Canton, (China,) Nov.2, 1831.

MY DEAR YOUNG FRIENDS,--Having given you, in my last letter, some
account of the soldiers and merchants, I intend in this, to tell
you about the merchants, the husbandmen, and the scholars. I do
not pretend to give you a very complete account of these several
classes of persons. My desire is, however, that you shall have
such an acquaintance with the every day conduct, and peculiar
manners and customs of the Chinese, that you may be able to form
for yourselves, correct ideas of their character. I should be glad
to have you know fully their whole manner of life. I wish you
to know all about them: how they live, how they think, and how
they act. And I wish you to know how they regard and treat each
other, as follow citizens, as husbands and wives, as parents and
children, and as brothers and sisters, &c. &c. Because, when you
can see them in all their daily conduct, and in all their various
relations, and have correct views of their character; then you
will know how much you ought to pity them, and will be very
anxious, I think, to send them the gospel of God, which is able
to make them wise unto everlasting life. I remember you have
already done something for the heathen, but you know that there
is a great deal more to be done; and we must not stop till the
whole world is converted.

Now I will tell you about the Mechanics. They are usually, as
in the United States, a very industrious class of people, and many
of them excellent workmen. It is written in one of their books,
"Let mechanics examine the four seasons; prepare the six
materials; daily and monthly investigate the progress of their
pursuits; abide together in their own departments; and thus
complete their business." These words which I have now quoted,
are found in a book called the Sacred Edict of the emperor Kanghe.
He lived about a hundred years ago.

It is very common among the Chinese for persons of the same
occupation to live "together" in the same neighborhood.
Especially is this the case with the mechanics.

The four seasons, spring, summer, autumn and winter, are to be
examined for two purposes. The one is, for the purpose of
observing various superstitious rites and ceremonies, which they
vainly suppose necessary to secure success in business. The other
is, for selecting and storing up, on lucky days, the "six
materials."

The six materials are, earth, metal, stone, wood, animals, and
fibrous plants. Of earth they make bricks, tiles, porcelain, and
a great variety of wares. Of metals they make implements of
husbandry, and war, &c. Stone is used for building bridges,
houses, temples, and especially for making idols. These, and all
other materials, are selected with great care, and many
ceremonies, which make the ordinary labors of this people, in many
respects, exceedingly hard. To-day is the birth-day of the god
of fire, and the mechanics of Canton are expending thousands of
dollars in order to secure his protection.

There are some kinds of workmanship which exhibit very little
skill or taste. There are other kinds which are excellent. The
Chinese, it is said, make good clocks, but do not succeed in making
watches. Very much of their work is, indeed, good in its kind;
and, usually, remarkably simple.

The Chinese mechanics almost always work by a pattern; and every
thing so far as it is for their own use, must be made according
to old custom. This people are very far from thinking that every
generation grows wiser and wiser. On the contrary, they think that
the ancients were, in many respects, the perfect models of
perfection. Hence to imitate, and to be like them, is the utmost
of their wishes. This is the case with the mechanics. Hence ships,
boats, houses, shops, temples, furniture, and implements of every
kind, are made just like those made years and years ago. I will
give you one single example.

Instead of knives and forks, which they never use, they have two
small round sticks, about the size of the old fashion pipe-stems,
and about a foot long. These nimble lads, for so they call the
two round sticks, they hold in their right hand, and with a bowl
of food in their left, raised quite up to the chin, they jerk the
food into their mouth with astonishing rapidity. These sticks,
by foreigners usually called chop-sticks, have been in common use,
according to the Chinese account of them, more than three thousand
years. But as children are early trained to the use of these
sticks, perhaps there is no loss or disadvantage in continuing
their use. Yet, even when there would be a great improvement, as
in the helms of their ships, they must (because their government
compels them) adhere strictly to old custom.

According to law, the different kinds of mechanics are all, I
believe, to be enrolled in the government offices. The following
is a specimen of those in this city. Shoe-makers, twenty-five
thousand. Carpenters and cabinet-makers, sixteen thousand.
Lapidaries or those who work in stone, seven thousand. Barbers
also, seven thousand.

I must defer what I have to tell you about the husbandmen and
scholars, for another letter. Till then, farewell. Like good
children, be diligent and careful in all that you have to do;
especially be diligent and careful in your studies, and
committing to memory the holy Scriptures. Remember that good and
wise children will make glad their parents. So may you do. And
may God our heavenly Father keep you from all sin. So writes

Your true friends, E.C.B.

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