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

1900-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 cultivated stretch abroad 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 steps; from the top is seen one of the finest views
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.