and just sufficiently covered with shrubs, to deceive one into the idea of there being tolerable travelling, which to his cost he soon finds is a delusion. From this island to the entrance of the Strait there are numerous small islets, which form the eastern barrier of the Sound, all seemed equally uninviting, with strong tides and whirlpools running between them. Mr. Stokes returned at the end of a week, having partially examined (at much risk from the above causes,) the whole group of islands to within a short distance of Colliers Bay: and it was his opinion that the vessel ought not to attempt a passage among so dangerous an Archipelago, particularly as he felt quite convinced that no opening to the interior existed in that direction, having narrowly scanned every indentation on the coast, that held out the slightest prospect of success. All now that was in any way useful in King Sound had been finished, and we were almost as far from the main object of our search as at the commencement of the season. It is true a large extent of coast had been examined with much labour, under a burning sun by day, and the mosquitoes, the greater evil by night; and I firmly believe that those who had borne the drudgery, felt that our present knowledge was scarcely a recompense for the toil they had undergone. There was only one point now left, that a chance remained of meeting the desired object, and as a "drowning man catches at a straw," so did we at Colliers Bay—and early on the morning of the 30th of March, the ship was underway, and with baffling winds from N.W. to S.E. reached by sunset a Bay on the west side of the Sound, about a league north of Point Cunningham. In standing across the soundings varied from ten to twenty fathoms, over at times a shingle, at others, rocky bottom. The stream of tide in mid-channel was triflng, compared with its strength near the shores. CHINESE SKETCHES.-No. II. RATS. Non est disputandum de gustibus, surely thought I, when I saw an old man approaching me in the street, carrying on his shoulder a long pole or bamboo, loaded with rats. My attention was attracted to him by the tinkling of little bells, which he carried in his hand, fastened to the end of a short stick. There were about a dozen and a half of rats, and they were suspended from the pole which lay across the man's shoulder, precisely in the manner described in some of the old European books about China. On enquiry, I ascertained that the rats were not for sale; this indeed I suspected when the man passed me, for the animals seemed to be nothing more than rats' skins stuffed, and such I understand is the fact. The man was by profession, if I was correctly informed, a rat catcher, and those which he carried on his shoulders were designed to point out his occupation. He and his fraternity have various methods of destroying rats, but the most usual is by poison. AN OUTCAST. Parts of the suburbs of Canton, which border on the open country, are inhabited by rich and opulent people. The houses are spacious, and the streets unfrequented by travellers. A little before sunset this evening, I passed through one of those streets into the fields beyond the suburbs. After a short excursion among the gardens, fishponds, &c., I turned my course homeward, and on entering another of the private streets, saw a poor child which had been cast out among the rubbish, from the houses of the rich men. The child was in a basket, and appeared to be about a year old. The way which I had to pass in order to reach the entrance of the street was very narrow, and the basket was so placed that I was obliged to step over it; several individuals, (natives,) had passed along just before me, and seemed not to notice the child at all, nor did I till I was actually raising my foot over the basket. The sight shocked me, and gave me a sensation which I shall never forget: I gazed a moment at the pitiful object, and the Chinese gazed at me. They seemed as much amazed at the fan kwei, as he was at the dead child. The basket was quite small, and the child was doubled up and crowded into it, so that its head hung over one side; the face was fair and only a little swollen. CONSOO HOUSE.-At the north end of old China-street stands the public hall of the hong merchants, called by foreigners the Consoo house. It is not built on a large or magnificent scale; it seems however, to be sufficiently spacious for all the public buildings of the cohong, and also occasionally to serve for other purposes. It was here that the murderers of the crew of the Navigateur were tried in 1827. Here to on every eighth day may be seen a group of children and others to be vaccinated; such an assembly I witnessed this morning. THE FACTORY-STREET, called by the Chinese sheih-san-keae, the Thirteen Factory-street, is so named because it is adjacent to the Thirteen Foreign factories, several of them opening into the street on the north. It runs parallel to the front of the factories, but extends far beyond them towards the east and west, forming one of the longest streets and exhibiting perhaps the greatest variety of shape that can be found in the suburbs of the city. The traveller about Canton will often find it convenient to take his departure from this street, and should therefore know its bearings in the outset. ARCHERY is inculcated by the classics and required by the laws of China, as a fit exercise for the soldiers of the Celestial empire. This ENLARGED SERIES.-NO. 10.-VOL FOR 1840. 4 Y afternoon, walking across the sandy ground near the river, and just beyond the western suburbs of the city, I met a small party engaged in this exercise; they were Tartars, a corporal and four privates, who had been sent out on a drill. The target was placed about eight rods distant from them; they had each a bow, strong and neatly made, and their arrows were pointed with iron and feathered. The corporal was an adept, every time he drew the bow an arrow hit the mark. The bow and arrow were grasped at the same instant à la Tartare; the heels were placed together, with the body erect, the mark being off on the left. As the archer drew the bowstring, he poised on his right foot, throwing the left a little out, bending the body forward, swelling the breast, and extending the arms at full length, with the hands elevated to the level of his eyes, gave a savage grin, and let fly the arrow. TEA SHRUB IN HONAN.-The island of Honan situated on the south of the river, opposite to the foreign factories, is many miles in extent, and produces a considerable variety of trees and shrubbery. Among the latter is the tea shrub, which cannot fail to attract the attention of the botanic traveller. Having received a very polite invitation from to visit the tea plantations in Honan, I stepped into a boat of one of the hong merchants, under the direction of an old and faithful native guide. We dropped down the river with the tide three or four miles; then entered a creek, which we ascended till we came to a small temple; and there leaving our boat, we reached in about five minutes time our place of destination. The tea, though not cultivated to a great extent, affords a tolerable specimen of the manner in which it is produced in the more northern parts of the empire. There is also in Honan, as well as on this side of the river in the suburbs of the city, establishments for curing tea. In these may be seen scores of hands, men, women, and children, employed with various apparatus in picking, cleansing, firing and packing teas, and fitting them for the market. CIRCULATING LIBRARIES.-I have often heard of circulating libraries but before I reached this country, I never saw them carried through the streets so as to accomodate every man at his own door. As in the countries of the west, some of the circulating libraries here are stationary, and every customer must go or send to the depository for the books which he wishes to obtain. Often however he is saved this trouble. The librarian, with an assortment of books in two boxes, suspended from a bamboo laid across his shoulders, and with a little rattle in his hand to advertise his friends of his approach, sets off on his circuit, going from street to street and from door to door. In this way he passes his whole time, and gains his livelihood. He loans his books usually for a very short time, and for a very small compensation; they being generally small volumes and only a few in a set. The books thus circulated are chiefly novels, and sometimes those of a very bad character. The system however is a good one, and worthy the attention of the friends of useful knowledge. The librarian, whom I met at the door of the hong this afternoon, loaning his books to the servants and coolies of the factories, said that his whole stock amounted to more than 2,000 volumes. He had with him, however, not more than 300 volumes; the others being in the hands of his numerous customers. THE CHAPEL.-Passing along in front of the foreign factories, at an early hour yesterday morning, (Sabbath morning, June 28th,) my attention was attracted by a sign board, hung out at one of the gates. It contained the following public notice, "Divine Service will be performed this morning at No. 2, American Hong; service to begin at 11 o'clock." At the appointed hour I repaired to the place. About five-and-twenty gentlemen were assembled. The silence and solemnity of the auditory well became the worshippers of the Most High. The service was performed by the Rev. W. H. Medhurst. His sermon from 2nd Corinthians, 6th chap. 2nd verse, was a clear and forcible exhibition of scriptural truth, delivered with ease, simplicity and earnestness. The scene was exceedingly pleasing: it was pleasing to see Englishmen and Americans (and there was an equal number of each,) thus unitedly engaged in the public solemnities of Christain worship. Under such circumstances, far from the temples where their fathers worshipped, and without any one to hurt or to make afraid, though surrounded by multitudes who know not the Lord or his Sabbaths, well might they adopt the language of the sacred poet and sing "Day of all the week the best, Emblem of eternal rest!" Perhaps I ought not to call the place where this little congregation was assembled, a chapel, it being nothing more than one of the rooms of the factory. The factory of the Hon. East India Company built a neat and commodious chapel in Canton; but since the dissolution of the factory, that chapel has been closed. RESIDENCE OF THE SIAMESE AMBASSADOR.-Wishing to see something of eastern splendour, for which the Siamese are said to be celebrated, I determined this afternoon, to visit the residence of the ambassador of of the king of Siam. Having made my way up into Physic-street, I turned westward and passed on about ten rods from the market at the corner of Shoe-street, where I came to another leading due north. This led me to the ambassador's residence, over the door of which is written in large Chinese characters, Tsëenlo kwò kung kwan, Residence of the Siamese tribute-bearers. The whole establishment is in ruins. One of the overseers, a Chinese, conducted me to the apartment of the chief ambassador, whom we found smoking opium, and so stupified as to be almost incapable of conversation. FLOGGING with the rattan is the most common punishment in China. It is adjudged and inflicted by the lowest officers or servants of the police, with the utmost despatch, and without the least regard to any formalities of time or place. A poor ignorant person led on by his vices becomes a bankrupt; then driven by hunger he has recourse to theft and robbery to obtain food; the officers of the police seize him, and perhaps while his booty is still with him, pinion him, strip off his jacket, if he chance to be so clad; then with a chain or cord about his neck or arms, and a soldier before him beating the gong, and another behind him with a rattan beating his bare back, he is marched through the streets and market-place to be a terror to evil doers. Within the last few days I have seen several persons flogged in this way. One I saw to-day so beaten that the blood ran down to his heels. PUPPET SHOWS.-Two of these have been exhibited in the streets during the present week; and among all the dumb shows and singsongs of the Celestial empire, none are more dull and stupid than these puppet shows. Their managers select a place which is likely to be frequented, there erect a temporary stage, and commence their exhibition for the amusement of boys and idle vagrants. The shows are a mere exhibition of children's toys. A FEAST.-Loopan, if I have been correctly informed, is held by the Chinese to be the patron and protector of those who work in wood and stone. They venerate him as the inventor of their crafts, and celebrate the anniversaries of his birth with processions and feasts. Walking with a friend along one of the retired streets just at sunset, we came to a house where apavillion or covering had been thrown over the street, so as to afford both shelter and shade to those who might chance to be at the door. We perceived at once, as we came near the house, that the inmates were in a merry mood. Though entire strangers to them all, some one in perfectly good humour, civilly and urgently invited us to walk in. We did so, and found ourselves among a crowd of sturdy carpenters and bricklayers, all at work right lustily. The two principal apartments were supplied with two or three rows of tables; round each of which six, eight, or ten were seated. The chandeliers were lighted up; and the wines were circulating briskly. The assembly was as noisy as it was merry; but having no disposition to join in the festivities, we wished them health and left them in the midst of the feast. HOUSE of MOURNING.-We passed but a few doors, after leaving the |