick at miles to Voronege, the depot. They are the different hospitals, or perishing miserably about seventy days upon the journey through on the road! I do not vouch for the truth of the snow, and frequently subject to the most this; but the man, who was one of the suf vile treatment at the hands of those to whose ferers, appeared to be intelligent, and told care they were committed. They are al-his story clearly, and without hesitation. I lowed by the government twenty copecks a- know that this can be possible, for there are day (about 8d.) This would be amply suffi- such men, who, in order to gain a few roubles, cient to supply all their wants, for provisions will inflict any amount of misery on their felare very cheap,-the best meat three and four low creatures. The English inhabitants of copecks per pound, bread about one or one- Moscow and St. Petersburg, have nobly come and-a-half copeck per pound; but the sol- forward to assist their poor fellow countrymen; diers who served as their guard usually set the and Mr. Grey, the English clergyman at Mosprices in the villages at about three times the cow, has exerted himself greatly on their beordinary rate, out of which they made their half; but unfortunately there are few English own profit; while our poor fellows, not under- on the line of march, so that it is very diffistanding the language or the prices, were cult to render them assistance where most it is obliged to pay whatever was demanded of wanted, although all is done that humanity them, or go hungry to bed. They were even could dictate by those who are able to see made to pay for the very water they drank. them. I cannot omit this occasion of speakThis happened always in the prisons of small ing of the kindness shown by the authorities towns. Once they refused to pay for it, and of the town of Kharkoff to all the prisoners. two men offered to fetch water for the whole They never refused any prayer of which party if a soldier would show them where to they saw the justice, and tried all they could procure it. The soldier, not wishing to lose his perquisites, took them to a distance of about three miles, to a well of brackish water, while there was plenty to be had within two hundred yards of the prison. After this they always preferred paying to fetching it themselves.

to help the poor fellows; and had the same spirit been shown by all parties, there would be little to complain of in the treatment with which these unfortunates met. Many of the Russian families received them into their houses, and at their own tables. When remonstrated with by the would-be patriots, they In the large towns they are generally well replied, "These men are no longer to be treated, and allowed a certain liberty. They looked upon as enemies; they have fought for may go out to the market to buy themselves their country, and by the fortune of war are provisions, alone if they know the way; or if our prisoners, only that we may treat them as not, one soldier is sent with them as a guide. our guests." To sum up all, the prisoners are They are even allowed to sleep out of the well treated by all the higher classes, and sufprison, if some inhabitant of the town will fer only from the cupidity of those who have become responsible for them. I have had an opportunity of making a few copecks by several staying with me; and two, who were them, and from the natural evils imposed upon ill, lived with me three months till their health them by their ignorance of the language, was perfectly established, and the warm manners, and customs. I do not speak of the weather rendered travelling no longer diffi- treatment the officers have met with, as they cult. One circumstance I cannot help men- will be able to speak for themselves when they tioning, if only that it might be known to the recover their liberty. Russian government by this means. In De

It will be seen by a careful perusal of the

foregoing statement of facts, that all classes in | taken will cause yet greater, till Russia, humRussia must ardently desire peace, as the only bled and conquered, is brought to sue for means of preserving them from ruin, to which peace at the feet of the British lion and the the serf-owners are more exposed than any Gallic eagle. The time is gone by to hope for other class, from the continual drain upon any co-operation in the interior of the countheir resources, already much diminished by try. As I said before, the people are disheartdebts. They are an improvident race. Many ened by the length of time they have had to of the lower orders hoped for a great improve- wait, and are excited by the reports spread so ment in their position from the success of the assiduously of the barbarity of the English to allied armies; but they are disheartened by their prisoners, and the taking of the monasthe length of time they are obliged to wait. tery of Solovetzki. The Russian government They cannot define what they expect; but that is never slow to improve its advantages; this they hoped for great advantages, I have no has been proved in the manner the fortificadoubt, from several conversations I have had tions of Sebastopol have been thrown up, and with intelligent men in the peasant class it has improved the breathing-time given by men who can neither read or write, but who, the long duration of this too celebrated siege. by the force of their natural shrewdness, can There is now telegraphic communication from understand that a change must and will come. Odessa to the capital, through Kief, so that They looked upon the French and English as the news from the seat of war arrives in two the heralds of this change. Had the war been days. When the news of the descent first pushed with sufficient vigor from the begin- reached us, everybody was filled with consterning, there is no doubt but that the power of nation, and said we have now lost our Italy, Russia would have been humbled effectually as they call the Crimea; but when it became by defeats on the frontiers and internal dis- known that, after the battle of Alma, Sebassensions; for all the south would have risen topol did not fall, and that it withstood suchad the Allies taken possession of the Crimea cessfully the bombardment of the 17th of Ocwhen they fiast landed, which might easily tober, hope again revived, and, by a reaction have been done, at least this is the opinion of popular feeling, everybody expected to sce of all the Russian officers whom I met, and the invaders driven out of the country, which who were there at the time. But this is no the brilliant victory(?) of Liprandi seemed to place for the discussion of the merits of mili- prognosticate. What is more feared by the tary plans. There have been grave faults, of Government, though less spoken of, than the which the price is now being paid in the blood war itself, is its results upon the population, as of our brave countrymen on the heights of Se- ideas of liberty and civilization may be introbastopol. Nothing remains but to push the duced with conic balls, and at the point of the war with all the vigor that the Allies, with bayonet, that will destroy the whole fabric of their mighty resources, are able to do, and to despotism erected by the Czar and his suballet no 66 penny wise and pound foolish" pol- terns, and that its fall must crush, and bury icy interfere with what they have in hand. beneath its ruins, all those who helped to Even what has been done has caused great erect or support this monster of injustice. So suffering to our enemies, and what is under- be it!

LINES ON THE MARQUIS OF ANGLESEY. Many years since, some lines (in the manner of Campbell's "Wounded Hussar") appeared in the Naval and Military Gazette, on the late gallant Marquis of Anglesey; whether original or extracted from some work of the period I do not know, but they were remarkably graceful and appropriate. They commenced thus:

"Erect in the pride of his chivalrous fame,

"How gallantly still 'neath his silvery brow Shines the spirit within of the dauntless hussar; Whose soul at Majorga no numbers could bow,

As he led on the squadrons of Britain afar!"

The verses were much admired at the time of their publication, and I am sure their reprint, if a copy of them could be found, would gratify many persons, especially at present, when the recent setting of "Corunna's twin-star with Moore," as Lord Anglesey was styled, is a subbut I remember, in addition, only the second ject of such general regret.-Notes and Queries.

Still he moves in his glory, our Wounded
Hussar."

From The Spectator. ALLEN'S DEAD SEA AND GLEANINGS IN THE EAST.*

A MAIN object of Captain Allen's work is to advance a gigantic project of his own. The work itself contains an account of his journeyings through the Greek Islands and Syria, a scientific investigation of the phenomena of the Dead Sea, and various plans for the improvement of Syria in particular and the world in general by the creation of an immense ship-canal, or rather ocean, which shall establish a new route to India by way of the valley of the Jordan, the basin of the Dead Sea, and the Red Sea itself.

| hundreds of feet below the level of the Mediterranean, and bordered by lofty hills. In this depression are found Lake Tiberias, the river Jordan, and the Dead Sea. In Captain Allen's opinion, this valley, during the geological æra, was continued to the Gulf of Akaba, and formed a great inland ocean. By a rise of the land at the Southern end of this great earth-fissure the communication with the Red Sea was cut off; the heat of the climate dried up the water of the inland ocean by evaporation, till it was reduced to what the natural drainage of the country would supply; if, indeed, the Dead Sea is not even now decreasing, spite of the rivers that drain into it. The depression of this valley or basin is so great The Captain's travels seem to have been that the surface of the Dead Sea is estimated made at different times and without any defi- to be 1300 feet below the level of the Medinite purpose, except at Jerusalem and some terranean. The modus operandi is therefore of the ancient ports on the Mediterranean. simple. Cut one ship-canal from the head of Striking views of scenery, pleasant sketches Akaba to the Southern extremity of the basin of manners, incidents of travel in wild coun of the Dead Sea, and another from the neightries, with indications of the national charac-borhood of Mount Carmel on the Mediterrateristics both of Greeks and Turks, will be nean across the plain of Esdraelon to the found in the volumes. The whole, however, break (Captain Allen says the only break) has a desultory character, which is further in- that occurs in the mountain ranges bordering creased by the intermixture of narrative with the "fissure." These two canals once finishspeculative discussion, the last mostly bearing ed, the waters of the Mediterranean and Red on the great project of the author. Sea would rush in, and with a fall of 1300 As regards magnitude either of conception feet, speedily fill up the valley; when, almost or result, Captain Allen's plan throws all other as quickly as the hey presto of a conjurer, you projects into the shade. The "velificatus have an inland ocean, furnishing as short a Athos of Xerxes-the communication be- passage to India as the overland route, and tween the Nile and the Red Sea of Sesostris, putting an end to the squabbles and difficulif Sesostris were the monarch-the talked-of ties raised by the partisans of Egyptian railcanal from the Danube to the Euxine-and ways and canals. Difficulties of course there even the connection of the Atlantic and Paci- are, natural, social, political; the last two are fic Oceans, fade into small undertakings com- thus stated and disposed of:— pared with the scheme of Captain Allen. The requisite data, indeed, on which it is founded, have yet to be tested; and if the levels of the The execution of a project so vast could not desert lying to the Eastward of the Isthmus of of course be carried out without some sacrifices; Suez are not what they ought to be, the Cap-magnitude of the advantages to be derived in exbut these will be trifling when compared with the tain's speculation would become still more dif- change. For instance, a large portion, some ficult than it is, if not altogether impossible. 2000 square miles, of the territories belonging to However, the theory is this. our faithful and gallant ally, his Highness the Sultan, will be submerged; together with a city of perhaps some thousands of inhabitants, and some Arab villages. But the territory is useless, being for the most part incapable of cultivation, especially the Southern Ghor, or Wady Arabah. The Northern Ghor, or valley of the Jordan, has taken by the wandering tribes of Arabs who ca some fertility, of which but little advantage is priciously cultivate small portions of it here and there. The city of Tiberias is a filthy heap of ruined buildings, hemmed in between the lake and steep barren mountains, from which a forced removal to a fertile and adjacent neighborhood would be a blessing to the debased, apathetic, and wretched inhabitants. The villages consist

From his own observation, and a consideration of the facts observed by others, Captain Allen comes to the conclusion that the Dead Sea was not produced by the miraculous destruction of the guilty cities, (though he does not doubt the miracle,) but, like many other inland seas on the earth's surface, is the result of natural causes. From a point in the Southern depression of the Lebanon range to the head of the Gulf of Akaba, (the Eastern branch of the head of the Red Sea,) there exists for a considerable part of the way a deep valley,

The Dead Sea, a New Route to India: with other Fragments and Gleanings in the East. By of mud huts, temporary by their nature, or of Captain William Allen, R.N., F.R.S., etc.; Author tents, which are intentionally so. From all of The Narrative of the Niger Expedition." In these the occupants derive little advantage, and two volumes. Published by Longman and Co. his Highness less revenue Their condition, be

sides, might be immensely improved by the ac- doubt whether the Turks, Jews and Arabs, tivity and trade which would be stimulated would be readily moved in its favor. Still through the navigation of the canal by ships of all greater difficulties might be found in the finannations; and the Sultan would draw great reve- cial part of the business. In the present stage nues by transit-dues where he now receives noth of the question, we think the natural obstacles ing; and as remuneration for the loss of this unprofitable territory, some of the finest countries are more than all. Of that part of Arabia of the world, the early seats of population- the Stony which intervenes between the Dead namely, those of the Rephaim, the Zuzim, and Sea basin and the Gulf of Akaba we know the Emim, the trans-Jordanic provinces, so judi- little, indeed nothing for a practical object like ciously chosen by some tribes of the Jews- a ship-canal. Of the valley to be filled up by would be rendered easy of access by means of the inpouring of the ocean we do not know the proposed canal. The Jews would possibly enough to pronounce upon the engineering object strongly to the loss of Tiberias, which is feasibility of the project. Neither has the one of the four holy cities; but they are strangers from Russia, Poland, etc., who have no pro- veyed. The necessity of a thorough survey, plain of Esdraelon itself been sufficiently surperty in it, and come there in the hope of seeing indeed, Captain Allen himself admits:

the Messiah rise out of the lake. *

*

*

*

ny me, provided the Government would pay his bare expenses. My Lords of the Treasury, however, though "appreciating my motives, did not feel justified in acceding to my request."

Thus I think a strong case has been made out I proposed in the winter 1853-4, to go and of profit for his Highness the Sultan; and in ad- survey them, (the localities,) if her Majesty's dition to these advantages to be derived by the Government would have granted me the assistopening of communication by the proposed ship ance of an engineer officer; and Captain Collincanal, are the facilities it would afford his sub-son, R. E. very handsomely offered to accompa jects in making their pilgrimage to Mekka. The Syrian Hadj, which collects all the pilgrims of the East, and has its rendezvous at Damascus, might embark at some port nearest to it, on the new gulf; whence they could be conveyed in I presume it was foreseen that the services of steamers fitted for the purpose, to their destina- every engineer officer would soon be required; tion, instead of having a toilsome and dangerous otherwise, it was a small thing to ask of the march of six weeks through an inhospitable de-country for a great national advantage; or at sert. They would be brought back in the same all events, for an interesting point in physical way. The only thing to be advanced against geography, for which I was desirous of giving this method of performing a pilgrimage would my own services gratis. The American Govbe, that, by depriving it of hardship and romance, ernment sent an expedition at great expense, all the merit is also abstracted; so that the prac- to survey the Jordan, without any ulterior obtice itself may fall into desuetude, which indeed, has, I believe, already commenced. This is not to be regretted; inasmuch as, like every other improvement in the facilities of intercourse, it will be a deathblow to fanaticism.

ject.

Few readers, we suppose, but will agree with the Captain in his opinion.

There is a detailed description, illustrated In like manner a steamer might ply between by plans and diagrams, of the double port and Jerusalem and the head of the new gulf for the tunnel of ancient Seleucia; a wonderful work benefit of Christian pilgrims; who would then for its skill and solidity, though we cannot be able to bathe in the pure waters of the Jordan agree with Captain Allen in thinking that it near their source at the foot of Mount Hermon; would be worth while to lay out money in its not contaminated, as it now is, by the reception restoration and improvement, at all events at of the Hieromax Jabbok, and other small torrents, washing down the sides of the mountain present, and on the mere chance of making a ranges bordering the Ghor. As the identical trade. The traveller also moots, but perhaps spot where our Saviour was baptized by John is imperfectly pursues a curious subject,-the unknown,-Greeks believing in one spot, and effects of denuding mountains of their forests Latins being as firmly convinced that another is upon the fertility and consequent population the true place, other and minor divisions of of the countries where this process goes on. Christians are obliged to yield to the most influ- There is no doubt but that in Greece and ential, or to the fiat of the Turkish commander Syria the ancient forests have been destroyof the Hadj; otherwise, if they were consulted, ed, and either the soil itself has become detethere would be as many as there are different riorated, or the want of moisture consequent sects; so that the true and only efficacious place upon the loss of wood has rendered the land for consummating the grand object of the pil- less productive. There may, however, be grim's life would be as much multiplied as is the True Cross. Therefore it would be an advan- some difficulty in deciding between cause and tage to all to point out the undeniably pure Jor- effect. Has the shortsighted felling of forests dan, at its source, and to give them the means of (without replanting) caused the degradation going thither. of the people? or did the degradation of the people cause the denudation of the forests?

Notwithstanding all these religious and po litical reasons in favor of the scheme, we DXCI. LIVING AGE. VOL. X. 47

Like most travellers, Captain Allen enter tains a good opinion of the Turks, and a very