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Memorial from Keshen.
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with a party of her fellows.' I thought, after these unlucky essays, I would ask no more questions; but carefully use my eyes instead. Looking into a shop, I saw a stout strapping fellow sowing lace on a bonnet; and going on to the landing-place, behold, there all the ferry-boats were rowed by women; and from a passage-boat just arrived, I saw the females get out of the cabin which was in the bow. What are we coming to next?' said 1, and just by I saw a carpenter take his foot-rule out of his stocking, to measure some timber, which his apprentice was cutting with a saw that had the blade set nearly at right angles with the frame. Before his door sat a man busily engaged in whitening the soles of a pair of shoes with white lead. We next passed a fashionable lady who was just stepping out of her chair, hobbling,' I should rather say; for unlike our ladies with their com- pressed waists, her feet were not above three inches long; and her gown; instead of having gores sewed into the bottom, was so contracted by embroi- dered plaits as apparently to restrain her walking. Come let us return home,' said I, for I am quite whirled about in this strange land.'”
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This sketch will somewhat illustrate a Chinaman's ideas of pro- priety; it is very manifest from it that there is no accounting for or reasoning against tastes, and that if we wish to judge fairly of many things that he does, and of many of his notions, some know- ledge of their rationale is desirable. If this his outer man is unlike what we deem good taste, we shall find, alas, that his inner man is much more unlike, much farther estranged from what we are taught to regard as (and know to be) good morals.
ART. VII. Memorial from Keshen, concerning the attack on Chuen- : pe; with replies thereto from the emperor.
MEMORIAL from your majesty's slave, Keshen, with reference to the English foreigners' not waiting for replies, but straightway attacking the forts of Shakok and Taikok ;—even now, while the contest, yet rests undecided, is this report sent with all speed, by an express, traveling diligently more than 500 le daily, in order to be humbly submitted to your majesty's sacred perusal.
After your slave had this morning dispatched his respectful re- port, regarding the communication he had prepared to send in answer to the English foreigners, and regarding the actual warlike display of banners,—a dispatch was received by express, at a later period of