The native American., 1839-04-06

A
almost entirely composed of solid rock. They
possess great skill in cutting and Joining it, SO
that the seam is hardly visible. In the Southern
regions, the poorer classes live in huts made of
kaJan leaves. In woody diitrcts, the houses are
built OF planks. The foundation is not very
Deep and commonly consists Of granite. Bricks
are made IN great perfection by the Chinese
They join them together beautifully, so as
TO form trlangles, squares, circles, figures of
flowers, &C.. which gives to the exterior a
very finished appearance. 1t is very ge-
neral custom to raise mud wall and plaster il
with bricks (; but houses of that description are
soon soaked through and overlhrown by gales.-
Brick houses are covered with thick ridges of
tiles, with the convex part downwards, and the
chinks by laying others athwart. The spars are
round and fiat; upon these they either put thin
bricks or square tiles, well joined with mortar SO
as to admit no rain. The Chinese are peculiar
people, even in their mode OF building; the
hearth is one OF the first parts they construct, but
they forget to add chimney.
The interior of the houses of the poor is
wretched enough; and such are by far the maio-
rlty. They consist of one room, which serves
the purposes of kitchen, sleeping apartment, par
lor and stable, the floor not being paved. In the
cold regions, fue runs along the room, which
serves as an oven for cooking the victuas and
warming the apartment. The pigs lodge in the
Suggest corners and goats, asses and colts share
the dwellings OF their masters. Such are the
novels OF the common peasantry.
In adornlng their rooms, they are equally eco
nomical. few pictures hung around, OCCASION
ally mirror, and few grotesque paintings upon
the white wall, are the most common ornaments.
Lackered and polished wooden chairs, some ia.
bles, couch, some painted or lackered screens,
constitute the furniture. Mud houses are beauti-
fully pasted with paper. The floors, which are
generally paved with bricks, are covered with
excellent mats, or in winter with carpets or felt
The houses are crowded with inhabitants, who
must be content with very little space. Euro
peans could not live in such narrow holes. but
Cinnamon feel very little inconvenience from
them No class is remarkable for cleanliness
and the houses appear worse than stables, if
beasts have their abode in them. The inhabitants
OF the city keep their dwellings in better order,
and merchants and shop-keepers excel in taste
FULLY adjoining their shops and laying out their
wares but there is, nevertheless, with much
show, want of neatness in the interior of the
buildings.
The following account of Chinese clanship is
new to us:
In tracing the way in which society is consti-
tued, we shall be struck with its divisions into
great families, who, though numbering many
thousand members, all bear the same surname,
and consider one another as relations These
clanshlps resemble those Of the Scottish High
anders, though they DO not strictly partake of the
teudal system. There are in China about four
hundred and htty-tour surnames, and consequent
ly as many clans thirty of these surnames con-
sis of two characters or sylables, whilst the rest
are monosyllabc. All belonging to the same clan
consider each other as cousins, and there exists
silent contract to help each other as if related by
the ties OF blood. When the author became ma
turalized citizen of the Celestial Empire, he verv
naturally entered clan, and was suddenly sur
rounded by host of cousins, who generally laid
a claim to his charity, and occasionally very rea-
Oily assisted him. No man is permitted to marry
a woman of the same clan; he must seek bride
in different family, and thus acquire the priv
lege of uniting two surnames Clanship is of
very ancient date. 1t is said to have arisen when
China was divided into many feudal states so
that there were no less than l,773. It is, how
ever far more probable that it originated with the
first progenltors of the human race, who trans
mltted their names to their descendants.
Though this Institution has great disadvantages,
1t exercises most salutary check on the measures
OF an arbitrary government. The most numerous
clans in the various districts often combine to re-
sst extortons, and to terrify magisrateslnto con-
cessions. If any member be unjustly prosecuted,
the clan stands forward and insists on the release
of their kinsman. On the other hand, the smaller
clans are in most wretched condition; thew
have to bear not only the oppressive measures of
government, but the insults Of the more powerful
clans The Chinese Government has often en-
deavored to put down these associations, but it has
never fully succeeded. This institution is too
much interviewer with the whole being of the ma
ton to be overthrown by the mere exercise of
despotic power. magistrate who could SEN
tence his clansman to heavy punishment would
be considered monster, and be Stunned by his
superiors. There is, in this respect more ne
potism in China than in any other country. Con-
iucus himself connives at committing an inius-
tice in favor Of a relation. But, evon if he had
not done so, the ties of blood amongst the Chi
nese are very strong; and the love of their rela-
tons, with utter Indifference towards society at
large, is almost constitutional. Mencus rejected
with equal disdain egotism and general philan-
thropy. and taught that our undivided love ought
to be bestowed on relations. No one of his
precepts has been SO strictly followed as this.
ELEGANT AND FASHIONABLE BOOTS AND