Proclamation against Gambling. 117 of the long external hair which gives them so handsome an appearance, but also, during the winter season, of a very thick under-coat of fine soft wool, which could only be seen by separating the hair of the outer fur. This under-garment they shed as the spring advances; and our people used to collect a considerable quantity of it, to preserve as a curiosity. Some soft warm gloves were also made of it, on our return to England, very much resembling, and not inferior in quality to those manufactured from the wool of the Shetland sheep. This provision, however, was not wholly confined to the Esquimaux dogs, which are accustomed to brave all the rigour of a polar winter, but was also conspicuous in an English dog which accompanied us to Melville Island in 1819, and whose natural coat being quite smooth and sleek, with very short hair, exposed him severely to the cold. On examining this dog, in the course of the winter, it was accidentally observed by some of the officers, that he had actually acquired a beautiful soft under-coat, more resembling a sort of down than the usual fur of animals of this species, and undoubtedly affordingwhat it was evidently intended to afford-a comfortable protection against the cold.". V. A PROCLAMATION AGAINST GAMBLING. THE following proclamation shews how gambling is considered in China. It is well worth the consideration of governments which consider themselves more enlightened: and it deserves the attention of every individual from the highest to the lowest ranks of society. A PROCLAMATION AGAINST GAMBLING. By the Resident of Hway Chaou and Hea, in the Province of Canton. This is published for the purpose of prohibiting gambling, in order to destroy the source of theft and robbery, and to promote the peace of the district. To study the rites, and become versed in poetry, constitute the most important business of the learned. To pull the cart, buy and sell, form the livelihood of the people. If they always possess sufficient supplies; their minds will be settled and satisfied. If they enjoy the fruits of their own labour, where is there any cause to tempt them to steal, or form crafty schemes? Why should you, people, make gambling your chief employment, saying, "Come let us try our hand at a little gain, it is not enough to win once?" Thus you go on neglecting your proper employments. Dreaming of riches and grandeur, you make preparations for an immense fortune, not reflecting that, from such joy, sorrow will spring. To-day you gain, and to-morrow lose. You are rich now, and on a sudden you become poor. The gamester, by degrees, carries off the whole of your money, till at last you are driven to carry off secretly and pawn the clothes of your own children, to borrow of your friends, till your clothes become so tattered, that if you meet a person of good character you feel ashamed and avoid him. By degrees you lose the whole of your property, and have no longer any means of procuring money. At last you break into people's houses at night, till, by degrees, every good principle is destroyed, and your character is lost. On all sides you entice the children of virtuous families to gamble till you completely fleece them. Hence it is, that, if gambling houses are not abolished, and gaming put a stop to, robbery cannot be Tomb-stone and Epitaph. 119 removed, nor can the happiness of the district be secured. In this case how can the Magistrate be said to have fulfilled his duty? I have made strict inquiry on this subject, and now issue this Proclamation for the information of you all, that, from this time, every one of you ought to repent of your former errors and former vices. Do not say that gambling is a thing of no consequence, but bend your whole attention to the proper business of life. If any do not reform, but continue in their old course, when caught and convicted they will not, on any account, be pardoned. Let all give serious attention to this. Do not oppose.Chinese Chronicle, July 17. A TOMB-STONE, AND AN EPITAPH. "THE tomb is of that soft clear alabaster, which is common in old churches; two figures, a male and a female, are painted to imitate the life; they are kneeling one on each side of a low square pillar covered with a pall of green, fringed with gold. They are dressed, she in a ruff and black fardingale, with her dark hair parted off her forehead under the modest cap and coif of the time; he in flowing robes, and trencher cap, and ruff, and peaked beard. A Bible lies open before them, with these words, graven upon "Tribulation worketh patience, and patience experience, and experience hope." it. EPITAPH. Here sleep, in hope, the bodies of Cyril Egerton, and his wife Patience. (They died on the same day.) Live to the Lord, and let him be your feare; Give him that burden which you cannot bear; And, if awhile your wearie lot be cast Through the darke desart which your Saviour past, Look for his footsteps; there his spirit seek; From "A Fire-side Book." PENNY CLUBS. It has often been said that "it is impossible to help those who will not help themselves."-It is indeed the truth that there are some people whom it seems quite hopeless to attempt to assist. You may perhaps get them out of a present difficulty; but the same improvident habits that brought them to their present distress will still continue;-and they will be in distress again. The poor laws in England, very mercifully appoint an allowance to the aged and sickly and infirm, that they may be kept from starving. If this allowance were greater, it would offer a strong temptation for a man to be idle rather than to work; and the certainty which every man would feel that he should have a good provision in his old age, would go far towards preventing a man from attempting to lay by, out of his present earnings, a supply against a time of need. And if a man once gets into such idle and thoughtless habits as are thus brought on, he soon becomes poor and miserable, and good for nothing. Even now, some families can get more by being on the parish, and doing nothing, than they can by working; and this is a direct encouragement to idleness, and the way in the end to ruin those who are thus supported: many a man is completely spoiled by it. Thus these laws, which were intended to do good to the poor are often found to do them a great deal of injury; and this is because these laws are abused; they are turned from the purpose which they were made for; and, instead of preventing poverty, they often are the very cause of it; for we cannot too often repeat, that, when once a person grows careless he is sure to be poor, and no parish allowance, nor any charitable gift whatever, can prevent this certain consequence. It is said to be a fact, that, in those parishes where there are the most gifts, the people are commonly the poorest; and this is easily accounted for; because the people trust to the gifts, instead of trusting to their industry. Of the societies established for assisting the poor, those are the best, which require the poor to contribute a portion themselves; because this teaches them to be thoughtful, and shews them how, by little and little, they may get together such a sum as will at a future time be of very important service to them. The penny-clubs are excellent, where the people put in a penny, or some such trifle every week; and the whole amount is afterwards laid out for their benefit. They generally indeed get more than they put in; for the rich subscribers give their money, and take nothing out, so that their share is added to the rest, and a good fund is thus raised for the poor. The following articles are cut out of a London paper. "On St. Thomas's Day the ladies of Newark distributed their penny-charity clothing-viz. 615 yards of cloth, 388 yards of flannel, 109 yards of stuff, 50 blankets, and 31 pair of men's stockings: 148 persons were relieved with two articles each, 50 with blankets, 25 with sheets, and 16 with single articles -total 239."-Morning Herald. "The labouring people in the parish of Withamon-the-Hill, including Manthorp, Toft, and Lound, lately received 82 blankets, 252 yards of shirting, 486 yards of calico, and 109 yards of flannel-in great measure the produce of their own industry, from the small saving and accumulation of twopence a week from some, and of threepence a week from others."- The same. The same sort of economy, upon a larger scale, NO. 3.-VOL. VIII. G |