nd
dignitie of the said country into his hands, wishing that the riches
and treasure thereof might so conveniently be transported to the
inriching of her kingdom at home, as it aboundeth in ye same.

"Our Generall called this countrey Nova Albion, and that for two
causes; the one in respect of the white bankes and cliffes, which lie
towards the sea, and the other, because it might have some affinities
with our countrey in name, which sometime was so called."

Then comes the curious statement:

"_There is no part of earth heere to be taken up, wherein there is not
some probable show of gold or silver._"

The narrative then goes on to state that formal possession was taken of the
country by putting up a "monument" with "a piece of sixpence of current
English money under the plate," &c.

Drake and the bold cavaliers of that day probably found that it paid better
to rob the Spaniard of the gold and silver ready made in the shape of "the
Acapulco galleon," or such like, than to sift the soil of the Sacramento
for its precious grains. At all events, the wonderful richness of the
"earth" seems to have been completely overlooked or forgotten. So little
was it suspected, until the Americans acquired the country at the peace
with Mexico, that in the fourth volume of Knight's _National Cyclopaedia_,
published early in 1848, in speaking of Upper California, it is said, "very
little mineral wealth has been met with"! A few months after, intelligence
reached Europe how much the reverse was the case.

T.N.

* * * * *

THE DISPUTED PASSAGE PROM THE TEMPEST.

(Vol. ii., pp. 259. 299.)

When the learning and experience of such gentlemen as MR. SINGER and MR.
COLLIER fail to conclude a question, there is no higher appeal than to
plain common sense, aided by the able arguments advanced on each side.
Under these circumstances, perhaps you will allow one who is neither
learned nor experienced to offer a word or two by way of vote on the
meaning of the passage in the _Tempest_ cited by MR. SINGER. It appears to
me that to do full justice to the question the passage should be quoted
entire, which, with your permission, I will do.

"_Fer._ There be some sports are painful; and their labour
Delight in them sets off: some kinds of baseness
Are nobly undergone; and most poor matters
Point to rich ends. This, my mean task
Would be as heavy to me as odious, bu