the Canton river, passing the United States frigate Vincennes, and the line-of-battle ship Columbus. These vessels have recently arrived in China, and the commanding officer, Commodore Biddle, is authorized, on the part of the United States, to act as minister to the Chinese government. These vessels are both moving up the river for the purpose of being ready to act in defence of any American interests which may be involved in the insurrectional movements at Canton. It is also said that Gov. Davies, in case of any outbreak, will send the soldiers who are quartered at Hong Hong, up the river, to assist the Chinese authorities against the insurgents.

Captain Skillington, of the Leland, having discharged his steward and cook, we found it necessary to return to Hong Kong, for the purpose of supplying their places. Accordingly, at six o'clock, P. M., we cast anchor again in the bay of Hong Kong, about four miles from shore. It was impossible for the captain to accomplish his objects here without spending the whole of Tuesday, and this gave us an opportunity to take a more formal leave of our newly made friends in this place.

Before taking our final departure from the coast of the Celestial Empire, it will be proper to make some observations concerning a few things which have not yet been exhibited, but which cannot fail to strike the foreigner with considerable interest.

The first I shall mention is the antiquated appearance of every thing that presents itself. While the nations of Europe and America are moving onward from one improvement to another, with unexampled celerity, and attracting universal admiration as well as conferring incalculable good upon the world, the Chinese seldom advance a step beyond the customs, habits and fashions which characterized their remotest ancestors; and they have been equally slow in adopting any of the usages and improvements of "distant foreigners." Architect ure, agriculture, costume, and all the arts and sciences, remain in China, as the lawyers say, "in statu quo;'

and this inertia of every thing is not only a prominent characteristic of the Chinese, but constitutes a subject in which they glory.

Another thing which strikes the foreigner is the astonishing contrariety to what he has been taught as proper, which appears in the habits and occupations of the Chinese. We have considered the right, as the place of honor, but the Chinese give precedence to the left. Black is considered by the nations of the west as the appropriate badge of mourning, but in the estimation of the Chinese, there is nothing so proper as white.

The Chinese do not number the cardinal points in our order, but always mention the south before the north, and the west before the east; thus,-south, north, west and east. And instead of saying north-west, south-west, as we do, they say west-north, west-south, &c. The compass of the Chinese, instead of pointing to the north, is so constructed as to point to the south. This contra riety appears in many other particulars, and the fact of its existence brings one to the conclusion that we are not to estimate the Chinese by the criterion of European taste and usage.

A third subject of interest to foreigners on entering the cities of China, is the numerous manufactories and trades in operation, wherever he goes. Properly speak ing, there is no machinery in the country; consequently no such extensive manufacturing establishments as in Europe and America. In consequence of the absence of all kinds of machinery calculated to lessen the amount of manual labor, the number of hands employed in carrying forward the different trades is truly immense A great proportion of the manufacturing business required to supply the commercial houses of Canton, is performed at Fuhshan, a large town situated a few miles westward. Still, the amount accomplished in Canton, is by no means inconsiderable. There are from fifteen to twenty thousand persons engaged in Canton in weaving silk; fifty thousand in manufacturing cloth of different kinds; five thousand shoemakers; from seven thousand

to ten thousand barbers, besides an unnumbered multitude who work in wood, brass, iron, stone, and various other materials, too numerous to mention.

Those who engage in each of these respective occupations, form a separate community,-each community having its own laws and regulations to control their business.

On ascending the Chookeang river from Macao to Canton, nothing interests the foreigner so much as the vast number and almost endless variety of boats by which he is constantly surrounded; every boat forming a habitation for one family, or more, according to its dimensions and the wealth of the occupants. There are officers appointed by the government to regulate and control this portion of the inhabitants; consequently all the boats, of the various sizes and descriptions which are seen here, are registered. The number adjacent and belonging to the city of Canton is eighty-four thousand. A large proportion of these are what the Chinese call Tankea (egg-house) boats. These are very small, varying from ten to fifteen feet long, and from four to six feet broad. In large coops lashed to the outside of these boats, are reared large broods of ducks and chickens, designed for the city markets, while within them whole families live and die. These, together with the passage boats, ferry boats, canal boats, pleasure boats, cruisers, &c., complete the list of these floating habitations, and constitute a permanent dwelling place for a population of three hundred thousand souls!

Another subject of interest to the stranger visiting China, is found in the piratical character of many of the Chinese inhabiting the numerous islands, which constitute an extensive archipelago along the coast of the Chinese sea. Among these islands, piracies and robberies are of frequent occurrence. During our stay at Canton, an English vessel was attacked, almost within hailing distance of Macao. The pirates boarded her, after having cleared the decks of her crew, by killing one and causing the others to take refuge in the hold,

and rifling her of all that would be valuable to them, made their escape. These pirates often combine in large numbers, and attack large commercial houses; nor are they discriminating, but fall alike upon those belonging both to Chinese and foreigners. The school house belonging to the Morrison Education Society, situated on Morrison Hill, and occupied by Rev. S. R. Brown and family, was, a short time ago, captured by a band of them in the night, the family escaping from one side, while the robbers were entering on the other. They were in possession of the house for several hours, and finally escaped with their booty to their island fastnesses. Soon after this occurrence they made an attempt upon an English house situated at the west end of the city of Victoria. Prepared with their scaling ladders, as their habit was, they mounted the building in large numbers, and while in the act of removing the tiling so that they could descend into the building, a charge of grape from a six pounder mounted on a neighboring eminence, was poured into them, and two of their number rolled like logs from the roof to the ground, and the remainder took to flight.

CHAPTER XV.

Voyage from Hong Kong to New York Chinese Sea Islands Strait of Gasper Strait of Sunda - Perilous condition of the Leland Loss of

Java Sea

Indian Ocean

cable and anchor Ship saved Sumatra and Java Pulo Bassa - Malays Cape of Good Hope Cast anchor in Table Bay - Cape Town Colony - Vineyards Produce Missionary labor— The responsibility of churches - Difficulty on board His character · Captain fined The supercargo Mrs. Hooper - Adieu to Africa- - Cleansing the ship - Man overboard Splendid eclipse of the sun-Reflections Coast of New Jersey New York.

The Gulf stream

ON Wednesday morning, the 21st of January, at four o'clock, our sails were again spread to the breeze, and bidding adieu to the granite mountains of the Celestial Empire, we shaped our course towards the Cape of Good Hope. We had a remarkably pleasant time in sailing down the Chinese Sea, though this is reported as the most dangerous navigation in the world. Multitudes of vessels, through the effects of the ty-phongs, have either been foundered in this sea, or dashed to pieces on some of the numerous shoals with which these waters abound. But happily for us, this is not the season of typhongs, but the north-east monsoon blows steadily, in a seven knot breeze, and renders the sailing most delightful.

We made several islands on our passage down the sea, some of which are inhabited by Malays. The islands appeared beautiful, being mostly covered with verdure; and surrounded by the watery waste, resembled the oasis of the Arabian desert.

Arriving at the entrance of the Strait of Gasper in the evening, we were obliged to come to anchor, and wait for the light of morning to conduct us through it. This strait connects the Chinese with the Java Sea, and