respects, before any other in the Chinese Empire. There is more wealth here and a greater variety of food; there are also better trading facilities, more general comfort and intelligence in the community, than perhaps at any other point. The Cantonese are not lacking in spirit, and have made no little trouble during past years in their foreign relations; but the British have given them several severe lessons, by which their haughtiness and contempt for other powers were effectually whipped out of them, and they now have a wholesome respect for foreigners. In former times the East India Company had the monopoly of trade in this neighborhood, and for nearly one hundred and fifty years they sustained a similar relation to the Chinese here, with similar humiliations also, to what the Dutch traders at Dezima experienced with the Japanese during the same period. When their monopoly had ceased, in 1834, and when Chinese insolence could no longer be tolerated, hostilities became rife. During the troubles which ensued a mob attacked the old "factories," or foreign hongs and residences, and destroyed them by fire. This occurred in 1856, and for it the city was bombarded, and eventually taken by the English, who maintained a garrison there till 1861. Since then peace and quiet have reigned.

The present appearance of Canton, facing on the river, is far from prepossessing, except at the upper portion, where the English and French have constructed an artificial island on what used to be a series of mud-flats. This is separated from the mainland only by a small canal. The length of the ground filled in is nearly three thousand feet, and a wall of solid masonry extends around the whole of it. The total cost of the undertaking was $325,000, four-fifths of which was defrayed by the British government. This spot is called Shamin, and is occupied chiefly with English residences. A splendid line of trees surrounds it, and it rejoices in long shady avenues, beautiful buildings, a fine church, flower-gardens and shrubbery in abundance. Altogether, it is called the prettiest place in China. Just off Shamin the river is broad, and affords a commodious anchorage for steamers and merchant-vessels. The Macao Passage opens up on the opposite side.

The appearance and striking characteristics of a great city in China are so totally dissimilar to anything seen by the traveller in the neighboring country of Japan, that no amount of experience in the latter country, or familiarity with its customs and city life, could prepare his mind for the strange scenes and peculiar phases of Chinese life which

constitute the scope of his bewildered studies in Canton.

If I ever imagined that a four years' residence among the Japanese had sufficiently orientalized my powers of observation to enable me to comprehend their neighbors "the celestials" at a glance, I was soon to learn that this was far from being the proper conclusion.

Its

Canton is no more like Tokio, or any other Japanese city, than it is like New York. streets, houses, shops, social life, etc., are entirely different; and there is little reason why the two countries, China and Japan, should be so persistently confounded by foreigners. The Chinese are Mongolian, but the Japanese are not; and they are unlike in most of their national and individual traits.

There are certain peculiarities common to most Orientals, which make them appear similar to us; just as the Jap or Chinaman will insist that all foreigners are alike, whether they call themselves Englishmen, Frenchmen, Germans, or Americans. But the distinctions of race, religion, physiognomy, and national characteristics are frequently more marked in the case of the Asiatic than of the European. We have less reason, in fact, for thinking

the Orientals "all alike" than they have for considering us so.

On my first arrival in Canton, I seemed in such a maze of sights and oddities, that it required fully a month of diligent research to initiate myself into the mysteries of Chinese life, and accustom the mind to all the novel scenes presented.

Under the experienced guidance of a missionary friend, Rev. J. C. Nevin, who had resided in Canton for ten years or more, and whose hospitality and kindness made my sojourn there a perpetual holiday, I was enabled to "do up" the city very thoroughly and systematically, and also to accomplish a trip of one hundred miles into the interior of the country.

It is impossible, of course, within the limits of one or two chapters, to give more than a casual glance at the objects and places of interest in so great a city as Canton. The city has a circuit of eight or ten miles, and, including the suburbs, the population on land and water is estimated by Dr. S. Wells Williams to be nearly a million. The older and central part of the city is still enclosed by walls, which run through the most compact and closely-built portions; their presence would never be suspected, were it not for the massive gateways

of solid masonry occasionally met with in traversing the city. There are no parks or open places whence one may obtain an effective view; but an endless succession of alleyways form an infinite series of crooked labyrinths, where a stranger becomes hopelessly lost in less than five minutes. Nor can one see the city to better advantage by climbing the "five-storied pagoda," where a bird's-eye view is obtained. Canton looks, from a lofty perch of observation, like a wilderness of roofs and wooden railings, where chimneys, clothes-lines, and cupolas are prominent features of the landscape. No public buildings, broad avenues, or stately trees relieve the monotony of the scene; but massive templeroofs, tall pagodas, and heavy square towers are seen here and there at intervals. These square

towers appear quite feudalistic in the distance, but their imposing character rather loses its charm when we learn that they are "pawnshops," and are built in this manner to protect the goods stowed away in them against robbers and outlaws. On top of the towers stones and hand-grenades are kept in readiness to drop upon the heads of persons attempting to pilfer these belligerent "pawnshops."

On the highest eminence in Canton the French