Canton, (China,)Nov. 22, 1831.MY DEAR YOUNG FRIENDS,--I have already told you about thesoldiers, the merchants, the mechanics, and the husbandmen ofChina; in this letter I will give you some account of thescholars. Among all the pagan nations, that have ever been, ornow exist, none perhaps, have been more learned than the Chinese.But no people in the world, without the Bible, can be so learnedas those nations who have it. Those people, who read, and study,and understand the Holy Scriptures the best, will always be thebest scholars; they will have the best taste, the best judgment,the best understanding; and, if they obey what they read, theywill have the best hearts. Believe me, my dear children, if youread andobeythe Holy Bible, we shall betruly wise. Godhimself will be our teacher: andHisholy law will be ourschool-master to bring us to Christ. If all people would only readand obey the word of God, then there would be no wars andfightings; there would be no more thieves, no more robbers, nomore murderers, no more profane persons, and drunkards, and suchlike wicked persons.But the Chinese have not the Holy Bible. They have not the wisdom,that is from above, which is first pure, then peaceable, gentle,and easy to be entreated, full of mercy and good fruits, withoutpartiality, and without hypocrisy. Professing themselves to bewise, they become fools,--blasphemers of God,--boasting ofthings without their measure, and their mouth speaketh greatswelling words. They call their emperorthe Son of Heaven, andbow down before him, and worship him as a divine being. They calltheir empirethe celestial empire. They call it alsothe middlekingdom. All the people around them, even all the nations of theearth,--the English and Americans, and all other people, they callignorant cruel barbarians.I do not dislike the Chinese. I love them; but I dislike theirvices and their wickedness. There is a difference in theircharacter and conduct. Some are far more honest, more kind, moreupright, and better disposed than others. Usually, not always,the most ignorant are the most wicked. The Chinese payconsiderable attention to learning. They have a great many books,some of which contain excellent precepts, and much goodinstruction. But the good, which their books contain, is almostalways mixed up with more or less that is bad, and contrary tothe laws of God.Scholars in China are the most respectable part of the community.Some of their scholars of ancient times, they say, were perfectmen; and so now the people worship them, and sacrifice to them.They say, also, that "of, old families had their schools; villagestheir academies; districts their colleges; and the nation heruniversity. Of consequence, no one was left uninstructed." Theysay, also, that the schools were not intended for one class onlybut for all the people;--that "if the husbandman can exert hisstrength in the field; and duly attend to his duty, then he isa scholar,"--and that, "when the soldiers all know how to veneratetheir superiors, and love their relatives, then they also arescholars." These and more like these, are the sayings of theChinese, of modern times. But most truly may it be said of thispeople, thatthey say and do not. Whether all were, or were not,instructed in times "of old," I will not undertake to determine;but at the present time, it is far enough from being the case.If I am able to continue these letters, as I wish, you will see,by and by, when I come to speak of the condition of females, thatone half--thefairesthalf of the community, are excluded fromthese schools, and leftuninstructed. Besides, there are nota few men and boys who are left uninstructed. A majority, probablya very large majority, of the male population, above the age often years, are taught to read and write. They have numerousdistrict schools, and some colleges; and multitudes make learningtheiressential employment. But their whole system of educationis "wretchedly bad."The Chinese language is very curious indeed; there is no languagelike it in all the world. It is not at all like the Englishlanguage. They have no alphabet,--no A, B, C, and so forth. Theydo not write with a pen, but use a pencil made like a smallpaint-brush. Their books begin where ours end; that is when theytake a book into their hands to read, they open it at the righthand side, instead of the left; and, beginning at the top of theright hand side of the page, read down in columns, passing on fromthe right to the left, and not from the left to the right, as inthe old English spelling-books.Usually, boys do not begin to learn to read until they eight orten years old. They are then sent to school, and the master firstteaches them how to pronounce the words, and afterwards explainstheir meaning. Their first school books are very short, and theboys are required to learn them by heart, so that they can repeatthem from beginning to end. Their words are very strange lookingcharacters. A very long time ago, they say, that a certain man,by observing the print of the horse's foot in the sand, and themarks on the shell of the tortoise, first found out how to writewords, These words were so formed as to be a kind of picture ofthe things which they signified. Though they have been muchchanged since they were first found out, yet still they have someresemblance to the object.Boys always study out loud in school, which makes a great dealof noise. When they have learned a few lessons, they then beginto write. The paper is so thin, that they place the copy underneathit, and then try to form the words just like the copy. Most ofthe boys continue at school only two or three years. But those,who are intended forscholars, continue many years, and are fromtime to time examined for degrees, similar to Master and Bachelorof Arts. Some men in China can get into office by paying money;but all others, who obtain offices of government, are appointedfrom among the scholars, who have received degrees: so the greatobject of being scholars is, that they may get into office, andbecome rulers of the people.The learning of the Chinese is very limited and superficial. Theyhave scarcely any knowledge of astronomy, geography, and history.And so of anatomy, and medicine, and chemistry, and many otherkinds of learning they are amazingly deficient. The course ofstudy for all children in China is nearly the same every where.The first book the boy begins with is in poetry. This is themeaning of the first two lines,man's beginning--nature originalgood, that is the nature of man is originally good; or, more fullyas they explain them,--All men are born virtuous and good.These are the first words, and this the first sentiment the boylearns in school. The words are good enough, and certainly verycurious. But what shall we say of the sentiment,--the meaning ofthe words? Why does God require all men, and all little childrento havenew hearts?It is because all men have hard hearts,hearts ofstone, and cannot loveHim. Why doesHerequireus all to be renewed in the temper of our minds? It is becausethat as we are born and grow up,our minds are enmity againstGod. Why does Jesus Christ say,Except a man be born again, hecannot see the kingdom of God!Because that which is born of theflesh is flesh,--is not virtuous and good. Farewell, dearchildren. And may He, who is the former of your bodies, and thefather of your spirits, have mercy on you, and send his Holy Spiritthat you may be born again,--born of the Spirit, be renewed inyour minds, and have new hearts, and love and enjoy God forever.I remain your true friend,E.C.B.______
Canton, (China,)Nov. 28, 1831.MY DEAR YOUNG FRIENDS,--Thesailors, or those who liveconstantly on the water, ought to be mentioned as a distinctclass. They are, indeed, a very numerous people; and, so far asI know, they are no way inferior, or worse than those belongingto thefiveclasses, of which I have already given you someaccount. Like the seamen of Europe and America, they have beenvery wrongly neglected. The rivers of China are very numerous,and several of them are very broad, beautiful and majestic. Thecanals, also, are numerous. And, besides a number of lakes, thecountry, for an immense distance on the east, and south-east, iswashed by the waves of the Pacific Ocean,--forming along the coasta great number of bays and harbors. On all these waters, vastmultitudes of human beings are born, and live, and die;--having,many of them while they live, no home but a boat, or a ship, andwhen they die, no winding sheet and grave but the waters.On the north bank of one of these rivers, stand the city andsuburbs of Canton. The river varies in its breath. At this place,I should think it about forty or fifty rods wide. In anotherletter, I may tell you something about Canton. I will only statehere, that the buildings extend quite down to the river: and inmany places, even the ground has been built out beyond the formerbank, and in some places much farther than in others, which makesmany nooks and corners. These, and indeed, a considerable partof the river, for three or four miles, seem to be almost coveredwith boats; which are of various descriptions, and in all,probably amount to not less than forty or fifty thousand.Thetankaboats are the smallest and most numerous. Tanks meansanegg-house, and the boats are so called because they resemblean egg floating on the water. The smallest of these boats are notmore than twelve or fifteen feet long, about six broad, and sohigh, that a person can stand up in them. Their covering is verylight, and can be easily adjusted to the state of the weather.Whole families live in these boats; and often besides a goodnumber of children, raise broods of ducks and chickens, which theylash on the outside of the boats in coops.Ferry-boatsdiffer from the tanks, only by being a little longerand narrower, and not quite so high. There is a ferry rightopposite to the place where I live. Four hundred dollars are paidfor it annually; and the ferry-men, or ratherwomen, who rowand scull the boats, usually carry eight persons at a time, andeach person's fare iseight cash, of which about eight hundredmake a dollar. The scull is a kind of long oar, balanced on a pivotclose to one side of the stern of the boat. This "they make useof as the fish does of his tail, thrusting it out, and pullingit to them again, without ever lifting it above water. By thisoar, worked in this manner, not only the ferry-boats, but other,and much larger boats, are urged forward to the greatest possibleadvantage.It would require a large book to give you a full account of allthe different kinds of boats, and ships, and the people that livein them.Hundreds ofpassage-boatsto Canton, come and go daily. Theseare something like the ferry-boats, only they are muchlarger:--some of them are thirty, forty, or even fifty or morefeet in length. They are furnished with one very large mat sail;also with oars, sculls, poles and ropes. When there is no wind,and the water is shallow, the boats are pushed along with the poles;or, if they are close along the bank of a river or canal, ropesare tied to the top of the mast, and the men going on the shoredrag the boats along like horses. The number of sailors, orwater-hands, the Chinese call them, vary according to the sizeof the boats--say from ten to twenty, and upwards; and the numberof passengers, from ten to one hundred, and upwards.Thecanal-boatsare large, fine, noble boats, and often carryimmense burdens. Numbers of these may always be seen on the riverat Canton. They are usually propelled by the same means, and inthe same way, that the passage-boats are.There are also manysmuggling-boats, and governmentcruisers.The smuggling boats carry prohibited goods, and such articles asopium. This is an unlawful and wicked business. The cruisers, orsoldier-boats, as the Chinese call them, are pretty well manned;but not much feared, even by the smugglers, whom they are commandedto seize, and destroy. Indeed, the men of the cruisers will oftentake bribes, and so let the smugglers pass; and not only so, butthey will themselves, also, engage in the same wicked business.Dragon-boats, so named from their appearance, are seen annually,on the 17th of June. They are brought out to celebrate a kind offestival; the story about the origin, and object of which, I havenot time to tell you. These boats are, sometimes, one hundred feetlong, made to resemble a great snake on the water. Well suppliedwith drums, and gongs, and flags, and men with paddles, they makea curious figure.Theduck-boats, which are about the size of the large ferry-boats,having balanced on each side a large square pen, or coop, containingseveral hundreds of ducks, are very curious objects. By lettingdown a kind of trap-door, the ducks are let out, every day, toget their food, and play in the water, and, sometimes, along theshore; and at night, they all come back and are driven into theboats. Thousands of ducks are raised in this way for the market.The Chinese have, also, many large vessels, some of which aresoldier-ship, and others aremerchant-ships. Most of theseare very rude indeed, and usually furnished with wooden anchors,and a helm or rudder of most monstrous size, awkwardly constructed.The number of men in these vessels varies from forty or fifty tothree hundred and upwards. These merchant-ships are those alludedto in a former letter, which go to Singapore, Batavia, &c., andare usually calledjunks.Thefishing-boatsare the last I can mention. They are verynumerous, and of almost every size and description. When beholdingthe occupants of these boats, I have often been reminded of thefishermenof Galilee, whom our blessed Saviour taught, and choseto be his apostles. But, alas, for all these poor sailors, andfishermen! no man cares for their souls. Like brutes they live,like brutes they die.Again, dear children, I bid you adieu! and remain your true friend,E.C.B.______
Canton, (China,)Dec. 3, 1831.MY DEAR YOUNG FRIENDS,--I will now, as I have desired, proceedto tell you about thecharacter and condition of femalesin China.All that I can write, will give you only an imperfect idea of theirdegradation. Women, who have been born and nurtured in Christianlands, and have never seen with their own eyes the desolationsof the human race in heathen countries, can never know how muchthey ought to value the blessings of the gospel. In Christian lands,certainly in America, females constitute the most amiable, themost virtuous, and the happiest part of the community. Exactlythe opposite is true here. They are the most ugly, the most vicious,and the most miserable. I do not mean that they are born so, orare so by nature. By nature all are alike; for God, that made theworld, and all things therein, "hath made of one blood all nationsof men, for to dwell on all the face of the earth." Thus saithGod in the Holy Scriptures. But see now what the Chinese say:--"When a man is born, he sleeps on a bed;He is clothed in robes, and plays with germs;--But when adaughteris born, she sleeps on the ground;She is clothed with a wrapper and plays with a tile;She is incapable either of evil or of good:--If she does ill, she is not a woman;If she does well, she is not a woman;Virtue and vice cannot belong to woman."These, dear children, are the words of one of the ancientwisemen of China. And the present condition of females, is in exactaccordance with thesentimentwhich they contain. Females aretreated as if they wereincapable either of evil, or of good.There are no schools for girls. Very few indeed receive anyeducation. Only here and there one, a solitary individual, is ableeither to read or to write. Such ignorance, and such degradation,do not destroyfemale influence, but leave it to corrupt, andto be corrupted. Thus, in the very nursery, and in the mother'sarms, where the story of Christ crucified ought often to be repeated,and where all the first principles of our holy religion shouldconstantly be taught, the little child is left, not onlyuninstructed in all that is good--but left, to follow vainimaginations, and a mind which is enmity against God. You, dearchildren, have received, and continue to receive much goodinstruction from your parents--especially from your mothers. Youhave line upon line, and precept upon precept. It is not so withlittle children in China. By precept, and by example, they aretaught things contrary to the law of God--taught to dishonor God.They are trained up in the way they shouldnotgo, and when theyare old, theydo notdepart from it.Females in China are not like ancient mothers in Israel. They arenot like multitudes of excellent women now in Christian lands.Females are regarded as avery inferior partof the community.They are often doomed to the lowest and severest labor. I haveoften seen the mother, with an infant tied on her back, laboringhard in rowing her husband's boat, while he sat at his ease, smokinghis pipe.Females of the poorer class, are every where to be seen meanlyattired, and usually barefooted. Those of the higher classes,seldom, if ever appear abroad. Whey they do go out, it is alwaysin sedans;--partly, I suppose, that they may not be seen, and partly,because of theirlittle feet. The small foot is an odd thing.A Chinese historian says, "It is not known when the bow foot (thatis, the small foot) of females was introduced. About nine hundredyears ago, a certain prince," says the same historian, "orderedhis concubine to bind her foot with silk, and cause it to appearsmall, and in the shape of the new moon. From this sprung theimitation of every other female." This is quite like thatfashionin America, of lacing so tight as to bring on the consumption.It is astonishing to what a small size their feet are sometimescompressed. The toes, with the exception of the great toe, aredoubled under the foot, in the tenderest infancy, and fastenedby tight bandages, till they unite with and are buried in, thesole of the foot. This utterly unfits them for walking, and givesthem, when they attempt it, an awkward, hobbling gait, like a persontrying to walk on his heels. Some of their feet, I have been told,are no more than three inches long. These are what they call thegolden lilies, are regarded as the very perfection of beauty.I have sent one of these, or rather a model of one of these alongwith the box of idols, to the Seminary at Andover.Female children are often sold. And there are strong reasons forbelieving, that there are cases where parents drown their infantfemale children, in order to free themselves from the care andexpense of nursing and supporting them. Mention is made of thisfact, in their books. Since I have been in China, I have not seenor heard of a single case. I do not think it true, certainly notin this part of China, that the inhabitants "throw out by thousandstheir new born infants into the streets, so that they are gatheredup by the scavengers every morning." But that great numbers offemale children, that have been nursed and reared to the age ofsix, eight, ten, or twelve years, aresold, I have no doubt.Little girls are very often sold. Sometimes they are sold by theirparents. Sometimes they are sold by robbers, who have stolen themaway from their parents. This practice is very common in Canton,and in other places in the south of China. Sometimes, when theyare sold by the parents, it is on condition, that at a certainage, the buyer shall procure for them a husband, and set them atliberty. At other times, and usually, they are soldunconditionally. Not long ago, I knew a case, where a littlegirl, eleven years of age, was sold forfifty dollars.A great many of the most beautiful female children among the poorare sold, and carried away to be the inmates of those abominableabodes, of which it is almost a shame even to speak. In the Bible,they are called "the way to hell; going down to the chambers ofdeath." There are many hundreds of these wicked houses in and aboutCanton. They are just like those bad boats, those floatingsepulchres, mentioned in the last letters. A great many of thepoor, abandoned creatures that inhabit them, become weary withlife, and kill themselves; sometimes three or four more in a company,and at one time. The Judge of Canton recently stated, that eightor nine tenths of the untimely deaths brought to the notice ofgovernment, were suicides; and that six or seven tenths were women.With this sad story, I must close this letter. I could relate manyfacts of the same sort. But I think I have told you enough;--enoughto show you how miserably thefairesthalf of the human familywillalwaysbe degraded, and abused, until they have the Bible,and enjoy the blessings of the Christian religion. Farewell.Your true friends,E.C.B.______
Canton, (China,)Dec. 5, 1831.MY DEAR YOUNG FRIENDS,--In my last letter, I told you about thecharacter and condition of females in China. In this, I will giveyou an account of themarriage ceremony. It will, still fartherillustrate the character of this people, and help to cherish, andestablish in your young and tender minds, a strong desire for thesalvation of this people.To-day is the first Monday in the month. And it is now,here,just about noon. With you it is midnight, and the Sabbath has justdeparted, leaving all the inhabitants of my dear native land inquiet slumbers. Happy, happy land. Happy, thrice happy children.How different here. Alas, how different! The natural darkness whichat this hour gathers around your habitations, and the cold, northernblasts of winter that sweep over the hills of New England, arefit emblems of the thick moral darkness, and death-like desolationsthat gather around us here. Without, all is dark as midnight--ahowling waste--a desert of immortal souls. My heart aches, as Istand and gaze at gloomy prospects. But within, we have a littlelight: a little fire has been kindled up. A few names--two orthree--hope to jointhe concertthis evening. It is cheeringto think, what multitudes, as the earth rolls round will bow theknee in prayer before the throne of God, and continue the voiceof fervent supplication, till you, dear children, and thousandsand thousands of others, shall be found pleading with God. Andoh, remember China. Pray for the missionaries. Pray for the heathenPray for the rulers. Pray for the people. Pray for the poorchildren--and for the uninstructed, neglected, and degradedfemales. Pray that they may all receive the word of God; read it;obey it; be sanctified through it; and thereby made fit for heaven.In China a man often has two or more wives; and sometimes, eightor ten. I have heard of one man, now living in Canton, who hastwenty-four:and says, he means to have a new one every year.Of my three boys, of whom I hope to tell you more by and by--theoldest one's father has two wives, the second one's, four, andthird one's father, only one. In China, as in ancient Judea, childrenare often espoused, when quite young. But they are not usuallymarried, until girls arrive at the age of 14 or 16; and boys tothe age of 18 or 20 years.When parents wish to have a daughter married, they write on a sheetof red paper, the year, month, day, and hour of her birth, andgive the paper to a go-between-match-maker, who carries it to thehouse of the intended husband, and brings back, from his parents,a similar statement. After this the girl's father is introducedto the young man, and his mother on the other side, is introducedto the girl. Many presents of fancy articles, dresses, meats, cakes,fruits, and the like are then interchanged, and the marriagecontract is considered assettled.Two, three, four or more years, or perhaps only a few months elapse,which time is usually regulated by the age of the parties, andthen other, and more valuable gifts are reciprocated; and anotherinterval of months, or years passes away, and then comes the weddingday. On that day the young man sends a sedan to bring home thebride. This sedan is always elegant, and often superb, costingseveral hundred dollars. It is made quite like those describedin a former letter, but always so constructed as entirely to concealthe person carried in it. In this sedan, the young woman is seatedby her parents, and tears are shed both by the daughter and parents,as she is separated from them, and borne off in the marriageprocession. This is often a very long procession, sometimesconsisting of several hundred persons, some in the processioncarrying embroidered canopies; others carrying large, elegantlanterns; others bearing pots of incense; and others laden withthe girl's toilet wardrobe, bedding, furniture, provisions, cakes,sweet-meats, &c. Among others are bands of musicians. I have seenin a single procession eight bands, and six or eight persons ineach band. Some of the bands, and some of the bearers of the incensepots and the other things, consist of boys 8, or 10, or 12 yearsold, fancifully dressed in uniform. In one instance, I have seena band of girls in the procession. They were six in number, neatlydressed, two about nine years of age, two of twelve, and two offifteen. They were all on foot, immediately preceding the sedan;and close behind it, carried on men's shoulders, in the same manneras the sedan, was a sty containing a monstrous hog.When the procession arrives at the gate of the bridegroom's house,he meets the sedan, and conducts it to an inner apartment, when,for thefirst time, he is permitted toseethe face of hisbride. Two or three days are then spent in festivity, and a long,tedious round of ceremonies, worshipping their household gods,the gods of their ancestors, &c. Many of their friends call tosee, and congratulate them. And thus the marriage ceremony isconsummated.It appears, that in all this business, the children have nothingto say. According to the laws and usage of the land, it is thechildren's duty to receive the object of their parent's choice,Nothing in China can be more absolute than a parent's' authority.In certain cases, it may, and does with impunity, take the lifeof the child. Such authority is liable to abuse; and often inconnexion with such a strange system of wedlock, it becomes a mustfruitful source of dislike, deception, strife, hatred, and almostevery other evil passion.The Chinese have many laws on the subject of marriages, specifyingall the steps necessary in order to make them legal; and showing,also, how and when they may be set aside, or be broken.It has been stated on good authority, that "Through the Chineseempire, there are only about one hundred family names." One lawis, "that persons of the same family name--surname--may notintermarry." It would be curious to know the reason of this. Anotherlaw is, that taking a second wife, after the decease of the first,or in purchasing concubines, the man is at liberty to see the females,and choose for himself. A widow, also, who is desirous of weddinga second time, does not hesitate to show herself to the intendedhusband.Their laws mention seven cases, in which a man may be justifiedin putting away his wife; (1.) barrenness; (2.) lasciviousness;(3.) disregard of her husband's parents; (4.) talkativeness; (5.)thievish propensities; (6.) envious and suspicious temper; (7.)inveterate infirmity.There are several other topics on which I wish to write beforeI close these letters. In the next, I will tell you about the beggars.Farewell. Ever and always remembering you in my prayers,I remain, your true friend,E.C.B.______
Canton, (China,)Dec. 7, 1831.MY DEAR YOUNG FRIENDS,--"For ye have the poor with you always,"said our Savior, "and whensoever ye will, ye may do them good."In connexion with what I have to tell you about thebeggars,I wish to give you some account of thefoodandclothing, commonand peculiar among the Chinese.The proportion of poor people and beggars, and the differencebetween the rich and the poor, is I think, much greater here thanin the United States. The Chinese are rather fond of dress. Therich, and all who can afford it, and many who cannot, usually dressvery well. Sometimes their dresses are rich and costly: and childrenhere, as every where else, are fond enough of fine, gay clothing.And prettier lads certainly, I have rarely seen, than some of theChinese boys, when neatly dressed. Sometimes, however, the littlefellows, with their great boots, and one garment piled on anotherto the number of six or eight, or even more, and the long tailhanging down to their heels, and the head crowned with a long tasseledcap, make a very ridiculous appearance.Thewholedress of the Chinese is different from ours. To beginwith the shoes and boots; these are made with black, brown, orred cloth, for the upper part, while the soles are of leather orwood, an inch or more in thickness, with snow white edges. Theyusually wear long white silk, or linen stockings, made of cloth;sometimes knit. These are drawn up to the knee, and fastened withgarters. Sometimes the stockings are drawn over the trowsers; atother times, they are made, or worn at least, like the old fashionedshort breeches. These three articles are usually the same throughthe year, and vary only in quality, according to the circumstancesof the persons, being made every where in the sameold fashion.Beggars are often seen in the streets, in the most loathsomecondition, with no other clothing than a tattered pair of trowsers;indeed many of the laborers in the fields and shops, during thewarm weather, wear nothing else--but in the latter case, the articlesare of good material, and well made. Their trowsers are neversupported by braces over the shoulders, but always, among the richand poor alike, by a girdle about the loins. To this girdle infront, a small bag or wallet is attached; this is "an indispensable,"and in it, they carry cash, a small knife, &c. &c.In America, the man who has not a shirt to his back, must be poorindeed. In China, the poor seldom have such an article; and nota few, even among the gentle-folks, often go without it, especiallyin summer. In which case, the only dress, in addition to shoes,stockings, and trowsers, is a long frock, made quite like thatworn by farmers in New England, at haymaking. All the upper garments,whether for warm weather or cold, are made in the same fashion,with long, large sleeves, and without any collars for the neck.These garments are sometimes short, only coming down to thewaist--but sometimes to the knees, or ancles. They are fastenedwith small round buttons and loops, either down in front, or underone arm. When the weather grows cold, they increase the numberof these garments, putting on five, or six, or eight, or even moreat a time. Some of these garments, when made of silk, or broadcloth,and fastened close about the waist with a sash, make a very finedress. Their shortest frocks are frequently made of fur.The common covering for the head is a kind of skull-cap; but inwarm weather all the people go bare-headed, with nothing but afan (which they always carry) to keep off the sun. They have acloth or wool hat, of a conical form, like the unfinished hats,sometimes seen in hatters' shops. They have also a hat made offine bamboo, in the same form, and yet another kind with a brimso broad, that it serves as an umbrella, either to keep off thesun or the rain.Such is a description of the ordinary clothing of the common andpoorer classes of people; that of the rich is usually quite inthe same style, but the quality of the articles always superior.The rich also wear ornamental articles, as beads, bracelets, &c.&c.The dress of the females is not very unlike that of men;--theyusually wear trowsers, and a folded petticoat, depending severalinches below their frocks. Their head-dress is very pretty; thehair is tastefully folded on the back on the head, and fastenedby a neat brace and pin. They are remarkably fond of flowers ontheir heads--not artificial, but natural ones. Themourningdressis not black--but white, or what approaches almost to white--butmore of this in another letter.Rice, among the Chinese, in this part of the empire, is the staffof life. Multitudes obtain no other food. To breakfast, is "toeat morning rice:"--this is at ten o'clock. To dine or sup, is"to eat evening rice:"--this meal they have about five o'clock,P.M. When they can obtain a little salt or dried fish, a fewvegetables to eat with their rice, and also tea, which they alwaysdrink without milk or sugar, then they have "good living," andthese few simple articles constitute the ordinary food and drink,among the common and poorer classes.A single kettle to boil their rice--a pan to fry their fish andvegetables--a large bowl for the boiled rice--and a small bowl anda pair of chop-sticks, make up the whole of their table furniture,if indeed they are so happy as to have a table. But whether theyhave or not, the large bowl of rice forms the centre, and aroundthis squat on their heels, or seated on wooden stools, they arrangethemselves, and receive their humble fare, with no doubtful marksof a good relish.From these poor people, the common and richer classes differ, onlyin the amount and quality of their furniture, and provisions; thestyle as in the case of dress, being nearly the same through allthe grades of society. The tables of the rich are often verysumptuous. There is nothing, scarcely, whether vegetable or animal,which the Chinese do not eat. Besides all kinds of fish, birds,horned cattle, sheep and hogs, they eat horses, dogs, cats, rats,&c. Tea is used in great abundance, and is almost their only beverage.They seldom drink water alone, because they think it unhealthy.The Chinese are not greatly addicted to the use of strong drink;less, probably, than the Christian people of Europe and America.This, I think, is in no small degree, owing to their constant useof tea.I have not time to extend these remarks; you see there is no lackof inquiry about what we shall eat, and what we shall drink, andwherewithal we shall be clothed. These are the very things afterwhich theGentilesseek; and they seek them with their wholesoul, and mind, and strength. Yet great numbers live--perhaps arecompelled to live--solely by begging. In Canton, beggars are verynumerous. They have, it is said, laws for begging, and a head man,who among the foreigners is called "the king of the beggars." Menand women of all ages, may be seen begging; great numbers of themareblind. When they go through the streets, they carry in onehand a cane to feel their way, and in the other a dish or bag toreceive money or food, or any thing people please to give them.Sometimes they are seen in companies, of 3, 4, 6, or 10, or evenmore; they hollow or sing, or rather "cry out" as they go. Oneof their laws is, that when they enter a house or shop, they willnot go till something is given them. With bamboo sticks, or gongs,they set up a most vexatious clatter, and in this way trouble andannoy people, till they give them something; and, if it be no morethan a singlecash, then they must "be off."Your true friend,E.C.B.______
Canton, (China,)Dec. 9, 1831.MY DEAR YOUNG FRIENDS,--Having no fear of God before their eyes,the Chinese often become very wicked and guilty of numerous crimes,not only againstHim, whose eternal power and godhead they deny,but against their fellow-men. This wickedness and these crimes,expose them to many and very severe punishments. Lying, gambling,quarrelling, theft, robbery, and bribery, are among their mostcommon vices. There arefivepunishments; (1.) to beat with asmall bamboo; (2.) to beat with a large bamboo; (3.) banishmentto another district or province; (4.) perpetual banishment to theborders of the empire; and (5.) death. These five, are sometimesreduced to three, the bamboo, banishment, and death. It may beremarked, also, that these punishments are sometimes exchangedfor others.Lying, among a great majority of the population, seems to beregarded as a very small offence,--provided the lie be not detected.There are men, I believe, who will not lie; but while this greatwickedness is disallowed of by a few, multitudes will ever andalways practise it; if they only suppose they shall be the gainersthereby. Officers of Government will tell lies to one another.The people will lie to the magistrates; children to their parents;and servants to their masters. Instead of supposing every man tobe honest, until he is proved to be a rogue, they seem to regardevery one as a rogue, until heproves himself to be honest.Gamblingis a chief "crying sin" among the Chinese. They arenotorious gamblers. Old and young, rulers and subjects, rich andpoor, will gamble; nor have they much regard to the time, or place,when they gamble. I have often seen them gambling in their temples.Thousands are ruined by this sin.Quarrelsspring up from lying, and gambling, and other wickedpractices, just as surely as briers, thorns, and thistles springup in a rich but uncultivated soil. Their strange mode of marriagetoo, is a fruitful source of quarrels. As to their quarrels, ithas been well said,--"A Chinese would stand and reason with a man,when an Englishman would knock him down, or an Italian stab him.It is needless to say which is the more rational mode of proceeding."I am not aware that the Chinese ever fight duels--though in theirquarrels, persons are often killed. They are great scolds, anduse the most obscene and abusive language.Theftandrobberyare the most common among the poor, thoughit isnotconfined to them. Among such multitudes of beggars,it often happens, that they cannot obtain sufficient food andclothing to make themselves comfortable. By gambling also,multitudes are reduced to beggary and want; hence come bands ofthieves and robbers, trained and prepared for any and every thingthat is evil.Theft and robbery constitute one of the greatest scourges in thisland; and no part of the country, from one extremity of the empireto the other, is free and secure from this evil. Since I commencedthis letter, one of my boys has told me of a case of this kind,which has just occurred in the neighborhood. It is as follows;--twomen, dressed like poor females, entered a rich man's house latein the evening, and wished to be lodged there during the night.This privilege was granted them. When all were asleep, they silentlyput off their false dress, packed up a large number of rich articlesbelonging to the house, and were about to escape, when they werediscovered, seized, carried away to the magistrates and sentencedto be beheaded.--Though decapitation is not the severestpunishment, yet more than two hundred instances of it have occurredin Canton in a single year.Briberyis very common in China; perverting just judgment, andscreening the guilty. This wickedness is most common among therich. Almost all the rulers of the land, will take bribes. Manydefrauders and injurious persons, many thieves, and robbers, andmurderers, escape through bribes.Money isseen to be, here,the root of all evil. "A little silver physic," it is said, "hasoften brought a dead man to life."The immense quantity ofopiumthat is smoked here, is a mostfruitful source of crime. Many of the practised villains, whenthey wish to contrive new plans of wickedness, have recourse tothisblack commodity:which produces a most astonishing effect,in enabling thesmokersto frame new schemes of darkness. Ithas been said, and by a man of sound judgment and correct observation,(I am sorry to say that he is an American, and an extensive dealerin opium,) that the "drug" is doing more to break down thesuperstitions of China, and to open the country to foreigners,than all the efforts of missionaries. There is a degree ofapparenttruth in this man's very honest remark, and I think just as muchrealtruth, as if he had said, "to set fire to their houses,and butcher the inhabitants, will do more to break down thesuperstitions of China, and open the country to foreigners, thanall the efforts of Bibles, and tracts, and missionaries." Whetherit be a crime or not, to bring and sell opium to this people;--andwhether it be a crime or not, for this people to use it, when broughtand sold by the hands of Christians, I will not undertake to say,--butI believe, stubborn facts compel me to believe, thatof all thecauses of crime,among the inhabitants of the Chinese empire,OPIUM, brought and sold at the rate of a million of dollars permonth,is the greatest. It is nothing better, than to scatterfire-brands, arrows, and death.Simply being put in prison, seems hardly to be regarded as apunishment among this people; though multitudes are imprisonedand suffered greatly thereby. The common instruments of punishmentare, (1.) thebamboo, about the size of large cane; (2.) theyoke, a heavy plank three feet square, and thirty-three poundsweight; (3.) thechainto fasten the criminals to the block;(4.)hand-cuff, large and long, made of wood; and (5.)ironfetters.Such are some of the most common crimes, and such are the instrumentsof punishment in China. To determine the degree of criminality,and fix the punishment accordingly, is among most nations verydifficult, but the Chinese make it very easy, at least they makeit appear so in their law books, The degrees of punishment aretwenty,--the first ten, are with bamboo; the next eight, banishment;the last two, death.For a very small offence, amounting to the first degree ofcriminality, the offender may receive ten blows; increasing hisguiltfivetimes, the fifty blows, &c. These blows may be changedfor the yoke, the chain, the hand-cuffs, &c.For some of the larger crimes, as bribery and the like, personsare bambooed, and then sent into banishment. Sometimes, only fromone province to another, as from the north to the south, and fromthe south to the north; at other times, criminals are sent a longdistance, to the frontiers of the empire, for many years, and evenfor life.The highest degrees of crime are punishable with death. The mostcommon mode of inflicting death, is by cutting off the head, andthis is done by a kind of short sword. For very heinous crimes,the offender is sentenced to becut into ten thousand pieces.I intended to have said something to you, on the subject ofslaveryin China but must pass it by without a single remark. Again adieu.Your true friend,E.C.B.______
Canton, (China,)Dec. 10, 1831.MY DEAR YOUNG FRIENDS,--"Then shall the dust return to the dustas it was; and the spirit shall return unto God who gave it."In an empire so ancient and populous as China, the number of humanbeings that havereturned to the earth, must be great indeed;greater than any man can number. For more than thirty hundred years,one generation after another, in awfully rapid succession, havegone to the dead. Almost all the hills and uplands about Cantonand Macao, which are not covered with the habitations of the living,are filled with the abodes of dead. In Macao, almost every rodof ground, which is safe from water, even to hard, rocky hill tops,has some emblem,--a turfed hillock, a stone, or a little enclosure,to remind the visiter of the sleepers below. When I have walkedover these grounds,--these abodes of the dead, thoughts have arisenin the mind, which you may conceive, but which I cannot express.O, what multitudes will risehere, at the sound of the last trumpet!What vast congregations will come up from these burying places,and stand with us before the judgment seat of Christ! Every dayis adding to the number of this vast congregation. Death does notwait for his victims--death does not wait till the heathen havethe gospel preached unto them. And unless these multitudes of theliving,speedilyobtain mercy of him, of whom they are nowignorant, how shall they come forth to the resurrection of life?Will the heathen be saved, who never heard the gospel? I ask you,dear children, doyouthink the heathen can be saved, unlessthe gospel be preached unto them, and theybelievein the nameof Jesus? It is very painful to all think, that all the millionsof our fellow creatures, who are now ignorant of the Savior, must,when they die, sink down to hell. But how can it be otherwise?"Whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved."But "how shall they call on him in whom they have not believed?and how shall they believe in him of whom they have not heard?And how shall they hear without a preacher? And how shall theypreach, except they be sent!" And now, dear children, I desireto ask again, what doyouthink of these words, which I havequoted from the tenth chapter of Romans? What do you think St.Paul meant? He means to say,--if I understand him, he means toaffirm,--in the most positive manner, by the questions which heasks, that the heathen, who do not hear and believe the gospel,cannot be saved.I fear that many very good people have wrong ideas on this subject;and do not consider and realize the awful condition of the heathen;for I am persuaded, that if they did see and realize, they woulddo very differently from what they ever have done yet; they wouldfeel and act as Jesus Christ did; they would be willing to becomepoor, to labor and toil, and even die for the salvation of theheathen.With a desire that you may have correct ideas of the real conditionof the Chinese, I have been urged on to write these letters. Ihave stated many facts; but you will desire, I presume, to knowsomething more about theirideas of death, style of mourning,funerals, &c.Having very little if any knowledge of the true God, the Chineseare entirely ignorant ofanother world:--of heaven and hell,--ofthe joys of the one, and the terrors of the other, as revealedin the Bible. All their notions about the soul of man, are verydark and confused. Many think that thesoul dies, and ceasesto exist with the body. Others think that when the body dies, thesoul goes away and enters into other bodies--birds, beasts, ormen. All this ignorance makes the Chinese very careless about death,and all that which is to come upon them. They die like the brutes.Such are their ideas of death.When a parent dies, a messenger is sent to announce it to all therelatives. A board, or a long slip of brownish white paper, ishung up at the door, on which is written the person's name, age,and virtues, &c. The children and grand-children of the deceased,sit on the ground, and weep and mourn. Relations come in and dressthe corpse; and many long and tedious ceremonies are performed.Usually, after three times seven days, the funeral takes place.A large concourse of friends and mourners assemble; and a processionis formed with priests, bands of music, flags, &c. &c.--all quitelike one of the marriage processions, which I have alreadydescribed. Meats, fruits, cakes of various kinds, are carried asofferings to the dead, and the procession moves on to the buryingplace. This is always selected with great care, and is usuallya hill. Only two things, it has been said, are feared by the Chineseafter death, "a watery grave, and a white ant sepulchre."It is not every day, that they may bury the dead; they must waitfor a luck-day. Many of these processions may be seen in a singleday. Some of the funerals are very expensive. Two occurred in thisneighborhood last summer; one of a father, the other of a wife,on each of which more than ten thousand dollars were expended.Themourningcostume is like a brownish white, with a perfectlywhite napkin around the head, and sometimes around the loins; andtheir shoes are exchanged for sandals.By the death of a father, a son is disqualified for, and is obligedto retire from office, for three years. Great care must be takento have a good burying place; and for want of such, and means tobury the dead, bodies sometimes lie months and years in coffins,unburied. There wereten thousandsuch in Canton last year. Iknow of one family where there are thirteen in this state.But from the accounts of the dead, I think you will be willing,if not glad, to have me desist. I will do so; and, if the Lordwill, I desire to proceed and give you some account of what hasbeen done for China. In the next letter, I propose to speak ofthe labors of the Rev. Dr. Morrison, Tell then, farewell.Your true friends,E.C.B.______