394 Miscellanies. 



large saloon from the remainder of the great ground floor of their 

 houses. It is richly gilt, and ornamented with Chinese paintings on 

 silk, inserted in the pannels ; and is mounted above with small square 

 gilt apertures ; in these latter are inserted paintings of boats and gor- 

 geous flowers. The screen forms a beautiful termination to this end 

 of the room ; the full eflect bursts upon the eye of the visitor after 

 passing the folding door. Hours, nay, days and weeks, may be pro- 

 fitably employed in examining the details within this magnificent sa- 

 loon, which brings the most populous nation of Asia at once before 

 the view of the spectator. 



Accurate likenesses in clay. — The visitor is first attracted by the 

 accurate and characteristic whole size Chinese figures of various 

 rank, from the mandarins to the cooleys, from women of distinc- 

 tion, to those sculling their boats on the rivers. These are in num- 

 ber seventy or eighty, and were made by a very experienced artist in 

 this line, from living subjects. The material of the faces and hands 

 is a prepared substance, so well adapted to the operation of moulding, 

 as to take the impression perfectly and retain it permanently ; the 

 faces are colored to nature, mounted with hair, &c., and each presents 

 a speaking countenance in a style of art perfectly novel in this coun- 

 try or Europe. These figures are neatly arranged in groiips, arrayed 

 in their appropriate costumes, some of them extremely rich, while 

 others exhibit the working and every-day dress of the lower orders. 



The effect of this department is to exhibit to the spectator the in- 

 habitants of China as they really exist. Great care was taken in pro- 

 curing the likenesses, and about three years of the time of the propri- 

 etor were occupied in bringing them to perfection ; his head carpen- 

 ter, and other workmen about the factories, were pointed out to us, 

 and many conspicuous characters of China street, &,c. will be recog- 

 nized at once by those who have been to Canton. Bearers of a se- 

 dan chair, itself a perfect specimen in all its parts of ornament and 

 utility, are in the act of carrying a native gentleman, accompanied by 

 his pipe-bearer and footman. 



Porcelain and earthen ware manufacture. — In this department, 

 endeavors have been successfully made to procure the best specimens 

 of all the most expensive manufactures of the country, embracing sev- 

 eral very ancient and highly esteemed articles. There are also those 

 articles in common use for domestic purposes, to ornament grounds, 

 fish ponds, or used as flower stands, seats, &:c. A very interesting 

 fact will be developed by this section, showing that the art of porce- 

 lain manufacture has been on the retrograde for the last century or 

 two ; it will also serve to show, that many of the most ornamental 



