I have already had occafion to obferve that the natural difpofi-
tion of.the Chinefe fhould feem to have fuffered almoft a total
change by the influence o f the laws and maxims o f government,
an influence which, in' this country more than elfewhere, has
given a bias to the manners, fentiments, and moral character o f
the people ; for here every ancient proverb carries with it the
force o f a law. While they are by nature quiet, paflive, -and
timid, the ftate o f fociety and the abufe o f the laws by which
they are governed, have rendered them indifferent, unfeeling,
and even cruel, as a few examples, which among many others
occurred, will but too clearly bear evidence ; and as the particular
inftances, from which I have fometimes drawn an inference,
accorded w ith the common actions and occurrences o f life, I have
not hefitated to confider them as fo many general features in their
moral charadter; .at the fame time l am aware that allowances
ought to be made for particular ways o f thinking, and for cuf-
toms entirely difflmilar from our own, which are, therefore,
not e x ad ly to be appreciated by the fame rule as i f they had
occurred in our own country. The public feafts o f Sparta, in
which the girls danced naked in prefence o f young men, had
not the fame effedt on the Lacedemoniap youth, as they might
be fuppofed to produce in Europe ; nor is the delicacy o f the
Hindoo women offended by looking on the Lingam. Thus
the Chinefe are entitled to our indulgence by the peculiar cir-
curoftances under which they are placed, but I leave it in the
bteaft o f the reader to make what allowance he may think they
deferve.
The
The common pradice o f flogging with the bamboo hás generally
been confidered by the miffionarie's in fhe light o f a gentle
corredion, exereifed by meri in power over their inferiors,
ju if as a father would chaftife his fon, but not as a punifhment
to which difgrace is attached. However lightly thëfe gentlemen
may chufe to treat this humiliating chaftifement, to which
all- are liable from the prime miriifler tó the peafant, it is but
too often inflided in the anger and; by the caprice o f a man in
office,, and frequently with circumflarices o f unwarrantable
cruelty and inj'uftice.: O f the truth o f this remark we had feve-
ral inftances. In Our return down the Péì-ba, thè water being
coniiderably fhallower than When we firft failed up this river,
one o f our accommodation barges got aground in thè middle o f
the night. The air was piercing cold, and thè poor creatures
belonging to the veffel weïé bûfÿ- until fuhrifé in the midft o f
the’ riverj ufing. their endeavours; to get; her off. The réfi
o f the fleet had proceeded, and the patience o f the' fit*
perintending officer at length being exhauftcd, he Ordered
his foldiers to flog the’ captara and the whole crew 5 which was
accordingly done in a raoft unmerciful manner : atad this Was
their only reward for the ufe o f the yaeh't, their timé and
labotlr for two days. T h e inflan ce o f degrading an officer and
flogging all his people, becaufe' thie meat brought for tíifr ufé:
was a little tainted when the temperature was at 88° in the
íhade, I have already had occafion to notice»
Whenever the wind wàsr contrary, OS'-it was found rieceffary
to track* the veffels agaiffift the Arèam* a niiffibér o f men wëfo'
employed for this purpofew T h e 1 poé? crèâfdrek Wëfe always
r preffed