The Sun.
London, England, 1845-08-07 00:00:00

THE SUN, LONDON, THIIRSOAI EVENING, AUGUST 7, 1845.

began earnestly to wish that this might win, and that
might lose. I examined both with the microscope, and
thereby easily distinguished the source of these passions.
As the men were extremely heated with their exercise
they perspired strongly, so that clouds •of the matter
flowing from them reached us: my glass showed me dis-
tinctly, that the matter perspired by him for whom I felt
an inclination, was exactly similar to what was perspired
by myself, whereas the matter flowing from the other
person was absolutely unlike to mine in all respects, and
so jagged and bearded, that it seemed to wound and pierce
me like so many arrows ; hence I discerned that the true
cause of our sudden inclinations and aversions consists in
the figures of the matter perspiring from us and from
others, and in the similarity or contrariety of these in-
sensible vapours. We went out of the city, and at some
miles distance, we saw some gentlemen diverting them-
selves in coursing a hare. As the poor creature passed
almost close by us, I had just time to catch a glance of
her witn my glass ; she appeared to me like a ball of
fire moving with prodigious rapidity, and leaving a
mighty smoke behind her. This was the matter per-
spired by the animal, and I saw that the dogs followed
exactly the track of that smoke, and were never at all at
a loss except when the wind dissipated the cloud that
issued from the flying hare."—Melanges d'Histoire et de
Literature, torn. ii. p. 461. Hermippus Redivivus, p. 85.

RELATIVE CLOSING PRICES OF RAILWAY SHARES

IN THE

PRINCIPAL CITIES AND TOWNS IN ENGLAND, SCOTLAND, AND IRELAND.

THE HONG MERCHANTS OF
CANTON.
(From the Hong-Kong Register, May 6.)
We are indebted to a friend for the following infor-
mation from Canton. When Canton was ransomed, and
the money for that purpose drawn from the provincial
treasury, a report was made to the Emperor that it was
a debt due to the foreigners by the Hong merchants,
who were unable to pay it, and these latter were induced
to sign a document to that effect, on the assurance being
given them that it should not be used against them.
HoweVer, after the affair was terminated, various attempts
were made to extort tl.e amount from them, but with:ait
success. Headed by Howqua's eldest son, who has taken
a literary dt,gree, and who threatened to lay the matter
before the Emperor, they refused to pay more than
2,000,000 dollars, which they admitted tube due by the
merchants to the Emperor. Thelocal authorities have
at last agreed to accept this amount ; and thus has ter-
minated an affair which 'has been a source of great un-
easiness to the Hong merchants, and was considered suf-
ficiently important to the foreign trade to induce Mr.
Cushing, the American Plenipotentiary, to address Key-
ing on the subiect. The following is the amount paid
by each Hong merchant:—

.. HONG MERCHANTS. PAY.
- Howqua 550,000 taels.
Poooke(qua . 200,000 do.
Samqua,
Gowqtyt
Kingqua
POonhayqua
Mowqua, 50.000 do.
Fdotaye ';
Miugqua 50,000 do.
Sowqua
One-third to be paid in four months, and the remainder
in ten annual instalments.

In reference to the recent, communications respecting
the receiving ships at Whampoa, Mr. Macgregor has
written to. the Chinese authorities, that unless the ex-
tensive smuggling in Portuguese lorchas and other river
crafi be put a stop to, he will riot feel it his duty to in-
terfere with English vessels, should they again enter the
port far the sale of opium. This very sensible view of
the' subject is "producing its effects. Two Portuguese
have been seized and carried into the city.