with Government to carry home, at £20 per head, sixty seamen thrown out of employ by the late gale !--[This was munificent indeed!]

IMPROVEMENT OF BOMBAY.-Some of the principal native gentlemen, who lately signed a petition to Government in support of their objections to a draft of a new regulation for the improvement of the island, had met at the Custom-house to confer with the committee, to whom the consideration of their objections had been submitted by the Government. Several of the arguments of the petitioners having been sustained, and others overruled, the draft in its modified shape may now be considered as reframed with sufficient liberality to give fair scope to the building improvements in project, whilst at the same time it has been shorn of certain absurdities.

THE BOMBAY BANK. The Presidency had good reason to believe, by recent letters from England, that the Charter project was favourably entertained at the India House.

MR. WAGHORN.- Mr. Waghorn had presented his late agents, Messrs. McGregor & Co., with a handsome silver snuff-box, as a proof of his estimation of the value of their services to himself, and the steam question.

BOMBAY BRANCH ASIATIC SOCIETY-At the July meeting the election of A. B. Orlebar, Esq., as Secretary, was announced; and a member vacancy having thus occurred, it was proposed that Captain Bonamy should fill it up.

MONTHLY COMMUNICATION WITH ENGLAND.-The Government Gazette, Jaly 29th, intimated that arrangements were nearly concluded for effecting a regular monthly communication with England. The Atalanta and Berenice steamers were to start, the first on the 25th September, and second on 22d October. The only difficulty apprehended was as to the supply of coals.

THE CHAMBER OF COMMERCE. The annual general meeting took place 5th August. The report of the Committee stated that the London East India and China Association had tendered their most cordial support and co-operation. The following were the subjects before the Committee since their last report :

The depositing Company's paper in the Custom-house as security for duties blank endorsed, and no receipt or acknowledgment given. The Collector of Customs had consented to grant receipts.

Cleaning Cotton-Much trouble had been taken for improving the cleaning of this important staple.

Exchanging the 'old Rupees for the new.-Assented to by Government at the representation of the Committee.

The Advances granted by Government on Produce Shipments to London and Liverpool. At the request of the Committee, Government had agreed to grant regular statements of the amounts of such advances.

The Establishment of a Marine Police. Suggestions had been made on the subject.

Pilot Service. A plan for improving this service was in preparation for Government approval.

Various commercial subjects which the Chamber had originated were referred to; but they need not be mentioned here, as allusions have been made to them in our

summary.

A resolution was passed reducing the monthly rate of subscription to Rs. 15 for the next six months.

There were elected for the ensuing year,

Messrs. M. Brownrigg, Chairman.

Committee

H. Gordon, Deputy Chairman.

JW. Edmond, C. B. Skinner, F. M. Davison, T. Cardwell, J. Ewart,
Ali Mahomet Shoostry, Dhackjee Dadajee, Jeejebhoy Dadabhoy.

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AFFRAY IN THE DISTRICTS.-In consequence of a dispute between two of the sects of Gossaeens, a disturbance had occurred, in which two men had been killed. A fair having taken place on the 9th July, the sects, to the number of several thousands, seized the occasion of the departure of a body of troops from Nazit, under Mr. Bell, the Assistant Collector, to commence an affray; each party pelting the other with stones. Mr. Bell quickly heard of the affair, and returned in time to apprehend the ringleaders, and measures were taken to prevent a further irruption.

POONA. MURDER.-A horrible murder had been committed here. A wealthy tailor, by name Gopall Soodekar, had a daughter about nine years old. He and his family were intimate with their neighbour, a goldsmith; and an old woman, of the latter's house, was very fond of the tailor's daughter, and used to take care of her from her infancy. This woman, it seems, enticed the child away one day to the market; carried her to a hut, and there, while the girl was eating a cucumber (the infernal

wretch, having shut up the room), she cut the throat of the child with a sharp knife, being aided, it was said, by accomplices in the crime. The corpse was then despoiled of gold ornaments worth from Rs. 800 to 900. The murderers were discovered soon afterwards, and lodged in jail.

THE LATE BHEUNDY DISTURBANCES. On the 24th August the Sudder Adawlut Judges passed sentence on the remaining six ringleaders in the late riots. Each prisoner was to be imprisoned for one year in irons, and pay a fine of Rs. 3000; in default of which, an additional two years' imprisonment. At the expiration of their punishment they will each have to enter into recognizances, himself and securities, of Rs. 10,000 for his future good behaviour.

FALSE START OF THE "BERENICE," FOR THE RED SEA.-The shipping report having announced the departure of the "Berenice" on the 25th August, on the following day stated that the vessel had returned to harbour, the fresh water having leaked out of her tanks. She was put up for starting on the succeeding day. It appears that the steamer's accommodations were so ill managed as to occasion much complaint from the officers.

ACCIDENT TO THE "BERENICE" STEAMER.The "Berenice," which restarted for the Red Sea in the early part of September, returned after an absence of 17 days at sea, having lost the main or connecting shaft of the engine. The vessel gallantly encountered and overcame the monsoon, and got into fine weather within five days' run of Mocha. A passenger's letter gives us the following details:-" August 26. Severe weather-the ship taking in heavy seas forward, which flooded the men's berths and officers' cabins a scene altogether of discomfort, to which seamen themselves are not often subjected. The fore part of the ship was continually under water during the two following days. On the 1st of September we shipped a heavy sea, which lifted the ponderous ship's bell out of the strong cast-iron belfry, and carried it aft to the quarter-deck. Disastrous weather up to the 5th of September, when the connecting shaft of the engine gave way; a large splinter of 32 lbs. weight falling within a foot of the engineer of the watch (one John Brown, a native of Scotland), who promptly let the steam off, and stopped the engine, thus fortunately saving the ship. Fine weather now ensued, and our return to Bombay was effected at the rate of six miles an hour.” The engineer stated that, at the time of the accident, the engine was making fourteen revolutions, a play sufficient to occasion the above result under the circumstances.

NEW TEMPORARY SHAFT FOR THE "BERENICE."-The Mint engineer has expressed an opinion that he will be soon able to supply the steamer's engines with this desideratum, in place of the one which broke.

THE GUICOWAR'S PRIME MINISTER.-Veneram, the late Prime Minister of the Guicowar, had gone from Baroda to Aurungabad, with the intention (as per on dit) repairing ultimately to Bengal, to appeal to the Supreme Government against the decision given in his case by the local Authorities ;-on the other hand, it is affirmed that, disgusted with the treatment which he has received from the British Government, he is desirous of placing himself where their jurisdiction will not affect him.

THE THERMOMETER. By a weather table, published in the Bombay Gazette, we perceive that the mean temperature of the thermometer at Tannah fluctuated between 79 and 81 during the month of August.

BOMBAY.-The Criminal Sessions were opened on the 25th of September.— There were very few cases to be tried.

DISASTROUS WEATHER IN THE DISTRICTS.-KAIRA.-The rains here had been unusually heavy, by latest accounts. The height to which the rivers Seyry and Watrack rose on the 30th and 31st of July was stated as unprecedented. Property had been destroyed to a great extent. Eighty-six surrounding villages were inundated, with their fields of tobacco, sugar-cane, &c., which would prove a heavy loss to the Ryots and Government.

SURAT. The Nerbuddah River had only risen to its usual height, and the fears which had been entertained of an inundation, were consequently dispersed.

CANDEISHA deplorable account was given of the loss of human life, house®, and property, caused by the unprecedented rise of the Taptie. The Collector observes, by his report of the 15th of September-" Fifty-two villages have been entirely swept away;-eighty-three villages are known to be partially injured;-but I am sorry to say, several Mamlutdars have not been able to frame their returns yet, and many calami. ties remain, I am told, to be enumerated." Prompt measures were adopted for the relief of the sufferers; between 20,000 and 30,000 rupees would, the Collector states, be only sufficient to relieve the sufferers from the most pressing difficulties.

NUGGUR. Accounts of the above date stated that cotton here was likely to fail altogether. They had had an incessant rain during the last ten days of July. AHMEDABAD. Refreshing rains had fallen, and the young rice crops were snatched from the recent impending ruin.

POONA. The reports from here were favourable ;-there had been, however, a small mortality amongst the cattle, and some damage to property. The accounts from Sholapoor, Tannah, and Rutnagherry pronounced the prospects of the season as favourable.

INDIAN BEGGARS. From the sixth report of the Bombay Benevolent Society, it would seem that beggars thrive quite as briskly in India as in England. Beggars are to be found in the streets in swarms, who prefer the more lucrative trade of begging to honest industry. This is accounted for by the fact, that Europeans in India are singularly prone to bestow alms, a feature in their characters somewhat too strongly marked.

STEAM COMMUNICATION BETWEEN BOMBAY AND THE MAURITIUS.—The “Gazette," in referring to the fact that a steamer was about to run between the Cape and the Mauritius, observes also, that a steamer was to be started between Mauritius and Bombay.

NATIVE STATES. It was reported that the Punt Sucheen's territory, which was under sequestration for some months past, had been released, and restored to the young heir of the Gaddie.

A NATIVE BIRTH OF IMPORTANCE.-Letters had been received from Gwallior, announcing the birth of a son to H. H. Junkojee Rao Scindia.

A GANG OF THUGS CAPTURED.-A gang of fifty or sixty Thugs, all Moosulmans, had been caught by the officer in charge of the Thuggee department, in a village near Dharwar.

THE CHOLERA.-The cholera had made its way to Kulladghee, a garrison-town about eighty miles east of Belgaum.

THE PETITION TO PARLIAMENT FOR ROAD IMPROVEMENTS; AND MEMORIAL TO THE COURT OF DIRECTORS FOR THE RESTORATION OF POWER TO THE MINOR PRESIDENCIES.

A memorial, assumed to be sanctioned by the merchants and European and Native inhabitants of Bombay, had been addressed to the Court of Directors, praying for additional powers to be granted to the Governors of Bombay and Madras: also a petition for the appropriation of a certain per-centage out of the revenue, to be laid out in the improvement of the roads. The documents had been got up by the Chamber of Commerce with some secrecy, as the Bombay Gazette asserted, whose Editor also pronounced it a hole-and-corner affair. The objects of this petition, however, were considered indisputably good. The condition of the roads has long been considered disgraceful, and extremely injurious to commerce. The petition to Parliament involved the interests both of Madras and Bombay, which were frequently trifled with by a reference to Calcutta. The following is an abstract of this petition: -After stating that originally the Governors of the two Presidencies possessed the power of managing the details of the Government without restrictions, it alludes to a recent Act which withdraws this power. This Act has been in operation four years, and has been fully proved to be detrimental to the local interests of Madras and Bombay. It is reasoned that the Supreme Government being at a great distance from these Presidencies, and unacquainted with the local causes requiring improvement in them; being also less interested in them than the resident Governments, it could not be expected that the same attention would be given to the latter's wants and necessities, as was the case when the resident Governors acted for themselves. The petitioners therefore pray for the restitution of their original rights.

The Madras Government Minute on this subject says, "that the above Act has had, and continues to have, a most injurious effect on the prosperity of the country, by retarding and checking that spirit of improvement which has followed some of the other changes effected by the new charter. This is best proved by contrasting the present situation of Bengal, and the works of general usefulness in progress there, with the entirely passive state of things under the Madras Presidency."

THE TRANSIT DUTIES.-The Draft Act for abolishing the transit duties had been received. It provided for the retention of the town duties. It was expected to come into operation early in October. The new scale of customs consequent on the change was to come into operation on the same day, when, also, the new marine police was to start into life.

INUNDATION AT SURAT.—One heart-rending calamity has followed quick upon another at this ill-fated place. The inhabitants had not had time to recover from the disastrous effects of fire, before they were to be appalled by those of water. About the beginning of the last week in August, after a considerable interval of dry weather, there was a heavy fall of rain in and about Surat, and the river Taptee in consequence rose, and continued rising till the 23d, when it got so high as to flood all the lower

parts of the city. The river then subsided; but on the night of the 28th it again rose to an unprecedented height, certainly higher (say the accounts) than the great flood of 1822. Little or no communication could be kept up except by means of boats. The misery of inundated houses was enhanced by the heavy gales of wind which raged, while the rain was at the same time falling in torrents, and the flood still swelling, and dashing along in its destructive career. Parts of the substantial town wall and of the gates of the city had given way, having been literally soaked. The city presents a heart-rending spectacle. Hundreds of unfortunate wretches who, previous to the late fire, lived in comparative comfort, were driven from their temporary shelters, after losing the small store of grain, and the few other necessaries which they had saved from the general wreck. Disease, it was feared too, would lend its aid to their distress when the sun should begin to act on the immense surface of land along the banks of the river. The Dawk boat had been lost, and the Native merchants had not received any letters from Guzerat for eight or nine days. Of course the Government, and the whole of the public of India capable of subscribing, no matter how small the extent, were on the qui vive to raise subscriptions once again for the Surat sufferers.

PALKEE BEARERS. One of the Government officers was stated to be engaged in the construction of a draft of regulations regarding Palkee bearers, and boatmen who ply for hire. The public were deeply interested in this subject.

RETIREMENT OF CAPT. MORLEY.-The retirement of Capt. Morley, of the Artillery, on the pension of his rank, was announced by a General Order of the 8th of September. This promotes Brevet Captain W. Brett, and Second-Lieutenant H. Creed, and brings Supernumerary Second-Lieutenant Sealey on effective strength.

BOMBAY BRANCH OF THE ROYAL ASIATIC SOCIETY. At the ordinary monthly meeting for August 30th, Maumohandas Devidas was admitted a subscriber, and S. M. Campbell and W. Howard, Esqrs. were proposed as members. The Chairman, Dr. Wilson, presented, in the name of Captain Le Grand Jacob, a very curious three-headed figure from the ruins of Bhumli, in Kattiawar. Several donations were made by Dr. Hardy, of mummies of Crocodiles, from the mummy-pit in the Arabian Mountain, Upper Egypt; also a jar, from the Ibis mummy-pits, Abooser. On opening the latter, it proved to contain the remains of two Ibises, two small earthen images from Sakara, having on their backs cartouches, containing the name of Psammetichus. Dr. Hardy also presented a specimen of the mummalic limestone, of which, and on which, the pyramids are built. It was taken from the pyramid of Gheesa.

MAGISTERIAL NEGLECT.—A soldier, in the tattered uniform of the Artillery, had been found in the Fort ditch, apparently lifeless. The officer on duty near the main guard repaired to the spot, and had the body brought upon the margin of the moat, and placed in charge of a police Sepoy, until the proper medical and magisterial authorities could be called upon. The officer in question wrote to the Town Major instantly; but the body was allowed to remain unattended to for a period which, had it been used, might have preserved life. It ultimately turned out that the body was that of a soldier of Artillery, and that it bore tokens of having been in the water three days; but these facts were of course not known in any way to the authorities when their assistance was required: nor does it appear, from the particulars before us, that a just cause was given for this highly culpable delay. The Gazette suggests, in reference to this case, that a regular medical officer should be attached to the police.

CAPTAIN BURNES' MISSION.-We have at length some information of the proceedings of Captain Burnes, connected with his very important mission, both in a scientific and political view, to the upper provinces of India, and the countries bounding our territories on the north. We have strong anticipations that this undertaking of that zealous and indefatigable officer will open a large field for physical enquiry, and give us more ample and satisfactory details of the half-civilized races and hordes which hang upon our northern limits, and the means of judging how far our fears or apprehensions of the probabilities of aggression on that side are well or ill founded. Captain Burnes, we believe, has already ascertained that the latitudes and longitudes of many places which we had been accustomed to consider as settled, are very erroneously stated in our charts. The fitness of Captain Burnes for the difficult and indeed dangerous excursion on which he is occupied, may be illustrated by his own words:"I am here," he says, to look after commerce, to see to the survey of rivers, and to examine passes; but I am now neck deep in politics, and likely to be soon out to sea, without any compass to guide me but my own judgment. To speak more plainly, we are near the scene of war between the Seiks and Afghans, in such a position that our advance becomes questionable. But forward' is my motto, and glad am I that it has been, as the bright side of things now begins to appear, and I must pacify, as far as I can, Runjeet Sing and Dost Mahomed Khan." We wish Captain Burnes all possible

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success in his pacificatory intentions, although we entertain some doubts that this will be very considerable, as well from the bold and indomitable nature of the Afghan, as from the known determination of Runjeet Sing, smarting under a supposed breach of faith on the part of his enemy. Captain Burnes thus describes the cause of the present warlike operations, which bade fair at one time to retard his further progress :— “When Runjeet Sing withdrew his troops in the beginning of the year to Lahore, to do honour to his grandson's marriage, the Afghans came out upon the plain of Peshawar, fiercely attacked the divisions belonging to him there, put all whom they took to the sword, killed the General, and captured Peshawar and four guns. This was most mortifying to Runjeet, and he was in a moment in full march with all his French officers to Attock. He is now about 150 miles from us, and the Frenchmen are ahead of us. Runjeet has treated us very kindly. He requested me not to forget my old friend,' and to do nothing injurious to him in Cabool." Of the navigation of the Indus, although Captain Burnes speaks more favourably than we had imagined would be the result of his researches, yet he appears to consider that our relations with the people on its sides, and our commercial views and treaties, must be better understood, before any great success could attend the opening of its navigation. He observes" the Indus has far more facilities for navigation than I ever believed; and here we are close upon the salt-range without an interruption, and in vessels of eighty tons burthen. The only portion of the Indus which has a regular inundation, is the part above Chitturr. I will only mention that strong southerly winds blow here, and I came from Chitturr to Deru Ismael Khan in seventeen days." So exceedingly inaccurate are our maps of the countries on the Indus, that Captain Burnes remarks that there is not a single latitude fixed west of Lahore. Our knowledge of the races of men among which Captain Burnes is now directing his researches, is likely to be so much augmented by the zeal and science of so able a leader and his associates, that we shall view the progress of the party with much anxiety and interest. Here are countries on the very threshold of our Indian empire, with which it became us to have been long since much better acquainted, if there were any real dangers to be apprehended on that side; and yet scarcely an effort has been made, until within the last few years, to obtain any accurate details, respecting the warlike habits, the wealth, the resources, or the accessibility by an enemy of the lands occupied by so many and such different nations and tribes and for a quarter of a century we have been setting up the bugbear of a Russian invasion of India, which, if it ever become a fact, must proceed through these very countries and tribes with which we have so supinely omitted to make ourselves acquainted. We have pushed our researches across the inhospitable wilds of the two Americas; we have buried ourselves in their lofty forests, to ascertain the course of a river or a stream; but we have left this land, teeming with nations, hanging round the richest of our possessions, to the solitary and enthusiastic investigations of individual enterprise, as if it were an ultima thule of civilization. A brighter day is now dawning, and a few years, we may now flatter ourselves, will make us thoroughly acquainted with the tribes dwelling in the background, as it were, of Europe and Asia. Our charts, we hope yet, in a short interval, will no longer contain those undefined terræ incognite which have so long cast a shade on human research and advancement. We are now pushing our enquiries, not only towards the northward of India, but we are sanguine in thinking that, by the medium of the Burmese, we shall soon acquire some knowledge of the western borders of China and the various Tartar nations, which are said to form her barrier on the west. Nothing can be more auspicious for the acquiring accurate geographical knowledge than the durable peace which has so long opened the doors for the advancement of knowledge and science. To slacken, to be supine in our efforts at this season, when every thing seems to favour our enterprise, might be a subject of everlasting regret. A long night may follow this unexampled duration of peace and national harmony, if war should again unfortunately devastate Europe. Captain Burnes speaks in the highest terms of the talent, zeal, and unwearied assiduity of his companion, Lieutenant Wood, and seems much pleased with all who are associated with him in his mission.-Bombay Courier, August 9.

Ceylon.

DEPARTURE OF THE GOVERNOR. (August 19.) The Government barque, Wellington, was fitting up preparatory to the conveyance of Sir W. Horton to Bombay, from whence he was to depart for England. Mr. Anstruther was to accom❤ pany the Governor to Bombay, returning again to Ceylon direct.

Oriental Herald.-Vol. I.No. I.

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