and the Catholic missionaries, they have carefully sifted the idioms, and after long intercourse with the lamas have used only such phrases as they had proved to be correct. The difficulties have been great in this respect; names, such as Christ, Peter, etc., could not be transferred to the Tibetan, but the Hebrew forms were found to be best adapted for representation in this language. The words Saviour, crucifixion, love, truth, life, etc., in the Christian sense are foreign to the Tibetans, but by the labours of the Moravian missionaries they are beginning to understand.

In our next number we shall have occasion to speak of the publications of these missionaries, especially of the Dictionary of Tibetan now in course of preparation by Dr. H. A. Jäschke.

Society for the Diffusion of Useful Knowledge in China.

It is proposed to establish a Chinese Newspaper or Magazine in Peking by a Society of gentlemen in China, to be designated by the name at the head of this article. A meeting was held on November 16th, 1871, at the house of the Rev. J. Edkins, at which he and the Rev. J. S. Burdon, Dr. W. A. P. Martin, Mr. J. McLeavy Brown, Dr. S. W. Bushell and Mr. A. Wylie formed themselves into a committee to carry out the purposes in view. These are fully explained in the prospectus, which we print below. We have only to add that we cordially sympathize with this philanthropic effort to diffuse information among the Chinese, and we believe that great good will result therefrom, though we regret that the Chinese governing classes do not themselves seek to learn as the Japanese do, at their own expense, all about foreign nations, etc. We are glad to hear that the Hon. F. F. Low, the American Minister, Mr. Annecke, the Prussian Chargé d'Affaires, the Archimandrite Palladius of the Russian Ecclesiastical Mission, Mr. Hart, the Inspector General, and all the members of the Imperial Customs stationed in Peking have become members. Our Minister, Mr. T. Wade, and General Vlangali have expressed their approbation of the work and promised assistance.

We shall be happy to be the medium of communicating to the Secretary the names of any who propose to be members.

Prospectus.

It seems hardly necessary to enlarge on the benefit which would accrue to the Chinese could they be induced to accept more fully Western ideas of science and philosophy.

It is discouraging to reflect on the fact that thirty years after the Treaty of Nanking they have not made more rapid progress in the development of scientific knowledge, and that so little effort is being made to promote its growth among the people. Recent events shew that nothing is easier than to excite the populace to riot and violence by imposing upon its credulity by tales of witchcraft and magic, of the immediate stupefying effect of certain drugs

used by kidnappers, the powerfully curative action of medicines concocted from the hearts and eyes of children, and the baneful effect of others, the socalled "genii powders," for instance, in producing incurable disease; a state of things which can only be combated by the propagation of more just ideas of the relation of cause and effect. At the same time the introduction of machinery calculated to increase the industrial resources of the country, and the success of engineering projects to develope its material wealth, are prevented by false notions of political economy, and by superstitious ideas of feng shui," or geomancy.

There is some encouragement on the other hand to persevere in efforts such as those contemplated by this association from the known success of publications already in the hands of the Chinese. The fact, for instance, of the protective influence of vaccination against the ravages of small-pox has thus been widely made known, and the operation is now extensively performed, both at Peking and throughout the provinces.

There is every reason to believe that the Chinese will not of themselves originate or promote plans to facilitate the advance of Western civilization. It is proposed therefore to form an association for carrying out, as far as may be, of the objects here stated, the specific object of which will be the diffusion of useful knowledge in China, the production of works in Chinese, periodical and in the form of treatises, for the dissemination of political, historical, and scientific knowledge among the people.

The immediate aim of the Society will be the establishment of a monthly magazine, illustrated with photo-lithographs and wood-cuts, to contain a résumé of news, and articles on social, scientific, and general topics, to be published in Peking and distributed throughout the empire. Should sufficient support be obtained the scope of its operation will be afterwards extended, and a series of treatises be issued embracing the varied range of Western literature and science.

To promote these liberal views the coöperation of all interested in China is earnestly invited. It is confidently hoped that there are many Chinese scholars who will be willing to devote a portion of their time and energy to the translation and preparation of works, of which the trouble and expense of publication will be undertaken by the Society. It will at the same time be largely dependent for the means of carrying out this laudable enterprise on the influence and liberality of those well-wishers who may not have the time or opportunity for such special work.

The Society will be composed of members paying an annual subscription of not less than five taels, and additional donations to further its objects will be thankfully accepted.

The Committee will be happy to receive the names of Gentlemen desirous to become members, and a general meeting will be held as early as possible to appoint the Officers and determine the regulations of the Society.

Peking, 1871. S. W. BUSHELL, B. Sc., M. D.
Secretary of Committee,

Notes, &c.

Mr. Bell's "Visible Speech" Alphabet. A letter from a missionary in China, lately published in the Daily Globe of Toronto, Canada, affords important testimony to the great linguistic value of Mr. Bell's "Visible Speech" alphabet. The writer states that his study of the language has been successful, and greatly aided by the new alphabet. It has given him a great advantage over those who are learning beside him, so that, although they have the advantage of having been in the country two or three months before him, he can read three characters to their one, and they cannot pronounce correctly. It appears that many who had devoted a long time to learning the language with the Roman alphabet were giving it up in despair. The writer undertakes in one month to supply a visible speech lesson-book, by which people at home could learn Chinese as easily-indeed more easily than with a teacher.-The Academy.

[We doubt very much the efficacy of this Yankee notion. The Roman alphabet is amply sufficient for the purpose, when the value of certain vowels and consonants is explained and determined.-Ed.]

The Death of Tseng Kwo-fan. Tseng-kwo-fan is dead! He had just finished his despatches, and was about to close his business for the day, when he had an attack of apoplexy, and died between 6 and 7 p.m., on the 12th of March. About a week previously, while in conversation with some mandarins, he became confused in his ideas and incapable of articulating. All symptoms of this, however, passed away in a few moments. Indeed, so perfect was the restoration of his powers that he could not be induced to think it necessary to give himself the rest, which any one having a knowledge of the complaint could have informed him was necessary. He did relax to some extent, but still continued to perform the most important of his duties, up to almost the last moment of his life. The Chinese will soon believe that a fatality attaches to the Nanking vice-royalty. It is remarkable that nearly every mandarin who has held the post during the last quarter of a century has died in office; Chen-nuan committed suicide; Li Chien-yin was killed by the rebels; I-liang died in office; Ho Kuei-ching was beheaded, at Peking; Ma-hsing-i was assassinated, and now Tseng Kwofan has died suddenly, in harness. His death leaves a great gap in the Chinese body politic, and leaves Li Hung-chang without a rival—the most powerful man in the empire. Such an event is sure to be fruitful in intrigue. Of all his honours, the earldom is the only one that descends to his family. Tseng's eldest son will succeed to this title of his father. And here is another instance of the false ideas regarding China which have to be unlearned, in the West. It is commonly believed, at home, that title invariably trends back through past generations, but never descends to the future.-NorthChina Herald.

Geography, Central Asia.

The narrative of a most important journey in Central Asia, made in the summer of last year by A. P. Fedchenko, is given in Petermann's Mitthei lungen, having been prepared from a collection of the traveller's letters published at Tashkend. Central Asia, especially the region surrounding the high valley of Eastern Turkestan, has long rivalled the North Polar area and the Nile basin of Africa as a centre of attraction for geographical explorations. The present journey forms the chief step in the steady advance which has been made from the Russian side. Fedchenko entered the diminished Khanate of Kokand from Kojend, in the Russian province of Turkestan, and at an audience granted by the Khan at the capital city he obtained a written permission to travel in the Khanate. From the city of Kokand the traveller first went southward by Ispara, on the way which leads through the mountains to the principality of Karategin; but the passes in this direction were closed to the Kokandians through a rebellion of the Kirghiz. Fedchenko describes the head of the Ispara valley as an extensive circus, on the southern side of which eight peaks rise to a height of from 18,000 to 19,000 feet; between each of these a great glacier with side moraines sinks into the valley, descending to a level of about 10,000 feet above the sea. The pass to Karategin is over one of these glaciers. From this the route lay across the high spurs of the mountains which bound the Khanate, south-eastward to where a side valley of the Syr Daria, that of the Kurshab, a small tributary, leads up to the most important pass of the whole region, the Terek-Dawan, on the highway to Kashgar and Eastern Turkestan. The Terek pass is scattered over with great stones to such an extent that it can only be used for traffic in winter, when the snow has filled up the spaces between these. In summer the caravans take a more circuitous route by a side pass. The summit of the Terek, looking down towards Kashgar, appears to have been the extreme limit of the journey.-The Academy.

We have a good number of Japanese Proverbs in type, but we have unavoidably been compelled to keep them back. It would be interesting to

have a few from our friends in Burma and Siam to compare with those already published.

Her Majesty's Secretary of State for India has directed to be forwarded to us a most interesting report of the Munnipore Valley (which is contiguous to Upper Burma) by our Political agent at Munnipore, Dr. R. Brown. As both silk and tea appear to be cultivated by the tribes in these regions, we shall be able to afford some information on these points as well as a variety of other subjects relating to the ethnology of these Indo-Chinese tribes in an early number.

The very interesting article on "Muhammadanism in China" by Prof. Wassilief, will be concluded in our next number.

THE

THE CHINESE WIDOW.

(A Tale from the Chinese.)

By S. BIRCH, Esq., L.L.D., &c.

This little tale is translated from the Kin-koo-ke

kwan 4 (twentieth kieun,) and appeared many years ago, done by the same translator, in the Asiatic Journal. He has collated it with the Chinese text and retranslated part, so that it appears in a new form, with the corrections, additions, improvements and notes. It resembles in its details the Ephesian matron of Apulein and the Lady of Voltaire.

"Riches and honour are like a pleasant dream,
Fame and reputation like a floating cloud!
The very flesh and blood before your eyes are false,
And love and gratitude turn into hatred and enmity!
Do not put your neck into a golden cangue
Or encircle your body with lock of gems.

It is the clear discrimination of delight and splendor With a pure heart void of desire to put off all that is earthly!"

This piece of a poem called the "Moon on the Western River," is a word to admonish the age, requiring of men to correct and eradicate all irregular feelings, and of the transgressor to correct himself. For since father and mother are a heaven by relation, and brethren hands and feet, these are root and branches which should be pruned, not cut down. In general the three sects of Confucius, Tau, and Buddha, although they differ yet fail not to inculcate filial piety and fraternal respect. As to grandchildren they are a degree lower. proverb says well:

The

Children's grandchildren will have grandchildren's fortune;

Fear not that children and grandchildren will turn out horses or cows!

Now as to husband and wife, although it may be said that the red twine has bound their waist and the scarlet thread tied their feet, it is in fact nothing more than 'a scratch on the flesh and glue on the fat.' They may separate on keep united. The common saying hits it:

Husband and wife are really birds of the same grove, Which wait till dawn, and each then flies its way. How hateful and empty are the feelings of the present age! Father and mother, elder and younger brother, are treated as if ordinary persons, and although there may be some feeling of affection for sons and grandchildren, it cannot be compared with

* 1843, vol. i. p. 607.

the love of husband and wife. The life of the inner apartment is what men are immersed in, and curtain lectures is all they listen to. How many, deluded by women, have done unfilial and unbrotherly actions? The reason of now telling the story of Chwang-sang playing a tune on an earthern jar, is not to foment disunion betwixt husband and wife, but to induce persons to discriminate between knowledge and ignorance, to penetrate and rend the true from the false, and on the first appearance of any delusion to take this thought of planting the six roots in the pure water, for a pure and quiet thought on the muddy life has this advantage; an ancient seeing a rustic planting paddy recited four lines:

:

The roots pure and clean, it then becomes rice. Advancing and retreating, he really still goes forward, With his hand planting the green blade in the field. Bending down his head he sees heaven reflected in

in the water.

It is said that in the final years of Chow there was an eminent scholar named Chwang-chow, and honorifically called Tsze-hew-te, a native of Sungkwo-mung. He had served Chow as the keeper of the garden of varnish trees. His instructor was a great saint, the founder of the sect of Tau named Leurh, with the honorific title of Pih-yang, who was born with white hair and called Lau-tsze 1or 'old boy.' Chwang-sang always in his waking dreams thought he was changed into a butterfly, flitting about in the plants and trees of the garden. This idea often recurred, besides which when he awoke he felt his shoulders and sides vibrating like a pair of wings. He was much astonished at it in his mind, and not long after this dream, being one day at Lau-tsze's leisurely conversing, he told his instructor the dream. The other being a perfect saint, and able to understand the course of the three stages of life, past, present, and future, pointed out to Chwang-sang the causes of wonderful existence, and that Chwang-sang was at the first times of chaos a white butterfly. The first birth of heaven was water, the second birth is trees; the glory of water is plants and flowers. That white butterfly collecting the essence of flowers and abstracting the exquisite part of the sun and moon, after it has attained its breath lives in immortality for ever, its wings revolving like the wheel of a car. It subsequently roams to the Yau-che' and furtively collecting food and inserting itself into the flower and pistils of the Foreign Peach, was swallowed up by the Green Phoenix, which guards the flowers under the throne of the Western king's mother. Its soul was not dispersed, but commissioned to appear again in the world and be made Chwang-chow. This caused his capacity to be uncommon, and his

V

heart firm in the Tau and serve Lau-tsze, and study the doctrine of purity, and doing nothing.

When Chwang-sang had received Lau-tsze's hints about the development of his former life, like one beginning to wake from a dream, he discovered that the wind producing the vibration from both his sides was the type of the butterfly. He buried in his heart the world's notions of glory and disgrace, looking upon them as a passing cloud or a flowing stream, and did not put on a particle of them. Lau-tsze perceiving that his heart had awoke, took the secret bequest of the five thousand words of the Tau tih king or 'Classic of the Path of Virtue,' turned it out of his bag, and gave it to Chwang-sang to learn by heart, recite and practise, so that when refined, he had the power of dividing the body's light and shade, could put forth his divine nature and become transformed. Chwangsang resigned his post of officer of the garden of varnish trees, and bidding adieu to Lau-tsze roamed about in quest of tau.

Although Chwang-sang honoured the doctrine of Lau-keun he did not dispense with the relation of husband and wife, and had successively married three wives. The first had fallen ill and died prematurely, the second had been divorced on account of misconduct. The one of whom mention will now be made was named Tien, and was of the family of that name in the kingdom of Tse. When Chwang-sang had journeyed into the state of Tse, one Tien-tsung, honouring his acquirement, had given him his daughter in marriage. She was far more beautiful than the two others, her complexion was like the icicle or snow, and she moved the passion of love like a spirit. Although Chwangsang was not addicted to pleasure he was entirely overcome with her beauty, and was as delighted with her as a fish with water. Wei-wang of the state of Tsu, having heard of Chwang-sang's virtue, sent a person bearing a hundred ingots of gold, a thousand pieces of fine silk, and an easy four-horse chariot, to retain him as prime minister. "When," said Chwang-sang with a sigh, "the sacrificial ox has its body adorned with embroidered silk, and chews straw and vegetables, seeing the buffalo at the plough fatigued and worn out, the ox congratulates itself upon its honours; but when it enters into the great temple and sees the knife and the mallet are before its eyes, it wishes it were ploughing, but cannot be so." He declined at once the presents and transferred himself and his wife to the state of Sung, and lived at the Nanhwa hills on the south of Tauchow.

One day Chwang-sang roaming about under the hills beheld some barren sepulchres thickly blended together: "Old and young!" he exclaimed with a sigh, "sages and fools hither return together. Can man, when he has descended into the tomb, be again made man ?" After he had sighed awhile and gone a few paces he suddenly saw a new tomb, the mound of which was not yet dry, and a young female entirely dressed in plain garments sitting at the side of it leisurely shaking a plain fan over it. As she continued to do so without stopping, Chwangsang in astonishment asked her who was buried in

that tomb, and why she was fanning it. The lady did not rise up, but kept on fanning as before, and twittered out a few sentences. If you do not know what their meaning was, it was thus:

The moment they were heard men's mouths would

split with laughter;

When the words came out they were disgraceful beyond measure.

"The person in this tomb," said the lady, "is my stupid fool of a husband, who having had the bad luck to die, has laid his bones here. Since during his life he was very fond of his wife, when dying he could not leave her, and by his dying injunction desired me, should I wish to marry again, to wait till after the funeral was over and the earth of the tomb dried. I might then wed; considering that the earth is just heaped up, how can it be about to dry? This is why I am fanning it." "This lady," thought Chwang-sang to himself, suppressing a smile, "is of a hasty temperament. I am astonished at her saying that during life they were on good" terms; had it not been so there might have been some reason for it." "If you desire," he replied to her, "this earth to be dried and warmed, it is very easy, only your hands and wrists are weak and have no strength for fanning; I will take the trouble for you." The lady rose up, and making a reverence, said: "Good luck to you, I am much obliged to you." Then she took a plain white fan in both hands and presented it to him. Chwang-sang, acting according to the principles of Tauism, raised

his hands and fanned some time over the head of the tomb, the water all dried up, and the ground suddenly became dry. The lady laughed till her face could be squeezed into your hand; "I have troubled you Sir," said she, "to put forth your strength;" then raising her delicate hand to the side of her hair, she plucked out a silver hair-pin, and presented it along with her fan to Chwangsang, thanking him to the best of her power. Chwang-sang declined the silver hair-pin, but accepted the lady's fan, while she went off joyfully, and Chwang-sang not quite easy in his mind returned home, and sitting in his tiled hall looked at the fan and sighed forth four stanzas:

It is not a contentious house, nor is it dwelling together,

For contentious houses dwelling together last no time, Soon is seen after death there is no sentiment for

affection:

It is the connection of love which holds together during life.

Tien-shi was standing behind him, and hearing Chwang-sang talking and sighing, came and stood before him and enquired what it was all about. As he was a doctor of the Tau sect he was called master, and Tien-she said, "What has my master that causes him to sigh, and where did this fan come from?" Chwang-sang told her all about the lady fanning the tomb in order to dry the ground and marry again. "This fan," he explained, was the object she used to fan it, and because I helped her

66

to the best of my power she gave it to me." When Tien-shi heard this she grew red with passion, and 'going into space,' took that woman as totally without virtue, and railed away a mealful, saying to Chwang-sang, "There are but few in the world like this unfeeling woman." Chwang-sang again gave out four lines of poetry ::

During life each speaks with the deepest devotion, After death each longs to fan the tomb.

You may paint a tiger or dragon, you cannot paint the bones;

Knowing men's faces is not like knowing their hearts.

When Tien-shi heard this she was highly enraged "From of old it has been declared that murmurs disparage affection, and anger forgets ceremony,' Tien-shi while speaking in a passion paid no regard to person, but spat out and said, “Although men are alike and there is no difference between a sage and a fool, how can you talk lightly in this way, and look on all women in the world as if they had one principle. Lo! one person destitute of good principles and propriety involves several good persons. Do not you apprehend some fault and error?" "I do not want," said Chwang-sang, "to play on vacancy, and chatter. Suppose that I should unfortunately die, would you, this beauty like a flower or a gem, restrain from marriage for three or five years." "A faithful minister," replied Tien-shi, does not serve two princes, and a chaste woman never marries a second time. When has a well disposed lady ever been seen to drink the tea or sleep in the bed of two families. If by mishap this sort of unfortunate circumstance should fall to my lot, do not mention two or three years, for it would not happen in my whole life; in my very dreams I should be thinking of you." "It is impossible to say, it is impossible to say," replied Chwang-sang. "Do you think," railed out Tien-shi, "that women are just like you men, destitute of virtue and void of justice, when one is dead you look out for another, you divorce this and take that, all that can be said is that all are of the same kind; know that we women are for one saddle to one horse, and that we can hold up feet and head steadily, how then shall we reply to other men's talk, and provoke the contempt and ridicule of future ages. present you are not dead, but suppose yourself to be a departed man." Tien-shi then approached Chwang-sang, snatched the paper fan out of his hand and tore it up into shreds. "There is no necessity," said Chwang-sang, "for going into a passion. I only wish you may be as good as your indignation. He said no more after this, and suddenly fell ill a few days after; his malady increased daily, and grew more serious; Tien-shi wept and sighed at the head of his bed. "My illness," said Chwang-sang, "having reached this point, I must say farewell for ever. You will soon regret the destruction of the fan, which, if it had been left here, would have been very useful to have given you in order to dry my tomb." "Pray master," said Tien-shi, "do not be anxious about it, I have learnt and know the rites 'to follow one husband

At

and no more.' I swear I have no other intention, and if you do not believe me I will die in your presence, in order to show clearly the sentiments of my heart." "It is quite enough," replied Chwangsang, "to perceive your intentions. I die, my eyes grow dim. When he had finished speaking his breath ceased. Tien-shi touched the corpse with her hand and broke out into a loud wail, and was hardly able to ask the neighbours around to prepare a shroud and assist to bury him. Tien-shi having put on mourning, was really in grief for several mornings, and wept all night, constantly dwelling on Chwang-sang's affection and kindness during his lifetime, and like one ill or intoxicated, her rest and appetite altogether failed her. Those who dwelt about the hill, since they knew Chwang-sang had been a restored scholar who had withdrawn his name, came to pay visits of condolence and respect, and the place became as busy as a fair.

On the seventh day after, there suddenly arrived a young and elegant scholar, whose face was like a picture and his lips as if smeared with vermillion; incomparably elegant, a first-rate young man of fashion, dressed in nankeen coloured clothes, with a black cap, embroidered girdle, and scarlet shoes. He brought an old man-servant with him, and called himself a Wang-seen of the kingdom of Tsu. He said that he had been acquainted with Chwangsang during the past year, had desired to attend Chwang-sang's instructions, and had come on purpose this very day to call upon him and inquire after him. Seeing that he was dead he could only testify his regret and divest himself of his coloured clothes as quickly as possible. Wang-seen then commanded the old man-servant to take the mourning out of the valise, and having four times bowed down to the corpse, said: "Oh Chwang-sang, I am destitute of good fortune, not having seen you face to face and received your instructions. I will wear mourning a hundred days for my teacher, in order to exhaust the feeling of my private friendship." He then bowed down four times, shed some tears, and rose up and desired to see Tien-shi. She at first declined the interview. Wang-seen said: "According to the rites of old the wives and concubines of intimate friends had no custom of retiring from them. I and Chwang-sang were connected as master and pupil." Tien-shi only just came out of the hall were the corpse lay to receive Wang-seen's compliments. After these preliminaries were interchanged she gave a glance at Wang-seen, and as he was a very elegant person, it excited a sentiment of love in her heart, and she only regretted she had no servant lad to attend him. Although my master is dead," said Wang-seen, "I cannot forget thinking on his kindness, and I wish to borrow his dwelling a short while to stop here a hundred days; first, in order to take charge of my master's funeral, and secondly, to see if he has left any commentaries behind him; his pupil entreats the favour of a glance at them in order to receive his last instructions." Where cannot acquaintance of an intimate friend rest awhile," said Tien-shi. She then got dinner ready, and they blended their sighs.

(To be continued.)