from the peculiarities, and, to the pa- | scene and of the society, includes a sense tients the novelty of the climate.

The same occurs in a greater or less degree, when the natives of the Torrid Zone visit our temperate regions. The inconstancy of the weather, the haziness and moisture of the air, the severities of winter, the chills, and colds, and other inclemencies, put the constitutions of native Indians to a rude trial, of which the few who visit us, have usually, sufficient cause to complain.

of diminished comfort, and of more than domestic hazards, from unknown manners and customs, from untried tempers and prejudices.

These ideas branch out into a thousand diversities; but all of them, pressing the best feelings of our nature into their service. We deny not that a suffering countryman of our own has a prior claim on our compassion and benevolence; but we say, the stranger in distress, is a spectacle that strongly excites our affectionate sympathy: his wants may be equally great; but they are greater, inasmuch as his resources to meet them are less. He encounters difficulties at every step: he can but

If those complain who enjoy the necessary protection from the seasons, and command the comforts of life, as those comforts become desirable, day by day, to what severer degrees of suffering are others exposed whose rank in society deprives them of the power of self-pro-imperfectly tell his tale: he knows not tection, and who forego, from necessity, the conveniences and safeguards which circumstances require, and their personal condition renders indispensable.

where, or how, to obtain redress, if wronged: he is the prey of the idle and dissolute, and utterly incapable is he of distinguishing the blandishments of criminal intention from the earnest good wishes of honest friendship.

There is no need to imagine such a person straying over wild heaths and moors, and deserts, wandering alone, in darkness, along paths unfrequented, a prey to the most anxious apprehension whither his route may lead him; or ex

To our general estimate of things, resting on comparison, the difference of heat between the climate of India and Egypt, appears to be very trifling :but, it was not found trifling by the Bramins who accompanied Sir David Baird's army from India to Egypt, in 1801:-on the contrary, though by their law-meaning their religious in-posed to the chance of meeting with stitutes, they were prohibited from flesh meat, yet to preserve their health, and their lives, they found it necessary to violate the precept, and to derive from this forbidden nourishment, a strength to resist the effects of that colder region into which they were transported. This took place in sultry Egypt; in a British camp: what would these persons have suffered had the -duty of their station led them direct to an English winter!

Nor let the circumstance of a wide separation from their native home-from their countrymen-from their friends from their families, be deemed trivial, or be overlooked: it is a moral cause of great extent and influence, as all who have experienced such separation, during any length of time, will not hesitate to confess. A forced association with strangers, is not pleasant to the human mind; and even when those strangers may be contemplated as friends, the novelty of the

ferocious animals :-the city of London itself, the metropolis of civilized Britain, presents dangers not less real, and not less alarming. Whether these exist among us, by necessity, we presume not to determine; but, we know, that philanthrophy can scarcely exert itself in any nobler manner, than by acting the part of guardian to those exposed to them. And we mean to extend this assertion to public as well as to private benevolence: the honour and character of our country demand that a protecting care should exert itself around those who know not how to care for themselves, and who, for our benefit, are brought into circumstances, indissolubly connected with hazards which they can neither detect nor decline.

The public eye was shocked some years ago with the sight of numbers of Lascars and Negroes, begging about our streets, in every stage of human misery: scarcely a public passage was free from

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the afflicting, the heart-rending nuisance. in their service might appear an act of The Government, very properly, inter-humanity and charity, might neverthefered, and those disgraceful exposures were abated. The India Company, in whose ships many of the men came over, concurred in rendering the measures enacted effectual, and the execution of the Act 54th of Geo. III. cap. 134, has subsequently prevented the recurrence of similar occasions of reproach on our national want of feeling, and avaricious insensibility to suffering humanity.

At a period when the trade of India is thrown open to private adventurers, when the expectation that these adventurers may introduce among us a greater number than ever of Oriental Seamen, is evidently well founded, our Legislature has very considerately and very wisely, thought proper to institute an enquiry into results which have attended the execution of their former determinations. This includes the double advantage of obtaining information respecting what has ensued, of manifesting their watchfulness over effects already produced; while it becomes a caution to individuals whose notions of duty may extend no further than honestly paying the wages in England for which their agents had contracted in India. To withhold the hire of sailors who had brought home their vessels, they would feel as an imputation on their honour, most painful, most intolerable; yet to befriend these their servants, after their services were closed, to conduct them with affection and soli

citude while here, and to provide for their return to their native country; might not strike every one embarked in the trade, as a duty; nor as an engagement strongly implied, whether or not it were clearly expressed, between the relative characters of master and servant. The desire of gain has an incalculable effect in blinding the expectants; but, if loss instead of gain take place, what merchant can resist the conclusion implied in the observation, "Indeed, I have suffered enough by that adventure, already! why should Tincur further expences? I cannot af

ford it."

eyes of

Others, to whom the extension of pecuniary assistance to foreigners engaged

less, decline personal efforts in their behalf, with the sacrifice of that TIME, the value of which can be estimated only by those who are overwhelmed in af fairs: while others deriving arguments from the state of ignorance and barbarity, from the perversities and passions of these heathen, from their headstrong disposition, and unmanageable tempers, would deem it in vain to attempt to serve them, and be quickly wearied Not so the Legislature: the deeper the out by disappointment and disgust. depression of these people with referthe more noble, the more exalted, is that ence to moral or humane instruction, solicitude which interests itself in their welfare, which draws an argument from necessity and misery for liberality and and values the noble metal he is made succour; which contemplates the man, of, though involved in impurities, or that this duty be discharged partially, debased by dross. It is not enough it must be discharged fully and this can be effected only by the watchful care of the Governing powers of the country. Even the East India Company, which instituted one Committee of Enquiry, does not appear to have followed up the examination with perseverance and zeal. If the impulse which the Company gave, slackened in time, what could be expected from the voluntary exertions of individuals, dispersed

in

every part of the kingdom, under no inspection, under no controul, under

be observed, that most of the principals no bond of honour? It is further to in whose vessels these people may be imported, are new to the Trade, are not apprized of a thousand circumstances which demand consideration, and ff blameable for an imperfect discharge of their duty, may honestly lay a great part of that blame on their ignorance,

rather than on their intention.

It is, therefore, to the honour of a nation distinguished by institutions designed to meet the accidents and calamities of human life, almost in every form, to enforce this attention to strangers, otherwise destitute; to extend equally over all, without exclusion

The following are extracts from the Report of the Committee.

The mode in which the crews are obtained in India, the Committee understand to be, by an agreement made with one of the persons denominated Ghaut Serangs, who contracts to furnish a crew for the voyage at a given sum per head, of which he receives a proportion in advance, and who is at liberty to make his own bargain with the individuals whom he employs, he is responsible to them for their pay, according to his agreement with each. The Serang, whose office answers nearly to that of boatswain, is the agent on board of the Ghaut Serang, for the purpose of receiving from time to time the monies due from the owners to the crew; he also exercises over the men such discipline as is necessary, subject to the commander of the ship while at sea; and the same degree of authority appears to be assumed over the men while on shore, without any

reasonable accommodations, consistently with a due regard to the comfort, health and cleanliness of the people, of which latter, even in the present uncrowded state of the barracks, there was a great deficiency, owing probably in a great degree to the habits of the Lascars themselves.

quantity: Upon this subject Your Committee have no observation to make, except that perhaps salt fish might be, with advantage to persons just returned from a voyage of several months, exchanged for fresh, at least at that season of the year when fresh fish are so abundant in London as to be the cheapest article of animal food.

Your Committee also visited the buildings intended for the Chinese, which are separate from those inhabited by the other Asiatic Sailors. There were not more than three or four persous then occupying them, though at the period of the arrival of the China ships they frequently contain well adapted for the purpose; the aparta great number. The building seemed

ral appearance of comfort prevailed, which was not to be observed in the quarters of the Lascurs. This Your Committee attribute to the different characters of the nations, and the habits which distinguish them. The individuals they saw appeared well contented: And Your Committee have no other observation to make with respect to the accommodation of the Chi

The walls of the different apartments appeared to be white-washed and dry; the men usually slept on the floor which is planked, without bedding, aud covered with a blanket; the rooms were without furniture of any kind: but although the ordinary articles of European furniture are not in use amongst the natives of India, yet the want of hammocks, which the Lascars use at sea, or of low bedsteads to which they are accustomed in India, ap-ments were clean and airy; and a genepears to be a material defect. There were no fire-places in the apartments; those for the purposes of cookery were arranged in open recesses in different parts of the premises. It appeared, however, that during the cold season they are supplied with stoves, which are taken out in the summer. Your Committee also observed that proper accommodations for the sick were totally wanting, that there was no regular hospital, nor any sufficient means of separating the diseased from those in health: And when your Committee were in the barracks several sick were lying on the floor, covered only by a blanket or rug, in a room which was open to the yard, and exposed to the entrance of all the persons in the barracks; for this custom the objection stated to be entertained by the individuals to being separated from their shipmates, did not appear to Your Committee by any means a sufficient

reason.

The returns, to which Your Committee have had an opportunity of referring, afford them the satisfaction of stating, that comparing the number arriving with the casualties stated, the mortality appears to be peculiarly small; and the greatest part of it to have arisen rather from the effects of a climate very different from that to which they have been accustomed, than to any want of attention or protection.

ese particularly, beyond the expression of a doubt, whether the buildings are sufficiently spacious for the number for which they are said to be intended.

In the course of the investigations of Your Committee, it has appeared that many Negroes and persons of colour are brought to this country, to whose situation the consideration of The House might with propriety be called; but not feeling it expressly within their province on the present occasion, they have abstained from doing it.

In the management of the Asiatic Sailors while on shore, the greatest defect, and one which influences materially their situation, and tends to defeat every humane provision for their convenience and their health, is, the total want of all regular authority either to prevent their wandering from the barracks by day or night, or maintaining order amongst them while within them. There is a want also of some In answer to the inquiries of Your Com- regular superintendence, under the immemittee on the subject of the want of bed-diate authority of the India Company, both ding and sufficient protection against the over the barracks and the person to whom cold, they have been told, that the pro- the care of the persons in them is compensity of the Lascars to selling all these mitted; by an appeal to which, his authoarticles when supplied to them, for pur-rity might be duly maintained, or the poses of dissipation, is such as it has been grievances of the people, if well founded, found impossible to counteract with promptly redressed. respect to the food, there did not appear to be any just ground of complaint; it seemed good in quality and sufficient in

It appears that the general care of Asi atic Sailors; rests with the Committee t

ficer, to the Superintendent of the Lascars established in London: That when the ship is destined for an immediate return to India, the owner should be allowed to keep the Lascurs at the port, under such arrangements as may be approved by one

or

Shipping; and that, on one occasion, a Special Committee was appointed by the Court of Directors, to examine various complaints which had been preferred in behalf of Asiatic Sailors; that this deputation once visited the barracks, on which they made a Report: but, with the examination of the existing complaints, and the production of this report, their delegation seems to have terminated; and the super intendence of these sailors has again devolved on the Committee of Shipping, to which, regular returns are made of the state of the depot as well as of each ship on its arrival at Gravesend, and the num-attachment of the ship. The Magistrates ber which have occasionally visited the barracks.

Some years ago the number of Asiatic Sailors appears to have been so small, and the expenditure on account of them so trifing, that a contract with an individual seemed not an inconvenient mode of providing for them: But their number, and the expenditure attached to them, has gradually grown to such a magnitude, that Your Committee are of opinion the time is now arrived, when a regular establishmeut, under the immediate authority and inspection of the East India Company, should be formed, and strengthened by such legal powers as may be necessary, with a view as well to the care and treatment of the individuals as to the preservation of an efficient police among them. It appears to Your Committee, that in any bill which may be brought in for the general regulation of the Lascars, it will be advisable to introduce special provisions for the cases of those who may arrive at Outports. It is probable that the trade between those ports and India will be carried on principally in ships belonging to this country, and these ships sailing on their outward voyages to India with entire European crews, will bring back, especially in time of peace, a much smaller proportion of Asiatic Sailors than must unavoidably be employed in the navigation of ships belonging to the Indian ports. This same circumstance, however, may increase the difficulty of ensuring the return of these men to India. Your Committee submit as an outline of the provisions on this subject, that on the arrival of any ships from India at any of the Outports, with any Lascars on board, the owners when they are resident at the port, or in their absence the master, should be required forthwith to deliver to the Mayor or other Chief Magistrate of the place, a Jist of all such persons, and to transmit another such list, either direct by the post, or through the Custom-house-of

more Magistrates, who should have summary powers to interfere, aud upon failure of the owners, to order the neces sary provision in the first instance from the poor's rate or other public fund, to a limited amount, which should be levied afterwards on the owners or the masters, by warrant of distress, or if necessary by

should also in these cases, have power to compel the owners or masters to take the Men on board, on the ship's return to India. When the ship is not destiued to an immediate return, Your Committee think that the best general rule (with liberty to the Magistrates to allow of exceptions, would be, to have the Lascars sent up to the establishment in London; where they should be maintained at the usual charge, until they could be sent back to India, in any mode which might be approved of by the Superintendent of the establishment, The whole expense of their transport to London, maintenance there, and return to India, would of course be at the charge of the owners.

Your Committee feel it necessary to ad. vert to various complaints of severity prac. tised in the barracks; but they have the satisfaction of stating, that those which came under their notice, appear to have been practised not by the European Superintendents, but by the Serangs, upon the Lascars belonging to their crews: and as almost all the acts stated to them, appear on investigation to have been done by the same individual, they have no reason to believe that any improper severities are exercised by the Serangs in general.

To these bumane suggestions, no doubt, proper attention will be paid. Iz Lascars begging about the streets.consequence, we shall no longer see And here we cannot but advert to that national difference of manners between that people and the Chinese which displayed itself, a few summers ago, The Chinese never seemed discontented, or distressed; never begged; and always had some trifles the fruits of their industry to dispose of. In fact, they picked up a good deal of money; and this being the reward of diligence, though exerted on trifles, could not be grudged them.