One young lady had in one school a class of eight and in another a class of ten scholars. In the last autumn these eighteen all became hopefully pious. Recently she said with tears of joy, 'last Sabbath my last scholar made a public profession of her love to the Lord Jesus.'

Camberwell.-A new room 45 feet by 15 feet, erected for the schools of the Rev. G. Rogers' congregation, in Albany road, was opened on Thursday, July 20. A numerous tea party was held, and various addresses were given, and a liberal collection made.

Jersey. A new school room connected with the English Independent Chapel in this place, was opened on Tuesday, August 1, by a soiree. An elegant timepiece was presented to the Rev. W. J. Unwin, the Minister, as an expression of the people's gratitude for his efforts in raising the funds. The room is 38 feet square and will accomodate 300 persons, and has adjoining it a residence for the Chapel-keeper and a vestry for the Minister.

Leicester.-DISMISSION.-On Lord's day evening, July 8th, seventeen scholars were publicly dismissed from the Baptist Sabbath school, in Friar lane. The minister (Rev. S. Wigg,) preached on the occasion from the words, 'Is the young man Absalom safe.' After the sermon he presented each with a handsome copy of the Scriptures, accompanied with some very pertinent observations. The scene was one of much interest, and it was greatly enhanced by the fact that ten out of the number are members of the church. May the remaining seven speedily follow their example.-W.

Luton. We are glad to hear that the Sunday school at the Independent chapel of this place, has contributed twenty-two pounds to the Missionary Society this year.

Macclesfield. We have received the forty-sixth Report of the large general Sunday school in this town. It contains an able vindication of the Sunday school system, and a solemn protest against legislative interference, such as the one lately threatened. It also pays a just tribute of respect to its lamented patron, the late Duke of Sussex. The numbers in the school are 1752, and we are happy to learn that the mighty engine is working very harmoniously and very efficiently. The collection this year amounted to £70. after a sermon by the Rev. R. Fletcher, of Manchester.

Pendleton, Manchester.-The superintendents and teachers connected with St. Thomas' Sunday schools, have just presented an elegantly bound copy of Bagster's Polyglott Bible, to the Rev. A. Lane, A.M., and another to his kind lady, as remembrances of the very high esteem they entertain for them, especially for their zeal and love in the Sunday schools.

Stainland.-On Wednesday, July 26th, the body of Elizabeth Sutcliffe was carried to the church for interment. The Rev. J. H. Gooch the Incumbent, closed the doors against the procession because she had not attended the church Sunday school, giving the preference to the Wesleyan school. She was borne to the tomb by about twenty of the female teachers, and all were drowned in grief at the insult thus offered to their departed friend. It was ultimately agreed after much altercation, that as she had been baptized in that building, though before it was consecrated, and as she had borne a christian character the body should be admitted within the church. The deceased was thirteen years of age and gave pleasing evidence of a change of heart.

BY THE REV. R. G. MILNE, A. M.

SHOPS.

Few nations surpass the Chinese in the ardour with which they pursue their commercial transactions, or in the ingenuity they display in setting off their saleable commodities to the greatest advantage. This forcibly strikes the mind of every foreigner in traversing the principal streets of their towns and cities. Du Halde, Ides, and Dionysius Kao, in their day remarked respecting Pekin, the imperial city, 'the principal streets are spacious, and three or four miles long. The shops of merchants for neatness and riches excel most in Europe. The name of the tradesman and the articles in which he deals are placed over the shop door, the entrance to which, besides being decorated with streamers, is embellished with gildings, sculptures, paintings, and japannings, in a manner which charms and attracts the eye.'

L

But we will chiefly confine our observations to the city of Canton, with the commerce, manufactures and traders of which Europeans have had greater opportunities of acquainting themselves,-believing that the mercantile energy, and enterprize of its citizen, may be more or less considered as a specimen of the spirit prevalent throughout the empire.

As in Pekin, the principal streets are occupied by merchants and mechanics, whose shops are so constructed as to open in front, and expose their contents to the observation of the traveller. By the side of each shop is suspended a large board or label of wood, varnished or gilded, on which are inscribed the particular calling of the tenant, and the articles in which he is a dealer. This label being hung like the sign of one of our inns, with the edge towards the street, and inscribed on both sides, can be read by all who approach the shop in either direction, and the vista of these variegated sign-boards, glittering with gold and varnish, gives to the better streets a very gay appearThe inscriptions in the shops are sometimes amusing, at the same time, highly characteristic of the keenness and industry of the people as traders. We have seen the following:-'Gossiping and long sitting injure business;'-'Former customers have inspired caution ;-No credit given;'-'A small stream always flowing;'-Goods genuine; prices true;'-Trade circling like a wheel, &c.'

ance.

Every distinct line of business occupies a particular street or neighbourhood. There is Carpenter-street; Curiositystreet, (as the English call it) because it is devoted to the sale of antiques, real or fictitious, and Apothecary-street, which is full of druggists' shops, the drawers in which are neatly arranged and lettered, but filled principally with simples. The different classes of mechanics bind themselves to certain conventional arrangements; they combine into a system of watch and ward for the common protection, and each party has a public hall of meeting for consultation, feasting, and dramatic amusements.

Of the number of individuals, who find employ in the various branches of trade within the city of Canton, different estimates have been formed, but, in a little work now before us, entitled 'A Description of the City of Canton,' which issued from the Canton press in 1839, we read There are annually about 7000 persons, men, women and children engaged in weaving silk. The number of hands employed in manufacturing cloth is about 50,000. When

there is a pressing demand for work, the labourers are considerably increased. They occupy about 2,500 shops, averaging usually twenty in each shop. We have heard it said, that some of the Chinese females, who devote their time to embroidering the choicest of their fabrics, secure a profit of twenty and sometimes even twenty-five dollars per month.' The shoemakers are also numerous, and they support an extensive trade; the number of workmen is about 4,200. Those likewise, who work in wood, brass, iron, and stone, and various other materials are numerous, and those who engage in each of these respective occupations, form to a certain degree a separate community, and have each their own laws and rules for the regulation of their own business. The book trade of Canton is important, but we have not been able to collect particulars concerning its extent. The barbers of Canton form a separate department, and no one is allowed to discharge the duties of tonsor until he has obtained a license. According to their records, the fraternity in Canton at the present time consists of 7,300 members. There is another body which we must not pass over in silence, but which we know not how to designate or describe; we refer to the medical community that these men command high respect and esteem whenever they shew themselves skillful in their profession, there can be no doubt. It is generally admitted also, that individuals do now and then, by long experience and observation become able practitioners, but as a body, they are anything rather than masters of the healing art.' These amount perhaps to not less than 2000.'

THE ORIGIN OF ALPHABETICAL WRITING.

A Lecture to Sunday School Teachers, by the Rev. T. Timpson, Author of Companion to the Bible,'' Key to the Bible,' Ecclesiastical History,' &c.

. Letters are universally acknowledged to be of the utmost civil and social importance to mankind. Without letters, no people ever attained a high degree of civilization. No nation of civilized Europe could possibly have risen to its present elevated condition without letters: and could they be entirely banished from any one of its favoured countries, the people of that community would soon sink into degradation, and return to their ancient wretched barbarism. This is clearly manifest from the instructive fact of every nation, not excepting those of Europe, being more or less civilized, as they possess the inestimably precious advantages of letters and education.

Letters, if not the foundation of all science, are the principal means of its preservation, and extension, of its practical utility and its prosperity in every branch. Letters are the great means of all education,—even of Sunday school labours-they are the first elements and instruments of all educational institutions: they are the means of our unspeakably precious training for eternal life and salvation, by the glorious gospel of Jesus Christ. How truly important, therefore, and interesting to Sunday school teachers must be an intelligent inquiry concerning the Origin of Letters-and the ORIGIN OF ALPHABETICAL WRITING!

Every human being seems instinctively desirous of communicating his ideas to others; and the two most useful methods possessed by us of gratifying this propensity are speech and writing. Speech is one of the greatest advantwhich human beings possess. ages By this admirable faculty we are capable of social intercourse, of enjoying the endearments of friendship, and of receiving the communications of wisdom. Without language we should have been solitary in the midst of crowds; excluded from every kind of knowledge but what fell under our immediate notice; and should have been confined to dull and tedious efforts of intimating our desires by signs and gestures; in short, without speech we should scarcely have been rational beings.

Probably it may be thought particularly desirable that a few remarks should here be made on the Origin of Speech, or language; especially as some writers of eminence have held this to have been a mere human invention. Diodorus Siculus, Lucretius, Horace, and many other of the Greek and Roman writers, are of this opinion. This notion, we may remark, sprung from the atomic cosmogony framed by Mochus the Phenician, and afterwards improved by Democritus and Epicurus: and though it is part of an atheistical system, in which the first men are represented as having grown out of the earth, like trees and other vegetables, it has been adopted by several modern writers of distinguished rank in the republic of letters, particularly Father Simon, Voltaire, the Abbé Condillac, Dr. Adam Smith, and the late Lord Monboddo.

Drs. Warburton, Delaney, Johnson, Beattie, Blair, and others of the highest name, however, think that language was originally the gift of God to man, at his creation; and they consider the contrary opinion as suspended on a series of loose and groundless suppositions. They being intelligent