SINGAPORE.

Wellington Independent, Volume V, Issue 430, 24 November 1849, Page 3

SINGAPORE.

W« have received Singapore papersfrom May to 14 th August, which contain hews from India, China, and Polynesia. ' A;Ghinese secret society had employed as many as 25 to 30 men to murder .their * Christian countrymen. Two ofthe latter-, had recently fallen victims. The tigers were devouring a coolie every day. *

Moolraj, the Dewan of Mooltan,. : had been tried and sentenced to death at ; Calcutta, as an instigator and.accessory,;; before and after the fact, of the murder of Messrs. Agnew and Auderson. - ; The * Cpnimissioners, however, • recommended him to mercy. -, - ,> ..

Gambling prevailed to.a fearful extent f at Singapore, Calcutta, and in the Indian -. army. Sir Charles Napier.was exerting himself vigorously to repress it • in-the , army. '''-•- - : No less than eight vessels, with -pro- -. perty to the amount of £300,000, ■ had • been burnt since. 1842> in the harbour of - Bombay, by the Lascars., after-receiving? a month's pay in advance. The Govern-"; ment of India.had at last enacted a law., on the subject. . ' Tbe affairs at Billy had been-settled - by a peace, the Dutch having been foiled - in their attempts to conquer the Island., Affairs-were prosperous at Hong-Kong,; and the Island "was; healthy." Piracy,', however, continues rife, eveu. in sight-,- oft Hong-Kong. ■ . --~*, _.....*-, - A young man natiaed Summers-haying refused to uncover.to a procession ofthe Host at Macao, was'imprisoned. -He Was immediately by Capjfeins_ K_eppel, Troubridge, and Stavely,.but the Governor refused, .unless as a. Captain Keppel then.ordered a party of marines aud seamen, undercommand of; Captain Stavely, to Summers, while the s .Governor, was.,at a.regatta.—*; The marines, and seqmenacted with much; violence, repeatedly,,fired at ■•the.'Portuguese*, guards andkilled .One-man.-' ,?Theyj succeeded in >liberating* B Sii_gmerß,vbnt; his conduct, ;<and'-that'-ofyth'e marines,* .yas generally rAwti -. t .d *i<{ fccij ,*■■{£ «-.'<j , J'.'o .;■_...._;;-..•. .)■'. - v .l £%„■***; ... . 0 -; n g-j'M j -r_y-_aw J_m't)ng}the_Aj'_ibs. permits,*?ih.Mv - viv.es. who (Wnofe ' i«ake' hirri ? good^.br,6i\'di '. ; ;.{■,. ; _»

..,ARei-igiods.Broti_erhpoi) ; op.RobWS.— f ho Dakoits ..although in the r aggregation and in their following acknowledgedleaders . or;sirdars, they bore .an analogy to the brigands of the south ■vof Europe, or tlie banditti of the middle ages, yet resembled morenearly some of < the illegal confederations which have been organised in morei-noclem days and moro .civilised coinmuiiitcs in Europe, in their ■ assembling by night only, and dispersing and following peaceable occupations . {luring the day, .most.of them being engaged in the cultivation of the soil, or • following mechanical trades. Individuals among them,-were,well known as sirdars, . by wliom their expeditions were projected, - and by whoseorders the gang was assembled at an appointed spot, generally a grove near tlie village to be attacked. .The members of the gang, who were secretely known to the sirdars, and,sometimes to each .other, repaired to the place ; variously armed, chiefly . with swords, club's," and pikes, and some with matcii"'iotj'ks. Their numbers varied from 10, or "15 to 50 or 60. When collected, their ma--rauding excursion was usually preluded by a religious ceremony, the worship of the ;.goddess Durga. the patroness of thieves, Jtyj)ified by a water .pot, or.afewrleaves of • grass. The ceremony was conducted by a Brahmin of degraded condition and dissolute life, Having propitiated the goddess by the promise of a portion of their spoil, they marched with lighted torches, and little attempt at concealment, beyond ■..disguising their faces by pigment or covering them with masks, to the object .of their expedition, usually the dwelling of some shopkeeper, or money changer, in which it was expected to discover treasure. Occasionally, the motive of the attack was vengeance; and information given by the householder, or some of his family, against any of the members of the gang, brought upon him the resentment .of the fraternity. Upon entering the village, it was customary to fire a gun, as a signal to the inhabitants to keep within their dwelliags. The house against which the operation was designed was then surrounded; and whilst somo of the gang .forced, an entrance, others remained as a •guard without. Unless exasperated by resistance, or instigated by revenge, the Dakoits did not commonly proceed to .murder: but they perpetrated atrocious • cruelties upon such persons as refused to give them, or were unable to give them, ."■information regarding property which they suspected of having been concealed, ...burning them with lighted torches or blazing straw, or wrapping cloth or flax, steeped in oil, round their limbs and setting it on fire, or inflicting various torturps, which caused immediate or speedy de : atij_. !.£he object being accomplished, , audrtbe booty secured, the gang retired \before daylight, and.the individuals resigned their daily occupations. Such was the terror inspired by their atrocities, such was the dread of their revenge, that f?w of their neighbours ventured to. in--form pr.give evidence Against them, although well aware of then- real character and proceedings. The police, intinii- - d|ted or corrupt, rarely interfered until the robbery was completed and the perpetrators had disappeared, and their • interposition was far from welcome to the people, as their unprofitable and ■■ vexatious inquiries had frequently no 1 °ft_ r purpose in view thah-jthe extortion of money, as the price of forbearing to drag the • villagers, -unwilling, witnesses, r before the European magistrate.* or even . of falsely apcusing them of being accessary tQ,the..crime.— Wilson's History of India. Dancer of Frightening Children. -rrlt is a matter of course that no mother thrill idlow an ignorant person to have access toiher child, who will frighten it with goblin stories, or'threats of the old black man. She might as well throw up her charge at once, and leave off thinking of household education altogether, as permit her child to be exposed to. such maddening inhumanity as this. The instances are not few of idiotcy or death • from .terror so caused.— Miss Martineau. An old count paid his addresses to one of the richest heiresses in Paris. In l asking her hand in marriage, he frankly : said to her, " Miss 8., lam very old, and yoa; are very yoiihg;' will* you:do me the -honour to become my 'widow'?".-