years, without however exciting the ill-feeling that might have been expected. The total of patients treated in the Dispensary was 10,787, and in the Hospital 265. These were from all classes in society, some of them being ladies of rank. A Medical School was opened in March of this year, with sixteen scholars, by competitive examination. English is being taught them as fast as possible, and it is hoped soon that scientific studies may be taught. These students are supported by the Government. The school as well we suppose as the Hospital, is under the direction of the President of the Foreign Office and the Faculty. It is hoped that before very long a properly equipped foreign building will be provided. FOLK-LORE SOCIETY. We have received from Mr. J. H Stewart Lockhart of Hongkong, Local Secretary of the Folk-Lore Society, a Circular, to which we take pleasure in drawing the attention of the readers of The Recorder. Mr. Lockhart remarks that what little has hitherto been written on this subject in China has been generally of a local character, but that, "what is now proposed is to endeavor to obtain as far as possible collections of the lore peculiar to the different parts of China, and its dependencies." To secure uniformity, a schedule has been prepared in English and Chinese, arranging the subjects under four divisions, subdivided into minor groups-borrowed from the publications of the Foke-Lore Society. It is hoped that not only Foreigners but Chinese themselves will "Co-operate in the furtherance of a scheme which cannot fail to throw light on the inner life and thoughts of the Chinese, and to form a valuable addition to the Science of FolkLore. Contributions of all kinds will be most welcome and fully acknowledged, and if contributors wish, can be published in the columns of the China Review or the Folk-Lore Journal, in which case each contributor will be furnished with copies of his contributions in print." Contributions from natives will be translated by Mr. Lockhart if desired, and all communications should be addressed to him as Local Secretary of the Foke-Lore Society, Hongkong. Rev. Thos. W. Pearce writes us in furtherance of Mr. Lockhart's endeavor, saying: "In my experience as a missionary I have found that folk-tales, place-legends, and traditions, proverbs, and festal and ceremonial customs, furnish not only the best starting points for preaching Christianity to heathen audiences, but also much valuable matter for illustrating Christian doctrine. It may be presumed that most Christian preachers in China have had a similar experience. Few foreigners have such exceptional advantages as the missionaries for acquiring a knowledge of Chinese Folk-Lore, and to no other class can the study of Folk-lore be so directly useful. Copies of the Circular both in Chinese and English will be forwarded to any persons desiring information, and willing to aid in collecting Folk-lore material." CHINESE MISSIONARY WORK, CALIFORNIA. From the Foreign Missionary (Presbyterian North) for July 1886 we gather a few facts relating to mission work among the Chinese in California and Oregon. In San Francisco there are two ordained missionaries, Rev. A. W. Loomis D.D. and Rev. A. J. Kerr, with their wives, also Misses Culbertson, Cable, and Baskin. Rev. I. M. Condit aud wife are in Los Angeles; Rev. W. S. Holt and wife are in Portland, Oregon. In spite of many obstacles, wickedly thrown in their way, an unusual measure of success has been granted these laborers, and 58 communicants have during the year been added to the churches under their care, making a total 279. Miss Culbertson has charge of the Home and Boarding School of 32 girls in San Francisco. While the public press is filled with reports of "outrages on the Chinese," it is a relief to see what the Christian Chinese are doing for themselves and even for others. The little church at San Francisco gave for Home Misions last year $91.00; for Foreign Missions $158.00; for the sick and for burials among themselves $131.00. The Chinese of Los Anegles gave $36.00 to a native helper in China to open a mission school. The man was converted in Los Angeles under Mr. Condit and now is laboring in China, aided by his brethren still in America. NOTES ON CHINESE MUSIC. "Chinese Music " by J. A. Van Aalst, 84 p. illustrated, C. I. M. Customs' Report, Special Series No. 6, Shanghai. Review of above. See Chinese Recorder Nov. Dec., 1884. "The Chinese Theory of Music." Rev. E. Faber, Chin. Rev. I p. 324-9, 384-8; II, p. 47-50. "Notions of the Ancient Chinese respecting Music." B. Jenkins. Jl. of N. C. Br. R. Asiat. Soc. V, p. 30, 1869. "On the Musical Notation of the Chinese" Rev. E. W. Syle, ibid Vol. I, Pt. II. (May '59) p. 176-9, plates. "The Musical System of the Chinese," Remarks on, with an outline of Harmonic System, illustrated. G. T. Lay, 15, p. Chin. Repos. Vol. VIII. May '39, No. I. Chinese Instruments of Music, N. B. Dennys and S. W. Bushell M. D. Jl. N. C. B. R. Asiat. Soc. Vol. VIII, (173) p. XII, 187, see also Giles' Glossary of Reference, p. 229. A number of "Popular Airs," set to music with many illustrations of musical instruments with description. John Barrow's (Sec. to Earl Macartney) Travels in China, p. 313-323, '81, London, 1806. Account of Chinese Music-with notation-- Veberdie Chinesische Musik, G. W. Fink. Encyel. von Ersch and Grub 16. Theil, 1827. De la musique des chinois tant anciens que modèrnes, Pere Amiot, Mém. Cone. VI. p. 1-254. Chinese Music, Ancient and Modern, Giles' "Glossary of Reference" p. 157. Music in China, illustrated. Prof. Douglas' "China," p. 160-172, London, '82. Hakka Songs in English and Chinese. Chin. Rev. July, August, 1881. Chinese Hymn in honor of Ancestors translated by Dr. Edkins fr. Père Amiot's French treatise on Chinese Music. See " Gospel in all Lands' October, 1881. Musical Terms in Chinese, List of, by Mrs. J. B. Mateer. Doolittle's Vocabu lary and Handbook of Chinese Lang. Vol. II, p. 307. Hymns set to music, with notation in Occidental form, and hymns in Chinese, and Roman character, and table of metres, instructions etc. Rev. E. B. Inslee, Ningpo. Principles of Vocal Music and Tune Book. Mrs. Dr. Mateer, 200 p. Mission Press, Shanghai. Confucius ravished with Music. Chin. Repos. IV, p. 5. and Giles' Glossary of Reference p. 157. Hsuan Tsung, Emperor of T'ang dynasty, a music teacher, Stent's. Chinese Vocab. p. 667. Chinese Govt. Board of Music. Chin. Professors or Performers of Sacrificial See many Hymn and Tune Books in Diary of Events in the Far East. June, 1886. 28th.-The Roman Catholic Mission at Pin-lou, Southern Kiangsi, sacked and entirely destroyed. July, 1886. 1st.-The Opium Commission sits at Hongkong, Sir Robt. Hart with them. 16th.-The Corean Government hoists its flag over its first steamer, a vessel bought from Japan.-The Imperial Board of Astronomy reports the 7th of February, 1887, as auspicious for the coronation of the Emperor. 19th. The first Chinese Daily Newspaper commenced at Canton, called the Kuang Pao (Canton News), ten cash (one cent) a copy, edited by Mr. Kwong Ki Chiu. 21st. The missionary refugees from Chungking reach Ichang. 22nd. Decided in Imperial Council that Her Majesty the Mother of the Emperor, is to reign in conjunction with His Majesty until he is twenty years of age. 27th.-An Imperial decree appointing Kung Yang Chen, former Manager of the Nanking Arsenal, Taotai~ of Shanghai. 29th. The Anglo-Chinese Convention reported as signed; the Peking Government, recognizing British rule in Burmah. August, 1886. 4th.-Prince Ch'un gives a dinner to all Foreign Ministers in Peking.The s.s. Poochi, Capt. Ferlie, saves the lives of 23 Chinese seamen off Sha-wei Shan. 5th.-Fighting reported as going on between rioters and native Roman Catholic Christians in Chungking, as well as in Kiang-pei and other places, in Szechuan.-Mr. O'Conor, the British Chargé d'Affaires, leaves Peking for Washington. 11th. Fifty-three Hongkong native policemen arrested for bribe-taking from gambling houses. 14th.-Typhoon at Wenchow. 15th. The s.s. Madras wrecked on the Taichow Islands.-Fight between Chinese Men-of-war's men and Japanese policemen at Nagasaki; several killed, and many wounded. 16th.-M. H. Kobach, Imperial Postal Commissioner, addresses the Chairman of Municipal Council Shanghai, on the subject of a Chinese Imperial Postal Administration. 18th.-Flood at Tientsin and neighboring regions. IT THE ETHICS OF CHRISTIANITY AND OF CONFUCIANISM COMPARED. BY REV. D. Z. SHEFFIELD. T is the aim of the following discussion to confine attention to the ethical relations of Christianity and Confucianism. However, moral and religious convictions cannot be arbitrarily separated into two disconnected classes, each standing independent of the other. They have their common origin in the unity of the Divinely constituted human nature, and so are mutually interpenetrating. They are indeed the exercise of the same faculties in the twofold relation of man to man, and of man to God. Ethical teaching is an orderly unfolding of man's relation to his fellow man, while right religious teaching is an orderly unfolding of man's relation to God. Thus men's religious convictions lie naturally at the basis of their moral convictions, and it will be found that the breadth, and accuracy, and vigor, of religious convictions, largely determine the breadth, and accuracy, and vigor, of moral convictions. It follows, that a just estimate of the two ethical systems under consideration, cannot wholly ignore the religious beliefs in which they are imbedded. There is a special interest to the student of the world's history, that attaches to the study of ethical and religious teachings, since these teachings are the great spiritual forces, that determine the varying types of civilization, among the different nationalities of the earth. It is true that the average social life among any people, lies far below the standard of right and duty, which has been set up by Sages and social reformers, and has been responded to by the general conscience. There are tendencies in every man's heart, and in society, however we may account for them, that turn men aside from those high ideals of virtue, which they have set up for imitation. It follows, that different estimates are formed of the civilization of any nation, according as those estimates are based on the study of the high moral teachings that are found in the best literature of the nation, or on the other hand, are based on the study of the actual social life of the people. Thus it would be easy to point out the most opposite accounts of Chinese civilization in the writings of western scholars, these scholars all drawing their information from Chinese sources. Some have imagined that the ideal China, which is found pictured in the writings of the Sages, is the actual China, and have so described it; while others have described the real China, as it reveals itself to the observing student. But to form a just estimate of Confucianism, we should not place those evils to its account which have not sprung out of its teachings, but have appeared and perpetuated themselves, in opposition to the true spirit of Confucianism. Were a Chinese traveller to make the tour of England and America, pointing out the social evils which he had observed, and charging them back upon Christianity, as the outcome of its teachings, Christian men and women would be justly offended at so rash and undiscriminating a conclusion. So we should not charge against Confucianism those evils of society which have not sprung naturally from its teachings. Its excellencies or defects as an ethical system should, however, be measured, not only by what it has accomplished for men, but by what it has failed to accomplish. A vessel is wrecked in a dangerous channel, by reason of the lack of knowledge of the pilot in charge. In assuming to be able to guide the ship, he has made himself accountable for the misfortune that has resulted. So Confucianism, in assuming to be competent to pilot men through the tortuous channel of human obligation, makes itself responsible for the moral losses which it has not wisdom enough to prevent. A special interest attaches to the study of the ethical teachings that have prevailed in China, since we find here not only one of the oldest and earliest developed civilizations, but also a civilization that stands in comparative isolation from the world. There is no evidence that the ethical ideas of the Chinese have been borrowed from external sources. Their Sages acknowledge no such indebtedness, but teach that their doctrines are derived from the light of nature. The solidarity and antiquity of the central truths in Confucian ethical teaching forbid the supposition that the Chinese have been learners from the outside world. The Christian scholar is therefore delighted to find in Confucianism, an independent corroboration of many of the ethical teachings set forth in the |