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was of much too general a character to allowing on as innocently as possible. Some of the slightest hope of fixing the debt upon few years ago they put a considerable any one in particular. amount of base coin into circulation. They In San Francisco there are five great were also accused of "sweating" the coin hongs, or merchant companies, called the shaking it up in a bag for some hours, Yung-wo, the Sze-yap, the Yan-wo, and and then burning the bag to obtain the few Wing-Yeung companies. These companies grains which clung to the fibres of the have large wooden buildings in the town, cloth. They had a still more ingenious where they not only carry on business, but method of swindling, and that was to split lodge and board all the people attached to open the twenty-dollar gold pieces, adroitly their companies when in the city. There are extract the inside, and then filling it with also benevolent associations to take care of some metal of equal weight, close the two the sick of their own people. There are no sides again. So neatly was this done that Chinese beggars in San Francisco, and that the union was not detected until some time nation alone has no representatives in the after the trick had been in successful operapublic hospital. Most of the Chinese on the tion, and then only in the Mint at PhiladelPacific coast come to California under con- phia. They are notorious gamblers, and tract to one or other of these companies, expend a large proportion of their earnings engaged at a low rate of wages (generally in this manner. In San Francisco and all about eight dollars per month), and these the large towns there are regular gamblingcompanies again let out their labour in vari- houses; and in the mining camps they This is essentially the coolie spend a great proportion of their leisure in system, and I think there need be little playing-generally for "pice," or other doubt but that this prevails in California. low stakes. The keepers of these houses The labourers are said to be very faithful must be wealthy, as they invariably pay the to their contracts. They have never yet large fines which are sometimes inflicted on learned to use the food of the people among them when detected infringing the_act whom they live. Rice is still the great passed against gambling-houses. They staple, with sometimes a little pork; and on seem to have no idea of the binding nature high occasion, ducks and other fowls. He of a legal oath, and accordingly their eviis not, however, at all particular in his dence is always received most cautiously. commissariat. Rats, mice, and even their In the courts of law they are usually sworn. mortal enemy the cat, is not safe from John's by breaking a plate, and cutting the neck omnivorous stomach. I have often heard off a fowl, or by burning a piece of paper the miners venting curses both loud and before them. They do not intermarry with deep on the prowling Chinese, who had the whites, and few of the labourers bring cleared the "creek" of cats. Their houses wives with them. There are upwards of have a peculiar faint, sickening odour, per- fifteen hundred of their women on the fectly indescribable. A friend of mine used Pacific coast, one thousand of whom are in to declare that they smell of nothing but San Francisco, and nearly all of them are effete civilization! of the vilest class.

ous ways.

I have said so much about John's honesty that it may not be out of place to close this article with a few remarks upon the disreputable side of the Chinese character on the Pacific, albeit some have been of opinion that there is only one side, and that the shady one. It cannot but be expected, where thousands of men are continually arriving, but that some rogues will slip in, more especially when the labourers are recruited from the notoriously scoundrelly coolie population of Chinese cities. Some of them are most adroit fowl thieves, and will clear a fowl-yard between sunset and sunrise. They rarely attempt burglary, and chiefly lay themselves out for the "sneaking line." As they pass in single file along the street, with a basket on either end of a bamboo pole, loose inconsidered trifles are speedily transferred from shopdoors to these receptacles, the thief march

The children are tolerably numerous in San Francisco, and are pretty little creatures, with their sparkling black eyes and queer little queues behind, eked out with green or scarlet silk. Suicides are very common among them, the Chinese seeming to care nothing for life. They are mostly Buddhists of a very corrupted type, though a few Christians are found among them. The former have a fine temple in San Francisco, and in every house is a little family temple, or Joss-house, before which papers are burnt and offerings made at stated times. With the exception of gambling and opium smoking, they have few amusements. In San Francisco they support a curious little theatre, where the music is a demoniacal band of gongs; and the same play seemed to have been going on for several years when I last visited it, and is not yet finished. Kite-flying is a favourite out

of-doors amusement. Chinese kites, made at their own feasts. The first four days at in the form of butterflies and birds, which the beginning of each new year are approgive out a singing noise, are in great de-priated for the lower classes, and thirty mand among the youth of the Pacific coast. days for the gentry, as a time of feasting in Occasionally, on a Sunday, a few of them China, but on the Pacific coast the custom will have an "out" on horseback, or in a is somewhat modified. Some of the wealthy wagon. On these occasions some of them Chinese keep up a round of festivities for dress in European clothes, and the horse-two or three weeks, while the special holimanship and general display is a sight for day season may be said to expire at the end gods and men! Except on the great festi- of three or four days. They have also val of their new year, you see very little dis-other holidays in the course of the year. sipation among them. These holidays gen-About these times, indigestion and other erally last three or four days, when all bus-ills trouble John, and the doctor has to be iness is suspended, and you must wear foul called in. There are many of these profeslinen until John your washerman has fin- sional gentlemen on the Pacific coast, graveished his jollification. The morning of the looking old fellows, but generally arrant first day of the holidays is ushered in by a rogues. Deer-horns when in the "velvet " loud display of crackers and other fireworks, are eagerly bought, being esteemed a valuand before nine o'clock the streets are cov-able medicament by the Chinese. The gall ered with red papers. Sometimes, to the of a bear is valued at its weight in gold, and great delight of young California, a whole the rare Albino deer is equally prized. caskful is let off at once. A Chinese mer- In 1864, there was quite a furore in San chant told me that it generally costs about one thousand pounds each new year for fireworks alone; and some houses in the city will expend from sixty to eighty pounds for this item alone.

During this season no allusion to anything sad, such as death, sickness, losses in business, or any misfortune, is tolerated by any one. Every sentiment must be of hope, good will, and good cheer. Every true subject of the Flowery Land does his best; and the attire of some of the wealthy Chinese far exceeds in cost the dresses of the richest of the whites. A sable cape, silk trousers, and embroidered silk jacket, make a very expensive turn out. The greetings and salutations are very ceremonious, and all imaginary blessings are included in the interchange of good wishes. Upon almost all the stores, places of business, and tenements of the Chinese, may be seen during the holiday season, sundry strips of red paper pasted up, inscribed with Chinese characters. They are usually five in number, and are recognized in common parlance as charms," but among those familiar with the usages of these people as the "five blessings." Each is inscribed with a separate blessing, such as health, wealth, friends, long life, and posterity. At this period they also visit the temple, observing certain religious rites, and making offerings of roast pigs and other dainties to their idols, which are afterwards withdrawn and eaten

64

Francisco about a Chinese doctor, whose consulting-rooms were besieged by the élite of the city. His success was said to consist in careful regimen, his medicines being very harmless. He used, however, to insure attention to diet and general conduct by laying down strict rules, to diverge from which, he informed his patients, would cause certain death to ensue from the medicine. He was of a fine appearance, richly dressed, and spoke through an Englishman as an interpreter. His lionization lasted a few weeks, and after that he gradually dropped into oblivion, to make way for some other sensation. On the whole, the rapidly increasing Chinese population is an advantage to the American States and territories on the Pacific, as well as the British colonies further north. They cultivate ground which no one else will, and work gold mines disregarded by the whites. They are consumers to some extent of European and American manufactures, and whether or no, their merchants pay taxes and import duties. On the whole, though kicked and abused, simply because they are harmless, inoffensive and weak, and do not retaliate on the ruffians who maltreat them, as would any one else, they are an industrious people who, if they do not become citizens, yet do not interfere in politics, and in proportion to their numbers, give less trouble to the law than any one else, and are therefore deserving of every encouragement.

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VIRTUES OF IPECACUANHA. That there is Romish emigrants to one Protestant, and that nothing new under the sun is an ancient and consequently at this day the population of this trite saying, but one nevertheless containing a country should be two-thirds Romish, instead of great deal of truth. History, as we know, has being, as it is, one-eighth Romish. A delusion a tendency to repeat itself- a remark applica- has been put upon us by this Anglo-Saxon ble indeed to most sublunary affairs. Of course common origin theory. The truth is, Roscience creates exceptions, but a marvellous manism has lost fearfully by American immigranumber of those vaunted new inventions, dis- tion, and is losing daily masses who belong to it turbing our equanimity in the nineteenth cen- by birth and training. The Romish Church tury, are but revivals of what was once as com- knows this tolerably well, and at times her mon as "household words." Like fashion, bishops have uttered solemn warnings against however, science even is subject to "cyclical emigration." This is confirmed by the Unichanges;" and particularly so that portion of verse, a Roman Catholic paper. After stating this wide term appertaining to the practice of that "in one city alone (evidently meaning medicine. Of this we (Delhi Gazette) have a New York) the Roman Church" loses at a single recent example. Dr. Murray, the Inspector-stroke twenty thousand souls," the editor proGeneral of Hospitals for the Upper Provinces, in ceeds: "Taking the figures for New York to addressing Government, remarks that the suc- be correct- and the authority that gives them cess which has attended the introduction of the is reliable - it is a certain fact that not less than cinchona plant into India leads to the desire for two hundred thousand baptized Irish Catholic the naturalization of other valuable medicines. children are lost every year to the faith in AmerIpecacuanha, he states, is a specific against ica. How true the great Archbishop Kendrick dysentery, but the drug, a native plant of Bra- was, as a clergyman wrote in these columns last zil, is expensive, and it is submitted that it week, when he maintained that the Church here would be desirable to cultivate it in India, with is constantly losing more than it gains. What the same attention now being paid to cinchona. does it gain? Emigrants-nothing but emiDrs. Farquhar and Ross also contribute memo- grants. What does it lose? The one case in randa in support of Dr. Murray's proposition, issue shows that it loses every year two hundred and both these gentlemen bring forward statisti- thousand of the children of these same poor emical arguments tending to demonstrate that since grants. What can be more unfortunate or deipecacuanha has been used in India for the cure of generate than that? Two hundred thousand dysentery the mortality from this disease has de- Irish children - the best Catholic stock in the creased by one-half. Dr. Ross commits himself world-lost every year! Talk of your converts! to the statement that when ipecacuanha fails to your growth of liberty towards Catholics! Well act specifically, it is either from there being may American Protestants be liberal to the Cathorganic complications, which must of themselves olic Church, when the latter loses every year, in the end prove mortal, or that the remedy has for their advantage, two hundred thousand been administered without proper knowledge or (these figures are much too low) of the best precautions. It is also added, that ipecacuanha Catholic stock that ever received baptism." is as much a specific for dysentery as quinine for Public Opinion. malarious fevers; and Dr. Farquhar sums up by remarking that its "importation and cultivation would be a most valuable boon to the country." Public Opinion.

POLAR ICE.-The following statements in regard to the polar ice are given by Professor Nordenskiold, as the experience of the Swedish Arctic Expedition of the past year. First, that the polar ice is far more open in the autuma than at any other season; but that even then the passage is soon stopped by dense and impenetrable masses of broken ice. Second, that dur

ROMAN CATHOLICISM IN AMERICA. The Roman "doctors" disagree on the question as to whether their Church is gaining or losing in America. Father Hecker, at present on a lec-ing the winter the polar basin is covered by turing tour, says impetuously- "The increase of Catholic population over that of others is 100 per cent. He believed the dominant influence of the country at the close of the century would be on the side of Catholics. They stand in this country as a Macedonian phalanx, bound together by truth, while Protestantism is disintegrading itself and dwindling away. The result he predicted was founded on figures and logic. This great republic is bound to be a great Cathhlic nation." A Protestant paper says in reply to this: "We hold it capable of clearest proof that this country has received take the existing United States together at least two

unbroken ice, the freezing point of the surface beginning about the end of September. Third, that an autumn cruise north of 80 1-2 degrees is attended with unusual dangers, owing to the darkness and storms then prevailing. Fourth, that the idea of an open and comparatively milder polar basin is quite chimerical; on the contrary, that from 20 degrees to 30 degrees north of Spitzbergen, a region of cold begins, which probably stretches far around the pole. Fifth, that the only possible plan of attaining the pole consists in going northward in sledges in winter, either from Smith's Sound or Seven Islands.

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JUST PUBLISHED AT THIS OFFICE:

A HOUSE OF CARDS, by Mrs. Cashel Hoey. Price 75 cents.

NEW BOOKS:

EVENING BY EVENING; OR READINGS AT EVENTIDE. By C. H. SPURGEON. Sheldon & Co. New York.

EDELWEISS. A Story, by BERTHOLD AUERBACH. Translated by ELLEN FROTHINGHAM. Boston: Roberts Brothers.

PLANCHETTE; OR THE DESPAIR OF SCIENCE. Being a full account of modern spiritualism, its phenomena, and the various theories regarding it; with a survey of French Spiritism. Boston: Roberts Brothers.

PUBLISHED EVERY SATURDAY BY

LITTELL & GAY, BOSTON.

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FOR EIGHT DOLLARS, remitted directly to the Publishers, the LIVING AGE will be punctually for. warded for a year, free of postage. But we do not prepay postage on less than a year, nor where we have to pay commission for forwarding the money.

Price of the First Series, in Cloth, 36 volumes, 90 dollars.

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Any Volume Bound, 3 dollars; Unbound, 2 dollars. The sets, or volumes, will be sent at the expense of the publishers.

PREMIUMS FOR CLUBS.

For 5 new subscribers ($40.), a sixth copy; or a set of HORNE'S INTRODUCTION TO THE BIBLE, unabridged, in 4 large volumes, cloth, price $10; or any 5 of the back volumes of the LIVING AGE, in numbers, price $10.

From The Sunday Magazine. CHRIST ON THE CROSS.

FROM THE GERMAN OF PAUL GERHARDT.)

PAUL GERHARDT, one of the most popular and prolific of the German hymn-writers, lived and laboured on the scenes and during the time of the Thirty Years' War. He was a sufferer in those great and prolonged troubles. His cry to God was a cry out of the depths. Perhaps he and his contemporaries felt the need of being "nearer to God" more than Christians whose lot has been cast in a more pleasant place. The dash of pietism and pre-Raphaelite plainness which characterizes his compositions seems to us strange, and sometimes even startling. But perhaps, in these days of smooth things, it may be of use to us to be shaken out of our grooves by the sharp, simple, child-like cry of those who felt it necessary to hold very fast by the Saviour lest they should be shaken off in the storm.

The hymn to Christ on the Cross is frequently sung in evangelical churches throughout Germany in connection with the dispensation of the Lord's Supper. A few verses from it may be found in many of our English hymn-books. It may perhaps interest our readers to see the whole rendered into our language as closely as the style and measure will permit; and especially where no attempt is made to soften and modernize the tone of the original.

O HAUPT VOLL BLUT UND WUNDEN.

HEAD, blood-besmeared and wounded,
With grief and shame bent down!
Head, jestingly surrounded

With plaited thorns for crown!
Head, in whose light reflected
The angels erst did shine,
Despised now and rejected,
All hail! Redeemer mine!

Oh face, before whose glory

The worlds shall shrink away, Defiled and bruised and gory, Thou lookst on me to-day. Whence comes this livid whiteness? What hand hath quenched in night That eye of heavenly brightness, That fount of living light?

The hues of health have faded From that care-wrinkled cheek; These lips, forlorn and jaded,

Part, but lack force to speak. The might of death hath quenched Thy comeliness at length, And from Thy body wrenched The sinews of its strength.

The burden, Lord, that lieth

On Thy meek head is mine; The ransom-price that buyeth The captive back is Thine. Oh, hither, Mediator,

In mercy turn Thy face! On me, Sin-expiator,

Shed glances of Thy grace!

My Shepherd and Director,
The source of every good,
Be Thine own arm protector
Of my lone orphanhood.

Thy word hath richly fed me,
The word of Truth and Grace;
Thy Spirit, too, hath led me
In paths of love and peace.

Despise me not: beside Thee

My watch-stance here I'll take, To wit what may betide Thee,

E'en till Thy heart shall break. And when Thy head is bending Beneath death's last alarms, A fond embrace extending, I'll fold Thee in my arms.

It sweetly soothes my sighing,

And quells th' internal strife, To find that from Thy dying

Up springs my better life. Ah, could I, great Life-giver, Here by the cross to Thee This feeble life deliver,

How happy should I be!

With grateful heart and glowing
I thank Thee, Friend divine,
For love to sinners flowing

From these death-pangs of Thine. Oh, make me constant ever,

While here, to Thine and Thee,
And when I cross the river,
Prepare a place for me!

When Death approaching calls me,
Near, near me, Lord, abide;
And when the grave appals me,
Stand, Saviour, by my side.
When soul and body languish,
And in the parting pine,
May Thy vicarious anguish
Take out the sting of mine.

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