One of the most interesting books of travel issued of late years is
that entitled, _Arminius Vambery: His Life and Adventures_ (London:
T. Fisher Unwin), which is now in the third edition. This Hungarian
traveller is a man of rare courage and will, and possessed of high
literary accomplishments; and the narrative of his wanderings in
various capacities in Asia and Europe is told with a graphic and
picturesque power which is extremely captivating.
Vambery, who was born in 1832, had a singularly hard up-bringing,
and the story of his early years is quite as interesting as his later
adventures in foreign lands. His father died a few months after the
birth of the boy, leaving the family in extremely poor circumstances.
When he was twelve years of age—up to which time, from lameness, he
could only walk with the help of a crutch—his mother thought him old
enough to shift for himself. He had previously been three years at
school, where he had drawn attention upon himself by his precocity.
But the inexorable poverty of his parent stood in the way of further
education, and at twelve he was apprenticed to a ladies’ dressmaker,
but only stayed long enough in this employment to learn to stitch two
pieces of muslin together. He left the shop of the ‘dress-artist,’ and
did a little teaching in the family of an innkeeper, ‘occasionally
waiting on thirsty guests.’ When he had saved up eight florins, he
hastened from the Island of Schütt, where he had spent his years, to
a gymnasium in the vicinity of Pressburg, and here began a strange
struggle for existence and education. His money was just sufficient
to buy the necessary books, and he had to depend on the kindness and
charity of others for his food. Seven different families each gave him
one day in the week a free meal, adding to it something for breakfast
and luncheon; and he got the cast-off clothes of the wealthier
school-boys. Notwithstanding all drawbacks, he made great progress in
his studies, and took a high place in the Latin class—he was indeed
able at fourteen years of age to speak Latin with considerable fluency.
We cannot follow his career further, but can with confidence commend
the singular story of his life and adventures to all readers, both
young and old.
⁂
Literature and angling would seem to have something in common. The
number of books that have been written on the ‘gentle art,’ and that
by men of striking ability, is too well known to require enumeration.
To this list we must now add _Sprigs of Heather, or the Rambles of
‘Mayfly’ with old Friends_, by the Rev. John Anderson, D.D., Minister
of Kinnoull. Mr Anderson is a veteran angler, and is able to look back
to days spent by the river-side with the great Christopher North, and
with others who, though of less note in the angling and literary world,
were still such as to afford to the author the opportunity of telling
many amusing and characteristic stories regarding them. He is, as many,
perhaps most, anglers are, delighted with the scenes of rural beauty
into which his pursuits have led him, and he describes them with the
pen of a ready and accomplished writer, and with somewhat of poetic
fervour. Mr Anderson is a strong advocate of fly-fishing, and almost
scornfully speaks of those who use bait, as ‘ground-fishers,’ and the
like. We are not sure but his indignation on this point is misplaced,
as all bait-fishing is not done in muddy or discoloured water, and
perhaps as much skill is required to fish successfully a small clear
stream with worm as with fly. Stewart and other well-known anglers have
long since acknowledged this. In other respects, however, Mr Anderson’s
little volume is such that lovers of the rod and line will find it
entertaining reading.
⁂
Those who love Scottish music and Scottish dances will hail with
pleasure the appearance of two handsome volumes entitled, _The Athole
Collection of Dance Music of Scotland_ (Edinburgh: Maclachlan and
Stewart). These volumes have been compiled and arranged by Mr James
Stewart Robertson (Edradynate), who has done his work in a most
efficient manner. He, as an unprofessional musician, apologises for
having undertaken such a work, which, he says, was only done by him
because he did not expect, from the disfavour into which, for the
present, Scottish music and dances have unfortunately fallen, that
any professional musician, competent for the task, ‘could be induced
to devote the time, and to run the chances attending the production
of such a work.’ So far as Mr Robertson’s execution of the work is
concerned, no such apology was required; while his devotion to the task
which he has so satisfactorily accomplished renders his services to
his country almost patriotic. He has selected his airs with admirable
taste and skill, and the two volumes contain within them specimens of
almost every characteristic of Scottish dance music. No better or more
acceptable present could be sent from Scotch folks at home to Scotch
folks abroad than this _Athole Collection_.