cotton, is a ready and available excuse for the lowering of others two or three mace per picul, or more. In addition to low prices, is the great risk in a sale to any Hong merchant who will buy; the wealthy ones keeping out of the market, or getting imports at a lower rate from the buyers than they would get them at from the foreigners. Sales to "outside men," which all but Hong merchants are called, are not recognised by the government, so that, save for cash, there is no security; and to get cash, a great reduction in price must be made by the foreign holder, equivalent to the wants of the Chinese purcha. ser, on account, or at a credit, may induce him to sacrifice. Goods once placed in one of the hongs, it is considered, are to be sold to that hong; so that the bulk of the foreign imports is at the mercy of the Hong merchants. and they, in general, it is found, know but little more of the trade of the country than foreigners do ; while their utter poverty prevents speculation, and often forces on the market more of an article than it will bear; and by this the native dealers, or monied men, alone profit. The greater part of the imports arrive before the exports; so that, in fact, the merchant or agent is obliged to take what the Hong merchant will give him, and at his own price; so that he is in his power in both ways. The recent affair of the Hingtae hong, and the evident intention of government not to pay the claims, notwithstanding all the fair-reading edicts on the subject, will tend to make things worse. It is plain that, in future, so long as a Hong merchant pays up his government duties, bribes, squeezes, &c., he may do as he pleases, as to foreigners; for here is the first failure since the E. I. Co.'s time, to so immense an amount, now passed over with a few civil words; and who can doubt that this is now a precedent for ever? The Chinese never abandon an advantage once gained."

Expulsion of Foreigners.- An edict from the Hoppo, dated 25th October, announ ces the receipt of a despatch from the governor and deputy governor, covering orders from the Military Council, and an imperial edict. The latter states, that "a certain person has reported that the province of Canton is daily falling into decay from vicious practices, and had enumerated six causes. Amongst these causes is the following: "With reference to the management of the custom-duties, it is still more requisite and proper to narrowly look into it. The perverse and traitorous foreigners, Jardine and others, who reside in the provincial city, should be expelled, as well as their store-ships, now lying at Lintin," and the viceroy is directed to examine. He states, that he has given orders to the naval commander-in-chief to in

stantly drive away the store-ships from the anchorages off Lintin and Lantao, back to their country; adding: “It is proper now to transmit the orders to Wan (the hoppo), hoping that he will issue an edict directing the Hong merchants to forcibly send forth the perverse and traitorous resideut foreigners, Jardine, &c.—Further, that he will strictly examine all his servants, whether they have or not been in the babit of selling official permits to traitorous natives, and thus have fallen into the vicious practice of doing their duty by substitutes; and whether the services of the two supervisors at the Canton and Macao customhouses cannot be dispensed with; and re. port clearly on the facts."

"The orders, and a copy of the original report having come before me, the hoppo, it is right that I make them known by an edict, which when the Hong merchants receive, let them respectfully obey, and ascertain if each of the perverse and trai torous foreigners, Jardine, Dent, Teaype? Malechin (Matheson or Morrison?) are dwelling in the provincial city, and to instantly expel them: allow not of a mo ment's delay; let the day of their departure for Macao be immediately reported, that I may report back according to the facts."

An edict from the governor and lieut.governor, dated 20th November, with reference to the despatch from the Council of State (last vol. p. 239), states that two months had elapsed and the receivingships had not departed, and that the superintendent Elliot had represented that the commands of the Chinese authorities could not be brought to the notice of his king; whereupon the governor has directed the civil and military authorities to enjoin the superintendent to send the receiving-ships away with speed, although they still remained-which was an act of gross contuinacy and contempt; that they had now received a further imperial edict to this effect:-" The anchorage of foreign ships in the inner seas, and their combining with natives to introduce what is contraband, are the most aggravated evils now existing in the province of Kwangtung. The governor and his colleagues must faithfully and strictly make examination, and clearly ascertain whether, since they have issued these orders, the said foreign superintendent has paid obedience to them, and whether the receiving-ships have taken their departure: they must require the ships, one and all, to return to their country, and must not suffer them to linger for a moment. If they dare to suffer gradual encroachment, and to let the matter rest, at a future day, when I, the emperor, on inquiry hear of it, or am by any one informed thereof, the said governor and his colleagues alone

will I hold responsible. In regard to the various classes of smuggling vessels, it is still more important that measures should be adopted with strictness to make seizure of them, with the hope that they may be utterly destroyed and rooted up.

The governor and lieutenant-governor accordingly issue orders to the Hong merchants, directing them "immediately to enjoin them upon the superintendent, Elliot, that he likewise may obey the same. He must, within the space of one month, pay respectful obedience to the declared imperial pleasure, by sending off the various receiving-ships anchored in the outer seas, requiring them, one and all, to return to their country; and he must report their departure, for our official investigation, that we may report the same to the throne. If they dare again, in any measure, to linger, then, the kindness and tenderness of the celestial empire having been carried to the utmost, and there being no room left for additional favour, it will remain only to display the celestial terrors, and to make apparent the glory of the established laws. We shall have to report plainly to the great emperor, that the merchant ships may be denied permission to open their holds; and that, grasping the laws, we may pursue them with the receiving-ships. further, seeing that the said superintendent, in the discharge of his official duties, sits hand-bound, idly looking on at the unrestrained and illegal practices of depraved foreigners, even kicking against our commands and resisting the imperial pleasure, we shall find it difficult to believe that he is not guilty of the offence of sheltering and giving license to these illegalities. We will assuredly proceed to expel him, and drive him back to his coun try."

And

Chamber of Commerce. - The First Annual Report of the General Committee of the Canton Chamber of Commerce was submitted to, and approved by, a public meeting of the chamber, on the 4th November. It touches upon various topics of local interest; but does not enter into the question of our relations with the Chinese. The Canton Register complains that the Committee have not noticed, in their Report, the system of the Company's agency in Canton, and the working and effects of that system. This neglect is made more a subject of regret, and indeed of wonder, by the silence of the Committee, as it was, we believe, generally understood, that this most important question of all concerning the free trade, was under the peculiar and serious attention of the Committee."

At a General Meeting of the Chamber on the 22d November, the following reso

lution, passed at the meeting of the Committee, was approved: "That an early communication be made from this Chamber to the East-India and China Association of London, with reference to a letter dated 27th Feb. 1837, addressed by that body to Lord Palmerston, soliciting the continuance of their best exertions with the British authorities, to have the Hon. Company's Finance Agency at Canton discontinued, as prejudicial in its effect and operation to the commercial interests of Canton;" which was carried, and unanimously agreed to. It was also moved, with reference to a similar letter of the Association, dated 29th June 1836, “that the Committee at the next meeting shall take into consideration the effect likely to be produced on our commercial relations with China from the performance of ko-tow, or Chinese court ceremony, by foreign ambassadors at Pekin."

Australasia.

NEW SOUTH WALES.

Sydney papers to the 9th November contain no local intelligence worth ab stracting. The election of a chairman of quarter-sessions for the ensuing year, was the prevailing topic of interest at Sydney. The competitors are Mr. McAlister and Mr. W. M. Manning. The election, which seems to have been carried on with much the 8th party feeling, terminated on November, but the result was not announced.

VAN DIEMEN'S LAND.

MISCLLANEOUS.

Fisheries.-The number of whales caught already this season on our coasts (and by this time it may fairly be anticipated many have been added to the number) is 266. The average allowed this season has been only six tuns of oil from each whale, much waste having occurred, as the blubber in many instances could not be fried out im. mediately, from the great want of casks. By the above statement of the number of fish caught, the oil already obtained this season amounts to 1600 tuns. The last quoted price of common oil in Great Britain was £45 per tun, and for sperm, £70; but allowing for freight and the expense of casks, we will reduce the price in favor of speculators to £30, which will leave a sum of £48,000. We have yet to receive the produce of September, the best month in the year for whaling, and the season lasts some time longer; we may therefore fairly anticipate a clear profit of £100,000 to the colony. The bone from three whales is calculated equal to one ton weight, which, at £150 per ton, gives for

the whales already caught this season £19,350.-H. T. Cour. Sept. 1.

The Convicts.--Within the last month, several ticket-of-leave men have voluntarily resigned their tickets, and thrown themselves upon the government for employment and support.-Ibid. Sept. 22.

Instances of restlessness of disposition have been observable amongst the prisoner population of late, some of which have come under our own immediate observation: which appear to have arisen from some vague notion, that a change is about to take place in their condition, and in the regulations applying to them.-Ibid. Oct. 13.

The Climate. The climate of this island, although salubrious, has not always been favourable to vegetation. The summer frosts, which prevail to a considerable extent in the interior, frequently destroy the hopes of the husbandman, and the prospect of a yielding crop, in one short night. Hence it has generally happened, that according to the season, we have either a superabundance of grain, or too little. This fluctuation proves injurious to the agriculturist, but more especially to the farmer of limited means and a few acres, who improvidently living from hand to mouth, as it were, generally depends alone upon his crop-and that crop wheat only. As to the high price of meat, we solely attribute the cause to the very unwise system of immigration, which has inundated the colony with a host of useless eating and drinking animals, who have brought with them neither industry nor capital; and thus the increase of stock not being able to keep pace with the increase of our population, meat must maintain its high price until relief can be afforded from Port Phillip.—Ibid. Sept. 1.

Mauritius.

The ascension of the Peter-Both mountain was accomplished on the 20th of October, by Mr. Balls, chief officer of the Hooghly, Capt. J. A. Crommelin, of the Bengal Engineers; and Mr. Bruce, steward of the Hooghly. Their preparations were extremely simple, consisting of a hand lead and line, and a coil of stout coir rope, together with provisions for two days, all carried by five blacks. Having remained (not slept) in a ruinous hut at the foot of the mountain on the Saturday night, they commenced the ascent at 6 A.M. on Sunday, gained the shoulder at eight, breakfasted and coolly considered till ten; then commenced operations against the (so-called) perpendicular rock, gained the neck at twelve, and finally crowned the summit at one P.M., Mr. Balls leading. Here they planted the British flag, and drank champagne bumpers to the health, happiness and long life of our

young Queen Victoria, their hurras being answered from the plains below by loud vivas, and the waving of handkerchiefs.

On the rump of the shoulder they picked up a water barrel, probably the identical one mentioned by Lieut. Taylor as having been lashed to the top of the ladder on the summit as a land-mark. On the steep ridge they found a tri-pronged iron grapnel; on the neck an iron hasp, and on the summit, only the lowest round of the twelve feet ladder, and the two iron spikes adhering to two pieces of decayed wood.

They speak highly of the cool intrepidity of a black named Charley, who fearlessly climed the redoubtable twenty-feet nearly perpendicular rock, and thus gained the key of the position.-It appears that they made no use of ladders of any kind, trusting only to their own activity and strength of arm, in climbing up the ropes hand over hand. The descent was performed without difficulty, and they arrived safe on the plain about 4 PM; whence, after taking refreshment, they started over the Pouce, and arrived rather tired at Masse's Hotel at 9 P.M., having thus twice scaled the shoulder of the Pouce, and once the PeterBoth, in their short expedition. The flag still waves on the summit.-Cernéen,

which were carried into effect in the spirit of the treaty of 17th Sept. 1835, been followed up, and received the full sanction and support of the Home Government, the most happy results might have been justly anticipated, both as regards the prosperity of the colony, and the advancement of the Caffer people.

"That this meeting do not hesitate to declare, that his Exc. Sir Benjamin D'Urban has not been treated with that justice to which his active exertions for the best interests of the colony, and for the civilization of the Caffer tribes, so eminently entitle him.

"That an address framed on the above resolutions be prepared by a committee."

A subscription list for the purpose of presenting a piece of plate to Sir Benjamin D'Urban, is in the progress of sig

nature.

The country has responded loyally, cheerfully, and zealously, to the call of Cape Town.-The committee for managing the subscription for the purchase of a service of plate to be presented to Sir Benjamin D'Urban, has received, from all parts of the interior, the most enthusiastic answers to the invitation to join their fellow-citizens in this grateful measure. It is scarcely to be imagined with what anxiety each communication expresses itself for the success of this patriotic undertaking: one specimen shall serve for all. A correspondent from the Albany District writes thus:-" It would be highly gratifying to Sir Benjamin could he but know the expressions of regard that flowed from the lips of all, while they

tendered their contributions; one sentiment pervades all classes, from the most wealthy to the humble cottager; and in more than one case has the small coin been put into the hands of the infant, and that hand been directed to form the name that recorded the gift of love towards him. I assure you it has been a most pleasing task, and I hope the tribute will in some degree soften the stroke that Sir B. must feel has been so unjustly inflicted on him."-Such are the unanimous and just feelings of the whole of South Africa. -Zuid-Afrikaan, Feb. 2.

46

The Frontier.-We hear nothing from the frontier, but that all is well. It does not follow from this, however, that no cattle have been missed," or that no cattle have been "stolen." According to a proper article in the "Treaties," before the Caffers are called upon by Government to make satisfaction for lost cattle, it must be shown that they were properly attended, and that Caffers have taken them. That cattle stray, or that Caffers steal on the frontier, as beasts, when left to the freedom of their own will, stray, and blackguards steal in other parts of the world, it would be, to use a common phrase, "absurd to deny." We quote good authority, however, when we state, that the returns for Caffer depredations for last week are blank.-S. A. Com. Adv., Jan. 20.

The accounts from the immediate frontier state, that seven or eight Hottentots of the Cape Mounted Rifles have deserted, and taken with them arms and ammunition.-Zuid-Afrikaan, Feb. 2.

A few items of later date than are given in the preceding pages have reached us.

Moolvee Gholam Yehiah Khan, formerly the king's vakeel with the resident, has been appointed minister at Lucknow, in the room of the late Hukeem Mehudee. No change for the better has occurred in the king's health.

Accounts from Madras state that the cholera had broken out in the neighbourhood of Dindigul, and that the lady of Lieut.-col. Dyce had fallen a victim.

Accounts from Khondistan state, that Capt. Campbell had rescued no less than eighteen children, destined victims for this season's sacrifice.

Accounts from Bombay to 1st March have been received.

Adeen has been surrendered by the sultan of that place to the British, for the

purpose of a coal depot, on an annual compensation, to be paid him by the Company. Its sultan has transferred it to us, with all its harbours; it is one of the best ports in the Red Sea, and will afford us access to the best coffee districts of Arabia, and the products of Abyssinia.

The cities of Surat and Broach are both infested with cholera, and much mortality is reported to prevail.

Another fire had broke out in the unfortunate town of Surat, and destroyed about 100 houses. One or two lives were lost, and a great number of cattle are stated to have fallen a sacrifice.

Accounts from Circassia, direct from the coast, and through Constantinople, state that the natives had gained a splendid victory over the Russians, the latter end of February.

Calcutta.

GOVERNMENT ORDERS, &c.

REGIMENTAL RISE OF CADETS.

Fort William, Dec. 29, 1837.- The Hon. the President in Council is pleased to direct, that the following extract (paras. 2 to 6) of a military letter from the Hon. the Court of Directors, dated 9th Aug. 1837, be published in General Orders:

Para. 2. It is our wish and desire that regimental rise should in every case be brought into full operation at the earliest practicable period after the arrival of the cadet at the presidency for which he is appointed.

3. With this view, the lists of rank of cadets are forwarded by the first opportu nity after they can be finally arranged; and upon an average, no cadet has been more than two or three months in India before you are apprised of the order in which he stands for succession to a regimental vacancy. If there be then a vacancy and he stands first of the unposted cadets, he should be immediately appointed to fill it, so that his participation in the chances of regimental rise may at once commence.

4. The supply of cadets being duly apportioned to the wants of the service, it will seldom happen, if the above rule be carefully acted upon, that any one regiment has more than one vacancy at a time, and consequently that, under ordinary cir tumstances, no necessity will arise for the transfer of cornets or ensigns from one regiment to another.

5. Should cases arise hereafter in which there are two or more vacancies in any one regiment, whilst other regiments of the same army are complete, we concur in opinion with the Commander-in-chief, that the senior cornet or ensign who would gain one step by removal, should if he desire it be granted that advantage.

6. No cornet or ensign is removable for purposes of promotion except at his own request; and as there are difficulties in the way of ascertaining the wishes of individuals in this respect at the time when contingency arises, we desire that it be established as a regulation, that every cornet or ensign who may wish to be removed to any corps by removal to which he would gain one or more steps, shall notify his wish to that effect to the adjutant general of the army, within one month from the date of his being first posted; should he afterwards desire to alter this determination, he may notify the same to the adjutant-general. The Commander-in-chief will thus at all times be in possession of the necessary information to enable him

FOURTH MEMBER OF THE COUNCIL.

General Department Jan. 22, 1838.The Hon. T. B. Macaulay, Esq., fourth ordinary member of the council of India, having taken his passage to England in the ship Lord Hungerford, resigned his seat in the said Council on the 17th instant.

The President of the Council of India in council, with the concurrence of the Governor-general, has this day appointed Charles Hay Cameron, Esq. to be fourth ordinary member of the Council of India, and the said Charles Hay Cameron Esq. has accordingly taken the oaths and his seat in the said Council, under the usual salute from the ramparts of Fort William.

JUNGLE MEHALS-DEMANDS FOR COOLIES

AND HACKERIES.

Head-Quarters, Simla, Jan. 20, 1838. -It has been represented by the civil officers of the Government, that distress and inconvenience have been occasioned in the country denominated the Jungle Mehals (in the vicinity of part of the new road from Burdwan towards Benares), by demands having been made by troops marching through it for coolies and hackeries.

His Excellency the Commander-inchief therefore directs, in future, officers in command of regiments or detachments will take care to supply themselves with the requisite means of transport at Burdwan and Sheerghatty respectively, so that no demands may be made on the villages in the newly settled country referred to.

MOVEMENTS OF CORPS.

Head Quarters, Simla, Jan. 25,1838.With the sanction of Government, H. M. 3d Lt. Drags., now in march, will proceed towards Cawnpore, where it is to be stationed.

Jun. 29.-The 56th Nat. Inf, will march from Bancoorah, agreeably to a route with which it will be furnished, towards Ber. hampore, instead of to Barrackpore, as directed in the G. O. of the 31st ultimo,

On the arrival of the 56th Regt, at Berhampore, the 64th Nat. Inf. will march towards Barrackpore, where it is to be stationed.

NOMINATION OF STAFF OFFICERS TO DETACHMENTS.

Head-Quarters, Simla, Jan. 30, 1838.— His Exc. the Commander-in-chief is