CHINA. 



961 



records or printing, to the European. Their ink, for the use of drawing, called Indian ink, is 

 said to be made of glue and lamp-black. The manufacture of that earthen-ware, generally- 

 known by the name of China, was long a secret in Europe ; but several European nations now 

 exceed the Chinese in manufacturing this commodity. The Chinese silks are generally plain 

 or flowered gauze ; and they are said to have been originally fabricated in this country, where 

 the art of rearing the silk-worm was first discovered. The Chinese manufacture silks likewise 

 of a more durable kind ; and their cotton and other cloths are famous for furnishing a light, 

 warm wear. Their furniture, vessels, utensils, and instruments of all kinds, are distinguished 

 for the firmness of the work. They have from time immemorial been acquainted with the art 

 of working in metals, polishing and cutting precious stones, and making musical instruments. 

 Engraving on wood, and stereotype printing have been practised by them for 700 or 800 years. 

 They excel in embroidery, in varnishing, dyeing, carving in ivory, filagree-work, and almost 

 every art, that requires minute attention, patience, and manual dexterity. The Coreans rival 

 the Chinese in industry, particularly in the fabrication of nankeen and writing paper, 



12. Commerce. The domestic trade of the Chinese empire is more important than the for- 

 eign ; it is carried on by means of numerous rivers and canals, and consists principally in the 

 exchange of the natural productions or manufactures of the different provinces. The vast ex- 

 tent of the country, and the great diversity of its 

 products have caused the Chinese to neglect for- 

 eign commerce ; still, however, their junks are to 

 be found in all parts of the Indian seas. The 

 commerce with Europe and America is limited 

 to the single port of Canton, and is carried on 

 chiefly by the English and Americans. In each 

 port there is a certain number of merchants called 

 the hong merchants, and every foreign ship must 

 get one of these merchants to become security for 

 the duties payable on the cargo and for the con- 

 duct of the crew. But the master or owner of 

 the ship, may deal with any of the hong mer- 

 chants, or with the outside merchants, that is, na- 

 tives not belonging to the hong, indiscriminately. 

 Beside the maritime foreign commerce, there is 

 an extensive inland foreign trade carried on with 

 Siberia, through Malmatchin, opposite to Kiach- 

 ta ; with Turkistan, through Yarkand ; with Hin- 

 Chinese Junk and Barge. ^^^^^^^ through Lassa ; and with the Birman em- 



pire and Annam. Tea, nankeen, rhubarb, ginger, porcelain, &c., are the chief articles of 

 export. Opium from India,* furs from North America and Siberia, sandal-wood, edible bird's 

 nests, biche de mer or tripang, ivory, ginseng, and tobacco are among the principal imports. 



* The opium trade has been a great curse to China, and has 

 been carried on for many years by the English and Amer- 

 ican traders, in spite of the most rigorous precautions and 

 prohibitions of the Chinese government. " We have lit- 

 tle reason to wonder," says Mr. Malcom, "at the reluc- 

 tance of China to extend her intercourse with foreigners. 

 Nearly the whole of such intercourse brings upon her pes- 

 tilence, poverty, crime, and disturbance. No person can 

 describe the horrors of the opium trade. The drug is pro- 

 duced by compulsion, accompanied with miseries to the 

 cultivators, as great as slaves endure in any part of the 

 world. The prices paid to the producer scarcely sustain 

 life and are much less than the article produces in China. 

 The influence of the drug on China is more awful and 

 extensive than that of rum in any country, and worse to 

 its victims than any outward slavery." To such a pitch 

 was the traffic carried, that in 1839 the Chinese took more 

 energetic, and, it is to be hoped, effectual measures to 

 stop it, and threatened a total interruption of the trade 

 with foreigners, if these steps were not successful. The 

 following curious extracts are from the proclamation of 

 the Chinese commissioner, who was sent to Canton to 

 fnforce the new decrees. 



I2{ 



" Lin, a high officer of the Chinese empire, now special- 

 ly appointed an imperial envoy, a president of the board 

 of war, and viceroy of Hoo Kwang, hereby proclaims to 

 the foreigners of every nation, that they may thoroughly 

 know and understand. 



" Whereas ye, the said foreigners, coming to Canton to 

 trade, have usually reaped immense profits ; therefore it is 

 that your ships, which in former j'ears amounted annually 

 to no more than several tens, now exceed a hundred 

 and several tens, which arrive here every year. Your im- 

 port goods, no matter what they be, with us find a con- 

 sumption ; and respecting the cargo which you may wish 

 to purchase in return, there is nothing in which you may 

 not adventure. I would like to ask you, if, in the wide 

 earth, under heaven, you can find such another profit-yield- 

 ing market as this is ? Our great Chinese emperor views 

 all mankind with equal benevolence, and therefore it is, 

 that he has thus graciously permitted you to trade, and to 

 become, as it were, steeped to the lips in gain. If this 

 port of Canton, however, were to be shut against you, 

 how could you scheme to reap profit more. Moreover, our 

 tea and rhubarb are articles which ye foreigners from afar 

 cannot preserve your lives without ; yet year by year we 



