medical profession, who shall by rendering themselves useful, gain the confidence of the people, and thereby pave the way for the gradual reception of the Christian religion in all its purity and beauty; that in selecting an individual for this work, the question shall never arise, to what sect or denomination of Christians does he belong? But does he possess Christian principles? Has he the wish to do good? Has he the energy and the enterprize which are requisite ? and will his example be such as shall never bring reproach on the high cause in which he is engaged? For in my opinion, there is no greater barrier to the spread of the gospel of our Savior among the heathen than the division and splitting which have taken place among the various orders of Christians themselves. We have in this small society catholic Christians, church of England Christians, and Christians dissenting from both of these. Let us ask any intelligent Chinese what he thinks of this; and he will tell us that these persons cannot be influenced by the same great principle; but that Europe and America must have as many Christs as China has gods! Now, my friends and countrymen, no longer let differences of opinion weaken by dividing your efforts, but teach the Chinese that though Christians may differ in sentiment, they do unite in principle and practice where the object is the good of their fellow beings. Myriads of God's creatures in this empire claim our attention, therefore let us learn to do good among them, exhibit works of charity and humanity, founded on Christian principles, and the spread of Christianity is the sure result!

natious.

'ART. V. First Report of the benevolent institution, or Christian school for all nations, opened at Malacca, in March 1834. THIS benevolent institution throws open its doors to people of all All the dialects familiar to the scholars are considered as so many channels of communication with the understanding; "and,” adds the principal of the school," we should as soon think of closing them up, as we should of shutting all the doors and windows in order to enlighten the school room when the sun shines." At present, there are four branches of native schools; namely, IndoPortuguese, Chinese, Malay, and Tamul. "About one hundred and fifty children have been admitted into the school during the year; but the average attendance cannot be rated much higher than one third of that number. During the first three or four months the barriers of national distinction were not broken down, out of tenderness to their prejudices. Each of the different nations assembled, occupied a particular part of the room. But this being very inconvenient, we soon ventured to mix them, and arranged the whole school into eight classes, according to merit, irrespective of any national or religious distinction. A pleasing sight was now witnessed; in a single

class were mingled harmoniously together Europeans, Indo-Portuguese, Chinese, Malays, and Hindoos, all reading the same lesson, and taught by the same monitor. Our fundamental principle, that of teaching English through the medium of the native languages, has been steadily kept in view, and has become a practical rule of easy and constant application, attended with the happiest results. It not only makes the attainment of our difficult language much easier to a native boy, but leads him to a more thorough knowledge, and correct use, of his own language, and affords him a good exercise of mental discipline."

For an outline of the plan of the school we refer our readers to the third volume of the Repository, page 138. The trustees of the institution offer their hearty thanks to those friends who have generously assisted them in their work of charity; the donations have been liberal and numerous.' The aggregate amonnt of expenses for buildings &c., has been about 1000 dollars, exceeding the sum of donations by 230 dollars. The amount of monthly contributions is yet small, and will not be sufficient to meet the current expenses of each month when all the branch schools are brought into operation. "A knowledge of our wants in this important and necessary part of the expenditure," say the writers of the Report, "will we trust not only induce our present subscribers to continue their assistance, but will also rouse other Christian friends to help us in the same manner."

ART. VI. Journal of occurrences: fire in the city of Canton; relief for the sufferers occasioned by it; public executions; cadets; new chefoo; governor Loo.

THE late fire in the city of Canton was noticed in our last number, as having commenced about 7 o'clock in the evening of the 22d ultimo, and continued to spread till sunrise the next morning. According to the accounts which seem most authenthic, fourteen hundred buildings were consumed: more than a thousand of these were shops; and some of them were filled with large quantities of valuable goods.

Annually, on the return of the winter season and northerly winds, proclamations are issued to admonish the people to watch and guard against fires, threatening with severe punishment those whose buildings take fire. Such proclamations had just been issued, and posted in all the streets within and without the city. These documents do much to prevent fires; but when such accidents do occur, they induce those in whose houses they originate to conceal the causes of them and themselves too if possible. In the present case we have not been able to ascertain how the fire began. In an official report made to the fooyuen by the cheheën, on the 23d, the day after the fire, that officer stated that it was occasioned by boiling tea; a report which nobody here believes, and yet it is the one which must be laid before the emperor. It seems most probable, from all we have heard, that the fire was communicated from a lamp to papers, &c, which remained in one of the inner rooms of a shop, where the people, during the day, had been unpacking foreign goods. That shop, which bore the name of Cangyuen, was situated in the new city, near the west end of Taesin street, about one hundred rods north of the governor's house, and somewhat more than that distance from the western wall of the city. The streets through which it spread and which were nearly

consumed, were Tečuping, Leënyuen, Shingping, Taepingsin, Chingshe, Chwangyuen, Yewpoo, Ngankung, Seaoupwanpoo, Chuhlaumuucheil, Sinkaou, Honing, Panseang, Haoupwang, together with Taesin, the one in which the fire broke out. During the whole night there was a strong breeze from the north, which drove the smoke and cinders over the southern walls, across and beyond the river into Honan. Occasionally the wind veered to the northeast, and the sparks of fire fell on the foreign factories. At first, the fire spread directly and rapidly towards the governor's house; but before eleven o'clock its progress was checked in that direction; and, what was remarkable, notwithstanding the strong north wind, it spread due west till it reached the walls of the city north of the Taeping gate. Thence it swept to the south, raging with great fury, and soon reached the Chuhlan gate, the first gate on the south side of the city, and distant from the foreign factories about a quater of a mile. All the engines on the west and south had been obliged, as the fire advanced, to retire without the gates, and were now well stationed, a part of them in Spectacle street which lines the western wall, and a part in the street which runs close by the southern wall. The people at the engines worked well, though not always to good advantage, and at the dawn of day were encouraged by a fair prospect of gaining the mastery over the element against which they had been all night contending.

In our first attempt to reach the western gate, at 9 o'clock, the crowd, pouring forth from the city, was so great, that we were compelled to return: on a second trial, about midnight, we reached the gate. The shouts of men carrying heavy burdens, armed with short swords; the wild and frightful looks of others, among thein women and children, rushing through the streets; together with the loud crackling and vivid glare of the flames, made the scene truly terrific. A little before we reached the spot, one man was crushed by the wheels of an engine, and expired immediately. On the south side of the city, there was less confusion, although the danger was far greater. The factories of the hong merchants were in great danger. Howqua, we understand, had determined and was prepared to demolish the buildings in carpenters' square, had the fire passed the southern wall. Such a measure was the only one apparently which could be expected to save his own and several other factories. We saw but little of the movements of the authorities during the right. At the gates and in the strests, the police seemed to lose all influence. On the walls some order was observed. The fooyuen, seeing the ravages of the flames, hasted to one of the neighboring temples to offer incense to appease the god of fire; and many others of the common people, it is said, did the same. The members of the foreign community were not without fear for the safety of their own property; and in several instances preparations were made to leave the factories: in some cases, indeed, goods, furniture, &c., were removed to boats on the river. Shortly after the fire was checked, a proclamation was issued, offering a reward of one hundred dollars for the seizure of the unfortunate man in whose shop the fire originated. The total amount of the loss we have no means of ascertaining. It is supposed that between three and four hundred families were rendered houseless.

Relief for the sufferers, we have not even heard mentioned by a single native. When inquiries have been made on the subject, it has been replied, "they have gone among their kindred or begging through the streets." Something has been done by a few of the residents in Canton to relieve the needy; and some contributions have been sent from Macao; the latter were accompnied by the following note.

On Tuesday, the 8th instant, a sermon was preached at the residence of the chief superintendent, sir G. B. Robinson bart, by the Rev. Mr. Medhurst of Batavla, for the purpose of obtaining contributions to be appropriated to the relief of the indigent Chinese, who are sufferers by the late conflagration at Canton. Mr. Medhurst expatiated in a very eloquent manner upon the advantages which we enjoy as Christians, and endeavored throughout his discourse to impress upon our minds the obligations we are therefore under to ameliorate the condition of the people among whom we dwell, on all necessitous occasions.”

Monday, December 7th. Public executions have been frequent during the antuum ; twenty-four persons were decapitated yesterday, at the usual place of execution, just without one of the southern gates.

Monday, 14th. Cadets. The gracious examination' is granted to martial as well as to literary aspirants. On the 5th ultimo, the pooching sze issued a proclamation, requiring all, whether Mantchous, Mongols, Chinese, soldiers, or common people, who intended to appear at the next examination for the military degree of keujin, to prepare themselves as the laws direct. Three days afterwards, the fooyuen sent out another paper, in which he says; "according to the estab lished regulations, by which the government selects the most valiant and experi enced men for its service, it becomes my duty to preside at the examination, and to choose those who possess sterling ability. As the multitudes assembled on the occasion will see who excell and who are deficient, I shall wish to discriminate in the most perfect manner; it will be in vain, therefore, for any to make a show of skill which they do not possess." His excellency proceeds to admonish them duly to estimate the importance of skill in horsemanship and archery, and warns them against a prevalent practice of employing substitutes to write their military essays. He closed his document, by appointing the 16th of the month for the commencement of the examination, the result of which was announced early yesterday morning. The number of cadets who came off with the degree of keujin, 'promoted men,' was forty-nine.

New chefoo. It was reported this morning, by one of the demi-official papers from the public offices, that Pwan the chefoo of the department of Kwangchow, who has gained considerable celebrity by his cruel acts during his residence in Canton, is to be immediately removed to a less honorable and lucrative station: Choourhangah, a Mantchou. late chefoo in the department of Shaouking, is named as his successor.

Late governor Loo. It is well known that this officer possessed great wealth, as is generally the case with the high functionaries of China. We have heard it said by intelligent natives, that the late governor expended half a million of dollars, in Canton and at Peking, to extricate himself from the difficulties which grew out of his dispute with the British authorities in the autumn of 1834. And he seems to have succeeded, as we shall presently show; but whether real merit or money won for him the encomiums which he has received, we leave it for our readers to determine as they best can. The following extract is made from an imperial edict, issued on the 24th day of the 8th moon (October 15th, 1835).

Loo, the governor of the provinces of Kwangtung and Kwangse, has for years past recommended himself by his experience, tried knowledge, and intelligence, and has for a long time performed his duties in a meritorious manner. Formerly he was appointed to manage the supplies for the army in the Mohammedan territory; and on his reporting the performance of his duty, the title of tae sze shaou paou, (secondary guardian of the crown prince,) was conferred on him as a token of his merit. Afterwards, the chief rebel having been taken, he was invested with the insignia of the highest rank. On a second occasion, when governor of the united provinces of Hoo Kwang, being engaged in the destruction of the rebellious mountaineers (yaou jin) of Hoonan, he displayed his talents in the settlement of the affair, and the speedy suppression and pacification of the insurgents; in consequence of which he was rewarded with permission to wear the badge of a double-eyed peacock's.feather; and was invested with the hereditary rank and title of kingchaytoo wei. Since his removal to the government of the two wide provinces [Kwangtung and Kwangse] he has performed his public duties with faithfulness, and has approved himself a useful servant, and worthy of confidence. I, the emperor, esteemed him an acquisition, and put trust in him.

I have just heard of his sudden departure, which deeply affects me with pain and grief. Let Loo have renewed favor conferred [on his memory], by additions to his rank and title. Let him be invested with the title of senior guardian of the crown prince, and the rank of president (shangshoo) of the Board of War; and let the funeral allowances of his rank be appropriated to him. Let all demerits attaching to the performance of his official duties be removed. And let the proper Board deliberate, and report respecting the funeral honors that are to be rendered to him. His son, Loo Twanfoo, is an expectant yuenwaelang of the Board of Revenue as soon as the period of mourning is over, let him be appointed to the first vacancy, Let the several Board. (referred to above) be made acquainted herewith. Respect this."

THE

CHINESE REPOSITORY.

VOL. IV.-JANUARY, 1836.-No. 9.

ART. I. Revision of the Chinese Version of the Bible; necessity for the work; with suggestions respecting the manner in which it ought to be accomplished.

AS THE relation of God to the human race is that of Creator and Father, the revelation of his holy will is addressed alike to all men of every nation and of every rank: and although to some of them it may be unknown, and by others disregarded and even rejected, it still forms a grand and perfect code, designed in infinite wisdom to regulate alike the thoughts and actions of every human being on earth. Had we only an ephemeral existence, and at death were annihilated, the oracles of God would still retain all their beauty and excellence, and while we lived, claim, as they do now, our implicit obedience. In a word, it is only when we conform to the divine laws that we can be happy; and it is only when we deviate from them that we are miserable. Moreover, if we consider what a source of consolation they contain, how rich are the blessings of peace, hope, and joy everlasting, which flow from them, and how God's wisdom, power, and mercy are displayed in them, all fitted to draw us near to himself, and to transform us into his moral image and likeness, we shall pity the man who does not attentively peruse them, and bewail the condition of those nations who do not possess them in their own language.

In every age of the world, good men have spoken in raptures of God's benevolence in giving to us his Holy and inspired Volume, and thereby making us acquainted with our future destiny. That benevolence is also seen conspicuously in the preservation and promulgation of his truth. More than two centuries before our era, when the Hebrew tongue had ceased to be extensively used, and the Greek language was spoken over a vast extent of territory around the Mediterranean, the Septuagint was produced; and thus all the millions

VOL. IV. NO. IX.

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