nior commander, Captain Milliken Craig, of the Elphinstone, by the Mandarins, deputed by the Isontoc, under a canopy of state, surrounded by Chinese guards, under arms, erected for the occasion, on French Island, on the side of a hill, having a chinese camp on each side, on hills, each about one mile distant, and all in view from the van ships of the honourable company's fleet, moored in line of battle, within gun-shot of the camps. Other camps were also in sight from the fleet, on the hills of more distant islands. Each camp was attended by a regular establishment of long covered boats, for transporting the troops, with their tents, baggage, guns, ammunition, officers, horses, &c. &c. from one island to another, at once. The country ships were towed down the river, clear of the company's ships.* "I, the Mandarin Vic, by favour of my Prince, Isontoc of the two provinces of Quangtong and Quangsi, member of the tribunal of war, &c. direct this letter to the captains, officers, passengers, and others belonging to the English ships, to warn you, that being certain that your bad kingdom is situated on an island of the sea, and that you originally employed yourselves in making watches, to enable you to pay your taxes ; afterwards, by the especial and profound goodness of our great Emperor, who was desirous of benefitting you, he granted you permission to come to this empire to trade. Behold what exalted and profound virtue belong to him!!! Notwithstanding this, the admiral of your kingdom, regardless of the laws, has brought here, for the first time, foreign soldiers, and without leave The British property at stake, in the first instance, was at least five millions sterling in Canton, and as much more afloat at Whampoa, in fourteen Company's ships, and in 26 ships beJonging to the ports of British India, introduced them into Macao; and your chief supercargo uniting with them, they are, with one accord, making disturbances. This being the case, I informed the Emperor, from whom I have just received a decree, in virtue of which, I again send Mandarins deputed to inform them, that if they persist in detaining the soldiers, a great many troops shall be immediately dispatched to destroy and extinguish them, and to terminate this affair; for the consequence of which the admiral and chief supercargo will be responsible. But you, captains, officers, passengers, and other people of the ships, shall be free from all responsibility if you remain quietly in the observance of the laws; and after the soldiers of your nation shall be entirely withdrawn, I shall feel it my duty to inform the Emperor, praying him to have the goodness to permit you to carry on your trade as formerly. But if you, giving ear to, and obeying the admiral and chief supercargo, unite yourselves to them to create disturbances, when afterwards. our innumerable soldiers shall arrive, who shall destroy and burn, even if you are as hard as stone or jasper; I shall then be unable to use you with any indulgence, or to free you from the net of the law in which you will be ensnared. And in order that you may be obedient and discreet, I direct this Chop to you. In the 13th year of the Emperor Kia King, on the 17th day of the 10th moon (3d December, 1808.") Mem. Received on the 4th Dec. 1808, from the hands of the Mandarins delegated by the Isontoc, who were the military Brigadier Mandarin Chang, and the Quangchon-fop (governor of the city of Canton) Fu. TO HIS EXCELLENCY THF VICEROY CHINESE EMPIRE. May it please your Excellency, We, the undersigned commanders of the hon. English East India company's ships at Whampoa, for ourselves, our officers, and our own men, have the exalted honour to acknowledge the receipt of your excellency's most gracious letter, delivered to us in French Island, on the 4th December, 1808, by the two Mandarins, whom we are informed it was your condescending pleasure to send for that purpose. Our object of visiting this country is purely for commercial purposes, to continue in the same manner that friendly and useful intercourse which has existed for centuries, and now become, from its magnitude, of the very first importance to both our vast empires. We are taught in our own country, that obedience to our laws is the first essential to the well-being of the state; the same must apply to all countries; and we are, there fore, ordered, and endeavour to venerate and obey yours: but such is the nature of our own laws and constitution, that we dare not, even in a foreign country, depart from alle giance to our own country, nor to those who are dignified with its most exalted representation. We understand that our admiral, who is an officer of high rank, at the request of the Portuguese, landed some troops at Macão, to help them to defend it against attacks from the French, This wicked nation, ever since they murdered their sovereign, have waged war upon all nations within their reach, and we understand are now marching, by land, to make war upon the celestial empire, as the British navy prevents them by sea. We of course wish to have no concern with any disturbances in the celestial empire, and we therefore most humbly implore your excellency to order the trade to be opened, that we may find employment, in the quiet habits of industry, which we Conceive would prevent our services being required for other purposes, but which, if called for, our laws and our honour would compel us to obey, whatever might be the consequences. With sentiments of the most profound veneration, and prayers for your excellency's welfare, we beg leave to subscribe our names:-Mr. Graig, Senior officer; Charles Prescott, William Moffat, Henry Hon. Company's Ship Elphinstone, ANSWER. I, ISONTOC, &c. in reply to your letter, have to inform you, that I first thought that you, like your merchants, came to carry on trade, and that you would have joined with your superiors, I mean the admiral and chief, to create disorders. Under this idea I sent you a chop. But seeing now that you do not think proper to alter your way of thinking, using as a pretence the protection of the Portuguese, I plainly know, that you have joined your opinions with those of the above superiors, remaining in the same vain hope. I, the Isontoc, have repeatedly sent my chops, declaring, that as long as there remained a single soldier at Macao, and you would not obey my orders, I absolutely will not consent to your continuing to carry on your trade. If you do not wish to trade, you may take away your ships as you think proper; but if you are · desirous of pursuing your mercantile negociations, it is necessary to remain peaceable, and to obey the laws, relying, with certainty, that after your troops shall have entirely evacuated Macao, that your trade shall be granted to you as formerly, As your letter declares that you must, of course, obey the laws of the imperial dynasty, this shews that you have respect and veneration for them, therefore I have directed to you this chop, with all the efficacy possible, to open yet a way for you, but after this dispatch, if your admiral and you all will not change your sentiments, and if you send any more letters, I have given or ders that they shall not be received. In the 13th year of Kia King, 21st day of the 10th moon (7th Dec, 1808.) [Received on the 9th Dec. 1808.] ORIGINAL CORRESPONDENCE. CONSECRATION OF COLOURS. SIR, Although the ceremony, the heathenish, the profane ceremony of "consecrating," (as it is ususally termed) the ensigns of war, bloodshed and desolation to the service of the God of peace, and of that Saviour, the prince of peace, at whose birth peace was proclaimed by Angels, and who at his death bequeathed this blessing to his disciples, as the choicest he had to bestow:-Although this ceremony was in frequent use during the last war, the offence it occasioned to the christian world, and the disgust it gave to every one who understood the New Testament, would, it was hoped, have prevented the repetition of a farce so disgraceful. But by what follows the public will perceive, that the town of Halifax has again been degraded, owing to the officious zeal of a priest who has been equally distinguished, by his regard to the ceremonial parts of our established church, and his love of war and bloodshed. I hope Sir, you will not deem an account of the military-politico-religious farce which so recently passed at this town,, improper for insertion in your Monthly Register; as it may serve as an instance of the servility, the phara saism, and the hypocrisy of the day, and as a warning to others how they wound the cause of christianity, and expose themselves to the ridicule prayer. COLONEL HORTON,I cannot presume to add to the many commendations which you have already received from those, who, by reason of their exalted rank of professional experience, are worthy and able to appreciate your military services, and I can have as little cause to doubt the sincerity of such commendations, as the skill of those who bestowed them.-Yet I may be allowed to join with the worthy gentleman who has officially addressed you, and in the name of my parishioners, to thank you for the honor which you have done to the parish of Halifax, by your very early alacrity in tendering your services as militiamen, and with a zeal which even anticipated the wishes of government. We thank you also for your spirited and disinterested patriotism, which greatly to your credit, has totally exempted your friends and neighbours from the trouble and inconvenience of military servitude -For your effective and even instant assistance so cheerfully offered in the moment of anarchy and alarm,and for your thus rescuing a very populous district from all the horrors of civil commotion--and thereby pledging yourselves to the country that the same spirit of valour and enterprize so eminently successful in defeating and subduing the internal enemies of the kingdom, will be nobly displayed in resisting, and we trust, under divine Providence, in finally overthrowing every foreign invader, however boisterous his menaces or formidable his arrangements.-These things are praiseworthy and I hope you understand that a life of active beneficence for the good and happiness of others is far more honourable and even more comfortable than a state of mercenary selfishness, or censorious indolence. I will not dwell upon these topics. I proceed to that part of my office which is more adapted to my pastoral connections with you, and I think, I may say, more congenial to my own disposition-and to invoke the blessing of Heaven upon these your generous exertions. LET IS PRAY-O everlasting God, who in the secret counsels of thine adorable wisdom, hast permitted nation to rise against nation, and for the Son of Man hast sent forth the sword and every inhabitants of the earth, humble us we deadly instrument of war amongst the beseech thee before thy divine Majesty for this thine awful dispensation; and if we go forth to battle, we would go forth in the name, and in the support of a righteous cause, and in the use of those means which thou in thy mercy hast prescribed; and since thou wast pleased to command thy people of old, that every man should pitch by his own standard, by the ensigns of his father's house, we would duly obey this thy heavenly in junction; and here we solemnly conse crate as in thy presence these banners of our warfare, the tokens of our dedication to thee, humbly imploring thy gracious aid and assistance in this momentous controversy, where we, WITH OUR ALLIES, are most deeply involved; for if thy spirit go not with us, carry us not up hence. -Be gracious we beseech thee, to our Sovereign Lord the King, to the royal family, to our governors and superiors, and to all that bear office in the realm, in matters ecclesiastical, military or civil.-We humbly beg thy blessing upon this company now assembled in array before thee; upon the officers, the cap tains and the soldiers, upon their wives, their children, and their kindred-and upon every member of that vast and extensive parish to which they belong,-beseeching thee, also to pour down thy blessings upon this ancient town wherein they are incamped. "Lastly, We humbly beg for thy di vine influence upon all men, that we may thankfully receive thy good things, and patiently endure thy correctionthat we be not sullen in adversity, not discontented in prosperity; that we may be delivered from the filthiness of all those selfish passions which bring misery and ruin upon the world-from the furiousness of ambition, from the gloom of avarice, and from the rottenness of envy-and grant that we thus walking in stedfast obedience to thy holy will may be delivered from affliction, and (what is a far greater deliverance) from the fear of affliction-and when this ty ranny of man shall be overpast, may we at the last, for Christ's sake, enter into the life and light of God, into the kingdom of thy son, the blessed kingdom of janocence and peace, where every bat |