DA.VIDSON'S TRADE AND TRAVEL IN THE FAR EAST.

iii. MR. DAVIDSON is a man of an adventurous spirit, who has passed up- wards of twenty years in search of Fortune in the East, without, as we gather, being very successful ; though he seems to have pursued her in Protean guises--mercantile employd, merchant, supercargo, and agri- cultural settler. In 1823 he found himself in some business capacity at Batavia; whose deadly climate he defied by care, and avoiding the two extremes of water and gin-and-water. In 1826 he was at Singapore; where he seems to have resided for some time on and off, and bore office, at least the office of grand juror. In 1829 he first saw the Ganges and Calcutta ; having previously and afterwards made various voyages through the Indian Archipelago. In 1836 he was at New South Wales, and turned settler in search of health. In 1839 he again started for the East ; Macao, Canton, and Hong-kong being amongst the places he visited.

Mr. Davidson's Trade and Travel in the Far East contains the reminiscences of his impressions and adventures during his pilgrimage " usque Auroram et Gangem," written to beguile the tedium of a home- ward voyage. As he had recourse to his memory alone, the accounts have that broad and general air which results from pouring out the re- sults of observations, rather than recurring for particulars to notes, which, unless written con amore and taken up in a kindred frame of mind, are apt to induce wearisomeness. No doubt, if scientific facts or particular occurrences where historical accuracy is desirable be the theme, the written memorandums must be had recourse to : but Mr. Davidson's material is not of this important character. The commercial information which the book contains is, doubtless, at his fingers-ends ; and for all the rest, memory may safely be trusted ; since it consists of general descriptions of the country, the people, and their modes of living, with sketches of his own voyages and occasional adventures, and many general observations that must have occurred to any one during such a long and varied experience.

There is nothing very striking or new in the book, except the sketches in China and Singapore ; nor do Mr. Davidson's facts contain much whence any new deductions can be drawn. But the number of topics pro- duces variety; and there is a practical knowledge about the descrip- tions and remarks, which gives to these a force and freshness, that al- ways appear in ideas derived from nature. Mr. Davidson is a hard- headed man, with sense, keenness, and vivacity of mind ; not devoid or the prejudices of the society in which he has passed so much of his life, and with the manner which men naturally acquire where the only superior they ever admit they see, is some commanding officer with "her Majesty's commission," and the whole tone of intercourse is "hail fellow well met." These qualities show themselves in the style, but not offensively; indeed, they rather give it character.

Like most persons of his class, Mr. Davidson is deficient in extension of view. He comes to a sensible conclusion on the thing Wore him, but cannot reach the consequences beyond ; so that his suggestions are somewhat of the earth, earthy. Many legal reformers of this small cali- bre see the evil of those forms which sometimes prevent the entrance of a truth, but do not appreciate the vagueness which they always and the falsehood which they often shut out. Practical men also see clearly enough that certain vices cannot be prevented, and that if regulated they

become less gross ; so they would have the state sanction and superin- tend the vice, in order to gain by it : not perceiving the general degrada- tion of the moral tone, and the consequent social corruption which ensues. For instance, thus spathe Mr. Davidson on gambling in the East. " Cock-fighting_is carried on to a great extent here, [Bencoolen,] and is in- dulged in by the Natives high and low. On market-days, vast numbers of Na- tives may be seen wending their way to the cock-pit attached to each market or bezaar, with one of the celebrated Malay game-cocks under their arms. At the pit, some hundreds of these birds may be seen in the hands of the fanciers who weigh and examine them thoroughly before betting on them. As sten as the bets are arranged, the two birds first on the list are brought into the centre of the pit, and armed by their owners with a fearful apses about four inches long, of the shape of a Babe, and as sharp as a razor. The combat seldom lasts a minute; the first charge generally rendering one and frequently both the combatants hors de combat, by inflicting on them mortal wounds. Then begins the most dis- gusting part of the scene. The owner of each bird takes him up, blows into his mouth and eyes, and uses every exertion to make the posrlorturecl victim give the last peck to his adversary. Failing this last peck, the battle is a drawn one. Bets are usually paid, particularly in the country, in gold dust, which is weighed out in small ivory steelyards kept for the purpose. The Dutch, with then usual policy, derive a revenue from every cock-pit within their boundary here. For my own part, I am not inclined to Warne them and think our revenue at all the three Straits settlements might be materially increased, and the scamps of those places kept in better order, by having every gambling-house in them registered and subjected to a tax. To pnt a stop to gambling, in any Asiatic town is beyond the power of man; and the attempt to do so only drives the gamester to the secret haunts where he may indulge his propensity, and where, I fear, too often he becomes a witness of, if not a participator in, deeds of blood. As a grand juror in Singapore I have had evidence enough of this."

The best and most interesting sketch in the book is that of Singapore; partly because the author's knowledge of the place is great, and partly because that emporium is the resort of all the inhabitants of the Indian Archipelago, even as far as the Northern region of New South Wales. Here is the Chinaman, ever seeking to fulfil Adam Smith's destiny of man and "better his condition."

" The Chinese junks hung annually to this part of the world from six to eight thousand emigrants; ninety-nine-hundredths of whom land without a sixpence in the world beyond the clothes they stand in. The consequence of this is, that those who cannot succeed in obtaining immediate employment take to thieving, from necessity; and some daring gang-robberies are committed every- year. They do out,lrewever long continue this mode of life; for the eight thousand new comers soon scatter, and find employmeat either on the island, in the tin-mines of Banes, or on the Malayan peninsula.

"Ship-loads of these men have been sent to the Mauritius; where they have giyen general satisfaction; and no better class of emigrants could be found for the West Indies. A tight curb -on a Chinaman will make him do a great deal of work: at the same time, he has spirit enough to resist real ill-treatment. All the mechanics and house-builders, and many boatmen and fishermen of Singapore, are Chinese."

EFFECTS OP TEETOTALISM.

There seems to be some fatality attaching to clergymen at Singapore. The last three incumbents, Messrs. Barn, Darrah, and White, all died young, and of the same complaint, namely, diseased liver. My own opinion is that they were all three too strict adherents to Teetotalism. In warm climates, a moderate or rather liberal allowance of wine I believe to be absolutely necessary.

Let us jump to New South Wales.

VMS APPARITION AT 'TEE BALL.

During the government of Sir Richard Bourke, an attempt was made by him to introduce into his own parties some Enutneipist families; and on one occasion, the granddaughter of a late Sydney hangman actually made her appearance at a ball at Government House. This fact being found out by the heads of families present, a representation was made to his Excelleney through his Aide-de-camp; and, after some show of opposition on the part of the Governor, a stop was put to it. I do not mean to say, that among the class called Emancipists, consisting of persons who have been convicts, there may not be found men aud women who have become thoroughly reformed and fit to adorn society. This, however, is the exception, not the rule. A large majority of the class in question are quite unfit for any company but that of slow pot-house.

Was not this pushing pedigree too far for the latitude ? A hangman's daughter would clearly not do ; but in the actual case the company had Only to -suppose that the belle "had not a grandfather."

MUSH EMIGRANTS.

'Ibis remarked all over the colony, that the emigrants generally are very diffi- cult to satisfy in the matter of rations; and that the man who had been the worst fed at home was the most difficult to please abroad. An Irishman is generally found the chief grumbler here; a Scotchman ranks second; while an English peasant, who has all his life fared better than either, is found in Anstralia to be most easily satisfied. I do not attempt to explain or account for this: I have, however, not only frequently observed it, but have heard my neighbours make the same remark. I hired an Irish labourer and his wife, to whom I gave the follow- ing pay and rations-22/ a year to the man; 121. ayear to his wife; weekly be- tween the two, 14 pounds of beef, 29 pounds of flour, 3 pounds of sugar, 6 ounces often, and 4 ounces of tobacco. With this allowance, forhaif of which thousands of families in England would he tharkfal, the couple were not satisfied, and actually complained that they had not enough to eat. It was summer-time when they came to my farm; and they were warned that the blow-flies would destroy their meat if it was not covered up: they were too lazy, however, to take the slightest care of it; and, as I saw their second week's allowance lying on a table the day after it was served out covered with a mass of blow-flies, I took them severely to task for their wanton waste and neglect. But it was of no avail. And this couple bed lived upon potatoes and butter-milk all their lives: We will go back to Asia for a few particulars of Hong-kong ; though the account is best read as a whole.

"Great complaints used to be made at Canton and Macao, because goods could not be landed unless they were sold, or the consignees chose to advance the duty, and let the articles lie till an opportunity of disposing of them occurred : in other words, the want of a bonding system was nniversally felt and complained of. The establishment of Hong-kong completely obviates this inconvenience, and enables the ship from Great Britain or elsewhere to dispose of her cargo in a few days after her arrival, and proceed home again; thus saving time, expense, and trouble, to an incalculable extent.

"A decisive proof of the eligibility of Hong-kong as a place of trade, and of its importance in the eyes of the chinese themselves, is afforded by the immense sums paid by some of them for ground on which to build bongs, where they can deposit their goods with safety, beyond the reach of their grasping mandarins. This advantage to a Chinaman is something so new, and so far beyond au ing he ever dreamed of enjoying, that I conceive the benefits likely to accrue from it to Hong-kong to be incalculable.

"Goods stored in Canton or Macao, the property of a Chinaman, were never Slain the exam of their owner getting into trouble with the Chinese authorities;

and, if the property of foreigners, they could not be insured against fire, the risk arising from the universal carelessness of the Chinese, and the consequent very frequent occurrence of extensive conflagrations, being considered too great by the underwriters. Both these difficulties are completely obviated in Hong-kong; and everysubstantially-built house and warehouse, together with the property in them, were insured against fire previously to my quitting the island. One Chinaman: had, in March last, completed buildings for the storage of property collected from,

the different ports on the coast, on which upwards of 40,000. had, been laid-

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out; and what is more, they were already. well filled.

astonishing, and perhaps u in the history of civilization- Owing tis

"The progress made in 1.34E:sliei since its occupation as a British colony is

the peculiar features of the locality in which Victoria stands, that town has be extended along the beach, till it is now upward of four miles long with threu. short streets extending a little way up the hills about its centre. The Queen's Road extends along the beach the whole of this length, and has been cut with great labour and expense. "Some idea of the rapid progress which this settlement has made may be formed by the reader; when I state that one firm had laid out upwards of 40,060L sterling in building, and was still laying out more when! quitted it. This is certainly by far the largest expenditure that has been made by any single estab- lishment; but many others have spent from 6,000/. to 10,0001. in a similar way, - and the outlay by individuals on speculation is by no means inconsiderable. "The Chinese population of Victoria and the neighbourhood amounted last January to ten thousand souls; certainly not the choicest collection that could-he. wished, as the number of robberies that take place in and about the town suffi- ciently testify. This evil the Magistrates were, however, doing their hest to remedy; and some scores of idle vagabonds had been sent across the channel di- viding the island from the main land of China. Some of the chiefs of the robber- gangs had been apprehended and set to work on the roads in irons; a proceeding that alarmed their confederates not a little."