various directions workmen were seen thus employed, or otherwise engaged, gathering up the cotton stalks, clearing or mauuring the ground. Houses, farmyards, and cemeteries were to be seen here and there, also clumps of the bamboo, fur trees, tallow trees, the willow, the plum, the apple, the peach, &c., &c. Some of the apple trees had been grafted-the scion having been inserted a few inches above the roots, when the body of the sapling was only an inch or so in diameter.

Naked coffins, and hillocks covering the remains of the dead, Two of the were much less numerous here than about Shanghái.

latter, however, were remarkable and of extraordinary size. They were called, by the Chinese, whom we met by the way luh lí tun,

六里墩 i. e. " the six mile hillocks," being situated six l or

Chinese miles distant from each other.

There are, it is said seventy-two of these hillocks of ancient origin, having been erected fifteen or sixteen centuries ago. Of the two we saw, the first was close to Nántsiáng on the north; the second was six li or about two English miles further north, and both only a few rods distant from the canal. We ascended the northern one; it is perhaps thirty feet high, in the form of a pyramid, and apparent ly built solely of earth. It is square at the base, and covers perhaps one third of an English acre of ground.

The people, of whom we inquired regarding the origin of these seventy-two mounds, said that they had been erected by one of their ancient emperors for the purpose of concealing from popular fury the remains of his consort, the empress. She on account of her infamous character and conduct, was hated by all the people, who threatened to take vengeance on her mortal remains. In order to

prevent this, the emperor caused these seventy-two hillocks to be erected, and under one of them he had the remains of his imperial consort secretly interred.-It would be interesting to investigate this matter; but I must dismiss it here and proceed with the narrative of our one day's Excursion.

On reaching the village,-where our coolie had engaged a boat and (as already stated) been careful to stipulate the price-300 copper cash, or about one fifth of a Spanish dollar-the boatman, seeing now who were to be his passengers, wanted not one fifth of a dollar, but twenty-five times that amount. Five dollars he must have, or his boat could not move! Unfortunately for him, however, there were of his own countrymen many present who were witnesses to his engage

ment, and who now turned the laugh upon him, as he tried in vain to break from his contract with the coolie. There was no time for bantering; we were already seated in his boat; and he was now very willing to keep to his engagement.

At eleven o'clock we reached the southern extremity of the suburbs of Kiáting. There stepping on shore, we proceeded directly along the principal street to the southern gate, and as we went along distributed tracts to such as we supposed able to read. This southern suburb, though narrow, extends nearly a mile from north to south. The gate-way was the broadest and highest, and the gate the best, I have yet seen in China.

From this gate we proceeded on directly northward to a Budhistic pagoda, seven stories high. The ascent was easy, and from the uppermost story we enjoyed a fine view of the city and adjacent country, one vast plain, apparently of boundless extent.

On the north and east this plain stretches away to the banks of the great Yangtsz kiáng, or Child of the ocean;" on the south was Nántsiáng, which we had just passed; on the west, half way between us and Suchau, was the little city of Kwanshan, its situation distinctly indicated by its pogoda, distant from us twelve or fifteen miles. Taitsáng chau a city lying between us and Kwanshán, we could not see. Far in the distance, to the south-west, we could just see a few little hills; and these were the only natural elevations visible in all the wide expanse around us.

Having first glanced at these distant outlines, the nearer objects one atter another in succession began to attract our attention.

Kiating is laid out in the form of a parallelogram; its four sides facing the four cardinal points, the two longest running from east to west. In has four gates, on each side one. From these four gates two streets run so as to intersect each other, near the centre of the city, and thus divide it into four lesser parallelograms, of nearly equal size.

The pagoda, from which we were looking down and surveying these outlines of the city, stands near the place where the two long streets meet and intersect each other.

The entire circuit of the walls around the city, may be eight miles measuring two miles on each side. It may be less, but certainly it cannot be more.

Beyond the walls, hamlets, farmvards, etc., as already described on our way from Nantsiáng, diversified the scene; within the walls, fall

one third of the area is arable land, cultivated like that beyond them. We saw some beautiful gardens.

A moat or ditch surrounds the walls, and passes under them through water-gates at three different points; within the city it again goes round near to and parallel with the walls, and likewise near to and parallel with the two principal streets. It has also many minor branches, supplying the whole city with abundance of water.

Most of the houses are situated along the two principal streets, the centre of the city being the most den ely populated. From our ele. vated position we could look down into many of their gardens and court-yards, concealed by high walls from the view of the traveler when passing along the streets. Multitudes of the people were seen gazing up at the foreigners, as we walked round and round the pagoda surveying their city.

The object of our visit forbade our lingering long to enjoy the charming prospect in and around Kiáting. Coming down from the pagoda, we found a large assembly collected in the open court at its base. To this assembly, all standing and listening in breathless silence, Dr. Medhurst preached for twenty minutes or half an hour.

Passing on a few steps from the pagoda, we came to the point where the two main streets intersect each other; turning our course from thence, as we came up in the street from the south gate, we proceeded towards the east gate, distributing tracts as we had done before. These were received with eagerness; and care was taken to give them only to those whom we supposed able to read.

On arriving at the Chinghwang máu, the entrance to the outer court was found open, -λ thoroughfare. A crowd entered with us, anxious to hear what the foreigners might have to say. In front of the great hall of the temple there stands a lofty censer, elevated on a platform four feet or more from the ground, with steps leading up to it, so as to enable the devotees to throw into the censer their offerings of burning paper, &c. Upon these steps Dr. Medhurst took his stand, and in a few moments was surrounded by a dense throng. After beckoning silence, a discourse, similar to that delivered to the people at the pagoda, was repeated; the audience however was much

more numerous.

The preaching ended, the remainder of our tracts distributed, and a hasty look taken at the Foundling Hospital, and some of the other principal buildings of the city, we then turned our course homewards.

At four o'clock we were at Nantsiáng, where in the morning

notice had been given that there would be preaching in the afternoon. The stand occupied by the preacher was quite like that last described; the audience was much larger and composed of more respectable classes of people. The number, of those who stood and listened to the discourse from beginning to the end, could not have been less than eight hundred souls. There must have been, some of the time, twice or thrice that number within the reach of the preacher's voice. During the whole time, perfect order and profound sience were maintained throughout the assembly. It was a pleasing sight to see such a large congregation listening so long and so attentively—and many of them for the first time-to the preaching of the gospel.

From the temple, passing through the crowd, we walked to our boat, which had come down the canal and was waiting for us. We left the city just before sunset, and ere it was midnight reached the Súchau bridge-the place of our departure in the morning-having been absent from Shanghái less than twenty-four hours.

The city of Nantsiáng is fifteen and that of Kiáting twenty-three miles from Shanghái. Of their population I have no means of forming an estimate. Probably they may each contain one hundred thousand souls.

P. S. April 22d. Dr. Medhurst and the Rev. Mr. Muirhead made another visit to Nántsiáng yesterday. Without any notice having been given, the audience was as large as on the former occasion; the number of books distributed was much larger.

ART. IV.

men

Walks about Shanghai, with notices of the city and its inhabitants. From a Private Journal, by Viator.

DECEMBER 25th, 1847, was a charmingly bright day: a merry Christmas. On the Cathedral not a mouse was stirring: the workwere all keeping holiday. At the British Consulate, Divine Service was held at 11 o'clock a. M. The little chapel, or Church, fitted up for the occasion, was in very good taste, and the services, performed by the Rev. Mr. Spalding, were solemn and impressive. Immediately after these services, the sacrament of the Lord's Supper was administered at the residence of the missionary Bishop, the