Canton, (China,) Dec. 9, 1831.

MY DEAR YOUNG FRIENDS,--Having no fear of God before their eyes,
the Chinese often become very wicked and guilty of numerous crimes,
not only against Him, whose eternal power and godhead they deny,
but against their fellow-men. This wickedness and these crimes,
expose them to many and very severe punishments. Lying, gambling,
quarrelling, theft, robbery, and bribery, are among their most
common vices. There are five punishments; (1.) to beat with a
small bamboo; (2.) to beat with a large bamboo; (3.) banishment
to another district or province; (4.) perpetual banishment to the
borders of the empire; and (5.) death. These five, are sometimes
reduced to three, the bamboo, banishment, and death. It may be
remarked, also, that these punishments are sometimes exchanged
for others.

Lying, among a great majority of the population, seems to be
regarded as a very small offence,--provided the lie be not detected.
There are men, I believe, who will not lie; but while this great
wickedness is disallowed of by a few, multitudes will ever and
always practise it; if they only suppose they shall be the gainers
thereby. Officers of Government will tell lies to one another.
The people will lie to the magistrates; children to their parents;
and servants to their masters. Instead of supposing every man to
be honest, until he is proved to be a rogue, they seem to regard
every one as a rogue, until he proves himself to be honest.

Gambling is a chief "crying sin" among the Chinese. They are
notorious gamblers. Old and young, rulers and subjects, rich and
poor, will gamble; nor have they much regard to the time, or place,
when they gamble. I have often seen them gambling in their temples.
Thousands are ruined by this sin.

Quarrels spring up from lying, and gambling, and other wicked
practices, just as surely as briers, thorns, and thistles spring
up in a rich but uncultivated soil. Their strange mode of marriage
too, is a fruitful source of quarrels. As to their quarrels, it
has been well said,--"A Chinese would stand and reason with a man,
when an Englishman would knock him down, or an Italian stab him.
It is needless to say which is the more rational mode of proceeding."
I am not aware that the Chinese ever fight duels--though in their
quarrels, persons are often killed. They are great scolds, and
use the most obscene and abusive language.

Theft and robbery are the most common among the poor, though
it is not confined to them. Among such multitudes of beggars,
it often happens, that they cannot obtain sufficient food and
clothing to make themselves comfortable. By gambling also,
multitudes are reduced to beggary and want; hence come bands of
thieves and robbers, trained and prepared for any and every thing
that is evil.

Theft and robbery constitute one of the greatest scourges in this
land; and no part of the country, from one extremity of the empire
to the other, is free and secure from this evil. Since I commenced
this letter, one of my boys has told me of a case of this kind,
which has just occurred in the neighborhood. It is as follows;--two
men, dressed like poor females, entered a rich man's house late
in the evening, and wished to be lodged there during the night.
This privilege was granted them. When all were asleep, they silently
put off their false dress, packed up a large number of rich articles
belonging to the house, and were about to escape, when they were
discovered, seized, carried away to the magistrates and sentenced
to be beheaded.--Though decapitation is not the severest
punishment, yet more than two hundred instances of it have occurred
in Canton in a single year.

Bribery is very common in China; perverting just judgment, and
screening the guilty. This wickedness is most common among the
rich. Almost all the rulers of the land, will take bribes. Many
defrauders and injurious persons, many thieves, and robbers, and
murderers, escape through bribes. Money is seen to be, here,
the root of all evil. "A little silver physic," it is said, "has
often brought a dead man to life."

The immense quantity of opium that is smoked here, is a most
fruitful source of crime. Many of the practised villains, when
they wish to contrive new plans of wickedness, have recourse to
this black commodity: which produces a most astonishing effect,
in enabling the smokers to frame new schemes of darkness. It
has been said, and by a man of sound judgment and correct observation,
(I am sorry to say that he is an American, and an extensive dealer
in opium,) that the "drug" is doing more to break down the
superstitions of China, and to open the country to foreigners,
than all the efforts of missionaries. There is a degree of apparenttruth in this man's very honest remark, and I think just as much
real truth, as if he had said, "to set fire to their houses,
and butcher the inhabitants, will do more to break down the
superstitions of China, and open the country to foreigners, than
all the efforts of Bibles, and tracts, and missionaries." Whether
it be a crime or not, to bring and sell opium to this people;--and
whether it be a crime or not, for this people to use it, when brought
and sold by the hands of Christians, I will not undertake to say,--but
I believe, stubborn facts compel me to believe, that of all the
causes of crime, among the inhabitants of the Chinese empire,
OPIUM, brought and sold at the rate of a million of dollars per
month, is the greatest. It is nothing better, than to scatter
fire-brands, arrows, and death.

Simply being put in prison, seems hardly to be regarded as a
punishment among this people; though multitudes are imprisoned
and suffered greatly thereby. The common instruments of punishment
are, (1.) the bamboo, about the size of large cane; (2.) the
yoke, a heavy plank three feet square, and thirty-three pounds
weight; (3.) the chain to fasten the criminals to the block;
(4.) hand-cuff, large and long, made of wood; and (5.) iron
fetters.

Such are some of the most common crimes, and such are the instruments
of punishment in China. To determine the degree of criminality,
and fix the punishment accordingly, is among most nations very
difficult, but the Chinese make it very easy, at least they make
it appear so in their law books, The degrees of punishment are
twenty,--the first ten, are with bamboo; the next eight, banishment;
the last two, death.

For a very small offence, amounting to the first degree of
criminality, the offender may receive ten blows; increasing his
guilt five times, the fifty blows, &c. These blows may be changed
for the yoke, the chain, the hand-cuffs, &c.

For some of the larger crimes, as bribery and the like, persons
are bambooed, and then sent into banishment. Sometimes, only from
one province to another, as from the north to the south, and from
the south to the north; at other times, criminals are sent a long
distance, to the frontiers of the empire, for many years, and even
for life.

The highest degrees of crime are punishable with death. The most
common mode of inflicting death, is by cutting off the head, and
this is done by a kind of short sword. For very heinous crimes,
the offender is sentenced to be cut into ten thousand pieces.

I intended to have said something to you, on the subject of slaveryin China but must pass it by without a single remark. Again adieu.

Your true friend,
E.C.B.

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