PROCEEDINGS. 477 
When a number of the students amused themselves by inventing, 
as existing in Europe, various wonders which their Manchu teacher 
always asserted to have existed in China centuries before. The 
only thing the teacher could not credit China with was an electrical 
hen which laid eggs containing bacon, : 
Dr. Epxiys said that some remarks in answer were required 
from him on account of the attack made on his opinions by some 
of the speakers. In regard to the possession of the critical faculty 
by the Chinese, it was not long after arriving in this country that he 
become aware of it. In a book belonging to Mr. Wylie he found 
a statement made that the tones of the language grow gradually 
and that one was added every thousand years or more. He studied 
the subject of tones, inquired as to the peculiarities of dialects, and 
found that it was as this author maintained. Since that time he 
had felt no doubt in regard to the critical powers of Chinese native 
scholars. The critical faculty was the result of education. In 
Europe it appeared in many persons because they had learned 
languages and studied logic, philosophy and grammar. In me 
same way in China reading many books and long-continued 
advantages of education produced it, Students went over a wide 
range of reading, and became familiar with argument, and ne 
their, critical powers were developed. wien! sees os ie the 
documentary style of Chinese diplomacy. Subjects of discussion 
are in official documents stated with great clearness. There ba : 
no difficulty in seizing on the main idea and sense of the docamen 
This was the result of Chinese education, which from some a 
of view was really a wide one, the literature of the country 
: ee ‘ critical faculty to the study of 
very extensive. Bringing this critical Pes Att 
the sacrificial vases and other implements professing to mrs ge 
antiquity, native scholars were not likely to be easily : 
fie m Dr. Bushell of Peking inayrty eg 
* The following note fro I 
be read at the vaeotliie :—“There is a wealth = bores! pos stphienet 
“tripod vase preserved in Silver Island. I - ¢ ahwological Collections. 
“ brochure, in addition to the notices in the pen uation eich LiShen-lan, 
“Do you remember my once asking your kin ra the cyclical day given in 
“to check one of the calculations of agony grag yorrectly attributed 
“the inscription? His conclusion also ne! tha cM Lae. ae 
“to the time of Hsiian Wang of the Chou dynasty 
* 
