Tne wreck of the Don is one of those remarkable occurrences which now and then happen to throw light on the actual barbarity of the Chinese, and to reveal the low standard of Go which the outward face of ci really masks. It is not that wreckage is unknown in other countries; Great Britain herself has, within the memory almost of the present generation, had ber bands of wretches vendy to live by the plunder of their fellow mortals, to whom escape from the perils of the sea brought scarcely less danger from the savagery of the lund. But it is that the constant occurrence of events.like the present, unchecked by the Government, shows how little compatible are the institutions of the country with the ideas entertained by civilised nations. Although a prize like that which the stranding of the Don brought to the inhabitants of Ockseu is fortunately rare, the trade of the population of a' consider able part of the coast of China may be said to alternate between fishing, piracy, and wrecking; and coast, no spot has attained a worse celebrity than the group of islands of which Ocksen forms one. Here and there on the charts of the coast made in 1842, is to be seen th ominous word "piratical;" and i those same spots, though China has since these tinies given her solemn promise to afford protection to the mari ner in his distress, is still to be found, undisturbed except by an occasional British guobont, the same system of deliberate and unpunished plauder. Yet, meanwhile, aid of every sort has been given to China, to enable her to strengthen her organisation; within less than one hundred miles of thi very spot is situated the Foochow arsenal, which has already turned out, for the service of the Viceroy, more than one serviceable gunboat, while we are all more or less aware of the fleet soguired in the neighbouring province of Kwangtang, as well as on the coasts of Kiangnan. It is no excuse to hold that the Chinese Government cares nought for the private interests of ils subjects, and that to protect their lives and properties has never ontered into the calculations of her statesmen; such, however, is the only apology' which can be offered for the continuance of the present state of affairs, The whole fabric of Chinese Government shows it to exist merely for its own selfish ends; the propping up of a rotten system occubies the cares and intentions of the governing body, the good of the people entrusted to its charge seldom produces more than a few vapid words, like those with which Chunghow belauded the Queen of Heaven for her cure of the neglected subjects of the Emperor. The private junk may come and- go, winds may be favourable and tides auspicious; it is then easy to thank-the potent goddess for ber care; but: let the unfortanale craft touch a sunken yock, or come unprotected within the limits of the coast pirates—the paternal Government folds its hands and refuses even to see the crimes committed. Of how many janks are annually wrecked on the inhospitable shores of Fah-kien, of how many seamen perish and what amount of goods destroyad,- it takes no count; norate any statisies to be obtained which would enable us to form even a surmise on the
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.