The National Register. — London, England, 1817-11-03 00:00:00

NOV. 3. REVIEW OF LITERATURE. Narralire of a Voyage in his llajetsa's late Shia Al ' c&e, to the Yellow Sea, along the Coast of the (*urea, and through its numerous hitherioundiscovered blonds, to the Island of Letrehew, with an Account of her Shipwreck in the Straits of Gaspar. BY JO} ni,EOl), 51.110E014 OFTIIE ALCESTE. Though the mission of Lord Amherst to China failed in the great object for which it was undertaken, yet it has not been altogether useless, since it has been the means of adding to our stock of geographical and natl. tical knowledge, and making us acquainted with a people hitherto almost totally unknown to Europeans, and whose generous and friendly disposition affords a most striking contrast with their neighbours, the jea lous and inhospitable Chinese, and Japanese. This sensible and well written Narrative of the Voyage of the Alceste will be read with great pleasure ; and as it forms no unworthy supplement to the work of Mr. Ellis, we shall present our readers with some extracts front that part of it, chiefly, which describes the Islanders of Lewchcw, the people above alluded to, after first no ticing the principal occurrences, in the course of the voyage to that island. On the 11th of August, the Alceste, after landing Lord Amherst in the Peihoo river, stood to the -north eastward, with the Discovery in company, coasting along the western shore of the Gulf of Lea-tong, hi therto unexplored by any European ship ; the most remarkable object which presented itself was the great wall of China, distant from the ships about six or se ven leagues. Risme from the sea, this immense barrier passed over the first or lowest hill, and mounting the second, was seen stretching to the right, in our point of view, obliquely to. wards its summit; then on the third, and still higher laud, it inclined to the left, making an angle with the last range ; and nitonately ascending the highest and most distant mountain, it was there lost. It extends for :thaw t.lOO miles, and is carried equally over mountains and rivers. The opportunity of surveying this extraordinary structure, on which it is 34i,1 one-third of the men capable of labour, in China, were ctn. pioyed, and which was completed in five years, which for more than twenty ages has been decoked one of the greatest wonders of the world, afforded, more especially in this Ml expected way, from the deck of a British man of war, the /110 Si pleasing sensations. Whether it be considered (as it is by seine) a mighty effort of human industry, or (as by others) a monument of Lihorious folly, still it is an amazing object, net only trout its immense extent, but on account ails great antiquity ; and, from being so seldom visible to an European eve, to have beheld it, even at this distance, was a high gra tification of curiosity. On the 13th, they anchored in a bay on the coast of Chinese 'l'.trtarv, where some of the officers landed, and entered the nearest villages. From the great sur prise manifested by the natives it was inferred, they had never lx•thre seen a European : every article of the officers dress was minutely ex: 111 l Med ; and so much were they in love with the onchor-hulas, that they willingly pined with any thing fur them, though they refused dollars. The feet of the women here were universally crippled; but they (lid not scruple to op pear in public. On the 20th they entered the harbour of Zen-a-tau, having, in the preceding day, passed through a cluster of islands, to which, and the chan nels between some of them, they gave European names. This being a Chinese harbour, the people were inhos pitable, and insolent, and the head of the place .vould allow no one to supply any thing to the ships. On the 31st, being now joined by the Lyra, they anchored amongst u cluster of islands off the coast of Corea, to which they gave the name of Sir James Hall's Groups, lying in lat. 37 deg. 45 min. N. and long. 124 deg. 40 min 30 see. E. The natives were averse to their land ing, making " cut-throat motions, by drawing their han:ls across their necks, and pushing the boats away from the beach " On the 3d of September, steering southerly, they passed a number of islands, with which the sea was studded as far as the eye could reach from the mast-head, and the next day anchored in a fine bay formed by the main land to the N. and E. in front of a village. Here a chief visited first the Lyra, and next the frigate. "He Nar a man apparently about seventy years of age of a very venerable anti majestic mien; his hair and beard of a hoary whiteness. His dress wafts light blue robe, with loose sleeves, and faat•'ned round his 'Hahne by a butt-coloured lea thern girdle. He had en his head an immense hat, not less than five os• s is feet round the brim, made olsome substance resembling hose hair varnished over. The cavity to receive the bead toeing tilted tinder the brim. that which rose sbove it as in European bats, was Ito larger than a common tumbler. He wore a kind of-half boots, very much peaked.and turned up at the points, and in his hand he field a short black stick twisted rotund will, a silken cord, which seemed to be the had Lte of his office. Divested of• his broad b' immcd hat, he would not upon the whole have made a bad representative of old " King Lear." Of his attendants some were militiny ,be • ine disiinenihed b?• a short sword or rapier, the officers wearing peacocks' feathers in their hats to dedinction which also exists in China for men of writ); and the rest were lie was ushered into the cabin. where, in prefer " ice t t chain , he sat d own pelt OW of the 641.01;411j0itt1, Pi ;teed ttp.in deck. It appearing to he etiquette for the bead to he covered, the whole party, consisting ot• Captains, Max is 4'11,11.11i. and other oilierr , ,eonformtkl to this rule, and srpiatiing tie tht cabin tlo•tr, with gold laced cocked hats on, amid the strange costume of the Cot - vans, loulvd like a party ofinastiums." The Clihtese interpreter on board the AlccMe not :landing the language of this peorle, every thing _TIM NATIONAL REGISTER. was clone by signs : the chief, however, manifested his satisfaction at the treatment he had received and took his departure. The next mooning he visited the Lyra, with a more numerous retinue, where he brcakfasted,and ' amused himself with examining the ship, his scribes writing down every thing relating to her, as for us they would comprehend the explanation given to them by signs or 'gestures. This harmony, however, was soon disturbed by C:lptain Maxwell and some of the gentle men of the vessels, going on shore: when they put off from the Lyra, where the Captain had breakfasted, the Chief supposing they were going to the frigate fhllowed in Ins boat, but the instant he saw they were repairing to land, 1w became dejected ; and when they went on shore, his agitation was extreme, mid he burst into tears ; in this state he was supported by two of his at tendants to a stone, where he seated himself, and looked at the officers in great dejection. On perceiving his dis tress Captain Maxwell preventedthegentlemen from ad vancing further. It was in vain that our intentions were explained to be friendly ; the old man pointed to the sun, and after describing its course four times, drew his hand across his throat, and dropping his chin upon his breast shut his eyes. as if dead. All this was con jectured to mean, that in four days he should lose his head for having suffered the strangers to land.—Whe titer or not this conjecture was well founded, it is of little importance to know ; it might have proceeded from superstitious opinions : he however followed on board the frigate, on the deck of which he wandered about in extreme dejection : he took a piece of paper ' from one gentleman, on which he wrote, as if requiring an answer, but no person could give him one : this writing was afterwards translated at Canton, and its I purport was :—" I don't know who ye are ; what bu siuess have you here ?" Oa parting, Captain Maxwell gave him a Bible, which he curried on shore. On the sth they quitted this bay (which they named Basil's) and stood to the southward, throne innumerable islands, all high, the largest generally from three to four miles long, the inhabitants crowding together to the highest eminences, while the vessels passed. On the Bth, after discovering another groupe of islands, which they named Amherst isles, they found an excellent harbour, and christened it Murray's sound, and the two islands fixating it, Shamrock mid Thistle ; on their first ap proach, the inhabitants of the latter were a gotsl deal alarmed, but soon recovered from it, on some of the gantlemen going on shore, to all of whom they be haved in a civil manner, though they evidently la boured tinder fear at having intercourse with strangers, and were on all occasions anxious for their departure. Cored, to the sovereign of which these Islands belong, is tributary to the Emperor of China, though the seems to govern with the most absolute sway. The only account possessed by Europeans of the Ca reens is that of the Jesuits, but their charts of its coast was found by Captain Maxwell to be exceedingly erroneous, the main land being from 130 to 150 miles farther to the eastward than given in their charts. The Chinese language is studied and written by a few only, the native language being apparently to tally different. The Alceste and her companion quitted Thistle Island on the 10th, and on the 16th made the island of Lewchew, which had pro bably never before been visited by an European vessel, and anchored opposite a tolerably large town, in the harbour of' which were several vessels of the country. The natives crowded in thousands on the rocks near the shore to see the vessels enter, awl they were pre sently visited by several canoes, in one of which were some officers, who enquired their country, and the cause of the ship's coming there. By help of the Chinese interpreter it was explained to them, that the Alceste had sprung a leak, and that they requested permission to remain in the harbour till she was re paired, This was a ruse, but an innocent one, and had the effect of allaying at once all fears respecting any hostile designs. Carpenters were immediatley sent on board, but these Captain Maxwell civilly declined employing, telling them he had a sufficient number in his ship for all his wants. Our limits will not allow us, this week, to enter into any of the details given by Mr. M‘Leod respecting these interesting people ; we must therefixe reserve them for our next Number, together with some other interesting extracts from this elegant, and intertaiuing little volume. The Emperor Alexander, in a spirit of princely libe rality towards his Polish subjects, has signified his cheer ful consent to the erection of a monument in honour of Prince Joseph Ptmiatowsly, who it muy be remembered, commanded a corps of the army by which the Rus sian capital was destroyed, and who perished after the battles of Lcipsie, fought against Alexander in person. The Ordnance Barrack Board, it is said, will shortly he abolished: Mr. Ward, clerk of the Ordnance, is now on a general survey of barracks, to inspect and report as may be useful. Brandreth, Ludlam and Turner rill certainly be executed on Friday next. Weightman has been respi ted to Friday the 14th. The other 19 prisoners are res pited, but it is supposed they will be all transported for dig'ereut Wan according to the degrees of their MELANCHOLY SHIPWRECK.. Thursday .e'onight the sloop William and Mars , W. Manlee, master, (a regular minket between Bristol and Welerford), was lost, and, dreadful to relate, of the passengers and crew (5d in number), 33 perished. The packet sailed from Mil at eight in the evening, and between eleven and t wet o'cle.ck the same night, struts): on the Wolves' Rock. be. N. W. Aunt one mile and a half from the Flat Holmes, aid was soon found to he in a sinking state. The passengers, who haul retired to rest, were quickly alarmed, and the scene which followed was dre adfiti ill the (-mime. The boat (a very small one) with part of the crew, left tile sloop frill half an ken. betbre she went down, and put oif tile the tVelsh shore. The helm was taken by one of the passengers who had been at sea : for, on her striking, the emifursion was so great it was deserted ; he immediately steered for the shore, hut in a few minutes afterwards the vessel went down, stern-foremost, about a mile from Sully Island, in eight fathoms of water. About twenty persanc then Skating on the water, were etia.rled to grasp the top of the mast, ten feet of which were above they water; five or six, unable to make gourd their held until a boat returned to render them assistance, were completely exhaust ed, and slink to rise no more ; the remainder were taken off after having been in that situation two it airs and it half: but the benevolence of Mr. Richard Hopkins, at whose lionee many of them are now quartered, and the inhabitants of Car dqr, quickly supp:ied their wants, and a handsome subserip. lion is now raising, to enable those who were so unfortunate as to loose their all, (composing by far the greatest part) to prosecute their journeys homewards: they all speak in the warmest terms of the manner in which they are treatedd— There were about sixteen cabin passengers. All the females ou board, 22 in number, and two children, met a stately grave. Eight of the ladies were cabin passengers. A Mr. Barron, his mother, and four sisters, elegant and eccomplish ed, (who had their man-servant and carriage on board) were among the passengers : the cries of the young ladies were most distressing ; they sunk entwined in each others arms.--. The Rev. Mr. Giles, Mr. Sands, and two daughters, are also drowned.—Lientenant 'rhebalier, of the 3eili regiunt nt, was saved, but •his lady perished ; they had only been married three weeks. A Mrs. Taylor and Mr. Quin ate also entered at the Paekte-olfice as steerage passengers.—Another passen ger was Mr. Shorts, brother of a respectable tradesman near the Draw-bridge, in Bristol : he was tire messenger to that city of the melancholy tidings he saved himself by swimming, and had been two hours anti a half in the waif er, when lie was taken into the boat. He witnessed the heart-rending scene which took place oil the sinking of the vessel. Mr. S. states that, before he was taken up by the boat, he saw an unfortu nate individual (whom he supposes to have been Mr. Bat rum) near Min in the water. He endeavoured to cheer him ; he however had only strength left toanswer in a faint voice, " r can go no farther !" and sunk to rise no more. As the vessel went down, a poor soldier took his wife and three children; they clung to each other, in that state floated a moment on the water, and then stink, clasped in each other's arms.—Mr. Joint Outerbridge, the mate, is among the !umber saved ; he was one of the last who left tile vessel, but could not prevail on the Captain to quit her. Captain Manley has left a wife (now pregnant).---The account eef Mrs. Nicholnis being lost, with her three children, is not true. The lady who perished is Mrs. Sandys, Mrs. Nicholais' sister, who embarked front Mrs. N.'s house, in Park-stied, Bristol. Mrs. S. was sister likewise to Mrs. But roughs, of Bristol ; and all three Ladies are sisters of Sir Wm. Burroughs. Two young ladies likewise mkt' ked with Mrs. Sandys, viz. Miss Selina Sandys, about twelve years old, her daughter, and Miss Anne Burroughs, her niece? they were going to Waterford to meet Mrs. San .4:s husband, the Rev. Mr. Sands, who is rector of a &risk about ten miles from that port. The two young ladies Were lost, wills Mrs. S. Ma. R iTNION I).—The remains of this much esteemed and lamented man, were on 6 sunday last interred in the burial ground of St. Pant's Church, Covent-Garden. The pro cerdon attendant upon the hearse consisted of thirty-eight mourning -coaches, containing the pall bearers, Mr. H. Johnston, Mr. Dowton, Ma. J. Johnston, and Mr. RAC, mem bers of the Committee of Drury-lane Theatre, the profes sional strength of both houses, and the relatives, and pri vate friends of the deceased. Fifteen carriages brought up the rear. the line extended from Chester-street, Gills entity. place, from whence the body was taken to nearly half the length of Piccadilly. About one o'clock the whole was in Motion, and proccetied in a slow and solemn manner in the direction of St. James's•street, V.lll Mill, the Strand, South amptou-stieet,and along Henrietta-sti , -et, Covent Garden to the nest side of the p 1 ice of interment. There arrived, the corpse according to the order of the funeral service. was conveyed into church, and eventually fruits thence committed to the earth. The whole was exceedingly well arranged by Mr. H.Johnston, whose method of testifying his sincere rc. spect fur the memory of his departed friend, cannot be too much cOmmended. A more imposing funeral of the kind, excepting that of Garrick, we tory ventine to state, has never been witnessed. The most lively grief was depicted its tits countenance of every mourner. 'Die crowd assembled, wa, immense. Mr. Raymond was about 4$ years of age ; iu private life, he was au intl slide I'u end and a cheerful companion. In his public avocations, he was at once zealous and thsinterusted, merit never solicited at his hands in .aim, his heart was open to every call of humanity, and his pro fessional duties were ever conspicuous for unwearied atten tion and earnestness. In this tribute of our adiMration of his worth, we have the-melancholy cumula tion of knowing that every means of promoting the welfare of the numerous lamily left behind him will oe adopted, and that his talents and his virtues, will render _lns loss long and universally dept.' ed. There is something insufferably ridiculous in the manner in which the French• journalists sum►etimes communicate their modicums of inthr►nation on our af.- fairs as well as history. A late writer, in stating the particulars of the conviction, in vile of the ourts of Assize, of a William 1. adduce, for several acts of swin dling, states him to he a descendant of the hero of Scot land, whose glory hos been cekbrated in a comic opera! That the attention of the Emperor Alexander is directed solely to the acquisition of foreign ter. i while his own immense deserts remain without cm tion or inhabitants, appears from an Ukase, publ on the 6th of last month, in which he bolds on• encouragements to foreigners to introduce agr an d in t lotry thruughvut the extent of his empi, • $49