in the hands of the motawali, money which he knew that officer was not to use, as if the money would not be safer in his own treasury? And what is to be said of the authors of the rules referred to, who autho rized a sum of money to be kept in reserve, but did not provide in whose keeping the amount was to be?- Englishman, June 27.

INDIAN BEER.

An extract from the Englishman has been going the rounds of the papers, remarking favourably on the beer brewed by Mr. Bhole at Meerut, and erroneously stating him to have a contract, "for the supply of his beer to the troops at the above-mentioned station, where it is served out in lieu of the former ration of rum." An editor

pretending to the conduct of a military journal might have been supposed to be aware that, since the introduction of the canteen system, no ration of rum has been served out, the men receiving pecuniary compensation in the shape of Rs. 3. 12 as. a month. The plain matter of fact is, the Court of Directors, at the recommendation of Sir Jasper Nicoll, have sent out orders that inquiries shall be made whether Mr. Bhole's attempt to manufacture "the standard British beverage," has been successful. This, we regret to say, it has not been; and however favourable an opinion the speculator may have conceived of his own work, he has not been able to convince others that his beverage is either palatable or wholesome: the General Staff may satisfy themselves on this point on the tour of inspection, one bottle is a dose. We have reason to believe that the opinion of the principal medical men at Meerut is decidedly adverse to the introduction of Mr. Bhole's beer into the canteens, and that its use in some, was prohibited a considerable time since. The liquor is sour, highly impregnated with and up a man like a bladder," as Falstaff says of grief; thence, when there is debility of stomach, whether from drinking or other causes, the effects are the very reverse of beneficial to health. A substitute may be found (in brewing) for hops, but we are not aware of any for malt, which requires for its manufacture an equable temperature, unobtainable in India. This is the real great obstacle to the success of Mr. Bhole's experiment-the grain speedily passes into a state of fermentation, instead of becoming malt. The price of Mr. Bhole's beer is from five to six rupees a dozen, or with the rupee at 2s. 2d. upwards of 3s. 6d. a gallon, a sum at which, on so long a scale as the supply of the European troops, a contractor might find ample remuneration for the true British beverage "neat as imported." As we cannot send the Englishman a bottle on trial, we will give him a receipt, by which he may arrive at something near the flavour. Asiat. Journ. N.S. VOL. 22, No.85.

gas,

blows

Suck a sour lemon for one minute, then wash the mouth out with a wine glass full of compound powder of jalap and water; after which, inhale from a gas pipe for five minutes.-Agra Ukhbar, July 2.

The beer sold by Mr. Bhole, at Meerut, is excellent of its kind, being pleasant in the taste, perfectly wholesome, and so light that no quantity of it could injure the most determined swiper.-Delhi Gaz., May 25.

MEDICAL FUND.

The Medical Fund is now fully established. The Managing Committee have had several meetings, and have appointed Mr. Pearson Secretary, in the room of Mr. Mercer, which affords a reasonable expectation that business will be transacted with

regularity and promptitude. The Com mittee have been so happy as to secure the co-operation of Dr. Bannister, of the Madras Medical Establishment, who is practically acquainted with the excellencies and defects of the Madras Medical Retiring Fund.-Friend of India, July 7.

THE MEDICAL SERVICE.

An Assistant Surgeon, on his arrival in India, is appointed to the General Hospital, where he remains for two or three months, and then he is attached to a regiment, or placed at a small civil station. If attached to the former, at a half-batta station, his consolidated allowances will amount to Company's Rs. 225. 8, or, at the above rate of exchange, to £23. 1s. After he has been in the service about five years, it is probable he may attain the medical charge of a regiment, which will increase his allowances to Rs. 360. 8, or £34. 10s. 14d. If at a full-batta station, he will draw Rs. 421. 10 as., or £40. 8s. 14d Let us now consider his expenses: but before stating these, it will be necessary to observe that, in coming to India, an Assistant Surgeon defrays the expense of his own outfit and passage to India, charges which, after the most rigid economy, cannot amount to less than £200. On his arrival in the country, a regulation-tent, a horse, saddle and bridle, chairs, table, cookingutensils, and his regimental uniform, will also,with economy, never fall short of £150

more.

This latter sum of money is generally obtained by a loan from houses of agency, the interest on which, including insurance of life, amounts to 18 per cent. The next circumstance we have to allude to is the number of servants the medical man is unavoidably compelled to keep. Owing to the inability to interfere with caste, the servants which are indispensable in India, will cost Rs. 75. To this add heavy rent, clothing, food and contingencies, Rs.246; the total will be Rs. 321, or £30. 15s. 3d., which are greater than his receipts.-Indian Medical Journal.

(B)

THE RUTH POOJAH.

Yesterday was the Rut'h Poojah. The car of Juggarnath escaped a narrow chance of not making its usual circuit this year. It seems there was a screw loose in the machine, which was not discovered till almost too late. The case being one of emergency, the commissioner writes off in a hurry to Calcutta for the sanction of the Bengal government, and a reply is sent post-haste conveying the necessary orders for the repair of the machine. Such is the empressement of the functionaries of a (so-called) Christian government! What a shock it would have been to the pious feelings of the votaries of the memberless god, if his godship had been prevented from starting on his circuits!Englishman, July 16.

THE HINDU CHARACTER.

The bigotted natives have a very mean opinion of agricultural occupations. To till the ground or touch the plough is considered a sort of degradation. Commerce is also foreign to the views of many of them. What they esteem honourable is, the being in the service of a judge, a collector, or a commissioner, as a sarrishtadar, or of an opulent merchant as a banian; and unless they can make thousands and lacs very soon, they are never designated clever expert baboos. The zemindary line is also a great object of their ambition; for what can be more flattering to their vanity than to sit in their own talooks, surrounded by gomushtas, nacks, and pikes, and issue orders and hookooms against the ryots, like a big-bellied justice Saheb! To frequent adawluts, and to be deeply versed in the intricacies of courts, must be the necessary qualifications of every landholder; and he who is not sharp enough in concocting machinations for the speedy acquisition of his fortune, often passes for a dull, stupid fool. When they are engaged in any law-suit, either in the supreme or the mofussil courts, they will exert their utmost to succeed in it. Sketches by a Native.-Englishman, June 1.

TRIBES IN ASSAM.

The Nágas inhabit the hills farthest from the station of Noagong, on the east, and close to the Dunusírí river, which forms the boundary of Upper and Lower Assám. Being in a more savage state than the others, and frequently quarrelling with the Abhor Nágas, who inhabit the hills in the same range, it would not be so easy to reach them with instruction as the Mikirs and Lalongs. The Nágas on our side are a small number, compared with the Abhor Nágas, who inhabit the hills, in Upper Assam, but they are all the same

The Assamese divide the Nagas into BoorNagas, i.e. tributary or dependent Nagas, and Abhor, independent."

in their customs, &c. They may be computed at about $,000.* In my recent jour. ney to their chans (villages), I was quite surprised to see the neatness of their appearance and the industry of the people. But it must not be overlooked, that, although entirely free from caste, and not having the least idea in regard to its being unclean to eat this or that, they may be said to be a nation of drunkards; for at every ceremony, such as marriage, burial, and worship, they drink a quantity of liquor (mad), made from rice, which has an intoxicating effect. On returning to the Mikir tribe, we find a great difference: -not in regard to drunkenness, for they are much the same in this respect; but in simplicity and honesty, as far as their knowledge of honesty goes. One instance

in confirmation of this, and greatly to their honour, is, that there is not, I believe, an instance of a Mikir ever having been brought before any of the public functionaries in Assám for a serious offence. They are, correctly speaking, when compared with the other tribes, in a civilized

state, and are the most inoffensive race of people that inhabit the various hills in Assám. War is quite out of the question with them; indeed, they are very timid. They have no written character; consequently, none can read. They inhabit the bills on the south bank of the Baramputar, in the district of Noagong, running from N. E., to S. E.: but numbers are scattered up and down the country of Lower Assám, near the hills, principally near Gowahatti. Many of them are bondsmen, and are accounted next to, or better than, the Kachárís, in regard to industry. The account of their origin, which I received when in their hills, was, that they had originally come from the Jyntíah hills, and were formerly under the rájá of that coun try. This is their own tradition; whether it is true or not, may perhaps be a question; those who informed me, however, said, that they could understand some of the Jyntiáb language, as also some of the language of the Ahoms (original natives of Assam); and one man went so far as to say, he thought his language a mixture of Ahom and Jyntíah. They have no caste or prejudice whatever with regard to food, and are entirely uncontaminated by the superstitions of the Brahmans. They have, however, one peculiarity; they do not eat the flesh of the cow or drink her milk. Whether this prejudice has originally sprung from Brahman influence or not, no one among them could tell me. being questioned concerning it, their only answer was, it was always so. Had it been got from the Brahmans, it may also be inferred, that they would have had

On

*Dependent on us, and in the Noagong district.

They appear to have occupied the hills east of Jyntiah, which we call the Cachar hills, before the Kachari tribe overran that part.

some prejudice with regard to their abstaining from eating the flesh of swine, fowls, &c.; but this is not the case: all these are eaten, and are always used in their ceremonies of worship. Now it is well known, that the Brahmans, in making bhokits (disciples), which they have done extensively amongst the Kachar people, forbid them to eat the flesh of swine and fowls.-Calcutta Christ. Obs.

THE KING OF NEPAUL.

While the west rings with the notes and clashings of war, it is pleasing to think that a king, whose name is not much heard in the field of battle, is trying to introduce the seeds of civilization among his people. Indra Bikrun Shah, the king of Nepaul, having heard the British system of jurisprudence much extolled, has sent Baba Krishna Pundit on a journey extraordinary through the provinces subject to the British rule, to make himself thoroughly acquainted with the practice of the Courts, in order that it may be introduced into his own territories. The Pundit had arrived at Loodiana, en route to Lahore.-Gyananneshun, July 6.

MR. WYBORN'S REMARKS ON THE HINDUS.

The severe remarks made by Mr. Wyborn on the Hindus, at the meeting of the 18th June, have given rise to much discussion between that gentleman and the Hindu advocates in the papers. We subjoin a few observations in their behalf from a letter signed "Dukhinanundun Mookerja," in the Englishman of June 25th:

6

"As a nation, our morals are not so perverted, nor our hearts so debased, as to justify any man to use towards us the degrading epithet of' infidels.' The assertion that highest natives seek to propitiate their divinities by these penitences' (the Churuck Poojab self-tortures) has not, I beg to say, the least foundation in truth, for the enormities of that festival prevails only among the lower and barbarous order of the Hindus; such with whom Mr. Wyborn is in the habit of associating, and from whose conduct he picked up his ideas of the Hindu character; but, if he will be at the pains of consulting, upon this subject, such of his countrymen who, by the calls of their professions, are obliged to hold constant and familiar intercourse with the Hindus of rank and respectability, the learned gentleman will certainly hear a quite contrary account. The circumstances under which Baboo Russick Krishna Mullick addressed the meeting on the 5th January 1835, warranted him to make such observations. Here is a Hindu, who, among millions of his countrymen, groaning under a system of vile despotism, though unable to better their

own condition, manfully came forward, and, in a public assembly, stood up as the bold and honest champion of his injured race, proclaiming the wrongs inflicted on them, so that some wise and enlightened friends might advise how to obtain redress for them; and this worthy individual, in another meeting of the inhabitants, held after the lapse of seventeen months, is accused of infidelity, by a foreigner, who thrusts himself into the midst of that society with no other view, as it is obvious, than to insult him and find fault with all its members. I repeat the words: Is it in accordance with the precepts of that religion of which they hands of an unwilling man, to convert him boast so much, to wrench money from the to a faith which he believes to be wrong?' And will you, Sir, champion of the mislegislations of the East-India Company,

of King, Lords, and Commons, recite a

scriptural text that sanctions the appli

Ication of the revenue taken from the Hindus to the maintenance of Christian

Russick Krishna Mullick himself has also entered the field of controversy. He observes: "It is true I did say that the natives believed the Christian religion to be destructive of both their temporal and eternal happiness;' but then I did not give it as my own opinion, but as the sentiment entertained by my countrymen. I merely stated a matter of fact-the belief of the nativeswith respect to the consequences of following Christianity. This is the head and front of my offending. How this can be construed into my thinking contumeliously of the author of Christianity, or how it can be said to be a blasphemous declaration of my opinion, I leave the public to judge. With respect to what Mr. Wyborn has said in his letter of to-day, I defy him to point out a single sentence or phrase, in any thing that I have ever spoken or written, in which I have maintained, that the followers of Christianity are doomed to eternal perdition,"

The Reformer takes up the defence of the Hindus in the following argument:"The principal error into which Mr. Wyborn appears to have fallen is, that he takes the public of Calcutta as a Christian

public, the local government as a Christian government, and the meeting that he was addressing as a Christian meeting. This, however, is not the proper light in which to view these public bodies. The Indian public-even those who are capable of taking part in public meetings,-consist not only of Christians, but of Hindus and Christians; the government, though at present it has at its head only those who profess the Christian religion, has nothing in its legal or political constitution which could justify one in calling it a Christian government. The law under which it works gives equal rights to British Indian subjects of all religions, and there is nothing in the principle of that law to prevent the Governor-general and his council from being Hindus. The accidental circumstance of Christians being at its head does not alter that principle, nor justify one in calling it a Christian government. Were Hindus at its head, we maintain, on the other hand, that none would be justified in calling it a Hindu government; for it is not the religion of the individuals who preside over it at certain periods which gives its legal character; that depends entirely on its political constitution. In regard to the meeting, though it is true, the majority were composed of Christians, yet, as there was nothing to prevent Hindus, &c. from attending at the meeting, it cannot be addressed as a body of Christians. Now, suppose for a moment, that the supreme council was composed of Hindus, and the meeting had nine Hindus to every Christian, would a speaker be justified in considering the one and addressing the other as Christians? Certainly not. Mr. Wyborn was therefore wrong in looking upon both as exclusively Christian. The proper light in which the meeting at the Town Hall should be viewed is that of a political body, assembled for political purposes, without any reference to the religious opinions of the people who composed it, and considered in this light, no one addressing should advert to the religion of any class, much less make that the ground of any argument, or indulge in disrespectful language towards it. No Christian pastor, addressing his flock from the pulpit, could have given them a more exclusively Christian character than Mr. Wyborn gives to the political meeting he is addressing. He calls a previous public meeting a Christian assembly.' Suppose the number of Hindus at that meeting had been four times that of Christians, would this expresssion, to say the least of it, have been appropriate? would it have conveyed a proper idea of the object it was employed to denote? This was the principal error into which Mr. Wyborn fell. His second error is an offspring of the first, and consists in speaking of Hindus in language far more violent and disrespectful than that which he condemns when applied by a

·

Hindu to the Christian religion. A Hindu, he says, stated at a certain public meeting that the natives felt the Christian religion to be destructive of both their temporal and eternal happiness.' This is not given as the opinion of the speaker: he informs the meeting that such was the opinion of the natives. How could it be otherwise? If the Hindu religion is essentially differ. ent from the Christian, if the one enjoins a rite as sacred which the other condemns as unholy, how can a man, who believes the former sincerely, believe the latter to be otherwise than destructive of eternal happiness? This is a truth which no sane man can deny; it is in fact a truism which needs not have been declared at the meeting. But he happens to declare it; that is, to announce what every Christian in that meeting knew: viz. that the Hindus look. ed upon the Christian religion as destructive of eternal happiness. This is the head and front of his offence, as made out by Mr. Wyborn himself. Now let us consider the language he employs against the Hindus. We shall not enumerate the strong expressions he arrays against the superstitions of the country; we shall not tell Mr. Wyborn that a very large portion of the people of India consider the rites which he abuses as sacred and holy; we shall content ourselves by only noticing the epithet he applies to the native whom he had introduced to his auditors. He calls him an infidel, and his opinion blasphemous. Is this the language of one who does not allow a man to inform a public meeting that the Hindus, consistently with their religious creed, cannot look upon Christianity otherwise than as destructive of their eternal happiness? The third error into which Mr. Wyborn falls arises from his want of knowledge of the customs and manners of the people. Having, in the extract we have made, described in glowing colours the self-tortures inflicted by the Churuckpoojah people, he goes on to say, that the highest natives seek to propitiate their divinities by these penitences, and this nation is now considered fit to decide upon the destinies of civilized Christian Europeans.' Now, it is well known to all who know any thing of the customs of the country, that the people who take part in the rites of the Churuckpoojah are always and exclusively of the lowest caste. No respectable and educated person is ever seen mangling his body on this festival. There is not, therefore, the slightest chance that these people will ever sit in judgment over the lives and properties of either Christians or Hindus. So long as the reins of government continue in the hands of sober people, there is no fear that the ignorant low castes, whose touch is considered by their countrymen as impure, will become judges of the Sudder Dewanny Adawlut. We do not mean

to say that lowness of caste ought to be any bar to preferment; but this we maintain, that so long as education does not civilize the people of low caste and make them abjure their barbarous rites, there is no fear of their being found sitting in judgment over the lives and property of his Majesty's subjects."

COMMUNICATION BETWEEN AVA AND

ASSAM.

We shall now fulfil our promise, to report on the communication recently effected by Capt. Hannay between Ava and Assam ; which is not only interesting in a geographical point of view, but intimately connects itself with the successful prosecution of the great enterprize which now gives Assam its chief importance.

Capt. Hannay left Ava in the early part of the year, with the purpose of penetrating to Sudiya; and Burmese troops were commanded to co-operate with him, in bringing into subordination the Dupha Gaum, a Singpho chief tributary to the British Government, on the south-eastern extremity of Assam, who had engaged in hostilities with the English authorities, and then taken shelter within the territories tributary to the king of Ava. This expedition, however, was undertaken so late in the season, that Capt. Hannay could not advance beyond Myen Khoon→→→ the Munkhom, we believe, of Capt. Wilcox's map, there laid down in about 26° 20′ N, lat. and 96° 50′ E. long. And now it is a vast acquisition, that at least three-fourths of the whole route between Sudiya and the capital of Ava have thus been travelled and surveyed by a British officer; whilst all that remains lies, as it were, at our own door; and of it about 80 miles were surveyed by Lieut. Burnett in 1828. At Myen Khoon, which lies within the Burmese territories, Capt. Hannay remained for several days, prosecuting inquiries respecting the discontents of the Dupha Gaum, who came in and surrendered himself of his own accord.

When Capt. Hannay was under the ne cessity of turning back from Myen Khoon, a Burmese commission, consisting of several members of no very high rank, who had accompanied him from Ava, came on to Assam. They passed through Sudiya, and arrived in Gowhattee in the beginning of last month. At Sudiya they were examined very carefully respecting their march from Myen Khoon to that station, by Lieut. Miller, who derived the most valuable assistance in the examination from our friend the Rev. Mr. Brown. The general result we understand to be, that this portion of the route occupied the commission only eight or nine days, and is perfectly practicable throughout: and indeed this accords with all the information previously received, and recorded in the

several published reports of Captains Neufville, Wilcox, and Pemberton.

It is of importance, however, that the survey of the route between Sudiya and Ava should be entirely completed by competent persons: and it is still more important that the route thus examined should be opened for a free and uninterrupted intercourse between the adjoining countries. It is now reported that there are Chinese settlers in considerable numbers in the neighbourhood of Old Beesa, or Hookoom, and Myen Khoon, as it was before known there are at Mogaung, about eight days' march farther South: and it does not appear at all improbable that, if proper measures were taken for the purpose, a thousand or two of them might easily be in

duced to come over and establish themselves at Sudiya, either as independent cultiva. tors of the soil, or as labourers in the tea plantations. By them also, in a very short time, a highly beneficial communication would be opened with the Chinese province of Yunan, which would not only extend the trade of Assam, but present every facility for perfecting the tea manufacture. Plants of the best sorts would be placed freely at our command, and men might be obtained skilled in every part of the manufacture, in any number, and at moderate

cost.

How far the Burmese commission to Assam intended to correspond in character with our own exploratory missions through the territories of uncertain and possibly dangerous allies, we cannot tell. It is of more importance to know, that in passing through Assam, the Burmese will see nothing to awaken an apprehension of aggression from us in that quarter: and it is peace there that our interests require. Neither will they find much encouragement to think of a new invasion of our territories. In the province itself, they will observe an advanced guard on the watch against danger. And they have had sufficient experience of the force by which they would be supported, or, at the worst, avenged, in case of attack. The ostensible object of the commission-and they may possibly have no other, is to induce the Burmans now settled at Singhamaree and other places in our country, to return to the Burman empire. These men formed part of the Burmese army which invaded Assam in the last war; and having capitulated to our troops, they did not dare to trust themselves within the power of their own government again. The British Government therefore allowed them to settle in Assam, both to save them from the destruction they dreaded, and in the hope that they would be found valuable helpers in restoring the cultivation of the province. Part of them were formed into a sort of military police, and did some good service, we believe, against the Khassias; but upon