VOYAGE OF THE CHANTICLEER. 375 



to the Grecians ; but whether it would be worth while to over- 

 throw the common name of the class, in order to adopt a 

 vernacular term, is a question that must be left to the dis- 

 cretion of future writers to decide. 



Art. L. — Narrative of Capt. Henry Fosters Voyage to the 

 Southern Atlantic Ocean, in His Majesty's Ship, Chanticleer. 

 By W. H. B. Webster. Bentley, London, 1834. 



[Editor loquitur.] 



The times in which we live are troublous times, and we 

 see no reason why we should be exempted from the trouble 

 that surrounds us, that hems us in on every side. Now is 

 the time when we shall be expected to solicit a truce from that 

 steady animosity which, on the part of certain individuals, has 

 dogged us so unweariedly, to kneel to those who have perhaps 

 at times trembled at the bare mention of our rod. Of these 

 acts of humiliation we will consider at a more convenient 

 opportunity ; but there is an act of justice which we must first 

 perform. Some years ago our zeal for Entomology led us to set 

 our faces against a constant bickering at that time carried on 

 between the authors of two rival publications. We thought 

 this bickering highly injurious to the true interests of the 

 science. We determined to oppose it to the uttermost. The 

 practice was continued, and we kept our resolution. The 

 offender was our personal friend ; but this was no screen ; we 

 fancied it a public duty to reprehend, and we reprehended 

 most severely. We were perfectly sincere in what we said ; 

 we weighed the consequences well, and, as the result proved, 

 accurately : we counted and paid the cost. The infinite rami- 

 fications of the opposition to our progress, by the friends of 

 the work in question, was a perfect model of human ingenuity : 

 the mind of man is shrewd in the science of persecution, to a 

 degree with which few are thoroughly acquainted. It seems 

 a most luxurious occupation. Now, it may appear strange to 

 thee, dear reader ! that it is in consequence of this very science 

 of persecu tion being now cultivated most elaborately against 

 Mr. Curtis's work — that very work which we criticised so 



