CANTON, or Qui, xo-TenF.-voo, a large and mari time city of China, and capital of the province of Quang tong, lies on the north-eastern bank of the river Pe -kiang, or Bocca-Tigris, as it is called by Europeans, from a supposed resemblance of this animal seen upou approach ing the entrance of one of the branches or it at the first fort. It is fortified by a strung rampart, about six or seven miles in circumference, and consists of three di visions, separated from each other by lofty walls, which, together with the rampart, are built of hewn sand-stones, and covered with all sorts of little trees and plants. Not above one-third of the ground within the walls, however, is filled with buildings, the rest being chiefly appropri ated to pleasure-grounds and fish-ponds ; and the back part of the city is almost entirely occupied by two hills of considerable height, which are beautifully wooded, and cultivated with great care. But as no European is allowed to enter within the gates, we have no particular account of its interior ; and all the accounts of the city of Canton are confined principally to its suburbs, which are indeed much more extensive and populous than the fortified part. The streets are in general long, but nar row and irregular, paved with small round stones, and flagged close to the houses. They are ornamented at intervals with triumphal arches ; arc kept exceedingly clean, and some of them have a kind of awning extended from house to house, which prevents the sun's rays from incommoding the inhabitants. Each side is entirely oc cupied by shops, (the dwelling-houses being in general within the walls,) where every variety of manufacture is exposed to sale. These shops sometimes consist of several apartments, of which the one next the street is generally quite open in front, and filled with coarse porcelain and toys ; in the one behind, a finer sort of por celain is sold ; the third contains silks, v and other kinds of cloth ; and some have a fourth, where tea or other commodities of that description arc kept. On great fes tivals, these long narrow vaults are thrown open, when they are illuminated and ornamented with flowers and trees. Most of the merchants, however, arc content with two apartments, the outer one for containing por celain, and the other for articles of every descrip tion.
Some of the streets arc appropriated entirely to parti cular trades, especially cabinet-makers and painters; but in others, apothecaries, shoemakers, goldsmiths, tailors, bookbinders, Se. are all mingled together. In a very long street, nothing but eggs are sold, and the accumu lation of millions of them in every shop have a very sin gular appearance. Several canals run up from the river to the interior of the city, on which boats with merchan dise are continually passing and repassing; and when any of them cross a street, it is covered in by an arch, which is ascended on each side by a flight of twelve or fourteen steps. All burdens are carried here by porters, who in general go barefoot and bare headed. A horse is
almost never seen in this town, and the only vehicle for both sexes are palanquins, which arc only chairs similar to ours, but more elegantly and carried by poles supported on men's shoulders, The streets arc daily crowded with an immense concourse of people, which renders it difficult for a stranger to make his way through them ; and his ears are continually stunned with the cries of the porters, who, passing along at a round pace, keep bawling out Li clear the way." The houses are in general built of brick, and seldom exceed two stories, except those of some of the most wealthy merchants and mandarins, which ate spacious and lofty, and are sometimes elegantly fitted up in the English style, and surrounded with an extensive garden, adorned with ponds and parterres. The principal public build ings at Canton are joss-houses, or temples. which are scattered over all the city and suburbs. These contain the images of Chinese worship, before which are placed, at particular seasons, a great variety of sweet-meats, dressed food, and incense, which is kept perpetually burning. The palace of the Tsong-too, or viceroy, is ra ther a handsome building, but quite in the Chinese taste, and disfigured with the images of monstrous animals.* Lr the environs of the town there is a regular theatre, in a large square or market-place. The most beautiful part of Canton, however, is the quay which contains the European factories. They extend a considerable way along the banks of the river, and consist of a range of elegant buildings, with yards and warehouses, each hav ing the flag of the nation to which it belongs hoisted be fore the gate from sun-rise to sun-set. Of these, the most splendid and extensive is the British factory, which has in front an elegant virandah, supported by handsome pillars, and payed with square marble slabs. This vi randah, reaches to the water's edge, and commands an extensive view of the river in both directions, and of a beautiful country on the opposite bank. These buildings are occupied by the supercargoes of their respective companies, who transact all the business with the Chi nese merchants, disposing of the cargoes brought to mar ket, and supplying the ships with others for Europe in return. About a league &hove Canton is the Boat-town, which consists of about 40,000 barks of various sizes. -arrayed in straight rows, and forming a floating city, with regular streets. Each bark is covered and lodges a whole family, with their grandchildren, who have also a small boat, in which they fish, or go on shore to follow their respective employments. The number of persons who are expressly prohibited by the law from settling on shore, and are thus obliged to live upon the water, may amount to nearly 300,000, including the women of the town, who arc estimated at 90,000. They arc chiefly composed of the poorer sort of Chinese, or rather the descendants of the Tartars.