BOOKS.
COKE'S RIDE OVER THE ROCKY MOUNTAINS.* THAT the brother of an earl and a sailor to boot should accompany a friend on a first visit to his plantation in Jamaica, and run on to Cuba and New York, is intelligible enough. What could af- terwards induce him and two friends, one of them " a par- son," to undertake a land journey across the Prairies and the Rocky MoUntains to California, in search of " amusement," is a more puzzling question. Neither Mr. Coke nor his friends had the natural aptitude or the requisite acquirements for steering an overland expedition through something like a desert solitude, and they did not attempt to compensate for those deficiencies by join- ing an American caravan. They started " on their own hook," with only such attendants as they could pick up at the frontier set- tlements ; they established no regulations, no order, no discipline ; each of the triumvirate had equal power, and used it to introduce confusion. They perhaps may rank as fair shots at home, but, either through the novelty or nervousness of the sportsmen, the prairies of the West witnessed such failures in the chase as they have rarely seen before. The party could not stalk their game, and rarely hit it when accident or luck brought it within range. Think of this, ye hunters of the far West, as a sample of Norfolk venery. " Toward evening we saw a small baud of buffaloes, which we approached by, leading our horses up a hollow. They got our wind, however, and were gone before we were aware of it. They were all young bulls, and were so fast that I was near half an hour coming up with them. The parson's horse had in the outset put his foot in a hole, and the fall they got gave the band time to get a long distance in advance. Separating one from the herd by firing my pistol into the midst of it, I devoted all my efforts to overtake him : once or twice he turned his unwieldy body, and glared furiously with his small black eyes. At last I headed him, and he stopped short; I halted also, and waited till I could see his shoulder. But instead of showing tail, he put his head down, and, foaming with rage, came at me full tilt. My horse never stirred : I had no time for anything but to take aim, and having fired between the neck and shoulder, I was, the next minute, sprawling on my back, with the mare rolling over four or five yards beyond me. Recovered from the shock, I could not help admiring the picturesque group we presented : I rubbing my bruised limbs, and the buffalo looking on half stupified and astonished at the result of his charge. I naturally had certain presentiments that the prox- imity of so werful a foe was somewhat dangerous ; and, crawling up to my rifle, gave • the contents of my second barrel. The ball sounded on his ribs, and he gave a groan, and a swerve that convinced me he had received a Roland for an Oliver. The parson now joined me, and followed the wounded animal without the slightest recognition of my Misfortunes : and I had the satisfaction of seeing him fire seven shots, none of which, owing to the fright of his horse, went within yards of the bull. Upon my word, I begin to think that buffaloes are either very tenacious of life, or else that we are unskilful hands in the science of venery."
The upshot was, that after getting rid of their waggon, succes- sively reducing their baggage, and parting company with them- selves, travelling the same road but independently, they judi- ciously left the California trail with its desolate deserts, and turned to the right for Oregon and the Columbia ; which they reached at last in a state next akin to destitution. From the Columbia the triumvirate, once more united, sailed to the Sandwich Islands ; whence Mr. Coke took ship for California. But if Mr. Coke and friends were not well qualified for Ameri- can land travel as regards skill, they exhibited undoubted pluck and patience as respects fatigue, privations, hardships, and hun- ger. These, indeed, are the things which impart interest to the book. Their failure as hunters, or their inexpertness as pilgrim- adventurers, may raise a smile ; but we follow their dreary marches by day and their tentless slumber bynight, their struggles with hunger, thirst, heat, and fatigue, with admiration; we become familiar with their wayworn hardy animals, are interested in their adventures and turns of fortune, though the latter only concern "a new repast or an untested spring," on which, however, life may depend.
Mr. Coke writes better when he has something of importance to write about. In the level passages of travel, whether in the West Indies, the States, the Sandwich Islands, or the com- mon scenes of Prairie or Californian life, he is apt to make too much of his subject, and exhibits a little of the style of the ward- room or free-and-easy. He has a disposition to overdo, till we know not how much is colour. On more stirring or sterner occa- sions he lets his subjects tell their own story, and they tell it better than he does.
When theparson and Mr. Coke separated from " Fred," they were only accompanied by one man, a follower of Mr. Coke. He was an American of Ohio ; whose autobiography our author gives . es.the man told it; and it seems he had married a young English emigrant, under circumstances creditable to the fidelity of both iiarties. They had five children; and the father was on his road to Oregon or California, to see if there was a prospect for his
• A Ride over the Rocky Mountains to Oregon and California. With a Glance at some of the Tropical Islands, including the West Indies and the Sandwich Isles. By the Hon. Henry J. Coke, Author of Vienna in IBA" Published by Bentley.
family, when Mr. Coke fell in with him ; and in Oregon he found a find settlement, as they were crossing the Snake river.
" William, who had been anxiously watching the events of the last five minutes, informed me, with a most pitiable countenance, that he could not swim a stroke, and should certainly go back to the old road. I told him, if he did so he would most undoubtedly starve, for the mules were all crossed with the provisions, and it would be impossible to norms them, or supply him with
food : besides, there was nothing to fear; the little mule had swam with him through Green river, and could carry him, easily over this, which was not near so broad. At the same time, I cautioned him strongly to give the animal its head, to hold on by the pummel of the saddle, to take off his spurs, and, if possible, to keep his long legs out of the way. He promised to obey my in- junction upon condition that Julius and I would help him in case of acci- dents. . agreed of course to do so; and, taking off everything but my shirt, pushed on for the channel.
"In a few steps, down went my little mare completely under water. Pre- pared for this, I Blipped from the saddle, and began to make for the shore ; when, remembering William, I looked back, and saw him clinging fast to the mule, which was plunging vigorously to relieve itself of the load. Seeing me turn, he called for assistance : I knew the parson could do nothing for us, so hastened at once towards the drowning man. By this time he was forty or fifty yards below me, and before I could reach him lie separated from the mule, and was vainly endeavouring to keep above water. I do not think he heard me tell him to put his hands on my shoulders. He seemed hardly conscious of anything. His long hair concealed his features, and his arms and hands were stretched out, as if imploring help. I seized him by the collar ; unfortunately it was with my right hand, leaving only my left to stem the torrent. At length I touched bottom in a shallow spot. The water was not more than three or four feet deep, but I could not stand against the stream ; it was rapidly carrying me back into the channel. I tried to hold him up, to keep his head above water ; but he was a dead weight, without consciousness : his feet touched the ground, but his legs bent beneath him. " For the first time it struck me that I could not save him. He was either dead or dying. If not dead, how could I leave him? He was still in my hands. His fate seemed to hang on my will. Once gone from me, he was gone from this world for ever. Oh, how insignificant I felt ! bow unable to avert the decrees of Providence even for a moment ! My strength was fail- ing me. The water was nearly up to my shoulders. I was aware of the ef- fort I should be obliged to make to save myself. William was drowned ; and I relaxed my hold. He fell like lead, till his back lay on the bottom. I looked through the clear water and saw the fixed expression of his familiar face. A few bubbles broke on the smooth surface ; and I floated noiselessly from thb hunter's grave.
" My. first attempts were to gain the right bank, where my remaining companion now stood. Finding this impossible, I struck out for the left. It seemed, however, that I made no progress ; and again I altered my mind. Whichever way I turned, the current brought me back to the middle of the stream. Sickened with the remembrance of poor Williams fate, exhausted with my repeated struggles, the drowning mule sinking and rising a few yards below me, darkness rapidly increasing, I began to despair. Suffering myself to be carried with the stream, I tried to release myself from the en- cumbrance of my flannel shirt. The endeavour was useless; and the quan- tity of water I swallowed made my condition worse than ever. " I now thought to rest myself by floating on my back. Again I failed, and again I swallowed water till I was nearly choked. I lost my presenoo of mind. I felt that I must sink ; I felt that my hour was come. I said to myself, 'Is not this struggle more painful than death ? Is life worth it ? Shall I die ? ' It was but the doubt of an instant. I called on God to save me, and at that moment I trusted fully in his mercy. I felt, at least, my confidence restored, and believed my energies were so. I turned my head from the bank, that I might not see how slowly I approached it ; and, pray- ing that my life might be spared, resolved to swim as long and as quietly as I was able. Never shall I forget my feelin"s as I touched the ground. At that moment I was filled with new life. The shoal on which I rested was still some distance from the shore : I paused but for an instant, and plung- ing in, with a few strokes was landed on the bank. I staggered and fell, almost senseless ; but raised myself on my knees, and, with tears in my eyes, thanked the Almighty for the mercy he had shown me."
Though sometimes a little tainted by overwriting, the West Indian" sketches are informing, especially as regards Jamaica and Cuba. The prospects of Jamaica, according to Mr. Coke, are better than is usually supposed : what the estates require is good ma- nagement and superintendence. Wages, he reports, are lower, and profits may be made higher. There seems, however, to be greater local variation than the mere size of the island would lead one to suppose. The following was the state of matters on the plant- ation of the writer's friend.
" Golden Grove is considered one of the model estates of the island ; it covers about 2200 acres, and lies in the valley of Plantain Garden River. The house is in a low situation, and clumsily constructed : utility, however, be- ing the order of the day, its proximity to the works is esteemed a greater recommendation than comfort or a commanding prospect. Near the house is a village, containing a considerable number of families, all employed on the estate. Just now it happens to be crop-time, i.e. harvest, which lasts in Jamaica from January to June ; and the work and wages are nearly double what they are during the remainder of the year. In crop-time an able- bodied Negro receives from twelvepence to eighteenpence a day ; but his
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working hours are from three o'clock in the morning till nine at night, on every day of the week but Saturday. I have known them to continue work- ing all through the night; thus undergoing fatigue that an European could not endure. "On this estate the Negro habitations are reckoned unusually good. For a cottage which holds a family of six, together with a small piece of ground, two shillings a week is charged for rent. This is easily paid where the family consists principally of males • but where there are neither husbands nor sons, or where the men are too old or infirm to earn wages, this rent falls heavily, and the means of subsistence are hard to procure. In the days of slavery, the owners were compelled to provide for every man, woman, and child that belonged to them, whether they were able to work or not. A hos- pital, called the Hot-house,' furnished with every comfort—medicine, -wholesome food, nurses, and doctors—was kept up upon every estate, and the sick or aged removed thither wore always properly cared for. In the present day there is no substitute for this system : the sickness of the Negro is no longer a matter of importance to his employer ; his death is no longer so much money out of his owner's pocket: let him sicken, let him die, he is his own property ; he is no loss to any but his own family. It does not cost 2001., but 8d. a day, and that only when he works, to supply his place. He has no relief from poor's-rates, nor alms-houses ; but in the day of his desti- tution he is dependent on the grants of the Parliament, or on the spon- taneous productions of a more liberal soil."
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