carry these intentions into effect, a combined fleet, composed of a British squadron under Sir Edward Codrington, a French squadron under admiral De Rigny, and a Russian squadron under admiral Heiden, sailed into the Mediterranean. The TurkoEgyptian fleet entered the harbour of Navarino, and was blockaded by the allied squadrons. An armistice was concluded with Ibrahim Pacha; it was flagrantly violated; the allies entered the harbour, when a shot was fired from a Turkish vessel. This was the signal for immediate hostilities; a general engagement ensued, and, in about four hours, the combined Turkish and Egyptian fleets were annihilated. The arrival of some French forces obliged the Turks to evacuate the Morea, and the independence of Greece was virtually accomplished. 12. But the annihilation of the Turkish fleet rather confirmed than weakened the determination of the Sultan. War was declared against the Porte. A French army entered the Morea, and recovered all the posts which had been occupied by Turkish garrisons. Meanwhile the 'Russians, under general Diebitsch, laid siege to Silistria. This city having surrendered, the Russian general forced a passage through the Balkan, and fell in with the grand vizier, who was proceeding to take up his quarters in Salamno. A decisive battle took place, and the Turks were irretrievably defeated. Adrianople fell into the hands of the conquerors without a struggle, and Constantinople lay before them. The Sultan now acceded to terms of peace, and signed a treaty on the 14th of September, 1829, by which he agreed to pay for the expenses of the war, and to allow the Russian line of frontier to be further advanced into Asia than it had formerly been. The time had now arrived for the formal assertion of the independence of Greece. A congress of the three powers was held in London, when the crown of Greece was tendered to prince Leopold, of Saxe Coburg. After a long negotiation, the offer was declined. The crown was then bestowed on prince Otho, son of the king of Bavaria. 13. China.-In the year 1839, the British intercourse with China was terminated by the forcible suppression of the opium trade. The Chinese market had been supplied with this drug principally from India; its cultivation in that country is a government monopoly, and is said to have returned a revenue of upwards of 2 millions yearly. Down to the close of the last century, it was a legitimate branch of commerce. After that period, its importation was prohibited by the Chinese authorities. A contraband trade was then carried on, and the demand for the article rose to such an excess, that, in little more than forty years, the consumption increased from 1000 to 27000 chests per annum, each chest containing about 160 pounds weight. The Chinese government proceeded to take decided measures. Captain Elliott, the English resident at Canton, was placed under restraint, and cargoes of opium, amounting in value to nearly three millions sterling, were destroyed by order of the Chinese commissioner Lin. The consequence was, that in 1840, a British naval and military force appeared on the coast of China. The island of Chusan was captured in July, and various other successes attended the British arms during the few following months. The emperor of China now had recourse to diplomacy, and despatched Ke-shen, as imperial commissioner, to arrange an equitable treaty. But the diplomacy of the Chinese was as ineffectual as their arms: the terms of the treaty were evaded, and it was evident that the British were intended to be the dupes of Chinese insincerity. Ke-shen declared that his object was "to bridle and curb us pro tempore, in order to prepare for exterminating us at some future period." In January, 1841, preparations were made for attacking the Bogue forts, which were speedily carried. The events of the war are of toc recent occurrence to require minute details. Canton and Ningpo fell into the hands of the British. On the 10th of August, Sir Henry Pottinger arrived at Macao, and determined to proceed at once to the north of China. Amoy, supposed to be impregnable, surrendered to the British. A treaty was then negotiated, by which the island of Hongkong was ceded for ever to the British crown, five of the principal ports of China were opened to our commerce, and the emperor agreed to pay twenty-one millions of dollars by way of compensation for the property of the British, which had been destroyed at the commencement of the war. 14. United States of America.-In May, 1787, general Washington was elected the first president of the United States of America. In the course of the same year, a project of a constitution was submitted to a convention of delegates, and the Federal Constitution was established, by which the several states elected their delegates to congress. Under the new government, the States emerged from their financial and commercial difficulties, and attained a high degree of national prosperity. The new constitution had, however, divided the country into political parties: the two grand divisions were designated as federalists and anti-federalists. The former of these advocated the expediency of conferring the largest amount of power upon the supreme central authorities; the latter contended for the supremacy of the provincial legislatures, in which the popular voice could be more effectually heard. The federalists leaned towards aristocracy and England; the anti-federalists towards democracy and France. After the death of Washington, the popular party rapidly gained ground, and the election of Jefferson to the presidency in 1801, in opposition to Mr Adams, was the crowning triumph of democracy. The dominant party then acquired the name of democrats or republicans. In 1824, the name of federalist was changed for that of national-republicans, when the opposite party began to be called Jackson-men. In 1834 the old federalists were named whigs; the democrats, who supported Van Buren, tories; of the latter party, those who advocated extreme opinions, have acquired the soubriquet of loco-focos. It is not to be supposed, however, that these designations invariably indicate fixed principles: questions have occasionally arisen, in the discussion of which the party symbols have changed sides, and whig and conservative, tory and democrat, have become respectively synonymous terms. 15. The events of the revolutionary war which agitated Europe, during the career of Napoleon, were felt across the Atlantic. The trade of the United States was restricted by the measures of England and of France; the impressment of seamen on board the American vessels by British men-of-war was loudly complained of; a suspicion was also entertained that the Indians had been instigated to acts of hostility by British agents. In 1812, a declaration of war against England passed the house of representatives, and was immediately followed by an invasion of Canada. During the two following years, hostilities were prosecuted between the two countries with various success. On the conclusion of the great European struggle, the subjects of dispute between England and the United States were happily arranged by a treaty, which was signed at Ghent on the 24th of December, 1814. THE END. CHRONOLOGICAL TABLE. According to Abp. Usher's calculation by the Hebrew Text of the Bible. EXPLANATION OF THE TABLE OF CHRONOLOGY. THE Plan of the following CHRONOLOGICAL TABLE, though extremely simple, requires, as being a new one, a short explanation. In order to give a distinct View of the succession of Princes in the chief Empires or Kingdoms, without employing for that purpose different columns, which distracts too much the attention, and occupies unnecessarily a great deal of space, the Series of the Sovereigns of different Nations is distinguished in this Table by their being printed in different Typographical Characters. Thus, the Series of the Kings and Emperors of Rome is printed in Roman Capitals ;-as 14. TIBERIUS, Emperor of Rome. The Series of the Popes is distinguishable by this character ¶ prefixed to each name;—as 1513. Pope Leo X. That of the Sultans of the Ottoman Empire, by a ) prefixed to the name. The names of the Emperors of Germany are printed in Roman Small Capitals ; -as 887. ARNOLD, Emperor of Germany. The Kings of England are marked by the black Saxon Type;-as 1066. William (the Conqueror) King of England. The Kings of Scotland are printed in Italic Capitals ;-as 1390. ROBERT ÏII. King of Scotland. And the Kings of France are distinguished by the usual Italic Type;-as 1498. Louis XII. King of France. By this method the Succession of the Sovereigns in the different Kingdoms is immediately distinguishable to the eye, as well as the Duration of their Reigns, while the intervening space is filled by the Remarkable Events that occurred in that period all over the World; and thus the connection of General History is preserved unbroken. A marginal column is added of Illustrious Persons; which being appropriated chiefly to men of learning and genius, presents to the reader a view of the progress of science, and affords an easy means of forming an estimate of the literary character of any particular age in the history of mankind. f. signifies flourished, d. died, ab. about. CHRONOLOGICAL TABLE. B. C. 4004 The Creation of the World, according to Abp. According to Dr. Hales, who follows the According to the Samaritan version, 4700. According to "L'Art de verifer les Dates," 3101 Indian Era of the Kaliyuga. 2700 Chinese Cyclical Era of sixty years commenced, consequently in 1845 we are in the 45th year of the 76th cycle. 2348 Era of the Deluge, according to Usher. Hales, 3155. 2247 The building of Babel.-The dispersion of mankind, and the confusion of languages. (2554. Hales.) 2217 Nimrod supposed to have built Babylon, and Assur to have built Nineveh. Illustrious Persons. 2188 Menes (in Scripture, Misraim) founds the mo- Menu's legislation in narchy of Egypt, and enacts laws. 2084 The Shepherd Kings conquer Egypt. 2075 Semiramis queen of Assyria. 2040 Mores king of Thebes and Memphis in Egypt. Judea. 1897 Sodom and Gomorrah destroyed by fire from heaven. 1895 Isaac born. (2053. Hales.) 1856 Inachus founds the kingdom of Argos in Greece. 1836 Jacob and Esau born. (1993. Hales.) 1825 The Shepherd Kings abandon Egypt. 1823 Death of Abraham. (1978. Hales.) 1796 The Deluge of Ogyges in Attica. 1722 Sesostris or Rameses king of Egypt. 1635 Joseph dies in Egypt. (1792. Hales.) India. Oguz Khan's among the Hosheng and Jemshid's 1582 The chronology of the Arundelian Marbles Atlas, Astron. and Pro begins. 1571 Moses born in Egypt. 1556 Cecrops the Egyptian founds Athens, and in stitutes marriage. 1546 Scamander founds the kingdom of Troy. 1532 Judgment of the Areopagus between Mars and 1529 The Deluge of Deucalion in Thessaly. metheus his brother. |