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THE Commercial intercourse between this country and China, though frequent and extensive, has not been attended with the accustomed result of making us much acquainted with that vast empire. The jealousy of the Chinese has obstructed European inquiry, and the interior of China is consequently little more than a terra incognita. Even its population has been variously estimated at from 140,000,000 to 333,000,000 of inhabitants.

The imperfect knowledge we have of China, is not, however, confined to the interior, and scarcely one of its towns have been described with any degree of correctness, except Canton, which has lately been the scene of a dreadful calamity, that has laid nearly one half of the city in ashes. As the public attention has from this circumstance been much called to the subject, and little information beyond the mere fact of the fire at Canton has transpired, we feel much gratified at being able to present our readers not only with the latest and best description of the "Celestial City," (for so Canton VOL. I.

is called by the Chinese) but with a correct view of it, from a drawing of great value and rarity.

CANTON is the capital of the province of Quang-tong, and is situated on the river Pe-king, commonly known to Europeans by the same name as the city. This river is about the size of the Thames at London-bridge, and is navigable 300 miles farther into the interior. It is covered by innumerable vessels for four or five miles, containing whole families that have no other residence, and seldom visit the land. They are ranged in parallel rows, with a narrow interval between each line to admit the passage of other vessels. Canton is surrounded by wails about five miles in circuit, with several gates, in each of which is a guard house. Several cannon are mounted on the walls, and three forts on the land side defend the city. The suburbs of Canton are very extensive; strangers may frequent them, but they are not permitted to enter the city without the order or invitation of a mandarin. The streets are long, straight, and narrow, Y

some of the principal not exceeding 15 or 20 feet in width. They are cause. wayed with small round stones, and paved with large ones close to the houses, and for the most part kept exceedingly clean. In general, these are built of brick, one story high, with two or three courts behind, for warehouses or apartments for the females of the family. All the streets are well furnished with shops, one of which is in the front of almost every house, and certain streets are peculiarly disposed for the supply of strangers, while others are appropriated for particular classes of artizans. The factories of the different European powers permitted to trade here, extend along the banks of the river, standing separate and distinct from each other, and having their respective flags displayed. They usually consist of four or five houses, and the factory belonging to the British surpasses the others in size and elegance. There are spacious warehouses in the neighbourhood, for the reception of goods, and the dwellings of the Chinese, which are hired out to those who make temporary visits for commercial purposes. A broad parade extends along the river in front of the factories, whither the Europeans resort to enjoy the cool of the evening. The streets of Canton are continually crowded by its numerous population. It is a place of very great trade, and the only port of the whole Chinese dominions which is open to Europeans in virtue of special permission. On a very recent occasion, when the commanders of two Russian ships of war, originally sent on a voyage of discovery to the north, visited Canton, for the purpose of disposing of a quantity of furs, they were subjected to many inconveniences. After a long investigation, the Chinese government recognising them as belonging to the same nation with which its subjects traded at Kiachta, in Tartary, they expressed great displeasure at this attempt to open a traffic with Canton, and very freely blamed their own officers for permitting the Russians to come in. Vast quantities of merchandise are continually exported and imported by the Chinese themselves in the traffic with various eastern nations, and a very extensive commercial intercourse is now carried on by Europeans, especially the British. The principal exports of the latter are tea, to the extent of from 25 to 30 millions of pounds yearly, nankeen, silks, mother of pearl, tortoise-shell, tutenague, China-ware, and many other articles:

while the imports from Great Britain, and her eastern settlements, are woollen cloths, cotton, opium, betel-nut, furs, and watches. In the year 1789, the East India Company contracted with the proprietors of the mines in Cornwall for 800 tons of tin, to be delivered annually in China, at a stipulated price. The management of the trade of Canton is vested in a council called hong, consisting of from 12 to 14 members, generally men of great wealth. All foreign cargoes pass through their hands, and they also provide the cargoes to be exported. The Chinese are accused of being extremely deceitful and fraudulent in their dealings; but it does not appear that merchants of weight and consideration are to be refused credit. So much confidence is reposed in the English East India Company, that bales of their goods, with their mark, pass from hand to hand unopened through a great many owners. Europeans first began to trade with Canton about the year 1517; but the English, after losing two vessels bound thither, did not reach the city until 1634. An immediate rupture ensued with the inhabitants, and there is no evidence of any great intercourse being resumed until the year 1680. In the mean time, a small quantity of tea had been sent from the island of Java, in 1669, which was probably procured by the Dutch: since the renewal of the trade with Canton, it has been continued with very slight interruption, and has always been increasing in extent. The Chinese pretend that it is entirely from favour to foreigners, that they permit any traffic with their empire; but many foreign products have now become articles of necessity among them. No correct estimate can be formed of the population of Canton. Long. 113. 14. E. Lat. 23. 7. N.

Such was Canton, until the evening of the first of November, when a most destructive fire broke out in the suburbs of the city, about a mile and a half in the rear of the Foreign Factories, where a scene presented itself which has been well described by Sir Richard Black

When the fire first broke out it was hoped that the precautionary measures adopted (of instantly despatching the Company's engines and those of the Hong Merchants. to the spot) would speedily arrest the progress of the fire, but the violence of the wind, which was blowing a gale from a quarter directly bearing upon the British Factory, aided by the listless inactivity and superstitious indifference of the Chinese, completely baffled every human effort to extinguish the flames, which, approaching with a rapidity that quite surpasses expression, soon placed the whole of the Foreign Factories in imminent danger. For some time previous to this period, the Committee of Supercargoes had concentrated all the European strength that could be collected, and the Company's engines, for the preservation of the Company's property. The wool

lens also were taken from the warehouses with the utmost expedition, and it soon appearing that nothing could save the Factories from certain destruction but pulling down the adjoining houses of the Chinese, three official applications were made to the Mandarins, and one to the Viceroy himself, by the Committee, requesting them to order the houses to be taken down, as the only means of preserving the valuable property that was so dangerously menaced. These applications were, however, wholly disregarded; and about nine o'clock on the morning of the 2d the Company's Factories and warehouses, together with the other Factories adjacent, were in flames in various parts. Boats' crews from all the shipping at Whampoa had been sent for, and had arrived in Canton; but, although every exertion was made that human means could devise, it was in vain to arrest the fury of the flames, which, in the course of a very short time, left the whole Quay desolate. So dreadful a conflagration is not upon record in Canton, and till this time no single European Factory ever has been entirely consumed by fire; whereas there is now not one standing.

The general loss has been estimated at five millions of money, of which the East India Company have suffered to the extent of 500,000l. No European lives were lost, but a hundred Chinese are said to have perished. The number of houses destroyed has been estimated at from thirteen to sixteen thousand, and upwards of forty-thousand of the inhabitants have thus been rendered houseless, and many of them plunged into a state of the utmost misery. The

property destroyed belonging to the East India Company principally consisted of woollen goods; all their tea was saved.

PHILIP II. OF SPAIN.

This was the Don who projected the invasion of England, in 1588, by his invincible armada; some of the relics (certain elegant thumb-screws) of which we have at this moment in the Tower of London. When monarchs are upon their death-bed, their gracious eyes and understandings seem to expand-and not till then. Philip, when about to leave this world, acknowledged all, his faults: some of which were-his trying to get himself declared emperor of all the new world; he accuses himself of a design to invade Italy upon frivolous pretences; to conquer the kingdoms of Great Britain and Ireland, a project which in six years cost him twenty millions, only for the invading fleet; which, however, was reduced to nothing at a blow; to bring the Low Countries into subjection; to overthrow France; and lastly, to deprive his own uncle Ferdinand, and Maximilian his nephew, of the empire. He observes (himself) that these intrigues cost him above 600 millions of ducats, about 260 millions of English money; a proof of which, he tells his son, he would find in the accounts which he left in his cabinet, drawn up and written by himself. He then goes on to blame himself less for his profusion of money, than that of human blood which he caused to be shed; and, indeed, the confession he makes, that he had sacrificed twenty millions of men to his lust of dominion, and laid more countries waste than all he possessed in Europe, is enough to raise horror to its highest pitch. This devil of the South, Demon Meridianus, as he was universally called, because he troubled all Europe, made the acquisition of the small kingdom of Portugal only, at the expense of all this blood and gold. At length he goes out of the world, desiring his son to restore the crown of Navarre to its rightful owner, if it should come out so, according to equity. Mr. De Thou observes, in this manner to refer the executing of a disposition known to be just, to a successor who, we might be assured, would pay no regard to it, is a very impudent trifling with the Deity.' This was the king, who declared that he would rather lose all his dominions, than be the sovereign of a single heretic, and that every heretic was a rebel. Surpassing in pride his prede

IRISH BLUNDERS. The following is the copy of a letter written during the rebellion by Sir an Irish Member of Parlia

ment, to his friend in London :

"MY DEAR SIR,-Having now a little peace and quietness, I sit down to inform you of the dreadful bustle and confusion we are in from these bloodthirsty rebels, most of whom are, thank God! killed and dispersed.

"We are in a pretty mess; can get nothing to eat, nor any wine to drink, except whiskey; and when we sit down to dinner we are obliged to keep both hands armed. Whilst I write this letter I hold a sword in each hand and a pistol in the other. I concluded from the beginning that this would be the end of it, and I see I was right, for it is not half over yet. At present there are such goings on that every thing is at a stand.

"I should have answered your letter a fortnight ago, but I only received it this morning. Indeed hardly a mail arrives safe without being robbed; no longer ago than yesterday the coach with the mails from Dublin, was robbed near this town; the bags had been judiciously left behind for fear of accidents, and by good luck there was nobody in it but two outside passengers, who had nothing for the thieves to take.

"Last Thursday notice was given that a gang of rebels was advancing here under the French standard; but they had no colours, nor any drums, except bag-pipes. Immediately every man in the place, including women and boys, ran out to meet them. We soon found our force much too little, and they were far too near for us to think of retreating. Death was in every face; but to it we went, and by the time half our little party was killed we began to be all alive. Fortunately the rebels had no guns but pistols, cutlasses, and pikes; and as we had plenty of muskets and ammunition, we put them all to the sword. Not a soul of them escaped except some that were drowned in an adjacent bog; and, in a very short time there was nothing to be heard but silence. Their uniforms were all of dif

ON

SPIRIT OF THE

Public Journals.

PREMATURE INTERMENT. There are few persons ignorant that it is the unnatural custom of the French to inter twenty-four hours after the apparent decease. This practice, which is said to have had its origin in regard for the living by preventing the evil consequences of putrefaction, has excited horror in reflecting minds generally, and the deserved censure of many eminent medical men, who declare that the sanitary precaution has been carried to an extreme which outrages not only decency but humanity. That it should still exist is the best proof that can be offered of the obstinacy of the French Government, or the ridiculous respect attached by the nation to a custom which sends many innocent vic tims prematurely to the grave, and serves to weaken the effect which scenes of death are calculated to produce upon the living. It is monstrous that the body of a parent or a child is to be dragged to the grave almost before it is cold, and with a people like the French such an indecent practice must tend to unhinge the sacred ties of nature.

Several laudable attempts have been recently made by Englishmen in France to rouse the attention of the French ministers to the subject, and so produce a total change in the system. It is lamentable to state that, not only have their endeavours been unattended with success, but also that in too many instances the humane applicants have been treated with a coolness bordering upon incivility. Doctor Macnab, an English physician who has resided in France for many years past, made some