APRIL — JUNE 1857.] 



Miscellaneous Notices. 



163 



by Captain Burton, Bombay Army, has already attained a second 

 edition. Captain Burton has also written a History of Sindh, and has 

 proved himself possessed of energy and observation which, coupled 

 to his intimate acquaintance with the various dialects of Arabic 

 and Persia, rendered him peculiarly fitted to undertake the pilgrim- 

 age of which he has given us so interesting a narrative. 



A valuable work from the pen of a member of the Madras Medi- 

 cal Service has just been published, under the title of The Antiqui- 

 ties of Kertch and Researches in the Cimmerian Bosphorus ; with 

 remarks on the Ethnological and Physical History of the Crimea ; by 

 Duncan Macpherson, m. d., of the Madras Army, Folio, and Colored 

 engravings, Two guineas. Some of the early proof plates of the 

 antiquities were exhibited at our meeting in March last, and attracted 

 much admiration. The notice of them will be found at page 284, 

 Vol. I, 



More recently has been announced A Journal of two years' Travel 

 in Persia, Ceylon, Sfc. by Robert Binning, Esq., Madras Civil Ser- 

 vice, 2 vols. 8vo. 285. (Allen and Co). 



The Aihenceum of April 18, 1857, p. 496, concludes a favourable 

 review of Mr. Binning's work in these words, — 



" After this general picture, we might draw attention to many valuable details in 

 Mr. Binning's work, but we shall content ourselves with saying that it will be found 

 a book of reference as to measures, dress, household matters and statistics. The 

 author's opinions on Persian literature are especially valuable. A man who has 

 read through the 60,000 couplets of Firdausi, most of the lesser poets and a more 

 than usual quantum of historical and doctrinal works, is entitled to speaker ca- 

 thedra on Persian writings. Classical scholars may, indeed, be disposed to demur 

 to an authority who places the Shahnamah above the Iliad. There are many 

 points of comparison between Homer and the Persian Epic Poet; but we shall 

 not enter upon the parallel, which would form a good subject for a separate essay, 

 and would require a book to itself. One coincidence, however, may be noticed, 

 as to the martial enthusiasm the verses of both poets inspire. " The Persian sol- 

 diery," says Mr. Binning, " when about to engage in combat, are accustomed to 

 sing aloud certain passages of the Shahn&mah, which practice has the effect of 

 inspiriting them to absolute fury ; as the verses of Homer did the warriors of 

 Greece, or as the Runic lays of the Skalds were wont to animate the fierce Ber- 

 serkars of old Norway." Leaving the stout partizan of the Homeric cause to take 

 up Mr. Binning's glove, we close the volumes in which the challenge is recorded, 

 with a hint to the Greek champion3 that they may perhaps in this encounter find 

 harder work than in the old fields of Marathon and Salamis," 



