is upon the hollow of the thigh,' and they | tors; and it is to the power of Scriptural do not touch the blood of animals. He knowledge, that we have to ascribe the recognized the Hebrew letters as those emancipation of our minds from the corused in their sacred writings, and could trace, in the sound of Hebrew characters, a connection with words which he had heard them utter. The testimony of this individual precisely coincides with the brief notices published by Dr. Morrison, and with some of the lengthened details laid down in Grosier's History of China, vol. iv. chap. 11.

rupting, the stultifying dominion of idolatry. As the Foundling hospital (the Yuhying táng) was over the way, we begged the priest to introduce us to the building and its inmates. To the left hand of the outer porch is a crib, upon which the abandoned infant may be laid. Over the door are emblazoned the characters kiáu ching pau ch'ih, nurture to maturity and protect the We now made for the Yúshing kwán, babes.' On crossing the threshold, you the temple of the Táu sect at the North gate, open a finely paved square. To the right noticed before as a very large and exten- and to the left, there is a side door, with sive edifice. It lies close under and within the words nái fáng, i. e. 'milk room,' or the city walls, and is covered in at the back nursery, upon it. A number of coarse by a thick grove of trees. The avenue that looking women were peeping through the leads from the outer lodge to the 'sanc- lattice at us, with squallababies at their torum,' is clean and cool. It is shaded breasts, and squalid boys and girls at their over with the branches of some lofty trees, heels. These women are their nurses, and that rise on each side of the walk, and throw a sombre quiet over the whole place. The venerable priest, a man of short stature and slender make, but of mild and genteel manners, politely volunteered to show us round the building. We passed from one apartment to another through this corridor into that, and in the immense building did not meet with more inmates than half a dozen of the sacerdotal order. The spacious chambers, rooms, and halls are tenanted by sculptured, carved, and painted images of all sizes, shapes, and ranks, male and female, young and aged, animal, human, devilish, and imagino-divine.

There were two prominent idols that chiefly attracted our attention, and as we contemplated them, filled us with solemn sadness. They were the representatives of Shángtí, the High Ruler of the universe. These huge images are lodged each in its own apartment, and in form, attitude, and attributes, are perfectly distinct. As the true Christian views these man-faced likenesses of Jehovah, this wooden, clayey, and gilded embodying of the invisible One, he must mourn over the fall of the human intellect, and tremble at the mockery and defiance to which it has lent its powers.

these children the foundlings. Each nurse has two or three to look after. But I have rarely witnessed such a collection of filthy, unwashed, ragged brats. There are at present in the institution from 60 to 70 male and female children. One side of the house is appropriated to the girls, and the other to the boys. We got admittance into the girls' nursery, which consists of from 20 to 30 rooms, in two or three flights running the one behind the other. The boys' nursery is its exact counterpart in filth, as in every thing else. But the apart ments of the housekeeper or superintendent, looked decent,-forming a good contrast to what we had just seen.

The object of the institution is to afford to outcast babes, or to the children of poor and destitute parents, the protection and nurture of a home. Boys remain under its benevolent roof, until they attain the age of 14 or 15, when they are hired out to service, or are adopted into some family, and girls until they reach their 16th year, when they are engaged as waiting-maids, or are taken into concubinage, or are betrothed by a parent in favor of his son or grandson.

This institution is above a hundred years That man is not a grateful, nor is he an old. It was erected in the first year of the enlightened Christian, who can only smile emperor Kielung's reign, at which time it at the folly of his fellow-creatures in at numbered only twenty-four distinct aparttempting such semblances of the incorrup-ments. During his reign and since his tible God, or who can nickname them idiots demise, it has undergone various repairs, and blockheads for worshipping these dumb shows. It is the light of Bible truth alone that has dispelled the darkness, in which we also walked sometimes,' or our ances

and has been much enlarged, so that now there are upwards of 100 rooms, including superintendent's quarters and public halls. It has lately been repaired, after a partial

demolition during the occupation of Ningpo by the British forces in 1841 and 1842.

There is a temple within the city that is worthy of a passing visit. It lies to the south of the Bridge gate,' from which we discovered a path close under the city walls leading us to it. The range of the edifice is long. It bears an elegant front, decorated with a group of handsome reliefs, among which are embossed in gilt the characters Tungyóh kung, 'the palace of the Tungyóh god.'

On entering we found it almost deserted. None of the regular priesthood made their appearance, and no votaries were to be seen. The only persons to be descried, besides the doorkeeper, were mat-makers. It appeared indeed to be more of a matmart than a sacred building. The images are dusty and filthy, and show other signs of disuse and neglect. On pushing our way to the extreme end, we espied a gallery of idols and attempted to ascend the stairs. But the doors were barred, admission could not be gained, and our attention was directed to two notices, the one placed at the bottom of the right hand flight of steps, warning(those that eat) strongmeats, (and drink) wine, not to enter;' the other upon the opposite side, advising 'the unclean person hastily to retire.'

ed between two thick planks, to be split up, to be bored through and through, to have the eyes dug out or chiseled out, to have the limbs torn off one by one, to be plunged from a cliff, or a bridge, into a dungeon below, or a rapid torrent, to be pounded in a heavy mortar, to be boiled in

hot-water caldron, to be burnt up in a furnace, to be baked at the stack, to have hot liquids poured down the throat, etc. etc., constitute their ideas of future punishments, and are the counterpart of the torments inflicted by the Inquisition in Europe upon the magnanimous adherents to the Protestant faith.

Turning from this spot we bent our steps to the Tien-fung táh, which is named by foreigners the Tower of Ningpo, or the Pagoda of Ningpo, or the Ningpo Obelisk.

As you ascend the river from Chinhái, and come within five or six miles of Ningpo, this is the most prominent object that arrests the eye; and, to foreigners who visit the city, it is a point of no little attraction. As soon as they enter the east gate of the city, they make for it, and wind their way in a southeast direction. After shaping their course through numberless streets, it abruptly bursts upon their view, rising 160 feet over their heads, and towering high above the surrounding houses. This pyramid is hexagonal, and counts seven stories, and above twenty-eight windows. At every window there is a lantern hung up; and, when the obelisk is illuminated, which I have seen only once during my stay, the scene is very gay.

Passing out again to the street, we perceived a wicket on the right hand of the principal gateway. It was open to us, and we were invited to behold the exhibitions intended to depict the terrors of hell. The apartment is called tíyóh, 'the earthly dungeon; it is a dark, dreary cell. In The building is in much need of repair, the centre of the ground floor, there are for it is daily becoming more dilapidated, images of hideous aspect, standing in threat- and has already deviated several feet from ening attitudes. Behind them, groups of the perpendicular, hence it might not inapsmall figures in stucco relief are plastered propriately be called the Leaning Tower of upon the wall, which exhibit the pains and Ningpo. As it is in the keeping of a Budpenalties of hell. These are arranged in histic priest, who lives in a monastery three or four rows, rising one above the behind, we were under the necessity of other until they reach the ceiling. Each awaiting his arrival. He, poor man, finds group has its judge, its criminal, its execu- it advantageous to keep the keys, since it tioners, and its peculiar form of punish- is in that way alone he can secure the larment. The judges are attired as officers gesses of his foreign visitors. By ascendgenerally are, and the executioners as po- ing a flight of narrow stone steps, that run lice-runners. The penalties vary accord- up in a spiral course through the interior ing to the heinousness of the culprit's of the column, we reached the uppermost crime, and the horrors of future punish-story, from which the finest view one could ment are depicted before the spectator in desire opened upon us. The entire city every possible form. To be whipped, to and suburbs were beneath; the valley of be bastinadoed, to be seared with red-hot Ningpo with its hamlets, villages, hills, irons, to be strangled, to be speared, to be mountains, rivulets, and rivers lay all beheaded, to be sawn asunder, to be flayed around; and, away in the distance to bound alive, to be squeezed, flattened, and crush-our horizon, we had chains of mountains

on the one hand, and the sea with its islands on the other.

In these times there is more of name and show than reality or utility in such an The date at which this tower was found- institute. It was originally designed to be ed is exceeding antique. It is indeed more the residence of the literary officer, apancient than the city of Ningpo. pointed to preside over the interests of The district of Ningpo, in the time of learning in the district, but especially to the original Han dynasty, or at the Chris- patronize and promote the studies and tian era, was very small. During the sev-views of those candidates who should be enth, eighth, and ninth centuries, it rose so successful as to take the first degree. in importance. At the commencement of Here they were to pursue their daily the tenth century, and in the reign of studies, and to undergo their monthly exTáitsú, the first monarch in the line of aminations, under his immediate inspec(wútii) the Five Dynasties' which suc- tion. But, from the degeneracy of the age, cessively contended for the mastery,-it it has almost become the seat of a sinecure. was organized a larger district. During Somewhere between, but behind, the Disthat emperor's short sway, the foundation trict hall and the Department temple, of the city walls was laid by Hwangshing, there is the site of the commander-ina native of the place. But the Tower of chief's palace. But there is scarcely one Ningpo' had been reared one hundred or stone left upon another, so thorough has one hundred and fifty years previous to that been the work of destruction. event. In raising this superstructure at that anterior date, the object sought for accorded precisely with the belief which, at the present day, obtains through the whole empire, that the presence of such an edifice not only secures to the site the protection and favor of heaven, if it already bears evidences of enjoying it, but represses any evil influences that may be native to the spot, and imparts to it the most salutary and felicitous omens. The tower has accordingly stood for the last 1100 years. But its history during that period, as given in the Annals' already referred to, has been much checkered. It has fallen to ruins, and been rebuilt. It has been burnt almost to the ground, and been reconstruct-granted, from the produce of which he reed. It has been struck by lightning, and been repaired. Its pinnacle has been blown down in a hurricane, and has been restored. Some portions of it are now undergoing amendment. But its days appear to be numbered, and ere long its downfall may be announced.

Having crossed an arched stone-bridge, which, in the vicinity of the two temples lately mentioned, is thrown over a narrow part of the lake, we took the road to the right hand, and arrived at the ancient sculptured gate of a large public institution, which, from its proximity to the opposite lake, is called Yueh hú Shú-yuen, ‘the Moon Lake College.'

At its foundation, nearly 200 years ago, it was called l'-tien Shú yuen, 'the Charity Field College,' a name in which a clue is given to the objects of its erection, viz., to aid the humble scholar, or to assist the poor and illiterate in getting an education. For the support of a teacher, fields have been

ceives 4000 catties of rice as his premium. The sacrist is also entitled to 400 catties. Not many months ago, it was occupied by the officiating commander-in-chief as his official residence.

From this spot we proceeded to the famous and valuable repository of books— Still pursuing our walk, we came to the library spoken of before under the Hien Hióh kung, 'the District Literary name of the Tienyih kóh. Our object in Hall.' Each department in the empire repeating this visit was to inspect two rare owns a literary hall, and so also does each birds, of whose arrival we had lately heard. district. Accordingly, this city, as it is They are natives of Siam, and are generalthe principal in the department, has two ly known by the name Sienhóh. They such halls. The Department hall is that somewhat resemble the crowned crane, the generally known to foreigners under the Grus carunculatus. They are both of them name of the temple of Confucius,' and quite young. The one is a male, the other lies within the northeast, or Artillery gate. The District hall or college was laid in ruins amid the disasters of 1841, and is now rising out of a mass of wrecked materials into a neat, orderly, and attractive range of buildings.

is a female. They are nearly of a size, but of the two the male looks the larger and more robust. The legs are long. The head is of a handsome black, forking off behind. On the crest there is a red skin. The rest of the body is white, except the

secondaries of the wings, which are not [ with your card of thanks, unless it is espered, as represented in Chinese drawings, cially requested by the donor that you should but black and overlap the tail. These take the whole. have both been purchased by an Englishman, and it is said are to be carried to Great Britain.*

Then, on your accepting the present, whether a part or the whole, you are under an obligation to make each of the bearers a gift of money, the amount of which will vary according to the class of the messengers, if mere coolies or if personal attendants,-according to the quantity and value of the presents, according to the quality of the donor,-and according to your own station in society. The servants, on returning to their master, apprize him of your bounty, which, with his permission, they retain for their own benefit.

This is the bird that is worked upon the embroidered breast-pieces of the official dresses worn by the highest ministers and nobles of the state. None under the first rank of dignity are permitted to bear such a badge. In a native work on the ornithology of the country, there are many curious, and some prodigious, stories given regarding this fowl. It relates that the bird is capable of being kept in life for 1000 years; that, at 60 years of age, it can sing exquisitely and re- These appear to be fixed rules, to which gularly every hour of the day; that, on I have not known a single exception during reaching its 1000th year it can ascend trees, my residence at Ningpo, except in the case ⚫ but not before; that it has a beautiful scar- of intimate friends. In other parts of the let tuft of down or velvet skin on the empire the custom may vary. But in this crown of the head, to which the poison of department at least, it seems to be, not the serpent, that it is reputed to be so only universally, but uniformly observed fond of eating, determines; and that the among the well-bred community. It is a downy or velvet crest is often formed into usage, however, that is not unfrequently a bead, and made up with those ornamental taken advantage of by bad fellows to imnecklaces, which the high officers wear pose upon the stranger. For instance, around their necks, that, in case of im- several attendants will accompany perial displeasure, they may destroy them-ents when one or two are quite sufficient. selves, a matter (so report goes) very easily It happened once that a knave, who was effected by merely touching the venomous some way or other connected with the chifu's bead with the tip of the tongue, when in-office, went to my lodgings with a pair of stant death follows.

Last night we were honored with a large present from his worship Li Júlin, upon whom we had waited the previous day. These gifts were sent as tokens of friendship, and intended at the same time as a recognition of the courtesies we had paid. They consist chiefly of tea, fruit, and sweetmeats, in separate baskets, the sum of the lots being even and not odd, and each lot being made up of an even number of packets, according to the prevalent idea that, in an odd number there is bad luck, but in a complete number there is good. On a festive occasion, especially, this rule is almost universal. But in making presents at a mournful season, such as the death or burial of a friend, or the anniversary of his death, the odd number obtains. Connected with the receipt of presents, there are one or two formal peculiarities that deserve to be noticed. Should the present be large, it is generally expected that only a portion of it will be accepted, the rest to be returned

*Pwántingqua of Canton has a pair of these

birds at his country seat.

the pres

ornamented candles, purporting that they had been presented to me by his worship. As I was not at home, the fellow could get no remuneration for his trouble. Being informed, however, that I was dining out, he made for the residence of my friend, and handed in a card with the candles. But, from the form and style of the card, and from the nature of the gift, which stood in awkward juxtaposition with the large and handsome presents that his pretended master had only the previous evening sent to me, it was evident that it was an attempt at imposition. The fellow was dismissed with little ceremony. He was probably hard pressed for money, and adopted this clumsy expedient to replete his purse. But, that the servants of the chifu's office might be warned against repeating the cheat, I ap prized his worship of it, to the no small perplexity of his attendants.

As I have lately had a good opportunity of learning much about the nuns and nunneries of China, it will be fit in this place to give a short digest of the items I have been able to collect. In doing so, it will be better to embody all I have gleaned in

an account of the convent―a wing of which I occupied.

It is situated on a line with the lodgings I at present hold, and about 200 yards distant from them. It is dedicated to the idol, generally named in European writers, the Goddess of Mercy. Hence the building is called the Nunnery of Kwányin. The full appellation of the deity is Kwánshí yin, that is, observing the sounds (the cries) of the world.' It is represented as a female, who is supposed to extend her gracious patronage to all that, in trouble and difficulty, raise the cry for compassion. It is one of the numberless objects of idolatry, introduced by the Budhists from the west. In the whole of China, there is no idol that meets with more respect and honor; and, since women form the overwhelming majority of the devout, and Kwány in being the special patroness of the weaker sex, they of course chiefly apply to her, there is not any other that is more frequently invoked in favor of frail humanity.

I have seen a blooming nun of nineteen, who left the world' and all its concerns, and took upon her the vows of perpetual virginity, in consequence of the untimely death of her intended husband. The nun to whom I allude had small feet, which had been bandaged prior to her misfortune, and her introduction to the priesthood. Of the nuns, whom one occasionally sees walking peaceably though the streets of Ningpo, there are a few who have small feet. Probably all of these have, after they have come to the years of maturity and discretion, taken the veil without compulsion and of their own accord.

The candidate is not admitted into full orders, until she attains the age of sixteen. Prior to this, and from the commencement of her ascetic life, she assumes the garb peculiar to the sisterhood. The chief ap-. parent distinction, between the novice and she in full orders, is that the head of the latter is wholly shaven, while the former has only the front part of her crown shaven. The great allurement presented by the The younger nuns have. platted cues flowpromoters of Budhism in China, to the ing down behind. As to the habit which mind of the aspirant who would consecrate this devout class wears, it on the whole so herself to the altar of this goddess, is the much resembles the dress of the Budhistic absorption after death into the unknown monks, that it is in very many cases imposBudha,- -a matter which, the more myste-sible, at first sight to distinguish the two riously it is represented to the mind of the orders. The nuns have large feet, clumsy ingenuous but credulous candidate, the more taking it becomes. This personal advantage is held out by the institution, to facilitate the succession of an order of priestesses, who can gain access where the formalities of society cannot admit the stranger priest, and who are qualified to work, both with dexterity and with impunity, upon the feelings of the class that is the most susceptible of religious impressions. To keep up this order of the priesthood, the rooms of the deceased, or, as they will have it, the annihilated or absorbed, must be filled up When the young woman has bared, or either by purchase or by self-dedication. shaved, her head-a sign of making reliIn the case of purchase, babes, or girls of gious vows very different from that of takvery tender age and good promise, are pre-ing the veil' adopted in the nunneries of ferred and bought up at a very low rate. To my personal knowledge, a sweet child only four years of age has been offered by its own mother to an abbess for the paltry sum of four dollars!

But there are some, who either are dedicated by their parents from their birth, or who, when they come of age, voluntarily consecrate themselves to the service of this deity. When the case is optional, it arises often-if not always-from having been thwarted in some of their prospects or wishes.

shoes, long stockings and garters, full trowsers, short jackets, and wide sleeveswith bald pates and skull-caps, precisely as the priests have. But the priestesses have smoother countenances, softer looks, sweeter voices, and are more tidy.

According to report, the nuns of Súchau fú have reversed the general laws, and throwing aside the hempen cloth which is the material assigned to the self-denying sisterhood, have preferred silks and satins for dresses.

Europe,- she is required to live a life of devotion and mortification. She must eat and drink sparingly, and her diet must consist of vegetables only. Strong meats and drinks are to be avoided as poison. The business and cares of this world are not to engross her attention. She has retired from it, and must be fitting herself for eternal canonization. Nothing should occupy her thoughts or engage her affections, but the service of the temple in the precincts of which she lives.