architectural erections. The accounts of the late British and Dutch embassies warrant this conclusion. Sir George Staunton (vol. ii. quarto edition, in the beginning,) has presented us with a description of an hall of audience at Tacoo: "a broad flight of steps (he says) led to a building, of an hexagon form, with a roof supported by pillars-these pillars were of varnished wood-and the hexagon was open on all sides. On benches, sat six magistrates. The attendants and spectators were very numerous." In chapter iv. of vol. ii. also, Sir George takes notice of a grand cathedral or temple of Fo, which is denomi nated Pootala, and of which " the outside very much resembles the front of an European edifice." M. Van Braam, in the account of the Dutch embassy, vol. i. p. 75. (French edit.) also describes a beautiful temple of Confucius. From the impression which the descriptions of these three edifices create, we suppose that their effect on the beholder must be striking, and such as could scarcely be produced by a nation devoid of a taste for magnificent and convenient structures. We might adduce likewise the Imperial palaces, the houses of Mandarins, the great wall, the triumphal arches, &c. M. CoSSIGNY cannot be quite correct also in maintaining (p. 79.) that there are no other public places in China than the Pagodas: for, in the above quotation, it is expressly mentioned by Sir George Staunton, that, in the hall of audience at Tacoo," the spec tators were very numerous."

In several other instances, the author attributes to the Chinese in general what is peculiar only to Canton, or at most to the province of Quantoong. Thus he states that the Chinese, who are the original tea-drinkers, mix with this beverage neither milk nor sugar, nor strong liquors, nor any acid whatever, but that they always drank it pure, holding a little sugar candy in the mouth. This agrees with the statements of other travellers, excepting in the ascribed use of sugar candy; which we suspect must be limited to Canton. In Sir G.Staunton's account of the British embassy, we remember to have met with a passage to this effect; which, however, we have not been able to find on searching for it again.

M. CossIGNY is satisfied that China owes her populousness partly to the habitual use of tea; not as being of a prolific tendency, but because it removes the causes of maladies. He supposes that England, which is known to have increased its population for half a century back, also owes that effect in part to the introduction of tea; by which the use of strong liquors has been considerably superceded, and distempers have been rendered more rare as well as less dangerous:-he quotes the authority of Dr. Buchan, in his well known "Domestic Medicine."

The

The astonishing populousness of China is so extraordinary a phænomenon, that, satisfactorily to account for it, we must certainly have recourse to a great variety of concurring causes, physical as well as moral: it implies a wise police; though, according to the author's just remark, we are yet neither sufficiently acquainted with China, nor sufficiently free from prejudices, to form a sound judgment of laws and customs so different from ours.

The author ingeniously endeavours to palliate a Chinese custom, which has ever been deemed one of the most cruel and unjustifiable.

The exposing of children, a practice tolerated in China, appears to us barbarous. After some reflection, however, we shall find that this permission of the legislature is an act of humanity and policy. It was intended thus to prevent secret infanticide; which, perhaps, is much more common in European States than is generally imagined. The exposed children often find adoptive fathers; and the government maintains agents, whose sole business it is to collect the infants. As a proof that this toleration is not so pernicious as it be deemed, be it observed that no other country is so well peopled as this Empire. It would seem that government ought to establish Foundling hospitals; yet we must consider that, in so popular an empire, the maintenance of several millions of children would prove an additional charge which would exceed the powers of government.'

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It is said in a subsequent paragraph that there are no hospitals in China:-but this is another rash assertion, founded perhaps on the scanty information which the author could procure at Canton; the inhabitants of which, from obvious causes, know very little of the interior of China. The British embassy, who traversed the empire, and conversed daily with men of rank and letters, were told the reverse. Sir G. Staunton, (vide vol. ii. chap. 5. quarto edit. and vol. iii. p. 96. octavo edit.) has these words: "Leprous disorders are those alone for which any hospitals are regularly erected in China, on the principle of their being too infectious, to admit of persons afflicted with them having any communication with the rest of society."

Though M. CoSSIGNY's statements may sometimes be erroneous, his reasoning is generally good. The following observation argues a liberal and unprejudiced mind:

The Chinese are censured for having made no progress in the fine arts and in science-but is it proved that perfection in the former and dexterity in the latter render a people happy? We Europeans, who are so proud of having, since yesterday, excelled in the former, and of having recently made the greatest discoveries, which promise others; are we, on that account, more virtuous, better governed, and more happy? Let us not forget that all our knowlege, on which we value ourselves so much, is of recent date; and that the knowlege of the Chinese reaches back to the highest antiquity.

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They cultivated rice in a very ingenious manner, when our forefathers lived on acorns; they spun and wove cotton and silk, when our ances tors clothed themselves with the skins of wild beasts; they had the compass; they had invented paper and printing, gunpowder, porcelain, and varnish, in the most remote antiquity. In short, they had the same legislation and the same polity as at present. If they have made no progress in the sciences, they are our rivals in point of speculative, and practical morals, in agriculture, and perhaps in legislation; for they appear, for these forty or fifty centuries past, to have had such a legislation as is best suited to an immense population. If modern legislators were to promulgate uniform laws for all Europe, whose population amounts at most to but one half of that of the Chinese empire, I doubt not that they would be much embarrassed, notwithstanding all the resources of instruction, example, and genius.'

No complaint has been more frequently and more generally urged against the Chinese, than on the subject of their double dealing and inclination to theft. Hence it is at best paradoxical when the author, in opposition to the most authentic and credible writers, as well as to the testimony of all those who resort to Canton for the purpose of trade, pretends to treat that charge as ill-founded. To him, acts of dishonesty did not appear to be more frequent in China than in other countries: yet what he alleges on this head tends only to exculpate the great merchants of Canton.

Many (he observes) have declaimed against the propensity of the Chinese to thieving, and against the deceitfulness of the tradesmen with respect both to the quality and the quantity of their goods. Frauds, however, seemed to me to occur in China not oftener than elsewhere. The merchants, and all the capital tradesmen, are honest in their dealings. A Canton merchant has eyen been known to pay a considerable sum to a French captain, who had been robbed of part of the goods furnished to him by the merchant, though the latter had not becą accessary to the theft. He wished to obtain by this sacrifice the con fidence which he merited. I am not sure that, among Europeans, many would be found as generous and as delicate.-I have known Chinese merchant, far advanced in years, who was particularly attached to the French. He had carried on with them a fair commerce, by which he acquired a large fortune; in return, he advanced to the French East-India Company two cargoes, at a juncture when they happened to be unprovided with funds. Would the most respectable European merchant have conducted himself in so noble and liberal a manner? It is to be remembered that the Chinese merchant could not be re-imbursed before the expiration of a year and a half, or two years, at soonest.'

We would not wish to derogate from the noble behaviour of the two Chinese: but we can assure the writer that similar instances of generosity on the part of English merchants are well authenticated, and well known throughout the commercial world,

M. COSSIGNT'S

M. CoSSIGNY's observations and strictures on the details of the late British and Dutch embassies to China engross so large a share of his performance, that it might be suspected that they were the principal objects of it. However that be, they have afforded him an opportunity of communicating to his countrymen some curious and much useful information concerning various points, which, during his residence in foreign parts. had fallen under his immediate observation. His comment on Sir G. Staunton's work is introduced in the following terms:

It is obvious that so short a residence in China as that of the English embassy cannot furnish either very copious or very exact information respecting the constitution, the laws, the manners, the customs, the religion, and the arts of so numerous people. Yet we ought to thank Sir G. Staunton for having united the observations of his travelling companions to his own. The author shews himself to be a man of information, and appears to have been guided by the love of truth. If I find him inaccurate in a few particulars, it is because he had not time to examine them minutely. The character of this work, and the reputation of those who contributed to it, have engaged me to point out the errors which I perceived in it, and to mark the details which did not appear to me to be complete.'

M. CoSSIGNY manifests the falsity of Foertsch's account concerning the poisonous quality of the Upas tree. He had requested a friend, who was going to Batavia, to collect exact information on this subject, and with this view had recommended him to the Rev. Mr. Hooyman, late Lutheran minister of that place. This gentleman conducted the author's friend under tufted Upas trees, asking him with a smile whether he felt their influence?

Sir G. Staunton having remarked that sensual enjoyments were the chief resources of the Chinese, when not occupied by any serious pursuits, the present author says, by way of refutation: they are always occupied in that country; no idlers are found, seeking abroad the means of killing time.' We incline to suspect that M. CossIGNY, misled by the appearance of hurry and bustle common to all commercial towns, denies what in itself is highly probable, and what Sir George had undoubt edly many opportunities of verifying. Besides, we remember to have both read and heard that the Chinese, even those of the most laborious class, are passionately fond of gambling; a propensity which is not very consistent with the author's assertion.

Good teas, says the author, are cheaper in London than at Pekin, because the English do not import tea of the first quality, which is brought to Europe by the Russian caravans.

We are happy to find that M. CoSSIGNY vindicates the account of the British embassy against M. Van Braam, who seems to call in question the authenticity of Lord Macartney's communications

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munications respecting the population, military, &c. of China. After having observed p. 429, that the English appeared to have been received in China with more distinguished honours than the Dutch, the author adds: Sir G. Staunton cannot be accused of exaggeration in any of his statements; the love of truth seems to have dictated them; candour appears to be a leading principle of his character; and, besides, he supports his authenticity by that of Lord Macartney and the other gentlemen of the embassy; as well as by the testimonies of the Mandarins of the first order, whom they had an opportunity of knowing and observing, and in whom they were induced to repose confidence.'

M. CoSSIGNY has annexed to his work a very useful Sketch of those arts of the Hindoos and Chinese, the knowlege of which requires researches in order to transplant them to France. It is commonly supposed that the Europeans, having carried the mechanical arts to a pitch of perfection unknown to the antients, have in this respect nothing to learn from the other nations of the globe. It is even thought that, during the long intercourse with the most antiently civilized nations, Europeans must have come to a thorough knowlege of such of their mechanical practices as tend in any way to afford utility or pleasure. This prejudice is shewn to be erroneous. From the Hindoos, (the writer says,) we have learnt to manufacture cotton cloth, dimity, and muslin, and to imprint on stuffs indelible colours-They have taught us to extract the dyeing substance from the indigo, the sugar from the cane, &c. To the Chinese we owe the process of making gunpowder, the 'treatment of silk, the manufacture of porcelain, of enamel, of varnish, of enameling metals, and perhaps even of paper: but how much have we yet to learn of the operations of these two nations in arts which are peculiar to them, and the knowlege of which would procure us enjoyments, extend the sphere of our industry, and increase the activity of our commerce? Some of these he particularizes, in order to awaken the attention of travellers, and to point out to them the objects concerning which they should minutely inform themselves, with a view of communicating the result to their countrymen. This is not a mere dry list of Agenda, such as Saussure has annexed to his Travels. in the Alps: but M. CoSSIGNY has amply illustrated some of the articles from what fell under his own experience. A few of the most important heads are the following the striking durability of Indian ships; the exceedingly white stucco, with which the Hindoos coat the walls of their houses; Indian shawls; the art of melting stone, said to have been antiently practised by the. Hindoos; marking ink for linen; borax;

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