personally, in consequence of my immediate
recal, on pressing business, to town.

Half an hour later I was speeding back to
London by the express train.

THE COOLIE TRADE IN CHINA.

THOUGH most people are cognisant of what is
commonly termed the Coolie Trade, few are
probably aware what a very close imitation it
is to the slave trade, that we make such vigorous
efforts to suppress on the coasts of Africa.
There is but this difference between the Chinese
Coolie and the African negro: the former is
inveigled into voluntary emigration by
assurances of brilliant prospects and a fortune
easily to be obtained, while the latter is usually
a prisoner of war taken in a brush between two
hostile tribes, and shipped off against his will
in exchange for a bead necklace, a red cotton
handkerchief, or something of the sort. There
is not, however, much difference in their diet or
treatment when once on board, both being kept
barred down between decks, and only allowed
to come up in small detachments for a short
time during the day, existing alike on rice and
water. Among English vessels, however,
engaged in this traffic of Celestials, the abuses are
very considerably lessened, if not wholly done
away with; every ship being inspected before
sailing by the British consul of the place, when
each " emigrant" passes before that functionary;
any who have been brought on board against
their will of course make their complaint;
when their release is immediately ordered, with
what other proceedings the law may justify.
Where there is no consul, the evil cannot of
course be remedied: as indeed is too often the
case.

The official inspection over, the ship is got
under weigh for Havannah, or some such other
place to which she may be bound, when, on her
arrival there, the " emigrants" are sent ashore
to the planters, finding themselves, to all intents
and purposes, slaves; looking upon their native
land as a thing of the past, never again to be
visited by them.

Cases are not unfrequent, among foreign
vessels, of whole cargoes being kidnapped, being
induced to go on board under various pretexts,
when they immediately find themselves bundled
below, and put into irons. While cruising along
the coast, a short time ago, one of H.M. ships
ran into a place called Swatow to see that all
was right with the English residents, when she
found a fine full-rigged French ship, called the
'"Anaïs," lying there collecting her quantum
of Coolies in the following manner.

The captain used to go ashore and sit about
among the natives, entering into conversation
with them in the most friendly way, with all the
volubility of a Frenchman, giving three or four
of them a dollar each in the fulness of his heart
before returning to his ship, saying, with his
"chin-chin," that he had a large stock of
Chinese clothing on board, for which he had no use
and that if they liked to come for them, they
should have some. This they of course did,
when, it is needless to say, not only was their
newly acquired dollar taken from them, but also
their liberty, and they were immediately
confined below. This stratagem, with some others,
proving successful, a full cargo was at length
obtained, when the "Anaïs" got under weigh
for her destination, and the unfortunate
captives, getting terrified as their fate stared them
in the face, and rendered desperate as their
position forced itself upon them more apparently,
rose in a body, running the ship ashore, and
murdering every European on board. This is,
however, but one case out of many; in fact, so much
is a mutiny often anticipated, that sentries are
posted about night and day, and arm-chests kept
in the tops, so that, should a rise take place, the
seamen could ascend the rigging and fire down
on the mutineers. The crew of a large English
ship running into Singapore saved themselves in
this manner but a short time since. Such an
occurrence is, however, comparatively rare on board
English ships, on account of their being so
narrowly inspected before sailing, and all disaffected
characters cleared out. In fact, while lying at
Amoy, a large ship belonging to a well known
London firm was detained many days at that
place, the British consul going on board several
times, parading the Chinamen before him, and
asking each individually whether he were a
volunteer or a pressed man. Were this carried
out by the representatives of foreign powers
also, much of the misery now connected with
the Coolie trade would be done away with.

OUR EYE-WITNESS AT SCHOOL.

"How well you're looking."

"Yes, I've just come back from the country."

This little passage of dialogue is not of
surpassing novelty. It is not calculated to startle
the reader by its audacious originality, nor to
impress him by its profundity of meaning; and
yet, intensely and banefully common-place as the
words are, they have, in connexion with the
subject in hand, an important significance.

When Mr. White and Mr. Brown meet in
Victoria-street, and inaugurate a long dialogue
with the remarks quoted above, they are
unconsciously disposing, in some half dozen words
apiece, of a subject about which meetings
have been called, long speeches made, and
prolix discussions entered upon. They are
settling a question upon which right
reverend prelates, cabinet ministers, gentlemen
of great legal experience, gentlemen of great
parliamentary experience, gentlemen of no
experience, gentlemen who are great politicians,
gentlemen who are authorities on all sorts
of subjects, and gentlemen who are not
authorities upon any, have said their say, have
confused themselves and one another, have
mystified the public, and made the truth perhaps
not quite tor the first time after so much
exlanation and illustration a very hard thing
indeed to come at.

When Mr. White remarked to Mr. Brown