RUSCHENBERGER 9 S VOYAGE ROUND THE WORLD.

WITHIN the memory of men yet living, a voyage round the world conjured up ideas of toil and hardship ; discoveries of new regions;

descriptions of races of men and customs yet unknown ; garnished with wonders seen in the great waters, or perils endured by tem- pest and wreck. But the conjoint march of mind and mechanics has dissipated delusion and pleasure at the same time. Many vessels continually start to "make their annual visit o'er the globe;" but, unless favoured by some accidental advantages, or the narrator possesses some remarkable abilities, a voyage round the world is an every-day affair, hardly worth the telling.

Dr. RuSCHENBSRGIER is not a person of much genius or acquire- ment. His accidental advantages arise from his being an Ameri- can, and so enabling his reader to see objects through Yankee eyes; together with his forming part of a mission, and thus hav- ing facilities of observation denied to common voyagers. The pur- pose of the embassy was to negotiate commercial treaties wmtbthe Sultan of Muscat, and the Courts of Siam and Cochin-China. And with the two former they were successful but the ill health of the Envoy and of the ships' crew, combined with the suspicions and forms of the Cochin-Chinese, and the small prospect of any favourable trade with them at present, induced a prematurelmt , polite departure. The course of the voyage was from New lork to Arabia ; thence, touching amongst other places at Bumbay, to the Gulf of Siam, and Macao, where the Envoy died ;

from which

place they proceeded home across the Pacific. The most interest- . ing circumstances we have met, (for our copy is imperfect by a ' few sheets,) are the striking of the vessel upon a coral reef, the

• 'remarks of the author at the British settlements, and the cere- diplomacy

at Siam and Cochin-China. And from the fol-

monial g quotations, it may seem, after all, that Lord DURHAM is

probably right in People two Field-Marshal's uniforms and

Bother dress suit. not sufficiently advanced to appre-

late simplicity, are apt to fancy it a sign of inferiority, and to be disappointed at first sight.

On the 17th. Cochin-Chinese officers, who visited us on the day of our aeri-

es), came on board in a long canoe, pulling forty oars. They were seated in the bows, the place of honour with these people, under the thade of an um- brO aa; and on this occasion were accompanied by an individual who, besides tchin-Chinese, spoke Malay. We had on board a Dutch passenger from 11a- toia, who spoke French and Malay ; and, thus armed, we held a much more isfactory intercourse than we had done hithetto. $3 Theywere received in the cabin, where they disposed of themselves as they did on'their first visit. They inquired the respective rank of the officers pre- get ; but were unwilling to'belieye that Mr. Roberts was the Envoy, because 'redid not, like the Commodore and Captain, wear vanlettes. To this subject they frequently recurred, and did not appear to be satisfied in the end. This shoeld be a hint to future diplomatists to Cochin•Chioa, to adorn themselves with some glittering badge of distinction.

AMERICAN DIPLOMATIC READINESS.

The Cothin-Chinese are a polite people, and punctilious observers of eti- quette. At Vonghatn, the chief Mandarin questioned the propriety of one of his rank and munerous titles holding intercourse with Mr. Roberts, who came from a country where he understood there were no titles and all men were equal. Mr. Roberts, perceiving that, unless this objection were removed, all negotiation would be at an end, replied that the Mandarin had been in some measure misin- formed. He told him, if his Chinese secretary would take a piece of paper, he would enumerate his own titles, and convince him of his error. The secretary ee- lected a halfssheet of paper, but Mr. Roberts requested him to take a whole one, as Vat even would be scarcely large enough. The American officers present were of course at a loss to imagine how Mr. Roberts would extricate himself from this seeming difficulty. But not so Mr. Roberts. He dictated as follows: Edmund Roberts, Esquire, Special Envoy from the President of the United States to the Emperofof Cochin-China, 'Citizen of the United States, Citizen of Maine, Citizen uf New Hampshire, and continued enumerating himself citizen of each of the twenty•four States; for being citizen of all, be was so of them severally. Before the sheet was half full, the Mandarin exclaimed, it was un- necessary to go further, as his titles already exceeded his own. Had he not been satisfied, Mr. Roberts intended to enumerate as many of the cities, towns, and villages as he could remendee, not doubting the success of this r use diplo- enatique.

The British, with their monarchy and hereditary nobility, seem enable to match brother Jonathan upon titles, when represented by Citizen Roman's. See how the Socratic reasoning of the Chinese reduced Lord Napier to his actual grade.

Of their mode of reasonieg we may form some idea, from an anecdote in re- lation to the late Lord Napier, who was termed by them an " Eye,"—it would

Item the only word they could that in their lauguage evivelent to the term

Superintendent ; and certainly it is sufficiently eytubolicot the Superintendent's official duties.

The British merchants were anxious to impress upon the Chinese that Lord Wainer was a man of exalted rank, and consequently could not submit to the indignity of communicating with the Government through the medium of the Hong merchants. They told them he was a lord, a nobleman ; which the Chinese, having no hereditary nobility except in the family of the Emperor,

could not cleat ly comprehend. They remarked, " lie is a nobleman in your country; how many men are there of the same rank ? " and were told, "a

great many, perhaps a thousand."

" Are there any people of higher rank?

" Yes, Viscount."

Well ; how many Viscounts have got ?"

" A great many." " Well; any or higher rank than Viscounts? "

" Yea, Earls."

" Well ; any more?"

"Yes, Marquises."

" Well ; any more? "

" Yes, Dukes."

" Well; any higher than Dukes? " " None except the King and Royal Family."

" Well, then, now me know ; this Eye, Lord Napier, all the same as one

common Mandarin !"

Dr. RUSCHENBERGRR was a phrenologist ; and his phreno- logical experiments seem to have caused much amusement, and furnished a subject of discourse with men who apparently could have had few topics in common. Here is the eflixt upon "Cap- tain HASSAN BIN IBRAHIM, of the Arab Navy "—the Doctor dearly loves to give every one his own in the way of titles.

The thijeliner ended about half-past twelve o'clock ; from that time till four p m. we spent in walking, smoking, and talking. Among other subjects,

m i

phrenology was mentioned; arid, after describing the science n general terms, -Captain Hassan submitted his head to examination, by way of illustration. A few minutes afterwards, I found him in the court with his tut ban off, feeling his own head. On perceisting me, he appeared to be somewhat confused, and said, "It is very strange—you have told we truly, but I can discover nothing by Which you have found out these things."

Even the Chinese were made converts by the skill of our au- thor; and with the wonted practical sagacity of that people, at once turned it to account.

These examinatione Whittled us much amusement ; but the physiognomist was much struck when 1 explained to him the general priociples of phrenology, and illustrated them by au examination of his head, ex eressing my opinion of him from its Jesuit. Ile fraukly admitted all 1 said to be nue, but seemed very much puzzled to comprehend huw -I could speak SU minutely of his character. He departed, perfectly delighted with phrenology, and gave Us an

invitation to visit him the next day. • •

After this entertainumut, cigars were again served ; and our host and several Chinese merchauts who were uf the party, it:caned to the ',object of phreno- logy. From the accounts which our host had given them of the subject, these gentlemen were curious to witness. for themselves what they had heard of at second-hand; and our host was anxious, perhaps fur the sake of his veracity, that they should be convinced hi relations were true. The subject was again explained to thou ; and, after examinatiou, an opinion of the leading points of individual character was expressed. 'loose who knew the individual under question decided that the opinion was' correct, and he hiumeif acknowledged it • Vide the Timis, eassin to be true. In the same way, several %vele examiited with a like result. The interest in the eubject increased ; and all present became, suddenly, convene to the doctrine ; and at once placed such implicit faith in phrenology, that they sent for their clerks, here termed pursers, and requested use to express my opinion of their respective characters without reserve. One wiahed to know whether a young man, who had just submitted his head to examination, might be safely trusted it' sent into the country to collect money.Another asked, in relation to his clerk, " Can me trust that man go Nankin for pigeon—buy silk—suppose he no stop talk with gal, and no make he pigeon ?" Another in- quired if I could determine positively, by examining a married lady's bead, whether her issue would be "one gal or one bull child." Being very anxious for the latter, and having offered up many prayers to the goddess Kuanlin for anon, he was much disappointed to learn that the practical application of phre- nology did out extend quite so far.

There is a variety of statistical information relative to the popu- lation and commerce of the different places where the vessel touched ; which has no particular novelty to English readers ; but this fact, if true, is important to the cotton-trade.

At present the commerce is very considerable, and, as Zanzibar will become the great commercial depot of the Eastern coast of Africa, is destined to in- crease. The Americans obtain here gum copal, ivory, anti hides ; for which they give American cottons and specie. 'The American cotton manufactures have taken precedence of the English, not only at this place and in many parts of the East, but on the Pacific coast of America. The English endeavour to imitate our fabric by stamping their own with American marks, and by other means assimilating it ; but the people say the strength and wear of the Ameri- can goods are so supetior, that, lest they be deceived, they will no longer even purchase from Englishmen. Speaking of the competition with British com- merce in India, Lieutenant Burnes, in his interesting Trards into Bokhara, says, " The most foimidahle rivals are the Americans, who have only lately en. tined on this trade. At present they land most of their cargoes on the east coast of Africa, from which they find their way to Muscat and Persia. Hitherto, they have only sent white goods ; and with them they have spread an opinion, which was repeated to me by the Armenian merchants of Isfahan, that their cloths are superior to the British, because the cotton is produced in their own country, and not injured from pressing. It is said to wear and wash well; and, if this cloth were introduced more extensively, the merchants assure me that it would have a good sale: very little of it has been hitherto imported."

Informing our tea-loving readers that the black only is drunk by the Chinese, and that the sea voyage injures the flavour of the article very considerably, we will allow Dr. RUSCEENBERGER to speak for price hiroself,—though it does seem one amongst the wonders he met.

Rematking upon the excellence of this tea, our host told me that it was not the best tva procurable in China; that the choicest teas were all consumed at boom; some of which sold, in the great cities of Pekin and Nankin, at thirty dollars a catty, equal to one pound and a third ; that only the commonest sorts reach the Canton market ; that the connoisseuis in tea possessed an exquisite nicety of taste,—from his account, equal to that of the gentleman who de- tected in the flavour of wine the taste of iron and leather, derived from a key with a leathern tally, which had accidentally dropped into the tun.