No. XIV.] "I will make a prief of it in my Note-Book."—Shakspere.[February, 1852.
G. Willis gratefully acknowledges the various interestingdocuments and letters he has received. He is anxiousthat it should be perfectly understood that he is not theauthor of any statement, representation, or opinion, thatmay appear in his "Current Notes," which are merely selectionsfrom communications made to him in the course ofhis business, and which appear to him to merit attention.Every statement therefore is open to correction or discussion,and the writers of the several paragraphs should beconsidered as alone responsible for their assertions. Althoughmany notes have hitherto appeared anonymously,or with initial letters, yet wherever a serious contradictionis involved, G. Willis trusts that his Correspondents willfeel the necessity of allowing him to make use of theirnames when properly required.
Ethnology.—The marvellous pamphlet published inNew York, with reference to the Aztec Children exhibitingthere, has reached G. W., with the copy to be presentedto a distinguished traveller, which has beendelivered to him; and he seems not inclined to disbelievein the accuracy of any of its statements, whatever maybe the opinion of G. W.'s New York Special Reporter.(See "Current Notes" for January, p. 4.)
The pamphlet purposes to give an account of the discoveryof an idolatrous city called Iximaya, in CentralAmerica, with 85,000 inhabitants, situate somewhereabout 16° 42' N. and 91° 35' W., whose priests seem toconsider the flesh of Scotchmen to be a peculiar culinaryluxury—when they can catch them. The informationgiven to the discoverers of the ideal or real city ofIximaya, was "that a man of the same race as SenorHammond, who was of a bright-florid complexion, withlight hair and red whiskers, had been sacrificed and eatenby the Macbenachs or priests of Iximaya, the greatcity among the hills, about thirty moons ago, (previousto May, 1849)."
It has been asserted that Mr. Wheelwright, anAmerican gentleman of the highest respectability, wellknown and much respected both in London and Liverpoolas the originator of the Pacific Steam NavigationCompany, is (or was) well acquainted with the author of thisvery extraordinary pamphlet. And although it must beconfessed, that if considered as a piece of mere invention,for in marvellous incident it is a formidable rival tothe voyage and travels of one Lemuel Gulliver, or thelife and adventures of the well known Mr. RobinsonCrusoe,—yet the fact should not be forgotten, that"Truth is sometimes stranger than fiction."
G. W. anxiously looks for the opinions of the well-informedpress upon this matter, which, with the exceptionof the Sunday Times of the 15th of February, havebeen silent about the "Pigmies" exhibiting in NewYork;—and about which, as G. W.'s "Special" observedlast month—"there is NO MISTAKE."
The Bawdrick or Baldrock, (Illustrated Correction.)—Fewpeople feel inclined to acknowledge anerror, or to make a correction. See Willis's "CurrentNotes" for February last (p. 16), where Sir WalterScott's remark is quoted, that "it is ill making holesin one's own stockings for the purpose of darning themagain, darn we never so neatly." However, G. W. isalways happy—not to feel himself in the wrong—butto correct any mistake which inadvertently he or hisagents