Chapter XII: Appendix: A (2)

The account given of the visit of the Queen of Sheba, both in the 1st book of Kings and also in 2nd book of the Chronicles, is preceded by the statement of the friendly terms on which Solomon was with Hiram, king of Tyre, who, by way of the Gulf of Persia and the Phœnician colonies established there, commanded the commerce of India, which reached Tyre by way of the Persian Gulf, and the Wilderness or the Desert. We are also told, previously to the account of the visit of Solomon’s ships to Ophir, that he built Baalath and Tadmor in the Wilderness (1 Kings ix., 18, and 2 Chron. viii., 4-6), doubtless to secure the caravans of his ally, Hiram, from the depredations of the Bedouin Arabs, while crossing the desert on their way with the merchandize of India, which arrived by the Persian Gulf to Tyre.

This Tadmor or Palmyra was, we know, a fenced city, built in a desert, solely for the protection of commerce, and was lost to the Hebrews on the division of the kingdom after the death of Solomon; it is doubtless the Palmyra so celebrated for its destruction by the Romans, when its Queen, Zenobia, endeavoured to throw off the Roman yoke. It commanded the commerce of India by way of the Gulf of Persia; and therefore we may fairly suppose that the fleets of Solomon and Hiram, which proceeded down the Red Sea, were bent upon opening a new mart of commerce, doubtless that commanded by the Queen of Sheba, who is mixed up with this account, and who, from history, we learn, bore a son to Solomon during her stay in Jerusalem, with whom she returned to her own country.

This was a trade which the Phœnicians had not possession of, and Hiram naturally enlisted the co-operation of his great ally, Solomon, for the purpose of obtaining the productions of Ophir direct, instead of through the Arabs of Southern Arabia. The time chosen was most propitious; it was after the building of Tadmor in the Wilderness, when the affairs of Hiram and Solomon had become united by commerce; and at the period when Solomon had obtained possession of Idumæa or Edom, and his great renown had attracted to his court the Queen of Sheba, who had brought with her those imports into Arabia most valued by her own subjects, as being those sought after by the nations of the west, which gave so great an impulse to the maritime enterprise of the Arabs.

Some difficulty appears to arise from the different reading of the account of the Hebrew-Phœnician ships going to Ophir, as given in 1 Kings and 2 Chronicles. Let us compare them thus:—

1 KINGS, x. 22. 2 CHRON. ix. 21.

“For the king had at sea “For the king’s ships
a navy of Tharshish with the went to Tarshish with the
navy of Hiram. Once in servants of Hiram: every
every three years came the three years once came the
navy of Tharshish, bringing ships of Tarshish, bringing
gold and silver, ivory, and gold and silver, ivory, and
apes, and peacocks.” apes and peacocks.”

1 KINGS, xxii. 48. 2 CHRON. xx. 36-37.

“Jehoshaphat made ships “He (Jehoshaphat) joined
of Tarshish to go to Ophir himself with him (the King
for gold, but they went not; of Israel) to make ships to go
for the ships were broken at to Tarshish; and they made
Ezion-geber.” the ships in Ezion-gaber....
And the ships were broken,
that they were not able to go
to Tarshish.”

The passages of Scripture in which “Ophir” and “Tharshish” are named, bring before us the only maritime commerce which the Hebrews appear to have been engaged in, and which arose from Solomon’s alliance with Hiram, king of Tyre.

Tarshish, or Tharshish, is, on very good grounds, considered to be Tartessus, a very important commercial settlement of the Phœnicians, on the Atlantic coast of Spain, at the mouth of the Bœtis, or Guadalquiver, and not far from the ancient Gades, now Cadiz: in Gen. x. 4; Ps. lxxii. 10; Ezek. xxxiii. 13; Jer. x. 9; Ezek. xxvii. 9; Isa. xxiii. 1, 6, 10; Isa. lxvi. 19, mention is made of this Phœnician trade.

I imagine that the Phœnicians, who doubtless built the ships for this new trade to Ophir, took for their models those vessels which were engaged in their most distant voyages, viz., in the trade to Tartessus, and the isles of the west (Britain); or that they took some of these vessels to pieces, carried them across the Isthmus of Suez (as has been done subsequently by the Sultan of Cairo and others), and put them together in the Red Sea. In either case the name “ships of Tharshish” would be applied to them in the same sense as we should make use of the terms “Indiamen,” or “Australian clippers.” That is to say, first-class merchant vessels. Some have supposed that two fleets were used for this voyage, one in the Mediterranean, and the other in the Red Sea; but it is by no means likely that the Phœnicians, who were not “Free-traders,” would allow Solomon to participate in the Tartessus or Mediterranean trade, although they were perfectly willing to obtain his co-operation and powerful assistance where they required it, by way of Tadmor and in the Red Sea, by both of which routes they had to contend with the Arabs. If the Tarshish in these passages be the Tartessus in the Mediterranean, then we have a certain proof that the ships of Solomon circumnavigated Africa, and that Ophir must have been situated on the east or west coast of Africa in the voyage from Ezion-geber to Tartessus or Tharshish.

The earliest account which we have of Africa having been circumnavigated is certainly by the Phœnicians, under the orders of Necho (Pharo-Necho), king of Egypt, who sent ships on a voyage of discovery down the Red Sea, to proceed along the coast of Africa, and endeavour to return by the Pillars of Hercules.

Herodotus narrates, in a few words, the results of this enterprize, which was undertaken about 604 years before the Christian era. He says, “The Phœnicians, setting sail from the Red Sea, made their way into the Southern Sea; and when autumn approached they drew their vessels to land, sowed a crop, and waited till it was grown, when they reaped it, and again put to sea. Having spent two years in this manner, in the third year they reached the Pillars of Hercules, and returned to Egypt, reporting what does not find belief with me, but may perhaps with some other person; for they said that in passing Africa they had the sun on their right hand. In this manner Libya was first known.” Now, it so happens that the very fact which caused Herodotus to doubt the authenticity of the account of this voyage is to us one of the most convincing proofs of the truth of the narrative, viz., “that in passing Africa (after rounding the Cape of Good Hope) they had the sun on their right hand.” While I am disposed to contend that Africa was circumnavigated from the Red Sea in the reign of Pharo-Necho, I cannot bring myself to believe (without more convincing proof than simply the statement that from Ezion-geber “the king’s ships went to Tharshish”) that the Hebrew-Phœnician fleet circumnavigated Africa 400 years previous to the Egypto-Phœnician fleet of Pharo-Necho; for, if such was the case, the Phœnicians would have been aware of the previous circumnavigation of Libya, and both events would have been handed down by the Phœnicians—for we learn from Josephus that they were in the habit of preserving in their records events of much less importance to them, as a commercial nation, than the circumnavigation of a large continent, rich in the most coveted commodities of the eastern world. I am therefore inclined to think that the Tharshish of Chronicles cannot be the Tartessus of Spain; and will, in the following inquiry, seek only to establish the position of Ophir, as the products of that place were the objects sought by the Hebrew-Phœnician fleet.

Various points on the eastern coast of Africa have been fixed upon, but generally the conclusion is in favour of Sofala, which I am inclined to think is the correct position. João dos Sanctos tells us, as we find it in Purchas:—

“Near to Massapa is a great hill called Fura, whence may be discerned a great part of the kingdom of Monomotapa, for which cause he (the king) will not suffer the Portuguese to go thither, that they should not covet his great country and hidden mines. On the top of that hill are yet standing pieces of old walls and ancient ruins of lime and stone, which testify that there have been strong buildings—a thing not seen in all Caffraria, for even the king’s houses are of wood, daubed with clay, and covered with straw. The natives, and especially the Moors, have a tradition from their ancestors, that those houses belonged to the Queen of Saba, who carried much gold thence down to the Cuama (Zambesi) to the sea, and so along the coast of Ethiopia to the Red Sea. Others say that these ruins were Solomon’s factory, and that this Fura or Afura is no other than Ophir, the name being not much altered in so long a time. This is certain, that round about that hill there is much and find gold. The navigation might, in these times, be longer, for want of so good ships or pilots as are now to be had, and by reason of much time spent in trucking with the Caffres, as even in this time the merchants often spend a year or more in that business, although the Caffres be grown more covetous of our wares, and the mines better known. They are so lazy to gather gold that they will not do it till necessity constrain them. Much time is also spent in the voyage by the rivers, and by that sea which hath differing monsoons, and can be sailed but by two winds, which blow six months from the east, and as many from the west. Solomon’s fleet had, besides those mentioned, this let, that the Red Sea is not safely navigable but by day, by reason of many isles and shoals; likewise it was necessary to put into harbours for fresh water and other provisions”—[“This,” Purchas remarks, “was by reason their ships were small, as that infancy of navigation required”]—“and to take in new pilots and mariners, and to make reparations, which considered”—[adds Purchas, “with their creeping by the shore for want of compass and experience in those seas, and their Sabbath rests, and their truck with the Caffres”]—“might extend the whole voyage, in going, staying, and returning, to three years. Further, the ivory, apes, gems, and precious woods (which grow in the wild places of Tebe within Sofala) whence they make almaidas, or canoes, twenty yards long, of one timber; and much fine black wood (ebony) grows on that coast, and is thence carried to India and Portugal. All these may make the matter probable. As for peacocks, I saw none there, but there must needs be some within land; for I have seen some Caffres wear their plumes on their heads. As there is store of fine gold, so also is there fine silver in Chicona, which are rich mines.”

In addition to the statement of João dos Sanctos, who was a resident at Sofala, it may be asserted that all the circumstances which are against the theories which place Ophir in Arabia, the Persian Gulf, or even India and Ceylon, are in favour of its being fixed on the African coast.

It appears that “every three years” may, with equal or greater propriety, be rendered “every third year,” which may mean any time more than two years, and less than three; and, further, that as the Hebrews counted broken years and days for whole ones, it might not be even two years. Thus, if they left in the year 1, continued away all the year 2, and returned in the spring of the year 3, they would be said to return in the third year, though they had only been absent eighteen months. Thus our Saviour rose “on the third day,” though he had only been one day and two nights in the tomb.—See notes on 2 Chronicles, chap. xx., in the “Pictorial Bible.”

In order to throw a little more light on this subject, let us consider the winds in the Red Sea, which, in connection with the monsoons on the east coast of Africa, would be the most favourable for the navigation of a large fleet, in the infancy of maritime enterprise, prosecuting a voyage from the Gulf of Akaba to Sofala and back.

South winds predominate for two-thirds of the year in the south part of the Red Sea, viz., from October to June, and from about the middle of the month of June to the middle of October north winds prevail throughout the Red Sea.

I will, therefore, suppose that the Hebrew-Phœnician fleet was prepared to start from Ezion-geber with a fair wind on the 1st of July of the year 1 of this memorable voyage, and that all the vessels composing the fleet succeeded in rendezvousing at the great Arab emporium of Aden in Arabia, or at Berbera, Zeyla (or any of those outlets which we know the Arabs possessed for the commerce of north-eastern Africa), on the opposite coast of Africa. Here the fleet would be detained some time while refitting, provisioning, watering, repairing the damages of those vessels which had suffered in the dangerous navigation of the Red Sea; and obtaining pilots from the Arabs, who were acquainted with the harbours and rivers on the east coast of Africa.

The north-east monsoon blows in the Mozambique Channel, through which the fleet would have to pass on the voyage to Sofala, from November to April. This monsoon reaches Makallah about the 5th of November, and until about the 3rd of January the weather is unsettled in the Gulf of Aden—that is to say, between the meridians of Cape Guardafui and that of Bab-el-Mandeb.

It may fairly be supposed that the Hebrew-Phœnician fleet would not put to sea from the Arab emporium, where it was refitting, until the end of January of the year 2; for in the months of January, February, and March, fine clear weather prevails in the Gulf of Aden, and it is at this season that the Arabs carry on trade in the Gulf of Aden in their dhows, measuring from 50 to 300 tons burthen. By starting at this season the fleet would enter the north-east monsoon with fine clear weather, and reach Sofala in March or April, with the cessation of the north-east monsoon.

As the Phœnicians were accustomed to carry on their trade themselves, and had no factors or agents established, at least in the infancy of the trade, at Sofala, we may assume that they spent the whole of the six months from April to November of year 2, when the south-west or fair monsoon for the return voyage was blowing, in trading with the natives or residents at this African-Arabic settlement of Sabia; and also that they were only prepared to return when the next fair monsoon (S.W.) set in at Sofala, viz., in April of year 3. That is to say, they were detained by trading and a contrary monsoon for one year at Sofala.

In the month of April or May of year 3, we will suppose the fleet to leave Sofala with the south-west monsoon, and reach Aden, or any neighbouring Arab emporium, before the unsettled weather which is to be found in the Gulf of Aden in the month of August. The fleet would be able to refit there so as to take advantage of the south wind commencing to blow in the month of October, and would reach Ezion-geber before the end of December of the year 3.

I have thus endeavoured to show that the time for prosecuting a successful trading voyage from Ezion-geber to Ophir or Sofala and back, would be nearly three years.

All the articles enumerated in Scripture are to be found at Sofala, with, perhaps, the exception of the peacock (see vol. i., p. 208); I am not aware that this bird is to be found in Africa—it has hitherto been looked upon as an Indian bird; and, in consequence, I suppose, some have compared תוכיים, _tukejem_, with the word תכה, _takah_, to cling; in Deuteronomy xxxiii., v. 3, and translated it parrots.[11] But the east coast of Africa has no parrots—only paroquets—while they are to be found in great numbers at the mouth of nearly all the rivers on the west coast of Africa. The nearest place to Sofala where parrots can be obtained is on the island of Madagascar, where a very handsome jet-black parrot may be procured.

The meaning of the Hebrew word translated peacocks is a disputed point, and some have held that it means the bird called guinea-fowl, which is found in great numbers on the east coast of Africa.

The inscriptions on the ruins at Zimboë might throw a new light on the position of Ophir, and perhaps entirely clear up one of the most interesting questions of Sacred history.

THE END.

LONDON:
PRINTED BY R. BORN, GLOUCESTER STREET,
REGENT’S PARK.

FOOTNOTES

[1] See vol. i., p. 333.

[2] See vol. i. p. 120.

[3] See vol. i., chap. viii. on Delagoa Bay: its History and Resources.

[4] To his widow and five orphans he has left the heritage of a good name: while it is hoped that the reader will assist the author to respond to an earnest appeal which has just reached him, from Natal, on their behalf.

[5] 1 Kings, chapter x., v. 10.

[6] See Appendix C.

[7] See Captain R. L. Playfair’s _History of Arabia Felix, or Yemen_, 1859.

[8] See the accompanying chart of Eastern Africa, and the author’s letters on this route in “_The Times_” of September 14, 1859, _et seq._

[9] The author has to acknowledge the kind assistance of his friend Mr. Consul Brand in translating the above from a Portuguese account.

[10] NOTE BY SIR J. W. HOOKER:—“This is doubtless the common hemp (_Cannabis sativa_), which is grown and used in various parts of tropical Africa and all over India (where it is also called ‘Bang’) for smoking, &c. In Europe, and as far north as Archangel, it is only used for its fibre in making cloth, cordage, &c.”

[11] For this information I am greatly indebted to the Rev. Dr. M. Heidenheim.

NEW AND INTERESTING WORKS PUBLISHED BY MESSRS. HURST AND BLACKETT, SUCCESSORS TO MR. COLBURN.

13. GREAT MARLBOROUGH ST. LONDON

=MEMOIRS OF THE COURT OF GEORGE IV.= FROM ORIGINAL FAMILY DOCUMENTS. By the DUKE OF BUCKINGHAM AND CHANDOS, K.G. 2 vols. 8vo. with Portraits. 30s. bound.

Among the many interesting subjects elucidated in this work will be found: The Trial of Queen Caroline—The King’s Visits to Ireland, Scotland, and Hanover—Female Influence at Court—The Death of Lord Castlereagh—Junction of the Grenville Party with the Government—The Political and Literary Career of George Canning—O’Connell and the Catholic Claims—The Marquess Wellesley in Ireland—The Duke of Wellington’s Administration—George the Fourth as a Patron of Art and Literature, &c.

“The country is very much indebted to the Duke of Buckingham
for the publication of these volumes—to our thinking the most
valuable of the contributions to recent history which he has
yet compiled from his family papers. Besides the King, the
Duke of Buckingham’s canvass is full of the leading men of
the day—Castlereagh, Liverpool, Canning, Wellington, Peel,
and their compeers. We are sure that no reader, whether he
seeks for gossip, or for more sterling information, will be
disappointed by the book. There are several most characteristic
letters of the Duke of Wellington.”—_John Bull._

“These volumes are the most popular of the series of Buckingham
papers, not only from the nature of the matter, but from the
closeness of the period to our own times.”—_Spectator._

“There is much in these volumes which deserves the perusal of
all who desire an Intimate acquaintance with the history of the
period. The comments of well-informed men, like Lord Grenville
and Mr. T. Grenville, disclosing as they do the motives of
individuals, the secret movements of parties, and the causes
of public events, are of high value to the student, and
exceedingly interesting to the general reader.”—_Daily News._

“These volumes are of great Intrinsic and historical value.
They give us a definite acquaintance with the actions, a
valuable insight into the characters, of a succession of
illustrious statesmen.”—_Critic._

“The original documents published In these volumes—penned by
public men, who were themselves active participators In the
events and scenes described—throw a great deal of very curious
and very valuable light upon this period of our history.
The private letters of such men as Lord Grenville, Mr. T.
Grenville, Mr. Charles Wynn, Mr. Freemantle, Dr. Phillimore,
and Mr. Plumer Ward, written in the absence of all restraint,
necessarily possess a high interest even for the lightest and
most careless reader; whilst, in an historical sense, as an
authentic source from which future historians will be enabled
to form their estimate of the characters of the leading men
who nourished in the reign of the last George, they must be
regarded as possessing an almost inestimable value. The more
reserved communications, too, of such men as Lord Liverpool,
the Duke of Wellington, the Marquis of Wellesley, Sir Henry
Parnell, &c., will be received with great interest and
thankfulness by every historiographer, whilst the lighter
_billets_ of Sir Walter Scott and Mr. Henry Wynn will be
welcome to every body. Taking this publication altogether, we
must give the Duke of Buckingham great credit for the manner
in which he has prepared and executed it, and at the same time
return him our hearty thanks for the interesting and valuable
information which he has unfolded to us from his family
archives.”—_Observer._

=MEMOIRS OF THE COURT OF THE REGENCY.= FROM ORIGINAL FAMILY DOCUMENTS. By the DUKE OF BUCKINGHAM AND CHANDOS, K.G. 2 vols. 8vo., with Portraits, 30s. bound.

“Here are two more goodly volumes on the English Court; volumes
full of new sayings, pictures, anecdotes, and scenes. The Duke
of Buckingham travels over nine years of English history. But
what years those were, from 1811 to 1820! What events at home
and abroad they bore to the great bourne!—from the accession of
the Regent to power to the death of George III.—including the
fall of Perceval; the invasion of Russia, and the war in Spain;
the battles of Salumanca and Horodino; the fire of Moscow;
the retreat of Napoleon; the conquest of Spain; the surrender
of Napoleon; the return from Elba; the Congress of Vienna;
the Hundred Days; the crowning carnage of Waterloo; the exile
to St. Helena; the return of the Bourbons; the settlement of
Europe; the public scandals at the English Court; the popular
discontent, and the massacre of Peterloo! On many parts of
this story the documents published by the Duke of Buckingham
cast new jets of light, clearing up much secret history. Old
stories are confirmed—new traits of character are brought out.
In short, many new and pleasant additions are made to our
knowledge of those times.”—_Athenæum._

“Invaluable, as showing the true light in which many of the
stirring events of the Regency are to be viewed. The lovers of
Court gossip will also find not a little for their edification
and amusement.”—_Literary Gazette._

“These volumes cover a complete epoch, the period of the
Regency—a period of large and stirring English history.
To the Duke of Buckingham, who thus, out of his family
archives, places within our reach authentic and exceedingly
minute pictures of the governors of England, we owe grateful
acknowledgements. His papers abound in fresh lights on old
topics, and in new illustrations and anecdotes. The intrinsic
value of the letters is enhanced by the judicious setting of
the explanatory comment that accompanies them, which is put
together with much care and honesty.”—_Examiner._

=MEMOIRS OF THE COURT AND CABINETS OF GEORGE THE THIRD.= FROM ORIGINAL FAMILY DOCUMENTS. By the DUKE OF BUCKINGHAM AND CHANDOS, K.G., &c. THE THIRD AND FOURTH VOLUMES, comprising the period from 1800 to 1810 and completing this important work. 8vo., with Portraits. 30s. bound.

“The present volumes exhibit the same features as the former
portion of the series. The general reader is entertained, and
the reader for historical purposes is enlightened. Of their
value and importance, there cannot be two opinions.”—_Athenæum._

“These volumes comprehend a period the most important in
the events relating to our domestic affairs and foreign
relations to be found in the British annuls; told, not only by
eye-witnesses, but by the very men who put them in motion. The
volumes now published immeasurably exceed their predecessors in
interest and importance. They must find a place in the library
of every English gentleman.”—_Standard._

=HISTORY OF THE REIGN OF HENRY IV., KING OF FRANCE AND NAVARRE.= From numerous Original Sources. By MISS FREER. Author of “The Lives of Marguerite d’Angoulême, Elizabeth de Valois, Henry III,” &c. 2 vols. with Portraits, 21s.

=LECTURES ON ART, LITERATURE, AND SOCIAL SCIENCE.= By HIS EMINENCE CARDINAL WISEMAN. 1 vol. with Portrait. (_In Preparation._)

=HENRY III. KING OF FRANCE AND POLAND; HIS COURT AND TIMES.= From numerous unpublished sources, including MS. Documents in the Bibliothèque Impériale, and the Archives of France and Italy. By MISS FREER. Author of “Marguerite d’Angoulême,” “Elizabeth de Valois, and the Court of Philip II,” &c. 3 vols. post 8vo. with fine portraits, 31s. 6d. bound.

“Miss Freer having won for herself the reputation of a most
painstaking and trustworthy historian not less than an
accomplished writer, by her previous memoirs of sovereigns of
the houses of Valois and Navarre, will not fail to meet with
a most cordial and hearty welcome for her present admirable
history of Henry III., the last of the French kings of the
house of Valois. We refer our readers to the volumes themselves
for the interesting details of the life and reign of Henry
III., his residence in Poland, his marriage with Louise de
Lorraine, his cruelties, his hypocrisies, his penances, his
assassination by the hands of the monk Jaques Clément, &c.
Upon these points, as well as with reference to other persons
who occupied a prominent position during this period, abundant
information is afforded by Miss Freer; and the public will feel
with us that a deep debt of gratitude is due to that lady for
the faithful and admirable manner in which she has pourtrayed
the Court and Times of Henry the Third.”—_Chronicle._

“The previous historical labours of Miss Freer were so
successful as to afford a rich promise in the present
undertaking, the performance of which, it is not too much to
say, exceeds expectation, and testifies to her being not only
the most accomplished, but the most accurate of modern female
historians. The Life of Henry III. of France is a contribution
to literature which will have a reputation as imperishable as
its present fame must be large and increasing. Indeed, the book
is of such a truly fascinating character, that once begun it is
impossible to leave it.”—_Messenger._

“Among the class of chronicle histories, Miss Freer’s Henry the
Third of France is entitled to a high rank. As regards style
and treatment Miss Freer has made a great advance upon her
‘Elizabeth de Valois,’ as that book was an advance upon her
‘Marguerite D’Angoulême.’”—_Spectator._

“We heartily recommend this work to the reading public. Miss
Freer has much, perhaps all, of the quick perception and
picturesque style by which Miss Strickland has earned her
well-deserved popularity.”—_Critic._

=ELIZABETH DE VALOIS, QUEEN OF SPAIN, AND THE COURT OF PHILIP II.= From numerous unpublished sources in the Archives of France, Italy, and Spain. By MISS FREER. 2 vols. post 8vo. with fine Portraits by HEATH. 21s.

“It is not attributing too much to Miss Freer to say that
herself and Mr. Prescott are probably the best samples of
our modern biographers. The present volumes will be a boon
to posterity for which it will be grateful. Equally suitable
for instruction and amusement, they portray one of the most
interesting characters and periods of history.”—_John Bull._

“Such a book as the memoir of Elizabeth de Valois is a
literary treasure which will be the more appreciated as its
merits obtain that reputation to which they most justly are
entitled. Miss Freer has done her utmost to make the facts of
Elizabeth’s, Don Carlos’, and Philip II.’s careers fully known,
as they actually transpired.”—_Bell’s Messenger._

=THE LIFE OF MARGUERITE D’ANGOULEME, QUEEN of NAVARRE, SISTER of FRANCIS I.= By MISS FREER. Second Edition, 2 vols. with fine Portraits, 21s.

“This is a very useful and amusing book. It is a good work,
very well done. The authoress is quite equal in power and grace
to Miss Strickland. She must have spent great time and labour
in collecting the information, which she imparts in an easy and
agreeable manner. It is difficult to lay down her book after
having once begun it. This is owing partly to the interesting
nature of the subject, partly to the skilful manner in which
it has been treated. No other life of Marguerite has yet been
published, even in France. Indeed, till Louis Philippe ordered
the collection and publication of manuscripts relating to the
history of France, no such work could be published. It is
difficult to conceive how, under any circumstances, it could
have been better done.”—_Standard._

=LODGE’S PEERAGE AND BARONETAGE FOR 1860.= UNDER THE ESPECIAL PATRONAGE OF HER MAJESTY AND H.R.H. THE PRINCE CONSORT. Corrected throughout by the Nobility. Twenty-Ninth Edition, in 1 vol. royal 8vo., with the Arms beautifully engraved, handsomely bound, with gilt edges, price 31s. 6d.

LODGE’S PEERAGE AND BARONETAGE is acknowledged to be the most complete, as well as the most elegant, work of the kind. As an established and authentic authority on all questions respecting the family histories, honours, and connections of the titled aristocracy, no work has ever stood so high. It is published under the especial patronage of Her Majesty, and His Royal Highness the Prince Consort, and is annually corrected throughout, from the personal communications of the Nobility. It is the only work of its class, in which, _the type being kept constantly standing_, every correction is made in its proper place to the date of publication, an advantage which gives it supremacy over all its competitors. Independently of its full and authentic information respecting the existing Peers and Baronets of the realm, the most sedulous attention is given in its pages to the collateral branches of the various noble families, and the names of many thousand individuals are introduced, which do not appear in other records of the titled classes. For its authority, correctness, and facility of arrangement, and the beauty of its typography and binding, the work is justly entitled to the high place it occupies on the tables of Her Majesty and the Nobility.

“Lodge’s Peerage must supersede all other works of the kind,
for two reasons: first, it is on a better plan; and, secondly,
it is better executed. We can safely pronounce it to be the
readiest, the most useful, and exactest of modern works on the
subject.”—_Spectator._

“A work which corrects all errors of former works. It is the
production of a herald, we had almost said, by birth, but
certainly by profession and studies, Mr. Lodge, the Norroy King
of Arms. It is a most useful publication.”—_Times._

“As perfect a Peerage of the British Empire as we are ever
likely to see published. Great pains have been taken to make it
as complete and accurate as possible. The work is patronised
by Her Majesty and the Prince Consort; and it is worthy of a
place in every gentleman’s library, as well as in every public
institution.”—_Herald._

“As a work of contemporaneous history, this volume is of great
value—the materials having been derived from the most authentic
sources and in the majority of cases emanating from the noble
families themselves. It contains all the needful information
respecting the nobility of the Empire.”—_Post._

“This work should form a portion of every gentleman’s library.
At all times, the information which it contains, derived from
official sources exclusively at the command of the author,
is of importance to most classes of the community; to the
antiquary it must be invaluable, for implicit reliance may be
placed on its contents.”—_Globe._

“This work derives great value from the high authority of Mr.
Lodge. The plan is excellent.”—_Literary Gazette._

“When any book has run through so many editions, its reputation
is so indelibly stamped, that it requires neither criticism nor
praise. It is but just, however, to say, that ‘Lodge’s Peerage
and Baronetage’ is the most elegant and accurate, and the
best of its class. The chief point of excellence attaching to
this Peerage consists neither in its elegance of type nor its
completeness of illustration, but in its authenticity, which
is insured by the letter-press being always kept standing, and
by immediate alteration being made whenever any change takes
place, either by death or otherwise, amongst the nobility of
the United Kingdom. The work has obtained the special patronage
of Her Most Gracious Majesty, and of His Royal Highness the
Prince Consort, which patronage has never been better or more
worthily bestowed.”—_Messenger._

“‘Lodge’s Peerage and Baronetage’ has become, as it were,
an ‘Institution’ of this country; in other words, it is
indispensable, and cannot be done without, by any person having
business in the great world. The authenticity of this valuable
work, as regards the several topics to which it refers, has
never been exceeded, and, consequently, it must be received
as one of the most important contributions to social and
domestic history extant. A book of reference—indispensable
in most cases, useful in all—it should be in the hands of
every one having connections in, or transactions with, the
aristocracy.”—_Observer._

=LODGE’S GENEALOGY OF THE PEERAGE AND BARONETAGE OF THE BRITISH EMPIRE.= A NEW AND REVISED EDITION. Uniform with “THE PEERAGE” Volume, with the arms beautifully engraved, handsomely bound with gilt edges, price 31s. 6d.

The desire very generally manifested for a republication of this volume has dictated the present entire revision of its contents. The Armorial Bearings prefixed to the History of each Noble Family, render the work complete in itself and uniform with the Volume of THE PEERAGE, which it is intended to accompany and illustrate. The object of the whole Work, in its two distinct yet combined characters, has been useful and correct information; and the careful attention devoted to this object throughout will, it is hoped, render the Work worthy of the August Patronage with which it is honoured and of the liberal assistance accorded by its Noble Correspondents, and will secure from them and from the Public, the same cordial reception it has hitherto experienced. The great advantage of “The Genealogy” being thus given in a separate volume, Mr. Lodge has himself explained in the Preface to “The Peerage.”

=EPISODES OF FRENCH HISTORY DURING THE CONSULATE AND FIRST EMPIRE.= By MISS PARDOE, author of “The Life of Marie de Medicis,” &c. 2 vols. 21s.

“We recommend Miss Pardoe’s ‘Episodes’ as very pleasant
reading. They cannot fail to entertain and instruct.”—_Critic._

“One of the most amusing and instructive books Miss Pardoe has
ever given to the public.”—_Messenger._

“In this lively and agreeable book Miss Pardoe gives a fair
picture of the society of the times, which has never been
treated in a more interesting and pleasant manner.”—_Chronicle._

=THE LIFE AND TIMES OF GEORGE VILLIERS, DUKE OF BUCKINGHAM.= By MRS. THOMSON, Author of “The Life of the Duchess of Marlborough,” “Memoirs of Sir W. Raleigh,” &c. With Portrait. (_Just Ready._)

=THE LIVES OF PHILIP HOWARD, EARL OF ARUNDEL, AND OF ANNE DACRES, HIS WIFE.= Edited from the Original MSS. By the DUKE OF NORFOLK, E.M. 1 vol. antique.

“These biographies will be read with Interest. They throw
valuable light on the social habits and the prevalent feelings
of the Elizabethan age.”—_Literary Gazette._

=MEMOIRS OF BERANGER. WRITTEN BY HIMSELF.= ENGLISH COPYRIGHT EDITION. Second Edition, with numerous Additional Anecdotes and Notes, hitherto unpublished. 8vo. with Portrait.

“This is the Copyright Translation of Beranger’s Biography.
It appears in a handsome volume, and is worthy of all praise
as an honest piece of work. In this account of his life, the
Poet displays all the mingled gaiety and earnestness, the
warm-hearted sincerity, inseparable from his character. He
tells, with an exquisite simplicity, the story of his early
years. His life, he says, is the fairest commentary on his
songs, therefore he writes it. The charm of the narrative is
altogether fresh. It includes a variety of _chansons_, now
first printed, touching closely on the personal history of
which they form a part, shrewd sayings, and, as the field of
action in life widens, many sketches of contemporaries, and
free judgments upon men and things. There is a full appendix
to the Memoir, rich in letters hitherto unpublished, and in
information which completes the story of Beranger’s life. The
book should be read by all.”—_Examiner._

=THE BOOK OF ORDERS OF KNIGHTHOOD, AND DECORATIONS OF HONOUR OF ALL NATIONS; COMPRISING AN HISTORICAL ACCOUNT OF EACH ORDER, MILITARY, NAVAL AND CIVIL=; with Lists of the Knights and Companions of each British Order. EMBELLISHED WITH FIVE HUNDRED FAC-SIMILE COLOURED ILLUSTRATIONS OF THE INSIGNIA OF THE VARIOUS ORDERS. Edited by SIR BERNARD BURKE, Ulster King of Arms. 1 vol. royal 8vo., handsomely bound, with gilt edges, price £2. 2s.

“This valuable and attractive work may claim the merit of being
the best of its kind. It is so comprehensive in its character,
and so elegant in its style, that it far outstrips all
competitors. A full historical account of the orders of every
country is given, with lists of the Knights and Companions of
each British Order. Among the most attractive features of the
work are the illustrations. They are numerous and beautiful,
highly coloured, and giving an exact representation of the
different decorations. The origin of each Order, the rules
and regulations, and the duties incumbent on its members,
are all given at full length. The fact of the work being
under the supervision of Sir Bernard Burke, and endorsed by
his authority, gives it another recommendation to the public
favour.”—_Sun._

“This is, indeed, a splendid book. It is an uncommon
combination of a library book of reference and a book for a
boudoir, undoubtedly uniting beauty and utility. It gives
a sketch of the foundation and history of all recognised
decorations of honour, among all nations, arranged in
alphabetical order. The fac-similes of the insignia are well
drawn and coloured, and present a brilliant effect. Sir Bernard
Burke has done his work well; and this book of the quintessence
of the aristocracy will soon find its place in every library
and drawing-room.”—_Globe._

=JOURNAL OF AN ENGLISH OFFICER IN INDIA.= By MAJOR NORTH, 60th Rifles, Deputy Judge Advocate-General, and Aide-de-Camp to General Havelock. 1 vol. with portrait.

“We must commend Major’s North’s ‘Journal’ to universal
approbation. It is manly in tone, noble in expression, and full
of feeling, alike honourable to the soldier and his gallant
profession. When we state that the book tells of the progress
of the lion-hearted Havelock’s little band which relieved
Lucknow, and is the first faithful record of the deeds of arms
performed by that phalanx of heroes, we have said enough to
cause it to be read, we are convinced, by every person who
can avail himself of the opportunity of learning what were
the hardships of his countrymen, and how immense were the
sacrifices they made to save the English besieged inhabitants
from a repetition of the atrocities of Cawnpore. We have as yet
seen no book connected with the Indian mutiny which has given
us so much gratification as Major North’s Journal.”—_Messenger._

=EASTERN HOSPITALS AND ENGLISH NURSES=; The Narrative of Twelve Months’ Experience in the Hospitals of Koulali and Scutari. By A LADY VOLUNTEER. Third and Cheaper Edition, 1 vol. post 8vo. with Illustrations, 6s. bound.

“The story of the noble deeds done by Miss Nightingale and her
devoted sisterhood will never be more effectively told than
in the beautiful narrative contained in these volumes.”—_John
Bull._

=PICTURES OF SPORTING LIFE AND CHARACTER.= By LORD WILLIAM LENNOX. 2 vols. with Illustrations. 21s.

“This work may be characterised as a perfect synopsis of
English sports in the 19th century. Were the whole of the
books previously written on the subject destroyed. Lord
William Lennox’s alone would preserve a lifelike picture of
the sports and amusements of our age. The volumes will be read
with intense enjoyment by multitudes, for their author is an
accomplished _littérateur_, who has known how to vary his theme
so skillfully and to intersperse it with so many anecdotes
and personal recollections of England’s most distinguished
men, that even those who are not themselves given to sport
will be deeply interested in the light he throws upon English
society.”—_Illustrated News of the World._

=THE COUNTESS OF BONNEVAL: HER LIFE AND LETTERS.= By LADY GEORGIANA FULLERTON. 2 vols. 21s.

“The whole work forms one of those touching stories which
create a lasting impression.”—_Athenæum._

“The life of the Count de Bonneval is a page in history, but
it reads like a romance; that of the Countess, removed from
war and politics, never oversteps the domestic sphere, yet is
equally romantic and singular. An accomplished writer has taken
up the threads of this modest life, and brought out her true
character in a very interesting and animated memoir. The story
of the Countess of Bonneval is related with that happy art and
grace which so characterise the author.”—_U. S. Magazine._

=THE LIFE OF MARIE DE MEDICIS, QUEEN OF FRANCE=, CONSORT OF HENRY IV., AND REGENT UNDER LOUIS XIII. By MISS PARDOE. Second Edition. 3 vols. 8vo. Portraits.

=MEMOIRS OF THE BARONESS D’OBERKIRCH=, ILLUSTRATIVE OF THE SECRET HISTORY OF THE COURTS OF FRANCE, RUSSIA, AND GERMANY. WRITTEN BY HERSELF, and Edited by Her Grandson, the COUNT DE MONTBRISON. 3 vols. post 8vo. 15s.

“The Baroness d’Oberkirch being the intimate friend of the
Empress of Russia, wife of Paul I., and the confidential
companion of the Duchess of Bourbon, her facilities for
obtaining information respecting the most private affairs of
the principal Courts of Europe, render her Memoirs unrivalled
as a book of interesting anecdotes of the royal, noble and
other celebrated individuals who flourished on the continent
during the latter part of the last century. The volumes form
a valuable addition to the personal history of an important
period. They deserve general popularity.”—_Daily News._

=MEMOIRS OF RACHEL.= 2 vols. with Portrait. 21s.

“A book sure to attract public attention, and well meriting
it.”—_Globe._

=SCOTTISH HEROES IN THE DAYS OF WALLACE AND BRUCE.= By the REV. A. LOW, A.M. 2 vols. post.

=MEMOIRS AND CORRESPONDENCE OF MAJOR GENERAL SIR W. NOTT, G.C.B.=, COMMANDER OF THE ARMY OF CANDAHAR, AND ENVOY AT THE COURT OF LUCKNOW. 2 vols. 8vo. with Portrait. 16s. bound.

=RULE AND MISRULE OF THE ENGLISH IN AMERICA.= By the Author of “SAM SLICK.” 2 vols. post 8vo.

“We conceive this work to be by far the most valuable and
important Judge Haliburton has ever written. While teeming
with interest, moral and historical, to the general reader, it
equally constitutes a philosophical study for the politician
and statesman. It will be found to let in a flood of light upon
the actual origin, formation, and progress of the republic of
the United States.”—_Naval and Military Gazette._

=RECOLLECTIONS OF WEST END LIFE; WITH SKETCHES OF SOCIETY IN PARIS, INDIA, &c.= By MAJOR CHAMBRE, late 17th Lancers. 2 vols. with Portrait of George IV.

“We find in Major Chambre’s lively sketches a mass of
amusing anecdotes relating to persons eminent in their day
for their position, wit, and political reputation. All
that relates to George IV. will be read with attention and
interest.”—_Messenger._

=THE UPPER and LOWER AMOOR; A NARRATIVE OF TRAVEL AND ADVENTURE.= By T. W. ATKINSON. Author of “ORIENTAL and WESTERN SIBERIA.” With Map and numerous Illustrations. (_In the Press._)

=SIXTEEN YEARS OF AN ARTIST’S LIFE IN MOROCCO, SPAIN, AND THE CANARY ISLANDS.= By MRS. ELIZABETH MURRAY. 2 vols. 8vo. with Coloured Illustrations.

“Mrs. Murray, wife, we believe, of the English Consul at
Teneriffe, is one of the first of female English Water Colour
Artists. She draws well, and her colour is bright, pure,
transparent, and sparkling. Her book is like her painting,
luminous, rich and fresh. We welcome it (as the public will
also do) with sincere pleasure. It is a hearty book, written by
a clever, quick-sighted, and thoughtful woman, who, slipping a
steel pen on the end of her brush, thus doubly armed, uses one
end as well as the other, being with both a bright colourer,
and accurate describer of colours, outlines, sensations,
landscapes and things. In a word, Mrs. Murray is a clever
artist, who writes forcibly and agreeably.”—_Athenæum._

“Mrs. Elizabeth Murray is known to the artistic world as the
principal star of the Female Exhibition of Paintings. She left
England as she tells us, at eighteen, with all the man who is
successively Consul at Tangiers and Teneriffe. She has, in
consequence, peculiar advantages for the observation of Moorish
and Spanish society, and as she possesses great observation
and wields the pen as cleverly as the pencil, she has produced
a book not only of interest, but of importance. In every
way, whether descriptive or anecdotal, the work claims to be
placed amongst the very best works of travel in the English
Language.”—_Chronicle._

=REVELATIONS OF PRISON LIFE=; WITH AN ENQUIRY INTO PRISON DISCIPLINE AND SECONDARY PUNISHMENTS. By GEORGE LAVAL CHESTERTON, 25 Years Governor of the House of Correction at Cold-Bath Fields. Third Edition, Revised. 1 vol.

“Mr. Chesterton has had a rare experience of human frailty.
He has lived with the felon, the forger, the _lorette_, the
vagabond, the murderer; has looked into the darkest sepulchres
of the heart, without finding reason to despair of mankind.
In his belief the worst of men have still some of the angel
left. Such a testimony from such a quarter is full of novelty
us it is of interest. As a curious bit of human history these
volumes are remarkable. They are very real, very simple;
dramatic without exaggeration, philosophic without being
dull.”—_Athenæum._

=THE OLD COURT SUBURB; OR, MEMORIALS OF KENSINGTON=; REGAL, CRITICAL, AND ANECDOTICAL. By LEIGH HUNT. Second Edition. 2 vols. post 8vo.

“A delightful book. It will be welcome to all readers, and
most welcome to those who have a love for the best kinds of
reading.”—_Examiner._

=MY EXILE.= BY ALEXANDER HERZEN. 2 vols.

“Mr. Herzen’s narrative, ably and unaffectedly written, and
undoubtedly authentic, is indeed superior in interest to
nine-tenths of the existing works on Russia.”—_Athenæum._

=A PRACTICAL GUIDE IN OBTAINING PROBATES, ADMINISTRATIONS, &c.=, in Her Majesty’s Court of Probate; with numerous Precedents. By EDWARD WEATHERLY, of Doctor’s Commons. Dedicated, by permission, to the Right Hon. Sir CRESSWELL CRESSWELL, Judge of the New Court of Probate. Cheaper Edition. 12s.

“A most valuable book. Its contents are very
diversified—meeting almost every use.”—_Solicitor’s Journal._

=ORIENTAL AND WESTERN SIBERIA=; A NARRATIVE OF SEVEN YEARS’ EXPLORATIONS AND ADVENTURES IN SIBERIA, MONGOLIA, THE KIRGHIS STEPPES, CHINESE TARTARY, AND CENTRAL ASIA. By THOMAS WITLAM ATKINSON. In one large volume, royal 8vo., Price £2. 2s., elegantly bound. Embellished with upwards of 50 Illustrations, including numerous beautifully coloured plates, from drawings by the Author, and a map.

“By virtue alike of its text and its pictures, we place this
book of travel in the first rank among those illustrated gift
books now so much sought by the public. Mr. Atkinson’s book
is most readable. The geographer finds in it notice of ground
heretofore left undescribed, the ethnologist, geologist, and
botanist, find notes and pictures, too, of which they know
the value, the sportman’s taste is gratified by chronicles
of sport, the lover of adventure will find a number of
perils and escapes to hang over, and the lover of a frank
good-humoured way of speech will find the book a pleasant one
in every page. Seven years of wandering, thirty-nine thousand
five hundred miles of moving to and fro in a wild and almost
unknown country, should yield a book worth reading, and they
do.”—_Examiner._

“A book of travels which in value and sterling interest must
take rank as a landmark in geographical literature. Its
coloured illustrations and wood engravings are of a high order,
and add a great charm to the narrative. Mr. Atkinson has
travelled where it is believed no European has been before.
He has seen nature in the wildest, sublimest, and also the
most beautiful aspects the old world can present. These he
has depicted by pen and pencil. He has done both well. Many a
fireside will rejoice in the determination which converted the
artist into an author. Mr. Atkinson is a thorough Englishman,
brave and accomplished, a lover of adventure and sport of every
kind. He knows enough of mineralogy, geology, and botany to
impart a scientific interest to his descriptions and drawings;
possessing a keen sense of humour, he tells many a racy story.
The sportsman and the lover of adventure, whether by flood or
field, will find ample stores in the stirring tales of his
interesting travels.”—_Daily News._

“An animated and intelligent narrative, appreciably enriching
the literature of English travel. Mr. Atkinson’s sketches were
made by express permission of the late Emperor of Russia.
Perhaps no English artist was ever before admitted into this
enchanted land of history, or provided with the talisman
and amulet of a general passport; and well has Mr. Atkinson
availed himself of the privilege. Our extracts will have served
to illustrate the originality and variety of Mr. Atkinson’s
observations and adventures during his protracted wanderings of
nearly forty thousand miles. Mr. Atkinson’s pencil was never
idle, and he has certainly brought home with him the forms,
and colours, and other characteristics of a most extraordinary
diversity of groups and scenes. As a sportsman Mr. Atkinson
enjoyed a plenitude of excitement. His narrative is well stored
with incidents of adventure. His ascent of the Blelouka is a
chapter of the most vivid romance of travel, yet it is less
attractive than his relations of wanderings across the Desert
of Gobi and up the Tangnou Chaiu.”—_Athenæum._

“We predict that Mr. Atkinson’s ‘Siberia’ will very often
assume the shape of a Christmas Present or New Year’s Gift,
as it possesses, in an eminent degree, four very precious
and suitable qualities for that purpose,—namely, usefulness,
elegance, instruction and novelty. It is a work of great value,
not merely on account of its splendid illustrations, but for
the amount it contains of authentic and highly interesting
intelligence concerning regions which, in all probability, has
never, previous to Mr. Atkinson’s explorations, been visited
by an European. Mr. Atkinson’s adventures are told in a manly
style. The valuable and interesting information the book
contains, gathered at a vast expense, is lucidly arranged, and
altogether the work is one that the author-artist may well be
proud of, and with which those who study it cannot fail to be
delighted.”—_John Bull._

“To the geographer, the geologist, the ethnographer, the
sportsman, and to those who read only for amusement,
this will be an acceptable volume. Mr. Atkinson is not
only an adventurous traveller, but a correct and amusing
writer.”—_Literary Gazette._

=TRAVELS IN EASTERN AFRICA, WITH THE NARRATIVE OF A RESIDENCE IN MOZAMBIQUE: 1856 to 1859.= By LYONS McLEOD, Esq. F.R.G.S., &c. Late British Consul in Mozambique. 2 vols. With Map and Illustrations.

=A JOURNEY ON A PLANK FROM KIEV TO EAUX-BONNES.= By LADY CHARLOTTE PEPYS. 2 vols., with Illustrations. 21s. (_Just Ready_).

=LAKE NGAMI=; OR, EXPLORATIONS AND DISCOVERIES DURING FOUR YEARS’ WANDERINGS IN THE WILDS OF SOUTH-WESTERN AFRICA. By CHARLES JOHN ANDERSSON. 1 vol. royal 8vo., with Map and upwards of 50 Illustrations, representing Sporting Adventures, Subjects of Natural History, &c. Second Edition.

“This narrative of African explorations and discoveries
is one of the most important geographical works that have
lately appeared. It contains the account of two journeys
made between the years 1850 and 1854, in the first of which
the countries of the Damaras and the Ovambo, previously
scarcely known in Europe, were explored; and in the second
the newly-discovered Lake Ngami was reached by a route that
had been deemed impracticable, but which proves to be the
shortest and the best. The work contains much scientific
and accurate information as to the geology, the scenery,
products, and resources of the regions explored, with notices
of the religion, manners, and customs of the native tribes.
The continual sporting adventures, and other remarkable
occurrences, intermingled with the narrative of travel, make
the book as interesting to read as a romance, as, indeed, a
good book of travels ought always to be. The illustrations
by Wolf are admirably designed, and most of them represent
scenes as striking as any witnessed by Jules Gérard or Gordon
Cumming.”—_Literary Gazette._

=THE OXONIAN IN THELEMARKEN=; OR, NOTES OF TRAVEL IN SOUTH-WESTERN NORWAY, WITH GLANCES AT THE LEGENDARY LORE OF THAT DISTRICT. By the Rev. F. METCALFE M.A., Fellow of Lincoln College. 2 vols. with illustrations.

“This new book is as lively as its predecessor, its matter is
as good, or better. The intermixture of legends and traditions
with the notes of travel adds to the real value of the work,
and strengthens its claim on a public that desires to be
amused.”—_Examiner._