has been procured for all the ravages committed upon the English merchants by the Chinese, and the trade between the two countries established upon a broader foundation than it has ever been before. The English, indeed, have virtually gained some settlements in the Chinese territory; and there can be little doubt but they will be able to maintain their position, and keep the extensive empire of China in awe. By it, the Chinese have discovered their weakness, and quietly submit to the power of Great Britain. It is to be feared, however, that the population of China will still possess the opportunity of inhaling the fatal drug, which has caused so many millions to sleep the sleep of death. But if some of our countrymen still persist in the traffic, let it be the duty of others to endeavour to counteract its evils. There is an impression among the Chinese, that the object which the English have in view by introducing opium into the country, is to weaken and enfeeble the "celestial empire," for some ulterior purpose. One of the emperor's edicts says, that "the English are of a violent, overbearing disposition, and that they have long cherished plans great and deep." They may be long-sighted, but their vision has certainly not extended to any such futurity, and it is to be hoped, that our nation will prove to their calumniators, that as a body of people they desire their temporal and eternal welfare-that while some few seek individual gain, even at the expense of the souls and bodies of their fellow men, many are ready to make a sacrifice of their temporal goods on their behalf. All foreign commerce, the inland trade ex cepted, is carried on at Canton. For this purpose, hongs, or factories, are built along the bank of the river, extending backwards in depth a hundred and thirty yards, into a long narrow lane, on each side of which are confined the abodes of foreigners. Holman gives the following list of these establishments, with the intervening thoroughfares, in the order in which they appear to a person coming up the river : Abeel gives an interesting description of the appearance which the open space in front of the factories presents at different hours of the day. He says:"It is the rendezvous of multitudes of the natives, who assemble daily, to transact business, gratify curiosity, or murder time. It is level for a short distance, beyond which, it stretches over a large pile of rubbish, deposited here after the desolating fire of 1822, and retained, notwithstanding numerous applications for its removal, as a lasting and growing nuisance to foreigners. "As the morning opens upon this scene, silence retires, and the ears of the stranger are assailed by a new and peculiar combination of sounds. Human voices of harsh, drawling tones, cries of con fined dogs and cats, screams of roughly-handled poultry, notes of feathered songsters, some of them admirably gifted and trained, with at times an accompaniment of very unmusical instruments, all unite in this inharmonious concert. The occupations of the tradesmen are varied. Meat, fish, vegetables, fruit, drugs, manufactures; everything saleable is brought to the general market. A number convey their portable kitchens hither, and prepare such dishes as suit the palates and purses of this promiscuous concourse. Others plant the barber's shop, or its necessary apparatus, in a convenient place, and spend their leisure hours in lolling about and conversation. Those who fre quent the place for trade, are probably less numerous than the groups of idlers, who pass their time in listening to stories, witnessing juggling tricks, attending the operations and lectures of empirics, gaping at objects of novelty, and too frequently endeavouring to obtain each other's money by gambling. "When the sun is oppressive the crowd retires, with the exception of the hucksters, who intercept his withering beams by temporary tilts. The erection of tents is a liberty not sanctioned by law, or rather, contrary to the oral prohibitions of the petty officers who have charge of the square. Consequently, when men of authority make their appearance, the scene suddenly changes. From the moment of alarm, there is the most hasty despatch, until everything is removed that militates against their order. Their exit appears to be regarded as the signal of re-erection, and all things speedily revert to their former state. Such a show of subjection, with real contempt for authority, when it opposes individual gain, is said to be a prominent feature of the nation." In moralizing upon the mass of accountable beings met with at Canton, Abeel remarks :-"In surveying this multitude, there are a great many points of interest to the eye of Christian compassion and benevolence. Independent of the associations which are common to all the heathen, there are facts of importance peculiar to this daily throng. Great numbers of them can read, and are attracted by every publication that meets their eyes. It is customary to paste up advertisements in the most public place of the square and the streets, and the groups generally found through the day gathered around them show their eagerness to catch at every piece of information. What a place for the operations of the press, sacred to the cause of the Redeemer!" As traders, the Chinese are eminently active, persevering, and intelligent. They are, in truth, a highly commercial people. Business is transacted with great despatch, and it is affirmed that there is no part of the world where cargoes may be sold and bought, unloaded and loaded, with more business-like speed and activity. An instance of this despatch is furnished by an American writer thus :-"While our officers were at dinner, Mr. Lattimer left the table for a moment, and returned so soon that he was scarcely missed. He informed his guests, that he had made a sale, while absent, of opium, to the amount of two thousand dollars, and assured them that the Chinese are remarkably expert in business. Shopkeepers, from whom you may buy the most trifling article, supply ships with cargoes, worth two hundred thousand dollars, and will contract to do so with all the necessary security, in the length of time he had been absent from the table. They will manage all the smuggling, if any be necessary; get all the chops for duties; and deliver the articles on board the ship at Lintin, Whampoa, or Macao." The articles of import and export to be met with at Canton are too numerous to be mentioned. It will be sufficient to say that Europe pours many of her natural productions, and some of her manufactures, into China; and that China, in return, sends its most valuable productions, natural and artificial, into Europe. Of these productions tea holds the first rank; and the importance of our commerce may be seen in the fact that since the commencement of the present century, about 1,000,000,000 lbs. have been sold into England, yielding an enormous revenue to the exchequer, without any cost or trouble in collecting. Well has it been said by the poet Cowper, that "the bond of commerce was design'd Still the present European trade dwindles to a mere point, when compared with the extent of the empire, and the amount of its population. The direct annual revenue accruing from Canton |