touch to her beauty, and with the view of preparing her for the mandarin market, where small feet bring a higher price, and where occasionally, also, she obtains some interest or favour for her parents through

the connexion.

They walk, or rather totter along, like one shuffling on her heels only, without putting the fore part of the foot on the ground; and, in moving quick, they not unfrequently tumble down, when they must get up again the best way they can; for Chinese gallantry was never observed to extend so far as to afford any help on such an occurrence. Some more cautious, were seen moving about, supporting themselves by the walls of the houses. Girls, from early infancy to eight or nine years old, were carried about in arms, their feet being too tender, during the first years of this absurd and cruel operation, to enable them to bear their weight; the four smaller toes being turned down under the sole, the whole foot and ancle cramped, and the growth impeded by tight bandages, and a small shoe, which is generally again en

closed in a larger one. The pain and irritation excited by this horrid process, as well as the want of exercise, evidently injure their general health, for all the female children had a sickly pallid look. It would be as difficult to account for the origin of this barbarous practice, as that of squeezing the waists of Englishwomen out of all natural shape by stays, (an usage which has not long been laid aside,) or of "treating men like mere musical instruments," and tuning them as such, in Italy.

We had here also an opportunity of observing the mode in which Chinese women ride; a young lady, who appeared from her dress and the smallness of her feet, to be of the first fashion, being met by a party of the officers, on a path so narrow and rugged as to afford time on both sides for a mutual and closer inspection than could have been otherwise obtained. She was only accompanied by an old man, who led the animal, which she bestrode, as men do in Europe; but the stirrups were so short, and the saddle of such construction, that she looked as if seated in a chair. She

wore a loose gown or wrapper, with trowsers, which drew close above the ancle, to shew her small feet and embroidered shoes; and her head was decked with a profusion of flowers. She had that languid and insipid cast of countenance which may be seen by referring to a china tea-cup, where very faithful delineations of their higher class of females may be observed. It was somewhat extraordinary her being found at large in this manner.

On shore the people were inhospitably rude, and even the children were encouraged to be insolent, and to throw stones. One mandarin seized a basket of vegetables from the officers' steward, ordering him and the interpreter (whom he also beat) into the boat, with a number of opprobrious epithets, such as "Foreign Devils! Spies! and Fanquays!"

Our relation with the embassy tied our hands at this time.

Finding no refreshment was to be obtained here, and being told, by some one in authority, that there was a greater probability of getting cattle at another har

bour, forty miles farther to the eastward, we prepared to proceed thither.

We had by this time been joined by the Lyra; Captain Hall having performed the duty on which he had been detached by the commodore, in running down the western and southern shores of the Gulf of Pe-tche-lee, which were found to be in general low. One place, remarkable for its height over the adjoining land, had been named Mount Ellis. Here we parted for a time with our worthy friends of the General Hewitt, the companions of our voyage outward; that ship proceeding to Canton, to complete her, ulterior objects. On the 26th we weighed from Zeu-a-tau, and next morning arrived at Oie-aie-oie, a very extensive and secure harbour, the Lyra sounding the passage in. On our entrance a number of mandarins, (or, as the seamen termed them, mad marines) came on board to pay their respects; and an old turret on the face of a hill fired three popguns by way of salute, turning out about a dozen and a half of soldiers, who looked a good deal like the stage-military in an old-fashioned play.

Their salute was returned by an equal number of guns from the ships. At this place died Mr. Gawthrop, the master, aged forty-three years, (thirty-three of which he had been at sea,) after a severe illness contracted at the Cape of Good Hope. He had been distinguished as a good seaman and correct navigator; his career in the navy had also been marked by his abilities as a surveyor of coasts and harbours; and, although a man of blunt manners, his honesty was sterling. The ship's reckoning had been kept, during his confinement, by Mr. Taylor, the chaplain.

We buried him at sea, near the mouth of the harbour, with military honours; it not being considered right to inter him among a set of men who would have disturbed the grave for the coffin or the clothes, and of whose thievish disposition we had had the fullest example.

It has been deemed by some, unfair to estimate the character of the Chinese by what is observed at Canton, where it is said they have been corrupted by Europeans. At this extremity of the empire, where no