Miscellanies. 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 adopted. 



Nathan Dunn, Esq., of Philadelphia, who had reflected much 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 thf! 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 towai'd ^11 classes in a 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 have an 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 imparting 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 for the first time unpacked. The following 

 are the principal groups. 



The entrance saloon., of China work, forms a vestibule, 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, lo be procured in the celestial empire. This screen is such 

 as is common among the wealthy Chinese, in partitioning off a very 



Vol. XXXV.— No. 2. 50 



