Dexterous, however, as the Tonquinese prove themselves in fishing, they are miserably deficient in seamanship. Although their coast is so extensive, and many hundred thousand of them derive their subsistence from a sea-life, their method of navigation still bespeaks the infancy of the art. In the exercise of rowing, however, they are persevering; and they beguile the tediousness of labour, like the Greeks, with a boat-song, in cadence with the stroke of the oar. Resembling other natives of warm climates, they are excellent swimmers; and they venture out into the open sea for several leagues on a raft, which, when they happen to be driven off, they find little difficulty in regaining. It is said, that some centuries ago, the navigation of this empire, as well as of other eastern regions, was more extensive than it is at present, but gradually decreased after the establishment of Europeans in the East, and their indiscriminate capture of all Asiatic vessels. Even in its best days, however, it must have been extremely imperfect, the Cochin-Chinese being incapable of taking a degree of latitude, unacquainted with the use of the compass, and afraid of going out of sight of land.

Arts, Manufactures, and Trade-In regard to progress in the arts, the Tonquinese are still less advanced than several of their Asiatic neighbours. They are ignorant of the method of applying the elements to purposes which appear the most simple to Europeans, being unapprized of the effects of windmills, ovens, fire-engines, &c. They are not, however, unsuccessful in imitations, and they work to good purpose on a model. Their tools are extremely deficient; and those among our readers, who are aware how greatly the progress of society is quickened by the division of labour, will consider it as an additional proof of the backwardness of the Tonquinese, that every thing connected with the food and maintenance of a family is done at home, to the exclusion even of baking as a seperate profession. To make sails, they have recourse to tree-leaves; which, though extremely different from leaves in our northern latitudes, are yet altogether unfit to resist tempestuous weather. Paper is made of the bark of trees; and instead of pens, they use pencils of the finest hair. Fire-arms they import from Europe, the smelting and manufacture of metals being in a very imperfect state among them.

In building, they think it is necessary to mix molasses with their lime; in tanning, they are equally inexpert: but it happens singularly enough that they have little to do in that way, the skins of animals being generally boiled and eaten with the carcase. The labours in which they are most successful are carpenter's-work on the part of the men, and the mauufacture of cotton-cloth by the women. Spinning machines, indeed, are wholly unknown; and a spindle with a roller is their only instrument for making the thread. The slowness of the operation does not, however, prevent excellence of quality in the manufactured article, and some sorts of

cotton in Tonquin are accounted superior in fineness and in beauty to silk. Yet, with all this attention to quality in the cloth, they are wholly ignorant of the art of printing it. Their silks, also, are noted for beauty and durability: but they are all smooth, and contain no flowers of a different colour from that of the stuff. They are strangers to the use of stockings; and the manufacture of linen, of sail-cloth, of clocks, and watches, and the use of soap, are all unknown to them. The progress of manufacture is greatly checked by the tyrannical interference of government, who are accustomed to put good workmen in requisition on very inadequate wages. Whatever has been said of the progress of the arts must be understood as having no reference to Tsiampa, the inhabitants of which are savage, and strangers to all kinds of industry.'

The state of the fine arts, in a country like Tonquin, deserves attention only as indicative of the progress of society. In their mu sic, loudness of sound appears to be the great object; and their instruments are so defective that their violin has only a single string, It is not likely that they should be farther advanced in the eloquence either of the bar or the pulpit, since they have no professional pleading at the former, and in their temples the duty of the priest consists more in praying than in preaching. In painting they are very patient, and, as far as the delineation of one particular object, are exact; but their ignorance of shade and perspective is fatal to success in all combinations.

LINES.

The setting Sun! the setting Sun! how gorgeous in the west,
O'er-canopied in golden clouds, it proudly sinks to rest!
A blaze of fleeting glory gilds the sky, the land, the sea;
How lovely, yet how full of sad and solemn thought to me.

It speaks of cheerful daylight past, of darkness hastening on!
It brings to mind the gladsome hours that now, alas, are gone!
It tells of youth departing fast, of health how soon decay'd
Of hopes that blossom'd like the flowers-that blossom'd but to fade!

It tells of mirth to sadness changed, of pleasure turned to pain,
Of joys that glitter'd in our path, that now we seek in vain ;
It tells of beaming happiness in moody murmuring lost,
Of fervent friendship waxing cold, of fond affection crost!

It tells of love, triumphant love, that makes the heart his throne
Then leaves his victim desolate, dejected, and alone;
It tells of those we dearly prized, whose loss we now deplore,
It tells that we ourselves shall set, and weep our friends no more.

X.

Domestic Intelligence.

The whole of our Domestic Intelligence is extracted from the Journals of the Island with trifling alterations.

A very excellent regulation is now enforced by the Police of this town, and if it is adhered to with honesty and impartiality by the constables, much good must result from it. All Crown prisoners found in the street after sunset, are stopped and examined. If they are assigned servants, out on their master's business, they require a pass, the possession of which enables them to proceed. If they have it not, they are taken to the watch-house, and in the morning they will have to account for themselves. Better still than this, is the regulation as to female servants. Their master or mistress's presence can alone protect them. This is, we repeat, excellent. It stops the incessant applications of female servants for "leave to go out to see a shipmate," which in nine cases out of ten ends in continued absence and the Factory. We hope these regulations will be strictly adhered to.

Captain England has broke out in a new quarter. He has been amusing himself in the way of correspondence with a high puplic officer, and as might be expected, has not shewn quite so much talant with his pen, as we readily admit he did on the coach box, when he performed the notable exploit of driving the stage coach through the Governmenthouse avenue. We hope to be permitted to furnish further particulars.

We extremely regret to state, that amongst the unfortunate sufferers by the Lady Monro, was Lieutenant Clarke, of the 62d Regiment, son of that respected Colonist and Magistrate, Captain Clarke, of Cluny. The public will sincerely sympathise with this gentleman, when we state, that this is the third son he has lost in His Majesty's service. One in India-another at the battle of Navarino -and thus has a third unhappily perished by shipwreck. Captain Clarke is an old officer, having served with high reputation in that respectable regiment the 6th, in almost all parts of the world. This accession of calamity will be deeply felt.

On Monday, January 6th, it was the pleasure of His Excellency Lieutenant Governor Arthur, to lay the first stone

of a Church at New Town. His Excellency was attended by a guard of honor with the fine band of the Scots Fuzileers, and by almost all the chief civil officers, forming of themselves a large cortége. The ceremony being ended, Mr. Hone had the honor to entertain His Excellency and the Civil and Military officers at his beautiful residence on the banks of the Derwent. His Excellency returned to Town by six o'clock.

The state of the Town Ditch is at this moment so abominable, that we have little doubt that much of the illness with which the town is at present afflicted, proceeds from the pernicious miasma there continually exhaled. It is offensive to look at, how much more must be the miserable commixture which the inhabitants of the northern portion of the town are compelled to drink! If Lieutenant Governor Arthur could possibly know the real expression of the public voice, which his incessant application to pen and ink business within the walls of Government House effectually prevents, His Excellency would have forborne the Church-building exhibition, while the people are calling out, "Give us water!" So also the Aquæduct. It will soon be lost in real uselessness from the continued tappings to which it is subjected, and when the people see the example set by the high officers of breaking into it sans façon, of course knowing that they have equal right, they use it with equal prodigality. The deleterious effects of that detestable mass of filth, which was formerly the town rivulet, but which what with the abstraction of the aquæduct for the supply of that portion of the town, chiefly the abode of the public officers, through the line of whose residences it especially passes, and the continued waste by the mills and other means, is now the worst of half animated puddles-pernicious effects to the people-the children especially, of being compelled to drink this poisonous filth, has now caused so much and such serious feeling, that we are induced to thus bring this important subject under the notice of His Excellency, fully confident that thereby the

inhabitants will have immediate attention paid to a matter so closely connected with their very existence.

We understand the Theatre is about to be removed to the large and commodious premises in Argyle-street, now called "The Theatre Royal, Argyle Rooms" We have seen a plan of the arrangements and they certainly do Mr. Deane infinite credit. There are boxes, pit, and gallery, and the accommodations are equal to 500 persons, arranged in the English manner; without which, it is needless to say, that so long as the present usages of society exist, to say nothing of the difference of pecuniary means, no Theatre can maintain itself. It is believed that so soon as the New Theatre is in full operation, so that there can be that accommodation afforded appropriate to his high station, His Excellency the Lieutenant Governor will honor the Theatre with his presence 'By Command,' as is the usual expression. At Sydney, the enterprising Manager, Mr. Levey, (owing to the English arrangement of his Theatre, such as will be constructed at the Theatre Royal here), was enabled to receive Governor Bourke, and his Suite, with considerable magnificence. We have no doubt Mr. Cameron will do his utmost to shew the high sense he will entertain of the value of such a visit.

example of (without reference to his politics) certainly the most moral and religious King England ever knew.

The Insolvent Act has passed, and has given satisfaction to none, one individual alone excepted. We have already given the outline of an Act, to which we apprehend the principle of such Acts admitted, there would have been no objection. We shall shortly show the impolicy of the present, both as respects Debtors and Creditors. There can be no doubt that partial measures such as this now in operation, are little calculated to effect beneficial purposes. All measures should be comprehensive to be just. The true plan would have been to have passed a general and unlimited Act, and in order to meet all possible objection, to have given a preparatory period to its coming into effect, in order that the mercantile and trading interests might have an opportunity of conducting their business in such manner as might be considered best calculated to meet the change in the law to take place. The present Act, as it is, has given general dissatisfaction.

The man who so bravely captured the four bushrangers is John Dixon, prisoner for life, per Red Rover. The whole of the Field Constables, all prisoners, have exerted themselves to the utmost, and received essential assistance from the Mounted Police, who, from the time they left Hobart Town, have been incessant in their exertions, to render every service in their power, wherever their co-operation could be in the slightest manner useful.

The beautiful Band of The Scots Fuzileers, may be heard every Sunday evening in the Barracks, where, by the kind permission of Colonel Leahy, it plays every Sunday evening so long as the inhabitants by their continued pre- We are happy to state that the late sence seem to wish. The last three Bri- Sir W. B. Rush, who died in July last, tish Sovereigns made "the Terrace" at bequeathed to Mr. Justice Montagu, Windsor, the weekly recourse of multi- legacies to the amount of several thousand tudes of the highest orders, as well as the pounds, and a very large annual income. great body of the people, by the establish- This event, and other family affairs, will ment of the Sunday promenades, the occasion Mr. Montagu to solicit leave of splendour of which, in George the 3rd's absence, his presence in England having time was proverbial, and at which always become necessary. The Attorney General two, and frequently three bands of music will most probably be then called to the performed until late in the evening. We Bench, the last charter of justice enabling perceive by the journals, that William His Excellency to provide for such emer4th has re-established these Sunday pro- gency. menades with increased magnificence, always attending with the Queen and Royal Family, and as was the excellent custom of his father and mother, mixing with the throng. Colonel Leahy will render himself highly popular with the inhabitants here, by affording them similar recreation to that for which he has the

It affords us much pleasure to hear that an importation of gold, to the amount of Ten Thousand Pounds, has been made recently, by a respectable mercantile house, and is deposited in the two Banks

the Derwent and Old Banks--in equal proportions. This is the real way to make the Island prosper-much better than

Gardening, &c.