FUHKEEN-An English gentleman, who has an extensive personal acquaintance with Java, Malacca, Singapore, and Siam, and with the Chinese who visit or inhabit those and the adjacent countries, thus writes in a familiar letter concerning "Fukien."

"With the people of this province, we have a closer and more extensive intercourse, than with those of any other province in the empire, excepting Canton; if indeed we ought to except it, which I very much doubt. Fuhkeën is the great tea province; its people are the most commercial in the empire; -perhaps two thirds of the Chinese colonists in Cochinchina, Siam and the British settlements, and scattered over the Archipelago, are Fuhkeen men. With them the missionaries have had the greatest intercourse; knowledge has been extensively diffused amongst them by tracts and the Scriptures; their prejudices have given way very much; and we have already become so well acquainted with them, and so far conciliated their friendship, that I think we ought to consider them almost as a people prepared for the Lord. Should an opening be made in China, I am persuaded our way would be most open in Fuhkeen; and I doubt

not that we should be hailed as well known friends by a great many; while in other provinces, we should be viewed with suspicion, and treated perhaps as enemies.

"Moreover, Fuhkeën is, like Tarsus, a province of 'no mean name;' it ranks among the most wealthy and flourishing of the provinces; its people are of an enlightened and enterprising spirit; and their dialect is not a vulgar one, as many suppose. For conciseness, nervousness, and perspicuity, it is, perhaps, not equalled by any other in the empire; I think I might even term it a classical language. Ma

ny Fuhkeen men are learned and intelligent; and their dialect is reduced to the strictest critical rules, both in reading and in writing." He adds concerning

HAINAN.- The dialect of the people of the island of Hainan in Canton province is only a slight variation from the Fuhkeën. I have frequently met with Hainan men in Siam, and have generally been able to converse with them very well by means of the Fuhkeen. Their language would be soon acquired by a Fuhkeen missionary; they are a pretty numerous people too, and of a very mild and friendly spirit, and have a good many readers; so that Hainan may

JAVA. After a residence of more than four months on this beautiful island, Mr. Abeel thus writes. "As success, though eventually certain, is beyond the province of instruments; and as the command of God and the opportunity of obeying it are decisive of duty, Java urges many appeals to the charities and obligations of the Christian world. With a population, nearly half as numerous as the whole United States, there are but two missionaries on the island. The Dutch have sent forth many missionaries to their other colonies; but the widest field is suffered to lie in desolation. Those who reside in Java are generally appointed

vernment, and either instructed, or disinclined to stretch themselves beyond the narrow limits of a small congregation of Dutch, Portuguese, or native Christians. There is very little question that other missionaries would be allowed to coöperate with Mr. Medhurst, and thus amplify the field of gospel culture. The island is by no means as insalubrious as is generally supposed."

Of the Chinese in Batavia, he remarks, that they compose the majority of tradesmen in that place, "being more ingenious, shrewd, laborious, and gainseeking, than the natives. Where money is to be obtained by dint of traffic, manufacture, gambling, or gulling, Chinamen are sure to be found."

A general account of Chinese books; 2. on the order and method of studying them; 3: an account of various dictionaries.

II. On Chinese Characters. 1. On the written character; 2. on the mode of pronouncing it.-1.) On Chinese accents; 2.) on Chinese tones.—(1.) On the initial letters: (2.) on the medial letters; (3.) on the final letters.

III. An Appendix, containing a general index of all the words in the Chinese language, and distributed into nine classes, arranged according to the final sound of a syllable: a speci

men is also given of each of the tones in all the different monosyllabic sounds of the language. The introduction closes with notes to the preceding index. The body of the work is divided into two parts. Part the first, is on the peculiarities of the colloquial language; and part the second, on the higher style of writing as practiced by the best authors. Of the first part, the author says, it will assist missionaries to render themselves more intelligible to the Chinese when conversing with them, more readily to understand their discourse, to appreciate better those books which are written in a less elevated style, to acquire the colloquial medium more quickly, and, when there is necessity, to practice this species of writing. Of the second part he observes, it will be very useful to the mis sionaries, in teaching them to apprehend the sense of ancient writings, to translate them correctly into another language, and, if they please, to acquire an elegant style of writing. The object of the author in employing the Latin is to render his work more extensively useful. The first part is divided into two beads.

I. On the Grammar and Syntax of the common language. 1. Grammar;-1.) nouns; 2.) pronouns; 3.) verbs; 4.) the other parts of speech. 2. Syntax.

II. On the true Genius of the Chinese language, illustrated by copious quotations from native authors, in a series of paragraphs distributed under three leading articles. Art. 1. On the uses of certain characters, comprising fifteen paragraphs.

T

2. On the particles which occur in speaking.—1.) negative; 2.) augmentative; 3.) diminutive; 4.) initial; 5.) final,-together with twenty paragraphs on particular words. 3. On Figures.

1.) On repetition. (1.) The same character repeated twice or thrice with greater effect. (2.) Two synonymes, or at least words of a kindred signification, elegantly repeated and forming frequent phrases of four characters each. (3.) The same word being used with others, which are synonymous, antithetic, or of a kindred signification. (4.) Two words, whether synonymous, of a kindred meaning, or antithetic, being placed in contrast with each other. (5.) The frequent repetition of the same phrase used either numerically, or to impress the sentiment more deeply on the mind. (6.) The same word being repeated with the particle Ti intervening to denote the participial form. 2.) On antithesis. 3.) On interrogation. 4.) A collec tion of proverbs, one hundred and sixty-five in number, with which the first part of the work closes.

The second part of the work is on the more dignified style of the written language, and exemplified under five general heads.

1. On Grammar and Syntax. This head is subdivided into three sections, each illustrative of the grammatical structure of the parts of speech used in good composition.

II. On Particles. This head is distributed into eighteen articles, some of which are subdivided to illustrate such words as are used in different senses;

and concludes with a general index of particles.

III. On diversity of style and the best kind of composition. 1. On the gradations in diversity of style. 2. General rules respecting style. 3. Select examples, exemplifying the preceding articles.-1.) The same sentiment expressed differently at different times; 2.) various examples of each kind of style, quoted from the Le Yih, the She King, the Shoo King, the Ta Heo, and the Lun Yu, and also from Chwang Tsze, Yang Tsze, Sun Tsze, Gaou Yangsew, and Soo Tungpo.

IV. On Figures of Speech. 1. Antithesis, under which is given a copious list of antithe tic words. 2. Repetition.-1.) Words and phrases; 2.) Lusus Verborum. 3. Climax. 4. On interrogations as used in controversy. 5. Description: examples are adduced from Mencius, from the Shoo King and Chung Yung, also from Gaou Yang

sew.

06. On thirty modes of varying Chinese style. The author concludes this article with a discourse (written, we presume, by himself) on the attributes of God, the style of which illustrates successfully the higher qualities of Chinese composition. 7. Different kinds of comparison.-1.) Simple comparison; (1) comparison derived from celebrated characters; (2.) comparison sought from things.-2.) On Pi-yu, or the method of illustrating a subject by examples; 3.) metaphors; 4.) on Yu-yen, the apologue or fable. On this term the author remarks, "It neither signifies a bare comparison, nor a solitary metaphor; but comprehends,

moreover, parables, symbols, apologues, enigmas, and fables." Chwang Tsze and Lee Tsze are the authors who principally excel in this species of composition.

V. A collection of elegant sayings consisting of one, two, and three words each, together with a number of select phrases of four words, from the best authors. Here the manuscript terminates somewhat abruptly, indeed evidently in an unfinished state, there being a heading, "Paragraph the fifth. Select phrases of five words," with which this part of the work concludes without any expamples. A copious index to the whole is subjoined. The work consists of 300 quarto pages.

It is to be regretted that the author did not finish his design. So much excellent matter, entirely practical, as he has collected together in this vo lume, cannot fail of proving highly useful to the student of Chinese. The principles of the language are always illustrated by copious quotations from the best native works. Convinced from the almost undefinable laws of Chinese composition, that mere precepts, however good in themselves, would be of little practical utility to the student of the language, the author has drawn from the best accessible sources, a great number of ex. amples, by which the idiom and genius of the language may most satisfactorily ascertained. He has spared no pains to accumulate the greatest possible variety of Chinese phraseology; and has, in our humble opinion, succeeded so well in his re searches, as to make a very con

siderable addition to the excellent and useful works which we already possess on Chinese philology. The British nobleman, by whose munificent liberality the work has been given to the world, will feel no small share of gratification in thus contributing to smooth the path of the inquisitive student, who is unweariedly seeking a competent acquaintance with the language and literature of China. AngloC. College Report for 1831.

BUDHISM. "M. Abel-Rémusat has in preparation a comprehensive memoir on Budhism, the chief object of which is to fix the point at which the inquiries of European scholars have arrived in respect to that peculiar religion, and to point out what is still necessary to be known, in order to make its principal dogmas clearly understood. The first part will contain an analysis of Mr. Hodg. son's dissertations on the subject of the Budhism of Nepaul, accompanied by a systematic table of the opinions of the Budhists of that country, on the points of theology and cosmogony-the second will be devoted to an examination of Mr. Schmidt's memoirs, read before the Imperial Academy at St. Petersburgh, on the Budhism of the Mongols, with a sketch of their system contrasted with that of the Hindoos. The third part will exhibit a comparison of the theistic Budhism of the Nepaulese with the pantheistic system of M. Schmidt, in connection with the Samanæan doctrines of the Chinese."-Asiatic Journal, October, 1831.

We shall hail with pleasure

the appearance of this publication in China. Budhism, especially the Budhism of China, is a subject hitherto little known. Any new information from the pen of a scholar so learned in the chief Budhistic languages as Abel-Rémusat is, must therefore be very acceptable. We consider it very desirable that those whose object it preach the gospel to the heathen Budhists and Taouists, should acquire considerable acquaintance with the peculiar doctrines which they are laboring to subvert.

CALCUTTA CHRISTIAN OBSERVER.-By a prospectus, received a few days ago, we learn that the first number of this new monthly religious and literary periodical was to appear on the 15th of last June.

It is to consist of three parts. In the first will appear, essays on particular branches of theoretic and practical theologyon the principles of biblical criticism and translation-on the origin, progress, and future prospects of missionary operations throughout the world; together with various articles of a miscellaneous nature, original and selected.

The second part will be devoted chiefly to reviews and notices of works on religion and general literature, which may interest or edify, convince or persuade, by argument, or apposite illustration, or practical appeal.

The third part will be chiefly confined to the impartation of religious and missionary intelligence. In this department nothing that occurs in any part