the merchants are so busy and
excited, that they have no leisure to think of anything but their
correspondence. I was, therefore, obliged to wait, not only until
the steamer had arrived, but until it had left again, which it did
not do until a week had elapsed. I have to thank Mr. Agassiz that
the time did not hang heavily upon my hands; I was most kindly and
hospitably entertained, and enjoyed the opportunity of noting the
mode of life of those Europeans who have settled in the country.

Very few take their families with them to China, and least of all to
Canton, where both women and children are closely imprisoned in
their houses, which they can only leave in a well-closed litter.
Besides this, everything is so dear, that living in London is cheap
in comparison. Lodgings of six rooms, with a kitchen, cost about
700 or 800 dollars a-year (140 or 160 pounds). A man-servant
receives from four to eight dollars a-month, and female servants
nine or ten dollars, as Chinese women will not wait upon a European
unless greatly overpaid. In addition to all this, there is a custom
prevalent here, of having a separate person for each branch of
household duty, which renders a large number of servants
indispensable.

A family of only four persons requires at least eleven or twelve
domestics, if not more. In the first place, every member of the
family must have an attendant especially for his or her use; then
there is a man-cook, a number of nursery-maids, and several coolies
for the more menial duties, such as cleaning the rooms, carrying the
wood and water, and so forth. In spite of this number of servants,
the attendance is frequently very bad; for, if one or other of them
happens to be out, and his services are required, his master must
wait until he returns, as no servant could ever be prevailed upon to
do another's duty.

At the head of the whole household is the comprador, who is a kind
of major-domo. To his care are confided all the plate, furniture,
linen, and other effects; he engages all the servants, provides for
their board, and anything else they may require, and answers for
their good conduct, deducting, however, two dollars a-month from the
wages of each, in return for his services. He makes all the
purchases, and settles all the bills, giving in the sum total at the
end of the month, without descending into the items.

Besides these domestic duties, the comprador is also entrusted with
the money belongi