Cuap. XX. AS A CENTRE OF TRADE. 343 
allowed to visit the numerous cities and towns 
which line its banks. The river which leads from 
Tien-tsin to Pow-ting-foo, one of the chief towns 
of the province, will take a large quantity of our 
manufactures, and the caravans which come to 
that place will convey them all over the western 
interior. In addition to all this there is the capital 
itself, teeming with its many thousands of human 
beings, all requiring food and clothing, and carry- 
ing on an extensive trade with Western China and 
Tartary by means of camels, droves of which are 
daily arriving and departing from the city. 
Taking all these facts together, we may venture 
to look forward to Tien-tsin becoming, at no very 
distant time, a most important mart for our manu- 
factures. Already English houses begin to rise 
on the new settlement, and ere the world grows 
many years older a handsome foreign town will be 
seen on the land which was lately covered with 
cabbage-gardens, mud huts, and tombs. The Rev. 
Mr. Edkins and other Christian missionaries have 
also entered this field ; and by their knowledge of 
the Chinese language, their inoffensive manners, 
and their blameless lives, do much to remove many 
prejudices which exist in the minds of the people 
against those who have come to reside amongst 
them. 
