CHINA.

New Zealand Colonist and Port Nicholson Advertiser, Volume I, Issue 37, 6 December 1842, Page 4

CHINA.

ORIGIN OF THE WAR. (Extracted from the SunJ. before giving- an account of China, and the singular people that inhabit that vast territory, we will furnish a brief history of the events which led to the quarrel. For many years opium has been imported into China, not only from British possessions in India, but from various other quarters of the world, both by Europeans and Americans. The Chinese authorities ostensibly prohibited the importation and use of the article, but, till within the last twelve months, never took any decisive steps to put an end to the traffic; oil the contrary, the Chinese officers of all ranks encouraged the trade, and while they occasionally issued edicts against it, received a certain per ccntage on every chest as regularly, and almost as openly, as on any other article of foreign commerce; on the other hand the English Government, seeing the danger that might result from an extensive trade in a prohibited commodity, after the abolition of the East India Charter, took steps to have it legalised or absolutely prohibited. Various Councils were held in the Imperial Coiut at Pekin, to discuss the question whether it should be admitted on payment of a fixed duty, and finally, the negative was carried by a small majority, not more, it is said, than two or three members. According to some accounts, a majority of the Chinese Officers of State who were consulted on the subject, gave a decided opinion in favour of legalising the admission of opium at a certain duty, but the Ministers of the Emperor rejected their advice. Lord Palmerston, as soon as he heard the result, gave instructions to the British Superintendent at Canton to inform all British merchants and captains of vessels that the trade was illegal—that “ the British Government could not interfere for the purpose of enabling British subjects to violate the laws of the conntry to which they trade,” and that if they persist they must take the consequences. Captain Elliott accordingly took every possible step to carry these instructions into effect, and on every occasion evinced the utmost desire to afford the Chinese authorities any reasonable satisfaction, and to separate himself, as the Representative of the British Government, in the most marked and decisive manner from all connection with the opium smugglers and their proceedings. A proclamation to this effect was published in .December, 1838. The smuggling, nevertheless, was still carried on to the same extent, the Chinese authorities at Canton conniving at the trade, while the Supreme Government, like the British Superintendent, issued proclamations against it. in February, 1839, however, strict orders were sent from Pekin to carry the decrees of the Government into effect, and in

accordance with these orders a Chinese accused of trafficking in opium, was strangled on the ‘26tli of that month, in front of the foreign factories. All the foreign flags thereupon ceased to be hoisted, and Captain Elliott ordered all British-owned passage-boats not having-licenses, to proceed outside the Bogue, and not return within the same. On the 10th of March the Imperial Commissioner Lin arrived at Canton, and on the 18th he issued two edicts—one to the Hong merchants, and the other to the foreigners ; the latter requiring every particle of opium in the store ships, as well as that in vessels without the Chinese waters, to he delivered up to Government on the penalty of death. Captain Elliott and other residents at Canton, who had never teen concerned in any opium transactions in their lives, were seized, deprived of food and drink, and threatened with execution, unless the mandate was complied with in three days. The Representative of the Queen of England had the alternative of death or implicit obedience, and to save lives chose the latter, and engaged to deliver up opium to the value of two millions and a half sterling, a great part of which was at that time on the high seas, and entirely beyond the reach of the Chinese Government. All the opium in these vessels was delivered up, but Lin contending that the specified amount was not made .good, detained Captain Elliott under the same threat of death, and compelled him to purchase opium

to the amount of from 35,000/. to 40,000/. to make up the quantity. He was then released. Some time afterwards an affray took place between some English or American sailors, (for the truth has not been ascertained), and a party of Chinese, when a native named Lin Weike lost his life. Commissioner Lin demanded a British subject in return to be executed for the death of Weike; arid Captain Elliott having made every enquiry, without effect, to discover the guilty person, properly refused to comply. A British merchant vessel was attacked by Chinese mandarin boats, some of her crew murdered, and a British subject cruelly maltreated. The convention entered into by the Chinese Commissioner for carrying on the outside trade was on some pretence broken through. A rencontre took place between the Volage and Hyacinth, British vessels of war, and a fleet of war junks, which ended in the utter defeat of the Chinese. Several of the junks were sunk, and a number of Chinese sailors were killed and wounded. All commu-

mention was afterwards cut off’ by order of Commissioner Lin ; and various attempts were made to burn British ships in the Roads and poison the sailors. To demand redress and compensation for these insults and this vast destruction of property, is the object of the expedition to China.

The following description of this interesting country, we state confidently, is the most correct hitherto published. We have consulted the latest and best authorities, and are under great obligations to several correspondents, who have been on the coast, and given us the latest information respecting the manners and customs of this remarkable people. To Mr. Wyld, of Charing-cross, we are greatly indebted for the copious statistical details, and a considerable portion of the interesting account of the laws, government, and religion of the country : Geology. —The greater part of China Proper is a large basin, through which flow two mighty rivers, whose deposits form large alluvial beds, covered with exuberant vegetation, but not affording any geological exhibition ; but in the north-east part of the empire, amidst the mountains of Pe-ling and Tcin-ling, iii the province of Kan-suh and Chensi, large deposits of anthracite coal are found, and used as fuel by the people, who pound it with water to desulphurize it, and dry it in the form of calces. In the Loung Mountains are burning wells of ignited naptha. In the province of Pe-tchi-li very fine marble is found. On the borders of the province of Ngan-hoe and Tclie Kiang, and south of the Yang-tse-Kiang, is the deposit of porcelain clay, from whence it is quarried and carried over the empire. A chain of granite hills runs through the province of Kwan-tung, Fuh-keen, and Tche-Kiang, and amidst these hills the tea tree grows in the greatest abundance, and lapis lazuli, porphyry, and jasper are found ; at the source of the Si-Kiang are many lead mines, and on the high road from Canton to Pekin, from Hong-ting to NanYong there runs an extensive coal field. Copper, tutenague, or white metal, mercury, and silver, are plentiful in the province of Yun-Nan, gold and ruby mines yield large returns in the province of Sze-chuen; and did not the tyranny of the Tartar rulers hinder the efficient working of the mines, China could export large quantities of silver, gold, and precious stones. Iron is found in most of the mountains of the Northern provinces. Mercury in the form of cinnabar abounds in Chan-si. From this mineral the Chinese make their beautiful vermillion colour. Earthquakes occur in the South, and volcanic eruptions are said to take place in the hills of the western frontier.

Religion, Manners, &c. —This country has no established religion. No creed is made a matter of state, except the abstract belief in the existence of a Supreme Being, and of the Emperor as his sole vicegerent on earth. As to every other creed and rite, the nation adopts any or none, as it may judge expedient. The learned generally affect indifference on the sub-

ject. Many of the people, however, have adopted the religion of the sect of Boodh (who pronounce B like F, Foh) which prevails in al the neighbouring regions of Birmah, Siam, aric Cochin China. But the creed of the Chinese is not pure Buhdhism. The ancient religion of the Chinese, and of all the Tartar and Mongool races of Central Asia, and perhaps in early ages of the whole world, was that of Shahmanism, or of the worship of the shades of their ancestors ; and the forms of this most ancient religion still linger mingied with the rites of Boodh, and is the religious ceremonial of the Chinese. The Emperor, who is a sovereign Pontiff, annually offers sacrifices at the tombs of his ancestors, and during great droughts, floods, or national calamities, he ministers in the temples, and by his meditation endeavours to propitiate the anger of the gods. Confucious, who flourished in the year b. c. 472, taught no religion, properly speaking, and may be regarded rather as the founder of a system of moral philosophy than of religion. The prevailing forms of religion of the country were introduced into China about 600 years after Confucius, that is, about the year 100 Christian

era. The priests neither preach nor teacli—they do nothing hut perform ceremonies, offer sacrifices, and recite prayers. They sell in the temples books and tracts, exhorting the people to the performance of relative duties; not to eat flesh, to repeat often the name of Boodli, and to attend to many superstitious observances.

They generally live in monasteries, and never marry. There are also nunneries for unmarried women. The Chinese appear to have little veneration for their temples, as nothing is more common than to see people drinking tea, or partaking of other refreshments, in “church,” while the little pieces of sweet-smelling wood are burning under the nostrils of their god. There are said to be at least a million of priests in the empire. The sect of Tao-Tse, a disciple of Confucius, and a dissenter from Boodh, are very numerous, and the followers of the Grand Lama have temples scattered upon the hills. This sect has been much protected by the emperor, as through their priesthood he has gained great influence in Thibet and Mongolia, and the choice of the Grand Lama, who is a living person worshipped as the incarnation

of God by 00,000,000 people, is either made by the Emperor, or sanctioned by his representative at the Court of Lassa. The Jesuit Missionaries sent by the Pope from Rome in the year 1575, succeeded in proselytising a large number of Chinese, and from their ability and scientific attainments, acquired great influence at the Court of Pekin; but as they meddled with the politics of the Empire, a combination of the Mandarins was formed against them, and an edict issued by the Emperor, forbidding any profession of the Catholic faith under pain of death. A few of the Catholics escaped, but some thousands were put to death. The criminal imprudence of the Jesuits has retarded the promulgation of the Gospel of Christ amongst the Chinese, as the Courts of Pekin view all attempts to convert the Chinese as endeavours to obtain political power; and so late as the year 1812, an edict was issued against Christianity. Notwithstanding these persecutions, some thousands of the sect of the Cross (as the', Chinese call Christians) are to be found in the sea-board provinces of China. The exertions of the English Missionary Societies, through their agents, Messrs. Morrison, Gutzlaff, and Meadows, have been rewarded by the conversion of several Chinese to the Protestant faith,

There are someMahommedans in the country: but their numbers are very small compared with the entire population. Animals, poultry, and fruit, are offered upon the altars; but as any article of food is too valuable to be wasted, after presenting the offering or sprinkling the blood of the victim over the idol, the offering is eaten by the sacrificers and the priests. The sacred isle of the Chinese is the beautiful island of Poo-too, an island in the Chu-san group, upon which are 400 temples and at least 2,000 priests. According to the Chinese Almanacs, the population of the empire is said to amount to 375,000,000. Considering the extent of the country, the small quantity of food on which a Chinese can exist, the small number of cattle and horses in the country, the industry of the inhabitants, and their minute and frugal agricultural habits, there is every reason to believe that this number is rather under than overrated.

The middle and lower class of the Chinese people live in families; and it is usual for sons, even after they have wives and families, to remain under the paternal roof, until increasing numbers render this arrangement impracticable. Staunton relates an instance of so many families living under the same roof, that their numbers amounted to 700 persons. In these united families a community of goods appears to be established, the produce of the labour of all being thrown into the general stock, and administered by the head of the household. The

parent has the power of life and death over his child. Infanticide is very common, and among the sect of Yon and Yuing the female infant is generally deprived of life. The moment a child is born it is accounted a year old; eveiy circumstance attending his birth is carefully noted, and communicated to a shing-shang, or astrologer, who proceeds to the temples, and consults the gods, whether the incidents be fortunate or

unfortunate, and at what time the parents should contract for the marriage of the child. Marriage contracts among the rich are made when the parties are seven years old, and at the age of fifteen or seventeen they are married: the parties do not see each other until the wedding day; upon that day the bride is placed in a large sedan-chair richly gilt, and locked, and the key sent to the future husband. This chair is borne over a fire placed at the door, and carried to an inner apartment; the bridegroom unlocks the door, and for the first time in his life sees his wife, to whom he makes three bows, and she drinks to him three times, and the ceremony is complete. The Chinese ordinarily have but one wife, but polygamy is allowed to the rich. The females are in general kept in a state of slavery, but when their male children arrive at manhood they are treated with the greatest

respect. The greatest mandarin pays to her to whom he owes his birth the most unbounded veneration. Every three months he dresses himself in his court robes, and prostrates himself in her presence. The dress of the Empress Mother is more splendid than that worn either by the Emperor or his Consort. Indeed, the Emperor is much controlled by his mother, and the Chinese historians complain of the calami-

ties arising from the meddling intrigues of the 1 Queen-mother. This consideration operated so strongly upon one of the Emperors, that upon electing his successor, he put the youth’s mother to death. A Chinese female becomes vain of her beauty in proportion to the smallness of her eyes, the protuberance of her lips, the lankness and blackness of her hair, and the smallness of her feet. Among the men, corpulence

commands a certain degree of respect, and men of thin forms pass for persons of small intellect. People of quality allow the nails of their fingers to grow to a great length. Almost all the males can read and write, and at all the large towns and villages there are found tchu-tchangs, or learned men, whose business is to advise, write letters, or undertake any matter with which a commonly educated man may not be conversant. (To he continued.)