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

_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