At a given hour three guns are fired; and the foo-yuen at the same time comes forth from his palace, accompanying the official paper; it is forthwith pasted up, and again a salute of three guns is fired; his excellency then advances, and bows three times towards the names of the “promoted men,” (hin-jir), and finally retires under another salute of three guns. Ten thousand minds are now relieved from their long suspense. Swift messengers are despatched by those who have won the prize, to announce to their friends the happy result of the long trial which they have undergone; while the _many_ return with disappointment to their homes, the successful _few_ are loaded with encomiums and congratulations, and their names with their essays sent up to the emperor. To crown the whole, a banquet is prepared for these newly-promoted men, of which the examiners and all the civil officers of rank in the province partake. Gold and silver cups for the occasion must be provided by the provincial treasurer. The chief examiner, from Peking, presides; the foo-yuen, at whose palace the banquet is given, and who is present as visiter, is seated on the right, and the assistant-examiner on his left. The governor of the province is also present, a train of inferior officers wait as servants, and two lads, dressed like _naiads_, holding in their hands branches of olive, grace the scene with a song from their ancient classics. There are three other examinations in Canton, which occur twice in three years, and are attended by great numbers of aspirants. At the first, which is attended by the students of Nan-hae and Pwanyu, the che-heens preside; at the second, which is attended by candidates from all the districts of Kwang-chow-foo, the che-foo presides; but the third is conducted by the literary chancellor of the province, whose prerogative it is to confer the degree of sew-tsae upon a limited number of the most distinguished competitors. [Sidenote: LITERARY INSTITUTIONS.]