SPECTATOR'S LIBRARY.

Tawsis, Doings in Ohms: being the Personal Narrative of an Officer engaged in the late Chinese Expedition, from the Recapture of Chusan in 1841 to the Peace of Nankin

in 1842. By Lieut. Alexander Murray, Eighteenth Royal Irish Bentley.

POETRY,

Pleasant Memories of Pleasant Lands. By Mrs. L. H. Sigournev. With six

Illustrations from Drawings by D. Roberts, &c. Tilt and Boiler.

ECONOMY OP MINE8,

The Report of the South Shields Committee appointed to investigate the Causes of

Accidents in Coal-mines. With Plane and Appendix Longman and Co.

LIEUTENANT MURRAY'S DOINGS IN CHINA.

lantrrxnenx MURRAY served throughout the whole of the Chinese expedition ; but the earlier proceedings having been often given to the public already, he has confined his account of his Chinese

experiences to the last year. His narrative of this limited period is rather a sketch of his own regiment's doings, than a general description of the events of the war. It is intermingled, however, with a good many observations on the habits of such natives as fell in his way, or of things which though incident to war do not always find a place in military narratives.

Looking at the numerous publications on Afghanistan and China, it appears to us that many persons do not draw a sufficient dis- tinction between the event acting and the event ended. As long as a thing is uncertain, everybody who has any claim to original knowledge is listened to, from that fact alone, without regard to what his faculties may be in profiting by his opportunities. Whether it be wholesale slaughter or a single murder, the news- loving public is all agape to devour any well-authenticated state- ment, or even dubious report : but as soon as " Othello's occupa- tion's gone" in the case of the soldier, or the finisher of the law has done his office upon the select individual, the curious interest evaporates. People begin to look into what lawyers call the "merits " : single facts, disjointed statements, no longer serve the turn : a mere narrative of the whole scarcely suffices, and the "reading public" require some superior intellect and acquired skill to revive a departed sensation.

We say this generally, and as a hint to heroes returning from the wars : for although the Doings in China tells us nothing new as regards military events, and tells what it does tell less completely than despatches and correspondence told it at the time, yet it gives a better insight into the esprit of soldiers on service, than many of the publications on China, besides preserving some anecdotes illustrative of life in the wars. It also impresses better, because with more specificality, the great imitative improvements of the Chinese in the arts of war, arms, fortification, and even gunnery. It moreover enables us to draw the conclusion that we are well out of the Palmerston-Elliot-Opium war. In consequence of the imitative improvements we have already alluded to, and the native courage of the men, each of our victories seems to have been attended with growing difficulty and growing loss ; and some of our success to have been owing to manceuvermg—flank attacks and demonstrations of acting upon the rear of the enemy while his forces were assailed in front. Sickness, too, began to show itself fearfully at the time of the treaty. "The men, both in the army and navy, were now becoming very sickly, having been three months exposed to the ill effects of the climate of the Yang- tze-keang. The Ninety-eighth Regiment suffered most fearfully; having lost nearly two hundred men between the 21st July and the 31st August. The flag-ship had buried a great number of men, and had more than a hundred on the sick.liet. The steamers, which were in the creek, taking in coal from large wharfs close to the bank, suffered a good deal. The Sesostris had sixty- five of her crew in her sick-report, and those who were at their duty were far from being strong."

Had the Chinese possessed a full knowledge of the circum- stances, and the Government could have enforced the desertion of the districts attacked till the invaders retired, our losses and the war might have been interminable. But they had tried all their means of defence, according to their notions and knowledge, with- out avail ; and then, like sensible people, submitted to an apparent necessity. This, however, may not take place a second time. It is probable that they may tolerate the employment of European adventurers to instruct their officers and discipline their troops ; and a Chinese-Sepoy army would be more formidable than the native forces of Hindostan under French command, formidable as these were sometimes found in former periods of our Indian con- quests.

Besides these incidental points, the book derives a colour from the character of the author; who seems to have a turn of mind for the practical and the comfortable. A capital forager, a fair me- chanic, a connoisseur if not a practitioner of cookery, he must have been an acquisition to a mess ; and these qualities, directing his observation, have been the cause of his infusing into his book a good many useful deductions or remarks. As far as composition is concerned, Doings in China is inferior to the Last Year in China by a Field-Officer, but it possesses more of matter.

In our extracts we shall disregard the mere fighting-sketches, and take those things which have a relation to military life or bear upon the character orthe Chinese people.

USE OF MACKINTOSH.

It was almost night when we reached the summit of the heights, and there were ordered to halt for the night. This Was rather a pleasant look-out for tired and hungry men, without any thing to eat or a house to go into, with a bitter cold wind blowing: however, there was nothing for it but to choose the softest possible rock, light a cheroot, and fancy yourself perfectly comfort- able for the night. I luckily had brought a Mackintosh air-pillow in my havresack, which I bad bought some time before at Macao, thinking it might be serviceable ; and I never made a better purchase, for it proved the greatest

use to me during the whole campaign. I recommend them strongly to any one likely to be on active service, as they are so very easily carried. There was great picking and choosing among us for soft rocks ; but I believe we all came to the conclusion that one rock is as hard a pillow as another.

ABSURDITY OF THE REGULATION-SWORD.

I was then sent by Colonel Adams with the marksmen to clear the lower battery on the other side of the hill, where there were still a good many sol- diers. I was accompanied by Mr. Gully, as a volunteer; a pleasant companion to have by your side in a skrimage—six feet three, and stout in proportion ; and a Mr. Denham, Captain of one of the ships. We drove them out without having a man touched. They retired slowly ; for, owing to the excessively heavy rains and the multitude of people constantly moving about the batteries, they were nearly knee-deep in mud. One man ran at me with his sword: but, hav- ing no particular confidence in my regulation-spit, or perhaps in my own skill as a swordsman, I stuck my sword in the mud beside me, took a steady aim with my pistol, and shot him. Mr. Gully, I believe, disposed of some few also.

CHINESE NOTIONS OF THE POWER OF THE CROSS.

Both here and at Chusan, the walls and batteries were covered with large wooden crosses : for which we were at a loss to account, but were given to un- derstand, that, knowing our reverence for the cross, they supposed that we should not like to fire at it. I mentioned this to some of the officers of the French corvette, Danaide, who were then at Ting-hae ; and they were greatly amused at the idea.

MISCELLANIES AT NING-PO.

Every Wednesday, public guard-mounting took place in a large open space, called by us Bell Pagoda Parade-ground, from an immense bell that was taken out of a pagoda close by the buildings. These having been converted into pub- lic barracks for troops and stores t'or arms, the bell Was in consequence seized as prize property, and sent to Calcutta. The buildings were spared, and not pulled down. The General always came in full dress ; all officers off duty were required to attend, but not in full uniform. The guards were trooped and mounted in the usual way. Crowds of Chinese always came to look on. We used the ground for drill in fine weather ; but the only manceuvre that seemed to please or astonish the Chinese was forming square and preparing to receive cavalry. They always laughed at this manceuvre, though they could not possibly under- stand what it meant.

Confidence being now completely restored in the city, the market improved daily, and we were able to procure all sorts of provisions, eggs, fowls, vegeta- bles, and milk. The latter was a luxury we had never been able to buy the year before at Chosen, and even here it was difficult to be got good ; for as soon as the rascals found out that we prized and bought a good deal of it, they began to play all sorts of European tricks—watering, mixing it with rice and flour, and adulterating it in every way they could, besides charging a high price for it. Fowls were reasonable and good, four and five for a Spanish dollar. There were also sold in the market whit were said to be sheep, but which I firmly believe were only goats fattened up. However, they did duty for mut- ton. The general price for one of these was three dollars.

Fish was plentiful: good soles, Pomfret shrimps, oysters, and different other sorts, and sometimes fine sturgeon, were to be bought. They had all sorts of salted fish : one kind, a long thin fish, of a bright silvery colour, was very good, better than the best salted salmon.

CHINESE BREAD-MAKING.

Instead of serving out bad biscuits, the men received Bd. cash each ; which was the value of the biscuits, and quite sufficient to enable them to buy vege- tables and bread. The bread made by the Chinese is very good. The process of making it is very different from our own ; for, after kneading it to a proper consistency, it is steamed, not baked. Water is first placed in an open iron vessel ; on the top of this are hair sieves lined with a peculiar sort of leaf, in which the bread is arranged, piled one layer above the other, five or six deep; and the steam is made to penetrate through them all. The bread, however, is greatly improved by being toasted afterwards.

CHINESE TOOLS AND CHINESE MECHANICS.

Though their iron-work is not good, yet their tools, such as chisels, planes axes, &c. are excellent, and kept very sharp. They make use of the circular instead of the hand-saw. They have a saw for particularly fine work, which if we had not seen them using, we should have imagined the work had been done with a chiseL The blade of it consists merely of a single piece of brass wire jagged with a sharp instrument. The pattern to be carved is traced on the wood, and a hole is bored in it, through which the wire is passed and made fast to the handle, which is kept outside the wood : the draxing is then cut with the greatest care and accuracy.

For all rough work, they make use of a small sort of axe, slightly rounded on one side. This answers the purpose of an adze. In peaceful times, the streets of a Chinese city must present a very fine appearance, from the way the front sign-boards are painted and gilded. The inside of the shops are pro- tected from the sun by screens extending across the streets, supported from the roof of the house. These are either of matting, or, in order to admit the light, are made of oyster-shells scraped fine, set in frames like panes of glass. We set a great many tailors to work for us ; alto made things very well if they had a good pattern ; but it was necessary to be careful that there was no defect or patch in it, for they copied exactly as they saw the article before them. Our gloves puzzled them most. Their first attempts to imitate them produced most absurd looking things : but, as we were not very particular about our personal appearance, they answered the purpose of keeping our hands warm, being lined with fur. Only one man succeeded in turning out a pair at all resembling English gloves. They were almost the only tradespeople who did not desert the city, and they had always plenty to do.

The difficulty of getting people to take a coinage to which they are unaccustomed is well known. When the arts at Athens had reached the highest point, the dies of her coinage were retained in their original rude condition, lest the circulation should be impeded; and even in Scotland a sovereign has been eyed with suspicion— the shrewd natives prefer the local note they are used to. Perhaps the following anecdote is as good a proof as any of the practical mind of the Chinese, and their total freedom from all prejudices of habit.

"About this time a great many bad dollars were in circulation. It required quick practice to be able to detect the bad ones from the good, so well do the Chinese counterfeit money. Some of these dollars were copper merely washed with silver; others were split in two, the silver taken out, being replaced with lead and copper, and so neatly closed again that the mask was not easily seen. At first the Chinese here would take nothing in payment from us but the chop- dollars, which are Spanish dollars; but as every man who receives them pats his chop or sign on them, in course of time they are nearly cut to pieces. However, it was soon found out that the Mexican and Peruvian dollars were as heavy as the others, and not so likely to be false.

" The rupees, which at first were not liked, from the Chinese not knowing their value, soon began to be taken as readily as dollars."

SOLDIER'S POT.

On the line of march, the Chinese carry their bread or biscuit by their side, fastened together by a string through the centre of the cakes. Their portable camp fireplace for cooking was very simple and well contrived. Instead of having to hunt for stones to rest the pot on, they were each provided with three iron pegs about a foot long, joined by chains to keep them in a triangular shape, which being driven lightly into the earth, the pot or kettle rested on the chains, the fire being on the ground. All their camp-utensils were good; being made of copper, and very portable. A TARTAR VETERAN.

The prisoners taken here were kindly treated, and their wounds dressed. When we left the place, Sir Hugh Gough liberated them ; giving them three dollars a piece, and sending money into the Tartar city for their women and children. They all took the money, except one old Mandarin, a Colonel, who had led them. He said he was not then in the service, having retired from the army years before, but when the two principal Mandarins of the place ran away on the attack being made, he had put himself at the head of the soldiers, and that when defeated, they had retired into the house and determined to sell their lives as dearly as they could, expecting no quarter : and certainly no men could have fought better than they did. It gave us a lesson, and showed how well determined men may defend a house when not attacked with artillery. The old man had tried to cut his throat, but was prevented. I thought he seemed particularly pleased when Sir Hugh Gough complimented him on his gallantry, and gave him over the prisoners making them promise not to fight against us ; which of course they promised; and 1 believed them, for I think they had had enough of us.

A MILITARY HINT.

It may be proper here to remark, that which fell under tny own observation with regard to the bayonets served out with the new percussion-firelock. The musket itself is excellent, and superior in every way to the old flint one; but the bayonets are shorter, and not near so strong towards the shank; and, whether from that cause or from the metal being bad, they would not stand a good thrust. I have seen them frequently bent and doubled up. The Conse- quence was, that the men put no confidence in them, and on coming to close quarters, used the butt-end of the firelock instead; and many arms were broken when the bayonet would have answered the purpose as well. The tin scab- bards with which they are fitted are also bad, particularly for service, where a man is glad to take any opportunity he can of lying down to get a short sleep. When on guard, he cannot get the stupid stiff thing out of his way ; and in turning he lies on it, dints, crushe., or breaks it. On parade, it certainly is not so neat in appearance as the old leather one tipped with brass.

In the following passage, Mr. MURRAY does not appear to have known that the bulk of the Chinese have no religion. They are generally called a "nation of Atheists " ; and so in fact they are, but it is a practical rather than a speculative Atheism—indiffer- ence more than denial. The constant aim of the former of Chinese opinion appears to have been to discourage all useless in- quiries, and all speculations that would lead to no practical result. When questioned by a disciple respecting another state of existence, CoNrucrus replied, "I know very little of myself and of the things which I see around me ; how can I know anything of that which I have never seen at all ?" And in this sentence is contained the germ of Chinese philosophy and practice.

"The Chinese, as far as we had any opportunities of judging, seem totally devoid of all religions feelings. The temples appear never to be resorted to: it was, indeed, a rare thing to see a single person in them besides the priests, who take care of and live in the buildings. So far from being offended at their gods being touched or moved, the Chinese used to laugh heartily when (as sometimes happened) we had to remove some of their gods to make way for

OW MO.

"The priests seem a miserably poor, despised race; not having any of that influence over the people which the priests of other idolatrous countries usually possess."

Lieutenant MURRAY follows the general custom in speaking of these persons as priests ; but it may be questioned whether this term has not given rise to a false idea. They do not appear to have even the shred of a spiritual or superstitious function, but to be mere secular guardians of the building—a sort of Chinese churchwarden. If these things were carefully considered by the well-meaning but ill-informed persons who talk of importing our church into China, they might see the insuperable difficulties at- tending a measure fraught with such fearful risk of future war. Any thing involving faith in the unseen is totally opposed to the habit of Chinese opinion and to the structure of the Chinese mind. Their language fails in conveying some of the terms of theology ; and it may be questioned whether an attempt to possess them with the ideas of " cburch " and " priests " will produce any other effect than to give them erroneous ideas of our church, by the comparison they will institute between it and their own.