fore the king. Mr. Crawfurd had, on the previous day, told him, that he would alter any expression that did not accord with the notions of propriety entertained by the court. What the objections were, I am unable to say. Mr. Crawfurd mentioned one which was to this effect, that the Governor General wrote as if he were writing to his equal. This man and several others, together with Mr. Crawfurd's Chinese interpreter, were all day occupied in making the required alterations.'

On the morrow, the same personage returned with a request to have another copy of the Chinese translation, which was granted it proved to be intended for the Mandarin of Elephants, who now sent for the Agent, requesting an interview. Mr. Crawfurd of course obeyed the summons. A neat boat, rowed by soldiers, conveyed them up the river; and now Mr. Finlayson had an opportunity of seeing the famous fort described in such glowing language by Lieut. White.*

The river is so much divided by islands of various dimensions, and so intersects the country in every way, that it is difficult to state more of its course, than its general direction, which is from west to east. In ascending the river to the Mandarin's, we soon quitted the branch which was first occupied, and turning to the right, entered a fine and wide canal, partly natural and partly artificial. This canal surrounds three sides of the capital, and at both extremities joins the great river, which lies in front of the fourth. The canal is about forty or fifty yards wide at its lowest part where we entered; it be. comes narrower as you ascend, and, at the upper extremity, it is little more than eighteen or twenty yards across. It is maintained in perfect order. The sides are regularly sloped, and supported by embankments where requisite. Its depth would appear to be, in most parts, about eight feet. It affords the double advantage of an outward defence of the place,-for which it was doubtless originally intended, as it bounds the glacis throughout its course,-and of waterconveyance to the various parts of an extensive city.

'We had seen little more than the bare walls of our habitation since our arrival. The most beautiful and luxuriant scenery now burst upon our view; and we soon agreed that the banks of the river of Hué presented the most beautiful and interesting scenery of any river we had seen in Asia. Its beauties, however, are the gifts of nature, more than of art. A vast expanse of water, conveyed by a magnificent river through a fertile valley, not so wide but that the eye can compass its several parts; ridges of lofty and bold mountains in the distance; the cocoa-nut, the areca, the banana, the sugar-cane ; hedges of bamboos that wave their elegant tops in the air, and rows of that beautiful plant, the hibiscus-are the principal materials which, grouped in various forms, delight the eye. From this we must not separate the not less interesting prospect of numerous and

*See Eclec. Rev. vol. xxiii. p. 90.

apparently comfortable villages. In these, the most remarkable circumstance is the neatness and cleanliness of the houses of the natives, and the cheerful, contented, and lively disposition of the people. The houses of the better sort are substantial and large, covered with tiles, the walls being partly made of brick and mortar, and partly of wood. Besides, they shew considerable taste in adorning their grounds and little gardens with flowers and ornamental trees.

Though we were in the immediate vicinity of a large city, few people were to be seen: these were at work in the fields, collecting weeds from the canal, or passing on the roads. We were still more surprised to find so few boats upon the river; and of junks we saw no more than three or four.........As soon as we had entered the canal, we found ourselves in front of one face of the Fort. The term fort, however, is apt to convey erroneous notions of this place: it is, in fact, a fortified city; and if the French had compared it with such places as Delhi and Agra, instead of Fort William, the comparison had been more just. The fortifications are, without question, of a most extraordinary nature, whether considered in the magnitude of extent, the boldness of design, the perseverance in execution, or the strength which they display. The Fort appears to be built with the greatest regularity and according to the principles of European fortification. It is of quadrangular form; each side appeared to us to be at least a mile and a half in length. The rampart is about thirty feet high, and cased with brick and mortar. The bastions project but little, containing from five to eight embrasures, and are placed at a great distance from each other. The walls are in excellent order. We could not distinctly see whether there was a ditch at the foot of the wall, but were told that there is. The glacis extends to the canal, and is about 200 yards in breadth. An enemy on the opposite side of the canal would, in many parts, find shelter in the brushwood and hedges, and even villages, within reach of the guns of the Fort, and thence would find the means of attacking the place with little exposure of his men. But it is not to be expected, that such places should be capable of much resistance. They may serve as a temporary defence against a sudden alarm, and against a tumultuary attack from irregular troops; but a handful of brave and enterprising men would soon possess themselves of the place. The gates are ornamented in the Chinese style, but the approaches are calculated for the purposes of defence. Within the walls is a square building, surrounded with lofty walls, and apparently very strong. This is probably the citadel. We had but a very imperfect view of it. There appeared no reason to doubt that we were brought by this circuitous route, in order that we might see the extent of the fortifications.'

Subsequently, they were permitted to see the interior.

'On entering the gate, we turned to the right and passed along the rampart. As much care has been bestowed on the construction of the interior as of the exterior. The place is laid out in quadrangles; the roads are wide and convenient; and a navigable canal,

which leads to the granaries and magazines, passes through the place. The town, if it may be so called, is rather paltry: the greater part of the ground appears to be laid out in ill-cultivated gardens, attached to miserable, but probably only temporary huts. The bazars have an appearance of poverty; yet, the regularity of the streets gives an air of great neatness to the place, and the view both of the country and the town, from the rampart, is very fine. After passing for more than a mile along the rampart, we were conducted to the public granaries, consisting of a vast number of well-built, substantial storehouses. The greatest attention has been bestowed upon every thing, and the powder-magazines are erected in the midst of tanks.

The palace of the king is surrounded on every side with handsome and well built rows of barracks. These were uncommonly clean and very complete in their structure, and would lose little in comparison with the best we have in England..........The citadel is a small quadrangular building, with strong and lofty walls close to the palace, not calculated to excite any peculiar interest.'

Of the palace itself, they could see nothing, except on passing one or two of the gates, so completely is it concealed by the barracks. The display of iron and brass guns of all sorts and sizes, of mortars and ammunition, was truly surprising. It was easy to perceive, Mr. Finlayson says, that the genius which had directed every thing, was French; and that the master-mind which had created such great works, no longer presided over them.

On landing, they were conducted to the Mandarin's house by two French Mandarins, Messrs. Vannier and Chaigneaux,the only survivers of twenty Frenchmen who, about five and thirty years ago, entered into the service of the late king. The Mandarin of Elephants was seated when the Agent entered, and did not rise, but pointed to a couch on his left, where Mr. Crawfurd took his seat. Business was immediately entered upon. After Mr. Crawfurd had received what he deemed satisfactory assurances respecting the freedom of trade allowed to all nations by the Cochin Chinese monarch, he took occasion to ask, when he might expect to have the honour of obtaining an audience with the king. Our readers will be prepared for the answer, though the Agent was not. It was to this effect; that the business of the envoy being entirely of a commercial nature, it altogether precluded the possibility of his being admitted into the presence of the king, as it was an affair for the cognizance of his ministers. The mortified Agent submitted, that commerce was not the sole object of his mission; for he now seems to have bethought himself, for the first time, of what ought to have been made the prominent and only ostensible business of the embassy,-if such it can be considered, namely, to congratulate the king of Cochin China on

his accession; and he begged that the Mandarin would represent the matter to his majesty. The answer was, that he had already communicated with the king on the subject, and that such was the royal determination; that, had the Agent to the Governor-general come on other than commercial affairs, he would have been presented to the court, but that it was altogether contrary to its customs to give audience on such occasions; that had Mr. Crawfurd been the envoy of the king of England, or of any king, he would have been received; but that, in this case, it was as if the governor of Saigon had sent an envoy to the imperial court. It was contrary to usage and could not be done. This, however, appears not to have been quite correct, since, in 1804, a Mr. Roberts, who had been sent from Calcutta in a capacity similar to that which Mr. Crawfurd sustained, had been honourably received at court, and had obtained two audiences with the king. The Mandarin at first denied this; then said, that since then, customs were altered. Arguing and entreaty were, however, alike useless. The issue was, that the king could not think of accepting 'the presents' of the Governor-general, as the English had not yet bad any commerce with the country, and could not therefore have gained any advantages; that Mr. Crawfurd tamely acquiesced in the insult; and that they were finally dismissed with unequivocal marks of contempt.

Mrs. Judson's volume has been so long before the public, that, though it is far from being out of date, (and, indeed, it acquires fresh interest from recent events and the present posture of affairs in the East,) yet, it will not be expected, that we should say much about its contents. We regret that we were not put in possession of a copy on its first appearance, and the volume has, we fear, obtained but a limited circulation. Our chief reason for noticing it at the present moment is, that it has been made the ground-work of a very disingenuous attack upon the Baptist Missions, in a recent Number of the Quarterly Review.* A more discreditable article never disgraced the pages of a respectable journal. The only extenuation that can be offered on behalf of the Writer, must be taken from the gross want of information which he displays. It is not a little mortifying, however, to find the honest Catholic,' the Abbé Dubois, gravely referred to as an authority in a journal of so imposing a character, after the ample proofs which have been adduced of the Abbé's palpable dishonesty, his self-contradiction and gross mis

* Quart. Rev. No. lxv. p. 87, &c.

representation. The Reviewer, however, is, if not a Papist, a most papistical Protestant. The failure of the Romish missions among the Indo-Chinese nations, he thinks the more extraordinary, as, in those countries, the ceremonials of religion bear a most striking resemblance to those of the 'Church of Rome.' What must be this gentleman's notions of the religion of Christ, when he can thus feel surprise that the conversion of the heathen was not advanced by the ceremonials of the Church of Rome? But, he adds, we have better hope from the Church establishment in India, than ⚫ from all the missions that have hitherto been sent to that 'quarter. On what are these hopes founded? Do the doctrines of the Church of England differ from those taught by the Missionaries? Are its clergy more laborious, more eloquent, better acquainted with the manners of the East, than those who have hitherto borne the burden and heat of the day, and into whose labours the Church of England, with laudable though tardy zeal, is entering? No, its ceremonials, we presume, bear a nearer resemblance to those of the Hindoos. Call you this backing your friends?' This Writer must be the very musical gentleman, and none but he, who, in a former Number of the Quarterly Review, suggested as the best means of promoting the conversion of the Hindoos, a good organ and solemn music, to allure the natives to ⚫ attend!!"

The Reviewer is quite satisfied,' however, that the followers of Calvin are little calculated any where, but least ⚫ of all in the East, to make converts to Christianity.' The reason assigned is an original one; it is, in effect, because they believe in the eighteenth of the thirty-nine articles of the Church of England. That article, we think, it may be taken for granted that the present Bishop of Calcutta holds as firmly as do the Calvinistic missionaries. Is he then disqualified? Surely, the Church of England is not much indebted to such panegyrists.

The Reviewer's knowledge of Buddhism appears to be on a par with his theological attainments. He is particularly shocked at Mrs. Judson's appealing to one of her female scholars, whether she would wish to go to hell because her progenitors had gone there. There is something so unchristianly,' he remarks, so repulsive to the feelings of those ⚫ whom they are striving to gain, in the use of such language, that we can scarcely imagine how a woman of Mrs. Judson's good sense and feeling can reconcile herself to it; but it is less her fault than that of the sect. Now, as to its repulsiveness, every Birman believes in his own liability VOL. XXV. N.S. 2 U