TRANSACTIONS OF THE SECTIONS. 197 



at Hankow to make its trade rival that of Shanghai, which in fifteen years has in- 

 creased steadily to its present enormous amount of 28 millions sterling. Captain 

 Osborne thinks, however, that English merchant ships can never go up farther than 

 the confluence of the Poyang Lake, 120 miles below Hankow, the meeting of the 

 Takeang and the Poyang Lake occasioning at this point a mass of shallows and banks 

 as well as three or four channels, with more or less water in them. Kew-Keang, 

 which stands at this point, Captain Osborne described as a city rendered important 

 for trade by the great road from Pekin to Canton passing it. When captured in 1853, 

 its trade was very great, and it was extremely rich and populous; when visited by 

 Lord Elgin's squadron, it was a perfect picture of desolation. 



It must be at or near Kew-Keang, Captain Osborne says, that Europeans must 

 first establish their great entrepot for central China. To it their ships can safely reach, 

 especially auxiliary screw clippers, without transhipping their freights. He had no 

 doubt they would find safe anchorage there, and thence their goods would permeate 

 throughout central China, and thus they would prevent a piece of chintz made in 

 Manchester, which sells at Shanghai, 28 yards for 13s., from selling, as they saw it at 

 Hankow, at about 13d. a yard. But it was very important for reaping the full advan- 

 tage of the treaty of Tientsin that the Chinese be made to understand that the Yang- 

 tse-Keang, from its mouth at any rate, to Hankow, is ours as well as the Chinaman's 

 highway. It only requires peace between the Imperialists and Tai-pings to make the 

 country around Kew-Keang, embracing much wealth, high cultivation, numerous cities, 

 and countless villages and hamlets, what Captain Osborne says he remembers Nankin 

 to have been seventeen years ago — the garden of China ; and it is easy to predict that 

 the wants of this population, and the products of their industry, will yet form a very 

 important item in British commerce with them. 



His own impressions Captain Osborne stated to be, that, with handy fast-sailing 

 ships, or, better still, with auxiliary steam ships, there was nothing to prevent 

 them reaching the entrance to the Poyang Lake, by ascending the river in June 

 after the spring thaws, and returning in the rains ; and pilots should be established at 

 moderate fees, instead of the present extortionate rates levied by Europeans for the 

 Lower Yang-tze, which Captain Osborne estimated at £30,000 per annum upon 

 English imports and exports from Shanghai alone. Vessels of still smaller size would 

 answer and pay well between Poyang and Hankow. When the entry of the British 

 flag into the Poyang Lake became known to the native merchants of Canton, cotton 

 fell in the market, the Chinese monopolists knowing that the days of large profits were 

 numbered. The trading stations Captain Osborne recommended were Hankow, 

 Kew-Keang, and Nanking or Ching-Keang. 



On some curious Discoveries concerning the Settlement of the Seed of 

 Abraham in Syria and Arabia. By Major Phillips. 



Notes on the Lower Danube. By Major J. Stokes. 



On the Sculptured Stones of Scotland. By John Stuart, Secretary to the 

 Society of Antiquaries of Scotland. 



The author said the occurrence of pillars in almost all parts of the world, to mark 

 events of various kinds, is quite remarkable. The Bible is full of instances of pillars 

 being erected. Those pillars were of two kinds — for marking sepulchres and for 

 marking other events. When Rachel died, Jacob set up a pillar over her grave ; and 

 long after that time Rachel's sepulchre is referred to as a well-known spot. This refers 

 only to the class of single stones, however, but we have at least one instance of a 

 group of stones being put up for a historical purpose. When Israel crossed the Jor- 

 dan, twelve stones were set up corresponding with the twelve tribes. In Scotland we 

 have instances of both classes of pillars — that is, of single pillars, and pillars collected 

 in groups, of circular form; these latter having unfortunately been connected with 

 the Druids without the slightest foundation on which to build such a theory. It was 

 Stiikely who first introduced this opinion, which has but tended to obscure the whole 

 Bubject ; and the sooner we get rid of it the better. Mr. Charles Dalrymple, who is 



