The daily Madisonian. [volume] (Washington City [i.e. Washington, D.C.]) 1841-1845, 1843-03-28
CHINA-(CosrISUED.)
Arts and Sciences.

ceplion Of what is beautiful IN writing, regular
IN architecture, or natural 10 paintings and YET
IN gardening and planning their grounds, exhl-
bit The true sublime and beautiful. they per
form all the operations Of arithmetic with pro
dlgious quckness, but differently from Euro
peans. Till the latter came among them, IL is
SAID, they were ignorant of mathematics had
no proper apparatus for astronomical observa-
tons and the metaphys learning, which ex-
isted among them, was confined TO their phi
losophers. They understood printing before the
Europeans; their method was block printing, by
cutting the characters on blocks OF wood. They
had Almanacs stamped from plates or blocks,
many centuries before printing was discovered
in Europe but for their astronomical calcula-
tons, they are said TO have been indebted 10
foreigners whom they invited TO reside among
Them. They justly claim the invention Of gun
powder perhaps but il is doubted whether they
ever used il with firearms, before it was APP
piled 10 this purpose in Europe though il is
said they made use of il against Ganghis Kahn
and Tamerane yet, we think, TO very little
purpose. Certainly, their late war with Eng
land shows that they are more Than a century
behind her in the use OF firearms, and gunpow-
der II is said, however, that in their conflict
with Genghis Kahn and Tamerane, their APP
plicalion Of the use ofgunpowder was confined
10 artillery; as they were conlessedly alto
ge,her unacquainted with the use of small arms
The invasion Of Genghis-Khan was in 1909,
when he conquered several of the Northern
provinces of China, in spite Of their gunpow
der II was more than century after this be-
fore gun-powder was known to the Europeans
Swarz a monk Of Cologne is said first to have
invented it in 1880; and, at the same time, he
invented great guns TO use it with but the first
time that heavy ordnance was used in battle by
the English was on the field Of Cressy, in 1916
when Edward ILL., had four pieces of cannon,
which gained him the battle, with the slaughter
of 10000 French, among whom was the King
Of Bohemia. Cannon were used in 1347 at the
siege Of Calais; first in Denmark in 1854; first
at sea, by Venice against Genoa, in 1877; first
used in Spain in l406; but with all the preten-
sion of the Chinese, we suspect they were
about the last nation TO adopt their use. We
acknowledge their excellence in artificial fire
works for they are almost as well known over
the world as their Teas. A word more in their
praise on the present head, and we dismiss it.
Their industry in culivaling their fields, max
ing canals, dwelling mountains, raising gardens,
and navigating their junks and boats, is highly
exemplary. Perhaps no nation in the world ex-
coed them in industry. The story of the old
lady, who was found filing an iron bar into
needle, Is at The same time type OF their in
dustry, and their backwardness in the progress
of the useful arts. If this, indeed, be the Oldest
nation of the earth, as there is strong reason to
believe, it is melancholy to reflect how little
light Of knowledge they have shed for the bene-
fit of other nations, and how averse and inca
pable Of receiving any from them. Idolatry in
deed, seems TO brood over ignorance and barba-
rism; while Christianity has been the pioneer
10 knowledge and civilization; promoting at the
same time the temporal and eternal condition of
Misunderstanding the genius and the soul.
Manu- features, and Commerce.
China is SO happily situated, and produces
such variety Of materials for manufactures,
that il may be said TO be the native land of in
dusty; but in many cases ii is without taste or
elegance, though carried on with grea, art aud
nealness. They fabrcate paper from the bark
of bamboo and other trees, as well as of cotton,
bat not comparable 10 the European for the pur-
poses of either writing or printing. In the man
ufaclure of the former we believe the French
excel all other nations. The China INK is well
known in Europe, and said TO be Gem position
Of animal glue and lamp-black. There is one
manufacture, however in which they for long
time excelled all nations, namely in a species of
eauhen ware called China, or rather porcelain,
which was long unknown to the Europeans
and brought immense sums to China; but il is
now said TO be far excelled by European al
usts-yetwe are inclined to believe, that it is
only in the perfection Of the figures and cylorng,
not IN the transparency and durability Of the
ware. The Sevres porcelain of France undoub-
teddy excels that Of China in the beauty of the
cOloring, but it is questionable whether il be SUI
peior TO II in any other respect. The other pinci
pal manufactures Of China are of silks and cot
ton. The Chinese silks consist generally Of plain
and lowered gauzes, which are said to have
been originally fabricated there, when the art of
rearing silk worms was first discovered. But
they likewise manufacture silk Of a more dura-
bic kind Their cotton, and other cloths fur
nish light and warm clothing, in which the
whole nation are principally clad. It is an arii-
Gle that seems originally adapted to their condi-
ton and climate but the wonder is then, that
we, nation Of but yesterday, and some sixteen
thousand miles distant, should be able TO furnish
it TO them much cheaper than they can fabri-
cate it for themselves.
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