the knowledge of China possessed by Western nations was limited to that city and its neighbourhood. The foreign trade of Canton was one of sufferance, maintained by the aggressive perseverance of traders and their disregard of the repeated slights and indignities of the local authorities, who looked upon trade and traders with contempt and reported accordingly to the Government at Peking. But the Treaty of Tientsin placed the course of trade beyond the control and caprice of local Manda- rins. The people are now allowed comparative freedom to indulge their trading inclinations. Although in some degree modified, the native prejudice against foreigners and their wares still flows in a deep undercurrent, which comes to the surface, conceal it as they may, in their contact with Europeans.
The city of Canton stands on the north bank of the Chu- kiang or Pearl river, about ninety miles inland, and is accessible at all seasons to vessels of the largest tonnage. Communication between the capital and the other parts of the province is afford- ed by the three branches which feed the Pearl river, and by a network of canals and creeks. A line of fine steamers plies between the city and Hongkong, and the submarine telegraph at the latter place, has thus brought the once distant Cathay into daily correspondence with the western world. It is a pleas- ant trip from Hongkong up the broad Pearl river; from the deck of the steamers one may view with comfort the ruins of the Bogue forts, and think of the time and feelings of Captain Weddell, who in 1637 anchored the first fleet of English mer- chant vessels before them. The Chinese cabin in the Canton steamer is an interesting sight, too. It is crowded with passen- gers every trip ; and there they lie on the deck in all imagin- able attitudes, some on mats, smoking opium, others on benches, fast asleep. There are little gambling parties in one corner,
