ds some forty miles from
the sea, by the river, which is said to be navigable for ships of
considerable burthen even beyond the town. The climate is salubrious,
and the natives are quite awake to the benefits likely to arise from a
free intercourse with Europeans. At this port, the first British vessel
bound for the northern ports of China, from England direct, was loading,
in March last, with tea and other Chinese produce. By how many hundreds
she will ere long be followed, I leave the reader to imagine. It is said
by those who have visited this port, that nothing can exceed the
urbanity of the Chinese Authorities and merchants, or their anxiety to
do all in their power to please and entertain European strangers. This,
doubtless, in part arises from the severe lesson that was read them, on
more than one occasion, by Sir Hugh Gough; a lesson which, it is hoped,
they will long remember. An extensive and important trade is carried on
between this place and Chusan, by which means our manufactures will find
their way into that island, after its ports shall be closed against our
shipping. Here, Russian manufacturers are met with; and a friend of mine
informed me, that, in a Chinese shop at Ning-po, he purchased a few
yards of superior Russian black broad cloth at the very cheap rate of
two dollars and a-half (11s. 3d.) per yard. This price seems lower than
that at which the British manufacturer could produce a similar article.
Samples of the cloth have been sent to England, so that this question
will soon be decided.

Shang-Hae, the most northern of the five ports opened to foreign
commerce, is, perhaps, the most important of the whole five. I have
undoubted authority for asserting, that the number of Chinese junks, of
more than a hundred tons burthen, that enter this port weekly, exceeds a
thousand. The same authority speaks of the busy scene that this harbour
daily presents, as quite beyond his powers of description. Many British,
American, and other merchants have visited Shang-Hae since it became an
open port; many cargoes of manufactures have been disposed of there; and
already a considerable export trade on foreign account has commenced. A
bold attempt was made by some influential and wealthy merchants from
Canton, to prevent the mercantile men of the place from purchasing
cargoes from the foreigners: in this, they succeeded for a time; and the
Canton men were in hopes they should secure the northern trade for their
ow