The Sun.
London, England, 1821-10-24 00:00:00

MUSIC OF THE EAST.

Among the Turks and Arabs, a man rather
regards the learning of music as a discredit more
than the accomplishMent of a man of rank : the
native austerity also of their manners render
them insensible to the charms of harmony ; and
the contempt in which they hold the art extends
also to those that are musicians by profession,
who are but little esteemed and ill paid. An
art thus despised by the great, neither cherished
nor admired by connoisseurs, cannot be supposed,
when labouring under such disadvantages, to have
made any rapid progress. The music of the
East is of a very different character from that of
Europe it is grave, simple, and without any
complexity of modulation : the Orientals use no
notes when they sing, but sing by air ; and the
Demises, when they chaunt, do not seem to have
the slightest knowledge of musical notes.—At
Bagdat and at Constantinople they have concerts,
which are not ill-formed to please those ears
that are unaccustomed to all the iuiricacies of
the musical art : but it is very disagreeable to
hear all their instruments playing in unison,
unless it happens that one of the musicians takes
a fancy to play in one continued bass, by making
an incessant repetition. Yet if the musictof the
East is not to the European taste, ours is 14 less
disagreeable to them ; they seem in particular to
dislike the violin, and think their own music
much more sublime and excellent. The Turks
say that the music of the Europeans is wild and
disagreeable, and they wonder that any man of
sense or gravity can take pleasure in it.—From
the simple construction of their musical instru-
ments, they are certainly of very ancient origin,
and have been transmitted down from generation
to generation, without any material alteration.—
Several of them are well known in the islands of
the Archipelago. The Greeks have there a bow
instrument, with three catgut strings, upon which
they play with a wooden bow, fitted with horse
hair, to which they give the necessary tension in
playing, by pressing it with the little finger ; it
is called the Lyra. This instrument is always
accompanied with the voice.—Some bow instru-
ments belong peculiarly to the Arabs, such as
the semenge, a sort of bad violin, joined with a
drum. Its body is commonly a cocoa nut-shell,
with a piece of skin extended upon it ; 3 strings
of catgut, and sometimes of horse hair, are fitted
to it ; and it is played upon a bow, not less awk-
ward in its form than the Greek lyra. The
semenge is the instrument of those wandering
musicians who accompany the dancing women.
—The Arabs have another kind of violin named
Maraffa, with a string of horse hair, and a skin
stretched upon the body of the instrument. This
violin suits admirably well with the shrill voices
of the common singers at their coffee-houses.—
Among the wind-instruments used by the Turks,
is the flute called Sulamaric; it is entirely open,
and without any reed, so that to wind it is no
easy matter. This is the favourite instrument of
the Merlavi Dervises, who excel in playing on
the flute. It is made either of reed or of a piece
of fine wood.—The samara is a sort of flute with,
two pipes; the shorter is used for playing airs,
and the longer a continued bass.—ln Asia, the
natives always accompany their dancing with
tambourines : these are of different sorts, either
circular pieces of wood, or earthen pots made
for the purpose, covered with skin, and sounded
with the fingers. The most elegant tambourine
is what they call the Doff, to which the women
dance in the harems. The castanets may also be
reckoned amongst their musical instruments, and
these are carried by the public -dancing girls : a
few orders also of mendicant Mahometan priests
alway carry different kinds of horns and drums,
which they blow or sound before they ask alms.
—The military music of the Turks is now be-
ginning to be known in Europe : that, however,
which is in use through the East affords only an
unpleasant jarring noise, and would be entirely
unworthy of notice did it not serve to mark the
distinctions of rank. A Pacha of three tails is
preceded by a greater variety of musical instru-
ments, playing martial music, than a nobleman of
inferior rank dares to use, so that a person's dig-
nity may be known by the music going before
him. The prindipal martial instruments consist
of a very noisy kind of trumpet, called the Surma;
a Turkish drum of prodigious size called Tabbel;
this they hold horizontally, and strike against it
on both sides; a hautboy of a very acute sound,
and another which has much the same sound as
the European bassoon ; and a favourite martial
music among the Turks consists of two plates of
some sonorous metal, which they strike against
each other to mark the cadence.—This slight ac-
count of the state of Eastern Music serves to
confirm the received ideas concerning the rude-
ness of the Jewish music, and the simplicity of
that of the ancient Greeks.—Among the Chinese,
however, a desire of improvement in music
seems evident, and was particularly exemplified
at the time of Lord Macartney's embassy. The
chief director of the Imperial Orchestra frequent-
ly was a visitor at the evening concerts performed
by the Ambassador's band. He was particularly
attracted by some of the instruments, which, when
offered to him as presents, he declined, but re-
quested permission to take drawings of them.
He accordingly sent for painters, who spread
large sheets of paper on the floor, and having
placed on them the clarionets, flutes, bassoons,
and French horns, they traced with their pencils
the different figures of those instruments, measur-
ing a:I the apertures, and noticing the minutest
particulars : when this operation was completed
they wrote down their remarks, and delivered
them to their employer, who said he intended to
have similar instruments made by Chinese work-
men, and to fit them to a scale of his own. The
European violin had already been adopted in
China, but it was not in common use ; they had
an instrument of their own bearing some resem-
blance to it, but with two strings only. Several
Chinese have now learned to write their music
on ruled paper.

Several German Journals, Brussels and Lisbon
Papers have arrived since our last, from which
we give extracts under our head of Foreign In-
telligence.—At Vienna new passports are given
for Turkey. Foreigners who wish to go thither
are not allowed to pass through the Austrian
States.—A new production of the celebrated
Professor GOEttRF.3 has just been published at
Stutgard, under the title of " Europe and the
Revolution." The work contains some bold
thoughts on Italy and Greece.—A Proclamation
has been issued at Turin, to protect the States of
Piedmont from the contagious fever, by which it
is ordered that no traveller shall, enter that
country from France, unless be is provided with
a certificate of health from the F rench authorities.

JAmAtcA, AUG. 28.—The Kingston passed
close in shore of Carthagena on the 22d inst., in
sight of the Popa. Every thing appeared quiet,
and only a schooner cruising off and on.
His Honour the Lieutenant-Governor has been
pleased to issue a Proclamation, prohibiting the
exportation of flour, bread, biscuit, rice, corn

meal, corn, or peas ; the Proclamation of the
1.3 d July only extending to flour.—For these
last ten days the weather has been very hot and
oppressive, with little wind, nor has there been
any heavy thunder during the season until the
25th inst., when the wind came on moderately
from the N. W., with heavy rain, and during its
continuance several severe claps of thunder suc-
ceeded each other.

MONTREAL, SEPT. 13.—A letter from l'As-
sumption mentions, at about three o'clock in the
afternoon of last Sunday there was experienced
in that' place a hurricane, by which three houses
and 13 barns were dismantled, but no lives lost,
although the families were within them when
the roofs were tore off.

It is highly gratifying that the Revenue of
Ireland has been flourishing with that of Great
Britain. In the Sister Island, indeed, the results
presented by the official statement of the Revenue
are still more satisfactory than those which have
marked the financial year of Great Britain;
since in Ireland there is an increase, not only
upon the October quarter as compared with the
October quarter last year, but upon the whole
of the year ending 10th October, 1821, as com-
pared with that eliding 10th October, 1.820.
The increase on the whole year is 216,3251.—
That on the last quarter is 147,000. The total
Revenue of the year ending October, 1820, was
3,704,935; so that the increase of 216,3251. is
nearly super cent.upon the whole amount of the Re-
venue ! It is impossible not to see in these very fa-
vourable circumstances of the United Kingdom,

corresponding indications of a great increase to the
national prosperity. When coupled with the
accounts from the manufacturing districts, which
chiefly represent a great increase of business,
and of employment for the manufacturing la-
bourers, there cannot be a doubt that some of
the branches of the national industry are reviv-

ing from their late depression. The official re-

turn of the woollen
.manufacture in the West
Riding of .Yorkshire, represents, as we stated
yesterday, that a greater quantity of cloth had
been manufactured in that district, in the

past year, than in any year in the memory
of man. This return is obtained from a class of
officers termed " Cloth-searchers ;" and is from
actual measurement of the manufacture, so that

its accuracy is indisputable. It corroborates the
representations made respecting other manufac-

tures, in which there are not the same means of
obtaining a precise knowledge of their state from
official data. We trust that. the improvement
will be progressive; and that it will rapidly be-
come so extensive as to afford an adequate sti-
mulus to the languishing agriculture of the king-
dom. Though the severe depression in that
most important branch of the industry of the
nation has not yet, perhaps, carried the destruc-
tion of capital so far as to be attended by
a diminution of the cultivation for the en-

suing year, it is obvious that any long-con-

tinned action of the circumstances which had
reduced the price of agricultural produce
1.e10•.v the standard at which, on many soils, it
is requisitefor the remuneration of the growers,
must eventually reduce the gross annual amount
of agricultural produce, and thus throw back
the true source of the national properity to a
point from which it could only be recovered by a
slow progress. We cannot have permanent
prosperity without a flourishing agriculture. We
cannot have a flourishing agriculture, unless our
manufacturing population is advantageously em-
ployed, and enabled to consume and pay
an adequate price for the produce of the
land. We cannot have a permanent employment
for our manufacturers, unless the condition of
the agricultural population, on the other hand, is
such as to afford a brisk and profitable home
market for our manufactures. Th►e prosperity of
these two divisions of the people depends upon
the stimulus which they reciprocally afford to
their respective industry. Either of them may for
a time appear to flourish during the'depression of

the other ; but the appearance is fallacious, the
prosperity fleeting, and the subsequent depres-
sion must be in proportion to the injury inflicted
upon the unprosperous class by the diminution of
its capital. Their dependence is mutual. Their
interests cannot be separated without injury to
both. It is on this account that the extension
and security of our foreign trade are of as much
consequence to the agriculturist as to the manu-
facturer. The extension and security of the
home market are however of the greatest import-
ance to them both. It is to be lamented that the

stimulus to continued prosperity rests in a gnat
degree on so fluctuating and uncertain a contin-
gency as the state of foreign markets. So long
as there is a profitable' and increasing demand
for our manufactures abroad, it is all very well.
There is a continued stimulus tlitis applit d

to our agriculture at home. But so soon al
the foreign demand for our commodities has sen-
sibly declined, our agriculture necessarily begins
to droop. This is the process inevitably entailed
upon the country by the existing relations be-
tween its agriculture and its manufactures. It
would certainly be possible to place the comfort
of both classes, and the extension and security of
the home markel, beyond the influence of fo-
reigners ; and that with great benefit to our
foreign trade also. Under such circumstances,
an increase to our foreign trade would always,
as now, be attended by an increase to our pros-
perity ; but the decline, or even total loss, of our
foreign trade would not be sufficient to reduce
us to a state of adversity. The reciprocal de—
pendence of the great branches of the national
industry being clearly understood, and placed
under proper arrangements, they might be made
permanently to act as an advantageous stimulus
to each other, altogether independent of foreign
influence.

We would advise those factioas spirits who
are always repining at the present state of affairs,
and directing their attacks unremittingly against
the Government of this Country, to-reflect on the
Law proposed in Portugal, and sanctioned by
the Cortes, viz.—to punish as Traitors those who
by discourse and conversation endeavour to dis-
turb the new order of things, and excite discon-
tent among the People. What would bnotne of
our COBEETTS, our HUNTS, our WILSON'S, Our
\VATSONS, WOOLERS, and the whole tribe of
Reformers, if such a law were to be passed in
this Country, and Government were to carry
it into vigorous execution ? They ought to re-
joice that they are happily placed under our free
Constitution,which affords them liberty of speech
and action, unless they infringe those laws which
bind the Sovereign as well as the People, and
guard the lowest individual in the land from op-
pression. If the law alluded to should be esta-
blished in Portugal, we see not bow the Cartes
themselves can be exempted from its operation,
for it mast prevent all freedom of debate; and any
of their Members who may venture to oppose, or
even presume to discuss, the propriety of mea-
sures adopted or proposed by the ruling Party,
may be punished as a Traitor. Similar Ordi-
nances may be expected in Spain, where the Sc.
vereign at present appears to be in the leading
strings of a predominant Faction, which threatens
the total subversion of the Monarchy

REMARKABLE Taw. Iti FRANCE.—On Friday
M. RouAuLT, whose desperate attempt 10
assassinate Major-Gets. t ..aron DUJ EON IPS
already been mentioned, was tried before the
Court of Assize at Paris. The features of this
case were of peculiar and revolting atrocity. The
Baron was allied to his meditated assassin by
marriage ; he found him in obscurity, and ad-
vanced him to rank is the corps which he com-
manded. He was always lavish of his regard,.
and sincere in his affection towards him, and
zealously promoted his interests on every occa-
sion. But Rouault's perfidy and cowardice, at.
length, compelled the Baron to renounce him.—
Engaged in a duel, Rouault watched an oppor-
tunity, seized the sword of his antronist with
the left hand, and ran him through 'with the
right. The proofs of this were upon record. An-
other duel ensued, and again Rouault triumph-
ed through treachery. It was then only that.
the General dismissed him from the service, as- 1;
dishonour to his distinguished regiment; and this
imperative punishment it was which excited • his'
deadly revenge.—On his trial the wretched mur-
derer avowed his intention, and on being askPa'
what he had to say in his defence, demanded'
that he might be condemned to death, and not• to'
hard labour for life. His Counsel, Ai..Chuai%•
d'Estanges, addressed the Court in his behalf.-
The Jury jury declared him Gui/ty, and he was sen-
tenced to death. The Judge announced: tha6
three days were allowed to him to, appeal, /la
left the bar without the slightest symptom of
or fear.—The General was not .able. to'
attend in Court : certificates of the still griev2ll.s-
- of his wounds were read.

Letters were yesterday received from Jamaica,
dated September 3rd., which mention, that by a
sloop arrived from Chaf„Tre, information had beets
obtained confirming the report of the defeat of
General SAN MARTIN at Chorillos, in an act ml
which, it was understood, took place in JaAiot
consequently subsequent to the siguhig e(
Armistice.

Her Royal Highness Princess AVGusTA is not
expected to arrive in Finghlod until the ensuing
spring. It is said, that her Royal Highness in"
tends passing the winter partly with the Prince°
of .flcssE HolstnEaG, and partly with the Qlle°
of WIRTEMBERG, at the Palace of Stutgard.
Their Royal Highnesses the Duke and
chess of CUMBERLAND, and fsrdly, are expected
to arrive in England early in the spring, from the
Continent. Ilis Royal Highness has, in his dil-
-1
TH
itches to Colonel THORN TON, within the 12a
week, requested that their apartments miteltee.e
put in proper order for their reception 11'
bruary next.
Lord livnoN has not returned to England, a 5
reported. The last letter from him was date
at Ravenna, but he was about to proceed t:
Pisa. A new Tragedy, it seems, may soon be
expected from his Lerchhip's prolific Muse.
The harvest k now over in all quarters of the
island ; some districs have suffered much'
rbut
r
the produce, t:lien altogether, will pfove a ti"
average crop.