Ch. XX.] CANTON EITBE. 331 



which insensibly imparts an air of reality to what would 

 otherwise appear more like a chapter in the history of 

 Aladdin. I cannot, under these circumstances, therefore, 

 ignore two visits I paid to this great city of the far East, 

 although I must necessarily confine myself to the salient 

 points which appear most iateresting to the traveller, and 

 bear as much as possible upon the main object of the 

 present work. 



The river passage between Hong Kong and Canton is not 

 particularly interesting nor picturesque. The most note- 

 worthy spots are the Bogue Forts, and Tiger Island, whose 

 association with the operations of the allied armies at Can- 

 ton render them historical. The whole coast, where visible 

 from the channel, partakes of the general sterility of the 

 Chinese shores ; but it is not until we reach Whampoa 

 that the river narrows so as to be river-like. The shores 

 are here flat, and rather uninteresting ; but the monotony 

 of the view is broken by two nine-storeyed pagodas, built as 

 usual upon knolls which rise somewhat above the level of 

 the country. At Whampoa a few European ships lie in the 

 river or in the docks, but the trade with this port is now 

 small compared with what it formerly was. There is no- 

 thing to detain us at this dirty Chinese town, especially as 

 we are on the way to a city of such importance as Canton. 

 The daily steamer from Hong Kong (built on the American 

 river-model) calls here, and in the short distance which 

 remains, the Chinese characteristics exhibit themselves at 

 every turn. The alluvial soil on either side is highly culti- 

 vated, and much produce is constantly diverted from the 

 market-gardens on these banks both to Hong Kong and to 

 Canton. Banana plantations and rice fields abound, as far 

 as the eye can reach — the stacks of rice hanging over the 



