Page:Notes and Queries - Series 11 - Volume 2.djvu/94

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NOTES AND QUERIES. pi s. vm. A. 2,

3. Boswell records that Dr. Johnson col- lected his pamphlets " into a volume with the title of ' Political Tracts, by the Authour of the " Rambler." All the copies that

I have seen are without the words " by the Authour of the 'Rambler.' " Will some one tell me where a copy with the title-page as stated by Boswell (ed. Hill, ii. 315) can be seen ? W. P. COURTNEY.

Reform Club.

MRS. HEMANS AND " THE DISTINGUISHED LINGUIST." In ' The Memorials of Mrs. Hemans,' by Henry F. Chorley, published in 1835, there is a letter from the poet dated 1830, in which she says that she has just received a visit from' a remarkable person, " the distinguished linguist," whose )3rilliant and original conversation very much attracted her.

" I think I was most interested [she says] in his description of Spain. He had also been to Iceland, and through Europe to Warsaw."

Who was this distinguished linguist ? It has been assumed by one well-known writer that it was George Borrow ; but Borrow was quite unknown in 1830, when Mrs. Hemans Wrote this letter, and his famous journey through Spain was still in the future. CLEMENT K. SHORTER.

JAMES HAMILTON, ' TRAVELLER. James Hamilton travelled in North Africa and the Egyptian Sudan about the middle of the last century, and gave accounts of his travels in two books :

' Wanderings in North Africa.' (London, John Murray, 1856, 8vo.)

'Sinai, the Hedjaz, and Soudan: Wanderings around the Birth-place of the Prophet, and across the ^Ethiopian Desert, from Sawakin to Chartum.' (London, Richard Beritley, 1857, 8vo.)

According to Prince Ibrahim-Hilmy's c Literature of Egypt and the Soudan ' he was also the author of a pamphlet :

' Farewell to Egypt ; or, The Departure of the Free Church of Scotland out of the Erastian Estab- lishment.' (London, Nisbet, 1843, 12mo, 12 pp.)

See also the

Bulletin de la Societd de Geographie, Paris, Janvier et feVrier, 1858, ' Remarques sur 1'Oasis de Syouah, oil de Jupiter Ammon, suivies cl'une relation de M. James Hamilton,' par Edme Frangois Jomard.

His books are informative as to the political condition of the countries passed through, and show up the wretched mis- government of the Sudan under Egyptian domination. He travelled from Suakin on the Red Sea coast to Kassala and Khartum in 1854, returning by Berber and the great Nubian desert to Egypt. He had a com- panion during this tour, whom he does not

name, but indicates only by the initials " M. D." This companion was evidently M. Charles Didier, a Frenchman, who also published accounts of his travels :

'_Cinquante Jours au Desert (en ]gypte).' (Paris* 1857, 8vo. )

'500 Lieues sur le Nil.' (Paris, Hachette, 1858, 12mo.)

' Les Nuits de Caire.' (Paris, Hachette, I860.)

See also

Bentleifs Miscellany, vol. xliv. p. 286, ' Didier's Voyage of the Nile ' ; Nouvelles Annales de Voyages, Paris, 1858, vol. iii. pp. 314-60; 1868, vol. i., map (showing route).

Is anything more known of James Hamil- ton ? His name does not appear in the ' D.N.B.'

The Athenceum, 1857, pp. 341-2, contains a notice of another book by Charles Didier relating to the same joint expedition:

"Visit to the Grand-Cherif of Mecca (Sejour, &c.). Paris, Hachette & Co.

" In company with a disagreeable Englishman [the reviewer states], M. Didier went up from Djeddah to Taif to pay the visit which gives it& title to his book. The Frank guests were, for political reasons, made much of by the Grand- Cherif : sent for with pomp and circumstance, lodged in a magnificent residence, with a guard of honour at the gate, feasted on the fat of the land, their heterodox wine - bibbing propensities winked at, and put to sleep in the harem, which the ladies had been compelled to quit before their arrival."

FREDK. A. EDWARDS.

34, Old Park Avenue, Nightingale Lane, S.W.

CUSTUMAL : DATE WANTED. I should be grateful if any of your readers could deter- mine the date of the subjoined Custumal, occurring in the ' Liber Niger ' in Salis- bury Diocesan Registry, and printed in ' Tenants of Sherborne ' by me in Dorset Notes and Queries. ' Liber Niger ' was com- piled in 1455, but this seems earlier. What is the meaning, too, of " distoneth " ?

Yatmyster.

Folio 200.

This is the olde custume and consuetude the which hath ben kept and used ever of our for- faders afore us of brekyng of feldis and entryng of comyn which longith to Yatmystre Lye and Chetnolle and also the thutees [underlined and duties written above] that the owte townes longith to do to the lord That is to sey as touchyngto the duteis. They of the owte townes shal come at lammasse with such gere as longith to her labor and do her duteis to her lordis as they bey [beth written above] assigned of the officers and have her custume as longith therto.

Viz. to the comyn and enteryng unto the feldis Erber' Ryelond and Pishille is comyn f elde for all in townes but hit is severel fro lammasse to Michael is eve. Owte take that the tenant that mowe lefe her laboryng bests therein savyng the fruts that beth upon goyng in with ye lords and after