moonlight we again returned under the awful shadow of the dark cliffs; and ere we retired for rest, gazed up on those bare and silent masses, rising high into the starry sky, whose rocks we knew had once echoed to the voice of the great thunderings, when "even that Sinai itself was moved at the presence of the Lord, the God of Israel."

DONALD MACLEOD.

XV.

STREET SCENES IN CANTON.

HE market-place at Canton, which consists of a

THE

street about twelve feet broad, situated just outside the European factories, is a scene of much interest to a stranger; but it is necessary on entering it to look out for your pockets, or they will probably be picked. Here will be observed the different trades located together both in the market-place and the streets, one street being occupied by carpenters, another by blacksmiths, &c.; but the most disagreeable part of the market street is that appropriated by the butcher shops, the smell from which in hot weather is very offensive. Meats of all kinds are hung up for sale, excepting veal, which is seldom seen, as the Chinese, not making use of milk, rear all their calves. In the market may be observed, hung up for sale, numbers of ducks, which have been split open and dried in the sun; also rats preserved in the same manner, some being very large.

Once a Chinese passed me with a cage in his hand,

which appeared to contain two small black sucking pigs; but, on closer inspection, I found them to be rats, weighing between 8 and 9 lbs. each. These had been fed up for sale, and were being hawked about. It is not an uncommon thing to see a leg of a horse hanging up for sale; this was clearly indicated to me by the hoof, when inspecting the meat which was being sliced up for some poor people. One day, when taking my walk, I came across a dog that had just been killed and scraped ready for the pot, and a short time afterwards. meeting a friend of mine and telling him of it, he, to convince himself of the fact, lifted up the pot's lid, when the dog's clenched teeth were at once seen, proving his nature near were some poor Chinese waiting to buy a portion when cooked.

Passing out of the market-place, and walking through the narrow streets adjoining, one may see a number of soothsayers sitting at little tables ranged by the side of the street, and around them may be observed an eager group of men having their fortunes told, and from the expression of their countenances one would think that they had implicit belief in the statements made. Amongst the group was one man having his fortune told, who appeared to be a great ragamuffin; and the soothsayer, perhaps judging from appearances, was evidently giving him very bad news, whilst pointing to lines on his hands and bumps on his forehead as proofs of his statement, during which time the greatest anxiety prevailed.

The next characters met with, seated in the same manner at little tables in the streets, may be dentists or doctors. The latter has his table covered with pots

containing different ointments; also in baskets by the table may be seen roots of plants and fresh herbs to be boiled down for use. When a Chinese gets a bad wound or fracture of bone, the part is bandaged up with a large plaster, and the patient is kept quiet. In most cases the wounds heal very quickly, on account of their simple diet. The Chinese never use the knife, nor have they any idea of surgery or of anatomy. On one occasion a Chinese cook we had on board our ship complained of being ill, and although he was attended by the surgeon of the ship, yet he had not sufficient confidence in his treatment, and therefore requested leave of absence for a few days, to enable him to see a Chinese doctor. He accordingly went, and returned well after three days; but he was considerably marked about the body with small red spots, which he stated was the effect of the pinching he had undergone to promote the circulation of the blood, which is one of their cures for headache.

The dentist, whom we come to next, is as great an impostor as the physician, although he displays a number of teeth on his table, which he states to have extracted without pain, and exhibits two small bottles containing some white and grey powders with which he accomplished the wonderful operation.

I had heard a great deal of their power in this art, but was wonderfully surprised at being told by an English doctor that he had himself seen the operation performed, and had implicit belief in it, for he stated that many years back, when he was surgeon of a large Indian ship trading to Canton, and when lying at Whampoa,

(the anchorage for these ships,) he had to perform an operation on one of the young officers of the ship for a hare lip; but in consequence of a tooth protruding just where the incision was made, the wound would not heal, he therefore recommended the officer to have the tooth out. It so happened, whilst this conversation was taking place between the doctor and his patient, that the Chinese compradore, who attended upon the ship to provide different necessaries, and who always understands a little English, overheard the conversation, and said he would bring a Chinese dentist on board who would extract it without pain; whereupon it was agreed he should be brought, and on his arrival he proceeded first to rub the gum of the tooth with a little white powder, and then, after using another sort of that material, he placed his finger at the back of the tooth, giving it a flip, and out it came without any suffering to the patient, further than making the gum swell a little. This story appeared to me so improbable, unless the tooth had been previously loose, that I made several inquiries from different Chinese on the subject, and all stated that it could be effected-one of the number saying he had undergone the operation himself without pain. Not being able to credit all these statements, as they appeared so contrary to reason, I was determined to find out, from personal experience, whether there was any truth in the matter. An opportunity was soon offered me, as a tooth was giving me some inconvenience, so I ordered a dentist on board, and mentioned it to some of my brother officers, who particularly asked to be allowed to see the fun, as they called it. When the