The island of Tcho-ka, or Saghalien, in the Tartarian sea, opposite the mouth of the Amour, has evidently been peopled by the Chinese. When Monsieur la Perouse visited this island, he found the inhabitants clothed in blue nankin, and "the form of their dress differed but little from that of the Chinese; their pipes were Chinese, and of Tootanague; they had long nails; and they saluted by kneeling and prostration, like the Chinese. If," continues the navigator, "they have a common origin with the Tartars and Chinese their separation from these nations must be of very ancient date, for they have no resemblance to them in person, and little in manners." Yet from his own account it appears that both their manners and customs have a very close resemblance. The Chinese at one period carried on a very considerable commerce with Bussora and other sea-ports in the Persian gulph, particularly _Siraff_, near which some small islands, as well as several remarkable points and headlands of the coast, still bear Chinese names. In some of the voyages it is observed that a Colony of Chinese had apparently settled in the kingdom of Soffala, the descendants of whom were, in the time of the writers, easily distinguished from the other natives, by the difference of their colour and their features. The early Portuguese navigators also observe that on the island St. Laurence or Madagascar they met with people that resembled the Chinese. That the celebrated traveller Marco Polo visited Madagascar in a Chinese vessel there can be little doubt, unless indeed, like his own countrymen, we chuse rather to reject the probable parts of his narrative as fabulous, and to believe the miracles performed by the Nestorian Christians in Armenia as the only truths in his book. It is impossible not to consider the notices given by this early traveller as curious, interesting and valuable; and, as far as they regard the empire of China, they bear internal evidence of being generally correct. He sailed from China in a fleet consisting of fourteen ships, each carrying _four_ masts, and having their holds partitioned into separate chambers, some containing _thirteen_ distinct compartments. This is the exact number of divisions into which _all_ the holds of those sea-faring vessels were partitioned that transported the presents and baggage from our own ships in the gulph of _Pe-tche-lee_ into the river _Pei-ho_; and we observed many hundreds of a still larger description, that are employed in foreign voyages, all carrying _four_ masts; such vessels, our sailors who are remarkable for metamorphosing foreign names, usually called _Junks_, from _Tehuan_ which signifies a ship; the _Tsong-too_ or viceroy of a province is called by them _John Tuck_.