EXAGGERATION. 93 



reaches her husband at Canton, by passing from 

 individual to individual, becomes a dangerous 

 state, if not her actual decease ; and at the time 

 the intelligence is communicated to her afflicted 

 husband, she is probably attending one of the gay 

 evening conversational parties at Macao, in which 

 one derives exceeding enjoyment, hearing the 

 ladies "discourse most eloquent music," and 

 mildly pass over the personal defects or mental 

 faults of each other. One may very naturally 

 therefore ask, " if anything has been invented 

 this morning?" and if accuracy is requisite, how 

 the news arrived, whose authority, &c. 



One person happened to say casually, of a 

 long-missing ship, " Perhaps she has been dis- 

 masted, and put into Manilla, and that may 

 account for her detention :" in the evening, a 

 report was in circulation, and believed, that ac- 

 counts had that day been received of the missing 

 ship having safely arrived at Manilla, but that 

 she had lost all her masts. It is therefore danger- 

 ous to make an observation ; for should it not at 

 first be deemed sufficiently important, it will soon 

 be increased, both in intricacy and consequence, 

 as it passes the daily course. Any person, then, 

 who may visit China, will show his wisdom by pre- 

 serving silence as much as possible, and he will 



