100 THE CHINESE AND THEIR REBELLIONS. [June 23, 1856. 



grown by the natives). From October, 1854, to April, 1855, the exports were 

 as follows, according to official returns : — Palm-oil, 35,803^ gallons ; camwood, 

 19i tons ; rice, 1177 croos (1 croo = ^ bushel) ; cash, 7725 dollars. The 

 imports consist chiefly in salt provisions, flour, fancy articles, and the various 

 commodities in demand by the natives. The entire value of imports during 

 the above period has been 29,963 dollars 39 cents ; yielding a customs revenue 

 of 2242 dollars 33 cents. 



Note. — The foregoing communication was written by Ph. Schdnlein but a 

 short time before his death, which was announced in a former number of the 

 Proceeedings. The late President of Liberia, J. J. Eoberts, has since arrived 

 in this country, and brings the information that the death of this excellent 

 young man was occasioned not by the ordinary fever of the country, but by 

 exposure to the sun whilst engaged in botanical researches. Baron Humboldt, 

 in a letter addressed to Dr. Hodgkin, speaks of him as feeling towards him the 

 afi'ection of a near relation, and asked aid in obtaining information regarding 

 him as the greatest favour which could be rendered to the oldest traveller on 

 the banks of the Oronoco and over the Steppes of Siberia. 



2. The Chinese and their Behellions, Sec. By T. T. Meadows, Esq., 



Chinese Interpreter to Her Majesty's Government in China. 8vo. 



In this analysis the Preface and the chapter — rather a long one — on Civili- 

 zation, we leave to the consideration of readers who are fond of theorising. 



The first chapter furnishes a geographical account of China, showing the 

 important distinction between China Proper and the far more extensive and 

 comparatively independent countries included under the Empire ; giving also 

 an explanation of the military and civil government. 



Ch. ii. — The Emperor is absolute, as being the Teen-tze, the Son of Heaven, 

 or chosen servant of the Most High ; certainly not so by birth. The idea 

 of hereditary monarchy existing in China is a fallacy, and when disasters 

 of war, pestilence, and famine, or other unusual evils occur, the Divine 

 commission may be withdrawn, unless the monarch repent him of his evil 

 ways and promptly " return to conformity with Heaven's laws." In fact, 

 "the pure theory of succession is, that the best and wisest man in the 

 empire should be nominated," and the principle of primogeniture seems 

 to be wholly disallowed. " The worthy and talented," the " good and 

 able," were the persons to be chosen for all appointments, high or low. 

 The author insists on the system of examinations for de^crees in political 

 science, ethics, history, and law, which, being indispensai)le in China, he 

 recommends to the notice of the British Grovernment. The Chinese, though 

 autocratically governed, have always maintained the right of rebellion, as 

 the only mode of stopping vicious legislation and administration (Ch. iii.). 

 The Mongol, and after them the Manchoo dynasties, have for many centuries 

 oppressed the Chinese and governed the country on principles diametrically 

 opposite to those established by the fundamental principles of the empire. 

 Under their misrule " the sale of government posts was most extensively 

 carried on ; and corruption, tyranny, disaffection, robbery, piracy, local insur- 

 rections — misgovernment, in short — prevailed up to 1850, when the * Kwang- 

 se rebellion' broke out" (p. 33); which may haply result in the entire 

 emancipation of China from the tyranny of the Manchoos, and the establish- 

 ment either of Christianity, or the old and long-cherished Con-foot-see faith, 

 under the dominion of a native Chinese sovereign.* 



* Hue's work is criticised in Ch. v. 



