426 PRICES OF GOODS AT KIACHTA. Regulation Fixing the Prices of Russian Goods at Kiachta,— The nature of the regulation will be better shewn by an example of the transactions by barter. Against the second sort of Mezeritsky cloth the Russians receive 9 chests of flower tea, at 120 rs. per chest, and 3 chests of family tea, at 60 rs. per chest, B. rs. Being the fixed proportions and prices named, 1,080 rs. 180 1,260 COST OF GOODS AT KIACHTA. For which the Russians pay 1080 rs. is equal, at the regulation price of 125 rs. per piece, to and 180 at 100 rs. per piece, to 1260 rs. 83 pieces. nearly 10 pieces cloth. 427 Pursuing the illustration, we will shew the result of such a transaction in 1843. The 10 pieces of cloth cost at Moscow in 1842, Interest for 15 months, 15 per cent. 1,522,50 rs. 228,37 250,00 Cost at Kiachta of 10 pieces cloth, 2,000,87 But the value of tea in Russia in 1843 was, 9 chests flower tea, at 555 rs. per chest, at 12 month's credit. 4,995 1,365 6,360 3 chests family tea,at 445 rs. per chest Deduct 12 month's interest, 763,20 rs. Leaving a profit of 1,330,03 rs. Woollen cloths costing 2,000 rs. are exchanged for teas estimated at 1,260 rs. or at a loss of 37 per cent.; but the tea taken in exchange, the nominal cost of which is 1,260 rs., realises a profit of 2,070 rs., being 103 per cent. on the cost, (2,000 rs.) a profit of 66 per cent. The prices of tea at Nijori Novogorod in 1843, on 12 month's credit, were, Flower tea, 1st per chest, 705 rs. Weight in Russian lbs. 55 58 & 60 555 Mr. MacGregor, in his Report on Russia, alluding to the Russian College at Pekin, says: "In this respect, and in the intercourse which Russia has by Kiachta, and now by other points with China, the former has great political and intelligent advantages over the English. Add to which, a great moral superiority with the Chinese government over the English, from the circumstance of Russia never having, as far as we can learn, unless to a small extent lately, been engaged in the degrading trade in opium, and from Chinese blood not having been shed by the Russians." 428 CAUSE OF CHINA BEING MAINTAINED. The whole subject of Russian communications with China, political and commercial, is of great interest, and deserves serious consideration, in reference to the future. The establishment of a Russian college at Peking entitles England to have a similar establishment there. An English ambassador ought also to be stationed at Peking. CHAPTER X. RISE AND PROGRESS OF CHRISTIANITY IN CHINA; ESTABLISHMENT OF THE JEWS; STRUGGLES BETWEEN JESUITISM AND ROMANISM; PERSECUTIONS AND TOLERATIONS OF CHRISTIANS, AND IMPERIAL EDICTS IN FAVOUR OF CHRISTIANITY. DIVINE revelation teaches and proves, that there is no other mode by which a nation can be perpetuated and maintained in even its mere outward characteristics, but by its possession and practice of a pure faith and belief in the one true and living God, and that as it departs from this truth, such will be its temporal as well as spiritual state. In a report, therefore, on the general condition and prospects of China, it is impossible for any one but a confirmed materialist to abstain, when examining the history and position of such a singular country, from investigating also the religious principles on which all durable things rest, and in so doing, to endeavour to trace, however faintly, the cause of this extraordinary empire being held intact for so many centuries, when surrounding nations have sunk into the grossest idolatry, become desolate, or have yielded to the rule of some grasping powerful kingdom. Moreover, if it be believed that Christianity can alone purify and preserve a nation, it is necessary to inquire what efforts have been made by Christianized Europe for the welfare of one-third of mankind, and what causes have contributed to prevent the extension of a blessed doctrine productive of happiness here and hereafter, and which is as essentially a portion of the Divine gift of the Creator to the created, as is the physical world on which we exist, and as is "the breath of life by which man became a living soul." The existence of the Chinese as a distinct and independent nation for more than two thousand years, is a proof that its preservation is owing to some extraordinary circumstance irrespective of material agencies; and the reasoning mind must admit that its stereotyped condition is owing either to some special Provi CHINA LONG ACKNOWLEDGED THE TRUE GOD. 429 dence, or to the possession of a vital, spiritual truth, sufficient, at least, to overcome the tendency to dissolution, which the history of ages shews is the inevitable fate of all idolatrous societies. The points which I propose to explain, and, if possible, prove, in this chapter are, 1st. The great antiquity of the Chinese as a people and a kingdom. 2d. Their early knowledge of the only true and living God, as illustrated by Confucius, and by the absence of idolatry. 3d. Their early intercourse with the Jews, and the existence of various settlements of Jews in China prior and subsequent to the Christian era. 4th. The introduction of Christianity into China by St. Thomas, its promulgation and establishment by the Nestorians for several centuries. 5th. The rise, progress, and decline of Jesuitism in China, and the cause of the downfal of Romanism in China. 6th. The existing state of Christianity in China, its toleration by the emperor, and also the means by which it may be benefi cially extended; for I believe it to be as much (I should rather say paramountly) the duty of England, both by its government and people, to extend the light of the gospel to distant lands, as it is to push its trade into those countries. Commerce is, indeed, sure to follow in the track of peaceful and humanizing Christianity. I have stated (vol i. p. 193) that Fohi, the earliest recorded ruler of China, is said to have been Noah, or supposed to be his contemporary. But whether this be correct or not, the great antiquity of the Chinese people is a fact beyond a doubt. The chronological chart, given in vol. i. p. 200, derived from authentic translations of their annals, shews a record such as no existing nation possesses. It bears internal evidence of truth, from the absence of the improbable, and the faithful narration of vice and virtue, without any attempt at palliation or exaggeration. Indeed, there could have been but one motive in exhibiting such an array of crime, namely, that its history might serve as a warning to posterity. Their tribunal of history is as well protected against falsification as human efforts could devise. All occurrences, even the most trifling, are recorded during the reign of each emperor, and deposited, without any classification, until the succeeding reign, when, if favourable, they are digested and published; if otherwise, they are again placed in the archives until the succeeding reign. There is great sagacity in this mode, for it protects the chroniclers from falsification. The supreme tribunal at Peking is composed of the chief ministers, who sit daily in the Imperial Palace. Every day there is posted on a board, adjoining the tribunal, extracts of all cases decided on the previous day, which are then copied by officers, whose 430 VERACITY OF THE ANCIENT CHINESE ANNALS. duty it is to prepare the King-paou, "Messenger of the Capital," known to Europeans as the Peking Gazette. All public events and announcements are also printed in this gazette; there is no attempt at concealment, and it is probably the most faithful transcript of the acts of a nation ever published. The approximation to the Hebrews in their various laws and customs, as previously noted, vol. i. p. 239, is also remarkable in this, that, after the manner of the Jews, they are the only nation who possess a chronological history.* A very general opinion prevailed at one time that the Armenians had a record of events to the period of Haie, who was said to be a grandson of Japheth; but it was discovered that their historian, Moses Chorenensis, lived in the fifth century of the Christian era, and for the prior epochs he must have relied on tradition.* Confucius acted very differently, for he refused to record that of which he possessed no evidence. If this history of Confucius be admitted, the truth of the Chinese annals is established, not only to his own era (B.c. 550) but to a much earlier date: his candid avowal, "for want of evidence," he could give no account of different events and periods, stamps him as a trustworthy historian. Corroborative evidence of the authenticity of the Chinese annals, to B.C. 709, will be found in vol. i. p. 201, which correspond with the calculations of Europeans. An objection may be urged against this proof, that the Chinese astronomers probably obtained the aid of the Jesuits to make their dates correspond. But even granting this as to dates, how did it happen that the events were recorded? Moreover, one of those sixteen eclipses is narrated, with the exact year, month, and day, in an ode in a four syllable verse of the Shoo-king, the classical book of Confucius, on which no doubt has been cast. Their annals are in a great measure comparatively free from the exaggerated statements found in other Asiatic histories. From the seventh or eight century B.C., to which I think full credence may be given, there is no account of their emperors living beyond the ordinary limit allowed to mankind; no Goliaths nor pigmies: no celestial phenomenon except such are to be found in the chronicles of every country. The question is whether their annals for two thousand five hundred years are worthy of credence, or whether they are (as they have been termed) a "gross imposition." It is recorded that in the year 219 B.c. the Emperor of the Tsin dynasty sent an expedition to the "Isles of the Immortals," to procure an herb which would confer immortality; a superstition so gross as this could not be recorded from motives of vanity. *There was a history published of Armenia A.D. 1785 by Chamich, but he quotes no historian of his nation of an earlier date than A.D. 386. |