women from lonely houses near the hanks of the river; then, having abused their persons, offering to return them for a ransom. Alas! there is no knowledge of God; no love to His Name; or fear of his wrath in the land.
The young man, alluded to above, died, the report says, at the Hwalin, or "flower forest," as the haunts of prostitution and debauchery are called: for the Chinese, not only in their poetry, but also in their common phraseology, represent the paths of vice, as "strewed with flowers." Thus they lend their literature, and their poetry, to disguise the fact, that those paths, and those abodes are "the way to hell; going down to the chambers of death." Prov. vii, 27.
Fire at Shameen.—By the fire of October 30th, mentioned in our last number, the destruction of property was very great, and several persons lost their lives. Upwards of ten of the pitiable victims of that infamous neighbourhood were lost; a part of whom were burnt to death; and the others were carried off by banditti, to be resold or redeemed. For one individual 300 taels of silver were demanded as a ransom, by the men who stole her. This money not being speedily forth-coming, the depraved men brutally violated her person, till by their crimes they caused her death. This unhappy sufferer was only 20 years of age.
Fires break out at this place almost every year; and although they are officially attributed to accident, yet there is reason to believe they are caused by incendiaries. The local magistrate has issued a proclamation, offering a reward of 100 dollars to any one who will seize a principal incendiary; and 50 dollars, for an accomplice. But the seizure must be made at the spot where the fire commenced, and at the time of the act!! If any seize an innocent person, and bear false witness against him, they will be punished as if they had committed the crime themselves.
Dometic Slavery,—the buying and selling of boys and girls, which is one of the bad effects of the laws of China, is an unpleasant subject of contemplation. We are assured, that by far the larger portion of the eight or ten thousand of that unhappy class of women, referred to above, who have their abodes in, and about Canton, are persons who were bought when mere children. In this situation, they are compelled, by the cupidity of one class of persons, to yield themselves up to the vicious propensities of another class; and to put on a smile, and appear gay, while they possess a diseased body, and an aching heart. Thus they are scorned by society without, while inwardly they are suffering the agonies of a guilty conscience. It has always appeared to us, that, that selfishness, which seeks its own gratification, by sacrificing thereto the happiness of another sentient being, is the very spirit which actuates devils in hell.
The Yellow River.—On the 14th ult., an affray took place at the junction of the yellow river with the Hung-tsih lake, which excited the indignation of the emperor. To mitigate the entrance of the waters of the river into the lake certain, embankments have been raised by government. The rise of the river threatened their destruction, and some workmen were employed to strengthen them. For some reason, not explained in the Gazette, a large party of insurgents, headed by some respectable people, came in boats, and were provided with small arms. They put a stop to the work; tied up the workmen; and before military help could be procured, excavated a passage more than ninety cubits wide and thirty cubits deep, to render the river and the lake one confluence of waters.
When a military force appeared, the insurgents fled away in their boats. On account of this proceeding, the Emperor has ordered all the principal officers, and among the rest, Changtsing, who is styled the Governor-general of the river, to be subjected to a "severe" Court martial.
Death of a family.—One of the Hoppo's custom-house attendants, named Choopayay, had a north country servant, named Yang, who had been with him a long time. Yang was married, and had a daughter about fourteen or fifteen years of age. She was engaged to be married to
