barren rock, rising abruptly from the sea; and the town of Victoria is built at the base (with a northern aspect), in a long straggling manner. From Hong Kong to Shanghae, the distance by water is about 900 miles, during the W. E. monsoon, as ships are obliged to make the eastern passage, going outside the plain of For mosa. The European trade between Canton and Shanghae, is carried on principally by opium clippers-vessels of from eighty to one hundred tons burden, possessing such admirable sailing qualities as to be able to bear up against any wind. Following me, then, in my voyage in the schooner Dart, from Hong Kong, you will find me arrived, after a passage of twenty days, at the mouth of the Yang-tze-Kiang (child of the ocean), a noble river about fifteen times larger than the Thames, and navigable for an immense distance. Here at the mouth, as well as along the coast, the stranger is struck by the immense number of fishing boats constantly in sight, and fishing is perhaps carried on here to a greater extent than in any other part of the world. The banks of the river are flat, and cultivated in some parts with paddy and cotton. Proceeding about thirty-two miles up, you arrive at the village of Woosung. (Here the river makes a branch forming the Woosung or Shanghae River.) At Woosung there is a circular fort; also a long range of batteries composed of mounds of earth, with embrasures for a vast number of cannon, but few or none are mounted, and there is no outward or visible sign of inward Celestial troops. Some hard fighting occurred here during the war, and an old Tartar general conducted himself so very gallantly (having fought sword in hand, until transfixed by a bayonet), that the emperor, out of regard to his memory, had his statue placed in a "joss-house" at Shanghae. The soldiers in China are dressed much the same as the people, and scarcely to be distinguished, except by the word "valour," oddly enough written on the back of the dress, as well as on the front, and thereby justifying the remark made on them, that they exhibit valour as well as discretion in a retreat. The anchorage at Woosung is an opium station, and all the British, American, and Parsee opium ships lie here, immediately under the walls of the batteries, which in the hands of European engineers and troops, could be rendered strong enough to destroy the largest fleet. Some of the opium receiving ships are very fine vessels-for example, Jardine's ship, the Folkstone, and the Emily Jane belonging to Dentand they are constantly supplied with fresh cargoes, by clippers from Bombay, Calcutta, and Hong Kong. Having valuable property on board, and being in fact floating warehouses, they are carefully armed like privateers. An awning is spread over the decks, to protect the officers and crew against the heat in summer, and inclemency of the weather in winter. 66 Strict discipline and a sharp look-out is constantly preserved, which is more readily enforced as the pay is liberal. A shroff or Chinese changeur de monnoie," with coolies and a suite of native servants, are attached to the ship. The smuggler comes alongside in broad daylight, in a sort of lighter or sailing boat, makes his purchase, and paying cash down, receives the opium which he transfers to his boat, taking it unmolested ashore. Sometimes opium is bought in Shanghae, when the purchaser receives for his cash, scrip or a delivery order to the ship, which is as negotiable as a bank-note. After leaving Woosung, and proceeding about twelve miles up the Woosung or Shanghae River (a branch of the Yang-tze-Kiang) you arrive at Shanghae Reach. The first objects that attract your attention are the English vessels at anchor in the river, contrasting most favourably with the dirty, clumsy, unpainted and ugly-looking junks, with their large goggle eyes at the bow, which appear to a Chinaman quite indispensable to enable the vessel to see; for he will swear by his tail, "No hab eyes, how can see.” Directing your view from the shipping to the right bank of the river, immediately opposite the anchorage, you behold the English houses and warehouses, and the scaffolding of those erecting, occupying a frontage of fully half a mile. First comes Jardine's bungalow, just at the bend of the river; next Blenkin, Rawson, and Co.'s picturesque-looking house, then standing considerably backwards, G. L. and Co.'s abode. Here next is H. W. and Co.'s fine structure, and then W. B. and Co.'s (the American consul's), neat little bungalow. Afterwards you approach D. G. and Co.'s large and imposing residence. Continuing on, you find a fence enclosing Ripley's plot, which shuts out the view of McKenzie's elegant one-storied bungalow, built in the Grecian style of architecture. Passing the road or lane now intervening, you find the next space occupied by a house, &c., erecting for D. B. and Co. (behind which P. H. and Co.'s property is situated). Still pursuing my picture of the frontage of the river, I must now tell you that T. and Co.'s dwelling concludes the line, when you begin to enter the straggling suburbs of Shanghae, Higher up the river, and opposite the city, you see a forest of masts from junks, fishing and carrying boats, with numerous smaller craft. the latter having a house or covering of matting in the centre, in which families reside, being a distinct race from those on shore. A great number of imperial grain junks, carrying the tribute from the southern states, are also seen here. They are superior vessels, and look better than any native shipping I have seen, having ranges of apartments on deck. From the concourse of shipping and persons collected on the river, and the noise from the beating of gongs, firing cannon, and letting off crackers, you may imagine it presents a very animated scene. A single spar forms the mast in a Chinese junk, and from the absence of shrouds or stays, it has a very bare and naked appearance. Some of the junks carry as many as six masts; they are mostly unpainted, with large matting sails. Grotesque as these junks are,according to our idea, still from their flat bottoms and structure, theyare admirably adapted to river and coast navigation and sail very close to the wind. There are no docks in China, therefore the loading or discharging of a vessel, lying in the river is effected by means of lighters, and small jetties or landing-wharfs. That portion of the business which is usually done in England by cart and horse, namely the removing the cargo from the ship to the warehouse, is here effected by coolies or porters, furnished with a piece of bamboo, and some string, with which they most cleverly sling the goods, and go off with them at a nimble pace. A couple of stout coolies, will, with the utmost facility, briskly budge off with four chests of tea weighing upwards of three and a half cwt. In China there are no horses, except a few wretched animals dignified by that name, scarcely bigger than donkeys, used by the mandarins and cavalry. The city of Shanghae is walled in, and encloses a considerable space of ground, but a great deal of land within is not built upon, and cultivated as gardens. As the suburbs are large, densely populated, and the houses built up to the very walls, probably it is the avoidance of some municipal taxation, which causes the people to build outside. The river supplies with water a number of creeks or ditches, running through the city, on which boats ply filled with grain, straw, manure, &c., in course of transit. The banks of ditches, are in the most filthy state, forming generally the back streets of wretched-looking houses. The streets are narrow, not exceeding in width eight to ten feet. The houses are only built one story above the ground-floor; the sides of brick-but the front and back of wood. In place of window-glass, oyster shells are used. The shops have no handsome frontages as in England, but are quite open; having, however, counters, behind which the owner sits, perhaps engaged in writing up his books, with his hair pencil and China (Indian) ink, or making calculations on his abacus, while his assistants, often a numerous group, attend to customers. The streets are densely thronged from break of day by the busy inhabitants; coolies carrying water in buckets from the river (there are no pipes or waterworks here), others carrying the brass coin, called "cash" (1450-18) easing their burdens by most unmusical exclamations of" Heigho! Heigho!" repeated in cadence from one to another, in the same way that Irish labourers work on the roads at home. Of all the commodities carried through the streets, none are more disgusting to an Englishman's ideas. Only the very lowest class of women are seen in the streets; they are bareheaded, wear trousers, have small or compressed feet, which give them a limping gait. But linger not, or you will be quickly warned to clear the way, by the shouts of the coolies, who are carrying a mandarin, Chinese merchant, female, or foreigner, in a palanquin, or chair, the ordinary conveyance of the country. It behoves one to keep an eye open, lest we brush against some of the beggars, who are in a wretched tattered condition, many of them having those most horrible and disgusting diseases, leprosy, ringworm, &c., arising from their uncleanly habits; and also to protect yourself from the Chinese dogs (a numerous assemblage) who snarl and bark at foreigners, although they but seldom bite, being wolfish in appearance and cowardly in the extreme, Stop a second to look at that beggar; observe the pertinacity with which he places himself in front of a shop, and whines, sings, or strikes the bamboo, until he has carried his point and obtained relief. Nor can a shopkeeper compel him to budge until he has afforded alms. Look at that most wretched-looking individual of the beggar tribe, called a bonze, soliciting alms in a melancholy whining and doleful tone, creeping on all fours, clad in tatters, and presenting the aspect of "wretchedness personified" Observe that little old woman, sitting in a narrow passage against the city walls, crying to the passengers for charity; but they seem to regard her entreaties with all the apathy of Chinese selfishness. DECEMBER. I COME, I come! ye love me well! a thousand hearts are leaping, To hear my voice, my deep bass voice, loud o'er the city sweeping. The little schoolboy knows my call my blast he doth not chide; For my rough old arms will bear him to his gentle mother's side. He loves me, for I make the pond a merry place, And he makes and takes my snowballs with a red, good-tempered face, He knows I bring the festival when sisters all are home, And mother spreads her largest board, her whitest cloth displays. 206 WOMAN'S LOVE. A TALE OF FACTS. (Continued from page 168). ONE evening, about the latter end of October, having an appointment with a friend at a late hour, I had sauntered into a cigar divan at the West-end to wile away the time. Whilst I was sitting peering over the columns of a dry and uninteresting paper, there entered a young man whom I had met there before, but who then wore a military dress. He began relating to one or two, with whom he seemed to be acquainted, some of the exploits of the British Legion in Spain, and before quitting, I thought I would inquire if he by any chance knew Roscoe; so when he appeared to have unwound himself of the heroic actions, 66 Pray, sir,” I said, "were you acquainted with an officer named Roscoe?" "Roscoe!" said he, “Roscoe—Oh, yes, I remember, he was the greatest rascal that ever lived, and was turned out of our regiment." "Rascal?" I replied, warmly, "I beg you to know that you are naming one of my most intimate friends." "Your friend, sir? Oh, then, I suppose he has been at his old tricks again; but, sir, if I may presume, may I ask his name?" "William Henry Peyton Roscoe," I replied, laying an emphasis on each. "Oh, I see, he has been christened again, His name with us was only William Henry; the other is quite new to me. I suppose he thought William Henry too common, so he has added Peyton,' to make it sound better. But, sir, if you have time to listen, I will detail to you a few facts that may perhaps give you an insight to his character." "Go on," I said, hardly knowing what I was about, for a veil seemed about to be lifted from before me, which I scarcely dared, yet was obliged to raise. William Henry Roscoe joined at Santadar as a cadet in our regiment; he gave himself out to be a young man of fortune, but we discovered from a private, that his father was merely drawing-master at. I never saw a poor fellow so entirely destitute as he was, yet he pretended that all his accoutrements had been left behind him, and we were obliged out of charity, to lend him things, some of which were never returned." He then went on to relate some circumstances of trivial importance, among which was a duel they had fought together, but had afterwards become the greatest friends. But I will not weary the reader with these, but come at once to the most important. Mr. Monk (that was his name), stated that at last Roscoe was accused of stealing a pair of aiguilettes from the quarter-master, and also a watch from Captain Hugston, of the same regiment; for this he |