ART. VII. Journal of Occurrences; the late riot; a murderous attack; the Nemesis; Chinese soldiers; vagabonds and foul condition of the streets; chaplain for Whampoa; annual meeting of the Morrison Educution Society; relief of destitute sick foreigners in China; consulates; evacuation of Chusan; Ningpo; Roman Catholic missionarics; revision of the Chinese version of the New Testament. AFFAIRS at the provincial city remain as they were for the most part. The official correspondence regarding the late riot has been kept secret. Well-informed Chinese declare that ten or twelve of the rioters were shot dead and double that number wounded. On the 25th ult., a murderous attack was made on a small party of foreigners. They were in a hong-boat, returning from a short excursion on Honám, when, as they were passing through a creck, gangs of ruffians furiously assailed them with brickbats and stones. The foreign devils have killed our people and we will kill you to revenge their death;" these and many similar words they used; and, suiting the action to the language, they tried hard to effect the deadly purpose, heedless of remonstrances on the part of the boatmen and the foreigners. When the boat passed under the stone bridge (the Máchung kiau) they threw down a shower of heavy stones, quite enough to have sunk the boat and destroyed the whole party in it. But in their fury most of them missed their aim. The boat, however, when it had passed the bridge, was almost a wreck, and only two of the seven boat-men were at their posts, all of them having been hit, and one received a deep gash in the forehead by a sharp tile. stone, brought off, weighed 85lbs. One Two things should be noted particularly in judging of this attack: the party in the boat had not been into the village and had given no offense; the assailants only knew that they were foreigners, and as such determined to kill them to revenge what had been done at another time and in another place. The steamer Nemesis has for some days past been anchored near the factories, and it seems to be the almost univeral wish of the foreign community that she, or some other vessel, remain here. Most of the Chinese soldiers have been withdrawn from the vicinity of the factories; and all manner of hucksters are congregating, and filth and vermine accumulating, in the adjacent streets-just as they were before the late riot! A chaplain from the Seamens Friend Society is expected soon to arrive at Whampoa, where we know he will be most welcome. The next annual meeting of the Morrison Education Society, according to the Society's constitution, will be held the last Wednesday, of Sep. the 30th prox. The Society has now existed ten years, and we trust its friends will erelong place it on a basis commensurate with the demands for such education as it is designed to give. The Institution is worthy of every support, and we hope it will long continue a growing and glorious monument not only of the Morrisons but also of the united-benevolence of many of a like spiric With pleasure we republish the minutes of a meeting, recently held in Hongkong. Minutes of a meeting of the inhabitants of Hongkong, held pursuant to public notice, on Monday the 13 July, 1846, at the house of Henry Robert Harker, esq., to take into consideration, the desirability of forming a fund for the relief of sick and destitute foreigners in Hongkong, (the word foreigners to include natives of every country excepting China,) and to consult on the best means of carrying such a project into effect. The Rev. V. Stanton was in the chair. After a preliminary address by the chairman 1. It was proposed by Dr. Dill, and carried unanimously, that a fund be formed by public contribution for the purpose for which this meeting was convened, and that it be designated the "Fund for the relief of sick and destitute foreigners." 2. It was moved by Mr. Carr, and carried by acclamation, that the Rev. V. Stanton be appointed Secretary to the fund. 3. It was moved by Mr. Cairns, seconded by Mr. Goddard, and carried unanimously, that the following gentlemen he appointed a Commitee of management, with power, to add to their numbers if requisite :-- The Rev. Vincent Stanton, John Stewart, esq., Frederick T. Bush, esq., lieut. William Pedder, John Carr, esq., William F. Bevan, esq. 4. Moved by Mr. Harker, seconded by Dr. Dill, and carried unanimously, that the Managers of the Oriental Bank he requested to act as Treasurers. 5. Moved by Mr. D. Matheson, seconded by Mr. Bush, and carried unanimously, that the Committee of management be requested to raise, by subscriptions and donations, the sum requisite for carrying into effect the object of the meeting. 6. Moved by Dr. Dill, seconded by Mr. Goddard, and carried unanimously, that the Editors of the local papers be requested to publish the minutes of this meeting and the list of subscribers, and the annual reports of the Committee of management. Thanks having been by acclamation voted to the chairman, the meeting was dissolved. C. B. HILLIER, Secretary to the meeting. Numerous changes are being made in the British consulates: Mr. Jackson goes to Fuhchau; Mr. Alcock to Shanghái; and Mr. Thom to England. Mr. Wolcott has been appointed U. S. A. consul at Shanghái. The following we copy from the China Mail. PROCLAMATION. The Island of Chusan, having been restored to the emperor of China in conformity with Treaty engagements, is no longer to be considered as one of those ports or places with which trade is permitted. British subjects are therefore warned that after the departure of Her Majesty's 98th Regiment, which is fixed for the 22d instant. any persons resorting to the Island, or to any of its dependencies, will become liable to the penalties provided by the 4th article of the Supplementary Treaty. GOD SAVE THE QUEEN. J. F. DAVIS, We have recent letters from Ningpo, and intended to give some extracts. Foreigners there enjoy a good climate and much liberty. Alomst every monthly mail brings accounts of new appointments of Catholic missionaries for China, many of them Jesuits. On the revision of the Chinese version of the New Testament, we have on hand some communications which shall soon appear. CHINESE REPOSITORY. VOL. XV.-SEPTEMBER, 1846.-No. 9. m ART. I. Chinese views of intoxicating liquor, as described in an address by one of the ancient kings, extracted from the Shú King or book of Records. MR. EDITOR, I herewith send ycu, for the Repository, the original and a translation, both literal and free, of an address on wine, which has occurred in the course of reading the Shú King “standard book" of the Chinese, and one of the celebrated five classics. The occasion of the speech is this. About the year 1150 B.C., China the last king of the Sháng dynasty, and one of the greatest despots ever clothed with autho rity. He was deposed by Wa wang, E, the founder of the Chau,, dynasty, who appointed his younger brother Káng-shuh, 康叔 or Fung, to be governor in the capital city of Mei was tyrannised over by Chau-sin, As might be expected, the region of the metropolis was far more corrupt than any other part of the dominions, inasmuch as the inha bitants had seen, and been influenced by the vicious example of the wine besotted Chau-sin Hence it was necessary to issue special instructions on the subject of the many irregularities and vile practices existing there; and Wú wáng, is represented as making the following harangue to the young governor on that occasion. There is so much good sense in it, that, though delivered nearly 3,000 years ago, it may furnish many useful hints to persons who boast of far more civilization than the Chinese. This also must be taken as embodying the standard views of the whole nation down to the present time, on this subject; inasmuch as the Shú King VOL. XV. NO. IX. 55 is the most ancient and sacred of all their books. It is regarded as containing, in embryo, every thing worth knowing, and every son of Hán holds it in as high estimation as the Christian does his Bible. It contains "the quintessence of Chinese literature and the great mass of native writers have formed their diction according to its pattern." K, The term used for wine, tsiú,, is applied to all kinds of intoxicating liquor, not excepting beer, cider, &c. Distilled spirits, made from a species of glutinous rice, called nó-mei appears to have been known early in the history of the Chinese, as is evident from the mention of that liquor, and its disastrous effects in the old records of the empire. The Yáu Hioh, ascribes the making of wine to Tú Káng, t. Among the outside nations, the honor of this invention is awarded to foreigners in the northen regions, who flourished in the time of Tá Yü, or Yu the Great, B.C. 2205. Another account mentions the name of I-tih, the inventor. The history of it is thus laconic and prophetic. "In the time of Yu, I-tih invented wine; Yü drank it. He had no sooner tasted it, than he banished I-teih, and prohibited the use of wine, saying, after-ages will make use of it to ruin the country." Never was prophecy more true or striking. Almost every page of Chinese history is a commentary on this sage remark of the celebrated Yü. The best part of the story is, that he himself ever after abstained from the use of wine. Mencius, who flourished 1766 years after Yii, in praising the worthies of antiquity for some one particular virtue, selects this as the theme of his praise of the celebrated Yü. His language is, “Yü detested the taste of wine, but loved virtuous words.” The arrack or san shu at present in constant use among the people is distilled from rice, and seems to be used in moderation. Very şeldom is a drunkard seen reeling along the streets of China. There are no wine-shops or taverns where the people may resort for intoxication. All the drinking is done at home, or in private circles of friends and acquaintances. The great source of intemperance is opium, the use of which is increasing to an alarming exent, and plunging hundreds and thousands into irretrievable ruin. The disastrous effects of the use of opium, in a country so thickly settled as China, must be great, beyond all calculation. We see but little of its doings, because we are so much shut out from the people. Could we have constant intercourse among all classes, go into families, enter private abodes, we would no doubt find that a large amount of the |