396 Proceedings of Learned Societies. 



insurrections of the Mussulman population ; there is the rebellion 

 in Sze-chuen, and there are others in other provinces. 



Consul Parkes said that the Taeping rebellion broke out in 

 1849 in the province of Kwang-si. Its effect had been to desolate all 

 the flourishing and populous provinces which had been overrun. 

 The rebels have no flotilla, and cannot hinder the navigation of the 

 Tang-tse-kiang. As a proof of the probable value of the future 

 commerce of that river, it was stated that from April to December 

 of last year, 152 foreign vessels passed up from Shanghai to Han- 

 kow, and 170 junks in foreign employ ; and it was estimated that 

 trade to the extent of £10,000,000 sterling would be done there 

 during the present year. The probable causes of such wide-spread 

 insurrections are the pressure of population on production, the 

 absence of poor laws, and the inefficiency of the police. The 

 government tried to rule by moral suasion, but the people were 

 not obedient. The Chinese government is a stationary despotism, 

 with no vigour, and has been for 1200 years in entire isolation from 

 the rest of the world. Had it not been for the Tartar invasion 220 

 years ago, matters would have been worse. Now, the hope is that 

 intercourse with western nations will give life. 



The Chinese were acquainted with the use of opium long before 

 the British took it to them, and they only prefer what is imported, 

 because it is better than what is home-grown. 



The Jesuit missionaries have been very successful; but when 

 they were first established in China, in the sixteenth century, they 

 were high in court favour, which they did not lose till they con- 

 cerned themselves in political intrigues in 1720. At present it is 

 reckoned that there are 400,000 Roman catholics, 12 bishops, 80 

 missionaries, and 90 native priests. The missions cost 59,000 

 dollars a-year. 



Up to the present time Protestant missionaries have laboured 

 under the disadvantage of being confined to districts within thirty 

 or forty miles of the ports. Now, however, they will be able to do 

 more ; and Dr. Lockhart's medical mission at Pekin has been already 

 most successful. 



The Fiji Islands. — These islands are at present peculiarly 

 interesting from the fact that the chiefs wish to cede them to the 

 British, and that the question of their acceptance is now under con- 

 sideration. Dr. Bensusan's paper gave an account of the group. 

 There are two large and many small islands, 180 in all. They are 

 of volcanic, or of coral formation. The larger islands are hilly, the 

 heights rising from 2000 to 4000 feet. The chief exports are cocoa- 

 nut oil, tripang, sent in large quantities to China, tortoise, and 

 pearl shell. The islands are well adapted to the growth of cotton, 

 and the produce of this plant has been as much as 800 lbs. to the 

 acre, which is more than the average of South Carolina and 

 Georgia. The harbours are extensive and numerous, and afford 

 good anchorage. The Fiji (or Viti Islands as they are more cor- 

 rectly called) would afford return cargoes for ships coming home 

 irom Australia. 



