amufements, and thofe of the Chinese in general, fhow a weakness of mind, fcarcely emerging from, or again falling into, infancy.

The religion of China is either pure theifm, or a moral fy ftem, without any reference to a fuperintending power. The religion of the Lama is tolerated by the emperor; and the temple of Heaven and other facred edifices are fupported in Pekin. Our author's defcriptions of these temples are in a great measure new and interefting; but, as we cannot felect any part with advantage, we must refer to the work itself.

The account of the vifit to the emperor's fummer palace is new, if, as our author was affured, the internal parts had never been feen by any European. The private apartments of the monarch are small, with fome few books, and other curiofities. The account of his favourite cabinet we will transcribe.

When we had infpected the whole of them, the mandarin ufhered us into the favourite cabinet of the emperor, which bears the name of Tien (Heaven). It is indeed the most agreeable place of those that have been fhewn us; as well on account of its fituation, as of the different views which it commands. Nothing can equal the prospect that the emperor may enjoy when, fitting in his arm-chair, he turns his eyes towards a large window, confifting of a fingle pane of glafs-a profpect of which the reader will himfelf be able to form an idea from the fequel of this description. This cabinet is in a part of the building fituated upon an extensive lake, which washes its walls.

In

This lake was the first object that attracted our attention. the midst of it is an ifland of confiderable magnitude, on which feveral buildings have been erected that are dependencies of this imperial refidence, and overshadowed by lofty trees. The island.communicates with the adjacent continent by a noble bridge of seventeen arches, built of hewn ftone, and standing on the eastern fide. This bridge was the next thing that our eyes refted upon.

Turning to the weftward, the fight is gratified by the view of a lake smaller than the former, and only feparated from it by a wide road. In the midst of it is a kind of citadel of a circular form, with a handsome edifice in its centre. These two lakes communicate by a channel cut through the road that divides them, while a ftone bridge of confiderable height, and of a fingle arch, fupplies the defect in the communication by land which that channel occafions.

Sull further to the weftward, and at a great diftance, the eye is arrested by two towers ftanding on the tops of lofty mountains. To the north-weft ftands a magnificent range of edifices belonging to temples, conftructed at the foot, in the middle, and upon the fummit of a mountain entirely formed by art, with frag

ments of natural rocks, which, independently of the expence of, the buildings, must have coft immenfe fums, fince this kind of ftone is only to be found at a great diftance from the place. This work feems to reprefent the enterprize of the giants who attempted to fcale the Heavens: at least rocks heaped upon rocks recal that ancient fiction to the mind. The affemblage of the buildings, and picturefque embellifliments of the mountains, afford a view of which the pen can give no adequate idea. It is not then without reafon that this cabinet is the favourite apartment of the aged mon. arch.

The infide of it is furnished with a library and shelves, on which are collected all the most valuable and scarce Chinese productions, confifting both of precious stones and antiques; and certainly they are highly deferving of the attention with which we examined them.' Vol. ii. P. 9.

Descriptions of the temples, feen from this cabinet, follow. The idol of Senfuality, the inhabitant of one of these, seems to be allied to the fyftem of Lama; and many parts of the Chinese religion are apparently derived from Hindoftan. Some traces, and not flight or accidental ones, of the Jewith dif penfation are alfo pointed out by our author. A follower of the fyftem of fir William Jones would find many fupports of it in the volumes before us.

In this place rope-dancing and tumbling were the chief amufements. To these were added fire-works; but, from apprehenfion of fire, they were exhibited by day-light, as if there was lefs danger when fire was lefs feen.. Indeed, the Chinese, in many refpects, are ftill children. They put on mourning when an eclipfe of the fun or moon occurs, left ei- ́ ther luminary fhould be devoured by the great dragon; and, having early made fome advances in art and in fcience, they are contented with what they poffefs, thinking every further advance useless.

Our author is of opinion that China will always continue an independent kingdom, from the difficulty of accefs, and the narrow impracticable roads. He is not aware, that feuds have always exifted, and that a foreign ally of one party may foon fubdue the whole. In the prefent ftate of European tactics, the conqueft of China would be little more than gaining a battle against an undisciplined rabble.

The gentlemen of the embaffy at laft commenced their return. They proceeded by land till they reached the Yellow River, and then in yachts on the grand canal. The Chinese always pay a refpectful attention to a departing vilitant; and our travellers felt no inconvenience that attention could rectify. To follow them minutely, would be difficult and uselefs; but we will felect a few circumftances of fome intereft,

The embankments which form the canals flope internally, a method always followed by the Chinefe, though only practifed, even in Holland, for the laft forty or fifty years.-The colour of nankin is, we find, that of the cotton. Some years ago, an extraordinary demand induced the manufacturer to mix white cotton, and the colour of the commodity was confequently paler. The Chinefe failed when he was requested to dye it of a deeper hue; but, the demand leffening, the nankin was restored to its original colour.

The utility of the bamboo is wonderful. Some of the ufes to which it is applied are thus mentioned.

• Of every production that grows in the vast extent of the empire of China, there is undoubtedly none whofe utility furpaffes that of bamboo, which is employed on every occafion, even as an article of food. Scarcely any thing is to be found in China, either upon land or water, in the compofition of which bamboo does not enter, or to the utility of which it does not conduce. From the most valuable articles which ferve to adorn the apartments of the prince, down to the smallest tool handled by the meanest mechanic, bamboo is fure to find a place. Houfes are entirely conftructed of it, as well as all the furniture they contain. In navigation, it is bamboo which furnishes every thing from the line that ferves to track the smallest skiff, to the cable, that conftitutes the fecurity of the largest veffel.

This tree, which is propagated with attonishing abundance, and grows with remarkable rapidity when planted in a favourable foil, deferves to be confidered as one of the greatest benefits that nature has conferred on the territory of China: the Chinese accordingly fhew their gratitude by bringing it more and more into use. I doubt whether the vegetable kingdom in any part of the world affords a fubftance of fuch general utility as the bamboo, the qualities of which place it far above my panegyric.' Vol. ii. P. 129.

At the number of rice veffels, which annually pafs along the great canal, we are aftonithed. The emperor is faid to have nine thousand nine hundred and ninety-nine, which make one voyage every year. The feamen live with their families on board; and the boats are not heavily laden. Economy is certainly not confulted in the arrangement.

This journey, on the weft of the Yellow Sea, and near the mouths of the principal rivers which fall into the Eaftern Ocean, is more interefting than that from Macao to Pekin; for the country is in this part more flourishing, more profperous, and better cultivated. It was alfo the ufual refidence of the prince for fome months in the year; fince Nankin is faid to mean the fouthern palace, as Pekin implies the northern. But the Tartarian habits of the prefent dynafty have contined the monarch to the latter abode; and in China, where rebel

lion feems feldom to fleep, he may think himfelf more fecure the more near he is to his Tartarian allies. We will tranfcribe the defcription of one of the fouthern palaces. It will remind our readers of the account given by fir William Chambers, and the inimitable ridicule of the author of the Heroic Epistle.'

Even in its prefent ftate, this place is rendered worthy of attention by the variety of its edifices, by the diverfity of the ground interfperfed with rocks, by its pavilions, its lakes, its bridges, &c. Every thing is difpofed according to a system in which art feems to hide herself in the midst of the irregularities of nature; while the ftudied confufion of trees, fruit, flowers, and brambles, compofe a fcene that seems due to chance alone. Already the birds enlivened the groves by their fongs, and enriched the verdure with their plumage. Voluptuous fummer, when thou haft fpread thy charms over the country, what fupreme delight must be tafted in this enchanting place!

No, it is not poffible to give a faithful description of a Chinese villa. Every thing is intermingled, and feems on the point of being confounded; but the triumph of genius is to prevent the fmalleft diforder that might hurt the eye. Every inftant a new combination affords a new variety, fo much the more agreeable and striking, as it has been the lefs poffible to forefee it; the fpectator's furprise being constantly kept up, because every moment produces a new fcene. Perhaps plans and drawings might give an exact idea of their compofition; but what plan can fhew the order of that which is only perfect because destitute of all order? What drawing can produce the effect of things which seem so discordant; and how is it poffible to introduce into it that life which the different objects borrow from one another?-Our charming walk lafted an hour and a half.' Vol. ii. p. 138.

The city of Sou-tcheou-fou is reprefented as handsome and flourishing. It is faid to abound with beautiful women; but all the embaffador's influence and addrefs could not procure a view of its different curiofities. In this part of the country, where the ground is low, the Chinese have a custom of burning their dead, as they cannot bear the idea of their repofing in a damp uncleanly fpot.

Among the mifcellaneous remarks, are the accounts of different temples and bridges. The former fhow, that religion is not wholly neglected; and, though the reigning emperor is often the numen loci,' yet thefe buildings ftill preferve the idea of fome fuperior being. The bridges alfo, in this part of our author's journey, feem to have been conftructed with extraordinary attention, and are the fubject of fome curious. remarks. The food of the filk-worms, in China, feems to be the common garden mulberry-tree of this country. Convents

are also numerous in this route, proving, in our author's words, that the monks myft lead a moft comfortable life.'

In this volume, we leave our traveller about the middle of the fouthern part of the empire, journeying to the fouth-west, towards Canton. Why the narrative breaks off fo abruptly we know not. The volume concludes with an account of the valuable Chinese drawings, procured by M. Van Braam, who is himself a draughtfman of no common abilities. This reminds us of another imperfection. Various views and drawings are referred to, in the course of the work, though we have only a meagre, incomplete, and often incorrect, map. We know not whether this is to be attributed to the French or the English tranflator: it is at least a defect, which we greatly lament.

In giving a general view of the volumes before us, we must praise the accuracy and fidelity of our traveller, without beftowing any high encomium on his genius or penetration, He haftens on, faithfully defcribing what he faw, and drawing few inferences. His returning route afforded various opportunities of adding to our knowledge of this fingular country; and fo far thefe volumes are a valuable fupplement to what has been already related on the fubject. The narrative certainly inftructs; we could wish to have added that it had highly entertained us.

The New Annual Regifter, or General Repofitory of Hiftory, Politics, and Literature, for the Year 1798. To which is prefixed, the Hiftory of Knowledge, Learning, and Tafte, in Great-Britain, during the Reign of King Charles. II. Part II. 10s. 6d. Boards. Robinfons. 1799.

HISTORIANS of recent events are fubjected to confiderable difadvantages. They are under the neceffity of relating, with imperfect documents, many important tranfactions, of which the motives are not clearly developed, or the particulars fully afcertained. Hence the inof probable of their conjectures are not always well-founded, nor are the most plaufible of their statements ftrictly accurate. In confequence of this deficiency of early information, the writer of the prefent work has fince found it expedient to take a retrospective view of many of the incidents of the year 1797, that fome of the errors of the preceding volume might be corrected, and various imperfections remedied. This attention to the improvement of an useful work cannot but be pleafing to the public.

The prefixed fketch relates to the philofophical attainments of the British nation during the reign of the fecond Charles.