The Sun.
London, England, 1842-12-01 00:00:00

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 inhabitaiti. The military usually kept bere 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 wrecked. They visit, principally,
the harbours of Leaou-tung, or Mantchou Tartary, frinn
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 hones are generally very low, the streets
narrow, the shops pumerous, the temples very magnifi-
cent, and the bustle-excessive. It is the great emporium
of Central Asia.

When Glitzlaff 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 waiting to be addressed by
the officers or their party, said, in a very stern voice,
Why don't you go to Canton. and trade there ? It is
an unheard-of thing for any ship to come to Shang-hae.
Coaform to the established laws of the Celestial Empire,
ang don't trouble us with. your-presence." To this was
answered, " The trade with Canton is in a state of confu-
sion, but that dos not concern Keang-nan province. As
we allow junks (tom Shang-hae to enter our ports, we
think it_rilitter'haykthe same privilege of coming hither
'with-nor vessels.."- When the Taou-tae heard this, he
gfew angry, afid said, " Po-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 was sent us to depart: •

POO-CHOW-POO:
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 arc separated' by an oblong island
of some extent. The embouchure of this great river, by
which the city is approached troni the sea, has its en-
trance crowded with an archipelago of islands, which con-
tain among themselves 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 shore. Nearly close to the
mouth of the river is Ting-hai, which possesses a very
good-and commodious anchorage. 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, cr Mandarin
Head, together with a temple of some size and isc-
portance.
After passing by Foo-chow-foo, and bringing up to
its walls an amount of wealth and commerce lavish in
its calculation, this river, to which it stands, in a great
measure, indebted for its greatness and prosperity, flows
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
bohea 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
Poustching mountains, and shortly after curving down-
wards to the city of Kin-tchou, forms a junction at that
point with the Tchen-tang-Kiang 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 be effected and maintained with the people and au
thorities in the various departments of the kingdom,- an
unrivalled trade may be established which shall be na
less -beneficial to the inhabitants of China themselves,
than promotive of kindly interchanges with Europeans,
with the freer circulation •of money, and the reciprocal
benefits arising from a magnificent trade.
Fooschow-foo, which:is to be regarded as one of the
most important of the ports temporarily put into th,
hands and disposal of the British by the recent overtures,
has a name in common with othercities of the same appel-
lation in China. There is a seventh-rate city of the sane
denomination in Kiang-si, the third province of China.
which must not, of course, be confounded with that
whose cession has just been' made to us, and which rank::
as the first capital city of Fokien, which is the fourth of the
great provinces of China. This. generalization of name;
attaching to several cities in the Celestial domains, arizes
from the circumstances.of their structure or position. Foe
a particle of the compound word, signifies a city, ant
chow, a ditch. This term serves to distinguish tilos(
cities which are Burr funded with a ditch, instead of ram.
parts or walls, as is almost universally the case with tis
cities of China—Foo•chow-foo, meaning no other than ;
city with a ditch or circumvaliation.
Among the various commodities grown about its vici-
nity, or which from other portions of the empire are
made substance of traffic into the interior, as als
with the adjacent islands on, its sea coast, of the
islands of Formosa, Java, Loo-Choo, the more dis-
tant Philippines, and Japan, there may be recited, silk,
hempen-cloth, precious stones, calico, steel, musk, and
quicksilver. The importations fromother countries con-
sist principally of cloves, cinnamon, pepper, sandal-
wood, anibes, coral, and many other commodities of this
nature.
This great capital, by means of its river, can carry
the largest barques of China immediately up to its walls.
Across its bay it has a noble bridge, consisting of more
th in 100 arches, built of fine white stone, end magnifi-
cent as a work of art
Foo-chow-foo has no less than nine cities of the third
order tinder its jurisdiction. Rendered famous by reason
of its situation, the commerce which 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 addition to these, it grows multitudes of
those trees which bear the fruits Li-chi and Long-ynen,
which form the most exquisite treat at the tables and
desserts 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;
'tta " eo agreeable to the taste, that when you eat
it you know flat When to have .70ne.,, The second,
though much coveted, is not so rich as the Lichi. For
the purpose of sending them as dainties to the remotest
parts ci the empire, these fruits are dried, and a very
lucratitt 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-
teem to sick people.
So great and populous a city as Foo-chow-foo cannot, of
course; iti art 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
us tullY' is elsewhere in the great towns of China. The
probable utilitV• of these bodies of men to foreigners may
be stirmised, From the circumstance that every city of
the plc/Vitt& has its particular dialect, which differs from
all the rest, and, of course, proves highly incommodious
to the traveller.
fofoohow•foo 'is that district whence the greatest
quantity of Ms is furnished for consumption in Europe.
The hills 4ieYe the tea is cultivated stretch abroad in
every dife'ctiosi, 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 FtiniAntie ridges of undulating hills, naked in
part, mid rattly cultivated, in form of terraces, up to the
to, give
•the whole a most picturesque aspect. The
rier, -- 010 h leads up to the capital, is broad and v'na-
vigable as far as the city. Here are no fragments of
att edifices, or other classic ruins, but a display of
Chinese 'IL—
art' e • A-o,l.try And skill in all its Variety. The vil
lager and hamlets are
• very numerous all along the river ;
often in beautiful situations. The Dutch anciently
traded at this port ; but even tin; i.c,meiii!?ra!lee2 f
it is
6.
°6, lon.
now idstt The entrance of the river is inns,-
119. 55. Vertile fields, sown with wheat, nalsela 4-
and plains Of sand, gave a divaraißed respect to the whole
env.lrOnS,l

A
The river Min Is two miles broad where it &Sid& irate
two branchei; We, rierthdra tad largest of which leads to
Foci-chdtViko,.. TIIOO,IS mOdritain; bearing north-
Wesi one-half west fri3id this i iipdi iii 4 iiorth bank
of the river is a large canal, with two fathomi *ater
on the south varying from one to three fathoms. On a
nearer approach, numerous small craft are found, coasters
from the Che-keang province, and vessels constructed
purposely for the carriage of timber and bamboo. The
next object which arrests attention is a great stem
bridge ; a rude, but substantial structure, built quite
across this broad river. It has a very long street, both
sides of which are lined with shops, richly supplied
with :every variety of merchandise. Many dwellings
are spacious and commodious ; and, though of wood,
ago built In an elegant Chinese style.
The stone bridge which it possesses is about four hun-
dred and twenty pa !es long, built upon thirty-five huge
pillars of geanite, and bears the name of Wan-show,
" Myriads of ages !" Though built with extreme rude-
ness, and having all the defects of unskilful architecture,
it is one of the meat famous bridges in Cie empire. Du-
rability is a praise which it well deserves, considering its
great length, the rapidity of the current, and the total
absence of arches,
The natives speak with admiration of Min-g tin, a for-
tress built on the declivity of a hill. The puce is ascended
by granite steps; from the top is seen one of the finest views
imaginable. The fortifications are built in the for nof
tmaces ; several large trees overshadow the pre-
6ipitous sides ; gardens adorn both valley and fort ; and
'the town is situated ut the foot of this ;auntie