348 



♦ KNOWLEDGE ♦ 



[April 24, 1885. 



which I was indebted years ago for most vahiable informa- 

 tion, as well as to most encouraging words from Professor 

 Thurston, who is so well and favourably known. 



' (To he continued.) 



THE EXPOSITION AT NEW ORLEANS. 



.If By R. a. Proctoe. 



THE Exposition at New Orleans ia certainly disappoint- 

 ing. The exhibits in what is called the Government 

 Building are indeed full of interest ; for here the various 

 States and Territoi'ies display their special jjroducts effec- 

 tively. Perhaps what struck me most in this part of the 

 Exposition was the eagerness with which some of the 

 Western States and Territories invite immigration, rather, 

 as I judge, immigration from other States than from abroad. 

 This is a significant feature of American progress ; and, 

 unless I mistake, marks one of the evil efi'ects of that 

 protective system which many Americans regard as the 

 palladium of the nation. In the other parts of the Expo- 

 sition we find what may fairly be described as a third- 

 class exhibition after the manner of the recent exhibitions 

 in London. There is nothing very new, and to walk along 

 several miles (suppose) of shop counters, is not very 

 attractive. So the exhibition is not proving a financial 

 success. It has naturally given occasion to much talk 

 about American trade. Oddly enough, many complaints 

 are raised about the small amount of trade which America 

 commands with other countries. This nation, which has 

 foolishly adopted a system of protection, meant to advance 

 American trade at the expense of that of other nations, 

 is now grumbling because their own trade has suffered 

 more than that of European nations. Even with the 

 West Indies and South America, Europe does four times 

 as much business as the United States can command. 

 " Europe takes the palm and the four fingers," said an 

 American recently, "leaving us the poor thumb." But 

 Europe has done nothing of the sort. It has been the 

 shortsighted policy of American party leaders, supposed 

 by the American people to be statesmen (Heaven save 

 the mark !) which has put America back fifty years, at 

 the very least, in regard to foreign commerce. Recog- 

 nising now, vaguely enough, the necessity of a wiser 

 and freer system, these blunder-headed politicians (keen 

 enough, though, when their personal interests are in ques- 

 tion) set about lowering the tariff, after a manner only less 

 mischievous than that in which they started their protec- 

 tive system. Take, for instance, the tariff on foreign 

 sugar. By lowering this, they are ruining the sugar business 

 of Louisiana. For how can the Southern traders possibly 

 stand competition with those of the West Indies, when 

 they have the high prices due to protection in manufactures, 

 ifec, to contend against ? That the high rates on sugar 

 were injurious to Americans generally, and therefore ought 

 to have been removed or lowered, is, of course, obvious ; 

 but it should have been equally obvious that they could 

 not be lowered by themselves without most injurious effects 

 on the particular trade they affect. These effects will be 

 quoted against free trade presently ; whereas they are in 

 reality due entirely to the utter ignorance of American 

 politicians regarding even the most elementary laws of 

 political economy. — A'ciccaatle Weekly Chronicle. 



Iv the table in Mr. Gorham's paper, in the second column of 

 p. 322, "hundredths of an iach" should be thousandths of an inch. 



THE KALEVALA. 



By Edwakd Clodd. 

 VI. 



IN the thirty-first rune a pathetic incident, which 

 has only indirect connection with the main story as 

 accounting for the death of the Northland maiden whom 

 Ilmarinen wedded, and for his subsequent career, is inter- 

 polated. 



Probably it is a relic of some older version of which the 

 Kalevala and the Kalevipoeg are variants, for among the 

 Esthonians KuUervo is their ancient king and glorious 

 hero, who is to come again, like the sleeping heroes of other 

 myths and races, and bring them everlasting happiness ; 

 whereas in the Kalevala he is a despised serf, drudging 

 under the tyranny of a hard-hearted mistress. From be- 

 ginning to end the Kalevala bears traces of the foreign and 

 later influences to which it has been subject, resulting in 

 the displacement of older gods and heroes in favour of 

 newer and stronger ones, whose achievements, as in the 

 case of the metal-workers, eclipsed their own. 



When Kalervo, son of Kaleva, was slain by his brother 

 Untamo, KuUervo sought to avenge his father's death, and 

 Untamo at last got rid of him by selling him to Ilmarinen. 

 whose wife made him her hind. In revenge for her harsh 

 treatment he, by enchantment, changed her cows into bears 

 and wolves, which he drove to the farm, so that when she 

 went to milk them she was torn to pieces. He then escaped 

 and made his way to the home of his childhood, where he 

 found his mother in grief at the non-return of his sister, 

 who had gone many days before to gather berries in the 

 forest, and who had not been seen since. So he set forth 

 in search of her, and on his way met a girl fair to look upon, 

 with whom he fell in love, and who yielded to his embrace. 

 As they travelled together, she asked him concerning his 

 kindred. " What is thy race, bold young man, and who 

 is thy father 1 " KuUervo answered, " I am the wretched 

 eon of Kalervo ; but tell me what is thy race and who is 

 thy father ? " Then said the maiden sadly, " I am the 

 wretched daughter of Kalervo. Ah ! would God that I 

 had died, then might I have grown with the green grass, 

 and blossomed with the flowers, and never known this- 

 sorrow." With this she leaped into the midst of the foam- 

 ing waves and found peace in the river of Tuoni, the Lethe 

 of the Kalevala. 



KuUervo hastened home to confess to his mother to 

 what shame and sad end he had unwittingly brought his 

 sister, and would have destroyed himself; but his mollier 

 entreated him not, whereupon he set out to avenge the 

 common wrong they had suffered at the hands of Untamo. 

 This done, he returned home, and, on finding the place 

 abandoned, he went shooting in the forest, and coming tc- 

 the spot where he had violated his sister, he, stricken with 

 remorse, killed himself. 



Sorrow sat heavily on the bereaved Ilmarinen, and he 

 sought relief in his craft. With the help of hired work- 

 men and thralls he smelted the precious metals, but both 

 hirelings and slaves slackened in their labour ; so he took 

 the bellows himself, and fashioned many things, until there 

 arose from the fire a yellow-haired maiden of gold and 

 silver, with neither mouth nor eyes. These Ilmarinen 

 gave her ; but although, like Galatea, she was endowed 

 with life, she could not speak, nor could he bestow that 

 gift ufion her. Whichever side he turned towards her he 

 was frozen, so that he quickly wearied of her, and offered 

 her to the " old and steadfast " Wainiimuinen. But the 

 venerable wooer looked askance on such a gift from such 



