The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1836-11-29 00:00:00

SNOW AT CANTON.

The Comet has put the world out of joint. It will be
seen by the following letter, dated Canton, Feb. 8, 1836,
that the Chinese of that city have had a sight altogether
novel in that part of the celestial empire :
" I write you under the inspiration of a most unprecedented
meteorological event—the phenomenon of a very heavy fall of
snow in Canton. I awoke an hour and a half ago, and could
not believe my eyesight. Huge and thick flakes of rent snow,
not white paper, summoned me from my warm bed; and, on
looking out, sure enough the whole scene was "winter in its
roughest mood," the snow on every house-top two, three, and
four inches deep, and in the corners and ridges of course much
more. The thermometer ill our southern verandah was then
stauding at 37°. There was a light air from the north, in which
direction the win'l has been, without intermission, fur three days
past, sometimes blowing hard. Five or six days ago the wind
was from the S.E., a most unusual cilvinustance in this mon-
soon: and the weather was so mild then, that we breakfasted
with open windows; and a water excursion in the evening was
by no means unpleasant, even to the idle steersman in the
wherry. But though the change was rapid, and the cold all
yesterday very intense, no one predicated the length it would
go. The thermometer yesterday was -17'' in the morning, and
rose to 51° and 52° during the day. The astonishment and
mirth among the Chinese, not one of whom about us has ever
beheld snow before, is unbounded. And the elders of our
European society are at this moment, in the ecstacy of revived
associations, pelting each other with snow-balls from the house-
tops with all their might. On one of these terraces, which may
be no more than 35 or 30 feet square, they have rolled a snow-
ball which stands three feet high: so you may judge how con-
siderable the fall has been. I think it must have been snowing
before midnight, to have accumulated as it has done. The cir-
cumstance is certainly unprecedented here within the memory
of man,—whether any record of its occurrence in former time
exists, remains to be seen, I can as vet learn, or perceive,
nothing at all out of the natural course of our season in other
respects, save the few days of S.E. wind a week ago, as above
mentioned. 84 a.m.—The snow ceased falling about half an
hour ago; and the sun has now burst forth on the scene, and
perfected its magnificence. The river is a very curious feature
in the landscape. The huge mat-sails of the junks fold up so
messily that they retain large volumes of mew ou them. The
Chinese have now taken to pelting each other in the streets !
There goes a large avalanche from some of the fellows' hands
on our house top, down into the street below; and a louder
shout of applause from the million. Merry rogues! A poor
Bongalee servant found his way to our house top, to collect
some snow to show to his Parsee master, who did not dare to
leave his•bed; and the man's exotic appearance in such an em-
ployment was very strange. ** * * Since writing the.above,
a few hours ago, the thaw has commenced, and the last tracts of
snow, which will perhaps never again be beheld here, will have ,
disappeared. Mingqua, a very venerable old China-man, has
just called, and says he never heard of such an occurrence be-
fore, as snow in Canton. Being himself of this province this is
the first time he has e'er seen it in his life."

.
Biona BURNING.—We have received the following particu-
late of an outrage committed on the word of God, and it does
not aequire that we should denounce the perpetrators as the
most disgraceful and abandoned wretches on the face of the
earth; but what shall we say of those that countenance them
after the commission of such en awful, impious deed ? Here
are the facts :—.larnes Lovell, Chapel Clerk to Priest Connelly,
of Achill, gathered a large number of the people of that Island
together on the 30th ult.,,s d 1
t"
..aving made a fire near the watch-
house belonging to the Coast Clod committed to the flames
four New Testaments! While the holy volatiles were being
consumed, a woman theoffnd name of motan
seized
121,1.r.li.urned.
iutoonteheufhtohnseine
by then‘ _fl g it,
of one of Coast Guards, named Witham*, ! t—ifor, couti.
tation.