their domestic economy is much superior to their domestic utensils.

"A Chinese family is regulated with the same regard to subordination and economy that is observed in the government of a state; the paternal authority, though unlimited, is usually exercised with kindness and indulgence. In China, children are indeed sometimes sold, and infants exposed by the parents, but only in cases of the most hopeless indigence and misery, when they must inevitably perish if kept at home; but when the thread of attachment is not thus snapped asunder by the anguish of the parent, it every day grows stronger and becomes indissoluble for life.

"There is nothing more striking in the Chinese character through all ranks than this most respectable union. Affection and duty walk hand in hand, and never desire a separation. The fondness of the father is constantly felt and always increasing; the dependence of the son is perfectly understood by him; he never wishes it to be lessened. It is not necessary to coax or to cheat the child into the cutting off an entail, or the charging his inheritance with a mortgage; it is not necessary to importune the father for an irrevocable settlement. According to Chinese ideas, there is but one interest in a family; any other supposition would be unnatural and wicked. An undutiful child is a monster that China does not produce; the son, even after marriage, continues for the most part to live in the father's house; the labour of the whole family is thrown into one common stock under the sole management of the parent; after whose death the eldest son often retains the same authority, and continues in the same union with his younger brothers.

"The houses of the better sort exhibit a certain show of grandeur and magnificence, and even of taste and elegance in their decorations; but at the same time discover, at least to our eyes, evident marks of discomfort and inconvenience. There is a want of useful furniture. They have indeed lanterns of gause and paper and horn and diaphanous gum, most beautifully coloured and disposed; and they have tables, couches, and chairs, loosely covered with rich carpeting, with gold and silver damasks, and other silks; but they have no bureaux, commodes, lustres, or looking-glasses; they have no sheets to their beds, neither does their bedding itself seem well adapted or agreeable. They do not undress themselves entirely as we do, when they go to rest; but lay themselves down upon alcoved benches, which are spread with a single nat or thin mattress, and adjusted with small pillows and cushions. Their apartments are not well contrived or distributed, according to our ideas of utility and propriety, having seldom any doors that shut with locks or proper fastenings; but in lieu of them screens and curtains, which are removed or drawn back as occasion requires. In the cold weather they are warmed by flues under the floor; for there are neither stoves, fire-places, nor fire-grates in the rooms; but sometimes brasiers filled with charcoal are brought in and occasionally renewed.

"The people, even of the first rank, though so fond of dress as to change it usually several times in a day, are yet in their persons and customs frowzy and uncleanly. Their outward garment of ceremony is richly embroidered with silks of different colours (those of the highest class of all with golden dragons), and their common habit is of plain silk, or fine broad cloth; but their drawers and their waistcoats (of which they usually wear several according to the season) are not very frequently shifted. They wear neither knit nor woven stockings; but wrap their legs round with a coarse cotton stuff, over which they have constantly drawn a pair of black satin boots without heels, but with soles nearly an inch in thickness. In summer every body carries a fan in his hand, and is flirting it incessantly.

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They wear but little linen or calico, and what they do wear is extremely coarse and ill washed, the article of soap not being employed by them. They seldom had recourse to pocket - handkerchiefs, but spit about the rooms without mercy, blow their noses in their fingers, and wipe them with their sleeves, or upon any thing near them. This practice is universal; and what is still more abominable, I one day observed a Tartar of distinction call his servant to hunt in his neck for a louse that was troublesome to him.

"At their meals they use no towels, napkins, table-cloths, flat plates, glasses, knives, nor forks; but help themselves with their fingers, or with their chop-sticks, which are made of wood or ivory, about six inches long, round, and smooth, and not kept very cleanly. Their meat is served up ready cut in small bowls, each guest having a separate bowl to himself. Seldom more than two sit together at the same table, and never above four. They are all foul feeders, and eaters of garlick and strong-scented vegetables, and drink mutually out of the same cup, which, though sometimes rinsed, is never washed or wiped clean. They make use of little vinegar, no olive oil, cyder, ale, beer, or grape wine: their chief drink is tea, or liquors distilled or prepared from rice and other vegetables, of different degrees of strength according to their taste, some of which are tolerably agreeable and resemble strong Madeira.

They almost all smoke tobacco, and consider it as a compliment to offer each other a whiff of their pipes. They also take snuff, preferring that of Brazil when they can get it, but in small quantities; not in that beastly profusion which is often practised in England, even by some of our fine ladies." P. 416.

The articles of English manufacture, and every necessary of civilised life, such as saddles, knives, forks, spoons, surprised and attracted the attention of the Tartars, who could not restrain their admiration of his lordship's carriage and harness. These things, in conjunction with the honesty and veracity of the English, are likely to make an advantageous impression on the Chinese.

"The common people of China are a strong hardy race, patient,

industrious, and much given to traffic and all the arts of gain; cheerful and loquacious under the severest labour, and by no means that sedate, tranquil people they have been represented. In their joint efforts and exertions they work with incessant vociferation, often angrily scold one another, and seem ready to proceed to blows, but scarcely ever come to that extremity. The inevitable severity of the law probably restrains them; for the loss of a life is always punished by the death of the offender, even though he acted merely in self-defence, and without any malice afore-thought.

Superstitious and suspicious in their temper, they at first appeared shy and apprehensive of us, being full of prejudices against strangers, of whose cunning and ferocity a thousand ridiculous tales had been propagated, and perhaps industriously encouraged by the government, whose political system seems to be to endeavour to persuade the people that they are already perfect, and can therefore learn nothing from others: but it is to little purpose; a nation that does not advance must retrograde, and finally fall back to barbarism and misery." P. 421.

"The women of the lower sort are much weather-beaten, and by no means handsome. Beauty is soon withered by early and frequent parturition, by hard labour and scanty fare. They have however a smart air, which arises partly from their manner of tying up their hair on the crown of their heads, and interspersing it with flowers and other ornaments. In the neighbourhood of Pekin I met some ladies of the higher ranks in their carriages, who appeared to have fair complexions and delicate. features. They were all painted, as indeed are many of the inferior classes.

"There is no law to prohibit intermarriages between the Tartars and the Chinese, but they very seldom intermarry. The Mantchoo and Mongol Tartars chiefly marry together, and scarcely ever with any of the other Tartar tribes. The Mantchoos often give large portions with their daughters; the reverse is the case among the Chinese, where the parent usually receives a consideration or handsome present from his son-in-law.”

P. 425.

"The Chinese ladies, like other Asiatics, never alter the costume of their dress. The shift is of silk netting, the waistcoat and drawers are usually of silk,. and trimmed or lined with furs in cold weather; over all they wear a long satin robe made full and loose, which is gracefully gathered round the waist and confined with a sash. These different members of their apparel are usually each of a different colour; and, in the selecting and contrasting of them, the taste and fancy of the wearer are usually displayed.

They adorn and set off their hair with ribbons and flowers, with bodkins, mock pearls, or real ones below a certain size; but wear neither powder nor pomatum, diamonds nor feathers. Many of the mysteries of an European toilet they have never heard of, though perfectly versed in all those of their own, which they devote no small portion of their time. They have

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not yet been initiated in the secrets of captivation by false pretences and love swindling, or of eking out a skeleton figure by a cork rump, a muslin bosom, and a buckram stomacher; for though they reckon corpulence a beauty in a man, they think it a most palpable blemish in their own sex; they therefore pay particular attention to the slimness of their shape, and have the art of preserving it in all its ease and delicacy without effort or compression.

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Though a Chinese has properly but one wife at the head of his family, the number of his concubines depends on his own opulence and discretion. So far, in this point, Chinese and European manners seem pretty much alike; but they differ widely in another: the mistresses of a Chinese live in tolerable harmony together in the same house, and even under the authority of the wife, who adopts and educates their children; and these children inherit from the father equally with their own. P. 428.

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The distinction between the Chinese and Tartars is still very evident; and the latter have usurped all the authority over the former, and retain the superiority of victors, even after the lapse of five centuries.

The population of China is estimated, by his lordship, at 333 millions, on an extent of 1,297,999 square miles, or 830,719,360 acres. If one fourth of this surface be deducted for roads, canals, marshes, mountains, and uncultivable grounds, there will still remain very nearly two acres to each individual, or a square mile to every 337 persons, which is but about as three to two of the population of some European states. The annual revenues of China are likewise estimated at 66,666,6661. sterling. The incidental expenses of military and other establishments of her provinces are discharged on the spot, and the surplus remitted to the imperial treasury at Pekin. In 1792 this surplus amounted to about 124 millions sterling. The army in time of peace consists of a million of infantry and 800,000 cavalry: swords, bows and arrows, and matchlocks, are their principal implements of war.

To the Appendix is subjoined a humourous account of a Chinese merchant who came with his ship to trade in London, his petition to the "Great Colao Dundas," &c. in which the exactions of the excise and custom-house officers are ludicrously detailed, the seisure of his ship and his subsequent confinement in prison are all related, and the great injustice and tyranny of such regulations happily contrasted with those of China. The Chinaman's mode of reasoning is very natural; he thought "that if the Emperor of China admitted all English ships without dis

tinction to trade to Canton, the King of England would not forbid any Chinese ship from trading to London." We have, however, already extended this article to an unusual length, and can only recommend these volumes as worthy a place in the library of every scholar and statesman. We repeat our hope, that the entire writings of his lordship will soon be laid before the public in a convenient form and more perfect manner; although Mr. Barrow certainly deserves our thanks for thus promptly furnishing so much.

Observations on the Influence of Soil and Climate upon Wool; from which is deduced, a certain and easy Method of improving the Quality of English clothing Wools, and preserving the Health of Sheep; with Hints for the Management of Sheep after shearing; an Inquiry into the Structure, Growth, and Formation of Wool and Hair; and Remarks on the Means by which the Spanish Breedof Sheep may be made to preserve the best Qualities of its Fleece unchanged in different Climates. By Robert Bakewell. With occasional Notes and Remarks by the Right Hon. Lord Somerville. 8vo. pp. 166. 6s. 6d. Harding.

1808.

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AFTER noticing the work of Mr. Luccock, a practical writer on wool, in our 23d volume, we expected that some more experienced and scientific author would take up the subject and avail himself of the mass of observations which that work contains, in order to furnish a treatise better adapted to the taste of the public., Mr. Bakewell seems better acquainted with the art of book-making than his decessor, but he is as much less acquainted with his subject. He has indeed charged his reader 6s. 6d. for about one third of the information for which Mr. Luccock charged only 5s. 6d. ; yet he assures us that he has not written to censure, or to supply [and why not?]; the defects of other writers, but to direct the attention of wool-growers to objects of practical utility." This object could certainly have been attained much better by a shilling pamphlet, or by communication to a newspaper, than by the volume before us, even although it is enriched with Lord Somerville's annotations. He adds, with as much confidence as if he had actually made a discovery, "Should it be found that the management I recommend is not new, this will not lessen its value; for if the practice be of considerable antiquity, its