The British Press; or, Morning Literary Advertiser.
London, England, 1824-10-20 00:00:00

INDIA

[From the Singapore Chrostick of April no]
BURMAN MISSION TO
The last mission from the Court of Ave to that of Cuchin.Elena
cotisisted of Mr. G. Gibson, as chief, and two Burman', as second
and third members. Their train, including interpreters. seen.
per:leity for the eir.basav ott
of the Governor of
tanks, and tuovants, amounted to seventy persons. Mr. Gibs°,
(as Imports) is the son of an English gentleman, ail
WON in tact, born at Madras. lie appears a person of much shrewd.
nes% nod curious observation.
The tiii.sion quitted Iva in January, 1i123, in an Europeaa
built vessel. They reached Penang in the end of February, where
tile ahle see burnt by the accidental circumstance of a Siamese
junk om fire ninniog foul of her.
r.reTha passage The lib
them board
aat CapePortu St. James,
ship
m,viiithuceh, on
lot
olfie .rlunvozage to ['hint, Landed
Tai-kun, the Governor of bower Cheliiii.China and Kanibojis, s
man of well-known talent and liberal conduct, received the luissicei
handsomely, but the present Government of Coehin-Chins, from
the very firmt,vieweil the intentions of the ambitious Government
'of Avis with much distrust. They declared that they could see rs
benefit which could result from an intimate connexion between t,„
people so remote from each other; and they had evidently apple:
! !tensions of alarming the Chineae and Siamese. their iromeaute
neighbours, both of whom are known to cowllain the weaker
antipathy against the Ilunnans, whose restless ambition they hi,e
so frequently experieueed.
After bring iletnined nine months at Saigon, an unfavourable
communication was finally received from the capital. This Bin.
man mission would not he permitted to conic at all to the (4est.
The presents which they brought, with the exception of a single
ruby ring, would not he received ; and a war-vessel was directof
to be immediately prepared, to carry them back to their 0.3
country, with a deputation of 3landarinm, and an escort of 14
!soldiers, to give them safe and honourable convoy. They weird.
ingly quitted Saigun about the middle of March.
C'pon this occasion a stronger reluctance has been evineed to en.
ter into any close political connexion with the Court of Asa. than
has been shown even in regard to any European nation. It ap.
rent to be the ambition of the present king of toehin•China to
imitate both the manners and the policy of the Chinese Court ; he
professes, therefore, an open aversion to strangers—the Chris/rem
religion is no longer openly pnifessed—he has refused to admit ca.
tholic Bishops into his presence, according to the usage of the lite
King, and the French gentlemen who have been so long residing
in the kingdom arc, it is said, preparing to leave it without d.. 117.
Much state and pomp are observed, not only at the Court of the
King, but also at the Courts of the Governors of Tocequis and
Kambojia.
A person attached to the Burman mission, gives us authentic ac.
counts of a singular and unexliected discovery made by 31.
in Cochin. China. This gentleman. travelling lately between the
Southern and Northern provinces of that Kingdom, found a people
professing the Brahminical worship. They are the race called
the aboriginal inhabitants of the reentry, extending from 'ape St.
James, to between the 1301 and 11th degrees of North latitse.
This race of men is at present confined w the hilly parts of the
country, the coast being occupied by the Cochin Chmese or Ares
nation as conquerors. Ilindou temples and image' are not urfo.
quern throughout the territory in question, and M. Diard is stated
to have obtained both specimens and drawings.
This must be looked upon as a very singtilar, and not easily te.
counted for, event in the history of the Ilindoo religion, for the pro.
pie who now profess it arc everywhere hemmed an by followen of
Booth' and Confucius. AVill it be adduced as an argument in fa.
your of the superior anidquity of the Beal 111 l inical over the Budd.
hits form of worship ?
I'ENANG.AND SINGAPORE.
We have been not a little surprised and amused at entail, pars.
graphs in some of the English periodical publications, which here
just conic tohand, representing the existence of a most bitter riva:ry
between the Settlements of Penang and Singapore. For our owl
parts, we confess we know of no such rivalry. The merchants of
Singapore. if we are rightly infortted, ore so well tor.ployed is
their own affairs, that they have scarcely time to think of those of
other people ; and we have the best grounds fur believing, that tine
present Government of Prince %Vales Island has on every amain
expressed the mart liberal sentiments towards singapore.
Any feelings of jealousy indeed, between these two settlements,
would be equally unreasonable and absurd. They are niutually
beneficial to each other. and above all, the mass of British trade,
which is carried on, owing to the existence of bosh of them. is ic.
comparably greater than it would be by the existence of one of
them only.