New-York daily tribune., 1859-01-14

oi,ser 900: Commissioner of Police, 200; and
the snperintendent Of Convicts has SEQ per month.
There are about 6, 600 convicts here. The Super
intendent is military man, with some half dozen
whites under him.
The artillery regiment consists of 80 Europeans,
so natives, with 500 native Madras troops. They
raise troops here TO 90 CeyOn but do not employ
them at home The conyicts are building very hand
some church ard a new Court House. They build
all the roads and keep them in repair. There is
large cliff of iron-sone in the vicinity which they
break up and cover the roads with. l suppose II Is
better than sand or clay, which seems TO form the
soil after very slight depth, but you can't walk
out without spelling your clothes with the iron.
These 6, 600 convicts are kept in order and made
to work by these half dozen white men and 80
poems, taken from the conyIcts themselves, who
have been sentenced for life and are promoted for
good behavior. Every gang of forty or fifty has
ten or a dozen natives, each carrying whip which
he uses on the lsggards. They are inferior to the
peons / don't know what they call them, but
there must be a great number-one-ffth OF the
whole number of cQnvicts. They do not work
much, but overlook the rest. The more l know
about it, tie more strange it seems to live IN such
security as We seem 10 here, with 30 little profec.
ton. The only danger that / have heard OF IS that
it is not safe to be three or four miles distant from
here after dark, as a tiger might spring upon your
bOrse. They say upon an average) that one Chl.
naman per day is eaten up by them. The strait
between here and Maacca is 50 narrow that the
tigers are said to swim across.
The Chinese are divided into many sects and
many are members Of secret societies, who are at
deadly enmity with one another They tell me
that in this lies the security of the whites, as they
would not mix with the Malays in any plan for get
ting rid of the Government. rs they seem to know
enough to feel that under the English rule they all
have better chance TO get rich and ENJOY tnelr
own. All, think, feel that, and, indeed, think
that It's so plain that no one can be so stupid as
not TO see the great advantage of 1t.
The Government derives revenue from the
sale of opium and spirits, which it farms out
to Chinaman, who pays in advance S7,OO0 Tor
the former and $500 for the latter, with the
privilege Of licensing the shops. None but those
that have a license can sell it. 1t likewise derives
revenue from the sale of land and qut-rents, and
the Court fees, the post-offce, etc.
Seventeen American ships, averaging 900 tuns
each, are here, doing nothing; some have been
here long time: / think nearly or quite three
months. Being a free port, and cheap place, they
are waiting here to hear of some place where
money enough may be made TO pay expenses. AT
least one vessel has returned to New-York in bal
last Produce from all the adjoining regions is
brought here that it is cheaper than on the spot
where II grows Just now.
saw Hindoo woman yesterday who spoke
very good English. She was nurse to lady that
/ called upon; thought it good chance to get at
her ideas of Brsmah; but found she had been at
an English school at Madrss, and had become a
Christian. She had fine figure, and very ex-
pressiye physognomy, but | could learn nothing
from her except that she thought it very good
thing that women were no longer obliged or al
lowed TO burn themselves on the funeral pile OF
their husbands. She insisted upon it that it bad
been considered a duty both for the poor man as
x.,ala fba oh m IN hay
have them all burned with him.
must finish for the present, as 90 aboard to
sail for Hong Kong in few hours. l may write
Won again. ANN ALGOE.