spection upon all. No viceroy can hold has office longer than three years, no servant of the crown form a family alliance in the place where he commands, nor obtain an office of importance in the place where he was born. These precautions sufficiently show the extent of the evil. That a government should have continued without any material change for above two thousand years, is certainly a singular phenomenon in history, and the wonder is increased by the magnitude of the empire. Its unambitious character, and its situation, having no formidable neighbours, have contributed to secure it; but the main cause of its stability has been the wise plan of interesting all the learned in its cause. The disturbances which occasionally arise, are produced by famine, an evil to which this great empire is miserably exposed. To alleviate this evil government stores up a part of the grain which it receives in taration, for all taxes are paid in kind; the people have no other relief, and this, which in itself is insufficient, is impeded by those impertinent and oppressive delays, which are not peculiar to the pub. lic offices of China. It is however the desire of government, as it is the interest, to administer effectual relief, and whenever it appears that an officer has with held the relief from the poor, either through neglect or malice, the punishment is justly severe, even sometimes extending to the life of the culprit.

Taxation is fixed and certain; the main and enviable blessing of this government. No new assessment is ever required, except in cases of rebellion, when an additional contribution is sometimes demanded from the neighbouring provinces; and it happens quite as often that the land tax or rent, is remitted in such districts as have suffered by drought or inundation. The annual value of the whole is about sixty-six millions, not more than double the revenue of Great Britain, exclusive of the poors-rate and parochial taxes. The civil and military establishments, and all the incidental and extraordinary expences are paid on the spot, and the surplus revenue remitted to Pekin, amounting to about twelve millions. The military force is stated to consist of eighteen hundred thousand men; the whole expences of this great establishment lord Macartney calculated at little short of fifty millions sterling. But it must be remembered, that ANN. REV. VOL. III.

in China soldiers do not cease to be useful. They are parcelled out in the smaller towns, villages, and hamlets, where they act as jailors, constables, thieftakers, assistants to magistrates, subordinate collectors of the taxes, guards to the granaries, and are employed in a variety of different ways under the civil magistracy and police. They are posted in little forts all along the public roads, canals, and rivers, at the distance of three or four miles asunder; thus they prevent robberies, and carry dispatches to and from the capital, there being no other post. Every soldier has his portion of land which he cultivates; such a provision induces them to marry, and the married men are never removed from their station.

It is, however, probable, that some convulsion is brooding in this great empire. The Tartar family on the throne retain a national prejudice which it was formerly their policy to conceal: though the conquerors adopted the dress, the manners, and the opinions of the conquered, they have not sufficiently blended with the mass of the people; the court is now becoming partial to its own race; all offices of importance are given to Tartars, and the Tartar language is likely to become prevalent at court. This partiality is not regarded by the people with indifference; secret societies of united Chinese have been formed, and it appears by the last accounts that a very serious rebellion had broken out, with one of the family of the last Chinese emperors at the head, who had assumed the imperial yellow. To predict its fate would be impossible; this only is certain, that from a change of dynasty no good results, and the expence of lives and tranquillity at which such a change must be purchased, is actual loss. Such revolutions we deprecate as sincerely as Mr. Barrow, but we have not, like him, that horror of the enlightened doctrines of the rights of man, which he expresses in a manner so little consistent with his usual good sense and good manners. We have expressed our difference of opinion on this head, in reviewing his Travels in Africa; and will therefore here only repeat our hope, that a system, which, like that of the Chinese government, and indeed all the Asiatic governments, totally prevents all improvement, all increase of knowledge and happiness, may be radically destroyed.

G

A plain, extending beyond the reach of sight, opened out on the left of the river, upon which were observed many thousands of small sandy tumuli, of a conical form, resembling those hillocks which in myriads are thrown up on the continent of Africa by the termites or white ants. In several parts of this plain were small buildings, in the form of dwelling-houses, but not exceeding four or five feet in height; in other places were circular, semicircular, and square caclosures of stone-work, and here and there were interspersed small pillars of stone or brick, and other erections of every variety of form. This was the first common burying-ground that we had observed, except a very small one at Tong-tchoo; and the tumuli and the different erections marked out the mansions of the dead. In many parts of this extensive enclosure we met with massy coffins lying upon the surface, some new, others newly painted, but none in a mouldering state. It was explained to us, by our interpreter, that some of these coffins had been deposited there, until the proper advice should be obtained from the priest, or the oracle consulted, or from casting lots, as to the most propitions place of interment, and the most favourable day for performing the obsequies; some were placed there till the pecuniary circumstances of the surviving reatives would enable them to bestow a suitable interment, and others were left to dry and moulder, to a certain degree, in order to be burnt, and the ashes collected and put into stone jars or other receptacles. On no occasion do the Chinese bury their dead within the precincts of a city or town, much less within the walls of their temples; but always deposit them at a proper distance from the dwellings of the living, in which respect they have more discretion than the Europeans."

"The bank of the river, being one of the enclosing fences to the burying-ground, was ornamented with beautiful weeping willows, which, with a few solitary cypresses interspersed among the tombs, were the only trees that appeared in this part of the coun

try.

"In a corner of the cemetery was a temple, built after the usual plan, with an altar in the center; and a number of deities moulded in clay were ranged on each side on some pedestals. We observed no priests; but an elderly lady was very busily employed in throwing the sticks of fate, in order to ob tain a lucky number, in which, however, she failed. During the operation of shaking the cup, her countenance betrayed a greater de gree of eagerness and anxiety than usually ap pears on the face of a Chinese; and she left the temple in a peevish and muttering tone, sufficiently expressive of the greatness of her disappointment, which, it seeins, was no less than a refusal, on the part of the oracle, to hold out the hope of her being blessed with a second husband. Till this circumstance had been explained to us by the keeper of the temple, it was concluded, that the old lady had been muttering imprecations against us for disturbing her in the midst of her devotions."

whole country consists of uncultivated Though nearly a fourth part of the lands, it is probable that the population is not over-rated at 333 millions. Enormous as the aggregate appears, yet this population is to that of Great Britain only as 256 to 120, or in a proportion somewhat greater than two to one. Mr. Barrow has set this point in a clear light, and sufficiently proved, in confutation of the common opinion, that China is not over-stocked.

The latter chapter describes the journey from Pekin to Canton. This article has been extended to so great length, that we have no room to notice its dethe volume to evince its excellence. tails farther. We have said enough of Bruce's is the only work of equal value which has appeared during the present reign-we had almost said during the last century.

THERE is a misnomer in the running title, and indeed in the title-page itself, of these amusing little volumes. The former is "Recollections from Paris" now every line testifies that it was written on the spot, and not from recollection. As to the title-page, the reader will be disappointed if he expects a detailed account of Kotzebue's "Travels from Berlin through Switzerland." Four score lightly printed duodecimo pages embrace every tittle of the journey: it was

probably a rapid one-Kotzebue popped his head out of the carriage every now and then, and if any thing chanced to strike his fancy, it went into his pocket-book, and was, in all likelihood, transferred verbatim to his proof-sheets. The last time we accompanied Kotzebue on his travels it was northward, to the deserts of Siberia: he is quite a different man on this southern excursion; every thing smiles, all nature wears the face of cheer fulness, saddened only occasionally by a

sentimental tear. The Saxon roads, indeed, are unmercifully rough, and an author, particularly a dramatic one, must be excused if he is a little angry at being interrupted by a hard jolt, in the very middle perhaps of a compound epithet!

In travelling among the romantic scenery of Switzerland, Kotzebue has scarcely treated us with a description: he is wise." A person (says he) ought to see Switzerland with his own eyes, just as he ought to hear a concert with his own ears: he who paints countries with words, does still less than the person who hums a symphony."

The country about Zurich is very beautiful; its walks might even "tempt the gouty to exercise."

"Gesner's monument is a performance of such simplicity and neatness, that you can scarcely withhold the tribute of a tear. It is a pity that the French chasseurs, who have now no other opportunity to perpetuate their name, endeavour to do it upon this marble. In many parts I found scrawled the 13th regiment of chasseurs, which is really as opposite to the world of Idyls, as a musket

to a rose-tree.

"In the library there are a great many books: an ordinary traveller can seldom say more of such an establishment. A couple of letters, in the hand-writing of the celebrated Jane Grey, interested me. They are on religions subjects, in very good Latin, and as finely written as if by the hand of a writing

master."

The temper of the Swiss still resembles the ruffled surface of the deep, out of which a subterraneous fire has suddenly projected some rocks, against which the confined surges dash their impotent spray. The walls of the public-houses are often covered with bitter sallies, which are sometimes not without point.

"The Swiss cherish the most inveterate hatred against general Andermatt, the bom barder of Zurich. He lives retired at his country house, where he is skreened from the general contempt."

Leaving Geneva, the road by fort L'Ecluse, through Bellegarde, Nantua, and over Mont Cordon, is the wildest and most romantic imaginable: notwithstanding his determination, Kotzebue cannot refrain from describing the situation of that solitary fortress, frowning over the dark-blue waters of the Rhône, which murmur at its feet; nor

surely was it possible for the most indif ferent traveller to pass by without describing that awful phenomenon, the Loss of the Rhône. It is now three years since we visited this scene of wildness) and apparent ruin, and stood on those: sublime but perilous points of rock, one foot in France and the other in Savoy, from which we saw the angry Rhône fret ting between our feet. It was in the depth of winter when we travelled this fearful road: oftentimes was our carriage enve loped in the clouds which issued from a defile of mountains on the right; they rolled after each other, and when they had escaped from the hills, we saw them' make a sullen descent below us, and watched them hovering over the valley, till a succeeding volume of mist interrupted the view: the impression made upon our minds on beholding those vast and confused masses of rock which engulf the Rhône, was probably rendered more solemn and more grateful by the congenial gloom which chanced to overspread the scene.*

Kotzebue dedicates three pages to the city of Lyons, which he calls an "enorposed to sale in almost every house, and mous shop," because something is exthen he hurries on to Paris, which, to our astonishment, he says, " you may enter as unmolested as your own house; no custom-house officers, no sentinels, no searching, no enquiries respecting your name, quality, or business; the stranger reaches his inn without being noticed by any one, and even there he is not asked for his passport." Vol. I. p. 85. And are the gates of Paris in truth thus unsuspectingly thrown open? It is with difficulty that we can give credit to the

statement.

Arrived at Paris, what can we learn from Kotzebue, which many, very many of our own countrymen, who visited that gay and profligate metropolis during the short breathing-time of peace, have not already told us? The manners and amusements of the Parisians high and low, their quackeries, from the programme of the government to the mendicant jugglers upon the Pont-neuf, their museums, galleries, libraries, theatres, their opera, their frescati, all have been de scribed to us a hundred times. We must not repeat the tale so often told.