CHINA. 



W>a. 



Ti*a. the wormi. They hate also a few movrahle type* of 

 m "i *' those character*, which occur mott frequently, and which 

 thry employ in printing the Gazette, and other smaller 

 .-. I:i CK of cncy, such as an. edict 



of government, which may require to be primed in the 

 * of day or night, the character* are traced and 

 engraved on a block or board, covered with yellow wax, 

 from which the impressioni are then taken in the usual 

 way. A Chinese author, must print at his own cxpence, 

 unlr-t he be mandarin, in which case he presents his 

 work to the emperor, and, if approved by the imperial 

 ;<, it is printed at the expence of government. 

 There are numerous printing-offices in China, especially 

 in the city of Soo-tcheoo-foo, in the province of Kiang- 

 nan, where a considerable trade is carried on in books, 

 which are chiefly however collections of poetical pieces. 

 It is the custom in China to give no writing to the 

 public, without the seal of its author. These seals are 

 almot always of a square form, and a few of an oval 

 shape. They are commonly made of a kind of pot- 

 stone, which ab unds in the country ; but the more 

 wealthy use seals of agate, coral, jasper, and rock crystal. 

 The characters upon these seals arc for the most part in 

 the antique form of writing, which is of a square and 

 angular figure * though there are some in the common 

 hand, which are affix.-d to familiar epistles. The inscrip- 

 tion on their seals is either some favourite sentence, or 

 the name of the person to whom they belong ; and the 

 impression is made upon a red coloured substance mixed 

 with oil, kept carefully covered in a small porcelain vase, 

 to preserve it from drying, and in a proper state for use. 



Engraven. The frequency of seals gives employment to a number 

 of engravers, many of whom arc said to be remarkably 

 expert and ingenious in their profession. They are un- 

 rivalled, especially in the art of cutting ivory j and with 

 the simple instrumentality of the hand, they execute in 

 the neatest style, and at a cheaper rate than in any other 

 pan of the world, the finest fans, sticks of fans, models 

 of temples and other buildings, and all kinds of toys and 

 trinkets. Out of a solid ball of ivory, with a hole in its 

 centre, about half an inch in diameter, they have been 

 known to cut fifteen distinct hollow globes, one within 

 another, completely detached from each other, capable 

 of being turned round in any direction, and each of them, 

 at the same time, carved full of open work like the 

 sticks of fans. These curious specimens of such nice 

 workmanship, are done by common artists, and in so ex- 

 peditious a manner, that they may be purchased for a 

 very small sum. 



Artiiu. The Chinese artists in short are represented as capable 



of attaining the high degree of excellence tu every thing, 

 that requires neatness and delicacy of execution, and 

 might soon excel those of most other countries, if the 

 pride of their government did not discourage the in- 

 troduction of new inventions and fort ij;r. ai ts. Nothing, 

 it is said, can exceed the ingenuity with which they fa- 

 bricate the most beautiful toys and finest pieces of me- 

 chanism. Mr Barrow relates, as a proof of this remark, 

 that a Chinese at Canton, who had never before seen an 

 European watch, succeeded in making one in every re- 

 spect similar, except the main spring; and he adds, that, 

 in the short space of half an hour, two Chinese artists took 

 down and put up again, piece by piece, the most com- 

 plicated glass lustres, consisting of several hundred pieces, 

 which had been sent as presents from England to the 

 emperor; an operation, which was considered as so diffi- 

 cult, that it was thought necessary for the artists who 

 accompanied the embassy, to see it sevcr.il times per- 



formed, in order that they might be able to combine Trade* 

 the articles properly, when arrived in China. v "Y > ' i ' 



The Chinese make very little use of machinery in Machine- 

 their manufactures and arts ; and the few machines, ry. 

 which they <lo possess, are of the most rude and simple 

 construction. It is conjectured, that the invention and 

 application of works of machinery is purposely discou- 

 raged by the government of that country, lest they 

 should diminish the gains and subsistence of a population 

 already sufficiently in want of employment. 



A sufficiently striking proof of the general low state 

 of the most common arts in China, is to be found in the 

 universal practice of the different artisans performing 

 their work, not in their respective shops, but in the 

 houses of their employers; and in the limited number, 

 as well as inferior efficiency of the tools with which they 

 operate. This is not only the case with the menders of 

 iron utensih and of broken glass or porcelain, like the 

 tinkers in Europe, but with almost every kind of handi- 

 craft in the empire. 



The most numerous pliers in the streets, besides the Barbers, 

 porters, are the barbers, who arc provided with all the 

 necessary apparatus, of a seat, warm water, soap box, 

 brushes, and a variety of instruments, unknown to the 

 same profession in Europe ; and they proceed to perform 

 their various services, in the open streets, wherever a 

 customer applies ; shaving off every hair on the face, ex- 

 cept the eye brows and eye lashes ; plucking the hairs 

 from the nostrils, cleansing the ears, adjusting the eye 

 brows, dressing the hair, pairing the nails, and all this 

 for so mere a trifle, that the very lowest of the people ' 

 are enabled to employ them. 



The joiners use few tools, and work clumsily. Their Joiners. 

 axes are small, and serve also as hammers. Their pincers 

 consist of an iron rod, about a foot in length, and an 

 inch in breadth, one end of which is broader and thinner 

 than the other, and perforated in two or three places ; 

 and on the other end, is a quadrangular foot, about an 

 inch square, and sharp at the corners, with a loose qua- 

 drangular ring exactly fitted to the foot, by means of 

 which a r.ail is easily extracted, upon the principle of the 

 lever. Instead of using a bench they sit upon the ground, 

 pla.-ing the board of wood against their belly, and hold- 

 ing it with their feet. 



Their tailors use very small scissars, and needles with Tailors, 

 round eyes ; and instead of a smoothing iron, they have 

 a little pan of brass or copper without feet, into which 

 they put some burning charcoal, and with which they 

 smooth their scams. 



The artists, who make varnished or japanned articles, Workcrii* 

 are very numerous ; but those at Canton, whether from varnish, 

 the inferior quality of the varnish, or the haste in which 

 they are frequently obliged to work, do not produce 

 buch excellent work, as those in the province of Kiang- 

 nan. None of the Chinese artists, however, equal in this 

 department those of Japan, whose productions are great- 

 ly valued, and purchased at a high rate in China. Those, 

 who work in varnish at Canton, have their shops in the 

 more retired quarters of the town, and commonly keep 

 their windows shut, as if with a view to conceal the se- 

 crets of their art. The articles, varnished, are chiefly 

 made of pasteboard or thin wood ; and are almost uni- 

 versally stained of a black shining h.u. \\ hen the var- 

 nish is put on, the articles are carefully preserved from 

 dust, and dried slowly in the shade. 



Though the Chinese mechanics are remarkably indus- 

 ious, frugal, and capable of living upon very little ; yet 

 many of them arc unable to find sufficient employment 



trious 



