of six sail, and appointed a Rear-Admiral to command it; we have chosen a Minister Plenipotentiary, with secretaries, attachés, and delegates of every description; we have even sent out a historiographer and homoeopathic physicians, and all this to obtain for us in China a less favourable position than the one we held previous to all that fracas. What has become of the conquest of an island in the China Sea, announced so pompously by M. Guizot during the last session? Has some new Pritchard started up to defeat the execution of that fine project? Be this as it may, the embassy to China has ended, as we foretold it would, by much expense to be defrayed, and little profit to be derived. This is the natural but costly consequence of the policy of the conqueror of the Marquesas Islands.

Accounts from Adelaide to the 6th of October bring intelligence of the massacre of an overland party by the natives. The victims, to the number of 15, out of a company of 20, were murdered while asleep, and their flocks dispersed in different directions. Captain Sturt proposed to proceed to investigate the matter on the spot where the catastrophe is alleged to have taken place.

It is painful to learn that Tahiti remains in a state of disorder. Whilst the two governments of France and England were discussing a comparatively trivial question of a personal kind, the sufferings of the natives of the island seem to have been overlooked. Some missionaries have arrived, who left Tahiti in August, at which time it was in a state of entire disorganization; almost the entire population were in the mountains, in a position of self-defence; the Queen Pomare, with her family and attendants, was in the fastnesses of Raiatea, resolved either to be restored to full possession or to die.

Mr. Jesson, one of the missionaries, is intrusted with a despatch from Queen Pomare to Queen Victoria.

TRANSLATION OF A HINDEE SONG.

THE WORDS SUPPOSED TO BE UTTERED BY A WIDOW, OR SUTTEE,
ON HER WAY TO THE PILE.

Oн, mother! here no longer may I stay;
My time is near, and I must haste away.

Troubled on earth my stay-and passed as soon,
As seems the growth and wane of yonder moon.
Reason to man 's a gift sent down from Heaven;
By instinct indiscrim'nate brutes are driven;
The ox may, senseless, graze around the tomb;
I loathe its foulness mid my dreadful doom.
Upon my lap my husband's head I'll lay,
Once more embrace his form now turned to clay.

Of all our kind the noblest and the best
Have been laid low, and patient take their rest.
Why vainly seek to avoid the doom of fate?
Our end must overtake us soon or late.

I leave now, weeping, my much loved abode ;
Speechless from sobs companions round me crowd.
Sad this to witness; sadder yet than ail,

My infants' laugh sounds through the orphaned hall.
Too young to know their loss, while future years
May bring the wretches' lot, neglect and tears.
Slow sense of duty now may grudge the aid
Which erst by kind affection quick was paid.—
Mother, lead on, no longer may I stay;
My hour is come, and I must haste away!

ORIGINAL.

Moree ma ub to ruho nu jae: Moree ma ub to ruho nu jae
More suniyan (suneha ?) ne guruwa: Keeno muh ka chand jae
Goristhan pur goroo churte; Sumujh sumujh hum rog
Oonche oonche muhton wale; neeche ghurmen sog

Rowut chhoro gawn so asin (asa ?) bilukut sukhee suhelin
Lurkiyan kee neh ningoree; eksung kee khelee.

The above was copied from a MS. collection of Hindoostanee songs, set to music, which it was the fortune of the present writer to meet with some time ago. The translation extends to a greater length than the original, but it is believed that the spirit of the author has not been departed from, and that his meaning has been correctly enough expressed, though an attempt has been made to develope his ideas with more fulness than he has given to them. It is possible that only a fragment of the original has here been produced; for, with other songs in the collection, it was found that only so much of the words had been copied as were needed to accompany the tune; but by repeating the first couplet at the end of the piece, it acquires at least the appearance of completeness. It may be remarked, that the measure is the same in the translation as in the original, where there are six couplets. The present contributor is not acquainted with the tune to which the song is set, nor is he now possessed of a copy of it. The piece is sent to the Asiatic Journal as a curious specimen of Hindoo poetry, and as being in a style, so far as the contributor knows, not common among the native writers of the country.

London, 17th Feb. 1845.

D. L.

JOAO DE CASTRO'S LOST LOG-BOOK.

GREAT and glorious as were our own early successes in India, and extended as the British empire in that quarter of the globe has since been rendered by a series of conquests, which shed an imperishable lustre upon our flag, still we cannot forget the deeds of those who, in the spirit of fearless adventure, preceded us round the Cape of Good Hope, and thus opened the portals of Asia. Without feelings of admiration it would indeed be impossible for us to contemplate, even at this advanced period, that bold and enlightened system of maritime discoveries, pursued as early as the 15th century, under the direction of Prince Henry of Portugal, the results of which produced a complete change in the course of European commerce, as emphatically described by our national bard.

"With such mad seas the daring Gama fought,

For many a day and many a dreadful night,
Incessant labouring round the stormy Cape,
By bold ambition led, and bolder thirst

Of gold. For then from ancient gloom emerged
The rising world of trade-the genius, then,

Of navigation, that, in hopeless sloth,
Had slumbered on the vast Atlantic deep,
For idle ages, starting, heard at last

The Lusitanian Prince, who, heaven-inspired,

To love of useful glory roused mankind,

And in unbounded commerce mixed the world."

The reigns of Emanuel and John III. of Portugal will ever be memorable in the annals of Indian traffic. After doubling the S.W. extremity of Africa, Vasco da Gama proceeded to Mozambique, Melinda, and Calicut.* In 1503 Albuquerque imposed a tribute on the ruler of Zinzibar, and in 1506 Tristan d'Acunha explored the coast of Madagascar, while about the same period Almeida visited the Laccadive islands, discovered Ceylon and Sumatra, and defeated the combined Egyptian and Indian forces. The Portuguese formed establishments at Quiloa, Cananor, and other places, and also took possession of the Maldives and Ceylon. Albuquerque conquered Ormus, Dabul, Calicut, Goa, Choran, Divar, and Salsette; seized upon Malacca, and granted his protection to the kings of Siam and Sumatra. In 1513 he attacked the Moors at Aden, and finally Emanuel's officers formed alliances with the rulers living on the western side of Sumatra, and reached Borneo and Celebes. In 1516 the Portuguese sent their first embassy to the Emperor of China, and next year established themselves at Macao. By these, and other important acquisitions, the hardy sons * More than three hundred and seventy years ago, Bartholomew Diaz discovered the guano island of Ichaboe, now so much frequented by our vessels, near which he erected a stone cross, with the Portuguese arms upon it. This cross was standing in 1828, but has since been thrown down by some thoughtless or mischievous persons. The pedestal now only remains, and the spot upon which it stands is called "Pedestal Point" by our mariners.

of Lusitania became masters of that oriental commerce, which the Venitians had till then exclusively carried on; Goa was made the seat of government-the arsenal of Portugal in Asia, and that place and Lisbon ranked as the Tyre and Sidon of the age.*

Several native chiefs, who had been dispossessed of part of their dominions, now entered into confederacies against the Portuguese. Among these the most formidable were the sovereigns of Cambaya and Diu, who sent emissaries, loaded with presents, to Constantinople, soliciting aid against the overwhelming strangers. An armament was accordingly determined upon, a large part of the expenses of which Soliman Pasha offered to pay, provided he received the command. This man was a successful Greek mariner, who, by his cruizers and court favour, had amassed an immense fortune. A bargain having been struck with the Sultan, Soliman proceeded to Suez, built and equipped the vessels deemed necessary, and, as part of his own contingent, purchased 1,000 Nubian slaves. At length a fleet of 72 war-vessels was collected, on board of which, besides sailors and slaves, there were embarked 1,500 Janisaries of the royal guard, 2,000 Turkish regulars, and 500 Mamelukes, well officered and provided. This formidable force left Suez in 1537, and, sailing down the Red Sea, committed great excesses, took Aden, and hanged its ruler. Arriving on the coast of Hindostan, they laid siege to Diu, but were repulsed by Governor Silveira, whose gallant defence justly became a topic of exultation with several Portuguese contemporaneous historians. The Pasha, however, saved the greater part of his vessels, and brought them back to Suez, but falling into disgrace poisoned himself, in order to escape from the executioner's hands.t

The Portuguese did not lose sight of this attack made upon their Indian possessions by the Sultan's orders, and resolved to avenge them

* In 1523 the sovereigns of the Moluccas, or Spice Islands, placed themselves under the protection of the Portuguese, who thence taking their departure in 1525 discovered the eastern coast of New Holland. This circumstance is mentioned by Portuguese writers on the early affairs of India, who refer to sketches then taken of the coast and Portuguese names given to remarkable points. This will appear strange to those persons who have hitherto thought that the Dutch first visited New Holland. Early in the 17th century they certainly traced the N. and W. parts, as well as the S. extremity, in 1642, as Cook did the E. and N. E. sides in 1770; but the Portuguese had put in their claim to the merit of having discovered the E. division a century before the Dutch hoisted their flag in those seas. On the 7th of July, 1807, the learned Barbié du Bocage, at a sitting of the French Institute, read a memoir, afterwards printed in the Moniteur, for the purpose of shewing that the Portuguese actually did discover and sketch the eastern side of New Holland, towards the year 1525. After referring to Portuguese authorities on the subject, he says that the court of Lisbon lost the papers relating to this discovery through the infidelity of Manuel da Silva, bishop of Vizeu, who absconded, carrying with him many valuable papers from John III.'s cabinet, confided to his care. This renegade, it is well known, sought an asylum in France, where he disposed of his spoil, in proof of which M. du Bocage proceeds to remark that the part of the coast of New Holland alluded to is laid down in certain French MS. atlases, still preserved, and bearing the dates of 1542, 1547, and 1555, wherein the names affixed are Portuguese.

The first notice regarding the Red Sea, derived from materials which were not handed down o us by the ancients, made its appearance at Venice, in 1538, under the title of "Itinerarium Sullermani Bassæ a Suez in Indiam descriptum," but it consisted only of two 4to pages, stating the distances from and to places, evidently taken from the Pasha's diary kept as far as the Straits,

selves the first opportunity that presented itself. On the death of Viceroy Noronha, the supreme command devolved upon Estevan da Gama, second son of the great Vasco da Gama, a naval officer of distinction, and late captain-general of Malacca. On examining his predecessor's papers, among other important matters, he discovered the project of a maritime enterprise, once entertained by his own father, and the earliest possible execution of which was urgently recommended by the reigning king of Portugal. This project was accompanied by a standing order, addressed to the viceroy in office, directing him to fit out and send to the Red Sea an adequate naval force, with instructions to destroy any Turkish vessels which might be found navigating it, and more especially to burn the war-galleys anchored at Suez.

Sensible of the importance of the blow which might thus be struck against the Ottoman power, in a quarter where such an attempt was least expected, yòung da Gama exultingly submitted the project to his council, and having received their sanction, gave orders for the equipment of a fleet, which he proposed to command in person. Wishing to avail himself of the services of the best officers he could find on the spot, among others he selected Joao de Castro, a clever mathematician, and one of the ablest navigators of the age; an officer who, as he afterwards became the principal actor in the expedition about to be undertaken, and whose memory is revered as having been one of the most distinguished and upright viceroys the Portuguese ever had in India, deserves a short preliminary notice.

Joao de Castro was the son of the civil governor of Lisbon, but, in consequence of a romantic attachment and clandestine marriage with a lady inferior to him in rank, had been driven from the paternal roof, and obliged to support himself on his pay as a naval officer. Full of enthusiasm for his profession, and possessing some of the best attributes of a manly spirit, the ejected youth determined to trust only to his own resources, and thus render himself independent. Endowed with strong feelings and an ardent mind, he accordingly devoted his whole time to nautical studies, and was fortunate enough to be admitted, as a pupil, into the house of Dom Pedro Nunez, one of the first mathematicians and the ablest scholar at that time in Portugal, and who was also preceptor to the Infante Dom Luiz, brother of the reigning sovereign. Under the tuition of this accomplished master, Castro made rapid progress, and through habits of intercourse contracted an intimacy with the Infante, which ripened into friendship, and lasted through life. So strong was the Prince's early attachment that, when called upon to head the Portuguese contingent destined to aid Charles V. in his memorable expedition against Barbarossa, he requested that Castro might be appointed near his person, and it was amidst the difficulties attendant upon the siege of Goletta and the reduction of Tunis, that he displayed science, judgment, and a dauntless courage, far beyond what could be expected from his years.* Castro's conduct in the * On this occasion he gave the first proof of that disinterestedness which distinguished him while holding command in India, by refusing to accept the 2,000 ducats ordered by Charles V to be distributed to each Portuguese officer engaged in this service.