caution and preciseness, as if they were forming a treaty of peace, and with more address than some treaties of peace have been negociated.

"As a direct refusal to any request would betray a want of good breeding, every proposal finds their immediate acquiescence; they promise without hesitation, but generally disappoint by the invention of some sly pretence or plausible objection. They have no proper sense of the obligations of truth. So little scrupulous, indeed, are they with regard to veracity, that they will assert and contradict without blushing, as it may best suit the purpose of the moment.

"The vanity of an usurped national superiority, and a high notion of self-importance, never forsake them on any occasion. Those advantages in others, which they cannot avoid feeling, they will affect not to see; and, although they are reduced to the necessity of emplaying foreigners to regulate their calendar, and keep their clocks in order, although they are in the habit of receiving yearly various specimens of art and ingenuity from Europe, yet they pertinaciously affect to consider all the nations of the earth as barbarians in comparison of themselves. A Chinese merchant of Canton, who, from the frequent opportunities of seeing English ships, was not insensible of their advantages over those of his own nation, which traded to Batavia and other distant ports, resolved, and actually began, to construct a velsel according to an English model; but the Hoopoo, or collector of the customs, being apprised of it, not only obliged him to relinquish his project, but fined him in a heavy penalty for presuming to adopt the VOL. XLVI.

modes of a barbarous nation. So great is their national conceit, that not a single article imported into the country, as I have elsewhere ob. served, retains its name. Not a nation, nor person, nor object, that does not receive a Chinese appellation; so that their language, though poor, is pure.

"The expressions made use of in salutation, by different nations, may, perhaps, be considered as deriving their origin from features of national character. Lau-ye, Oldsir, is a title of respect, with which the first officers of state may be addressed, because the maxims of government have inculcated the doctrine of obedience, respect, and protection to old age. The common salutation among the lower orders of people, in some of the southern provinces, is Ya fan; Have you eaten your rice? The greatest happiness that the common class of people in China can hope to enjoy, consists in their having a sufficiency of rice. Thus also the Dutch, who are considered as great eaters, have a morning salutation, which is common among all ranks, Smaak-elyk eeten! May you eat a hearty dinner! Another universal salutation among this people is, Hoe vaart uwe? How do you sail? adopted, no doubt, in the early periods of the republic, when they were all navigators or fishermen. The usual salutation at Cairo is, How do you sweat? a dry hot skin being a sure indication of a destructive ephemeral fever. I think some author has observed, in contrasting the haughty Spaniard with the frivolous Frenchman, that the proud steady gait and inflexible solemnity of the former, were expressed in his mode of salutation.— Come esta? How do you stand?

3 R

Whilst

Whilst the Comment vous portez vous? How do you carry yourself? was equally expressive of the gay motion and incessant action of the latter.

"The Chinese are so ceremonious among themselves, and so punétilious with regard to etiquette, that the omission of the most minute point, established by the court of ceremonies, is considered as a criminal of fence. Visiting by tickets, which, with us, is a fashion of modern refinement, has been a common practice in China some thousand years; but the rank of a Chinese visitor is immediately ascertained by the size, colour, and ornaments of his ticket, which also varies in all these points, according to the rank of the person visited. The old viceroy of Petche-lee's ticket to the embassador, contained as much crimson-coloured paper as would be sufficient to cover the walls of a moderate-sized room."

Having exceeded our usual limits in the above extract, we are necessarily precluded from detailing at any length the particulars of the following chapters; which, however, we can promise the reader, continue to the last page of the volume to recommend themselves, by ingenious disquisition, originality of opinion, and liveliness of narration. The manners and amusements of the court; the character and private life of the emperor; language, literature, and the fine arts; sciences, mechanics, and medicine of the Chinese are separately, and with elaborateness, considered in the 5th and 6th chapters; while the government, laws, tenures of land and taxes, revenues, civil and military ranks and establishments, form the subject of the 7th.

Mr. Barrow next ventures some conjectures on the origin of the Chinese, and gives an ample statement of their religious sects and ceremonies. His journey from Tong-choofoo to the provice of Canton, ena. bles him to state, with apparent precision, the face of the country and its productions; the buildings, and other public works; general view of the condition of the people; state of agriculture, and the probable population of the empire.

The remainder of this instructive and amusing work is employed in the account of the author's journey through the province of Canton; an useful description of the city ;the situation of foreigners trading to that port; and of the impositions practised by the officers of the government.

The following modest and sensible "Conclusion," terminates the volume. "I have now gone over most of the points relative to which I have been able to recollect the remarks and observations which arose in my mind during my attendance on this memorable embassy. The comparisons I have made were with a view of assisting the reader to form, in his own mind, some idea what rank the Chinese may be con sidered to hold, when measured by the scale of European nations; but this part is very defective. To have made it complete, would require more time and more reading, than at present I could command. The consideration of other objects, those of a political nature, which are of the most serious importance to our interests in China, is more particularly the province of those in a different sphere, and would, therefore, be improper for me to anticipate, or pre-judge, by any conjecture of my

OWR.

own. It belongs to other persons, and, perhaps, to other times; but it is to be hoped, that the information, reflections, and opinions of the embassador himself, may one day be fully communicated to the public, when the present objections to it shall cease, and the moment arrive, (which is probably not very distant) that will enable us to act upon the ideas of that nobleman's capacious and enlightened mind, and to prove to the world that the late embassy, by shewing the character and dignity of the British nation in a new and splendid light, to a court and people, in a great measure, ignorant of them before; how. ever misrepresented by the jealousy and envy of rivals, or impeded by the counteraction of enemies, has laid an excellent foundation for great future advantages, and done honour to the wisdom and foresight of the statesman*, who planned the measure, and directed its execution."

That nothing might be wanting to the reader's instruction and amusement, this large 4to.volume is adorned and enriched by eight valuable drawings chiefly from the elegant pencil of Mr. Alexander, the draughsman to the embassy; and the whole forms a splendid proof of the advanced state of the typography and graphic art of this country.

North Wales; including its Scenery, Antiquities, Customs, and some Sketches of its Natural History, &c. By the Rev. William Bingley, A. M. Fellow of the Linnean So.

ciety. Illustrated with a Map, Frontispiece, and Music, 2 Vols.

8vo.

Our author,commencing his route at Chester, of which city he takes due notice, proceeds by Holywell, and the top of Pen-maen-mawr into that mountainous part of the country, denominated, by Mr. Pennant, Snowdonia, comprehending the greater part of Caernarvonshire, and still called the forest of Snowdon. This part of the work is peculiarly worthy the reader's attention, as it embraces a greater variety of new matter and description, than any other of this class we are acquainted with.

The animated and pleasing account of the falls of Benglog is particularly interesting, and of which Mr. Bingley remarks, that "they are scarcely known in the adjacent country, and have been unaccountably omitted even in Mr. Pennant's Tour, although this gentleman accurately describes most of the scenery around them."

Mr. Bingley's station, for some part of the time he passed in the northern counties of Wales, was at Caernarvon; from whence he made various excursions into the neigh. bourhood; the fruits of which are here detailed in a sprightly and interesting manner. A long account of the extravagancies of a variety of the Methodists, popularly termed Jumpers, occurs in this part of his book. A remarkable anecdote is here also given of the wretchedness of the habitations of the lower orders, which we shall transcribe.

"I was taken to a cottage in the

parish

parish of Llanrug, inhabited by a lame old woman, named Mary Morgan. I mention it only for the purpose of relating the singular mode which this old woman invariably adopted, till her lameness rendered it too painful, of getting into her house, whenever she mislaid the key of the door. She mounted the peat stack at the end of the building, clambered up from thence to the slates, and descended the chimney. This is an undoubted fact."

In common with all who have visited this portion of the principality as tourists, Snowdon engages a considerable share of our author's attention. His description of the view from its summit is striking and impressive, and the catalogue he gives of the rare and curious plants he found upon this, and the other mountains of Caernarvon, mark him as a scientific and eager botanist, and will be highly acceptable to those who are versed in that branch of natural history.

The island of Anglesea is Mr. Bingley's next stage, and here he takes occasion to digress upon the origin and use of the cromlechen, which abound in that island. A subject often debated, but still open to disquisition. And whether they be (as Rowlandson supposes) considered as the altars of the Druids; or, (as does Borlase) be conceived purely sepulchral, is a question that has hitherto divided, and will long divide, the opinions of mankind.

The vale of Montgomery is excellently well pourtrayed, and the different rural scenes in this beautiful part of the country, are delineated with the pencil of a master.

But the most valuable portions of

the work, are the dissertations which occupy the greater part of the second volume, on the language, the music, and the manners and customs of the Welsh. The first of these subjects is singularly well discussed; the analogies pointed out close, accurate, and abundant; and the reasoning lucid and conclusive. The second, independantly of the entertainment afforded by the Bardic anecdotes with which it is diversified, is further elucidated by several of the most popular airs being given in score. And the last we shall here trauscribe for the instruction and entertainment of our readers, and as a fair specimen of the style and manner of our author, with whom we confess ourselves, upon the whole, to be greatly pleased; and, abating a little in our estimate for a certain vein of good-natured credulity, and occasional inaccuracy of expression, which pervade the volumes before us; we do not hesitate to pronounce him lively, ingenious, and amusing, far above the generality of that class of writers in which his present work must place him.

"From ancient, I now descend to modern times; and, from describing that hardy race of warlike characters which were with so much difficulty subdued by the English monarchs, I proceed to make some remarks on their present state, in which this people enjoy a degree of happiness and tranquillity, that, in feudal times, the country never experienced.

"While quarrels rage did nourish ruinest wrack, And Owen Glyndore set bloodie broyles abroach; Eull

Full many a towne was spoyl'd and put to sack,

And cleane consum'd, to countries foule reproach

Great castles rais'd, fayre buildings burnt to dust,

Such revel reign'd, that men did live by lust:

But since they came, and yielded unto lawe,

Most meek as lambe, within one yoke they drawe.

"In those mountainous and secluded parts of Wales, as some of the interior of Caernarvonshire, Merionethshire, and Denbighshire, that are yet scarcely known to the English tourist; the manners of the inhabitants differ very essentially from what will be observed near any frequented road. The people seem there to have an innocence and simplicity of character, unknown in the populous parts of our own country. Among these it is that we are to search for those original traits, and that native hospitality, so much the boast of the Welsh writers. Wherever the English have had uninterrupted communication, the money, of which they have been so lavish, has afforded an irresistible temptation for the lower classes of the inhabitants to practise impositions; in such situations the people differ little from the like class amongst us. On all the great roads, they seem to pride themselves in being sufficiently expert to over-reach their Saxon neighbours in any of their little bargains. A Welsh gentleman, of undoubted veracity, informed me, (and in various instances I have myself experienced its truth) that it is a common prac. tice amongst his countrymen, to ask for any article they have to offer for sale, nearly double the sum

they will take those persons who are acquainted with these practices, never give them the full price for what they purchase. I have good authority for asserting, that, at some of the inferior inns, if an Englishman sits down at table with Welshmen, the charge for his eating will be at least one third more than that

of each of the rest of the company. This is a provoking_imposition.

"A rustic bashfulness and reserve, seem to be general features in the character of the Welsh people; and strangers, unaccustomed to their manners, have often mistaken these for indications of sullenness. It is usual to say of them that they are very irrascible. This may be the case, but from what I have myself seen, I am inclined to think that the natural rapidity of their expression in a language not understood, has often been construed into passion, without any other more certain grounds. Persons who form their ideas from the opinions of others, without being at the trouble of making observations for themselves, are often deceived and misled. Such, I am confident, has been the case a thousand times in the judgments formed on the present subject.

"The lowest classes bear indications of extreme proverty, yet they seem to enjoy good health. Their dwellings are cottages, or rather huts, built of stones, whose interstices are closed with peat or mud. On a mere inspection, they would seem the habitation of wretchedness. They are in general so dark, that on first entering, the glare of light down the chimney alone takes the attention. attention. The following is a good picture, by Mr. Hutton, of one of the better kind of cottages, made 3 R 3 uncommonly