CHAP. VI. Language.--Literature, and the fine Arts.--Sciences.--Mechanics, and Medicine. Opinion of the Chinese Language being hieroglyphical erroneous.--Doctor Hager's mistakes.--Etymological Comparisons fallacious.--Examples of.--Nature of the Chinese written Character.--Difficulty and Ambiguity of.--Curious Mistake of an eminent Antiquarian.--Mode of acquiring the Character.--Oral Language.--Mantchoo Tartar Alphabet.--Chinese Literature.--Astronomy.--Chronology.--Cycle of sixty Years.--Geography.--Arithmetic.--Chemical Arts.--Cannon and Gunpowder.--Distillation.--Potteries.--Silk Manufactures.--Ivory.--Bamboo.--Paper.--Ink.--Printing.--Mechanics.--Music.--Painting.--Sculpture.--Architecture.--Hotel of the English Embassador in Pekin.--The Great Wall.--The Grand Canal.--Bridges.--Cemeteries.--Natural Philosophy.--Medicine.--Chinese Pharmacopoeia.--Quacks.--Contagious Fevers.--Small-pox.--Opthalmia.--Venereal Disease.--Midwifery.--Surgery.--Doctor Gregory's Opinion of their Medical Knowledge.--Sir William Jones's Opinion of their general Character. 236