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Childe Harold's Pilgrimage, Canto III — 2. BUENOS AYRES PRINTED AT THE MERCANTILE GAZETTE OFFICE. 1848. ^ /%r /A^/c^?r^ J&*ipze P^Mfr^. du^ JJ-~ /SV$. /t/^^/ EAST AND WEST A POEM, BY ABRAHAM ROBINSON, Still must I on ; for I am as a weed, Flung from the rock, on Ocean's foam, to sail Where'er the surge may sweep, the tempest's hreath prerail. Ohilde Harold's Pilgrimage, Canto III — 2. BUENOS AYRES PRINTED A.T THE MERCANTILE GAZETTE OFFICE 1848. Sfot in the futile hope applause to gain rroa Critic stern for this his slender song, Nor seekipg honors with ambition vain, Which to the Poet's sacred name belong ;• . Does he th' unskilful framer of this lay, Its falt'ring numbers to the world display, He aims alone to offer to the view. Tho' weak his verse, and all unapt his hand 1 ,. Some penciled rays from Nature's mirror true, Which meet th' enraptured gaze, in ev'ry lan< - " 11 who con, ; neath varying sky and clime. Those words of light— Creation's p« ' a'dbl Buenos Ayres. M^rck. 18-13., EAST AND WEST. Canto the First. I. Urg'd by the love of novelty and change, And anxious distant regions to explore, To Eastern climes and realms intent to range, An humble Vand'rer 5 left the British shore ; The while deep sorrow fill'd his youthful mind For those dear friends whom he had left behind, II. t Land ! 'tis a glad and soul-exciting cry, Which falls with sweetest cadence on the ear When the loud voice of seaman perch'd on high, Thus indicates the wish'd-for haven near ; What varied feelings in our minds arise, Of scenes and objects new to meet the eyes. 2 III. Slowly from out the deep those peaks emerge, Which first to view St. Helen's isle disclose. And as the onward vessel breasts the surge, More clear defined each crest and valley grows ; Until we gaze upon that rock-bound shore, Which has for Ages braved the Ocean's roar, IV. Here ceased the beatings of that mighty heart, Whose throbbing pulse so late convuls'd the world ; Here bow'd submissive to Death's ruthless dart, The modern Cassar from his Empire hurl'd ; Here, past th' effulgence of its transient gleam, Closed the vain promptings of Ambition's dream; V. And who has e'er beheld the humble grave, Who stood beside the lone, secluded spot Where the twin sympathizing willows wave O'er one whose deeds will never be forgot : And has not paid at least a mental tear, And own'd the vanity of all things here? VI. Yet strange to tell the Hero's senseless clay, When placed within the dark and narrow tomb. Had still another glorious part to play, Before it should receive the final doom ; Two mighty nations view'd it as the gage, That future wars should ne'er betwixt them rage. VII. Thus may it be — may their fierce contests cease. Their bands no longer meet in angry war, And may this prove the "calumet" of peace. The harbinger of contests diff'rent far; Henceforth may each her views and pow'r direct, The gen'ral spread of Knowledge to effect. VIII. Striking the fetters from the tortur'd slave ; Bearing the arts of Industry to lands, Whose earnest cry heard o'er the distant wave, Invites assistance at their brethren's hands; And by the gen'ral spread of Reason's ray, Chasing the mists of Ignorance away. IX. Tow'rds the cold South our onward course We steer, Borne on the pinions of the brisk Trade-wind, And soon da Gama's well-known Cape we near, And shortly leave its dang'rous seas behind ; That Cape in other days styled "Cape of Storms", Though now "Good Hope" its milder title forms. X. O Africa ! for Ages 'neath the "ban" Of Wrong and Rapine, thy pestif'rous clime Has prov'd the field where fierce, rapacious Man Has sow'd the seed, and reap'd the fruit of crime : And whence, his sordid baseness to unfold, His fellow. Man he pluck'dto sell for gold. 4 XI. Shame on our dastard race ! that crimson stain Not years of penitence will wash away, And leave th' ensanguin'd "pale-face" white again ; The European, boasting that his clay, Possessing virtues which the Negroes lack, Confers some right to lash each dusky back. XII. Yet let me joy to think that one at least Amongst the Nations, will no more agree To level reas'ning Man with savage beast, And has declared the injured Negro FREE ; Proclaim'd that bondsmen shall no more be seen, In all the countries ruled by Britain's Queen. XIII. Thanks be to God for this example giv'n Before the op'ning eyes of all the world ; Henceforth all other nations will be driv'n To follow Freedom's banner thus unfurl'd ; And though a little space the slave may bleed, Ere long the bright example must succeed. XIV. Obedient to a fresh and fair Monsoon, Our vessel's prow the curling seas divides, And ere Sol's course has thrice proclaim'd it Noon, Thro' Mozambique's canal she swiftly glides ; Yet a brief space— and to our anxious gaze, Bombay its crowded, bustling mart displays. XV. But hark ! a gun fired from that schooner near, Does with a stunning sense our breasts imbue, As when some sad catastrophe we fear ; Alas ! our worst conjectures prove too true Before the fatal impulse of that ball, One of the best of men was doom'd to fall- XVI. Peace to his mem'ry ! not a manly breast, Which whilst he breath'd his gen'rous feelings knew, But has since then unto itself confess'd In silent grief, that never heart more true Sent through the tortuous veins its crimson tide, Than his who on that day untimely died. XVII. Not many are the spots on this our Earth, Where it is given at one view to scan, So many who by common right of birth, Claim kindred as the family of Man, Yet differ each from each, as at this port, By Commerce made a place of great resort. XVIII. The shrewd tho' staid Parsee ; the Gentoo mi id ; The pale-faced Arab ; and of course the Jew ; The son of China ; Nubia's swarthy child ; Malay ; Armenian ; and a motley crew From Europe's distant climes; with many more, Whom love of gain impels to seek this shore. XIX. Amidst this varied throng, whose common aim Is that of barter, it were hard to trace Those whose good deeds demand a prior claim To mention o'er the peaceful Parseerace ; Since to these shores a persecution dire, Compell'd these ancient worshippers of fire, XX. Endow'd by Nature with a lib'ral mind, Which prompts them foremost in each gen'rous deed. For active enterprise we shall Lot find In any country who may them exceed ; Whilst 'neath our rule by peaceful Commerce thrive These valued members of the social hive. XXL The merits of the Parsee race with pride I do in this my slender verse record ; But would not have the meek Gentoos decried, Nor hesitate to them my praise t' accord ; For they a rule of conduct oft observe, Which Christians preach, yet from its precepts swerve. XXII. Full oft when drought or locusts' busy wing, Has pinch'd through India's plains the crop of rice, And singly or together work'd to bring This food so needful to a famine price; The rich Gentoo fails not to ope his store. And feed the thousands who surround his door. XXIII. Go and do likewise thou who boast'st thyself The foll'wer of a Saviour meek and mild, Grudge not some portion of thy hoarded pelf, To save from want and ruin Mis'ry's child ; Shall the Gentoo the sole right reader be Of "Do as thou wouldst men should do to thee." XXIV. Its wooded peaks from Bombay's island seen, And within hearing of the sparkling waves, Which fall with gentle murmur near' its Green, Stands Elephanta with its far-famed caves ; The wondrous fruits of hard and patient toil, When men of diff'rent mould possess'd this soil. XXV. Struck by the giant nature of the task, Whilst round these caves our curious gaze we bend. We laud the sculptors, but proceed to ask )} To what good purpose did their labours tend ?» And quit the temples with a heavy sigh, That Man should thus his talents misapply. XXVI. The East ! what magic charms invest that word, Visions of fairy climes and regions bright ; Alas ! those fabled lands too oft afford Objects of woe to pain the aching sight, Pictures from which we turn with deep disgust, Stain'd with the odious tints of blood and lust. XXVII. , And yet they are by Nature beauteous lands, By Nature's aid in gorgeous garments clad, When first they left The Great Creator's hands, They nothing lack'd to make the spirit glad ; The moral contrast which they give to view, To fierce and ruthless Man alone is due. XXVIII. India ! thy sky is bright, thy fertile soil Well fitted ev'ry object to produce, (And that at very little cost of toil) Which may to use or luxury conduce ; Wiihin thy spicy groves, upon thy plains, And 'neath thy soil, what rich profusion reigns. XXIX. With finny tribes thy rapid rivers teem, What realms with thine for luscious fruits can vie ! The hues prismatic of Sol's ardent beam, Tint ev'ry object there with magic dye; And yet not all — to mar the beauteous plan, Appears that master-piece of Nature—Man. XXX. Here Superstition rears her hideous head, Whilst humble slaves before her loot-stool bend, And by her dev'lish rites in bondage led, Their abject limbs to cruel tortures lend ; Here infant widows as a boon aspire, To end their op'ning lives upon the ^pyre.* 9 XXXI. Here deep designing men for Ages past, Unto the list'ning multitude have taught The base, ignoble theory of "caste", And thus enchain'd the faculty of Thought ; That noble gift, whose usage laid aside, Where were the bounds which Man from brute divide. XXXII. Here Pest and Famine stalk from time to time With conq'ring feet throughout the prostrate land, Here foul Infanticide, that monstrous' crime, Arms 'gainst her offspring's life the mother's hand, . Here, notwithstanding Britain's righteous aims, Domestic slav'ry still its victims claims. XXXIII. And can we not perchance afford to view Some gladd'ning facts these horrors to redeem, Must all be tinted of a "sombre" hue, No cheering lights upon the picture gleam 1 Yes, thanks to God, though late Great Britain brings Some pow'r to bear to change this state of things. XXXIV. Bentinck ! be thy philanthropy revered By all the Earth unto the end of Time, Thy honor'd name to all the good endear'd, Since thou didst lay the axe to one foul crime, Branding the mad "suttee" with Britain's "ban", And shielding thus the tender slave of Man. m XXXV. Amongst those statesmen who have held command With deathless fame o'er India's torrid soil, (And num'rous those who for their native land Have fill'd with great eclat that post of toil) 'Gainst arduous obstacles compell'd to strive, Let not his country fail to think on Clive. XXXVI. Did not his plans the first foundation lay Of that extended pow'r which we enjoy In India's realms ? — and was it to repay His gen'rous toils they treated to destroy That dearest part of Man his spotless fame 1 Thank God they could not soil Clive 's glorious name. XXXVIL As yet, alas ! through fields of crimson blood Our onward path in India has been trod., Thus far in lieu of ministers of good, As conq'rors we have grasp'd th' avenging rod, War following war we scarce could time afford To heal those wounds inflicted by the sword. XXXVIII. From vict'ry on to vict'ry marching still, Before our pow'r the sternest chiefs have bow'd : Must we not recognise some Sov'reign Will, Which has to us such mark'd success allow'd. And own that we those mighty realms direct, Some wise improvements in their state t' effect. II XXXIX. > And since our country distant half the globe, Does o'er the fate of India arbitrate, Her kings depose, her rankling evils probe, And for her countless millions legislate ; Shall we debase the lion's lordly paw, Solely to furnish Mammon's hungry jaw ? XL. ! let us not the narrow ground maintain, That Commerce has unlock'd this golden mart, Merely to satisfy the thirst of gain, And to our well-lov'd country wealth impart ; Here, as elsewhere, she only forms the M van )> , To lead to action vain and selfish Man. XLI. To lead — that so Improvement's fleet may take Their sev'ral stations 'gainst the common foe Hight Ignorance, his strongest bulwarks shake, And from the base his monstrous rule o'erthrow If not our wondrous pow'r so firm to-day. Will like a gaudy vision pass away. XLII. Away Despair ! to that of stubborn steel Will soon succeed the sway of righteous laws, Monopoly o'erthrown we now can feel A common int'rest in wide India's cause, And though we've shed Pandora's box of ills Throughout her bounds, Hope still her station fills, 12 XLI1I. And who that harbours in his gen'rous breast A wish to benefit our common kind, Is not with earnest, heartfelt wish impress'd, That Britain's measures may be so combined,, That taught to love our rule — not fear our rod — All India's tribes may worship India's God. XLIV. Away Despair ! to India's realms we now Through routes long laid aside our pathway trace, Thanks to our Watt the steamer's rushing prow Annihilates for us both Time and Space, And offers to our view to prompt our zeal, A mighty pow'r for working India's weal. XLV. Away Despair ! a change begins to work Throughout society o'er India's land, Beneath its surface blest improvements lurk, Which stubborn prejudice will scarce withstand; Amongst the wealthy natives some at last Have torn and from them thrown the veil of »caste. }> XL VI. Thus has a breach been form'd in that great wall, Which did from us our fellow. men divide, And one by one may all its ramparts fall, Its odious tow'rs of strength be cast aside, Its citadels by constant efforts storm'd, And o'er their dust Improvement's pathway form'd. IB XL VII. Low are thy hot and sickly coasts, Bengal, So much so that the voy'ger's eye descries The spreading top of many a palm-tree tall, Ere the white sandy beach salutes his eyes,; And half reveal'd their stems gigantic stand, Before he well discerns the neighb'ring strand. XL VIII. Confused and intricate those channels are, Which form the entrance to the Hooghly's stream, Whose current flows o'er many a dang'rous bar, Which to avoid a hopeless task might seem, Were't not that skilful pilots means provide, Through Safety's path th' arriving ship to guide. XLIX. And still the river's mud-form'd banks are low, And still its panorama dull and drear, And weary of its tedious length you grow Before Calcutta's masts and spires appear ; Yet here I would retract, and not impeach The beauty of thy prospect — Garden Reach, L. Around our boat the shades of ev'ning fell, When first on Garden Reach I flx'd my gaze, And few I ween the landscapes which excel The striking beauties which that scene displays ; Paint to your mind a Tropic ev'ning warm, A noble river sleeping in a calm : — 14 LI. T' adorn its verdant banks, on either hand Shaded by trees and carpeted with flow'rs> Design some villas picturesque which stand Beyond green lawns and back'd by shady bow'rs f Some birds of brilliant plumage now select, And let the glassy stream their hues reflect. LII. Vary the hour — and let a lustrous Moon Upon your picture shed her mellow light, (Though hot and fierce the scorching glare of Noon, How cool and chaste these liquid beams of Night) Now make your choice — Sol takes your heart by storm. Whilst Luna does the suppliant's part perform. LIIL Two objects eloquent of Britain's rule Here stand to beautify the Hooghly r s banks, The » Grounds Botanic" and the " Hindu School,* For both of which the learned owe their thanks ; And ere these things have faded from your gaze, The Capital its roofs and spires displays. LIV. And since it seems to me that in the "van"' Of things terrestrial which our thoughts deserve, The »polyglot» and "folio" book of Man E'er claims the foremost station to preserve ; I would a few lame stanzas here devote, Seme words from out its page ^Bengal* to quote. LV. A race of men more patient, humble, meek, Than are the natives of Bengal's wide plains, In vain we should through Earth's wide confines seek, 'Midst all the millions whom her soil sustains ; Though — with no wish their merits to decry — » Their mental gifts are not of order high. LVI. But stating this I would be understood To argue in a gen'ral sense alone, And not t' assert the rule holds always good, Or that exceptions bright may not be shown ; Such falsely form'd opinions to destroy, I only need to mention Rammohun Roy .' LVIL And then the level district only fills A given portion of the country's space, And well 'tis known the natives of the hills Have proved themselves a widely different race ; The enterprising courage which we find 'Midst them declares them of superior mind. LVIII. And can we wonder that the former race Of Degradation's cup have freely drunk, When from remotest Ages we can trace That superstitious s'eep in which they're sunk, Whilst conq'ring feet so oft these realms have trody And used at will Oppression's iron rod. 16 LIX. That superstitious s^ep !— and dense I fear Is the impervious veil which hoods the eyes \nd screens the Truth from countless millions here:; For India offers scenes which cause surprise How Craft and Cunning should so far debase These fellow members of the human race. LX. List to that shout ! — that strange, unearthly sound, Whose maniac fierceness pierced your inmost ear,; Whence came that fearful cry ? — turn quickly round. That form, scarce human, is a poor •Fakeer'* ; Reason no more illumes his feeble brain, O'er which th' usurper Instinct now does reign. LXL His stiff and wither'd arm o'ertops his head, And from that posture never can descend. For many years that limb has now been dead, No efforts could its bones and nerves unbend-; White ashes o'er his prostrate form are thrown, And thus for by-gone sins he trusts t' atone. LXII. What form is that o'er which we almost strode.. And which persists in endless turns t® roll Along the surface of the dusty road ? O God ! it is a man with deathless soul ;— » How shall we this strange fantasy explain? fie trusts by this immortal bliss to gain. m LXIII. For many years on each succeeding day He has been known along this road to glide. Thus prone extended on Earth's sister clay, To reach and lave himself in Hooghly's tide ; He would not (can he now ?) or stand or sit, Or for the world that grov'lling posture quit. LXIV. What spectacle is yon which seems t' engage The wrapt attention of each human eye, What mean this countless throng— this wooden stage— And what that loudly-raised applauding cry 1 Approach not nearer — hence you may behold A sight to make the quick'ning blood run cold. LXV. Encircled by that seeming human ring, The priests attendant on these rites prepare By ropes suspended from that pole to swing A living human form in middle air, And pointed hooks — nay doubt me not — 'tis true — Will pierce his tortured body through and through. LXVI. The City to portray does not comport With my design, although I can declare The English quarter handsome, and the Fort For strength and grandeur not surpass'd elsewhere; I merely have in view to name one spot, The scene of sufferings ne'er to be forgot. la LXVII. I make allusion to the famed ^Black Hole," Whose cursed walls no more the Earth pollute,. But still the "genius loci" haunts the soul, And breathes a lesson eloquent though mute Of bodily and mental pangs endured By those within that dungeon once immured. LXVIII. The mem'ry of that dark and monstrous crime A moral lesson fraught with good conveys To us who govern at the present time O'er India's wide -spread realms ; it clearly says,. (And by its precepts may we e'er abide) »Let Mercy's sacred rules your counsels guide." LXIX. t might discourse of Dacca where I've stray'd Through lone deserted streets with grass o'ergrowr- By which a striking moral is convey'd, For Paisley's busy weavers have o'erthrown This ancient city by the aid of Steam ; A fate of which its Nawabs ne'er could dream-. LXX. Its mosques and caravansaries of old In sad and rank confusion prostrate lie, And seem to whisper as "a tale that's told," Our ancient grandeur could no longer vie With that invincible tho' peaceful pow'r, Which nearly rules Earth's surface at this hour.. 19 lxxl Or say on Brahmapoutva's tide I've sailed, Whose stream in magnitude to few will yield, And tell that from the Ganges I have hail'd That memorable spot called Plassy's field, Where vict'ry gain'd by Clive's advent'rous bands Placed India's fertile regions in our hands, LXXIL Or speak a few brief words of Moorsh'dabad, (Another seat of pow'r in days of old), Where sons of those who once the )) musnud w had Are still allow'd a so-called sway to hold, Altho' since we disburse their store of pelf, We've virtually placed them on the shelf. LXXIII. But then the entertainment of the thought, That all those scenes of Eastern pomp and pride, Which once prevail'd there, have been brought to naugh' And like to worn-out garments cast aside, Might form the ground-work for a touch of spleen ; So if the reader wills I'll shift the scene. LXXIV. A brisk Monsoon distends each flowing sail Whilst o'er the briny deep we glide once more. And soon with glad and thankful eyes we hail The num'rous palms which line Malaya's shore. Whose lofty stems as giant sentries stand To guard from hostile foot that fairy land. 20 LXXV. 'Tis Noon— what varied tints of light and shade The dazzling sun upon the forests flings, Those woods in all their verdant pomp array'd, For here the annual course of seasons brings No fall of leaf as 'neath our colder sky, Where Winter's icy touch leaves branches dry. LXXVI. He only who has felt Sol's ardent rays Where 'neath the Tropics they more fiercely gleam. Can fitly estimate the scorching blaze, Which in those climes attends his noontide beam, Or well believe the oft-times fatal pow'r, Which he exhibits at that trying hour. LXXVII. Beneath the tall bamboo or giant palm The panting cattle gladly seek the shade, A close, oppressive, almost stifling calm Seems with its pow'r all Nature to pervade ; Within the jungle, o'er the parch'd up plains, Both far and near a deathlike stillness reigns. LXXVJIL But hark ! a still small sound pervades the air. Far distant lightnings flash upon the sight, Anon they dazzle with their vivid glare, Whilst crashing thunder-peals the mind affright ; In drenching torrents fall the welcome rains In drops refreshing to the thirsty plains. 2i LXX1X. As do the fructifying streams of Nile Each year desert their bed to flood the land, Thus causing Egypt's ancient soil to smile With golden-color'd crops on ev'ry hand, So India's rivers at th' accustom 'd time Clothe her parch'd fields with renovating slime. LXXX. Throughout the regions of the glowing East, Where Nature seems in fair array to smile, No spot for beauty, to my thoughts at least, Surpasses thee Pinang's enchanting isle ; Throughout the East ! that were a narrow field, The wide-spread World could scarce a rival yield* LXXXI. Thy hills and dells form one continued grove, Where Flora does in all her glory reign, Whilst the rich mangostan, the nutmeg, clove, Pomona's claims to sov'reignty maintain : 5 T were hard to choose when two such beauties vie To charm the palate or delight the eye. LXXXII. The lofty sails enfold the taper mast And idly flap to chide the treach'rous wind, Until Malacca's beauteous straits are past, And hot Sumatra's shores are left behind ; Whilst 'neath the vessel's prow when falls the Night, E ach ripple breaks in bright phosphoric light. LXXXIII. What varied thoughts within the mind arise, When, winding'mid fair isles her tortuous way,. The vessel's course presents before your eyes The scene which Singapoura's roads display t What flatt'ring contrast does this late-born child Of Commerce offer to the neighb'ring wild ! LXXXIV. Raffles ! thy lib'ral and enlighten'd mind Suggested first this neutral trading-ground, That men might here a seat of barter find By barb'rous fiscal laws no longer bound ; And to the prudent wisdom of thy choice Its crowded port speaks with triumphant voice. LXXXV. Sway'd on their lengthy voy'ge by dext'rous helms, And 'scaped the dangers of the foaming seas, The various barques from Europe's distant realms Here give their motley colors to the breeze, Whilst safely anchor'd near Arabia's 'Mow,** Float China's junk and th' island trading ^prahu..* LXXXVL He who that sight observes can never cease These grand results of Industry t' admire ; These are thy glorious triumphs heav'nly Peace, • No share in these had War's destructive fire; Ah ! would that views like these should rule the World,. And War's grim giant from his throne were hurl'd. 23 LXXXVII. Adieu ! Malaya's bright and sunny land, Since last they touch'd thy shores my wand' ring feet Have trod the soil of many a distant strand, But 'midst them all not one has seem'd to greet My first approach with such bewitching smiles, As thy e'er verdant coasts and neighb'ring isles. LXXXVIII. He who is voy'ging on the China Seas When the revolving year is on the wane, Possesses not a bosom well at ease, - For at such times Ty-foongs are wont to reign Throughout their bounds; /know their awful force, But will not of such matters here discourse. LXXXIX. For since a voy'ge at sea is dry enough, Despite the wat'ry waste o'er which you sail, And we met not with tempests very rough, With storms I will not interlard my tale, But beg my reader will so courteous be As to suppose we pass'd some days at sea , XC. The num'rous vessels which we now descry, Whose crews against the Ocean's inmates arm Th' ensnaring net, proclaim some region nigh, Whose soil with myriads of our kind must swarm v, Conclusion just, we're now about t' arrive Upon the skirts of China's busy hive. 24 XCI. Here did a politic and wily race Long stand aloof from the remaining Earth, A nation which with reason seems to trace To such remote antiquity its birth, That its more modern sages breath'd and thought, Ere Rome convuls'd the world or Athens taught. XCII. This tribe unique a certain height attain'd Upon the social scale, there made a pause, And then, as now, the selfsame forms retain'd, The like prevailing habits, customs, laws. When Ilion's wall to overthrow was doom'd, Or lava's crust Pompeii's streets entomb'd. xciii. What novel scenes and objects meet the eye On ev'ry hand in thy strait lanes, Quang-tong ! The stranger's mind is tempted to deny That men or city to our Earth belong, And shares a doubt that on his passage here He has been wafted to some other sphere. XCIV. Through Europe's crowded cities if we range, In each some novelties our eyes assail, But tho' we note both scenes and customs strange, Some grand connecting links we ever hail ; Whilst no such friendly sign our vision greets Throughout Quang-tong's confined and crowded streets. 25 xcv. Strange are its shops and houses — strange, the men — Strange their long pig-tails — strange their air and dress- Strange the strait alleys in this human den — Strange the dense throngs which through them ever press- Strange is the language heard around you here, Whose monosyllables offend the ear. XCVL Strange are the cats and dogs exposed for sale In wicker baskets open to the view, On seeing them one feels inclined to rail Against such )} entremets* to us quite new : And yet the only comment thereupon Admissible, is that )} de gustfbus non." XCVII. With head completely shorn if we except The lengthy "queue** which from its crown depends, And with the greatest care in order kept Behind his back in tortuous folds descends, Broad, yellow face, oblique yet piercing eye, China's shrewd son attracts the passer-by. XCVIII. Of "sombre* color is his wide-sleeved vest, Long nails his hands and square-toed shoon his feet Disfigure, whilst his nether limbs t' invest His hosen loosely girt th' attention greet : A silken scull-cap and a paper fan Complete the portrait of his "outer" man. 26 XCIX. Slight is the difference which the garb displays,. (At least it seems so to the stranger's eyes,) Which shields fair Woman from th' unholy gaze, And mars her figure with its quaint disguise ;. Unless the dwarf-like slippers we except, By which her tortured feet from view are kept. C. Alas ! vain-glorious Man for aye at war With Nature's precepts, fails not to exert His feeble pow'rs her choicest gifts to mar, And o'er her bounds a fancied rule t' assert : What senseless arts his pride and lust combine To square to rule the human form divine. CI. In some rude lands too round is deem'd the scull, Man straightway hastes its figure to remould ; In some styled civilized the waist's too full, Restraining bonds its volume soon enfold : Here skin or teeth, there nose, complexion, eyes, With busy care he hastens to revise. CIL O monstrous fool I and whilst thou thus canst find Food for thy censure in the paltry clay, To furbish up the chambers of the mind Canst thou not likewise some faint thought display V Paint,. if thou wilt, the outer case of 'delf,' But pray remember too thine inner self. cm. Coming events their forward shadows fling, And in this age of progress and of change China no more to worn-out rules can cling, But with their fellow-men her sons must range ; The change alas ! is bought at cost of blood, (,A fearful price) but yet 'tis fraught with good. CIV. Britain! blest isle, to thee t'would seem is giv'n The key of Destiny o'er other lands, And that it is the high behest of Heav'n That with the wars committed to thy hands The arts of peace are wafted from thy shore, Distinguish'd thus thy sway from all before.. CV. Far be it from my mind one word to pen, Which for a moment would suggest the thought That might gives right of rule o'er other men, And that their prior rights should stand for naught ; Nor for an instant be 't my senseless aim To sanction war when solely waged for fame. CVL A higher train of thought pervades my breast, When pond'ring o'er this theme which offers food For deep reflection ; that the strife at rest May prove the herald of enduring good, And that this tribe freed from Restriction's ban,, May enter now the common pale of Man. cvn. Mysterious are the ways and will of Him Who ruleth all things, and to us is giv'n To see but darkly, as with vision dim. Time's onward course ; — but those strong fetters riv'n. Which bound this num'rous throng to Custom's car, Knowledge and Truth will enter from afar ; CVIII. And cause them first to scorn and then reject Their senseless idols, soon to re-arrange Their cruel laws, their habits ill correct, And put a period to their customs strange ; Dark ills which haunt the 'inner land' shall cease, Supplanting them Religion, Virtue, Peace. CIX. Blow, fav'ring breeze— from China's far famed shore And thronged industrious marts we must away, Intent those fertile islands to explore O'er which Spain's feeble sceptre still holds sway j Spain widely ruling once, tho' now her soil Echoes the furious shout of civil broil. CX. Nature has o'er these isles her blessings poured, Their bounteous soil does endless wealth enfold, At least as far as yet they've been explored, For the plain truth, tho' shameful, must be told, Whilst Spain so long this mine of wealth has kept Her satraps on their posts have soundly slept, 29 CXI. And were it not that swarms continual throng From busy China to Manila's mart, To toil and till its teeming fields— ere long Commerce and Culture would alike depart ; For few the sons of Spain who would exert Their pow'rs of mind such evils to avert. CXII. And whilst to till these rich and fertile lands, Which well indeed the care bestow 'd repay, The task's committed to the stranger r s hands, Across the seas their products to convey Appears the foreign barque, for feeble Spain Does trifling commerce with these isles maintain. CXIII. Here dark Intolerance erects her head, O'er-ruling opposition by the fear Of that infernal tyrant long thought dead, Though in good truth he only slumbers here, Hight ."Holy Office, w aiming to control That noblest part of Man his deathless soul. CXIV. What mad presumption ! — that a fellow-worm Should arm himself with this most monstrous pow'r. Claiming some right and title to perform The part of umpire o'er Devotion's hour, And feigning one sole pathway to be trod By those who are inclined to seek their God. 7 30 cxv. With Spain in power o'er these isles to share Appears a sable skinn'd and barb'rous race,, Whose dusky hue, flat features, curling hair, Would seem their birth to Africa to trace ; Midst forests dense intent themselves to hide These island "aborigines') abide. CXVI. Vain, empty Man with stubborn pride persists In claiming rank above the 'lower' kind, But where this super-excellence exists, Where this so great distinction we should find In many corners of this earthly sphere, •Twould sorely puzzle Man to render clear. CXVII. And yet there is a broad, distinctive shade Betwixt the human and the bestial race, Bound'ries 'yond which these last can ne'er invade, Limits defined which they can ne'er efface ; And this most sacred Truth let none deny, — 'Tis that immortal soul which ne'er shall die. CXVIII. Yet ne'ertheless if we attention turn To those dumb creatures which we class as "brute; )} We may full many a moral lesson learn, Con many a rule our wisdom to confute ; What valued precepts may we not derive From busy ants, or bees in social hive. 31 CXIX. How eloquent is their enacted speech Of Order, Industry, the Common Weal, With what persuasion does their foresight teach Some int'rest in the Future's hours to feel : No licensed robbers there the weak to spoil, No drones to fatten on their brethren's toil. cxx. Compeli'd to quit in haste the ardent East In search of that which oft-times we contemn / s thing of little worth, and value least When most possess'd — Health's bright and priceless gem- The 'wand'rer' here suspends a while his tale, And o'er its ill-form'd sketches draws the veil 32 EAST AND WEST. /f^ff/^AW- Canto the Secon s d I. What startling changes o'er the world have been Since from Magellan's bold, exploring prow Thy tempest- riven visage first was seen Cape Horn — Good Hope's twin Ocean-bulwark thou :-** Nations have ris'n and flourish'd to decay, Whilst thou— as then— -remain'st unscathed to-day. II. Tow'rds HeavVs high arch their rugged snow-crown'd heads The giant members of the Andes rear, E'en as at first — whilst in their stony beds Still course those mountain-torrents year by year ; But those who o'er these lands held sov'reign sway, Caciques — ancient Incas— where are they ? 33 III. All, all are gone— and that fierce, stubborn pow'r Which mark'd with tyranny her onward course And boldly strutted here her petty hour, Has left those regions too expell'd by force ; And ah ! too long with civil broils have rung The various States from Spain's dominion sprung. IV. Canning ! thy lofty genius did create These infant members of the modern world, Extending Britain's hand to each young State Which had its tyrants from its confines hurl'd ; Thou didst that spirit foster and maintain Which crushed the odious yoke of tyrant Spain, V. And though as yet amongst them has prevail'd The murd'rous uproar caused by Faction's cry-, And their young Freedom has been oft assail' d By men intent their selfish views to try, Their rise is sure — their horoscope was cast 'Mid scenes of blood, yet Peace will reign at last. VI. O gentle Peace ! would that the hour were come When Men intent thy maxims to obey, Shall hate the squeaking fife and rattling drum And scorn the glitt'ring pomp of War's array : The glitt'ring pomp ! accursed, bitter mock Of those sad scenes which wait on Battle's shock. 34 VII. Cast in the balance so-eall'd Glory, Fame> All baubles which the warrior highly rates, Pile high the trophies gain'd in War's fierce game,— You see they prove ^deceitful on the weights ; ]) Nay, lordly Man, intent the beam to sway Enter the scale thyself thou thing of clay. VIII. Vain is the task, — a chief commands to-day Who leads the nations by a diff'rent rule, A bitter enemy to strife and fray Hight Knowledge — Captain of the modern school ; Henceforth the Earth will not so oft be dyed Merely to please some whim of princely pride. IX. Nations believe not now that they were made Blindly to follow each imperious nod Which bids them yield themselves to War's sharp blade And as their rulers will to kiss the rod ; From long lethargic sleep aroused at length The People have been taught their proper strength. X. The People !— -since that short, expressive word In many lexicons is quite unknown, I would a little time and space afford Until I have its proper reading shown And duly noted here that meaning's force ; The People—Power's only lawful source. 35 XI. Small heed, alas ! is to that reading giv'n In many States which bear Republic's name. Where o'er the People's neqksthe strong have driv'n The gilded car of Power with the same Cold-blooded unconcern, as in those realms Where by their >> right divine^ Kings guide the helms, XII. Chile ! with grateful feelings I record Thy bright example T >vith my feeble hand, Thy course a better prospect does afford Of peace and socialorder, and does stand In bold 'relief from out the dark back-ground Which shades from view thy sister States around. XIII. Bound by the rugged Andes thy bold coast A barren prospect offers to the view, And tho' of fertile valleys thou canst boast Thy gifts from Nature's hand are wondrous few, At least upon the surface of the ground, Beneath thy stinted soil rich mines abound, XIV, As yet thy population too is scant, Tho' thy wise rulers anxious to apply A remedy to this most serious want, Have call'd beneath thy heav'nly clime and sky Peasants from other lands thy crops to raise ; A step deserving of the highest praise. 36 XV. Encouraged by thy prudence cautious Trade Has pour'd upon thy land a lib'ral share Of her choice gifts ; and thy advances made In this respect, are quite beyond compare With all the other States which skirt that shore Whose echoes answer the Pacific's roar. XVI. Yes, fertile as I've said are thy fair vales And healthful is thy mild, benignant clime, But still on all thy sea-board there prevails A dread chastising scourge from time to time. Which sweeps before it with resistless pow'r Man's labours of an Age in one brief hour. XVII. "Tis ardent Noon o'er Talcahuano's bay, The mimic waves scarce murmur on its shores, With scorching heat the glorious orb of Day Upon the Earth his golden radiance pours, The wind is hush'd — a close, oppressive calm Against some evil near forewarns to arm. XVIII. The sea-birds join their squadrons on the shore And tow'rds the Ocean wing their rapid flight, M an's brute companions seek his hand no more But hurry here and there in wild affright, E'en faithful watch-dogs seek to gain the hills, Whilst ev'ry ear their mournful haying fills. 37 XIX. §tamc secret cause of dread pervades each mind, Beneath its weight Man's once proud heart is crush'd, O God ! that awful sound of pent-up wind As tho' Destruction's Angel past one rush'd, A noise like that of wheels or muffled drums, And on its mighty wings the Earthquake comes. XX. Earth's once firm surface staggers to and fro 1 , And here and there in gaping chasms is riv'n, Whilst topple to their total overthrow The loftiest tow'rs from their foundations driv'n ; Behold ! to gain the hills the people flee, Their agonizing cry the Sea ! — the Sea l\ XXI. A fearful cause, alas ! that cry inspired And did to this dread scene new terrors lend, The Ocean from its basin has retired ! O horror ! tow'rds those isles your vision bend* The mighty waters form a giant wall Approaching fast upon the town to fall. XXII. 'T has fall'n— no need that it should fall again, Too well it has perform'd Destruction's task, No vestiges of house or street remain, All lie conceal'd beneath that wat'ry mask ; Those 'scaped from falling house unscathed in limb, Fpon its tide as blackea'd corses swim. 38 XXIII. The various barques late anchor'd in the bay, Which 'gainst the sky display'd each taper mast, Are from their heavy anchors torn away And by that monstrous wave together cagt ; Its impulse ceases, and their hulls remain Where late the lowing cattle grazed the plain. XXIV. Some days elapse— the boldest hearts now dare To tread that surface which the sea gives back, Upon each visage seated blank despair To view that horrid soene of woe and 'wrack ;' The timid now descend their fears gone by, And all to form new homes their strength apply. XXV. A more enchanting and romantic spot Than that where Santiago's city stands, It never yet has fallen to my lot To witness in my course through many lands, Who can the scene from }) San CristovaP* view And not acknowledge my assertion true. XXVI. Around the city's skirts a plain expands Smiling with vineyards in the fair sunlight, Whilst ev'ry tow'r within its precincts stands In bold )} relief, }) from out a sky so bright That not e'en Italy can bring to view A summer sky of more cerulean hue. 39 XXVII. And in the distance tho' their height and size Persuade the eye that they are not remote, The Cordillera's snowy summits rise So rugged and severe one seems to note On each stern frontispiece a wish t' efface Man's pigmy city at their giant base. XXVIII. 'Jrand are the Alameda's lofty rows Of verdant poplars— grand the ' Tajamar'— Pleasant the gurgling stream which ever flows Cooling the heated air and hurrying far Offensive matters from each sev'ral street, Which as their centre in the ' Plaza' meet. XXIX. And fair and lovely here is that dear sex Whose fond persuasion soothes Man's rugged heart, And with their pretty coquetry they vex As well in this as any other part Of lower Earth — but this is dang'rous ground — God bless them all where'er they may be found. XXX. Away, away, once more the passion rules Which prompts to change of scene from time to time, Bring forth the steeds, equip the patient mules, For now our destined path conducts to climb The lofty peaks of Andes, capp'd with snows Whose earliest date of fall no mortal knows- 40 XXXI. Wondrous are all God's works— but 'midst the whole None are with such dread majesty endow'd Or with like silent awe pervade the soul, As mountain-pe-iks which soar above each cloud : Approach vain -glorious Man and own at length The puny weakness of thy boasted strength. XXXII. Oh I 'tis a sight terrific and sublime To gaze upon those giants of our world, How calmly they have braved the touch of Time Which has from life to death in myriads hurl'd Man's feeble race : — beyond description grand Those vast and tow'ring peaks before you stand. XXXIII. Thoughts of our utter nothingness pervade The grave, reflecting breast, when fix'd the eye Upon those mountain- pinnacles arrayed In silent pomp against the azure sky ; The haughtiest minds confess the chast'ning rod And humbly bow themselves to Nature's God. XXXIV. Save the majestic condor hov'ring near Upon those summits naught of life is found, Whilst not the smallest sound salutes the ear, But blank, appalling silence reigns around — And as yon cross the beds of frozen snow More startling still that silence seems to grow. 41 XXXV. Alas! for him by tempest here o'erta'en, Who traveling late amidst these realms of snow "When Winter has commenced its cruel reign, Is doom'd a ling'ring death to undergo ; What bitter anguish must pervade his mind, What thoughts of friends and comforts left behind. XXXVL What torture his when raised his closing eyes No cheering prospects of escape appear, And hi3 fast- failing, anxious gaze espies No sign to intimate that help is'near ; What horror ! when the fast-increasing drift Continues round his form its walls to lift. XXXVII. Upon my Memory's tablets long will dwell The strongly-mark'd impression there received, When, cross'd the ridge, within a narrow dell Hard by our miscall 'd roadway we perceived An humble crucifix to mark the spot Where such had proved some former traveler's lot. XXXVIII. The mountain torrents by their fall impell'd To a velocity which thought defies, Are from the boundless snow-beds ever swelPd, And with a sullen roar which speech denies Roll giant stones amidst their foam and spray Whilst through the living rock they cut their wav. 10 42 XXXIX, A glance upon its current would o'errule Your Reason's seat whilst in the torrent's bed, Draw not your rein — your sure, sagacious mule Requires not human guidance here to tread — One falt'ring step and man and beast were lost, A shudder — plunge — and rise — and you have cross'd. XL. A. narrow vale through which we wound our way, Enabled us some faint idea to form Of the wild uproar which these hills display, When the terrific Spirit of the Storm Walks madly here in all his giant force, And tracks with havoc his appalling course. XLI. Upon the soil huge rocks lay strew'd around, Hurl'd from the frowning heights on either side, Whilst the uneven surface of the ground Was plough'd with crevices both deep and wide, And all that valley's bounds were black and bare As though a water-spout had fallen there, XLII. We pass'd that dismal vale in daylight's hour, E'en then its gloomy horrors fill'd our minds, What must these be when felt the Tempest's pow'r, When Lightning's vivid glare the vision blinds, When Thunder's awful peals its confines fill, Their deaf'ning crash return'd from hill to hill : 43 XLI1I. When, fed by rain, the gullies downward pour Their thousand cataracts 'mid foam and mist, Whilst meeting winds contend with boist'rous roar As though each would on mastery insist, And over all is cast Night's sable veil :— Before that scene the stoutest heart would quail. XLIV. One night — it was a night serenely fair — Upon the ground we form'd our welcome bed, Whilst not a breath of wind disturb'd the air, Through whose transparent veil Night's crescent shed Her calm, cold lustre o'er the little plain, From which you climb Portillo's pass to gain. XLV. The lofty peaks of Andes ranged around, Were bathed in liquid beams of ambient light, Each boldly-jutting crag and snow-capp'd mound Shining like silver to th' enraptured sight ; Befitting words are wanting to express The scene as view'd in that enchanting dress : XL VI. Or to convey the holy sense of calm Which stealing o'er us did each breast pervade, Acting upon the spirit as a balm To heal the rankling wounds within it made Whilst dwelling in that den of passions vile, The lower world which we had left ere while. 44 XLVII. Here far above the petty oares of Earth Breathing a thrice pure atmosphere we stood,. Where no ambitious projects have their birth, No human savage sheds his brother's blood, Upon a spot where Lust's dominions cease, And w T here, by Man abjured, still lingers Peace. XL VIII. The foll'wing morn at day-break's charming hour A scene display'd itself before our eyes, Which far exceeds the pen's descriptive pow'r And Painting's feeble art as much defies, For vain both Artist's brush and Poet's plume. Which to depict its beauties should presume, XLIX. The rising orb of Day its earliest light Upon the loftiest snow-crown'd summits threw Which laid aside their robe of spotless white To don a garment of a roseate hue, Whilst lower peaks and vales their shadows kept, And in the •'sombre* garb of darkness slept. L. Slowly and by degrees th* increasing rays O'er objects far and near themselves diffused, Until the Sun with warm and vivid blaze Had over all his golden light suffused, And by th' intenseness of his beams reveal'd Whate'er the darkness had thus far conceal'd. 45 The two- fold summits cross'd we wound our way Through an expanding valley's tortuous, course, And Nature here has treated to display Her wondrous charms in all their grandeur's force ; Deaf beyond hope of cure must be that ear Which does not catch her magic music here. LII. Death— horror— desolation reign'd around Whilst o'er those frowning steeps we forced our way f And now with pleasure did our hearts rebound When we discern'd some humble flow'rets gay Upon a torrent's banks, whose waters roar'd Betwixt those hills which o'er our pathway soar'd. LIIL It seem'd that we for years had bid adieu To all that we before had known as Earth. And here were ent'ring on her realms anew, Experiencing a kind of second birth ; For long in retrospect appear'd the time Since we commenced those awful steeps to climb. LIV. Still on — the vale grew wider and less stern, Till our abrupt, tho' winding pathway gains A point of view from which we can discern The wide expanse which forms Mendoza's plains ; And 'midst a furious storm against us hurl'd We pass'd those gates 'twixt Man's and Nature's world. 11 LV. Brief period in Mendoza we abode, Too anxious to pursue our forward way, For though we had those giant peaks o'erstrode,.. Our yet remaining lengthy journey lay For many a league o'er that enormous plain, By crossing which La Plata's shores you gain. LVI. Here, left each faithful steed and patient mule, We did their carrying offices exchange For a conveyance which "the roast would rule E'en in "Hyde Park," as coach of form most strange ; And rare, I ween, the thing of carriage kind Which 'midst that bustling throng would gazers find. LVII. Some limping stanzas of my verse declare To that deep silence which its rule maintains Amidst the Cordillera's summits bare ; But when on these so.seeming endless plains, More novel and impressive still is found This utter absence of external sound. LVIII. Well do we know when some prevailing cause To Man an outward faculty denies, Nature's benignant, all-providing laws Supply the "vacuum" by arrangement wise,. Thus the ''unfortunates" deprived of sight, in sounds harmonious ever take delight. 47 LIX. And on this principle I would explain, Why the wrapt stillness on each tow' ring height Less vivid impress caus'd upon the brain Than on these trackless plains; — whilst there the sight Within its range could num'rous forms descry, Here nothing met our view but Earth and Sky. LX. And boundless was the prospect — as at sea The vast horizon merges in the waves, So here nor living thing, nor hill, nor tree Upon your course the eye's attention craves, Unless a timid deer should meet the sight, Or ostrich scudding with the speed of light LXI. Methought that when the waters of the deep Had at the gen'ral Deluge burst each bound, O'ertopping ev'ry hill and giant steep Until the Cordillera's peaks were drown'd, And having thus produced the end desired, To seek their former limits back retired : LXII. The vast, collected wave had rolPd its course Across the surface of this mighty plain, And sweeping onwards with resistless force Had by this channel found its bed again ; So smooth and even is this 'prairie' ground, Where not the smallest pebble may be found. 48 LXIII, And all the surface of this level land Is with an ever- verdant carpet spread, Due solely to kind Nature's bounteous hand, For rare the human foot which here does tread ; It seem'd to me that all of cattle kind Which Earth contains, might here their pasture find. LXIV. On first reflection we can scarce explain Why, when long-settled countries o'erabound With human life, upon this desert plain A scarcity—nay, utter want — is found, But after-thought an argument supplies Which bids us own herein arrangement wise. LXV. Too oft, alas ! those enterprising bands Which have their homes and native country left. To seek that sustenance in barb'rous lands Of which they were on their own soil bereft, 'Mid scenes of crime and bloodshed have expell'd Those who the new-found land had thereto held. LXVI. A long, a harr'wing, yet instructive page Might on this weighty subject here be read, But rare these slaughters in the present Age, And 'tis not my intention here to tread Back in the footsteps of those by-gone times, Or open out their catalogue of crimes. 4§ LXVIL -But to my former stanzas to revert, (And well the subject does our thoughts demand,) Whene'er fresh, colonizing swarms desert Their native homes to seek a foreign strand, 'Tis uelJ they find the land of people clear — No need to thin the population here ! LXVIII. Far on the blue horizon we can trace An object in "relief * against the sfcy. And as we clear the intervening space We better can its character descry^ And find we have presented to our view A "pampas" fort of kind to us quite new. LXIX. Tall "cactus** shrubs arranged in two-fold rows, (Round which is dug a ditch both deep and wide.) A given portion of the plain enclose. Within whose space the peasantry reside ; Another like enclosure skirts one end, In which their flocks and herds are nightly peniv'd. LXX. Without such measure of precaution ta'en, The peasantry of ev'ry aid bereft, No longer could this border-ground maintain, Thus at the mercy of the Indians left, AVho often o'er the neighb'ring bound'ries ride, And scatter devastation far and wide. 12 LXXL. What wonder that these children of the soil Should in this form their fierce revenge display. And strive to render back 'midst blood and spoil. Their barb'rous treatment at a former day, When Spain enacted in a higher grade, Those horrors which attend an Indian ^raid.* LXXII. And rare the w pale-face w whom his evil chance Across the path of these stern foes has thrown, Who has escaped the vengeance of their lance ; Although at times they have compassion shown,. When men of rank or wealth have offers made Of ransom for their safety to be paid. LXXIII. Upon our route we cross'd a small ravine, Which at a recent period, we were told, Had form'd the field of action of a scene Whose bare recital makes the blood ru.i cold • In truth few tales of horror can exceed The cruel sternness of that savage deed. LXX1V. Across the plains a party in a coach Were journeying, and at the close of day They chanced the borders of this dell t' approach, Where by a stream some Indian warriors lay ; To overwhelming numbers forced to yield, The Indians rested masters of the field. 51 LXXV. The travelers with their foes a compact made, That for the party ransom to obtain One should depart, but till 'twas duly paid His wife with various others should remain ; Unfortunates ! amidst that horrid file What anguish must have wrung their breasts the while. LXXVI. Days must elapse before the wish'd relief Could reach the spot, and since to weep were vain, The lady's gentleness so sooth'd the chief, That feelings almost friendly 'gan to reign Amongst the whole; when, lo ! the watchful spies Of military near at hand apprise. LXXVIL With savage fury scowl'd each Indian's brow^ Whilst thoughts of vengeance 'gan their breasts to fill. Alas ! no succour for that party now, Their captors' quick resolve was all to kill, Convinced that they were play'd some treach'rous game, As whose result this force upon them came, LXXVIII. The hapless husband shortly too appear'd, The stipulated price of freedom found, But that fair, tender form to him endear'd, O, horror ! now lay mangled on the ground : What tongue can utter, or what language show His crushing sense of agony and woe % 52 LXXIX. One of my past assertions ought to be With certain measure of exception ta'en, 'Tis that which intimates that not a tree Adorns the surface of this 'monster' plain ; The truth is this, tho' trees do not abound, A straggling wood may here and there be found. LXXX. Invoking to your presence Fancy's aid, And waking Memory, an English park Is on the like occasions straight displayed, With the chief features which its scenery mark : I mean those shady clumps of trees which stand In picturesque disorder o'er the land, LXXXI. From hence did flocks of paroquets salute Our ears with harsh and unmelodious scream,. And long accustom'd now to regions mute The sound to us did almost startling seem : o But here I would a trifling moment halt, Fearing to lead my readers into fault. LXXXIL For well I know that many folks who read Of paroquets, will straightway understand That where such birds inhabit must of need Be some bright, sunny, almost fairy land, Stock' d with strange trees — the plantain or the palm- With other attributes of climates warm. LXXXUI. A'nd thus opining in the present case He would into a grievous error fall, . Which 'tis rny present purpose to erase, No tropic features mark this scene at all, Unless they be a bright, cerulean sky, And the abovenamed birds which chatt'ring fly* LXXXIV. What contrast do the muddy streams which flaw With sluggish current through this verdant plain, Form to those torrents which the Andes owe, Whose boist'rous force to picture words were vain ; Yet from -this broad assertion one yclept The 'Rio Cuarto' I would here except. LXXXV. For whilst the 'Pampas' rivers use to creep With lazy tide 'twixt banks both low and drear, A rapid stream with borders high and steep Was that which flash *d upon our vision here : Tired of the wide-spread flats no eye can fail Its broken, wooded shores with joy to hail. LXXXVL A circumstance which threaten'd to present An obstacle our progress to debar, Forced us to lay aside our first intent And seek the borders of the 'Parana,' A noble stream whose rapid current smiles 'Twixt lofty banks and denselv-wooded isles-* 13 LXXXVIT. And here I would my narrative suspend, Merely in brief parenth'sis to observe, The tract of plain o'er which our route did bend When from our course we were compell'd to swerve*, More num ? rous herds presented to our view> Than any other district travell'd through. LXXXVIII. But to resume, — th' above majestic stream; Is full of interest at the present hou^ When measures which with future good must teem.. Are brought to issue by Great Britain's pow 'r,. Resolv'd her merchants should their fortunes try In that strange Western China. — Paraguay. LXXXIX. What weighty motives here themselves display To stimulate Man's enterprising mind, Ere long his giant vassal 'Steam' its way Upon these mighty rivers, too, will find, This wondrous water-chain which seems t' invite- Our aid the two great Oceans, to unite- XC Thrice happy we f have fallen on these days, Which well we may the 'Age ingenious' call* In which Invention such resource displays, That no opposing obstacles appal Man's active mind, where'er his aim extends,. Obedient to his will great Nature bends. 55 XCI. And what right-judging bosom does not find Matter more fit th' attention to engage, In these ennobling triumphs of the Mind Which prominently mark the present Age, Than in those trophies which the murd'rous sword For countless years has striven to afford. XCII. What are the odious pages writ in blood, Whose lecture pains the heart and dims the eye, To that rich store of literary food Which gentle Learning's hallow'd tomes supply ; What, the vain honors of the battle field, Compared with those which Art and Science yield. XCIII. O! when will Man abjure War's murd'rous brands And cease from ofFthe Earth his kind to slay, Reflecting that such wide-extended lands, Waste and uncultured at the present day, Afford in this the 'New World' ample space For unborn myriads of the human race. XCIV. And apropos of that expression. 'New, 5 The speculators on our Planet's age,. Have lately had presented to their view Some facts most apt th' attention to engage,. Since from their scope that hemisphere appears To be consid'rably advanced in years. 56 xcv. la Yucatan as 'tis most widely known, Remains of cities vast have been display'd To view, around whose ruins trees have grown To form a dense, compact and gloomy shade : A circumstance which would appear to show That they remote antiquity must owe. XCVI, Here is an antidote to thirst of Fame — Reflect that these huge "cities of the dead" Are all unknown, and o'er the very name Of those who throng'd their streets oblivion shed O ! what a blow is here to earthly pride, — • We only know they lived — because they died. XCVII. The late diseov'ry, too, of fossil bones Upon La Plata's plains, has caused surprise, Since being of a kind which Earth not owns Upon her surface now, 'thas given rise To "pond'ring much" amongst the folks styled sage, As to the New World's veritable age. XCVIII. How eloquent these lessons are — how apt To Man becoming humbleness to teach ! For say they not to each these wonders wrapt In clouds of myst'ry far beyond our reach, Barriers there are which thou canst ne'er o'erthrow Teipsurn. nosce— Learn thyself to know r , 57 xcix. 'My thread is spun —the 'wand'rer's' tale is told — A few leagues onward and our gaze descried La Plata's broad, majestic stream which rolPd On tow'rds the sea its slow and copious tide : Alas! its once calm banks of late have been The acting-ground of many a battle-scene. C. One parting word — and be it to our shame- In all those countries where my feet have strayed, Still have I found Man's selfish heart the same, Its fiend-like malice here as there displayed : In ev'ry region bounteous Nature smiled, Whilst Man on ev'ry hand her works defiled- NOTES TO CANTO I. Stanza III. — Saint Helen's — a poetical license for Saint Helena's. XV. XVI. — Allusion is made in these stanzas to the lamented death- of a gentleman, an officer in the Honorable East India Company's Service, who was unfortunately killed on board the H. C. S, M C , when the latter was entering Bombay harbour, by a shot fired from a vessel stationed below the usual anchoriug-ground to enforce quarantine regulations, promulgated in consequence of the appearance of the plague at some points in the Persian Gulf. — Requiescat in pace. XXIV. XXV. — The caves of Eiephanta and those of Ellora are too well known to require any more particular allusion to those wonders of Hindu skill in the art of sculpture. XXXIV. — All honor to Lord William Bentinck for his philanthropic legisla- tion wdiilst Governor-General of India, in practically abolishing the w Suttee, M or burning of widows, throughout British India. L. — He who passes through Garden Reach — a bend of the river Hoogly below Calcutta — does not readily forget that beauteous scene. LIII. — The Botanical Garden of Government, situated on the banks of the Hoogly in Garden Reach, and, at the period referred to, under the able superintendence of Dr. Wallich, is one of the finest establishments of the kind in the world. The Hindu College is a noble edifice, and de- dicated to noble purposes. LX.— The Fakeers, or religious mendicants of Hindostan, practise the most rigid austerities in accordance with their false creed. LXIX. — Amongst other novelties* to be seen at Dacca, is a stud of elephants, retained there by the British Government for commissariat purposes. At the period of my visit to these stables, there were upwards of two hundred of the huge animals in question attached to the stud. LXXXVIIL — Ty-foongs — dreadful hurricanes which prevail in the China Sea, more particularly at or about the period of the autumnal equinox. XCIII. — Generally termed by us Canton— and perhaps with more strict regard to orthoepy — Ewang-tung. CANTO II. II. — Caciques, a word of three syllables. XVII. to XXIV.— The great earthquake which a few years since desolated Concepcion, in the south of Chile, is already well known. XLIV. — The pass called w PortiIlo w is situated at an elevation of twelve thou- sand feet above the level of the sea. The Andes, in this part of their extension, form a double chain, and the view from the highest point attained into the desolate valley intervening between the two ridges of the Cordillera, is one of the wildest imaginable. A more apt figuring forth of chaotic confusion, it were difficult to conceive. IIXXIII. to LXXVIIL— Allusion is here made to an occurrence which had place on the large plains which intervene between the city of Buenos Ayres and the Cordillera of the Andes. X'CVII. — Bones of antediluvian animals are from time to time exhumed in the neighbourhood of some of the rivers which traverse the vast plain a alluded to above. list of subscribers; Appleyard, B Armstrong, Thomas Atherton, William Bader, Charles Barton, J. W Basch, Julius Bayley, T Bell, George ■ Bering, J. P Bishop, James W Black, James Brash, William Brittain, James W. Brown, Rev. William, D. D.... Browne, Alexander M. D. ... Browne, Patrick..." Browne, Lawrence, M Carlile, PL D Ciark, John ..... Coleman, Henry G Cook, James ... Cranwell, Edmund Crawford, H.. Dale, Joseph ...» Davidson, John . Deetjen, George C Dick, P. C.... Dickinson, Julius Dominick, Francis W Dorr, Addison Dowdall, George Dudgeon, Thomas .... English Chaplain, The Eastman, John 2 Ede, Frederick 1 Egg, J. J 1 Elia, Angel 2 Fahev, Rev.A. D.. I Fay, J. G 1 Fairfield, George J = . 2 Fein, George H. 1 Fleming, Alexander I Fleming, Patrick 1 Burst, Charles, M.D 1 Galbraith, James S 2 Gannon, Rev. 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