The National Register.
London, England, 1817-04-14 00:00:00

CHIN 1.

We take precedence of all other Journals, says a
weekly paper, in informing our readers, from high
authority, of a truth known to a few in the higher cir-
cles in India, that a British invasion of the Chinese
Empire is not looked at as a distant event, and that its
path is across the mountains of Nepaul ! The jealousy
which the Chinese feel of that achievement—the high
tone which our Ambassador employs—the conduct of
the Alceste, and the daily attendance of Lord Exmouth
at the Admiralty, sufficiently illustrate our statement.—
The Chinese Empire has, during a long series of ages,
enjoyed a peace rarely interrupted by any war. The
spirit of its inhabitants has never been roused : their
energies have never been exerted. All has sunk into
deathlike lassitude and indolent repose. Genius has
been extinguished—morality perverted—humanity de-
graded. That infanticide which has been required to
thin its population, has left behind only villains; war
would have left only heroes. When nations fall so
low, it is a law of Gc4 ald Nature, not less beneficial
' than it is wise, that they should speedily become a prey
to some neighbouring power. Such soon will be the
fate of China. To discern this, but little wisdom is
required. In these soft and seductive regions, where
gold, gems, and luxury, are more admired than steel
and enduring valour—where men are the destined
victims of native despotism or of colonial slavery, no
- Asiatic Prince is likely to arise as their redeemer. The
tide of conquest must, as heretofbre, flow from the
North. The ocean route, however, is now a more
facile one than that of the Scythian desert ; and the
men of England, not the Tartar hordes of Russia, are
destined to regenerate the East.

The Eclipse, recently arrrived from India, has brought
borne an account of an unfortunate AI& which hap-
pened to some of the officers belonging to the ship
Elphinstonc. After that ship had taken her departure
from Madras to proceed to China, she met with a gale
of wind in her passage, which, carrying away her
foremast, she was obliged to put into a port called
Achin. Capt. Heaviside immediately apprised the
Rajah of the surrounding territories of his helpless situa-
tion, and requested his permission to be allowed to cut
(low. as much timber as he should want to repair the
damage he had sustained. The Rajah readily gave his
consent, and most of the officers and crew went on shore
to hasten the work. What occurred afterwards to give
offence to the Indians does not appear ; but it is so far
unthrtimately ascertained, that the natives (Melahs or
Melays), in great numbers, fell suddenly upon our peon
ple, and killed and wounded several befbre they could
reach the ship. Capt. Heaviside was severely wound-
ed, and vas obliged to have an arm amputated. The
second mate and the surgeon, Mr. Macdonald, were
• both killed on the spot. These were the principal par-
ticulars of this unfbrtunate affitir which had reached
the Eclipse before she sailed ; but as the Buckingham-
shire, whose arrival at one of the out-ports we heard of
on Friday, lett India some time subsequent, it is pro-
bable she is the bearer of farther details on the sub-
ject.

Letters of the I,r;th ult. from Valencia mention, that
the King had not consented to the wis!tes of the inhabi-
tants of that city, by the nomilciti in of Castamos. Gen.
Elio, notwithstanding, his want of popularity, was still
in the command.

The Portuguese Government having transferred to
Brazil some seeds of the tea-tree, have succeeded in na-
tonlizing this plant at Ili, daneirl. f is cultivated at
this moment with success by sever.d CLinese, 'who have
gone there for that purpos