Thomas Lathrop Stedman

“ The correct enunciation of the tones is the most difficult part of the pronunciation to acquire, yet it is a matter of prime importance, for one who wishes to make himself intelligible in conversing with a Chinaman, to use them correctly; for if no tones, or wrong ones, are employed, it will be difficult or impossible for the speaker to make himself understood.
Chinese, at least the spoken language, is not very difficult to acquire, and may be learned almost as readily as any of the European tongues. ”

“ Tones.—The Chinese, having so many words of similar sound, make use of varying inflexions of the voice to distinguish them. These are called tones. In the Canton dialect there are eight of these tones, four in a higher, and four in a lower, key, separated from each other by two or more full musical notes.
The first tone is the even or monotone. It is the tone used in ordinary conversation. In English. The voice neither rises nor falls, but continues on an even key. The second tone is the rising. ”

“ It will be found best to begin very slowly, and to proceed more rapidly later, after one has become familiar with the peculiarities of the language. For the first month let the student learn but one sentence a day, but learn it thoroughly, so that he can repeat and write the Chinese at once after reading the English sentence, and can also repeat the English after looking at the Chinese characters or hearing them read. ”