Hamilton's account of the east indies.

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Chihefe, and they found out what merchandize belonged to thofe villains, which I tookon board of niy fttip, among which was my 80 cherts of copper, and 200 peculs oftoothenague, with my own mark on them. I drew out a fair account, and fent themwith a letter of advice, that I had received but one third part of the balance due to me,but upon their fair dealing with the Englilh for the future, I would forgive the reft,but if they continued to ad like villains, I would profecute my refentment till I hadrecovered the Iaft penny of my balance.

When I gave the King of Johore an account how they had ufed me in China , heWondered that I did not feize all the other merchant goods that were in the jonk, andfell the men for flaves.' So having ended this fhort digrelnon to Johore ,

I return back to Canton, to give an account of my obfervations on that fine cityand country.

Chap. LI. — Some Obfervations and Remarks on the Province and City of Cantonor Onantung, and of the Province of Fokein ; with fame Occurrences that happenedthere.

CANTON was once a kingdom of itfelf, and was called Nangvee. It had beenfeveral times conquered by the Emperors of China , and lhaked off the yoke when theyfound opportunity. At laft, about three centuries ago, it was fubdued and made aprovince of China . It borders on Ouanfi to the weftward, Kiangfi to the northward,Eokien to the eaftward, and the ocean walhes about 100 leagues of its coaft to thefouthward. The country is as pleafant and profitable as any in the world. The groundyields two crops^a year of rice, wheat, and legumen. The people are ingenious,- in-duftrious, and civil, but are too numerous, which makes them tolerate a bale and cruelcuftom, that when a man thinks he has too many daughters, he may deftroy as manyas he pleafes of them, but they do not kill them outright, but ferve them as Mofes wasin Egypt , by laying them on an ark of reeds, and letting them float on the ftream of ariver, while they are infants, and if any charitable perfons fee them, and commiferatetheir condition, they may take them out, and bring them up as their own, either formarriage, concubinage, or flavery.

The abominable fin of Sodomy is tolerated here, and all over China , and fo is bug-gery, which they ufe both with hearts and fowls ; infomuch that Europeans do notcare to eat duck, except what they bring up themfelves, either from the egg, or fromfinaii ducklings. Whoredom is not punirtied in this province, though very feverelyin fome others.

The city of Canton Hands upon the eaft-fide of a pretty large river called the Taa.

, Its walls are high towards the river, but towards the eaft the ground is a little hilly,and the walls are much lower. The walls are about ten miles in circumference,. butfome reckon them twelve, though there are large fpaces towards the eaft and fouth,kept for gardens, and no buildings but fummer-houfes are there.

There is a large building of timber on the higheft of the little huls to the eaft, thatHands clofe to the wall, and it bears the name of the King’s banqueting-houfe. It isfour ftory high, fupported with great fir marts* very finely painted with Vermillion, andjapanned and gilded, as are all the walls and ceilings within it. From it a very fairprofpect of the city and fuburbs may be had. The fuburbs are fo large, that fome ofthem look like cities. Half of the number of houfes built in the garden-plots, wouldfill them up, and all the other vacant places in the town.

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