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The city is, indeed, distinguished for size, wealth, and a numerous population; and (if we except Amoy, which, by some, is supposed to be still open to Spanish ships) is the only port in China to which the ships of Europe and America are admitted to trade.

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"The estimate of missionaries, that Canton contains 1,000,000 of inhabitants, is exaggerated. The number is probably nearer 750,000." But how does is appear that this estimate of missionaries is exaggerated, and that the number is 'probably' nearer 750,000?-1f, indeed, it be a correct statement, that "only about a third part of the space inclosed (by the city walls) is covered with buildings,"-then may be true also, that the "estimate" of missionaries is exaggerated; but that the " pleasure-gardens and fish-ponds" occupy two thirds, or one third, or even one half of one third, we deny. It is often very convenient to make statements, which, though they are most palpably false, it is not easy to prove so, except by placing assertion against assertion; in this way we could show, that the "estimate" of the encyclopædist is untrue, and that the number is "probably " nearer 1,000,000. And then, if we should go on to say, that the houses of the city are five, six, or even more stories high (which account would be as near the truth as what is said concerning the 'space covered" with buildings), there would be some evidence, according to our own showing, that

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our statement was correct.

The truth in regard to this matter is, that no foreigner knows, or has the means of knowing, what is the exact amount of population in Canton. Du Halde, who wrote about a century ago, says, "the number of inhabitants of Canton is computed to exceed a million of souls." No man had better means of knowing the truth, in this case, than Du Halde; and, in our opinion, no work, among all those which have been written by foreigners concerning China, is more worthy of credit than his. We are neverthe

less inclined to the opinion, that Du Halde's statement was, at the time he made it, too great; but when we keep in mind that nearly a century has passed since he published his account, that the population of the empire has been constantly and rapidly increasing, and that, in addition to this, the growing commerce of the port has drawn hither, from the neighboring country and provinces, numerous persons, who with their families have become permanent inhabitants of the city; also, that the extent of the suburbs has been considerably enlarged ;these and other considerations, which might be mentioned, constrain us to doubt the truth of the statement given in the encyclopædia. But we waive this point and suspend our opinion, until we come to give a particular account of Canton city and its inhabitants.

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"The houses are mostly of one story; but those of the mandarins and principal merchants are high "— some of them full two stories!" and well built. every quarter of the town and suburbs are seen temples and pagodas."-There are in the "town and suburbs," only three pagodas, and one of them is a Mohammedan mosque. The temples contain images; the pagodas, properly so called, do not. The difference between the Chinese temple, mcaou, and pagoda, tă, is very remarkable; the meaou is always a low building, and seldom, if ever, has more than one story; the tă is high, and has three, five, and sometimes nine stories. The temple is inhabited, usually by priests or beggars; the pagoda is always without inhabitant.

The account of "triumphal arches," and of an "unbroken range of piazza," is not without some shadow of truth, though it is incorrect. The "arches" in question have, indeed, some resemblance to the triumphal, and so have they likewise to turnpike-gates; and they might as well be called by the one name as the other. These structures have generally inscriptions upon them; but they

are commemorative of meritorious actions, unconnected with victories or conquests. What was intended by the "range of piazza," it is difficult to conjecture, unless it be the narrow space between the shops and the streets, which, guarded by a kind of palisade, affords room for niches,-wherein are placed small jars for burning incense, but which gives no more protection to foot-passengers than the narrow eaves of an ordinary house.

That the "traders" express themselves with "sufficient fluency,”-not in the "languages" of their foreign customers, but in a jargon which is neither English nor Chinese, we admit; yet, "as this is the only emporium in the empire for foreign commerce, which is carried on, not only by Europeans and Americans, but also to a great extent by the Chinese themselves, with almost all the ports of India and the eastern Archipelago," and as "the number of vessels frequently seen in the river, at once, is said to exceed 5000," we cannot admit that the Chinese here "deal almost exclusively" with Europeans and Americans. For some centu

ries past, the Chinese have sent no vessels so far west as Calcutta, and only a very few beyond the straits of Malacca. The whole number of foreign vessels which arrived at the port of Canton, during the last season, did not exceed one hundred.

"The Americans trade here to a greater extent than any other nation; next to them come the English." A few figures will put this matter in a clear light. We give the accounts for four seasons, according to statements which have been prepared here, under the inspection of gentlemen familiar with the trade. The commerce of the Dutch, and other European states, except the English, is small, and need not be brought into the account. Seasons. Amer. Imp. Eng. Imp. Amer. Exp. Eng. Exp. $4,065,670 $21,313,526 $3,878,857 $19,360,625 4,341,282 22,931,372 4,209,810 21,257,257 1830-31 4,223,476 21,961,754 4,344,548 20,446,699 1831-32 5,531,807 20,536,227

1828-29

1829-30

5,999,731 17,767,486

We wonder that the writer, who prepared this account of Canton, did not allow the Americans the accommodations of a factory, since he would make them "trade here to a greater extent than any other nation." And we are surprised that the

learned and able editor should have allowed such an article to escape his notice. By a reference to any gentleman, who had ever visited the place, or who had any knowledge of the "China trade," the principal errors could have been easily corrected.

The "inhabitants of distinction" make use of sedans-not "litters;" and Chinese, as well as Tartar women, are sometimes seen in the streets. The boat-town, "nearly a league from Canton," is quite out of place. The river runs parallel to the wall on the south side of the city, and distant from it not more that thirty or forty rods; it is on the waters of this river, and directly opposite to "the town and suburbs," that the "floating city" is situated; so that, instead of being three miles, it is scarcely a stone's-throw from that which occupies terra firma. The inhabitants of these 40,000 "barks" are not, and but a few of them ever were, "prohibited by law from settling on shore." A great majority of the "barks," we may remark in passing, are nothing more than little tanka (i. e. egg-house) boats, containing only four or five poor women and children. The "American paper," issued twice a month, called the Canton Register, "which has lately been established" here, was commenced in the autumn of 1827; and except the editorial department, for a few weeks, the work has never been in the hands of Americans.

We might extend this critique, and point out other errors; but we deem it unnecessary, inasmuch as we expect soon to traverse the saine ground, and will then lay before our readers such accounts concerning the provincial city,' as the interest of the subject, and the circumstances of the case seem to require.

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CHINESE COLONIES.

Ta Tsing wan-neën yih-tung King wei Yu-too,-" A general geographical map, with degrees of latitude and longitude, of the Empire of the Ta Tsing Dynasty—may it last for ever." By LE MINGCHE TSINGLAE.*

THE GOVERNMENT OF ELE includes Soungaria and Eastern Turkestan, which are separated from each other by the chain of Teën-shan. Its boundary on the north is the Altai chain, which divides Soungaria from the territory of the Hassacks or Kirghis of Independent Tartary:-the Chamar mountains and the river Irtish, on the northeast, separate it from Mongolia;-ou the east, an imaginary line divides between the Ele government and those parts of Soungaria and Turkestan which have been attached to China:-the Kwanlun mountains and desert of Cobi, on the south, separate Turkestan from Tibet:-and on the west, the Belour mountains divide it from the independent tribes of Bukhara. On the side of the Hassacks or Kirghis, Ele is entirely open.

The city of Ele, or Hwuy-yuen ching, was formerly the capital of the Soungars, when their state was powerful, and possessed dominion over Turkestan. It still retains its rank, being the seat of the tseängkeun or general, who has the chief authority of the whole government of Ele. Secondary, but not wholly subordinate, to him, are military residents of considerable rank, in each canton and principal city; and these delegate their authority,-in Soungaria, to inferior military officers, and in Turkestan, to native officers called begs.

The Soungarian or northern portion of the government is of small extent, including only three cantons, viz. Ele (or (li) in the west, Tarbagatai in the north, and Kour-kbara-ousou between Ele and Oroumtchì. The cantons of Barkoul and Oroumtchi, with their dependencies, were attached by Keënlung to Kansuh province, Barkoul receiving the name of Chinse foo, and Oroumtchi that of Teih-hwa chow. All these cantons are occupied chiefly by resident soldiery, that is, by soldiers who are settled down on the soil, with their families, the sons being required to inherit their fathers' profession together with their lands. These are descendants of Mantchous, Chinese, Solons, Chahars, Eluths, and others, removed from their respective countries, at the period when Soungaria was depopulated by Keenlung. There are likewise other troops, stationed in the country for limited periods; also, convicts transported from all the

* (Continued from page 121.)

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