we said to him, "that Christians are not afraid; why, then, try to intimidate us?"-" Where did you learn Chinese?" "In China."-" In what part?"-" A little everywhere."-" And the Tartar language, do you know that? Where did you learn it?"-" In Mongolia, the land of herbs."

traders was in view; that the commercial treaty was altogether futile without the safe navigation of the seas by our merchant vessels; and it became necessary at once to cut the matter short by saying that the commanders of H. M. ships must obey any orders they received from their government in the prosecution of their lawful business.

Maps of the country our missionaries had, but they were not autograph, nor even manuscript. A grand scrutiny took place before Ke-shen.

tian government, according to his supposed duty to his sovereign, his personal demeanor to the two travellers proved his due appreciation of the European character, no doubt the result of his experience at Canton. The lateness of the hour put an end to the audience, and our missionaries had an immediate interview, followed by a supper, with their kind friend, the regent, whose solicitude may fairly be attributed as much to his jealousy of the Chinese resident, as his sympathy for the strangers. At this interview appeared as interpreter, on account of his knowledge of the Chinese language, (the medium most familiar to the missionaries,) a certain Mahomedan chief of the Mussulmans of Cashmere, resident at Lhassa. This little incident shows our increased vicinity to the Chinese empire, since Gholab Singh, ruler of Cashmere, became our tributary, and bound himself in the treaty with Lord Hardinge, to transmit annually a dozen fine shawls, and a certain number of shawl goats, in acknowledgment of British supremacy.

The greatest cause of anxiety to the regent, and the circumstance most likely to compromise the missionaries, proved to be the supposed possession of maps of the country, constructed by themselves. It would seem, according to our author, that this

"We are fortunate," said the travellers to the Chinese minister, "to find you here. In your absence it might have been impossible to convince the authorities of Thibet that we did not construct these -to one so well acquainted with European matterswork." Ke-shen appeared greatly flattered by the compliment. "It is evident at once," said he, "that these are printed maps. Look," he added to the regent, "the maps, instead of being made by these persons, were printed in the country of France. You could not perceive that; but I have been long accus tomed to distinguish the various objects which come from the West."

Solvuntur risu tabule. - This incident was of more use to the missionaries, and relieved them more completely from the cloud which had hung over them, than anything else that could have occurred. The only fear and anxiety of the regent himself was effectually removed, and from being virtually prisoners, and their baggage under seal, they returned in a sort of ovation to their lodging. It did not seem unreasonable for them, under all the circumstances, to hope that they might remain unmolested in the country. This appeared still more probable after their friend, the regent, had allowed them to take up their quarters in a house

belonging to the government, where they established a chapel, and where they were visited by both Thibetians and Chinese, some of whom manifested no disinclination towards the Romish worship. Enough has been shown to prove that, in external rites, there is not a great deal of difference, give the Papal emissaries great practical advantages over Protestant missionaries. Whatever

Moorcroft, who, according to the Thibetians, introduced himself at Lhassa as a native of Cashmere.

They stated that, after a residence of some years, he took his departure, but was murdered on his way to Ladak. Among his effects were a number of maps and designs, which he had executed during his stay in this country; and hence the fear of mapmakers. The truth, however, is that this fear has been of long standing, in China at least, where the common notion of an Englishman is that of a bipes implumis who goes about making maps of the country, with an express view to future conquest. Keying, the most liberal Chinese we have ever had to deal with, was in a perpetual fidget

about the coast survey, carried on, since the peace, by that able officer Captain Collinson, between Hong-Kong and Shanghae, and plagued H. M. plenipotentiary incessantly on the subject. It was

*The time and place of Moorcroft's death near Balkh, as related by Professor Wilson, have been -confirmed through repeated notices gathered by Barnes and others during our occupation of Cabuland the adjacent countries, and there is no doubt of the fact. Moorcroft's residence for twelve years, from

1826 to 1838, at Lhassa, without being heard of,

directly or indirectly, by any European, whether in India, Nepaul, China, or Russia, is incredible on the face of it.

may be the evils or scandals attending celibacy in the Romish Church, (and Dr. Dens' miscalled "Theology" proves its dangers in the confessional,) it has been very useful to them in the case of foreign missions, and in the exploration of untried regions or new fields of action. The very undertaking we are considering could never have been accomplished by Protestant clergymen encumbered with the "impedimenta" of wives and families. When a missionary is nominated from England, the prospect of a provision, supposing him to be single, generally induces him to marry, and he

fixes himself down, say at one of the five ports of China, for perhaps his life, with the very moderate prospect of converting the empire from a place corresponding to one of our seaports. If he dies prematurely, which is often the case, the funds which sent him out become charged with the maintenance of those whom he leaves behind, and we need only look over the accounts of the Propagation Society to see that a very considerable amount of their funds (most justly and unavoidably we admit) are swallowed up annually in this way.

The interval of prosperity now enjoyed by our travellers, but destined to be too soon interrupted, conversations with Ke-shen. His Canton recollections seemed to haunt him. Ke-shen asked us for news of Palmerston; if he was still minister of foreign affairs. He gave them a graphic and perfectly true description of the absolute power of the Chinese sovereign :

Our emperor says to us, "You see that is white." We prostrate ourselves, and answer, "Yes, it is white." Then he shows us the same thing, and says, "You see that is black." We prostrate ourselves again, and say, "Yes, it is black." But if you were to say that a thing could not at the same time be both black and white, the emperor would say perhaps to him who had that boldness, "You are right"-but at the same time he would cause him to be strangled or beheaded.

Ke-shen was a high authority on this subject, for he had been one of the emperor's privy councillors.

M. Huc persuades himself, naturally enough perhaps, that the Chinese resident at Lhassa became jealous of the progress made by himself and M. Gabet among the Thibetians, and therefore determined on bringing about their departure from the country; but any Chinese functionary in his position would have deemed such a measure necessary, and a mere act of prudence as concerned himself, considering he served a master who, as we have just seen, treats his servants in so truculent a style, even when they have reason on their side. Ke-shen had already been once condemned to death himself.

One day the ambassador, Ke-shen, had us called,

and, after much cajolery, he ended by telling us that

Thibet was a cold country, too poor for us, and that we must think about going back to France. He said this with a kind of careless frankness, as if he had supposed that no objection could be made to it. We asked him whether in thus speaking he intended to give us advice or commands?" Both," said he coldly.

They in vain urged that they were not Chinese subjects, and therefore disclaimed his assumed authority over them in Thibet. The conference was abruptly terminated by their being informed that they must prepare themselves to quit the country. They went at once to their friend, the regent, who, in words at least, seemed to impress them with the notion that he did not consider their departure absolutely depended on the will of the Chinese Resident. The habitual insincerity of Asiatics renders them very ready to say anything that may be agreeable to their hearers, and their love of ease makes them willing to avoid unpleasant discussions. It is very probable that the regent was jealous of Ke-shen; but we cannot go quite the length of imagining, with M. Huc, that a ready compliance with the determination of Ke-shen on the part of himself and M. Gabet became necessary, " de peur de compromettre le regent, et de devenir, peut-être, la cause de fâcheuses dissensions entre la Chine et le Thibet." We are persuaded that, whatever circumstances may occur to occasion a war between Thibet and China, it will not be for such a cause as this. M. Huc must before now have become sensi

or influence in countries very far west of Lhassa, and therefore more distant from Peking.

It was certainly a stipulation in 1845, between M. de Lagrené, the French minister, and Keying, that the Romish religion should no longer be subject to persecution in China; and Sir John Davis lost no time in obtaining for Protestants whatever privileges were to be accorded to Romanists. In 1847, however, two Romish bishops, in partibus, were found in the interior, and immediately sent off to the coast, whence they found their way to Hong-Kong, indignant at what seemed to them so direct a violation of treaties. The Chinese government declared that the privileges in question were only intended for the Five Ports where Europeans were permitted to reside, and that they did not extend to admitting the teachers of Christianity into the interior.

We altogether concur with M. Huc on one point. If the two missionaries were to quit Lhassa, they might at least have been allowed to leave it in the readiest and easiest way. Within three weeks' journey was the frontier of Bengal, whence it was their wish to proceed to Calcutta. But no; Chinese fears and jealousies had decreed otherwise. The same absurd precaution which had caused certain emissaries from Russia to be conducted by a roundabout course from Kiachta to Peking, doomed our poor missionaries to travail from Lhassa through alpine passes to the frontier of China, and from thence to Canton-a weary course of about eight months. They protested in vain, and declared they would denounce this cruel measure to the French government. Ke-shen was inflexible, observing that he must remember what was expected from him by the emperor, and take care of his own head.

A good escort, however, was provided, and every care taken for the welfare of our travellers. A mandarin of respectable military rank, and fifteen Chinese soldiers, were charged with their safe conduct by Ke-shen in person, who, moreover, in a most edifying oration, recorded by M. Huc, pointed out their respective duties; and truly the undertaking before them was not a light one, as the description of the journey to the Chinese frontier (where the present work concludes) will easily show. In this almost impassable tract of country we may discover the real cause of the separation, for so many ages, of China from the Western world; for mountains of nearly the same alpine character extend all the way from Tartary southwards to Yunnan and the frontiers of the Burmese empire. The hardships of the present journey, undertaken under all possible advantages, killed no less than three mandarins, that is, their conductor and two others who joined them on the route. We must observe, however, that the former had been invalided from his duties on account of swelled legs and other, probably dropsical, symptoms, brought on by the abuse of stimulating liquors. We must give our author's description of this mandarin's separation from his Thibetian wife, as it is a specimen of M. Huc's style :

Avant de monter à cheval, une Thibétaine vigoureusement membrée et assez proprement vêtue se presenta; e'était la femme de Ly-kouo-ngan. Il l'avait épousée depuis six ans, et il allait l'abandonner pour toujours. Ces deux conjugales moitiés ne devant plus se revoir, il était bien juste qu'au moment d'une si déchirante séparation, il y eut quelques mots d'adieu. La chose se fit en publique, et de la manière suivante. - Voilà que nous partons, dit le mari; toi, demeure

monde monta à cheval.

[Before getting on horseback, a stout, well-made Thibetian woman, well dressed, made her appearance. It was the wife of Ly-kouo-ngan. They had been married six years, and he was going to leave her forThese conjugal halves, not being to see each

ever.

ner.

other again, it was proper that at such an excruciating separation, they should have some words of fare well. The affair came off in public, and in this man"We are going to set off," said the husband; "do thou remain here, and sit quietly in thy chamber."-"Go carefully," answered the wife, "and take care of the swellings of your legs." She then put one hand before her eyes, as if to pretend that she wept. "Just see," said the husband, turning to us, "how queer these Thibetian women are! I leave her a well-built house, besides a quantity of furniture nearly new-and yet she is going to cry! Is she not

satisfied with that?" After these adieux, so full of

soul and tenderness, we all mounted our horses.]

One word more about Ke-shen. A most striking trait of Chinese character is recorded by M. Huc, just as he is on the point of departure. We have seen the circumstances under which our missionaries took leave of the imperial representative at Lhassa. Whatever he might think or say on the occasion, they, at least, had just cause to consider themselves treated by him with unnecessary harshness; if not for their removal from Thibet, at least for their removal by the way of China, instead of Bengal. Notwithstanding all this, he drew them aside at their last interview, and said confidentially: "I shall soon be on my way to China myself; that I may not be overcharged with effects on my departure, I send two large chests by this opportunity; they are covered with Thibet cow skins (showing us at the same time how they were lettered); I recommend these two cases to your special care. When you reach the relays at night, let them be deposited in your sleeping apartment; and when you arrive at the capital of Sse-chuen province, deliver them to the care of the viceroy." Thus, when a Chinese officer, a countryman and nominee of his own, was going the same journey, he preferred entrusting this treasure (for such no doubt it was) to two poor European missionaries, whom he had injured, rather than to a Chinese mandarin of respectable station, who was, in a great measure, his own dependant. He had often said that he admired and respected the European probity, and this was a practical proof of it. M. Huc very justly adds: "This mark of confidence gave us pleasure: it was a compliment to the honesty of Christians, and at the same time a bitter satire upon

the Chinese character."

Some time after Ke-shen's disgrace, there ap

peared at Hong-Kong the copy of a Peking gazette, which detailed the circumstances of his sentence, and gave the amount of his registered property. The two ministers commissioned on the occasion

* A play on his Chinese name.

about 14,560 English ounces; but of silver the enormous amount was 17,940,000 taels, which is more than six millions sterling, or as nearly as possible the whole amount of indemnity paid to England on account of the war, including the ransom of Canton. Ke-shen might thus truly be said to have " paid for the war." But, as if this were not enough, his women were sold by auction (Mr. Robins never had such an opportunity), and when he reached the capital from Canton, he was without the necessaries of life, though the emperor soon packed him off to Elee, the Celestial Siberia.* After all this, it was rather cool, when his services were wanted, to appoint him resident at Lhassa; where, however, he soon contrived to do something towards repairing his broken fortunes, by helping himself to the gold and precious stones in which Thibet abounds. The two chests in charge of the missionaries were, no doubt, an instalment of his remittances to China; and he is now viceroy of the province of Sse-chuen, (whither he sent the chests,) one of the largest of the empire, being equal in area to all France. This strange history is not unlike that of many a minister of the Celestial Empire.

Our missionaries make no pretension to learning; and are credulous in proportion. But their notices of the life before them are curious, and, we believe, truthful. We will conclude with two very extraordinary Thibetian customs, which we do not remember in Turner; though it must be observed that, while they did not reach Ladak or the Indian frontier, neither did Turner reach Lhassa or the Chinese.

The Thibetian women at their toilette submit to a custom, or rather to a regulation, almost incredible. Before going out of their houses they anoint their faces with a black and sticky varnish, a good deal like preserved raisins. As their object is to make themselves ugly and hideous, they spread this nasty paint over their faces every way, and daub themselves so as no longer to look like human beings.

It is certainly something altogether new to find any race of women with the ambition " de se rendre laides et hideuses," but it must be an amazing simplification of the business of the toilet. The only wonder is that such a custom was ever submitted to, when, as M. Huc states, a certain Nomekhan, or Lama-king of the country, imposed it on the female part of the community, as a corrective of their morals and a protection to their virtue.

In order to put a stop to a licentiousness which was beco becoming almost general, Nomekhan published an edict, by which women were prohibited from appearing in public without daubing their faces in the manner we have described. High moral and religious considerations caused this strange law, and threatened the disobedient with severe punishments, and, above all, with the wrath of Buddha.

Nothing but a hierarchy, or rather, a nation of priests, could ever have succeeded in so monstrous a scheme of moral or religious discipline, more unnatural than the nunneries of Romanism.

"One

need not sure look frightful, though one's dead."

* M. Huc has the true version of the story. "The emperor, in his paternal tenderness, gave him his life, and contented himself with degrading him from all his titles, taking all his decorations from him, confiscating his goods, razing his house, selling his the extremity of Tartary."