Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1847-04-22
LECTURES ON CHINA.
DELIVERED IN NEw-YoRK, BY THE MISSION
AIRY WILLIAMS.
From the New England Puritan
LECTUREV

AGRICULTURE, MECHANIC ARTS AND scIEN-
CEs.
They are contented with an instrument
answering its purpose without improving it,,
and are behind the ancient Greeks and Ro-
mans in ornamental skill; are great imita-
tors. Other nations, Mr.. w. said, are in
debted'to them for many inventions-the
compass, gunpowder, porcelain, and print
ing probably. The emperor owns all the
able as long as the taxes are paid. The ell
dest son inherits the farm by law, but none
of the family can be driven from the patri-
mony; daughters inherit nothing. There
are $50, 600, 900 acres of arabic land, to be
considered more under labour than under
scientific cultivation. If farm is mortga-
ged for more than one half its value, the
mortgage must pay the taxes it may be re-
deemed to the third generation. Agricul-
tura wages are IA cents per day; in town
they are 30 cents per day. They manure
the seeds by soaking them in liquid rather
than the land. Rice is invariably transplant
ted, is often six inches high; the first crop
is sown in July, the second in September
Wheat is sown in October and reaped in
March. Almost all garden vegetables are
transpanted, and they are rather gardeners
than farmers. The implements of husband
ry are very simple, tillage being done by the
hand or plough, and a man will drive his
buffalo before him and carry his plough on
his shoulders returning from labour. There
are no fences, but land is divided by dikes
and landmarks. Flowers are cultivated in
China more than in any other country. Buff
| faloes are used in the south, and asses in the
north; horses, COWS and asses are seen yok-
ed together, but never, as reputed, mans
wife with an ass Furze and grass are used
for fuel, also coal; and all these and every
thing else except, as is said, eggs and chill
dren," are sold by weight. Weaving is done
by hand, one above to manage the treadles
and one below to throw the beam. Porce-
lain all comes from single town in prov
ince north of Canton; it is not so good as
formerly. They are fond of having jars of
this material about their houses, some have
one as large as hogshead in their gardens
to hold manure. They never initiate nature
exactly, but are fond of the grotesque and
odd, They are not expert in working met
ais, making tools to answer their purpose.
Their composition for bells and gongs is the
same as our own bell-metal. In gold and
silver they are expert, especially in chasing;
also skilful in carved work, as on fences a.
round ther temples descriptive of historic
scenes. They export gold-leaf to England
also make brass leaf; but their lacquer
work is in high repute, the polish being pro-
duced by the juice of the lacquer tree and
very poisonous, so that in working it the
face and hands are covered. Tallow is OBJ
tanned in the north from the tallow tree
seeds; in the south it is animal fat, candles
from which are coated with wax to prevent
melting Embroidery is done by men and
women ten miles from Canton. 1t requires
about month to cut the ivory balls, the ex-
ternal one containing twelve within it, some
times sixteen or eighteen. To cut glass they
draw line with tallow which they heat with