The Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1837-1867, 1841-02-09
sccVIasa e ou S.
-71os AND CUSTOMS OF THE CHl-
MANI NESE.

n .,ooNH. papers speaks very highly OF n
n l"e"'" a., del,vercd, before the Lyceum in
~ hc'OTe "',s as lion. Charles II. Ather,on of
~"p, ,o, the history ard present customs OF
A"n'. Empire The subject being one OF
W @ ~, ioorest a, this time, we subjoin synoP'
0N'"' A,bortons lecture from the Nashua
NJ Gazette
Oh, soil is very rich and uEur'ant; highly eui-
,,..nd and productive beyond parallel Inc
"s il houuded ON the north and west by a
"A P n maintains. The principal rivers are the
",,ho and K,anku, the former called the Yellow
D;,., from its discoIormenI 10y the mud which It's
hiring down. They take their source C.
N .,., tho mountains Of Thibct, In size they an
* ,, n The rivers MACON and Mississippi, being
.,,,Iv rs large. They are about 20O0 miles in
,,,L The country is about eight times us large
r,,Oco, and contains 800 millions Of Inhabitants:
S one half of the estimated population of the
\ wo,l that being 100 mlions,-Tho cmbank'
,r,s m the rivers are almost Incredible, and are
,uDDoed 10 have cost more labor than all other in
formal improvements in the world beside. These
.n,,osments were raised TO keep the rivers fom
Y .,,,aoviog-The grea, wall, of which all have
,,,,1 more or less, ~ on the north, and is 500mies
iosnrl--25 feet wide at the boitom-l5 feet nj
a ,s ion, and 90 feet high, and was built 200 years
"A baNre the Christian Era. This wall was made TO
eoess the ncursions Of the Tariars. The Tar
4 ns however conquered them in the year 1860, but
n Drsaryed the Chinese form Of government. The
government is an absolute despotism, governed en-
& irdy by one man, but, almost invariably mild and
81 ystmsl which is something remarkable. History
M dOhu depolisms proves that man when vested
with absolute power, is apt TO he cruel aud ,vrani'
n mL Not SO in China. a cruel and ,yrarnca
Emperor was never known toreign there.
10 China the marriage institution is respected
puvgamy isno, allowed There are fewer maids
and bachelors Than IN any other country. Every
man who has servant maid or slave, Is bound to
fad her hnst,'J. nr tn, be prosecuted. China is
very densry poIno,cd, and the land mostly cult
\ v"a. They there have no oxen or horses, and
~Psurrs 10 put them in ifthey had They give
Pherds in order TO support men, as there was not
land enough to support both S" they chose TO
MwlI herds rather than men. The Buffalo is
Used, however, little for draught and pluwiog =
4 T'lhe blowing is dome principally by men and
T'nen.-having no horses; of course they have
/ ~mais. They choose To cultivate the land IN.
'r'1 Of cutting il up into high ways. They trave,
mostly by canals There are no fences either, and
hgnced none, having no herds Such thing as
aChnCse bcggar is never seen. lfa man is poor
bis neghhors are obliged to assist him. The Chi.
r''e very industrious, most so Of any people on
The face ol tie EARTH Tea is cultivated in immense
quantities, but is not to be compared with other pro
GSrOOns' About 100 millions Of pounds is export
ed annualy-but even il this great trade IN tea was
stopped, they would hardly feel it, such is the vast
amount raised Itwou!d not affect the price at all
4 lfade IN China is great-immense. The princi.
pal beverage in that country is tea and rice is the
'"e' al'ce OF food 1t is used there as common
4'pead here, and even more so. There are to
F 'OAd no different grades or orders in society
"O 90 on the ground that one man is as good as
I"0''ef equen,ly, the doctrine of equality is
''e@ and OF course there is, as here and in
~, '"Ope no arislocratc families, nor families Of no
~my' Apaltern which more enlightened people
's"' WIN propriey follow. All officers in the
h r are appointed by the Emperor, and the
''' Tue different ranks arc distinguished by the
n pcs ""o color Of the buttons on their caps. The
shil "o'sh'Ps Heaven, and the people wor-
~, r. "e emperor, and consider him the represen
'0'e of the deity.
a a M Jaws VI CfIna are very exact, and very rig
II, lucy are so minute that they even point out
r. ''"".f OF folding letters. Their criminal code
m,, o' SIX volumes and ere published every
~%' '' ana distributed among the people. 1t points
~ CNa. exact punishment for every degree OF crime
cry e.. !" snort, nation of forms, and almost cv.
o,a established by law. Great attention is
,b,, -. 'uucation and literature The law requires
n " No., snail be established for all; consequent
w,i,o "a" oe found there who cannot read and
good n,. '''orers are appointed by law, to teach
bour h., Christianity they know nothing a
tain n,., "e very strict in the observance of GER
4 lcu,ed ao.'es. Twice every moon they are
lance or ~ "ia piety-duty to parents--the impor
tiue, a. a'"end'ng to their forms-on these doc.
More soh accusing-paying taxes, &c. &c
sorla masters and tutors there than in al the
dealor es' Dramatic plays are thought grea,
each One hundred companies Of actors Of Sd
Stage 'E ps sent out every year, to play upon the
pas. vo. 1pe'' gun powder, and the mariners com
we're in - invented in China; long before they
0Pe' The Chinese men, are ratho,