Is it possible that there could really be
so many who should be looked upon as criminals - or are persons
sentenced to death for a mere nothing - or are both these
suppositions true?
I once happened to go near the place of execution, and to my horror
beheld a long row of still bleeding heads exposed upon high poles.
The relations enjoy the privilege of carrying away and interring the
bodies.
There are several different religions in China, the most prevalent
being Buddhism. It is marked by great superstition and idolatry,
and is mostly confined to the lower classes. The most natural is
that of the wise Confucius, which is said to be the religion of the
court, the public functionaries, the scholars, and educated classes.
The population of China is composed of a great many very different
races: unfortunately, I am unable to describe their several
characteristics, as my stay in China was far too short. The people
I saw in Canton, Hong-Kong, and Macao, are of middling stature.
Their complexion varies with their occupation: the peasants and
labourers are rather sun-burnt; rich people and ladies white. Their
faces are flat, broad, and ugly; their eyes are narrow, rather
obliquely placed, and far apart; their noses broad, and their mouth
large.
