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LONIMtNi JUHN itSOW, «>. I'Al'EMNOSTKII MOW.

t /C^,i>2.3

HARVARD

UNIVERSITY

LIBRARY

JUN 22 1960.

rtTraMitiTKK fto«.

LSK,

■.,/,/ 4^^,^./y

INTRODUCTION.

Thb writer of the present volume was sent out by the London MiBsionmry Society, in 1816, to labour for the benefit of China.

The fundamental principle of this Institution is, that ^^its design is not to send Presbyterianism, Indepen- dency, Episcopacy, or any other form of church order or government, about which there may be a difference of opinion among serious Christians, but the glorious Gospel of the blessed God, to the heathen ; leaving it to the minds of the persons whom God may call into the fellowship of his Son from among them, to assume for themselves such form of church government, as to them shall appear most agreeable to the word of God.**

In conformity with this principle, no question was

ever asked, or direction given to the author, as to his

|)ersonal views of church government ; or what form of

ecclesiastical i)olity he should adopt, in the event of his

labours being successful abroad. After residing at

Malacca and Penang for several years, he settle<l in

Uatavia, where he collected a congregation* and built

u

INTRODUCTION.

a chapel, for the worship of Almighty God. In co ducting the services of the sanctuaiy, he invited and obtained the assistance of Gospel ministers from va- riou)^ communions ; and when a church was formed, the members who joined it, drew up and signed a con- stitution ; in which, after stating their belief in the Inspired Oracles, as the only sure ground of faith and practice, they acknowledged the standards of the EngUsh, Scotch, and Dutch Reformed Churches, as exhibiting those views of Christian doctrine, which they considered the most in accordance with the re- vealed will of God, Based on this broad principle, the society of Christians thus collected together, though originally of different communions, consented to lay aside their denominational prejudices, and unite on the safe ground of our common Christianity ; while Epis- i copalian, Presbyterian, Baptist, and Independent mi- nisters alternated with each other in the performance of religious services, and the celebration of the holy sacraments. The native church connected with the mission has been established on the same principle.

Should the author, and his esteemed coadjutors, ever succeed in introducing Christianity extensively into China, they purpose spending their utmost energies in spreading the simple Gospel through that important empire, without wasting themselves in dissensions on non-essential points, which have so long and unhappily divided the Christian world. It is on this ground alone, that they can confidently look for the blessing

INTRODUCTION. iU

of the great head of the church, and claim the counte- aanoe and co-operation of Christians of every name. So great is the work, and so feeble the energies that can be brought to bear on it, that we have no time ^ to fall out by the way ;** and it is a pleasing feature of the protestant mission to China, that hitherto the agents of various societies, the members of different commimions, and the representatives of distant hemi* aj^res, have consented to merge their national and denominational prejudices, and to join heart and hand in making known the great doctrine of justification by faith, to the sceptical and superstitious Chinese. May brotherly love continue; and may one strenuous and persevering effort be made, till the millions of China be brought under the influence of Christianity !

But it is necessary that the author should give some account of the origin and nature of the following work. Having been called upon in the year 1816, to under- take a journey along the north-east coast of China, in order to ascertain whether or not that country was open to the Gospel ; and hanng kept a record of passing events, he contemplated on his return, the publication of a journal, with some brief remarks on the situation of foreigners in Canton, and the state of the native Christian community there. In the course of his tour through England, however, to plead the cause of mis- sions, he found it necessary to dilate more at large on the political, moral, and spiritual condition of the Chi- nese ; and to relate in order the efforts that have been

a 2

IV INTRODUCTION.

ma<le for their evangelization. These statementfi hav- ing been listened to with some interest, and awakened a sympathy on behalf of China, the thought suggested itself, that possibly, the feeling thus created might be extended and perpetuated by a pul)lication, embracing the general state of China; and its state and pro- spects, with especial reference to the diffusion of the Gospel.

The most imjMrtant feature in the condition 'of that country is its population ; about which so many different opinions have been held, and for the benefit of which Christian missionaries so ardently long and labour. The question of amount, therefore, is discussed, and the sug- gestion thrown out, that probably the highest census given of the Chinese people is the right one. Their civilization and political state, next demand attention ; and some references are made to their singular lan- guage, and the state of education among them. As we contemplate the introduction of a new religion into the country, it is natural to enquire, what are their present views of divine and eternal things ; and to shew the defects of their own systems, as a prelude to the recom- mendation of another. Before treating on the recent efiForts of protestants to evangehze China, it was thought necessary to allude to the previous exertions of other I missionaries; and therefore the devoted, self-denying, and persevering labours of Syrian, nestorian, and catho- lic Christians, are briefly enumerated. The missions to '| Canton, the Straits, and Uatavia. are then severally

INTRODUCTION. V

dei»cribed; and the attempts to carry the Gospel by means of Scriptures and tracts, along the coast of China, are delineated, lliis review is concluded by appeals for more agents, and increased facilities for the vigorous prosecution of the work ; as it is only when we use the appointed means, that we can consistently look for the Divine blessing on our labours.

The short time that could be spared for preparing this work for publication, must necessarily have occa* sioned many defects, in point of style and arrangement. Sent forth when very young on this important mission, occupied during his whole stay abroad in studying foreign and diilicult languages, and accustomed to write and speak for the benefit of Mahome<lans and heathens, it can hanlly be expected that the author bhould be skilled in European comi)osition. Public engagements, for the first year after his return to Kngland, called him incessantly from home ; and it was only during the retirement of the last winter, that he has had the least opportunity for arranging his thoughts on the subject now discussed. Being about to quit his native country during the prc»sent summer, to revisit the scene of his former labours, it was neces- sary that he should In^gin to print, almost as soon as he liegan to write, in onler to have the lHH)k published liefore his dejmrture. He must cast himself, therefore, on the indulgence of the public, hoping that the cir- cumstances under which the information contained in this volume has beeu collected and communicated, will

/ \ao, :7J,^

*t

HARVARD

UNIVERSITY

LIBRARY

JUN 22 199Q

I^»!«D0lf: rATKANoaTBB KOW.

INTRODUCTION. VU

qpread of the Gospel in that populous and interesting empire.

In conclusion, the author would gratefully acknow- ledge the assistance kindly afforded him by the Bev. Drs. Beed and Burder, of Hackney ; while he would state the obligations he is under to the following works, which he has consulted in the course of his labours ; ▼is: Sadler s Law of Population, Milne*s Betrospect, the Chinese Gleaner and Bepository, Morrison s Dic- tionary, and View of China for Philological Purposes, Du Hakle's History of China, and the Beports and Chronicles of the London Missionary Society.

Hacknky, May 1, 1838.

CONTENTS.

CHAPTEK I.

The ET&DfeUxAtioD uf China cuutempUtcd — Gineral »cope of the subject

- Aotiquity uf ChiDA - |»artly fkbuloiu — nut crttUted by ChineiH: whtcn

- The TnditkmMTj Pehu4— The Ante and pMitdiiuTian Afe»~ The Hu- t-ncal I'ciiMd— lli« 8ctcu Yean' Famine - The ChineM! SiampiKMi -The M«(pMrtic N«cdi« — Cunfiu'iua — Laou T»io — The buniiu|E of the Boolw

-Thn Biuidin« of the WaU—SiaMequc&t Dyoafltics The Cycle - >kctch of Chinese Chrunokify'The Domiuiooa of China - Original i\«Met»u«» small— Territories enlarged — llie Annrzatiun of Tartary . 1

CHAPTEK 11

rKOBABLE rorULATloN.

rh<: Question of Population iuti'rvsting to the Philosopher, the Politician, thi- Merchant and the Christian — The possibility and probability of a :srxr Papulation, argued from the fertility of the Soil -the exteu>i%c* ut-^n of the Cultivation The paucity of the Roads — The niauuer of dis- l«r«iu< uf the I>i*ad The <>Ui*ouragcmeut given ti> Agriculture -The ln«iu«try **( the Inhabitants — The Skill of the lluatbandinau -The K««>D^'njy uj V^nA, L)re»H, and Dmclhiigs— voutraftted with the canity • t Pr->%i^i«m»— and «aut k.'( feiling — Emi|n^ati<iu, «ith it^* dilhcultu's Ii*'ii2ity '«n th«- luii»«»rtau«»n "f Kn'«' - Infanti^ i«l<' -ii-j pn-valcurc — I- (Ui'ilinc H-'^pitAl** — ('••n< hi^i'in -/i

(IIAPTKU 111

I N*l ^ •»! TIIF. pon LATlo>

1 'oiiUi>4iy I'f the ("Aihoiie MiH<>i«>uarics— and Chmi^* Auth«'ritu> — Thr .A« I'f th«> Ccuauj*. and the «ay «>f takuiic it Th«' rcaMPU for <io d>ane .t« indibiiity -the dilli rent airouut!^ reci>uciU-d imrt-aM* •T««i>uut«d I'l UM r« **•• !»kru hi*d — Am»»*t'» i-iilimalc— (iro"*!? r■^ M<Tri<Hin\ mul >*i (t. Siauul'<iiS ioin|tAru>«>ii <«f tht whole — wUi* h iu**<«t !•• \h- d«*|HiMl4 «1 u - (h«diM.i(-paniie:« ol »*>mc the ui^ftt « irtlibU Ct n<U9 Tht Hx M-imr t China and it> light piessuie «'U the Pt-opU* ls

X CONTENTS.

CHAPTER IV.

&BFLBCTX0N8 ON THB POPULATION.

Puifa.

Their orerwhelming numbers — Their sinful condition — ^the work of Evan- gelizing them difficult — dependence on Divine aid — The diffusire character of the Gospel — Encouragement drawn from the uniformity of their Goremment, Language, Morals, and Sentiment — ^Their extending Population — only checked by Europeans — and the introduction of Opium — The effect of Opium smoking^— its rapid increase-^ Chinese laws against it — Memorial of a Mandarin — Extent of Smuggling — ^Appeal to the Opium Merchant-— and the East India Company — Demoralizing effect of the Drug — Remonstrance to the Goremment of Great Biitain . 71

CHAPTER V.

THB OIYXLIZATION OF CHINA.

Comparatire Ciyilization — Soliloquy of a Chinese — Natire Politeness — displayedin Conrersation — and daily Intercourse — Genius of the Chinese — Disoorery of the Compass — ^The Artof Printing— Theinrention of Gun- powder— ^ITie Sciences — Astronomy — Botany — Medicine — Surgery — the Arts— Painting— EngraTing — Manu£Eu;ture of Silk — Porcelain — Paper — Lackered Ware — Metals — Conclusion 97

CHAPTER VI.

OOTBBNMBNT AND LAWS.

The Empire united — The Goyemment based on Parental Authority — ^The Emperor supreme— The Ministers of State— The Tribunals— <]f Cinl Office — of Rerenue — of Rites — of War— of Punishments — of Public Works— The Censorate— The National Institute— The Laws of China— their Character — Ciril Laws — Fiscal Regulations — Ritual Enactments — Military Arrangements — Criminal Code — Directions about National Improrements — Imperial Palace — The Forbidden Enclosure — The Gardens and Pavilions — The Northern City— the Southern . . It2

CjHAPTER VII.

LANGUAOB AND LXTBRATUBE.

Origin of Language — Hieroglyphics— Phonetic Characters— Chinese mode of recording Brents — Six classes of Characters — Number of Symbols- reducible to few Elements— Modes of Writing — Question about Egyptian origin — Porcelain Bottle— Inscription explained — Date ascertained — Chinese Classics — Authorized Commentaries— Esteemed Works — Hete- rodox productions— Oral Language — Monosyllabic mode of Spelling — initials and finals — variety of tones — collocation of phrases — Chinese Grammar — Figures of Speech — Poetry — Literary Examinations — Hone-

CONTENTS. XI

imry D<grf — Vilkfe Iiiipeetioii-*Pini— tecond — third — and fourth

-£flbrt neceMary— Adrantages and diaadTantagea of the 148

CHAPTER VIII.

rum RSLioioKa or china.

Tkr«a SywUnm ci Rdifiofi — Confbciiia — ^hia life — moral and political opi- mmm — ^NoCiofia aboat Hearen — and the Supreme — His Theory of the CaiTiw The two Powen of Nature— The Diagrama-^cheme of Meta- phyaica. Material Trinity — Ideaa of Spiritual Beings — of the Puture Wvrld— and of Human Nature — ^The Religion of Taou — Eternal Reason

— Inraniations of it — Philoeopher'a Stone — Ghoeta and Charms — Treading on Pire — Demoniacal Poesessions — Magic Arts — Religion of Buddha — Hiatory of its Pounder — Entrance into China — Buddhist Trmples Meditation on Buddha — Repetition of His Name — Absorption of a Blacksmith — Porm of Prayer — Compassion to Animals — Feeding Hungry Ghosts — Paper Money — and Houses — Scrambling ibr Holy Food— Doctrine of Annihilation— despised by the Confucians — Resem- blance to the Catholica — Reriew of the three Systems .... 181

CHAPTER IX.

CATHOLIC MISSIOKS IN CHIVA.

The Gospel designed for the Werld — Eariy Diffusion in India and China — Aodent Interoouxse-— The Marble Tablet — its contents — its authenticity — EHorts of the Neslorians — and of the Catholics — Mission o Xaner — ArriTal of Rioei — his journey to the Capital — his success — Christian Mandarin — his daughter Candida — Death of Ricci — Arriral of Schaal

— lUuatrious Coorerts — Arrival of Verbiest — Persecutions — ReviTal — CannooCast by the Missionaries — Patronage of the French king — Death of Veibiest New Persecutions — again allayed — Disputea among the Missiaaariea — Papal Bulls — Romish Legates — Failure of Negotiations Expulsion of the Missionaries — New efTorts — present state — number of CooTens — Mode of operations — Character of the Catholic Missionaries — and their adherents — Conclusion 220

CHAPTER X.

rmOTISTAIIT MISSION TO CANTON.

Mission proiected— Want of information — Morrison appointed — Sails fur Csnton — Mode of bring there — Pious breathings — Exueme caution — Mamage and appotntment — rebgious serrices — Printing commenced — Adverse Edkt— Arrival of Milne — Voyage to Java — New Testament complrted — Baptism of a Convert — Genesis printed— Removal of Milne

— Embassy to Peking— Old Testament completed— character of the

Xll CONTENTS.

Pa«i translation — Dictionary fiuuhed — Morrison viaiiM England — Presviitedto

the King — Reception by the Society — Returns to China — Labours of Afah — his letter — Baptism of TeenChiug — Agang — and ChooTting — Death of Morrison — Persecutions of Afah — Proclamation of the Magis- trate— Afah's account — Conclusion 25

CHAPTER XL

MISSION TO CANTOlf, CONTINUED.

Situation of foreigners in Canton — Surveillance of the Hongomerchants — and Compradorcs — Confinement — and Insult — Restrictions on^ Mission- aries— Study of the natiTc language prohibited — Difficulties of printing native books — Mode of obviating them — State of Macao — How far open to Missionary operations — Enquiry after native Converts — ^The literary graduate — ^The printers — The family of Aiah — Agang and his son — Edict of the Emperor — Commission of enquiry — its fate — Missionaries not involved — Need of caution — Little interest in behalf of Canton — Rccom- mendatioQB 26

CHAPTER XH.

THE MISSION TO MALACCA.

Resolutions regarding Malacca — Occupation of the Station by Mr. Milne — Baptism of Afah — his experience — Arrival of the Author and other brethren — Schools — ^Tracts — and Translations — Anglo-Chinese college — Various labours — Rescue of a Malay family — Death of Milne — Morrison visits Malacca — Arrival of Kidd — Visit of the Deputation — Death of Collie — Baptism of a Malay slave — and a Chinese youth — Tomlin's superintendence — Arrival of Evans — Fresh Baptisms — Dyer juins the Mission — More encouragement — Twenty individuals Baptized — Ten more added — ^Thcir expcrience-'Mtssion to Penang — Station at James Town — Labours of Dyer — Mission to Singapore — Joined by the American Mis- siunaries 3U

CHAPTER XIH.

MISSION TO BATAVIA.

First three Missionaries — Supper's labours — Slater's misfortunes — The Author's arrival — Schools — Printing — and other exertions — Christian village — Conversations with Heathen — Malay Judge — Napoleon's picture — Visit of the Deputation — Desultory labours — Tract against the Mis- sionary—Journey to Soerabaya— The Tanggar Mountains— Japanese BiH>ks— Chinese preaching—Ironical arguments— Communication of the Gospel — W«»rk on Chronology— Javanese types —Journey to Pahaiig— Tringmno — Klintau— Pataui— and Song«>ra— Voyage to Pontiauak— State of BonuH>— Chinese under convictions-^anothcr incensed^Visit

CONTBNT8. XIU

!«• Bali — Erection q{ the Chapel — Preaching to conrictii — Accesaioiis to the Clu0vlH~Ba|iliflB of iioMier*— Corcnant wHh the Dyaks— Baptism of a Ckmme 329

CHAPTER XIV.

VOTAORt Ur THE COABT OF CHINA.

■aoBary of Miintofiary atlenpU in the Colonies — Desire to benefit the M oUmt CouDtry — GutiUlf's Toyagea — DifTerent fiews — Anxiety formorc mlbuMatirtw — Author*! arriTal in Canton — Disscussion regarding opioni

for not embarking in them — as disreputable, incon- and inrolTing the If itiionary in difficnhy — ^The propriety of hiring a remeU or purchasing a If itmonary Ship— Offer of the Huron — l^rrparatictis (or departure . . , 361

CHAPTER XV.

KAaEATITR OF THB TOTAOE.

Embarkation — Apprehension of a storm — Watcr-spouta — Chinese ideas of them — Voyage up the Yellow S<** — Arriral at Shan-timg and Wei-hae — Ftrnt landing — Visitof the Mandarins on board — Second landing— Diffi- rultirt in the way — Discussions on the beach — Adjournment to the temple— Kxcunion to the interior — Amicable conference — Eagerness for buoks — Ramble over the Island of Lew-kimg-taou — Visit to a peaceable rtllagr —Second day's operations — A burial ground — Description of the vinagv'* — and state of the country — Curiosity of the people — Quiet dis- tribution of books — Anxiety for more — Attention to preaching — second Tisit of the Mandarins on board — Summary 37 1

CHAPTER XVI.

raOCEEDIKOS AT KB-SAN-SO.

Prnrulential deliTerance — Erents <m landing — Suspicions of the people— Amvai at the town — Eagerness for bot»kA — Dispute with an offK-er — .\ t4>mpit and astage — Permission to purchase pn*vi«ioos — Ttmr through th** tillsgrt- -Objections of s Confucian — ll<»spitality of a iM'asani- Rapid diatnbutu'U of b«*oks^A Chuie-H* f«>rt--Excur»iou to an adjoiuinic hay

— ExiabitioQ of an armed force — Invitation v( the Maiidsrins— Sei'i'ud vuit to the u>«u — aiixirty to see the strangers — Discussi(»n aUmt cere- ni<-QK'» liitriKiui'tioii to th«< principal Mandarins -Etuiuetli' ul»M'r%rd — Que^tiiiDt pr«»p*>s«*d-- ()hj<H*tiuns to our enterprise — Advire <if the (tcneral

— Di*cua«i*j»o about pres«'nt» -Conventaliiin on {Mihtirs MagiHt«TmI dig- nitt and mt-aimcs* — Presents received and return madi^ l)iHturl*ances

on board 3*^

XIV CONTENTS.

CHAPTEB XVII.

PR0CBBDIW06 ON THB SOUTH OF 6HAW-TUV0.

Voyage round the promontory — Landing at Tsing-hae— State of the town and defences — Interviews with the people — and Mandarins — Excursion through the villages — Simplicity of the natives — Calmness of the women — Voyage prosecuted — A second landing — Annoying interference — Sus- picions of the inhabitants — Solitary journey — Interesting group of villagers — Various adventures — ^A new harbour discovered — ^Visit to Nan-hung — Enquiries and alarms — ^A Chinesefortdescribed — Geological formations — Disposition of the natives — and reception of the Missionaries — Dress and habits of the men — Appearance of the women — their dwellings — Temples and cemeteries — Productions of the soil — Domestic animals — State of the people — Reflections 42

CHAPTER XVIII.

PBOCBBDIMOS IN KBAMO-BOO PBOVIMCB.

Voyage to the southward — ^Arrival at Woo-Sung — Appearance of the country — Reception on shore — Jotimey to Shang-hae-— Interview with the officers — Books distributed — Arrival of the chief magistrate — ^Refusal to stand before him — Discussion about ceremonies — Reasons for decision — Attempt to enter the city — Unpleasantness at parting — Operations among the Junks — Remarks on Woo-sung — and its inhabitants — Arrival of a General — Description of the military — and fortifications — Visit of one Mandarin — Cunningness of another— Unsuccessful voyage — Pleasant tour — The people eager for books — and the soldiers for gain — Difficulties and disappointments 44

CHAPTER XIX.

OCCURRBMCBS IN CHB-KBANO AND FUH-KBEN.

Departure from Keang-soo— and arrival at Kin-tang — Visit of war-boats — Operations on shore — Perishing boy — Proceedings at Choo<«aiis Eagerness for books — Coffins scattered about — Voyage to Poo-too— Picturesque appearance of the island — its consecration to idolatry — Description of the temples — Character of the priests — Conversation with naval officers— Liberal views of a Mandarin — Providential escape — Arrival at Nan-yih — Appearance of the women— The town of Tung- san — Free distribution — Disorderly conduct of a MaAdarin— and sub- sequent alarm — Surprise of the people — ^Return 4€

CHAPTER XX.

8UB8BQUBNT 0CCUBBBNCB8.

Restrictive policy of the Chinese — Exclusion of foreigneis — Anger at their intrusion— Edict against the Huron— Appeal to the British authorities

CONTENTS. XV

Fig*. " C<MBpUlati against the EngUali — Diaapprobation of our books— -Threat of aioppiaf the trade— Late Toyage of Gutslalt— Tung-San haj— Dea- cnptiott of the ooimtrj and its inhabitants— Barren regioiH— Eztensire vaDcT— Moimtain ridge— Deserted Tillage— Intestine broils— Chinese tcsple— Fertile spot— Populous city— Rayenous labourers— Character of the Mandarins— Tsin-kang district— Eagerness for books— Visit to 4»oey— Anxiety for more labourers 496

CHAPTER XXI. CLASS or LASocasas mBQVimxo voa cbima.

CoptparatiTe claims of China — Need of more labourers— for the colonies— and the coast Offers inrited— Objections met— Regarding the dimats— and the langnagfr— The oral and written mediums compared with the Engiisb— Exhortations to engage— Educational agents needed— Schools iur schoolmasters required— Pious physicians— Efforts already made— Opthalmic hospital— More practitioners wanted— The probability of their soeeess— Speech of Sir H. Halford — Moral influence of physician*— Deference paid them — Interesting anecdote— Importance of medicine to Miasiooariea— Inferiority of Chinese practice— Union of the clerical and ■Mfical proftisiopi Persons who should offer 522

CHAPTER XXII.

DBsiDsaATA roa thx chimbsb mission.

Translation of the Scriptures — Difficulties in the way — Efforts already made Need of a rerision — Opinions of Chinese conrerti— and European stodcots— Resolution of the Bible and Missionary Societies— Steps to be taken — Importance of the subject — Chinese printing — Moyeable types Mode oi preparation — Necessity of punch-cuttings— and castings-Dyer's Count — Partsiaa type-founding— Various oost of block, stone snd metal tjrpe printing— with the adrantages and disadrantagea of Xylography — Ltthography — and Typography — Superiority and importance of the latter —Missionary Ship— Concluding Appeal M&

ILLUSTRATIONS.

PAGE.

Frontispiece. Title.

Summary Execution 122

Judicial Process ib.

Buddhist Priest on a Stage 181

Adoration of a celebrated Devotee ib.

Service in a Chinese Temple ib.

View of the Mission Chapel, at Batavia 329

Map of the Maritime Provinces of China 371

ChmeseFort 396

Guard-room with Soldiers ib.

Cluster of Temples ib.

Landing at Woo-sung 446

ERRATUM. Page 176, line 7, after "three" supply "hundred".

CHINA:

ITS STATE AND PROSPECTS.

CHAPTER I.

CIIROXOLOOY AND EXTENT.

Tini EVANOELIZATION OF CHINA CONTEMPLATED — OENERAL SCOPE OP TIIE f»CIUErT — ANTIQUITY* OF CHINA — PARTLY FABULOUS— NOT CRE- PITF.D BY CULNESE WRITERS— THE TRADITIONARY PERIOD— THE ANTE AND POSTDILUVIAN AGES — THE HISTORICAL PERIOD — THE SEVEN YE.\RS FAMINE— THE CHINESE SAMPSON— THE MAGNETIC NEEDLE- CONFUCIUS- LAOU T8ZE— THE BURNING OF THE BOOKS— THE BUILD- INO OF THE WALL — Sl-BSEQUENT DYNASTIES — THE CYCLE —THE DOMINIONS OF CHINA— ORIGINAL POSSESSIONS SMALL— TERRITORIES ENLARGED- THE ANNEXATION OF TARTARY.

Before entering on the prospects of China with regard to the ultimate diffusion of the Gospel, it may be well to offer a few remarks on its former and present state, as intrixluctory to the consideration of its future d(\sti- nirs, and ^nth the view of encouraging those exertions whic!i, hy the Divine blessing, may result in its uni- Vl■r^al evancrelization. The conversion of the Chinese to the Christian faith must he viewed as an object evcrN* way dcsinible, and some observations on so im- portant a theme from the pen of (me who has long devoted his energies to this work, may not jHThaps be eonsidrrrd altogether unacceptable.

In contemplating the evangelization of China, the

R

Z CHRONOLOGY OF CHINA.

field spreads itself out before the mind, as one of vast extent and interest ; the importance of cultivating this field appears to be of incalculable magnitude ; the diffi- culties which threaten to impede the progress of Divine truth in those regions ought not to be overlooked; while the existing facilities for conducting a series of opera- tions for the benefit of that interesting people should be allowed to animate and encourage us. An allusion to what has been done, to what is doing, and to what remains to be done, may not be unsuitable; and a prospective view of the contemplated results, when these designs shall have been fully carried out, may properly conclude the whole.

China demands the attention of Christian philan- thropists, with regard to the antiquity of its origin, the extent of its territory, the amount of its population, and the advance of its civilization. In nearly all these re- spects, we shall find that it rises superior to every other unevangelized country, and stands forward with a prominence, which bespeaks it the greatest of pagan nations.

Commencing with the early history of China, wc may be allowed to correct an error into which man} have fallen, relative to the assumption of an extrava^ gant chronology by the Chinese. It has been gene rally supposed that the Chinese maintain an antiquitj of myriads of years, and that their historical records stretching far l)ack into the vista of more than a thou sand ages, are at such variance with the comparative!) recent account of Moses, as to oblige us either t( question the one or the other. This was, at one time gladly caught at by the sceptics of Europe, and thej thought that they had discovered, in the high antiquitj

PARTLY FABULOUS. 3

of the Chinese, combined with the Hindoo and Egyi)- tian races, an argument which threw discredit on the chronology of the Bible, and weakened the evidence of its Di\ine authority. The fact, however, is, that the Chinese, like most other heathen nations, have a my- thological as well as a chronological period; the one considered by themselves as fa1)ulous, and the other as authentic ; the one connected with the history of their gods, and the other with that of their men. In the former they si)eak of their celestial emperor, who reigned 45,000 years; their terrestrial emi)eror, who reigned 18,000 years; followed by their human emperor, who reigned as long : without condescending to enlighten us as to the names, characters, events, or circumstances of these wonderful individuals, or their still more ex- traonlinar}' reigns ; nay, without so much as telling us whether their dominions were established in heaven or on earth, or whether they referred exclusively to China, or includtnl other nations. In short, the vague account they furnish us of these fancied emjKTors shews that they were merely the figment of the imagination, intro- duced to supply a deficiency, and to amuse the cn^lu- hiiis. Indeed, so little credit is attached to this fabu- lous pt»ri(xl l)y the Chinese themselves, that one of their mn>\ rfSjH»etal)le historians, Choo-ftKvtsze, dots not ven- ture to alludi* to it, but passing In xhvnr extravagant a>^umptions. coniuiences his relation at a nnich later {MritKL when events aud eireuuistauees of a eonueeted character stamp the reeonls of the ai^e with gnater marks of eredibilitv. Another Chiiu si* historian, natued I'unir-ihow, reiuarks, " How is it credible that more than lO.iXM) years elapsed before the yani^, t»r • sup<»- rior priuciple' was prtMluced, aud the heavens spread ;

b2

4 OPINION OF NATIVE AUTHORS.

and that 10,000 more elapsed before the yin, 'secoudary principle' was produced, and the earth formed; that 10,000 more passed away, before the yin and yang united to produce the various material existences ; and, further, that 40 or 50,000 years more passed away, before the process of the two principles was finished, and the sages appeared! Such a tale is contrary to all sense and reason. From the time of the sages Yaou and Shun, to the present age is not more than 3000 and odd years. How can it be believed that 40 or 50,000 years elapsed after the formation of the heavens and the earth, before man appeared, or the earth and water were adjusted, and food supplied to human beings '? or that, if the world had existed so long, these things should not have been arranged before Fuh-he and his successors? It is evident that Pwan-koo, the first man, according to the fabulous records of the Chinese, who acted at the separation of heaven and earth, could not have been long before Fuh-he, perhaps a thousand years, certainly not ten thousand ; and the time of Fuh-he must have been very near Yaou and Shun, perhaps a hundred years, certainly not a thousand. No scholar shoidd decline a thorough enquiry." Sze-ma-tseen, another very celebrated historian of China, does not record anything relative to the three emperors above men- tioned ; how much less then might he be expected to refer to Pwan-koo, who is placed before them.

Thus Chinese authors of the greatest reputation agree in considering the first part of Chinese history as entirely fabulous. Whilst, however, we fully coincide with them in this opinion, we cannot help, on a re- view of their brief allusion to this period, suggesting

J

THE TRADITIONARY PERIOD. D

(he idea, that the whole is probably based on some indistinct recollections of the theory of the creation. Of the first man, they say, that soon after the period of emptiness and confusion, when heaven and earth were first separated, Pwan-koo was produced ; his ori- gin is not ascertained, but he knew intuitively the relative proportions of heaven and earth, with the prin- ciples of creation and transmutation. During the supposed reign of the celestial, terrestrial, and human emperors, they allege that the year was settled, the months and days arranged, and the hills and rivers divided ; all which may be but distant allusions to the formation of the heavenly bodies, and the settlement of the earth and waters.

The next period of Chinese history is that which is said to have elapsed between Fuh-he and the sages Yaou and Shun, which the Chinese denominate the age of the '' Five Rulers,*" and at which Choo-foo-tsze begins his histor}\ There is much difference among historians as to the arrangement of this era, and Choo- foo-tsze himself says, that "' several things aftirmed of this epoch were all pushed up by people who lived in subsequent ages.** Wliile, therefore, we might be unwilling to give full credit to what Chinese writers say of the events of this j)eriod, it is not improbable that much uf it is drawn by tradition from the correct account uf the antediluvian age handed down by Noah to his jK)sterity. The coincidence of ten generations havini^ |ms.^c(l away, the institution of marriage, the invention of music, the rebellion of a |K)rtion of the race, ami the confused mixture of tin* divine and hu- man families, closed bv the occurrence of the tloinl, in the time of YaiMi, might lead u> to conclude, that in

6 THE FIRST REAL CHARACTER.

their allusions to this period the Chinese are merely giving their version of the events that occurred from Adam to Noah. When Yu ascended the throne, the lands were drained, and China became habitable. About this period wine was discovered; Yu tasted it, and found it sweet, but rejected it, saying, " at some future period wine will occasion the ruin of the coimtry." If now we should consider this to be a description of the antediluvian period, down to the age of Noah, traced according to Chinese recollections, and illustrated by Chinese fancy; and if we should account Yu to be the first founder of the Chinese empire, we should then be assigning them a very high antiquity, without giving any countenance to the extravagant pretensions which their fabulous writers have assumed. These thoughts are merely thrown out as suggestions, in which some sober and judicious men have concurred, who have considered the highly wrought relations of the times of Yaou and Shun, as mainly imaginary, not according with the state of improvement in other parts of the world at that period, nor even with the condition of China itself, at subsequent epochs of her history.

If then we consider Yu to be the first real character in Chinese history, and place the beginning of his reign at B. C. 2204, or one hundred and four years after the flood, about the age of Peleg, when the earth was divided, we shall find that it just gives time for such an increase of the human family as would admit of emigration, and yet allow for China being in such a state of marsh, as to require draining for the sake of culture, which service was ascribed to the labours of Yu. Thus the empire of China, even when deprived

mXAL AKTIQUITY OF CHlSiA. 7

flf ik &1mloiiB and tnditioMfy periodb, » slfll tcij

odent; the Chineae must have branched off from tifte

great human, fisunily inunediatelj afker the dispenioaf

nd toTelling to the fisulher east, settled down on die

bnden of die TeDow River, coeval with the estate

lidiment of the Babylonian and EgjrpCian monafdiies.

The mention made in their eaiij history of the draining

of the land, as one of the first acts of the primitive

mien of China, and the allusion to the diseovery of

wine about the same period, shew that their firrt kings

Bust have synchnmixed with the immediate desoend*

ants of Noah ; and the recorded fact that a seven years

bmine took place in China nearly coeval with that of

Egypt proves that their chnmicles are entitled to some

degree of credit. Thus, ere Rome was founded, or

Troy was taken — before Thel>es or Nineveh were

erected into kingdoms — Cliina was a settled state,

under a regular form of government; with customs

and institutions, similar in many resjjects to those

which it possesses now.

From that time to this, revolutions and wars have frequently occurred; the country has been exposed to foreign invasion, and torn by intestine commotion; d3masties have changed, and the people are even now subject to a Tartar yoke, — yet China in (*hina still. Her language and Hit customs remain unaltcrt'd; and the genius and spirit of the {leojilc are the same they were in the patriarc*hal agt\ No nation has under- gone less change, or been less affected from without ; and they seem to have grown up as distinct from the rest of mankind, as if they had been the inhabitants of another planet ; retaining all their |)eculiarities just

THE HISTORICAL PERIOD.

BurrouMe^ s from inter- ] customed to ly regard the I account of I

as much as if their exclusive wall had their whole empire, and debarred all others from inter- course with them. Those who are accustomed to attach veneration to antiquity, will probably regard the Chinese with some degree of interest on account of their patriarchal character ; and those who love to sur- vey human society in every possible stage, will be gratified with the contemplation of it, as it existed not only centuries, but railleniums ago. The modem kingdoms of Europe are but of yesterday, compared with the Chinese ; and though western nations have grown rapidly since their origin, yet they cannot look back to any very distant period, when their ances- tors laid the foundation of their present greatness, and established sytems which still exist and characterize their popidations. The Chinese, on the contrary, have derived their veneration for parents, and their sub- jection to rulers, with the arrangements of domestic life, from the first founders of their monarchy ; and embody in their present conduct principles which were laid down four thousand years ago.

A few allusions to Chinese history may not be amiss here. Of the great Yu, the founder of their first dynastry, B. C. 2204, they write, that "seeing his father bad been put to death, for not completing the work of draining the waters, he applied himself more assiduously to that undertaking, which kept him from home thirteen years ; and though during that period, he thrice passed his own door, he would not enter. When he was appointed ruler, he rose ten times from a single meal to listen to complaints, and thrice tied up his hair wtiile in the bath, to attend to some urgent affair, with

THE SEVEN YEARS FAMINE. 9

die view of encouraging his people to an instant and

energetic devotion to business." Of Ching>tang, the founder of the second dynasty,

B. C. 1765, the Chinese write, that "he ruled the peo- ple gently, and abolished oppressions, complying with the predilections of the multitude, so that all parties reverted to him. In his days, the seven years drought ocairred; the principal scribe observed, that prayer should be offered up. Ching-tang said, ^ I only wish for rain on account of the people. If prayer will avail, I will present it myself! ' He then fasted, and cut off his hair and nails, riding in a mourning chariot ; and binding white reeds around him, that he might repre- sent a sacrificial animal, he went forth to the wilder- ness of mulberry-bushes, and invoked, saying, * Let not the lives of the people be forfeited, on account of the neglect of one individual ! ' He then acknowledged his six faults, saying, ' Is it that my government is extravagant "? or that the people are not properly at^ tendeil to *? or that my palaces are too lofty *? or that my ministers are too numerous ? or that presents are too frequently sent^ or that sycophants abound*?' He had scarcely ceased, when the rain fell, to the distance of several thousand furlongs/'

At the cli>se of this dynasty, B. C. 1153, the tyrant Chow presided over the empire ; he is said to have been eml4)Wed with supeniatural strength, so as to be able to conquer the fiercest beasts, and yet he was deluded and ruined through the fascinations and extravagances of a wretched woman. It is verv remarkabh', that the age of this individual should agree so exaetly with that as^igned, in siicred history, to Sampson.

The foiuulers of the third dvna.^tv are deseribed as

lU CONFUCIUS,

virtuous, patriotic, and brave, exterminating the tyrant of the preceding dynasty, and scattering the wealth and provisions which he had accumulated among a starving people. About this time, B. C. 1121, foreign ambassadors came, from the modem Cochin-China, to court, presenting a white pheasant to the emperor ; on returning they missed their way, when the prime minister furnished them with a "south-pointing cha- riot," by means of which they reached their own coun- try, after a years journey. Thus we see that the

lU^ polarity of the needle was known and applied to useful

*, ^•'purposes in China, at that early period.

In the twenty-first year of the emperor Ling, of the third dynasty, U. C. 549, Confucius was bom, in the state of Loo, now the province of Shan-tung. He had a remarkably high forehead, on which account his name was called Kew, or "hill." One of the nobles of his native state, when on his death-bed, addressed bis posterity, saying, " Confucius is a descendant of the sages, and must certainly understand hiunan nature; when I am dead, let my children reirnir to him for instruction." When Confucius was in the Chow coun- try, he went to Laou-tsze, to enquire about propriety. Laou-tsze said, "a clever merchant conceals his stock, and appears empty ; so an advanced scholar puts on the appearance of stupidity." Confucius, addressing his disciples, said, "There is something remarkable about Laou-tsze." When he was nearly fifty years of age, the ruler of bis native state. Loo, employed him lo govern a certain district: he had not been thus en- gaged above a year, when the surrounding nobles began to imitate him. His sovereign said, " Had I not better follow your example in the government of the Loo

AKD LAOU-TSZB. 11

taantrj i ** Confiiciiis feptied, ^^ With such principles joa ndgfat pacify the world, how much more the Loo CDuntiy.*' In a few yean, Confucius became the prime ■inister of his soT»eign ; but seeing his prince carried iway with the lore of women and music, he resigned his oflke, and quitted Loo. At the age of seventy- five, he died. The writings compiled by Confucius lod his foDowers are the most ancient Chinese records thai have been handed down to the present time. Some of these are, professedly, collections of earlier documents, and refer to the traditionary period of Yaou and Shun, as well as to the times of Wan Wang, B. C. 1 120 ; but it is more than probable, that some of the odes and speeches, collected by Confucius, were merely traditionary notices, found in the mouths of bards and statesmen, and not documents actually com- mitted to writing before his time. Confucius* history of his own times, commences with the reign of the em- peror Ping, B. C. 720, and is as much to be depended on as the recitals of the Greek and Roman histori- ans;— it not only bears on itself the stamp of credi- bility, but laid the foundation of all the subsequent historical works which China has produced. The well known "Four Books** are written by the followers of Confucius, and contain an account of the savings and doings of the sage and his immediate disciples, something similar to our Gospels and Acts, or as has l>een observed, corresponding to UoswelVs Life of Johnson.

It is verj- singular, that (*hina should have given birth, at the same time, to two n»niarkable men, differ- ing essentially in their doctrines and views, each the founder of a system of religion and morals, which has

THK BURNING OF THE BOOKS.

overspread and dirided C'hina, from their days to the present time. These individuals have been already referred to, viz. Confucius and Laou-tsze, and their interview witli each other recorded. Though they seem to have had a respect for each other, yet they do not appear to have combined or coalesced in the plans they laid down for the instruction of posterity. Of Confucius it is said, that he never spoke of the strange and marvellous, and sought to fix men's attention on the duties of the human relations ; while the other inculcated a contempt for worldly greatness and do- mestic happiness — placing the chief good in mental abstraction, and professing to deal much with the spi- ritual world. The one erred in being too sceptical, and the other iu being too superstitious ; yet they have both retained their hold of the mind of China, even to the present day, and it is difficult now to say, which system is most prevalent throughout the empire.

About the same period, 13uddliism arose in India; and though it did not immediately spread into the ultra Gangetic nations, it diffused itself rapidly on its subsequent introduction, and now exerts as great an influence over the minds of the vulgar, as the other two sects do over the learned and the superstitious.

A little more than two hundred years before the Christian era, China became subject to a foiu-th dy- nasty, called Tsin, from which Chin, or China, the ; name by which that country is known in the western i world, is probably derived. The ruler of Tsin con- ' ceived the insane idea of estal)lishing a dynasty, which should extend from the beginning to the end of time. With this view, he collected and burnt all the rt'cords of previous ages, and burietl alive four hundred and

AND THE BUILDING OF THE WALL. 13

sixty learned men, wishing to make posterity believe thai the dominion of the world commenced with him- self, the first universal emperor of China. The object of obliterating all remembrance of antiquity was, how- ever, defeated by the subsequent discovery of the books of Confucius, in the wainscot of an old house; and the intention of perpetuating his rule to succeeding generations was also frustrated by the demise of his son, only two years after his own death, by which means the empire passed into other hands, and his dynasty became extinct. Though the writings of Con- fucius were recovered, yet they were much injured, and, in many parts, defective ; which has greatly de- tracted from the integrity, intelligibility, and, in the opinion of some, from the credibility of the whole.

During the life-time of this monarch, the famous CTiinese wall was erected, in order to keep out the Tar- tars, who then infested the northern frontier. Almost every third man was drafted, throughout the empire, for the accomplishment of this undertaking ; and being but poorly supplied with provisions, many of them died in the work. Hence the Chinese call it, "The ruin of one generation, and the salvation of thousands." However true the first part of this sentence may be, the latter is not so exactly correct, as the Tartars have several times invaded China, notwithstanding their wall, and are now in possession of the empire. Still it is a stui)endous work, stretching over fifteen hundred miles of country, crossing hills and rivers, and provided with gates and towers, at certain inter- vals, so that if well manned and guarded, in a country where artiller)' is seldom employed, it might still be seniceable in keeping out an enemy, were not the

14 LATER DYNASTIES.

dreaded Tartar hordes now on both sides of the wall, and in possession of the palaces and capital of the empire. The name of the first ruler of the Tsin dy- nasty is, however, held in detestation by the Chinese.

Since the days of Tsin, a succession of dynasties have swayed the destinies of China : among the most celebrated of which are Han, Tang, Sung, and Ming, with the two Tartar dynasties Yuen and Tsing. The dynasty Han, lasting from B. C. 205 to A. D. 226, is distinguished for the military prowess and courage at that time displayed; hence the Chinese are still fond of calling themselves sons of Han. After the downfal of this race of kings, six smaller dynasties followed, of whom little remarkable is recorded. Dur- ing the Tang dynasty, from A. D. 620 to 906, learn- ing was extensively cultivated, and the Uterary exa- minations were then first established. Between the age of Tang and Sung, five smaller dynasties inter- vened, during which period printing was invented by one Fung-taou, A. D. 924 ; while the practice of bind- ing the feet of women appears to have commenced about the same time. At the close of the Sung dy- nasty, A. D. 1275, Marco Paulo, the Venetian travel- ler, visited China. While the Mongolian Tartars had possession of China, the grand canal was dug, which proved of such incalculable service to the empire ; and the Yellow River was brought back to its former bed, by which means much land was brought under culti- vation, and former inundations prevented. Under the reign of the Ming dynasty, from A. D. 1368 to A. D. 1643, the Portuguese visited China, and settled them- selves at Macao. The present Tartar race have pos- sessed the throne one hundred and ninety-four years.

THB CHINB8B CYCLE. 15

To the above brief allusions to the principal events of Chinese history, a regular list of Chinese emperors will be added in the Appendix, with some of Ihe re- narfcable occurrences of each successive dynasty. This list is made up from the Kang-keen-e-che, a Chinese historical work, and is calculated according to the cycle of sixty years, compared with the eras of the western worid, that both the Chinese scholar and the European leader may be alike assisted in referring to it. Some explanation of the cycle will be required, for those who wish to consult the list. This mode of reckoning has been adopted by the Chinese from the commencement of their monarchy. They ascribe its invgation to Hwang-te, who lived in the traditionary period, before the flood of Yaou. llie latter is said to have commenced his reign in the forty-first year of the fifth cycle, while the cycle itself is said to have begun with the sixty-first year of the reign of Hwang-te. During the period ante- rior to Yaou, however, the events of history, in Chinese books, arc not marked by the years of the cycle, while subsequent to Yaou s accession, every important occur- rence is carefully noted down by the appropriate horary character, so that a student can easily ascertain the date of any given event, by a refen*nce to this mode of cal- culation. The inference, thertTore, is, that the cycle was not known Ix'fore Yaou, if so early ; and that the assumption of the forty-first year of the fifth cycle, for the accession of that monarch is merely arbitrary, for the sake of fixing the date of subsequent, rather than of preceding events. ITie sixty years of the cycle are made out by joining ten horary characters, eallt*d the ** ten celestial stems," with twelve others, called the •• twelve tern'strial branches." These united together.

16 ITS ORIGIN.

of course, exhibit an excess of two branches, after every ten stems, which, being carried over to the next row, vary the associations, until the ten steins are repeated six times, thus forming sixty : when the pn^ cess has to begin again. The origin of the ten steins may be ascribed to the ten digits, and of the twelve branches, to the twelve signs of the zodiac, which are to be met with in all the primitive nations of antiquity, and are supposed, by some, to be antediluvian. In- deed, the twelve stems are, in calendars and astro- nomical books, used for the signs of the zodiac, begin- ning with Aquarius. As the characters, denoting these twelve branches, have little or no signification in them- selves, the common people, in order to remember them the more easily, have attached to each branch-character another word, with the meaning of which they are familiar; as mouse, ox, tiger, rabbit, dragon, snake, horse, sheep, monkey, pig, fowl, and dog, which were, probably, the ancient terms for the Chinese signs of the zodiac: so that the supposition that they were, originally, derived from that source, is not altogether without foundation. The Chinese make frequent use of these horary characters in the notation of time, not only as designating years, but months, days, and hours. Thus there are in each year, twelve months, and three hundred and sixty days ; while in each day there are twelve hours, all exhibiting numbers easily denoted by peculiar modifications of twelve. These characters are frequently used in designating the age of indivi- duals, and most requisite in calculating destinies; while in chronological matters, they form the only safe method of denoting time.

The history of China exhilnts many traits of human

THE DOMINIONS OF CHINA. 17

character, and a variety of incidents that would well repay the perusal. It was thought sufficient, how- ever, in the present work, merely to allude to the sys- tem of chronology adopted by that people, partly to remove an erroneous notion entertained by some, that the Chinese boast of a chronology extending through an almost indefinite jieriod, and partly to establish the fact,, that, exclusive of their fabulous and tradi- tionary jK^riiKls, they do iwssess a series of historical records, extending back to the very first ages of the world* agreeing, in many important points, with the astronomical and chronological calculations of the Wi-st, and entitled, in some degree, to confidence and credit.

It will not be unsuitable now to call the attention of the readier to the dominions which have been possessed by theso successive dynasties. A glance at the map of China ProiHT, exhibits it as bounded on the south and ea^t, by the ocean; on the west, !)y Thibet and the dtrst-rt ; and on the north, by the gre*it wall. Two mighty rivers are seen rising, nearly together, in the mountains of the west, one flowing north and the other south; and, after a lengthened and tortuous course, approaching each other nearly about the centre of China, from whence they flow side bv side, till thev empty thfniM'lves into the eastern sea, not far from facli other; the one is called Hoang-ho, or the Yellow RiviT, and the other, Yang-tsze-keang, or the Child of the Ocean.

At the first settlement of the Chinese in their i)atri- anlial n*in»>"f>« they doubtless occupied but a small jH.rtii.n i»f that space which they now call their own.

1

GRADUALLY OCCUPIED.

The first part of the country possessed hy their pri- meval ancestors, soon after the dispersion, was that portion of territory now included in the provinces of Shan-se and Shen-se, on the banks of the Yellow River, just after it crosses the great wall ; or the north- western part of China Proper. Here the land was laid out in portions which were divided into nine equal squares, the outer allotments of which were cultivated by eight separate husbandmen, while the middle plot was ivrought by the united strength of the whole, and* the proceeds given up for the service of the state. As the population increased, they spread themselves far- ther eastward, occupying the lands that lie between the Yellow River and the modem wall, as far as the sea; until, in the time of Confucius, the whole of the terri- tory north and south of the Y'ellow River, as far as the Yang-tfize-keang. was inhabited by tribes speaking the same language, and adopting the same customs, sepa^ rated into different states, and acknowledging one fede- ral head. In process of time, these were all brought under the dominion of Tsin. and the foundation of that empire was laid, which has been long known to the western world, under the appellation of Sin, Chin, and China. It was long, however, before the emjjerors of China extended their sway over the tribes Ijing to the south of the Y'ang-tsze-keang, and, fur many ages, the provinces of Fuh-keen, Canton, Kwang-se,Y'un-nan, and Kwei-chow. were in a state of barbarism, scarcely sub- mitting to the Chinese yoke, and deriving little benefit from the civilizing influence of their nurthem neigh- bours. Mucatiou, however, and superior tactics, gra- dually won over the southern states, and the emperors

THE ACCESSION OF TARTARY. 19

of China became lords of all within the wall and the ocean* and extended their influence from the desert to the eastern sea.

Having thus far prooj^ssed, China was soon enabled to enlarge her territones by that which generally cir- cumscrilx's dominion. She spread, not by conquering, but by l>eing conquered. For many ages, the effemi- nate Chinese had been exposed to the incursions of the Tartar hordes, which infested their northern border. To keep out these, the great wall was built, but built in vain. First, under the Monguls, and, subsequently, under the Manchows, the Tartar race invaded the terri- tor\\ and ascended the throne of China. In this, how- evtT. the suiK^riority of knowledge over ignorance — of civilization over barbarism — has been apparent. Men- cius, a Chinese philosopher, who flourished before the Christian era, has a passage in his works to the follow- ing 4*fTect : *' 1 have heanl of barbarians being improved l>y the Chinese, but I uvwr heard of the Chinese being impnntHl by barbarians.'' Thus the Tartars, after sub- jut^atint; China, instead of altering its institutions, and changini; its maxims of government, confonned them- srlvfs to the customs and laws already existing in the cotintrw and were, in fact, subdued bv the Chinese; while China remained what China was, having only cbanmHl its rulers, and trained a great accession of trrriton*.

Th«* nunlern empire of China assumes a peculiar inten'>t and importance, cm account of the extent of its t'-rritory. In addition to China Proju^r, which, with its riuhtfen rich and fertile provinces, each of them equal in extent and iM)p!dati(m to some Ktiropean kinurdoms,

c 2

20 PRESENT EXTENT.

covers an area of 1,298,000 square miles, the empire ^ is now swelled by the annexation of Chinese Tartary, a thinly peopled, but outstretched region, extending 1 from the sea of Ochotsk, on the east, to Bidiaria, |i on the west; and from the Altay and Nershink mountains on the north, to the great wall, on the south. I

The power of China is strengthened, by having Thi- i bet on the one hand, and Corea and Loo-Choo on the I other, almost entirely subject to its influence ; while [ its importance, in the eyes of eastern nations, is aug- ' mented by claiming to include Cochin-China, Caraboja, I Burmah, and Siam, among its tributary kingdoms, i What an enormous and overgrown dominion is thus presented before us, extending over thirty-five degrees of latitude and seventy of longitude, and covering an area of upwards of 3,000,000 square miles.

The Chinese empire occupies no inconsiderable space in our map of the earth's surface, and fills up nearly the whole of theu- own ; no wonder, then, that the Chinese should consider their country as the middle kingdom, inclu(Ung all within the four seas; and that, with them, the world and their empire should be synonymous terms. It is true, that a great part of these territories are uninhaljitahle deserts, and Chinese Tartary may have only four inhabitants to a square mile ; yet the government of that coimtry extends an influence over nearly as much of the earth's surface, and more of its population, than either England or Kussia, and makes its orders heard and obeyed from Peking to E-le, and firom the capital to Canton, amongst several hundred millions of people. By its new accessions of territory.

PRS8BNT EXTENT. 21

lias eome into the neighbourhood of the powcerions ; and, though originally so distant oa, aeema to shake hands across ^e Himlaya — and invite western nations to publish diem, the glad tidings of great joy, which ditD be to all people.

CHAPTER II.

PROBABLE POPULATION.

THE QUESTION OP POPULATION INTERESTING TO THE PHILOSOPHER. THE POUTICIAN, THE MERCHANT, AND THE CHRISTIAN— THE POSSIBIUTT AND PROBABILITY OF A LARGE POPULATION ARGUED FROM THE FER- TILITY OF THE SOIL— THE EXTENSIVENESS OF THE CULTIVATION — THE PAUCITY OF THE ROADS— THE MANNER OF DISPOSING OF THE DEAD— THE ENCOURAGEMENT GIVEN TO AGRICULTURE— THE INDUS- TRY OF THE INHABITANTS — THE SKILL OF THE HUSBANDMAN — THE ECONOMY IN FOOD, DRESS, AND DWELLINGS— CONTRASTED WITH THE SCARCITY OF PROVISIONS— AND WANT OF FEELING. — EMIGRATION. WITH ITS DIFFICULTIES— BOUNTY ON THE IMPORTATION OF RICE— IN- FANTICIDE-ITS PREVALENCE— FOUN DUNG HOSPITALS— CONCLUSION.

Scarcely any thing has been the subject of so much controversy, and at the same time of so much interest, relative to China, as the number of its population. The philosopher, the politician, the merchant, and the Chris- tian are alike concerned to know, how many individuals are congregated together in that immense empire, and what is the rate of increase of its inhabitants. The popu- lation of China has fonned the basis of numerous hypotheses among those who treat of the wealth or poverty of nations, and its exceeding populousness has been assumed or denied, according as different writers have sought to establish various propositions relative to the rapid or slow growth of the human family; and in proportion to the amount of their fears lest the increase of population should entrench upon the means of sub- sistence and produce an extensive and insupportable

DIFFERENT HYPOTHESES. 23

frnuBe. Hie IfaldiuBites have caught at the fact, that Chins, already over peopled, is yet increasing in popu- lation and is doubling the number of its inhabitants eyeiy twenty*five years ; which, connected with the cii^ cumstance of the scarcity and misery which already prevail, have led them to form the most gloomy appre- hensions for the future, and to discoiurage marriage and encourage wars, lest the world should, like China, become overstocked, and universal want and misery envelope and engulph the whole family of man. The anti-Maldiusites, on the other hand, shocked at this dreadful picture, and still more alarming prospect, have greedily embraced the suggestion thrown out by some writers, that the population of China has been exagge- rated; and finding different returns given by various authors, have argued that the subject is questionable and undecided ; then taking the lowest census they can find, they have come boldly forward and declared that China is one of the most thinly peopled countries of the globe, that her soil is not one tenth part cultivated, and that her peasantry and mechanics are enjoying an ease and luxur}', devoid of all appearance of want or penury, unknown and unequalled in any other part of the world. These extreme differences of opinion, established as they both appear to lie l)y irrefragablo arguments, tend to peq)lex the enquirer ; but we must remember that the mivocates of opi)osing systems generally go to extremes in defence of their favourite proix^sitions ; and that the tnith usuallv lies Ix'tween the two, to be elicited only by a dispassionate research, and an un- prejudiced mind ; determiniHl to judge aceonling to the evidence adduced, independent of previously existing opinions.

24 VIEWS OF THE POLITICIAN,

The politician is not less interested in the question of China's population ; for, if it be true that that empire contains its hundreds of millions, it will become an important enquiry how she is to be dealt with ; and what precautions are necessary to prevent her enterprizing, though not warlike people, from pressing with their teeming myriads upon the neighbouring populous and fertile states. If they be so numerous, and if they threaten to become doubly so, not only will the restric- tive policy of the Chinese, which would prevent its inhabitants from emigrating, be broken down, but the welfare, if not the peace of surrountUng nations be dis- turbed by the inHux of a mass of shrewd and hungry intruders ; wtio, if they cannot obtain a livelihood by honest competition, will first I)y petty thefts, and tlien by more daring robberies, become dangerous to the colonies where they reside ; and in time jiresent such annoyances as can only be checked by their exclusion from the scene of their chosen residence.

There are already two colonies in the eastern Archipe- lago, one under the Dutch and the other under English authority, where the annual influx of Chinese colonists has, whether right or wrong, been the occasion of much alarm ; and in one district in particular the revolt, or -supposed revolt, of the Chinese has ended in the utter extermination of the suspected tribe ; white in Borneo the Chinese have settled themselves down in the interior — have made head against the European authorities — and carried on the war for a considerable time ; con-r eluding with an honourable peace, by which they have retained full possession of a rich province, — abounding in the precious metals, — and secured the mouth of a river, affording a favourable outlet for

J

AND THE MERCHANT. 25

trade. Hence European colonies in the east have begun to forbid the introduction of Chinese emi- grants^ some levying a heavy fine on all new comers, which amounts to an actual prohibition, and others sending whole cargoes away, bidding them seek another home.

To the merchant and manufacturer, this subject is not devoid of interest ; particularly at a period when by the invention of machinery, goods are manufactiured more than doubly sufficient for all the ci^Hlized tribes of Europe and America; when even our East Indian possessions are overstocked with the productions of art; and when a new market for our manufactures becomes a matter of serious concern to those who have already exceeded the necessities of neighbour- ing nations, and who are compelled to look out for purchasi'rs in new and untried fields of commerce. But if China really contain so large a population as is assigned to it, in a climate where warm cloth- ing is annually required, how large a field is thus opened to the S|)eculations of capitalists and the ener- gies of operatives, which for years and ages they would not W able fully to exhaust. Say not, the Chinese are IKK>r and cannot pay for our go<His ; they already pay four millions of pounds sterling f(»r our opium, which only injures and destroys thorn ; and how is it that (hey cannot afTonl to purchase useful and necessary com- fn<Klities, the wearing of which will as much promote their intere>ts, as the sale will ours. It is \x\\k.\ their MNtim is e\eluMve,and eommerce with tluMn is carried on undtT numrrous n^trietions; yei if such a vast mass of i>foplo rxist ami must he elotlunl ; and if our nur- chant.s and nianufactunrs ran furnish thnn \\\\\\ the

necessary articles cheaper and better than they can Biipply themselves, the trade must extend, and our manufactures gain admission.

But the Christian philanthropist is still more inter- ested in this important question. When each individual possesses a never dying spirit, and each sinner is ex- posed to endless wrath, the greater the number of persons involved in the calamity, the more serious the evil; and the more must the contemplation of it oppress the mind of the thoughtful Christian. As this view of the subject, however, will be more fully enlarged upon in the sequel, it will be sufficient now, to discuss the question of China's population ; and endeavour to ascer- tain the real state of the case, leaving the deduction of inferences to the close.

To clear the way to this important subject, it will be necessary, first, to shew the possibility and pro- bability of China's containing the assumed population ; and then, the reality of its existence.

That it is a possible case that China contains as many inhabitants as even the largest census would give, few who have paid any attention to the subject will be disposed to deny. Though there have not been wanting those who strenuously affirm, that the soil is incapable of sustaining so vast a population ; yet, by a comjiarison of that land with othei-s. calc\ilating the number of occupants and the area of their territory, we find that such a priori reasonings are not founded in fact, nor entitled to our regard. China Proper is said to contain 1,297,999 square miles, or 830,719,360 English acres of ground. If then we allow only one- half of the land to be capable of cultivation, (though some would allow two-thirds.) and each acre of cultivated

POSSIBILITY OF THE CAKE. 27

pouod to be capable of sustaining one individual, (though some say each acre will support five,) then we have cultivable ground in China sufficient for the fopport of 415,000,000 of persons. Thus by a very moderate calculation, we see that it is by no means impossible for China to contain the full popidation which the highest census assigns to it.

Again, if we compare China with other countries of the globe, and calculate the population of each square mile, we shall find that that empire is not more thickly peopled than some other countries ; and if it be possible for other regions to sustain their population, then is it also possible for China to do the same. In Holland, for instance, we have 210 inhabitants to the square mile ; in England, including the army and navy, 244 ; in Ireland, 256 ; and in Belgium, 333. While in China, if we take the populaticm at the highest census, given in 1^^12, namelv 361.279,H97, we shall find that its population is about 278 individuals to the square mile, being somewhat more than the population of Ireland, but by no means equal to that of Belgium. Now as the iH'ople of Ireland can live, and those of Belgium can affonl to maintain a separate and ex])ensive govern- ment, and keep a large army on foot. — there is nothing extravatrant in the supposition that China contains and is aliK' to sustain the population assiijnrd to it.

\Ve next come to consider the prol)al)ility of such a suppo^iti4>n : and in so dointj we .shall iind that it is not unlikelv that China contains a larm» amount of ])opnlation from the fertility of its soil, eonihint^d with the u:reat quantity of land under cultivation : the encourai^ement that is given to agriculture; and the industn' and skill of the inhabitants, ciuitrasted with the

28 FERTILITY OF CHINA.

economy observed; notwithstanding which the people in many provinces are reduced to the most abject state of want and misery, many dying of actual starvation, and thousands emigrating everj- year, in order to procure a precarious sulisistence abroad.

It is true that China is in some parts hilly, and in others marshy ; that wild men and wild beasts occupy the higher regions, and reeds and rushes the lower ; in such situations we do not of course expect to find fertility ; yet the vallies and the level plains, which are by no means circumscribed, are proverbially pro- ductive, and in some favoured spots, the fertility is amazing. Barrow says, "that an acre of land, in China, with proper culture, will afford a supply of rice for ten persons, for a whole year, in the southern provinces; and sufficient for the consumption of five in the north- em; allovring each person two pounds a day."* This estimate may be considered high; but on minute en- quiry of the natives, who are acquainted with the culti- vation of the interior, it appears, that an acre of land in China, well cidtivated, will produce 3600 pounds of rice, in two crops, per year; which is equal, at two pounds a day, to the sustenance of five individuals. But the Chinese peasantry generally cannot calculate on two pounds of rice a day, or scarcely one, and are obliged to make up the deficiency by sweet potatoes, pulse, or any thing else that will satisfy hunger. The obsen'ation of travellers, who have visited the country, tends to shew, that the borders of the grand canal, and the two gigantic streams — the Yellow River, and the Yang-tsze-kcang — are extraonlinarily productive, jield- ing two crops in the year, without needing to lie fallow

• Burow'* TiBTols iu Cliiniu pp 577. Tj?".

EXTBMT OP TILLAGE. 29

a img^ seaBon. The provinces of KeangHsoo and 6an- hwuy, Shan-tung and Shan-se, Ch^keang and Ho-nan, are those which yield the greatest revenue to the emperor, and consequently those which are most pro- ductiye to the people; while the thick set stalks of waving com in the vicinity of those places fuUy sub- atantiate the character given of them by foreign travel- lers and native docimients, as being the g^ranaiy of the land.

To the fertility of the soil, we may add the consider- ation that it is very extensively cultivated. China contains, as has been before observed, 830,719,360 English acres ; and if we aUow one third of this area for hills, rivers, marshes, and waste lands, we shall have 553,812,906 acres for cultivable ground. In ascertain* ing this, however, we are not left to conjecture; as there exists a report made to the emperor Keen-lung, in the year 1745, of the amount of land then under culti- vation, according to which it appears, that, reckoning the land belonging to individuals, with that in the pos- session of the Tartar standards, the military, the priests, and the literary, there were, at that time, 595,598,221 English acres under cultivation ; since which period, a new estimate has given 640,579,381 English acres, as the total extent of occupied land in China, llius it appears, that more than three-fourths of the surface are owned and tilled by man, allowing, according to the highest census, nearly one acre and three quarters to each individual. The greatest part of this area is laid out exclusively in arable land, and devoted to the pro- duction of food for man alone. In China, the natives make no use of butter or cheese, and ver\' seldom of milk ; the princiiial animal food is iH)rk, which is gene-

NARROW ROADS.

rally horae-fed; they have few horses for travelling, pomp, or war ; and the only cattle they keep are such as are needed in husbandry : hence, there are no graz- ing farms, no meadows, and very little pasture ; while every acre of ground, capable of cultivation, is turned up by the spade or the plough, in order to a£ford suste- nance for the teeming inhabitants. The few beasts of burden, or of draught, which they keep, are cither tethered to a string. Iiy the side of the road, or turned out to graze on the hills; while they are supplied, by night, with a little straw or bean stalks, which m also their principal food during the winter. A common is quite unusual throughout the eastern half of China ; while parks and pleasure groimds are proportionably scarce, as the anxiety to satisfy the appetite prevails over the desire of amusement.

Wheel carriages being rare, particularly in the south, the roads are comparatively few and narrow ; generally consisting of raised pathways through the rice fields, or of winding lanes over the mountains. The state- ment of Barrow, that "the imperial roads are triple," with the declaration of Le Compte, that " they are fourscore feet broad, or near it." does not interfere with the general assertion, that the road.s of China are nar- row; for the two writers just quoted, are speaking of the public roads in the vicinity of the capital, and of the royal way from Peking to the imperial residence in Chinese Tartar}-, liroail ways may comport with a high state of civilization, but where the people are little accustomed to luxury and self-indulgence, they will be content with narrow paths; particularly when every particle of improveable soil is needed to sustain the population. WHiat an immense quantity of land is occu-

Hk

j

STATE OF THE CEMETERIES. 31

pied in England, in order to indulge the locomotive propensity of the inhabitants, and to enable them to move, with ease and expedition, from one place to another. This expenditure of the energies of the soil, in feeding millions of horses, and this laying out of good ground, in constructing several thousand miles of roail, is almost entirely spared in China, where the public are content to walk, or to carry each other about, if they may but get enough to eat and to wear.

It has l)een objected to the statement reganling the occupancy of a great proportion of the land in tillage, that the cemeteries of the Chinese are both numerous and extensive ; and much of the soil being ccmsecrated to the serNice of the dead, there nuist of necessity be a smaller quantity left for the support of the Hving. The force of this objection seems to be heightened by the consideration, that the Chinese never allow old graves to l>e disturl)ed ; and, generally spi'akinu^, dig a new pit for each individual. But, an acquaintance with the fact, obviates the supposed difficulty ; for, the Chinese seldom select, for burial places, situations capable of agricultural use and iniprovinient ; and inter their deceased friends on the hill side, or under the cniggj' precipice, where little else eould be made of the soil. During the various excursions, whieh the writer has made into the interior, alonii: the .shores of three or four maritime provinces, he was partieuhuly struck with the extn*me paucity of graves. In one part 4^f the province of Shan-tung, a cemetery was (H>eo\ered in a >e(|ues- tered glfU ; and, here and tlure, a white nuuuunent presented itself by the road side ; hut by no nieauR equal to the ho!^t« of linng inhabitants, everywhere

oa AGRICULTURE E^■COURAGED.

met with. Near the populous city of Shang-hae, coffins were seen in the comers of the fields, kept above ground till the bodies should decay ; when the bones might be collected into jars, placed by the cottage door, and the coffin and the room might Kerve for other occupants. At the great island of Choo-san, scores of coffins were observed under a precipice, scattered about in confusion, some fresh, and olhers in a state of decay, all denied the right of sepulture, from the crying necessity of a want of room. In the neighbourhood of Peking, the cemetery may be laige, because the population is great, and the ground round the capital compara- tively barren ; but generally throughout the country, and particularly in the more level and fertile provinces, the U\-ing cannot affoi-d much room for the dead, and the cemeteries are therefore contracted and few.

The encouragement given to agriculture would also argue a dense population. It is an ancient maxim with the Chinese, that when people are hungry there is no attending to the dictates of justice and propriety, and only when a population is well fed, can they be well governed. Hence from the earliest antiquity, the em- peror has set an example of industry to his people, by personally and publicly holding the plough once a year, while the empress does the same with regard to the loom. In arranging the various classes of the peo- ple, the Chinese place the hterati in the foremost rank, as learning is with them the stepping stone to honom-; but immediately after the learned, the husbandman takes the precedence of all others, because being en- gaged in raising the necessaries of life, he is abundantly more inii>ortant than the mechanic, who merely changes the forms of matter ; and tlie merchant, who originates

INDISTRY OF THE CHINESE. 33

nothing, and only barters and exchanges commodities far the sake of gain. This honour put upon agricul- tural employments is evidently the result of design ; and shews that the country, being over stocked with inhabitants, needs cultivating to its utmost extent; in cinler to provide the people with sustenance.

The industry and skill of the Chinese, striving to produce as many of the necessaries of life as possible, would also argue a dense population, ever stniggling against threatening want, and compelled to exert them- selves for their daily bread. In tropical climates, where the ground is fertile, and the population scanty, the natives find that, by a few months labour, they can pnKluce sufficient food for a whole years consumption and are therefore indisposed to exert themselves further. IJut in China, the inhabitants are incessantly employed, and every individual is obliged to be busy in contri- buting his quota to the common weal. Ever)* one, in the least acquainted with the manners of the Chinese, knows that they are untiring in their exertions to main- tain themselves and families. In the business of agri- culture, they are more particularly active, raising two rmj)s from the groimd every year, extending their cul- tivation in every possil)le direction, and bringing the most unpromisint^ spots into use, in onler that nothing may be lost. Their skill in efTeetinp: these olyeets, is not, considering their few advantages, eontemptil)le. They thomughly understand the importance of varving the crops; they know perfectly well the seasons and •-nls atlaptcnl for et»rtain produetions ; and they are fully S4*nsible of the importance of manuring the ground, in onler to maintain its fertility. A stnmger is stnick with this, on first setting his foot on tht* shores of China.

I)

34 SKILL OF THE HUSBANDMAN,

Almost every individual met with, in the paths and fields, is pro\ided with a basket and a rake ; and every evening, the cottager brings home a certain quantity to add to the mest heap, which is a most important appen- dage to every dwelling. Having but few sheep and cattle, they are obliged to make the most of the sterco- raceous stock of men and swine. This is carefully collected, and actually sold at so much pi?r pound, while whole strings of city scavengers may be seen cheerily posting into the country, every successive morning, with their envied acquisitions ; little heeding the olfactory , nerves of the less interested passengers. J\ery other substance likely to answer the end, is anxiously col- lected, and carefully disposed, so as to provide for future exigences : such as decayed animal and veget- able matter, the sweeping of streets, the mud of canals, burnt bones, lime ; and, what is not a little singular, the short stumpy human hair, shaven from milHons of heads, everj' ten days, is industriously gathered up, and sold for manure throughout the empire. In the high importance placed on stercoration, in China, we see an illustration of that passage in II. Kings, vi, 25, that when there was a great famine in Samaria, "the fourth part of a cat* of dove's dung was sold for five pieces of silver."

The skill of the Chinese husbandman is also mani- fested in the arrangement and inigation of his rice lands. In the centre and south of China rice is the staple com- modity ; and it is well known that rice will not thrive unless supplied with water. From the preparing of tlie ground for the seed, almost to the reaping of the har* vest, the rice fields mu-st he overspread with water. In order to ihiti. each field is mndr perfectly level, with an

]

IN IRRIGATION. 35

elevated ridge or border, and a stream of water con- stantly flowing into it, to provide against the loss by evaporation, and to yield an overplus for the fields around and beneath it. For this purpose water must either be raised by artificial means, such as pumps, levers, wheels, &c., from a Idwer to a higher region ; or conducted with great skill and care from some elevated position, along the sides of hills, and across vallies, to the desired spot ; where, introduced into the highest field of the series, it gradually flows down to the lower terraces, imtil it is lost in the river or the sea. The very ingenious methods which the Chinese employ for raising water have often been illustrated ; and shew at once their adroitness, and the necessity which has thus driven them to their wits ends, to increase the pro- duce of their soil. The water brought over the land, brings fertility along with it, and the debris accom- panying the fluid thus conveyed from the surrounding heights, tends alike to moisten and fructify the soil. The Chinese may be considered adepts in terrace culti- vation, notwithstanding the observations of Barrow, that he saw but few instances of it in his route. From all the information that can be gathered from the natives, the contrary is the fact ; and though in phices where a supply of water cannot be commaiKliHl at an elevated spot, the natives necessarily leave the hills uncut into terraces ; vet in everv instance in which the locality is favourable, they do not fail to adopt a mode of cultivation so essential to the prcxluetion of rice in southern latitudes. All trav(*llers airree in the opinion that in minute spade husbandry, the Chinese more than equal Euro|)eans; and I^ord Macartney denominates them the best husbandmen in the world. The activitv

n 2

ECONOMY OK THE flllNESE.

and acuteness of the Chinese husbandman, Iherefow; tend to shew, that bo much energy and mind have been necessarily called into tlisplay by an overflowing popu- lation.

Not less remarkable, nor less available to our argu- ment, is the economy observed by the Chinese in the use of the necessaries of life, in order that they may make them go as far as possible. This is apparent in their food, their dress, and their dwellings ; in all of which they avoid extravagance, and restrict themselves to such kinds as need the smaUest quantity of ground to produce and rear them. It is not meant by this, that the Chinese are not fond of good food, and plenty of it, when they can get it ; they are, in fact, both epicures and gor^ mands, when gootl things fall in their way; but they manage to do with little and coarse food, when necessity compels them, which is, alas! but too often. The diet of a Chinese is generally a little rice and salt fish, or salted vegetable; a species of brassica being commonly used for this purpose, which being thoroughly impreg- nated with salt, helps to flavour the insipid rice, and enables them to relish their food. This mess is some- times varied by certain preparations of pulse or millet, and more rarely a few ounces of pork are stewed down with the vegetable preparations, in the proportion of one to five. The common food of the poor, however, is sweet potatoes or yams, with occasionally a little rice boiled in a large quantity of water; and once a month, it may be, a pork meal, or on grand festive occasions, a little poultry. Against the eating of beef they have a strong prejudice, not so much on account of religious scruples, as because oxen are used in husbandry, and they think it a shame, after a poor animal has been labouring all

LITTLE ANIMAL FOOD. 37

his life in their service, to cut him to pieces at last, and then to feed upon his flesh, and make shoes of his hide. Hence in the hortatory tracts, which they sometimes publish, they draw the figure of an ox, composed en- tirely of words or characters, which set forth the oom- fdaint of the cow kind, relative to their hard usage during life, and their still harder fate at death, concluding by asirigning the lowest place in Pandemonium to the vil- lainous beef-butchers, who mercilessly cut them up for

gain- Having no inclosed pastures, they cannot breed

many sheep or goats, which, wandering over the com fields and gardens, would destroy more than they are worth. It is only in hilly and barren regions where these animals are allowed to roam, and even there not beyond the shepherds eye; hence in the more fertile and more populous parts of the country, mutton is scarce and seldom eaten. Instead of beef and mutton, how- ever, the Chinese have recourse to dogs and cats, the flesh of which animals is equal in price to that of swine. In default of these, they have no ol)jection to make a dish of rats and snakes; and cockroaches and other reptiles come in to l)e used either as food or medicine, by a people who are driven frequently to great straits for want of sustenance ; animals that die of disease, and those aln^a<ly far gone in a state of decay, are when discovered eagerly dovoureil by a hungry j)ea8antry in search of fiKxI. In short the (*hinese have the most unscnipiiKnis stomachs imaginable; ever)' thing animal fn>m the hide to the entrails, — and almost ever}* thing vegetable, from the leaves to the rm»ts, is made avail- able to the siip|H>rt of life; and even some parts of the

DRESS AND DWELLINGS.

mineral kingdom are laid under requisition for important purpose.*

In Iheir dress, the Chinese are alike anxious to economize the soil, Barrow says, " that an acre of cotton will clothe two or three hundred persons:" and as cotton can be planted between the rice crops, and thus vary the productions, and relieve the soil, the Chinese prefer such clothing as they can raise, at the least] expense of ground and labour. Were the hundreds of millions of China to be clothed in woollens, an immense tract of grazing land would be required, which would deduct materially from the area devoted to food, and greatly exceed what the Chinese coidd atford. In their dwellings, likewise, they are particularly frugal of room: living together in a very small compass, and crowding into closely built cities, as though ground with them were an object of great moment. A room twenty feet square would afford sufficient space for a dozen people to eat, drink, work, trade, and sleep; while the streets of their towns and cities are so nar- row, that it is quite possible to touch each side of the way with the hand as you ptiss along. Now if we compare this frugality with the extravagance of Euro- pean nations in reganl to room, living on beef and mutton, and wearing woollen clothes ; we may easily see that the ground which would sustain one Knglishman, would be sufhcient for the support of three oj four Chinese. Amongst such a selfish and sensual people, BO much economy would not be observed, did not stem necessity compel ; and what greater necessity can exist

• The Chinpsc UUP p-est quBiititiw of gyptnm, whicJi they mix wiih paiae, in order to form a jelly of which Uicy arc very Tuiid,

jm

SCARCITY OF PROVISIONS. 39

than the difficulty of sustaiiiing a crowded population from a contracted soil.

Notwithstanding all this diligence and care, how- ewer, the people in most of the provinces find a difficulty in procuring the necessaries of life; many die of actual want, and many more are obliged to emigrate: whUe every encouragement is given to the importation of grain, in order to relieve a needy population. The general poverty of the people has already been alluded to, in shewing them to be content with a diminished quality and sometimes quantity of food ; yet many of them can hardly find food enough, and numbers die annually of sheer starvation. When a drought, or inun- dation occurs, when locusts invade the coasts, and the crops fail from blight or mildew, imperial bounty is obliged to be extended to the sufferers ; otherwise a people, considerably straitened on common occasions, would in a season of scarcity actually perish for want. For this purpose, a great quantity of grain is annually left in the various pronnces, l)esides that which is for- warded to Peking, in onler that the supply may be ready when necessit}' demands it. According to one state- ment, there are reserved in different parts of the country about 26.000.000 bushels of grain, and 12.000,000 bufihels of rice, to be sold out at a low price to the \yooT in seasons of scarcity ; a quantity sutliciently indicative of the wants of the |)eopIe, and of the straits to which they are sometimes driven, to need such a supply. And yet this n>yal mimiticence sometimes proves inadequate to the n*liff of the wretched; or lieing pillaged by under- lings in its way to the necessitous, leaves the hungry to starve ere the provision reaches them. The extreme poverty of the jieople in the south of China is well

40 WANT OF FEELING.

known to all who are acquainted ydth those regions, and the piteous scenes presented in winter by whole hosts of peasants almost destitute of food or fuel, are enough to affect most deeply the minds of the compassionate. The common wages of the day labourer is but four pence a day, and the remimeration to a schoolmaster from each of his scholars is only ten shillings a year ; while provisions are sometimes nearly as high as they are in Europe.

The want of feeling generally apparent among the Chinese, argues their deep poverty ; for where provi- sions are scarce and dear, the human heart, unsanctified by Divine grace, soon becomes closed against the cry of distress, and the sick poor are allowed to perish by the road side, without a helping hand to relieve them. There is some charity manifested towards kindred, but none to strangers, who are left alike destitute of public provision and private benevolence. Canton is infested with beggars, who gain a scanty relief by their untiring importunity ; and, in other parts of the country, the needy present their dismal tale of miseries to the too heedless spectators.

Persons in danger of being drowned, or burnt, are seldom rescued ; and numbers are turned out to die in the open air, to save the trouble of tending them while sick, and the expense of cleansing the house of their ghosts, when dead. This disregard of the wants and miseries of others, must be partly occasioned by the pressure of personal want, and the great number of individuals needing relief.

The subject of emigration, is one which considerably affects the question of the population of China. The government of that country being restrictive and exclu-

BMIGRATION. 41

are, have gone on the principle of forbidding alike the emigration of natives and the immigration of strangers. Standing in need, however, of foreign supplies; and bring unable to provide for their own subjects, they have, in the first place, been induced to allow a sort of restricted commerce at Canton ; and, finally, to wink at the dejmrture of natives to foreign lands. Still they consider those who go abroad, as forfeiting all claim to the protection of their own government, constituting themselves outlaws, as well as aliens, by the same act of expatriation. When a misunderstanding occurred between the Chinese colonists and the Dutch autho* rities, at Batavia, some years ago, and a massacre of the Cliinese followed: the colonial government afraid, lest the emperor of China should take uml)rBge at the transaction, sent an embassy to that country, explaining the matter, and attributing the blame to the emigrant Cliinese themselves. ITie emiHjror, however, coolly replied, that, as they had chosen to ])lace themselves without the {)aie of his benign and fostering sway, they were no longer entitleil to his protecting influence; thus, whatever happened to them, he should not inter- fere. Those who return to their native land, after having amassed considerable property, if not screened and sheltered by their friends and n»latives, are liable to 1h' aecuswl of having had intercourse with barba- rians ; whi-n their crime increases in malignity, acconl- ing to the amount of their jMissessions, until, by re|H»attHl extortions, they are deprived of all. Ni)twithstand- ing, however, the original n*strictions i)n emigration, the forfeiture of the rights of citizenship which they tlMfeby incur, and the prospect of a giKnl squeeis* ing when they return ; yet. sueli is the diUicuitv manv

42 HOUNTIKS UN RICE SUtPS.

Df them find in |in)cimnp a sulwistencc, (hat they lingly quit fricntU ami hume. and brave the dangers of the deep, with the inhos|»italities of a foreign clime, in a BtBte of [lovcrty. rather than stay at home, and drag on a mieerahle existence in want of all things. Hence Ihey have not oidy n-movwl from the more populous provinces of C'hina, to those more thinly peojded ; hut have crodKed the wall, the desert, and the ocean — pour- ing forth their hordes to the east. west, north, and south — (lecupying the waste lands of Tartary — colonizing Thibet, Burmah, Camboju. and Siam. and basking under the fostering care of European governments, in the islands of the Malayan Archipelago. What stronger proof of the dense popidation of C'hina could be afforded than the fact^ that emigration is going on, in spile of restrictions and disabilities; from a coimtry, where learn- ing and civilization reign, and where all their dearest interests and prejudices are found — to one where com- parative ignorance and barbarity prevail, and where the heat or cold of a tropical or frozen region, is to be exchanged for a mild and temperate climate ; added to the consideration, that not a single female is permitted, or ventures to leave the country, when consequently all the tender attachments, that bind heart to heart, must l)c burnt aHunder. and [lerhaps for ever. WTiere is the country ■ — where, under Kuch circumstances, eraigru- tion wonid prevail, unless stem necessity compelled, and unliMH the eviir-ineri-asing progeny pressed on the IhtIn of the adult jKipulation, and obliged them to seek 1) pn-cariouH Hulmiittfnce in a less thickly peopled part of the I'arth*?

The brcflking through of another restriction, in the otherwise utudternlfle HyRlem of Chinese policy, proves

FEMALE INFANTICIDE. 43

die existence of a dense popularion in that country. It has been before observed, that the Chinese discourage intercourse with foreign nations, and only permit a fimited and heavily burthened commerce at Canton. All foreign vessels, trading to Canton, have to pay a measurement charge, amounting, on vessels of eight hundred tons, to two thousand dollars, and an entre- port fee of nearly equal value ; but, by command of the present emperor, in the year 1825, the former, and by previous orders, the latter charge, were both dispensed with, in case of all vessels loaded with rice, in order to encourage the im|)ortation of so necessary an article from abroad. This jiermission is taken advantage of by foreign merchants, at Canton, and great quantities of rice are thus imported, to supply the wants of a needy population. Nothing but necessity will induce the Chinese government to swerve from its usual regu- lations, and to grant any immimities to foreigners: — when thev do so, as in the case alhided to, it shews that rice is greatly needed in the country ; and, if rice be needed in so fertile a region as ( 'hina, it is evident that China is overstocked with inhabitants.

In addition to the above mentioned considerations, the prevalence of infanticide, in China, has been ad- ducal, by some, as a proof of that empire's extreme popuh)usness. While, however, we would by no means argue, that this abominable practice is kept up, in onler to keep down the population, or that it has any considerable influence in diminishing the numbers of the |H»ople, we may still contend that infanticide in China, is more the result of poverty than pnjudice, and has to do with economical, rather than n»ligious consi- derations. In the tirst place, it is to be obsentnl, that

44 $UGIiTt>G or DACGHTULS.

infiintickie ia ChioEL. i2^ wfaothr confined to die female sex : boy^ it b ituui^aed. caa pcuvide sufficiently well far theuiselvess: *r^ tikehr to n^pay* by their labour, the care and expence be^lowed on them; and contri- bute to the buikhn^ up of the £muly name and for- tunes : in all of which matters, girls are of little value. Hence the birth of a son is hailed* in every Chinese &mih\ with delight: while die house is only filled with lamentation, on the appearance of a wretched daughter. A sou is. therefore, valued and cherished, while a daughter is des^used and neglected. This feel- ing carritnl to excess, leads many, in extreme poverty, to perj>etrate infanticide, in the one case ; and to prac- tice forbearance, in the other. Again, the abominable custom alluded to. is not taught or enjoined by any religious system pre\*aleut in China — either Confu- cianism, Taou-ism. or Buddhism; it is not done to propitiate the gods, as was the case, formerly, amongst the cruel worshippers of Moloch; nor do the natives expect to reap any spiritual advantage, by giving " the fruit of their body for the sin of their soul ;" but the Chinese perpetuate this infernal custom merely from parsimonious motives, and just to save themselves the care and expense of brining up a useless and trou- blesome being, who is likely to cost more than ever she will fetch, on being sold out in marriage. It prevails, therefore, in proportion to the general indigence of the people, and affords by its prevalence, a criterion by which to judge of the density of the population, and the I)overty of the inhabitants. Hence, we find that it obtains more in the southern provinces, where the numbers of human beings exceed the powers of the soil to pnKluce sufiicient sustenance ; or, in a crowded

NEGATIVE EVIDENCES. 45

capital, where the myriads of citizens find hanlly room to live or to breathe. In the southern parts of the empire, the natives themselves, who might be supposed anxious to conceal the fact, bear ample testimony to its existence, and that in a proportion which it is fearful to contemplate ; while the lightness, with which they treat the murder of female infants, shews that it must have prevailed, in no ordinary degree, in order so far to blunt their sensibilities on the subject, as to lead them to contemplate the drowning of a daughter, as far more excusable than the treading of printed pa])er under foot, llie extent of infanticide in the capital has been calculated, by the number of infants thrown out every night, and gathered by the police in the morning, to be buried in one common hole, without the city. One writer informs us, that ten or a dozen infants are picked up every morning, in Peking alone; hence, the munlers in that city must amount to several thou- sands annually.

Some writers and travellers have questioned the prevalence of infanticide in China, because they have never, in their intercourse with the Chinese, seen any instances of it. Thus, Ellis remarks, '• that in jiassing along the |>opul()Us rivers of China, through upwards of 16(K) miles of count r}', thry met with no proofs of its existence." Do (luignes has been lirought in, also, as saying, '• that in his routr, through the whole extent of China, in travelling by water, he never saw an infant dn>wned ; and, in travelling by land, although he had l)een early in the morning, in cities and in villages, and at all hours, on the hi^hwavs, he never saw an infant ex|)Osed or dead. ' But, this negative kind of evidence is contradicted by the din*ct testimony of Messrs. Bridg*

FOUNDLING HOSPITALS.

man and GutzlafiF, who have both met nith instances of what neither VAWa nor De Guignes could trace or discover.

The fact, that foundling hospitals are more easily filled in China than elsewhere, is corroborative of the little regard in which female infants are held. The more tender hearted parents, rather than lay violent hands on their offspring, prefer giving them away; or if they can find no one to receive the charge, depositing them in some temple, or monaster), where there is, at least, a chance of their being noticed and preserved. The Buddhists, in China, avail themselves of this cir- cumstance, to fill their mmueries ; while the Catho- lics, in that country, increase the number of their adherents, by rescuing the outcast daughtere of the inhabitants, and bringing them up for wives to the native converts. Othei-s, actuatctl by base motives, pick up the abandoned children, and rear them for the purjtose of sorded gain, which they accomplish by sell- ing them for domestic slaves, or training them up for wanton gratifications, or condemning them to beg through the streets, after having cruelly put out their eyes, to make them objects of charity.

It is not meant to be argued, that the Chinese mur- der, expose, or sell their female infants to prevent the country Iiecoming overpeopled ; or that the practice is so general as to have any material effect on the popu- lation. Whatever the motive be. it is altogether per- sonal, and nut patriotic ; it is merely to save IhemselvcB pains and money, and not to benefit the country by decreasing the number of consumers. To whatever extent, also, the practice may prevail, it is not likely materially to affect the aggregate of the population.

CONCLUSION. 47

F<nr if we allow that one per mille only of the female nifimts bom in China are smothered, which is much below the mark in the populous provinces and crowded cities, while it would exhibit a fearful estimate as the aggpregate of murders, it would still be very inconsider- able as affecting a population, which amounts to several hundred millions, and which increases at the rate of three per cent, per annum. The object of the argument is to shew, that the children being sacrificed to Mammon rather than to Moloch, the prevalence of the custom indicates the gpreat poverty and oven^helming numbers of the people, — that there is a disproportion between the supply of food and the number of consumers, — that human life is cheaper than human provender, — and hence the conclusion, considering the fertility of the soil, that China is immensely populous.

CHAPTER III.

CENSUS OF THE POPULATION.

TESTIMONY OF THE CATHOLIC MISSIONARIES —AND CHINESE AUTHORI- TIES—THE LAW OF THE CENSUS AND THE WAY OF TAKING IT— THE REASON FOR SO DOING— ITS CREDIBILITY— THE DIFFERENT ACCOUNTS RECONCILED— INCREASE ACCOUNTED FOR — INCREASE SKETCHED— AMIOT'S ESTIMATE— GROSIER'S — MORRISON'S —AND SIR G. STAUN- TON'S—COMPARISON OP THE WHOLE— WHICH MOST TO BE CREDITED

• —THE DISCREPANCIES OF SOME— THE MOST CREDIBLE CENSUS— THE REVENUE OF CHINA — AND ITS LIGHT PRESSURE ON THE PEOPLE.

But we have somewhat more than probability to guide us, in endeavouring to ascertain the population of China. We have the evidence of men who have long resided in the country, and a variety of estimates taken by the natives themselves, and published by imperial authority. While the learned of Europe are sitting at home, and calculating what may or may not be, which they decide according to their several hypotheses, and partialities ; we have the testimony of eye witnesses and actual residents, as to what really exists. Between these bare supposers and personal enquirers there can be no diffi- culty in determining on whom most reliance is to be placed. The speculators on China's population, how- ever, aware that facts are against them, have sought to throw discredit on the witnesses produced on the other side, by bestowing on them the most opprobrious epithets, and calling their veracity into question on every occasion. The authorities most likely to fiimish

ACCOUNT OF THE MISSIONARIES. 49

information on the subject of China are the catholic missionaries, and the Chinese themselves. The former, who penned the "Edifying and curious letters," are sometimes spoken of jocularly as "reverend gentlemen" telling their "pleasant stories;" at other times more cavalierly, as " stupid and lying missionaries, who con- tri%'ed to imjiose upon Europeans with their absurd and ridiculous notions." Malte Bnm, however, describes them as " weak and credulous, rather than wilfully mendacious." It must be confessed, that these are rather hard terms to bestow upon men who have left their native land, and ventured alK to spread what they conceive to l)e the truth ; men, at the same time, of much learning, and, one would hope, of some sincerity — who have deserved better than to be denounced as downright liars, in matters where they had neither interest nor inclination to deceive. Their op{)ort unities for ascertaining the fact, were many and great, as they were engaged, by imperial authority* in travelling through the various proWnces, and drawing up a statis- tical new of the empire ; so that they were not likely to \ye easily imposed upon by accounts inconsistent with truth.

ITie Chinese authorities have been treated in a still more unscrupulous manner, and the estimate piven by a principal mandarin, to Sir G. Staunton, is described as complete an example of Chinese mendaciousness, as an\ ever affonled ; and, as a document, bearing on its vt-n* face, the marks of fabrication. It is comj)ara- tivrly easy to get rid of julvcrse testimony, l)y throwing discredit on the judgment or veracity of the witnesses ; but though the Chinese may be, generally, given to

K

y

50 STATEMENTS OF THE CHINESE.

fabrication and exaggeration^ yet, in a matter where the only trial of veracity is to transmit returns from the people to the government, and to record them in public documents, we do not see why they may not be believed. The documents, thus drawn up and pub- lished by the Chinese executive, are not intended for the eyes of foreigners, or meant to exalt native resources in the estimation of surrounding nations ; on the con- trary, the emperor, in the edicts referring to the popu- lation, does not speak of its amount in a boasting, but a complaining tone ; for, like another Malthus, he is afraid lest the increase of population should entrench on the means of subsistence, and a famine be produced; he, therefore, exhorts the people to diligence in hus- bandry, that they may raise as many of the necessaries of life as possible, and to economy in their expenditure, that they may make them go as far as they can.

Now, however mendacious the Chinese may gene- rally be, we can only expect them to gratify their lying propensities when interest allures, or when they have no means for ascertaining the truth. That thqy can have no interest in deceivmg the world, is evident fix)m their unconsciousness of these statements being pub- lished to the world ; and that they have every possible means of ascertaining the amount of the population, will appear from the manner in which those returns are made, and the census olitained. The law on this sub- ject, is as follows : —

" All persons whatever shall be registered, according to their respective professions or vocations. WTien a family has omitted to make any entry in the public register, the master thereof, if possessing lands chargeable with contributions to the revenue, shall be punished

LAW OP THE CENSUS. 51

with one Imidred blowB ; but if he possess no such property, widi eighty bkyws. Wlien any master of a family has among his house- hold strangers, who constitute, in fact, a distinct family, but omits to make a corresponding entry in the public register, or registers them as members of his own family, he shall be punished with one hundred blows, if such strangers possess taxable property ; and with eighty blows, if they do not possess such property ; and if the person har- boured is not a stranger, but a relative, possesing a separate establish* ment, the punishment of the master so ofiTending, shall be less than as aforesaid by two degrees, and the person harboured shall be liable to the same punishment. In all these cases, the register is to be immediately corrected. In all the districts of the empire, one hun- dred <M"»1»»^ shall form a division, in order to provide a head and ten assessors, whose duty it is to assist and oversee in the performance of all public matters. These * elders * must see that all the families in their respective divisions, have been registered, and failure in doing this, exposes them to the bamboo. The returns of population are to be made annuallv.**

m

On this subject, Dr. Morrison obsenes : —

'* In the Chinese government, there appears great regularity and system* Ever}* district has its appropriate officer; every street its oonstmble; and ever>' ten houses, a tvthinjj-man. Thus thev have all the requisite means of ascertainins? the ]X)pulation with consi- derable accurac}'. Ever>* family is required to have a Inxard, always hanging up in the house, and ready for the inspection of authorised officers, on which the names of all persons, men, women, and children, in the house, are inscrilx'd. Tliis l>oar(l is called a mun pae, Moor taMet,' because where there are women ami chiUlren within, the officer* are exjH»cte<l to take the aeeouiit from the K^anl at the door. Were all the inmates of a family I'jiitlifullv inserted, the anioimt of the population would, of course. In* ascertaineil with ^m*at accuracy. But it is said, that names are sometimes omitted, tlirouifh neglect or design ; others think that tlie account of persons given in, is generally rorrect."

The census thus annually c.iUed for, bv the Chinese

E 3

52

REASON OF THE CENSUS.

government, and published in their official accounts of the empire, is demanded with the view of enabling the ruling povFers to ascertain the state of the country, in order that they may apportion the due amount of government officers, and poUce force, to each district, and make suitable provision for the necessities of the people, in case of famine. According to the system adopted by the reigning dynasty, a considerable pro- portion of money and grain is retained in the provinces for the service of the state, and the exigencies of the people ; and it would be difficult to know what amount should be reserved, unless the average number of the inhabitants were ascertained. It is, then, to assist the government, in making proper arrangements for the home administration, and not to impose either on them- selves or foreigners, that this census is taken. It is published in a work, given out by imperial authority, called the Ta-tsing-hwuy-teen, or " Collection of statutes for the present dynasty," where the various arrange- ments, for the direction of the six tribimals, are fully particularized. Under the item of revenue, the account of the population occurs ; and as this work has been published at different periods, it affords a criterion to judge of the state of the population through suc- cessive years.

Now the question occurs, Are these official docu- ments to be believed, or are they not? When any European government orders a census to tjc made, and publishes a slate paper, declaring that such and such is the result of their researches and calculations, it is generally believed. No one objects to the statement, on the ground of that government professing the reli-

ITS CREDIBILITY. 53

gion of the Romish or Greek church, or professing no religion at all; but since it is a matter of mere civil poEty, with which they must have a much better acquaintance than others can possibly have, they are allowed to make their own statement, and are believed accordingly. In negociating with foreign powers, or in managing matters which immediately concern their individual interests, the Chinese do sometimes prac- tice deception ; but, in matters of sober fact and actual calculation, we do not see why the Chinese should not be credited as well as others. We receive, without scruple, their account of the number of their provinces, counties, and districts ; the aggregate of their officers, and the amount of their revenue ; and why not take their estimate of the population ? at least, until we can find one made by those who have better opportunities of ascertaining the fact. It will not do for us, who have only supposition to guide us, to contend with those who are in the habit of counting the people every year, and have such efficient means for arriving at the truth. We may make some deductions for the extra- vagance of eastern nations, and receive with caution the statements of different years, which we can com- pare together, and endeavour to ascertain the rate of increase ; but we are not at liberty to call them liars, till we can prove them to have erred wilfully in this matter.

It is now time to introduce to the notice of the reader, the various estimates which have been given by the Chinese themselves, with the authorities on which they rest, in onler that a complete new may be formed of the gradual growth, and pR»sent state, of the Chi- nese {copulation.

OFFICIAL RETURNS.

Drnuty	En-p^r.	"Icn	A.D,	Populnlion.	Aulhoril)-.
Minff	Tae-tsoo	27	1393	60,545.811	Kang-keen-e-cbe.
Tfiing	Shun-chc		if;62	21,068,600	\ Ta-tsing-hwuy-li-en,
	Kang'be	ri	ififiK	25,386,209	\ old edition, extracted
		49	171(1	23.312.200	' by Ihe autlior.
j_		AIJ	1711	28.605,716	j Ta-taing-bwuy-teen,
	Keen^lung	1«	175;)	103,328,258	( newedilion. extracted
		.-i:	1 7<H	307,467,200	by Dr. Morrison and
'■	Kea-king	16	1812	361,221,900	)..™.

The above items are taken from regular Chinese works, and depend on the authority of official docu- ments. By these, it will be seen, that before the Tartar conquest, when the Chinese dwelt under their native emperors, the population amounted to 60,000,000 ; and that after the invasion of the empire, by the nders of the present dynasty, the population suddenly fell off to twenty or thirty millions ; at which state it continued for fifty years, when it gradually rose, till it reached a hundred, and, subsequently, three hundred and odd millions. In order to account for this, it may be neces- sary to observe, that the wars whieh took place on the transfer of the empire into new hands, greatly dimi- nished the number of the people : that, for scores of years, a great part of the empire remained unsubdued, on which account, the Tartars could not reckon on the inhabitants of the southern and western provinces as their subjects ; and that, at the commencement of the present dynasty, the revenue was levied in the shape of a capitation tax, which, of course, led a great number to evade enrolment, lest they should be held responsi- ble for the impost demanded by the government officers. Hence, it is not difficult to account for the great falling off in the population, during the first years of the pre-

REASON OP INCREASE. 53

sent dynasty, and for the amazing difference between the forty-ninth and fiftieth year of Kang-he, when the capitation tax was removed, and converted into a land tax. Indeed considering the change of measures, adopted by the government, it was rather to be ex- pected that the returns for the following year, would exhibit an increase of twenty instead of five millions, as all those who had been previously deterred from giving in their names, had now every motive to con- cealment removed, and would willingly allow the regis- tration of their signatures.

From the year 1711 to the year 1753, a period

of forty-two years, the population appears to have advanced, from twenty-eight millions and a half to a hundred and three millions. This may be accounted for, partly in the way above mentioned, and partly by the gradual increase of the population. This increase will not appear very great, if it be considered, that an excess of three per cent. |)er annum, of the births over the deaths, will make the |>opulation treble itself in the time specified. The next increase, according to the official returns, is of a like character: viz. from 102,328,258 in 1753, to 307-467,200, in 1792; or a triple sum in about forty years. And, when we con- sider, that durinc these two in^ricxls of fortv vears each, the dominions of the Tartar-Chinese monarch were extending, and more and more |KTsons were in- schIkhI on the population list ; besides the piTfect tranquillity which the empire enjoyed during the whole series of vears, it is not to be wondered at, that the

«r

population should advance at such a rapid rate.

The customs and institutions of the Chinese, doubt- less, contributed much to this increase ; for. according

POPULATION CHECKED.

to the precepts of Confucius, " of the three degrees of unfilial conduct, to be without posterity, is the great- est ;" hence the Chinese of every class and degree marry when quite young, and rejoice in nothing so much as in the increase of their families. Added to the strong desire of issue, we may allude to the bounties offered hy the Tartar rulers, when fully estabhshed in the dominion of the empire, proposing grants of the land which had been previously deserted by the terrified population, to any who would settle down and cultivate it; which has induced many to spread over the country, and to pro- secute the quiet and healthy arts of husbandry ; by which their industry has been exercised, and their increase promoted; until now the whole land is full of inhabitants, and they are bursting their boimds on every side.

From 1792 to 1812, a period of twenty years, the increase has been inconsiderable compared with former years, being only one-sixth of the whole, and scarcely an addition of one per cent, per annum. This dimi- nution in the rate of increase, during the last twenty years, previous to 1812, may be accounted for, partially by the growth of emigration, and, more fully, by the introduction of opium, which since the latter part of the last century, has been smuggled into the coimtry, at an enormous rate. Those who have not seen the effects of opium smoking, in the eastern world, can hardly form any conception of its injurious results on the health, energies, and lives of those who indulge in it. The debilitating of the constitution, and the shortening of hfe, are siu"e to follow, in a few years, after the practice has been commenced ; as soon and as certainly, if not much more so. than is suen to he the case with

INTRODUCTION OF OPIUM. 57

diow unhappy persons, who are addicted to the use of aident spirits. The dealers in opium are little aware how much harm they are the instruments of doing, by canying on this demoralizing and destructive traffic; but^ the difference between the increase of the Chinese people, before and after the introduction of opium, ought to open their eyes, and lead them to ask them- selves whether they are not accountable for the dis- eases and deaths of all those, who have suffered by its introduction. And if it be true that the Chinese in- creased at the rate of three per cent, per annum, before the commencement of the traffic, and at the rate of one per cent, per annum, since, it would be well for them to consider, whether the deficiency is not to be attri- buted, in some degree, to opium, and the guilt to be laid at the door of those who are instrumental in introducing it. They may flatter themselves, that if the growth of population were not thus checked by the introduction of opium, its increase would be curtailed by wars or pestilences ; or the superabundant populace would perish by famine, and starvation effect what opium would not accomplish. Still, whatever cause might contribute to the balancing of the population with the means of subsistence, human life could not be sacrificed, without blame being attached somewhere; and blame, in proportion to the greatness of the e\nl which might result from the measure.

In addition to the official returns of the population alcove given, there are others furnished by different European writers, which as they apjx^ar to be derived from native sources, deserve some notice here. They are the following.

58 VARIOUS ESTIMATES.

Amiot's estimate, for the year 1743, amottntiDg to 157,301,755

Grosier's ditto .... 1762, ditto 198,214,553

Morrison 8 ditto .... 1790, ditto 143,125,234

Staunton's ditto .... 1792, ditto 333,000,000

With respect to the first it will be seen that it exhibits a greater population in 1743, than is found by the official returns to have existed in 1753. Amiot professes to have drawn his estimate of the population from the Tartsing-yih-tung-che, " an account of what is essential to be known respecting China," published in the eighth year of Keen-lung, A. D. 1743. Grosier, who seems anxious "to justify the assertion of the learned missionary, and to free him from all suspicion of exaggeration, " enters Inore into detail respecting Amiot's estimate, and remarks that the Yih-tung-che shews only the number of the jin ting, or those who are taxable in each province, which amounted to 28,516,488; and as these are the heads of families, Grosier suggests that Amiot multiplied these by five, in order to shew the number of individuals in the whole empire, thus making 142,582,440 ; then including the inhabitants of Fuh-keen, about seven millions, which he had before omitted, and the civil and military officers, literati, &c., he makes the sum total amount to 157,301,755. This, however, is a very unsatisfactory method of ascertaining the population of a great country; and will not warrant us, on the ground of such calcu- lations to call in question the authority of official returns. But it is more than likely that Amiot, or his friend Grosier for him, has entirely mistaken the case. Jin-ting is not the expression employed to designate families in Chinese statistical works, but men : the

OROSlER*S ACCOUNT. 59

word for families being hoo, " doors," in distinction from kow, "mouths," which is the proper word for indiTiduals. Again, the work to which he refers, though published in 1743, may refer to a census of the popu- lation at a previous date, and thus nearly synchronize with the census given in the year 1711, which we have seen by authentic records to have been 28,605,716.

Grosief s own enumeration was taken from an esti- mate of the population in " the tribunal of lands *' at Peking, which was made in the twenty-seventh year of Keen-lung, A. D. 1762, and was received in France in 1779. It was written both in Chinese and French, and was translated into the latter at Peking. By this estimate it appears that the population amounted to 198,214,553. Upon this we may remark, that Grosier himself does not appear to have consulted the work referred to, but only an extract from it, or a translation of it. It is possible, therefore, that there may be some mistake, either in the number, or the date. Still as the census is placed between the years 1753, when the population was 102,328,256, and 1792, when it was 307,467,200, the intermediate number of 198,214,553 is not an unlikely estimate.

The account published by Dr. Morrison, in his view of China for philological purposes, exhibits the popu- lation as amounting to 143,125.225 in 1790. This estimate was taken from a new edition of the Ta-tsing- yih-tung-che, or ''a complete statistical account of the empire under the present dynasty,* published about the close of the reign of Kccn-Iung, probably A. 1). 1790; which is the identical work referred to by Aniiot, only a later edition. The edition which Dr. Morrison con- nilt^ exhibits the original amount of the population.

at the l)eginning of the present dynasty, and t increase since that time. The first, says Dr. Morrison, was probably abont A. D. 1644, and the last about 1790. In a note at the bottom of the page, Dr. Mor- rison observes, "that the work itself does not state what the time of the original census was : that it was at the beginning of the present dynasty rests on the verbal authority of the natives." Neither does it appear that the work states the precise time when the second census was made; we only know that it was taken prior to the publication of the book in 1790, but how long previous to that date we are not aware. The dates, therefore, of 1644, for the first, and 1790 for the second, are merely hypothetical ; and, as much depends on the periotl when a given census was taken, we cannot, in estimating a population which is constantly and rapidly increasing, take a census without date, and oppose it to the authority of those the dates of which are clearly ascer- tained. The first census quoted by Dr. Morrison is 27,241,129; while the second amounts to 143,125,225. Now if we refer to the official returns, the dates of which are determined in a foregoing page, we shall find that about the year 1711, the popidation amounted to 28,605,716, which is not far from the first statement furnished by Dr. Morrison ; neither does it differ very materially from the number of jin-ting, or men, quoted by Amiot, and which he has mistaken for families, and multiphed to 157,301,755. The proba- bility therefore is, that as both Amiot and Morrison consulted the Yih-tung-che, only in two separate edi- tions, the number quoted by the French missionary, and the first estimate produced by Dr. Morrison, refer to one and the same perio<I ; and that that periwi,

MANDARINS STATEMENT. 61

instead of being 1644, as supposed by Dr. Morrison, or 1723, as Amiot imagined, was most likely the inter- mediate date of 1710, which would make it agree with the estimate given of the population for the following year in the Ta-tsing-hwuy-teen, quoted above. Dr. Morrison 8 second estimate of 143,125,225 need not be jiaced exactly in 1790, because this work in which it was found appeared about that time : it might as well be assigned to the middle as the close of Keen-lung's reign, and fall more about the year 1765, which would allow for the gradual increase of the people from 102,328,258 in 1753, to 143,125,225, twelve years afterwards. Besides the indefiniteness of the dates in the account furnished by Dr. Morrison, there are some inconsistencies hard to be reconciled with other returns, or with the state of the country, which will be noticed in a subsequent page ; it is due to Dr. Morrison, however, to obser^'e, that the statements above given were pubUshed in 1817 ; and that in a paper drawn up by him, and inserted in the Anglo-Chinese College Report, for 1829, he has given an estimate of the population as amounting to 307,467,200, in 1792.

The account furnished to Sir G. Staunton, by the Chinese mandarin, Chow-ta-jin, has been frequently referred to, and not a little reprobated and called in question. Malte Brun thinks, that because the num- bers, in each province, are given in round millions, and Ixfcause, in two pronnces, the number of millions is precisely the same, that, therefore, the whole document is a fabrication. IJut, how can these be considertnl as the marks of fabrication '? The mandarin professed to derive his information from a particular friend at Peking, and merely gave it as a ^t*neral estimate.

without entering into particulars on the subject; and this is, by no means, an uncommon case mth ourselves. The population of England, France, Germany, or Spain, is frequently given in round millions, without the specification of the units, except when a census is particularly demanded or published by government ; and when a population is thus roundly stated, it does not throw discredit on the whole, to say, that two different regions, Austria and France, for instance, contain the same number of millions. With regard to Sir G. Staunton's informant, we may look- upon his statement, as entitled to crudit, as far as general esti- mates go ; and while it does not profess to give a particular account of the population, we may take it as corroborating or explaining some cotemporaneous state- ment derived from more authentic sources. Now this account of the population was delivered to Sir G. Staun- ton, in 1792, and does not materially differ from an official return, published in the same year, which makes the population amount to 307,467,200 ; and, consider- ing that the one was a rough guess, in round uumbere, and the other, the result of a minute investigation, we need not be surprised at the discrepancy that appears in the aggregate. The two together are sufficient, however, to prove that the population of China, at that period, exceeded three hundred millions.

We shall now prt-sent the reader with a comparative statement of the number of inhal)itants in each pro- vince, according to the various accounts, accompanied by other staristical retiuns, calculated to throw light on the subject.

	! ll	1 liiillliilPli	1
	i m	^■5|«2«363!5Silll5il	\
	'. mi	1 HIP 11 i
	im	illlliiSI 1	1
	1 m	IllipP	1
1	'•m	iSiiili	1
		i 5 1 i s \ ! 5
i	iiisyn-
	tl:«l	Miiiiiil iBPiiP liyiiilii

64 WHICH MOST CREDIBLE.

With regard to the foregoing lists of the population, published at various periods, and adduced by different writers, we may observe, that the second, third, and seventh columns, being extracted from official documents with the dates annexed, may be considered as most worthy of regard ; and, by a comparison of these three, it will be seen that, in almost all the items, as well as in the sums total, they advance in a progressive ratio, from 1711 to 1753, and 1812. It is a matter of regret that we are not able to furnish the particulars of the census taken in 1792, and extracted by Ur. Morrison from the Ta-lsing-hwuy-teen, hut the aggregate 307,467,200 corresponds with that system of progres- sive increase which has evidently been going on in China, for the last century. It will be seen also that the revenue derived from the various provinces, in the eighth, ninth, and tenth columns, is in such propor- tions as we might anticipate from the population of the respective regions as exhibited in the second, third, and seventh columns ; considering that some of the provinces are more fertile than others, and therefore produce more, both in money and kind. From these considerations, therefore, we may venture to conclude, that the three columns above referred to, exhibit the most authentic and credible account of the population, at the periods specified.

Next to them in importance and credibility is the account given by Grosier, and the rough sketch brought home by Sir G, Staunton, in the fifth and sixth columns. Grosier's account exhibits a progressive in- crease in the various provinces, such as we might expect to find, and thus greatly corroborates the statements ivhieh precede and follow, in the Ihinl and seventh

DISCREPANCIES OF SOME. 65

columns. The estimate brought home by Sir. G. Staun- ton tends in some measure to the same end, though as a round statement, it cannot be expected to exceed in accuracy ; and is merely introduced to shew the gene- ral opinion entertained by Chinese officers, respecting the population.

We are sorry, however, to observe, that we cannot derive so much advantage from the censuses in the first and fourth columns ; inasmuch as, in several points^ they differ from every other account of the population, and from what is known of the state of the country. In the first column, it will be observed that no inhabitants are assigned to Shan-tung, though that is so near the seat of government, and has always been considered a fertile and populous region ; while, how- ever, the first column exhibits Shan-tung as entirely destitute of inhabitants, the fourth column, derived from the same authority, presents the same province as swarming with more than 25,000,000 of inhabitants. During all this time, however, the province of Canton, which for the last century has been the seat of foreign commerce, has been nearlv stationarv ; both columns exhibiting that province as containing little more than a million of inhabitants ; when it is wc»ll known that Canton is one of tht* most populous regions of the empire, and posst^ssos bi'twe< n the provincial city and Macao, nion* inhabitants than arr assiixnrtl to the whole province. Again. Yun-naii, which is known to be deficient in population, and which was at the beginning of the present dynasty but imperfectly subjected to the Tartar yoke, is said in tlie first and fourth c^olumns to contain more than doubh' the population of Canton ; ^hile the neighbouring province of Kwei-chow, which

6G THE BEST ESTIMATE.

is siiniiarly circumstanced, contained according to the first census but 51,089, and according to the next estimate of the same writer nearly 3,000.000. There is also much inconsistency with regard to the returns for Fuh-keen ; the population of that region contained according to the fourth cohimn but 1.684,528; while we may venture to say. that there are a million emigrants from Fuh-lteen in various parts of the Chi- nese coast, and the Malayan archipelago, and more than ten times that numlier in the province itself. Lastly, the province of Hoo-pih, in the centre of China, fertile, populous, and one of the first that submitted to the Tartar yoke, is rated at 469,927 in the first column, and at 24,604,369 in the fourth column. These incon- gruities compel us to hesitate respecting the estimates in question, and incline us to depend more implicitly on those accounts the dates of which are certain, and the items consistent with each other.

It will easily be seen from what has been before stated, that the author inclines to receive the highest estimate that has been given of the Chinese population, and to rate it at 361,221,900: and thus after the fullest consideration of all that has been said on either side of the subject, — after the most patient investivation of native documents, — and after extensive enquiries and observations among the ])eople for more than twenty years, he cannot resist the conviction which forces itself upon him. that the population of China Proper is as above stated; besides upwanls of a million more for the inhabitants of Formosa, and the various tribes of (.'hinese Tartary. under the sway of the emjx-ror of China.

We cannot dismiss the prcceiUng table, without

REVENUE OP CHINA. 67

adding a word or two respecting the revenue of China as therein exhibited ; shewing us, at the same time, the resources of the country, and the share of the burthen of government sustained by each individual. Before making up this statement, however, it will be necessary to explain what is meant by the denomi- nations of money, and the measures of gr^n employed in the table. The tael is a nominal coin among the Chinese, representing something more than an ounce of silver, and may be rated at six shillings and eight pence, or the third part of a pound sterling. The skik is a measure of grain, containing 3160 Chinese cubic inches, or 3460 English cubic inches. The Chinese frequently weigh their grain, and then the «AiA, in Canton, is supposed to weigh 130 catties, or 162| pounds; while in the interior a skik weighs 180 catties, or 225 pounds, llie value of such a measure of grain is generally about one pound sterling. The revenue is derived princi[)ally from the land-tax which is |>aid partly in kind, and partly in money ; it is generally a very light impost, amounting not, as some supjwse, tu one tenth, but more usually to one fiftieth or one hundredth of the produce, lliere are also taxes on pledged articles, and more particularly a heavy impost on salt ; while custom-houses are establi-shcd on the sea coast, and at the most important passes in hills, and junctions of livers, so as to secure the mercantile as well as the ai;riculturul jKipulation. Some of the R'venue thus derived is kepi in the provinces, to iKiy the anny. navy, and police, and to ])rovi»le airainst famines, while a cimsiderable proporliim is forwanleil to IVkin^ for the immediate service of the emperor and his iifliciTs, We csnnot, therefore, form a correct estimate of the re-

08 PROPORTIONATE BURTHEN.

sources of China, unless we consider all that is sent to the capital and expended in the provinces, as being alike drawn from the labour of the people, and devoted to the service of the state. Thus the revenue of the Chinese empire will appear to be as follows : —

Land-tax , paid in money, and )

sent to Poking, . J31.745,966 taek, or £10.581,755

Ditto paid in grain, ditio . . 4,230,957 shih, worth 4,230,957 CuntomH. paid in moufv, and )

....»P,kmg, . . 1 1,480,997 l«l.,o, 493,666

Grain kept in ibe provinces, . 31,596,569 shih, worth 31,596,569

Money ditto ditto . 28,705,125 toels, or 9,568,375

This revenue, when divided amongst 361,221,900 persons, amounts to three shillings and three half- pence per head : and if that only which is sent to Peking be reckoned, namely =£15,206.378, it will not amount to much more than ten pence per head. Some persons may doubt, how a government over so great a country can be maintained for so small a sum, and how a people under an arbitrary rule can be let off with such insignificant imposts ; particularly when in a free country like our own, and in a time of profound peace, each individual contiibulcs upwards of two pounds, annually, as his share of the public burthen. But it must be remembered, tbat China has few or no re- sources beyond itself, that her foreign commerce is limited, and compared with the population insignificant, that comparatively few subsist by manufactures, and that almost all the inhabitants are dependent on ngricullure. In a country, therefore, where the con- sumers fully equal the capabilities of the soil, and where every production is ha.stily devotired by a needy

HOW ADKQUATK. 69

population, there is little left for a government to glean, or, to use a Chinese simile, to squeeze, out of the already exhausted pockets of the people. It is not unlikely, also, that the present peaceful state of the country, and the willingness with which the Chinese submit to the Tartar yoke, is to be ascribed mainly to the light and insignificant burthens pressing on the people, who would soon complain, and perhaps revolt, if more heavily taxed. But how can the government manage to maintain an immense establishment of civil and military officers, besides an army and navy of nearly a million of men, upon fifteen or even fifty*six millions of pounds sterling ? To this it may be replied, that the pay of a Chinese soldier is only four pence a day; that the salary of the highest officer under government does not exceed .48,000 per annum, of which there are not many ; that there is not more than one officer to ten thousand jK'ople ; and that most of these have not more than ct50. per annum : thus it is quite possible for the government to manage a country so thinly officered and so poorly paid^ upon a compara* tively small sum of money. Besides which, there is no national debt in China, so that all that is gathered goes to the actual maintenance of the governments and is not expended in paying the intert^st on obligations formerly contracted, to l>e defrayed by future gene- rations.

In the report of the anglo-Chinese college, for 1829, there is an estimate of the amount of land-tax paid in cfifTerent provinces, extracted from the Ta-tsing-hwuy- tcen, or *' Collections of statutes of the Tartar dynasty,** by which it apiK'ars that the average rate of land-tax per mow, (or Chinese acre, somewhat smaller than an

70 LAND-TAX SMALL.

English a€re,) is from fifteen cash to one hundred, or from one penny to sixpence : this when calculated at its highest value, and multiplied by the number of acres in China under cultivation, will amount to about ^12,000,000 sterling. This statement agrees with the common report of the natives, who affirm that from one to two per cent, of the produce is the utmost of what is exacted by the government in the shape of land-tax.

CHAPTER IV.

REFLECTIONS ON THE POPULATION.

TUm OVKRWHELMINO NUMBERS — THElt MNPUL CONDITION — THE WOtK OP EVANOEUXINO THEM DlPnCULT — DEPENDENCE ON DIVINE AID — THE DIPPUSTVE CHARACTER OP THE OOBPBL — EN- OOCEAOEMENT DRAWN PROM THE UNIPORMITY OP THEIR GOVERN. MENT. LANGUAGE. MORALS. AND SENTIMENT — THEIR EXTENDING POPULATION— ONLY CHECKED BY EUROPEANS— AND THE INTRODUC- TTON OP OPIUM— THE EPPBCT OP OPIUM SMOKING — ITS RAPID IN- CREASE—CHINESE LAWS AGAINST IT— MEMORIAL OP A MANDARIN — EXTENT OP SMUGGUNG — APPEAL TO THE OPIUM MERCHANT— AND THE EAST INDIA COMPANY— DEMORAUZING EFPECT OP THE DRUG- REMONSTRANCE TO THE GOVERNMENT OF GREAT BRITAIN.

Ir the population of China really amount to such orer- wbelming numbers, then what a distressing spectacle presents itself to the eye of the Christian philanthropist. Three hundred and sixty millions of human beings huddled together in one country, under the sway of one despotic monarch, influenced by the same delu- sive philosophy, and bowing down to the same al>8urd superstition. One thinl of the human race, and one half of the heathen world, held by one tie, and bound by one spell ; one million of whom are every month dropping into eternity, untaught, unsanctifit^l, and, as far as we know — unsaved. How unaccountable it appears that one indindual should be allowed to fetter the minds of so vast a {>ortion of immortal men« and to forbid the introduction of evangelical lilierty. How

72

STATE OF I'OPULATION.

distressing to think, that this nation has heen for ages in its prtiseut tlcmoralizetl and degraded condition, with no light heaming on the people, hut that derived from atheism and polytheism, with now and then an obscure ray from a questionai)Ie fonn of Christianity. If we were sure that this state of things would always con- tinue, or that the Gospel was not destined at an early periotl to subjugate and renovate China, we might almost he led to grow weary of such an unimproving and unimprovable world. To see the demon of dark- ness reigning in one soul is painful, but to see him rampant over a whole nation, and that nation con- stituting one third of the human race, is beyond mea- sure distressing, and might well induce one to exclaim, " Oh that my head were waters, and mine eyes a foim- tain of tears, that I might weep day and night for the slcun of the daughter of this people."

There are, doubtless, amongst such a vast concourse of human beings, numbers, who, according to the light they have, lead tolerably decent lives, as it regards moral and social duties ; but they must all be destitute of right views of divine and eternal things ; and where these fundamental truths are misapprehended, there can be little hope of the claims of human relations being properly sustained; in fact, exiwrience forces upon those who have had the most frequent and inti- mate intercourse with them, the unwelcome truth, that amongst them, in a remarkable degree, " there is none righteous, no, not one: there is none that under- standeth, there is none that seeketh after God; they are all gone out of the way, they are together become unprofitable ; there is none that doeth good, no, not one. Their throat is an open sepulchre, with their

mi

SINVtlL CONDITION. 73

tongues they have used deceit ; the poison of asps is under thdr lips, whose mouth is full of curing and hitteraess ; their feet are swift to shed hlood; destruc- tion and misery are in their ways, and the way of peace have they not known ;" and why % but because, " there is no fear of God before their eyes." Now, if it be true, that they have " all sinned and come short of the ^ory of God ;" that " without shedding of blood Acre is no remission," and that " without faith, it is impossible to please God ;" if they cannot " call on him in whom they have not believed, nor believe in him of whom they have not heard, nor hear without a preacher;" then, how wretched must be the condition, and how dismal the prospect of a nation of sinners, and so great a nation, involved in one common ruin with ourselves, and yet ignorant of the only way of salvation. We are not warranted by di\'ine revelation to conclude, that wilful and determined sinners will be forgiven without an interest in the great atonement; and we have no reason to imagine, that such interest can be obtained, by adult transgressors, without a knowledge of. and faith in, the Divine Mediator. How truly affecting and heart-rending is it, therefore, that so large a portion of the human race should be shut up bM^ether, under one tyrannical government, whose exclui>i%'e policy forbids all intereourse with foreigners, and whose proud Ri'lf-^ufticiency imagines their native institutions fully atlequale to all the requirements of the present ami the future world. Heally, if the apotttle Paul. s[)euking under the influence of in8|n> ntion. could exprewj himself so feelingly and so strongly. relative to God's ancient people, as to "wish himself separated from Christ, for his brethren and

EVANGKLIZATION DIFKICILT.

kinsmen according to Ibe flesh ;'" and if his " heart's desire and prayer to God for Israel was, thai they might be saved:" then, surely. Christians iu the pif*ent day, may be excused for feeling strongly on th« subject of China's danger, and for panting eagerly after China's salvation.

But the population of China, in its present condition, not only distresses — it appals the mind. The man, who shall set himself lo reform his household, or to enlighten his neighbourhood, has assigned himself a task of some difficulty ; but of proportionate ease, com- pared with the great object of arousing a whole nation, turning the current of popular opinion, and bringing the mass of a people to think aright on the subject of religion. 'ITie difficulty is increased, however, when the reform of such a nation is attempted, and that in opposition to early and long cherished prejudices, backed by all the array of political power and philo- sophical cunning. Where shall we begin, or where can we hope to end the Herculean task ? And what proportion do our present means and effoits bear to the end in view ? Some score of intUviduals. is ail that the churches of England and America now devote to the conversion of China — one thousand persons are thereby brought under instruction, and not more than ten converted every year. This is a very small propor- tion, and protracted will be the period, ere we can expect at snrh a rate to succeed. Could we bring one thousand imliWduals under instruclion every day, and give them only a day's teaching each, it would take one thousand years to bring all the population of China thus under the sound of the Gospel ; and if even ten of these seiHirate thousands were every day converted to God,

MUST BE ATTEMPTED. 75

it would require one hundred thousand years to make an these mighty hosts savingly acquainted wifli divine tmdL This is a startling view of die matter, but a aore affecting consideration still, is, that the ranks of hmtheuiam are increasing at a thousandfold greater ntio, than we can expect, by such a system of pro- adyting, to thin them. For, even allowing an increase of only one per cent, per annum, on the whole popu- lation. We shall find that they are thus adding three and a half millions, yearly, to their number ; so that aeoording to our most sanguine calculations, the hea^ then would multiply faster than they could be brought orer to Christianity. Besides which, while we are diufl aiming to rescue a few, the many are still perish- ing for lack of knowledge.

Thus, the very magnitude of the object disheartens and depresses the mind. The multitude of individuals to be benefited, astonishes — and the distance to which the supposed accomplishment of the design is removed, sickenB — so that men of common mould, and the usual energiea, would hardly venture on such an under- taking ; and Christians, in general, despairing of suc- cess, are tempted to restrain prayer before God. And what shall we say to these things i Shall we give up the attempt as hopeless, and leave the Chinese to perish, unpitied and unaided ? God forbid. It must be remembered, that we depend not on human re- sources ; for if we did, we never should have attempted the work: and had we thus rashly ventured on the undertaking, we should speedily have sounded a retreat. Our hope is in the Father of Lights, from whom Cometh down every good and every perfect gift, and with whom there is no variableness, neither shadow of

turning. He hath said, " I have sworn by myself, the word is gone out of my mouth in righteousness, and shall not return, that unto me every knee shull bow, and every tongue shall swear," And hath he said, aud shall he not do it ^ hath he spoken, and shall he not bring it to pass^ He can cause a nation to be bom in a day, and even the conversion of so great aud populous a nation as China, is not beyond the compass of Almighty Power; for, is anything too hard for the Lord^

But God does not need to be at the expense of a miracle, or to step out of the way of his ordinary providence to accomplish such an event. The plain preaching of the Gospel, by humble unassuming indi- viduals, accompanied aud blessed by the powerful energy of his Holy Spirit, will accomplish, in due time, the desired end ; but, in such a way, that the power will, after all, appear to be of God, and not of men. The character of the Gospel is diffusion; it is compared to a little leaven that gradually spreads itself, till it leavens the whole lump. The very in- stinct of Chistianity is propa//atio7i ; and no sooner does one obtain a knowledge of divine things himself, but he is anxious to make it known to others. Thus an individual converted under the preaching of the word, on the shores of China, like Andrew, on the coast of Galilee, first finds out his own brother Simon, and tells him of Jesus of Nazareth. In this way, one may be the means of awakening ten, and ten of communicating the same blessing to a hundred ; and 60 they may go on, without any miracle, except that of grace, spreading and increasing in a tenfold ratio, till a district — a county — a province — and the whole empire

ENCOURAGEMENT TO EFFORT. 77

is evangelized. In this view of the case, numbers no longer appal, nor difficulties dishearten; and though China contained double the amount of inhabitants, fenced around by much severer restrictions, we need not fear attempting, nor despair of succeeding, in the work of evangelizing that people.

On the contrary, there is something in the very abundance of the population which constitutes a ground of encouragement ; for, the inha))itants of that empire, though numerous, and spread over eighteen provinces, must be considered as a great whole ; and what bears on the political, intellectual, moral, and religious con- dition of the people bears u|)ou them as a whole. Thus China, though vast, is under one desjwtic form of government, and if measures could be adopted that would influence tlie ruler of so vast an empire, the whole mass of his subjects would, in a great measure, l)e affected thereby. It is not a fanatical suggestion, that the prayers of pious Christians, on behalf of the ** Son of Heaven," would be heanl in the court of heaven, particularly if all the available means be em- ployed to inform, enlighten, and affect his mind. It is not impossible that a remonstrance drawn up by Christian missionaries, may reach the "dragon throne;" or, that a devotnl and zealous preacher of the (iosj)el should get introchieed to court, and pK*ad the cause of Christianity in the im|HTial ear: and though the ex- pression of his ''holy will" niiixht, at tirst, prove unfavounible, yet the reprtition of sueh attempts, might, in time, prove .sueeessful ; and induce the govemmt'nt to irrant fn*e tolrration to the professitm of real gcnlliness, through the lenuth Jind breadth of the land. The man, who should make this the business

78 ONE WRITTEN LANGUAGE.

of his life, and expend his talents and eoergies in seekiflg such an introduction, and procuring such an edict, would effect, under God, more than Archimedes contemplated, when he speculated upon moving the world.

But tlie Chinese are not only living under one fonn of despotic rule, they possess, likewise, one universal language and literature. It is a remarkable fact, that notwithstanding the spoken dialects of each province and county vary so materially, that the Chinese of different districts are absolutely unintelligible to each other ; yet, the written medium of the whole empire is easily understood by all, and writing instead of speak- ing, constitutes the universal method of exchanging ideas. The Chinese written language, being sym- bolical, and the same symbols being used to designate certain significations, whatever sounds be attached to the character, each instructed person reathly understands a book, though he may use a diflFerent thalect from the writer. It is remarkable, further, that not only are the same signs employed for certain ideas, in all parts of the country, but the same style is used. The disposal of the characters, as well as the characters themselves, is according to one uniform method ; so that a person able to write well, in Chinese, no matter what may be his native dialect, is intelligible to the remotest borders of the empire. Yea, even beyond the limits of Chi- nese nde, the Chinese character and style are under- stood, and throughout Cochin-China. Corea, and Japan, the same mode of writing is current and legible. Thus a book, once composed in the customary Chine.se style, if intelligible to one learned man, would be intelligible to all ; and might travel among the hundreds of mil-

UNIFORMITY OP SENTIMENT. 79

tioDB inhabiting south-eastern Asia, communicating intelligence throughout the whole region. What a stimulus does this afford to an active and energetic mind, while engaged in studying the Chinese lan- guage, or inditing a book for their instruction, that he is doing what may be available to the benefit of so many millions, and that to the latest generation ! Such a book needs only to be multiplied and circulated, without undergoing the slightest alteration, in order' to enlighten and edify one third of the human race.

The morals, also, of this numerous people have one Btriking characteristic, and their religious views and practices are precisely similar throughout the empire. When a man has studied the main features of the Chinese character in one place and one person, he has studied them in all ; and when he has discovered a train of argument that vrill silence the philosophical and superstitious objections of one individual, he has provided himself with materials that will be serviceable on all occasions. This uniformity and unvariablenesa of the Chinese mind is to be traced to their possessing one set of opinions on philosophy and religion ; which being laid down in their ancient books* and stereotyped from age to age. constitutes the public and universal sen-* timent on the above tojues, and nins through the whole mass of society. Henee the missionary' finds the Cliinese always usin^ tlu* same arguments and starting the same objeetions, whieh having Ikh^u often answennl before* may Ik* easily replitnl to again. In this view of the matter* the niultiplieity of their {>opulation dwindles into insignitieanee, and aflfonls an ml vantage to the missionary not to Ik* met with elsewhere.

Whilst considering the ]K)pulation of (liina in all its

eo

EXTENDING POPULATION.

hearings, it may be well to observe, that it is possible to draw encouragement from its very increase. It has been before observd, tehat China, partly by additions to the number enrolled, and partly by the preponder- ance of births over deaths, has doubled its population several times during the last century. Such has been the rapidity and extent of the increase, that all the waste lands, within the empire, capable of cultivation, have been occupied ; and the surplus population, imable to gain a subsistence at home, have been compelled to emigrate by thousands every year, to the islands and countries around. Now, the number of inhabitants is still increasing, alid the Chinese in spite of their exclu- sive and restrictive system are bursting forth on every side, and. without our asking it, are coming in contact with Christians, and seeking shelter under European governments, where missionaries may lal)our unimpeded and unprohibited among them. If the same causes continue to operate, without any counteracting influ- ence, there seems nothing to prevent the Chinese from crowding into the British possessions in HindoKtan. and, under the mild and just sway of our Indian rulers, mul- tiplying still more fast and plentifully than they have done in their own country. They have already their hundreds of thousands in Siam. and will soon occupy Birmah, Pegu, and Assam. They have long colonized the islands of the Malayan archipelago, and what should hinder them from pushing on to New Holland, where millions of acres await their assiduous and ener- getic cultivation; while the extensive and fertile regions of New Guinea and New Ireland lie still more con- tiguous to their mother country. A nation increasing as does the Chinese, cannot be long confined within

OBtTACLU TO IITCXXABI. 81

I, and lestriclion with them is impossihle. Imperial edicts are already weak and inefficient, but will soon be flung to the winds. Hunger cannot be coatrolled, and necessity knows no law. Let but ■nother age roll by, and China double her population OBce more, and her very increase will break down her political barriers, and bring her myriads in contact with the Christian world. Let rigorous measures be taken for the thorough instruction of the Chinese emigrants, and, while coming adventurers get an acquaintance with the truth, returning individuals will carry with them what they have learned; and thus, within and without the limits of the empire, all will gradually be evangelized, llie multiplication of their numbers, therefore, viewed in this tight, presents an encouraging aspect, and would lead us to anticipate Ae period as not far distant, when China shall stretch out her hands unto God.

It has been su^;ested, that this would be the case, if BO counteracting influence intenened. We lament to ■ay, that such an obstacle to the increase of the popu- latioo does exist; and that it is to be found, not in external wars, or intestine commotions, — not in the oppressive measures of the Chinese government. — not in the unwholesomenoss of their climate, or the con* fined nature of their buildings. — not in the general neglect of the poor, or in the awful prevalence of female infanticide, — but in the extensive and still ad- nmcing introduction of an in/ai-irtT/i'tty medium.

It has been observed, that wherever Kuropeans come in contact with their less skilful neighbours, and bring superior intelligenrc. enterprize, and, we may add, cupidity, to bear on the tawny nations of the

INTOXICATING MEDIUM.

globe ; the result has been the gradual decline and disappeardnce of the one before the other, till the hardy and energetic white has taken the place of his coloured brother. In some places this has amounted to complete extermination, and in others the process is rapidly going Ibrward, with the same gloomy prospect. Not one of the race fonnerly inhabiting Newfoundland is now in existence. The same may be said of the Caribs; while the Indians of North America, and the aborigines of New Holland, wUl soon be in the condition of those unhappy races. But was it intelligence alone which enabled the tutored tribes to prevail over the untaught? Were not other means employed, and did they not prove most lamentably successful "? Was not the rum cask called in to the aid of the scheming colonist, and did not the red man fall but too easy a prey to the insidious allurement "? Did not ardent spirits prove the ruin of the Indians, undermining their energies, shortening their lives, and decreasing theii- numbers'? All this is well known fact, aud will soon become matter of history. In China, territory is not sought, nor lands coveted ; there Europeans do not aim at con- quest or colonization ; they have no need, therefore, t« use an intoxicating medium, in order to subserve their designs of political influence, and territorial enlai^e- ment. The only inducement, that English merchants can have to lead them to carry on the opium trade in China, is the desire of gain ; and yet that gain is so considerable as to draw them on with increasing eager- ness in its pursuit. It is with them not a means to an end. but tlie end itself; they do not contemplate the wasting away of the population in consequence of the traftic. and yet the terrible effects of the traffic may be

INTRODUCTION OP OPIUM. 83

the same as though they did contemplate it. Facts induce us to believe that it is so. Those who grow and sell Ihe drug, while they profit by the speculation, would do well to follow the consumer into the haunts of Tice, and mark the wretchedness, poverty, disease, and death which follow the indulgence ; for did they but know the thousandth part of the evils resulting from it, they would not, they could not, continue to engage in the transaction. Previous to the year 1796, opium was admitted into China on the payment of a duty, when a few hundred chests annually were im* ported. Since that time, the drug has been openly in* teidicted, and yet clandestmely introduced, at the rate of 20,000 chests annually, which cost the Chinese four millioos of pounds sterling every year. This quantity at twenty grains per day for each indi\idual,* would be sufficient to demoralize nearly three millions of persons. When the habit is once formed, it grows till it becomes inveterate ; discontinuance is more and more difficult, until at lengths the sudden deprivation of the accustomed indulgence produces certain death. In proportion as the wretched victim comes under the power of the infatuating dnig, so is his ability to resist temptation less strong ; and debilitated in body as well as mind, he is unable to earn his usual pittance* and not unfrequently sinks under the cravings of an appetite, which he is unable to gratify. Thus they may be seen, hanging their heads by the doors of the opium shops, which the hard hearted kecjUTs, having fleeced them of their all, will not i)ennit them to enter ; and shut out

* Some lake a fcrcat deal moro than thitf, but thitt i* the avfrain* for the pct«ir. and Uurrlbre (br the many Besidtii which the proprrtii'rt of the dniK are nut ^mkpoftd hf oocc nnoluiig, but will K>ar to be \ued a* an an«»d7nc twirr orw.

(i 2

84

EFFECTS OF OPIUM.

from their own dwellings, either by angry relatives or ruthless creditors, they die in the streets unpitied and despised. It would be well, if the rich opium mer^ chant, were sometimes present to witness such scenes as these, that he might be aware how his wretched customers terminate their course, and see where his speculations, in thousands of instances, end. When the issue of this pernicious habit is not fatal, its tendencies are to weaken the strength, and to undermine the con- stitution ; while the time and property spent in this voluptuous indulgence, constitute so much detracted from the wealth and industry of the country, and tend to plunge into deeper distress those weak and dependent members of society, who are already scarcely able to subsist at all. In fact every opium smoker may calcu- late upon shortening his life ten years from the time when he commences the practice ; one half of his physical energies are soon gone ; one third of his scanty earnings are absorbed; and feeling strength and income both diminishing, while the demands upon his resources are increased, he seeks to obtain by du- plicity what he cannot eani by labour, and thus his moral sense beeomes blunted and his heart hardened, while he plunges into the vortex of ruin, dragging with him his dependent relatives, and all within the sphere of his influence. Calculating, therefore, the shortened lives, the frequent diseases, and the actual starvation, which are the result of opium smoking in China, we may venture to assert, that this pernicious drug annu- ally destroys myriads of individuals. No man of feeling can contemplate this fearful amount of misery and mortality, as resulting from the opium trade, with- out an instinctive shudder. But the most appalling

A

INCREASED INTRODUCTION. 85

bet of all is, that the trade is constantly increasing. The following statement exhibits the consumption of opium during the last twenty years : —

1816 . Chpsts, 3,210 . Value, 3,657,000 dollars. 1820 . „ 4,770 . „ 8,400,800

1825 . „ 9,621 . „ 7,608,205

1830 . „ 18,760 . „ 12,900,031

1832 . ,. 23,670 . „ 15,338,160

1836 . „ 27,111 . „ 17,904,248^

By this it wall be seen, that while the consumption has been increasing, the price has been falling, from 1139 to 660 dollars per chest, or nearly one half its original value. Still the enterprising si)eculator has been pushing his article into the market, determined to furnish the Chinese with it at any price, rather than lose so large a customer. Thus the appetite has been created, and is largely fed, until nearly thrc*e millions of victims have been drawn into the snare ; and there is every prospect of its increasing still more, until the consumers dying off in proportion as the consumption extends, the country will be thinned of its inhabitants, and Mammon at length be disappointed of his prey.

But is there no remedy '^ The emperors of China have wisely and patriotically detennined, from the very moment they spied tlie onwanl march of the threatened evil, to denounce and resist it : and instead of admit- ting it, on the payment of a duty, have, as rulers, reso- lutely refused to derive any protit from the vices of the people. In the tirst year of the late emiH»ror, Kea- king, 1796, the introiluction of opium was intenlicted

• Th«' quantity intr«>(Jiu-<Ml nj* !•» tin* vt'ar «-n(hiis ni ihr '»i»iuik »'f 1^37, wm ^t,UUO. and thf delivorit*^ during tin* mouth of July, i-f tho *amc year, amount^ lo 4,000 chfvt*.

86 EFFOIlT.s TO I'REVENT IT.

by law ; those who were found guilty of smoSSg it, were pilloried and bamhooed ; and the venders and smugglers made liable to the severer penalties of banish- ment and death ; so late as the year 1833. the amended law upon the subject, was as follows: —

" Let the buyers aod smokera of ophiin be punished with one hundred blows, and condemned to wear the wooden collar for two months. Then, let them dculnre the seller's name, that be mijr be seized and puoiehed ; and, in default of his diacovt^ring ihe vender, let the smoker be tigniii puniehed with one hundred blows, and three year's banishment, tts bein;; an accomplice. Let mandarius end their dependants who buy and smoke opium, be punished one degree more severely than othera ; and let ((ovemors of pronnces be required to give security that theit are no opium smokers under tlieir jurisdictiou ; and let a joint memorial be sent in, representing the conduct of those officerf, who have ronnireil at the practice."

Thus, as far as law goes, the government of China has. ostensibly, done every thing in its power to check the growing evil ; and one would imagine that these regulations were sufficiently severe to ensure the entire exclusion of the article from the empire. Yet, in the year 1836, a Chinese officer, high in rank, presented a memorial to the emperor, in which he tells him,

" That, recently, tlie number of cheats imported has exceeded 20,000, and that the sum paid, annually, eicceds eleven millions of dollars. Within the last few years, he adds, foreign ships have visited all the ports along the coast, from Canton, as far as CluneKc Tartaty. for the purpoBe of disposing of their opiiun, and though the local authorities immediately expelled them, yet the quantity clandes- tinely sold, ie by no means small. The foreigners have, besides, a depSi, for opium, at Lintin, in the entrance of the Canton river, where they have seven or eight large vessclH, called receiving ships, anchored all Ihe year round, tn Canton, the native brokers pay the price of the opium to the forei^ merchants, when they obudn orden lor the drug from the rrceiving ships. They have also convtiys.

TUKIR INEFFICIENCY. 87

pi^riag iq> and down the river, which are called fast-cralw, and scram- Uing dragons. These are well armed, with gunK and pikes, and ■aiBied with desperate fellows, who go, as if they had wingn. All the enstom-hoiises and mHitaiy stations which they pass, are literally with bribes; and if they chance to meet any of the armed the smugglers do not scruple to come to an engagement, and bloodahrd and slaughter ensue. The governor of Canton lately sent a naval officer, with a sufficient force, and captured a boat laden widi opium, seixed one hundred and forty chests, and killed and tock fisuneis, scores of smugglers ; yet, the traffic was not at all checked. Mnhitndes of the people, have but little dread of the laws, while they evoy device to escape punishment, and are eager aAer gain : the laws are, sonietinies, utterly without effect.**

When a Chinese mandarin undertakes to make, and the emperor consents to receive, such a statement as the above^ we may conclude that this, and much more, is true. In fact, opium is not only regularly intro- duced, but openly sold, in aU parts of China. Not- withstanding the prohibition, opium shops are as plentiful in some towns of China, as gin shops are in England, llie sign of these receptacles, is a bamboo screen, hanging before the door, which is as certain an intimation there, as the chequers arc here, that the slave of intemperance may be gratified. Into these diops, all classes of persons continually flock, from the pampered official to the abject menial. No one makes a secret of the business or the practice, and though the officers of government are loud in denouncing the indulgence in public, they privately wink at what is patronised by their own example, or subservient to their own interests. It is a well-known circumstance, that the government officers come regularly on board the receiving ships at Lintin, and demand so many dollars per chest, for conniving at smuggling ; while it is currently reported, that even the viceroy of Canton

88 EVASION OF THE LAWS.

receives a very respectable consideration, for winking at these illicit transactions. The military and naval officers sometimes get up a sham fight, in order that they may have to report their vigilance and strictness to Peking; and when the smugglers are remiss in paying the accustomed bribes, they now and then seize a boat or two, to keep them regular and submissive. Thus, it is evident, that the imperial government is absolutely powerless, in aiming to prevent the intro- duction of opium ; and that the traffic does and will increase, notwithstanding the most violent and san- guinary edicts to the contrary. Surrounded by corrupt and venial officers, the emperor's best eflForts, if ipdeed, he use any, are entirely nugatory ; and bribery laughs at imperial proclamations, which universally forbidding and never punishing, become, in fact, so much waste paper. Every one acquainted with China knows, that as long as the appetite for opium exists there, the traffic cannot be put down by the present inefficient police; and should the naval and military force of China be resolved to use their utmost eflForts to prevent the introduction from abroad, they cannot overcome the force of well manned and armed European vessels, nor elude the vigilance of the fasUcrah and scrambling* dragon native smugglers.*

To the foreign community of Canton we would appeal, did we not fear that most of them are now

♦ Late accounts from Canton inform us, that the Chinese government were taking very vigorous and decisive measures to break up the opium trade at Lintin. The receiving ships had been compelled to quit their usual anchorage, and to remove to a place forty miles to the eastward. More edicts had been issued : and it was expected that the superintendent of British trade would be appealed to, with the assurance that the whole of the foreign trade should be stopped, unless the orders of the native government were complied with, and the smuggling of opium discontinued.

V

APPEAL TO THE MERCHANTS. 89

actively engaged in the traffic ; and should the present residents, influenced by principle, abandon the trade, there are not wanting others, who will gladly embrace the opportunity of enriching themselves at the expense of the miseries of thousands. Many, doubtless, are deluding themselves vnth the idea, that if they do not deal in it, others will : and as the Chinese will have opium, whether or not, they may as well furnish them with it, as let others reap the profit of what their over scrupulousness would deprive them. They are fully aware that opium is injurious to the constitution, and that, imported in such quantities, and consumed by so many, it must tend to the destruction of life, and the diminution of happiness. But, then, they plead that they were involved in the trade, before they were aware of the extent of the evil ; and, now that they are embarked in it, they cannot well retract ; besides, they intend soon to return to their native country, when they will leave the Chinese, and future opium dealers, to do as they please. The principle, sanctioned by all this special pleading, it will easily be seen, is unten- able : it is simply this, that immediately we can ascer- tain that a thing will proceed, whether we take part in it or not ; or that others will carry on a measure, if we abstain from abetting it; it then ceases to be an evil in us to participate in the transaction, however ruinous or destructive it may be. True morality will lead us to enquire, whether the thing be right or wrong ; and, if the latter can be established, it is ours to renounce it, however lucrative to ourselves, or grasped at by others. The golden rule, of doing to others as we would be done by, will teach us to avoid being acces- sory to the spread of allurements, and incentives to

90

EAST INDIA COMPAKV

vice, when we pray every day, for ourselves, " Lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from e>il." When Mammon has less hold on the hearts of civihzed men, and when educated merchants begin to be more scru- pulous about the craft, by which they get their wealth, then we may expect that opium dealers will be dimi- nished, even in Canton ; and the time is not, we hope, far distant, when it shall be considered as disreputable to administer lo the ncious indulgences of the Chi- nese, as it is now to those of the Biitish — and as creditable to abstain from opium dealing abroad, as from distillation at home.

As the Chinese government cannot put down, and thi; foreign commimity of Canton, it is to be feared, will not abandon, the illicit traffic in opium, we must look for a more immediate remedy to another quarter. It is well known, that the greatest part of the opium is grown within the territory, and transported through the dominions of the Honourable East India Company. It is, in the Bengal presidency, a monopoly in the hands of our Indian government, who dispose of it to our merchants, at the annual sales. The profit derived from the transaction is, doubtless, great ; and as a com- paratively small quantity of the article is consumed by the immediate subjects of the company, and the evils consequent thereon, are confined to foreign lands, it is possible, that the Board of Directors, at home, and our Indian government, abroad, may have overlooked the enormity. Now, however, neither the company, nbroatl, nor the directors, at home, can plead uncon- sciousness in the matter : it ha.s been told, and it shall be rung in the ears of the British public, again and ngain, that npium is demoralizing China, and becomes

REMONSTRATED WITH. 9!

the gnBitMt barrier to the introduction of Christianity wUdi can be conceived of. Not only are the wretched fietinis of the indulgence, themselves, impervious to lemoDatnuice, and caOous to all feeling — ^not only must we despair of the conversion of an opium smoker, afanoBt as much as if his doom were already sealed — but the difficulty of convincing others of the truth of Christiamty, and of the sincere intentions of Christians, is greater, in proportion, to the extent of the opium tnde to China. Almost the first word uttered by a native, when urged to believe in Christ is, '^ Why do Christians bring us opium, and bring it, directly, in defiance of our own laws ? That vile drug has poi- soned my son — ^has ruined my brother — and, well nigh led me to beggar my wife and children. Surely, those who import such a deleterious substance, and injure me, for the sake of gain, cannot wish me welL or be in possession of a religion that is better than my own. Go, first, and persuade your own countrymen to relin- quish this nefarious traffic ; and give me a prescription to correct this vile habit, and then 1 will listen to your exhortations on the subject of Christianity.*" Alas! they little know, that the one is almost as impossible as the other; and that the work of persuading the growers and venders of opium, to relinquish the source of their ill-gotten wealth, is as difficult as the task of curing a confirmed opium smoker of his evil habits ; and that both are to be effected, alone, by that Power which can cause the Ethiopian to change his skin, and the leopanl, his spots ; and make those who have been accustomed to do evil, learn to do well. But surely, when the evil is known, and its effects seen, the rulers of an empire which professes to Ik* fajovemed by the

92

BRITISH GOVERNMENT

principles of mildness and equity, vrill never lend themselves to the promotion of a measure which demo- ralizes a popidation, in such a wholesale manner; and, still less, condescend to derive a proiit from that which ruins myriads. The East India Company might, if they would, greatly diminish the trade in opium. If they were to discontinue the growth of it, in their own territories, and to hind down the native princes in alliance with them, to do the same ; while they forhad the transport of it through their dominions, India would, then, no longer he what it now is, — the great source from whence the evil originates. Were the supplies from Imha cut off, the Inconsiderable stock, and inferior quality, yielded by Turkey, would be far from supplying and satisfying the market, and the practice sink into desuetude, from the fewer faci- lities afforded for its gratification. The lands now employed in the cultivation of the poppy, being neces- sarily rich and fertile, woidd, if laid out in the raising of other productions, be equally valuable to the pos- sessors ; and, while the revenue was not diminished, the hapiiiness, health, and industry of the people, woidd be increased ; in addition to which, the divine blessing would, doubtless, be doubly bestowed on those, who renounced an apparent benefit to Aem- selves, in onlcr to extend a real good to others.

If unsuccessful with the East India Company, we would carry up our remonstrances to the government of Great Britain. Since the discontinuance of the company's trade with China, and the consequent with- drawal of its estabhshment, the English government have placed a superintendent of British trade at the port of Canton. The attempt of Lord Napier to fix his

A«LB TO PUT IT DOWN. 93

residence in the provincial city, and to open a negocia- lion with the native authorities, together with the fiulure of the same, is well known. Since that period, the viceroy sanctioned the residence of his successor in Canton, for the purpose of watching over the omduct of Europeans, though he is still unwilling to treat with our agent on political matters. It is possible, however, that in the course of time these jealousies may diminish, and the British superintendent come into correspondence with the native authorities on state business. The English have much to ask of the Chinese, and are anxious to place the trade on a secure, respectable, and advantageous footing; to have the rights of British subjects recognissed, and the security of British property acknowledged. When, however, the representative of our government makes a demand from the Chinese of increaseil privileges and advan- tages, the first requisition made by them will be that we aid them in putting down the illicit trafiic in opium carried on by our own count r}* men, who, in defiance of Cliinese laws, introduce an intoxicating medium into the country, and seduce their subjects into disobedience and voluptuousness. They will not believe, that with all the ix)wer of Britain, and while the dnig is grown in our own torritoriis, we are unable to suppress the trade ; and nothing will dispossess them of the idea, that the British government is accessory to the produc- tion and introduction of the article. We must then tell them that we will or will not. strive to put down the tratfic in question, before we can venture to make any demands from them in our own favour. If we n*fuse to curb the evil, we give a pulilie and oflicial sanction to what is in their eves vexatious and abominable ; and

94

PLAN SLGGESTKI).

cannot with any grace, a-sk them to aijBist us. If we consent, however, to do what we can to assist the Chinese in excluding opium, we are bound in all hononr and honesty, first, to discontinue the growth of opium in our own colonies ; next, to prohibit the transport of it through the company's territories ; and then to restrict British vessels from trading with it along the coast of China. The mere issuing of a decree of the governor in council at Calcutta woiUd effect the former, and a very small force stationed on the coast of China, would accomplish the latter. In letting down the slave trade, it was not considered too much to maintain a naval force on the coast of Africa : and to abolish slavery in the British dominions, the sum of twenty millions was willingly sacrificed ; yet slavery was not productive of more misery and death than the opium traffic, nor were Britons more implicated in the former than in the latter. In the case before us, however, no compensation money could be demanded ; and only a few light armed vessels would be required ; while the real compensation would be, the turning of four milhons annually into another channel, to the benefit of our manufactures and ihe mother country. By paying four millions for opium, the Chinese shew that they have money to spend, and if we can but induce them to take our cottons and woollens instead of our opium, we shall be blessing them and enriching ourselves. The money paid for opium is equal to what we give for our teas ; thus the Chinese are parting with their produce for what is worse than useless, while it impoverishes their country and diminisheR their popidation.

The ruin it threatens to China has already arrested

CLAIMS OF CHINA. 95

the attention of her greatest statesmen, and they have deviiiod various schemes for remedying the evil. One recommends, that opium be admitted on the payment of regular duties, in order that the clandestine trade may be stopped, and the practice be brought under the control of government. This would increase the public revenue, and by raising the price to the consumer, would place the drug out of the reach of the poor. The emperor has hitherto resolved to reject this plan, and thinks that increased rigour in prohibiting the article will avail. But the Chinese laws are already sufficiently severe, and yet the traffic increases at the rate of four thousand chests per annum. The remedy, then, is not with them, and if neither the East India Company nor the British government interfere, the British public must be appealed to; the cr}* of *'no opium" raise<l, and be made as loud as the cry of '• no slavery," until the voice of humanity prevail, and end in the abolition of the whole system.

But to return to the population, we shall find, that though checked in its growth, it is still immensely greats and claims the attention of the Christian evan- gelist, as nuich, or even more than other jiarts of the heathen world. In attempting to do gocxl, we should do it on the largest scale, and to the greatest nimiber of |K*rsons. The physician is most neeili'd wluTe the malady is most distressing, and the diseased most numerous; and so the missionary is prineipall\ re- qiiireil where the heathen most abound. I j>on this principle, China requires our first attention, and will exhaust our most strenuous efforts. There, all the dis- [K>s<ible labourers in the Christian ehureh may employ their energies, without fear of over working the field.

96 THE FIELD FOR EXERTION.

or standing in each others way. Piety the most exalted, — talents the most splendid, — ^may there find ample room for display ; the greatest trophies of Divine grace will there be obtained, and the Gospel is des- tined to achieve more in China than has ever been witnessed elsewhere, mainly on account of the number of individuals to be brought under its influence. This then is the field for missionary exertions ; the sphere where the most influential societies should direct their chief eflforts, for imtil some impression is made upon China, it will matter little what is achieved in other more confined and thinly peopled regions. The con- version of a few islands to Christ, and the introduction of the Gospel to the extremities of a continent, re- semble an investing of the outworks of heathenism; but the strong hold remains still untouched, and until China is evangelized, the greatest half of our work remains to be begun.

CHAPTER V.

THB CIVILIZATION OF CHINA.

cmtPASATITS aVlLUATION-aOLILOgUT OF A CHINlal-llA'nV* POLm- MM— DUrUYXD IN COKVKBSATIOM— AMD DAILY IimRCODUB — OBIIDS or n» CHINnE— DISCOVERY OP TBI COMPAM— TUX AXT or FlmTTNO-THI INTINTION OP OUNPOWDM -THE BCIINCB- ARBOHOMY— BOTAHY— niHCIME— BUBOBftY— TBI ABT»-PAIIiTIMO — ■HOBATINO-HAMVPACTVBB OP SILK-POKCXLAIN— TIA-PAPIB — LACKBUD WAJtB-im-ALS-COTiCLUBION.

In seeking to evangelize the heathen world, two des- criptions of people claim our attention ; namely, the barbarous and the cirilized. China belongs to the latter class. Instead of a savage and untutored people — ^without a settled goremmcnt, or written laws, — roaming the desert, and living in caves,' — dressed in skins, and sitting on the ground, — ^knowing nothing of bshion, nor tasting luxuries ; we behold in the Chinese a quiet, orderly, well-behaved nation, exhibiting many traces of civilization, and displaying them at a period when the rest of mankind were for the most [«rt sunk in barbarism. Of course we must not look for that high degree of improvement, and those wcll-ilefined civil rights, which are in a great measure the ctTecta of Christianity ; neither are we warranted to expect in China any of those advances in science, or improve- ments in the arts, which now distinguish Kurope. and which are the result of that march of mind so chanus

SOI.n.()Qi;Y OF A CHINEl

teristic of the age we live in. Railways, machinerj', and all the ramifications and operations of gas and steam, are not to be looked for in China. With these exceptions, however, China possesses as much civilization as Turkey now, or England a few centuries ago. Indeed, were the question proposed to a Chinese, as to which he considered the most civilized nation, while he might acknowledge the supe- riority of Europeans in cunning and force, he would not scruple to claim for his own counti-jmen the praise of a superior polish. They denominate China, " the flowery nation," — " the region of eternal summer," — ■' the land of the sages," — '■ the celestial empire," — • while they unscrupulously term all foreigners " barba- rians." and sometimes load them with epithets still more degrading and contemptuous ; such as swine, monkeys, and devils.

The soliloquy of one of them is rather amusing ; " I felicitate myself," says Teen Ke-shih, " that I was bom in China ; and constantly think how very different it would have been with me, if bom beyond the seaa, in some remote part of the earth, where the people, de- prived of the converting maxims of the ancient kings, and ignorant of the domestic relations, are clothed with the leaves of plants, eat wood, dwell in the wilderness, and live in the holes of the earth; though living in this world in such a condition, I should not have been dif- ferent from the beasts of the field, liut now, happily, 1 have been bom in the middle kingdom. I have a house to live in ; have food, drink, and elegant fur- niture ; clothing, caps, and infinite blessings ; tndy the highest feHcity is mine ! "

The C^hinese have a proverb, that he who judges of

IIATIVB POLITENESS. 99

tbe Gueinutances of others, without a thorough ac- qoaintaiice with them, is like a man at the bottom of a wcU, atlempliiig to form an opimoii of the heavens. It is to be feared, that the Chinese have been at the bottom of the well, with regard to foreigners, and that we are not unfirequently at the bottom of the well, with regard lo them* The writer would fain bring each party to the brink, and exhibit them to each other. Without aeeedKqg, therefoie, to the extravagant pretensions of the dttnese, or submitting to their unjust reflections upon foreigners, we must allow them a degree of civilisa- tioQ« which would awaken an interest in their behalf, and finroor not a Ktde the attempt to promote their evan- geUxation.

llie civilization of the Chinese will be seen in their complaisance towards each other. In no unchristian eountiy do we find such attention paid to ceremony, sndi polish in daily intercourse, and so many compli- ments passing to and fro, as among the Chinese. In asMMTiating with friends, and in entertainmg strangers, their politeness is remarkable. The poorest and com- monest individual will scarcely allow a passenger to cross the door, without asking him in; should the stranger comply, the pipe is instantly filled and pre- sented to his lips, or the tea poured out for his refresh- ment ; a seat is then offered, and the master of the house does not presume to sit down, until the stranger is first seated. The epithets employed, when conver- sation commences* are in keeping with the character of the people, llie familiar use of the personal pronoun is not indulged in ; on the contrary, ''venerable uncle,** — ^** honourable brother," — *• virtuous companion,**— or ** excellent sir,*" — in addressing a stronger, are used

H 2

\W CinXK.SE ETIQUETTE.

instead of the pronoun "you;" and "the worthless fellow." — " the stupid one," — " the late bom." — or the "unworthy disciple," instead of the pronoun " I." are terms of common occurrence. " What is your noble jiatronyniic V is the first question ; to which the usual reply is. "my poverty-struck family name is so and so;" again, the question is asked respecting the " honourable appellation, the exalted age, and the famous province," of the stranger ; which queries are replied to by applying to one's self the epithets of "ignoble, short-lived, and vulgar;" and thus the conversation proceeds in a strain of compliment, the very commonness of which proves the civilization of the people. The titles bestowed upon the relations of others, together with the humiha- ting light in wlilch persons speak of their own connec- tions are also remarkable. " Honourable young gentle- man," for a friend's son ; and " the thousand pieces of gold," for his daughter, are usual appellations ; while the individual replies, by bestowing the epithet of " dog's son," and " female slave," on his own offspring. The ceremonies observed on the invitation and entertainment of guests arc still more striking ; com- plimentary cards are presented, and polite answers returned, all vicing with each other in the display of humility and condescension. On the arrival of the guest, considerable difficulty is found in arranging who shall make the lowest bow, or first enter the door, or lake the highest seat, or assume the precedence at table ; though the host generally contrives to place his guest in the most elevated position. When conversation commences, the mutual assent to every proposition, the scnipulous avoiding of all contradiction, and the entire absence of everj* offensive expression, or melancholy

m^

INVBNTIVE GENIUS. . 101

aHusion, shew what a sense these people entertain of pofiteness; while the congratulations or condolence biiahed on every prosperous or adverse occasion, and the leadiness displayed to ^^ rejoice with them that do rejoice, and to weep with them that weep,** manifest the degree of interest they appear to take in each other. Any one, who would examine the style of their epis- tolary correspondence, the form of their invitation caids, and the phraseology of their polite discourses, must see, that, professedly at least, '^ they esteem every other better than themselves,*" which is the foundation of politeness. Their civility may indeed verge towards idulation, and their compliments assume the air of lattery ; but, when we see a whole nation thus exter- nally soft, affable, and yielding, we must acknowledge that they have made some advances in the art of good breeding.

But the civilization of the Chinese appears in a more substantial form, in the discoveries they have made, and the arts and sciences which they have cultivated. Their inventive genius has been manifested in various particulars, and at early periods. Three most impor- tant discoveries, which have given an extraordinary impulse to the progress of civilization in Europe, were known to the Chinese previous to their being found out by us. First of all ranks the invention of the ma- riners compass, with which the Chinese seem to have been long acquainted. The earliest allusion to the magnetic needle is met with in the traditionary period of their history, about 2600 years before Christ ; when the Yellow Emperor, having missed his way, invented a carriage, upon the top of which was a farallery, sur-

niSLOVKHY UF TH

mounted by a little figure, pointing to the south, i ever way the carriage tuiTied.

At a later perioil, we have a more credible account of this discovery, in the reign of Ching-wang, of the Chow dynasty, B, C. 1114; when it is said, that some ambas- sadors came from the modem Cochin China, affirming, that having experienced neither storm nor tempest in that country for three years, they imagined it was in consequence of the sagesj then existing in China ; and therefore had come to pay court to them. On the return of these ambassadors, they knew not what course to take ; and the prime minister of China gave them five close carriages, all provided with instruments that pointed to the south ; with these they were enabled to find their way, and In a year arrived at their own country, "Hence," adds the historian, "these south- pointing carriages have ever since been used as guides to travellers." There are several other references to this important invention at later periods, so as to make it evident that they possessed the discoveiy before the people of Europe, and it is not improbable were the means of communicating it to us ; for it is well known that Marco Paulo, the Venetian traveller, visited China A, D. 1275, and that the mariner's compass was not invented by Gioia, of Naples, until A. D. 1302, so that it is not unlikely that the Italian communicated it to his countryman. Thoiigh the Chinese have not much improved the art of navigation, and have allowed us to exceed them in nautical science, yet we should remember from whence the grand invention was de- rived, and accord the due meed of praise to those who 80 early possessed it.

INVENTION OP PRINTING. 103

Next in- the oider of utility stands the art of printing, which it appears was known to the Chinese upwards of liiie hundred years ago. Some say, that it was invented by one Fung-taou, the time-serving minister of the first foler of the Tsin dynasty, A. D. 937 ; though by a lefierence to Chinese history, it appears, that eleven years previous, the ruler of Tang ordered the nine daisies to be engraved, printed, and sold to the people. The historians of those times do not seem to have any doubt about the art having been then in use, and merely discuss the propriety of selling the books, rather than giving them away, on the principle that it would be difficult to supply so many millions gratuitously.

In the time of Confucius, B. C. 500, books were formed of slips of bamboo, upon which they wrote with the point of a style. About one hundred and fifty years after Christ, paper was invented, when the Cliinese wrote on rolls, and formed volumes. A. D. 745, books were first bound up into leaves ; and two hundred years afterwards they were multiplied by printing; so that the Cliinese appear to have made early advances in civilization, whilst we only discovered the art of making paper in the eleventh, and that of printing in the fifteenth century. The mode of print- ing adopted by the Chinese is of the simplest character. Without expensive machiner}\ or a complicated pro- cess, they manage to throw off clear impressions of their books, in an expeditious manner. Stereotype, or block printing, seems to have taken the precedence of moveable types in all countries, and in Cliina they have scarcely yet got l>eyond the original method. Their language consisting of a great number of characters, they have not thought it worth while to cut or cast an

MODE OF EXGRAVING,

assortment of these ; which they might distribute and recompose, as the subject required; but have preferred cutting the characters for each separate work, page by page. This stereotyping of their books, has caused the stereotyping of their ideas ; and kept them in the same eternal round of uniform notions, without variety or improvement. While the discovery of printing, there- fore, has enabled ihcm to midtiply copies of their ancient books, it has discouraged the compilation of new works, and tied them down to an imitation of antiquity, with- out assisting them to h\ast the fetters which custom has laid upon them.

Still the use of wooden blocks has not been without its advantages : among which we may enumerate speed and cheapness. The first part of the process is, to get the page written out in the square or printed form of the character. This hanng been examined and cor- rected, is transferred to the wood in the following manner. The block, after ha\Tng I)een smoothly planed, is spread over with a glutinous paste; when the paper is applied and frequently rubbed, till it becomes dry. The paper is then removed, as much of it as can be got away, and the writing is found adhering to the board, in an inverted form. The whole is now covered with oil, to make the letters appear more vivid and striking; and the engraver proceeds to his business. The first operation is, to cut straight down by the sides of the letters, from top to bottom, removing the vacant spaces between the lines, with the exception of the stops. The workman then engraves all the strokes which run horizontally ; then, the oblique ; and, after- wards, the perpendicular ones, throughout the whole line; which saves the trouble of turning the block

AND PRINTING BOOKS. 105

■NUidv for every letter HaTing cut round the letters, he proceeds to die central parts ; and, after a while, the pige is completed. A workman generally gets through one hundred characters a day, for which he will get sixpence. A page generally contains five hundred cha- lacters. When the engraver has completed his work, it is passed into the hands of the printer, who places it in the middle of a table : on one side, is a pot of liquid ink, with a brush; and, on the other, a pile of paper : while, in front, there is a piece of wood, bound round with the fibrous parts of a species of palm, which is to •enre for a rubber. The workman then inks his block with the brush; and taking a sheet of dry paper, with his left hand, he places it neatly on the block ; and, seising the rubber with his right hand, he passes it once or twice quickly over the back of the paper, when the impression is produced, the printed sheet hastily removed, and the workman proceeds with the next impression, till the whole number be worked off; and, thus, without screw, lever, wheel, or wedge, a Chinese printer will manage to throw off 3,000 impressions in a day. After the copies are struck off, the next busi- ness, is to fold the pages exactly in the middle ; to collate, adjust, stitch, cut, and sew them; for all of which work, including the printing, the labourer does not receive more than ninepence a thousand, llie whole apparatus of a printer, in that country, consists of his gravers, blocks, and brushes; these he may shoulder and travel with, from place to place, pur- chasing i)aper and lamp-black, as he needs them ; and, borrowing a table anywhere, he may throw off his editions by the hundreil or the score, as he is able to

INVENTION O

tliepose of them. Their paper is thin, but cheap; ten sheets of demy-size, costing only one half-penny. This connected with the low price of labour, enables the Chinese to furnish books to each other, for next to nothing. The works of Confucius, with the commen- tary of Choo-foo-tsze, comprising six volumes, and amoimting to four hundred leaves, octavo, can he pur- chased for ninepence ; and the historical novel of the three kingdoms, amounting to 1,500 leaves, in twenty volumes, may be had for half-a-crown. Of course, all these prices are what the natives chaise to each other ; for all which Europeans must expect to pay double.

Thus, books are multiplied, at a cheap rate, to an ' almost indefinite extent ; and every peasant and pedlar has the common depositories of knowledge within his reach. It would not be hazarding too much to say, that, in China, there are more books, and more people to read them, than in any other country of the world.

Another discovery, which is supposed to have ori- ginated with the Chinese, is that of gimpowder. Soon after the commencement of the Christian era, this people were in the habit of using what they called " fire medicine," which they employed for the purpose of making signals, and affording amusement, in the shape of rockets and fire-works, hut do not appear to have used it to project bullets to a distance, in order to attack an enemy.

The historian of the Yuen dynasty, A. D. 1280, says, that " fire engines " commenced about that period. Wei-ching, constructed machines for throwing stones, in which he used powder, made of saltpetre, sulphur, and charcoal. Some time after this, guns and powder

ATTXirriON TO ASTRONOMY. 10?

veie iiiTeiited in Europe ; and, it is not unlikely, were JBtrodnced into this part of the world, in consequence ef dM stotements of Marco Paulo.

Widi regard to the sciences, the Chinese cannot be said to rank high, though they have made some adfances in a few; fully equal to what has been accomplished in other eastern nations. To astronomy, Aey haTe always paid some attention ; and even during die reigns of their earliest kings, the five planets, the twenty«eight constellations, and the twelve signs of the sodiac were well known. They were in the habit ci regarding various celestial phenomena, and eclipses and comets were regularly observed, and feithfiiUy lecoffded, as will be seen by a reference to the scheme ef chronology in the Appendix. A. D. 900, a comet aiqpeared, which was considered as ominous of some dhange in the government, when the sovereign put ddrty men of influence to death, and threw some of the literati into the Yellow River; closing the bloody transaction, by murdering the former empress, in order to secure to himself the possession of an usurped throne. A. D. 996, an eclipse of the sun, which had been pre- dicted by the astronomers, did not take place; on which occasion, the courtiers congratulated his majesty, suggesting, that the very heavens had altered their courses, out of compliment to his virtues.

In all the periods of their history, the Chinese have thought that the heavenly bodies moved in their orbits, for no other purpose, than to point out the rise and fall of djrnasties, and to indicate some change of rule in their empire. Famines and pestilences, wars and com- motions, droughts and inundations, are with them prog- nosticated by falling stars and shooting meteors ; and

108

PROGRESS IN BOTANY.

■

SO close is the connection between the celestial empire and the powers of nature, that nothing can happen to the one without affecting the other. The science of astronomy, therefore, is studied mainly on account of the influence of the stars on human affairs ; and hence the aBtronomical board is intimately connected with the government, and interference with that department is considered as treason against the state, and punished accordingly. The arrangement of the calendar is a matter of much moment with the Chinese, and lucky and unlucky days are regularly noted in that important document, by which all the business of the empire is regulated. We must not, however, rate the Chinese exceedingly low, on account of their partiality to astro- logy ; when we remember that even in England, in the nineteenth century, there are numbers of persons who continue to place implicit confidence in Francis Moore, and his precious prognostications, which are sure to happen " the day before or the day after."

Of botany they have sufficient knowledge to enable them to collect and arrange a vast number of plants, whose appearance and properties they minutely enu- merate, though they do not describe or classify them in a philosophical manner.

In the commencement of Chinese history, we find some allusion to the " Divine Husbandman," who cultivated Uie five kinds of grain, examined the various plants, and compounded medicines. Before that period the people lived on the fruits of trees, and the flesh of animals, knowing nothing about husbandry; until Sliin-nimg pointed out Ihe varieties of the seasons, and the properties of the soil, making ploughs of hard wnoil, and teaching the iieople to plant grain : thus

CLASSIFICATION OF PLANTS. 109

commenced the business of agriculture. When sick- ness invaded, and remedies were needed, the sovereign tasted the various plants to ascertain their cooling and tranquillizing properties, and in one day discovered seventy kinds of poisonous shrubs, with their antidotes, which he described in a book; and the science of medicine began to flourish. Since then, the Chinese have published a very compendious work on botany, called the Pun-tsaou, which is certainly the result of much labour, and, considering their disadvantages, does them great credit. In this work they distin* guish plants into class, genus, and variety. Their classes are five ; viz., shrubs, grains, herbs, fruits, and trees. Under the first class they include the following genera: wild, odoriferous, marshy, poisonous, rocky, scandent, water}% cryptogamous, and miscellaneous plants ; under the second class they enumerate wheat, barley, millett, maize, and other grains; under the third class are found alliaceous, mucilaginous, creeping, watery, and fungous vegetables ; under the fourth class we meet with cultivated, wild, and foreign, as also aromatic and watery fruits ; and under the fifth class are included odoriferous, gigantic, luxuriant, parasitic, flexible, and miscellaneous trees. All these genera are subsequently divided into 1094 species. This arrange- ment will be seen to be far from scientific ; but that they should have examined the vegetable kingilom at all, and made any sort of classification, shews that they are by no means an unthinking or an uncivilized people.

To the science of medicine the Chinese have |>aid some attention; but, as usuaK were more celebratiHl for it in former than in latter times. The systems of their

no

CHINESE MEDtCtNH:

earliest physicians have mostly died with their inventor*, and posterity have scarcely been able to equal, much less to exceed, the ancients, Some allusion has been made above to the " Divine Husbandman," who dis- covered the noxious and heahng qualities of various plants, and laid the foundation of the Chinese pharma- copceia. About the same time lived a statesman, to whom the invention of the puncture is attributed ; tliis man left on record two fragments, which are looked upon as the most ancient notices on the cause and cure of diseases in China. In these fragments the circula- tion of the blood is recognised, and compared to the unceasing revolutions of the heavens and the earth, which begin, end, and begin again from the same point at which they originally set out ; thus, they aay. the blood goes round and round the human body, till ite (Ussolution. It must not be imagined from this, how- ever, that the Chinese understand the circulation of the blood, as the phrase is used in Europe ; or know anything distinctly about the veins and arteries through which it flows. Not having practised anatomy, they are unacquainted with the internal structure of the human frame, and remain satisfied with the fact of the blood's circulation, without attempting to explain it.

To the pulse, however, they have paid close atten- tion, and are enabled to discover its variations with a nicety and precision, scarcely equalled by Kuropean physicians. They affect to distinguish twenty-four different kinds of pulsations, and will frequently pro- ceed to prescribe, without asking a single question, or examining any other j)rognoBtic. The system which they have imagined to themselves, is more the result of fancy than ex[>ericnce; and the connection they pretend

AND SURGERY. Ill

to trace between the five points at which the pulse may be felt, the five viscera, the five planets, and the five elements, is the jfruitful source of innumerable mistakes in their practice ; but we must remember, that it is not long since Bacon opened the gate of experimental science in Europe, and that our forefathers once united astrology with medicine, by which they blundered quite as much as the Chinese !

In the earliest classics of the Chinese, several phy- sicians of eminence are referred to, and during the period of the ^' contending states,** a medical man was called ^' the nation s arm,** because he rescued so many from impending death. When China was divided into three kingdoms, about the third century of the Christian era, the father of Chinese surgery, Hwa-to, flourished. He is said to have laid bare the arm of a wounded chieftain, and to have scraped the poison off the scapula, while the unmoved warrior continued to play at chess, and to drink wine, with the other arm. A jealous tyrant of that age cruelly murdered this useful man, and his wife burnt all his manuscripts, by which means his valuable art perished with him. In the fourth centur}' the well known work on the pulse, quoted by Du Halde, was published. In the sixth century lived Chin-kwei, who is said to have cut into the abdomen, removed diseased viscera, and stitched up the part ^ain, curing the patient in a month*s time. The most eminent writers on medicine in China are the *• four great masters,'* who flourished — the first in the third, the second in the thirteenth, the thinl in the fourteenth, and the fourth in the fifteenth centuries. The first is considered the father of physic, and has left numerous writings behind him. From the various treatises on

112

THE FINE ARTS.

medicine, one imperia! work has been compiled, iii forty volumes, called " a golden mirror of medical prac- tice," which was completed nearly a century ago, aftt-r four years labour. Other works on medicine have successively appeared ; and a gentleman in Canton, wishing to obtain all that was jirocurable in that city, made a collection of eight hundred and ninety-two volumes of medical books ; so that if the Chinese know little of the science in question, it is not for want of books or theories.

We are not, however, to estimate the value of medi- cal knowledge in China by the aggregate of treatises on the subject ; or the efficiency of their practice, by the number of doctors' shops throughout the country : for though the celestial empire literally swarms with medical works and apothecaries' shops, yet the number of successful practitioners we believe to be small. For the most part, their medical practice is mere quackery ; and their surgerj', in modem days, does not extend beyond puncturing, cauterizing, drawing of teeth, and plastering, without attempting any operation in which skill or care is required.

The advance which the Chinese have made in the fine arts has been more considerable than in the sciences. To begin with painting, we may obser\'e that the graphical representations of the Chinese are not altogether despicable. It is true they lamentably fail in the knowledge of perspective, and the differences of light and shade have not been much noticed by them. But their colours are vivid and striking, and in delinea- ting flowers, animals, or the human countenance, they are sometimes very successful. The Chinese drawings* brought to this country on what is called rice paper.

^v

ART OF ENGRAVING. 113

have been much admired for the striking characteristics, and brilliant tints which they display. If instructed in the art of shading, and taught the nature of per- spective, the Chinese might become good artists ; and one of them, who had the advantage of a few lessons from an eminent English painter, has produced some pieces which have been thought worthy of a place in the Royal Exhibition at Somerset House.

In the art of engraving the Chinese excel. The rapidity with which they carve their intricate and complicated characters is really suq)rising, and not to be imitated by Euro|K*an artists, in the same style of execution, and at the same low prices. A London engraver was surj>rised when he learned, that what would cost sixty or eighty shillings in England, might be accomplished by a Chinese workman for hulf-a- crown. In seal engraving they are not In^hind our own countrymen, and in ivory and ebony, tortoiseshell, and mother-of-jH'arl, their carving surj)asses that of most other artists. The celebrated Chinese balls, one in the other, to the amount of seven or nine, all exquisitely car\-ed, have puzzled many of our English friends ; who have been at a loss to know, whether they were cut out of a solid piece, or cunningly intHxlueed, by some imperceptible o|)ening, one within the other. There can l)e no doubt, however, of their having l)etn ori- ginally but one piece, and cut undenieath from the various a|H»rtures, which the^balls contain, until one after another is dislcHlgiHl and turned, and then carved like the tirst. The ivon' work-l)()\es and fans, com- monly sold in Canton, exhibiting the various figures standing out in very bold relief, may be eonsidereil as fair R|K*ci mens of Chinese skill.

1

y

114 FABRICATION OF SILK.

Id the useful aits, the Chinese aie by no i firient ; and in what contributes to the necessaries, con> forts, and even elegancies of life, shew dtemselves to be as great adepts as their ne^hbours. Hie manufoc- ture of dlk has been long established among them ; and thousands of vears ago, when the inhabitants of England were going about with naked bodies, the very plebeians of China were clothed in silks ; while the nobility there vied with each other in the exhibition of gold and embnodeiT. not much inferior to what they now display. In the fabled days of the Yellow Emperor, at the commencement of the Chinese monarchy, '■'■ the empress taught her subjects to rear the silk-worm, and unwind the coocoons. in otder to make dresses : so that the people were exempted liom cold and chilblains." When Confiidus arose, the Chinese had lonit been in the habit of cultiwtii^ the silk-worm, and the general rule then was. for " every family that possessed five acres of ground, to plant the circumfeivnce with mulbeny trees, in order Aat all above a certain age might be clothed in silk." Down to the present age. die Chinese are still celebrated fiw the abundance, variety, and beauty of their silk fabrics, equalling in the richness of their colours, ami the beauty of tht-ir embrcttdeiy. anything that can be manufactured in France cur England, while the crapes of China still surpass the products of this western world. But they are iMt only skilled in making, they aiv «W attat^^l to the wearii^. of gay appart^h the l'hinc.<e an> cxwfi-ssrtUy a well-clothed nation, awl e\ce|»t wheiv iwwrty prevents. Ae people an* se^-n attire*! in silks ami crsjy^ »s c\w\nK«dy as we ap|X'«r in cloth ami hMilhcr. 'I heir fa^iMis differ indctxl fr\»n» wits, but the diess «.>f a Chinese gentleman

MANUFACTURE OF PORCELAIN. 115

or lady is as elegant in its way, as the external appear- ance of a modem belle or beau in Europe.

The manufacture of porcelain commenced with the Tang dynasty, A. D. 630: and the first furnace on record is that at Chang-nan, in the province of Keang-se, from whence a tribute of porcelain was sent to the court of Han Kaou-tsoo, and called ^'imitation gem ware." The district now most famous for the production of this article, is Kaou-ling, a hill to the eastward of the town of King-tih, in the district of Yaou-chow, which came into repute in the time of the third ruler of the Sung dynasty, A. D. 1000. The material from which porcelain is made is called tun, "clay," or pth-tun, " white clay," from whence is derived the petuntse of European books ; its nature is " stiff and white, without much sweat," and the porcelain made of it does not crack. The best sort is known by breaking and examining the ware, to see if the fracture be smooth and even, without veins or granular coarseness, and just as if cut with a knife. What commonly goes under the name of Petuntse is divided into red, white, and yellow. The red and white are used for the finer wares; the yellow only for the coarser sorts. ITie people who procure it always avail themselves of the mountain streams, where they erect mills, and {)Ound the material : after which they wash it clean, and mould it into the fonn of bricks, called Petuntse. The yellow c!(k1s are large and hanl, while the white are rather loose and fine.

ITie government of China has, for the last thousand years, j)aid gn»at attention to the manufacture of porce- lain; and the emperor Keen-lung, al>out fifty years ago, sent a person from court to make drawings of the

1 2

DESCHU'TION OK THE PROCESS.

process. The first business is to procure the stones, and make the paste, which is commonly done in the district of Hwuy-chow, in the pro\-ince of Keang-nan, The paste is then scoured and worked, and the glaze ashes prepared. These are formed of a sort of fern, with the powder of a blueish-white stone, to which a portion of fine Petuntse is added ; forming logcthtir a thick paste. The next process is to form the earthern boxes in which the ware is baked, and tlie moulds for the round ware. The biscuit is then turned on a lathe, and formed into vases and other articles. After this the unbumt shade-dried biscuit is fitted to tlie mould, and the excrescences cut and pared off. These broken bits are pounded to a milky consistency for the use of the painters. Numbers of lame and blind, old and young, earn a scanty livelihootl by pounding these pieces, — their wages being only half-a-crown per month ; though some by working two pestles, and continuing half the night, get double wages. The ware is then painted, whith work is divided amongst two sets of artists, the one drawing the outline, and the other laj-ing on the colours, " in order to render the workman's hand uniform, and keep his mind undi- verted." They glaze by the brush, the dip, or the blow tube. The latter is a recent invention, consisting of a bamljoo about eight inches long, having its end covered with a thin gauze, through which the workman blows a certain number of times, according to the size of the ware, or the consistence of the varnish. TiU this period, two or three inches of earth are left at the bottom of the vessel as a handle ; but now the handle is taken, away, and the foot formed. After this, it is put into the furnace and burned for some time, when the process is

ORIGIN OF TEA. 117

faithed. To this succeeds the packing, and the whole k closed by sacrificing to the gods, on which ceremony modi stress is laid. On one of these occasions, a lad is «dd to have devoted himself to the flames, by which they imagine that great blessings were procured. The eoDOOurse of people at King>-tYh is very great. There are from two to three hundred furnaces, and several hundred thousand workmen, who wait as anxiously on the fire, as the husbandman does for the early and latter lain. — See Morrison's Dictionary, part iii.

For some time, porcelain was a regular article of export, from China to Europe, and much prised in this country. Since, however, the improvement in our own manufacture, and the discouraging duty levied on imported porcelain, the introduction has greatly diminished ; though the value of real China ware still keeps up. Wliatever advances we may have made in the whiteness of our porcelain, and the brilliancy of our colours, we must remember, that the Chinese wero the first to practice the art, and still exceed us in the eompactness of the material, and the fineness of the ware.

The Chinese have not only furnished us with cups, but y/qfii tea. It is not exactly certain, when this beverage was first used by the Chinese ; it is presumed however, that, in early antiquity, the use of the plant was unknown ; as the ancient classics, and the history of the middle ages, make no mention of it. Ever since the intercourse commenced with western nations, this leaf has formed more or less an article of ex{)ort ; and, in England, especially, the use of it has grown with a rafndity, only equalletl by the advance in the opium trade, to China. We find mention made of tea. in

118 DirraiLE^cT KDnks or tka.

Kiigfand. in the year 1661 : a centmr ago. die export of tins article dad not mxxk exceed half a miDion pounds weight, but of late years* it has nsen to nearly fifty millions. The sorts commonly known, are seren kinds of black, and six oi green. First, — ^Woo-e, or Bohea, so called firom a £unous range of hills in tiie pioTince of Fuh-keen. where this tea is grown. Second, — Keen-pei, or CampcM; EteraUy, chmce fire-dried teas. Third, — Kang-foo, or Congo; Eterally. winrk-people's tea. Fourth, — Pih-haou, or Pekoe; Hterally. white down tea. Fifth, — Paou-chung, or Pouch<Hig, wrapped tea ; so called from its being wrapped in paper parcels. Sixth, — Seaou-chung, or Souchong, small seeded tea. Seventh, — Shwang-che, Souchi, or Caper; literally, double compounded tea. The green teas are, — First, Sung-lo, fir-twig tea ; probably from its resemblance to fir-twigs. Second, — He-chun, or Hyson ; literally, happy spring tea. Third, — Pe cha, or Hyson skin ; literally, skin tea. Fourth, — Tun-ke, or Twankay, literally, stream-station tea; probably from the place where it is collected. Fifth, — Choo cha, pearl tea, or gunpowder tea. Sixth, — Yu-tseen Ouchain, or Young Hyson, literally, tea collected before the rains. The black teas are, generally, grown in the province of Fuh-keen ; and the green, in Ch^-keang, or GSn-hwuy. The whole are brought overland to Canton, where they are shipped for the European market. The pro- cess of making tea has been delineated, in a succession of pictures, corresponding to those on the manufacture of porcelain ; and a variety of books have been written, de8cril)ing the growth and manufacture ; but the exact manipulation of the leaf, is a secret still possessed by the (Chinese, which foreigners have not been able fully

t»APBR AND LACKERED WARE. 119

to develope. Some workmen have lately been brought from the tea districts, and conveyed to the island of Java, and the province of Assam, under the Dutch and English governments respectively ; but, it remains to be seen, whether they can completely succeed in equal* fing the inhabitants of the celestial empire, in the preparation of tea. It is a matter yet in dispute, whe- ther the green and black teas are made from the nsame tree; or, whether an entirely different plant is used. Most persons incline to adopt the former opinion; thou^, from the circumstance of the two sorts coming from different provinces, it might be inferred that the green and black are gathered from different shrubs.

In the manufacture of paper, the Chinese have been early active. In the first century, mention is made of paper, which the Chinese employ, not only in making books, and wrapping up articles, but in sacrificing to the gods and departed spirits; in which service millions of bundles are annually consumed by this superstitious people. This forms a principal article of internal com* merce, and of export trade to the Chinese colonies, whither the native junks proceed, almost entirely laden with sacrificial paper.

In lackered ware, the Chinese do not equal the Japanese; though, until lately, they far exceeded the Europeans. They are enabled to excel in this art, in consequence of their natural advantages, possessing a varnish tree, which yields them a material better adapted for their puri)ose, than any which can be manufactunxl by art.

In the working of metals, the Chinese are not unskilled, and produce implements for use, suiteil to all

BEARING OF CIVILIZATION.

the business of life,* Metallic mirrors have been made by them, for the use of the fair sex, by which means the ladies of China were enabled to survey their features and adjust their dress, l)efore the invention of glass, or its introduction into that country. The Chinese still iraa^ne that they possess, so exclusively, the material, and the art of working in iron and steel, that a standing order, in Canton, to this day, is, that the barbarians shall not export iron from the country.

From what has been before advanced, and much more which might be adduced, we are led to accord to the Chinese, a certain rank among civilized nations. But, let us now see how their civilization is likely to affect their evangelization. When missionaries pro- ceed to a nation altogether barbarous, they have many difficulties to contend with. Their lives and property are, in the first instance, in great jeopardy. Instances have occurred, of savage tribes falling upon the mes- sengers of mercy ; and, immediately on their arrival, proceeding to plunder, murder, and, even eat them. But, this is not likely to occur among a people, in a great measure, cinlized. Where order prevails — where law is respected — and where the forms of justice are observed, a person is not likely to be summarily de- prived of life or liberty, without the assignment of a reason, or the shadaw of a trial. Again, amongst un- civilized tribes, there are a great many difficulties in the way of communicating religious knowledge. The

■ In (lie truililiuDKiy poriud, U)c Cliinoc reUtu. Ih»t the Yellow Emperor m»<li! twtUe betbi viil, aflcnrHdi. bavinfc dlicorered > coppor mine, he coal tbrne iripiilB, which h«*u bcou niiich vonctiilcd by the Chinese, mid, for Hgei, rnnnidriTil Ihr regnlin of ibr cmpirf.

ON EVANGELIZATION. 121

Wrl>arian has first to be taught to think, before he can ponder religious truth ; but, ci^dlized men are, perhaps, too subtle and metaphysical in their speculations, and we find more difticulty in restraining, than in exciting their imaginative faculties. In the savage state, the relations of life are scarcely recognized friendly and family feelings are almost unknown, and subordinap tion and fidelity are exceedingly rare. But, in such a country as China, where marriage has been instituted for upwards of three thousand years, and filial respect cherished from the first settlement of their monarchy ; where the reciprocal duties of sovereigns and subjects, friends and neighbours have been known, and, in some measure, acted upon, for milleniums — a sort of founda- tion is laid for benevolent and moralizing exertions, — and affords manifest advantages to the propagator of Christianity. In going amongst such a people, he finds a set of commonly acknowledged axioms, which, though in some instances, erroneous and overstrained, are yet of sufficient stability to serve him for a step- ping stone, in ortler to pass on to greater and more im{)ortant topics. It is possible, in such cases, by reasoning on principles which the heathen readily acknowledge, to convince them, by divine assistance, of their deficiencies ; and thus to |Hnnt out the ne- cessity of a mediator to those who have evidently ofTendeil against the dictates of natural religion. This is a vantage ground which civilizcnl nations present, and of which the missionary ought gladly to avail himself

CHAPTER VI. go\t:rnment and laws.

THB EMPIRE UNITED — THE GOVERNMENT BASED ON PARENTAL AU- THORITY—THE EMPEROR SUPREME— THE MINISTERS OF STATE— THE TRIBUNAIJ8— OF CIVIL OFFICE— OF REVENUE— OF RITES— OF WAR— OF PUNISHMENTS— OF PUBLIC WORKS— THE CENSORATE— THE NA- TIONAL INSTITUTE— THE LAWS OF CHINA — THEIR CHARACTER- CIVIL LAWS— FISCAL REGULATIONS— RITUAL ENACTMENTS — MILI- TARY ARRANGEMENTS — CRIMINAL CODE— DIRECTIONS ABOUT NA- TIONAL IMPROVEMENTS— IMPERIAL PALACE — THE FORBIDDEN EN- CLOSURE—THE GARDENS AND PAVILIONS— THE NORTHERN CITY — THE SOUTHERN.

The civilization of China will further appear from the consideration of the stability, regularity, economy, and efficiency of their government. The country, no longer torn by the contentions of rival princes and independent states, is united under one regular and established au- thority. The emperor, residing in his capital, extends his influence to the remotest comer of the land. Every officer that presides in the most distant district is espe- cially appointed by the court, and every measure of importance is the result of arrangements issuing from the centre of power. To exert an influence over such an extent of territory, and for such a length of time, argues a minuteness of arrangement and a comprehen- siveness of system, which could not have place in an uncivilized country.

The question has frequently been asked, how do the

PARENTAL AUTHORITY. 123

C*hinese, ignorant as they must be of the science of political economy, and destitute as thry are of the knowledge of ('hristian ethics, — manage to keep such a mass of people in order, and preserve their empire free from encroachment and diminution *? In attempt- ing to solve this difticuhy, we can not l)ut assign to the Chinese an intimate acquaintance with human nature, and an unusual skill in the ajiplication of well-defined principles to the business of life. The secret of their success in political matters is the establishment of the patriarchal system of government, grounded on the basis of fiUal obligation. Th(» first principle in their mond code, is the duty of children to submit to their |>arents, and the right of parents to dispose* of their children. Having been the instruments of bringing them into the world, and providing for their support and education, parents are considered as entitled to the unn»served n'spect and submission of tlu»ir children ; while disobedience to parental autliority is punishtnl with the severi»st rigour. From the dependency and inferioritv of the infantile state, when this authoritv is natunilly recognised and easily enforced, to tlie more aclvancinl stages of lift*, the i(l(\i of an almost divine >u{H'riorityis eh(*rished, and no eircuinstanees can arise in which the child is absolved from uncjualified and undi.Nputing obedience* to the parent.

This principle forms the basis of their political code also. I'\)r thouirh the emperor .staiuU in no natural relation tt) his peoj>le, and is rather ('luri>hed hy them than ec»ntril)Utes to their support, yet he has induced the belit'f that he is their parent and |»roteetor, and as •-uch possessed of uiupiestionahle authority e»ver them. In onler to strengthen this as.^uinption. the idea of

1*24 PRINCIPLE- OF GOVERNMENT.

tli\ ine riglit is superddtled to that of earthly supremacy. Heaven and uarth are considered the parents of all mankind, and tlie emperor, as the Son of Heaven, is of coiu^e next in authority, and reverenced accordingly. Whosoever, therefore, obtains the decree of Heaven, to ascend ■' the dragon throne," has a sort of mysterious dignity tlirown around him; and it is in their opinion as wicked to dispute the authority of the supreme on earth as the supreme in heaven. Both parents and rulers are by the Chinese infinitely exalted above children and subjects, and receive not only homage but adora- tion. Moral feeling, therefore, carried to an excess, and strengthened by superstitious awe, lead the Chinese without questioning to yield to authority; and this sul)- missive, unresisting spirit is the source of that peace and good order which prevail throughout the empire. Thus to establish, and thus to sanction the most abso- lute despotism, and to render it subservient to the pacification of a great country, certainly argues a de- gree of penetration and discernment which does not comport with a barbarous state of society.

We are not here defending the justness of the prin- ciple, or maintaining the doctrine, that, because a ruler chooses to call himself the parent of a nation, therefore all his sul)jects are children, and to be treated as if they were in their nonage ; hut if it be an object to secure the submission of the populace to a few rulers, we say, that a more convenient and effectual plan could not have been adopted. Grounding the authority on the most readily acknowledged title, that of the par- ental prerogative ; and demanding obedience on the most [lowcrfully constraining principle, that of filial affection ; it is not strange, that subjection is attained.

KlUCV OF THE SYSTEM. 120

This has been the foundation of a polities fknm the earliest ages of antiquity; it tw pnniled through every successive dynasty; and emi now succeeds in binding together their vast and If population. We could tell them of a better , which, inculcating universal love, is equally dfectual in restraining (^pression on the part of the nler, u well as insubordination on the part of the sub- ject; whidi, wUle it requires servants to be " obedient to their own masters," insists rai " masters doing the sme things to them, forbearing threatening, knowing Aat they also have a master in heaven." But for a country, where the light of the Gospel has r shone, we cannot but admire the wisdom of a lative principle, which so effectually unites and tnnqoilliies so vast a nation.

Tlie policy of the Chinese government will appear in the mutual responsibility, and universal espionage which previul throughout all the offices of state, and to the remotest comer of the empire, 'lliough the **Great Emperor," — the '■ Imperial Ruler," — and the •* Holy Lord," as he is called, claims and exercises universal and unlimited control over all *' mthin the four seas ;" though he dwells in the " pearly palace," md sits on the '' dragon throne ;" with the designation of " Ten thousand years," for his title, and the meed of divine honours for his gratification ; yet he finds that he cannot rule the empire without assistance, or regu* hte its multifarious afiairs without the aid of his mini- ■ters. These he calls his ■■ hands and feet," his " ears and eyes," and to these he condescends to delegate a portion of his authority ; holding them rvsjunsible for its oercise, with their fortunes, their Ulwrties, and

126

TRIBUNAL OF CIVIL OFFICE.

their lives. ITie highest minister of state, being the creature of imperial power, can be degraded, bambooed, banished, and beheaded ; subject to the whim of the only one, who claims and exercises irresponsible au- thority in China. Hence the Chinese have a proverb, that 'tie safer sleeping in a tyger's den. than basking in the sunshine of imperial favour.

The prime ministers of state, are called the " inner chamber," or cabinet; the first is" a Mantchou Tartar, to which race the present royal family belongs ; the second is a Chinese, who is UkeTiise president of the imperial college ; the third is a Mongul I'artar, also SHjjerintendent of the colonial office ; and the fourth is a Chinese. This mixture of Chinese and Tartars in the great offices of state, with the latter always taking the precedence, is a specimen of the general system pursued by the (Chinese, of setting the two races to watch over, and be responsible for, each other. They admit native Chinese to high and important stations, in order to satisfy the people, but they talie care to have them associated with, or superintended by, Tartars ; so that the former cannot derise schemes of rebellion, without being instantly discovered, and betrayed by the latter.

Under the cabinet they have the six tribunals, which take cognizance of their several departments, and report to the emperor for his decision and approval. The first is the tribunal of civil office, the prcsidenl.s of which enquire into and report on the conduct of all magis- trates, recommend persons to vacant stations, and sug- gest the propriety of ])romoting or degrading deserving or undeserving indinduals. A vast amount of patronage, and power necessarily falls into the hands uf a chamber

OP REVENUE AND RITES. 127

which has the general superintendence of several thou- sand civil officers, from the viceroy of a province, down to the magistrate of the smallest district.

The second tribunal is that of revenue, appointed to take cognizance of the amount of the population, which the government is very careful to ascertain, in order to know what income may be expected from the various provinces, and what supplies should be transmitted to different parts of the empire, in case of famine. This tribunal also sees to the due collection and transmission of the land tax, which is paid partly in money and partly in grain ; the coin of the realm is under their inspection, to see that it be not adulterated, and to "take care that the silver does not leak out of the countr)'." Salt, on which a heavy duty is levied, and over which special officers are placed, is under the care of this lM>ard. The expenditure, as well as the income of the coimtr}', comes under their eontroul ; and the payment of the various officers, with the maintenance of the state sacrifices, is arranged and provided for by them.

The thirtl tribunal is that of rites, taking cognizance of all religious ceremonies, court etiquette, and astro- logical predictions. For though there be no establisheil religion, or paid hierarchy in China, the rulers think it neces.sary to perfonn certain ciTeinoiut's, in onler to propitiate the g(Kls and overawe the people, of which this l)oanl has the supiTintendence. Aeeonling to ( hinese notions, tbe supreme in heaven can only be worshippi'd by the supreme on earth ; and in doing this, the emperor is his own priest, presiding at the sacrifice and announcing his prayers, while the jH'ople look on in silent awe. At the aeres.sion of a monarch, at each of the four seasons, and in times of felicitation.

128 TniHIJNAL OF WAR.

or calamity, the luler of China appeare as the high- priest of the people, aud constitutes himself the chief medium of intercourse between earth aud heaven. At the same periods, throughout the provinces, the various officers and magistrates pay their adorations to the pre- siding divinities of their several districts, the gods of the land and grain, the god of war. of literature, &,c. all of which rites are determined by the board in question. The ceremonies to be observed on court occasions ; the introduction and arrangement of nobles at the levees ; the number of prostrations each is to make, and when : the clothes, caps, and boots they are to wear ; the paths by which they are to come and go, to and from the imperial presence ; and all other such like important minutiae, are gravely and accurately specified by this board. The imperial abtronomers are also placed under its superintendence ; for as these gentlemen have to cal- culate celestial phenomena, as well as to prognosticate terrestrial atfairs ; as they have to fix the lucky and unlucky days for the performance of ci\il and religious ceremonies ; their labours come necessarily under the cognizance of the l)oard of rites,

ITie fourth tribunal is that of war; taking the super- intendence of the anny, navy, and ordnance ; appointing the numlier of troops assignal to each province ; and inspecting the state of the forts, and other defences of the country. The army of China is rated at 700,000; who may rather be termed militia, being employed part of the year in cultivating the ground, and contributing to their own support. These generally clothe and arm themselves, according to their own fancy ; and are dis- tinguished by the character "robust," being stitched on to their jackets in front, and the word "brave." behind !

TRIBUNAL OF PUNISHMENTS. 129

The regularly organized troops of the present dy- nasty, are the Tartar legions, which amount to 80,000 effective men, arranged under eight l)anners, and always at the disposal of government. I'heir standards are vellow, white, red, and bhie; each of which are doubled l)\ l)eing provided with a border. These are so dis- tributed throughout the empire as to keep four thousand limes their own number in ortler. I'he naval force is numerous, but inefficient ; the ships of war are gene- rally about the size of trading junks, but better built and manned ; though it would require an indefinite number of them to cope with one of the smalli^st fri- iratrs of the British navy. As to their forts, those only at tht* Hogue, on the Canton river, disserve the name ; but the incapability of these to resist the entrance of the Hriti>h ships, a few years ago, was most clearly manifested. The management of all these defences is contidfd to the militarv tribunal.

Ni*xt comes the tribunal of punishments, which appoints and removes judges, takes cognizance of all judicial proceedings, and sets to the carrying out and execution of the laws. It is rather sinirular, that the supreme court of justice, in China, should be termed the tribunal of punishments, but it shews that tlie govern- ment of that ei>UMtrv is more active in eh istisinir tlie [I 'ijle for bn-'ehi's of the law, than anxious to dis- jw-n-^t* justice to the iujuri'tl Jind iunoeent. Kvery pro- vince is provi(l"(l with a eriuiinal judge, at a salary of t2.ti<M) a year; this oflieer i^oes the circuit of his dLntriet |K'ri<Klieally. and holds his eoint in the provin- rial eitv. Thrre is a shew of some M»lenuutv. and eer- tainly of terror, in a Chiinse court of justice; but one bioks in vain for the iurv I)ox. A man is not tried bv

K

130 M'BLIC CENSOBATE.

hU peers, in CUna : wfaik examinBtion by torture is generallT employed ; aod the cruninal U punished on his ovm confession.

The last tribunal is that of work&r to which is com- mitted the care of public buildings, the excavation of canals, the embankment of rivers, and the construction of bridges and locks. Any one who considers the im- mense trouble and expense necessary to maintain some of the above, with the ruin and devastation sometimes consequent on neglect in this department, will see, that a branch of pubUc service of such importance ought to be placed under a separate board of management.

In addition to the above tribunals, there are other public offices, to which important affairs are confided. Such as the colonial or foreign office, for the superin- tendence of the extensive districts, which, by the an- nexation of Tartary to the empire, have been brought under the imperial sway. There is also the public censorate. the officers of which are appointed to oversee the affairs of the whole empire, and are allowed lo reprove the sovereign, or any of his officers, without being liable to punishment. Full liberty is given them to descant on the general affairs of government, though not to interfere with the private concerns of the mo- narch ; and they are frequently sent into various parts of the empire, to inspect and report on the conduct of some of the highest officers of state. Such an institu- tion as this, where the expressiou of public opinion is generally suppressed, is certainly of great value, and indicates the wisdom of those statesmen who established, and the magnanimity of those rulers who endure it.

In addition to this, we have the grand national college at Peking, the members of which are all the

THE LAWS OF CHINA. 131

chief of the literati of China. After having passed throu^ the three public examinations with honour, a select few are again tried, in order to their admission into this college. All matters which respect literature, and many which regard politics, are referred to this board, while the principal officers of state are chosen from among its members. Every individual in the empire is eligible to this distinction, and every scholar locks forward to it, as the consummation of all his wishes.

The laws of China are numerous, minute, and cir- cumstaDtial, and give the best idea of the character of the people, and their advance in civilization, which could possibly be furnished. The present dynasty have published three works on law. The first contains the general laws of the empire, an elegant translation rf which has been furnished by Sir G. Staunton. The next contains the bye laws, or particular regulations for each de|)artment of government ; and the third is the work already alluded to, viz. '' a collection of statutes for the present dynasty." As the general laws of China are best known, it may be well just to allude to them, as illustrative of the genius of the people from whom they emanate. The following testimony in their favour is by a writer in the *' Kdinburgh Review. "

" When/* say!» he, ** wc tiini from the ra\inir4 of the Ztml Avesta, or the Puranas, to the tone of sense anil l)iisine»4'* of the ('hinoiu* f*4l#'<tH»n, we wem to b** passinir from darkness to Hi^^ht ; from the dn^elliiur* of ilota4ri% to the exercise of an im])rove(l unfhTstanciink; ; an«i miundant and minute ;is these laws are, in manv partiruhir«, \%e

»^ajrelv know anv eastern <-o<h\ that is at oiuv so copious un<l 8o

• • •

n.in*Utent, or that is nearly so fre«' from intriear\, hiiri»trk, and firtirm. In rvfrry thine relatini; to j>olitieal t'recdom, or individual indf|yndcncf, it in indeefl w|iollv di-fective; hut for the repreft»ion of

K 2

■|\IL LAWS.

132

disorder, and the gentle coercion of a vast population, it appears to us to be in general mild and efficacious." '" There is nothing here of ihe monstrous lerbiage of most other Asiatic productions ; but a clear, concise, and distinct series of enactments, savouring tliroughoat of practical judgment and European good sense ; and, if not always conformable to our unproved notions of expediency in this country, in general approaching to tlicm more nearly than the codes of most otlier nations."

These encomiums are certainly high, and the gene- ral laws of China are, undoubtedly, much indebted to their elegant translator, and still more lavish admirer. In our humble opinion, many of the penal laws are just and good, and indicative of a knowledge of human nature, not to be met with in the savage state. Among the Chinese, the code is highly prized ; and their only wish is, to see its enactments justly and impartially administered. The whole is di\'idi.'d into six sections, according to the six tribunals above named ; and regard civil office, revenue, rites, military proceedings, punish- ments, and public works.

The ciinl taivs refer to the .system of government, and the conduct of magistrates. According to these statutes, hereditary rank is allowed, but only such as commenced with the present dynasty, and has been purchased by extraordinary 8er\'iccs to the state. The appointment and removal of officers depend entirely on the will of the emperor. No officer of government can quit his station without leave, and no superior can interfere with his subordinates, except in the rcf^lar discharge of his duty. All officers engaging in cabals, and stale intrigues, are to be beheaded ; while those who neglect the onlers of government, or fail in their duty, are liable to the appropriate penalties of the law. No magistrate can hold office in his own province;

FISCAL AMD RITUAL LAWS. 133

eMli officer is remoyed every five years ; and, however hi^ and dignified, they must always state, in every piblic document, how many times they have been degraded, in order to keep their delinquencies in re- membrance.

Some of the fiscal laws^ regarding the enrolment of the people, have been quoted in a former chapter. Under this head, the regulations relative to the land-tax are included. This impost is supposed not to exceed one fiftieth of the produce, llie enactments regarding the lending of money, limit the interest to three per cent, per month ; and licences are granted to money- lenders and pawn-brokers, by which no inconsiderable revenue is realized, llie maker of false weights and measures, is threatened with sixty blows ; and the individual, who passes inferior articles for good mer- fhandjge, with fifty blows.

The ritual laws assign to the emperor the exclusive privilege of worshipping the Supreme, and prohibit subjects from offering the great sacrifices. Magistrates are required to superintend the sacred rites, in their various districts; and, on such occasions, are to pre^ pare themselves, by fasting, self-denial, and abstinence from every indulgence, under |K'nalty of forfeiting one month's salary. The neglecting to prepare the proper animals and grain, for the sacrifice, is punished with one hundn'd blows; and a wilful distroying of the public altars, is visited with as many strokes, and yier- petual Imnishment. Tlie deities to be worship|)ed by the magi^^^^^« ^^* ^be local gods, the genii of the hills and rivers, and of w^inds and rain, the ancient kings, and holy emperors, faithful ministers, and illustrious sages, — who are all to be honoured with the accustomed

134 MILITARY LAWS.

rites, by the ruspective officers of each district. Wfailp, however, the government requires its ministers to wor- ship the gods, according to the state ritual, it strictly forhids the performance of unauthorized worship ; and will not pennit private pei-sons to usurp the ceremonial exclusively claimed by the ruler. If it should be ob- jected, that all this does not much display the wisdom of our Chinese legislators; we can only reply, that they are not the first who have failed, in attempting to legislate about religion.

The military laws commence with drawing a cordon around the imperial residence, and threatening any person with the bamboo who shall enter its precincts without authority ; while those who intrude into the apartments actually occupied by the emperor shall be strangled. No person is allowed to travel on the roads expressly provided for his majesty ; and during the imperial journey, all persons must make way for the state equipage. This regulation is intended to keep up the impression of awe, with which the Chinese in- vest their rulers, as though they were too divine anil majestic to be beheld by mortal eyes ; and is no doubt designed to preserve the person of the ruler safe from harm, which under a despotic government is not at all unnecessary. The code next proceeds to legislate on the government of the army, which it places entirely at the disposal of the emperor ; and takes up the subject of nocturnal police, which prohibits all persons from stirring abroad, from nine in the evening till five in the morning. I n onler to protect the frontier, it is enacted, that whoever without a license passes the barriers, and holds communication with foreign nations, shall be strangled: and whoever infroduce.s strangers into

BXCLU810N OP PORKIONERS. 135

d» interior, or pbts the removal of subjects out of the empire, shall, without any distinction between princi- fda aad secondaries, be beheaded. No law is more fre- fMndy or more lightly broken than this ; the natives snignite by thousands annually : while dozens of ca^ Afllic priests are every year clandestinely introduced into the country, and protestant missionaries land fre- quently on all parts of the coast, and walk over hill and dale, unhurt and almost unhindered by the natives. Respecting the policy of this regulation, however, ■indi may be said. Though the Chinese flatter them- selves with the idea, that they are the greatest of nations, and almost the only people worthy of being called a nation ; they canno.t but see, how easily they have been overcome by a barbarous tribe from the north; and how much they are disturbed by every petty insurrection on their mountains, and every paltry piracy on their coasts. Contrasted with their own weakness, tfaey must be aware of the power of foreigners. They see the rapid strides which Europeans are making to- wards Cimquest and power, in the eastern world ; and how the English, in particular, from the establishment of a factory, have proceeded to the erection of a Imttery ; and then sending out their armies^ have Rubdued whole kingdoms to their sway ; till they number a hundred millions among their subjects, whom they keep in uwe by a few thousand Kuropean troops. The Chinese, seeing this, could not but be alarmed for their safety, and the integrity of their empire. ITiey, therefore, decided on checking the threatened evil in its infancy, and resolved to keep at armV length a ]K)WiT. with which they knew that they could not succeKsfully grapple, lliey judgecK that if thov rould hut keep out

136

CRIMI.NAL LAWS.

the barbarians, they might preserve at once their dig- nity and territory ; but if they once let them in, theix fair dominions would fiill a rapid and an easy prey to the encroaching strangers, and their majesty remain the mere shadow of a shade. And can we blame them? and can we say, that they had no reason for their con- duct ? Their policy is for them the wisest that could have been pursued ; and if China is closed against us, we may thank ourselves for it. They might by admit- ting OUT commerce and our manufactures, still confer a mutual benefit on both countries ; but if, by permitting the introduction of these, they lay themselves open to the infection of our intoxicating drugs, and atford an opportunity for the establishment of our colonizing system ; they may have to regret, when they see their population diminishing, and their lands passing into other hands, that they did not adhere to the exclusive system, with which they commenced.

The criminftl laws are particularly severe in the matter of high treason, which is either against the established government, or against the person of the sovereign. All persons convicted of having been prin- cipals or accessaries, in this heinous offence, are to be put to death by a disgraceful and lingering execution. Besides which, all the male relations of the offender, above the age of sixteen, shall be indiBcriminately beheaded; while the female relatives and the chil- dren shall be sold into slavery, and the property of the family, of every description, confiscated. In order to lead to the speedy discovery of the offence, any person who shall be the means of convicting another of high treason shall be immediately employed under govern- ment, besides being entitled to the whole of the criminal's

VARIOUS PUNISHMENTS. 137

property. This severe and sanguinary law is indicative of the fears entertained, by the nders, of assassination and rel>ellion. Under an absolute despotism, however, it is the best dictate of policy ; and where the people are deprived of the privilege of thinking and speaking for themselves, nothing less than the terror of such a law will ensure the safety of the sovereign. All those who enter into the service of a foreign state, who aim by the practice of magic to bemtch the people, who sacrile- giously abstract the implements used in the public sacrifices, or who steal the imperial signet, shall be indiscriminately beheaded. All the above offences are included under the head of theft, in the Chinese ccxle, because they reckon all those to be thieves, who oppose the establishtxl government, or wlio attempt to invade either the honour, authority, or personal security of the reigning monarcli.

Stealing in general is punished by blows ; but above a certain amount, (t4().) by strangulation. Kidnap- ping {K'rsons. and selling them for slaves, is punished Vtith l)lows and banishment. The disturbing of graves, is visited with the same infliction ; and whoever muti- lates, or throws away the unburied corpse of an elder relative shall be biheaded. With regard to numler and homici(!<\ the Chinese are very strict and ] artieuhir. Pn*c*i)nei rted homicide, is punishable In (Kath. Kil- ling in a fray, or sport, is denounced as murder ; while homicide that is purely accidental, is redeemable by the payment of a liiu». All those who cau>e the death of oth<'rs by poison, magic, or terror, shall NutTer death themselves; and all medical practitionM>, \\hi» Kill their jMitients, through ignorance o{ tlu- established ndes of practice, shall be fined, and prevented from

138

DISTINCTION OF OFFENCES.

1

exercising the profession ; while those who do this designedly, and aggravate the complaint, in order to extort more money for the cure, shall be beheaded. The offences of the inferior relations against the superior, are visited with a tenfold heavier punishment, while those of the latter against the former, are scarcely noticed. A parricide is to suffer the most lingering and shameful death that can be devised ; and should the criminal even die in prison, the hotly is to be sub- jected to the same process, as if still alive ; but if a parent put to death his own offspring, the offence is comparatively trivial. Whoever is guilty of killing a son. grandson, or slave, and charging another person with the crime, shall he punished by blows and banish- ment ; but nothing is said about the crime of smoth- ering female infants, which is so prevalent, because entirely unchecked, in China. Quarrelling and fighting is strictly prohibited in a country, where (he rulers being few, and the subjects many, it is necessary to keep the people as quiet as possible. The bamboo is the remedy for the pugnacious propensities of the ple- beians, and the number of blows is proportioned to the injury done, or the situation of the offembng individual. A difference is observed, between striking with the fist or with a club ; and the loss of an eye, tooth, finger, or toe, is visited with punishment, acconling to a gra- duated scale. A slave, beating or abusing his master, shall be put to death ; while nothing is said about the master's beating his slave. A husband is not amen- able for chastizing his wife, except he inflict a wound ; while a wife, striking her husband, is to receive one hundred blows. A child, striking or using abusive language to a father or mother, shall he put to death ;

JUDICIAL RBOULATIONS. 139

»bUe ft parmt, cluwtiBiiig a disobedient child, so as to tmmt deaA, shall be punished with one hondred blows. Ttii distinetioii between the claims of the superior and mtenar relatives, is in unison with the system which (hey have adopted, of raising nders and parents to the miik. of gods, and of depressing subjects and children Id the level of slaves or brute animals. The policy, however, of these enactments, considering their design, will be easily seen.

Hagistiates are forbidden to receive presents of any kind, except eatables, from the {wople, under the penalty of forty blows. Police officers, neglecting to ^)prehend offenders, are to be subjected to the bamboo. In judicial examinations, torture is not to l>e employed wiUl respect to the eight privileged classes; and persons nnder the age of fifteen or above seventy, as well as du»e suffering under any bodily infirmity, are ex- empted ; but in all other cases it is allowed and prac> tised. This enactment goes upon the principle of not allowing offenders to be punished, until they acknow- ledge the fact of which they arc accused, the justice of die sentence pronounced against them, and the parental kindness of the ruler in thus inflicting the necessary dtaBtisement. Considering also the utter dereliction of truth, and the consequent want of confidence among the Chinese, the policy of this regulation, whatever may be the justice of it, will be acknowleilged.

The laws relative to public works pro\-ide, that granaries should be built in everj- prorince. siipplk'd with a sufficient store of rice, for the sustenance of the people in time of scarcity : which, In-ing sold at a reduced rate, keo])s down the price of grain, anil brings the nccessaricK of life within the reach of the indigent.

This benevolent arrangement not only carries out 1 idea of parental care, which the Chinese nilers profess to have for their numerous family, but entitles them as much to the appellation of " tlisereet and wise." as was Joseph in the house of Pharaoh, when he recommended a measure of a similar character to the sovereign of Egypt. The laws relating to this department also require, that the canals, roads, embankments, and bridges, should be kept in due and thorough repair. The Chinese are necessitated, by the circumstances of their country, to pay much attention to the draining and irrigation of their lands. Water, like fire, is with them a good servant but a bad master. Without it they cannot raise their produce or transport their goods; and yet, when their mighty rivers accidentally burst their bounds, or the sea makes any encroachment on their thickly peopled territory, devastation and ruin, with a fearful loss of life, are the immediate conse- quences. Especial care, therefore, has from the earliest antiquity been taken to prevent inundations; and the individual who first drained the waters of the Yellow River, was raised to the rank of emperor, and almost deified. The labour and expense still bestowed on this department of public service, is scarcely equalled in any other unevangelized country. Some of the embankments are strong and well constructed; and thongh built centuries ago. still stand the test of time, and prove of incalculable benefit to the surroimding peasantry. Their bridges, over rapid streams and broad arms of the sea, composed of solid blocks of granite, fifteen or twenty feet long, and standing erect nmid.^it the raging tide, bear testimony to the skill and perseverance of those who contrived and completed the

IMPERIAL RESIDENCE. 141

design : while the enactments, requiring these to be kept in constant repair, shew that the rulers of China ire not altogether indifferent to the welfare of the people. Considering the nature of the present work, it would }ye im{)ossible to enter more into detail re- specting the laws of this singular |)eople, but the slight sketch we have given is sufficient to shew, that the Cliinese are not devoid of sagacity, and that they de- serve to be classed among civilized nations. A people possessed of written laws, of whatever character, must be considered as a grade above barbarians ; but those who descend to the minutia of legislation, and provide for every possible exigency in the administration of an extensive empire, must have advanced to a stage of improvement, not far inferior to what is witnessed in this western world.

As another proof of their civilization, we may men- tion the state maintained l)y the emjH»ror, who dwells in the interior of his splendid palace, secluded from the gaze of the jwpulace, and surrounded by extensive parks and gardens; with the solemn parade of ministers, and the jmmpous pageantry of processions ; which bes|)eak indrcd a sort of barbaric grandiur, but a grandeur drlighted in by s(ime of the most powerful KuroiK»an nionarchs of the nineteenth century. In onler to form some idea of the degri»e of civilization attained bv the C'lruu^e, it niav not be unsuitable here to allude to the extent and niagnilieenee of the impe- rial citv. where the lord of one thinl of the human race hohls his court. 'Ihe capital is divided into two parts, the northern sietion of which co\ers an area of twelve, and the southern of tilleen h(|uare miles. Within the northern enclosun^ is the palace, which is

142 GRANDELR OF Hl'ILDlNGS.

the most splendid, as well as the most imporlant part uf Peking. Accoi-ding to the Chinese, this is a very superb residence, with " golden walls, and pearly palaces," fit for the ahode of bo great a monarch : to the miprejudiced eyes of strangers, however, it presents a glittering appearance, with its varnished tiles of bril- liant yellow, which, under the rays of the meridian smi, seem to constitute a roof of burnished gold : the gay colours and profuse gilding applied to the interior, give the halls a dazzling glory, while the suite of court ' yards and apartments, vieing with each other in beauty and magnificence, all contribute to exalt oiu- apprehen- sions of the gorgeous fabric. We must not expect to find much there that will gratify the taste, or siut the convenience of those accustomed to admire European architecture, and English comfort; but in the esti- mation of the Chinese, their scolloped roofs, and pro- jecting eaves, and dragon encircling pillars; with their leaf shaped windows, and circular doors, and fanstastic emblems, present more charms than the Gothic and Corinthian buildings, or the curtained and carpeted apartments of modem Europe, "There reigns," says father Hyacinth, '■ among the buildings of the for- bidden city, a perfect synimotrj'. both in the form and height of the several edifices, and in their relative positions, indicating that they were built upon a regular and harmonious plan."

The grand entrance to the " forbidden city," is by the southern gate, through the central avenue of which the emjieror alone is allowed to pass : within this gate is a large court, adorned with bridges, balujitrades, pillars, and steps ; with figures of lions, and other sculptures, all of fine marble. Beyond this is the

PALACE OP THE EMPEROR. 143

*" gate of extensive peace/' which is a superb building of white marble, one hundred and ten feet high, ascended by five flights of steps, the centre of which is reserved for the emperor. It is here that he receives the congratulations of his ofiicers, who prostrate them- lelves to the ground before the imperial presence, on the new years day, and the anniversary of the em- perors birth. Two more halls and three flights of steps, lead to the palace of the sovereign, which is called the '' tranquil region of heaven," while that of his consort is entitled '' the palace of earth s repose ;** to keep up the idea of the inse{)arable connection sub- sisting, in the Chinese mind, between the powers of nature, and the monarch of China ; the latter of whom is, in the estimation of that idolatrous and superstitious people, the representative and counterpart of the former. Into this private retreat of the emperor, no one is allowed to approach, without 8|)ocial leave ; and here the great autocrat deliberates upon the afiairs of state, or gives audience to those who solicit his favour. llie Russian traveller, Timkowski, represents this as the ^' loftiest, richest, and most magnificent of all the palaces. In the court before it, is a tower of gilt copper, adorned with a great number of figures, which are beautifully executed. On each side of the tower. is a large vessel, likewise of gilt copper, in which incense is bunied, day and night ;" doubtless, to tlattrr the vanity of the imiH^riul inhabitant, who fancies him* self a god, though he must die like men. Beyond the residence of the emperor and empress, is the imi)orial flower-garden, laid out in beautiful walks, and adorned with pavilions, temples, and grottoi's; inters{H*rsed with sheets of water, and rising rocks, which vary and

144 CITY OF NINE GATES.

beautify the scene. Behind this garden, is a library of immense extent, vieing with that of Alexandria, in ancient, or of Paris, in modem times ; and, further on, stands the gate of the flower-garden, which constitutes the northern outlet to the forbidden city.

The a])ove comprises the buildings in a direct line between the northem and southern gates. To the east are the council chamber, and a number of princely palaces; with a temple, designed to enshrine the pa^ rental tablets of the present imperial family. To the west of the principal line of buildings, stand the hall of pictures, his majesty's printing-oftice, the principal magazin(»s of the crown, and the female apartments; which till uj) this division of the enclosure, and render the whole, one compact and extensive establishment. This nicigniticent residence, though described in a page or two, is about two miles in circumference, surrounded by walls, thirty feet high, and twelve wide ; built of polished red brick, and surrounded by a moat, lined with hewn stone ; the whole ornamented with gates and towers, and laid out in a diversified and elaborate manner.

The city, surrounding the imperial residonce, is four miles long, and two and a half wide, encircled by w^alls, and entered by nine gates ; which have given to it, the appellation of the " City of Nine Gates." This was the original capital ; but since the occupancy of it, by the present dynasty, it has been increased by the addition of another city, larger than the fonner, and covering an area of fifteen square miles. These two cities are severallv called the inner and outer, or the Tartar and Chinese city. In the former of these, directly to the north of the imperial palace, is an arti-

IMPERIAL GARDENS. 145

ficial mount, the summits of which are crowned with pavilions, and the sides ornamented with walks, and shaded with trees. Game of all kinds enliven the scene, and thousands of birds please the ear, with every variety of song. Corresponding with this mount, is a lake, about a mile and a half long, and one third of a mile broad, crossed by a bridge of nine arches, built of fine white marble. Its banks are ornamented with a variety of trees, and its bosom garnished with the flowers of the water lily ; so that in the estimation of Father Hyacinth, " the infinite variety of beauties which the lake presents, constitute it one of the most enchanting spots on earth." In the midst of the lake, is a marble isle, adorned with temples, and sunnounted by an obelisk ; affording a delightful new of the sur- rounding gardens. A temple, dedicated to the disco- verer of the silk-worm, stands near these ganlens, where the empress, and the ladies of the court, attend to the cultivation of silk ; in order to encourage a branch of industr}', on which China mainly defn^nds for its wealth and elegance. In these gardens, the arrangement is such, that the whole seems the protluction of nature, rather than the effect of art ; and affonls a pleasing retreat for those who would retire from the svnmie-

m

trical diK{)osition of the imj)erial palace, to enjoy the mildness of natural scenerv, in tlu* midst of a dense and crowdi'd capital.

In this di\ision of the city, and nearly fronting the impi*rial palac**, are the courts of the six grand tribu- nals of the enipin', which have been before described; tmrether with the ofliee of the astronomical board, and the roval obser\atorv. At the south-east corner uf the northern divi.sion of the capital, is the grand

I.

146 SOUTHERN DIVISION.

national college. At a short distance, is the general arena for literary controversy, where the public exa- minations, for the capital, are held. The cells for the candidates are numerously disposed round the arena; where many an anxious heart beats high with expecta^ tion, and many an aspiring mind is plunged into deep disappointment, when classed with those who fail. Amongst the literary institutions of this great city, may be enumerated a college for the cultivation of the Chinese and Mantchou languages, and one for the study of the Thibetan tongue. A Mahomedan mosque, with a Russian church, and a Roman Catholic temple, are all enclosed ydthin the walls of the imperial city ; but all these edifices are surpassed in splendour by the many shrines of idolatry which abound; among the rest may be specified the " white pagoda temple," so called, on account of a white obelisk, erected in honour of the founder of Buddhism, the scab of whose forehead, produced by frequent prostrations is still preserved and venerated as a holy relic.

The southern division of the city, where the Chinese principally reside, is the grand emporium of all the merchandize that finds its way to the capital, and tends to ornament and gratify the adherents of the court. Here, relieved from the strict discipline that prevails in the palace, the citizens give themselves up to business, or dissipation ; encouraged and led on by voluptuous courtiers, who have nothing to do, but to display their grandeur, or to please their appetites. There is an immense deal of business done in this southern city, and the broad street which divides it from north to south, is constantly thronged by pas- sengers and tradesmen. Chinese shopkeepers are in

APPEARANCK OF THE CITY. 147

the habit of advertising their wares, by long projecting signs, hung out in front of their houses, painted in the gayest colours ; while the bustling crowd, peq)etually thronging the principal avenues, contributes to enliven and animate the scene. In the southern division of the city, is an enclosiu'e about two miles in circum- ference, where the emi)eror, and his great officers, annually go through the ceremony of ploughing and sowing the seed; in order to set an example to the subjects of this vast empire, and to encourage agricul- ture, from which the greatest part of their support is derived. Notwithstanding these vacant spaces in the city of Peking, the population is so dense where the citizi*ns reside, that the number of inhabitants cannot be much less than two millions. Such, then, is the seat of government, and such the palaces and buildings it contains ; worthy the metropolis of a great and civi- lised count r}'.

I •>

CHAPTER VII.

LANGUAGE AND LITERATURE.

ORIGIN OF LANOUAOE—HIEROOLYPHICS—PHONBTIC CHARACTERS— CHI- NESE MODE OF RECORDING EVENTS— SIX CLASSES OP CHARACTERS- NUMBER OF SYMBOLS— REDUCIBLE TO FEW ELEMENTS— MODES OF WRITING — QUESTION ABOUT EGYPTIAN ORIGIN — PORCELAIN BOTTLE

— INSCRIPTION EXPLAINED — DATE ASCERTAINED— CHINESE CLASSICS

— AUTHORIZED COMMENTARIES — ESTEEMED WORKS — HETERODOX PRODUCTIONS— ORAL LANGUAGE— MONOSYLLABIC MODE OF SPELLING

— INITIALS AND FINALS — VARIETY OF TONES — COLLOCATION OF PHRASES — CHINESE GRAMMAR — FIGURES OF SPEECH — POETRY — UTERARY EXAMINATIONS — HONORARY DEGREES— VILLAGE INSPEC- TION—FIRST— SECOND — THIRD —AND FOURTH EXAMINATIONS — EF- FORT NECESSARY — ADVANTAGES AND DISADVANTAGES OF THE SYSTEM.

In the Chinese language, both the oral and written mediums are of the most primitive order. Their words are all monosyllabic, and their characters symbolic; while both continue as they most probably existed in the earliest ages of antiquity. The first invention of the written character was such an effort of genius, that the Chinese have hardly ventured to advance on the original discovery, and have contented themselves with imitating the ancients. Before, however, we dis- cuss the nature of their figures, it will be necessary to trace the progress of the human mind, in the art of communicating and recording thoughts ; and point out how the Chinese were led to the adoption of their present mode of writing.

ORIGIN OP LANGUAGE. 149

ITiat which constitutes the most striking superiority of the human over the brute creation, is the ability of the former to conceive and communicate ideas to their fellows, by articulate sounds. The first employment of human speech is referred to in Gen. ii. 19, 20. "And God brought every beast of the field, and every fowl of the air to Adam, to see what he would call them ; and whatsoever Adam called every living creature, that was the name thereof. And Adam gave names to all cattle, and to every fowl of the air, and to every beast of the field.** Having once affixed a definite term to each object, that word continued to be the sign of the object referred to, and each called up the other to re- collection, whenever presented to the mind. In commu- nicating with their fellows, human beings soon found that the names of things were insufficient to express all they wished to say, and attributes and actions received appropriate appellations. The operations of the mind, next required designation and description ; and speech at first poor, became gradually enriched, until it an- swered all the purposes of human society.

But the ear is not the only inlet to the soul, and as men'derived knowledge to themselves by the organs of sight, they soon foimd tliat it wavS possible to commu- nicate information to others through the same medium. Hence, when language failed, extemfll action was rt*- sorted to, and the eve as well as the ear, aidinl in the inter- change of ideas. When both voire and gesture wen* insufficient for their purpose, delineation was employed ; and objects were rudely pictured for the ins{)ection of the bye standers. The same method was used for sending intelligence to a distance, or reconling events for the benefit of posterity. Hence originated pictorial

150 PHONETIC CHARACTERS.

writing, or what is generally termed hieroglyphics. As scenes and circumstances became complicated, abbre- viation was found necessary ; and the principal part of an event was substituted for the whole; which has been called a curiologic hieroglyphic. A second mode of abridgment was by putting the instrument for the thing itself; which has been termed a tropical hiero- glyphic. A third method, borrowed from the use of metaphor in language, was to make one thing stand for another ; which has been denominated the symbolic hieroglyphic. This pictorial mode of writing, abridged as it was in the way above described, being insufficient for all the purposes of human intercourse, a certain number of arbitrary marks were invented, to express, not only mental conceptions, but visible objects. These went on increasing, till they, in some measure, answered the purpose of a written medium.

The next step was the construction of Phonetic characters ; which seems such a leap from the previous mode, that many have thought the human mind, un- aided by Divine inspiration, incapable of discovering it. It consists in uniting, what has no connection in the nature of things, form and sound. Finding that voca- bles were numerous, and their component parts but few, it occurred to some remarkable genius, that the words in common use might be resolved into their ele- ments, and that it would be easier to invent arbitrary marks to represent the few elemental^ sounds, than to construct new and different signs for the multitude of things. We cannot exactly say, what led to the adop tion of the particular signs for the elementary sounds which are found in most ancient alphabets ; but the presumption is, that selecting the names of some very

CUINESK MODE OK WRITING. 151

common objecte, in the beginning of which certain Komids occured, they formed a nide representation of the object, and made it stand for the sound in question; thus alephy ''an ox;" beth^ ''a house;" lyiW/, ''a camel;" and daleth^ ''a door;" were probably pictured something like those objects, and stood for the sounds a, b, g, and d. Pursuing this method, they soon obtained marks for all the elementary sounds ; and combining them, formed words. This })rought about an entire revolution in the written medium of the ancients ; and certain combina- tions of characters became the representatives of au- dible words, instea<l of visible objects ; by which the written medium was Hindered as full, compact, and definite as a spoken tongue ; and ideas were commu- nicated to the distance of u thousand vears, or as many miles, with certainty and precision.

We are now prepared to consider the origin and nature of the Chinese incHle of writing. Their tradi- tions tell us, that in the infancy of their empire, events were recorded by means of knotted conls, as among the . Peruvians. These were soon found indistinct, and pic- torial representations were resorted to, similar to those used by the Mexicans. The abridged plan of the F42;}'ptians was then adopted ; and curiologic, tropical, and symbolic hitToglyphics wen* used ; till all these proving insuflicient. arbitrary marks were invented, and increastnl, till the present written medium, with all its variety and inultiplirity, was fonned. The Chi- nese characters are not strictly hieroglyphic; as they wcR* neither invented by, nor contiiud to the priest- ho<Kl. They were in the tirst instance, doubth^ss, pic- torial, then symbolic, afterwanls compounded, and tinalU arbitrarv.

152

SIX CLASSES OF CHARACTERS.

The invention is ascribed to Tsang-kef , who lived in the reign of Hwang-te, about 4500 years ago. This is of course an extravagant assumption. Still, from the simple and primitive nature of their words and charac- ters, we may infer, that their origin was extremely ancient. It is e\adent, that writing was used by the Chinese long before the time of WSn-wang and Woo- wang, B, C. 1120, from a number of odes composed by those monarchs, and arranged by Confucius ; besides which, several instances occur, in the previous history, of written messages having been sent, and events re- corded, which could not have been done without a written medium. They assert, that the first suggestion of artiitrary signs, was derived from the tracing of liirds' tracts in the snow, and the observation of the marks on the back of a tortoise.

Their characters are divided into six classes ; first, pictorial ; or those which bear some resemblance to the object; such as sun, moon, mountain, river, field, house, boat, tortoise, fish, horse, sheep, swallow. i)ird, &c. which are really representations of the things referred to: second, metaphorical; or those which derive a meaning from something else ; thus the character for "handle," signifies also "authority;" that for "raw hides," means, likewise, "to strip;" while that for " heart," signifies, also, " mind." &c. : third, indicative ; or those which indicate the sense Ijy the formation of the character; as a man above-ground, signifies " above," and one underneath, "below:" fourth, constructive; or those which derive their signification from the compo- nent parts of the character ; as the symbol for " fire," and that for " surround," mean together " to roast ;" and the symbol for "metal." with that for "distinguish," mean.

NUMBER OF SYMBOLS. 153

when united, •*to refine in the furnace;*' with many others: fifth, derivative; or those which are formed from other characters, with a slight variation ; as the character for " old," if turned a little to the right in- stead of the left, means **to examine;" and that for "great," with an additional dot, means "very great:" rixth, phonetic ; or those in which form and sound har- monize together; as the characters for "river," and "stream," in which three drops represent the water, combined with other characters, whose sound is well known, to give some clue to the pronunciation.

According to these six modes, all the Chinese charac- ters have been formed ; and thus they have arrived at the construction of their written language. The prin- ciple on which it is based, is that of assigning a sepa- rate character for each word ; and, with the exception of the sixth division, above enumerated, of establishing no connection between form and sound. By this means the symbols of the Chinese language have become very numerous, and can hardly be leame<l without great difficulty. The characters in the imperial dictionary, exceed thirty thousand ; but many of these are obsolete, and of rare occurrence. By a careful collation of a historical novel in twenty volumes, and of the Chinese version of the sacred scriptures, it appears, that the whole amount of characters used in both dot*s not much exceed three thousand different sorts ; which would all be known and readily remembered, by reading the whole t^nce through.

CTiinese characters appear exceedingly complicatiKl, to an unpractised observer ; but a minute insjXTtion and comi)arison, will remove much of the difficulty. It will soon be perceived, that however involved the

154 ELEMENTS OF THE LANGUAGE.

characters appear, they are all composed of six kinds of strokes ; which, variously combined and repeated, con- stitute the formidable emblem, which startles and con- founds the beginner. These strokes are the horizontal, the perpendicular, the dot, the oblique slanting^to the right, that to the left, and the hooked. On further examination it will appear, that the characters are re- solvable into elements as well as strokes, some of which occur very frequently, and are frequently re- peated several times in a single character. The whole number of elements is two hundred and fourteen, but only fifty of these enter into frequent composition with other characters ; and about ten or a dozen may be recognized, in some form or another, in every sentence. Indeed the component parts of a character may be familiar to the student, while both the sound and meaning are unknown.

The elements, or radicals, of the Chinese language refer generally to very simple and well known things, such as the human species, man and woman ; the parts of the body, head, mouth, ear, eye, face, heart, hand, foot, flesh, bones, and hair; human actions, such as speaking, walking, and eating; things necessary to man, such as silk, clothes, dwelling, door, and city; celestial objects, such as sun, moon, and rain ; the five elements, such as wood, water, fire, metal, and earth ; the vegetable kingdom, such as grass, grain, and bamboo ; the animal kingdom, such as birds, beasts, fishes, and insects ; with the mineral kingdom, such as stones, gems, &c. Most of the wonls referrible to these substances or subjects, are classed under them ; and though the arrangement may not appear to us exactly philosophical, yet it evidences the inclination

... ■■ "IWI

MODES OP WRITING. 155

of the Chinese, at a very early period, to classification and order. The radical is generally discernible without much difficulty ; and by a calculation of the additional number of strokes, the position of the given character in the dictionary is ascertained, almost as readily as by the alphal>etic mode. Each character occupies an exact square, of whatever number of strokes it be composed, and the Chinese delight in writing it in such a uniform manner, that the page shall appear as though divided into an equal number of sections, as pleasing to the eye as instnictive to the mind. The whole is surrounded by a bonier, with the title of the book, and the number of the volume, section, or page, noted on the side, instead of the top of the leaf. The Chinese read from top to bottom, and commence at the right hand, S^^^fi regularly down each column till the end of the book. Chinese pajwr being thin, they write and print only on one side ; and doubling each page, leave the folded part outside. Ihe edges are not cut in front ; but on the top, bottom, and back of the book, where it is stitched and fastened. Their volumes contain about eighty pages or leaves, and are about half an inch in thickness. The Chinese use no thick covers for their books; but instead of these, make a sort of case or wrap])er, in which about eight or ten volumes are inclosed, and placed flat on the shelf. In some books, the typographical execution and binding are sujwrior; but in most instances, they an* tunied out in a slovenly manner, and sold at as cheap a rate as possible.

'llie moiles of writing to be met with in Chinese lMX>ks are various, viz., the ancient form, the seal cha- racter, the groteK<jue. the regular, the written, and the

156

QUESTION ABOUT ORIGIN.

running hand ; assimilating to our uncial, black, Greaan, Roman. Italic, and manuscript forms of writing. The ancient form shews, in some measure, how the Chinese characters were constructed; for in it we find various ohjects delineated as they appear in nature. The seal character, as it is called, because found engraven on seals, differs from the usual form in being entirely composed of horizontal and perpendicular strokes, without a single oblique or circular mark belonging to it; resembhng in some degree the arbitrarj' marks used among the Egyptians, The regular and exact form is that met with, in all Chinese books, from which the wi-itten form differs, as much as our Italic from our Roman letters. The running hand seems to have been invented for the purjiose of expediting business ; and -by the saving of strokes, and the blending of characters, enables the transcriber to get over a great deal of work in a little time. Such productions are not easily decyphered, and yet the Chinese are so fond of this ready, and, in their opinion, graceful mode of \vriting, that they frequently hang up epecimens of penmanship in the most abbreviated form, as ornaments to their shops and parlours. The Chinese writers are generally so practiced in the use of the pencil, that they run down a column with the utmost rapidity, and would transcribe any given quantity of matter as soon as the most skilful copyist in England.

It has been suggested, that the Chinese mode of writing has been derived from Egypt; and considering that the Chinese and Eg)ptians proceeded from the same stock, were civilized at a very early period, and resembled each other in their wants and resources, it is not to be wondered at, that they should adopt the same

PORCELAIN BOTTLE. 157

method of communicating ideas. I'he notion of some connection between China and Kgypt has been revived, since two small porcelain bottles were brought from Egypt to this country ; on these, inscriptions have been discovered, apparently in the Chinese character; and the learned have been curious to know their identity and import. A fac-simile of one was seen by the author in China ; and a picture of the other has ap- peared in Davis*s Chinese, but without any trans- lation. On examination it has been found, that the inscriptions are in the Chinese running hand, and read as follows : Chim lae yew ylh neen, *' The returning spring brings another year :'' and ^^ Ming yu^h simg chung chaou, ** The clear moon shines through the midst of the fir tree." This latter sentence is part of a well known couplet, composed by Wang G&n-shlh, a famous writer under the Sung dynasty, A. D. 1068; and as there is a curious circumstance connected with it, we shall here relate it. The original couplet ran thus: —

Ming yu^h sung keen kcaou; Wang keuen hwa sin nhwuy.

The clear moon sings in the middle of the fir-tree ; The royal hound »lei»p« in the bo8om of the flower ! **

Soo-tung-po, another famous writer, who flourished about fifty years afterwards, found fault with this couplet, and altered it to the following: —

Ming yuf'h Hunt? <'hunt; chaou Wang kcutMi hwa yin nhwuv.

** The clear moon vhines thn)U4:li the nmUt of the fir-tree; •• The royal hound h1c<«j)s wudvr the shade of the flower ! "

Travelling, afterwards, in the south of China, ho heard a bird singing in the woods ; and, on enquiry.

<4

I

158 PROBABLE DATE.

found that they called it, Mmg-yuSh, " the clear moon;" and, observing a grub nestling in a beautiful flower, he ascertained its name to be Wang keuen, " the royal hound." It is unnecessary to add, that he now became convinced of his mistake ; but too late to repair the evil ; as the couplet, thus amended by him, had already been inscribed on various vessels, and transmitted, as we find, to distant Egypt. It will easily be seen, that this by no means strengthens the supposition of an early connection between China and Egypt; and so far from the bottles being coeval with Psammeticus, B. C. 658, as has been suggested ; its date cannot be older than A. D. 1 130. Since the commencement of the Christian era, Chinese history makes mention of foreign merchants coming from India and Arabia, by sea, to trade witfi China. A. D. 850, two Arabian travellers came to Canton, who have published their itineraries; and, A. D. 1300, Ibn Batuta visited China: so that an almost constant intercourse has been kept up between China and Arabia, by which means the bottles in question may have been transmitted to the latter country, and from thence conveyed into Egypt. It does not appear that these bottles were discovered "in an Egyptian tomb, which had not been opened since the days of the Pharaohs ;" for the traveUers pur- chased them of a Fellah, who oflFered them for sale, at Coptos. Indeed, the circumstance of the inscriptions being in the running hand, which was not invented until the Sung dynasty, would lead us to conclude, that the bottles are of a late date ; and were, in all proba- bility, carried to the west by Ibn Batuta.

The most celebrated compositions, in the Chinese language, are the " five classics," and the " four books,"

CHINESE CLASSICS. 159

most of which were compiled by Confucius and his dis- ciples. The five classics are the Ylh king, " book of diagrams ; *" the She king, " collection of odes ; " the Le ke, " record of ceremonies ;'' the Shoo king, con- taining the history of the three first dynasties ; and the Chun tsew, which is an account of the life and times of Confucius. The book of diagrams is ascribed to WSn-wang, B.C. 1130; the book of odes contains several pieces, referrible to the same age, and is a selection from a larger number, extant in the time of Confucius, and by him collected and published ; the book of ceremonies was, probably, compiled from pre- viously existing documents, in the same manner. The history of the three dynasties commences with an account of Yaou and Shun, in the traditionary period, coeval with Noah ; and describes the principal events of antiquity, down to the times of Wan, and Woo-wang, B. C. 1120, and is probably the production of Chow- kung, the brother of those monarchs. The last of the ancient classics was written by Confucius himself, and having been commenced in s])ring and concluded in autumn, was called chun chew, '- spring and autumn." Of the •• four books," the two first, chung yung, '• the happy medium r and ta-lieu, '* the great doctrine;" wen* written by Ts/a'-szi*. the grandson and disciple of Con- fucius: th(* third, called the Lini-vu, *' book of dis- courses," is the production of the different disciph s of the sage, who recollected and nn-orded his wonls and deeds; while the last of the four books was written by MSng-tsze, or Mencius, the disciple of Tsze-sze, and Wars the name of its author.

These five classics, and four b(M)ks, are highly priztnl by the Chinese, and constitute the class hooks in

160

AUTHORIZED COMMENTARIES.

Echools, and the ground work of the literary exanu- nations. The first business of a Chinese student is, to commit the whole of these books and classics to memory ; without which, he cannot have the least chance of succeeding. The text of these nine works, is equal in bulk to that of the New Testament ; and it is not hazarding too much to say, that were every copy annihilated to-day, there are a million of people who could restore the whole to-morrow. Having been com- posed at a very early period, and somewhat mutilated in the time of Che Hwang-te. it necessarily follows, that there are several indistinct passages, unintelligible to the people of the present day. Hence commentaries have been found necessary, and a very celebrated writer, who flourished in the twelfth century, called Choo-foo-tsze. has composed an extensive exposition of the whole. This commentary, is likewise, committed to memory by the student, and his mind must be fami- liar with whatever has been written on the subject. The number and variety of explanatory works, de- signed to elucidate the Chinese classics, sliew, in what estimation these writings are held, and what an exten- sive influence they exert over the mind of China. A Chinese author says, that the expositors of the four books are more than one thousand in number. ITie stjle and sentiment of all the modems is greatly con- formed to this ancient model ; and the essays and exhortations of Ihe present day, are chiefly reiterations of the sentiments of their great master, and an inces- sant ringing of the changes on the tive constant virtues, and the five human relations, which form the basis of moral philosophy in China. Even the Buddhist priests, and the followers of Taou, teach their disciples the

KSTEEMKI) WORKS. 161

luKiks of Confucius ; and nothing is looked upon as Ifaniing, in China, which does not emanate from this authorized and infallible source.

In addition to their classical writings, they have a number of works of high antiquity and great esti- mation ; such as the (.'how-le and K-!e, supposed to have been written by Chow-kung, eleven hundred years Ijefore Christ ; and treating of the ceremonies of mar- riage, funerals, visiting, feasting, &c. the Kea-yu, or •• sayings of Confucius, " ascribed to his grandson, Tsze-sze; the Heaou king, treating of filial piety; the Yew-he'), and Seaou-heo, intendcnl for young per- sons; together with the writings of later phil()S()[)hers, celebrated, both for tlu^ir elegant style and orlhtxlox sentiments. The Koo-wan, or - specimens of ancient literature," contains extracts from thi»ir most celebrated authors, and is highly prized and commonly read in (*hina. In addition to these philosophical writings, thev have very voluminous works on history and bio- graphy, together with piles of poems, in which the genius of Chinese versifiers has been displayed, from the days of WSn-wang to the present nge. '1 he de- partments of philology and philosophy, nutural history and botany, nii'dieine anil jurisprud nci*. luivr been Jittend«*d to by uuintTous authors; ami though nuich improvement has not bi^'ii madr. of late yrars, ul the <-arlv advancement madi* iu th'>e studiv^. i> er. ditable to till' gi-nius of aiu'ient Chin \.

Hesi<h'S the writer^ iu {\w orih »do\ Mho.»I. dure have been a great numlnr of author>. a(lvnialli:t» the ^yhtem o( Lnou-keun anil Huddha. 'Ihr Taou-tih-king, rom|)ostHl by the former, is coeval with the books of Confucius, and nearly as much esteemed by the fol-

M

162 ORAL LANGUAGE.

lowers of Taou ; while the charms and prayers of the Buddhist sect, fill numerous cases, in all the temples of Fuh, and find their way, by gratuitous distribution, into the hands of millions. Plays and novels, with works of a light and questionable character, are still more extensively multiplied, and actually deluge the land. A Chinese bookseller issues his catalogue, in the same way with our English bibliopolists, and in the number of works, with the cheapness of the prices, would vie with any advertisers, on this side the globe. Many of their publications amount to two hundred and fifty or three hundred volumes ; and one has been met with, amounting to three thousand volumes, indicative either of the abundance of their matter, or their tedious prolixity.

We have hitherto alluded principally to the Chinese characters, and the method they have adopted, of trans- mitting and perpetuating their ideas. We shall now treat of their spoken language ; not that wanting pre- ceded speaking, but because the written character constitutes the universal medium, and has been, for centuries, unchanged; while spoken sounds vary in every province of the empire, and through each suc- ceeding age. It is scarcely possible to ascertain the original sounds of the letters, in alphabetic languages, where the arbitrary marks are few ; and how much less can the enunciations appropriated to several thousand characters, be retained unimpaired, for successive ages, among hundreds of millions of people. The written medium, therefore, must be looked upon as the most stable part of the language ; while their vocal commu- nications come next into consideration.

The Chinese language is monosyllabic, inasmuch

METHOD OF SPELLING. IttJj

; the sound of each character is pronounced by a single emission of the voice, and is completed at one utterance: for though there are some Chinese words which appear to be disyllabic, and are written with a dianesis, as keen, teen, &c., yet they are as really monosyllabic, and sounded as much together, as our words, '* beer " and '* fear." The joining of tw^o mono- syllables, to fonn a phrase for certain words, as fah-too, for "• rule T wang-ke, to express '• forget," &c. does not militate against the assertion above made, for the two parts of the term are still distinct wortls, which are merely thrown together into a phrase, for the puq)ose of definiteness in conversation.

As the Chinese do not divide their wortls into ele- mentar}' sounds, they know nothing of spelling; but they have a method of determining and describing particular enunciations, which nearly answers thc»ir pur- pose. ITie plan they adopt is, to divide each word into its initial and final ; and then, taking two other well-known characters, one of which has the given initial, and the other the final, they unite them toge- ther, and form the sound n-quired. This they call split- ting the sounds: and though, from ignorance of the principles of orthography, thry sometimes divide the sounds improj)erly ; while, from the various sounds at- tached to the characters adduced, the result is fre- quently imdetermined ; yit it is the best imtluHl they have, and is employed in all their di(tit)naries. A reference to the initials and finals of the mandarin dialect, will enable the reader to see what sounds it contains, and what articulations the inlucated diinese are capable of pronouncing.

M 2

164

INITIALS AND FINALS.

The initials are sixteen simple, five aspirated, and one silent. The sixteen simple initials are as follows : —

ch, as in church.

f, as mfar,

g, hard, as in ^o : sometimes gn, as in sing'mff.

h, strongly aspi- rated, j, as in French, jamais.

k, as in kite. 1, as in lame.

m, as m maim. n, as in nun.

the vowels, t, as in t(^. ts, as in heart's ease dropping all but the ts, and the succeeding vowel. tsz, a peculiar sound followed by a short e.

p, as iapath. s, as in send. sh, as in ship. sz, as in his zeal ; pronounced without

The five aspirated initials are the ch, k, p, t, and ts, iiescribed above, pronounced with a strong aspirate between these consonants, and the following vowels.

The silent initials give no sound to the finals, which, therefore, when joined with this negative beginning, stand as they are; but wherever the diarsesis e, i, and u, occur in the final, y is prefixed, when writing the sound in English orthography, as ya, for ea, yae for eae, &c.

The forty-three finals are as follows : —

the a as in father.

a, ae,

an,

Sn, as in woman.

ang, as in hang.

^g, as in hung.

aou, this sound is a combination of the a, \nfa- tlier, and the ow, in howl.

ay, as in hay.

e, as in me.

e, as the French inje: — found only in combi- nation with sh, sz, and tsz.

ea, as in meander.

eae, the a a« \n fat her the c as in me.

eang, as ang^ m an- ger, preceded by e.

eaou, like the aou, preceded by e.

eay, as the ay, in hay, preceded by e.

een, as en in pen, pre- cecded by e.

en, as the e'e in e'er.

eo, as in geomancy.

eu, as in the French pen.

euen, as yawn, pre- ceded by e.

cun, as the u, in hun^ preceded by e.

eung, as in young.

ew, as mfew.

in, as in pin.

ing, as in king.

o, as in no.

oo, as in loo.

ow, as in cow.

uen, as the final sound of lawn.

un, as in bun.

img, as m flung.

urh, as in viper.

uy, as m fluid.

wa, as in quaternion.

wae, as the former, succeeded by e.

wan, as in truant.

wan, as in won.

wang, as the a in^- ther.

wSlng, as the a in wo- man.

we, as in we.

wei, as in wily.

wo, as in wo.

woo, as in woo.

PAUCITY OF WORDS. 165

By this, it will be seen, that the b, and d, are wholly wanting in the mandarin dialect; that the r has no vibratory sound ; and that n and ng, are the only con- sonants among the finals; while all the rest have vowel terminations.

The orthography employed above, is that of Dr. Morrison's Dictionary, which is preferred, not as en- tirely unexceptionable, but as being generally known, and, at present, the only one which we possess, in the English language.

Were all these initials to be joined with the several finals, they would produce by their union nine hundred and forty-six monosyllables. They are not, however, varied to their utmost extent; and thrive hundred and two different monosyllables are all that the Chinese really extract from these combinations. In attempting to pronounce the names of foreigners, or the words of another language, they endeavour to express them by combining the monosyUables of their own tongue ; and if these are not suftieient, thev have no meth(xl of writing, and scarcely any of enunciating the given wortl. Thus they make sad havoc of the language of other nations, and missicmaries, in aiming to write scripture names in the Chinese character, tind considerable diffi- culty in expressing them suflieiently concise and clear.

But, it may be asked, how do the Chinese manage to make themselves intelligible to each other, with only three hundred uumosvUables, and how can these be sufficient for all the purposes of oral language V To this it may bi» replied, that the Chinesi- havo a nu'thod of incriasing the number of their wonls l)y assigning to each a different tcmr. uhieh, though sean*rlv dis- cemible by an unpnutierd rar. are as n'adil\ distin-

166 VARIATION OF TONES.

guished and imitated by Chinese organs, as diJBTeTences of elementary sounds with us. Indeed they more easily discern a change of intonation than a discrepancy in orthography ; while even infants among them learn to imitate the tones as soon as they begin to utter words. All the words in their pronouncing dictionaries are arranged according to these tones, and they are as necessary a part of the language as the sounds them- selves. Besides which, the tones never vary, either through the lapse of time or the distance of place ; for however much the ancients may diflfer fh)m the mo- dems, and the inhabitants of Peking from those of Canton, in the sounds they apply to the various cha- racters, yet the tones are invariably the same, not only throughout every province of China, but even amongst the neighbouring nations of Cochin China, Corea, and Japan. This is evident, from the poetry of the Chinese, which is based upon the intonation, and which was the same a thousand years ago that it is now, and continues to be modulated in the same manner wherever the Chi- nese character is used.

The tones are substantially four, which the Chinese call the even, the high, the departing, and the entering tones ; and which are thus described : —

**Tlie even tone has an equal path, neither high nor low;

** The high tone is a loud sound, both shrill and strong ;

" The departing tone is distinct, but seains to retreat to a distance ;

" The entering tone is short, contracted, and hastily gathered up."

These four principal tones are increased by adding a lower " even " tone, making five in all. These may be distinguished in European books, by the employment of acrents, such as the acute and grave, the long and

MISTAKES KASV. 1()7

•

short, with the circumflex. The ''entering" or con- tracted tone, however, sometimes requires a different orthography ; the conchiding nasal being omitted, and the contracted vowel followed by the letter h, to shew that it is to be pronounced short. This exhibits in our Chinese dictionaries, alphabetically arranged, an in- crease of about one hundred words, though in fact the number of real Chinese sounds, unvaried by tones, is little more than three hundred. These three hundred words, if accentuated by the five tones, would give the sum of fifteen hundred distin&ruishable utterances in the mandarin dialect ; but the Chinese do not avail them- selves of all the advantages which their pronouncing system affords, and one thousand variations are the utmost actually in use. It necessarily follows, there- fore, that they have many characters under one and the same sound. This constitutes a great difficulty in the communication of ideas, and renders mistakes both easy and frequent. In ordef to prevent the confusion likely to arise from this paucity of sounds, the Chinese are in the habit of asscK^iating cognates and s\nonynu*s, and of combining individual terms into set phrases, which are as regularly used in the accustomed fonn, as c(mipound words in our own language. Hence the Chinese has l>ecome a language of phrases ; and it Is necessarj* to leani, not onlv the terms and the tones, but the svstem of collocati<m also; which in that countrv is the mon»

m

im|>ortant, on account of the paucity of words, and the number of tenns resembling each other in sound, though differing in sense.

In the science of gramnuir, the Chinese haxe made no progress ; and among the host of their literati, no one si»ems to havt* turned his attention to this subject.

168 CHINESE GRAMMAR.

They have not learned to distinguish the parts of speech, or to define and designate case, gender, number, person, mood, or tense ; they neither decline their nouns, nor conjugate their verbs, while regimen and concord are with them based on no written rules. Not that the language is incapable of expressing these ideas, or that a scheme of grammar could not be drawn up for the Chinese tongue; but the natives themselves have no notion of such distinctions, and could hardly be made to comprehend them. They have treatises on the art of speaking and writing, but these handle the subject in a manner peculiar to themselves. They di\Tide their words into '' living and dead," " real and empty;" a " living word" is a verb, and " a dead word" a substantive ; while both of these are called '^ real," in distinction from particles, which are termed " empty." They also distinguish words into "important" and " unimportant." The chief aim of Chinese writers is to dispose the particles aright, and he who can do this is denominated a clever scholar. As for the distinction between noun, pronoun, verb, and participle, they have never thought of it; and use words occasionally in each of these fonns, without any other change than that of position or intonation. They have terms for expressing the manner anTl time of an action, with the number and gendel: of individuals ; but they more frequently leave these things to be gathered from the context, imagining that such auxiliai-y words disfigure rather than em- bellish the sentence. To an European, their composition appears indefinite, and sometimes unintelligible ; but to a native, this terse and sententious mode of writing, is both elegant and inielligible. In conversation they are sometimes more diffuse, but in composition they

FlGl RES OF SPKECII. 169

are concise, and delight to express much in a few wonis. Moral apothegms and pithy sayings, are fre- quently indulged in; and so sententious are their books, that whole chapters may be met with, in which the Kentences do not exceed four wonls each. It will be seen from this, that Chinese grammar is of a truly primitive character, just as we might exix?ct to find it in the infancy of langUcige, when men expressed them- selves in short sentences and few wonls. The student of Chinese will not have to burthi'U his mind with many ndes ; but framing his s|K*ech according to the native mcKlel, will gradually acquire a mode of commu- nicating his ideas at onci' ptrsjncuous and acceptable.

It must not be thought, however, that the Chinese language is destitute of ornament. 'I hey employ various figures of speech, and in sonu' they excel. Metaphor is frequently to be met with in their writings, and similes are a1)undant. Thev are fond of alliter- ation, and attention to rhythm is with them an essential part of composition. CJ nidation and climax an* some- timers well sustained, while in description and dialogue they set m quite at home, liut the most ninarkalde feature of Chinese composition, is the antithesis. Most of the principal words arc elassrd in pairs, such as heavi'U and earth, beginning and t nd, day and night, hot and cold, ^ce. From antitlutieal words, tbc\ pro- ceed to contnist plua.scs and smtcnees, and <lraw up whole paragraphs upon the sanu* jrinei|)le. In tlir>e antithetical stntiiut's, tlie lunnbt r of words, tlu'tlas.s of expressions, the meaning and intonation, ttirrther with the wh«)le sentiment, iwc nieeK and exactlv

m

Imlanct (I, so that the one e<»^trd)Ute^ to the* per>pie»»ity and effect of the other. Siuh a conntini: of words, and

170 CHINESE POETRY.

such a mechanical arrangement of sentences, would be intolerahle in European composition, but are quite ele- gant and almost essential in Chinese. Tautology, which is justly repudiated with us, is much indulged in by them ; and sentences are rendered emphatic and di&* tinct by repeating words, and sometimes phrases, or by reiterating the same idea in other terms.

In ancient times the Chinese composed a number of odes, which were handed down to later ages. Out of three thousand of these poems, Confucius selected three hundred, which are still extant in the book of odes. The principal of these are on the usual subjects of love and war, and are replete with metaphor drawn from nature. In these compositions some little attention is paid to rhyme, but none to measure ; the poetry con- sisting chiefly in the arrangement of the sentences, and the figurative character of the language.

During the Tang and the Sung dynasties, the art of poetry was much cultivated, and the present system of Chinese versification was then established. Their poetic effusions are of three kinds, odes, songs, and diffuse poems. In their modem odes, they observe both rhyme and measure, and are very particular about the antithesis. Their verses consist of four lines, with five* or seven words in each ; the first, second, and last line of the verse being made to rhyme. The measure consists in the right disposition of the accents, which have been above described as four. In poetry, how- ever, they divide these into two, viz., the even and the oblique; which latter includes all besides the even. The rule is, that if the first two words are in the even, the next two must be in the oblique tone, and so the oblique and even tones must be divei*sified and con-

PREVALENCE OF LEARNING. 171

tnsted, to the end of the verse. So essential are these tones to constitute good poetry, that the Chinese will not look at a verse, however well expressed, and neatly rhyming, in which accent is outraged. In addition to rhjrme and measure, the Chinese require that the expressions should l>e bold, the thought vivid and striking, and every word in each line corresponding with its opposite, so as to form a chain of beautiful antitheses, mutually illustrating and setting forth their fellows. ITie most celebrated poets of China are Le-tae-pth, and Too-foo, both of whom flourished about a thousand years ago ; and who not only ani- mated their contemporaries by inditing rhymes, but have handed down a number of elegant and pithy poems, which are still the admiration of the Chinese* The number of individuals acquainted with letters in China, is amazingly great. One half of the male popu- lation are able to read ; while some mount the '' cloudy ladder " of literary fame, and far exceed their compa- nions. The general prevalence of learning in China, may be ascribed to the system pursued at the literary examinations ; by which none are admitteil to office, but those who have |>assed the ordeal with success, while each individual is allowinl to \r\ his skill in the

m

public hall. Wealth, jwitronage, friends, or favour are of no avail in procuring advancement ; while talent, merit, dilig(»nce, and |H»rseverdnce, even in the jKH)rest and humblest individual, are almost sure of their appro- priate reward. This is their principle, and their prac- tice does not much varv from it. Thev have a proverb, that *' while mvaltv is hereditarv, ofHee is not ;" and the plan Jidopted at the public examinations is an illus- tration of it.

172 LITERARY E;XAMINATI0NS.

In order to understand the theory of these examina- tions, it will be necessary, first, to allude to the general divisions of the country ; because the various degrees of literary rank correspond to the size and importance of the districts, where the enquiry is held. China is divi- ded into eighteen provinces, each containing about ten counties, or departments; and each county about ten districts ; the districts do not exactly correspond to this number, but the aggregate throughout the empire is fifteen hundred and eighteen. In the province of Canton, there are nine counties, ten departments, and seventy-two districts. The degrees of literary honour are four ; viz. sew tsae, " men of cultivated talent ;" keu jin, " elevated persons ;" tsin sze, " advanced scho- lars ;'* and han lin, " the forest of pencils," or national institute. The first title is conferred in the county towns ; the second in the provincial cities ; the third in the capital ; and the fourth in the emperor s palace.

The examinations commence in the districts, in each of which about a thousand persons try their skill ; averaging about two per cent, of the male adult popu- lation. Twice in every three years, the presiding officer of each district assembles all the scholars under his jurisdiction in the place of examination, and there issues out themes on which they write an essay and an ode, to see whether they are suited for further trial ; he then affixes a notice to the walls of his office, on which are inscribed the names of all those recom- mended to the lieutenant of the county ; this officer again examines them, together with those residing in the county town ; and after repeated trials selects a few, who thus gain what is called ''a name in the village." This distinction is much coveted by the can-

FOR THE FIRST DEGREK. 173

didatcs, as affording the advantage of a gocxl standing before the literar}' chancellor; the first name among them lieing almost sure of a degree.

After the magistrates have tried the capacities of the yoimg men, they are subjected to a more rigorous examination before the chancellor, which determines their fate, as to the first degree. The trial takes place in the county hall, which is divided into compart^ ments, just sufficient for the accommodation of each student ; they are searched on entering, to prevent their carrjing with them any books or papers, that might assist them in their compositions; themes are given out, on which they write both in prose and poetry ; their productions are marked instead of being signed, in order to prevent partiality ; and the papers lH*ing laid before the chancellor, he selects the best, and confciv; on their authors the title of sew isae, equi- valent to our bachelor of arts ; at the rate of one per cent, on all the candidates ; averaging ten for each district, twenty for each department, and thirty for each county ; and giving about twelve hundred for the province of Canton, at every examination. As these take place twice in every three years, there nnist l)e an annual increase of eight hundred graduates for Canton alom*. On attaining the first step of literary rank, tin* individual is ext inpted from corporeal pun- i2»hnu*nt, and cannot be chastised but bv the chancellor

m

himsi'lf.

'ITie examination for the second degree, takes place on<e in ever\' three vears, at the provincial cities; and is attended bv seiv tsat's onlv. The 24(H) newlv made gniduates, together with the unsuccessful ones of for- mer years, now assemble, and fonn a bcxly of about

174 FOR THE SECOND DEGREE.

10,000 aspirants for the rank of keu jin, or ^^ elevated men." This is a most eventful and trying period, and many an anxious heart beats high with expectation of mounting another step of " the cloudy ladder/' The imperial chancellor, and the chief officers of the pro- vince, imite together in examining the candidates. The literary arena is provided with several thousand small cells, into which the competitors are introduced, and guarded by soldiers, so as to prevent collufflon or oom- munication, till the trial is over. The examination takes place in the eighth month of the year, and the days of trial are the ninth, twelfth, and fifi;eenth; on the first of these days the candidates enter, and three schedules are handed over to them, containing seven texts from the classical writings, and three themes; upon each of the former they have to write a prose composition, and upon each of the latter a poetical effusion, for the inspection of the examiners ; a scribe stands ready to copy their productions with red ink, and sets a mark on both the original and the transcript, in order that the officers may not discover to whom the pieces belong. After the. completion of the essays, they are sent in for inspection, and if the slightest fault be committed, or a word improperly written or applied, the individuals mark is immediately stuck up at the office gate, by which he may understand that it is time to walk home, as he will not be permitted to proceed to the next trial.

The second day is like the first, and the defaulters are struck oflF as before ; so that the number is greatly reduced by the time the third trial comes. At the close of this, the papers are closely inspected, and a few selected as the most intelligent, whose names are pub-

FOR THE THIRD DKGRKE. 175

lished for the informarion of the people. Seventy-two *• elevated men/' equivalent to our masters of arts, are chosen out of the ten thousand competitors in the pro- vince of Canton, and about as many for each of the other provinces, making about thirteen hundred for the whole empire. When the announcement of the suc- cessful candidates is published, the multitude nish forward to gain the intelligence, and hand-bills are printed and circulated far and wide ; not only for the information of the candidates themselves, but their parents and kindred also, who receive titles and honours in common with their favoured relations. Presents are then made to the triumphant scholars, and splendid apparel prepared for them, so that they soon become rich and great. Tonlay they are dwelhng in an hum- ble cottage, and to-morrow introduced to the palaces of the great ; riding in sedans, or on horseback, and every where received with the greatest honour.

ITie thirtl degree is the result of a still more rigorous examination at the capital. The thirteen hundred new masters of arts, together with those fonnerly graduated, who have not risen higher, assemble once in three years, at the capital, to try for the third literary degree. Here also about ten thousand candi- dates enter the lists, and after an examination similar to what has been described, three hundred an* chosen, who are dignified with the title of tsin-sze, or '• ad- vanced scholars," equal to our (l(KMors of law. On attaining this degree, they are immediately eligible to office, and are generally appointed forthwith. The 8uiH»rintendency of a district is the tirst jHxst they occupy, and there is not a magistrate throughout the empin* who has not attained the degree referred to.

176 FOR THE FOURTH DEGREE.

The whole number of civil officers in China, of the rank of district magistrate, and upwards, is about three thousand ; and the addition of one hundred per annum seems but just enough to fill up the vacancies occasioned by death or dismissal.

The fourth degree follows a very close examination in the presence of the emperor. The three newly made doctors are summoned into the imperial palace, where they all compose essays on given themes. A small number of these are chosen to enter the Han-lin-yuen, " the court of the forest of pencils," or national insti- tute : where they reside, most liberally supported and patronized by the emperor, to prepare public documents, draw up national papers, and delil}erate on all questions regarding politics and literature. The members of this court are considered the cream of the country, and are frequently appointed to the highest offices in the state. The three principal candidates at this fourth examina- tion, are forthwith mounted on horseback, and paraded for three days round the capital, signifying that "• thus it shall be done to the man whom the king delighteth to honour.'' The chief of the first three is one of a million, occupying the most enviable post in the nation, and yet a post to which all are eligible, and to which all aspire.

In order to succeed at any of the literary examina- tions, it is necessary to put forth extraoixlinary exertions. Each candidate is expected to know by heart the whole of the four books, and five classics, as well as the authorized commentaries upon them. They must also be well acquainted with the most celebrated writers of the middle ages ; and the history of China, from the earliest antiquity, must be fresh in their recollection,

CHINESE PERSEVERANCE. 177

that they may allude to the circumstances of bye-gone days, and enrich their compositions with phrases from ancient authors, who, in the estimation of the Chinese, thought and wrote far better than the modems. The chief excellency of their essays, consists in introducing as many quotations as possible, and the farther they go back, for recondite and unusual expressions, the better ; but they are deprived of every scrap of writing, and are expected to carry their library, to use their own phrase, in their stomachs, that they may bring forth their literary stores as occasion requires.

All this can only be attained by great application and perseverance. The first five or six years at school are spent in committing the canonical books to memory ; another six years are required to supply them with phrases for a good style ; and an additional number of years, spent in incessant toil, are needed to ensure success. Long before the break of day, the Chinese student may l)e heard chaimting the sacred books ; and till late at night, the same task is continued. Of one man it is related, that he tied his hair to a beam of the house, in ortler to prevent his nodding to sleep. Another, more resolute, was in the habit of driving an awl into his thigh, when inclined to slumber. One poor lad, suspended his book to the horns of the buffalo, that he might learn while following the plough ; and another, bored a hole in the wainscot of his cottage, that he mij^ht steal a glimpse of his neighbours light. They tell of one, who fearing that the task assigned him was too lianl, gave up his books in despair ; and was retuniing to a manual employment, when he saw an old woman rubbing a crow-bar on a stone ; on ask-

N

1/H AOVANTAGES OP THE SYSTEM.

ing her the reason, she replied, that she was just in want of a needle, and thought she would rub down the crow-bar, till she got it small enoi^h. The patience of the aged female provoked him to make another attempt, and he succeeded in attaining to the rank of the first three in the empire.

The advantage of this system will appear, in the even-handed justice which it deals out to all classes. Caste is by this means aRoIished ; no privileged order is tolerated ; wealth and rank are alike unavailing to procure advancement; and the poor are enabled, by detei-mined exertion, to obtain the highest distinction. Instances are frequent, of the meanest working their way, until they become ministers of state, and sway the destinies of the empire. These facts being trum- peted abroad, every individual strives for a prize, which is equally accessible to all. They say, of Shun, who was raised to the throne, by his talents and virtues, "Shun was a man; I, also, am a man; if I do but exert myself. I may be as great as he." The stimu- lus thus given to energetic perseverance, is immense; and the effect, in encouraging learning, incalculable. All persons acquire some knowledge of letters; and learning, such as it is, is more common in China, than in any other part of the world. Six poor brethren will frequently agree to labour hard, to support the seventh at his books ; with the hope, that should he succeed, and acquire oflice. he may throw a protecting influence over bis family, and reward them for their toil. Others persevere, to the decline of life, in the pursuit of literary fiimc ; and old men, of eighty, have lieen known to die, of sheer cxcitemeut. and ex-

DISADVANTAGES OF IT. 179

haustion, in the examination halls. In short, difficul* ties vanish before them, and they cheer each other on, with verses like the following: —

'* Men have dug through mountains, to cut a channel for the sea ; *^ And have melted the Ycry stones, to repair the southern skies ; ** Under the whole heaven, there is nothing difficult ; ** It is only that men*8 minds are not determined.**

Another advantage of the system is, that it ensures the education of the magistrates. Before a single step can be gained in the literary ladder, the memory must be exercised ; and the scrutiny through which the can- didates pass, ensures a habit of vigilance and assiduity, which must be serviceable to them ever after. The ancient classics contain many moral maxims ; and the history of the empire, recording the causes of the rise and fall of dynasties, affords some knowledge of poli* tical economy : thus the mind becomes informed, as far as information is attainable in China. The man who would prevail, must exercise his thoughts, and a thinking man is likely to prove a good magistrate. The system, at any rate, is calculated to ensure a corps of learned officers ; and it would not be much amiss, if some triple examination of the kind were adopted, before our dis- trict magistrates, and lord-lieutenants, received their commissions. The Chinese look upon the public exa- minations as the glory of their land, and think meanly of those nations, where the same plan is not adopted.

The disadvantages of the system arise from the con- tracted range of their literature, and from their perti- nacious attachment to the ancients, without fostering the genius and invention of the modems. The sacred books are supposed to contain every thing necessary to

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180

DEPARTURES FROM IT.

Ije known ; and whatever lies beyond the rangf human relations and the cardinal virtues, is not worth attending to. Ethics and metaphysics being their prime study, nature, with all her stores, continues unexplored ; geography, astronomy, chemistry, anatomy, and me- chanics ; with the laws of electricity, galvanism, and magnetism; the theory of light, heat, and sound; and all the results of the inductive philosophy, are quite neglected and unattended to. The ancients being con- sidered more intelligent and virtuous than the modems, the highest excellence consists in imitating them; and it is presumption to attempt to surpass them. Thus the human mind is fettered, and no advance is made in the walks of science.

Another disatlvantage is ascrlhable to the occasional departures from the system. Notwithstanding the rigour of the laws, and the vigilance of the magistracy, ways and means are frequently discovered of bribing the police ; and of inducing some candidates, more de- sirous of present advantage than of future fame, to make essays for their companions.

In addition to these imderhand methods of getting forward, the government sometimes expose offices to public sale, in order to relieve their own necessities; but this practice is much reprobated by the imperial advisers, and seldom resorted to. If the course of study were improved and enlarged, and if all abuses were carefully guarded against, the system itself is truly admirable and worthy of imitation ; and so far as it is maintained in its purity, constitutes the best institution in China.

^feil^

ri^Ak

CHAPTER VIII.

THE RELIGIONS OF CHINA.

TIIREB SYSTEMS OP RELIGION — CONFtXIUS— HIS UPE— MORAL AND PO- UTICAL OPINIONS— NOTIONS ABOUT UEAVEN— AND THE SUPREME— HIS THEORY OF THE UNIVERSE— THE T>l'0 POWERS OP NATURE— THE DIAGRAMS— SCHEME OF METAPHYSICS— MATERIAL TRINITY — IDEAS OP SnRITl'AL BEINGS — OF THE FUTURE WORLD— AND OP HUMAN NATI:RE— THE REUGION OP TAOU — ETERNAL REASON — INCARNA- TION8 OF IT — PHILOSOPHER'S STONE— GHOSTS AND CHARMS— TREAD- ING ON FIRE— DEMONIACAL POSSESSIONS— MAGIC ARTS— RELIGION OF BUDDHA- HISTORY OP ITS POUNDER — ENTRANCE INTO CHINA- BUDDHIST TEMPLES— MEDITATION ON BUDDHA — REPETITION OP HIS NAME— ABSORPTION OP A BLACKSMITH — FORM OP PRAYER— COM- PA8810N TO ANIMALS— FEEDING HUNGRY GHOSTS— PAPER MONEY— AND HOUSES— SCRAMBLING FOR HOLY FOOD— DOCTRINE OP ANNIHI- LATION — DESPISED BY THE CONFUCIANS — RESEMBLANCE TO THE CATHOLICS— REVIEW OP THE THREE SYSTEMa

TiiK religions of China are three ; viz. the systems of Confucius, Laou-tsze, and Buddha. Of these, the first is the most honoured, both by the government, and the learned : the works of Confucius constitute the class books of the schools, and the ground work of the public examinations ; hence all who make any pretensions to literature, pride themselves in being considered the fol- lowers of that philosopher. The religion of Ijaou-tsze, is equally ancient with the favoured sect, and has a great hold upon the minds of the people. It has now and then l)een honoured with imperial i)atr()nagi': and du- ring those golden opjM)rtunities has exerted a wider

182

LIFE OP CONFUCIUS.

influence over the population ; but during the present dynasty, it has been left mainly to its own resources. The religion of Buddha was introduced from India into China, about the beginning of the Christian era : its priests and its temples are now spread over the whole land; and the majority of the common people are decidedly in favour of this latter system. But, as both the Taouists and Buddhists consent to accord the pre- cedence to Confiicius, and aim to combine the moral code of that philosopher with their own superstitious dogmas, they are commonly tolerated by the rviling sect. Now and then, the Confucians exclaim against the celibacy of the Buddhist priests, and indulge them- selves in a few jeering observations on the demonola- try of Taou ; but, generally speaking, the sceptics du not trouble themselves about the superstitious ; and systems diiectly opposed, being both in the extreme of error, consent to let each other pretty much alone.

Some idea of the tUfferent religions may be afforded, by a slight sketch of their respective founders, and of the doctrines promulgated by them. To begin with Confiicius ; he was bom, as has been before observed, in the twenty-first year of Chow Ling-wang, B. C, 549, in the state of Loo, now the province of Shan- timg. His mother had prayed to the bill Ne for a son, and on bringing forth the sage, called his name Chung-ne. Fable says, that on this occasion, two dra- gons encircled the house, while sweet music wa* heard in the air. Confucius was left an orphan at an early age ; and during his youth amused himself with mar- ehalling the sacrificial vessels, as opjiosing armies, or as princes and ministers. As he grew up, he studied the art of ruling ; and at the age of fifty was employed

Ills ADVENTURES. 183

by the sovereign of his native state, as magistrate of a Bmall district. Here he instructed the people to nourish their parents while living, and to inter them suitably when dead ; he directed the elder and yoimger to eat separately, and men and women to take different sides of the road ; no one picked up what was dropped in the street, and all needless ornament was abolished, Three or four years afterwards Confucius was raised to the rank of prime minister of Loo. Some improve- ments took place under his rule ; when the prince of a neighbouring state, fearing lest Confucius should acquire too great an influence, sent a band of female musicians to the Loo country, on the acceptance of which by his sovereign, the sage resigned, and left his native province. From this period he wandered from one petty kingdom to another, frequently exposed to the secret machinations and open attacks of foes. Du- ring these peregrinations, he taught his disciples under the shade of some tree ; and, hurraing about from place to place, was sometimes deprived of the necessaries of life. At length the prince of Tsoo, a southern state, hear- ing that Confucius was in the neighbourhood, wished to engage him ; but one of his own officers remonstrated, saying, that Confucius would never sanction their am- bitious views ; and that, therefore, it was not for the interests of Tsoo, that he should be retained. Tlie prince listened to him, and declined the services of the sage. From thence Confucius retired to his native state, where he did not again solicit office, but employed him- self in discoursing on ceremonies, correcting the inles, and adjusting music. He tinally turned his attention to the diagrams, and read \hc book of changt^s so fre- quently, that he thrice renewed the leathern thong with

184 POLITICS OF CONFUCIL'S.

which the tablets or leaves were strung together. His disciples amounted to three thousand, amongst whom seventy-two were most distinguished. His last work was, the history of his own times, wherein he gave biK opinion so decidedly on the conduct of different nders, that he made sycophants and tyrants tremble. About this time his countrymen discovered an unicorn in the woods, wlijch Confucius considered as indicative of his speedy removal ; and wiping away the tears, he ex- claimed, "my teaching is at an end!" In the for^- first year of King-wang, B. C. 477, Confiicius died; when the prince of Loo composed an elegy on his memory, praising his genius, and lamenting his end. His ilisciples said, " whilst he was alive you did not employ him, and now that he is dead you lament him ; how inconsistent!"

Thus it appears, that Confucius, during the greatest part of his life, was engaged in political affairs; and, only in his declining years, devoted himself to the establishment of a school of philosophy ; his system will therefore be more liiely to refer to poHtics than religion, and the pursuit of temporal, rather than eternal gootl. In fact, it is a misnomer to call his system a religion, as it has little or nothing to do with theology, and is merely a scheme of ethics and politics, from which things spiritual and divine are uniformly excluded. In treating of the government of a country. Confucius compares it to the management of a family, and grounds the whole on the due control of one's self, and the right management of the heart. He expressly lays down the golden nde, of doing to others as we would they shoidd <lo imto us ; and lays the foundati<Hi of mora) conduct in the principle of excusing and feel-

HIS SYSTEM OP MORALS. 185

ing for others, as we would for ourselves. The five cardinal virtues, according to his school, are benevo- lence, righteousness, politeness, wisdom, and truth ; and the duties of the human relations, those which should subsist between parents and children, elder and younger brethren, princes and ministers, husbands and wives, friends and companions. Of all these, filial piety stands first and foremost ; reverence to parents is required, not only in youth, when children are de- {lendent on, and necessarily subject to, their natural protectors ; but even to the latest period, parents arc to be treated with honour, and after death to be raised to the rank of gods. Without filial piety, they say, it is useless to expect fidelity to one's prince, affection to one's brethren, kindness to one s domestics, or sincerity among friends. Filial piety is the foundation of bene- volence, rectitude, propriety, wisdom, and truth. This feeling, if conceived in the heart, and embodied in the life, will lead to the j^erformance of every duty, the subjugation of every passion, and the entire renovation of the whole man. It is not to be confined to time and place, but is to be maintained, whether the objects of our res|)ect be present or absent, alive or dead ; and thousands of years after their departure, ancestors are still to be exalted in the liveliest apprehensions, and undiminished aiTections of their descendants.

It is strange, however, that while Confucius recom- mends such an excessive veneration for parents, he should have overlooked the reverence due to the Father of our spirits ; and while he traced up the series from parents to ancestors, requiring the highest degree of honour to l)c paid to our first progenitors, that he should not have eon.*iidered Him from whom all bciiu^N

186

NOTIONS ABOUT HEAVEN

spring, ami who is entitled to our first and chief regard. But it is a lamentable proof of the deprarity of the human heart, that so acute, intelligent, Wgoroub. and independent a mind, should not have traced the generations of men up to the great Former of all. and left his followers in the dark as to the being, attri- butes, and perfections, of the one living and true God.

There are. in the works of this philosopher, some allusions to heaven, as the presiding power of nature; and to fate, as the determiner of all things; but he does not appear to attribute originality to the one, or rationality to the other : and thus his system remains destitute of the main truth, which lies at the basis of all truth, viz.. the being of a self-existent, eternal, all-wise God. On one occasion, Confucius exclaimed, " Unless it he heaven's design, that my cause should fail, what can the jieople of Kwang do to me '?" Again, when one asked him, whether it were best to worship this or that deity, he said, " You are mifitaken ; he that offends against heaven, has no one to whom be can pray," Another passage runs thus: •' Imiierial heaven has no kindred to serve, and will only assist virtue." The glorious heavens are said to be " bright, accompanying us wherever we go." " When heaven sent down the inferior people, it constituted princes and instructors, directing them to assist the Supreme ruler, in manifesting kindness throughout all regions," *' Life and death are decreed by fate ; riches and poverty rest with heaven."

There arc, besides these occasional alliiiiions to hea- ven, various references to a Supreme ruler ; which would seem to imply, thai in the infancy of tlieir empire, ere they were spoiled by philosophy and vain

lA^

AND THE SUPREME. 187

conceit, they had deriyed by tradition from the patri- aichal age, some notion of an imiversal sovereign, who exercises milimited control, and to whom all honour is due. The book of odes, part of which was written B. C. 1 120, speaks of the imperial supreme, as ^^ majestic in his descending, surveying the inhabitants of the world, and promoting their tranquillity ;** who is to be worshipped and served with abstinence and lustrations ; while he takes cognizance of the affairs of men, and rewards or punishes them according to their deeds.

Chinese philosophers have also spoken much of a ** principle of order," by which the universe is reg^ated, and which is accoimted by them the soul of the world. The heavens and earth, together with all animate and inanimate things are, according to them, but one prin- ciple ; which is as universally diffused through nature, as water through the ocean. To this principle they attribute the power of retribution; and say of the wicked, that '' though they may escape the meshes of terrestrial law, the celestial principle certainly will not endure them.**

From these expressions, about *' heaven," the " Su- preme ruler," and the " principle of order," we might infer, that the Chinese had some knowledge of the Ruler of the universe, and honoured him as such ; were we not baffled by the very incoherent manner in which they express themselves, and shocked at the pro|)ensity to materialism which they constantly exhibit.

When describing the origin of the world, they talk in the following strain : '* Before heaven and earth were divided, there existed one universal chaos ; when the two energies of nature were gradually distinguishal, and the yin and yang, or the male and female principles

188

SYSTEM OF COSMOGONY.

establisheiJ. Then the purer influences ascended, and !)ecame the expansive heavens ; while the grosser par- ticles descended, and constituted the subjacent earth. From the combination of these two, all things were pro- . duced; and thus heaven is the father, and earth the mother of nature."

The principle of the Chinese cosmogony seems to be founded on a sexual 83'stem of the universe. That which Linnteus found to exist in plants, the Chinese conceive, pervades universal nature. Heaven and earth, being the grandest objects cognizable to human senses, have been considered by them as the parents of all things, or the superior and inferior principles of being. These they trace to an extreme limit, which possessed in itself the two powers combined. They say, that one produced two, two begat four, and four increased to eight ; and thus, by spontaneous multiplicar tion, the production of all things followed. To all these existences, whether animate or inanimate, they attach the idea of sex ; thus every thing superior presiding, luminous, hanl, and unyielding, is of the masculine; while every thing of an opposite quality is ascribed to the feminine gender. Numerals are thus divided, and everj- odd number is arranged under the former, and every even number under the latter sex. This theory of the sexes was ado])ted by the ancient Egyptians, and ap])ears in some of the fragments ascribed to Orpheus ; while the doctrine of numbers taught by the Confucian school, resembles in some degree the monad and duad of Pythagoras, of which some have spoken as the archetype of the world.

The Chinese system of cosmogony is connected with ihcir scheme of the diagrams, which they say was

CHINESE DIAGRAMS. 189

brou^t on the back of a tortoise, coining up out of a river. These diagrams consist of a magic square, in which the figures arc so disposed into parallel and equal ranks, as that the sums of each row, as well diagonally as laterally, shall be equal ; according to the following form ; —

±\y_\2_ 3|5|7 8| 1 IG

Of these, every odd number represents heaven, or the superior principle ; and every even number, earth, or the inferior principle ; the odd numbers combined make 25, and the even ones, with the decade, 30 ; and by these 55 numbers, they fancy that all transforma- tions are perfected, and the spirits act.

Their diagrams are arranged thus : — ■

the extreme point, or nullity, which is a mere speck, carried out, produces a tine ; that line, extended and separated, produces two; represented severally by a whole and a divided line: these lines, doubled and interchanged, produce four; and trebled, eight ; which are the eight diagrams. WTien carried out to six lines, they constitute 64 ; and, increased to twenty^four lines, placed over each other, they make 16,777.216 changes. Finding that such extensive results could be produced, by a few combinations, they have been led to imagine, that all the manifold changes of nature, and the secrets

190

SCHEME OF METAIMIVSICS.

of providence, are ananged acconling to, and maj^ discovered by, these numbers. Hence, their belief in '- intelligible numbers," as the foundation of their cos- mogony ; and the employment of these numbers, to cal- culate destinies, by which unprincipled fortune tellers make a market of the simple hearted people.

In all bodies, the Chinese imagine that three things exist: first chlh, tangible substance, which is the gross and sensible part of things ; secondly, ke, pri- mary matter, or the substratum on which figure, and other qualities of bodies, are reared; and thirdly, le, an universal principle, which is present with every existence, inhering or adhering to it ; but how or where attached, cannot be determined. This last, they call the principle of fitness, which corresponds nearly, to what some Europeans denominate the eternal fitness of things, or the internal and essential forms. It is immaterial and incorporeal, without figure ; but is a kind of principle of organization, inherent in material bodies, and considered as their root and origin. Le is almost uniformly believed to be an independent prin- ciple, not under the control of any superior being; while it regulates and remunerates the good and evil actions of men. After conversing long with the Chinese on the origin and superintendence of all things, and shew- ing them, that the material heavens cannot rule, nor senseless numbers originate the animate and rational creation, they exclaim, " It is all to be resolved into this one principle of order." And yet they attach no personality to this principle ; they do not speak of it, as willing, or acting, according to choice ; nor do they pay divine honours to, or expect eternal favours from it: it is, afler all, essentially connected with matter.

*

TENDENCY TO MATERIALISM. 191

and inseparable from body ; and if considered as the Immis of the Chinese cosmogony, shews that their whole system is founded in materialism.

Thiis, whether the Chinese speak of heaven and earth, the extreme limit, or the imiversal principle, they still connect the idea of matter, whether high or low, gross or subtle, with what they say ; and do not seem to have any definite conceptions of a pure, unde* rived, independent, and self-existent spirit, originating, supporting, arranging, and governing all things.

llie term, Shang-te, supreme ruler, as iised in the ancient classics, corresponds, in some measure, to the Christian notion of God, exhibiting his supremacy, authority, and majesty ; but it is much to be feared, that they connect with the expression, the ideas of state and pomp, and the service of ministers, such as earthly monarchs maintain and require. Some of the Confucians, also, arc in the habit of considering the Supreme niler, as synonymous with heaven and earth ; and thus confound the creator with his creatures. If these mistakes could be guarded against, it is likely that the Chinese will get as definite an idea of God, by the use of the term, 8hang-te, as by the employment of any other.

The followers of Confucius, now and then, talk about fate, which is a blind and irreversible decree, to which both gods and men are subject ; but, by whom the decree is established, they do not inform us. Some- times, they talk of the decrees of heaven ; but if hea* ven be mere matter, how can it form decrees *?

This sect acknowledges a material trinity, called heaven, earth* and man; meaning by the latter, the only. Heaven and earth, they say, produced

192 CHINESE SAGES.

human beings ; but without communicating instruction, their work was incomplete. Now, as heaven and earth could not speak, it was necessary for the sages to come to their assistance ; who, settling the form of govern- ment, and teaching the principles of right conduct, aid nature in the management of the world, and thus form a triad of equal powers and importance. These sages are supposed to possess intuitive perception of all truth ; to know the nature of things, instantly, and to be able to explain every principle. The following is a description of them, from one of the Four Books : " It is only the thoroughly sincere, who can perfect his own nature ; he who can perfect his own nature, can perfect the nature of other men ; he who can perfect the nature of men, can perfect the nature of things ; he who can perfect the nature of things, can assist heaven and earth in renovating and nourishing the world ; and he who thus assists heaven and earth, forms a trinity with the powers of nature." Of this class, they reckon but few ; the most distinguished, are the first emperors Yaou and Shun; the celebrated W^n-wang, and his brother Chow-kung, with Confucius. The latter is described by one of his disciples, in the following ex- travagant terms : " His fame overflowed China, like a deluge, and extended to the barbarians ; wherever ships or carriages reach — wherever human strength penetrates — ^wherever the heavens cover, and the earth sustains — wherever the sun and moon shed their light, — ^wherever frost or dew falls — wherever there is blood and breath — ^there were none who did not approach and honour him ; therefore, he is equal to heaven." This expression " equal to heaven," is oft repeated by the Chinese, with reference to Confucius ; and there

SPIRITUAL BEINGS. 193

can be no doubt that they mean, thereby, to place their favourite sage on a level with the powers of nature, and, in hct^ to deify him. They even go the length of paying him divine honours; for it appears, by reference to a native work, that there are upwards of 1560 tern- ^ pies dedicated to Confucius ; and, at the spring and au- tumnal sacrifices, there are offered to him, six biQlocks, 27,000 pigs, 5,800 sheep, 2,800 deer, and 27,000 rabbits ; making a total of 62,606 animals, immolated annually to the manes of Confucius, besides 27,600 pieces of silk; all provided by the government; in addition to the numerous offerings presented to him by private individuals. Thus, have these atheistical peo- ple deified the man, who taught them that matter was eternal, and that all existences originated in a mere principle.

But it may be asked, have the Confucians no idea of a spirit, and do they not pay divine honours to invisible beings? To this we may reply, that the learned in China talk largely of spirits and demons, but assign them a very inferior place in the scale of existence. Instead of teaching that the Great Spirit was the former of all things ; they hold that spirits are far inferior to the visible and material heavens, and even rank below ancient sages, and modem rulers. Confucius confessed he did not know much about them, and therefore preferred speaking on other sub- jects. When one of his disciples asked him how he was to serve spiritual beings, he replied, "not being able to serve men, how can you serve spirits V And when the disciple continued to enquire about the dead, the sage replied, " not knowing the state of the living, how can you know the state of the dead?" His uni-

o

194

Fl'TURE STATK.

versal maxim was, " Respect the gals, but keep them at a distance ;" that is, shew them all due honour, but have as little to do with them as possible. It is cus- tomary with the Chinese, to attach a presiding spirit to each dj-nasty and kingdom, to the land and grain, to hills and rivers, wind and fire ; while the four comers of the house, with the shop, parlour, and kitchen, of every dwelling, are supposed to be under the influence of some tutelary divinity. To these the sage con- sidered it necessary to pay the accustomed honours, but was decidedly averse to what he called flattering the gods by constant sernces. Dr. Milne says, that " the word shin should very rarely, if ever, be rendered god, in translating from Chinese books; but rather tncm, gods, a spiiit, an intelligence, &c. How far it can be proper to express the Christian idea of God by the same term, when writing for the Chinese, remains a question, which has long been agitated, and is yet undecided.

With regard to a future state of being, the Chinese are as much in the dark, as in what relates to the deity. They speak of the intellectual principle, as distinct from the animal soul ; but do not say any thing definitely about its existence after death. The sentence quoted above, shews how the philosopher evaded the question. Some of his followers have talked of three intellectual souls, and seven animal spirits, aa attached to each individual ; at death, the latter disperse ; and of the former, one resides in the grave, the other follows tlie l)Brental tablet, and the third wanders about like the genii over the mountains; but whether in u state of happiness or misery, thu Chinese do not say. In fact, the Confticians do not connect the idea of retribution

DEFICIENCIES OF CONFUCIUS. 195

with the soul, or the invisible world at all: they imagine that all the rewards of virtue and vice, are confined to the present state ; and if not dealt out during the life-time of the individual, will be visited on his children and grandchildren to the latest generation. The attachment of parents to their offspring, and the desire of perpetuating one's name and estate to future ages, are thus appealed to ; but these feelings are far from influencing men to a suitable extent. When, therefore, a Confucian can calculate on escaping imme- diate infliction, and can harden himself against his posterity, he has nothing to allure him to goodness, but the principle of pursuing virtue for its own sake ; which in a corrupt heart, will not carry the individual far.

Thus then, we find the far-famed school of Confucius deficient in two important points, the existence of a God, and the interests of the world to come ; teaching a lifeless, cold-hearted, uninfluential system, which is powerless in the present, and hopeless for the future world. Of what avail is the parade about the five cardinal virtues, and the human relations; when the foundation of all virtue, and the most interesting of all relations, is unknown and neglected^ The love of Gcxl, is a principle which Confucius never broached, and which his disciples, until taught by a better master, cannot understand ; while the employments and enjoyments of heaven never entered into their heads to conceive, nor into their hearts to appreciate. Surely, if ever any needed the teaching of the divine Saviour, the sages of China do; and the first lesson they would have to learn in Immanuel's school is, humility.

Before quitting the system of Confucius, it mav be

o2

/C^

196 VIEWS OF HUMAN NATURK.

well just to allude to the opinion of his followers n> gariling human nature. The orthodox st-ntiment ou this suhject is, that human nature is originally virtuous, and that each individual is horn into the world with a good disposition ; hy intercourse with others, and through the force of example, men hecome ncious; hut th(! sages, hy their instructions, awaken and reno- vate mankind; when they revert to their original purity. This doctrine has, however, met with its opponents ; among the rest, one Kaou-tsze contended, that human nature was neither inclined to e^l nor gootl, but might be turned either one way or the other. A conversation between him and a disciple of Confucius is recorded in the Four Books, of which the follovring is the substance.

Kaou-tsze «ud, " Human nature is like the wood of die willow tree, and righteouences ie like a bowl ; the getting men to be good, IB like working up tlie wood into howls." Mong-tsze replied, " Can jou lum wood at once into bowls ? must j-ou not cut and hock it, in order to form a bowl ? and if it be necessiuy to cut and hack wood to make a bowl, do you mean to say, Uiat we must cut and hack men, in onler to render them good? This f^stem of yours is caIcuIat4^)I to make men abhor goodness, as contrarj' to their nature." Kaou- tsze, not huJHed by this reply, renewed his slatcmcnt tmder another form, Baying, "Human nature is like water gushing furtii; if you turn it Uitbc east, it will flow to the east; and if to the west, it will flow lo the nest ; human nature has no preference for good or erii, juBt as water has no preference between cast and west." Ming-tsie replied, " Water has indeed no preference between east and west ; but do you mean lo say, tliat it has no choice lictwecn up and down? Human nature is good, just as water has a tendenc}- to flow down- wards. Men are universally inclined to virtue, just aa water in- variably flows downwards." Feeling, howler, that he hod made rather a startling dvclnration. he qualified it by aaying, " Water, by beating may be made to splosh orcr your head, and by fordug may be made to pass over a mountain; but who would ever say that tills is the ualural tvudeucy of water 1 It is because violence b i^pliod

THE SECT OF TAOU. 197

to it. Thus men can be made vicious ; but it is by no means their nature.*'

This curious dialogue shews at the same time the

sentiments of the Confucian school, and their inconclu- sive mode of reasoning. From this we see also, that

similes are not arguments ; for here is a man employ- ing the very same simile to prove men virtuous, which has been frequently used in the west to illustrate their vicious tendencies.

The next of the three sects, into which the Chinese are divided, is called Taou. This word means, ori- x. ginally, a way or path, a principle, and the principle from which heaven, earth, man, and nature emanate. Le is the latent principle, and Taou is the principle in action. It also means a word, to speak, and to say ; and is very like the Logos^ or the " eternal rea- son" of the Greeks. ITie founder of this sect was Laou-tan, commonly called Laou-tsze, who was cotem- porary with Confucius ; but the Taou, or Reason itself, they say, is uncreated and underived. Some idea of it may be gained from the following stanza : —

^' How luminous is Eternal Reason !

" Uncreated and self-derived :

*'*' The beginning and end of all the kalpas ;*

** Before heaven and before earth;

'* United brillianc}' nplendidly illuminatetl,

** For endlefuj kalpat* without interruption.

** On the east it inHtructctl Father ConfuciuH,

** On the we8t it renovated the f?oIden Buddhu :

** Hundreds of kings have receivetl this law,

** Tlie host of sages have followeii this ma>»tiT :

** It in the first of all religioiis,

** Majestic Iwyond all majesty."

* KaIjui tf A UmdtMi (i rui fur tim<*. diiiounp ab<*\it oiu- th*>iii»au<l At:«-^.

198 ORIGIN OF TAOU.

The doctors of Eternal Reason speak of it in a most rapturous utrain. They say —

" What ia there superior to heoven, and from which heaTen and earth sprang? nay, what is there superior to space, and which moves in space ? The great Taou is llie piireut of «pnce, and space is the parent of heaven and earth ; and heaven and earth produced men and things."

"The venerable prince (Taou) arose prior to the great original, stand- ing at the commencement of the mighty wondeiful, and floating in the ocean of deep obecurity. He is spontaneous and eclf-cxisting, produced before the beginning of emptuiefis, commencing prior to uncaused existenceH, pervading all heaven and earth, nhosc begiiming and end no years can circumscribe."

" Before heaven and earth were divided, ere the great iirinciples of nature were distinguished, amid the ocean of vast obscurity and universal stilhiess, there was a spontaneous concretion, out of which came a thousand million particles of primary matter, which produced 'emptiness,' Then, after nine hundred and ninety-nine billiuns of kulpas had paesed away, the thousand miUion particles of prunary matter again concreted, and produced ' space :' after another period of equal length, the particles of primary matter again concreted, and produced ' chaos." After chaos was settled, heaven and earth divided, and human beings were born."

The founder of the Taou sect, called Laou-tsze. " the venerable philosopher." and Laou-keun, " the venerable prince," though coeval with Confucius, is said to have existed from eternity, and to him they ascribe the creation of the world, as in the following paragraph : —

" The venerable prince, the origin of primary matter, the root of heaven and eailh, the occupier of infinite space, the commencement and beginning of all things, farther back than the utmost stretch of numbers can reach, created the universe,"

One of the fabled incarnations of Laou-keun is thus descrilH^l: — "I'he venerable prince existed before the creation, but was incarnate in tbc time Yang-ktift. of

ABSTRACTION FROM THE WORLD. 199

the Shang dynasty, B. C. 1407; when from the regions of great purity and eternal reason, a subtle fluid de- scended, from the superior principle of nature, and was transformed into a dark yellow substance, about the size of a pill ; which, rolling into the mouth of a pearly damsel, while she was asleep, caused her to conceive : the child was not bom till eighty-one years afterwards, and on his appearance was grey headed : hence he was called Laou-tsze, the venerable one. The second ap- pearance of this wonderful individual was in the person of Laou-tan, who was visited by Confucius, B. C. 500. A third appearance occurred in the third year of Kaou- tsoo, of the Tang dynasty, A. D. 623, when a man of iShan-se province reported, that on a certain hill he had seen an old man in white raiment, who said, " Go and tell the emperor, that I am Laou-keun, his ancestor." Upon which the emperor ordered a temple to built for him.

The votaries of this sect talk a great deal about virtue, and profess to promote it by abstraction from the world, and the repression of desire : this latter they imagine is to be effected by eating their spirits, or stifling their breath, for a length of time. They say, that all depends on the subjection of the heart; and therefore mortify every feeling, in order to attain per- fect virtue, which is, insensibility. Hence some of them wander away to the tops of mountains to culti- vate reason, and renounce all intercourse with men, that their studies may not be interrupted. They affect to despise wealth, fame, and posterity ; urging, that at death all these distinctions and advantages terminate, and the labour l>estowed upon them is thrown away.

Much of their attention is taken up with the study

900 EUSIB or IMIIOSTAUTT.

vitlAymj', and they baej that, bjr Ibe t cf iiietal£,a»dtfaecomtinarioiicf TM»oBeie»eatB, tbej can produce the pfaHoGoplierfi Ebaie, and the dixbof im- mortalitT. Some of diem afibrt to have (fiscorered an antidote against death; and when die powerAtl tngre- diente of this angelic potion sometimes produce the very effect which they wish to aroid, they sbt diat the victims of their experimentG are only gone to ramble among the genii, and enjoy that immortality aboTe. which is not to be found below. Several of the Chinese em- perors, demved by the fair promisee of these alchymi^bi. have taken the draught, atul paid the penalty. One of them, having procured the elixir at an itmnense expense, ordered it to be brought before him ; when one of his officers courageoufily drank off the fuU contents of the cup, in its way from the compounder to the throne : the enraged autocrat ordered the offender to be put to death ; but he coolly replied, that all their efforts to terminate his existence would be vain; as, having drunk the elixir, his immortality was secure ; or, the whole system was founded in error. This opened the em- peror's eyes, the minister was pardoned, and the pre- tender driven from court,

llxe followers of Taou, like the Athenians of old, are "in all things too fiuperstitious." While the Con- fucians have scarcely determined whether spirits exist or not, the advocates of eternal reason profess to have constant intercourse with, and control over, the demons of the invisible world. Chang Teen-sze, the principal of the Taou sect, in China, who like the Lama of lliibet, is BupjKised to be immortal, or rather whose pliice is 8iipplietl by a successor as soon as the old one dit'H. iiHKumt'S an authurily over lliuk-s. lie appiiinis

J

CHARMS AND AMULETS. 201

and removes the deities of various districts, just as the emperor does his officers ; and no tutelary divinity can be wOTshipped, or is supposed capable of protecting his votaries, until the warrant goes forth under the hand and seal of this demon ruler, authorizing him to exercise -» his fimctions in a given region.

From the power which this individual is supposed to possess, his hand-vrriting is considered efficacious in expelling all noxious influences ; and charms written by him are sold at a high price to those afraid of ghostly visits or unlucky accidents. In the absence of these autographs from the prince of the devils, each priest of Taou issues amulets, and large sums of money are re- alized by the disposal of small scraps of yellow paper, -> with enigmatical characters upon them. Having in- duced the belief, that this year s imps are not to be ter- rified by last year s charms, they are particularly busy every new year, in writing out fresh amulets for the people; who would not rest securely in their habitations, unless fully assured that the devil was kept away by these infallible preventatives.

Death is with them peculiarly unclean ; and, wherever it occurs, brings a number of evil influences into the dwelling, which are only to be expelled by the sacrifices and prayers of the priest of Taou. This is what they call cleansing the house; and, as it is attended with some expense, many prefer turning lodgers and strangers in dying circumstances, out of doors, rather than have the house haunted with ghosts for years afterwanls.

As it is necessary to purify houses, so it is iinjK)rtant to preserve districts from contagion; and with this view public sacrifices are offered, to which the inhabitants generally subscriln*. One of the^c soKinnitiis \^ cele-

202

TREADING THE FIRE.

brated on the third day of the third moon, when the votaries of Taou go bare foot over ignited charcoal, by which they fancy that they triumph over the demons they dread, and please the gods they adore. On the anniversary of the birth of the " high emperor of the sombre heavens." they assemble together before the temple of this imaginary bemg, and having made a great fire, about fifteen or twenty feet in diameter, they go over it bare foot, preceded by the priests, and bearing the gods in their arms. The previous ceremonies con- sist of the chanting of prayers, the ringing of bells, the sprinkling of holy water, the blowing of horns, and the brandishing of swords, with which they strike the fire, in order to subdue the demon, and then dash through the devouring element. Much earnestness is mani- fested by those who officiate on these occasions ; and fhey firmly i)elieve, that if they possess a sincere mind, they will not \)e injured by the fire : but alas ! their hearts must be very bad, as both priests and people get miserably burnt on these occasions. Yet the benefit supposed to accnie from the service is such, that the public willingly contribute large sums to provide the sacrifices, and to pay the jierformers. The surrounding mob seem to take a great interest in this ceremony ; and when they set up their boisterous shoutings, and rush through the fire, seem to be literally mad upon their idols.

The adlierents of Taou believe firmly in demoniacal possessions, and endeavour to avail themselves of the ravings of a dinturbed imagination to discover future or hidden things. 'Ihey imagine that the spirits of the invisible world employ tlie mouths of the jiossessed to declare audibly the mind of the demon. There are

CONSULTING THE POSSESSED. 203

some who are regularly possessed, and some who can induce possession, which they call, ^^ dancing the god." The author happened once to be present when such a scene was exhibited ; the house where it was enacted, was nearly full of spectators ; and at the head of the room, near the altar piece, stood a priest performing various incantations, and now and then striking the floor with a rope which he held in his hand. He then approached a bench, on which sat a native in a pensive mood, over whose head he blew a horn and rang a bell, and went through a few more ceremonies ; when the man referred to, began to move his fingers, hands, and arms ; then his knees and legs, till his whole body be- came convulsed, and he sprang up, and danced round the room like a madman. Just as he was in the act of falling, he was caught by the bye-standers, who listened attentively to what he might have to say, and stood ready to record every expression. The occasion of the ceremony was the dangerous illness of an inmate, for whom they wished to obtain an infallible prescrip- tion. The possessed soon announced the requisite re- remedy, which was something about three skeins of red thread, and half an ounce of carpenters chips, to be boiled down in a pint of water, and a teacupfiil given occasionally. After the unfolding of this wonderful recipe, the individual sank down into a sort of swoon, and was carried out.

Magic arts are used, or said to be used, by this sect ; by means of which they profess to work wonders ; some of them go about with swonls thnist through their cheeks; and ride in sedan chairs, stuck round with sharp knives, without appearing to sustain any I>ermanent injury. In the year 1H19, an ojien boat.

with an idol and offerings on board, drifted down tht; China sea. and was jncked up at Malacca. The Chi- nese venerated it as a wondrous relic, and made it the occasion of many sacrifices and superstitions.

The Taou sect worship a varietj- of idols, some of which are imaginary incarnations of Ett^mal Reason ; and others, rulers of the innsible world, or presiding divinities of various d^tricts. Among the rest, are the " three pure ones.*" who are first in dignitj-; the "pearly emperor, and Supreme ruler." the most honourable in heaven : the god of the north, the god of fire, with lares and penates, genii and inferior divinities without number.

We now come to the consideration of the third reli- gion in China, namely, the sect of Buddha. The ac- count given of the founder of this system is as follows ; Sakya Muni Buddha was bom in the twenty-fourth year of Chaou*wang. B. C. 1027. at Magadha, in South Bahar ; in his nineteenth year, he thought of quitting his family connections, and becoming a recluse, but was at a loss whom to adopt for his spiritual guide, lie attended the four schools, but was not satisfied with them, because by all their studies old age. sick- ncSH, and death could not be avoided ; when one night, a celestial being appeared at the window, saying, — "Young prince! you have long talked of quitting your family: now is the time ; come away'." The prince, hearing this, cheerfully passed over the city walls, and went to the hills to cultivate virtue. After sixteen years' probation, without following the directions of a master, he entirely repressed the vicious propensities, until he became without feeling, and completely per- fect. After escaping the iufimiities of age, aud avoid-

INTRODUCTION INTO CHINA. 205

ing the metempsychosis, he was annihilated, B. C. 948. Before his absorption into nothing, he delivered the following stanza : —

'* In his system of religion, Buddha followed no Rysicm : '* But his baseless system, still became a system : He now delivers you this unorganized plan, That, by imitating it, you may form a system.**

cc

In the eighth year of the reign of Ming-te, of the Han dynasty, A. D. 66, the religion of Buddha first entered China. The emperor hearing that there was a divine personage in the west, of the name of Buddha, sent messengers to India, to enquire into his doctrines, obtain his books, and bring some of his priests to China. The historian tells us, that " the general scope of these books was to exalt annihilation, and promote compassion, by not killing animals ; affirming that when men die, their spirits do not scatter, but assuming an- other form, receive the recompence of all the good and evil they have ever committed ; hence they constantly aim to cultivate and improve their spirits, till they lie- come amalgamated into Buddha.*"

llie empire is now full of Buddhist temples, and the priests of this sect, actually swarm. ITiey profess to renounce all family connections — take a vow of celi- bacy— shave their heads — dwell in temples — abstain from animal food — and subsist on the voluntary con- tributions of the people. The gods they worship, are the three precious Buddhas — the past, present, and future ; Kwan-yin, the goddess of mercy, the goddess of the small-pox, the patroness of barren women, the god of wealth, &c. The three Buddhas are generally represented half-naked, with woolly hair, in a sitting

206

TEMPLES OP BLDOnA.

poeture; one holding the mundane egg in his lap: one adoraed with the sacred thread : and one with his finger upraised, as though cn^ged in instructing man- kind. In front of the three images, or in a separate temple, is an image of the goddess of mercy ; in a niche, on one side, the god of war ; and, on the other, the protectress of seamen. A high table, for candles and incense, stands before the images ; and in the cen- tre of the temple, is a lai^e iron caldron, for burning gilt paper in ; on either side the hall, are placed, a bell and a drum, to arouse the attention of the god. when imix)rtant personages come to adore him ; and a few cushions and mats, on which the worshippers kneel, make up the furniture of a Buddhist temple. They have no sabbaths nor periodical seasons of rest ; but observe the new and full moon, with particular solemnity ; and keep, on the whole, one hundred and sixty-two fast-days every year ; besides the matins and vespers of each day.

The daily service consists in the offering up of cer- tain forms of prayer, in the Sanscrit language, which few even of the priests understand : and the repetition of the sacred name of Buddha, to which they attach great merit. In a Buddhistic work, we have an exhortation to meditate on and recite the name of Buddha, a few extracts from which, may serve to shew the extent to which they carry their vain repetitions; —

"WLy do wc exhort men to fix tlic ihoiighls od Buddbi? but oaiMc tJie mint swiouB roiiscquenceni arc connected wiUi llie ttioughtu men. Thai which drawH fiirth tlic soul, rmders fate favuurelilr, iu.i^iire; bU jirtHNwU fruDi this sourci.-. If titc tliou^ils arc ood, you MMcenil to heaven ; if bod, you dencuud to belt. One cor- nt-l tbouftht will cause you, in the liaosinif^atton, to return to ihr urorld in th<> ahniK' of a man ; and one ciuhk tliuii^hl, in that of a

MEDITATION ON BUDDHA. 207

1 least. Wliy are there so many hungry ^osts in hell ? Merely be- raiute of wrong thoughts. Think of the devil, and you wiU become a devil ; think of Buddha, and you will be transformed into Buddha. Would you prevent the six grades of the metempsychosis ? There is no other method, but to think of Buddha. If you will not think of Buddha, you will lose a human body, and for ten tiiousand ages not be able to regain it. To think of Buddha, and yet not be delivered from alternate births and deaths — it is impossible. If men pray to Buddha, and yet do not become Buddhas, the error is not in Buddha ; it is because the mouth prays, and not the mind. We nmst have Buddha, in the mouth, and Buddha, in the mind — neither of these <-an be dispensed with.

^* But it may be said, there are thousands and myriads of Buddhas, why then repeat the name of Aniida Buddha only ? The answer is, because he swore, that if any one, in all the ten worlds, should, aAer repeating his name, fail to attain life in his kingdom, he would cease to be a god.

** The land of his kingdom is yellow gold. Its ganlcns and palaces are all adorned with gems. It is encircled witli rows of trees, and Ixirders of network. There are lovely birds of sparkling plumage, and exquisite notes. The great god O-lo-han, the goddess of mere}*, the unnumbered Buddhas, tlie host of demi-gods, and the sages of heaven and earth, will all be assembled in that sacred spot. But in that kingdom, there are no women, for tlie women who will live in that countrj' are first changed into men. The inhabitants are pro- duced from the lotus flower, and have pure and fragrant Ixxlies, fair and well-formed countenances, with hearts full of wisdom, and with- out vexation. They dress not, and yet are not cold; they dress, and are not made hot. They eat not, and yet are not hungrj* ; they eat, awl yet never know satiety. Tliey are without pain and sickness, an<l never become old. Enjopng themselves, at ea?ic, they follow I^uddlia, gaily frisking about without trouble. The felicity of that kingtlom may be justly considered superlative, and the miv of its inhabitants without measure. This is the paradise of the west, and the way to obtain it, is the most simple ini:u:iiial)l»' ; drprndiiiir on one sentence, O-me-to Fuh (Amida Buddha); yet tlu- world will not take the ln>uble to seek tliis goo<l so easily attained; l)Ut put on tluir iron Ixxits. and go in quest of another road.

** Swear, then, that you will hcnctforth rvyH^tit the nann- of Buddha, and seek to live in tliat western world of joy. iu\v up !>ooks juid

208

REPETITION OF BUDDHA.

clasBics, for others to fiig at; leave the thounand roads for utlici-s to toil in. Beyond this euiitence, " 0-me-to Full," jou need not a sin- gle word. Let each seek h retired room, and sweep it clean; place therein an ima^ of Buddha; put incense and pure wnt^r, with a lighted lamp before it ; whether pwnted on paper, or carved in wood, the figure is just the snine oa the true Buddhu; love it, as }'our fotlicr and mother — venerate it, as your prince and ruler. Morning and evening, worship before it with reverence ; on going out, inform it ; and, on returning, do the same. Wherever you travel, act ns in the presence of Buddha. \Vbelher you eat or drink, offer it up first to Buddha. Raising ihc eye, or moving the lips, let all be for Buddha. Let not the rosary leave your hands, or O-me-to Fuh, depart from your mouths. Repeat it with a loud voice, and with a low one ; in lines of six words, and four words; quickly and slowly; audibly ajid silently; with clasped liands, and with bended knees; when fingering ■he rosary, and when walking in the road ; when in a crowd, and when alone ; whether at home or abroad ; whether at leisure or in a bustle; whether sitting or lying; repeat it, even, in your dreams. Thus to rejwat it, will move your feelings, and make your tears to flow; thus to repeat it, will inspire the celestial gods with awe, and the terrestrial demons with reverence; thus to repeat it, will make heaven rej<nce, and the gods be glad. At the sound of Buddha's name, the palace of the king of devils moves and shakes. At the sound of Buddha's name, the wood of swords and the mountain of knives (in hell) will, for you, be beaten as small as dust. At tlie sound of Buddha's name, hundreds and thousands of miseries will all melt away. At the sound of Buddha's name, the debt of grolilude li> parents, princes, superiors, and benelactors, will all be paid. The man who would squeeze out the oil, must grind the more forcibly: and the mariner, who would stem the swelling tide, must ply the oar more vigorously. If you realize, behind you, the boiling caldron of hell, and helbre you the lotus {tools of heaven, though all the world should try to prevent your repeating the name of Buddha, their efforla would be entirely vain."

Such is the heaven of Buddha, unci such thu* way to ohtain it. Every morning, after dressing, the devotee is to turn his face to the west, stand upright, dasp hi.s hands, and with a continueil sound, say, ■' 0-inc-to yoh."

ABSORPTION OF A BLACKSMITH. 209

To exhaust one breath, is called " a repetition :" these repetitions must be according to the length of one s breathing. When the breath is quite out, that is the limit. 'Vhe sound should be modulated according to the due medium. While repeating the name of Buddha, the worshipper is directed to be as serious, as if going to execution, as if fleeing from a mortal enemy, or as if surrounded with floods and flames. The advantages said to accrue to the repeater, are the following: all the gods of heaven will protect him : all the demi-gods will attend him : all the Buddhas will think of him : no devil can harm him : nor calamities afflict him : all his former crimes shall melt away, and he shall be delivered even from the crime of murder ; his dreams shall be pleasant, and his heart always glad : the world will respect him : and when he dies, he will see 0-me- to Fuh, and all the sacred ones, who will introduce him to the pure land.

During the Sung dynasty, they say, that one Hwang, a blacksmith, was in the habit of repeating the name of Buddha, with all his might, at every stroke of the hammer. One day, whilst at his work, he repeated the following verse : —

** Tinjif tiiifi^ tan^ tanu, ** Like the irun's claii^: *• Peace in come to my breast, *' I am lx)und for the wetit:'*

saying which, he was instantly transfonnid into Buddha ; and, as the story goes, flew away to heaven.

In addition to the name of Buddha, the lulherents of this sect are in the habit of repeating prayers or charms, com[)osed in some Indian language, the sounds of which

210

FORM OF E'BAYER.

are expressed in the Chinese character, and rehearsed hy the worshippere. without their understanding a single word. The following is a specimen : —

■' Nan-mo o-me-lo po-yay, to-la-kt-S U) ysy, to-te-yaj-tn, o-me-le- tiio po-kwilii, u-mc-Ie-lo. sei^h-taii'po-kwSH, u-me-le-li.), kwSn-kefi- Inn-te, o-me-le-to, kwHii-kea-Un-te. kea-nie-ne, ken-kija-nn, cbfh-to- k«ii-le, po-po-lio."

This form is an unintelligililc. to the Chinese, as it is to the English reader. A very few of the priests, only, understand it : and yet it is supposed efficacious in re- moving all evil. The hooks of Buddha affinn. that the god, ()-me-to, rests on the head of those who repeat this prayer. When a person has repeated it 200,000 times, the intelligence of the deity heglns to hud within him ; when he has repeated it 300,000 times, he is at no great distance from a personal vision of the god, O-me-to. During the dynasty Tsin, they say, that a teacher of the name of Yuen, whilst repeating this prayer, saw a di^e person from the west, holding in his hand a silver throne, who addressed him, saying, " Celehrated teacher ! thy days are ended ; ascend this throne, and be carried to yonder region of exquisite delights." The people in the neighbourhood heard the sound of hannonious music, in the air, and a marvel- lous fragrance was diffused all aroimd.

Tlie Buddhists talk a great deal about compassion, and insist on its display by all their votaries : but iheir kindness is only manifested towards bnites and ghosts; while the miserable amongst men. arc left to starve. They consider it an act of merit to rescue animals from the butcher's knife, and the cook's caldron, keeping in Ihc temples a number of fat hogs, and lazy dogs, who

OFFERINGS TO PARENTS. 211

are sustained until they die of obesity, or perish by scurvy. No persons are permitted to slay or eat these animals, lest the spirits of their ancestors should be residing in them, and the murderers be guilty of par- ricide, and the consumers of cannibalism. Their mercy to the brute creation, however, is not so singular as their providing for hungry ghosts ; we may, therefore, be excused for alluding to this practice, a little more fully.

According to the precepts of Confucius, children are bound to sacrifice to their deceased ancestors : and at the anniversary of their parents' death, as well as at the annual feast of the tombs, all persons must present offerings to the manes of their progenitors. These sacrifices are not offered as an atonement or propiti- ation ; the pardon of sin, or restoration to the divine favour, do not enter into the minds of the Chinese, whilst perfonning these duties ; but merely the support of tlie departed individual. The ghosts are supposed to feed upon the provisions offered up ; and, in conse- quence, forbear to annoy their descendants ; or, it may l)e, exert some influence in their favour. As the food, however, does not decrease in bulk, after being feasted <m by the spirits ; the Chinese imagine, that the flavour onlv is taken awav, whih* the substance n^mains. These ethereal beings, they think, eontt»nt themselves with the more subtle and imperceptible parts of the fo(Kl, leaving the c^rosser particles to be devoured by the worship[>ers ; while the Chinese contend, that there is no more taste, in the sacrilicial food, after the ctTC- mony is over, than in the white of an eng. Thus, those who leave children, and grandchildren, are well pro- vided for bv their descendants; but, alas! for those

p2

212

FEEDING HUNGRY GHOSTS.

poor wretches, who happen to die without posterity. Deprived of all sustenance and relief, they wander about in the invisible regions, cold, hungry, and des- titute.

The Buddhists have taken advantage of this prevail- ing sentiment, and have grounded on it a variety of superstitious services. In the first place, they induce siurivors to call in theii- aid, at almost every funeral ; that the soids uf their deceased relatives may he re- leased out of purgatory, and be enabled to avail them- selves of the provisions presented. But, not content with persuading private families to employ them, these fellows have succeeded in getting up public services, on behalf of the wretched ghosts, who have no posterity to provide for them. This, they put forth, as entirely a benevolent undertaking, and solicit subscriptions for it, on charitable grounds. The ceremony is generally performed during the seventh moon ; and as each dis- trict, tything. and street, has hungry ghosts of its own, BO each locality must have a separate sacrifice. A committee is appointed for collecting the funds, and laying in the necessary pronsions. On the day fixed for the ceremony, stages are erected ; one for the priests, and one for the provisions ; flags and lanterns are dis- played near, while gongs and drums are beaten, to give notice to the forlorn ghosts, that a rich feast is provided for them ; and then the priests set to work to repeat their prayers, and move their fingers in a pecu- liar way, by which means they believe the gates of hell are opened, and the himgry ghosts come forth to re- ceive the boon. Some of the spectators profess to he able to see the opening portals, and the scampering demons, pale and wan, with hair standing on end, and

CHINESE PAPER MONEY. 213

every rib diBcernible ; hurrying up to the high table, and shouldering away the baskets of fruit and pots of rice, or whole hogs and goats, as the case may be ; and returning with satisfied looks, as if they had enough to last them, till the next anniversary.

The world of spirits, according to the Chinese, is like the world of men : and as, in this life, it is impossi- ble to live without eating, or to obtain comforts without money ; so, in the life to come, the same state of things prevails. Hence, those who wish to benefit the de- parted, must not only feed them, once in the year, but supply them with cash, for unavoidable expenses. In order to remit money into the invisible world, they pro- cure small pieces of paper, about four inches square, in the middle of which are affixed patches of tin-foil, or gold leaf, which represent gold and silver money ; these, they set fire to, and believe that they are thus transformed into real bullion ; passing through the smoke into the invisible world. Large quantities of this material are pronded, and sacrificial paper con- stitutes a great article of trade and manufacture, aflFord- ing employment to many myriads of people.

Besides transmitting money to the distressed and in- digent spirits, the Chinese think it necessary to provide their ghostly friends with clothes, and other articles, adapted for their use, in the shades below. With this new, they cause coats and garments to be delineated on paper, which pass through the fire, as certainly and as regularly as the paper money, into the abodes of spirits. Others constnict paper houses, with funiiture, cooking utensils, and domestic slaves, all ready for use on their arrival ; and, in order to certify the convey- ance of the estate, they draw up writings, and have

214

SCRAMBLING FOR OFFERINGS.

them signed and sealed in the presence of witnesses, stipulating that on the arrival of the property in Hades, it shall he duly made over to the individuals spe- cified in the bond; which done, they hum it with the house ; and, rest assured that their friends obtain the benefit of what they have sent them. Thus, they " make a covenant with the grave ; and, with hell, ihey are at agreement."

When the priests have gone through their service, and the ghosts are supposed to have been satisfied, a signal is given, and the rabble rush forward to scramble for wliat the spirits have left, which is, all the material part of the food. It is amusing to see, the eagerness and agility with which the mob seize on these leavings ; for. although the stage is generally twenty feet high, with the hoards projecting about two or three feet beyond the head of the poles, the more expert manage to mount the high table, and engrossing what they can for themselves, bear it off, imagining that food over which so many prayers have been said, must be at- tended with a blessing. It is curious, however, to observe, how hypocrisy creeps into a religious service of so anomalous a character. ITie provisions consist of fruit and confectionary, with rice and vegetables, piled up in basins and baskets, which, to the eye, appear full to overflowing ; but in rcahty, the hollow of each vessel is filled with coarse paper or plantain stalk, and the provisions are only thinly scattered over the top. On being remonstrated with, for thus deceiving the ghosts, the worshippers reply, that the spirits who are invited to the feast know no better, and by this means they make a little go a great way.

One cannot hut turn with disgust from this system

ABSCKDIT^ OF THE Klf^TOl. 215

of feeding* ptying. md yet cbeatmsr **}umuil bones : and asL. with surpiise. i& thk liK* mode of wonhip adopted by a giesL dTifised. and learned people like the Chinese ? Alter all the Usatinns of tbedr boasted sages, their pratings about eternal rtah^ai. and 'die in- carnations of the dirine Buddha, is it come tc> thi^. thai the wise Celestials di^plaT a idlliness and absuiditT in their religious practices which children would tocart^elj practise *? It is true, we do not find in their cerenKH nious obsenrances, anj of that iicjturiTT or crueltr. which disgraces the religion of India : but we do find a childishness, which we should hardlv hare expected from a people, in many crther respects so s^hrewd and intelligent. So true is it. that the world by wisdom knew not God: and so necessarv do we find divine revelation, in onler to cruide man in the wav to heaven. It is comparatively ea^y for deists in Eurojie. who de- rive, thouidi thev will not acknowledge it, much assi»- tance from the sacred scriptures, to draw up a ^v^tem of natural theoloe^^ which ^hall k»c»k well, and $<>und pleasingly ; but let them go to CTiina. where httle or no assistance has been derived from ?u|>ematural dis- coveries, and thev will then see. how the wisest drivel in divine and eternal things, and how far thev fall &hort of even children in Christianitv.

One of the most favourite doctrines of Buddha is, that all things orijrinated in nothing, and will revert to nothint? atrain. Hence, annihilation is the humniit of bliss; and nimjMPi. Nirnuto. or nonentitv, tht» jjrand and ultimate anticijwtion of all. Contemplation and ahstracte(lne>s of mind, with a gradual obliteration of all sen.NC and feeling, are considered the nearest approaches to bliss, attainable on earth ; and the devotees of thi.<

216

DESPISED BY THE LEARNED.

system aim and affect to have no joys or boitowb, hopes or fears, sense or emotion, either of bcxly or mind ; living without looking, speaking, hearing, smelling, or feeling ; yea, without eating, and without breathing, until they approach to that en\'iable state of perfection, annihilation. Buddha is nothing, and to escape the various transmigrations, to rise above the happiness of heaven, and to be absorbed into Buddha, is to he amal- gamated into nothing. Those who have attained the greatest nearness to this perfect abstraction, are con- sidered the most holy ; and if they can manage to sus- tain life, mthout appearing to live, they are denominated present Buddhas, and worshipped accordingly. The world-renouncing priest, with vacant stare and ema- ciated look, not deigning to regard any thing in heaven or on earth, receives divine honours from the wondering by-standers, who think him something more than mortal, because fast approaching to nonentity.

ITie Buddhist priests, though honoured by their im- mediate adherents, are treated with the utmost scora by the literati of China, The indolent livej> they lead, and their profession of celibacy, are both odious to the Conhicians ; not aiding the productiveness of nature* they are looked upon as drones in society, who do nothing towards the improvement of the world, or the Iwnefit of posterity. Hence to be called "a shaven- headed priest." is a tenn of reproach, which a Chinese gentleman would ill brook. These cloistered monks subsist principally by begging, take a vow of poverty, and from their destitute and abject condition, get into habits of sly deceit and cringing meanness, which ren- der them Btill more the objects of contempt. They selduni cultivate learning, and are content with being

RESEMBLANCE TO CATHOLICS. 217

able to read their prayers, without understanding them. They are not allowed to attend the public examinations, as long as they continue priests; and thus every avenue to advancement is closed against them. Their num- bers prevent them from making much profit by their profession; and most of them are obliged, whether they will or not, to carry out their vow of poverty. The degraded state of the Buddhist priesthood, and the dila^ pidated condition of their temples, would intimate the speedy downfal of the system, and should encourage Chnstians to undermine, what is already tottering to ruin.

We cannot conclude our account of the Buddhistic religion, without noticing the similarity of its ceremo- nies to those of the church of Rome. The points of coincidence are many and striking. The celibacy, tonsure, professed poverty, secluded abodes, and pe- culiar dress of the priests : the use of the rosary, can- dles, incense, holy water, bells, images, and relics, in their worship ; their belief in purgatory, with the pos- sibility of praying souls out of its fires ; the offering up of prayers in a strange language, with their inces- sant repetition ; the pretension to miracles ; the simi- larity of their altar pieces ; and the very titles of their intercessors, such as " goddess of mercy," '' holy mother," '' queen of heaven," with the image of a virgin, having a child in her arms, holding a cross, are all such striking coincidences, that the catholic missionaries were greatly stumbled at the resemblance between the Chinese worship and their own, when they came over to convert the natives to Christianity ; and some of them thought, that the author of evil had induced these pagans to imitate the manners of holy

218 REVIEW OP THE SYSTEMS.

mother church, in order to expose her ceremonies to shame.

On reviewinij; the three systems, we find that Con-r fucius taught his disciples nothing definite concerning God or the ftiture world ; his scheme of cosmogony is irrational and unsatisfactory ; and his compliance with the common superstitions, inconsistent and time-ser- ving. The doctors of Eternal Reason make use of some expressions respecting an underived and all-per^ vading principle; but they have mixed up so much superstitious nonsense with their system, and are such gross idolaters in practice, that we must pronounce them as far from the truth, as the philosophic sect. While the religion of Buddha, imported from the west, though it talks about the retributions of a future life, and professes to manifest much compassion : yet in denying a first principle, and a last end ; in contradic- ting the existence of an everlasting God, and eternal retribution ; in deriving all things from nothing, and in making all things revert to nihility again, as the essence of being and the summit of bliss ; has deluded the in- abitants of China, still more than their indigenous sya* terns, and left them to the blackness of darkness for ever.

It is very remarkable, however, that all the sects in China acknowledge a trinity. The Confucians speak of the three powers of nature — heaven, earth, and man ; the Taouists have some references to the " three pure ones," who combine in themselves the essence of eternal reason ; and the Buddhists speak of the " three precious ones," viz., the past, present, and future Buddhas. In whatever these notions originated, the coincidence is striking, and deBcrves to be noted by those, who think

ATHEISM AND POLYTHEISM. 219

that they can find the doctrine of a trinity in all reli- gious creeds, and who suppose, that the idea was deri- ved by traditions from the early progenitors of mankind. Another circumstance, in which the three religions of China resemble each other, is their atheism. The Confucians derive their diagrams, or mystic numbers, from the extreme point, or nullity ; the Taouists talk of myriads of concretions, producing emptiness ; and the Buddhist system is founded in nonentity. " No first cause'* characterizes all the sects; and the Supreme, self-existent God is scarcely traceable through the en- tire range of their metaphysics ; and yet, the Chinese manage to combine, the apparently irreconcileable principles of atheism and polytheism. " Gods many, and lords many," are adopted by every sect, and it is more easy to find a god than a man in China. ITiough they account no divinity to be eternal, yet they discover a god in ever)' thing. Their temples, houses, streets, roads, hills, rivers, carriages, and ships are full of idols: every room, niche, comer, door, and window, is plastered with charms, amulets, and emblems of idolatry ; so that while they acknowledge no god, they are ovemm with gods ; and find it their greatest bur- then to support and worship their numerous pantheon.

THE OOBPEL DEBIONED FOR THE WORLD — EAIILY DIFFUSION IN CfDIA AND CHINA ~ ANCIENT INTERCOURSE — THE MAIl&LB TABLET— FTS CONTENTB-ITSAUTHENTICITI- EFFORTS OF THE NEBTORIANa-AM) OF THE CATUDLICe— MISSION OF XAVIER— ABHIVAL OP RICCI— HIS JOUHNEV TO THE CAPITAL— HIS 8 ICC ESS — CHRISTIAN MANDABIX— HIS DAl'GaTER CANDIDA — DEATH OF RICCI — ARUIVAL OF BCHAAL— ILLUSTRIOUS CONVERTS— ARRIVAL OP VERBIEST — PERBECrTIONS- RBVlVAL - CANNON CAST DY THE MI88I0NABIK8 - rATKONAQE OF THE FRENCH KINO — DEATH OP VEIUIIEST— NEW PERBECCTIONS— AOAIN ALLAYED — DISPUTES AMONG THE MISSIONARIES — P.\FAL BULLS — ROMISH LEGATES— FAILURE OF NEGOTIATIONS- BXrCLfltO!! OF THE MISSIONARIES- NEW EFFORTS — PRESENT STATE— NUMBKII OF CONVERTS— MODE OF OPERATIONS— CHARACTER OF THE CATHOLIC MISSION ARIES- AND THEIR ADHERENTS— CONCLUSION.

The Gospel is a revelation from God, designed for the instruction and salvation of fallen man. The darkness and misery of the human race being general, the re- medy was designed to be general also. " Go ye," sud the ascending Saviour to his disciples, " into all the world, and preach the Gospel to every creature." When the Spirit was vouchsafed from on high, there were as- sembled at Jerusalem, devout men out of every nation under heaven. Representatives from Europe, Asia, and Africa, were then present, who, hearing in their own tongues the wonderful works of God, returned, rightly informed themselves, and desirous of instructing their countrymen. According to the Syrian and Choi*

DIFFUSION OF THE GOSPEL. 221

dean writers, Thaddeus, one of the seventy, was sent into Mesopotamia, and preached in the land of Shinar ; where he established three hundred and sixty churches, and died in a city called Badaraja. Thomas, the apostle, however, is celebrated by the eastern Christians, as hav- ing been the first to preach the Gospel in India: all the Syrian churches in Malabar claim him as their founder, and his sepulchre is shown on the Coromandel coast to this day.

Considering the extent, population, and civilization of China, it can hardly be supposed that so important a region was entirely neglected by the first propagators of the Gospel ; and Assemannus assures us, that Tho- mas, the apostle, having done much for the establish- ment of the Christian faith in India, passed over to a country on the east, called China ; where he preached the Gospel and founded a church, in the city of Cam- balu (Peking): after which he returned to Malabar. In the Chaldee ritual, there is an office for the celebra- tion of St. Thomas, which says, that " by him the Per- sians, Hindoos, and Chinese were converted to the Christian faith.*'

In confirmation of this tradition, it may be obser>'ed, that according to Chinese histor}*, a very early inter- course subsisted between China and the west. Arabia and Judea are calleil in the native books, Ta-tsin ; and Pan-chaou, a Chinese general, who flourished be- fore the close of the first centur}\ is said to have ex- tended his conquests as far as Ta-tsin. It is also related, that in that early age, a veneration for the cross existed in China ; while the famous Kwan Yun-chang, has left in writing an account of the birth, death, re- surrection, and ascension of a Saviour, which must

222 MARBLE TABLET.

have been derived from some indistinct traditions of gospel histor)'. In the time of Han Hwan-le, A. D, 147, " the people of India, Arabia, and other parts, came by the southern sea to China, with tribute ; and from this time trade was carried on with foreigners at Canton." Chinese history further mentions, that, about the same period, an extraordinary person arrived in C'hina, who taught a doctrine purely spiritual ; and drew the admiration of all. by the virtues he possessed and the miracles he wrought.

The next intimation of the introduction of Chris- tianity into China, is given us in the famous marble tablet, which was dug up, at Se-gn5n-foo, in the year 1625. This tablet is ten feet long, and five broad, surmounted by a cross, resembling that used by the Syrians, in Malabar. It contains an incription in the Chinese and Syriac languages, describing the principal doctrines of the Gospel, and the history of its intro- duction into China. The Chinese inscription is enti- tled, "a tablet recording the introduction of the religion of the Ta-tsin country into China." It commences with stating the existence of the living and true God — ^ibe creation of the world — the fall of man — and the mis- sion of Jesus Christ. The miraculous birth, and ex- cellent teaching of the Saviour, are briefly described. His ascension is spoken of; the institution of hajt- lism, mentioned ; and the cross declared to be effec- tual for the salvation of all mankind. The inscription goes on to state, that in the n-ign of Tang Tae-teung, A. D. 636, a Christian teacher came from Ta-tsin to China ; where the emperor, after examining his doc- trines, published an edict, authorizing the preachii of Christianity among the peoplr. The next emperor

ITS AUTHENTICITY. 223

contmued his patronage, but the Buddhist priests, ap- prehensive lest the new sect should eclipse and preju- dice their own, endeavoured to stop its course ; a perse- cution followed, which, at first, diminished the number of the faithful ; but, after a time, two able advocates were raised up, who brought the new religion again into notice. The emperor Suh-tsung founded several Christian churches; and, in order to perpetuate the memory of his good deeds, the tablet, in question, was erected, A. D. 782.

Some have aflFected to doubt the authenticity of this inscription, imagining it to be a mere trick of the Jesuits, to get the Chinese to credit the Christian re- ligion. That this was not the case, we may infer from the fact, that the Chinese were the first to dis- cover the stone, and that neither they nor the Jesuits understood the Syrian part of the inscription, till it was translated in Malabar. Besides, were it a pious fraud, the Jesuits would have been more likely to as- crilK* the intrcxluction of Christianitv, to the efforts of the Latin, rather than the Syrian church ; and, had they made any pretensions of the kind, the other or- ders of the Romish clergy would have exposed their hypocrisy. We conclude, therefore, that the inscription is a genuine reconi of the labours of the Syrian Chris- tians, durinf^ the seventh and eighth centuries, in China. A fac-simile of it may be seen in the library of the Vatican at Home, and a full translation in Kieherer's China lllustrata.

Mosheim infonns us, that in the end of the seventh century, the Nestorians penetrattul into China, whert^ they established several churches ; and that A. D. H20,*

• In th*» \rar f^l^i. th»» Syrian pri«*t« w^r*- in« ludrd ui thr prf^hihitinn "f hetiTr»<lo]L ^yttemv in lh# pmcUmfttinn of Tang Wo.^-t>iinff.

224

NESTOHIANS AND CATHOLICS.

David was appointed to be the metropolitan of China. In the time of Genghis-khan, numerous bodies of Nes- torian Christians were scattered over 'i'artary ; and the famous PreKter John, in the twelfth century, exerted ail extensive influence over central Asia. When the Mongul princes ascended the throne of China, A. D. 1280, they afforded toleration to all religions; which enabled the Nestorians to spread themKclves, and to establish a flourishing church in the north of Chins. This continued to exist, according to Mosheim, till the beginning of the fifteenth century ; but shortly after- wai-ds, Nestorianism appears to have dwindled away in that countrj'.

The efforts of the Roman catholics, in behalf of China, commenced in the beginning of the fourti;cnth century, when Nicholas IV. sent Corvino on an em- bassy, to Coblai, the first emperor of the Mongul dynasty ; and, in 1307, Clement V. constituted him bishop of Cambalu, or Peking. Benedict VI, A. D. 1338, sent new agents into China and Tartary ; and, during the whole of the Yuen dynasty, both the Lntia and Nestorian Christians had a fine opportunity for propagating their religion in eastern Asia ; but. quai^ relling amongst themselves, tbey hindered each others' success; and, towards the close of the century, the Mahomedans, gaining the ascendancy, drove the Chris- tians from those regions.

Nothing more is heard of efforts for the conversion of the Chinese, until the Portuguese rounded the Cape of Goo<l Hope, and established themselves at Goa. In 1511, Alphonso took Malacca; and, eight years afier- wards, Andrade sailed for China. The first acts of Kuropeans, in those parts, consisted mainly of plunder and piracy, which excited Uie jealousy of llie (Chinese

THE MISSION OF XAVIER. 225

government, and rendered their attempts unsuccessful. A second embassy was dispatched to China, A. D. 1552, accompanied by Francis Xavier, who ardently desired the gaining of so vast an empire to the Chris- tian religion ; and reckoned that he had done nothing, in converting the nations of India, while China was still unattempted. On his arrival at ihe mouth of the Canton river, he was told, that strangers were debarred from entering the country ; and, that if he attempted to land, he would be imprisoned, or put to death. Persist- ing in his resolution, he induced a Chinese to convey him on shore, during the night, at the island of Sancian, or St. John. He was not permitted, however, to do more than just to land, and die on the shore; where his tomb still remains, with the following inscription in Chinese : ** The monument of St. Francis Xaner, of the Society of Jesus, in the great west, who ascended to glory, in the winter of the thirty-first year of Ming Kea-tsing, A. D. 1553."

The zeal of Xavier animated his brethren, but for thirty years they could make no imprt»ssion on China. During this period, Valignani resided at Macao, and cast many a longing look towards the celestial empire, ciying out in the fer^'ency of his desire, *' Oh rock ! rock! when wilt thou open"?" Not discouraged by difficulties, he looked out for the fittest instruments; who, dead to themselves, and breathing nothing but resignation and martyrdom, should by their skill in the sciences bo able to recommend themselves to the Chinese. In 1579, M. Kogier, an Italian Jesuit, arrived in China, where he was soon joined by Matthew Ricci. These devoted themselves to the study of the Chinese language, and made some proficiency in it.

226

THE ATTEMPTS OF BlCCt.

A dispute having arisen between the Chinese and the Portuguese, Rugiero was sent to negotiate, when he requested to be allowed to settle in Canton ; and, after some delay, he and his fellow missionary got intro- duced to Chaou-king-foo, then the capital city of the province. Here they were obliged to act with great caution ; as the Chinese, having heard of the conquests of the Spaniards and Portuguese, were exceedingly jealous of strangers. The affability aud talents of Ricei, however, soon gained them friends. The literati admired their doctrines, so far as Ihey agreed with Confucius, and admitted the propriety of worshipping the Lord of Heaven, but objected to the mysteries of the Christian faith ; while the prohibition of polygamy, and the vow of celibacy, were still more offensive to them. They accused the strangers of neglfcting their deceased parents, and of not worshipping Confucius, while they paid too much deference to J esiis. The argu- ments and ridicide of their opponents, however, did not dishearten these zealous men; who, by their knowledge of the sciences, were enabled to instruct and interest the people. Converts were soon made, and a church formed, over which Ricci presided for about seven years; when he was obliged to quit the provincial city, and repair to Chaou-chow-foo, about one hundred miles to the north of Canton. Here he changed his dress, from that of a Buddhist priest, which he had formerly assumed, to that of the literati, which brought him more respect and consideration.

Having been successful in various parts of the Canton province, he burned with a desire to preach the Gospel in the capital : and, attaching himfielf to the retinue of B mandarin, travelled with him to Nanking. He soon

PAUL AND CANDIDA. 227

attracted attention by his discourses on science and religion, and even gained the favour of the superior authorities. Encouraged by this reception, and having received some valuable presents from Europe, he re- solved to make his way to the emperor. At court, his presents were received, and his person honoured; a house was assigned him, and he was taken into the service of the state, A. D. 1601. Ricci was no sooner settled, than he began to diffuse his doctrines ; and in a few years succeeded in converting several persons of distinction. The number of Christians continued to increase, and the new doctrine soon spread from the capital, to distant cities ; particularly Nan-chang and Shang-hae ; at. the latter of which, a mandarin, of great talents and influence, professed himself a follower of Christ. This man, on his baptism, took the name of Paul ; as he wished to be the apostle of his countrymen. His exertions and example did much to promote the cause of Ricci, and his accurate knowledge of the lan- guage enabled him to throw the publications of his instructor into a neat and elegant style, which contri- buted to their acceptability with the higher classes of the people. He ajwlogized for the Christian faith in a learned manner, and defended the cause in the presence of the emperor: in short, his zeal, his wealth, his talents, and his influence, contributed much to the extension of the Romish faith in China ; and liis pos- terity trcxl in his footsteps.

His youngest daughter, Candida, was a remarkable woman. Having been left a widow at an early age, she devoted herself to the promotion of the cause of Christianity ; and, reserving enough for her eight children, she consecrated the rest of her fortune to the

Q 2

22a

UEATH OF RICCI.

founding of churches, and the printing of Christian hooks, for the instruction of the surrountling heathen. Having heard that the pagans, in several of the pro- vinces, were accustomed to abandon their children as soon as bom, she established a foundling hospital for infants ; and seeing many blind people, telling idle stories in the streets for the sake of gain, she got them instnicted and sent forth, to relate the different evenU of Gospel history. A few years before her death, the emperor conferred on her the title of the " virtuous woman," and presented her vrixh a rich dress, covered with plates of silver, which she disposed of, in order to apply the proceeds to acts of charity. She is said to have received the last sacrament, with a Uvely faith of being united to that God whom she had so zealously loved and served. Her loss was bewailed by the poor as their mother, by the converts as their pattern, and by the missionaries as their best friend.

In the mean time Ricci was joined by several de- voted brethren, whom he established at the various places which he had visited on his way. At Peking the number of converts increased daily; some of their ueophyt€8 were men of influence, and the good will of the great was purchased by liberal gifts.

At length, Ricci, worn down by excessive fatigue, died in 1610. During the reign of the emperor Wan- lc1b, the mission continued to be [>atronized; till the year 1615, when a persecution was raised against the missionaries, some of whom were beaten, and others im- prisoned, while those at court were compelled to retire to Macao. Under the next emperor, the Tartan threatened the capital ; and the Chinese, alarmed for their safety, called in the Portuguese to their assistance.

ARRIVAL OF 8CUAAL. 229

At this juncture, Paul, the Christian mandarin^ ad\ised the reeal of the missionaries also ; to which the emperor acceded, and the work went on s^in.

When the last ruler of the Ming dynasty ascended the throne, A. D. 1628, Adam Schaal found his way to court ; and, by his skill in the mathematics, gained a fame equal to that of Ricci. Soon after this, the Dominicans and Franciscans entered China, and took their share with the Jesuists in the labour of converting 80 great a nation. Their operations were, however, soon interrupted by the wars and commotions which l>egan to prevail. Two rebel chiefs raised an army of malcontents, and beseiged the emperor in his capital ; who, to avoid falling into their hands, committed suicide. Woo San-kwei, a Chinese general, then called in the Tartars to his assistance, who soon dispersed the rebels, and entered Peking in triumph ; but, instead of restoring it to the Chinese, took it to themselves, and with it, the throne of China. The Tartar prince dying, his son, a boy of six years old, was proclaimed sovereign ; and, by the wisdom and energy of his uncle, was in eight years put in possession of the whole empire. In the southern provinces, however, the jH'ople still inclined to favour the fortunes of the Ming dynasty, and two Christian Chinese generals made head against, and on one occasion, routed the Tartar army ; the victorious Chinese immediately declared Tung-lii^ emperor, and tixed his capital at Chaou-king, in the provinee of Canton. In the Chinese court were fifty ladies, who had been converted by an eunuch ; and the mother, wife, and eldest son of the n(*w sovereign, were induced to n»ceive the ordinance of baptism. These iHustrious proselytes corres|)onded with the pojK',

230

PATRONAGE OF THE EMPEROR.

who rejoiced in the hope of seeing the whole of that great empire follow the example of their mistress ; but the arms of the conquering Tartar soon subdued the southern provinces, and the imperial race of Ming became extinct.

In the mean time Adam Scbaal retained his place at court, and stood high in the favour of the Tartar- Chinese monarch, who appointed him superintendent of the astronomical board, and conferred upon him many marks of his approbation. During the lifetime of Shuu-che, the Jesuists were in favour at Peking; permission was granted to build new churches, great accessions were made to the number of missionaries, and Verbiest became the coadjutor of Schaal, in pre- siding over the tribunal of mathematics. The emperor frequently entered into conversation with these fathers, on the subject of religion, read the Christian books, and admired the morality of the Gospel ; amongst the rest, the seventh commandment, saying. " That is indeed a holy law." The sovereign, however, far from giving a practical testimony in its favour, fell into a crime similar to that which tarnished the reign of Da%id, and was led by the blandishments of his favourite, to disregard the missionaries. The death of his idol so wrought upon the offending sovereign, that he died of grief, in the twentj-fourth year of his age : sending for iSchaat in his last moments, and hearing his advice with seeming humility, but not seeking the rite of baptism.

The next emperor, Kang-he, was a minor, under four guardians. His education was entnisted to Schaal, who by that means obtained so much influence at court, that he procured the exemption of Macau from do-

OPPOSITION AND PERSECUTION. 231

struction, when all the towns on the sea coast were broken up, in order to prevent the pirate Coxinga from sheltering himself in them.

About this time a learned man, named Yang Ewang- seen, published a book against the missionaries. He accused them of forming a conspiracy to overturn the government ; in order to which, he said, they had intro- duced a great number of strangers into the empire, and had secured to themselves whole hosts of adherents, who were prepared to aid them in their sinister designs. *" In teaching," continued he, " that all mankind de- scended from Adam, they wish to infer that our princes came originally from Europe, and, their countrymen, as the elder bom, have a right to our monarchy." And then, producing the sign of the cross, he exclaimed, "' Behold the Go<l of the Europeans, nailed to a cross, for having attempted to make himself king of the Jews ; and this is the God they invoke, to favour their design of making themselves masters of China." These sage reasonings had the desired effect with the four regents, who ordered the missionaries to be loaded with chains, and dragged before the tribunals, A. D. 1665. The members of these tribunals declared, *' that Schaal and his associates merited the punishment of seducers, who announce to the people a false and i)emicious doctrine." After having been threatened with death, they were set at liberty ; but the venerable Schaal sunk under his trials, and died A. D. 1(>66, in the seventy-eighth year of his age.

In addition to these troubles at Peking, the mis- sionaries throughout the provinces were arrested, and three Dominicans, one Franciscan, and twenty-one Jesuists were banished to (^anton. Four were still

232

REVIVAL OF THE MISSION.

retained at court, who kept together the flock of pro- fessing Christians; until Kang-he. coming of age, found the calendar in such disorder, that he recommitted it to the hands of Verbieet, and reinstated him in his former office ; thereby affording him an opportunity of pro- moting the interests of his church at Peking. Finding that the emperor was disposed to redress any grievances which had occurred during his minority, Verbiest pre- sented a memorial, praying for the recal nf hisbretlutn; which, after some difficulty, was acceded to.

In 1671, the missionaries were put in possession of their churches, but were prohibited from making con- verts from among the nativeH, Notwithstanding this interdict, however, they baptized in that year 20,000 Chinese. The year following, the emperor's maternal uncle was added to the number; and the cause of the missionaries again flourished. The emperor himself studied the elements of Euclid, under Verbiest ; aad while the father was engaged in communicating some knowledge of the mathematics, he did not fail to inform his illustrious pupil on the doctrines and duties of Chris- tianity. The mind of the monarch thus became more favourably inclined to the religion of his prece|itor, and though he did not embrace, he desired that no one should vilify, the Gospel.

In the tenth year of Kang-he, an extensive revolt broke out in China. Woo San-kwei, who had assisted the Tartars in ascending the throne; and who. during the reign of Shun-che, had fought in their defence, now rebelled, and made himself master of the southera and western province.*;. This revolt was so .'ierious, that all the cntTgien of the government were called forth to reprees il. At this juncture Verbiest was applied to,

EFFORTS OF THE FRENCH KING. 233

to cast some brass cannon, with which to operate among the hills. The missionary at first excused himself; but when his unwillingness to aid the government was in- interpreted into a disposition to favour the rebels, he complied ; and, by the assistance of these light pieces, the imperial arms were successful.

Verbiest now rose in favour of the emperor, and ac- companied him in his joumies to Tartary. The man- darins, also, encouraged by the example of the court, favoured the missionaries in all parts of the empire; and nothing seemed wanting, but an accession of la- bourers, to bring both China, Corea, and Tartary to the profession of Christianity : in conformity with XaWef s observation, that " if China embraced the Gospel, all the neighbouring nations, would soon demolish their idols, and adopt the Christian religion.*'

Encouraged by the openings which presented them- selves, LfOuis XIV. king of France, resolved to send a mission to China; and having selected a number of Jesuits, well skilled in the mathematics, he sent them with honours and pensions on this important mission. Among the rest, was De Fontaney, professor of mathe- matics in the kings college; with Gerbillon, Bouvet, and Le Comte, afterwartLs celebrated for their labours in the east. They went first to Siam, and from thence proceeded, in a Chinese junk, to Ning-po, on the coast of China. The mandarins at that port received them with j)oliteness ; but the viceroy declared it unlawful for native vessels to bring Europeans to China, and threatened to send the missionaries back, and confis- cate both ship and cargo. Verbiest, on hearing of this, memorialized the emperor, representing that they were men skilled in the sciences, and his lirethriMi.

234

CHARACTER OF VERBIEST.

To which the emperor replied, " men of that character must not be expelled my domiaioDs. Let them all come to my court: those who understand the mathe- matics, shall remain about my person: the others may dispose of themselves In the provinces, as they think fit." On the receipt of this order, the viceroy was obliged to send those men to the capital with honour, whom he had intended to expel with disgrace.

At this juncture, Verbeist died, A. D, 1688, regretted by the Chinese, but still more so by the missionaries, who expected to derive great advantage from his counsel and assistance. His character, for humility and men desty. was only equalled by his well known apphcation and industry. He seemed insensible to every thing, but the promotion of science and religion ; he abstained from iiUe visits, the reading of curious books, and even the perusal of European newspapers ; while he inces- santly employed himself, either in mathematical calcu- lations, in instructing proselytes, in corresponding with, the grandees of the empire on the interests of the mis- sion, or in writing to the learned of Europe, inviting them to repair to China. His private papers are in- chcative of the depth of his devotion, the rigour of hia austerities, his watchfulness over his heart amid the crowd of business, and the ardour with which he served religion. His sincerity was attested, by the endurancet of sufferings in the cause he had espoused ; and liia disinterestedness and liberality, by the profusion of his gifts to others, and the renunciation of indulgences to himself.

Two of the missionaries were soon after this em- ployed on an embassy to the Russian government, by which the boundary line was settled, and a war betweea

HEW PERSECUTIONS. 235

flic two countries prevented. The brethren were highly complimented on their success ; and Gerbillon was, in consequence, treated with particular esteem. The kind- ness of the emperor to the missionaries at court, seemed to augur well for the interests of the mission ; but the same laws against proselyting continued in force ; and unfriendly governors of provinces had frequent oppor- tunities of annoying the missionaries.

It was not long before a persecution against the Christians was commenced by the governor of ChS- keang, who, depending on the letter of the tew against proselyting, and the disposition of the tribunals to op- pose all innovations, seized on several churches, broke the crosses, profaned the altars, and dragged the Chris- tians before the judicial courts — imprisoning some, and torturing others. Among the rest, a physician endured the bastinado with great constancy, and presented him- self afterwards in the church, as a sacrifice to the Lord, grieving that he had not shed his last drop of blood for his holy name. The missionaries at Peking, applied to the emperor for his interference, when his majesty observed, that " he was suq)rised to see them so much infatuated with their religion ; and so busied about a world, where they had never been/* He advised them to '' enjoy the present life ; being persuaded that their God was |)owerful enough to do himself justice, though they concerned themselves nothing about his matters." Not satisfied with this reply, they petitioned ai^ain ; when the emj^eror referreil it to their own choice, whe- ther they would depend on his favour, or appeal to the tribunals. ITiey chose the latter; and, the answer was unfavourable ; which disappointed the monarch, as much as it grieved the missionaries : for the empiTor

236 DIFFICULTIES RKMOVED.

was secretly desirous of aiding the foreigners, though he wished to throw the responsibility on his mimsters. In order, however, to bring the tribunals to terms, Kang-he addressed to them a message, enumerating the' merits of the missionaries, in arranging the calendar, casting cannon, and negotiating treaties ; stating his confidence in the goodness of their religion, and conclud- ing with his wish, that all who felt inclined to embrace the Christian faith, might do so, without hindrance.

The result of this message was a reply favourable to Christianity', which the emperor immediately confirmed, A, D. 1692. In consecpience of this, afresh accession of missionaries soon flocked to China ; and Louis XIV; appointed the sum of 9,200 livres, as a pension to twen^ missionaries to China and the east; which was i tinned by his successor, Louis XV,

A new occasion soon presented itself for the mi*> sionaries to ingratiate themselves still fiirther with the emperor. His majesty was seized with a fever, whiclk threatened his life. Remedies were sought from all quarters ; which proving ineffectual, the niissionarid tried the celebrated Jesuits' bark, and the cmperdi recovered. Grateftd for the lienefit, he gave them i house within the precincts of the palace, ground whereoti to build a church, and contributions in money, and materials, towards the completion of the buildinffS Notmthstauding some remonstrances from the pubiy censorate. against the magnificence of this edifice, i was opened in 1702.

The prospects of the mission were now favourabllJ and success appeared near ; had not the work interrupted by the disputes which broke out amonj the labourers. In onler to understand these contn)

DISPUTES OP THE MISSIONARIES. 237

versies, it will be necessary to retrace, in some degree, the history of the mission. The questions most agitated were, whether the words Teen, " heaven," and Shang^te, " supreme ruler," meant the true God or the material heavens ; and, whether the ceremonies per- formed at the tombs of ancestors, and in honour of Confucius, were civil or religious rites. The Jesuits maintained the former, and the Dominicans and Fran- ciscans the latter parts of these propositions.

With regard to the terms employed to designate the Deity, difficulties always have been, and still are felt, which have been already alluded to; but as it respects the observances in honour of ancestors and Confucius, all who know anything about Christianity must see, that as sacrifices are offered, and temples erected to both, with incense and prostrations before them, the ceremonies in question must be accounted religious, and therefore idolatrous. At the commence- ment of the mission, Ricci had drawn up a set of regulations for the conduct of future labourers, in which he considered the rites referred to as merely secular ; others, however, differed from him ; and in 1645, Morales, a Dominican, procured a bull from pope Innocent X., denouncing them as su|)erstitious and abominable. The Jesuits, on their part, were not idle, and made such representations on the subject, as induced po|)e Alexander VII., A. D. 1656, to declare, that these were merely political ceremonies, and that the toleration of them was both prudent and charitable. Thus there were two infallible decrees, in direct con- trailiction to each other ; and two zealous boilies of labourt»rs purhuing opjwsite plans for the accomplish- ment of the same object.

'ZiJO PAPAL HULLS.

When the missionaries ivere banished to Canton, A. D, 1665, they began to think of settling their differences ; and three and twenty of them met to discuss the disputed points. Forty-two articles were then agreed to, as principles on which the mission was to be in future conducted. These stipulations'were based on the decree of Alexander VII. sanctioning the cerfr monies ; in order, aj? they said, not to shut the door of salvation against innumerable Chinese, who would otherwise abandon the new religion. Soon after this, Navarette, who had joined in the agreement, renewed his reprobation of the indulgences, in which he ' joined by many others ; and in 1693, Maigrot, the apostolic vicar of China, issued a mandate, contrary to the bull of Alexander \ II., declaring, that Teen signified nothing more than the material heavens, and' that the Chinese customs referred to were idolatrous.. The opinion of Kang-be was now called for, and in 1700, that monarch declared, that Teen meant the true; God, and that the customs of China were merely political. Yet the decision of Maigrot was confirmed at Rome, by a decree of Clement XI., A. D. 1704. Thus the papal see again revoked its fonner opinion, and plunged itself into a contest with the emperor ol China,

To settle this dispute, M. Toumon was app<nntc4 papal legale to China. The good intentions and zeal o this gentleman were untiuestionatile ; but he was ip-; noraut of Chinese etiquette and was influenced by I rooted antipathy to the Jesuits. He arrived in Cfaint A. D. 170-5. and promulgated the decree of Clement prohibiting all Christian Chinese from practicing tbt ceremonies which had been interdicted by the

ROMISH LEGATES. 239

But Kang-he was not likely to resign the right to legis- late for his own people into the hands of a foreign potentate ; hence he issued, in 1706, a declaration, that **he would coimtenance those missionaries only who preached the doctrine of Ricci, and persecute those who followed the opinion of Maigrot." He then di- rected an examiner to enquire what missionaries were disposed to comply with the imperial will, whom he permitted to remain; but ordered the rest to depart within five days to Canton. Things now came to an extremity ; the papal legate issued two decrees in 1706 and 1707, commanding the missionaries not to submit to the investigation of the examiner, on the controverted points. The emperor could not brook the contravening of his authority, and commanded Toumon to leave the capital ; he was compelled therefore to return to Macao, where his circumstances were not much improved ; for having offended the king of Portugal, by proceeding to the Indies without eml)arking at Lisbon, he found the authorities of Macao arrayed against him, who deprived him of his liberty, and surrounded him with guards. Tournon now resorted to ecclesiastical censures, but they were laughed at by his enemies ; and the bishop of Macao admonished him, under pain of excommuni- cation, to withdraw them. Ilaniig been created a car- dinal by Clement XI. he could ill brook this indignity, and in 17 lU, sunk under his insults and disappoint- ments.

ITie po])e now sent another legate to China, the patriarch Mezzabarba, who arrived in 1720, with the approbation of the court of Portugal. The pur]K>rt of his message was, to request permission, to remain in China, as superior to the missions ; and that the

240

FAIU'UE OF NKGOCIATIONS

Chinese Christians might he allowed to conform them* selves to the decrees of the pope, on the subject of cere- monies. The emperoi' replied, that the papal decrees being contrary to the usages of the empire, the ChristiaQ religion could not subsist there; and that the legate, and all the missionaries, must immediately return to Canton. Mezzabarba now made some concessions, intimating that those ceremonies which were of a merely civil nature, would be allowed to the nativ6 converts. In conformity with which he proclaimed " eight permissions," as the length to which the Chineao Christians might go ; but these were far from satisfying the emperor, and were afterwards abrogated and con* demned at Rome. No prospect of reconciliation ap. ]>earing, the legate requested jMinnission to return to the pope for further powers, hoping that things would remain as they were till his return.

In the mean time, Kang-hi died, A. U. 1722, Bod Yung-ching, his successor, was no sooner seated on the throne, than he was pestered with petitions from the literati, containing bitter invectives against the mifr sionaries, as perverting the fundamental laws, and ihsturbing the peace of the empire.

About the same time a literary graduate of Fub* keen, who had apostatized from Christianity, sent in a memorial, complaining that the missionaries immured yonng girls in nunneries, paid no honours to the dead* confounded the distinctions of families, and sought ttt turn the Chinese into Europeans. The matter having been brought before the tribunal of rites, representing the danger of allowing Europeans to remain in the prcH vinces, the board decided, that the Europeans who. were useful for reforming Ihe calendar, might l»e re-

NEM' EPPOUT8 AND FAILURES. 241

tained at court, while those in the provinces were of no manner of use, and must therefore be sent to Macao. The emperor confirmed this representation, A. D. 1723. llius, all the missionaries were driven from their stations, three hundred churches were destroyed, or converted to a profane use, and three hundred thousand Christians at once deprived of their j)a8tors.

Some of the priests still contrived to remain in the provinces, or re-entered China by stealth ; while a number of native catechists, dispersed through the country, managed to keep the converts together. Ignatius Koegler was appointed president of the astro- nomical board, and the name and profession of Roman- ism were still maintained in the empire.

When Keen-lung ascended the throne, in 1736, a new search was made for the proscribed priests ; and the em- peror, finding that they returned after expatriation, made an example of Peter Sans, by putting him to death. Many others were seized and tortured, while churches were plundered, and property confiscated. New preach- ers, however, flocked to Canton, and were clandestinely forwarded to the provinces. On one of these occasions, a faithless adherent betrayed his tnist, and four Kuro{)eans were apprehended in Hoo-kwang, and con- veyed to Peking. This involved some of the native converts, who, at the sight of the instniments of torture, aiK>statize(1, and discovereil the plans of the missionaries. A stricter investigation followed; more Euro|K*an priests were deteeteil and imprisoned; while three of their assistants were put to death. Much interest was maile at Peking, by the few missionaries in the service of the emperor, to mitigate the punishmi-nt that awaited the remainder; when a decree was issued, on the ninth

K

242 PF.RKEC-LTIO> IN SZE-CHLEN.

of Novpmber, 1785, by which twelve Eiiropeaos were released from gaol, and allowed either to remain in Peking, or return to Europe: three of them preferred ihe former, and nine, the latter alternative.

During the present centitry, the mission has been persevered in, and thrice drawn forth the animadversion of government : in iho years 1805. 1811, and 1815.

In June, 1815, a persecution was carried on against the Roman cathoHes of Sze-chuen. The viceroy of that pro\'ince in reporting the matter, said, " That the reli- gion of the west, denominated the Lord of Heaven's re- ligion, was a depraved, or irregular system, particularly injurious to the manners and hearts of men." That five years previously, two thousand families had re- canted, and since upwards of two hundred families. He had recently apprehended seventy -two persons, seized fifty-three books, and taken six hundred and twenty crosses, three strings of beads, two dresses, and two religious caps. In the books seized, however, there was not a single expression that could be con- strued into an opposition to goveniment." He closed his report by st-ating, that " he suspected some Eun>' peans were still lurking among the mountains of Sze- chuen, though he hail not been able to apprehend ihem." His majesty in reply, noticed "the blind ob- stinacy of men, that, when once a notion of ascending to heaven takes possession of the mind, makes them r> gardless of death." Two leaders, who would not recant, were onlered to be strangled ; and thirty-eight othcTB were banished to Tartary, amongst whom were severd women, and an old man of eighty. The latter, and b few others, who seemed more culi)able than the rert. were condemned to wear the wooden collar /or ever.

A MISSIONARY STRANGLED. 243

In 1817) a Tartar secretary, and his coachman, were apprehended, and delivered over to the board of punish- ments, on the charge of being Christians. The secre- tary acknowledged, that his grand£Etther had been a Christian, but that he himself had recanted ten years ago. The prosecutors argued, however, that as he had neglected to send for the Cliinese priests during his mothers illness, and had not performed certain cere- monies at her death, therefore his plea of recantation was insincere. The reply of the emperor was, that as he had trampled on the cross, his recantation must be accepted. Fifteen others were implicated with him, most of whom held offices under government.

In 1819, an imperial censor, complaining of the existence of the Roman catholic religion in the capital, recommended that every house rented by catholics should be seized and confiscated ; to which the emperor replied, that the existing laws ought to be rigorously enforced, but that the measure suggested would only create a disturbance.

In 1820, a French missionary was strangled in the province of Hoo-pih, by order of the government ; and L'Amiot, who had been twenty-seven years in Peking, was banished to Macao.

ITie French monks of the order of St. Lazarus have, however, continued to labour secretly for the mainte- nance of the Romish religion in China. For some years, they have annually sent two or three young priests to that country, who quietly proceed to the head-quarters of their mission in thi* interior. They have now catholic communities in all the provinces, and in many there are public chapels, where service is |>erformed by native priests. The mission has two

R 2

•244

PRESENT STATE.

seminaries ; one at Macao, and the other in Tartarj', beyond the wall of China. They have in Peking a catholic community, amounting to no less than twenty- eix thousand members, over whom two French priests preside. In the province of Sze-chuen, Christians are interred in the churchyard ; and over their graves, crosses are erected. When the rulers do not suspect the presence of Kuropeans, they are very indulgent towards the native Christians: and the local authorities having once tolerated them, are interested in preventing their detection in higher quarters ; lest they should be called to account for their previous want of vigilance. When, therefore, a community is once formed, it incurs very little risk of being molested. Should the catholics succeed in forming a native clergy, competent to dis- charge the duties of their office, their cause may rally ; for the government seeks to repress it. not on religious grounds, but because it is an instrument of European influence.

It is difficult to determine the precise number of adherents still claimed by the Romanists in China ; the following, however, is from Marchini's map of the missions presented to the bishop of Macao in 1810: —

Bulioprio.	ProTinco.	i 1	ii	|i	11	Chratiutt.
M.CO . P.kmg. . Nwhinff .	Citnlon, Kwang-se, Pni-cliTh.le, Shan- tung, and euiern Tartarj . . . Krani;-nati&Ho.iian	1 i 1 3		11	3 18 6	7,000 40,000
	II-	29	80,000

NUMBER OF ADHERENTS.

245

Vicaragoa.	Prorinces.	1 1 PQ		Is 11	-1 29	NaUrc Chrittians.
FAh-keen	Brought forward Filh-keen, Ch«-	3		80,000
Sxe-chuen	keang, Keang-se, and Formosa . . Sxe-chuen, Kwei-	1	1	4	8	30,000
	chow, & Yun-nan	1	1	2	25	70,000
Shan-ae .	Shan-ae, Shen-ae, Kan-siih, Hoo-
	kwang, and west- ern Tartary . .	1		6	18	35,000
	6 2	23	80	215,000

In 1833, the Chinese Christians, in the bishopric of

Macao, amounted to 13,090, under the care of seven native priests, situated as follows : —

Macao, including Patane, Mongha, and Lapa . . 7,000

Shun-tth 1,250

Hae-nan (the island of) 855

Shaou-chow, to the north of Canton 750

Shaou-king, to the west of ditto 730

Nan-hae, in the city of ditto 1 ,850

Nan-chow 655

13,090

The salary of each native priest is eighty-two dollars yearly ; travelling expenses, estimated at from forty to fifty dollars, are alloweil ; besides the pay of catechists, and other charges.

The college of St. Joseph, in Macao, is intended for the purpose of raising up native teachers, for China, It was founded, by the Jesuits, in 1730; transferred to the Pro[)aganda, in 1784; and, in 18(K), provided for

24fi

PORTUGUESE AND SPANIARDS.

I)y regular allowances from the senate of Macao. The college contains six European priests, of whom, one is the superior. The number of Chinese students is limited to twelve, who are clothed, boarded, and edu- cated, at the expense of the institution ; if they desire it, they are trained for the priesthood, and it generally requires ten years before they can attain the first order. Instruction is given in Portuguese, Latin, arithmetic. rhetoric, philosophy, theology, &c. The Chinese lan- guage is, also, taught ; and the College possesses a Chinese library, moveable types, and conveniences for printing. A Portuguese and Chinese Dictionary has been published by the Superior, besides other works, tending to illustrate the language and opinions of the natives. In 1831, the number of students was, seven young Chinese, two Manilla youths, and thirteen Por- tuguese ; besides those who attended for daily instruc- tion. A lai^e stock of Christian books, in the Chinese language, is kept on hand, and missionaries are fre- quently despatched from thence, to the provinces. The Superior is in correspondence with the agents of the missions, in various parts of China, and can convey and procure intelligence, to and from the interior, with the greatest regularity.

Besides the Lazarites and the agents of the Propa- ganda, the Spaniards have an establishments, at Macao, for receiving Missionary candidates from Eurojie, in- structing them in the language, and conveying thwn into the country. Scarcely a month passes, without some new arrivals, or departures; and the vacant posts in the interior, are thus kept constantly supplied with pastors. They all wear the European habit in Macao. Imt adopt the native dress on entering the fiehl. When Eur(»-

CHARACTER OP THE MISSIONARIES. 247

peans are to be introduced into the provinces, inform- ation is previously sent to the places appointed, where adherents are prepared to receive and conceal them. On arriving at the place of destination, the mission- aries generally retire to some secret dwelling, known only to the Christians, and seldom appear abroad; while all who desire instruction, or the administration of the sacraments, go to them. Some remain, fifteen or twenty years, in their secluded retreats, and thus keep up the number of their followers, without attracting the notice of government. The allowance to an European missionary, in the interior, is about one hundred and forty dollars a year ; considerable sums are, however, required for travelling expenses — for ensuring secrecy — for supporting the poor — and for carrying on the other business of the mission : and a commercial gentle- man, connected with Canton, informed the author, that the different superiors of the missions, in Macao, negoti- ate bills on Europe, to the amount of . f 40,000 annually. The character of the first Catholic missionaries, may be partly deduced from the preceding sketch of their history. In referring to their labours, Ur. Milne re- marks, *' The learning, personal virtues, and ardent zeal of some of them, deser\'e to be imitated by all future mis- sionaries ; will be equalled by few, and, perhaps, rarely exceeded by any. Their steadfastness and triumph in the midst of persecutions, even to blood and death, in all imaginable forms, shew that the questionable Chris- tianity which they taught, is to be ascribed to the effect of education, not design ; and afford goml rt»ason to believe, that they have long since joined the army of martyrs, and are now wearing the crown of those who s|)aR'd not their lives unto the death, but overcame by

248 NATURE OF THEIR WRITINGS.

the blood of the Lamb, and the word of his testimonj. It is not to be doubted that many sinners, were, through their labours, turned from sin to holiness ; and they will finally have due praise from God, as fellow-workers in his kingdom."

Some idea of their doctrines may be gathered from the books which they have published in the Chinese language. Many of these are written in a lucid and elegant style, and discuss the points at issue, between Christians and Confucians, in a masterly and conclu- sive manner. 'Hieir doctrinal and devotional works are clear, on the trinity and the incarnation ; while the perfections of the deity, the corruption of human nature, and redemption by Christ, are fully stated; and though some unscriptural notions are now and then introduced, yet, all tilings considered, it is quite possible for humble and patient learners to discover, by such teaching, their sinfnl condition, and trace out the way of salvation through a Redeemer. It must not be forgotten, also, that (he catholics translated the major part of the New Testament into Chinese ; and though there is no evidence of this having been published, yet large portions of the Gospels and Epistles were in- sei-ted in the lessons, printed for the use of the congre- gations. As it regards the sciences, the Catholics have done much to develope them to the Chinese ; and a native, who had been instructed by them, lately pub- lished a treatise on astronomy and geography, which has been highly esteemed and widely circulated.

The Homish missionaries have not been remiss Id preparing works, for the elucidation of the Chinese language to Europeans. A manuscript I-atin and Chi* neso dictionary has long existed, while the work of

STATE OF THEIR COMMUNITIES. 249

Premare, entitled ** Notitia Lingus Sinics," is above all praise. It embraces, within small compass, all that can be said on Chinese grammar ; while, others attempt^ ing to reduce it to European models, have failed.

The present race of adherents to the catholic mis- sions in China, whatever the original converts may have been, are, it is to be feared, sadly deficient, both in knowledge and practice. Deprived, for the most part, of intelligent instructors; left generally to the care of the native catechists, who are not much better than themselves ; and adopting the Christian profession mainly as the result of education or connection, it is hardly to be expected that they would excel, either in grace or zeal. The modem missionaries, in admitting members, merely require an outward profession, with- out insisting on a change of heart, or scarcely a reformation of life; the Scriptures are not placed in the hands of the people; religious ser\'ices are con- ducted in a language which the generality do not un- derstand ; ceremonies are frequent, and public preaching rare ; while, from the laxity of morals too common in their communities, we much fear, that the catholic converts, in the present day, are very little better than the surrounding heathen.

On the whole we may conclude, that the Romish missionaries, from first to last, have been rather soli- citous about the quantity, than the quality, of their success; while they have displayed a spirit of time- ser\'iiig compliance with the prejudices of the heathen, and failed to exhibit Christianity in its most inviting form to the nations. Had they succeeded in establish- ing their religion throughout China, we question whe- ther, from their known bigotry, thry would not have

250 REFLECTIONS.

presented insurmountable obstacles to the efforts of protestant labourers. If anything earthly could have contributed to success, they had certainly the fairest opportunity of realizing their object; the power of num- bers, the influence of wealth, the patronage of Chris- tian kings, the attractions of a showy worship, and high scientific attainments, all promised fair for the accomplishment of their design, ITiey have, however, partially failed; and, in their failure, read us a lesson, not to make flesh our arm, but to trust in the living God, who worketh all things according to the counsel of his own will. At the same time, we are not to be discouraged by their repulse : the laws whicheproscrilje them, do not necessarily affect us : some of their prac- tices, against which the Chinese excepted, we shall not imitate ; such as the celibacy of the clergy, and the cloistering of women ; the interference of a foreign potentate, with the authority of the emperor, will not he promoted by us ; the Scriptures will be made the standard of judgment, and reason and conscience alone appealed to. Instead of beginning from the top of society, we propose commencing from the bottom: and aim to influence, first, the extremities, and then tb« heart of the empire. With the love of Christ for our motive, and the salvation of souls for our end ; employ- ing Christian benevolence, and Christian intelligence, as the means ; and depending simply and solely on God for his blessing, we hope and believe, that though slow, our work will be sure, and finally effectual.

CHAPTER X.

PROTESTANT MISSIONS TO CANTON.

MIHHION PBOJECTED— WANT OF INFORMATION — MORRISON APFOINTED^ RAILS FOR CANTON— MODE OF LIVING THERE— PIOUS BREATHINGS- EXTREME CAimON— MARRIAGE AND APIX)1NTMENT— REUGIOI'S SER. VICES— PRINTING COMMENCED— ADVERSE FJDICT— ARRIVAL OF MILNE

— VOYAGE TO JAVA — NEW TESTAMENT COMPLETED— BAITISM OP A CONVERT— GENESIS PRINTED — REMOVAL OF MILNE — EMBASSY TO PEKING- OLD TESTAMENT COMPLETED— CIIARACTKR OF THE TRANH- L.\TI ON — DICTIONARY FINISHED — MORRISON VISITS EN(JLAND— PRE- SENTED TO THE KING — RECEPTION BY THE SOCIETY — H ETC RN8 TO CHINA — LABOURS OF A.FAII — HIS LETTER — BAPTISM OF TEEN CIIING

— A^ANG — AND CHCX) TSING — DEATH OF MORRISON — PERSECUTION OF AFAH — PROCLAMATION OF THE MAGISTRATE- AFAH'S ACCOUNT- CONCLUSION.

From the era of the reformation to the commencement of the present century, protestant Christians attempted nothing for the evangelization of China. A work of such magnitude, called for a variety of talent and a length of labour, which could not have been supplied by individuals ; and the energies of an associate bcnly were necessary to grapple with difficulties so vast, and to carry on operations so protracted.

ITie London Missionary iSociety, was the first pro- testant institution that considered the wants and claims of China. In the year 1805, the directors turned their thoughts towanl that empire, and came to a resohition to attempt a tninslation of the Holy Scriptures into the Chinese lanvyuage. The immense popuIati<m tifdiina.

252 MISSION I'llOJElTED.

and the deplorable darkness in which they were in- volved, led the fathers of the society to arrange a plan, for bringing the light of divine truth to shine upon the moral gloom; but they felt satisfied, that in order to do the work effectually, the individual undertaking it should be wfll grounded in evangelical doctrine, and thoroughly acquainted with the language of the country. Their views were at first directed to Penang. which being a free port, and having a colony of Chinese emi- grants settled on it, afforded a good opportunity for cultivating the language, and for labouring among the people. If a blessing should attend the design, native agents might be raised up, and the Gospel extended by their instnimentality into the heart of the celestial empire. As a collateral object, the Malay nations might be attended lo. aud religious tracts prepared and circu- lated, for their benefit. It is singular, that at that early period, the plan should have been suggested, which has in a great measure formed the ba.sis of the society's operations ever since. The scheme was, however, at that time, only in embryo; and little was done towards the accomplishment of the design.

The difficulties in the way, were great: and among the foremost was, the want of information. The country and its inhabitants were, in a great measure, unknown ; and though the Romish missionaries hatl sent home voluminous accounts of that region, yet their statements had not obtained much circulation, or credence with the British public. The wondering style in which some of them wrote, and the very wonderful things they related, — unsupported by the collateral evidence of our own countrymen, led many to doubt their judgment, and some their veracity ; so that tlu-ir accounts made but

Mi ^ha^Hltol^HHkBB^H^-^

MORRISON APPOINTED 253

little impression. The gentlemen connected with Lord Macartney's embassy, were none of them acquainted with the Chinese language ; and were therefore unable to add much to what the Jesuits had communicated. Indeed, many doubted, whether the native tongue ever could be attained by foreigners : not considering that the catholic mission to that country had been carried on for more than two hundred years; during which time, the language had not only been acquired, but many treatises on religion and science composed, which had been understood and esteemed by the natives.

In the year 1806, two missionaries, Messrs. Brown and Morrison, were appointed; and directed to turn their attention to the study of the language, assisted by Yong-sam-tak, a native of China, then in England. Some acquaintance with the mathematics, and with the medical art, was also thought necessary ; and, as age is venerable in China, it was judged adviseable to request Dr. Vanderkcmp, then in South Africa, to join his younger brethren, in this important undertaking. Mr. Brown, soon declined the mission ; and Dr. Vander^ kemp, '' could not feel it his duty to leave Africa, till God should call him out of it, as evidently as he had called him into it." Thus, the devoted Morrison was left to undertake the work alone ; and, considering his character and talents, it was wrll that tlie task of com- mencing so delicate and difficult an enteq)rize devolved on so pious, persevering, and prudent a labourer. '' His talents," says Dr. Milne, '* were rather of the solid than the showy kind ; fitted more for continued labour, than to astonish by sudden bursts of genius ; and his well- known caution fitted him for a station, where one false

254 LEAVES ENGLAND.

step, at the beguming, might have delayed the vork for ages."

About this time, it was discovered that there existed in the British Museum, a Harmony of the Gospels and the Pauline Epistles, translated into Chinese, by some cathoUc missionary ; this assisted the young student in acquiring the language, and was of some service, in preparing his subsequent translations. A manuscript Latin and Chinese dictionary was, likewise, obtained, from the Royal Asiatic Society ; and thus every facility afforded for the prosecution of the undertaking.

Whilst these movements were going on in Kngland, a simultaneous effort was made, in Bengal, for the attainment of the same object. Mr. Johannes Lassar, an Armenian gentleman, bom and educated in Macao, had been appointed professor of the Chinese language, in the college of Fort William, in Calcutta, and en- gaged in the preparation of a version of the Scriptures from the Armenian into the Chinese. This production was distinguished more for its native style, than for its accuracy ; indeed, it was hardly to be expected, that a person, ignorant of the original Scriptures, and desti- tute of biblical learning, should be able to produce a version, at once faithful and idiomatic.

In the month of January. 1807, Mr. Morrison was Bent forth, not to Penang, as was at first intended, but to Canton, by way of America. In the instructions af- forded him, the directors expressed their satisfaction at the zeal he had displayed in acquiring the rudiments of the language, and ventured to hope, that he would suc- ceed better under suiiorior advantages. They suggested, that he might mnke himself useful, as a mathematiciao.

ARRIVES IN CHINA. 255

and a teacher of English, whilst employed in acquiring the Chinese tongue ; after which it was intended, that he should form a dictionary, and attempt a translation of the sacred Scriptures.

On his arrival at New York, our missionary soon found a vessel proceeding to Canton. During his short residence in the United States, however, the object he had in view, so recommended itself to Mr. Maddison, American Secretary of State, that that gentleman gave him a letter of introduction to the then consul at Can- ton, which afterwards proved of great service to him.

He arrived in China, September the 4th, 1807, and had no sooner landed in Macao, than his object was discovered by the Romish clergy. Proceeding to Can- ton, he lived in a lower room, in a very retired and economical manner. A lamp of earthenware afforded him light, screened by a volume of Matthew Henry. He adopted the dress and manners of the natives ; allowing his nails and hair to grow, eating with the chopsticks, and walking about the factory in thick Chi- nese shoes. In this, as he afterwards acknowledged, he meant well, but he judged ill ; for, in the first place, the confinement and hard fare injured his health ; then, his singular habits deprived him of the associations of his countrjmen ; and lastly, his intercourse with the natives was hindered rather than promoted by it. Had he been residing entirely among the Chinese, far sepa- rated from Europeans, the adoption of the native cos- tume might have prevented immediate observation, and conduced to j)ermanent settlement ; but in Canton, where there is a marked difference between the Chi- nese and Euro|)eans, the attempt to unite such opposite classes, only exciteil the animadversions and suspicions

25G PIOLS liREATIIlNGfi.

of both. The catholics, in Macao, clress all their priests and catechists in the European costume, which is a sort of protection against native interference ; but when they send agents into the interior, they clothe them after the Chinese fashion, in order to avoid the gaze of the populace, and the annoyance of the pohce.

Mr. Morrison, however, soon altered his opinion and his practice ; he thought it wise not to distinguish him- self from other foreigners, and therefore hired a factory, which was more convenient and conducive to health. He was now introduced by Sir George Staimton to Mr. Roberts, the chief of the Company's factory at Canton, who greatly furthered his views. Mr. R„ on his death-bed, advised our missionary to avow his in- tention of translating the scriptures, on the ground that it was a book which Christians highly esteemed, while the acceptance or rejection of the work would still rest with the Chinese.

His letters and journals of this period breathe a moBt delightful spirit of ardent piety, and persevering zeal; and we make uo apology for alTonling our readers a slight specimen : —

" Allow me, in the fulneBit of my heart, to say, (iiat on a review of what the Lord's people have dune for this diBtant loiid, I am orer- come with the mosl graterul emotions. 1 wii pulerul to you, dew brethren, on betisJf of the heathen ; but my rei<ard rises to ray Lord, and yimr Lord. It waa Jesus, who on Calvarj' di.d upon Ihe cross, that put it into your hearts, and I trust into the heart of yuur ^bli* sinful brother, who filla this page, to pity the nations. TIte spbit of Jesus moved on the face of the church, and excited the present con* ccm for perishing millioDs. Tlie same spirit must continue lo operate, or the effort will decline to cold indifference. Allusions to self are here misuitahtc ; bnt permit me, in the siniplicily of my huari, to r«<]ucBt of you, with much affection, frequent supplications in behnlf of him, who, in his voluntiuy exile to Ihe land of Sinim. uw

EXTREME CAUTION. 257

neurelj liear up under the multiplicity of cares and duties which devolve upon him.

"* But the voice of thanksgiving, not of complaint, should be ours. Hitherto tlu! Ixird hath hcli>ed uh. He has done great things for us, whereof we are plad. We take not in the wide range of liis bene- fits, wliich exceed the kc^n of angels, but we H])eak of his gracious countenance afforded the mission to China. Your nussionary sits here to-da}', on tlie contines of the empire, learning the language of the heathen; and woukl gu onward, believing that it is the cause of Him. who ran and will overturn ever}' mountainous difficulty, that may oppose the progress of the fflorious Gospel/*

Well might the directors say, on jwruKing these com- munications, "The spirit of perseverance, fortitude, diligence, and fervent piety, manifested by our mis- sionary^ aflfonls us great satisfaction ; and we trust is a happy presage of the accomplishment of that great work to which he is devoted."

In 1808, a misunderstanding between the British and Chinese authorities, compelled Mr. Morrison, with all other Knglishmen, to repair to Macao. Here he was employed in studying the Mandarin and C-anton dialects. His helps were imperfect, and his progress unequal to his labour ; but he plodded on, even offering up his secret prayers in (Chinese, that he might become more accustomed to the language. Many civilities were received, but he seldom went abroad. The first time he ventured out in Macao, was on a moonlight night, undrr an escort of two Chinese. There was, inde4Hl. great need of caution : as he had to guanl against the jraloiisit'S of the diinese govrrnment on the one hand, and the l)igotry of tht* catholic pri(*stho(Hl. on the the otlu-r: while it was cciually necessary to secure the go<Kl opinion of the British authorities, as they had the jKiwer of de])ortati(m. whenever they ju<lged his pre-

s

258

MAHBIAOF. AND APPOINTMENT.

sence in China imneccssaty or improper. As Dr: Milne haa justly ohserveil, " The patience that refusnu to he conqnered, the diligence that never tires, tlie caution that always trembles, and the studious habit that spontaneously seeks retirement, were best adapted' for the first protestant missionary to China."

In the close of 1808, Mr. Morrison was married to Miss Morton, daughter of John Morton, Esq., then on a visit to Macao ; and on the same day. received aa appointment as translator to the Company's factory ai Canton, on a salary which rendered him indejx'ndcnt of the society's funds. On the news of this appoint* ment reaching England, many thought that Mr. M.'ft attention had been diverted from the primarj' object of his mission; and while fhey rejoiced in the relief afforded to the funds of the institution, they feared that a faithful labourer was thereby lost to the cause. This was, however, by no means the case. One of the olijects for which Mr. M. left his native land, vix. the acquisition of the Chinese language, and the prepare tion of a dictionary, could be better secured in the service of the Company, that in that of the society; while sufficient leisure was left for evangelizing the heathen.

Though preaching was not the main olyeot of hia mission, yet Mr. M. could not be satisfied without communicating religious truth orally to the natives. As this could not be done openly, he endeavoured to effect it by holding secret meetings, with a few natives, in his own room ; where, with locked doors, he read and explained the Gosjjels, every Sabbath day. Such services, though not suflicient to gratify the ardent missionary, who longs to address his listening ihoil'

COMMENCES PRINTING. 259

sands, might yet be owned and blessed of God, to the awakening of a few ; and these few might influence others, until with ever enlarging, and still increasing circles, the movement might spread, till it affected the whole surface of society.

This year a grammar was prepared for the press, and the manuscript of the New Testament was partly fit to lie printed ; but the publication of both were deferred, till a more extensive knowledge of the language should inspire the missionary with more confidence in his productions.

In 1810, Mr. Morrison, having satisfied himself that Che Acts fd the Apostles, brought out with him, would, if amended and revised, be useful, made an effort to get it printed. The expense was great, amounting to about half-a-crown per copy ; which was about ten times as much as ought to have been charged for this busi- ness. But the book was ranked among prohibited works; and the printers, having to run some risk in get^ ting it through the press, took advantage of this cir- cumstance, and charged accordingly. On presenting a copy of the Acts to the Bible Society, the committee of that institution were pleased to vote Mr. Morrison the sum of five hundred pounds, to aid in promoting the circulation of the Chinese scriptures.

In 1811, Mr. M. transmitted his Chinese grammar to Bengal, for the purpose of being printed ; but the publication was delayed till the year 1815, when it was printed at Serampore, at the expense of the East India Company.

In the same year a small tract on redemption was drawn up by Mr. Morrison, which has been widely circulated, and highly esteemed. The Assembly s

s2

ADVERSE EDICT.

shorter catechism was also rendered into Chinese ; but being a translation, it was necessarily more stiff and unidiomatie than the former. It was used, however, in the mission schools, and has been of some ser\ice is training catechumens in the knowledge of Christianity.

In 1812, the Gospel of Luke was printed in Chinese, which having been presented to the Bible Society, a second donation of five hundred pounds was made. About the same time, the missionaries at Serampore printed the Gospels of Matthew and Mark, to which that of John was afterwards added, encouraged by grants of the Bible Society.

About this period, the Chinese government puln- lished an edict against Christianity, whereby printing religious books, and preaching tlie Gospel, were made capital offences. The Komish missionaries at Peking were silenced, and some of them imprisoned, till they could be transported to Eurojje. Mr, Morrison, how- ever, proceeded in his work undismayed, resolved to persevere in spite of imperial decress, though careful not to invite the notice of government. The directors of the missionary society, as little discouraged as their agent, sent out the same year Mr. Milne, to the aid of Mr. Morrison, who proved a very acceptable fellow- labourer.

In the month of July, 1813. Mr. Milne reached Macao; but was ordered, at the instigation of the HomiBh clergy, to quit the settlement within ten days. Having no resource, he proceeded to (,'anton, where he itpent five months in studying the language ; and at the close of the season, set sail for Java, with a large cargo of New Testaments and tracts, which wure just reiidy for distribution, 'nnis the Iiigotry of the catholics turned

^

^

MILNKS JOURNEY TO JAVA. 261

out rather to the furtherance of the Gospel. The go- vernment of Macao have smce become more liberal, and it is not likely that protestant missionaries will again be disturbed in their residence there.

Mr. Milne was furnished for his journey through the Archipelago with two thousand Testaments, ten thou- sand tracts, and five thousand catechisms; which, con- sidering the jealousy of the Chinese government, were carried through the press without much difficulty. Having committed to memory Dr. Morrison s dialogues, and transcribed his grammar, Mr. Milne set out on this important tour. He touched at Banca, where many books were distributed; and on the tenth of March arrived in Batavia. The Hon. Sir Stamford Raffles, lieutenant^ovemor of Java, furnished him with the means of travelling, at the expense of government, over the whole island; whereby abundant opportunities were afforded for distributing books, and great interest ex- cited amongst the Chinese settlers. During the course of his journey, he printed about eighteen hundred copies of the first chapter of Genesis, with three hundred tracts, and a thousand hand-bills ; the latter his own composition.

In the mean time, Mr. Morrison continued his unob- trusive labours in Canton, expounding the Scriptures, and praying with his domestics. Some of whom aj)- peared to profit by the won!, and expressed a desire to be l>aptized.

On announcing the completion of the C-hinese New Testament to the Bible Society, Mr. Morrison writes, Jarnmn' 11, 1811 : —

" I U'lr to inforin tin* MM-irty, tliat \\\v tran>«lation tA' tlw Ni u IVs- fani'^tit into ('hin«*»*r, lm*» lirni roinpli'tiMi. ni\*\ I honrU r\|MNt thr

262 NKW TKSTAMENT COMl'LETED.

laft sheet from the press. Allow me to notice, that I give Una !■> the world, not as a perfect translation. That some senlencen obscure, and that some might be better rendered, I suppose to be matter of course in every translation made by a foreigner. I Iuito done my best; it only remains that I commit it by prayer t« Difing blessing. The Gospels, the closing epistles, and the book of Revelations, are entirely ray own translating. The middle pwt of llie volume is founded on the work of some unknown iudividuat, whotie pious labours were deposited in the British Muucuin. I lo»k the liberty of altering and supplying what appeared to me reijuisitp' and I feel great pleasure in rccordin;; the beneSt which I first de* rived from the labours of my unknown predecessor."

During this year, the East India Company, fully impressed with a sense of the value of the dictionary compiled liy Mr. Morrison, sent out an ex]>erienced printer, with the necessary apparatus, to carry the work through the press. Much thfficulty was at first ex- perienced in getting the Chinese characters engraved, hut hy the talent and perseverance of Mr. P. P. Thorns, these difficulties were overcome, and the work made encouraging progress.

In 1814, a small tract was drawn up by Mr. Mor- rison, on Old Testament History, with a Chinese hymn book; another edition of the New Testament was also publishetl, in the 12rao. form. The engraving of tho idocks cost five humlred dollars, or eleven-pence for every hundred characters; and the printing and I)indmg' were done at half a dollar each copy. The Committer of the Ui))le Society, on receiving the first complete copy of the Chinese New Testament, voted the sum of one thousand [wunds, towards furthering the under- taking. This year, the missionaries were encouraged by the baptism of the first Chinese couvert. His nain» was Tsae A«ko. agixl Iwcuty-seven, who, after icmg

P1R8T CONVERT BAPTIZED. 263

instruction and trial, came forward, and confessed his faith in the Lord Jesus, in the following terms : —

** Jesus making atonement for us, is the blessed sound. Language mad tbou^t, are both inadequate to exhaust the gracious and admir- mble goodness of Jesus. I now believe in him, and rely on his merits for the remission of sins. I have many defects, and without faith in Jesus, should be eternally miserable. Now, that we have heard of the fcH^vcness of sins, through Jesus, we ought with all our hearts, to rely on his goodness. When I reflect, and question myself, I perceive that, from childhood till now, I have had no strength — no merit — DO learning. Hitherto, I have done nothing to answer to the goodness oi God, in giving mc existence in the world, as a human being. I have not recompensed the kindness of my parents, my rela- tioni*, my friends. Shall I repine f Shall I hope in my good decdn f No. I entirely cast myself upon Jesus, for the remission of sins, and pray to God to confer upon me his Holy Spirit.**

Dr. Morrison^s account of him, is as follows : —

^^ When Tmu! A-ko first came to nie, ho did not well understand what I meant. Three years afterwards, when I could speak better, he comprehended a little more ; and being employed in superintending the printing of the New Testament, he began to see that the merits of Jesus were sufficient for the sal^-ation of all mankind, and hence believed in him. His natural temper was not good, and I thought it better that he should retire from my 8er\ice. He continuetl, how- ever, to come and worship with us on sabbath days. He prayetl ear- nestly, and read our Christian 1x>oks ; from the perusal of which he became convinced of his errors, saw tliat liis nature was evil, and tliat he had not fulfilled his duty to \m friends and brutlut^n. His kiiuw- leiltfe is, of course, limited ; but, I hope tliat liis faith is siiiciTc. Takhig llie condurt of Philip, then'fi»n», for my guide, at a sprinij of water, issuing from the foot of a l(»f\y hill, by tlie sea si<h\ away fnun human observation, I baptiziMl, in the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, Tsae A-ko, wliose character and confession ha\e In-en above gi\en. May In? Ik* the tirst fruits i>f a great harvest : one of million^, who shall iM-lifve, and Iw saved fnmi the wnith to <-oiiir.'*

Tsae A-ko adhered to the profession of the (lospcl, until his death, which t(X)k place in 18lH. He died of

264

GENESlti ANU PSALMS PRINTED.

a consumption ; but having been removed to a distance from his instructor, there was no means of ascertaining bis actual state of mind, whilst exchanging worlds.

During the winter of this year, the sum of one thou- sand dollars was paid to Mr. Morrison, by the exe- cutors of the late W. Parry, Esq. for the purpose of diffusing the knowledge of our holy religion ; the prin-^ cipal part was appropriated to the printing of the New Testament.

in 1815. the book of Genesis, and the Psalms of David, were printed ; and the Bible Society assisted ' the work, by a further grant of one thousand pounds. The missionaries at Serampore were, also, encourageA by grants, in aid of their translations.

Fimling that the public preaching of the Gospel, and free intercourse with the natives, were difficult in China, Mr. Milne suggested the propriety of establish^ tng a mission in the Malayan archipelago, where noi restrictions would be lad upon missionary exertions, and where pious young men might be trained for futun labour. He accordingly removed to Malacca, and c menced the mission there.

During the summer of 1815, the indiscretion of & native, who was engaged in cutting metal types for tbot dictionary, attracted the attention of the local govenw ment ; and the person, in whose possession the hlocksf of the 'New Testament were, fearing lest he might ho involved, suddenly destroyed the chief part of themr which cost the mission five hundred dollars to repair.

In the year 1816, another grant of one thousand' I»ounds was received from the Bible Society, towardac the printing of the Scriptures ; and grants of three a four liundred pounds from the Tract Society, for I

EMBASSY TO PEKING. 265

purpose of printing religious tracts, in the Chinese lan- guage. A few friends, in America, likewise contri- buted four hundred pounds.

On the 7th of July, 1816, Mr. Morrison accompa- nied Lord Amherst, to Peking. They arrived at the capital, on the 14th of August, and the ambassador having refused to perform the ceremony of prostration before the emperor, they returned, by land, to Canton. Considerable information was acquired by this tour, both of the various provinces, and of the different dia- lects spoken in them.

In the year 1817, the Senatus Academicus of the University of Glasgow, conferred upon Mr. Morrison, the degree of doctor in divinity.

This year. Dr. Morrison published *' A view of China, for Philological Purposes,** in English; and a trans- lation of the ^^ Morning and Evening Prayers of the CTiurch of England,*" in Chinese. At the same time. Dr. Morrison and Mr. Milne arranged between them, the |K>rtion each should take of the translation of the Old Testament ; Dr. M. choosing the Pentateuch, with the Psalms and Prophetical Books, while the rest de- volved on Mr. Milne. Considerable portions of both these divisions were, however, already prepared. This year, also, the Bible Society granted another thousand pounds, for the printing of the Chinese Scriptures.

During the year 1818, the direct labours of Dr. Mor- rison, to diffuse the blessings of Christianity in China, were confined to the narrow sphere of his own house- hold, and a few others, who came to hear him, with closed doors. The earnestness with which he pn)se- cute<l his sedentary labours, in the compilation of the dictionary, and the further translation of the Scriptures,

COMl'LETION OF THE IIIBLE.

greatly encroached on his general health, and he began to euffLT from severe attacks of indisposition.

In 1818, Dr. Morrison's health revived; the Chinese dictionary was in a state of forwardness, and the alpha- hetic portion hrought to a conclusion. A few natives continued their attendance on his ministry, who mani- fested attention and reverence. In the month of No- vember of this year, the translation of the Bible was completed by Morrison and Milne, and another thou* sand pounds was granted by the Bible Society. In reference to the principles and character of his trans- lation, Dr. Morrison writes :^

" By Ihe mercy of God, lui entire vereion of Ibe Scriptures, into ChincBe, has heeu bruught lo a concluBion. Mr. Milnt; Ininslated Job, mill the histurical bookn ; the re»t of the Old Testament, wa« wholly ray own trnnalalion. Of the New, I tnuiHlated iJie four Go8i>cla, and from Hebrews, ta the end. The other books of the New Testament, I e(lit«d, with such alterations, as in my eoniicience, and with IJk dL'grce of kuowlctl)^ of the Chinese lon^agc which I tlien poaeeascdi I thought necesBory.

" I always staled, explicitly, that the Chinese mnnuBcript, in tbc British Museum, a copy of which I procured, wim the foumtotlon vt the New Testament in Chinese, which I completed and edited.

" As to opinbns which nutivcs may give of the work, the following things should also be considered. Chinn possi'ssee much ancient lite- rature, which liaM, for many centuries, been Ihe constimt study of the learned, who have wrought up tlie language to a hi^ degree of ele- gant conciseness and classical allueian. In consequence of this, \}tej are extremely fastidious in respect of style, and loathe whatevor in not classical Chinese. The " rulgar talk " of the Chinese, which the lite- rati despise, does not mean, " low vulgar expression s," but common language, in distinction from an elevated, classical, anil recondite atyk, intelligible only to persons of education. The learned uf China think, that every respectable book ought to be written in a sort of Latin, not In the vulgar tongue. Choo-foo-tsic, indeed, deiMrted fnim thia pmclicc, in hi" l*hiIosophicnl Essays ; for new idoa« caimot be cum- municatrd no well, a* h\- the simplest langungiv To put ihc hook of j

CHARACTER OP THE TRANSLATION. 267

God into tiich a language, either out of compliment to the learned, or to exhibit one*8 own claMical attainments, seems to be acting over again the usage of the Egyptian priests, who expressed their doctrines by hierogl}'phics, intelligible only to the initiated : or as other priests did, in the Rhemish translation, who introduced so many difficult expres- siona, that they contrived to render it unintelligible to the common people.*

** The duty of a translator is, first, to comprehend the sense, and feel the spirit of the original; and then, to express it faithfully, perspi- cuously, idiomatically, and, if he can, elegantly. For the first, a Chris- tian student will be more competent than a heathen translator ; for the second, one who translates into his mother tongue, will excel. I think the first to be of most importance ; for, no elegance of compo- »itton can atone for a miHuiiderstanding of the meaning; whereas uncouthness in style, destroys not the nense. By thin, I mean, that a Irfw pure and idiomatic tnuiBlation, made by a Christian nussionar}', is better than a translation made by the most accomplished pagan scholar. Any of the Chinese, I have ever seen, would slur the work over in any way, or afiect to amend the senne of tlie original, when it did not comport with their previous opinions.

*' In my translation, I have studied fidelity^ persjncuity^ and gim- jfilcity : I have preferred common words to clasnical ones ; and would rather be deemed inelegant, than hard to bo understood. To the task I have brought patient endurance of labour and seclusion from society, a calm and unprejudiced judgment, and, I hope, an accurate mode of thinking, with a reverential sense of the awful rei<poii8ibility of misre- presenting God*s wonl.

** I have made no departure, in any senBible degree, from the senile (»f the English version ; and have not affected to make a new trans- /ittion^ or an improred tfrrsion, inunediately and nolely, from the <irigiua].**

In the summer of 1820, Dr. Morrison opened a dis- pensary for the ('hinese poor, at Macao, which was gratuitously attended l)y Dr. Livingstone, till the close of the season. It became very popuhm l)Ut time and funds were intulequate to its continuance. Dr. M. also

• Scf D'Oyly Mid Maiil'b lUhU-

268

I)1CT10NAH\ I-IMSIIED.

delivered a lecture, in English, every Sabbath ditf, while a course of theological instruction was kept up with the few natives who attended.

In 1821, Dr. Morrison was suddenly deprived of his first wife, by the cholera ; she departed in the assured hope of reaching the haven of eternal rest. In addi- tion to his domestic afiiiction. Dr. M. was much con* cerued at the small effect jiroduced by his labours, for with the exception of one or two, all remamed dark.

In the beginning of 1822, a dispute occurred between the Chinese and P^nglish, when the gentlemen of the factory were obliged to remove. On this occason. Dr. Morrison's acquaintance with the Chinese language, was of considerable importance, and tended much to the pacification which afterwards took place.

The same year, Ur. Morrison brought his Chinese dictionary to a close, which has been printed by the Kast India Company, at the expense of ^15,000. By this means, valuable facilities are furnished for the use of English students, in attaining a most difficult lan- guage, spoken by a people comprising one-third of the popiJation of the globe. His own studies, however, were prosecuted with few of those helps ; hence, a much larger portion of time was occupied, by him, in thfr acqiusition of tlie language, than will be necessary (at future labourers.

In the beginning of 1823, Dr. Morrison arrived at Malacca, where he found the missionaries in tolei^ able health; but sighed for his faithful fellow-servant,, William Milne, who. though short the number of his years, lived much in a little time. He expressed him* self highly satisfied with the college house and library

MORRISON VISITS ENGLAND. 269

the printers, unawed by mandarins, printing the word of God ; and the Chinese youths singing, in their own language, the hi^ praises of Jehovah.

On the twentieth of March, 1824, Dr. Morrison arrived in England, and the following month was in- troduced at court by Sir George Staunton, Bart., and presented to the king by the president of the board of controul. Dr. M. laid before his majesty a copy of the Chinese scriptures, and an account of the Anglo-Chi- nese college ; when his majesty was pleased to convey, through the medium of the secretary of state, the ex- pression of his marked approbation of that gentleman's distinguished and useful labours.

At the public meeting of the society the same year, Dr. Morrison presented a copy of the sacred scriptures in Chinese, and of his English and Chinese dictionary ; which were received with the warmest expressions of satisfaction; when a resolution was passed to the following effect : —

** Thmt thi« meeting contemplates with Bacn»d delij^ht, the complc- tiofi of a translation of the Holy ScriptureH into the C'hinesc langua^^, hy Dtk. Mcrriiicm and Milne; andeonsiders thin event a most powerful cadi upon the Christian world to promote, by ever}* practical method, the <iiffu«ion of the Di\inc treasure now provided, and the accom- plishment of the general puriH>ses of the mission, lon^ t^tahlishod for that extensive and interesting coxintrj/'

On seconding this motion, Mr. Butterworth said, that '* nearly twenty years before, when passing through the British Museum, he had ol)servod a young man poring over some Chinese manuscripts, and supposed it would prove a waste of time, considering the language of China almost unattainable ; but now the tal)le is loaded with his honourable labours, and the Christian world

27U HETURNS TO CHINA.

is deeply imbbtoi to him." At this jmniversarj- another thousand pounds was given Iiy the Hihle Society,

Before he left China, Dr. Morrison ordained Lt^ng AfSh, converted through the instrumentality of Dr. Milne, to the work of anevangelist ; and thus sanctioned hia endeavours to promote Christianity among }m countrymen in China.

During the following year. Dr. M. endeavoured to promote the cultivation of Chinese literature io thie country, by fonning a language institution, in aid of the propagation of Christianity ; designed to atTord mifr sionaricB of every class the facilities for acquiring the rudiments of the native language, before proceeding to their stations. A few students commenced the studhf of Chiuese on this principle.

In the month of May, 1826, Dr. Morrison, having been prenously united in marriage to Miss Armstrong, of Liverpool, embarked on board the Orwell, for China, to devote himself again to the evangelization of that country ; and on the nineteenth of September, arrived safe at Macao.

During Dr. Morrison's absence, Leang Af&h com- posed a small volume in Chinese, explanatory of the epistle to tlie Hebrews, of which Dr. M. spoke favour- alile : also an essay on the Christian religion ; in which he pointed out the necessity of a Sanour ; and directed liis countrymen to the Bible, which had been translated for their use. He also drew up an account of his ex- perience, which has since been printed.

Of AfSh's conversations with his countrymen, the following is a specimen. Af^h, whilst in a [tassage boat, was reading the GoBi>el of Mark, when a fellow paBsenger cast his e.yes on the expression " till the Soo

APAH*8 CONVERSATIONS. 271

of Man 1)6 risen from the dead," and asked what it meant *i Af fth told him of the death and resurrection of Jesus, to make atonement for sin, confessed his own foith, and preached to him the Gospel, Speaking of the miracles of Jesus, the man ask^ him, if he had seen them "? His answer was, " No : but they are re- lated in the Sacred Books." " Have you never read," said his opponent, '^ what M&ng-tsze has said, ^ It would Ik* better to have no books, than to believe every book T although the western nations believe these writings, it is not necessary for us to credit them." To this Af &h replied, ^^ that he believed the things recorded in the Bible, because he felt that he was a sinner, and that without a Saviour, he could not esca})e punishment." Then, quoting M^ng-tsze again, he said, ^^ A good man may be deceived by a distorted representation of facts, but cannot be deluded so as to believe things absolutely absurd."

Another conversation occurred with a literary gra- duate, who, taking up a volume, read in the epistles for an hour ; when being asked his opinion, he said, ''Some |)art8 are easily understood; in some sentences there is an inverted collocation of wokIs ; and there are para- graphs of which I cannot understand the subject spoken of." To this Af ah replied, " This book, being translated by persons from the western world, contains expres- sions, that are a little nigged. In some parts, foreign customs and allusions are introduced, and therefore those i>assages are diilicult to l)c understood.'' The man then expressed the desirableness of notes, to ex- plain ancient usages and aHusions ; "' othenvise," said he, ** the book is liable to l)e despised."

During the summer of 1827. Dr. Morrison |K*rformed

AFAll S LETTER.

public worship, once every sabbath day. Leang AfHH was with him all that time, reading the Scriptures, and hearing them explained. Afah drew up a para- phrase on the Romans; and Dr. Morrison com|>osed two volumes, introductory to the reading of the Scriiv lures, in Chinese.

Leang Af5h lamented, with tears, his want of succesa in converting souls to Christ, and resolved to write short tracts, and put them into people's hands, as the" most practicable method of disseminating divine truth.

In a letter to the directors, he thus expresses him-' self:—

" I thank the Lord for hia wondrouB mercj-, in converting my -who)* faiaiJ}'. Having been made a partaker of tiiis ptal grace, my chief happiness consists in obeying thL- precepts of the Lortt, and in loving others as myself; the greatest expression of which is to leach them la know the true God, and the grncu of our Lord Jesus, in re<le(-miiig the world. The men of my eountry are bigotted lo the wonthip of idol«, ignonrnt of tliu true Qi>d, and of the preciutieness of the soul hence, my heart is sdrred up to leani the Iruc way, that 1 may trach it to thera, and thus, no! render nugatory llie grai:e of God, in pre- serving me, and providing a salvation for all mankind.

" I have a partial knowledge of the gosjicl, but the field of eaquliy' is unlimited; the more thought that is bestowed ui>on it, the profound it appearN. I therefore entreat the Lord, by liia Holy Spirit, to open the perceptions of my mind, if perhaps 1 may learn the art of' repressing paesion, diminishing exccssef, eorrecling self, and ail nishinf^ others.

" But, although leanung the principles be easy, carrying them practice is difficult; tlierefore, I entreat all the itachera, in ] honoured country, to pray for ine, a simple diaciple, that the Lo(4! may increase my knowledge, and help me to instruct others.

" But the people of the middle country (China) are dtviilcd many sectii, and prido occnpieo their hearts ; so tint llwtr convereiou will not, I fear, be accomplished. 1 con only study lim' Irutli, praclice il, and *et an cMjnplf. that will move men's heuti, praying the Mi»i High I^jrd In coiiverl tli(-m. The Chii

BAPTISM OP KEU-TEEN-CHING. 273

glued fitft to ten thousand forms of idols : the root is deep^ and Uie stem strong; to endicmte it suddentyy will not be easy. Therefore, I hope, that all believers in the Lord Jesus, in your honoured countr}', wfll increase in benevolence, till all nations become one family, and the Gofcpel be ^>read throughout the whole world.

In the beginning of 1828, a Chinese convert was bap- tixed by Leang Af^h; his name was Keu Teen-ching; a young man, brought up to the learned profession, re- siding in a country village, about eighty miles from Canton. Af^ s letter to Dr. Morrison, contains the following account of his baptism : —

*' On the fourth day of the present month, being the day of wor- nhip, Keu TBen-ching received the rite of baptism, and entered into the family oi God. He and I dwell in a small house, where with united heartK we study the true doctrine. We are desirous of writing a catechism of the truth, for the use of children ; and propose opening a chanty school. Next full moon we intend to begin.**

We subjoin a letter from the convert to Dr. Morrison : —

'* T*he moral disease of man in this world, is ignorance of his true condition^ and too great a compliance with the customs of the world. During the last few months, I have fallen in witli my religious eldiT l>roiher, and have been with him morning niul evening, listening to the truth. lie says, Uie great source of tnith is from heaven ; that ancient doctrines, though diverjring through many rhannels, all revert to one God. On hearint; this, I was suddenly awakenetl, and beirm to think of my former sins, stains, and )>ollntions ; I desinnl to seek the gate of pardon, and knew not the way thither. IIap]>i]y I found Uie hand of my relii;ious brother j>ointing the way. He sai<l, * Uiuugh your sins Ik.* as lu*avy as the in^*at mountains, if you truly rep'nt, reform, and tnist in Jesus, the sa\iour of the world, you will obtain the ohlitenition of all your sins, and aei^uire (>verla>tinir life.* I tberefon* ]>oured out my heart, reverently lH'lie\((l, and re("ei\etl the rit' <»f baptism, to eh'aiiM- away the tilth of bin ; hopinir for the i^ice «>f iIm' Holy Spii'it, to implant in my heart a riMit of hoiineN*., and aM«i^t UM' in lirint;in«r forth tht* fniit <if h«>ly \irtue«*."

T

274

HAPTISM OF AOANG.

Afah has recorded some of the conversations"! with his idolatrous countrymen in 1830. Ignorant amf atheistical objections were made by some, while others were deterred by the fear of man, from confessing Jesus. Afilh's father was so far softened, as to wor- ship Jehovah, though he continued to adore the id(^ of the country, nut venturing to think himself wiflfl than the emperor and his mandarins. ^

The same year, another Christian was added to the number, named Keith Agang, This man had been con- nected with the mission, as a printer, from its firtil establishment ; and during the lifetime of Dr. Milne, displayed some anxiety to become a Christian. He is remarkable for his honest simplicity, and firm attach- ment to the cause. In the beginning of 1830, he went to live with AfSh, and stutUed the truths of the Gospel, with a desire to improve. After prayer for the Spirit's aid, and grace to persevere to the end, Agang was baptized by AfSh ; and then went home, to exhort his wife to desist from worshipping false gods, and to trust in Jesus, for the remission of sins. When he knelt down to pray, she wondered that he did not use incense matches and crackers, after the manner of the Chinese ; and reproached him for worshipping the god of foreigners ; while she declared her determination to adhere to the religion of her forefathers. She com- plained to a neighbour^ that her husband had forsaken the gods of his own people, and refusid to eat things offered to idols. She proceeded even to rail him, and mock at his morning prayers, saying that Uiey brought her no luck, as it had rained for two days, while she

washing. ThiR summer, Afiih, accompanied l»y

of I

TRACTS OPENLY DISTRIBUTED. 275

new converts, went to Kaou-chow-foo, about one hun- dred and fifty miles W. S. W. of Canton, on the occa- sion of a literary examination. Here he distributed tracts throughout the city ; and posting himself in front of the examination hall, before the literary chancellor, supplied the students with books, to the number of seven hundred volumes.

In the year 1832, Dr. Morrison writes, ^^ I have been twenty-five years in China, and am now beginning to see the work prosper. By the press, we have been able to scatter knowledge, far and wide. Agang has l)een engaged with the lithographic press, and Af^h, in printing nine tracts, of his own composition; besides teaching his countrymen daily, three of whom he has baptized during the year."

The following year. Dr. Morrison laboured, with his assistants, Af&h and Agang, to scatter the word of life ; the former embracing the opportunity of distribut- ing tracts among the students, at the literary examina- tion. These candidates had repaired, to the provincial city, from a circuit of one hundred miles ; when Afiih, in the most public manner, presented them with religious books, which they received with avidity ; and many, after reading, came l)ack for more. AfSh's mind was made up for all consequences, and he felt excited to work, '* while it was called to-ilay." This year, 60,000 sheet tracts, chiefly selections from the Scriptures, were printed ; with 10,000 copies of prayers and hymns. Afah was occupied in circulating these, and printing more ; he, and his fellow disciples, having; had their spirits stirred to unusual boldness, in tract distribution. Thf rulers had not molested them, for which they thank- ed G(k1, and took courage. Dr. M. though nuich in-

T 2

27() CHINESE TEACHER HAPTIZEO.

disposed, continued the usual religious services ; while Mrs. M., and the children, embarked for England, for health and education.

A Chinese teacher, named Choo Tsing, who had been formerly employed in the college, at Malacca, returned, this year, to China. On the voyage, they fell in with a heavy gale, which carried away the masts, and caused the vessel to spring a leak. Every one ex- pected a watery grave, and while consternation spread through every hreast, the teacher lifted up his heart to heaven, and recollecting that he had heard the Gosix-1 preached, without giving his heart to its conlial re- ception, he determined, that, if God would forgive hiB sins, and save him from the impending calamity, he would spend his life, in obedience to his will. After a time, the storra abated, and they reached China in safety ; when the heathen began to collect money, to buy victims, incense, and candles, to offer in the idol temples. Choo Tsing refused to contribute to this object, but aided some shipwrecked sufferers, who stood in need of his charity. AJler his arrival at Can- ton, he was engaged in the service of the Company, and haWng been tried for some time, was baptized by Dr. Morrison. He then commenced reading the Scrij^- tures, and prayer in his family, at which his pagan wife laughed. He persevered, however, in this duty; and on Sundays, his neighbours joined him, when they had a service of au hour's length, with ten or a dozen persons to hear.

About this time, AfSh writes, —

" Scvpml ptrsonn Iibvr iilx-yi-d iht tnitli, nud ewiered iho cliurcb of die holy rulipinn. Then- ru* tipwanls nf ten of us, who with anu heart, wrvL- i)k l<<ird, nnil Iftan ihr ilm^tritirH nf ihc (nwpeL Bmy

DEATH OF MORRISON. 277

Habbath day, we assemble together to praise the Saviour, for the mighty grace of redemption. Hitherto, the Lord has protected us . no that we enjoy tranquillity ; therefore, I praise our heavenly Father for converting us by his grace. Further, I hope, that we may perse- vere in persuading men to serve the Lord ; and, finally, ascend to the heavenly regions, to praise the self-existent God, throu^out eternal ages."

In the beginning of 1834, A^, and one of his (Usciples made a short tour, to distribute books among the people in the country, which were generally well received. One schoolmaster requested copies of the Scripture lessons, for the use of his pupils in the school.

On the 1st of August, of the same year, the beloved Morrison was called away by death. He had been indisposed for some time ; but his removal, at last, was sudden. He had comj>osed, about forty days before his death, a sermon in English, from the first three verses of the fourteenth of John, which he entitled, " Heaven, the believer s home ;" but increasing debility prevented his preaching it. His ser\'ices in Chinese, with his domestics and dependents, were, however, continued to the close of his life. On the last of his earthly sabbaths, about a dozen were assembled in an upj)er room, for prayer. During the service, the Spirit of God seemed to be present. They sang the Redeemer s praises, in Chinese, with unusual ardour; and the vene- rable missionary, notwithstanding his extreme weak- ness, exhorted them, with affectionate warmth, to flee from the wrath to come. He declined soon afterwanls ; and on the 1st of August, his weakness and pain were extreme. They then prepared to send him to Macao, but it was his corpse only that went; for on that niufht, about ten o'clock, he peacefully fell asK-ep in Jesus.

Previous to his death. Dr. Morrison had received an

278

PERSECUTliJN ARISES.

appointment from the King, similar lo that whi™ had held under the Company : this new office he was allowed to hold only a few days, when he was called away, to fill a higher situation, conferred upon him by the King of kings, in the courts above. His esteemed son, Mr. J. H. Morrison, now occupies the post of trans- lator. In his last letter to the Directors, Dr. Morrison writes:

" 1 wait patiently, the events to be developed in the course omvine Providence. The Lord reigneth. If the kjn^otu of God our Stvioui prosper in China, all will be well : other matters are comparatircl)' of small imjiortance. May the Lord blcBs and prosper the London Mis- eiouary Society, and may we all be prepared for that day whicli is tut approaching. Farewell."

Thus he died, as he lived, full of the spirit of piety, and panting after the salvation of China.

Not a month after Dr. Morrison's death, a new cala- mity befel the mission. The devoted AfSh, anxious to raake the best of every opportunity, had, according to his previous practice, been engird in distributing books among the literary candidates at Canton ; and in order to this, took up his station in front of the exami- nation hall. Both the motive and action were good, but the effort was ill-timed. It was just at the period, when the native authorities were in a ferment, about the affair of Lord Napier ; the British trade was stoppetl, and every thing connected with foreigners fell under sucpicion.

On the first day, a petty officer ordered Afiih not to distribute books, and took some away ; but, as they were not disapproved of by the magistrate, he continued to distribute them. On the following day, the jkU^ officer again interfered, and look one or two of the .

AGGRAVATED BY CIRCUMSTANCES. 279

distributors before the magistrate. They were, how- ever, dismissed; and here the matter might have rested, but for political affairs. About this time Lord Napier, finding that the Chinese government had stop- ped the trade, and declined all direct communication with the British authorities, resorted to the extraor- dinary measure of publishing ^^ an official document,'' in the Chinese language, exhibiting ^^ the present state of the relations between China and Great Britain;'" which he had lithographed, and placarded in the neigh- bourhood of the factories. This new step, appealing to the public sentiment, in a country where no one had hitherto been allowed to think, independently of the government, roused the ire of the nceroy ; who issued a new edict, interdicting all trade with the English, and denouncing, as traitors, all natives that might enter the factories. Upon this, the sen^ants of the foreigners fled in a panic, and consternation spread among the Chinese in every direction.

The next step was, to ascertain who had drawn up and printed the offensive document. As the native rulers never would believe, that foreigners could write, still less print Chinese, they imagined that some of their own subjects had done it for them ; and as Afah s companions had been recently before the magistrates, charged with circulating foreign books, they were suk- j)ected of aiding Lord Napier in printing his circular. Of this, however, Afi\h and his brethren were piTfrctly innocent; but, as they had been engaged in distributing foreign books, they wen* held responsible for the offence.

The following proclamation was issued on the (H*ca- sion; and in it, the enmity of the human heart ai^ain.st

2o0 PROCLAMATION OF THE MAGISTRATE.

the Gospel, will be sufficiently apparent, in the epitl bestowed on our Christian publications : —

" Proctamtitiou by the mngislrate of Nan-hae {one of tlie din of the city of Gnuton] for the purpose of strict prohibition. WheiMt the printing of obscene and idle tales by boolueUtirs, has long been a matter of legal prohibition: — it having now buen diacwcredi, thai there arc persons who fraudulently make depraved and obscene- books of the outside barbarians, and falsely aesumin^' the pretencv ul admotUBhing to virtue, print and distribute Ihern, which iu m a high degree contruy to law ; orders are therefore hereby given lo tbt: polii-'e runners, to make strict examination for ihem ; to aacvfUH correctly the shop where the books have been printed ; and lo bt^l and destroy the blocks ^ueed. If any rashly presume to print ittd" distribute such books, lliej shall assuredly he seized, and punislu-d with the utmost rigour of (hi' law. Decidedly no indulgence sliall be shewn."

Here it may be observed, that the Chinese are 9 the hal)it of designating every publication that ( from the Confucian, or orthodox school, as deprafi and obscene ; though it may not contain a single l pression offensive to modesty, or injurious to mora They are anxious, at the same time, to make all t proceedings wear the appearance of justice ; hence t] affect to be the firm opponents of every thing that r deprave and delude the mind. Their standard, ho^ ever, being incorrect, their boastings are vain, and t vituperations unfounded; while the only purpose sud documents serve, is to blind a people already misled f their own ruin.

Af^'s account of the affair is as follows :-

" Lcntig Af Ul respectfully writes to all tliose who love and b in Jcaus, wishing them happiness.

" For Ihrei- or ftnu- yearn I have been in the habit c Uie neriplure lessons, which hovi- Iweii joyfully received by i TliiB yeai iho tiitiuuHl esonuiiAtion of Ulerary cuulidnies wna hcld^

APAH S ACCOUNT. 281

Canton, and I desired to distribute books among the candidates. On tin; twentieth of August, therefore, accompanied by Woo Achang, Chow Asan, and Lieang Asan, I distributed more than five thousand volumes, which were ^adly received, without the least disturbance. The next day we distributed five thousand more. On the third day, after several hundreds had been circulated, a police officer seized Woo Achang, with a set of books, and took him before the magis- trate of Nan-hae ; who, after examming them, bade the officer not interfere with a matter of such little importance. On the fourth day, we proceeded with our work, when the police officer again seized ten sets, while the distributor happily escaped, and returned. The next <lay, I heard that the police officer had taken the books to the chief magistrate of the city ; and apprehending a search, wc put the rest of our books into boxes, and removed to another place. On the twenty- tifth, the chief magistrate sent officers to my house, and seized Chow Anan, with his partner Akae, and brought them up for trial. Akae refused to afford any information, when the magistrate commanded the attendants to give him forty blows on the face, which rendered him unable to speak. Wlien Chow Asan was examined, he disclosed every thing. The next day, the magistrate sent a number of men in pursuit of me, but being unsuccessful in their search, they seized three of the printers, with four hundred copies of the scripture lessons, and the blocks, which were taken to the office of the chief magintratr.

•' On the eight of Septemb(»r, I fled with my wife and daughter to Keang-mun, a large town west of Macao. The next day, the magis- trate sent two government boats, and a hundred men to my n^sidence, to seize all my family, male and female ; but not finding us, they seized three of my kindred, and sealed the doors of my house. On hearing this, I fled to ChYh-kan (a more secluded sea port, in the name direction) where I remained several days.

** At length, my money was all ex|H»ndiHl, and I dared not return to Canton, lest I should fall intt) the hands of the police officers. I tljerefore made an eflil>rt to iro to Macao, which, by tlie firracious pro- te<iit»n of 0(mI, I reached in safety. When I met Mr. BridLnnan. the sorrow of my heart was so extreme, that I could not relniin from weeping bitterly. He told me, ho\ve\er, that Mr. J. H. Morrisiui had made ammp'inents with the chief mau:istrate, and lor the considera- ticm of eii^ht hundn^d dollars, had ohtiiined the lilNTation of the piiiit«-rs, and the conation <»f the pro**rtiiti<»n; !>ut the licutenant- iri>\ernor in^i^t«•<l on ni\ hein^r uppri*hende<l: upon uhich Mr. Bridir-

282 THE FLOCK SCATTERED.

man took me in a fast boat on board the English ships at LintiD, where I was kindly entertained.

'' Thus situated, I call to mind that all who preach the Gospel of our Lord Jesus, must suffer persecution ; and though I cannot equal the padence of Paul or Job, I desire to imitate the ancient saints, and keep my heart in peace."

Mr. Bridgman writes on this occasion, ^^ Had Af&h fallen into the hands of his pursuers, his life, for aught we can see, would have been taken away. But our heavenly Father has kept both him and us in safety."

The little flock were now scattered, as sheep without a shepherd ; Af Jih was obliged to leave for Singapore, where he might diffuse the Gospel among the emi- grants, without fear of persecution. Agang, however, remained in Canton, and was the medium of commimi- cation between the missionaries and the native con- verts, who were unable to come to the foreign factories.

CHAPTER XI.

MISSION TO CANTON, CONTINUED.

81TUAT10M OP FOREIGNERS IN CANTON— SURVEILLANCE OP THE UONO- MERCHANTS — AND COMPRADORES— CONFINEMENT — AND INSULT — RESTRICnONB ON MISSIONARIES— STUDY OP THE NATIVE LANGUAUB PROHIBITED— DIFFICULTIES OP PRINTING NATIVE BOOKS— MODE OP OBVLATINO THEM — STATE OP MACAO — HOW PAR OPEN TO MISSION- ABV OPERATIONS — ENQUIRY AFTER NATIVE CONVERTS — THE UTE- RARY GRADUATE- THE PRINTERS— THE FAMILY OP AFAH — AGANG AND HIS SON — EDICT OP THE EMPEROR — COMMISSION OF ENQUIRY- ITS FATE-MISSIONARIES NOT INVOLVED-NEED OP CAUTION— LITTLE INTEREST IN BEHALF OF CANTON — RECOMMENDATIONS.

On the twenty-first of July, 1835, the author arrived in Canton, for the purpose of enquiring after the little flock of native Christians, gathered by Ur. Morrison ; and of undertaking a voyage along the coast to distri- bute C'hristian books among the Chinese. His o)>- senations on the aspect of missions and the native church in Canton will be most suitable here ; reserving the account of his voyage to a future chapter.

It will be necessary, first, to advert to the situation of foreigners in Canton. All |K*rsons who visit that city are supposed to go thither fur the puqmse of trade, and are exi)ected to reside only so long as their com- mercial engagements require. Military officers, and travellers, if they wish to proceed by the inner pas- sage from Macao, must represent themselves as mer- chants, ere they can be allowed to embark. When they

284 HONG-MERCHANTS.

go in European packets, however, the native authorities take no cognizance of their arrival, and ask no qncs- tious.

The barbarians are considered by the Chinese, Ui> bulent and crafty ; and so far out of the pale of civili- zation, as not to be controlled by the laws of the celestial empire. It has been found necessary, therefore, to make natives obser\'ant of their conduct, and responsible for their good behaviour. With this view, hong, or security merchants are appointed ; who, while they monopolize the trade, are required to instruct foreigners in their duty, and to see to the doing of it. In oaler to the fiiliilment of this difficult task, the foreigners, without being consulted on the subject, are placed under the .surveillance of the securities, who are made acquainted with every thing done by the barbarians, and who re- port it, if necessary, to the native authorities. The way in which they acquire the requisite information, is the following. No foreigner, except a Parsee.* is allowcil to purchase provisions in the markets: and no unau- thorized Chinese is at liberty to sell eatables to a foreigner. Again, all the buildings of the foreign fac- tories, belong to the security merchants, who let them out to such persons, and for such purj)ose8, as they choose. Thus a foreigner cannot procure food or shelter, without employing an authorized pur^-eyor, and luring a factory from the hong-merchants. This pm^ veyor is called a compradore, and must be furnished with a license from the security merchants, ere he cut

■ The PoxBcui tn^ ■ eiam u( <ce*llhy and indiulrious mcrduuilA vbo tiada bolwniii ChiiM ancl Bombay : utd who, G>t criiiuitiiy'A Mbc briug ihcit um^ , ■(TTuilji Willi thnm. I'hoto hciag Aaiiiira. nnA pviu'vMy duiHwd. we Mowti: tn purrhOMi Uioll uwu pn'Twlnu!'.

COMPRADORES. 285

fill that office. In fact, he is the agent of the priviliged trader, placed as a spy upon the proceedings of the foreigner ; who, paying him high wages, and allowing him a large profit upon all his purchases, supposes him devoted to his interests ; but the security merchant has a stronger hold upon him, being empowered to fleece him of his property, and to get him bambooed and banished, if he does not in all things study the interest of the native merchant, to the prejudice of the foreigner.

There are besides, a set of men called linguists, be- tween the security merchant and the compradore ; but they are only a link in the chain, and are as much de- voted to the security merchants, as the purveyors are.

When a compradore is once fixed for an individual or firm, he has the control of all the Chinese business ; and if the parties insist on doing any thing against his advice or interest, he throws up his office ; and another purveyor not being procurable, except on harder terms, the foreigner must comply, or the business stop. The interference of the compradore, extends to the hiring of native servants ; and if they are not such as he can de- pimd u|>on, or will approve of, he olyects, and threatens his employers with resignation, unless his wishes be complied with. Thus every one about the premises of a foreigner, even to the servant at his table, or in his bedroom, is a spy upon his conduct, and carries every thing of im|H)rtance to his superiors; in default of which, compradores have been strip[)ed of tlu'ir all, linguists sent to the cold countries, and hong-merchants ruined.

Confinement is another evil, which foreigners, in Canton, are obliged to bear. The factories comprise a pile of buildings, alM)ut a quarter of a mile s(|uare.

286 CONFINKMENT.

tlirough which they may range, without molestation. In front of these is an open space, not more than a hundred yards long, and fifty wide, where they may take the air ; hut this esplanade is generally so choked up with harbers and fortune-tellers, venders of dogs and cats, quack medicines, and trinkets, with a host iif strangers, come to gaze at the foreigners, that it is diffi- cult to move. Adjoining the factories, are two rows of native houses, called new and old China street, where foreiguersj may ramble, and purchase trinkets ; and, if they can endure crowds and conftision, with the chance of being pushed down, they may stroll through the narrow streets of the suburbs, but never without much offence to the olfactory nerves, or the finer feehngs. Another mode of recreation, is the pleasiu-e of rowing European lioals up and down a crowded river, where the stranger is in continual danger of being upset fay large Chinese barges bearing down upon him, without warning ; while no one makes the smallest effort lo save those who may be precipitated into the water. Should he land at any given spot, up or down the river, he is always liable to be stoned or barabooed by the natives, when they are strong or mischievous enough to attempt it. The government does, indeed, allow foreigners to take a trip, in parties of eight or ten, about once a month, to the flower gardens, which lie three miles up the river ; but this indulgence is so pompously given, and of such little worth, that few avail themselves of it.

Insult is another evil which foreigners are obliged to endure, Avhilst resident in Canton. In addition to the woril "barbarian," which i.s liberally bestowed on all without the pale of C'hinese civilization, a more offen-

INSULT. 287

sive epithet is not unfrequently employed. On passing through the suburbs of Canton, or up and down the river, the cry of " foreign devil," salutes the ear on every side ; even mothers may be seen, teaching their infants to point, and shout the offensive epithet, as the stranger passes by. Some will even go out of their way, or desist from their work, to gratify their railing propensities. Even the government stoops to the mean practice of abusing Europeans ; and ^^ devil ship,'* was, imtil lately, the title given by the superintendent of customs, in official papers, to square-rigged vessels.

Those who understand these abusive epithets, feel them the more keenly ; and it requires no little forbear- ance to restrain the temper, and pass the assailants unnoticed. It has been urged, that the people of Can- ton, have been so long accustomed to call foreigners "devils,** that they scarcely know when they do it; l>ut this excuse, which has often been vainly urged in defence of profane swearing, is, by no means, tenable ; for the Chinese employ the term with a zest and em- phasis, indicative of an intention to annoy. ITiey even accompany it with a chirping noise, which they sup- pose to be the cry of devils, and vary the epithet, so as to leave no doubt of their real meaning. They never employ the term to their own countrj-men, except when highly offended and disgusted; but apply it to stran- gers, as a matter of course, and apjwar suqmsed when any question the propriety of the appellation.

Foreigners, who come to China, to carry on a regular trade, have not much to fear from the system of espio- nage ; while the confinement and abuse are tolerated, for the sake of gain, with the hope that they may soon

28» TIESTHICTIONS t)X MISSIONARIES.

escape from the scene of restriction and insult, to the fniits of their patience in their native land.

But with missionaries, the case is different. 'Thar very residence, and the whole of their proceedings, u far as respects the conversion of the Chinese, is an offence in the eye of the law. They may come as chaplains, to instruct their fellow-countrymen, in which capacity they are called " story-telling devils ; " but were they to announce themselves, as proselyters, aim' ing to bi-ing over the natives to Christianity, there h no Chinese authority that would tolerate them a sii^fe day. If content to pursue their labours unobserved, they may remain unmolested, for years ; and their real object would be winked at, only to be brought forward, when money is to l)e squeezed out of "traiterous na- tives," for permitting such things to exist, without infoiTOing their superiors.

In the next place, the study of the Chinese language, so far as the assistance of the natives is concerned, is contrary to law. What foreigners can effect by their own unassisted efforts, the government has nottiing to do with ; but woe to the native who shall be known to assist barbarians in acquiring the language of the " flowery nation," The softest term by which such men are designated, is that of " Chinese rascals," whose crime consists in holding intercourse with foreignora, and in revealing the secrets of the celestial empire to its avowed enemies. They are, therefore, by virtue of their office, offenders against the law ; and though Ihey pursue their vocation year after year, yet Hvty do it at iheir own peril; and the compradores who wink at it. uh- Iial)le to be seized and punished, for

CHINESE INCONSISTENCY. 289

ir neglect of duty. Now and then, a hue and cry aised about ^^ traitorous natives," and these teachers

obliged to absent themselves for a time; while ir pupils are requested not to speak Chinese in the lets, or to stand looking at native handbills; lest le police officer ol)serving it, should trace them to ir factory, and procure the arrest of the compra- es who permitted, or of the teachers who assisted m in acquiring the language. The fears of the ipradores on such occasions, are exactly in propor- I to the amount of property they possess, and are sequently liable to lose ; and thus the more re- ctable and trustworthy a purveyor may be, the greater probability of his being robbed of all. rhe Chinese do not, or will not, perceive their own insistency in these proceedings ; for, if foreigners

expected to obey the laws, they ought to be able to use them ; but, if they are kept in ignorance of the )erial wilK they can hardly l>e blamed for opposing The native rulers, however, consider that the Lurity merchants have a sufficient knowledge of the glish language, to instruct foreigners in their duty, 1 sufficient influence over them to secure their doing it, without the l)arbarian s busying himself with the inese tongue. Thus the study of the native dialect »rohil)ited to merchants, and much more to mission- »; who have sometimes found it very difficult to get eacher, and at other times have had their studies jmipted for months together. They have, there- », preferred locating themselves in the Malayan hi{)elngo, where they might learn the language from

Chinese colonists without restriction. \nother ditKculty in the way of missionary o]H'ra-

290

UIKl'ICULTY OK PHINTING.

lions in China is, that the printing of native books, by foreigners, is strictly prohibited. The English press is free in Canton ; so that two newspapers, and one maga- zine are published there, without interference or molesta- tion. But while foreigners are permitted to "corrupt one another." as much as they please; they are not allowed to poison the minds of the natives, by their "' deprarcd productions." This does not refer to Christian boolis merely, but to all boobs constructed by foreigners in the native language ; and it applies with equal force to the Society for promoting Useful Knowledge, and the chamber of commerce, as it does to missionai-y institu* tions. All that is attempted in this department, there- fore, must he done outside the factories.

Again, when foreigners wish to engage type cutters, they cannot stop in the streets and negotiate with thein ; for nothing could be done in such situations without attracting the attention of bye-standcrs, who do not fail to report all that is done by strangers. Even in China- street, where foreigners usually buy their trinkets, the door is shut, immediately a customer enters a shop, lest some police officer passing by sboidd notice and squeeze the native dealer ; how much less could secret trans- actions be carried on in the streets devoted to native trade, where all wovdd see and hear, what it is widied that no one should know.

The only way, therefore, is to employ a Chinese broker, in whom confidence can be placud ; who will come privately to the rooms of the foreigner, receive hi* orders for work, and get them executed in some dis* tant village. But even then, the arrangement must be made under great disadvantages ; for large advance* muRt he made before the work is commenced ; a higher

OPPORTUNITIES OF USEFULNESS. 291

price must be given than what is really required ; and the business must be carried on entirely at the leisiure and convenience of the workmen ; added to which, the undertaking is sometimes brought to a long stop, owing to the real or alledged enquiries made by the native authorities ; and sometimes a whole edition is destroyed to elude the vigilance of the police. Finally, when the work is done, the contractor must convey his books secretly out of the port, and cannot consider him- f;elf safe till the whole investment is beyond the Bogue.

The difficulty of printing Chinese books, however, does not interfere with a missionary s usefulness in other particulars. He may, if already acquainted with the rudiments of the language, greatly increase his ac- quaintance with the literature and religion, manners and customs of the Chinese. He would be in the way of attaining the earliest information as to what is pass- ing in the interior of the empire, and be ready to avail himself of any change that might take place in the political condition of the people. He might continue to watch over, instruct, and increase the native church existing there ; and every day he might sally forth and converse with the people in the subur])s, where a word spoken in due season, might leave a salutary impres- sion on the bye-standers, without exciting the animad- version of government. Tracts might also be distri- buted, in small quantities, and with some caution, till the ferment lately occasioned has subsided, when efforts more extensive and effectual for the conversion of the heathen might be made.

With regard to missionary opt^rations, Macao is somewhat different from Canton. This settlement is built on a promontory, jutting out from the south end

r2

292

STATE or MACAO.

of the island of Heang-shan, from which it is separatni hy a small isthmus, defended by a barrier. Macau i^ inhaliitetl partly by Portuguese, and partly by Chinese, severally imder the authority of their respective govern- ments. It is difficult to determine to whom the seltk"- meat really belongs, The Portugtiese conceive that it is theirs ; having been ceded to their ancestors by the former emperors of China, in consideration of important services rendered by them to the state. They have a governor appointed by the queen of Portugal, and a senate chosen from amongst the inhabitantH of Macao. They are under Portuguese laws; a small militar)- force is kept up, and a European custom-house is established. A century and a half ago they excluded all the Chinese inhahitantp, except a few artisans aitJ tradesmen ; but in 1793, they began to let their bouses to the natives ; and now they have at least thirty thou- sand Chinese within the barrier, while the Portuguese citizens do not amount to five thousand. The Chinese thus introduced, have had a magistrate placed over them, who holds his court in the native part of the s«t- tlement ; while a Chinese custom-house is established on the beach, and Macao may be said to be under two sets of rulers, both independent of each other.

In 1802, the English sent an armed force to lake possession of Macao, in order to prevent its falling into the bands of the French ; and in 1808, the attempt was renewed. In both cases, however, the Chinese re- sented the aggression, and stopped the trade, till the English troops had disembarked, on the ground of Macao being a part of the celestial empire. 'I'his claim thuy have continued to maintain, and now the Portu- guese cannot huild a new house, or even alter an old one.

MISSIONARY LABOUR THERE. 293

without the permission of the Chinese authorities; while the governor was lately hindered in making a new pathway over a hill, by the mandarin driving away the Chinese workmen employed.

The houses, however, all belong to the Portuguese ; into the dwellings of Europeans, the Chinese autho- rities never enter, not even to apprehend offenders of their own nation ; but as soon as the delinquent shews his face outside, the mandarin runners lay hold of him. Thus, a foreigner has only to rent a dwelling of a Por- tuguese citizen, and that house is his castle ; where he may print books, in any quantities, without danger of interference from the mandarins : he may even have a Chinese school, and retain a number of writers and teachers about him, so long as these do not put them- selves in the way of the native police. A missionary, however, who intends carrying on Chinese printing, in Macao, should be somewhat acquainted with the lan- guage, and employ princi|)ally foreign servants, so that no natives may l>e implicated in vexatious proceedings, on his account. He may then ojKjn his doors to any |)oor or enquiring Chinese, who may come to him for relief or advice, while he shuts them against all |X)lice officers, who are, in China, the least resi>ectable jyart of the [H)pulation.

It was found, on the author's arrival in Canton, l>oth a delicate and difficult task, to institute an enquiry into the circumstances of the native converts : as a single question, proposed by a stranger, might bring them under suspicion, and the mere mention of their names involve them in difficulties. The jx^rsecutions of the previous year, had scattered them abroad, and driven most of them into an obscurity, from which they dared

294

CHINESE CONVERTS.

iiot emerge. In the best of times, the intercouiw rfJ missionaries with their disciples, in Canton, is neces- sarily limited, and must be conducted with caution; how much more when the few adherents of the mission have been denounced by name, some obliged to flee the coimtry, and the rest to hide themselves for a while, until the "indignation be overpast." Missionaries in Canton, cannot go to the houses of the native converts, who reside generally within the waits of the city, or in the surrounding villages, from which foreigners arc excluded. Did the converts, however, dwell in the suburbs, to which Europeans have access, they could not be visited, without attracting attention, and involv- ing the native Christians in difficulties with their own goveniment. Propagators of the Gospel, therefore, must be content to wait until their disciples come to them, in some unfrequented part of the factories, where they may discourse together, with closed doors; taking care to admit those only who can be confided in ; and conducting their meeting without noise.

No sooner, therefore, are a few enquiries made, than notice is taken of the fact, and people begin to wonder, why such investigations are instituted. Questions, in- stead of bringing people near, only drive them farther away ; and no more effectual method could be taken of preventing the approach of an inthvidual, than asking others if they had seen him. It was extremely difli- cult, on these accounts, to ascertain fully the state of the Christian church in Canton, but a few hints have been gathered.

One of the number. Lew Tse-chuen, a literary gri- duute, came to the author, in Mr. Morrison's room, in Canton ; this man was baptized by A-fSh, about a year

THE LITERARY GRADUTE. 295

before, and living near, was induced to attend. He appeared an intelligent man, but afflicted with an impediment in his speech, so that it was difficult to comprehend him. Resorting to the pencil, however, he soon made himself intelligible. He said, that he first heard the Gospel from AHlh, about two years pre- viously. He had been engaged in transcribing some ('hristian books, and being frequently at the house of our evangelist, heard him discourse morning and eve- ning, on the Scriptures. Beginning to dispute, he found AHih ready to answer all his objections : and as he was a man of letters, AHlh gave him a number of books to examine^ in order to correct the style. Having at- tended to this business, for several months, his mind was suddenly awakened, as if from a dream ; and he requested baptism. AfSh did not refuse it ; and since that time, by the gracious influences of the Saviour, he had been easy and comfortable. Before he had seen the Christian Scriptures, he said, he did not know the Supreme Being, and was carried away with the ex- ample of the many, stupidly worshipping false gods. This he felt to be a great evil. He had also disobeyed his mother, by persevering in literary pursuits, notwith- standing his {>overty, and the difficulty he experienced in obtaining support for her and himself. He found, fur- ther, that he could not keep his mind free from de- filement ; evil thoughts would spring up, though he endeavoured to repress them, and did not allow them to pn)ceed to sinful compliances. '* To prevent the rising up of evil thoughts," he continued, ** and to main- tain purity of heart, requires our utmost exertions ; and after all, it is necessary to rely on God's help, to keep us from evil. Hanng no jwwer to renew ourselves.

■29fi IliS DK^OTEDNESS TO STUD\.

we shuiild depentt on Jesus i'or aid. Once, 1 irequentl? offended, but latterly, througli the grace of Christ, such thoiights have been few, and I pray that they may be entirely obliterated, and, for his sake, forgiven,"

By the above hints, it will appear, that his know- ledge of himself, and the Saviour is still imperfect; though his mind is doubtless sincere. He is exceed- ingly humble, quite willing to learn, and thankful for in- struction. He is employed in copying for the miasion- aries, and by his perfect acquaintance with the native language, is al)Ie to suggest numy idiomatical improve- ments in their productions, which have been, for the most part, adopted ; while he himself professes to have been much benefited by the perusal of what has passed through his hands. He is passionately addicted to the study of the Chinese classics, for tlie purpose of attain- ing literary fame, and consequently, rank and office ; for this, he sacrifices time, health, and comfort : cheep fully putting up with poverty, and sitting up whole nights to commit portions of the classics to memory ; but whether he will succeed, is a great question, parti- cularly as there are so many comi)etitors, and as his religious profession, if known, would stand in the way of his advancement. The same amount of ardour and perseverance, bestowed in studying the doctrines of Christianity, and real science, would, doubtless, be (•i"owned with the happiest results. However, few can do what he does ; and, should he gain the accompluh* meut of his wishes, retaining his love for the Gospel, he might help our cause, in a quarter where the inter- ference of every other would be unavailing. His pre* sent situation is unfavourable to religious atlvuncemenl. OK he enjoys none of the means of grace, and can hardly

THE NATIVE PRINTERS. 297

coinmuuicate with the missionaries, without (p*eut risk to himself, llie only means of improvement which he possesses, are the Scriptures and tracts; but by the teaching of the Holy Spirit, he may still attain a pro- ficiency in Divine knowledge, greater than that which sometimes results from superior advantages elsewhere.

Among the number of the baptized, we find the name of (Jhoo Asan, who, it may be remembered, was appre- hended when the stir was made about Christian books, in 1834. Akae, who was arrested with him, refuse<l to give any account of these transactions ; and though a heathen, submitted to forty blows on the face, by which he was altogether deprived of utterance, rather than reveal his accomplices. Choo Asan, however, told every- thing he knew, and assisted in guiding the police offi- cers to Af&h 6 house, in the country ; by which means some of our evangelist s relations were apprehended, and his property destmyeil. Had Afah himself been there, he would most likely have paid, with his life, for the indiscretion, to say the least of it, of Choo Asan, in dis<*overing his aboile. This man was one of the first iMiptized by Afkh, though he never alTortled any satis- faction to his master. From the l>eginning, his aim ap|H*ars to have Ik'cu, the obtaining of money on ac- count of his profession ; and when told, that money was never given, except for work done, or go(Hls deliveriHl, he became indifferent, and is now, we fear, gone I)ack.

Woo Aehang, another of the baptized, after bis re- lease from confinement, fletl to Singapore; when* lie has since been employwl, by the American missionaries, in their printing-office, and has proved both useful and

faithful.

Leang Ataou and Ix^ang Asun, rehitive^ of Afah,

298

THE FAMILY Of AFAH.

were employed by him iu priiiling and circulating books; but since the persecution, have been scattered, and are making, it is to be feared, little progress io good things. Le Asin. a bricklayer, is in the same condition, afraid to come near the foreigners, until the vigilance of the police is a little relased.

Of Choo Tsing, who was formerly a teacher at Ma- lacca, and who, on his return to China, was baptised by Dr. Morrison, some account has already been given. When the persecution broke out, be immediately with- drew himself from intercourse with Europeans ; and having been denounced by name, as a traitorous native, was glad to secrete himself in some distant part of the country, where he is not to be discovered by friend or foe.

Le-shc is the wife of Afah, who, with her daughter, continues still to reside in the interior, and has only once been seen by the missionaries. Her situation, in the midst of a heathen population, deprived of Christian instruction, is both perilous and ensnaring. AJ^h has often wished her to emigrate to Malacca, where she would be safe from persecution, and enjoy the VOUH' sels and solace of her natural protector ; but attach- ment to her native soU, connected with the fear of un- dertaking a sea voyage, has hitherto prevented her from complying with his request. It is, therefore, difficult to ascertain the state of Le-she's mind, but the presump- tion is, that persecutions have combined with the instruc- tions of her husband, to enhghten her understanding, and to deepen in her bt-art an attachment to the truth.

Leung Allh is the son of AfJ'ih, a lad of seventeen, now studying with Mr. Bridgman in Canton. He has. acquired a tolerable knowledge of the English language,

AGANG AND HIS SON. 299

while he pursues at the same time his Chinese studies. He is quiet, attentive, and obedient ; and was baptized in his injfancy. Should he happily become the subject of serious impressions, and be endowed with a mis- sionary spirit, he will be of much service to the cause, and may one day prove a valuable assistant in revising the Chinese version of the scriptures. With this view, Mr. B. is ah-eady teaching him Hebrew, and will con- tinue to afford him a thorough classical education. At present his situation is by no means comfortable, being confined entirely to the house ; for should he appear in the streets, his known connection with AKhj and his profession of Christianity, would expose him to imme- diate apprehension and punishment.

Of Keuh Agang, we are all disposed to think favour- ably ; his firm attachment to the cause for several years, notwithstanding the persecutions which have scattered the rest, shews that he has adopted his profession from principle, and is not unwilling to suffer, if called to it. He is endowed with a good share of common sense, connected with a feeling mind, though his knowledge of Christianity is neither deep nor extensive, and his ability to instruct others rather circumscribed. Having im wittingly offended one of his fellow countr}'men, he was, in 1835, reported to the police, as having had connection with foreigners, and a warrant was issued for his apprehension. Timely notice having been given him, he tied to the English ships at Lintin, and after- wards proceeded to Malacca. In the mean time, his son, Ahe, having been decoyed out of Mr. Morrison's house at Macao, was apprehended and brought before the magistrate ; where he readily confessed that he had been employed in arranging the metal types for Dr.

3(H) IMPEHIAL PHOCLAMATION.

Morrisoa'e lUctionary. The chief magititrate finding him such a ready infonnant, instead of punishing, gave him money, in order to induce him to tell more. He has, however, heen kept in confinement, notwithstand- ing various efforts have been made to release him.

The ease of this young man was reported to the emperor ; and in an edict pul)Iished in 1836, we find a reference to his name. In that document, after des- canting on the efforts made by the catholics for the last two centuries to penetrate into the interior, and preach Christianity ; and after stating, that fifty years ^o, three Europeans, and twenty years ago, two. had been put to death, or driven away ; he says, that latelj English ships have passed along the coast of China, and distributed European books, which, as they exhort to bcUeve in. and venerate the chief of that religion, named Jesus, must be intended for diffusing the same faith tliat was formerly persecuted and banished. The emperor, conceiving that Macao and Canton are the only places where the Europeans and Chinese associate together ; and that traitorous natives must ha%'e &»• sisted tiie barbarians in comi>osing and printing the above treatises, sent down, in 1^35. a commission to those places, and seized one Keuh Ahe, a printer, together wilh eight European books, which were laid before the imperial tribunal. The edict concludes, by onlering all persons to deliver up the Christian books in their possession, within the space of six months, under the tha-at of severe punishment, declaring, that if any (native) should continue to preach and profess the Christian religion, he shall be prosecuted with the ut- most rigmir of the law.

The author happened to be in Canlon when this

COMMISSION OF ENUQIRY. 301

commission arrived. Enquiries were immediately set on foot, to discover the culprits, and the whole assembly of teachers and printers were placed in jeopardy. Not only were the works in hand immediately stopped, but the printers were obliged to bury and conceal the blocks, in order to escape detection. The teachers of the language, also, begged to stay away for a time; and the missionaries found it necessary to be careful, lest they should involve others in trouble, and retard future operations. On enquiry, it appeared, that Mr. Bridg- man had formerly ordered books to he printed, in con- sequence of which, they wished to know by what ship he came to China (though he had been five years in Canton), in order to make the security merchant, who had become bound for the good conduct of all on board, responsible for Mr. B.'s delinquencies.

Soon after this, the principal security merchant in ('anton was deputed by the native government to call on Mr. B. to enquire after native books, and the blocks from which they were printed. Of course he was {K>litely received, but gained no information. Failing in his object, he requested an American merchant to ask, if Mr. B. had any blocks, and to solicit the loan of them. This methoil proving ineffectual, an English merchant applied to the author, wishing to know where certain native books had been printed; but the re- quisite information was respectfully declined. The gentlemen referred to, were perhaps little aware how much they would have prejudiced the cause of truth, and gratified its enemies, had they succeeded in ol>- taining and communicating the intelligence sought; for not only would their countrynu»n have been dis- turlied in their benevolent attempts, but various innocent

302 IXVESTIGATJON TERMINATED.

natives would have been involved in difficulty, and perhaps ruin.

The security mtTchant was now puzzled to know what to do ; for having been deputed to investigate the business, he was obliged to return an answer of some kind. He finally discovered, however, that many Chi- nese books came from Malacca, and that the people in foreign parts were able to make Chinese charactere. The case of the author was also adduced, as being able to speak the native tongue fluently, though only a few months in Canton ; from which it was seen, Ihat foreigners coukl acquire the Chinese language, and print native books abroad, without having any inter- course with the acknowledged subjects of the native government. This satisfied the enquirers for the time ; and the deputation having been subsequently wrecked in a typhoon, between Macao and C'anlon, the investi- gation was given up.

Since that time, the persecution has been relaxed, and Afah has returned to his native village, to visit hia family, after which he again embarked for Malacca.

From all that has been hitherto obsen'ed, it will be seen, that foreign agents run no risk in carrying dd missionary labours either at Canton or Macao. Tlie Chinese authorities cautiously avoid interfering with the subject of any foreign state, and the European habit is a protection against magisterial visitatioDfi. Thus personal liberty and life are quite secure, while the foreigner keeps within a moderate distance of the nhips and factories. Barbarians are considered out of the pale of civilization, and not to be controlled by the principles which usually influence mankind; while Ihey possess such power and resources, that it a

RK8PONS1BILITY OF NATIVES. 303

thought dangerous to provoke their governments. But though foreigners are left to pursue their wayward courses, uninterrupted by the authorities, the natives are made responsible for them ; and there is not one of them who has not a security for his good conduct in the per- son of hong-merchant, linguist, compradore, or servant, set to watch over his proceedings. When an offence is committed by a stranger, the ship by which he came is ascertained, and the linguist of that vessel made answer- able for his good conduct for years afterwards. Or the factory where he resides is found out, and the compra- dore of that factory seized upon ; and if no trace of his connection be discoverable, then the whole body of hong-merchants are made to answer with their fortimes or their lives for what the stranger has done amiss. During the disturbances which occurred about the affair of Lord Napier, a hong-merchant was imprisoned, and a linguist banished to Tartary, because his lordship came up from Whampoa to Canton in the boat of the Fort William, for which ship they were securities, and therefore responsible for all his lordship s actions.

To a rightly constituted mind, it is equally, if not more grievous, to be the means of involving others in calamities, than to endure those calamities one*« self. Proceedings, therefore, will not be rashly entered into, l>ecause the indindual, engaging in them, is exempt from personal harm ; but great caution will be exer- cised, in order not to involve innocent persons in trans- actions, with which they have no share. If the object be to attract natives to our cause, it will be adviseable not to jeopardize them more than necessity requires, and to conduct oiK^rations as quietly as ix)ssible. It is generally agreed, that it will not be prudent to attempt the printing of Chinese books in Canton. They

3(»4 I.ITTLE DONF. FOR CANTOX.

can be made fast enough elsewhere ; while a suHiaeitt number can he introduced from abroatl, in sealed par* eels, to supply the demand in Canton. This caution being taken, conversations may he carried on with the inha)}itants of the suburbs, and meetings held in the foreign factories, entirely free from observation and in* terference, without risking either the heathen secu- rities, or the Christian converts. Thus Canton may still be considered a most useful missionary station ; and Macao, form the field of exertion to several active missionaries.

We cannot conclude this chapter, without remarking on the little interest taken, in Canton, by the British churches. It is true, that so early as 1807, they sen! an agent to that city, which was then denominat«i. " the most important station upon earth ;" but, it is alfto true, that since the year 1808, the Christians of Britain have not maintained a missionary there; and though they were relieved from the principal expense, by Dr. Morrison's supporting himself, yet they have not af- forded him a single assistant in China, and have left his station vacant, four years after his death, without appointing an agent to gather the scattere<l church, console the persecuted disciples, or endeavour to spread the little leaven, till it leavened the whole lump. This conduct is the more inexplicable, as contrasted with the zeal at first tUsplayed in the cause, and the eameut- ness with which the British churches have been ex- cited to pray that the barriers might be removed, and a wide and ciTcctnal door opened before God's servants. China has been denominated the object of faith, h<^ie, and supplication ; but we humbly submit that prayer, without corresponding exertion is, to aay the least, in- cousistcat; aud lha.1, if we want the barriers rcmored,,

RECOMMENDATIONS. 305

and the door opened, the mere sitting still, and wishing it, is not the way to get the one or the other speedily accomplished.

The American churches, though late in the field, have maintained several agents in Canton, since the period of their first occupying it, in 1830; and not- withstanding their limited resources, have come nobly forward with men and money, in this important under- taking.

The state of things in Canton would seem to indicate that, in the future appointment of missionaries to that station, such should be selected as possess a previous knowledge of the language, and some experience in the work of missions among the Chinese. They should l>e persons of ardent zeal, and, at the same time, of great prudence, so as to avoid, if possible, the recur- rence of events, similar to those which were witnessed in 1834. It may be very well, for a man to risk all for the Gospel, and to stake his life for the truth ; but he should consider, whether by awakening the suspi- cions of a hostile government, and arraying a host of foes against his object, he would not retard more by his imprudence, than advance by his martyrdom, the spread of Christianity. Besides, there are others con- cerned; and though he may be willing to oflFer up himself 'Miiwn the sacrilice and service of the faith," yet he is not authorized to bring the same calamity ujwn his brethren. Zi»al, connecteil with pnidence, therefore, combining a previous acquaintance with the language and habits of the people, should unite in the individuals who occupy so diflicult and important a poet, as the key to the largest empire in the world.

\

CHAPTER XII.

THK MISSION TO MALACCA.

RESOLUTIONS REGAItDINH MALACCA — OCCUPATION OF TllE STATIOX BT UR. M[LNE — BAPTISM OF AFAH — HIS EXFEIIIENCE— ARRIVAL OF AUTHOR AND OTHER BRETHREN -8CH0OL8-TItACT8 — AND TBlKfr LATIONB — ANGLO-CHIMESB COLLEGE— VARIOUS LAROrRS—RKBCIIK< A MALAY FAMILY — DEATH OF MILNE—MORRISON VISITS HALACU ARRIVAL OF KIDD-VISIT OF THE DEPUTATION — DEATH OP COLUS- BAPTISM OP A MALAY SLAVE — AND A CHINESE YOUTH — TOMUm 8UPE8ISTESDENCE— ARRIVAL OF EVANS— FRESH BAPTISMS — DXBL JOINS THE MISSION - MORE ENCOUIIAOEMENT-TWENTV INDrV]DtUli BAPTIZED — TEN MORE ADDED — THEIR EXPERIENCE — MISSION PEN AN O — STATION AT JAMES TOWN — LABOURS OF DYER. TO SINGAPORE — JOINED BY THE AMERICAN MISSIONRIEa

Malacca, situated on the east side of the strait oft] name, was one of the earliest European settlements Itt the east, and now contains about 25,000 inhabitants ; whom 4000 are Chinese, 2000 Portuguese, about t same number of Malabars. and the rest Malays.

Mr. Milne first visited this place in 1814, on bi< way from Java to China. During the following yei it was resolved to occupy Malacca, as being nearer to China than any of the neighbouring settlements, and as commanding a ready intercourse with other partt of the Archipelago. The station was intended with I view to the Chinese principally, though not esclusivelyi and ax the inhabitants of the neighbouring nations v includeil in the object, the undertaking assumed th4 general name of the VltrapGanges Missions.

In th« spring of 1815. Mr. Milne left Canton, t

AHRIVAL OF MR. MILNE. 307

companied by a Chinese teacher, printers, and materials for publishing books. The Resident received him with great kindness, and proposed that he should take charge of the Dutch reformed church, established there; which Mr. M. consented to do, as far as his missionary engagements would allow.

Soon after his arrival, Mr. Milne established a Chi- nese school, into which fifteen children were admitted. A Christian catechism was introduced, and a cateche- tical exercise maintained every Sabbath afternoon. A public service in Chinese was commenced, and family worship conducted daily, to which the adherents of the mission paid serious attention.

A periodical publication in the native language, having been considered advisable for a reading people, the first number of the Chinese Magazine, left the press in the month of August, 1815. The promotion of Christianity was its primary object ; yet knowledge and science were called in to the aid of religion ; and instructive anecdotes, with occasional notices of poli- tical events, gave a pleasing variety to the work.

The same year, Mr. Milne was joined by Mr. Thom- sen, who came out to establish a Malay mission in Malacca; and for that purpose devoted himself to the study of the language.

In the summer of 1816, a more than usual attention to the truth was paid by one of the Chinese printers, who professed his determination to take up the cross, and follow the Saviour. The following extract from Mr. Milne's journal refers to this individual : —

*' Nov. .1. — At twelve o'clock thi« day, I baptiz^Hl, in the nanie of the arlurahlc Trinity, I-#eanfcf Kung-fah, commonly calleil I^'anij .\fah. The nervire wm iierformed in a room of the miHt&ion house. Cnrv

x2

3oe

BAPTISM OF AFAJI.

had been uken, by prcrious conTereation and pr^tr. to fur this sacred ordinance ; and finding him still «tciul&st in the fiik, I baptised hint. The changi? produced in bis scutinicntii uid conddd is, I hope, the effect of Christian truth, — jet who of mortal* en know tlie heart ? Several searching questions were propo8ed to bin, and an exercise i^uited to a candidate for baptiein composed, aiul ^hk to him to meiUtatc on. He belong to the prorince of Camton, ii aboul thirty-three years of age, can read a plain book with ca««, wd is of a steady character and frugal habits. His lemjicr is not n sociable as that of many other Chinese : he wa8 formerly dbutioMlt, and occasionally troublesome, but of late there htwi beeu scarce^ anything of this kind lo complain of. With respect to his fonnw bit he observed, ' 1 rarely went to esceBs in sin ; yet I hire be«i oe^ sionally guilty of drunkenness and other lundred vices. Dcfiav I caine liither, I knew not God ; but now I denre lo serve him." H* wished to be baptized exactly at twelve o'clock, when, to use bb on words, ' the shadow inclines neither one way nor the other.'

" At baptism, the following questions were proposed to htm, tt which he answered as follows : — Q. Have you truly turned from iMtt lo serve the living and true God, the creator of heaven and cntbt A. This is my heart's desire. Q. Do you know and feel, that JW aru a sinful creature, totally unahle to save yourself. A. I know iL Q. Do you really believe that Jcsua Christ is the Son of Oad, ■! the Saviour of the world ; and do you trust in liltn alone Sar ratnlinl A. Tliis is my heart's desire. Q. Do you expect any wa«U(jr td* vuilage, profit, or gain, by your becoming a Christian ? A. Mom: I receive baptinn because it is my duty. Q. Do you resolTe 6aB tills day till the day of your death, to live in obedience lo all tlw coo^ inandments and ardinances of God; and injustice and before men ? A. This is my determination ; but I fear my Ih not equal to it.

" On my part the ordinance was dispensed with mingled bnp<', and fi.-ar. May ho be made faithful unto death ; and m fatk the firrt fruiu of this branch of the minsion, may an abundant hamrt follow, to the joy of the church, and tlie honour of Christ."

His aiicotint of hifi own experience, is as follows : —

" Before I believed in the Saviour, though I knew myse xinnrr, I did nut know how to ohlnui ]iiirdon. I used 1

HIS EXPERIENCE. 309

new and full moon to the temple, and prayed to the gods to protect me ; hut though my hody worshipped the gods, my heart still che- liabed evil thoughts and desires, together with designs of cheating and lying, which never departed from my mind. After a time, I was bfought to Malacca, in the family of a missionar}*, who used to preach to his domestics the doctrine of salvation through Jesus. I attended his ministrations, hut my heart was not engaged. Sometimes I looked at the Scriptures, and heard them explained, hut I did not fiilly com- prehend the meaning. Hearing the missionary exhort men not to go and worship the gods, I used to say, * this is a strange kind of doc- trine. According to this, gilt paper and sacrificial candles, gold flowers and paper money, must be useless and sinful. I fear tliat Buddha will soon bring punishment and death on such an opponent of the gods, and then we shall sec whether he will continue to preach these doctrines.'

*^ A few months afterwardn, a priest of Buddha came from China, and hved in the temple of Kwan-yin, hard by. He visitc*d me fre- quently, and I asked him how I was to obtain the pardon of ninHV He aiiHwerwl, * Daily recite the true form» of devotion, and Buddha, who resides in the western heavens, will remit tlie nini* of yuur wliole family. If a person give a little money to the priest, to rliaiit tlif prayers for him, he will, in the next life, be bom into a ricli family, and will not be sent to hell to suffer mlsen.* Wlien I heard tliir*, I desired to become a follower of Buddha. Tlie priest iinnicdiately •cnt me a volume of prayers, and denired mv to reiwat thcni ; saj iiiy* that if I recited them a thousand tinien, I shoultl ranci*! all tlx* debts of my former life. I acconliii^ly began to rejH'at the praytrs; but on** eveuiiiKt while sitting alone, it came into niy mind, that I bad rom- niittc'd many real sins, and could hardly ex[M"ct by rccitin:: pray«Ts, without performing a single virtuous action, to obtain foriri\riics»i.

'* In the mean while, I beard the missionar) [in-acb thi; doctrim' of atonement throuirb Jesus, and at my Irisure, I examined tlur Scrip- tun*H, wliich forbatl uncbanness, dc<rit, nn<i idolatrv. Tb«'n I thouicbt, * these are itikkI lxM>ks, exbortintf men totbpart from iiii<|uity: moreover, the d(K*trines are attested bv the miracles of Jesu**, then'- fore this Ijook must certainly be true.' I tlien likened to tin* expla- nation of the Scriptures, nn<l on the Sabbath day n-ad tin* Hi!»li' more attentively, rei]uestinij the missionary' to explain it to nw. \ a-.k«'<l what wa»* meant bv Jesns makin;; <^tonemeiit for sin. The mi<sionarv ti»l<i m»', that Jt>u«' wa*» tbf S<»n of (nxl. •^ent into tin- wmi).! tn Kutlei

310

HIS StPFERlNG.

for the sins of men, in ordtr tlmt all nbo believe in Him migbt oUud salvation. Feeling ntj^elf to 1« n unner, I aeked how 1 mis to obuin pardon t The miBsignaiy eaid, 'If you believe in Jcsu», Uud trill receive you aa his adopted eon, nud in the norld to come, bestow ou you everlasting lif-.'

" On reluming to my room, I thought within myself, ' I «m a gre&t «inner, and if I do not depend on the merits of Christ, how can God forgive me f I then determined to become a disciple of Je*iu, and re<)ueeted baptism.

" After receiTing this rite, I employed my imjid diligent!}' in guarding my life and actions, and become more and more fond cd reading the Scriptures. I prayed to God, to drive all evil thongbt* out of my mind, and cherish good desires within me.

" I now not only refrained from worshipping inmges myself, bwi {litied llioae who did, and sought to instruct them in the war of m1- vation. With this riew, I made a small book, eihorting men to wor- ship God, and believe in Jesus ; and on my return to ray native viUttge in Cliina, I printed a hundred capiee, for the purpose of distribution; when one day I was suddenly apprehended by the police, ■> brought me before the mandarin. He said, that my IxdieviDg Jesus, and printing Christian books, were both i-iolations of Hie b and ordered me into cunftnement. While there, I thought with myself, ' this book contains the true doctrine of Jesus, the SavJonr the world, who exhorted men to l)econie good — why then ehould I ' persecuted for priuUng it ? I sup[>ose it is because my sins h»Ta pro> vokcd God to punish me." Therefore I heartily repenleil, and prvyod Ihnt |God would pity and pardon me. The missionary aflerwaiill interested some persons to speak to the mandarin on my behalf; who, after giving me thirty blows with the bamboo, on the solts of my (ntr till the blood flowed, liberated me. The police officers also extortdt from me seventy dollars. After I had sufTcred this ]>ersecution Ions of projicrty, I did not dare to tuni my back on the Lord but accounted that 1 ftuffcred the just punishment due fur my s

In 1817, an Knglish periodical, called the " Ind* Chinese Gleaner," was begun. It contained the most recent information from China, notices about the lilfr ratlin; and religion of Ihe Ultra-Ganges nations, with the best method of evangelizing them : hut it wa«

ARRIVAL OP TUE AUTHOR. 311

never adequately supported, and after three or four years' trial was given up.

^rhis year, the weight of the establishment pressed very heavily on Mr. Milne, who was almost sinking under a load of cares, when the author arrived, June, 1817) to his assistance. The number of works passing through the press, both in the Chinese, Malay, and £nglish languages, at Malacca, required the special attention of one individual, and it was for the purpose of superintending this department that he was originally destined. In order to this, it was necessary that the (/hinese and Malay languages should be learned ; and this agreed with a previous desire, to connect with secular duties the more important occupation of impart- ing direct religious instruction to the natives. About a month afterwards, Mr. Milne visited China for the l)enefit of his health, leaving the whole care of the mission, including preaching, schools, printing, and tract distribution, to his newly arrived coadjutor. This, together with the acquisition of the language, became a heavy burthen for a young beginner, but by Gods help, the machine was kept in motion ; while the de- mands on ingenuity, to render himself intelligible, soon forced the inexperienced labourer into a tolerable acquaintance with the vernacular tongue.

At the close of 1817* the mission was joined by Mr. Slater, who devoted himself to the study of the Chinese language, and, after a year's residence, went to revive tlie mission in Batavia.

In the beginning of 1818, Mr. Milne returned from China, much improved in health ; and towanls the close of the same year, the mission was strengthened by the arrival of three additional labourers, Messrs. Beighton,

VARIOUS LABOL'RS.

Ince, and Milton, the former of whom applietl to th« study of the Malay, and the two latter to the Chinese

Whilst the newly arrived brethren were occupied in studying the rudiments of the different tongues, the au- thor took charge of the Chinese schools, which were three in numlier. By devoting more attention to this depart- ment, some improvements were introduced. Mr. Milne's Youth's Catechism was explained weekly, in the collo- quial dialect, by which means the scholars soon knew more of Christianity than they did of Confucianism.

In the distribution of tracts, frequent opportunities of usefulness occurred. Several strangers from Siam and Cochin China manifested a great desire to obtuB copies of the New Testament and tracts, and came to the mission house requesting to be supplied.

Mr. Milne, in the mean time, pursued the wock of translation ; and contemplated drawing up cominea- taries on various parts of the Bible. For Mr. H. felt convinced, that we must direct the attention of the heathen to the Scriptures, if we would furnish tbem with ever new and saving truth. The Bible is Qie only book that can long keep up the attention ; and to make solid and rational Christians, to lay the founda> tion of cxt^^nsive and permanent usefulness, and to fix the religion of the Redeemer in a pagan country, so as to defy the [lossibility of extermination, no means are equal to those which lead the heathen directly to i1m Holy Scriptures.

In the month of November, 1818, tJie foundatioil stone of the Anglo-Chinese College was laid, 'lliis tnHtilution was intended for the cultivation of English and Chinese litcrafurf . with the ihffnsiou of (Ihristianity.

ANGLO-CHINESE COLLEGE. 313

It owed its origin to Dr. Morrison, who devoted the sum of one thousand pounds to the erection of the house, and five hundred pounds for the instruction of one European, and one Chinese student for the first five years. The college was designed to afford to Europeans the means of acquiring the Chinese lan- guage, and to Chinese an opportunity of becoming ac- quainted with the science and religion of the west The directors of the Missionary Society were of opinion, that the proposed college was likely to advance Chris- tianity in the east, and therefore voted five hundred pounds towards the institution ; suggesting at the same time, the importance of giving a paramount attention to missionary objects, while they advised that no young man, whose piety was in the smallest di»gn»o question- able, should be admitted into the college.

Dr. Morrison, in writing on the subject, says, —

** Lot mc bo»ot»ch you, by the tender merries of CJchI our Saviour, to continue your parental care of thcpc missions, and particularly to deal kindly with the infant seminar\', the Amrlo-Chinesc (\>l- Ictrir. It is the offspring of the Missionar)* SiK'iety ; and like that, irt devoletl to the cause of our common Christianity. Literature is the means, not the end. Gtxi ^rrant that it may prospir, he an honour to my countr>', and a Idessuiir to China : and thus unite in its name and in it8 l)enctits, tlie west and the eaM, and finally hU'nd in fieucvful intercourse the extremities of the earth, Britain and Japan."

During the year 1819, the ilistribution of tracts was carried on with activity ; almost every house in the town was visited, for the puqmse of conversing with the inhabitants, and supplying them with the means of instruction. Two New Testaments and sevenil tracts were conveyed, by ('apt. P. Gordon, to Japan, and lt*ft in the hand^ of the natiye^ of Jeddo. The rai^inu

314 SUCCESS AMONG THK MALAYS.

of the cholera through the settltment was improved hy the missionaries, to press eternal things more seriouslj on the attention of the natives. Ueligioiis exercises were conducted daily in Chinese and Malay, at the mission house ; while the autlior commenced preaching in the Fuh-keen dialect four times a week, in differeut imrts of the town. This year, four of (he brethren left for the various stations in the Archipelago, and the concerns of the mission devolved on the three labourers who fii"st arrived.

The following year the Malacca mission was strength- ened by the arrival of two labourers ; Mr. Fleming, for the Chinese department; and Mr. Hultmann, to take charge of the printing, instead of the author, who rfr moved to Penang. Mr. Thomsen's labours in the English and Malay school, were rewarded by the gra- tifying progress of the children, and their willingness to instruct others. Mr. T. succeeded also in rescuing' a Malay family from slavery, whom he regularly in- structed, and was happy to t;ee ihem renounce Maho raedanism and embrace Christianity.

Mr. {now Dr.) Milne composed an essay on the nature, immortality, and salvation of the soul, in two volumes, 12mo.. calculated to meet the sceptical objec- tions and metaphysical reasonings of the Confucians, und to give them just views on so important and essei^ tial a theme.

In the year 1821, Mr. Humphreys joined the tion ; and the following year the mission was strength^ ened by the arrival of Mr. Collie; but it sustained t severe loss in the death of Ur. Milne. He had foi M-vcrul years been declining in health, and was advised to visit Euvopc for itr^ re-cstablishmeni ; hut liii> anxiety

DEATH OF DR. MILNE. 315

to complete the translation of the Old Testament, and to watch over the mfant college, induced him to pro- long his stay in India, till disease had made such pro- gress, as to baffle the utmost efforts of medical skill. In the beginning of the year, his disorder became so violent as to compel him to remove to Singapore, and from thence to Penang. But growing worse, he sig- nified his wish to return to Malacca ; and there being no vessel sailing for that place, the governor of Penang ordered the Company's cruiser, Nautilus, to proceed thither with him, accompanied by Mr. Beighton. He was just spared to land at Malacca, where on the second of June, he calmly resigned his happy spirit into the hands of the Redeemer. In him, the Christian church sustained no ordinary loss ; but if his course was short, his labours were abundant, and he lived long enough to see his plans consolidated, and in a great measure carried into vigorous operation.

The same year Mr. Thomson quitted Malacca, to establish a Malay mission at Singapore.

Aftlh, the converted Chinese, arrived from Malacca this year, with three new workmen, to expedite the ]>rinting of the Chinese Scriptures, which he was ho- noured to commence and to bring to a conchision. By the decease of Ur. Milne, however, the Chinese Maga- zine and the Indo-Chinese Gleaner, were discontinued ; while preaching in the native language was susiK»ndecl. Dr. Milne, before his death, baptized a Chinese woman; and Mr. Thomson, two Malays, all of whom appeared to be sincere converts to Christianity.

In the beginning of 1823, Dr. Morrison visited Ma- lacca, and one of his tirst acts was to erect a monu- ment to the memory of his late friend, with appropriate

316

MORRISON VISITS MALACCA.

inscriptions in Hebrew and Chinese. The Chinese services were resumed by Dr. Morrison, the attendance on which amounted to sixty persons ; after his depar- ture, Mr. Collie continued this exercise. Some stran- gers from Cochin China applied for a fresh supply of Scriptures and tracts, and said, that some Roman catho- lics in their country had got more rational and satisfac- tory jviews of the eucharist, from reading some of our tracts, than they had before possessed.

The number of students, in the college, was fifteen ; these youths approved of (,'hristianity, and generally entered, with cheerfulness, into the religious exercises of the mission ; and. although none of them manifested any decisive evidence of conversion, yet they had en- tirely given up idol-worship, and abstained from joining in heathen ceremonies.

In the year 1824, Mr. Kidd joined the Malacca mis- sion, and commenced the study of the Fuh-keen dialect. In the college, the number of inmates amounted to twenty-six, who were diligent in their studies, and fre- quently accompanied the brethren in their missionary excursions ; whilst in the heathen temple they raiaetl the tune, and assisted in conducting the worship of the true God. Respect and affection towards their teachers, was manifest in these young men, and their knowledge of religion increased daily.

During the year 1825, the mission books were more sought after than formerly ; many applied for parti- cular works, and expressed a wish to have larger trea- tities on the Christian religion. Many tracts had been sent to the neighbouring colonies and to China; while the misBionarics continued to itinerate in the stu-ruunifc ing villages.

VISIT OF THE DEPUTATION. 317

In the following year, the mission was strengthened by the arrival of Mr. Smith ; while the brethren were cheered and encouraged by the visit of the deputation from the Parent Society, consisting of Messrs. Tyerman and Bennett. The Chinese schools contained two hun- and fifty children, and the deputation expressed them- selves satisfied with the progress of the boys, and the [irinciples on which the schools were conducted. The local government engaged to support two of these establishments, and a free school, containing one hun- dred and seventy boys, was maintained by the inhabi- tants. The deputation thought that a prominent object in schools, established in heathen countries should be, to train up the elder boys as schoolmasters ; it being reasonable to suppose, that persons thus educated, would be less attached to idolatry, and better fitted, both morally and intellectually, for promoting the ob- jrct of missionaries, than the present race of heathen schoolmasters.

The number of students in the college was twenty ; one of whom, a native of China, had in little more than a year, acquired such a knowledge of English, as to enable him to translate Keith s Treatise on the Globes, into CTiinese. No instances of conversion had occurred among the native students, but a considerable degree of important information was acquired, and the youthful mind stored with those great truths, which are able to make wise unto salvation. At an examination held by the deputation, when the students were questioned on subjects relating to geography, arithmetic, grammar, theology, &c., several of them acquitted themselves much to the satisfaction of their examiners.

During the year 1827i the miKsion chapel was o|)ened

318

DEATH UF fOLME.

for public worehip, when sermons were preaclied m various languages spoken in the settlement ; the col- lege students attended the service, and the congrega- tions were good.

The following year, the mission was deprived of one of its most valued labourers by death, Da\'id Collie. Mr. C enjoyed excellent health, during the whole of his residence in India, with the exception of the year iu which he died. Hi« exertions in behalf of the hea- then, were unremitting; he rose early and sat up late, redeeming his time for the one great object in view. He was taken ill in January, and became so much worse in the following month, that the medical men a<lvised his proceeding to a colder climate : with this view, he embarked for Singapore, intending to go on to the Cape, or England; but rapidly sinking, he died on the following day, surrounded by strangei-s and fo- reigners, without a Christian friend to impart the lea«t consolation or assistance. His remains were committee! to the deep, with the hope, that one day. the " sea would give up the dea^l that were in it."

The Chinese Ijranch of the mi.ssion now devolved on Messrs. Kidd and Smith ; while Mr. Humphreys preached in Malay, and had the gratification to baptize a Malay female slave, with her children, who had regii- larly attended at the mission chapel, and given evi- dence of conversion to God. On being asked why she wished to be baptized, she said that she felt herself a great sinner, and knew of no other Saviour but Jesus.

Messrs. Humphreys and Smith returned, in 1829, to England, and Mr. Hughes was sent out to strengthen the Malay mission. In April of this year, Mr. Kidtl baptized a Chinese youth, named Tsze-hea, who bad

BAPTISM OF A CHINESE. 319

l>ecn educated in the college. The boys in the Chinese schools amounted to two hundred. Miss Newell, who had been sent out in 1827, for the purpose of pro- moting native female education, succeeded in establish- ing five girls' schools in Malacca. The number of stu- dents in the college was thirty. One of them, a native of China, had translated Stockii Clavis, into Chinese ; and on leaving the institution, proceeded to Peking, where he was employed as imperial interpreter of western languages.

In the year 1831, the as{)ect of the mission became more favourable; knowledge was increasing, distrust gave place to confidence, and a spirit of enquiry suc- ceeded to the previous apathy. A Malay man, who had formerly enjoyed the benefit of Mr. Collie's in- struction, was baptized by Mr. Kidd. Three Malay schools were opened by Mr. Hughes, which contained eighty children, of both sexes. Miss Wallace, who succeeded Miss Newell, in the superintendence of na- tive female education, had ten schools under her care ; viz. eight Chinese, one Tamul, and one Malay school, containing two hundred girls.

Mr. Kidd returned to England in 1832, when Mr. Tomlin took charge of the station ; Chinese preaching was continued, and the whole number of children edu- cated in the schools, exceeded five hundred.

During the year 1833, Mr. Tomlin continued his superintendence of the mission and college. Into the latter, he intro<luced, what he called, a radical reform. This consisted in abolishing the monthly stipend al- lowed to the students, which, in the infancy of the institution, was deemed necessar)' ; but as the l>enefits of the college became apparent, it was thought that

320

AHRIVAI. OF EVANS.

this might gradually be dispensed with. In the hefpni ning of 1833, all fresh applicants were informed, that no allowances would be made as formerly, and that all who entered must expect no pay. Twenty volimteew appeared on this system; and at the close of the year^ there were fifteen pensioners, and seventeen free hojB. A Bible class was commenced, at which the BchooV masters and senior scholars, with some young professing Christians in the town, attended.

With the commencement of 1834, Mr. Kvaos tootE charge, and on the 4th of May, delivered his first aet^ mou in Chinese, after having been only nine montlu> in Malacca. '■ 1 have thus found," says he, " all tlie difticulties of tliis hard language vanish away before perseverance ; and cannot he sufficiently thankful to the Lord, for thus enabling me to engage in eveiy duty connected with my department, in eight months after my arrival!" His son, in the same space of time, spoke the Malay, with the fluency of a native,, and has since applied to the Chinese language. The mission, also, wore a favourable aspect ; one Chinese and two Malay females, with one Malay man, had been baptized.

A few months afterwards, a Tamul man was bap- tized, who gave satisfactory proofs of his sincerity, by renouncing caste, in spite of persecution. His conduct since his baptism, has been highly praiseworthy. There were also several Chinese candidates for baptism ; s( of them, frequently engaged in prayer, and began to understand the Scriptures. The religious services were all well attended, and the thirst of the Chinese for books, increased daily, no that they could not be printn fuflt enough.

ARRIVAL OP DYER. 321

In his report of the college, for 1834, Mr. Evans calls it the Alma Mater of China, and speaks of it as having been the instrument, either directly or indirectly, of converting every Chinese, who has embraced the Christian faith. The total number of students who had finished their education, since the commencement of the institution, was forty : part of these are sincere Christians, and all respectable members of society.

Anxious to promote the efliciency of this station, the Directors instnicted Mr. Dyer, to remove thither, from Penang, in 1835. Preaching was continued in the different languages, while the Chinese congregations amounted to two hundred and fifty. ITiree Tamul men had been baptized, besides three Chinese, two of whom were students in the college; the entire number of baptized during the year, being eight adults and two children. One of the Chinese converts was very useful among his countrymen, conversing with the children of the schools, besides labouring among the adults. Mr. Evans writes, '" the whole number of Chinese Christians is now nearly thirty; those whom I have baptized, adorn the doctrine of our God and Saviour. They are now ready to go forth, as preachers of the GoRj)el, to their countrymen. Their knowledge of Scrip- ture is extraonUnarj."

In the year 1836, the native Christians, who had been compelled to quit China, by iH^rsecution, found an asylum in Malacca. Amongst the n*st. L<*ang Afi^h, who availed himself of the opportunity to sproa<l reli- gious knowledge amongst the emigrants preaching both in the Fuh-keen and Canton dialects. The usual services in English, Chinese, and Portuguese, were continued.

322 SUCCESS OF THK MISSION.

Mr. Hughes having quitted the service of the Sociebf , the Malay department was this year but partiaDy at- tended to. Mr. Dyer was actively employed in pre- paring Chinese metal types, in which he was aided by bberal donations from India, England, and America. The students in the college amounted to seventy, and their pursuits were divided between Chinese and Eng- lish literature. Six of the senior students having re- nounced idolatry, were supported by the London Mis- sionary Society. Fotur of these, together with one Siamese, were baptized during the year, after haviog publicly abjured heathenism. Mr. Dyer wrote, that he never viewed the Ultra Gangetic missions in a more favourable light than at the time referred to ; the gloom he said was passing away, and the liglit springing up.

Subjoined is the substance of the questions proposed to the candidates, at the time of their baptism ; —

" \VTiy do you wieli to receive Christian baptism ? Because I Teel myself lo be a great sinner : and now desire to repent of mj- tnaa, that I may obtain forgiveness.

" Do you think that baptism alone is able to eave your bouI? No: but I believe that Jesus CliriBt, wlio conuiiandud believers to be btp- tized, is able to save me.

" What has Jesus Christ done for you? He suffered utd died, to atone for my sins, and procure my salvation.

" Do you wish to follow tbe doctrine of Christ, in preferenoe to that of the Chinese sages f I do : because 1 believe, that Christ alone con guide me to happiness and heaven.

" Can you truly say, that you have forsaken the vain superstitions of your countrymen ? I have hitherto foolishly worshipped idols, but now I desire to worship the living and true God, only.

** Do you feel thai ynii are a great sumer, and deserving of etenuil punishment? I know that I am a sinner. Mid tliat I ought to suffer the punitihmeut due to ain. 4

" Do you think that any good performance of your own will he' sufficient lo save you » AH I can do will be wholly insuffieietti to

MORS BAPTISMS. 323

««¥€ met and I pnj lor sahration, through the merits of Christ alone. ** la it with the Tiew of advancing your worldly intereats, that you wish to be bi4>tixed f No : my sole reason for desiring bi4>tism, is that I may become a disciple of Jesus Christ.*'

In the year 1837i the brethren at Malacca, trans- mitted accounts surpassing any that had previously been sent from that station. Divine service was continued in the various langut^es, as usual, with a regular attendance, particularly at the Chinese service, when the mission chapel was crowded. The number of chil- dren receiving education in the schools, was, four hun- dred and ninety-five. Mr. Lay, the agent of the Bible Society, had been liberally supplied with Chinese Bibles and Testaments. In the month of April, 1837, twenty individuals were admitted to the Christian church, by baptism, viz. four Chinese families, consisting of four men, with their wives, and five children ; besides six young Cliinese and one Siamese. These all adorned the doctrine of God their Saviour, and their whole conduct comported with the principles of Christianity. ITie renunciation of idolatry, by one of these persons, is remarkable. He came to the college one day, ex- pressing a wish to embrace Christianity. This was objected to, on the ground of his house being still fur- nished with an idol ; when he immediately went home, tore down every vestige of idolatry, and committed all to the flames, in the presence of his family ; '' Here," say the brethren, '' are the first fruits of 350,000,000 of the human race."

In the month of May, of the same year, ten more individuals were baptized; one of them was a vene- rable man, with a long white beard, al)out sixty-five years of age. He was formerly a schoolma^^ter, and a

V 2

324 CHAllACTKR OF THE BAPTIZED.

most rigid idolater; perhaps one of the last peiBons, humanly speaking, upon whom religion seemed likely to make an impression; and yet, he said, the tliinge which he read in the Christian books, caused him to see the folly of idolatry. The truth seemed to hare been working in his mind, for many months ; and, at last, he came forward, with a degree of courage, quite surprising in so old a man, and exclaimed before his idolatrous countrymen, " I have served idols, but I will serve them no more."

Two of the baptized, a man and his wife, were somewhat dependant on the person with whom they resided ; their patron threatened, that if they were bap- tized, they should quit his house, with nothing but the clothes they had on. This threat deterred them, for some time ; but at length the husband, remembering the words of the Saviour, •' If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, take up his cross, and follow me;" determined to sacrifice all for Jesus. On this determination being made known, the opponent's heart relented, and he not only recalled his former threat, but promised, that if they would remain with him, he would take down his idol. The man was true to his word, for when they returned home, after baptism, every vestige of idolatry was removed.

Another family, baptized at the same time, consisted of a man, his wife, and two chililren. The man carried on the business of a shoe-maker in the town, in the midst of idolaters. Having been present at the former baptism, his mind became so deeply impressed with the solemnity of the service, and the truths of Christi- anity, that he borrowed some Christian books, and continued to peruse them for a considerable time, without

M1S810N TO PENANG. 325

communicating his opinion and determination to any one. At length, the change in his conduct became so manifest, that his acquaintance began to ridicule him. Being thus called upon to confess Jesus, before men, he was not ashamed to do so : and has since continued a firm and consistent follower of that Saviour, whom he has been spiritually taught to serve.

The other individuals consisted of one man, about thirty, and two young men, who are preparing in the college to enter on the Christian ministry. The con- duct of all is most commendable : their attendance on the means of grace is punctual and regular, whilst they conduct family worship morning and evening in their own dwellings. They seem not only desirous of walking worthy of their profession themselves, but of inducing others to come with them, that they may do them good ; whilst the order and consistency of those young men studying for the office of evangelists, is such ns to afford much comfort to those under whose charge they are placed.

As the missions to Penang and Singapore were in- timately connected with that to Malacca, we shall here introduce a brief notice of them.

Though Penang was pointed out as the most eligible S|)ot on which to commence a mission ; yet it was not till Canton and Malacca had both been occupied, that the brethren turned their attention to Prince of Welles' island. Mr. Milne did, indeed, take a journey thither, in 1816, to solicit a grant of land for the Malacca sta- tion; l)ut in 1819, the first efforts were made to evan- gelize the inhabitants of that settlement. In the spring of the latter year, the author proceeded thither, to dis- tributt^ tracts, and establish schools, for which the

AUTHORS LABOURS THERE.

support of government was obtained, and then i way for Messrs. 'Beighton and ]nce, who occupied the Btation as resident missionaries.

Towards the close of the following year, however, the author again visited the island, and settled at James Town, in the midst of a rural population, having charge of a native orphan school, consisting of about twenty individuals, who resided in the missionary's hoiuie, and under his own eye. A dispensary was likewise opened for the sick poor, and visits paid to the heathen in their dwellings, while divine worship was regularly con- ducted with the inmates of the mission family and a few neighbours. During the author's residence there, a Chinese catholic applied for instruction. He retained a general knowledge of the Christian history, but la- mented that he had lost his crucifix and missal. With the view of keeping him near the missionary's residence, a pepper garden was purchased for him ; but he made off with the proceeds, and was never heard of more. The catholics possess a seminary in Penang. for the purpose of training up young Chinese as preachers to their own countrymen. The principal ha<l been fifteen years in China, and there were about twenty inmates in the establishment. After spending a year in Penang, the author removed to Batavia.

In the year 1824, a neat and commodious chapel was built for the use of the mission, towards which the inhabitants of the settlement subscribed very liberally. The chapel had scarcely been erected a year, however, when the mission sustained a severe loss in the death of Mr. I nee. After a delay of two years, Mr. Dyer arrived to occupy his place.

Soon after his arrival, Mr. Dyer commence<

y ui iw*» I

>ce<|^^|

DYERS ENDEAVOURS. 327

work of casting moveable metallic types for the Chinese langui^, and attempted to establish schools on the British system. His chief employment con- sisted in going about from house to house, and preach- ing the Gospel to every creature. In order to be more completely amongst them, he purchased a small house in the centre of the Chinese town, where he received all who came for religious instruction and medical ad- vice, while the intense breathing of his inmost soul was to be made a blessing to that heathen land.

In 1832, a Malay female was baptized, whose pro- fession appeared to be scriptural and sincere. Two or three years afterwards the number of baptized amounted to thirteen, and the communicants from among the English congregation to twenty.

In the close of 1835, Mr. Dyer was appointed to Malacca, and his place supplied by Mr. Davies. During all the intervening years, from the establish- ment of the mission, two or three Chinese, and half a dozen Malay schools have been kept up, some of thenv supported by government. In these, the brethren have laboured to impress religious truth upon the minds of the yoimg, with varied success. In the Malay schools, some of the young people have become familiar with the Scriptures, and some have been trained up to be teachers to others. In the Chinese schools, however, owing to the peculiarity of the language, and the ol> Htinacy of the teachers, little good has been done.

No sooner was the British flag hoisted at Singaj)ort\ than a grant of land was obtained for the mission there; and Mr. Milton proceeded, in 1819, to commence oi>e- rations for the l)enefit of the Chinese in that island. In 1822, Mr. Thomsen removed thither from Malacca,

328 MISSION TO SINGAPORE.

for the purpose of iustnicting the Malays. Two years afterwards, the mission chapel was built, and in the course of time three natives were baptized, who gave pleasing e\'idence of their sincerity. The mission was strengthened in 1827, by the arrival of Messrs. Smith and Tomlin, who established schools, and distributed Chinese tracts throughout the settlement, and amongst the native vessels in the harbour. The following year, Mr, Tomlin paid a visit to Siam, in company with Mr, Gutzlaff, where they distributed twenty-three boxes full of Chinese books among the people. The medical ud afforded to the natives attracted multitudes to the dwel* ling of the missionaries, and something was done towards their instniction ; while one Chinese was bap- tized by Mr. Gutzlaff, a.s the first fruita of the mission to Siam, A rough translation of the Gospel of Mat- thew, was drawn up, and a Christian tract was printed in the language of that country.

Both Messrs. Smith and Tomlin having afterwards removed to Malacca, and Mr. Thomsen being com- pelled to return to Eurojje, on account of ill health, the mission at Singapore was but feebly supported. In 1835, Mr, Wolfe was sent thither, but in two years was called away by death. The station is now occu- pied by the Messrs, Stronachs, who have just arrived.

Our American brethren have occupied this station for the last foiu- years, and intend making it the seat of their printing establishment, and a point from which to operate on the nations beyond. Their efforts have been blessed for the conversion of several individuals, and the energy with which they are carrj'ing on their labours, promises, at no distant period, a happy result

V.

^

CHAPTER XIII.

MISSION TO BATAVIA.

FIRST THREE MISSIONARIES — SUPPER'S LABOURS— SLATER'S MISFOR- TUNES—THE AUTHOR'S ARRIVAL— SCHOOLS— PRINTING— AND OTHER EXERTIONS — CHRISTIAN VILLAGE- CONVERSATIONS WITH HEATHEN

— MALAY JUDGE- NAPOLEON'S PICTURE — VISIT OP THE DEPUTATION

— DESULTORY LABOURS — TRACT AGAINST THE MISSIONARY — JOUR- NEY TO SOERABAYA — THE TANGGAR MOUNTAINS — JAPANESE BOOKS

— CHINESE PREACHING — IRONICAL ARGUMENTS— COMMUNICATION OF THE GOSPEL- WORK ON CHRONOLOGY — JAVANESE T\ PES- JOUR- NEY* TO PAHANG— TRINGANO — KUNTAN — PATANI— AND SONOORA — VOYAGE TO PONTIANAK — STATE OP BORNEO — CHINESE UNDER CON- VICTIONS—ANOTHER INCENSED — VISIT TO BAU — ERECTION OF THE CHAPEL— PREACHING TO CONVICTS — ACCESSIONS TO THE CHURCH- BAPTISM OF SOLDIERS — COVENANT WITH THE DYAKS — BAPTISM OF A CHINESE.

The visit of Mr. Milne to the island of Java, has been noticed in a former chapter. In the year 1814, Messrs. Kam, Supper, and Bruckner, arrived at Batavia, to commence permanent missions in the Mahiyan archi- pelago. The former of these, proceeded to Amboyna, where he laboured faithfully for twenty years, in re- viving and extending the native church, in that and the surrounding islands. Mr. Bruckner went to Samarang, where he took charge of a Dutch congregation ; but changing his views on the subject of baptism, he joined the Baptist Missionar}' Society, and has continued ever since a faithful labourer among the Javanese. Mr. Supper remained in Batavia, where he pnaehed to the native Christians. He likewise employed himself in the distribution of Chinese scriptures and tracts, which were received with gratitude, while the heathen asked

330

SUPPER H LABOURS.

for some teacher to explain the truths which they contained.

Mr. Supper writes, " I have often found Chinese parents reading the New Testament to their families, and requesting instruction about some passages. One merchant delayed his departure from Bata\'ia for some days, in order to read a bible which he had receiveil, with tranquillity and reflection ; he promised to re- commend it to his countrymen, and implored a thou- sand blessings on the Bible." One of the most opulent Chinese obser\'ed, " I have read the New Testament with pleasure ; it is very fine ; and it would he well, if every one led such a life as Jesus Christ has taught us to lead." This Chinese on his return home, tore down all the painted images from the walls, and threw them into the fire.

In three short years the useful labours of this pro- mising misHionary were terminated by death.

In the year 1819, Mr. Slater proceeded from Ma- lacca to IJatavia. On his voyage, he touched at Sin- gapore, Rhio, Lingin, and Banca, as well as at Pon* tianak. and Sambas, in Borneo; and having been provided with about fifteen thousand ('hinese ami Malay books, he distributed them liberally among the people. At many of these places no protcstant mis* sionary had previously been; the books, therefore, ex- cited the greater attention. A copy of the dinne word, had however, reached Pontianak before Mr. S. arrived from the i^terusal of which one Chinese had obtained a knowledge of his own depravity, and the undertaking of Jesus Christ. He approved of the work of mission- aries, and promise<l Ihat if one came to settle in Pon- tianak. he would give him a house for nothing.

8LATBR*8 MtSVOMrOlOBS. 981

Arrived at Batavia, Mr. S. had learcely provided himself with a house, before it was burnt to the ground ; perhaps by some dishonest servant, as he had been twice robbed previously. Part of his property was saved, but a quantity of Testaments and tracts were consumed.

The subscriptions of the inhabitants enabled Mr. S. to repair this damage; and in the year 1821, a small bamboo chapel was built for the use of the mission, at the cost of two hundred pounds, which was principally raised by the English inhabitants.

In the beginning of 1822, the author arrived from Penang, to strengthen this mission ; Chinese preaching was immediately commenced in four different places, the attendance at which was small. In Malay and English preaching, the brethren engaged alternately ; but Mr. Slater 8 health failing, he was obliged to un- dertake a voyage to sea.

On his return in 1823, he dissolved his connection with the society, and the whole weight of the mission fell on the author. Into the Chinese schools a plan was introduced of getting the parents to pay half the expense, in order to lead them to take an interest in the education of their children, and to relieve the funds of the society. This was found to work well, and has been continued ever since. A house was likewise en- gaged in the centre of the Chinese town, when^ a number of Christian books were deposited, and where the missionary spent the greatest part of each day, in exhorting all who came, to embrace the Gospel.

Having procured printers from China, books were published in the native language ; among the rest, the (*hinesc magazine, which, having been discontinued at

33'i ClIllISTIAN VILLAOK.

Malacca by the early removal of Dr. Milne, was re- eutned in Batavia. Of this work one thousand copies were jniblished monthly.

During this and the following year, Mr, Diering. a baptist brother, rendered great aBsistance to the mission, by preaching occasionally in Malay. A European gentleman also built a Bmall bungalow for the accom* modation of the natives on his gronnd. which was visited weekly by the missionary. The people, most of them natives of Bali, paid much attention, and expresswi themselves delighted by the service. Whatever their real sentiments were, it was a pleasing spectacle to see Mahomedans attending to the preaching of the Gospel,

Two adjacent villages, called Tugoe and Depok, inhabited by native Christians, were also visited, and the attendance was encouraging. The origin of the latter of these villages, is worthy of record. More than a century ago, a Dutch gentlemen, named Chasterling, having an estate about six miles long, by two wide, cidtivated entirely by slaves, proposed to liberate them and make them a present of the land, if fhey would consent to be instructed, and on a profession of their faith, baptized. In compliance with his part of the- proposition, he made over the whole of his estate to his former bondmen, built a church for them, established a schoolmaster over them, subject to the pastoral oversight of the Dutch clergy, and left them and their families fhek. In the beginning of the present century, the inhabitants of Depok amounted to al>otit two hundred souls. Never was there a more quiet village, or a more inoffensive (wople ; and though the majority may be attached by interest or education ttt C'hrifitianity. a few appear to be lovers of the Saviour.

TRACT DISTRIBUTION. 333

nd some have already found their way to the haven of est. This village was visited by the author, almost donthly, for several successive years. Latterly, a >utch missionary has been settled there, whose labours lave been blessed to the good of the people. There le about seventy members of the church, and upwards f fifty children in the school.

About this time, some of the books published at Satavia were sent home to England, and Dr. Morrison, in looking over them, was much gratified to see this nedium of conveying Christian knowledge in operation D Java. He said of them, " The tracts for children ire formed on the model of Chinese school-books, only ubstituting Christian for pagan sentiments. One of hese, comprising three words in each sentence, and lence called the * Three character classic,' is well calcu- ated to instil into the tender mind of Chinese children lorrect ideas of the true God, and the Saviour of men. The Chinese magazine contains miscellaneous subjects ilended with Christian truths, designed to disseminate eligious and general knowledge in that quarter of the vorld.**

'ITiat the Chinese read the books put into their lands, the missionary had frequent proofs. The me- hod adopted to excite attention was the following: — rhe distributor would sometimes go, with a few tracts D his hand, and sitting down in a public place, would ead to those who happened to be near ; more would ioon gather round, and look on, to whom the missionary ?ould address himself on the subject of the tract, and it the conclusi(m present the bye-standers with a few lopies, which were in general well received. Thus he (*hinese town was visited almost daily, and the

■134 MAllOMEDAN JUDGE.

opportunity embraced of addressing all who were at leisure. For this purpose, every passing circumstance was improved, and the most convenient places choseD for engaging persons in conversation. At their religious feasts, the visiting of the tomhs, or sacrifices to the dead, there was no want of hearers ; as on these occa- sions the Chinese seemed to relax their wonted eager- ness for business, and Hstened willingly to religious discourse.

A part of this year was spent at a neighbounng town, called Buitenzorg, where the Mahomedan juilge of the district manifested some concern about his ete^ nal interests. Struck with the serious manner, ajid humhle spirit of this individual, the author entered into conversation with him ; when the depravity of man was pointed out, and the question proposed, how a sinner could be saved. The Mahomedan acknowledged, that he knew no satisfactory answer to this enquiry, ood stated his earnest desire to hear of some plan, by which he might obtain peace with God. He was gtuUy referred to the words of the apostle. " Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved." 'ITie next day, the Mahomedan affirmed that he had had uo rest all night, thinking of those words, to which he clung as a drowning man grasps a plank in the midst of the ocean. Whilst proceeding to explain these things more fully, the Mahomedan took out pen and ink, in order to write down what was said. He told, however, that he could he furnished with books containing all these things in detail, which he might peruse at leisure. One tract, written by Mr, Robinson, of Bencooleu, which contains as clear a statement of the all-important doclrine as was ever penned in any

VISIT OP THE DEPUTATION. 335

language, was read over with him, and seemed to be the very thing he wanted. This, with a Malay Bible, and a number of other tracts, were left in his hands, with the prayer that he might be guided into all truth, and enabled to find the path to heaven.

The Chinese captain at this town, was the very opposite of the Malay judge, being much taken up with the *^ wind and water system** of his countrymen, ac- cording to which they believe, that the fortunes of the living are greatly influenced by the position of the graves of the dead. In one of the houses, a Chinese had set up over his altar piece, a picture of Napoleon Buonaparte, in a gilt frame, to which he offered the accustomed meed of incense. Probably, in the height of his ambition, the French emperor little dreamt of being worshipped as a god.

In the year 1825, the deputation from the society, consisting of Messrs. Tyerman and Bennett, visited Java, and accompanied the author on a tour to the eastern parts of the island. The object of this journey on the part of the deputation, was to ascertain the spi- ritual condition of the people, and the openings that appeared for the further spread of Christianity. The design of the missionary in undertaking the tour, was to distribute Chinese books and tracts, which were very extensively circulated through every town and village along the coast, as well as in the populous cities of Samarang and Solo.

This year the cause of religion in Batavia sustained a serious loss in the decease of Mr. Diering, whose character stood singularly and deservedly high for integrity, benevolence, and piety. Though incessantly engaged in worldly business during the week, he s|)ent

336

DESULTORY LABOUBS.

his evenings and his Sabbaths in unceasing exertkms to spread the Gospel, and to benefit his fellow men doing as much in direct labour as most missionaries, while he contributed liberally to the support of the mission. His end was remarkably peaceful and happy.

An exposition of the Ten Commandments, which had been pre\iously delivered in the form of lectures, was drawn up and printed in Chinese. Two new tracts were also prepared, " On the New Year," and " On the Feast of the Tombs ;" which having reference to the native festivals, were more attentively perused than any tracts previously circulated.

In the Chinese town, the missionary still continued his rounds, for the purpose of tract distribution and religious conversation. In these walks, persons of dif- ferent tempers were met with ; some utterly indiflferea!. careless alike whether their gods were abused or praised; while others contended for the propriety of idol-wor- ship, in voice and gesture of no very gentle kind ; urging the practice of antiquity, the doctrine of the sages, and the miracles wrought by their fabled deities. The ex- pense to which they go, in the service of idolatry, is astonishing ; all classes spending a tenth of their in- come in public and private sacrifices, while the funeral of a superior relative increases their outlay in a four^ fold degree. A coffin of sohd oak, six inches ttiick, the purchase of a lucky site, for a grave, frequent sacri- fices to the manes of the departed, and the burning of gilt paiwr. to serve for money in the other world, all involve an expenditure which nearly ruins a poor man. In fact, the Chinese, though the most covetous nation upon earth, are, in matters of religion. lavish in the ex- treme. Would that we could see such profusion in a

RECEPTION OP THE GOSPEL. 337

better cause; or that (Christians, who have higher motives, did not allow themselves to be outdone by heathen, in religious generosity.

When Jesus and his sufferings become the theme, the missionary is generally left to pursue his observations undisturbed, as they have seldom anything to urge against the Gos))el plan of salvation. This is, because they cannot see themselves sinners, or, at least, such sinners as stand in need of eternal redemption ; and thus when the undertaking of a Saviour is alluded to, they say, •• it matters not where these men begin, they are sure to end in Jesus and his salvation.*' Sometimes, they affect to recognize a resemblance between Christ's merits, and the virtues of the go<ldess Kwan-yin, who by her fasting and austerities, rescued her family, for several generations, from the pains of hell. At other times they observe, that their ancient sages did but tell them to be good, and there left them ; but the deliverer of the west, gave up himself for the salvation of the world; by which means, panlon may be ex- tendinl to the guilty, and the evil be made go(xl. Most of them, however, pass over the sulyeet in silence ; or in the midst of a solemn discourse, internipt the speaker, with some irrevalent (pu^stion almut his age, travels, or familv. evidently showinii^ that tluv have no hrart to the d(K'trine propoundfd. It has no ehann, no interrst, with thrni ; and they say, with Ksau, •' What good shall this birth-riglit do to nie ^ "

In 1H2(), the missionary had still t4> complain of the diffieuhy of forming a Chinese congregation. Not hav- ing been aceustomrd to meet, fi)r the purpose* of social worship and mutual edilication, in thrir own eonntn. they could hardly be induced to attend thf statt^d mi-

z

338

C1IINE.SE ARGLMENTS.

nistry of foreigners, to hear doctrines that were di»- agreeable, and opposed to all their previous inclinations. Finding, however, that the heathen would not come to the missionary, the mifisionary was compelled to go lo the heathen ; and what could not be effected by preach- ing to large assemblies, was made up by frequent addresses to small auditories.

The tracts on the feasts of the Chinese, hearing so directly on their superstitions, had awakened all the wrath of the advocates of idolatry, and one of tbera sat down to write a tract against the missionary. In this, he argued, that it was monstrous in barbarians to at- tempt to improve the inhabitants of the celestial empire, when they were so miserably deficient themselves. Thus, introducing among the Chinese the poisonous drug, opium, for their own benefit, to the injury of others, they were deficient in benevolence : sending their fleets and armies, to rob other nations of their pos- sessions, they coidd make no pretensions to recritude: allowing men and women to mix in society, and walk arm in arm through the streets, they shewed that they had not the least sense of propriety ; and, rejecting the doctrines of the ancient kings, they were far from dis* playing wisdom : indeed truth was the only good quality to which they could lay the least claim. Deficient, there- fore, in four out of five of the cardinal virtues, how could they expect to renovate others. Then, white foreigners lavished much money in circulating books for the renovation of the age, they made no scruple of trampling printed paper under foot, by which they lihewcd their disrespect for the inventors of letters. Further, these would-be exliorters of the world, wure themselves deficient in filial piety, forgetting their p^

THEIR WEIGHT AND INFLUENCE. 339

rents as soon as dead, putting them off with deal coffins, only an inch thick, and never so much as once sacri« ficing to their manes, or burning the smallest trifle of gilt paper, for their support in the future world. And, lastly, they allowed the rich and noble to enter office, without passing through the literary examinations, and did not throw open the road to advancement to the poorest and meanest in the land ; by all which it ap- peared, that foreigners were inferior to the Chinese, and, therefore, the most unfit to instruct them.

Some of these arguments had peculiar force, and all of them weighed much with the Chinese. It was, therefore, necessary for the missionary to defend him- self, by publishing a few familiar dialogues, in which these objections were introduced, with the most conclu- sive answers that could be foimd. The justice of their re- marks, respecting European aggressions and corruptions, was, of course, admitted, while the connection of mis- sionaries with those evils was utterly denied. The other pleas were met by such reasonings, as would suggest themselves to any cursory observer; but it would be impossible for a stranger to conceive what a hold these apparently absurd scruples have upon the Chinese mind. The answer, however, was attentively read, and frequently formed the subject of discussion.

This year, a tour was j)erformed along the eastern coa.st of Java, toucliing at Tagal, Samarang, and Soe- rabaya. The Chinese, at the latter place, appeared to lie a more intelligent class of men, than on other parts of Java; and had more leisure, as well as inclination, for religious enquiry. One Chinese family, of consi- derable influence, has, for six gt^nerations, a))stained from the worship of images ; and an aginl gentleman,

/2

340

TIIK TEXUUKll MOUNTAINS.

of that nation. Hstenfd lu the missionary, with great atteDtion, expressing himself in a way which was hardly to be eKi>ected from one who had been brought up a heathen. A small body of Dutch Christians, in Soe* rabaya, had formed themselves into a missionary society, holding regular meetings for business and prayer, and making eviTy effort to disseminate religious truth amongst the heathen. For thi.s purpose, they had com- posed a number of evangelical tracts, in the Malay and Javanese languages. They had even translated the New Testament into low Malay, and raiseti funds for the printed of it. The author, in conjunction with the Dutch minister at Eatana, gave this version a thorougli revision ; and, having obtained the use of the govern- ment printing-office, carried an edition of it through the press.

During this journey, a visit was paid to the Tengger mountains, in the neighliourhood of Passerwang. These consist of a range of hills, about 6,000 feet above the level of the sea, inhabited by an aboriginal race, who. when the Mussulman arms prevailed in Java, fled, to the hUls, and refused, either through fear or persuasion, to embrace Mahomedanism. These people amount to several thousands, governed by laws ami customs of their own. Their religion con.sists of a sort of Hin- dooism, mixed up with a peculiar veneration for fire, manifested by their regard to the domestic stove, the erection of altars towards the rising sun, and their reverence for a volcanic mountain, which towers above their range of hills, and is always in slow, but terrific action. The author ascended to the edge of the crater, with some of the awe-utmck villagers, and saw the effect which tlie universal stillness, the entire absence

AN INVITING FIELD. 341

of all animal or vegetable life, and the deep roaring of the volcano, produced over the savage mind. The crater was designated Bromo, to which they addressed a prayer, throwing various offerings into the vast ori- fice, and entreating preservation from its half-smothered fires. Around the peak of Bromo, and still at an im- mense elevation, was an extensive flat of sand, which the wind had formed into gentle undulations, resem- bling precisely a sheet of water, but as hard as the solid ground. The natives call it the '' sand sea."

The governor - general. Baron Van der Capellan, pointed out these villages, as the most eligible field for missionary exertions, on the island of Java ; the inha^ bitants were exempted from Mahomedan prejudices, and their Hindoo superstitions were merely traditional reminiscencies ; they were far removed from the con- tamination which foreign intercourse engenders; and already possessed a simplicity of manners quite favour- able to the introduction of the Gospel ; while the ex- treme salubrity of the climate, and the splendour of the surrounding scenery, were sufficient to invite and reward the residence of a missionary. But, alas ! this fertile, |K:aceful, beauteous region is left, to this day, without a single effort to evangelize its inhabitants, beyond the distribution of a few tracts in the Javanese language, and a transitory annunciation of the Gospel.

In the year 1827, the author was obligingly fur- nished with the loan of some Japanese books, calcu- lateil to throw light on that important language. Both Drs. Morrison and Milne had long desired to get some acquaintance with the Japanese tongue, in onl(T to ascertain whether the present version of the Chinese Scriptures would do for that people. As the owner of

34-2

JAl'ANKSK UOOKS.

the books gave full permission lo copy them, the aiittrtr devoted his whole attention to this subject, Ijcsidos cm- ploying a dozen Chinese to assist him in the under- taking. The most important of the works, appeared to be those on philology; comprising a Dutch, Chinese, and Japanese dictionary, drawn up by the Japanese themselves; a Japanese, Chinese and Dutch dictionary, arranged according to the Japanese alphabet ; two or three Chinese and Japanese dictionaries, classed ac- cording to the Chinese radicals; and, lastly, a Jajianese and Chinese dictionary, arranged according to the na- tive alphabet, appended to which were numerous gra- phical representations of arms and implements, manners and customs, history and adventures, geograi)hy and astronomy, plates, maps, and charts ; in short, a com- plete encyclopaedia. In addition to the dictionaries, were the " Four Hooks" of Confucius, in Chinese, in- terlined with a Japanese translation. This wort was of incalculable importance, as shewing, that Chinese books, as they stand, are not intelligible to the mass of the Japanese, and need some addition, in order to general circulation. Some original works in the Ja- panese language, were also transcribed ; such as histo- rical novels, and several works on the medicine, botany, mineralogy, history, and statistics of Japan.

It ajipeared from a comj)arison of these, that the Chinese character was not in general use, in Japan, except when interlined with Japanese. That the latter language differed from the former, in being alphabetic and polysyllabic ; and that the Japanese alphabet con- sisted of forty-seven letters, of which there were two forms, like our printed letters and running hand ; the former most frequently used in connection with Chinese

VOCABULARY PUBLISHED. 343

characters, and the latter generally standing alone. It was thought a good omen, that books began to be brought from a country which had been hitherto sealed against the Gospel — no missionary was allowed to ap- proach its shores, neither could any native come from thence. Little was known of their language, by the propagators of (/hristianity, and little did the Japanese know of our religion, as it really is. But this looked like a harbinger of better days. The travelling west- ward of Japanese books, seemed to invite the travelling eastward of missionaries. The word Japan, in the native language, means ''the rising of the sun," and reminds us of the prophecy of Isaiah, '' men shall fear Jehovah from the west, and his glory from the rising of the sun.''

After copying these works, the author proceeded to the compilation of an English and Japanese vocabulary, which was afterwards printed. This little work does not profess to present a full and extensive developement of the language, and enters very little into its structure or character: it is hoped, however, that it may afford some assistance to future labourers, endeavouring to in- vestigate that rich and copious tongue, with a view to convey the treasures of divine inspiration into it. Without intercourse and conversation with the jK^ople, however, it was impossible to proceed further in the acquisition of the Japanese language, and the study of

it gave way to more inimt^diate and imperious claims on time and attention.

An effort was made, this year, to raise a Chinese congregation, by attending, statedly, at a little build- ing by the road side. Of the multitudes that passed l)y, some were induced to step in, till the place became full. They were generally stragglers, however, who

344

IRONICAL AllGLMENTS.

8at down for a few luiuutes, and then went away« to have their places supplied by others ; while few titopped to hear the service out, or came a second time.

Seeing the Chinese engaged in an idol feast, the missionary tried the eifect of irony upon them. He pointed out the folly of proriding a feast for huogy ghosts, without knowing whether they were hungry, or might be permitted to partake of it. or would be benefited by it. He told them first to ascertain the wants of the spiritual world ; then, to send invitations to each separate intlividual ; and, finally, to proride on allowance of ethereal food, such as their ghostly friends might be able to digest ; but not to go to work in the dark, as they were then doing. On hearing this, they were confused; some endeavoured to frame an answer; but the major part advised to leave the matter alone, leat they should be too clearly convinced of tlieir error.

During the year 1829, the missionary still continued to testify, that there was none other name given under heaven, whereby men could he saved, but ihe name of Christ Jesus. His chief effort, in dependance on divine aid, was to convince the people nf sin, and point them to the Saviour ; for he found, that though he might bring them to laugh, or to cry, at the absurdities and extravagances of their idolatry, yet, unless they could be led to see the exceeding sinfulness of sin, all other admissions were of little avail. In the regular preach- ing of the Gospel, there was an increased seriousness, and a growing acquaintance with Christianity. Some of the Amhoynesc, who attended the mission cha}9el. became sedulous in instructing their children, and in recommending religion to their neighbours.

This year the art of lithography was called in to aid the diffusion of Gospel truth, which rendered the mis-

COMPARATIVE CHRONOLOGY. 345

sionaries independent of native type-cutters, and was found to be much cheaper than the former mode of printing by means of wooden blocks.

Among the rest of the Chinese works published by this means, was a system of comparative chronology, with the Chinese and European accounts exhibited in parallel columns. The similarity between the more authentic records of the Chinese, and the Scripture history, is remarkable. According to both, the human race sprang from one individual, the flood occurred about the same time, preceded by the discovery of metals, and followed by that of wine. ITie seven years famine of Egypt nearly synchronize with those of China ; and Sampson*s strength and fall have their countcq)art in the east. This work was drawn up to correct the vain boasting of the Chinese, and to shew them that we possess records four thousand years earlier than the Christian era.

A fount of Javanese types were this year cast by the author, who had to superintend the cutting of the punches, the striking of the matrices, the reduction and composition of the metal, and the adjustment of the whole; and considering the few facilities existing in a foreign colony, for executing works of art and utility, the want of proper instruments and materials, together with the inexperience of those engaged, it will easily :,^ seen, that the undertaking must have been attended with immense trouble.

In the month of August, this year, the author set sail with a large cargo of books, intending to accomimny Messrs. Tomlin and Gutzlaff to Siam, but arrived at Singa|K)re two days afier their de|)arture. Finding it im{)08sible to follow them, a passage was taken in a

346

VOYAGE TO t'AlIANG.

Chinese praw, w-ithout deck, or shelter, for the cast coast of the Malayan peninsula. The shore, from Point Komauia northward, is covered with an impene- trable jungle, off which lie the islands of Pnlo Tinggi and Pulo Timoan. inhabited, for the most part, by pirates. The entrance to the river of Pahang is |»e- turesque, but the town has a miserable appearance. The Chinese houses stretch themselves along the eouthem bank of the river, and the Malay cottages skirt the northern. The Chinese are the only labourers and shopkeepers, while the Malays strut about in silken breeches and glazed cloths, as if they were never born fur work. The residence of the rajah is situated in the midst of the Malay huts. and. covered with plate tin, glitters splendidly under a burning sun. Extensive rice fields occupy the attention of the peasantry, and mining operations employ the energies of the Chinese settlers. The tin mines are at the distance of several days' journey in the interior, where that metal is found both plentiful and pure, about hcventy-five tons of which are exported monthly. From the tin lo the gold mines, the journey occupies twenty days more; at the back of which is a chain of mountains, skirting the colony of Malacca. There cannot be less than five thousand Chinese in the territory of I'ahang, who are all given up to the smoking of opium, wasting at the same time, their gains and their constitution. The Malay rajah oppresses them, in every possible way, and liemands about twelve pounds sterling from every individual on his return to his native land.

Between Pahang and Tringano. the Chinese boat, in which the author sailed, was attacked by two pirate praws. They advanced during a calm. Iiy means of

DESCRIPTION OF TRINGANO. 34?

double banks of oars, and were each provided with a battery, mounting a six^pounder, with which they kept up . emart fire. The Chinese were very cool on the occasion, plyiRg their oars with the utmost steadiness, while the master and mate returned the fire of the enemy. A desperate conflict was expected, as the Chinese, knowing that no quarter would be given, were prepared to fight for their property and their lives. A merciful providence, however, interfered ; and a breeze springing up, the Chinese caught the favouring gale, and were soon out of sight of their opponents.

The town of Tringano is more populous and busy than Pahang, though its territory is much smaller, and possesses no gold mines. It has, however, some j)lan- tations of pepper, and yields a few tons of buffalo but- ter ; while dried fish and tortoise-shell help to increase their list of exports. Situated half way between Malacca and Siam, it was formerly a place of great trade, but since the establishment of Singapore, Tringano is sink- ing into insignificance. The present nijah has raised himself to the throne, to the exclusion of his elder brother s children ; but having obtained the sanction of the Siamese government, no one presumes to dispute his usurped possession. There appears to be no court of justice, but causes are settle<l acconling to the will of the ruler, and vengeance falls instantly on the suj)- j>osed criminals, dictated chiefly by the pride or |ms- sion of the royal judge. Murder, of all other crimes, seems to be most leniently dealt with ; hence daily assassinations occur, which are frequently passed over, as [)roofs of the courage of the perpetrators, or of the demerits of the victims. Such is the insecurity of

348 A ItlWING STATE.

person and property, that every individual carries half a dozen weapons about him ; and no man dares make known the extent of his possessions, for fear of losing them. The Chinese are especially oppressed by their Malayan chiefs, who take their choicest goods, and fairest daughters, without the least chance of redress but the abject colonists tamely submit to this, with the ho[ie of making up l)y deceit what they lose by violence. The shops in Tringano are provided with milings. like prison bars, through which the purchaser throws his money, previous to receiving his goods ; and every article is hastily removed to the inner apartments, im- mediately a follower of the rajah appears, as these harpies insist on purchasing all that is valuable, without the slightest intention of paying for it.

Northward of Tringano, lies the rich and populous country of Klintan, which, owing to its extensive gold mines, has lately risen to great importance. Its gold is i-eckoned the best on the coast ; but the rajah levies a duty of fifty dollars on all Chinese vessels, great and small, with the view, it is said, of discouraging the introtluction of opium, which would prove the ban&iir his rising state.

Patani, the next stalti to the northward, was once important settlement, having had an English and Dutch factory there, which carried on an extensive trade with China ; its grandeur is. however, fled, and its trade annihilated. Re]>eated attacks from the Siamese have impoverished the country. The old town is a heap of ruins, and the natives have taken up their residence on the banks of a small river, deeply imbedded in the jungle. The country is rich and fertile, and the precious metals easily procurable ; yet

A SIAMESE TOWN. 349

owing to war and anarchy, all is wildness and confu- sion. The people of Patani are so intolerably lazy, that it is impossible to procure labourers of any sort, while the Chinese are the only workers of the mines. Songora is the first regular Siamese town on the coast, the approach to which is exceedingly romantic ; pagodas gild the tops of the hills, and files of Siamese junks moored along the shores, present a lively and interesting appearance. There is no regular custom house, but a present is expected on the arrival of a vessel, and the first offer of the cargo must be made to the ruler. The town consists of substantial houses, laid out in regular streets, and was once surrounded by a wooden palisade. Several Chinese temples stand at the head of the different ways ; and large Siamese pagodas peep through the groves: the adherents of both are worshippers of Buddha. The Siamese priests swarm ; every morning the street is yellow with them, going about to beg for their daily alms. They are of all ages and ranks, living together in cloisters and idleness. No business must occupy the attention of the holy brotherhood, lest their minds should be taken off from the repetition of the name of Buddha, which elevates them to the highest pinnacle of holiness and felicity.

Leaving the peninsula, the author proceeded to the west coast of Borneo, and landed at Pontianak. This settlement was first established by an enterprising Arab, who, after cutting off a French ship, fixed his residence at the confluence of two mighty rivers, coming from I^ndak and Sangow, yielding gold and diamonds. Here he soon attracted, by his liberality, a number of

350

THE I1A\AKS OF BOHNKO.

followers, and took Ihc title of sultan of Pontianak. The ruler of Landak, alarmed at his encroachments, made a grant of the land, on which the new town wan built, to the sultan of Bantam, who surrendered it to the Dutch ; and it has ever since been occupied as an Eur* pean settlement. The Dutch fort stands on the south side of the Sangow river, flanked by the Chinese town; whCe the sultan's palace is built on the tongue of Laiu} which separates the two streams, surj'ounded by native huts built on poles or raftK. which float on the surface ol the water, and rise and fall with the tide. 'Ilie Malaj population is about twenty thousand; the Buggiiese, five; and the Chinese, two. The interior of the country n peopled with a race of cannibals, called Dayaks, who are generally tyrannized over by the Malays; hence they detest the Mahomedan religion ; and, being tired of their own, have in some instances adopted that of the Chinese. These j^ople present a most inviting field for missionary operations, and our German and Anierieaa brethren have already begun to labour among them.

The Dayaks, in the residency of Pontianak alone, amount to 240,000, besides those which are to be found in the north and south-eastern parts of the island. They arc a wild race, wearing no clothes, and utterly destitute of civilization. Their institutions are so sanguinaiy, that no young man can marry, unless he bring two or three human heads as a dowry. These trophies are received by the women with triumph, who suck the blood that may be yet dripping from them, and adom their houses n-ith the skulU, and their necks with ihit teeth of the slaughtered victims. They are, howe desirous of instruction, and were missionary efforts for

THE GOLD MINES OP MANDOOR. 351

their benefit persevered in, the result might be as favourable, and the success as glorious, as among the inhabitants of the South Sea islands.

llie Chinese, having discovered that the precious metals abound in Borneo, have been attracted thither in great numbers. Their principal settlements are at Mandoor and Montrado, but they have established themselves at Landak and Sangow. The author visited Mandoor, which he found a flourishing towJT'lil^bited wholly by Chinese, under a government and laws of their own choosing. ITie people employ themselves in collecting gold dust from the neighbourhood, which lies a few fathoms beneath the surface, in a strata of sand, under a bed of yellow clay. The Chinese com- mence by removing all the superincumbent earth, and carrying out the sand in baskets, deposit it in an in- clined trough, subjected to a rapid stream of water, which carries away the sand, and allows the gold to sink to the bottom. When all the sand is thus taken out, and washed away, they collect the gold and carry it to market. It is generally found in fine dust, some- times in particles as large as a pea, and some pieces have been discovered about the size of a hen's egg. The gold is valued at nearly three jwunds the ounce. Much of the ground in the neighbourhood of Mandoor, has been turned inside out, and exhausted of the precious metal, which the Chinese calculate will be exiuauled in forty years' time. They have a superstitious notion, that the gold is capable of running away, if the gcxls 1x5 displeased, or their ancestors neglected ; hence they send much money to China, to keep up the accus- tomed sacrifices, and will not carry an umbrella near the mines, lest the local deities should be displeaseil.

352

STATE OF BORNEO.

Montrado ia more populous ihan Mandoor. i the first Chinese settlement on the coast. The infaabi- tants are turlnilent and intractalile, having once waged war with the Dutch, when they invested the fort at Fontianak. and surprised the resident at Sankaowang; on both of which occasions tliey nearly annihilated ihe European power on the coast. I'face has since licen concluded ; but a bitter feeling is left, which breaks out into frequent expressions of distrust and revenge.

Sambas lies on the river of the same name, navigable for vessels of three hundred tons burthen, thirty miles from the mouth. This was formerly a nest of pirated, the sultan of which gloried in mastering as many vessels as he could. The Bengal government chastised him, a few years ago, by burning his whole settlement; since which time the Dutch have established them- selves there. The state of morals in this place i« wretched, and the Chinese inhabiting it are idle, to* luptuoiifi, and given to gaming.

To the northward of Sambas, barbarism and piracj prevail ; hundreds of streams here empty themselves into the ocean, from which issue the marauding Dayaks, seeking only for iron and heads. Every human being ihey meet with is sacrificed to their fury, and the heatla. carried home in triiunpb, as testimonials of their valour.

The interior of Borneo swarms with independent rulers ; in the residency of Pontianak alone there are* about two hundred and fifty sovereign princes, whon^i the Euro])eans set up or put down at pleasure ; each of them, however, pleading for the divine right of kings,, and exercising the power of life and death in their- petty dominions.

The Chinese in all these parts amount to t wenty-fivo

AN ANXIOUS BNQUIRKR. 353

thousand ; who received the Scriptures and books with g^at cheerfulness and avidity, llieir chiefe assisted the author in his joumies, and entertained him hospita- bly in their dwellings. Some suspicion was at first excited, at the unusual appearance of a European in those parts ; but immediately they were addressed in their own language, their apprehensions vanished, and the stranger became a friend. The Chinese captain of Mandoor placed the author at the head of his table, afforded him guides and protection through the mining district, and presented him with a gold ring on his departure. A New Testament was found entire in the interior of Borneo, presented ten years before, which bore evident marks of having been frequently perused. Notwithstanding the wide circulation of religious truth, the missionary, on his return to his station, la- mented his want of success, and sighed for more sub- stantial evidence of usefulness. When one day sitting in his study, during the heat of the meridian sun, he observed a stranger enter, and sit down by his side. Having been frequently interrupted by stragglers, who came merely to waste time, no notice was taken of the visitor, and the usual studies were pursued. After waitr ing awhile, the stranger broke the silence, by asking, what he must do to obtain the salvation of his soul. The missionary laid down his \)tn. and thought of that passage, ** When the L#ord bringeth back the captivity of Zion, we were like them that dream:" it apiK»ared 80 like a dream, to hear a sceptical Chinese enquire about the salvation of his soul. They seldom believe that they have a soul, and still less concern themselves about its destinies. He was of course directed to the right source for help, and pointed to the '' Lamb of God,

2 a

354 THE RAGE OK AN ANTAOOSIST.

which taketh away the sin of the world." He heard with attention, and interest. His abode was discovered, and frequeutly visited. His name was Lae San-tsoo. He grew rapidly in spiritual knowledge; and drew iip a sketch of his views on religion. Speaking of tntsting to Christ, and not to onr own merits, he said, '■ How can a man think of trusting to his own righteousness? why, it is like seeking shelter under one's own sha- dow ; we may stoop to the very ground, and the lower we bend, we find the shade still beneath us ; but if tk man flee to the shadow of a great rock, or a wide spreait ing tree, hewill find abundant shelter from the rays of" the noon-day sun. So human merits are unavailing, and Christ alone able to save to the uttermost, those who come unto God by Him." This man was eariy removed by a stroke of apoplexy, which carried him so suddenly away, that the missionary was not aware of his illness, before he heard that he was gone.

A different effect was produced in the mind of an* other heathen, by the statement that Confucius knew little or nothing of the unseen world, because, when asked concerning it, he evaded the question, and bade his disciples attend more particularly to the duties of life. At the mention of this, the pagan's wrath was en- kindled: he declared, that the inference was false ; that the missionary had slandered the memory of the s and that if the latter were aware of it, he would imm^ diately petition the king of Hades, to have the cap lumniator's tongue cut out, and himself consigned to the lowest pit of Pandemonium, not to he bom into thft world again for a thousand ages. Had the missionary contented himself with studying the doctrines of th< philosopher in the language of China, he woidd hnve

VIEWS OF TUE CONFUCIANS. 355

benefited himself, and been applauded by others ; but now that he set himself up for a judge, and opposed the sage, he was the veriest sinner upon the face of the earth, who, if he fell into the hands of the rulers of China, would be made to suffer the worst of deaths. When the Christian denounced idolatry, and declared his determination to worship the Supreme God alone, the Confucian exclaimed, " I do not think that the Supreme God would be worshipped by you, or accept your services. You call upon heaven, but heaven is l^i;fa^ and cannot hear you ; you kneel before the Su- preme, but the clouds are impenetrable, and he cannot see you.'* At length, softening down, he said, '* I see, sir, that your anxiety to instnict the Chinese, originates in a kind intention ; but your books are filled with a few cunning remarks on an a])6truse subject, mixed up with much that is unfounded. Our ancient philoso- phers taught the doctrine of filial piety, but left the mysterious subject of spiritual beings alone, as not intimately connected with the happiness of the people. In your books, every expression tends to this jioint ; while the duties of the human relations are seldom referred to. This is neglecting the important, and caring about the insignificant. Confneius cautioned men against paying too much attention to religious cere- monies, and forbad their flattering the gods to j)rocure protection ; but if ignorant peoph* will busy themselves in begging for blessings, they only squander their own time and m(mey, and do no harm to others ; why then trouble one's self about them*!? The religious practices of men are as various as their minds; let every one follow his own inclinations, and not interfere with others/'

2 A 2

356

VISIT TO BALI.

In the close of 1829, the author visited Bali, a(y companied hy Mr. Tomlin. The people of that island were found in a state of great ignorance and barbarity. Their religion is Hindooism. and their priests. Brah- mins. The island is divided into eight states, inha- bited by nearly a million of people. There are several upland lakes, which supply the plains with an abiiD* dance of water, for the irrigation of the rice fields. These constitute the riches of Bali : and the kings of the island, establishing themselves on their borders, keep the inhabitants in complete onler, by commanding their supply of water. The people of Bali are mueh given to opium-smoking and cock-lighting. The ground is so productive ; that there is little poverty, and yet the people are so indolent, that there is less wealth. Th« female sex is much oppressed, being obliged to do all the work of the house, the market, and the field ; while the only reward they get for their toil, is the privilege of buniing with the dead bodies of their husbands. This is sometimes done to an extent unequalled even in India ; for on particular occasions, fifty or sixty women are sacrificed, at once, on the funeral pile. These are either stabbed and burnt, or leap alive into the flamiog pit, from which there is no escape.

During this journey, great quantities of Chinese and Javanese tracts were circulated, which were all well- received. The health of the author, however, sufleml considerably on this tour, and a jungle fever was caught, which undermined his constitution, and, finally, compelled a return lo Europe.

In the year 1831, a new and handsome chapel wu erected at Batavia, which was opened, in the month of September, by a sermon from the Rev. Archdeacon

PREACHING TO CONVICTS. 357

Scott. In this building. Episcopalians, Independents, and Baptists, have joined in the work of proclaiming a crucified Saviour ; and Europeans and Asiatics com- bined in celebrating his love.

Besides preaching in the chapel, the missionary ad- dressed several himdred Malay convicts on the Sunday afternoons. They assembled in their chains, imder the shade of a few trees, and sitting on the ground, listened with remarkable eagerness, to the news of salvation. They could not, at first, imderstand for what purpose they were congregated. When they heard their sins exposed, they thought the missionary was about to accuse them to the government, to get a protraction of their punishment; and when they were told of the liberty wherewith Christ makes us free, they imagined that their chains were to be knocked off, and they restored to liberty. They soon discovered, however, the object of the service, and paid the more serious attention. One of them, on his death-bed, declared his faith in that Saviour, whom he had heard preached under the trees ; and when told by his companions that he ought to call upon Mahomed, he replied, "No; Jesus is the only Saviour, and I desire to honour him alone.''

This year, Lukas Monton, a native of Menado, in the island of Celebes, applied for admission into the church. This young man is endowed with a fervent leal for the diffusion of the Gospel, urging his country- men to attend the means of grace, and distributing tracts among the Chinese and Malays, in great abun- dance. He sometimes travels to distant towns and vil- lages, standing up in the streets and market-places, to

358

DEMAND KOIt MALAY TRACTS.

exhort the multitude. His address is bold, and his gift in prayer, fluent. An elderly woman, of Dutch ex- traction, bom in Samarang, joined the church at the same time, and has continued zealous and faithful ever since.

Malay tracts, about this time, came into great de- mand : sometimes, one hundred and fifty were put into the hands of the people, on a single market day. To those who know the deadly prejudices of the Mahome- dans against Christianity, and who have been accus- tomed to see them shun a tract, as they would the plague, this appeared a great change. It was to be attribute<l, under Gotl, to the practice of posting little hand-hilU about the town, containing passages of Scripture, and brief exhortations ; which, being perceived to be of a harmless character, induced the natives to lake books the more readily; and, after a while, to grasp them eagerly on every occasion.

The Chinese were, with difficulty, brought to see the evil of sin. The word sin, in their language, being synonimous with crime, they seldom think that they are chargeable with sin, unless guilty of some crime against the stale. Thus, murder, arson, theft, and adultery, are considered sinful ; but lying, fornication, gamit^, and covftousness, are seldom looked on as evils. They openly plead for the practice of cheating in business; and think that there is no harm in opium-smoking, so long as they purchase it with their own money. The only evils with which they charge themselves, are, quitting their native laud, while their parents arc alive, being without posterity, treading on an ant, abtwing printed piipi-r. fating beef, and leaving hungry ghost*

SEVERAL BAPTIZED. 359

to starve. Thus, not knowing the real nature of sin, they have no sense of the need of a Saviour, and hear of his dying love without emotion.

In the year 1833, six native soldiers, bom in Me- nado, were baptized ; and four more of those baptized in infancy, were admitted to church-fellowship. An orphan school was established for the descendants of Europeans, which has been liberally supported. Pre- mises were purchased, buildings erected, and thirty children placed on the foundation, who have been boarded, plothed, and educated, without the least ex- pense to the missionary society.

In 1834, one country -bom was admitted to the church, and six natives of Menado, baptized. Another native soldier was baptized in the presence of the cap- tain and the whole company, when the service was very solemn and impressive.

In the year 1835, two more of the native Chris- tians joineil the church ; and one Mahomedan woman was baptized. During the same year, the author visited China, leaving the station under the charge of his assistant, Mr. W. Young, while Lukas Monton un- dertook a voyage to Benjarmasin, on the island of Borneo, accompanied by Mr. Barenstein, a German missionary. The town of Benjarmasin contains seve- ral hundred houses ; but the chief population consists of Biajoos, a tribe of Dayaks, who live in the interior. After supplying the Chinese and Malays with books, the travellers visited the Dayaks, who were glad t<i receive them. Listening to their discourse on divine things, the Dayaks said, *' This is the tnie doctrine, and suits us better than the teaching of the Mahome- dans, which we do not understand." The Davaks, how-

3(i0 TREATV WITH THE DAVAKS.

ever, were unwilling that the missionaries should come and live amongst them, unless they would make a covenant by blood ; which consisted in drawing a few drops of blood from the arms of the chiefs and mission- aries, into four cups of water, which were drunk hy the respective parties, in the presence of great crowils. When the agreement was thus ratified, the Dayaks embraced the strangers, and said " Let us be friends J for ever, and may God help the Dayaks to obtaiu the knowledge of religion from the missionaries." After this, the chiefs assured the brethren that they might dwell with them without fear, promising to defend them with their life's blood, and to die, themselves, sooner than they would see the missionaries slain. This mis- sion has since been vigorously prosecuted by our Ger- man brethren sent out by the Rhenish Missionary Society.

A short time previous to the author's quitting Bata- via, he was accosted by a respectable Chinese, request- ing baptism. On being asked whence he came, and why he desired admission to that ordinance, he replied, that he was bom in Amboyna. where he had enjoyed the benefit of Mr. Kam's ministry. He was able to read the Scriptures in the Malay language, and lUsplajcd a very extensive acqu^ntance with religious truth. His views of the all-sufficiency of Christ, and his deep feel- ing of anxiety to be intimately connected with the Saviour and his people, induced the missionary to bap- tize him.

CHAPTER XIV.

VOYAGES UP THE COAST OF CHINA.

SUMMARY OP MISSIONARY ATTEMFTS IN THE COLONIES — DESIRE TO BENEFIT THE MOTHER COUNTRY — OUTZLAFF'S VOYAGES — DIF. FERENT VIEWS — ANXIETY FOR MORE INFORM ATION — AUTHOR'S AR- RIVAL IN CANTON — DISCUSSION REGARDING OPIUM VESSELS— REA- SONS FOR NOT EMBARKING IN THEM — AS DISREPUTABLE, INCONVE- NIENT. AND INVOLVING THE MISSIONARY IN DIFFICULTY — THE PROPRIETY OF HIRING A VESSEL. OR PURCHASING A MISSIONARY SHIP— OFFER OF THE HURON — PREPARATIONS FOR DEPARTURE.

Protestant missionaries, in their attempts to operate on China, limited their efforts, for a quarter of a cen- tury, to those parts where £uro{)eans generally reside, or where the British and Dutch governments afforded protection. Considering themselves excluded from the interior of the empire, and finding a host of Chi- nese emigrants in the various countries of the Malayan archipelago, they aimed first to enlighten these, with the hope, that if properly instructed and influenced, they would, on their return to their native land, carrj- with them the Gos|)el they had learned, and spread it among their countrymen. With this view, our bre- thren established themselves in the various colonies around China, studied the language, set up schools and seminaries, wrote and printed b(H)ks, conversed exten- sively with the jHfople, and tried to collect congrega- tions, to whom they might preach the won! of life. Since the cominenceineiit of their missions, they have

362 SUMMARY OF LABOURS ABROAD.

translated the holy Scriptures, ami printed two thou- sand complete Bibles, ten thousand Testaments, thirty thousand separate books of Scripture, and upwards of half a million of tracts in the Chinese language ; besides four thousand Testaments, and one hundred ami fifty thousand tracts in the languages of the Malayan archi- pelago, comprising upwards of eight thousand leaves of new matter, and twenty millions of printed pages. About ten thousand children have passed through the mission schools ; nearly one hundred persons have been baptized, and several native preachers raised up, one of whom has proclaimed the GoBi)el lu his countrymen in the interior of the empire, and endured persecution for the sake of Jesus. Such a result cannot hut be grati- fjnng to the friends of missions, and on a review of it, the labom-ers employed woiUd " thank God and lake courage."

But all this is far from satisfying the desires of the ardent missionary, or from accomplishing the object for which he went forth. Whatever be done in the colo- nies, the friends of China cannot be content until some impression be made upon the mother country ; and u the emigrants are hut a sprinkling compared with the bulk of the population, so the converts from among the cotoniijts hear but a small proportion to the salvation of the whole empire.

Whilst the rest of the brethren were employed in the more settled and sedentarj- part of missionary wortt,> it pleased God to stir up one to attempt the hazardous) enterprize of introducing the Gospel into China itself. Mr. Gutzlaff. a German missionary, sent out by tho Netherlands Missionarv" Society, having first raatle his way to Siam, nnd laboured for two years in that king-

ATTEMPTS TO PENETRATE CHINA. 363

dom with some evidence of success, took his passage in 1831, in a native vessel, for the port of Teen-tsin, within two days' journey of Peking He had with him a large quantity of Christian books, and a small stock of European medicines. Clad occasionally in a C'hinese dress, and adopting the name of one of the native clans, he was recognized as a member of that great nation. Being in a weak state of health, ex- posed to the jealousy and treachery of the natives, and embarked in a frail vessel, unskilfully managed, he was frequently in imminent danger; but was graciously preserved from these and all other hazards, till he arrived at the destined port. Living on shore at the town of Teen-tsin, he was announced as '* a son of the western ocean," who had been subjected to the civili- zing influence of the celestials, and who came to benefit them in return by his knowledge of medicine. He attracted so many visitors to the house where he was residing, that a })erson offered to purchase him of the captain of the junk for a large sum, with the view of drawing customers to his shop. He spent nearly a month at this place, and an equal jK^riod in Chinese Tartary, after which he returned to Macao.

In the following year, Mr. G. embarked in the Lord Amherst, a ship chartered by the Kast India Company, and under the charge of one of their supercargoes. ITie voyagers proceeded along the whole coast of China, Formosa, Corea, and LooH*hoo. They were invariably bailed with joy by the people, and flattered or fean d by the mandarins, as interest or policy seemed to prompt ; many books were distributi'd, but the at- tempt to o{)en out a new channel for n»gular trade, completely failtMl. Another voyage was imdertaken in

3G4 GtlTZLAFFS VOYAGES.

1833, in the Sylph ; and subsequently, iseveral others, during successive years ; on all of which occasions books were distributed, in great numbers, to the high gratification of the people. The accounts of these voyages, which were published to the world, litruck most of our English readers with amazement. It hatl long been Kupposed, that China was hermetically sealed against the propagators of divine truth ; that it would be death to set foot on her shores ; and madness to attempt to diffuse the Gospel in those re^ons. But here was a man, who ha*! gone and returned unhurt: had maintained an extensive intercourse with the peo- ple; had resided, for months together, in their cities and provinces ; had met the far-famed and much-dreaded mandarins ; and, instead of being arrested, imprisoned, and sent back in a cage, to Canton, had been, in every instance, treated with civility, and, sometimes, with respect. What knowledge of medicine and navigation he possessed, had won the confidence of multitudes, who saw and felt his superiority to their own pretendeis to those sciences, and who were willing to harbour and protect him for the sake of his attainments. It was objected, on the other hand, however, that Mr. G. wu a man of such an ardent temj>erament, enterprising spirit, and versatUe genius, that he might safely ven- ture where others dared not go. and throw himself into the midst of difficulties, from which his ingenuity mi^t extricate him : while his perfect knowledge of the lan- guage, intimate acquaintance with the people, and somo- what similar cast of features with the Chinese, might enable him to do, what no one else could attempt. There were not a few, also, who insinuated that his lively imagination, and confident expectation, hod lod

OPINIONS RESPECTING THEM. 365

him to give too high a colouring to things ; while his leal had prompted him to state what he wished or con- templated, rather than what he actually experienced. There were others, again, who mistook his language, or improved upon his statements, and made him re- sponsible for their misapprehensions and enlargements.

Further, the different state of things existing in those parts, to which Europeans had lawful access, compared with what was said to be the case where they were only interlopers, greatly perplexed the gene- rality. When it was heard, that the missionaries in Canton were subjected to surveillance, restriction, and insult, while the native converts were obliged to flee for their lives ; the public could not understand how it was, that Gutzlaff could wander, from place to place, along the coasts of that empire, and distribute thou- sands of tracts, in the cities and towns of the north, in defiance of imperial authority and magisterial inter- ference. Judging of legislative enactments and judicial processes, by what exists in our own country, English readers could not conceive it possible that laws could be broken, and its guardians set at nought, with impu- nity. There was a difference of opinion, therefore, on the subject; some cpntending, that China was, and others that it was not, open to the efforts of mission- aries to propagate the Gospel.

Anxious to set this question at rest, the directors of the missionary society encouraged the author to under- take a voyage along the coast of China, to distribute Scriptures and tracts, and to ascertain the openings which existed, for the propagation of the Gosjiel, in that empire. The Bible Society, also, authorize<l the late Dr. Morrison, to go to the extend of two hundred

366 RKNKWED ATTEMI'TS.

pounds, in promoting the circulation of the Scriptures ; so that both those institutions concurred in patronift- iiig the proposed undertaking. Nolthat either Com- mittee imagined, that China was to he evangelized l>y such desultory labours, or di-eamcd of calculating lh« number of converts by the amount of Itible or tract distribution ; but, because they imagined that barriers and restrictions would, by that means, be broken down, the minds of the people become gnulually enligfateoed, and the government hn led eventually to sanction what the mass of their subjects might he induced to adopt. More knowledge of the country might likewise be gained, and confidence inspired in the breasts of m^ sionaries, who might advance, step by step, to mora extensive and permanent efforts for the diffusion and establishment of the truth.

The catholic missionaries bad once no knowledge of, or adherents in China; but went forth, in the first instance, unprotected ; and gaining friends wherever they turned, were by them screened and supported, till they had secured a footing, and were with difficulty expelled. Further, when the decree went forth, to banish their agents, and destroy their churches, they still found' means to work their way into the provinces, because they adready knew the road, and had established an acquaintance with thousands of the inhabitants. It ifl possible, that the means they u.sed to escape thu ncAice of the government, and to ingratiate themselves with the people, were such as protestant missionaries couUl not employ; but the knowledge of the countrj*, and famili- arity with the inhabitants, was the main secret of their Buccetis : and, if we wish to stand on the sjunc vantage ground, we must go thither frequently, and protract our

author's arrival. 367

8tay« until we can at length sit down and cultivate the field. The first Romish missionaries recommended themselves by their scientific acquirements; — ^modern protestant labourers contemplate winning their way by benevolent eflforts; — the healing of the sick and the instruction of the ignorant, may produce as deep an impression on the minds of the Chinese, as the calcu- lation of eclipses, or the arrangement of the calendar ; and seeking alone the glory of God, and the salvation of man, we may confidently look for a blessing on our endeavours.

On the authors arrival in Canton, in the summer of 1835, he was welcomed by the American missionaries, who had been labouring there for several years, and introduced, by them, to the acquaintance of D. W. C. Oliphant, Esq. an American merchant, of high respect- ability, and well-known benevolence, who took great interest in the propagation of the Gospel in China. The conversation immediately turned on the propriety of a voyage up the coast. There was no question al>out the importance of the undertaking, as it appeared almost the only mode of reaching the mass of the Chinese people ; but great difficulties appeared in the way, the principal of which was the want of a suitable ves- sel, in which the voyage could be made. A passage in the opium ships, proceeding in that direction, ap- peared ver}' objectionable; as the habits of such vessels, the nature of the intercourse carried on bv them, and the class of the Chinese, with whom thev came in con- tact, almost precluded the |)ossibility of effecting any good by such means. A trading vessel, with a general cargo, intending to touch at the various ports, towards the north-east, would be more eligible ; but the most

368

OFKEll OF .

suitable of all, would be a ship taken up for the pur- pose, which might be under the entire direction of th« missionaries, go where they directed, stay as long i they pleased, and mix up nothing with the object, which might be likely to prejudice the ciiuse in the estimatioa of the heathen. As, however, nu trading vessel, with an unexceptionable freight, was announced for sailing, and as no prospect offered itself for chartering a ship, for the purpose in view, the author was obliged to re- main until some more favourable opportunity occumsdi"

A month had scarcely elapsed, before a vessel WM put up for the northern i>orts, intending to touch at Ning-po, in the province of Chf-Keang, and to call af various other ])laces, with the view of extending the trade in that direction. The owners obligingly offered' the author a passage in her ; l)ut it was ascertained thai she carried, in conjunction with other merchandize, the prohibited ibug, opium ; and as it was necessary to' come to a final decision upon the question, whethet* missionaries should avail themselves of such opportu* nities, or not, the whole case was looked into, and the: siip[K)sed advantages or disadvantages of the undei« taking fully canvassed.

In favour of the voyage, it was ui^ed, that the vessel' was going to a considerable distance, would touch at a number of places, and was Hkely to be employed in the expedition for a length of time; therfby affonling ahunJ dant means for communicating with the natives. aiu_ for circulating tracts in all directions. The expericncj of the commander, and his extensive acquaintance with the coast, and its iuhabitants, were also stated, hf which means many dangers in the navigation, and inW IHidimenL-i in ihc intcrcoiinie with the jieople. would h&

AROUMENTft ON DOTH SIDES. 359

avoided. The time of her sailing was considered ad- vantageous, as the winds were favourable for proceed- ing to the north-east, and the monsoon would just be on the tiun, when the ship would have to steer home- ward, llie probability of this being the only vessel was hinted; and the inference drawn, that if this oppor- tunity were lost, it was not likely that another would soon occur. A great number of books were lying ready, on board the receiving ships, at Lintin, and it was difli- cult to stow them elsewhere, in China : if means were not taken to circulate them, therefore, the patience of those kind friends, who gave them gratuitous shiproom, would soon be exhausted, and they must be sent Ijack to Malacca or Singapore. A strong desire was known to exist among the people of England, to ascertain the real state of things on the coast, and whether (Jhina were, or were not, open to the Gosjk»1 : while the visit of the author, to Canton, was mainly to discover the facilities for tract distribution, and free intercourse, which it would be impossible to find out without procee<ling in that direction. However unadvisable, therefore, the connection between missionary ojk* ra- tions and opium speculations might be, as a general thing, yet, in the present instance, there were those who thought, that the opportunity out^lit not to be lost. This ap|K'ared to be the utmost that could be said in favour of the voyage, while on the other hand, the objections against it were powerful and insunnountabli'. The simph? eireumstanee of the vessel brinu: in^a^fd in the (»pium tradr, was enough to deter thr propagator of Christianity fnmi connecting hiinsrif with hvw It was not meant to hv argued, that there was anythini? morallv wrong in tin* taking, and, eonse(|uently, in tin'

2 II

360

THE EVILS Ol' THE (JI'llM THAUE

vending of opium, when required or prescribed a^ a medicine ; but when employed as a mere Rtimutant. and indidged in as a luxurj-, it was known to be inju- rious to the health and interests of those who habitually used it. It not only involved a waste of property, time, and physical energies, but it prostrated the mental powers, and benumbed the conscience of every constant consumer ; while the disgrace connected with it, in- duced a habit of deceit and concealment, which gra- dually obliterated all regard to truth and honesty. There could be no quetition, therefore, that every om; who used opium, as a daily beverage, did wrong, antl was highly culpable, as a self-destroyer. In like man- ner, those who helped him to it, for such purposes, had some share in the guilt of hastening his ruin. No one pretends that the opium sent to China, falls into the hands of the faculty, and is prescribed by them to allay the pain of their patients. It is certain, that all of it is bought up by persons entirely ignorant of medicinr, and is used solely as a means of stupifying and poi- soning the people. The quantities in which it is im- ported, and the class of persons to whom it is dispoeed of, sufficiently prove this. With this full perceptioii of the evils of the habit, while we readily admit that the opium consumer does wrong, we cannot deny that the opium dealer offends also; and that all connected with the trade in question, err in exact proportion to the extent in which they are mixed up with it. The grower, the vender, and the carrier of opium, where it is raised, and disposed of, in large quantities, for the purpose of sui)plying an ignorant pagan people, who use it as a means of intoxication. muHt all be impli* cated in blame. Were there only a chest or two of

AS DISREPUTABLE. 361

u[>iuin, on board a vessel proceeding from one Euro- pean port to another, where it might fall into the hands of the apothecary, and be properly and discreetly used, no objection could be taken to the holiest and best of men embarking in the voyage ; but where a vessel is loaded with it, and where the object is to extend the trade in this deleterious drug, beyond the confines of civilization, amongst a people who know not the pro- per use of it ; then the expedition itself must be evil, and all who accompany it, knowing the object and its tendencies, must come in for their portion of blame.

The connection of a missionary with a regular opium ship was found to be disreputable. The opium mer- chants, themselves, though exceedingly friendly, and remly to lend every jiossible aid to persons wishing to explore the coast, yet conceive it quite out of character for missionaries to make opium vessels the vehicle for the diffusion of divine knowledge. All wise and good men, also, consider the cause of God contaminated by such connections. But the most serious objection is, that the Chinese bring it as the main argument against Christianity, that its professors vend opium ; with how much greater force would they urge this objection, should a missionar}' embark in an opium ship, and carry out boxes of tracts in company with chests of opium ? The Chinese authorities, and jHfople, observ- ing a missionary on boanl such a vessel, and not being able to discriminate, would recognize him as a real vender of the drug, and stigmatize his character and doctrines accordingly.

The nature of an opium voyage would greatly cramp the efforts of a missionary connected with it ; for,

2b2

302 A-S OBSTBlCXnii.

supposing the captain and supercargo lo be ever so i'riendly, anJ willing to afford every facility for the accomplishment of his plans, yet it is not always in their power to do so. The object of the opium smug- glers being to elude the vigilance of the Chinese autho- rities, they frequently lie at a considerable lUstance from the shore, where a few lawless adventurers come off in boats and purchase opium. 'ITiese transactions are carried on in the night, and always under the i^ prehension of a sudden surprise ; should a government cruiser heave in sight, the boats of ihe contraband traders immediately decamp ; and, by the dawn of day. nothing is seen of the native smugglers. MeanwhiK* the P^uropean continues in the offing, without sending a boat on shore for weeks together; and when the com- manders have leisure and inclination so lo do, (hey arv not unfrequcntly deterred by Ihe inclemency of tlic weather, and the rocky nature of the coast. Besides which, the character established by the vessels engaged in this trade, is not calculated to procure them a favour- able reception when they do land, so that the commit* nication with the shore is necessarily circumscribed.

Further, it would he difficult for a missionary to remain neutral on the opium question, whiUt embarked on such an expedition. He would be frequently inter- rogated by the natives as to the existence of opium on board, and would now and then be asked as lo its price. Should any misunderstanding arise between the foreign merchant and the native dealer, about the bai^n, the missionar)', as being best acquainted with both lan- guages, would be most readily appealed to. when he would feel him.'^elf callfd njMm lo express an opinion.

AS INCOMPATIBLE. 363

Thiui, he must either give some assistance to the trade, or he must denounce it : the former would be improper ; the latter, in his circumstances, imprudent.

Again, a missionary embarked in an opium ship, must l)e in a certain sense dependent on those who man^^ the vessel. For, although he may pay for his passage, to and from the place of his destination, yet that would not entitle him to the use of the boat, or the boat 8 crew, on all occasions ; or to the moving of the vessel from place to place, to suit his convenience. Should this ever be conceded, through the kindness of Uie captain or sujiercargo, the missionary would feel himself under an obligation to men, of whose course of conduct he could not approve, and yet could hartlly bring himself, in such a situation, to condemn.

By means of the proposed voyage, the opium trade would most likely be extended to a province in which it had been before but partially known ; and should the mi8sionar}''s aid, in interpreting between the voyagers and the natives, be called in, he would be contributing in some measure to the further spread of a mischief which has been already too widely diffused.

Besides which, the evils connected with the disposal of opium on the projected voyage, were likely to be greater, more extensive, and more durable, than the good that might be accomplished by the distribution of books. In fact, the effects resulting from the one would lie immediatt*, palpable, and certain ; whili* the conse- quences of the other would be distant, partial, and to us unknown.

Kvery instance of the connection of missionary ojh»- ratitms with opium speculations, strengthens the hands of those engaged in the trade, and weakens the force of

364 AS INJURIOUS.

those at^iiments that may be employed against H. Insignificant as missionaries may personally I>e, theilr character is of some weight ; and men engaged in a questionable sort of traffic, would be glad of iheir countenance and example. Now the time is not far distant, when the opium trade, like the traffic in slaves, will be denounced by every friend to religion and morality ; but the roan who is connected with, und under obbgations to, such dealers, in the traDsactions referred to, can hardly raise his voice against it ; while the individual who has ever kept aloof from such asso- ciations, can go to the full extent, which conscience urges, in condemning the trade. Missionaries ought not, therefore, to deprive themselves of a jKiwerfuI argument against a crying evil, by uniting their ope- rations with the proceedings of those, whom they now inwardly, and must one day outwardly, condemn.

It not unfrequently happens, that the Chinese 8mng>- gling boats come in contact with the revenue cutters, when contests ensue, and blood is shed. 'I'he natives tit out, for such illicit transactions, some of the smartest and fleetest craft that ever cut the waves : and pullod by fifty men on a side, they dart through the water like a shot. The government officers have imitated theid in this, and sometimes overtake and grapple with them. In this way. desjH'rate fights occur, and nimierous live* are lost. Besides what takes place afloat, the Chin«ee on shore are frequently taken up for engaging in the opium trade, and beheaded for their disobedience. While the author was in China, the head** of two native opium dealers were sent round the towns and villages, lo strike terror into other offenders ; and since lh« emperor has come to the n'sohition to put down the

n6 regular traders. 365

opium trade by main force, numbers have paid the forfeit of their lives for their connection with these lawless proceedings. Now, had these men fallen in a good cause, we should reprobate the sanguinary edicts which unjustly cut them off ; but having been sacrificed at the shrine of lust and avarice, we must not only acquiesce in the deservedness of their punishment, but consider all engaged in the trade as in some way im- plicated in the guilt of their untimely and disgraceful end. How then could a missionary consistently unite himself with transactions of such an injurious tendency*^

These considerations induced the author to decline the offer of a passage in the ship referred to; and rather forbear ever to set foot on the northern shores of China, or to distribute one book there, than to do so through the medium of opium vessels.

While such 8hii>s, however, are objectionable, regular trading vessels are not procurable. Euroi)ean commerce on the north-east coast of C-hina, whether in opium, or in other commwlities, is altogether contraband. The high price and small compass of opium, together with the prohibition of it in the regular iK)rt, and the insa- tiable desire of the Chinese to o))tain it, render it a profital)le speculation, even to the clandestine trader. But the precarious nature of illegal traffic would not answer for common goods, which might be disposed of at Canton ; hence few merchants think of sending ves- sels along the coast, for any other puq)ose than to vend opium. The (.'ompany s chartered ship, the Amherst, in which Mr. GutzlafT made his second voyage, had no j)ortion of the dnig on board ; but verj* few vessels trading in the same direction since, have been free from it. To wait for an opjwrtunity, therefore, in an unex-

36G

IMl'OllTANCE OP OUTAINING

ceptionable trader, would be an idle aiiticipatioti, *k8- tined not to be realized.

The only plan that suggested itself, was to hire vessel for the- purpose, carrying neither opium nor con- traband commodities of any kind, and infiinging no law, but that which forbids the introduction of the Gospel into a heathen country. In the further prose- cution of these undertakings, it will doubtless be the cheapest and most convenient plan to purchase a vessel, to go when and where the missionaries direct, and to stay as long as any advantage is to be gained to the cause. A missionary or two, devoted to the un- dertaking, might take up their residence on board; and a printing establishment, by means of wooden blocks, or lithography, he kept in operation, whether the ves- sel be under weigh or at anchor. A pious physician might accompany the expe(htion. and landing daily, or residing on shore, while the ship remained at anchor in any port, he might secure for himself and coadjutM^ the favour of the populace, and the countenance of the magistrates. Native converts, who are the objecto' of persecution, might take refuge in the missionary' ship, where they would be as safe from the malice of the native government, as though they were in Eurojie; and iie at the same time useful in printing, binding,* copying, or inteqireting for the missionaries. Thug' the vessel would answer the manifold puqiose of a mis^l sionary residence, asylum, church, diBi)eusary, printing office, and depository of tracts; while it was employtrd^ in multiplying and dispersing the word of life, in all parts of the China sea ; and gathering information, at once useful to the missionary, the mariner, and the. merchant. When jwrseculed in one city, the voyagem<

A MISSIONARY SHIP. 367

might literally flee to another ; no surveillance or espi- onage need be apprehended, and no native would be implicated in the conduct of those on board, as none would be security or responsible for them. Much new ground for missionary operations would be discovered, and great advances made in the work of spreading Bibles and tracts, superior to any that have yet been witnessed. When the vessel was not employed in prosecuting these voyages, she could be stationed at Lintin, where printing could be carried on, and mis- sionaries reside, while divine service might be per- formed for the l)enefit of the crews of the numerous vessels lying there. In fact, considering the restriction on missionaries, in Canton, and the openings afforded for extensive tract distribution on thi» coast, a vessel of the kind referred to, is the principal means of operating effectually among the Chinese. Should the commander and crew be well-disj)osed, their example would go a gR*at way towanls neutralizing the peniieious effect of a contrary course of conduct, so long and so plentifully exhibited before the natives of the east. Not only would such an entorpri/A* bear essentially on the best intert*sts of China, but mutual intercourse between that countr\* and foreign nations would be promoted, com- merce advanced, and navigation freed from dangers, by the discoveries made on that hitherto unexplored coast. 'ITie only objection against such an undertaking is the expense, which would be too great for a missionar)' Kocietv to bear, if drawn from their usual funds; but if rai.sed by an extra effort, the objects of the friends of missions wouKl be answered, without crippling the energies of the institution in other c|uarters. It is pleasing to retleet, that just as such an object became

368 OFFER OP A VESSEL.

necessary, an association in aid of it has been fortotd; and a number of pious and public>spirited merchants d|| America, have put down their names for the sum of thousand dollars, in order to procure a vessrl for sudi purposes. The ChriHtians of Britain have not htm behind their Irans-atlantic brethren ; and a vessel hs^ actually been purchased in England, and has already sailed, for the purpose of conveying missionaries fnv^ island to island, through the South Seas. If, however such a means of extending the truth, l>e necessary il the islands of the Pacific, it is much more needed tl China, where the missionary's home and refuge tnuS be afloat, till he can "find rest for the sole of his foot' ashore ; and where there is a much wider and more populous tield, for the propagating and planting of Christianily, than in the whole world beside.

While thus deliberating and planning, an American brig, the Huron, Thomas Winsor. master, burthen twfl hundred and ten tons, arrived at Linlin, chartered bjr the house of Oliphant and Co. of Canton, at the rate of six hundred dollars monthly. A cargo not being ready. the charterers generously offered the use of the brig. for several months, for a voyage up the coast, if the missionaries could come to an agreement with the captain, for his extra trouble, and for the additional expense of the expedition. The captain being a stran- ger in China, and hearing that the coast was iinsur- veyed. and the navigation dangerous, felt unwilling to go : preferring to proceed to Manilla or Singapore, compliance with his original charter, rather tlian take the intended x'oyagc, for as much again. He plained, also, that his brig was too slightly manoi tiellcieiit in the necessary tackling for a coasting voyaj

BARGAIN CONCLUDED. 369

and had her copper much out of repair ; so that if the missionaries went on the proposed expedition, they must riiip six additional hands, provide another anchor, find themselves in provisions, and pay him, in addition to the sum specified in his charter-party, four hundred dollars monthly, for the increased wear and tear of his vessel, and for the additional trouble and care necessary in navigating an unknown coast ; besides providing the reqtusite insurance. ITiis would, altogether, amount to six hundred dollars monthly, beyond the original hire. On enquiry, however, it was found that both Bums, put together, would not much exceed the usual terms at which vessels are hired for the north-east coast of China. It was thought bettor, therefore, to pay the sum demanded for the Huron, than much more for a vessel that would not answer half so well ; parti- cularly as the charterers so generously offered to relin- quish the use of the vessel for the object specified.

It was not, however, without some diflieiilty that the captain could be induced to venture, even after his terms had been agreed to; and not before Mr. Gutzlaff had represented to him the ease with which the ex- pedition might be made now, compared with the state of things when he first undertook his voyage. The bargain was at length struck, stores wen» laid in, new hands shipped, and the travellers prepared to embark immediately. With regard to charts, great difficulty was experienced ; for, with the exception of Ross's chart, f'dong the coast of Canton, and Kees's sketches of the entrance to Shang-hae, Ning-po, and FidiH'how, togi*tluT with a de.scription of two harbours on the northern coast of Shan-tung, we had to trust entirely to tln' old Dutch and French charts, or to the maps

370 THE VOYAGERS EMBARK.

constructed by the Catholic missionaries. I'he nc chart of the north-east coast of China, published b; Horsburgh in 1 835, had not arrived in China, by time the expedition sailed. If that had been posses much trouble and danger would have been spared, and the voyage rendered more expeditious and effectual. The late Rev. Mr. Stevens, seaman's chaplain, at Whampoa, who had formerly accompanied Mr. Gutir laff on one of his voyages, embarked with the author; and though imperfectly acquainted with the language, his counsel and experience proved of great assistance. The vessel was not freighted with any cargo, as trade Avas not the object of the vogagc. Several hundred bags of rice were, however, put on board by the Cbiis-j tian merchant, who lent us the brig, with the view of assisting the suffering natives, should a scarcity of pro- visions be found to prevail on the coast. Of this a small portion was given away to a few starving fisher- men; and the rest, as much as could be saved from con- sumption and spillage, was returned to, and received by the shippers. The only disposable cargo, consisted of books ; about twenty boxes of which were stowed away in the hold. There were about six thousand volumes of portions of Scripture, and the rest consisted of books and tracts, printed at Batavia, Malacca, and Canton, which had been lying some time at Lintin, ready for distribution.

j

• -*"-''•' vinvvMav^i

\

I

CHAPTER XV.

NARRATrV^E OF THE VOYAGE.

EMBARKATION — AFPREIIENSION OP A STORM —WATER.8POrT8 — CHI- NESE IDEAS OP THEM — VOYAGE UP THE YELU)W SEA ~ ARRIVAL AT 8HAN-TUNO AND WEI-HAE— FIr6t LANDING — VISIT OP THE MANDA- RINS ON BOARD — SECOND LANDING — DIFPICULTIE8 IN THE WAY- DISCUSSIONS ON THE BEACH — ADJOURNMENT TO THE TEMPLE — EX. CUR8I0N INTO THE INTERIOR — AMICABLE CONFERENCE — EAGERNESS FOR BOOKS — RAMBLE OVER THE ISLAND OP LEW-KUNG-TAOU— VISIT Tl) A PEACEABLE VILLAGE — SECOND DAY'S OPERATIONS — A BURIAL GROUND — DESCRIITION OF THE VILL.VGE8 — AND STATE OF THE COUNTRY — CURIOSITY OF THE PEOPLE — QUIET DISTRIBUTION OF BOOKS — ANXIETY FOR MORE — ATTENTION TO PRE.\CHING — SECOND VISIT OF THE MANDARINS ON BOARD — SUMMARY.

In presenting the remler with a narrative of the voyage, made by the author up the north-east coast of China, the usual jmrade of courses and hearings, with other uninteresting appendages, of a nautical exjH'dition, will be omitted ; and only such events and circumstances al- luded to, as may be likely to throw light on the country and its inhabitants, and to rej)resent the nature of the intercourse which foreigners are enabled to hold with the people of China. The author will be compelled in the narrative, to speak in the iirst person ; and as the description here given is thi» result of impressions made on the spot, a liveliness of style may sometimes be met with, which it is hoped the reader will kindly excuse. Having shipiK*d our additional hands, and laid in the

372 APPIIEHENSIOX OF A STORM.

stores necessary I'or the expedition, we set sail on (Ik 26lh of August, 1835, from Kajvsing-moon, and dn^ ped gently down the Canton river. Owing to caJm* and light winds, we made but little progress ; while the heat was so intense, that we could hardly endure the suffocation below, or the broiling above. Wc reached the Lan-taou passage by the evening ; and the next day, standing through the channel, we came to an anchor off the mouth of 'f ae-tam bay ; intending, if it should blow a hurricane, which, by the fulling of the barometer, we had reason to apprehend, to run into the bay for shelter. This bay affords a convenii-nt relreal for vessels going out to the eastward, being bheltcml from all winds except the south ; and so secure, even in that direction, that there is little danger of a heavy sea in this quiet harbour. The typhoons or hurricanes, in these latitudes, are tremendous, and when vessels are overtaken by them off shore, without sea room or shel- ter, their destruction is almost inevitable. Even in the harbour of Kajj-sing-moon, where the receiving ship» anchor during the stormy season, vessels have been known to drift from their moorings, and have be«n found high and dry u^ion the beach, after one of these dreadful gales. An Knglish ship, only a few weck« before we sailed, drove eight miles, with two anchors down, among rocks and islands, and was w^ithin a few yards of destruction, when the storm al)atrd. A fine well-built coaster was also dismasted at the same time, in the very ])a6sage in which we- lay ; so that, con- sidering the threatening aspect of the weather, there was every reason for the utmost caution.

A lowering calm continued the whole of the next day; but towards evening, a breeze springing up, vee

WATER-SPOUT8. 373

stood on for Pedro Branca. This is a white rock (as the name in Portuguese indicates) on the south side of the province of Canton, and serves as a mark for ship- ping proceeding along the coast.

On the 30th of August, we were in sight of Ke&-tsze, or Cup-chee bay, with the wind a^head, and frequent squalls. About noon, several water-spouts were seen, which afforded us much interest ; one of them formed within a hundred yards of the vessel, so that we could distinctly mark its operation: we were, however, in great consternation, lest it should break over our heads, particularly as it fell a dead calm just at the time, and we found our vessel drifting nearer and nearer to the aqueous phenomena; till at length, to our suqmse and joy, it dispersed, llie Chinese imagine these water- 8i>out8 to be occasioned by the ascent and descent of the ** dragon king of the deep ;" and indeed, they bear such a striking resemblance to a rising serpent, a foaming dragon, or a flying monster, that we can scarcely won- der at their ha\ing formed this superstitious idea. When the watery cylinder first rises, they say, the dra- gon is ascending to heaven ; and when the spout is forming in the clouds, they imagine, they can trace his horns : while his head and tail they think never appear at the same moment. Representations may frequently Imj seen in Chinese houses of the '^divine dragon/' the idea of which probably originated in these water-spouts. They have, however, carried their fancies of the dragon much farther than water-spouts would warrant, and have associated it with every thing that is im)>erial and divine ; hence we find dragons depicted in their temples, rampant on the roof, twining round the pillars, or en- circling the candles ; while '* the dragon throne." ** the

37-4 \OYAGE PROSECUTED.

dragon eyes," and ■' the dragon pencil," are tenriB extlti- sively applied to the Chinese autocrat. It may be, that " the great red dragon, that old serpent, the devil," has invented and fostered this idea, in order (• get himself worshipped, in his own much-loved formv l)y one third of the human family.

Towards evening we came in wight of Breaker'^ Point, which forms the boundary of the Canton pro- vince; and on the next day, passed the Lamocka. ■ few rocky islets, lying off the southern extremity o( Fuh-kiJen, On the second of Scplember, we were of^ site Amoey (or Hea-mun, in the mandarin dialert)} when several fishing boats were seen, some of which we supplied with books. These boats were itnitj) miles from land, and one of them had been out six dzji without provisious ; of course, our rice was very ceptable to the half-famished crew.

'ITie next day, we came in sight of Hae-Tan, a island on the east coast of Fuh-keen, which we past with a favourable breeze, going at the rale of five km an hour, with scarcely any apparent motion ; the \ was pleasant and comparatively cool, and. altogether, the day was one of the most agreeable we had S] since leaving Canton. This was the more remarkabl as the Formosa channel, iu which we then were, celebrated for storms and rough weather.

On the next Lord's day, we were favoured with pros[)eroUB breeze, which took us past Sampansan, ai several other small islands, towards the (.'hoo-san ardii pelago. We embraced this opportunity of having st vice on deck, when a sermon was preached, to whii the people were very attentive. Having passed tl Choo-rian islands, without seeing them, we 6ciidd<

m

ARRIVAL AT WEI-HAE. 375

through the yellow sea, with a fair wind ; and, on the lOth of September, passed ihe Shan-tung promontory^ round which we intended to commence our operations. lliere were a number of boats and junks in sight, the crews of which were, doubtless, astonished to behold a barbarian ship in those seas. After rounding the pro- montory, we steered for Wei-hae bay, but were kept off, by baffling winds, for a whole day; and in the night, drifted back beyond Alceste Island, which is remarkable for a hollow rock, through which the sky is visible on the other side of the island. The next morning, the breeze freshening, with the tide helping us, we fetched into the harbour of Wei-hae, and cast anchor, behind the island of Lew-kung-taou, on the 11th of September. Here we had gratefully to i-ecord the goodness of our heavenly Father, in bringing us safely to such a distance; and prayed earnestly for needful grace, to enable us to act on this important, and^ perhaps, hazardous mission, as became ^' the servants of the most high God, come to shew unto men the way of salvation.*'

Having observed the inhabitants of Lew-kung-taou very busy, in sending off ten or a dozen boats towards the town of Wei-hae, all of them full of people, and apparently of valuables, as though they apprehended us to be marauders or desperadoes, we thought it best to undeceive them ; and, notwithstanding the heavy rain, we went on shore in the afternoon. On arriv- ing at the l>each, most of the i)eople ran up into the village, but a few of the more robust and daring, stood their ground. This was a critical moment, and the feelings of both {)arties were, perhaps, a little afj^ tated. Not having set foot on this {>art of (*hina In^fore,

2 c

370 VISITS TO AN ISLAND.

we dill not know how the natives wouUl receive \a. Much had been said about the hazard of landing atany other place except Canton ; and insult, imprisonment. and death, were predicted as the consequences of such a step. The natives, on their part, did not know who or what we were; and apprehended the most fearful things, when they saw " the fierce harharianB" coming amongst them. Stepping ashore, however, we saluted them in their own tongue, lo which they cheerfully responded, and a little acquaintance with each other, soon taught both parlies to lay aside their suspicions.

After asking the name of the place, and introducing our object, we went forward, through some cultivated fields, to the village ; at the entrance of which, mak, women, and children stood to receive us. 'I'hey re- turned our salutations in a cheerful manner, and led the way into a house. This was a poor, mean dweUing* half full of Barbadoes millet, which appeared to be, with them, the staff of life. One end of the chiaf apartment was occupied by a sort of raised platforuH which served the inhabitants for table, chair, l)ed-plac«i and oven ; upon this we sat down, to converse with tfaai natives, who soon filled the house. On opening I basket of books, we found that few, if any, could reaA and only one individual accepted of a volume. The] were, however, very civil ; and conversed familiull for some time. Among other things, they asked, wb ther our vessel were (he same that had visited thd island, twenty years ago, alluding to Lord Amhersfi embassy ; or whether we were connected with two vd eels which had more recently entered their harbour, ft the purpose of distributing books. They asked bn many hands wc had on board ; and were surprised I

DEPUTATION OF MANDARINS. 377

hear, that the whole ships company amounted to no more than fifteen persons, saying that we should never be able to get our anchor up with such a small com- plement of men. We invited diem to come on board and see; and, receiving a present of a few fresh vege- tables, we returned to the ship.

The next day it continued to rain and blow, but in the afternoon a Chinese boat came off to us, from Wei- hae, with a naval captain, two lieutenants, and a train of followers. The captain was an elderly man, with an opaque white button on his cap, as his badge of office, while the lieutenants had gilt buttons.* lliey asked our names and surnames, whence we came, and whither we were going. To this we replied, that we came last from Canton, which place we had left about sixteen days before, but that our future course would be very much determined by the wind ; for if that blew from the north, we should go to the south : and if from the south, we should steer to the north. At the latter statement, they seemed rather amused, and asked us our object. We informed them that our design was to do good ; that a number of pious persons in our own

* TIm Chinaw diTido their civil and miliUry officers into nine nmkt, which ve seTcrally distinguished by a button or ball, about the idzc of a wahiut, on Uie top of their conical capn. The flrnt rank includes miubstcrs of state, and pmidcnu of the tribunals, whose caps are adorned m-ith a red gem. The ■rcond rank comprisoA viceroys and governors of pro\ inces, who wear an infc- rinr red grni. The third rank embraces the judges, treatfurers, and salt ituper- iatcodenls, who are distinguifthe<l by a dark blue stone. The fourth rank com- prehends the supehntendonUi of circuits, and the licutenantji of count ii*i«, whtmv caps art* sunnounti*d by a light blue sttme. The fifth rank rcfiTH to tho nih^rs of departments, who wear a rhrystal globe. The sixth and M-vt-nth rauki» in- cJnde the magistrat4's of districts, whose appntphato badge is a white stono fiube. The eighth rank n-itiHrts thr assistant magiittrsti's tif dintrictM, mho are known by a flowt-rcd gilt gli»br. And in thr ninth rank, an* \illag«' magiMratm and iuf(*rior officen, whots' badge is a plain gilt globe. The military offiron wear the sami* badges, but mhatfwr. thtir rank, they always gi%o place u> n\tl offii-i*r«. e«iii i>f inferior dignity

2c 2

378

THEIR ENQUIRIES.

coiinlry, who feared God, and believed in Jesus, Mf themselves exceedingly happy in their profession, and wished to extend the blessings of their religion to othev parts of the world. They therefore caused books to be printed, and sent out agents to distribute them, to all who might be able and willing to read them. W«' further informed them, that our object was to instruct all who came to us in the knowledge of God, and U administer relief to the sick and miserable. I'hey thei' asked to see the books, that they might know thei nature of these instructions ; aud on a basket-full being handed up, they helped themselves plentifully. After this, they seemed to comprehend our object, and made no objection to it. They then enquired as to cargo, and were informed that we had nothing bufr books, and rice, wherewith to supply the n-^cessitoua. They said, that the principal mandarin on shore would' have paid his respects in person, but that he wa* p* vented by the weather; we made the same excuse for being detained on board, and proposed to visit ihe authorities on shore, as soon as the rain should coasa' The old naval captain was very decrepid, and required) to be supported into bis boat ; but the lieutenants were> robust men, though very unwarlilte. They were afl( (Urty in their ap[)earance, and had it not been for C satin boots, and mandarin caps, we should not have dis<^ tinguished them from the \-ulgar. The captain beloDged to the naval station of Ting-chow-foo, while the lieth tenants came from the town of Wei-hae.

The day folllowing being fine, we resolved to conn mencc our missionary operations on shore, and coromo- nicate t*> the surrounding heathen the word of life. W< therefore left the brig, about nine A. M.. and made for

THE VOYAGERS LAND. 379

the town of Wei-hae. Observing several vessels in the harbour, we stopped to supply them with books. They belonged to the province of Keang-soo, and differed horn the junks of Canton and Fuh-keen, in having brge and commodious cabins abaft, well sheltered from the rain and cold. The master of the first junk was a respectable well-informed man, and received our books and advice, with much deference and attention. His crew seemed to be under great subjection to him, which is not the case with the sailors of the southern provinces; and all appeared desirous of seeing and hearing the foreigners. After calling at two or three vessels, we proceeded towards shore, passing by a small fort on a hill, in which we observed a few soldiers, waving a flag to induce us to return. But insensible to such signals, we kept on our way, and soon met a government boat, with a mandarin on board, whom we recognized to be one of the lieutenants who had visited us the day before. He raised his hands, on meeting us, in a complimentary way ; and cried out, that the principal mandarin was gone on board one of the junks in the harbour, to await our arrival. We thought, however, that this was only a pretence to draw off our attention from the shore ; and that if he got us on board the junk, he would raise objections against our landing, and probably defeat our object at the outset. We therefore told him, that we would go on shore first, and converse with the mandarin on our return. With that, giving orders to our sailors to pull stoutly, we soon left the native officer astern.

On approaching the shore, we found it lineil with a dense crowd, into the midst of which we made our way, and began to distribute books. Wo had not pn>ceedeil

38(.l OBJECTIONS MADE.

far with our work, liefore the sjune ofticiotis subaheni was at our elhow, prt^esing ub most earnestly to go on hoard the junk, where the chief mandarin was waiting for us. We replied, that we should first take a walk round the town, and converse with the people, after which it would be time enough to pay visits. So say- ing, we pushed through the crowd, the otUcer doing all he could to prevent us ; first, by urgent solicitations, and then by holding our hands and arms. We resisted all attempts at personal restraint, and a tumult was excited by the contest ; which we feared might procet- J to extremities, and induce the natives to assist their officer in compelling us to return to the boat. In thiij. however, we were mistaken ; as the uniform experienci: of all who have had anything to do with the Chinese is, that the people have no sympathy with their oflicers. and never assist them, unless compelled by force. Tlie oppressions and exactions of the mandarins, in every part of the empire, have effectually destroyed all icspwt for their "person or office, and inevitably deter the |H>pn- lace from aiding or abetting them.

We pushed on in our course, till we came to a row of houses which lined the beach, and had just proceeded through one small street, when the arrival of the chier mandarin and his retinue was announced ; on looking roimd, we saw the officers landing from the boat, and found it necessary to halt, in order to receive them in a proper manner. The police runners matle way for their superiors, by beating amongst the crowd, right and left, in a most unceremonious manner; and theo we could perceive, three or four well-dre*tied, and well- fed gentlemen, walking up the l>each. with a dignifird air, towards us. The officer in attendance, pointed to

PERSEVERING RESISTANCE. 361

his superiors, and wished us to go down to the beach to meet them ; but we thought it more suitable to stand where we were, and await their approach. On a nearer view, we found that one of them was adorned with a light blue button on his cap, while the rest wore flowered gold buttons, as the badges of their office, llie first of these we ascertained to be a tsan-tseang, or sub-colonel ; the second was a civil mandarin, from the district of W^n-t&ng, about twenty miles off; and the rest were subalterns.

When they approached, the civil mandarin became the chief speaker, and putting on a stem countenance, asked us, in an angry tone, from whence we came, and what was our business i We told him to what country we belonged, and said, that our object was to do good, by distributing books, and dispensing medicines. He sug- gested, that we should put off to one of the junks in the harljoiu*, and hold a conference on the subject; which we promised to do after oiu* books were distri- buted. Having said this, we made a move, and took a few steps in land. They then placed themselves between us and the town, and said that we could not lie permitted to proceed in that direction. The ground on which we troil was the celestial empire, and the emiRTor who commanded all under heaven, had given strict orders that no foreigners should be allowed to go a single step into the interior. We said, if this were the celestial empire, and comprised all under heaven, then we, as dwelling under heaven, were subjects of the emperor, and entitled to his protection; we should therefore ]>roceed but a little way and return.

Hen* they took hold of our hands, and said that they fould not allow us to proceed, as it wa.s absolutely for-

382 SCRUPLES OVERRULED.

bidden by the laws. Upon which, we reinonslraleA; against their nide behaviour, and said that those law* ■were made for lawless people and robbers, who wuuUl injure and destroy all they came near; but we were civil and gentle persons, who came to do no harm, and designed to etTect as much good as poBsihle. With tfail' they softened their tone, and said that they were br from thinking ill of us, or our intentions ; but such vftre the commands of their superiors, which they bad no power to alter, and dared not disobey. Finding. them a little pacified, we said, that the open beacb; surrounded by a dense crowd, was not a proper place for gentlemen to converse on matters of business; and' the least they could do would be. to inrite us into a house, and present us with a little tea and confectionary, when we might talk over these affairs in a proper way. To this the colonel replied, that we might go to the temple hard by, ami sit awhile. The civil officer opposed this sternly, saying, that it would be very im- proper to allow us any indulgence. We, however, caught at the old gentleman's word, and said, " To the temple, to the temple ;" and the crowd re-echoing tbe expression, made way for us to pass, while some of them shewed the way.

The temple was situated ou a rising ground, a little above the village, and we proceeded with a quick pace towards it. On arriving, we found that we were comii- derably before the mandarins, and that a path-way taj before us, which led further up into the country ; so. without appearing fo notice the temple, or to heed the loud cries of the people, we stalked on. witli stoical indifference, and rapid strides, till we left the manda- rins, policemen, crowd, and all. far in the rear; ami

TOUR INTO THE INTERIOR. 383

kept on, over fields and farms, to the foot of a hill ; this we ascended, and neariy gained the summit^ before we glopped to look round on the world below. One of the police-runners, with great difficulty, kept up with us, complaining of our rapid pace, and unusual course. By degrees, one and another of his brethren came in sight, out of breath, but not of patience ; and sitting down by us, asked us very pleasantly and familiarly, if we liked the appearanpe of the country, and whether the pros- pect bore any resemblance to the scenery of our native land i They pointed out to us, the real position of the town of Wei-hae, which it seems we had missed.1 by landing at a small village further up the bay.

After resting a little while, we ascended liigher. till we lieheld the sea on the other side of the promontor}* ; and then, marking the situation of the different towns and villages, through which we might itinerate, we thought it l)est to descend, and wait on the mandarins in the temple. At the foot of the hill, we met our old friend, the inferior officer, who first accosted us on the tieach. With him we proceedeil leisurely to the temple, which we found surrounded by crowds of |)eople, with a few horses, miserably caparisoned, standing in front of the edifice. There was a paved causeway leading up to the shrine, and a number of small houses to the right and left, intended probably for priests or strang- ers. After the temple had been hastily cleared of the common jwople, who had crowded into it, we were in- vited to step into one of the adjoining buildings, where the mandarins were awaiting us.

In dealing with so ceremonious a people as the Chu neM*, it is necessary to lie very {)articular in matters of etiquette; not m) much out of regard to {KTsonal dig-

384

CONFERENCE IN THE TEMPLE.

nity, as the Buccess of our undertakiog. The ChintM authorities generally treat strangers with contempt, ii order to degrade them in the eyes of their own people the immediate effect of this is to prejudice the business of the foreigner, and, if not met by an uniform and steady resistance, it generally ensures the failure of hia object. We had resolved, therefore, that should we ■find the mandarins seated, and no accommodation placed for us, we would decline the conference, ratha than submit to the indignity of standing, while the rest were seated. To our surprise, however, we found the mandarins standing to receive us ; and on our entrance we were invited to take the chief seat on the left, which, with the Chinese, is the post of honour. Tea waa brought in, and we began the conversation by stating our object, and expatiating on the principal doctrines of the Gospel. We observed that, having seen in oui own country the blessed effects of Christianity, we ' anxious to impart the same benefits to others; and werei therefore, come to distribute gotxl books, and preadf salutary doctrines; besides which we were willing to relieve their bodily maladies, should any present them* selves. They replied, that they were fully aware of od friendly intentions, but that the laws prohibited intei course ; and that the imperial decree had limited the foreign trade to the single port of Canton. We mitted, that Canton was the only place appointed for foreign trade, but as our object was the spread of refr gion, and not the promotion of commerce, this limH tation did not affect us. We then asked the mandario* whether he had perused our books, and what he thought of them"? He answered, that he had read them, fonnd that, though somewhat different from the Chines*

EAGERNESS FOR BOOKS. 385

classics, they still contained many good things, and he •aw no objection to their circulation; but, that he could not allow of intercourse. If we wanted supplies, he continued, they were willing to furnish them gratu- itously ; or if we were short of water, they would bring it off to us themselves. We said, that we were not much in want of water, and, as for supplies, we needed ncme, but what we might be allowed to pay for. After some complimentary expressions, the conference broke up, and we took our leave.

On our arrival at the beach, we were anxious to distribute a few tracts before our departure ; but the officer in attendance said, that as the mandarins had been supplied ¥dth books, it was not necessary to spread them among the people. We were, however, of a different opinion ; and, opening our stores, we began to deal them out to the by-standers. To our surprise, the moment a tract was held up, a rush was made for it ; and as quickly as wc could take them out, they were snatched from our hands by the natives. This caused a tumult, and the officer, finding the peoi)Ie crowd around in such numbers, began, with the police run- ners, to l)eat them off with cudgels. The populace, however, retumwl to the charge, coming up on one side, as fast as they were driven off on the other: until, dissatisfied with our slow method of distribution, they thrust their hands into the biisket, and heliK'd them- selves. It was in vain to remonstrate ; they were de- termined to have the tracts, and in a few minutes every leaf disappeared : while we, with difficulty, maintained our standing. Had we been aware of their intention, we might have inountt^d some elevated place, or have |Hished off, to some distance, from the land ; but it was

386 SDRHRISK OF THE NATIVKS-

as sudden, as to iis it was new ; and when once conW menced, could not be resisted. No sooner wi're th« books in the hands of the crowd, than they were out of sight of the officers ; for the Chinese wear )ar^ loose sleeves instead of pockets, and immediately a tract wm ol)tained, it went up the sleeve, so that it was difficult for the mandarins to find or recover one.

We now quitted the shore, and proceeded to the rest of the junks, where we distributed u number of books, which were willingly received. On board one of Fuh-kcen junks, was a man who had been hurt by t fall, to whom we administered medicine.

After returning to the vessel, and obtaining refresb- ments, with a new supply of tracts, we started agiin for some of the villages on the island of Lew-kung-taou: where we distributed books, without the least restraint or contest, and held long convereations with the people. We had discoursed for some time, before it occurred to them that we were speaking in their own toDgue; when suddenly they exclaimed, '• Why these strangen s])eak Chinese, where have they acquired it i' 'ITiey then paid more attention, and assented to the tnitb of what they heard ; but could not believe, that tht author was a foreigner, frequently putting tlieir hands behind his head, to ascertain whether he wore his hair plaited into a cue, like the Chinese. Their attention was then taken up with our apparel, admiring the cloth of which our coats were made ; after which, they cxa-. mined our waistcoats, shirts, and cravats, and wei more interested about these appendages, than thejtj were with our doctrines.

Having passed through two or three villages, we took to our boat, and stowl over to the o[)posite side of the

A PBACEPUL VILLAGE. 387*

hay, where we ohserved a hamlet, pleasantly situ- ated among the trees. We were met, at the entrance, by a number of inhabitants, whom we supplied with books, and pressed with exhortations ; after which we went from house to house, distributing our publica- tions, and conversing as freely as we might have done in a village at home. The women appeared very shy, and, when they could, retreated into their houses.

One woman was observed driving an ass round a mill, in order to grind millet. The nether millstone consisted of a circular slab, about five feet in diameter, and a foot in thickness, with a hole in* the centre, in which was fixed an upright piece of wood, with a hori- lontal beam attached. On this was fitted a large stone wheel, through which the beam passed, and reaching a little beyond the edge of the flat stone, was moved by the ass, which walked slowly round. The millet ground by this wheel, appeared very fine and clean, and was kept in its position by the individual who at- tended the mill. The woman, observing our approach, left the mill, and walked quietly into the house ; while the ass being blindfolded, kept on his accustomed round, as though his mistress had been Ix'hind him.

llirough this village ran a beautiful stream of water, which was as refreshing to the sight, as it was to the taste. A rude bridge thrown across, enabled us to pass to the other side of the hamlet, giving tracts to all who could read, or were inclined to accept of them. We met here two schoolmasters, both of whom accepted our books gladly ; and one of the inhabitants endeavoured to testify his gratitude, by presenting us with a beautiful bunch of grapes, which we received as the first fruits of this land of promise. Beyond the village, we observed a white

388 A FURTHER EXCURSION.

tombBtone, very much resembling thoee of our EogKi^ t)urial groimda, erected to the memory of a faithftil wife, by a sorrowing husband. The pure whiteness of thf monument, the affecting inscription, the adjacent village. the purling stream, and the silent evening, all conspired to awaken sensations of the most pleasing kind; and to enkindle anew the ardent longing, that these peacefiil villagers might be rendered still more happy by th« religion of the Gospel.

On the third day after our arrival, we felt inclined lo get under weigh, and steer to the westwanl, while the fine weather lasted ; hut thinking that we might exttnd our researches a little more, before we left the harbour, we resolved to land at the east _end of the bay, and proceed from village to village, towards the western side of it. It may be observed here, that wherever we saw a cluster of trees in Shan-tung, there also we found a village ; so that we had only to take the telescope, and count the groves, from our vessel, to ascertain the nunn ber of hamlets in sight. But it must not be supposed, that the rising grounds of this hilly country, were naked ami rocky ; on the contrary, many of them were culti* vated, and nearly all were covered with a green swanL After breakfast, we left the ship, and landed at a spot which gave little prospect of cultivation or inliabitauts; but on ascending the high bank, we discovered a path* way leading towards some com fields; and passlt^- through these, we soon came in sight of a pici looking village, at the bottom of a valley. Thither proceeded, and were met at the entrance by a crowd' of persons, to whom we announced our object, and pre* gented our publications. Numbers came out to heu^ and to see this new thing ; while they received

A CHINESE CEMETERY. 389

books gladly, and invited us to smoke with them. Again we repeated the nature of our mission, and ex- horted them to serve the living and true God, who sent his Son from heaven to save sinful men. After this we proceeded through the village, the houses of which were constructed of granite, and thatched with straw. The large rough stones, of all possible shapes and sises, were placed very skilfully together, and joined to each other by a very strong cement, as hard as the rock itself. The walls were very thick, and the win- dows latticed, without glass. The ceiling of one, which we entered, was beautifully plastered, and looked as smooth and firm as marble. In the midst of the village was a temple, most plentifully stocked with idols, but apparently neglected, and out of repair. One of the natives asked us to sit down on a plank, which appeared to have formed part of a shipwrecked junk, and here we reiterated our former statements. Having satisfied them as to our object, we rose to prosecute our journey.

The walk over the hill was pleasant, the air salubri- ous, and the scenery delightful ; while the abundant cultivation shewed, how anxious these people were to extract the utmost benefit out of the scanty soil, in onler to supply their own necessities. In a vale near the sea shore, we came to a burial place, differing in appearance from any which we had previously seen among the Chinese. The tombs were square, sur- mounted by a dome, built of granite, about eight feet high, and as many in diameter, finishing in a |)oint at the top. They were stongly built, and calculated to last for ages, but they had no inscriptions on them, nor anything that could indicate the name, age, or sex of

31M) DIFFERENT RECEPTIONS.

the persons interred ; we counted fourteen of these mausoleums, besides a few other tombstones, aod graves of diifercnt shapes and sizes. Near this ceme- tery, on a bluff head-land, was a small temple ; as in- deed there was on every projecting jwint of land, throughout the harbour ; built, as we were told, by fishermen, to ensure success in their precarious oc- cupation. Every person we passed in the fields ms- pended his labour, and was ready with a cbecriiil \ word to welcome us and direct us to another village. ' Some ran on before, and announced our approach, lest the females should be alarmed at our sudden appear* ance.

In the second village at which we arrived, the peo- ple seemed to hesitate about receiving our publicatione; but on our telling them that they would probably never have another opportunity of getting books, they gladly accepted them. They gave us in return a few pears, which were so hanl, that we could with difficulty l>it« them. At a third hamlet, we found scarcely any one at home ; and passed from house to house, meeting only a few old women, and one man, who was too much fri^h cned to receive a book ; at length, just as we were about to quit the place, an individual came out with a fTiendl/: aspect, who, after a little debate, accepted a book, and by his example, induced several others, who by thi»' time had gathered round, to take some also. Thej^ then invited us into a house, one third of which maM, occupied by a raised platform, pro\'ided with 8tove4 underneath, ser\'ing the double purpose of fire-pliica. and bedstead. In the same dweUing. we obserTt;d i loom, and a picci? of nankeen cloth, about half liaishedi) attached to tlie machine. The people now cniwded

DIFFICULT TRAVELLING. 391

into the house, and took away all the books they eould find in the basket, presenting us with fruit in return. We observed a pig in this village, but it was so mise- rably lean, that one of the sailors, willing to be face- tious, called it a hog^gohlin. The dogs also were poorly fed. and the only creatures that appeared to thrive were the asses, who browse on the common, and put up with the roughest fare.

In our way towards the next village, we had to cross a swamp, and perceiving no way of avoiding it, waded through, sometimes up to our knees in mud and water. Some Chinese, who stood by, looked on with tlie great- est indifference, and it was with difficulty we could get them to point out the shallowest part of the stream^ which we had to fonl. On approaching the cluster of houses before us, we found the people busy, gathering in the produce of their fields, and threshing their com upon the floors. Having only half a dozen books left, one of us went to the boat for more, while the other engaged the jKJople in conversation. At the head of one of the streets, a crowd gathered round, who were addressed on the most interesting of all topics ; which failed, how- ever, to attract their attention. Thev listened for a time, but instead of remarking on the preacher s dis- course, j)roceedeil to admire his habiliments. The women and children, seeing a single strangiT, came forwanl, without the least alarm, and gazed at him with the most stupid astonishment. The people, however, were little disposed to take our books, and having sujv plicil their few wants, the author started in search of his companion ; but mistaking the road, soon found himself surrounded by bogs and swamj)s, which (m»ui- pletely obstructed his progress. Making for the ri>ing

•Ji>

392

QIIET DIHTRlBtTlON.

ground, and looking round, he observed his fellow- traveller approaching, ■with two sailors, and & larp supply of books.

We then directed our course towards a distant itI* lage, which, on our approach, appeared to be in an uf^ roar; we accosted an old man at the entrance, and gave him a book, when others came around, and rfr ceived their portion. But as the principal part of the inhabitants seemed to be on the other side of a small stream, we waded through it, and called the pcopl< us. under the shade of two large trees, in front of i temple. Here the crowd was so great, that we ap[>re* hended a nish for books. We therefore placed our basket on the ground, and told them that we would not give them one single volume, unless they behared themselves in an onlerly manner, and received the tracts in rotation. Having induced them to agree lo this, we opened liie basket, and took out half a doxeo volumes, which we deliberately gave out ; then halfs dozen more ; and so on, till the appbcants were satisfied. As a proof that they understood and valued the books, several of them who bad obtained the first or second volumes of the Harmony of the Gospels, came, request' ing to be supplied with the corresponding volumes; and appeared highly delighted when they could make up a set. We then addressed them on the doctrines of tbe Gospel, and on the divine mission of our Saviour, lo which they listened for some time attentively.

Having accomplished our task here, and distributed nearly two bundles of books, we proceeded over a hi{^ promontory to the beach, where tbe boat lay, whtdi had been following our course, as we travelled along the shore. Here a crowd of people were assembledig

EAGER DEMAND. 393

clamorous for books ; but they were so ravenous, and caught at them so eagerly, that we were obliged to restrain their avidity, and distribute them from the boat, while the applicants waded into the water to obtain a supply. Being now rather faint and hungry, we relished a little salt beef and biscuit ; and with a supply of water from a neighbouring brook, we were enabled to proceed on our delightful tour.

With a fresh stock of books, we walked about two miles in land, to a large village, accompanied by a number of persons, who had l)cgun to feel interested in our undertaking. Our heralds soon brought out the inhabitants, I>egging for books. '' Give me one T ** and me another,*' was the crj- , from a score of voices at the same time. We therefore took the volumes out of the liag, and supplied each outstretched arm, as fast as w^e possibly could. Still the hands were so numerous about the mouth of the bag, that we were obliged at length to hold the books on high, and let those have, who were best able to reach them. Finding that they were likely to overj)ower us, we removed to a threshing floor, at the entrance of the village, where there was a fresh set of people ; who, in compliance with our earnest and frequent remonstrances, were a little more sedate and quiet, than on the previous occasion.

Their anxiety to obtain books, however, must not in the least be ascribed to any knowledge of, or relish for, their content^; ; but merely to an eager curiosity* to get possession of something that cume from abroad, and an insatiable cupidity, to obtain what was to be had for nothing. After having supplied them liberally, we stood up in the midst of the threshing floor, and with a loud voice, proclaimed the news of salvation to

2 D 2

394

C'IVILIT^ AM) KINDNESS.

the listening throng. We told them of God's pity to mankiud, in senthng his own Son to save our sinfiil race, and detailed to them the relation of the birth, life, death, and resurrection of our blessed Saviour ; in obe- dience to whose command we were come, to testify the glad tidings of great joy in their ears. One man, who had listened attentively, exclaimed, "Oh! you are come to propagate religion V Just so, we replied, and happy will you be if you receive it.

After having spent some time with these people, we proceeded over hill and dale, through a most romantic country, the valleys of which were fed ivith limpid streams, and the heights covered with fruitfid fields, till we arrived at another village, where the whole of our books were expended. WTiile our attendant went down to the boat for a fresh supply, we pressed on, anxious to reach the end of the bay before sun-Sft. On the way we met a respectable man, who appeared to be a builder, to whom we gave a book ; on receiring it, he put his hand on his purse, and asked how mnrfi he had to pay ; but when told that it was a gift, he made a very low bow, and thanked us heartily. Coming to a stream of water, the inhabitants, who had now become friendly with ns. voluntarily carried us un their backs to the other side.

The last cluster of houses we came to, consisted of two villages united, where we gave books to & number of healthy old men. one of whom followed us, to soHrit medicine for his child. By the time we reached the boat, we were completely tired, having been travelling al! dav. through eight or nine villages. Blessing God for the favours of the day, we went on board, and reacheti the brig just as it began to gi'ow dark.

VISIT OF TliK MANDARINS. %)i>5

On our arrival, we found that the manilarins hiul been to {my us a visit, in two junks« bringing with them about one hundred men. As there were only eight hands in the vessel, the mate was disinelined to nn^eive them, and intimated that the captain was not on boani ; but they appeared so friendly, that he allowed them to come upon deck. They expressed their surprise' at every thing they saw, went down into the cabin, and even looked into the hold at the books and rice. Tlir mate then fireil a six-|)ounder, to call us on board ; tliry were unwilling, however, that he should makr \\\r hi^- nal and begged him not to fire, lest the gun Hlioiilfl burst ; while one of them, a naval captain, actually tiiiidr haste over the side of the vessel, in order to Hvoiij iIm' explosion. Finding that books w«n* to b** iiriftiirrti^ thev asked for sonu\ andt(K)k about iiftv vnliifur;* «iy/,fy with them. After waiting for us hour-.. t||i^ d* p,if»i /) highly pleased with what they li;ul -.<«i*

'ITius we were enabled, within tv.o '!;i,a: u, /li.o. bute one thousand voluni*-.-*. ^trli fhuUutiit$if 'it.* Ij-j/ *\9» *\ pages, in a place when: w** *'Xj*-'l"I »'/ r/." ♦ M,* //.'/» unwelcome n-ct-ption : forwhl'h /**• »K',r V' 'J '/'/l *#,/! took couraK*'. W«: h;i'.- I/*- r. ♦K .-. ."..;. .»' *t. '\f .* ^.«, * -/ this dav's work en -h' ."' . */-'>. ..> ^ ,"". ,*•..... it may .<ervi' a- a r|-/-;:'. -. .f <.. '• - •. . •• /• # s])ent in vi-^itiL;^ •h- ....<y».- ". • -.* , w '

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CHAPTEK XVI.

PEOCEEDINGS AT KE-SAN-SO.

I'KOVIDESTIAL DEUVEB.VNCB— EVENTS ON LANDINU — SlsrillOSB o» THE PEOPLE— ABM VAL AT THE TOWN — EA0EBNBS8 FOR BOOKS— Dl*- fUTE WITH AN OFTICKIl — A TEMI-LE A>'D A STAGE— PEKMiSSlO!* 1M I'tnCHASE PnOVlSlONS— TOUR THIIOlOn THE VILLAGES-OBJECTIONS OF A CONFrCIAN- MOSI'ITALITV OF A FEABAST- RAPID DISTRIBt- TION OF BOOKS— A CHINESE FOET — EXCtBSION TO AN ADJOISINO BAY — EXHIBITION OF AN ARMED FORCE— INVITATION OF THE MAV DAB1NB-8EC0ND VISIT TO THE TOWN— ANXIETI' TO SEE THE STB-Ui. OBRS — DISCUSSION ABOCT CEREMONIES — ISTBODUCTION TO Till PRINCIPAL MANDARINB-ETiaUETTE OBSERVED - QUESTIONS PBU. POSED— OBJECTIONS TO OUR ENTERPRISE— ADVICE OF THE GENEkAL —DISCUSSION ABOUT PRESENTS— CONVERSATION ON POUTICS— MACIS- TERIAL moSITV AND MEANNESS- PRESENTS RECEIVED AND BETIBS MADE-DISTURBANCES ON BOABD.

On the 16lb of September, 1835, we reacheti the har- bour of Ke-san-so. This bay in defended by the hiph and bold cape of Che-a-tow. and the Kung-kung group of islands, on the north and west; while in a southerly direction, it deeply indents the main land. It derives its name from a village at the bottom of the bay, which 16 a place of considerable business, where many trading vessels touch on their way to the province of Peking, On entering the harbour, we were not aware of a very dangerous sand-bank, stretching from one of the itdatuU towards the main, it was towards evening, when we arrived, the sails were taken in. and we were merely going a-head by the force of the vessel's way, when just as we were about to let go the anchor, the mate ((IiRerved sorap birds on the water, not half a cable'*

I . •

^

PROVIDENTIAL ESCAPE. 397

length from the vessel, and immediately discovered that they were perched on a sand-bank : not a moment was lost in hoisting the fore-topsail, and we barely suc- ceeded in bringing the brigs head round, in time to clear the edge of the bank, not half the ship k length from it. When the vessel rounded to, we had only hal£ a foot water to spare ; the sea was, however, still, and the tide favoured us, so that we avoided the danger. We could not help noticing the near escape we had experienced, and blessed God for his gracious interpo- sition. How small a circumstance sometimes inter- ]K>ses to prevent great |>erils ! Had those unconscious birds not been perched upon the bank, we should have gone stniight on it, and sustained serious injury, if not total shipwreck. Truly, the hairs of our head are all numbered.

The next morning, the glass presented us an inviting prospect ; the weather was fine and clear, the thermo- meter standing at seventy degrees, and the whole coast of the extensive bay, appeared dotted with those little groves, which indicate the presence of numerous vil- lages, with their white-washed houses ; while the out- skirts of the town of Kesan-so discovered themselves, at the bottom of the inner harbour, just peeping from l)ehind a hill, adorned with a white tower. We imme- diately landed, to commence our operations among the villages, before we went to the larger town, where we exjK'Cted to have some difficulty with the mandarins. On reaching the beach, we were well received by the few natives there assembled, who took our books gladly. Hut they strongly opposed our going to the villages, lest we should alarm the women and children. We told one of them, therefore, to go forwiird, and give

398 SLSI-ICIOSS EXCITED.

infurmation, that the females might get out of lliewaj. He had not been gone long, however, before a vtiry officioua man came down, and absolutely resisted oui advancing a step further. We told him our object was to do good, without expecting anything in return. That might be very true, he said, but it was contiarjr to law for foreigners to enter their country, and further we should not go.

Finding that nothing was to be done with this man, and not liking to make the people angry at the first onset, we turned along the beach, and set off in Ihe direction of another village. On our way thither, we met with some very civil people, who received our books thankfully. We also observed a weU-<Jress«l young lady on horseback, who did not seem much dis- concerted at our presence. On approaching the next village, we were met at the entrance by a number of persons, who were very suspicious of us, and among the rest, one old man appeared apprehensive that we- were come to take the country. He tirst wanted W know, how many ships we had i and when assured that: we had only one. he asked how many men we had oa- board ? On being told that there were only eigbleea,i he exclaimed, " A very likely story indeed ! you come' along here, to such a distance, with one ship aod eighteen people, merely to tlistribute books, and to do ' good; and what is more, you expect us to give you credit for upright intentions. We want none of your' books, nor your goodness either."' On his saying ihui,: the few who had taken hooks gave them liack, and nothing would induce a single individual to receive volume in all that village. We were the more gricvvtli Ht this, as the place was large and populous.

ANXIETY FOR BOOKS. 399

Thinking that their shyness arose from our not hav- ing first visited the town, we made the best of our way towards the boat, and steered for Ke-san-so. This town is situated at the bottom of a deep and spacious bay. On the beach is a sort of custom-house, attended by an inferior officer, and a few policemen: at the back of this small building, is a market, and a large temple; a little beyond, are the suburbs, where the families of the inhabitants reside. On approaching the beach, we found the water too shallow to enable us to land, and we stood off to some rocks on the eastern side of the bay. This enabled the |)eople of the town to get a good sight of us before we landed, and induced many of them to come down to meet us. Stepping on shore, we began to give away a few books, which w^ere no sooner in their hands, than we were sur- rounded by numbers, begging for more. These being supplied, others came; and we found it necessary to get on the bottom of a boat, that was lying inverted on the beach. Here we told the sailor, who accomimnied us, to 0|)en his basket ; when the whole crowd rushed for- ward, and thrusting their hands, at once, among the books, tumbled both sailor and basket off the boat into the sand ; the man however, recovered his {K)sition and his temper, but was again overturned ; when, in an- other minute, the books were gone.

We then moved forwartl, surrounded by a dense crowd, while the sailor went back for more books. On the way, we observed a junk, hauled up on the beach, the deck of which was about eight feet high ; this we mounted, and began to harangue the jK'ople, some of whom paid great attention, while others manifested a little noisy curiosity. From this elevation, we pn>-

nl.Sl'CTE HITH AN OKKICEH.

ceeiled to distribute tracts to the crowd, but had scarcfly givfn out one or two, when a number of eager appli- cants got up from behind, and, seizing the basket, divided its contents among themselves, without in the least consulting us, an to the most suitable jteriioas to whom the books should be dealt out.

Seeing the crowd so outrageous, we judged it best to susjiend the work of distribution, and proceeded to llic custom-house, where we foimd the officer in chaise, not a little displeased at the disturbance we had occasioned. One jioor man had lieen seizt'd by the police, for haviag had some share in the scramble, and firmly held by hifl cue of hair, he stood trembling before his superiors^ Now it is a matter of policy, as well as principle wilh us, always to take the part of those natives who may be implicated in blame on our account : for unless we a» sist them out of their diificulties, we shall soon find them tire of taking our parts. Seeing this poor itma in jeopardy, therefore, we went up to the officer, and asked him in a friendly manner to let the poor culprit go, as he had not been more noisy than the rest, and a* it was quite excuseable, to be a little excited on such aa extraordinary occasion. To this he made no other reply. than that he should mind bis biisiness, and leave ub to mind ours. We then told him, that it was our business to see that a poor fellow was not bambooed for what we had done ; and that we should take it as a mark of disrespect to ourselves, if anj'thing were done to him on account of this affair. Finding the officer deaf to our entreaties and remonstrances, we assumed a bolder tone, and told him that we were resolved not to raovi- from the spot where wc stood, till the jioor man was it> leased. Seeing us determined, the supposed culprit

TEMPLK AM) 8TAGK. 401

WW instantly let go, and the officer became exceedingly

civil.

We now told him that we were in want of fresh pro- liaionB, and should be glad if he would tell us where to procure them. He replied, that no provisions could be obtained then, as it was past noon, and the market people were all returned home. This we were re- solved to ascertain for ourselves, but had no sooner entered the market, than every shop was shut, and the goods put away ; while we could hear the policemen on before, ordering the people not to sell anything to the foreigners. Of course we could obtain nothing.

Having passed through the village, w^e came to a temple, in front of which was a stage, built of substan- tial materials, as though intended to last as long as the temple, of which it was an inseparable appendage ; for the ('hinese invariably connect theatricals with reli- gious worship, thinking them equally acceptable to the gods, ami amusing to the people. This stage was about ten feet high ; on mounting it we found ourselves in the midst of the comedians, and began to discourse from this elevation to the wondering bye-standers, who, notwithstanding the height, climbed up on all sides, to get a nearer view of the strangers. After having been beard and seen in this way for some time, the actors began to lie rather disjileased at our intrusion, piirticu- larly as we dn»w such a crowd around us, and neces- sarily put a stop to their prweedings ; acconlingly we removed from the stage into the temple, where we continued to discourse with the |)eople.

Having gone round the village, we went again to the officer, andremonstrattnl with him respecting the orders which he had given. We said we did not want \o

402 PRIVILEGE OBTAINED.

trade, but we must eat, and were ready to pay for what we had ; why then did he forbid the people to sell us provisions ? At first he denied, that he had given any such orders, but we appealed to his own people in pnxtf of the fact. Finding him still unwilling to accommo- date us, we at length insisted on his complying with our reasonable suggestion, and declared that we would not leave the place till he had countermanded the pre- vious order. After some further altercation, he did bo ; and it was surprising to see how, on our second tour through the market, every stall was open, and we were permitted to buy whatever we pleased. But now a new difficulty arose, as our only money was Spanish dollars, which the people would not take at any rate, not know- ing the value of them. We were finally obliged to request the master of a Fuh-keen junk, to buy what things were necessary, and bring them on board; which he promised to do.

On proceeding to the boat, we found that a number of Ijooks had already been given away, and that there were still many applicants; these we supplied, and were pleased to see how they clung to the rock, and waded up to their middle in water, while some came rowing with all their might from various parts of the bay, begging for books. After satisfying their de- mands, we went on board the principal junks lying in the harbour, where we were well received; and dis- tril)uted altogether about five hundred books l)efore we reached the vessel. One man seeing the medi- cine chest, applied for relief, l)ut was rejected, as not being sick. He pleaded, that he might soon be in- disposed, and desired to have some remedies ready. However, as he could neither foretell the kind of sick-

TOUR THROUGH VILLAGES. 403

ness he intended to have, nor the sort of medicine he should need, he was obliged, reluctantly, to see the chest return to the vessel, without obtaining a supply.

The following morning, we went on shore at a more easterly part of the bay, travelling through half a dozen villages, in all of which we were received in a suspi- cious, though not in an unfriendly manner. The first village we came to, was walled round ; but in many places, the defences were miserably out of repair. On the south side there was a large gateway, furnished with a watch-tower and ramparts. The people came out to us and received our books, while the women and children thronged the portals to see the strangers. Beyond this fortified position, was another village, in the valley, which we also visited and supplied with books.

Leaving this place, we went on to the next hamlet, on the side of a hill, and began to set forth our stores. One man, hearing that we had books for ^^ the admoni- tion of the age," asked, whether they were the exhor- tations of the goddess Kwan-yin ? We said, that they were exhortations to believe in Jesus, who came to save mankind. On hearing this, some accepted of l>ooks, while we endeavoured to explain to them the way of salvation. Passing on, we came to a third collection of houses, near which, on an eminence, we ol>served two village elders, distinguished by immense straw hats, and large spectacles, dignified aspect, and portly stature. On going up to them, we were beckoned off; and not wishing to offend, we passed on to the entrance of the village; when these worthies came down, and told us not to enter their hamlet, but to avoid it by taking another road. We said that we

4l>4 CONFrCIAS OR.tK(TtONS.

were come to distriliute good l>ooks, and should dv iw harm tn any one. " We have seen your books," e&idouf of them, " and neither want nor approve of them, havini abundance of instruction handed down from our grcal sages, which are far superior to any foreign doctriiKi that you can bring," •■ Your sage." we replied. " taught you the duties of the human relations, while he e»id nothing about the Supreme Being, or the life to cmae ; but Jesus, having descended from above, and risen from the dead, was able to give ns every information abcut eternal and invisible things." " Nevertheless," said he. '• we want not your books ; there is the road — go." '• If you want them not," we continued, " others ma^ ; and as they contain exhortations to goodness, they inaj benefit your neighbours, and make them better." *■ We want not to be made better." he ri^oined ; and again pointing to the road, advised us to go. We said we should go when we pleased, without waiting for hii advice. " Well then." said he, " be pleased to go now." " No," we replied, "it is now our pleasure to stay; and as we are under the canopy of the universal hea- vens, and treading upon one common earth, we have « right to pass along the public way without impediment." Finding us determined, he left us, when another l»egaD. '" You speak of this Jesus as a Saviour ; pray whom does he save"?" •• All who believe," we replied. He resumed: '-You talk of the forgiveness of sins ; shall 1 obtain the forgiveness of sins by reading this book '*" "If you follow its directions, and believe in the holy Saviour, you will." " What will this Saviour bestow on those who trust in Him'?" '' He will take them ta heaven." '• Have you believed*" " I hope 1 have." •'Has He taken you (o heaven?" " I trust he will

MUMBLK HOSPITALITY. 405

when I die^ '' Die ! Oh, you have to wait till death for all this : give me present enjoyment ; who cares what will happen after death, when conBciou&ness ceases V So saying, he turned away. Some who stood by, however, took a few books; and we passed on to the other side of the village, where we made a halt, and again addressed the i>eople, who received our tracts ^adly; and when the rest were supplied, we were pleased to see our old Confucian op|)onent come for> ward and solicit books. The Sadducean objections of these village gentry, are a fair specimen of the sort of opposition we meet with from the Chinese literati. These, though painful to the feelings, we had rather encounter, than the \iolent and unreasonable resistance of those in authority, who oppose our efforts merely because they are innovations, without condescending to give a reason for their conduct, or allowing their sul>- jects to think for themselves. With argument we may grapple, and enter the lists with the most hardened scepticism; but we know not how to deal with fire and Rword, which may be aptly denominated the '^ ultima ratio regimi.*"

Parting from them, we proceeiled through two other villages, to the sea shore, where we saw a man eating his dinner ; on our approach, ho invited us to sit down with him, on the sand, and partake of his fare. Hav- ing assented, he hel|)ed us to a busin full of boiled millet, and a little salted fish-rcK\ which we relisheit much. When we had eaten, he offered us drink out of his ow*n pot, which was supplied with a kind of |>or- ridge, strongly impregnated with garlic. ITiis hospi- tality was the more highly prizeil, as it was unsolicited.

406 (.HINKSK FORT.

and so much unlike what we had experiencwi from uthers, during the day.

Having gone through several other hamlete, we made- our way across the hay, to some villages undn the cape Che-a-tow, one of which was defended by i fort. The shore ou our approach was lined with inha- hitantg, who eagerly seized our l)ooks, and one baiiket' full, after another, disappeared quickly amongst them. In fact, it was impossible to deal out the tracts with any regularity, for, so soon as the basket was opened, the people seized the contents, and, literally, helped themselves.

On our subsequent walk through the village, we looked into a shop, and observed some of our books, together with a number of native works, exposed for sale. From this, we concluded that the Chinese set a' value on our publications; and instead of regretting that they were thus cUsposed of, we rather rejoiced that by this means. Christian treatises were likely lo be more widely spread than otherwise. Having com])lete(i' the work of tract distribution, we visited the fort on. the hill, which we found to be small, and ill calculated for warlike operations ; the whole garrison amounting' only to five men, and, as far as we could see, without: arms !

The next village we went to, was situated Hke the former, on the sea heaeh, and the inhabitants were just as eager to receive tracts, so that our whole stock was soon exhausted. One man had already obtained some acquaintance with a few facts of Gospel history, which he had gleaned from a hasty perusal of the tracts just given him. This encouraged us to hope that our labour^

NEW BAY EXPLORED. 407

waB not altogether in vain; and it being now near evening, we set out for the vessel, which we did not reach before dark.

Finding that little more was to be done in the vici- nity of our anchorage, we moved the ship on the 19th, a few miles to the eastward, to enable us to visit the villages lining the coast; and coming to an anchor, about ten o'clock, we set out in search of a bay, which we thought might be the entrance to Ning-hae-chow. On rounding a point of land, on which was erected a sort of guard-house, we observed a village or two on the beach, both of which we entered, and met with an extensive demand for books, without demur or opposi- tion, llie people here had just desire enough for the tracts, to receive them quite eagerly, without being so furious, as to tear them from our hands. We asked them respecting the road to Ning-hae-chow, and one man was about to inform us, when his neighbours sud- denly interrupted him, saying, that it was unlawful to give directions to foreigners, respecting the situation of places in the interior.

Leaving these scrupulous people, we went to the opposite shore, and had scarcely reached the middle of the bay, when we observed a number of villages on the side we had left, stretching along for several miles, affording us a fine field for oi>eration. The bay being very shallow, and the tide setting out, we were unai)le to get the boat within half a mile of the beach. The only expi'dient left us, therefore, was to wade through mud and water, up to our knees, for a considerable distance, in order to reach the dry land. The whole flat was covered with people, in search of cral)s, who

2 E

408 EXHIBITION OF MILITARY

on seeing us, came and iisked for books, which the; appeared glad to obtain.

On shore, the inhabitants thronged about us as foi^ raerly, though some of the better class kept aloot This they did, probably, because they were better ac- quainted with the restrictive laws of China, and more afraid of the consequences of holding intercourse with foreigners. However, the books we intended for tht two villages, were all expended among them ; and one man, opening a volume, pointed to the name of Jesus, and asked whether he were not the deliverer of man- kind. The walk through fertile fields and thriving farms, hero, quite repaid us, for the trouble of wadii^ through the mud, in order to reach them; and the health, respectability, and comfort of the villagers, as- sured us that peace and plenty were, with them, the order of the day.

Quitting the villages on the east side of the bay, we proceeded to the more distant ones on the west, wading again throxigh the water, for about half a mile, already up to our knees, and now and then sinking into boles up to the middle.

The evening coming on, we judged it prudent to rfr turn, and the sun set as we doubled the point of land* leading out of the bay. At the guard-house, we ob- served about fifty people drawn up, with pikes and matchlocks, waiting for us to pass. Remembering the affair at the Min River, when a peaceful boat waa fired on as she passed, we thought, at first, it would b« better to give them a wide berth ; but not being able to turn off without manifesting alarm, we determined to stand on, and passed within a few yards of the wallsr

OFFICIAL INVITATION. 409

in silence and in safety. After we had rounded the point, the armed force removed to the top of the hill, and kept observing us, till darkness and distance ob- scured us from their view.

On arriving at the vessel, we found that a number of mandarins had been on board, wishing to see us. The mate fired two six-pounders, to inform us of their pre- sence, but we heard nothing of the matter ; and, after waiting three hours, they took their departure, leaving the following notice in writing, " The civil and mili- tary mandarins of the celestial empire have come to pay their respects, and to say, that the general of the district waits at Ke-san-so, where he requests the strangers to go on shore, and arrange matters," Their polite and friendly manners, connected with their civil message, induced us to comply with their invitation, and we resolved to return to Ke-san-so.

On the following day, we stood in for the harbour, in order to have a more favourable opportunity of con- versing with the mandarins. We had scarcely anchored however, before a boat-load of native officers came off, one with a light blue button, intimating that he be- longed to the fourth rank, and about half a dozen with gilt buttons, who filled inferior situations. The first was a captain in the army, and one of the others was commander of a war junk. These were very hearty and cheerful men ; and one of them, who wore a row of large lion buttons in front of his coat, was not a little pleased, when we told him, that some of our own naval officers wore the same. Tae-laou-yay was the chief speaker. He said, that he hatl been to i)ay us a visit the day before, but was disappointed at not finding us on board. He asked our names, country, and profes-

2 B 2

410 SURPRISE OF THE MANDARINS.

sion. together with our object in coming to the plaif This gave us an opportunity of explaining the doctiini^ of the Gospel, to proclaim which was our chief errand, and of directing his attention to the hooks, which we hail been spreading on the same subject. He said, he had read our publications, and found many good things in them, though they differed, in some respects, from the Chinese classics. He listened attentively, while we spoke of the true God, his worship and service ; and was surprised when we told him, that we worshippwi none but the Supreme Being. He asked us respecting our voyage, and wondered how we could come so far, without seeing any land, or touching for fresh supplies. We explained to bim the system of our navigation; and showed him how, by means of a sextant and chrono- meter, we managed to ascertain the exact latitude and longitude of any place where we might hap[jen to he we further said, that we carried but few men, in con sequence of which, our provisions occupied but little room. He then wished us to furnish him with a list of the things we wanted, promising to take care am) provide us with them ; upon which we made out a short list of such articles as were needed. Having' given us an iniatation to see him on shore, Tae-Iaou* yay and his fellows returned to the town.

Immediately after their departure, we descended into our boat, and passing by them, got first to land. On our arrival, we were met by two native ofTicen, who said tliat we must return on board, till the man* darins arrived from the vessel, when they would intnj- duce us to the general of the district. We objected, that we could not remain in the boat during the rain, and urged that the least they could do was to afford UA

CURI081TY OP THE PEOPLE. 411

a place of shelter. So Baying, we moved on towards the custom-house, accompanied by a dense crowd, who strove on all sides to get a sight of us. Arrived at the office, we were invited to sit down, and the multi- tude pressed eagerly round to see the strangers. As they increased in numbers and eagerness, the police officers became exceedingly free with brooms, sticks, and whips, which they laid most profusely on the heads and shoulders of the people ; hallooing and scolding, and throwing handsful of sand in their eyes, in order to keep them at a moderate distance from the building. We observed, however, that they never offered to strike or push any of the Fuh-keen sailors, who seemed to carry themselves with an air of independence, and would not be turned aside from the front of the door. Seeing this, we got up and spoke to them in their own dialect, and enlarged on the doctrines of the Gospel ; to which they listened attentively, and by which they were induced to receive our publications.

Some inferior officers gathering round, we spoke to them as long as they would listen, and employed the time as profitably as we could, while the mandarins were making arrangements for our reception.

At length, after waiting for several hours, we in- formed Tae-laou-yay, that unless we were speedily introduced to the general, we must return on board, as the day was fast drawing to a close. He said, that we might be introduced immediately, but he wished first to know, what ceremonies we meant to obser\'e on see- ing such a great officer. Their custom, he continueil, was to kneel down, and knock heail against the ground, on coming into the presence of su|)eriors, and he desireil to be informed whether we would do the same. We

412 CEREMONIES DISCUSSED.

told Ilim, that we were not in the habit of prostratrne ourselves before our fellow mortals, but that we were willing to pay the same deference to Chinese mandarins of high rank, as we did to our own superior officere. " Well," said he, " I will speak to the general, and try to arrange that matter for you." " But further." we observed, "when the ceremony of introduction is over, we expect to be allowed to sit down in the presence of the general, otherwise we beg leave to decline the con- ference." "This also," said he, "shall be arranged to your satisfaction ;" and with this assiu^nce, we pro- ceeded to the temple, where the great officers wert sitting.

Much diiEculty has ever been experienced, by all who have had any negotiations with the Chinese au- thorities, on the subject of ceremony ; and these pe^ plexities are felt as much by the ambassadors of Christ, as by the envoys of Caisar. Two modes of arranging matters of etiquette have generally been adopted ; the one is to maintain a determined resistance to ail en- croachments, and the other to manifest an unreserved compliance with the demands of the natives. English diplomatists have adhered to the former; and though they have sometimes failed in their object, they have never been despised. Dutch and Portuguese nego* tiators have adopted the opposite plan, and while they have been equally unsuccessful in their aims, have been frequently contemned, and compelled to go through the more burthensome ceremonies, just in proportion to the obsequiousness displayed in compljing with former requisitions. For our own personal convenience, there- fore, as well as from policy and principle, we judged it best to maintain the honour of our country, and the dig>

INTRODt'Cncni TO BICH OPFICkK. 413

iiity of our <Ar« by not paying adoration to our fellow men, though iFCSted with a little brief authority.

Of the officers to whom we weie introduced, the one was named Chow Ta*laou-yay« the tsung-chin« or mili- tary superintendent of the prorinoe ot Shan-tung ; he wore a red coral button, indicative of his belonging to the second rank, and was adorned with a peacock s feather, which is a distinguished mark of imperial favour. The other officer was a governor of the county of T&ng-chow, wearing a light blue button, which im* plied that he filled an office of the fourth rank. They were seated in the large temple before alluded to, which was fitted up for the occasion; a screen ha>*ing been placed before the gods, and the princi[)al hall left free for the mandarins to sit in state.

At the door of the temple stood two civil officers, who introduced us into the court*yard, which was lined by about fifty men in uniform, arranged to the right and left, but without arms.

The two mandarins were seated behind a table, adorned with a red cloth hanging down in front, and surmounted with emblems of magisterial office. They sat, when we entered, assuming an air of great dignity and solemnity, without mo\ing a muscle of their coun- tenances, or turning their eyes to the right hand or the left. On each side of the mandarins stood about half a dozen inferior officers, and some Uctors, all as still and silent of the grave.

On ascending the steps of the temple, we uncovered our heads, and bowed resjK'ctfuUy to the mandarins, which compliment was returned, first by the civil, and then by the military officer, lifting their foldeil hands as high as their breasts, and then slowly letting them down

414 ClIJNESK GOODNESS.

again. One of the attendants then pointed to two chiUR and tables, provided with red cushions, and coveringN a little to the left of the mandarins, on which we sat down. The civil mandarin was the chief speaker, and hegan the conference, by asking our names, and su^ names, places of birth, date of leaving Canton, the port* at which we had touched, and finally, our busines*. To all these queries we gave suitable answers, adding, that our object was to do good, by spreading religious books, and exhorting men to repent and believe in Jesus. The civilian then asked, who Jesus was, and what was the meaning of the word Christ, which he had met with in our books ■? This gave us an oppor- tunity of explaining the work and undertaking of the Saviour, whose benevolent doctrines we came to pro- pagate, for the reformation and improvement of the i age. Here the general interposed, and asked, with b gruff voice, how we could think of coming to China to exhort people to be good ; did we suppose tbat there were no good people in China before^ They had already made arrangements, to supply us with provi- sions ; they had got sheep and pigs, fowls and ducks, pulse and flour, to meet our necessities, and was that not a proof of their goodness'? We said, we had do doubt that the people of China were gooil to a certain extent, but they were far from perfect, and knew no- thing of the way of salvation, which it was our to make known to them.

The civil mandarin then said, we have ConAicius and his doctrines, whicli have sulficed us for ages, and what need we any further sage ? We observed, that Confucius merely enforced the duties of the social rebr tions, but gave men no information on divine and eternal

RTHBR DISCUSSIONS. 415

sufagects, dot did he effect anj^thing for the deliver- ance of mankind ; wherefore, it was by no means super- fluous to have a teacher and Saviour, such as the one now pr(^)06ed to them. To this they rephed, that in our opinion it might be good, but in theirs it was evil ; that these doctrines, instead of benefiting, only cor- rupted the people, and therefore die dissemination of them could not be permitted. As for our books, diey did not want them, and would not have them ; and we ought by no means to be going from place to place, seeking to disseminate our publications, because such practices were contrary to law. We said, that we had read the code of laws established under the present dynasty, but had never met with a single sentence against distributing good books, for the edification of the people. They said, that the code of laws forbad the preaching of strange doctrines, and ours being strange, were consequently prohibited.

Here they talked so fast, that we had not the least chance of getting in a word, unless by violent inter- ruption ; and on attempting to thrust in a remark, we were checked by the attendants, who told us that we ought to listen to the exhortations of the mandarins, without presuming to reply. We might, by acting with incivility, have talked as loud and fast as they, but we did not see that the occasion called for it, or that it would have produced a good impression.

They then asked us about the vessel ; to whom she belonged, and how we came to be in her ; how much she cost, and whence we got the money ; whether from private sources, or from government*? We informed them, that the money was subscribed by benevolent in- diWduals, who had formed themselves into a society for

416 THE general's advice.

the diffusion of Christianity, and who had deputed ui to make and distribute Chinese hooks, whilst Ihcv bore the expense of the undertaking. 7'his societ)- no; only sent hooks to China, hut extended their operation! to all parts of the world, in obedience to the Saviuui't command, of preaching the Gospel to every creature. They then asked, where these books were maile, ami how we became acquainted with the Chinese language? We told them, that we had spent some time in the colonies beyond the limits of the empire, and associated much with the Chinese emigrants, by whose assistaoce we had learned the language and prinlvd the books. They next enquired, from what provinces those enu- grants went forth, and in what numbers they were Ift be found abroad*? We told them, that they went principally from the provinces of C'anton and Fut keen, and settled in the colonies by myriads.

Here the old general interrupted the conversatioD,. and advised us to return to our own country, as soon at possible, and tell those who had sent us, that it was labour in vain to attempt to introduce religious hook* into China ; for none, except a few emigrants abroadt or vagrants on the coast, could or would receive thenk. That their orders from court were, to treat foreign< with kindness and liberality, wherever and whene^'CT they came, hut by no means to allow them to stay and propagate their opinions. In conformity with tbil order, they had provided a liberal present for us, witli which he hoped we would be content to depart, and b/, no means touch on any other part of the coast ; for if we did, he was not sure that we should he treated s well elsewhere. They bad now shewn us every maii of politeness, and hoped we would he equally polite i

DEBATE ABOUT PRESENTS. 417

return, by getting immediately under weigh, and by touching nowhere else in the province of Shan-tung, all of which was under their jurisdiction.

We said, that we were very grateful for their kind treatment, and intended present, but should be still more obliged, if they would allow us to make them some remuneration; as we could not think of being under an obligation to any. They said, that they could receive nothing whatever from foreigners, and as to repaying the great emperor for his kindness, seeing that *^ all within the four seas '' belonged to him, what present could we make, at all worthy of his acceptance. We said we hoped to be permitted, in return for their fresh provisions, to send some of the produce of foreign lands, such as a few bags of rice, on shore ; otherwise, instead of doing us a favour, they would be reducing us to the alternative of going without provisions, or of receiving a kindness without being permitted to reci- procate it. This latter, with some persons, might be of no moment, but with us, it was irksome in the ex- treme, lliey said, they could not help it, as they were strictly forbidden by the laws to accept of anything from strangers ; and as the present came not from them, but from the im|)erial treasury, it was out of the ques. tion to think of making any return.

In our own minds, we thought, that as we had be- stowed on their |)eople, books and medicines, of no small value, there could be nothing wrong in receiving presents from them in return ; but on the other hand, we considered, that as they would not acknowledge our gifts, but considered them so much time and money thrown away, calculated to do harm instead of good, the obligation, in their estimation, would be all on our

418

QUESTIONS ON POLITICS-

side, and none on theirs ; and as the report would go up to the emperor, that they had been feeding these " hungry barbarians" gratuitously ; we were resolved to return them some rice for their provision, whether they would accept it or not.

Amongst other enquiries, they wished to kaow whence Mr. Stevens came; and, being told that he belonged to New England, they enquired whether there was a new, as well as an old England ? which led us to observe, that there was a new, as well as old world, which was not known to the inhabitants d Europe, till within the last four hundred years. After the first discovery, we added, it was soon peopled, and England, at that time, having a surplus population, multitudes emigrated, and formed the country of New England. They then asked, under what sort of go- vernment this new country was, and who was king over if? We said, " they had no king, but were ruled by two great assemblies, at the head of which was s president; all of them chosen by the people, and re- elected after a certain term." They asked, ■• what be- came of the old president, on his going out of olfice i and, on being told that he became a common man, they wondered greatly ; and could not conceive how he could be restrained from exciting rebelhon, and eniployiny the power he so lately wielded, in raising up a party ia his own favour. In this, they reasoned from what fi^ quently takes place in their own country, to what might happen in other regions. With them, a man once ia power, aims to be always in power, and is never con* tent with a private station, after having held tlie reina of government. Hence, when an indi«dual is deprived of the supreme authority, bis antagonist never con*

FORMER TRAVELLERS. 419

siders himself safe, till the previous ruler is put out of the world, and his whole race extirpated; lest some distant member of the fallen house, actuated by ambi- tion or revenge, should aim at the re-establishment of the dynasty, or perish in the attempt to gratify his vengeful feelings. They then wanted to know, where the author had met with Mr. Stevens, and how an old Englander could so readily agree with a new Englander. We said that Christians were bound to each other by the peculiar tie of religion, irrespective of country ; and being actuated by liberal views, were more likely to combine, in the prosecution of a sacred object, than others, in whom selfishness was the reigning principle.

The civil mandarin then made some allusion to Lord Amherst's embassy, and described how the emperor sent back the Ambassador s presents, thereby proving his indifference to their gifts, and his aversion to inter- course with foreigners. He also asked if we knew one Hoo-hea-me, (Hugh Hamilton Lindsay), and one Kea-le, (Charles GutzlafT;) and on our saying that we had seen them, he asked, where and when ? His next enquiry was about one Gae-tun, (Gordon), and how many ves- sels were engaged in going along the coast of China. These enquiries shewed, that the interrogator was gene- rally acquainted with all the late attempts at negoti- ation and intercourse made by our own countrymen with the Chinese, whether of a public or a private nature; and the inference to be drawn from this fact is, that notwithstanding the paucity of public journals, information, on such subjects, is more general through- out the country, than foreigners may at first imagine.

As it now began to grow dark, we rose and took our leave, making the same salutation as on our entrance.

420

MAGISTERIAL DIGNITY.

which was slowly and solemnly returned. On tfie whole, they treated us with ci\nlity and respect, bui were far from being cordial ; and the old general seeiD*d sometimes disposed to be angry, while the ciril mai^. darin assumed more of an authoritative lone. Acais* tomed to command, and usually receiving from aU around them, nothing but servile and cringing obfr dience, they could not, of course, brook contradirtioa,, or be expected to look favourably on foreigners ; be- sides it was necessary, for them to jiut on an appear ance of dignity, in order to save their credit with thdc own people.

In the absence of mental and moral superiority, tha nilers of the celestial empire contrive to invest thei* selves with a sort of mysterious solemnity, which il generally maintained by seclusion; and by manifestii^ » distant austerity when they do exhibit themselves to ths vulgar gaze. A civil mandarin, on appearing abroad, is always preceded by lictors, who, in a loud and ua^ earthly tone, proclaim the approach of the great man; and warn all persons to get out of the way, or to bon down in the dust before the rejjresentative of royalty Dignity with them is manifested by immoveable stiff ness, and the absence of all emotion ; not a muiscle ol the face, or a member of the body must be moved uniid' cessarily; and a slow pace, undiverted eyes, and motioo* less arms, are essential to the state of a celestial man* darin. Curiositj', surprise, fear, joy. or admiratioiw would all be unworthy of such exalted beings; and' terror, awe, and respect are the only feelings whick they seek to engender in the breasts of others.

We could perceive the oltl general, however. wheE' he supposed himself unnoticed by us, examining veiy

MANDARIN MEANNESS. 421

curiously the various parts of our dress. The civil offi- cer, also, condescended to send for our ever-pointed pencil ; and Mr. S. seeing how much he was pleased with it, determined in his own mind to ask him to ac- cept of it; but the sly fellow saved him that trouble, by putting it into his pocket. This unhandsome trick is quite characteristic of the Chinese mandarins, amongst whom we seldom meet with a truly respectable man. Delicacy of feeling, and uprightness of principle are un- known amongst them, and the highest officers of govern- ment make their way to their distinguished eminence, by a course of chicaner}^ and deceit.

Returning to the boat, we were accompanied by the military and naval captains, and by Tae-laou-yay, who appeared very anxious to bring matters to an amicable settlement. He advised us by all means to accept of the present, otherwise the general would be displeased. We told him, that we could not think of it, unless they would receive something in return; in case of their refusal thus to exchange prest*nts, as we were in want of provisions, we said we must buy from the people ; and if they were resolved not to allow this, we must re- main at anchor, till they woukl. On hearing this, he grasped our hands, and beg-an to In'g and pray that we would not dt'Iay our departure, as it woukl involve them all in trouble.

ITie evening having now closed in, we were con- strained to depart, and leave them to act as they thought proper. A littk^ after dark, we reached the vessi'l, and had scarcely taken some refreshment, when the presents arrived ; and as the weather was stormy, we could do no less than allow them to l>e received on boanl. We now found, that instead of supplying a few necessaries, ae-

422 EXCHANGE OF I'RESENTS.

cording to our list, they hatl provided a quantity far beyond what we required. We had asked for two («g* only, and they had sent ten ; besides ten sheep, BOtne bags of floor, two of peas, and two of millet, with n number of ducks and fowls.

The foolish people, however, had thrown the {ttg$ and sheep altogether, with their legs tied, into the hold of the boat (the sheep being undermost), and had shut down the hatch ; so that when they arrived along- side, seven sheep were dead, and the eighth required to be killed immediately, in order to render it fit for food We therefore took seven pigs, and three sheep, with the other articles, and gave twelve bags of rice in tfr turn. The police officers who came with the presents*, made some objection to this, but we soon overruled their scruples, and the boat returned to land,

The next morning the messenger came again, say- ing, that the mandarins had received the sheep ai pigs, but that the rice could on uo account Im* accepted^' and they had, therefore, brought it back. We ob« served, that they had probably returned the rice, account of the smallness of the quantity, and that would give them five or ten bags more. This put thi old messenger into a fever ; and he assured us, that mandarins did not want any, much or little. We phed, that the rice had been once given, and it i disrespectful to take back presents. The then said, that he had orders to throw the rice into th« sea, if we would not take it. " Do as you please," i said, " but we cannot receive it on board." " I shi be beaten," continued he, " if I return without delivt ing the rice, so I beseech you to take it." We replic that the great officers of his imperial majesty cou

DEPARTURE PROM KE-8AN-SO. 423

never be so unreasonable, as to beat a man for what he could not help ; we felt assured, therefore, that no evil would result from it. Finding every argument un- availing, he returned on shore.

About two hours after, we observed the same l)oat approaching the ship, with a mandarin on board, bring- ing the rice ; but before he could get alongside, we were already under weigh, and in a short time in full sail, bidding adieu to Ke-san-so, and the mandarins likewise. Having a good breeze, we sailed quickly along the coast, and arrived op{)osite Wei-hae before evening; where, as the weather was threatening, and the equinoctial gales expected* we thought it best to anchor.

Our stock of water being exjH'nded, we employed the crew, on the 22nd of »September, in getting off a supply from the shore. In this work, we were as- sisted both by mandarins and {K*ople, who diligently exerted themselves, chiefly with the view of getting us away as soon as {)ossible. At this place, and Ke-san-so together, we distributed about three thousand volumes.

Before leaving Ke-san-so, an unpleasant circumstance occurred on boanl, which may be adverteil to, for the purpose of shewing how nnich inconvenience sometimes results from the fears and passions of one's fellow travellers. The chief mate of the vessel had, from the first, taken umbrage at not being allowed higher wages, when called upon to proceed on this unusual, and sonu*- what hazardous exeursion. Heing unacquainted with the coast, and the character of the proplf, hr had gR»atly magnified the difficulties of the undi'rtaking, in his own mind; and hml even prejmliced the men against the expedition. Much unpleasant feeling was the result,

2 F

424

DISPUTE ON BOAIID.

and on the evening of the 20th, it came to an O] rupture. It appeared, that during our absence on shore, in the morning, a number of mandarins had been on board, one of whom frightened the mate, by making signs of cutting throats and chopping off heads, which, added to his former apprehensions, made him think that our condition was by no means safe. Whilst ai supper, therefore, he informed us of what had haj^ pened, and intimated Ms intention of taking the vessel out of the harbour the next morning. The captain asked him, how he would effect it? and he answered, that the men would very soon obey his commands, if he should direct them to weigh anchor. This was tow much for the captain to bear, and an altercation ensued, which led to abuse, and woidd have ended in blows, had we not interfered, and told the mate that his con- duct was quite mutinous, and would justify his being put in irons immediately. This remonstrance som^ what cooled him down, and he attempted to smooth over the affair, by saying that we must forget and for- give. Had he been allowed to proceed, however, the consequences would have been serious; and, as he had rendered the minds of the men disaffected, the wholft object of the expedition might have been defeated, and the vessel placed in extreme jeopardy.

CHAPTER XVII.

PROCEEDINGS ON THE SOUTH OF SHAN-TUNG.

VOTAOK ROLTID THK rROHOMTORV— LAMDIKO AT TBI NO-OAK— STATE OF Til* TOWN AND DEPKNCM-ISTKHVlgWS WITH THE PEOPLE-AND HANDARINB — EXCURSION THKOCOII THE VILLAGES — B1MP1JCIT\' OP THE NAnVBB— CALMNESS OF THE WOMENi-VOVAOB PROSECUTED- A SECOND LANDING— AN Noyi NO INTERPERENCE-SUSFICIUNSUF THE IN- ILU1TANT8— eOLlTARV JOURNEV— INTERESTING OBOIP OP VILLAUBRS — VABIOI'B ADVENTURES- A NEW HARBOUR DIBCOVERBD — VISIT TO NAN.Hl'NG — ENOLIRIES AND Ai_\RMB— A CUINESB PORT DBSTBtBKD- GBOLOOICAL FUBMATIONH— DIHPOSITION OF TUE NATIVEH — AND KB- CEITION OF THE MiasiONARIU — DKESS AND HABITS OP THE MEN- APPEARANCE OP THE WOMEN- THEIR DWBU.ING8 — TEMPLES AND CKMBT8BIES— PRODUCTIONS OF THE BOIL - DOMESTIC ANIMALS- STATE OF THE PEOPLE-BBPLBCTtONB.

On the 23rd of September, we got under weigh, and stood for the promontory of Shan - tung, with a fine breeze, which carried us clear round to the south side ; so that we came to an anchor to the westward of Staun- ton's Island, in the evening. We observed a number of villages along the sea beach, on our way, but the shore was so Open to the north-east gales, which were to be expected about that time, that we did not think it pru- dent to stop in a situation so much exjmsed.

'ITio next day, we stood nearer in shore, under the lee of cape Macartney ; but the weather was ko rough, that we could not land. An attempt was made in the afternoon to reach the beach, but we earned away both masts of the boat, and after several ineffcclua] efforts, were obliged to return.

2 F 2

42()

LANDING AT TSING-HAE.

The day following, we went on shore, at Tsing^lrae, and were met, on our way, by a mandarin, in a boat, who beckoned us to come to him ; but disregarding hia signs, we pulled towards land. A number of people were assembled on the beach, who received ub m a friendly manner ; and as soon as we hail ascended the cliff, the mandarin from the boat, approached us. Hia natural cheerfulness overcame his first alarm, and he asked us in a very civil way, who we were, and whence we came * We told him, that we came from the west, to distribute good books, for the instruction of the age, and with his leave, would give liim one. He look lh« book, and said our object was good, but hoped thai, in prosecuting it, we would make no disturbance. Ws assured him, that we should not ; but, on the contrary, endeavour to keep the peace. We then gave out books to the by-standers, who received them with eagerness, but at the same time, with quietness ; awed, perhaps, by the presence of the mandarin, and petrified witll amazement at the appearance of the strangers, Thi mandarin then said, that we were guests, and should be treated with respect ; for which reason, he propi that we should repair to a temple hard by, whei the officers would assemble, and treat us with let Upon this, we all proceeded thither, dealing out oi stores as we went along ; but, finding a path that le^ directly to the town, we left the temple on the lef^ and made towards the dwellings of the inhabitants; This the mandarin strongly opposed, saying it mould lead to trouble ; but heedless of his remonstrances, w pushed forward. Arrived at the gate of the town, I again attempted to dissuade us from our pur[)ose. with out success ; so that, after having passed through oM

STATE OF THE TOWN. 427

fcitreet, and finding U8 not to be wrought upon by his suggestions, in order to save his dignity in the eyes of the people, he left us and went away.

We had now time to look around us, and survey the town, which we found to have been originally sur- rounded with a mud wall, and provided with gate- ways, but now miserably out of repair. The ram{)arts were so low, and so sloping, that it was easy to walk up one side and down the other, while the portals were dilapidated and exposed. Only one-fourth of the space within the walls was occupied by houses, many of which were in niins. All things marked decay rather than improvement, and the place must have sadly deteri- orated within the last century, as the Jesuits have marked it down in their map, as an im{)ortant military station. The same observation holds tnie of all ()arts of Shan-tung which we have seen. Every where there are watch-towers on the hills, fallen to ruins; forts dismantled, or nearly so ; and long lines of mud fortifications, inclosing many acres of land, some of which are now turned into cultivated fields, with- out a building; while others still enclose a small hamlet, the miserable remnant of a fortress, where, perhaps, deeils of valour were once performed, and the enemies of their countrj' withstood. This town was built, we were informed, in the Ming dynasty, and was intended a-^ a defence against the incursions of the Japanese, who at that time were very enterprizing, and rather troublesome to their neighbours ; but like other militar)' preparations of the |H»aci*ful Chinese, the bat- tlements have since fallen into decav for want of use.

While standing on the walls, the i>eople gathered round us, and we siM)ke to them on religious topics.

I

428 INTERVIEWS WITH THE PEOPLE.

to which they paid some attention, and expressed, now and then, their assent and approbation. Having ob- tained another supply of books, we distributed them among the by-standers, and then set off to iabtiur through the adjacent villages, that lay along the Bhorc. where we were generally well received. At one place. we met with an old blind man, who had been a Bcho- lar in his youth, and still shewed considerable acquain- tance wilh letters, writing them on his hand for our inspection. This man was quite interested in ns, jv- questing to be allowed to feel and hear, tlioi^h he could not see the strangers. He listened attentively to what was told him of the way of salvation, and appeared overjoyed at the opportunity of obtaining a book, whicl^ he said he would get some one to read to him.

We had scarcely left this interesting group of lagers, before we saw a mandarin on horseback, ing to meet us. He addressed us in an angry tone* and said, '' Since you have now seen what a pooB country this is, you had better return, and go on board your vessel." We said, we were already on our way ta the boat to which we were indeed going for a fresh supply of tracts, and would soon cease to be troubli some to him ; so saying, we went on, and having first ascended a rbing ground, to get a view of the country, we proceeded to the sea shore, where we found mandarin waiting to see us off. Getting on board, wt set sad, and soon bid adieu to the mandarin and his train. After about an hour's sail, we landed on ani^ ther part of the coast, where we were esempt from the interference of the oflicers, but where the peopla were more suspicious and less acquainted with letters. We here walked ahout eight miles, through five vit

CHINESE HUSBANDMEN. 429

lages, but did not distribute many books. Our sud- den appearance seemed to astonish the people. Most of them were not aware that a foreign vessel had ar- rived, and they did not know what to make of being offered books by such strange looking individuals as ourselves. No one here expressed any wonder to find that we spoke their language, for they had yet to learn that foreigners used another tongue. We foimd them generally very industrious, some ploughing and others reaping, some carrying out manure, and others fetch- ing home produce; while numbers were collected on the corn-floors, in the neighbourhood of each village, threshing, winnowing, sifting, and packing wheat, rice, millet, and peas, with the greatest diligence, and at- tention. Indeed, so busily were they engaged, that they would scarcely turn aside to look, as we i)assed along.

The ploughs they employed were simple, and easily wrought, but did not appear to make a very deep in- cision in the earth ; while their teems were novel, and sometimes bordered on the ludicrous. Frequently four asses were seen yoked abreast; and again a cow with an ass on each side, or a cow, a horse, and an ass to- gether ; just as the fancy or the fortune of the owner dictated. The people were not fearful, and even the females looked on, as we walked through the \Hllages, undismayed. Passing by one house, in front of which some women were assembled, and apprehensive lest our sudden ap|warance should alarm them, and induce them to arouse the villagers by their shrieks and cries, we told them not to be afraid, as we did not intend to harm them. ** Afraid of what V they exclaiminl, '* why should we be afraid of vou*?" The women had all

43U CHINESE WOMEN.

small feet, and hobbled about most awkwardly. Tbt majority were poorly clad and ill-favoured, with * Ballow aspect, and weakly frame, the consequence, doubtless, of their coufinement and privatioiis ; but »c saw one yoimg lady well dressed, in silks and satins, and riding by on horseback. After spending the day in going from place to place, we returned to the vesitl in the evening. When arrived on board, we fouml that a mandarin had been off to the brig, who had remained two hours, and was much interested in all he saw, besides four or five boat-loads of people, who all took books and returned. On the 26th we weighed, and stood to the south-west, with the wind against us, and the weather threatening and imfavouralile. At night we came to an anchor, nearly in the same place where we lay the day before. The next day, being the Sabbath, we remained at our moorings, with the wind blowing very fresh ahead, and the sea rough ; so that we were both discommoded and disheartened. All could do was, to read and pray in the cabin, and h for more favourable weather.

On the Monday we got under weigh, but wind tide failing us, we made little progress. In the aftei noon, however, we had a light breeze, which carried u to the westerly side of the bay, where we came to a anchor, over a gravelly bottom, with many rocks ani dangers on all sides of us.

The next morning we went on shore, oppOEltc aom villages, and commenced our oiierations among thi people. On landing, we were well received by a fei stragglers on the beach, who took our books, and mi no objeotion to our proceeding into the interior. A the first village to which we came, the inhabitant

^

SUSPICIONS OK THE NATIVES. 431

gathered round, listening to our story, and receiving our books without any demur, all concurring in kind and obliging behaviour. At the second hamlet, how- ever, we found the people more backward, and one or two having refused books, the rest hesitated, and a few only accepted them. From this place we pro- ceeded to some villages further inland On the way thither, we were overtaken by a man who made us several low bows, and asked us to return with him to his house, as the place to which we were going, he said, was difficult of access, and skirted by a river, which could not easily be crossed. We told him, that we did not mind rivers, but that if he wanted a book we would give him one. Upon his making some demur, we packed up our treasures and passed on, with the man in our rear. When arrived at the side of the river, our companion soon found some one to carry him over on his back, while we had to wade through.

After crossing, we found our attendant seated by the road side, with a number of villagers around him. On his beckoning us to sit down by his side, we com- menced a conversation on religious subjects, and dealt out our books, which were received by a few, while the man that followed us would not take any, unless we gave him a whole set, while he was particular in demanding one of each kind. Wo humoured him in this, and as we thought, satisfied him ; after which we went farther into the village, and fell in with a few respectable old men, who approved of our object, and by their example, induced the by-standers to take our publications. Having supplied all that requirinl our books, and left those who refused, to enjoy their own opinions, we passed on to the next hamlet, crossing the river again ;

432

ANNOYING INTERFERENCE.

when we found that our new acquaintance was still with us, evidently producing, by his presence, an i favourable impression, and inducing the people to dfr cliue our publications, or to return them after having: accepted them.

Retracing our steps towards the sea shore, we came to another large village, where we found the inhalo- tants willing to listen, and receive our books ; but uuf troublesome acquaintance was again at our side, im seeing whom, the people shewed as much disincUiiftr tiou to intercourse as before. We, however, canvassed the village, and found some willing to accept of i bounty ; among the rest, a very interesting and inteK Ilgeni youth appeared, who, having displayed a kno«^ ledge of, and a love to letters, was presented with I book. After a brisk walk of a mile or two. we arrived ai another village, where we foimd our annoj-ing acquainW ance again, who had reached it before us by a shorter route, and had so prejudiced or frightened the people, that none of them would have anything to do with c books. We began by this time to suspect that the i» dividual who followed us. must have been some poUcB' officer, or in some way accountable for the peace an^ order of the villages, otherwise he would not havtt taken so much trouble to prevent the success of o undertaking.

Finding no way of escaping his officious intrusion bj land, and being now near the sea, we embarked, i having a fair wind, proceeded to another cluster of yUn lages. about six or eight miles further up the bay. Here the author landed, with a basket of books, am ha\'ingmade an appointment with Mr. Stevens, to met him at a tUstant village on a rising ground along shoiA

SOLITARY JOURNEY. 433

he set off alone, in land. The travelling was, how- ever, difficult; extensive flats of soft sand and mud had to be crossed, without any trace of a footpath; and every now and then a deep gully intervened, the bottom of which was choked up with thick mud. Into one of these, which was evidently knee -deep at the side, and much deeper in the centre, the au- thor was about to descend, when some Chinese from behind warned him of the danger, and pointed out a more safe and commodious path: this he followed barefoot, over the sand and mud, till he came to a harder and firmer bottom, and soon made his way into the cultivated fields, through which a path led to the villages. Several persons on the way received books, but on approaching the first hamlet, the inhabitants were frightened, and would have nothing to say to the stranger, except ordering him off as quickly as ix)ssi- ble. When about to depart, a respectable man came forward, and said, he had heard of our books, one of which he had purchased, and wanted some more, lliis encouraged others to approach, and not long afterwards two learned men came out of the village, and received our books with great ci\ility and thankfulness.

Having a long journey to accomplish before sun-set, the author left this interesting group, to proceed on his way, which he found intercepted by a broad stream, about three feet deep, and skirted by extensive and and treacherous quicksands. He managed, however, to wade through the water, and toil over the sand, with great difficulty; a labour which was ill re{)aid, by the |>artial success of his endeavours, in the village on the opiK)site side ; for the greater {)art of the people fled at his approach, and the rest looked sullen and

434

EVILS OF A SHORT STAV.

morose. A few books haWng been left among them, the traveller pressed on for the nest village, and fouDd, to his regret, the same ill will and sullen strangeness, as in the former.

Had there been time to remain among ihem, and remove their prejudices by friendly conversation, it ia more than probable that the attempt would have been successful ; but the day being far advanced, and tlie way to the place of rendezvous distant, the pilgrim was obliged to hurry on. The plaiu appeared highly cultivated, and, as far as the eye could reach, thick); studded with villages, to the number of eight or ten, within the circuit of a few miles. Finding the day it length gone, the author wae compelled to make towardi the sea shore ; and Mr. Stevens having observed, froia a distance, the signal made, soon joined the party; and we proceeded together on boanl, where we anrivwl a little after seven o'clock, much fatigued with the 1^ hours of the day.

The village on the rising ground, where Mr. Stevens' went, had been observed by us the preceding day, and appeared to have a great number of well-built houses ; the windows of which, glistening in the setting sun, gave us a very favourable idea of its importance. It turned out, however, on nearer approach, to be but a small place, with few buildings inside the walls ; being indebted for its appearance of magnitude, entirely to itf i position. It might have been a considerable town at: some former period, but is now forsaken and in ruiii&.| The name of the place, however, stilt conveys soi idea of dignity, being called. Wan-kea-tan, " the vil iage of ten thousand families,"

On the 30th. wc got under weigh, and stood to

NEW HARBOUR DISCOVERED. 435

8outh-we8t, in search of Hae-yang ; when finding a har* hour at the head of the hay, which we thought might be near that town, we entered it, and came to an anchor. We had some difficulty in making our way into this harbour, which, having never before been visited by a European vessel, was, of course, unsurveyed. Whilst skirting along the shore, we discovered an opening be- tween the islands, into which we thought it possible to steer the vessel, but were obliged to proceed with great caution, lest there might be sunken rocks in the way. Our navigator, however, deemed it safe to venture ; and as we proceeded, we found the passage open out into a beautiful bay, carrying twelve and fourteen fathoms all the way. ITie harbour was sheltered from all winds, except the south, which in these latitudes is not much to be dreaded, and was capable of containing a whole fleet of merchantmen. About twelve o'clock we landed at the head of a small cove ; and found that there were only a few villages in the neighbourhood, while Hae- yang was about thirty miles to the westward. The I)eople in the first village w^ere surprised at our appear- ance, and few ventured to take our books ; but in the second, which was the largest, we had better success. This place was called Nan-hung, and contained several well-built houses, which displayed both the quality and the taste of their owners. Seeing some old men seated at the comer of a street, we approached them, and were invited to take a seat by their side. Our books, on being proihicetl, were accepttnl without much demur, on the ground that they taught good moral lessons. When a number of |)eople had been supplied, our attention was directed to a well-dressed young man, who was exciting some opposition. On approaching him, we found him

436 ENQUIRIE.S AM) ALARMS.

apparently much displeased, and disposed to thwart our views. Upon this, we asked him, if he would peceire a book'? " No," said he, " I cannot read," "Well," we said, "if you are so ignorant, that you cannot read, we cannot help you : but there are those who can, and who will ; why should you, therefore, be envious of their superior attainments, and make others suffer for your deficiences '?" To this he knew not what to reply ; as he evidently could read, and had only professed ig- norace, in order to put off taking a book, and to give others an excuse for refusing our publications. The hy-standers, however, were so far from being deterred l)y his opposition, that they enjoyed his confusion, and took the books with great readiness. This brought him at length into a better humour, and he accepted of a tract also. Passing now through the streets, we were civilly treated by the people, and asked to walk into a shop, and afterwards into a school-room, where the peo pie listened attentively to what was advanced. Among other enquiries, they wanted to know how maay ships we had got on the coast; as they had heard that there was a very large vessel on the north side of the promon- tory, with two hundred men on board. We told them, that the large vessel of which they had heard, was none other than our small brig ; and instead of two hundred, she had not twenty men on board ; but that her &K had been magnified by their fears.

Upon the whole we were well received by the vit lagers, and left them in good humour. Two more hamlets were visited, with various degrees of suece-ss, and we proceeded across an extensive mud flat, to the beach. On our arrival, we found our boat aground, through the carelessness of the mate, who had fallen

A CHINESE PORT. 437

fa8t asleep, while the tide was ebbing, which left our little skiflf high and dry upon the beach. We ex- erted ourselves to get the boat off, that we might visit another village on the opposite side of the cove ; but fidling in the attempt, we turned off to the eastward, to visit a Chinese fort, that stood on a hill at the head of the bay. lliis fort was about forty feet square, and twenty high, including the parapet, with a tower in front, which appeared to have been intended for the commanding officers. The gateway was imder this tower, and as it was not provided with doors, there was no difficulty in obtaining an entrance. Inside the fort, we found three buildings, one of which was a stable, the other a cook-house, and the third a sleeping apartment, with bed places immediately over the oven ; but all very much out of repair, and apparently imoccupied for many months. A ffight of steps led to the top of the wall, round which was a walk three feet wide, defended by the parai)et, only a brick thick. Over the tower, in front, was a level space, about ten feet wide, and on the right comer a flag staff. The fort was not calculatecl to resist cannon, but where fire-arms are scarce, a few men might defend such a post, against a great mnhi* tude.

On our return, we met the manrlarin who h:u\ chars^e of the fortification, making, perhaps. hL< v:Tr.i^r.nj*al visit to the position und*rr hL» car*:: ^r V, ^h'^-w *h-* ** ^-iolent barfaarians."^ that th«r - >/a.4 ^4 U^r.' ^/.»..i: r^ fierce in their turn. whtr. orrA«i/;r. r»^ ...-r: .* ff * was a fat, bleek. welW^ lemi^rji:.. » v, <y. ^rvt^r to his imperial maj^m* ni«ii;V-i^v> i-v. ho.a^^/I on a grey charg»rr. fcU>ut I'^Vw'Vi^. \MiU v.^i .^ made a respcactaUfr »}i}ieiinui«> it ^t«» w^'n^ l^r^

438

GEOLOGICAL FORMATIONS.

through which we were passing. On meeting lu, I dismounted, and, without asking us a single question, began ordering us off. We told him our boat wal aground, and that as soon as the tide made, we should be going, but in the mean-time we expected to ba treated with civility. After a little while, he hecama more gentle and agreeable, and we parted good friends. He told us, that the harbour in which we had ; chored, was a very unsafe place, having a sandy bo^ tom, on which account vessels were apt to drive ; and the bay being rocky, there was great danger of their being dashed to pieces. Besides which, the wave* sometimes rolled in with tremendous violence, and rendered the anchorage there insecure. This he said, merely to get us away as soon as possible ; but as we knew that the bottom was soft mud, and that in the north-east monsoon, we had no oceasion to be alarmed about a southerly swell, his warnings were quiitt thrown away upon us.

While lingering about the beach, we could not help observing the curious formation of the rocks whid there presented themselves. In some instances, t strata ran in a horizontal, and in others, in a vertii direction. The different layers of rock were composed of black hornblende, mixed with white quartr., and now and then, a layer of gneiss intermingled. Th whole seemed to be thrown together, by some vitrei convulsion ; and the quartz had, in several in8t«nc«« forced its way between the other rocks, pushing thei' aside, or making them project outwanls, while som lines ran in an oblique direction, as thin as a roanll hand. Numernus rocks of various kinds, lay scattei on the beach, and presented a most curious and fanta

RBTR08PECT OP 8HAN-TUNO. 439

tic scene. The operations of the waves dashing on the shore, had added not a little to the wildness and rug- gedness of its appearance. Arriving on board in the evening, we considered that, as we had already spent a week to little purpose, on the south side of the pro- montory, and as the people were generally backward to receive our books, it would be better to proceed to a more favourable region : so we resolved, on the follow- ing morning to set sail, for the provinces of Keang-soo and ('h^-keang.

On quitting Shan-tung, it may be proper to observe, that we have nowhere been roughly used or ill-treated, while the natives have been uniformly found harmless and peaceable. We seklom saw a weapon of any kind, l)eyond agricultural implements, and with the exception of one old man, in Ke-san-so, who had a rusty sword, and the few men drawn up at the guard-house, both soldiers and people, were without arms. We have sometimes been spoken to, in a surly manner; and, now and then, forbidden to proceed into the villages ; but, when once on the high road, no one ever attempted to hinder or turn us back ; and, for all that we could see, it woukl be no difficult matter to travel, from one side of the promontory to the other, if any object were to be gained by so doing.

The people, though inoffensive, were, by no means, forwani to help or entertain us ; we seldom had any- thing offered us, and, even with asking, could get little iK'sides water. So that, had we dej)ended on the charity of the people of Shan-tung, we should have been but ill supplied.

With regard to their reception of our message, this journal will speak for itself. On the north side, which

2 G

440

RECEPTION OF OUR MESSAGE.

was first visited, they were more willing to recein books, than on the south ; while the further we wenl, the more disinclination was manifested. This may l attributed partly to the report of our arrival and ope* tions hanng preceded iis; and to the prohibitions whiA the mandarins had issued, against receiving our booka, or holding any intercourse with us. We found, alsOtj that the people on the sea-shore, and iu places of great concourse, were more greedy after books, so as eventt rob us of them, while those in the retired hamlets v very shy. This may have resulted, in the former case, from the frequent communication kept up with Btian- gers, while the villagers, being more secluded from the world, were naturally suspicious of foreigners. On tfas whole, the amoimt of books distributed in Shan-tun^ considering the time occupied in the work, the extent o ground travelled over, and the number of persons mel with, did not quite equal our expectations, or come up to what we hoped to experience in the south.

As to oral instruction, much cannot be said: fol though the people, even to the youngest child, and the meanest clown, all spoke and imderstood the inandaria dialect, and thus could easily communicate with us; ye* the time that we could afford to stay with them i so short, and the subject treated of so strange. l we could hardly exjiect the natives to be greatly in- terested or improved. Still something was attempted, at each place to which we came : enough to give then a general idea of the Gospel, and a clue to the betttf understanding of the books left among them ; and i can tell, but in some future day, fruit will spring up tl a good, account from the seed thus hastily sown. Maj the Lord, of his infiiute mercy, be pleased to follow ll

CONDITION OF THE PEOPLE. 441

distribution of three thousand books on the north, and of six hundred on the south side, of this promontory, with his blessing; and may the occasional conversa- tions held with the people, be productive of great good, to His eternal glory.

The temporal condition of the natives of Shan-tung seemed generally good. We witnessed nothing of that squalid poverty and deep distress, to be met with in other parts of the empire. The men were, for the most part, robust and well-fed, hearty and hard-working; while no want, so far as we could perceive, prevailed. We saw no beggars, and few ragged people ; their cloth- ing commonly consisted of cottons, sometimes doubled, and not unfrequently quilted ; most of them wore shoes and stockings, and many had more jackets than one. Some had coats of skins, with the hair or wool inside, as a defence against the cold weather. A peculiar kind of cap was worn by the generality, made of white felt, fitting close to the head, and turned up on each side, with flaps which could be pulled down, if necessary, over the ears. Every individual was provided with a pipe, and a light kind of tobacco, which they smoked very frequently. They always carried a bit of steel about with them, and as the ground was covered with a kind of quartz, which by concussion emits sparks, they had only to stoop down and pick up a stone, and after striking a light, to throw it away again.

The women were not so good-looking as the men ; some were ugly, almost all ortlinary, and scarcely any handsome. ITiey were pale-faced and sickly in ge- neral, and seldom exhibited the ruddy complexion observable in the other sex.

It is well known, that the Chinese have a method

2 G 2

44'2 SMALL FEET OF THE WOMEN.

of binding up the feet of their female offspring, from their earliest infancy. For this purpose, they use ligatures, wound very tight round the foot and iostcp. with the toes bent inwards, until they g^ow into tht sole of the foot. Thus diminished and compressed the foot is reduced to three or four inches in length and as many in circumference, tapering towards a point at the end. Of course, the ankle bones becomt proportionably large, whUe the club feet thus produced are but ill adapted for walking. Hence the gait of Chinese women is extremely awkward; they aiv obliged to throw themselves a little forward in setting off, and to keep their boilies somewhat out of the pc^ pendicular, or they would be in danger of falling back- ward : and as they have no spring in their toes, they are unable to urge on their joumies with speed. Indeed, some of them are scarcely able to walk at all, and are obliged either to use sticks to suppoit them, or to lean on a servant, in order to move along the streets. Tba poorer sort, however, may be seen working in the fiekU,' and jKirforming the most laborious employments. On our first arrival in a village, the women generally and hid themselves ; liut they si)eedily returned, crowd ing the doors of the houses, and the heads of the lanea^ in order to see the strangers as they passed by, losing all their timidity, in the eagerness of tbeil curiosity.

The dwellings of the people in Shan-tung are mostly built of granite, but occasionally of mud; while roofs are frequently tiled, hut more generally thatchedj Some are plastered and whitewashed, and rather tasle> fully fitted up; the dwellings of the poorer sort, hoa^ ever, stand forth in all their native and rude siniptictly.

HOUSES AND TEMPLES. 443

The majority of the houses are about thirty feet long, ten wide, and eight high. A door occupies the centre of the front, and a window each side. Near the door- way, there are frequently seen two blocks of granite, projecting a Httle from the wall, with loopholes in them, which are used for tying up cattle, whilst feeding. Some houses are double, having a front and back range of buildings, but we saw few that were two stories high. The streets are from ten to twenty feet wide, run- ning parallel to each other, crossed by narrow lanes.

Each considerable village is provided with a temple ; but these are generally in bad repair, and the gods apparently much neglected. The idols worshipped are, either the phantom Buddha, or a martial hero, probably Kwan-foo-tzse, who flourished about the thinl century of the Christian era. Little shrines are also to be seen in the fields, with rude stone images in them ; or a mere tablet, l)earing a simple inscription. Tombs are scarce, but those which are met with, are for the most part upright, like head-stones in an English churchyard. These memorials for the dead are white, and sometimes polished, with the characters more or less neat, acconling to the wealth or skill of those who erect them : some tombs are round like domes, and others long, with a slanting roof of mason-work over the top. Still, the receptacles of the dead are by no means so numerous, as the habitations of the living.

The ground is well cultivated, wherever it is caj)able of culture, and the sterility of the soil is improved by the attention that is paid to stercoration. Almost every person met with in the fields, is provided with a hand-basket and a rake, with which he collects the dung of all the cattle in the way, and carefully con-

444 PRODUCTIONS OP THE SOIL.

veying it home, deposits it ou the duug-hills, at the trance of every village, where the manure is heaped up and ripened for use. The productions of the soil are* beans, in great quantities ; millet, of various kinds; buck' wheat, of a poor quality ; rice, and wheat. The fields are not fenced off by hedges, but divideil by small grassy ridges, sufficient to enable each man to know his own and the houses are collected together in \"illage8, either for defence or company. The cattle to be met with are, a small kind of oxen, horses of a diminutive size, asses in abundance, and some mules. Shaggy-haimd goaU were seen, but no sheep ; though the mandarins mar naged to supply us with some at Ke-san-so. 'llie domestic animals are never left to graze at pleasuK, but tethered to a string, are removed from one place to another, when the grass is consumed. No veno- mous or wild beasts, of any kind, were seen, neither did we hear of any ; but birds were espied, in great numbers, some of which being very tame, allowed us to come near them, without flying away.

The poor people who pursue, from youth to old age, the same monotonous round of toils, for a subsis- tence, never see nor hear anything of the world arouod them. Improvements in the useful arts and sciences, and an increase of the conveniences of life, are not knoi^Ti among them. In the place where their fathets lived and died, they toil and pass away, to be succeeded by another generation, in the same manner. The towna, and even the villages, which are notiul in the old maps, we found as delineated ; unchanged, except by decay, and unimproved in any respect. The people po(;ses8 few of the comforts of life ; neither table, chair, oof any article of furniture, was to be seen in the houses of

REFLECTIONS. 445

the poorer classes. No prospect of amelioration for them appears, but in the liberalizing and happy in- fluence of Christianity. This delightful province might then become the abode of millions of happy inhabi- tants. But now, and for ages, they have been'excluded from that best boon, which the Almighty ever gave to man, and without their own consent. They have an indisputable right to call for the knowledge of the (^hristian religion, which was given to man by God, and no government may justly hinder them from {)os- sessing it. ITiey call for religious knowledge, not indeed, as appreciating its full and eternal importance, but as presenting a host of moral maladies, which need relief; and, it will ever be the happiness of those, who aided in this expedition, to know that nearly four thou- sand volumes, containing much of the Holy Scriptures, were left in Shan-tung. What the result of that little Ix'ginning will be, is to us unknown. To the truths of the books themselves, and to the influence of the GihI of tnith on their minds, we leave the work, not expecting that it will be wholly in vain.

CHAPTER XVIII.

PROCEEDINGS IN KEANG-SOO PROVINCE.

VOYAGE TO THE SOUTHWARD — ARRIVAL AT WOO-SIT^G — APrE.\RANCE OK THE COUNTRY — RECEPTION ON SHORE — JOURNEY TO SHAN(i-lIAF

— INTERVIEW WITH THE OFFICERS— BOOKS DISTRIBUTED— ARRIVAL OF THE CHIEF MAGISTRATE— REFUSAL TO STAND BEFORE UIM - DISCUSSION ABOUT CEREMONIES — REASONS FOR DECISION — AT- TEMPT TO ENTER THE CITY — UNPLEASANTNESS AT PARTING - OPERATIONS AMONG THE JUNKS — REMARKS ON WOO-SUNG — AND ITS INHABITANTS — ARRIVAL OF A GENERAL — DESCRIPTION OF THE MILITARY — AND FORTIFICATIONS — VISIT OF ONE MANDARIN —Cl'N- NINGNESS OF ANOTHER — UNSUCCESSFUL VOYAGE — PLEASANT TOUR

— THE PEOPLE R;\GER FOR BOOKS — AND THE SOLDIERS FOR GAIN- DIFFICULTIES AND DISAPPOINTMENTS.

On the first of October we set sail, with a light breeze, to the southward : for two days we were becalmed ; and on the fourth, had strong head winds, and a heavy sea, with much rain. It being the Lord's day, we held service in the cabin, and towards evening the wind grew more moderate and fair. Ihe sea, however, still continued high.

The next day we enjoyed a fair wind, and held on our course to the southward. On the sixth, we made the Choo-san archipelago, and came to an anchor off Gutzlaff's island. The day following, notwithstanding the gloomy and rainy weather, we got under weigh ; but the tide setting us on the edge of a sand-bank, we were obliged to come to, after running about twenty

• • -

II

ARRIVAL AT WOO-8UNG. 447

miles. Our situation at this period was by no means agriH'able, or even safe ; almost out of sight of land, and yet in such shallow water, that we were in great danger of grounding every moment ; the waters of the Yang-tsze-keang, sweeping along at this {)oint into the sea, had been canning down for ages vast quantities of mud, which forming into shoals, rendered navigaticm dangtTous and intricate. The channel between the banks was not above a mile wide, and shoaled on each side, to (me and two fathoms. The fog, which prevailed at the time, increased our peqilexity ; and hiul it not been for the excellent chart constructed by (*aptain Rees, and the vigilant assiduity i»f our commander, aided by the superintending providence of (mhL we should most likelv have been overwhelmed bv the dif- ticulties which surrounded us.

On the eighth, the weather was still dark and gloomy, in the midst of which we set sail, and arrived about noon off the forts at the mouth of the \Vo(Ksung river, leading to Shang-hae, where we came to an anchor. The f«>g prevented the Chinese from seeing us, till we were close* in ; but as soon as we wen* discoven*d, the batteries commenced tiring blank cartridges, fnmi each sidt* of the river; their jHnvder, however, must have been badlv mixed, as at the distance of onlv a few hundred yanls, the report of their cannon was not louder than that of a nuisket. The nearest fort was very much out of repair, having the foundation under- mined l>y tin* late inundations, and a great part of the front wall fallen in. We did n«>t ob.serve any uuns on this fortiticati(m, but there were a few pieces uf onl- nance, without carriages, placed on the top of the mud

448 FACE OF THE COUNTRY.

embankment adjoining it. The defences on the south side appeared to be in better repair.

The waters of the river, and indeed of the whde channel, were very turbid, and of a yellowish hue. They tinged the copper of our vessel, so that all die dashing of the waves against it, till our return to lintin, did not wholly remove the colour. A tumbler of the water soon deposited a sediment of soft yellow mud, one twentieth of its whole bulk in thickness. The contrast between the hilly province we had just left, and the level and rich fields of Keang-soo, was most striking. Trees and foliage here were abundant, and nature seemed to be profuse of her gifts. But owing to the extremely unfavourable weather during our stay, and to other events beyond oiu* control, we saw com- paratively little of this fertile and thriving region. Enough, however, was seen to convince us of the great accuracy and value of Mr. Lindsay s observations, in his journal. He has not only, in a manner, opened the way to this great city, but has collected more informa- tion of various sorts respecting it, than another can hope soon to do. Owing to the violence of the prevailing storm, no vessels were seen passing out or in, and the river about a mile above us was filled with a numerous fleet, waiting for fair weather to go to sea. The tides were strong, and the rise and fall two fathoms.

When the rain abated a little, we went up to the town of Woo-sung, off which there were about one hundred junks lying at anchor. On landing, we ob- served a number of Fuh-keen sailors, distinguished by their blue jackets and cheerful looks, just going into their boat. These we hailed in their native dialect.

RECEPTION ON SHORE. 449

and were answered with all the heartiness peculiar to that people. We told them, that we had books for circu- lation ; and as they appeared to be accustomed to such distributions, they came eagerly forward to receive them. The people standing on shore, influenced by their example, also applied for tracts ; and we began dealing out our publications, when two mandarins ac- costed us, and asked us to step into a house. This we de- clined, till our business was done, when we promised to give them every satisfaction. ITie mandarins, however, went with us into the village, and stood by, while we distributed our tracts, keeping the people quiet, so that each one received his portion in an orderly manner. After two or three standings, at the comers of different streets, the books in our bag were expended; and we went into the temple of the " queen of heaven," where we sat down to talk to the mandarins and people. After answering their enquiries, as to our voyage, busi- ness, &c., we took the opportimity of explaining to them the main doctrines of the Gospel, and our object in visiting their town, viz., to propagate the principles of truth and righteousness, by means of books. The mandarins assented to the propriety and goodness of our enterprize, and the people approved of what they heard. On learning that this was our first visit to Woo-sung, they asked how we came to know that there was such a place, and the way to approach it. We told them, that we followed the tracts of previous tra- vellers, and could find our way by means of instru- ments and charts, without the aid of a pilot.

Having returned to the boats, we directed the re- mainder of the tracts to be given out, and as the people were a little too eager in grasping after them, one of

450

RELEASK OF TWO CULPRITS.

the mandarins became angrj', and seized two persons, to make examples of them. We immedialcly in!<r^ fered, and told the oflicers, that the supposed ofFendeis must he liberated ; for, seeing that they had got into trouble, on account of our affair, we should consider anything done to them, as a mark of disrespect to oui* selves. The mandarin said, that since we came thither with such kind intentions, to give away good books among the people, it was unpardonable that these fel- lows should behave so unreasonably, and snatch them out of our hamls in such an unceremonious nxanner; it was therefore necessary to make an example of them. This was done under colour of protecting us from the rudeness of the populace ; hut, had these same people, pelted us with stones, there is little doubt that the man- darins would have been glad of it. However, we pers^ vered in requiring the release of the men ; and, out of respect to us, it was complied with. This town was a close, muddy place ; but we saw a number of respectable people in it, who, by their satin boots and decent clothes shewed themselves to be somewhat above the vidgar. On returning to the vessel, we were headed by a strong wind and heavy sea, which nearly swamped our little skiff; but by the good hand of God aiding our exertions, we were enabled to reach the brig. About evening, a junk dropped down, and anchored close by us, probably with the view of watching our motions.

On the 9th of October, we started in the longi-boat» for 8hang-hae ; which, though a city of the third rank, is one of the greatest emporiums of commerce, on the east coast of China. It communicates, immedialdj, with the rich districts of Soo-chow, and Hang-chow,

JOURNEY TO 8HANG-HAE. 451

receiving the rich brocades from that arcadia of China, and conveying thither, the inventions and commodities of the western world. The trade of this place is equal, if not superior to that of Canton, and the appointment to district magistrate, or superintendent of customs, at 8hang-hae, is considered exceedingly lucrative, and highly important.

The day was stormy, and we were in doubt about the propriety of undertaking so long a journey, in such dark and rainy weather ; but the value of time, and the necessity of getting up to the city, before any opposition was organized against us, determined us to proceed as soon as possible. The boat in which we were embarked was a bad sailer; and being without an offi- cer, our men little heeded our directions, each one doing that which was right in his own eyes : notwithstanding which, we got up to the city, in little more than three hours. The river was about a mile wide, lined on each side by high embankments, beyond which the country appeared low and marshy, but by the industry of the Chinese, rendered serviceable and productive.

The vicinity of Shang-hae was marked by the forest of junks, which lay off the city, and which, according to the testimony of an officer of customs, amounted to ujv wards of a thousand in number. As the weather was dark and rainy, our approach to the city was not ob- served, till we got up among the jimks ; and even then, so few persons were abroad in the rain, that we jmssed along for some time, without much notice ; when sud- denly the hue and cry was raised, that a foreign boat had arrived, and immediately ever}' window and door was crowded, and the sides of the junks lined with

452 INTERVIEW WITH THE OFFICERS.

spectators. All wore a smiling aspect, and no one seemed alarmed or displeased at our sudden entry.

Passing on, we soon descried the temple of the Queen of Heaven, spoken of by Ghitzlaff and lindsaj, where we landed, amidst a great crowd of spectaton, and were just getting up our bag of books to commence the work of distribution, when, suddenly we heard be^ hind us, a clattering noise on the granite pavement, produced by the thumping of long bamboos ; and <ri looking round, we saw the people give way, right and left, and two officers appeared, who greeted us with a friendly aspect ; and invited us to repair to the tempk hard by. Being perfectly willing to respond to their invitation, we ordered a sailor to follow us, with a bag of books, and made towards the temple, through an immense crowd, who opened a way for us to pass, while the lictors went before, crying out, KXh lae, " the visitors are come."

In the temple, we sat down opposite the two officers, one of whom was Wang Laou-yay, a Ueutenant-colonel in the army. After a short conversation, cakes and tea were served up, and the books were produced, which were accepted both by the mandarins and their attendants.

The rain continuing to fall, the officer requested us to delay giving out books among the people, till the weather cleared up. Perceiving that their intention was to hinder our work, and put it off to an indefinite period, we thought it best to divide our forces, and whilst the author engaged the officers in conversation, Mr. Stevens went to the boat, to distribute the tracts. He was not long in dealing out the contents of two boxes, amongst a dense crowd of eager and anxious

BOOK DISTRIBUTION. 453

applicants. The police runners who followed, endea- voured, by their staves, to keep the people from crowd- ing round, but it was impossible to restrain them; and the beadles, in the attempt, were some of them borne down and overthrown.

Mr. Stevens*s account of the transaction, is as fol- lows : ^' Breaking open a box of books, I stood in the boat, and attempted to hand them out singly, to the mul- titude that thronged the shore. By moving from place to place, this measure partially succeeded, tilt the con- tents of the first box were finished. The petty ofiicers then, with upraised hands, implored me not to distri- bute any more ; but seeing, as I did, such crowds as- sembled, that not one, in fifty, could obtain a volume, and thinking that no other opportunity might occur, I was obliged to be inexorable, and opened the second box. Such a press was now made, upon the boat, that I found it impossible to do better, than merely scatter the books indiscriminately over the heads of the people, letting them fall into their upraised hands, till a thou- sand volumes were given among the myriads of Shang- hae. In the bustle, unavoidably occasioned by the simultaneous moving of such a mass of human beings, the officers' clubs were sometimes seen playing over their heads, and again officers and cudgels were borne down together."

In the meantime, the author was engaged in a conference with the mandarins, an account of which, penned at the time, may not be uninteresting.

*' The party was now joined by another mandarin, named. Chin Laou-yay, employed in the custom-house department, who wore an European boat'-cloak, made of broad-cloth, with a velvet collar. He was a heartv.

454 ARRIVAL OF THB V ATOR.

rough-looking man, but had a keen eye, and a vofaibk tongue. Immediately after his arrival, he took die lead in the conversation, and asked whether we hid not been in Shan-tung, and had commonication inA some great officers there ? This question led me to think, that the news of our operations further north, had already reached Shang-hae; though twenty days had scarcely elapsed since our interview widi the general, at Ke-sannso. He enquired after Messrs. lind- say and Gutzlaff, and wished to know, whither we in- tended to proceed. I told him, that the gentlemen alluded to were well ; and with respect to ourselves, we could hardly tell in what direction we should go ; qnot> ing a Chinese proverb, ' We know not to-day, what will take place to-morrow.' ' But,' I continued, ' as your native conjurers are reckoned very clever, they may perhaps be able to tell you. ' I am conjuror enough for that,' said Chin ; ' but what is your profession?* I told him, that I was a teacher of religion, having been en- gaged in diffusing instruction, for a number of years ; in {uldition to which, I should be glad to administer medi- cine? gratuitously, to any who were in need of it. ' Very well,' said he, stripping up his sleeve, ' feel my pulse, and see what is the matter with me.' He was told that there did not appear to be much the matter with him, as his looks indicated good health. * Then I see,' replied he, ' that you do not understand the science of mc^licine, for I am troubled w4th asthma.'

" After a little time, a great noise was heard outside, and the arrival of the chief magistrate of the city was announced; when several officers came in, and requested me to go and see his worship, the mayor. He was seated in the central hall of the temple, with a large

RBFU8AI. TO STAND BBPORE UIU. 465

retinue of officers Btanding by his side. He appeared to be a middle-Aged man, with a smooth face and fair complexion, but he assumed a stern aspect, immediately I entered. Without regarding his austere looks, I paid him the usual compliments ; and finding a chair placed opposite, I thought it was intended for myself, and took my seat accordingly. This disconcerted him much ; and as soon as he could recover himself, from the surprise and imlignation which overcame him, at seeing a barbarian sealed in his presence, he ordered me to come near and stand before him ; while all the officers around called out, * Rise! rise!' I rose accordingly, and asked whether I could not be allowed to sit at the conference ? and being told that [ could not, I bowed and left the room. Many voices were immediately rallied to call me back, but 1 paid not the slightest attention to them, and did not stop, till 1 had reached the apartment to which 1 was at first introduced.

" 1 was soon followed by Chin and Wang Laou-yays, who tried every effort to persuade me to return ; this, however. I steadfastly refused to do, unless 1 could be allowed to sit, as others of my countrjmen had done in like circumstances. The Laou-yays obser^-ed, that the native officers were accustometl to stand, in the presence of their chief magistrate, and why should a stranger refuse to do the same i • You stand,' 1 replied, ' be- cause you are paid by the ("hinese government ; and as subjects of the empire, you ought to comply with the im[>eriat regulations ; while a stranger and a gueiit should l>c treated with some degree of respect.' ' But among us," they said, ' when a commoner appears lie- fore one of our superior officers, he h obliged to kneel.' On this being strenuously objected to, they asked, 2h

45(i DISCUSSION ABOUT fEREMONlES.

■Well, if you will not kneel, will you stand?' 'No,' said I, ' I come as a friendly stranger, and am invited by you to a public conference. 1 have committed no offence, nor broken any laws; and therefore will not submit to stand as a culprit, before any mandarin in the empire. Messrs. Lindsay and Gutzlaff,' I continued, ' were allowed to sit at the conference to which ihey were admitted, and the same privilege was nowexpected' Wang Laou-yay, who pretended to have been prcseot at the conference to which those gentlemen were ad- mitted, declared, that they had been comiielled to stand Such an unbluHhing falsehood was repelled by an ap- peal to the journal of Messrs. Lindsay and GutzlatT, from which it appeared, that they had been treated with all due respect, I further observed, that I had been admitted to a conference with the military super- intendent of the province of Shan-tung, and a governor of a city of the second order, when I was allowed to sit for several hours in their presence ; and that I was not now going to stand before the magistrate of a city of the third order, with whom no high military officer was associated.

" They said, that those officers might have been great in their district, but their chief magistrate was the greatest Chinese in Shang-hae. ' Well then,' said I, 'and the individual who now addresses you, is the greatest Englishman in Shang-hae, and does not chooac to compromise the honour of his country, or risk the success of his enterprise, I)y submitting to be treated a^ a barbarian, or contemplated as an otTender. I have no petition to present, and no favour to ask ; and if llic chief magistrate does not wish to see me in a proper manner, I willnot wait onhimatall.' ' He wishes lose«

CONTINUED REFUSAL. 457

you,' said they, * to put some questions to you/ ' Well/ said I , ' he can depute you to ask me any questions he pleases, and I will answer them.' They then en- deavoured to persuade me by fair speeches, and said, if I would but go in, and state who I was, and that I was a teacher, and distributor of books, come on a benevo- lent enterprise, to diffuse knowledge, and promote hap- piness, doubtless he would then allow me to sit down. * No,' I replied, ' I must be seated at the commence- ment of the conference, and will not consent to receive civility in the shape of condescension from any man ; so that you may cease your endeavours, as I am deter- mined not to stand.' Finding that I would not be per- suaded, they went to inform the mayor of my deter- mination, to see whether he would comply with my desire ; but they soon returned, saying, that the present chief magistrate Kwan Laou-yay, was more rigid than the former one, who presided at the time of Mr. Lind- say s visit, and that he was resolved not to swerve in a single instance from the regulations of the celestial empire ; further, that if I would not comply with the usual ceremonies, I was at liberty to return to the vessel. I replied, that it was my intention to return when the wind and tide were favourable ; but that as I came in a friendly, and not in an hostile manner, I was not to be driven away, as an enemy or an evil doer." It may appear to some fastidious, and to others per- tinacious, that a missionar}^ should stand so much upon trifles in his intercourse with the authorities of pagan lands ; and that to gain an object, a man should waive all personal and national considerations, and consent to stand, or even kneel for hours, if by that means he could but induce a heathen ruler to listen to the truth,

2 II 2

458 REASONS FOR DECISION.

or to permit the circulation of Christian knowleJgi throughout the land. But the question is, would the object be gained I)y such a timid poHcy, and bj sn^ plastic obsequiousness '? The experience of ages fall proved, that in negotiating with the Chinese, nothing would tend so effectually to defeat the end in view, is a ready compliance with their demands. Finding thdr first requisition acceded to, they would immediatelr propose another, still more humiliating ; and instead of abating the rigour of their terms, in consequence of onr yielding, they would only rise in their demands, just in proportion to our voluntary humiliation. After giving up, therefore, one after another, every point of cere- mony, we should find ourselves slUl farther from ad- justment than at the beginning ; and attempt in vain . to gain the position from which we Ixad n-illingly re- ceded. Besides, the matter in debate, though trivial io our estimation, is by no means unimportant in theirs ; every subsequent negotiation with the same individual, or with others of his nation, would hinge upon the first reception ; and attention to his message, or disregard lo his declarations, throughout the land, would depend very much on the position which a missionary might maintain in his first conference with the mandarins. The Chinese assume to be, not only the greatest nation under heaven, but the only civilized and powerful nation in the world. All others are either vassals under the imperial sway, or barbarians beyond the pale of civili- zation, and incapable of being influenced by the com- mon principles of reason and humanity. If now we admit the justice of their pretensions, we must either confess ourselves vassals, subject lo their dominion, and liable to be bambooed at pleasure ; or irreclaimable

FIRMNESS NECESSARY. 459

savages, incapable of reflection, and consequently not very suitable persons for illuminating the subjects of the celestial empire. Should we acknowledge our vas- salage, they would put us upon a level with the filthy Coreans, or naked Siamese, who sometimes visit their shores ; and should we admit the appellation of bar- barians, we should be ranged by them with the moim- tain tribes of their own country, who are said to be adorned with tails. Neither Christian humility, there- fore, nor Christian prudence, would lead us to submit to Chinese encroachments ; and regard for the success of our enterprise, as well as compassion for the souls of the poor benighted Chinese, would induce us to main- tain a firm dignity and uncompromising policy, with such an encroaching and overbearing people. It must be remembered also, that the apostle of the Gentiles once stood on his rights as a citizen, and sent word to the magistrates, bidding them to '^come themselves and fetch him out of prison.**

The author having been joined by Mr. Stevens, we proceeded to converse more familiarly, and to deliver out books to the officers and their attendants, as well as to some strangers that were present, till they were all gone. We had already given a list of a few fresh provisions that were wanted, to Wang Laou-yay, which we requested him to purchase for us, and we would pay for them. By this time the articles were brought in, which they oflFered to give us as a present; and seeing that there was no other way of settling the ques- tion, we resolved to accept of the articles, and to send them some consideration in return.

Whilst engaged in the arrangement of these matters, the chief magistrate observed our native servant, a boy

460 UNSUCCESSFUL ATTEMPT.

from Paulo Nias, off the island of Sumatra (whose portrait appears in the frontispiece), passing by befoie the hall ; upon which he sent for him, and as he couU not obtain the master's obedience, was determined to make the servant stand, and be catechized before hhn. He insisted on it, that the boy was of Chinese mgiiu as his features somewhat resembled those of the Chi- nese; but after much questioning and examinati<Hi, they found that the youth was entirely ignorant of any dialect of the Chinese language, iind consequently could not belong to the celestial empire. Had they succeeded in getting a word or two out of him, they would doubt- less have denounced him a Chinese traitor, or us kid- nappers of celestial children ; but his ignorance of the language confounded them, and compelled them to let him go.

The rain having moderated, we rose to take a walk, and proceeded towards the boat, where the sailors were busy eating their dinner, while thousands around eagerly stretched forward, to " see the lions fed." One man who had pressed through the crowd to get a sight of the strangers, immediately began rubbing his eyes, and then took a second look, that he might be certain it was not a dream.

Wishing to enter the city, we turned off in that di- rection, but were stopped by the officers and their attendants, who actually blocked up the way, and would not allow us to proceed a step further ; urgiiig, that as we had refused to wait upon the chief magistrate, he had issued positive orders that we should not be allowed to enter the city. The opposition they now manifested was so determined, that we saw there was no way of overcoming it but by a resort to force ; which not being

ANNOYING CONDtCT. 461

disposed to do, we thought it most adviseable to give up the point, and reluctantly returned to the temple. We regretted afterwards that we had attempted, or that, having attempted, we had not j)er8evered in the endeavour ; for we did not find the mandarins one whit the more civil on account of our compliance, but rather the contrary.

After another hours conversation, they brought on the table two great heaps of cakes, expecting us, like *' hungry barbarians,** to fall to work, and devour them ; but i\ot liking the unceremonious manner in which they were offered us, we refused to partake of anything, un- less they served up dinner in a regular way ; upon which they brought in a dish of rice, and different kinds of stews, which we partook of, in conjunction with the mandarins, and departed.

On coming down to the boat, we found that they hatl heaped up the fowls, and other articles of provision, in our boat, to go down with us to the vessel ; but as our l^ark was already overloaded, and as we apprehended much difficulty in getting down the river ourselves, we thought it better to have the presents taken out, and sent by another conveyance. On the steps, we ob- served a basket, nearly full of straw, and on the top, about half a dozen books, torn in pieces, and about to be burnt. On enquiry they told us, that these were a few that had been torn in the scufHe, and in onler to prevent their l>eing trodden imder foot, which the Chinese con- sider a great evil, they were about to bum them. We immediately recollected, however, having heard Chin Laou-yay giving directions to his ser\'ants to keep one or two of the books which fell to his share, and to do something with the rest ; but what it was, we could not

462

UNFAVUURABLE WEATHER.

tell ; aud it now occurred to us, that he had directed them to be burnt in our presence, in order to vex and degrade us, in the eyes of the people. On the torch being applied to the basket, therefore, we took the pre- sents which were lying by, and placed them on the fire, by which means, the flame was extingidshed ; but the Chinese, taking off the articles, apphed the torch again, whilst we repeated the former operation; to shew them, that if they despised our presents, we also tUsregarde*! theirs. Finally, the basket was thrown into the river, and we departed very much displeased at the insulting conduct of the mandarins. The books thus destroyed, were only a few which had fallen into the hands of the officers, while a thousand others had been distributed among the people, which the authorities could neither discover nor destroy.

On our return, we found the wind directly against us, so that, after wasting an hour, and not getting out of sight of the town, we were obliged to take to the oars, and assisted by the tide, we gently dropi>ed down the river. Fearing lest we should not be able to reach the vessel before the tide made up again, and thus be kept out all night, we applied to the masters of several junks, requesting them to give us shelter; but our ap- plication was vain. They were so alarmed at our sud* den appearance, that they scarcely knew what to an- swer, and appeared mainly anxious to get us out of their vessels as soon as possible.

Night soon came on, with rain, and as there was no officer in the boat, the men gave vent to their vexation, in horrid oaths and blasj)henues, which, added to the inclemency of the weather, rendered our external and internal sensations alike uncomfortable. I'he profanity

ARRIVAL ON BOARD. 463

and ribaldry of these men exceeded anything we had ever heard ; and, having been for many years, unac- customed to such language, it the more shocked and gfrieved us. The Chinese, though idolatrous, and sceptical, never indulge themselves in the use of pro- fane expressions, and spend their rage in railing on men, ¥rithout blaspheming the gods. It is reserved for (christians, so called, to outrage decency and com- mon sense, by mixing up profane language with com- mon conversation. Surely, we never heard any so fervent in prayer for blessings, as those wretched fel- lows appeared to be in imprecating curses on their heads; and made us feel, that, while attempting to evangelize China, our own countrymen needed our most zealous and unwearied efforts for their conversion. In all future exj)editions of this kind, however, it will be necessary to obtain a crew, at least, decent in their ex- ternal deportment, if not hearty in the promotion of the good cause.

At length, by persevering endeavour, we arrived at the vessel, wet, cold and tired, a little before nine o'clock, at night ; thankful that we had been preserved from all dangers, and were free from sickness; having been enabled to circulate about one thousand volumes among nearly a million of people.

On the 10th, we went round to distribute a load of books among the native vessels, lying off the town of Woo-sung. Almost all the people, on board the junks first visited, received books readily ; but we had not been long occupied, before we obser\*ed a custom-house boat going round, and giving orders against trade and intercourse, which had the effect of inducing some to demur about receiving our publications.

4G4 EAGERNESS FOR BOOKS.

After having supplied a goodly number, howeT^. we went towards the town, and landed up a creek, which communicates with the main river. The shc»e was lined with hundreds of people, who greedily le* ceived our books, and prevented our distributing tfaem regularly and judiciously, by diving their hands into the bag, and helping themselves; struggling, at the same time, which should have them first. Having exhausted one bag full, we sent the sailor for a second supply ; but the man was nearly overpowered by the crowd in coming up the bank, and was several times pushed down, bag and all, by the pressure ; he finally succeeded in reaching the place where the multitude was assembled ; when the contents of the bag quickly disappeared. In the meanwhile, Mr. Stevens was em- ployed in giving out books from the boat, which could be done more deliberately, as the people not being allowed to come on board, were easily restrained from disorderly scrambling. When the books were nearly expended, the mandarins, whom we had seen on our first arrival, came again amongst us, and shewed a little disapprobation at the outrageous eagerness of the people, but did not otherwise find fault with what we were doing.

Having gone through the task of distributing these little messengers of mercy, we walked through the stR^ets, followed by the mandarins, and a large crowd of people. We foimd that the town was much larger than we had at first imagined, consisting of one long princi- pal street, and several other subordinate ones, and con- taining altogether about four or five hundred houses. The people were imwilling to sell us anything, on account of the prohibitions and presence of the manda-

PROHIBITION OF TRADE. 465

rins ; but we told them, that we mufit have the necessa- ries of life, for which we were willing to pay ; upon which they acceded to our purchasing a few prori^ions. The shops were nearly cleared of the goods, as we passed along, and in one street, they were altogether shut up, so that it looked like a Sunday, at home. The people seemed in general well fed, and the women were better looking than those we had seen in Shan- tung. The more respectable females wore a fillet of black silk or cloth round their heads, which kept their hair back, and which was sometimes pointed down- wards in front, between the eye-brows, so as to give the countenance a singular, but not an unpleasing ap- pearance. We observed several tea shops, where peo- ple met to regale themselves, but which, from other circumstances that came under our observation, did not appear to be of the most correct character. Liquor shops were also frequent, and in one place we saw a distilling apparatus at work.

In the centre of one of the streets, we met with a notice to the following effect ; '* By the order of the chief magistrate, you shop-keepers and people are in- formed, that if you dare to trade and barter with those barbarians, you will be apprehended, and severely punished." On reading this, we turned round to the officer who was following us, and told him that we were not barbarians, but a civilized people ; and, there- fore, did not choose to have such insulting epithets applied to us. To this he replied, that he had nothing to do with the notice, and was not answerable for it.

On coming out of the village, we observed a line of military, drawn up on the embankment by the side of the river, discharging a round of musketry, while a

466 ARRIVAL OF A GENSRAl^

salute was fired from each fort, in honor of the fieutenant- general of the district, who was just coming over from Tsung-ming. On looking out upon the river, we per- ceived the generals barge passing up, with the charac- ter, Sae, or ^* general,"* written on a flag, suspended from the mast-head. The troops appeared to be kneel- ing as he went by, for they rose after he passed. About five and twenty war junks followed in the generals train, who all fired blank cartridges immediately they came abreast of the brig, to infuse terror into the minds of the '' crafty barbarians." These war vessels were about sixty tons burthen, and carried a four or six- pounder, on a pivot at mid-ships, and sometimes one at each gangway, with a number of swivels along the rail. Some of these junks appeared better built, and more neatly fitted up, than ordinary Chinese vessels. Two of them carried the flags of Tsan-tseangs, or colonels.

When the general had passed, and the war junks had all anchored, instead of being alarmed at their de- monstration of force, we walked up to the soldiers, to inspect their military bearing and efficiency. The corps conKisted of about one hundred men, standing in single filo, fully six feet apart, to make those at a distance brlieve that their numbers were greater than they really w(Te. At each end of the line, were a couple of small tents, ca])able of containing about half a dozen men each ; and at the head of the company, stood two officers. The men were dirty beggarly-looking fellows; some with matchlocks, others with swords and basket-shields; a few with spears, and the remainder with no weapons at all. We passed along in front of the line, examining their arms, and commenting on their slovenly appear- ance, without the least restriction. Their matchlocks

CHINKSK MILITARY. 467

were longer in the barrel than common muskets, but they were exceedingly thin, and rendered much thinner by rust, which had actually eaten holes on the sides, in various parts, so that the powder might escape at more places than one. The only wonder is, that these match- locks do not burst every time they are fired off, and their standing can be accounted for only, on the suppo-' sition, that the powder they employ is too weak to burst anything. The cartridge box consisted of a case, containing half a dozen small bamboos, about the size of a thimble, with only a small quantity of coarse pow- der in each. We spoke to the officers at the head of the line, on the unsoldierlike appearance of their men ; to which they replied, that they could not help it, as the emperor did not provide the troops with better arms and accoutrements. They did not attempt to interfere with our inspection of the men, and we could not help smiling, to think that all this military parade was in- tended to strike terror into our breasts, while we were allowed to pass in front of their line, and comment on their deficiencies without molestation. The general of this division was lodged in a temple, by the river side, in front of which we passed, on our way to the boat ; but, as he did not seem disposed to court oiur acquain- tance, we did not seek a conference with him.

Having returned to the ship, and replenished our stock of books, we made a second excursion, in the afternoon, to the northern fort, which has l)ecn before alluded to, as so much out of repair. We had here an opportunity of examining the utter desolation into which thb fortification was brought, by the violence of the waves ; one half of it being already in ruins, and the other half in such a tottering condition, that it was not

468

VISIT OF AN OFFICER.

safe to walk round the ramparts, lest the whole sfai fall down by the weight of a single individual. On tin embankment, adjoining the fort, were four long eighteen" pounders, placed on low frames, which were formed bj two thick planks, lying edgewise on the ground, ■• joined by a few cross-pieces, on which the cannon wai placed. One of these planks had already given waji and the gun lay on the ground, while the rest wen nearly as immoveable. We went into the barracks, bj the side of the fort, and were soon surrounded by a few officers and people, who received our books with great willingness. One old man remembered Mr. Lindsaj very well, and said that that gentleman had been seve* ral times in his dwelling, and had fired off his (ovrU ing piece to amuse him. The rain now pouring dowa^ in torrents, we were obliged to return on board, close the operations of the day.

On the morrow, we had a visit from an officer, wit! a crystal button, Tsaou Laou-yay, who said, he WM deputed by the general, to come and pay bis respircH to us ; and fearful lest we should be gone out of t harbour, before he could get an opportunity of so doing he came in the rain to visit us. Of course this wu only a civil way of asking us to go ; but as he spoke il such a friendly manner, we felt inclined to treat I with equal civility. We. therefore, asked him to step down into the cabin, and gave him tea, when we eft tered into conversation on the nature of our ^-isit to the country. He said, that Euroiiean vessels had been there previously, but that the laws forbad all trade, except a Canton. We told him that we came not to trade, but b distribute books ; that we were sent by a religious society^ whose object was to spread instruction, and make t

CONVERSATION WITH HIM. 469

acquainted with the way of salvation ; thus we did not offend against the prohibition which forbad trade else- where than at Canton. He said, the distribution of books was a good thing ; he had seen some of them on shore, and thought them excellent. Here his attention was taken up with the red curtains before our bed places, and he asked whether those were our altar pieces, dedicated to the worship of the gods *? We told him that we worshipped only one God, the maker of heaven and earth, who, being a spirit, required to be worshipped in spirit and in truth ; but that the places he referred to, were our sleeping berths. We went on to give him some account of Christianity, but he seemed to have no heart for it, and turned off the conversation to something else. He said, he had frequently been on board Mr. Lindsay *8 ship, and had received presents from him, of a spy-glass and a piece of broadcloth ; wishing, perhaps, that we might be equally generous ; but seeing no reason to la\4sh our gifts on a mere sy- cophant, we were dull in taking his hint. He then asked, when we intended to dei)art, and we told him that we could not think of it, until the wind and wea- ther were more favourable. To this he assented, say- ing, it was impossible to go out in such a mist as then prevailed. He was particularly anxious to ascertain whither we intended go, but could get no positive in- formation from us. He informed us, that an overland dispatch had been received from Shan-tung, containing an account of our visit there, and stating that we had fifty men on board. We said that he probably alluded to some other vessel, as we had only eighteen hands ; but he persisted that it was the same vessel, as the names and circumstances all agreed.

476 SLYNESS OF A MANDARIN.

After his departure, we went to the fort on the soaik; eiile of the river, where we were met, on landing, bj some soldiers, who gladly received our books ; and in a few minutes, an old fat mandarin, with a promiscuous crowd of followers, came running from an adjacent hamlet, to see what the strangers wanted. The olj. mandarin took some books, but appeared desirous preventing our journey to the village, telling us, thai the inhabitants were a bad set, who would rob and murder us, if we went amongst them. We said, that we would run all the risk of that, and were about I* persevere in our journey, when the wily fellow souj to detain ns, by engaging us in conversation, and request- ing us to explain some of the books which had beeo given him. With this view, he held up one of the tracts, and said, " This is a very pretty book, and must ije very interesting ; please to exjilain a page or two hi my hearing." We said, that we had no time, but would willingly comply on our return. On his reiieating the request, we were half inclined to gratify him; when ti struck us, as such an unusual thing for a mandarin ta express any curiosity about our hooks, that we could* not help thinking he had some sinister object in view: and the result proved that our suspicions were not ud foimded ; for on breaking from him. and going towatdai the village, we found that he had sent forward one his people, to remove the plank which was laid over the stream, by which means we were prevented from pro- ceeding further. Finding that he had deceived and disappointed us, we called upon him to distribute the books among the people, with his own hands, as we were determined not to return tUl our work was donr. Upon this, he gave five or six to one of his seijcantg.

JOURNEY TO T8UNQ MING. 471

and M many to another, for which he held them re- sponsible. This mode of distribution, however, did not satisfy us, and we insisted that he should give them out, one by one, to as many as wanted books. This he objected to at first, but on our declaring that we would not return till he did, to our surprise he complied, and ordered his attendants to deal out the tracts leisurely and regularly, till a whole bag-full was expended. Thus we made a mandarin of the celestial empire, instru- mental in distributing books among the people. The fort on this side of the river was in better order than the other ; but the walls were just as thin, and the de- fences as ill contrived, as those on the opposite side. We could see no traces of anything like European art, in the erection of these forts ; and concluded that they must have been the work of mere Chinese genius, without the aid of western science.

On the morning of the 12th, we undertook to sail over to Tsung-ming, an island about fifty miles long, and twenty wide, which has been formed by the depo- sits from the river Yang-tsze-keang, and is now inhabi- ted by a million of people. As the weather appeared rather unsettled, and the estuary wide and rough, we thought it l)est to take the long boat, though experience had taught us that she was a bad sailer ; yet we hoped she would be better adapted to a rough sea, than the smaller boat. We intended to start before four o clock in the morning, in onler to take advantage of the flood tide, which would carry us well to windward ; but by some means or other, we did not get away till nearly five o'clock. Our course, in order to get to windward of the banks, that lay between us and the island, was due north, and the wind west north-west ; but having got

2i

472 DISAPPOINTMENTS.

under weigh, we found that the nearest we could lay. was north north-east, and the tide having made lo ihe east, was taking us fast to leeward ; so that we wen- making but a north-east course of it. The sea also was rougher than we had calculated on. and wc soon found, that the course we were going, would bring iir directly on the southern shoal : having tried in vain lo get nearer to the wind, we all judged it expedient to give up the undertaking, and put back to the vessel. On the other tack, we found that we cMiuld only laj south south-west, which woidd not enable us to fetch where we started from ; and when morning dawnrd, we found that we were two or three miles lo Icewanl of the brig, with a tide carrjing us out to sea. Here we were much perplexed, to know what to do ; ftv. tf we remained on the beach, we expected that Ihe beat would soon be stove in by the surf ; if we put out into the stream, having no anchor, we felt that we should be carried a dozen miles to leeward before the tide turned; and pull or sail up against wind and tide, with a beaT| unmanageable boat, was impossible. We there/ora looked for some creek or cove, and at length discovered a small rivulet, into which we ran the boat ; but as the tide was ebbing, it was evident she would soon be Itft aground, till the tide flowed again. Tliis, however, wa» our only alternative ; and being now on shore, our next thought was, how to turn our (Usappointment to tb« greatest advantage.

The people on this side, we had been told by the old mandarin, were extremely rude, and would be likely to beat us, if we went among them ; but as we knew hi was a deceiver, we took a bag of bookii, and started off through the villages. The path we took was alwiit

TRANSACTIONS ON SHORE. 473

one of the dirtiest we had ever seen ; but the people were exceedingly kind and friendly, and all anxious for books. The fields through which we passed, were fer- tile, producing rice, cotton, and vegetables. The inha- bitants were dirty, but most of them appeared to have sufficient clothes to keep them warm. When the report got abroad that we had brought books, they came flocking out of their houses, or running over the fields, to solicit tracts. Some waded up to their middle through dikes to get the volumes, and one man wanted to know, what he had to pay for them. Our liag was frequently replenished, but it was emptied nearly as soon as it was filled. We observed, every now and then, coffins above ground, made fast to stakes, in order to prevent their being washed away by the inundations which sometimes prevail. Passing on, we saw a number of jars, about a foot and a half high, which, on inspection, proved to be full of human bones, with the skull on the top. Hence we inferred, that they leave the dead bodies uninterred till they decay, and then collect the bones for further preservation. Whether this is on account of the dampness of the soil, which will hardly admit of graves being made under ground, or in consequence of the value of land, which induces them to give more to the support to the liWng, than to the accommodation of the dead, we were not able to determine. The natives, however, did not seem displeased at our examining the bones ; and appeared to look upon these monuments of mortality with much familiarity, shewing that they regarded the common lot of mankind with the utmost indifference. Having given out our books, we returned to the boat, which we found, as we expected, aground in the rivulet.

2 1 2

474 STIPULATION FOR BOOKS.

We now became anxious to get her afloat, as the tide would soon turn, and we wished to avail ourselves of ii, to get back to the vessel. Being unable, however, to move the boat ourselves, we applied to the natJTCS, and offered them cash if they would shove her off. They said, they would not do it for money, but if we would give them books, they would consent. We ac- cordingly promised them a tract each, but they atipulatctl for two ; and we finally agreed to give each man two. and each boy one. They then gave a shout, and eet to work, some of them up to their middle in black mud. and pushed the boat, with all hands in her, to the mouth of the river ; arrived at this point, they came to a stand, demanding their books : but we refused to give out a single volume, till the boat was fairly over the bar. Hearing this they again set to i*ork, and soon had her out in deep water. Upon this, we fulfilled our contract ; but the rogues contrived to steal two pair of shoes be- longing to us ; which depredations we did not discorer. till they were gone.

No sooner had we distributed our books, than some mandarins and a party of soldiers appeared; n|jon which the natives decamped, taking their hooks with Ibem. We now beckoned to the soldiers, and told them, that if they would tow us along the beach, we would give them money. The bargain was accordingly struck, for four hundred copper cash, which the soldiers reqtiind to be paid before hand.

Notwithstanding experience has often proved, that it is as bad to pay too soon, as too lat*- ; yet we thought that the sight of the money would ])Ut new life into tliem, and set them to work forthwith. In this, how- ever, we were mistaken ; for no sooner was the monn

DIFFICULTIES AND DANGERS. 475

in hand, than they found it necessary to sit down to count, and then divide the pme, before they could think of proceeding to active operation. Having settled this important business, they endeavoured to procure some people to tow us along, and got us ahead nearly a mile ; when, tired of this slow mode of procedure, we cast off the rope, took down our masts, and having the tide with us, rowed towards the brig. In a few minutes we saw our vessel under weigh, intending to meet us near the island, according to previous appointment; upon which we exerted our utmost strength to get to the brig, but had the mortification to see her pass, within gun-shot, without observing us. At lengdi, however, the people on board got sight of a signal which we made, and came to; but the vessel was then so far away, that, with the tide making against us, and with- out sail on the boat, we could not possibly reach her. Upon this we resolved to push for the nearest junk, where we might get purchase enough to hoist our mast, and thus endeavour to fetch the vessel. We now found the wind so strong, that the boat was nearly capsized, and at one time she went over so far, as to roll her gunwale about four inches under water* This obliged us to shorten sail ; and after much wetting, fatigue, and danger, we finally reached the vessel, about two oclock in the afternoon, thankful to our Divine deli- verer, who had thus far brought us safely through.

We ascertained from the captain, that as soon as he began to weigh anchor in the morning, all the war junks came down, and anchored alongside of the brig, each one firing blank cartridges across the vessel's bows ; afler which, a boat-load of mandarins came on )K>ard, completely filling the quarter-deck. As soon

476 VEXATION OF THE MANDARINS.

as they came over the gangway, they asked for the missionaries, and were thunderstruck when thej heard, that we were absent. Having left the ship before day-^ light, we eluded the vigilance of their scouts, and some of the poor subalterns on guard, doubtless got severely punished for allowing us to escape them. It is the practice of the Chinese mandarins to punish their inferior officers, for real or supposed neglect of duty, by boring their ears with a long bamboo, to which is afiixed a flag, descriptive of the crime of the offender. Finding that the birds were flown, they were anxious to get the cage away also, and did not cease dunning the captain, till he had nearly got his anchor up, when they left him, and with their war junks, all returned up the river. The trading vessels, however, seemed very anxious to have commercial dealings with us, for they called to us as they passed, desiring us to meet them outside. On passing us, one of their navigators asked us, what letter we intended to eat ? by which he meant to enquire, what course we proposed to steer, in order that he might meet us in the offing. Thus, it is evident, that if we had been dis- posed to buy and sell, an opportunity would have been afforded us for so doing, out of sight of the mandarins.

CHAPTER XIX.

OCXJURRENCES IN CHE-KEANO AND FUH-KEEN.

DKPABTl'RE FKOM KEANG-flOO — AND ARRIVAL AT KIN^TANO — VISIT OF WAR-BOATS — OPERATIONS ON SHORE— PERISHING BOY— PROCEED. INOS AT CHOa.aAN— EAGERNESS FOR BOOKS— COFFINS SCATTERED ABOUT — VOYAGE TO POO-TOO — PICTURESQUE APPEARANCE OF THE ISLAND — ITS CONSECRATION TO IDOLATRY — DESCRIPTION OF THE TEMPLES— CHARACTER OF TUB PRIESTS— CONVERSATION WITH NA- VAL OFFICERS — UBERAL VIEWS OF A MANDARIN —^PROVIDENTIAL ESCAPE— ARRIVAL AT N AN -Y III— APPEARANCE OF THE WOMEN — THE TOWN OF TUNG-SAN— FREE DISTRIBUTION— DISORDERLY CONIHCT OF A MANDARIN— AND SUBSEQUENT ALARM— SURPRISE OF THE PEOPLE -RETURN.

On the 13th of Octol>er, we left the mouth of the Yang-tsze-keang, passing by Gutzlaffs island, with some Others, and anchored for the night, as we thought, within a few miles of Kin-tang : but the next morning, we found that we had mistaken our position, as the charts of this region differ about sixty miles from each other. Finding our water shoal suddenly, we were obliged to come to ; and on going ashore, at the nearest island, we found that instead of Kin-tang, we had made Fisher's island, one amongst the bam*n islets of the northern Choosan group, hut thirty miles to the east- wanl of the place we sought ; so that we had to steer west a considerable way, and not reaching Kin-tang by sun-set, were obliged to anchor for the night. Thus we lost a day. On the morrow, we were l>ecalmed, till the afternoon ; but were enabled to fetch Kin-tang by

478 VISIT OF WAR BOATS.

the evening, off which we anchored, between that is- land and Ning-po.

On the morning of the 16th, six war-boats came alongside, the commanders of which were very civiL We supplied the crews with books, and conversed m& the officers, on the best things, for a considerable time. One of them appeared to be rather an intelligent man, and listened with attention to our discourse, approving of our doctrines and proceedings. After remaining about an hour, they observed a war junk heave in sij^t, having on board the commander of the squadron, on see- ing whose signal they all quitted us abrubtly ; and hav- ing anchored under our stem, conunenced firing blank cartridges ; but whether to salute their colonel, or to terrify the barbarians, we could not tell. We, however, manned our boat, and went on shore at (be island of Kin-tang, whither none of the war-boats followed us, so that we were left to carry on our operations unmo- lested. We landed at the head of the bay, on the north- east side, and entered a town, where we found the people uncommonly friendly, and where our books cir- culated with ease and rapidity. None of them were snatched out of our bag, but the volumes were eagerly caught at, by the surrounding multitude, as soon as we held them up. All were cheerfid and delighted ; and not a wry look, or an angry word, was seen or heard. The women also came forward, soliciting books ; and the boys followed us to some distance, begging for tracts. At one place, we were obliged to get upon a wall, in order to avoid the crowd, and from that eleva- tion dealt out our publications with the greatest facility. Outside the town, we saw a poor boy, lying down in the last stage of dropsy, and evidently dying. We had

PERISHING BOY. 479

no mediciae with us, but we saw that, with the best advice and care, it would hare been impossible to save him ; added to which, he was lying on the cold ground, exposed to all the winds of day, and dews of night, which circumstance of itself, was enou^ to bring any one to a speedy end. The poor boy had probably been turned out Co die in the streets, a practice very common in China, to prevent persons dying in a house, and there- by polluting the dwelling, for some time to come.

After having supplied this town with tracts, we went over to Ta-ping-shan, an island opposite, where we found a large plain, in a high state of cultivation, over which we walked, distributing books to all. Scarcely any refused our offer, and many came nmning over the fields, as soon as we shewed them a book, eageriy gprasping at it, as though it were some highly valued treasure.

Returning to Kin-tang, we ascended the hills, which we found planted with firs; these hardy plants serve the inhabitants for fuel, and appear to be the only pro- duction capable of thriving on the high lands ; while the plains are covered with waving grain, and yield a rich produce. On the whole, we had a very good days work, and after a second excursion to another bay, retired to rest, completely fatigued.

Apprehending much annoyance in going to Ning-po« and not being willing to waste time in negotiations, we did not prolong our stay in tlus quarter; but set sail on the 17th, through the Choo-san archi{)elago, followed by two imperial junks, and several war-boats, which kept astern of us, for a considerable way, firing blank cartridges continually ; but without further troubling us. After an intricate navigation, which our captain

480 PROCEEDINGS AT CHOOHBAN.

conducted with much skill and care, amid rocks and shoals, altogether unknown, we arrived at Sin-kea-mun, on the east end of the great Choo-san island. Here we went on shore with a load of books, which were eageilj caught at by fhe people; indeed, they actually fought with each other to obtain them ; and so fierce were their contests, that we found it impossible to take more than one bag-full of books up the beach ; while the rest were distributed from the boat, to the crowds who pressed down to receive them. We were afraid that, in this way, the rabble only would obtain tracts, while the more respectable part of the population would come short ; but on passing afterwards through the village, we found, that every shopkeeper had a book in his hand, and that they were all as regularly supplied, as if we had gone from house to house, distributing our publications.

We met with a number of Fuh-keen people here, from the junks which had anchored oflf the village; these sea-faring men were remarkably friendly, and the more so, when they heard us address them in their own dialect. The war-junks that followed us, anchored close alongside the brig, to the number of eleven ; but did not give us any annoyance, neither did tiiey deter the people from receiving our books. We observed an order stuck up in the village, issued by the chief ma- gistrate of Ning-po, forbidding any commercial deal- ings with foreigners ; but as the order seemed to be of an old date, and as we were not come to trade, we con- sidered that it did not respect us, and therefore took no further notice of it.

The next day, being the sabbath, we remained on board, and held service in the cabin, at which some of

KAOBRNB88 POR BOOK8. 481

the sailora attended. But in the afternoon, we went on shore with a boaMoad of books, which we commenced distributing through the villages. The people, old and young, male and female, were all anxious to obtain them ; and we went on delightfully and quietly in our work of mercy. In the retired hamlets, we found nume- rous opportunities for regularly and systematically distri- buting our pamphlets, without that boisterous scram- bling, which prevailed in the town; and, therefore, preferred it. But having gone through the villages, and approached the town, we found a number of people, congregated in front of a temple, clamorous for books. We told them, that we would not distribute any, unless they would consent to receive them quietly ; a4ding that it was quite preposterous, in a civilized {)eople like the Chinese, to behave so rudely. This they all acknow- ledged, and promised faithfully to forbear scrambling. But no sooner was the mouth of the bag opened, than they darted upon it, like birds of prey, and in spite of all that we could do, they got it completely into their own hands, and did not cease till they had emptied it of its entire contents. Our subsequent reproofs were as unavailing as our previous stipulations, for they car- ried off their prize without regarding us. Some by- standers, who did not get any, said, that such conduct was shameful ; and a few Fuh-keen people declared that, if we were in their province, we should be treated with more civility ; but even among them, we afterwards found, that wherever a crowd was collected together, scrambling was the order of the day. We addressed the multitudes who surrounded us, on the importance of reKgion. and the necessity of attending to their best interests, to which they paid some attention.

t

VOYAOK TO Pno-TOO.

In the neighbourhood of the town, under a little hill, we observed a number of coffins, promibcuou^ly ihruno together; some new, and others decaying luid tumbling to pieces. On asking the people, why they did not bury their dead, we were informed, that they h<ul not money enough to buy a burial place, or to make the sacrifices usual on such occasions ; on which account, they deposited the remains of their relatives and frieudf provisionally under the hill ; until success in busiticss. or a fertile harvest, should provide them with the meam of performing tlie last duties towards them.

On the I9th of October, we weighed anchor, and intended to sail outside the archipelago, in order to reach Poo-too, which lay to the north-east; but discover- ing a narrow passage between the islands, vm tailed through it, within fifty yards of a rock on one side, and as near to a dangerous shoal on the other. By this manceuvre, we reached Poo-too about ten o'clock, in- stead of spending the whole day about it, as we should otherwise Jiave been compelled to do. Aa soon as we got imder weigh, the Chinese fleet of war-junks fol- lowed us, firing off several guns, which salute we re- turned. By means of their superior knowledge of (be passages between the islands, they saved much of the listance, and arrived at Poo-too as soon as we did, cast- ing anchor at some distance from us. Without heeding them, we loaded our boats witli tracts, and went asboiv; where we commenced ascending those romantic heiglitt^ crowned by fantastic temples and enchanting groves, so glowingly described by a previous traveller in bis account of this island. We soon found a broad well-beatcn pathway, which led to the top of one «if Uk hilts, at eveiy crag and turn of which, we esjaed a ten-

P1CTURE8QUR ISLAKD. 483

pie, or a grotto, an inscription, or an image; with here and there a garden tastefully laid out, and walks lined with aromatic shrubs, diffusing a grateful frar grance through the air. The prospect from these heights was delightful in the extreme; numerous islands, far and near, bestudded the main ; rocks and precipices above and below ; here and there a mountain monastery rearing its head ; and in the distant valley, the great temple, with its yellow tiles, indicative of im- perial distinction, basked like a basilisk in the rays of the noon-day sun. All the aids that could be collected from nature and art, were there concentrated, to render the scene lovely and enchanting. But to the eye of the Christian philanthropist, it presented one melancholy picture of moral and spiritual death. Viewed by the light of revelation, and in the prospect of eternity, the whole island of Poo-too, with its picturesque scenery, its hundred temples, and its six thousand priests, ex- hibited to the mind nothing but a useless waste of pro- perty, a gross misemployment of time, and a pernicious fostering of error, tending to comipt the surrounding population, and to draw off their minds from the worship of the true God, to the adoration of the phantom Buddha. All the sumptuous and extensive buildings of this island, were intended for no other purpose than to screen wooden images from the sun and rain ; and all its inhabitants employed in no other work than the re- citation of unmeaning prayers, and the direction of use- less contemplations, towards stocks and stones: so that human science and human happiness, would not be in the least diminished, if the whole island of Poo-too, with its gaudy temples, and lasy priests, were blotted out from the face of the creation. The only thing we

484 DEVOTION TO BUDDHA.

heard out of the mouths of these dull monks, iru " 0-me-to Fuh," or Amida Buddha, To eveiy obsero tion that was made, re-echoed, " 0-me-to Fuh ;" and the reply to every enquiry was, " 0-me-to Fuh." Each priest was furnished with a string of beads, whidi he kept continually fingering, and whUe he counted, he still repeated the same dull, monotonous exclamation. The characters for this name met the eye at every tuni of the road, at every comer of the temples, and on every scrap of paper : on the hills, on the altare, on the gate- ways, and on the walls, the same words presented them- selves; even the solid roeks were engraven with Buddha's titles, and the whole island seemed to be under the spell of this talismanic phrase, as if it were devoted to the recording of '■'■ 0-me-to Fuh." We were never so much disgusted with a phrase in our lives, aod heartily wished ourselves out of the hearing and seeing of its sound and form.

The temples, which at a distance look pretty and interesting, lost much of their beauty on a nearer in- spection ; and the caverns, which we thought would repay the trouble of exploring, proved to be mere holes, about eight or ten feet deep, with a few nide images, cut out of the rock, at the further end. The inscrip tions on stone, by the road side, were most of them 80 shallow, and the disintegration of the granite, by the mere action of the rain water, so rapid, that the letters were nearly illegible ; the sculpture of the images, which here and there presented themselrea, was likewise so badly executed, that it was difficult lo conceive at times, what the artist had intended to re- present, by the uncouth and unsightly figures produced. The smaller temples ahmmded at every turn of the

DESCRIPTION OF THE TEMPLES. 485

road, and presented nothing remarkable : of large tern* pies, there were two, very nearly resembling each other, and not much unlike the Josh-house at Honan, opposite the city of Canton, described in Davis*s Chi- nese. These fanes consisted of a central range of builds ings, one behind the other; flanked on each side by the dwellings of priests. The first of these middle structures was occupied by four colossal figures, which appear to have l>een placed as guards to the establish- ment: behind this building was the princi])al hall, with the three Buddhas in a very large size, surrounded by the eighteen disciples of the god ; which, though in a sitting posture, were each about eight feet high, llie third hall was dedicated to Kwan-yin, the mother of Buddha, and the goddess of mercy ; while the fourth was occupied by three bearded images, with savage aspects, which appeared to be of Egyptian origin. In this latter hall, was the library of the establishment, containing several thousand volumes of religious books, relating the conversations of Buddha with his disciples, and embodying the prayers which are to be recited by his votaries. In the rear of the great temple, we found a school, taught by a disciple of Confucius, but the scholars were all young shaven-headed fellows, des- tined for the Buddhist priesthood. We asked, whe- ther the priests ever taught the boys under their care, of which there are great numbers on the island ; but where told, that the sole employment of these holy men was to recite prayers to, and employ themselves in contemplations upon, Buddha. Attached to the other great temple, we observed a refector}*, where the holy brotherhood are supplied with their daily rations ; for though they profess to live solely on a vegetable

486 CHARACTER OP THE PRIESTS.

(liet, they are not backward in securing to themselvH all that a bounteous providence nffbrds, among ifae various pioductions of the earth. Indeeil, whererer we went, we found the priests busy in proWding for their natural wants, since on entering their dwellings, we almost invariably encountered them in the kitchen.

On asking to be admitted to the high priest, we were told, that he was engaged in reciting prayers to Bilddfaa, but we rather suspect that he was taking an afteroooo nap, for on approaching his chamber, an attendant haJ to go in and arouse him ; taking with him his garment, that he might not appear abroad in his dishabille. HU conversation was as uninteresting to us, as ours was lo him; and he appeared so absorbed in himself, or Buddhs, that we found it necessary to take our leave.

Over the whole island, our books were readily ac- cepted, and some were found that had been left there by Gutzlaff, a few years before : the people, however, did not solicit our publications, with tears in their eyes, as when he visited the island. On all sides, we were gratified by perceiving marks of decay, in the temples and adjacent buildings; and earnestly hope, that future travellers will find these worse than useless stnicturefi level with the ground ; and the lazy drones who inhabit them, scattered abroad, or employed in promoting the welfare and intelligence of their fellow countrj'meo- The priests generally opened the doors of each temple as we approached, supposing that we came to worship at the different shrines ; but we told them, that our adorations were paid to the living God, the maker of heaven and earth, to whom alone they were due. One of (he priests wished us to contribute something towards beautifying an image, which had lost its gilt coat, and

VISIT OP MANDARINS. 487

looked rather shabby ; but we told him, that his was a poor god^ that could not furnish himself with clothes ; for our parts, when our apparel was worn out, we con- trived to get a new dress by honest industry, and should leave their god to do the same.

Being followed, from place to place, by one man in particular, we suspected that he came from the war- junks, to watch our motions ; and on putting a few en- quiries to him, we found that our surmises were true. We therefore asked him, why he followed us so closely "i To which he replied, that he merely wished to pre- vent our trading, as foreigners were forbidden to traffic anywhere but at Canton. Wc told him, that he had quite mistaken our object, seeing that we came neither to buy nor sell, but to distribute good books, for their instruction and benefit.

On returning to our brig, we found the commodore of the Chinese fleet, and one of his naval captains, come to {my their respects to us. The former was Te Laou-yay, with a blue button, filling the rank of lieutenant-colonel ; and the latter was Simg Laou-yay, with a cr)'stal button, llie colonel was a sleek-face<l^ easy sort of man, who said little and did less ; but the captain was very friendly and talkative. We asked them, why we were honoured by the attendance of their vessels from place to place "? to which they replied, that they merely came out to shew us the way, and to see that we did not fall uixm rocks and shoals; only they liapi)encd to be asteni, instead of ahead. We ob- 8er>'ed, that if their object were to prevent our trailing, they might spare themselves the trouble, as we were not traders, but circulators of good books, which surely they could not forbid. They said, they could perceive

2 K

4bH LIBERAL SENTIMENTS.

that our object was a benevolent one ; but aa there hid been vessels in those seas before, engaged in the opiua trade, which was not only illegal but immDral, ihej thought, at first, that we were embarked in the sams traffic, and, therefore, came to prevent it. As for regu- lar intercourse, they confessed that it would be beUrr for both countries, were it allowed; and they complained that the laws of China were too severe, in prohibiting aQ commerce with foreigners, except at Canton. They spoke highly of Mr. Lindsay ; and said, they felt for him, when they saw that he was obliged to depart from Ning-po, without having been able to effect his pur- pose. Such candid and liberal sentiments did Ihem honour, and we felt ourselves somewhat attached to the individuals who uttered them. Our tlinner being ready, we invited them to partake of our humble fare, to which they readily assented ; and, after having spent a pleasant afternoon, we parted good friends. On the following day, we set sail, and left the Cboo<«aii archipelago, when we were pleased to see, that the junks no longer followed us.

On the 21st. we tried to get into Shih-poo^ but found that we were more than twenty miles to leeward of it, before we made the land ; so that, rather than spend much time, in endeavouring to beat back, we thought it best to stand away, towards the province of FQb- keen.

After two days' sail, we came to a part of the coast, to us unknown ; and as the weather was threatening, we endeavoured to work into a bay, which opened out before us. After spending the whole morning in beat- ing to and fro, we, at length, came to an anchor, under the lee of a few islands. We had scarcely dined, how-

ARRIVAL AT NAN-YIH. 489

ever, before we perceived, by the falling of the tide, ao extensive reef of rocks, within a few hundred yards of UB, with the breakers dashing over them, as high as the tnast-head. Had we stood on, or altered our course, in the least, we should, inevitably, have been dashed in pieces. Thus we were again preserved from dangers, seen and unseen, by Him, who sees and knows all things. On enquiry, we found that the island near us, was one of the north-wostem, Kan-yth (Lan-ycet), is- lands, belonging to the district of Poo-teen, in the county of Hinhwa, and the province of Fuh-keen. But the weather was bo bad, and the sea so high, that we could not go on shore; and the storm continuing for the two following days, confined us entirely to the vessel. On the 26th, wc attempted to land, but were compiled, by the roughness of the sea, and the nolence of the wind to return.

On the following morning, the weather having mo- derated a little, we set off in the jolly boat, and in a few minutes were completely drenched by the spray. We arrived, however, in safety at the beach, when the people flocked down to us like ants, and readily accepted our liooka. There was no hesitation manifested; indeed we could not distribute the volumes fast enough forlhem, and it required no little adroitness, so to dis|)ose of our stock, as to give each one a book, without allowing a f<>w individuals to gmsp more than fell to their share. After the [M'ople on the shore were satistiiHl. we eoni- menctHl a tour through the villagen, distributing as we went along ; when we saw them hunting across the fields, or nmning out of their houses, with their jxitaloe broth in their hands, while not a few followed hanl at our heels, begging for books. 'Hie women, who were 2 K 2

490

APPEARANCE OF THE WOMEN.

particularly anxioue to obtain our volumes, exhilnlcd' more taste and skill in the decoration of their peisooB, than their sisters farther north; their heads wen adorned with artificial flowers ; their hair was taMc- fully arranged, and around the knot was a circular or- nament, not much unhke a tortoise-shell comb; which, with their dangling ear-rings, and long hair pins, pre- sented quite a gay appearance. Their pinks and roses looked as bright and blooming, as if they had just been plucked from the garden ; and those who could not afford flowers, inserted a sprig of myrtle into their head-dress, which had a very pleasing effect. Some of them had their hair twisted into a variety of bows and crests. whilst others had fillets of black silk or crape, boiuid round their foreheads, which tended not a little to set off their pale complexions. Their feet were the small' est we had ever seen, even among the Chinese. WV measured the impression of one woman's foot in the sand, and found it only four inches ; while some appeared lo be much smaller. Owing to the compression of their feet, their ankles were much swollen, and the lower part of the leg was a little crooked ; however, they hobbled along, and even managed to run, with their bodies bent forward, much better than we could have expected,

I'he soil seemed exceedingly poor, producing only sweet potatoes, and ground nuts; while the people subsisted mainly by fishing; in the prosecution of which occupation, they were verj- bold and daring, ven- turing out to sea in the roughest weather, and some- times obt^ning only a few iiaskets of small fish, about the size of shrimps, for their pains.

Their houses were built of stone, and generally thatched ; but many were covered vnXh tiles, and in

I

TtNG-SAX BAY. 491

Bome instancett, cemented together, in the same neat and compact manner, which we had observed at Shan- tung. On the roofs we espied a great number of stones, placed there to prevent the tiles being blown away, by the strong winds which prevailed, llie inside of their dwellings was filthy, and the stench about them ex- ceedingly offensive to strangers, though it appeared to give the inhabitants little annoyance.

Hanng returned to the vessel about two oclock, we got under weigh the same afternoon, and steered for the southward. In four and twenty hours we came to an anchor in Tung-san (Tang-soa) bay, sheltered by Pap goda Island, when we immediately went on shore, to visit the town of Tung-san. The ship having anchored at some distance, and the boat not being perceived till we were close in, we came quite suddenly u)K)n them ; and landed at one end of the town, before the jHJople could get out of their houses. We found two or three persons on the iK'ach, to whom we gave books, and the news of the free distribution of tracts spread- ing rapidly, a gR^at multitude soon assembled, every one clamorous for the gift. We clearly perceived, that it was impossible to give out our publications in the midst of the crowd ; for though we reasoned with them on the propriety of patience, and said they should each have a book if they w*ould but wait ; yet no sooner was the basket opened, than each one, fearful lest he should lose the prize, made a dart at the volumes, and snatched them away in all directions. We therefore climl>ed up on a rock, aljout eight feet high, and began giving out the tracts, one by one, to the hundreil hands stretched forth to receive them ; but the more active natives soon mounted the rock fn>m In'hind, and in

492 EAGERNESS FOR BOORS.

their eagerness to obtain what they sought, nearlr pushed the distributor off the rock, while they ibrev the whole contents of the basket over the people's heads, and in a moment every volume disappeared. We kept our station, however, and having got a fresh supply. dealt them out as well as we could ; and then a third, talking to them in the meanwhile, and exhorting them to study the tracts which they so eagerly desired- Hav- ing supplied the people round the rock, we perceived that a greater crowd hatl surroimded the boat, and we pro- ceeded thither. Here we dealt the books out as fast as our hands could 'move, while the sailors were busily engaged in keeping the people out of the boat, and their hands out of the bag, Itwaa pleasing to see how the natives waded into the water, above their knees, one party after another, greedily crying out for hook£. and bearing them in triumph to their friends, till our store was more than half exhausted. Thinking now that the people in this part of the town were well sup- plied, we judged it adviseable to go to the other end of the settlement, in order to give the rest of the inhabi- tants an opportunity of obtaining books. The crowd, perceiving our intention, followed us along shore ; and when we put the boat's head out to sea, in order to avoid tlie rocks, the people, supposing that we wen* about to leave the place, came up to their middle in water, entreating us not to go away, till we bad dis- tributed the rest of our books.

When we reached the further end of the tOMm. we landed in the midst of a multitude, and gut into an empty lioat on shore, in order to give out the books ivith greater ease ; but the crowd pressed so heavilv on each other, and rushed with such eagerness into the

VIOLENCE OF A PETTY OFFICER. 493

l)oat, that we were afraid of being thrown down and trodden under foot. We therefore stood on one side, while the second mate, who was a powerful man, aided by one of the sailors, to keep off the crowd, took the books and distributed them leisurely amongst the people. Having finished one bag-full in this way, the mate climbed a high wall with another supply, and from thence handed out the tracts to the populace below. Unexpectedly, however, they got the bag from him, and were bearing it off in triumph, when he sprang in among them, and recovered the prize, which he did not let go again, till the books were all regularly distri- buted. About this time, hundreds of people thronged the place, and we were standing at a little distance, among the crowd, to observe how matters went on ; when suddenly we heard a clattering of bamboos about our heads, and thinking that the shed under which we stood was coming down, we instinctively moved on one side to avoid it. But we soon found that the noise was occasioned by two petty officers, who came along with bamboo poles, sixteen or twenty feet long, batter- ing about the heads of the populace, and making them fly right and left. Having scattered the people, we {)erceived one of the officers advancing towards the mate, with his bamboo^ and knowing that if he at- tempted to strike him. a disturbance would ensue, we went up to the mandarin, and making him lay down his weapon, asked him what he meant by such dis- orderly conduct. He said, that having obser>'ed a tumultuous crowd assembled, and fearful lest an alter- cation should ensue, between our people and theirs, he wanted to disperse the mob. We told him that such a mode of proceeding would rather tend to an altercation

UW CONSTERNATION.

than othenviee, and therefore advised him to rt'tsurt tu milder measures. As the books were now all distri- buted, we did not mind the dispersion of the crowd. and being addi-essed by another mandarin in a little more decent manner, we accepted of his invitadon to go into the castle, and partake of some tea.

This castle consisted of a kind of tower, about twent)' feet high, and as many broad, on thu top of wtiich was a room, just strong enough to bear the weight of the mob that followed us up. No guns were to be seen. and the only warlike instruments were a few speare. stuck up in the room just mentioned. Attached to the tower was a wall, about eight or ten feet high, and ont foot thick, which stretched over the hill adjoining the fortress ; this fence did not appear to enclose any habitations, while the place where the toTfn was built, had no wall round it : as if the people, by some strange whim, had resolved to build their houses where there was no walk, and the government by as strange a caprice, had determined to constnict a wall where there were no houses. The defences, however, were of the most flimsy description, being not even calculated to exclude a tumultuous rabble of their own counliy- men, much less to resist the inciu'sion of foreigners.

Whilst seated in the tower, surrounded by scores of solihers, and hundreds of people, who might if they pleased have seized aud imprisoned us, we were not a little amused at the consteniation of one of the manda- rins on observing the pretended anger of Mr. Stevens. The author was relating to his companion the circtun* stance of the petty officer having made use of the bam- boo, by which he inadvertently stnick the narrator; when Mr. S. got up, apparently murh displuascd, and

CURIOSITY OF THI PIOPLI. 495

with a fierce countenance, asked the ofiicer, in English, how he could think of striking his fellow traveller. The mandarin, not understanding what was said^ and imi^ gining from the tone and manner of our friend, that he was displeased, turned as pale as death, and enquired of the author, with quivering lips, what was the matter) In order to calm his fears, and prevent a real misunder* standing, he was told that Mr. S. was merely in joke ; when the mandarin resumed his wonted equanimity.

After conversing a short time with the officers, we proceeded to the market, in order to purchase pro* visions, to which no objection was made. We found the streets narrow, but the population overflowing, at- tracted principally by the desire of seeing the strangers, so that we could scarcely move along for the crowd ; and when we stopped to purchase anything, the way was completely choked up with {H^ople, while many climl>ed up to the tops of the houses, and surx'cyed us from thence. ITie market was well stocked with all kinds of eatables, and the shops with different sorts of wares. The country around, however, was barren, and the promontory on which the town was built, ex- hibited the most bleak and sterile aspect that could be imagineil ; so that one might well wonder, how people could think of fixing upon such a six>t for a residence, or how, when settled, the inhabitants could possibly obtain the means of subsistence.

The i)eople were astonished at the exactness with which one of us spoke their dialect, being not only that of the province of Fuh-keen, and the county of Cliang- chow, but even of the district of Chang-poo, where their town was situated. This is sufficiently accounted for by the speaker having had a moonshe from the dis-

TOUR THROUGH THE VILUIGES.

irict alluded to, for several years in his employ. Thej were, however, much puzzled how to account for ihe circumstance. Some insisted on it, that the strangvr was a native of that region; others imagined that his pareoto belonged to Chang-chow, and that he had acquired the^ dialect from his earliest infancy. Bui then ihey could not account for the light colour and curling nature of his hair. Still they thought he must be a Chinese. though of a strange make ; hut were satisfied when thej" heard, that he came from BataWa, where he had learned the language from bome of their own countrymen re- siding there.

The next morning we went to the north-west side rf the bay, where we had observed a group of villages, affording an excellent opportunity for distributing books. Here we were gladly received by the people^ who were anxious for tracts, and who hailed us as friends, wherever we went. The petty officers on shore gave us no annoyance, and lUd not interfere with our distributing books, or purchasing provisions from the j>eopIe. The women were forward also in begging books, and one said she wanted a volume to give to her son, as a school-book. Here we had frequent opportu- nities of conversing with the people on good things, who heard us the more readily, because we spoke their native dialect. Some were so delighted, that they scarcely knew how to express their joy, dancing with frantic wildness, and running before us, to get a more regidar sur^'cy of the strangers. Altogether, we spent a most delightful morning, and coming on board a little after mid-tlay, as our books were exhausleti, we imm^ diately set sail for Canton.

'ITius we have gone through various parts of four

RETROSPECT. 497

provinces, and many villages, giving away about eighteen thousand volumes, of which six thousand were portions of the scriptures, amongst a cheerful and wil- ling people, without meeting with the least aggression or injury ; having been always received by the people with a cheerful smile, and most generally by the officers with politeness and resi)ect. We would here record our grateful sense of such long-continued and repeated manifestations of Divine goodness, to his unworthy servants, and pray that His blessing may descend on the seed sown, and make it bring forth an abundant harvest.

CHAPTER XX.

SUBSEQUENT OCCURREXCE&

RESTRICTIVE POUCT OP THE CHUfESB^EXCUrSIOSI OT

ANOER AT THEIR INTRUSION — EDICT AGAINST THK HTBCXS^APrEiL TO THE BRITISH AUTHORITIES ~ COMPLAINTS AGAJKST THK ESSGLttB — DISAPPROBATION OP OUR BOOKS— THREAT OP STOPPING THK TKAlK —LATE VOYAGE OP GUTZLAPP— TUNG^AN BAY— DKSCRIPTION Of 1HI COUNTRY AND ITS INHABITANTS-BARREN REGION— KSTCCSIVK VAL. LEY— MOUNTAIN RIDGE — DESERTED VILLAGES — INTXSTINK BROILS- CHINESE TEMPLE — FERTILE SPOT— POPULOUS CITY — RAVENOUS LA- BOURERS—CHARACTER OF THE MANDARINS— TSIN-KANG DISTRICT— KAOEIINE8S FOR BOOKS — VISIT TO AMOEY — ANXIETY* POR MORE LA- BOURERS.

The Chinese government is characterized by restric- tion and exclusion. Though they boast of their empe- ror, as the " Son of Heaven," and consider " all within the four seas," as subject to his dominion ; affecting to believe, that all besides " the flowery nation " is barba- rity and meanness, depending on the Chinese for the necessaries of life, and existing only by their permis- sion,— yet they are afraid of every petty horde on their borders, and suspect every foreign nation of having de- signs on their country. They anticipate nothing but disaster from the reciprocation of kind ofiices, between their own countrymen and strangers, and as for the mutual exchange of intelligence, it must, in their esti- mation, be '' evil, only evil, and that continually." They care not to be made acquainted with our discoveries in

EXCLUSION OP FOREIGNERS. 499

the arts and sciences; while they would doubly depre- cate our obtaining any knowledge of the weakness of their government, the discontent of their people, the poverty of their resources, the inefficiency of their de- fences, the navigation of their rivers, the direction of their roads, the fertility of their soil, or the secret of their manufactures. In short, any statistical, political, commercial, or general information, relative to the inte* terior, falling into the hands of foreigners, would be regretted by them, as leading others to covet and over- throw their country : they have, therefore, resolved to keep to themselves as much as possible.

This restrictive policy leads them to exclude all fo- reigners from the interior of the empire, to onler off all vessels from any other than the authorized port, to dis- approve of strangers landing elsewhere than in Canton, to prevent their proceeding far in land, to require them to depart as soon as pos8iI)le, and to provide that shi{>- wreckeil mariners lie forwanled, by the most expedi- tious means, to Canton, without being allowed to loiter in the districts where they may Ik? cast on shore. For- merly, a few foreign literati were entertained at court, for the purpose of calculating eclij>8es, correcting the calendar, and teaching mathematics, as well as with the view of completing a geometrical survey of the country : but as the Chinese think that they can ma- nage these things alone, they abstain from employing any foreign adherents, and exclude strangers, as much as they can, from the country ; in order that they may keep native information from leaking out, and foreign opinions from creeping in.

Notwithstanding their prohibitions, however, they are astonished and exasperated to find, that the Cmlho-

500 ANGBR AT INTRUSION.

lies still secretly maintain their footing, and increaiM; the number of their adherents in the country ; while Protestant missionaries are perpetually attemptiDg lo diffuse their principles, hy landing on the coast, and deluging the maritime districts with Scriptures and tracts. This has called forth the expression of impe- rial disapprobation on various occasions, and edicts have been published, denouncing such proceedings, in the most unmeasured terms. One very severe procla- mation was issued in the year 1812. in which the difhi- sion of Christianity was declared a capital crime ; and yet, in the very teeth of that order, Dr. Morrison and his brethren have been carrying on their operations, for a quarter of a century. When the Honourable Company's chartered ship, the Amherst, went up the coast, proclamations of various kinds were issued ; and the most fiirious edicts have followed each suc- cessive voyage in the same direction, which, if col- lected, would fill a volume. No sooner had the enter- prise, described in the foregoing pages, been con- cluded, than a dispatch arrived from Peking, addressed to the viceroy of Canton, expressive of the emperor's high displeasure, and requiring the governor to take measures to prevent such proceedings in future.

To those who are not familiar with Chinese edicts, the language of such proclamations may appear alarm- ing. In the preamble the emperor says, that " imme- diately after the attempt of the Amherst and other ves- sels, to penetrate into the inner waters, he issued orders to all the civil and military otficers, to be on their guard, and wanl off, and oljstnicl foreign vessels, with- out suffering the least remissness." 'I'he stranger, on reading this, and imagining that commands arc as

KDICT AGAINST THR HURON. 501

punctually obeyed in China, as in Europe, would ex- pect to find, that the stnctest care was taken to dis- cover foreign vessels on the coast; and that a force was ever)'where provided, sufficient to ward ofiT all attempts at intercourse; hut when the author prosecuted his voyage, several years after the expedition of the Am- herst, he found no such watch kept up, or guard main- tuned ; while the vessel anchored at various ports, and the travellers went on shore, rambling through the vil- lages, and conversing with multitudes of people, fre- quently without being discovered, much less impedetl hy the mandarins.

In the course of his proclamation, the emperor de- clares, that " the restrictive laws must be eternally obeyed, so as to render the dignity of the empire, in the highest degree, impressive, and efleclually prevent future evils." On reading this passage, the uninitiated would be ready to conclude, that the laws of China are like those of the Medes and Persians, unalterable: and that henceforth the efforts of Christians to spread among the Chinese the knowledge of salvation, will be entirely unavailing; but the apprehension of the unchangeableness of the present state of things may be allayetl, by considering, that the laws of China have been altered, and are altering every year. When a regard to self-interest on the one hand, and spirited remonstrances on the other, urge them, the celi'slials do not scruple to swerve from their eternally restrictive laws; and when the perseverance of foreigners has convinced them, that it is of no u>>e any lunger to hold out, they have been known, of themselves, to propose terms of accommodation. It is only for the propagators of Christianity to persevere in their eflbrta, to enlighten

502 APPEAL TO THE BaiTISII RV1.ERS.

the people, and when the government find that the} are unable to prevent it, they will consent, either lo shut their eyes to what they cannot help ; or to admil that to be done regularly, which will be done irrego* larly without them.

But the emperor has already told the world, by thil very edict, that he cannot prevent the introduction of Christian books into his dominions. He says, that "strict orders have been given to watch and ward off." and yet he acknowledges that " an English vessel is sailing about in an irregular manner, regardless of th« laws." He assumes to have both a naval and militarF force on the coast, and yet, confessing the inabili^ of the imperial troops to ward off the intruders, he applies to the "barbarian eye," the superintendent of British trade, at the port of Canton, to see that '■ the restriclivs laws be eternally obeyed." If we should reverse the case, and suppose that an alien act had he«u ]iaKscd in England, prohibiting all Chinese from landing on our shores, and if in spite of our enactments, these intruders were found landing at every port ; what would stran- gers think of the " dignity of our empire," if unable to prevent the ingress of these foreigners, we should ad- dress a letter to the nearest Chinese officer, requiring him to see that the " restrictive laws were eternally obeyed?" and what greater proof could we give (rf" our impotvncy '?

'I'lie quiet attempt of the Huron to break through the " eternal restrictions," seems to have stirn.'d up all the wrath of his imperial majesty ; so that he does not scruple, in the course of his proclamation, to indulge himself in the strongest invective against the " tio- lent and crafty English." In order to exhibit them io

TUB BlfPBROR*8 COMPLAIBIT. 003

the worst light possible, he recalls to memory all their former misdemeanours, and accuses them of '' usurping possession of a quay, pa'sumptuously sending in peti- tions and statements, clandestinely bringing up foreign females to (Janton, and riding in sedan chairs with four bearers.*' The first of these charges alludes to the in- closure of a few feet of waste land, once a receptacle for rubbish, in front of the foreign factories at Canton, which the British merchants had converted into a small ganlen, that they might enjoy a very confined walk, on a summers evening. ITie second item refers to the well-known and very justifiable practice of the foreign merchants tliere, stating their grievances in a calm and dis{)as8ionate tone, to the native authorities, llie third offence of these " violent and craftv barbarians ' is, that during the continuance of the Coni|)any s factor)' in the neighbourhood of the provincial city, the chief of the select committee, and other gentlemen, brought up their wives and daughters to their own dwellings, in onler to enjoy the sweets of domestic life, when fatigued with the toils and cares of business ; and the last aggression seems to be, that these Knglish merchants, during the heat of the summer months, rmle about in sedan chairs, with four bearers, a privilege exclusively claimed by the mandarins of the celestial empire. These *• turbu* lent and unusual pnK*eedings,'' however, have since, with the exception of the right of [X'titioning, been dis- continued ; but while thev lastal, the missionaries had no share in them.

Not content with thus infringing the unalterable cus- toms of the celestial empire, the emiKTor complains, that in the autumn of 1834, these same Knglish ''brought ships of war into the inner waters of Canton, and had

2 I.

504 THE PRINCIPAL CHARGE. i

the audacity to discharge musquetry and great gun keeping up a thundering fire on the forts." Tliis is a aUugion to the well-known affair of Lord Napier, when that distinguished nobleman, feeling that the persooV and property of British subjects were insecure at Caik' ton. ordered two English frigates to enter the port On attempting to pass the Bogue, however, the Chinese opened a fire upon our men of war. from the forts oB- both sides of the river, which was returned by the con^ manders of those vessels, in such a way, an lo silenos their guns, and disperse their men. If the Chinese complain, therefore, of the "thundering fire," they ha*! themselves to blame, as they were the firet to ooH mence hostilities. With this proceeding, however, the missionaries had as little to do, as in the seizure of the quay, or the introduction of foreign females to Canton. But the " head and front of their offending " Keems to have been " the distribution of foreign hookti. calcic lated to seduce men with lies ; a most strange and asti^ nishing proceeding !" Strange, indeed, that barbarians should become acquainted with the language of the celestial empire, and even compose books in the s distributing them gratuitously, among a people whn de- spise and \-ilify them. However, from this part of ll emperor's proclamation, two encouraging inferences may be drawn. First, the British public may hereby see that the missionaries have done what they were i forth to do: they have learned the native languaj published books in it. and circulated them along tbi shores of China, to such an extent as to excite I attention of the emperor himself. Secondly, the frien of missions may see, that the emperor has not only i ceived. hut read, and understood our books ; for he I

TflRRAT OP THK GOVRRNMENT. 506

found out that they contain doctrines contrary to the received opinions, and calculated to mislead his people; that is, maxims which the Chinese sages did not teach, and which the ruler of that country will not approve of. Now it is matter of no small encouragement to the friends of truth to know, that Christian books have reached so great a monarch ; and though from their foreign character, he may at first disapprove of them, yet the frequent repetition of such attempts, and the presentation of truth in new and more interesting points of view, may, under the divine blessing, produce an effect, in the first instance tolerant, and, ultimately, fa- vourable to our objects.

llie emperor, conceiving that these things could not be done, unless i)y the direction and appointment of the " barbarian eye,** directs his viceroy " to issue ex- plicit orders, to the English chief and others, on the subject ; and to remind them, that their being allowed commercial intercourse at Canton, is a matter of extra- ordinary favour ; but that, if the foreigners continue to sail al)out, in this disorderly manner, they must imme- diately be driven out of port, and no longer allowed commercial intercourse." This threat of the stoppage of the trade, may alarm some who are but little acquainted wnth Chinese politics. The deprivation of our silks and teas, will concern both old and young, and numbers will deprecate such a dire calamity coming upon them. But the apprehensions of all may Ik' allayeil I)y the consideration, that the Chinese cannot stop the trade, without rt*ducing themselves to the greati'st extremi- ties. The imperial treasury is exhausted, and the go- vernment is already involved in debt ; while the people arc ill at ease under the dominion of a foreign yoke,

2 L 2

STOPPAGE or THB TRADB.

which the Tartar djTiasty is felt to be ; the stoppage of the trade, therefore, would weaken those reeomret. which are already too much circumscribed, aud increaK the diHsatis taction of the people, by throwing milliow out of employ. The prohibitioo of foreign cororacrw, being the cauae of their calamities, would he the Btgnal for revolt ; and the government would Dee<l largt-r sup- plies of troops, to keep down insurrection, with lese money to sustain them ; in which case, ruin must be the consequence. While the Chinese, therefon;. arr lavish in their threats, they know too well the state ol' their own country, to attempt to put the threat m exe- culion. Besides which, as the Company's monoiwly u at an end, and as the trade is open to the energies of private adventurers, the driving of our merchants out of the port of Canton, would only be tlie driving them into every other port in the empire ; and thus, instead of a regidar trade, which the authorities coidd control, and from which tliey might derive a profit, they would have an irregular traffic, to an unUmited extent, which no authority (such as that which exists in China) couid restrain. The Chinese kuow that this would be tha effect of the stoppage of the trade, and though they dislike the irregular proceedings of a few missionaries, and the introduction of foreign books into the em|nTO, they would dislike still more the deprivation of the im- mense revenue to the government, and the denial oC the decided advantage to the people, which the tion of foreign commerce would occasion. Of two c they know huw to choose the least ; and will tatheS bear with our feeble eflbrls, than procure their tinuance at such an immense cost.

Should the C'binese ever determine on Btop|aiig thi

PROBABLK RESULT OF OPIUM. tffj

trade, it will be from a far different motive thao the wish to exclude the Gospel, 'llie determined perse- verance, and the audacious daring, with which the opium traRic is pushed forward, to the real injury of his people, as well as the defiance of his authority, ex- aspi-rates the cm|H.'ror a great ileal more than the dis- tribution of tracts along the coast. Never was a weak and pusillanimous government more violently roused than the ('btnvse authorities api>ear to be, on the sub- ject of the illicit traffic in o]>iun]. The native dealers in the dmg, are obliged to fiee into hoK's and comers, the foreign opium-merchaat^ have been rcquireil to leave Canton ; the quiet anchorage of the receiving ships, at Kap-sing-moon, has been broken up, and the smugglers obligi-d to retreat to Uung-kong hay. In addition to all this, the admiral of the jxirt has declared, that if the opium smufj^leni do not discontinue their illicit transactions, he will bring down thousands of war junks, which shall hem them in on everj- side, like the men on a chess-board, so that it will be impossible to escaiie. If the trade Im- slopped, therefore, it will be in consequence of the prt^p^ss of evil, and not the efforts to do good, in China.

It has been apprehended by some, that such was the displeasure of the Chinese government, elicited by the voyage of the Huron, that it would be impolitic, if not impCMt>ible. lo make any more attem[>B of the kind. Several voyages have, however, been undertaken since the ri'lum of the author to Kngland, going over some of the same ground, and doing the very same thing, which api^ared so much lo exas]>erate the goverment before. An accoimt of one of these cxpetlitions, pro- Bccutetl a year ago. by Mr. UutxIafT. may not he unin-

508 ANOTHER RECENT VOVAOK.

tereeting to the reader. The object of the voyage wm to ascertain the fate of some shipwrecked sailors. wh» were afterwards sent back by the Chinese government, with liberal presentB, to join their countrymen. We make no apology for introducing this account here, as a sequel to the voyage of the Huron, and hope that the vein of cheerfidness, happily blended with pie^. in the writer's style, will at once please and profit the reader.

The place visited by our enterprising friend, is the last which the author touched at, as described in the preceding journal, viz. Tung-san, on the coast of Fub* keen ; Mr. Gutzlaff, however, went further into the interior. He writes as follows ;

" Having been called upon to undertake a journey to Fuh-keen, I provided myself with a considerable nutn* ber of Bibles and tracts, and arrived on the 2-lth of October, in Tung-san bay. This is an inlet of many miles in extent, presenting a barren shore, and having the town of Tung-san at the south-western extremity. This bay contains sufficient shelter for a large fleet, but a great part of the inner harbour is dry at low water. Here, as every where else on the eastern coast of China, the ocean recedes from the laud, and extensive estuaries are gradually changed into fertile rice fields.

"The next morning we proceeded on our journey, and skirting the shores of the bay, as high up as pos- sible, we landed at a distant village, having been in some danger of swamping our little skiff. Chinese ingenuity was here displayed to the greatest advantage : the people were in search of shell-fish ; and to obtain as many as possible, they had spread an immense net at the bottom of the water, which the fishermen dragged

SCARCITY OF PROVISIONS. 509

on shore, while some people in a boat, directed the motioiuj, and telegraphed by signs their success or foilure. Thus the bottom of the bay was swept quite clean, and the scaly tribe had no means of escape. A ChioamoQ puts land and sea under heavy contributions, and wherever he resides, no living animal or useful plant escapes his notice, but is made to constitute a part of his mess. I have seen them angling for little frogs in a flooded rice field, and |>eriodically hunt rats, which 8er\'e for iheir table. Such are the effects of an over^ crowded population.

*' On landing, we might have imagined ourselves in the deserts of Arabia. All was floating sand and gravel. By some means, howevt-r, the people had con- trived to condense it, and from such beds they gained a scanty crop of potatoes and earth-nuts. Yet in many places the young plants were scorched, and the harvest in general was scanty.

" The village we entered consisted of a number of hovels, irregularly built, but so thickly inhabited, that we were soon surrounded by crowds of natives. The people, notwithstanding their poverty, shewed them- selves very generous, and innted us to a repast of rice gruel ; which, however, we refused. I now commenced dealing out the inestimable treasures of the word of God. Addressing my auditors in a lively strain, and preaching Josus Christ, of whom they had never heard, J perceived with pleasure that they thmngetl about me in increasing numbers. When both their curiosity, as well as avidity after books, were gratified, the sick made their ap|M.'arance, uf whom, even in this small hamlet, the number was considerable, and the diseases moat loathsome. How many physicians would be ne-

510

POVERTV OF THE PEOPLE.

ur boflk 1

cessary, in order to remedy human sufteriDgs am these myriads ! May they soon come ! wlicrever they travel, they will find work, and a hearty wekotoe. Having no mudicine with me. we set forward lo ibc place of our destination, Chang-poo, a city about thirty miles inland. Our guides took charge of our boflk bags, while each of my companions took as : volumes as he could carry.

" Five miles we had to walk, over an iBthmus c ran sand, where there was neither shrub, nor grass, iM* any living creature, except man. The inhabitants of this dreary spot had built themselves huts along the strand, where there was not even fresh water to quench their thirst, nor a potatoe bed to satisfy the cravings of appetite. Notwithstanding all this, however, the peo' pie were cheerful. Seeing thcra look with wistful eyes at my books. I asked them if they could read; aod being answered in the affirmative, 1 tendered lliem a volume gratis. This UberaUty called forth the nopu> lation from the corners of their cottages, and in a place where we supposed few only resided, crowds soon made their appearance. So 1 went on distributiag, and if I happened to forget a single man, he would run after me with great speed, crying out, 'a book, a book!' 1 was at the same time in mental prayer, lliat the Saviour, in much mercy, might bless his word to the souls of the people. Since they have no worldly chattels, to j their thoughts astray from God, and have little 1 pect in this Ufe, it may be presumed that they i the more gladly seize upon the treasures reserve* them in heaven. Yet even the most abject wretch fiv- quently prefers a life of misery here, to the joys of t ftiture state ; and while dragging out his existenci

vedTSn ^tch fiv- le joys of d^l

J

PATIOUINO MARCH. Sll

der tviterated sighs, can never bo much as raise his eyes to heaven. We are indeed a forlorn race, no matter of what rank or nation.

" With the conviction that the books were read, 1 • sped loy puce over Ihc desart, an<l occasionally met a solitary wamicaT, with whom I entered into conrersa* tion. The name of Jesiis entirety unknown, the moat obvioiiii Christian tnith hidden, and the mind enveloped in ini}K.'netrab)e darknests. are obstacles sufficient to frighlfn tlie most iMTsevering teacher. 'ITius. after long and most impressive eonversations, I had the mor- tihculion to learn, that my auditors had all the while been intimately surveying my clothes, while they scarcely heeded my exhorlatiims.

" A march of several honrs. under a buminn sun. had brought on fatigue, and as S4H)n as we espiitl th<- end of the desert, we put off our sIuhs. which by this lime were tilled with gravel, and dined under the blue canopy of heaven. As imr mess was duly seasoned with sand, it did not prove very [Hilatahle. and therefore very little delaycti our jounu'y. We now eiiu-rgetl gradually into an extensive valley, which had U-en gained from the sea. It might be about fifteen miles in circum- ference, and numbered more than thirty humletx, large and small. It need not l>e told, that every inch of ground was cultivated, and that all the articles planted were, by means of manure, brought to the highest state of |R-rfection. Whilst crossing the first village. I had given away some liooks ; and as the tidings, that an 'exhorter of the world" had arrived, gradually spread, the i>eople. who were bringing in their |Hitatoe croi»s. speedily left ofT their work, and hastened towanU us. Many returned a heartfelt thank, whilst receiving the

512 WALLED TOWNS.

sacred volume, whilst others cut off pieces of ^ugar cane, and presented them in return. It was a real fes- tival f«r the whole valley, which will be long rei bered by all the inhabitants. Many mothers urged their children to run after us, to get a book, which they might read to them. What would I have given, if ooe of the supporters of the Chinese missions had been present that day ! It was for me a day of real rejoicii^ and though I feel that curiosity was the great spring cT such an eagerness, I was on the other hand persuaded that God can bless the penisal of his word, even to the curious reader. When we approached the first borough, we had not a single volume left. This place coDbifcted of a mass of houses, surrounded by a wall, about fifty feet high, provided with loop-holes and parapets, it 18 rather extraordinary, that such a paltry place should have been defended by such a substantial wall. But it ought to be remembered, that the Chinese are very fond of similar protections, and bcUeve them impreg- nable against every assault.

" In all parts of the country one may find the^ structures, either entii-e or dilajiidated, often enclosing a space of more than ten miles in circuraference, *rith nothing but small hamlets within the enclosure.

" As the people thronged around us, and became boisteroiis, my companions (the sailors) got alarmed, and stood upon the defensive. But on my addressing the populace, every body was silent andpeacefiil, to the great astonishment of my fellow travellers.

" Stretched out under a few shady trees, in order to refresh our weary limbs, we looked with considerable anxiety to the dark mountain ridge, which we had to p Here, as well as in all other parts of China, the hiUs

INTBST1>B BROILS. 513

have an undulating form, probably assumed at the time of the deluge, when the mighty waters impreseed this Bhape upon them. Upon a nearer approach, they presented a most fentastic appearance, remarliable for the immense rockii, which seem to be piled up by art. The barrenness is so great, that only in a very few places does the dwarf fir tree thrive, and even those stand very scanty. Yet there grow many curious plants and flowers, between the cliffs, and wherever there is a little earth. As 1 am, however, no IwtaniBt, I cannot regale my readers with a number of I^Atin names of the jdants 1 discovered. My whole Bciencc extends to trees which bear savory fniilit, and flowers of a sweet smell, including kitchen vegetables ; and an I found neither, 1 remained in happy ignorance.

" Ab we advanced, the appearance of the country grew worse, and we obi9er\'ed, to our great astonish- ment, whole patches uncultivated. For this we could discover no reason. We moreover espied several ham- lets in ruins, whilst the inhabitants passed us in gloomy silence ; a rare thiog with a Chinaman, who has gene- rally a smile in store, and is never paisimoniouH of his good wishes. We finally came to a hamlet which was nearly deserted, and inhabited only by old women and children. Having on our road perceived some very large castles, which were, however, nearly fallen into ruins, we made enquiries of a gentleman, whom curiosity had brought into our company. He readily explained to us, that these fortifications had been erecteil (hiring the sway of the Mongols, when ihe countr)- was nearly as much disturbed, as Germany in the twelfth and thirteenth centuries. Our conversation then turned upon the many dilapidated houses we had seen, when

514 MOUNTAIN SCENERY.

all at once our visitor becaine eloquent, * These evik, he said. ' have been occasioned by war. Two nvti clans, Wang and Chin, have risen in open faoetilitia against each other. Behold,' he continued, pointing to an extensive encampment, surrounded by some «n- trechments, ' their fortifications ; and the field of battle upon which they fought only a short time ago. It is on this account that the region aroimd has Ijeen laid waste, and that many inhabitants have fled, or are roving about as desperadoes ! The government, during the heat of the contest referred to, did not dare to interfere ; but since the fury has abated, the chief magistrate at Chang-poo has just made his appearance, to extort fines and apprehend some of the guilty. For this unseasonable oQiciDusQess, several of bis mjrnni* dons have been killed, and things are again ripe for n revolt. The whole popidace, in the meanwhile, are ready to rise in arms, and most of the jieasantrj- hare provided themselves with matchlocks and swords.'

" Notwithstanding the exhortations of our ioform* ant, we hastened towards the mountain passes ; wheo evening began to fall. Having procured a sedan, we were enaljled to pursue our journey with the greater facility. When we entered among the moimtains, which might be about three thousand feet above the level of the sea, the scenery assumed a most romantic cast. Over-hanging cliffs, deep rannes, gurgling streams. and fantastic rocks, looking just if the chisel of a hnnum artist had been at work with them, were all objects of curiosity and wonder. It was a tine moon-light night. and if we had not been too weary, so as to sttimfale over the rocks in our path, we might have enjoyoil this evening still more. For many miles there was not a

CH1NK8B TBMPLB. 616

single human habitation to be seen, nor was the voice of man heard. It was the Lord s silent temple, where the heart becomes most disposed to worship the Maker of heaven and earth ; cherishing such thoughts, and occa- sionally raising my heart towards the Creator, we arrived near a small but fertile valley, where we expected to find human beings. Our guides ushered us into a temple, hard by, where we sunk exhausted on the ground. The keeper was a poor man, and greatly alarmed at our ap[Karancc; for an Kuroi)ean is a far greater curiosity there than a Chinaman could be in Europe, lie would gladly have run away and left us in possession of the house and idols« had not our Chinese companions pcrsuadid him that we were pi*aceful people. Having therefore lighted a fire, with a little straw, he took no further notice of us, while we stretched ourselves upon the pavement in front of the idols.

*' Plagued by musquitoes, and disturl>ed by the numerous visitors in the next room, none of us could enjoy sleep. Often did 1 \race the premises, and when 1 looked uinm the images most fer>'ently pray, that the Lord, in his mercv, would soim break down these monuments of Satans |>ower, aud bring this great and interesting |K*ople to his fold. May we not hope, that the gracious hearer of prayer will bend his ear to the supplications which were uttered in sight of the abomi- nations of Paganism. Being the leader of the train, 1 roused my companions about midnight, 8up]X)sing, on account of the bright moon, that it was aln^ady morn- ing. We wound our way through mazes of ro<*ks and ra\ines, stumbling and falling, and laughing over our misfortunes. The further we went the more inac>

516 CITY OF CHANO-POO.

cessible the mountains became, and, in some places, we bad to crawl up and slide down on the opposite side. Having surmounted the pass, we found humao habi- tations, and cultivated patches of ground, of which we had seen nothing the day before. At length, when we almost despaired of getting to the end of our joumejf, we were greatly rejoiced when, turning off at a bj-rood, we crossed a small stream in a ferry boat, and emerged into a very extensive valley. This is the most fertile spot I have ever seen in China. The sugar cane and wheat grow here, to such a height, that even in Siam f have seen nothing to equal to it. The neat order in which every thing was planted formed an entire contrasl with their habitations. In the latter all is confusion, filth, and wretchedness. This valley, which might contain about forty square miles, was one large, beau* tiful garden, with the city of Chang-poo in its centre.

" At this place we arrived while it was still early, and when the slumbers of the inhabitants were disturbed by none but night revellers. We therefore sat down at the gate and looked at the brilliant moon, which shone in all her lustre. The first thing which gtnick oiir fancy was a moveable cook-shop, where we breakfasted for one penny a head. Then commenced the noisy hum of carriers and farmers ; the former performing all the services of our beasts of burden. The street was soon thronged with people, dragging huge loads of cotton and paper, with the strength of packhorses. Then appeared the shopkeepers and other tradesmen, and, before five o'clock, the city was one living bee hive. In numbere, as well as pursuits, the Chinesu may fitly be compared to ants. The land is tilled with men ; the houses are not inhabited, but stuffed with human beings; and eveiy

lll'NnilV PEASANTRY. 617

onv of them tries to get through the world as well u he can. Of their readineu to listen I had manifold proofs. The people were unwearied in tbeir questions, delighted with the answers given, and anxious for more infonnation. Oh thai one soul mig^t be saved!

" The great crowd forced tu to retire to a house, which was built upon poles. There, however, the throng became so great, that we began to fear the whole would fall, and w« be smothered in the mud below. We were well treated by the owner of the house, who seemed of all others the least inconvenienced by such a crowd of visitors. As neither of my companions nor myself were able to walk I procured sedan chairs, and thus we moved on in an imposing processioQ. The bearers themselves appeared to be the lowest of the low, clad in a few rags, and looking as emaciated as if just ready to fall down dead. But under this unseemly exterior they hid great strength. I believe that a well fed horse would not have been able to carry some of us, over the craggy mountains, without sinking under the load ; but these men walked on briskly and sure-footed, and ascended declivities with greater speed, than we could have done in walking. 'l"hcy were a cheerful and Iwisterous race, as hungr)- as wolves. To satisfy their cranng appetites, 1 bought more than ten pounds of pork, and had some buckets full of rice and vegetables prepared in an adjacent tavern. This mess, which thirty Kuropeans would not have been able to consume, disappeared from the table as if by magic. I had sat myself down, in a separate ajtarlnient, and was taking up the chopsticks to taste a little rice and salt l>eef, and though tolerably expeilitious in this work, my guests had finished the whole Iwforc I had tasted a few mouth*

520

VISIT TO AMOEV.

of life, and proceeded onward, at Ihe head of five bearers; witli a sack on my own shoulders. But we were nxm stopped by new crowds, equally as boisterous as ibc former ; and, as they quoted precedente. I bad to cud- form to their wishes, and all oiir burthens vanished.

" We fetched a new investment from the boat, ami being now determined to go over to some of the villages beyond, we set off to travel through an extensive maish; but had scarcely proceeded half a mile, when wc were overtaken by a fresh set, who craved from us the divine gift, and another load disappeared. My bearrn, who saw their burthens vanish, in the twinkling of as eye, were stnick with astonishment, having never in their lives vritnessed a similar scene. I ordered up a fresh supply ; but by this time the villagers were in motion, and as this was a general thoroughfare, Ihe crowds became denser than ever. The books were, however, distributed with much regularity ; and we thought now to proceed to a distant village, determined not to be hindered on any account. The new comeiv, however, importuned us so eagerly, that we coutd not refuse them. Thus a new investment was cinnilalcd. I sent for more, but received for answer, thai not a single leaf was left ; and 1 had to regret unavailingly. that I bad not laid in a larger supply.

" I subsequently visited Hea-mun, (Amoey) the place which received me as a naturalized citizen, when 1 was astonished to see that 1 was generally known. even more than in my own native place. There was no end of pointing me out to i^trangers. and speaking vS my pursuits, and the present object of my voyage. Often a man, wiser than the rest, mingled in the ctnh versation. and explained my porentage and pedigree.

ARDENT LONGINGS. 521

'' We traversed, in this manner, a great part of that large city, rejoicing to find that the vigilance of the mandarins had considerably abated, since I visited the same spot, only four years before. May the Lord soon grant us an entrance, were it only into one province !

'' Oh ! may the anlour in l)chalf of the good cause grow! May himdreds engage in this blessed work, and devote their lives to the spread of the Gospel, in this extensive coimtry. The Liord our Saviour is with us, and will certainly not withdraw his hand as long as we trust in him, the Rock of ages. Let us therefore go on in his strength, and work till the last breath.**

2m 2

523

•nnied by British

ill thti other; but

><r the penNhing

mieratke, whi*re

iirity defend, as

ii- labourer w re-

"11 witnefjsing the

(')iina, therefore,

hich either India

iiY that ber three

itaincd more than

111 of a better day siieicty which baa ill not allow their ^ors to be tliijcou* ce. The London >fd an interest in ,-aluabIe liven, and ■n th« first of all 'Id; having gained If of ver}' important of the work; will [flruwD its efforts, and >cd, draw back, or iking. t Btill needed to make shall tell U[)on thou- generations? we answer. instruments, and gene- amount of means em- -an we hope to produre on ilploymcDt of half a dozen

4he I

i

CHAPTER XXI.

CLASS OF LAJBOURERS REQUIRED FOR CHINA,

COMP-UtATI^-E CLAIMS OF CUINA— NEED OF MORE LABOrREBS— TOR THl COL0SIE8 — AND THE COABT— OFFERS INVITED— OBJECTIOSS SUTT- REOARDING THE CLIMATE — AND THE LAKGCAGE — TlIE ORAL A.SC WRITTEN MEDItl MB— COMPARED WITH THE ENGUSU— EXlIOSTATlaXS TO ENGAGE— EDUCATIONAL AGBNTa HEBDED— SCHOOLS POR BCHOOt- MASTERS REQC I RSD— VIOL'S PUY81CIANS— RFFORTS ALRBADT MADE— OPHTHALMIC HOSPITAL — MORE PRACTITIONERS WANTED — THE nO- BABILITY OF THEIR SUCCESS — SPEECH OF BIB H. tl.VLFORD — MORAL INFLUENCE OF PmaiClAKB-DEFKBENCE PAID TilEM- INTBKB8TIK0 ANECDOTE- IMPORTANCE OF MEDICINE TO KUBS10NARIE8 — [SFSBl. ORITY OF CHINESE PRACTICE-UNION OF THE CLERICAL AND MEDICAL FROFESSIONH— PERSONS WHO SHOOUl OFFER.

No one, we presume, after the perusal of the foregoing pages, will hesitate to admit, that the Chinese stand in need of conversion ; and no one. ))elienng the Chris- tian scriptures, will douht the future and tlnal iriumnh of the Gospel, in that populous and important empire. The only question is, what are the best means of bring- ing about so desirable an end. Wc do not msh other parts of the world to be neglected, and this alone carvd for; but we desire that China may receive that atten* tion which her population and influence demand, 'Vhe London Missionary Society has sent out, during the last thirty years, twenty missionaries to labour for thft benefit of China ; while India and the Soutli Seas, have each had one hundred labourers employed in their different fields. It is true, that success has cheered uft

CLAIMS OP CHINA. 523

in the one; and free intercoune, accompanied by British protection, encourages us to persevere in the other ; but the command of Christ, and the woes of the perishing heathen, render the call of duty as imperative, where prosperity does not gladden, nor security defend, as where both these are withheld, and the labourer is re< quired to toil in the very fires, without witnessing the full result of his endeavours. While C^ina, therefore, enjoys only one-fifth of the interest, which either India or Polynesia receives, no one will say that her three hundred and sixty millions have obtained more than their due share of attention.

We ho{>e, however, to see the dawn of a better day for the Chinese empire, and that the society which has sent out a Morrison and a Milne, will not allow their labours to be lost, and their successors to be discou- raged, for want of needful assistance. The London Missionary Society, having purchased an interest in China, at the expense of some moet valuable lives, and many thousand pounds; having been the first of all protestant institutions to enter the field; ha%*ing gained much experience, and possessed itself of very important facilities, for the vigorous prosecution of the work; will not now, that success begins to crown its efforts, and increasing openings invite it to proceed, draw back, or be Klothftil in this interesting undertaking.

But should it lie aski-d, what is still needed to make an imprcKKton ujwn China, that shall tell u|ion thou- sands, and extond to future generations ? we answer, in a wont, men. Goil works by instruments, and gene- rally ap)M)rtions the end to the amount of means em- ployiMl. What effect, then, can we hope to proiluce on so vast an empire, by the employment of half a docen

524 NEED OF LABOURERS.

individuals at a time"? As well miglil we attempt, with a feeble wire, to move a solid rock, as wiUi so small a band, to instruct and influence so vast a multi- tude. In order to benefit the Chinese, two kinds of labour are requisite, stated and desultory ; the one to be employed in the colonies, where Ihe emigrants re- side, under European protection ; and the other to be resorted to on the coast, where, at present, only occa- sional visits can be paid. For the first, we require all the strength we now possess, and mudi more ; as the stations already occupied are but half supplied, and other islands and countries where the Chinese dwell, invite our attention ; for the second, we need an addi- tional number of pious, enterprising, and sealous men, well acquainted vrith the language and habits of tfie people, who will go forth on missioBaiy expeditions, and employ themselves in canying the Scriptures and tracts, to every part of the coast of China. Such men ought to be in a state of preparatimi, ready to avail themselves of all the openings which now exist, and to embrace every new opportunity which may occur. With- out men, we can neither make new discoveries, nor follow up those attempts which have been made. The Christian public having got the idea, that China is shut, must retain their opinicm, until we can get men of God to open it.

We need, therefore, a larger supply of missionaries, not only to carry on the labours of our various stations, in the colonies, but to prepare for more extended efforts, on the coast. Besides which, the pen must be kept at work, and new works written and published, calculated to inform and improve the mind of China. The acqui- sition of a good Chinese style, is a most difficult thing.

OFFERS INVITKD. 535

and unlesfi our pubUcatioDS be drawn up in an intel- ligible and idiomatic form, they will not be read. Such a habit of writing can only be the result of years of study, and unless a beginning be made, no advance can be anticipated. The philosophical speculaticms and absurd superstitions of the natives must be grappled with, while the doctrines and duties of Christianity, with its evidences and effects, must be set forth, in a way that will affect and convince the mind of a Con- fucian or a Buddhist ; and unless pious, talented, judi- cious, ardent, and persevering men be obtained, the work must, for a time, stand still. Should the agents employed, possess an acquaintance with science, and l>e able to instruct and benefit the Chinese, by impart* ing some of the late discoveries in natural and experi- mental philosophy, they would be so much the more useful in the mission.

I>et those whose minds are deeply affected with the condition of the Chinese, and who bum with a desire to diffuse Christianity in that empire, offer themselves, with an especial reference to China ; and if their quali- fications be such as would justify their being employed, they will doubtless be sent forth, and the religious public, feeling the call for extra exertions imperative, woukl contribute additional means for their support Let such as are yet young in years, and therefore more likely to stand the fatigue ; those also who possess the imitative faculty, and a retentive memory, which would enable them readily to acquire the language of China, offer themselves; and should there be any mentally and morally, what Saul was physically, '' a head and Khoulders higher than any of the people,** let them be first and foremost in an undertaking, which would re-

526 OBJECTIONS MET.

quire and exhaust the best talents and most devoted energies.

Lest any Bhould be deterred by minor considerations, the author will here add a few su^estions, relative to the climate and the langui^e. With regard to the for- mer, it may lie observed, that China, lying witliout the tropica, is fully as salubrious, but by no means m> changeable, as England. At Canton, the summers are hot, but the winters are bracing. In the latitude of Peking, the thermometer is sometimes below zero. No pecuUar diseases infest the celestial empire, while many invalids repair thither for the benefit of their health. A missionary, stationed at Canton and Macao, or Toy aging along the coast, has nothing to dread from tbt- influence of climate. The Malayan archipelago, where our brethren must first reside, in order to acquire the language from the Chinese emigrants, though situated in the vicinity of the line, being favoured with laml and sea breezes, is comparatively cool ; aad even Bata- via has been found to be more healthy than ^tber of our Indian presidencies.

The language of the celestial empire has been consi- dered, by some, an insuperable diffiadty, and many an ardent labourer has been appalled by it. No one can deny, that the acquisition of the Chinese tongue will require all possible attention anddihgence. It is con- fessedly a singular language, but by no means beyond the compass of ordinary powers to attain. Moderate capacities and due diligence, aided by the increased facilities which now exist, will enable a man to con- verse fluently in the course of two years, and in double that time, to compose intelligibly in the native dia- lect. The vernacular tongue is acquired by Chinese

THE SPOKEN LANOtlAOE. 937

infants, just as soon as our chOdreii begin to pnttte EnKlish : while the tones and accents, which, in Chi- nese, denote the variation of one word from another, are picke<l up l>y the native youth, just as readily as we lenm to ilistinguish articulate sounds. Were men, there- fore, to set alwut the study, with the simplicity and teaclmbteness of children, there can )>e no doubt but that they would be equally successful.

Much has l>een said about the orbilrar)' nature of the (.'hinese laiiniiage, when, in fact, it is no men; arbitrary than our own. 'lliere is as much connection l)etween tht; sound mti, and a certain animal that goes on four legs, and draws carriages, as there is between the same quadnip«-d and our English wonl hone ; and with tlic same ease whereby we learned to aflix the sound horse to the animal in one country, we might leam to append mti to it in another. So with reganl to abstract as well as simple terms ; the same effort of memory, that would enable us to retain them in one language, would render us equally succcessful in another.

The nice distinction of tones obsen'able in the Chinese language, lieing unknown among us, have led fiinne to doubt whether they could ever acquire it. Hut with proiHT attention, the student can leam to distin- guish OS readily between varieties of intonation, aa differences of orthography. The same effort of mind, that would make us masters of the difference between the sounds horse and scald, would enable us to mark the distinction between the acute md bikI the grave ma, I'hus the acquisition of a copia verbontm, in Chinese, is not more difficult, in the nature of things, than the storing of our minds with English words.

'llie written language of China constitutes indeed a

928 coMFAESP wrm sv

dfifficuhy, but not sodb aa inRqmaUe hnagiiied> The main dfiflercace between, medhnn and o«r aini copgMtBy itt Ae degree rfi between the fignie exhibited and tiie saoad inarhrf to

between a triangnlar tsbspe and &e aomid of die letkr A, than there is between a certaiB Cfaineae dHBader and the sound md; and so on, duoog^Mmfc die alpliabei The soondit attached to oar letters are as arfaiirary as those affixed to any g^en Cfaineae Sfmbol ; but our arbitrary signs amount only to a few tens, widfe dioBe of the Chinese amount to sereral thonamda. The difference, then, is one of d^[ree, not of pffiBci{de ; inas- much as we hare adopted the same arbitrary oMide in our own written medium, though confined to tihe letters of the alphabet. Having attached articulate aoonds to a certain number of arbitrary signs, we hare further learned, by the combination of several, to form com- pound sounds, or words. This the Chinese have not reached, but have gone on multiplying signs for each particular word, till their symbols have amounted to thousands. Hence theirs has become a hieroglyphic, while ours has remained an alphabetic language.

It is, however, not always adverted to, that the orthography of our own tongue, notwithstanding its alphabetic base, is almost as arbitrary as the Chinese. Far from fixing a definite sound to each particular letter, we have been in the habit of attaching five or Bix sounds to most of our vowels, and three or four to some of our consonants ; while these sounds are interchanged, without the least intimation of the van- iition, or the smallest reason for the difference, but use and custom. Some persons have calculated that the

THE WRITTEN MEDIUM. 029

word tatton maj be spelled eleTcn hundred different ways, and that to the word pkamlom aa numy various pronunciatioDa may be gireUf without departiiig from Uie acknowledged soimds of the letters, in other words of the English language. Thua a fiordgn student of our own tongue may be at a loss, when be hears a word pronounced, to know how to write it ; or when he sees any thing written, to know how to read it, until in* structed in the usual mode of spelling or enunciating the word in question. Having such an arbitrary mode ourselves, what reason have we to complain that the Chinese written medium exhibits no connection be- tween shape and sound ; when there is not a word in our ovm language, that a stranger, acquainted with the powers of our letters, would be able to spell or pro- nounce, without being instructed by a pedagogue f and what need faaa a person, capable of mastering the arlntrary orthography of the English language, to fear that he shall never conquer that of China f

But the want of connection between shape and sound is not the only difficulty in the way of acquiring the Chinese character, for the complex nature of the character itself confounds some so much, that they despair of acquiring it. And is the Chinese chatacter, indeed, more complicated than the written words <^ our own tonguef we believe not. Take the word beneroience, for instance, and compare it with the Chinese character (or the same idea, and it will be seen, that while the (onaviT contains eleven letters, the latter exhibits a simple symbol of only four strokes. Perhaps it may be urged, that our words, though apparently com> plicatetl. are reducible to a few elements : but this, we may reply, is precisely the rase with the Clunese

530

EXHORTATIONS TO ENGAGE.

^H characters. The most difficult hieroglyphic, which the

^H Chinese use, is composed of only six different kinds of

^1 strokes, while each character is reducible to a few

^M simple elements, which constitute the radicals of tlieir

^M language. When a student is once acquainted with

^M the two hundred and fourteen radicals, he ascertains

^M immediately how a character is formed, and writes it

^H accordingly. There is no more difficulty in rememl»er-

^H ing the elements of any given Chinese character, than

^M in calhng to recollection the letters of any particular

^M English word: the difficulty is the same in kind, and

^1 varies only in degree, inasmuch as the Chinese elements

^M exceed those of the English. Thus the formidable

^1 obstacles, which have hitherto ftightened so many of

^H our English students, are considerably reduced liy

^M comparison with the peculiarities of out own language,

^M and would vanish entirely before the patient as^duity

^P of the determined scholar.

Let our young men of piety and talent, therefore, who are longing to employ their energies in a wav that shall have the most extensive bearing upon the destinies of the human family, turn their attention towards China, and they will find the improvement and evangelizatioil of that great empire an object worth living for, Let our educated youth, our students of theology, and the rising ministry consider the claims of that Dumenius people, and foregoing in some degree the ease, niencc, sympathies, and elegancies of home, let them go forth to spread amongst these Gentiles the unseardi* able riches of Christ. If it be asked, who are ihe agents called upon to embark in this undertaking. w« may safely say. to every well-qualified and nnfettirtd' Thuu art the man." And if the enquiry

iadividual.

EDUCATIONAL AGENTS. 531

be, what is the most suitable time for engaging in the cnterjmse, we would instantly reply, now. The Saviour 8 command, " to preach the Gospel to every creature,** had no reference to political arrangements, or ap{)arent facilities ; it was a direct onler to '^ go ;'* and if we be actuated by the right spirit, we shall immediately and vigorously set about the undertaking. It is of no use waiting for extensive openings, effected by political arrangements, or changes brought about by internal convulsions. When the rulers of this world open the door, they take care to admit only those who may be least likely to interfere with their wealth and aggrandizement : and when revolutions take place in a heathen country, it is only the change from one desix>t to another ; while the empire may \ye shaken to its very centre, before any advance be made towanls the attain- ment of civil and religious liberty. Our duty, therefore, as well as wisilom, is to go forwanl ; let us call forth our men, and plant them on the borders of the celestial empire, and assuredly the time is not far distant, when even China shall stretch forth her hands unto God.

In addition to preachers of the Gospel, we need a band of educational agents, to improve the mode of tuition adopted among the Chinese, llie attention of missionaries, from the very first, has been directed towards the young. The establishment of schools in the empire of Cliina, has been found to l>e difficult, if not im[>ossible; but among the emigrants, extensive efforts have been made to benefit the rising gt*neration. About seven hundred Chinese children an? daily taught in the various settlemeifts of the Indian archipi*lago ; but though Christian liooks are introduced, and daily or weekly examinations held, yet the improvement of

532 OEFECTK OF THE NATIVE SYSTEM.

the children in not such, as the friends of education atii Christianity could desire. Among the causes leading to this, may be enumerated, the ori^n of the chiMrcn; who, being sprung from Chinese fathers and Malayai movers, speak Malay as their mother tongue, and have to acquire the Chinese as the language of busioeMb Then, the nature of the Fuh-keen dialect presenti another difficulty. The people of that province have I reading and a colloquial idiom, differing essentially one from the other, so that a person residing amongst them, may he able to understand every thing that is said is conversation, without comprehending a single syllabls of what is read from a book ; and may acquire by i whole volumes in the reading dialect, without being able to express one sentence in the colloquial iiiedinm. The practice of the Chinese schoolmasters is, to make their pupils learn by heart the whole text of the Four Books, without explaining a single syllable; so that the boys remain in utter ignorance of the meaning of their author, while they are committing his wonis by whol^ sale to memory. The amount of knowledge acquired, therefore, is not to be estimated by the number of pages learned ; and much labour is undergoue. with little profit to the scholars. It is true, that the Cbri^ tian books put into the hands of the children, are a assiduously explained by the missionaries; but the schoolmasters being heathen, and constantly with th<ur; pupils, are likely to undo, in a moral and religious sense, what the missionary has been attempting during the brief interval of his visit.

In order to make our schools efficient and usefiilt therefore, it will be necessary to train up a race i schoolmasters, acquainted with a better system, u

KCIIOOLK FOR SCHOOLMASTERS. 533

imbued with holier principles, who will train up the native youth to be useful and happy. For this end, we need a few devoted young Christians, to go out from this country, with talent enough to acquire the native language, and humility sufficient to devote their acquisitions to the education of children ; and after having qualified themselves to become schoolmasters in the native tongue, to seek to raise up others to be teachers in their turn. It will be necessary for such, to make themselves familiar with the standard wri- tings and complex characters of the Chinese, so as to be able to compete with the native schoolmasters, and by their superior tact and method in conducting the work of tuition, to beat the original pedagogpies out of the field. Beginning with half a doien, and going through all the drudgery of scholastic business, for the first few years, the educational agent may, in the course of time, succeed in training a number of vigorous and intelligent young men, whom he may ap* point over different seminaries ; and then, commencing the work of superintendence, he will feel himself at the head of a range of schools, from which hundreds of well- taught children may proceed, to enlighten and bless the next generation. The man who will devote his ener- gies to such an enterprize will, in the present state of things, be labouring as effectually for the conversion of the Cliinese, as the writer of books, or the preacher of the Gospel. The inferior light in which schoolmasters have been unjustly viewed, may perhaps deter some from undertaking this work; but the ho])e is fondly cherished, that some who enter with spirit into the busi- ness of tuition, will, on learning the wants of

PIOUS PHYSICIANS.

come forward, and consecrate tbemBelves to the im- provement of schools, for the greatest Of pagan nations. Amongst Ihe individuals most essentially needed, lo aid in the introduction of the Gospel into China, must be enumerated, pious physicians and surgeons, who, combining science with benevolence, will be able to make both tend to the diffusion and establishment of tnith and righteousness in the world. The healing of human maladies has frequently been connected with, and rendered subservient to, the spread of Christianity, In evangelized countries, gratuitous medical assistance to the poor, has often been of essential service to religion; but in heathen lands, where prejudices and obstructions abound, the co-operation of pious surgeons with devoted missionaries, is very desirable, and would be m«t effective. The vast population and debasing supersti- tions of China, are calcidated to affect the sympathie:^ of the Christian mind. That land is, however, fenced round by restrictions, so that the disciples of ilic Saviour can hardly gain access to the mass of the jwpulation. Missionaries have laboured assiduously among the Chinese emigrants, and have spread divine truth extensively along the shores of the mother coun- try ; but they have not been able to secure for them- selves the privilege of a quiet residence in the interior, to pro]>agate the Gospel through the length and breadth of the land. It has occurred to them, that an amicable intercourse might be cultivated, and existing restric- tions more speedily removed, by the employment of benevolent efforts, in conjunction with pious endeavours to diffuse the Gospel. They have, therefore, attempted on a small scale, to relieve the more common maladies

MEDICAL BPP0RT8. 536

of the heathen around them, and have availed tbem- Belves o( the opportunity thus afforded, to inculcate moral and tvligiouti truth on the minds of their patients. But these desultory efforts have been circumscribed and inefTectiiaK owing to the limited knowledge of the missionarict), who have longed to t>ee ]>erHonti Wtter qiinlified employ their time and talents in Ihr under^ taking. Happily such individuals have been found, and the n-milts of their well-ibrected efforts have been sueh, as to encourage others to engage in the same duties. ITic Chinese have iK'gun to esteem our medi- cines, and to place themselves willingly under Kuropean tn-atment, while the character of Kngtish physicians, for skill and iH'nevolence, has Iwen firmly established, and native prejudices gradually removed.

In 1805, Ur. Pearson introduced vaccination into ('anton. which the natives readily adopte<l ; in the course of twelve months thousands were %'accinat(.tl, the practice spreatl to the neighbouring provinces, and Chinese practitioners undertook to disseminate the vaccine matter for their own reputation and emolument. ITie next effort for the temporal benefit of the Chinese was made by Ur. Livingstone, followed by T. R. Colledge. Ksq., surgeon to the British factor)", who, id the year 1627, o{)enttl an opthalmic hospital in Macao, and within five years from its establishment relieve<I bIkiuI four thousand indigent Chinese, while upwanis of one thousand eight hundred |)ounds were contributed towards the object, by the Kuro[>can inhabitants of Can* ton and Macao, aided by the subscriptions of several respectable C'hinese. Some very delightfid letters of thanks were received from those who had been restored 2n

53G

PARKERS LABOUR ii

to sight and health, shewing not only the gratitude of the Chinese for the benefits conferred, but ihe extent to which the physicians' fame had spread throughout the empire.

The last attempt to benefit the Chinese physically, and thus to pave the way for their moral and spiritual amelioration, was made by the Rev, Dr. Parker, an American missionary and physician, who, in November, 1835, opened an opthalmic hospital in Canton; at which, within the space of two years, three thousand patients were relieved, including many cases of opthal- mia, amaurosis, cataract, and entropia ; besides some very distressing and alarming instances of tumours, which were removed with success. One man had his arm amputated at the shoulder joint, which was the first instance in Canton of a natives voluntarily sub- mitting to the removal of a limb. The people have been remarkably eagrr to avail themselves of the benefits of the institution, and have been very gratt^ful for the assistance imparted. Persons from different provinces have applied for relief. No opposition is excited; while the hospital has been known to, and approved of, by the native government, One of the private secretaries to the chief magistrate of Canton has been restored to sight, and has indited a poem to the praise of his benefactor. Dr. P. is still prosecuting his important labours, and the Canton public have testified their sense of the importance of this mode of operation, by contributing three thousand dollars to the object. In addition to the opthalmic hospital already established, other departments nf surgical labour arc ecjually needed, each of which would fully occupy Um

AND 8UGGBST10N8. 037

time and talents of one individuaU while wider fields are still (^lening, where the most skilful and devoted may find full scope for all their energies.

'' The men who go forth on this enterprise/* ob8er\*es Dr. Parker, ^' should be masters of their profession, conciliating in their manners, judicious, disinterested, truly pious, and ready to endure hardships and sacrifice personal comforts, that they may commend the gospel of our Lord and Sanour, and co-operate in its intro- duction among the millions of China. Exclusive as that countr}' is, in all her systems, she cannot exclude disease, nor shut up her people from the desire of relief. Does not the finger of Providence then point clearly to one way, which we should take with the Chinese, direct- ing us to seek the introduction for the remedies of sin iti>elf, by the same door through which we convey those which are designed to mitigate or remove its evils. At any rate this door seems open ; let us enter it. Loathsome disease, in every form, has uttered her cry for relief, from ever}* comer of the land. We must essay its healing. None can deny, that this is a charity that worketh no ill to his neighbour, and our duty to walk in it seems plain and imperative.**

Medical and surgical practitioners seeking to benefit the natives of the east, may safely reside in all the islands of the Malayan archipelago, in Burmah, and Siam, as well as on the borders of China. Should a skilful and successful practitioner, after having become known by his benevolent efforts, attempt to effect a permanent residence in any of the northern or eastern ports, the inhabitants of the place would see it to be their interest to screen and shelter him ; and the pro- bability is, that he would bo left unmolested longer

2 N 2

538

sm H. IIALFOllDS SPEECH.

I

than those whose objects are more directly misBionary. For thtmgh the law which exchules the preacher, operates equally against the practitioner, yet the in- cipient departure from the letter of the enactment would be more likely to take place in the case of the dispenser of health, than the reformer of morals; simply because the Chinese feel their need in the one case, and not in the other. It is true, that in order to promote the conversion of souls, we must employ the preaching of the gospel, in dependance on the Holy Spirit; but it is also true, that we cannot adopt a more effectual means for promoting the introduction of evangelical instruction iulo China, than by making mediciue tho [lioneer of religion.

It is gratifjing to see that this subject has begun to attract attention in high and influential quarters. In the beginning of 1838, Sir Henry Halford, President of the Royal College of Physicians, deHvcred an address on " the results of the successful practice of physic," before a meeting of that body, which was attended by several of the present and former ministers of the crown, some of the highest tUgnifarics of the church, and the principal nobility of the land ; in the course of his speech, the benevolent baronet expressed himself to the following effect: —

"III laying before you some o( tbe rewards of a succewful pntc- lice of oiir profession, I do not iiilciid lo advert to llie peciuiiaij' , fruilB of our loi], nor to the honours awarded to phyBicianB. No. 1 1 uiintemplatc the moral influcnec, which the cure of bodily i]]» hu i upon the minds of our palicnts. I allude to that deference to lite physieiau's jud^ent, and to that gratitude and atUchmcnt, which i* the BWeelcBt reward of our anxious and laborious life.

" It in your peculiar privile^, my brethren, b tlie daily c of your calLog, to go about doing good ; and it ought ta be n

INFLUENCE OP PHYSICIANS. 539

cation and cnooumgemcnt to you to recollect, that the great author of our Milvatioii, tirst conciliatcfl the attention and good will of the multitude, by healing their Kick.

'* Nor w it potwible to find a happier moment, to create and eatabliah a a)iifidencc and regard in the heart of a sick |K>r8on, than thin, in which hiM ho|)e« and fears hang upon the phyHician*a counsel and deciition. Should a patient recover, how enviable the feelings of the practitioner ! how grateful those of the restored ! How impossible is it for him not to res|HH*t that judgment, which provi'd so correct and puccessful in the hour of (H^ril !

*' The physician will also manifest a kind and friendly interest in the sick man's comibrt, by suggesting, at a proper moment, the ne- cessity of * setting his house in order ;* and availing himself of a fit occasion for calling the patient's attention to a future state, and tlie consideration of his spiritual concerns ; and if the sutrgestioti be pre- ■enti'd with a sound discretion, and at a pro|KT moment, it will assuriHlly be accepted with good will and thankfulness.

** Should we turn to histoiy*, for a verification of tliis |>ositiim, wt* shall find imssages in Homer, strongly expressive of the attarhnu*nt of the Grecian heroes to their mt^i^al attendants; and sevrral in- stances in the life of Hippocrates, are demonstrative of the n-gard and admiration of his countrj-men. Our own times fuminh us* with a ttriking example of the defert*nce paid to a phy»i(*iaii by thr higla'st potentates. When l)r. Jenner first made kntmn i\u* U'n«'fits of vaccination, the king of S|)ain fitted out an expedition, to carry the vaccine matter to ever}' part of his dominions, and even introduced the preservative to the n*motcst parts of Asia and China. The em- peror of Russia also transmitted finesh matter into the latter countr}' ; so that the S|>anish and Russian expeditions reachetl diflferent points of the ct'lestial empire at the same time. Buonaparte, even, in the plenitude of his power, accordt*d freedom from bondage to no leas than nine captives, at the request of Dr. Jenner; while the rulers of Austria and Spain paid equal homage to the benevolent author of so important a discovery.

** But the anecdote most flattering to the mctlical profps^i()n is, the establishment of the East India (\>nipany*>4 |)o\wt, on the o^ast of Coromandel, procured fnmi the gn*at in<>inil. in trratilutU* for the efficient help of Gabriel Boughton, in a cast* of ^x^at diMrrs«!«. It se4*ms that in the year 1636, one of xhv prince>M4»<» of the Inqn'rial family had been dreadfully burnt, and a messenger was sent to Sural,

INTERESTING

lo deeire the ansistoucv of one of the Eoglieb «urgeona t BonghtoD proceeded fortbmUi la Delhi, and perfonned the cure. On the minister of the great mo^l askiD); bim, what hie nuuur could do for him, to uiBoifeHt hia gratitude for to important a eenice, BoughtOQ onewered, with n distntefentednee^, a generoeity, aad ■ [latriotiBm beyond ray giTaise, ' Let my nation trade with yw ' Be it M),' was the reply, A portion of the coast was marked cmt fw resort of En^hah t>bipj<, and all duties were coRi^immised for a BinaU sum of money.* Here did the ctvilixatiou of that vast c-oniineiil commence — from hence the blessed light of ilie Gonpd began to be ]iromulgaIed, among;sl a hundred millions of idotater«, atnoe eufaj«cled to the control of British power.

'* This happy result of the euccesafiil interposition at oii« oS « mudical brethren, suggests to my mind a question of tlie exptdiency of educating luissionoriea in the medical art, a« the earliest objmrt of their studies. I propose tliiti question with great diffidence, particu- larly in the presence of that part of my audience, with whom it majt rest, to direct the preliminorj' education of thie useful body of men; but 1 know lliat the candour of these venerable pciaoDaigeB, ia equal to iLeir high dignity, and that they will receive my »ug|^tious in good purl. We know what (he Jesuits have accompliebed, in iha pursuit of this object, wherever they have found admittauee; and I am sanguine enough to believe, that even the proud and eiclusite Chinese, would receive those who entered their country with theae views, without that suspicion and distrust, which they nev«r fail to manifest, when they surmise that trade b the object of the stranger's visit, or some covert intention to interfere with their iustitutione.

" The Chinese received vaccination kindly ; and, since that time, have allowed a misKionary from Anierica, to establish an ophthalmic institution and general dispensary, for the sick poor of Canton. Dr. Parker continues lo operate most astonishing cure*, and other physi- cians have already arrived at Bankuk and Sincapore. By codeavoiu- ing thus, to benefit both tlie body and the soul, •oiae fav-ourahle in- pression may be made on ihe minds of tlial people, and the ounilaHa of the Gospel be given to three hundrr-rl millions of the inhaUtatoa ot our globe.

" The Chine«e practice of physic is so meagre and inadequatu, a>

• On tlic pBjmem of thrco thoiimnd rupees, * Buiemmenl licanv for aa unlinuiud trade, witkoui pajmcnl of cuttnRiii, in the ridiBi pronncr of IiUha, vwarraHed.— MilU' Ilnluh India, >rl I r- '"

NATIVK PRACTICK. 541

to give an ra«y vuperiority to the oammoQett pretesuiooi of Buro. pean knowledge. You will agree with me, in thia opinion, when I fell 3rou what their phyaiology and pathology ia, and what are their reaouroes under diaeaae. It eeema that they know nothing of the doctrine of the circulation of the blood. They believe that the human body it) compoaed of five elements — water, fire, wood, metal, and earth ; that, as long as the equilibrium between these is maintained, people enjuy health, but as soon as one of them predominates, sick- ness ensues ; that all diseases arise firom disturbing the equilibrium f)f these parts, and that the art of healing consists in restoring their tmitual relation. They know nothing of chemistry ; their medicines are almost all ve^Mable, and ^nscng b their panacea. Detesting the sight of blood, the abstraction of it is almost unknown among them : and their utter aversion to any surgical operation, reduces them to the necessity of depending upon the efficienc)* of internal remedies in surgical cases.

*^ With those who practice upon Huch a system, if syHtem it can be called, the English surgeon uuist c*ome into competition with the greatest advantage in his favour. Hi* knowledge of anatomy, his acquaintance with cheuiiKtr}', and all the other resources of his art, will (nve his patients a greater coiifidenct* in his judgment, than in that of a feeble nati\e practitioner. Be it understood, however, that I do not claim your acknowledgment of his superiority for an English- man of superficial knowledge only. And it is on this conviction, that I humbly propos4\ that those who are to be educated as missionaries, aAer having had their minds thoroughly imbued with moral and re- ligious principles, in their first K^holastic discipline, shall then attend to anatomy and chemistr}*, and the (»ther courses of medical lectures, so as to qualify them f(»r the practice of physic and surgt^r}', as nuK*h as if they were to prosecute our profetision as a means of living.

** With minds so exercised, men are surely not ill pn*pared to go forth amongst the heatiien. to exiMiund the sacred truths of religion. Some seem dispose<l to keep the nifHiioal and clerical characters dih- tinct, and think that while the pln>ician gains credit by the gvnl he does, the misuoiuuy* may avail himself of the opportunity to impart religious instruction. But couHilenrt* is n4>t transferable : and it doe^ not follow that the impression of gratitude and attaclmieut, \»hich the nietlical man shall ha\e made, by his sucx^^sitful administrations to rliscasc, will be given necessarily, and of course, to a strangt*r, intro- diicMl to explain what i» required for the nahation of the soul I

542

UNITED INFLUENCE OF

hold it, therefore, far preferable, that the two offices should be noited in those, whose zeal for the benefit of mnnkind may carry tliem to that remote part of the world. Of thia union, we know severs] re- spectable instances at home, and it cannot be forgotten that Liuacre, the first president of ibie college, look orders in the latter period of his life, and died in the esercbe of those sacred ftinitiona."

We have taken the liberty to quote, thus largely, from the foregoing speech, because, coming from such a source, and delivered before such an audience, it shows that the amelioration of China, by the united influence of medicine and religion, occupies the atten- tion of the most learned, most pious, and most exalted in our land ; while it augurs well for the cause of that populous and interesting empire, being taken up gene- rally and vigorously by the people of this country. What Sir Henry has observed, respecting the union of the two offices, in one person, is appropriate and just ; where the practitioner of physic is able to fulfil the duties of the minister of the Gospel, we hail the com- bination with delight and satisfaction. The length of time, however, that is necessary to qualify persons for the successful and efficient discharge of the duties of both professions, woidd be unfavourable to the acqui- sition of the native language, which is not so easily attained after the meridian of life is passed; while some danger exists of former acquirements being for- gotten, during the years devoted to philological studies. Uy attempting too much, therefore, we may spoil all, and render our agents skilful in nothing. The division of labour in this, as well as every other dejiartment, will be adviseable, and excellencies of various kinds should be brought to bear on the one great objtxt. Let our medical men be eminent in their profession.

MEDICINE AND RELIGION. 543

and skilled in every branch of the healing art ; but let them, at the same time, be deeply pious, thoroughly imbued with a missionary spirit, and sound, though not profound divines. Then let them use their professional attainments only as a means to an end, and as soon as they can effect a residence, or gain any influence over the minds of the natives, let them consecrate every advantage to the diffusion of the Gos{)el. Our mis- sionaries, also, should not only t)e proficient in classical, theological, and biblical learning, but should have some acquaintance with medicine, so as to render very innK)rtant aid to their medical brethren. Such labour- ers, sent two and two, along the coast of China, may succeed, under the Divine blessing, in making a useful impn»ssion on that hitherto impenetrable countr}'.

l^et those, therefore, who have acquired the necessary qualifications, and whose souls bum with a desire to accomplish lasting and effectual good, consider, whether they can possibly devise an undertaking more likely to result in the purest gratification to themselves, the most extentive usefulness to their feUdw men, and the greatest glory to God our Saviour, than the object now proposed. The relief they would afford to suffering humanity, and the grateful acknowledgments which they would so frequently receive, must spread a delight through the mind, of which those only who know the luxury of doing good can have the least conception ; while the result of such labours, in tending to o^K'n the vast and populous .empire of China, to the efforts of missionaries, will be greater than any that could t>e produced by pious and philanthropic labours in any other jmrt of the world. Instead of t>enefiting a village, or a generation, such individuals would be the means

544 QUALIFICATIONS.

of blessing the greatest of nations, and that to the latest posterity.

Those who propose to engage in this undertaking, should be men of ardent piety and orthodox sentiments, willing to go forth, with the same views, and under the same regulations, as other missionaries. They should make the propagation of the Gospel the business of their lives, connect all their operations with a depend- ance on the Divine blessing, study accurately the native language, and embrace every opportunity of imparting religious instruction to their patients and others.

Besides having received a thorough medical edu- cation, and possessing extensive practical experience, the candidate for such an office should be fully informed on physiology and pathology, therapeutics and phar- macy, clinical and operative surgery, with obstetric medicine. Somp months might then be allowed him to devote himself to biblico-theological instruction, and the elements of the Chinese language; after which he might go forth, in the capacity of " the beloved physician,'' to evangelize and bless the nations.

CHAPTER XXII.

DESIDERATA FOR THE CHINESE MISSION.

TliAf48LAT10N OF TUB 8CK1P1TRE8 — D1PF1CULTIK8 IN TlIE WAY — BF- FORTS ALREADY MADE-NEED OF A REVISION— OPINIONS OF CIIINBHB CONVERTS — AND EUROPEAN STl'DENTS — RESOUTION OF THE BIBLE AND MISSIONARY 80C1BT1E8 — STEPS TO BE TAKEN— IMPORTANCE OF THE SUBJECT— aUNESE PRINTING— MOVEABLE T^ PBS— MODE OF PRE- PARATION — NECESSITY OF PUNCH-CUTTING — AND CASTING — DYER'S FOUNT — PARISIAN TYPE-FOUNDING— VARIOUS COST OF BU>CK, STONE AND METAL TYPE PRINTING — WITH THE ADVANTAGES AND DIS- ADVANTAGES OF XYLOGRAPHY — LITHOGRAPHY — AND TYPOGRAPHY — SUPERIORITY' AND IMPORTANCE OF THE LATTER.

Onk of the greatest achievements of the protestant mission to China is, doubtless, the tronslation of the whole Bible into the language of that countr)-. 'ITiis work will immortalize the names of Morrison, Milne, and Marshman, who being dead, yet S|)eak. In under- taking, however, to give the mind of the Spirit to the millions of south-eastern Asia, they attempted a great task. The first difficulty to be overcome was, the at- tainment of the language, which, for a long time, was considered beyond the compass of ordinary capacities to ac({uire; its numerous and complicated hieroglyphics, together with its extremely nice distinctions of accent, were sufficient to appal any but the most ardent and jK^rsevering minds. The fact of several thousand Chi- nese traders at Canton learning English, and scarcely an Knglish merchant there mastering Chinese, seemed

546

DIFFICULTIES IN TJIB WAY.

I

to indicate, that the latter language was vastly more unattainable than the furmer. This herculean task was, however, commenced, and the ability to speak and write in Chinese rewarded the toil of the first labourers. But familiarity with the language tended only to shew how widely it differed, in its whole structure, from that of the rest of the world. The Chinese having branched off from the great huraan family, very soon after the dispersion, and holding little or no intercourse with other nations, have grown up a distinct people, as isolated as if they had been the inhabitants of another planet. Their minds appear to have been cast in a different mould ; and (heir thoughts arranged in a manner peculiar to themselves. Uidikc the languages of Europe, that of China is hieroglyphic and monosyllabic, and " so devoid of grammatical construction, that it seems the very copy of the forms of thought expressed in signs by the deaf and dumb." Hence the diiSculty of translating from a foreign tongue into Chinese, and vice versa ; a difficulty felt only by those, who have attempted to make the writings of eastern and western nations mutually intelligible tu each other.

Again, the situation of China tends to increase the difficulty. Its inhabitants are utterly ignorant of the Gospel history, doctrines, terms, and allusions. Every feeling in the country is inimical to foreigners ; they suspect and despise barbarians, and repudiate what- ever emanates from countries beyond their own. Under these circumstances, to produce a version, that should be at once faithful and idiomatic, conformable to the original text, and yet inli Uigible to the Chinese, must be a matter of some difficulty.

EPPORTR ALREADY MADB. 547

This diilicult enterprise was, however, undertaken ; and in order to facilitate the attempt, Dr. Morrison took out with him to China, a manuscript copy of a Harmony of the Gospels, the Acts, and the Pauline Epistles, which he always ^^ stated explicitly^ was the foundation of the New Testament in Chinese, com- pleted and edited by him, with such alterations, as from the knowledge which he then possessed, he thought necessary."

A few years after his first arrival, he printed the Acts, and in seven years the whole New Testament was published. Being then joined by Ur. Milne, they proceeded together to the translation of the Old Testament, which in six years more was completed. ITiis they " gave to the world, not as a perfect trans- lation, but contemplated its improvement at some future ]>eriod, expecting that they should l)e able to sit down together and revise the whole." This exjxfctation was never realized, for in 1822, Dr. Milne died ; and though in subsequent years. Dr. Morrison made it his study to find out and correct errors in the version, yet, with the exception of some verbal alterations, it does not appear to have undergone any considerable improvement ; so that the New Testament remains substantially the same that it was in 1814, and the Old in 1820. Towards the decline of his life, how- ever, Dr. Morrison felt the necessity of a thorough revision, and pro|K)sed that his son should undertake that work, sustained by the American Bible Society. In the meantime, the venerable missionarv died, and Mr. J. U. Morrison succeeding to his fathers post, as translator to the sui)erintendents of British trade, had less time than before to devote to this object.

.548 NEED OF A REVISION.

Being the first EngliBh missionaries that ever at- tempted the study of this most difficidt language, and having been hut a few years engaged in it, hefore they commenced the work of translation, though much credit ie due to them, for the skill and perseverance displayed in the task, it is not to be supposed that they could at once produce a perfect version. All first efforts are ne- cessarily defective, and it will not apj)ear strange if this should be found capable of improvement. As, how- ever, the Chinese must be considered best acquainted with their own language, we shall here introduce the opinions of some of them respecting it ; not with the view of detracting from the praise justly due to the de- voted missionaries who led the way in this herculean undertaking, but in order to stir up their successors to equal diligence in improving what they have so laudably begun. The Chinese evangelist, Lcang Afuh, writing on the subject, says —

" The atyle adopted in the present vereion of (he scripturcB, is fnr from beuig idiomalic, the iranalatorH having sonictimeH used too iQCLny cWftctere, aud emjiloyed inverted and unuiiUEd phrases, hy whk'h the sense is obscured. The doctrinen of scripture arc in them- selves deep and mysterious ; and, if in addition lo this, the etyle hr dcflirult, men will be less likely to uiidcrstuid (he book, t un a Chi- nese, and know the style most auiled lo the Chinese mind ; let nt endeavour, therefore, to render the version more idiomatic.-, and Ihm print as many bouke as we please. The belief or rejection of the srriptures rests with those to whom we send ihem; but it b ourduty to render the sacred volume as intelligiblo as possible. Although I am a dull scholar, yel I know whether the style of a book be natiTc or foreign ; and perceiving the version to be unidiomalic, I feet the necessity of attempting its correction. I have, therefore, gow through some of the books of scripture, rejecting the redundail particles, and amending the inverted eipres»ions, with the faopr that my countrymen may ihe more readily comprehend them; tbtw tlm grace of God, in F:ending Jesus into (he world to s

VIEWS OP THB CH1NB8B. 549

will not be firuct»ted, and the kind intentions of Chmtianft in ooai« inuuicftting the Ooepel to the Chinese, will not be entirely in rain.**

Lew Tse-chuen, a Chinese literary graduate, and a Christian convert, writes in the following strain ; —

*' From the time that I first met with the holy book of God, I saw that it contained mysteriouK doctrinen, which could not be understood without deep attention. But the Chinese version exhibits a great number of redundancies and tautologies, which render the meaning obscure. Is it possible that the sacred books are in themselves thus stiff and unbending, or is it the effect of the translation ? When they are distributed among the people, I perceive that there is no un^illingiiesH to accept them, but failing to c*omprehend their mean- ing, they frequently throw the work anide. Like the flesh of do- mcHtic animals, though originally good for food, if presented in a raw state, it would not be tasted ; and if not tasted, its qualities would not be known : thus the Bible is not esteemed, because it has not been tanted ; and it has not been tasted, on account of its unfiniiihed style. I have frequently wished to correct the style of these books, that people at one glance may comprehend them, but I find it exceedingly difficult ; perhaps the best plan would be, to take the meaning of each chapter, and make another chapter of it, in an easy style, aAer the perusal of which, men would be able to under- stand the old \*ersion.**

Choo Tlh-lang, a Chinese transcriber, now in Eng- land, (whose portrait appears in the frontispiece) thus writes on the subject : —

** Having perused the present translation of the scriptures into Chinese, I find it exceedingly verbose, containing much foreign phraseology, so contnuy to the usual style of our iKxiks, tliat the Chinese cannot thoroughly understand the nH*aning, and frequently refuse to look into it. It ought to be known, that in the Chinese, phnuMs have a certain onler, and characters a definite application, which cannot be departed from with propriety. In order to iUustrate offences against kiiom, it may be obsened, that the Chinese are acx*ustomed to say, * You with me come along !* while the Euiflish nay, * You come along with me !* Now it appears to me, that the

650 OPINIONS OP EUROPRANB.

present version is in Chinese words, but in many respects uruiged according to English idiom. In a translation, the sense ou^t cer- tainly to be given, according to the original ; but the style should be conformable to native models : thus every one will take up the book with pleasure, and read it with profit. If the translation be not revised, I fear that the efforts of missionaries in China, will be unproductive, and a mere waste of money--will not this be lament- able ?"

Messrs. Dyer and Evans, of Malacca, are of opinion —

*^ That a revision of the Chinese scriptures is necessary, and that the late Dr. Morrison's glorious effort may be vastly improved upon for the benefit of China."

While Mr. Kidd, now of London University College, says —

" Were I to assert that there are no defects in the old version, I should excite unmixed wonder ; since it is a first version into a diffi- cult language, and must needs be susceptible of much improvement. Its chief imperfections are, a too literal adherance to the order of the orit^nal, where equal faithfulness might be secured, by a more idiomatic disposition of the words : and also inattention to some minutisp, in arranging antithetic words and phrases, to which the Chinese attach great importance. Sometimes by omitting or supply- ing a word or two, the euphony of the sentence could be improved, without impairing its fidelity to the original,'' &c. &c.

From the opinions and statements before quoted, it would appear that the revision of the Chinese version is an important desideratum, in aiming at the evange- lization of that great empire. The Committee of the Bible Society have therefore passed a Resolution, '' requesting the Directors of the London Missionary Society to take the necessary steps for procuring such a revision of Dr. Morrison s work, as appears to have been contemplated by the Doctor himself; with the understanding that, of a version thus revised, and duly accredited by them, all the reasonable expenses will be

RBSOLUTIONS OP THE 80C1BTIES. 551

defrayed by the Committee of the Bible Society.'* This Resolution bears date December 5, 1836, and having been discussed before a full meeting of the Directors, on the following February, it was resolved to ^^ take the recommendation of the Bible Society into their serious consideration, in the hope of securing a careful revision of the existing version, at as early a time as may be practicable/* Since then it does not appear that any effectual steps have been taken, though doubtless something is in contemplation, or in pro- gress. As a preliminary measure, the Directors may have requested some of their numlier, who are deeply versed in Biblical learning, to draw up a few principles of translation, which would be service* able, not only to the missionaries in China, but to all those engaged in evangelizing the heathen, in every part of the world. They may bring the subject earnestly and affectionately In^fore their agents, in the various stations, urging unanimity and co-operation, recom- mending them to ascertain the real character and genius of the Chinese language, and charging them to acquaint themselves thoroughly with the letter and meaning of Scripture, in order that they may express the truths of revelation in the most suitable, exact and idio- matic form. They may furnish their missionaries with all the necessary hel{)s, in this inii)ortant under- taking ; providing them with lexicons, polyglots, com- mentaries, illustrations, and the results of Biblical criticism on the several parts of Scripture, which have t>een published in this improving and enquiring agt\ 'ITiey may direct each of their missionaries to i)re|)are separate revisions, according to the best of their judg- ment, having respect to the known views of their coailjutors, and the wishes of the Bible Committee ; and

2o

552 IMPROVEMENT Of PIllNTlNa.

while they study fidelity in the first instance, aiming lo make it intelligible and useful to the Chinese; when al! is completed, they may authorize the missionaries to meet together, compare their several productions, in the presence of learned and converted natives, and decide upon the renderings to be adopted in each par- ticular passage. This done, they can recommend the whole to the Bible Society, and multiply copies equal to the utmost demands of ('hina.

Something has already been attempted, by several of the missionaries, as well as by the native converts ; but for want of a well-digested plan of combined co- operation, these efforts have been unproductive of per^ manent good. The subject is here brought forward, to invite the attention of the friends of China, and to press it on the consciences of all concerned in the evan- gelization of that empire, to unite in one determined and judicious effort, to make the word of God plain and profitable to a numerous people, constituting nearly one- third of the human race. When viewed in the light of eternity, this undertaking appears of incalculable magnitude, and nothing should be left undone, that would tend to the clearing up of God's holy word to so vast a portion of his intelligent and accountable crea- tures.

Next in importance to the perfection of the Chinese version of the Scriptures is, the improvement of the means of printing in that language. The native mode of printing has been described in a preceding chapter. It has, however, notwithstanding its simplicity, great disadvantages. These have been felt by the Chinese themselves ; and the emperor Kaug-he, in the year 1722, ordered an assortment of moveable types to be prepared, of copper, which he called " congregated

METAL TYPES PROCURED. 553

pearls ;" these were afterwards, in a season of necessity, melted down for coin, and two hundred and fifty thou- sand wooden types were cut in their stead.

Foreigners, seeking to introduce religion into China, or to communicate to their own countrymen some know- ledge of Chinese literature, have resorted to the use of moveable types. At the College of St. Joseph, in Macao, there is an assortment of such types, with which various religious works, and a Portugueze and CTiinese Lexicon, have been printed. When Dr. Morrison's Dictionary was put to press in Macao, it was found necessary to combine the Chinese character with the Roman letter, and for this end a steel mould was prepared, in which the bcxly of the ty|)e was cast, after which each separate character was engraved on the face of the metal, as needed. In this way, a complete assortment of Chinese types was obtained, suited for the printing of philological works, but not adapted for the publication of voluminous religious l>ooks, in Chinese. About ten thousand of these were selecte<l and sent down to Malacca, which were afterwanls greatly increased by successive ad- ditions, till the fount was sufficiently large for printing small tracts, and a few numbers of a native newspaper. Its unevenness and incompleteness, how- ever, have prevented its being brought into general use. The Baptist Missionaries, at Serampore, have cut or cast a fount of moveable types, sufficient for printing the Scriptures ; and several editions of the Chinese version, executed by them have been thus published. This fount, however, though of a small and convenient size, is not so elegant, uniform, and purely native as could be wished.

2o2

554

MODE OF OBTAINING TIIEM.

I

Another method of obtmning metal types wm m* vented by Mr. Dyer, who prepared a number of wooden blocks, and then causing a set of stereotype plates to be cast from them, each the height of common letter, he sawed the metal into squares, and thus obtained move- able metallic types, the very facsimile of the blocki He counted the number and variety of characters in fourteen authors, some historical, some moral, and gome foreign, in order to ascertain how many difTerenl symbols would be required. As the result he ascertamed, that three thousand two hundred and forty varieties would be necessary ; that of these the grealt-T number would occur only two or three times, while some would be met with several hundred times in the course of a few pages. Altogether thirty thousand types would be needed to constitute a fount, which would require two hundred wooden blocks to be engraved, some of which must have several successive casts made from them, in order to give a due proportion of each character.

Some objections were, however, found to this system: the chief of which %vas that the inferior material was made the basis of the superior. Engravings on wood, executed by rough artists, never could be so neat &s those made on metal. Giving to the soft texture of the wood, and the carelessness of the Chinese in cutting, some of the finer strokes of the character were imperfectly executed ; and then all the errors and defects, uncven- ness and discrepancies of the block were, in the stere- otyping, transferred to the plate, and finally a])]K;arcd in the separate type. Again, it was ascertained, that a fount would last only five or nix years, when it must be rc-cast, and the model I)locks be re-cii». So

PUNCU-CUTTING RKSORTKD TO. 555

that, after due and patient consideration, it was deemed adviseable to proceed at once to punch-cutting.

Mr. Dyers chief reason for this was, because a punch was the foundation of perpetuity: the punches once cut, matrices could be struck, and types and founts multiplied to any extent. The mass of the language was found to be about one thousand two hundred characters, for which punches might be made ; and the rest, occurring but seldom, might either be cut on the face of the metal, or stereotyped from blocks, in the way before described ; but there was every probability, if the work were once commenced, of our being able to form punches for all. A method was also devised for dividing the Chinese character, and joining the com- ponent parts of several symbols, so as to form distinct wholes. Some punches, it was ascertained, by a little alteration, could be made ser\'iceable for other charac- ters; so that the work of casting a complete assortment of moveable tyi)es did not appear so formidable, as was at first imagined.

The expense of preparing these punches tiuned out to be less than was apprehended. Instead of {mying a guinea for each punch, Mr. Dyer found that he could get a Chinese workman to engrave characters in steel, for about two shillings and ten pence each. Thus the cost of three thousand punches would be four hundred and twenty-five i)ounds ; and of casting one thousand pounds weight of metal type, at two shillings per pound, would only amount to one hundred {>ounds, for each fount of Chinese characters. So great were the advantages likely to result from this umlertaking, and so small the exi)ense, (only one-tenth of what Dr. Milne calculateil on twenty years ago,) that Mr. Dyer was

556 FOUNT PRODUCED BY DYER.

encouraged to proceed ; some friends in England and America raised considerable gums to sustain him, and he is now engaged in casting three or four complete founts of moveable metallic types, for the various missionary stations in the east.

Specimens of the types have been exhibited, and they are such as to afford entire satis^tion. The complete Chinese air they assume, so as not to lje dis- tinguishable from the best style of native artists, together with the clearness and durability of the letter, would recommend them to universal adoption. There is, however, one drawback upon their utility, and that iis, their size. They are cast on two-line pica, and will, of course, occupy much room. They are very little smaller than the characters employed in the octavo edition of Morrison's Bible, which amounts to twenty-one volumes; while Marshman's, printed in a smaller type, occupies eight volumes. Situated as missionaries are, on the borders of China, and aiming to introduce the Christian reUgion, by the quiet tUffusion of Scriptures and tracts, it is necessary, so long as the government opposes our efforts, and continues to account Christian books con- traband, that we should bring them into as small a compass as possible : both for the convenience of carriage, when voyaging along their shores, and for con- cealment, when the books are placed in the hands of the natives.

Another attempt to found Chinese moveable types has been made in Paris, under the direction of M. Pauthier, member of the Asiatic Society there. From some specimens of these which have been pubUshed, it appears, that they are much smaller than Mr. Dyer's types, being about the size of great primer ; and being

PARISIAN PROJECT. 657

cast by one of the most expert type founders in France, they are<, as it respects fineness of stroke, and exact- ness of height, superior to anything that Asiatic work- men can produce. The form of some of the cha- racters is a little stiff, and disproi)ortionatc, owing partly to inexperience, and partly to the attempt which the French have made, to split and combine the elements of various characters, so as to prevent the necessity of cutting a new punch for each separate symbol ; but on the whole they are exceedingly neat and handsome.

In the prospectus, which accompanies the specimen, the projectors ascribe the little interest which the study of the Chinese language has excited, to the want of native types, wherewith to publish Kuropean books, illustrative of that tongue. ^' The same difficulty,*" they say, '' existed in Sanscrit, before the munificence of the king of Prussia gave a fount of Sanscrit types to the learned world." They then proceed to observe —

** We deKirc to eiijoj the Mune adrmntage in the Chimwe, and Uiui enable all 8inolo|^e«, coUeget, and printert, to procure either a fount, or the cop[M*r nuUriceti of the t}i>e« we announce. M. Pau- thier, in order to encourage C^hinet^ literature, fonrn^d the de«ign of publinhing a translation of the pniit*ipal philosophical works of that country-, with the original text on the opposite page : and desircms of giving to these editions all the typographical perfection which can now be obtained in Europe, he addressed himself to M. Maroellin Legrand, who for the interest of , science, was willing to cut steel punches for two thousand of the most common Chinese characters, to be increased from time to time, as occasion might require. The dimension of these characters being only fauri^ren point* on each aide, the)* could be used with ordinary letter-press, without ix\juring the neatness of the page.

*' But it was not sufBi'i€*nt to have an elegant fount of (^hinese types, it was also necesHin' to find out a method of romposinir and disthKtiting ihrni. For this purpt>^r, the characters have been ar-

558

THE FOUNDERS REMARKS.

ranged under ihe two hundred and fourteeu mdicnlB of the ChisieM language, ca^h uiie huving the number g^veii to it in this clostilllciiiion cut in the niii, so as lo enable ihe printer, whatever in*)- be hi^ liegtee of intelligence, to compose Chinese, with as litlic difficulty as nunicrira)

Attached to a beautiful 8i)ecimeii of the characters engraved by him, M. Marcellin Legrand has the fol- lowing remarks : —

" Of all the languages in ibe known world, Ihe mosl difflcult Ut represent by moveable types, is, without controvcrej-, the ChinoM ; baling hitherto battled the most ekilful European typographers . The Chinese have detenuiiiud, itSlet Irving in vain to render each ot their numerous characters moveable, to retain their ptiniitive cn- gi'aving on iTooden blocks. Almost all the trials which have hitherto \MKn utadc in Europe, to engrave Chinese ebaracters, had in \iew the uniun of a (p'calu' or \em number uf those chwaclvni, wliich were moat frequently engraven on wood, without e\cr forming a rich and eomiDodioua fount. It was necessary, therefore, to make sometliing more complete and definite ; and tu eoh*e the pruUcm of reprcseutin^ the figuratiTC language of China, with tlie fewest puesibic elcmeuls, without, howe^ cr, altering the composition of tlie eyiubula,

" Under the direction of M. I'autliier, who baa obligingly OfisistoJ me in tie choice of models, I have. I believe, resolved this probleu, and have underlnken to engTa\t on sleet, and cast a complete fount of, tins most difficult language. The greater part of the Chinvae characters are compwed of two elements, one of which represeoU the idea, and the other the sound. The result of this very remariutbtc composition is, that by the combination of these two cleuMftls, m have been able considerably to reduce the number of punches, and to produce all the characters cont^ed in the imperial dictiunary of Kang-he, while the classification and comjKisition of the symboK has been rendered bs easy as possible."

These tyi)e8 are divided into three series ; first, a group of three ihoiiBand characters, sufticient for cum|ioBiug the works of Confucius ; secondly, a group of four thousand six hundred, by means of which the Bible, and the lUclionary of P. Baeile could be printed ;

EXPENSE OF BLOCK PRINTIHO. 950

4

and thirdly, a group of nine thousand, which by their combinations would produce characters enough for the Chinese Imperial Dictionary. The price of the first of these series is, three francs and a quarter, for each rough cop))er matrix ; for the second, three francs ; and for the third, two francs and a half: on the obtain- ing of which, tjrpes could be cast to any amount, for all religious and learned bodies. The engraver expects to have a set of matrices ready by the middle of 1838 ; and it is only for the benevolent public to supply the means, and we can obtain facilities for printing in two sizes of Chinese character, viz., that cast by Mr. Dyer, and the fount produced by M. Legrand.

Perhaps it may lead the friends of Christianity and education more readily to a decision on the subject, were we to state the proportionate cost of the diffea^nt modes of printing, which have been adopted for the ('hinese, viz., xylography, lithography, and tyi)ography. And in order to this, we must take a definite numlK*r of some large work, say two thousand copies of the CJhinese Bible, in octavo ; by considering the cast of which, as printed in wood, stone, or metat, we may be able to form a just estimate of the subject.

1 . By Block Printing, at Malacca :^ £. #. d.

The |»aMM4rt* of nine workmen, to and from China . . 711 0 0

Two Uiouaanil blocks, at £1. |>cr hundred 20 0 0

Tool*, joraver», &c 10 0 0

Traiii*cribing •2,GH9 i>age«, at W. per page 100 16 9

EntrravinK I,1G0,5I8 characten, at U. A/, per hundred 725 6 10 Printing and binding 5,378,000 pagea, at U. 8(/. per

thcniMnd 4-IS 3 4

Two hundred and ten pecult of pi^^^, ^t £2. lOjr. per

|M'cul 525 0 0

£i9oi^Ti

660 COST OF THE OTHER MODE&

The foregoing is the charge generally made for work done at Malacca, Batavia, and Singapore ; in China, the prices to Europeans are about two-thirds of the above; but as we cannot now print with safety at Canton, we are obliged to take the estimate of work done in the colonies. The time occupied in the above undertaking, by nine type-cutters, and five printers and binders, would be somewhere about three years.

2. By Lithography, at Batavia :—

For two lithogaphic presses, with stones 100 0 0

Materials, repairs, &c 100 0 0

Transcribing 2,689 pages, twice over, at 9d, per page . 201 13 6

Printing 5,378,000 pages, at 1^. per thousand pages . 268 18 0

Binding the above, at 3d. per thousand pages .... 67 4 6

Paper, the same as in the first statement 525 0 0

£1262 16 0

The above is the charge for printing by litho- graphy, at Batavia, where labour is cheap. The folding and collating would cost less for sheets worked off at a press, than for separate pages printed by the hand, according to the Chinese mode. The time occu- pied in the work, by one transcriber, four pressmen, and one binder, would be two years.

3. By T>T)ography : — £. s. d. Cost of three thousand punches, or matrices, furnished

by Mr. Dyer 425 0 0

Ditto of one thousand pounds weight of metal, at 2^. per

pound 100 0 0

One iron press, cases, furniture, &c 100 0 0

Composition of 2,689 pages, at 2^. per page .... 268 18 0

Printing 5,378,000 pages, at 6d, per thousand pages .134 9 0

Binding the above, at Zd, per thousand pages .... 67 4 6

For 168 peculs of paper, at £2. 10*. per pecul . . . 420 0 0

£1515 11 6

METAL TYPES THE CHEAPEST. 561

Mr. Dyer's types being somewhat smaller than those used in the octavo edition of the Bible, less paper will be required. If, however, the French types be used, not only will the original cost be less, but a saving of one half the price of paper be effected, llie time required for the punch-cutting cannot be precisely stated ; but supposing the types ready, the printing of two thousand copies of the Chinese Bible would occupy four compositors, two pressmen, and one binder, one year.

Thus the entire cost being reckoned, the balance will appear at first in favour of lithography, but per* manently in that of typography ; in addition to greater speed and superiority of execution. When the first two thousand copies are struck off, if executed by means of xylography, we possess a set of blocks adapted for printing the scriptures alone, already much worn, and capable of working only five more edi- tions, at one half of the original cost. If the work lye performed at a lithographic press, we possess after its completion, only the presses and the stones, very much the worse for wear. But if metal types be employed, we have, when the work is done, a set of punches and matrices, from which millions of types may be cast, sufficient to supply the whole world ; besides an iron press, and a complete fount of types, from which fifty more editions can be taken, at a lower rate, than that at which each edition could be printed from the wooden blocks.

We shall now subjoin a few of the advantages and disadvantages of the three systems, independently of the cost.

Of xylography, the advantages are — that it is suited

562 THE THREE METHODS

to the nature of the Chinese language ; while it po8< scsses all the advantages of Kuropean stereotype, ex- cept durdbiUty, It is adapted for printing in different forms and sizes of the character. It requires no com- plicated machinery, or expensive apparatus. The blocks once cut, need no further correction ; though they are capable of it, if necessary. New editions may be frequently printed without trouble ; and in travel- ling, a few blocks may be packed in a small compass, and printed from at every stage.

But the disadvantages of block-printing are, that it is not adapted for ephemeral works, or ndscellaneous pieces : neither is it calculated for expedition, in engrav- ing or throwing off copies. The same character must be cut over again, if it should occur ten thousand times. It is difficult, by such a system, to combine other lan- guages with the Chinese. The blocks, after a certain numlwr of copies have been struck off, are of no use but for fire-wood ; while they are liable to be destroyed by white ants, before they are worn out. In aikUtion to this, they occupy much room. The blocks for the octavo edition of the Scriptures would occupy sixty- seven cubic feet. If one block be lost or injured, the whole edition is spoiled, unless a tyjte-cutter be at hand, to supply the deficiency. By means of wooden stereo- type, the earliest and most inferior works of missionaries are perpetuated, when years of experience, and more extensive knowledge of the language, might enable them to produce something better. Besides which, the type- cutters are troublesome men, verj' difficult to be kept in order, and should they be prohibited from quittiug their native land, our work must come to a stand.

Of lithography, the advantages arc, — tliat small

COMPARRD. 563

editions may be printed, according to the demand, while erery successive edition is capable of improve- ment. Periodical publications may be struck off at a very short notice : and each small station might be furnished with a lithographic press, which a single individual could manage. Further, this mode of printing is adapted for any language, or any form of the character, while pictorial illustrations might t>e introduced, so pleasing to the natives of the east.

The disadvantages are, slowness of execution ; liabi- lity to fSftilure, on account of climate, ignorance, or inattention ; and the irregular appearance of a book thus printed.

Of typography, the advantages are, — that it is equally adapted to lai^ and small editions : the types are calculated to last long, and when worn out, may be re-cast, or sold for old metal. Metal types^ when well executed, appear much more beautiful than wooden blocks. By adopting this mode, we become entirely independent of the Chinese, in typography correc- tions and improvements are easy. Moveable metallic types may l>e combined with European letters in the printing of Dictionaries, &c. The space occupied by separate characters is not so great as the room taken up by wooden blodis. Nine symbols wnll fit into a square inch, and a frame one foot square will contain a thousand: thus four pairs of common printing cases will hold thirty thousand characters. The white ants cannot destroy metal types. The speed with which letter- press can be worked off is double that of wooden blocks; and there is a considerable saving of paper.

The disadvantages of typography are, that it would require an European printer, acquainted with the

564 SUPERIORITV OF TTPES.

I

Chinese language. Should unusual characters occur m the course of printing, or should the pages run upon sorts, the press must stop until the necessary characters can be cut or cast for the purpose ; while two sets of types will he needed, one lai^e and the other small, to serve for text and commentary. These, however, are procurable, the former at Malacca,and the latter at Paris.

'ITius, upon a review of the whole, it will appear, that printing by means of metal types is greatly preferable to every other method. The obtaining of them is easy. Mr. Dyer has nearly completed the engra™g of his punches for the large size, which he expects will cost about four hundred pounds ; after which he can furnish founts of three thousand varieties, and thirty thousand number, for one hundi'ed pounds each. The Paris printer will soon be ready with his matrices, in a smaller size, prepared with mathematical exactness, for the same money, from which as many founts can be cast as are required for missionary and educational purposes.

The religious and scientific public are perfectly able to provide both these sums, and a subscription for that purpose ought to be immediately begun. Furnished with metal types, and European presses of the latest construction, we can produce Scriptures and tracts to any amount, equal to the most enlarged wishes of the religious pidjlic. by which a reading people may he fiir- niahed with the means of evangelization, and China be gradually brought acquainted with the Gospel. This is one of the most important objects that was ever presented to the attention of the Christian world, wliich, if left undone, for the want of a few hundred pounds, will occasion the expenditure of thousands, in

MISSIONARY SHIP. 566

order to get the same quantity of work accomplished by the present mode. China is open to the distribution of books ; the myriads inhabiting the maritime provinces are ready to receive the word of life, and the lever that shall move this moral world is undoubtedly metal-type printing.

Having obtained the means of multiplying books, with speed and neatness, we next require increased fa- cilities for circulating them. With an archipelago studded with islands, a line of coast thousands of miles in extent, and hundreds of commodious harbourSt we have a field for operation larger than any which the whole world presents elsewhere. To avail ourselves of the native craft would be dangerous, to sail in opium- smugglers inconsistent, and to hire ships on the spot, exiKjnsive. The only alternative is to have a vessel devoted entirely to the object ; but as we have before alluded to this matter, we shall not now enlarge, further than to obser\'e, that by recent intelligence it appears, that the result of the effort made in America in 1835, on this subject, is the fitting out of a vessel for one year, by which it is supposed, the sum of five hundred ))ounds has been contributed to missionary objects. The voyage referred to has been made, and the year is now expired, so that at present no vessel is on the ground, nor any certain conveyance available to missionaries, who wish to carr}' the Gospel along the shores of China, Cochin-China, Corea, and Japan, with the islands and countries scattered throughout the yellow, (*hina, and Java seas. Is it too much to say, therefore, that increased facilities for circulating scrip- tures and tracts are included among the desiderata for the Chinese mission i

5GG CONCLUDING APPEAL.

In conclusion, the author would earaestl^ appeal In the benevolent and devotional feelings of the Christian public. Funds, of no ordinary amount, are needed for this great object ; and shoidd be given with an un- sparing hand. If missionaries wUl subject themselves to much personal risk and inconvenience, for the sake of the cause, surely it is not asking too much of those who enjoy the ease and gratification of home to con- tribute of their substance to the accomplishment of the same end. Let the rich and the poor, in this respect, meet together, and each one consecrate of his sub- stance, according as God hath prospered him, in sums proportionate to the magnitude of the object, and the amount of personal responsibility and obligation. And oh, if ever, the fervent and importunate cry of the sympathizing Christian should ascend to God, oil behalf of a lost and degenerate world, if ever the dis- ciples of Christ should pray " thy kingdom come," then how incessant and earnest should be the suppli- cations of modem beUevers on behalf of China. Time was when ignorance of their state, and inability to reach them, might have led Christians "to restrain prayer" on their behalf; but now that their real con- dition is set before the pidilic mind, and the mode of benefiting them plainly pointed out, who is there, that longs to " see of the travail of the Redeemer's soul," that can withhold his strong crying and tears, on behalf of a class of nations constituting within them- selves one third of the human race, and one half of the heathen world.

APPENDIX, No. I.

A BRIEF SKETCH

OF

CHINESE CHRONOLOGY,

ACCORDIXO TO NATITB DOCUMIXTf.

FABULOUS PERIOD.

Pwan-koo, was produced aAer tlie fin»t division of beaven and

earth, and the settlement of chaos. Teen Hwantc-shc, ** Imperial Heaven/* settled the years.^* His rule

lasted 18.(KX) yi*ars. Te Hwang.she, '* Royal earth/* fixed the months. — His rule lasted

18,0<K) veam. Jin Hwang-she, ** Sovereign man,** divided the land.— His rule

lasted 4<5,(>C)0 years. Yew.rhaou-she, the inventor of dwellings.— Gen. iv. 20. Suy-jin-she, the inventor of fire.

TRADITIONARY PERIOD.

Fuh-he, tau^t hunting and fishing, invented the diagrams and music, and established marriage. He was assisted b)* a female called Wa; probably Chawab, or Eve.— Gen. iii. 20.

Sbin-nung, taught husbandry and medicine.— ^en. iv. 2.

Hwang-te, invented the cycle, and letters, discovered the silk-worm, made implements and boats, and wrought in metals.— Gen. iv. 2.

Chun-kAh. About this time, divine and human personages miied together, and produced confusion.— ^f en. vi. 2. Te.kwflh.

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APPENDIX, No. II.

LIST OF BOOKS

CANTON AND MALACCA.

			>-.wr«__;
			pcri.
Acu of tba Apostle* .	Morrison	IBIO	8to.	65	1,000
Luke	Do.	1811	8vo.	60	lOO
Paaline EpuUes	Do.	1813	J'\	156	50
	Do.	1811-19	8»o.S 12mo.	6	ia,iso	-
	Do.	181M9	Do.	30	7^
New TeflMmenl	Do.	1813	8.0.	537	3,000
Genesis	Do.	1811.19	8vo.	125	■l<xa
Psalim	Do.	1814		148	500
y|u.ri Abstrart	Do.	1814	8vo!	1	1,800
Kttruwi.il l,i>i«,T	Milne	1814	12mo.	3	2.000
LllVnjfChliM	Do.	l(i|4-19	evo.	70	1.5O0
01JTc>l»mi:iii HiBtury	Morrison	1815-19	Bvo.	9	3.900
New Ti',lim,-nl	Do.	1815-19	12mu.	537	3,420
Chinese Msgaiiiic	Mllue	181S	12nio.	33	725
Uo.		1816	12mo.	73	815
D«.		1817	12nio.	83	600
Do.		1818	12mo.	81	500
Du.		1819	12mo.	84	1.000
Do. .		18'20	12mo.	84	2.000
Do,		1821	12rao.	8G	2,000
Do. (odd noH. vahoiu yean)		181&-13	12mo.	7	25.860
SIrait Gate .	Do.	1816-33	12mo.		5,500
Trati ou Lvinc	Do.	1816-19	12mo.	7	5.800
New Tc!itaiiip[|t	Morrison	1S17	12mo.	537	100
Y<iuil.'s<:>iM-him .	MilDC	1817-19	12mo.	37	6,600
Hjinn Book	Morriion	iBi8-aa	12mo.		5U0
Liturgy .	Do.	1818	18nio.		401)
Mi8cell*ncoui Esnyg .	Do.	1818	12ino.		2.000
Toutofthe WiTlii .	Do.	1818	8vo.	29 37
EipneilLuu 4'f till' Lord'a Prayui .	Miluc	1818-19	l2mo	1,900
Ttict on Idolatry	Do.	1818-19			8.500
Traot on Jitslii-e	Do.	1818-19		lu	7.500
Twelic Sliort Sermons	Do.	1818-19	12mo.	13 91	13,000
DeulAronomy	Do.	1818.-20	12mo.	600
Joshua'	Do.	1819-20	12II10.	61 148 136 13	600
Psalms		1819-20	12mo.	600
iMiah	Do.	1819	I'imo.	800
Trail i.ii Oamblinp	Milni-	1819	lamo.	6.000
Dialogue .	Do.	1819;i2mo.	20	2.<KW
		injiac

LIST UK BOOKS.

577

>— ^>^	,-^.	'.^	«..	5TS.	"SSI"
Broucbifurwunl					ia4.390
»»a«i ni»h.rf	Uilnc	M9	12ao.	Tl	Z,5UU
Trmrt on ('klunitjr	Do,	1H19	12nH>.	13	a.ww
	M»lhiu*l	1619	1-imu.	-i7	i,i«i
Mlarvllwiiiuu'i Kuan ,	A»h	If.19	l-2mu.	37	■i,t«i
St«T«<Uuu«m	MuITUOD	IH-JU	13m<^	U7	500
Biodiu	tv.	I***	lam.;..	lot	UIU
Lnka uid iNUtti	Mftruuti	IKW	limo.	)U6	H»
Th/B. Pe»rl.	MllM	iH-il	I'iou.	S3	1,UU0
Jn<D>.h	MorriMn	|8-A 1 liiuu.	l&l
Eifkicl	Do,	I»n 1 l-iniM.	133
Hrnn Hook	l)u.	ipn	lim...	50
SkMcb of the Wvctd	I>».	l»il	bTO.	la
Hilnv	iMii	l'Jnu>.	a)
New TMtMnmi	M»m«w	IBM	lime.	a.i;	1,UUV
TirIu'i «ud l^tiuu .	Uu.	iNa4	l-imo.	178
Capkt> Bib).	Miluo	lew	l:im<^.	3889	m
	U..mMD	iKi4	I-Adu.	U7	auD
Miln*	IfW		70	MM
Uomwo	IHM		M	1.000
	CoUla	INW	B.o.	5u	LMW
BivwB'. CWwhuni ,	CuLSiudmii	IfU	I'jRIO.	II)	1.MU
»h«rt Trwu	c«iu«	lou	fuUu	»	l,uuu
funnit'iiCaty un Ephnuiu	UUne	im		/	SumVm
IWT^aibrScul' .	Do.	i»>2a	IW	i>niiud
ChtitUui 9.-hool H»oh	CulUc	IW	1-Jdw.	lOlU-
Do.	im		s	IVfUiD-
PuruU to Urn flcniui&n	Du.	II--A	1-Zmo.	rd.
AJUumimlcU Ctlechlim	Do.	IH'JS
	Do.	i)>a5
D..			i-
Slwrt Trtrt*	D...			I3.(IU0
BwwiijCttecliuw	ttlUdtMU
IItdu B<x.k
Cumplrle BiUn		i^3fi	Bii.	iavj	131
		im-x		b3J	3uO
Tm«		1X3G	13mo.	3U	3.600
Sh-iot Tr»i-t» InUtMlactiun tu tho BcHpturM .		IKJG	f»Uo	1	ll.WU
Co»»kU&lUM /	M<.r,4HUnv	l»-i7	g*a.	3689	37a
|a£:«s<«», :	Uurrwua	1-^	l3mo.		U.6U0 'i4.tul>
	MillM	!•*«	lllB».	■m	MO
MciTiwn Du	IW7 ls3u	fboa. [•tato.	im im W7 S7 17» -jmi	1.400 100 l.<HW I.UOO
Trmcu (nnuiu)		IkHI	\tm.'	•10	I3.IU)
tlctipiurr I..-WM		IKTJ	fla-.	l-'K>	iUD
	Do. 4 Miln.'	IKIS		3G»!l	Ian
	MilBP			tu 30	UOD

578

LIST OF BOOKS.

Names of Rooks.	Authon.	Wl»en Printed.	She.	Number ofl'mgM.	Number of Oofaes.
Brought forward					229.492
Life of Christ, in rhyme	CoUic	1832-3	12mo.	20	800
Com. on the Lord's Prayer	Milne -	1832-3	12mo.	37	2,000
Village Sermons	Do.	1832	12mo.	70	500
Milne's Four Tracts .	Do.	ia32-3	12mo.	40	3,500
Three Character Classic	Medhurst	1832-3	12mo.	17	1,200
Domestic Instructor .	Morrison	1832	8vo.	400	100
Com. on the Ten Commandm^ts	Medhurst	1833	8to.	90	2,200
Scripture Extracts ^ .	Collie	ia33	12mo.	50	800
Strait Gate	Milne	1823	I2mo.	10	1,000
Catechism			•	20	100
Comparative Chronology	Medhurst	1833	8to.	30	1,000
Prayers and Hymns .	Morrison	1834	18mo	66	10,000
Sheet Tracts	Do.	1834	folio	1	60,000
Separate Gospels	Do.	1833	12mo.	60	1,000
Tracts and Books	Various	1834	12mo.	20	10,000
Whole Bibles	Mor. &'Milne	1835	8vo.	2689	600
Testaments	Morrison	1835		537	150
Single Gospels	Do.	1835		60	17,800
Tracts	Various	1835		20	40,956
Whole Bibles	Mor. & Milne	1836	8vo.	2689	573
Tracts	Various	1836		20	66,698
450,469

LIST OF BOOKS PRINTED AT BATAVIA.

W. H. MEDHURST,

IN THE CHINESE LANGUAGE.

1.—.,^	r!!!;:!	>^^^	«	i=.r=x-|
Monthlj HMMioB	1(IV3-3G	Xylography	8....	6	(MfHlO
ChM-* Prim«	lKi5-3(i	i>i.	I'imo.	14	law
Ili.torT..rj.T.	iNis-ai	I>u.	tl*o.	86	i.(i»
ICM-M	Do.	tiro.	JU	3,M7
Tn<.'luailivKi!«Yru	lH'J)^.-t4	Do.		7	Z<WO
F-Bl »f tbo ToBh. .	lS*i-3l	Do.		7	'iJtlO
SkfiiHt. of Jew	l-JMS	Do.		7	7.000
On Fctdiiv Ibc lih-i.	isafrAi	Do.		6	I^H
	iwa>.t3	Do.		5	Z935
KipuKilmn (if tbr Muni Law .	iKK^ib	Do.	ftvo.	911	a.S«3
Vuiinu RpprinW	iw;	Do.		18	13.000
Thrcr CharariPT rlKMir	lH>-3i	Do.	Uti..	i;	S.310
MbHxUuiHtui Pill'.-* .	|s>^ Uu.	8>o.	50	3.37S
	lH»uW Oo.	»vo.	«	1,100
Ilu Walkinic uTer ihc Fire	lew 1 D...	Itao.	&	500
Oh W»lki.4[ ..TPr lb« Kir.-		I'Jmo.	8	l.SOO
\ari..u> H.'iirinU	is-ia 1 Do.	Hyi..	M	3.000
\.ri..-.M4»m.	IKW Xylupaphy	hvo.	»t	4.0IKI
	lHW-35 ' D...	(•Tn.	3U	4.453
ViIU(V S-RDiilU	iNW-aa 0,..		39
lmp.irtoHi !<.'lcrii.>ni .	l»OI 1 D.K	8rn.	33	S«U
C..mf,i ..I M«k	DOS , LiibuFiAPhy		3!>	l.UUU
S<L..>1 H-l	l>V>^ , Do.	I'Ci.	11	l.-JUl
	l»2» D.>.	*•*•:	41)	I.UdU
A-rmMf-n r«l»h>.D	IKl-J D.>.		'Al	3IU
Hrnpdin' I'rintu			19	I.IMNI
Thr t>ninp Aiinhuti'*	1KB D^. "^ ' IK31 l><t.	1*B..,	l<l()	3.1MI0
Tlip Fall uxl HiH-...i-rv «r Han	I-Jino.	llHi	l.(M)
IIarni.«T 'if Iho ll.»|«'li <>., the HrinRora ti-A	la-u-sfi n.>.		Wt	3.(W0
iHll Do.	.lami..		4.500
IX THE M	AL.W LANGIAGE.
CatM'hwni n( NaliiK .	mia	I.>l]li.fTBl>hy h\n.	113 WO
U.llo. RuMU rharerli-r	1(135	T>«.«npJiy limo Lilh<.|CT*phy It^no.	M 1 1,350
Mrttpiure Calwhi-m. by Mn. M.	1K32	a<H 1.1100
Dill... H<.in<ui rhancirr	IW	lis^^y't::	lli 1 I..«IU
Inii'Kluili.'ii to thr Hi-npliinv	i-il	.12 1 n»
S.-h'tn. if Chruliau Dx^iiiUc	1^13	Do. * ' ; (..,..	;■; ' 1.0U0
M*lBf l'niii.-r	i-ai	l>o, 1.11..	M< , son
	iKll	Do. Mo.	{"« 1 l.i««
.Srar-h f'li 8iD	IKtt	D... Ct...	*i vm
Dill... H.imu rbaiarlrr	IM.1	Tyforifhy llfm... L<iti'>r*i>i'; »""	A« 1 ^IKM
Prf u»><> lo Puhlir Wonhip	IMS	» , 953
		les.w

580

LIST OF BOOKS.

Tracts printed at Batavia, written by irarious Authors In Malay, by Mr. Thomsen.

Nuan of Books.

WKen rrintvd.

Hoir Printed.

KlHl

Malay Prayer . 18S8

Good News for the Sons of Adam 1835

Catechism . . 1835

Parables . 1834

Life of Christ . 183M

School Book . 1834-6

In Malay, by Mr. Robinson.

Way of Salradon . 1828-33

Upon Book . 1834

Life of Bunyan, Roman char. . 1834

Geography . 1835

Arithmetic, Roman character . 1835

Lithognphy

Do.

Do.

Typography

Lithography

Do.

Sto.	S
8to.	96
8to.	18
8to.	84
8to.	45
8to.	84

Lithography

Do.

Typography

Lithography

Typography

8vo.	48
18mo.	98
18mo.	48
BTO.	94
18mo.	56

In Javanese, by Mr. Bruckner.

aoo

2.000 1,000 1,000 2,000

asi

1,800 500

i,aoo

1,250

In Malay, by the Sourabaya Societ}'. Dutch and Malay Catechism | 1834 t Typography | 18mo. | 60 | 500

In LettincRe, by Mr. Luyke.

Lettiuesc Catechism . . | 1830 | Typography 1 18mo. t 8 I 500

On the Divine Attributes Catechism of Nature . On the Gospel Plan On the Son of God Three Javanese Tracts

ia34 1834 1834 1834 ia35

Typography

Do.

Do.

Do.

Do.

12mo.	24
12mo.	124
12mo.	28
12mo.	58
12mo.	90

3.000 1,000 2.000 1,500 3,000

191,39<

LIST OF BOOK8.

581

LIST OP BOOKS PRINTED AT PEKANG.

Malty Paoiui, by a K ttiro

Ditto CatechiMD, by Mr.

Ditto Hymns

John Knill (MaUy) .

RcUfioD of the Bible (ditto)

Fourth Commandment (ditto)

Ten Commandmenu (ditto)

Be«titttdeo (ditto)

Beliere on the Lord Jeeui (ditto)

Trmrt on Hi^aren (Chinene), Mr. Dyer

Scripture Leieone (ditto)

Ba«y LeM«>n« (ditto)

Pint LevKma for Schooln (dittu)

Matthow Ti. and rii. (ditto)

Scripture Catechism (24 pages) Malay

Abdullah and Sabat ditto

Life r>f Christ (36 pafes) ditto

The Mystery, by a Natirc ditto

Malay Sheet Tract .

MX) 15U0 1500

1835 2000 15U0 3000 KNX) 1500 MM) 2000 1000 2000 700 3500 WIO 7(100 1200

1836 2000

50(N) 3l),900

1500 1000 1000 1500 1000

MUM)

SIMM) 5,UI0

43,<I0U

LIST OF BOOKS PRINTED AT SINGAPORE.

1824. A Selection of Hymns, in Malay. A Spellinfc B«>ok, !>«>.

A System of Arithmetic, Do.

1825. The G«)(ipcl of Matthew. Do. Assembly's Catechism, Do.

1826. Malay TraiHs

1827. Watu's First Catediina. Malay. School LcsBuos, D«i. Three Tracts, Do. Missionary Hymns, in EngUah. Malay Hymns.

A Bufqruese Tract.

1828. A new Malay Do. in the Roman character. Two Ditto, Arabic div Watu'ii First Catechism, in Malay. School Lessons, Do.

1H29. Malay TracU .

Scripture Tickets, Do.

Abdullah and Sabat, Do.

Sermon on the Motmu Do.

Good News for the Children of Adam. !>•».

1830. Malay New Tesummt Matthew, in Malay

1831. BuitfTursr Tract Three Malay !>••. One SiameiM* !>•>. Three Schmd Bixtks, in Malay.

1832. Srireral Malay Tracts reprinted.

1833. Six Malay Do. Two BuQuesc D«t.

25.00iJ

KOOO 4.UIII

^OiW 2,t)0U 500 6.«I00 1.000

15,(^10 _3.«lll0

<X>,UlO

582 LIST OF BOOKS.

Many of the works printed at Malacca, Penang, and Singapore, have not been regularly reported, or the record of the work done is not to be found in this country ; so that it is difficult to ascertain, at this dis- tance, the number of pages, or the quantity printed of several publications specified in the foregoing lists : still, as far as the account can be made up, it appears that there have been printed, from the year 1810 to the year 1836,

At Malacca and Canton .... 450,469 books and tracts.

AtBatavia 191,394 „

AtPenang 43,900

At Singapore 66,000

751,763

Including 2,075 complete Chinese Bibles, 9,970 New Testaments, and 31,000 separate portions of Scripture ; with 2,000 Malay Testaments, and 2,000 separate Gospels in the same language. If the number of pages of each work be reckoned, with the amount printed off, it will be seen that the brethren in the Ultra-Ganges missions have issued from their presses, in those regions, upwards of eight million pages of religious publications in the Chinese and Malayan languages.

roNDON :

rBtirrrn bt a. tiMPtox, wabwkk lakk,

rATvitvc«T«ft now.

The bonuwer must leiurn this item on or before Ihc lasl date stamped below. If another user ptiiccs a recall for this item, the borrower will be DoUficd of the need for an earlier reiura.

Non-rtceipl ofovtrdue notices does not exempt the borrower from overdue fines.

Hanurd (_'oll«i;e WIdener Library CatnbHdg«. MA 02IJK 617-«95-2413

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