Chinamen, in blue frocks. The club is well supplied with newspapers and periodicals, and greatly to be appreciated by those who have been long without them. In the lower story are some good billiard-tables. I was particularly amused by seeing young Chinamen playing at shuttlecock with their feet, having seen pictures of it in old books years before. Many play well, and kick the shuttlecock up very expertly, sometimes with the toe, sometimes with the sole of the foot,

but more often with the side of their shoes.

They are also

great kite-flyers, and have brought the art to perfection. As far as I can recollect, the kites had no tails, but were made like birds, animals, and fish. I bought one at Manilla, but was unable to get it up in the air. The Chinese can keep them up as long as they like, nearly still, or hovering like a bird, or making a slight swoop, and bringing them up again. In fact, they make the kite do whatever they please. Even old men take great pleasure in kite-flying, and occupy themselves with it for hours. They tie the kite to a post, and let it stay in the air; but I could never understand how this was managed. Sometimes they have a little whistle of bamboo fastened to the kite, on which the wind produces a sound whilst it is flying.

CHAPTER XX.

MACAO-PEARL RIVER-CANTON-LIFE ON THE RIVER-THE HONGS

CHINESE

SHOPS-STREETS OF

CANTON-SHOPPING IN CANTON

ITINERANT TRADERS-COSTUME-JOSS-HOUSES-TEA-THE HONAN
TEMPLE -FARTEE

GARDENSCHINESE

FUNERAL-TOUR OF THE CITY.

COOKERY-A CHINESE

I LEFT Hong Kong by steamer, for Macao and Canton. Two small steamers, both named 'Canton,' ran up the river; and as one has two funnels, and the other four, they are distinguished as "Funnel" and "Pipes." Starting in the morning, we left the anchorage, and passing the high mountains at the westward of the island, ran in among the numerous islands which form the entrance of Pearl River. We passed the sound or harbour, where the fleet of Shapsinggai, the famous pirate, was destroyed. It is supposed that he had prepared it for more serious purposes than ordinary piracy, and that encouraged by the Government, he intended to make a descent on Hong Kong. He is now, it is said, in the Chinese service, and has been made a mandarin. This is sometimes done by the Government, to secure a man who is too formidable and strong to be repressed.

We anchored for some time in the night, on account of the tide, but arrived at Canton before daylight the following morning. I awoke just as it was getting light, having slept uncomfortably on a sofa in the cabin, and found the steamer anchored in the middle of the Canton river, opposite the hongs, or houses of the European merchants. The city was just awaking, and each moment the hum of voices grew louder and louder. The population of the river, computed at ten thousand, was all in motion, and boats were passing the steamer in different directions, some drifting rapidly down with the ebbing tide, others hardly stemming it. The whole river appeared alive with small boats, and below the city, forests of masts arose from larger junks, anchored in tiers, and extending a long way down. These vessels were of all shapes and sizes, from the large trading junks and covered boats, which bring down the tea, to the little punt of the barber, smaller than a Welsh coracle. The barber sits in the stern of his little craft, and makes a ting-ting noise with two pieces of metal in his left hand, whilst with his right he sculls about from one boat to another, in search of customers. In a country where all heads are shaved, barbers are of course in great requisition, and on shore they walk about with a seat, razors, and basin, and fulfil their professional functions in the street. After shaving the head, they generally finish up by cleaning out the ears of the patient, an operation by which numbers are made deaf. Their razors are curious instruments, roughly made of soft metal, the blade nearly triangular, and very thick at the back, but the edge can be made very sharp, and the Chinese prefer them to those of English manufacture.

But my attention was now riveted on the countless boats

and in some places long rows of fishing-stakes stretched out into the stream. The boats seemed large and well found, carrying a good many men, all, no doubt, ready and willing to turn their hands to a little piracy, if opportunity offered. Some time before, a conspiracy had been formed to seize the steamer. A number of Chinese were employed on board, and they had agreed to rise and take possession of the vessel; but one of the conspirators divulged the plot, and the whole batch were very unceremoniously turned out of the ship.

Swarms of white porpoises played about the steamer, as we ascended the estuary of the Pearl River. We passed Tiger Island and the famous Bogue Forts, just as it grew dark. They are of great extent, a long fortification running along the shore and others up the hill-sides, and in the hands of men with the least idea of military science, would be excessively formidable. The Chinese thought them impregnable, and the people of Canton were delighted when they heard we were going to attack them in the late war of 1841, being perfectly certain that we should then be well punished, and their horror and consternation when they heard that the Bogue Forts were destroyed, was inconceivable. They have been now, I believe, strengthened, and mount some very heavy guns.

The Chinese, though poor soldiers, have no lack of animal courage, and no fear of death; and the pirates often make a desperate though ill-directed resistance. Lately one piratical leader was killed just as he was rushing below with a lighted match to fire the magazine. Some of the pirate junks are very large, carrying twenty or thirty guns and a great number of men, and being built in compartments, are not easily sunk with shot.

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