The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1853-12-04


countries IL serted therein. The Great Wall ex-
clndes Il from the sparse population Of the Siberian
regions on the North; in the ths. washes the
west, England France, Holland, Portugal, Goa,
Persia ard India are deneated from north to SOUTH
at various distances one below the other aud in the
southwestern corner, Siam, Burmah, and Spain; in
the eastern and southern waters, Japan Java, and
Sumatra infespersed with the other islands best
known to the Chinese. But the erroneous views
impaired by such publications are beginning t. be
discarded by the better informed Of the population
There lies now upon our table French book par
porting to be translation Of a Chinese work on
on Universal Geography, written by His Exceency
See KIM in Shans.n This book appears to be well
adapted to destroy the concet, and dissi pate the
ignorance OF the rulers and scholars of China by
proving to them the existence and sh owing them the
position and resources of numerous other great and
powerful nations The author acknowledges with can
dor and gratitude the aid he re eived from missions
RES IN the preparation OF his work While at Annoy on
pubic duties as long ago lS4S he caused part Of
collection OF maps ut the mission house to no
copied and translated, and subsequently having be
come interested in their study, he mace collection
cleaned from them all he thought worth retaining.
The information thus sedul00sly obtained he cor
reced or corrOborated by conversation with foreign
ers from the west. The selections, 30 verified, he
arranged with bis notes into chapters winch gradu
ally expanded to the size OF volumes. - La tuis
way" he says, f'haye done from 1913 till now, for
many years, winter and summer, in the Intervals of
official duties, making this init my relaxation
which did not do something at it," HIS frieads
and fellow officers formed the highest opiuion of the
performance called it the Yng Hwan Chilioh, or ge
nerasurvey of the circuit of the seas and persuaded
him to get printed -Four Of them wrote each sepl
rate preface all OF winch are published with the work.
They commend the authors minute .earch
and thorough collation. OF his materials" and declare
that his fitness for accomplishing such task ID not
seen in bis love for the wonderful but ia his descp
ton Of what is proper" Still they are By no means
insen.ib!e to the extent and novelty Of bis develope
ments, and dwell with delight on the succioct1ess
lucidty and comprehensiveness Of his descriptions
Zone leisure day" says one of the prefacers, he
showed it to me, and, on looking over 1t only once
l perceived chat even desert wilds and remlte cor.
the world, we Q described as plain IS the lines on
the palm of the hand: it was like Lighting lamp in
q dark room.
Governor su describes the gobular shape of the
three-fhs Of its surface. To the general survey Of
the world and its divisions he devotes only the brief
space of eight pages On inspecting the maps
drawn by "Occidentals," he was struck with sur.
prise at seeing Southern Frozen Ocean delineated
Now generally We were aware Of the Northern Fro
zen Ocean, but were ignorant OF Southern Frozen
Ocean; and supposed it became hotter as one went
southwark until at the SQnh Pole the stones cracked
ard the geld melted" The Contrary doctrine he
attributed t, ignorance and error al but asking
the missionary he told me there was doubt of its
being So" The author atfirms his own confidence
in the missionarys representations, but is quite
sure that he will not be believed by hi.
| readers" His mind has become SO expand
| ed by his stu6ies, and by intercourse with
enlightened foreigners as freely to admit the truth
snd though early erroneous impressions aud -preju
dces are not entirely discarded is obvious from
quotation where he speaks of countrymen as con-
stitutiDg the whole human race, aud also from the
fact that he invariably calls foreign poeDtates kioss
or lords, reseIviDg the title Of emperor exclusively
lions always in erGs OF respect and never applies to
their inhAbitants those contemptuous epithets and
degrading appelatiops, which were, till lately. al
ways used by the Chinese in speaking of foreigners
| The several divisions Of the world are so de.
| scribed as to impress the mind previously unin.
formed with toleraby accurate views of their ent
and importance. general summary Of the his
| tory OF each Of its several countries, with an
outline Of their political institutions, is given
their present condition and relative resources are
Pretty accurately estimated; even their social instt
tutOns, msnners, and customs, have formed the sub
ject of curious investigation to the author and his
account Of item presents ludicrous mixture, OF
| truth ard error. He says that in England, "t,e
mtn constantly listen to the commands OF tie women
The whole country follows this custom;" and that
the skirts GOT Englshwomen, are long, aud sweep
the ground; there are five q six Of them fastened TO
| the waist, one above the other. Both sexes love
| Cleanliness ard daily battle themselves in tubs"
fashions, and though it may to be in contradc-
ton OF the virtue ascribed to ladies in with
men, in the 6rst clause of the next sentence, il is
quite reconcable with the residue of it, and would
1 dispepsabIe coseequspce.
cpIious error occurs IN fhSfollowing para graph
| appended TO, In the MAN, very accurate descrip-
ton Of Rhode Island, in America. 1t win be seen
that in the location Of the Colossus the author con-
POUNDS Rhodes with Rhode Island.
Nan Hwaijn, q Jssuit) in his scoount of the seven
won,ers Of the world says: n Rhode Island Is brazen
nsa two % D.e Sas
legs Inside Is circular stairs fom which could
reach the right hand to light the lantern to guide
TOW or for light house thing but val jir
has made laundering story here of the brazen
man could have been cat, how he could hav-
been set up and the whole story must be put down
ex remedy nonseDsical.
Gov. Su has q very mil ute account Of the United
States Of America; he introduces it with history Of
the settlement Of the country and the subsequent re-
evolutionary war Of Independence The character oil
Washington commands HE unqualified admiration
He concludes his Introductory summary follows:-
1t Is evident that Washington rema kabls
IN devipg plars he decided than Chin ing
! WI Kwsng in winning country he WAS Drawer than
an Tsau or Lui Fl WELDING bis in mense fachion, he
eAtepded the frontiers hou auds OF les then
70 u,uTp ls IsS esny or to his
stra ion. Where in the world be found such pub
lie spbif Truly, he fentiments Of three dynAsies have
the state he promoted and fostsrsd good customs and
did not depend military meit in this he differed from
81 other nations have seen his Portrait his air and
form grand and imposing In remarkable degree. All!
who would not call him . hero9
| In another place recurring t, Washington, he ex
| claims -
Can any person in ancient or modern times. among
| the people o the Far West, be compared with him
| This book has 1t seems produced q profound i'm.
preston in China. The people read its statements
with interest and SURPRISE and ask with credulous
wonder II they be true. Just in proportion rs il
elevates foreigners in the estimation If the Chlese
will it deprees their ewn insuferable coaceit, and
open their minds to the reception of the great truths
OF political econ omy. science and religion. 1t vii
point Chinese scholars to the learning of f,reigo
languages. whence they will draw exhaustess trel
sures for the enrichment of their couDtrymen. IL is
after Of c0ngratuston, that the first gre 1t treatise
| for which the Chinese must acknowledge their in
debtedness to Information derived from foreigners.
should constitute 20 appropriate foundation on
which to efe the structure of general science, as
DOES Su Kiyu's Universal Geography
The Roman States.
TIE BUDGET OF TIDE PoNrIFICAL GOVERNMENT.
The Pont6cal government has Just supplied an
important omission the series OF its budgets, by
1;tb, ito al ufo frouo i