In the time of the western or Han dynasty, two hundred years previously to the Christian era, persons came from Canton, Loo-whang-che and other nations in the south. The nearest nation was about ten days’ _journey_ and the most remote, five months’; their territories were large and populous and they possessed rare commodities. In the year one hundred and seventy-six of Christ, vessels from India and Egypt, or Arabia, “came with tribute;” from this time trade was carried on with foreigners, at Canton. In the year seven hundred, an imperial commissioner was first appointed to receive “fixed duties;” ninety-five years subsequently, all foreign vessels (owing to gross extortion) resorted to Cochin-China. After the fall of the Tang dynasty, A. D. 906, five dynasties arose, reigned and fell, within a period of fifty-three years. A tribute in gold, silver, ivory and other valuable commodities, was sent to the successor of Tang, to the amount of five millions of taels. In consequence of this acknowledgment, the emperor created Lewyen, “King of Canton” or “King of the Southern sea.” At this period, the court of Canton was cruel in the extreme--criminals were flayed, boiled and roasted, thrown on spikes, and forced to fight with tigers and elephants. The city was freed from the monster, (Lewyen,) by the founder of the Shang dynasty, in the year of the Christian era, nine hundred and sixty-four; it subsequently became more prosperous and beautiful; witches and wizards were prohibited; sorcery was interdicted; the temples which had been built for the practice of superstitious rites, were thrown down; the people were forbidden to offer the sacrifice of human life, to demons; they were enjoined to relieve the sufferers from noxious diseases which are prevalent; dispensaries of medicine were established; useless and extravagant articles of apparel were discountenanced, and pearls and ornaments for head-dresses were disallowed. In the year one thousand and sixty seven, a wall, about two English miles in circumference, enclosed the city to protect it against the Cochin-Chinese. In the year twelve hundred, “_foreigners resident_” received metals, silks, &c., and in return, they gave rhinoceros’s horns, elephant’s teeth, coral, pearls, gems, crystals, foreign cloth, pepper, red-wood, and drugs. In the year fourteen hundred, one hundred and twenty houses were built for the accommodation of foreigners.--In sixteen hundred and forty seven, the present Tartar family came into power; Canton was summoned to submit to its new master; on refusing, its walls were beaten down with great cannon, and on the twenty-fourth of November, sixteen hundred and fifty, it was taken:--for six days the inhabitants “were given to the sword,” the city was plundered--and upward of seven hundred thousand persons were slain, during the siege, and six days’ slaughter: “every house was left desolate!” only one house remains standing which was built before the sacking of the old city.