Note: This text has been automatically extracted via Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software.
Critical Notices Of The Literature Of The Last Three Months,
rear , with such force as to knock down and trample on many of our men , while by rushing through the ranks they hindered the others from loading . Emboldened by this , the main body rushed from their cover , hurled a discharge of their lighter throwing assegais , and then ( with the heavier kind used for stabbing ) threw themselves upon us . Our steady fellows had little to depend on but their bayonets ; to the use of whieh they had been fortunately long accustomed , and now used most effectually . The underwood swarmed with Kaffirs . They were perched in
the trees , firing upon us from above , aud rushed from the bush below in hundreds , yelling in tlie most diabolical and ferocious manner , hissing through their white teeth ; their brawny limbs , bloody faces , and enormous size , giving them a most formidable appearance . "The narrow road was crowded with a mass of troops , levies , and Kaffirs , tho ringing yells of the latter heard above the din of the firing . Some , wrestling with the men for their firelocks , were blown almost into pieces , and many were felled and brained by the butt end of clubbed muskets . Our gallant fellows fought
most bravely ; one man , with an assegai deeply buried between his shoulders , singled out its owner and shot him through the head , with the weapon nearly protruding through his chest . A grenadier killed four Kaffirs with his own hand . The huge fellow already mentioned appeared suddenly amongst us , and seizing a soldier in his powerful grasp , hurled him to the ground ; but the man jumping to his feet in a moment , biu-ied his bayonet in the fellow ' s back , and he fell dead on his face . Three Kaiiirs caught one of our men by the blanket folded ou his hack , and were dragging him into the bush , when the straps slipping over his shoulders released him , and he threw himself unarmed on the nearest , and wrestled with him for his assegai , both rolling over and over , scuffling on the ground ; the wellgreased body of the Kaffir giving him the advantage over the dressed and
belted soldier ; whose death-wound was , however , amply revenged . The ground was soon thickly strewn with the black corpses of the enemy ; a score lay in . the path , and here and there the lifeless form of a dead or dying Highlander ; eight of whom fell , while as many more were wounded . Fighting our way through hundreds of the infuriated savages , we effected the descent of the pass : by the time we had reached the foot , the enemy ' s fire had almost ceased . " From scenes such as those , AVO gladly hasten to more congenial themes ; and first on our poetic listwe will mention the ballad of
"BabeCkris-, tobel , " * with other Lyrical Poems , by Gerald Massey . This is really a charming little volume of poems , to which , to the merit of cheapness is also to be attached that of much real natural beauty . Mr . Massey is a workman ; but his claim to rank as a poet is indisputable ; ancl to those AA'ho love the soft lyric style of verse , full of beautiful images fresh from Nature ' s hand , the volume will present many attractions . Mr . Massey , howevertravels out of the ordinary regions of poetry .
, He converts his muse into a political heroine . He sings of the Avrongs dono to democracy , he denounces the tyrants of his class , upholds Socialism , ancl generally seeks to propagate the doctrines of a school , which had its birth in the first French Revolution , and died , wo had . almost said , a natural and unregrettod death in tho last . In extenuation of all this , it may be said that Mr . Massey is eAadently a sincere man , and one who has suffered much , and perhaps undeservedlyfor his opinions '
, sake . In another form of society , and under other and different educational auspices than those which now train the youth of the labouring classes in this country , Mr . Massey might have been more useful to his class , and a greater social benefactor than he is likely to prove to this generation . The " Annotated Edition of tho English Poets" f bids fair to equal the
Note: This text has been automatically extracted via Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software.
Critical Notices Of The Literature Of The Last Three Months,
rear , with such force as to knock down and trample on many of our men , while by rushing through the ranks they hindered the others from loading . Emboldened by this , the main body rushed from their cover , hurled a discharge of their lighter throwing assegais , and then ( with the heavier kind used for stabbing ) threw themselves upon us . Our steady fellows had little to depend on but their bayonets ; to the use of whieh they had been fortunately long accustomed , and now used most effectually . The underwood swarmed with Kaffirs . They were perched in
the trees , firing upon us from above , aud rushed from the bush below in hundreds , yelling in tlie most diabolical and ferocious manner , hissing through their white teeth ; their brawny limbs , bloody faces , and enormous size , giving them a most formidable appearance . "The narrow road was crowded with a mass of troops , levies , and Kaffirs , tho ringing yells of the latter heard above the din of the firing . Some , wrestling with the men for their firelocks , were blown almost into pieces , and many were felled and brained by the butt end of clubbed muskets . Our gallant fellows fought
most bravely ; one man , with an assegai deeply buried between his shoulders , singled out its owner and shot him through the head , with the weapon nearly protruding through his chest . A grenadier killed four Kaffirs with his own hand . The huge fellow already mentioned appeared suddenly amongst us , and seizing a soldier in his powerful grasp , hurled him to the ground ; but the man jumping to his feet in a moment , biu-ied his bayonet in the fellow ' s back , and he fell dead on his face . Three Kaiiirs caught one of our men by the blanket folded ou his hack , and were dragging him into the bush , when the straps slipping over his shoulders released him , and he threw himself unarmed on the nearest , and wrestled with him for his assegai , both rolling over and over , scuffling on the ground ; the wellgreased body of the Kaffir giving him the advantage over the dressed and
belted soldier ; whose death-wound was , however , amply revenged . The ground was soon thickly strewn with the black corpses of the enemy ; a score lay in . the path , and here and there the lifeless form of a dead or dying Highlander ; eight of whom fell , while as many more were wounded . Fighting our way through hundreds of the infuriated savages , we effected the descent of the pass : by the time we had reached the foot , the enemy ' s fire had almost ceased . " From scenes such as those , AVO gladly hasten to more congenial themes ; and first on our poetic listwe will mention the ballad of
"BabeCkris-, tobel , " * with other Lyrical Poems , by Gerald Massey . This is really a charming little volume of poems , to which , to the merit of cheapness is also to be attached that of much real natural beauty . Mr . Massey is a workman ; but his claim to rank as a poet is indisputable ; ancl to those AA'ho love the soft lyric style of verse , full of beautiful images fresh from Nature ' s hand , the volume will present many attractions . Mr . Massey , howevertravels out of the ordinary regions of poetry .
, He converts his muse into a political heroine . He sings of the Avrongs dono to democracy , he denounces the tyrants of his class , upholds Socialism , ancl generally seeks to propagate the doctrines of a school , which had its birth in the first French Revolution , and died , wo had . almost said , a natural and unregrettod death in tho last . In extenuation of all this , it may be said that Mr . Massey is eAadently a sincere man , and one who has suffered much , and perhaps undeservedlyfor his opinions '
, sake . In another form of society , and under other and different educational auspices than those which now train the youth of the labouring classes in this country , Mr . Massey might have been more useful to his class , and a greater social benefactor than he is likely to prove to this generation . The " Annotated Edition of tho English Poets" f bids fair to equal the