Encpclopacdia Britanntea: DICTIONARY fe ARTS, SCIENCES, AND MISCELLANEOUS LITERATURE; ENLARGED AND IMPROVED. THE SIXTH EDITION. ‘Mustrated with nearly six pundred Engravings. VOL. VI. ———— INDOCTI DISCANT; AMENT MEMINISSE PERITI. EDINBURGH: PRINTED FOR ARCHIBALD CONSTABLE AND COMPANY; AND HURST, ROBINSON, AND COMPANY, 90, CHEAPSIDE, LONDON. 1823,China, gan to leave their enves and del Dm tayht to prepare clothes, 8c.” Tehine-fang, the frst cHI [2 houses, aud were monarch of the eighth £i, taught his subjects to take ‘off the hair from skins with follers of wood, and co- ver themselves with the skins 40 prepared. Ble taught lo to make m kind of wel o} their hair to serve ito their beads aguinst rain. ‘They obey with joy, and he ealled his subjects people ina. His reiga lasted 350 yeara3 that successors, also, named Yeu of one of his Tasted more than 3005 and his family cont 12 or 18,000 years. But what is very surprising, alt these thousands and sillios of years bad elapsed wit out mavkind’s having any knowledge of fire, Thi ‘was not discovered till towards the close of thie period, by one Souigine. After so useful discovery, he ‘aught the people to dress their victuale whereas be- fore they hud devoured the Besh of animals quite dronk their blood, and swallowed even their hair feathers. He is also sai to have been the inventor of fishing, letters, 80, Ty the ninth period, we find the investion, or Teast the origin of letters, attribated to ome Tsang who received them from a divine tot them on his shelly and de cy iam that carried red ther into the bends of Tanng-hie. During this period sls, music, maney, carriages, merchandise, commerce, 8c, were invented. There are various calculations of the length of these i or periods. Some make the time fom Puan-ko te Confucius, whe Gourished about 479 years befn Christ, to eoutuin 279,000 years others, 2,276,000 5 some, 2,759,860 yeurs others, 3,276,000 5 and some no les than 96,961,740 years ‘These extravagant accounts are by some thought to contain obscure and imperfect bints concerning the eamagony and creation ofthe worl, &c, Puot-k the frst emperor, they think, ropresents eternity pre« ceding the. duration of the world. ‘Ths succeeding -hoang, Ti-hoang, and Gine-boeng, they the creation af the beavens and xr, 0 of man. ‘The ten ki or ages, nine ‘of which preceded Fe-bi, mean the ten. generations preceding Noah, ‘This may very possibly be the case; for about 500 years before Christ, some Jews travelled i who might have made the Mosaic writings Knowa there. ag Wont have nom related, cova the ebaanee that part nese history which is entire fabaloos.” After the nive Eo apes” already taken notice of, the tenth commenced with Fo-bi; and the ory, though atill very dafk, obscure and fabulous, begins to grow somewhat more consistent and intel- ible. Foshi was born in the province of Sbemsis mother walking opn the bank of sinks in tbat province, saw a very large print of a man’s foot in The sand there 5 andy being tarrounded with a0 iris or rainbow, became impregnated. ‘The cbild was named Foi; ‘and, when be grew up, was by his country- men elected King, on account of his coperior merit ‘and styled Tyen-tac, that is the son of heaven.” He invented the eight qva, of symbols, consisting of three lines each, which, diferently combined, formed 64 acters that were made use of to exprest every thing. ‘To give these the greater credit, he pretended that ] c HI hhe had seen them inscribed on the back of a dragon- chi horse (an animal shaped like a horse, with the wings —v and seales of a dragon), which arose from the bottom of alake, Having gained great reputation among countrsmen by this prodigy, be is aide have erented mantarios or officers, under the name of dragons. He i vey the emperors of Heal Having established a prime mizister, he divided the government of his dominions among four mandarins, and died after a reign of 115 years. a ‘Alter Fo-li followed succession of emperors, of Mince ‘whom nothing remarkable is recorded, except that in lie the reigo of You, the seventh after Foi, the son did rot set for ten days, so tat the Chinese were afraid of fu gencral conflagration. Fhin event the compilers of the Univeral History take to be the sme wath that yop) mentionca in the book of Joshua, when the sen_asdeoncen tmeon stoud still for about the space of a dag, Fo-hitht they will have to be the same. with Noah, ‘Fey imu"! F fine, that after the deluge thin patsiagch remained some foeme with bis deseradautsy bot on their wicked com sf from the along with Bf acne entered the fertile country of Chinn, aad ls the foundation ef that vast empire-—-Bat, leeving these fabulous and conjectural times, we shall proceod to give tome account of that part of the Chivese bstory which may be more ecrtsialy depended oo. "he the Chinese, egetrary to the practice of almost I nations, bave never sought to conquer otber coun- but rather ‘wil’ their own, theie history for many ages furnishes nothing remarkable, The whole af their emperors, latractng from those who are said to have reigeed in the fabulous times, are in 2a dyastis, mentioned io the fellowing le. Braperom, | Before Christ, 1. Hya, contains 3207 2 Slengrer tng | 2b | 3768 a Shem 35 a sin, 4 $f Hen, 35 206 ‘After Christ. 6. Hew-han, 2 220 Tein, 4 465. & Som Soo 9 Tot 5 2 10. Lyang, 4 1, Chany 4 357 12 Sut, 3 2 618 a | 3 3 936 2 u 9 a 9 1380 16 1368 3645c HI ina, Tin-tsongy avccessor to Chiagetsong, revived the eau. A rage of the Kitans and, in 1035, war would, have been reneged, had vot the emperor eondescended ta a shamefal a treaty a4 that concluded by bis father. ‘Two years after, the Tartars demanded restitution of ten cities in the province of Pecheli, which had been taken by Ke-ghey founder of the 18th dynasty : upon which Jio-taong engaged to pay them an anual trie Inte of 200,000 taels of silver, and 300,090 pieces of these i From this time the Kitan remained in peaceable pos- session of their Chinese. dominions till the y ™ Whey-tsong, at that time emperor, being ther to bea their ravages, oF by ‘imal to pat stop to them, resolved upon a remedy which al lant proved worse than the disease. ‘hiv was to call the Nu-che, Nyu-che, or Eastern Tartars, to destroy ‘tan. From this be was dissua- ded by the king of Korea, and most of his own mini- sters but, disregarding their salutary advice, he jo is forces to those of the Na-che. ‘The Kitan were then everymhere defeated ; and at last reduced to such extremity, that those ‘who remained were forced to leave their country, and fly to the movatains of the ry waste wo at Tne the "Thus the empire ofthe Kitan was totally destroyed, but nothing tothe advantage of the Chine 5 for the Tertar general, lated with his conquest, gave the name of Kin to bis new dominion, assumed the title of emperor, and began to think of aggrandiziog hin self, and enlarging his empire. For this porpote, he immediately broke the treaties concluded with’ the ese emperor and, invading the provinces of P heli and Shensi, niade himself master of the greater part of them. Whe self in danger of losing his domi advantageous proposals to the Tartar 5 who, seeming to comply with them, invited bim to come ond setile matters by ‘a personal conference. The Chinese monarch com plied: bot, om his return, the terms agreed on reemed Intolerable to cr8 5 80 that they told him the treaty couid pot subsist, and that the most cruel var ‘was preferable to such an ignominious peace. The Kin monarch, Leing informed of all that passed, bad recourse to arms, and took several cities. Whey- {song was weak enough to go in person to hold a se- 1g cond conference 5 but, on bis arrival, was immediate- They iake ly seized by He was kept prisoner ua- the cupe- der a strong guacd during the remaining part of Or vEWON- Fife; and ended his days in 1126, in the desert of ated his eldest son Kia-tsong to song began his reign with putting to death six the bands of the Kin Tartars. ‘The barbarians ia the meantiowe pursued their congueste without oppo ‘They crowed the Whang-ho, or Yeliow river, as handfol of troops might have prevented ; and ‘marching directly towards the impevial city, took and plundered it. ‘Then seizing tbe emperor and Sort, they carried them away captives: but many of the privetpal lords, and several of the ministers, prefer~ ring death tosuch an ignominious bondage, killed them- felves. ‘The Kin being informed by the empress ‘other emperor taken [4] cHI Meng that she had been divoreed, they left her bebind, Chiou ‘This proved the means of saving the empire 5 for by = hher wisdom and prodence she got the crown placed oa the head of Kau-tsong, ninth son of the emperor Whey- tiong by bis divorced empress. ‘Kao-tsong fixed his court at Nank of Kyang-oan but goon aller mao ittoKi the capital ed to remove, ang-chew in Che-kyang. He mude several f= forts to recover some of his provinces from the Kia, bot without effect. Ili-tsong the Kin monarch, mean time, endeavoured to gain the esteem of his Chinese subjects by paying a regard to their learning and learned meo, and bonouring the memory of Con- facios. Some time after he advanced to Nanking, from whence Kau-tsong hd re 1d took it: but, receiving advice that Yo-si, general of the Song, of southern Chinese, was advancing by long marches to the rit ofthat ety, they tt Bre Yo the palcey and xy retired northward." However, Yo srived times caough to fall opon their rear-goard, which soffered he Xie ‘very moch ; and from thie time the Kin never dared! to cross the river Kyang. In a few years afterwards the Chinese emperor submitted to become tributary to the Kin, and concluded a peace with them upon very dishonourable terme. This submission, bowever, was of litle avail: for, ia 1163, the Tartars broke the perce, and, invading tho southern province with a for- midable army, took the city of Yangchem. The ;, having approached the river Kyang, near ite mouth, where it is widest as well as most rapid, com- sanded his troops to cross it, threatening with drawn sword to kill those who refuted. On recei- ig toch an vareasonable command, te whule ar- my mutinied ; and the king being killed in the be- ginning of the tumult, the army immediately re- tired. 8 ime to the year 1210, nothing remark-Tey 0 able occurs in the Chinese history ; but this year,attac Tenghiz-khan, chief of the western Tartare, Moguls, Jem or Mungls, quarrelled with Yong-tsi emperor of the tts! Kin and atthe same time the king of Hy dingsed tie: refused assistance against Jengbiz-khan,threat~ on the west side. Yong-ts prepared for his defence s but in 1211, receiving that Jenghiz-khan was advancing southward with ny, be was seized with fear, and made pro- vals of peace, which were rejected. In 121%, the cre? Rogol generals forced the great walls or, according forced to tome writer, bad one af the gates trencerouny Seah pened to thee, othe worth of Shani and made in-t=™ drains as far a0 Peking, the capital of the Fie At the ance ting the province of iyat-toog ws almost totaly redoced by several Ritan lade wh Tad Joined Jeeghirkhan several strong pices were takes, and. an‘army of 300,000 Kin defeated by the Moguls “In attumn they lei siege to the city of Tupitoog-foy bere, altiough the goreroor Hyak ded, yet Jenghia'kban met with concrete resi sect. "Having leat avast eumer of men, and beg if wounded by an arrow, be tos obliged to pe and sti into Tartey 5 afer win th ‘The ext yerr, however, Jee the ; retook several cities. jz-khan re-entered China; retook the cities ‘which the Kin bad reduced the yetr before 5 and overthrew theiccHI .6] cHI Chinn, the other hand, the Kin generals advanced with 150,009 men to relieve the city; but. being obliged to divide their forces, in order to avoid in part the ‘great road, which Toley bad olatracted. with trees, they were attacked by the privce at a disadvantage, and, afier a faint resistunce, defeated with great slaogh ter, and the loss of both their generals, one killed and the other taken. The emperor now ordered the army at Toog-quan and other fortified places to march to the relief of Kay-fong-fu. ‘They assembled accord- ingly, to the number of 110,000 foot and_15,000 horse's and were followed by vast numbers of people, who expected by their means to be protected from the enemy. But many of these troops having deserted, fand the rest being enfeebled by the fatigues of their ‘march, they dispersed on the approach of their pur- ‘vers, who killed all they found in the highways, Af ter this the Moguls took Tong-quan and some other ‘considerable posts ; but were obliged to raise the sieges of Qoey-te-fu and Loyang by the bravery of the go- vernors, Kyang-thiny governor of Loyang, had only 3 0F 4000 soldiers under him, while his enemies were 30,000 strong. He placed his worst soldiers on the ‘walls, putting bimself ut the bead of 400 brave men whom he ordered to go naked, and whom be led to all dangerous attacks, He invented engines to cast large stones, which required but few hands to play them, and aimed so true 8 to hit at x00 paces dise tance, When their arrows failed, he ent those shot ‘by the enemy into four pieces ; pointed them with pieces of brass coins and discharged them from wooden ubes with as much force as ballets are from n musket. ‘Thus be harassed the Moguls for three months so grie~ ously, that they were obliged, notwithstanding their 2___ numbers, to abandon the entery Beary of Oktay, at last, notwithstanding bis soecesses, resal- Meter "ved wo return to Tartary 5 and offered the Kin em wisest. or peace, provided he became th vered up to bim 27 families which be named. ‘These coffers were very agreeable to the emperor; bot Supu- fay, taking 0 notice of the treaty, pushed on t siege of the capital with more vigour than ever. By the help of the Chinese slaves wry the Mogol ‘efforts seem fd only to inapire the besieged with new vigour. ‘The ‘Mogols at that time made use of artillery, but were able to rake the least impression upon the city wall. ‘They raised walls round those they besieged,” which they fortified with ditches, towers, and battlements, ‘They proceeded alto to sap the walls of the city ere very much annoyed by the artillery of the bes ‘ged, especially by their bombs, which sinking into the galleries, and bursting under ground, made great ha- ‘wok among the miners. For 16 days and nights the attacks continoed without intermission ; daring which time an incredible number of shen perished on both 28 sides; at length, Suputay, finding that he could not Peace coa-take the city, withdrew his troops, under pretence of cluded; conferences being on foot. Soon after the plague be ‘Kay-fong-fa 5 and raged with such violence, in 0 days, 900,000 biers were carried out, be- ‘moltitade of the poorer sort, who could not ty alford any. . . and vo. "Tp a short time two unlucky accidents occasioned en.” g renewal of the war; which now put an end to the a ‘empire of tbe Kin. Gun-yong, a young Mogul ford, obi hhaving assumed the government of same cities in ——> Kyang-nan, and killed the officer sent to take pomses- sion of them, declared for the Kin, The emperor tunwarily took Gan-yong. into bis service, and gave Tim the title of prince, Upoo this Oktay Toy, ateaded 130 olor perm tng affair 5 ee officers aoe them all, without being punished by the emperor. Soputay, having io- formed bin master of alll these proceediogs, was or dered to continue the war in Honan, Shet t defence ofthe capitals but before bis order eotld be obeyed, they were attacked and defeated, one after another, by the Moguls. ‘This obliged him to raise soldiers from among the peasants, for whose subsistence the people were taxed rlths of the rice they possessed. ‘The city began now to be distressed for want of provi- Sans td ti ys bat in a bad poste of dloes the emperor marched with an army sguinst the Moguls. 30 Hi crpelion proved waren eto of his army to city cal it wan teat lieu in pecs and Sapatay «soond ime at 6° before the capital. a ‘On hearing this bad news, the emperor repassed the and tal Whang-bo, and retired to Quey-te-fo, Here be had not been leug before the capital was delivered up by treachery, and Supotay pot all tbe eales of the inpe- Fial race to denth bat, by the express command of Oktay, spared the inhabitants, who. are taid to have amounted to 1,400,000 families. After is diouter, the unbappy moosrch left his troopa at Quey-te-fo, tenn amc ie Ne erst Geese, Honan, attended only by 420 persons. Here’ the Sieg!'y distance of the Mogols’ made him think of living ate ceases bot wbile he flattered himself with these ¥ain hopes, the enemy's army arrived before the city and invested it. The garrison were terrified at their ap- proach but were encouraged by the emperor, and bis rave general Hu-aye-bu, to hold out tothe lat. As there was not in the city a sufficient number of men, the women, dressed in men's clothes, were employed to carry wood, stones, and other necessary materials to the walls, All their efforts, however, were ineflec- tual. ‘They were reduced to such extremities, that for three months they fed on buman flesh ; killing the old and feeble, as well ax muny prisoners, for food. This being known to the Moguls, they made a gene- ral assault in Janaary 1234. The attack continued from mornia hts ovat last the asaiants were repolsed. Ia this action, however, the Kin lost all their best oficers; upon which the emperor res the crown to Cheng-in 1 prince of the blood. Next ‘morning, while the ceremony of investing the new em- _ecorming, the evemy. mounted the eath ‘were defended only by 200 men and the south gate being at the same time abandoned, the bole army broke in. ‘They were opposed, however, ty Hu-eye-ha; who, with 1000 soldiers, continued to fight with ame ei 33 itrepidts. Ia the mean time Uakayy Shew-oy aceing every thing treparaby lant, lodged hte ot the seal of the empire in a bouse y and then’ eausing®™Pe sheaves of strato beset round it, ordered it to be set a Bre as soon as he was dead. After giving th der he bangedCHI C chine. Yen was ordered to come to its relief bot, on bis A arrival, was put to the tortore and strangled ; of which the Tattars were no sooner informed, than they raised the siege, and returned to their own country. In 1636, the rebels above mentioned composed four great ar- ‘mies, commanded by as many generals; whicb, hovr- fever, were soon reduced to two, commanded ‘by Li and Chang. These agreed to divide the ampire be- tween them 5 Chang taking the westera provinces, and Li the eastern ones. The latter seized on part of Bhen-i, and then on Honan, hove capita, named Koysongsfi he laid siege to, but was repuleed. with EP enenel ie oe tothe aher bot ident success the besieged choosing rather to feed ea human ficsh than surrender. The imperial forces coming soon after to its assistance, the general made no doubt of ing able to destroy the rebels at once, by breaking dows the banks of the Yellow rivers but unforionate- ly the rebels escaped to the mouotains, while the ‘was quite overflowed, and 300,000 of the inhabitants perished. After this disaster, Li marched into the provinces of Shea-si and Honan where he put to death all the ‘mandariog, exacted great suas from the officers in place, and showed no favoar to any but the populace, ‘whom he freed from all taxes: by this means he drew so many to his interest, that he thought himself strong enough to assume the litle of emperur. He next ade vanced towards the capital, which, though well ga risoned, was divided into f id taken care dis. guise: and by these the gates were opened to him the third day after his arrival. He entered the city in triumph at the head of 300,000 men, whilst the em- peror kept himself shot up in his palace, busied only with bis superstitions, Tt was not long, bomever, be- fore he found himself betrayed ; and, under the great- cst conerntion, made an efit to etenpe oot of the palace, attended by about 600 of his guards, He was Bill more sorprised to-see himself treacherouely aban- oned by them, and. deprived of all hopes of excapin the insults of his subjects. - Upoo i to the di ing alive iato tl ths empress, whom he tenderly loved, and the princess her daughter, into » private part of the garden. His grief was so great that he to iter a|mard bat she soon undertod i meaning, and, after a few silent embraces, hanged fell on’a tes in aiken sringe Hler bosband ‘only to write these words on the border of his vest «'T have been basely deserted by my subjects ; do what you will with me, but spare my people.” " He then cut off the young princess's head with one stroke of his tcymitar, and. banged bimself on another tree, in the 17th year of his reign, and 36th of his age. His prime mivister, queens, and cunochs, followed example ; and thus ended the Chinese monarchy, give piace to that of the Tartars, which bath continoed Te was some time before the body of the onfortu- nate monarch was found. At last it was brought be- iy and by him used with the utmost ity 5 after which he caused two of Whay-t sons, and all his. ministers, to be bebended ;, but eldest son bappily escaped by fight, The whole em- 2 10 ] cHI pire submitted pencenbly to the ueurpee, except Prince ch U-san-ghey, who commanded the imperial forces in the province of Lyao-tong. ‘This brave prince, finding himself unable to cope with the usurper, invited the Tartare to his assistance ; and Tsong-te their king immediately joined him with an army of 80,000 men. Upon this the vsorper marched directly to Peking ; but not thinking himself anfe there, plondered and. burnt the palace, and then fled with’the immense treasare hhe bad gots What became of him afterwards we are not told bnt the young Tartar monarch was imme- diately declared emperor of Chinn, his father Tsong to having died almost as eoon as he set his foot on that empire. ‘The new emperor, named Shun-chi, of Xunchi, bee ‘gun his reign with rewardiog U-saoghey, by confer- the title of king ; and assigoed him the ‘pital of Shen-s, for his residence, Unsan-ghey from re- the Tartars, or, a8 be elf used to plirase it, “in sending for lions to drive amay dogs.” Tn 1674, be formed a very strong alliance against them, and bad probably prevailed if bie allies bad been faithfol; but they treacherounly desert- fed him one after another : which oo affected him, that he died soon after. Tn 1681 Hoog-wha, son to U-san- ghey, who contiqued bie efforts against. the Tartare, wwas reduced to such straits that he put an end to bis uring this time, some resistance bad been made to the Tartare in many of the provinces. Two princes of Chinese extraction had at different times been pro- ied emperors but both of them were overcome sod pot to death. In 1682, the whole 15 provinces were 60 effectually subdued, that the emperor Kang-bi tal soccer to Shat-chiy dtermioed to iit bi waive inions of ‘Tartary. He was accompanied by an army of 70,000 meo, and continued for some mouths taking the diversion of hunting. For several years be repeated his visite annually 5 and in his journeys took Father Verbiest along with him; by which means we have a better description of these countries than could ba their art preserve the footing they bad got in China. ‘The causes of this alteration in bis resolotion are, by to have been the slanders of the bot, from the keown character of the Je- Il be readily believed, that there was some- thing more at bottom. ‘This emperor died in 17.22, and was succeeded by his son Yon-ching; who not only {gave no encouragement to the missionar ated all Christians of whatever denomit cepting even those of that imperial race. ining of bi reign he banished all the Je City of Canton, and in 1732 they were banished from thence into Maka, a litle island inhabited by the Portuguese, but subject to China. He died in 1736: bot thoogh the Jesuits entertained great hopes from bis successor, we bave not heard that they have yet met ‘with any success. ‘Thus we have given an accent of the most meme- rablecHI C rz] cHI meen pole. was always surprised fo find this vers SH arrow and shallow ia that place: but Tnever thoogh of ingoiing ito the cause of it, unl the loss ofa bark belonging. toa Christian family aforded portunity. In that place where the river most of m sodden, tt fows with great impetoosity ; sphere it revomes its former breedth it ie quall rapide At the a igh rod the wind strong, the bark T Fiving above Ch ven on eand-bank for Tetween these two places the river ia fall of moveable sands, which are continually shifting their situation, ‘The master of the boat dropped bit ancher vail the wind ahoold abate, and permit him to continue his voyage 5 but violent vortex of moveable sand, which was cast op from the botiom of the river, Ind the ark on itt side} a second vortex succeeded 5 then aficrwards 1 fourth, which shattered the bark fo ler. WhenYarived a the lice where thi lon, the weather was mild and serene; I perceived eddie inthe current everywbere round, Thich absorbed, and carried to the Bottom of the Fi ver, whatever fonted on the surface; and I observed, At the same time, that the sand was thrown vicleatly up with a vortial motion, Above these eddies the water was rapid, but without any fall and in the place below, where the river resumes its weal courte, Ro eddies ate to be seen, bot the sand ie thrown opi the same violent manner and in some places there are waterfalls and a kind of amallilands seuttered st some distance from one another. These islands which appear above the surface of the water, are not told ext bt consist of branches of tre, root, and herbs collected together. I was told that these booghs ose up from the water, and that no one koew the zm whence they came. I was informed that were 4o oF 50 feet in extent on awed, were immovesble and the bottom of the river; that it was dangeroos to appronch them, because the water formed whirl pool everywhere ‘arnad them tht, however, when the river was very low, the Bsbermen sometimes vet tured to collect the busbes that floated on its eur- face, and which they ated for fuel. Tam of opinica, aay atthe place of the river which in abore Che-pa, the water fas info, deep pity from wbence it forces tp the eand with that vortical motion} and that it flows under-ground to the other place, eight or nine leagues below, where itcarice with itll the booghs, nd Toots, which it washes down in is course, nd thus forms those islands which appear above ite turface. We kow there are sore rivers tht lose themscives entirely, or in prt, in the bowels of the tarth, and which afierwardsarine in some other place 5 but I believe there never was one kaown to loee part ofits water below ite own channel, and agein to: re s7,__ cover feat the distance of some leagues.” yoy bainn Tas already been sid, that China iy in general, ibacbeet a ferile country; and indeed al travelers gree inthis te famiter regpect, and make encomiume on the extent and heant ing wef sta plains. So careful are the husbandaen of this Tertine empire to love none of thei ground, that neither ia- closure, hedge, nor ditch, ney, scarce a single tee, Sre ever to be met with, "In several places the land Dields two rope a-yenrs and even in the interval be- tmeen the harvests the people sow several kinds of chi ppolse and small grein. ‘The plans of the. northera “—y provinces yield wheat those of the southern, rice, becanse the country is low and covered with water, Notwithstanding all this fertility, than those of the European nation tries of Evrope prodoce mach lem than China. For A tre cet in ined 2, Th dso ° ropa by drought, bail, inuadations, lee cunt, es in which cave Chinn canoot like the’ Ex. opeau countries be supplied by importation. This is Caen by eontdering how it's sted wie to other natioos. On the north are the Mi tars, a lazy and indolent race, who subsist p cn the fsb of their flocks 5, sow Jet for their owa vse, The province of Leatong, hich lies to the north-east, is indeed extremely fer- tile, but too far distant from the capital and centre the empire to supply it with provisions; and be- sides, all carriage is impracticable but i the winter, ‘when great qoantities of game and frb, preserved in ice, are sent thither. No corn is broagbt from Carea to China and thoogh the Japan islands are only thiee or four days sailing from the Chinese provinces of Kiang-nan and Che-kyang, yet no attempt was ever made to obtain provisions from thence ; whether it be that the Japanese have nothing to pa count of the insults offered by thoee foreign merchants, - Formosa lies ce of Fockien j but 20 fu spply asy thing, that segs erp fe inl “The prviaes of Canton is also bounded by the sea, and bas nothing ‘on the south bot islands and remote countries. One year, when rice was exceedingly seurce there, the em- peror sent for F. Parranio, 1 Jesuit misicaary, and ‘eked him if the city of Macao could not farnish Canton with rice watil the supply he bad ordered from other provinces should arrive : but was informed ‘that Macao hed neither rice, corn, fruit, herbs, nog flocks, and that it. generally got from ‘Chios ‘what was necessary for its subsistence —The only method therefore, the Chinese can take to guard aguinet ing from theve causes, is to erect granaries jc magazines in every province and most i ‘of the empire. Thin bas at all Principal abject of eare to the pablic + but though this mode of relief stil takes place io theory, to many ceremonies are to be gone Through before any supply ean be drawn from howe public repositories, that it seldom arrives seasenably at the places where it ie wanted: and. thor numbers ‘of unbappy wretches perish for want. -2. Another ‘eause of the scarcity of grain in ire, is the prodigious consumption of i in 8 find & spirituous liquor called rock, Bat though go- ‘vernment is well apprised that this is one of the prio- cipal sources ‘of famine througbout the empire, it ne- ver eroployed means sullicieat to prevent it. Procla- tons indeed bave frequently been issved, probibit- ing the distillation of rack; and the appointed offi- cers will visit the stil-houres and destroy the furnaces. if vothing is given them ; bot oa slipping seme movey foto ei hands, they ant ther eye, and go some whereChine, courts but they cHI c ve neither influence not power, ‘and their authority is lower than that of the meanest 6 ‘Mandasine otdifereat laser ‘The mandarins are of two classes, vi tere, and the inferior sort styled mands those of let- ine of arms. ‘The latter by no means enjoy the same consideration ~ in Cl sith the former sort; indeed the litera Fighty honoured, and to their inlence Mf. Groter opposite may ie a great mearore scribe the illness and. oyity of the gorermmeats thong face ty fncloe ruber too mach Several degreen,antwering to thowe of bachelor liceniate, and doctor ‘petted trough before ene ean ataia to the dignity of «mn Garin of letarey thoagh sometines, by tag favour of the emperor, it conferred on thom who bave at fed only the’ two Bret degrees: but even the perscas ‘who have gone throogh all. the three, enjoy at Bret ‘only the government of a city of the second or third lass, Whea several vacancica happen in the govera- ‘ment of cities, the emperor invites to court = corre- renting, ntaber of the Hteraty whore meme. are tretten dowa ins lst, ‘The sues of the vacant gor re then put into a box, raised so high that ates are able only to reach it with their ae which they draw in these tras, and exch is appointed goverace of the city whote sate he bas dame “There are eight orders of these mandarias ia Ct 1. The calao, from whom are chosen the sters of tint, the presidents of the supreme courts, and all the tuperior officers among the militia. ‘The chief of t ‘order presides also in the emperor's council, and en- joys a great ebare of his confidence, 2. The te.hioec, ‘or man of acknowledged ability, is « title bestowed ‘upon every mandarin of tha sccond rank; and from these are elected the viceroys and presidents of the tapreme ceonell in te diferent proviacer 3. The ‘clang tchac, or ecoo of mantacinn cts tectatien to the emperor. 4. Ytchuen-ton ‘Those keep in re- pair the harbours; royal lodging houses, and barks Thich belong ts the cepare welew particalatly co gaged in come other ofice by bis order. 5. Tho ting fill have the inppection of the troops, 6. The ton Ticwha have the care af the highways. 7. The. Bo- ao superintend the rivers. 8, The het-t20 faspect the ten-couste “Thus the whole administration of the Chinese empire 7 Oo paniacion of letters ; cae ‘ho ‘age paid by the common people to every mandarin in “affee almost equals that peid to the emperor himself, ‘This indeed flows from the nature of their government. En Chine itis a received epition that the cmperee 8 ibe father ofthe mbol empire thatthe governor of» province is the father of that province's and that the Enandara who is goveroce of acy in alo the father of that ety. ‘This ten is productive of the highest re- spect aod subeiaioo, which is not at all lepened by their great number} for though the omandarine of letters ‘amount to more than 14,000, the same respect is paid te every one of them. "The peandarine of arms are never indalged with any shar the goveamant of he ste} horever tot ‘ain the digatty, it i alse neceenry to pass thoog he degrees of bachelor, liceatiste, and doctor of eras, 14.7 cHI ‘The accomplishments necessary for a mandarin of arms are, streogth of body, with agility and readiness in per-—v forming the various’ military exercises, and compre hhending the orders requisite for the profession of arma 5 an examination on these subjects must be under Trfore the eauddate can alts the wibedsfor alge are met with ia Chi nals is held 1. The manda ‘Toe pintpal of there tibet Peking, and ‘onsite of five elasns of the rearguardy called ere x Ofte ll wing or aga SOE the signe ceo, Gr yeocfcas. 4. Of the advanced tsinguatdy or te Tanesfen 5, Of ihe advanced yoardsertaenfou, Thewe five tribonis are subordinate to oe named tmg-tching fous the president of whichis one of theyre londe th emp te ly exe once tmem ofthe empire, By his high dignity be cul vder himself ormable evento the ener y batt Prevent tis inconrenieacey be hat for his. ascwso Bandas of eters, who eojoye the tle and exerciee the function of voperitendan of arnt,” le mast ae fo'take the advice af two inspector who are med by the emperor and mien there Toor have agreed pes sey mene i rven mat ai fe be ted co the revieal of higher court named pi ich in eourely ofa cvilnaturer, The hie of tens is x general of course whote powers are tquivelent to thee of our coe taal Sel hin ate eer modus ho a sli "These two clases of mandarin compose what i eall- the nobty of China but as we have alrendy bint 4, their ofce is not bereditary’y the emperor alone Continues or confer it. ‘Tey have th pivege of te- tmousrating tothe emperor, zilicr as tdivdedls or ia body, upon any pat of his conduct which appears Contrary tothe interest of the empire. There Hemon- Strand are seldom ill received; toogh, the sovereign Cemmplie wih tem only when be hil thas proper ‘The oumber of iterary mandarfos in Chine ie comput. td at upwards of 14,0004 and tov of armn at 18,0005 the former, bowever, are considered sr the pineal boty inthe cmpires and thin preference is Cooght to damp the miliary’ ardour of the tation in, gener, td tobe one cause of that weakness in war fr which to ite ine cing! computed in tine ree j00,000. Their pay amounts vast extent and population 5 of pence at more than to about two-peace halfpenoy and a measure of rice er day, though some of them have doble pay, aad the of 1 horseman is double that of foot solder 5 the emperor furnishes a horse, and the horseman re ceives two measures of smell beans for his daily wab- fistenee the arears ofthe army being panctally pid ‘up every three months. ‘The arms of «horseman are, a helmet, cuiras, lance, ‘and sabre those ofa foot soldier are a pikeand sabre; tome have fuses, and others bows and arrows. Ail there are carefully inapected at every review end if any of them are found in the least ranted, or otherwise ia& Paniality wade the Chinese. cHI C aah, which may be called a kind inquisition, is ecbdivided foto four others the rst entrasted with the care of selecting those who, on ‘account of their learning or other good properties, are capable of filling the offices of goverameat the second it tof the mandarin; ig the seals to the diferent public acts, to mandarins, and examining those of patches while the fourth inquires ia- to the merit of the grandees of the empire, not exce ing the prioces of the imperial blood themoelv priocipal sovereign court to which these four last are ‘subordinate is called Li:pou. ‘2. How-pow, or the grand treasorer, superiotends all the finances of the states is the guardian and protec- tor of the treasures and dominions of the emperor, keeping an account of his revenues, &c. superintend= if the management and lic magazines, custombooses ; and, lastly, Keeping 28 eager ofall the amie Un ie capi Te this court, 14 others are appointed tl ‘the diferent provinecs of the empire. 3. Li-pou, ot the court of ceremonies.“ It is an vundoabted fact (says M. Grosier), that ceremonies form, in part, the base of the Chinese government. ‘This tribunal therefore takes care to support. them, and enforce their observance it inspects also the arts and sciences. It is consolted by the emperor when be designs to confer particular honours; takes care of the annul sacrifices ofered up by him, and even re- alates the cotertainments which he strangers or te 3 for the diffrent religious sects in the empire. ted by four inferior tribunals. Pou, or the tribooal of arms, comprehends in fs jridiction the whole mln of the empire as spectiog also the fortresses, magnzines, arsenals, and Store-houses of every kind, a well ax the manufacto- Fes of ‘arms both olleasive and defensive; examining ‘and appointing officers of every rank. It is com posed entirely of mandarias of letters; and. the four tribunale depending upon it consist also of li- inal bench for the whole princes ‘there the tibonals are held, with the temples, tombe ‘of the sovercigas, and all public monuments. "Tt has besides the superintendance of the streets, public high- ‘ways, bridges, lakes, rivers, and every thing rels et to interual or foreign navign in the discharge of these duties 5 the first drawing the plans of public works the second directing the worl fferent cities of the empires the third surveying the causeways, roads, bridges, canals, &e. 5 and the fourth taking care of the emperor's palaces, gardens, and orchards, and re= ceiving their produce. ‘All the tribunals ve, and the other of Tartars} and ove of the pro- fidents of exch superior tribunal is always a Tartar bora. None of the courte above described, however, 16] CHI has abtolate aothority even in ite own juradictions cu; ions be carried into exccation withoot =, for instance, bas is jurisdiction the whole troops of the pires bot the payment of them is entrosted with the acondj while the snc bee the care ofthe amy ‘oats, chariots, barks, and stores necessary for milita peratioasj 0 that nothiog relative to Theva ean pat in execotion without the cancarrence of all the three tribunals. a To prevent any unlawful combination among. thecene tribunals, each bas its censor appoioted. This ty is merely to watch over the pro- ‘ecediogs of the court, without deciding upon any if himell. He avn therefore at all ascombles, tration of affairs, or in theit pri 7, sometimes he will not scruple to reprimand the emperor far what ho suppowes tobe erroneous in hi ‘conduct. ‘These censors are never removed from their places bt in order to be 5 and thos, bolding their ‘offices for life, they have the greater courage to speak fut when they observe any impropriety or abuse. The ficient ost on fot an iguiy, is to a proof, in which case t fou ie ete, and never eld any esti he complaints of the cen- ‘ore, however, are referred to the very tribonal against hove members they complain; thoogh, being afraid of ‘ccatation themselves, they very seldom pase sea tence against the accusers. ‘Besides all this, the censors also form s tribunal of their own, named fou-iche-goen. Its members have & right of remonatrating with the emperor, whenever hia grr interest or that of the public renders it necewary. They inapect all lawyers and military men. in poblic employments.‘ In short (says M. Grotier), they fare, morally spesking, placed between the prince and the mandarins ; between the mandarins and the peo- have patitntly safleed death, rather than Betray the aus of truth or wink ae abuse, It not suficent therefore to have gt rid of one they mot al be rent= ei the ste aoe the ie Gn ight be pred rou trend fo the sume tepe with no less rewltion than the who went before fray. Inthe anon of 0 tation do we Sed an example of euch tonal, yet Rrappente to be necenary io all wioat exception, We movt ost, homever imagine, thas the privileges of 2 centr gi hiss tight to forget his ty te hi tovereignor to eomminicate 10 the peble those re- tourks lich be takes the lbety of king he would be_punis ‘would share the same fate did he, in any of his repre- seatations,CHI [ 18] cHuI ina, - ceed to:the dignity or titles of their father, theugh they terference ef the supereargecs of the East India Com. et i eee” Tin eogees sees ecu cecirhg, surrren scopes ef ibe Stepan Stee ween! elias and een the thy mt ernie when he sou attains the age of 705, though tis rerigeati Pconidered ae at advice ralher than alone The will of a fatber cannot be act aside in Chi on acount Sr any infornaliyj nor cam any tether inthis empire "Though the Chioese laws authorize slavery, yet, the povrer of the master extends only to those matters which ‘concern bis own service; and he would be puoished with death for taking advantage of bis poner to debauch the wife of his slave ‘By the laws of China busbandsien are exesopt from the payment of taxes after they have begun to till the earth to the beginning of harvest. Te appears, from recent information respectiog many interesting particulars relating to Ching, tat. the ut~ ‘most atteotion seéms to bave been paid to the diferent grees of enormity attached to those actions of mea which are denominated criminal. ‘The code of laws is pronounced the reverse of sanguinary, aod itis afirm ed by competent jodges, that if the practioe in all re- ‘pects coincided with the theory, few nations ceald boast of a milder or mare effectual administration of justice. Bot while they do not consider the crime o few small pieces of money as of equal enormity with the shedding of human blood, yet they pay too little at- ‘tention to the three different circumstances under which at action may exist 5 either as accidental, oni tional as to the extent of taking away life, or malici- ously premeditated. Even forcigners who have the tisfetone to Kill « Chinete, however casvaly it may be done, have been punished’ in the very same manner f deliberate assassin. AS foreigners ‘to reside in China may be at a loss to deter- ym, when, and by what various means their ay be endangered, the following abstract of the crimioal code of that country may perhaps be beneficial ‘to some of our readers, 1. Aman who kills another on the theft, shall be strangled, nccording to ide coromitted in an aff. 2, Aman who Gres at another with a musket, and Aaills him sball be bebeaded, a8 in cases of wilful’ mar- der, Ifthe safferer be wounded, but not martally, the ‘offender shall be seat into exil 3. A man who pots to death a criminal who hed been apprehended, and made no resistance, shall be strangled, according to the law against homicide com- mitted in'an alfray. - Aman who falsely accuses an innocent persoo of helt (in cass of grestent cieialty) in guilty ofa capital offence ; in all other eases the ofenders, whe- ther principals or accessaries, shall be sent into ex- ile. ‘§. Aman who wounds ancther usiateationally, ahali be tried according to the aw repecting, bows ven io an aliny, and tbe posithment rendered more Eten severe, aeording tothe degree of lnjery sue tained, GA ran why iteined ih Hann, comit cotrages agaiot the law, sill be exiled to w desert ountey, thereto erm fo sate of vervitedee "For this abstract me ae indebted to the humane i- Frequently took place with the "Chinese government, awing to accidents of the wost trivial antare, which the people sometimes met with from the British in the port of Canton. ‘The blood of « tratar is suppoted to be contamina- ted in this couotry to the 10th generation, although the lay in general is conceived to be axtafied with ia plicatiog ube oearest ale relatives ia the guile of the ‘etual perpetrator of the crime, but with commetation of ponishmeat from death to exile. "Tt appears to as, that nothing ean be conceived more tyrantical than law which pretends to indict ponishment oa an iano cent pero, since no man ota be a traitor, merely from the circumstance of bis being the relation of one, and the absurdity of upposing that 2 noo-existence is capable of committing crime, mast be obvious to every mao. The fifth law ia the forementioned ex tract is peculiarly cruel and unjust, since it subjects © ‘man to different degrees of poaishment, accarding to te at smay produce. with a degree of national pride that me tora from this cruel, aboard specimen of inese legislation, thi -sirange judicial thermometer, if we may be allowed the {zi othe an dcinionoe hh oe made ‘the laws of oar own ceaatry respecting di il got once ne meg ing have ready meationd, and which are diatogunbed by ‘appropriate names of manslaughter, culpable home cide, and wilful murder. ‘The denunciations of Moses, it may bo said, have some resemblance to this Gothic cade of the Chinese, expecially when be declares thatthe deity woold visit the iniguities of the fathers open the ebildren to the third and fourth generation. Tris not oar province ia sccoust of China, to write an for Mowen in particular instance, although it ast be granted that the bed a most obstinate and refractory race of beings to {overn, and to preserve a becoming degree of erder and ‘Subordination among them. Hle might therefore have oe- thing more in view than politcal expedience 5 an opi ai lh ae th cer ecge crt when we find the prophet Ezekiel ing the idea of making the innocent selfer for the guilty, ia the following beautfel pssage. * What mean use this proverb concerning the land of Tera, eay- ng, the fathers bave eaten sour grapes, and the chil- dteu'e tecth are at on edge? alive, Ye shal not have occasion any more to te 4s Kerael. the father, 80 also ‘the son, is mine. ‘The foul that sinoetb, st shall de, The soa shal not bear the iniguity of the father, nither sball the father boar the iniquity of the oa the righteousness of the right- cous shall be upon Aim, andthe wickedness ofthe wick ff shall be upon fino? In crnintl matters every pron acconed ust be cibaoals Guiries are directed not aly a, bot agninat His accuser, and the witnesses that appear in the ennee, ‘Ho is, however, obliged to remain to prison during the process: but (Says M. Grosier) the Chinese Privo are not horible dungeons like those of 40 ma By other uations ; they are spacious, and have even a degree