Mo. 218.

聲音發源圖解 國朝潘遂先撰

Shing Yin Fáh Yuen Tú Kiái, in one Section, by Pwan Suisien of the reigning Manchu dynasty.

ART. II. Remarks on the Notes of Z. Z. in a letter Addressed to the Editor of the Chinese Repository. By the REV. DR. MEDHURST.

EXCEPTION, it will be seen from the subjoined letter, has been taken to the language employed by Z. Z. in certain Notes appended to the translation of an Address to foreigners by the native gentry of Shánghái, and published in the number of the Chinese Repository for May this year. Holding ourselves responsible for those Notes, we will offer some explanations, and hope to remove any wrong impression caused thereby, We did perceive (and who could not?) that the address,-affirming that all China and Christendom worship one and the same God, would have a bearing on the discussions alluded to, and it was that mainly which induced us to publish the Paper with the notes, a reply to which we now subjoin in a letter addressed

To the Editor of the Chinese Repository,-DEAR SIR; Permit me to venture a few remarks on a communication signed Z. Z. which appeared in your number for May last, not so much with reference to the argument as to the phraseology employed. The writer says, "if the translator of Kiying's despatch found the phrase Sháng t in the original of that document-and has translated such phrase by God, then we have the translator of Kiying's despatch abetting and sanctioning the gentry of Shánghái in their strange assertion that all China and Christendom worship and serve one and the same God; than which nothing can be more false". It is known to the readers of the Repository that several Protestant missionaries have been in the habit of using Shángtí for God, and that a controversy It cannot be is now pending respecting that and similar terms. denied that the imputation of abetting and sanctioning that which is represented as most false is as much applicable to then as it is to the translator of Kiying's despatch; viewing it in this light, I cannot

but regret that a term was employed, of so offensive a character connected with such an imputation, because kelyt to carry convicLthink that hard terms do

not serve the interests of truth, and are tions with them. The controversy abre alluded to involves points of considerable difficulty, respecting whetothe opinions of men well acquainted with the Chinese language, and with the subject they have to discuss, are much divided; it is therefore needless to add, that it becomes all parties to maintain their own opinions with some degree of deference and modesty.

I am, Dear Sir, Yours truly.

buzz Shánghái Juły sk0t8, 1849 W. HAMED INGASTO

in the foregoing remarks we quite coucur and test we should be misunderstood, will state in detail :

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That, considering the difficulty ofabâ greatsquéstion, it does become, those who suter on its discrittain their own opinwith some degree of deference and modest bar

That the imputation, of abettingmand sanctioning what is most false, as set forth by Zos equally applignite to all persons who affirm that all, China and Christendom, anorship!come and the same

God';

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Further, and in behalf of Z. Z. we are bound to state what we know that he didnot intend give offenses Hadtihe, instead of pronouncing the assertion of the gentry Timmst false," merely said that he deemed it entaucous, his note, probablydwould not have elicited the foregoing letter from Dr.Medhurstwhich we regard as imporLant, not more for, its gentle rebuke, of Zui ZX1than for its helping us to comprehend his meaning when, in bioloquiry"(see our present volume PR 108 est parria) be declares that Zor Tien is the Supreme God, as far as the Chinese, kuchim Now, without doing violence to language, we must admit thats Dr.Medhurst believes that the Chinese ancient and modern, de know and worship the one only living, and true God,uot, some imaginary Divinitybut the same Being whom he and all Christendom worship. He does sometimes say, the, Dixinuty, the Supreme Being," in the estimation of the Chinese," and if he had, said nothing more, we might suppose that he only, meant, the chief of the Chinese Gods, intending to admit that they were all false, But when, he speaks of the Supreme

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Being as far as the Chinese know Him, it seems to us evident that he means to affir 902069 (1974e true God. the Chiffese do kow Juontiw sgols yojbu, iz is only on this supposition that we can see how Z, 2.1790s s potes cond be deemed offensive.

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Possibly we have Hot rightly understood his language. But th reading his Inquirit this seemed as as that throughout he has proceeded on the assumption that the Chinese have a knowledge of God, the Makersalids Governor of gaming and that from time immemorialotlley have worshiped himghened the native gentry of Shanghai were right in affirming, as they did in their address, that all China and Christendom worshiped and served one and the same God.

Once it was our opinion that the Shú King and other ancient writings of the Chinese contained explicit recognition of the true God, and that we might refer to their Sháng-ti as identical with the Elohim of the old and the theos of the New Testament. For a time

this sentiment seems to have been entertained by nearly all the Protestant Missionaries in China; and both in their preaching and writing their usage was in accordance with that sentiment, and it was not until after the general meeting of the missionaries at How? kong in 1843 that any dery serious doubts were entertained regardi ing the correctness of what in this particu ar Chad: become général usage. Up to that period the intercourse of missionaries had been chiefly with the Chinese at Canton and in their foreign residences, at Batavia, Singapore, Malacoa, Penang and Bangkok, 1989

The work of revision having been undertaken the tendering of theos into Chinese soou became a sérions question, "It was found by several of the missionaries, at their different stations in China, that when using the term Shang-ti in their preaching, the Chinese understood by it just what has been declared by the native gentry of Shanghai, and commented on by Z. Z. Not to speak of the living, we may mention the late much respected Mr. Lowrie of Ningpo, as one of those who very soon felt compelled to abandon the use of Shang-til He came to this result before he had intimation that several others, in an equally independent and insulated manner, had come to the same conclusion' with himself. Such precisely was our own case, and we accordingly endeavored to draw public attention to the subject, with a view to ascertain the true merits of the question. An answer to a letter from us addressed to Dr. Medhurst on the subject, will be found in our Vo!: XVI! p. 34, &c. to which we beg to refer our readers, where Dr M affirms that Shang ·

ti always and invariably, in every Chinese book of any worth (when standing alone without any prefix) means the Supreme Being, and says the use of it must not be given up, until we can find a better term. Still if others deemed it best, he would have no objection to

adopt 天主 Tien chú, 天帝 Tien ti,帝 Ti;真主 Chin

chú, or Chú alone. There is certainly here a good deal of latitude for choice.

Our Readers have his arguments now before them, in the successive numbers of the Repository for this year, and will form thereon their own opinions.

ART. III.

Notice of a visit to the cities of Kinting and Nántsiáng, with a description of the former, accompanied by a facsimile plan taken from a Chinese map of that city.

SATURDAY, February 26th, 1848, at seven o'clock A. M. I returned to Shanghái from a visit to the cities of Nántsiáng and Kiáting: this last, in some of the old books and in Mr. Fortune's, is also called Cading, which is the local pronunciation of the name of that city. Yesterday, at two o'clock in the morning, the Rev. Dr. Medhurst, the Rev. Mr. Muirhead and myself, started from the landing-place just above the Súchau bridge, a mile above the foreign factories at Yangking Páng, and proceeded rapidly up the river, carried along by a strong tide, aided by two men working at the scull.

Our course was between west and north-west, till we reached a small town on the north bank of the river. This town is called Yéki tun; and from thence-leaving the river which is the direct route to Súchau-our course was almost due north.

Soon after sunrise the white walls of the houses and temples of Nántsiáng, seen at no great distance, clearly indicated the situation. and extent of its southern boundary. Nántsiáng, though not surrounded by a wall, is a place of considerable business and may number eighty thousand or more of inhabitants. Our boat reached the city about seven o'clock; and Dr. Medhurst immediately stepped on shore and went to the temple of great sacrifices," and at the gateway pasted up a notice, informing the people that he would preach there

in the afternoon and inviting their attendance.

He then returned

to the boat and we proceeded on through the city, hoping to reach Kiáting at an early hour.

We had hardly finished breakfast before our boat brought up against a dam built of mud,—a barrier that had been thrown quite across the canal. Taking a large bag of tracts, as many as a coolie could carry on his back we left the boat and proceeded on footsending a coolie forward to seek for another boat. After traveling nearly a mile we came to a second barrier, built across the river quite like the first.

Between these two barriers the deposits of earth had so accumulated as to render the navigation of the canal difficult, and it became necessary to have these deposits removed. In order to draw off the water, so that the deposits could be removed, the two barriers had been erected, and over them thrown a dozen or more chain pumps, at which scores of men were at work, exhausting the water from the intersected portion of the canal -a work that would require days or perhaps weeks. When we passed, the depth of water had been so much reduced that in some places the bed of the canal was dry and the work of excavating had commenced. The breadth of this canal is not uniform, and may vary from twenty to a hundred feet.

Near the northern barrier several boats, such as we wanted to take us on to Kiáting, were hauled up to the shore; but our coolie had to pass on nearly a mile to a village, before he could secure one,-in doing which he took care to stipulate the conditions on which it should take passengers to and bring them back from Kiáting.

Our short walk along the banks of the canal was exceedingly pleasant, the scenery all around delightful, and the weather charm. ing.

When we stepped from the boat, Nántsiáng was just far enough off, on the south, to afford us a full view of its northern limits, such as we had two hours before enjoyed of its southern. In every other direction-east, west, and north-the plain extended as far as the eye could reach. The face of the earth-although robbed of its flowers by the cold frosts of winter, and of its luxuriant crops of grain by the diligent hand of the husbandman-was by nomeans devoid of interest.

The whole plain is fertile, composed of a deep rich loamy soil, the same as it is around Shanghái. Most of it is arable; and in many places it had been recently turned up, in some fields by the hoe or mattoe, in others by the plough, drawn by the ox or buffalo.

In