NOTES OF TBAYEL IN CHISA. 167 



are less offensive in the sight of a foreigner. Their food, which is 

 called " Chow-Chow," consists of boiled rice, sweet potatoes and 

 greens, as also fish, with which they are generally well supplied. 

 Boiled rice is the standing dish, and it is no uncommon sight to see 

 one person consume amongst other things, from half a gallon to a 

 gallon of rice at one meal. The rice is placed in a pail on the deck 

 and surrounded by the greedy participators, each one having a bowl 

 in his hand which he fills with rice, and when he has arranged the 

 chop-sticks in his fingers, their application commences most vigor- 

 ously. The bowl is held up to the mouth and the rice is shovelled 

 in until nature demands an intermission of a few seconds to recover 

 respiration. The idea which suggests itself on first seeing them, 

 is that each is trying how much more he can consume than his 

 neighbour, within a certain stipulated time. 



Some of the occupants of the poorer description of craft, which 

 slightly resemble the punts used in this country, or as a Chinaman 

 would say "all same, leete more diffident," are less fastidious in their 

 tastes than those in better circumstances, and will eat anything that 

 can be digested. Hourly they maybe seen plucking the hair from a 

 dead rat which has been thrown to them from a foreign ship, or there 

 may be heard the last of what was an animal of the same tribe, singing 

 his farewell song on the frying pan, and sending forth his savoury 

 odour on the breeze. 



A peculiar style of boat characterizes each province, though differ- 

 ing immaterially in internal economy ; but the reader can form a 

 fair idea of all of them from the foregoing description. 



At a distance of 70 miles from Hong-Kong, in a northerly direc- 

 tion is the city of Canton. It lies on the north side of the Pearl 

 River, up which the traveller is conveyed on an European steamer 

 which plies between the two places. This river varies in width from 

 a quarter of a mile to several miles, and though to a certain degree 

 destitute of that natural grandeur which characterizes some of the 

 rivers of America, it is not without its attractions. 



It leads into a country where the christian is abhorred; which was 

 five centuries ago as far in advance of European nations in the arts and 

 civilization as they are now her superiors ; which until compelled by 

 the British bayonet, refused to recognize England or America as 

 among the civilized countries on the globe, or to admit within her 

 kingdom foreign officials on terms of equality ; whose empire has 

 been usurped by a Tartar tribe, the chief of which has ever had the 

 power of nominating his successor, who styles himself the " Viceregent 

 of Heaven upon earth," aud who by establishing arbitrary laws which 



