Pulö
Condore.
written, they instantly became intelligible to him ; tho
their colloquial language was altogether different from
what is spoken in China, yet the characters werp'-all
Chinese ; and the fact was ,cleariy^ascertained' on this
occasion, that those characters have an-equal advantage
with Arabic numbers, , of which the figures eohveyï-thë
same meaning wherever-known, whereas the letters iff
other languages denote not things, but elementary sounds,
which, combined variously together, form words, ôr more
complieafiedrisounds, conveying different ideas'in différent
language tho the ;form of their alphabet bef'the
same.
The inhabitants of Pulo Condore; were, it seems,'Co-
çhin-Chinese, with their descendants, who fled from
their ow.ll'liountry, in consequence of their attachment
to. one of its sovereigns, dethroned by several of his:.oWn
subjgctSw It was proposed to purchase provisfoW^teé^-
and the people promised to have the;specified quantity
ready, if possible, the next day, when it was intended,
if the weather should be favourable, to land the invalids.
The next morning was fair in the beginhirîg ; andj a
party of pleasure was made from the Hindostan«to ta
small island close to Pulo Condore. They were scarcely
arrived upon it when the weather began to lower; and the
boat set off on its return, in order to reach the ship bfe-*
fore the impending storm should begin. But it overtook
them before they got half-way. One of the company
was^aobqy, whose father had been prevented by indis-
position from being ! of theoparty, and was now anxi-
ouslydookingvifrom the deck of the .Hindostan, for; the
return of the boat; s lie perceived it sometimes above
the > waves;;!* and it sometimes disappeared behind them;
The most indifferent spectator, if any could be indifferent,.
doubted* whether,;the*, boat must not be overwhelmed
in such as now suddenly was raised;; while the
distracted parent was ardently wishing tubfein the boat, '
as* if hisip$||^nGei there :could hayet allayed the tempest.
The cockswain, or. helmsman of the boat, guided .it,
however, with'sueh address,! keeping her bow steadily
to- therapproachingnwav.e, which otherwise must have
filled .and sunk her, that she Cached the ship; tlxen;
however, rolling so deeply, that the boat had again a
harrow jescapedtfrom being; sunk or dashed to pieces
against the - greater vessel’s sides.
| As? soon as. theoweather became fair, messengers were
dispatched on shore, to receive, and pay for, the provisions
promised. When they* arrived at the village, they
were' astonished to find it abandoned. The houses were
Hgft opern; and none, of the effects,*, except, some arms,
that had, on the first Visit!, been perceived within them,
oneven of the poultry feeding about theHoors, were taken
away.. In the principal;cabin a paper was.found, in the
Chinese language^tnf which theffite^ ttanslatima pur-
ported, as nearly as it could be made, that the people