1849.] Notice of a Chinese Geographical work. 141 



unpropitious. The military chief then returned to the station of a sub- 

 ject, when the seasons became propitious as before. Ever since that 

 time no military chief has presumed to aspire [to the throne] . 



All offices are hereditary. Conformably to the customs of Han,* the 

 officers named Chi si, receive an allowance of a thousand stone [of rice]. 

 This allowance is ample for their support, and few are induced to trans- 

 gress the laws. Every year they elect one of their number to be a con- 

 stable, f who becomes security for the village and receives fifty [pieces of] 

 gold per annum as his pay. They have little to do, and have ample leisure. 

 They apply themselves to Chinese literature, become good scholars, 

 and behave with urbanity. They wear peacocks' feathers in their caps. 

 They attend to the cleaning of the roads and ditches, and to the sweep- 

 ing and watering of the streets. Their families cannot consume the 

 whole of the food, and there remains a surplus even for the servants to 

 throw away. 



The rich make use of carpets of cotton ; the poor, of mats. On the 

 occasion of a census, every family displays more or fewer mats, according 

 to the number of persons. The garments of the men and women have 

 broad collars and wide sleeves. The dresses of the women are so 

 long as to sweep the ground, and are ornamented with flowers traced and 

 dyed upon them. They wear cloth turbans, girdles, and on their feet, 

 short socks to walk in. The men wear sashes, in which they thrust a 

 knife. They wear their hair on the head, and beards ; combing the for- 



ciety, remarks : — " It is difficult to conceive a clear idea of the exact mutual relation 

 existing between these two powers, which are said to have produced all things, 

 though they are generally looked upon as a kind of male and female energy, as ap- 

 pears to be implied by the wonderful productive powers ascribed to them. It is 

 probable, however, that these terms, when applied to the animal economy, might 

 often be considered in a similar light, and perhaps with as clear an idea, as the words 

 positive and negative in electricity, which have become so generally used of late 

 years to explain any otherwise inexplicable phenomenon. In both cases, the terms 

 are used to express certain opposing forces, which only become known to us by their 

 effects, when either of them is in excess, but of whose existence we are not cognizant 

 so long as the equilibrium is maintained." 



* China, so called after the dynasty of that name which reigned from 

 t Kdi kun ; literally, ' street magistrate' Morrison gives constable as the equi- 

 valent. 



