Prolixity of Chinese Literature. 4.19 



desirable, and we accordingly made every exertion, with the 

 assistance of our companion, himself well acquainted with 

 Chinese, to crown our search with success. With one excep- 

 tion we succeeded in pui'chasing the entire catalogue, and 

 therewitli gladly brought to an end our wearisome stay of 

 upwards of an hour in the close steaming book-shop, exposed 

 the while to a more than tropical temperature. 



Chinese authors are, it must be allowed, terribly prolix in 

 the treatment of their subjects, and instances are by no 

 means uncommon in China of works, especially those of an 

 historical nature, extending to from forty to fifty volumes ! 

 Thus, for example, the '' Seventeen Historical classics " con- 

 sists of 337 parts : — '' Mingschiutschuen " (History of the 

 most renowned ministers and statesmen), of thirty volumes : — 

 '' Singpu " (Lives of remarkable persons), of 122 parts : — 

 the " Encyclopedia of Matuanlin," with its additions, even 

 reaches the immense number of six hundred volumes ! ! * 

 Books are generally far from expensive in China; for a 

 few dollars, comparatively, one may, owing to the cheapness 

 of labour and of cost of production, purchase quite a large 

 supply of ordinary literature. 



Adjoining this book-shoj) is a public bath establishment, 

 where for 16 copper cashf (rather less than \d. sterling), one 



* Compare GutzlaflTs " History of the Chinese Empire," pubUshed by K. Neu- 

 mann ; Stuttgart and Tiibingen, 1847. 



t The copper cash is the sole currency in use, and consists of a mixture of copper, 

 iron, and tin. Its value, reckoned by the string of 100, is variable, and is calculated 

 according to the proportional traffic in foreign merchandise. On the average, fi"on. 

 1230 — 1300 cash are about ctiual to ijrl'OO American, or 4s. 2'7, English. . 



2 £ 2 



