When

individual prosperity. The Chinese teachers are unanimous in the inculcation of this principle in their political philosophy. "Duty to parents is that by which we should serve a prince. families are virtuous the nation will grow up virtuous. In order to that which is called governing a nation, there must be the regulation of families. Not to be capable of teaching a family, and yet to be able to teach a nation of men, there is no such thing." What precicus elements are combined in this patriarchal wisdom! Surely this is the conservative influence which has crystallized the virtues and the peace of that vast empire of untold generations. It is true that errors have been perpetuated by the same principle; but to this we also look forward in expectation of Christianity being nereafter embraced there by whole families and cities at a time.

The Hebrew Scriptures have too long remained unfruitful in China, where the traditions and maxims of the people do not lead to everlasting happiness. It is now time that our whole revelation of God be sent freely forth in that widely-spread language; and that the Israelites, no longer reading the law through a veil,† but being taught the truth of Messiah, should begin to fulfil in reality their own destiny to be "a kingdom of priests."

Then when the aspiration of St. Paul within the Mamertine prison in Rome is accomplished, as he exclaimed, "But the Word of God is not bound!"—when his generous call is loudly answered, "Rejoice, ye Gentiles, with his people ?"--then, in China, as in every other empire, man, universal man, shall delight to heap up the choicest treasures of external wealth, of genius, of intellect, and self-sacrifice, in honour of that loveliest character, that holiest Being, who came into this world to be, in combination with his other benevolent offices, "a light to lighten the Gentiles, and the glory of his people Israel!"

ART. IV. Chinese Dialogues, questions, and familiar sentences, literally rendered into English, with a view to promote com • mercial intercourse, and to assist beginners in the language. By W. H. MEDHURST, sen. Shanghái, printed at the Mission press, 1844.

DR. MEDHURST has the honor of setting up the first English press north of Ningpo in China; and here we have its first fruits. The

*Ta-hio, in "Morrison's View," &c. 2 Cor 12-17.

preface gives us a faithful account of the work, comprised in 287 octavo pages, and we quote it entire.

"Morrison's Dialogues having been long out of print, and commercial intercourse being now much more extended than when that work was published, a volume like the one now presented to the public was found to be a desideratum. One or two of the Dialogues from Morrison's book are here inserted, and a few sentences on wrought silks, cloths, &c., from Bridgman's Chrestomathy moulded into a form to suit the object of the Compiler. Some assistance has been derived from the contributions of gentlemen in the political and commercial line, with these exceptions the author must be responsible for the remainder. The Dialogues commence with the simplest forms of speech, and are designed for the use of persons just commencing the study of the language. The questions are many of them left without answers, in order that the learner may extract the reply from his teacher, and thereby exercise himself in the language, while he is gaining at the same time some knowledge of the country and its inhabitants. The commercial regulations and the tariff have been introduced, as affording both terms and ideas useful to merchants trading to China; while the dialogues on silk, cotton, and piece goods have been inserted with the same view. The directions to servants, about household affairs, will be found useful to all, and the views of religion and morals which follow, being drawn from native sources, are attached with a view of shewing what are the sentiments of the Chinese on these subjects, and of exhibiting the style of the colloquial idiom. The shop signs ought to be acquired by every one coming to a Chinese city, as by that means he will be enabled to study as he goes along the streets, and also be assisted in seeking the supply of his necessities. Copious indexes are added, in order that the student may refer at pleasure to any Chinese or English word which the book contains, and obviate the necessity of seeking far for what is near at hand. The whole is in the mandarin dialect, and the common form of speech has been adopted, between the too vulgar colloquial and the excessively concise literary style. Every line of the Chinese is generally a sentence of itself, not necessarily connected with what precedes or follows, so that the whole may be read from either end of the book, as may suit English or Chinese taste. The sound of each character has been attached in Roman, together with the meaning in Italic; the additional English words printed in Roman letters are merely necessary to make the sentence read intelligibly; but the student must bear in mind that the Chinese characters convey no more meaning in the position in which they stand than is expressed by the words printed in Italics. The translation, it will be seen, is literal, in order to give the reader an idea of Chinese idiom; though the verbal rendering must not always be considered as giving the invarible sense of each word. The free translation has not been added, because it would have taken up too much room, and because it is presumed the sense will be found in general sufficiently clear without it. Some apology must here be offered for the typographical execution. It being the first European work ever printed in Shanghai, and the native workmen having all to be taught de novo, symmetry and perfection will not be looked for. Towards the middle of the volume a few sheets appear rather indistinct, from the circumstance of our printing ink having run short, but an effort to manufacture ink on the spot at length succeeded, and a clearer page was the result."

At the end of the volume there is an index of the English words occurring in the book, a list of the radicals of the Chinese language, with an index of the Chinese characters arranged according to those radicals. While we highly commend the veteran author for his assiduous labors and his numerous productions both in Chinese and English, we have earnestly to request him to change his orthography, for the sounds of Chinese words and make it conform to the Italian, so called, as it is now used almost throughout all India.

ART. V. Journal of Occurrences: memorial from the inhabitants of Hongkong to lord Stanley, with a letter to gov. Davis; steamer "Lady Mary Wood," and the first overland monthly mail to England; Union Chapel, Hongkong; French diplomatic mission in China; exchange of treaties; death of the bishop of Sz'chuen; Protestant missions in China.

On the following memorial it is unnecessary for us to comment. We hope it will receive the consideration, which the subject demands.

His excellency J. F. Davis, esq., governor of Hongkong, &c., &c.

Sir, We have the honor to forward to Y. E. here with a memorial addressed to the right hon. Lord Stanley, H. M. secretary of state for the colonies; and we beg to request Y. E. will be pleased to have the same forwarded by the mail of the 1st September. And we trust, that under circunstances stated in the memorial, H. E. will see fit to direct the suspension of ordinance No. 2, pending the receipt of a reply from H. M. government.

We have the honor to be sir,

Your most obedient humble servants, Jardine, Matheson & Co.; Dent & Co.; Macvicar & Co.; Fox, Rawson & Co.; Turner & Co.; Lindsay & Co.; Gibb, Livingston & Co.; Jamieson, How & Co.; W. & T. Gemmell & Co.; Fletcher & Co.; Murrow & Co.; Chas. W. Murray; Thos. Ripley & Co.; Diroin, Gray & Co.; Holliday, Wise & Co.; R. Oswald & Co.; Robt. Strachan; Hughesden & Co.; George R. Barton, M. D.; N. Duus; Burd, Lange & Co.; John Cairns; Henry Holgate; M. Ford & Co.; L. Just, sen.; L. Just, jr.; D. Lapraik; J. D. Porter; Geo. Dudell; J. Palmar; Chas. W. Bowra; Sam. J. Cooke.

Victoria, 13th August, 1845.

The right honorable Lord Stanley, H. M. principal secretary of state for the colonies, &c., &c.

My Lord,-The period has at length arrived, when, as owners of land and property at Hongkong, we can no longer refrain from addressing ourselves direct to H. M.'s government, in the confident hope, that a plain statement of facts will induce H. M. advisers, to sanction a material modification of the system, which has hitherto been in operation, occasioning results alike injurious to the interests of the mercantile community, and the real and essential interest of the settlement.

It will scarcely be necessary for us, in the first place, to submit, that shortly after the island was first ceded, or taken possession of by H. M. plenipotentiary in China, in the early part of 1841, a public sale of land was held, at which it was stipulated, that the "terms and tenure of all property would hereafter be defined by H. M. government."

But in a letter of H. M. plenipotentiary, dated 17th June, 1841, a copy of which is hereunto annexed, an expectation was held out, that the lands would be granted in fee simple, for one or two years purchase at the rates paid at the public sales; or that they should be charged only with a nominal quit rent, if that form of tenure continued to obtain. This suggestion on the part of H. M. plenipotentiary, originated in the well known fact, that the very limited quantity of ground, available for building purposes on the proposed site of the present town of Victoria, was the occasion of great competition, and the eventual payment of a scale of rent, which the officer naturally and truly apprehended, would, if enforced, be detrimental to the progress and prosperity of the settlement.

During the time which intervened between the occupation of the island by H. M. government, in March 1841, and the treaty of Nanking, in June 1843, a period of upwards of two years, the local government of Hongkong

preface gives us a faithful account of the work, comprised in 287 octavo pages, and we quote it entire.

"Morrison's Dialogues having been long out of print, and commercial intercourse being now much more extended than when that work was published, a volume like the one now presented to the public was found to be a desideratum. One or two of the Dialogues from Morrison's book are here inserted, and a few sentences on wrought silks, cloths, &c., from Bridgman's Chrestomathy moulded into a form to suit the object of the Compiler. Some assistance has been derived from the contributions of gentlemen in the political and commercial line, with these exceptions the author must be responsible for the remainder. The Dialogues commence with the simplest forms of speech, and are designed for the use of persons just commencing the study of the language. The questions are many of them left without answers, in order that the learner may extract the reply from his teacher, and thereby exercise himself in the language, while he is gaining at the same time some knowledge of the country and its inhabitants. The commercial regulations and the tariff have been introduced, as affording both terms and ideas useful to merchants trading to China; while the dialogues on silk, cotton, and piece goods have been inserted with the same view. The directions to servants, about household affairs, will be found useful to all, and the views of religion and morals which follow, being drawn from native sources, are attached with a view of shewing what are the sentiments of the Chinese on these subjects, and of exhibiting the style of the colloquial idiom. The shop signs ought to be acquired by every one coming to a Chinese city, as by that means he will be enabled to study as he goes along the streets, and also be assisted in seeking the supply of his necessities. Copious indexes are added, in order that the student may refer at pleasure to any Chinese or English word which the book contains, and obviate the necessity of seeking far for what is near at hand. The whole is in the mandarin dialect, and the common form of speech has been adopted, between the too vulgar colloquial and the excessively concise literary style. Every line of the Chinese is generally a sentence of itself, not necessarily connected with what precedes or follows, so that the whole may be read from either end of the book, as may suit English or Chinese taste. The sound of each character has been attached in Roman, together with the meaning in Italic; the additional English words printed in Roman letters are merely necessary to make the sentence read intelligibly; but the student must bear in mind that the Chinese characters convey no more meaning in the position in which they stand than is expressed by the words printed in Italics. The translation, it will be seen, is literal, in order to give the reader an idea of Chinese idiom; though the verbal rendering must not always be considered as giving the invarible sense of each word. The free translation has not been added, because it would have taken up too much room, and because it is presumed the sense will be found in general sufficiently clear without it. Some apology must here be offered for the typographical execution. It being the first European work ever printed in Shanghai, and the native workmen having all to be taught de novo, symmetry and perfection will not be looked for. Towards the middle of the volume a few sheets appear rather indistinct, from the circumstance of our printing ink having run short, but an effort to manufacture ink on the spot at length succeeded, and a clearer page was the result."

At the end of the volume there is an index of the English words occurring in the book, a list of the radicals of the Chinese language, with an index of the Chinese characters arranged according to those radicals. While we highly commend the veteran author for his assiduous labors and his numerous productions both in Chinese and English, we have earnestly to request him to change his orthography, for the sounds of Chinese words and make it conform to the Italian, so called, as it is now used almost throughout all India.

ART. V. Journal of Occurrences: memorial from the inhabitants of Hongkong to lord Stanley, with a letter to gov. Davis; steamer "Lady Mary Wood," and the first overland monthly mail to England; Union Chapel, Hongkong; French diplomatic mission in China; exchange of treaties; death of the bishop of Sz'chuen; Protestant missions in China.

On the following memorial it is unnecessary for us to comment. We hope it will receive the consideration, which the subject demands.

His excellency J. F. Davis, esq., governor of Hongkong, &c., &c.

Sir, We have the honor to forward to Y. E. here with a memorial addressed to the right hon. Lord Stanley, H. M. secretary of state for the colonies; and we beg to request Y. E. will be pleased to have the same forwarded by the mail of the 1st September. And we trust, that under circuinstances stated in the memorial, H. E. will see fit to direct the suspension of ordinance No. 2, pending the receipt of a reply from H. M. government.

We have the honor to be sir,

Your most obedient humble servants, Jardine, Matheson & Co.; Dent & Co.; Macvicar & Co.; Fox, Rawson & Co.; Turner & Co.; Lindsay & Co.; Gibb, Livingston & Co.; Jamieson, How & Co.; W. & T. Gemmell & Co.; Fletcher & Co.; Murrow & Co.; Chas. W. Murray; Thos. Ripley & Co.; Diroin, Gray & Co.; Holliday, Wise & Co.; R. Oswald & Co.; Robt. Strachan; Hughesden & Co.; George R. Barton, M. D.;. N. Duus; Burd, Lange & Co.; John Cairns; Henry Holgate; M. Ford & Co.; L. Just, sen.; L. Just, jr.; D. Lapraik; J. D. Porter; Geo. Dudell; J. Palmar; Chas. W. Bowra; Sam. J. Cooke. Victoria, 13th August, 1845.

The right honorable Lord Stanley, H. M. principal secretary of state for the colonies, &c., &c.

My Lord,-The period has at length arrived, when, as owners of land and property at Hongkong, we can no longer refrain from addressing ourselves direct to H. M.'s government, in the confident hope, that a plain statement of facts will induce H. M. advisers, to sanction a material modification of the system, which has hitherto been in operation, occasioning results alike injurious to the interests of the mercantile community, and the real and essential interest of the settlement.

It will scarcely be necessary for us, in the first place, to submit, that shortly after the island was first ceded, or taken possession of by H. M. plenipotentiary in China, in the early part of 1841, a public sale of land was held, at which it was stipulated, that the "terms and tenure of all property would hereafter be defined by H. M. government.'

But in a letter of H. M. plenipotentiary, dated 17th June, 1841, a copy of which is hereunto annexed, an expectation was held out, that the lands would be granted in fee simple, for one or two years purchase at the rates paid at the public sales; or that they should be charged only with a nominal quit rent, if that form of tenure continued to obtain. This suggestion on the part of H. M. plenipotentiary, originated in the well known fact, that the very limited quantity of ground, available for building purposes on the proposed site of the present town of Victoria, was the occasion of great competition, and the eventual payment of a scale of rent, which the officer naturally and truly apprehended, would, if enforced, be detrimental to the progress and prosperity of the settlement.

During the time which intervened between the occupation of the island by H. M. government, in March 1841, and the treaty of Nanking, in June 1843, a period of upwards of two years, the local government of Hongkong