28 



EAST COAST OF. CHINA. 



harbour on the other, terrace upon terrace, and 

 are constructed upon a very solid foundation of 

 rock : the pavement consists of smooth and rough 

 stones, without any attention having been given 

 to their relative sizes ; so that a person taking 

 a short walk, may often expect to return with a 

 strained ancle. 



The private residences of the Europeans are 

 very convenient, spacious, and more delightful 

 for their interior accommodation, than for any 

 exterior beauty. 



Many vessels have been sent to the east coast 

 of China, by enterprising merchants of Canton, 

 to endeavour, if possible, to open a trade with 

 some of the Chinese ports on that coast. A 

 highly -talented gentleman, the Rev. C. Gutzlaff, 

 with whom I had the gratification of forming an 

 acquaintance, has often accompanied the vessels ; 

 but the result has been a very limited degree of 

 success ; the imbecility of the Chinese govern- 

 ment has been fully ascertained ; and during 

 the last voyage, edicts were stuck about the vil- 

 lap-e off which the vessel had anchored, statino- 

 that the foreign vessel had been driven away, 

 while she still remained at anchor within siglit 

 of these very papers, endeavouring to carry on 

 some traffic with the inhal)itants; but, from the 

 fear of the mandarins, it was eflected but to a 



