The national era. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1847-1860, 1859-07-07
FROM CHINA.
CANTON, CHINA, April 20, 1852

CANTON, CHINA, April 20, 1859.
To the Editor ofthe Natianal Era:
Since the city of Canton has been opened 10
foreigners. IT has been quite thoroughly eX-
nlored. The circuit Of the wall is little snort
of seven miles, and another wall divides II lnto
two UNEQUAL parts, called the old and the new
CITY. A street running east ana West, caleu
Tho street of +" Benevolence and Love, eXtends
from the principal eastern gate TO the western
On II are situated most of the official residences
such as the Tartar Generals, the governor >,
and the Treasury. These, and all residences "
high officers, are imposing structures, anu cun.
| on magnificent scale. The Tartar Oehers d Vi
6ce for instance. consists ofa succession OF large
bn;ld;ngs and omen courts paved with granite
| Four or Eve of these buildings and the inter
| vanin0 courts cover a space of 400 feet by l2V;
4 and the whole is surrounded by an enclosure
| I 500 feet lone by 500 wide. These gardens,
| as thew are called, are filled with bushes ana
trees. and in some Of them deer are kept. IL
| ia imnossible to convey in words an idea OF the
annearanee of these public offices The arrange
| ment and architecture are thoroughly chinese,
but they are on such large scale as TO I'M
press the mind of the visiter with more eA-
allied view of the people whose rulers occupy
such extensive palaces. Since the taxing "
the CITY. the Tartar Generals Office has been
used bv the English and French as the head
quarters of the Commissioners who are lntrust
ed with government Of the city.
The numerous heather temples within the
CITY walls are places Of interest to the vlslter
some of them are fine buildings, very costly
and richly endowed. There Is one situated Oh
the central street Of Benevolence and Love
which is resorted to more than any other. L
is called Shing Wong Miu," or the temple
the City's King, and is looked upon as the pal
ladium of the city. Passing from the stree
through large gateway, the vislter enters a
open square paved with granite, which Is lille
with tables for gambling, selling eatapie'
medicine, &C.; while dentists, conductors, To-
: tune-tellers, &C., occupy stands on each side
, the entrance. There is also an altar which
used every Sabbath by American missions'
E as preaching stand. al
Passing through another covered irs<e
S open court, occupied by fortune5feSh of
/, cooking stands, the visiter is inkse/s Scene
j on each side of this square r &ginning
the Chinese hell, in ten scsapthe august
o occupies a room ten feettio6uecession of
u with the culprits condeyn make the guilty
= Judge, he is taken ~
If punishments which <r is stretched upon I
e conscience trembe Nth the bamboo until a
e In one scenrbI e raw flesh. In another, :
3 the ground { sdrrlng up with long pole
L | the DlOOO J. /OI bones anu UeSn, INTO winch |
IS the execrYbeen cast head-foremost. In q
a boilip Hprit is being swallowed alive by ]
% the p1fast.| These representations are got I
r, ano parse style of art, but some of them t
1t a II impressive, and convey very forcibly /
n ga intended. From this court the princi- L
tyfoom of the temple is entered, in which is s
dthroned the hideous idol who presides over e
ne destinies of the place. He sits in dark 7
nd gloomy recess, elevated several feet, and L
n each side stand two grim-visaged giants, t
no act as body guards, while in front is a g
lble or altar on which are placed white metal {
asses for incense, wax candles, and artificial {
overs. While | was in the room, an intelli- I
ent-looking man, dressed in silk gown, !
hose hairs we're just beginning to turn gray,
AS engaged in worship. Kneeling down on a
lat in front of the idol, with cup for divina- I
on in his hands, he made number of low
rostrations, repeating in low tone some form t
words prescribed for worship. He then !
ioved the cup backward and forward until !
lip OF bamboo dropped out. On this was writ t
IN number, and printed paper of that num- c
er, sold by the priest, was supposed to contain +
ne answer ofthe god. 1.-THE first answer is not s
the process is repeated until the t
-orshipper is satisfied. This is a specimen of a
le darkness which shrouds the minds of the |
Millions of China. They worship gods which t
lelI own HtnuS HAVE llduc anu tney JnaJ make
lem are like unto them" Ignorance and SUI v
erstition are twin brothers, going hand in )
and, and they hold in terrible bondage large S
ortiOn of the human race, and nowhere is t
leir empire more undisputed than among this /
eOple. Their superstitions are innumerable, e
nd exert almost unbounded influence over all. s
he spiritual world is to them an unfathomable a
lystery, and hence the thousand imaginations a
hch haunt them of evil spirits, evil Influences, {
lcky and unlucky days, &c. i
Now that the country is thrown open to the i
Enterprise of Western nations, let that enter. /
rise be directed as much to the elevation of a
he people as to the extension of commercial F
dvantages. In this, every philanthropist and d
very Christian has high duty to perform, t
nd the object is a noble one. A brighter day h
dawning for China, and God is using the evil 8
ASSIGNS of the people, the calamities of war, 1
nd the awful wickedness of the opium trade s
} dissipate the darkness, and prepare the way s
II the light. May it soon shine with MONDAY ft
rightness, and bring with it peace, happiness, a
nd prosperity, to the teeming millions of the a
Middle Kingdom K.