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one of the prettiest sights to be seen in Macoa is at sundown on the green near the forts. There all the Chinese nurses bring their young masters and mistresses some of them are handsome boys and others beautiful girls. it is pleasant to look at their sports to listen to their clear ringing laugh to hear their joyous shout, one is forcibly reminded by them at once of home and of school boy days. the difference between Chinese boys and European boys can be seen in Macoa. You will see the white youngster jumping laughing shouting flying his kite spinning his top &c You will see the Chinese boy with folded arms and grave countenances plodding about as if in deep thought without a smile noisey [sic] laugh or joyous shout an English or American boy would probably think they all had just received a sound thrashing, after laying in Macoa about 10 days we received a pilot and proceeded up nearer to Canton, on our way we had to pass the Boca Tigris or the Bogue. this is the Enterance [sic] to Canton River. The River is about 2 Miles wide at its mouth but there are two islands in the mouth that narrow it so that every part of it can be reached by a shot from forts built on these island. There are many large and well built forts at the bogue (at least well built for Chinese forts, tis said that there are about 2000 guns mounted around the Bogue but even with this immense force they were unable to stand a small English force which took the whole of these forts. If they had known how to use their guns to advantage they might have sank the whole English squadron. Boca Tigris is a wild looking place it is almost surround [sic] on three sides by tall granite hills so bare and black that they almost look like lava however some of them are beautifully green and the contrast is such that it makes the scenery much more pleasing, The Walls of the forts are painted white which give them a very pretty appearance. Chinese like they have reversed the order of their [?Embrasures?] from those of the European. having the small part out. Hence it is with much difficulty that they can train their guns. it is even impossible as can be seen from the following representation, their carriages

[drawings of mounted guns one in European style, one in Chinese style]