CANTON, a large, populous, and wealthy maritime city of China, capital of the province of that name. It is seated on the mouth of the river Ta-bo or great river, which is here very wide and spacious, and forms the bay called Humen, or tyger's gate, though it hath nothing terrible in it except a few forts built to keep off the pirates. The city is very large; being reckoned, with its suburbs, upwards of 20 miles in compass. It
Cantoning may be properly said to consist of three cities, each of them surrounded with strong and lofty walls, yet so as to have a communication with each other by stately gates, which are only shut up at night. The streets are long and straight, paved with flag-stones, and adorned with several triumphal arches. There are also bazars or covered market-places full of shops. The houses are only a ground-floor built with earth, and covered with tiles; however, the shops give it a very neat look. The better sort of people are carried about in chairs; but the common people walk bare-footed and bare-headed; and their goods are carried by porters, for they have no waggons. At the end of every street is a barrier which is shut in the evening, as well as the gates of the city, so that people are obliged to be at home early. The number of inhabitants is computed at 1,000,000. E. Long. 112. 27. N. Lat. 25. 20.