still is, the policy of the Chinese rulers to confine our trade to the port of Canton. The object of this policy is evidently two-fold-first, in consequence of national prejudices, to prevent, as much as possible, all intercourse with foreigners; and, secondly, to preserve the inland transit duties, from which the Emperor derives a considerable revenue. The policy of Great Britain, on the contrary, is to force the trade into the North, into Shang-Hai, the great emporium of teas, silks, and dyes, which last are of unrivalled beauty, in order to obtain these articles at first cost, without paying the additional charge for transit, and transit-duty. Our trade with Shang- Hai has increased considerably; but with British energy, supported by sound policy, it might be materially augmented.

It being our object to increase and force our trade into the North, it is also incumbent upon us to protect the trade, by establishing a colony as near to Shang-Hai as possible.

By the possession of Hong-Kong, we are only able to afford immediate protection to our merchants and traders in Canton. Chu-san having been now given up, the northern ports are entirely unprotected, owing to the mistaken policy of withdrawing the "British government-cruisers" from these

parts. With the fastest ships and the most favourable wind, it is from ten to fourteen days' sail from Hong-Kong to Shang-Hai. Under other circumstances the voyage occupies three weeks.

Some notice must be taken of the Court of Justice, in the construction of which many difficulties, as all who know anything of the routine of business in legal offices are aware, must arise in a new colony. These difficulties have all been overcome by the exertions of the highest judicial officer in the service of the Crown. A most happy selection was made of a gentleman, and a lawyer of great ability, in the person of Mr. Hulmne to fill the office of First Chief Justice in the island. Nothing can exceed the masterly manner in which, unaided, he has prepared a body of general rules and orders for the regulation of the Supreme Court. The urbanity of his demeanour, the soundness of his judg ment, and the impartiality of his conduct upon the bench, have secured for him, in a short time, the respect and esteem of all upright men. Nor are these legal attributes and attainments his only title to admiration.

With a liberality the most unusual, the chief-justice has placed a most valuable law library in the court-house, for the use of practitioners and suitors.

THE lower order of the Chinese are below the middle stature; although there are to be found amongst them some well-grown men, whose muscles are finely developed. The wealthy classes, however, appear to be much better grown ; this very probably arises from better food-as many of the lower orders may very fairly be described as an omnivorous species, eating all kinds of filth and offal. Poverty compels the use of food, which, under more prosperous circumstances, would be rejected with loathing. But rice, it must be remembered, is their staple article of nutriment.

The clothing of the lower class of men consists of very wide loose trowsers and a jacket made of highlyglazed calico, of native manufacture. The very poor, and the coolees, have only trowsers; and mendicants may be seen with a piece of matting tied

round their waist, scarcely sufficient to cover their nakedness. The middle and lower classes wear stockings, made of calico; and shoes, the uppers of which are made of black silk, and the soles of felt, three inches thick, with turned-up toes. The coolees and

poor go barefooted. The lower orders wear straw and bamboo hats, the brims of which are about eighteen inches broad; these are used to protect them from the sun, and give them a very extraordinary appearance. In the rainy season, the boatmen and coolees clothe themselves in cloaks and trowsers made of reeds, which are very grotesque, making them resemble a new species of porcupine; but, however grotesque this dress may be, it is one well adapted to the season, as it is impervious to rain, the water running off the points of the reeds, as from so many miniature water-spouts.

In cold weather, the middle classes wear a black satin cap, somewhat like a skull-cap, and a wadded jacket, reaching below the knees, and one or more shorter ones, according to the weather; together with a sort of leggings, covering over their trowsers. The wealthy classes, and mandarins, wear long silken robes, reaching to their feet (those of the mandarins more or less embroidered, according to their rank), silk trowsers and black satin boots, with felt soles three inches thick, and pointed, turned-up toes. In winter, they wear half-a-dozen garments of various denominations, all wadded ; robes, spencers, and velvet tippets, thickly wadded with cotton, and lined with fur, and a velvet stock round their necks, about two inches high. In summer, the mandarins wear conical cap of exceedingly fine white straw, ornamented with a flowing tassel of ruby-coloured silk, or very long fine hair of some animal, which is dyed a similar colour, and surmounted with a button denoting their rank. The throat is uncovered. In winter, they wear a black satin cap, with a turned-up brim of three inches wide, but totally dissimilar to that worn by the middle classes. This is also ornamented with ruby-coloured silk, and surmounted by the button, peculiar to the rank of the wearer.

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So much importance is attached to trifles, that neither the summer nor winter clothing can be used until the emperor issues an order in the Pekin Gazette, which is sent round to the governors of each province, notifying the day on which he will robe himself in either dress. On that day, all the mandarins simultaneously change their clothing. The Chinese wear no pockets, but round their waist, and beneath their robes or jackets, is a girdle of more or less costly materials, according to the wealth of the individual; to which is attached a purse, a silk handkerchief, and a watch, or sometimes two watches, as they have a great fancy for pairs of everything expensive.

The dresses of the mandarins, worn on state occasions and at festivals, are the most splendid that can well be conceived, the back and fronts being covered with the richest embroidery, as are the sleeves, as far as the elbows. The sleeves are made much longer than the arms, and pulled up in wrin

kles; the upper portion is made much longer than the lower, so as to cover the hand, which it is considered etiquette to conceal as much as practicable. I have heard of these dresses costing two thousand dollars.

The fan and umbrella are in constant use in China during the summer. The umbrella used by the middle and lower classes is made of bamboo, covered with thick paper, blackened, oiled, and varnished over, having a cane handle; and this common article, the cost of which is a quarter dollar, is the most useful against the rays of the sun, which can never pierce through, although it is not a-sixteenth of an inch thick. At Ching-Choo, they manufacture very beautiful umbrellas, flowered and figured, which are transparent, but not nearly so good for the purpose as the common black one. Those used by the mandarins and wealthy persons, are made of silk, of very large size, figured and ornamented according to their station; the mandarins having an imitation button on the top, to denote their rank. These are held over their heads by an attendant, when they go out without a sedanchair.

The use of the fan in China in summer, is universal and constant. If your tailor comes for orders, he raises his leg and pulls out his fan, not from a case, but from his stocking, and commences fanning himself with great composure. Should your compredore appear before you to receive your commands, he finds the atmosphere of your room too hot for him, and he either opens his fan, which he has in his hand, or pulls it from his stocking, and uses it with equal nonchalance. Your servants waiting on you at dinner, will hand you a plate with one hand, and fan themselves with the other. The fan is similar in shape to that usually adopted by our ladies, and is to be seen with all, except the lowest coolees.

The men of all classes have their faces smooth, and the whole front, and part of the back of the head, leaving a circular spot on the top, where the hair is allowed to grow to a great length. This hair is very black and coarse, and is platted into a tail, which hangs down their backs, nearly to their heels. At first I was much surprised at the length of their hair; but, upon close inspection, I found nearly half of the

tail was composed of black silk braid, very cleverly platted to conceal the joining.

The complexion of the men varies from an olive colour to a bright yellow. The face is broad and flat, with high cheek-bones, and a small, keen black eye. The expression of the face is intelligent, but they cannot be called a handsome race. The women are below the middle size, not well formed, being very narrow across the shoulders and hips; their complexion is the same as that of the men, but their faces are totally devoid of the same intelligent expression. Amongst the lower orders, the dress differs but little from that of the men, with this exception, that the jacket reaches to the knees. They wear the same sort of bamboo and straw hats; and those who are uncrippled, and can afford shoes, wear the same sort of shoes as the men; but those whose feet are deformed, invariably wear a covering on the legs and feet, and shoes. The married women draw the hair up from the face into a topknot on the crown of the head, where it is dressed into numberless bows; these they ornament, either with artificial flowers, or silver filagree pins, six inches long, which they place in the hair, so as to stick out like one or more horns on each side. When undressed in this manner, the hair is platted into a large tail, exactly like the men. The widows and unmarried females wear the front part of the hair combed over the forehead, and cut straight across, like a boy's.

The

The women of all classes are very fond of trinkets, and wear as many silver and jade-stone rings, bracelets, and anklets, as they can afford-but gold is never used by them. dress of the upper classes is nearly as handsome as that of the mandarinsbut every part of their dress will be found of a different color.

The head-dress of all classes is nearly alike; except that the higher orders wear the best description of jade-stone, and enamelled and silver pins set with pearls. They do not wear linen; the under-jacket, being the dress worn next the person, is made of crape, and has tight long sleeves, embroidered round the wrists and neck; over this they wear another jacket, which is made either of flowered satin or crape; the sleeves are very wide and short,

reaching only to the elbow; an embroidered border encircles the bottom of the jacket and sleeves; the embroidery is either of gold, or silk and gold-the border is three inches deep, and is a different-colored silk or crape to that of the jacket, which is lined with a third color. The trowsers are exceedingly wide and long, and are embroidered round the ankle in a similar manner to the jacket, although not to match it. The great object in a lady's dress is, to combine as great a diversity of colors, and variety of embroidery, as possible. Over the trowsers, the wife wears a rich satin petticoat, very handsomely embroidered. This can only be used by the wife, and can never be worn by unmarried daughters or handmaids. The shoes have heels about an inch high, and the uppers are very elaborately embroidered in gold and silks, and bound round with gold tinsel. They do not wear stockings, but red and black ribbon is bound round the foot and leg. Like the men, they wear under their jackets a silken girdle, to which is invariably attached an embroidered bag, which contains their tobacco and pipe. They always carry a fan, which is either embroidered, or made of feathers, and is either of an oblong, round, or pointed form, and does not fold up. Although the dress is anything but becoming, affording no opportunity to display symmetry or form, being perfectly loose, and fastened tight round the throat, still the tout ensemble is very pleasing.

Infants, and children of all classes, are invariably dressed in jackets and trowers, the materials being the only variation, which are always in accordance with the wealth of the parents. Male children have the head shaved, leaving two circular spots of hair, one on each side of the head, before the ears, which are platted into tails. At eight years old the hair is allowed to grow on the top, or crown, and the rest of the head is shaved; the tail is then platted when the hair is of sufficient length. The hair of the females is allowed to grow, and is platted into a tail at two years old.

The Chinese have naturally a great dislike to innovations- the national dress never varying, their fashions never change. They, like all eastern nations, attach great value to dress and state; but there is no nation which re

spects so much the external accompaniments of rank and station as the Chinese. In contradistinction to the manner in which consular officers and her Majesty's plenipotentiary walk about the streets of Canton and in Victoria, unaccompanied by marks of state or authority, I will attempt the description of the visit of the mandarin of Cow-Loon (a small town on the shore opposite to Victoria), made to a missionary, residing in the latter place, which therefore cannot be considered as a state visit made to authorities. He crossed over in his boat, manned with twenty oars on each side, in which were his sedan-chair, chair-bearers, musicians, flag-bearers, and runners. Upon landing, dressed in his embroi. dered silken robes, he entered his chair, which was borne by eight bearers. The runners preceded, flourishing their bamboos on each side, to clear the road from all who came between the air and the mandarin's dignity. Then followed musicians with wind-instruments and gongs, making most unearthly sounds, to the imminent risk of deafening her Majesty's subjects for life. After these came the flag-bearers with flags, three yards in length, on long poles, on which were inscribed, in large golden characters, the name, style, title, and dignities of the mandarin. The rear was brought up by a number of nondescripts.

This was not a mandarin of high rank by any means, being only of the fourth class.

From a desire to visit the residence of this mighty man, and to gratify the curiosity of one of Eve's fair daughters, I went over to Cow-Loon, accompanied by some friends, and attended by our servants. Upon landing, we saw a square, low fort, which we were informed was the official residence of the mandarin, and to which we accordingly repaired; and having been introduced to the mandarin, were granted permission to visit his city, as they call it. To our amazement, we found this mandarin, whom we saw before surrounded with so much state, without shoes or stockings, and hastily putting on his jacket to receive us. He had evidently been superintending the repairs of an old wheel. He invited us into the fort, which we went round to inspect, and found four guns of the very rudest construction, honey-combed, and wholly useless. These were

VOL. XXXII.-NO. CLXXXVII.

the only means of defence. My servants having informed the mandarin who I was, he sent his attendants to show us the way. After walking through a number of dirty alleys, we entered the gates of the city, which are always closed at night; each street is also closed by fastening together upright wooden bars. After nightfall, no one is allowed to walk about without a lantern. These precautions are general throughout the empire, and are adopted to prevent the depredations of robbers, who enter the streets, fire houses, and in the confusion thus occasioned, carry off the wives and children of mandarins and rich men, in order to extort ransom.

Let the reader conceive a collection of pig-styes, constructed of bamboos, plastered over with mud, and thatched with coarse paddy straw, in which are exposed for sale rice, paddy (which is rice with the husks), tea, dried fish, and fat pork, and he may form some idea of the streets we passed through, which are remarkably narrow; but as we proceeded, we found the dwellings of the richer inhabitants of a better description. At the door of one, an old man, evidently of the higher class, was standing, who gazed upon the face of my fair companion with marked astonishment-for the beauties of Britain do not correspond with a Chinaman's ideas of beauty in any one particular. His beau ideal of beauty consists in feet deformed and compressed into a mass three inches in length, bandaged up from infancy in bindings, never unwound till womanhood (consequently the odour from a beauty is not of "Araby the blest"), a fleshless figure, without those graceful undulations, we English consider so essential to female beauty; a dingy, yellow complexion, overplastered with white cosmetic, high cheek-bones, remarkably small piggish eyes, with pencilled eye-brows, meeting over the nose, low brow, with oblong ears, coarse black hair, anointed with stinking pork-fat, until it stands on end, then drawn up from the face to the top of the head, where it is dressed in a high top-knot, in which are stuck perpendicularly silver pins, and occasionally flowers.

The aforesaid old Chinaman looked, as I have said, at my companion's face, took a minute survey of her dress, which he appeared to admire. This Í

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can readily conceive, as, being the winter season, it consisted of what the Chinese value highly-namely, a velvet pelisse and sable fur. In China, this fur is exceedingly prized, and is only worn by mandarins of the first class. But to proceed with the old man. He next partially stooped to gain a view of her feet, which, when he did obtain, the marked feelings of surprise, mingled with disgust, which were depicted in his countenance, was most ludicrous, and I could hardly refrain from laughing aloud; for I naturally concluded that my old friend could not reconcile in his mind what he might consider costly dress and lady-like demeanour with uncrippled feet, as none but those of the lowest ranks in China have their feet the natural size.

A few doors further on, a Chinawoman, of apparently the same class, appeared at the door with her attendants, evidently drawn there to gaze upon the strange being of her own sex, who had appeared amongst them, and beckoning with her hand, she endeavoured to induce my companion to enter. Female curiosity, and a laudable desire to see the domestic arrangements within, might possibly have induced an English lady to pay the visit ; but this I would not consent to, knowing full well that I should not be allowed to accompany her, and having the fate of a fair country woman of ours too vividly impressed upon my memory.

This lady had a great desire to inspect the interior economy of a begum's residence in India. After some difficulty, she succeeded in causing herself to be invited, and fully resolved upon a personal and minute inspection of all their wardrobes. She went, in a high state of feminine excitement, at the appointed hour, and was received with great state and marked kindness by the begum, who introduced her visitor to the various members of her household. Upon entering the ladies' apartments, the visitor, to her horror, too late discovered that female curiosity was as strongly implanted in the breasts of the begum's ladies as in her own, and with the advantage of numbers on their side. In short, the inspection was their's, and not her's-for they literally undressed her, and not even contented with this victory, they pinched her skin, to ascertain if the white were natural. The visitor was

at length too happy to make her escape, with her toilette not so carefully or becomingly arranged as at her en

trance.

Walking further through the town, we came to a theatre, on the walls of which were described, in large characters and pictures of glowing colours, the performances. These consisted of dramatic representations, feats of horsemanship, and fireworks. Near to this was the Joss house, or place of worship. We saw here what is to be seen in all of them-high lanterns, a huge, big-bellied Joss, bedaubed with gaudy colours and tinsel; near to him his wife and child equally gaudy. Before these were placed offerings and lighted joss-sticks. A short distance off was Qui (their devil) a large grotesque, black monster, partially of human form, with open mouth, wings from his shoulders, long talons on his hands, and cloven feet. Before him were to be found the same offerings as before Joss; indeed, the Chinese appear to worship Qui more than Joss, as they say if you do not worship him he will injure you.

Having walked through the town, we found, situate on its outskirts, gardens, which supply the market of Victoria with fruit and vegetables. In each of these enclosed gardens is to be found a large earthen pot, uncovered, in which is accumulated all descriptions of filth, which, though very proper for manure, sends forth anything but an agreeable perfume.

Although our party attracted universal attention, men, women, and children issuing forth as we passed along, we were not molested or crowded upon unpleasantly; and although we stopped to purchase some curiosities essentially Chinese, during the whole time we did not hear the expression of "Fan-Qui" once used. This we considered was partly owing to our being dressed as English gentlemen, since the negligé dress adopted by the English in China is not calculated to produce respect from a nation attaching such importance to exter

nals.

We remarked every description of shop here with the exception of an opium shop, which is not uncommon in Hong-Kong. Thanking the mandarin, and remunerating his attendants, we returned home, highly pleased with our trip. We shall resume our narrative next month.