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completion. My wife and myself have personally received thirty-two dollars exactly for the sale of the daughter. None of the dollars are broken and they are all of full weight. This bargain was publicly made. The girl was not given up in order to settle a claim nor was she abducted. In case of there being any uncertainty about the origin of the girl, the matter must be settled by the said father

and the go-between

The purchasers have nothing to do with this. I declare that I must take back the girl and return the money received for her if she is found to have been already betrothed or is suffering from leprosy. As re- gards other accidents which may befall her in future, we must all submit to the will of Heaven. We cannot avail of this opportunity to extort money. When she grows to maturity and is married to another family, her father and mother should be notified of it so that they might communicate with her. The masters are at liberty to re-sell her to another family for disobedience. There can be no impedi- ment to this. After the sale, the father and mother cannot have frequent inter- course with her without reason. The masters can give her any other name they please. Both parties have understood and agreed to this in the presence of the go- A bond, regarding the sale of the daughter, is drawn up on the same day and handed to the purchasers as a proof.

tween.

Signed

Go-between

Signed

"

10th day of 9th moon of the 13th Year of Tung Chi.

(Herewith Finger-mark). (The party

making this Bond.

K

C

"

66

K

From Sir Thomas Wade's Documentary Series of the "Tsz-urh-chi ".

SALE OF A DAUGHTER TO BE A CONCUBINE.

Ng Fung-ming, the party signing this deed of sale being in great poverty, has, through the agency of To I, sold his own daughter, Ng Ut-chan, aged seven- teen, to U-lo-ye, for a concubine. It having been agreed in the presence of the agent that the price to be paid for her should be six hundred taels, (about £200) and this sum having been paid in full in the presence of the agent, the purchaser is free, from the time of the sale, to take away the seller's daughter, namely Ng Ut-chan: nor will the seller or the seller's wife gainsay his right.

These parties also agree once for all that they will never more hold intercourse with her, << or visit her. If she infringe the regulations of U-lo-ye's household, he will be free as head of the family to correct her; it will not be in her father's power to interfere. If she fall sick or die young, (it will be held to be) the will of "Heaven. For any intrigue or fraud (on the part of her parents), the agent To I "will be responsible. This deed of sale is expressly executed last hereafter there should be no evidence of the sale. Signed with the finger mark of Ng Fung-ming and Ting his wife, being the parties executing the deed and by the agent To I."

NOTE. This woman would be called among foreigners the 2nd, 3rd, or 4th wife of Mr. U. The so-called 2nd, 3rd, and 4th wives are concubines and nothing else. A Chinaman has only one wife properly so-called. She often pro- cures the concubine for her husband; but the children are regarded as having equal rights with those of the "number one wife."

J.R.