amount to between 5 and 6,000. The better sort of them possess valuable estates, in lands and houses, and were the first planters of pepper.

The lower order exercise the different trades of carpenters, smiths, shoemakers, &c. &c.; they are labourers and fishermen, and supply the markets with all sorts of vegetables. The wages they reThe wages they receive are certainly very high, but they are laborious good workmen, and as they are expensive in their mode of living, the greatest part of the money they receive is spent in the island. Every Chinese-man makes it an invariable rule to send a certain portion of his earnings annually to his friends and relations in China. These people are addicted to gaming and smoaking opium, and are immoderately fond of seeing plays acted after the manner of their country: though the audiences on these occasions are extremely numerous, the utmost order, silence, and regularity is observed. Their plays frequently require two or three days for the representation, and embrace a period of many years. These performances are very noisy, the termination of each scene and act being marked by the firing of numerous crackers, and the sounds of their music are the most discordant. To every person but themselves, these plays, after half an hour, become tiresome in the greatest degree. During their holidays, which continue a month, no consideration will induce a China-man to work. In this period, the savings of a year are frequently dissipated in a few hours. They are, in general, a quiet, industrious people, and have proved a most valuable acquisition to this settlement; indeed, without them it would have little or no cultivation. They are great spe

culators, to which spirit many have fallen victims. Others have been utterly ruined, by the usurious practices of some Europeans, who, taking advantage of their ignorance, induced them to sign bonds, the meaning of which they could not understand. Hence, in too many instances, they were only made sensible of their folly by being driven from their houses and lands, (which last they had been induced to cultivate by the specious advantages held forth to them), by finding, but too late, that the fruits of their industry and labour were become the property of another; while their wives, children, and themselves are once more to seek for a habitation:

CHOOLIAHS.

The Chooliahs came from the Coast of Coromandel; many of them are merchants, and are fixed inhabitants, and possess property to a very great amount: the greatest portion, however, of the Chooliahs, reside on the island only for a few months; when, having disposed of their goods, and purchased a fresh cargo, they return to the Coast. The coolies and boatmen, are Chooliahs; these two descriptions of people remain one, two, or three years, according to circumstances, and then return to the Coast. The Chooliahs are dispersed over all the Malay Peninsula, and are entrusted by the different Rajahs with the chief management of their affairs. They are a quiet useful people.

MALAYS.

The proportion of Malay inhabitants is, fortunately, very sinali; they are an indolent, vindictive, and treacherous

treacherous people, and, generally speaking, seem fit for little else but cutting down trees, at which they are very expert. They are incapable of labour, beyond the cultivation of paddy. When they procure a small quantity of rice, and some opium, no inducement, so long as those articles last, is sufficiently powerful to make them do any work. But though so rude and uncivilized a race, some of them are most excellent goldsmiths, and work in fillagree, in a very beautiful manner indeed.

BUGGESSES.

The Buggesses come from Borneo and the Celebes, though commonly considered as Malays.Their language is perfectly distinct, and indeed, in every particular, they appear a different people. They are bold, independent, and enterprising; make good soldiers, and, if treated with kindness, are attached and faithful. They have a small town on the Pinary River; their numbers have lately encreased; many of their prows come here annually, and exchange their gold dust and cloths, for iron, opium, &c.

BURMAHS.

The Burmahs are not numerous; they live in a small town by themselves, and subsist, chiefly, by fishing.

PARSEES.

The Parsees come from Bombay and Surat. Some of the higher

sort are great merchants; the lower order are chiefly, shipwrights, and are esteemed excellent workmen. They are a remarkable quiet well, behaved people. It is much to be wished that their numbers were augmented, which will certainly be the case, if the shipping of the port increases.

The above enumerated are the principal classes of our inhabitants, who are not Christians; the re mainder are composed of Benga, lees, Achenese, Javanese, &c.

In the year 1797, an account was taken of the inhabitants then resident on the island, exclusive of Europeans and the garrison, when the number was found to be 6937. In the year 1801-2, the Lieutenant Governor ordered another account to be taken, by which it appeared, that there were 723 persons who whose wives, children, relations, possessed landed property, and ed to 9587, of which number 1222 friends, servants, and slaves amountonly were slaves; the total amounts

of the inhabitants, though made to 10,310. But this enumeration with every degree of care and atten difficulties opposed to such an ope tion, cannot, on account of the ration by the peculiar habits of the people, be considered as sufficiently accurate. It being certain, however, that the error does not lie in having over-rated the inhabitants, we may safely venture to estimate the population of the island at 12,000, every person included; a larger population than has, perhaps, been known in any settlement in so short a period from its foundation.

A Sketch

THIS Gentleman was distinguished, early in life, by an indefatigable ardour in his literary pursuits; which, among other things, made hin desirous to present the world with a complete edition of the New Testament in Greek, proposed to contain, not only the various readings collected by Wetstein, Matthæi, Mill, Greisbach, and Bengelius, but also those of more than thirty great manuscripts which he had collected during his residence in the Turkish Empire, as well as an entirely new and accurate collection of the Syriac, and other ancient versions.

To the elegance of his taste, and his proficiency in the oriental languages, all must do justice who have read his translations from the Arabic, of various pieces of select poetry.

We cannot sufficiently lament the loss of his very useful talents, which were engaged, at the time of

his death, in the compilation of the Arabic Bible, a work at least suspended by that melancholy event. To this latter work he was particularly urged, and materially as sisted, by his patron, the Bishop of Duchain, with many other respectable characters, who were in the number of his friends.

His travels having given birth to a variety of curious and important remarks, during his tour through Lesser Assia, Syria, and Egypt, together with his Dissertation on the Troad, we anticipate the pleasure the world may shortly expect to receive from the publication of his manuscripts on those interesting subjects.

After long suffering, borne with patience and manly resignation, he died April 12th, 1804, at the early age of forty-five, at his vicarage, at Newcastle-upon-Tyne; a loss to the literary world, and a subject of painful regret to his private friends.

for his bravery and intrepidity, which raised him to the rank he held in Dowlut Rao Scindeah's army; and, eventually compelled him to retire, mutilated with wounds.

On this occasion, he was appointed, as a reward for his faithful

Fort

Fort of Agra; where, in his judicial capacity, he so tempered, justice with mercy, as to endear himself to all the inhabitants.

Here, he lived retired from the bustle and uncertainty of war, spending his well-earned fortune with a liberality as creditable to his private worth, as his military atchievements have been to his public character.

On the establishment of a peace between the Honourable the East India Company, and his master, Dowlut Rao Scindeah, he had frequent opportunities of displaying

his hospitality to British Officers, who, either for amusement or curiosity, visited the Fort of Agra, and by the urbanity of his manners, has left impressions on their minds highly creditable to his memory. He was generally respected, and more particularly lamented by those who had the pleasure of his personal acquaintance.

In a few words: he was an excellent father, a humane magistrate, a generous patron, a polite gentleman; charitable to the poor, hospitable to his friends, benevolent to all mankind.

MERJA MEHADY ALY KHAN, a native, possessing considerable natural abilities, improved by education, engaged in the service of the Honourable the East India Company in the year 1785, from which period, till his death in the year 1804, he acquitted himself, under various circumstances of much difficulty and high trust, in a way that attracted the applause of government both at home and abroad.

He was perfectly conversant in the literature of his country, and one of the very few of his nation, whose researches into the records of antiquity had enabled him to throw new lights on the imperfect information handed down to us respecting the old dynasties of the Persian Empire. In this, he was assisted by an intimate knowledge in the former languages of his coun

try, and an indefatigable zcal in promoting useful, or curious, information.

He employed his talents in arranging and comparing the accounts left by the ancient Greek historians, with the discordant history of those days, by the modern Mahomedan writers; and, reconciled the existing perplexities in those contradictory details of the events of Asia, previous to the dynasty of the Caliphs.

Thus recommended by his abili ties, he was first employed by the Honourable East India Company, in Benares; but, shortly after, the Residency being recalled, he was appointed to the charge of the Honourable Company's commercial interests, at Bushire; of which several important trusts he acquitted himself most honourably.

His next employment was in the capacity of Political Agent to the Court of Persia, in the years 179899. In discharging the duties of this mission he gave manifest proofs of his superior address, and, in the end, performed services of such critical importance to the welfare of this country, as secured him universal approbation.

From hence he was removed to assist, in the Red Sea, and on the Coast of Africa, in the preparations made for the glorious and evermemorable expedition from India

to Egypt; and having returned from thence to Bushire with more honour than wealth, he was finally rewarded; by his Excellency the Most Noble the Marquis Wellesly, with a pension, partly secured in reversion to his two sons, to whom he had little else to leave.

His birth was noble, being descended from one of the principal families in Khorasan. He died at Bombay, aged fifty-one, on the 25th July, 1804.

THE object of the present memoir, was the second son of the late Major Lewis Smith, born on the 14th February, 1777, at Rohilcand, a beautiful province in the Nabob Vezier's dominions.

His father, who, to many manly virtues, added a polished and vigorous understanding, was his sole preceptor.

His parts, however, being naturally good, his taste refined, and his judgement correct, he profited considerably by the instruction of his parent; though not to the extent of which his mind was susceptible, had it been improved by an European education.

In poetry, painting, and music, his acquirements were above mediocrity. The wandering life of a Mahratta officer did not allow him to cultivate his taste for these arts,

but he earnestly sought every opportunity to indulge his talent for poetry, and produced several fugitive pieces, which have lately been published at Calcutta.

He entered the service of Scindeah early in life; and was afterwards appointed an ensign in his Majesty's 36th Regiment; but, possessing an acuteness of sensibility fatal to his repose, he resigned his commission, that he might return to his brother, for whom he entertained an affection altogether romantic.

His temper was amiable, but warm; his courage bold, but impetuous; his heart open, generous, and sincere. These, with his engaging manners, endeared him to a large circle of his friends.

During the contest between Mons. Perron and General Thomas, in which the latter, through the treachery