NOTES UPON VOYAGES TO JAPAN AND IN THE MALAYAN ARCHIPELAGO.

THE two voyages narrated in the volumes before us were under- taken at the expense of the house of OLYPHANT and Co., a reli- gious American firm at Canton, which charters vessels for the gratuitous distribution of tracts, and the pilgrimage of ntission- aries,—not, however, forgetting the worship of _Mammon, but lading their craft with a well-selected assortment of earthly goods, to be disposed of for a quid pro quo, " opium and fire-arms ex- cepted." They also seem to volunteer a little in the diplomatic line, or are a sort of non-accredited agency-house to the Cabinet of Washington, issuing instructions to their " masters" with the formality and more than the distinctness of our Foreign Office; the skipper being also charged with a " memorandum of propo- sitions," to be submitted, in the instance before us, to the Rajah of Borneo. Emanating from a simple mercantile house, it is a

skilful and striking instance of amateur diplomacy and forward " citizenship ; " and quite a "precedent," as the lawyers say, for a feeler.

"1. The country from which we come is the United States of America. It is civilized and powerful, at to defend itself from all enemies, and punish in- justices done to its people ; but not addicted to war or conquest, and having no colonies.

"2. Its intercourse with other nations is peaceful and commercial; its ships traverse every sea, and its merchants exchange, with men of all nations, the productions of their mutual industry. "3. It invites men of all nations to come and vhit it, giving them free per- mission to travel or reside in any part of its territories, and extending to them the same protection as to its OW11 1100111C. " 4. It has dollars, iron, cloth, 171:c. which it can exchange thy the pepper, coffee, &c. of your country. We theretbre ash permi=sion to come with these; and would have you inform us at what times ill .1 in what quantities you can furnish vour productions. "5. We will come regularly, if thus informed, and take from you these your surplus products, and ask a list or the articles .you would have in exchange from us.

"6. If it be more agreeable to you that our traffic he continual, and not in- terrupted by each departure, we will bring a commercial agent to reside with you, " 7. :Moreover, we have men in our country very skilful in the healing of diseases: shall we bring one of these to dwell with you ?

"8. We have much wisdom and knowledge in the books of the language of

our country, and we (We tillIght in rIum Mot .sire lolppg to give thaou to re- ceive : shaft we bring one capable of imparting this kilowledge to you ? "9 (Ow Covernment is accustomed to abroad Conols : it It he your desire that one he sent to you, we will carry letters to that effect to our Pre- sident, so that he may send one to you. n W. When we are gone, sb ould. any vcssel of onr country visit you, or he wreei,..d. on your coast, we beg yin; I rcc•dvc them kindly. Should :thy of the crews ioi,lahave, we entreat .yon, ina-i molt as tla.re are bad men in 1111 nations, not tO invol‘c the innocent with th " N.11. These propositions are not formal, but enMody mencly the objects of the -visit to the Eastern .1,rchipele;:o."

What British firm \v(:',1:(1 issue such a inmnoramlum to the " masters" of their vesA2ls ? lint what British firts could say to them, like th,rell ANT and Co., that any exertions will be appre- ciated by ourselves am/ our Government l'he first volume of this work narrates a VOyag'0 from Canton to Japan in the ship Alorrison, undertaken In, the Ostensible purpose of restoring some shipwrecked Jaime:es t o their country—in reality, to insinuate their way thri nigh the n(..strietions of the Government, and drive a little trade both in spiritual and temporal commodities; at the same time establishing, if practicable, an American footing Or ill 'tile COLLIHry. This well-devised Sellellle totally failed, thought it was " tried on" in t WO HlaCei4, which the ship- wrecked men, and other hironniation, pointed out as most likely to succeed : the Japanese authorities forbiddimn intercourse, and lining, at the forrison with right good-will, though without much Cf lilt. The few incidents and coeclusiens of a bootless voyege of filly-six days, tbrty-eight of which were missal at sea, we have already notieed inthe .hntriati ff nu Expedition from Singapore to Japan,* hy 1)1'. PARKER, the 011ie/2r; and the present narra- tive only differs from the Doctor's in its greater minuteness, a collec- tion of nautical observati,ms. and a more distinet—nnd what WC 11111St Call an inipuilent—hortetive for tilt' American Government to avenge the insult offered to the ship „Ntorris■m. The plea for this suggestion does not-bear a moment's consideration. The non-inter- course system of ,Tapan is more notoriims thee any blockade ever established : what right or pretence or right had °JAME% NT and Co. to break it ? The restoratien of the shipwrecked Japanese

was a it cover for ulterior tqects : hilt tliese men were never even under the protection of the American Government—they were in charge of the British Superintendent, who proposed send- ing them home in a native junk, hut at lust consented they should go in the Morrison. It is bad enough for men, whose purposes arc avowedly worldly and selfish, to seek to promote national quarrels for their own objects ; but to see Mr. Kcs“, the spiritual director and narrator of' the voyage, preaching interference, and instigating

* Spectator, No. 528; llth August 1838. national robbery, to revenge alleged insults, which his injudicious zeal, or rather the " pious fraud" to which he lent himself, brought upon the vessel—and this under the pretence of spreading Chris- tianity—

is hypocrisy as naked as it is disgusting. The author of the second voyage is Mr. G. TRADESCANT LAY,

the naturalist in Blageumes expedition, and at present agent of the British and Foreign Bible Society for Eastern Asia. The region amid which he voyaged, forms that curious spot, half-insular half-continental, called the Indian Archipelago; and which seems as if at some time it had been, or would be connected with Asia on One hand and New South Wales on the other. If the reader look for it on a good map, he will find a sort of circular sea, almost land-locked,—by the Malayan peninsula and Sumatra towards the West ; Java, Floris, Timor, and some other islands, on the South. !brining a vis-(i-vis to Nev Holland ; New Guinea, the Spice Islands, and the Philippine Archipelago go to build up its Western wall ; part of Siam, Cochin China, stud China, form its Northern boundary ; whilst the great island of Borneo' the odd- shaped Celebes, and numerous groups of islets, almost fill up the

lower part of the circle. Lying in the heart of the Tropics, its soil is clothed with perpetual verdure; and its wealth would not be small even if limited to the productions of the Spice Islands; but it viclds gold, precious stones, medicinal gums, and agricultural produce, though its present capabilities are little developed, or indeed advanced beyond spontaneous production. The bulk of the population is of the Malayan race, but varying in dialects and physical and intellectual qualities. In New Guinea, however, and some of the other islands, there are tribes of Papuans or Ne- groes, with black skins and woolly hair. These, and it is asserted many of the Malay tribes, are in a 4tate of utter barbarism. The inhabitants of the coast are more advanced in civilization, but arc idle and supine,—the result, apparently, of a feudal system, pushed to the utmost extent of despotism. If independence exist anywhere, it is to be fimnd amongst the pirates who frequent its dangerous seas and harbour on its numerous islets. ievond this general picture little or nothing is known. The Dutch and Spaniards have a few dull settlements, yielding wealth to individuals and spices to the world, but of no national itnpor- lance in a large sense. The few towns, the idleness of the people, (having no object in industry,) the influence and arts (it is as- serted) of the Dutch and Spaniards, and the dangers of the navi- gation, cause these regions to be little frequented : the few who go are mercantile adventurers, not likely to learn much, and not very willing to tell what they have learned. The Indian Archipelago, bating Java, is all but a virgin mine for the philosophical traveller. Various circumstances, however, have prevented Mr. LAy from extracting much wealth from it. He visited few places ; and was restricted in some by the foreign authorities—in others by the caution of a worldly captain, who deemed the cargo which the house of Or.velt.■NT had submitted to his care of more consequence than distributing tracts or converting the heathen, and who took upon himselr at the capital of Borneo to fbrbid the landing of any spiritual wares, lest they should injure his carnal traffic. his pecu- liar object, where scope was furnished him, also diverted Mr. LAY'S at froni secular a tatters, unless they related to the animal kingdom. Neither does he appear a very rapid and close observer on geneml subiects, where he has DD Speak knowledge or interest

in observing : iii tyle, though transparent and artless., is at all times bald ; aAd his narrfltive inartificial and disjointed. At the same Otte, it iTpearo that we have not the whole or it. " Circum- stances have preveoted the ownevs --sly fellows. NVISe as Serpents- " from adding to Mr. LAY's missionary or scientific notes, any of a COnintereial fir 111111/iCal character."

The places at which the Yessd touched were Macassar, and one or two other little Dutch settlements in Celebes ; 'female, whose Sultan or Chief is a pensioner of Holland ; the Spanish settlement of Zanilioanga. in the island of Mindano ; and Bruni or Borneo the capital Id' I hi' island, under an independent sovereign. At each of

these 't 1'1', Mr. LAY wade ex.eursitms in the neighbourhood ; collected specimens of natural history ; picked up various informa-

tion ot a but minute kind ; and distri:)uted as many books as he felt Iwo,lent,—iim even rational Protestant missionaries ore looketl eool upon when active : anti the ( overt ior. though personally

friendly, iaterii:res to cheek their with " Sir, it is my duty to

tellyou tfrit you are going too ihr." At ssar, however, Air.

descrilw:: a state of society curious anywhere, but especially On the extreme verge of Asia.

" Several tIwnsands live near Ihe city of Mtv•assar f. but their home is on the Bay of Itt 1 I Wherc a confederacy exists, which i-ti curious combination of tbspotism aml iiiltrlv; for the bereititate sovereign: of eight states form a CO1111111 fig' eNk reiSill'g the tIIIiItIIIIIS ti ,,,r;itocia in the Union, and Is the purpose lor oIle Or tutu' urehlont, and investim, hint with the ii,r11111Iellt. The loVt. ;Uhl reverenveIii 1 V1114411:11' family ap- pears among tht•-e trilst,•e,, of freedom ; the choice of President .1 rnoga is limited to a pirtiettku• flintily. Koch ow; of these rottm•illors appoints hi, own Prime minisfer, litr the regulation of public matter, io hi, (till part ieular state, where his mill is law in all goes:hots of a Frivate nature; while all that have a general and li•deral convernment, cannot he transacted but by and with the con- sent of the rest of his brother couneillor,:. 'Mir coo onli.!st, have decorated them Ivith many 1601111,mq and intellectual qualities ; while others, 'Nam a closer acquaintance, have found them to he nothing hut ii set of cowardly knaves, who never act an honest part except when compelled hy fear, or

own province, while her lord is head of another, without the slightest inter- ference from that quarter. In my walks and visits from house to house, I saw many intimations of that respect and honour in which females are held among the natives of Celebes, and did not fail to note it as an evidence that sin had . not deprived them of every thing that was amiable in their character. * When we called upon a Bugis prince in the Kampong Wajtt of Macassar, we found him sitting upon the floor; his ledger spread 'before him, and his wife close by his side; who, though her looks were youthful, seemed to be acting the parts of accountant and confidential clerk, and doubtless took an equal share of interest in all the mercantile speculations of her partner."

At Bruni, Mr. LAY's residence was longer than in other places ; he had more leisure ; the society, being national, was more cha- racteristic; and the sovereign was an oddity in his way.

" We regarded the Sultan as a worthless old fellow, our acquaintance looked up to him as a good and gracious prince. lie is not without natural endow- ments, and scents to possess great shrewdness in discrimination and an admi- rable memory. When others were at a loss about the name of an object, the Sultan was sure to know it ; and would not only give the true denomination, but sometimes two or three others, which had at one period served as provin- cialisms. But flattery has so blown up his heart and stupitied his powers of reflection, that he will play all kinds of baby pranks, and then look round for applause with all the assurance of conscious merit. He has all the attri- butes of a child whom cockering, and compliments have filled with vanity, and plungeul into an utter forgetfulness of every one's interest beside its own. He is therefore as selfish as he is conceited ; and I speak from observation, when I affirm, that when any object was to be obtained, there was no maineuvre, how- ever mean or unworthy, to which he would not resort. He used every art to extort our property from us ; and what he could not obtain as a gift, he bor- rowed without returning. At fir t lie promised to make us many presents by way of return, but Hwy never made their appearance. As our hopes were not very sanguine, the disappointment occasioned us but little uneasiness. But we were RO disgusted with his conduct, that we resolved between ourselves not to owe him for the rice and rancid 11811 and the hard lodgings he had granted us. We aeconlingly presented him, a day or two before our departure, with a quantity of nankeen, and some sets of tumblers; and made a distribution among all the members of his household, that no one who had rendered its ser- vice, either real or imaginary, might go without recompence. We did not tell the Sidi an in what light we wished him to regardthese presents, for he spared us the trouble, by saying that he must receive them as payment for the bountiful manner in which he had fed us, and would not therefore consider himself bound to honour us with any tokens of his bounty."

It is evident his highness had profited, without a resident ex- pounder, by that part of the American books which teaches them that " it is more happy to give than to receive."

TRAITS OF A GOOD-NATCRED DESPOT.

He was not without natural feeling, for he wept like a child when he took leave of the interpreter ; and his cruelties seldom went beyond a delight in tormenting a poor little girl, whose shrieks at being shown to the White men had, something very melodious in them to his royal ear. An officer was often sent to summon us. as if his highness had some important communication to make, though for no other purpose than to act the character of goblin ; but AS our approach tilled the frightened little creature with inexpressible agonies, our part was soon ended, and we retired to our lodging-place with a proper sense of the honour that laid been conferred upon us. * * *

While the .1 44' and the Cluing were sitting in the stocks, for no offence that we know of, save tl i'ttaelitnent to us. the wife of the latter set up a mat to screen her husband from the looks of the idle fellows who came to gaze at his misfortune. She sat thorn hy hint, and placed her little one upon his knee, to soothe his mind and vary the dull hours of confinement. And, as a native of the 'Indian peninsula is not altogether regardless of his outward man, whatever may be his situation or the state of his apparel, she bromdit hint a little mirror. that he might be informed. as to the several particulars which make a countenance either or out of order. The lustre of this little toy e:1111rIlt the eye Or ,Iile Or tile parans or prineet that form the chief house- 11111..1 Of the Who. III a tone antl mien worthy of the deed. placed hintelf at his ina,ter's fitet and ohl him of the di-covery. And as it is a sort

of treason foe any poor iirtn :thou; The to own any thing worth p.■,et:.:5-

tit it i•fo wa- .tettt for. era,ling upon the tlt■or in the most ahject pos- ture, Ill, off, the royal 11,1411. Whic:1 ,t ex- tended to roe, p.et,• I it with an eye toll It astoni•lonent fold im- portance, but tilling that tie. L:11-- \rat; cracked, aml the silverite: hall quitted its hold ill several places. it 'At ttrm..1 it to the poor creature. who erept behinti the I iiltil hg and looked a, if uncertain whether she might rejoice at her escape or not.

Mr. LAy gives a darker picture of the social state than any which may lw inferred front these little anecdotes : not traceable, however. to the nt w. but tothe system which renders him the abso- lute D of the dughters of his subjects nit) tipini■at. a no one being married or given in marriage wit bout his permission,

and property bein;;; hail pretty it by the smile tonure. And upon this tepw our author is intlign.nit. and justly indignant. At the Itine thin'. in this curious sketch of the feudal yste.itt of Borneo, the hack would si cut to be fitted for the burden.

" A, Borneo Proper ha, had but little intercours; with other EAti01),. ale aliciont c1141111!, ii111-12 hot a groater purity than in 'tont other eouotri,, about ilk. Ar..liit,ehia, it' vre except Java. Ilere we Mid the feudal s:Ysteto ,till in ex■,tenee : the ii ii :Olin expects all kinds of service from his follow, n ho know ill 41111 911.,11 S■Weilge. er experience any dithTences in the mode of tenure. They hold 11nm-eh ready to an,wer when called 14. and to execute whatever may be Lis pleasure. They thrin the cssyntial part of hi- inheritance, the in,eparable Itorahlry aol elornments of title. t'se has vet:der:al the burden c4i-y. %% lit It II,,t :IlT01,11,;11;:ed with any outrageous acts of oppre,,ion : and every 1117111 is taught ti reg..oxl his chief as his itend and protector, mid looks upon the whole tenor of his conduct with an eye of Minim,: and partialit.v.lit tact, he identities himself with his master. and seem, to Mid as much ple:n.nre in waiting upatt him as the other can in receiv; ing hi., attention:. We compare the leader to the head. and hi, thllowers to the body he rea,,m, and theid.... they li,ten to his commands. and fly with al:levity ti exceute them. Si:clt is the rooted at for thi: form of 7overnment io lw heart of a Malay. that in Malacca they lwar the spoiling of - his councillors and great men exert upon him. He is elective, but the choice is limited to a single family."

The scientific information appears separately at the conclusion of the voyage ; and consists of a descriptive list of specimens in natural history, some observations on meteorology, and a few re- marks on the music of Borneo and the Polynesian race generally. From his experience in the Pacific when with BEECHEY, and what he heard at Bruni, Mr. LAY infers that the Greek musical system of tetrachords, or fourths, is more natural to the ear than that of octaves. We must, however,_ hold with LIEBER, or rather with ARISTOTLE, that the nature of a thing is to be sought for in its more perfect and not in its depraved state.