B M oaS 072 :*«. :I^1: C 1^* :^. ^If s ll^ ^^^^w m^ « ^ H^^ ^^*S^I^^^j3^ ^ _ jj. ^^JK^B^^^^tStSQi^^ ■'•«S9?;;' ^^^,% T:^^»i-,^'« »^Ji.•vV^; : -T-i ^' GIFT OF HORACE W. CARFENTIER ^ Olio HARRASSOWl^Z LIBRARY AGENT ariPZIG: I » , < » TRAVELS IN HINDUSTAN AND CHINA. BY HOWARD MALCOM. ' ' ILLUSTRATED WITH WOOD ENGRAVINGS. EDINBURGH: PUBLISHED BY WILLIAM AND ROBERT CHAMBERS. 1840. M' ^ EDINBURGH : rRINTKD BV SV. AND R, CHAMBERS. NOTICE BY THE PUBLISHERS OF THE PRESENT EDITION. The present work, Travels in Hindustan, Malaya, Siam, and China, forms the second section of the author's " Travels in South-Eastern Asia," published in 1839, in Boston, United States. It has been preceded by the first section, which comprehends the Burxian Emplre. The present, therefore, completes the work. The author, Mr Maleom, as is stated in the preface to the first section, was engaged in the philanthropic object of exploring new fields of missionary enterprise in the East, to which he sailed from America in September 1835. After visiting Burmah, be left that empire, and taking shipping at Rangoon, arrived at Calcutta in Hindustan, in September 1836. 515845 CONTENTS, Page CHAPTER I. Voyage to Calcutta. Saugor Island. Hoogly River. Land- ing. Houses. Servants. Streets. Weddings. Doorga Pooja. General Assembly's School. Benevolent Institu- tion. Orphan Refuge Central School. The Martiniere. Leper Hospital. Operations of Education Committee. Colleges. Progress of the English Language. Use of Roman Alphabet. Native Periodicals. Hindu and Mahometan Edifices. Ram Mohun Roy. Bromba Sobha- Population of Calcutta. Expenses of Living. Habits of Extravagance. Morals. Religion. Clergy. Places of AVorship. Mission- ai'y Operations. Christian. Villages. Hinduism shaken. Serampore. Aspect. Population. Marshman. College. Grave- Yard. Operations of the Mission. ... 5 CHAPTER IL Madras. Catamarans. Difficulty of Landing. Black Town. Esplanade. Population. Illustrations of Scripture. State of Religion. Catholics. Teloogoos. Travelling by Palan- keen. Pondichcxry. Cuddalore. Tranquebar. Combaco- num. Tanjore. Kohlhoff. Swartz. Trichinopoly. Heber. Seringham. Slavery in Hindustan. Idolatry supported by Government. Brahmins and Brahminism. Progressive Poverty of the Country. - - - - - - 16 CHAPTER in. Voyage to Singapore. Coasters. Prices of Passage in India. Straits of Malacca. Harbour and Town of Singapore. Cli- mate. Productions. Commerce. Islamism. Population. Moral Character of Population. Orang Louts. Chinese Wedding. Missionary Operations. Malacca. History of the Settlement. Extent. Population. Progress of Christianity. Anglo -Chinese College. Common Schools. Malay Penin- sula. Origin of Malay Race. Divisions. Keda. Perak. Salengore. Johore. Rumbo. Pahang. Tringano. Calantan. Patani. Ligore. Character of Malays. Slavery. Language. 26 CHAPTER IV. Take leave of British India. European Manners. Voj'age to Bankok. River Meinam. Paknam. Audience with the Governor. Situation of Bankok. Floating Houses. General Appearance. Visit to the Pra Klang; Servile Forms of Politeness. Chow Fah ; Singular Custom. Pra Nai Wai. Pra Amramole. Present of an Elephant ; of a Cochin- Chinese Slave. Population of Bankok. Police of the City. Climate. Wats. Houses. Streets. Bridges. Somona Codom. History of Siam. Extent of the Empire. Population. Per- sonal Appearance of Siamese. Dress. Amusements. Mili- tary Force. Commerce. Prices of Provision. Fruits. Currency. Character. Degree of Civilisation. Slavery. Language. Establishment of the Mission. Mission Premises. Worship. Converts. Bankok a Station for the Chinese. Distribution of Scriptm'es. Need of more Labourers. Con- stitution of a Church. Harmony of Sects. Roman Catholics. 36 CHAPTER V. Voyage to Canton. China Sea. Mouth of Pearl River. Out- side Pilots. Lintin. Bocca Tigris. Whampoa. Innume- rable Boats. Evidences of dense Population. Dollar Boat. River Scenery. Population of Canton. Foreign Factories or Hongs. Walks in the Suburbs. Streets. Shops. Vacant Spaces. Placards. Perambulatory Trades Booksellers. Circulating Libraries. Map of the World. Beggars. Small- footed Women. Trades. Labour-saving Machinery. Chi- nese Pietj'. Tombs. Visitto a Hong Merchant. Restrictions on Foreigners. Temples. Priests and Nims. Pagodas. Chi- nese Sects. Introduction of Boodhism. Jos. State of Morals in the Foreign Society. Opium Trade. Missionaries. Dr Parker's Hospital. Macao. Appearance from Harbour. In Page a state of Decline. Missionaries. Mr Gutzlaff. Voyages along the Coast. Interesting School. How far China is open to Missionaries. Dr Colledge's Hospital. - - - 44 CHAPTER VL Embark for home. Straits of Gaspar and Sunda. Petty Mon- soon. Cape of Good Hope. Remarkable Phenomenon. St Helena. False alarm. Slave trade. Landing at Ne^vxjort. Summary. Reflections. -.-----52 DISSERTATIONS, TABLES, &c. CHAPTER I. MISSIONS TO THE CHINESE. Stations now occupied. Sudiya. Mogoung. Bamoo. Umera- poora. Zemmai. Pontiana. Sambas. Banca. Other Bodies of Chinese. Versions of the Holy Scriptures. Proportion of Chinese who can read. The importance of distributing Tracts and Bibles overrated. Comparison of the modes of Printing. Difficulty of the Language. Dictionaries, Gram- mars, &c. Present Missionaries to the Chinese. Other Sinologues. Number of Converts. Best Authors on China. 54 CHAPTER II. THE MISSIONARY FIELD IN AND AROUND BURMAH. Burmah Proper. Peguans. Tenasserim Provinces. Arra- canese. Karens. Shyans. Toungthoos. Tawahs, &c. 59 CHAPTER in. ON THE MEASURE OF SUCCESS WHICH HAS ATTENDED MODERN MISSIONS. Introduction. I. The Number of Missionaries. II. The Kind of Labour performed : Preparatory ; Collateral ; Addi- tional ; Erroneous. III. Disadvantages of Modem Mission- aries : Imperfect Knowledge of the Language ; Poverty of the Languages themselves ; Want of Familiarity with the Religion and People ; Degraded State of the Natives ; Ina- bility to live as they live ; being Foreigners ; the Structure of Society ; the prevailing Philosophy ; the Presence of nominal Christians ; Popery. IV. Efforts which do not reach the Field. V. The Amount accomplished ; a large Force in the Field ; Impediments removed ; Translations made ; Languages reduced to Writing ; General Liteiatuie imparted ; Tracts written ; Grammars, Dictionaries, and other Helps prepared ; Immense Distribution of Bibles and Tracts; Mechanical Facilities created ; Schools established, and Youth already educated ; Blessings of Christian Mora- lity diffused ; Idolatry in some places shaken ; Effects on Europeans abroad ; Actual Conversions. VI. Effects on the Churches at Home. Remarks. 67 CHAPTER IV. ON THE MODE OP CONDUCTING MODERN MISSIONS. Schools. Translations and Tracts. Preaching in English. Periodicals. Use of the Roman Alphabet. Missionary Physicians. Unnecessary Display and Expense. Dii-ect Preaching to Natives. Formation of Regular Churches. Qualifications of Native Assistants. Instruction in the English Language. Intermission of Operations. Division of Labour. Concentration. Choice of Fields. Remarks. 76 Political Relations of the East India Company, 8fl British Territorial Possessions, - - ... 8!) Missionary St.\tions throughout the World, - 90 Glossary, 01 J ' » » • V TRAVELS IN HINDUSTAN, MALAYA, SIAM, AND CHINA. -• CHAPTER I. Voyage to Calcutta. Saugor Island. Hoogly ,River. Landing. Houses. Servants. Streets. Weddings. Doorga Pooja. General Assembly's School. Benevolent Institution. Orphan Refuge. Central School. The Martinlere. Leper Hospital. Operations of Education Committee. Colleges. Progress of the English Lan- guage. Use of Roman Alphabet. Native Periodicals. Hindu and Mahometan Edifices. Ram Jlohun Roy. Bromha Sobha. Population of Calcutta. Expenses of Living. Habits of Extra- vagance. Morals. Religion. Clergy. Places of Worship. Mis- sionary Operations. Christian Villages. Hinduism shaken. Serampore. Aspect. Population. Marshman. College. Grave- Yard. Operations of the INIission. A HOT and disagreeable passage of seventeen days from Rangoon in a small schooner, brought me to Calcutta, September 20, 1836. The vessel, being loaded with timber and stick-lac, had plenty of scorpions and centi- pedes. Twice, on taking a clean shirt out of my trunk, I found a centipede snugly stowed in it. Having seve- ral times caught scorpions on my mattrass at night, we undertook a general search, and on the under side of the cabin table discovered a nest of twenty or thirty. I had written here constantly for a week, with my knees pressed up hard against the edge, to keep me steady, and felt truly thankful to have been unmolested. Several of the females had white leathery bags attached to them, about the size of a grape, full of young ones, scarcely bigger than a pin's head. The constant increase of the sands at the mouth of the Hoogly, and the absence of any landmark, renders the approach always a matter of some anxiety. The floating light is stationed out of sight of land, and the tails of the reefs, even there, are dangerous. When the shores are at length discerned, their dead level and unbroken jungle, without any sign of population, and the great breadth of the river, gives the whole an aspect excessively dreary, well suiting to one's first emotions on beholding a land of idolatry. Saugor Island, which is first coasted, is famed for being the spot where many infants and others are annually immolated. The Hoogly, called by the natives Ba-gir-a-tee, being considered the true mouth of the Ganges, and the junction of this sacred stream with the ocean being at Saugor, great sanctity is attached to the place. A few devotees are said to reside on the island, who contrive for a while to avoid the tigers, and are supported by the gifts of the boatmen, who cherish great faith in the security they are supposed to be able to confer. An annual festival is held here in January, which thousands of Hindus attend, some even from five or six hundred miles. Missionaries often embrace this oppoi'tunity of preaching and distributing tracts. As a sample of these efforts, the following extract from the journal of the late Mr Chamberlain will be interesting. " Gunga Saugor. — Arrived here this morning. Asto- nished beyond measure at the sight ! Boats crushed together, row upon row, for a vast extent in length, numberless in appearance, and people swarming every where ! Multitudes ! multitudes ! Removed from the boats, they had pitched on a large sand-bank and in the jungle ; the oai's of the boats being set up to support the tents, shops, &c. Words fail to give a true descrip- tion of this scene. Here an immensely populous city has been raised in a very few days, full of streets, lanes, bazaars, &c., many sorts of trade going on, with all the hurry and bustle of the most flourishing city. We soon left the boats, and went among the people. Here we saw the works of idolatry and blind superstition. Crowds upon crowds of infatuated men, women, and children, high and low, young and old, rich and poor, bathing in the water and worshipping Gunga, by bowing and making salaams, and spreading their offerings of rice, flowers, &c., on the shore, for the goddess to take when the tides arrive. The mud and water of this place are esteemed very holy, and are taken hundreds of miles upon the shoulders of men. They sprinkle themselves with the water, and daub themselves with the mud ; and this, they say, cleanses tliem from all sin : this is very great holiness. In former years it was usual for many to give themselves to the sharks and alligators, and thus to be destroyed. But the Com- pany have now placed sepoys along the side, to prevent this. A European sergeant and fifty sepoys are here now for that purpose." The veneration paid by Hindus to this river is almost incredible. Descending from a height of 15,000 feet above the level of the sea, and running a course of 1500 miles, it receives, in every part, the most devoted homage. The touch of its water, nay, the very sight of it, say the Shasters, takes away all sin. Its very sediment is counted a remedy for all diseases. If it fails, they are not undeceived ; for they say the man's time has come, and there is no remedy for death. Drowning in it is an act of great merit. Thousands of sick persons endure long journeys, that they may die upon its banks. Its water is sworn upon in courts of justice, as the Bible is in ours. From 50,000 to '200,000 persons assemble annually at certain places, of whom many are crushed to death in pressing to bathe at the propitious •moment. Still more die on the road of poverty and fatigue. No man acquainted with the history of Hindustan, can sail upon these bright, un- conscious watei's, without being filled with soi-rowful contemplations. That the scenery here has been described in such glowing colours, can only be accounted for, by consi- dering that the writers had been for months immured in a ship, and that, having previously seen no country but their own, every thing foreiffn became deeply inte- resting. The boats which come off, of strange con- struction ; the " dandies," with their dark bronze skin, fine Roman features, perfect teeth, and scanty costume ; the sircars, which board the ship with presents of fruit, dressed in graceful folds of snow-white muslin — are indeed objects of interest, and form fruitful topics for journals and letters, to young travellers. As to the I'iver itself, at least in the lower part of its course, none could be more dull and disagreeable. As the ship ascends the river (generally a slow and difficult process), objects of interest multiply. Fisher- men's villages and scattered huts appear on each side, embosomed in stately palms. Trees, of shapes unknown before, fields of sugar-cane, wide levels of paddy ground, MALCCM'S TKAVELS. and a universal greenness, keep up an interest, till, on reaching Gloucester, European houses begin to be seen, and t!ie ear once more catches the sounds of machinery and commerce. The cold emotions of wonder, and the pain of reflecting that one has arrived in the regions of degradation and idolatry, now give place to a sense of exhilaration and homeness. On every side is evidence of the presence of those who stand with the highest among the civilised, the free, the scientific, and the religious nations of the earth. Hope pourtrays the future, benevolence stands ready to act, and discourage- ment is cheered by assurance of co-operation. At length, in passing a bend in the river, called " Garden Reach," a f aperb array of country-seats opens on the eastern bank. Luxury and refinement seem here to have made their home. Verdant and quiet lawns appear doubly attractive to a voyager, weary of ocean and sky. Buildings, coated with plaster, and combining Grecian chasteness with oriental adaptation, lift their white columns amid noble trees and numerous tanks. Steamboats, budgerows, and dingeys, ply about upon the smooth water. The lofty chimneys of gas- works and factories rise in the distance, and every thing bespeaks your approach to a great city. We passed just at sunset. The multiform vehicles, for which Calcutta is famous, stood before the doors, or rolled away through the trees, followed by turbaned servants in flowing muslin. Ladies and children, with nurses and bearers, lounged along the smooth paths, and it was difficult to realise that this beautiful climate should prove so insidious. The general observation, however, is, that death owes more victims to high living, indolence, exposure at night, fatigue in shooting excur- sions, &c., than to the positive effects of climate. Indeed, some affirm India to be as salubrious as England, and the aspect of some who have been long in the country would seem to countenance the assertion. A farther advance brings an indistinct view of the fort and the fine buildings of the Chouringy suburb, all presented in one great curve, whicJi is soon relinquished for a more minute and inquisitive contemplation of " the course." This is abroad road on the bank of the river, passing round the esplanade and fort, to which the English residents drive every evening at sunset. As every clerk in the city keeps his buggy or palankeen carriage, the crowd of vehicles rivals that at Hyde Park. The sight is even more imposing. Most of the higher classes use stately landaus, or open barouches ; and the ladies are without bonnets. Crowds of gentle- men are on horseback. Indian side-runners give a princely air to the slow procession. The shipping of every nation, the clear horizon, the noble fort, the city front, the pleasure-boats, the beautiful ghauts, &c., make it a scene which always pleases ; and the citizens repair thither from day to day, and from year to year, without weariness or satiety. On passing Garden Reach, the river becomes covered with boats, of every conceivable form, from which a dozen different languages meet the ear. A multitude of vessels lie at anchor ; steam-engines pour from their towering chimneys volumes of smoke ; beautiful ghauts slope into the water ; palankeens, tonjons, buggies, coaches, phaetons, gares, caranches, and hackaries, line the shore, and before us spreads out the great city, con- taining with its suburbs almost a million of souls. All who die in or beside the rivei-, and even those whose dead bodies are committed to it, being deemed certain of future bliss, multitudes are brought to die upon the banks, or are laid at low water on the mud, whence the return of the tide waslies them away. These and the half-consumed relics from the funeral pile, in every variety of revolting aspect, are continually float- ing by. Government boats ply above the city to sink these bodies ; but many escape, and we daily saw them float by, while vultures stood upon them, contending for the horrid banquet. There being no wharfs or docks, you are rowed to a gnaut in a dingey, and landed amid Hindus perform- ing their ablutions and reciting theii- prayers. No sooner does your boat touch the shore, than a host of bearers contend for you with loud jabber, and those whom you resist least, actually bear you off in their arms through the mud, and you find yourself at once in one of those strange conveyances, a palankeen. Away you hie, flat on your back, at the rate of nearly five miles an hour, a chatty boy bearing aloft a huge pahn-leaf umbrella to keep off the sun, whom no assurances that you do not want him will drive away, but who expects only a pice or two for his pains. The bearers grunt at every step, like southern negroes when cleaving wood ; and though they do it as a sort of chorus, it keeps your unaccus- tomed feelings discomposed. Arrived at the house, you find it secluded within a high brick wall, and guarded at the gate by a durwan, or porter, who lives there in a lodge, less to prevent ingress than to see that servants and others carry nothing away improperly. The door is sheltered by a porch, called here a veranda, so constructed as to shelter carriages — a precaution equally necessary for the rains and the sun. The best houses are of two stories, the upper being occupied by the family, and the lower used for dining and store rooms. On every side are contri- vances to mitigate heat and exclude dust. Venetian blinds enclose the veranda, extending from pillar to pillar, as low as a man's head. The remaining space is furnished with mats (tatties), which reach to the floor, when the sun is on that side, but at other times are rolled up. When these are kept wet, they diff'use a most agreeable coolness. The moment you sit down, whether in a mansion, office, or shop, a servant commences pulling the punka, under which you may happen to be. The floor is of brick and mortar, covered with mats, the walls of the purest white, and the ceilings of great height. Both sexes, and all orders, dress in white cottons. The rooms ai'e kept dark, and in the hottest part of the day shut up with glass. In short, every thing betrays a struggle to keep cool. Another great contest seems to be against ants. You perceive various articles of fui'niture placed upon little Wishes of water or quick-lime, without which precaution evei'y thing is overrun. White ants are most formidable; for from those it is impossible wholly to guard. They attack every thing, even the beams in the houses. A chest of clothes, lying gn the floor a day or two only, may be found entirely ruined. A mere pinhole appears in your precious quarto — you open it, and behold a mass of dust and fragments ! The number of servants and their snowy drapery, huge turbans, stubby mustachios, bare feet, and cringing servility, form another feature in the novel scene. Partly from the influence of caste, but more from in- dolent habits, low pay, and the indulgence of former masters, when fortunes were easily made, they are ap- pointed to services so minutely divided as to render a great number necessary. The following list, given me by a lady long in India, not only illustrates this pecu- liarity, but shows how large oppoi'tunities private Chris- tians possess of doing good to natives even beneath their own roof. A genteel family, not wealthy, must have the following domestics : — Kdnsuma, a head servant, butler, or steward ; Jcit- mut-gdr, table-servant ; musdlche, cleans knives, washes plates, and carries the lantern ; bobagee, cook ; surdar, head bearer, cleans furniture, &c. ; bearer, cleans shoes, and does common errands (if a palankeen is kept, thei'e must be at least eight of these), pulls punka ; abdar, cools and takes care of water ; meeta, man sweeper ; metrdne, female sweeper ; ayah, lady's maid, or nurse ; durwdn, gate-keeper; molley, gardener; dirgy, tailor; ber good. 44 MALCOM'S TRAVELS. in Bankok living not only in Christian unity and peace, but personal friendship. Their worship in English, both on Lord's days and week evenings, is held toge- ther. So far as I could learn, their Christian inter- course, except at the Lord's suppei", is like attached members of the same church. The same is happily the case at some other places where missionaries of different sects labour together. Party differences look small to those who stand on mis- sionary ground. A feeble labourer on the field of paganism harbours no jealousy, lest the wide harvest will be reaped ere he can snatch his sheaves. He would not prefer the field to lie waste, if those of his shibboleth do not till it. He would not lose the noblest aim of the church rather than have it attained by persuasions not quite so pure in faith or practice as his own. In the advanced camp of the Lord's hosts, there will be the same prefei-ences and conscientious competitions which exist at home. But as yet none have betrayed the cause to the enemy, by allowing sectarian preferences to engross their strength, and engage them in conten- tions with their friends. The Papal church has maintained missions in Siam for 170 years. The adherents, in the whole country, amount to 2240, including about 800 Cochin-Chinese, recently arrived. There is a congregation at Ayuthia, another at Chantabon, and three at Bankok. Many of these are descendants of Portuguese who lived with native women, and some few are converts from Boodh- ism. In civil condition they are below the Siamese. No part of the population of Bankok are more degraded. Their children are not taught ; their manners are not improved ; their knowledge of Christianity is very small ; and, as a body, they are neither industrious, cleanly, nor moral. Processions, guns, drums, bells, and crackers, distinguish their holidays, in much the same manner as those of the heathen around tliem. During my stay in Bankok, a priest, newly arrived in the country, died at some days' distance on a journey. His body was brought to the city and carried in proces- sion, first at one of their places of worship, and then at the others, with nearly such ceremonies as mark the burial of a Boodhist priest. The entire salary of a Catholic priest is 100 dollars per annum ; not only here but wherever else I have been in India. CHAPTER V. Voyage to Canton. China Sea. Mouth of Pearl River. Outside Pilots. Lintin. Bocca Tigris. Wliampoa. Innumerable Boats. Evidences of dense Population. Dollar Boat. River Scenery. Populati(]n of Canton. Foreign Factories or Hongs. Walks in the Suburbs. Streets. Shops. A''acant Spaces. Placards. Pe- rambulatory Trades, Booksellers. Circulating Libraries. 3Iap of the World. Beggai's. Small-footed Women. Trades. Labour-saving Blachinery. Chinese Piety. Tombs. Visit to a Hong Merchant. Restrictions on Foreigners. Temples. Priests and Nuns. Pagodas. Chinese Sects. Introduction of Boodhism. Jos. State of Blorals in the Foreign Society. Opium Trade. Missionaries. Dr Parker's Hospital. Macao. Appearance from Harbour. In a state of Decline. Missionaries. Mr Gutzlaff. Voyages along the Coast, Interesting School. How far China is open to Missionaries. Dr CoUedge's Hospital. The pain of frequently parting from missionaries and other friends, to meet no moi-e on earth, has been no small part of the trials of this long and wearisome tour. In leaving Bankok, the case was peculiar. IMr Jones had received baptism at my hands ; he had been called to the ministry in my church ; and under my roof he and his wife had their last home in the United States. Their feeble health and oppressive labours impressed on me the conviction that their labours on earth, im- portant as they are, will not be much longer enjoyed. Two of the others and their wives had been my fellow passengers from the United States. To part with them clieerfully was a duty, but the lonesome hours of ship- board kept fresh for many days the sadness. A long and tedious passage from Bankok to Singa- pore is always expected against the monsoon. Some ships have been six or seven weeks. One vessel with missionaries, after being out forty-two days, was obliged to return and wait for the change of monsoon. I was favoured to get down in twenty-six days without acci- dent. Our ship also staid at Bankok a month less than is usual ; so that I saved, in the whole trip, at least three months. The Rev. Mr Robinson, whom I left at Singapore anxious to return to Bankok, but not then quite ready, was still there, and found no opportunity for the next five months. My stay, this time, in Singapore, amounted to but a few days, as I availed myself of the first vessel for Canton. I embarked in the Jessie Logan on the 21st of September 1837, with a prospect of a tedious passage, as the monsoon was changing. We were happily dis- appointed, and reached China on the 16th of October. Rains and squalls, however, rendered the voyage com- fortless, and my want of an amanuensis rendered it dif- ficult either to improve or beguile the time. The China Sea has an extraordinary number of shoals and petty islands, making its navigation unpleasant and dangerous, except when the monsoon enables a vessel to proceed through the centre. The boundary of the sea on the eastward is a succession of large islands, scarcely known by name, even to the well educated in our country. It seems reserved for missionary enter- prise to bring to light the numbers and condition of mankind in Lu^onia, Palawan, the Baihee, Babuyanes, and Busvigan clusters, Mindoro, Balabae, Banguey, Borneo, &c., besides the multitude of the other Philip- pines, the Moluccas, the Bandu and Aroo archipelagoes, &c. Oh, how long must it be ere the tardy and stinted charities of God's people shall spread Christian teachers over all these seas ! Approaching the coast of China in a day literally cloudless, the fine headlands of the vast entrance of the Choo-Keang, or Pearl River, wore their best attractions. No river in the world, it is said, is so easily found and entered as this. No bar obstructs its entrance. No alluvial deposits spread dangerous flats along the shores. Scores of small but lofty islands afford at once distinct landmarks, and a choice of channels. The entrance, thus marked and defended, extends nearly sixty miles along the coast from east to west ; and for nearly forty miles towards Canton, the river preserves an average breadth of fifteen miles. At that point, called by Euro- peans the Bogue, or Bocca Tigris, the breadth is two miles, divided in the centre by an island. This is con- sidered by the Chinese the entrance of the river, and is defended by several forts of no great strength. We were boarded, many miles from land, by fisher- men offering to act as pilots, and by one of them was conducted to our anchorage, while his boat went to Macao for the usual permit to proceed up the river, and the inner pilot. These boats, though outre, to us, are admirably constructed of pine, decked, and schooner- rigged. Under the deck they keep provisions, water, &c., and sleep in bad weather. On the quai'ter they put up, in fine weather, a slight house of bamboo and mats. The sight of these men was not novel to me, as I had already mixed with so many in Burmah, Singa- pore, and Siam. Their costume is a pair of very wide blue nankeen trousers, reaching but little below the knee, without buttons or flaps. Its diameter at the waist would embrace a barrel, so that they take a turn in the waistband, and tuck in the ends, which keeps them on. Of labourers at work this is the whole dress : when not employed they add a glazed cotton jacket, reaching to the loins, with very wide sleeves. The dress of the genteel classes is not transcended in beauty, costliness, or delicacy, by that of similar classes in any country upon earth. Lintin is an island, nearly in the centre of the outer harbour, and, though large, has few inhabitants, and is noted only as the theatre of the execrable opium- smuggling. Sheltered by its dreary heights lay the " receiving ships,!' which take the drug from vessels CHINA. 45 as they arrive, and get rid of it by means of native fast boats. At the extreme western side of the entrance, twenty miles distant from Lintin, is the city of Macao, occu- pying the extreme south point of Heangshan island. From thence to Canton is an inner passage, cliiefly used by native boats. Fifteen miles below Canton is Whampoa, beyond which foreign ships are not allowed to proceed. The anchorage extends two or three miles, along a reach of the river, lying east and west. In ordinary shipping seasons, 100 or more vessels ride here, chiefly English and American. Owing to the recent commercial em- barrassments, there were at this time but about twenty- five. Innumerable sampans, occupied by marketmen, fishermen, fruiterers, waslierwomen, &c., with the ships' boats, and here and there the ornamented barge of a luandareen, or a huge crowded passage-boat, kept the scene busy and cheerful. Whampoa is a considerable village, on an island of the same name. Its chief business is connected with the supply of vessels and the smuggling of opium. Boats lie before the town, literally in thousands, and almost every one the permanent liabitation of a family. The occupancy of these boats by a family, so far from preventing active employment, seems rather a qualifi- cation. The wife steers, while the husband rows, aided by children of both sexes, if they have any. Such as are not quite old enough to row, play about the boat with a great gourd fastened to their waist behind to secure them from drowning, in case they fall overboard. Those a little younger are carefully tethered, so that they have the entire use of the deck, but cannot pass the gunwale. If there be an infant, it is fastened on the mother's back like a knapsack, without appearing to impede her motions or be annoyed by them. Any one conversant with boatmen about other seaports of the east, or even in our own country, cannot fail to be sti'uck with the superiority of these. Their dress, the structure and appointments of their boats, their quiet, order, industry, and good manners, are worthy of all imitation. The published accounts of the populousness of China are strongly brought to mind when one looks around on these boats, and on the green fields and barren islands which make up the scene from the deck of the ship. Every level spot is subdued for paddy, and the sides of every desolate island exhibit not only patches of culti- vation, but houses and even villages. The same impres- sion is created by a host of fishing-smacks, which sweep the waters of the vast harbour. They literally swarm. I have stood and counted 200 at a time from the deck of the ship. From Whampoa to Canton, the boats of foreign ships are allowed to pass up and down without examination at the custom-houses. Passengers, however, generally use native boats, called " dollar-boats," as affording better shelter and more conveniences. I found mine to be exceedingly neat, clean, and com- modious ; divided into three compartments ; the centre being handsomely panelled and roofed, so as to form a nice cabin, with lockers, windows, &c. Here I was placed with such of my trunks as I needed, and, though long since hardened to the sensations of a foreigner, felt a little more foreign than usual. In one corner of my cabin was " Jos," in grim dumbness, pointing upwards with his finger, and looking as fat and contented as Falstaff. Before him smoked tapers of sandal-wood powder, and round aboutwere inscriptions on red paper. His little closet or shrine had latticed doors to keep him from harm, and was the most ornamented part of the boat. Behind, sheltered by a roof, which upon occasion could slide over that of the cabin, was the kitchen and pantry. Here the wife, with an infant on her back, steered and sculled; at the same time watching her dinner and a youngster or two. Forward of the cabin, a flat deck, extending beyond the bows, and of the same width as the boat, afforded ample space to two oarsmen, who sat on stools about six inches high. Between them and the cabin was a small veranda, on one side of which stood the ever-steaming tea-kettle and cups ; and on the other the neatly lackered tray of jos-sticks or slow matches, from which ever and anon they lighted their chei'oots. The men were stout, though short, and pulled with vigour, sheltering their naked backs with a broad palm-leaf hat. We passed Imndreds of boats built and manned in precisely the same manner. The scenery of the river, though monotonous, is attractive. On each side are rich rice-fields, with vil- lages embosomed among orange-trees, lichis, and palms ; while the rugged hills in the rear, irreclaimable even by Chinese industry, are dotted with tombs. Some fine pagodas are visible most of the way. The dikes are for the most part paved with excellent stone masonry, and planted with oranges, lichis, and bananas. Just before reaching the city is the anchorage of junks or native vessels trading to Canton, and of an imperial fleet. The latter may create a smile, but can awaken no terror. A little farther on, other trading- boats of large size lie in hundreds. Then come long rows of floating houses, and these, with every sort of boat, increase in number as you advance, till it becomes difficult and even dangerous, to thread the maze with a row-boat. Arriving at length opposite Kwang-tung, or, as we call it. Canton, nothing is seen of the city except the river-suburbs and portions of the wall. Here boats of every description, and small junks, are so crowded together, that the utmost skill, as well as caution, is required, in order to avoid disaster. Cables stretch out from a hundred junks ; huge tea-boats, of fifty or sixty tons, lie side to side, scores in a row. Dwelling- houses of elegant and convenient construction, built on scows, are disposed in regular streets of great length. Mandareen boats, with gorgeous and beautiful orna- ments and fleet as the wind, move slowly round, acting as a river police. Boats from the European ships, floating tradesmen, mechanics, hucksters, shopkeepers, and thousands that seem to be mere dwellings, are multiplied on every side ; so busy, so noisy, so crowded, so strange, that it seems as if one had suddenly dropped upon another planet ; and a man must be vain indeed who does not feel himself an insignificant unit among such legions of busy ones, who merely regard him as a foreigner. It is computed that 84,000 families live in boats at Canton, and that the whole population of the city and suburbs is about 1,000,000. The sails of a Chinese junk are of mat ; three little cabins, each just large enough to contain a man at hi? length, occupy the stern ; over the side hang the hen- coops ; a great eye glares upon the bow, and a snake beneath warns you of the " touch-me-not" pugnacity of the crew. I saw many of these both at Bankok and Singapore; and off the mouth of the Hoogly passed several which had ventured even to that distance. In all other parts of the east, Europeans bear them- selves so haughtily before the natives, and so transcend them in wealth, luxury, and intellect, that the contrast at Canton is most striking. Here are generally about 300 foreigners permanently resident, and often more, kept so completely under, that they may neither bring their wives nor take native ladies, nor build, buy, ride, row, or walk, without restrictions ; wholly forbidden to enter the gates of the city, and cooped up in a spot which would be considered in Calcutta or Madras barely large enough for one good dwelling and compound. The foreign factories, or hongs, are thirteen in number, under the names of diff"erent nations, but occupied somewhat promiscuously by the merchants and shop- keepers. They form a close front along the river, about 300 yards in length, with an open space towards the water, which is here about a quarter of a mile wide. The buildings extend towards the rear about 200 yards. Each hong is divided into several separate portions, entered by a narrow alley, which passes through to the rear, and is thus made to consist of five or six tene- 46 MALCOM'S TRAVELS. ments, generally three stories high. The heat, smoke, noise, and dreariness of the interior of this mass of buildings, with the total absence of female society, gives it, in no small degree, the aspect of a prison. The front rooms, however, are pleasant, and some of them have fine promenades on the roof. An open space in front, about one hundred yards long and fifty wide, serves both as a wharf and a promenade. But the first of these uses obstructs it for the other ; to say nothing of barbers, cooks, pedlars, clothes-menders, coolies, and boatmen, who crowd it most of the day. I was kindly made welcome to the American hong, or, as the Chinese call it, the " hong of extensive foun- tains," where at the table of the American missionaries, and of Messrs Oliphant and Co., I enjoyed, for several weeks, daily opportunities of acquiring authentic infor- mation, on all the points which concern my agency. Fortunately for me, there existed, during my stay in Canton, no pa'-ticular jealousy of foreigners. Accom- panying the missionaries and other gentlemen in their daily walks for exercise, 1 was enabled to ramble not only over all the suburbs, but among the villages and fields adjacent. We were not specially ill treated, but I have nowhere else found quite so much scorn and rudeness. Nearly all the time, some of the youngsters would be calling out as we passed, " Foreign devils !" " barbarians !" " red-bristled devils !" — often adding obscene expressions, and sometimes throwing light mis- siles ; all which the parents seemed to think very clever. Often, indeed, they would direct the attention of very small children to us, and teach them to rail. Our clerical profession seemed known to many ; and these would shout " Stoi-y-telling devils !" "lie-preaching devils !" In streets much frequented by foreigners, these things rarely occurred, but in othei'S we attracted general attention ; and if we stopped for a few moments, a crowd would immediately choke up the street. Some- times Dr Parker's patients would i-ecognise him, and we would be asked to sit down ; tea and pipes would be offered, and a strong sense of confidence and gratitude manifested. But the crowd would soon become dis- agreeable, and we were glad to pass on to get fresh air, and to exempt our friends from annoyance. The width of the streets is seldom more than four or five feet, and often less. The houses rarely exceed one story high ; and, except on business streets, all the better ones are invisible, being built, like those of Paris, within a walled enclosure. The streets are all flagged with large slabs of smooth stone, principally granite. The breadth excludes wheel carriages, of course, and the only vehicles are sedan chairs, which are constantly gliding along at a very rapid rate ; those for ladies being closed with blinds, or gauze, but not so as to prevent the occupant from looking through. As these chairs, or loaded coolies, come rushing along, a perpetual shouting is kept up to clear the way ; and unless you jump to the wall or into a shop, you are rudely jostled, for though they are polite and kind, their headway and heavy burden render it impossible to make sudden pauses. As to walking arm in arm, it is quite out of the question. I saw none of the unbroken ranges of piazza spoken of by geographers ; but in some places mats are spread across the street, which exclude the sun. The end of each street has a strong gate, which is shut up at night, chiefly for security against thieves. The shops are often truly beautiful, but the greater number are occupied as well by the workmen as the wares. Such minute subdivision of callings I have seen nowhere else. Not only are trades subdivided into the most minute branches, but the shops are often limited to one or two species of goods. Some of those which I entered would vie with those of London for style and amount of capital invested. In each, the idol has a handsome and conspicuous situation. As Chinese is read perpendicularly, the sign-boai-ds are suspended downward, and are thus well adapted to narrow streets. They are geuei-ally beautifully executed, and often, after announcing the name and occupation, close with sage sentences; such as, "Gossippingand long sitting injure business ;" " No credit given ; former customers have inspired caution." The vacant places present a mixture of incongruities — attractive, pitiable, shocking, and ludicrous. Here is a doctor, surrounded by roots, spreading his plaster on a man's shin ; there is an astrologer, disclosing for- tunes. Here is a group of happy children, purchasing smoking comfits ; and there is a meat stall, surrounded by stout fellows, swallowing pork stews. Here are some hungry mendicants, gloating upon the dainties; and close by are some of their fraternity, unable any longer even to ask charity, lying unheeded, to die of hunger. Mountebanks, clothes-dealers, musical beggars, petty auctioneers, gamblers, &c., make up the discor- dant aggregate. At these openings, and other conspicuous places, placards cover the walls ; and as with us, quack medi- cines, government proclamations, and business cards, were the principal. Some were novel, and showed the want of newspapers, namely, lampoons and criticisms on public men. Some of these were intrepid and severe, but none seemed gross and libellous. Alas, that our country should be so much behind China in the treat- ment of official characters ! Many trades are here perambulatory, which are so nowhere else. Among these moving mechanics I noticed barbers, coopers, tinmen, blacksmiths, shoemakei's, and tailors, besides a medley of fruiterers, hucksters, fish- mongers, confectioners, pedlars, rat-catchers, pastry- cooks, butchers, picture-men, and I know not what. The throng and confusion of these narrow streets is thus much increased, while their various bells, drums, gongs, and cries, keep up a perpetual din. In these walks I observed, what I believe is not to be seen in any pai't of India, regular native booksellers. They generally display a considerable assortment of works, at astonishingly cheap prices. The moral ten- dency of these works is said to be in general good, but the intellectual benefit is small. This was often illus- trated by the close proximity of some grey-bearded for- tune-teller, with five times the custom of his literary neighbour. I was often amused to see the ludicrous gravity with which these men of destiny drew wonder and cash from their gaping patients, and to mark the diversified countenances of those who retired. The dole- ful, drawmouth visage, or the arch chuckle and rubbed hands, plainly told which had received " dampers," and which brought off animating assurances. As usual, these worshippers of fortune seemed to be those she had hitherto least favoured. Besides, the bookstores are circulating libraries, in the literal sense of the term ; that is, the librarian, having his books arranged in two neat cases, bears them on a pole across his shoulder from customer to custo- mer. Some of these have several thousand books ; but the greater part being in the hands of borrowers, his burden is not excessive. A tolerable idea of Chinese geography may be gathered from a glance at their maps. Mr Gutzlaff wa,^ kind enough to present me with one of the world, and to translate many of the names. It is two feet wide by three and a half high, and is almost covered with China ! In the left hand corner, at the top, is a sea, three inches square, in which are delineated, as small islands, Europe, England, France, Holland, Por- tugal, and Africa. lloUand is as large as all the rest, and Africa is not so big as the end of one's little finger ! The northern frontier is Russia, very large. The left corner, at the bottom, is occupied by " the western ocean," as it is called, containing the Malay peninsula pretty well defined. Along the bottom are Camboja, Cochin-China, &c., represented as moderate- sized islands, and on the right is Formosa, larger than all the rest put together. Various other countries are shown as small islands. I should have given an en- graving of this curious map, but that a true reduction to the size of a page would have left out most of these countries altogether ! The surrounding ocean is repre- sented in huge waves, with amooth passages, or high- CHINA. 47 ways, branching off to the different countries, or islands, as they represent them. They suppose that ships whieli lieep along these higliways go safely, but if they, through ignorance or stress of weather, diverge, they soon get among these awful billows, and are lost ! The beggars are very numerous and pitiable. They are seldom obtrusive, but a donation to one will bring several upon you, and keep you annoyed for many paces. In streets so narrow, they caiinot of course be allowed to sit or lie down. The open spaces near temples and other public places afford the only chance for them to rest, and here many of them, utterly houseless, lie down and die. In one of these openings, not fifty feet square, I have seen six or eight of these unhappy beings at a time breathing their last, covered only with an old mat, such as comes round goods. Many who walk about have merely such a mat, fastened round their loins by a wooden pin. With such shelter only do they pass the night upon the earth or pavement, and always after a cold night some are found dead. There seems to be no particular want of charit}' among those who are able to give, but the evil lies too deep for casual gifts to cure. Such as are not too sick to go about, are sure of some- thing daily, for custom gives them a right to enter any place,and makes it disgraceful to send them away empty. They are obliged to depart, however, with the gift even of a single cash, and are often kept waiting a long time. I have often, as I passed, admired the patience both of the beggar and the shopmen. Many of them carry small cymbals, or two pieces of bamboo, with which they keep time, at a deafening rate, to a plaintive drawl. The shopman stands the racket as long as he can, or till a customer comes in, when he throws them the cash, and they are bound to go. If he give soon, the place is but so much the sooner filled by another. Distressing as are the sights of mendicity in Canton, they are less so than I have seen in some other cities, especially Dublin and Turin ; and almost all are either blind or evidently sick, which is far from being the case either in Ireland or Italy. I had supposed that small-footed women, being of the geutecl cii'cles, would not often be seen. Instead of this, large numbers of them, evidently poor, and often ex- tremely so, are met with in every street. Many of these, doubtless, have been reduced from competency ; but many are the offspring of persons who, from fond- ness or ambition, had brought up their children in a manner beyond their station in life. The smallest shoes and models shown in America are no exaggera- tions. All, indeed, are not equally compressed, but often the foot of an adult does not exceed four inches in length, and from a breadth of two and a half inches at the heel tapers to a perfect point. Tliey walk pre- cisely as a person would do on two wooden legs. Other poor women often go barefoot, but these never. Either the appearance of such a foot is too bad, or the toes, turned under, are too tender. Many of these victims of a false pride sit in open spaces, as public menders of old clothes. A passenger can thus get a patch or a button set on, while he waits — a custom which might usefully be introduced among us. We rail at the Chinese for compressed feet with little reason, so long as we persist in compressing the waist. Nor are we wholly exempt from the folly of crushing the feet also. Our easiest shoes, though less absurd than the Chinese, are by no means patterned from nature. I enjoyed, in walking with Mr Bridgman, what few foreigners do — the advantage of an interpreter. I was thus enabled to stop at many places, witnessing various Chinese arts, and conversing freely with the operatives. Many of these occupations are known among us, but in every case they seem to be carried on by an unique method. I wassurpi-ised to find laboui'-saving machinery employed to a considerable extent. One instance pleased me exceedingly, namely, a bellows for blowing glass, which almost entirely saved the workman's lungs. In every establishment, whether of an artist, mechanic, or tradesman, we were received with great civility, and generally offered some slight refreshment. One of our walks was to the place of execution, which in China is generally done by beheading. It is part of a populous street, thirty or forty feet wide just at that point, and a common thoroughfare. On one side is a high blank wall, and on the other is a row of potteries. The drying wares are spread over a considerable part of the space, bringing .strongly to mind the bloody potter's field of the New Testament. A nai-row shed, twelve or fifteen *fcct long, stood against the wall, with shelves of open bamboo. Lifting up an old mat with my cane, there lay a row of heads, apparently three or four days old. On the ground in a corner were a few skulls, nearly bleached by time. Executions occur here every few days, and with very little notice or formality. The poor culprit kneels on the ground, his long queue is twisted up into a knot upon his head, he puts his palms together in a posture of obeisance, and leaning forward, one stroke severs his head from his body. The remains are generally allowed to be removed by friends. The Chinese bury their dead, and are very careful of the tombs of ancestors. To these they often resort to make prayer and offerings ; and so long as there are male descendants, they are kept in repair. Their mode of constructing them is peculiar, invariable, and so un- like any others in the world, that a picture alone can explain. ^^^vV^^^>\^ Chinese Tomb. They cover many acres of ground near Singapore, Malacca, and other cities where Cliinaraen are nume- rous and land plenty ; and even in China engross much space, but generally only rocky or barren spots, inca- pable of other uses. The cheapness and frivolity, as well as the univer- sality of Chinese piety, was every evening forced upon our observation, whether we returned on foot or by boat. Not a family on shore or afloat is without its little altar, nor does a sun set without each being lighted up with tapers, and incensed with fragrant matches. Besides the gaudy domestic altar, with its flaunting mottoes and varied tinsel, nearly every house has a little niche in the wall, near the ground, inscribed with sacred characters, where also tapers and jos-sticks are burned. The air is thus loaded every twilight with sandal-wood smoke. Here and there you see men making additional offerings, by setting on fii-e articles of gilded paper, or making libations before the shrine. These vespers being finished, the Chinaman's religion is complete for that day ; and he retii-es to pleasure or repose, with the full comfort of self-righteousness. It is so unpopular to be familiar with foreigners, that an oppoi'tunity of visiting the private houses of respect- able Chinese is rarely enjoyed by transient sojourners in Canton. One of the principal hong merchants, being particularly indebted to Dr Parker for removing a polypus, and at the same time a man of uncommon independence, I was glad to embi-ace a proposal to visit him. Dr Parker having announced our desire, we received a very cordial invitation. The house stands in a crowded suburb ; nothing being visible from the street but a wall of the ordinary height. Passing 48 MALCOM'S TRAVELS. through a vestibule, atteiulctl by jwrtora, we were ushered into a hirge and liandsonic liall, where the old gentleman soon joined us. His dress was negligent, but costly, and resembled that of the mandareen figures in our tca-sho]>s. He saluted us in English, and the conversation was so maintained. After a little, lie invited us to sec his establishment, and kindly accom- panied us. I was soon bewildered in passing tlirough halls, rooms, and passages; crossing little courtyards and bridges; now looking at scores of gold-tish in a tank, and now sitting in a rustic summer-house on the top of an artificial cliff; now admiring whole beds of china asters in full bloom, and now engrossed with large aviaries or grotesque bee-hives. Here were miniature grottoes, and there were jets of water. Here were stunted forest-trees and porcelain beasts, and there was a lake and a fancy skiff. Yet the whole was compressed into a space not larger than is occupied by some man- sions in the middle of our large cities. There was not that (|uaint absurdity about all this, that books and pictures had led me to supi)ose. True, it was exceedingly artificial, and thoroughly Chinese ; but there were taste and beauty in it all. Why should we break down all tastes to one standard ? He that can only be pleased in a given way, is ill fitted to travel ; and I am sure any one not predetermined to contemn, would admire and enjoy the grounds of Tinqua. The style of the rooms jileased me less. They were numerous, but all furnished in the same manner, and most of them small. Besides gorgeous Chinese lanterns, hung Dutch, English, and Chinese chandeliers, of every size and pattern. Italian oil-jiaintings, Chinese hang- uigs, French clocks, Geneva boxes, British plate, &.c. &c., adorned the same rooms, strewed with natural curiosities, wax fruits, models, and costly trifles, from every part of the world. Jiife. «lllillllUllll| 1 1 1 fe^' •'^-^'^^^^\ Cliiiieso Temple. J- Thei-e arc 124 temples in Canton, besides the nume- rous public altars seen in the streets. I saw the prin- cipal ones without the walls, which are said not to be inferior, on the whole, to those within. They strikingly resemble the monasteries of Europi'. The handsomest is one of the Boodhists, in the suburb of Honan, on the opposite side of the river. Being accompanied by Messrs Bridgman, Parker, and Morrison, who were acquainted with the superior, I was not only shown evei-y part by his order, but had the pleasure of his society for an hour. Cloisters, corridors, courtyards, chapels, image-houses, and various offices, are scattered, with little regard to order, over a space of five or six aci'cs. Priests, with shaven crowns and rosaries, loitered about ; but I never saw common people come to worship cither at this or other establishments. Some of the priests occupied small and mean apartments ; but those of the superior are spacious, and furnished not only with the ordinary conveniences, but with chandeliers, mirrors, pictures, itc, and with an extensive library. The buildings are chiefly of brick, one story high, tlie walks handsomely flagged, and the courtyard orna- mented with largo trees, or beautiful parterres of flowers. The printing-oflicc contains stereotype plates enough to load a small vessel, so arranged as that every work is readily accessible. The principal apartment or temple is about 100 feet square, with the usual images, &c. We attended here to witness the regular evening service. It seemed to create little interest, for out of 160 resident priests, there were but fifty present; and these uttered their repetitions with the most obvious indifference. Their prayers are in Pali ostensibly, but 1 am told not truly, as their mode of writing renders it utterly unintelligible to any one. They keep time by striking a wooden drum, and occasionally a bell. At a certain stage of the process, the whole company formed into single file, and marched round the hall, without ceasing their repetitions. This gave us a full view of their countenances ; and so far as these indicated, a more stupid set could not be picked out in all Canton. I have already remarked this charactei-istic of the Boodhist priesthood in other countries, and am con- firmed in the belief of its being attributable to the cha- racter of their religion, and the nature of their duties. Instead of the humble dress of Burman and Siam priests, these wear as handsome as they can get, with shoes and stockings. What is worse, some are in rags, barefoot, and squalid, with apparent poverty. They have, however, a common refectory, where I presume all fare alike. The buildings were erected at different times by the munificence of individuals, and by the revenues of the establishment, which amount to about 8000 dollars per annum. While we walked over the premises, the superior had prepared us a repast of sweetmeats and fruits, to which lie sat down with us. His manners were easy and ele- gant, his dress unostentatious, and his countenance full of intelligence and mildness. His age is but thirty-eight. We of course endeavoured to make the visit pi'ofitablo to him. My heart yearned over him ; and when he assured me that he meant to visit America in a year or two, I was happy to promise him a most cordial recep- tion. Priests may leave the country and return, with- out the restraints which make it dangerous to others. The whole number of priests in Canton is estimated at 2000 ; of nuns, 1000. The annual expense of the 124 temples is 250,000 dollars. An equal sum is re- (juired for the periodical festivals. Half a million, annually paid in one city for religion, by pagans ! And the whole amount which all Cliristendom gives for pagans in a year is but six times as much ! 1 saw no pagodas at any of these establishments. They generally stand on some hill alone. Unlike the cones or pyramids of Burmali, these rise like shot- towers, with successive stories, marked by a cornice or ni.l. narrow pent-house. The top is often covered deeply with earth, from which shrubs shoot up, and form a romantic finish, as is the case with tliat here rcpre- CHINA. 40 sented. There are but two wiiliin the city. One, called Kwa-ta, or adorned pagoda, lias nine stories, and is 170 feet high, octagonal. The other, called Kwang-ta, or unadorned pagoda, i^s IGO feet high. The first was built about 1300 years ago ; the latter during the Tang dynasty, which closed a.d. 906. I believe they arc not resorted to for devotional purposes, at least not com- monly. As crosses are planted in some countries to mark the right of possession, so these huge and durable monuments seem only to mark a country swayed by him who claims " the kingdoms of this world, and the glory of them." How artfully, in ten thousand forms, does he, in every pagan land, confirm and perpetuate his rule ! But his time is short. The Chinese are divided into three sects, namely, those of Ju-kea-su, Taou, and Boodh. The Jukeasuists are the followers of Kong-foo-tze, or, as the Jesuits Latinize it, Confucius, who flourished about oOO years before Christ, and was therefore con- temporary with Pythagoras. He was of royal descent, ami a raandareen, but early resigned official life, and devoted himself to literature, morals, and political eco- iiomv. Reducing the maxims of former sages to order, he added valuable extracts from current works, and prudent sayings of his own, and produced a digest ■which continues to be the ultima thule of Chinese piety. Travelling extensively as a popular lecturer, and sus- tained, not less by his high birth and eloquent address, than by the excellence of his doctrines, he soon founded a sect which became virtually the state religion. It is, however, much less intolerantly maintained than either Popery or Protestantism, where united with the stnte. The other religions are allowed, and sometimes fos- tered. Great ofiicers, and even the emperor himself, build and endow Boodhist and Taouist temples. The svstem of Confucius is highlv extolled bv Euro- pean writers, and most extravagantly by Chinese. As accounts of it are accessible to all readers, I need not stop to describe it. He seems to have regarded reUgion less than polities, and the burden of his works relates to social virtues, ci\"il government, and adherence to ancestral habits. The sect of Taou (literally reason) was founded by Laou-Keum, a contemporary and rival of Confucius. His followers may be called the mystics of China. They profess alchemy, assume mysterious airs, read destinies on the palms, and make great pretensions to deep re- search and superior light. Their practical works con- tain, in genei-al, the same laudable precepts which distinguish the system of the Jukeasu. The Chinese Boodh. The third sect follow Fo-e, sometimes spelled Fohi. Foe is said to be the old orthography of Fuh, which is tlie Chinese abbreviation of Fuh-ta, or Boodha. The Boodhism of China is the same as that of Burmah, ■which has been sufficiently described. The system is certainly far older than either of the others, O It is gene- rally supposed to have been introduced alx)ut a.d. 70. Kempfer dates the introduction about a.d. 518, when " Darma, a great saint, came from the west, and laid the foundation," 38. It does not purpose to pay the salary of medical men, but to receive such as may be sent by mis- sionaiy boards, or come at their own cost, and to furnish theai with hospitals, medicines, attendants, ic It will establish libraries and museums, and take everj' proper measure to spicad the benefits of rational medicine and sxir^ery among the Chinese ; in the hope of thus pa^-ing the ■vray for the relaiatioa of those la^-5, customs, and prejudices, which now exclude the Christian missionary. Of this society, T. R. CoUedge, Bbq., is preiiJent. The societj- has already received cash subscriptions to the amount of 9936 dollars, chiefly irom the EnsUsh and American gentle- men on the spot. 50 MALCOM'S TRAVELS. So well do they know the moral and phj'sical evils of opium, that not one of them ventures on the habit of vising it liimself. In this, as in other cases, magnitude gives dignity and sanction to the operation. No otlier smuggling is on so grand a scale. The annual sale amounts to a sum equal to the entire revenue of the United States, and to the whole value of teas exported to England and America ! At this very time, though efforts so extra- ordinary and persevering have been put forth by tlie Chinese government to stop this infernal traffic, there are twenty-four opium ships on the coast. We have little reason to wonder at the reluctance of China to extend her intercourse with foreigners. Nearly the whole of such intercourse brings upon her pestilence, poverty, crime, and disturbance. No person can describe the horrors of the opium trade. The drug is produced by compulsion, accom- panied with miseries to the cultivators as great as slaves endure in any part of the earth. The prices paid to the producer scarcely sustain life, and are many per cent, less than the article produces in China. The whole process of carrying and vending is an enormous infringe- ment of the laws of nations, and such as would imme- diately produce a declaration of war by any European power — the grandest and grossest smuggling trade on the globe ! The influence of the drug on China is more awful and extensive than that of rum in any country, and worse to its victims tlian any outward slavery. That the government of British India should be the prime abettors of this abominable traffic, is one of the grand wonders of the nineteenth century. The proud escutcheon of the nation which declaims against the slave-trade, is thus made to bear a blot broader and darker than any other in the Christian world. A subsequent chapter on missions to the Chinese shows what missionaries have laboured for this people, at different points, and who are now thus engaged. It is sufficient, therefore, here to notice those in Canton ; namely, Messrs Bridgman and Parker. Mr Bridgman has not yet become able to preach in Chinese, but is making very rapid progress, and has acquired such a knowledge of the written language as to be able with critical ability to assist in the revision of tlie Holy Scrip- tures, now in progress at Singapore. He has also some promising Chinese boys under his daily instruction. His other engagements, besides the study of the lan- guage, are, editing the Chinese Repository, and preach- ing in English'. Dr Parker has from his arrival been engrossed with medical practice, for wliich purpose he was sent out. His hospital was commenced in November 1835, chiefly for diseases of the eye. Resident foreigners wholly support the establishment (except Dr Parker's salary), at an expense of about 1600 dollars per annum. Not only do crowds of patients with diseased eyes resort to him, but many others, only a selection of which can receive his attention. Up to the present period, 4400 persons have been treated. The cases are described, and in some instances the treatment and results, in Dr Parker's regular quarterly reports. His labours are severe, but his health and spirits good. A satisfactory proof of his skill is found in the friendship and encomiums of seven or eight English physicians, residing at Canton and Macao, some of whom attend him on every operation day, rendering valuable aid, and highly applauding his operations and treatment. He has three native students of medicine who receive careful instruction, literary as well as medical, and through whom incalculable bless- ings may flow to this people. There is no Chinese convert at Canton, nor religious services in that language, nor giving of tracts. Even conversation with patients in the hospital is ventured upon with caution. A linguist is stationed there by the local authorities, who narrowly watches every transac- tion. The missionaries fully believe that frequency or a little indiscretion would at once break up the insti- tution, ar.d perhaps cause them to be driven awav. How far the labours of these excellent brethren are to prepare the way for Christianity, or for future mis- sionaries, is not clear. They are certainly earning for themselves the confidence and esteem of many indivi- duals. But can they transfer these to others ? If suc- cessors keep equally quiet in respect to religion, they will remain unmolested, without reference to the pre- sent missionaries. If they do not, these will furnish no precedent, and their character no protection : oppo- sition might be expected, as heretofoi'e, and the work must be commenced in fact anew. Ten days out of my thirty in China were consumed in a visit to Macao. That it was my last point of ob- servation, made me acquainted with Gutzlaff, and would show me Popery under a new phase, gave peculiar interest to the visit. The sailing distance from Canton is about seventy miles. Small packet-boats, with a deck, ply I'egularly between the two places, which stop a few minutes at Lintin, and consume generally about twenty-four hours in the passage. The crowds of boats and junks near Canton, the long line of English and American shipping in Whampoa Reach, the forts, towers, cultivation, and fishermen, on the way to Lintin, and the romantic islands and pro- montories between that place and Macao, render the voyage, under favourable circumstances, instructing and pleasant. Macao, seen from the harbour, wears an aspect of great beauty and dignity. The crescent curve of the shore, unbroken by any wharf or jetty, whitened by the foamy surf and sloping sand : the front range of well- built houses ; the town, rising behind on different hills ; and the bold ridges on either side — make a scene rarely surpassed. But the shipping lie at the back of the town ; not a movement of commerce is to be seen ; a few sepoys seem to be the only moving objects ; and as you land from the little sampan, sensations of desolation are scarcely to be suppressed. The first walk through tlie town dissipates all the poetic anticipations awakened by a view from the harbour. Narrow streets, ill-built houses, beggarly shops, and the total absence of the appeai'ance of business, create a strong sense of deso- lation ; and a few promenades leave you nothing new to see. Decline seems stamped on every thing, civil and reli- gious. Instead of its former population of 20,000 Por- tuguese and other foreigners, it has now but 4300. Its extensive commerce is almost annihilated. Several of the large churches are either in ruins or used for bar- racks. Few of the houses are kept in perfect repair, and the streets are no longer thronged with busy pas- sengers. The churches are still numerous and noble ; and evidence is every moment present that you are in a Papal town. The bells ring often every day ; pro- cessions, with crucifixes and lighted candles, go and come ; and priests, with black frocks and cocked hats, are seen in the streets. The town is built on two ridges, forming a triangle, of which the hypotenuse is the secure inner harbour, where all the shipping lie, but which is gradually filling up. The whole site is but a section of a promontory extending to the southward from the large island of Heang-shan. A wall, built across the entire breadth, only 1700 yards from the extreme south point, effec- tually restricts foreigners to the limits assigned them, and enables the Chinese, by stopping the supply of pro- visions, always to bring the Portuguese to terms, if diflSculties occur. A great majority of the inhabitants, even within the Portuguese limits, are Chinese. They have their bazaar, their temples, their commerce, and even their custom-house, and seem to be virtually rulers of the place. F'or more than three centuries (that is, since 1537) have the Portuguese occupied Macao. The history of the place, during this long interval, is interesting in various respects, but I can attempt no sketch of it here. It forms not only a veritable and jDractical comment on Popery, but shows it up in an important aspect ; namelyj CHINA. 51 as having both power and prevalence in the midst of a pagan huid. It also exhibits political and commercial mistakes worthy to be scanned and weighed by states- men. I of course found the Baptist brethren, Shuck and Roberts, only students ; so that, as to them, there was neither much forme to arrange nor leai'n. But though they have so recently arrived, I was assured by a com- petent judge that their progi-ess in the language was very honoui'able to themselves. Mr Shuck studies the Mandareen dialect, preparatory to assuming some post on the western frontier of China ; and Mr Roberts that of Macao, intending to make this his permanent posi- tion. I was happy to make arrangements with Mr Gutzlaff to devote a few hours a-week to their instruc- tion. Mr Williams, a'printer in the service of the American Board of Commissioners for Foreign Missions, is sta- tioned here. He has charge of the Honourable East India Company's printing-office, and has been employed on Medhurst's Dictionary, &c. The magistrates totally prohibit the printing of bibles and tracts in Macao, so that he is at present left to prosecute his studies in the language. This office contains two fonts of Chinese character, and some English. One is of very large size, each type weighing one tael and two mace, or about an ounce and a half. Each type was engraved by itself, and cost, for cutting and metal, about seven cents. The font has but one type in each ehai'acter, so that it can be of no use unless in reprinting a dictionary ; 17,000 of these types have been lost, and 27,000 yet remain. The font was made at vast expense by the East India Company, for printing Morrison's great Chinese Dictionary. The other font is of the size called "Columbian," and, like the first, was cut upon blank faces, and not cast. It contains 30,000 characters, averaging but two types for each ; so that, like the other, it cannot be used in printing ordinary books. With Mr Williams is residing G. T. Lay, Esq., an agent of the British and Foreign Bible Society, whose recent visits to Borneo, Celebes, Ternate, and other islands in these seas, enabled him to give me light on several subjects respecting which books left me in the dark. Mr Lay is distinguished as a natui'alist, as well as for an extraordinary facility in acquiring languages ; and his researches among these compax'atively unknown tribes cannot fail to benefit both science and religion. Mr Gutzlaff welcomed me with all possible cordiality, and our previous correspondence paved the way for business, without circumlocution or formalitj^ He is a Prussian, about thirty-four years of age, small, dark hair and eyes, in fine health, of great activity, and sprightly in all his motions. His office of interpreter to the superintendant of trade seldom makes demands on his time, while its ample salary fui'nishes him the means of much good. No man is more devoted to the cause of Christ, and few so laborious, as his /e/i voyages along the coast since his arrival in 1831 amply testify. His chief employment at present is the preparation of tracts, and of a new version of the Scriptures, with the help of Marshman's and Morrison's versions. I of course spent many hours with him, listening, note-book in hand, to his opinions, observations, diffi- culties, desires, and pui'poses, and his comments on mine. Without the least apparent reserve, and with exceeding earnestness and animation, he passed on from subject to subject, at the table, in the garden, and by the way-side. All was of China. Not an inquiry had he to make of where I had been, or what was doing elsewhere. Not a moment did common-place matters come up. His mind, full of one grand theme, seemed to flow over spontaneously every moment. Though unable to adopt his judgment on many points, I could not but admire his zeal, piety, diligence, and hope. His darling plan is the multiplication of voyages along the coast for the distribution of tracts. He thinks he has in this way, himself, had access to 30,000,000 of people, and cherishes the must animated expectations from a large employment of this method. But after listening with deep attention to all his remarks on this important theme, I could not adopt his conclusions. The distribution of tracts can only be of use on a large scale in preparing the way for living teachers. This has been done sufficiently, so far as regards the coast ; and we must continue to do occasionally till teachers bo admitted to residence. But to make it an end instead of a means — to pour annually millions of tracts along the same line of coast — to go in face of prohibitory edicts, and only as protected by cannon — and to be at the expense of both tracts and voyage, while so many of the books are yet scarcely intelligible — is at best but a vei'y imperfect mode of conducting a mission. Mrs Gutzlaff" is an English lady, without children of her own, and has taken twenty little pagan girls into her house, where they receive every advantage, in school and out. They are allowed to come into the parlour, and are in all respects put upon the footing of pupils in our best boarding-schools. Among them are two little blind girls, of good parts. As I caressed the poor little orphans, lieard their hymns and portions of Scripture, saw them read from the New England raised letter-books, and marked the deep and tender interest of Mrs Gutzlaff" on their behalf, my heart rejoiced in God. Oh, how blessed and bright would this dark world become, if only the spirit of our glorious Redeemer were diffused abroad 1 What sweet intercourse of sympathy, generosity, love, and gratitude, would gladden life's roughest passages ! There is no body of native Christians in Macao, nor any Protestant convert but a poor gardener, baptised by Mr Shuck not long since. I accompanied Mr Gutzlaff on the first Sunday of November, to the houses of somo Chinamen, with whom he conversed in a manner that showed he was no stranger to their doors. In the evening, as is his custom, he preached in English to the patients of the Marine Hospital, and a few friends ; but it was evident this was not his forte. There can be held no regular meetings for Chinese, nor any open preach- ing, and only a scanty and cautious distribution of tracts. Mr Gutzlaff's usefulness, therefore, can extend little beyond his study and his scholars, except when on his favourite excursions along the coast. The next evening was the concert of prayer, held at the house of C. W. K., Esq., a pious American of the fii-m of Oliphant and Co. We numbered but eight ; yet the occasion, the place, and the circumstances of the people around us, gave deep interest to a meeting always dear to a Christian. Alas ! thatsomany churches lose the pleasure and benefit of this hallowed evening ; to say nothing of the duty of praying, " Thy kingdom come." T. R. Colledge, Esq., of this place, an eminent and humane surgeon in his majesty's service, on joining the East India Company's establishment in 1827, imme- diately began a system of gi-atuitous practice for the* Chinese, particularly in diseases of the eye. The first year his own resoui-ces supplied the funds ; but in the next friends contributed, and as confidence among the Chinese increased, patients multiplied, and a regular hospital was opened, where patients from a distance wei-e accommodated. Up to 1033, 4000 patients were relieved. At that time the retirement of a medical officer threw upon Dr Colledge such an increase of duty that the hospital was suspended. The institution, how- ever, had so won the favour of all classes, that a very large and well-adapted house has been purchased for a permanent establishment, capable of accommodating sevei'al hundred persons. Mr Gutzlaff's published letters have widely diffused his favourite position that " China is open." He still maintains this position, though others have risen to con- trovert it. To me it seems, that whether it is open to the settlement of missionaries is a matter to be decided only by experiment ; to make which, there are not more than himself and three other missionaries suffi- ciently versed in the language. Little good could como of an attempt of this kind,-made by a man unable t6 52 M.\LCOM'S TRAVELS. teach the people, ov to explain himself before a magis- trate. The worst that would probably happen to a proper man making the trial, would be to be placed in a sedan chair, and transmitted to Macao. How far the sea-board is open to the distribution of tracts, is ascertained ; that is, they may be given away in any quantity, if a ship be at hand to protect the operation. For want of such a vessel, 170 large boxes of tracts have now for months been lying in a receiving ship at Lintin, and which dare not be landed either at Canton or Macao. , I am not only persuaded that at this moment China is not open to the settlement of Christian teachers, but satisfied that Protestants are far from being ready to have it open. With three or four men able to preach in Chinese, what could Christendom do ? Nothing, after locating these, with each 100,000,000 for his district, but what she can do now — set apart more men to study the language. It is a great mercy that China should be shut at present to Cliristian teachers. Were it other- wise, Protestants are without persons to send ; while Popish priests abound in the east, and would instantly enter in great numbers, making the field worse for us, if possible, than now. CHAPTER VI. Embai-k for home. Straits of Gaspar and Sunda. Petty Monsoon. Cape of Good Hope. Remarkable Phenomenon. St Helena. False alarm. Slave trade. Landing at Ne^\'port. Smnmary. Reflections. Besides the sweets of being " homeward bound," the voyage from the east is, in many respects, pleasanter than the outward, especially when we embark in the fall. The winds are almost all fair ; the distance is much less ; the repeated sight of land breaks up the dreary monotony of four or five months' passage ; and vessels generally touch at the Cape of Good Hope, or St Helena, which adds a large amount of interesting infor- mation, and furnishes refreshments to sustain both health and spirits. The stagnation of trade is now so complete (Novem- ber 1837), that but one vessel is loading at Canton for the United States, and no other expected to sail for six or eight weeks, if so soon. She belongs to Messrs Brown and Ives of Pi'ovidence, and in her I take passage, grateful for an opportunity to depart when my business is finished. Leaving Jlacao November 24th, we came down the coast of Cochin-China, between the Natunna and An- amba groups of islands, and passing in sight of Middle Island, St Julien, St Esprit, St Barbe, &c., reached the Straits of Gaspar in ten days. Here we saw Banca, Pulo Lat, and otlier islands. A day or two more brought to view the beautiful heights of Sumatra, along which we coasted to the Straits of Sunda, surrounded by noble scenery. The mountains of Java and Sumatra, the fine peaks of Cockatoa and Prince's islands, the numerous minor islands, the quiet seas, and the glorious skies, make it one of the most interesting passages I know. Leaving Java head December 7th, we took the petty monsoon,* andhauled closeupon it, to latitude 16° south, where we reached the i-egular south-east trade, and rolled before it more than 4000 miles in about a month. On the 17th of January 1838, we came in sight of Africa, and sailed for two days close along the sublime outline of the mountains which form the " Cape of Storms." The winds here are almost always ahead for homeward vessels, which therefore hug the shore, for the benefit of the westerly current ; but we were favoured with a gentle fair wind all the way round to Table Bay. * The ]ictty monsoon is a remarkable intrusion on the wnitli- enst trade wind. It exists sLxniontlis in the yeai- ; namely, from November till Slay, between latitude 2 degrees and 10 degrees south, iUid extendins from Madjigascar to Java- It is sometimes broader. "We had it as far as latitude 16 degrees. It generally blows fresh, and often in siiualls. No sooner had we di'opped anchor off Cape Tov.-n, on the morning of the 19th, than I hastened ashore to make the best of the time the ship remained to fill up her water and procure stores. Dr Phillips, the well- known and venerable superintendant of the London Missionary Society's stations in South Africa, had not yet returned from his visit to England, but I found Mrs P. abundantly able to supply his place. Her com- plete knowledge of the details of every station, and striking energy of character, charmed me exceedingly. Making me welcome to her home, she patiently suffered herself to be plied with questions, and, on my retiring for the night, furnished documents to read, calculated to be highly useful to me as a manager of missionary operations. The Rev. Mr Locke, Mr Phillip's substitute, gave me his time when Mrs P. could not, so tliat, svhether walk- ing or sitting, my pencil had no rest. Long practice has served to stereotype my questions, so that when I fall among such as can inform, the work of gathering facts, dates, and numbers, is plain, if not easy. Few places can be more beautifully situated than Cape Town. The city occupies a gentle acclivity, on the east side of the bay ; scattered villas are sprinkled over the adjacent shores, and in the rear, upon mode- rate hills, are pleasant country seats, embosomed among vineyards and fruit-trees. Behind all, distant but a mile, is the steep wall-like front of Table Mountain, rising nearly 4000 feet almost perpendicularly, without a tree or scarcely a shrub to hide the frowning rocks. In the placid bay about twenty vessels were lying at anchor, of which no less than eight were American. There is a small fort, and some other defences, but none which would be of any avail against an enemy which might land elsewhere and take these batteries in the rear. The streets of the city are regularly laid out and well built, but narrow. The population is about 25,000, the great majority of which are negroes and mulattoes. These swarm about the town, their wretched trousers and jackets contrasting very disadvantageously with the graceful and snow-white drapery of servants in India. It is the middle of January (1838), and here, the height of summer. The markets abound with grapes, peaches, apricots, apples, plums, figs, oranges, lemons, strawberries, mulberries, melons, &c., at very low rates. Our supply of oranges from China had just run out, so that such an opportunity of replacing our antiscorbutic luxuries was most welcome. The vineyards are not trelliced like the Itali.an, or tied to stakes like the Ger- man, but suffered to grow alone, like currant bushes. This plan is probably necessary, on account of the fierce winds which often prevail, but as it suffers many of the grapes to lie on the ground, is perhaps the cause of the earthy taste of the common Cape wines. There are at Cape Town two Episcopal ministers, four Dutch, two Lutheran, one Scotch, two Indepen- dent, two Methodist, one supported by the South Afri- can Missionary Society, and four engaged wholly or partially in schools or secular business, making eigh- teen. The following list of charitable and religious institutions, though perhaps incomplete, will show that Christians here are not unmindful of the calls of en- lightened philanthropy : — Society for promoting Chris- tian Knowledge ; South African IMissionary Society, instituted 17'J9 ; Auxiliary London Missionary Society ; Auxiliary Wesleyan Missionary Society ; Bible Union, instituted 1818 ; Infant School Society, with three schools ; three schools on tlie British system ; Ladies' Benevolent Society ; Tract and Book Society ; Orphan Asylum ; Sick and Burial Society ; Widows' and Old Women's Society ; School of Industry for girls ; and ten Sunday schools, containing about 1.500 scholars. Had the Dutch, who settled this colony nearjj' '200 years ago, been as zealous for the conversion of the natives as they were for the introduction of their language, there would no doubt have been a far dif- ferent state of tilings among that pai't of the population. HOMEWARD VOYAGE. 5S But though Dutch is now the vernacular of all the negroes in this part of the continent, Christianity is the religion of comparatively few, while more than 9000 have adopted the faith of the false propliet. Indeed, it is affirmed that they rather preferi-ed that the Hot- tentots should become Mussulmans, being unwilling that their slaves should acquire such a ground of fami- liarity as would be produced by a common Christianity ! Even now, a large number of blacks annually go over to Mahometanism. On leaving the Cape of Good Hope, a delightful breeze from the south-east brought us at once into the regular trade-wind, so that we scarcely started tack or sheet till off St Helena on the 31st of January. Squalls and calms, produced by the proximity of this lofty island, kept us near it for twenty-four hours, making us familiar with its gloomy outline, and allowing us leisui'e to philosophise on the fate of bloody men. Heavy clouds lowered on its summits, while dreariness and solitude seemed the only tenants of its worthless valleys. May ambitious rulers never forget the impressive lesson of St Helena's exiled empei-or ! We left the island to the westward, and catching " the trade " again, reached the equator in about twenty days. He who most dislikes the sea, must love it in the south-east trade-wind. Such skies, such air, such gentle waters, such quiet in the ship, such glorious nights, such security from all shoals and coasts, and such steady progress, make up the very poetry of life upon the sea. The north-east trade met us south of the line, blow- ing with double the force of the other. Its haziness prevented my noticing at what latitude tlie Magellan clouds ceased to be visible. We however saw them till within two or three degrees of the equator. They ap- peared then about 15° above the horizon. Since leaving the Cape, the thermometer has ranged about 80° to 85° in the cabin. For a number of days after crossing the line, we noticed a fine yellowish sand deposited on every part of the vessel and rigging. It could be wiped from the decks like dust from a table. This of course was from the coast of Africa, above 1000 miles distant ! I am told this phenomenon is not uncommon, but do not recollect to have seen it noticed in books. In the latitude of the West Indies, a suspicious-look- ing schooner came in sight, and leaving her course, boarded a vessel a few miles ahead. Soon after, she bore for another ; changing her course again, came down upon us, and ranged alongside at musket shot distance. She carried the flag of Donna Maria, was of the fastest model, too small to be engaged in commerce, and had other indications of being a pirate. It seemed evident, too, she had no particular course, for she had been boxing about since daylight. To be captured, and perhaps murdered, was now a reasonable expectation, and I began to think this book would never see the light. After sailing with us a while before the wind, keeping us in constant expectation of a shot, she sheared to, and an officer iu half uniform hailed us, saying, " With your leave, we will come on board." Of course it was of no use to resist, and our captain sulkily hauled up his courses. We were somewhat relieved by seeing her boat shove off with but a small crew. Our ladder and man-ropes were put over the side, and presently a ruffian-looking man, with side arms, stood upon our deck. We stood ready to learn our fate, but he seemed in no hurry to announce it. However, after looking about at every thing, and asking our cargo, destination, &:c., he settled our surmises by saying, that he wished merely to know his longitude ! The schooner was a slavei", recently captured off Jamaica by a British cruiser, and this personage was prize-master. The slaves had been apprenticed on the island by government, as is the custom in such cases, and the vessel was on her way to Sierra Leone to be condemned, having the late captain and one or two of the crew on board. Being destitute of a chronometer, he took this opportunity to ascertain his position, by comparing the reckoning of the vessels iu sight. The vessel was about eighty tons burden (not so lai'ge as many of our i-iver sloops), and when taken, had on boai'd o2G slaves. Between her decks was but two feet four inches, so that the unhappy negroes could scarcely sit upright. They were stowed in a solid mass, in a sitting posture, amidst filth and stench so horrid, that the place was insupportable for days after they were removed. These vessels are generally fitted out at Havana, and if they escape capture one voyage out of four, the pro- fits are abundant. As the officers and crew are not punished, much less the merchant, there is no want of tools for this infernal business. As soon as the vessel is condemned at Sierra Leone, she is sold by auction, and not being wanted there, the captain himself becomes the purchaser, and with all his irons, gratings, and other apparatus, already on board, passes down the coast, takes in another cargo, and tries his chance again. Lord Brougham has affirmed, in a late speech in parliament, that 185 slave-vessels were fitted out from Havana in the year 1835 ; and that in 1836, the number of slaves imported into that single city exceeded 28,000. In the month of December 1836, two vessels arrived at Rio Janeiro, one of which brought 500 slaves, and the other 780. The average import of slaves into Rio is about 53,000. In 1837, there wei-e imported into one city of Brazil 45,000 slaves. It has been recently published, without contradiction, that nearly 200 slave voyages are made from Cuba every year, and that many of these are owned by Englishmen and Americans. It is to be feared that this awful business is now conducted almost as extensively as at any former period. On the 25th of March 1838, the shores of my native country once more received me, having made the voyage in 120 days, without disaster. I have abstained from speaking of dangers, escapes, hardships, and inconve- niences, except where they might make the reader better acquainted with the country or people through which I was passing ; but an open acknowledgment is now due to the Father of mercies, and to my friends whose prayers were not intermitted. In the east, opportunities of going from port to port are often not to be had for months ; yet 1 was never hurried from any place till my work was done, nor in a single instance detained uselessly. During an absence from the United States of two years and a half, I made nineteen voyages by sea (which consumed 464 days), fourteen voyages by rivers, and a land journey of 500 miles, besides smaller trips by land and water. The whole distance travelled, including actual courses at sea, is somewhat more than 53,000 miles. In all these wanderings, often in dangerous and ill-fitted vessels, and regions unhealthy or infested with robbers, I was never hurt nor molested, nor was any person hurt or taken sick where I was. In one of these journeys, it will be recollected, I was supposed to be armed with a pair of horse pistols, for which I afterwards found I had no bullets. On all other occasions, I went without the semblance of a weapon, except a cane. The entire expense of my mission, including voyages out and home, presents to chiefs, purchase of curiosities for missionary rooms, and salary, amounts to about 5000 dollars — scarcely half of the sum I had supposed would be requisite. Part of this may be regarded as falling within the usual expenses of the Board, as on all occasions I acted the part of a missionary, by preach- ing through interpreters, conducting the services of native assistants, and distributing Christian books. The wide field gone over in my weary way is now traced, and thousands of facts concerning it are fairly spread out. Much more remains unsaid ; but nothing is kept back which would materially alter the nature of the reader's impressions. Deeply conscious of the imperfections which have attended the discharge of this engagement, I am, nevei-theless, cheered by the fullest conviction that such an agency was essential to the wel- fare and vigour of the mission ; that no pai't of my life has so effectually promoted the blessed cause for wliicli 54 MALCOM'S TRAVELS. alone it Is desirable to live ; and that the divine presence and aid were never more manifestly vouchsafed upon any of my endeavours. It only remains for me to declare my deep and solemn conviction that the missionary enterprise is of God. All I have seen, read, and heard, has served to impress me more and more with the rectitude, practicability, and usefulness of the work. Our duty, as revealed in Scripture, is illustrated and urged in every part of the field. The missionaries, as a body, are holy and dili- gent men. I have satisfied myself that the translations are continually improving ; that the tracts are orthodox and scriptural ; and that a large part of them are intel- ligible to the natives. Evidences of the divine favour are visible, and are numerated in a subsequent chapter, though not completely, yet so abundantly as that unpre- judiced Christians must deem them encouraging. The personal examination of numerous missionary stations in the east (some of them the seat of several distinct bodies of missionai'ies) ; a minute knowledge of many adjacent ones; a personal acquaintance with nearly ninety ordained missionaries — Episcopalian, Lutheran, Scotch, Presbyterian, Wesleyan, Indepen- dent, Congregational, and Baptist, besides wives, assist- ants, and native helpers ; visits to schools and the houses of converts ; seeing many heathen in their native state ; witnessing much missionary labour ; attending commit- tees, conferences, prayer-meetings, and catechisings ; and almost confining my reading to this subject for three years — has satisfied me that the measure of mis- sionary success is equal to just expectations. The particular grounds of this decision will be found briefly spread out in Chapter III. of the "Dissertations." Opportunities of usefulness are moi'e extended than ever before. There are not only more presses and more missionaries, but better tracts ; more of the Scrip- tures are translated ; more of our brethren understand the languages where they are ; the native assistants know more of the plan of salvation ; and the schools are better conducted. Our incentives to increased action are very strong. Many young men of great promise, who have devoted themselves to missionary work, are deterred from pre- senting themselves to the societies, because of the uncertainty when they can be sent out, if at all. This ought very seriously to engage the attention of the churches. Men are prepared and willing to go, and the church does not supply the means. In the mean time, pi'omising fields remain unoccupied ; a proper division of labour is not effected at existing stations ; and at some points the whole labour and expense, and the entire services of some missionaries, are in danger of being lost, for want of men to take tlie place of those now engaged, in case of sickness or death. In some instances, there are for a whole nation but one mis- sionary. Our visible encouragements are greater than at any former period. The number of convei-ts within the year 1837, connected with missions from the United States, exceeds the whole number of converts, during the first twenty years of the existence of missionai'y operations. In the same missions, religious truth is now being pi'inted in nearly sixty languages, and at the rate of millions of pages per annum. Reader, could you have stood with me over the graves of Swartz, Carey, Boardman, or Heber, or could you stand beside the departing ship, where weeping parents give up dear children to many hardships, and to be seen no more, how would your sacrifices appear in the com- parison? What are you doing for the spread of Chris- tianity which compares with these ; or with the widow's mite, which was " all her living?" Oh, examine this matter. The blood of the heathen may be on your soul. Have you properly satisfied yourself that it is not your duty " to go to the heathen ?" Are you sure you are not requii-ed to give more to this cause ? If it be the duty of some to go abroad, and of others to give up their sons and daughters, what ought you to do? Must the whole body of Christians do their duty ? or will the services of a part excuse the remainder? Either those who go on missions are egi'egiously misled, and miglit without guilt have remained at home, enjoying all the sweets of civilised society, religious privileges, and family intercourse, or you are fatally deluded in sup- posing that you acquit yourselves of all obligation by paying a paltry dollar or two, per annum or per montli. What shall be said, then, of those who do not contribute towards spreading the knowledge of God and truth among the nations, so much as the price of a gewgaw, or a ribbon, in a whole year? Oh Lord, lay not this sin to thy people's charge ! Let thy church arise and shine, that the Gentiles may come to her light, and kings to the brightness of her rising. DISSERTATIONS, TABLES, &c. CHAPTER I, MISSIONS TO THE CHINESE. Stations now occupied. Sudiya. Mogoung. Bamoo. TJmerapoora. Zeminai. Pontiana. Sambas. Banca. Other Bodies of Chi- nese. Versions of the Holy Scriptures. Proportion of Chinese who can read. The importance of distributing Tracts and Bibles overrated. Comparison of the modes of Printing. Difficulty of the Language. Dictionai-ics, Grammars, &c. Present Mis- sionaries to the Chinese. Other Sinologues. Number of Con- verts. Best Authors on China. The accounts given of Canton and Macao in a preceding chapter show to what extent those cities can be regarded as missionary stations, and how little prospect there is of an early toleration to missionary efforts in China Proper. Hence the necessity of establishing missions for this people in other places, where they are found residing in large numbers. Stations now exist only at Canton, Macao, Malacca, Singapore, and Bankok, of which I have detailed the facts ; and Batavia, which I did not visit. Penang has been occupied by Mr Dyer, but he is now of Malacca. The general and deep inte- rest felt by the Christian public on behalf of the Chinese, induces me to present, at one view, the other points which seem now to invite missionaries. Others have been' named which I know to be unsuitable ; there may be some of which I know nothing. By placing missionaries at these places we carry the gospel to the Chinese, though not to China. Besides the numerous body of permanent residents, are thousands who return to their own country after amassing a com- petency ; and thousands who never cease to be citizens of China, come and return annually in the junks and caravans. Tracts may be sent by such to every part of the coast. Converts may be made at such stations, who shall become at no distant period the best of mis- sionaries to their own land ; a quiet abode is secured where the Holy Scriptures may be ti'anslated ; schools may be taught; and many other services rendered, quite as important as any which could be performed in China itself. 1. Sudiya, a station of the American Baptist Board in Upper Assam, on a branch of the Burampootei*. Several missionaries and a printing establishment are DISSERTATIONS, TABLES, &c. located here, prosecuting labours among the tribes of the vicinity. The frontier of China is not now accessible from Sudiya. Some rude tribes of Siugphoos intervene, who preserve their independence, and render travelhng by this route highly dangerous. British influence, however, seems fast extending in that direction, and a free inter- course for whites may ere long be secured. Some of the chiefs, for an established compensation, grant a free passage and escort to an annual caravan of Chinese to Thibet. It generally amounts to about 600 persons, who collect on the borders of Yunnan, and proceed to Lassa, making the journey in six weeks. Credible natives affirm that a good road extends the whole distance from Lassa to Pekin, and that letters are carried from one capital to the other in twenty days. We may hope that Christian zeal will soon make this road and this caravan the means of conveying divine truth to China. Perhaps even now the caravan might sometimes be reached from Sudiya, for the distribution of tracts. 2. Mo-GOUNG, or MoNG-MAORONG, Is a large fortified city, on a branch of the Irrawaddy river, about 25° 20', inhabited chiefly by Shyans, Chinese, and Singphoos. It is said by some to be the ancient capital of the king- dom of Bong, but whether there ever was such a king- dom is not clear. It is more probable that Mogoung was at an early period a part of the Tai or Shyan country, and the metropolis of the northern section. Good roads, for horses or bullocks, extend in various directions, particularly to Assam, Yunnan, and Bamoo. The trade to China is almost equal to that of the latter city. The resident Chinese are of a respectable class. The contiguity of the famous amber mines* brings numerous merchants from Yunnan, Munipore, aud other adjacent countries. The traders from China stay some weeks, and generally i-eturn from year to year ; so that successive instructions might be given them. Beesa, called by the Burmans Deejanoung, and by the Shyans Hukiaig, is but about eighty miles, north by west, from Mogoung. This is one of the principal Singphoo cities, between which and Sudiya there is constant and free intercourse. I had the pleasure of meeting at Ava the famous Duffa Gam, prince of the Beesa Singphoos, who assured me that missionaries to his country should be well received and protected. He imparted many of the facts I now give respecting that part of Burmah and its various tribes. 3. Bamoc— This city (lat. 24° 17' north, long. 96° 55' east) lies on the Irrawaddy river, near the junction of the Tapan, or Bamoo, or Pmlang river, which comes iu from China. It is called by Hamilton Bhanmo, and by some writers Bamaii. The old town stood on this branch, but the modern one is a mile below. The present popu- lation is 14,000, of wliom one-tenth are Chinese. Each side of the river, for miles above and below, presents the appearance of a continued village ; and the sur- rounding country is one of the most wealthy and populous portions of the Burman empire. About twenty-five miles to the southward, but much more by the course of the river, is the confluence of the Lung- Shun, which also rises in China, and which, as well as the Bamoo, affords a boat navigation into Yunnan during the rainy season. Boats come up from Ava in twelve days; and when the waters are high, vessels of 150 tons may proceed 130 miles farther. A great trade is carried on from Bamoo to China, part of it en route to Ava. From five to six thousand Chinamen arrive every cold season fi-om Yunnan, causing a resort at the same time of traders from all parts of Burmah and Munipore. This intercourse was found existing when Europeans first visited the country, and the Portuguese are said to have established factors here in the sixteenth century. As the caravans travel in the dry season, they pro- ceed by land, crossing several ridges of mountains, and * The price of the best kind , on the ?pot, is about lliree shillings Sterling or seventy cents a pound. a country occupied by Shyans, to Santa ; from whence they disperse. Santa, though in China Proper, is peopled principally by Shyans, who are also numerous in most other parts of Yunnan. They spread also over all the country eastward of Bamoo, and are called by the Burmans Tarouk, or Chinese Shyans. A large part of them speak Chinese. Bamoo would be a more pleasant location than either Rangoon or Ava, except for its distance from the sea- board. The people are moi-e refined than in most parts of Burmah, dress more completely, live in large com- fortable houses, have peaceful habits, and seem parti- cularly intelligent. The Chinese occupy a part of the city to themselves, chiefly one wide, clean street. They have about a hundred shops, built of blue brick and tiled, and a handsome temple. The Shyan quarter contains 800 houses, well built, chiefly of wood. Most of the streets are paved, and all have fine shade-trees. The vicinity is highly improved ; and Mr Kincaid speaks of an iron suspension bridge. Besides its reference to China, this is obviously an important point for a mission, not only to the Burmans and Shyans, but the Kah-Kyens. Large numbers also of Assamese, Singphoos, Muniporeans, Yos, and others, resorting here for ti'ade, demand attention. At least four missionaries, one for Chinese, one for Shyans, one for Burmans, and one for the Kah-Kyens, are wanted here ; or more properly two missionaries to each of these classes. It is not certain that operations, or even a residence there, would now be permitted, but every day increases the probability. 4. Ujierapoora, six miles above Ava, and formerly the metropolis of Burmah, has a population of about 10,000 Chinese, mostly maiTied to Burman females. It is also the resort of many young men from China, who remain only a few years. During all the dry season, small caravans arrive evei'y few weeks, amounting, in the whole, to several thousand in a season. The route is principally through Thennee, iu about latitude 22° 40', longitude 98° 10', said by natives to contain 3000 houses, and destined I hope, at no distant period, to be a missionary station. By the caravan, a regular com- munication witli Ava could be maintained. Near the city are extensive sugar plantations wrought by Chinese, and furnishing a considerable quantity for different parts of the country. Many considerations invite to the early location of a missionary at this city, who should acquire the dialect spoken in Yunnan* and the west of China, and be pre- pared to cross tlie frontier at the first favourable moment. A good teacher, if not procurable in the place, might probably be obtained easily from the caravans. Among the traders are educated men, who would gladly engage for two or three years at the usual wages. The city itself furnishes ample scope for the labours of several missionaries to the Chinese, and the government would not probably offer obstructions, as they permit all foreigners to exercise what religion they choose. Mr Kincaid has several times been invited to accompany the caravan to China, and promised every attention. 5. Zemmai, about 400 miles north from Bankok, is called by the natives as above, by the Siamese Chang- mai, or Changing, by Loubiere C'/iamc, in Jlodern Univei'sal History Jangoma, and in Make Brun's atlas Shaimai. It contains 25,000 inhabitants, and is the residence of the prince or chobwaw of all the southern Laos. The river ISIeinam is navigable thus far for boats. Part of what is now Siam appears to have formerly belonged to this district, and formed an independent kingdom, but the period of the dismemberment and re- duction of their country does not appear. For several * The province of Yunnan, of which mention is made eo often, is one of the fairest and most populous in all China, and forms the eastern boundary of Burmah. Du Halde sets down its population at 8,000,000, and that of Sechuen, the adjacent province, at 27,000,000. Gutzlaff, from the govermnent census, gives Yunnan 15,000,000 and Sechuen 21,000,000. 56 MALCOM'S TRAVELS. generations, they have been altei-nately tributary to Siara and Burniah. At present they are virtually in- dependent, but pay a nominal homage to both countries. Very considerable intercourse is kept up by caravans with China. These go and come during six months of the year in small companies, making an aggregate of several thousand men, each trader having twelve or fifteen loaded mules or ponies; and sometimes ele- phants are employed. A large male elephant costs 250 dollars, and carries about 1200 pounds. A small female costs about 40 dollars, and cari-ies one-third the weight. The route is over mountains and deserts, and is per- formed with difficulty. Zemmai has the .tdvantage of regular and frequent intercourse with Ava, Maulmain, andBankok. Standing on a branch of the Meinam river, the intercourse with the latter city by boats is very considerable. The flood- tide not being felt much above Ayuthia, the voyage up occupies twenty-five days. Boats come down in less than half the time. Dr Richardson of Maulmain has several times visited Zemmai, and has made valuable communications, re- specting the route and inhabitants, to the supreme government of India. He met with no difficulty, and performed the journey in twenty-five days, travelling, as caravans genei-ally do in these regions, about ten miles per day. Droves of bullocks have been several times brought hence to Maulmain for the troops, and the intercourse is likely to increase. Merchants from Zemmai visit Ava every year, and sometimes civil and military officers. They reach Mo- nay or Mong-ny (lat. 20° 40', long. 97° 40') in twenty days, and thence to Ava in fifteen more. Monay is a large city, and the seat of government for another division of Shyans. I met the governor, or chobwaw, in Ava, at the morning levee of the principal woongyee, who encouraged me to send missionaries to his people, and made many kind assurances. Besides the claims of Zemmai as a station for the Chinese, it presents still more in relation to the natives. The whole country round is peopled with a density very uncommon in Fai'ther India. Within a circle of fifty miles are the cities of Lagoung, Moungpai, and Moung- nam, each with 20,000 inhabitants; Labong, with 14,000 ; and several smaller cities. The people are mild, humane, intelligent, and prosperous. Opium-smoking and gambling are almost unknown. Almost every article wanted by a missionary can be had in the bazaars, and at low i-ates. A fat cow costs but one dollar. The tracts in course of publication at Sudiya would probably be intelligible to the people of Zemmai and vicinity. Four unmarried men are urgently needed at this station ; two for the Shyans, and two for the Chinese. C. PoNTiANA, on the west side of the island of Borneo, stands on a river of the same name, nearly under the equator. Being a Dutch settlement, protection and the comforts of civilised life are secured to the mis- sionary. Its distance from Batavia is 400 miles, and from Singapore 300 ; the trade with each place being constant, both in native and European vessels. The city contains only about 300 Chinese, but in the interior are 30,000, engaged in working the gold and othermines. There were formerly Catholic priests here, but they have left no proselytes. This station is salu- brious, safe, accessible, cheap, and every way promising. Numerous junks constantly ti'ade from here to different ports on the coast of China, by ^^■hicll any quantity of tracts may be distributed. 7. Samius stands on the same side of Borneo, about eighty miles northward of Pontiana. As a position for a Chinese missionary, it resembles Pontiana in all im- portant respects. There are about fifty Dutch inhabi- tants, and many i\Ialays, Dayas, Bugis, &c. The Chinese in the city do not exceed 200, but thei'e is another body of 40,000 in the rear. Like the others, they are nomi- nally subject to the Dutch, because lying within terri- tox'y claimed by themj but they pay no ta.\, justice is administered by their own rulers, and thoy arc in fiict independent. They hold daily intercourse, by an inhinJ route, with the above-named body of Chinese on tlie Pontiana river. The American Board of Commissioners for Foreign Missions have stationed here the Rev. Messrs Arms and Robbins, as missionaries to the Dayas.* They com- menced the study of that language, but finding the Malay would be more useful, have turned to that. The Daya language is divided into some thirty dift'erent dialects, none of which are reduced to writing, and is so poor in words, that the Scriptures could scarcely be made intelligible in a translation. As missionary zeal must create all the readers, it has been thought prefer- able to teach Malay, and give them a literature in that language. I am satisfied that it would be better to make English their learned language, rather than Malay. In this case, so soon as readers were raised up, they would have access to all literature and works of piety. In the other, ages must elapse before there can be a valuable literature in that language. The teaching to read is but a fraction of labour compared to enriching a language with valuable books. 8. Banca is an island about 130 miles long, and 35 broad, lying in the sti-ait of the same name. The inha- bitants are Malays, Chinese, aboriginal mountaineers, and Orang Louts. The Malays are not vei"y numerous, and prone to indolence. The tribes of the interior reside in a state of great rudeness and poverty. The Orang Louts, or "men of the sea," reside chiefly in little prows along the coast, deriving their precarious sub- sistence from the waters. The Chinese are the strength of the colony, carrying on almost all the trades, but especially the operations of mining for tin. Their exact number is not ascertained, but they amount to many thousands, and keep up constant intercourse with their mother country. This island is not deemed particularly unhealthy ; and being in the very highway of commerce, oilers many facilities for a Chinese mission. Of Singapore and Bankok, as stations for missionaries to Chinese, I have spoken elsewhere. Penang has been occupied by the London Missionary Society, and may be resumed. It had, in ] 836, 9000 Chinese inhabitants. There are other large bodies of Chinese, with some of whom missionaries might probably be stationed. On the Island of Java are probably 200,000, 32,000 of which are in Batavia ; on Bintang, 7000 ; on Sumatra, 3000. Tringano, Patani, and other towns on the east coast of Malaya, have each several hundred or more, but ofler no encouragement at present as stations. The facts exhibited in this sketch seem meagre, but comprise all the valuable result of diligent inquiries, omitting, however, what has been made public by others, or mentioned in other parts of this work. So far as the salvation of the bulk of Cliinese resident in foreign countries is concerned, the missionary in some of these places need not acquire their language. They consist, in great part, of the progeny of Chinamen married to natives, whose mother tongue, therefore, is the local language. Many of them, wearing the full Chinese costume, know nothing of that language. Most of them learn to speak it on common subjects, and some few are taught to read a little, but they could not be usefully addressed by a missionary in that language. Perhaps the best plan would be, besides stationing missionaries (two or three in a place to learn the lan- guage, distribute tracts, &e.) at these various outposts, to collect a considerable number at some eligible point, say at Malacca or Singapore, where in classes, and under competent teachers, native and others, they might pui'sue their studies without the interruptions incident to the occupancy of a missionary station. JMueli money would thus be saved, as well as much time and * This word is often ^ATitten Dai/ak. But tlie final letter is a, gutturally and suddenly pronounced. The same is the case witli Pontiana, Battn, and all tliat class of words. DISSERTA'J'IONS, TABLES, &c. 57 nuieli health. The ladies not keeping house, could study in class with their husbands. Persons of experience, observation, and ability in the language, would thus be raised up, qualified to assume all the practicable sta- tions in China or out of it. There are two entire versions of the Holy Scriptures in Chinese — Marshman's of Serampore, ni five vols. 8vo. ; and Morrison and Milne's, in twenty-one vols. 8vo. The former was commenced about a year before Dr IMorrison arrived in China ; but both were finished and printed about the same time (1823), and have been largely distributed, in successive editions. Both ver- sions are verbal and literal ; so much so as to prove objectionable to present missionaries. Though not likely to be reprinted, they are eminently valuable, as the bases of a new version. A third translation is in progress, by Messrs Med- hui-st and Gutzlaft'. The New Testament, which was revised in concert with J. H. Morrison, Esq., and the Rev. Mr Bridgman, has been printed from blocks at Singapore, and lithographed at Batavia. It is in process of revision for a second edition. Genesis and Exodus are also in press, the Pentateuch ready, and the rest of the Old Testament in progress. Objections have been made to this version, as being too loose and paraphras- tical. The translatoi-s of course deny the chai'ge, but the British and Foreign Bible Society have as yet with- held their aid. The character and attainments of the translators, and the immense advantage of having two distinct and independent versions before them, seem to authorise a confidence that it is a great improvement. There have been printed in this language, besides the above-named editions of Scripture, about ninety-five different tracts, and twenty-five broad-sheets ; amount- ing in all to about 2000 octavo pages of reading matter. The number of portions of Scripture and tracts already distributed amounts probably to millions ; but the exact quantity cannot be ascertained. The distribution of Scriptures and tracts from out- stations, to be borne by trading junks to the coasts of China, is not unimportant, but has I think been over- rated. Christians seem disposed to regard our duty to China as likely to be accomplished cheaper and easier than it really is, and to hope that Bibles and tracts, with merely a few missionaries, will do the work. We are in danger, on the other hand, of being discouraged, because greater fruits have not resulted from all the labour and expense bestowed in this way. Two facts must be borne in mind — First, that few Chinamen can read understandingly ; and, secondly, that our books and tracts have been for the most part so imperfect in their style, as to be far less likely to make » proper impression than a tract given in this country. The ability to pronounce the chai-acters, or rather some two or three hundred of them out of the many thousand, is very general. Hence a man taking a tract, will proudly begin to rer.d off what he can, that is, call off the letters ; but this does not prove him to under- stand one word of what lie reads, as I have ascertained many times. He may not even understand a word when the book is correctly read to him. The written language and the spoken are in fact two different lan- guages. After having questioned well-educated Chinese in various places, heard the opinions of judicious mis- isionaries, and personally examined many through an interpreter, I am deliberately confident that not more than one Chinese man in fifty can read so as to under- stand the plainest book, and scarcely any females, except among the very highest classes. A few instances of the difi'erence between the written and spoken language will make this plain. In the Tay- chew dialect, the word nang means " man ;" in the written language it in chew, /i means "chair;" it is written Ke. Lcng means " besides ;" it is written jong. 7'uu/i means "large;'' in writing it is ti/. Aiv means " to learn ;" it is written hack. In the Hokcen dialect, naw lamg means " two men j" in writing it is i/e jeen. Ngeo lay means "bi'other;" in writing it is law. Hence, when the Scriptures are read in Chinese wor- ship, it is as necessary to go over it in the vulgar tongue as it was to the Jews to have a Chaldee paraphrase and interpretation. It will naturally be asked. Why not translate the Scriptures and print tracts in each colloquial dialect ? One reason is enough — There are no chawicters to express the words. Strange as it seems, there is no way of writing a nmltitude of words used every day by every body. The advantages of book distribution are further abridged by the imperfections of style and manner, from which few of them are free. I am assured by missionaries, by Leang Afa, and by private Chinese gentlemen, that neither Marshman's nor Morrison's Bible is fully intelligible, much less attractive. The same is the ease with many of the tracts ; and some of them have been found wholly unworthy of circulation. Sufficient time has not elapsed to make the books accu- rate, intelligible, and idiomatic. The snatching away of shiploads can have had little other effect than to prepare the people to expect efforts to propagate Chris- tianity, and to awaken inquiry. If these efforts are not soon made, the effects of what has been done may cease to be useful, and even become obstructive. Exer- tions therefore should at once be made by all Christian sects, to place men in safe and advantageous places to study the Chinese language. It is known that the Chinese print from wooden blocks, and have possessed the art for 800 years. Some good judges still prefer this system for the printing of the Scriptures, and it certainly possesses advantages in some respects. The process is to write the words on thni paper, which is then pasted upon a proper block-, and the cutter removes with a chisel all but the black- face of the letter. It is thus a safe and simple mode of stereotyping. Alterations are made by cutting out the error, inserting a plug of wood, and engraving again the proper words. When the size of the letter is not very small, a set of blocks will give 20,000 perfect impressions ; it may then be retouched at an expense of one-fifth the original cost, and give 5000 copies more. A small table, two or three simple brushes, and a little China or Indian ink, form all the apparatus necessary for printing from blocks. A set of blocks for the New Testament may be cut at Singapore for about ."JoO dollars. The expense of each copy complete, includin" paper and binding, is about fifty cents. The use of moveable metallic type was introduced by Mr Lawson, of the Serampore mission, many years a"-o ; and from such were Marshman's Bible and some otlier works printed. The great expense of cutting punches induced the Serampore printers to have the most rare letters cut on the face of blank types, so that out of 3000 letters only 1400 were cast fi-om matrices. The work of completing punches for the whole has been lately resumed, and they will soon be able to cast all the required letters. The size is what our printers call " English," and is greatly admired by the natives. The labours of Mr Dyer, now of Malacca, have been ali-eady mentioned in my journal of the visit to that city ; and the character and extent of the fonts at Macao have been stated in the last chapter. AI. Pauthier, at Paris, has cut punches, and cast a font about the size of that at Serampore. It is exceedingly beautiful, but somewhat strange to a Chinese eje, from the use of different punches to make the same matrix. It extends to about .OOOO characters, and will no doubt prove an important aid to missionary operations. A fair statement of the comparative advantao-es of block printing, lithography, and moveable type, is given in vol. iii. of the Chinese Repository. Stereotvpiuf from wooden blocks has been done on a small scale in Boston, but is utterly out of the question. Alany years must elapse before any version of Scripture, or other productions, will deserve such perpetuity. Stereotyping is never economical except where frequent and 'small editions of the same work are required. 38 MALCOM'S TRAVELS. Books can be manufactured by the Chinese method, at a cost not exceeding that of metallic type, besides saving the salary of an American or European i^rinter. The impi'ession very generally prevails that almost insuperable difficulties lie in the way of the foreigner who attempts to learn Chinese. But the contrary opinion is maintained by various persons with whom I had conversation. The late superintendant of British trade, ,who resided many years at Canton, acquired great proficiency in the language, and has published the best general account of China now extant, says, " The rumoured difficulties attendant on the acquisition of Chinese, from the preat number and variety of the characters, are the mere exaggerations of ignorance. The roots, or original charactei's, or what, by a species of analdgy, may be called its alphabet, are only 214 in number, and might be reduced to a much smaller amount by a little dissection and analysis. To assert that there are so many thousand characters in the lan- guage, is very much the same thing as to say that there are so many thousand words in .Johnson's Dictionary. Nor is a knowledge of the whole at all more necessary for every practical purpose, than it is to get all Johnson's Dictionary by heart iu order to read and converse in Englisli." This opinion seems corroborated by several facts. In printing the entire Bible only about 3500 characters are required. Mr Dyer, in ascertaining the most im- portant letters to be cast, caused a large quantity of Chinese histories, poems, and other books, to be exa- mined, and found only 3200 characters employed. The Chinese 'penal code contains less than 2000 different words. The New Testament contains less than 3000. Of the 40,000 chai-acters in Morrison's Dictionary, moi-e than half are entirely obsolete, and most of the re- mainder very uncommon. To gather a sufficient number of words, thei-efore, for all the ordinary laboui's of the missionary, cannot be difficult. To master the language fully, so as to write critically in it, must be exceedingly difficult. Dr Morrison, who probably proceeded farther in the acqui- sition of the language than any other European, always declared himself far from the goal. His advice to students is, not to undertake Chinese as though it is a very easy thing to acquire, nor be discouraged under an impression that the difficulty is next to insurmount- able. Medhurst declares, that " the formidable obstacks which have frightened English students are consider- ably i-educed by a comparison with our own language, and vanish entirely before the patient assiduity of the determined scholar." And Dr Marshm.an affirms that " the Chinese language is little less regular in its for- mation, and scarcely more difficult of acquisition, than the Sunscrit, the Greek, or even the Latin." Helps to the study of Chinese are now somewhat numerous, though few are of nmch utility to a beginner. The following list is nearly or quite complete. Scarcely any of the works being procurable in the east, except at one or two places, missionax'ies should collect what they can before leaving home. De Guigne, Diet. Chinois, 1813. French and Latin. One large folio of 1200 pages: contains 13,316 words. Mori'ison's Chinese and English Dictionary, C vols, quarto. Part I. follows the imperial Chinese Dictionary, made in 1714, and contains 40,000 words. Part II. is a selection of 12,000 words, which alone are now used. Part III. is English and Chinese. This great work was printed at the expense of the East India Company, at their press in Macao, and cost £12,000. The first part was issued in 1816, and the last in 1823. It is for sale in London at sixty dollars per copy. One half of the edition, say 350 copies, remain on hand. Medhurst's' Dictionary of the Hokeen or Fuhkiien dialect, in 1 vol. 4to., very valuable. The printing was begun at Macao in 1830, and finished in 1836. Three hundred copies only were printed, many of which are on hand. The cost of the edition, not including types, was 6000 dollars. It is sold at ten dollars per copy. Gon9aIves, a learned Catholic of Macao, has published a good Dictionary, Chinese-Portuguese and Portuguese- Chinese. Premare, Notitlne Ling. Sinicse, printed at Malacca, is valuable to beginners, though very imperfect. Remusat, Elemens de la Gram. Chin. Paris, 1 822, is an improvement on Premare ; but those who can afford it will do well to have both. Mai'shman's Chinese Grammar is a learned and very practical treatise ; valuable both to the beginner and the advanced student. Morrison's Chinese Grammar is very brief, and has been superseded by the preceding works. Gon9alves' Chinese Grammar is written in Portu- guese, and is valuable. Klaproth, Chrestomathie Chinoise, is one of the best elementary books a student can procure. Besides missionaries, there are other gentlemen pro- secuting Chinese literature, whose labours cannot fail to aid our holy cause. The list is not long, and deserves to be noted. The universities of Munich, Paris, and London, have each a professor of Chinese. F. C. New- man fills the first, M. Julien the second, and the Rev. S. Kidd, late missionary at Malacca, the third. M. Pauthiei', at Paris, has furnished several translations. There are also Huttman, Manning, Davis, Staunton, and Thorns, in England ; all of whom have published translations of Chinese works. Sevei'al Chinese works have been published with translations, which offer great assistance to the student. I will name only such as can be readily procured. M. Julien has given iu French, " Mengsteen, seu Mencius ;" " Blanche et Blue ;" and other pieces of light Chinese literature. Remusat has published, in the same manner, the Chung-yung, one of "the four books" entitled ''L'lnva- riable Milieu," also the " Two Cousins," and some others. " The four books" are also given in English by the late Mr Collie of Malacca. " The Sacred Edict," translated by IMilne, is exceed- ingly useful ; as the original, instead of the ancient and difficult style, is in the most modern colloquial diction. The " Study for Grown Persons," a very famous classic, is published in English by Marshman in his " Clavis ;" and very lately by Pauthier in French. The " Life and Works of Confucius" were published by Marshman at Seranipore in 1800 ; both the original and a translation. The " Chinese Dialogues," by Morrison, have not only a literal rendering of every word, but a general rendering of each sentence, and the pronunciation given in Roman letters, according to the Mandereen dialect. They are an invaluable assistance. The " Life of Mencius" is given in English by Milne. J. F. Davis, Esq., late superintendant of British trade at Canton, has published " Chinese Novels and Tales," " The Happy tfnion," " Moral Maxims," and some smaller pieces. J. R. Morrison, Esq. recommends that the student, after mastering Remusat's Grammar and Klaproth's Chrestomathy, should study Marshmau's Grammar and Morrison's Dialogues, and, after that, any of the rest he can procure. Davis's Moral Maxims are the best substitute for the Dialogues. A multitude of works upon China are extant, both in Latin and several of the languages of Europe. Davis gives a catalogue of about sixty. The genei'al reader will find the best and latest information in Macartney's Embassy, by Staunton ; Barrow's China ; Morrison's View ; Abeel's Narrative ; Ellis's Journal ; and superior to all, Davis's '• General Description of the Empii-e of China." A lai'ge amount of interesting facts may be had also from the Chinese Gleanei', printed at Malacca from 1817 to 1821 ; The Royal Asiatic Society's Trans- actions, published at London after 1823; The Asiatic Society's Journal, printed at Calcutta ; and the Chinese Repository, published at Canton since 1822. No heathen nation has so little excuse for idolatry as China. Her civilisation and commerce ought to set her tJlSSERTATiONS, TABLES, &c. 59 altove it. Her literature is ftu' from contemptible, and stands distinguished from that of every other heathen people, in not being wrought up with mythological legends. The system is thus left to itself. The pi-iest- hood have less influence than in other countries, and are in many cases not above general contempt. There are diversities of faith, which should awaken a spirit of inquiry. Her learned men are fully aware that the nations who interchange commodities with her hold to the Divine Unity, and they should diligently investigate the evidences on so momentous a theme. But much more is she deprived of excuse by the fact, that from the earliest periods of the church messengers of salva- tion have been freely sent to her. The Tartar provinces were taught the truth by the first Nestorians. There are strong reasons for believing, that up to the eighth or ninth century the Syrian churches continued to send preachers into the heart of China. Under Innocent IV., in the thirteenth century, the Monguls were made acquainted with Christianity. When Portugal spread iier power over the east, her ministers everywhere carried the knowledge of the true God ; and every Catholic country in Europe furnished missionaries and money. Whatever may be said of the priests who from that time pressed the introduction of Christianity, and of the corruptions they mixed with it, still it was the glorious doctrine of the Divine Unity. The true God was set before them. Every part of the empire was pervaded by the discussion of the new faith. Prime ministers, princesses, queens, and emperors, became converts and patrons. Thousands and tens of thousands saw and acknowledged the truth. Numerous distin- guished youth were taught and trained by a body of priests distinguished in all ages for learning and scieiKe. True, they were Jesuits ; but that very many of them were holy and devoted men is proved by their pure lives, severe labours, innumerable privations, and serene martyrdom. The youth thus tauglit formed the flower of the country, and never could have divested themselves of the conviction of the folly of Boodhism. It was not till the comparatively late period of 17'-!2, when the emperor Yung Chingset himself furiously to the work, that persecution became wholly destructive ; nor was Christianity wholly put down, and the places of worship demolished, till the reign of Kea-king, who came to the throne in 1795. Even now there are Catholic Chris- tians scattered over the country. Many of their priests remain, and almost every year fresh ones contrive to enter ; while native preachers keep together, here and there, little bodies of disciples. Thus, almost without cessation, has China been summoned to forsake her abominations. Yet in no country is there a more uni- versal and assiduous addictedness to the frivolous rites of their worthless superstition. It may be most truly said to her, in the language of Ezekiel, " Thou hast built unto thee eminent places, and hast made thee a high-place in evert/ street." CHAPTER II. THE SllSSlONARY FIELD IN AND AKOUND BUmiAII. Bui'Tuah Proper. Peguans. Tenasserim Provinces. Arracanese. Karens. Shyans. Toimgthoos. Tswalis. Kahs. Wahs. Be- longs. Karen-nees. Lowaa. Eccabat-Kulas. Q,ues. Bongs. D'hanoos. Kadoos. Yaws. Engyees. Kyens. Paloungs. Kah-kyens. Singphoos. Phwoons. Kan tecs. Sluniporeans. Kachars. .Jynteas. Cossyas. Garrows. Tipperas. Lalongs. Nagas. Joomeas. Cbakmas. Rajbungsies. Arings. Kookies. Kumaons. Mroongs. Kubos. Gorkas. Kirauts. Bijnees. Assamese. Meekirs. Abors. Meerees. Bor-Abors. Aboms. Kolitas. Misbmees. Kantees. Bor-Kantces. Singphoos. Kunungs. Bluttucks. Lapclias. Duflas. Akas. Kupa-chowas. Booteas. Tangkools. Kons. Auals. Poorums. jMuoyols. Miuisangs. Murings. Luboppas. Riimbos. Joholes. Jom- polcs. Gominchis. Oojongs. Scrimenantis. UUis. Calangs. Jellaboos. Segamets. Kemoungs. Udais. Sakkyes. Utans. Joccoons. Seniangs. Oodees. Sakais. Royots. Siniongs. Recgas. Pasccs. Jlizongs. Ribors. Barkans. Uniyas. Marchas. Jowaries. Suryabans. Koiboos. Longphoos. Chanipungs. ICapwis. Korengs. To complete the foregoing notes on Burmah, and to show the extent and character of the missionary field, in and adjacent to this empire, the following sketch is sub- mitted. With some exceptions, these tribes have been hitherto unknown ; neither geographers nor missionaries having so much as given their names. My extended journeys brought me into contact either with the people themselves, or with persons who knew them, being neighbours ; and constant inquiry has produced the fol- lowing catalogue, which surprised the best informed persons in India to whom it was submitted. That a document, compiled, to a considerable extent, from na- tives unacquainted with geography, and unaccustomed to minute investigations, should be imperfect, is un- avoidable. My object is to show the extent of the field and the necessity of more vigorous exertions ; and this no mistake in detail can att'ect. My memorandums would furnish a much greater amount of information respecting the manners of several of these tribes, but the present purpose does not require further details. 1. Burmah Proper contains about 3,000,000 of inhabi- tants to whom the language is vernacular. Informa- tion as to these is so amply furnished in this work and missionary periodicals, that nothing need here be said. For these, there are at Ava, Messrs Kincaid and Simons, and at Rangoon, Messrs Webb and Howard. Stations might be formed at Sagaing, Umerapoora, Bamoo, Mogoung, Pronie, Bassein, and other important places. At least ten missionaries are now needed for Burmah Proper. 2. The Peguans, called by Burmans Talains, or Ta- llngs, and by themselves Moons, amount to more than 70,000 souls. Their language has been very much superseded by the Burman ; the men speaking it in all their business, and most of such as learn to read, doin'^ so in Burman. It will not be proper to expend mission- ary time and money in preserving it from extinction ; but as many of the females speak only Peguan, and all can understand it better than Burman, it will be ne- cessary to preach the gospel in the!;* language, and perhaps print a few books. At least one missionary, therefore, is wanted to sustain and succeed Mr Haswell, who now occupies this department and is located at Amherst. 3. The Tenasserim Provinces (as the British posses- sions south of Rangoon are called) contain about 1 00,000 souls. For the Burman part of these, the labourers are Messrs Judson, Osgood, Hancock, and Bennett. Mr Judson is wholly engrossed with translations and tracts, and in the pastorship of the native church ; JMessrs Osgood and Hancock are printers ; and Mr Bennett has full employ in the government school. There is there- fore not a single effective out-door missionary to this whole people, nor one on the ground preparing to bo- come so ! Maulmain, Tavoy, and Mergui, should each immediately have a missionary devoted to public ser- vices. 4. In Arracan, containing 300,000, there is only Mr Comstock, stationed at Kyouk Phyoo. The population is twice that of the Sandwich Islands. Ramree and Sandoway ought at once to be occupied. These stations should at least have two missionaries each. The Rev. Mr Ingalls is designated to one of them. 5. The Ka-rens inhabit all the mountain regions of the southern and eastern portions of Burmah Pi-oper, and all parts of the Tenasserim provinces, extendin