opening before her from the patronage of the rich Portuguese half-castes. Mrs. Da Costa's sister had married a Mr. Gordon, and an uncle of the Gordons' had died somewhere abroad, either in South America, Sierra Leone, or the East-Indies, nobody knew exactly. By some extraordinary concatenation, Mrs. Da Costa felt convinced of the relationship; she was proud of her European connexions, and produced the beautiful May to her circle as "my nisse, Miss Gordon." A better situation and an increase of salary were promised to Mr. Hartnell, and I was overpowered with expressions of gratitude from both husband and wife. I was amazed to find that the whole family owed their good fortune exclusively to me. I had mentioned Mr. Hartnell's story to my agents with a view to his advantage, and had indeed solicited them to amend his condition by procuring him more lucrative employment. Mr. Da Costa happened to be in the next room, was touched by the eloquence I displayed, and making a report to his far better-half, she had set out to the Jingery telow, or by what other name the tank I have mentioned was graced with (for I never I believe acquired the right one), determined to find a relation. May Gordon was nothing loth to accompany her new and generous friend to the large mansion, which called Mrs. Da Costa mistress, and which, though it did not boast much splendour of situation, being placed amid the native huts and bazaars of Missry Gunge, was replete with comforts to which she had been long a stranger. The admiration and pretensions of young Da Costa were openly avowed, and favoured, it appeared, by Mrs. Hartnell, who, though anxious for her sister's elevation, perhaps naturally felt better pleased at the idea of her union with a man who had nothing but the advantage of wealth over her own husband-Roderiguez, junior, being several shades darker, and by several degrees less intelligent and well-informed, than Mr. Hartnell— than she would have been at the prospect of May's alliance with a civil or military servant of the Company, which would take her entirely out of her present sphere, and produce a disagreeable contrast in the situation of the sisters. I too espoused young Da Costa's cause, being inwardly persuaded that nothing would ever induce May Gordon to unite herself to such a compound of ugliness, ignorance, and conceit. Mr. Arbuthnot's attentions were only glanced at, as a signal triumph over Louisa Dalrymple; for Mrs. Hartnell thought, or affected to think, that they meant nothing: whereat, in the folly of my heart, I rejoiced, clinging, to use an unhackneyed simile, like a drowning

man to a straw.

My acquaintance with May Gordon entitled me to pay my respects at the dwelling of her aunt; accordingly, I turned my horse's head towards Missry Gunge. I found the house, as I had expected, richly and profusely furnished, without an atom of taste, in what Mrs. Da Costa was pleased to term the style to which she had been accustomed at home,-meaning thereby Europe, which none of her ancestors for many generations had ever seen. There were carpets on the floors, looking-glasses and pictures on the walls, the latter being portraits of naval and military worthies in the worst style of the art; Admiral Keppel leaning on an anchor, and the Marquess of Granby grasping a cocked-hat. Lamps and chandeliers of various sizes and patterns were suspended from the ceilings, without any regard to the proportions or the match; they were all handsome in their way, and did very well together; the rooms were crammed with upholstery of equally discordant materials. Of course musquitos were swarming, and there appeared to be more than a due proportion of rats, mice, bats, scorpions, and other such pleasant guests, to judge from the traces on the mats and carpets. In fact, I arrived in the drawing

room just in time to rescue May Gordon from a centipede, which had lurked behind the heavy frame-work of an execrable copy of the Duke of Schomberg on horseback, as large as life. It was not often, Mrs. Da Costa said, that such things were found in the upper rooms, but she was not surprised at Miss Gordon's alarm, for she had frequently determined to go home, to avoid the sight of the reptiles of India, of which she was really "aff fraid." I do not know whether it was to Mrs. Da Costa, or to a lady of still superior rank, that somebody remarked, upon hearing her express her desire to go home, that eight annas and a hackery would carry her there at any time." However, no one could be more anxious to impress upon her acquaintance the fact of her possessing a title to claim Great Britain as her country by the right of primogeniture; she never turned her thoughts to Portugal, to which she might have had some very remote title, but persisted in a Scottish origin.

May Gordon received me as usual, and we soon fell into our old topics without much interruption from Roderiguez, who contented himself with a constant stare, and an occasional word, generally when my fair friend expressed her admiration of any thing, chiming in with " I shall get it for you:" a sure and certain method, according to his notion, of gaining her affections. No Mr. Arbuthnot made his appearance, and I breathed again. I was invited to dinner, and previous to the repast accompanied my uncle in his drive. Miss Dalrymple was there, looking sourer than ever, being unattended by a beau of any description; but neither she nor I were mortified by the sight of her apostate lover. Mr. Arbuthnot was not to be seen. My uncle again expressed his admiration of the new beauty, and in the overflowings of my heart I confessed my attachment, and murmured my wish to make her my wife. The old gentleman heard me in silence, meditating, as I afterwards discovered, a pleasing surprise. As I was well acquainted with his prejudices, I did not dare to push the matter farther, satisfied that I had broken the ice without raising a storm. The dinner was a delightful one; Roderiguez the only competitor in my attentions to the young lady, who listened to me with all her wonted complacence. I lost my fear of the lately-dreaded Arbuthnot, could joke upon the subject of Lovell's disappointment to Mrs. Da Costa, who was anxious to learn the particulars, and went home in the evening with a lightened heart.

On the following day, my uncle most cruelly, and as I thought inconsiderately, despatched me up to Barrackpore upon business. I was too much in his power to rebel; so off I went, in the worst possible humour. I could not get back until late at night. I saw lights and heard music at the corner of Missry Gunge, but could not venture in until I had changed my dress. When my toilette was accomplished, the cursed bearers, whom I was obliged to hire to carry me, my horse being knocked up, took me such an abominable roundabout way, that when I arrived at the place of destination the music had ceased and the lights had vanished, so I was obliged to return bootless home. The next morning opened more auspiciously; my uncle, good old man, with pleasure beaming on his countenance, told me that he had arranged all my affairs with my agents, and that I might draw upon him in future for five hundred rupees per month, a sum which would enable me to maintain a wife.

I flew to the feet of May Gordon. I must do her justice,—she was unaffectedly surprised. My confounded caution had undone me. There had been a time, she confessed, in which she might have given me her heart; but it was now engaged, together with her hand, to Mr. Arbuthnot, whose estimable character I had taught her to reverence, and whose generous avowal of his affection had inspired her with the warmest gratitude!

I rushed out of the house, and tumbled over Arbuthnot, who was coming in; he raised me from the ground with a benevolent smile, which I could not bear, and forgetting to call my servants, I made the best of my way along the road on foot, without a hat, deaf to the calls and remonstrances of a chattahwallah of Mrs. Da Costa's, who, burthened with an immense umbrella, followed me as fast as he could clatter along. How I got into the presence of my uncle I scarcely know, but I told my dismal story, and, as might have been expected, was called a guddah for my pains: if a pistol had been in my way I could not have answered for the consequences, but that not being at hand, I tried Lovell's remedy, and drank a couple of bottles of champaigne.

Roderiguez was in a similar plight: yet that gave me no consolation. Miss Dalrymple had taken to her bed in a bilious fever, for the approaching nuptials were soon bruited abroad; but no despair could be equal to mine. I felt quite willing to yield myself up to the jaws of a tiger or an alligator; luckily I was out of their reach. Mrs. Da Costa at first grieved over the disappointment sustained by her son and heir; she could not, however, be long insensible to the glory of marrying her “nisse, Miss Gordon," to a civilian of rank, and absorbed in the contemplation of the splendour of the alliance, she overlooked the pitiable condition of poor Roderiguez, and busied herself about preparing the trousseau, which she furnished in a style of great magnificence. Any recent heart-burnings which Mrs. Hartnell might have felt were studiously concealed; she had pleasurable occupation in entering a new house, upon her husband's attainment to an excellent situation in the gift of Mr. Arbuthnot. Miss Dalrymple, to shew how little she cared for the defection of a rich admirer, married a young man just out of college, who had been appointed deputy sub-assistant to the acting collector at some village in the neighbourhood of Calcutta: the nuptial ceremony was performed by special license in Chowringee, while that of Miss Gordon took place in the Cathedral. I was a melancholy spectator of the latter, not being able to withstand the intreaties of my lovely friend. Both brides made their first appearance at a ball at Government-house, where Louisa fainted, and was carried out, not being able to bear the blaze of her rival's jewels, as she followed her into the supper-room, whither Mrs. Arbuthnot was handed by the viceroy himself.

THE LAST OF SEVEN.

Он, chide her not, oh, chide her not,
Although the child has err'd;

Nor bring the tears into her eyes
By one ungentle word.

Nay, chide her not-six months ago,

In summer's balmy pride,

A sister's arm was round her neck,
A brother at her side!

But now her heart is sad; alone
She wanders by each flowery bed;
That sister's clasping arm is gone,
That brother's voice is dead.

And sometimes when, beside my knee,
She sits with face so pale and meek,

And eyes bent o'er her book, I see

The tears upon her cheek.

Then chide her not, oh, chide her not;

Her trespass be forgiven ;

How canst thou frown on that pale face?

She is the Last of Seven!

EXPERIMENTAL VOYAGE TO THE N.E. COAST OF CHINA.

No. II.

It is but fair (Mr. Lindsay, indeed, says so) to give the Chinese an opportunity of relating their own account of the affair at Ning-po, which was published in the Peking Gazette. "It will be seen," Mr. Lindsay remarks, "that it differs in various particulars, but it is no bad specimen of the mode in which reports of occurrences in distant provinces are reported to the imperial throne."

Extract Peking Gazette, translated by Mr. Lindsay.

❝I, the minister Foone-yung-ah (foo-yuen of Che-keang), report to the imperial throne concerning an English barbarian ship, which came from Fokeen to Che-keang. She has already been expelled and driven out of the ocean. I now request an imperial order, directing that the military officers of the various cruizing camps who neglected to guard against this occurrence may be delivered over to the proper tribunal for trial and punishment; thus awe and respect will be maintained in the government of the ocean., Looking upwards, I supplicate his imperial majesty to examine into the affair,

"On the 22d day of the 4th moon, I received a document from Wei-yuen-lang, acting viceroy of Fokëen, stating that petitions from various camps and heens announced that an English barbarian ship had arrived at Fokëen, and anchored in the seas of Woofoo. I, the viceroy, have already ordered her to be expelled, and now communicate the fact to you, that acting in co-operation we may effectually examine into the case and guard against its recurrence.'

"On receiving this, I immediately communicated it to the lyes, that they might forward the account to all the civil and military officers on the coast, directing them with careful heart to examine, and with active exertion to guard their stations; and if by accident they should fall in with the barbarian ship, then with activity to trace her steps, pursue and drive her away: moreover entirely to cut off all traitorous natives from clandestinely associating with and assisting them. No remissness or negligence will be permitted. This is on record.

"Afterwards, I received a letter from Tae-hung, tetuh of Chekeang, stating that by various petitions from the military stations the following report had reached him. 'On the 26th day of the 4th moon, the said barbarian ship, taking advantage of the wind, came from the ocean, and abruptly, without reporting herself, entered the Meaukeang at Ketow, and on the 27th day arrived at Chin-bae, wishing to proceed to Ningpo custom-house to sell her cargo. We then directed the military and police to go in ships of war and obstruct her progress; on which she returned and anchored off Yew-shan.

"At that period, I, the tetuh, in company with Chin-poo-yun, the tsung-ping of Tinghae, happened to be absent with my squadron in the northern ocean, at the distance of 100 le, in order to suppress an insurrection and to regulate some affairs of the Whang fisheries. But on hearing of this, I immediately by starlight and darkness (i.c. travelling by day and night) proceeded to Chin-hae; and in conjunction with the taou and the foo, I ordered the said barbarian ship to be expelled, and with speed to set sail and depart. Further, according to inquiries made by the che-heens of Chin-hae and other places, it was ascertained that in the said barbarian ship there were seventy men, and the cargo she brought consisted of calicoes, broad-cloths, camlets, and such goods; and the said barbarians presented a barbarian book in one volume, which had been formerly printed. Moreover, a barbarian man, named Hoo Hea-me, presented a public petition to the che-foo, in which with importunate urgency he groaned† forth his entreaties for permission to trade.'

"These documents were forwared to me (the fooyuen) for a thorough investigation and decision.

"I have carefully examined the barbarian book; it is entitled 'An Essay on the

These dates are all correct.

The meaning of this character is a person groaning in an extremity of distress.

Affairs' (the words of Great Britain' are omitted). Some parts of it are highly rebellious and full of falsehoods; many other parts are perfectly unintelligible. The general purport of it is complaining that commerce was not conducted with justice at Canton; and on this pretext they desired to abandon that place and come to this: thus manifesting a highly perverse and crafty disposition. But since the reign of Kien Lung, these barbarians have not been permitted to come and trade in Che-keang; yet now, the south wind blowing, they have taken advantage of the favourable breeze and have sailed to Che-keang, covetously hoping to obtain profit. How could I in the smallest degree permit any change in opposition to the fixed laws?

"I then issued a perspicuous order to the taou and foo not to permit the barbarian ship to trade. I also wrote to the tetuh and tsung-ping that they might order all the military officers to cruize and guard. Moreover I deputed Tang-fun-tsang-tseang, on my staff, and Sihip-tung-tuh-tungche* of Tae-chow-foo, to go with the utmost speed to Chin-hae, and, acting in conjunction with the taou and foo, rigorously to prohibit the natives from holding any intercourse with her; and at the same time directing that the forces of the tetuh and tsung-ping should instantly expel the said barbarian ship, and cause her with precipitate speed to quit the frontier, and not allow her to loiter.

"I have now received a letter from the tetuh, saying that he had clearly communi. cated his orders to the said barbarian, and that he was in some small degree aroused to a feeling of repentance, and no longer dared to delay and loiter; but the winds having been contrary for many successive days, he was unable to sail away. On the 15th of the 5th moon, the wind being more favourable, the tetuh, in conjunction with the trungping, ordered the cruizers to expel the ship directly. The said barbarian ship then spread her sails and went forth into the ocean. The tsung-ping then led out his squadron, pursued her, and compelled her on that very day to quit the frontier. Moreover the tetuh forwarded a list of the various officers whose negligence merits trial and dismissal. "Now I, the fooyuen, on examining, find that there is an easy access from that place to Tien-sin and the coast of Keang-soo. It is impossible to say that this barbarian ship, though expelled from this, may not sneak in like a rat elsewhere. I have therefore sent a flying despatch to the various tsung-tuhs and fooyuens of Keangsoo, Shansung, and Chihle, that they may cause a careful watch to be kept to prevent the ship from entering.

"Moreover, the show-peis Sunting-goan and Tang-lun, and the tseen-tsung Suntingkaou, were appointed to cruize and guard the stations of Ketow, Meaou, Keang, and Yew-shan. At the time the barbarian ship abruptly entered, it is true that the tseentsung, Sunting-kaou, was absent in the southern sea, cruizing against pirates; but still, in conjunction with his colleagues, he has shown himself unable to anticipate affairs and use precautionary measures to guard his post; he is therefore equally guilty of remissness. It is consequently proper to request the imperial order to deliver over these three officers to the tribunal for trial and punishment, in order to maintain dignity in the government of the ocean.

"Now I, the foo-yuen, respectfully joining with the minister Wei-yuen-lang, acting tsung-tuh of Fokëen, and the minister Tae-hung, tetuh of Che-keang, write this report; and moreover forward the barbarian book to the keun-ke (the privy council), that it may be respectfully laid before the imperial throne, requesting his imperial majesty to examine the affair.—The imperial commands have been received, saying, ‘it is recorded.'

"Taoukwang, 12th year, 6th moon, 20th day (17th July 1832).”

The Amherst, on leaving Ning-po river, the 13th June, stood across to the island of Kin-tang (Mr. Gutzlaff calls it "a romantic island"), and anchored in a safe harbour formed between it and a small island called Taou-tsze-shan. The people of Kin-tang evinced the greatest satisfaction at seeing the strangers, many respectable persons visiting the ship, and making small purchases of broad-cloth and calico.

It is impossible to rectify the orthography of this name.