great tribute to choose their own
magistrates. The city is defended by three forts, built upon
eminences; and the works are good and well planted with artillery.

On the 29th we anchored off the second bar, and found lying here the
Hon. Company's Ship Canning, and two or three other Company's ships;
on the 30th weighed and made sail, but there not being water enough,
removed back to our old station. On the following day we crossed
Whampo. After the cargo was discharged I went up to Canton.

Canton is a large and populous city, situated in one of the first
rivers in the empire. It is the capital of the province of Quan-tong,
and the centre of the European trade in that country. The streets are
long and straight, paved with flag stones, and adorned with lofty
arches. The houses are remarkably neat, but consist only of one story,
and they have no windows to the streets. The covered market place is
full of shops. The inhabitants are estimated at about 1,000,000; many
of whom reside in barks, which touch one another, form a kind of
floating city, and are so arranged as to form streets. Each bark
lodges a family and their grand children, who have no other dwelling.
At break of day all the people who inhabit them depart to fish or to
cultivate their rice.

The frugal and laborious manner in which the great live, the little
attention which is paid to the vain and ridiculous prejudice of
marrying below rank; the ancient policy of giving distinction to men
and not to families, by attaching nobility only to employments and
talents, without suffering it to be hereditary; and the decorum
observed in public, are admirable traits in the Chinese character.

There is little distinction in the dress of men and women; rank and
dignity are only distinguished by the ornaments they wear, and they
dare not presume to wear any thing without proper authority, without
being severely chastised for it. Their dress in general consists of a
long vest, which reaches to the ground, one part of it, on the left
side, folds over the other, and is fastened to the right by four or
five small gold or silver buttons placed at a little distance from one
another. The sleeves are wide towards the shoulder, and grow narrow
towards the wrist--they terminate in the form of a horse-shoe--round
their middle they wear a large girdle of silk, the ends of which hang
down to their knees; from this girdle is suspended a sheath,
containing a knife, and over all they