5 NOVEMBER 1842, Page 13

TRAVELS,

Two Years in China. Narrative of the Chinese Expedition. from its formation in 1840 till April 1842. With an Appendix, containing the most impertant of the Ge- neral Orders and Despatches published during the above period. By Dr. Td•Pher- son. M.D. Madras Army, attached t.) the service of his Highness the Niram, and lately with the Thirty-seventh Grenadier Regiment in China- Saunders and Otley.

Lays of Ancient Rome. By Thomas Babington Macaulay Longman and Co.

PROSE FICTION.

The Nabob at Home; or the Return to England. By the Author of 'S Life in India." In three volumes Cellist's.

DR. ht‘EHERSON'S TWO YEARS IN CHINA.

DR. MTHERSON is a medical officer of the Madras Army, who ac- companied the contingency furnished by that Presidency to the Chinese expedition. He started with the earliest, and appears to have been present at all the exploits of the war down to last April,—the two captures of Chusan, the attack upon the Bocca Tigris, the approach to Canton, the successful assaults upon Amoy and Chinhre, with the entrance of the army into Ningpo, and sundry minor matters. The military and naval incidents which fell under his observation, or more properly speaking at which he was pre- sent, with occasionally a few medical or general facts, the Doctor has written off in the order of their occurrence during the leisure of a six weeks' voyage from Hong-Kong to Madras; and here they are.

Beyond a clear, plain narrative of prominent points, Two Years in China is not of very high value in a literary sense. Dr. M'PHEnsos does not seem particularly versed in Chinese subjects, or gifted with the faculty of keen observation, so as to enable hint fully to profit by his opportunities amidst the incidents and scenes of strange novelty by which he was continually surrounded. Nor is there, perhaps' much of information to be deduced from the facts of his narrative, beyond what may be gotten from the official papers and the letters written by the correspondents of the press. In the volume, however, the narrative is carried on continuously, so that the whole is distinctly brought before the mind. Many minute touches and single facts are also preserved, which are beneath the dignity of a despatch, and escape the notice of persons writing at second- hand or not observing the particular incident. Hence, Two Years in China is not without its uses ; though its popular value would have been greatly increased had it appeared in the shape of a handy little volume instead of a bulky octavo,—a change easy of accomplishment, by condensing the original matter, and omitting the appendix of despatches and official documents, which give, no doubt, completeness and utility in a military point of view, but are not regarded by the general reader. The views of Dr. MTHERSON are belligerent and Anti-Chinese : we may therefore be certain that he does not err in colouring matters too favourably for the natives. But his narrative confirms all that has been gathered from other sources respecting the nature of this murderous and unrighteous war. The Chinese are a mus- cular, active, and vigorous people; and display a resolute courage, not daunted by the appalling noises and other concomitants of modern battle, or even by imminent death ; but, from want of skill, they cannot give effect to such weapons as they possess; and were they able, it is doubtful whether they could resist the science and machinery of destruction brought against them, though our losses might be very severe. Hence, these exploits in China are rather disgusting than otherwise. In the battles of European nations there is the "tug of war," which comes when "Greek meets Greek"; the victors have their losses and their dangers' they achieve the victory by their courage or the skill of their leader. In the slaughter of ancient battles, revolting as many of them are, some- thing like parity existed among the combatants. The weapons were analogous, though art had improved those of the Greeks and Romans : we know from the terror in JULIUS C/ESAR'S army about the stature of the Gauls, and the means C/ESAR devised to meet it, that the physical strength of the Northern barbarians gave them an advantage ; and though their numbers did not counterbalance the effects of discipline and superior arms, they brought things nearer an equality. Victory was doubtful ; the great slaughter took place in the pursuit ; the civilized ran this risk the same as the savage with whom he contended hand to hand. But in China it is pure butchery, without real risk at any time, beyond casual incidents ; and now, it would seem, without even the idea of risk. People at home, indeed, may say it is very shocking but it is not their affair. This, however, is not so certain :

" In these cases, We still have judgment here; that we but teach Bloody instructions, which being taught, return To plague the inventor."

The soldiers and sailors, officers as well as men, who are now employed in the safe and wholesale butchery of the Chinese, will have received notions touching the value of life, limb, and the hap- piness of others, that will not render them on their return the best of all leaven for leavening the mass of British society. We are well enough aware of the different effects of a recognized and an unrecognized act upon the character, and that many who are the foremost in a war of real danger are the mildest and most scrupulous in peace. It may be so in this case, but it may be not ; and we suspect that whatever the laws of war may require, not many parents would deem the following the best kind of edu- cation for their boys, or admire the new mode of teaching the young idea how to shoot. MIDSHIPMEN'S AMUSEMENTS.

Encounters, some of an aviatrix' nature, were of frequent occurrence about

this time at Chum. On one occaeion two middies one fifteen the other thirteen years old—went out on a foraging-excursion for the benefit of their mesa. They had taken the precaution to carry with them a double-barrelled gun, loaded with ball. Proceeding inland, they soon met a Fokee in charge of a flock of goats. The younger of the boys now tried to strike a bargain, and sporting his dollars rather too freely, advanced towards the latter; who, however, instead of receiving the dollars, caught the boy in his arms, and was running away with him. His progress, however, was soon stopped; the elder boy having, on seeing his companion seized, advanced, and placing the muz- zle of his piece to the Chinaman's ear, blew his brains out ; whereupon some men who were looking on proceeded to seize the boys. The latter stood still till the foremost was within shot. The younger boy, snatching the gun out of his companion's hand, said it was his turn now to have a shot. He fired, and lodged the contents of the second barrel in the man's chest. The re- mainder of the Chinamen, not much liking the aspect of affairs, took to their heels.

VICTORY.

The appearance of this flag of truce was very disheartening to all who, flushed with the success of yesterday, and not yet satisfied with the quantity of human bloodshed, were eager to dip their bands yet more deeply into it. How little does a victorious army think, when reckoning on the numbers of the dead and wounded enemy, that these, too, had friends who deplore their lose and weep for their fate To survey a battle-field after an engagement, and to behold the ground covered with the corpses of those who but a few hours be- fore were in the full enjoyment of that health which our Creator has given us, but who now lie dead and cold, their bodies mangled and torn to pieces by shot and by shell, and the green grass dyed with their life's blood, would, it will na- turally be supposed, excite feelings of compassion or remorse, more especially to those who have not been hardened and rendered callous by such sights, and have ever been accustomed to regard the dead body with fear and with awe : but with few only, I suspect, are such feelings present. At no time does man so nearly resemble the brute animal as in the field of battle, when two parties meet, each striving to obtain the mastery at the expense of life: then do all the finer feelings vanish ; and the conqueror surveys his victim with a proud satis- faction, and be points to him afterwards as a fine specimen of one of God's created beings. Such are the effects of war • and such were the callous feelings of the majority who proceeded to survey the battle-field of Cheumpee, when disappointed in prosecuting the work of destruction. • • •

The slaughter on the Cheumpee side was dreadful; independent of those bodies on shore, the sea was quite blackened with floating corpses, and the beach for miles around was strewed with them. On shore, the dead in many places lay heaped one upon another; at one place, where resistance had been greatest, the dead lay piled several feet high. It was here that the heetac, or brigadier, was found : he was a tall and powerful man, and was killed by a musket-bullet through his chest. His son, who was observed to fight most manfully by his side, on finding that his father was dead, leaped into the water, and there pe- rished. Many bodies were dreadfully scorched and disfigured from the burning of their garments padded with cotton, which were set on fire by their lighted matches as they fell wounded upon them. Some, indeed, bad been literally blown up from the explosion of their cartridge-boxes, which are always worn around their waists. The appearance inside the tort was horrifying in the ex- treme. There the round-shot and shell had done fearful execution. The walls in many places were bespattered with brains ; and it was difficult to discover whether the mangled remains before you ever possessed the human shape. Close to the site of the explosion of the mine many of the enemy must have secreted themselves ; but now, a blent, blackened, smouldering, stinking mass, WS all that remained to point out their mortal remains. About two hundred bodies were thrown into a deep pit immediately under the hill-fort, and about half that number in an adjoining one. Some careless thoughtless Tacks, em- ployed in this operation, raised a board over the former, with the inscription- " This is the road to gloary," printed upon it.

CHINESE BRAVERY.

The ramparts were all deserted; but in the centre of the fort an armed party, in strength equal to their own were drawn up in good order. At the head of this party was a venerable-looking old man, with a blue button and peacock's feather in his cap, evidently a Mandarin of distinction. At first it was expected they were going to surrender. A shower of arrows and some matchlock-bullets soon convinced our men to the contrary. The old chief himself, advancing and brandishing his double-hand sword, seemed to court death. A musket- bullet through the chest closed his career ; immediately on which the party surrendered. It was now discovered that the chief above alluded to was Ad- miral Kwan, he who had two years before engaged her Majesty's ship Volage, at Cowloon Bay, and on a later occasion, with his fleet attacked the Volage, Hya- cinth, and Larne, off Lantao. •S • The sight now became very animating; Major Fawcett leading his men up a steep and rugged ascent ; and the enemy, with an infinitely superior force, drawn out in good order, and pouring down a heavy and well-sustained fire upon them. As our men approached, the Chinese came down to meet them in the most determined way. The gallantry of some individuals was most conspicu- ous—one man in particular attracted universal attention : standing on the peak of the hill while the shot from the Phlegethon and Nemesis plunged every moment within a few feet of him, he waved a flag, and the nearer the shot came the more he waved : at last a thirty-two-pounder shot finished his carver. Another warrior quickly took his place, and was in like manner dis- posed of. • •

Every foot of this long line was contested with more than ordinary spirit by a very large force, led apparently by one of the principal Mandarins. Many of the enemy who were retiring along a causeway, seeing our men enter the bat- tery, quickly returned and joined the main body. For some time it was a fair stand-up fight, and the hardest hitters' holding out longest, had it. This, in a short time, proved to be the Royal Irish. The enemy took to their heels, but reassembled again close to some brass guns. In their haste, however, they fired too high to do much injury. Some of the officers in advance saved their lives by making good use of their pistols; and the men advancing, shot or bayoneted every one of the enemy. It was here that General Keo, the chief naval and military commander, was killed; and his officers and men, sticking to him to the last, also fell with him.

In a scientific point of view, the most valuable parts of the book are those which relate to medical matters : and it is to be regretted that Dr. MTHERSON did not pay more attention to professional topics, which he is best qualified to treat. His observations are well worth attention on the blundering choice of sites for quartering the troops, and the total neglect of hygienic considerations in air, exercise, lodgings, &c., to which he traces the mortality from sickness, rather than to any necessity military or climatic. Some of his Chinese investigations are curious and valu- able: of which we take a few examples.

THE CHINESE FOOT.

When again left alone, she unfolded the bandage ; on the removal of which, the state of filth the foot presented convinced me that the general opinion is correct, viz, that the limb is seldom exposed, even for the purpose of cleanli- ness. A cursory glance at the deformed limb would lead even a professional man to suppose that a partial amputation bad been performed, wherein the metatarsal bones (those immediately articulating with the toes) had been re- moved. On a closer inspection, the great-toe was found to end in a sharp rough point, having at its extremity what might either be construed into a shapeless nail, or a portion of bone protruding, from not having been properly protected by the flap after an amputation. On the upper surface of the foot there was no peculiar appearance, save that the smaller toes appeared to termi- nate in a knuckle-like point. On examining the sole of the foot, I was sur- prised to see the four small toes bent under and deeply imbedded in the soft substance of the foot, and in a wonderful degree capable of flexion and exten- sion. In the foot itself there was no motion ; the joint, I presume, having been anchylosed (or a bony union formed) by constant pressure. This, however, j afterwards found not to be the case; for on examining a skeleton foot, I fotuid the bones all separate, but displaced. The ankle was thickened, its capability of motion being in a great degree curtailed. The calf of the leg was round and well-proportioned. The extreme length of the foot was three inches and a quarter. Yet, when properly bandaged and shod, this young lady hobbled up and down her stair with apparent ease.

The pain and irritation excited by the horrid process of cramping the foot, as well as the want of exercise, must, it will be supposed, materially injure the general health. This, however, is not allowed to be the case. Subsequent to the above period, I met some children who were passing through the usual or- deal of perfecting beauty, whose pallid sickly look contrasted greatly with the healthy rude appearance of the poorer Chinese, who teach their children at a very early age to assist in all domestic employments. It would be as difficult to account for the origin of this barbarous practice of the Chinese, as for that of, squeezing the waists of Englishwomen out of all natural shape by stays, or flattening the heads among the natives on the Co- lumbia.

OPIUM-SHOEING.

The lungs having previously been emptied as much as possible of atmo- spheric air, the pipe is put to the month and the bowl applied to the flame, and in one long deep inspiration the opium becomes almost entirely dissipated. The fumes are retained in the chest for a short time, and then emitted through the nostrils. This operation is repeated until the desired effects of the drug are produced; the period of which varies according as the individual has been accus- tomed to its effects. Some old stagers will smoke whole nights without being completely under its influence ; whereas to the beginner, or to a person not used to the habit, a very small quantity is sufficient to stupify. I had the curiosity to try the effects of a few pipes upon myself; and must confess I am not at all surprised at the great partiality and craving appetite always present with those who are long accustomed to its use. From what I have myself experienced, as well as seen in others, its first effects appear to be that of a powerful stimulant. There are few who have not, at some period of their lives, experienced the powers of opium, either to soothe or mitigate pain, or drown cares and sorrows. But, as with most other temporary stimulants, there follows a period of nausea and depression; the opium becomes partly di- gested in the stomach, and it deranges all the natural secretions. When intro- duced into the system through the lungs, this does not appear to follow. Its effects are then far more immediate and exhilarating, as well as more transient. The pulse vibrates, it becomes faller and firmer, the face glows, the eyes sparkle, the temperature of the skin is elevated, and it becomes suffused with a blush ; the organs of sense are exquisitively sensitive, perspiration flows pro- fusely, respiration becomes quicker, the action of the heart is increased, the nervous energy is exalted; and a glow of warmth, and sensations similar to those which often attend highly pleasurable and agreeable feelings, overspreads the body; every organized tissue shares the impression, and the whole system becomes preternaturally excited, and assumes the characteristic of disease. The percep- tions become more vivid, the imagination more prolific with ideas, and these of a more brilliant and exalted character. Fancy is awakened, and creates new and bright associations; the pleasurable scenes of former life are again recalled; events and circumstances long effaced from recollection, facts long forgotten, present themselves to the mind; the future is full of delightful anticipations, whilst the most difficult schemes appear already accomplished and crowned with success. Under its operation every task seems easy and every labour light. The spirits are renovated and melancholy is dissipated, the most delight- ful sensations and the happiest inspirations are present, when only partaken to a limited extent, and to those not long accustomed to its use. If persevered in, these pleasing feelings vanish ; all control of the will, the functions of sensa- tion and volition, as well as reason, are suspended ; vertiAo, coma, irregular mus- cular contractions, and sometimes temporary delirium, supervene.

EFFECTS OF OPIUM-SHOEING.

The Chinese themselves affirm that the use of the drug acts as a preventive against disease: and in this opinion, when smoked in moderation, I am inclined in part to agree with them. The particles, by their direct and topical influ- ence on the nerves of the lungs, which carry the impressions they receive to the heart, brain, and spinal cord, and, through them to all parts of the body, may thus, to a certain extent, guard the system against disease, and, by their tonic influence, strengthen the several organs. This opinion gains strength when we call to mind that a peculiar active principle in opium, the narcotic, has of late been employed with considerable success in Bengal as a substitute for quinine. It may also be mentioned, that at the time fevers prevailed so exten- sively among our troops at Hong-Kong, but comparatively few of the Chinese suffered, though exposed throughout to the same exciting causes. These facts would certainly, on the whole, rather tend to show that the habi- tual use of opium is not so injurious as is commonly supposed ; its effects, cer- tainly, are not so disgusting to the beholder as that of the sottish, slaving drunkard. True, like all other powerful stimulants and narcotics, it must ulti- mately produce effects injurious to the constitution; and the unhappy indivi- dual who makes himself a slave to the drug shuns society, and is indifferent to all around him ; and, when deprived of his usual allowance, he describes his feelings as if rats were gnawing his shoulders and spine, and worms devouring the calves of his legs, with an indescribable craving at the stomach, relieved only by having recourse to his pipe, now his only solace.