duction of the harvest. It feems if he has prepared rice for a few Brahmans, not exceeding one thoufand in number, and three or four thousand additional guests should intrude, the quantity will neverthelefs be fufficient, and a furplus left; this is deemed an infallible fign of a plentiful year. If, on the other hand, only 500 fhould come, and a provifion has been made for 4000, it will not be fufficient, and this is reckoned a certain fign of future as well as prefent fcarcity. If the god eats his own dinner on this occafion at his cafe, and contentedly, a continuation of peace is the confequence; but, if he intends to punish mankind with the horrors of purpofe. In addition to the jaghire allowed to the family on the above occafion, the prefent Pefhwa, it is faid, has allowed that pagoda a revenue of 12,000 rupees annually. The foregoing, we are aware, is a very imperfect account of a very curious part of the Hindu mythology, of which the public may no doub expect a more full and accurate de. fcription, from the pen of a very clofe inquirer, who was of the late party at Chichura. MARCH. of Ceylon, To the Rt. Hon. the Earl of MORNING- MY LORD, We, the British Inhabitants of Columbo, beg leave to congratulate your Lordship on your return to the ordinary feat of your Government, and on the happy termination of that feries of rapid and brilliant fuccefs, which, directed by the wife and vi gorous counfels of your Lordship, has confolidated and confirmed the Bri tish power in India. war, he brandishes a fpear, to the Address of the British Inhabitants terror and imminent danger of his guests, who remove at fuch times out of his reach. He enjoys a revenue of about forty thousand rupees annually; of which about five or fix thousand rupees is made up by occafional offerings at his thrine. A large income defcended to him from his ancestors, which was granted to one of them in commemoration of a miracle which he performed at a former period, when the Nizam's army marched to Poonah. We are told that on this occafion a large detachment went to Chichura, in the hope of plunder to a great amount, which it was thought the accumulated mafs of wealth there would afford. They attempted an entrance, however, by ftratagem, and affected to carry offerings to the god in the ufual ftyle of his adorers; but, to their aftonish ment, the contents of the trays, which confifted of butcher's meat (the groffeft infult they could offer), when they fet out, on being uncovered in the prefence of the deity, were found converted into a beautiful affortment of the fineft flowers; on which they were fe petrified that they defifted from their facrilegious Particularly dependent, as this ifland is, on the general ftrength and ftability of the empire, we could not but feel a peculiar intereft in the great caufe of our coun try; nor could we view, without fingular fatisfaction, the refult of that masterly conduct, which fecured to us the effective alliance of the Nizam, and brought into the field, with unparalleled celerity, an army, whofe heroic achievements have fur. paffed our most fanguine expectations. We are happy in reflecting, that the unexampled profperity, with which Divine Providence has bleffed the the exertions of that army, has been no lefs the reward of juftice, moderation, and forbearance, than of wisdom, promptitude, and valour; and that thofe refources which your Lordship called forth, with fo much energy, were employed in the juft punishment of unequivocal though infidious aggreffion. We fincerely truft, that your Lordship will enjoy, during the remainder of your government, a continuance of that profperous and fplendid carreer which has hitherto diftinguished it; that you will receive, in the veneration and attachment of those you govern, the juft return for the many advantages you have procured for them; and that your example will prove to all those who may be intrufted with the interefts of Britain in India, an efficacious leffon of rectitude, vigilance, and ability. We have the honour to be, With moft profound refpect, My Lord, Your Lordship's humble and obedient Servants. (Signed) By the BRITISH INHABITANTS. Columbo, 4th Nov. 1799. various parts of the globe, combined with the moderation and equity of our views, have opened the happy profpect of general and permanent fecurity against the destructive projects of the enemy. Whatever may be the issue of the prefent crifis, I am satisfied that his Majefty may rely with fafety on the ability, firmnefs, and integrity of thofe hands in which he has placed the immediate government of the valuable island of Cey lon, It will be a conftant object of my care to co-operate in every measure which can tend to fecure your tran quillity, or to promote your in terefts. I have the honour to be Gentlemen, Your faithful Servant, (Signed) MORNINGTON. Fort William, January 17th, 1800. We have received intelligence, that a very extraordinary and un. expected emigration has taken place of the people of Arracan into the Chittagong diftrict. We are affured by private letters, that no lefs than $5,000 perfons have fled from the ancient government of Burmah, and fought protection in Chittagong. The caufe of this alarming emigration is attributed folely to the views of Burmah, which is making the most vigorous preparations for carrying on a war against the Siamefe. The heavy levies and exceffivè contributions which the government of Burmah impofed on the inhabitants, led to the above remarkable movement. Penalties and fevere corporeal punifhment drove the miferable multitude from their abodes, and they have fupplicated our Refident at Chittagong to interfere with Government in their behalf. The Siamese are also making every en deavour deavour to meet the army of Bur. mah; their troops, though not more numerous than thofe of Burmah, have little inclination to engage in a conteft which is likely to injure the commerce of Siam. Various conjectures have arifen on the very extraordinary conduct of the government of Burmah. The emigrants are in an indefcribable state of diftrefs; but as negotiations are on foot to reconcile the exiles, it is expected matters will be fo regu. lated as to induce them to return to their own country. A fmall privateer named the Harriet, carrying fix guns and thirty men, was fome time fince fitted out by Capt. Hogan, at the Cape of Good Hope, for the purpofe of intercepting a Spanish fhip which was ftated to be bound to Mozambique with 50,000 dollars for the purchase of flaves. The Harriet miffed the object of her fearch, but fell in with a Danish hip, the Holger Danske, from Batavia for Norway, with coffee, fugar, indigo, arrack, and fpice, belonging to the Dutch East-India Company, to the value of 120,000l. befides 150 pieces of large cannon from the arfenal of Batavia, faid to be for Amfterdam. The fhip, being Danish property, has been liberated, but the cargo will doubtless be condemned. The Mandarin's palace at Macao, in China, has been lately very finely ornamented with painting, gilding, and filken ftreamers, for the purpose of receiving a grand vifit from the Viceroy of Mee-you-mee-awng. A Late letter from China fays, "Several regiments of Chinese foldiers are conftantly drawn up on the beach, with a train of artillery, expecting the Viceroy's arrival." The policy of the Chinese government, which circumfcribes, and jealously restricts as much as poffible, all communication with the inte rior, limits our expectations of novelty from that quarter within very narrow bounds; but, confined as our prefent communications are, the fol lowing anecdotes may be acceptable to a curious reader. The new Emperor Ca Hing has commenced his reign with many acts of popularity. He has taken a more than ufual active fhare in the different departments of govern ment, and manifefted a regard for justice, which by all accounts has given univerfal fatisfaction. In this refpect he has deviated from the. established cuftom, which enjoins to the new emperor and his family a mourning, and a total abftinence from the exereife of his public functions for two years, and has only complied with the usage in this refpect fo far as to confine himself to, Pekin and its environs, and to forbid the exhibition of any plays or public entertainments excepting for religious purposes. He did not, it feems, fucceed to his new dignity without fome apprehenfions from the intrigues of his predeceffor's prime minifter, whofe intentions to ufurp the throne he appears to have ftrongly fufpected. He had the addrefs, however, to fill all the principal offices and pofts, both at the capital and in the provinces, before he had manifefted his fentiments. He then degraded and imprifoned the object of his jealousy, and feized his wealth, which in bullion, and other property in land, and fecurities of different defcriptions, is faid to have amounted at the lowest computation, to eighty mil lions of tales, near twenty-feven millions of pounds fterling, befides four peculs (upwards of five hundred and thirty pounds weight) of pearls, among which there were faid to be upwards of fifty of the largest in the world. A Tub. A-fubject of his rank, poffeffed of fuch enormous refources, was certainly no mean rival to the heir apparent, in fo venal a government as that of China is reprefented. Charges of mal adminiftration were exhibited against him; but they are faid to have been comparatively trivial, and that the emperor deeming it incompatible with his dignity to avow his jealoufy, reforted to thefe charges as a pretext for taking off a man whom he had predetermined to deftroy. A filken cord was accordingly fent to the difcarded minifter as a polite intimation of an alternative whereby he had his choice of fuicide or a public execution; he preferred the former, and hanged kimfelf. A rebellion which has exifted in fome of the provinces for many years paft was not entirely crufhed, but was partly fubdued, and on the whole much lefs alarming to government than it had been for fome years before. SHIPPING. The damage done to the privateer could not be ascertained; but when the fheered off, it was plainly feen he was in a shattered state, and that the men were inceffantly working at both pumps. This brilliant ac tion has been much applauded in India; a very valuable fhip being preferved by it, the fpecie alone which the carried being valued at upwards of 100,0001. befides the value of the fhip and merchandise. The merchants of Calcutta, on her arrival, made a present of one thousand guineas to the commander and ship's company; and the underwriters of Lloyd's, with their ufual liberality, fubfcribed for the fame purpose. The Cleopatra Portugueze Indiaman, (lately arrived at Lifbon from Calcutta,) on her outwardbound voyage, on the 6th of De cember last, near the Riffes, fell in with a French privateer of 19 guns, by which he was moft furiously attacked, and an engagement enfued, which lafted two hours and an half within muket-fhot. The privateer twice attempted to board, but was prevented by the firmness of the Portugueze commander, whofe welldirected fire had fuch a good effect that at laft the Frenchman fheered off with all the fail he could crowd, and was foon out of fight of the Cleopatra. The damages fuftained by this veffel, in her rigging, fails, yards, &c. feveral fhots in her fides, two fhots in the main-maft, two men killed and fix wounded, are evident proofs of the brave refiftance made. Letters from Bombay, of the 20th of January, give the following par ticulars of the cruifes of the Sybille and Fox, in the Indian Seas:After having convoyed a fquadron of China Ships, the frigates flood for Manilla. On the 12th of October they captured a large brig from that place, from which they received information, that the Spanifh veffels there were in no condi dition to put to fea. Proceeding thither, they practifed a device to induce the Spaniards to come on board. Having hoisted French colours, they equipped as many of the crews as could fpeak French, in the garb of that country, with the na. tional cockade, &c. The trick fucceeded, and numbers of Spaniards boarded them without fufpicion, and communicated every information on the fuppofition that they belonged to Admiral Sercy's fquadron. Great was the furprife of the Dons, however, when the pretended Frenchmen difcovered themselves, The Spaniards, after being regaled with wine, were permitted to return afhore. The frigates, finding nothing to be done at Manilla, bore away. Till the 22d they experienced boisterous boisterous weather, and one of the boats of the Sybille, in which were twelve men, parted, but there was reafon to hope that she would make fome land. On the 22d they arrived off Samboangan, one of the Philippines, which, hoifting Spanish colours, they expected to take by furprise. The Sybille unfortunately got afhore about a mile from the fort, which began a brifk fire, which did no damage, and a breeze fpring. ing up, the Sybille got off. An attempt was made to land to the weft ward of the fort, where two batteries had opened on the frigates and their boats; but the fhore being full of fhoals, the boats returned to the hips. In this attempt the Fox had 4 men killed and 12 wounded, the Sybille 2 killed and 6 wounded, befides fome damage in their rig. ging, &c. Lofs of the Trincomallée. Having reafons to think that the proceedings of the Hon. Company's cruizer Comet, under my command, on the occafion of the encounters between his Majefty's floop Trinsmallée and the French privateer Iphigene, on the 10th and 12th October laft, have not been fully explained in the different details which have been fubmitted to the public, you will oblige me by inferting the following recital of the circum. ftances compiled from my log-book. On the 9th October I fell in with the Trincomallée, off Cape Muckfa, near the entrance of the gulph, and was informed by Captain Rowe, that he had come from Muf. cat, and was in queft of a French privateer which was cruizing between the Quoins and the Ifland of Kishme. I accordingly put myself under the orders of that officer, and purfued my courfe in company with the Trincon allie. On the 10th, at night, we difco. vered two strange ships, one on each bow, which we foon obferved were ftanding towards us. We were then near the Quoins, and about eleven the Trincomallée hoifted her colours and fired a thot at the head. moft ftranger, which she immediate. ly returned. The Trincomallée, after difcharging feveral broadfides into her, tacked, and I by Captain Rowe's directions tacked alfo.Captain Rowe foon after informed me, that it was his intention to keep the wind until day light enabled him to form fome judgment of the ftrength of the enemy, both fhips having then joined. At day-break, being ftill on a wind, we faw the two fhips to lee. ward, alfo keeping their wind, one of which I knew to be the Pearl, and the other a fhip of force, mounting as I judged twenty-four or twenty-fix guns; boats were at this time frequently paffing between the two fhips, as both Captain Rowe and I fuppofed re-inforcing the Pearl with men, to enable her to render more effectual affistance to the other. The fuperiority of the enemy was evidently great, and the Trincomal lée being very thinly manned with Europeans, both her and the Comet, after a trial of the enemy's force, ftood through the Lareck Channel, the Trincomallée leading, and the enemy ftanding the fame way. The four fhips thus nearly preferved their relative distance, firing occafionally as opportunity offered, until the afternoon of the 12th, when the ene my having gained confiderably by the affiftance of their sweeps and boats, Captain Rowe came to the refolution of making an exertion in concert with the Comet to clear the gulph of thofe fhips, before they could have any acceffion to their force, by the capture of any of the Company's cruizers which they might |