rendezvous of a few native junks. Ning-po, which is situated a short distance westward of Chu-san, is the principal emporium of Che-keang province. Native vessels, belonging to this place, are generally of about 200 tons burden, and have four oblong sails, which are made of cloth. These vessels, which are similar to those of Keang-nan province, trade mostly to the north of China; copper cash, reduced to about one-half the value of the currency, is their principal article of export.

About the 20th of August, we reached the mouth of the river Yang-tsze-keang, on the banks of which stands the city of Seang-hae (Seang-hae-heen), the emporium of Nanking, and of the whole of Keang-nan province; and, as far as the native trade is concerned, perhaps the principal commercial city in the empire. It is laid out with great taste; the temples are very numerous; the houses neat and comfortable; and the inhabitants polite, though rather servile in their manners. Here, as at Ning-po, the trade is chiefly carried on by Fuh-keen men. More than a thousand small vessels go up to the north, several times annually, exporting silk and other Keang-nan manufactures, and importing peas and medical drugs. Some few junks, owned by Fuh-keen men, go to the Indian Archipelago, and return with very rich cargoes.

It was with great difficulty thatwe reached the extremity of the Shan-tung promontory, in lat. 37° 23′ N.; and when we did so, the wind continuing unfavourable, we cast anchor at Le-to (Le-taou, an island in the bay of Sang-kow), where there is a spacious and deep harbour, surrounded by rocks, with great shoals on the left side. This was on the 23rd of August. There were several vessels in the harbour, driven thither by the severity of the weather. At one extremity of Le-to harbour, a small town is situated. The surrounding country is rocky, and productive of scarcely any thing, except a few fruits. The houses are built of granite, and covered with sea-weeds; within they were very poorly furnished. The people themselves were rather neat in their appearance, and polite in their manners, but not of high attainments. Though very little conversant with their written character, they nevertheless spoke the mandarin dialect better than I had ever before heard it. They seemed very poor, and had few means of subsistence; but they appeared industrious, and laboured hard to gain a livelihood. I visited them in their cottages, and was treated with much kindness,-even invited to a dinner, where the principal men of the place were present. As their attention was much attracted towards me, being a stranger, I took occasion to explain the reason of my visiting their country, and amply gratified their curiosity. They paid me visits in return; some of them called me Se-yang-tsze, child of the western ocean;' and others a foreign-born Chinese; but the major part of them seemed to care little about the place of my nativity.

Apples, grapes, and some other fruits we found here in abundance; and such refreshments were very acceptable, after having lived for a long time on dry rice and salt vegetables. Fish also were plentiful and cheap. The common food of the inhabitants is the Barbadoes millet, called kaou-leang; they grind it in a mill, which is worked by asses, and eat it like rice. There were several kinds of the leang grain, which differed considerably in taste as well as in size.

Some sales were made here, but the people were too poor to trade to any considerable extent. It is worthy of remark that, in the very neighbourhood of the place where Confucius was born, the moral precepts of that sage are (as I had opportunity to witness) trampled upon, and even when referred to are treated with scorn. Here our sailors, especially those who went to visit the temple of Ma-tsoo-po, were again ensnared by wretched women--the most degraded beings I ever beheld. But the poor fellows soon felt the consequences of their wicked conduct; for some of them had not only to sell their little stock of merchandise, but were also visited with loathsome disease. Often did they lament their folly; and as often did they remark, that they had no power to become better men. A disgrace to human nature-a scene at which even the corrupted heart of man revolts,-girls scarcely twelve years of age were given up to the beastly passions of the men! Some of my fellow-passengers, when they had recovered their senses, felt keenly the stings of conscience. Captain Eo was among this number;-“ I am a forlorn wretch," said he; " in vain I strive against vice, every day brings me nearer eternal destruction." Though he endeavoured to stifle remorse, by placing an idol in his cabin, and by repeating his "O-me-to-Fuh" (i. e. Amida Budha, an expression which commences most prayers to that deity), yet all his efforts were in vain; his heart became more depraved, his superstitions more strong, and he seemed utterly incorrigible. He would often remark, as I sat with him in his cabin, talking about the Gospel of Christ,-"I have no friend; all my vicious companions forsook me when I was wrecked on Pulo Way; the little property I now have is only sufficient to support myself alone; but I have a family at home, who are looking to me for support, while I am giving myself up to folly and vice." The body of this poor man was emaciated, and he passed most of his time in sleep. Occasionally he would enter into conversation

with captain Hae, his neighbour, who was a great proficient in iniquitous schemes and practices. In conversation, during the night-time, they would relate to each other the particulars of their feats; it was painful to hear their narrations, especially when I remembered that, in the case of Eo, they proceeded from the lips of a hoary-beaded man, who, after a wicked life of more than sixty years, was fast verging to the grave. O what must be the company of hell, where all the heroes of wickedness meet, and hold eternal intercourse, making daily progress in sin!

Although my sentiments were entirely at variance with those of Eo, he frequently showed me marks of real kindness, lamented my lonely state, and feared that I should fall a prey to wicked men, because I was over-righteous. He would sometimes give me accounts of geography, according to the popular notions of the Chinese, which he considered as the only correct ones, and ours as altogether erroneous. As he was a painter he drew a map, in which Africa was placed near Siberia, and Corea in the neighbourhood of some unknown country, which he thought might be America. Though his ideas were ridiculous, he possessed a good understanding: and had he not been debased by idolatry and crime, he might have formed a talented and useful member of society. But, alas! Satan first debars God's creatures from improvement, and then reduces them to the level of brutes.

The vessels of the last English embassy touched, it seems, at Le-to, and their stay there was still fresh in the recollection of the natives. They frequently referred to those majestic ships, which might have spread destruction in every direction; and to this day they are over-awed and tremble, even at the mention of the Kea-pan* ships, as European vessels are denominated. I was closely questioned on this subject, but as I was not well informed respecting the expedition, I could give them no satisfactory answers; I was able, however, by describing the character of Europeans, in some degree, to quiet their minds.—“ If,” said I," they had come to injure you, they would have done so immediately; but as they came and went away peaceably, they ought to be considered as the friends of the Chinese." My reasoning, however, was of little avail;"They were not traders," they replied;" if they had been, we should have hailed them as friends; but they came with guns, and as men never do any thing without design, they must have had some object, and that object must have been conquest. Those mandarins who did not inform the Emperor of their arrival were severely punished; and how could this have been done, if he had not perceived an ultra design?" Europe is supposed, by a great majority of the Chinese, to be a small country, inhabited by a few merchants, who speak different languages, and who maintain themselves principally by their commerce with China. With a view to correct their ideas. I gave them some account of the different nations who inhabit Europe, but all to no purpose; the popular belief, that it is merely a small island, containing only a few thousands of inhabitants, was too strong to be removed.

They were anxious, however, to know from whence all the dollars came, which are brought to China; and when I told them more of the western world, they expressed a wish to go thither, because they thought gold and silver must be as abundant there, as granite is in China; but when I told them that in going thither they could see no land for many days, they became unwilling to engage for such a voyage ;-" For where,” they earnestly inquired, "shall we take shelter and come to anchor, when storms overtake us? And whither shall we find refuge when once we are wrecked?",

Though they soon abandoned the idea of visiting Europe, they were still desirous to gain some more information about dollars, and requested me to teach them the art of making them of tin or lead; for many of them believe that the English are able, by a certain process, to change those metals into silver. As they considered me an adept in every art, except divinity, they were much disappointed when I told them, that I neither understood the secret, nor believed that there was any mortal who did. This statement they discredited, and maintained that the English, as they were rich and had many great ships and splendid factories in Canton, and had no means of obtaining riches except by this art, must of necessity be able to change the inferior metals into gold. This same strange notion is believed in Siam; and I have been earnestly importuned by individuals to teach them this valuable art; silver ore has been sent to me also with the request, that I would extract the silver, and form it into dollars. The reason of their so frequently conspiring against me seems to have been, that I acted with liberality and honesty towards every one, and did not engage in trade; and hence they inferred that I made silver and coined money, and by these means had always a stock on hand, sufficient to defray my expenses.

*We are unable to ascertain the meaning of this term Kea-pan. It may perhaps be derived from Captain or some other foreign word.

After staying several days at Le-to, we again got under weigh; but the wind being still unfavourable, we proceeded slowly, and on the 2nd Sept. came to anchor in the deep and spacious harbour of Shan-so. The town from which this harbour takes its name, is pleasantly situated, and its environs are well cultivated. The people were polite and industrious; they manufacture a sort of cloth, which consists partly of cotton, and partly of silk; it is very strong, and finds a ready sale in every part of China. They are wealthy, and trade to a considerable extent with the junks which touch here on their way to Teen-tsin. Many junks were in the harbour at the same time with ours, and trade was very brisk. On shore refreshments of every description were cheap. The people seemed fond of horsemanship; and while we were there, ladies had horse-races, in which they greatly excelled. The fame of the English men-of-war had spread consternation and awe among the people here: and 1 endeavoured, so far as it was in my power, to correct the erroneons opinions which they had entertained.

Vice seemed as prevalent here as at Le-to; the sailors borrowed money in advance, and before we left the barbour, every farthing of it was expended; I predicted to them that such would be the consequence of their vicious conduct;-that prediction was now fulfilled, the poor fellows became desperate, and, as they had no other object on which to vent their rage but myself, they exceedingly wearied and annoyed me.-Did I ever offer an earnest prayer to God, it was at this time; I besought him to be gracious to them and to me, and to make a display of his almighty power, in order to convince them of their nothingness, and to console and strengthen my own heart. The following morning the weather was very sultry; I was roused from sleep by loud peals of thunder, and soon after I had awaked, the lightning struck our junk; the shock was awfully tremendous ;-the masts had been split from top to bottom, but, most mercifully, the hull had received no injury. This event spread consternation among the sailors, and with dejected countenances, they scarcely dared to raise their heads, while they looked on me as the servant of Shang-te, and as one who enjoyed his protection. From this time they ceased to ridicule me, and on the other hand treated me with great respect.The elements seemed, at this time, to have conspired against us; winds and tide were contrary, and our progress was scarcely perceptible.

In the neighbourhood of Shan-so is Kan-chow, one of the principal ports of Shan-tung. The trading vessels anchor near the shore, and their supercargoes go to the town by a small river. There is here a market for Indian and European merchandise, almost all kinds of which bear a tolerable price. The duties are quite low, and the mandarins have very little control over the trade. It may be stated that, in general, the Shan-tung people are far more honest than the inhabitants of the southern provinces, though the latter treat them with disrespect, as greatly their inferiors.

On the 8th of September, we passed Ting-ching, a fortress situated near the shore, on the frontiers of Chihle and Shan-tun gprovinces ; it seemed to be a pretty large place, surrounded by a high wall. We saw some excellent plantations in its vicinity, and the country generally presented a very lively aspect, with many verdant scenes, which the wearied eye seeks for in vain, on the naked rocks of Shan-tung.

On the 9th, we were in great danger. Soon after we had anchored near the mouth of the Pei-ho (or Pih-ho, the White river), a gale suddenly arose, and raged for about six hours. Several junks, which had left the harbour of Le-to with us, were wrecked ; but a merciful God preserved our vessel. As the wind blew from the north, the agreeable temperature of the air was soon changed to a piercing cold. Though we were full 30 miles distant from the shore, the water was so much blown back by the force of the wind, that a man could easily wade over the sand bar; and our sailors went out in different directions to catch crabs, which were very numerons. But in a few days afterwards, a favourable south wind blew, when the water increased and rose to the point from which it had fallen. In a little time large numbers of boats were seen coming from the mouth of the river, to offer assistance in towing the junk in from the sea.

We had approached a considerable distance towards the shore before we saw the land, it being almost on a level with the sea. The first objects which we could discern were two small forts; these are situated near the mouth of the river, and within the last few years have been considerably repaired. The natives, who came on board, were rather rude in manners, and poorly clothed. Scarcely had we anchored, when some opium dealers from Teen-tsin came along side. They stated, that in consequence of the heir of the crown having died by opium smoking, very severe edicts had been published against the use of the drug, and that because the difficulty of trading in the article at the city was so great, they had come out to purchase such quantities of it as might be for sale on board our junk.

The entrance of the Pei-ho presents nothing but scenes of wretchedness; and the whole adjacent country seemed to be as dreary as a desert. While the southern winds blow, the coast is often overflowed to a considerable extent; and the country more

inland affords very littte to attract attention, being diversified only by stacks of salt, and by numerous tumuli which mark the abodes of the dead. The forts are nearly square, and are surrounded by single walls; they evince very little advance in the art of fortification. The people told me, that when the vessels of the last English embassy were anchored off the Pei-ho, a detachment of soldiers-infantry and cavalry-was sent hither to ward off any attack that might be made. The impression made on the minds of the people by the appearance of those ships is still very perceptible. I frequently heard unrestrained remarks concerning barbarian fierceness and thirst after conquest, mixed with eulogiums on the equitable government of the English at Singapore. The people wondered how a few barbarians, without the transforming influence of the celestial empire, could arrive at a state of civilization, very little inferior to that of the middle kingdom.' They rejoiced that the water at the bar of the Pei-ho was too shallow to afford a passage for men-of-war, (which, however, is not the case; when the south wind prevails, there is water enough for ships of the largest class;) and, that its course was too rapid to allow the English vessels to ascend the river. While these things were mentioned with exultation, it was remarked by one who was present, that the barbarians had fire-ships,' which could proceed up the river without the aid of trackers; this remark greatly astonished them, and excited their fears; which, however, were quieted when I assured them, that those barbarians, as they called them, though valiant, would never make an attack unless provoked, and that if the celestial empire never provoked them, there would not be the least cause to fear.

Though our visitors here were numerous, they cared very little about me, and treated me in the same manner as they did the other passengers. Most of the inhabitants, who reside near the shore, are poor fishermen; their food consists, almost exclusively, of Barbadoes millet, boiled like rice, and mixed with water in various proportions, according to the circumstances of the individuals;-if they are rich, the quantity of water is small, if poor, as is usually the case, the quantity is large. They eat with astonishing rapidity, cramming their mouths full of millet and salt vegetables,-if they are fortunate enough to obtain any of the latter. Most of the inhabitants live in this way; and only a few persons who are wealthy, and the settlers from Keang-nan, Fuh-keen, and Canton provinces enjoy the luxury of rice. In a district so sterile as this, the poor inhabitants labour hard and to little purpose, in trying to obtain from the productions of the soil the means of subsistence.

The village of Ta-koo, near which we anchored, is a fair specimen of the architecture along the banks of the Pei-ho,-and it is only on the banks of the river, throughout these dreary regions, that the people fix their dwellings. The houses are generally low and square, with high walls towards the streets: they are well adapted to keep out the piercing cold of winter, but are constructed with little regard to couvenience. The houses of all the inhabitants, however rich, are built of mud, excepting only those of the mandarins, which are of brick. The hovels of the poor have but one room, which is at the same time, their dormitory, kitchen, and parlour. In these mean abodes, which to keep them warm, are stopped up at all points, the people pass the dreary days of winter; and often with no other prospect than that of starving. Their chief enjoyment is the pipe. Rich individuals, to relieve the pressing wants of the populace, sometimes give them small quantities of warm millet; and the Emperor, to protect them against the inclemency of the season, compassionately bestows on them a few jackets. I had much conversation with these people, who seemed to be rude but hardy, poor but cheerful, and lively but quarrelsome. The number of these wretched beings is very great, and many, it is said, perish annually by the cold of winter. On account of this overflowing population, wages are low, and provisions dear; most of the articles for domestic consumption are brought from other districts and provinces; hence many of the necessaries of life-even such as fuel, are sold at an enormous price. It is happy for this barren region, that it is situated in the vicinity of the capital; and that large quantities of silver-the chief article of exportation-are constantly flowing thither from the other parts of the empire.

Some mandarins from Ta-koo, came on board our junk; their rank and the extent of their anthority were announced to us by a herald who preceded them. They came to give us permission to proceed up the river; this permission, however, had to be bought by presents, and more than half a day was occupied in making the bargain.

Before we left this place, I gave a public dinner to all on board, both passengers and sailors. This induced one of their company to intimate to me, that in order to conciliate the favour of Ma-tsoo-po, some offerings should be made to her. I replied, "Never, since I came on board, have I seen her even taste of the offerings made to her; it is strange, that she should be so in want, as to need any offerings from me." "But," answered the man, "the sailors will take care that nothing of what she refuses is lost."-" It is better," said I, " to give directly to the sailors, whatever is intended for

them; and let Ma-tsoo-po, if she is really a goddess, feed on ambrosia, and not upon the base spirits and food which you usually place before her; if she has any being, let her provide for herself; if she is merely an image, better throw her idol with its satellites into the sea, than have them here to incumber the junk."-" These are barbarian notions," rejoined my antagonist," which are so deeply rooted in your fierce breast, as to lead you to trample on the laws of the celestial empire."-" Barbarian reasoning is conclusive reasoning," I again replied; "If you are afraid to throw the idol into the waves, I will do it, and abide the consequences. You have heard the truth, that there is only one God, even as there is only one sun in the firmament. Without his mercy, inevitable punishment will overtake you, for having defied his authority, and given yourself up to the service of dumb idols; reform or you are lost!" The man was silenced and confounded, and only replied,-" Let the sailors feast, and Ma-tsoopo hunger."

As soon as we were again ready to proceed, about thirty men came on board to assist in towing the junk; they were very thinly clothed, and seemed to be in great want; some dry rice that was given to them, they devoured with inexpressible delight. When there was not wind sufficient to move the junk, these men, joined by some of our sailors, towed her along against the rapid stream; for the Pei-ho has no regular tides, but constantly flows into the sea with more or less rapidity. During the ebb tide, when there was not water enough to enable us to proceed, we stopped and went on shore.

The large and numerous stacks of salt along the river, especially at Teen-tsin, cannot fail to arrest the attention of strangers. The quantity is very great, and seems sufficient to supply the whole empire; it has been accumulating during the reign of five emperors; and it still continues to accumulate. This salt is formed in vats near the sea shore; from thence it is transported to the neighbourhood of Ta-koo, where, it is compactly piled up on hillocks of mud, and covered with bamboo mattings; in this situation it remains for some time, when it is finally put into bags and carried to Teen-tsin, and kept for a great number of years, before it can be sold. More than 800 boats are constantly employed in transporting this article,-and thousands of persons gain a livelihood by it, some of whom become very rich the principal salt merchants, it is said, are the richest persons in the empire.

Along the banks of the Pei-ho are many villages and hamlets, which are all built of the same material and in the same style as at Ta-koo. Large fields of Barbadoes millet, pulse, and turnips were seen in the neighbourhood; these were carefully cultivated and watered by women,-who seem to enjoy more liberty here than in the southern provinces. Even the very poorest of them were well dressed; but their feet were much cramped, which gave them a hobbling gait and compelled them to use sticks when they walked. The young and rising population seemed to be very great. The ass,-here a rather small and meagre animal, is the principal beast employed in the cultivation of the soil. The implements of husbandry are very simple, and even rude. Though this country has been inhabited for a great many centuries, the roads for their miserable carriages are few, and in some places even a foot-path for a lonely traveller can scarcely be found.

My attention was frequently attracted by the inscription Tsew-teen, "wine tavern," which was written over the doors of many houses. Upon inquiry I found, that the use of spirituous liquors, especially that distilled from suh-leang grain, was very general, and intemperance with its usual consequences very prevalent. It is rather surprising that no wine is extracted from the excellent grapes, which grow abundantly on the banks of the Pei-ho, and constitute the choicest fruit of the country. Other fruits, such as apples and pears, are found here, though in kind they are not so numerous, and in quality are by no means so good as those of Europe.

We proceeded up the river with great cheerfulness; the men who towed our junk took care to supply themselves well with rice, and were very active in their service. Several junks were in company with us, and a quarrel between our sailors and some Fuh-keen men broke out, the consequences of which might have been very serious. Some of our men had already armed themselves with pikes, and were placing themselves in battle array, when happily terms of peace were agreed on by a few of the senior members of the party. Several years ago a quarrel, which originated between two junks, brought all the Fuh-keen and Chaou-chow men in the neighbourhood, into action; both parties fought fiercely, but confined themselves principally to loud and boisterous altercation; the mandarins, who always know how to profit by such contentions, soon took a lively interest in the affair, and by endeavouring to gain something from the purses of the combatants, immediately restored peace and tranquillity among them. Similar consequences were feared in the present case, on which account the men were the more willing to desist from the strife; they were farther prompted to keep peace, by the on board for that object. Inprospect of trading with some merchants who had come