On the southern side of the mountains, we have the Nipalese ter ritory, which still professes to pay tribute to China; but is actually entirely independent of that government, and controlled by the British resident at Katmandú. The policy of the supreme government, content with its real power over this principality, wisely allows the raja to play sovereign after his own Chinese fashion. The British resident and his suite are accordingly restricted to a limited space in the valley of Katmandú, and until lately, if not now, have been forbidden to take their wives into the country; these are very much like the restrictions of which the foreigners in Canton complain, who live here by their own option.

Westward of the Nipa lese state lie the British districts of Kemaon and Garhawal, which are in immediate contact with Tibet, with which the Gúrkas and others, subjects of the British government in India, trade directly through the passes in the mountains. Beyond Garhawal and between that district and the river Sutlej, where they come in contact with the Seik power, lie a number of little indepen dent principalities, whose ra'ja's exercise the power of life and death over their own subjects; but they all pay tribute to the British government, and are controlled in their relations with each other and with foreign states by the governor general's agent at Deyrah Doon or Subathů. The hardy mountaineers who people these states carry on a traffic in the summer season through the valley of the Sutlej and over the passes of the Himalaya with Seb and Gartope, and some of them even penetrate to Yarkund in one quarter and Lassa in another. Tibetan officers appointed from the latter place are stationed at those passes expressly to prevent the passage of Europeans through them; but they do not hinder the Asiatic subjects of those same Europeans. Here, however, as elsewhere in the Chinese dominions, the negligence or impotence of the Chinese authorities enables enterprising individuals to evade the restrictions, as Moorcraft, Gerard, and Jacquemont have proved; and our knowledge of Tibet will no doubt, receive constant accessions in this way. Upon all these matters, and about the proceedings on the Burmese frontier, the Peking gazette, be it observed, is equally silent as about Russian affairs; its silence being as significant, perhaps, as its narrations.

We have thus shown that the Russian and British powers are hemming in the Chinese colonial possessions in two nearly parallel lines, and the British are, moreover, pressing upon the provinces of China Proper. China is losing, therefore, the advantages of its former isolated position, and with it must decrease the resistance of its isolating policy. The lava-like progress of those two great powers must continue to advance upon it with almost imperceptible but irresistible effect. It rests as little with themselves possibly as with the Chinese to avert the shock; but the foresight and energy of the European governments may enable them to check it, and their religion as well as sound policy should prompt them to do so, until certain that the collision will bring happiness to the conquered as well as advantage to themselves. It may rest with either of them, as little, to make an

immediate impression upon the Chinese empire, and a too precipitate attempt, if such a thing were to be thought of, might only retard the events which are peaceably promoting the trade of all the countries. Whenever the present dynasty of China wears out, and there is no reason to suppose that it will be immortal more than those which preceded it, it is more than probable, that the empire will rend into Tartar and Chinese kingdoms. Each will probably seek for foreign aid against the other, and the contest for political influence now going on in other parts of Asia, between Russia and the western European states, may then be removed to China. Any advantage to be obtained in this or a similar commotion in the Chinese empire, will fall to the foreign power which has contributed most in the interim to develope the intellectual and moral capabilities of the Chinese, and taught them previously to confide in and respect the moderate and moral dignity of the people, whose physical aid they may then invite.

The above speculation is presented merely as one of many accidents which may at some future day call for European interference with China, and be turned to advantage by the power which is prepared to avail of them; but ages are but as days in Asiatic history, and it is impossible to predict the time when any change may occur. The present emperor of China, if less energetic, seems to be as just and as attentive to the business of the empire, as any of his race. But although of middle age, he is reported to be prematurely old, his heir presumptive is a child, the mother said to be one of the cleverest of her sex, and her father by adoption a minister of state-contingences, any one of which is sufficient to revolutionize a despotic government. What are the elements of change amongst the people, may be gathered from our previous "Notices."

ART. III. Description of Manipur: its situation, productions, government, language, and religion; with some account of the adjoining tribes.

FROM an unpublished Report recently made to the Indian government by captain Pemberton, late joint commissioner in Manipur, from which extracts are made in the Calcutta Christian Observer, as well as from other Indian publications, we have derived our information respecting this state. The Report describes the great chain of mountains which forms a barrier on the east along the whole extent of the Bengal presidency. From the southeast of the valley of A'sám in N. lat. 26° 30, and E. long. 95, this chain runs a course generally south, having Manipur and Burmah on the east, and on the west Káchár, Khásiya, and A'racán, till it terminates at cape Negiais

the southern limit of the latter province, and the southeastern cape of the bay of Bengal, in latitude 16° north. In the northern part, proceeding eastward from Jynteah, this range increases in height till it reaches the east end of the valley of A ́sám; thus far being under British authority, and farther on, more or less directly so. This part varies from 6000 to 8000 feet in its greatest height, while farther east it rises to 10,000 feet, and the vallies lie at an elevation from 2500 to 4000 feet above the sea. From the east of A sam this range is divided, one part passes directly on into China, into the provinces of Yunnan and Szechuen; another in the latitude of Sadiya meets a branch of the snowy mountains from the north; and a third divides into the two mountainous ranges which border the Irawa dí on each side, from its sources to its mouth. 66 Every part of this mountainous country that I have visited," observes captain Jenkins, presents nearly a uniform geological structure, being almost entirely composed of clay slate, and everywhere nearly of the same appearance, very much broken and disintegrated, so much so as to be seldom visible in mass, and being covered with a deep coat of soil and luxurious vegetation even on the greatest hills."

The valley of Manipúr lies between this great chain on the west, and the Angoching mountains on the east; this latter range is west of, and parallel with, the Kyendyen, or Ningthí river, which is the chief western branch of the Ira'wa'dí, and unites with it below Ava. It is a fertile mountain valley about sixty miles in length, lying between 24° and 25° north latitude; at an elevation of 3000 feet above the sea. The population does not exceed 30,000, or 40,000, but being a united and spirited people, "they exercise rule over all the hill tribes from A rácán to A'sám on one side, and from Ka'chár to Burmah on the other." The valley is well watered by the numerous streams from the hills, which intersect each other in every direction, and by means of which the irrigation of the fields is accomplished with but little labor. In the centre of the valley are numerous small lakes of fresh water, so far as examined, which, with all the streams and the water of the rains, have but a single outlet. This is at the southeast corner, and thus shows that there must be a slope from north to south; for if viewed from the heights the aspect is that of a perfect level. From its effect on himself and other Europeans, major Grant celebrates the salubrity of the climate. The natives of Manipúr,' he observes, 'are the most healthy and robust race he had seen in any part of India. The seasons are divided into the dry and rainy; the former lasts from November to May, during which, the weather is generally clear and dry. There is almost constant frost at night for the two winter months, but seldom or never is snow seen. In the rainy season, the fall of rain is frequent, but the quantity is not great. The only grain cultivated with any care is rice, but this grows of a superior quality, and in quantity nearly double of what the same extent of ground in Bengal produces. Tobacco, Indigo, sugar-cane, and the like, grow in the valley, and cotton, and camphor are cultivated on the hills; but wanting the stimulus of a good market, none of them except

cotton is raised to an amount beyond the supply of the people. The cultivation of fruits is neglected and left to chance, so that though they might be grown in great variety, yet at present few of them attain to great perfection.'

In the royal genealogical roll of Manipur kings, we find a series of rájás from near the time of the Christian era down to A. D. 1819, when the reigning rájá was expelled from his dominions by the ambitious Burmans. About 1824, the British reinstated his brother Gambhir Singh, in his dominions, which he retained till his death in 1834. His son is yet a child, and the government is in the hands of a regency. From the account of captain Gordon, the government appears to be framed after the true Chinese paternal model; the idea is that of a large family; the rájá is the head or father, the royal connections the members, the chiefs the stewards, and the people are the servants. The latter are, indeed, divided into several classes, but all are designed in some way or other to minister to the wants or state of the royal family. Some provide grain, others salt, others cloth, others silk, others grass, others earthern pots, &c., &c. Every one has his duty, and every duty has its agent; each class has its sirdars, who after deducting their own allowances and the shares for other men in power, hand over the remainder to the head steward, who, in case it be not already cash, sells the surplus for his own and master's benefit. All these classes, however, are termed tributaries, are deemed inferior, rarely give personal attendance, and if they go on military expeditions generally act as porters. The next great division of the people give attendance at the rate of ten days in forty. Of these, the most numerous are the seapoys, then the horsemen, spearmen, messengers, house-builders, doctors, barbers, and in short, every description of people needed for the police or for the defense of the country. The rájá has the power of degrading any one to a disreputable rank, or of elevating to a higher; and when we farther remember that no man here can resign in disgust, but must continue through life to be in some way or other a servant of government, we perceive the power of the rájá, for good or evil, is unusually great. The whole people look up to their government not only as the source of honor and emolument, but also as the authority on which all in every grade depend for the rank they hold in society, and to which they look as their model of manners, fashions, and religious observances.

It was the command and example of a prince of Manipúr, which first introduced Hinduism into the country. About the year 1780, an image of Govindah was publicly consecrated with much ceremony in Manipúr, by the grandfather of the present rájá. This was the first national profession of that faith, though its votaries had previously been resident there. At the same time a proclamation was issued by the rájá stating that, in order to avert the recurrence of such calamities as then oppressed them, (the invasions of the Burmans,) he wholly made over his country to this celestial proprietor, henceforward holding the government in his name. Near the same time, an inferior

image was consecrated, to whom was entrusted the presumptive heirship; and the ra'ja' positively enjoined that no descendant of his, without the possession of these images, should ever be raised to the royal dignity. Hence the possession of them was a fruitful source of dissension between his sons, up to the accession of Gambhír Singh, in 1824.

From the commencement of the present century Hinduism has made progress in Manipúr, and the Brahmans now form a very influential class. Over the late rájá they obtained almost unlimited sway, and on them, and in the erection of temples at their sacred place, Bindrában, he spent all the money received from the British government during the late war. Much of that influence terminated with the life of the rájá; and though the practices and doctrines of Hinduism are most rigidly enforced, there are such exceptions as show that this degrading superstition is received in form rather than in spirit. The strict observance is called genteel, while eating animal food or violating any other rule is termed vulgar. Aged people sometimes finding daily bathing inconvenient, wholly give up the system of ceremonies, and yet live respected in their families. Many also of the rites of the religion prevalent before the adoption of Hinduism are still practiced, and they have a regular set of priests and priestesses unconnected with the latter system.

It would seem as though a more favorable time than the present could not be had for introducing the knowledge of the English language, and of the Christian religion. The influence of the Brahmans is weakened by the death of the late rájá; the Bengalí is a foreign language understood but by the court and the Brahmans; while in the Manipúrí few books have been written, and none printed. This language being quite distinct from any of the Indian stock, and being poor and uncultivated, for some time to come the people must be educated from the stores of another language. That this must be the English is the decided opinion of captain Gordon, the political agent, who has proved himself the warm friend of improvements and of humanity. The present Manipúrí alphabet is derived from the Bengálí by which it is imperfectly expressed, while by the adoption of the Roman character, if not also of the English language, more books may be put in circulation in one year than all that exist at present. For this purpose captain Gordon is exerting all his influence: he has already succeeded in adapting the Romanizing system of India to this language and is now preparing a dictionary in English, Bengálí, and Manipuri, for the use of the people, in which he uses the Roman character only.

The mother and guardian of the young chief have agreed that the education of their ward shall be conducted under the superintendence of captain Gordon. And the work has already been begun. An intelligent native tutor, brought up at the Chitpur school, has been provided for him at the joint expense of the British and Manipúr governments. A school room has been built in which the young rájá takes his lessons. With him are associated the sons of the regent,