paintings, though they cannot draw, having no idea of perspective. Our party saw an excellent likeness of Stewart's Washington, most faithfully copied by a Chinese; indeed, with a good copy before them, they can execute in a masterly manner. In tailoring they are equally correct. One of the middies sent a pair of pantaloons as a pattern, to have a dozen made by; each pair that was returned came true to the pattern, even to a patch on the seat, and a button wanting!

They are said to be very acute accountants, and their method of computing is certainly singular. The process is by a kind of abacus, which they call swan-pwan, or counting boards; which consists of a frame of wood, of various sizes, divided into two unequal compartments, by a bar placed crosswise at about one third the length from the top. Through the bar at right angles are inserted a number of parallel wires, and on each wire in the lower compartment are five moveable balls, and in the upper two: these wires may be considered as the ascending or descending powers of a numeration table, proceeding in a decimal proportion; so that if a ball on any of the wires in the larger compartment be placed against the middle part and called unit, or one, a ball on the next wire above it will represent ten, and one on the next one hundred so also a ball on the next wire below that representing units will be one tenth, next lower one hundredth, and the ball on the corresponding wires in the smaller compartment will in the same manner represent five, fifty, five hundred; ten, tenths, five hundredths, &c., the value or power of each of these in the smaller division being always five times as much as those in the larger. It is wonderful the facility with which they will calculate by this process, and what is remarkable, they are scarcely ever known to be wrong, even in the most complicated accounts.

The city of Canton, as before stated, our officers were not permitted to enter, as no foreigners are. But the Chinese Repository, an English magazine, published in the suburbs, contains many interesting facts respecting the interior of this ancient city, from which the following have been taken :

"That part of the city which is surrounded by a wall, is built nearly in the form of a square, and is divided by a wall running from east to west in two parts. The northern, which is much the largest part, is called the old city; the southern part is called the

new city. According to some foreign, as well as native books, the northern part was once 'composed, as it were, of three different towns, separated by very fine high walls, but so conjoined, that the same gate served to go out from the one and enter the other.' These divisions ceased long ago to exist. The new city was built at a much later period than the old. The entire circuit of the wall, which now includes both divisions of the city, is variously estimated by the Chinese. At a quick step we have walked the whole distance in little less than two hours, and think it cannot exceed six English miles. On the south side the wall runs nearly due east and west, parallel to the river, and distant from it perhaps fifteen or twenty rods. On the north, where the city rests on the brow of the hill,' the wall takes a serpentine course; and its base at the highest point on the hill is perhaps two hundred or three hundred feet above the surface of the river.

"The walls are composed partly of stone and partly of bricks: the former is chiefly coarse sandstone, and forms the foundation and the lower part of the walls and the arches of the gates; the latter are small and of a soft texture. In several places, particularly along the east side of the city, the elements have made such inroads on the walls as to afford satisfactory evidence, that before the prowess of a modern foe, they would present but a feeble resistance. They rise nearly perpendicular, and vary in height. from twenty-five to thirty-five or forty feet. In thickness they are twenty or twenty-five feet. They are the highest and the most substantial on the north side, evidently so built because in that direction hostile bands would be the most likely to make an attack. A line of battlements, with embrasures at intervals of a few feet, are raised on the top of the wall around the whole city; these the Chinese call ching-jin, literally, city-men; and in the rear of them there is a broad pathway. There are two wings,' or short walls, one at the southeast and the other at the southwest corner of the city, which stretch out from the main walls; these were designed to block up the narrow space between the walls and the ditches of the city. Through each of these there is a gate, in every respect similar to those of the city.

"The gates of the city are sixteen in number; four of these lead through the wall which separates the old from the new city; so that there are only twelve outer gates-commencing on the

One of

north, and passing round to the west, south, and east. these gates is fifteen feet wide and twelve high! A few soldiers are stationed at each of the gates to watch them by day, and to close and guard them by night. They are shut at an early hour in the evening, and opened at dawn of day. Except on special occasions, no one is allowed to pass in or out during the nightwatches; but a small fee will usually open the way, yet always exposes the keepers to punishment.

"We must now extend our description so as to include the suburbs; the streets and buildings of which differ very little, if at all, from those within the walls. On the west they spread out nearly in the form of an isosceles right-angled triangle, opening to the northwest, having the river on the south, and the western wall of the city for its two equal sides. On the south they occupy the whole space between the wall and the river. On the east they are much less extensive than on the west. There are no buildings on the north, except a few small huts near the principal gate. Taken collectively, the suburbs are scarcely less extensive or less populous than the city within the walls.

"The streets of Canton are numerous-we have before us a catalogue containing the names of more than six hundred, among which we find the Dragon-street,' the Flying dragon-street,' the Martial dragon-street,' the 'Flower-street,' the 'Goldenstreet,' the Golden flower-street;' and among many more of a similar kind, we meet with a few which we should not wish to translate. There are several long streets, but most of them are short and crooked; they vary in width, from two to sixteen feet wide, and they are everywhere flagged with large stones, chiefly granite. The motley crowd that often throng these streets is very great indeed. At a busy hour of the day, the stout, half naked, vociferating porters, carrying every description of merchandise, and the nimble sedan-bearers, in noise and bustle, make up for the deficiency of carts and carriages; these, together with the numerous travellers, various kinds of retailers, pedlers, beggars, &c., present before the spectator a scene which we will not attempt to describe.

"Not a few of the visiters, and not a little of the merchandise, brought together here, are conveyed into the city by means of canals or ditches. There are several of these; one of the largest

of them extends along the whole length of the wall on the east of the city, and another on the west side. Between these two, and communicating with them, there is a third canal, which runs along near the wall on the north side of the new city, so that boats can enter on the west, pass through the city, and out at the eastern side; and vice versa. There are other canals in the eastern and western suburbs; and one in the southern. Into these large channels a great number of smaller ones flow these the Chinese call the veins of the city.' There are also several reservoirs, but none of them are of great extent. Much of the water for the use of the inhabitants is supplied from the river and canals; wells are frequent; rain-water is employed also; and for tea, &c., fine wholesome water is plentifully furnished from several springs, which break out on the north of the city, both within and without the walls. There are several bridges, some built of stone, thrown over these canals."

CHAPTER XIX.

The empire of China-Unknown to the ancients-Its history involved in fable and tradition-Founded by Noah-Patriarchal form of government-Location, size, cities, towns, villages, monuments, libraries, &c.-Immense population-Observations on acclimating her productions.

THE Chinese empire, which, including its tributary states and those under its protection, is said to cover more than five millions of square miles, and is computed to contain more than three hundred millions of inhabitants-is, perhaps, less accurately known than any other kingdom of the earth. To the ancient historians, both sacred and profane, China was either entirely unknown, or she was, as it were, a "sealed book," into the contents of which the eye of curoisity was not permitted to pry; and though modern enterprise, with a freer and bolder spirit of commerce and inquiry, has been more successful in seeking to penetrate the mysteries of the " Celestial Empire," comparatively little additional light has been thrown upon the subject; or, at least, much still remains to be known. The Portuguese navigators, who followed Vasco de Gama round the Cape of Good Hope, after its discovery by Dias, were the first from whom the Europeans attained any tolerably correct ideas of the situation, extent, and character of this interesting country. And several subsequent embassies from Europe, though all of them failing in the grand object of their respective missions, together with the more recent and successful labours of the intelligent and enterprising missionary Gutzlaff, have tended in some measure to throw down the mysterious screen of national pride and jealousy, behind which the Chinese have ensconced themselves for so many centuries. Other Christian missionaries, also, so far as they have been permitted, have laboured hard, and somewhat successfully, in the same cause.

Although Alexander the Great, who flourished three hundred and fifty years before the Christian era, is stated to have subdued all the then known world, and to have lamented that there were no more nations to conquer, we now know that the vast regions