Mr. Davis's Eugraphia Sinensis. 307 



when he takes into consideration the extension of our Indian frontier to tiie 

 northward and eastward, may easily anticipate the chance of our being, 

 some day, unavoidably placed, with respect to the Chinese empire, in rela- 

 tions of a far more weighty and important nature, than such as are simply 

 commercial. 



The Chinese, themselves, are cunning enough to know, that " knowledge 

 is power ;" and, though they have, of late years, gradually relaxed in their 

 vigilance, and may at length be considered to have relinquished the point,* 

 the jealousy with which they, not very long ago, regarded the attainment of 

 their language by Europeans, sufficiently shewed the importance that they 

 attached to it, and the consequences that they foreboded, from such know- 

 ledge, to their selfish interests. 



Every step that renders us independent on native aid, in acquiring and 

 making use of the language, may be considered as something gained : not 

 to mention, that such aid is hardly procurable by the student in Europe. 

 The Chinese might, at a future period, revise and greatly increase the 

 penalties against such of their people, as give instruction to Europeans, at 

 Canton ; and the very occasions, on which the use of the language was 

 most required, would be those on which the assistance of natives was most 

 likely to be cut off. Besides, as experience has shewn that the local govern- 

 ment, notwithstanding its pretended pride and indifference, has con- 

 descended to employ spies upon our actions and intentions, these persons, 

 being necessarily acquainted, in some measure, with our counsels, would be 

 the most convenient that it could select for the purpose. 



The assiduous labours of our countrymen, during the last ten or twenty 

 years (I, of course, especially allude to the valuable dictionaries of Dr. 

 Morrison), have done nearly all that was required towards this desirable 

 independence on native aid. Something, however, seemed still wanting, 

 whicli might make us acquainted with the general rules by which the 

 Chinese are guided, in writing the great variety of their characters: and the 

 object of the present compilation, imperfect as it is, has been to supply, in 

 some measure, the defect. 



Macao, 5th July, 1824. 



* It was insisted upon by tlie British Factory, in the discussions of ISH, and at length 

 yielded to tliem. 



\oL. J. 2 S 



