HOWQUAY'S GARDEN, NEAR CANTON.

Colonist, Volume II, Issue 184, 26 July 1859, Page 4

HOWQUAY'S GARDEN, NEAR CANTON.

(From Mr. Albert Smith's China. ) Tins is one of the most effective scenes in Mr, Smith's new entertainment descriotive of the impressions and drolleries collected by him during his late flying tour to the Celestial empire.

In his Handbook -to China and Back his visit to the villas of the rival mandarins, Hoqua and Puntinqua is thus described :— " Wednesday, 15th.—Better to-day. Mr. Gray, Mr. Phillips, Rozaro, and myself, started this morning to Puntinqua's garden. On the river a small squall came came on, and we were all very near blown over: this would have been awkward, as I was the only swimmer of the party. Went up the creek of last night, and then changed into a sampan (a very slight boal), rowed by two little boys at about a mile an hour. Up another slimy creek to Puntinqua's gate, and over the gardens. The same story —all rotten and neglected and tumbling to pieces. I really believe that the reason for the Chinese having kept Canton so jealously shut up for centuries was, that they were ashamed of it. Here were huge dry-lotus-tanks, and bridges over ground, and carved summer-houses, and hard chairs, stone seats, and thin oyster-shell windows. The French had " looted" terribly here, and the old gardener complained bitterly of their excesses. They had broken the woodwork, and bent tho copper enamel jars, and stolen and destroyed the pictures. In the women's rooms, however, were left some which might have had a curtain drawn before them with advantage. There was a well-built stage for sing-song pigeon and a pavilion for the women opposite to it, between which and the theatre water ought to have been. Determined to fit up the hall somewhat in this style. In the gardens were many more of the dwarfed and trained trees, and apparently acres of lotus-tanks and ponds. Then up the pagoda, amidst a quantity of rockwork wired together, and over small bridges, and by cages for birds and serpents, all decaying with the roofs falling in. The place altogether might have belonged to Tennyson's ' Moated Grange,' and Hood's Haunted House.' Some enormous pebbles, on wooden tripods, made cool but uncomfortable seats. We now went back down the stream, to Howqua's Garden, which is on the Honan side of the river, on the way to. Fatsham Creek. The boat life here was extraordinary, and the majority appeared to be returing to Canton. We passed up a foul creek, by many nursery gardens to Howqua's. The place was not so bad in its delapidetion as Puntinqua's—a little care would have put it decently to rights. The lotus-tanks were larger and clearer, and the rooms and the kiosks in better repair; but still much was tumbling down. But both would be charming places kept in the style of Dropmore." Speaking of Mr. Albert Smith's departure from Canton, tho Monglcong Daily Press remarked :—

"The Chinese were greatly puzzled what to make of Mr. Albert Smith. He mixed with them as much as he possibly could, and tickled them amazingly with his drollery. They saw he was a celebrity among his countrymen, and they came to the conclusion that he was something between a sage and a funny devil. When, however, they found that all the respectable foreigners in the colony thronged to the entertainment he gave, and learnt that all the proceeds of the same were given to the charities, they ai-yaed. with astonishment and approbation. They seemed determined to give vent to their feelings in some way and they certainly hit upon a most effectual plan; for they paid him a ■compliment that never was before accorded to any white mortal man. Accordingly, at the time appointed for Mr. Smith to leave the club, a very handsome sedan-chair awaited him, with all the paraphernalia of a Celestial procession—music to drive, away demons and to call attention to the parade; flags with devices setting forth his virtues and talents; emblems denoting offerings and sacrifices for peace and plenty to be his lot on earth, with happiness and fame afterwards. Thus conveyed and accompanied, he was carried through the town down to the wharf of the P. and 0. Company, where he embarked amidst a display of fire-crackers, which were meant to propitiate the elements until he should be safely landed at home. Mr. Albert Smith has just cause to be proud of his reception in "China, and of the unique ovation made on his quitting it. He won the hearts of all there; and was literally overwhelmed with presents in the shape of Chinese curio s, with money could not have bought, and for which the colony was ransacked, to throw at his feet. He must have received many things which cannot be replaced; and we should say he has the means to furnish a museum which never had its equal in Europe, and which George Robins would be at a stand-still to puff up." All thesß rarities have been collected and arranged in two elaborately-decorated Chinese rooms, at the Egyptian Hall.