Canton, (China,) Oct. 25, 1831.

MY DEAR YOUNG FRIENDS,--There is no caste in China, as there
is in India. Men may rise from the most humble stations in life,
to the highest rank of office; the throne only being excepted.
The Chinese, in their books, often speak of the soldiers and
the people: and when speaking of the people, divide them into
merchants, mechanics, husbandmen, and scholars.

The occupations of these five classes, the Chinese call "the
essential employments." And they say "that when the high heavens
produced men, they appointed to every one an employment, as the
means of personal support. Therefore, though men naturally differ
as to knowledge and ignorance, strength and weakness, yet none
should be without an employment. Having employments, all men have
a proper duty to which they should attend, both that they may be
profitable to themselves, and useful to the world."

I think now, children, you will be better able to understand the
character of the Chinese, if I tell you something of these five
classes separately. I will remark first, however, that these
divisions are not exclusive. A man may be a scholar, and at the
same time engage in husbandry. So he may be a merchant, and at
the same time a scholar. Soldiers, sometimes also, I believe, are
farmers, or merchants, or mechanics. But usually one man
attends to only one of the essential employments.

China is now governed by the Tartars, a very war-like nation, who
conquered and subdued the country, and ascended the throne 187
years ago. It was at that time, A.D. 1644, that the long tailmentioned in the second letter, was introduced. Many of the old
people, it is said, were unwilling to shave their heads, and braid
their hair. But the Tartars being their masters, and having the
power, compelled them to do so, on the pain of death. Many actually
preferred death to such a mark of disgrace. At the present time,
in order to keep the people in subjection, a great number of
soldiers, many of them Tartars, are stationed all over the Empire.
There are several thousands in Canton. These soldiers have a few
guns: but generally they are armed with swords and shields, or
bows and arrows, or spears and pikes, or some other such like
instruments. The soldiers have very little to do; and so they
become very lazy, and gamble, and steal, rob and oppress the poor,
and often make a great deal of disturbance. And after all they
can do to keep the peace, the people often rise in rebellion; and
then they quarrel and fight, and hundreds of the people and
soldiers are killed. Two of three such rebellions have happened
since I have been in China.

To prevent mistake, I wish you to keep in mind the difference
between China, and the Chinese Empire. By China, or China
Proper, is understood the 18 provinces, which for a long time,
constituted the whole of the Chinese possessions. The Chinese
Empire, as it has existed since 1644, extends on the north, and
west, far beyond the boundaries of ancient China, and is,
probably, the largest Empire in the world. The whole number of
persons in the Empire, who are enrolled as soldiers and make the
art and practice of war their essential employment, is very
great; amounting, probably, to two or three millions.

Chinese Merchants have by no means that high character, and that
influence, which the same class of men possess in Europe and
America. They are ranked the last of the four divisions of the
people, and are regarded by their own countrymen as the least
respectable part of the community. They are, usually, very greedy
of gain, and often cheat and deceive; and they regard it as a very
small offence to cheat and deceive foreigners, whom they usually
call barbarians: and who, they say, come an immense distance
across the seas, from the northwest corner of the world, to buy
teas, and silks of the celestial Empire.

The foreign trade to China is pretty extensive, and is continually
increasing. There are now at Whampoa, where the foreign ships
unload and load their cargoes, 52 ships, and 4,000 seamen. These
ships bring tin, lead, quick-silver, copper, iron, furs, cotton
yarn, cotton and woollen cloth, and many other such like, useful
articles. They bring also, and of late years, a very great
quantity of opium. More than twenty millions of dollars' worth
of opium were sold here last year. This is very bad, and does a
great deal of hurt. Those who bring and sell the opium, and those
who buy it also, know very well that it is doing a great deal of
injury. Only a part of the foreign merchants trade in opium; the
others will not, because they know it is wrong, and contrary to
the laws of God and man. Returning from China, the ships are
usually very richly laden with nankeens, silks, teas, &c.

Chinese merchants do not often go very far abroad; seldom if ever,
so far as to India. They carry on, however, considerable trade
with Cochin China, Siam, Singapore, Malacca, Java; to which, and
to some other places, they have quite a number of vessels, perhaps
fifty, which make a voyage every year. It is by these vessels that
Mr. Medhurst, and Mr. Tomlin, and other missionaries, have sent
many Bibles and tracts into China. It is in one of these vessels
also, that Mr. Gutzlaff has gone to Peking, where he means to spend
the winter and preach the gospel of the Son of God.

Again, dear children, adieu. Be good children--obey and love your
parents--read your Bibles--believe in Jesus with your whole
hearts, and pray to God always, then you will be happy. I will
by the assistance and permission of God, endeavor to continue the
account of the Chinese people, in another letter.

Your very true friend,
E.C.B.

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