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REVIEW.
The Mohawk Chief : By the Author of "The
Fall of the Nan Soang." 3 vols. London :
Newby.
It is an occurrence unusual in the experience
of an Australian editor to receive for review
a three-volume novel from a London publisher.
The mystery is explained in the present case
by the circumstance that the author is a gentle-
man who has for several years resided in South
Australia. The book, although but recently
published, was written more than 17 years ago,
and now comes before the world almost as
much to the surprise of its author as the
public. He, regarding it as a juvenile produc-
tion, scarcely knows whether to welcome it
with pleasure or receive it with mortification.
We, of course, regarding it without partiality
or prejudice, must deal with it according to its
merits.
"The Mohawk Chief" is, as its title implies,
a tale of North American Indian life, modelled
very much on the plan of Fennimore Cooper's
thrilling tales. It abounds with daring adven-
tures, imminent perils, hairsbreadth escapes,
violent deeds, plots, battles, and murders. The
intensity of the narrative is, however, relieved
by pleasant descriptions of forest scenes, ex-
ploits of woodcraft, and Indian sagacity. There
are two heroes and two heroines of the story.
The villanous hero is a French Count, whose
perfidy and violence bring him perpetually into
collision with the good hero—the Mohawk
Chief himself—both of them being suitors after
their several fashions for the hand of the
heroine, the beautiful daughter of an English
officer, living in the wilds of New Brunswick,
somewhere about a century ago. The French-
man prosecutes his suit by fraud and force, and
several times carries off the lady from her
father's fort. Each time, however, she is
rescued by the gallant Indian, who, under her
benign influence, is civilized, Christianized, and
dressed. This appears to be the weak point
of the tale, although it is its most novel feature.
There is something incongruously ludicrous
in the approach of the Indian warrior
towards his lady love, after his final triumph
over their ruthless foe, whom he had struck
down with his bullet just as in a moment of
madness, caused by remorse, despair, and drink,
he was about to perpetrate the foulest of out-
rages upon the helpless girl. Tasharah comes
in European costume, and exhibiting European
rather than Indian marks of emotion, but
striving to hide under his waistcoat the bloody
scalp which he had just torn from the French-
man's skull ! However, as they married and
lived a happy life, we must presume the lady
found at home a mode of conquering her
warrior husband's savage propensities. And to
vindicate the forest beauty in the eyes of
soberer lady readers we must tell them that
the Mohawk Chief was the son of an English-
man, although his mother was an Indian
squaw. Whether the civilized savage adopted
his father's name, and issued wedding cards
engrossed Mr. and Mrs. Neil, or whether the
lady preferred to be known in polite society as
Mrs. Tasharah, the history sayeth not. We
said there were two heroines ; and the
second is one of the weak and suffer-
ing sort. She is an English girl, the
victim of the Frenchman's fraud, whose
brother was basely murdered by his hand
in England, and who herself finally fell by his
violence in their foreign home. In the part
which she is made to play, the author displays
considerable skill and tact.
The plot of the story it is needless to describe
further than we have indicated it already. It
is simple, coherent, and probable—qualities
which are not always predicable of the produc-
tions of juvenile authors. The distinctiveness
of all the characters introduced is very well
sustained ; and although they are not drawn
with the precision and force which make
Dickens's ideal beings living men and women,
they are at least consistent and intelligible.
The author's acquaintance with Indian habits
and superstitions, as well as with the events of
the period, appears to be very considerable ;
and the reader is not shocked by glaring errors
and anachronisms. His style is easy and unaf-
fected ; and as he makes no grand attempts, he
perpetrates no great failures. As a whole,
"The Mohawk Chief" is a novel little, if at all,
below the average standard of circulating-
library romances. There are certain matters to
which we might take exception ; but remem-
bering that the book was published some 16
years after it was written, and without the
benefit of the author's maturer revision, we
forbear.
As "The Mohawk Chief" is not likely to
fall into the hands of many readers here, for
some time to come at least, we extract a pas-
sage for perusal, not only as a fair specimen of
the style and contents of the book, but also be-
cause it describes an incident which can be
read intelligently in separation from its context.
Tasharah and his warriors are in ambush in
the outskirts of a Piquot village, to which the
Frenchman has conducted the heroine's father
a prisoner. Their object is to rescue him,
Maria herself instigating them to the attempt.
Frank Kennedy, the principal actor in the fol-
lowing scene, is a young borderer deeply ena-
moured of Maria ; but in despair of winning
her affections he resolves to do some desperate
deed. With this introduction we will permit
the author to tell the following tale for him-
self :—
"The Piquot village has been erected upon the sum-
mit of a hill, rising from the centre of a green plain,
that was bounded upon one of its sides by a rather large
streamlet, and surrounded upon each of its other
quarters by a dark frowning wood.
"Its population was not large, and the whole of its
ineffective force, women and children, were at present
occupied with what was proceeding on the plain.
Directing her eyes towards the same objects she also be-
came interested, but in quite a different manner to the
Piquot spectators. To explain this we must return to
Kennedy, whom we left quitting the concealed band of
the Iroquois.
"Determined to lose no time Frank had pro-
ceeded, guided by by ear and some few observations he
had made, direct, as he thought, towards the huts ; but
getting confuted in his course, he did not arrive so
quickly as the quantity of ground he passed over
seemed to warrant him to expect ; and it was not until
he had twice gone over the necessary distance that he
arrived within sight of the desired object. The length
of his walk had allowed time for the first effervescence
of his passion to settle down into a calmer mood ; and
the woodsman began to consider that by pattung him-
self into the power of his enemies he but destroyed
his own hopes and forwarded those of his rival,
Besides, by thus removing himself, he left Maria per-
fectly unprotected and in the Mohawk's power. Re-
flecting on this, he began very much to regret his pre-
cipitation, and to desire that it were in his power to
retrace his steps, without appearing to have been
actuated by fear, or else that fortune would throw some-
thing in his way, in the shape of a warrior or two,
whose scalps would allow of his return without any
reflection upon his manhood.
"Whilst Frank was occupied with these thoughts, he
perceived, as though fortune really this time desired to
please him, the very thing for which he had been so
ardently wishing. At the distance of about 200 feet,
under the shadow of a tree, which from its solitariness
seemed to have been expel ed the forest community, lay
two warriors, who, having nothing else to do, were
enjoying a comfortable nap.
"At this sight, Kennedy could hardly restrain him-
self ; he looked carefully around and scrutinized every
position wherein a troublesome spectator to his intended
spoliation might be concealed. Alone did there appear
cause for uneasiness in the proximity of the village, but
in his opinion the few whom he perceived there were
otherwise occupied than in paying attention to the sleep
of the warriors, and without further consideration—
Frank never was noted for much—the borderer came
to the conclusion of making their sleep eternal.
"Loosening his knife in its sheath, he first disencum-
bered himself of his rifle, and then placing his ear on
the ground, listened, that he might assure himself his
foemen's sleep was not counterfeited, but their regular
and heavy breathings convinced him of its redity. After
one more cautious examination, Kennedy commenced
crawling and rolling towards what had excited his
cupidity.
"Unknown to Frank, a young maiden watched from
the interior of her father's lodge the slumbers of her
lover, and her heart beat quick with emotions of love
and terror when she perceived that what she had at first
taken for another warrior, also reclining, had gradually
approached him within a few feet.
"She advanced towards the door, and beads the
whole of her gaze upon the strange and uncertain
object. She sees it move, slowly and stealthily as the
snake towards its prey. Oh ! that her lover would
awake—that he were conscious of its approach—that he
might feel if it meditated harm. Shall she call her
brother, who is smoking before his lodge ? No, for it
may only be a friend intending to play some trick—
perhaps to steal the weapon, or else to sound the war-
whoop in his ears—and maiden modesty forbids her
thus to declare the interest she feels for one ; but now
she screams ! for love's eager glance had detected the
gleam of the fatal knife as the sun's rays flashed upon
its polished blade ere it plunged into the bosom
she loved so well, severing and blighting for her all the
joys of life, and which taught her the first bitter lesson
she had ever received of how agonizing it is to part for
ever from those who are dear to us. She sees not, she
cares not, she heeds not, that her lover's companion
in sleep has also been his companion to the
land of shades ; her brother is at her side ; her fixed
glance and outstretched arm, for speak she cannot, are
sufficient to point out to the warrior some daring
stranger, taking the scalps of two of his nation. One
loud whoop testifies his rage, and wakes into life and
summons from their quiet and repose each warrior,
with its call to blood and vengeance, and almost instan
taneously a number of the braves were rushing at full
speed, desirous, if possible, of making the intruder pay
dearly for his action.
"This was the sight which had arrested the Duondaga
widow, and formed the subject of such eager contempla-
tion for the Piquots. The chase had now become one of
thrilling interest, the chances of which appeared rather
inclined towards Kennedy, inasmuch that, from his
great start, it seemed probable he might regain the
shelter of the wood before his pursuers could come near
to him, and once there it would be very difficult to elude
the latter.
"Kennedy, as soon as he had heard the cry by which
he had been discovered, turned coolly round and per-
ceived the Piquot warriors pouring forth towards him
in one fierce cloud, as a hive of enraged bees. In place
of being alarmed and immediately seeking to fly, he
finished scalping the second warrior and then waited
for about a minute to determine his course.
"When he commenced his flight, in place of putting
himself at first to great exertion, he contented himself
with a quiet regular pace for the purpose of getting his
breath into order, for he well knew whenever he should
put forth his speed none would be able to come up with
him, and he determined to reserve his powers until the
Piquots should be within about a hundred yards.
"In this manner he approached the spot where he
deposited his rifle, intending that his enemies should
not chase him without his complimenting them, and
that if they triumphed some bitterness should be
mingled in their cup of victory.
"But a few yards, and he would be in possession of
the weapon that had so often proved fatal in his hands,
and Frank could scarce avoid smiling when he considered
how effectually he would test the speed of an Indian,
who, having headed his companions, was, as he thought,
at a very fair distance for him to made an essay upon.
A score more yards and in all probability he would have
laid the impetuous Piquot low, when, to the woods
man's surprise, he heard, for he well knew its tones,
the discharge of his own piece, and the whoop of rage
and disappointment that followed from the unseen foe.
The young woodsman reeling certain it could be no friend
that thus sent one of his own bullets so disagreeably
nigh to his person, cast a rapid glance around ; his pur-
suers were too near to allow of his hazarding a struggle
with his new and unexpected adversary, whom he could
now distinctly hear forcing his way through the bush
behind which he had been concealed; after a moment's
hesitation Kennedy had decided, and turning sharp
round to the left, he proceeded upon that course as the
only direction that seemed to offer an uninterrupted
passage. Now fairly excited, the borderer strained
every nerve to perform so glaring a feat as to slay two
warriors within sight of, and then to make his escape
from some of the bravest and fiercest of the Piquots.
"Exerting himself to the utmost he rapidly bounded
away, and each second saw his pursuers farther be-
hind.
"One youth alone, young Tehastet, is bathing in the
stream, and surely one so young will not dare to place
himself in the way of a desperate man, armed, and flea-
ing for his life; surely, naked and without weapons, he
will not oppose himself to the ruthless man, whose hands
are still reeking with the blood of two of his nation.
But little do they know Tehasket that would reason
that; the blood, pure, and without corruption too, a
descent from a line of warriors whose names were never
sullied by a breath or fear, flows in his veins. He is the
last, and, but his aged grandfather, the only descendant
of the renowned chiefs of the ' Wolves of the Piquot,' the
bravest of the bands of that nation.
''Often has his youthful heart beat to emulate the
actions of his ancestors, and though from his age—for
scarce fifteen summers had Tehastet seen—he was pre-
cluded from association with the braves, yet within him
throbbed a heart ss courageous and as dauntless as had
ever animated the breasts of his father.. Who was it
but young Tehaestet, when the panther, iufuriated at
the loss of its young, had followed upon the footsteps of
their destroyer, aud duriug the absence of the warriors,
when none, but women aud children were in the
lodges, kept prowling rouud the village, that, in
spite of the tears of the dark-eyed maiden
ti'eUebea, to whom alone he confldes his inten-
tion, had, taking his father's bow, and girding on
his knife in the wampum belt, sallied forth, and, with
hit youthful arm alone, slam the ferocious beast ! Four
more moons Tehasket would have been a warrior, and
have gone forth upon the warpath—his father's weapons
dealing destruction once again among his own or his
country's foes.
"Loud were the cries of vexation of the Piqnoh when
they found how vastly superior to themselves in speed
was the agile borderer. They also feared, lest possessing
equal cunning with swiftness, having once gained the
wood, he would succeed in baffling them, and would
finally make his escape to boast over their tribe, and of
his owu superiority.
"Attracted by the noise, the young Piqnot turned bis
head, and »aw with surprise a white man fleeing from his
people. At this sight his heart beat quicker, but not
from fear. It was only the that ebullition of youthful
pride and courage. He perceived in one single instant
that tbe stranger was rapidly leaving his own
countrymen behind. The honour, the glory, to be
gained by stopping the flyer in his course,
when it defied the efforts of the best war-
riors of his nation, appeared at once. His blood
leaped with hope, as imagination, with the swiftness of
thought, represented what renown might be his.
Risng, for the first time, the war-cry of his nation, the
brave boy placed himself in the course of Kennedy, who
from his impetus wat unable, without considerable loss
of the advantage be had gained, even had he desired it,
to move out of the direction he was pursuing.
" 'Fool !' exclaimed the young woodsman, who never
expected for one moment that an unarmed boy, as the
one before him, had the least intention of seriously
opposing him ; 'Fool ! out of my way, or I'll give you a
taste of my knife.'
"His fierce words altered not the intention of the lad.
If the latter understood the language of the borderer, he
neither answered nor appeared dismayed, but bounded
upon Kennedy, and from the shock both came to the
ground. Seizing Frank by the leg, the young Piquot
hindered him from rising. In vain did the former
struggle and seek to disengage his limb from the grasp
of the other. He heard the rapidly approaching footsteps
of the Indians, and their loud shouts of joy and of
encouragement. In vain did he seek to unclasp the
Piquot's hold by squeezing his wrists with all his
strength. Tehasket appeared insensible to pain. He
remembered how his father had suffered at the stake,
and he vowed to imitate their endurance.
"Enraged at what he regarded as being the foolhardy
obstinacy of the law, all Kennedy's passion mounted
when he considered how the young Piquot was the only
obstacle to obtaining renown, and how he would alike
be deprived of honour and of love through the agency
of a mere boy. Drawing his knife, he waved it before
the eyes of the youth, exclaiming in Indian, for he felt loth
to slay one as young, tliough he had no compassion for
manhood—'Let the Piquot boy leave go his hold of the
rattlenake, or it will have him.'
"With perfect indifference did the lad listen to the
threat of Kennedy ; nor did it convey ought to intimi-
date him, or damp the fire of his bosom.
"'Seeing that his words had produced no effect, irri-
tated and driven to desperation, Kennedy raised his
knife and drove it to the haft in the breast of the youth.
Perceiving the blow coming, Tehasket neither shrank
from, nor testified the least emotion at, its afflictions.
Fixing his eyes upon the countenance of the borderer,
he received the blow with the insensibility worthy of a
long race of Indian chiefs. No groan escaped his firm
closed mouth ; nor did there follow the least relaxation
of his bold, but, as his life ebbed away, it tightened to
the rigid grasp of death.
"Thrice und equally in vain did Kennedy repeat his
blow. Nearer could he hear his foes approach. One
minute more, and he remained in his present position
he would be their prisoner. Taking hs knife firmly in
his handi-, he severed the wrists of the expiring youth.
But the time he had lost proved fatal to him ; and, as
he rose, he found himself in the power of a Piquot, who,
flinging his arms around him, held him, unable to defend
himself, until the arrival of his comrades, who, with
Indian self-control, spared him for the present that they
might have the pleasure of torturing him hereafter."
We presume the work named on the title
page of the book before us is a later produc-
tion of the same author, which has met with
success sufficient to induce the publication of
his earlier production, and to form its passport
to the public favour. We have not met with
it, and can, therefore, form no opinion
of the writer's progress as a fictitioniat. Of
one thing, however, we are certain, that the
powers which he has displayed in "The
Mohawk Chief" might not to be allowed to
remain idle in a country like this, abounding
in the materials of romance, but miserably
destitute of pens able to reduce them to cohe-
rent form. We trust he will employ them on
an Australian subject, and give us contribu-
tions to our national literature worthy of our
rising renown.
BARRIER RANGES GOLD-SEARCH EXPEDI-
TION.—The Hon. the Commissioner of Crown
Lands and Immigration has received a report
notifying the safe arrival of Captain Crawford
and party, at the junction of the Rivers Mur-
ray and Darling, on the 1st instant ; the
horses and bullocks being in good condition,
notwithstanding the scarcity of feed on
their journey. After a recruit of 10 clear
days, the party started up the Darling
early on the morning of the 12th instant,
and would reach Menindie, or Laidley's
Ponds, in about five stages. Lieutenant Perry,
of the New South Wales Native Police, had,
prior to the arrival of the party at the Darling,
received instructions from his Government
(conformably with a request transmitted from
here) to co-operate with Captain Crawford in
every possible way ; and, being aware that the
natives about the Upper Darling are in a very
unsettled state, he deemed it necessary to
detach two mounted native troopers to ac-
company the expedition, and in addition would
enable Captain Crawford to procure at Laid-
ley's Ponds a native guide acquainted with
the Ranges. Rains have fallen in the north
very late this season—indeed the Darling is
now in full flood ; and Captain Crawford con-
sequently hopes that although he may perhaps
be precluded from taking his bullock-teams
towards the Ranges until the rainy season, yet
that sufficient water will be found to the
northward and westward of Menindie to enable
him to keep his diggers fully engaged in the
search for gold during the interval.
THE EX-KING OF DELHI.—We extract the
following from the Calcutta Englishman of
December 8th :—"The sentence of transporta-
tion passed some months ago upon His Ma-
jesty the ex-King of Delhi has at last been
carried into effect. The fiat which brought the
ill-fated king down from Allahabad arrived a
few days ago at Diamond Harbour, where
H.M.S. Megæra was in readiness to receive the
prisoner on board, to convey him to his final
destination. His Majesty was accompanied by
two of his wives and several other members of
his family who follow him in his exile. The
party had taken care to provide themselves
with every comfort that could be thought of,
and evidently bear their misfortunes with the
true Moslem submission, and in as good
spirits as if they were going on a pleasure ex-
cursion. It was industriously circulated (not
officially) that he was to be conveyed to Ran-
goon, but as no possible reason for such a
destination could be given, it was generally
disbelieved, and it gradually oozed out that
the Cape of Good Hope was to be honoured
with the custody of the aged assassin. The
mystery that has been observed throughout the
affair is perfectly ludicrous ; its rational solu-
tion is that the authorities here are really in
dread of their dear friends and pets the Mo-
hammedans, and feared that if the old king were
publicly brought to Calcutta, there would be a
rising for his restoration. We, however, are
more inclined to believe that they feared the
mob might go the other way, and that the old
villain might be shot by some of the European
sailors or soldiers. Had there been any real danger
of such a catastrophe, it would have certainly
been right to take precautions against what
would have disgraced us in the eyes of the
civilized world, but we do not believe any one
could be found, however he may detest the
murderer, who would lift a hand against him
in cold blood."
AUSTRALIAN WHEAT.—We see from the
Northampton Herald of October 16 that our
old fellow-citizen Mr. Paxton has offered,
through the Central Bucks Agricultural
Society, a prize for the best sack of wheat
grown from Australian seed. We extract the
paragraph in which it is mentioned, and only
regret that the particulars given are so bare.
We think it possible that the prize was limited
to "South" Australian wheat, as the words are
"imported from that colony." It would be
gratifying to have known from whom the seed
was procured and by whom it was grown.
The following is the extract referred to :—
"Australian Wheat (34 entries).—A silver cup, value
£10.10s., given by William Paxton, Esq., of Linden
House, Cheswick, and late of Adelaide. Australia, for the
best sack of Australian wheat, certified to have been
grown from seed imported from that colony during the
year I857.—Mr. Robert Paxton, Lower Winchendon.
Mr. J. P. Fordom, Kimble, very highly commended, but
disqualified, the seed being imported prior to I857."
It is gratifying to see that so many English
farmers are trying Australian seed-wheat.
THE NEW MAYOR OF ADELAIDE.—Mr. E.
W. Wright, Alderman of Robe Ward, who
has just been elected to the office of Mayor of
Adelaide, rendered vacant by the resignation
of Mr. Sabben, is an architect by profession,
and held some time ago the appointment of
City Surveyor. His brother, Mr. Stephen
Wright, was last year Mayor of Glenelg.
ELECTION OF MAYOR.—In our report of
Monday's proceedings of the City Council we
stated that the numbers being equal in the
election for Mayor, the Chairman (Alderman
Elliott) "gave his casting vote to Alderman
Wright." This we find to be incorrect. By
the 37th clause of the Municipal Ordinance it
is enacted :—"And in the event of there being
any doubt whether any one or more person
or persons be elected by reason of an equality
of votes, the said presiding member and scru-
tineers, or any two of them, shall decide which
of the said persons shall be elected." In this
case the majority gave the casting vote, and not
the presiding member.
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