the mouth of the Keang to Nanking; and there is
reason to suppose that, to a European fleet, it would be
one of the most vulnerable parts of the empire, as the
canal opens into the great river, a little below the city
towards the sea. To blockade at once the mouth of the
canal and of the Yangtse-keang, could scarcely fail to
distress the empire, and especially Peking, which is fed
by supplies from the southern provinces.

Nanking stands pretty nearly midway between Pe-
king and Canton, the two most important extremes of
China on the north and south. Notwithstanding the
very considerable difference of climate which must be
produced by no less than seventeen degrees of latitude,
the general character of the cities and towns throughout
the empire, and of the houses which they contain, is sur-
prisingly uniform. The most striking features are the
lowness of the houses, and the narrowness of the stree
which are usually paved with flag-stones, and calcu
only for the passage of people on foot, or of tho
are carried in sedan-chairs.
crossed by those triple gateways of an ornam
ture, which have been improperly style
The way is s
arches, but which are of a square constr
pear to have been usually erected to
individuals celebrated for their talents
other species of memorial, of the sa
stone slab, called She-pae, being
height, two in breadth, and half
covered with inscriptions, whic
conferred by the Emperor, or t
nent person. These are alway
on the figure of a tortoise, of
the slab is cut.

The portion of Canton in which the European factories are situated, being a mere suburb, does not contain any of the decorations above described; but the arrangement and architecture of the streets and shops is precisely the same as within the walls of the city. The shops are commonly quite open towards the street,-that is, those appropriated to Chinese customers; for the few streets devoted to European trade are rather on a different plan, the shops being of a closer structure, and less exposed to external observation. The several streets are commonly devoted to dist penter-street, or rather sq

"Goods genuine, prices true." "Trade circling like a wheel," &c. Either the police must be very good, or the populace tolerably abstemious; for some of the shops, which are pretty richly supplied, appear to be much exposed towards the street. But the inhabitants of each division generally combine into a system of watch and ward for the common protection; and, during the night, the streets are closed at each end by doors, which are guarded by the regular police.

The principal shops connected with European and American trade are those occupied by dealers in silks, lackered and carved ware, and all those smaller articles that are not restricted to the Hong merchants, who have the exclusive privilege of trading in tea, cotton, and other chief commodities. When the latter feel occasionally inclined to push their monopoly beyond its established limits, and to encroach on the sufficiently narrow trade of the shopmen, these usually combine for the purpose of opposing them with some chance of success. At the close of 1834, the Hong merchants showed a disposition to exercise the whole weight of their exclusive privileges against the English free-trade, and even to add to them by depriving the shopmen of their accustomed dealings. A considerable ferment was created among the latter, which gave rise to a species of trades' unions, composed of manufacturers and dealers, who combined to plague the Hong merchants and petition the government, and succeeded, at length, in retaining such portion of the trade as they had before possessed.

The silk-weavers and dealers are much in the habit of forming combinations to maintain the rules of their trade, and the prices of work as well as goods. The forfeit for violating the laws of the combination is, to be

at the sole expense of a dramatic exhibition, which lasts for three days, and to pay half the value of the commodity sold contrary to rule, for the support of the tradesmen's Hall, of which there is generally one in every principal city, belonging to each wealthy corporation of traders, if they may be so termed. The embassy of 1816 observed at Kan-chow-foo, a principal city of Keang-sy province, that by far the most considerable buildings were the commercial halls, belonging to the associated merchants and dealers. The principal room in the Exchange of the green-tea merchants (who pass by this on their way to Canton) was named Hychun Tâng, or "Hyson hall." In the appropriation of these edifices, observes a private journal of the embassy, there is a singular combination of religious with commercial objects. They generally contain a temple of Budh, or some local divinity, and at the same time are used as an exchange, and house of entertainment and lodging, for the society of merchants to whom they belong.

The worshipful corporation of silkmen of Canton, having been of opinion in 1833 that some of their fraternity had been unfairly dealt with by an American, in a contract for silk piece-goods, forthwith exhibited a rather amusing placard against him. "In conducting commercial transactions (said the paper) the Chinese and foreigners are generally the same; in buying and selling with justice and equity, there is no difference between them. When the goods are delivered, the money is immediately paid; there are no perverse difficulties made, nor cutting deductions inflicted. But there is now living in the Swedish factory, No. 2, an

keang, with its several branches, or rather subdivisions; and beyond them, the pagoda of the city of Poo-keuhien, and a distant range of hills in the horizon. On the other side was a beautiful vale of many leagues in extent, the whole of which, with several lesser eminences within its enceinte, is included within the ancient boundaries of the imperial city. We could trace with the eye, assisted by a telescope, nearly the whole circuit of the walls; but within the vast space which they enclosed we looked almost in vain for the habitations of men, or any traces of the former populousness of this ancient capital of China. Even the very ruins and vestiges of the buildings which we are led to conclude must formerly have filled this space have disappeared; and at present clumps of trees, orchards, cultivated fields, and gardens, and a few scattered farm-houses occupy their places. At a distance, indeed, beyond an elevated ridge to the westward, we could perceive that a part of the valley was overhung with a cloud of smoke, which partially disclosed a few considerable buildings, and no doubt arose from that portion of the city which continues to be inhabited. We could distinguish pretty clearly the roofs of two or three buildings resembling temples, two arched gateways, and three pagodas, one of which, from its superior size and stateliness, and its proximity to the river, we immediately concluded to be the famous porcelain tower, and in this opinion we were confirmed by our Chinese conductors."

The desolation which took place in this ancient seat of the native Sovereigns may no doubt be ascribed to the Tartar conquerors, who demolished the imperial palace, and even the sepulchres in the rage of war. Much, however, may be attributed to another reason, which