that the following year he was enabled to reduce the taxes. Thus he obtained the hearts of the people, and tranquillity prevailed.

"During autumn of the year before last, your minister recollects seeing a comet proceed from the west; and in autumn of last year, a broomtailed star was seen in the east, and one in the west. The ministers, after consulting thereon, proposed that the old customs should be abrogated, and new ones introduced, that might accord with the changes which had been noticed in the heavens. Your minister considers such but strange conjectures. He would recommend the enforcing of the laws, like Wăn-king; the adopting of laudable economy; cultivation of the people's love; and the manifestation of integrity, that confidence may be gained. The prince is the celestial tree, of which the people are its roots. Books say, 'Heaven sees as the people sees; Heaven hears as the people hears.' Let me illustrate this: if the principles of Heaven extend to the people, will they be found inadequate? Should the prince not seek assistance from them, but from those denominated honourable, he must fail; but from those principles, he will be found more than adequate. It is such conduct as the former, that calls forth celestial prodigies, and gives them existence. I shall now mention what is of the utmost importance to good government; namely, the prince adorning himself with virtue-the employing of persons of known probity-and love for the people; three things which are indispensable, and which are termed the root of good government; -the fourth is, agriculture, with the culture of the mulberry tree, whereby silk is produced; to which I add the institution of public schools,

Speaking of ancient sage princes, we must mention Yaou and Shun; and of ancient virtuous ministers, we must not omit the distinguished ministers Tseih and Keih; for though Yaou and Shun knew the principles of Heaven, and acted in obedience thereto, their ministers Tseih and Keih, knowing their minds, diffused those principles; hence laws were established through the empire which have been transmitted. The principles of Heaven are living principles, not selfish; such were also those of Yaou and Shun. If you possess luminous and eminent virtue, and extend the same to the people, their notions will be changed, and they will cheerfully revere those whom you appoint over them. Such will be the result of acting in obedience to Heaven. Tseih was the person who first planted the various kinds of grain to benefit mankind, while Keĭh inculcated the five cardinal virtues to mould the people's minds.

"The ancient Shao-king commences with the records of Yaou and Shun, which your minister has repeatedly recurred to. From that period, the sayings of the virtuous have been the same in every age, and the advancement of good government has corresponded. When their doctrines are enforced, the people are prosperous, the troops are brave, and men of talent abound, while national importance is felt. This is what has occupied the mind of your minister from morn to night. At present, whatever knowledge is possessed, is vain; and the mass of talent is of a specious character, the possessors being ignorant from whence true knowledge springs. Would it not your majesty not to cherish virtue for fear of the reproach of and not enforce the laws which put a stop to anarchy? deprive you of your empire! If you are really unable to your government, do not oppress nor impede the industr but punish the idle, by sending them to cultivate the sou annually admonishing the people to plant trees, and to att Asiatic Journ. Vol. XXI. No. 124.

3 R

for

avocations, within the space of ten years, the granaries will be full of corn, and no deficiency be felt in the treasury. How great will the contrast then be, when compared to our present straitened finances! Let there be public schools established at the metropolis, and in all the districts of the empire, where the sons of princes, with those of the people, may be taught all that is expedient to be known; and where the leading duties, which exist between father and son, prince and minister, are fully inculcated. Thus, commencing as it were with sprinkling and sweeping,—propounding and resolving questions, let them advance till they are familiar with the great doctrines of government. If such a line of conduct be pursued, at the expiration of the above period the sovereign will know how to govern the people, and the people will know how to revere their prince. When prince and people harmonize, how will such a period contrast with the present day! If your majesty be adequate to these two points, the eyes of the people will be raised towards you; but should you not, how great will be their disappointment! These were the doctrines of Yaou and Shun. On one occasion, Mencius said, when addressing his prince, 'Did I not maintain the principles of Yaou and Shun, I durst not stand in your majesty's presence.' Your minister, being silly, would learn from him.

66 Fifthly, Be careful in respect to what may be considered trifles. It has been said, when tranquillity has taken place, the minds of the people are composed, and the officers of the government are happy: when the labourer, agriculturist, mechanic, and merchant are happy, then he who rules over them enjoys happiness. But when the people are not content with humble abodes, they will doubtless seck lucrative situations in the government: when the officers of government are not content with low situations, they will doubtless aspire after the dignified and honourable; then all throughout the empire, revolving like a wheel, will strive for preferment and cherish ambitious views: will not, then, the heart of the sovereign become callous ?

"Your minister has heard that those who would aspire to the throne should esteem the brave, while the possessor of the throne should venerate the humble. If he esteems not the brave, he cannot possess the empire; if he venerates not the humble, he will be unable to retain the throne; hence the distinct meaning of the words taking and retaining.

"A prince should not precipitately decide on what is submitted to him; but having decided, he should carry such decision into effect-then success will attend his enterprizes. On the contrary, should he act with precipitation, he may reveal joy or displeasure; hence those near the royal person will be acquainted with his feelings. Should the prince, on more mature deliberation, discover that he had no grounds for such joy or anger, he will doubtless regret the conditions he may have manifested. To prevent which, the ancient sovereigns maintained gravity, and unless they expressed their sentiments, even their near relatives were unable to discover them. When a person forms an opinion of his prince, it is from demonstrations of joy and anger; and the prince, in like manner, esteems those with whom he is intimate. If any of his ministers are seeking preferment, such will fail not to solicit the influence of his favourites; who, to obtain their ends, if there be no cause for joy, they will feign a cause: thus also of anger. Such persons make the smiles and frowns of their prince the guide of their conduct, and regard not the sneers and resentment of the people. Such conduct is improper, and requires due consideration. Since repeated changes of temper, from joy to anger, ought not to exist; repeated breaches of faith are still more intolerable.

"Yew

"Yew-wang, of the Chow dynasty, deficient in correct principles, revered not heaven, and disregarded his people; being addicted to wine and licentious pleasures, he deserved not pity. Since the affairs of the present government resemble not that just alluded to, why should your majesty, for want of prudence, urge the people to be disloyal ?"

It is said that his majesty received the address with marked approbation; and that Hew-hăng continued to aid the government till incapacitated by age. He filled, besides, many other important posts in the administration. By Woo-tsung, the third sovereign of this dynasty, he was created Duke of Wei, and by that monarch's successor, Jin-tsung, he was appointed to superintend the sacrifices offered to Confucius. He instituted the public college called Loo-chae Shoo-yuen; and was considered a very eminent scholar.

DESCRIPTIVE SKETCHES FROM THE GOLDEN EMPIRE.

ASSAM.

ASSAM is surrounded by a very lofty range of hills, a continuation of those which, taking their rise in the centre of Europe, run to and are lost in Chinese Tartary. The western mountains, and part of those to the north, are inhabited by a fierce race of men, consisting of two tribes, the Abors and Meshmees, of whom we know little. The last extend down to the eastern hills, and mix with the Sing-Phos. These formerly consisted of twelve tribes ; and, about forty years ago, the poverty of their native soil, and the fertility of that of Assam, combined with the weakness of the government, invited the Sing-Phos to settle in the plains, which they cultivated by means of Assamese captives, whom they have carried off from the southward, and whom the government have never been able to rescue. There were about 15,000 of these wretches when we commenced our campaign in Upper Assam; half of whom we have already liberated, and I trust ere long the others will be released by

Our actual observation with regard to the Burrampooter river, has, you will have seen, completely subverted the theory before received as truth. We can see it falling from the hills, and positive information enables us to place its primary source a good deal to the eastward, from the side of a mountain, on the opposite of which the Irrawuddy descends to the plains of the Bor Khangty countries, and runs nearly south to Ava. I am rather sanguine that I shall have it in my power to account satisfactorily for the mistake which Rennell and other geographers have fallen into. I think also, that, as far back as the time when Count A. Buffon wrote, the proper notion prevailed, as he talks of a Lake Champé, "which gives rise to the two great rivers which water Assam and Pegu:"-these I take to be the Irrawuddy and Burrampooter; indeed, there are no others. It must also be recollected, that, at that time, the present Burmah was the Pegu empire; for the grand revolution of Alompra did not take place till afterwards.

EDUCATION OF CADETS.

DR. GILCHRIST, IN REPLY TO A MADRAS RETIKED OFFICER

AT COLCHESTER.*

SIR: I have perused, in the Asiatic Journal, your letter dated Feb. 15th, with the attention which its contents and your signature demand from British Indians in general, and myself in particular, at this period, when it is probable the subject of educating the East-Indian cadets will be resumed by the Court of Proprietors as soon as they shall have an opportunity of understanding the nature of this prolific theme, by free and open discussions upon it, perhaps in a higher quarter, previous to the dissolution of Parliament, and after the arrival of some long-expected intelligence from Bengal, intimately connected with such topics.

You roundly accuse Mr. Hume of false and exaggerated statements, from sbeer ignorance of, as you assert, the present state of our Indian army's discipline and economy, in consequence of his long residence in England, where, it seems, he can learn nothing authentic from the eastern hemisphere; though few men, I believe, have more or better access to genuine information in that quarter, whence he must daily see and hear from many respectable individuals, who can have as little interest in deceiving him as he can feel in misleading the public, by those extraordinary assertions of which you boldly accuse the very man, whom, in the same breath, you justly term the staunch friend of the military in British India, while you nevertheless observe, he has left the cause of truth to shift for itself in your categorical hands.

The very pamphlet that you denounce, as a firebrand thrown by a King's officer to blow up all the staff posts in the Company's army, which they do not already possess, was given by me to Mr. Hume for perusal-not as the foe, but, on the contrary, as the honest well-wisher of both parties, who certainly ought to have been candidly heard upon this and every occasion, before such a sentence of condemnation could reasonably be passed as your queries would imply, were they answered, as you suppose they must be, on one side of the question entirely. Whatever my prepossessions may be in favour of the Company's officers, the natural bias of all who love justice must incline them and me to the audi alteram partem; and the presentiment is strong on my mind, that you have neither perused the obnoxious publication to which you allude, nor have yet been able to form a rational and impartial idea of its contents; otherwise the air of candour displayed, at the outset of your career, towards Mr. Hume, would at least have disposed you to treat the King's officers' claims with that good breeding and gentlemanlike forbearance, which one brother soldier has a right to receive from another; and which, in my humble opinion, the author, whom you so harshly accuse, has evinced towards the Indian army, through every page of his work. The querulous style, to give it the mildest epithet possible, of your-" What have we to do with King's officers? men who are employed a few years in this country and a few years in that; who do not properly belong to India; who command English soldiers, and keep almost none but English-speaking servants; whose courts-martial are all conducted in English; who need no acquaintance with Hindoostanee, but for the rare duty of mounting a gate-guard, composed of sepoys alone; whose advocate wishes to stir up a feeling against the Company's officers to rob them of their right to fill all staff appointments—a right which

* See p. 370.

you

you hope will never be disturbed, because those alone can deserve them; who are exiled from their native country and relatives for life." These may all be facts in your estimation; but in mine, to use the language of the celebrated Cullen, it is possible they may yet be proved false facts, without impugning either your veracity or the doctor's logic; because your laudable zeal and l'esprit de corps may have inspired you with the utmost faith in the whole of your own gratuitous assertions, for the public good, no doubt, of the gallant army, to which you are of course attached by private or rather individual motives of friendship and self-interest; leaving the common weal of the British empire at large to the chapter of accidents, and eventually to the guidance of those cooler heads which govern the state, and are not likely to be turned from their political purposes, by such menaces as the following remarks appear to suggest. You proceed thus :

"I trust the day is very distant, which shall see such a dangerous experiment tried as the filling of staff appointments with King's officers, which would fill the native army with discontent, and be an act of injustice to our body, as it would promote men for whom the natives in general can feel no attachment, and whose apathy is perfectly reciprocal. In short, no military men but the identified Kompanee officers will ever be trusted or obeyed with alacrity by the natives of India."

This may all be true enough, in your opinion, as matter of notoriety, prophecy or belief; but what says the King's officer, in his recently published lucubrations upon similar topics? Pray read them attentively, and refute them with both the fortiter in re, and suaviter in modo; which when done, you may depend upon my hailing you as the magnus Apollo of the great cause, you have so generously, if not prematurely, espoused. My long absence from Hindoostan may have partially obliterated many former existing convictions; but this alone cannot shut my breast against others, which I may still form upon the solemn assurances of living witnesses of, and actors in, the affairs, which they conscientiously narrate, under the certain responsibility of being detected and exposed if they venture to circulate untruths, that must become highly detrimental, till they shall be completely disproved by yourself, and those Company's officers who may think seriously and act vigorously, as you appear inclined to do. In the pamphlet it is broadly stated, that many of the King's officers pass ten, fifteen, and twenty years of their lives in the Asiatic peninsula, with their regiments, but under circumstances of hardships and privations as severe as those to which their fellow-soldiers in the Company's service are exposed; consequently these last are not the only monopolists of local evils, nor has the King's army even any exclusive charter to secure an adequate share of the good things to be obtained during their contingent absence from that home, to which hundreds of them cannot well return sooner than many of their competitors for fame, glory and fortune in a foreign land, where both have common grievances to suffer-often unheard, unseen-and consequently unpitied, and unredressed, by their respective supreme governments. While it may be sound policy among the native and other powers to set all our European officers by the ears abroad, they surely ought to have a quantum sufficit of good sense and prudence, always to cultivate peace and harmony among theirselves by mutual deeds of candour, concession and conciliation for the comfort, prosperity and welfare of the whole body, on principles, which, for years past, have animated the United Service Clubs at home, for the general weal, by discarding those petty jealousies, prejudices and animosities that formerly existed between military, naval, civil, and other officers, to the great detriment of the British empire. You affirm, that the