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the city, to prevent robberies, fires, &c., and has to join in more general operations, when occasion and the orders of his superiors require. The men under his command are only a few hundred and seldom a thousand, as his title seems to indicate. His post is near the south-west quarter of the city. In ordinary times, or such as we now see, little is heard or known of the imperial troops. They have barracks and parade grounds, with arsenals, and the ect. for
martial service.
Besides the above, there are sacrificial officers, priests, usually of the Budhistic schools, who are appointed to aid in offering sacrifices, on certain occasions, to heaven, earth, sun, moon, stars, &c. When an emperor, or empress dies, or when there is an eclipse, and local officers are required to offer sacrifices, the services of the priesthood are then sometimes put in requisition. No pay, however, so far as we can learn, is ever given to them, beyond what the civil officers please to grant on their own account, and they must seek their live- lihood, consequently, chiefly from other sources.
The literary institutions of Shánghái are respectable, but not of a high order. The city being the residence of commercial rather than literary men, and withal of comparatively recent origin, we should not expect to find here schools of a very high order, nor those that do exist very extensively patronized. A governmental college, some public and private institutions, with numerous day-schools complete the whole list.
The Kiáu yi,, already mentioned in the list of officials, is the chief in the literary departinent of the district. His duty is to govern and instruct the young literati, who have obtained the rank
Both those who
of siá tsái, the first collegiate degree in China. hold, this degree, and those who have purchased for themselves the kien sang degree, are privileged to attend the district college, if they please, and there to enjoy the tuition of this functionary. At his discretion he can issue themes, and the students bring in their essays for his inspection and correction. Having special charge of this class of the people he is able to call them to account for their con- duct, and in all minor cases, can proceed to administer justice by
way.
of correction. In case of high offences, when the magistrate wishes to arrest them, he must first have the consent of this officer. In special criminal cases this officer and the magistrate, before they can punish the literati, must first report them to the hioh yuen, 匹 or literary chancellor, at the capital of the province, and then after the offenders have been by him deprived of their rank and degraded,