No. 1, July-August of 1873, The number of the China Review under notice is of more general interest than usual, containing articles on "Macao and its Slave Trade," "Wang An-shi the Innovator," "A Gossip about Formosa," and papers on Chinese Music, and Female infanticide at Amoy, which afford information put in a form agreeable to the general reader. An article on "Amateur Sinology," which we noticed last week; a translation of a rather weak Chinese tale, and a mild review of Dr. Eitel's Fengshui, make up, with two lyrics and the usual notes and queries, the number.
Macao and its Slave Trade is a powerful sketch of the career of that Settlement, which read by itself must seem strange, but when taken in connection with what is recorded of the acts of the Portuguese in Malacca, Burma and elsewhere, adds only another chapter to the records. of crime. That the Portuguese Settlement at Macao has bought discredit on the foreign name, few will be bold enough to deny; but that the full amount of obloquy sketched out by the author is to be traced to that Settlement, we are hardly prepared to believe. It has indeed been put forward persistently as the type of what foreigners were aiming at, and has afforded to would-be Chinese purists an opportunity to point the finger of scorn; but the very penners of those attacks knew well themselves that what they exhibited as the normal condition of European civilisation, was quite exceptional. In one respect indeed, Macao deceived the Chinese to their own hurt. The want of pluck which marked the proceedings of its authorities was thought to be characteristic of Furopean nations; and the measures which had often been found effectual in securing the obedience of its residents, were attempted to be put in force against the higher principled and higher spirited nations of the North. Commissioner Lin was a good card to play against the soldiers of Macao, but when Lin tried conclusions with British arms, the result was very different from what was anticipated.
The Rev. Mr. Faber concludes a paper Chinese music, interesting in many respects, but too technical to be quoted. He shows its connection with the style known to the Greeks as the Lydic, a style which once apparently had a much wider range, till in the West it was dently keen sportsman, A photograph at the end of Thompson's views in China gives us a glimpse at the scenes to be met with in the interior, to which ""P. M.'s" deseriptions will add a charm of reality.
A paper by Mr, Huyhes on female infanticide at Amoy, seems to point on teertein districts in Fuhkien as centres from which the crime has been propagated through the Empire, It affords a means of reconciling statements which hitherto have seemed incompatible. According to the calculation of some older authorities, the murder of female infants was carried on to an extent which must have seriously interfered with the relative proportions of the sexes. The experience of residents and travellers in China by no means bore out the required inequality in numbers, Mr. Hughes is disposed to fix upon Lunghwa-fu and Chinchow in Fuhkien as the centre whence the custom spread, and adduces in proof of this the curious fact that, in Canton province, it occurs but slightly amongst the natives, more amongst the Hakkas, but most of all amongst the Hoklos, whose traditions and linguistic affinities point to Lunghwa as their original rosidence. At Amoy the disproportion among the sexes which the prevalence of the practice demands, is actually to be found, Even though every Chinaman here were inclined, and in " position to marry, it would be impossible to do so owing to the scarcity of women. Another natural consequence is that the state of morality is exceedingly low, and adultery, which is committed to an enormous extent, has to be submitted to as a necessity, by the husbands." The paper is a valuable contribution to our knowledge on the subject.
The Review praises "Puck" highly—we hope the latter's modesty will restrain him within bound tells of Chinese "Good 'Templar' lodges marked By a little more temperance than is to be found amongst the water drinking community elsewhere, L L. B. is very angry that people will not tell him where is situated the Kwan-lun-shan; perhaps he knows of Mount Meru and the Airyana Vaejo, and will point out the exact spot where Jack's beanstalk grew.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.