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

COVENT-GARDEN THE %TM:.

The opera of the Cast leolAndalusia on Saturday night
aflbrded a delightful treat to lovers of vocal excellence.
Mr. Braham resumed the part of I)on Alphonso. Ile
was in fine voice, and in the whole of his songs was
most rapturously applauded. The introduced
airs of Slaw broke the light and Is Mere a heart that
never lava, the latter of which was encored, were
given in a style fraught with inimitable sweetness,
science, and execution,. Mr. Isaacs sustained the
character of Don Ciesar fir the first time. He was
eminently successful, and imparted to the various songs
their full characterestie force and expression, his Wuy
was singularly illustrative of this merit. Miss Stevens
also elicicitcd strains of exquisite melody, her
Bravura air was given with electrical effect. Mr. Du-
rasa was peculiarly happy in Fernando. The Spido
of Liston exhibited a genuine specimen of comic hu.
mour. The house boasted un elegant and crowded au.
thence.

DRURY-LANE THEATKL.—A successor to the Ma.
nagement of this Theatre, in the mom of the hunented
Mr. Raymond, has at length been appointed, and the
public, we think, will be satisfied with the nomination.
Friday the Committee announced to Mr. Henry
Erskine Johntson, that he was selected by them to
fill the office of Stage Manager, and the intel.
ligence was officially promulgated in the Green.
room of the Theatre. Much may be expected front
the exertions of Mr. Johnston, as the caterer of pub-
lic amusement, this gentleman being well known to
combine, in an eminent degree, all the requisites of taste,
long experience, economy, and energy, in bringing forth
and superintending of dramatic productions.
Bombay papers have been received to the end of May;
but they contain nothing iniaidittion to what we have
given in another part of our paper. Private advices,
however, from Madras give some particulars relative to
our dispute with the native chiefs, all calculated to
allay the fears which might have been entertained as
to the result of the contest The immediate causes of
quarrel with the Peishwa arc said to have arisen out of
female intrigue. The story of Trintbuckshee and his
assassinations has probably not yet been forgotten. Since
that Minister made his escape from Tannah, he had em-
ployed the money and tacit authority of the Peishwa
(his master) in secret negotiations with the other Mah.
ratta chiefs, who have lung manifested a spirit of en.
mity against the government of Great Britain. Not..
withstanding the remonstrances of Sir George Elpbin.
stone, the Peishwa's Minister continued his warlike
preparations in concert with these confederates. All was
known to the English Government ; and so. soon as an
adequate force could be piepared, Lord Hastings or.
dered the investment of the Peishw•a's capital. That
Sovereign attempted no resistance, but submitted with.
out firing a shot. The British Minister demanded five
of his strongest fortresses as pledges of his future good
behaviour. Of these, four were instantly surrendered,
namely, Longer, Ituggur, Singur, and Poorunder ; in
which last place of safety the Arthieves of his Govern.
ment, and his most valuable treasures, were deposited.
The intentions of Lord Hastings with regard to the
otherchieftains were not accurately known : but as his
Lordship had collected a powerful army, it was not pre.
sowed that he would let his flirce lie idle, or suffer it
to disperse without exacting from the predatory states
501114 j efficient country for the future peace of India.

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 Nara 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• sis 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 downpelt 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