HENRY ROCHFORT OF NEW CALEDONIA.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XVII, Issue 5794, 12 June 1880, Page 7

HENRY ROCHFORT OF NEW CALEDONIA.

Count Victor-Hexri deßochefort-Lucat, better known as Monrieur Henri Kochefort, the most conspicuous Frenchman who remains in exile under the Third Republic, has jast published a noteworthy book relating hiß experiences as a political convict in New Caledonia. It appears, indeed, under the fo?inofa romance, entitled "The EvadS," bat there are maey indications that it is a personal record of some of the moving adventures which happened to himself while actually detained at .Noumea. He give 3an account, half ludicrous, half melancholy, of the penal settlement to which be was sept, and every page of his narrative is alive with that sportive and astonishing humour which has mace him so redoubtable an opponent, find so amusiDg a writer. M. Rocbefort assures his readers that the geographical form of New Caledonia is no more poetic than that of a boot-leg, to which it has a remarkable likeness. He observes that Captain Cook, taking a true British commercial view of his disco\ery, abandoned ic to France on account of its sterility, for that, being steadfastly determined to persevere in its re3tmblance to the boot leg he has already mentioned, it produces no more than a morsel of leather. The natives devour a sort of green clay to assuage the pangs of hunger, and support their stomachs against the void of utter eruption which is abhorred by nature. They are nourished, howevir, when they can really get food, upon lizards, spiders of a hairy sort, and a kiud of cockchafer, all of which they eat alive with an evident sense of relish. Tbe climate of the country is such that whenever Noumea is not a cistern it becomes an oven. The houses are no more substantial than though they were made of packing cases, and even the official building, to which the j>omj)ous name of " The Governor's Palace" is givon, can ouly be compared to a Swiss chalet. Ihe European population is of the worst sweepings of society—political and financial rifTrafF, dead-beats from Monaco, swindlers from the Stock Exchange, runaway 1 ids who have brought disgrace on their families, and l»dies of no character. These persons naturally form a stroug contrast to the ideal patriots who figure iu M. Rochefo't's uovt'l, and he has drawn some typts of character with a master hand—type-* also which are quits new. It is perhaps sajing quite enough for a novel to record that it is a faithful and vivacious portraiture of manue:?, containing passages of true wit and patr.os ; but it is nevertheless not easy to lay down M. Eochefurt'a book without a feelicg of disappointment. For a considerable time be was tbe most popular m&n in France. He waa courted both by the Press and the Government, is'ow, here is this exMini&ter, this brilliant writer and popular tribune, without place, calling, or profession, when somewhat past middle age, and constrained to write for his living.