REAL CHINA LAND.

Colonist, Volume XVII, Issue 1982, 21 October 1875, Page 4

REAL CHINA LAND.

Mr Thomas Febgusson, the principal merchant of, and Belgian Consul at Chefoo, China, has written the following letter, which appears in the London limes: —■ ■■■■•_ _ " Wei-hyen, Shantung, China, May 30, 1875.—1 arrived here on the 27th instant, after a most interesting journey of 200 miles through, the Province of Shantung; and, though I have had a great deal of fatigue, owing to the bad roads and wretched lniiF, I feel much better in health than when 1 left Chefoo on the 20Mi iust. 1 have travelled in my large consular chair, w.th four bearers and four more to change, so, m all I had'eight men at my service. 1 also have a carfc for my servant, my trunk, provisions and cooking utensils, and my bed, for in the inns there are only eggs and chickens and, in some places, fresh fish. _ I generally started at 5 o'clock in the morning and travelled till 12, and then had^a good meal and started again at 2, and reached my evening resting place at 6 or 7, when I had supper and went to sleep. This sitting in the chair so long every day was tiring, but the novelty of the journey and the interesting country through which I passed made me feel it less than I fear I shall do on my return, when the novelty of the aflV.r will exist no longer. I had no idea of what the real Chinaland is untillnow,or rather myidea of t was incomplete; and now 1 have seen this admirable country so closely, I feel that it is a most wonderful place in many W£lFrom the time I left Chefoo until this place the fields of wheat extend on both sides of the road as far as the eye reaches. Luxuriant crops they were, and betoken great wealth in the land. For the first 70 miles the road is over a hilly country, not steep but undulating, and with the greatest height of 275 feet. This portion of the journey ended at Wang-hyen, and after that the road traverses a vast plain, over which numerous villages are spread, about one or two miles apart. All the villages are enclosed by mud walls, and at a distance look solid, but when seen close they are miserably defended by such walls, the greater part of them being out of repair. The population of this Province is quite up to the estimate of 38 millions, if one can judge of it from the inhabitants of the plain I came across. I passed the large city of Laichufoo, with high walls of stone, and another city of Chang-yi with very fine stone walls, and the place where I am now is a vast city of 250,000 inhabitants, with magnificent stove walls about 70 feet high, with battlements, and most grand in appearance. I had my purveying barometer with me in the chair, and, by ita help, 1 have been able to get the profile of this whole country as I came along, with the exact height of each hill, and the level above the sea of every place through which I passed. I went to the coal-mmts, about 12 miles distant, and J was much struck with the helplessness of the Chinese to work those mine 3 properly. It was a curious feeling to find myself and a missionary gentleman (living here) among a crowd of Chinese miners, about 500 men keeping a ring round us as we advanced, looking at us with astonishment and concern, but with no hostile feeling or a word expreseive of dislike, and there was the appearance of respect arising out of the feeling, ' These foreigners can help us to get the water out of our mines and allow us to work them and gain our bread.' This is what they seemed io he saying to themselves all the while. " 1 have had visiis from several people, to whom I have Bhown how to work these mines, and I have visited one of the most ancient and wealthy families of the city. Ciiin is the fatniiy name (his visiting card is 'Chin Ghiai See'), and I am to dine with him to day. His house is remarkable—the first I have seen in China. The reception room is furnished with ancient armchairs at least 3ft wide in the seat, like thrones. The place of honor had a beautiful drawing of a bamboo grove in the wall. We never saw such a thing in China. Before it a large porcelain plate on a stand 700 years old^ On one side is a bronze vase of the ' Chen ' dynasty, ofCOO years before Christ. The o]d man introduced his grandson, a charming bpy ; and on our request to see some old curiosities he went to his room and brought a sacrificial bronze clip on three legs, which belonged to a noble family 1100 years before Christ, just the same as one sees printed m books of the ancient Chineee classics. It was most curious, and it seemed to say, ' I show you a thing that was used by my ancestors in their worship nearly 3000 years ago.' In fact this cup was contemporary with Solomon's Temple, and was made before Home was built. He only showed us that, as if all the rest was too modern for our admiration. In his grand room, where he received us, was his library of books, in beautiful cedar cases, and his family banners of silk, w;th gold letters on the>m, which are borne before the coffins at their interments."

There is said to be over 20,000 .alligator Btins tanned in the United States annually. The South Australian Register thinks it probable that the creatures with open countenances in the Roper and other waters in the Northern Territory of Australia might bemade useful. . : The Government of France has prohibited the sale of..Mr. Gladstone's anti-Papal pamphlets. , ■ ■ • The other da/ a somewhat extraordinary gathering took place at Airdrie, viz., a meetiug to which only old ArdrieonianH of 80 years of age were admitted. Seven octogenarians attended, and after dinner they had a talk on "the days o' auld lang. syne." The united ages ot the company reached the large figure of 581, or on average of 83 years each. ; ;iHE Bradford child-worrying case came before Mr Justice Field at the,Jast Leeds; Assizes in the.form of an act ion for compensation brought by the father of the child against Eobert Dixon Smith, tbe owner oi the dog, .-.'l he f .judge ..suggested to the defendant's counsel that an agreement should be.cpme,:,tq,aucj,.the case having been left to his lordship, he directed the jury to nnd for the plaintiff for £200.