is upwards of two hundred miles long by about sixty broad; is very fertile, producing abundance of corn, rice, all the Indian fruits, and some of those grown in southern Europe, peaches, apricots, grapes, pomegranates, &c. Large herds of cattle pasture on its plains; and tobacco, sugar, pepper, camphor and cinnamon are to be had in abundance. Nominally it belongs to China, but in reality it is occupied by two races. The first, who are Chinese, live in the north and west side of the island, and do not differ from their countrymen elsewhere, save that they ap pear to be more gentle and less opinionative than the Chinamen who dwell in towns. The second are red men, savages of exceeding ferocity, who are more than suspected of cannibalistic tendencies; and they occupy the south and east portion of the island, owning no lord, paying no tribute, but taking tithes from the Chinamen whenever an opportunity occurs. As this wild race has never been subjugated, the title of the Celestial Emperor to their district seems very much like that which the King of Prussia claims over Neufchatel; and were it not for the deficiency of harbourage on the east coast of the island, that portion of Formosa might be made a thriving settlement or depot.

It is not, however, our intention to recommend anything of the kind; for, upon the whole, looking both to what has taken place already, and to the probable contingencies, we see much reason to regret that the relations which we previously had with China should have been violently disturbed. We are quite aware that the position of the British residents in China is, and has been for a long time, most uncomfortable and even harassing. The benefits which commerce has, beyond question, conferred upon the ports, have not been recognised or understood by the population, whose instinctive aversion to foreigners does not seem to be mitigated in the slightest degree by personal contact or experience. The local authorities are supercilious, deceitful, and jealous, very troublesome in business, and exceedingly tardy in giving re

88 even where there is just ground

of complaint. But these are evils for which it seems impossible to find a cure. It is not to be expected that the temper, feelings, and nature of the Chinese can be altered to suit our convenience; and it is impossible to deny that the nefarious and illicit traffic in opium has greatly compromised our character for fairdealing, and exposed us to some of those grievances of which the residents most loudly complain. The question is, how we can be bettered; and to that question no satisfactory reply has yet been given. Simple remonstrances are in vain. If addressed to the local authorities, they are disregarded; if accidentally forwarded to the Imperial Court, they are misconstrued. "So that, after exhausting reason, force alone remains. But what is it that we are to gain by force? Surely a settlement in China Proper is not a desirable object, seeing that the population are against us; and supposing that we were to wring a settlement from a reluctant government, how can it be maintained? If we have not been able practically to enforce the conditions of existing treaties, and to have safe entrance into Canton, is it likely that any new treaty, arising out of hostilities, will better our position? No man has ventured to assert that; so that a definite object is still wanting to justify the zeal which certain politicians have exhibited in advocating hostilities with China. A war with such a country as that, if it is to be prosecuted with becoming vigour, and to have any real effect, is indeed a most serious undertaking; and we cannot help fearing that even in that remote portion of the globe we may have to encounter Russian influence, if not Russian arms. However, we have said enough, or perhaps even more than was necessary, on the subject of the "differences" with China.

Before passing away altogether from China, we shall, for the benefit of sportsmen and naturalists, transcribe the account of a mode of fishing pursued on the river Min. It has long been known that the Chinese were in the habit of training cormorants for that purpose; but we do not remember having met elsewhere with so lively and interesting a de

scription of the piscatory process as that given by Mr Habersham.

"As we passed under the massive blocks of grey granite upon the foaming breast of the rising tide, and shot out into the expanding river beyond, we saw a long low raft of bamboo moored under the lee of the heavy pier to our right, on which were a Chinese fisherman, a basket, a paddle, and five duck-like birds, which we at once imagined to be some of the celebrated 'fishing-cormorants' of the East. We also imagined that this might be our only opportunity for witnessing their singular mode of fishing, and consequently stopped in the hope that the Chinaman would gratify our curiosity. We were not disappointed.

"Scarcely had we 'rounded to,' when he reached out his hand towards the birds, the nearest of whom at once waddled up to him and stepped into his open palm. He now smoothed his feathers with the right hand, bent his mouth to his arched neck for a moment, and then put him upon the edge of the raft. There the bird dipped his bill in the water once or twice, snapped his head from side to side, shook his tail several flirts, and ended by diving suddenly into the turbid water that washed his feet.

unusual situation in which he found li self.

He too was put in the basket, tie proud cormorant once more caress i the raft instead of upon its edge as inand then placed gently in the centre merly.

"This seemed to tell him that his services were no longer required, and considerable credit; for he moved off that he had acquitted himself

the other end of the raft with the state'

step of a conqueror, while the next in They seemed to regulate their more turn advanced to supply his plas

ments by a nod or motion of the hand from their master. Cormorant No : predecessor; nevertheless, he brough was not as sprightly a looking bird as s up a fish after the first dive, gave a f with his expanded tail, and swam to bis master to give up the prize. He was taken out as before, relieved of s mouthful, and subsequently placed genty on the edge of the raft. There he sat a few moments perfectly motionless, bet, seeming suddenly to see a fish, dropped off like a piece of lead, and nothing more was seen of him for at least fifteen seeonds. Then he came to the surface with a spring that took him almost out of the water, but having no fish. His actions now expressed his disappointment a most as plainly as words could have done. He did not swim toward his master

formerly, but kept sculling about in a small circle with his bright, unsteady glance fixed on him, at the imminent risk of twisting off his neck.

put in the basket. His master then stroked him down as before,-much to his apparent delight,-whispered again in his ear, and placed him once more upon the edge of the raft.

Again he dived, and again he came up with a fish. He then underwent a Kimilar process of caressing, and was once more placed on the water's edge. Now, however, fortune seemed to have left him. He had no fish when he arose after a protracted absence, and seemed at a loss what to do. He turned himself around in the water several times, keeping his dark eyes fixed on his master's, as if asking permission to try it again. Suddenly the latter made a motion with his hand, and down he went. When he came up he brought quite a large fish, eight inches long, say,-which struggled violently, as though surprised at the

"The master pointed down with his finger, and down went the unsuccessful fisherman. Still no fish. Once more. and still no success. Finally, he was taken back upon the raft, slapped sound

He immediately made tracks for the other end, stumbling heels over head, and looking very much ashamed of himself. The next in turn now waddled forward; but, having seen enough, we continued on our way."

Our author's account of Japan is exceedingly interesting, and withal very amusing. By virtue of a treaty made by Commodore Perry, the Ame ricans had the right of landing and restrictions, which latter, however, moving about on shore under certain they set at nought on discovering that the disposition of the people was extremely friendly, and that the officials who kept watch upon their motions were a set of cowardly sneaks and braggarts. A few kicks, delivered with goodwill and empha

sis, relieved them from the persecution of these gentlemen, each of whom, like young Norval, carried two swords; and they appear to have made good use of their liberty. But they were not long in discovering that the notions of the Japanese with regard to money matters and traffic were singularly acute-in fact, Mr Habersham is compelled to admit that they showed themselves more than a match for the Americans. By the treaty with Commodore Perry it was provided that the Americans should have the right of purchase, but only through the offi cers of the government; after which, says our author, vendors of all ranks and classes were given to understand that they were not to sell to any American except through an officer, upon pain of losing their heads. Probably it appeared to Commodore Perry that this arrangement was made for the purpose of collecting a tax from the merchants in the shape of a per-centage on their sales; but in reality it was a much deeper dodge. It seems that an American dollar is worth in China from fourteen to sixteen hundred cash, and a Japanese itzabu is worth in Japan sixteen hundred cash also. But there was more silver in one American dollar than in three itzabu. The Japanese, therefore, having first settled that the dollar represented sixteen hundred cash, opened their market; but every evening the dollars paid by the American purchasers were collected by government officers, who took them to the mint, and next morning returned to the merchants an itzabu for each dollar. The dollar of course was melted, and transmuted into three itzabu. Thus the unfortunate Americans, who had been pluming themselves on the success of their recent treaty, were mulcted by the Japanese government to the extent of two hundred per cent on each dollar; and in order to prevent the possibility of their escape from that dilemma, as they might have done by exchanging through merchants their dollars at a less usurious rate for the currency of Japan, that currency was declared contraband, and the merchants were prohibited from giving it, under penalty of death! Surely

Japan must have been originally peopled from the lost tribes of Israel, for no other race could have devised a scheme so eminently subtle and successful. In vain did the plundered Columbians storm and remonstrate. They were thoroughly and completely done. And the worst of it was that the Japanese entered into the spirit of the joke with amazing gusto, and chuckled at the Yankee discomfiture as heartily as did Caleb Balderstone when he succeeded in outwitting the notable writer from Aberdeen.

Mr

Besides this, the Japanese merchants, who derived no profit from the above speculation, which pertained alone to the government, had a sharp eye to their own interest, and managed matters with a dexterity beyond all Grecian fame." Habersham, as became a gallant sailor, was desirous of presenting his lady friends in America with some of the choicest specimens of the manufacture of Japan. The Japanese seemed to be aware of that by intuition, and took measures accordingly, with as much sang froid, and confidence in the weakness of human nature, as is displayed by veteran professors of the noble art of thimble-rig.

'They were cunning enough too, as far as disposing of inferior goods was concerned, for they only brought out these at first, reserving the others for the last few days of our stay. We did not see any of their number one' specimens during our first or second visit, and, when we asked in regard to them, we saw all; they they would insist that • knew of nothing else,' &c. They were evidently anxious to dispose of the inferior lot first, after which they knew that we would not fail to be disgusted with our purchases as soon as the higher priced ones should be exposed, and then we would be certain to lay out more money. And they were right; for although the most of us returned on board the first day without making any purchases, still we 'caved in' on the second day, and bought quite freely. Then, on the third day, they commenced bringing in the high-priced articles, and we began falling into the trap.

Day after day, therefore, as we returned and lounged through the crowded show-rooms, new articles of unexpected beauty and rare excellence of work

manship would rise before us at every turn, cast a shade over everything of the kind previously bought, and cause us to long for heavier pockets or more reasonable charges.

"Oh! they were a cunning, a most dishonest set of fellows, those very Japanese merchants, holding up their wares before us, and tempting us to board the shrinking purser for various sums until we finally found ourselves beels over head in debt! They would watch us with 'crickets' eyes' while we examined their various articles, judge with astonishing accuracy as to those with which we seemed most struck, and the next day all similar articles would be advanced in price, sometimes as much as a hundred per cent. They would take the tallies off at night, and put on others with higher marks on them, and then insist, with their usual barefaced disregard for truth, that 'all the same as yesterday. This was all very provoking, truly; and yet what could we do! We had either to consent, in the first place, to be swindled by the treaty, and, in the second place, by the merchants themselves, or we must leave Japan without purchasing presents of their rare and beautiful workmanship for our absent friends. We chose the former of the two, and, with the unenviable feelings of men who are aware of the fleecing they are being subjected to without the most remote hope of being able to protect themselves, we continued our daily selections."

As for what further befell our author on the coast of Kamtschatka, Siberia, and on his homeward voyage to San Francisco, we must refer our readers to the volume, from which we have not extracted the passages which may be of the most general interest. In it, the lover of adventure will find graphic descriptions of hairbreadthscapes by sea, of humorous adventures on land, of bear-hunts, whaling, and the like, all animated and lifelike, but without that Munchausen colouring in which isolated sportsmen are exceedingly prone to indulge. In fact, we make it a regular rule never to believe more than one-fourth of the narrative of any individual who recounts feats which he has performed beyond the ken of credible witnesses. This habit of ours is not engendered by a disposition naturally

suspicious. It arises from a convis tion that it is quite impossible for man, so situated, to adhere to the truth; and we feel that in our e instance, because on every occasio when we go out sporting on our ow! account, without spies to con us, we find that imagination supersedes reality; and on our ren home, in spite of that high princip which has always characterised t we are sometimes led to suppose the we do exaggerate a little. We neve yet knew the man who shot so we in a battue as when he was alone, r attended only by a gillie who could not speak a word of English, or other wise was a pure idiot, whom it was impossible to cross-examine. If you are fishing by yourself, you invariably raise, hook, play, and lose trouts a twice or it may be thrice the weight of those that will condescend to look at your hackles when a friend is within hail. And as for flying leaps, if separated by accident from the field, you think nothing of taking fence as high as the bastion of the Malakoff. But we acquit Mr Haber sham of all such exaggerations; not because we suppose him to be exempt from the common weaknesses of bimanity-indeed, he has so good an eye for colour and effect, that he could not, any more than the rest of us, be trusted for accuracy when alonebut because he was surrounded with a cloud of witnesses; and when that is the case, there can be no pulling of the long-bow, as we ourselves can testify. For never yet did we per form a feat in presence of a brother sportsman which he would corroborate by his evidence, unless we were prepared to back him up in some awful bouncer touching his own achievements, from which crime, as a matter of course, our conscience instinctively rebelled.

With hearty commendations, there fore, we bid our author adieu. He is a pleasant fellow; and we are quite sure that if better acquainted with the English people, some of the prejudices which we have noted at the commencement of this article would disappear.