rebels first concentrated themselves at Dambool, a distance of forty-five miles from Kandy, with an intention undoubtedly of possessing themselves of that town, I cannot very clearly see how they could have broken doors and windows in any towns but Matille and Kornegalle, as they are the only two within their reach between the famous temple in which the king was crowned and Kandy, the seat of their ambition. Nothing can be more ridiculous than the manner in which foreign countries are spoken of at home by parties who only seem to be aware of the difference between the inhabitants, and entirely lose sight of the respective features of the countries. Again, are public men to be impeached for securing the lives and properties of her majesty's peaceable subjects, surrounded by an overwhelming number of demi-savages in arms, with hearts capable of committing the most savage excesses-as the wholesale slaughter of Major Davis's party on the banks of the Mahavilla Ganga sufficiently proves?--a similar tragedy to which I defy any, with show of reason, to say would not have been reacted in '48, but for the energetic and effective manner in which the smouldering fire, for want of a little fuel to send it forth in all its fury, was quenched by the authorities.

What, then, was the condition of the party commanding the troops in Kandy on the night of the 29th of July, when called upon by the government agent for means to subdue an insurrection broken out at and beyond Matelly? Why, with a handful of men he had not only to meet, with decisive steps, insurrectionists, whose numerical strength he could neither ascertain nor guess at; but he had to guard against a treacherous attack from other quarters on the garrison and town of Kandy. The consequence was, that as many of the 15th regiment and rifle corps as could be spared (in all not amounting to a couple of hundred men) had to be marched at dead of night over sixteen miles of jungle-road; and to be fired on, without returning the compliment, by men who told the government agent they had no intention of laying down their arms, at the same time treacherously firing on the troops: and we have only to thank their own futile malice, that induced them to charge their guns from three to six inches deep with powder and missiles, the concussion from which sent the bullets harmless over the heads of the troops below. Is it to be wondered at, then, that the revengeful blood of the Malay vented itself in the earnest use of his weapon of defence; whilst the British soldier stood with coolness in his brain and scorn in his eye, at a foe against him, contemptible under the circumstances? If, then, to the horror-stricken eyes of men shut up in a fort, or, what is better, securely placed on the banks of Old Father Thames, there appeared any unnecessary effusion of blood from the wellknown character of the Malay, why blame Lord Torrington? Rather blame those who first admired them as soldiers, and thought them worthy of fighting under the British flag, which I believe they have never yet disgraced. This, then, was the first disturbance, for the direct subduing of which Lord Torrington and those employed under his orders received such censure, not only from private spleen, but from public men. This was the first outbreak of a deep-laid conspiracy which no one then knew: and what is more, no one yet knows to what extent it was burning in the breasts of men not found guilty, or even publicly suspected; but in those who had the cunning to keep their hands out of the flame until receiving ocular demonstration of the effect it would have upon the fingers of their more

expert and forward friends. What made men, more interested in the welfare of the colony than that of party, come forward on the spot, and, in a public body, express their thanks for the able manner in which not only Lord Torrington, but the commandant of Kandy, and the commandants of the out-stations, exerted themselves under the intricate and almost insurmountable difficulties of sifting out evidence to be relied on, and administering justice accordingly? What was the meaning of the different fires appearing, night after night, on the heights surrounding the disturbed districts? It must be some one more conversant with the Singhalee character than Mr. Baillie, to make me believe this trouble was taken without a motive: and that motive, in conjunction with a liberal distribution of false reports, was the hope and expectation of draining Kandy of the troops left to protect it; and, when its evacuation was sufficiently perfected to leave no doubts in their minds of its falling an easy prey, the signal would have been given, and a rush from all sides, whether disturbed or not, would have been the result. If it was only a mob-riot, why, even as late as November, did the government agent deem it necessary to be on the alert, and constant in his inquiries; seeking out information which was of an unsatisfactory nature enough to induce him to distribute government rifles and ammunition amongst the Europeans on coffee plantations, with an injunction to keep drilled men on the estates, as it was impossible to say how soon their use might be necessary ? But I suppose certain individuals, snugly within the Fort of Colomba and elsewhere, had better opportunities of ascertaining the truth than the government agent on the spot. The time has gone by for Lord Torrington, or any one else in a similar position, to shed blood unnecessarily. Public indignation is sufficient guarantee against wanton outrage.

I must not conclude without saying a word about the policy of shooting a priest in his robes, and scourging a pretender. The priest was tried, found guilty, and sentenced, not by a court-martial-the straightforward and certain proceedings of which appear to fill the hearts of many with disgust, determined, as they seem to be, to disbelieve the capability of military men judging with impartiality-but by the civil code of the island, in a supreme court appointed specially for the purpose of dealing out justice to such as had been accused of taking part in the rebellion: and there is no reason to doubt but that the jurymen were convinced by the evidence laid before them of the man's guilt, which was to the effect that he had greatly aided the rebellion by administering the coronation oath according to the custom of the country, within the walls of his temple; thus plainly throwing off all allegiance to the queen, and enticing others to follow this king of their own making, who would himself, provided he could have found an advocate sanguine enough, have tried to establish his own innocence at his trial, and endeavoured to make believe he was a loyal subject coerced. Will any one be foolhardy enough, who knows, not by history alone but by his own experience, the influence the priesthood have over their laity, and that the villages surrounding the Damboot temple for miles are actually temple lands, directly under the hands of these men, whose word is law, and to whom is shown the greatest mark of reverence, according to their notions, that man is capable of-namely, prostrating the bodies before them,-can people be actually found credulous enough, with these facts before their eyes, and

a knowledge of the Singhalee character, to believe that these villagers, without the sanction and approval of men so generally adored, were led away by a man, not of royal or even noble blood, to commit acts of such magnitude in the shape of high treason, from which they shrank themselves with horror?

It is not surprising to see such men as the honourable member for Inverness-shire trying to produce an effect; but I must say it is surprising to see a man like Sir Robert Peel get up in the House and endeavour to show the impolicy of Lord Torrington's government, by comparing the priests of Buddhoo with those of the Romish Church. If comparisons are to be drawn in this manner and admitted as valid, let the right honourable baronet and his partisans contemplate the indignation that would pour forth from all quarters of the globe professing a Christian faith, if the home government thought it necessary to strip the Romish Church in Ireland of the Virgin Mary and relics around the altar. Yet until within a very short period the withholding a relic,* equally adored by the followers of Buddhoo, was thought necessary and politic. I wonder where the honourable baronet's acute feelings of violated religion were then?

Very little need be said as regards the pretender himself, or rather his representative, who thought, and very naturally, that being carried about in a palanquin, possessed of a few round acres of coffee plantations and paddy fields, would be far preferable to driving a pair of lazy bullocks yoked to a cart on the dusty roads ;† and the pores of whose skin Lord Torrington thought fit to open with the lash, after which a removal from the land in which he had been led to believe authority was worth a risk, as a warning to his brother labourers that the hill he was aspiring to ascend offered but a precarious footing for adventurers.

It is almost difficult to picture the indignation that would spread throughout Great Britain, if a waggoner (honest man in his way) who could, through the influence of others, manage to obtain sufficient followers, daring enough to attempt to seat him on the "royal chair," was to fail, be brought to justice, found guilty, and sentenced to a severe lashing in Trafalgar Square, with an intimation that a change of climate would check his disease and prevent its becoming infectious. Yes, all loyal hearts, picture, if you can, the indignation that would burn within your own breasts at such an outrage!

One word in conclusion, not to those who profess an interest in the colony's welfare, but to those to whom its welfare is life.-Keep Lord Torrington as your governor; guide him according to your wishes and real wants; with your legislative councils concentrate your resources each and all; concentrate your interests in parliament; and make a firm stand for a continuation of that right, under whose smiles you were first led to emyour capital in the cultivation of coffee.

bark

Buddhoo's tooth, or rather his supposed tooth.

Some say he was a vender of medicinal herbs; but however this may be, it is very certain he is a man without any just claim to royal blood.

THE SWAN

RIVER-FREEMANTLE-PERTH.

BY J. W. F. BLUNDELL, ESQ.

In our last article on Western Australia, we endeavoured to disabuse the mind of the intending emigrant of some of the chief fallacies which surround the subject of colonisation; and it is now our purpose to describe the settled localities of that portion of Australia-opening out to the unprejudiced mind the resources of a country of peculiar character, yet one in every respect adapted for men of moderate views and pretensions.

Like many portions of that great continent, the one of which we speak has not at first sight a very inviting aspect. To eyes long accustomed to the verdure and cultivation of England, few lands fresh from the hands of Nature will be otherwise than forbidding. It is only upon a more intimate acquaintance, and a forgetfulness, if it be possible, of the scenes of bygone years, that the heart is accustomed to its new position, and the early trials of a life essentially different to that hitherto experienced. The first glance at Western Australia is not, then, without its disappointments. This portion of the coast is supposed to be rising; hence the belt of territory which lies at an average distance of twenty miles from the Darling range to the sea is of a sandy character, varied with limestone hills, alluvial lands on the banks of rivers, and extensive clay plains comparatively valueless to the agriculturist. This peculiar coast formation has necessarily occasioned that dispersion of the population on the sea-board which is so much deprecated in the case of this particular spot; yet, were it a matter of the huge importance which some would fain ascribe to it, an almost insurmountable barrier would be raised to the success of the settlement. It is idle in Australia to speculate on such things as concentration; the nature of that country forbids it; and it must appear still more senseless to force a people to congregate against their real interests, or in other words, to locate themselves according to the rule of some paper plan, rather than to the fitness of the country for their future operations. To suppose that any sane man or body of men would from free choice plant themselves and their families far away from neighbours if such a casualty could be avoided, is so far removed from the suggestions of common sense that it is somewhat astonishing how such notions could have ever gained ground upon the knowledge and experience of legislators and others. Why or wherefore they have done so is not now our province to inquire, any more than it is to treat of the early history of the settlement. The public care little for the annals of the past, beyond the proofs they may furnish of the true capabilities of a country for the employment of those who must annually be poured forth from this densely populated isle; they are so tired with mere speculation, that they naturally ask for plain disclosures of simple points and facts; and therefore we will first describe the country itself, and, if need be, dwell upon its merits

hereafter.

It has been already stated that the western coast of Australia is deficient of harbours. The Swan River, like all the rivers upon the coast, discharges its waters into an estuary, which may be said to commence at the point of land whereon the capital, Perth, is situated. The waters of the estuary flow into the sea over a rocky bar, which may some day or other be entirely removed, as great exertions are at the present time being made

to destroy it. The summer anchorage of vessels is in Gage's Roads, which is protected by the three islands to which we have formerly alluded. In the winter season this roadstead is considered unsafe, and vessels are then required to anchor in Owen's Anchorage, distant about three or four miles from the former ground, and, being protected by Garden Island and several sand-banks, is rendered perfectly secure from all winds. During this season the north-west squalls are at times very violent, and have occasioned in bygone years many wrecks upon the coast; but experience, combined with the observations and directions of surveying parties, particularly of Captains Wickham and Stokes of the Beagle, will in future obviate such disasters. These north-west squalls are common to the western coasts of South America; they bring with them those genial showers which clothe the land with verdure, replenish the lakes and streamlets, and afford those necessary supplies of moisture which had been previously exhausted by the dry and parching heats of a summer suu.

The seaport town of Freemantle lies upon the right bank of the river Swan as you ascend, immediately at its mouth. In this part a lofty headland, called Arthur's Head, juts out into the sea. It is crowned with a flag-staff, four harmless cannon-which are only fired to give notice of the arrival of a vessel from England-and that consolation to Jack ashore, the jail. It is tunnelled through, for the purpose of communicating with a whaling establishment and jetty, built there for the service of bay-whaling parties during the seasons of such pursuit. Below lies the town, built upon a limestone mass, which affords abundant and excellent material for walls and houses.

On the south side of this town-the north having the waters of the river--is a small bay, well sheltered by the headland before mentioned, and deep enough for boats of considerable tonnage. Here goods are usually landed, and then, if not bonded at the customs, transshipped to Perth, the capital. The custom-house is placed at the deepest recess of this small bay, and all shipping business is thus transacted without the delay which might otherwise be occasioned by the distance of the seat of government from the seaport. The principal street is the Highstreet, which, with the handsome little church at its extremity, several excellent and commodious inns-which have brought great credit among travellers-stores, and private dwellings, presents a very orderly and respectable figure from the summit of the massive stone steps rising above the entrance to the tunnel. From this street branch off several of minor importance, containing nevertheless some well-built cottages and small dwellings, though blocked up in a measure by the sandy accumulations left there in years past by the waters of the river.

The chief traffic of this small township being confined to the shipping, which is at present comparatively small in numbers, it cannot be expected for some years at least to rise to much importance. Its incidents are few, and, like all colonial seaports, the most usual are derived from the characteristic interludes which distinguish the life of the sailor from the every-day existence of those placid mortals who live on dry land." It is a sad thing to say, but it is no less true, that the tar of blue water, he of long voyages, appears to consider the shore of most countries as alone taking part in the share he has of this world in general, so far as it administers to the delights of intoxication. Hence Freemantle is but a spot upon the chart of his existence; and that white, blank-looking landmark we have described, the temporary fulfilment of his indulgences. It