The Sun. — London, England, 1842-11-30 00:00:00

sources. For a period of many centuries China and its people reppar to have remained jealously secluded within the gaits oF their own territories, and the pale of their own inltiPttions. Intercourse with foreigners, from the ear list times of their history, seems scrupulously to have been avoided ; and though anciently, it is supposed, that they in some slight measure traded with the Pharoalts, that they sent some of their silks and perfumes to Sa baeo and Sesostris, that they corresponded with Ame nophis, and sent a bill of lading to the younger Menes ; yet. these few instances are rather conjectural than cer tain, mid may be set down in the light of exfraordinary exception:; to what was otherwise an undeviating rule. Iry:todorn times the same disposition has reigned quite as ;absolutely as regards their bearing towards Euro - peons, who, except by their own intrusiveness and per se,!'enttnee, which has in repeated cases been checked by the " flowery natives of the Celestial Empire," have never been able to become acquainted with more of the circuits of this " kingdom and its provinces" than with a few straggling specimens near the quays and custom housesnf Canton and Macao. Preserving thus, from time immemorial, their inde pe4dence and their institutions, - and tenaciously adhering to ilicir own religion, habits, and customs, in spite of at ter -pts at innovation by the Missionary and the Jesuit, the people, while E arope, in common with other parts of Asia, hal been shaken by rapid changes, political commotions, tumultuous revolutions, have remained in apathetic quiet ; the other kingdoms of the world have been con vulsed with tempests, while no wave of its turbulence ha ma le the slightest pressure on their shores. So long as confined to themselves, and uninterfered with by foreigners or intruders from without, so long this most singular of the Asiatic nations sustained itself in a state of permanent stability, characterised by a calm, orderly, and unmoved tranquillity. This ancient and long enduring state of things is now about to be disturbed, and the revolution which will be et cted in this respect is mighty. A large family of the human race, which for oenturies has been isolated from the rnst, is now about to miter with them into mutual intercourse. Vast hordes of population, breaking through the ignorance and superstition which has for ages enve.. loped them, will now come out into the open day, and enjoy the freedom of a more expanded civilization, and upon prospects immeasurably grander. The mighty extension also, on the other hand, of the political and commercial influence of England, is almost as enormous am.l unequalled as the most ample imagination could desire. The expectations of a nation have rarely been opened to more magnificent and glorious views. CHINA DIVIDED INTO PRO- VINCES. Earth's Kingdoms and their glory Ms eye might there command, wherever stood City of old or modern fame, the seat Of mightiest empire : from the destined walls Of Cambalu, seat of Cathaian Khan, And Samarcand, by Oxus. MILTON'S PARADISE LOST, b. xi., 1. 386. By the Emperor Xuntis all China was divided into twelve provinces ; but the Yva, who succeeded him, about 9.60 years before the time of our Saviour, reduced site whole empire into nine provinces, which then, how ev:2T, comprehended only the northern parts of China, buying for their confines the river Kiang. But when the mon:hern parts had been gained by conquest, the whole t44;dozn of China was divided into fifteen provinces ; 9Me then it has been subdivided into eighteen. The sovereignty of the Emperor of China over these provinces extends thus, according to its division, into smaller ea- greater cities :—The whole empire is slimmed up into 145 capital cities, which, says a learned writer, " outshine all the rest both in greatness and glory." These cootain 1,331 small cities, amongst which 143 may be mitared, in magnificence, beauty, and people, with any of the chief Besides these there are thirty-two great cities more, which are not subject to any other, 3 k.c.have not the title of capital, though they command over thirty-six small cities. In addition to these there are three cities more, for the officers and commanders of tha-militia to dwell in. The forts and castles are -1 59 , beaides which there are seventeen great garrison cities, anif silty-six small garrison towns, which are never with: oat; full companies and soldiers. The Chinese poll or register-book, in which is exactly sat; down the number of the people of each province (e4etiettiose of the Royal family) shows the population to 4inonnt to 195,000,000 persons. The accuracy of this stalement is made out by the custom adopted in the c:)iiintry for the express purpose of a correct census. Every master of 'a family is obliged, under a great penalty, to hang out a little board over his door, upon wi:lch he is obliged to set down the number of his hmisehold and their condition. And, to prevent all fraud, mid is appointed over every tenth house, whom they call Titang, which signifies the tenth man, or Tither : his office consists in taking an account of the number of the persons upon the board ; and if the master of the family fail to make• it known truly, his business is to acquaint the Governor of the city with the abuse. TAXES PAID BY THE PROVINCES. No man possesses a foot of land in the whole empire without paying to the Emperor something out of it, so that it ceases to be a matter of wonder that over and above the common expanses which are made upon the account of petty viceroys, and military officers, there are more than three score millions of crowns brought yearly into the Emperor's coffers. The whole sum amounts to 150 millions of crowns, of which the Emperor has voluntary disposal, but the money is brought into the treasury, and if the King at any time desires a supply, the treasurer, on being written to, is not to deny the payment of it. • The provinces bring in yearly in taxes 3,227,447 bags 0/ rice, and one hag is enough to serve 100 men 1;r one d a y ; .100,949 pounds of raw silk ; 12,436 rolls of cloth, made of hemp ; 36,770 bales of cotton ; 91,730_ rolls of wrought silk. But the city of liu-eheu buys off this tax yearly for the stun of liva hundred thousand crowns. The provinces bring in likewise 1,794,261 weight of sa l t, c acti weight being reckoned at 124 pounds;amount in.in all to 187,683,364 pounds ; 32,418,627 trusses of hay and straw fur the King's stables, besides ail other taxes. PROVINCES ON THE SEA-COAST " The Cathaian coast."—Milt. Par. Lost, b. x., I. M. The border provinces of China, of which there are eleven, four being inland, and seven on the sea-coast, are the grand fences ankl strong securities to China. All the inland border is surrounded by territories subject to the imperor, except the west and south-west of Yun-nun, and there is no great danger of invasion from that quar ter, the Burmese power being very inferior to that of (ihina. It is thus only from the sea that Cbina is at all vulnerable ; and a naval array only can annoy andinjure the► towns and cities on the coast. We now proceed to trace the frontier provinces of the cfmrire,o u the sea-ward side, and point out their leading cha.razt:.,,rs CONTAINING itmcm. TOTAL POPULATION, 27,990,871. te-tche-le is the most northerly province of the eattpice ; it extends from 38 deg, to 401; deg. north ; its boundaries are, the Imperial Sea and Charn-bung on the east, 110-nan on, the south-west, Cian-si on the west, and Chinese Tartary on the nortla- . Besides Pekin, the capital, it contains nine cities of theth.st class, forty of the second, and 103 of the thir.l. Its surface is estimated at 58,763 square miles. It ha.s few mountains, and great part of the land is only two or three feet above the level of high-water in the t.,aial rivers. The tide on this part of the shore being a b.:,y-tisle, and one which is mach retarded by - islands, does not give a rise of more than ten feet in the gulf ; the consevence is, that the rivers are navigable for long d'iAtcoces in comparison with their magnitude. The p, as an instance of this, is a tidal river for 110 xuii-e inland of the bay; but there is a bar at the mouth, .attsiflo the bar the water is only two fathoms deep. • 11. CHAN-TONG. TOTAL POPULATION, 28,938,760. The cities of this province are—l. Tsi-nan-fou ; thi s ca:it.al is not built near the GreAt Canal, yet, all its trade is t1,1_ 14 0 it ; about a league from it, is a large vilhtge ea. l l:• , T - Levu-Beau, on the banks of the river T:sing-ho. which runs into the Imperial Canal, and by which all the merchandise of this town is conveyed to it : it is a large and populous place, and there are several lakes within its walls, from which canals have been made through the tits : there are within its district, four cities of the second orchr, attd. twenty-six of the third in some of its moun t•tins are iron-mines. 2. Yen-tcheou-fou ; the territory deponuing upon this capital is enclosed between two considerable rivers. It has twentseven cities within its jt:risdiction, f our of p the second order, and twenty three of the third. Tei-nie-tcheou, one of them, seated in the midst of the Great anal, is one of the most .con siderable marts of the empire. Tchai Chan, is the birth :Vit.; t,,... n i ac etr Confucius. 3. Tong tcharw-fou ; on the banks ' ,7, geta4-0 . 1;2 4 ttt Can„al, and of great trade : it has three cities . -- - (a-m rs oconcl order, and fifteen of the third. One of ies . t • Lin-tsin-tcheou, has extensive glass-works • coasiderable for its trad e , an d i t is there that joins the river Pei-ho. 4. Tsin-tchou tliti-17,7.—',;-.1-'/44inous, and well watered with r i vers ; it has • he second, and thirteen of the third order >jurisdiction. 5 . Ten - tcheou - fou ; this city i s V a NEW CHINA SUN. The splendid advantages which the Treaty of Peace concluded with China will, without doubt, open up to England, place her at this moment in a truly elevated position. With the highest exultation and devout thank fulness has the news been received throughout the king dom, not only on account of the military successes by which it has been preceded, but because further bloodshed is stopped, and because the honour accrues to British arms alone, of opening a mighty empire andits resources, to ourselves, and the other nations of the globe. Of this ancient and magnificent empire, with its mighty marts of commerce, ids superb cities crowded with industrione inhabitants, its means of traffic and communication, the nature of its vast territories, together with its past and present history and statistics, the subjoined columns have for their object to unfold a large body of explanatory and useful information, derived from the most authentic built on the sea-shore, and has a very convenient har bour, with a strong garrison, and several vessels which guard the gulf : within its district are eight'' cities ; one of the second order, and seven of the third ; part of these cities are on the continent, the others are sea-ports. 6. Lai-tcheon-fou ; built upon a promontory, surrounded by the sea on one side, and by mountains on the other ; it has two cities of the second order. and five of the third, within its jurisdiction, some of which stand by the sea side,, especially Kiao-tcheou, the situation of which renders it almost impregnable. 111. KIANG-TM:I', CONTAINING NANKIN. TOTAL POPULATION, 37,843,501. The modern province of Kian-tsu is bounded by Shen-se on the east, Sze-chuen on the south, Tartary on the west, and the Great Wall on the north. The Yellow river flows northward across it. Its capital is a fine city, and once contained an imperial palace. In addition to Nankin, 1. (which we notice else where), there are also in the cities of this province 2. Sou-tcheou, which enjoys so delicious a climate and soil, that the Chinese books have the old proverb, " Pa radise is above, but below is Sou-tcheou." It has six gates by land, and six by water. The Viceroy of the eastern part wf the province resides here. It contains eight cities—one of the second order and seven of the third. 3. Song-Kiang-fon. This city is built in the water, and the vessels enter the town on all sides, and from thence fall down to the sea, which is not far off. It has four cities of the third order. 4. Tching-cheou fon ; a city of great trade, situated near the Canal by which the barques go from Sou-tcheou to the river Yang tse-Kiang. It has five cities of the third order. 5. Thing-Kiang-fou ; about a league in circumference, and very considerable for its situation and commerce. It is the key of the empire towards the sea, and is also a fortress, where there is always a strong garrison. The wells are about 30 feet high in places, and built with bricks of four or five inches thick. GOO paces from the shore there is a mountain in the river, named Kin-than ; on the top of it stands a tower of several stories. 8. Ngan-kiting-fou. This city borders upon three pro vinces, and though but five days journey from the capi tal, it has a particular Viceroy. It is garrisoned by a fort that commands the lake Poyang, at the entrance of the province of Kiang-si. It is the chief thoroughfare for all that comes to Nankin, and contains six cities of the third order. 9. Hoei-tcheou, the most southern city of the province, and richest in the empire. It has six towns of the third order. It has mines of gold, silver, and cop per, and the best tea is grown here. 10. Ning-koue-fou stands upon a river, that runs into the great river, Yang tcheou-fou ;it has six cities of the third order. 11. 'rchi tse-Kiang , with six cities of the third order ; it stands on the banks of the Yang-tse-Kiang, and is environed •with mountains. 12. Tai-ping-fou, a very opulent city, standing on the river Kiang, where it receives three arms of other rivers, making it appear like an island ; it is also watered by two lakes, and . contains three cities, of which Vou-hou•hien is the richest. 13. Fong-yang-fon; this city is situated on a mountain not far from the Yellow liver ; it contains in its district eighteen cities, five of the second and thirteen of the third order, besides a great number of Ma-teon, or places of commerce, settled upon the rivers for the convenience of trade, - and collect ing the Emperor's dues ; it is larger than any province in Europe ; it is well peopled, but indifferently built in the middle, but all the rest consists only of low-thatched houses or open fields, to bear tobacco, which forms the only wealth and commerce of these parts. 14. Lin tcheou-fou is rendered fruitful by the Lake Triao ; in the midst Of which there is a mountain ; this district con tains eight cities, two of the second order, and six of the third NGAN-II 0 TOTAL POPULATION, 34,168,059 This, the western division of the old province of Nan kin, is in proportion of its surface to that of the eastern portion, nearly in the ratio of three to two. It is wholly an inland province, and, with the exception of the south ern hills, having the green tea districts on their slopes, the greater part of it is level. The Blue River passes through it near the south, and the northern part is watered by numerous branches of the Hwang-ho, which rises in the province of Ho-nan to the westward, and, after traversing the province, expands into the large lake of Hung-tse, which communicates with the Yellow River, near the spot where that intersects the imperial canal. V. TCHE-XXANG. TOTAL POPUL ATION, 25,256,784. This province lies eastwards towards the sea ; south and south-west is bordering upon the province 'of Fuh kien, but the rest joins to the provinces of Kiang-si and Ngan-hoe. It contains eleven chief cities, all of them little inferior to some provinces ; these command over sixty-three small cities, with towns and castles in great number under their command, and villages exceedingly populous. - The people in this province registered in the Chinese toll-book, appear to be 1,242,135 families, and 5,525,470 fighting men. The public revenues paid to the Emperor consist of 2,510,299 sacks of salt, 370,4661135. of unwroiight silk, 2,574 rolls of wrought silk. Besides which all the great ships of the Emperor called Junglichuen, arrive every year to lade with silk, which is very rich and curiously wrought, for the Emperor's own use. This silk is interwoven with gold, silver, and the feathers of several birds, very artificially mingled with all manner of colours ; none are suffered to wear any of these silks called Dragon silks, but the Emperor and his courtiers. This province likewise furnishes the Court with 844,091 trusses of hay, 444,769 weight of salt. The whole revenue of this country is reckoned by some to amount to 15,000,000 of crowns. The cities of this province are-1. Hang-tcheou , fou, the richest and largest city of the empire : its situation and the conveniency of its canals renders its silk trade the finest in China : it is about four leagues in circumference, and contains 1,000,000 souls : without including the suburbs, the city alone levies taxes upon 300,000 families : its walls are high and thick: it has four great towers of several stories, with 7,000 men in garrison under the Tsian-kiun, or Tartar General, and 3,000 more- under the Fou-yuen or Viceroy : the Tartar troops have a fortress, which is separated from the city by a Wall : the river Tcien-tang-kiang runs close by the walls, and is about a league in breadth. Han-tcheou is properly the region of silk ; 60,000 people are at work within its walls, and many hundred thousands in the adjacent parts. The lake Si-hou, about two leagues in circumference, close to the city, has in its middle two small islands ; it has causeways, and openings for boats to pass through. 2. Kia-hing-fou. The whole of this country is covered with lakes and canals ; the city is large, populous, and large of trade : canals and bridges abound : in the neighbourhood of the city Hai-yen, which is upon the sea-shore, there are salt-pits, which give rise to a large manufactnre. The country is flat, and without a mountain : it contains seven cities of the third order under it. 3. Hou-tcheou-fou : this city derives its name from the lake on which it stands • its silk manufactures are very considerabl e : th e tribute which one city in its dependence pays alone, amounts to 500,000 taels, or ounces of silver : it has under its jurisdiction, one city of the second order, and six of the third. 4. Ningpo.—This important city is noticed else where by itself. 5. Chao-hing-fou.—This beautiful city is an actual Venice ; no street is without a canal ; it contains eight cities of .the third order. 6. Tai tcheon-fou. This city, which has six others in its dis trict, stands on the bank of a river, in a very moun tainous country ; the neighbourhood of the sea supplies it with all things necessary ; it carries on a great trade with Japan and the interior of the country, in making scabbards for cutlasses. 7. Kin-hoa-fou. This city lies in the heart of a province, and on the banks of a fine river ; its people are warlike, and long resisted all the power of the Tartars ; it has eight cities of the third order. 8. Kia-tcheon-fou. This city is situated on a river, and between two other smaller ones that run into it ; it is the most southern city of the province, and bor ders on the provinces of Kiang-si and Fuh-kien, but the road which leads to the last province, and is but three days' journey, is difficult to travel, on account of the minesYe Yen-teohreo copper;ti u, mountains to be p asse d ; t h ere are five cities in its dis trict. 9. the t h paper e banks of a river has many manufacture ;ver is esteemed ; six cities of the third order are in its district. 10. Ouen-tcheou-fou stands on marshy land, near the sea, the flux and reflux of which ascends to its walls it has a safe and commodious hav en , an d live cities of ;the t t hird order. 11. Tchu 4 cheou-fou, on a river, navi sble as far as the sea ; and encompassed with moun tains ; it has ten cities in its district. VI. PITH-B=N. TOTAL POPULATION, 14,777,410. This,. the least of the 18 provinces of China, lies to wards the east, south-east, and south, upon the Indian Sea. Towards the south-west it bo rders u p on K wang. tong, west and north-west upon Kiang-si, and the remain ing part on the kingdom of Tche-Kiang. It contains eight chief cities , and 48 small cities, and a g reat num ber of forts built for the defence of the sea and harbour. The island of Formosa, and the island Teiwan also be long to this province. The toll or register-book of these people mentions no less in this province than 59,200 families, and 182,677 fighting men. The revenue of this province consists of 883,115 sacks salt, 194 lbs. of fine linen, and 600 rolls of wrought silk, But the chief revenue consists of ships, which pay ac cording to their burden so much per ton. The capital cities of Fuh-keen are—l. Fou.teheou 7 fou, the first and most considerable ; nine cities of the the third order are under its jurisdiction ; fine rivers carry the largest barques of China almost up to the walls; it has also a bridge of 100 arches. 2. Tsuen-tcheou `ou, a city of great trade ; it is built on a promontory, and almost surrounded by water ; the largest barques en ter within its walls ; it has seven cities of the third rank, all populous, and great traders ; a bridge here, with 300 stone piers, was built by the Governor of the city, to preserve the boats and people from being conti nually upset by the violent tides ; from this it has a prodigious trafib ;it cost 1,400,003 ducats. 3. Kien ninn•-fou. This city contains eight cities of the third order under its jurisdiction ; it is situated on the side of the river Min-ho, and is a place of plentiful trade. and all commodities carried up and down the river pass through it ; as the river ceases to be navigable' near the city of Pou-tching hien, which is about 30 leagues from Kien-ning, the goods are unloaded there, and porters carry them over the mountains to a large town near Kiang-tchan, in the province of Tehe-Kiang, to embark them on another river ; 18,003 porters are employed there to attend the barques, and carry th e b urdens to and fro over the moun tains ; the road is p ave d , and all along are little towns filled Stith inns for th e accommodation of travellers ; there is an office at Pou-tehing-hien to receive toll of all :floods, and the revenue Produced thereby is appointed for keeping the road in repair. 4. Yen-ping-Lou, s ituated on the side of a hill, below which runs the river Min-ho ;it is not large, but is naturally fortified by in accessible mountains, the barques of the whole province pass under its walls ; it is commonly called th e Sil ver City from its abundance an d fruitfulness. 6. liint,,-hoa hou. The name of this city signifies a spri ng i ng flower, THE CHINA SUN, LONDON, 1842. and it is the most beautiful country of the province, and near the sea : it has no more than two cities of the third order within its district, yet it pays a very considerable tribute in rice: the towns are occupied by very rich mer chants, and the roads are broad and well-paved. 7. Chaou-ou-fou. This. city is one of the great keys of the province, has become very considerable, and its situation renders it a place of strength, and very com modious, it is surrounded with forts and strong places, which are well-garrisoned : it has four cities of the third order under its jurisdiction. 8. Tchang-tcheou-fou. This city, the most southern of the province, ha 4 in its jurisdiction ten cities of the third order; it stands on a river which ebbs and flows, lying near the port of Amoy; it is a place of very great trade, and all commodities pass continually up the river that washes the walls ; it is ex ceedingly- populous. EWE-CHOW. TOTAL POPULATION, 528,219. , The province of Kwe• chow borders E. and S.W. on the province of Kwang-se ; N. - and N.W. on Sze-chuen. N.E. it borders on the province of llou-pe, and the re mainder on You-nan. It contains eight chief cities, not very large ; ten small cities, four small garrison cities, be sides castles and forts in great numbers. The Chinese toll-book sets down 45,305 families, and about 231,365 fighting men. The revenue consists of 47,658 bags of rice and 5,900 pieces of cloth ; this, how ever, is not found sufficient to maintain the forts, whereby the Emperor is necessitated to supply what is wanting out of his other revenues. VIII. ICVIANG-SE. TOTAL POPULATION, 713,895. . . Kwang-se borders E. on the province of Kwan-tung S.W. upon Ton-king ; W., on the country of Yun-nan ; N.W. on Kwe-chow, and the remainder on Hoo-nan. It contains eleven capital cities ; one chief garrison city and one principal city. The forts are only two. Iu the toll or register-book of this province, is set down 186,719 families, and 154,760 fighting men. The revenue consists of 431,359 bags of rice. I.X. ILWAN-'Z'UNG, CONTAINING CANTON. TOTAL POPULATION 19,174,030 This province stretches along the south coast from the middle of the northern shore of the Gulf of Tonquin, to nearly opposite the island of Formosa. The widest part of it is traversed by the Canton river, along which the road crosses the Mei-ling mountains to the interior. The island of Hainan belongs to it, and there are very many smaller islands and shoals along the coast. The surface contains about 90,000 square miles. The great plain in the vicinity of the capital is nearly one hundred miles in length and of considerable breadth, the whole" in a state of the highest cultivation. Besides the capital, the province contains nine first-class cities ; and those of the lower rank, especially the third one, are almost in numerable. Though the rice and sugar ground of this province are low and flat, they are far from unhealthy. The coast, with its numerous bogs and little islands, fish, and also mollusca, crustacea, tortoise, and other pro ducts of the sea, is, as indeed is the case not only in all the inland but also the maritime provinces, with its waters almost as fertile as the land, and as many inhabi tants derive subsistence. Thu inland boundaries of Kwan-tung, taken in their order from east to west, are formed by the provinces of Kwe-chow, Ho-nan,Kwang• se, and Fuh-kien. As the province of Kwan-tung is a maritime province, and the furthest distant from the Court, its Government is one of the most considerable of the empire. 1. The first city is Canton, of which we speak largely else where. 2. Chaou-tcheou-fou, situated at the con fluence of two navigable rivers ; it has six cities of the third order within its jurisdiction ; within a league of it is a monastery of Bonzes, which they say formerly con tained a thousand of them. 3. Nan-hiong• fou ; a large trading city, seated at the foot of a mountain, which separates the province of Kwan-tong from Kiang-si, from which run two greet rivers, one south, the other north. This city has but two cities of the third order under its jurisdiction ; between Nan-hiong, the last province of„Kwan-tung, and Nan-ngan, the first of the province of Kiang-si, a remarkable road leads over the mountain Mei-lin,' being a distance of ten leagues from one place to the other. 4. lioei-tcheou-fou; this city is almost surrounded with water, and built in the most fertile part of the whole province ; it has eleven cities in its district, one of the second order, and ten of the third ; it has two remarkable bridges, one of which has 40 arches, the other crosses a lake which is a league in circuit, and waters the walls of the town. 5. Tchao tcheou-fou. This city .is situated near the mouth of the river Han-kiang, where the tide ebbs and flows ; it has a .fine bridge on the east ; there are 11 cities in its district. It is separated from Fuh-kien by mountains. 6. Tchao-king-fou--the best built city in the province, and the residence of the Tsonton of the two provinces of Kwang-tung and Kwang-si. It is situ ated on the river Tali°. There is a tower of nine stories high, east of the city. The haven is very spacious, and is at a place where three rivers or canals meet, one of which runs to Canton. From Tchao-king to Canton, both sides of the river are lined with villages, one of which, Fochan, contains 1,000,000 o f soul s . 7. Kao tcheou-fou. The tide flows and ebbs as far as this town, so that the Chinese barques go up to it. This city has within its district one city of the second order, and five of the third. It is surrounded on one side by the sea, and on the other by mountains. 8. Lien-tcheou-fou. This city is a very convenient harbour for the Chinese barques. It has but one city of the second order, and two of the third. It lies on the borders of Tong-king, from which it is separated by inaccessible mountains. Here is a pearl fishery. 9. Loui-tchemi-fou. The territory of this city is the most fine and fertile of all the western cities of this province. It is almost all surronnded by the sea, and is separated from the island of Hainan by a small strait. Within its district are only three cities of the third order. INLAND BORDER PROVINCES. Z. CHEN-51. TOTAL POPULATION, 10,207,256. Chen-si is situated among the northern dominions, and lies about 30 degrees west, Part of the kingdom of Tartary bounds it on the west, the Great Wall and forts making the separation. The remaining parts of the country borders on the bank of the river, end is open to extensive dry and barren sand-fields ;• the Yellow River and sufficient fortifications defend the rest. To the south run very high mountains, which are strong bulwarks, and separate it, from the provinces of Holum Sze-chuen and Chan-si. Want of rain makes this country very dry, but yet it produces great store of wheat, barley, and Turkish corn, but very little rice. The beasts feed all winter upon eorn. There are several gold mines in the country, but they are not suffered to be opened by the Emperor. Chen-si contains 8 capital cities, and 107 small cities, besides castles and forts. The chief forts are eight, and there are fourteen small ones of consequence. The Chinese Register reckons the number of families in this province to he no less than 831,651; and 3,934,176 fighting men. _ _ _ — The — taxes which Chen-si pays, are 192,957 bags of wheat ; 3,650,0001 b. weight of linen ; 9,218 pounds cf all sorts of wrought silks ; 17.2701 b. of cotton ; 827,7701 b. of calicoes ; besides 1,514,749 trusses of hay for the King's stables. XL CHAN-SI. TOTAL POPULATION 14,004,210. This province lies westward of Pekin, and though nei ther so large nor so populous, is more fruitful and of more antiquity, for it is from thence that the Chinese derive their rise and origin. On the north this province has for its confines the Great Wall, which reaches from east to west through the whole country. The west side of the province lies upon the Yellow Myer, and is sepa rated by it from the province of Chen-si. This province produces the sweetest and fairest grapes of all Asia, but the Chinese make no use of them, but only dry them, and thence carry them through all China to the market. Throughout the whole of this country are naptha springs, in the same manner as there are water wells in Europe, which the people use for dressing their meat in this man ner. The mouth of the well is stopped very close, and only a place left open to set the pot upon, by which me thod the pot boils without any trouble. This province likewise produces stores of coal as good as that which is dug out of the hills of England, and used by the ,inhabi tants for fuel, who also use stoves in their houses as we do. Chan-si contains five capital cities 92 small cities, and several forts, of which 14 are remarkably strong. The poll or register-book of the province reckons 589,959 fa milies, and 58,415 fighting men. In taxes the country pays to the Emperor yearly 2,274,022 hags orrice, 501bs. of fine silk stuffs, 420,000 weight of salt, and 3 ,544,850 bundles of hay, besides several other taxes., XXX. SZE-CHUEN. TOTAL POPULATION, 21,435,678. The territory of Sze-chucn, large and fruitful, borders eastward on llon-pe, southward on Kwe-chow, north-east and by north upon Chen-si, westward upon Thibet, and southward upon the province of Yun-nan. The whole of this province contains 8 chief cities, 124 great and little cities, 4 garrison cities, besides s e vera l other towns and places. Th e country produces much silk and other rich commodities ; iron, tin, and lead are fetched frsm the mountains in great quantities, among which is a great store of salt-pits, so productive that the inhabitants cannot use one-fourth of it. The Toll-book gives the population of this country to be 464,129 families, and 224,170 fighting men, without reckoning the soldiers, who are very numerous in the country. The entire population amounts to 21,435,678. This province pays in taxes to the Emperor yearly 616,660 bags of rice, 6,3391b5. of wrought and unwrought silks, 74,85 llbs. of cottons, 149,177 weight of salt, besides other taxes paid to the Emperor in some parts of the pro vince. _ . Sze-chuen is the largest of the provinces, having 175,000 square miles of surface. The Blue River forms a part of its south-western boundary, and then winds through the province, leaving it near the north-cast. There are many large branches of this river in the pro vince, the general slope of which is towards the river. The forts and strongholds are more numerous than in most of the other inland provinces. They were erected as defences against the incursions of the Tartars, who often assailed this province, and in 1646, almost entirely destroyed Ching-too-foo, the capital. Some of the cities • are very fine, and the inhabitants of one or twO of them are hereditary soldiers. YUN-NAN. TOTAL POPULATION, 5,501,320. Towards the E. and S.E. Yun-nan borders on Kwang se ; towards S. on Laos and Tonking ; W., it reaches as far as the utmost borders of the kingdoms of Mien and Pey ; N.W., on the kingdom of Sifan ; N., on Sze chuen ; N.H., it reaches to the extreme boundaries of the province of Kwe-chow. It contains 12 great cities ; 8 chief garrison cities ; 88 small cities ; besides several castles and forts. The yearly toll-book estimates the population at 230,958 families ; and 1,433,110 fighting men. The revenue of the province consists of 1,400,568 bags of rice ; 56,965 weight of salt ; besides other large im posts and taxes. CENTRAL PROVINCES. TOTAL POPULATION, 23,037,171. The province of Ho:416111es E. and S.E. with Nankin, N. and N.B. with Pekin and some parts of Chan-tong, and S.S.W. with Hou-pe ; W. it borders on the province of Sze-chuen and with the remaining part of Chen-si. Ho-gran contains 8 great cities, and 100 small cities, besides forts and castles. The population, according to the toll-book of the limperdr, amounts to 589,296 families, and 516,270 fighting meii. The income of the revonue amounts yearly to 2,414,470 hags of rice, 23,5091bs of unwrought linen, 9,9591b5. of several sorts of silk ; 3411b5. of cottons, which are very scarce in this coun try ; an 2 lastly of 2,280,844 trusses of hay for the stables. Ho-nan produces also fine copper. Kite fung-foo, the capital of this province, is situated on the south bank of the Yellow River, and upon ground which is lower than the water, especially when it is flooded. In consequence of this, it has strong dykes around it, by which the flood is restrained.. The main bulwark against the river is a strong embankment of nearly 100 miles in length. In any other country this dyke would be looked upon as a stupendous work of art. When the city was besieged by rehel3 in 1641, the Commander of the Imperial Army sent to relieve it, ordered a breach to be made i❑ the dyke for the pur pose of drowning the besiCgers. The breach was made, and the 100,000 besiegers destroyed; but the flood came down in desolation nporeihe city, demolished it, and drowned 300,000 of those within the walls. As it is a point of conveyance for several of the lines of road that intersect the country, the ,city was rebuilt, but on an inferior scale, and it will probably never attain its former magnitude and .spleaclour. Ho-nan-foo is situated westward of Kae-fung-foo, and on the same side of the river, among craggy mountains. T ° l ON: P T 27,370,098. This - procinOcTeA,l'toPg7Ptir.her U with Ho-nan, which lies im mediately south of it, are two" divisions into which the ancient province of Hoo.kwang has . been arranged, in consequence of its great extent an d numerous population. The inhabitants of HOu-pe are estimated at 27 millions, though the province is not a very extensive one. It has Sze-chuen on the W., tliien-si on the N.W., Ngan-hoe on the E., Keang-se on the Ho-nan on the S. It is situated in the valley of the Blue River, but chiefly on the north side of it, and the Han-keang, one of the principal branches of the Blue River, and itself a river of no mean magnitude, enters it near the N.W., and joins the Blue River towards the east of the province. The central part of the province is low, and abounds with lakes. In consequence of the magnitude of the Blue River, and of the number of streams, lakes, and artificial water-conveyances, this province, the most central in the whole of China Proper, has even greater advantage than if one side of it were washed by the sea. Woo-Chang-foo, the capital. which is situated on the Blue River, near the corfluence of Han-kiting, is a great resort for Chinese merchants, and from the vast number of vessels which frequent its harbour, it has much the appearance of a sea-port. These vessels, though inferior in size, and not fitted for so long voyages; are sometimes even more numerous than those in the Thames at Lon don ; for the ricer is wider than the Thames, and six miles in length of it are sometimes entirely covered with vessels. To possess a port, even for domestic trade, almost in the very centre of its land, is an incalculable advantage; and it is an advantage which scarcely an y country but China possesses. Taking the windings of the river, the port is between 500 and GOO miles inland, and, therefore, is completely out of the reach of any in vading fleet; if the conductors of which were, as they would be, ignorant of the shoals and other dangers of the navigation. TOTAL POPULATION, 18,652,517. This. province, which is rather larger than llou-pe, is the southern division of the old province. Its bounda ries are summit-levels all the way round, except toward the N.E., where the large lake Tung-ting ho empties its waters into the Blue River, at a point where that stream takes an extensive curve to the south. All the rivers which water the province, flow into this lake ; vast quantities of rice grow on the low grounds, and cotton on those that are- more elevated. The mountains, like Almost every mountain-ridge in China, are rich in mine rals. Chang-chow 7 foo, the capital, is situated on the bank of one of the rivers which empty themselvesinto the lake, - but it is not a city of first-rate importance. ITT. ZIA.NG-91. TOTAL POPULATION, 30,426,999. This province lies eastward of Hoo-nan ; its extent is estimated at 27,090 square miles, and its population a: more than 30,000,000. The soil is in general clayey and of a rich alluvial character near thePo-yaeg Lake, though the immediate banks of this great and stormy piece os water are muddy and sterile to a great extent. The centre of the province is watered by the main stream of the Kan-keang, which must not be confounded with the river of the same name in Hou-pe. The great road -from Canton passes along the bank of this river, the na- Vigatifm of which, as soon as it begins to be available, is employed for the conveyance of merchandise, which is borne thence down -the Blue River, and so by the Impe -1741 Canal, to the navigation of the rivers in Pe-tche-le, along which it is borne to Pekin. This navigation is interrup,Wl by IL : portage bet ween the Canton rivers, an d t h e tn-aMstreatn of this provin ce; ' but excepting thi s , t h ere is water-carriage across,;th e whole enipire fro m S. t o N. Nan-chars;-fors, th e ca pi t id , is situated on th e r i ver , a ndislw t ot Znly an entrep o t i n the carrying, but a pl a ce of greatidomestic commerce. None of th e p ro d uce o f the soil; excepting rice, is ex-, ported, the people finding entire Subsistence on what the province furnishes. The village 6f King-te-chidg, to the eastward of the.l) o 4 , ang lake, Aind on a navigable river which emptie*its waters into tljat lake, is the. principal seat of poreetin manuracturo An the province ; though only a village in point of rank, ittls a great city in 04:41- 1. lation. By means of the rivers ;and lake this orAdlei coast, n ten, o r sou th- eastwar d b y t i c liwpnarthtse of ß R il te r r iG t r (') commodities can be conveyedto the N or a i n t k m in7so ayb u e ti se m n a t rd to to tig a road or portage to Fon-chow foo in Fuh-kien. THE FIVE.-PORTS. SHANG -HAE (or CHANG-HAT),' FOC-CHOW FOO, CANTON, AMOY, AND NINGPO. The magnificent prospects opened up to British enter prise and commerce, by throwing open these five great ports, will. be understood 1)) , the general reaeee in clearer point of view, from the following detailed account of each, drawn up from authentic sources : smAriG-2111E (On CANS-HAX). The city Shang-hae is situates on the right bank of tit( Woo-sung, about twenty or twenty-five miles up. Thu anchorage at the mouth of' the river is in hat. 31 deg.. 23 min. north, lon. 121 deg. 1 min. 30 sec. east. I has been several :Mies visited by foreigners since 1832. when the Lord Amherst first touched there. Shang-hae is approached immediately from the sea b% the Tchantr-Hai channel, which is, of considerabi , breadth. lioo-sung lies at the entrance of the river, anc the side opposite is defended by a range of forts. I possesses the means of communication with the grea. Tai Lake, the borders of which are pe:mliarly rich in the character of their soil, and extensively laid out in luxu riant rice grounds, and silk districts. Hang-tchou, situ ated on the Imperial Canal, which passes by the margh of the Tai Lake, has a largo depot for silk and silk- Weaving, and Sou-tchou also carries on a very important trade for the same article, and japanned goods. It form a ready means of access to Nanking, and the countr% everywhere around is the finest im ag i na bl e f o r produc tiveness. The salt-pits of Shang, -bas yield a very larg, supply, and the trade carried on in this commodity is flu from limited. The best approach to Shang-hae, in an easterly three tion, is by the Yang-tsze-Kiang river, the banks of which stretch out to a great distance ; the water about it, how ever, not being above font feet in depth, but with vet) regular soundings. Pilots from - hence convey vessels to the Shang-hap river, the low coast of which, after it short sailing, is rendered conspicuous by a grove of trees near the shore. The peak of a small island, the most northerly of the archipelago, and called by, the Chinese Seu.Kung-shan, is the only landmark which appears on steering fur this island. This possesses a safe anchor age, and many of the junks destined to Shang-hae wait in this harbour fir a favourable win& Steerage from hence is made in a north-western direction, and arrival . is generally made in a day or two at the mouth of the Woo-sung river, which leals to Shang-hae. On all th( banks, during several months of the year, there is fresh Water, but so long as no regular pilotage is established, and no survey of the banks taken, the entrance will con tinue to be dangerous for ships. So extensive,an empo Hun], however, it has been remarked, well deserves th, attention of hydrograph-te. if the spirit of mercantile en terprise can give a stimulus to the art of the navigator. The coast everywhere on the approach to Shang-hae is low and uniform. Two forts, built . on either shore of the river, whose entrance is broad, appear, possessing considerable number of guns. The entrande is about sia fathoms in depth; but towards the right shore the mite) shoals, so as to leave only a channel for the passage of vessels. On the left is a town ; a canal leading to Nan kin branches off in a western direction. The aspect of the country in the vicinage - of Shang-har is generally a fertile Bat, not much above the level of tilt sea, well cultivated, and without the least hill. The ravages occasioned b y i nundations are very great, as ne banks of the l oamy soil can resist the swollen river. These marshy grounds th e Chi n e se t a k e care to drain and to render them well adapted to the culture of rice. which require s a l ow and moist soil. To cultivate till: commodity, and t o f urnish their tribute o f gra i n to t h ( e capital, which in these parts is very considerable, tin people direct all their energy, and are enabled to rids , two crops of grain front this fertile soil—one of rice and another of wheat. Shang-hae, as a trading town, ranks after Canton it. importance. 'Though it may not be the only emporiun near the Yang-tsze-Kiang, and thus the only place fot importation to Keang-nan, the junks from all the souther' , provinces are prohibited from proceeding to the harbours north of this river. The trade here carried on is always brisk • and non that Europeans are admitted to its port, it will no doubt increase to a miraculous degree. The consumption c) foreign articles, among the many millions who inhabit Central Asia, is very great. Owing to this circumitanct , the imports far exceed the exports ; the latter consist chiefly of raw silk, silk &tuffs, and teas, besides manufac tures fabricated by the skilful hand of the Keang nan people. Ships bound to this port can touch at Cha-poo in Che-Keang province, Hang-cheo district; and at Soo-chow, a little south of Woo-Sung river. This latter place is one of the most populous any delightful districts of th e w h o l e Chi nes e empire, and might fully claim the poeti ca l na me of Arcadia. That so lsrge a field for mercantile e nt e rprise has been hitherto overlooked is surprising. The fear of infringing Chinesu laws has deterred ships from even attempting to open commercial intercourse. _ _ .... The hamlets scattered everywhere over the alluvial soil which surrounds it are generally built, as regards `their cottages, among clusters of trees, and would be very pleasant if care were taken to keep them clean. The fields, though they yield luxuriant crops, have their most abundant harvests sufficiently consumed by the number of inhabitants. The military usually kept here in bar racks were poor and inefficient ; the war-boats insuffi cient to keep out the smallest well-armed ship, and the people have for a long time highly disapproved of the restrictions made upon their trade. The junks which crowd up to this city are for the most part of an oblong form, and have generally four masts, and canvass sails. They seldom exceed two hun dred tons burden, are all of them numbered, and have the place to which they belong written in very large letters along the side ; most of them are very bad sailers, and are frequently wreaked. They visit, principally, the harbours of Leaou- tun,cr or Mantchou Tartary, from whence they import oil-cakes and peas, whilst they ex port silks, and other manufactures of Keang-nan. The city of Shang-hae is built on the left side of the river. It is ascended by a stone pier, in front of a temple, dedicated to the Queen of Heaven, who seems to have many temples and worshippers in all the trading towns. The houses are generally very low, the streets nat row, the shops numerous, the temples very magnifi cent, and the bustle excessive. It is the great emporium of Central Asia. • When Giftilaff visited this city in his second voyage along the coast, the following scene ensued, fully de scriptive of the jealousy entertained by the Chinese rulers against the trading of foreigners at this port. So soon as the vessel arrived, the Taou-tae, or principal Magis trate, appeared, and without w a iti ng to b e a dd resse d by the fficers or their party, said, in a very stern voice, " Why don't you go to Canton. and trade there ? It is an unheard-of thifig for any ship to come to Shang-hae. Conform to the established laws of the Celestial Empire, and don't trouble us with your presence." To this was answered, " The trade with Canton is in a state of confu sion, but that does not concern Keang-nan province. As we allow junks from Shang-hae to enter our ports, we think it right to have the same privilege of coming hither with our vessels." When the Taou-tae heard this, he grew angry, and said, " Do not permit them (the people of Shang-hae) to come to your harbours then ; but drive them away." " That is impossible," answered our party. " Why ?" " Because our Government understands rea son, and does not treat any nation unreasonably." After a great deal of altercation, a withdrawal was made, and next morning an-order \ill 5 sent us to depart. • 1 9 00-CHOW-70111: Foo-chow-foo is situated on the right bank of the river Min, about midway on one side, , :where it forms two broad branches, which are separated by an oblong island of some extent. The embouchurnof this great river, by which the city is appro6,ched frni the sea, has its en trance crowded With aa'archipelfk - ro of islands, which con tain among thetn,:ielvdS spots both' safe and hazardous to navigation. Among those of which more special mention may be made, is the cluster of about twenty islands known by the name of the Crocodiles, which stand out at some distance from the sliciye. Nearly close to the mouth of the.river is Ting-hat, which possesses a very good and commodious anchikagc. Beyond this, a group of rocks appear, and a sharp peak, of which the seaman takes the precaution to make clear steerage. On the left bank of the river stands King-pae Fort, and a short dis tance upon the opposite side Kuan Tow, or Mandarin Head, together with a temple of some size and im portance. After -passing by Foo-chow-foo, and bringing up to ' its walls - ail ani — ouut of wealth and commerce lavisk. its calculation, this river, to which it stands, in a Brea measure, iridebtedfor its greatness and prosperity, flow: through the range of the Wool Hills, which abound on their summits with the cedar, orange, and lime, in their most imposing growth and aspect, and continues to pro ceed in the same northernly direction, till close upon the city of Yen-ping, at which point it branches off, taking an easterly course, and traversing one of the richest . ),heat. tea districts in the empire. At the foot of the Pou-tching Pass, where it ceases to be navigable, an ex cellent road commences, which, passing through the Pou-tching mountains, and shortly after curving down wards to the city of Kiii-tchou, forms a junction at that point with the !'then-tang.-Kiarg river, which, after the travel of a few miles, joins itself to the termination of the Sha-ho, or grand Imperial Canal. From this statement, it will be perceived that-Foo-chow-foo presents an open ing for trade and commerce, which may thence be car ried: through the richest tracts of the interior of the empire, and its most important cities ; while, by means chiefly of water-carriage, communication can be had through the medium of the Royal Canal with Pekin itself, and the very heart of the empire, together with a range of at least four provinces, abounding in populous towns and cities ; and, providing a good understanding can he effected and maintained with the people and au thorities in the various departments of the kingdom, an unrivalled trade may be established which shall he no less beneficial to the inhabitants of China themselves, than promotive of kindly interchanges with Europeans, with the freer circulation of money, and the reciprocal oenertits arising from a magnificent trade. Foo schow-foo, which is to ~be regarded as one of the most important of the ports temporarily put into tht hands and disposal -of the British by the recent overtures, has a name in common with other cities of the same appel lation in China. There is a seventh-rate city of the sari denom'nation in.Kiang-si, the third province.of. China, must not, of course, be confounded with that whoecession has justbeen made to us, and which ranks the first capital city of Pokien, Which is the fourth of the greatTrovinces of China. This generalization of name, aAtiching to several cities in the Celestial domains, arises troth the circumstances of their structure or position. Foo, particle of the compound word, signifies a city, and chow, a ditch. This term serves to distinguish those !ities which are suer tunded with a ditch, instead of ram- Or walls, as is almost universally the case with the cities of Chinti—Foa •thow-foo, meaning no other than a with a ditch or circumvallation. Among the various commodities grown about its vici ai ty, pr which from other portions of the empire. are :lade substance of traffic into the interior, as also with the adjacent islands on its sea coast, of the siio-1,15' of Formosa, Java, Loo-choo, the more 'ant Phillippinos, And japan, there may be recited, silk, hempen-cloth, precious stones, calico, steel, musk, and quicksilver. The importations from other countries con sist 'principally of cloves, cinnamon, pepper, sandal wood, amber, coral, and many other commodities of this nature. • This great capital, by means of its river, can carry the largest barques of China imtnAiately up to its walls. Across its bay it has a noble brirlge, consisting of more than.loo arches, built of fine white stone, and magnifi cent as a work of art. Fun-chow foo has no less than nine cities of the third order under its jurisdiction. Rendered famous by reason of its situation, the commerce wh.ch it carries on both by its ports and the interior of the country is in the high est degree important and extensive. Incomparably fer tile as regards its soil, it produces upon the surface of its territory not only the common and universal commodities indigenous to this part of the world, such as the finest tea, rice, and grain, but yields a better sugar than is elsewhere to be had, and which, by the art of its manu facturers, is rendered of the choicest and most refined de scription. In ad:Edon to these, it grows multitudes of those trees which bear the fruits Li-chi and Long-yuen, which form the most exquisite treat at the tables and de sorts of the Emperor and his most patrician courtiers. The former, which is remarkable for its deep-tinted ruby rind, is described by one of the old Jesuits who ate of it in this province, when fresh and glittering from the bough; as " so agreeable to the taste, that when you eat it you know not when to have t:one." The second, though much coveted, is not so rich as the Lichi. For the purpose of sending them as dainties to the remotest parts of the empire, these fruits are dried, and a very lucrative piece of trade is established from them, for they are not only regarded as delicacies, but are con sidered highly wholesome, and are medicinally adminis tered to sick people. So great and populous a city as Foo-chow4oo cannot, of course, in an empire where intellectual merit is viewed with the highest veneration, be supposed to be without its crowd of colleges and institutions of an academic order, in which corresponding multitudes of learned men abound. Literature flourishes here, as ornamentally and usefully, as elsewhere in the great towns of China. The probable utility of these bodies of men to foreigners may be surmised, from the circumstance that every city of the province has its particular dialect, which differs from air the rest, and, of course, proves highly incommodious to the traveller. Foo-chow-foo is that district whence the greatest quantity of tea is furnished for consumption in Europe. The hills where the tea is c u lti va t e d s t re t c h a b roa d in every direction. The soil does not yield a sufficient quantity of rice for home consumption ; however, the exports of timber, bamboo, and teas, more than balance the imports of rice and cotton. The whole region is very romantic : ridges of undulating hills, naked in part, and partly cultivated, in form of terraces, up to the top, give the whole a most picturesque aspect. The r, ver, which leads up to the capital, is broad and na vigable as far as the city. Here are no fragments of ancient edifices, or other classic ruins, but a display of Chinese industry and skill in all its variety. The vil lages and hamlets are very numerous all along the river ; often in beautiful situations. The Dutch anciently traded at this port ; but even the remembrance of it is now lost. The entrance of the river is in lat. 26. 6, lon. 119..5. Fertile fields, sown with wheat, naked net-, and plains of sand, gave a diversified aspect to the whole environs. The river Min is two miles broad wheie it divide; into two branches, the northern and largest of which leads to 'oo-chow-foo. There is a lofty mountain, bearing north west one-half west from this : near the north bank ,)f the river is a large canal, with two fathoms water ; on the south varying from one to three fathoms. On a tearer approach, numerous small craft are found, coaster: :rout the Che-keang province, and vessels constructed purposely for the carriage of timber and bamboo. The text object which arrests attention is a great stone midge ; a rude, but substantial structure, built quit( tcross this broad river. It has a very long street, both. ,ides of which are lined with shops, richly supplies with every variety of merchandise. Many dwelling: tre spacious and commodious ; and, though of wooil, are built in an elegant Chinese style. - The stone bridge which it possesses is about four hun lred and twenty pages long, built upon thirty-five huge pillars of granite, and bears the name of Wan-show, Myriads of ages 1" Though built with extreme rude ness, and having all the defects of unskilful architecture, it is' one of the most famous bridges in the empire. Du rability is a praise which it well deserves, considering it great length, the rapidity of the current, and the total absence of arches. The natives speak with admiration of Min-gan, a for tress built on the declivityef a hill. The place is ascended )y granite st e p s; f rom t h e top i s seen one o f the finest view s anaginable.. -The fortifications are built in the form 43! errcees ; several large trees overshadow the pre .ipitcus sides ; gardens adorn both valley and fort ; and (he town is situated at the foot of this - romantic hill. CANTON. Canton (Chinese twang-chow-foo and Chan-Chong)' stands on the eastern bank of the Pekiang river, which flows from the interior in a navigable stream for 300 miles to this town, where it is fully broader than the Thames at London bridge ; and after an additional _ _ course of 80 miles, falls into the southern sea of China. The town is surrounded by walls with a broad and deep ditch about five miles in circumference. It stretches about five miles along the banks of the river, and three miles in a contrary direction. It is defended towards the river by two high walls, mounted with cannon, and two fortresses built on two islands ; on the land side it has a strong wall and three forts. These forts and walls, how ever, would be totally unavailable in case of a regular attack conducted according to European warfare. No correct estimate of the population has ever been ob tained, but it is supposed to be fully as great as that of Calcutta, or nearly 1,000,000. The principal street ap propriated to Europeans is denominated China-street. Here are to be found the productions of every quarter of the globe. The factories of the different European Powers extend a considerable distance along the banks of the river at about 100 yards from the water. They consist of large handsome houses, on which are hoisted the flags of the different nations trading with the coun try. The British factory far surpasses all others in ele gance and extent. For the space of four or five miles opposite Canton, boats and vessels are ranged parallel to each other in close order, many of them occupied by numerous families who reside constantly. on the water. In the middle of the river lie the Chinese junks, which trade with the Eastern Islands. Some of the junks are from 600 to 1,000 tons burden. They are extremely ill-built, almost unmanageable except before a wind, and require a crew of at least thirty men to every hundred tons. Canton was the only port in China open to vessels of every European nation. CANTON FORTS. The Chines© Government has expended very large sums in the vain endeavour to render the entrance of the Canton River impassable to European ships of war. The Alceste frigate forced her way, in 1816, almost without opposition, but since that period, additional forts have been built, and all the guns that could be collected have been placed in them with something like a determination to succeed in the object. The armament of the forts is at present as follows, made by ships on the spot :, __ Embrasures. Mounted Guns. Starboard hand, Old Anunghoy Fort 16 Starboard hand, New Anunghoy Fort 40 Larboard hand,.lsland battery, double tier Tiger Island battery 32 Total guns ll3 In the above account are not included two smaller forts, which may be passed out of gun-shot range. AMOY. Amoy, which is variously called • Emouy, or Iliamen, is situated near the south-east coast of China, annexing the province of Fuh.kien. In circuit, it has a compass of about fifteen miles, and the great fort which was lately captured by the British arms was resorted to formerly by Europeans, but abandoned when foreign commerce was restricted to Canton. There are to be met with in its interior, and on the coast, several very large temples, par ticularly one of great celebrity, dedicated to the god Fo, whose statue, of colossal size, towers to a great height, and is much frequented by throngs of worshippers. The images of numerous other divinities are also seen, to gether with a host of strange allegorical paintings, and incense is burned perpetually on the altars. Amoy fort lies at the back of the town, about 400 yards from the shore, upon an eminence of small size. The front of the village is composed of a cluster of' small houses, before which a long battery runs all along the shore, and much resembles Algiers, in appearance, from the sea. Imme diately opposite the town is a harbour, and the channel itself is about three quarters of a mile in width, sepa rating Amoy from the island of Koo-lang-soo, which also has its battery. The c!sannel is about twelve fathoms in depth, and affords very excellent anchorage on the north part of the town. Amoy is the residence of numerous merchants, who are the owners of mere than 300 large junks, and who carry on extensive commerce not only to all the ports of China, but to many also in the Indian Archipelago, and to Japan. It is considered as the grand emporium of the Fokien province. Most of the Formosa trade, which is extensive, is carried on by the junks apperta , ning to Amoy ; they go to all the western ports of the island, and either return loaded with rice, or go up to the north of China loaded with sugar. With regard to Fokien, its chief revenue arises from the Amoy vessels, which pay according to their burthen so much a ton. The following historical account will serve to show the various attempts which have been made on the part of the British fiscm early times, to enter into mutual com merce with the people. As early as 1670, the English Company had instituted a very fair trade at Amoy, which for a time proved tolerably successful, but through some cause it gradually declined, and at length proved so un profitable and vexatious, that the Company in 1681, or lered their establishments there, as also at Formosa, to be withdrawn, and a trade, if possible, to be esta blished in their stead at C an t on and Foochow. Amoy was then taken possession of by the Tartars. These people have always shown a great disinclination to foreign trade, and the consequence was, th a t f rom th e Moment of their being planted in these parts, the Eng lish have been excluded from Ningpo and Amoy, having aided at this last place only while it remained indepen lent of the Alantchows, when they supplanted the Tar tars by conquest, and also some time after the rest of China had submitted to them. In 1685, the ship Delight was sent out by the English to attempt the re-establishment of the trade at Amoy, And about the same time active exertions were made by Compativ towards securing a regular commerce at Canton. This trial, and others.,which succeeded, were Attended with various success, for the high duties and extortions which the rapacious Mandarins at this port -3 ndeavoured to put upon the English, drove them away in disgust. " The ignorance of the Amoy merchants," complain the English traders at this period (1734), " and the little encouragement they gave us, makes us almost despair of doing any business at that place." Another instance of the obstinacy of the Amoy Mandarins to trade with the British occurred in 1744, when the Hard wicke proceeded into the inner harbour. Her mer chants then showed no disposition to trade, while in fact there seemed few to trade with, and accordingly, after fifteen days of ineffectual trial, the Hardwicke left, and • proceeded to India, during the monsoon, without a single, article of cargo. In the attempts made in 1832 by the Lord Amherst, a small country ship, sent in charge of one of the Com pany's servants, accompanied by Mr. Gutzlaff, to estab lish if possible a surreptitious trade in opium at the pro hibited ports, Amoy was tried. On this occasion no device, or ingenuity, or enterprise, was spared to dispose of the goods on board, and to establish a traffic with the natives . : These showed a very hospitable disposition towards strangers, but all commerce was effectually pre vented by the Mandarins, except in one or two instances. Vigilance was everywhere exercised to prevent trade. The people of Amoy, and those along the coast, re tain an hereditary aptitude for the sea, and chiefly sup ply the Emperor's war-junks with sailors and comman ders. Two circumstances probably tend to maintain the maritime propensities of the inhabitants. First the pro vince near which it is situated is so far removed from the Grand Canal as to afford fewer inducements to inland navigation ; secondly, the proximity of the opposite coast of Formosa keeps up a constant intercourse by sea. The language or dialect of Amoy also, in common with that of the rest of Fuh-kien, is so peculiar as to be hardly intelligible elsewhere ; ch is always pronounced t; and hence the difference between the cha and tea for the great staple production of China ; the first name for tea being adopted by the Portuguese from Macao, and the second by the English from Amoy, when this port was first the seat of the English trade. Du Ilalde gives a highly favourable account of Amoy. He pronounces it to be a " famous sea-port," and form inF one of the best harbours in the world as a place for ships to ride at anchor. "It is hemmed in," he says " on one side by the islands, which are high, and shelter it from every wind ; it is also so spacious withal that it can contain many thousands of vessels, and the sea there is so deep that the largest ships may come up close to the shore, and ride there in perfect safety. You see there," he continues, "at all tunes, a great num ber of Chinese barques, which are on their voyage to the countries bordering upon China, and about twenty years ago you might see there many European vessels, but now they come hither but seldom, and all the trade is removed to Canton. The Emperor keeps six or seven thousand men there in garrison, under the com mand of a Chinese General. In entering into the haven you double a cape or rock, and this divides itself into two, almost as the Mingaut does in the port of Brest. The rock is visible, and rises seve ral feet above the water, Three leagues thence stands a little island, having a hole through which you see from one side to the other, and on this account called the Bored island. Between this port and the isle of Formosa, the islands of Pong-hou form. a small archi pelago, which are occupied by a Chinese garrison, and the Alandarin who resides there has a constant eye ipon vessels that trade from China to Formosa, and from ormosa to China." Another traveller speaks of it ill be following words:—" The coast of Amoy is washed )y the Chinese sea, which forms itself into a channel naking the passage of Amoy. This channel is at all ,imes practicable, though at those periods when th( ' nonsoons have their changes, this, like all other parts of he China shores, is unsafe. Amoy is perhaps one of he best natural harbours to be found along the coast ; t is ample, and generally calm of surface; its depth of water •enders it capable of receiving vessels of great burden, aid the island of Formosa lies, like a great breakwater, is a defence for the coast." NINGP O. Ningpo is the chief city of a department, and a place ,f extensive trade. The plain of Ningpo, which re. ierubles .a garden for its levelness and cultivation, is livided by 66 canals made by the waters that fall from lie mountains ; this vast quantity of water, fertilising he plain, causes it to yield two crops of rice : the walk Ningpo are 5,074 geometrical paces in circumference, mil from the eastern to the western gate, through a .treet which lies almost in a perfect line, there art .i.clioned 5,274 large paces; the walls, .built of free-st one, .re in good repair, and capable of resisting every thing tut cannon-balls. There is an entrance into the city .hrough five gates, two of which are towards the east, is the port is on that side ; not to speak of th e twi Nate', gates, so called by the Chinese, which are two treat arches that open through the walls to givt tassage for the barques in and out of the c i ty to ; he canals. On the south-west side there are no build ngs worth notice, except one tower, several stories nigh, built of brick, and before the eastern gate, which ies southward, there is a bridge over the Kin made of 16 La-bottomed barques, fastened togeth er w i t h i ron cha i ns. file entrance into Ningpo is difficult, es p ec i a ll y f or l arge vessels, there being but 15 feet water over the bar in the highest tides. In coming up the river, the city Tin-bßi hien, which is under its jurisdiction, is passed on the lef‘ hand ; it is commanded by a citadel built on a hie!rock, rock, by the foot o f w hi c h all vessels must necessarily pass, at half the distance of a pistol-shot ; the river here is seven or eight fathoms deep, having salt-houses on each side, with towns. Ningpo is situated on th e no rth bank, five or six leagues up the river Ta-bed, the mouth of which is about nine leagues distant from Chusan harbour. Directly to the north-westward of this river is a deep gulf, the disemboguement of th e r iver Tseen-tano. A fe w miles up the gulf is Hang-chow-foo, the capital of the province Che-kiang, a place celebrated for its :ilk manu factures, and the seat of an extensive maritime as well as inland trade. Kan-poo was formerly the port of Hang chow, but the gradual accum u l a ti o n of sands has ren tiered it useless. BIOGRAPHICAL NOTICES OF AITTHORI TIES AND PERSONS IN CHINA. CONFUCIUS, THE CELEBRATED CHINESIt‘ PHILOSOPHER. Confucius was born in a town of the kingdom'of Lou,. in the province of Chan-tong, just about two years, before the death of Th a l es , one of the seven sages of Greece. He was contemporary with the famous Pyth2; t gores, his p i n o d s Socrates opher. c appeared s s u o , o a n s after tChhrienea veers when he lost his father, called Tcho-leang-he, wh,°, di hpst at the age of 73. The old man enjoyed the m g — . -- offices in the kingdom of Song, and left no ether inhen ante to hi, son but the honour of descending from Tigesl the 27th Emperor of th e secon d race o f Chang , 13 ! mother, whose name was Chi ng , and who bad he r 01 ' 0 2.1 from the illusteions f am ily o f the Yen, lived 21 Yel'4l after the death of her husband. At! A grave and serious air marked his younger days : „s' 15, he applied him se lf t o th e ser i ous stu dy o f the auc' e r t books, and stored his mind with maxims of virtue. the age of 19 he married, and had but one wife, w of brought hiM a son called Pe-yee, who died at th e a g e %, 50 ; his heir was Tso u -t se , who trod in his father steps. The chan g es w hi c h h e e ff ec t e d w ithi n a few y ears in all the little kingdoms of which the empire consisted, were marvellous. His s a l u t ar y or di nances b an ished and set up everywhere in its stead, modesty, virtue, to perance, and sincerity. Wh en a t th e age of 55, 11 Lou raised to one of the chief offices in the kingdom o' his native country ; i n l ess th an th ree mont h s its fa," Lto changed, and the grandees and p eo ple had resr — , th e none but him. Fr om th ence h e passed throUgri - , o f kingdoms of T s i, G uc i, an d Tsou, and the a ustere his morals made him everywhere dreaded. His h ist il ll o s e 7 o; work of Tchun-t s i ou was completed after his Ph ti labours, and he finally died at the age °t. in Tsou. ; L W' A few days before hi s l as t di stemper h e tel 10 me ciples, with t ears i n hi s ey e s , t h at h e was over Tin with grief at the sight of the di.orders which reign?, t i le the empire. " The mountain is fallen," said be, dis s r high machine is demolished, and the sages are et i or i peared,"—meaning thereby that the edifice of peril .er which he had endeavoured to raise, was ahnost he thrown. From that time he began to languish, an d t seventh day before hi s d ea th, turning himself towairvi ds his disciples, " The Ki ngs ," sa id h e , " re f u se to f°l : r ° th my maxims, and since I a m no l onger use f u l ontbe e s e is it i 5 necessary that I s h ou ld l eave i t. " After words, he fell into a lethargy, and died in the arm s oo .l his disciples. LAMENTATIONS AT HIS D EATll w c the ' '', the first news of Conf uc i us ' d eat h, N ga i C ong , „ The reigned in the kingdoms of Lou, broke into tears. ~e Tem (or God) is not satisfied with me," cried he, T he y .`` c it has taken away Confucius." His SEPULCHRE - 1 1 ,M built his sepulchre near the city Kiou-fou, on the "' pus , i of the river Su, in the same place, where he was 3c ,', - d tomed to assemble his disciples; this has since been • ds)• within walls, and looks.like a small city to this verY, PERSON OF CONFUCIUS—His stature was tail and i r proportioned ; his breast and shoulders large ; e s grave and majestic ; his complexion olive ; el • large ; his beard lon g an d bl ac k ; hi s n o se a little flee- his voice strong and sharp. On the middle of his f? r tki: head there was a swelling or prominence, which a li t he i disfigured him, for which reason his father g ave him l e , I name of Kieou, which s i gn ifi es Li tt l e Bill ; this is wise the name he sometimes gave himself out of tuoc ies o 'fli and humility. BIS DOCTRINES—The whole doct rine ..! this philosopher t en d e d to restore h uman na ture to 01 `•1 former lustre. and that fi rs t b eauty it received fro g Heaven, since sulli e d by th e darkness of ignorance .AP, the contagion of vice. ()V TAOU-KWA.NG, THE PRESENT EMPEROR CHINA. • ; This monarch, who no w swa y s th e d es tinies ef e t 1 1 0 , 1! ' mmense empire, ascend e d the th rone on th e 2d SeP t es t ber, 1820, upon th e d ea th o f hi s f at h er, K ea -King ; although a contest for the succession between hisl 1in4600. his brother was at fi rs t appre h en d e d , the c l a i ms 0, `runs. Kwang were peaceably ac k now l e d ge d ; and oil t he I ing on himself the reins of Government, h e a ssum name of Yuen-hung; under which h e i s sca rcely klev e ': among Europeans. Taciu-Kwang, is, on the whol e, t vourably spoken of, being represented to be of a benei t „ lent disposition, and not given to th ose a cts °f crur ;" or despotism which have disgra ce d many of his a loes • tors. He has several c hildr en by t h e late En 3 P oe The second son, having shown signs of a rebelliout position, has been dispatched to the Monkdon with strong injunctions to treat him with severity, es . Taou-Kwang, although a d es p o ti c M onar ch, ' 9 lOO tirely at the mercy of the mini s t er i a l M an d a rins'„hief form " the interior Council Ch am b er ," an d the Councillors are four in number, two Tartars, an, o %i e es Chinese ; the former always taking precedence. P`„ t der' these are a number of assessors, who form the ea t Council of State. A peculiar feature of the Goeern`",i es , is the office of censors, who are, properly speakings s ie r se d By the ancient c us t om o f t h e emp i re they are priv"heo'ot to present any remonst rance to t h e Sovereign, w i it de- danger of losing their lives, but they are frequentq s Miniters graded, if their a d v i ce i s unwe l come. These t he also dictate the m easures to b e pursued, and k ee P f his o Emperor entirely i gnorant o f t h e pr i nc i pal events awed empire; and he i n a ll pro b a bili ty was not 00:1 1 : 1 " r ies, with the for m id a bl e armament i nvading h i s t e rrito, till the thunder o f th e B r i t i s h artillery resounde d Nankin, and a wa k ene d hi m f rom his celestial slow he of fatal security. fn s Taou-Kwang, genealogically d er i ves hi s origin as: Tartar extraction, an d f rom t h e f o ll ow i ng e i rcu mstall b y • —ln the year 1644, Pekin was besieged and takePonl the rebel Li-tse•tching, w h o , on the Emperor Hoar - t r eec and his consort killi ng th emse l ves in despair, 9-45/ssa the imperial title ; he w as oppose d b y P rince Oa igt . Kouei, who invited th e M antc h ow T artars to his a ss d at ante ; when upon the usurper being defeated, al t he length killed by s ome p easants, t h e Tartars plae'sse, nephew of their S overe i gn , a c hil d of seven year s of e on the throne of China. meg / In 1649, the T ar t ars , having completed the ee% of of China, the ye a r i s reckoned as the first of the rme ot i Chun-tsi, with wh om b egan t h e twenty - secon d dl e „ c es of Tsing, of whi c h race t h e s i xth Empero r is reignin er g. or' First Emperor, 1649, Ch un -t s i ; S econ d ; 1664, Kang-hi ; Third Emperor, 1734, Yongst e "or, Fourth Emperor, 1735, Ki en -l ong ; Fifth El:O pr ise°, 1796, Kea-king ; Si x th an d present E mper or, Taou-Kwang. is solh The lofty title Taou-Kwang, " the glory of r e sol e was chosen by the Emperor for himself, and t". t hei better in his personal character than his father, YeV, l a ct as yet been hardly supported. The most disgrace o f of of his administration has been the murder, in 18- hsil the Mahomedan Tartar Prince, Jehanghir, sed • surrendered himself in re li ance on t h e fa i t h o f nr°l tu ta l Taou-Kwang is now about fifty-six years of age ; and thin, and of a d ar k complexion. On his dee ° t e, il e Regency is expected. Occasionally this great rule 0 , lord of ten thousand years, condescends to give it ! p ro count of his conduct t o hi s peop l e; b ut h i s pater" r'edes clamation is ch osen f rom t h e b est models o f his P, t he cessors, just as one might make a poem out e l e dsd " Gradus ad Parnassum.' The greatest points att s e ares" to are, that it sh ou ld b e excee di ngly classical irre,l, pat sion, and writt en i n a very e l egant hand. i t is We into the Pekin Gazette, and distributed over the The late Emperor issued one just before his subs Having caught c o ld out h unt i ng, he informshiss.. i nb l o of '! "Having whipp e d my h orse across the inoan'„d ar Kwan-jui, I felt the phl egm r i se to suffocation,!..; that prehended I should n o t recover. " He then orate d she - all the great officers should cut off their tailsel e adS, ' ladies of the harem and the Empress shave thei r for and that all public documents should be writte n ,o twelvemonth in blue ink. . - THE LATE CHINESE EMPRESS, NEWIC- 00t1711 stre, . • The Chinese Empr esses o f th e C e l es tial ° rot s neither in the ancient nor modern history of Chl e ß sl o yal with particular mention. Mere appendagsss to th e c ar- o ss person of the E m p eror , t h ere appear to have been 0 be • nee cumstances which have called for "their appeag,„, late,, p r r yond. the walls of the Inipe - eial Palace. 1 " b e - e a as ; it , Empress Newkooluh "ppeass; however, to ha Ye dict was A ?erson of great worth, and at her death a new e nor in -L,y_t issued, in which her excellent virtues were held T r.aoss - tots ,e' ,he strongest language of conjugal affection. Ov e se held 5 10' 1 mg with kindness towards all, lovely and winning, sh e o f „ eal control over the hearts of those around her not bY, " ne er' 4 0 -1 authority, bygentlencss and forbearance. The luri to r her, ,; 0 01• 5 ' confessed in this document his strong attachmen t pre- t Ind on account of the above sterling qualities wr of r his ' o es i railed upon to make her his spouse, and the l i l e e , t l o " r.enolo_risie e: :7. urea'. Three happy years thus passed : her iightened thelsurden of government, and the charm she ransfused around the Court conciliated all their to , gt el' soon, however, h ere these scenes o f bli s s chall4loo , I`lan 9 _, sadness, and her - unfortunate partner felt hinssell v ai hic h 0 N f v o a r s sa e k s e p n eial forsaken. There er e e mi w ne a n s t— on fi g a he e li r pdietqyu,alit and s y for_ ,. % she sucarne a patt ern to the Court, h er posthum ordered by t h e E mperor to be " lleaou -tseuen;! :low, Empress Perfectibility of Filial Obedience The burial of Newkooluh was celebrated .with ;reat splendour. The Mongol Princes wer Was so in mourning, and even the Korean tribute-bearerthe white wdered to wear for a time, with all his suite, r, brightest all who knew her, for she was one o Irsss of mourning. Her decease was lamented hen we read that jewels in the highest circles. But w the musicians, Liter so much display of sincere grief, to strike according to Chinese etiquette, were ordered the vaults re- .: 4,11 . tp the most favourite airs, and to make we a lmost 1 , 49 ,1` e directed to anind with the merry peal of either all ss - s r 10libt Whether, in this land of ceremony,thteitnieel, sincefeereily. 'cep-felt suffering were to be exchanged the gong, 'eve] and mirth, to expel dull care for ever. ng w a s absorbed in form, or the cr mo d u mournful strains off for r the notes CHINESE OFFICERS. ADMIRAL Kwax.—lt was this Chin ese r,ificer. wil° conducted the transactions with Sir Frederkk Maiden , .Ind at a later period commanded the FAuadron of wit!: junks, that encountered the Volap - e and Hyacinthe November 3d. He mustered his, feet in considerabl9 casu, e Force at Chueupee, and preparetl for aggressive in with great celerity, aided b . ,.; :a multitude of flre..ves.".7.'