Home Miscellaneous Intelligence Retirements, &c. from the Company's Service in England ASIATIC JOURNAL SEPTEMBER-DECEMBER. REVIEW OF EASTERN NEWS. No. XXXIII. THE most important article of Eastern news which has reached us during the past month, is the retreat of the Russian force composing the expedition against Khiva. Whilst the Indian newspapers are filled with announcements, some of them alleged to be authentic, that the Russians had experienced uninterrupted success; that ten battalions of their army had reached Khiva, and were about to advance upon Bokhara; we know, by direct information from St. Petersburgh, that, as we expected, the expedition has totally failed; that the difficulties of the march had been insurmountable, and that the troops, after suffering many disasters, has been forced to return. The commander, General Perowsky, who proceeded to St. Petersburgh, to explain the causes of his failure, has been entrusted with the superintendence of a fresh expedition, which, with increased means, is to pursue a different route. The Khan of Khiva, it would appear, with the view of affording Russia no ground for hostility, has employed our envoy, Capt. Abbott, on a mission to the Russian court, to negociate a peace on a satisfactory basis, stipulating to abandon slavemaking incursions, and to liberate all its subjects in his dominions. The result of this mission will test the sincerity of the Emperor's intentions. From China, there is no intelligence of any importance since the last month. The expedition from Calcutta has safely arrived in the Straits, and ere this, our relations with China have been brought to some kind of adjustment. The justice of our quarrel with this state has been discussed pretty fully in the newspapers of India; and although those journals (with one or two exceptions) are not remarkable for profundity of thought or the sagacity of their political opinions, they probably express the sentiments of the European communities at the different presidencies. The conclusion of the best-informed of these papers (the Friend of India) is, that the British Government is entitled to demand reparation for the insult offered to the person of her Majesty's representative, and security for the lives and property of British subjects trading in China; but that, in requiring indemnity for the twenty thousand chests of contraband opium confiscated by the Chinese government, we cast a stain upon our national honour, which Asiat. Journ.N.S. VOL. 33. No. 129. B will not soon be obliterated. We are sorry," adds the writer, "to see the British flag waving in the cause of the smuggler and the demoralizer of society; we do not ask what effect this must produce on the Chinese, but we ask whether it will not tend to lower our character throughout Europe ?" Meanwhile, the smuggling of opium is still persevered in by the subjects of the British crown, to secure whose lives and property is one of the objects of the expedition. The Water Witch, Calcutta clipper, whose seizure on the coast of China was reported in our last Journal, it seems, had an action with the Mandarin boats, but beat them off or escaped. We learn from a Bengal paper, that she was at the time engaged in "assisting a large fleet of opium-smugglers on that coast to force the drug into the empire"-on the very eve of our hostilities with that empire, merely because the Chinese authorities employed an unjustifiable mode (for that is the utmost that can be imputed to them) of enforcing their laws against the introduction of that pernicious drug by British subjects, which "her Majesty's representative" wanted the power or the will to prevent. The native states in the East, within the wide circle of our political relations, remain in the same condition as at our last review. There has been some disturbance in the territories of Shah Shooja by an insurrection of the Ghilzies (p. 7), a wild, restless, mountain tribe, between Candahar and Cabul, who claim a kind of independence, which is threatened by the establishment of a regular government in the Affghan state. A severe action took place between these rebels (as they are termed) and the Shah's troops, and the former were defeated, with very small loss on the side of the latter. Many of these partial outbreaks must be expected before such a country as Affghanistan, the population of which, separated into distinct tribes, whose heterogeneous polity contains the elements of discord and disorganization, can taste the blessings of permanent peace and tranquillity. Much difference of opinion still prevails respecting the prospect which the Shah has of retaining his authority in such a country. The personal virtues of Shooja-ool-Moolk are, perhaps, disqualifications for rule over subjects of so turbulent and restless a character, and there can be no doubt that he must trust, for some time to come, to the support of the power which has placed him on the throne in keeping him there. The fortunes of the late ruler of Cabul appear reduced to the lowest pitch. The female branches of his family have actually claimed the protection of a British functionary, and have been sent to Cabul, whilst Dost Mahomed himself is still a prisoner at Bokhara, if he has not been put to death by the Khan. A lamentable disaster has befallen a detachment of the Bombay army, under Lieut. Clarke (p. 22), who appears to have been attacked by an overwhelming force of Beloochees. After a gallant resistance against such fearful odds as thirty to one, the commander of this little band was killed, and his detachment slaughtered or dispersed. One account of this affair imputes a want of due caution to Lieut. Clarke, founded upon the loose statements of some of the runaways; but a report, apparently more authentic, ffords no sanction to this charge, and attributes the calamity solely to the immense superiority of an unexpected enemy, fighting desperately because actuated by a personal hatred of the gallant officer, in consequence of his zeal and activity against the Beloochees. This affair will tend to dispirit the sepoys in their conflict with these tribes, whom it will proportionably inspire with confidence; but we conclude that no time will be lost in inflicting a severe chastisement, that will allay both these feelings. The Nepaulese are said to be making encroachments upon our territories; but it is probable that this is the unauthorized act of some local authority. Two of the states of Rajpootana, Jeypore and Joudpore, continue in the disorganized condition and threatening attitude which have for some time past placed them under the surveillance of a British force. is still tranquil. Burmah But although the aspect of affairs in the native independent states is so peaceful, there is a confident belief in the best-informed circles abroad, that measures of hostility will be commenced, as soon as the season allows, against Burmah or Nepaul, or, as some suspect, the Sikhs. Another formidable attack has been made upon Aden by the Arabs (p. 23), who seem intent upon expelling our garrison, and the localities offer to them means of surprising it which no regular army could employ. The safety of the place depends, in fact, not upon its fortifications, which are already sufficiently strong, but upon the alertness and fidelity of the sen tinels. Amongst the domestic incidents at the presidencies, we have usually noticed the progress of steam-communication projects; but they may now be said to be extinct there, and the communication will be effected (if at all) by parties at home. Never was there a series of more egregious mismanagement exhibited to the ridicule of the world, than in the proceedings of the Calcutta community in this matter. Meanwhile, on the side of Bombay (p. 21), expedients are suggested to lessen the delay of intercommunication by sea and land. There has been a declaration of hostilities between the two Calcutta banks, by the Union refusing to re-issue Bank of Bengal notes. The Government of India meditate a grand scheme (p. 11), of cutting a canal from the Ganges, near Huridwar, lengthways through the Dooab, to the south of Coel and Mynpoorie. Water is so indispensable not only to the agriculture of India, but to the comfort of its inhabitants, that such plans as this ought to claim priority of attention over even roads and bridges. The Committee of Public Instruction contemplate (with some further aid from Government) great improvements in the colleges and schools throughout the Bengal provinces. The Vedantists (p. 11) are about to send forth missionaries to teach the people the pure Hindu creed, as expounded by Ram Mohun Roy: there could not be a better preparative for a transition to Christianity. A native life-insurance company at Calcutta (p. 10) is a singular instance of the adoption of European notions. The individual who claims the title of Pertab Chund is beginning to renew his vagaries (p. 5), whilst his rival, the young Burdwan rajah, is winning golden opinions (p. 10) by his liberality. At Madras, the establishment of an enlarged bank, the shares of which have been subscribed for with avidity, is an evidence that this presidency is roused at last from its slumbers. An affray has taken place between the Hindus and Mahomedans of Chittoor (p. 12), which shows how bitter and violent are the religious antipathies of these two races. The affairs of Kurnool are quietly adjusting themselves under its new administration (p. 12), and the people seem pleased with the change. A more dismal calamity we have rarely heard of than the two simultaneous shipwrecks at Bombay, where two large vessels, with troops and passengers, were lost, as it were, in the very gates of their home, so near that the horrors of the spectacle could be seen from the shore, without the possibility of relieving the unhappy sufferers. The narrative (p. 16) is too painful to comment upon and almost to read. Not the least deplorable part of the occurrence is the fact that many of the persons lost were sacrificed by their own act, in brutally stupifying themselves, at such a time, with spirits. The backwardness of some seamen on shore, to assist in saving the people on board the two ships, offers a disgraceful contrast to the intrepid efforts of the gentlemen at Bombay, whose names are recorded. A complaint has been made by a correspondent of a London paper, that the local authorities were not sufficiently active upon this melancholy occasion; but we observe not even an insinuation to this effect in the Bombay papers. The new Rajah of Sattara seems (p. 19) to be vindicating himself in the most decisive manner from the imputations which have been cast upon him, by displaying an activity in improvement unusual in a native prince. The action for assault, reported in p. 13, will operate as a caution to masters of ships in the exercise of legal authority, and to young officers who forget how dangerous a thing it is to do any act which may appear to set an example of disobedience to the master of a ship. There is but little Persian news. The Shah has returned to Tehran, having previously signalized his severity by extensive executions amongst the leading classes at Ispahan, who had been engaged in a conspiracy against his government. The guilty parties included some Syuds (descendants of Mahomet) and Moollahs. The French embassy had failed in its object of establishing consuls (or individuals with that title) in different parts of the kingdom. The ports in the Arabian Gulf are in an unsettled state. The communication by steam has made this one of the high roads between Europe and Asia, and one of the speedy consequences will be, the tranquillization and civilization of the countries on each side this Gulf. The intelligence from the various settlements in Australasia is, on the whole, of the most favourable character, indicating their rapidly-increasing importance. The resources of these magnificent colonies are now in a fair way of being fully developed, whereby the interests of both the mothercountry and its Australian dependencies will be reciprocally promoted by an interchange of products, and by an equalization of the labour-market, which is redundant in one case and deficient in the other. |