CONTENTS. NO. IX.-VOL. IX.-SEPTEMBER, 1843. ORIGINAL POETRY. ..574 4. Reply to "An Official Military Seaman," on the rank and position of the Medical Corps in the U. States Navy, by "A Sea Going Surgeon."........524 16. To My Husband. By Maria G. Buchanan........529 17. Sunday Evening Verses. By Rev. W. H. Tappan..530 18. Riego's Hymn.... 5. A Day on Cooper River-A Review of Dr. Irving's ...529 531 .545 -549 19. A word to the Sluggish. (Selected.) Goëthe.....559 8. Familiar Letters to My Readers. No. I........ C. B. Hayden-from Silliman's Journal. The 11. Rhododaphne. Who is its author?-in reply to a 13. Literature, its Toils and Rewards; the substance NOTICES OF NEW WORKS. ..575 22. Alison's History of Europe-Nos. 11 and 12......575 23. Hannah More's Works- Part II..... 576 ...555 24. Barnes' Notes on the Epistle to the Hebrews......576 25. Mrs. M. M. Davidson's Works...... ...576 557 26. The Southern Quarterly Review. July, 1843.....576 27. Exercises of the Alumnæ of the Albany Female Academy, 1843...... ..576 PAYMENTS TO THE SOUTHERN LITERARY MESSENGER, Received since the publication of the August number. If any names should have been omitted, they will appear on the cover of the October number. No order hereafter (come from whatever quarter it may.) for the Messenger, will be attended to unless the money accompanies it, nor will any Bank Bills, other than those which are current at par in the States where they are issued, be received in payment for subscriptions. Austin, Simeon..WG.... Lynchburg, Virginia......vol 9 | Marr, Miss E. H..WG.. Campbell C. H., Va.......vol 9 Athenaeum....IEJ....Philadelphia, Pa.... vol 9 Manlove, C. A....IEJ.. Vicksburg, Mississippi...vol 6-7 Burwell, Miss Jean B..WG..Millgrove, Va........vol 9 Nelson, Ro. Carter... Brownsville, Tennessee...vol 7-9-9 Blanch, Ezekiel A....WG.... Boydton, Va........vol 9 Noble, Theron A..CWJ.Middleburg, O.Pd. to June, 1842 Bruce, Miss Ellen....WG..Halifax C. 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Carolina.....vol 9 Eldridge, Rolfe....WG....Buckingham C. H. Va..vol 9 Rogers, Orrin..IEJ.. Philadelphia, Pa.. Pd. to close vol 8 Elliott, Jr., Charles..IEJ.. Philadelphia.. Pd. to Dec. 1843 Stone, Robert H. Columbia, Missouri.........vol 9 Ford, Samuel....WG....Buckingham C. H., Va...vol 9 Simms, Wm. H....WG....Mount Laurel, Va.....vol 9 Graham, Hugh. .. Tazewell, Tennessee......vol 8-9 Smiley, Robert A.... Richmond, Virginia... vol 9 Glidewell, J. N..IEJ.... Vicksburg, Mississippi..vol 8-9 Strother, Wm. P........ Richmond, Virginia....... vol 9 Higginbotham, Jesse A..Tye River Warehouse, Va.vol 9 Seawell, S. T....CWJ....Louisville, Kentucky...vo! 8 Heffner, S. T..CWJ..Columbus, Ohio. Pd. to June, 1843 Seay, John H....WG....Lynchburg, Virginia.....vol 9 Hubbard, Mrs. R. T..WG..Eldridge, Virginia......vol 9 Speed, John M.. WG....Lynchburg, Virginia...vol 8-9 Ingersoll, Joseph R..IEJ.. Philadelphia, Pa.......vol 9 Scott, Mrs. S. C.. Bowling Green, Va...Pd. to June 1844 Kent, Horace L... Richmond, Virginia.. -----Vo! 9 Sale, Mrs. H. C..IEJ.. Woodville, Mississippi.....vol 8 Minor, George G....Richmond, Virginia.. .vol 9 Thornton, J. D....WG..Ca Ira, Va....Pd. to close 1841 Murrell, Rufus A....WG....Halifax C. H., Va.... vol 9 Whiting, Robert.. ..Richmond, Va.. ......vol 9 Myers, Capt. Samuel S.... Richmond, Virginia.....vol 9 Wauhop, Mrs. Sarah F..WG..Halifax C. H., Va...vol 9 Myers, J. & Son.... Baltimore, Maryland..... .....vol 8-9 Washburne, E. B..CWJ..Galena, Illinois... vol 9 Minor, Miss Maria T....Tuscaloosa, Alabama....vol 8-9 Weddell, Horace....CWJ..Cleaveland, Ohio....vol 8.9 Mitchell, D. D....CWJ....St. Louis, Missouri.... vol 8 Wickham, W. C....Hanover C. H., Virginia. vol 8-9 athews, H..CWJ..Cincinnati, Ohio..Pd. $1 25 in full. Wood, Wm. Maxwell.... Baltimore, Maryland......vol 9 PUBLISHED MONTHLY, AT FIVE DOLLARS PER ANNUM-BENJAMIN B. MINOR, EDITOR AND PROprietor. VOL. IX. RICHMOND, SEPTEMBER, 1843. A PEEP AT CARACAS, TAKEN FROM THE JOURNAL OF A TRAVELLER. NO. 9. is, at all times, difficult, and the expense and risk of loading the vessels, together with the insecurity of the anchorage, operate greatly against the "At sunrise, on Friday the 8th July, 1842, the place as a commercial port. Notwithstanding mountains of South America were towering before these drawbacks, it carries on an extensive trade. us. The range comes down close to the shore. Immense quantities of coffee and hides are shipped We made the land about thirty miles to windward to the United States. I found all the merchants of the town, and coasted along until 12 M., when deeply interested in the question whether a duty we anchored off Laguyara. There is no harbor, would be laid upon their great staple, coffee, by the whatever, and a tremendous roll of the sea, at all tariff bill, which was under discussion when I left times, makes it difficult and even dangerous for ves- the United States. My opinion was asked, and sels to ride at anchor, or for boats to land. It was given with reluctance, as I perceived that, from here, that the U. S. Frigate "Congress," Com. my supposed opportunities of correct information on Biddle, was near being lost in 1821. It was quite the subject, undue importance was likely to be given calm, but a dreadful swell setting in carried every to it, in their commercial operations. I expressother vessel ashore. The "Congress" parted all ed the belief there would be no duty imposed; her cables but one, and, after dragging her anchor, and the result justified the opinion. It was an inwas, at last, saved as if by a miracle. The offi- teresting exhibition of the mutual dependence of cers of the navy have, ever since, disliked touch- nations, and of the entanglement of interests and ing at the port, and our ship was the first American sympathies, produced by commerce, that this comman of-war that had been seen here for some munity should be watching, with intense interest, years. We were soon boarded by the port officer, the deliberations of our congress, and speculating who requested Captain M. not to fire a salute, as upon the presumed influence of party and secthe town had neither guns nor men to return it. tional feeling upon a measure, which affected their He was told no apology was necessary; and it prosperity so vitally. I may mention, also, as ilwas a subject of felicitation, that the country en-lustrative of the tendency to diffusion of scientific joyed such tranquillity as rendered a military force and useful discoveries, that I saw a placard on a unnecessary. We landed about 4 o'clock, and window, announcing that Daguerreotype likenesses proceeded to the house of our consul, or rather of were taken within. In pursuit of wealth, men his firm, as Mr. R. resides in Caracas. We met will risk every thing, and endure every privation; a most cordial reception, and had the pleasure of finding there ALLEN A. HALL, Esq., chargé of the U. S. to Venezuela, who was about to sail for Curaçoa, for the benefit of his lady's health. An excursion to Caracas being determined on, our purser was charged with making all the arrangements. We slept at the consulate, and never did I relish a night's repose in a higher degree. Although the town is classed, by HUMBOLDT, as one of the four hottest places on the continent, so cool was our chamber, that a blanket would have been an agreeable addition to the bed clothes. To one who had been for three weeks on ship board, what a luxury to sleep in a quiet room and on a bed that was stationary! but the auri sacra fames must be strong indeed to induce a residence in Laguyara. July 9th. Mules having been provided, and a peon, or native, engaged to carry a pack, containing a change of linen, we were in the saddle by 6 o'clock. The party consisted of the captain, second lieutenant, purser and surgeon of the Falmouth, together with myself and son-the whole under charge of our consul, who, though doing business here, lives in Caracas. In the delightful and invigorating freshness of the morning sea breeze, we trotted briskly along the beach, for about a mile, until, reaching the village of Maiquetia, we turned abruptly to the left and soon found ourselves in a gorge of the mountain, and began the Laguyara is situated on a narrow slip of beach, ascent. The contrast between this mountain and wide enough to allow of but two streets, parallel that we had seen at St. Thomas' was very striking. to the sea. The mountain rises, almost perpen- On the latter, there was very little vegetation, and, dicularly, in the rear-indeed some of the houses instead of the luxuriant foliage I expected to find are built on its side. The view from the sea is in the tropics, nothing was seen but a scrubby curious and picturesque, but not agreeable. There heather, of dull brownish hue, conveying the imare remains of extensive fortifications along the beach, and, on the mountain, overhanging the town, is a large battery. The landing, as I have said, pression of hopeless sterility. Here, on the contrary, the eye was charmed by the most exuberant display of vegetation of the darkest green, from VOL. IX-65 Masses of clouds, with their upper parts strongly illuminated, seemed projected like floating islands upon the sea. The surface, in some places, was ruffled by currents of air, whilst, at others, it reflected the rays of the sun like a vast mirror. This gave a diversified appearance to the magnificent scene, by alternations of light and shade. This was not all; optical illusions increased the grandeur and beauty of the prospect. Strata of vapor, floating at different heights, formed interme enlarged the scene and made it more solemn. If, wearied with gazing on the vast world of waters which stretched before us, we cast our eyes downwards to the beach, which from its white sands, reflected a dazzling mass of light, there, amidst others, lay our "tall anchoring bark Diminished to her cock; her cock a buoy We fancied we could distinguish the stripes of the the loftiest forest tree to the most beautiful shrub find. and wide spread vine; and, unlike the hills of our country, the quantity and richness of the foliage seemed to increase as we ascended. The road is a monument of the patience and skill of the Spaniards. It is laid out with great judgment, and was constructed at the expense of a vast amount of labor, money and life. It is intended, of course, for mules only. Another road is nearly finished, which is adapted for carriages. The road is, for the most part, well paved-a measure indispensa-diate spaces between the eye and the lower regions, ble to prevent it from being washed into an enormous gulley by the heavy rains of this region. There are many very steep ascents, which no animal but a mule could surmount with a burden on its back-but there are long reaches also, in which the rise is very gradual, and, on the whole, the traveller feels no sense of danger, as he soon learns to trust to the instinctive sagacity of this valuable but ill-used and slandered quadruped. We passed, occasionally, a house, on the side of the road, at which the muleteers are in the habit of refreshing themselves and their beasts. We saw, also, now and then, a small coffee plantation, in the little elevated dells, upon which we looked down from a height that contracted it into a garden. About half way to the top, we came to the salto, or leap, a crevice, over which is a drawbridge. Here was formerly a battery and garrison, and more recently a custom, or toll, house. From this to La Venta, the road was more difficult and the immediate scenery richer and more picturesque. In about two hours, after starting from Laguyara, we reached La Venta-five thousand feet above the sea, but still one thousand short of the summit. Here we were to breakfast-a meal for which our ride had given us an appetite. The house was small and of rude construction, and did not promise much in the way of good cheer-but we were most agreeably disappointed. An excellent meal was soon served, and, for the first time, I tasted the genuine chocolate; for the wash drank, as such, in our country, deserves not the name. We were all in high spirits, and resembled a party of school boys on a holiday excursion. Sailors are not remarkable plete the picture. From the clearness of the for their equestrian skill, and much amusement was occasioned by the difficulty one of the party had in steering his mule, which he insisted would not answer the helm. "The murmuring surge, That on th' unnumber'd idle pebbles chafes, Invigorated by breakfast and the delicious coolness of the air at this elevation, we mounted and continued the ascent. Passing, on our right, a very high peak, crowned with a fortification now in ruins, we gained the summit, and caught a view of the valley of Caracas. The scene now before us, though different in character and inferior in grandeur, to that we had just beheld, was far more beautiful, picturesque and interesting. Mountains of every variety of outline bounded the horizon to the west, and were scattered over the valley. Extensive tracts of highly cultivated land showed the triumphs of agriculture. In full view and under our feet lay the city, with its white walls and red roofs, relieved by the deep green of garden trees. A large river only was wanting to com atmosphere and the strength of the sun's rays, the outline and coloring were seen with a distinctness scarcely credible. The vividness and brilliancy of the landscapes on French paper hangings were here rivalled by the natural landscape which spread before us. But the seaward view from La Venta! How shall I describe that, of which words can convey I have omitted to mention that the highest point but a faint idea? Imagine a horizon of at least of the range we crossed is called the "Silla," from 70 miles radius-at your feet Cape Blanco, the its fancied resemblance to a saddle. It is a little village of Maiquetia, with its cocoa trees, the ves- to the east of a straight line between Laguyara sels at anchor in the roadstead (Laguyara is, from and Caracas, and is not visible from the former its proximity to the mountain, not visible) and other place. It is more than 9,000 feet above the sea, vessels, far out at sea, and not seen from the shore. and, of course, towered far above us, even when The appearance of the ocean was grand beyond we were at our highest elevation. Our route, conception; nor had it the monotony I expected to after crossing the summit, lay along the side of the mountain, for a couple of miles, and was nearly enemies were drawn together by the tie of comlevel. The road was scarcely as picturesque as that mon calamity." on the other side. We descended a long and steep I must not omit mentioning one memorial of the hill, passed the ruins of a chapel, destroyed by the catastrophe, which struck me as being in good earthquake, and found ourselves on the plain of taste. A church tower, in which was a clock, was the city. From the foot of this hill to Caracas-a thrown so far from its perpendicular as to stop the mile or more-there abounded, on either hand, works. The clock has been repaired, but, on one melancholy memorials of the awful catastrophe. of its faces, the hour and minute hands were perWhole squares of what was once the best built mitted to remain just where they pointed when the part of the city lay on either side of the road, a shock took place, so that the precise point of time heap of ruins. The exuberance of tropical vege- is still indicated. tation had, it is true, softened the harshness of their features, but casting your eye upon the surrounding hills, you saw indications of displacement and convulsion, which the lapse of thirty years has not mitigated. Enormous fissures, in some places, and upheaved mounds of yellow earth in others, spoke most eloquently of the changes which the surface had undergone-Byron's magnificent apostrophe at Waterloo occurred to my mind, as susceptible here of literal application— "Stop! for thy tread is on an empire's dust, An earthquake's spoils are sepulchred below." The site of Caracas is not perfectly level. It inclines a little to the northwest. The streets are well paved and kept remarkably clean. The style of architecture is the Moorish, which prevailed in Spain, at the time of the conquest of this country. The houses are built round a court, with piazzas, or corridors, and are generally two stories. A large door, on a line with the street, admits you into a sort of gateway, which is closed by a smaller door at the inner end, passing which, you find yourself in the lower corridor, and by a flight of steps, to the right or left, ascend to the rooms occupied by the family-the lower apartments being generally occupied as offices. The windows are large and frequently unglazed. They generally have small balconies before them, in which are placed flower pots. The city has several fountains; indeed, wherever it was practicable to erect them, the Spaniards seldom failed to leave these blessings. But, it is not my intention to give a minute description of Caracas—I saw too little of it for that purpose. The style of building is the same throughout Spanish America, and, as I shall have occasion to describe other cities,-after better opportunities of observation,-I must confine myself to a personal narrative. This catastrophe took place, on the 26th March 1812, a festival of the church, Holy Thursday. There was to have been the usual procession, and three or four thousand people were assembled in one of the principal churches, waiting for the military escort. In an instant, the building fell and buried all the congregation in its ruins. It has never been rebuilt and is now a mound of rubbish, covered with weeds. A battalion of troops, paraded to join the procession, were drawn up in the court of their barracks, close to a wall, by the falling of which every man of them was crushed where he stood. Nearly ten thousand of the inhabitants perished, and nine tenths of the houses We rode up to the Leon de oro, or "Golden were levelled to the ground. The cathedral, built Lion"-a very respectable hotel kept by a Frenchof stone, and every other stone building, escaped, man. After refreshing and refitting ourselves, we and yet there is a prejudice against houses of this sallied out, under the care of Mr. R. to see the material, they being deemed less safe than the sun- city. But mere brick and mortar have little inteburnt brick, or Pita, buildings. About 2,000 wound-rest for me, and I was not sorry, therefore, when ed were dug out of the ruins, many of whom we had completed our round. I was anxious to perished afterwards for want of food and attention. It being impossible to bury such a multitude of corpses, to prevent contagion, they were burned. Referring to Humboldt for a full account of this awful event, I content myself with making a single extract, touching the conduct of the survivors: have an opportunity of seeing the President, Gen. PAEZ, of whose history I knew something. We repaired to his private residence, and were told he was, at the moment, taking his siesta. We were invited into a spacious and elegant garden, and requested to amuse ourselves until his excellency could be apprized of our visit. The garden was "Some, assembling in procession, sung funeral well worth seeing; it would be difficult to name a hymns; others, in a state of distraction, confessed fruit or plant of the tropics, which was not seen themselves aloud in the streets." "A number of growing here in full perfection. It was a delightmarriages were contracted by persons who had ful spot, and we could have spent the day in ramneglected, for many years, the sacerdotal benedic-bling through its shady walks. At length, we tion-children found parents, by whom they had observed a plainly dressed old gentleman, without never till then been acknowledged; restitutions attendants, approaching us. It was the President. were promised by persons who had never been ac- We were introduced by Mr. R. and received in cused of fraud; and families who had long been the most courteous manner. I told him I rejoiced |