Miscellanies. 395 



and beautiful specimens are rarely, if ever, exported. Formerly the 

 emperors patronized the porcelain manufacture by very high premi- 

 ums and extensive orders ; the art has now dwindled to supplying 

 commercial and domestic wants. There are here many hundred jars, 

 vases, pipe-stands, and various services used by the Chinese, differing 

 materially from those exported. The specimens of ware cracked on 

 the surface by age, are interesting and costly. There must be several 

 thousand pieces of fine China, including the thin egg-shell cup with 

 its lettered inscriptions, octagon pipe-stands, three or four feet in 

 height, inscribed landmarks, tile work, screens, &c. &c., in very nu- 

 merous patterns ; affording us " barbarians" new ideas on the subject 

 of their manufactures, and probably new patterns for our artists. 



Agricultural and other instruments. — We notice among the agri- 

 cultural instruments the very crude plough, that is drawn by the buf- 

 falo with his simple yoke and rope traces ; the harrow, differing very 

 materially from that of our country, is one of the accompaniments. 

 There are forks, rakes, hoes, axes, shovels, spades of wood faced with 

 iron for the sake of economy, &.c. ; a complete set of carpenter's and 

 joiner's, or cabinet maker's tools ; of the superiority of these over our 

 own, we cannot say much. There is a native shoemaker's shop com- 

 plete ; a blacksmith's anvil, his curious bellows, &c., comprising the 

 complete accoutrements of the travelling smith : the entire shop of 

 the ambulatory barber, his clumsy, short razor, cases, &c. &c. The 

 musical instruments of the Chinese, also figure in full among the curi- 

 osities. Castings of iron of very great beauty, consisting of pots, 

 kettles, and other cooking utensils of universal use, and which, unlike 

 our own of the same metal, may be mended at pleasure as easily as 

 our own tin vessels. 



Here is a study of Chinese manufactures perfectly novel to an 

 American, who will be surprised to find that the most simple opera- 

 tion which he has been taught to believe can be performed only by 

 an instrument of a certain form, is equally well executed by another 

 of a totally different figure ; the flat-iron, for instance, is more like 

 our chafing-dish than what we employ for smoothing linen. We are 

 amused to see the New England patent mouse-trap, that has been 

 used in China for ages. There are gongs, bells, metallic mirrors, 

 and articles under this head which nothing short of a most copious 

 descriptive catalogue would embrace. 



Models of boats. — The models of boats form a striking feature of 

 the scene ; first, we have the gorgeous flower boat with its numerous 

 decorations, various furnished apartments of comfort and luxury, and 

 painted and adorned in the peculiar style of the Asiatics. 



