Directory_and_Chronicle_1841 — Page 71

น

54

Calendar for 1841.

JAN.

load upon the memory,

and accordingly Prémare, the great sinologist, would have even European students of the language commit to memory the Chinese classics after the manner of boys in Chinese schools. The noise of Chinese schools is also in some measure perhaps necessary, for words and tones so closely resembling each other are not to be acquired with closed mouths."

From the Anglo-Chinese College, Malasca, no report for the last year has reached us. By recent letters from the Straits, we learn, with deep sorrow, that its late principal, the Rev. John Evans, has been suddenly removed by the cholera-which in November and December was carrying off large numbers of the native inhabitants. The late Rev. J. Hughes was also one of its victims. By the death of Mr. Evans, the sole management of the Institution has devolved on the Rev. James Legge, who arrived at Malacca in January, 1840. We hope soon to be enabled to lay before our readers à particular account of the institution; for the present we can only say that its several classes of Chinese youth, and its printing department, are both continued as hitherto On page 32 of this volume will be found an account of the origin and design of this institution.

ART. IX.

Calendar for 1841; with lists of members of the im- perial cabinet; provincial officers at Canton; Portuguese govern- mentat Macao; British naval and military forces in China; foreign consuls, &c., and other foreign residents, commercial houses, and merchant ships.

A. D. 1841 corresponds to the 4478th year of the Chinese era, which is computed by cycles of sixty years, the present being the 38th of the 75th cycle, and the 21st in the reign of his imperial majesty Taoukwang. The Chinese at the present time date all their papers, official or otherwise, from the first year in the reign of each succes- sive emperor. Though the reigning sovereign ascended the throne in 1820, he was pleased to ordain that that year should be considered the last of his father and predecessor's, and the next the first of his / own reign. They reckon by lunar months; introducing occasional- ly an intercalary month; their 1st day of the 1st month of this year corresponds to January 23d; an intercalary month occurring between the 21st of April, and the 20th of May. The comparative calendar, on the next page, will enable the reader easily to find the corresponding date of any document, when given only in Chinese, and also vice versa.