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Dreams in the Red Chamber.
MAY
execution of the Chinese laws on this subject, must be borne by the parties who have brought that loss on themselves by their own acts.”
30th. The governor and lieutenant-governor and hoppo addressed a memorial to the emperor, regarding the existing state of the contra band trade. Vol. VI p. 473.
(To be continued.)
ART. II. Hung Lan Mung, or Dreams in the Red Chamber; u
novel. 20 vols, duodecimo. Noticed by a Correspondent. AMONGST the novels of the Chinese, this work holds a decidedly high rank. The author, after making many protestationɛ of his ina- bility to do justice to the subject, which indeed is the only truth is the book, commences his story, like the History of New York, with the creation of the world. To wit, there was once a being, man or woman cannot now be ascertained, called Nükwá, in which, by the way, several authors have supposed they had found some resemblance 1o that of our mother Eve. Now, this Nükwá, being of a thrifty dis, position, undertook to repair the heavens with solid stones, a work of some difficulty, considering their height and airiness. But noi- withstanding all this, the artificer succeeded, and made a very hand- some piece of work, as is this day to be seen.
Niikwá had prepared 36,501 stones for the grand work, but there were only 36,500 wanted, the odd one was therefore thrown away
This discarded stone, however, perceiving itself to be devoid of talent and unfit for the splendid work to which its brethren had been
ap- plied, began to repine, and would have been overpowered by its grief, if, in the midst of its misfortunes, a priest of Táu and one of Budha had not come and paid it a visit. They observed that there was something curious in the stone, and soon found out, that its claims to superiority were very great. To avoid having it looked upon as a common stone, they set to work and graved an inscription, which set forth the excellency of the said stone. When finished, they went away, and nobody took any notice of the wonderful mineral, until a few kulpas, some of which were at least 100,000 years' duration, had passed away. Then it happened that another priest found the identical stone, and wondered at the long histories, that were engraved on its surface
He therefore acked him how this had come to pass, and
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