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CHINA, 
 
 IN A SERIES OF VIEWS, DISPLAYING 
 
 THE SCENERY, ARCHITECTURE, AND SOCIAL HABITS, 
 
 THAT ANCIENT EMPIRE. 
 
 DRAWN, FROM ORIGINAL AND AUTHENTIC SKETCHES, BY 
 
 THOMAS ALLOM, ESQ. 
 
 WITH HISTORICAL AND DESCRIPTIVE 'NOTICES BY 
 
 THE KEY. G. N. WRIGHT, M. A. 
 
 VOL. 1. 
 
 FISHER, SON, & CO. 
 NEWGATE STREET, LONDON ; RUE ST. HONORE, PARIS. 
 
PREFACE. 
 
 The histories of all other nations disclose successive revolutions in government, in morals, and in 
 civilization, — the prostration of thrones, and the dissipation of tribes ; while that of the vast Empire 
 of China, extending over ten millions of square miles, and sustaining three hundred and sixty 
 millions of inhabitants, has enjoyed an uninterrupted perpetuity of political existence for upwards 
 of four thousand years. This nation has been stationary, while all others have received an impulse, 
 either advancing towards civilization, or sinking in the on-rolling tide of time. 
 
 Wrapt in the dark mantle of idolatry, a population, one-third of the whole amount that animates 
 the surface of our globe, has remained, from the first unit of recorded duration, "the abject, beaten 
 slaves" of arbitrary rule. Each subject is an automatic piece of imperial mechanism, to which 
 the director assigns its specific duty ; and by the performance, such excellence is attained, that 
 Chinese industrial productions have reached the climax of human perfection. 
 
 Amongst the celebrated monuments of Cathay, those that have excited the highest astonish- 
 ment, are its Royal Roads, numerous Canals, immense single-arched Bridges, and pyramidal 
 Towers ; but, above all, the Great Wall, styled, in the exaggerated manner of the East, " Van-Li- 
 Tching" (The Wall of Ten Thousand Li) although it only extends half that length, or about 
 1,500 miles, traversing in its course the highest mountains, crossing the deepest valleys, and 
 spanning the broadest rivers. 
 
 Obstinate adherence to national customs, love of antiquity, and repudiation of intellectual 
 intercourse with foreigners, have given moral and physical characters to this "teeming population," 
 that render their history unique, original, and extraordinary. Their agricultural system is 
 unequalled, their manufactures the models of other nations, their architecture elaborate and fantastic, 
 and their plans for economizing labour and redeeming time, admirable. The first light of those 
 three portentous discoveries — printing, gunpowder, and the mariner's compass — discoveries to 
 which modern times owe all their boasted superiority over the earlier ages of the world — is known 
 to have emanated from China. 
 
 To illustrate the scenery, customs, arts, manufactures, religious ceremonies, and political insti- 
 tutions of a people so unlike the rest of mankind, so attached to established usages, that they 
 exemplify the manners of thousands of years back — so jealous of intrusion, that a foreigner has 
 always been held by them in execration — " hie labor, hoc opus est." To accomplish this labour, 
 to perform this work, mental and even physical energies have been here concentrated ; and, that 
 enterprise, for which the public have given the publishers credit, by unexampled patronage, has 
 never perhaps been more conspicuous than in this instance. 
 
 Having dwelt in " the land of the cypress and myrtle," Mr. Allom's talents were fully matured 
 for the faithful delineation of Oriental scenery; and, in many instances, he has so successfully 
 pictured forth the subject to be illustrated, as to secure a signal triumph for the pencil over the 
 pen. The exercise of his cultivated mind, however, being now deaicated to Architecture, pro- 
 fessional ambition must necessarily limit his subsequent labours in this branch of the arts. It is 
 probable, therefore, that his purely pictorial productions will henceforth only be found in the pub- 
 lications of the Messrs. Fisher, under whose auspices that avenue was first opened, along which 
 he passed, with more than common celerity, to the very general applause he so deservedly enjoys. 
 
 The manuscript of the appended memoir of Kang-He, the work of the Rev. Mr. Gutzlaff, 
 was kindly placed at the disposal of the publishers by the Right lion. Sir Alexander Johnston ; 
 and a further acknowledgment is also due to Sir George Staunton, Bart., for permission to copy 
 several interesting subjects from his beautiful collection of Chinese Drawings by native artists. 
 
 G. N. WRIGHT. 
 
 London, July, 1843. 
 
LIST OF PLATES. 
 
 VOL. I. 
 
 PAGE 
 
 The Kin-Shan, or Golden Island, on the Yang-Tse-Kiang river . . Vignette 5 
 
 Lake See-hoo, and Temple of the Thundering Winds, from the Vale of Tombs . . . 8 
 
 The Imperial Travelling Palace at the Hoo-Kew-Shan 14 
 
 Harbour of Hong-Kong 17 
 
 The Poo-Ta-La, or Great Temple near Zhehol, Tartary . ..... 20 
 
 Se-Tseaou-Shan, or " The Western Seared Hills "...... 22 
 
 Tseih-Sing- Yen, or " The Seven-star Mountains " ... ... 24 
 
 The Culture and Preparation of Tea .......... 26 
 
 The Great Wall of China 29 
 
 Bamboo Aqueduct at Hong-Kong 33 
 
 Punishment of the Pan-Tze, or Bastinado 35 
 
 Temple of Buddha, Canton 37 
 
 Imperial Palace at Tseaou-Shan ........... 42 
 
 Raree Show at Lin-Sin-Choo ........... 45 
 
 Temple of the Bonzes in the Quang-Yen Piock ...... .49 
 
 Military Station near the City of Chokian ......... 53 
 
 Feeding Silkworms and Sorting the Cocoons ......... 56 
 
 The Tung-Ting-Shan 60 
 
 The Ou-Ma- Too, or " Five Horses' Heads " .' 63 
 
 Facade of the Great Temple, Macao 66 
 
 Chapel in the Great. Temple, Macao 68 
 
 The European Factories, Canton .......... 70 
 
 Apartment in a Mandarin's House near Nanking ........ 74 
 
 Cat Merchants and Tea Dealers at Tong-Chow-Foo ....... 77 
 
 Whampoa, from Dane's Island ........... 80 
 
 Theatre at Tien-Sin 82 
 
 The I mogene and Andromache passing Bocca Tigris ....... 84 
 
 Rice Sellers at the Military Station of Tong-Chang-Foo 87 
 
 British Encampment on Irgao-Shan, Chusan ......... 89 
 
 Capture of Ting-Hai, Chusan 91 
 
 Dinner Party at a Mandarin's House .......... 93 
 
 House of a Chinese Merchant, Canton ......... 95 
 
LIFE OF KANG-HE, 
 
 EMPEROR OF CHINA. 
 
 PRELIMINARY DISCOURSE. 
 
 In the seventeenth century, and at the beginning of the eighteenth, there lived three 
 great princes, who ruled over three large nations, entirely distinct from each other but 
 exhibiting the same greatness of talents in their respective spheres. We allude to Louis 
 the Fourteenth, Peter the Great, and Kang-he. The first restored the royal power and 
 saved his country from the despotic rule of favourites ; he waged war for the sake of 
 aggrandisement, and kept Europe in a state of agitation during his whole reign ; yet 
 France arrived at the summit of power, literature and the kindred arts rapidly advanced, 
 and have not been surpassed by posterity : the nation became henceforth the lawgiver 
 of taste and manners to all Europe. Peter the Great was superior to Louis ; for he 
 rescued a people from barbarism, and created a new empire. Few princes proved such 
 benefactors to the world as the Russian autocrat. Kang-he's province was different from 
 both. He had to consolidate an empire over the most numerous nation on the globe, which 
 had just been subjected to the sway of barbarians. Born a Tartar, without those advan- 
 tages of education which Peter enjoyed, and a barbarian when compared with Louis the 
 Fourteenth, his capacities were not inferior to those of either prince : but the task he 
 had to perform was far more gigantic. The most polished of those sovereigns, who had 
 ample means of doing good, left the nation in a wretched state ; the monarch of the 
 North raised his country to greater glory than it had reached at any previous period : 
 Kang-he transmitted an extensive and flourishing empire to his successor. It is easy 
 to fix upon the two latter as best deserving of that praise which posterity assigns to the 
 most illustrious of the human race ; but, on which of them to bestow the pre-eminence 
 
 b 
 
2 LIFE OF KANG-HE, 
 
 is rather difficult to determine. Peter the Great certainly did more for Russia than 
 Kang-he for China; but the faults of the former were far more glaring, his passions 
 more unbridled, his reign more unstable. Both degraded their presumptive heirs and 
 changed the succession. Peter travelled for instruction ; but Kang-he invited the most 
 celebrated scholars to his table, to discourse with them upon the principles of science. 
 If Peter became the apprentice to a shipwright, Kang-he, like a diligent schoolboy, 
 learned his lesson from despised foreigners : if both overcame national prejudices, those 
 over which Kang-he triumphed were far greater. Estimating the magnitude of events 
 by their results, the good which the Chinese potentate performed in his time, ceased with 
 his life. His dominions were extended, and secured against foreign aggression ; but the 
 country relapsed into that inert state so characteristic of the Celestial Empire. What 
 is Russia now, to what it was about a century and a half ago ? — and if it had not been 
 for Peter, humanly speaking, it would be still in the same barbarous state. The 
 territories of both monarchs bordered upon one another. Though men of congenial 
 minds they became inveterate enemies, quarreling about some ice-fields on the frontiers 
 of Siberia. Such is man in all his greatness ! 
 
 Viewing the great ends of Providence which were accomplished by these three 
 monarchs, we cannot but adore the wisdom of God. He who calls forth men from 
 nothing, and endows them with gifts to do his work on earth, forms them also for their 
 station. As soon as they have fulfilled the Divine will for which they were called into 
 being, they are summoned to give an account of their stewardship. These three princes 
 had a very wide sphere of usefulness assigned to them ; they reigned longer than monarchs 
 usually do, and lived in a time in which concurrent circumstances favoured the greatest 
 enterprises. History appears quite in a new and a different light, when we study it as 
 a detail of events ordained by the wise Director of the universe. The greatest princes are 
 in themselves weak and contemptible ; but as instruments of God, eminently powerful. 
 None of these kings knew the truths of the Gospel : Louis proved a persecutor to its 
 adherents ; Peter appears to have been indifferent about religious tenets ; and Kang-he 
 favoured Popery for mere political reasons, and respect for its teachers. So true it is 
 that men great and renowned, are often incapable of becoming wise unto salvation ! 
 
 Louis has had both his panegyrists and historians ; the works of Peter confer upon 
 him more lasting renown than the most able pen of a classical biographer ; and Kang-he 
 has found the most minute biographers in the Jesuits, his constant companions. As for 
 the Chinese accounts which we have seen, they are meagre diaries, and collections of edicts 
 
EMPEROR OF CHINA, 3 
 
 issued by this prince. Amongst a crowd of natives, distinguished by their learning, talent, 
 and rank, we have not found an individual who has spoken one word in praise of that great 
 monarch. The Chinese rather look upon him as an innovator whose mind, though 
 stored with ancient classic lore, did not constantly revert to antiquity. We were there- 
 fore obliged to collect the materials for our memoir from the writings of panegyrists : 
 the "Lettres Edifiantes" — " Histoire Generale de la Chine." Du Halde — "Le Compte, 
 Memoires sur l'etat present de la Chine," and some casual remarks of travellers. 
 Abel Remusat has given a short biography in his " Nouveau Melange Asiatiques." Our 
 readers must therefore be prepared for a too partial account ; for, all these writers looked 
 with enthusiastic admiration to a prince so far above the prejudices of his age and 
 nation, and who proved himself the steady friend and patron of his biographers. 
 
 There is not one dissentient voice as to his character, his grand enterprises, his 
 capacious mind. From every friend to civilization, from every well-wisher to the happi- 
 ness of nations, he will receive the same encomium. Yet we should wish to possess 
 a more impartial description. We might have desired that Lange, secretary of the 
 Russian mission, had become his biographer, or that some intelligent Kalmuc or 
 Mongolian, whose countrymen had been enslaved by the great monarch, had been 
 chosen to compile the annals of Kang-he's time. 
 
 It would be difficult to draw a parallel between Kang-he and other celebrated 
 Chinese emperors. The most renowned amongst such a long series of monarchs, is 
 doubtless Kublae, who, like Kang-he, was a barbarian ; yet Chinese historians are silent 
 upon his merits. All we know about him is from Venetian travellers, and from his 
 gigantic enterprises, the traces of which remain to the present day. Chinese authors 
 garble their characters too much ; they do not write freely, but often transcribe whole 
 pages from the eulogies of Yaou and Shun, to dignify a hero ; or copy the exhortations 
 of Chow and Kee to show their abhorrence of a prince's vices. Under such circum- 
 stances, neither impartiality, nor even faithfulness of description, can be expected. 
 
 There are, however, some princes who excel the crowd of common mortals, and, in 
 many respects, may be ranked with Kang-he. Amongst those we reckon the founders of 
 the Tang and Ming dynasties, and, perhaps, Che-hwang-te, the famous innovator, and 
 destroyer of literature. In praise of the two former many an ode has been composed, 
 whilst the latter has only met with detestation. Yet all of them laboured under great 
 disadvantages, and were enabled, by the strength of their own genius solely, to raise 
 themselves above the degraded state of their countrymen. It was reserved for Kang-he 
 
4 LIFE OF KANG-HE, 
 
 to have intelligent but bigotted foreigners around him, and he knew better how to 
 improve himself by their instruction than even his great predecessor, Kublae. For the 
 first time, the superiority of western sciences was acknowledged in the palace of the 
 Chinese emperors. The monarch admired the fertile genius of men denominated Bar- 
 barians, but, though he showed this great predilection, none of his courtiers exhibited 
 the same inclination. It was a weak attempt of a potent monarch to reform the taste 
 and habits of millions by his own example. 
 
 The ardour with which Kang-he entered upon his studies, proves how much he 
 intended to do for his country. But finding no co-operation, he stopped short, measured 
 the difficulties he would have to encounter, and then timidly recoiling, was content with 
 improving himself, whilst he never attempted the reform of his people. Scarcely 
 had he closed his eyes, when his son at once discarded scientific improvement, and 
 endeavoured to restore the ancient times of mental torpor. In this he succeeded but 
 too well. His successors took similar views ; and, though now an emperor sits on the 
 throne, the name of whose reign is Reason's Glory, (Taou-kwang,) it is fallen reason 
 which glories in its abject state. 
 
 The Mantchoos and their Conquest. — The territories of China which we com- 
 prise under the name of Mantchouria, are in many respects superior to the Mongol 
 steppes. The country is well watered, contains large forests, and could, notwith- 
 standing its cold climate, produce our European grains, if the inhabitants were willing 
 to labour. But these lands seem to have been given as possessions for nomades, and 
 never has anagricultural people inhabited them. Scattered tribes of Tartars, in the 
 lowest state of civilization, resembling in many respects the Samoyades of Siberia, lived 
 towards the river Amour; the west was peopled by Mongol races; and in the south, 
 at present a part of Kirin and Leaou-tung, some better regulated Tartar states existed. 
 The inhabitants were fierce, and the implacable enemies of the Chinese. They often 
 invaded the northern provinces of the empire, and kept possession of them for a consi- 
 derable time ; subjecting, also, part of Korea to their sway, they established a large 
 empire which contended with China for the supremacy. If there arose a Chinese hero 
 who boldly rushed forward to extirpate the barbarians, they were rendered tributary, 
 until mixing with the Chinese, they grew effeminate, and soon fell a prey to another 
 tribe which issued from the desert. Such, in short, has been the history of the tribes 
 of that country for many ages. Whosoever investigates their annals, will soon find, 
 that the history of nomades is as vague as their whole mode of life ; hordes grow and 
 
EMPEROR OF CHINA, O 
 
 dwindle away : conquerors appear, and are on a sudden lost : like the waves of the sea, 
 one swallows up the other. Native, as well as foreign historians, have bestowed lost 
 labour upon tracing the origin of the Mantchoo family which occupies the Chinese 
 throne. The emperors themselves were obliged to have recourse to fables, in order to 
 draw up their pedigree ; but it would have been much better if the founder had 
 answered like Napoleon, " I am the Randolph of my house !" 
 
 To elucidate the history which we are going to relate, it will be necessary to retrace 
 previous events. 
 
 During' the Sing and Tang dynasties — (the former reigned from 389 to 618, and the 
 latter from 618 to 907 a. d.) — the ancestors of the Mantchoo tribes were known under 
 the name of Muh-cho. Their heroes served in the Chinese army as generals ; and 
 some amongst them obtained great distinction. In the eighth century of our era, they 
 founded a mighty empire, which likewise comprised a part of Korea. The little 
 we know of this state is from the Chinese annals ; and these are not only often incor- 
 rect when treating about foreigners, but likewise very scanty. They were attacked in 
 their turn by a tribe of Leaou-tung, and forced or enticed away from their abodes. 
 We discover all at once, towards the latter end of the Sing dynasty, that they have been 
 the conquerors of Northern China, known under the name of the Neu-che. Elated 
 with their great success, they established a kingdom extending over most of the Chinese 
 territory to the north of the Yang-tsze-keang; this they called Aishen Gurun ; in 
 Mongol, Altun Shane; and in Chinese, Kin, or Gold. They endeavoured to imitate 
 the Chinese in their way of governing the people, and appeared to be intent upon the 
 entire subjugation of the Celestial Empire. Yet in the execution of these ambitious 
 purposes, they were disturbed by the conqueror, Kublai, who drove them from the 
 Chinese territory, or subjected the remainder to his sway. — (1234.) 
 
 The nation seemed now to have been lost in the desert. Yet these nomades on a 
 sudden emerge from obscurity, carry away with them all the tribes they meet in their 
 way, like an irresistible torrent, and adopt a new name, under which various nations and 
 tongues, now united in the same enterprize, are comprehended. As soon, however, as 
 they meet with a disaster, their auxiliaries and slaves either run away or join their 
 enemies. Helpless and forlorn, they betake themselves to flight, go in search of their 
 ancient abodes, and are nearly destroyed before they reach the land of their forefathers. 
 Such has been the appearance and disappearance of mighty Tartar tribes since times 
 immemorial. We hear now nothing more of them ; even their name no longer occurs 
 
 c 
 
6 LIFE OF KANG-HE, 
 
 in Chinese history. It is very probable that many joined the Mongols in the conquest 
 of China, whilst the small remnant lived an inglorious life in the desert. 
 
 The reign of the Mongols was, however, very ephemeral. They suffered in 1367 
 the same fate which they had prepared for the Neu-che, and were expelled from the 
 country by the triumphant Chinese. The latter were so exasperated at their cruel 
 masters, that they pursued them into the very heart of Tsitsihar, the country of the 
 Zolons, a fugitive Mongol tribe. Here a monument of Chinese victories was erected, 
 and the empire defended by a wall, of which the traces are still extant. The Mongols, 
 however, soon recovered from their terror ; and, prompted by despair, they repeatedly 
 invaded the Chinese territory. As often as they were an united nation, they invariably 
 routed the Chinese army; but when the emperor succeeded in sowing dissension 
 amongst the chiefs, and rendering some of them tributary to the Celestial Empire, their 
 hordes were easily defeated and subdued. Situation, circumstances, and self-interest 
 gave rise to several empires in the desert, which respectively endeavoured to extend their 
 dominion. Of these tribes, that called Tshakar was in immediate contact with the 
 Mantchoos. 
 
 Meanwhile the scattered Mantchoo tribes appeared periodically on the frontiers, to 
 exchange their horses and cattle, furs and drugs, with the Chinese dealers. The trade 
 proving profitable to both parties, it was conducted with the utmost spirit. At length, 
 unhappily, a dispute occurred between the barbarian merchants and the mandarins, to 
 decide which these rude children of nature appealed to arms. In these struggles the 
 Chinese functionaries displayed the conduct of mere braggarts, while the confidence of 
 the Tartars in their own strength increased as they perceived the timidity of their 
 adversaries. 
 
 During the sixteenth century, the Chinese government was too much occupied with 
 the Japanese, who had made repeated descents upon the coast, to pay any serious atten- 
 tion to such petty tribes. This negligence proved favourable to the Mantchoos, who 
 continued to increase their power, and approach nearer and nearer still to the fertile 
 district of Leaou-tung. 
 
 And now the mysterious ways and workings of an Almighty Providence became 
 visible. Amongst the many tribes, and hordes, and families, which traversed the 
 steppes, there was one more particularly favoured. The eloquent Mantchoo historian 
 who compiled their biography two centuries afterwards, ascribes to the patriarch of this 
 house nothing less than a divine origin. A magpie dropped upon the garments of the 
 
EMPEROR OF CHINA. / 
 
 youngest of three sisters who lived on the foot of the Long White Mountains, (near 
 the northern frontiers of Korea,) a beautiful red fruit, whilst they were bathing. She 
 tasted the unexpected gift, and, in consequence, became the mother of a lovely boy. 
 Asking her eldest sister what name she should bestow upon the child, she replied, 
 " Heaven has sent this son to restore peace to the kingdoms, you must therefore call 
 him Aisin-ghioro, adding the surname of Balkhori Yong-shou." Soon after this the 
 mother died, and the orphan boy, from a love of adventure, having entered a small 
 boat, floated down a stream into more populous districts. From the day of his birth he 
 was able to speak, and there was something preternatural in his personal appearance. 
 His presence, therefore, attracted the attention of one of the three contending Mantchoo 
 chiefs, who came to fetch water from the river. The youth being acknowledged as a 
 saint, and born to calm the dissensions which then reigned amongst the scattered tribes, 
 was courted by all as a prince of peace. He commenced his ministry, therefore, by 
 uniting the various families, re-establishing order, and, having happily concluded his 
 career, left the government to his posterity. 
 
 Feuds, however, soon again separated the nations. The adversaries of this illus- 
 trious family in their turn acquired power, and put all its members to death, with the 
 exception of one young prince who fled into the desert Here he had nearly been 
 taken by his pursuers, but a magpie alighting upon him, they mistook him for a leafless 
 tree, and went their way. This child became the grandsire of the reigning house of 
 princes. We are not informed when these miraculous events occurred — tradition is 
 seldom scrupulous about chronology ; but this one fact is evident, that the Mantchoos 
 remained in obscurity just as long as the tribes continued to make war upon each other. 
 
 The following are the principal tribes which were subsequently united by Tae-tsoo 
 in 1616, and reduced under a common government: — Isukssuchu, Isargu, Griamuchu, 
 Dshan, Fann'gia, Elmin, Dshakumu, Ssakda, Ssuan, Donn'go, Farchu, Andarki, Uedsi, 
 Churcha, Uarka, Fiu, Ssachaltscha, Dehoogia, Mardun, Onn'golo, Antu - Gualgia, 
 Chuneche, Dshetschen, Tomocho, Dshann'gia, Barde, and as many others. These 
 names are quoted to show the number of hordes into which that nation was distributed, 
 and which had not even a common name. This was, with the art of writing, adopted 
 from the Syrian Estrangulo, in imitation of the Mongol, and vigour given to the nation 
 by the conqueror Tae-tsoo, a very great man. From the time of his reign they were 
 called Mantchoos, a name they have retained to the present day. 
 
8 LIFE OF KANG-HE, 
 
 Tsung-beile, bom in 1559, who is said to have had the forehead of a dragon and 
 the eye of a phoenix, conquered all the tribes to the east of the river Sooksookho. He 
 was now elated beyond description, and in 1583, the name of the Neu-che occurs for 
 the first time in the Chinese annals. It was this prince who commenced the war which 
 was to last for about sixty years, and to end in the total conquest of the Chinese 
 empire. These hordes had neither arms nor discipline, in both of which the Chinese 
 excelled them, and their superiority consisted in physical courage, which was stimulated 
 by a desire of plunder, and also in their excellent cavalry. Their troops, however, 
 were accustomed to fatigue, in their domestic feuds they had learnt to defend them- 
 selves with ardour, and war had now become their profession. 
 
 The Chinese functionaries on the frontiers observing the growing power of the 
 barbarians, scattered discord amongst the tribes, to cause them to fall by their own 
 hands. But Tae-tsoo, who had succeeded his grandfather, vanquished both his Mongol 
 and his Mantchoo foes, and in the pride of his heart proclaimed himself Emperor. Yet 
 his views were still confined to Leaou-tung, a territory which the Mantchoos subjected 
 with much effusion of blood. 
 
 The Chinese would even now have been able to resist, if their country, by misgo- 
 vernment, had not fallen a prey to freebooters and desperadoes. Large bands traversed 
 the provinces, butchering the inhabitants and razing their cities ; famine and misery 
 prevailed everywhere ; the army was no longer paid ; and the mandarins ruled for 
 themselves alone. In vain did the emperor rally the last remains of his troops; they 
 were defeated on all sides ; and He-tsung, the Ming Emperor, died broken-hearted. 
 His successor, Hwae-tsung, heard with astonishment, that the Tartar king, Tae-tsung- 
 wan-hwang-te had, since 1627, proclaimed himself Emperor of the Chinese. He 
 had already found by experience that there was no force to resist his invasion, and 
 he therefore wished to aim a bold stroke at the reign of the Ming. Buoyant with 
 these hopes, he made all preparations for a campaign; yet was his ardour consi- 
 derably checked by the presence of an excellent Chinese general. Fate, however, had 
 resolved on giving this country to the Tartars, and all things therefore co-operated to 
 bring this great event to its consummation. Upon the approach of Le-tsze-ching, the 
 most famous amongst the bandit-captains, to Peking, the poor emperor was struck with 
 consternation, and despatched himself, without taking any serious step for repelling 
 these bold intruders from the gates of his city. VVoo-san-kwei, commander of the 
 
EMPEROR OF CHINA. 
 
 Chinese forces on the frontiers immediately concluded a peace with the Mantchoos, 
 engaged them as allies, was successful in his attack upon the robber, and now endea- 
 voured to send the Mantchoos back, according to the original stipulation. They pre- 
 tended that they first wished to pacify the empire ; and, combining with some Eastern 
 Mongol tribes, they openly resisted all solicitations to withdraw. Seven thousand men 
 had saved the Chinese troops from utter destruction, whilst engaging with the robber- 
 chief — sixty thousand more advanced from the steppes, to share in the rich booty. 
 Even their united efforts could not dislodge the robbers from their strong-holds, they 
 fought with such valour and determination. Woo-san-kwei, upon whom the manage- 
 ment of government affairs now entirely depended, however, preferred paying his auxi- 
 liaries the stipulated tribute, to bringing the wolves into the country to destroy the 
 dogs. He therefore held a consultation with the Tartar chiefs, and most politely 
 requested them to return home ; whilst they, on their part, returned as polite an answer, 
 that their stay was necessary for the weal of the country — and Woo-san-kwei was too 
 weak to contradict their wishes. Their army was immediately divided into three 
 detachments ; one joined the Chinese for the extirpation of the robber-chief, another 
 marched to Shan-tung to free that province from freebooters, whilst the third and 
 strongest division moved directly on the capital to preserve its tranquillity. 
 
 The celebrated Tae-tsung, who had deserved so well of his country, died just eight 
 years before, leaving no son to succeed him. The princes being very ambitious, 
 deferred the choice of a new emperor, and administered the government by a council 
 of state. It is not a little extraordinary that they agreed so well amongst each other. 
 Their operations were prompt — their movements decisive. A resolution having once 
 been adopted, it was instantaneously executed. The soldiers were always ready to 
 mount their horses ; and the blowing upon a large copper horn informed them of the 
 time of departure. They followed their leaders with the utmost devotion, never asking 
 whither they were proceeding. Inured to fatigue, they subsisted upon very moderate 
 rations, yet made immense forced marches, so that they were often on the flank and 
 rear of their enemy at the same time. Such an army was, in China, invincible. 
 
 Upon approaching Peking, the Chinese hailed them as their deliverers. A very great 
 number of mandarins went to meet them in state robes ; the people were intoxicated 
 with joy ; and all hearts beat high in saluting the friends of the country. Suddenly, 
 however, the Mantchoos placed their own sentinels on the gates, and disbanded the 
 
 d 
 
10 LIFE OF KANG-HE, 
 
 Chinese soldiers ; upon which terror instantly filled every breast. It was too late 
 when the officers discovered their error and credulity, for the Tartars were already in 
 possession of the city. A grand council being convened, the Tartar princes debated 
 on the best form of government, and finally resolved upon electing an emperor; and, 
 to disappoint the ambitious views of so many dangerous competitors, they chose a child 
 of seven years old, the nephew of Tae-tsung, and future father of Kang-he. A regency 
 was immediately arranged, the hopeful boy proclaimed emperor, and the subjection of 
 the whole country unalterably decreed. The name of the reign of this emperor is 
 called by native historians, Shun-che, " Prosperous Reign." On his accession he deli- 
 vered a speech to the assembled nobles, which was of course prepared by his ministers, 
 in which he promised security of property and life to the people, and ample rewards to 
 his partisans. 
 
 Weak and divided as the Chinese were at that time, the Tartars were still more so. 
 A child on the throne, many ambitious nobles in the council, an army of feudatory vas- 
 sals, and an immense country before them, of which they did not even know the geogra- 
 phical position, no human prudence could have promised them success ; for, what were 
 one hundred thousand strangers scattered over a large surface of the empire, amongst 
 myriads of bigoted Chinese, who hated the very name of foreigners. But He who 
 gives the kingdoms of this world to whomsoever he pleaseth, had destined China for the 
 Mantchoos ; they overcame all obstacles, and traversed the whole kingdom from north 
 to south, and from west to east. Never was such an extensive conquest gained in so very 
 short a time, and with such apparently inadequate means.* China had often been sub- 
 jected by barbarians ; but they were valiant, their numbers imposing, and their progress 
 slow. Here we see a small host, neither celebrated for bravery nor tried in many 
 battles, scarcely civilized, disputing the sway with native princes, and prevailing after 
 very severe reverses. Surely it was not man, but God, who wrought this great 
 revolution. 
 
 Scarcely had the mandarins at Nanking heard of this usurpation, when they chose 
 a descendant of the Ming family for their emperor. Wao-san-kwei persevered in his 
 pursuit of the banditti, succeeded in surprising their chief, and thus tranquillizing 
 the north-western provinces. The new Tartar prince gave him the title of Pacificator 
 of the West, and invited him to join his arms in repelling any pretender to the crown. 
 ' Except the subjugation of the same people by the English in 1842. 
 
EMPEROR OF CHINA. 1 1 
 
 In the mean while, the newly-created emperor at Nanking amused himself with 
 trifles, while fresh swarms of Tartars poured into China. He was as imbecile and 
 worthless a prince as ever dwelt in a Chinese harem ; he endeavoured to form an 
 alliance with the Mantchoos, and wrote a very elaborate letter to Shun-che, but the 
 offer was unhesitatingly rejected. To the indescribable consternation of the emperor, ■ 
 the Tartars now approached in numerous hordes to the Yang-tsze-keang river. At this 
 critical moment the unworthy scion of Ming spent his time in carousing, and was so 
 intoxicated that he was not even able to read the despatches which a messenger brought 
 him, detailing the utter helplessness of the Chinese army. Even this river, the last 
 bulwark of the Chinese power, was not defended ; the mere mention of the Mantchoo 
 name was sufficient to strike them with terror. The weak emperor fled in haste from 
 his capital; and the Tartars, having dispersed the whole Chinese army by their 
 appearance, took quiet possession of Nanking. The unfortunate prince now knew 
 no asylum ; he saw himself pursued, and his companion, who thought escape impos- 
 sible, drowned himself with the emperor in the Yang-tsze-keang. 
 
 The throne was now ascended by a man who well deserved to rule. He was 
 a descendant of the Ming, and had resided for some time in Hang-choo, the capital of 
 Che-keang. Proclaimed emperor, he made immediate preparation for resistance; but 
 the Tartars stood suddenly before the gates of his capital. Plunged in despair, he 
 only stipulated the preservation of his subjects, and gave himself up a victim to the 
 fury of the besiegers. Such noble conduct had deserved the most enthusiastic attach- 
 ment on the part of his subjects, but they exhibited no inclination to defend the 
 rightful heir of the throne — slaves are indifferent about the fate of their taskmasters, 
 whom they can never love. 
 
 Had there now been one single individual at the head of affairs, with ability to 
 become a leader, the empire might have been saved. There were many who aspired to 
 the sceptre, ancTamongst them a Ming prince in Fokeen, and another in Kwang-se ; 
 but they neither possessed talents to rule, nor did they cultivate the union requisite for 
 concerting plans of defence. Thus they counteracted each other's designs, and became, 
 one after the other, a prey to their enemies. 
 
 Shun-che, on the other hand, tried every means in his power to pacify their minds : 
 for, instead of despising the Chinese, he entrusted them with high offices, appointed 
 their officers commandants of the cities, and summoned the soldiers to join his army. In 
 
12 LIFE OF KANG-HE, 
 
 these benevolent designs, however, he was often baffled by the treachery of the natives. 
 It was difficult to distinguish a friend from a foe: and an order was therefore issued, 
 that all those who acknowledged the Tartar sway should shave their heads, and allow 
 a tuft of hair to dangle down the back, because such was the custom of the conquerors. 
 The Chinese would rather have ten times changed their dynasty than conformed to such 
 a preposterous fashion, for which there was no precedent in all antiquity. Their 
 national spirit was roused, and a deadly hatred against the innovations of the barba- 
 rians henceforth filled their breasts. Trifles had thus a far greater influence upon their 
 minds than the most severe persecution and unheard-of revolution. The Mantchoos 
 were not aware of the great change which had taken place in the public spirit They 
 flattered themselves that they would drive the Chinese before them in Che-keang, as 
 they had done in all the other provinces. Having passed the Tseen-tang, they attacked 
 with great ardour a corps of Chinese stationed there to dispute the passage. How 
 great was their astonishment when they saw the Chinese soldiers fall upon them with 
 the fury of tigers. Half their army remained on the field of battle ; many soldiers were 
 driven into the river, and the remnant arrived, in the most wretched condition, in the 
 fortresses garrisoned by Mantchoo troops. Despair now took place of buoyant hope ; 
 the Mantchoos having nowhere met with resistance, continued always bold; but, being 
 once routed, they appeared as cowardly a race as the Chinese. 
 
 If this terror had been improved, and immediate measures adopted, the effect would 
 have been instantaneous and decisive. The Chinese, however, wanted a leader ; those 
 who commanded the troops were unprincipled courtiers, and unable to undertake 
 anything glorious. 
 
 In Fokeen, a descendant of the Ming, the prince of Tang, had proclaimed himself 
 emperor. Joined by the pirate Ching-che-long, he disputed the throne with the prince 
 of Loo, who had assumed the imperial dignity in Che-keang. On both sides there 
 was the basest treachery. They persecuted each other with the utmost rancour, and 
 the pirate fanned the flame which was to devour both parties. The prince of Loo 
 sent an ambassador, who, having refused to acknowledge the ruler of Fokeen, emperor, 
 was thrown into prison, and murdered in cold blood. This horrible act seemed to 
 deserve severe retaliation, and these two princes swore mortal vengeance against each 
 other. To pacify the mind of his antagonist, the prince of Tang sent an envoy to 
 Che-keang with presents and money, to bribe the court. As soon as he approached 
 
EMPEROR OF CHINA. 13 
 
 the frontiers of Che-keang, the ambassador of Loo who had accompanied him, slew 
 the charge-d'affaires, and repaired with the spoils to his sovereign. 
 
 The time for quarrels, however, had passed. After a few months, the Mantchoos 
 recovered from their panic, and presented themselves on the opposite bank of the 
 Tseen-tang. Here the pirate of Fo-keen, who had left the service of his former 
 master, had taken up a strong position with his fleet, and thus rendered the transit 
 impracticable. In vain did the rude Mantchoos try to force a passage; they were 
 foiled in every attempt, and obliged to take a route where the river was fordable. With 
 the velocity of lightning, they poured upon the capital of the princes of Loo, took the 
 city by assault, cut down every individual, divided their host into three brigades, took 
 possession of nearly the whole of Che-keang, and entered the denies of Fo-keen, 
 which had been left unguarded. 
 
 The mandarins, always ready to flatter the strongest, tendered their submission, 
 and were engaged to betray their prince. As soon as Tang obtained information of 
 this treachery, he declared himself unfit for maintaining the throne any longer, burnt 
 the accusations of the traitors, and fled in consternation. Being, however, overtaken 
 at Ting-ehoo-foo, a city in Fo-keen, he threw himself into a pit, whilst his wife was 
 taken prisoner, and decapitated at Fuh-choo, the metropolis. 
 
 Fo-keen is a very mountainous country, in which cavalry can be of no use. Its 
 numerous passes can be defended by a handful of men against whole armies ; yet, not- 
 withstanding these local advantages, the Tartars overran this country within a few 
 months. The people felt no interest in defending their ruler, the soldiers were a set of 
 emaciated hirelings, and the mandarins were false to their country. Ching-che-lung 
 was not behind any of them. He received a commission as generalissimo of the army, 
 and resolved to put his own family upon the throne by means of the Tartars ; but 
 he was taken in the net which he himself had spread. Invited to a conference with the 
 Tartar commander-in-chief, he was sent with a guard of honour to Peking. His son 
 waited for a long time to behold his father's return ; and being finally aware that he 
 had been treacherously put to death, he vowed eternal revenge upon the murderers. 
 He kept his word ; and the name of Ching-ching-kung is inscribed in letters of blood 
 in the Chinese annals. 
 
 The commandants of several cities were exceptions to the cowardice of their coun- 
 trymen. The capital, Keang-se, was valiantly defended by a Chinese general ; and the 
 
14 LIFE OF KANG-HE, 
 
 unskilful besiegers were so frequently repulsed, that they had nearly given up all hopes 
 of reducing the city. Heavy ordnance, however, having arrived, a breach was made in 
 the wall, the Mantchoos entered, butchered the unresisting inhabitants, and struck 
 a lasting terror into the dastard Chinese. *\ ^* 
 
 Intelligence of these disasters having reacliWl ^Aton, the princes immediately 
 assembled a council, and resolved upon the choice'df Another emperor. There were 
 three scions of the noble house of Ming ; and all being ambitious of the title, they 
 preferred proclaiming the brother of the prince o| Tang, who had saved himself by 
 sea from the hands of the Tartars. Yet even this ^11-meant choice was not approved 
 by the council of Kwang-se, and a lineal descendant from the last emperor, bearing the 
 title of Prince of Kwei, was raised to the throne. His first hostile attack was against 
 his rival, whom he completely routed, but at the same time weakened his own strength. 
 The Tartars on the other hand, always prepared to take advantage of division, under 
 the command of a Chinese renegade general, captured Canton, and followed the victor 
 into Kwang-se. The prince, like his predecessors, prepared himself for flight, giving 
 up the whole in hopeless despair, when the Tartars received a severe check at the siege 
 of the capital. Determined, however, to eradicate the Ming family, new hordes poured 
 down from Peking in the depth of the winter (1648,) and Kweilin-foo, the capital of 
 Kwang-se, was again exposed to the siege of these relentless barbarians. On this 
 occasion, however, they paid dearly for their temerity. Two Chinese armies, in con- 
 junction with the garrison of the city, attacked them simultaneously : thunderstruck 
 with this spirited charge, the Mantchoos fled in every direction, and those who did not 
 perish in the river, were slain by their furious pursuers. To heighten the joy of this 
 triumph, the consort of the prince of Kwei was delivered of a son and heir. As she 
 was a Christian and Roman Catholic, the prince was baptized, and received the name of 
 Constantine. This princess sent an envoy to Rome, and laid her empire at the feet of 
 the Holy Pontiff. 
 
 Those Chinese generals who had formerly favoured the Tartars, now followed the 
 tide of prosperity. Le-ching-tung, the conqueror of Kwang-tung province under the 
 Tartar banners, assembled his soldiers, cut off his tail, the badge of Mantchoo servi- 
 tude, killed the viceroy, and, by expending large sums of money amongst the troops, 
 prevailed upon them to follow his example. The military commandant of Keang-se 
 declared also in favour of the Chinese prince, whilst a Buddhu priest drove the Tartars 
 
EMPEROR OF CHINA. 15 
 
 out of Fo-keen, and bravely sustained a long siege at Keen-ning-foo. When the place 
 was finally carried by storm, the Tartars destroyed its inhabitants and razed the walls. 
 
 Such cruelty terrified the Chinese. In vain did the two rebel generals endeavour 
 to inspire their soldiers with courage. Twice they advanced bravely, and twice they 
 were repulsed by the Tartars with great loss. Their movements were injudicious, and, 
 failing in their efforts to oppose the rapid march of the Mantchoos, they gave up the 
 salvation of the country in despair. One of them was drowned in crossing a river, 
 and the other, to banish sorrow, gave himself up to drinking, and soon after found 
 a watery grave. 
 
 Honan had previously espoused the cause of the Ming princes, but a single 
 Mantchoo corps reduced the province to subjection. In Shan-se the general rising of 
 the malecontents procrastinated their destruction by the Mantchoo forces. Already 
 had all the cities admitted the rebels — already was the capital in a state of blockade, 
 when an army of 50,000 men advanced from Peking to the assistance of the besieged. 
 The mere name of Mantchoos was sufficient to disperse the Chinese patriots ; and the 
 cities returned to their obedience without a blow being struck. 
 
 Amongst all the defenders of their country, Keang-tsae, a governor of Tae-tung in 
 Shan-se, is the most prominent. The retinue of a Mantchoo ambassador, on his *vay 
 to Mongolia, to ask a Mongol princess in marriage for the emperor Shun-che, by 
 their dissolute conduct, drove his city into rebellion. In a dignified proclamation, the 
 Mantchoos were declared enemies of the country, the Chinese called upon to shake off 
 the ignominious yoke, and even the neighbouring Mongol tribes engaged to join against 
 the common enemy. Though the latter did not keep their word, the Chinese defeated the 
 Mantchoos in two pitched battles ; Peking itself trembled to see, ere long, a triumphant 
 Chinese army within its walls. In this emergency, the regent, Tsze-ching-wang rallied 
 the remaining Mantchoo troops, the last hope of the dynasty, and encountered his 
 enemy. In vain did he try to conquer by stratagem ; the death alone of the patriotic 
 champion freed the court from imminent danger. The Chinese army dispersed, and 
 the province immediately submitted to the Mantchoo sway. — (1649.) 
 
 Meanwhile, one of the remaining robber-chiefs, Chang-heen-chung, retired into 
 Hoo-kwang, defied the government, and in one engagement totally routed the Tartars. 
 Elated by success, he collected a host of desperadoes, and invaded Sze-chuen, where 
 he attempted to found a dynasty by measures, in comparison of which the murderous 
 
16 LIFE OF KANG-HE, 
 
 deeds of the National Convention were merciful. He was an enemy to mankind, deter- 
 mined upon the destruction of all — a monster of the deepest dye. 
 
 The Shen-se army, marching against him, he glutted himself with the blood of his 
 fellow-creatures. Anxious to meet them in battle, he went out to reconnoitre, and 
 being killed by an arrow, his savage companions fled or were slain. 
 
 In the year 1650, there were no longer any enemies in the field who could dispute 
 the reign of the Tartars in most of the provinces of China. Their whole strength was 
 now bent upon the destruction of the prince of Kwei. A sudden panic seized the 
 Chinese troops. They lost two battles; and even the bravest general fled to the 
 capital, dying by the hands of the enemies of his country, and rejecting all offers for 
 gaining him over to the Mantchoo party. Canton was at the same time delivered up 
 by treachery, the garrison put to death, and the city pillaged. The Ming leader fled ; 
 and, struck with consternation at the rapid progress of the Tartars, he passed over to 
 Ava. Thus, for the first time, after a struggle of eight years, the whole empire bowed 
 submissively to the barbarians. 
 
 In the same year, Tze-ching-wang, the celebrated regent, died. He was a great 
 man, guiding all the military and civil councils with consummate prudence. In the 
 most troublesome times he held the helm of state, never leaving out of sight the sub- 
 jection of all the provinces. Without treasure, or any artificial rules for the govern- 
 ment of an empire, he followed common sense, was prompt in the execution of his 
 plans, maintaining a firm discipline, and enforcing a policy which conciliated or terrified 
 as occasion required. His last act was the appointment of three renowned Chinese 
 noblemen, amongst whom was a descendant of Confucius, to the viceroyalties of the 
 three southern provinces. They did more in reconciling the people to the yoke of the 
 Tartars, than the bravest and most skilful generals. The Chinese no longer respected 
 a barbarian government, but obeyed their own grandees. 
 
 Amidst these joyful events, Shun-che grew up to boyhood. At fifteen years he was 
 declared of age, (1651,) and now for the first time wielded the sceptre. Anxious to 
 consolidate the power acquired by force of arms, public examinations were again insti- 
 tuted. Many literati were scattered through the empire, and they shared in the same 
 honours with the conquerors. Yet, with all these wise measures, the rule of the 
 Mantchoos might still have remained in a very precarious state, if there had not been 
 a wise counsellor who directed all the measures of the monarch* This was the famous 
 
EMPEROR OF CHINA. 17 
 
 Adam Schoal, a Jesuit, astronomer, and statesman, and a steady friend to the nascent 
 dynasty. Under an humble garb and the cloak of servility, he was the intimate friend, 
 the constant companion, and the honoured adviser of the imperial youth. Con- 
 versant with Chinese' politics, and availing himself of the advantages of a superior 
 education, he prompted the measures which the emperor carried into execution as his 
 own. If we judge of the fitness of his suggestions by the success which crowned his 
 efforts, he did more for confirming the authority of the Mantchoos than the most 
 renowned minister of state of that day. For these unremitted services he was, after 
 the death of his pupil, thrown into prison, and loaded with chains. 
 
 New hopes seemed again to beam upon the prince of Kwei, who was still living in 
 Ava. Some patriots in Kwei-choo province had gained for him a great many adherents, 
 and supported him with their treasures. Joyfully he obeyed the summons for making 
 another attempt to regain the possession of the empire. He was, however, arrested in 
 his career by the treacherous Woo-san-kwei, his relation, who took him and his son 
 prisoners, and strangled them in the dungeon. This leader, by an unwarrantable delu- 
 sion, had been entirely blinded by the promises of the Tartars, and now endeavoured to 
 ingratiate himself by this detestable act. 
 
 The glory of the short-lived reign of Shun-che was remarkable for the embassies of 
 the Russians, Dutch, Tibetians, and Mongols ; the two former prompted by commercial 
 views to seek the friendship of the Chinese Empire — the Lamas anxious to recover the 
 privileges they had lost under the Ming emperors — and the Mongols to obtain political 
 advantages, unitedly paid their court to the young prince. 
 
 There remained only one enemy able to cope with the Mantchoos : this was Ching- 
 ching-kung. He repeatedly attacked the Fo-keen coast, and always succeeded in inspiring 
 the Mantchoos with terror. Emboldened by success, he beleaguered Nanking, and 
 would have taken the city, if his soldiers had not given themselves up to licentiousness, 
 in order to celebrate his birthday. The constant danger with which the maritime 
 provinces were threatened, finally forced the emperor to create a navy. But when these 
 war-junks put to sea for the first time, Ching-ching-kung bore down upon them, routed 
 them completely, took four thousand soldiers prisoners, whom, after cutting off their 
 noses and ears, he put on shore. He afterwards drove the Dutch from Formosa, 
 where he established his government. 
 
 In reviewing this bloody war, it appears that the engagements were of short 
 duration, though of frequent occurrence. No party fought with determined valour, 
 
 / 
 
18 LIFE OF KANG-HE, 
 
 but fled with consternation as soon as any disaster happened. The carnage commenced 
 after the defeat, and horrible were the atrocities committed upon a prostrate enemy. 
 The troops themselves were not trained soldiers, but a mob which followed the victor. 
 Armies dispersed and collected with the same facility; and provinces revolted and 
 became again loyal within the space of a few months. The Mantchoos were now 
 united, and followed the same policy throughout their campaigns, and this gave them an 
 ascendancy over their enemies. If, on the other hand, the Chinese had been supported 
 by only a thousand regular European troops, as had been promised previous to the inva- 
 sion of the Tartars, the myriads of the desert would not have gained one inch of ground. 
 A single Dutch gunner defended Canton against a strong Mantchoo army ; and if the 
 city had not been betrayed, the besiegers would have been obliged to retreat from the 
 well-directed batteries. All the baser passions of human nature were here set to work; 
 the innocent blood, so cruelly and so profusely shed, cried to God for vengeance ; and 
 therefore the Lord gave the country to the Mantchoos, to re-establish peace and order. 
 
 Shun-che's successful reign was short. He had fallen in love with the wife of a 
 Mantchoo officer, and occasioned the death of her husband by indignities heaped upon 
 him. But the emperor's sinful pleasure did not last long : the lady bore him a son, 
 but both the infant and mother only survived a few days. Inconsolable for her loss, 
 Shun-che ordered a sacrifice of thirty human beings to the manes of his queen. 
 Her corpse was burnt in a coffin set with pearls ; the chamber was converted into a 
 Buddhistical monastery ; and the emperor shaved his head, much against the exhortations 
 of Adam Schoal. Having exhausted his strength with austerities, and fallen sick of 
 a serious disease, he called before his death-bed the grandees, and having confessed his 
 manifold faults, commended his second son, the celebrated Kang-he, a boy of eight 
 years, to their care. He expired at the age of twenty-four years. Shun-che showed 
 little talent : he was docile and fickle, unmindful of his promises, and a tool in the 
 hands of intriguing courtiers. Such was the parent of China's greatest emperor. 
 
EMPEROR OF CHINA. 19 
 
 First Jets of Kang-he. — War ivith the Adherents of the Ming Dynasty. 
 
 The Regency. A. D. 1661— 1666. 
 
 A very ancient law in China entitles the sovereign to choose his successor without 
 the least regard to priority of birth or extraction. The choice is generally made in 
 secret. Having entered the hall of ancestors, the emperor prays to heaven, earth, and 
 his grandsires, and afterwards writes down the name of his successor, which is concealed 
 in a particular place. If the presumptive heir of the crown dies, another is chosen in the 
 same manner. As soon as the monarch is on his death-bed, he makes a testament, in 
 which he proclaims his successor, and points out the apartment where his decision has 
 been hidden. It has often happened that wise monarchs called foolish sons to the 
 throne, and vice versa : Shun-che's choice, made in open council, and not according to 
 fixed rules, would do honour to his penetration, if Kang-he had not been too young to 
 give proofs of the great genius which animated his breast. 
 
 Before his succession to the throne he was called Heuen-ye ; his reign was deno- 
 minated Kang-he, in Mantchoo, Elkhe-taifin (tranquillity and prosperity); in the 
 ancestorial hall, he bears the name of Shing-tsoo-jin-hwang-te (the holy guardian and 
 benevolent emperor. 
 
 The Chinese government is a vast piece of mechanism, which turns precisely in one 
 way and no other. Hence the ease with which the country is governed when everything 
 moves in its sphere, and the difficulty which arises when the stoppage of the least 
 wheel unfortunately happens. 
 
 Kang-he, though only eight years old, was thus enabled to stand at the head of the 
 greatest government in the world. The day after the decease of his illustrious parent, 
 he ascended the throne. All the princes, lords, civilians, and military officers at the 
 capital, with the presidents of the tribunals, were prostrated at his feet, and performed 
 three genuflexions and nine ko-tows, according to the established regulations. The 
 magnificence displayed at the court was dazzling. The mandarins on both sides were 
 dressed in silks embroidered with golden roses. Twenty on each side, held large 
 umbrellas made of gold brocade, whilst no less than fifty officers bore large fans adorned 
 with equal splendour. Nothing, however, exceeded the gaudiness of the standards. 
 
20 LIFE OF KANG-HE, 
 
 Upon these were represented the moon in her phases, golden stars, and particularly 
 the twenty-eight constellations. The Emperor of China being Heaven's vicegerent, he 
 copies his emblems from the universe, and at state ceremonies exhibits the insignia 
 descriptive of his celestial office. These standard-bearers were followed by mandarins 
 carrying axes, banners, and other instruments of war. 
 
 His reign was announced by a pompous proclamation, in which a remittance of 
 taxes, great rewards to loyal officers and subjects, and amnesty to the refractory, were 
 promised. A new era was now to commence. Chinese and Tartars shared in the 
 administration of government — a thing unheard of. , The constitution was remodelled ; 
 and, whilst a new order of public officers was gradually striking root, a new generation, 
 less incensed against the rule of foreigners, also arose. The gracious expressions of the 
 infant emperor sounded therefore more agreeable than the warm and well-meant 
 declarations of his father, issued to the same purpose. 
 
 Kang-he's first act was to drive the Buddha priests out of the palace. His father, 
 having changed the imperial abode into a convent, and having been one of the most 
 bigoted idolaters, appears to have felt the pangs of remorse for his misconduct. The 
 human mind, however depraved, looks anxiously for religious consolation, especially in 
 the last agony, when body and spirit quail, and the awful transition to the world of 
 spirits is to take place, the necessity of a Saviour is, even to a heathen mind, self- 
 evident. But when the Friend of sinners is unknown, the bewildered heart seeks peace 
 in following the dictates of superstition, and entangles itself still more in the net of 
 absurd and pernicious speculations. TheMantchoos, as a nation, had before the conquest 
 of China no fixed religious notions. Shun-che, throughout the years of his youth, seems 
 to have shown not the least predilection for any creed ; but, troubled by the death of 
 his favourite queen, and borne down by despair, the natural consequence of irreligion, 
 he entirely abandoned himself to the grossest idolatry. Already the greedy Lamas 
 hovered around the court ; and a favourable opportunity having presented itself, they 
 received the imperial devotee with joyful acclamations. But scarcely had he closed his 
 eyes, when vengeance overtook them. The dynasty might have been ruined, if Shun- 
 che had lived much longer ; for the priests had more than once enfeebled their imperial 
 votaries, and interfered with the succession. This apprehension appears to have hast- 
 ened the measure of their expulsion — a step otherwise unconstitutional, because a son 
 ought not to change his father's regulations for three years. 
 
EMPEROR OF CHINA. 21 
 
 A few days afterwards the council assembled, and chose the wisest amongst their 
 number as future regents during the minority of the prince. They were all Mantchoos, 
 and relations of the young monarch. The first measure of this administration was the 
 expulsion of the eunuchs, a numerous tribe of effeminate beings, who were constantly 
 nestled in the palace at Peking. Most princes had been subject to their tyranny, and 
 ruled under their influence ; they took possession of every avenue to the imperial 
 person, and gained by intrigue what was denied them by power ; their influence was 
 ruinous, their prevalence the certain presage of the fall of a dynasty. 
 
 Such were the lessons taught the regents by former ex-princes, they therefore 
 impeached the chief eunuch, and, without any trial, beheaded him ; the others were 
 expelled from the harem, and sent back to their families- To render the expulsion 
 lasting, and prevent them from ever again usurping power, a law to this effect was 
 engraven upon an iron plate more than one thousand pounds in weight. But even iron 
 laws cannot abolish the law of necessity ; for, so long as the Chinese emperors keep 
 a large harem, they will need the assistance of officious eunuchs. The prohibitory laws 
 have been engraved, but the number of eunuchs is again as large as it ever was at any 
 preceding period; they are honoured by official rank, and one of them was powerful 
 enough to head a conspiracy against Kea-King. 
 
 So far the measures of this regency had been planned with wisdom. None could 
 impeach their actions, and this striking at the root of the most serious evils, prognos- 
 ticated a happy result. Yet, from, this moment, the four guardians appear to have 
 been bent upon mischief only. 
 
 Ching-ching-kung having established himself at Formosa, and still maintaining the 
 empire over the sea with his squadrons, it was not deemed advisable after the loss of one 
 fleet, to furnish another for certain destruction. The deadly vengeance this pirate had 
 taken upon four thousand Tartars, called forth retaliation. Instead of pitying those 
 hapless mariners, who had lost their noses and ears in the service of their country, these 
 poor fellows were put to death, for having fled before an enemy. The rancour, how- 
 ever, against this daring freebooter, had taken deep root in the breast of the Mantchoo 
 officer; the regents, therefore, consulted how the ravages of the pirates on the coast could 
 be put down. Nobody was able to answer this momentous question ; for the rulers, igno- 
 rant of naval affairs, wavered in their opinion. At last, one of them boldly proposed 
 to drive the inhabitants ten miles inland, to destroy cities and villages, and to prohibit 
 
 8 
 
22 LIFE OF KANG-HE, 
 
 all maritime trade. This cruel proposition was at first treated with silent scorn, for 
 only a madman could have spoken thus ; but, in a second sitting, it appeared the only 
 effectual way of cutting off the pirate, and the execution was immediately resolved upon. 
 We must not, however, imagine that words and actions are equally severe in China; 
 The government always holds very strong language, but the mandarins sent to act in 
 obedience to the orders, do just as much as suits their convenience. We do not know 
 to what extent these legitimate plunderers complied with their cruel mandates ; because 
 no city of any importance was razed ; and Macao, by the interposition of Adam Schoal, 
 was purposely spared. Yet if we were to draw a conclusion from similar orders of the 
 present day, the whole would most likely have ended in the destruction of a few fishing 
 villages, and the reception of heavy bribes for granting respite to other places. There 
 was, however, a flaming report issued, as customary, stating that things had been done 
 in strict obedience to orders. To put down the maritime trade without a navy was ludi- 
 crous ; as it is so very profitable to traffic from one province to the other, that merchants, 
 on arriving at the ports, will have their goods smuggled up in river-boats, and bribe 
 the custom-house officers to wink at this irregularity. Even at the present day, there 
 are edicts extant, issued under the imperial sign-manual, whereby the cultivation of 
 certain islands on parts of the coast, are either restricted or entirely prohibited. Yet, 
 there are thousands of people living upon these forbidden spots, and there are not only 
 paltry villages, but large cities upon them, to prove the nature of the obedience paid 
 to the laws. If, however, this regulation is again to be enforced, a naval officer with 
 a squadron arrives, burns down perhaps a few hovels, receives a bribe, and informs the 
 admiral or viceroy that all the traitorous natives have been driven away. If complaint 
 be made, that there are still thousands staying behind, the answer is, that the people 
 have returned. Such we think, by dint of analogical reasoning, was also the case in 
 Kang-he's time. The following of commands was impracticable, and ill suited to realize 
 the views of government. What injury was done to the pirate, by seeing a long line of 
 coast laid waste ? Such a measure only threw a greater number of desperadoes into his 
 arms, with whose aid he could sail up the rivers, and defy the united Mantchoo forces. 
 Such was too much the case. On a sudden we see, by an almost unaccountable change 
 of circumstances, the Dutch become the allies of the Chinese. The monopoly to Fah- 
 choo, the metropolis of Fo-keen, was secured to the East India Company, as a reward 
 for the assistance they were to afford. A Dutch fleet actually attacked the pirates near 
 
EMPEROR OF CHINA. 23 
 
 Kin-mun island, whilst the Tartar general engaged to co-operate with the land-forces, 
 and attack the common enemy in the rear. The Dutch admiral having poured into the 
 Chinese vessels and forts some broadsides, the Tartar forces kept at a respectable 
 distance. Enraged at this breach of faith, the naval commander challenged the Mant- 
 ehoos to do their duty ; but he was answered, that the troops refused to advance, and 
 that if a second attack were made, the general would certainly second the enterprise. 
 No imperial soldiers, however, advancing against the enemy, the Dutch drove away the 
 pirates, and took quiet possession of the island upon which Amoy is built They then 
 fell upon Formosa, but meeting with no success, an armistice was concluded; and 
 henceforth both hostilities and alliance with the Celestial Empire ceased, though 
 the trade to Fah-choo was still continued. 
 
 A government which could be so regardless of the first principles of humanity, and 
 moreover so impolitic, was capable of committing greater crimes. Since Ricci, the cele- 
 brated Italian Jesuit, had entered the empire, the number of Christian converts had been 
 daily increasing; with the fall of the Ming family, Popery received strenuous support- 
 ers in the Mantchoos, and Adam Schoal, the personal friend of Shun-che, had very 
 favourably inclined the Emperor's heart towards the tenets of the Church of Rome. 
 This celebrated mathematician became the tutor of young Kang-he, and doubtless was 
 too grasping in his attempts to influence the supreme government. Since, however, the 
 Jesuits have told their own tale, the only accusation brought against Adam Schoal and 
 his coadjutors, was that of a secret conspiracy. Yaug-kwang- seen, a very intriguing 
 officer, waited until Schoal had been struck by palsy, and both his tongue and head were 
 disabled. This man published a book to confute the tenets of the Roman Catholics, 
 and presented a petition against the missionaries to the regency : he represented them 
 as being ignorant of the principles of astronomy, (this accusation sounds very fair in the 
 mouth of a Chinese,) and bent upon the entire overthrow of this science. "These Euro- 
 peans, the accuser continued, have been banished from their own country for sedition, 
 and are come into China to raise a rebellion against government. Schoal's intention, in 
 obtaining so great an authority at Peking, was to introduce a multitude of strangers 
 into the empire, who, by his direction, should travel over all the provinces, and take 
 plans of the cities, in order to facilitate their conquest. The number of his followers, 
 who were as so many soldiers, was infinite ; whilst every year multitudes of strangers 
 came to Macao, who waited only for a favourable juncture, in order to put their design 
 
24 LIFE OF KANG-HE, 
 
 into execution. They teach, he added, that the founder of our empire, Fo-he, was 
 descended from Adam, that he came from a country called Judea, and that he propa- 
 gated the ancient religion. Is it not plain, that it is the design of the missionaries to 
 persuade the people, that our Emperors are originally from Europe, and that their 
 princes have a right to our monarchy ?" He then produced a book published by Sehoal, 
 exhorting the Chinese and Tartars to embrace Christianity, as being the only true reli- 
 gion. The same book contained a list of the different churches in the provinces of the 
 empire, and the names of all the magistrates and mandarins who had been baptized. 
 The mandarin viewed this as the muster-roll of an army, ready to take the field at the 
 first signal; whilst he considered the amulets and beads, as the badges of the conspi- 
 rators; and, producing a crucifix, he blasphemously added, " Behold the God of the 
 Europeans, nailed to the- cross for having attempted to make himself the King of the 
 Jews; this is the God they invoke to favour their design which they have formed, of 
 making themselves masters of China." 
 
 This charge fanned the flame, which had only been smothered in the breasts of the 
 bigoted grandees. Joyfully did the four regents remit the paper to the respective tri- 
 bunals for examination. Verbuist, the companion of Sehoal, defended the accuracy of 
 the astronomical calculations, but, to justify the singleness of their intentions in coming 
 to China, he could adduce no valid proof. 
 
 Led in chains before the tribunal, the hoai-y Sehoal, then aged 78 years, with a 
 countenance which inspired the deepest veneration, could not defend himself with his 
 palsied tongue. Verbuist, his companion, however, a man equally talented, answered all 
 the accusations with noble freedom. There was, at this time, in the whole of China, no 
 man living who had deserved so well of the country as the accused ; there was none at 
 court who could match himself in political wisdom with this foreigner. His secret 
 influence had been felt to the very verges of Tartary, and every benevolent ordinance 
 was sure to have originated from him. His merits must have been generally acknow- 
 ledged, and have provoked that envy which aimed at hastening Adam's ruin. Found 
 guilty of being the leader of a heresy, he was condemned to strangulation. Since this, 
 however, was not according to the letter of the law, and did not satisfy the malice of his 
 enemies, he was afterwards sentenced to die a slow and ignominious death, by being cut 
 into pieces. When the sentence was about to be read, so the Jesuits tell us, the earth 
 trembled, and the judges desisted from their wicked design. A fire which broke out at 
 
EMPEROR OF CHINA. -Jj 
 
 the same time in the palace, and destroyed a great many houses ; and a comet appearing 
 simultaneously, roused the fears of the queen-dowager. Heaven was said to be 
 offended ; the criminals, as is often the case on such occasions, were let free ; and even 
 Schaal, after some delay, obtained his liberty. He did not, however, survive this 
 shock, but died, worn out with ill treatment, in 1666. 
 
 The missionaries in the provinces underwent similar punishments. Some had to 
 endure cruel mockings, and others were thrown into loathsome dungeons; whilst the 
 remainder, twenty-four in number, were sent to Kwang-tung; a change rather in their 
 favour, for they had at first been ordered to be transported to Peking loaded with 
 chains. Futorvetta, a famous Sicilian, was one of the number ; but whilst in prison, 
 another friar exchanged with him this loathsome abode, according to Chinese regula- 
 tions, and he withdrew to Rome, to state the particulars of the persecution to the Holy 
 Father. Many churches were destroyed ; the native Roman Catholics imprisoned ; and 
 the total subversion of the Popish faith determined upon. But there remained still 
 four Jesuits at Peking, who advocated manfully the cause of their religion. 
 
 Kang-he was now nearly thirteen years of age, when he thought himself adequate 
 to sustain the burden of government. The death of Souni, the principal regent, 
 prompted him to the resolution of swaying the sceptre with his own hands. 
 
 The regency having lost the most influential members by death, the remainder 
 were generally hated as tyrants, and the intention of the young monarch was therefore 
 generally applauded. Patourou-kung, the most culpable, was accused of having usurped 
 sovereign power. Upon the dissolution of the regency, the board of punishments, 
 instructed by the emperor, drew up twelve capital crimes, of which this grandee, during 
 the trial, had been convicted. He was sentenced to be cut into ten thousand pieces ; 
 but Kang-he very graciously commuted this punishment into strangulation. Not only 
 were his goods confiscated, but his third son had to undergo the same punishment; 
 whilst the seven others were decapitated. This indeed was the cruel action of a brutal 
 Tartar; yet the nation magnified the autocrat of thirteen years, for his high sense 
 of justice ; and not one tear was dropt at the tragical end of so many noblemen of 
 the first rank. 
 
 We have scarcely found one important ordinance or edict, which emanated from 
 these grandees ; a proof that their crime consisted more in court intrigue than in political 
 delinquency. The cruel measures against the inhabitants of the coasts, and the Roman 
 
 h 
 
26 LIFE OF KANG-HF.. 
 
 Catholics, surely demanded very severe retribution ; but it was not upon these points 
 that the accusation was principally founded. 
 
 The Chinese monarchy is based upon the principle of sacrificing personal interest, 
 at all risks, for promoting the public weal. High and low must bend to these iron 
 rules ; and whether it be a thousand peasants, or an influential minister, who are 
 sacrificed to this Moloch, this matters very little. Despotism cannot exist in its full 
 plenitude of power, without acting entirely independent of the law of the country, and 
 striking terror into all who venture to oppose it. It was perhaps feared, that the 
 regents might interfere with the government of an inexperienced youth, and disturb 
 the ordinary course of administration by their creatures, who owed to them honour 
 and emolument. One, therefore, had to fall, as a warning example to the two others, 
 to deter all officers from adhering to their former masters. The execution of this 
 policy was dreadful; but the opposite party at court was strong enough to stifle 
 every murmur. 
 
 END OF THE FIRST PART. 
 
LIFE OF KANG-HE, 
 
 EMPEROR OF CHINA. 
 
 PART II. 
 
 Kang-He's First Acts.— 1667 to 1672. 
 
 Scarcely had the youth assumed the sway over the empire, when a Portuguese 
 ambassador arrived at the capital. As long as the ordinance against the inhabitants of 
 the coast had remained in force, the Portuguese were subject to many vexations. It was 
 hoped that the new Emperor, a declared friend of Europeans, would relieve them from 
 the disabilities under which their trade laboured. Provided with rich presents, Saldanha, 
 (this was the name of the envoy,) arrived in a boat with a tribute-bearer's flag, at 
 Peking, willingly performed the three genuflexions and nine prostrations, in order to 
 conciliate the court, and endeavoured to gain the privileges for which the embassy was 
 undertaken. But he was treated with vain ceremonies, his visit merely viewed as a 
 congratulatory embassy, and sent back without having effected anything. His advice 
 to the citizens on his return was, that they must trust to themselves. 
 
 We know little about the manner in which Kang-he was educated, but having had 
 such a master as Adam Schaal, it may be reasonably inferred that he was brought up 
 as a prince. The youth possessed a precocious, expansive mind, but notwithstanding 
 these natural advantages, his application was unwearied. He mastered the difficult 
 Chinese language, and became thoroughly versed in ancient literature: for his native 
 tongue he felt a great predilection, and he did not only acquire it thoroughly, but very 
 materially improved its literature. He took advantage of studying mathematics and 
 physics, and was, perhaps, the only individual in the whole wide empire, who appreciated 
 these sciences. Amidst the cares of government, in the administration of which he 
 was equally assiduous, he never ceased to study for his own improvement; he was 
 
28 LIFE OF KANG-HE, 
 
 another Antonine; and on a small scale, a Peter the Great; nor did he forget to 
 exercise himself in archery and horsemanship. With the greatest ease he accommodated 
 himself to the prejudices of his countrymen and his subjects, and whilst he heartily 
 despised the pedantry of the literati, he was perfectly at home in their school. 
 
 Such a man had never sat upon China's throne. The hopes entertained of a happy 
 reign were very sanguine, and fortunately not disappointed. An opportunity soon 
 occurred of exemplifying his penetration. Yang-kwang-seen, after the fall of the 
 Jesuits, had been created president of the Astronomical Board ; he hated the improve- 
 ments of the foreigners, which he never understood, and applied to the Board of Rites 
 for the re-establishment of the astronomy of the ancient Chinese. Since it is an 
 inviolable maxim always to revert to antiquity, and to explode every innovation, the 
 members of this tribunal charged with maintaining the customs of the good old times, 
 declared themselves in favour of this proposition. Kang-he remitted the declaration of 
 this board, to the examination of the presidents of the nine tribunals, who constitute 
 a council for deliberation upon all important affairs of state. This report was 
 favourable, and the matter was now fully settled, that the missionaries had been in the 
 wrong, and that on that account their innovations ought to be instantly abolished. 
 
 Though possessed of sovereign power to annul the decrees of a general council, 
 every ordinary emperor would in this case have yielded to the unanimous decree, of 
 the grandees; Kang-he, however, did not care for dogmatical assertions, he looked for 
 positive proofs. He submitted, accordingly, the National Kalendar to the Europeans, 
 and ordered them, by a message of four ministers of state, (Ta-hedsze,) to point out the 
 errors which had crept into it, since Yang-kwang-seen had taken upon himself the 
 sole management. 
 
 On the next day the whole council was summoned, and Verbuist, Buglis, and 
 Magalhaens, the three Jesuits, brought before this tribunal, to determine the 
 question. We give this audience in the words of the missionaries. (Du Halde, vol. ii., 
 page 135.) 
 
 "The young emperor, who had never seen them, sent for them with the mandarins 
 assembled for this occasion into his own apartment, causing Verbuist to be placed 
 directly over against him. 'Can you,' looking at the Jesuit with a cheerful air, 'make 
 it evidently appear, whether the Kalendar agrees with the heavens or not' The Jesuit 
 replied, ' that it was a thing easily demonstrated, and that the instruments in the obser- 
 
EMPEROR OF CHINA. 29 
 
 vatory were made, to the end that persons who were employed in affairs of state, and 
 had not leisure to study astronomy, might in an instant examine calculations, and find 
 if they agreed with the heavens or not. If your Majesty agrees to see the experiment,' 
 continued the father, ' let there be placed in one of the courts a style, a chair, and a 
 table, of what size you please, and I shall immediately calculate the projection of the 
 shadow at any hour proposed. By the length of the shadow it will be easy to determine 
 the altitude of the sun, and from the altitude his place in the zodiac, whence it may 
 be judged whether his true place is marked in the Kalendar for every day.' 
 
 "The expedient pleasing the emperor, he asked the mandarins if they understood 
 this manner of computation, and could predict the length of the shadow. The Moham- 
 medan, (for such was Yang-kwang-seen,) boldly answered that he understood it, and 
 that it was a sure rule to distinguish the true from the false ; but added, that care 
 ought to be taken, how they made use of the Europeans and their sciences, which would 
 become fatal to the empire, inveighing at the same time against the Christian religion. 
 At this the emperor, changing his countenance, said to him, ' I have commanded you to 
 forget what is past, and mind only to propose a good Astronomy. Dare you launch out 
 in such a manner in my presence ? Have not you yourself presented me with several 
 petitions, desiring that able astronomers might be searched for throughout the empire ; 
 though they have been these four years sought after, they have not yet been found. 
 Though Ferdinand Verbuist, who understands astronomy perfectly well, was at hand 
 in this very court, you never mentioned one word of him to me. Hence you plainly 
 discovered yourself to be a very prejudiced man, and that you do not act with 
 sincerity. 
 
 " Then the emperor, resuming a cheerful look, put several questions to F. Verbuist 
 concerning astronomy, and ordered the Ko-laou (ministers of state) and the other 
 mandarins on each side of him, to determine the length of the style for calculating the 
 shadow. As these Ko-laous went to work in the palace itself, the Mohammedan 
 astronomer freely acknowledged, that he was not acquainted with F. Verbuist's manner 
 of computing the shadow ; whereof they immediately informed the emperor, who was so 
 offended at the impudence of this pretender, that he intended to have him punished on 
 the spot; but considering it would be better to defer it till the experiment had dis- 
 covered his imposture in the presence of his protectors, he ordered that the missionary 
 should make his calculation by himself that very day, and that next morning, the 
 
 i 
 
30 LIFE OF KANO-I1E, 
 
 Ko-laou and other mandarins, should go to the observatory to inspect the length of the 
 shadow cast by the style precisely at twelve o'clock. 
 
 "There was in the observatory a square column of brass, eight feet three inches 
 high, erected on a table of the same metal eighteen feet long, two broad, and one inch 
 thick. This table, from the base of the column, was divided into seventeen feet, each 
 foot into ten parts, which they call inches, and each inch into ten lesser parts, called 
 minutes. Quite round along the edges was a small channel made in the brass, about 
 half an inch broad, and of the same depth, which they filled with water, in order to 
 bring the table to a parallel position. This machine served formerly to determine the 
 meridian shadows ; but the pillar was much bent, and did not stand at right angles 
 with the tables. 
 
 " The length of the style being fixed at eight feet, four inches, and nine minutes, 
 the father fastened to the pillar a smooth board, exactly parallel to the horizon, and 
 precisely of the determined height ; and by means of a perpendicular let fall from the 
 board to the table, he marked the point from whence he was to begin to reckon the 
 length of the shadow. The sun was then near the winter solstice, and consequently the 
 shadows were longer than at any other time of the year. 
 
 " Having made his calculation according to the rules of trigonometry, he found that 
 the shadow of the style next day at noon ought to be sixteen feet six minutes and a 
 half; whereupon he drew a transverse line on the brass table, to show that the shadow 
 was to extend neither more nor less than just so far. All the mandarins repaired next 
 day to the observatory, by the emperor's order, and at noon the shadow fell exactly 
 upon the line that the father had traced on the table ; at which they seemed extremely 
 surprised. The emperor was mightily pleased with the account that was given of this 
 first experiment, and ordered that Verbuist should perform it the next day in the great 
 court of the palace, whereof he was acquainted by the Ko-laous, who, with a brass 
 ruler a foot long, which he had then in his hand, assigned two feet and two inches for 
 the length of the style. 
 
 "On his return to his lodgings, he made his calculations; after which he prepared 
 a plank well planed, and another fixed perpendicularly to serve for a style. The first 
 plank was divided into feet and inches, and had three screws, by means of which it was 
 easy to give it a horizontal position. Next day, going to the palace with his machine, 
 he placed it in the great court, adjusted it exactly to the meridian, having first drawn 
 
EMPEROR OF CHINA. 31 
 
 a straight line on the horizontal plane, to mark the extremity of the shadow, which, 
 according to his calculus, was to be four feet three inches four minutes and a half." 
 
 The Kolaous, and the rest of the mandarins appointed to superintend the operation, 
 met in the same place a little before noon, when they stood in a circle round the style ; 
 and seeing that the shadow appeared very long, because as yet it had not reached the 
 plank, but fell on one side of the machine upon the ground, the Kolaous whispered and 
 smiled amongst themselves, believing that the missionary had mistaken the matter. 
 But, a little before noon, the shadow coming to the horizontal board, shortened all on 
 a sudden, and appearing near the transverse line at the hour, fell precisely upon it. 
 Hereupon, the Tartarian mandarin, discovering his surprise more than any of the rest, 
 cried out, ' What an extraordinary master have we here !' The other mandarins spoke 
 not a word, but from that moment conceived a jealousy against the father, which has 
 lasted ever since. A third experiment was then made, in accordance with the emperor's 
 express orders; and all the antagonists were now obliged to declare that Verbuist was 
 in the right. 
 
 The Mohammedan astronomers having been labouring above a year at the correc- 
 tion of the Kalendar, presented the same in two volumes to the emperor. Upon exami- 
 nination, it was found to be ill-arranged, and, moreover, to abound in errors and 
 contradictions, being a medley of Chinese and Arabic, insomuch that it might as well 
 be called an Arabian as a Chinese Kalendar. 
 
 " Verbuist," thus continues Du Halde, " made a small collection of the most 
 gross errors in each work, and put them at the bottom of his petition, which was 
 presented to the emperor, who immediately called a general assembly of the regulos 
 (kings) his relations, the mandarins of the highest class, and the principal officers of all 
 the orders and tribunals of the empire, and sent the father's petition to them, that they 
 might consult what was proper to be done on the occasion. There never was seen an 
 assembly so very considerable, and convened in so solemn a manner, on account of 
 matters merely relating to astronomy ; insomuch that one would have imagined that no 
 less than the welfare and preservation of the whole empire was the occasion of their 
 meeting. 
 
 " Though the emperor was still in his minority, he had long entertained a secret 
 aversion to the governors set over him by his father, without discovering it. But having 
 observed that they had condemned European astronomy, and protected Chinese astro- 
 
32 LIFE OF KANG-HE, 
 
 nomers, he laid hold of the present occasion to annul and make void all the acts they 
 had made. To which purpose some of those whom he most confided in, advised him pri- 
 vately to make this assembly as august and solemn as possibly he could. They then read 
 publicly Verbuist's petition; whereupon the lords and principal members of the council 
 unanimously declared, 'that the correction of the Kalendar being an important affair, 
 and astronomy a difficult science which very few understood, it was necessary to examine 
 publicly, and by the instruments of the observatory, the faults mentioned in the petition 
 or memorial.' 
 
 " The matter having thus been submitted to the investigation of all tribunals, 
 Verbuist verified his remarks by observations, and proved by facts, that the Arabian 
 was entirely wrong. A general deliberation took place, in which the presidents of the 
 boards expressed their unwillingness to abolish Chinese astronomy, and establish that 
 of the Europeans in its stead. They maintained that it was inconsistent with the 
 majesty of the empire, to alter anything in this science, since hitherto all nations had 
 derived their laws, politics, and wisdom, in governing from them ; that it was better to 
 retain the ancient astronomy, which they had received from their forefathers, though a 
 little defective, than to introduce a foreign one. Instead of blaming the two Chinese 
 astronomers, they looked upon them as zealous defenders of the grandeur of their 
 ancestors. At the end of this debate, Yang-kwang-seen raised his voice, saying, ' If 
 you give way to the opinion of Ferdinand, by receiving the astronomy he has brought 
 you, assure yourselves, that the empire of the Tartars in China will not continue long. 
 So much for the renowned astronomical science of the ancient Chinese.' 
 
 " There were only a few Mantchoo mandarins who coincided with their emperor. 
 They repeated the remark of the astronomer, and he was for his temerity put into irons. 
 Upon further examination, Verbuist stated, that a whole month must be expunged from 
 the Kalendar, and stated this opinion in a memorial to the Privy Council. The 
 members of this council looked upon it as a melancholy thing to lop off a whole month 
 from the Kalendar which they had so solemnly received ; but as they neither could nor 
 durst contradict Verbuist, they thought proper to send the chief president of the 
 council to him. 
 
 "The mandarin accosting the missionary with a cheerful air, (thus says our 
 informant,) said, 'Take heed what you do, you are going to render us contemptible 
 amongst the neighbouring nations, who follow and respect the Chinese Kalendar, by 
 
EMPEROR OF CHINA. 33 
 
 letting them know we have been so grossly mistaken, that there was a necessity of 
 retrenching a whole month from the present year. Cannot you palliate this matter, 
 and find out some expedient for saving our reputation ? if you can, you will do us 
 great service.' Verbuist replied, that it was not in his power to reconcile the 
 heavens with their Kalendar, and that there was an indispensable necessity of striking 
 out that month. 
 
 "The council then immediately published an edict, which imported, that according 
 to the astronomical calculations of Verbuist, it was necessary to take away the 
 intercalary month for the current year, and all persons were forbidden to reckon after 
 it for the future. This edict greatly embarrassed those who knew nothing of astronomy, 
 for they could not conceive what was become of the retrenched month, and asked in 
 what place it was laid up. 
 
 "After this, Verbuist furnished the observatory with new instruments, viz. a zodiacal 
 armillary sphere, an equinoctial sphere, an azimuthal horizon of six feet diameter, a 
 great quadrant of six feet radius, a sextant of eight feet radius, and a celestial globe of 
 six feet diameter." 
 
 It is very extraordinary that a youth of fifteen years of age should have carried this 
 measure against all the councillors of state. His firmness, decision, simple adherence 
 to truth, and readiness to discard prejudices, cannot sufficiently be praised. 
 
 The Chinese astronomer was sentenced, by the unanimous voice of the court, 
 to death; but the emperor having commuted his sentence to banishment from court, and 
 dismissed him to his native country, Keang-nan, he died on the road. 
 
 Verbuist, now raised under the name of Nan-hwae-gin, to be president of the 
 Astronomical Board, immediately interceded for the memory of Adam Schaal. As 
 customary, the monarch referred the matter to the deliberation of the Tribunal of 
 Rites, and it was here decreed, that his manes should be reinstated into all the honours 
 he had held on earth. This was accordingly done, and Adam Schaal was declared 
 president of the Astronomical Tribunal in Hades. 
 
 The edicts against Popery were at the same time revoked, and the missionaries 
 permitted to return from Canton to their respective dioceses. Schaal's ancestors at the 
 same time were decreed noble. Kang-he allotted a large field for the burying-place, 
 adjoining to that of Ricci, and not only contributed to the expense of this funeral, 
 but sent the officers of his court, and mandarins, to assist at the ceremony in his stead. 
 
 k 
 
.'34 I. IFF. OF KANG-IIE. 
 
 Thus did that father, after his death, triumph over the malice and artifices of his 
 enemies. 
 
 In the year 1671, the missionaries were put in possession of their churches. But 
 the edict for their re-establishment was clogged with a clause prohibiting all the subjects 
 of the empire from that time forward to embrace Christianity. And, as the protection 
 of the prince, whom Verbuist rendered every day better affected to Christianity, was 
 much to be relied upon, upwards of "20,000 Chinese were converted and baptized that 
 year without any obstruction. In the following year, an uncle of the emperor by the 
 mother's side, and one of the eight perpetual generals of the Tartar militia, were like- 
 wise baptized ; and from that time Popery made a rapid progress through all the 
 provinces. 
 
 Kang-he, anxious to see everything with his own eyes, resolved upon studying 
 mathematics, and especially astronomy, himself. He thought that this science might 
 aid him in governing the country, and he also wished to decide in future the quarrels of 
 astronomers by his own judgment. Verbuist. taught him to measure distances, and to 
 make use of astronomical instruments. This missionary grew every day more and 
 more in favour with the young emperor, who, being naturally curious, and having a taste 
 for the sciences, studied under him philosophy for two years : for this end he would 
 frequently be shut up with him in his closet for three or four hours together. 
 
 While the missionary was instructing the head of this monarch, he took especial care 
 to form his heart to virtue and religion. He began by removing his prejudices in favour of 
 paganism ; then, dexterously taking advantage of his thirst for knowledge, he instructed 
 him in the truths of Christianity, making him acquainted both with their holiness and 
 importance ; of all which the prince was so fully convinced, that he was heard one day 
 to say, that Christianity would insensibly destroy all the sects of the empire. But he 
 would declare himself no farther, being contented with protecting a religion, the purity 
 and excellence of which he admired. A mandarin at that time published a book, in 
 which he placed the Christian religion amongst the number of false sects. The father, 
 upon this, having presented a memorial to the emperor, demanding a reparation for the 
 injury done to the law of the true God, his majesty immediately published an edict, 
 that none should give it the name of a false religion. What made the emperor entertain 
 so just and so constant a regard to the missionaries, was not only the great capacity of 
 Verbuist, who was looked upon as the most learned man in the empire as to sciences, 
 
EMPEROR OF CHINA. .'15 
 
 but the knowledge he had of the innocence of their manners, and the austerities which 
 they practised in private ; of all of which he was so well informed by secret means, (he 
 kept a host of spies around them,) that he even knew their particular modifications. 
 Add to this, his being perfectly persuaded of the love to his person and zeal for his 
 service, without any other views than that of promoting their religion, and extending it 
 throughout his empire." Such are the Jesuit's own words. Kang-he added to geometry 
 his admiration of western music, and henceforth became the declared patron of the 
 missionaries. 
 
 War with the Adherents of the Ming Dynasty. 
 1672—1683. 
 
 The Chinese general, Woo-san-kwei, had shone at the commencement of the struggles 
 with such great lustre, that one might have expected the most heroic actions from this 
 scion of the Ming dynasty. Though commanding a victorious army, and having anni- 
 hilated the robber forces in Shen-se, the general remained an indifferent spectator of 
 the overthrow of his own relations. He might have decided the contest in favour of 
 the rightful heirs of the crown, but in the hour of danger he was never heard of. He 
 disappeared from the scene, did not co-operate in expelling those foreigners whom he 
 himself had called into the country, and reappeared only to commit a perfidious act 
 against the prince of Kwei, the legitimate Chinese emperor. Such treachery was cer- 
 tainly to meet with its reward. 
 
 Kang-he seems to have taken a very just view of the state of the country. Seeing 
 Woo-san-kwei in the possession of Yun-nan as viceroy, he might always apprehend a 
 revolt, in which the Chinese functionaries of the southern provinces were doubtless to 
 join. He was the last, hope of the Ming family, and his celebrity as a general was so 
 well established, that myriads of Chinese would flock to his banners as soon as he 
 raised the standard of insurrection. He moreover ruled as a father over the province. 
 The people, freed from heavy burdens, were very much devoted to his interests, and 
 would follow him whithersoever the general might summon them. He had moreover 
 the prudence of keeping in his pay a large standing army, which he continually exer- 
 cised. All this gave umbrage to the court. Woo-san-kwei was no longer an humble 
 vassal, but a sovereign. Rumours of his disaffection against the Tartar dynasty con- 
 stantly reached the ears of Kang-he ; he therefore resolved upon trying the fidelity of 
 this grandee, and sent him an invitation to appear at Peking. That answer was cate- 
 
."36 LIFE OF KANG-HE, 
 
 gorical: "I shall not go thither," said Woo- san-kwei, "except in the company of 
 80,000 men." Bitterly repining at the ingratitude of the Tartars, who owed to him the 
 empire, and rejecting the offer made by two blandishing envoys, he set immediately 
 about fulfilling his threat. At first he had proposed, that his son, who was kept as an 
 hostage at court, should render the homage required of him ; yet this being dexterously 
 rejected, he was certain that his ruin was determined upon. 
 
 Having received letters from his son, which rather confirmed him in his suspicion, 
 he discarded the Tartar costume, and dressed himself like a Chinese. Having abolished 
 the Chinese kalendar, he published one of his own making, and sent it to the neighbour- 
 ing foreign princes. This was virtually declaring his independence. The inhabitants 
 of Yun-nan seconded his views. Woo-san-kwei was thus enabled to march with a large 
 army into Kwei-ehoo, which province proclaimed him emperor, whilst Sze-chuen and 
 Hoo-kwang followed this example. This success exceeded the most sanguine hope 
 which he had entertained, and he grew bold in the same degree as he met with good 
 luck. 
 
 Woo-san-kwei's son at the capital was early informed of the movements of his father, 
 and prepared to strike a death-blow at the Mantchoo government As a hostage for 
 his father's fidelity, he could hope for no mercy : he therefore came to the dreadful 
 resolution of murdering all the grandees and the emperor himself at the audience on 
 new-year's day. To execute this bloody design, he had engaged the numerous Chinese 
 slaves, mostly servants of the Mantchoos, in the conspiracy. Since the sufferings of 
 these poor beings were very great, they very readily engaged in any enterprise which 
 promised them liberty. The oath of the confederacy was not broken, and the destruc- 
 tion of the whole court inevitable. 
 
 On new-year's eve, the slave of a humane master, Ma-tsi, minister of state and com- 
 mander of the body-guard, threw himself weeping at the feet of this magnate, unable to 
 utter a single sentence. Ma-tsi informed him of his entire forgiveness, if he would only 
 confess the dreadful secret which pressed upon his heart, and thus obtained an account 
 of the number of conspirators, and of all their machinations. With these views he 
 hastened to the palace, and as it was very late he was scarcely admitted. He finds the 
 emperor in his sleeping apartment, and records in a few words the impending danger, 
 substantiating the evidence by the slave's confession. Kang-he hears with attention the 
 names of the accomplices. Having deputed Ma-tsi himself, both the ringleaders, as 
 
EMPEROR OF CHINA. 37 
 
 well as most of their adherents, were taken the same night in custody, and shortly 
 afterwards condemned to die the death of traitors. 
 
 The young emperor, however, wishing to extend benevolence and mercy towards the 
 followers, only punished the son of Woo-san-kwei and the principals ; the others were 
 either transported or entirely set at liberty. This providential escape filled Kang-he 
 with gratitude, and he gained henceforth some confidence in his good fortune. 
 
 Scarcely were the rejoicings for the happy quelling of this conspiracy ended, when 
 there arrived couriers from the southern provinces, and informed the monarch of the 
 rapid progress of Woo-san-kwei's arms. The empire seems at that time to have been 
 badly garrisoned with soldiers. Those Mantchoos who had subjected the country, 
 lived now upon their spoils, or had returned to their native land. The emperor had 
 few troops upon whom he could place an implicit reliance, and the enemy might be 
 soon expected at the gates of Peking. In this emergency, the great soul of the monarch 
 displayed its capacities to the best advantage. Having despatched the choice troops 
 to the provinces, he called the court and the privy council repeatedly together. Pre- 
 siding at its table, he did not appear like a youth, but as an experienced statesman. 
 Day and night he was engaged in taking proper measures, both to keep the enemy 
 from the capital, and to ensure the loyalty of the provinces which had not yet 
 revolted. 
 
 Notwithstanding all these endeavours, the danger increased with every day. The 
 viceroys of Fokeen and Kwang-tung joined the alliance against the Tartars; the king 
 of Formosa sent his fleet to blockade the coast — the Mantchoo dynasty seemed to be 
 devoted to destruction. 
 
 To increase these troubles, the Mongol envoy at Peking reported to his master the 
 state of perturbation in which Peking was found ; and at the same time showed him the 
 facility with which the capital might be taken possession of. The Prince of Satchar, 
 such was the name of the Mongol chief, was confirmed in the accuracy of this report 
 by several Mongol spies, and immediately formed a confederacy with the other chiefs 
 for regaining the possessions of their ancestors, the Yuen family. 
 
 There was no time for hesitation. Kang-he, having by his spies been informed of 
 this league, immediately gave orders to a few troops to march into the territory of the 
 prince of Satchar. Such a sudden onset threw the ringleader of the plot into conster- 
 nation. His soldiers fled, and he himself was taken prisoner with his whole family. 
 
 / 
 
33 LIFE OF KANG-HE, 
 
 The same faults which had ruined the former attempts to throw off the Tartar 
 yoke, were also visible in the present confederacy. Instead of commencing a joint and well, 
 regulated course of operations, the princes of Fo-keen and Taewan contested the prece- 
 dence with one another. Chingching-keang was already dead, and his son and successor, 
 Ching-king-mae was more than ever bent upon the destruction of the Tartar power. 
 The people of Fokeen could not endure the thought of being subject to a foreign race, 
 and receiving the tonsure as a badge of servitude. Many rather lost their heads than 
 conform to this custom, and others emigrated to Formosa to spare themselves the 
 disgrace ; until this very moment the Fokeenese are not yet entirely reconciled to their 
 shameful submission, and wear a turban round their head to hide their shame. They 
 are always the foremost in every attack upon the constituted authorities. It is on that 
 account that they are constantly decried as unruly subjects, towards whom no compas- 
 sion ought to be shown. At that time Formosa was the rendezvous of all the most 
 determined enemies of the Mantchoos ; people who were brave and rich, and determined 
 upon taking ample revenge upon the enemies of their country. 
 
 Ching-king-mae having refused to subject himself to the viceroy of Fokeen, the 
 latter declared war against him. A fleet ran out of the harbours of Fuh-choo and 
 Tseuin-choo, but the sailors deserted, rejoicing to join the son of their former master. 
 The prince of Formosa was by no means elated with his victory, but only bewailed the 
 irreparable breach in the confederacy by the ambition of one aspiring prince. His 
 exhortations to abstain from weakening the patriotic cause, by being so very anxious 
 about punctilios were to no purpose. A new Fokeen flotilla appeared in the seas, and 
 another naval battle was fought with no better success. The unprincipled leader 
 attempted his fortune a third time, but being again utterly routed, he gave up all hopes 
 of obtaining the supremacy for which so much blood had been shed. 
 
 Hitherto Kang-he had been unable to undertake anything in the south ; but so soon 
 as the victorious army returned from Mongolia, and he had received hostages from the 
 other princes of that country, he despatched a brigade to Fokeen. This prince having 
 exhausted his strength in waging war against his ally, and deeply wounded the spirit of 
 his subjects, by leading them into the field against their own countrymen, saw himself a 
 prey to despair. A coward in his heart, he resumed, as soon as he heard of the approach 
 of the Mantchoos, their costume, and ordered that his subjects should do the same. 
 Thus he hoped to appease the wrath of the invading force, and to procure for himself 
 
EMPEROR OF CHINA. .'39 
 
 advantageous terms of peace. On their arrival, the Tartars wondered that they did 
 not meet with any resistance, and, marching directly to the capital, were received with 
 open arms. They relaxed in their severity towards the weak rebel. Though retained 
 in his office, a Tartar general was left in the metropolis, who watched all his steps, and 
 did not allow any public act to pass without his express sanction. 
 
 In the mean while, the prince or viceroy of Kwang-tung, ready to profit by the 
 favourable aspect of circumstances, had offered his services to Woo-san-kwei. The 
 conditions he made in order to pay himself for uniting in the general confederacy, were 
 very exorbitant. Woo-san-kwei reflected upon the possibility of his assuming the 
 purple, by having fully granted them, and therefore did not very cordially engage the 
 proffered services. A mutual coolness was the consequence ; and the viceroy, appre- 
 hensive lest Woo-san-kwei might punish his want of zeal in the common cause, put his 
 province in a state of defence. Such was the disunion of the rebel princes, that 
 instead of carrying on their operations conjointly, and obtain the advantages which 
 they might have afterwards divided amongst themselves with pleasure, they quarrelled 
 about privileges which none had it in his power to bestow. The viceroy having heard 
 of the disasters which had befallen Fokeen, immediately shaved his head, and engaged 
 in open hostilities with Woo-san-kwei. In this state of things the Tartar army entered 
 the province. He treated the general with great honour, provided the soldiers with 
 food and clothing, and received on that account the preservation of his life as a boon, 
 whilst, however, his power was greatly limited by the presence of the Tartar general. 
 Two provinces were subjected without shedding one drop of blood ; the danger was on 
 one side of the country removed, but on the other more threatening ; of this, however, 
 we shall speak in another chapter. 
 
 Kang-he seems to have been very much exasperated against the viceroy of Kwan- 
 tung. He prohibited commerce with the red-bristled Barbarians for two reasons ; first, 
 it enriched the magnate, and secondly it afforded him an opportunity of entering into 
 a foreign alliance. The grandee paid no regard to this order, and was moreover inca- 
 pable of excluding foreigners from all commercial intercourse. The emperor thereupon 
 only waited for an opportunity to show his displeasure. A rebellion of the mountaineers 
 furnished the viceroy a pretext for assembling an army, and for marching into Kwang-se. 
 As his behaviour gave daily more and more grounds for suspicion, the young emperor 
 despatched two noblemen with a silken yellow cord, ordering his faithless minister to 
 
40 LIFE OF KANG-HE, 
 
 hang himself. These messengers arrived during the night, and on the following morning 
 having assembled the Tartar troops, they boldly went up to the palace, to transmit the 
 casket with the yellow cord. Dressed in his robes of state, the perfidious servant con- 
 formed to the decree, and hanged himself instantly. He had several brothers, and one 
 of them was the father-in-law of the emperor. Three of them, and more than one hun- 
 dred of the principal military and civil officers suffered the same penalty. The Tartars 
 wishing to plunder his palace, stumbled upon the coffin of the magnate's father, which, 
 according to the Chinese custom, had been kept above the ground. On opening it, 
 they found the corpse dressed in the Tartar costume, and on this account abstained 
 from all violence. 
 
 VVoo-san-kwei, a very wily military leader, maintained his ground to the last. The 
 emperor, well aware of his skill in tactics, had given orders to his generals not to 
 attack him in a pitched battle, but to worry him constantly. The hopes of speedy 
 success seemed to be very desultory, until Kang-he consulted his oracle, Verbuist. This 
 priest had proved his constant friend and adviser in all difficulties ; he was in fact the 
 right hand of the prince — a prime minister in fact, though not in name. On a certain 
 day, some mandarins came to visit him, under the pretext of having some difficult 
 questions solved in the science of the mathematics. All at once they asked him whether 
 he understood to found cannon. Upon replying that he was conversant with the prin- 
 ciple, his visitors immediately showed him the imperial orders, enjoining him to set 
 immediately to work about this matter. The father at first excused himself on account 
 of the little knowledge he had of instruments of war, and by his engagements in 
 a religious life, to use his own words, which had entirely estranged him from all secular 
 warfare, and only permitted him to offer up his prayers to heaven for the Divine blessing 
 on his majesty's arms. The emperor was not pleased with this answer, it being sug- 
 gested to him that the missionary ought to be no more scrupulous to cast cannon than 
 to make any mathematical instrument, especially as the safety of the empire was con- 
 cerned ; and that so ill-grounded an excuse gave room to believe that he held secret 
 intelligence with the rebels. The father, well aware of the ill effect that such a suspi- 
 cion might have on the prince, thought it improper to hazard religion by any unseason- 
 able delicacy of conscience. He moreover read, in the register of the church of Peking, 
 that a great many missionaries had been brought into the -empire by the same means 
 under the Ming dynasty ; and believing that such a piece of service done for the 
 
EMI'EROR OF CHINA. 41 
 
 emperor would induce him to favour the R,omish religion, he had, under his direction, 
 130 pieces cast, with wonderful success. These cannons were so light, that they could be 
 easily transported, and so well guarded by rafters bound with iron hoops, as to resist 
 easily the shock of the powder. Some time afterwards, the same requisition was made 
 by the tribunal of war for 320 pieces. We shall let the Jesuits tell their own tale. 
 It occupied above a year to make up this cannon, during which time the father met 
 with many obstructions ; for the eunuchs of the palace, who, notwithstanding the iron law, 
 had become very numerous in the time of Kang-he, were impatient to see a stranger so 
 much in favour with the emperor, used their utmost endeavours to defeat the under- 
 taking. They complained every moment of the slowness of the workmen, whilst they 
 caused the metal to be stolen away by the under-officers of the court. As soon as one 
 of the largest guns was cast, before it could be polished inside, they forced an iron ball 
 into the mouth of it, thinking thereby to render it useless. But Verbuist having charged 
 it through the touch-hole, it was fired off with such a terrible noise, that the emperor, 
 being in the palace, would needs see it repeated. When all the cannons were finished, 
 they were taken to the foot of the mountain, half a day's journey west from Peking, whither 
 several mandarins went to see them tried ; whereof report being made to the emperor, 
 he went himself, with several governors of Western Tartary, who were then at Peking, 
 and the principal officers of the army, besides his whole court, to see the experiment. 
 Accordingly, they were loaded in his presence, and discharged several times against 
 such places as he directed. Observing that the balls struck the places at which they 
 were levelled by the Jesuit with his instruments, the emperor was so highly pleased, that 
 he made a solemn feast for the Tartarian governor and principal officers of the army, 
 in the middle of the fields, under tents, drinking out of his golden cup to the health of 
 his father-in-law, of his officers, and even of those who had so exactly directed the 
 cannon. At length, sending for P. Verbuist, who, by the emperor's orders, was lodged 
 near his own tent, he said to him, " The cannon you caused to be made for me last year 
 was very serviceable against the rebels in the province of Shen-see, Hoo-kwang, and 
 Keang-se, and I am well satisfied with your services." Then taking off his vest, furred 
 with marten-skins of great value, and also his gown that was under it, he gave both to 
 him as a testimony of his friendship. They continued several days to make proof of 
 the guns, in which time they discharged 23,000 balls, to the great satisfaction of the 
 mandarins, whose officers assisted at the same time. P. Verbuist composed a treatise on 
 
 m 
 
42 LIFE OF KANG-HE, 
 
 the founding of cannon, and their use, which he presented to the emperor, with forty- 
 four tables of figures necessary for understanding the control of the instruments proper 
 for levelling the cannon to shoot at any mark. A few months afterwards, the tribunal 
 for inquiring into the merits of persons who have done service to the state, presented 
 a memorial to the emperor, wherein they besought him to have regard to the ser- 
 vice P. Verbuist had done by casting so many pieces of artillery. His majesty 
 granted their petition, and bestowed upon him a title similar to that conferred upon 
 viceroys, when they have well deserved of their government by their prudent conduct. 
 To prevent the superstition of the Chinese, who sacrifice to the air, mountains, and 
 rivers, according to the various natural events, and the different works they begin or 
 finish, P. Verbuist fixed a day to bless the cannon in a solemn manner. For this pur- 
 pose he erected an altar in the foundry, on which he placed a crucifix ; and then, in 
 his surplice and stole, adored the true God, making nine prostrations, and beating his 
 forehead against the ground. And as it is the custom to give names to such works, the 
 father gave to every piece of cannon the names of a male or female saint of the Romish 
 church, tracing the names that were to be engraven on the breech of the gun ! So much 
 for Jesuitism ! 
 
 Some malicious persons in Spain and Italy, however, thought differently of this 
 matter, and affirmed that it was unworthy of a priest and a regular, to furnish the 
 infidels with arms ; and that Verbuist had incurred the excommunication of the Pope, 
 who had forbidden the use of it. This matter having been referred to Innocentius XL, 
 the holy father himself wrote a letter to the missionary, as follows — 
 
 " Most dear Son, — We have received the greatest joy from your letters, with which, 
 after all respectful filial obedience towards us, you send us two valuable presents from 
 the vast empire of China, where you are at present ; to wit, the Roman Missal trans- 
 lated into Chinese, and some astronomical tables, drawn up by you for the use of the 
 inhabitants, by means of which you have rendered the people, before so unpolished in 
 all sciences, otherwise much inclined to virtue, and favourably disposed to Christianity. 
 
 " But nothing could give us greater pleasure than to learn by these letters, with how 
 much wisdom you make the profane sciences subservient to the salvation of that people, 
 and the propagation of the faith there, employing them to refute the calumnies and 
 false accusations by which some endeavour to throw a blemish upon the Christian 
 religion ; and to gain the affection of the emperor and his ministers to such a degree, 
 
EMPEROR OF CHINA. 4.') 
 
 that you are thereby not only delivered from the persecutions you have so long suffered 
 with so much resolution and courage, but you have procured the missionaries to be 
 recalled from their banishment ; and you have not only established religion in its former 
 freedom and honours, but have put it into a condition to make every day greater pro- 
 gress. There is nothing which may not be expected from your cares, and the cares of 
 of those who labour for religion in that country, as well as from a prince who has so 
 much sense and wisdom, and who seems so well disposed to religion, as appears by the 
 edict which, by your advice, he has made against heretics and schismatics, and the 
 testimonies of friendship he has conferred upon the Portuguese Catholics. You have 
 nothing to do but to continue your labours for the advancement of religion, by the 
 assiduity of your zeal and knowledge, from which you may promise to yourself all the 
 assistance of the Holy Chair.and our Pontifical authority ; since we have nothing so 
 much at heart, in order to acquit ourselves well of the duties of universal pastor, as to 
 see the faith of Jesus happily advance in that illustrious part of the world, which, how- 
 ever distant from us by the vast tracts of sea and land that interpose betwixt us, is yet 
 near us by the charity of Jesus Christ, which prompts us to employ our cares and our 
 thoughts for the eternal salvation of so numerous a people. 
 
 "In the mean time, we wish happy success to your holy labours, and those of your 
 companions ; and, from that fatherly tenderness we have for you, and all the faithful in 
 China, we give you all, most affectionately, the apostolical benediction, in earnest of our 
 love. — Given at Rome, the 3d day of December, 1681." 
 
 Such a letter put all gainsayers to silence. Previous to this, however, Verbuist had 
 received orders to make tables of the celestial motions and eclipses for two thousand 
 years. In this affair he showed himself extremely diligent, employing all the mandarins 
 of the first class of the Astronomical Tribunal to calculate the revolutions of the planets, 
 according to the rules he had laid down. After he had finished this great work, he 
 reduced it to thirty-two volumes of maps, with their explanations, and presented it to 
 the emperor in 1678, under the title of " Perpetual Astronomy of the Emperor 
 Kang-he." 
 
 Hereupon, the monarch convened a general assembly of the mandarins of all orders, 
 of the princes, the viceroys and the governors of provinces, who were come to salute 
 and rejoice with him on occasion of having declared his son successor to the throne. 
 The emperor received the present with a great deal of pleasure, and not only caused 
 
44 LIFE OF KANG-HE, 
 
 it to be placed amongst the archives of the palace, but, to reward his indefatigable 
 labours, made him president of the tribunal of the first order, and gave him the title of 
 that dignity. And though the father, by petition, remonstrated that the religious pro- 
 fession he had embraced would not permit him to accept of this honour, the emperor 
 gave no heed to it : so that the fear of offending both that monarch, and of hurting 
 the progress of religion in the empire, obliged him to accept the patent. This, 
 however, not only conferred nobility upon himself, but likewise upon his parents and 
 ancestors. His own patent contains more eulogies, which on that account we are 
 unwilling to quote, but the wording of his grandfather's and grandmother's may here 
 deserve a place. 
 
 " The honours which we grant to those who by their merit have been raised to the 
 dignities of mandarins and the chief magistrates, ought to be ascribed to the care of 
 their ancestors as their original, since it was owing to the instruction, education, and 
 good example received from them, that they practised virtue, and became worthy of 
 such honours. 
 
 " For this reason, being willing to ascend to the fountain of merit, I extend my 
 favour to you, Peter Verbuist, who were the grandfather of P. Verbuist, whom I have 
 honoured with the title of Great Man. Your virtue, like a well-planted tree, has 
 taken deep root, and will never fall. It still upholds your posterity, and continues in 
 your grandson, who, by his extraordinary merit, has made known to us what you were. 
 For this reason, considering you as the origin of his greatness, by especial grace I confer 
 upon you (in Hades) the sure titles of honours." 
 
 The following remarks refer to his grandmother. " We, the Emperor, etc. 
 
 " When according to the laudable custom of our empire, we would reward the 
 deserts of those who have served us faithfully, and by their rewards excite them to 
 continue their services to us, it is just that that part of the glory which thereby redounds 
 to them should pass to their ancestors. 
 
 " Wherefore, in consideration of the care you took in the education of P. Verbuist, 
 who so worthily acquits himself in the charges and employments which I have entrusted 
 to his care, we confer on you, by these presents, the title given to the wife of a mandarin 
 of the first rank. Enjoy that title of honour, which exalts the care you have taken in 
 the education of your children, and will excite the care of others, when they shall see 
 that our imperial favours extend even to those who have any way contributed to virtue 
 
EMPEROR OF CHINA . 45 
 
 and to the merit of persons we honour. Your posterity will therefore become more 
 illustrious, and have for you the greater veneration ; for this reason it is, that we are 
 willing by these presents to raise the glory of your name." 
 
 The other missionaries, being considered as Verbuist's brethren, shared in these 
 honours, and some of them had it inscribed on their doors, according to Chinese 
 custom. We must now again return to the war with Woo-san-kwei. The employment of 
 cannon gave the Mantchoos victory, and the general was obliged to withdraw his troops 
 to Yunnen, where he shortly afterwards died, bequeathing his cares and dominions 
 to his infant son. 
 
 In the same year a dreadful earthquake happened, whereby a great many palaces 
 and temples, with the towers and walls of the cities, were overthrown, burying 
 upwards of four hundred persons under the ruins. More than thirty thousand people 
 perished in the neighbouring city Tung-choo ; and as the shocks were perceived from 
 time to time, for three months, the emperor, the princes, and the nobility, quitted 
 their palaces, and dwelt in tents. On this occasion the emperor was exceedingly liberal 
 in relieving his subjects and impoverished soldiers. Only a few months afterwards 
 a conflagration consumed, within a few hours, the imperial palace, with many other 
 buildings. The loss was immense, amounting to 2,850,000 taels. — (1679.) 
 
 Thus were the first years of Kang-he's reign imbittered with wars and calamities. 
 Four days after the fire, the emperor went out hunting, and observing at a distance the 
 monument erected in honour of the last emperor of Ming by his father, he felt the 
 vanity of all earthly greatness. He prostrated himself, and exclaimed with tears in his 
 eyes, " You know, O great Emperor, that it was not myself, but your rebellious subjects 
 who were the cause of your death !" 
 
 As soon as the news of Woo-san-k*vei's death had reached the Mantchoo army in 
 Tze-chuen, the general resolved upon an invasion of Yun-nan province. Whilst entering 
 the mountainous defiles, he was astonished at not encountering the least resistance. 
 By an adroit manoeuvre, he penetrated into the capital, where he took and executed 
 the whole family of the Chinese rebel. Even the bones of Woo-san-kwei were dug up, 
 sent to Peking, there exposed to be spit upon and afterwards burnt, the ashes being 
 scattered to the winds — (1680.) Such was the direful vengeance upon a fallen foe, who 
 had served the political views of the Tartars with as much fidelity as a native Mantchoo. 
 The emperor, though he had forgiven for a time the prince of Fo-keen, had not forgotten 
 his perfidy. 
 
46 LIFE OF KANU-HE. 
 
 The mandarins of the province, who pretended to be faithful to the Mantchoo 
 dynasty during the revolt of the viceroy, very opportunely brought in a series of accu- 
 sations against him. Whilst victory was doubtful, Kang-he invited others to surrender; 
 but when he found himself strong enough, he summoned the prince and his family to 
 Peking, where he was slowly cut to pieces, and his flesh thrown to the dogs. 
 
 Of all the antagonists, there only remained Ching-king-mae, king of Formosa. 
 Having witnessed the fall of the viceroy of Fo-keen, he returned home, and soon after- 
 wards died. His son, Ching-ke-san, saw himself now in possession of a throne assailed 
 on every side. Kang-he had sent a very clever and conciliating governor-general to 
 Fo-keen, who proclaimed a general amnesty to all the rebels who had fled to Formosa, 
 promising to reinstate them in the same offices which they formerly possessed. This 
 declaration deprived the young prince of many of his subjects, who hastened back to 
 their relations and friends in Fokeen. To increase the general consternation, a naval 
 squadron arrived at the Piscadores. Hitherto no fleet manned by Tartars had ever 
 dared to venture into the open sea; but this time the admiral bombarded, and took 
 possession of the fort. Dissatisfaction reigned at the same time in the camp of the 
 prince of Fokeen ; the people were no longer able to live by piracy, and the wrath of 
 the Tartars inspired them with the most gloomy forebodings. 
 
 The prince, mistrusting his own people, and hoping to engage Kang-he on his side, 
 tendered his entire submission to the emperor. This paper, written in the bombastic 
 style of Chinese diplomacy, greatly pleased the monarch ; but he insisted upon Ching-ke- 
 san's appearing at court. Remembering the fate of the prince of Fokeen, he hesitated, 
 pleading the risk of living in such a cold climate ; but submission was now the only 
 alternative, and, repairing reluctantly to Peking, he was there closely watched, although 
 honoured with the title of duke ; and, dying a natural death, he left the title to his son. 
 Formosa, or Tae-wan, was now for the first time annexed to the Chinese empire, and 
 became a most valuable possession. 
 
 Kang-he having purified the empire, now turned his attention to another quarter. 
 Never did a Chinese prince, with such slender means, and so little bloodshed, repress 
 a rebellion more dreadful and extensive. — (1683.) 
 
 END OF THE SECOND PART. 
 
LIFE OF KANG-HE, 
 
 EMPEROR OF CHINA. 
 
 PART III. 
 
 War with the Eluth. — Disturbances with the Russians. 
 
 1677—1701. 
 
 The Mongols were driven, in 1 367, from China, by the founders of the Ming dynasty. 
 Believing themselves secure in their steppes, they were less anxious to regain their 
 ancient possession than to introduce a new superstition from Thibet Shamanism had pre- 
 viously been known to them, but was never acknowledged to be the religion of the state. 
 Now, however, a prince founded a monastery, and brought friars from the holy land. 
 The Lamas spread like grasshoppers. The infatuated multitude became more and more 
 attached to this gross superstition ; every family dedicated one son to the priesthood. 
 Strong by dint of numbers, possessed of the riches of the country, these priests became the 
 most powerful class of men amongst all these nomades. Never forgetting the allegiance 
 they owed to their pope in Thibet, the nation adored his representatives, the Koutouk- 
 tons, or minor incarnations of Buddha. This change of religion wrought a most won- 
 derful alteration in the national character. The Mongols were no longer the wild and 
 untameable invaders of the time of yore, but subject to priestcraft, and discouraged 
 from every attempt in which the Lamas were not particularly interested. How easily 
 does debasing error gain votaries, whilst heavenly truth, with its beatifying effects, is 
 so often rejected ! 
 
 The descendants and heirs of the terrible conqueror, Genghis- khan, trembled at the 
 very name of the Chinese. Togous Temour, the grandson of the last Mongol-Chinese 
 emperor, wishing to wipe away the disgrace of his country, engaged in a pitched battle. 
 It was fought with very great obstinacy ; but the degenerate Mongols were unable to 
 stand the shock of the Chinese soldiers. An immense booty of gold and silver, with 
 
;, LIFE OF KAXG-HE, 
 
 150,000 head of cuttle, fell into the hands of the victors. The Mongol chiefs imme- 
 diately declared their independence. Amongst the princes, who then were very powerful, 
 was one called Olontae. On the first news that Yung-lo, the Chinese emperor, was 
 invading the country in order to force them to become vassals, he forsook the khan, 
 retiriii" with his tribe to the territory between the Celestial mountains and the frontiers 
 of Siberia and Tangout. From this tribe, the Eluth, of which we are now going to 
 speak, date their origin. 
 
 During the reign of the Ming family, some tribes of Mongols, with various success, 
 invaded China, whilst others living at the Great Wall became tributary to the Celestial 
 empire. It was Chinese policy to keep their feuds constantly alive, and to strike terror, 
 by a sudden enterprise, into all the tribes. In such enterprises the Chinese generals 
 were now and then successful ; but once an emperor (Ying-Tsung, 1451,) was taken 
 prisouer, and an army of 500,000 Celestials utterly routed. Yet did these sons of the 
 desert not venture to carry on their conquest, because they were divided amongst 
 themselves. 
 
 At the rise of the Mantchoos, there lived a powerful tribe, the Tsakhars, on the 
 frontiers of Mantchouria; and, instigated by the Chinese, they declared war against 
 Tae-tsoo, the Mantchoo chief. In this campaign, however, they were defeated ; and, 
 instead of bewailing their loss, they preferred ranging themselves under the banners of 
 the victors. With the course of fortune, the multitudes of Mongols who joined in the 
 conquest of China increased every day. Nearly all the eastern tribes acknowledged 
 fealty to the Mantchoos, and had enlisted in the army. The more numerous and distant 
 hordes did not engage in this struggle, but maintained a doubtful neutrality. 
 
 Kang-he, descended himself from nomades, saw the critical state of the northern 
 provinces, if these barbarians remained unsubdued. Already, under the reign of his 
 father, one of the Eluth chiefs had done homage to the Chinese monarchs, and received 
 the title of Kou-che-khan, whilst two princes acknowledged themselves his vassals. 
 Another chief had been very active in extirpating a band of robbers, and was therefore 
 honoured with the title of Touchtou-patour-taitsing, and received permission to occupy 
 the territory of Kokoror. 
 
 Whilst thus the nominal influence of the Chinese was more and more extending over 
 these regions, it seemed very desirable that some political connexions should be entered 
 upon with the Dalai-lama in Thibet, to bridle by his influence the fierce hordes of the 
 
EMPEROR OF CHINA. 49 
 
 desert. This pontiff, uninvited, appeared in person before Shun-che, and, being very 
 graciously treated, returned with the highest veneration towards Heaven's son. The 
 intercourse was carried on by envoys, and Kang-he flattered himself to conclude a lasting 
 treaty between Thibet and China ; but other more important affairs fixed his attention 
 upon the re-establishment of peace in his own dominions. 
 
 The Kalkas, who inhabit the country to the south of Siberia, being informed of the 
 great success of the Mantchoo emperors, sent Shun-che a present of camels and horses, 
 and made him the umpire of their international strife. Two khans came over in person 
 to pay their homage to the great monarch, and their names were of course inscribed 
 upon the list of vassals. 
 
 Kang-he having received (1673) one thousand horses and one hundred camels from 
 the Touchtou khan and Chelei khan, at once fixed upon this number as the annual 
 tribute ; and, without being requested, divided the country of the Kalkas tribes into 
 eight parts, each standing under the government of a dzarsak, or kind of military com- 
 mander, and always a nobleman. Whilst he enjoined upon them to bring annually their 
 tribute to Peking, he at the same time gave them in return, silver, silk, and nankeen, 
 so that their vassalage might be turned to some profit. 
 
 He was thus virtually the defender of the Mongol tribes, in the same sense as 
 Napoleon was the protector of the Confederation of the Rhine. 
 
 Whilst all these arrangements took place, a disturber of the peace was born amongst 
 the Eluth. His father, the tributary prince of Touchtou-patour, Tae-tsing, just men- 
 tioned, had three sons. One amongst them, called Kaldan, was remarkable for his 
 cunning and ambition. In order to procure for himself an undisputed authority, he 
 hastened to the court of the Dalai Lama; but, shortly before his departure, committed 
 fratricide. Having been initiated in all the mysteries of the Larsa court, (the Rome of 
 Asia,) he had the mortification of being dismissed by the Dalai Lama, who had heard of 
 the murder of his brother. On his return he boasted of his intimate connexion with 
 the Dalai Lama ; and persuaded his countrymen to assist him in killing his elder 
 brother, whilst they acknowledged him as their chief. Having gained this point, he 
 subjected the north-western tribes of Eluth to his sway, proclaimed himself a Tai-ke, (the 
 title of a Mongol nobleman,) and sent tribute to Peking. His aggressions had hitherto 
 remained unnoticed by the court of Peking. Soon, however, he forced himself into 
 notice. Account upon account arrived from all quarters, that a bloody war was on the 
 
 o 
 
50 LIFE OF KANG-HE, 
 
 eve of breaking out amongst the nomadic tribes of the west, and several hordes fled 
 towards the Chinese frontiers for protection. The multitudes increasing on the fron- 
 tiers of Shen-se and Sze-chuen, the emperor became more and more vigilant, and sent 
 his spies to the steppes : these, however, returned with very vague reports. Suddenly 
 there appeared on the frontiers the envoys of Kaldan. The mandarins, in examining 
 them, found that they were Mahommedans, and consequently spies. Being sent back 
 with a very severe reprimand, their master was by no means abashed, but despatched 
 another embassy, more splendid, and with richer presents. These tribute-bearers 
 declared that their sovereign had been nominated khan by the Dalai Lama, and prayed 
 for the sanction of Heaven's son. This was easily accorded ; and Kaldan, who had 
 sent these men merely for the sake of spying out the country, was greatly applauded 
 for his obedience. He revived the title of Pochketou-khan, and was also known under 
 the title of Cantaish. Mongolia being filled with robbers, who carried off the cattle 
 and murdered the defenceless inhabitants, Kang-he gave to the chiefs the very sage 
 advice, that they ought to guard against the inroads of these freebooters. These 
 incursions were guided by the invisible hand of Kaldan, who plotted to set the princes 
 against one another, and then to fall upon them singly. He had fully succeeded in his 
 attempt, when Kang-he resolved to send splendid embassies of the most exalted noble- 
 men, with many precious gifts, to the principal Mongol chiefs. Kaldan was delighted to 
 see himself so highly honoured, but still more rejoiced that he had so fully succeeded 
 in fanning the flame, as to render the mission of the Chinese ambassadors entirely 
 futile. This Eluth prince was too great a politician to treat the Chinese envoys slightly. 
 Having received them with very great honours, and entertained them magnificently, he 
 carefully avoided even speaking upon business. With more than Chinese etiquette, he 
 turned all the interviews of the ambassadors into mere ceremonials, citing always prece- 
 dents in the Chinese court. Thus these splendid embassies ended without producing 
 any good effect — 1683. 
 
 Kang-he now engaged the Dalai Lama to employ his authority for establishing 
 peace amongst the princes. After much trouble, they held a diet at the tents of the 
 prince of Merghen. Here they swore before an image of Bhudda to unite for the tran- 
 quillity of their territory. The endeavours of Kang-he in this respect were very 
 humane and laudable, and are deserving of the highest encomiums, though they were 
 frustrated by the treacherous Kaldan. — 1686. 
 
EMPEROR OF CHINA. 51 
 
 Having been informed of this confederacy, he immediately sent his emissaries to tell 
 the princes, that a peace forced upon them in this manner was binding to no party; but 
 that each of them ought to maintain his rights with a strong hand, and settle the differ- 
 ences in his own way. The emperor still hesitated what line of policy to adopt, and 
 provisionally addressed Kaldan in the following manner : — 
 
 " Pochetou-khan, you have, in my opinion, always proved to be sincerely submissive 
 by giving constant proofs of your homage ; I can therefore not attach any credit to 
 your designs. The war you intend to wage must prove disastrous to both parties. But 
 the blood you wish to shed is precious; and the sovereign who profusely spills it, 
 cannot be called the father of his people. As soon as you receive this letter, endeavour 
 to establish a permanent peace with the Kalkas," etc. 
 
 Whilst engaged in settling these affairs, the empress-dowager died. The monarch 
 buried her with great state, and nominated one of the surviving consorts of his father 
 to fill her place. In all these matters Kang-he accommodated himself entirely to the 
 Chinese way of acting; and though he was an enemy of vain ceremonies, he never- 
 theless was very exact in observing them, to give to the Chinese no reason of complaint. 
 
 In 1688 the war finally broke out. Kaldan fell upon the Kalkas like a tiger, burnt 
 their tents, drove away their cattle, and killed, with the greatest cruelty, all those who fell 
 into his hands. His pretexts for these horrible actions were very trivial ; yet he offered 
 to conclude a peace as soon as his demands had been granted. The cowardly Kalkas, 
 instead of defending themselves, fled in consternation towards the frontiers of China, 
 demanding protection from the emperor, and declaring themselves his loyal subjects. 
 The sword was now drawn, and Kang-he, with all the vigour of a sovereign, determined 
 upon assisting the weak, and subjugating both the victors and conquered to his sway. 
 
 We give the details of this war in the words of the missionaries, who were best 
 informed upon the events which took place. 
 
 The emperor having the night before declared his intention to send a considerable 
 body of forces against the Eluths, many Mocders begged very much to enlist as volun- 
 teers. Being informed that the soldiers who constituted the army could not buy horses 
 except at a very excessive price, he gave them permission to procure all they could find 
 without the Tartar city, paying for a lean one eleven, and for a fat courser twenty taels. 
 This permission gave rise to much disorder. The soldiers forced persons of the highest 
 authority to give up their horses, mules, and camels, seized upon all the harness and 
 
52 LIFE OF KANG-HE, 
 
 arms of which they could possibly get hold, and occasioned almost an insurrection. 
 Strange as this may appear to us, we ought to know that it is the duty of a Chinese 
 soldier to buy a part of his accoutrements, and to provide himself with everything 
 necessary for a campaign. Since, however, the small pay they receive does not enable 
 them to lay by any money for emergencies, they must have recourse to violence, in 
 order to obtain their outfit. The emperor, however, was this time greatly displeased 
 with his warriors, and allowed them to retain the horses only. 
 
 The army was commanded by princes of the blood. His majesty did them the 
 honour to accompany the host, with the heir-apparent and two other princes ; being 
 attended by his whole court, all the grandees included. The train moved slowly through 
 the streets ; yet, as there were neither trumpets nor kettle-drums, nor any mark of 
 magnificence, there was something of sadness and solemnity mixed with this procession. 
 First marched eight or ten led-horses, with pretty plain trappings; after these, the 
 emperor and his children, surrounded by the body-guards ; next came twelve domestics, 
 who followed his majesty all the way very closely. Then marched ten officers resembling 
 our yeomen of the guards, each carrying on his shoulder a large halbert, the staff var- 
 nished with red, and spotted with gold ; near the iron head hung a tiger's tail. These 
 were again followed by a squadron of the life-guards, who are all mandarins of their 
 respective ranks. After these came the officers of the crown, and other grandees of the 
 empire ; the procession ending with a large troop of the household, with two great 
 standards at their head, the streamers of which were of yellow satin, with the 
 emblems of the empire wrought in gold. All the streets through which the emperor 
 passed were swept and watered; all the gates, shops, and cross-streets were shut up ; 
 while foot-soldiers, drawn up on both sides, each with a sword by his side and a whip in 
 his hand, made the people retire. This is the custom every time the emperor and heir- 
 apparent pass through the streets of Peking, and especially when the queens and 
 princesses go abroad ; for though enclosed in sedan-chairs, the people shut up the cross- 
 streets with mats, lest they might be observed. As soon as the emperor had passed the 
 suburbs, he found both sides of the high-road lined with the troops, whom he reviewed, 
 attended by the heir-apparent and two or three others, all the rest having halted, to 
 avoid raising dust. After the review, his majesty stopped for awhile to speak to his 
 brother and son. 
 
 Not long afterwards came the news that the Ekiths had been routed in a pitched 
 
EMPEROR OF CHINA. 53 
 
 battle. The commanding general, the emperor's brother, drew up too favourable an 
 account of his victory — a too common practice in China, since the officers are always 
 sent to conquer; and if they are unable to do so in reality, it is at least done on paper. 
 The Chinese army had been four times the number, and Kang-he very reasonably 
 expected that the victory should have been more decisive. When therefore his brother 
 approached the capital, he was not allowed to enter. The other officers accused him of 
 idleness, because he minded nothing but hunting and music, whilst the general pleaded 
 his inability to defeat the Eluth army entirely, on account of its advantageous position. 
 Kang-he took away the officers' pay, degraded them from their ranks, and lowered their 
 title of nobility. The councillors of state lost their employment ; and the officers of 
 artillery, who had run away from the guns, received each 100 lashes with a whip. Since 
 the Tartars are all the emperor's slaves, it is no dishonour to be corrected in this way 
 by order of his majesty. Sometimes the chief mandarins are cuffed, kicked, and lashed 
 in the emperor's presence, without being disgraced, or deprived of their employment. 
 Slaves ought not to be treated as such, even in a court. — (1690.) 
 
 In the spring of the following year, the emperor ordered an army of observation, 
 numbering 50,000 men, to proceed immediately to the steppes. Most of the soldiers 
 are slaves, who being taught archery, serve on their masters' account, who receives 
 their pay, and the rewards of their heroism. All the warriors constituting the eight 
 banners, are permitted to buy slaves, and to employ them in this manner. Before, 
 however, this army could march, it was discovered that both the privates as well as the 
 officers were deeply in debt. The emperor was thus obliged to pay £718,750 for the 
 army, and £21,000 for the officers of the household, which he defrayed out of his own 
 coffers. But the poor slaves, who had had no share in this gratuity, assembled in the 
 court of the palace to the number of three or four thousand. As nobody would under- 
 take to deliver this petition, they continued a long time in the great court of the palace 
 on their knees and bareheaded, in the posture of supplicants. Hearing that the emperor 
 was gone into his garden, they surrounded it, loudly claiming rewards, since they were 
 as good soldiers as the rest. They finally grew so bold as to enter the gate, and could 
 only be dispersed with cudgels and whips. For this temerity one was beheaded, and 
 seven exposed in the pillory. 
 
 Convinced that the war could not be ended, unless the monarch himself appeared 
 at the head of his troops, Kang-he set out for this purpose, with his whole court, in 
 
 P 
 
54 MFE OF KANG-HE, 
 
 May, 1691. Gerbillon, a French Jesuit, who, with several other missionaries, accom- 
 panied the monarch, has given us a faithful description of this campaign, in his diary ; 
 from which we shall take the liberty of making the following extracts : — 
 
 " At the first stage the emperor gave orders that I should have free access to his 
 apartments. Awhile after, he sent to ask me about some mathematical books which he 
 desired to see, saying at the same time that it was his intention, during his progress, to 
 revise the practical geometry, to which, he said, he had not paid sufficient attention, 
 since the affairs of the Eluth lay heavy on his hands. He forthwith despatched an 
 eunuch of his bedchamber to Peking, to fetch these books. In the evening the emperor 
 sent for me, and having made me sit down at his side, he proposed several questions in 
 geometry, and demonstrated several propositions, which he knew before, to refresh his 
 memory. 
 
 " On another day he sent for me to ask me several questions about the stars, but 
 chiefly concerning the motion of the pole-star. I showed him the maps on which 
 P. Pardies had set down the names of the constellations in Chinese characters. In the 
 evening his majesty read over above ten propositions in trigonometry with me, and by 
 my help understood the demonstration. When I had left him, he sent me half a cup of 
 wine, with strict orders to drink the whole ; and on the next day asked me whether 
 I had been affected by it. 
 
 "May 11th. — A little before our arrival, the emperor sent to ask me how much the 
 latitude of this place exceeded that of Peking, and what alteration was to be made 
 in the calculation of the meridian shadow. 
 
 "May 12th. — We stopped at Loo-pe-kew. Half a league before we got thither, we 
 found all the Chinese garrison of that fortress drawn up in order of battle on the side 
 of the great road. It consisted of about 800 foot and 50 horse. The emperor, after 
 stopping a while to view them, rode to an eminence to view their exercise. The troops 
 were first drawn up in eight single lines, between which was a space of five or six 
 paces. There were fifty or sixty small cannon, drawn by the soldiers. On both wings 
 of the infantry some horse were posted. They fired by a signal given from one of the 
 eminences, which was answered by the battalion by the sound of horns and the gong. 
 Certainly a battalion of such infantry could not withstand one hundred of our cavalry. 
 
 "The emperor himself was so well pleased with the adroitness of the soldiers in 
 shooting, that he sent to the commander a suit of clothes, such as he himself wears, and 
 a horse, to reward his zeal in maintaining such excellent discipline. 
 
EMPEROR OF CHINA. 
 
 "May 13th. — In the evening, after I had explained some geometry to the emperor, 
 I presented him with the calculation of the altitude of the pole. His majesty expressed 
 much satisfaction, and bestowed great encomiums on the practical geometry demonstrated, 
 which I had composed in Mantchoo. The monarch amused himself in the intervals 
 with hunting, in which he showed the utmost skill. After six or seven horses had been 
 tired under him, he did not exhibit the least symptom of fatigue. During the drinking 
 parties, I observed that as often as the emperor drank, everybody fell upon his knees, 
 and knocked his forehead against the ground. 
 
 " He made this tour in order to meet the Kalkas princes in a general diet of the chiefs. 
 Information having been received, the imperial camp was fixed. The monarch's consisted 
 of three or four courts, or enclosures, well guarded by the body-guards stationed in 
 every avenue in large numbers, In the middle of an enclosure of yellow linen stood the 
 imperial tent, reared according to the Tartar fashion, and nearly resembling a dove-cot. 
 His majesty has commonly two tents ; in one he lodges, and in the other he spends the 
 day. They were hung with blue silk to the height of five feet, and covered on the 
 outside with a good thick felt, over which came a strong but pretty linen wrapper, and 
 over this was another linen, wrought on the top with embroidery, and only touched the 
 tent at the top, spreading out gradually to the borders. This was supported by wooden 
 poles, neatly turned, and japanned red. At the farther end of the second tent was the 
 emperor's bed, the testers and curtains of which were of gold brocade interwoven with 
 dragons ; the quilt and coverlet consisted of satin and fox-skins. Immediately around 
 the enclosure of the tent, the imperial household had fixed theirs, and I myself had 
 likewise my own. The soldiers were disposed into eighteen different quarters, each 
 forming a kind of gallery surrounded by the enclosure which contained the tents of the 
 officers. 
 
 " On the following day the different corps, led by the nobility, met at the appointed 
 place of rendezvous. The soldiers, headed by their respective officers, were drawn up 
 before the gates of their respective corps, without any other arms than their swords at 
 their sides. All the standards were displayed, and their bows, quivers, and muskets 
 placed before them. In each of the corps of musketeers were eight pieces of cannon, two 
 large field-pieces, very well wrought on the outside with gilding, and two small mortars — 
 in all, sixty-four small field-pieces. The regulas and princes were each at the head of 
 his corps, with the ensign of his dignity before the tent. The wang (kings) of the first 
 
56 LIFE OF KAKG-HE, 
 
 order, had each two great standards, of the same colours with the banners they com- 
 manded, besides two long pikes, with a tuft of red cow's-hair, a great streamer of the 
 same colour, and ten cannons, each with a banneret. All these banners and streamers 
 were made of satin, and the imperial dragons, flowers, and festoons were painted in 
 gold. 
 
 " The emperor himself reviewing this corps, ordered the infantry, consisting of 
 eight hundred men, to be drawn up in battle-array. Some were armed with small and 
 large swords, others had muskets, and the majority of the troops covered themselves 
 with bucklers made of wicker-work. 
 
 " The emperor then gave the signal to commence the attack, and, shielding themselves 
 with their bucklers, they drew their swords, rushed on the imperial body-guards, and 
 made them lose their ground. When they could advance no further, they stopped, 
 and covered their bodies with their shields. Afterwards, the emperor caused several 
 to fight a mock-duel ; and also tried their skill in advancing to an onset, and concealing 
 themselves so well with their shields as to remain invulnerable. 
 
 " On the following day, the emperor was to receive the homage of the Kalkas princes 
 who had fled before the murderous Eluth, and were now come to acknowledge him 
 formally as their liege lord. Whatever could render the scene solemn was here dis- 
 played to advantage. The monarch himself was dressed in a long vest of brocade on 
 a yellow satin ground, overlaid with dragons embroidered with silk and gold. Over 
 it was a vest of purple satin, whereon were four great circles, each near a foot and 
 a half in diameter, containing two embroidered dragons. One of these circles was 
 on the stomach, a second on the middle of his back, and the two others on the sleeves. 
 These were lined with a very fine ermine, and the collar was of a beautiful sable. His 
 bonnet was adorned on the forepart with a splendid pearl, and the boots were of plain 
 black satin. Round his neck he wore large beads of agate mixed with coral. 
 
 " The army having been drawn up, the Toosheetoo-khan, with his pontiff or kon- 
 touktou, approached to the door of the imperial tent. His majesty received them very 
 graciously, standing ; and the box, containing the seals and patents of nobility, was 
 brought in. They were then led to another tent, to which the emperor rode on horse- 
 back. His courser was covered with yellow satin, embroidered with golden dragons, 
 and a sort of caparison of the same kind ; the poitral and crupper were broad bands of 
 woven silk, with plates apparently of enamelled gold, but in reality gilt steel. He was 
 
EMPEROR OF CHINA. O; 
 
 followed by his two princes on foot, and a led-horse. Arrived at the tent, he sat down 
 after the Eastern fashion on an estrade cross-legged. The kings, with other princes of 
 the blood, were ranged, in conjunction with several Mongol princes, on the left side. On 
 the right were the three Mongol khans, with the pontiff at their head, the latter always 
 
 taking precedence. There were from seven to eight hundred Tae-kes or Tartar noble- 
 men present, ranged in long rows. As soon as the emperor entered the tent, and had 
 rested himself, these noblemen were led in front by the master of ceremony, who gave 
 the command in a loud voice, "Fall on your knees !" This being done in an instant, he 
 cried again, " Knock your heads against the ground !" Whereupon they touched the 
 earth thrice with their foreheads. " Rise up !" was the next order; and immediately 
 afterwards, " Kneel !" This ceremony was performed a third time with extraordinary 
 agility. Only the Lamas, who pretend to be superior to common mortals, and the khans, 
 were exempted from performing the prostrations : of this order there were no less than 
 six hundred present at this ceremony. When all the formalities had been gone through, 
 the tables were spread ; and those noblemen who could not find a mat to sit upon, 
 crouched down on the bare ground. Two tables were served with gold plate for the 
 emperor's use- They were carried with very great ceremony to the distance of nine or 
 ten paces, and the cupbearer falling on his knees, presented a saucer made of agate, 
 and covered with gold, presented it to the emperor, after having raised it above his 
 head. Whilst in the act of drinking, all those present knocked heads ; the cup was 
 removed with the same ceremony. Shortly afterwards rope-dancers and jugglers 
 advanced and a puppet-show greatly amused the Kalkas noblemen. 
 
 " On the following day they received the Imperial presents, consisting of saddles, 
 robes of ceremony, silk piece-goods, and vessels for putting their tea in. Thus dressed 
 in the Mantchoo fashion, they approached the imperial throne, and performing the three 
 genuflexions and nine prostrations, thanked his majesty for this great favour. Every 
 tae-ke was ordered to pay annually ten white horses and one camel as a tribute. Festi- 
 vities continued for several days. The emperor gave orders to the army to appear in 
 review, armed with helmets and cuirasses. The latter are made of the finest steel, and 
 beautifully polished ; the cuirass consists of two pieces : one is a sort of under-petticoat, 
 which is girt about the body, and reaches below the knee, covering, when on horseback, 
 all the limbs ; the other piece is like the ancient coats of armour, with longer sleeves 
 only, that reach to the wrist. All the great lords, officers, and private troopers, have 
 
68 LIFE OF KANG-HE, 
 
 a small banderolle of silk, of the colour of their respective standards, fastened behind 
 their casques and to the back of their cuirass : on it is written the name, company, and 
 office of the wearer. 
 
 " On the emperor's approach, the Tartars blew a kind of trumpet, which gave a very 
 discordant sound. These are great tubes of copper, eight or nine feet long, terminating 
 like our trumpets. The Tartars make use of these instruments to give the signal for 
 battle ; a single man is not able to manage it, and one must hold it up in the air with 
 a kind of fork, whilst the other blows it The cavalry of both wings extended them- 
 selves in the form of a crescent, as if it were to surround the enemy. The infantry 
 ran directly forward — the first of them with drawn sabres, covered themselves with 
 bucklers. In the middle of the battalion of foot, the artillery moved on, and in the 
 centre came the dragoons, who had alighted : for though they march on horseback, they 
 fight on foot. They advanced thus in good order till they came near the emperor, 
 where they were ordered to halt. After they had given three or four volleys from the 
 cannon and muskets, the cavalry halted ; and when they had resumed their ranks, which 
 had been broken a little by such a hasty march, they remained for some time before the 
 pavilion. This is the manner in which the Chinese army attacks ; and it was here 
 displayed, to convince the Kalkas that the Celestial troops had sufficient skill for pro- 
 tecting the most numerous hordes. After this his majesty showed his great adroitness 
 in archery. He instituted horse-racing and wrestling, and most condescendingly 
 received the visits of the Mongol females, under the pleasing sounds of music. Kang- 
 he, entirely intent upon conciliating the affection of these tribes, visited in person their 
 camp, where misery stared him everywhere in his face. He had a long conference with 
 the Koutouktou, and recommended peace and amity. Being upon the point of taking 
 leave, the khans and their tae-kes stood in two lines at the entrance of the camp. 
 Whilst his majesty passed, they fell upon their knees, but the monarch addressed them 
 with great familiarity. A great multitude of poor Kalkas, reduced to the last degree 
 of misery, presented themselves on the roadside, and prayed for relief. The emperor 
 afforded this willingly, after having inquired into their condition. Kang-he despatched 
 at the same time deputies to the Kaldan, to inquire about his intention in taking pos- 
 session of a country not belonging to him, and threatening vengeance if he dared to 
 attack his faithful subjects the Kalkas. Upon one condition only, that of returning 
 quietly to his country, he would forgive his transgression, and again receive him amongst 
 
EMPEROR OF CHINA. 59 
 
 the number of his vassals. — Kang-he, however, well aware that many a Chinese army 
 had been ruined by marching too precipitately into the desert, did everything in his 
 power to prevent a rupture with the Kaldan, which would have obliged him to traverse 
 the steppes. But whilst he negociated, this unruly chief levied contributions, collected 
 troops, and drew up in a menacing attitude on the frontiers of the steppes. So great 
 was his chagrin at the perfidy of this disturber, that Kang-he fell seriously ill. 
 
 " Trusting, however, more to European skill than to his own doctors, he gradually 
 recovered ; but, unfortunately, he was attacked afterwards by an intermittent fever. An 
 order was immediately issued to command all the people in Peking and the environs, 
 who were afflicted with a similar complaint, to appear in the precincts of the palace, 
 that the physicians might try their skill upon them ; whilst the doctors were enjoined to 
 produce their nostrums. The concourse of quacks and empirics was immense. Amongst 
 the most celebrated was a priest, who, having obtained a cup of water from the deepest 
 well, whilst dancing and making many grimaces, held it towards the sun, and murmuring 
 some charms, surely hoped to restore all patients. The result of his incantations and his 
 practice was, that the wise physicians could not recommend a specific which might stand 
 the test. At the same time the Jesuits administered the Peruvian bark, and the patient 
 suddenly recovered. His majesty having been informed of the efficacy of this remedy, 
 would himself have taken it, if his son and heir had not violently opposed himself. The 
 trial was therefore first made upon four grandees, who had no complaint at all, and 
 since they themselves did not experience any ill consequences, the emperor took the 
 same, and recovered. The board of punishments sentenced three physicians who had 
 advised his majesty to allow nature to have her own course, to death; a judgment in 
 which Kang-he did not coincide — but he rewarded the missionaries with a house, and 
 published an edict upon their zeal and fidelity. 
 
 " Business, during the whole time of Kang-he's illness, was at a stand ; and the 
 Kaldan used this interval to the best advantage. In order to attract the Tartars of the 
 west to his interests, he became a Mahommedan, and henceforth persecuted the Lamas 
 with fire and sword. Levying contributions upon the cowardly princes of the south, he 
 grew every day in power and wealth. The chief of the Korchin horde kept up a very 
 intimate connection — others rather chose to subject themselves of their own accord, than 
 any longer to provoke hostilities by resistance. Kang-he wished to intimidate this 
 warlike khan, by detachments sent in different directions into the desert: but Kaldan 
 
GO LIFE OF KANG-HE, 
 
 was too great a politician to be frightened at a mere bugbear. His principle was, to act 
 as suited his own interests best, and to talk always fair and engaging. No terms could 
 be kept with such an enemy ; and it was on that account that Kang-he led, in 1696, his 
 troops into Tartary. He took with him six of his children, but left behind the heir 
 of the crown, to rule in his absence. The train was less pompous than might have been 
 expected, and the most severe discipline enforced. He ordered that only one meal per 
 day should be cooked, and no fires made during the night, in order to surprise the 
 enemy by a sudden assault. He reprimanded the lords for having shown so little regard 
 to his orders, and threatened the most exemplary punishment to every one, his own sons 
 included, who should transgress against his orders. Exposed to all the rigour of the 
 season, this monarch never complained, but ate his scanty meal. There were also some 
 Lamas in his train ; these were commanded to pray that the continual rains might finally 
 cease. But though they had engaged themselves to effect this great end, the rain poured 
 down only in more heavy showers. Upbraided with their perfidy, they answered, 
 The spirits which preside over the springs, rivers, and waters of the country, were 
 come to meet the emperor. 
 
 " The monarch's mind was grieved to see his envoys return from the Kaldan. They 
 had to tell a dreadful tale of the sufferings which this tyrant had made them undergo. 
 Nearly famished, they earnestly begged to be killed, that their misery might end. Thev 
 were then fed with carrion, and afterwards, under a very strong escort, sent back on 
 foot. But, notwithstanding this rude treatment of the national representatives, the 
 Kaldan sent a very polite letter, to cloke all his crimes." 
 
 Since we have only one version of this story, and the Chinese are not very celebrated 
 for their adherence to truth, it would be presumptuous to assert that there were no 
 provocations on the part of the Celestials. It may be reasonably supposed that such 
 a great politician as the Kaldan would not provoke, wantonly, a powerful monarch like 
 Kang-he. Tyrant and vile traitor as he appears to have been, he was only too anxious 
 to conciliate the Chinese authorities, in order to subject, with greater ease, the Mongols 
 to his sway. 
 
 "Several other detachments having advanced in different directions, one great point 
 of junction was determined upon ; but, after a fatiguing march of three months, provi- 
 sions began to fail, and the emperor was in doubt whether to advance or retreat. 
 In this emergency, there arrived messengers stating that the Kaldan, with an army 
 
EMPEROR OF CHINA. CI 
 
 of 10,000 men was not far distant, and perfectly ignorant of the march of the Mantchoo 
 troops. Kang-he immediately resolved upon a battle. He remitted to all officers the 
 half-year's pay they had received in advance, gave to the cavalry the horses, which, on 
 their return, they would have been obliged to deliver up, and animated the troops to 
 behave bravely. The Chinese soldiers, however, unaccustomed to such great fatigues, 
 had be n previously sent back, as unfit; and it could not be expected that the Tartars 
 would be much longer able to endure such a harassing campaign. Under these critical 
 circumstances, the bleached bones of so many thousand Celestial warriors strewed about 
 in the desert, called to mind the most horrible idea of death. Though ready to engage the 
 Eluth forces, Kang-he tried again, by envoys, to compromise matters. A squadron of the 
 household troops constituted the van, the artillery and dragoons followed, the third 
 line consisted of the remainder of the Chinese infantry, the 3,000 Mongol horse, and 
 several squadrons of household troops, armed with muskets and bows, made up the 
 wings. The second and third line took up nearly a league in extent, but the first was 
 much closer. The emperor marched in the second line, attended by his life-guards and 
 the officers of his household. As a great multitude of servants followed the squadrons, 
 leading their masters' horses, it had the appearance of a very numerous host, though 
 there were no more than 20,000 effective troops. Gerbillon, who describes the splen- 
 dour of this army, would be astonished to behold in our days a Chinese or Mantchoo 
 corps, than which nothing can be more motley. 
 
 " News of the flight of the Kaldan having arrived, the emperor withdrew with the 
 flower of the army, and sent one detachment in pursuit of the enemy. The soldiers 
 composing it suffered incredible hardship, the cavalry being obliged to dismount, not 
 even excepting the principal officers, and forced to live upon horses' and camels' 
 flesh. But mark the wonderful exploits of this famished host. They came up with the 
 Eluths, who were well fed and in high spirits, broke through their ranks, notwith- 
 standing the utmost bravery of the enemy, and dispersed the whole army. Kaldan 
 escaped with 200 men. To believe this extraordinary story, we ought to have been an 
 eye-witness of the total rout of the Eluth. 
 
 " The messenger who brought this account to Kang-he was received with great 
 rejoicings. The letter was publicly read ; and now behold the gratitude of a pagan 
 prince ! A table was brought, placed in the middle of the arch before the emperor's 
 tent, with incense and wax tapers. His majesty stood alone before the table, with his 
 
62 LIFE OF KANG-HE, 
 
 face towards the tent, and his five sons immediately behind him. He then took a cup 
 of brandy, raised it towards heaven with both hands, poured it upon the ground, and 
 prostrated himself three times. The grandees afterwards performed their genuflexions 
 and prostrations before the monarch, to express the joy they felt at this unexpected 
 event. The booty of 6,000 oxen, from 60,000 to 70,000 sheep, and 3,000 camels, could 
 never have come at a more seasonable time. Kang-he himself was not a little astonished 
 at this extraordinary turn of affairs, and ascribed the victory to the interposition of 
 heaven, and the unexpected success to the despair of his soldiers. 
 
 " The misfortune which Kaldan met must have been very severe, for many of his 
 vassals surrendered themselves to the Chinese, and his whole remaining army was so 
 small, that scarcely a trace could be found of it. Still, however, Kang-he was very 
 much afraid that this intriguing prince would soon gain new adherents. He therefore 
 addressed expostulatory letters to the Mongol princes and the Thibetians, earnestly 
 dissuading them from a league with this rebel. Some of these admonitions are paternal, 
 and breathe a peaceful and noble spirit. Promises were at the same time made to the 
 khan, that if he submitted himself peacefully, he should be treated with the customary 
 compassion of the Celestial empire. Flattered by these promises, an envoy appeared 
 at court, who delivered a most humble speech to the monarch, and with great servility 
 asked forgiveness of all the wrongs done. Kang-he's answer was, that the prince 
 himself ought to come, because that negociations carried on by public messengers were 
 greatly prolonged. Kaldan was too great a fox to enter the lion's den; and whilst 
 engaging the king of Thibet and the Kokonor Tartars in his favour, he again plied the 
 Chinese emperor with negociations, which ended in nothing. In the meanwhile his son, 
 a boy of fourteen years, was treacherously taken prisoner by the Mahommedan bey of 
 Hami, and delivered up to the emperor. Thus there was an hostage for the fidelity of 
 the father. 
 
 " It was now become indispensably necessary to influence the politics of the court of 
 Thibet. Kang-he having forwarded several pastoral letters to the king and dalai lama, 
 received as polite answers. The Kaldan having many adherents in that country, it was 
 justly to be feared that a new insurrection would require a second campaign into the 
 desert, which of all things the monarch detested. How great was then his joy, when 
 a koutouktou arrived as the envoy of the pontiff and king. Never did Kang-he bestow 
 so many honours upon the ambassador of any nation as on this nuncio. Like a Roman 
 
EMPEROR OF CHINA. 63 
 
 cardinal, this koutouktou understood politics better than the emperor. He first revealed 
 to him a great many secrets, which turned out to be beguiling falsehoods, and delivered 
 a secret parcel, which contained, upon being opened at a stated period, a representation 
 of the last incarnate Buddha. Unfortunately the head fell off, to the great consterna- 
 tion of the devout Mongols who were present. Now it was known that some of the 
 priests had played tricks with the dalai lama, and that the last regeneration had not 
 taken place in the proper order. But Kang-he would have smiled at these absurdities, 
 if he had not known too well, that the transmigration was the effect of the cabals of 
 Kaldan and his adherents. The koutouktou, however, was such an impudent envoy, 
 that he bore the reproach of perfidy with indifference, and served his masters most 
 effectually by working upon the superstition of Kang-he and his Mongol vassals. 
 
 " Recourse was again had to arms. A sudden attack upon the territories of Tungaria 
 and Turkestan, made the Mahommedan princes who were in league with Kaldan 
 tremble. This campaign, which Kang-he directed from a considerable distance, laid 
 the foundation of the Chinese power in Turkestan. The army might a second time 
 have been starved in search of the Kaldan, and the emperor would have been obliged 
 to put a stop to these too eager researches after the fugitive, if the author of so much 
 bloodshed had not died on a sudden. — (1697.) 
 
 " Borne down by misfortune, unable to resist his many enemies, and still less to 
 satisfy his unbounded ambition, this prince finally fell into a state of melancholy, which 
 grew upon him with every day : from this he never recovered. He thus became a victim 
 to his own vicious propensities, and died a warning example to all aspiring great men. 
 
 " Honoured by the congratulations and the servile flattery of his whole court, Kang-he 
 pronounced a speech from the throne, in which he depicted, in very 'lively colours, the 
 dangers by which China had been surrounded. This Kaldan had overcome Turkestan, 
 and dispersed the Kalkas tribes within a very short time. There was no power which 
 could effectually resist him, no nation able to arrest his victories. The courtiers, pene- 
 trated by the grandeur of the prince, proposed that he should change the " Nten-haow," 
 or title of his reign, because it had been so very glorious. To this proposition Kang-he 
 would never agree ; his praise was not in pompous words, but dignified actions. 
 
 " After such unheard-of success, Kang-he endeavoured to extirpate the rebels, root and 
 branch. He therefore gave orders to his general in Loungaria to attack the adherents 
 of Kaldan, wherever he was able to find them ; and sent a peremptory letter to Tse- 
 
64 LIFE OF KANG-HE, 
 
 wang-raptan, his most powerful vassal, to deliver up the body of the Kaldan, his daughter, 
 and several noblemen. This prince was then engaged in a war with the Kirghis, and 
 most contemptuously answered the emperor that he might have the body of Kaldan, which 
 was useless to either party ; but as for surrendering his daughter, the crime of treason 
 could not be fixed upon persons of her sex, and his followers, whom the emperor desired 
 him to give up, were too useful in the present war to be sacrificed to a mere whim. 
 
 " The council, under the sanction of Kang-he, decreed, that the bones of this wicked 
 destroyer, the Kaldan, should be burnt, and scattered to the winds, whilst his head 
 should be sent and exhibited to the Mongols, as a warning example to terrify others 
 from rising in insurrection. 
 
 " After many ineffectual attempts to defer the giving up of the princess, the daughter 
 of Kaldan, Tse-wang-raptan was finally obliged by the growing influence of the Chinese 
 to surrender the princess. Kang-he, though advised to put her, with her brother, to 
 death, treated the lady kindly, and had her properly married to a nobleman, whilst her 
 brother enlisted in the life-guards, and was considered as a prince. In this generous 
 act, Kang-he was far above the nation he ruled — none of his successors has imitated him ; 
 for, up to this day, the whole family of a traitor is delivered over to death. — (1701.) 
 
 " Tse-wang-raptan alone refused to submit, on any account, or under any promises, 
 to the Chinese empire. Too weak, however, to undertake anything against the provinces, 
 he all at once invaded Thibet, under the pretence that the Tipa, or secular prince, had 
 lost all authority, and the dalai lama usurped the whole power. The lamas were treated 
 with unheard-of cruelty, bound upon horses and mules, and sent to Tartary ; whilst the 
 temples were plundered, and the monasteries burnt. The Chinese appeared also here 
 as protectors ; and, from this moment dates the influence which has ended in the sub- 
 jugation of the whole country. 
 
 "Seren Kaldan, the son of Tse-wang-raptan, was animated with the unruly spirit of 
 his ancestor, and gave rise to many feuds and wars ; but this war also died away, and all 
 the eastern Eluth tribes came finally as humble supplicants to ask pardon and peace. 
 
 " At the commencement of Kang-he's reign the empire was shaken to its very foun- 
 dation; when he had governed forty years, the troubles were not only quelled, but the 
 fiercest tribes tamed, and the limits of the empire widened to such an extent as they 
 had never been before. Kang-he did not exult at his success, but only endeavoured to 
 consolidate his newly-acquired dominions." 
 
EMPEROR OF CHINA. G5 
 
 Disturbances with the Russians. 
 
 The two most extensive empires in the world are China and Russia, and both 
 may be said to have bordered upon one another, without the knowledge of the subjects 
 and princes of the two countries. We do not know what tempted a Cossack to conquer 
 for the Czar the icy fields of Siberia. Those parts he subjugated to the sway of his 
 master were ruled by Mongol princes, who were connected with the inhabitants of the 
 steppes. But the Russians had been for a considerable time in possession of the 
 inhospitable land, before they could find their way to China. That there existed such 
 a country, nobody doubted ; but to find a road thither was more than the Cossacks 
 were able to effect. Several expeditions having been despatched for that purpose, 
 the discovery of the land of Katai was nearly given up as a hopeless enterprise. It 
 was at all events considered necessary to push on towards the East, for China was there 
 situated, and to found there some settlements, from which trade might be carried on 
 to the Celestial Empire. 
 
 The patience of the Russians at length overcame all obstacles ; and, though they 
 had to contend for twenty years against hostile tribes, they nevertheless settled the 
 colony of Nertchinsky, near the Amour. Some of the tribes had reported to the 
 Russians that a Daourian prince had in his country silver mines. An expedition was 
 therefore set on foot in 1643, in order to discover either that country or similar coun- 
 tries. This troop issued from Yakoutsk with great eagerness, for the object of their 
 research ; and, though the adventurers were told by the Bourist merchants, that the 
 money in their possession came from China through the hands of the Mongul, they 
 would have it, once for all, that there must be silver mines in the East. Having arrived 
 at the Seia, a stream which falls into the Amour, Petrov the commander took 
 captive a native chief, and instituted inquiries about those silver treasures whicli 
 nobody could point out Shortly afterwards, their whole stock of provisions was 
 exhausted, and the aborigines, forced to furnish them, attacked the Russians. The 
 result of this disturbance was starvation to the adventurers. It is even asserted, that the 
 Cossacks were obliged to feed upon the bodies of the natives slain in the conflict. 
 Nothing could exceed the perseverance of the leader of this expedition ; he descended 
 
GG LIFE OF KANG-HE, 
 
 the Amour, and returned by sea to Tungusia. Though this enterprise had been very 
 perilous, others took the same route. The most celebrated amongst them, Khabaroo, 
 having ascended the Amour, took possession by storm of a fort belonging to a Daourian 
 prince, and, for the first time, met a Mantchoo collector of taxes. The usurper 
 bestowed the name of Ghogbandan upon this fort, took a second, and reduced the 
 inhabitants of the borders of this river tributary. 
 
 Their cruelty and aggression were met everywhere by the determined hostility of the 
 natives ; and when they were obliged to take up their winter-quarters on the banks of 
 the Amour, the aborigines cut off all provisions. Having built a fort to defend them- 
 selves against the inclemency of the weather, orders were given by the commanding 
 Mantchoo general to catch them alive, and bring them armed to his tent. But these 
 heroes were rather mistaken in their valour, and in the cowardice of the Russians, who 
 had powder and ball. The whole squadron of Mantchoos was routed in a sudden assault 
 from the besieged, who took their cannon, matchlocks, and colours. — (1652.) 
 
 As, however, nothing but fish could be procured at this place, the adventurers 
 resolved upon returning to Yakoutsk. On their way home they were met by no less 
 than 6,000 Mantchoos, stationed on the Chinghal river ; but instead of again measuring 
 their strength with this formidable host, they passed them under press of sail. Kha- 
 barov met, fortunately, a reinforcement of men and provisions before he had arrived at 
 Yakoutsk ; and this happy circumstance determined him upon looking out for a place 
 where he might establish a permanent settlement. Accounts of the success of this 
 expedition having reached Moscow, the Czar deputed Prince Lobanov, with 3,000 
 natives from the banks of the Dwina, in order to colonize the regions about the Amour, 
 Khabarov and his followers were richly rewarded with golden medals, and every encou- 
 ragement given to render this new settlement as flourishing as possible. 
 
 Very exaggerated accounts having been circulated about this new colony, great 
 crowds of Siberians, and numbers of vagabonds, flocked thither, so that the government 
 was obliged to prevent the emigration by an armed force. Three forts, one at the junc- 
 tion of the Seia, another at the Ourka, and a third between these two, were shortly after- 
 wards erected ; whilst one of the community of colonists, called Chetchigin, was deputed 
 envoy to the court of Peking. The Russian government, moreover, issued orders for 
 the cultivation of the soil near the settlements, and for the conversion of the natives to 
 Christianity. Various circumstances, however, concurred to procrastinate the cultivation 
 
EMPEROR OF CHINA. 67 
 
 of the land. Provisions becoming very scarce, Stephanov undertook an expedition up 
 the Chinghal stream, in order to procure them. Here he was met by a Mantchoo- 
 Chinese army, whilst the Daourians on both banks of the river annoyed him constantly 
 by their darts. After having defeated the enemy's flotillas, he was obliged reluctantly to 
 turn his steps, and had still the mortification to learn, that the envoy with his suite had 
 been murdered by the Daourians. Reduced to extremities, the governor of the estab- 
 lishment retired, during the winter of 1655, into a fort called Kamarskig, where he was 
 besieged by an army of 10,000 Chinese and Mantchoos. These heroes attempted with 
 great ardour to reduce the place, but the Russian cannon was too well directed. They 
 were finally obliged to decamp, with the satisfaction that they had done their utmost to 
 bring these stubborn barbarians to reason. There remained very little hope of main- 
 taining these settlements ; but the rich furs, obtained from the natives, prompted the 
 supreme government to continue the colony. New reinforcements arrived from the 
 mother-country, and in 1658 the Russians founded Nertchinsk (Nipchou) near the con- 
 fluence of the Inghoda and Amour. But in the same year, Stephanov encountered, 
 unexpectedly, a Chinese fleet upon the Amour. His people were panic-struck — some 
 fled, others surrendered, others sold their lives dear. 
 
 So many misfortunes could not damp the ardour and cut ofF the hopes of the 
 Russians. They were in search of furs, and, to obtain these, the adventurers were ready 
 to undertake every thing. New settlers hastened towards the river, so that those who 
 fell by the sword, or perished by hunger, were constantly recruited. The Chinese 
 government finally determined upon vigorous measures, in order to drive this dangerous 
 enemy from the frontiei's. In vain did the Czar endeavour to conclude a treaty by au 
 embassy ; his envoy was sent back, because he refused to perform the kotow. Since, 
 however, matters in 1688 had come to a crisis, Golowin Okolnitz arrived as plenipoten- 
 tiary for settling the quarrels about the frontiers. Kang-he, who had been very anxious 
 to discard all causes of dissension, deputed his own uncle and a lieutenant-general to 
 settle the question, while two missionaries, Perceira and Gerbillon, joined them as poli- 
 tical agents. 
 
 The emperor treated the latter most graciously, by presenting them with splendid 
 robes of ceremony, and wishing them a prosperous voyage. Even the heir of the crown 
 did them the honour of accompanying the mission to some distance from Peking, whilst 
 the mandarins and Mongol princes, through whose territory the embassy passed, showed 
 
68 LIFE OF KANG-HE, 
 
 flietn the greatest honours: the plenipotentiaries were e\en admitted to an audience 
 with the incarnate divinity, the Koutouktou, a boy of seven years. This was the only 
 aide personage they met with on their whole road. 
 
 The reader, however, ought not to imagine, that this was a mere ceremonial mission. 
 The whole consisted of three caravans, which took different roads, and were accompa- 
 nied by armed soldiers, in order to give effect to the negociations. The different parties 
 were to meet in the Kalkas country ; but having nearly arrived at the place of desti- 
 nation, the ambassadors were recalled, because the war with the Eluths had already 
 broken out. The place of conference was then changed from Selinga to Nipchou. 
 
 The first expedition had exposed the grandees to so many hardships, that they heard 
 with great joy that the negociations were to be carried on at Nipchou, where they were 
 despatched the next year. The train of the ambassadors consisted of about eight or 
 nine thousand men, three thousand of whom were soldiers, one hundred and fifty 
 officers, with twelve thousand horses and three thousand camels. This looked more 
 like an army marching to the field of battle, than a peaceful mission. Kang-he, aware 
 that, as long as things continued in the present state, he would be obliged to maintain 
 an army of observation on the Amour, and wage a continual war against the encroach- 
 ments of the Russians; he wished, therefore, to settle matters by a coup-dc-maui, and, 
 instead of negociating, dictate, once for all, a peace. For such measures the Russians 
 were not at all prepared. 
 
 Man seems in all times to be the same. He disputes with the same obstinacy the 
 possession of the torrid regions under the equator, or the ice-fields of the pole, instead 
 of enjoying the gifts which God so profusely scatters. 
 
 On meeting, both parties assumed to have the original right to the disputed terri- 
 tory. The Russians, who appear to have been more moderate in their demands, wishing 
 to make the Amour the boundary, and retaining all the country on the northern banks. 
 As this, however, very much interfered with the fur trade, the Chinese insisted upon 
 their ceding all the country beyond the Selinga, inclusive of Nipchou and Yaksa, two 
 fortresses. This was demanding too much ; and the negociations were broken off. 
 The Chinese army immediately advanced, which forced the Russians to listen to 
 another proposal, more congenial to the wishes of the Chinese : on one side, 
 a chain of mountains marked by the Kerbetchi, a rivulet, and on the other side the 
 Ergone stream, were to be considered the boundaries. All the countries to the north 
 
EMPEROR OF CHINA. 
 
 69 
 
 were to belong to the Russians, and the territory to the south to the Mantchoos. There 
 only remained an intermediate mountainous district, upon which the envoys could not 
 
 agree. 
 
 The Mantchoos had again recourse to their former stratagem, by advancing with 
 the army. This time, however, the Russians answered them in plain terms, that they 
 would repel force by force; and such a declaration was sufficient to frighten the 
 Chinese plenipotentiary, who immediately abated his demands. By Gerbillon's good 
 offices, their minds were again reconciled, and the missionaries now took it upon them- 
 selves to accelerate the conclusion of peace. In this praiseworthy endeavour they 
 succeeded to the fullest extent of their wishes. It was stipulated that the Russian 
 monarch should not be called by any inferior title, that his envoys should not be subject 
 to any humiliating ceremonies at Peking, and be permitted to deliver their credentials 
 into the hands of the emperor. During their residence at court they were to enjoy full 
 liberty, and not to be treated with any indignity. Free commerce to be granted between 
 both nations ; only the last article was to be inserted, and the others remitted to a fur- 
 ther conference at the court. The fort Yaksa was to be levelled to the ground. All 
 obstacles of disagreement having been removed, the Chinese as well as Russians swore 
 both most solemnly in the name of the Most High, that this treaty should be main- 
 tained. The plenipotentiaries then embraced each other under the sound of martial 
 music, and both parties partook of a collation on the Russian frontier. Kang-he was 
 rejoiced that he had so fully succeeded in obtaining his demands. Even at the evening of 
 his life he could not forget to glory in his political wisdom, and said, " Since I ascended 
 the throne, I have directed military operations to a great extent ; I have crushed rebels ; 
 I have taken possession of Formosa ; 1 have humbled the Russians !" 
 
 Kang-he was not aware that an emperor of a congenial spirit was seated on Russia's 
 throne. Men of such capacious minds, so intent upon the welfare of their subjects, 
 ought to have embraced each other, and co-operated in making them happy. To such 
 a perfection political science had not yet arrived. Both viewed each other with suspi- 
 cion, and never corresponded with each other with that cordiality which ought to exist 
 between great men. 
 
 Russian caravans for a number of years had been in the habit of repairing to the 
 Peking fair, like those of the Mongol tribes ; the merchants were well treated, and 
 enjoyed great liberties. Some difficulties, however, had arisen ; and Peter the Great 
 
 t 
 
70 LIFE OF KANG-HE, 
 
 sent, in 1692, Yubrant Ides as ambassador to the Peking court. He was well received, 
 and Kang-he, so far from putting any childish questions to him, examined the envoy 
 upon the state of Europe, the improvements and civilization of Russia, its resources, 
 finances, &c. ; at which the ambassador was greatly astonished. Yet even the most 
 exalted monarch on China's throne could not dispense with the ko-tow. 
 
 This favourable aspect in the political horizon was, however, soon obscured by new 
 encroachments on the part of the Russians. In the hope that the Chinese would 
 overlook their extending their hunts for fur-animals, they built a fortress on the same spot 
 where the former Albazin had stood, and quietly went on in their daily occupations. All 
 on a sudden, Kang-he put a stop to the fur trade, and gave strict orders to the Mongols 
 to range along the Amour, and catch as many fur-animals as they possibly could get. 
 Albazin was taken by surprise, and the inhabitants transported to Peking. To show 
 the ability of Chinese soldiers in blockading a fort, we ought to be informed that they 
 were three years before the place, ere they were able to carry it. Peter the Great was 
 at that time too much engaged in Europe to send his hard-pressed Cossacks assistance, 
 and the fort fell. 
 
 Since the government furs sold in Europe to disadvantage, the Russian monarch was 
 only too anxious to re-open the trade, and sent therefore, in 1719, his ambassador 
 ImailafF, to conclude a commercial treaty. The sufferings of this mission in crossing the 
 desert were intolerable ; and, after having endured so many hardships, the ambassador 
 was delighted at being received with military honours on entering Peking. Kang-he 
 was much rejoiced at receiving, in his advanced age, such proofs of respect from the 
 greatest prince of Europe. It was at the same time found necessary to recommence 
 the legal trade, for, notwithstanding the prohibition, an extensive illicit traffic had been 
 carried on upon the frontiers. Admitted to an audience, the ambassador had previously 
 most obstinately refused to perform the ko-tow, and was taken entirely by surprise when 
 the master of the ceremony forced him down to prostrate, and bow the knee. After this 
 disagreeable ceremony had passed, Kang-he was all affability. He had been informed 
 about the great exploits of the Czar; and, whilst he bestowed due eulogies upon the 
 actions of that great prince, he wondered that he should expose himself to the dangers 
 of a stormy ocean. Kang-he, reflecting on his old age, expressed his earnest desire to 
 make his peace with all mankind, and was, on that account, very gracious. As soon, 
 however, as the ambassador had departed, and De Lange, his secretary, remained behind 
 
EMPEROR OF CHINA. 71 
 
 as charge-d' affaires, matters took a very different turn. We believe that Kang-he was 
 ignorant of the manifold annoyances which this envoy suffered. Access to the throne 
 having been denied, the secretary was obliged to bear all indignities with patience ; yet 
 finally wearied out, and being unable to do any good, he was forced to retire from this 
 inhospitable city. Whilst the mandarins declared that the trade was worth nothing, 
 they took good care that it should pass through their hands. To realize this great 
 object, they put so many obstacles in the way, that finally a commissioner was appointed, 
 who fixed their own price upon the goods. Other circumstances brought on a crisis. 
 The king of Urga complained about the Russian merchants, who flocked in great 
 numbers to his camp. Several oppressed Mongol tribes had passed over to the Russian 
 frontiers, whilst spies and emissaries fanned the flame of discord. It was therefore not 
 unlikely that a rupture between the two countries was unavoidable ; but the death of 
 both great princes prevented the breaking out of hostilities. 
 
 Yung-ching, Kang-he's successor, granted various liberties to the Russian traders ; 
 and whilst permitting a permanent mission to reside in the capital, he maintained the 
 commercial treaty. Though afterwards frequently on the eve of declaring war, the 
 Russians wisely abstained from crossing the dreary desert with an army, which would 
 have shared the same fate as so many hosts before them. 
 
 If Kang-he was a wise prince, God indeed gave success to his enterprises. For had 
 it not been his special providence which prevented the invasion of a Russian army, he 
 would, with all his wisdom, not have been able to prevent it. A host of well-disciplined 
 troops would not so very easily have been scattered, as the hordes of Kaldan. There 
 were malcontents sufficient in number to join in any daring enterprise ; and it would not 
 have been very improbable that a total revolution might have been effected. 
 
 All these chances seem to have been constantly before the eyes of the monarch. 
 Hence he acted both with decision and caution, always avoiding to irritate his enemies 
 by driving them to despair, whilst he succeeded in striking terror, and defeating their 
 machinations. In the quarrel itself both parties were equally wrong : both the Chinese 
 and Russians contested for a piece of ground belonging to independent tribes ; but 
 the stronger established his claim successfully. 
 
 Upon the accession of Yong-ching, several of the wise institutions of his illustrious 
 father were invaded, and all his liberal policy reversed. Foreign commerce was again 
 restricted; idolatry restored to its pristine predominance; and, in the year 1724, the 
 
72 LIFE OF KANG-HE, EMPEKOR OF CHINA. 
 
 exercise of the Christian religion wholly prohibited ; nor was toleration re-admitted by 
 the succeeding monarch, Kien-lung. A great conqueror, and, in many respects, an 
 amiable man, the new emperor devoted his energies to the extension of his dominions ; 
 Cashgar and Yarkand were added to the empire in his reign, along with parts of Son- 
 garia, Thibet, and Lassa. The petty empires of Miao-tse and Siao-kin-tshun, were also 
 absorbed by the Chinese, which was now bounded by Hindoostan and Bocharia. The 
 Calmucs country becoming desert by the expulsion of the Songarians, Kien-lung re- 
 peopled it with the fugitive Torgots and Songarians from Russia. In 1768, however, 
 his army sustained a signal check from the Burmese, from which they did not recover 
 during the war: but, contenting himself with the reputation of having retained pos- 
 session for a while of a single town in the enemy's country, the emperor retired from 
 the conflict, having lost one-half of his army. 
 
 Persecution on account of religion continued with unabated zeal and cruelty under 
 Kien-lung ; but, at his death in 1 799, the light of freedom in matters of conscience once 
 more beamed over the land. The new emperor, Kien-king, fifteenth son of the deceased 
 sovereign, was a decided favourer of the Christians ; but the inconsiderate conduct of 
 the Catholics exposed them to the machinations of their enemies, and caused the reign 
 of their august patron to he agitated incessantly by civil commotions. In the year 1820, 
 this virtuous prince was succeeded on the throne by his second son, Taou-kwang, 
 (Reason's Glory,) whose reign is rendered memorable in history by the commercial 
 treaty which Queen Victoria compelled him to accept. 
 
CHINA 
 
 THE KIN-SHAN, OR GOLDEN ISLAND. 
 
 ON THE YANG-TSE-KIANG RIVER. 
 
 Amid Pagodas' sheen and shadowing woods, 
 
 On Kiang's Rock, his wave-engirdled cage, 
 The Rajah- King of million-multitudes 
 Founded, in hermit mood, a hermitage : 
 There while he mused, at gilded courts would smile, 
 A shrine more blest than they — his Gvldtn Lie. 
 
 C. J. C. 
 
 The intersection of the Imperial Canal with the Yang-tse-kiang, in the immediate 
 vicinity of Qua-tchow, is distinguished by a remarkable concentration of objects, both 
 beautiful and interesting. The Kin-shan, or Golden Island, celebrated for its peculiar 
 sanctity, its pictorial charms, its imperial favour, is known in the remotest provinces of 
 China; nor even amongst a people of much superior taste, or in a country of far higher 
 scenic pretensions, could an object so picturesque have failed to attract admiration. 
 Whether the epithet " Golden" is borrowed from its sunny site, or originated in some 
 tradition of its metallic treasures, is now difficult to determine, but the proximity of 
 another pyramidal rock, called " Yin-shan," or The Silver Island," rather upholds the 
 latter conjecture. 
 
 This favoured " Isle of Beauty," rises majestically above the broad flood of the 
 Kiang, which here presents an everlasting scene of animation, from the arrival and 
 departure of barges, boats, and other vessels, trading with the busy entrepot of Qua- 
 tchow. The most elevated point of the island does not probably exceed three hundred 
 feet — the circuit of its rocky shores extends about fifteen hundred ; its sides, steep, 
 
6 CHINA ILLUSTRATED. 
 
 precipitous, but fertile, are adorned with the most luxuriant vegetation and foliage : 
 the sacred temples that rise from the one, are embraced by the shade of the other, and 
 their tapering proportions alone break the continuous mass of verdure that clothes the 
 whole pyramid, and, descending in graceful forms, sweeps with tender sprays the 
 waves that ripple on the beach. Temples, and towers, and bonze-houses, peep forth from 
 the embosoming woods, while a graceful pagoda, of the most exquisite structure, sur- 
 mounts the highest point. Wherever civilization has established a stable tenure, there 
 the ministers of religion appear to have selected, for the setting up of the altar and 
 accommodation of its servants, those retreats best suited to holy meditation ; but in so 
 doing have evidently paid a faithful homage to the fairest forms and chiefest acquisitions 
 of nature. Christian monasteries are not only the most sumptuous works of art, but have 
 been uniformly raised in the richest and most romantic districts of every enlightened land. 
 In this respect, the Chinese have not exercised less diligence, taste, and judgment, than 
 the priesthood of Christian countries : and the picturesque circumstances of their idol- 
 houses and dwellings, have at all times induced that class of travellers to deviate from 
 the highway to their gaudy shrines, from which the most liberal contributions were to 
 be expected. 
 
 Richly adorned with luxuriant trees of every species known in the province of 
 Kiang-nan, the aspect of this bright isle is further broken and beautified by the most 
 fantastic architectural forms. Here the disciples of Confucius, Laokien, and Fo, have 
 erected temples to their respective deities ; while the delicate pagoda, a feature for ages 
 identified with Chinese landscape, lends increased dignity to the majestic form of the 
 whole composition. The double-roofed building, overshadowed by weeping branches, 
 and standing on the margin of the river, was formerly the dwelling of Bonzes, but it is 
 more than probable that these impostors were compelled to migrate when the emperor 
 Kien-lung built a villa here, and laid out a moiety of the island in pleasure-grounds, 
 disposed after the peculiar manner of landscape-gardening prevalent amongst the 
 Chinese. It was the whim of this capricious autocrat to visit occasionally the southern 
 provinces of his vast empire, and the locality of Qua-tchow being salubrious and 
 remarkably picturesque, was selected as suitable for the erection of an imperial lodge. 
 Near to that flourishing city, and at a place called " Woo-yuen, or " The Five Gardens," 
 a palace was immediately raised, which continued, with little interruption, to be the 
 favourite retreat of majesty for many successive years. Its spacious grounds were 
 adorned with pavilions, grouped or isolated, communicating by corridors, or other minor 
 constructions, together with flower-beds, artificial ruins, factitious rocks, and hollowed 
 grottoes. A meandering river, crossed by numerous bridges, and conducted ingeniously 
 through all the intricacies of this fairy labyrinth, at one time contracted between wooded 
 banks, at another expanded into lakes with islands floating on their glassy surfaces, com- 
 pletes the inconceivable illusion as to extent and intervening distances. The principle 
 of deception so successfully matured in Chinese landscape-gardening, by which space 
 acquires apparent extension, from an increased number of intervening objects or ideas, 
 
THE KIN-SHAN, OR GOLDEN ISLAND. 7 
 
 appears to have been borrowed from an analogous mode of measuring time adopted 
 by philosophers, namely, the number of intervening ideas. 
 
 Although the fairest formations at Woo-yuen have been effaced, and time has spared 
 little more than the material atoms of the extraordinary designs here pictorially illus- 
 trated, one apartment is still jealously preserved, and shown to travellers with an air of 
 pomp and mystery : this is the library in which the great Kien-lung once sought rest 
 
 from 
 
 " Public noise and factious strife, 
 And all the busy ills of life." 
 
 Here he reflected, probably, upon the best means of relieving himself from the anxious 
 solicitude which the government of so many millions must necessarily have created— 
 perhaps, also, upon the vanity of all worldly greatness, since one enemy remained who 
 was invincible — and perhaps also upon his own individual unfitness for the great trust 
 committed to him, and on the best and most ingenious mode of escaping from the 
 importunities of his own conscience. Amongst the many modes to which the imperial 
 owner had recourse, to while away his leisure in the Pavilion of " The Five Gardens," 
 poetry appears to have been included ; and some few lines which he composed upon the 
 charms of the imperial retreat, have been carved upon a slab of black marble preserved 
 in the library, and are still shown as a specimen of his genius and penmanship, the 
 engraving being also a fac-simile. 
 
 That his time might be divided as much as possible between the fairy-grounds 
 of the Five Gardens, and the sunlit banks of the Golden Island, the emperor Kang-hi 
 caused a canal to be cut from his pavilion to the waters of the Yang-tse-kiang, passing 
 the flourishing city of Qua-tchow. The distance of the embouchure of this still-water 
 navigation from the shores of the Golden Island, is about two miles, yet such is the 
 extravagance of Chinese vanity, and such the extent of their credulity, that tradition 
 ventm-es to maintain " that a bridge constructed to facilitate the imperial intercourse 
 between these favourite spots, once spanned the breadth of the Keang's waters." 
 
 The panoramic view from the pine-clad summit of the Golden Island* is extensive 
 and varied. It includes the mouldering walls of Qua-tchow, with its still more desolate 
 imperial gardens ; the city of Chin-keang, seated at the base of a lofty mountain-range ; 
 besides the various sweeps and windings of the imperial canal and of the Yang-tse- 
 keang. In this district white and coloured marbles, as well as sienitic granite, abound ; 
 of the latter, the bridges of the province are mostly built. The principal trees are 
 the plane, pine, cypress, arbor-vita?, willow, camphor, and yang-choo ; the last is a 
 spreading tree that droops its branches to the ground, where, like thejicus indicus, they 
 take root, and become each in turn a parent. 
 
 * The most celebrated amongst the many isles, or rather hills, in China, distinguished by the prefix " Silver,' 
 is situated to the west of the city of Chin-keang-foo. It was anciently called " The Land of Deer ;" but from 
 its proximity to the Kin-shan, acquired its present more conformable epithet. Under the Yuen, or Mongul 
 dynasty, a temple was built upon its summit, the praises of which were sung by Lew-yen-paih, a member of 
 the Tang dynasty, a family much celebrated for their exquisite taste in poetry. 
 
CHINA ILLUSTRATED. 
 
 LAKE SEE-HOO. 
 
 FROM THE VALE OF TOMBS. 
 
 Life 's link'd with death -. our joys and griefs entwine ; 
 
 E'en realms Celestial own the vulgar lot : 
 Yon bright green glades with laughing myriads shine, ] 
 
 In yon dark glen, there sires by millions rot ; 
 Nor one flower less See-Hoo's fair margin blooms, 
 Though mirror'd on its wave The Vale of Tombs. C. J. C. 
 
 At a brief distance west from the great city of Hang-chow-foo, once the capital of 
 Southern China, there is a lake celebrated for its extent, the clearness of its waters, 
 and romantic character of the surrounding scenery. Its picturesque shores present 
 a length of about twenty miles, broken at one time by a projecting promontory, at 
 another by a retiring bay, while its ever-tranquil and transparent surface is adorned 
 by two wooded islets, that float with gracefulness upon its smooth bright bosom. 
 The little harbour of Lake See-Hoo, the ancient Ming-Shing, is connected with Hang- 
 Chow by a broad and well-paved causeway, yet insufficient, occasionally, for the accom- 
 modation of the numerous votaries of pleasure, that hasten to while away many an hour 
 of their existence amidst the fascinating scenery of these elysian regions. The shores 
 in general are fertile, and the attractions of the place having drawn hither the wealthy 
 mandarins from the city, every spot of land, from the water's edge to the foot of the 
 bold mountains that form a noble amphitheatre around, is occupied by light aerial 
 buildings, villas, palaces, temples, pleasure-grounds, and gardens, or in some other way 
 appropriated to the ministration of luxury, or service of leisure. Like the Laguna of 
 Venice, the face of these waters is crowded day and night with pleasure-boats of every 
 grade ; the most sumptuous yachts are generally followed by a floating kitchen in which 
 the banquet is prepared, one always including those delicious silver eels, with which the 
 clear waters of the See-Hoo abound ; and, to Chinese society, from which all interchange 
 of intellectual conversation is wholly rejected, the accompaniment of the floating 
 cuisine is indispensably requisite.* Females are excluded from all participation in 
 
 * The following description of a Chinese dinner is from the pen of Captain Laplace, of the French navy. 
 
 " The first course was laid out in a great number of saucers of painted porcelain, and consisted of various 
 relishes in a cold state — as salted earth-worms, prepared and dried, but so cut up that I fortunately did not know 
 what they were till I swallowed them ; salted or smoked fish and ham, both of them cut into extremely 
 small slices ; besides which there was what they called Japan leather, a sort of darkish skin, hard and tough 
 with a strong and far from agreeable taste, which seemed to have been macerated in water for some time. All 
 these et ceteras, including among the number a liquor, which I recognized to be soy, made from a Japan bean, 
 and long since adopted by the wine-drinkers of Europe, to revive their faded appetites or tastes, were used as 
 

 X 
 
 
 
 S 
 
 * 
 
 
 
LAKE SEE-HOO. » 
 
 these enjoyments, their appearance in such expeditions being deemed derogatory to the 
 privacy and separativeness of the sexes in China — a circumstance that sufficiently 
 demonstrates the degraded condition of society in the Celestial empire. How miserable 
 and insipid that social state, where intellectual intercourse between the sexes is prohi- 
 bited ! What a censure is cast by man upon himself, by this prejudgment of wickedness 
 or weakness in every created being ! Here, then, the sublimest sentiments, the noblest 
 feelings, the play of softer passions, are total strangers, and reason and philosophy 
 comparatively fallen. In countries where the mental faculties have received that culti- 
 vation of which they are susceptible, whenever years shall have weakened the desire of 
 joining the gay and glittering circle of female youth and beauty, or inclination have led to 
 the severe exercises of the intellectual powers, numerous resources are still in reserve, 
 and a relish for society will still be retained by those who value " the feast of reason and 
 the flow of soul." No such class, however, exists in China ; there the tenor of conver- 
 sation is mean, coarse, and grovelling, touching local grievances — the injustice of the 
 mandarins — the stratagem of some wily merchant or fraudulent tradesman. Perhaps 
 the female character might sustain a loss of purity and grace by more free admission 
 into society so constituted — the Chinaman probably exercises a sound discretion in 
 excluding the fair sex from such a vicious atmosphere. 
 
 In addition to the silent satisfaction derived from the motion of their gaudy barges 
 on the tranquil surface of the See-Hoo, the pleasures of the table are immoderately 
 indulged in; smoking lends its aid, and the opium stimulates those who are too stolid 
 by nature to share in the charms and the vices of the gaming-table. 
 
 seasoning to a great number of stews, which were contained in bowls, and succeeded each other uninterruptedly. 
 All the dishes, without exception, swam in soup. On one side figured pigeons' eggs cooked in gravy, together 
 with ducks and fowls, cut very small, and immersed in a dark-coloured sauce ; on the other, little balls made of 
 sharks' fins, eggs prepared by heat (of which both the smell and taste seemed to us equally repulsive), immense 
 grubs, a peculiar kind of sea-fish, crabs, and pounded shrimps. 
 
 " Seated at the right of our excellent Amphitryon, I was the object of his whole attention, but nevertheless 
 found myself considerably at a loss how to use the two little ivory sticks, tipped with silver, which, together 
 with a knife that had a long, narrow, and thin blade, formed the whole of my eating apparatus. I had great 
 difficulty in seizing my prey in the midst of these several bowls filled with gravy : in vain I tried to hold, in 
 imitation of my host, this substitute for a fork between the thumb and the two first fingers of the right hand ; 
 for the chopsticks slipped aside every moment, leaving behind them the unhappy little morsel which I so much 
 coveted. It is true that the master of the house came to the relief of my inexperience (by which he was much 
 entertained) with his two instruments, the extremities of which a few moments before had touched a mouth 
 whence age and the use of snuff and tobacco had cruelly chased its good looks. However, I contrived to eat. 
 with tolerable propriety, a soup prepared with the edible birds' nests, in which the Chinese are such epicures. 
 The substance thus served up is reduced into very thin filaments, transparent as isinglass, and resembling vermi- 
 celli, with little or no taste. 
 
 " At first I was much puzzled to find out how, with our chopsticks, we should be able to taste of the various 
 soups which composed the greater part of the dinner, and had already called to mind the fable of the Fox and 
 Stork, when our two Chinese entertainers, dipping at once into the bowl with the little saucer placed at the side 
 of each guest, showed us how to get rid of the difficulty. 
 
 " To the young guests, naturally lively, such a crowd of novelties presented an inexhaustible fund of plea- 
 santry, and though unintelligible to the worthy Hong merchant and his brother, the jokes seemed to delight them 
 
 C 
 
10 CHINA ILLUSTRATED. 
 
 While their faculties remain undimmed by the vicious habits of this extraordinary 
 people, these voyagers in search of pleasure enjoy one of the richest prospects in Southern 
 China. The banks that rise with such gentle acclivity, are decked all round with flow- 
 ering water-lilies, the purple poppy enriches the lowest margin of the land, beyond 
 which rise in gradual dignity the camphor, the tallow-tree, and the arbor-vitas. These are 
 the fairest amongst the indigenous productions of this locality : — the changeable and 
 Syrian roses, the common lilac, the paper mulberry, juniper, cotton-plant, balsams in 
 great variety, amaranthus, and aquatic-lilies : the fruits known in Europe also abound, 
 many of which, however, are of an inferior quality. These beautiful specimens of the 
 vegetable kingdom adorn the deep fertile vales that run up between the mountains ; and 
 the contrast they form with the forest-trees around, give additional value to their proper- 
 ties — the bright green foliage of the camphor harmonizes happily with the purple of the 
 tallow, while the deep sombre verdure of the tree-of-life waves in melancholy grandeur 
 over both. Numerous tributary streams descend from the mountains, and end their 
 noisy career in the bosom of the calm See-Hoo ; and, the visitation of the wooded glens 
 through which they roll their rapid waters, constitutes a favourite amusement of the 
 various boating-parties from the city. The close sylvan scenery here is much enhanced 
 by the introduction of a multitude of bridges, that span the cataracts in the most preci- 
 pitous places : and the construction of these useful works forms a constant object of 
 Chinese industry, although these people have yet to learn that their labours in this sort are 
 perfectly puerile, and infinitely below those monuments which the engineers of Europe 
 
 not at all the less. The wine, in the mean time, circulated freely, and the toasts followed each other in rapid 
 succession. This liquor, which to my taste was by no means agreeable, is always taken hot ; and in this state 
 it approaches pretty nearly to Madeira, in colour as well as a little in taste ; but it is not easy to get tipsy with 
 it, for in spite of the necessity of frequently attending to the invitations of my host, this wine did not in the 
 least affect my head. We drank it in little gilt cups, having the shape of an antique vase, with two handles of 
 perfect workmanship, and kept constantly filled by attendants holding large silver vessels like coffee-pots. 
 
 " After all these good things served one upon the other, of which it gave me great pleasure to see the last, 
 succeeded the second course, which was preceded by a little ceremony, of which the object seemed to be a trial 
 of the guests' appetites. Upon the edges of four bowls arranged in a square, three others were placed, filled 
 with stews, and surmounted by an eighth, which thus formed the summit of a pyramid ; and the custom is to 
 touch none of these, although invited by the host. On the refusal of the party the whole disappeared, and the 
 table was covered with articles in pastry and sugar, in the midst of which was a salad composed of the tender 
 shoots of the bamboo, and some watery preparations that exhaled a most disagreeable odour. 
 
 " Up to this point, the relishes of which I first spoke had been the sole accompaniment of all the successive 
 ragouts ; they still served to season the bowls of plain rice, which the attendants now, for the first time, placed 
 before each of the guests : it must be remembered that this was a formal dinner — rice forms a much more 
 integral part of an every-day meal. 
 
 " I regarded with an air of considerable embarrassment the two little sticks, with which, notwithstanding the 
 experience acquired since the commencement of the repast, it seemed very doubtful whether I should be able 
 to eat my rice, grain by grain, according to the belief of Europeans regarding the Chinese custom. I therefore 
 waited until my host should begin, to follow his example, foreseeing that, on this new occasion, some fresh 
 discovery would serve to relieve us from the truly ludicrous embarrassment which we all displayed ; this was 
 done by plunging their chopsticks into the bowls of rice, held up to the mouth, which was opened to its full 
 extent, and thus easily shovelling in the rice, not by grains, but by handfuls." 
 
LAKE SEE-HOO. 1 1 
 
 have raised to architectural science in England and in France. Amidst the continuous 
 range of temples, monasteries of the Ho-Shaung, or priests of Fo, mansions, villas, groves, 
 gardens, bridges, and tombs, that encircle this fairy lake, the ruins of an imperial palace 
 may still be traced. Originally ten miles in circumference, and enclosed with lofty 
 brick walls, it was separated into three great courts, all looking out upon the lake. 
 It was in the outer court that the emperor Foo-tsung frequently entertained ten thou- 
 sand guests at a banquet, which lasted ten successive days ; the second court was sur- 
 rounded by the imperial apartments ; and the third division included those of the ladies 
 of the palace, besides gardens, fish-ponds, preserves for game, and other appendages to 
 a residence of such state and magnitude. This sumptuous palace ceased to be the resi- 
 dence of the imperial house in the year 1275, when the empress mother, and the emperor 
 Kung-tsung, a minor, having surrendered themselves to the Mongool Tartars, were 
 delivered to Kublai-Khan, by whom they were banished to his hereditary kingdom. There 
 the ex-emperor died the following year, and with him the Sung dynasty in China. 
 
 On the shore adjacent to each usual pier or landing-place, covered carriages, furnished 
 with silk curtains, richly embroidered cushions, and other costly decorations, are in 
 attendance, to convey the visiters to public gardens, and places of amusement at a 
 little distance from the water. On the islands also near the centre of the lake, spacious 
 buildings are erected, containing splendid apartments and gorgeous open pavilions. 
 There marriages are celebrated, and the most sumptuous entertainments given on those 
 and other occasions of joyousness. 
 
 But in the midst of life we are in death; for, while sounds of mirth re-echo round 
 the shores, and pleasure seems to have here secured an undisturbed and everlasting 
 reign, the dark cypress flings his lengthened shadows on the water, suggesting to its 
 navigators of to-day something reflective of to-morrow. 
 
 " Dark tree, still sad when others' grief is fled, 
 The only constant mourner o'er the dead." 
 
 Full in the view of the light bark, in pursuit of lighter hopes and pleasures, opens 
 the sad " Vale of Tombs," consecrated to those who once joined in 
 
 " That chase of idle hopes and fears, 
 Begun in folly, closed in tears," 
 
 participating in all the gratifications and the vanities of beauty and of youth. Rude in 
 many customs and habits, the Chinese are too refined and sentimental in the reverence 
 they pay the dead. " It is a matter of doubt whether the Chinese do not carry their 
 veneration of the dead to the point of adoration.'' Embosomed in trees, and on the 
 brow of a hill that descends with undulations to the water, monuments, tombs, and fan- 
 tastic sepulchral honours, of infinite variety in design, materials, and workmanship, 
 extend over an area of some miles in circumference. Along the numerous vistas 
 formed by the tall cypress, occur at intervals, little buildings of square form, painted 
 blue, and raised on white colonnades. These are the melancholy resting-places of many 
 
I J CHINA ILLUSTRATED. 
 
 generations, the upper chambers of so many monuments. Mandarins and persons of 
 rank and power are distinguished, even in death, from their fellow-men, by mausoleums 
 raised on semilunar terraces, having panels of black marble in front, as a ground 
 for the better display of posthumous praises written on them in letters of gold. 
 Sarcophagi, altar-tombs, slabs, pillars, pyramids, obelisks, towers, every species of form 
 that taste can suggest, or experience execute, is found in the Vale of Tombs, and raised 
 by feelings little understood in any other country of our globe. Where means 
 have been wanting to supply more costly materials, affectionate zeal has substituted 
 memorials of either earth or wood, but in no instance is the offering of some recording 
 testimony neglected by the survivors. Besides the tree long consecrated to the home of 
 the dead, there are others in this romantic cemetery that seem to mourn over the 
 grave of departed worth, and shelter its melancholy grandeur from the idler's gaze. 
 These are the weeping willow and the lignum-vitae, whose slender pendent branches, 
 agitated by the breeze, brush away the mouldering fragments from the surface of each 
 tablet, and present the inscription fair and fresh-looking for ever. Ofttimes, and at 
 night, numbers of torches are perceived passing and repassing along the chief avenues 
 of the Vale of Tombs, but they do not excite amongst the inhabitants of the vicinity any 
 unusual apprehension. They are borne by visitants to the graves of friends, relations, 
 parents ; on these occasions, particularly at the seasons of spring and autumn, the sepul- 
 chres are swept and garnished with tinsel-paper, slips of silk, flowers, and various other 
 ornaments ; while a supper of rice, fowls, or roasted pigs, is offered to the shades of those 
 who sleep beneath, and a libation of wine at the same time poured upon the ground. 
 As it is a leading maxim of Chinese faith to pay a reverential obedience to parents, 
 these spectacles of sepulchral sacrifices are most frequently witnessed at the grave of a 
 father or mother. In other instances the duty is often deputed to a friend or proxy, but 
 in this case never. 
 
 It is not unusual to see a widow, who has just concluded her prayer-offering beside 
 the cold bed of her once-loved husband, before she has risen from the attitude of 
 supplication, engaged most anxiously in throwing the " sticks of fate" on his grave- 
 stone. Predestination is an universal doctrine in China, and the ancient custom of 
 choosing or rather throwing lots, is still preserved with the most persevering fidelity. 
 On the altar of every temple stands a wooden cup, filled with a number of small sticks 
 marked at the ends with certain characters. The consultant taking up the cup shakes 
 it until one of the sticks falls out; then ascertaining its mark, in the page of the book 
 of fate which is suspended from the altar, and to which the lot refers, reads his future 
 fortune. Such also are the sticks of fate which the widows carry to their lost lords' 
 tombs, and from which they endeavour to learn whether they are doomed to a social 
 or a solitary life in future. It is a superstition of very early growth, that the possessor 
 of a lucky lot has the power of reading his destiny aright. 
 
 " By him the pure events of lots are given ; 
 By him the prophet speaks the will of Heaven." 
 
LAKE SEE-HOO. 13 
 
 One of the most conspicuous, ancient, and interesting objects on the banks of the See- 
 Hoo is the Luy-fung-ta, or " Temple of the Thundering Winds." It stands on the summit 
 of a promontory that advances into the waters, and is materially different in the style of its 
 architecture from the temples or pagodas commonly seen in the Chinese empire. From its 
 tapering form, massive structure, and peculiarity of design, little doubt exists as to its 
 great antiquity, and native authorities assert that its foundation is coeval with the age 
 of Confucius, upwards of two thousand years since. Four stories have survived this great 
 section of time, and, owing to the mildness of the climate, they may resist the ravages 
 of other thousands of years, although no roof remains to aid their preservation. Cor- 
 nices of double curves mark and separate the stories, which are ornamented with cir- 
 cular-headed windows, with architraves and corbels of red sandstone, a yellow species 
 being employed in the walls. To decorate such venerable landmarks of old time the 
 mantle of ivy is wanting, in the deep green folds of which it might defy the very deity 
 to whom it was first consecrated. But this parasite, which poetry has dignified by 
 making an attribute of antiquity, is unknown in China — grass, and wild flowers, and 
 lichens of various kinds, alone finding soil sufficient for their tiny roots in the rents and 
 the fissures of the masonry. The testimony of European travellers extends back with 
 certainty to the time of Marco Polo, in the thirteenth century, at which period the 
 Temple of the Thundering Winds on Lake See-Hoo stood at the height of one hundred 
 and twenty feet above the level of the surrounding soil ; an altitude which has not since 
 heen lowered by a single cubit. 
 
14 CHINA ILLUSTRATED. 
 
 THE IMPERIAL TRAVELLING - PALACE, 
 
 AT THE HOO-KEW-SHAN. 
 
 Give me a mountain -spot where Nature's forms 
 Enchantress Memory twice doth consecrate ; 
 
 Green dreamy vales, and summits swept of storms 
 Rife with the love-tale or dark wizard's fate. 
 
 Well might a Cham's pavilion-walls surround 
 
 The Bhuddist's Chair and phantom-Tiger's Mound. 
 
 C. J. C. 
 
 Jupiter descended occasionally from Olympus, and became the guest of mortals, and 
 the king of Tartarus emerged from his gloomy hall to visit the palace of Queen Ceres, 
 yet the mighty autocrat of the " Celestial empire" never deigns to enter any save an impe- 
 rial habitation. No private palace of his humiliated mandarins, no public serai' of his 
 enslaved subjects, is ever honoured by the imperial presence ; when the court makes a 
 tour of pleasure or policy, the retinue is lodged at " travelling palaces" erected for their 
 reception. These occur along the great high-roads that connect the principal cities of 
 the empire, and some of them exceed in sumptuousness, all in picturesque accompani- 
 ments, the much-celebrated palace and gardens of Pe-king. 
 
 Keang-nan is a fair and a fertile province, enjoying variety of seasons, of soil, of 
 scenery, " here we find the country growing more beautiful, better cultivated, and in all 
 respects more interesting ; we are soon surrounded by picturesque hills in the distance, 
 and the people display superior riches and prosperity in their dresses and habitations.'' 
 In the midst of these happy faces, and amongst these sunny hills, is the imperial travel- 
 ling palace of the Hoo-kew-shan or Tiger Mound. The locality is about nine le north- 
 west of Soo-chow-foo, the second city of the first rank in the province, and is one of 
 the most famed in Chinese story, for its romantic scenery, its commanding prospects, and 
 its ancient legends. From the conspicuousness of the mound that rises so precipitously 
 from the level country, and which has now become a valuable landmark to the mariner, 
 this " gathering of rocky eminences " is also known as the Hae-yung-fung, " or sea-rising 
 peak." Every summit of this " many-topped" group, every recess within these mountains' 
 bosoms, every ravine that intercepts their continuity, presents some object of curiosity 
 or admiration, in the production of which art and nature contend for superiority. On the 
 highest pinnacle is the Keen-che, or "Sword Pool ;" beside it the Tseen-jin-tso-shih, or 
 "rock to seat the thousand people," and opposite are the Sang-kung and Shwo-fa terraces. 
 

 
 
 
 
THE IMPERIAL TRAVELLING-PALACE. 15 
 
 On this spot, as legends say, Heu-loo, King of Woo, was buried, with all the ceremony 
 that suited his rank, and on the third day after his entombment a white tiger was seen 
 seated on his monument, where it remained for several days, and to which it paid perio- 
 dical visits for many subsequent years. It is also believed that when Che-hwang of the 
 Tsin dynasty, and first universal monarch of China, meditated destroying the tombs 
 of Woo, the white tiger, the genius of the family, appeared to him on the mound that 
 is named after his species, and deterred him from his purpose. 
 
 Its sanctity and historical associations, in addition to the attractions of its natural 
 beauties, led hither two brothers, Wang-seun and Wang-min, officers of the court of 
 Tsin, who built their country-seats amidst the rocky defiles of the mountain. The list of 
 temples on the Tiger Mound includes the Twan-poo, in which sacrifices were offered ; 
 the Yin-ho-tsing where Tung-chang studied, and in which a tablet is suspended wherein 
 he is described as " the thrice-reverencing Tse ;" the Woo-heen, or Temple of Five 
 Worthies, adjoining the preceding, is dedicated to three celebrated characters of the 
 epoch of the Tang, and two of the Sung dynasty. 
 
 Antique relics of various descriptions lend an interest to this remarkable locality, 
 perhaps the ruins of the Ko-chung-ting or " Middle Hall," and Pih-kung's Dyke, so 
 called from Pih-loo-teen by whom it was constructed, are held in greatest veneration by 
 Chinese antiquaries. There is a story that Sang-kung, a celebrated Bhuddist priest, 
 was engaged in expounding the mysteries of his faith on the Tiger Mound, when the 
 Emperor Wan-te, of the Sung dynasty, arrived there, and interrupted his prelections 
 by inviting some of his disciples to a banquet. To the emperor's request that his guests 
 would partake of the cheer, one, more courageous than the rest, replied, that " the rules 
 of the priesthood forbade its votaries to taste of food after the day had passed its middle.' 
 "How," said the Emperor, "can the commencement be in the middle (ko-chung)?" 
 " When it is day and dawn of day," answered Sang-kung, " Heaven is said ' to middle 
 it,' and how can it be otherwise !" The priest was silent, then raising his chopsticks, 
 proceeded to taste the delicacies that were spread before him, after which, in comme- 
 moration of the circumstance, he bestowed upon the pavilion the name it bears to 
 the present day. In after ages this revered asylum was the solitary abode of Cho-taou- 
 sang, another Bhuddist priest, renowned for sanctity and learning. Having in vain 
 solicited the attention of men, and finding them a perverse generation " totally destitute 
 of reflection," he collected a number of large stones, and placed them upright all around 
 his rude mountain-pulpit; then seating himself amidst these chill emblems of the human 
 heart, he sarcastically proceeded in his exposition of the Shwo-fa faith, upon which his 
 silent auditory are said to have bowed assent, and in that approving posture they 
 still continue upon the scene of the event. 
 
 The summit of the bold rock that rises abruptly behind the imperial buildings, 
 and is connected with the opposite cliffs by an arched viaduct spanning a deep ravine, is 
 surmounted by the beautiful Han-meaou pagoda of seven stories. From this graceful 
 structure, formerly attached to the Ho-tsing temple, the prospect is extensive and 
 
16 CHINA ILLUSTRATED. 
 
 delightful, forming, from the earliest periods of native topography, a subject of the most 
 enthusiastic admiration. The hills of the Hoo-kew are marked by deep ravines, 
 down which streams of transparent water are heard eternally falling, and, on the narrow 
 pathways, that follow their winding course along the lowest depths of the dark chasms, 
 the rays of the sun scarcely ever strike. Nothing can be imagined more tranquil, lonely, 
 and inspiring than the lofty site of the temple itself, " where the blue ether is breathed, 
 and the white clouds pierced to reach the arch of Heaven." Below, in the wide-extended 
 plain, is the populous Koo-soo, and from this sublime observatory you may " in a turn 
 of the hand" behold the south. 
 
 Adjacent to this glorious relic of Bhuddism stands the chair, a rude rock, such as 
 the Druids of old erected in Britain, whence the venerable Sang-kung delivered his 
 discourses, and taught the vain precepts of his idolatrous faith. His throne, more impe- 
 rishable than his theory, looks down upon the " Sword Pool" beside it, along the banks of 
 which for thousands of cubits, two walls resembling mountains extend, although evidently 
 " cut by the hand of man ;" the water is remarkable for its transparency, as well as 
 for the violent agitations to which it is subject upon the least visitations of wind : and the 
 melancholy sound of its waves, as they roll upon the shores, are heard in solemn echoes 
 all round the group of the Tiger Mound. Lower down upon the hill is a circle of unhewn 
 rocks, with huge holders lying irregularly around, and near to these the stone benches of 
 " the thousand people." The surface of these beautiful hills presents everywhere some 
 relic of Bhuddism bearing a remarkable analogy to the druidical remains of England and 
 Ireland, and the proximity of the Pagoda, a variety of the Irish pillar-tower, strengthens 
 the resemblance. The Pih-leen-che, or Pool of the White Lilies, is situated still lower 
 down, having its surface resplendent with the vermilion and blue of these sumptuous 
 aquatic plants. A pathway from the bank of the fairy-lake descends amidst rocks, and 
 grottoes, and sparkling fountains, reconducting the visitor to the garden from whence the 
 principal front of the palace is approached. An oriental topographer, in the florid style 
 of his climate, speaking of the scenery of Hoo-kew, says, " its height does not oppose the 
 clouds, its depth does not conceal its prospects, nor is its shallowness a hillock ; it has 
 paths extending to an extraordinary distance, apparently impervious, and then again 
 passable, with rocks which seem suddenly to divide, and then as suddenly to unite." 
 
 In the centre of the accompanying view may be observed an upright stone inscribed 
 with the words " How-kew," the name of the place ; its presence affords another 
 analogy between oriental customs and those of these western Isles. We have still 
 in North Wales many such " upright stones," some perhaps, like the Roman Termini, 
 to mark territorial boundaries; one called Maen y Campiau, "the Stone of Games," 
 the goal, perchance, of some primitive stadium ; while another, perpetuating a station 
 of pilgrimage or penance, is still designated Maen Achwynffan, "the Stone of Lamen- 
 tation." This assemblage of ancient remains, this group of picturesque hills, rendered 
 interesting by so many associations, is now included within the grounds and the gardens 
 of an imperial palace, and no more likely to revert to the dominion of priestcraft, than 
 
- 
 
 >x- 
 
 
 $ 
 
HARBOUK OF HONG-KONG. 17 
 
 the woods and the mountains of Britain that once witnessed the crimes and the cruelties 
 of Druidism. 
 
 The following lines in praise of the Tiger Mound are quoted from the writings of 
 Pih-keu-e, a poet who flourished under the Tang dynasty — 
 
 Wonderful is the rook on which a thousand priests sat. 
 And spiritual the pool in which a sword was plunged ! 
 The waters are opposed to both sides of the Pavilion, 
 And the mountain is in the centre of the temple. 
 
 HARBOUR OF HO K G - K S G. 
 
 Hail, little isle ! and Hong's fair haven, hail ! 
 
 First-fruits of China to the ocean-queen ! 
 New orient realms, new navies' embryo sail 
 
 Glass'd in thy shifting horoscope are seen. 
 May British virtue shine, in thee confer t ; 
 And in her colony be Britain blest ! C. J. C. 
 
 There is an archipelago of rocky islets in the estuary of the Canton river, long known, 
 but only lately visited by Europeans. Of these, Hong-Kong, one of the most easterly. 
 and only forty miles distant from Macao, possesses a harbour so sheltered, commodious, 
 and secure, that during the repudiation of our trade from Canton by commissioner Lin, 
 it became the favourite rendezvous of British merchantmen. Hither mariners have been 
 attracted by the facility of procuring a supply of the purest water, which is seen falling 
 from the cliffs of the Leong-teong, or two summits, in a series of cascades, the last of 
 which glides in one grand and graceful lapse into a rocky basin on the beach, whence 
 the waters rebounding are widely scattered in their unrestricted progress towards the 
 open sea. It is from this fountain, " Heang-keang, the fragrant-stream, or Hoong- 
 keang, the red or briglit torrent, that the island is supposed to derive its name; and it is 
 little less probable, that this very name is the grateful memento of some thirsty mariners 
 who, ages ago, obtained here a seasonable supply in time of need. The maximum length 
 of the isle is about eight miles, its breadth seldom exceeding five ; its mountains of 
 trap-rock, are conical, precipitous, and sterile in aspect, but the valleys that intervene 
 are sheltered and fertile, and the genial climate that prevails gives luxuriance and 
 productiveness to every spot, which, by its natural position, is susceptible of agricultural 
 improvement. The aboriginal inhabitants, about four thousand in number, are poor, 
 but contented and industrious, and, whoever has experienced the insolence of office, in 
 the treatment of the mandarins at Canton to British subjects, is alone competent to 
 appreciate the innate gentleness, and disinterested hospitality, of the farmers and the 
 fishermen of Hong-Kong. On the south, the sheltered shore of the island, are several 
 hamlets,* and the town of Chek-choo, the little capital, where a mandarin and his 
 
 * Wang-nei-chung, Heong-keong, Shek-pei-wan, Soo-koon-poo, and some others. 
 
 E 
 
13 CHINA ILLUSTRATED. 
 
 myrmidons usually resided. Within the last half century these industrious islanders 
 have seen their picturesque harbour twice occupied by large fleets of European vessels 
 riding securely at anchor; in 1S16, the expedition under the conduct of Lord Amherst 
 visited their shores for the purpose of watering, and of receiving interpreters ; and, at the 
 commencement of the recent Chinese quarrel, this was for many months the chief opium 
 mart. The opium brought from Hindustan was here transferred to the Hercules and 
 Lintin storeships, respectively representing the interests of Great Britain and of America, 
 and reshipped on board vessels destined for Chinese ports. By an arrangement entered 
 into between the British superintendent and commissioner Keshen, during a cessation 
 of hostilities in the Chinese war, the Island of Hong-Kong was ceded to the Queen of 
 England,* and, in a few months after, the population of the new settlement of " Queen's 
 Town" was estimated at eight thousand souls, and the grand total of the island at 
 fifteen. This cession received a final confirmation by the treaty of the 29th August, 
 1842, when the British army, at the gates of Nanking, dictated terms of peace to the 
 Celestial Empire. 
 
 As a commercial entrepot, as a safe asylum for our shipping in the Oriental seas, as 
 commanding the estuary of the Canton river, and as a military station, Hong-Kong pos- 
 sesses the utmost value ; but, it never can become a port for the direct and immediate 
 shipment of Chinese exports, the mountainous and inhospitable character of the coast 
 between it and the productive provinces of the empire, completely intercepting commu- 
 nication. The harbour, however, the subject of the accompanying view, is one of the 
 noblest roadsteads in the east;f situated between the north-west extremity of the island 
 and the mainland, it may be entered southward through Lamma Channel, — westward by 
 the Cap-sing-mun passage, and from the east by vessels sailing close under the penin- 
 sula of Kow-lung. When Captain Elliott's proclamation declared Hong-Kong to be a 
 part and parcel of the British dominions, he marked out the site of Queen's-Town on the 
 southern shore, and here, around the standard of freedom, whole streets started into 
 existence as if raised by the wand of the enchanter. A broad hard road now extends 
 to the harbour of Ty-tam, around which marine villas are in progress of erection, com. 
 manding the grand spectacle of Hong harbour, and enjoying the refreshing breezes that 
 blow from the unbounded sea. At the base of the lofty mountain-chain that margins the 
 Chinese coast for many a league, is the Cow-loon (kow-lung, the winding dragon) 
 peninsula, which, like the isthmus at Gibraltar, was to have been considered neutral 
 ground, but the enemy having violated the treaty, it was seized by the British, who 
 garrisoned the fort and named it Victoria, in honour of her Britannic majesty. 
 
 Besides the usual products of Chinese soil, climate, and industry, which are very 
 prominently and meritoriously raised in this pleasant islet, there is a valuable export of 
 granite, and a large proportion of the natives have long sustained themselves by the 
 
 • Mr. Johnston, (the son of the Right Honourable Sir Alexander Johnston,) Her Majesty's Deputy Superin- 
 tendent in China, was appointed Acting Governor, with an establishment consisting of a magistrate, a harbour- 
 master, and a land-surveyor. 
 
 t " In all points, both of facility of egress and ingress, and in its perfectly land-locked situation, this harbour 
 can hardly have a superior in the world."— R.port of Lord Amherst's Voyage, &c. 
 
HAUBOUR OF HONG-KONG. 19 
 
 profits of hewing this primitive stone. In the structure of the district, the trap-rocks 
 hold the higher position, while the granite is found in huge debris scattered over the 
 level and the lower regions. As there is no necessity for blasting or quarrying, the 
 masses being detached and accessible on every side, it only remains for the labourer to 
 hew or split each bolder into blocks easy of transport to the shore. This process is 
 performed by the maul, chisel, and wedges, in a manner long practised by the granite 
 hewers on the shores of Dublin bay, and in the mountains that rise at a little distance 
 from them. With the maul and chisel, shallow holes, at equal intervals, are sunk in a 
 right line along the surface of the rock, into which iron wedges are subsequently driven, 
 which rend the mass with an extraordinary regularity. The rent blocks of course 
 present a rugged surface, but the inequality is soon reduced to sufficient smoothness 
 by the application of keener-edged tools. 
 
 In every sheltered nook along the coast a lonely cottage makes its appearance, close 
 to the margin of the water, and before the door stands a piece of machinery consisting 
 of a bench, raised a few feet from the ground, with foot and back board, to give the 
 occupant complete control over his movements, besides two upright posts connected by 
 a windlass with a wheel at each extremity. This construction is a regular accompani- 
 ment of every fisherman's hut, and completely characteristic of Hong-Kong scenery. 
 The elevated stage forms part of an apparatus for fishing which none but Chinamen 
 could ever have contrived, and none else have continued to use, after they had witnessed 
 the more simple means employed by foreigners, to obtain the same conclusion. The 
 radii of the wheels, attached to the extremities of the reel or windlass, are so many 
 levers, which, by the operator pressing with his hands and feet, coil up or release a 
 set of ropes tied to stakes stuck into the muddy bottom of the shallow sea. Between 
 these stakes a net is suspended, so nicely adjusted that its weight depresses their heads 
 below the surface whenever the ropes are relaxed. The net being immersed, the 
 partners in the stratagem, who are provided with a boat, row to the seaward of it, and, 
 by striking the gong, by vociferating, and by beating the surface of the water with 
 their oars, affright the fish, and drive them into the space immediately over the secret 
 snare. The person stationed at the windlass paying the most vigilant attention to these 
 proceedings, and feeling the vibration produced in the meshes by the efforts of the fish 
 to descend, slowly turns his levers until his net is brought near the surface, where 
 the boatmen are waiting to secure the draught. Two principles in philosophy seem to 
 have been fully understood by these children of nature, one is the extraordinary power 
 of conveying sound which is possessed by water ; the other, that fish, prompted by 
 instinct, always endeavour to escape from danger by diving clown into deeper water, but 
 never rise to the surface for that object. The supply so procured is not sent to the 
 market of Queen's-Town for sale, the quantity sought and obtained being seldom more 
 than sufficient for the wants of the fisherman's family: and, it is by means of this 
 wholesome fare, together with the whitest and firmest rice in the Chinese empire, that 
 the inhabitants of this sea-girt isle succeed in presenting an appearance of rude and 
 never-failing health, that visitors universally remark. 
 
•JO CHINA ILLUSTRATED. 
 
 TEMPLE OF POO-TA-LA, 
 
 AT ZIIE-IIOL, IN TARTARY. 
 
 Temple of Pagan Fo I Gigantic shrine 
 
 Of giant idol and more monstrous faith ! 
 Can prison-walls, and altars such as thine, 
 
 Train votive Emperors o'er the desert's path ? 
 Oh ! then shall China's ill her blessing prove, 
 When Christian Zhe-hol crowns our missionary love. C. J. C. 
 
 Of Tartar descent, the emperor of China still retains his Tartarian predilections. The 
 language of his original country is not discouraged, Mongolian Tartars find especial 
 favour within the boundary-wall, and every returning summer witnesses the emigration 
 of the Imperial household to his majesty's ancestral home amidst the wild scenery of 
 Zhe-hol. The journey thither is long, the way fatiguing, but the period at which it is 
 made, obviates numerous inconveniences, that more severe weather and shorter days 
 might occasion, while the imperial cortege finds suitable accommodation at the numerous 
 travelling-palaces placed at equal intervals along the line of road reserved for royalty 
 alone. Two objects, personal interest and public duty, demand the emperor's annual 
 visit to his patrimonial possessions, — inspection of his domains, and reception of the 
 khans to whom he entrusts the government of Tartary. These great claims upon his 
 feelings and his justice being answered, he devotes one portion of his leisure to the 
 pleasures of the chase, another to the offering of prayers and presents in the great temple 
 of Fo. 
 
 The palace and gardens are seated in a valley on the banks of a majestic river, in 
 the immediate vicinity of the little town of Zhe-hol, and overhung by lofty and rugged 
 mountains, which, at the season of the imperial visit, present a scene of the most sublime 
 and gratifying character. Accompanied by his Tartar life-guards, who are not required 
 to follow the faith of their sovereign against the impulse of their consciences, his majesty 
 enters the Poo-ta-la, while his satellites occasionally remain outside, employing them- 
 selves in showing how " swift is the arrow from the Tartar's bow," how incomplete his 
 knowledge of the management of artillery, and how relentless his maxims in the punish- 
 ment of minor offences. The Poo-ta-la, a corruption of Budhalaya, the habitation of 
 Budah, is the most spacious, celebrated, and wealthy of all the temples in Tartary. It 
 includes one great and several smaller structures of plain exterior. The main building is 
 a square, each side of which extends 200 feet, and its general character and design are 
 totally unlike those of any temple or building in the Celestial dominions. Eleven lofty 
 stories are distinctly marked by as many tiers of windows in the principal front, and 
 the inferior buildings, as viewed from the eminence in the imperial park, whence the 
 illustration is taken, are pierced as numerously in proportion. The golden chapel 
 

 
 
 
 
 
TEMPLE OF POO-TA-LA. 21 
 
 occupies the central quadrangle of the principal pile, and corridors and galleries below 
 and above surround the area in which it stands. In the centre of the chapel is a dais 
 enclosed by golden railings, on which stand three altars richly adorned, and supporting 
 colossal figures of Fo, his Wife, and Child. At the extreme end of the chapel, in a dark 
 recess, is the sacred tabernacle, dimly lighted by a solitary lamp, emblematic either of 
 immortality, if it be supposed ever-burning, or of the slight tenure of human life by the 
 facility with which its flame may be extinguished. This point is not expounded by the 
 priest, to whose remissness the occasional extinction of this vestal lamp has ere now been 
 imputed; nor are strangers permitted to peep within the veil of broidered tapestry, that 
 falls between the chapel and the shrine to exclude the curiosity of unbelievers. Ascend- 
 ing to the roof of the chapel, the extravagance of idolatrous enthusiasm is again 
 exhibited in the golden plates that cover it, and in the profuseness with which every part 
 of it is decorated. The religion to which this gorgeous but unsightly pile is conse- 
 crated, is a mere modification of the doctrines of Tao-tze or " The Sons of Immortals," 
 who borrowed all their notions from the priests of the Delai Lama of Thibet. Immor- 
 tality being one of the pretended attributes of the Lama, the impostors carried with them 
 into China a potion which they asserted to be the elixir vitce ; but, as such an impious 
 fraud was easy of detection, they were soon compelled to abandon it. Celibacy, however, 
 and exclusive consecration to the priesthood, with all the other regulations of the order, 
 are retained in the reformed religion of Lao-kung. 
 
 As the visiter passes through the chapel of gold, he will have an opportunity of 
 seeing the eight hundred lamas attached to the Poo-ta-la, some sitting cross-legged on 
 the floor, engaged in reading or writing, and others occasionally singing, in tones solemn 
 and subdued. It might reasonably have been concluded, from their education and learn- 
 ing, from their having been devoted to the altar from their childhood, like Samuel 
 amongst the Israelites, and from the vast accumulation of treasure confided to their 
 administration, that these lamas would possess a widely-extended influence over the 
 followers of Fo, but such is not the case. They pay the most strict attention to the 
 exterior rites of their religion, they contribute by pharisaical punctuality to maintain 
 the respect and magnificence of its ceremonies, but their private virtues, the extent 
 and character of their information, do not entitle them to that superiority over the people 
 which might be made instrumental to the preservation of peace and subordination in 
 society. The dress of the lamas is simple, and suitable ; from their neck they wear 
 suspended a chaplet, or roll of beads, on which they count their orisons, and in their 
 visits to the Tartar tents they continue, as they pass, reciting prayers, telling off beads, 
 and professing to call down hail or rain according to the value of the present offered for 
 such intervention. In their service in the temple they pursue the ceremonies of the 
 Tao-tzes, marching in procession round the altar, telling their beads, repeating at every 
 count Om-e-to-fo, and bowing the head: when the entire roll is thus told off, they 
 register the performance by a mark of chalk, and refer to it as an evidence of the 
 number of ejaculations made to their golden god. 
 
 F 
 
')'> CHINA ILLUSTRATED. 
 
 This singularly stupid religion is the only one to which the government in China 
 affords any support or protection, all sects being freely permitted to exercise the privi- 
 lege of unrestricted choice. The priests of the Lama are paid and maintained as part 
 of the Imperial establishment, and the Tartar officer of state uniformly embraces this 
 faith, if faith it can be called, disclaiming, however, all participation in the impious 
 principle set up by " The Sons of Immortals." 
 
 SE-TSEAOU-SHAN, 
 
 OR, THE WESTERN SEARED HILLS. 
 
 Oh, for enchanter's steed, or charmed lamp, 
 
 Or wand, or wings, to waft me thro' the sky 
 To where, rock-cradled, in its drapery damp, 
 
 With chant of quiring winds for lullaby, 
 The little Vale of Clouds in verdure drest, 
 Nestles 'mid yon Sear'd Summits of the West ! C. J. C. 
 
 About one hundred miles west from the city of Canton, a mountain group arises, as 
 remarkable for the actual area which it occupies, as for the vast number of its abrupt 
 and pointed summits. The eternal resting-place of clouds, it becomes the parent of 
 many rivers, contributing also to swell the volume of the navigable and fertilizing 
 Se-keang. The scenery of this rocky region is celebrated by all travellers and tale- 
 tellers ; but the riches of legendary lore do not constitute the only or the greatest 
 treasures of the locality. These are obtained by the appliances of art and industry — 
 " gold, precious stones, silk, pearls, eaglewood, tin, quicksilver, sugar, copper, iron, 
 steel, saltpetre, ebony, and abundance of aromatic woods." These treasures, combined 
 with the produce of the fertile plains that sleep around this mountain-mass, render the 
 province of Kwang-tung, the most wealthy, commercial and civilized in the empire. 
 
 Never was mountain-scenery so \llustrated by either legend or story-breathing 
 epithet as the many-topped hills" of Se-tseaou ; there is not a crag in all these rude, 
 romantic, rugged regions, that has not its tradition — there is not a natural form of any 
 magnitude unmarked by some characteristic designation. 
 
 The form of the Se-tseaou is said to resemble " a floating dragon," embracing within 
 its sinuosities a circuit of at least forty le. Around it is drawn by nature, or some 
 preternatural power, four deep and yawning dikes, called Keen-tsun, Sha-tow, Lung- 
 tsin, and Kin, and from its summit start up, in broken yet conical forms, seventy-two con- 
 spicuous and lofty peaks. Like the towers of a fortress around the central keep, or the 
 lily's leaves around its sheltered cup, these tall peaks enclose and overhang Yan-Yfih, or 
 " the Valley of Clouds," a vast and fertile plain within them. The keen blasts from the 
 east are intercepted by the peaks called Ta-ko, The Blue Cloud,* The Purple Cloud, f 
 
 " Pih-yun. T Tsze-yun. 
 

 
 
 
SE-TSEAOU-SHAN. *23 
 
 and The Yellow,* which form an impervious screen, even in this "kingdom of the 
 winds." On the north-west, the most remarkable elevations are those named 
 The White Hill,f The Great Smoothing-iron,! The Green Cloud,§ and The Lion- 
 peak || . These rise, ridge on ridge, from "the cup of the lily," and descend again 
 from their culminating point, by gradual falls, to the banks of the great river, which 
 flows smoothly past their base in its progress towards the city of Macao. Down the 
 centre of the Valley of Cloudslf flows a clear bright stream, having its springs amidst 
 the " Heaven's height," and the " Heaven's grove" summits, whence the water, falling 
 in majestic sheets from one precipice to another, reaches at last the rocky reservoir that 
 furnishes a copious supply to the river. The inhabitants of this happy valley have, 
 with a natural and excellent judgment, conferred upon many of the surrounding objects, 
 names expressive of some characteristic property. The presence of mineral treasures 
 is indicated by the names of Gold and Silver Wells, Iron Spring, and Jasper Rock. 
 The bolts of imperial Jove have doubtless been often shivered on the sides and the 
 summits of the Luytan-lun, " Thundermound," while the " Peak of the Genii," and 
 the " Spirit's Hand," and the " Nine Dragons," have preserved in their legendary titles 
 the fabulous records of these alpine regions. 
 
 Underneath the " Rock Peak," which closes the entrance of the vale, the stream 
 that winds through it sinks suddenly from view into " The Bottomless Well," and, after 
 a subterranean course of more than half a mile, enters the Pearl Canal, which opens 
 intothe Se-keang, or Western River. How closely does the Moralist's imagined seclusion 
 from the pursuits of men resemble these faithful details of the " Valley of Clouds !" — 
 " The place which the wisdom or policy of antiquity had destined for the residence of 
 the Abyssinian princes was a spacious valley in the kingdom of Amhara, surrounded on 
 every side by mountains, of which the summits overhang the middle part The only 
 passage by which it could be entered was a cavern that passed under a rock, of which 
 it had long been disputed whether it was the work of nature or of human industry." 
 
 Amongst the numerous occupations that minister to the necessities, happiness, and 
 wealth of the inhabitants of the Se-tseaou-shan, fishing constitutes one of the most 
 constant Not content with the tedious process of the hook and line, the Chinaman 
 uniformly employs the more unfailing meshes of a finely-woven net. The barge or 
 flat-bottomed boat employed in this service, is supplied with two levers, rude long poles 
 tied together at one end, but having a net, with its suspension-frame of crossed hoops, 
 depending from the other. The manager of the machinery allows the lever to ascend just 
 as many feet as he desires that the net should sink in the water; and, after waiting 
 a reasonable time for the fish to be attracted by the bait, he draws the tied ends down 
 again, by which means the net is raised to the surface, at the stern of the boat, where 
 an assistant is in readiness to secure the draught This mode of fishing is essentially 
 the same as that pursued by the fishermen on the coast of Hong Kong island, and of 
 which a more full description has been given in the eighteenth page of this volume. 
 
 * Hwang. t Pih-shan. t Tae-wei. $ Tsuy-yun. j Sze-tste. ^ Yun-yuh. 
 
24 CHINA ILLUSTRATED. 
 
 THE TSEIH-SING-YEN, 
 
 OR, SEVEN-STAR HILLS. 
 
 Say, stony Seven, why start ye from the plain, 
 
 Fix'd and eternal as Orion's stars, 
 And kindred-titled ? Doth your group remain 
 
 The cloud-dropt monument of giants' wars, — 
 Torn from yon heights, upflung, and backward driven, 
 Each its own fiend to crush, the fatting stars of Heaven ? 
 
 C. J. c. 
 
 In all the romantic region of the seventy-two peaks that occupy the western district 
 of Quang-tong, the locality of "The Seven-star mountains" is not merely the most extra- 
 ordinary, but also the most illustrative of provincial scenery and agrarian habits. Its geolo- 
 gical structure must strike the most cursory observer, its broken and varied forms gratify 
 the eye of fancy, and, no single scene in Quang-tong gives a more comprehensive anc 
 simultaneous exemplification of the rural occupations of the southern Chinamen. In the 
 revolution of events, the low lands, that now lie between these isolated rocks, were pro- 
 bably beneath the waters of the sea, and the alluvial character of the soil favours the idea 
 of their aqueous origin. The detached masses, that rise up so abruptly in the middle dis- 
 tance, and give a name and peculiarity to the landscape, are of secondary limestone, worn 
 into grotesque and cavernous forms, either by the abrasion of the weather, or former 
 action of the waves. In the distance stands the Woo-fung-shih, or five-peaked mountain, 
 attaining a height of five thousand feet, and solely of granitic formation. Every ledge, 
 and rock-terrace, and crowning summit of these insulated hills, is reduced by industry to 
 complete submission, and has exchanged a surface once as sterile as their aspect, for 
 a productive and remunerating soil. In some places the disintegrated rock has supplied 
 a meagre soil, in which the tea-plant flourishes with an exuberance superior to that 
 which richer loam imparts ; in other cases, the deep clay from the valley has been carried 
 up and laid on the bare rock, in depth sufficient for the purposes of cultivation. There 
 cannot be a more interesting evidence of the dense occupation of the surface, and the 
 indefatigable industry of its cultivators, than the happy cottages that adorn the steep 
 sides and summits of "The Seven Stars," and the mulberry-trees and tea-plantations that 
 luxuriate around them. The poorer portion, and the latest candidates for existence, being 
 pushed from the crowded area of the plain, were obliged to seek independence amidst 
 the mountains ; and the lessons of labour learned from their ancestors were instru- 
 mental in securing for them homes as enviable and happy. 
 
 The conical mountains that rise so majestically above the rich plain of the Tseih- 
 sing-yen, include numerous scenes, celebrated amongst the Chinese for their beauty 
 

 
 1 
 
 
 
 
THE TSEIH-SING-YEN. "25 
 
 and sublimity. From the Five Peaks a cascade descends so majestically, that at the 
 interval of a mile the fall resembles one vast curtain of glass, while the thundering 
 sound with which it reaches the bed of the river is heard at the distance of several 
 leagues. The source of this picturesque torrent is situated in a circular hollow, entirely 
 surrounded and overhung by four lofty mountains, densely clothed with wood to their 
 highest peaks. The inhabitants call it "The Hollow of the rich Grove," and the peaks 
 above it are distinguished, more patrio, by the most fanciful, quaint, and significant epithets. 
 One is, the Phoenix Eyrie ; another, the Jasper Stand ; a third, the Terrace of Smoke 
 and Vapour, while the sylphs of the mountain frequent " the Cloudy Road." A singular 
 cataract rolls down the front of the Cloudy Mountain, conspicuous as well for its loud and 
 awful sounds in falling, as for the triple tides in which it tumbles. Rushing impetuously 
 from amidst the vapours that wrap the summit of the mountain, it suddenly separates 
 into three distinct volumes, each of considerable magnitude, and passes close by the 
 Mill-stone Rock; after which the three branches becoming again united, fall into the 
 Jasper Lake. 
 
 The instruction conveyed by the accompanying illustration is not limited to mere 
 picturesque, although faithful delineation ; it comprehends, also, some interesting 
 representations of the rural occupations of the people. Much attention is evidently 
 bestowed on the culture of the calabash, which is induced to creep along a horizontal 
 trellis, supported by rude pillars about seven feet in height, rendering both the blossoms 
 and the fruit easily tended by the cultivator. This plant, the lagenia vulgaris of botanists, 
 is held in much estimation by the Chinese ; the pulp being edible, is extracted, boiled in 
 vinegar, mixed with rice and flesh, and formed into a pudding. The domestic usefulness 
 of the gourd does not cease here, the shell generally serving as a pudding-dish for the 
 favourite mixture, after which it is laid up amongst the household-utensils to serve as a 
 drinking-cup. There are other uses also to which the calabash husk is applied, less 
 valuable but equally ingenious, such as to disguise the fowler's head while engaged in 
 catching aquatic birds. 
 
 Beyond the gourd-frame, numbers are seen actively employed in the watery rice- 
 grounds, and farther still appear two branches of the Pearl Canal, whose waters answer 
 the double purpose of transport and irrigation. 
 
•_>H CHINA ILLUSTRATED. 
 
 THE CULTURE AND PREPARATION OF TEA. 
 
 In far Cathay is Adam's line, 
 
 A peaceful aud a sober race ; 
 Uncultur'd there the vaunted vine — 
 
 A growth more blest supplies its place. 
 Though scorn'd, the world's purveyors they : and we 
 Dismiss our wine for Chinaware and Tea. C. J. C. 
 
 It is uncertain to which country, China or Japan, the tea-plant is indigenous ; nor have 
 European botanists arrived at such an exact knowledge of its habitats as enables them 
 to assign its proper classification. But so strongly does it resemble the Camellia in its 
 botanical characters, that it is now generally referred to that genus — its flowers and 
 leaves, however, being much smaller. Whether this Asiatic plant has been known 
 elsewhere, or will thrive in a different soil and climate from those in which it is now so 
 successfully cultivated, may be doubted ; but we are assured that it has formed one of 
 the favourite productions of the Chinese central provinces from the remotest antiquity. 
 
 There are probably two varieties of the plant to which the Chinese give the name 
 of Then, or Tlia — the Thea viridis, with broad leaves, and the Thea Bohea* It was 
 long thought that green tea was gathered exclusively from the former, but this conclu- 
 sion is not drawn from sufficient evidence, and the notion seems to have arisen from the 
 circumstance of there being two distinct tea districts in the empire. A spacious tract 
 in the province of Keang-nan, included between the twenty-ninth and thirty-first degrees 
 of north latitude, and sheltered by the mountain-chain that separates this province from 
 Che-keang, is usually denominated the Green Tea district, while the Black Tea district is 
 situated in a lower latitude, and at the base of the mountains that form the line between 
 the provinces of Fo-kien and Keang-si. The whole range of the tea districts is therefore 
 comprehended between the twenty-seventh and thirty-first degrees of latitude. It should 
 not, however, be concluded, from the cultivation of the tea-plant being apparently confined 
 to these provinces, that it is not, or might not be, extended to others ; nor, from the 
 thea viridis being prepared in the upper province, that it could not also be matured in 
 the lower; for it is not unfrequent, in civilized countries, to find special manufactures 
 located in particular districts, beyond which they seldom migrate. Besides, it is more 
 truly the case with respect to the cultivation of tea in China, the plant growing in most 
 
 * A chemical analysis of both species gives the following contents : — Of Green Tea, 34 6 parts of tannin, 
 6-9 of gum, 5'7 of vegetable albumine, 51'3 of ligneous fibre, with 2-5 of loss. Of Black Tea, 40'6 of tannin. 
 6-3 of gum, 6 - 4 of vegetable albumine, 44 8 of ligneous fibre, with 2- of loss. The ashes contain silica, car- 
 bonate of lime, magnesia, and chloride of potassium Davy, Frank, &c. 
 

 1 
 
 
THE CULTURE AND PREPARATION OP TEA. 27 
 
 of its provinces, even those bordering on Chinese Tartary, being gathered in several of 
 them for home consumption only, while the whole produce of the green and black 
 tea districts is reserved for exportation to Europe and America. 
 
 The. distinctions assigned by commerce to the different descriptions of tea are sup- 
 posed to have originated with the Canton merchants ; the epithets bohea, congo, campo, 
 souchong, pouchong, flowery pekoe, and orange pekoe, for black teas; and of twankay, 
 hyson skin, young hyson, hyson, imperial, and gunpowder, for green teas, being wholly 
 unknown in China, with the exception of that styled imperial. This latter, called 
 yu-tien, which is only served on occasions of ceremony, consists of the young leaves of 
 the plants, not of any rare species, and is identical with the high-flavoured tea which 
 Du Halde, who calls it Mao-tcha, asserts to have been appropriated to the emperor. 
 Even the cups used with the imperial preparation are different from those generally 
 employed, being furnished with a perforated silver plate, to keep the leaves down while 
 the infusion passes through ; and also with a stand or saucer of precious metal, shaped 
 like a Chinese boat. As for the many varieties of tea known to European merchants, 
 they can be but mixtures of different values and qualities, or successful imitations by 
 ingenious Asiatics. In Shan-tung a superior dercription of tea is sold, obtained from 
 a species of moss peculiar to the mountains of that province ; and European travellers 
 have frequently seen ferns, prepared for a similar purpose, exposed for sale at Nan- 
 chang-foo, on the lake Po-yang, where an infusion from that plant was a very favourite 
 beverage. There is much reason to suppose also, that if the Chinese do not actually 
 sell the camellia leaves as tea to foreign dealers, they mix them, and in no measured 
 proportions, in their chests for exportation. The introduction of a few leaves of the o/ea 
 fragrans, a system adopted by the Japanese to impart a high and aromatic flavour to 
 the leaf, can hardly be viewed as a violation of commercial integrity, and is not exposed 
 therefore to the censure with which other admixtures are justly chargeable. But there 
 are numerous schemes, both for increasing the weight and adulterating the contents of 
 each chest, which have been imputed to Chinese merchants since the first commence- 
 ment of our humiliating trade with Canton. 
 
 It is somewhat singular that tea is supposed to have been first employed by the 
 Chinese as a preventive of leprosy, the precise object for which ardent spirits were first 
 distilled and drank in the northern countries of Europe. The same apprehensions, 
 errors, and superstitions, therefore, appear in this instance to have influenced a large 
 portion of the human race in different countries from the earlier ages. These qualities, 
 however, do not now continue to be attributed to the infusion of tea-leaves ; but others, 
 perhaps more valuable in an age when leprosy is unfrequent, are allowed to attend its 
 use. Its effects on the human system are those of a very mild narcotic and sedative ; 
 and, like those of any similar medicine taken in small quantities, exhilarating. Chemical 
 analysis, however, has not yet discovered that principle in tea to which its exciting 
 property is due. The green tea preparations possess this quality in a much higher 
 degree than the black ; and a strong infusion of the former will, in most constitutions, 
 
28 CHINA ILLUSTRATED. 
 
 produce considerable excitement and wakefulness. Still, of all narcotics, tea is the 
 least pernicious, if indeed it be so in any degree. 
 
 Some of its medicinal properties possess much value ; taken moderately, and 
 cautiously, it acts as an astringent and corroborative ; it strengthens the stomach and 
 bowels, assists digestion, acts as a diuretic and diaphoretic; but, excess must be avoided, 
 and vigilance exercised in its administration. Induced by such valuable properties, 
 other nations, distinguished for intelligence, enterprise, and perseverance, have 
 attempted the naturalization of the tea-plant in their colonies, or parent states. In the 
 island of Java, the Dutch have undertaken its cultivation, and, to insure success, 
 imported cultivators from the tea-districts of China. These little plantations promised 
 favourably at first ; but, whether from faithlessness in the labourers, error in the selec- 
 tion of the plant originally, or a change of purpose on the part of the government, not 
 wishing to excite Chinese jealousy, the speculation was not pursued with the enthusiasm 
 in which it originated. 
 
 Another attempt, also attended with initial prosperity, was made near St. Sebas- 
 tian in Brazil. In the botanic garden, six miles from that city, the government 
 incurred the expense of collecting rare and valuable exotics from opposite parts of the 
 world. To their growth and fructuosity both soil and climate were favourable, and the 
 plants of the East appeared to have suffered no diminution of vigour by transplantation. 
 A political lethargy, however, came over all Portuguese institutions, the influence of 
 which unfortunately extended to this once celebrated botanical collection ; and, were 
 it not for the zeal, taste, and judgment of Senor Gomez, the superintendent of a 
 powder-mill in the neighbourhood, the botanic garden of Saint Sebastian, like the 
 flowers of its annuals, would have passed away from sight and memory. This gen- 
 tleman, notwithstanding the defects of the establishment, continued, through the aid 
 of a few Chinese gardeners, to cultivate the tea-plant with great success. " It was 
 in seed at the time of my (Dr. Abel's) visit, and its leaves had been repeatedly and 
 effectually manufactured. Many other Chinese plants were growing here in full 
 vigour ; amongst those the tallow and wax trees, and camellia sasanqua, were the most 
 conspicuous." In later years than those in which Sir Henry Ellis and Dr. Abel visited 
 Brazil, the tea-plant was discovered growing wild in Assam by Mr. Bruce. This gen- 
 tleman traced it along the Brahmaputra from Jaipore in Lower Assam, to Joorhaut, the 
 capital of the upper province. It is found in the natural jungle which covers a large 
 portion of the country, and beneath the shade of which it grows luxuriantly. Under 
 the superintendence of the discoverer himself, the culture of tea was spiritedly com- 
 menced ; and, with the aid of Chinese cultivators, there is no reason to suppose that 
 it will not be ultimately able to compete with the large black-leafed tea, called, in 
 England, bohea, and in China ta-c/ia, or large tea. — (See the Culture, Manufacture, 
 and History of the Introduction of Tea into Europe, in var. he. seu.) 
 

 \ 
 
 
THE GREAT WALL OF CHINA. 29 
 
 THE GREAT WALL OF CHINA.* 
 
 O'er field and flood, o'er mountain, plain, and vale, 
 
 Like that vast dragon of a perish'd world, 
 Its hydra-heads of war and stony trail 
 
 Invasion daunt, and mock at hosts unfurl'd. 
 The Romanf thus did Afric's snake arrest, 
 And the flush'd legions check, that fated Carthage press'd. C. J. C. 
 
 A rude state of society, the wandering habits of uncivilized nations, and a wrong esti- 
 mate of the quality of vengeance, may have rendered defensive military architecture both 
 necessary and effectual in the early ages of mankind. Simple earth-works for such objects 
 still survive in many countries, the annals of whose primitive people have become either 
 confused or extinct ; besides, have not the Medes, Syrians, Egyptians, Romans, Picts, 
 and Welsh, left abiding evidence of the confidence which they placed in mural protec- 
 tion ? Eastward of the Caspian sea a boundary wall was built by one of the successors 
 of Alexander the Great ; and Tamerlane, too, did not despise the security which such 
 structures afforded. These two latter lines of separation and defence, like the great 
 wall of the Celestial Empire, were drawn, to restrain the sudden irruptions of nomade 
 Tartars. In all instances, however, in which the authors of these great records of past 
 time can be determined with certainty, the painful fact is presented, that in the most abso- 
 lute tyranny, and in the most abject slavery, such structures had their origin. This truth 
 detracts considerably from that feeling of pleasure with which the antiquary pursues an 
 inquiry into their origin, and reduces the investigation to the motive which actuated 
 some barbarian conqueror, who had succeeded in trampling upon the liberties of millions. 
 Voltaire views the Pyramids of Egypt as so many monuments of slaver}', under the 
 weight of which, like the tomb of king Mausolus, the country long continued to groan. 
 And is he not justified in his conclusion, if the story told by Herodotus be true? — " In 
 one of the pyramids of Gizeh," says this ancient historian, " are entombed the bones 
 of Cheops ; in another, of his brother, Ccphrenes. One hundred thousand men were 
 employed during twenty years in raising the greatest of these enormous works ; and 
 from that period the memory of Cheops has been held in the utmost detestation by the 
 Egyptians." Such also are the feelings and recollections associated with the formation 
 of the Chinese wall. It is said that every third man in the empire was drafted, and 
 obliged to assist in the building — that, being scantily supplied with food, four hundred 
 thousand died of hunger, ill-usage, and excessive fatigue ; and, the Chinese sentence 
 which commemorates these miseries, characterizes the work itself as " the annihilation 
 of one generation, but salvation of a thousand." Nor can the slavery of the Egyptians, 
 
 • Wen-li-tchang-tching, " The Great- Wall of the Ten Thousand Li." It extends from the shores of the 
 Gulf of Pechele, 3i degrees east from Peking, to Sening, which is 15 degrees west of that city. 
 
 t Regulus. 
 H 
 
30 CHINA ILLUSTRATED. 
 
 in constructing the pyramids, be compared with that of the Chinese in obeying the com- 
 mands of their imperial taskmaster, if the quantity of matter raised, and put together 
 by manual labour, in each case, be admitted as the criterion: for, "the materials of 
 all the dwelling-houses in Great Britain, allowing them to average on the whole two 
 thousand cubic feet of masonry, would be barely equivalent to the solid contents of the 
 Chinese wall."* 
 
 Before the Mantchoo Tartars subjugated China Proper, the Great Wall, one of the 
 most gigantic, yet perhaps oneof the most senseless conceptions that ever occupied the 
 human intellect, was the northern boundary of the empire ; and it owes its foundation 
 to Chi-Hoang-Ti, of the fourth Tsin dynasty, who ascended the throne two hundred and 
 thirty-seven years before the birth of Christ, and was the first universal monarch of 
 China. Finding the petty princes of Tartary troublesome to his frontier subjects, he 
 sent an army against the former, and drove them into the recesses of their mountains, 
 and employed the latter, during this interval of rest, in building a rampart to exclude 
 all freebooters for the future. Some Chinese historians who abhor the memory of this 
 fierce despot, deny him even the unenviable merit of being the sole projector of this vast 
 work, asserting, that he only built the portion that bounds the province of Chen-si, the 
 other parts being raised by the different potentates whose respective kingdoms they 
 enclosed. This opinion, however, is not sufficiently supported, and history now con- 
 cedes to Chi-Hoang-Ti the undisputed authorship of this " wonder of the world." 
 
 It might also be argued, from the general character of this fiery prince, that he was, 
 most probably, the real originator of this colossal project. The quality of his ambition, 
 as well as of the chief actions by which he is remembered, lend an air of probability to 
 the statement. Having put all the Tartar princes of the neighbouring territories, and all 
 their male relatives, to cruel deaths, with the exception of the king of Tsi, whom he 
 enclosed within a pine-grove and left there to perish, he united their dominions to his 
 own. His next great public act was the colonizing of the Japan islands, by sending 
 thither three hundred young men and women, under the conduct of a gallant naval 
 officer, who soon, however, threw off his allegiance, and made himself sovereign lord 
 of the territory. The construction of the Great Wall would have been more than suffi- 
 cient to have perpetuated this monarch's fame, and most tyrants would have been 
 content with such a stupendous monument : but, such was the insatiable ambition of 
 Chi-Hoang-ti, that he resolved not only on immortalizing his own name, but on anni- 
 hilating those of his predecessors. To effect this most ungenerous object by a single 
 blow, he caused all the books in which the lives and actions of former emperors were 
 recorded, to be committed to the flames, with a degree of infamy unparalleled perhaps 
 in history, except in the instance of the Alexandrian library, which the Caliph Omar 
 is said to have destroyed in a similar manner. 
 
 " To give another idea of the mass of matter in this stupendous fabric, it may be observed, that it is more 
 than sufficient to surround the circumference of the earth, on two of its great circles, with two walls, each six 
 feet high and two feet thick." 
 
THE GREAT WALL OF CHINA. 31 
 
 The eastern end of Chi-Hoang's wall extends into the Gulf of Lea ou-tong,* in the 
 same latitude nearly as Peking. It consists of huge blocks of granite, resting on piles 
 or pedestals supposed to be composed of the hulks of ships filled with iron, which the 
 emperor caused to be sunk in the sea as a secure foundation.f Extending westward, 
 its fronts are finished with perfect accuracy, the workmen having been warned, on pain 
 of death, to close the joints with such exactitude that a nail could not be driven between 
 them. The style of building resembles that exhibited in the walls of Peking, and of 
 other fortified cities, the dimensions, however, being considerably greater. Its average 
 height is twenty feet, including five feet of parapet rising from the platform or ram- 
 part, which is fifteen from the ground-level. The thickness at the base is twenty-five 
 feet, and on the platform fifteen. The structure consists of two front or retaining walls, 
 two feet in thickness, the interval being filled up with earth, rubble-stone, or other 
 loose material. To the height of six feet, the fronts are of hewn granite ; the upper part 
 entirely of sun-dried brick of a blue colour. The platform, which is paved with brick, is 
 approached by stairs of the same material, or of stone, ascending so gradually that horses 
 do not refuse to tread them. In the province of Pecheli, the wall is terraced, and cased 
 with brick ; as it enters Chensi it begins to be of inferior workmanship, sometimes only 
 of earth ; but, on the side of Cha-hou-keou, to which the Muscovite merchants come 
 direct from Selingisko in Siberia, it is again of stone and brick, with large and strong 
 towers always garrisoned. From this point southward, military posts are erected along 
 the banks of the Hoang-ho, in which guards are maintained, to keep the boundary 
 between the neighbouring provinces of Chan-si and Chen-si, and prevent the navigation 
 of the river by hostile tribes. Passing the Hoang-ho into the province of Chen-si, the 
 wall is generally of earth, in some places quite obliterated, but, in remarkable passes 
 it is defended by either towers or large towns,'! where military mandarins, with a strong 
 force, are usually stationed. 
 
 * " Our line lay along the shore of Tartary, where the Chinese wall meets the sea, not at the point generally 
 supposed, hut at a large town apparently a place of great trade. This great work is seen scaling the precipices 
 and topping the craggy hills of the country, which have along this coast a most desolate appearance. Some of 
 the parly who went in-shore in the steamer to within two miles' distance, made the discovery that the opinion 
 hitherto received from Lord Macartney's works, that the wall came down abruptly into the sea, was erroneous, 
 as it traverses a low flat for some miles from the foot of the mountains before entering the town, which stands 
 upon the water's edge." — Lord Jocelyn's Journal, 8rC. 
 
 t The French missionaries who visited China in the eighteenth century, brought home a perfect represen- 
 tation of the whole Chinese wall, beautifully drawn on satin. The original has been mislaid, but copies are 
 preserved in the public libraries of Paris. When the emperors of the Ming dynasty had succeeded in expelling 
 the descendants of Kubhli Khan, the Mongol conqueror, a second wall was built to the west from Peking, and 
 considerably within that of Chi-Hoang-Ti. Besides this, a stockade or palisade, seven feet high, extends from 
 the sea-extremity of the wall, enclosing the Mougdon district of Leaou-tong ; but these defences, scarcely suffi- 
 cient to check the midnight thief, should not be confounded with the Great Wall of China. 
 
 { Such are, Qu-hing-hien, Ning-hia, Lan-tcheou, Kan-tcheou, Seu-tcheou, Si-ning. 
 
:V2 CHINA ILLUSTRATED. 
 
 Notwithstanding the frail character of the materials in several places, this great 
 national work, fifteen hundred miles in extent, has undoubtedly endured for two thou- 
 sand years, with but indifferent care and little restoration ; in fact, the union of the 
 countries on different sides of the wall, under the same dynasty, has rendered its aid 
 no longer necessary, and occasioned, therefore, its total neglect. There was a time 
 when a million of scimetars glittered along its length from east to west, but all fear of 
 invasion having subsided, government is now content with guarding the chief passes that 
 communicate with foreign countries. Wherever a river was to be passed, an arch or 
 arches of solid masonry was thrown across, protected by iron-grating, that dipped a little 
 into the waters, and effectually obstructed navigation, or rather ingress ; where moun- 
 tains occurred, the wall was made to climb their most rugged fronts, and in one instance 
 reaches an elevation of five thousand feet above the sea. Wherever the nature of the 
 ground rendered invasion easy, there the wall is double, treble, or as manifold as the 
 necessity of the case would appear to demand. 
 
 The principal gates are fortified only on the side of China, and there protected by 
 large flanking towers ; at intervals of every hundred yards along the wall stand embat- 
 tled towers, forty feet square at the base, thirty at the height of the platform of the wall, 
 and having sometimes one, sometimes two stories, above it. The first gate, or first 
 towards the sea-termination of the wall, is called Chang-hai-keou. It is beautifully 
 situated on an extensive plain, and memorable in history for the perfidy of its com- 
 mandant, who was the first to invite the Tartars of Leaou-tong to invade his country. 
 The other remarkable entrances are Hi- fong-keou, Tou-che-keou, Tchang-kia-keou, 
 the two latter the accustomed routes of the Tartars who visit Peking, and Kou-pe-keou, 
 through which the emperor Kang-hi generally passed to his summer-palace at Zehol 
 in Tartary, and by which the embassy under Lord Macartney had the good fortune 
 of being conducted to the same imperial residence. 
 
 Two views* of the Great Wall have been carefully taken by European travellers : 
 the one, at Koo-pe-koo, (Kou-pe-keou,) which is given in the accompanying illustration; 
 the other by the draughtsmen who attended the Dutch embassy under Isbrand Ydes in 
 the year 1705. These embassies, representing different foreign courts, could not have 
 conspired to deceive their respective countries in describing this colossal labour; and, 
 even if they had, we have still the evidence of the French missionaries, who brought 
 home a sketch of the whole line of vallation. This mass of evidence, this concurring 
 testimony of different men in different ages, is more than sufficient to overturn the vain 
 suspicions of some literary sceptics, who would conclude, from Marco Polo's silence, 
 that no such work as the Great Wall of China ever had a real existence. But the 
 following extract, from an ambassadorial journal, affords an a priori proof f that Marco 
 Polo's silence is not to be ascribed to the non-existence of the wall, but to a very 
 
 * A third, taken by tbe draughtsman who accompanied the late expedition, is preserved at the Admiralty. 
 
 * Vide also the extract from Lord Jocelyn's " Six Months with the Chinese Expedit : on," in p. 31. 
 

 
 
 st" 
 
 *g 
 
 \ 
 
 1 
 
 K 
 
 \^ & 
 
 
 
BAMBOO AQUEDUCT AT HONG-KONG. 33 
 
 different cause — his never having travelled so far north. " A copy of Marco Polo's 
 route to China, taken from the Doge's library at Venice, is sufficient to decide this 
 question. By this route it appears that this traveller did not pass through Tartary to 
 Pekin, but that after having followed the usual track of the caravans as far to the 
 eastward from Europe as Samarcand and Cashgar, he bent his course south-east across 
 the river Ganges to Bengal; and, keeping to the southward of the Thibet mountains, 
 reached^the Chinese province of Chen-si, and through the adjoining province of Chan-si 
 to the capital, without interfering with the line of the Great Wall." 
 
 BAMBOO AQ.UEDUCT AT HONG-KONG. 
 
 Could painter wish for fairer scene 
 
 Than beetling cliffs 'mid bowers of green, 
 
 With rivulet below ; 
 Methjnks a sylvan aqueduct, 
 This happy genius might instruct 
 
 Across the wave to throw. 
 
 C. J. c. 
 
 Few areas so limited include so many scenes of sylvan beauty as the sunny island of 
 Hong-kong. The country immediately behind Queen- town is peculiarly rich in 
 romantic little glens, or in level tracts, adorned with masses of rock, in the fissures of 
 which the noblest forest-trees have found sufficient soil for their support. 
 
 These wood-crowned crags rise abruptly from wide-spread rice-grounds that closely 
 encircle them ; so that every spot in the varied surface of the isle is either reduced 
 beneath the government of industry, or made tributary to the beauty of the landscape. 
 There is one narrow gorge, down which a rivulet sluggishly glides towards the open sea, 
 overhung by huge blocks of granite, piled up to a considerable height, and with a regu- 
 larity resembling a work of art. A clump of luxuriant trees bestows upon it an interest 
 of the utmost value to the picture ; but its bold, rugged, and obtrusive attitude, contrasts 
 strongly and singularly with the cultivated character of the surrounding view. Habi- 
 tual industry has so far tutored the mind of every Chinaman, that this barren rock which 
 lends shelter and ornament to the landscape, is made still further useful as the pillar 
 for sustaining a simple aqueduct, by which water is conveyed across the gorge, and 
 employed in the irrigation of a distant arid plain, which otherwise would have been 
 doomed to eternal sterility. This work of art is an example of the perseverance 
 which characterises Chinese industry, and the accustomed tact and aptitude with which 
 it employs the most slender means, and appropriates the most unaccommodating 
 materials. 
 
 The surface of Hong-kong is undulating, the climate sultry, the soil shallow ; of 
 the first quality advantage has been taken by encouraging the growth of timber in the 
 
 i 
 
34 CHINA ILLUSTRATED. 
 
 glens, within which the loveliest hamlets may be seen embosomed ; the shade and the 
 shelter of foliage mitigate, in some degree, the ferocity of a tropical sun ; and, industry, 
 unequalled in any other kingdom, has converted a soil the most discouraging into one 
 the most productive. It is for agricultural purposes, chiefly, that such primitive^ con- 
 trivances as the bamboo aqueduct are employed ; but the value and utility of this tree 
 are so universally understood in the eastern parts of Asia, that, even were other 
 materials present, they very probably would be repudiated. 
 
 The bamboo-cane* is a very beautiful and a very elegant species of reed, hollow, 
 round, straight, having knots on the stem at every ten or twelve inches, alternate 
 branches, spear-shaped leaves, and sometimes attaining a height of forty feet. A native 
 of the tropical regions of both hemispheres, it however attains more complete maturity 
 in the east, where it is held in the highest estimation, and devoted to infinite uses. We 
 have shown in the illustration that the stem, when bored, is made a conduit for water ; 
 the strongest serve as stakes to fence enclosures of every sort, and as poles for palan- 
 quins and doolies, in which masters are commonly carried by their servants in Oriental 
 countries ; the leaves are generally placed round the tea exported from China to 
 Europe, and the young shoots of the tree have long served in Great Britain as 
 favourite walking-sticks. The Malays preserve the young and tender shoots in vinegar 
 and pepper, to be eaten with other food ; and the Chinese steep the sheaths and leaves 
 in water, form them into a pulp, and from it manufacture paper. Baskets, boxes, and 
 boats, are made from this valuable reed, as well as a frame-work which enables the pos- 
 sessor to float in the water. Chinese merchants seldom undertake a voyage unsupplied 
 with one of these bamboo life-preservers, or swimming apparatus ; it consists of four 
 reeds crossed horizontally, leaving a space in the middle for the body; it is slipped 
 over the head, and secured by a cord to the waist. Simplicity is in all cases, but espe- 
 cially in those where presence of mind is likely to forsake us, of the first importance ; 
 and, as no floating apparatus can exceed the Chinese in this chief quality, so none 
 comes better recommended to the mariner. 
 
 Nor do the advantages of the bamboo terminate with these now described. It is 
 employed for masts, poles, sails, cables, rigging, and caulking; and, when insubordination 
 makes its appearance amongst the crew, it is the instrument in the hand of power which 
 cures or extinguishes it. Some only of its rural purposes have been already noticed ; it 
 is also introduced to embellish the garden of the prince — to cover the cottage of the 
 peasant ; it is employed in carts, wheelbarrows, water-wheels, sacking to hold grain, and 
 various other objects. Besides serving for aqueducts from hill to hill, bridges to continue 
 land-transit are successfully and gracefully formed of this beautiful tree. In Java, " the 
 bridges were universally constructed of bamboo, and covered with bamboo mats ; their 
 lightness and elasticity give them the appearance of being insecure ; this is, however, by 
 no means the case, unless suffered to remain too long without repair: the sudden and 
 frequent swelling of the small streams, from heavy showers, would undermine bridges of 
 
 * Bambusa Arundinacea. 
 
j 
 
 
PUNISHMENT OF THE I'AN-TZE. 3.3 
 
 more solid construction, which, from being of more expensive materials, would not be 
 so readily or so attentively repaired."* 
 
 There are few objects or purposes to which Chinese industry cannot appropriate 
 the bamboo-cane; its extensive application to architecture, agriculture, navigation, 
 manufactures, and even as food, have been described ; its appropriation to domestic 
 conveniences is equally universal. Almost every article of furniture in a Chinese habi- 
 tation is made from the bamboo : chairs, tables, screens, bedsteads, bedding, paper, 
 various kitchen utensils ; and it is by the friction of two pieces of cane that the servants 
 obtain light or fire at early dawn in almost every house in China. 
 
 PUNISHMENT OF THE PAN-TZE, OR BASTINADO. 
 
 Art thou a man ? — So is the wretch that lies, 
 Trampled, and rack'd, and bleeding at thy feet. 
 
 Art thou a man? — Regard thy destinies; 
 
 Nor worse than hound thine erring brother treut. 
 
 The spaniel howls and fawns while you chastise ; 
 
 But hate swells vice, when man like dog is beat. 
 
 C. J. c. 
 
 Destitute of the knowledge of Christian ethics — unacquainted with the science of 
 political economy, as understood and practised in the civilized kingdoms of the western 
 world, the Chinese are, nevertheless, the most tractable subjects in the universe. This 
 most desirable end has been obtained, and preserved through thousands of years, by 
 means simple yet not secret ; principles known to other countries, and acted on with 
 equal success; and when departed from, the decadence of that state seems to have been 
 a consequence either necessary or contingent. This principle of ruling — this basis of 
 national subordination, political, military, and civil, is "the patriarchal theory of 
 government." In the infantile state, dependence and inferiority are conceded ; and the 
 parent, having obtained the silent recognition of his rule, enforces it in the more 
 advanced stages of life ; nor is the child ever supposed to be released from the bonds 
 and obligations of filial duty and affection. To this system of parental authority the 
 imperial government of China is analogical. The emperor is father of his people, as 
 a parent is of his children. When he chastises them for neglect or delinquency, they are 
 taught to believe that he acts with reluctance, and that the correction which he inflicts 
 is for their personal benefit. His mandarins, being delegates of his power, are received 
 with the same sentiment of filial devotion ; and it is this morbid morality that saves these 
 self-sufficient functionaries from the retaliation which their tyranny so frequently 
 
 » Journal of an Embasy to China, by Sir Henry Ellis. 
 
36 CHINA ILLUSTRATED. 
 
 deserves. Pursuing the analogy — as parents punish, and even kill, their offspring and 
 their slaves for disobedience, theft, or petty treason, so may the Pater Patrice, or his 
 representatives, act under similar circumstances. And, although capital punishments are 
 rarely inflicted, and no monarch that we read of exercises the prerogative of mercy 
 more meritoriously than the Celestial Emperor, yet the influence of its terror, aided by 
 the whip and bamboo, succeed in preserving the most extraordinary and admirable tran- 
 quillity, and in the most densely peopled country in the world. 
 
 The Pan-tze, or Bastinado, is the punishment most frequently inflicted in every part 
 of China, and for almost every species of offence, the number of blows being regulated 
 by the magnitude of the guilt. The culprit is usually brought to some public place 
 outside the city walls, and, in presence of a mandarin and guard of soldiers, beaten by 
 slaves kept for the purpose. If the crime be serious, and a proportionate punishment 
 to be inflicted, the criminal is held down by one or more slaves, while the chief actor 
 furnished with a half-bamboo, six feet in length and about two inches broad, strikes 
 him on the back part of the thighs. Upon the termination of this degrading ceremony, 
 the offender, impressed with the habitual feeling that he has been flogged like a school- 
 boy for his future benefit, falls prostrate before the attending mandarin, and returns 
 thanks for his parental vigilance and anxiety. 
 
 The missionaries who visited the Celestial empire in the early part of last century, 
 seemed disposed to view the bastinado as a mere gentle correction, arising solely from 
 kindness in the inflictor ; and they thought also that the peasant had no 'grounds of 
 remonstrance against its humiliating character, since the prime minister and the princes 
 of the empire were also subjected to its wholesome discipline. But it would be vain, 
 nugatory, and degrading, in this land of freedom and personal independence, to attempt 
 any defence of so gross and debasing an act of despotism. It is a matter of doubt 
 whether the prince who imposes, or the people who submit to this humiliating treat- 
 ment, be the more despicable in the opinion of a Christian community. 
 
 The Pan-tze is rendered almost fashionable by the example of the court, and the 
 universality of its application. "Each officer of state, from the ninth degree upwards 
 to the fourth, can at any time administer a gentle correction to his inferior ; and the 
 emperor orders the bamboo to his ministers, and to the other four classes, whenever he 
 may think it necessary for the good of their morals." The emperor Kien-Long ordered 
 two of his sons to be bambooed long after they had reached to the age of maturity, and 
 one of these princes afterwards succeeded him on the throne. 
 
 It is some satisfaction to the poor, that the rich are also included under the same 
 criminal code ; but, as the administration of the Pan-tze is often entrusted to men of 
 cruel dispositions, the highest injustice constantly disfigures the whole executive system. 
 A Chinaman generally submits with patience to his fate, but a Tartar never gives 
 thanks to the mandarin, recollecting that his nation subdued the Chinese, and concluding 
 therefore that they have no right to flog him. The paternal origin and nature of the 
 bastinado are still more distinctly shown during the ceremony, the sufferer having the 
 privilege of exemption from every fifth blow, if he demands it as the emperor's conp-de- 
 
V 
 
 a' 
 
 I 
 
 1 
 
TEMPLE OF BUDDHA. 37 
 
 grace ; but what he gains by diminished numbers, he most probably loses by increased 
 severity. 
 
 This degrading secondary punishment is evidently amongst the most ancient insti- 
 tutions of China; and its continuance is a palpable proof that civilization has been 
 stationary for many centuries in that great empire. There was once a savage custom in 
 the British army, of obliging a military culprit "to run the gauntlet;" that is, to pass 
 down between two long ranks of men, every one of whom inflicted a lash upon him as 
 he went. As such disgrace was reserved for the most heinous offences only, thcjehas- 
 tisement was often so severe that death was the inevitable consequence. This cruel 
 practice, however, no longer disgraces our military code. In Russia, too, a punish- 
 ment existed called the knout, similar to the gauntlet and bastinado. It was at first 
 inflicted privately, and by order of the court, but afterwards extended generally to the 
 whole people : civilization, however, has thence also expelled this insult to humanity. 
 When the knout was inflicted in Russia, the forms of society and the manners of the 
 court were in a low and rude condition ; the Czar Peter was in the habit of striking 
 his courtiers with his clenched fist ; and the great Mentzikoff was frequently seen to 
 make his exit from the royal closet with marks of violence on his countenance. Histo- 
 rians gravely assure us that these bruises were so many tokens of his master's sterling 
 friendship. It may be so : for our William the Conqueror having failed in winning 
 the affections of the lady Matilda by a fair and gentle suit, followed her as she returned 
 from prayers clad in her richest garments, and pushed her into a slough in the public 
 streets. This stratagem succeeded when all other devices failed. 
 
 TEMPLE OF BUDDHA, 
 
 IN THE SUBURBS OF CANTON. 
 
 The tocsin's clang, the drum, the gong's deep boom, 
 
 And trumpet's bray, and bonze's awful cry. 
 
 In Buddha's name calls (like the voice of doom 
 
 To courts of death) the crouching votary. 
 
 Hark ! with the din the groan of pain unites, 
 
 And cro\vns the music of bis idol-rites. , 
 
 C. J. C. 
 
 There are three ancient state religions prevalent in China, the principles of which 
 have been explained with more elaboration and erudition, than their morals or their 
 origin deserve. The first, or most orthodox, is that of Confucius (Koong-foo-tsze,) 
 which is rather a system of ethics than a systematic faith, and never intended as 
 a distinct theological structure, but as the basis or foundation upon which new theories 
 might be built. The sect of Tao-tsze, or " Sons of Immortals," called also " Ration- 
 alists," embrace doctrines dangerous in practice and disreputable in precept : they exalt 
 reason above revelation, from which they have evidently plundered their specious philo- 
 
3d CHINA ILLUSTRATED. 
 
 Sophy, — all recollection of the past, and thought of the future, being repudiated. This 
 is that sect before-mentioned which, like the Cartesians of Europe, disgraced their 
 philosophy by the pretended discovery of a nostrum, or specific, for the prolongation of 
 human life beyond those limits which the wisdom and pleasure of the Creator had 
 assigned. Lao-kung and Confucius were either contemporaries, or lived at a short 
 interval from each other; but their doctrines are widely separated. The one sought to 
 captivate the heart and the judgment by virtuous and rational theories — the other to 
 surprise and to win them by means that ministered to the gratification of the passions. 
 Time has disclosed the hypocrisy of one, but sanctified the dignity of the other: for the 
 " Sons of Immortals" are little higher in national esteem than mountebanks and jugglers, 
 while the elite of the empire are disciples of Confucius. The third predominant faith 
 is the second in popularity; and however exposed to the ridicule, or rather pity, of 
 those upon whom the light of revelation has beamed, it derives many of its maxims 
 from the holy writings; the histories and prophecies of which have obviously been 
 conveyed into China either by zealous missionaries or by travelled Chinamen. 
 
 These three theories of Confucians, Rationalists, and Buddhists must be viewed as 
 totally distinct and separate sources, in each of which respectively a multitude of sepa- 
 tists or sectaries originate. Dissent appears to prevail in every country that has adopted 
 a settled general form of worship, and discord has almost invariably attended its path ; 
 but in China this is not found to be the case. Here universal toleration is said to 
 prevail: — yet how can the term "toleration" be appropriate, where "religion," to which 
 alone Christians apply it, has de facto no existence? The aristocracy are disciples of 
 the Confucian philosophy — the monarch bends his head and bows his knee before the 
 golden shrine of Thibetian Buddhism ; and idolatry prevails throughout the land. 
 
 Yu, the theory of Confucius, is purely philosophical, — Taou, that of Lao-kung, 
 fabulous, — and Fo, that of Bhudda, political. The first is merely the doctrine of the 
 Stoics — the second, of the Epicureans — and the third, of Pythagoras. They have each 
 separately borrowed their ruling dogmas from their favourite prototype, but all have 
 combined in spoliating the ancient Scriptures. 
 
 Buddhism is most probably of Indian or Hindoo origin ; but being expelled thence 
 by the learning, zeal, and influence of the Brahmins, sought an asylum elsewhere. Its 
 doctrines spread into Japan, Thibet, and China ; in all which great countries, as well as 
 in the island of Ceylon, it still exists. It is also asserted that the exiled priesthood visited 
 Colchis and Mingrelia, and, passing thence into Thrace, there laid the foundation, of 
 those institutions which civilized the Hellenes and Pelasgi. According to Indian writers, 
 Buddha, whose historic name was Tshakia-muni, was born under the reign of Tshao- 
 wang, of the Tsheu dynasty, b. c. 1029, and died b. c. 950, in the reign of Mou-wang. 
 Having initiated his disciple, Maha-kaya, in the mysteries of his doctrine, this priest 
 became the senior patriarch of the religion, and is placed at the head of thirty-three holy 
 Bhuddists, whose names and chronological succession are carefully recorded. Bhudda is 
 regularly deified ; and the patriarchs, several of whom voluntarily cast themselves into 
 the flames, and expired in torture to attest their faith, are duly canonized and placed in 
 
TEMPLE OF BUDDHA. 39 
 
 Chinese mythology. Maming, (in Chinese, Phu-sa — in Sanscrit, Deva Bodhisatua,) who 
 gave names to the gods of the second class, is worshipped as the son of Bhudda, and as 
 born from his mouth, because by his eloquence he perfected and established his doc- 
 trines. Other patriarchs were also celebrated in India, from which Bodhichorma with- 
 drew the last of all, and finding a safe retreat at the foot of the famous Sung mountain 
 in China, there passed the residue of his exemplary life. 
 
 The wealth, influence, and resources of this ancient order, were inconceivably 
 great. They were enabled, by the terrors of their doctrines alone, to raise up vast heaps 
 of treasure, and to acquire immense gratuitous contributions of labour. The evidences 
 of their influence upon the feelings of their followers is well attested by the gigantic 
 proportions of the ruined temple of Boro-Budor, in Java, and by the five subterranean 
 halls of Pantsh-Pandu, near the city of Bang, on the route from Guzerat to Malwa. 
 It is from the Hindoo patriarch, who died in the fifth century of the Christian era, that 
 the general Oriental histories deduce the establishment of Bhuddism in the Celestial 
 Empire, and the first ordination of those priests called " spiritual princes of the law ;" 
 but their account differs considerably from that of the Chinese. The Hindoos represent 
 their saint as of royal race, and an avatar or incarnation of Vishnu. In the century that 
 preceded our era, Bhuddism was the predominant religion in India, and embraced, 
 amongst others, by the famous monarch, Vikramaditya ; but the triumph of Brahmin- 
 ism in Hindoostan was completed in the sixth century by the writings of Camavila 
 Bhatta. 
 
 The Chinese origin of this contemptible creed, while it almost demonstrates the 
 assertion made in the preceding page, that Confucius only designed his philosophy 
 as the moral substructure of a religious fabric, assigns a much earlier date to its intro- 
 duction than has just been stated. Amongst the sayings of Confucius that assume 
 a prophetic tone, there is one that foretels the advent of some saint from the West- 
 Ming-ti, of the Han dynasty, who reigned in the century before our vulgar era, influ- 
 enced by this passage, despatched emissaries to India in search of the promised holy 
 person. Their efforts were soon crowned with success; and they quickly returned, 
 bringing with them, not one only, but a multitude of Bhuddist priests, with their books, 
 and their idols, and instruments of sacrifice and ceremony. These learned immigrants told 
 a tale that the founder, who had abdicated his throne and retired to a monastery, was 
 metamorphosed, after a life of prayer and abstinence, directly into the god Fo — his trans- 
 migration being an example of the metempsychosis, the medium through which his 
 followers inculcate the doctrine of rewards and punishments. They added, that the 
 queen-mother of this demi-god once dreamed that she had swallowed a white elephant, 
 to which circumstance is to be traced the reverence paid to this sagacious animal in 
 Pegu and Ava. Bhuddism recognizes " three precious ones" — the past, present, and 
 future : for Fo, "although one person, has three forms," analogous to, or identical with 
 Bhudda, Darma, and Sanga; that is, "Intelligence, Law, and Union." It is suffi- 
 ciently evident that Bhuddism, although so ancient, far-spread, and popular amongst 
 the Chinese, is a mere concoction of traditions imported by crafty priests, and 
 
40 CHINA ILLUSTRATED. 
 
 precepts extracted from the sacred Scriptures. Their moral code partakes of the 
 same character: it prohibits murder, or the act of killing, theft, impurity, falsehood, and 
 intemperance. 
 
 But its plagiary from the Scriptures proceeds much farther. Amongst the countless 
 idols that occupy the Bhuddist and indeed all other temples, there is one that cannot 
 fail to attract the notice of the Christian visitant; nor is his astonishment dispelled by 
 the explanation which the Bonze gives of its origin and object. This is a female figure, 
 usually represented with an infant in her arms, which they designate as Tien-haw, 
 "Queen of Heaven;" and also, " Shing-moo," Holy Mother. The greatest care is employed 
 in preserving this figure from injury: it is generally placed in a niche behind the altar, 
 and veiled with a silken screen ; and a glory, or nimbus, encircles its head. The 
 legend says that a virgin having gone to bathe in the great river, left her garments on 
 the bank, and on her return found a beautiful lotus flower lying upon them. Having 
 eaten the flower, she bore a son, whom a poor fisherman educated, and the miracles 
 which he performed established the divine origin of his birth. It is unnecessary to 
 state the real source of this fable. The figure of the Shing-moo is sometimes in the 
 attitude of prayer, sometimes upright holding the lotus-flower in her hand; at. others, 
 seated on the peltate leaf of that beautiful plant. In paintings, the Shing-moo is often 
 represented standing upon the leaves of the nelumbium in the midst of a lake. Egyp- 
 tians and Hindoos have also attributed an influence or charm to this remarkable species 
 of water-lily, considering it emblematic of creative power. "The leaves of each suc- 
 ceeding plant are found evolved in the middle of the seed, perfect, and of a beautiful 
 green. When the sun goes down, the large leaves that spread themselves over the 
 surface of the water, close like an umbrella, and the returning sun gradually unfolds 
 them. Now, as these nations considered water to be the primary element, and the first 
 medium on which creative influence began to act, a plant of such singularity, luxu- 
 riance, utility, and beauty, could not fail to be regarded by them as a proper symbol 
 for representing that creative power, and was accordingly consecrated, by the one, to 
 Osiris and Isis, emblems of the sun and moon ; by the other, to the goddess Ganga and 
 to the sun." This coincidence is alluded to in the well-known Hindoo hymn to Surya 
 or the sun — 
 
 " Lord of the Lotus, father, friend, and king, 
 O Sun ! thy powers I sing," &c. 
 
 It may be supposed that the dedication of the lotus to sacred objects was prior to 
 the introduction of Bhuddism into China: for we find that the fable of eating the 
 lotus-flower is ascribed to the mother of their first emperor, Foo-shee ; nor is there 
 any sect in the Celestial Empire which neglects to reverence the lady and the lotus ; 
 all concurring also in the belief, that it is from the flower of this lily that the bodies of 
 their saints are to be reproduced. 
 
 Bhuddism encourages its votaries by promises of sensual indulgence in the "Paradise of 
 the West," and deters them from apostasy and sin by threats of the most painful corporal 
 
TEMPLE OF BHUDDA. ' 41 
 
 punishment in their imagined Tartarus. The pleasures appear less attractive than 
 those which Mahomet describes, the penalties infinitely more barbarous than those 
 which other false doctrines menace. When the ten kings of darkness have passed 
 sentence upon a soul in their shadowy hall of justice, the guilty are submitted to the 
 most frightful tortures. Some are tied to burning pillars of brass — some are brayed in 
 a mortar — others are sawn in two — liars have their tongues cut out — thieves their hands 
 amputated, or are themselves cast upon a surface of knife-blades. The blessed, and 
 the virtuous, having first witnessed these heart-rending exhibitions, which must prove 
 no moderate penalty upon benevolent souls, ascend to paradise, and thence pass into 
 other bodies ; the guilty enter and animate the corporeal forms of lower animals, whose 
 lots are of the most agonizing and unhappy character. 
 
 This system of fable, falsehood, and folly has many millions of admirers, and 
 actually some millions of ministers, who assume the highest degree of sanctity and 
 devotion to their calling. In every part of the empire are temples and monasteries of 
 this absurd faith, sustained in some instances with an extravagance that is seldom 
 exceeded by the followers of any other. In Canton there is one, situated a little to the 
 west of the old English factory, less gorgeous in its decorations than those of Honan or 
 Poo-too, but held in boundless esteem by the sect. The front, or entrance, consists of 
 a low colonnade, ascended by a central flight of steps leading into a quadrangle, on 
 one side of which is a long range of dormitories, on the other a gallery enclosed 
 by railing, occupied by the " three precious Bhuddas." Every frieze, or band, or panel 
 that occurs in the architectural design, is inscribed with a sentence from the sacred 
 writings, inculcating a moral precept, or alarming the indolence of the votaries. This 
 practice is in itself a proof of the diffusion of education, to a certain extent, amongst the 
 Chinese, for it is not confined to places of worship, where the hierophants are present 
 to decipher the maxims — private houses, villas, entrances to all places of business, are 
 also inscribed with the name or object of the building or locality. Passing from the first 
 court, a second is reached, which is placed under the tutelage of two huge grim-visaged 
 golden giants, in the act of gnashing their great teeth, and at the same time grasping their 
 monstrous sabres. A third court is to be crossed, before the principal hall of the temple, 
 the place of the high altar, is entered. In the centre of this apartment, which is less 
 spacious than that appropriated to the Bhuddist triad, is a pillar or pedestal of yellow 
 gypsum, formed from a single block, and carved with a degree of skill and excellence 
 scarcely to be surpassed. On its front panel is the figure of a female seated on a lion, 
 and holding an infant in her lap; the character of the countenance is not Chinese, 
 neither is the contour of the head. Above the square pillar rises a spiral cone, termi- 
 nating in two elongated balls. The superiority of the design and perfection of the work- 
 manship favour the conclusion that this exquisite sculpture is the production of foreign 
 artists ; but the avowed contempt in which the performances of strangers have always 
 been held by the Celestials, presents an insurmountable objection. The temple-hall is an 
 oblong area, the roof being sustained by wooden pillars resting on stone feet or pedestals. 
 A spacious lantern admits a full flood of light, and drapery of richly-embroidered silk 
 
 L 
 
42 CHINA ILLUSTRATED. 
 
 depends from its outline, while midnight lanterns of various patterns hang from the 
 cross-beam of the roof. An altar-table, encircling the pillar, is crowded with censers, 
 vases filled with artificial flowers, burning tapers, and torches ready for illumination. 
 Beautiful china jars are laid along at intervals, containing a fine blue earth, into which the 
 joss-sticks are fixed, and beside them bowls or cups with sticks-of-fate for fortune- 
 telling. The joss-sticks are combustible, and are constantly burning in the temples and 
 joss-houses : — the sticks-of-fate are consulted by both sexes, and upon occasions of little 
 as well as great importance. Before the altar, mandarins are frequently seen bowing 
 their heads, sometimes striking their foreheads against the pavement ; a ceremony gene- 
 rally, and not unnaturally, followed by a deep groan. Around are loiterers, musicians, 
 servants waiting to hold umbrellas over their mandarin-masters' heads, even during the 
 solemn ceremony of knocking them against the stone, besides numerous officials of 
 the temple. The chief duty of the latter is to strike a tremendous gong, and beat 
 a deep-toned drum of monstrous size and covered with ox-hide, while a great bell is 
 tolled occasionally, and small ones rang without cessation, to arouse the votaries, and 
 perhaps the sleepy gods themselves are also included in the vain expectation. 
 
 It would be an endless task to describe the number of objects that fill these idol- 
 houses, and an impossible one to explain with truth and accuracy the ideas attached to 
 the worship of each image : the very hierophants themselves are ignorant of the origin of 
 the majority; and the votaries of this polytheism, so long habituated to image- worship, 
 select from the multitude of their gods, the one most pleasing to their own conceptions, 
 and bestow upon it the largest share of their mistaken veneration. — Vide Poo-ta-la, p. 20. 
 
 IMPERIAL PALACE AT TSEAOU-SHAN. 
 
 How pleasantly bestud dark Lomond's wave 
 Her tufted aits, by builder's art unbroke ! 
 Her trimly-terraced group how smiles to lave 
 
 Blue girdling Maggiore ! But, to yoke 
 On islet-cluster man's and nature's best, — 
 Come, sail (our bark shall waft) on golden Keang's breast. 
 
 C. J. C. 
 
 About three miles north-east from Chin-keang-foo, the provincial capital of Keang-nan, 
 from the broad bright waters of the Yang-tse-keang, rise the picturesque and preci- 
 pitous rocky islets called " the three hills of King-kow." Nature has been bountiful to 
 them in all respects, and, from immemorial time, they have also largely partaken of the 
 smiles of their imperial rulers. These are the " Kin-shan," or Golden Island" — the 
 Plh-koo-shan," and " Tseaou-shan." The first, perhaps one of the most romantic and 
 
 * King-kow means " the Mouth of the King River ;" a name applied to the Yang-tsze-keang. 
 

 
 
 
 
 
 
IMPERIAL PALACE AT TSEAOU-SHAN. 43 
 
 agreeable localities in the empire, was anciently called " the Floating Jade," but 
 auriferous veins being discovered in its rocks, it received its present appellation. Here 
 also is a fountain of the purest water, from which the mandarins of the surrounding 
 country are supplied ; and a faithless messenger, who once endeavoured to impose upon 
 Le-tTh, the imperial prime-minister, by substituting water from a well at Shih-tow, for 
 the crystal draught of the " Chung-ling," paid the penalty of his indolence and temerity. 
 Near to the summit of the Kin-shan is the celebrated mound of Pei-tow, of the Tang 
 dynasty ; while, impending over the Pool of the Dragon King, and close to its shores, 
 is the Shen-tsae rock. 
 
 The Tseaou-shan rises with even more abruptness and varied forms than the Kin-shan. 
 Enclosed by mural cliffs, landing is denied except at the place of debarkation formed in 
 the cliffs, whence communication with the palace, the temples, and different buildings on 
 the rock, is formed by flights of countless steps. Tseaou-yin-sze-kwang, the recluse 
 Tseaou-kwang, or Tseaou-seen, a mandarin of ancient ancestry, in the district of Ho- 
 tung, of profound learning and austere habits, and who lived about the close of the Han 
 dynasty, suddenly renouncing society, withdrew in secret from the imperial capital to 
 a concealed asylum on a little island 'midst the waters of the great Keang, that now 
 records his name. Here he dwelt in the utmost seclusion for many years, a devotee, or. 
 more properly, a misanthrope — the secret of his hermitage never having been revealed to 
 either his associates, his relatives, or his friends. He here erected a cell or chapel, 
 which still remains ; and close by it he built a lowly hut of turf, and thatched it with 
 matted grass. To guard still further against the chance of discovery, he laid aside his 
 appellation of Heaou-jen, and adopted that by which he is known to the story-tellers 
 of his country. In this sequestered spot he might have passed his useless and inglorious 
 life, and gone down unnoticed to the tomb, had not an accidental fire destroyed his 
 home, and disclosed to the navigators of the river the presence of an inhabitant of the rock. 
 After this event he was seen wandering from crag to crag almost in a state of nudity, 
 and often observed reposing, amidst the winds and the snow, upon the unsheltered earth. 
 His real rank and character being now ascertained, commissioners from the emperor 
 landed on the islet, and proceeding to the glen chiefly frequented by the recluse of the 
 island, there summoned him to return to court by an edict three times repeated. Their 
 invitation was unavailing ; Tseaou had forsaken the busy haunts of man, and the ambas- 
 sadors returned with his refusal to their illustrious master. The scene of this interview 
 is called in commemoration, "The San-chaou-tung," or " Ravine of the Three Citations;" 
 and around are seen a number of upright stones standing at regular distances, which 
 legends call " the Councillors of Heaou-jen." To those who have visited that singular 
 pagan relic in Cornwall, called the Hurlers, the scenery of the Ravine of the Three 
 Citations will be at once familiar. 
 
 Tradition or legendary lore is not the sole authority on which the story of Tseaou's 
 eremitic life depends ; his biography has been carefully collected by Tsae-yung, who 
 wrote the narrative of his long concealment, in which he erroneously styles the subject 
 of his memoir " Kwang," instead of " Seen." 
 
44 CHINA ILLUSTRATED. 
 
 Nothing can exceed the picturesque irregularity of the surface of this isle ; and, so 
 established has this sentiment of admiration become in the empire, that a mural tablet 
 at the gate of the temple of Tsin-tse declares this rock to be " the first and the fairest of 
 all the hills on earth," Too-woo-kung being subscribed as the author of this brief but 
 laudatory memorial. Ascending the rocky nights that lead from the landing-place to the 
 grottoes in the hill, the words row yuh are perceived cut in the tall cliff in characters 
 large and legible, graven by Chaou, who flourished under the Sung dynasty. Immediately 
 in front of this "handwriting on the wall," another projecting crag is inscribed " shih- 
 ping," (the Rocky Screen,) and this characteristic name sufficiently describesthe value of 
 the eminence as a protection against the winds that sweep across the river's course from 
 north to south. Tseaou's chapel, which lends its still-abiding form to verify the tales of 
 tradition, is known as the " Kwan-yin-ko" or Gallery of the Goddess of Mercy; in front 
 is a rich plantation of bamboos, between the pillary stems of which the graceful form of 
 the Golden Island may be traced. On the eastern slope of the island stands the " Keih- 
 keang-ting," Drink-river Hall, the site of an ancient pagoda which was destroyed by fire 
 in the reign of Hung-woo, the first emperor of the Ming dynasty, which preceded the 
 present Tsing or Tartar; a Hall of Ancestors, was erected from its ruins. On the highest 
 peak is the " Ta-pei-ting," or " the Shen-tsae Hall," belonging to the Sung dynasty ; 
 its site was anciently occupied by the " Lo-han-yen, that is, the mountain-terrace of the 
 immediate disciples of Bhudda. This title the emperor Le-tsung, of the Sung dynasty, 
 caused to be written " in three large characters" to attract the attention of after ages. 
 From this very elevated station the view of the three islands, of the picturesque and 
 unequal country around Chin-keang-foo, of the winding waters of the Yang-tze-keang, 
 and the vast extent of landscape which the coup-d'ceil comprehends, is unrivalled in 
 all the central provinces ; here, says a Chinese topographer, " the eye in the heavens 
 has no limit but the span of the clouds — nor on the river, but the wind-blown sail." 
 
 Hallowed by antiquity, reverenced from its religious or superstitious associations, and 
 wrapped in all the interest that the most romantic legends can impart, the imperial ruler 
 of the Chinese, with an admirable taste, directed that ruin should withhold its ravages 
 amidst the walls of the pagoda, and chapel and hermitage on Tseaou-shan ; that the 
 ancestral halls should be restored, and apartments suitable for the reception of majesty, 
 during official visits to the province of Keang-nan, be constructed and maintained. This 
 felicitous command has been complied with : and the emperor, in the spring and autumn 
 of the year, enjoys the refreshing breezes from the Yang-tse-keang in his gay pavilion on 
 the rock, or witnesses from its casements the sport of fishing with the trained cormorant. 
 '• We saw," says a modern traveller, " on the Paou-ying-hoo, an extensive swamp or 
 lake on our right, five or six boats crowded with the fishing-birds, which they called 
 Yu-ying, " fishing-hawk," and others Yu-ya, " fishing-duck," without much regard to 
 physical accuracy. We prevailed on one of the men to bring his boat close to the shore, 
 and had a narrow view of them. They stand about as high as a goose, but are not so 
 heavy in make, with a very long bill, the upper mandible of which is hooked at the end, 
 like all birds that prey on so slippery a subject as fish. Their colour on the back is 
 

 1 
 
 . 
 
 
 
RAREE-SHOW AT LIN-SIN-CHOO. 45 
 
 darkish, approaching to black, and they appear to be something between a pelican and 
 a cormorant The people were very unwilling to sell them, and with sufficient reason, 
 as the difficulty of training them for the service of the fishing-boats must be consider- 
 able. They were all secured by the leg, and some had a ring fastened loosely round the 
 neck to prevent their gulping the fish." To the ring a cord is attached, also tied to 
 one of the legs, and whenever the diver loiters, he is pulled towards the boat, into which 
 he is lifted by a loug bamboo cane having a hook at the end of it. The bamboo, after 
 the manner of Chinese legislation, is frequently applied to the cormorant's back when- 
 ever he becomes lazy, and its effect in sending him down is instantaneous. 
 
 Tseaou-shan is readily distinguished from the two islands adjacent, not only by its 
 rude rocky stages, but by a number of large characters cut in the cliff, a little above 
 the water-level, and known as the Eu-ho inscription, as well as by two tall slender rocks, 
 resembling the Needles off the west end of the Isle of Wight, which the Chinese call 
 Hae-mun, "the Sea Gate." 
 
 RAREE-SHOW AT LIN-SIN-CHOO. 
 
 " Why is a handsome wife adored 
 By every coxcomb but her lord ? — 
 From yonder puppf/man inquire, 
 Who wisely hides his wood and wire." 
 
 Swift. 
 
 The Imperial Canal commences, correctly speaking, at the city of Lin-sin-choo,* in the 
 province of Shan-tung ; but, a propensity to exaggeration has induced the Chinese to 
 include, in their representation of its extent, all the navigable rivers, which form a 
 large portion of this great line of inland navigation. They pretend that it originates 
 northward at Tien-sing on the river Pei-ho, and terminates southward at Hang-chow-foo 
 in the province of Kiang-nan, which is not exactly the case : for the north terminus of 
 the Cha-ho, or " river of flood-gates," is not higher up than Lin-sin-choo. There the 
 Pei-ho communicates with the canal openly, and evenly, without lock or dam ; — and, along 
 its course, which, however, is improperly described as a reach of the canal, the gentle 
 current is arrested at intervals by flood-gates of native invention ; they consist of two 
 stone piers or jetties, about thirty feet apart, between which loose planks are let down 
 in guiding grooves. These partitions seldom occasion a difference of a foot in the level 
 of the water, and, to protect and manage them, a strong body of soldiers, or military 
 police, is always stationed near the banks. Their guard-houses are amongst the most 
 interesting objects along the line of this sluggish river, which traverses a flat, swampy, 
 and rather thinly-peopled country. The vicinity of Lin-sin-choo has long been the 
 rendesvouz of carriers, who here transfer their burdens from one description of junk to 
 
 * Also written Lintsinchow. 
 M 
 
46 CHINA ILLUSTRATED. 
 
 another, — exchange commodities, engage and dismiss trackers, or transact other matters, 
 necessarily connected with an entrepot so centrally situated for inland trade. Seated at 
 the head of the Imperial Canal, the great commercial highway of the empire, this city has 
 acquired and still possesses a degree of veneration ; and, it is the opinion of European 
 travellers that the splendid pagoda of nine stories, which here adorns the landscape, was 
 erected to mark the entrance of the Cha-ho, and perhaps commemorate its opening. 
 In this light it may be viewed as a beautiful monument of a great and useful public 
 undertaking ; but if its destination be analogous to those of all similar structures in 
 this land of polytheism, it deserves like them to share the universal contempt of many 
 creeds. In form, the pagoda of Lin-sin-choo is octagonal and pyramidal ; the basement 
 story is of porphyritic granite, the upper, of glazed bricks beautifully and exactly 
 fitted together. A winding staircase of one hundred and eighty-three steps conducts to 
 the highest stage, from whence a very extensive prospect is obtained over the meeting 
 of the waters, of the admirable site at their conflux, and of the crowded streets of Lin- 
 sin-choo. Although from this height, a hundred and fifty feet at least above the level 
 of the Pei-ho, the city seems almost at the tower's foot, yet the private dwellings and 
 even the public buildings are scarcely discoverable, from the extraordinary number of 
 gardens, shrubberies, and planted pleasure-grounds within the city walls. In the 
 year 1793, this beautiful work of art, the tapering tower, was in a state of dilapidation, 
 nor did any traces then exist of its ever having been dedicated to the idolatrous worship 
 of the nation ; but since that period it has been completely restored and beautified. 
 The roof of each story projects, and on the cornice of the lowest are inscribed in 
 legible letters, the dedicatory words, " O-me-to-fo, which are also to be found in all 
 the temples of Buddha, the projections themselves being richly carved and decorated. 
 A niche in the basement story is filled with an image of Buddhist worship of recent 
 admission, and another is preserved in the highest apartment. The roof, which is also 
 profusely ornamented, is either of cast-iron or bell-metal. 
 
 The concourse of merchants, dealers, travellers, bargemen, in addition to the civic 
 functionaries, and the number of retainers necessary to preserve order amongst a popula- 
 tion that is constantly hi transitu, present peculiar attractions to strolling players, jug- 
 glers, and mountebanks of all descriptions ; and the streets of Lin-sin-choo are continually 
 animated by the performances of these ministers of mirth. It is no inconsiderable addi- 
 tion to the accompanying picture of Chinese customs, to place the showman and the 
 delighted group around him, in one of the sylvan avenues of this rns in urbe, an advan- 
 tage of which Mr. Allom has most happily availed himself, combining, consequently, 
 the singular scenery of these very primitive streets with the habits of their migratory 
 population. 
 
 It has been elsewhere observed, that although the Chinese have stopped, and been 
 contented with a limited degree of excellence, finish, or perfection in many admirable 
 inventions, still mankind are indebted to them for the origin of those very discoveries 
 which they have themselves neglected, or wanted ability to improve. The mariner's 
 compass, gunpowder, and the art of printing, most probably originated in China, 
 
RAREE-SHOW AT LIN-SIN T -CHOO. 47 
 
 although imitators now derive more advantage from these discoveries than the authors 
 themselves ; and it is from this ancient empire that the very amusements of the 
 humbler classes, both on the European continent and in Great Britain, have obviously 
 been derived. The Ombres Chinoises disclose their country sufficiently by their name ; 
 and in the automatic figures of the Chinese raree-showmen are recognized the originals 
 of the Fantoccini of Italy, and the Punch and Judy of more western countries. 
 The figures of the Italian puppet-show derive their motions from springs attached 
 to their legs, arms, and heads, the mode in which the dancing puppets of the Chinese 
 are also worked, so that the identity of these two species of exhibition is complete. 
 Between the English showman and his Eastern prototype, the resemblance is, if 
 possible, more exact; and the words in which a Chinese author has described the ope- 
 ration require no change in their application to the performances at Bartholomew Fair. 
 " The Chinese showman produces a succession of pictures to the perspective glass, by 
 means of small strings, and relates a story and description of each subject as he presents 
 it." This account applies to the old-fashioned exhibition of the camera-obscura, which 
 was to be seen, at one period, at all the public crossings in the streets of London. 
 
 It has been shown that the Fantoccini and camera-obscuras are of Chinese origin, 
 it remains still to be proved that it is to the same ingenious people England owes 
 the popular exhibition of Punch, although it has received considerable alteration in its 
 passage to us through Italy and Central Europe. The Chinese Punch is performed by 
 a person mounted on a stool, and concealed, as far as the ankle, with blue drapery. On 
 his head rests a box or stage, such as Punchinello is generally performed in, and the 
 figures are put in motion by the insertion of the manager's fingers into their arms. 
 This is the principle, the practice being somewhat altered, on which the celebrated 
 Punch and Judy show is now conducted. 
 
 Both in England and in China, music forms a necessary part of the entertainment: 
 nor is it a matter unattended with difficulty to decide which country, on this ground, 
 is entitled to pre-eminence. Mr. Allom's musician at Lin-sin-choo seems to be very 
 fully occupied, and resolutely bent upon diverting the attention of the spectators from 
 those movements of the mechanism, or from that sleight-of-hand which might detract 
 from the general effect of the exhibition. To his left foot a cymbal is attached, 
 which he strikes against its fellow fixed securely on the ground, with his right foot he 
 plays upon a drum or tambour, while both hands are employed in the management 
 of a hwaiig-teih, or flute, occasionally exchanged for the heang-teih, or clarionet, 
 that is suspended at his side. This immense "unkeyed instrument" is simply a bamboo 
 cane, having a mouth-hole at some distance from the end, a second aperture, covered 
 with the inner rind or film of a species of reed, two inches lower down, besides ten 
 ventiges, six of which are effective and equidistant. The tone of the bamboo flute is 
 both sweet and powerful, and the harmony of the musician's little band, in general, agree- 
 able. In this instance, however, the performer has not exceeded in dexterity some of our 
 own itinerant musicians. There was an attendant upon an automaton collection, exhi- 
 bited at Brecon in South Wales, in the year 1842, who played an air on the pandean- 
 
48 CHINA ILLUSTRATED. 
 
 pipes, and accompanied it by the clashing of cymbals attached to his knees, by the 
 beating of a large drum with a stick fastened by a strap above one knee, while from the 
 same leg a tightened cord extended to the upright handle of a crescent and bells, firmly 
 fixed in the floor of the stage ; his hands were engaged with a large tambarine, and a 
 triangle suspended from one arm was touched by a plectrum made fast to the other. 
 The author of a satirical poem called "The Familiar Epistles," thus ridicules the powers 
 of a gentleman who led the band of one of our theatrical orchestras — 
 
 " Cooke plays eight instruments together, 
 Or croaking frogs foretell bad weather." 
 
 The Cambrian musician directed sir instruments, to the obvious delight of his auditors, 
 and, under happier circumstances, it is not improbable he might have employed a larger 
 number, without materially deteriorating the quality of his music. 
 
 The spectators and auditors at the raree-show in Lin-sin-choo belong to the indus- 
 trious and humbler classes, to whom the rice-seller presents himself, and amongst whom 
 not only do the mother and child very naturally make their appearance, but the less 
 interesting character of the smoking lounger, who declines all further labour until 
 necessity shall compel him to accept it. 
 
 Puppet-shows, the probable original of the regular drama, are here not the peculiar 
 entertainment of the lower or uneducated classes, on the contrary, they are patronized 
 by the imperial household, and are included in the court amusements. " We were 
 also entertained with a Chinese puppet-show, which differs but little from an English 
 one. There are a distressed princess confined in a castle, and a knight-errant, who, 
 after fighting wild beasts and dragons, sets her at liberty and marries her, wedding- 
 feasts, jousts, and tournaments. Besides these, there was also a comic drama, in which 
 some personages not unlike Punch and Judy, Bandemeer, and Scaramouch, performed 
 capital parts. This puppet-show, we were told, properly belonged to the ladies' apart- 
 ments, but was sent out as a particular compliment to entertain us." * This fact is 
 neither surprising nor peculiar; for it is but just a century ago since puppet-shows were 
 so much in fashion in London, that the public journals complained of the celebrated 
 singer Nocolini, and the opera, bein^ almost deserted for " Punch and his Wife." 
 
 It would appear sufficiently evident, since the antiquity of imperial China and of 
 its institutions is indisputable, and since the memorable bigotry of that people must 
 always have militated against the adoption of foreign customs, — and since puppet-shows 
 exactly resembling the Fantoccini of Italy, and the Punchinello of England, were found 
 there in familiar acceptance by the first European travellers, that China is the native 
 country of these childish amusements. However, or whenever, they may have emigrated 
 might perhaps be determined without much difficulty, but it is certainly known that 
 England borrowed them from the southern countries of Europe. The history of Punch, 
 and of his extraordinary ubiquity, may lay the foundation for more serious reflections 
 upon the prevailing passions of mankind, in all countries and ages, for, his fame appears to 
 have extended from the earliest periods of authentic history to these times present, and 
 • Barrow's Visit to the Imperial Palace at Sehol in Tartary. 
 

 
 1 
 
 ■"V 
 
 
 
 v 
 
 
 r 4 
 
 
 
TEMPLE OF BONZES. 49 
 
 over the round world "from China to Peru." The vulgar-sounding name by which this 
 famous actor is known in England is a corruption of Pulcinella, an Italian mask, first 
 introduced there by Silvio Fiorillo, which some derive from pulcinelli, "chickens," because 
 the first performer of this character in Italy was a misshapen peasant of Sorento, who 
 used to bring chickens for sale to the market of Naples : while others deduce it from 
 Puccio d'Aniello, a witty peasant, who had acquired considerable distinction by the dis- 
 play of his comic talents at the vintage festivities in his native province. The French 
 epithet, Ponche, has, with too much levity, been said to be derived from Pontius Pilate, 
 because that celebrated person was a principal character in the old " Mysteries" sanc- 
 tioned by the Roman Catholic hierarchy : but this origin may be easily refuted, for, 
 Punch's fac-simile in the ancient " Moralities" was The P'ice, whose peculiar office it 
 was to relieve the heavier parts of the performance by occasional digressions, and by 
 sudden sallies of wit, humour, and buffoonery. 
 
 That the reign of puppet-shows in China has been long, peaceful, and uninter- 
 rupted, the perfection to which they have attained appears to afford ample proof: on the 
 continent, in Italy more especially, they constitute one of the chief delights of the majority ; 
 and, although perhaps Punch is less admired by the intellectual children of the nine- 
 teenth century than of those that have passed, a showman's bill, preserved in the 
 British Museum, demonstrates the esteem in which " Motions" — the obsolete name for 
 puppet-shows — were held by the public, in the Augustine age of our own Queen Anne. 
 
 TEMPLE OF BONZES IN THE QUANG-YEN ROCK. 
 
 Christian, look home ! Thy heart's recesses scan, 
 
 The chambers of thy spirit's imag'ry ; 
 Mark well its mazes subterranean, 
 
 Idol enthron'd, and troops that bow the knee. 
 Christian, look home ! and ere to curse thou dare, 
 Be sure no Bonze's cavcrn'd haunt is there. 
 
 C. J. C. 
 
 The Pei-kiang-ho, which traverses the province of Quang-tung, rising in the Melin moun- 
 tains, passes through a district remarkably picturesque, but by no means fertile. The 
 river's channel separates the sandstone from the limestone formation, except perhaps in 
 one place, where an immense opening has been made by the waters right through the 
 former species of rock, which rises in precipitous cliffs above them to a height of not less 
 than eight hundred feet. Some leagues north of this remarkable strait, and of those pillars 
 of a Chinese Hercules, is the city of Chao-chou-foo, enclosed with inhospitable walls of 
 brick and stone, and near to it, the head of the available navigation. Here the flat-bot- 
 tomed boat, lined with mats, is always exchanged for a junk of superior lightness and accom- 
 modation ; and here also the river is crossed by a bridge of boats, the central portion of 
 the pontoon being readily removable to permit free navigation. Gliding down the smooth- 
 
 N 
 
50 CHINA ILLUSTRATED. 
 
 flowing waters, attention is attracted, long before the navigator arrives at the spot, by an 
 impending cliff, that rises seven hundred feet above the river, assuming at its summit a 
 columnar form ; the distant view consisting of the outspread waters enclosed by mural pre- 
 cipices, through which a single passage only is opened for their egress. The overhanging 
 rock, named Quaug-yen, is composed of greyish-black transition limestone, and remark- 
 able in some places for its irregular vesicular surface. Its indentions appear to he the 
 impressions of organic remains that have fallen from their beds, and the impending mass 
 consists of forms resembling stalactitic compositions. A landing-place is formed at the foot 
 of the rock by a broad level terrace, raised only a few feet above the highest mark of the 
 water, and from this a long but easy flight of steps leads to the first of a suite of chapels or 
 temples, dedicated to the worship of Fo, established in the excavations of the mountain, 
 and where a number of Bonzes constantly dwell to discharge their idolatrous duties. 
 
 The following vivid description of the visit of Lord Macartney to the temple in the 
 rock, cannot be discredited ; but so much has either fanaticism faded or fashion in religion 
 altered in fifty years, that his lordship's narrative is wholly inapplicable to the present 
 appearance of these shadowy halls. " An arm of the river bent and elbowed itself into 
 a deep cove or basin, above which enormous masses of rock rose abruptly on every side, 
 agglomerating to a stupendous height, and menacing collision. The included flood was 
 silent, sullen, still, and black. The ledge where we landed was so narrow, that we could not 
 stand upon it without difficulty ; we were hemmed round with danger. The mountains 
 frowned on us from on high ; the precipices startled us from beneath. Our own safety 
 seemed even in the jaws of a cavern that yawned in our front. We plunged into it 
 without hesitating, and, for a moment, felt the joys of a sudden escape ; but our terrors 
 returned when we surveyed our asylum. We found ourselves at the bottom of a stair- 
 case hewn in the rock, long, narrow, steep, and rugged ; at a distance a feeble taper 
 glimmered from above, and faintly discovered to us the secrets of the vault; we however 
 looked forward to it as our pole-star. We scrambled up the steps, and with much 
 trouble and fatigue arrived at the landing-place. Here an ancient bald-headed Bonze 
 issued from his den, and offered himself as our conductor through the subterranean 
 labyrinth. The first place he led us to was the grand hall, a refectory of the convent. 
 It is an excavation, forming nearly a cube of twenty-five feet, through one face of which 
 is a considerable opening that looks over the water, and is barricaded with a rail. This 
 apartment is well furnished, in the taste of the country, with tables and chairs highly 
 varnished, and with many gauze and paper lanterns of various colours, in the middle of 
 which was suspended a glass chandelier of prodigious size, made in London, the offering 
 of an opulent Chinese bigot at Canton. From hence we mounted by an ascent of many 
 difficult steps to the temple itself, which is directly over the hall, but of much greater 
 extent. Here the god Poo-sa is displayed in all his glory — a gigantic image with a Saracen 
 face, grinning horribly from a double row of gilded fangs, a crown upon his head, a naked 
 scimetar in one hand, and a firebrand in the other. But how little, alas ! is celestial or 
 sublunary tame ; I could learn very few particulars of this colossal divinity ; even the 
 Bonzes, who live by his worship, scarcely knew anything of his history. From the 
 
TEMPLE OF BONZES. 51 
 
 attributes he is armed with, I suppose he was some great Tartar prince or commander of 
 antiquity ; but if he bore any resemblance to his representative, he must have been 
 a most formidable warrior, and probably not inferior in his day to the King of Prussia 
 or Prince Ferdinand in our own. A magnificent altar was dressed out at his feet, with 
 lamps, lanterns, candles and candlesticks, censers and perfumes, strongly resembling the 
 decorations of a Romish chapel ; and on the walls were hung numerous tablets, inscribed 
 in large characters with moral sentences and exhortations to pious alms and religion. 
 
 " Opposite to the image is a wide breach in the wall, down from which the perpen- 
 dicular view requires the firmest nerves and the steadiest head to resist its impression. 
 The convulsed rocks above shooting their tottering shadows into the distant light, the 
 slumbering abyss below — the superstitious gloom brooding upon the whole, — all conspired 
 to strike the mind with accumulated horror and the most terrifying images. From the 
 chapel we were led through several long and narrow galleries to the rest of the apart- 
 ments, which have been all wrought in the rock, by invincible labour and perseverance, 
 into kitchens, cells, cellars, and other recesses of various kinds. The Bonzes having 
 now heard the quality of their visitors, had lighted an additional number of torches and 
 flambeaux, by which we were enabled to see all the interior of the souterrain, and to 
 examine into the nature of its inhabitants, and their manner of living in it. Here we 
 beheld a number of our fellow-creatures, endowed with faculties like our own, — 
 
 " Some breasts once pregnant with celestial fire" — 
 
 buried under a mountain, and chained to a rock, to be incessantly gnawed by the vul- 
 tures of superstition and fanaticism. Their condition appeared to us to be the last stage 
 of monastic misery, the lowest degradation of humanity. The aspiring thoughts, and 
 elegant desires, the Promethean heat, the nobler energies of the soul, the native dignity 
 of man, all sunk, rotting or extinguished in a hopeless dungeon of religious insanity. 
 From such scenes the offended eye turns away with pity and disdain, and looks with 
 impatience for a ray of relief from the light of reason and philosophy." 
 
 Since the preceding graphic description was written, the number of Bonzes is dimi- 
 nished, the huge idol of Saracenic aspect must have been removed, unless it be identical 
 with the god Poo-sa, who is still seated on an altar, a part of the rock hewn into the 
 shape of the nelumbium, and the feelings of terror obviated by the construction of well- 
 built walls, where there was formerly but a slight rail to secure from accident. The con- 
 duct of the resident priesthood, however, is of the same mendicant character ; they watch 
 anxiously to ascertain the rank, feelings, or objects of their visitors, and take advantage 
 of every little circumstance in the least likely to afford a pretext for begging. They 
 present mineralogical specimens, gathered from the great rocky mountain in whose bowels 
 they are entombed, and wait with inquiring aspect the result of the worthless gift. But 
 Bonzes, Shamans, or Hoshangs, are, strictly speaking, mendicants by profession, and ana- 
 logous to a similar order of friars in the Roman Catholic church. A begging Bonze, with 
 his head closely shaven and bare, a board tied on his back on which are painted, in legible 
 characters, the names of the sect and temple to which he belongs, hair-padded cushions 
 
,-,-j CHINA ILLUSTRATED. 
 
 fastened on his knees, to save them from the otherwise injurious effects of endless genu- 
 flexions, — presents himself everlastingly at the door of the wealthy. In the most suppli- 
 cating posture, he almost prostrates himself before the place or person of the rich man, 
 and while he chants an appropriate hymn, accompanies it with continued, but very gentle 
 taps, upon a hollow piece of wood in shape resembling a pear. The general costume of 
 the Lama or Bonze, is a loose robe with a broad collar of silk or velvet; the colour of 
 the toga depending on the particular order or monastery to which the wearer belongs. 
 These priests, in Tartary and China, are the only classes of either nation who have the 
 head shaved entirely. They are in general supplied with a broad-leafed hat, manu- 
 factured from straw and split bamboo, answering the twofold purpose of a defence 
 against sun and rain, and always with an ornament resembling a cap, exquisitely wrought 
 in wood or ivory, which they affix to the back of the head. Occasionally they are 
 armed with a large umbrella, the handle and ribs being of bamboo, the covering of paper, 
 beneath which the hat is always carried in the hand. The temples, and monasteries, and 
 public places in China, literally swarm with Bonzes, who, ostensibly at least, practise 
 all the austerities and mortifications of the numerous orders of monks in Europe, and 
 inflict on themselves the same painful and disgusting punishments which the Facquirs 
 of India undergo, for the feigned love of God, but for the real admiration of men. The 
 odium thrown upon the moral character of the Bonzes of China by the learned Jesuits who 
 travelled in that empire, should be received, with caution and qualifications, for it is well 
 known that the similarity of monastic orders as well as of the ceremonies of Buddhism, 
 to those of the Roman Catholic Church, created the most distressing feelings in the minds 
 of the missionaries, although history everywhere plainly points to paganism as the com- 
 mon origin of the rites of both. 
 
 There are several Roman Catholic convents, or chapels, or cells, that much resemble 
 the temple of Quang-Yen, in their seclusion, rocky character, and humiliating posi- 
 tion of their priesthood. The most interesting in southern Europe is the Shrine of St. 
 Rosalia, on Monte Pelegrino, near Palermo. This grotto is a natural formation, 
 deep, damp, and dismal ; a rude head of the saint peeps from a niche in the rock, and 
 an exquisite image of the same holy personage lies beneath the gorgeous shrine which 
 stands on the east side of the chapel. A convent has been erected above and around the 
 sacred rock, and the resident priesthood derive a handsome income from pilgrims.* 
 Near Cape Roxent, in Portugal, is another subterranean temple, called the Cork Convent- 
 It is of considerable extent, includes a chapel, sacristy, refectory, and every apartment 
 requisite for the accommodation of the miserable Franciscan monks who inhabit them. 
 The walls, roof, and floors are lined with cork ; the tables, chairs, couches, chapel fur- 
 niture, crucifixes, — in short cork is employed in everything necessary for the convenience 
 of the establishment, which could be made of that waterproof material. The Temple 
 of Quang-Yen, the Shrine of St. Rosalia, and the Cork Convent, are all dismal and 
 degrading retreats of intellectual beings, and those who incarcerate themselves in such 
 dungeons of bigotry deserve universal contempt; yet they are still less disgusting in 
 
 * Vide Wright's " Shores and Islands of the Mediterranean." 
 

 
 ^ 
 
 
 
 
 
 ^ 
 
MILITARY STATION AT CHO-KIEN. 53 
 
 their internal arrangements than those of a Franciscan convent on the island of Madeira. 
 Here is shown a large apartment, the walls of which are lined with human skulls, and the 
 bones of arms and legs are placed alternately in horizontal rows. A solitary lamp, 
 depending from the ceiling, throws a feeble light on these miserable memorials of mor- 
 tality, and on the grim features of a bald-headed friar of the order, who exhibits them to 
 visitors with an indescribable, and most unnatural species of triumph. 
 
 MILITARY STATION AT CHO-KIEN. 
 
 '■ That never set a squadron in the field, 
 Nor the division of a battle knows. 
 More than a spinster — 
 
 Mere prattle without practice 
 Is all his soldiership." 
 
 ^llAKSPl.llt. 
 
 On every navigable river, but especially on the Pei-ho, the northern feeder of the Impe- 
 rial Canal, military stations are established; the magnitude or strength of each being 
 proportioned to the populousness or traffic of the district. As rivers are the chief high- 
 ways of China, these posts are analogous to our police-stations ; and the troops lodged in 
 them are not the regular military, but rather the local militia. Besides the maintenance 
 of tranquillity, and enforcing the orders of government, the river-guard have other 
 duties to perform, such as the exaction of tolls, preservation of unimpeded water-way, 
 and care of the sluices. The accompanying view represents a station-house of the first 
 class, where a guard of at least one hundred men is always maintained : whenever an 
 imperial cortege, or the train of a mandarin of distinction, passes, it is their duty to give 
 a military salute. This ceremony consists in the discharge of three short petards, kept 
 for this purpose alone : they are fixed perpendicularly in the ground, a little powder 
 is first put into the barrel, over which sand and earth are tightly rammed. When the 
 ceremony is completed, the gorgeous dresses of the soldiers, including embroidered 
 petticoats and satin boots, together with their arms and accoutrements, are restored to 
 the armoury in the station-house, and there preserved until another public occasion shall 
 demand another distribution. As for the soldiers themselves, if they be only the Chinese 
 military police, the greater part resume their agricultural or manufacturing employments, 
 retaining also their pay, which is equivalent to three-pence a day of our money. This 
 little stipend, and some additional value which attaches to office in every country, prove 
 so attractive, that the duty of a soldier is taken, rather than put upon the people — solici- 
 tation is used to obtain, instead of conscription to enforce the service. 
 
 The military pavilion at Cho-kien is always a picturesque object, and frequently 
 presents a scene of much bustle and animation. The vicinity of a large and navigable 
 
 o 
 
54 CHINA ILLUSTRATED. 
 
 river, covered with a multitude of boats, and of various kinds, including junks, flower- 
 boats, sanpans, pleasure-barges, chop-boats, and others, must necessarily present an end- 
 less variety of scene and incident. Here are continued arrivals and departures, frequent 
 disputes between the junkmen and trackers, and occasional punishments of criminals from 
 the surrounding country ; for, although the imperial power is so overwhelming, that neigh- 
 bouring states can offer to it no serious resistance, amongst the Chinese themselves, and 
 in the very heart of the empire, convulsions, insurrections, conspiracies, and tumults, are 
 of hourly occurrence, and give ample employment to the standing police and the regular 
 Tartar soldiers. In front of the pavilion are hoisted the national flags, yellow, white, 
 red, and blue, or one of these colours bordered with the other if the garrison consist 
 entirely of Tartar troops; but, green banners with red borders, or the reverse, in the 
 centre of which is displayed the national gilt dragon, if of Chinese. 
 
 As there is a difference between the pay of the Tartar and Chinese soldiers, that is, 
 between the regular and militia corps, so is there a distinction also in their dress and 
 accoutrements. The Tartars, or Tigers of War, as the missionaries have styled them, 
 are dressed in yellow — the imperial colour — striped in imitation of a tiger's hide, and 
 having ears also to their caps. This cap or head-gear, is made of split bamboo, so 
 compactly interwoven as to be capable of resisting a violent blow ; the shield is of the 
 same material and workmanship, and the head or entire image of some monster is 
 generally painted on it, to terrify, if not, like that of Medusa, to petrify the foe. Every 
 fifth soldier, when the line is formed, has a silk flag at his back, resting in a socket, and 
 as these flutter in the breeze they present a very gay appearance. It may be asked, 
 why repeat these flags so often, or why not furnish every man with one, as we do in our 
 lancer regiments ? The Chinese have a peculiar fondness for the number five, derived 
 from the structure of the hand; hence their soldiers are in companies of five, ten of 
 which, a multiple of five, form a company of fifty, another multiple; eight of these 
 companies compose a battalion, and each company has five principal, and five subaltern 
 officers. On each soldier's breast, that is, each man of the regular army, the word valour, 
 (yoong) is always inscribed; "which," says a British officer who served in the late war 
 with China, " might be all very well, if the same word were not also displayed on the same 
 individual's back, when he fled, and who, agreeably to the advice of Hudibras, reserved 
 his courage for some future occasion." The military police, who are always Chinese, 
 wear around their necks and over their breasts, a badge inscribed with the words 
 " robustious citizens." The uniform of the latter is much less costly and regular than 
 that of the Tiger of War, consisting principally of a blue jacket trimmed with red, or 
 the reverse, over a long clumsy petticoat. The head is protected by a conical cap of 
 bamboo, but sometimes of cloth and silk ; while the Tiger is defended by a quilted toga of 
 cloth, studded with metal buttons, and an iron helmet terminating in the shape of an 
 inverted funnel, from the top of which a bunch of horse-hair depends. Their arms are as 
 contemptible, as their uniform is unwieldy and inconvenient; they consist of match-locks, 
 supported on cross sticks, which are generally in bad order, and badly supplied with flints, 
 now substituted for matches, this valuable description of stone not being found in any part 
 
MILITARY STATION AT CHO-KIEN. 53 
 
 of China; there are no chalk-cliffs in the empire, so there is no matrix for the support and 
 supply of gun-flints, and as to detonating caps, they are yet unknown to the military men 
 in Cathay. It is said that their swords or scimeters are equal to the best from Spain, 
 although their appearance is extremely rude and unfinished. In the late war, however, 
 Commissioner Lin attempted an improvement in this department, by the introduction of 
 double-sworded men, from which he calculated upon the annihilation of the English 
 intruders. " These twin swords, when in the scabbard, appear as one thick clumsy 
 weapon, about two feet in length ; the guard for the hand continuing straight, rather 
 beyond the 'fort' of the sword-turn towards the point, forming a hook about two inches 
 long. When in use, the thumb of each hand is passed under this hook, on which the 
 sword hangs, until a twist of the wrist brings the gripe within the grasp of the swordsman. 
 Clashing and beating them together, and cutting the air in every direction, accompanying 
 the action with abuse, noisy shouts, and hideous grimaces, these dread heroes advance, 
 increasing their gesticulations, and distortions of visage, as they approach the enemy, 
 when they expect the foe to become alarmed and fly before them." * It does not appear, 
 however, that this ridiculous introduction was entirely the invention of Lin, we only 
 know that we first became acquainted with its inefficacy and existence in our opposition 
 to the force under his control. 
 
 It is not on the sword and shield, or the ill-conditioned matchlock, that the 
 Tartar soldier places his best reliance, but on that weapon to which he has been accus- 
 tomed from childhood, and which is associated with his name and history from time 
 immemorial. The Tartar's bow is made of an elastic wood, cased in horn, and having a 
 string of silken thread strongly twisted, and his arrows are straight, well finished, 
 and armed at the points with a shank and spear of steel. It is usual to estimate the 
 strength of the bow by the weight required to bend it, and the test applied in China is 
 from eighty to ninety pounds. The string is placed behind an agate ring upon 
 the right thumb, the first joint of which is bent forward, and kept in that position by 
 pressing the middle joint of the fore-finger upon it. In this situation the string is drawn 
 till the left arm is extended, and the right hand passes the right ear ; the fore-finger is 
 then withdrawn from the thumb, which instantly forces the string from the agate ring, 
 and discharges the arrow with considerable force. 
 
 The dress or uniform of a Chinese army is inconvenient, and the weapons they employ 
 entirely behind the age we live in ; sufficient to repress sedition, secure internal peace, 
 and aid in the execution of the wishes of government, these forces and weapons must still 
 prove wholly unequal to the military discipline and means of destruction employed by the 
 civilized nations of Europe; and the strength of Hercules, and the courage of Achilles, in 
 such a contest, would have only ended in the ruin of their possessors. The Chinese, in 
 fact, are wholly ignorant of the art of war, having, during many centuries, cultivated unin- 
 terruptedly the arts of peace, and these are the reciprocals of each other; while industry and 
 happiness increased, despotism and military science retrograded. Chinese soldiers seem 
 
 * Narrative of the Expedition to China, hy Commander J. E. Bingbam, R.N. 
 
56 CHINA ILLUSTRATED. 
 
 much better adapted to grace a dramatic pageant than to defend an invaded empire, - and 
 if any one shall be disposed to question the impartiality of this statement, let him only 
 imagine the extravagance, if not the degradation, attendant on the ceremony of saluting an 
 officer of rank — " when the whole regiment in line, clap their hands to their sides, fall on 
 their knees, and utter a dismal howl; while a full band of music strikes out the air of 
 etiquette." 
 
 The strength of the imperial army, including the standing police or local militia, is 
 estimated at 740,000 effective men, of whom 400,000 are cavalry, besides 30,000 sea- 
 men, who find employment in the navy. It is more correct, however, to state, that the 
 Tartar corps, eight in number, and distinguished by the green standard, consist of 80,000 
 men, and constitute the only real regular army for defence or offence ; but that upwards 
 of 700,000 troops receive pay from the emperor as an enrolled and affianced soldiery. The 
 commander-in-chief of this vast army is always a Tartar, but a Chinaman may hold the 
 next rank to him. From the Tseang-kun to the lowest of his men, the discipline of the 
 bastinado, and even of the cangue, or moveable pillory, is applicable ; and, if the military 
 code which is preserved in the imperial archives were strictly enforced, there is no reason 
 to imagine that a brave, hardy, and persevering people, like the Chinese, would prove 
 unequal in military prowess to any nation upon earth. 
 
 FEEDING SILK-WORMS, AND SORTING THE COCOONS. 
 
 Lo ! where the caterpillar-crop 
 
 A golden fruitage bears ; 
 More useful than the painted fop 
 Its silken spoil that wears. 
 Yet still for him they toil, for him they die — 
 Worm, swathed nymph, and parent butterfly. 
 
 C. J. C. 
 
 It has been generally supposed that the people known in ancient history as the Seres, 
 were identical with the Chinese, both because of their eastern position, and that the 
 principal silk manufactures were believed to have been brought from thence, on which 
 account the Romans named the country Sericum, or Serica, or Sereinda. This fact, 
 however, is not at all certain ; on the contrary, there are strong, and almost conclusive 
 reasons for allowing, that the trifling quantity of silk imported into Rome, came, not from 
 China, or Sereinda, but from Persia. It is by no means probable that it was the Chinese 
 who were said to have sent an embassy to Augustus, to solicit the friendship of the 
 Romans, as this would be the only instance in the history of that people, of their having 
 condescended to court foreign alliance, independent of its being opposed to their funda- 
 mental laws, which not only prohibit intercourse with strangers, but even jealously prevent 
 the emigration of their people. Florus, who wrote nearly a century later than the death 
 of Augustus, is the only author who mentions this embassy, and, as no historian contem- 
 

 
FEEDING SILK-WORMS, AND SORTING THE COCOONS. 57 
 
 porary with the emperor, has alluded to so remarkable a circumstance, the natural 
 presumption is, that no such embassy was ever sent to Rome. It might be added, in 
 further confirmation of the opinion, that the Chinese never traded, negociated, nor were 
 even known to the Romans, — that the most learned ancient geographers conceive Serica 
 to be identical with Tartary, not with China Proper; and, in their charts it adjoins 
 Scythia. The inhabitants of these districts were practised in archery, a Tartar 
 accomplishment, but they did not produce or manufacture silk so much as cotton. 
 
 If the Romans, therefore, procured their silk from Persia, and that history is silent 
 on its further origin, no proof remains that China is its native country. A colony of Jews 
 are known to have travelled into China at an early period, and, according to the records 
 preserved by their descendants, and the authority of Chinese historians, settled there 
 soon after Alexander the Great had opened a communication with the East. Is it not 
 probable, that these industrious people carried with them this useful piece of knowledge 
 from Persia, or from some of the adjoining countries, where the silk-worm was then 
 certainly known to have been reared? The Emperor Kaung-shee, in his treatise on Natural 
 History, states, that the Chinese are much mistaken in imagining that silk was an exclu- 
 sive product of China, for that the upper region of India had a native worm of a larger 
 growth, and which spun a stronger silk than any in China. There is reason to believe 
 that silk was produced in the early ages of history, both in Tangut and Kitai ; several 
 expressions in the bible warrant a presumption that this beautiful manufacture was known 
 at the court of Solomon ; besides, the vestes perluridte ac Jiuidce 3Iedis of Justin have 
 always been supposed to mean silken robes. The Jews in China, like the Huguenots in 
 England, carried along with them the practical knowledge of an useful art, and both have 
 become so completely amalgamated with their adopted countries, that distinction is now 
 almost obliterated. Still may the Israelites be traced at Hang-tchoo-foo, where they have 
 long been settled, and where they have acquired the reputation of fabricating the best stuffs 
 in China. Some curious circumstances respecting this tradition may be noticed here. 
 Few of these immigrants, except the rabbins, have any knowledge of Hebrew, and tole- 
 ration appears to have drawn away many of the Jews from the faith of their ances- 
 tors, — an effect directly contrary to that which may be observed to follow religious perse- 
 cution. The high-priests are rigorously attached to the Old Law, but are ignorant of 
 any other Jesus having appeared on earth, except the son of Sirach. If this statement 
 be correct, these Jews could not have been part of the ten tribes carried away into cap- 
 tivity, but followers of Alexander's army, which corresponds with their own account of 
 their immigration. 
 
 In the sixth century, two Persian monks, migrating from their country, secretly con- 
 veyed away a number of silk-worms' eggs in a hollow cane, along with the white mulberry, 
 to Constantinople, where they were encouraged by the Emperor Justinian to breed the 
 insect, and cultivate its cocoons. This was the first introduction of the silk-worm 
 into Europe, but the country of its authors is not necessarily that of the insect itself, 
 which may still therefore have come from Serica, or Persia, or Kitai, or Tangut, or 
 perhaps China Proper. Popular histories of China, however, ascribe the origin of 
 
 p 
 
58 CHINA ILLUSTRATED. 
 
 silk manufacture to the Empress Si-ling-shi, wife of Hoang-ti, about 2,700 years before 
 the Christian era; and the same fabulous chronicles say, that the raw material had been 
 exported from China many centuries before the insect that produced it, and had given 
 extensive employment to manufacturers in Persia and Phoenicia. 
 
 The invention of the celebrated Coan stuffs, is attributed by the Greeks to Pamphyla, 
 who is said to have taught her countrywomen of Cos to unweave the heavy silks of the 
 East, and recompose the material into a transparent gauze, thus gaining in measure what 
 was lost in substance. Before the reign of Augustus, even manufactured silk was little 
 known in Europe; it was then sold for its weight in gold, and was worn only by a few 
 ladies of patrician rank. In the beginning of Tiberius's reign, a law was passed, that 
 no man should disgrace himself by the effeminate practice of wearing silken garments ; 
 and it is mentioned as a wanton extravagance of the prodigal Heliogabalus, that he had 
 a garment made wholly of silk. For six centuries the culture of the silk-worm in 
 Europe was confined to the Greek empire, and several manufactories were established at 
 Athens, Corinth, Thebes, and the yEgean Islands, for rearing the worm upon mulberry 
 leaves, for unwinding the cocoons, for twisting the filaments into threads of various 
 degrees of strength, and weaving them lastly into robes. From Greece the culture of 
 the silk-worm passed to the Venetian republic, which then enjoyed the most extensive 
 commercial intercourse with the western countries of Europe, and these enterprising 
 people accumulated vast treasures by their flourishing trade in silk. 
 
 It was about the year 1130, that Roger II., King of Sicily, and son of the famous 
 Count Roger the Norman, having violently carried away silk-weavers from the Holy 
 Land, established manufactures in his capital city of Palermo, and in some of the chief 
 places of Calabria. From this source sprang the whole culture, and manufacture, and 
 trade of silk, from which Italy subsequently reaped so rich a harvest. By whom the 
 culture of silk was introduced into Spain, does not appear very certainly, but the proba- 
 bility is that the Moors were the original promoters of this branch of industry at Cordova, 
 Murcia, and Granada; for, when the last of these places was captured in the fifteenth 
 century by Ferdinand, he found the silk trade there in a highly productive and pros- 
 perous state. 
 
 In the year 1480, several French nobles returning from the conquest of Naples, 
 brought some silk-worms with them into Dauphiny, along with the white mulberry ; 
 but their efforts appear to have been made more from a desire to promote the study of 
 natural history than for any immediate benefit to manufactures or commerce. Whatever 
 their personal objects were, from these small beginnings a knowledge of the rearing and 
 culture of the worm, and of its peculiar food, soon extended itself throughout France; so 
 that in 1521, artisans were invited from Milan to aid in the establishment of the manu- 
 facture on a wider basis. From the nursery-grounds of Monsieur Traucat of Nismes, the 
 first formed in France for the culture of the white mulberry, all those trees that now adorn 
 and enrich the southern provinces have been obtained. It is said that the first mulberry- 
 tree planted in France is still living, surrounded by its numerous offspring, many of 
 nearly equal age with itself. Fully appreciating the value of infant manufactures, Henri 
 
FEEDING SILK-WORMS, AND SORTING THE COCOONS. .39 
 
 Quatre extended every species of protection and encouragement to the plantation of 
 the mulberry, which his wisdom and power enabled him ; and, although cut off by an 
 untimely fate, he yet lived long enough to witness the entire success of this his favourite 
 project. 
 
 The climate of England is at variance in this instance with the industry of the inhabit- 
 ants, which appears capable of surmounting difficulties that have checked the enterprise 
 of all other countries ; and for this reason only is it that the silk-worm has not been 
 naturalized here also. In 1455, a company of silk-women was formed, whose employ- 
 ment and speculation were confined to needle-work, embroidery and other branches 
 in which silk thread was employed, but they had no connection with the culture of the 
 silk-worm or raising of the mulberry. It was reserved for our learned but imbecile 
 monarch, James I., to recommend this vain and hopeless measure to his people, in 
 a studied speech from the royal throne. England had long been dependent upon foreign 
 countries for the supply of the broad manufacture; and might have continued much longer 
 in that position of profit to foreigners, had not the persecution of the French Protest- 
 ants in 1685, obliged a large number of well-conducted and industrious artisans, to seek 
 refuge in England, bringing with them an accurate knowledge of the art of silk-weaving' 
 To this event is to be traced the ultimate establishment of the silk-trade in Spitalfields. 
 The manufacture of silks had progressed under King James; so that in 1629 the silk- 
 throwsters were incorporated by a royal charter, but the accession of the French emi- 
 grants completed the strength and secured the existence of this important branch of our 
 manufactures. 
 
 And now so remunerating were the prices which this description of manufacture pro- 
 duced, that no impediment seemed too great for those who were ambitious of pursuing it. 
 One instance is deserving of lasting record in the commercial and manufacturing history 
 of England. In the year 1720, Sir Thomas Lombe having witnessed the wonderful 
 performance of a silk-mill in Italy, at the risk of his personal safety succeeded in pro- 
 curing a model and conveying it secretly to England. It consisted of 26,586 wheels, was 
 moved by a single water-wheel, and, in twenty-four hours worked three millions of yards 
 of organized silk. The factory was erected on an islet in the Derwent river, in Derby- 
 shire ; and Sir Thomas secured his importation by a patent, at the expiration of which 
 parliament voted him £14,000, in consideration of the service he had rendered to the 
 manufactures of his country, and the imminent peril he had encountered in effecting it. 
 Scientific discoveries, and progress in the arts, have so completely superseded the most 
 complicated and wonderful pieces of mechanism produced in the earlier ages, that 
 labour is abridged, the quantity of our manufactures increased, the quality ameliorated, 
 and foreign competition overpowered, by the products of our improved and improving 
 machinery. 
 
(SO CHINA ILLUSTRATED. 
 
 THE TUN6-TIEG-SHAK. 
 
 " Here in this grotto of the wave-worn shore, 
 They pass'd the tropic's red meridian o'er; 
 Nor long the hours — they never paus'd o'er time, 
 Unbroken by the clock's funereal chime, 
 Which deals the daily pittance of our span, 
 And points and mocks with iron laugh at man." 
 
 Thi Island. 
 
 The mountains that encircle and hang over Tae-hoo, or the Great Lake, to the south- 
 east of the city of Nan-king, partake of the same picturesque, or rather grotesque 
 character, which pervades the sublime scenery of the Seven-star-hills. Limestone is the 
 predominant rock, and wherever this formation comes into immediate contact either with 
 the waves of the sea, or the rapid current of the river, it yields readily to their action, allow- 
 ing itself to be fashioned afresh, or worn still farther, by every new impression. Along 
 the Yang-tze-keang and the Pei-ho, wherever the limestone forms the river's boundary, 
 caverns, picturesque promontories, detached rocks, and fertile islets, are of constant 
 occurrence; and, in the mountain districts, where the violence of the falling torrent 
 would overcome more obstinate material, the forms which the limestone receives are of 
 endless variety. One of the most abrupt and precipitous hills in the Great Lake dis- 
 trict, and situated about thirty miles north of the city of Soo-chou-foo, is the Tung-ting- 
 shan, called also Lin-uh-shan, and Paou-shan. Its circuit extends upwards of a hundred 
 and fifty miles, and embraces within it the most beautiful and romantic scenery in China 
 Proper. In the quaint phraseology of Chinese tourists we are told, that "on the north- 
 west are forty-four hills, amongst which the most conspicuous in appearance, the most 
 celebrated in history, is the Ma-tsih ; forty-one hills lie towards the east, above which the 
 western Tung-ting raises his dark front to the clouds ; and, of the forty-seven hills that are 
 seen to the east precisely, the eastern Tung-ting is the loftiest and most massive." Upon 
 the charms of this latter district they have exhausted all the laudatory formulae of their 
 language ; and, their admiration of the landscapes that are presented in the valleys of 
 this group of hills, is almost boundless. The shade of its groves, the verdure of its 
 valleys, the sequestered sites of its cottages, the prominent splendour of its palaces, 
 the glittering radiance of its temples' roofs, are said to distribute light like the stars of 
 heaven, while the grand edifices themselves are arranged with all the regularity of 
 chessmen. This mixture of the sublime and ridiculous, two sentiments more nearly 
 allied than is generally imagined, pervade every object in the Chinese empire — their 
 religion, laws, public and private customs — and must, therefore, be naturally expected 
 in their descriptive writings : besides, in the Chinese landscape, the association has a 
 real and a constant existence. 
 
^ ' 
 
 
 
THE TUNG-TING-SHAN. 61 
 
 While the natives delight in the beauties of Eastern Tung-ting, European taste will 
 find more enjoyment in the repose of the picture to be seen amid the hollows of Tung- 
 ting-shan. Undisturbed, and undisfigured by palaces of haughty mandarins, or shrines 
 of idolatry placed at measured distances, the picturesque crests, and summits, and 
 brows, and steeps, of this lone region, retain the vesture in which nature clothed them. 
 Luxuriant woods wave on the loftiest cliffs, and the verdure in which each valley is clad 
 presents a contrast the most striking, to the sterility of the crags that often overhang 
 them. On the bank of some bright rivulet, and adjacent either to its entrance or its 
 exit from a sheltered vale, a village is occasionally seen, in a position the most romantic 
 that imagination can conjure up; and, so entire does the seclusion seem, that its peaceful 
 inhabitants appear to form a separate and independent community. Particular eminences 
 in the surrounding group are connected with the legendary lore of the mountaineers, 
 and the Shang-fang, and the Hea-fang rocks, are beheld with an obvious degree of 
 respect; while others, such as the Kung-lung-tow, Kin-yih-too, Choo-chow-shan, and 
 Peaou-meaou peaks, are almost equally venerated. Each forms not merely a guide 
 to the mountain-wanderer, an index in gauging the weather, a favourite haunt upon 
 a festive day, but each also is involved in some tale of love, or horror, or superstition, 
 that lends to it just such a beautiful interest, as the cloud that occasionally enwraps its 
 pinnacle. 
 
 Of the ancient dwellers amid these hills, few traces can now be discovered by the 
 searching eye of curiosity ; the sacrificing mound, Meaou-kung, and the rude wall that 
 crosses the Lin-uh ravine, will probably continue for ages undescribed by antiquaries, 
 even tradition being silent as to the object or the authors of the latter. The mound 
 was, no doubt, the scene of those inhuman massacres, that disgraced the character of 
 Paganism much more than the stupid theories to which its votaries gave assent. 
 Although, however, the antiquary and historian shall find no recompense for their enthu- 
 siastic labours in this wild region, the traveller, the man of taste, the admirer of nature 
 will be delighted with its charms. The landscape here unites the most opposing cha- 
 racters ; the most peaceful, dreamy scenery is rapidly succeeded by passages of subli- 
 mity ; and the noise of the foaming cataract, and the brightness and the sparkling of its 
 sunlit spray, are exchanged in an instant for the placid surface of the lake — the stillness 
 that sleeps on it, and the darkness that reigns over it. 
 
 One of the most remarkable objects, or rather natural curiosities, of the Ting-tung- 
 shan, is the Shih-kung-shan, or " Gentleman of the Rock," a projection from the 
 mountain-side into the Great Lake. Its resemblance to an old man standing in the water 
 explains the origin of its appellation: and the mountaineers say, that it possesses the 
 remarkable property, of never being completely revealed even when the waters are 
 lowest, nor entirely immersed when they are highest. It is tolerably certain that the 
 waters never will reach the summit of this singular rocky formation, an elevation of two 
 hundred feet above the average height of the lake ; and equally probable that their sur- 
 face will never fall to the foot of the rock, a depth of about fifty feet. Pleasure-junks and 
 trading-boats of large dimensions sail through the great opening of this natural arcade. 
 
(i-_> CHINA ILLUSTRATED. 
 
 On a little peninsula that projects into the rocky basin of a splendid cataract, and not 
 many yards from the Shih-kung-shan, is one of those picturesque structures designated 
 Tsoo-tdiig, or Halls of Ancestors. " Here, instead of idols, the niches are filled with 
 tablets to the honour of those worthies of the district, who in their lifetime were dis- 
 tinguished by talent or virtue. Posthumous admission into one of these temples is a 
 sort of minor apotheosis, and reflects great honour on the descendants, who become, of 
 course, anxious to obtain such a distinction for their predecessors." Mr. Allom has 
 represented the barge of a mandarin, in waiting to receive the great man and his retinue, 
 just returning from the Hall of Ancestors, where they are supposed to have been 
 invoking and making offerings to the departed spirit of their illustrious progenitors. 
 This introduction cannot fail to prove so far instructive, by conveying, in the most 
 effective manner, a faithful representation of a practice at once ancient, grave, and 
 interesting. 
 
 Chinese historians inform us, that it was in the fastnesses of the Tung-ting-shan, and 
 in the ravine of Lin-uh, already mentioned, that Lin-wei was shut up by his son-in-law, 
 Heu-leu, the prince of Woo ; and where, after a detention of seventeen days by his unna- 
 tural relative, he consented to surrender to him the book of Yeu, the great emperor of 
 China, who dispersed the Chinese deluge. When this celebrated monarch was seated on 
 the throne, he found leisure to compose a learned work, entitled " The true Doctrine of 
 Mountains and Seas, in which are laid down their situations ; also, all mines of gold, 
 silver, and iron ; besides all the varieties of fish produced in the many rivers." Above 
 the ravine rises the Seaou-hea, to the shaded glens of which the King of Woo retired to 
 avoid the intense heat of summer in his dominions ; and also the Ming-jui, or Bright 
 Moon Walk, where he delighted to indulge himself by moonlight. The natural pro- 
 ductions of this admired glen are numerous and beautiful, but none of them is more 
 remarkable than a species of orange-tree, Kurih, which bears a bright scarlet flower, 
 and blows in the depth of the hoar-frost of autumn. When the luxuriant pines that 
 wave on the hills, the verdant bamboos that adorn the lower heights, the keen, a delicate 
 aquatic plant that decorates the waters, and the sumptuous orange trees, are all in leaf 
 and flower, the colouring of the landscape is unrivalled. The climate also is genial, 
 and it is said, that all the flowers that enamel this vale uniformly regard the sun in 
 their mode of expansion. 
 

 
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THE OU-MA-TOO. 63 
 
 THE OU-MA-TOO, OR FIVE HORSES' HEADS. 
 
 Five giant steeds to battle driven, 
 
 Men number'd, side by side ; 
 Five mountain-tops, asunder riven, 
 There stand they, petrified. 
 Was 't fear of foeman wrought — or sorcerer's spell ? 
 Or is it but a poet's miracle ? 
 
 C.J. C. 
 
 The course of the Pe-kiang river, from its fountain in the hills of Kiang-si, to its foot 
 at Bocca Tigris, is about 350 miles in extent; and its banks present an endless variety 
 of subjects for philosophic investigation, as well as scenery for the eye of taste. In its 
 early efforts it pierces a passage between stupendous cliffs of sandrock on one side, and 
 limestone on the other, which, at a little distance, seem to touch each other, forming a 
 lofty arched cavern, through which the navigation has to pass. Nor in these dismal, 
 deep, and dark defiles, is gloominess the only uncomfortable apprehension experienced. 
 Restless from its natural formation, the limestone falls, year after year, from its lofty 
 bed in the precipitous cliff, and in such vast debris, as to obstruct the channel, and 
 endanger the navigation. Should a boat strike and sink in particular places, escape 
 from these awful chasms would be impossible, even for the most expert swimmers, the 
 cliffs on either side being perpendicular, and the length of the passes often many miles. 
 At a place called les cinq /aids diables, wrecks of luckless barges are visible above the 
 surface and the surge, and give painful evidence of the reality of the perils that are to 
 be encountered here. Emerging from these shadowy recesses, hills of fair and fertile 
 fronts present themselves, whose pine-clad summits attract and direct the navigator's 
 attention; dense coppice-wood, interspersed with the camellia, covers the lower and 
 nearer summits; and, in the little glens that open on the river, are innumerable huts, 
 each surrounded by a plantation of tobacco. Such is the character of the scenery that 
 prevails along either bank of the infant stream of Pe-kiang, and such the peculiar fea- 
 tures that distinguish it from those of the chief northern lines of river-navigation. 
 
 Resuming its stern character, the Pe-kiang exhibits bold and sterile scenery in the 
 vicinity of Chaou-choo-foo, a city of the second rank, to which six cities of the third 
 order are subjected. Situated at the confluence of two navigable rivers, the Tung-ho 
 (Eastern river) and See-ho (Western river), which here assume the name of Pe-kiang, 
 and in a mineral district, the trade of the place is active and prosperous ; and a degree 
 of animation reigns here, that imparts the highest pleasure and interest to the prospect. 
 Communication between different parts of the city is maintained by means of ferry-boats 
 that ply for hire, and are managed by females solely. These hardy creatures, less 
 interesting in appearance than the female character is elsewhere seen, are held in less 
 
64 CHINA ILLUSTRATED. 
 
 respect than all others of their sex by the Chinese ; for respectable females do not 
 publicly appear in China, nor partake of that liberty to which Christian women are 
 unsuspectingly admitted. A second town on the opposite bank of the river is con- 
 nected with Chaou-choo-foo, by a bridge of boats, the central one of which is moveable, 
 to permit navigation, and to prevent the passage of strangers. 
 
 On the opposite side of the Five Horses' Heads, from that represented in the 
 accompanying view, the fronts of the hills are steep, rocky, and impending ; the loftiest 
 of them is ascended by steps cut in the rock, from the foot to the highest pinnacle, on 
 which the fragments of an ancient edifice are discoverable. These are quite too insigni- 
 ficant to command respect either from their extent, architectural character, or authentic 
 history, but are still sufficient to maintain a legend. Some thousand years ago, a bonze, 
 Lu-zu by name, took up his abode on this stylitic height ; and, building a temple here, 
 submitted himself to such austerities within it, as none of his order had ever been known 
 to do before that period. It is of this venerable man tradition says, that he wore an iron 
 chain around him, which so wounded and corrupted his flesh, that it became the origin 
 and the food of worms. Whenever they fell off", and gave the least relief from pain, he 
 immediately replaced them, saying, " that there was still something left to prey on." 
 Pilgrims continue to visit the scene of this extraordinary instance of hypocrisy, or folly, 
 or both ; although stories of their having been robbed and ill treated by the attendant 
 bonzes were long current, and much better authenticated than the history of Lu-zu, 
 whose disgusting austerities are held in such admiration by the credulous. 
 
 From the highest summit of the Ou-ma-too, an extensive, varied, and agreeable 
 prospect is beheld. Much fertile lowland is seen adjoining the banks of the rivers, 
 which appear like attenuated silvery lines, winding down the long-extended mountain- 
 glens for many a mile, and falling into the Pe-kiang at Chaou-choo-foo. One mountain, 
 San-van-hap, or the Flying Hill, more conspicuous than the rest, is believed to be the 
 highest in China, and is said to derive its singular name from the ruined temple on its 
 summit, which was transported by the wand of some wizard, and in a single night, from 
 a province in the north to its present aerial position. 
 
 Less picturesque than the southern range, the aspect presented in the illustration 
 possesses characters that confer upon it an increased interest Sterile, uninhabited, and 
 rugged, the surface displays a remarkable variety of colour; the disintegrated sand- 
 stone, of which the mountains are composed, strongly contrasting with the jet-black hue 
 of the coal that here rises to the view, and is scattered over the soil in the immediate 
 vicinity of the hills. This invaluable mineral abounds in China; in the province of 
 Pe-tche-le is found a species of graphite : that exposed for sale in the towns along the 
 banks of the Yang-tse-kiang resembles cannel-coal ; and, in the viciuity of the Po-yang 
 lake, a description having the character of bovey coal prevails. At the base of the 
 Five Horses' Heads a sulphurous kind is raised, and an extensive trade is conducted 
 here by means of it. The collieries are worked by adits driven into the sides of the 
 mountains, not by perpendicular shafts, and the coal is conveyed in wagons to the 
 entrance, and thrown from a stage or jetty directly into the hold of the junk- Perhaps 
 
THE OU-MA-TOO, OR FIVE HORSES' HEADS. 63 
 
 no country in the world possesses coal in greater quantity and variety than the empire of 
 China, and from the practised industry and extraordinarv imitatory powers of the people, 
 it is more than probable, that before many years shall roll over their history, tbeir noble 
 rivers will be navigated, like those of the North American States, by numerous and 
 well-equipped steam-boats. 
 
 In the coal district of Ou-ma-too, a manufacture of sulphate of iron, or green 
 vitriol, is established. A quantity of hepatic iron pyrites, mixed with an equal amount 
 of coal, both being broken into small similar-sized fragments, is accumulated into 
 a pyramidal form, and coated carefully over with lime-plaster. By this process much 
 heat is generated and extricated, and the heap remains untouched until the smoke has 
 totally subsided. The mixture is then removed, thrown into water, and submitted to 
 heat, when crystals of sulphate of iron are obtained by evaporation. 
 
 Irrigation is one of the most favourite practices in Chinese agriculture ; and the 
 variety of ingenious modes for raising and distributing water, reflects much credit on 
 the industrial character of the people. On the left bank of the Pe-kiang river, and 
 amidst the sandy grounds that are elevated above the water-level, the sugar-cane is much 
 cultivated, and a large water-wheel, erected close to the shore, is employed for the purpose 
 of extensive and continual irrigation. In the construction of this primitive contrivance, 
 ingenuity and frugality are most admirably combined. Two upright posts are securelv 
 fixed in the bed of the river, and in a plane perpendicular to the trend of the bank. 
 These uprights support the axis, about ten feet in length, of a wheel consisting of two 
 unequal rims, the diameter of that near the shore being eighteen inches less than that 
 farther off: but both dip into the water, while the opposite segment of the wheel rises 
 above the level of the bank. This double wheel is connected with the axis by eighteen 
 spokes, obliquely inserted near each extremity of the axis, and crossing each other at 
 two-thirds of their length. They acquire additional security by a concentric circle and 
 bands that connect them with the rims ; the spokes inserted in the interior extremity of 
 the axis reaching the outer rim, and those proceeding from the exterior terminus reaching 
 the inner and smaller rim. Between the rims and the crossings of the spokes, is woven 
 a kind of close basket-work, serving as ladle -boards or floats, which meeting successively 
 the current of the stream, by their impulse turn the wheel. To both rims are attached 
 small tubes or spouts of wood, with an inclination of about twenty-five degrees to the 
 horizon, or to the axis of the wheel. These tubes are closed at the outer extremity, but 
 open at the other. By this position, the tubes which happen during a revolution to be 
 in the stream with the open ends uppermost, fill with water. As that segment of the 
 wheel rises, the mouths of these tubes are then relatively depressed, and pour their 
 contents into a wide trough, whence they are conducted amongst the canes as may be 
 required. 
 
 The only material employed in the construction of this piece of mechanism, with 
 the exception of the nave and principal uprights, is afforded bv the bamboo. The rims, 
 spokes, floats, tubes, and even the cords, are made of entire lengths or single joint.-. 
 or large pieces, or thin slices, of that wood. Neither nails, pins, screws, nor any kind 
 
 R 
 
66 CHINA ILLUSTRATED. 
 
 of metal, enters into its construction. The cordage by which the parts are bound toge- 
 ther is of slit bamboo cane. At a trifling cost of erection, and without further labour or 
 any attendance, this useful machine will raise water from a considerable depth, and sup- 
 ply a reservoir with a quantity adequate to the wants of a spacious cultivated area. 
 
 FACADE OF THE GREAT TEMPLE, MACAO. 
 
 Look how, grotesquely gay, yon fane portrays 
 
 The antic mummeries of its idol-shrine ; 
 With antler'd front the shrinking heaven it frays, 
 
 And flouts with Cyclop stare its light benign : 
 Sculpture and hieroglyph full aptly show 
 How meaningless the pompous rites of Fo. 
 
 C. J. C. 
 
 So slight is Portuguese tenure or title at Macao, that the Chinese maintain here, in 
 neighbourship with this despised race of foreigners, one of the most remarkable, most 
 venerated, and really graceful buildings in the empire, dedicated to the worship of Fo. 
 The architecture is more intelligible as a design, more perfect in execution, and less gro- 
 tesque, than the majority of Buddhist temples; the situation on the water-side, amidst 
 forest-trees and natural rock, is inconceivably beautiful; and the mode in which the 
 architects have availed themselves of all these accessories to grace and harmony is 
 highly meritorious. 
 
 The Neang-mako, or Old Temple of the Lady, is situated about half a mile from the 
 city of Macao, in a north-west direction ; and the walk thither, although obstructed by 
 the usual inconveniences of Chinese roads, is rendered peculiarly agreeable by the 
 prospects it commands, along its whole length, of the inner port, and of the green hills of 
 Lapa. From its sunk, sequestered, and shaded site, the temple is not perceived until the 
 visitor comes suddenly upon the steep rocky steps that descend to the spacious esplanade 
 before it. Two tall red flag-staffs, however, in front of the temple, constitute an unerring 
 index to those acquainted with the locality ; being conspicuous at all hours, by the 
 three golden balls that surmount them, by the square frame-work that is attached to 
 them, and by the imperial standard that adorns them. At the foot of the broad stairs are 
 three great monumental stones, closely inscribed with names, titles, laudatory records, 
 and other vain but pardonable mementos. Beyond these commemorative pillars, is the 
 wide, open, agreeable esplanade, represented in the illustration ; on one side of which 
 is part of the facade of the building, on the other the estuary or inlet, into which the 
 Peninsula of Macao projects. The scene in front, composed of religious votaries, 
 venders of various commodities, jugglers, ballad singers, sailors, soldiers, mandarins, and 
 mendicants, is common to all the sea-ports of China, and has been noticed in other pages 
 of these volumes ; but the merits of the building itself are of so peculiar and so conspicu- 
 ous a character, that they call for a more detailed description. It is not to grandeur or 
 

 
FACADE OF THE GREAT TFMPLE, MACAO. 67 
 
 loftiness, that the Neang-mako owes its charms, but to multitudinous details, made out 
 with a minuteness and accuracy that cannot be exceeded. There is not another 
 example, most probably, in all this wide-extended empire, in which the many grotesque 
 features of Chinese scenery are concentrated within so small a compass ; buildings, 
 rocks, trees growing from the very stone, would appear to justify the artificial combina- 
 tions that are made in their gardening, and seen in their drawings. An enclosure, 
 resembling the holy ground that surrounds the ancient sanctuaries of Europe, is formed 
 by means of walls connecting the rude rocks that occur in the circuit, and which are 
 always religiously retained by Chinese architects and decorators. A balustrade, resting 
 on this dwarf wall, is divided into compartments, enriched by tracery, and decorated with 
 various representations of instruments of music, implements of art, and weapons of war. 
 A continuous design fills one of the subdivisions ; it is a tale readily told. A child, 
 seated on a quadruped of a non-descript species, is attended by venerable men, and 
 followed by two females carrying umbrellas; while Satan, adorned with monstrous horns, 
 is fleeing from the party in the utmost dismay. Another division is filled with a group 
 representing the dedication of the temple, and the votive act in which it had its 
 foundation. 
 
 The design of the whole facade includes five separate structures, the central more 
 lofty, the lateral gradually descending from it, and differing also in character and 
 decorations. A rich cornice supports a highly-ornamented roof entirely of porcelain, 
 on which rests a boat or junk, sculptured with representations of various national scenes 
 and customs. Beneath the cornice are two oblong panels, enclosed in frames of a 
 bright red stone, the higher containing bas-reliefs of grotesque figures, and extraordinary 
 combinations ; the lower filled with apophthegms, from the writings of the great founder 
 of the sect of idolaters that come here to worship. Beneath this latter tablet, opens a 
 large circular window, the frame of which appears to have been cut, with incalculable 
 labour, from a single block of stone. Pilasters, wholly covered with inscriptions, 
 separate the central from the two lower divisions ; these are also adorned with porcelain 
 roofs, Chinese boats, massive cornices, and indented with tablets on which admonitions 
 and wise maxims are emblazoned. Each division is pierced by a square window of 
 large dimensions, the carvings in which, although an extraordinary evidence of untiring 
 labour, of unexampled perseverance, are neither beautiful nor intelligible. Probably 
 the object of the architect who designed them, was to establish the superiority of 
 industry, patience, and perseverance, over uncultivated genius. Whether he has 
 succeeded in this expectation, may be reasonably doubted; but it is morally certain, 
 that he has left a monument of his art behind, which few will possess the courage, and 
 fewer the desire, to imitate. 
 
68 CHINA ILLUSTRATED. 
 
 CHAPEL IN THE GREAT TEMPLE OF MACAO. 
 
 Withdraw thee from yon pagan throng awhile ; 
 
 The temple's din and bustle, both forsake ; 
 And, where repose in each fair form doth smile, 
 
 From the gaunt brotherhood thy lesson take : — 
 He errs, the page of life, recluse, who cons, 
 In monkish zeal — Franciscan, Dervise, Bonze. 
 
 C. J. C. 
 
 Many resemblances between the monastic habits of the Roman Catholic Church 
 and worship, and those of the priests of Buddha, have been observed. The mis- 
 sionaries themselves acknowledged the fact ; and some of them, notwithstanding their 
 unquestionable learning and philosophy, have exhibited an unbecoming weakness in 
 speaking, or rather writing, on this coincidence. The arrangements of the temple of 
 Macao may probably present a still closer resemblance to the modes of Christian conven- 
 tual life, than those of temples in the interior, from the accidental circumstance of the 
 presence of Roman Catholic churches in this particular place : but, wholly independent 
 of any such adventitious aid in the argument, the analogy in costume, mode of life, 
 form of worship, and other essential considerations, is so very striking, that no European 
 can witness the ceremonies in a Buddhist temple, without being forcibly reminded of it. 
 Here, at Macao, is an extensive collegiate or monastic establishment, the residence of 
 bonzes, who observe celibacy, dress in the simple vesture depicted in our view, and 
 live principally upon the bounty of the benevolent. The walls of their apartments are 
 not as plain and unpretending as their garments : richly ornamented with carved-work, 
 interspersed with bas-reliefs, and occasionally decorated with paintings, their homes 
 present an appearance of wealth and elegance ; and, if public report were not too often 
 identical with public calumny, it might be added, that the luxuries and pleasures of life 
 are not excluded from the bonze's board. 
 
 Entering by the chief porch, which is decorated in a style of grace, delicacy, and per- 
 fection, equal to that of the central building ; animals of monstrous conception, but 
 cleverly executed, are placed on pedestals at either side. Escaping from this contemp- 
 tible specimen of art, the principal apartment of the temple is reached, where all those 
 horrible mummeries that belong to the theory of Buddhism are performed. The high 
 altar of idolatry stands precisely opposite to the great circular window, represented in the 
 view of the Facade ; and, when the rays of the sun flow in upon the hideous idols of the 
 scene, their disgusting shapes, their imperfect structure, and their senseless nature, are so 
 ridiculously displayed, that it is difficult to say whether their votaries are more entitled 
 to pity or contempt. Besides the multitude of idols, as varied in size and material as in 
 form and attitude, the articles that surround the spectator are infinite ; and few who 
 come here to pray can find leisure for the purpose, attention being diverted by the 
 objects that present themselves at every point of space in this cabinet of curiosities. 
 

CHAPEL IN THE GREAT TEMPLE OF MACAO. 69 
 
 The walls are decorated like those of our military armories, with halberds, swords, 
 matchlocks, drums, tom-toms, and other ensigns of power, or conquest, or submission ; 
 lanterns of different patterns, and sizes, and colours, are suspended from the roof, besides 
 festoons or garlands of many-coloured ribands, united by metal clasps. Bonzes are 
 continually in attendance upon the worshippers ; and one of their duties, a duty however 
 in which they have a direct pecuniary interest, is that of selling little slips of red paper, 
 inscribed with moral maxims, or forms of prayer, or the objects of some petition which 
 the votary desires to present to his tutelar god. This traffic is constant and profitable, 
 and yields a handsome revenue to the college. On the high altar, tapers of sandal-wood 
 are always burning; to these the supplicant approaches, lights his red paper, then 
 laying it at the feet of his favourite idol, accompanies its combustion with suitable 
 entreaties for assistance or protection. A door, generally standing open, and around 
 which a number of idle bonzes are collected, discloses a long corridor leading to the 
 banqueting hall and cells ; strangers, however, are but jealously admitted even to peep 
 within these precincts. 
 
 At the opposite side of the temple from that by which the visiter enters, a staircase 
 leads down to a second esplanade, more limited in extent, but equally pleasing in all its 
 accompaniments. In the semicircular area before the chief facade, a broad paved 
 terrace, close to the margin of the waves, is enclosed by a stone parapet, profusely 
 sculptured, and on which are graven moral maxims and sentences, extracted from the 
 Book of Fate, or other foolish fictions. Amidst the rocks that rise abruptly, and with a 
 peculiarly picturesque effect, above the water, a small chapel is intruded, containing an 
 image of Buddha, over which a large paper lantern is suspended. Beside this tiny 
 temple, is a second building, with a porcelain roof, something of an Italian cornice and 
 decoration, but having a spacious circular opening in front, that occupies the principal 
 part of the whole elevation. On a rock immediately opposite the window, stands a 
 pedestal, with a recipient vessel, for the offerings of the humane and zealous amongst 
 the visiters. Whether the expectation associated with the little hexagonal pedestal may 
 extend its influence to any portion of the faithful, it is difficult to decide ; but certainly 
 the number that visit this secluded and romantic part of the temple is considerably 
 smaller than is constantly to be seen in the principal cella of the building. 
 
 This fact is the more remarkable, because the scenery around the little chapel is highly 
 picturesque, and of that mixed and contrasted character that pleases particularly in 
 China. The terrace has been gained from the sea, the site of the temple from the ledge 
 of rock, and the intermixture of the beauties of nature with the works of art is as close 
 and complete as a Chinese artist could desire. Yet hour succeeds to hour, in this 
 sequestered spot, and neither the tread of a footstep, nor the sound of a voice, falls on 
 the ear of the miserable bonze, who sits within view of the place of tribute, and 
 presents a taper to the devotee to light his dedicatory red paper at, which he comes to 
 offer in the adjoining chapel. 
 
 s 
 
70 CHINA ILLUSTRATED. 
 
 THE EUROPEAN FACTORIES, CANTON. 
 
 Mother of wealth, and enterprise, and arts, 
 
 Her golden empire marries distant parts ; 
 
 She knits the league, she sheathes the blade of war, 
 
 Of earth, and sea, and man the conqueror. 
 
 Dread agent or for boundless good or ill, 
 
 God speaks the word, and Commerce works his will. 
 
 C.J C. 
 
 The foreign commerce of China, with which the history of the European factories at 
 Canton is associated, may be said to have been first established in the year 1517, when 
 Fernando Perez d'Andrada arrived at Canton with a fleet of eight ships, and, in the 
 name of his master, the King of Portugal, asked permission to trade. For upwards of 
 a century the Portuguese exclusively enjoyed this important advantage ; but about this 
 period, the Dutch, who had also found the way to the Oriental seas, not contented with a 
 trade conducted through secondary agency, resolved upon proceeding up to Canton, 
 and opening a direct mercantile correspondence with the Chinese people ; and accident 
 ultimately led to the accomplishment of an object, which courage, entei-prise, and ability 
 had attempted in vain. The Portuguese having repulsed the Dutch intruders from their 
 settlement of Macao, and secured the rejection of their mission to Canton by the most 
 deliberate calumnies, the latter withdrew first to the islet of Pehou, and subsequently 
 to Formosa ; there resolving to establish such a character for integrity and industry 
 as would completely refute the slander of their rivals, and prove themselves eminently 
 deserving of Chinese alliance. The apathy, or rather aversion, of Chinese to foreigners, 
 would have left no opportunity for the formation of friendship between the resolute 
 Hollanders and the Imperialists, had it not been for the occurrence of an event which 
 menaced the peace, the independence of the empire itself. This was the rebellion of 
 Kosinga, a native of Fokien, and a man of consummate abilities, who not only retained 
 the provinces of Fokien, Quang-tung, and Quang-si under his command — the others 
 having acknowledged the Tartar emperor — but also made himself master of Formosa. 
 Kosinga resisted the power of a throne with better fortune, and most probably with 
 truer principles of patriotism, than either Rienzi, or Masaniello, to whom he may be 
 compared by historians ; and when he fell, it was in the arms of victory, who took up 
 the fallen diadem of Formosa, and placed it upon the head of his son. Their treachery 
 to the brave patriot rendering a residence on his island no longer safe, and the aid given 
 to the emperor entitling them to consideration, the Dutch were permitted to remove to 
 the suburbs of Canton, and there erect a factory for the better conduct of their trade. 
 This migration took place in the year 1762. 
 
 Encouraged by the example of commercial rivals, more especially of Spain and 
 Portugal, the English endeavoured to extend their trade in the Indian Ocean. For this 
 enterprising purpose, Sir Robert Dudley fitted out three ships, and, procuring a letter 
 

 
 
 
 
THE EUROPEAN FACTORIES, CANTON. 71 
 
 from Queen Elizabeth to the ruler of China, directed Benjamin Wood, the commander of 
 this little expedition, " to pierce as far as Cathay." It does not appear that Dudley's 
 fleet ever reached the shores of China, nor can anything that has been heard of it 
 from the Spaniards, by whom it is suspected the crews were inhumanly murdered, be 
 relied on. This misfortune only added to the animosity previously engendered between 
 the English and the chief commercial countries of Europe ; and the scenes of treachery 
 and carnage between them, the Spanish, Portuguese, and Dutch, that now ensued, 
 very naturally led the emperor to repudiate the advances of all Europeans, and gave a 
 much stronger hold, a still deeper root, to those prejudices which had so long excluded 
 the "barbarian" from this ancient country. 
 
 In 1637 a resolute movement for the opening of a direct trade with China, was again 
 made by the English, who despatched four ships, the Dragon, Sun, Catherine, and Anne, 
 besides a pinnace, the whole under the command of Captain Weddel, to Macao, then 
 settled by the Portuguese. Their reception there being accompanied by vexatious 
 exactions, and circumstances of suspicion, the captain resolved on proceeding in the 
 pinnace to Canton, and learning, if possible, the truth of the Portuguese statements, 
 as well as the real sentiments of the Chinese government toward his countrymen 
 generally. Interrupted in their approach to Canton by deputies, and envoys, and com- 
 missioners, and mandarins, they were induced to place confidence in the repeated 
 promises and assertions of these artful functionaries, and at length agreed to a truce for 
 four days. During this interval, the Chinese secretly conveyed several pieces of 
 ordnance to a position commanding the anchorage of the four English vessels, which 
 had followed; and, at a moment when they supposed them to be completely off" their 
 guard, treacherously fired upon the little fleet. To a people less civilized, less brave, or 
 less generous to their enemies, this violation of faith would have been deemed a signal 
 for the resumption of hostilities; but in the heart of an Englishman, it excited only the 
 strongest and most lasting contempt and indignation. The Chinese fire, ill-directed, 
 did but little mischief; but not so the cool, steady, but rapid broadsides of the English 
 ships, which answered ; and which soon silenced the battery, drove the cowards from 
 their guns, and taught them respect for the flag of England. This spirited conduct 
 obtained an immediate recognition of the British, who were for a time permitted to 
 barter their cargoes with the native merchants. 
 
 Again, however, Portuguese duplicity came into operation, and augmented that 
 hatred towards the British which fear of their power, and chagrin at the chastisement 
 received from them, had created. Without any provocation, the English were declared 
 to be "enemies of China ;" they were designated by the insulting soubriquet of " devils;" 
 and all Chinamen who should dare to trade with these barbarians, were pronounced to 
 be guilty of treason. 
 
 In 1G76, during the first period of the Tartar conquest, and before the southern 
 provinces had submitted to the new dvnastv, the English obtained a footing on the 
 islands of Amoy and Quemong, where the East India Company erected factories; but, 
 upon the submission of these places also to the Mantchou conquerors in 1680, they were 
 
72 CHINA ILLUSTRATED. 
 
 obliged to abandon these establishments. Four years afterwards, when internal peace 
 was restored to the empire, the government of Formosa arranged, and the arts of 
 industry resumed in the sea-port towns, the English were allowed to re-occupy the 
 factory at Amoy ; and they retained it until, by the edict which restricted all foreign 
 commerce to Macao and Canton, retention became both illegal and unprofitable ; upon 
 which they removed their officers and establishment to Canton, where their trade with 
 the Celestial Empire was prosperously conducted until the year 1833- At this last 
 date, the Parliament of England, then engaged in reforming several departments of the 
 government, remodelled the charter of the East India Company, throwing open the 
 China trade, previously monopolized by that great body, to the merchants of Great 
 Britain at large, and confining the care of the Directors, in future, to the military 
 and civil departments. 
 
 Upon the extinction of the East India Company's extraordinary mercantile monopoly 
 with China, a superintendent of British trade with that empire was appointed, and Lord 
 Napier was the first person chosen to discharge this duty. On his lordship's arrival at 
 Canton, however, the viceroy unexpectedly refused to acknowledge his credentials, 
 alleging that this change in the mode of managing the British trade had not been offi- 
 cially communicated to the court of Pekin. This plea does not appear completely 
 groundless ; but so great is the perfidy of the Chinese character, that no reliance can 
 be placed upon any assertion or pledge of its state-officers. Lord Napier for awhile 
 resisted the obstruction, and even directed the occupation of the roadstead at Whampoa 
 by two men-of-war; an order not performed without resistance, the forts of Bocca 
 Tigris and Tiger Island having fired upon our vessels. Finding remonstrance vain, and 
 perseverance attended with the most grievous injury and loss to the interests of the 
 British, his lordship retired to Macao, resolving there to await the result of an applica- 
 tion to the highest authority, but died almost immediately after his arrival at that port. 
 Upon the death of Lord Napier, Mr. Davis undertook the protection of his country- 
 men's property and trade at Canton, to which no impediment was opposed, until the 
 occurrence of the memorable opium question, which was only decided by the entire 
 submission of China to British arms in 1842. 
 
 Although permitted to establish commercial agents, and erect, factories or stores for 
 business, and residence, at Canton, all foreigners have hitherto been treated with the 
 utmost illiberality by the Imperial government. Notwithstanding the warmth of the 
 climate, and consequent insalubrity of a residence almost below the sea-level, and 
 surrounded by stagnant water, the site appropriated to the foreign factories of all 
 nations, a space not exceeding eight hundred feet in length or frontage, by four hun- 
 dred in depth, was formerly a putrid marsh. Pdes being driven to a great depth, 
 a secure foundation was obtained, and on these " The Thirteen Hongs" have been 
 erected. Flag-staffs in front of each are adorned with their respective national colours, 
 and every factory is designated by some distinguishing or descriptive epithet, after the 
 Chinese custom. The British factory is called " the Hong that ensures tranquillity;" 
 the American, "of the Many Fountains;" the Dutch, "of the Yellow Flag;" the 
 
THE EUROPEAN FACTORIES, CANTON. "73 
 
 Austrian, of "the Twin-Eagle;" the Swedish, Parsee, Danish, and French, are also 
 similarly designated. 
 
 Not farther back than the year 1834, the floods that descended the Pearl river com- 
 pletely inundated the wharfs and ground-stories of the European Factories, so that 
 communication was preserved, both between the houses in the foreign quarter and with 
 those in the city, by means of boats ; and the long continuance of this calamity 
 occasioned great sickness and mortality amongst the merchants. But this affliction 
 produced no happy effect upon the Chinese authorities, nor obtained for the foreigner 
 the smallest relaxation of that rigid code by which his intercourse with this unfeeling 
 and relentless nation is regulated. At the back of the Factories, is a narrow creek 
 charged with all the impurities from the city-sewers; and in front are stairs or slips 
 affording convenient places for the loading and discharge of cargoes. Two avenues, 
 China Street, and Hog Lane, intersect the space occupied by the Factories and stores ; 
 the first is a broad and handsorne opening, having many well-furnished shops, the 
 fronts of which are inscribed with mottos, calculated to attract customers, but not 
 adorned in that fanciful and costly manner which prevails within the city-streets, from 
 which, however, all foreigners are jealously excluded. Hog Lane possesses a totally 
 different character — narrow, inconvenient, gloomy, occupied by the lowest classes, 
 frequented only by persons of equally equivocal reputation, and frequently the scene of 
 tumult, theft, and even assassination. Europeans are confined strictly to their own 
 quarter or suburb, which hardly exceeds a few square yards in superficies, and the 
 greater portion generally enjoy the refreshing breeze on the house-tops, whenever an 
 aquatic excursion, which has always been tolerated, is inconvenient. There is a prome- 
 nade called " Respondentia Walk," enclosed by railing, and forming an agreeable lounge, 
 where merchants, commanders, and civil officers connected with the Factories, meet in 
 the cool moments of evening ; but, with the exception of this little terrace, there is not 
 more space allowed to foreigners than is sufficient for the bonding or the standing of 
 their goods, during the regular process of purchase, exchange, and shipping. 
 
 The two streets just mentioned divide the Hongs into three separate groups : the 
 western, containing the French and Spanish Factories, along with the house of a Hanist 
 or Chinese merchant who deals with foreigners; — the middle, the British, Danish, Ame- 
 rican, and Austrian ; — the eastern, the Hong of the East IndiaCompany, the most graceful 
 and architectural of all, being adorned with a portico and columns, and having a pleasure- 
 ground railed round, and overlooking the river. Prohibition against entering the gates 
 of the city, and strict confinement to the very limited and unhealthy space allotted to 
 the foreigner, renders a lengthened residence here disagreeable to most persons, and 
 intolerably humiliating to all, save the votaries of wealth and commerce. The late 
 conquest therefore of the Chinese empire by Great Britain, which has ended in the 
 opening of other ports, and the cession of Hong-Kong, will either remedy the inconve- 
 nience of a residence at Canton, or cause the total removal of its profitable trade to 
 Amoy, Ning-po, Macao, or Queen-town, although the latter is only designed to be 
 a place for bonding goods. 
 
 T 
 
CHINA ILLUSTRATED. 
 
 APARTMENT IN A MANDARIN'S HOUSE, 
 
 NEAR NANKING. 
 
 Cease, western islander, nor rudely call 
 
 Barbarian, yonder gentle family. 
 What boasts thy proud saloon, or board, or wall, 
 
 Which lacketh here — of true civility? 
 Hast thou outstript? Be modest. — Such as these 
 Were China's sons, when ye were savages. 
 
 C. J. c. 
 
 The interior of a Mandarin's House affords a more satisfactory idea of the mode of 
 living prevalent in the Chinese empire, than any other scene that could be selected from 
 the drama of their history. Less partial to external decoration and magnificence in pub- 
 lic architecture than the ancient Greeks and Romans, the internal arrangements of their 
 dwellings appear to be precisely analogous; and, an examination of the exhumed houses 
 of Pompeii, will abundantly demonstrate this remarkable and not uninteresting fact. 
 That the Celestials did not import their notions of domestic architecture from Rome 
 may be unhesitatingly admitted ; whence it follows, that we have existing, in all its 
 primitive truthfulness, the same description of dwelling, and probably nearly similar 
 habits of life, which we regard with so much curiosity and wonder in the crumbling 
 fragments of the buried city. In describing subsequent illustrations, more immediately 
 representing the architectural design, the ichnographic plan, and the various parts that 
 compose a mandarin's palace, the identity of Roman with Chinese domestic architecture 
 shall be more fully detailed. One extract, however, from the description of a private 
 house at Pompeii, may, with much propriety, be here introduced. " Those apartments 
 that were devoted exclusively to private accommodation, included the dining and bed- 
 rooms, picture-gallery, library, baths, and portico, in which flowers and shrubs were 
 ranged along. On the walls of the private rooms, various designs are painted ; sometimes 
 basso-relievos are the chief decoration, in which, however, a very morbid taste is 
 generally exhibited ; but the floors are inlaid with elaborate and often beautiful mosaic 
 work ; yet these costly ornaments can scarcely compensate for the absence of many 
 domestic comforts which moderns enjoy. No glass, save in the villa of Diomede, has 
 been discovered at Pompeii; and no fire-places adorn their apartments, or contribute to 
 their ventilation. The roof of the house was generally a terrace protected by a wall ; 
 and the women's apartments looked towards the garden, a custom still observed in the 
 East,", 
 
 In China, as in ancient Italy, the apartments appropriated exclusively to the accom- 
 modation of the family are numerous, but limited in dimensions — generally of a square 
 form, situated in the most remote part of the house from the chief door of entrance, or 
 rather front porch, and guarded most jealously from intrusion. The approaches to them 
 

 
 
 ^ 
 
 « 
 
 
 
ArARTMENT IN A MANDARIN'S HOUSE. 75 
 
 from the state-rooms, from the great court, from the vestibule, are always long, narrow, 
 dark, and intricate, found with difficulty by persons unacquainted with the establish- 
 ment ; and, although the material of which the whole edifice, with its corridors, wings, 
 and pavilions is composed, is of the most fragile character, and the walls that enclose it 
 easily scaled by those who were resolved upon plunder or admission ; yet such is the 
 force of prejudice, habit, and established confidence in the efficient administration of law, 
 that these childish contrivances appear to afford ample imagined security. 
 
 The illustration represents a boudoir or inner room, where the mandarin, his lady, a 
 nurse and child, are assembled, and paying the most deliberate attention to the character 
 which an itinerant merchant is giving of his goods. In Persia, Hindoo, and other 
 Oriental countries, where luxury is habitual, even the most wealthy recline on carpets 
 spread on the floor, or on couches laid close to the wall all around the room ; but in 
 China, chairs, tables, and sofas, resembling those in universal use throughout Europe, 
 are employed ; nor has it been ascertained that any other Asiatics have adopted this 
 article of furniture. The chair in which the matron is seated is supposed to be of 
 bamboo, the seat, sides, and drapery of which are generally of silk, and richly embroi- 
 dered by the ladies of the family. Beside her, in all the accustomed dignity of manner 
 that characterizes his country and his rank, is the wealthy master of the house, who has 
 just risen from his chair that stands nearest to the window, a more convenient position for 
 one occupied in the disgusting amusement of smoking. But, however unfashionable 
 and excluded from polite life this practice may be in England, its prevalence in China 
 is so widely spread, as to render its introduction into the drawing-room perfectly 
 allowable ; and cuspadores are placed in every room, to save the floor from the conse- 
 quences of those oral clearances that are necessary during this indulgence. Although 
 the lady is so intent upon purchasing, no devotion to fashion or alteration in the manner 
 of dress actuates her ; for, here fashion has not yet effected a conquest, the only 
 variations that are made in female costume being those which change of seasons impe- 
 ratively demand. The costume of a lady of rank generally consists of vests of taffeta 
 under a silk netting, within doors, to which is added a long robe of embroidered satin as 
 the external garment. Every shade of colour is chosen, according to the taste of the 
 individual ; and the decorations, as well as disposition of jewels and other ornaments, 
 are dependent altogether upon fancy. Yet one system seems to prevail in society, so 
 that the description of the costume of an individual will apply with truth to all. The 
 utmost care is bestowed on ornamenting the head ; the hair, after being smoothed with 
 oil and closely twisted, is brought to the crown of the head, and there fastened with 
 bodkins of gold or silver ; across the forehead is a band or fillet, from which depends, 
 something in the manner of a Mary-Queen-of-Scots' cap, a peak of velvet, decorated 
 with a diamond or pearl, and artificial flowers are sometimes fancifully arranged on each 
 side of the face. In full dress, during visits, or the reception of visiters, earrings are 
 worn ; and a string of perfumed beads suspended from the shoulder, also forms a portion 
 of the full-dress ornaments. Cosmetics, or rather their uses, are perfectly understood 
 amongst ladies of rank, who endeavour to make their eyebrows appear long, narrow, 
 
76 CHINA ILLUSTRATED. 
 
 black, and arched ; they use both red and white paint profusely, and generally place a 
 very decided red spot on the lower lip. 
 
 That the maid shall not be mistaken for the mistress by those whose intercourse 
 with society may have been limited or profitless, she is obliged to wear on the wrist, as 
 a badge of distinction, a tutenag or ring of brass ; and her little charge, the hope of the 
 family, is rendered ridiculous by two queues, which are encouraged to grow from each 
 side of the head. 
 
 Amongst itinerant traders, the value of exactly balancing their loads is very fully 
 appreciated ; and it is often the case, that when the burden cannot be divided, a 
 stone is placed in the empty pail, box, or basket. The pedlar has carried both his 
 chests into the room, one of which he has opened, and is displaying its contents; the 
 counterpoise stands immediately behind him, together with the bamboo rod, and cords, 
 from which both are suspended. A servant approaches with tea, or some other 
 refreshment, which he is about to present to the pedlar, unbounded hospitality being 
 a leading feature in every true picture of Chinese life and habits. 
 
 Besides the gracefulness of the oval opening, encircled by a carved frame or cornice, 
 it possesses an advantage that must not pass unnoticed — it is the only window of the 
 apartment. Like the Romans, the Chinese do not employ glass in their windows ; the 
 former used a transparent stone called lapis specularis, capable of being split into thin 
 plates, and this was introduced into the palaces of the most wealthy or luxurious only. 
 What species of stone this was, we are left to conjecture ; but, that stone suitable for 
 such purposes is known and employed in the present age, those are familiar with who have 
 seen the mica, (talc, glimmer,) or Muscovy glass, which the Russians first used in the 
 windows of their men-of-war, because it withstood the shock of artillery better than the 
 best glass was capable of doing. The same substitutes for glass, however, have been 
 adopted by the Chinese ; namely, horn, pearl-shell, linen-cloth, silk-gauze, oiled-paper, 
 to which they have added bamboo blinds. 
 
 On one side of the room, just behind the nurse and child, are cabinets, or chifFoneers, 
 in English, " What-nots," the shelves of which are occupied by dishes of fruits, little jars 
 of perfumed woods, tapers, and other articles of luxury, recreation, or necessity. These 
 stands may be formed either of Japan lacquered-ware, of bamboo varnished, or of hard 
 wood, carved after the most complicated patterns, like the rich pillars that support the 
 ceiling. On the left, and just beside the oval opening, is a splendid massive stand of 
 hard wood, with a marble top, that forms the ground of a piece of shell-work, or 
 rock-work, representing the villa of a prince or mandarin, in Tartary, or Keang-nan, 
 or some other mountainous and romantic part of the empire. Jars constitute a favourite 
 ornament in every house, and from their beauty and costliness are now duly admitted 
 into all English drawing-rooms. The partiality for these beautiful objects of manufac- 
 ture is traceable to the circumstance of their having first been placed in Buddhist and 
 other temples, and thereby associated with the religion of the country. 
 
 No article of furniture, or object of manufacture, seems to have acquired greater 
 popularity amongst the Chinese than the lantern ; the bamboo would appear to be 
 

 
 
 
 ' 
 
 
 \ 
 
 
 V 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 J 
 
 
CAT MERCHANTS AND TEA HEALERS AT TONO-CHOW. 77 
 
 indispensable to their existence, the lantern to their happiness. No apartment is 
 furnished without an assortment of these articles. A large, splendid, costly lantern, 
 adorned with silk curtains and tassels of the richest quality and most gorgeous colours, 
 hangs from the roof; while from other parts, as well as from branches that project from 
 the wall, minor luminaries contribute their aid in discharging the twofold duty of 
 ornaments by day, and fountains of light by night. In ability to illuminate, the lantern 
 is very inferior either to the glittering old chandelier of England's palmy days, or to the 
 bright flame of the gas-lamp ; and the smoke that escapes from it is more intolerable 
 than the odour of the tobacco with which the whole mansion is infected at evening-time. 
 Mr. Allom, whose knowledge of Chinese architecture is only exceeded by his ability in 
 delineating it, has chosen to represent the floor of the " Apartment in a Mandarin's 
 House " as tiled ; this is frequently the case, and it renders the apartment peculiarly 
 brilliant; but bricks are also very extensively employed for flooring, over which bamboo 
 mats are spread, to hide the deformity and to guard against cold. 
 
 CAT MERCHANTS AND TEA DEALERS AT TONG-CHOW. 
 
 What, eat poor pussy ! Eat my pet, 
 
 So soft and gentle, sleek and warm ? 
 Go, gorge truss'd mice ; I'll not regret : 
 
 Tastes differ ; and— the breed may swarm. 
 " Cat" may eat rarely in a stew or pie : 
 Let mine purr pleasure, — I've no wish to try. 
 
 C. J. C. 
 
 Twelve miles from Peking, and at the point where the Pei-ho ceases to be navigable by 
 junks or boats of burden, is situated Tong-chow-foo, a city of the second rank. It is sur- 
 rounded by brick walls upwards of sixty feet in height, and possesses a dense population, 
 apparently in a state of poverty, although, from the place being the port of Peking, an 
 active trade is conducted. Hither the produce and manufacture of the southern pro- 
 vinces, as well as any foreign importations that elude the vigilance of Imperial illiberality 
 at the sea-ports, are carried, and landed, and hence conveyed to the capital. In English 
 history, the name of this populous, bustling, yet impoverished place, occurs ; for it was 
 here that Duke Ho, and President Muh, had that memorable interview with Lord 
 Amherst, in which they explained to his excellency the nature and necessity of those 
 genuflexions and prostrations which he would be called upon to make when presented to 
 the emperor. It may possibly form a subject of regret that our ambassador returned 
 without having accomplished any of the objects of his expensive mission ; and it is known 
 that Napoleon ridiculed his fastidiousness ; but, judging from subsequent experience of 
 
 u 
 
78 CHINA ILLUSTRATED. 
 
 Chinese character, it is more than probable that, had his lordship yielded a single point, 
 where the honour and dignity of his country and sovereign were concerned, as " increase 
 of appetite grows by what it feeds on," the Chinese would have grown more insolent in 
 their demands, and he would have left, with the additional chagrin of having paid 
 homage, in the name of his royal master, to a Tartar potentate. Napoleon was not an 
 emperor when he smiled at the squeamishness of the British ambassador ; when the 
 imperial diadem enwrapped his brow, he would not have suffered hi3 representative to 
 make an obeisance so humiliating, and in the name of France, before any monarch in 
 the civilized world. 
 
 A sufficient supply of wholesome food seems to be the influencing power, the spring 
 of action, the end of industry, in every part of our globe; and the difference in the 
 degrees of avidity with which mankind pursue it, is regulated by the degree of civiliza- 
 tion and intelligence to which they have attained. It does not follow, that the acquisition 
 of food is an object of less anxious attention in the educated countries of Europe, 
 because they subdue the coarser appetites of our nature, and publicly exalt intellectual 
 pursuits and refinements. Such nations have the same natural wants as their Eastern 
 fellow-creatures ; but, the very refinement which conceals them is also an auxiliary to 
 the acquisition of a regular and satisfying supply. In China the voracity of the people 
 obtrudes itself continually ; every object of industry or occupation seems to have 
 such a tendency to the appeasing of appetite, that it becomes rather a disgusting con- 
 templation. The rich and elevated are decided epicures ; the middle and lower classes 
 as decided sensualists. The tastes of the one are scarcely limited by the extent of their 
 revenues, the voracity of the other unrestricted by the most nauseous species of food. 
 Being the most omnivorous people in the world, there is not an animal or plant that can be 
 procured by art and industry, and eaten without risk of life, that is not pressed into the 
 service by these gastronomers : the flesh of wild horses is highly prized, the larvae of the 
 sphinx-moth, bears' paws, and the feet of other animals brought from Tartary, Cambodia, 
 and Siam, are deemed delicious; and edible birds'-nests are esteemed at the banquets 
 of the mandarins, for which they are occasionally made into a soup.* In the market of 
 Tong-chow, to which the stewards of the noble families of Peking repair to purchase 
 viands for their lords, " it is a good diversion to see the butchers, when they are carrying 
 dogs' flesh to any place, or when they are leading five or six dogs to the slaughter-house : 
 for, all the dogs in the street, drawn together by the cries of those going to be killed, or 
 the smell of those already dead, fall upon the butchers, who are obliged to go always 
 armed with a long staff, or great whip, to defend themselves from their attack, as also to 
 keep their doors close shut, that they may exercise their trade in safety." The salesmen 
 enter the market-place, or step from their junks upon shore, having baskets suspended 
 at the extremities of a carrying-pole, in which are contained dogs, cats, rats, or birds, 
 either tame or wild, generally alive — sea-slugs, and grubs found in the sugar-cane. The 
 species of dog most in request is a small spaniel ; the poor animals appear particularly 
 
 • Soup made of mare's milk and duck's blood was served up at a banquet given to Lord Amherst. 
 
CAT MERCHANTS AND TEA DEALERS AT TONG-CHOW. 79 
 
 dejected in their imprisonment, not even looking up in the hope of freedom ; whilst 
 the cats, on the contrary, maintain an incessant squalling, and seem never to despair of 
 escaping from a fate which otherwise must prove inevitable. To a foreigner, Christian 
 or Turk, the sight is sufficiently trying, both regarding the dog as amongst the most 
 faithful of inferior animals, and the cat as one of the most useful. In the ancient 
 Chinese writings, cats are spoken of as a delicacy at table; but the species alluded to 
 was found wild in Tartary, and brought thence into China, where they were regularly 
 fed for the markets of the principal cities. As far as appearance is concerned, rats, 
 when butchered, for they are not brought to market alive, are by no means disgusting. 
 They are neatly prepared, slit down the breast, and hung in rows from the carrying- 
 poles by skewers passed through their distended hind-legs. 
 
 In the immediate vicinity of the wharfs, or horses' beads, the accustomed name for 
 landing-places or jetties amongst the Chinese, at Tong-chow, are stalls where refresh- 
 ments are sold to the boatmen and loungers ; tea, however, is the universal beverage ; 
 and the vender, standing beneath a canopy of sail-cloth, made of the fibre of the bam- 
 boo, and supported by bamboo canes, invites all passers-by to taste the favourite 
 refreshment. Cups, much inferior in capacity to those in general use amongst us, 
 are laid with regularity along a marble counter, at the end of which stands a stove and 
 boiler, where the tea is prepared and kept warm. The scene around presents an extra- 
 ordinary instance of the universal application of the bamboo. Beside the tarpaulin 
 supporters, table-frame, and trellis-work of the tea-vender's shop, the conical baskets 
 in which the cats are brought to market, the pole from which they are suspended, the 
 broad-leafed hat of the cat-merchant, the walking-stick of the buyer, the masts, sails, 
 ropes, of the trading junks which lie close to the shore, as well as the frame- work and 
 sail-cloths that sustain and form an awning, are all obtained or manufactured from this 
 invaluable cane. 
 
 Tastes less fastidious would probably not repudiate the wild birds, eagles, storks, 
 hawks, and owls, which are amongst the rarities arrayed by poulterers ; although they 
 are excluded from all European markets, with perhaps little reflection upon the grounds 
 of that exclusion. But the popular fowl in China is the duck, in the rearing of which Chi- 
 nese perseverance and animal instinct are conspicuous. In every province, the peasantry- 
 are familiar with the mode of hatching eggs by heat, either in an oven or a manure-heap. 
 When the ducklings are able to be removed, they are put into boats, and carried away to 
 the nearest mud bank or heap where shell-fish feed. Arrived at the scene of action, the 
 conductor strikes on a gong, or blows a whistle, upon which signal his flock instantly 
 paddle away to the feeding-ground, and commence a search for everything digestible. On 
 the repetition of the signal, they paddle back again to their respective conveyances unerr- 
 ingly, although one hundred boats, and so many flocks, might be on the feeding-ground at 
 the same time. As the flock approaches, the conductor places a broad plank against 
 the boat's side for the young waddlers to ascend ; and the scene that takes place when 
 the crowd reaches the plank is both interesting and ludicrous. It forms part of the 
 conductor's duty to chastise the loiterers, but reward the most docile and active ; this he 
 
80 CHINA ILLUSTRATED. 
 
 does by giving the foremost of those that return some paddy, but the last a few taps of 
 a bamboo; when, therefore, they reach the inclined plane, the efforts of all are 
 redoubled, and the older and stronger actually waddle over the backs of the juniors into 
 the boat, influenced evidently by a sense of rewards and punishments. This mode of 
 feeding, however, is little calculated to produce fat or tender food; and when the 
 ducks are dried, they present the appearance of skin strained over an anatomical prepa- 
 tion of that aquatic bird. "A man hawking about the streets of a town," says Mr. Lay, 
 " with a bundle of dried ducks at his back, might be taken as a characteristic of the 
 Chinese nation. The blood of the domestic fowl is spilled upon the ground, but that 
 of the duck is preserved in a small vessel, that it may be moulded into a cake by the 
 process of coagulation ; it is then put into water, to displace a portion of the colour, and 
 to enhance its good qualities. We see then that the Chinese are discriminating, even in 
 the use of that inhibited article, blood : ' For blood, with the flesh thereof, which is the 
 life thereof, ye shall not eat." 
 
 WHAMPOA, FROM DANE'S ISLAND. 
 
 Your argosies with portly sail, 
 
 Like signiors and rich burghers of the flood, 
 Or, as it were, the pageants of the sea, — 
 Do overpeer the petty traffickers, 
 That curt'sy to them, do them reverence." 
 
 Shakspere. 
 
 Before the complete establishment of British naval and military superiority over the 
 Chinese, the channel of Whampoa was known only as the roadstead where foreign 
 vessels, trading to Canton, were obliged to drop their anchors. In the passage up 
 from Bocca Tigris, two bars are crossed ; the second, near to the entrance — the first, 
 immediately eastward of a group of islands, the principal of which are named by 
 Europeans, French, Dane's, and Whampoa. Some little freedom of intercourse was 
 formerly permitted, and the crews were suffered to land, and enjoy the pleasures of 
 society, provided they scrupulously respected the prejudices of the natives. Besides, of 
 this cluster of islets, there was one generously conceded to foreigners as a burial-ground, 
 upon payment, however, of exorbitant fees. The gratification of a natural curiosity, 
 which induced merchants and mariners to land here, was frequently dearly bought ; the 
 insolence of the younger members of the native community to strangers being insup- 
 portable, while the elder branches only awaited opportunity to plunder and ill-treat 
 them. It has been pleaded that the English, American, as well as the sailors of other 
 western countries, when allowed to go ashore on these islands, indulged too copiously in 
 draughts of seaou-tchoo, an ardent spirit distilled from a mixture of rice and othei 
 

 
 
 
 
 \ 
 
WHAMPOA, FROM DANE'S ISLAND. 81 
 
 grain ; and, losing all self-control, were guilty of acts of violence — that they entered 
 the temples, ridiculed the popular faith, and broke the hideous monsters to which the 
 Chinese bend the knee- This charge may be based on fact, and parallel instances may 
 be adduced from the accounts of voyagers, but the invincible prejudices of the Chinese 
 to strangers, from immemorial time, can hardly have originated in events of compara- 
 tively recent occurrence. 
 
 French Island, westward of Dane's Island, forms the side scene of the illustration ; 
 it is one vast cemetery, divided impartially between the foreigner and the native, and 
 occupied with the humble, low-lying tablet that records the early fall of the one, far 
 from the place of his birth, as well as with the pompous, semicircular mausoleum which 
 distinguishes, by its sweep and architecture, the rank and wealth of the other, whose 
 pride lies humbled beneath it. To the left of the view is seen the entrance to the Tay- 
 wang-kow passage, Junk river, which bounds Whampoa island, and separates it from 
 Junk island. 
 
 The picturesque prospect which Whampoa and its encircling islets presents, has 
 been the theatre of many military events. Placed in the very centre of the highway to 
 Canton, from which it is but ten miles distant, it should be fortified with all the science 
 of the age, and at any cost that such security might be attended with ; but the autho- 
 rities, relying too confidently upon the fortresses at Chuenpee, Tycocktow, Bocca Tigris, 
 and Tiger island, have injudiciously neglected the more available position. When the 
 Modeste, a British frigate, was directed, during the late Chinese war, to pass Whampoa 
 towards Canton, and subsequently the Sulphur was placed under similar orders, the 
 opposition given by the battery at Howqua's Folly at the north-west extremity of 
 Whampoa island, and by Fort Napier, which is directly opposite, was so contemptible 
 that it is merely mentioned but not dwelt upon in the despatches. Howqua's Folly, 
 built after Admiral Drury's expedition, is a quadrangular structure, entirely of hewn 
 granite, and mounting eight-and-twenty guns. It is called from its founder, who is 
 supposed to have been converted into a patriot either by " a squeeze," or by a desire to 
 escape the imperial wrath. The derivation of " Napier's Fort," will probably present 
 itself more immediately, from the recollection that it was to this precise anchorage his 
 lordship ordered up two sail-of-the-line, when the Canton authorities doubted his cre- 
 dentials. Between these two forts, stakes were driven into the river-bed; and old junks 
 were sunk, to obstruct the passage of the British ; but the employment of war-steamers 
 in the British navy since the previous visit of our ships to Whampoa, had escaped the 
 knowledge of the Chinese, and gave to all their childish contrivances an appearance of 
 extravagant folly. 
 
 The feeling of security that has hitherto accompanied the possession of Whampoa, 
 induced the government to erect here several substantial stores for the reception of 
 rice. This necessary of life is laid up at the expense of the emperor in the event of 
 scarcity, when it is sold at little or no profit to the poor. Should an abundant harvest 
 reduce the price of grain, then the custodees of the public granaries are empowered to 
 
 x 
 
82 CHINA ILLUSTRATED. 
 
 purchase largely ; if a less plentiful season occur, to sell at a moderate loss ; and if an 
 absolute famine happen, then the granaries are thrown open to the poor. 
 
 On a mound adjacent to the town, and near the western end of the island, the 
 Whampoa pagoda rises to a height of one hundred and seventy feet; beyond the Junk 
 river on the right, and on the point of Junk island, is another, inferior in gracefulness 
 and height ; and on the further bank of the Tay-wang-kow passage, a beautiful, light, 
 and tapering temple stands conspicuously prominent. Canton-reach extends from 
 Whampoa and French islands in a western direction, and is enclosed on the north by 
 a range of lofty and rugged hills that form a delightful drooping distance. 
 
 THEATRE AT TIEN SIN. 
 
 " Alas ! that Vice's brand should stamp the stage — 
 Life's picture, and resuscitated page ! 
 There might our nnschool'd crowds delighted stand, 
 Each acted lesson view, and understand. 
 Some read to learn ; to listen some prefer ; 
 To teach beholders rose the theatre.' C. J. C. 
 
 " There is one city in the metropolitan province of Petche-le, that has a greater trade, 
 is much more populous, and richer than most others, though it is not of the first order, 
 and has no jurisdiction ; it is called Tien-tching-ouei ; and since the map was made, it is 
 placed in the rank of tcheou, or cities of the second order. It is situated at the place 
 where the imperial canal which comes from Lin-tchin-tcheou joins to the river of Peking. 
 A great mandarin resides here, and is a principal of the officers who preside over the 
 salt-works along the sea-coast of the provinces of Pe-tche-le and Chan-tong ; all the 
 vessels which bring timber from East Tartary, after they have crossed the bay of Leaou- 
 tong, come to unload in this port, which is but twenty leagues from Peking." 
 
 Such is the pithy account of the Citta Celeste of Marco Polo left us by the Jesuits, 
 who surveyed every locality of the empire with a penetration never exceeded by any 
 European traveller; and, although their topographical description is insufficient to satisfy 
 modern inquiry, it includes the principal points that then deserved attention at this city, 
 while the stationary condition of the Chinese people ever since, renders it as applicable 
 to-day as when it was originally written. 
 
 The conflux of the rivers Pei-ho and Eu-ho, the former opening a communication 
 with the capital, eighty miles distant, and with the sea, fifty miles ; the latter, by means 
 of the imperial canal, with all the southern provinces, conferred an early commercial 
 importance upon Tien-sin. There is a bar at the entrance of the river, and the depth 
 of water above the city is but imperfectly known to foreigners; so that sailing-vessels, 
 or ships of large burden, should not venture up without a native pilot ; but from their 
 light draught, and facility of direct and retrograde movements, steamers may navigate 
 

 
 \ 
 
 
 
THEATRE AT TIEN SIN. 83 
 
 its whole course with safety. His imperial majesty, Taou-kwang, (Reason's Glory,) is 
 probably still ignorant of the bold enterprise, lately meditated against his capital by the 
 captain of a British man-of-war cruising off the mouth of the Pei-ho — 
 
 " Had the Chinese turned restive," writes Lord Jocelyn ," eight hours would have taken the steamer and 
 corvette, filled with seamen, marines, and field-pieces, to the town of Tien-sin, at the head of the great canal, 
 the depot of all their northern trade and supplies. Their fleet of junks being then burnt, an event which would 
 have crippled their means of sending reinforcements to the mouth of the river, and the town being set on fire, 
 nearly within sight of the imperial city, must have caused a panic and distress that would have shaken the empire 
 to its very base. They seemed to be aware that this was feasible, and dreaded it themselves." 
 
 In the most busy and populous commercial towns, where labour appears only to be 
 suspended from an apprehension of exhausting the physical powers of the labourer, the 
 greatest variety of public shows and entertainments, the largest number of coffee-houses, 
 restaurateurs, assembly-rooms, and theatres, are always found; a sufficient evidence that 
 in such localities they receive the largest share of patronage. This remark applies 
 with more than common appropriateness to Tien-sin, which has long been celebrated 
 as the chief place of trade in the province, as well as for its everlasting scenes of recre- 
 ation and gaiety. 
 
 Many Europeans have visited this Chinese Liverpool; and the courtesies which 
 commercial intercourse engenders, have here procured for them a more liberal reception, 
 and a less restrained sojourn, than they must have met with in other parts of China. 
 Buildings, wharfs, manufactures, warehouses, and dockyards, extend along the banks of 
 the Pei-ho, for upwards of two miles and a half; and the surface of the water, during 
 all that length, is so closely covered with junks, that a narrow passage-way only is 
 reserved by the river-police. 
 
 The multitudes that crowd the decks of this countless fleet, are not devoted wholly 
 to navigation ; they include whole families, who lead a sort of amphibious life — " every 
 shore to them is foreign, and the earth an element on which they venture but occasion- 
 ally." Twice have our embassies passed and repassed this great emporium ; and the 
 description of the spectacle which it presented on these occasions is calculated to give 
 a very imposing idea of Chinese enterprise, wealth, discipline, and civilization. During 
 one of these transits, the pageant was witnessed by such a multitude as, even in China, 
 was rarely seen. The decks of the vessels were completely occupied, numbers stood in 
 the shallow water between them and the shore, while a dense and continuous crowd lined 
 the sloping banks from the houses to the water's edge. The gradual descent of the 
 ground on each side gave the spectacle the appearance of some vast amphitheatre. The 
 enormous diameter of the umbrageous hat rendering it a perfect nuisance, on an occa- 
 sion where heads were jammed as closely as if they were screwed together, the array of 
 so many thousand bare bald pates so situated, and exposed to the influence of a meri- 
 dian sun, when the thermometer stood at ninety, must have been truly astonishing. 
 Along the banks of the river, large bags of salt are generally piled up in a conical form, 
 and covered carefully with matting. During the passing of the ambassadorial proces- 
 sion, these heaps of salt were also tenanted, presenting the appearance of so many 
 
84 CHINA ILLUSTRATED. 
 
 pyramids of heads.* In all the ardour of curiosity which evidently existed on this 
 puhlic demonstration, it was remarkable that no disturbance occurred ; a sense of mutual 
 accommodation pervaded the multitudinous assembly, nor were police or military per- 
 mitted to appear, or mingle with the crowd. 
 
 It was while the state-barges lay moored before the viceroy's palace, that a tempo- 
 rary theatre was erected on the quay, with a fanciful orchestra behind it, in which 
 a dramatic entertainment, after the national manner, was represented, for the gratification 
 of the embassy. The exterior of the building was decorated with a variety of brilliant 
 and lively colours, by the proper distribution, as well as contrast of which, the Chinese 
 are able to produce the most pleasing effects. The front was left completely open 
 towards the river, and the interior adorned with the same elegance and success. 
 The performance was continued without interruption during a whole day, pantomime and 
 historic dramas taking alternate possession of the boards. Strict attention was paid to 
 costume, the actors being uniformly habited in the ancient dresses of the age in which 
 the personages represented were supposed to have lived. A kind of recitative supplied 
 the place of dialogue, accompanied by a variety of musical instruments, in which the 
 gong, kettle-drum, and trumpet were conspicuous, each pause being filled up by a loud 
 crash, such as our "brass bands" sometimes introduce. Every actor announced on his 
 first entrance the part he was about to perform, — where the scene was laid, and other 
 explanatory circumstances ; but this precaution is only observed when the audience are 
 foreigners, or imperfectly acquainted with the language of China. 
 
 THE IMOGENE AND ANDROMACHE PASSING THE BOCCA TIGRIS. 
 
 How should the wit of Chinaman conceive 
 
 The thunder of Old England's oaken war ? 
 His puny iiutt'nng fleet may deftly thieve; 
 
 His nautic empire raise or sink a Bar : 
 Our Line he never saw — how then believe ? — 
 
 Nor heard of Nelson, or of Trafalgar. 
 
 C. J. C. 
 
 Having much confidence in " sound and fury," the Chinese calculated upon exciting 
 terror by noise and high-sounding epithets, and reverence by those of the most extra- 
 vagant pretensions. Their emperor is styled Teaou-kwang, or Reason's Glory ; and 
 dragon, serpent and tiger, are terms of frequent application, where strength, power, or 
 punishment is implied. The costume of the Tartar soldier is made to resemble the 
 
 * A calculation was made by Mr. Barrow of the quantity of salt contained in the pyramids of bags standing 
 on the quays of Tien-sin when he passed by them, and it was found to be sufficient for the consumption of thirty 
 millions of people for one whole year. A considerable revenue is derived from the gabelle, or salt-duty, and the 
 situation of collector at this place is one of the most lucrative appointments in the imperial gift. 
 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
THE IMOGENE AND ANDROMACHE PASSING THE BOCCA TIGIUS. 85 
 
 skin of the spotted tiger ; heads of the same fierce and active animal are represented 
 on their shields, as well as on the embrasures of the batteries. The most famous 
 fortress in all China is that on Tiger Island ; and the narrow opening in the Canton 
 river, which is protected by an amazing number of cannon, is designated Bocca Tigris, 
 or the Tiger's Mouth. 
 
 The great estuary of the Canton river, which, opposite or near to the Factories, 
 assumes the name of Chou-keang, or the Pearl river, is contracted between the forts of 
 Chuenpee or Shakok and Tycocktow (Great Rising Head,) into a channel of about 
 two miles in width. From the former of these points, the coast trends eastward, 
 embracing the shallows known as Anson's Bay, to the batteries of Anunghoy (Woman's 
 Shoe,) just three miles from Chuenpee. Above Tycocktow are two rocky islets, South 
 and North Wantong, between which and Anunghoy, rather less than two miles' dis- 
 tance, is the celebrated throat of " Tiger's Mouth ;"* and about two miles farther up 
 the river, is situated Tiger Island, or Ty-hoo-tow. Anunghoy batteries have always been 
 strongly garrisoned, and, before the last war, mounted one hundred and forty pieces of 
 ordnance ; the batteries of North Wantong, immediately opposite to them, mounted one 
 hundred and sixty-five. Between the islet of South Wantong and the new fort of 
 Anunghoy, a boom, consisting of powerful iron chains, partially sustained by wooden 
 rafts, was raised at sunset. At this fort vessels were required to produce their permits; 
 and those that happened to arrive in the Bocca after the boom was raised, were under the 
 necessity of continuing outside until daylight. These forts were undoubtedly constructed 
 more with a view of terrifying merchantmen, and extorting tribute, than with an expec- 
 tation of obstructing an armed force : and Keshen, in his memorable defence, lays this 
 fact before his imperial master. Whether, however, the commissioner's statement was 
 advanced in mitigation of punishment for his faults, or whether he spoke the historic 
 truth, the forts of Bocca Tigris have not been able to check the British sailor, for tbe 
 passage has been repeatedly forced by our vessels. When Lord Napier, the British 
 Commissioner-General at Canton, became apprehensive of insult, he ordered the 
 Andromache and Imogene to pass Bocca Tigris, and ascend the river to Whampoa. 
 This achievement was performed with little difficulty, the discharge of a few broadsides 
 having completely silenced the enemy's fire, without any material injury to the works : 
 these were spared, to add still further glory to the British arms at no distant period. 
 
 In the commencement of the year 1841, our envoy, disgusted by the faithless- 
 ness or fickleness of Chinese functionaries, directed the resumption of hostilities ; and, 
 in consequence of this determination, Commodore Sir J. G. Bremer was directed to 
 take and destroy the forts of Anunghoy and Wantong, and force the passage of the 
 Bogue. With a fleet of twelve sail-of-the-line and four steamers, even a less gallant 
 officer would have felt little apprehension for the result ; but the style in which these 
 orders were executed, has justly associated the commodore's name with those of our 
 naval heroes. The forts on North Wantong were cannonaded by the Calliope and 
 
 • Bocca Tigris, or The Hoo-moon, or the Bogue. 
 Y 
 
^6 CHINA ILLUSTRATED. 
 
 Samarang, while a battery of howitzers, established on the South island, a position most 
 unaccountably neglected by the Chinese, opened their fire simultaneously.* The quick- 
 ness and precision of English gunners soon overpowered the brave efforts of the enemy ; 
 in a few minutes they were seen flying from their post, and a landing was effected 
 without opposition. The scene of inhumanity that followed will always remain a sub- 
 ject of much regret to our brave officers. In endeavouring to escape from the works, 
 the Chinese had fallen into the trenches, which were literally filled with them, and in that 
 helpless condition they implored for mercy. In vain did our generous officers menace, 
 command, entreat the sepoys to spare the prostrate foe ; either from a settled hatred of 
 the nation, or ignorance of the language in which the orders were given, they continued 
 to fire without mercy upon these unresisting and defenceless masses of human beings. 
 While this dreadful tragedy was being enacted, Sir H. Le Fleming Senhouse had been 
 equally successful in his attack upon Anunghoy ; and by the united exertions of these 
 divisions of the expedition, the Bogue forts were captured and destroyed, the charm of 
 their invincibility dissolved, British superiority in the art of war demonstrated, and the 
 foundation laid for those concessions by China, which may yet terminate in a sincere 
 alliance of esteem and friendship between the conquerors and the conquered. 
 
 What change will come over the trade of China, by our enjoyment of an asylum at 
 Hong-kong, it would be difficult to foresee ; but that the dependencies of Canton will 
 be injured by the opening of other ports, is sufficiently obvious. At Whampoa a num- 
 ber of chops, or lighters, formerly found employment in conveying the cargoes of large 
 vessels to Canton ; and there, also, a chop-house, where tolls were exacted, had a per- 
 manent establishment. But the commerce of Shing-hai, Ning-po, and Amoy, as well 
 as that of Canton, will now probably adopt Hong-kong as a common entrepot; and, if 
 unrestricted intercourse with foreigners be permitted, steamers will navigate the passage 
 above Whampoa with little apprehension, and pass the forts of the Bogue and Macao 
 with the same indifference as they do the pagodas that distinguish their localities. When 
 that day shall arrive, the Cantonese must fall back upon their own resources, and be 
 content with the enjoyment which their beautiful country, genial climate, and fertile 
 soil afford. Sugar and rice are the staple products of Whampoa island, and of the 
 tract that bounds the estuary of the Chou-keang. Mr. Abed, who visited the sugar 
 manufactories here, gives the following account of the primitive machinery employed 
 in them: — "The simplicity and cheapness of the works were highly characteristic of 
 Chinese taste and policy. The mill which expresses the liquor from the cane, was 
 composed of three vertical cylinders, made of a coarse granite with wooden cogs. The 
 coppers, as boilers are termed in other sugar-growing countries of less primitive pre- 
 dilections, were made of cast iron, which they have the art of reducing almost to the 
 texture of common paper, and of welding, when cracked or broken, with entire facility 
 
 • This battery was under the direction of Captain (now Colonel) Knowles, of the Royal Artillery, who, 
 during the heavy fire that was kept up on his position, leaned with his elbow on the sand-bags of his field-work, 
 directing his men to fire a little higher or lower, as he perceived the shells to take effect. — Commodore Bingham's 
 yarrative of the Expedition to China. 
 

 
 i 
 
 
 
 ^ 
 
 \ 
 
 ^ 
 
 - 
 
 
 
 
RICE-SELLERS AT TONG-CHANG-FOO. 87 
 
 and firmness. These were arranged triangularly, and with little apparent regard to 
 those principles of granulation which are elsewhere adopted. That nothing might 
 reduce the quantum of manual labour where hands and mouths are so numerous, and 
 wages so low, the mill was placed below the level of the boilers, and the liquor carried 
 in tubs from the one to the other. As it attained its consistence in each of these vessels, 
 instead of being passed through a strainer to the next, it was transferred by hand to 
 another part of the building, whence, after the process of distillation, it was returned 
 to its appropriate cauldron." 
 
 RICE-SELLERS AT TONG-CHANG-FOO. 
 
 Rice to sell ! Who lacks good cheer ? 
 
 Would you our rice, sir grenadier ? 
 
 A bowl were well after parade ; 
 
 Come, and enjoy it, in the shade. 
 
 See how it smokes — so spiced and sweet ! — 
 
 Will you, fair dame, my savoury treat ? 
 
 Yon little master likes it well. 
 
 Season 'd and smoking— Rice to sell ! C.J. C. 
 
 Such scenes as this party of rice-eaters presents are frequently witnessed by travellers, 
 more particularly along the line of the Imperial canal, on which Tong-chang-foo is situated. 
 The military station rendering a halt for the payment of gabelle necessary, the trackers 
 seize the opportunity to rest and refresh themselves. A guard of military-police being 
 paraded, during the settlement of tribute by the task-master or slave-driver, the trackers 
 seat themselves beneath an immense umbrella supported by a bamboo pillar, and are 
 supplied by the landlady of this very primitive and very picturesque hospitimn, with 
 bowls, chopsticks, and all other requisites for the occasion. Assembled round an earthen 
 stove, at which the rice-meal, mixed with vegetables and fried in rancid oil or animal ofFal, 
 is dressed, and disengaging themselves from their cumbrous bamboo hats, some also 
 twisting the pienza, or long queue, round their heads, they raise the bowl to the edge of 
 the lower lip, against which they pres3 it closely, and, with the chopsticks throw in their 
 food expeditiously, conveniently, and with an astonishing degree of cleanliness. In China, 
 as well as in Western Europe, the pipe forms a necessary part of the labourer's personal 
 property; and, from the great length of this instrument amongst Orientals, when 
 inserted in the pocket a very considerable portion always protrudes. As stations may 
 not occur at those intervals of time or space best suited to the tracker's relief, it is his 
 judicious practice to carry a supply of meal in a pouch suspended at his side, along 
 with a hard wooden spatula, such as the hostess of the great umbrella is employing, 
 besides his accustomed chopsticks. On the ground, and close by the figure in the 
 act of placing the chopsticks in his mouth, lie several flat boards with cords passed 
 
88 CHINA ILLUSTRATED. 
 
 through them ; these are the harness, or gear, which the tracker applies to his breast, 
 to save it from the effects of too great pressure, in his slavish occupation. 
 
 It is very erroneously stated, that owing to the predominance of agricultural propen- 
 sities, the paucity of pasture and meadow land, and the preference for rice to all other 
 species of diet, animal food has been necessarily declined ; pigs and sheep being the 
 only species of quadrupeds slaughtered and eaten. That black cattle are not kept for 
 the shambles, is solely attributable to the abhorrence of a Buddhist to slaying oxen ; 
 the antiquity of this religion, therefore, sufficiently accounts for the equally ancient 
 preference for vegetable diet amongst the followers of Fo. Against the use of pork, on 
 the other hand, an equally strong prejudice exists amongst the Mohammedan section of 
 the people ; and the predominance of that faith under the descendants of Kublai Khan 
 and the Mongol dynasty, which strictly prohibits the use of pork, discouraged the feed- 
 ing of swine as an article for food or sale. It is to their religious prejudices, therefore, 
 that the encouragement of vegetable diet, and the adoption of all those alternations 
 and substitutes for animal food so remarkable in Chinese living, should with propriety 
 be attributed. Mohammedanism, however, under the Tartar dynasty, has gradually 
 declined ; toleration has hastened its fall, accompanied, at the same time, by the legis- 
 lative wisdom of not extending to its followers any especial protection or preference. 
 
 Agriculture having obtained a dominion so extensive, and of such very ancient foun- 
 dation, no animals that require to "range the valley, free," are to be seen in a district 
 capable of tillage; and indeed the cultivation of rice has now become a national preju- 
 dice too deeply rooted to be ever eradicated from the land. Mr. Gutzlaff, the author of 
 the interesting memoir of the Emperor Kang-he, which accompanies these descriptions, 
 relates an anecdote in one of his voyages, very happily illustrative of this point. " Rice 
 being very cheap in Siam, every Chinese sailor provided a bag or two as a present for 
 his family. In fact, the chief thing they wish and work for is rice ; their domestic 
 accounts are entirely regulated by the quantity of rice consumed ; their meals, according 
 to the number of bowls of it boiled ; and their exertions, according to the quantity 
 wanted. Every substitute for this favourite food is considered meagre, and indicative 
 of the greatest wretchedness. When they cannot obtain a sufficient quantity to satisfy 
 their appetites, they supply the deficiency with an equal weight of water. Inquiring 
 whether the Western barbarians eat rice, and finding me slow to give them an answer, 
 they exclaimed, ' Oh ! the sterile regions of barbarians, which produce not the neces- 
 saries of life ! Strange that the inhabitants have not long ago died of hunger !' 
 I endeavoured to show them that we had substitutes for rice which were equal if not 
 superior to it ; but all to no purpose ; and they still maintain that it is rice only which 
 can properly sustain the life of a human being." 
 
 It was at this busy town that the childish military feat of the lanterns was performed, 
 which Mr. Barrow relates in his account of the return of the embassy from Yuen-min- 
 yuen. "As we approached the city of Tong-chang-foo, we were much amused with 
 a military manoeuvre, which was evidently intended to astonish us. Under the walls of 
 the city, about three hundred soldiers were drawn out in a line, which, however, the 
 
j 
 
 J 
 
 
 I 
 
 . 
 
 
BRITISH ENCAMPMENT AT IRGAO-SHAN. 89 
 
 darkness of the night had rendered invisible. But just as we were coming to anchor, 
 each soldier, at the sound of a gong, produced from under his cloak a splendid lantern, 
 with which he went through a regular manual exercise." 
 
 In the suburbs of the town, cultivation is conducted with particular skilfulness ; 
 and a species of tobacco is grown here, the leaves of which are small, hairy, and viscous, 
 and the flowers of a greenish yellow passing into a faint rose-colour at the edge of the 
 petals. Hemp is produced here also, in small quantities; but is more generally used 
 to mix with tobacco, than in the manufacture of cloth from its fibres. 
 
 BRITISH ENCAMPMENT ON IRGAO-SHAN, 
 
 CHUSAN 
 
 How nature slept o'er yon sequester'd scene, 
 
 In knoll, and glassy wave, and woodland green ! 
 
 Man's self, in kinder than his wonted guise, 
 
 There bade the patriarchal village rise. 
 
 Now, marshall'd forms of war the hill-top crest, 
 
 And soldier's tramp and clarion start its sylvan rest. 
 
 C. J. C. 
 
 The Chusan Islands, several hundred in number, lie almost due east of Take-tow pro- 
 montory, in the province of Che-keang, and appear to have once formed a part of the 
 neighbouring continent. The direction of the prevalent wind, and the strength with which 
 the tides set in upon this part of the coast, have, in the course of ages, washed away all 
 alluvial matter, and left only the rocky pillars, now so many pyramidal islands, standing 
 in the waters. The currents between the islands are at this day so violent, that naviga- 
 tion is highly dangerous ; and the Chusanese alone, who are familiarly acquainted with 
 them, are able to take advantage of these straits as highways for commerce. Chusan 
 isles are all of primitive structure, being composed of red and grey granite ; they present 
 a very unequal surface, the summits often attaining a height of fifteen hundred feet 
 above sea-level ; yet there is not a square mile on any island of the group unsubdued 
 by cultivation. 
 
 Chow-shan (Boat-mountain) the largest of the archipelago, and whose name is 
 shared by the multitude of minor isles that surround it, is fifty miles in circum- 
 ference, twenty in length, having a maximum breadth of ten, and minimum of 
 six ; it forms a keen, or district, the seat of government of which is at Ting-hai, and is 
 subject to the foo, or prefecture, of Ning-po. Approaching from the sea, the pros- 
 pect is remarkably beautiful : the hills rise steeply and in conical shapes, all decked 
 in a variety of colours, while deep ravines are observed running far inland, but closed 
 at the sea-entrance by high embankments, in which tide-gates are inserted. The 
 
 z 
 
90 CHINA ILLUSTRATED. 
 
 interior prospect of the island is not less pleasing ; lofty hills separate, overlook, and 
 shelter deep fertile vales, where rice, cotton, barley, Indian-corn, sugar-cane, tobacco- 
 plant, peach and plum-trees, lend their varieties, and the tea-plant, dwarf-oak, arbutus, 
 their colours, to adorn the lower grounds, the summits everywhere being clothed with 
 the brightest green. Clumps of luxuriant trees, and picturesque temples, embellish 
 the conspicuous heights, whose interest is much increased by tombs, with plantations of 
 fragrant shrubs around them. The introspect of these dark ravines observed on 
 approaching the island from the sea, discloses alluvial plains of various extent, occupied 
 by paddy-fields, interspersed with patches of brinjal, maize, and beans. Navigable 
 canals, intersecting these reclaimed flats, are supplied by the waters that descend from 
 the mountains, as well as by an influx from the ocean, the latter, however, regulated by 
 sluices. There are no rivers of any magnitude in the island, but mountain-streams are 
 numerous, and their waters are gathered with care into reservoirs, which are cautiously 
 preserved from impurity. At Irgao-shan, where the Twenty-sixth regiment of infantry 
 were encamped for some time, after the capture of Ting-hai by the British in the late 
 war, is one of those much-valued pools, surrounded by the various buildings of a farm- 
 house, which, in China, resemble petty villages ; for, as the married sons never withdraw 
 from parental government, the buildings that are added, age after age, for their accom- 
 modation, together with the requisite granaries, fruit-houses, and halls of ancestors, pre- 
 sent a formidable assemblage. There is yet another purpose to which the out-buildings 
 of Chinese farms are devoted. Although the population of this circumscribed area 
 amounts to 200,000 souls, such is the fertility of the soil, that more rice, considerably, 
 is grown than consumed : from this overplus, sham-shoo is distilled very generally by the 
 farmers, both for domestic use and exportation ; and many of the minor buildings, that 
 give importance to the view of the homestead, are nothing more than these rural 
 distilleries. 
 
 The detachment of the Twenty-sixth, which Lieutenant White has introduced into 
 his sketch, as marching in amongst the farm-buildings, is supposed to be returning to 
 their encampment on the summit of Irgao-shan ; and, on the slippery bank above them, 
 a zigzag pathway amongst beds of sweet potatoes may be observed. This footway, broad 
 enough to admit three persons to walk abreast, like all others that traverse the island, is 
 paved with large squared blocks of stone, sometimes cut into regular steps ; and along 
 such narrow causeways even the heaviest burdens are transported from place to place 
 by men exclusively, wheel-carriages not being in use amongst the Chinese. 
 
 Although the habits of the islanders are similar to those of the empire generally, 
 a peculiarity in performing the sad rites of sepulture, which Lord Jocelyn observed, 
 most probably does not exist elsewhere. "The natives of this island," writes his lord- 
 ship, " do not inter their dead as in the southern provinces, but the corpse is placed on 
 the ground in a wooden coffin, covered with a lid, easily removed, highly polished, round 
 which the wild flowers and creepers blossom. In most of the houses we entered on the 
 island, these large boxes were the first objects that met the eye in the en trance -chamber. 
 In the tenanted graves which curiosity induced us to open, the body appeared dressed 
 

 
 S$ 
 
 
 
 
 
 
CAPTURE OF TING-HAI, CHUSAN. 91 
 
 as in life, the pipe and tobacco lay on the breast, and loaves and rice at the unconscious 
 head." 
 
 Irgao-shan, and the scene represented in the accompanying illustration, although no 
 architectural remains are visible in the vicinity, are supposed to be identical with Ung- 
 shan, at the foot of which stood Ung-chovv, a city of the third rank, founded about the 
 year 720 of our era, in the reign of Heuen-Tsung, of the Tang dynasty. 
 
 CAPTURE OF TING-HAI, CHUSAN. 
 
 The walls grew weak : and fast and hot 
 Against them pour'd the ceaseless shot, 
 With unabating fury sent 
 From battery to battlement. 
 
 Byron. 
 
 Chusan is not less distinguished by the beauty of its position and productions, than by 
 its memorable connection with the history of the late war between England and the 
 Chinese. Its harbour presents a panorama not exceeded by any analogous prospect in 
 the world ; and the security from weather, and safety of anchorage, are also perfect. 
 Its superficial area extends about three miles in length by one in breadth, so that per- 
 haps not more than one hundred sail of the line could float here conveniently, and the 
 utmost caution must be used in entering, from the strong currents that prevail every- 
 where between the islands, and the eddies formed at their meetings. The advantage 
 of its commercial position was fully estimated by the inhabitants at all periods, for it is 
 known that a large and flourishing city of the third rank existed here in the second 
 century before the Christian era, which, after several changes of name, (the last to 
 Ting-hai, ) was destroyed in the wars between the Tartars and Chinese in the reign of 
 Shum-che, the first emperor of the Ta-tsing dynasty, but rebuilt by his successor Kang- 
 he in 1684. Accurate geographers place the present city in latitude 30° 0' 20" north, 
 and longitude 122° 5' 18" east. The East India company maintained an extensive 
 factory here from the year 1700 to 1757; and when Lord Macartney visited the island 
 in 1 793, an interpreter who had been attached to that establishment was still living. 
 
 The port or dock of Ting-hai, called Chusan harbour, is seated on the water's edge; 
 the city, of which it forms the advanced work, lying inland rather more than a mile. 
 One of the creeks, described in speaking of Irgao-shan, here runs up for some miles 
 between the hills ; and across its sea entrance, an embankment two miles in extent, with 
 tide-gates and sluices, being placed, the whole reclaimed area affords a rich tract 
 of paddy ground, intersected by navigable canals, besides a well-sheltered site for a 
 populous city. Ting-hai does not stand upon this marshy land, but on the sloping side 
 
92 CHINA ILLUSTRATED. 
 
 of the Yung-tung valley ; it is surrounded by a brick wall twenty-six feet in height, 
 sixteen in thickness, and six miles in circuit, with four entrance-gates corresponding 
 exactly to the cardinal points. On three sides it is protected by a canal or ditch 
 twenty-five yards broad, the fourth side being covered by a fortified hill. Slight 
 bridges are thrown over the canal at the four gates, cut into steps like the famous 
 Rialto of Venice, and from this trifling coincidence, in conjunction with the additional 
 fact of the city being intersected by canals, travellers, of more ready wit than discerning 
 judgment, have ventured to compare Ting-hai with the city that is " throned on her 
 hundred isles." The streets are narrow and paved, having a public sewer along the 
 middle, from which nuisance, in addition to many other objectionable practices amongst 
 the Chinese, they are passed by Europeans with feelings not far removed from disgust. 
 Being the most eastern city in the empire, it has been thought prudent to strengthen it in 
 proportion against the " barbarian over the sea ; " and with this object three arsenal?, 
 two powder magazines, and other military establishments, have been placed here. 
 There are also several public institutions, mandarins' residences, a Government pawn- 
 broking office, numerous theatres, and many Buddhist temples, some of them acknow- 
 ledged to be the most gorgeous and wealthy in China. Including Chusan harbour, 
 Ting-hai has a population of 30,000 souls. 
 
 Twice, during the protracted hostilities between Great Britain and China, has this 
 rich and beautiful position fallen before the courage and military skill of the former; 
 "and the morning of the 5th of July, 1840, was the day fated for Her Majesty's flag to 
 wave over the most beautiful island appertaining to the Celestial empire, the first 
 European banner that has floated over the flowery land." A few words, however, will 
 be sufficient to describe this easy conquest. At half-past two o'clock the Wellesley 
 fired the first gun, which was answered by a whole line of war junks, the ordnance 
 along the causeway, and on battery hill ; our vessels immediately poured in their broad- 
 sides, and in nine minutes Chusan's docks, forts, and buildings were a heap of smoking 
 ruins. Our troops landed on a deserted beach, amidst a few dead bodies, broken spears, 
 swords, shields, and matchlocks, and moved cautiously on Ting-hai, before the strong 
 ramparts of which they sat down for the remainder of that day. On the following morn- 
 ing scaling-ladders were placed against the walls, orders to mount issued, and, " in a few 
 minutes," this great city was in the possession of the invaders. This may be deemed an 
 inglorious triumph, and military men may regret that the British had not met an enemy 
 worthy of their prowess ; but every feeling heart must unite in rejoicing at that insignifi- 
 cance of resistance which occasioned the less loss of life. On the first of October in the 
 following year, our fleet again returned to Chusan, to chastise the wretched inhabitants of 
 that island for the duplicity and falsehood of their government. Headed by the gallant 
 Keo, and fully expecting an attack, the Chinese offered a stout resistance; but the hero 
 and his brave staff were slain, tremendous havoc made amongst his followers, and the 
 tragic scene that now presented itself far exceeded the desolation that attended the first 
 capture of Ting-hai. The total inequality between the contending parties, even 
 when Keo, a man of resolution and ability, gave an example worthy of the highest 
 

 1 
 
 I 
 
 1 
 
 I 
 
 
 
 V 
 
 s 
 
DINNER PARTY AT A MANDARIN'S HOUSE. 9:3 
 
 honour to his soldiers, may be judged of from the ratio of killed and wounded. On one 
 side numbers fell ; while on the other, the British, " the loss amounted to two killed and 
 twenty-eight wounded.'' 
 
 DINNER PARTY AT A MANDARIN'S HOUSE. 
 
 Of all appeals — no 
 
 Method's more sure at moments to take hold 
 Of the best feelings of mankind, which grow 
 
 More tender, as we every day behold, 
 Than that all softening, overpowering knell, 
 The tocsin of the soul — the dinner bell. 
 
 BvnoN". 
 
 Mandarin's houses are generally more like cabinets of interesting works of art than 
 the frequented homes of stirring and prudent men, — men who have raised themselves 
 to a position of public respect by their intellectual superiority, and who are supposed 
 to retain that rank by their conspicuous virtues. Certainly the vanity displayed in 
 their palaces is much at variance with those high qualities for which alone they are 
 believed to be promoted. The furniture of the dinner parlour, as well as of all the 
 other apartments in a mandarin's mansion, is of a costly and beautiful description, and 
 the walls and ceiling are always decorated with fretwork, carved designs in hard woods, 
 and brilliantly coloured paper-hangings. On occasions of conviviality, the table, a 
 broad slab supported by a richly carved frame, is spread with various ornaments : china 
 jars in which flowers and fragrant perfumes are placed, generally stand on plateaux of 
 glass, porcelain, or silver, in the centre, a space being reserved all round for the bowls 
 of the respective guests. Chairs, articles so little used in Asia, form part of the 
 furniture of every house, and in those of men of rank are adorned with embroidered 
 silk and velvet cushions and draperies. The host assumes his place at the head of the 
 table, his chair being raised a little higher than those of his guests, who take their 
 seats on either side, as amongst the civilized nations of Europe. 
 
 Such entertainments are encumbered with ceremony ; the master of the feast drinks 
 to his company, and they to him in turn ; he even eats to them, and his every movement 
 is noticed, respected, and has influence upon the immediate part which each visitor 
 performs. Refusal of an invitation is unpardonable unless in case of sickness, or the 
 demands of public duty, and under such circumstances the absentee's portion is sent 
 to his house with a pomp that is utterly ludicrous. Amongst the Romans there was 
 a custom something like to this, — each guest brought a napkin in his pocket to the 
 banquet, into which he put the fragments of his share of the feast, and sent them home 
 by his attending slave. A dinner in China consists of a number of made dishes, not 
 
 2 a 
 
94 CHINA ILLUSTRATED. 
 
 placed at once upon the table, but served up in succession, in porcelain bowls carried in 
 on trays. The ceremony commences by the host standing up and pledging his friends, 
 which they as courteously return. Custards and preserved fruits are then served by a 
 number of attendants ; after follow, in several courses, soups either of mare's rnilk and 
 blood, or vermicelli, or of birds' nests, which is both insipid and gelatinous, or a much 
 superior kind, consisting of an extract of beef seasoned with soy ; the next course may 
 be supposed to include basins of stewed sharks' fins, birds' nests, deer sinews, and other 
 dishes believed to be peculiarly nutritious ; and this is often succeeded by different kinds 
 of meat minced into small pieces and floating in gravy ; amongst the latter varieties are 
 included fowls split open and grilled, others stewed, fowls' livers floating in oil, eggs 
 with their embryo chickens, and puppies' flesh. The pastry, which is supplied in 
 abundance, is made from buckwheat, is uncommonly light, and white as snow. Fruits 
 are always iced ; and this luxury, in the vicinity of Peking, is within the reach of the 
 poorest mechanic. The wine is of a light kind, having the flavour of sherry ; it is made 
 from rice, and is served in an earthen kettle, whence it is poured, by a servant bending 
 on one knee, into little porcelain cups, and drank warm. Porcelain spoons are also in 
 use, and four-pronged silver forks were laid at those banquets to which our envoys and 
 officers have occasionally been invited, but chopsticks are the prevailing, popular 
 instruments for the transport of every Chinaman's food, both solid and liquid, from his 
 saucer to his palate. 
 
 During the banquet, a deputy from a company of comedians placed at one end of 
 the apartment, presents a catalogue of those dramatic pieces which his associates are pre- 
 pared to exhibit; but, no matter which may be selected, the din, clatter, jingle, and 
 sibilous noise that is kept up during the performance, would render their early retirement 
 an object most anxiously desired by a foreigner. The intellectual part of the exhibi- 
 tion is generally succeeded by tumbling, jumping, vaulting, and various feats of jug- 
 gling, strength, and activity ; in all which the actors exhibit powers very superior to their 
 dramatic efforts, and such as would undoubtedly excite applause in any assembly where 
 such spectacles are admitted. 
 
^ 
 
 
 
 ■N. 
 
 
 1 
 
 
 v 
 
 
 Ifc 
 
 
 x \ 
 
 
 N^ 
 
 
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 - 
 
 ■ 
 
 ^ 
 
 
 
 
 ■■' 
 
HOUSE OF A CHINESE MERCHANT, NEAR CANTON. 95 
 
 HOUSE OF A CHINESE MERCHANT, NEAR CANTON. 
 
 In the mid-t a fountain 
 Playeth day and night 
 
 Each small wave a mirror 
 For the changing light. 
 
 L. E. L. 
 
 A Chinese villa is an assemblage of buildings of various dimensions and designs, 
 brought together without any apparent method, but displaying a fruitful imagination 
 and an exhaustless fancy. The exterior parts are of that gloomy mural character, which 
 prevails in all those countries where the softer sex are held in a mild but degrading 
 imprisonment, by both parents and husbands; but within, the aspect at least, breathes 
 pleasure and tranquillity. Although no regular order of art is discoverable in Chinese 
 architecture, an analysis of its parts and comparison of examples will lead immediately 
 to the detection of much system, .and explain the necessity for what may appear super- 
 fluous. Having no idea of balancing materials according to those mathematical principles 
 on which our great stone arches and sublime cathedrals are constructed, and con- 
 tinuing most preposterously to lay the roofing-beams in a position at right angles to that 
 adopted by our builders, they do not venture to form a roof of great span or dimen- 
 sions. Since then he cannot have a broad roof, the Chinaman is content with a house 
 in proportion ; and if he possesses wealth enough to maintain a large establishment, instead 
 of one great mansion, he causes many small buildings to be erected within the space 
 enclosed for the seclusion and enjoyment of his family. The necessary narrowness also 
 of their roofs leaves no alternative, when a spacious apartment is required, but the intro- 
 duction of pillars, hence the endless repetition of this feature in their houses. A veranda 
 is sustained by pillars, behind which rises the main building, generally one story in 
 height; but, when the grounds are so spacious that a second or third story may be raised, 
 without affording the females of the family an opportunity of seeing or being seen, the 
 addition is oft-times made. In the southern provinces, where the original of the accom- 
 panying view exists, the veranda is requisite for shade ; the front of each apartment is 
 open, save the intervention of a lattice-work gilt and brightly painted ; and even in 
 the upper rooms, the door is the only medium of light and air. The pillars which 
 sustain the roof of every apartment are of pine wood, sometimes carved, more frequently 
 plain but painted, and the rafters are covered with glazed tiles, of a concave form, and 
 laid like roofing tiles in England ; the bright blue colour of the bricks in the walls is 
 relieved by scrolling and seaming of white paint, with an excellent effect. Whether 
 Europeans view the Chinese roof as a beauty or deformity, it is upon this part of the 
 building the architect expends his best abilities. The gables are grotesquely adorned 
 
!)(} HOUSE OF A CHINESE MERCHANT, NEAR CANTON. 
 
 with scroll-work and gilded dragons ; nor is his license limited, unless by the variety of 
 patterns which the flowers of the field, the birds of the air, and the beasts of the forest 
 include. But the genius of the artist must extend beyond mere architectural decoration ; 
 he must also be able to introduce within the villa an artificial lake, adorn its banks with 
 rock-work and pleasure-grounds, and associate the wildest productions of untamed nature 
 with the most gorgeous creations of art. Bridges, canals, fountains, grottos, rocks worn 
 or wrought into the most extravagant forms, and either insulated in the water or starting 
 from the flower-beds, are the usual objects with which villa pleasure-grounds are 
 decorated ; and the fancy that is displayed in their disposition, to foreigners must 
 necessarily appear most admirable, and is amazingly difficult of successful imitation. " For 
 rural retreats," writes Mr. Lay, " I should delight to see the Chinese style adopted ; 
 since, with our crystal canals and our noble plantations, we should have a cluster of 
 abodes that would appear as if they had been fitted up for wood-nymphs, and beings of 
 a different day. But, a builder, in order to be qualified for such a work, must have 
 travelled in China, and, by an instinctive enthusiasm, have imbibed Chinese feeling, 
 otherwise he would not catch that freedom and that unbounded playfulness so conspi- 
 cuous in all their edifices of any cost or extent." 
 
 END OF VOL. I. 
 
 LONDON : H. FISHER, SON, AND CO., PRINTERS. 
 
i > 
 
 fa 
 
 s 
 
 - 
 
 
 
 
 
 
CHINA, 
 
 IN A SERIES OF VIEWS, DISPLAYING 
 
 THE SCENERY, ARCHITECTURE, AND SOCIAL HABITS, 
 
 THAT ANCIENT EMPIRE. 
 
 DRAWN, FROM ORIGINAL AND AUTHENTIC SKETCHES, BY 
 
 THOMAS ALLOM, ESQ. 
 
 WITH HISTORICAL AND DESCRIPTIVE NOTICES BY 
 
 THE KEY. G. N. WRIGHT, M. A. 
 
 VOL. II. 
 
 FISHER, SON, & CO. 
 NEWGATE STREET, LONDON ; RUE ST. HONORE, PARIS. 
 
LIST OF PLATES. 
 
 VOL. II. 
 
 PAGE 
 
 Feast of Lanterns . ..... vignette 71 
 
 Attack and Capture of Chuen-pee . ...... 5 
 
 Destroying the Chrysalides, and winding off the Cocoons 8 
 
 House of Conseequa, a Chinese merchant, near Canton ..... .12 
 
 An Itinerant Doctor at Tien-sing .......... 13 
 
 Pavilion and Gardens of a Mandarin, near Peking .... 15 
 
 The City of Nanking 16 
 
 The Foochun Hill, in the Province of Che-keang 18 
 
 A Mandarin paying a Visit of Ceremony ......... 20 
 
 Jugglers exhibiting in the Court of a Mandarin's House ...... 22 
 
 The Kilns at King-tan 23 
 
 Cotton Plantations at Ningpo ........... 25 
 
 Macao, from the Forts of Heang-shan ......... 27 
 
 Scene from the Spectacle of the Sun and Moon ........ 28 
 
 Boudoir and Bedchamber of a Lady of rank ........ 30 
 
 The Porcelain Tower, Nanking ........... 32 
 
 The Hea Hills, near Chaou-king-foo .......... 35 
 
 Show-room of a Lantern Merchant, at Peking ........ 37 
 
 Fort Victoria, Kow-loon ............ 40 
 
 Pavilion of the Star of Hope, Tong-chow . . . . . . . . .41 
 
 Punishment of the Tcha, or Cangue, Ting-hai ........ 43 
 
CONTENTS. 
 
 TAGE. 
 
 Woo-e-shan, or Bohea Hills, Fo-kien . ••■..... 45 
 
 The Pria Granda, Macao ......... .46 
 
 First Entrance to the Temple of Confucius, Ching-hai . . 4S 
 
 Altar-piece in the Great Temple, Ting-hai . . ..... 52 
 
 The Fountain Court in Conseequa's House, Canton ...... 54 
 
 Tae-ping Shaou-kwan, province of Keang-nan ........ 56 
 
 The Pass of Yang-chow ............ 60 
 
 A Street in Canton ............ 62 
 
 Canton Bargemen fighting Quails .......... 65 
 
 City of Ning-po, from the river .......... 67 
 
 Entrance to the city of Amoy ....... ... 69 
 
I 
 
 1 
 
 '3 
 
 I 
 
 1 
 
 
 
 
 
 
CHINA. 
 
 ATTACK AND CAPTURE OF CHUENPEE. 
 
 The trench is dug, the cannon's breath 
 Wings the far-hissing globe of death: 
 Fast whirl the fragments from the wall. 
 Which crumbles with the pond'rous ball ; 
 And from that wall the foe replies, 
 O'er dusky dales and smoky skies. 
 
 Byron. 
 
 The principal entrance of the Pearl river is between Chuenpee and Tycocktow forts, 
 the outer defences of that great emporium, the city of Canton. To the west is an exten- 
 sive delta, intersected by numerous branches ; all, however, too shallow for any other than 
 flat-bottomed craft: but with these a considerable trade is carried on between Canton 
 and Macao. As no vessels of great burden, or ships of war, can approach through any 
 channel except Bocca Tigris, the points of Tycocktow, (Taikok) and Chuenpee, 
 (Shakok) have for ages past been strongly fortified. During the accumulation of 
 insults heaped on British merchants and British officers by Commissioner Lin, in the 
 late opium quarrel, that artful diplomatist selected Chuenpee as his throne, to which 
 he ordered all foreigners to bow. An English merchant-ship, Thomas Coutts Warner, 
 master, having acceded to Lin's conditional bond, the Commissioner proceeded a step 
 farther in effrontery, and demanded the restoration of five men, detained by Captain 
 Elliott, pending an inquiry into the manner of Lin Weihe's death. Captain Smith's 
 remonstrances were returned unopened, and the conduct of the Celestial functionaries 
 on this occasion was too childish to be deserving of serious record in the page of history. 
 Further forbearance being rather calculated to mislead the Chinese authorities, in the 
 conclusion they might form of British character, and Captains Smith and Elliott having 
 declined to surrender a homicide, whom Admiral Kwan blusteringly demanded, 
 collision became inevitable. A fleet of sixteen war-junks anchored in a line from 
 Chuenpee point stretching to the southward, an outer line being formed of thirteen fire- 
 ships, each having a black flag waving over it. Our force, in the action that followed, 
 11. is 
 
() CHINA II.LUSTlt.VTED. 
 
 consisted only of the Volage and Hyacinth, under the conduct of Captain Smith. 
 The first shot from the Volage fell upon one of the fire-rafts, which sunk almost imme- 
 diately; the next, upon a war-junk, which blew up in even a shorter lapse of time. 
 
 The Hyacinth, following the Volage, was soon amidst the war-junks, upon which 
 she fired indiscriminately, rather with the design of destroying property, than taking 
 away life. Several junks fled upon the first fire of our ships, a few kept their position 
 for some moments, and Kwan displayed a degree of courage honourable to his rank 
 in the service of his country. At the close of the action it was found " that three 
 junks had been sunk, one blown up, many deserted, and the rest flying. The firing 
 commenced about twelve ; the Chinese fleet was completely scattered and disabled 
 before one ; while their wretched gunnery hurt no one. As the guns were not fitted 
 for elevation or depression, their shot went too high to have any effect except on the 
 spars and rigging." 
 
 If the Chinese have little claim to a military character, they have less to anything 
 naval. Their vessels are ill built, badly rigged, of insignificant dimensions, and their 
 sailors unacquainted with tactics ; nor are these imperfections likely to be remedied, 
 until a larger share of truth shall pervade the reports of officials to the emperor — 
 and of sincerity, his instructions to them. Lin's mendacious despatch on this 
 occasion offers a very forcible example of the species of hypocrisy here condemned. 
 "The British sanpans," writes the commissioner, "earnestly begged to pass the Bocca 
 Tigris; they meanly attempted to steal through, but their prayers have not been granted. 
 Kwan killed many of their crew, upon which the rest ought to have fled ; but instead, 
 they dared to return his fire, which was like beating an egg upon the stones. Kwan 
 was wounded by a splinter as he sat in his cabin; and four of his sailors, losing their 
 footing, fell into the water and perished. Cheering on his men, the admiral did indeed 
 display the terror of his name, and, firing a broadside, killed several tens of the barba- 
 rians. Hereafter they shall never be allowed to peep clandestinely into the Tigers 
 Mouth." Upon this false and foolish fabrication, Kwan was promoted in the national 
 peerage, and dubbed, in the military phraseology of Tartary, " Fa-hae-long-oli Pa- 
 too-loo. 
 
 The preceding action was fought at the close of the year 1840, and might have pro- 
 duced beneficial consequences, had not the mendacity of Lin impeded its natural opera- 
 tion on his imperial master's mind. Keshen became the new medium of communication 
 with government at the opening of 1841 ; but, possessing the usual characteristics of 
 his race, shuffling, dissimulation, and even open falsehood, appear to be the only 
 instruments he had any desire to employ in diplomacy. Letters from Sir Gordon Bremer 
 were delivered at Chuenpee, but in vain — Keshen observed a strict silence. One only 
 alternative, therefore, was left to the British, — recourse to arms ; and, on the 
 7th of January, 1841, orders were given for the troops to land, the fleet to form, and 
 (lie forts to be annihilated. 
 
 Chuenpee island consists of a number of small hills rising abruptly from a general 
 level; and upon making a reconnoissance, it was found that the troops, about 1,500 in 
 
ATTACK AND CAPTURE OF CHUENPEE. 7 
 
 number, being landed at the watering-place, might, not however without obstruction from 
 the heavy character of the ground, reach the summit of a ridge commanding the Hill-fort, 
 with the Rush-hut camp below it, around which a wide fosse had been drawn. Three 
 batteries were formed to the eastward, having deep ditches behind them for the garrison to 
 shelter in, and Chinese and Tartar troops almost covered the hill to the right of the 
 lower-fort, the battlements of which are just distinguishable in the opening between 
 the Watch-tower and the hill that fronts towards Anunghoy. One division of our fleet, 
 under the orders of Captain Herbert, was to attack Shakok and new Chuenpee forts ; 
 the second, under Captain Scott, the forts of Tycocktow, which appear on the left of 
 the illustration, and beyond the junk-channel. 
 
 After a struggle of two hours, with more than anticipated difficulties, the advanced 
 guard of the marines, under Captain Ellis, appeared on the summit of the ridge which 
 they had been ordered to occupy ; a detachment of Royal Artillery, with a twenty-four 
 pound howitzer, and two field-pieces, drawn by seamen from the Blenheim and Melville, 
 commanded by Captain Knowles ; detachments of the *26th Cameronians, and 27th 
 Native Infantry, under Brigade-Major Pratt, Lieutenant-Steward Mackenzie of the 
 90th, acting as aide-de-camp, speedily followed. Our troops, as they came up and fell 
 into position, were received by the enemy with deafening shouts, beating of gongs, 
 vociferous threatenings, and finally a general cannonade from the main battery and 
 encampment. The whole united menaces of the Chinese did not produce the most 
 trifling intimidation in a single British heart, and, descending with a rapid but firm step 
 into the entrenchments, our brave soldiers drove the Tartars from their camp, climbed 
 the steep hill behind it, and planted on the watch-tower the flag of England. After the 
 first panic, the Chinese rallied, and took possession of every place of shelter, whence they 
 furiously fired upon our men. But this cowardly warfare proved ultimately more 
 destructive to the aggressors than fair resistance in the open field; for, no quarter 
 was given to the detected marksmen, and detection was almost inevitable. 
 
 In the second, and most memorable action at Chuenpee, 600 Chinese fell either in 
 their entrenchments, or in the huts, to which they fled for refuge ; while " we had 
 not one killed, and only thirty wounded, many of whom were so hurt through the 
 blowing up of a magazine." The triumph of our fleet was equally complete, "eleven 
 war-junks, including the admiral's, having been destroyed." 
 
 It is unnecessary to depress the naval character of the Chinese by further details of 
 a contest so unequal ; one anecdote, however, may be added, as illustrative of their 
 entire want of " fortune in war." " Captain Belcher, who had charge of the steamers, 
 proceeded, in the Nemesis, to attack the war-junks, which were at anchor in Anson's 
 Bay. The first rocket from the Nemesis passed through the side of a junk into her 
 magazine, when she blew up with a most tremendous explosion, hurling her unfortunate 
 crew into the air, not one of whom escaped; and very shortly the whole flotilla of junks 
 were either shattered to pieces or burnt.''* 
 
 • Narrative of the Expedition to China, by Commander J. Elliott Bingham, R.N. 
 
CHINA ILLUSTRATED. 
 
 DESTROYING THE CHRYSALIDES, AND WINDING OFF THE COCOONS. 
 
 The same prolific season gives 
 The sustenance by which he lives, 
 The Mulberry leaf, a simple store, 
 That serves him — till he needs no more ! 
 
 Cowpeb. 
 
 It has been shown, with a sufficient degree of certainty, that the invention of silk 
 manufacture originated with the Chinese ;* their authors assert, that from the earliest 
 period the Son of Heaven himself (the emperor) directed the plough ; the empress planted 
 the mulberry-tree — examples which had the most happy effect upon their subjects. An 
 Imperial treatise on "Husbandry and Weaving," gives minute instructions for the culture 
 of rice, from the first ploughing of the ground, to the ultimate packing of the grain ; 
 and is equally circumstantial in detailing the process to be observed from planting the 
 mulberry to weaving the silk. The Chinese are utilitarians ; laws for the promotion of any 
 means, whereby food and clothing, the principal necessaries of life, might be obtained 
 with more facility, of superior quality, and in greater abundance, would necessarily have 
 become popular amongst them, and the author, or inventor, have secured the lasting reve- 
 rence of the nation. But, it is less than questionable, whether these principles add to their 
 happiness here ; it is perfectly certain that they cloud their prospects of an hereafter. 
 Possessing outward placidity of manner, for the purposes of conciliation and deceit, 
 they are known to be hard-hearted and unforgiving. As a people, they are without 
 virtue, deep feeling, or dignity of character; toiling for food like inferior animals. 
 Their total absence of sentiment or delicacy, as well as their disgusting cupidity, were 
 glaringly obvious in the late Chinese war. Our fleet having destroyed the forts of 
 Amoy, and killed hundreds of their countrymen, scarcely had the firing ceased, when 
 the small trader-boats were alongside our men-of-war, with dealers offering fruits, fowl, 
 rice, and other articles of fresh food, for sale to our men, so recently their mortal enemies. 
 It is hardly possible to imagine a fact more derogatory to national, more disreputable 
 to individual character. 
 
 In the preparation of clothing — or rather of a superior description, silk cloth — 
 the Chinese have attained a remarkable degree of excellence. Commencing with 
 the mulberry, the food which supports the extraordinary insect from which the 
 original material is derived, they bestow the most tedious, yet profitable care, upon every 
 step in the process, from its opening to its close. The provinces of Sechwen, 
 How-quang, Kiang-si, and Che-kiang, traversed by the thirtieth parallel of latitude, 
 are all adapted to the growth of the mulberry ; but it is in the beautiful valleys 
 
 * Vide Vol. i., p. 56. 
 
1 
 
 
 
 
DESTROYING THE CHRYSALIDES, AND WINDING OFF THE COCOONS. U 
 
 and fertile plains of the latter that the worms are reared most successfully, and the 
 finest silk obtained. Woollen clothing was generally worn until the reign of Ouen-ti, of 
 the Han dynasty, from which period silk has been the most esteemed, and constitutes 
 the dress now most prevalent amongst all the opulent classes. The produce of Che- 
 kiang, and of the adjoining silk district of Kiang-nan, is the most valuable, bringing, in 
 the Canton market, double the price of that produced elsewhere, and being preferred by 
 the English manufacturer to the cultures of India, Turkey, or Italy. 
 
 As the end of cultivation in mulberry gardening is the production of the greatest 
 quantity of young and tender leaves, at the total sacrifice of the fruit, the trees are 
 never allowed to exceed a regulated height and age. The branches are pruned off, 
 and the parent tree headed down ; leaves from the young scions being found to be 
 more tender, more delicate in their texture, and more nutritious, than the coarse leaves 
 produced upon older branches. Although there are many species of the genus Morus, 
 two only are distinguished in the East as supplying food for the silkworm ; the black, 
 or common, which is a native of Italy, and flourishes also in England ; and the white, 
 which is indigenous to China; the Persians, however, use both species. The red mul- 
 berry is a native of America, where it is much esteemed for the quality of its timber, and 
 employed for knees in shipbuilding. The Morus Alba is propagated from seed, by 
 layers, or from cuttings; plants from seeds, in this, as in most other species, will be found 
 to be more healthy, and therefore preferable, although more disposed to be fruitful. 
 
 Suitable soil is prepared by trenching, mixing it with ashes and river-mud, and making 
 the compound moist and loamy ; it is thrown up into beds or ridges, about a foot in 
 height, and in these the plants are set, generally in the quincunx form, and at convenient 
 distances. The intervals between the rows serve as conduits for water, occasionally ; but 
 are uniformly occupied with rice, millet, or pulse of some kind, so that not a square foot of 
 land is lost to either landlord or tenant Various stratagems are employed for the destruc- 
 tion or prevention of insects; and, in applying essential oils, as well as in gathering the 
 leaves, double ladders are always used, the trees being too slender to sustain any great 
 weight or pressure. Gathering of the leaves, the lungs of a tree, necessarily superinduces 
 disease, which the cultivator endeavours most artfully to relieve, or to remedy, by 
 pruning, lopping, and cutting out old wood. When these appliances all fail, and the 
 inveteracy of the canker baffles the skill of the physician — when the tree shows a 
 greater tendency to the production of fruit, and a less to that of delicate leaves, it is 
 removed altogether, and its place supplied by a healthy young plant from the nursery. 
 
 The silk-worm (Bombyx) of the genus Phalcemt, and by entomologists called 
 " Phalcena bombyx mori,'' is originally a native of China. From the egg (about the size 
 of a pin's head) when fostered by a genial warmth, proceeds a minute dark-coloured 
 worm, that casts its skin three or four times, according to the variety of the species, in 
 its progress to full-grown existence and to a caterpillar form. It now acquires a whitish 
 colour, speckled with blue or yellow, ceases to feed, and commences those labours, 
 which have rendered it so famous in natural and in commercial history. On the first day 
 of its caterpillar-life, that is, about the thirtieth day of its entire existence, the insect 
 II. c 
 
10 CHINA ILLUSTRATED. 
 
 puts forth, through two apertures in its nose, a viscid secretion, by which it becomes 
 attached to the surface on which nature or art may have placed it ; on the second, it 
 forms, by means of duplicate filaments, proceeding through these nasal foramina, a 
 ball of an ovoid shape around itself, as a shield against hostile insects, and against a 
 frigid atmosphere; and, on the third day, this cocoon completely conceals the little 
 labourer from view. 
 
 At the expiration of about ten days, its insect, toils being completed, and the suste- 
 nance previously laid up exhausted, the caterpillar changes into the chrysalis or 
 nymph state, and remains for some days longer, awaiting another transformation. In the 
 natural state, when the time has been fulfilled, and the pupa completely metamorphosed, 
 the prisoner, guided by instinct, cuts through the silken barrier of the cocoon, and 
 comes forth a new creature, the destined inhabitant of a new sphere, and, being furnished 
 with limbs, antennae, and wings, takes flight towards the regions of Him that made him 
 so wonderfully. In a state of culture, none of course are permitted to destroy their 
 cocoons, save those that are to be preserved for the continuation of the species ; and 
 these aurelias, or moths, are carefully brought together, and placed on soft cloth or 
 other proper surface, to deposit their eggs. There is a viscous liquid around the eggs, 
 which causes an adherence to the paper, or cloth, or leaf, on which they are laid ; but 
 they are easily released from this encumbrance by dipping them in water and wiping 
 them dry. 
 
 Nothing is more necessary to be guarded against in the rearing of silk-worms than 
 the effects of noise and cold ; a sudden shout, the bark of a dog, even a loud burst of 
 laughter, has been known to have destroyed whole trays of worms ; and entire broods 
 perish in thunder-storms. The utmost vigilance, therefore, is practised in keeping off 
 visitors or intruders from the sheds, which are always constructed in a remote situation. 
 It is this necessity for the formation of an artificial temperature that creates the great 
 difficulty of rearing silk-worms in Europe. About 55° of Fahrenheit is the most 
 suitable for the preservation of the ovum ; but there is considerable risk attending any 
 increase, lest the process of incubation may be accelerated so rapidly as to precede the 
 moment when the mulberry leaf shall have reached its edible age. In the silk- 
 nursing provinces of China, the mean temperature, according to the same description of 
 thermometer, from the first of October to the first of November, is about 55° at sun-rise, 
 and 65° at noon, with an atmosphere uniformly clear and tranquil ; and seldom, at any 
 season, exceeding 85°, the highest temperature to which the worm may with safety be 
 exposed. Here then, evidently, is the native country of this extraordinary insect, where 
 the process of incubation proceeds simultaneously with the growth of the only species 
 of food on which it can subsist. 
 
 Much attention is given by the Americans of the United States to the culture of 
 the silk-worm and the establishment of silk manufactories, and this branch of industry is 
 rapidly spreading amongst them. The morus multicaulis, on the leaves of which they 
 feed the worms, appears to thrive luxuriantly in most of the States ; and the government 
 seem so intent upon at least supplying the home consumption of this valuable article of 
 
DESTROYING THE CHRYSALIDES, AND WINDING OFF THE COCOONS. 11 
 
 commerce, that twelve of the States pay a handsome bounty for the production of 
 cocoons, or of the raw silk. In the year 1842, upwards of 30,000 pounds of silk were 
 obtained from the States of Massachusetts, Connecticut, New York, Pennsylvania, 
 Tennessee, and Ohio alone ; but it is fully ascertained, that from the Southern border 
 of the Union, up to the 44th degree of latitude, the climate is admirably suited to the 
 culture of silk. Success in rearing the silkworm has naturally encouraged the application 
 of machinery in the preparation and manufacture of the filaments ; and the inventions for 
 reeling, spinning, and weaving silk into ribands, vestings, damasks, &c, deposited in 
 the National Gallery and Patent Office of the Republic, are equal in ingenuity to any 
 that can be shown in China or in Europe. The annual value of silk stuffs imported 
 into the United States exceeds 20,000,000 of dollars; the silk annually manufactured 
 in France is valued at 25,000,000, and of Prussia at 4,500,000. It has been calculated 
 that if one person in one hundred of the States' population were to produce annually 
 one hundred pounds of raw silk, the yearly value of such product would be double 
 that of the cotton now exported, and nine times the worth of the exported tobacco. 
 This estimate is not unreasonable as regards the quantity of silk that might be obtained 
 by the industry of the people, for, the Lombardo- Venetians, only four millions of souls, 
 have raised and shipped, in a single year, six million pounds of silk : the American 
 conclusion, as to value, is, of course, fallacious, because when they are able to raise 
 silk enough to throw Venetian produce on the general market, the price would fall in 
 proportion. 
 
 Hindoostan is the native country of several species of moths, resembling in habits the 
 common silk-worm ; most of them, however, live wild, and in this state have hitherto 
 proved so productive, that the Hindoos have not thought it necessary to nurse them. 
 The Joree worm, of Assam, feeds on the pipul tree; the Saturnia, including several 
 species, lives on the hair-tree leaf; this is the largest moth known, measuring ten 
 inches between the tips of its wings ; and its cocoons, the size of a hen's egg, are brought 
 in quantities to Bhagelpoor and Calcutta. One species, the Eria, which lives on the 
 palma-christi leaves, is domesticated in India ; while another, of the Saturnia tribe, is 
 wholly neglected by the Assamese. 
 
 Silk has been obtained from the spider's web, and gloves, made of this strong, glossy, 
 and beautiful material, were presented both to the Royal Society of London, and the 
 Academy at Paris, by Monsieur Bon. It was soon perceived, however, that great 
 difficulty must attend any attempts to appease the voracity, or calm the inquietude, 
 of the spider. It was almost impossible to rear them in any considerable quantities ; 
 and when a number, at the expenditure of much time, trouble, and anxiety, were brought 
 together, unless they had an ample supply of flies to prey on, they quickly destroyed 
 each other. 
 
12 CHIXA ILLUSTRATED. 
 
 HOUSE OF CONSEEQUA, A CHINESE MERCHANT. 
 
 IN THE SUBURBS OF CANTON. 
 
 There one might dream the hours away, 
 
 As if the world had not 
 Or grief, or care, or disarray, 
 
 To darken human lot. 
 
 L. E. L. 
 
 The interior of Conseequa's villa, however gorgeous or fantastic, is not to be viewed 
 as a mere fiction of art, illustrative of domestic architecture, but, as a real, existing 
 specimen of that beautiful villa-style so prevalent amongst the Chinese. When 
 hospitality is associated with the character of a Chinese gentleman, and it is one of his 
 genuine characteristic qualities, it is not to be concluded that its practice resembles 
 that of Europeans. A mandarin's house, being built according to prescribed laws, and 
 subject to the surveillance of the police, necessarily includes regular divisions ; one 
 allotted to the reception and entertainment of visitors, another exclusively devoted to 
 the females of his family. In the decorations of the latter, to which none but the 
 gentler sex have access, fancy would almost appear to be exhausted, and treasures, to a 
 great extent, are uniformly expended. The accompanying view represents but one of 
 the many courts that are shaded by weeping foliage, grateful by the cool air that passes 
 over the water, and surrounded by porticos, and bowers, and casements, where the 
 warmest moments of mid-day may be enjoyed with as little inconvenience as the 
 cooler and darker of the setting sun. 
 
 Education is not extended to females in China; Confucius has disgraced his phi- 
 losophy by representing one sex as "of this earth, earthy," and therefore inferior 
 to the other, which he considers intellectual, heavenly, and destined to immortality. 
 Formed on the barbarous philosophy, 
 
 " Which saith, that woman is but dust, 
 A soul-less toy for tyrants' lust," 
 
 Chinese laws prohibit the literary education of females. Chinese customs even 
 pretend to despise every filial accession of the stigmatized sex, and Chinese insensibility 
 has left this palpable violation of nature's laws uncorrected and unavenged. 
 
 To compensate for the injuries inflicted on their race, by depriving them totally of 
 intellectual enjoyment, pleasure-grounds, ponds, flowers, grottos, aviaries, and amuse- 
 ments suited to the supposed weakness of their faculties, are furnished abundantly by 
 the rich man to his wife and daughters ; and few mandarins, or merchants, have exceeded 
 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

, 
 
 
 
AN ITINERANT DOCTOR AT TIEN-SING. 13 
 
 Conseequa in the liberality, or taste, which he has displayed in his villa near Canton. 
 His courts, halls, galleries, porticos, corridors, verandas, and other fantastic forms of 
 architecture, are multiplied beyond the extent to which luxury usually reaches; and 
 the liberty which the members of his family enjoy, seems almost to exceed the best 
 ability to exercise, of which their crippled feet, can possibly admit. 
 
 An octagonal portico, beneath which two figures are represented, one pointing to 
 the pleasure boat, the other looking in the same direction, is roofed with a representa- 
 tion of the lotus, or nelumbium inverted. This beautiful flower, held sacred, as far as 
 that term can be understood by the followers of Fo, amongst the Chinese, seems to have 
 been the origin of the Tee, or umbrella, which forms the finial in Chinese architecture. 
 In its original, inviolate shape, it corresponds precisely with the inverted cup that covers 
 the pagoda; elongated, it is adapted to buildings of any length, but of limited breadth, 
 the character of the flower being still preserved ; and, that architects should have felt a 
 strong inclination to introduce an ornament, or member, into the national style, borrowed 
 from the sacred emblem of the land, is perfectly natural. Here, however, in Conseequa's 
 house, the inverted lotus is undisguisedly employed as the ornamental canopy of a 
 porch or a portico. The Greeks borrowed their columns from the stem of the tree — 
 the ornaments of their capitals, from the acanthus and other flowers ; we, of the farther 
 west, have taken our clustered columns and intersecting arches from the Druid's grove ; 
 and, another style of nature's architecture, the interior of a cave, with its stalagmitic 
 decorations, has unquestionably suggested the ornamental manner in which the Moors 
 have finished their most gorgeous palaces. 
 
 AN ITINERANT DOCTOR AT TIEN-SING. 
 
 " They in the danger have no share, 
 
 But purely come to hear and stare; 
 
 Have no concern for Doctor's sake, 
 
 Which gets the better — leech or snake." 
 
 Old Poem. 
 
 If years of civilization have brought to the Chinese people very many comforts, and 
 
 even elegancies of life, they have also introduced an alloy that materially debases the 
 
 value of these refinements. This detraction consists in the variety of low gratifications, 
 
 gambling, opium-eating, smoking, devotion to buffoonery of the meanest kind, and 
 
 reliance upon jugglers, fortune-tellers, and quack doctors. One favourite haunt of 
 
 these itinerant adventurers is Tien-Sing, a place of much commercial importance, and 
 
 whose population, like the tide of the ocean, is in a state of eternal oscillation. The 
 
 most frequented thoroughfare, such as the vicinity of a public gate, is the spot usually 
 
 selected for the performance of these contemptible exhibitions; and the credulity 
 
 manifested by the auditors and spectators, fully demonstrates the humble intellectual 
 
 state of the Chinese nation generally. 
 
 ii. n 
 
14 CHINA ILLUSTRATED. 
 
 Of all that tribe of impostors, which, as a plague, infests society here, the quack 
 doctor is one of the most knavish and most popular : his theme appealing to the 
 personal interest of every individual, many who openly condemn, secretly encourage his 
 frauds, by purchasing his nostrums, and submitting to his coarse remedies. Provided 
 with a regular bench or counter, he spreads on this his various packets, jars, images, 
 instruments, and pitch-plasters, interspersed with scrolls of paper, on which, like our 
 European quacks, the number of wonderful cures effected by his medicines, with the 
 names of those that were healed by them, are emblazoned in letters of gold. Oratorical 
 skill, or rather great conversational powers, constitute a chief qualification in a Chinese 
 doctor, whose cures are accomplished as much by persuasion on his part, as credulity on 
 that of the patient. There is not a malady in the long list of sorrows to which flesh is 
 heir — there is not a deformity to which the human frame can be reduced by accident or 
 primitive impress — which the Chinese quack has not the hardihood to undertake 
 relieving. The lame, blind, and deaf, are generally assembled in numbers around the 
 impostor's stand, although no knowledge from experience has led them to repose confi- 
 dence in his chirurgical powers ; their hopes being built on his eloquent account of his 
 own inventions, aided by that inclination to credence, which everywhere characterizes 
 the weak, the sick, and the ignorant. 
 
 Behind a counter, (in the Illustration) is seen an itinerant doctor, dilating on the 
 virtues of an antidote against the bite of serpents; one of his coadjutors is actually 
 putting the head of the cobra capella, or hooded snake, into his mouth, while a less 
 intrepid, but equally useful assistant, is exchanging the miraculous drug for cash or 
 tseen. The great impostor himself, mounted on a stool, his head protected by a conical 
 hat of split bamboo, a vestment of thick, coarse, compact cloth enclosing his arms, 
 and a similar covering being secured around his waist by a silken girdle, holds a serpent 
 in one hand, and the antidote to its venomous bite in the other; 
 
 " Thus is he doubly arm'd with death and life : 
 The bane and antidote are both before him." 
 
 So perfect is the education of this mischievous reptile, that it essays to bite its owner, 
 and submits to disappointment with the appearance of reluctance. Having proved 
 that this particular enemy of mankind still retains its propensity to injury in the 
 most entire manner, and requires to be guarded against with caution, the doctor takes 
 a medicated ball from one of the packets with which the counter is strewn, and, when the 
 snake renews its attempts, presents the ball to it, upon which it instantly recoils, and 
 endeavours to escape from his grasp. Should this demonstration be insufficient, the 
 efficacy of the charm is still more convincingly established by merely rubbing the fore- 
 head, cheek, hand, or any other unprotected part with the antidote, and presenting it to 
 the reptile, which appears to retreat with the same dislike and precipitation, as when 
 the entire ball was shown to it 
 
 There is an old proverb " that seeing is believing," in which Chinamen implicitly con- 
 fide, and the close of each exhibition of the doctor and the serpent is uniformly attended 
 by an extensive sale of medicated balls, at a trifling price. 
 
I 
 
 ^ 
 
 
 ! 
 
 is, •» 
 
 1 
 
 Si 
 
 
PAVILION AND GARDENS OP A MANDARIN. 15 
 
 PAVILION AND GARDENS OF A MANDARIN, 
 
 NEAR PEKING. 
 
 " In marble-paved pavilion, where a spring 
 Of living water from the centre rose, 
 Whose bubbling did a genial freshness fling. 
 And soft voluptuous couches breathed repose, 
 They sat." 
 
 Byron. 
 
 The original of this beautiful specimen of gracefulness and fancy in domestic architecture, 
 is the residence of one of the family of Elepoo, a relative of the Imperial race. It is a con- 
 centration of all the imaginative efforts of Chinese artists. The foreground represents 
 a spacious veranda in that section of the villa appropriated to the ladies of the family, 
 looking over a spacious piece of water, introduced amidst the buildings, not only for 
 its beauty, but its refreshing character. Around are esplanades enclosed by structures 
 raised on wooden pillars, and faced with lattice-work. The double-roof, an ornament 
 dictated by the imperfect principles of national art, is very happily illustrated in the 
 pavilion of ceremony, or reception, on the right ; and the distance is filled up with a hand- 
 some, spacious, yet ill-constructed bridge, above which a lofty pagoda towers. It has 
 been before observed, that the fantastic roof, so extensively adopted in China, is borrowed 
 from the bell of the lotus-flower inverted ; their doors and windows appear also to be 
 formed after patterns presented by nature. As the lotus is an object of religious vene- 
 ration, it is not surprising that they have introduced its likeness in those structures, 
 with which human happiness is so closely associated ; and the advantages which the 
 mulberry leaf have, during all recorded time, conferred upon the nation, is sufficient 
 reason for the introduction of its form also in architectural ornaments, and even in 
 the doorways and casements of the noblest mansions. Many decorations, such as large 
 china jars, sumptuous lanterns, and gilded images, are copied from the embellishments and 
 furniture of Buddhist temples ; yet the founders of that foolish faith have literally 
 invented nothing new, they merely plagiarized and misapplied what they read " in 
 trees and stones." 'Tis scarcely forty years since the favourite ornament of all Chinese 
 balustrades and lattices, was introduced into England, under the strange but memorable 
 name of the " Trafalgar pattern ; " yet is it seen in the oldest houses, and employed in 
 the most antique cabinet work by its inventors. By the ingenious contortions of this 
 popular ornament some of the flower-stands in the veranda of Elepoo's villa are formed, 
 others being supported by imitations of twisted branches. 
 
 From the pavilion of ceremony, on the right, a flight of many steps descends to 
 a doorway of fanciful formation : through this, communication is preserved .with the 
 private apartments of the family ; but the sterner sex, relatives excepted, seldom pass 
 the boundary. The sleeping-rooms, and all other necessary appendages to the house 
 
]6 CHINA ILLUSTRATED. 
 
 of a mandavin, are situated on the left of the balcony, and are approached by a leaf- 
 shaped doorway, more grotesque and unfrequent than is ever met with in the houses 
 of the humbler classes. With them architecture is no farther cultivated than absolute 
 necessity requires ; their house-fronts being either entirely open, or only protected by 
 trellis-work, and their windows and doors being always either square or circular.* 
 
 THE CITY OF NANKING. 
 
 " There she stands 
 
 Childless and crownless, in her voiceless woe ; 
 An. empty urn within her wither'd hands, 
 Whose holy dust was scatter'd long ago." 
 
 Byron. 
 
 The poet's apostrophe to fallen Rome is so singularly applicable to the desolation 
 prevalent at Nanking, that the traveller who shall have visited both cities, cannot refrain 
 from instituting a comparison ; for " her gates are desolate," and, " all her beauty is 
 departed." " In the small portion," writes Mr. Davis, " which the inhabited part bears 
 to the whole area of the ancient walls, Nanking has a strong resemblance to modern 
 Rome ; though its walls are not only much higher, but more extensive, being about 
 twenty miles in circuit. The unpeopled areas of both these ancient cities are alike, in 
 as far as they consist of hills, and remains of paved roads, and scattered cultivation 
 but the gigantic masses of ruin, which distinguish modern Rome, are wanting in 
 Nanking since nothing in Chinese architecture is lasting, except the walls of their 
 cities. As I stood at Rome, on the Cselian Mount, the resemblance of its deserted 
 hills (setting apart the black masses of ruin), to those of Nanking, struck me at once, 
 bounded as they are, in both instances, by an old wall." f 
 
 Nanking, the capital of Kiang-nan, situated in latitude 32° 5' north, longitude 1 18° 47' ' 
 east, within three miles of the Yang-tse-kiang river, and about 600 miles distant from 
 both Peking and Canton, was formerly the metropolis of the empire, and one of the 
 finest cities in the world. Chinese writers assert, that " if two horsemen were to set out in 
 the morning at the same gate, and were to gallop round by a different way, they would 
 not meet before night; " and its population, when Nanking was the Imperial residence, 
 has been estimated, by the same authorities, at three millions. Several canals form an 
 easy communication with the Yang-tse-kiang; and large barges, and Imperial luggage- 
 junks, navigate them with the most perfect facility. The famous pirate, or rather patriot, 
 Cosinga, having sailed up the river, entered the canal, and laid siege to Nanking, it was 
 deemed advisable, on his retirement, to block up the entrance of the latter, so as to 
 
 * Vide Vol. i., pp. 74—93—95. t Sketches of China, Vol. ii., p. 19. 
 

 ^\ 
 
 
 
THE CITY OF NANKING. 
 
 obstruct the passage of all vessels of war. The example of the gallant conqueror of 
 Formosa, however, was not lost upon the British ; who, in the recent Chinese war, 
 pursued precisely a similar policy, penetrating also to the ramparts of Nanking. 
 
 The spacious enceinte of the walls is of an irregular outline, and varied by plain and 
 mountain, the latter, like the castle-hill of Edinburgh, impending over the public ways. 
 One third, at least, of the whole area, now lies desolate ; the palaces, temples, observa- 
 tories, and imperial sepulchres, having all been overthrown or demolished by the Tartars. 
 When this city was the imperial seat, and the six great tribunals were held here equally 
 with Peking, it was called Nanking, " the Court of the South ; " but, upon the removal 
 of the royal family, and the halls of justice, to Peking, "the Court of the North," the 
 emperor named it Kiang-ning. Pride, prejudice, and practice, however, have so 
 successfully opposed imperial caprice, that the name of Nanking is still perseveringly 
 retained by the Chinese. A city of the first class, Nanking is the residence of a great 
 mandarin, (Tsong-tou,) a viceroy presiding over the two Keang provinces, to whom an 
 appeal lies, in all important matters, from the tribunals of the East and West divisions. 
 The fierce Tartars, whose ancestors spoiled Nanking of its splendour, and transferred 
 the seat of empire to the Northern capital, still guard with jealousy the actions of the 
 aboriginal people, in this, their ancient capital ; and, a strong Tartar garrison, under 
 the command of a general of their own nation, constantly occupies a sort of barrack or 
 citadel, separated from the rest of the city by an embattled wall. The streets, in 
 general, are narrow and inconvenient ; the public buildings contemptible, with the 
 exception of the city gates, which here, as well as in many of the principal cities, are 
 remarkably fantastic and beautiful, and of the public monuments, erected by imperial 
 command, to perpetuate the fame of a favourite. 
 
 When our King Charles once threatened to take the Court away from London, the 
 citizens answered, that they should not much object, if he only left them the river 
 Thames. The Tartar victors had but the monarch's wisdom, when they carried their 
 emperor to Peking, leaving to the citizens of the old capital the navigable waters of 
 the Yang-tse-kiang. Retaining their industry, which seems to have received a new 
 impulse by the withdrawal of the vain, and idle, and dependent attaches of a regal 
 residence, the Nanking manufacturers have brought their labours to the highest degree 
 of excellence. The satins, plain and flowered, made here, are most esteemed at Peking-, 
 even those of Canton being postponed and sold at lower prices ; the cotton cloth woven 
 here, and bearing the name of the city, has long been admired in Europe ; rice paper, 
 and artificial flowers, formed from the pith of a leguminous plant called Tong-tsau, 
 constitute also a very important part of the prevailing manufactures. At Hoei-tcheov, 
 in the province of Kiang-nan, the celebrated "Indian ink," so much prized in England, 
 is manufactured ; but it is sold for exportation principally at Nanking. 
 
 In this ancient city, learning also has long been seated, and a larger proportion 
 of doctors, and great mandarins, and distinguished scholars, is sent hence to Peking 
 and its colleges, than from any other city in the empire. Public libraries are 
 numerous — the trade of a bookseller particularly respected — printing better under- 
 
 II. E 
 
18 CHINA ILLUSTRATED. 
 
 stood than elsewhere in China, and the paper of Nanking is almost a miracle amongst 
 national manufactures. 
 
 Peking is dependent upon her deserted sister, for many of the elegancies, and even 
 some of the necessaries, of life. During the months of April and May, when fish is less 
 abundant in the north, the Yang-tse-keang yields a most plentiful supply. These 
 treasures of the deep being collected in great numbers, are packed in ice, put on board 
 junks adapted to the purpose, and sent, by river and canal, to Peking, a distance of six 
 hundred miles. When any are intended for the imperial family, relays of trackers, like 
 our arrangements of post-horses before the introduction of railways, are in readiness ; 
 and this great distance is accomplished, by such clumsy machinery, in the amazingly 
 short period of ten days and nights. Vide Tower of Nanking, seq. 
 
 THE FOOCHUN HILL, IN THE PROVINCE OF CHE-KEANG. 
 
 " Now let their virtue be its own reward, 
 And share the blessings which themselves prepared. 
 See these inglorious Cincinnati swarm 
 Farmers of war — dictators of the farm." 
 
 Bvron. 
 
 About the year of our Lord twenty-five, Kwang-woo, of the Han dynasty, and 
 prince royal of China, honoured, with his friendship and companionship, a private 
 gentleman, of large fortune and great accomplishments, named Yen-tze-ling. Invited by 
 the prince, to accompany him on a tour through the imperial dominions, Yen-tze left 
 his native land, Hwy-ke, and travelled with his august friend, for several years, in 
 search of that knowledge, wisdom, and resignation, which experience of men and 
 manners never fails to impart. Upon the accession of the prince to his ancestral throne, 
 the companion of his youth disappeared ; and it was not without difficulty that he was 
 at last discovered, by the emissaries of his illustrious friend, living in seclusion in the 
 principality or government of Tse. Drawn from his inglorious obscurity, into the 
 dazzling light of the imperial court, he was made Ta-foo, a privy councillor, prime 
 minister, or imperial remembrancer ; and no public act of confidence was performed 
 without his approbation, or, at all events, without having been previously submitted to 
 his consideration. 
 
 The affection which the emperor entertained for the friend of his youth was so 
 unbounded, that they dwelt together in the palace, and even shared the same couch. 
 It happened one night, during those uneasy slumbers to which anxious statesmen are 
 supposed to be subjected, that the minister placed both his feet on the emperor's breast; 
 scarcely had the dawn appeared, when a mandarin, in breathless haste, entered the 
 saloon of rest, exclaiming that he had, on the preceding night, seen a shooting star, a 
 

 I 
 
 ^ 
 * 
 
 
 
 ^ 
 
 
THE FOOCHUN HILL, IN THE PROVINCE OF CHE-KEANG. 19 
 
 sure presage of adversity to the reigning dynasty. Upon a full explanation of the 
 circumstance which had occurred, the mandarin expressed his entire satisfaction, and 
 Yen-tze-ling was promoted to still higher honours, and the kingdom flourished under 
 his wise counsels. Recognizing the prevalence of general prosperity throughout the 
 empire, Kwang-woo congratulated his favourite upon the felicity which followed his 
 policy, but the minister modestly answered, that the merit was due to the monarch who 
 had the discernment to select so competent a servant. 
 
 Arrived at the summit of human ambition, the emperor's " guide, philosopher, and 
 friend," the benefactor of his country, the dispenser of all patronage in the empire 
 Yen-tze-ling, like Sylla, Marlborough, Washington, or Bolivar, but still much more 
 resembling Cincinnatus, resigned his power and pre-eminence, withdrew altogether 
 from public life, became a tiller of the earth, and with his own hands actually guided 
 the plough. 
 
 There is a romantic spot, amongst the Foochun hills, or place of the Foochun-heen, 
 in the province of Che-keang, where the Tsien-tang-keang forces a way between the 
 rocks, in its passage to the sea. The forms of the limestone cliffs, that here bend over 
 the angry flood, are broken, irregular, and picturesque ; a cascade from the mountains 
 that tower over the plateau, on which the chief farm-buildings are erected, falls down the 
 front of a perpendicular cliff, and its waters, recovering from their foamy character, roll 
 onward into a spacious basin, in which the wild scenery around is often seen inverted, 
 as in a spacious mirror. This exquisite spot is about ten miles west of Tung-leu-heen, 
 in the district of Yen-chou. From the majestic character of its mountains, and the 
 clear sky that always surrounded them, it was named Yen-ling-shan ; but it is also 
 called Kin-fun, the silken mantle, and Seaou-ling, the embroidered crest. In this land 
 of the mountain and the flood, are the See-hoo, western lake ; Shing-hoo, sacred lake ; 
 the Ling-yun, and Tung-yang rivers ; besides many minor pools, and river-sources. 
 
 This was the sequestered spot in which the Chinese Cincinnatus sought rest from 
 the cares of a political life, and the enjoyment, in his closing years, of that otium cum 
 dignitate, to which the eminent in wisdom, learning, and patriotism are entitled. His 
 chief occupation was farming, his principal recreation fishing; and to facilitate the 
 latter, he caused several flights of steps to be cut in the rocks, down to the margins of 
 the fishing-pools. A summer-house, or fishing lodge, stands at the foot of the flight 
 that leads to the farm on the summit ; and a little group of figures, in the foreground, 
 on the opposite side, illustrates the only practicable mode of travelling (by chairs sus- 
 pended between poles) in a district where public roads are unknown, carriages not 
 employed, and where footpaths constitute the sole and the solitary avenues of communi- 
 cation between the homes of the inhabitants. 
 
20 CHINA ILLUSTRATED. 
 
 A MANDARIN PAYING A VISIT OF CEREMONY- 
 
 -' Ceremonv 
 
 Was but devised at first to set a gloss 
 
 On faint deeds, hollow welcomes, 
 
 Recanting goodness, sorry ere 'tis shown, 
 
 But where there is true friendship, there needs none." 
 
 SUAESPEABE. 
 
 Ix most Eastern countries, palanquins, sedans, and litters, are the principal vehicles in 
 which the wealthy and eminent are conveyed, either on private business, or public 
 occasions. Horses are seldom used for draught, and wheel-carriages rarelv adopted 
 where convenient roads have not been constructed, nor a love of travelling yet excited 
 amongst the people. As the distance between the man in authority, and the subject 
 whose duty is to obey, is so jealously observed in this ancient and populous kingdom, no 
 opportunity is left unimproved of extending the gulf of separation. While the lower 
 classes are degraded to the rank of irrational animals, the mandarin is never seen in the 
 condescending situation of a pedestrian, his shortest excursions being uniformly made in 
 his silken sedan. When the most celebrated of our ambassadors, Lord Macartnev, was 
 journeying to Zhehol, in Tartary, he was overtaken, on the royal road, by the emperor 
 of the Celestials, in a sedan chair, resembling the mandarin's equipage in the accom- 
 panying illustration. "Various squadrons of horse, with bowmen and their quivers, 
 preceded the emperors approach. Soon after, a palanquin or sedan chair appeared, 
 covered with a bright yellow cloth, and adorned with windows of plate glass. It was 
 carried by eight bearers, while eight others walked close to them, in readiness to relieve 
 the former. The chair was attended by a troop ot horse in yellow uniforms, also by 
 pikemen, standard and shield bearers." 
 
 Imitating this great original, the mandarins of China adopt the palanquin form of 
 vehicle, and the circumstances accompanying their visits of ceremony, although they 
 include many that are common to the aristocracy of Great Britain, are nevertheless 
 extraordinary and characteristic. The chair is generally open, but furnished with 
 curtains and tassels of silk ; and a silken net-work, often interlaced with silver 
 thread, covers the convex roof, which is surmounted by a ball or a button. The 
 extremities of two long bamboo poles, which pass through staples in the sides of the 
 sedan, are connected by cords, through the bend or curve of which a short piece 
 of bamboo is passed, the ends resting on the shoulders of the chairmen, thus 
 dividing the whole weight equally between the four carriers. For the sake both of 
 speed and splendour, four others are always ready to succeed to the labour, when the 
 first four shall exhibit the least symptoms of fatigue. It would appear that the number 
 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
A MANDARIN PAYING A VISIT OF CEREMONY. 21 
 
 of chairmen is limited, either by the law of the land, or by that of opinion ; for the 
 privilege of being conveyed along by eight rational animals, is conceded universally to 
 his imperial majesty. This selfsame respect for etiquette, in England, leaves to royalty 
 alone the distinction of being drawn by eight horses on all occasions of public ceremony, 
 while six are deemed sufficient for the highest members of the peerage. 
 
 Before the sedan-chair a crowd of servants advance, some beating gongs, others 
 extolling in loud tones the virtues of their master, and calling upon the worthless 
 rabble to make way for the approaching cortege : besides whom a number of umbrella- 
 carriers and chain-bearers, distinguished by caps of wire with a feather in the top, often 
 attend such processions, to terrify the ignorant and enslaved spectators, who are peremp- 
 torily desired to stand and stare ; and, lastly, as no public ceremony of joy or sorrow in 
 China, is complete without the introduction of the bamboo, a posse of fellows, in the 
 pay of the great man, also attend his progress, armed with strong pieces of the national 
 cane, to belabour any unhappy obstructors who endeavour to obtain a peep at the petty 
 tyrant as he passes. The cortege having arrived at its destination, the gate of some 
 mandarin who is to be honoured by a visit, the conductor advances, and, presenting a long 
 jointed tablet, coloured red, and illuminated richly — unless the family are in mourning, 
 when the tablet is white and the letters blue — displaying the rank and title of his 
 master, he mentions the purport of his coming. This placard, like the rent-roll of our 
 country squires, obtains a degree of respect exactly proportioned to its contents. 
 Should the title be eminent, the host comes to the gate, and even outside, to receive his 
 visiter ; should it be otherwise, more reserve, or less enthusiasm, is shown accordingly. 
 This distinction cannot be said to be peculiar to China ; it has been observed to 
 prevail very generally, and very long, in countries that lay claim to a much higher 
 degree of civilization. 
 
 The mode of recognition here amongst acquaintances is extremely courteous ; joining 
 their clenched hands — a plan which is often preferable to the application of the open 
 palm — they raise them afterwards to the forehead, at the same time addressing 
 the customary inquiry after the health of each other ; and, amongst those who are 
 considered the most refined and most perfect masters of politeness, genuflexions are 
 not uncommon. Upon the termination of the visit, and return of the visiter to 
 his sedan, the same ceremonies are repeated, some of them of course in an inverted 
 order. 
 
 II. F 
 
22 CHINA ILLUSTRATED. 
 
 JUGGLERS EXHIBITING IN THE COURT OF A MANDARIN'S HOUSE. 
 
 " They say this house is full of cozenage, 
 As nimble jugglers that deceive the eye, 
 Drug-working sorcerers that change the mind, 
 Disguised cheaters, prating mountebanks, 
 And many suchlike libertines of sin." 
 
 Shaksfeabe. 
 
 It is not solely because the intellect is less cultivated, manners in high life less refined, 
 conversational powers of a much lower order in China than in the New or Western 
 world, that juggling and legerdemain prevail so generally; these amusements have 
 predominated throughout Asia for thousands of years, and are protected permanently 
 by prejudice. Our ignorance of early Chinese history, and our want of confidence in 
 native authorities, deprive us of the knowledge of many facts, both interesting and 
 important : no doubt, however, remains as to the very early existence of the art of 
 conjuring amongst Orientalists generally. 
 
 In Farther Asia, the aborigines have always been represented as possessing great 
 pliancy of limbs, as well practised in the arts of balancing, vaulting, tumbling, and in 
 moving the body with rapidity and regularity. Fanatical penances, and religious orgies, 
 during which the most unnatural contortions were exhibited, either from deception or 
 actual pain, appear to have been the foundation of those juggling or gymnastic tricks 
 which now excite so much astonishment in Europe, so much admiration in Asia. The 
 wretched victims of a barbarous creed, that are crushed beneath the wheels of the car 
 of Juggernaut, illustrate, by their self-immolation, the impious origin to which Oriental 
 juggling may be traced. With more truth and certainty, however, may the sports and 
 antics of the luxurious Romans be described. Games in which balls of various bright 
 colours were thrown round the body without interruption — exercises in equilibrium, 
 wherein the least false movement was instant death — were exhibited not only in imperial 
 Rome, but in all the great provincial towns. In the baths of Agrippa, of Titus, and of 
 Trajan, at Rome, a bear was exhibited, dressed in a long toga, who played all those 
 curious tricks with the coloured balls, that have so much surprised Europeans, since the 
 commencement of the present century, when performed by Hindoo jugglers. 
 
 When the banquet is finally ended in a great man's palace, the guests are conducted 
 to an open court, surrounded by pavilions, and decorated with china vases, aromatic 
 plants, and gorgeous lanterns. Here a company of fortune-tellers, with their sticks of fate 
 — conjurors with cards and dice, and well skilled in sleight-of-hand — tumblers, capable of 
 performing evolutions, displaying agility, muscular strength, and suppleness, not equalled 
 beyond the limits of the olden world, is assembled. The display of keeping four, and 
 
i 
 
 
 si 
 
 
 
 

 4 
 \4 
 
 
 
THE KILNS AT KING-TAX. 23 
 
 even five balls, cups, or knives, in constant gyration, has been made by Chinese and 
 Hindoos in England ; but not the performance of the same feat with two balls and three 
 knives together. This difficult exploit was very popular in ancient Rome, where the 
 knife-catchers were called ventilatories, and the ball-throwers, pilarii. The Chinese, 
 however, perform a greater number and much more artful tricks than the Hindoos. It 
 is not uncommon to see a performer balance on his forehead a little building, consisting 
 of a number of pieces of wood, which would all fall apart, if the libration were not the 
 most exact; and, during this feat, the actor keeps a number of rings in motion with his 
 toes, in a manner that seems to require the greatest attention. Stringing pearls with the 
 tongue — swallowing a sword-blade — carrying about the person, and producing them 
 unexpectedly, large china bowls, full of water to the brim, and flower-pots with plants of 
 two feet in height standing in them — changing the colour of powders, almost under the 
 watchful gaze of the spectator — drawing many different kinds of wine from the same 
 column in the dining-parlour, by piercing it with a gimlet — swallowing and disgorging 
 miles' length of paper shreds, and tossing a brass ring, which the company are at liberty 
 to examine minutely, into the air, where it separates into two, then four, then six rings, 
 of equal size with the original, and, as they fall into the hand, forming them into 
 various mathematical combinations, are amongst the variety of illusions practised by 
 by Chinese conjurors. 
 
 The infancy of China has been longer than that of any other country hitherto known 
 upon earth : her religion is childish, her literature childish ; the amusements of her people 
 cannot, therefore, be expected to assume a character more rational or refined, until 
 true national worth and wisdom shall have a secure foundation sunk for them. 
 
 THE KILNS AT KING-TAN. 
 
 " Ye men who give your strength for kings as water, 
 What have they given your children in return ? 
 A heritage of servitude and woes, 
 A blindfold bondage, where your hire is blows." 
 
 Ode on Venice. 
 
 The limestone district of King-tan, being visited not only by passengers in travelling 
 barges, but also by trading junks, presents more frequent examples of the deplorable des- 
 potism of this great empire than most other localities. The maxim may not be an un- 
 sound one, that provides as much and as constant occupation for a multitudinous people as 
 possible, and performs everything by manual labour or animal power, where mechanism 
 does not present competition ; but even this political theory is insufficient to justify the 
 cruelty exercised over the tribe of trackers. Descending from the mountains, where 
 the soil denies support to the majority of those that first drew breath amidst their 
 
24 CHINA ILLUSTRATED. 
 
 summits, a robust and hardy set of men undertake the toilsome life of trackers (tseen- 
 foo). Half naked, and furnished with a description of gear, consisting of a breast-board, 
 or sometimes a cushioned wooden bar, to the ends of which the ropes are attached, a 
 number of men, regulated by the burden of the junk, is harnessed to the work of pulling 
 against the stream. Their attitude and efforts are fully expressed in the illustration, 
 where they appear not merely to give their muscular power, but their corporal weight, 
 to strain the chief rope that is tied around the mast-head. When this laborious occu- 
 pation is undertaken voluntarily, its followers are deserving of the compassion of the 
 wealthy and the powerful ; and those who are benefited by their efforts are bound to 
 encourage, remunerate, and protect them. Such, however, does not appear to be the 
 lot of the tracker. Engaged for sixteen successive hours, during which no space for 
 refreshment is allowed, time being an object to his merciless employer, he is kept 
 unflinchingly to his work by an overseer supplied with a long bamboo. 
 
 This humble application of human power is rendered still more humiliating from the 
 cruelty and despotism exercised by government to obtain trackers, on any emergency. 
 A Tartar corps is despatched to scour the country through which the imperial junks are 
 about to pass, and press into the service all ages without distinction. It is in vain that 
 parents plead the tender age of their offspring, or their own declining years — Tartar ears 
 are ever closed against appeals of mercy ; and father, husband, sons, are indiscriminately 
 and violently enrolled in the service of the state. The revolting nature of the duty to those 
 whom hard necessity has not previously compelled to adopt this peculiar mode of life, is 
 such, that dependence cannot be placed upon many who have received the imperial 
 summons, and desertion would be the immediate and inevitable consequence of notice. 
 To anticipate this result, the impressed men are driven into an adjoining] temple, or 
 station-house, and there immured, sometimes for days, until the arrival of the junks, 
 and of the trackers whom they are destined to succeed. A lictor now undertakes their 
 management, and plies his long bamboo, emboldened by the confidence which a Tartar 
 troop inspires. Trackers in the government-service undergo the most distressing 
 fatigue ; sometimes they have to wade through mire that comes up to their very arms, 
 at others to swim across creeks and rivulets, and immediately after expose their naked 
 and exhausted bodies to the painful influence of a burning sun. Resistance is met by 
 stripes, or by the punishment of face-slapping; — obedience, by wages of one shilling a 
 day, without any consideration of the time that will be occupied in the return of those 
 ill-used beings to their families and homes. 
 
 The effects of this inhuman conscription, to which impressment of seamen in England 
 bore some analogy, is often attended with the most lamentable consequences. Sudden 
 transitions from heat to cold, and vice versa, induce fevers, which, in the destitute con- 
 dition of the patient, generally prove fatal ; and Europeans, during the course of a few 
 days' journey, have seen many of these victims expire from hunger, fatigue, and the 
 inhumanity of the lictors. 
 
 Much has been said about the trackers' song, and some travellers have likened it 
 to our sailors' " ho-heave-ho," or to our ploughman's whistle ; but these are emblems of 
 

 
 1 
 
 , 
 
 
 <* 
 
 i 
 
 
COTTON PLANTATIONS AT NING-PO. 25 
 
 freedom, of hearts contented and at rest, and of a willing industry ; while the tracker's 
 song is a mournful sound, that summons each brother of the trade to alleviate the burden 
 of his neighbour by pulling in due time. There is neither harmony nor cheerfulness in 
 the poor Chinaman's chorus of IVo-to-hei-o, in which the saddest letter of the alphabet 
 predominates. 
 
 COTTON PLANTATIONS AT NING-PO. 
 
 " Arkwright taught from cotton pods to cull 
 And stretch in lines the vegetable wool ; 
 With teeth of steel its fibre knots unfurled, 
 And with its silver tissue clothed the world." Darwin. 
 
 The vicinity of Ning-po is not only celebrated for its picturesque character, but as 
 having once been the emporium of an active and flourishing foreign trade. Imperial 
 reserve, rather than national prejudice, closed the Tahea river against commerce with 
 barbarians ; but British gallantry burst those bonds which jealousy had thrown over 
 the intercourse of nations ; and one of the conditions of the late treaty with China is, 
 that the flag of England shall be honoured and welcomed in the waters of Ning-po. 
 
 Aroused to a sense of their local advantages, and of the knowledge to be attained from 
 experience, foreign intercourse, acquaintance with the productions and pursuits of other 
 countries and people, the inhabitants of this part of the rich province of Che-kiang 
 availed themselves, at an early period, of the advantages attending the cultivation of the 
 cotton plant. The manufacture of cotton has probably been established in India, certainly 
 in Tartary, for upwards of three thousand years. The gossyjnum being indigenous to 
 Hindoostan, and to Persia, the cradle of the human race,was transported thence into other 
 parts of Asia; and the light clothing formed from it being so very suitable to the 
 climate, cotton became as universal an article of comfort in India as linen was in Egypt. 
 It has been conjectured that the material mentioned in Exodus, as employed in the coats 
 of Aaron and his sons was cotton, not "fine linen," which the Hebrew word is generally 
 rendered in the English Bible. Herodotus speaks distinctly of cotton, as one of the species 
 of cloths in which mummies were enwrapped by the Egyptians ; but we know that linen 
 was also used for a similar purpose. Pliny supports the assertion of Herodotus, that cotton 
 as well as linen was known to the early Egyptians. He writes that " in Upper Egypt, 
 towards Arabia, there grows a shrub which some call gnssypium, and others xylon. It 
 is not large, but bears a fruit resembling the filbert, which contains a great deal of wool. 
 The yarn spun from it is manufactured into stuffs, which we call cottons (xylina). There 
 is nothing softer or whiter than the garments made from it, particularly those which are 
 worn by the Egyptian priests." This accomplished naturalist relates also, that Semiramis, 
 the Assyrian queen, was the reputed inventress of the art of weaving, and that the city 
 of Arachne, in Babylonia, had always been celebrated by Greek and Roman writers as 
 the place where it was first practised. 
 
 II. G 
 
26 CHINA ILLUSTRATED. 
 
 Whatever foundation ancient authors may have had for the preceding statement, 
 there is very ample evidence of the existence of this useful invention in the earliest 
 ages of the world ; and, indeed, it has been observed that weaving was known and prac- 
 tised amongst many barbarous nations in various parts of the globe, whose intercourse 
 with the East cannot be readily traced. Clavigero informs us that the Spaniards, on 
 the conquest of Mexico, found that the art of weaving was there perfectly understood, 
 and saw large cotton-webs as delicate and fine as those of Holland, woven with different 
 figures and colours, representing various animals and flowers. Mungo Park, a traveller 
 of unquestionable veracity, describes the people of Interior Africa a3 acquainted with 
 the arts of spinning, weaving, and dyeing cotton. 
 
 It is supposed that the Chinese, and the analogy of other nations seems to justify 
 the supposition, were early acquainted with the existence of the cotton plant, and with its 
 valuable qualities; but that their prejudices, especially against the Tartar nation, caused 
 its continued exclusion. Down to the third century before the Christian era, no mention 
 of the gossypium occurs in Chinese writings ; but, under the Han dynasty it is noticed as 
 a rare and curious exotic ; and, in the year of our Lord 302, it is recorded that the 
 emperor Ou-ti was clothed in a robe of cotton cloth, which is minutely described by his 
 biographer. From this period to the eleventh century, the cultivation of the cotton 
 plant did not extend beyond the borders of the mandarins' pleasure-grounds, the beauty 
 of its flower being its only recommendation ; but, at this period the tree was introduced 
 from the province of Si-fan in Tartary, and its cultivation for the purpose of manufac- 
 ture commenced. The immutability of Chinese customs, and hatred of foreign inven- 
 tions, operated long against its general introduction ; but the descendants of Zingis, the 
 conqueror of China, rejected these stupid pleas for exclusion, and the Ming, who restored 
 the native government, followed the salutary example of the Tartar princes. 
 
 From this period to the present, cotton has been extensively cultivated, and consti- 
 tutes the principal clothing of the majority. A soil rich, yet moist, is most suitable ; 
 and wherever it shall happen to be arid by nature, irrigation is found necessary. Much 
 care and skill are requisite in the cultivation of a farm ; the ground must receive three 
 ploughings, be well manured, the seedlings dibbled in rows, the spaces between the rows 
 hoed or dug with the spade, and the plants headed down when they reach the height of 
 twelve inches. Decandolle has enumerated thirteen species of the gossypium, but these are 
 only interesting to the most profound scholars in the study of botany. Merchants make 
 but two distinctions — black-seeded and green-seeded ; the former remarkable for resigning 
 its downy produce by the simple mechanism of two rollers, revolving nearly in contac t 
 with each other, and worked by the human arm ; the latter only yielding to the operation 
 of a circular saw, turned by powerful machinery. Two kinds are known in China; the one, 
 coarse and colourless — the other, produced chiefly in Kiang-nan, of a superior fineness, 
 from which the celebrated stuff called nankeen is made. This description, the produce 
 of which exhibits a yellowish tint, has been transplanted into other provinces, but with 
 indifferent success, and the failure of the experiment materially injured the reputation of 
 the original Nanking cotton. Experiment has shown, however, that the soil and climate 
 

 
 1 
 
 
 ii 
 
 1 
 
MACAO, FROM THE FORTS OF HEANG-SHAN. 2/ 
 
 of the Cape of Good Hope are also suitable to the culture of the yellow-tinted cotton, 
 but the loss of its popularity has rendered the continuance of the practice in our colony 
 of but little importance. 
 
 Neither is the cotton plant indigenous to China, the art of weaving a native inven- 
 tion, nor are the modes of freeing the down from seeds, and of ultimately cleaning the 
 wool, peculiar to China. The machine for separating the seeds, already noticed, has 
 been in use among the Hindoos from time immemorial ; and the elastic bow, for freeing 
 the cotton from knots and foreign substances, is also of Hindoo origin, and is employed 
 in England by hatters, in preparing the fur for being worked up into the compact mass 
 technically denominated a bat. 
 
 MACAO, FROM THE FORTS OF HEANG-SHAN. 
 
 " A landmark to the double tide 
 That purpling rolls on either side, 
 As if their waters chafed to meet, 
 Yet pause, and crouch beneath her feet." 
 
 Byron. 
 
 Macao occupies a position rather of beauty than strength ; for the rocky summits that 
 surround its peninsular site also command it, and the waters that lave its winding base 
 are navigable by vessels of considerable burden. Its political circumstances have always 
 presented an historic anomaly. Portuguese adventurers having long wandered in the 
 Eastern seas, made occasional descents upon the Chinese coast, and, by bribery, barter, 
 and sometimes brutality, established a species of recognition. About the year 1537 — 
 at all events, subsequently to the death of St. Francis Xavier at Shan-shan — the Por- 
 tuguese obtained permission to settle at Macao ; not as an independent community, but 
 in conjunction with the native population, and during their good behaviour, or the empe- 
 ror's pleasure. For this commercial residence they probably consented, at first, to pay 
 a large remuneration, their expectations of prosperity being proportionately high ; but 
 their illiberality, in endeavouring to secure for themselves and the Spaniards a monopoly 
 of Chinese trade, operated so ruinously to their speculation, that the emperor is now 
 content to receive from them the miserable ground-rent of £150 sterling, per annum. 
 
 The city stands upon a peninsula, three miles in length by one in breadth, one side 
 of which is curved into a beautiful bay, the opposite being somewhat convex towards 
 the sea ; the ridge of this rocky eminence, as well as its sloping sides, being covered 
 with churches, and convents, and turrets, and tall houses, such as are seen in Europe. 
 A narrow sandy isthmus joins the peninsula to the heights of Heang-shan, which are 
 crowned with forts, to awe the humbled settlers ; and an embattled wall, after the 
 jealous fashion of the Chinese, crosses the isthmus, and forms an entire separation 
 between the Christians and idolaters. It is said that this barrier was first erected to check 
 
28 CHINA ILLUSTRATED. 
 
 the incursions of Romish priests, who were much addicted to the practice of stealing 
 Chinese children, from a desire to convert them to a saving faith. The end was cer- 
 tainly laudable, but not the means. The rigidity with which the Portuguese are ruled, 
 and the well-known character of the Chinese as separatists, would rather induce a belief 
 that the charge of kidnapping was a forgery, invented as a pretext for building up this 
 rampart. A presiding mandarin (Tso-tang) constantly resides in Macao, and gives 
 evidence of the slight nature of Portuguese tenure there, by occasionally stopping the 
 supply of provisions intended for the Christians — by enforcing strictly the conditions of 
 their occupancy, such as prohibiting the erection of new houses, or repairs of old ones — 
 and by inspecting the Portuguese forts, to see that no additional strength has been 
 given to them, nor any increase made to the garrison of four hundred men. Without 
 a license, (for which a stipend is expected,) none of these conditions may be violated 
 with impunity ; nor can the Portuguese accomplish such objects secretly, all handicraft 
 employments being exercised exclusively by Chinese residents. 
 
 The Portuguese executive at Macao consists of a military governor, a judge, and 
 a bishop, each of whom enjoys a salary of £600 per annum ; a sum considerable indeed, 
 when the insignificance of their services is remembered. The Chinese portion of the 
 population, about thirty thousand souls, is subject to native authorities solely; the 
 European, including Portuguese by birth, Mesticos — also Portuguese, but descended from 
 Malay mothers — and foreigners of all classes, in all not more than four thousand, is 
 under the nominal rule of the Portuguese governor. This power, however, often proves 
 too weak to compete with the lords of the soil, who occasionally order all foreigners to 
 withdraw upon a few hours' notice, under pain of confiscation of property and loss of 
 liberty ; thereby restricting trade — the only occupation which Christian settlers exercise 
 here — so frequently and so much, that the temples of Macao are without worshippers, 
 the dwellings untenanted, the harbour almost forsaken. 
 
 SCENE FROM THE SPECTACLE OF THE SUN AND MOON. 
 
 " Melancholy is the nurse of frenzy — 
 Therefore they thought it good you hear a play, 
 And frame your mind to mirth and merriment, 
 Which bars a thousand harms, and lengthens life." 
 
 Shakspeare. 
 
 Pantomimes, or Motions, or Mysteries, still constitute the favourite amusements of the 
 Celestial empire, the legitimate drama being little valued there. Players are mere 
 buffoons, that lead a wandering life, strolling from town to town, and pitching their 
 wooden structure, like a soldier's tent, on each convenient or inviting spot. A platform 
 of substantial workmanship is raised about eight feet from the ground, and shaded by a 
 curved roof sustained by a number of wooden pillars, the floor being left completely 
 open to the view on three sides. These independent erections are raised opposite to 
 

 1 
 
 x^ 
 
 
 I 
 
SCENE FROM THE SPECTACLE OF THE SUN AND MOON - . 29 
 
 the respective sides of the stage, for the gentry and paying spectators, the intermediate 
 space between those boxes and the stage, which is open to the sky, being left for the 
 accommodation of the common people. Much regularity prevails in the arrangements 
 of the boxes erected around, seats being placed in the front building for ladies only, 
 and in the other for men of patrician rank. There may be seen the wealthy mandarin 
 attended by his suite, who are generally supplied with refreshments, tobacco-pipes, &c, 
 in embroidered pouches, of which the neighbouring spectators are courteously invited 
 to partake. 
 
 Less order and ceremony prevail amongst the humble citizens in the uncovered 
 pit, whither the inducement of the spectacle, and the liberality of the terms of 
 admission, have attracted such numbers as can with difficulty be compressed into it. 
 Two forces are in constant operation to effect this compression — the weight of the crowd 
 without, and the bamboos of the police within, which are in unceasing operation on the 
 heads of the most refractory members. A strong force, well armed with rattans, is 
 generally stationed under the platform, and when the pressure from without forces the 
 mass of living beings beyond the limits of distinct vision, and completely under the 
 stage, the severe chastisement inflicted upon the intruders by the police causes a 
 reaction almost sufficient to throw down the entire moving body. Muscular strength, 
 activity, eagerness to retain the scene of action within the field of view, prevent such 
 an accident, and convert the effect of the two contrary forces into a perpetual 
 oscillation. 
 
 One of the most favourite mysteries presented by the strolling companies in the 
 southern provinces, is " The Spectacle of the Sun and Moon," which a barbarian who 
 witnessed has described as follows. "The first scene was intended to represent the hap- 
 piness and splendour of beings who inhabit the upper regions, with the sun, and the 
 moon, and the elements, curiously personified around them. The man who performed 
 the sun held a round image of the sun's disk, while the female who acted the part of 
 the moon had a crescent in her hand. The actors took care to move so as to mimic the 
 conjunction and opposition of these heavenly bodies as they revolve round in their 
 apparent orbits. The Thunderer wielded an axe, and leaped and dashed about in 
 a variety of extraordinary somersets. After a few turns, the monarch, who had been 
 so highly honoured as to find a place, through the partiality of a mountain nymph, in 
 the abode of the happy, begins to feel that no height of good fortune can secure 
 a mortal against the common calamities of this frail life. A wicked courtier disguises 
 himself in a tiger's skin, and in this garb imitates the animal itself; he rushes into the 
 retired apartments of the ladies, frightening them out of their wits, and throws the 
 " heir-apparent" into the moat. The sisters hurry into the royal presence, and, casting 
 themselves upon the ground, divulge the sad intelligence. This loss the bereaved 
 monarch takes so much to heart, that he renounces the world, and deliberates about 
 the nomination of a successor. By the influence of a crafty woman, he selects a young 
 man who has just sense enough to know that he is a fool. The settlement of the crown 
 is scarcely finished, when the unhappy king dies, and the blockhead is presently invested 
 
 II. H 
 
30 CHINA ILLUSTRATED. 
 
 with the "golden round." But the lout, instead of exulting in his new preferment, 
 bemoans his lot in the most awkward strains of lamentation. He feels his incompetency, 
 and cries, "O dear! what shall I do !" with such piteous action, and yet withal so truly 
 ludicrous, that the spectator is at a loss to know whether he is to laugh or to weep. 
 The courtier who had taken off the heir, and broken the father's heart, finds the new 
 king an easy tool for prosecuting his traitorous purposes, and the state is plunged into 
 the depths of civil discord at home, and dangerous wars abroad.'' 
 
 BOUDOIR AND BEDCHAMBER OF A LADY OF RANK. 
 
 " What ! woman, the treasure, the gem, the flower ! 
 The star that is bright in the wildest hour ; 
 The bird that comes singing to the stern brea6t — 
 Ah ! should we not teach it to love its nest !" 
 
 Barry Cornwall. 
 
 Less crowded with articles of furniture than the apartments of ladies of quality in 
 England, the decorations of a bedchamber and boudoir in China are not less costly or 
 complete — a suite of rooms being appropriated to the females of the mandarin's family, 
 to which the husband, children, and female relations and attendants are alone admissible ; 
 these are uniformly fashioned, and fitted and furnished in a style of beauty and conve- 
 nience that displays both taste and liberality. It is the custom, in which something of 
 Chinese artifice is infused, to give a character of magnitude to the mandarin's mansion, 
 by covering a great area with one-storied corridors, and pavilions, and galleries, and 
 vestibules ; from this weak ambition the females derive some advantage, their apart- 
 ments being generally extended along a delightful pleasure-ground, or carried round an 
 artificial lake, with all the usual accompaniments of rustic bridges and fancy rock-work. 
 From these grounds and gardens a porch opens into a veranda, or vestibule, protected 
 at the entrance by a silken curtain, and conducting to the boudoir and bed-rooms of the 
 matron and her daughters. 
 
 Uniformity pervades the habits of high life amongst the Chinese, as amongst 
 Europeans, and the arrangements and decorations of one suite will therefore sufficiently 
 illustrate those of a class. In the vestibule are always tables or stools, or stands of 
 fancy workmanship, either lacquered-ware or bamboo, on which jars, vases, basins, 
 tripods, trays, are placed, each containing some sweet-smelling flower, some aromatic 
 plant, some delightful perfume, the fragrance of which is wafted into the inner chambers 
 by the current which follows the drawing of the curtain. A lantern, sure index of 
 Chinese conservatism of customs, depends from every ceiling, made either from paper, 
 from silk, or horn, and painted in colours of brightness, and after designs of a fertile 
 fancy. The sleeping apartment is always the inmost, and the bed itself is usually 
 
- 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 S 
 
 
BOCDOIB 1XD BEBCHAMBEB OF A LaDT OF BASK. 31 
 
 placed in a recess adapted for its reception, enclosed by curtains of silk or cotton, in the 
 colder months and northern provinces, but protected only by a mosquito-net in the 
 sultry season and lover latitudes. 
 
 In every civilized country, attention to die toilet is inseparable from the duties of 
 a lady of quality, and the Chinese present a distinguished example of devotion in this 
 respect. Glass mirrors have long been in use in China, although little n tugiem has 
 been made in the art of glass-making generally, the manufactures of Europe being 
 largely imported, and every chamber is respl e nd ent with looking-glasses, in sosne of 
 which the external landscape, and the passers-by, are distinctly seen by the fair inha- 
 bitants, without the trouble of rising from their conches. These mirrors are of Terr thin 
 and inferior glass, scarcely thicker than good English writing-paper, but are skilfully 
 coated with an amalgam which renders them abundantly truthful in reflecting the 
 :- ;:„--- 
 
 Every matron in the higher ranks is waited on by a number of 1 
 kindness and a::en:::::s c-:zrr.z -:e :o ez'^ez zh&z pord:a of ~- e -ii:ii zz-t 
 conformity with etiquette, most dedicate to the toilet, and pass in 
 is an indulgence at which female delicacy here feels no repugnance; and, while one hand 
 is occupied holding the decorated pipe, the other is en gag ed in supporting a mirror of 
 convenient size : a lady of the boudoir is lam limi busied in a i iangin g her mistr- 
 hair, introducing amidst the plaits and braids, either flowers, or jewels, or bright-coloured 
 ribbons. The unmarried wear their hair in lotg tresses, two plaited tails depeccizg 
 from the back of the head; but after marriage the hair is all drawn hack from the fore- 
 head, and fastened with bodkins of gold or silver on the crown, where a profusion of 
 ornaments is customary. Amongst the luxuries of the mandarin's lady, who is : 
 unacquainted with literature, music occupies a prominent place ; and if 1 
 be not skilful in that delightful accomplishment, a female minstre 
 consists in wandering from place to place, and begufl mg, by her melody, the 1 
 hours of unoccupied life, is admitted to sing a favourite air, and ate om panj herself < 
 the pepa, or four-stringed guitar. 
 
 In every boudoir stands a cabinet filed with cosmetics, paint-pots, fans, little •. 
 ::i.- • t - ?. '-::.= : ;-:lrS >.:_ z: :z:~-!z:~ ::i: .-;-__. ~ :zz • __- -- - z; :_"-; 
 to produce that effect which constitutes in China the idea of bea-. 
 
 :;.--.. r.; .-: . ...v :zy.iir~i -: i_:.:_l — :i r-;. -" ;±z :";— : =. :'i_: ;-..- is s ::•;;: 
 
 an object of admiration, that the defects of nature in tins respect are sought to be sub- 
 dued by various applications; and, the contrast of the rose and the Ey is piodm e d by 
 a very liberal use of the colour of the former. It is only a tribute to truth and justice — 
 it is only an acknowledgment due to female excellence in China, to state, that when 
 ; .-r :..• '...:: ::.i i :ze ':'...;'- ::' y: .:_ — - ;- ::~r his :i.--ri izi rr:s:.fi :"er :i-s --- 
 black locks, and the race of fife now is mid-way run, from that moment all ' 
 ambition in dress are abandoned, and that care so anxiously bestowed i 
 the personal charms of the mother, is transferred with a zeal as boundless to the 
 :.■:..:. ::' ■.'.-.-: .. : :^r T:.i z::-.-: . : z.~ '. -".s :z :zr :".a:-;s: 7L.~-tz: Zir lit • 
 
32 CHINA ILLUSTRATED. 
 
 smoothed, and no flower, or gem, or ribbon employed to divert attention from its faded 
 lustre — no vain effort made to conceal the approaches of old age ; the respect that years 
 command in China being then deemed a sufficient passport in society. Whatever the 
 principle may be on which this custom is rested and resorted to — whatever system of 
 morals or philosophy may claim the merit of the institute, the wisdom of the practice, 
 even excluding all considerations of innate affection or laudable generosity, would 
 accord with a holier light than has hitherto shone upon China. 
 
 THE PORCELAIN TOWER,- NANKING. 
 
 " Here frugal monks their little relics show, 
 And some dry legend to the stranger tell." 
 
 R. W. 
 
 The primary object of these columnar towers does not appear to be distinctly understood 
 
 by Europeans, nor indeed by the inhabitants of those countries in which they exist. 
 
 That they are now, in some instances, dedicated to Bhuddism is fully ascertained ; but, the 
 
 inconvenience of their shape for the performance of religious rites, leaves room for no 
 
 other conclusion than that they were simply emblematical, or commemorative. Their 
 
 origin in China is very ancient, nor, in all probability, is it satisfactorily recorded ; and the 
 
 coincidence of their history in this respect with that of the Irish pillar-towers is peculiarly 
 
 striking. Neither the origin, era, or application of these latter extraordinary edifices has 
 
 yet been discovered, although the learning and discrimination of various antiquaries 
 
 have been earnestly devoted to the investigation. Harris thought they were pillars of 
 
 penance, such as Simon Stylites stood on for forty years ; Ledwieh believed them to 
 
 have been merely belfries ; Vallancey asserted that they were evidently fire-towers erected 
 
 to Baal, or the Sun ; a writer less eminent, suggests the probability of their having served 
 
 as landmarks (ircpag yr)s,-wvpyot) by day, and beacons at night. Montmorency Morris 
 
 thought that they were keeps, or safes, or citadels, such as the Egyptian Copts erected 
 
 as sanctuaries of shelter on the approach of danger ; and the discovery of a stone 
 
 coffin, exactly fitted within the pedestal of the tower of Ardmore, has contributed to 
 
 strengthen the cause of those who maintain that, like the pyramids and pillars of 
 
 oriental countries, they are actually sepulchral. An essay on this vexata questio in 
 
 Irish history, was presented to the Royal Irish Academy by Henry O'Brien, in which 
 
 much learning is expended in endeavouring to identify the round towers of Ireland 
 
 with the worship of Bhuddism ; but, however the style of architecture may have been 
 
 derived from the East, little reason exists for supposing that Bhuddism ever prevailed 
 
 in Ireland, 
 
 Chinese scholars, by whom we are to understand those who possess an acquaintance 
 with the written and spoken language of that country, but who are wholly ignorant 
 of its real history, too confidently affirm that all pagodas are temples of Fo; whereas 
 some are dedicated to the winds, and the elements generally ; others to qualities of 
 

 s 
 
 > 
 
 
 
THE PORCELAIN TOWER, NANKING. 33 
 
 the heart and the head, such as gratitude and wisdom ; and others, far removed from 
 any places of present worship, like our towers of Furness, and of Fountains, and of 
 Glastonbury, are tottering to decay. 
 
 The history of the porcelain pagoda at Nanking is preserved by the monks of the 
 adjoining monastery; and, if reliance can be placed upon their narration, one step in 
 the analysis of its beauty and its origin is safely secured. Father Samedo, who resided 
 at Nanking some time between the years 1613 and 1635, calls it "an edifice that ought 
 to be ranked with the most famous of ancient Rome;" Le Compte, who saw it in 
 1687, says "it is undoubtedly the best constructed and noblest building of all the 
 East ;" and these praises have been reiterated by the English who examined it during 
 our occupancy of Nanking in the late Chinese war. 
 
 Devoted exclusively to Bhuddist worship, it is denominated at one time, " Paou- 
 gan-sze," the Temple of Gratitude," and at another, " Lew le paou ta," the Porcelain 
 Pagoda. On the site of the present building, an obelisk of three stories once stood, 
 dedicated to Yuh-Wang, the Fostering King, a title given to Bhudda in allusion to the 
 providential care he extends over all animal and vegetable life. The emperor Ta-te 
 (a. d. '240) repaired and adorned the obelisk, which had become much decayed, and 
 changed its name to that of Keen-cbo ; but the whole of Ta-te's erection was destroyed 
 by an accidental fire, in the reign of Yuen-Shun. We are told that temple succeeded 
 temple on this consecrated site, each distinguished by a name expressive of the object 
 of its erection, until the construction of the present splendid tower, which is considered 
 amongst the Chinese as only second in importance and miraculous character to the Great 
 Wall of the empire. After the removal of the court from Nanking to Peking, under the 
 Ming dynasty, the first stone of the present building was laid, at the imperial command. 
 The work commenced at noon on the fifteenth day of the sixth month of the tenth year 
 of the reign of Yung-Lo, (a.d. 1412,) and, as the tower was nineteen years in building, 
 it was not completed until the first day of the eighth month of Lewen-tih's sixth year, 
 (1431,) that is, six years after the death of Yung-lo. Raised originally as a tribute of 
 gratitude to the empress, and a record to posterity of the high estimation in which her 
 character and virtues were held, it still retains the name of " the Temple of Gratitude." 
 The architect who superintended the work, and set up and framed the edifice, in con- 
 formity with a magnificent plan, was named Shelang-Hwang ; and the exact cost of 
 the whole was 2,485,484 leang, or Chinese ounces of silver, equivalent to about £750,000 
 of English money. 
 
 For many ages this delicate and gorgeous temple withstood the violence of time ; but 
 in the fifth year of the fifth month, and fifteenth day of the reign of Kea-King (a.d. 1800) 
 between the hours of three and five o'clock in the afternoon, (according to the Chilo- 
 woo-ling tablet,) " the god of thunder, displaying his power and severe majesty, and 
 driving some strange insects before him, struck the tower, and in a moment shattered the 
 sides of the nine-stories.'' The governor and lieutenant-governor of Nanking obtained 
 the imperial permission to repair all injuries inflicted by the thunderbolts, which was 
 pxecuted in a masterly style in the year 1802; from which period until 1842, when 
 ii. i 
 
.'34 CHINA ILLUSTRATED. 
 
 a party of English seamen, attached to the expedition, with pickaxes and hammers 
 endeavoured to deface the walls, and remove the curiosities, — no injury of any kind has 
 been inflicted on this Chinese miracle of art. The hand of the spoiler, however, was 
 quickly arrested, and indemnification instantly made by the English authorities. 
 
 The tower or pagoda is octagonal, of nine stories, tapering as they rise, and finished 
 with a cupola, or cap, (the inverted nelumbium,) overlaid with shining brass, which pre- 
 serves its lustre untarnished. From the gilded ball surmounting the cupola, a rod of iron 
 rises to a still greater height, and from its highest point eight chains descend, from which 
 seventy-two bells are suspended, to the heads of eight " cloud-loving dragons." Bells 
 are hung from the angles of every story, making, with those attached to the chains of the 
 cupola, a total number of one hundred and fifty-two. On the outside of the nine stories, 
 are a hundred and twenty-eight lanterns, made of thin oyster-shells, a substitute for 
 glass in China, and the effect of their subdued light on the reflective surface of the tower 
 is striking and delicate. Twelve lamp-bowls of porcelain (lew-le) are preserved in the 
 great hall which occupies the ground-floor of the temple, and the quantity of oil con- 
 sumed in each total illumination exceeds eighty pounds weight These lamps are occa- 
 sionally lighted at the expense of some superstitious devotee, who is taught by the attend- 
 ant bonzes that they are destined to illuminate the space of the thirty-three heavens — to 
 enlighten the world, to relieve good and evil men, and to avert for ever many calamities 
 incident to humanity. 
 
 According to a Chinese description, accompanied by a wood-cut of the tower, 
 which the bonzes print for distribution, within the building, the height of the gilded 
 ball on the cupola is 346 feet ; but Pere Bourgeois understood from an attendant 
 priest, in 1768, that it did not exceed 258 English feet, and the measurements of the 
 engineers who accompanied our recent expedition, reduce this amount to 236. 
 
 The inner part, or body of the walls, is brick, but the inside lining and the facing with- 
 out, of beautiful white glazed porcelain slabs, fixed in the masonry by means of deep 
 keys, cut like a half T in the brick. The projecting roof of each story consists of green 
 and yellow porcelain tiles in alternate perpendicular rows ; and, running up each angle 
 is a moulding of larger tiles, glazed and coloured red and green alternately. From 
 each story projects a balcony, enclosed by a light balustrade of green porcelain, upon 
 which open four doorways, set to the cardinal points, their arches being elegantly 
 turned with glazed tiles, cast in all imaginable fancies of design and variation of colour, 
 representing deities, demons, and monsters of all descriptions. The bells dependent from 
 dragons' mouths at every angle of each story, once sounded in harmony, but, in conse- 
 quence of the long neglect of religious rites at this ancient shrine, the offended deity 
 marked his displeasure by depriving them for ever of their musical tones. If iEolus 
 were now to give sweetness to their hundred tongues, the infatuated Chinese would call 
 
 it discord — « By the gods' decree, 
 
 All hear, but none believe it harmony." 
 
 The interior of the pagoda, which is also cased with porcelain, is disfigured by a number 
 of idols in basso-relievo on the walls. On each floor is an image of Bhudda surrounded 
 

 
 s 
 
 
 
 I 
 
 
 
THE HEA HILLS, NEAR CHAOU-KING-FOO. 85 
 
 by about four hundred minor objects of idolatry. Nor are these the only offerings to 
 superstition belonging to the temple : — the spire, or cupola, suppresses noxious influ- 
 ences, and shows light in the night-time, that is one pearl or bead (the bonzes use 
 rosaries, and count by beads) ; it defends from water, which is another bead ; from wind, 
 another bead ; and from dust, a fourth bead. The relics laid up here are also cele- 
 brated, including translations from Sanscrit relating to Bhuddism ; one ingot of gold 
 weighing forty taels — one thousand ounces of silver — tea, one picul — precious stones, 
 one set — happy money, one thousand strings, including one hundred strings of Yung-lo's 
 copper coin — yellow silk, two pieces — the book of Tartaries, one copy — the book of 
 Arctic fish, one copy — the Shipkea-fuh's book, one copy — the book of Tsee-yin-tuh, 
 one copy ; all tending to control demoniacal agencies ; the royal book of the present 
 dynasty, not containing two leaves on the same subject: and, lastly, the Chilo-woo- 
 ling tablet, before alluded to. 
 
 The stairs to the summit (consisting of one hundred and ninety steps) are narrow 
 and steep; but the extent and beauty of the prospect and scenery, from the highest 
 balcony, soon obliterate the recollection of any inconvenience their ascent may have 
 occasioned. Situated at the angle of the mural enclosure, on one side the whole 
 enceinte of Nanking is beheld from the balcony, the vast suburbs on the other, while 
 a wide-spread landscape beyond both, is traversed by the windings of the Yang-tse- 
 keang. Eastward of the pagoda, in its immediate vicinity, is a path consecrated to all 
 the sea-born deities; on the south side, are the rice-walk and the spacious store- 
 house garden ; on the west, the bridge of hospitality ; and on the north, the great river. 
 The religious domains, including the Bhuddist monastery, are more than three miles 
 in circuit ; and all the temples, and towers, and oratories, appertaining to the establish- 
 ment, are situated in the periphery — " From everlasting a tower has been built here, 
 and it will hereafter enjoy the bright flowers of a hundred ages, to perpetuate a thank- 
 fulness ten thousand fold, whence it is called the ' Fane of Gratitude.'" 
 
 THE HEA HILLS, NEAR CHAOU-KING-FOO. 
 
 " Thy tide washed down the blood of yesterday, 
 And all was stainless ; and on thy clear stream 
 Glass'd with its dancing light the sunny ray: 
 But o'er the blacken'd morning's blighting dream 
 Thy waves would vainly roll, all sweeping as they seem." 
 
 In the western district of the province of Quang Tong is an extensive mountain-group, 
 the parent of many a noble river, the depository of many a valued mineral, and the 
 natural nursery of numerous precious woods. So bold are the forms of the cliffs and the 
 crags in this alpine region, that in some instances they impend completely and arch over 
 the river's bed ; and the bases of the hills, which the waters separate, are often so worn and 
 hollowed, that this cavernous feature is everywhere prevalent, and particularized by the 
 local term of Hea. At Hea-kew, the rays of a meridian sun are unable to penetrate ; and 
 
36 CHINA ILLUSTRATED. 
 
 the wonders and the beauties of its limestone grotto, with a cascade tumbling through 
 it, are only rendered visible by reflected light. 
 
 Ten miles east of Tchaou king-foo, is a celebrated pass on the river Tcho, between 
 the Hea hills ; and near it three rivers meet, forming the noble highway of commerce, by 
 means of which communication with Canton is maintained. The heights of the 
 Hea are famed in story, as having been the arena of a sanguinary conflict. Under the 
 Woo dynasty this district was reduced to submission by Poo-chih, the censor of Keaou- 
 chan, and being obstinately resisted by Hang-e and Tseen-twan, on the plateau of 
 Hea-kew, the latter were overthrown with miserable slaughter ; and the crimsoned 
 waters, as they flowed past Canton, gave melancholy evidence of the fatal fray. It was 
 immediately after this scene of destruction that the miraculous metamorphose of a flock 
 of sheep into an equal number of stones, took place — performed by the tutelar deity of 
 the fallen party, to frustrate and to famish the victors/ The scene of this extraordinary 
 change still bears the characteristic name of Ling-yang-hea. 
 
 Nature has been lavish not only of her picturesque charms, but of her richest pro- 
 ductions, in the region of the Hea hills ; and there is not a spot of land along the banks 
 of the majestic river, which, with much of the Rhenish character, forces its passage 
 between these mountains, on which a village, or farm, or cottage, could be planted, that 
 is not fully occupied — -wealthy master-miners, or foresters, dwelling on the most 
 favoured and delightful little promontories, their industrious labourers on the summits 
 and the slopes that rise above them. In some instances the population, those especially 
 engaged in conveying the produce of the district, whether ores or timber, to Canton, live 
 perpetually upon the water ; and a rude raft, securely united, is often the site of a whole 
 floating village, the tenants of which neither own nor seek another home. In the mount- 
 ains of Tze-hwey are rich silver mines ; tin is found at Tih-king-chou and Lung-shwey- 
 heen ; iron ore, at Kaou-yaou ; and, at Lang-heang, a stone much valued for making 
 palettes, on which the natives grind the Indian ink. Several varieties of stone procured 
 here are employed for this purpose : some are of a deep purple colour, others red 
 streaked with purple, and a third kind of a bluish purple — these, when accurately 
 ground, and formed into palettes, are sold for a thousand pieces of gold. 
 
 Besides ores of tin, silver, and iron, in the same metalliferous region are obtained 
 gold, quicksilver, and precious stones; and here pewter, brass, and steel are manufac- 
 tured. Every species of intertropical fruit abounds, and rose and iron woods are 
 indigenous. To the treasures of the district nature has added many objects of adorn- 
 ment, accompanied, however, with an equivalent alloy. The peacock, so much admired 
 in England, is a native of the hills of Hea, and his companions, the fei-tswy particularly, 
 are decked in green plumage of equal splendour ; but a hideous black monkey, hih-yuen, 
 and the hea-shoo, a venomous rat, bold enough to attack any species of animal, and 
 whose bite is fatal, also claim the privilege of a home in this earthly paradise. The 
 river is infested by an animal resembling the English otter, but much more fierce, and 
 whose attacks upon the flocks and herds that stray too near the banks are often attended 
 with the most destructive consequences. 
 

 
 •J 
 
 .1 
 
 1 
 I 
 
 
 
SHOW-ROOM, ETC. 37 
 
 SHOW-ROOM OF A LANTERN MERCHANT, 
 
 AT PEKING. 
 
 " When the earthly lamp which lighted the Cldnaman shall now go out, 
 He'll feel awhile benighted, and look round in fear and doubt ; 
 But soon the prospect clearing, by cloudless starlight on he'll trend, 
 And find no light so cheering as that light which Heav'n will shed." T. M. 
 
 There are customs, and fashions, and habits, that have grown with the growth of 
 kingdoms, the date of whose origin is lost in the misty distance of past ages, and which 
 are now so identified with national character, that when the country itself is named, 
 association of ideas suggests the habit simultaneously. Of this peculiar character is 
 the practice of carrying lanterns in China. Every foot-passenger in the streets, on 
 the roads, or any other public avenue, is required, after nightfall, to carry a lantern, 
 on which his name and residence are painted; and a violation of the law subjects 
 the offender to arrest by the police, and imprisonment until the mandarin's leisure 
 allows him to hear and condemn him. Every vehicle in the highways is obliged 
 to set up a national lamp, and the river-surface at Canton, and other cities similarly 
 seated, presents a continuous sheet of light, or fire, from the reflection of the lamps 
 which all boats hang out at dusk. 
 
 The effect of this spotted illumination is curious, sometimes even picturesque ; but 
 the consequences of the silly habit have frequently proved fatal to the fortunes of the 
 empire. When part of Lord Amherst's suite were being conveyed in rude carts from 
 the last stage of their journey northward to the imperial capital, each cart was provided 
 with a small paper lantern of a red colour, and these, in such a long train, produced 
 a singular effect. It was twelve at midnight when the party arrived in the suburbs, 
 but even at that unseasonable hour curiosity had kept the Celestial citizens fully awake. 
 Multitudes crowded the way, each holding up his small oval lantern, inscribed according 
 to law, beneath whose flickering and dingy glare he sought a peep at the procession. 
 The quantity of light afforded by the concentration of so many lamps was sufficient to 
 discover the stolid countenances of the crowd, and the general character and style of 
 the buildings that were passed. After wandering over numberless bald and shining heads, 
 the eye involuntarily rested on gilded piazzas, extending in front of the houses, and 
 reflecting the rays of ten thousand lights. 
 
 Such an employment of this national emblem is innocuous, as much so as the decora- 
 tion of private houses and public temples by day with the same favourite ornaments ; but 
 the art of war in the nineteenth century is conducted on principles too scientifically 
 destructive to leave any valuable opportunity for the future use of paper lanterns. Of 
 
 II. K 
 
:J8 CHINA ILLUSTRATED. 
 
 this change the Chinese were never aware until the visit of the Alceste frigate, under 
 the command of Captain Maxwell, to the Bocca Tigris. As the British approached the 
 strong battery of Anunghoy, the whole range of the ramparts appeared to be brilliantly 
 lighted up, and the Chinese commenced a brisk cannonade upon the British men-of-war. 
 One tremendous broadside, poured in with the precision of English gunnery, conveyed 
 a dreadful lesson of experience, and presented death in so many and such horrid shapes, 
 that the guns were immediately deserted — the light of the embrasures in a moment 
 eclipsed. The wisdom of retreating would have been some counterpoise to the folly of 
 their braving a British broadside, had not the unlucky Tartars, instead of blowing out 
 their lights, and escaping in the darkness, foolishly, more patrio, taken up their respect- 
 ive lanterns, and scampered up the steep side of the hill that overhangs the fort. Is the 
 bird in the wilderness, that puts its head under its wing, that it may not be seen by its 
 pursuers, a more innocent reasoner than the Chinaman who flies with his lighting lantern 
 in his hand, before a British sharp-shooter ! And that would have been a fatal night to 
 the garrison of Anunghoy, were it not that the sight of so many bald-headed, long- 
 queu'd renegades, each carrying a huge painted paper balloon, that rendered him an 
 easy mark, in full chase up the hill, was so inconceivably ridiculous, that our brave 
 mariners could not reconcile themselves to the idea of taking a shot, even at the lantern. 
 
 Both the shape and material of which lanterns are formed, differ considerably. 
 Every mathematical figure — the sphere, square, pentagon, hexagon, and many others, 
 with a considerable number of sides — is enlisted in their manufacture ; the frames may 
 be of wood, ivory, or metal, and the designs and patterns of the most costly evince 
 a very accomplished and practised taste in what is generally styled scroll-work. Glass is 
 rarely used in lanterns, or indeed for any other purpose than as mirrors, but the number 
 of substitutes is endless. Amongst them are to be reckoned horn, silk, oyster-shells, 
 paper, thread-netting or gauze, the latter coated with a tenacious varnish made from the 
 gigartina tenax, a marine fucus found in the Indian archipelago. 
 
 The manufacture of lanterns is of course a profitable business, and it is difficult to 
 determine to which part in the process the greater share of admiration belongs — the size 
 and perfection of the horn, which is made with a simple pair of pincers, an iron boiler, 
 and a small stove; or the richly-painted and embroidered panes that fill the frame-work. 
 A lantern-painter is an artist of no mean rank : he possesses a very extensive knowledge 
 of design, and is a master of colouring. None but the most agreeable subjects, whether 
 landscape or figure, and the most gaudy colours, are considered appropriate on the panes 
 or the panels of a lantern. And this is the uniform sentiment, although the ornament 
 may be intended to light a hall of Confucius, or a temple of idolatry. 
 
 A lantern merchant's show-room is a fashionable lounge: and, as there is no limit 
 to the number of these articles with which an apartment of ceremony may be adorned, 
 save its capacity only, a continual consumption appears to be going on, and rivalship 
 amongst this class of decorators is for ever active. The patterns painted on the 
 lantern-panes vary with the season, like those of silk and cotton manufactures in 
 Europe ; and, it is only an act of domestic duty on the mandarin's part to visit the 
 
SHOW-ROOM OP A LANTERN MERCHANT. 39 
 
 show-rooms at the proper period, select the newest pattern, and purchase it for the 
 apartments of his wife and daughters. 
 
 In one of the cases of the Chinese exhibition, held for some years at Hyde Park 
 Corner, was a superb lantern, used in China only on occasions of state, which the curator* 
 describes as follows : " It is ten feet in height, and four in diameter at both extremities. 
 The frame is richly carved and gilt, and covered with crimson and white silk, adorned 
 with the most costly and beautiful embroidery. The tassels and beadwork that depend 
 from the bottom, and from a projecting portion of each corner of the upper part, are in 
 keeping with the rest. There are no less than two hundred and fifty-eight crimson 
 silk tassels, pendent from various parts. In short, this national lantern is as magni- 
 ficent as carving, gilding, silks, embroidery, and bead-work can make it." 
 
 From the opacity of the material used in the panes, from the superfluity of ornament 
 spread over them, and also from the very inartificial construction of the lanterns them- 
 selves, these costly contrivances afford but a poor imperfect light. The lamp consists 
 of a cotton wick, immersed in a cup of oil, and there is no provision for increasing the 
 quantity of light, except by the addition of an increased number of wicks. The oil 
 in general use is of an excellent quality, giving out but little smoke, and burning freely. 
 It is obtained from the ground-nut, arachis hypogen, a native of China, and it is a sub- 
 stitute for butter amongst the poorer classes. 
 
 The use of lanterns is assuredly very ancient, necessity having taught their con- 
 venience amongst the earliest inventions of social economy ; and, although we can trace 
 back their history through Rome and Athens, still, how modern do such annals appear, 
 placed in competition with those of China ! It may, however, be a gratification to the 
 inquisitive to be told when lanterns were first distinctly spoken of, by those nations 
 which we have been accustomed to call ancient, and where original specimens have 
 been found. The Greek poet Theopompus, and Empedocles of Agrigentum, are 
 believed to have been the first to mention such inventions as existing in their 
 countries ; and such useful articles have also been discovered in the ruins of Herculaneum 
 and Pompeii. It is said that the games of the Roman circus were enacted by the 
 light of lanterns, and that the dim character of their rays shed an appropriate light on 
 the sacred orgies of the Greeks. Plutarch asserts that they were used in augury. Had 
 the Tartars, who fled from the fire of the Alceste, condescended to study Roman history, 
 they would have understood the management of the military lantern much better. When 
 the Roman legions moved by night, lanterns were carried before them upon the top of 
 a halbert, and these were so constructed as to throw the light only in that direction 
 which the carrier thought it prudent to select. 
 
 * W. B. Langdon, Esq. 
 
10 CHINA ILLUSTRATED. 
 
 FORT VICTORIA, KOW-LOON. 
 
 " Now let a truce be ask'd, that we may burn 
 Our slaughter'd heroes, and their bones in-urn ; 
 That done, once more the fate of war be tried, 
 And whose the conquest, mighty Jove decide." Pope. 
 
 Our new possession, Hong-Kong, is separated from the mainland by a strait not more 
 than half a mile in width in some places, but in others extending to five. The Pen- 
 insula of Kow-loon forms the opposite shore ; and on its extreme point, and directly 
 commanding the entrance to the English town, which has grown up there with almost 
 miraculous rapidity, stood two Chinese forts. As the bay of Hong-Kong is one of the 
 most admirable in the Eastern seas, it is an object of the utmost consequence that it 
 shall be protected from the treachery of the Chinese. Its natural advantages consist in 
 depth and capaciousness, as well as in the safe anchorage it affords to the largest vessels 
 riding at a cable-length from the shore, during the typhoons by which the Chinese seas 
 are agitated.* The lofty mountain that rises in the back-ground of the accompanying 
 view, and seems to impend over the waters of the strait, is called the Peak of Hong- 
 Kong ; and, although beautiful in the distance from its form and outline, it is sterile and 
 unpromising upon more close examination. Its summit and projecting points are of 
 hard granite, a most valuable acquisition to the settlers, as being a durable and accom- 
 modating material for building; and, as in all regions of similar structure, the granite is 
 found in the highest position, here it attains an elevation of two thousand feet above 
 the level of the sea. 
 
 The Chinese are not a seafaring people ; they navigate large rivers, broad canals, 
 and tranquil lakes, and they creep along the somewhat inhospitable coasts of their vast 
 empire ; but, from their indisposition either to visit foreign countries, or trade with 
 distant nations, or from an actual natural timidity, they seldorrf cast their fortunes upon 
 the broad waters of the ocean, like the British mariner. To such inexperienced seamen 
 the strait of Hong-Kong, with its snug shelter and safe anchorage, was invaluable ; and 
 on the promontory of Kow-loon, immediately in front of which coasting junks cast 
 anchor, a village and two batteries stood, before the Chinese war. The village is at some 
 distance from the water, but the fortified position formed the extreme south-east point 
 of the peninsula, or tongue of level land, that stretched towards the roadstead. The 
 soil here is more fertile than that of the opposite shore, the climate not so damp, atmos- 
 pheric changes being neither so frequent nor so sudden, and the spot itself is a much 
 more eligible site for a military or commercial settlement than our ceded island. 
 
 On the arrival of our expedition in these waters, the fleet procured supplies at 
 Kow-loon, where they found an active trade, but to a small extent, conducted by the 
 natives. After the first compact into which we entered with these " treaty-breakers," 
 
 * In all points, both of facility of ingress and egress, and in its perfectly land-locked situation, this harbour 
 (Kow-loon) can hardly have a superior in the world — Report of Lord Amherst's Voyage. 
 
L 
 
 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
PAVILION OF THE STAR OF HOPE. 41 
 
 it was agreed that the peninsula of Kow-loon should be considered neutral ground, and 
 that the two batteries which stood there should be dismantled, to remove all apprehension 
 on our part. Idolaters have been known to observe their engagements, and respect their 
 character, but the species of worship which the Chinese embrace is so base and sense- 
 less, that genius and dishonesty are, in their tongue, synonymous terms— faith and false- 
 hood valued only in proportion to the success of the observer. The tenure of their 
 friendship must inevitably be precarious— the enjoyment of their alliance an unenviable 
 possession. However, to their promises we trusted, and, leaving Kow-loon in their 
 custody, believed ourselves secure from insult or aggression at Hong-Kong. 
 
 Scarcely had we indulged in a cessation from active war, when the imperial 
 government expressed its total disregard for treaties, especially with Barbarians, and 
 without hesitation resumed an aggressive attitude. This iniquitous measure decided the 
 question of occupancy at Kow-loon ; and, instead of the old battery, whose useless and 
 time-worn artillery was quite in character with their dastardly artillery-men, a re-edifica- 
 tion, but in the Chinese architectural manner, has taken place ; and a stout fortress, 
 manned by brave British military, has succeeded, known by the appropriate, and now 
 ever-memorable name in China, of Fort Victoria. 
 
 PAVILION OF THE STAR OF HOPE, 
 
 TONG-CHOW. 
 
 " Let her but wish for shawls or pearls, 
 To bind her brow, to braid her curls ; 
 And I from east to west would fly, 
 Ere she should seek, or I deny." 
 
 The Mandarin. 
 
 Everywhere in the Chinese empire, respect — calm, senseless, ceremonious respect — 
 a sort of consideration due from the stronger to the weaker, from the older to the 
 younger, from the natural protector to the object of protection — is paid by the sterner 
 to the softer sex. But this sentiment being rather instinctive than rational, instead of 
 a tribute to worth, it is only an extenuation of contempt. This habitual feeling for 
 female feebleness is displayed most conspicuously in the villas or pavilions which the 
 mandarin erects for the occupation of his wife and children ; and the name of the 
 splendid specimen which Mr. Allom has here selected, as an illustration of aristocratic 
 life in China, has a sort of poetic reference to the father's hope of happiness, from the 
 representatives of his illustrious line, that are so fondly cherished within it. 
 
 Exhibiting an endless variety in design, yet built in strict accordance with the laws 
 that limit domestic architecture, the Pavilion of the Star of Hope is, even amongst the 
 metropolitan mandarins, who retire in summer to this locality, considered the Villa of 
 
 II. L 
 
42 CttlNA ILLUSTRATED. 
 
 Tong-chow pat excellence. The lawns that extend, or rather rise, from the bank of the 
 silvery Pei-ho to the pleasure-grounds of the villa, constitute a spacious demesne, 
 intersected by artificial rivulets, adorned with artificial lakes, and embellished with 
 bridges more numerous than necessary, and constructed for luxury rather than conve- 
 nience. The garden and pleasure-grounds passed, visitors reach the marble court in 
 front, a broad bright plateau, where the venerable owner occasionally receives them, and 
 accepts the homage of the kow-tow, or prostration. The impiety of such a ceremony, 
 it is not necessary to censure here ; because habit has obliterated all idea of its impro- 
 priety — because despotism has polluted reason at its source, and the waters that flow 
 thence can never be pure — and, lastly, because the Chinese do not know to whom alone 
 the knee should be bent, and the spirit humbled. May the glory of teaching them be 
 reserved for Britons ! 
 
 Beneath a tee, or large umbrella, in the centre of the court, the humiliating cere- 
 mony is going forward, while the domestics, some with their velvet-buttoned caps, others 
 bare-headed, are either waiting the mandarin's orders, or performing their respective 
 duties. Three distinct pieces of architecture unite to form one grand combination, 
 on which Chinese fancy and parental feeling have conferred a sentimental name. The 
 first, or outer, exhibits the heavy double roof, with dragoned angles, an imperial finish — 
 the second, a subdued corridor, introduced to give an air of lightness to the pavilions 
 which it connects — and the third, an exquisite design, two stories in height, enriched 
 with costly ornaments and delicate workmanship. The corridor, which separates the 
 matron's apartments, is furnished with stands of flowers, tables with china ornaments, 
 and various trifling objects of vertu ; while square, richly-carved, and gaudily-painted 
 lanterns hang from the ceiling. The walls consist of panels carved or painted, or even 
 of trellis-work, through which refreshing breezes enter ; while the prospect over the 
 landscape is rendered more agreeable by the limit of the aperture through which it is 
 enjoyed. The inner apartment, the first of that suite, from which the jealousy of barba- 
 rian habits and the bigotry of a grovelling creed exclude the visitor, is generally supplied 
 with an extravagant collection of ornaments and curiosities. Bamboo is enlisted 
 extensively in furnishing chairs, sofas, tables, lattices, curtain frames, and other useful 
 appendages of a boudoir ; and, if artificial paintings be not present, nature is pressed 
 into the service by affording some delightful spectacle of a distant landscape through an 
 opening of a fanciful form. Above the boudoir are the sleeping apartments, which open 
 upon a balcony enclosed by a carved and gilded balustrade, and from the roof depend 
 lanterns adorned with embroidered silk and numerous tasselled honours. 
 
 In our view of the Pavilion of the Star of Hope, the entire range of colonnades, 
 corridors, verandas, balconies, &c, has not been given. Repetition would have been 
 less pleasing, without being more effective; besides, judgment can readily multiply the 
 idea which this beautiful wing of the palace presents. The actual number of little tem- 
 ples which constitute the whole edifice, is enormous — the amount of pillars or columns, 
 absurdly great — and, the extent of ground which the building occupies, from the 
 peculiar style of national architecture, covers at least an acre of English measure. 
 
4 
 
 
 4 
 
 a 
 
 1 
 
PUNISHMENT OF THE CANGUE. 43 
 
 PUNISHMENT OF THE TCHA, OR CANGUE, 
 
 TING-HAI. 
 
 " 'Tis not restraint or liberty, 
 
 That makes men prisoners, or free ; 
 
 But perturbations that possess 
 
 The mind, or equanimities." 
 
 BlTLEB. 
 
 The question of apportioning punishments to crimes, has occupied the reflections of our 
 wisest legislators; and many eminent writers on jurisprudence have treated the subject 
 with learning and mercy. Still, civilized governments have not arrived at a fixed 
 conclusion as to the abolition of capital punishments, or the limit where secondary 
 should begin. The present state of British criminal law in this respect is now truly 
 anomalous, where the most heinous ofFences against the public credit, the grossest 
 examples of peculation, crimes which only a few years since would have been visited 
 with the ultimate vengeance of offended justice, are now dismissed with banishmeut to 
 a British colony. The total inadequacy of the punishment to the offeuce, as applied to 
 the patricians of this age and nation, to a commercial community, and where the loss of 
 caste alone would have already operated in driving the criminal into exile, is obvious. 
 It is plain, therefore, that the question of secondary punishments in England, requires 
 further consideration; and, if our statesmen were to procure a transcript and a transla- 
 tion of the Chinese criminal code, they would find many punishments, not belonging to 
 the class of tortures, but of exposures, more likely to operate upon educated minds, in 
 deterring from the commission of crime, than banishment from a country in which the 
 offender is not longer desirous to remain, having already forfeited his social position. 
 
 The stocks for plebeians, the pillory for patricians, were secondary chastisements 
 long in use, and abuse, in England ; but laid aside precisely at the moment when they 
 became most efficient ; that was, when wider-spread education gave such a controlling 
 power to the law of opinion, that few who were ever deemed worthy of public confi- 
 dence would not have preferred death to the shivering shame of the pillory. 
 
 Experience, not of centuries only, but of millennia, has taught the Chinese law- 
 makers the value of variety in punishments — how to suit correction to the different 
 degrees of guilt, and how palpable was the error of the Stoics ; for, those 
 
 " Who hold all crimes alike, are deep distrest 
 When we appeal to Truth's immortal test. 
 Sense, custom, social good, from whence arise 
 All forms of right and wrong, the fact denies." 
 
 In one of our most effective illustrations, Mr. Allom has represented the punishment 
 of the pantze, or bastinado, which of course admits of being regulated by the degree of 
 criminality in the culprit 
 
I I CHINA ILLUSTRATED. 
 
 For offences of a somewhat grave description, the Tcha, or Cangue, is one of the 
 most frequent and distressing. Its severity, however, is referable rather to mental 
 agony than bodily suffering, and in this property consists its virtue. The instrument 
 itself is a heavy wooden frame-work, formed of two sections fastened at one end by 
 a hinge, and at the other by a lock or screw. The neck of the culprit passes through 
 a hole in the centre, and his hands through smaller apertures on each side. Sometimes 
 he is indulged with the freedom of one hand, which he employs in relieving the weight 
 of the cangue from his galled shoulders. 
 
 Over the screw which secures the sections enclosing the offender's neck, a paper is 
 generally pasted, to which is affixed the seal or chop of the committing mandarin ; and 
 over another part of the log, a placard setting forth the crime which is visited by this 
 degradation. 
 
 The weight of these moveable pillories is from sixty to two hundred pounds avoir- 
 dupois, and the time of endurance is proportioned, according to the judgment of the 
 magistrate, to the magnitude of the offence. A criminal has been known to endure 
 a heavy cangue for half a year, passing his nights in the dungeons of Ting-hai, and, 
 when day appeared, led by a chain to the most frequented of the city-gates. The 
 keeper, armed with a thick bamboo, or large thong-whip, conducts him to some position 
 where he may recline against a wall, and ease his shoulders of their ponderous load. If 
 both the culprit's hands be confined, he cannot raise food or drink to his mouth, in 
 which case the attendant feeds him with the wretched jail-allowance ; or some compas- 
 sionate occupants of the adjoining houses, near to which he happens to be placed for 
 the day, supply him with refreshments. One of the aggravations of this collar of 
 infamy is the ridicule to which the wearer is exposed from all the idle urchins that 
 crowd the streets, at his inability to feed himself, and at the total dependence of one, 
 who was once as powerful as profligate, upon the compassion and benevolence of those 
 whom possibly he may formerly have wronged. 
 
 But the offended majesty of Chinese law does not become appeased on all occasions 
 by the imposition of the cangue ; sometimes the mandarins think proper to inflict 
 a number of blows with the bamboo on the liberated wearer ; sometimes banishment 
 from the district is added ; and, should the offence be deemed unpardonable, though still 
 not deserving of capital punishment, perpetual exile from the empire is pronounced. 
 

 
 
 - 
 
 s 
 
 
 SI 
 
 & 
 
WOO-E-SHAN. 45 
 
 WOO-E-SHAN, OR BOHEA HILLS, FO-KIEN. 
 
 " Therefore these elves, piping to us in v;iin. 
 As in revenge, have suck'd up from the sea 
 Contagious fogs : which, falling in the land, 
 Have every pelting river made so proud. 
 That they have overhorne their continents." Shakspeare. 
 
 Celebrated for the culture of the most delicious description of tea, the Woo-e-shan 
 hills are still more memorable by the legends that are entwined around their picturesque 
 rocks, that are located in their deep and many caverns, and that are pinnacled on their 
 cloud-capp'd summits. The hilly region of Woo-e includes thirty-six lofty and con- 
 spicuous peaks, situated to the south of the Tsung-nan, in the district of Keen-ning-foo, 
 and province of Fo-kien. Amidst these grotesquely-formed masses of limestone, the 
 c' Kew-keuh-ke," or River of the Nine Bends, makes its tortuous way, adding fertility 
 and ornament to this singular landscape ; and every rock, and crag, and cliff, that over- 
 hangs its stream, is allegorized in the poetry or the traditions of the people. 
 
 These hills derive their name from a deity named Woo-e-keu, or Prince Woo-e, who 
 frequently descended from his cloudy mansion, and fixed his temporary abode on which- 
 ever of the thirty-six pinnacles was most pleasing to him at the time. Who were the 
 objects of this prince's care and affection, or from what race he was sprung, does not 
 appear; but it is said in the " See-seen-chuen," or Traditions of the Immortals, that 
 a prince styled Tseen-kang had two sons : the name of the elder was Woo ; of the 
 younger, E. To these sons his crown descended ; but one only, the elder, is spoken of 
 as having ever visited his inheritance. His palace, however, was wholly inaccessible to 
 mortals, standing on the highest point of a detached and lofty peak, whose sides all 
 around were completely perpendicular. Whether the mansion of the mystic monarch 
 still survives, is as difficult to be ascertained at the present day, as when his majesty- 
 occupied it; for, the " Ta-wang-fung," or Peak of the Great King, also called the 
 '• Tseen-choo," or Pillar of Heaven, has never yet been ascended. 
 
 The province of Fo-kien being once afflicted with a long-continued drought, so 
 wasting in its effects that the cattle died, the crops withered, and all nature seemed to 
 droop; looking to their monarch, who was of the Wei dynasty, the people solicited his 
 counsel in this dread extremity. The king, condescending to come amongst his subjects, 
 entered the valley of the River of the Nine Bends; and, on the great sloping rock 
 that leans over the waters, as an altar suitable to the God of nature, made an offering of 
 wine and dried fruits; he sacrificed live victims at the same time to the genii of the 
 valley, and supplicated their aid in inducing ,the heavens to let fall their moisture, in 
 the fertilizing form of dew or rain. When the ceremony was ended, an object was dis- 
 cerned in the sky, which, as it drew nearer, was perceived to be an elf riding on a stork, 
 and moving with rapidity towards one of the peaks, on which it soon after alighted. 
 
 II. M 
 
4(i CHINA ILLUSTRATED. 
 
 The appearance of this demon was succeeded by the most refreshing rain ; and the 
 bed of the river, which had been completely dry for some months, was instantly filled 
 with running water. For some time the genius of the weather remained upon the peak, 
 which has ever since borne the name of " Seen-ho-yen," the Tower of the Stork and Elf, 
 and under which commemorative title it is immortalized in the poetry of Choo-he, 
 a celebrated commentator on the works of Confucius. Within a cavern in the Seen-ho 
 are several large boulders, entirely detached ; these are represented, by the same learned 
 chronicler, to have once been the tables, and bureaus, and couches of the elves of the 
 rock, secured from mortal enjoyment by the transformation of their original owners. 
 
 In the long catalogue of names, which the fairy forms of these peaks suggest, many 
 attract by the legends which they imply. Such are three reddish rocks, a most irregular 
 outline, called the Peaks of the Jade Lady ; the Man-ting-fung, or Peak of the Cur- 
 tained Pavilion ; and Teeh-teih-ting, or Pavilion of the Iron Flute. The last of these 
 extraordinary appellations originated with the Orpheus of the thirty-six Peaks, Leu-keen- 
 taou, the companion of Hoo-yan, who was constantly roving amongst the hills and vales 
 of Woo-e, beguiling the time by his melodious performances on an iron flute. The strains 
 of this mountain-musician are said to have been just as miraculous in their effects as 
 those of the Thracian melodist, for the music of the iron flute " penetrated the clouds, 
 and pierced the flinty rock." 
 
 The name Bo-hea, by which the tea of Fokien is generally known, is the corruption, 
 or rather the pronunciation of "Woo-e," which is uniformly adopted by the natives of all 
 the Tea provinces. 
 
 THE PRIA GRANDA, MACAO. 
 
 " Now mark the hall, the church, the street, 
 The buildings of to-day : 
 Behold the thousands now that meet 
 
 Upon the peopled quay." L. E. L. 
 
 The Portuguese were once celebrated for commercial enterprise — for the propagation 
 of the Christian religion— for a love of arts, and the cultivation of literature ; of all these 
 noble qualities, few evidences have been perpetuated, if we except the sumptuous archi- 
 tectural wonders of old Lusitania herself. The little sovereignty in the Eastern seas, 
 which they once possessed, has gradually decayed ; their colonies have been erected into 
 independent governments ; their very monarch, a scion of the ancient house of Braganza, 
 forsook the throne of his fathers on the approach of the invader, and left to England 
 and to Wellington the glory of reconquering his hereditary dominions. The fate of the 
 nation has therefore been proportioned to the genius and resolution of its sovereigns ; 
 and Macao, where once a flourishing trade existed, where Spain, Portugal's haughty 
 neighbour, was compelled to strike her own flag, and hoist the standard of her rival, 
 
> 
 
 
 
 
 
 
THE PRIA GRAND A. 17 
 
 whenever she approached the shores of China — whenever English enterprise found a 
 profitable field for operation — this Macao is now simply, solely, a record of the past.* 
 
 The Pria, or Praya Granda, is the most nattering surviving specimen of this empo- 
 rium of Oriental trade. Approached from the water, this fine ambulatory presents 
 a striking and agreeable appearance. A row of handsome houses, extending along the 
 beach for upwards of seven hundred yards, is built in a crescent form, in obedience to 
 the graceful and regular bend of the bay. In front, a spacious promenade is formed, on 
 an artificial embankment faced with stone, interrupted, occasionally, by jetties for landing 
 goods, and by steps for descending to the water. Here is the residence of the Portuguese 
 governor, and here also is the English factory, plain substantial buildings; besides 
 the Custom-house, distinguished by the display of the Imperial flag in front. At the ter- 
 mination of what is called the High-street, stands the Senate House, a structure whose 
 pretensions to architectural beauty are of the humblest character, but its dimensions 
 considerable. Beyond the Praya Granda, a mixed assemblage of styles presents itself, 
 including English houses, towers of Portuguese churches, Chinese temples, and domestic 
 roofs, generally grotesque. The church of St. Joseph, the most spacious and beau- 
 tiful of the twelve which the first settlers raised here, dedicated to the Apostles, 
 is collegiate, and richly adorned. The sea-view of the city does not partake of the 
 Chinese character, because the low natives who reside at Macao inhabit the back streets 
 only, and their dwellings being but one story in height, are concealed by the Portuguese 
 and English houses that surround them : the Chinese are generally dealers in grain, vege- 
 tables, and sea-stores, in addition to their employments of joiners, smiths, tailors, &c. 
 
 Besides the college of St. Joseph, Macao boasts a grammar-school of royal 
 foundation, and some few other institutions of Portuguese origin devoted to literature ; 
 amongst the charitable establishments is an asylum for female orphans. At the extre- 
 mity of the Praya Granda is a spacious and elegant demesne called the Caaa, in which 
 is ostentatiously shown a natural grotto, where Camoens, once the Portuguese judge 
 at Macao, is said to have written the greater part of his Lusiad. 
 
 The roadstead for large vessels being on the other side of the peninsula, about ten 
 miles distant, the immediate trade with the inner harbour, which is shallow, is conducted 
 by lighter-junks and large boats. Before the subjugation of China by British arms 
 in 1843, every foreign vessel, on casting anchor in the roadstead, was boarded by a pilot, 
 who, having ascertained the nature of the cargo, reported accordingly. The ship's boat 
 then proceeded to the Custom-house, where a toll was paid, permission obtained to land 
 any female passengers who happened to be on board — the imperial regulations not allow- 
 ing them to go as far as VVhampoa — and a chop, or permit, procured to pass the Bogue, or 
 Bocca Tigris. That many of these precautionary measures have been superseded by 
 the severe chastisement inflicted upon China, it is scarcely necessary to observe. The 
 commerce of Macao will soon be transferred to Hong-kong, while that of Canton itself 
 will be shared by the other open ports of the empire. Dulness therefore seems likely 
 to reign at Macao, unbroken by any incidents of interest, if we exempt the annual 
 * Vide Vol. I. p. 27, " Macao from Heang-shan." 
 
4S CHINA ILLUSTRATED. 
 
 immigration of Cantonese families, during the sultry season in the great city, of which the 
 Portuguese avail themselves by holding a grand carnival. This feast is celebrated with 
 the utmost costliness and enthusiasm — balls, masques, concerts, spectacles, and all other 
 amusements, that minister to the pleasure of soft, southern Europe, are called in, to aid 
 in giving effect to the Macao carnival. 
 
 Opposite to the spot where the cave of Camoens is situated, lies a small island, 
 where the Jesuits formerly had a church, a college, and an observatory ; but the melan- 
 choly ruins that now cover the surface of this picturesque and fertile spot, only remind 
 the visitor of the fallen fortunes of that classic community. This pretty object is the 
 ornament of the inner harbour, which is secure from the north-east monsoon, the terror of 
 all vessels that venture to lie in the outer. Exclusive of Portuguese apathy, there is 
 a natural cause now operating for the destruction of the trade of this port — it is the 
 gradual filling up of the harbour with sand. The existence and progress of this unfor- 
 tunate change are very clearly perceived by the following authenticated statement: — 
 when Lord Anson visited Macao, his ship anchored in the basin on one side of the har- 
 bour, formed by a group of four islands, and lay securely there during her repairs; at the 
 present time, a ship of equal size and burden could not enter the same bason at all. 
 
 FIRST ENTRANCE TO THE TEMPLE OF CONFUCIUS, 
 
 CHING-HAI. 
 
 " See a siege, 
 Behold the ordnance on their carriages, 
 With fatal mouths gaping on girded city." 
 
 Shakspeare. 
 
 Ching-hai is situated on the embouchure of the Tahea river, and is the capital of 
 a heen, or district, in the province of Che-kiang. The site is singularly strong by 
 nature, overhanging an elevated peninsula, the base of which is washed by the sea on 
 one side, and by the rapid current of the Tahea on the other, against the attrition of which 
 it is protected by a noble stone embankment. This grand sea-wall extends along the 
 outer coast for a distance of six miles or upwards, and defends a vast tract of level land 
 which lies considerably below the high-water mark ; the extreme point of Ching-hai 
 peninsula is crowned by a fort of great capacity, but which lay dismantled and ungar- 
 risoned for many years, until the terror of British arms in the recent wars, alarmed the 
 citizens for their safety. 
 
 It may assist our readers in forming an estimate of the true quality of our enemies, 
 in the late unequal contest with China, to present them with a brief extract from a report 
 of the Lord Amherst's voyage, detailing the opposition that ship surmounted in ascending 
 

 
 x^ 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
TEMPLE OF CONFUCIUS. 49 
 
 the Tahea and passing Ching-hai. " In passing this town, numerous boats came and 
 spoke us ; among others, several filled with low mandarins, who endeavoured to induce 
 us to stop, both by intreaties and finally by threats ; these boats not being able to keep 
 up with us, some of them landed, and running along the banks of the river, tried to 
 induce some large vessels full of passengers to stop our progress ; but these declined all 
 interference. They then set a troop of boys to pelt us with stones, as we were sailing 
 close inshore to avoid the tide; on which I hailed them, threatening to inform the 
 Chee-foo of their insolence; and t lieu then checked the boys from throwing any more 
 stones. The breeze fortunately freshening, we stood to the other side of the river, and 
 met with no further impediment."* 
 
 Such was the military character of these over-civilized people in 1833; but a visit 
 from an English armament to the neighbouring island of Chusan has so completely 
 awakened them to the folly of their presumption and confidence, that when our fleet 
 appeared before the walls of Ching-hai in 1841, every man in the district held his lantern 
 in his hand, supplied with oil, and " with trimmed wick." When our ships cast anchor 
 before this once unprotected district, Sir Henry Pottinger writes, that " the city was so 
 strongly covered by its citadel (a fort built on a lofty headland jutting into the sea) and 
 a number of heavy batteries and outworks on each bank of the estuary, that the Imperial 
 commissioner, Yukeen, who had come specially to defend it, and other civil and military 
 Chinese authorities, appeared, from their proclamations, to have flattered themselves, 
 even after their past and recent experience of the power of the British arms, that the 
 place could not be taken." 
 
 Long familiarity with peace had rendered the Celestial government less capable of 
 calculating on the chances of war : this the poet could have taught them without 
 a trial — 
 
 " Thou know'st, great son, 
 The end of war's uncertain." 
 
 To render fate, however, as stable as possible, Sir William Parker laid down such 
 a plan of operations as reduced the capture of Ching-hai to a moral certainty. The 
 Wellesley man-of-war was ordered to place herself due north of the citadel, or Joss- 
 house hill, as close in as she could be carried without risk of taking the ground at 
 low-water; the Blenheim to the east, and the Blonde to the south-west of the Wellesley; 
 while the Modeste was to anchor south-west of the Blonde ; all as near to the Chinese 
 positions as their respective drafts of water would admit, care being taken not to obstruct 
 each other's fire. The object of this arrangement was to drive the enemy from the 
 citadel with shot and shell, and prevent reinforcements being sent up to it from the city. 
 The fire of these ships would also cover a landing-place for a body of marines at the 
 western base of the hill : while the Chinese would inevitably be expelled from the 
 east quarter of the city by the fire of the Blonde and Modeste. Orders equally decisive 
 and distinct were delivered to the transports and cruisers, as well as to the Sesostris, 
 which was to anchor off the north side of Passage island, to shell the citadel on the east, 
 
 • Report of the Lord Amherst's Voyage to the North-east Coast of China, by Mr. Lindsay, p. 43. '2Gth Muy. 
 II. N 
 
50 CHINA ILLUSTRATED. 
 
 and flank the batteries on the right bank of the river. The Queen was ordered to 
 advance as far as would render it practicable to burst shells in the Chinese encampment, 
 to clear the south-west part of the citadel-hill, should the enemy be driven thither by the 
 fire of the ships to the northward, and to shell the batteries on the town-side, which 
 defended the entrance to the harbour. 
 
 These instructions being implicitly obeyed, the whole squadron settled in the mud 
 as the tide ebbed ; and, by this chance of war, became as steady as land-forts, so that 
 their fire was more tremendous than the admiral had even anticipated. For some time, 
 almost an hour, the Chinese stood to their guns ; but, their ramparts being ruined, and 
 the citadel breached, they began to desert their posts with rapidity. This was the signal 
 for our troops to land : notwithstanding the obstruction of a rocky shore, Captain 
 Herbert succeeded in effecting his object, and before noon he was seen gallantly heading 
 his columns as they ascended the hill to assault the citadel. While yet they were a few 
 yards from the gate, a Tartar stood above it, waving the Imperial flag triumphantly in 
 deflance ; the nest moment, a shell from the Wellesley, pointed with the most fatal 
 precision, fell on the spot, and tbe brave soldier disappeared in the ruins which its 
 explosion scattered around. This catastrophe struck terror into the few Tartars that 
 remained in the citadel ; and, without offering further resistance, they all escaped from 
 one gate, while the British entered at another. 
 
 The infinite superiority of British military skill became now sufficiently obvious to 
 th° enemy, and, when Captain Herbert directed his march upon the city, on the walls of 
 which a few resolute and loyal men were collected, a general abandonment commenced 
 within. Several volleys were poured upon the defenders of the ramparts, with all that 
 steadiness and perfect discipline which only exists in the English army ; after which, 
 the walls, though twenty-six feet in height, were escaladed. Here the conflict ended; 
 the English took possession of the city, as they had just before done of the citadel, and 
 t e Dragon, a false and senseless emblem, made way for the Lion, whose quality is 
 i:oble and generous. 
 
 It must not be concluded, that the Chinese are ignorant of some of the arts of war; 
 they are ingenious in plotting, and expert in executing : and, had one of their projects 
 for the interruption of our operations against Ching-hai, taken effect, this siege would 
 indeed have been memorable in the history of the war. At the battery that stood near 
 the foot of the hill, a mine had been prepared, and scarcely had the English column 
 passed the spot, when it was sprung, without any injury, save the loss of one poor 
 drummer. The Chinese Guy, who undertook to fire the train, was perceived as he 
 attempted to escape, and soon paid the forfeit of his fortitude, being slain by a shower 
 of bullets from a party of marines. 
 
 Our gallant regular troops, who had been landed at an early hour, proceeded to 
 attack the Chinese force, 5,000 strong, that were encamped on the south side of the 
 river. L nder cover of a rising ground, two columns of the little army marched round 
 unimpeded, and fell upon the enemy's flank, while the centre column engaged them in 
 front. The effect of this manoeuvre, so ably designed and so promptly executed, was 
 
TEMPLE OF CONFUCIUS. 51 
 
 decisive — panic-struck and confounded, they gazed awhile upon this influx of enemieSj 
 and only collected presence of mind to perceive, that one way, the sea, was still open for 
 retreat. In the pursuit that followed, many personal conflicts occurred, in all of which 
 the Briton proved himself physically superior to the Chinaman. The fugitives main- 
 tained their rapid retreat from the encampment, until thev reached the water, and, 
 plunging into the current, were there exposed to a murderous fire from our marines. 
 At length they accepted quarter, and the dreadful carnage ended. 
 
 This was probably the most sanguinary of all the battles fought in this war; it is 
 known that fifteen hundred fell on the side of the enemy : that the Tartar general who 
 promised to catch the Barbarians in a net, terminated his own existence : and that many 
 brave officers in the Imperial service refused to survive the disgrace of that dav. These, 
 however, are the ills of war; and those that dedicate themselves to that insatiate demon, 
 must be prepared to meet their destiny. 
 
 There are others that more command our sympathy, who become the victims of this 
 earthly pestilence — the widows, and the orphans, and the parents that are bereft of 
 unoffending children. A scene of this heart-rending character was witnessed by our 
 soldiers as thev entered the ruined city. " At one spot were four children struck down 
 by a shot, while the frantic father was occasionally embracing their bodies, or making 
 attempts to drown himself in a neighbouring pond, from doing which he was forcibly 
 prevented by his friends. Xumerous similar scenes were witnessed — the unavoidable 
 miseries of war."* 
 
 While our troops remained in possession of the city, those opportunities of examining 
 the architecture and institutions of the empire — to which foreigners had hitherto been 
 either jealously admitted, or from which they were totallv excluded — were now fullv 
 enjoyed. Elsewhere in these pages, the philosophy of Confucius has been described : it 
 will here, therefore, be sufficient to notice the sumptuous college, dedicated in his name, 
 at Ching-hai. Three noble gates span the area which leads to the college-hall ; the 
 outermost, represented in the accompanying illustration, being the most gorgeous and 
 beautiful. With that inexplicable caution only exemplified in China, the grand gate 
 of the temple is protected by enclosing walls, in one of which, at right angles with the 
 facade, is a minor entrance, opening directly upon the street The porch itself is 
 enriched by devices, and figures, and emblems, of endless varietv, and perhaps meanings 
 also. A balustrade of precious wood, pierced after a regular and chaste pattern, protects 
 the balconv of the upper story, upon which open six doors, of hard wood, exquisitely 
 carved. The roof consists of yellow glazed tiles; and, when the sun's rays strike upon 
 them, they present the appearance of the brightest burnished gold. This dazzling 
 spectacle is seen at mid-day from a considerable distance, owing to the commanding 
 height of the structure itself. Figures, carved in alto-relievo, a common description of 
 ornament here, decorate the ridge of the roof. Dragons of huge dimensions, bearing on 
 their scaly backs different grotesque figures, guard the projections at each angle. 
 
 • Bingham's Narrative of the Expedition to China, &c. vol. ii. 
 
52 CHINA ILLUSTRATED. 
 
 ALTAR-PIECE IN THE GREAT TEMPLE, TING-IIAI. 
 
 " Such are thy creeds, O man ! when thou art given 
 
 To thy own fearful nature — false and stern ! 
 M'liat were we now, but that all-pitying Heaven 
 
 Sent us a holier, purer faith to learn ? — 
 Type of its message came the white- winged dove — 
 What is the Christian's creed? — Faith, Hope, and Love." 
 
 This singular production, which is a legitimate specimen of neither painting nor 
 sculpture, but a combination of both, discloses, in some degree, the origin of Bhuddism, 
 or exposes the motley character of the worship that now degrades the Chinese nation. 
 It consists of a quantity of massive carved wood-work intermixed with stucco, all in 
 alto-relievo, gaudily coloured and profusely gilt. The principal figure is a female, sup- 
 ported by a dolphin that swims breast-high through the waves, with an infant rising 
 from her breast, a lotus-flower in her right hand, and a nimbus encircling her head. 
 The ceil, or recess, in which she is located, represents a grotto of rock-work, on the 
 projecting angles of which little figures are placed, all appearing to supplicate or respect 
 the deity of the waters. On one cliff is a soldier, on another a sailor ; an agriculturist 
 occupies a bold prominence, and a king with his mortal crown on, extends his suppli- 
 cating hands towards this patron of the helpless. From the monarch to the mendicant 
 none seem to be exempt from the necessity of appeal to her wooden majesty. A large 
 table or platform in front is covered with little images of various shapes, and with 
 pastiles, and perfumes, and joss-sticks, the accompaniments of every altar of Bhuddism. 
 It is immediately in front of this high altar that the devotees beat their foreheads 
 against the pavement, to the measured tones of a monstrous drum, the loud vibrations of 
 a huge gong, or the dulcet sounds of a great silver bell. 
 
 No temple in China is more celebrated for its wealth or magnitude, more admired 
 for the elegance of its architecture, or more frequented from the supposed sanctity of 
 its relics, than the Yun-stzoo-stzee. It is not only the greatest in Chusan, but in all 
 China ; and while no relaxation of those inhospitable laws, that closed their ports against 
 the foreigner, was permitted in other instances, leave to visit this noble temple has 
 always been granted to Barbarians ; but, however grateful the traveller may be for the 
 privilege, it is more than probable that his thanks are due to ostentation rather than 
 hospitality. 
 
 Fo is the presiding deity over this vast assemblage of idols and curiosities, but the 
 furniture of his temples resembles that of the Immortals ; in both, a group resembling 
 the lady and child occurs. Poo-sa, Shing-moo, Teen-how -neang, and Kuan-yin, all differ 
 in certain minute particulars, but all agree in the general signification of " Queen of 
 Heaven." Over the entrances to the temples of the Immortals, the following dedicatory 
 

 
 
 
 
ALTAR-PIECE IN THE GREAT TEMPLE, TING-HAI. 53 
 
 sentences are constantly inscribed — "To the Holy Mother, Queen of Heaven, the Goddess 
 of Peace and Power, descended from the island of Moui-tao, who stills the waves of 
 the sea, allays storms, protects the empire ;" or, as this — " The ancient temple of the 
 Goddess (Kin-wha) of the Golden Flower, through whose influence fields are green, and 
 fertile like a grove of trees, and benefits are diffused as the frothy waves of the sea, that 
 shine like splendid pearls." 
 
 As the Tao-tzes, or Immortals, are mere dissentients from Bhuddism, they have 
 carried away with them the worship of a Queen of Heaven ; it remains therefore to be 
 shown whence the latter derived this ceremony, so singularly analogous to the adoration 
 of the Virgin Mary in the Catholic churches. It is a custom of ancient practice 
 amongst the Hindoos to inscribe a dedicatory sentence, on their door-posts, to the 
 goddess Gamesa, in the same manner as the Tao-tzes now do to the holy mother; but, 
 there is another Hindoo deity that still more closely resembles the Chinese sea-nymph 
 than the Gamesa, which is generally represented riding on a fish, or reposing on the 
 waves. From one or both of these the Celestial Queen of the Ocean may be derived. 
 
 But, curiosity, and a natural love of truth, will not rest satisfied with the explanation, 
 that one set of idolatrous men copied from another a history, or narrative, which is so 
 obviously taken from the Book of Life. It cannot be otherwise than true, that the 
 worship of the Queen of Heaven in China is a confused conception of that Christian 
 religion, which the Jesuits so meritoriously laboured to teach the nation, and of which 
 they have unhappily retained the dross but lost the metal. The legends of Fo-kien 
 say, that " the Queen of Heaven" was a pious virgin of that province, who saw, in 
 a vision, her kindred in danger of being shipwrecked, and, boldly walking on the waters, 
 rescued them from peril. This tale applies exactly to the figure " Kuan-yin," in the 
 accompanying illustration, which rides on a dolphin in a troubled sea, rescuing all that 
 are in danger ; an allegorical representation of her power to save and to rescue in the 
 agitated ocean of life ; but, her holding an infant to her breast is not mentioned in the 
 legend of Fo-kien. The story of the Shing-moo, already related in these pages, in 
 speaking of the lady and the lotus, corresponds so closely with the relation of our 
 Saviour's birth, that discrepancies appear to have arisen either from the want of a written 
 history, or a desire to conceal the theft by disfiguring the truth. If, as is supposed by 
 some writers, the Jesuits found the worship of the Queen of Heaven, under different 
 names but the same idea, prevailing in China when they reached it, there is another 
 source remaining to which its entrance into the empire may be traced — and that is, to 
 those Nestorian Christians, whose degenerated faith may have become amalgamated 
 with the idolatries by which they long continued to be surrounded. 
 
 Shing-moo, the most frequent epithet for " Holy Mother," means, rather, " Omni- 
 scient Mother ;" Poo-sa, the " All-helping Deity," would appear to be the offspring of 
 Shing-moo. " Teen-how" signifies " Queen of Heaven ;" and " Kuan-yin," the " Goddess 
 of Mercy." All these are but synonyms for the same object, whether it be originally 
 or partially Chinese. It should not be left unnoticed, as a further evidence that the 
 Teen-how is not originally Chinese, but rather that it is borrowed from some Christian 
 II. o 
 
5 I CHINA ILLUSTRATED. 
 
 sect, that, the Blnuldist priests distinctly deny that votaries are required to worship the 
 images set up in their temples, while they refuse to remove them, but assert, that they 
 are useful in suggesting the originals, to whom, as intercessors or mediators only, prayers 
 are offered and beads are counted. Do the humble supplicants to the Teen-how perfectly 
 comprehend this distinction, so that all danger of descending from the thoughts of the 
 original to its worthless copy may be avoided, and graven images not thereby worshipped 
 through misconception ? 
 
 Besides its celebrated altar-piece, this temple abounds in extraordinary images, 
 relics, and curiosities. In common with the other places of worship at Ting-hai, it has 
 been presented with objects of rarity by mandarins and foreigners, and is now one of the 
 most complete cabinets in the empire. The little figures that stand on every projection, 
 or fill every niche, are said to represent the priests who have passed to the paradise of 
 Bhuddists ; but their deformity and grotesqueness incline the visitor to doubt this expla- 
 nation. We have, 'tis true, a singular instance, in our own cathedrals, of devices carved 
 beneath the seats in the choir stalls, which cannot be exceeded in strangeness of design. 
 These are said to have been executed by the lay-brothers of the monastery, to satirize 
 secretly the priestly brotherhood, whose lives were less pure than their lips declared. 
 Siam, too, has contributed to increase the mixture of elements in the composition of 
 worship at Ting-hai, by sending thither a beautiful white elephant. This almost rational 
 creature is lodged in the same temple with the remarkable altar-piece, but does not 
 receive absolute adoration, although its comforts, in every respect, are most sedulously 
 attended to. 
 
 THE FOUNTAIN COURT IN CONSEEQUA'S HOUSE, 
 
 CANTON. 
 
 " Be gentle with woman, our heart of hearts, 
 Who loveth us even while life departs ! 
 Oh ! call her not fickle, nor false, nor vain ! 
 Oh ! touch not a heart so tender with pain !" 
 
 Barry Cornwall. 
 
 There is considerable difficulty in explaining the origin of customs in daily use in our 
 own country, whose antiquity extends no further back than a few hundreds of years : 
 there are even architectural structures in some parts of the United Kingdom (Scotland 
 and Ireland) built not earlier than the tenth century, whose objects are totally unknown, 
 although the same race of inhabitants has continued to dwell around them. We must 
 not therefore express surprise at the inability of travellers to unfold the mystery in which 
 the usages of China are involved. We have the most incontestable evidence of the delicacy 
 with which females are treated in every rank of Chinese society — the tenderness exercised 
 

 
 $ 
 
 
 
 
 
 
THE FOUNTAIN-COURT IN CONSEEQUa's HOUSE. 55 
 
 towards them by men, who are, in all other instances, of coarse and cruel habits; we see 
 the costliness of female apparel, the choice quality of their food, and the sumptuous- 
 ness of their apartments and villas ; yet we are gravely told of " the idea of inferiority 
 attached to the female character in China.'' There must in this conclusion be some 
 profound mistake : it is more probable that interpreters have misunderstood the originals, 
 from their ignorance of national customs, than that a being despised and disqualified for 
 graver duties, even destined by parents to an unnoticed and uncensured death, should 
 be adopted as the bosom-friend, the admired, the very living idol, of the lords of the 
 creation : that his best efforts, physical and mental, should be solely directed to procure, 
 for this rejected and insignificant creature, every comfort and luxury that life is capable 
 of demanding or partaking — and his affections confined to a single object taken from this 
 condemned and worthless part of the creation. When, therefore, female insignificance in 
 China is spoken of, it should be received with some distrust as to the correctness of our 
 information. 
 
 The section of Conseequa's palace near Canton, including the fountain-court, is 
 less magnificent than others that have already been presented in these illustrations ; 
 still, beautiful, and fanciful, and graceful enough to exemplify most happily the prevalent 
 style of horticultural architecture, and display the mode in which ladies of quality pass 
 away their leisure hours in China. This shadowed and sheltered suite of apartments is 
 probably the summer retreat of the family ; colonnades, verandas, projecting roofs, and 
 drooping branches, resist the sultry sunbeams, while the surface of the little lake 
 diffuses a cool refreshing feeling to the visitors of its rocky shores. The pillars and 
 fretwork that grace the buildings, are adorned with gilding and gaudy colours ; the boat 
 is the most fantastic structure that art can counterfeit, and the robes of these "ladies of 
 the lake," all silk, and embroidery, and gold. It is a principal object in domestic orna- 
 mental architecture, as well as in landscape gardening, to impart an idea of distance ; 
 and for this purpose remarkable objects are introduced at such intervals as contribute 
 to this delusion in perspective. Long colonnades, and corridors or galleries, are 
 favourite ideas within ; bridges, and observatories, and rock-work, without. It forms no 
 minor part of Chinese ladies' daily occupations to make excursions over these tiny lakes, 
 from terrace to pavilion, across their fairy bridges, from pavilion to pagoda; and this 
 with all the interest of a serious journey. 
 
 We are assured by translators of Chinese books of mystery, that the softer is the less 
 honoured sex ; — that may be without any idea of degradation : that Yang, the highest 
 heaven, is of the masculine gender, while Yin, the earth, is feminine — which does not 
 imply anything more than that heaven is superior to earth. Yet from this it has been 
 argued that female inferiority is entirely divested of honour. Dr. Morrison's translation 
 from a native work, whose authenticity or value is uncertain, contributes to strengthen 
 an impression for which there is no solid proof. It is as follows — " When a son is born, 
 he sleeps on a bed, he is clothed with robes, he plays with gems — his cry is princely 
 loud. But, when a daughter is born, she is clothed with a wrapper, she plays with 
 a tile — she is incapable either of evil or good ; it is hers only to think of preparing 
 
56 C0IXA ILLUSTRATED. 
 
 wine and food, and not giving any occasion of grief to her parents." The sentence, 
 " she is incapable of evil or good," may also be translated, " she is not able to endure 
 fatigue or misery," giving a totally different, and much more delicate meaning, to the 
 whole passage, which is, in either case, a childish composition. 
 
 There is an additional argument for supposing that the kindness shown to females in 
 China is not associated, so unmeaningly, with the idea of their natural inferiority ; at all 
 events, if it be, that translators or travellers are still unable to prove their conjectures, 
 — it is, that the origin of the custom of distorting the feet is beyond their explanatory 
 powers ; fable alone is appealed to for an exposition of this hateful custom. " It hap- 
 pened," write Celestial antiquaries, many centuries ago, "that the Chinese women 
 conspired against the government, and, with the courage of the Amazons of old, endea- 
 voured to destroy the existing order of things. In this attempt they were defeated, and, 
 to prevent a repetition of the offence, all female infants were henceforth compelled by 
 law to wear wooden shoes, so that they might be incapable of marching to the field of 
 battle." Since no more satisfactory account of this painful practice, relating to female 
 life and manners in China, can yet be ascertained, it seems but justice to the sex to 
 suspend our opinions as to the degree of love, respect, and honour allotted to them 
 by the customs, laws, and religions of China. 
 
 TAE-PING SHAOU-KWAN. 
 
 IN THE PROVINCE OF KEANG-NAN. 
 
 " I am disgraced, impeaeh'd, and baffled here ; 
 Pierced to the soul with slander's venom'd spear, 
 The which no balm can cure, but his heart's blood 
 Which caused this murder." Shakspeare. 
 
 Twelfth only in political importance amongst the flourishing cities of Keang-nan, Tae- 
 Ping is first in picturesque position, and in general character for refinement and 
 civilization. Partaking of the natural blessings of the province, a genial climate and 
 generous soil, it is enabled to compete with the largest cities in the empire in the 
 quality of its manufactures, the improved growths of its fruits and vegetables, and the 
 reputation of its public seminaries. Indian ink, japanned wares, rice-paper, cotton, and 
 silks, constitute the principal and most profitable of their transports ; and the fishery of 
 (sheyu) salmon is very productive; heiesalt, marble, and coal are procured in abundance 
 in the encircling district. 
 
 The meeting of three navigable rivers here, all tributaries of the Yang-tse-keang, 
 attracted hither, at an early period, the merchant, and manufacturer, and carrier; 
 and here government deemed it prudent to establish a bar, or barrier, or boundary, at 
 

 
 i 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
TAE-PING SHAOU-KWAN. 5/ 
 
 which toll was to be paid and licenses granted. The position of the city is insular, and 
 its enclosing rivers are crossed by pontoons or bridges of boats, that rise and fall 
 with the rapid changes in the water-level; navigation also is less impeded by such 
 yielding structures than by permanent buildings of either wood or stone, and they are 
 both more easily destroyed and more quickly restored whenever war may arise. Walls 
 twenty feet in height, surround the city, enclosing within their circuit a surface varied 
 by rocky eminences and secluded glens. The public buildings are very numerous, espe- 
 cially those dedicated to Confucius and the study of philosophy. From these seats of 
 learning the empire is furnished with a large proportion of persons eminent for their 
 acquirements in law and medicine, as well of those whose learning should render them 
 superior to the baseness of becoming religious impostors, for as such only and truly can 
 the priests of Bhudda be characterized. 
 
 The literary reputation of Tae-ping is very ancient, and many emperors have con- 
 ferred privileges upon it commemorative of the education of great mandarins. At the 
 period of Ytt (the Chinese deluge,) this noble city belonged to Yang-chow; in the age 
 of Confucius, to the territories of Woo; during the anarchy of " The Fighting States," 
 to Tsoo and Tsin ; soon after which it is called in Chinese maps, Tan-yang. Its present 
 appellation, Tae-ping-foo, was bestowed upon it by the Ming, or twenty-first dynasty. 
 
 No barrier in old China is more famous in story than the Shaou-kwan. Perhaps 
 the tale which the natives tell of " The Flight of Tsze-sen," is the most marvellous, as 
 well as the most characteristic of national taste in literature. Woo-chang, father of the 
 famous Tsze-sen, was tutor to the heir-apparent of the state of Tsoo, and having ven- 
 tured to remonstrate with the king upon the banishment of his son, was himself sentenced 
 to be his companion in exile. After some years' absence, the tutor was recalled to court, 
 and desired to invite his two sons to repair thither also. One of them obeyed, and paid 
 the forfeit of his loyalty to a faithless monarch, by being immediately put to death along 
 with his aged father. Conscious that a day of reckoning would yet arrive, that the sur- 
 viving son would yet seek restitution of his rights, vengeance for the murder of his father 
 and his brother, and be "a very serpent in his path," the king directed Hei-sze ming, 
 brother of his chief minister, to go in pursuit of the survivor, and bring him, dead or 
 alive, into the imperial presence. The officer immediately set out on his commission, 
 attended by three thousand horsemen all clad in coats of mail. Intelligence of their 
 approach reaching Tsze-sen, he resolved on immediate flight, but the rapid advance of 
 his enemy not allowing a moment for taking leave of his family, his disconsolate wife 
 dashed out her brains against the wall of her apartment, while her husband climbed 
 over the garden-wall, and, mounting a horse, held in readiness by a faithful servant, 
 effected his escape. 
 
 Their keen appetite for cruelty being rather sharpened than blunted by the first disap- 
 pointment, his pursuers lost not a moment in resuming the chase; but their victim had 
 employed his time to the best advantage, and, having entered a thick forest, through 
 which the road passed, he ascended a lofty tree, and there awaited the arrival of the 
 horsemen. From his concealment, taking deadly aim, he shot the leader of the party, 
 
 p 
 
58 CHINA ILLUSTRATED. 
 
 Hei-sze-ming, with an arrow through the heart, which threw his followers into the 
 utmost consternation. Having taken the precaution to secure his horse to a distant tree, 
 Tsze-sen now descended, favoured by the confusion Hei-sze's death had occasioned, and, 
 stealing away to his steed, mounted, and renewed his flight. Some few of his pursuers 
 suspected the route he had taken, and, following in the track, came within arrow-shot 
 of the fugitive. Of this rashness they soon repented, for his dexterity was so Teat, 
 that, " like the Parthian, he shot them as he flew," and not one now survived, to press 
 him on his course. 
 
 Scarcely had he escaped from one danger, than another presented itself; this was 
 the approach of a large body of cavalry. Escape being impossible, he rode boldly 
 forward, and found, to his surprise, that they were not enemies of his cause ; on the 
 contrary, that they detested the tyrant who had occasioned the miseries of his family. 
 Passing on still, the same Providence that had hitherto watched over him continued its 
 faithful guardianship : he next met a peasant on the way, and, entering into conversation 
 with him, found that he too bewailed the fortunes of his country, and earnestly prayed 
 for the downfall of its despotic ruler. This declaration encouraged him to ask the pea- 
 sant's guidance to Sung, where the exiled prince lay concealed. There he organized a 
 little army, and prepared to defend himself; but the king's forces were too numerous to 
 leave any chance of victory, and in the first engagement the prince himself fell. Unable to 
 endure her great afflictions, the princess terminated her own existence, having committed 
 her son, a spirited youth, to the protecting care of her husband's friend. Tsze-sen was 
 not long in forming his resolution, nor longer, probably, in acting upon it ; and taking 
 the princely boy along with him, he cut his way, sword in hand, through the ranks 
 of the enemy, and escaped. In this desperate adventure he was supported by 
 eighty brave soldiers, at the head of whom was Tsze-wan-ling, beside a number of his 
 father's followers and dependents. With this force he set out for the state of Chin, 
 another of the petty kingdoms into which China was then divided. Arrived at the 
 court of this principality, he was presented to the king by Meaou-tszoo, the prime- 
 minister. His accomplishments, learning, military skill, and manly person, soon recom- 
 mended him to the favour of the monai'ch, who invited him to prolong his visit, promising 
 him in return the hand of his only daughter. Tsze consented, and the report was 
 quickly circulated amongst the courtiers. The king ordered a splendid entertainment, 
 at which all the ladies of quality attached to the palace made their appearance, amongst 
 whom was the foster-mother of the betrothed princess. This fond, foolish old lady, 
 overjoyed at the prospect of her protegee's alliance with a hero so distinguished, could 
 not refrain from pointing out Tsze-sen to all the ladies. In China, such conduct is not 
 only rash, but immoral ; and so much were the feelings of Tsze outraged by her inde- 
 corum, that he instantly declined the marriage. 
 
 It now became necessary for him to withdraw from the court of Chin : in doing 
 which it appeared that unforeseen difficulties were to be encountered. When the king of 
 Tsoo first beard of Tsze's arrival at the court of Chin, he requested the monarch of that 
 country to cut off his flight, by intercepting him at the barrier of Tae-ping-shaou-kwan; 
 
TAE-PING SHAOU-KWAN. 59 
 
 and ivvo generals, Yuen-yeu and Nang-yn, were appointed to execute the design. The 
 fascinating manners of the fugitive having completely captivated the king and his 
 daughter, military operations and the occupancy of the barriers were in consequence 
 suspended. But the marriage being broken off, and Tsze again en route for an asylum, 
 both for the royal child and for himself, the stratagem of his mortal foe was revived. 
 
 To force the passage of the position at Shaou-kwan, was hopeless, under the circum- 
 stances, and stratagem is best employed in opposing stratagem. Providing himself with 
 proper disguises, he set out as an itinerant merchant, the little prince carrying some of 
 his parcels; in the day-time wandering amongst the hills, and taking unfrequented 
 paths, at night resting in woods or caves. But the effects of this gipsy mode of life 
 upon the health of the prince, alarmed Tsze so much, that he at length resolved on run- 
 ning all hazards, and appealing to the most skilful physician of the district. Proceeding 
 to his dwelling in the hills, they found a grey-headed old man, who advanced towards 
 them with a bamboo stick, to guide and support his feeble steps; but scarcely had Tsze 
 described the symptoms of We-shing's complaint, than the venerable leech recognized 
 the two friends. The fidelity and humanity of medical men is proverbial in all coun- 
 tries ; they are never known to betray the secrets of the sick-room or death-bed ; nor 
 do the members of any profession bestow so large a share of their time and attention 
 gratuitously upon the poor. The Chinese doctor disclosed his detection of the fugitives' 
 disguise, for the express purpose of saving their lives by facilitating their passage of 
 the bridge of boats; and for this purpose he adopted the following contrivance: — 
 he caused a neighbour of his, who resembled Tsze-sen in features and stature, to 
 put on the fugitive's clothes, mount his horse, and ride timidly to the bridge-head, 
 the rest of the party accompanying him in the usual way of servitors. The moment the 
 false Tsze reached the bridge, he was arrested by the guards, while the attendants 
 were all permitted to pass without any attention or inquiry, the object of the king being 
 accomplished, as they supposed. The prisoner protested against such treatment, declared 
 that he was not Tsze-sen, that he knew nothing of such a person ; but the more ener- 
 getically he denied the charge, the more confident the guards became that they had 
 captured the real Tsze. At length the aged doctor was passing that way, and hearing 
 the circumstances, proceeded to the prison, when, to the amazement of all parties, but 
 more especially of the generals Yuen-yeu and Nang-yn, he recognizes and identities 
 a neighbour of his own. 
 
 The delay which this stratagem obtained, the fugitives improved to the utmost; and, 
 continuing their flight, reached the banks of the Woo-leang ; a fisherman conveyed them 
 across the river, but Tsze suspecting that his pursuers would compel him to ferry them 
 over also, or to disclose his route, besought him to observe secrecy. To this the boatman 
 solemnly pledged himself, and, bidding the prince and his friend farewell, pushed out 
 into the midst, of the stream, and, while they were yet in sight, tore up his sails, and 
 sunk himself and his boat for ever in the waters. There was a woman, also, washing 
 clothes at the edge of the river, when Tsze embarked, whose betrayal of their route 
 might have proved equally fatal: to her Tsze also communicated the secret of his real 
 
f>0 CHINA ILLUSTRATED. 
 
 character, and besought her fidelity. Before the boat had readied the farther shore, they 
 perceived that she had committed self-destruction by hanging herself from the branch 
 of a tree. 
 
 By such means, mysterious certainly, if not miraculous, the lives of Tsze-sen and 
 We-shing were preserved, and, escaping from the snares that, were laid for their destruc- 
 tion, they arrived at last at the court of Woo. The prince, being seated on his throne, 
 appointed Tsze-sen the commander of his army, who, marching upon the territories of 
 Tsoo, avenged his brother's cruel death, and has ever since been celebrated as the 
 Coriolanus of Chinese history. 
 
 THE PASS OF YANG-CHOW. 
 
 " Oh ! far away ye are, ye lovely hills, 
 Yet can I feel the air 
 Grow sweet while gazing; where 
 The valley with the distant sunshine fills." L. E.L. 
 
 There is some little falsehood, or error, or exaggeration, mixed with a much larger 
 proportion, however, of truth, in the narratives which the learned Jesuits have left us of 
 China and the Chinese. Whatever may have been the cause, they have grievously mis- 
 represented the circumstances of Yang-chow-fou in their own time, as indeed in every 
 other. This charge refers more particularly to their statement, "that the inhabitants edu- 
 cate with great pains, many young girls, and teach them to sing, play on instruments, paint, 
 and acquh'e everything requisite for an accomplished education, and then sell them as 
 morganatic wives to great mandarins." This is a total misconception of fact : females are 
 not thus reduced to slavery, or made commodities of public barter; how could the inha- 
 bitants, themselves all slaves of an emperor, enslave their peers ? These girls are appren- 
 ticed to professions by their parents, and afterwards appear as public performers for the 
 gratification of a luxurious community. Had the Jesuits said "that music, painting, 
 poetry, and general literature were here very highly cultivated," it would have been 
 a genuine character of the city and its vicinity. 
 
 The climate of this district is exhilarating, like that of south Italy, and Sicily, in the 
 Mediterranean; the country all around picturesque, romantic, varied by scenes both 
 tame and wild, familiar and desolate ; and the commerce of the place so active, that 
 multitudes are drawn hither by utility, and detained by pleasure. 
 
 Beneath a fanciful flat-arched bridge, a canal falls into the Yang-tse-keang, and on 
 a rocky height above it are pleasure-gardens, and public pavilions, and rustic theatres, 
 from which the view over the delightful province of Keang-nan is so gratifying and 
 celebrated, that the Pass of Yang-chow is also called " The Rock of Views." To these 
 rocky retreats from the cares of commerce, the mandarins and the millions withdraw 
 each evening; and, at these periods the crowds that seek a transit of the bridge 
 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
THE PASS OF YANG-CHOW. 61 
 
 is too great to be accommodated within a reasonable time, so that a number of small 
 boats are put in requisition to ferry the fashionable across the canal, a distance of a few 
 yards only. Much of the interruption which the poor sustain, who are almost driven 
 into the water, arises from the multitude of attendants upon the sedans of the mandarins: 
 rank, greatness, superiority above his fellow-men, being uniformly estimated by the 
 splendour and number of a mandarin's retainers. 
 
 At the embouchure of the canal that traverses the Pass of Yang-chow, is a little 
 bay in the river, where the salt-junks lie at anchor, and where they transfer their 
 valuable freights to boats that navigate the canals and minor rivers of the province. 
 
 Modern writers, who have collected diligently every published passage relating to 
 Yang-chow, imitate the bad example of the Jesuits in ascribing to its citizens the 
 double guilt of slave-dealing and immorality. They mistranslate the imputation, and 
 speak of the especial beauty of the females here, while their accomplishments alone were 
 the object to which the monks alluded. They pretend to tell many a tale of adventure 
 that occurred at the "Cactus-bridge," — on the "Rock of Views," and beneath the 
 fleecy clouds of Yang-chow ; but all are pure creations of the fancy. 
 
 Yang-chow-fou is a city of ancient foundation, and said to contain two millions of 
 inhabitants ! At the period of Chinese chronology called "Spring and Autumn," about 
 the year 600 b. c, it formed part of the state of Woo; it passed afterwards into the power 
 of Yue ; but under the Chen-kwo, or " Fighting Kingdom," it was transferred to the 
 government of Tsoo, and thence to that of Tsin, the first of the line of universal 
 monarchs. It was subsequently annexed to the district of Kei-keang, or " The Nine 
 Rivers." At later periods, it is designated in native works by the name, Keang-too, 
 "the River Court," or Court of Leang-nan, Kwang-ling, and Pang-chow; but the Sung 
 dynasty restored its original name. At the commencement of the Ming, or last Chinese 
 dynasty, it was known as Wei-hae-foo, which it exchanged for its present designation of 
 Yang-chow. The district includes three cities of the second rank, and seven of the 
 third. One of the most remarkable objects in this locality is the Ta-tung-shang, or 
 " Great Brass Hill," so called from a monarch of Woo having coined money there. 
 Other eminences adorn and distinguish this admired region; amongst them are the 
 famous Kwan-leen-leang, the most remarkable for outline and elevation in the empire ; 
 and the Tuh-kang, to the north-west of the city, impending over the waters of the 
 Yang-tse-keang, on which it is seated. 
 
 Amongst these lofty, sunny, yet agreeable hills, some natural productions are gathered, 
 which are valued and admired. A medicinal plant called the cho-yo, well known in 
 China, and of which there are thirty species, or sorts, is held in the highest 
 esteem; the ho, or star-tree, is also indigenous here, as well as the hevan-heva, or 
 circular-flower. They tell a story of this last rare production, which seems to be the 
 original of our own fancy about the platanus — that the whole family of the species 
 now naturalized in the British isles, originated from one implanted Oriental tree ; and 
 that whenever the parent sickens, all its offspring become sensibly affected. Ail incle- 
 ment season is said to have cut off all the circular -flower trees in China, save one only, 
 
 II. Q 
 
02 CHINA ILLUSTRATED. 
 
 and even this showed indications of disease ; upon which the emperor Che-ching, of 
 the Mongol dynasty, caused it to be engrafted on the Pa-seen- heva, and partially 
 preserved the kind. 
 
 " The twenty-four city- bridges" have been admired for their solidity, not for their 
 science. Visiters will doubtless feel a desire to see the tomb of Pwan-koo, the first man 
 who sprung forth out of chaos, as well as the mausoleum of the emperor Yang-te, at 
 Lung-tang. In the vicinity are the ruined walls of the ancient city of Kwang-ling, 
 the gardens of Suy, or Shang-lin, and the supreme forest. Close by the pass of 
 Yang-chow is the Hevan-heva terrace, on which were formerly several costly pavilions, 
 besides Halls of Ancestors, and of Confucius. 
 
 A STREET IN CANTON. 
 
 " Hence is it that a city street 
 Can deepest thought impart ; 
 For all its people, high and low, 
 Are kindred to my heart." Mary Howitt. 
 
 Old Canton presents a specimen of street-life and street-habits in China, which may 
 be received as a general representation of city scenes. And, in analyzing the practices 
 and manners of trades-people and dealers of all descriptions, and describing what tra- 
 vellers signalize as peculiarities, a coincidence with Em-opean, even with antiquated 
 London customs, much more striking than is generally imagined, will present itself. 
 From its very ancient foundation, and the long establishment of a productive commerce 
 here, the population have outgrown the mural limits of the city, and a suburb of great 
 extent has been added. The accompanying illustration, however, does not represent either 
 the suburban or the European quarter, but strictly and truly a street of active business 
 in the very heart of the ancient Chinese city of Quang-choo-foo. The extent of the 
 original walls is only six miles, but the population of city and suburbs, together with 
 the amphibious beings that dwell on board the junks on the Pearl river, is estimated at 
 one million of souls. 
 
 Although the area within the walls is so limited in extent, from the very contracted 
 breadth of the avenues, as well as from the economy exercised in applotting ground for 
 building, both streets and houses are surprisingly numerous. This arrangement necessarily 
 precludes the general employment of wheel-carriages ; and the streets of Canton resemble 
 the flagged courts and passages, that afford so much convenience to the foot-passenger 
 in London, and which operate so beneficially in diminishing the concourse in the great 
 thoroughfares. They may also be not inaptly compared to the arcades of Paris, in all 
 respects save the glazed canopies that shelter them. Every avenue is floored with 
 spacious granite flags; so that were wheel-carriages in fashion, or rather, could they 
 

 \ 
 
A STREET IN CANTON. 63 
 
 obtain admission, they would roll along as if a tram-way bore them. This, however, is 
 impracticable in most instances, each street being contracted, at its extremities, to the 
 breadth of a mere doorway ; here a strong wooden valve, or iron gate, is hung, and 
 here also is a guard-house, in which the night-watch is stationed. To these the care of 
 the separate, single streets, is entrusted, to protect them against thieves, to give the alarm 
 and assist in the event of fire, and to preserve the peace amongst the occupants them- 
 selves. But this restriction upon liberty is not a peculiarity ; it has been long estab- 
 lished in the cities and large towns on the continent of Europe, where the Jews were 
 confined to a particular quarter, and gates erected at the end of every street so 
 appropriated. These were always locked at night, and guarded by the police of the 
 place. At Nagasaki in the island of Japan, the Dutch traders, should they wish to 
 sleep ashore, are required to submit to a similar description of nightly imprisonment 
 and surveillance. 
 
 Deficiency of scientific knowledge in architecture, especially in the formation and 
 support of the roof, has impeded the efforts of builders in China, so that the houses 
 seldom rise higher than two stories ; and even this elevation is chiefly attained by the 
 aid of wooden frame-work, such as was once imported into this country from Holland, 
 and such as may yet be seen in Chester and other ancient cities of Great Britain. The 
 houses of the richer classes are frequently of brick — of the less prosperous, of brick 
 and wood, or of the latter only — but, of the poorest class, of unbaked clay or mud. 
 Kien-lung observed, on looking over a portfolio of English architectural views, that 
 " ground must be very scarce in our country, since we were under the necessity of 
 building such high houses." 
 
 An old print of Lombard-street, London, in the time of Sir Thomas Gresham, will 
 give a tolerably correct idea of the streets of Canton at the present day. Doors and 
 windows stand open, protected from the weather by projecting eaves, and falling blinds, 
 and fixed verandas. The wares are all exposed for sale with such confidence in public 
 honesty, that the passenger experiences more familiarity and freedom from restraint in 
 the trading streets of Canton, than inside the shops of London or of Paris Large um- 
 brellas, the handle and the hood of bamboo, are spread wherever space permits, and 
 a profitable trade is not unfrequently conducted beneath their grateful shelter. Lanterns 
 are suspended over every door and window at nightfall; and, indeed, during the light of 
 day, this Chinese emblem is seldom withdrawn. Either over the shop-window, or beside 
 the door, a sign is usually placed, emblematic of the proprietor's calling, or in some 
 way connected with the commercial history of the house. This was once a prevailing 
 custom in London ; the grasshopper was Sir Thomas Gresham's sign ; and within the 
 last century, the George and Dragon, and the Bible and Crown, have been removed, 
 and succeeded by embellishments more classical or architectural. A further similarity may 
 be traced between the streets of our ancient cities and those of China, in the proverbs 
 inscribed over the shop-doors, or on some conspicuous part of the ware-room within. 
 Our cook-shops of old were distinguished by the useful maxim above the entrance, of 
 " Waste not— want not." A wooden house, yet perfect in Chester, exhibits on its 
 
64 CHINA ILLUSTRATED. 
 
 sign-board, " God's providence is our inheritance ;" and, sentences from the sacred 
 Scriptures adorned the walls of many an oak-parlour in England, in feudal times. 
 Attached to ancient usages, the Celestials tenaciously adhere to the practice of inscribing 
 their doors, and cornices, and panels, with extracts from the writings of Confucius, all of 
 the admonitory, or didactic kind — while our shopkeepers have retained but three of 
 their proverbs of traffic — " No second price asked" — " No credit given" — " No goods 
 taken back." 
 
 Chinese maxims of business are innumerable, although some are evidently more 
 popular than others. Amongst the most favourite are, "Whoever would succeed, 
 must employ the morning" — " Former customers have inspired caution: no credit 
 given" — "Gossiping and long sitting injure business" — "Trade circling like a wheel" — 
 "Goods genuine: prices moderate" — "A small stream always flowing." A tablet 
 also is sometimes suspended at the door, inscribed " No admission for bonzes or 
 beggars." 
 
 Mandarins who condescend to visit the principal thoroughfares, to make purchases 
 for domestic use, are conveyed in their sedan-chairs ; unaccompanied, however, by such 
 a train of satellites as generally attends them on occasions of ceremony, the narrowness 
 of the ways rendering such a procession highly inconvenient. 
 
 It has been shown, that however widely the dress, language, laws, and religion of the 
 Chinese may differ from those of Europe, the similarity, almost the identity, of their 
 social habits is particularly striking. It is advanced also, as a peculiarity of Canton, 
 that persons engaged in the same trade flock together, and occupy particular streets. 
 This practice is still partially adopted in the large cities of Europe. Paternoster-row 
 is a well-known illustration, and the practice was carried to a much greater extent in our 
 markets for the sale of separate commodities. The names of the streets, odd-sounding 
 enough, certainly, in the Chinese tongue, are by no means more absurd, or more unmean- 
 ing than those in use amongst ourselves. Those most known to foreigners are Dragon 
 street and Golden street. Now, we have very many Lion streets, so called from our own 
 national emblem ; and Golden square — street — and lane, all exist within our civic nomen- 
 clature. The appearance of a Chinese street is agreeable, cheerful, picturesque : the 
 people are intent on that object which constitutes the chief pursuit of mankind in 
 general — riches; and their devotion to the cause is so entire, that dedicatory tablets to 
 Plutus are hung up in many of their shops. 
 
 In the most densely peopled part of the city, the utmost precautions are taken to 
 prevent the occurrence of fires, to give alarm when they do happen, and to extinguish 
 them as expeditiously as possible. The watchman, at the closed door of every street, 
 is supplied with a loud-toned bell, or a large gong, or a huge horn, which he employs to 
 awake and alarm the inhabitants; and a species of observatory, of bamboo-poles, is 
 erected above the roof of almost every house, from which danger may be descried, or 
 the alarm effectually given, and by means of which escape from a painful death is 
 often facilitated. 
 
^ 
 
 § 
 
 J 
 
 a 
 
 I 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
QUAIL-FIGHTING. 65 
 
 CANTON BARGEMEN FIGHTING QUAILS. 
 
 " He knows his fault, he feels, he views, 
 Detesting what he most pursues ; 
 His judgment tells him, all his gains, 
 For fleeting joys, are lasting pains." The Gamester. 
 
 In every country vice has established a dominion of greater or less extent, which the 
 most polished manners and most moral laws have not been able to subdue. Of this 
 truth, London and Paris, chief cities of the world, present a melancholy evidence. It 
 is even remarkable, that gambling, the most detestable of all demoralizing habits, is 
 claimed, in those great capitals, as a privilege of the aristocracy, while in China it is con- 
 fined almost entirely to plebeian society. How many fortunes are annually dissi- 
 pated on the race-course, in the cock-pit, or at the club-house ; how many ancient and 
 wealthy families reduced, by such prodigality, to the lot of humble life, accompanied by 
 the pain that fallen fortune generally inflicts ! The many suicides that are committed in 
 republican France, have their origin in a propensity for gambling ; and the few noble 
 families in monarchical England, whose wealth is disproportioned to their rank, owe 
 their degradation to the same vicious practice. Laws discourage, but do not denounce 
 this sin ; the timidity of legislators has hitherto operated in protecting such a mis- 
 chievous exercise of liberty. 
 
 Gaming amongst the Chinese is analogous to the coarse species of chances and 
 swindling, practised at our country fairs, and on every race-course, with this difference 
 only, that cards are there in more general requisition. The athletic bargemen on the Pearl 
 river, devote every hour, that can be stolen from work, to the recreation of gambling ; 
 and, the weary trader, emancipated from temporary slavery, buries all his sorrows in the 
 excitation which this vile propensity awakes. Children partake of this national weakness 
 in some degree, or rather the vicious habits of society create an appetite in the youth- 
 ful mind. A fruit-vender disposes of his goods by a sort of lottery, or game of hazard ; 
 supplied with a box and dice, he presents them to his customer, who stakes the price 
 against the selected fruits. The first throw is the buyer's privilege, and the winner, of 
 course, takes up both fruit and money. Raffling is also a favourite mode of barter; 
 provisions of every description are disposed of in this way, and so insensibly does vice 
 obtain the mastery, that wives, or children, are sometimes the last stake played for 
 between these habitual gamblers. 
 
 Dominoes, dice, and cards constitute the chief instruments of this hateful trade ; and 
 chess is also generally known. Their cards are seldom more than three inches in length 
 by one in breadth, and marked with red and black colours as our own. The suspense, 
 and the consumption of time, inseparable from a long-contested game of chess, in which, 
 after all, the victory is a triumph of memory rather than discernment, have occasioned 
 its postponement to most others ; but, such are the industry and perseverance of 
 the Chinese, that when they do prefer it, they are admirable players. 
 
 II. R 
 
f>6 CHINA ILLUSTRATED. 
 
 " Hunt-the-slipper," a sport with which the rising generation of Old England are 
 familiar, is probably a mere version of the Chinese " Hand-the-flower." While the 
 bouquet is in rapid transit from hand to hand, a continued roll is kept up on a drum in 
 an adjoining room; whoever happens to have the bouquet at the moment when the roll 
 ceases, drinks an extra cup of wine, or pays for a cup " all round." But of all the games 
 in use amongst the humbler classes in China, the Tsoi-moi is the most popular: "Two 
 persons, sitting directly opposite to each other, raise their hands at the same moment, 
 when each calls out the number he guesses to be the sum of the fingers expanded by 
 himself and his adversary. The closed hand or fist is none — the thumb, one — the thumb 
 and forefinger, two — and so on ; the chances lying between and 5, as each must know the 
 number held out by himself." This is the amusement to which Cicero alludes in his 
 Offices, and which his commentator Melancthon thus describes, " Those who play at 
 micare digitis, stretch out, with great quickness, as many fingers of one hand each, 
 as they please, and at the same instant both guess how many are held up by the 
 two together ; he who guesses right wins the game. To have a sharp sight is necessary, 
 and great confidence when it is played in the dark." This very game still prevails 
 amongst the Romans, by whom it is called Mora, and the Transteverini, a low people 
 who dwell on the further bank of the Tiber, are amazingly addicted to it. 
 
 There are other sports and gambling practices, common to most civilized nations, 
 which are to be added to those already noticed ; they include cock-fighting, a favourite 
 amusement of the Mandarins, and which was probably imported from the country of the 
 Malays; quail and cricket fighting, — all equally cruel and unmanly. Training is a 
 profession which gives occupation to numbers, and the interest taken in these unworthy 
 sports is so universal and exciting, that the gamester alone would credit their true 
 history. The birds are furnished with steel spurs, as our game-cocks in the pit, and 
 the contest, therefore, seldom fails to prove fatal to one or both. The victor is put up 
 for sale, or raffle, and the eagerness to become his master is demonstrated by the 
 enormous sums staked, or paid down, for him. The inquiries of the Chinese after other 
 pugnacious animals, have extended into the insect kingdom, where they have discovered 
 a species of grillus, or locust, or cricket, whose quarrelsome propensities confer upon it 
 an unhappy notoriety. Two of these diminutive victims are placed in a bowl or 
 a sieve, and submitted to the irritation of a straw applied by the owner; driven to 
 madness, they attack each other with indescribable fury, producing the highest degree 
 of mirth to the spectator, and of interest to the gamesters who preside at the table. 
 Would that their civilization had taught them to remember — 
 
 — The poor beetle, that we tread upon, • 
 In corporal sufferance feels a pang as great 
 As when a giant dies. 
 

 
 
 
 1 
 
 1 
 
 « 
 
 1 
 
 > 
 
 
 xT 
 
 
 
 
CITY OF NING-PO. 67 
 
 CITY OF NING-PO, FROM THE RIVER. 
 
 " Now still brighter hopes arise. 
 Over life's enlarging day, 
 Science, commerce, enterprise, 
 Point to man his glorious way." 
 
 About twelve miles from the archipelago of Chusan, and on the left bank of the Ta-hea, 
 or Kin river, stands the walled city of Ning-po, which Europeans formerly called Liam-po. 
 It is the fourth city of the province of Tche-kiang, is itself of the first order, having 
 four of the third under its jurisdiction, and enjoys the advantage of a good roadstead. 
 Seated at the confluence of two rivers, the Ta-hea and Yao, its position is both agree- 
 able and convenient ; and the trade between this port and Japan has always been of an 
 active character. A very level plain surrounds the site of Ning-po, extending to 
 a distance of many miles on every side, and confined ultimately to the form of a vast 
 oval basin, by lofty mountains, that rise abruptly and terminate the view. Many towns 
 speckle the smooth surface of these fertile fields, on which also vast numbers of cattle are 
 fed, and luxuriant crops of rice, cotton, and pulse are raised. Nowhere in China is irri- 
 gation more advantageously or more skilfully adopted, than in the rich plain of Ning-po> 
 the waters that descend from the encircling mountains being directed into sixty-six 
 canals, all which, after contributing their services to the duty of fertilizing, discharge 
 their surplus into a main trunk that communicates with the Ta-hea. The amphitheatre 
 of hills, the luxuriant vegetation of the well-watered plain, the occurrence of so many 
 comfortable-looking towns, the brilliant sky, the wholesome and salubrious climate, and 
 the great variety of trees, combine in the formation of a picture whose character is 
 the most happy and agreeable. " The scenery about Ning-po," writes commander 
 Bingham, " formed the prettiest landscape we had seen in China." 
 
 Its walls, extending rather more than five miles, are entirely of granite ; ard 
 five gates afford admission within them. There are also two water-gates, these are 
 mere arches in the walls,' through which canals pass, each being protected by a 
 portcullis. The public buildings are mean, and few in number, trade having for 
 ages so completely absorbed the attention of the citizens, that the fine arts fell into 
 oblivion. One lofty pagoda of brick, is the sole architectural boast of the place ; and 
 a bridge of boats over the Ta-hea, constructed about three centuries back, still retains 
 its position. The streets are rather broader than those of Canton, and the shops better 
 furnished, especially with japan-ware ; but their width suffers an apparent diminution 
 from the pent-houses which project beyond the shop-fronts. In the early years of the 
 last century the English were permitted to trade here ; but the intrigues of the Portu- 
 guese and Russians, combined with the bigotry of the Chinese, deprived them of that 
 valuable privilege, and restricted their merchants to the ports of Canton and Macao. 
 
68 CHINA ILLUSTRATED. 
 
 To this advantage, however, our commerce is restored by the recent peace; and Ning-po 
 ■will, probably, participate more largely in foreign trade, exchanging her silks, cottons, 
 teas, and lacquered-ware, for the woollens and hardware of England, than any other of 
 the free ports of the empire. 
 
 Upon the visit of Mr. Lindsay, in the ship Amherst, he found the inhabitants 
 inclined to renew their friendly intercourse with the Ta-ying Kwo-jin (Englishmen), 
 whom they had been taught by their government to designate as hak-kwae (black- 
 demons), and hung-moon (red-bristles), and by other insulting and detracting epithets. 
 The mandarins, however, had no authority to treat with Mr. Lindsay ; and his mission 
 proved as fruitless, as those persons who were acquainted with the political condition of 
 China had anticipated. In the late struggle with the Celestials, the dastardly character of 
 the people, and the degraded state to which they are reduced, by the absolute quality 
 of the despotism to which they submit, were conspicuously exhibited in their treatment 
 of the shipwrecked crew of the Kite transport-ship. Having got possession of Mrs. 
 Noble, widow of the master, they flogged her with a bamboo, put a chain round her 
 neck, dragged her in this condition through the most public streets of several towns, 
 and then put her into a criminal's cage, according to the infamous instructions of their 
 laws. Captain Anstruther endured similar indignities, and many of the sailors were 
 suffocated in a " black hole," where they were immured so long, that when released, the 
 survivors appeared like so many skeletons in chains. 
 
 But retribution was not long delayed ; that equilibrium, which is maintained by the 
 laws of nature, finds a parallel in the balance sustained by the codes of justice and 
 humanity. Captain Elliott in vain endeavoured to obtain the liberation of the prisoners ; 
 evasion and falsehood alone were employed by the Chinese in their negociations. The 
 following year, after the capture of Ching-hai with terrible slaughter, Rear-Admiral 
 Sir W. Parker proceeded to the attack of Ning-po. The strength of his fleet, which 
 consisted of the Modeste, Columbine, Cruiser, Bentinck, with the steamers Sesostris, 
 Queen, Nemesis, and Phlegethon, alarmed the mandarins ; and their fears were so 
 much increased by intelligence of the fall of Ching-hai, that, when our troops landed, 
 they found only a deserted city. Sir Thomas Herbert, at the head of the naval brigade, 
 advanced to the gates, which were immediately forced, and entered the market-place 
 without firing a single shot; the band of the 18th, meanwhile encouraging our men, 
 and delighting the astonished Chinese, who clung to their homes, with the old Irish air 
 of Garry Owen. Thus were the injuries of Mrs. Noble, Captain Anstruther, and the 
 imprisoned seamen, gloriously avenged by the gallantry of their countrymen. 
 
 The other large towns, in the plain of Ning-po, offering no resistance, British supe- 
 riority was acknowledged. Sir Henry Pottinger proceeded up the river, a distance of 
 forty miles, to the city of Yuyaun, which the authorities had also abandoned ; but shallow 
 water, and the interruption of a stone bridge of six arches, prevented his further 
 progress. 
 
 Ning-po was rich in spoils ; corn, silver, articles of the rarest manufacture, were 
 carried away as trophies of the conquest of this ancient city, where more than half a 
 

 V 
 
ENTRANCE TO THE CITY OF AHOY. 69 
 
 million of inhabitants were located. The richest and most interesting of these emblems 
 of victory is the " Great Bell," the finest specimen of refinement in taste and workman- 
 ship ever brought into Europe. It is composed of tin, copper, and silver, is five feet in 
 height by three in diameter, and adorned with bands and panels enriched by relievos 
 and inscriptions. The figures are those of the Bhuddist priesthood, whose origin is 
 known to be Hindoo ; and the inscriptions, according to the interpretation of that 
 eminent Oriental scholar, Mr. Samuel Birch, of the British Museum, are in the Sanscrit 
 character ; they imply that the bell was cast for the temple of Shaou-ching, on the 
 eighth moon of the nineteenth year of the reigning emperor, Taou-kwang, that is, in 
 1839. This gorgeous trophy, with its scalloped mouth, and graceful contour, resembling 
 the Campanula Tremuloi'des, is now preserved in the library of Buckingham Palace, as 
 a memento of the conquest of China by Queen Victoria. 
 
 ENTRANCE INTO THE CITY OF AMOY. 
 
 " I see within the city-street 
 Life's most extreme estates : 
 The gorgeous domes of palaces, 
 The prison's doleful grates." Maiiy Howitt. 
 
 The sterility of the coast and country, in this part of Fo-kien, obliging the inha- 
 bitants to have recourse to commerce for subsistence and employment, they very 
 early and very wisely selected the port and the Isle of Amoy as a site for its asylum. 
 Here is a vast natural basin, where a thousand vessels may ride in safety, sheltered, by an 
 intervening island, from the prevalent winds, and in water deep enough to float the 
 largest ships. The excellence of this land-locked harbour soon brought hither the 
 shipping of Siam and Cochin-China, and the English had a factory here, until the 
 narrow policy of the empire obliged them to remove to Canton ; in fact, it was then the 
 centre of Chinese maritime interests. Being now a free port, and the inhabitants of 
 necessity mariners, it is probable that foreign trade will revive more rapidly here than 
 even at Ning-po, although the communication with the interior of China from the latter 
 is so §asy as to become a great auxiliary to expanding trade. Public buildings are 
 numerous and spacious, but inelegant; few city embellishments are in progress, and 
 enterprise and commercial spirit seem to have been completely checked by the prohi- 
 bition against all foreign intercourse and the removal of the British factory. 
 
 The great gate of Amoy is rather massive than magnificent ; the dragon constitutes 
 the most prominent part of its sculptured ornaments; sentences from the ethics of Con- 
 II. s 
 
70 CHINA ILLUSTRATED. 
 
 fucius, the most valuable. A boat-shaped finial that crowns the summit, supports two 
 fish, emblems more rational and appropriate than the national symbol, because the deep- 
 water fishery off this coast, in the channel of Formosa, is amazingly productive, and the 
 whole population of Amoy may be deemed maritime. A garrison, cannon-foundry, and 
 dock-yard, have been maintained here for many years ; and, when our fleet appeared 
 in the noble harbour of Emouy or Amoy, in 1841, they found the place strongly 
 fortified, and defended by a considerable Tartar force. 
 
 On the 25th of August 1841, the second northern expedition against the Celestials 
 appeared off Amoy, and was received by a few rounds from the battery of Que-moy, 
 which the Modeste returned. On the following day, a mandarin, with a flag of truce, 
 came from the city, to enquire the object of so formal a visit from so large a fleet, 
 pretending to think that it must have been " trade ;" he concluded his nonsensical 
 address, however, by ordering our admiral to leave the port without delay, as the only 
 means of avoiding inevitable destruction : to this advice, Sir Henry Pottinger replied, 
 that compassion alone would induce him to receive the immediate surrender of Amoy 
 and its fortifications, and retain them until the conclusion of a treaty between the 
 Queen of England and his Imperial Majesty. He consented also to the retirement of 
 the Tartar officers and troops. The Tartars not unreasonably concluded that a stout 
 resistance might be offered to our ships, from the great strength of their works and the 
 number and calibre of their guns. One fort, twelve hundred yards in length, mounted 
 ninety heavy guns ; there were many detached batteries, and a second fort, on Red Point, 
 mounting forty-two of the heaviest Chinese ordnance. On Ko-long-soo, the key to 
 Amoy, were seventy-six pieces of artillery, and the embrasures were protected all 
 along by sand-bags ; another fort was constructed on Cansoo Island, raking the passage 
 on that side, and Huan-tong-san, or the inner harbour, was guarded by several 
 batteries commanding the front shore. 
 
 This apparently impregnable place was attacked with that deliberate gallantry which 
 distinguishes the British navy ; as if no opposition existed, danger seems never to be 
 estimated by our officers, in calculating the mode of attacking an enemy. The Modeste, 
 Blanche, Druid, with the rest of the fleet, stood in for the city, exchanging occasional 
 shots with the batteries that lined the passage, but not deigning to anchor until 
 they came within a few yards of the great fortifications of Ko-long-soo. After a few 
 broadsides, the marines, under Captain Ellis, and a detachment of the 26th, led on by 
 Major Johnston, effected a safe landing, and pouring some half-dozen volleys amongst the 
 enemy, put the whole garrison to flight. The Modeste now ran into the inner harbour, 
 where she silenced all the batteries, and captured twenty-six deserted war-junks, mounting 
 altogether one hundred and twenty-eight guns. At the long battery, a brave but brief 
 resistance was offered, by the Tartars, to the combined fire of five of our men of war, 
 but a detachment of our men landing and falling on the enemy's rear, many were bayo- 
 netted at their guns ; this gallant manoeuvre completed the panic that had commenced 
 amongst the enemy, and nothing was to be seen but mounted mandarins and "brave 
 Tartars" flying up the country, pursued by our marines and seamen. 
 
FEAST OF LANTERNS. 71 
 
 " The loss of the Chinese was very great, that of the British naval force amounted 
 to one killed and seven wounded ; the loss of our troops was very slight." The 
 Chinese naval commander threw himself into the sea, and a great mandarin, who was 
 closely pursued by our men, drew his sword and plunged it into his heart. No Sycee 
 silver was found here, but bullion, to the value of twenty thousand dollars, was 
 secured. 
 
 FEAST OF LANTERNS. 
 
 " They gave themselves up to a superstition, the lights of which mocked their 
 own darkness." Johnes. 
 
 No hebdomadal rest, or day of worship, belongs to Chinese idolatry, but feasts, or fes- 
 tivals, or processions, are held occasionally, in honour of some fabled monster, some 
 contemptible superstition, or some great natural object. Funeral processions, as well 
 as marriage ceremonies, are amongst their festivities; the feast of " the Dragon-boat" 
 
 • is perhaps the most silly of their exhibitions, and the feast of lanterns the most magni- 
 ficent and universal. Each year is commenced by a day of public rejoicing, the festival 
 being held on the first day of the first moon, which falls in the middle of February. 
 Labour is then suspended for forty days, visits of ceremony paid by the rich, and gaiety 
 of all sorts indulged in by the poor. It is during this festive season, that the most 
 superstitious light a taper at the altar of some neighbouring temple, with which they 
 proceed directly towards their homes. If the light escape unextinguished, the votary 
 is to be prosperous; but if otherwise, his lot will be as the darkness around him. 
 
 On the fifteenth of this moon, the feast of lanterns is celebrated ; it was instituted 
 during the Tang dynasty, but did not find that general acceptance which it now enjoys, 
 for three centuries later. Notwithstanding its resemblance to the Egyptian " feast of 
 lights," its object is imperfectly understood, and it now appears to be little more than an 
 annual occasion for the exercise and display of the nation, in the manufacture of lanterns 
 and the pyrotechnic art. On this occasion the whole empire is illuminated from one 
 end to the other, as we are told by Herodotus, that Egypt used to be "from the cata- 
 racts of the Nile to the Mediterranean." Every elevated point is decorated with 
 
 a lantern ; every house, turret, temple, bridge, and boat, is adorned by these resplen- 
 dent national emblems. Nor is the number, said to exceed two hundred millions, that is 
 hung up at these saturnalia, more extraordinary, than the variety that is employed in 
 their shape, design, and material. Birds, beasts, fishes, the whole animal kingdom, is 
 
 made tributary to the occasion, by furnishing forms ; fancy supplies the designs painted 
 
 on the transparent panels of each lustre; and, pearl-shell, mica, horn, glass, paper, cot- 
 
72 CHINA ILLUSTRATED. 
 
 ton, silk, and other fabrics, are pressed into the service of the manufacturers. While 
 these lights remain suspended from the house-tops, every subject of his Imperial majesty 
 is also supplied with a hand-lantern, and in front of each dwelling fireworks continue to 
 be displayed, until both purse and powder are exhausted. 
 
 Visits are paid, by lengthened processions, to the different halls of Confucius, and 
 temples of Fo ; the actors in these pantomimes bearing an infinite variety of emblems, all, 
 however, of the lantern family. Some lanterns resemble illuminated fish, continually 
 spitting fire from their mouths ; others, the favourite dragon, from whose eyes flames of 
 fire dart at intervals ; the figure of an animal suddenly bursts out into a terrible explo- 
 sion, or rises majestically into a pyramid of flame. The effect in the darkness of night 
 is highly amusing; as the object is always elevated on the top of a pole, the air seems 
 filled with birds, fish, and quadrupeds, passing and repassing in all directions. 
 
 No people, perhaps, excel so much in the pyrotechnic art as the Celestials, of which 
 their festivals afford the most convincing demonstration. During the late war, upon 
 a temporary cessation of hostilities, the Cantonese treated their visitors with a specimen 
 of their ability in this peculiar accomplishment, the following account of which is taken 
 from a volume, modest in pretensions, but in execution meritorious.* 
 
 " A representation was made of an immense vine arbour, which burned without con- 
 suming ; the trunk, branches, leaves, and fruit, appeared in their natural colours, with, 
 occasionally, butterflies flitting among their branches. To this succeeded an immense 
 number of rockets, which formed themselves into innumerable stars, serpents, comets, 
 and flying dragons. This magnificent display was followed by a grand discharge, on 
 all sides, of a shower of fire, with which was intermixed variegated lanterns, some with sen- 
 tences written on them, together with figures of fruit, flowers, and fans. Then ascended 
 a display of columns, formed by rings of light, which lasted a few minutes, and was 
 unequalled in brilliancy by any previous device. At last the grand finale took place ; the 
 Chinese dragon, of an immense size, appeared in all his majesty, surrounded by ten 
 thousand winged reptiles, standards and banners, when, in an instant, appeared, upon 
 the back of the monster, the figure of the emperor in blue lights. These successively 
 changed to yellow, and lastly to the most intense white. A deafening report now rent the 
 air, while a green veil rose over the emperor, from the midst of which a volcano of 
 rockets ascended." 
 
 * Ten Thousand Tilings relating to China and the Chinese, hy W. B, Langdon, Esq, 
 
 END OF VOL. II. 
 
 FISHER, SON, AND CO., CAXTON TRESS, LONDON'. 
 

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