ie és 
MM: iscellanies. 393 
be done to enable those outside the walls,-and at home, to become 
acquainted with the domestic affairs and tastes of. these recluses. 
Certainly little could be expected from the natives, unless other meth- 
ods than those heretofore practiced could be adopte 
_ Nathan Dunn, Esq., of. Philadelphia, who had pear coudh upon 
this subject, and who, in the course of the very successful prosecution 
of his business at Canton,- had learned to respect the ingenuity, and 
when called forth, the intelligence of the numerous Chinese with whom 
he was daily in contact, happily conceived the idea of transporting to 
his native shores, every thing that was characteristic or rare, whether 
in the natural history, or the natural and artificial curiosities and man- 
ufactures, no matter how costly they might be. And now came effi- 
ciently to. his aid those requisites that had been but too frequently 
wanting in the officers of the East India Company, or their agents, 
who had made the attempt to procure such a collection but had failed. 
Mr. Dunn, who, it will be admitted by every one on the spot, had 
conducted himself toward all classes ina manner to win their esteem 
and confidence, and to whose house and table were introduced so 
many of the most distinguished officers of government, either tempo- 
rarily or permanently at Canton, soon discovered that it was in his 
power to obtain favors not usually granted to strangers. One after 
another he procured, either by purchase or as presents, those rare and 
costly articles constituting his collection: how many of these are per- 
fect novelties even to thousands who have visited China, let those de- 
cide who may soon havean opportunity of doing so; if indeed, that op- 
portunity is not already in their power, before this hasty notice passes 
through the press. For one, the writer is free to say that but for the 
insight thus obtained, he should have remained as ignorant of the 
subject as other travellers. It is with a view of honing a portion 
of this satisfaction, that he ventures to put them on paper, 
Without further preface, we shall proceed to notice very briefly 
some of. the peculiar features of this novel exhibition, enumerating a 
very small portion of the contents of the three hundred cases from 
which it has been now — the first time unpacked. | The following 
are the principal grou 
The entrance ih ey a China work, yee a voaiibulé. through 
the centre of which you enter the great saloon, one hundred and sixty 
feet in length, by sixty three in width, and twenty. four feet in height, 
with a double colonnade ; to the right and left of which are the nu- 
merous cases containing specimens of all that is rare, curious, or 
common, to, be procured in the celestial empire. This screen is such 
8s is common among the wealthy Chinese, in partitioning off a very 
Vou. XXXV.—N o. 2. 
