her, and begged her to sit up, which she did with a melancholy shake of the head; but she either could not or would not speak. In a little while afterwards I saw her rise up and walk slowly and quietly home.

These Chinese termagants work themselves up into such passions sometimes for very slight things, and their imprecations or curses are quite fearful.

Shortly after Mr. Fortune's return to Shanghae, the Fokien and Canton men rose in the town and hoisted the standard of the new Emperor Tai-ping-wang. According to Mr. Fortune's version of the matter, a city containing upwards of 200,000 inhabitants--walled and fortified, and, to a certain extent, prepared for an attack-allowed itself to be taken by a band of marauders scarcely numbering 500 men, badly armed, undisciplined, and bent on plunder. They had not at first even any connexion with the Kwang-si rebels. Our traveller further argues that the foreign residents in Shanghae were much to blame for this state of things.

The sympathies of foreigners generally were all enlisted on the side of the rebels and against the government of the country. It was no secret that we, as a body, instead of opposing an attack upon the city, would hail it with pleasure, and wish it success, although we would otherwise remain neutral. Civil and naval officers, missionaries, merchants, and shopkeepers, all-with a few honourable exceptions-were in favour of the debauched band of robbers who took the city of Shanghae on the 7th of September. The unprejudiced observer of these events had now to witness a most extraordinary and anomalous proceeding, namely, that of our men-of-war gallantly putting down the hordes of pirates which were infesting the coast, while the land pirates, such as those who took the city of Shanghae, were encouraged and applauded. And why? Because the latter spent their days and nights in smoking opium, in drunkenness, and in all kinds of debauchery, and gave out they were followers of Tai-ping-wang, or, as he was called, the Christian King!

For more than a year did this band of marauders hold possession of the city of Shanghae, abetted, to a certain extent, by the foreign residents. A large force was sent against them by the government; but as they confined themselves to skirmishing, the result was simply to give Dr. Lockhart, of the Medical Missionary Society, frequent opportunities of practising his surgical skill on the maimed Chinese. Notwithstanding Mr. Fortune's denunciations of the rebels, one party seems to be little better than the other, as far as any sense of justice tempered by mercy is concerned. When at length, by the interference of the French, who did not like the rebel party because they were abetted by the English, Shanghae was recovered to the Imperialists, what was the result?

When the rebels evacuated the city, the brave Imperialists entered it and immediately set it on fire in various places. The evening on which this took place was perfectly calm, and the scene must have been one of the grandest and at the same time one of the most painful ever beheld. The fire was first seen running along the ramparts and destroying tent after tent-these having been occupied only a few hours before by the insurgents. Then the city was observed to have been set fire to in several places, and, owing to the construction of the houses (they are built chiefly with pine and bricks), the fire spread with fearful rapidity. The whole city, about three miles in circumference, appeared to be in flames-guilty and innocent were perishing together, thousands were rendered houseless and driven from their homes, and where to go they knew not. In the midst of all this terror and confusion the Imperial soldiers were plunder

ing what had been left by the rebels, which I believe was not very much, and hunting down the unfortunate, in order to cut their heads off and claim the promised reward. Some of the latter, as a last resource, hid themselves in coffins, hoping thus to escape their ruthless pursuers. Many of them were discovered and slain, and then the soldiers used this as a pretence for breaking open the coffins of the dead, in order to get the money or gold and silver ornaments which are often deposited with the bodies after death. Of all that band of marauders who fled from Shanghae that night, but few remained either to fight or to steal. The numerous heads which were afterwards seen on poles, and trees, and walls, the fearful stench which poisoned the air for many weeks during the hot weather which followed, told a sickening tale of crime and blood.

The Chinese are as prone to cold-blooded cruelty as any people in the world. During the progress of the rebellion the inhabitants of hundreds of towns and villages were driven from their homes by fire and swordthe innocent were slain with the guilty, and even women and children were not spared. The most curious part of the transaction was, that with all these horrors attached to the progress of the rebellion, the country often remained quiet, and the husbandman continued to cultivate his land within even a mile or two from a place in the hands of the rebels. Thus it is, Mr. Fortune tells us, that, notwithstanding all these disturbances, we have no lack of tea, silk, and the other articles which form the bulk of our exports.

During his travels in the province of Chekiang, Mr. Fortune had frequently heard of some celebrated waterfalls near a place called "Snowy Valley Temple," which is situated amongst the mountains, some forty or fifty miles to the south-west of the city of Ningpo. His way to the hills lay over the plain of Ningpo, which is thickly covered with small towns, villages, and farm-houses, and, like most fertile plains in China, teems with population. The description of this plain is indeed well worth quoting, as a scene common enough in China, yet rare elsewhere.

As our boatmen went on during the night, we found ourselves next morning at the base of the hills which bound the plain on the south-west, and in the district of Fung-hwa. On one of these hills stands a pagoda, named Kongk'how-tá, which is visible for many miles, and from which an excellent view of the low country is obtained. Making our boats fast to the river-bank, we stepped on shore and took the first turning which led to the hill on which the pagoda stands. When we reached the summit of this hill, which appeared to be about 1000 feet above the level of the sea, we were rewarded with one of those splendid views which are, perhaps, more striking in the fertile districts of China than in any other country. Beneath us, and stretching to the north and eastward, was the level plain through which we had passed during the night. The city of Ningpo occupied its centre, and it seemed bounded on all sides, except the north and east, by hills and mountains varying in height from 1000 to 3000 feet-while far away to the eastward lay the islands of the Chusan archipelago, studded about in the China Sea. From this pagoda one can count six or seven others, each of which marks the position of some ancient city in the plain, or Buddhist monastery on the hills. Towns and villages were visible in whichever direction our eyes were turned, and every part of the extensive plain appeared to be under cultivation. Indeed, industry and perseverance seem to be absolutely necessary, in order to make the ground yield food for such a mass of human beings. If the population of the country really amounts to more than three hundred millions-and there seems to be no reason to doubt this-and taking into consideration that a vast extent of its surface is covered with moun

tains so barren that they must ever defy all attempts at cultivation, the valleys and other portions of cultivated land would require to be fertile indeed, and to have a nation as industrious and persevering as the Chinese to make the ground productive.

A little farther on our traveller came to another valley. "On the road," he says, "at stated distances apart, were covered resting-places for travellers, where shelter from a storm or shade from the noonday sun might be had by rich or by poor. Little villages and farm-houses were observed clustered about in various directions, and the labourers who were at work in the fields seemed happy and unoppressed. Looking upon a quiet scene like this, one could scarcely believe that a civil war was raging in the country not a greater distance off than a hundred miles, where acts of savage cruelty were daily perpetrated which made one's blood run cold." Even the mountains of the Snowy Valley exhibited the same pleasant scene of clusters of farm-houses, and the inhabitants are described as pressing the foreigner, with their wonted politeness and hospitality, to enter their houses and partake of the only beverage they had to offertea. These are evidently not a people to be kept secluded for ever from the rest of the world.

After a short stay at Canton, whither Mr. Fortune had proceeded to ship his collections for India, that gentleman sailed for the port of Foochow-foo. A large export trade in black teas is now carried on at this latter port; and this is one good result which has arisen out of the rebellion in China, although, our author adds, perhaps it would be difficult to mention another. The river was, however, swarming with pirates, and Mr. Fortune was glad to get a passage on board the American steamer Confucius, which had been chartered by the Chinese government to convey troops and money for the Imperialists, who were sorely pressed in Formosa. This gave him an opportunity of slightly examining that celebrated island, and his usual good luck attended him, for, although the natives have a bad reputation, he says that he was everywhere, both in town and country, civilly, and even kindly received by the people. Mr. Fortune says of the island generally:

It is well worth the attention of any government; not with a view to annexation or conquest, but to develop its resources, more particularly with regard to coal for our steamers. A new day is beginning to dawn in the East; Japan and China will soon be opened to unfettered commerce; already steamers are making their appearance on these seas and rivers, and it is high time that we should know something of a beautiful island known to be rich and fertile, and to have abundant supplies of coal which only require to be dug out of the earth.

We have had a whole fleet of men-of-war-brigs and steamers of all sizes-in China ever since the termination of the last war, and yet how little has been done to extend our knowledge of an island like this, or, with the exception of Japan, and this was only a year ago, of any part to the eastward of China beyond the 32nd degree of north latitude. In the fruitless search made after the Russian fleet in 1855, the knowledge which we ought to have acquired long ago, but which we had not, might have done us good service.

On his return to Shanghae, our traveller lost no time in making his way back to the tea-districts in the interior of the Chekiang province. Upon this occasion he visited the town of Ning-Kang-jin, at a time when the people were thronging to a fair being held at that place. Among them were many parties of gaily-dressed ladies, limping along on

their small feet, each one having a long staff in her hand to steady her, and to help her along the mountain road. This scene induced Mr. Fortune to make some observations on the barbarous custom of deforming the feet of Chinese ladies, and he quotes from Dr. Lockhart evidence of the serious inconveniences which result from it.

"The most serious inconvenience to which women with small feet are exposed," he observes, "is that they so frequently fall and injure themselves. During the past year, several cases of this kind have presented themselves. Among them was one of an old woman, seventy years of age, who was coming down a pair of stairs and fell, breaking both her legs; she was in a very dangerous state for some time, on account of threatened mortification of one leg, but the unfavourable symptoms passed off, and finally the bones of both legs united, and she is able to walk again.

"Another case was also that of an elderly woman, who was superintending the spring cutting of bamboo shoots in her field, when she fell over some bamboos, owing to her crippled feet slipping among the roots; a compound fracture of one leg was the consequence, and the upper fragment of the bone stuck in the ground; the soft parts of the leg were so much injured, that amputation was recommended, but her friends would not hear of it, and she soon afterwards died from mortification of the limb.

In the evening he attended a theatrical performance, and he says, “All made way for the stranger, and endeavoured to place me in the best position for getting a view of the stage."

What a mass of human beings were below me! The place seemed full of heads, and one might suppose that the bodies were below, but it was impossible to see them, so densely were they packed together. Had it not been for the stage in the background with its actors dressed in the gay-coloured costumes of a former age, and the rude and noisy band, it would have reminded me more of the hustings at a contested election in England than anything else. But taken as a whole, there was nothing to which I could liken it out of China.

From Ning-Kang-jin, Mr. Fortune proceeded to a temple celebrated for its cold water. On his way, he says, he observed several anglers busily employed with rod and line-real Izaak Waltons it seemed-and although they did not appear very expert, and their tackle was rather clumsy, yet they generally succeeded in getting their baskets well filled. "Altogether," he says, "this scene, which I can only attempt to describe, was a charming one-a view of Chinese country life, telling plainly that the Chinese, however strange they may sometimes appear, are, after all, very much like ourselves." Passing through two small towns, he describes the whole population as turning out to look at him. Yet he says he was everywhere treated with the most marked politeness, and even kindness, by the inhabitants. Stop a little, sit down, drink tea," was said to him by almost every one whose door he passed.

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Communication was kept up at this time between Ningpo and Shanhgae by means of the Erin, belonging to the house of Jardine, Matheson, and Co., a fast steamer well manned and armed, for the coasts were infested with pirates. On the occasion of our traveller's return to the latter place, he found several piratical lorchas and junks blockading the passage between the mainland and Silver Island, and seizing every vessel that attempted to pass in or out of the river. It is almost needless to say that, in the instance of the Erin, discretion was deemed to be the wisest policy, and a Chinaman's jacket was hoisted in the rigging, signifying, although not in Marryat's code, "Let us alone, and we will let you."

NOTES OF THE MONTH.

IL DON GIOVANNI.

How faithfully and well Mr. Lumley has performed the promise of his programme, let the numerous and delighted audiences attest who, during the month of June, have crowded to Her Majesty's Theatre-the Queen and her Court amongst the rest-to witness the revival of Mozart's chef d'œuvre, the incomparable "Don Giovanni."

Operatic annals in this country record no previous instance in which the management, unable to give the public enough of one particular Opera, has created extra off-nights for its representation; yet this has been the case with "Il Don Giovanni," exactly seventy years since it was first produced at Prague, for the inhabitants of which musical city it was especially composed.

All phenomena may, by dint of study, be accounted for, this phenomenon included. In truth, the cause of the success of "Il Don Giovanni" required no study at all; the reason was obvious. Mr. Lumley had announced his intention of restoring to the opera the many delicious airs which had so long been omitted; he had promised to fill the various parts in an unequalled manner; and he had intimated that the mise en scène should correspond with the increased musical attractions. He kept his word in each particular, and the result has been an overflowing house on every occasion. When such a theatre overflows as the old house in the Haymarket-where the "Lyceum," for example, might stand in a corner the measure of popular enthusiasm may fairly be conceived.

And that enthusiasm was in all respects legitimate. Veneration for Mozart, and admiration for the artists who so nobly interpreted the genius of the great composer, naturally combined to produce it.

To enter into a critical dissertation on the merits of Mozart's original score-with only two small pages allowed for general comment-would be almost as much out of place as to criticise the last new readings of one of Shakspeare's plays at the expense of the acting. A word of warm. approval will suffice for saying that the restorations in "Il Don Giovanni" have proved in the highest degree judicious. They have added that which was wanting to the ensemble of the opera, and popularised melodies that before were "caviare to the general," of itself a boon of no slight value in the present thirst after musical knowledge. Our purpose, then, is to speak of the exertions of the performers.

If the restoration of stray passages which help towards the new reading of a great work be important, how much more important the new aspect given to an entire character! It is from this point of view that we must consider the Zerlina of Mademoiselle Piccolomini. We could with ease recal the names of a number of prime donne who by their fine vocalisation have invested the part of Zerlina with an especial grace, but it has been by vocalisation alone. It was reserved for Mademoiselle Piccolomini to charm at once by her exquisite voice and by the truthfulness of her dramatic perceptions. The village coquette, as Lorenzo da Ponte (the author of the libretto) conceived her, has never before-within our remembrance-been portrayed in so natural and original a manner.

The