I 1 '-*■ $ So> ^ -'-::^ii> >i^> ^ ,,- , "j^J3mf^^ ^ ,>> ' yjf^w> >>.»^ ■i»>.my .» » ^ >:> y* x:ii>^^ » ^ >?> >) » >>> ">»..'> >>> JH) » »> » » ">?> :»>'» >»> ::«»;» "!)> 3»)^> ">>• » ^> .';■.''> JO > ^>>- :»t> ■'-* ^-:^ -y^y^y .3J^' klBRABY OF CONGRESS, Xl^z- i I UNITED STATES OP AMERICA. ^ ^36> :^.s^ ;>-7 • >> c-^ * ^ X» % 3^ ^ i> ;:*> » :j^ ^'^ -» >"5 >^ :?i> ^'/^ -^^ :>> :>> :>^ 't/5 :>*^ >> /i -^ ' >> " 1^ :>s> » ,? ^^ >> >^3> ^ ^> > ^^ , ^►> . ,^ MM ^vV<^ S> ■:jci^o;^ '>'>l?iO^ "> ~>r^:l^ ^ -> _> ^ > '--ye^'W^ ::3 ::) > ■^^^^ >^i5 > :> -y-m> j> 2 ~^ >:?3»> ■ _>> b > > 3 ;.>li> ;>:> ■; 3) :> :> ym> j> j> -■> ::>'ym^ ■ :s> ^ >> ^^^m . ^X ^ y^ "X y^»j > J), ^ J> "> "me> > 3> ■= » 13 ► ^' ■■>:3^o :j> . t> ^ ^^ ^ » O O W >1S>'> \x> > » C > >:h^> 3^ . »j» J i. > >3^> _X> ' » >S>> » ., ) '> i^ i> -~ > >» :>) ' "' \L ;» ■>:i»' >3 ^,» 1 "."^ » '»-> ,-» >> > -"^ -)Z: ^^n: -.^^ » > >^> >^ ^-> ) '__ :^ ^i>i> :>> J) > ^~ :> >:^ .30 ^> -^v~3 > ;>>> J>L> 3> ) ~) J» >-v » >> )>^ :i^ ^^> x> » > i^ »> >..^^ >> > > fr >>-v :» •> > ^ > ^ 1^ s>; >> > > :> ^ :^ -^^c- ->> >> » :-■> >> :>3 > ~" > >i^' _ X> .> :j , "~ :^ y^'^ x> 3 > _:> » >» » > -> > :> >w ir> 2> > » ■>^« >y ^ :> ..> > ^^,J> > > 1^ >> 3 ) b .. ->> .^ > > 1> > > > '.-.2> > > :> i> > > "> :> >> ^ > «> . >:^-i- Z3^ x> > T> :::^ :e> > > -^^ .'»> > r> :::» _^^ > ■ ^ i ^*^3!> I 1 J / THE /' / LAST YEAR IN CHINA, TO THE PEACE OF NANKING: AS SKETCHED IN LETTERS TO HIS FRIENDS, BY A FIELD OFFICER, ACTIVELY EMPLOYED IN THAT COUNTRY, 'v, .:^ WITH A FEW CONCLUDING RKMARKS ON OUR PAST AND FUTURE POLICY IN CHINA. PHILADELPHIA: CAREY AND HART. 1843. f C. SHERMAN, PRINTER. I PREFACE The following Letters are published in the belief that any authentic account&v however slight, of late events in China, will, at the present moment, be interest- ing to the public. A few months may produce more elaborate works on the same subject. In the meantime, a few sketches, which possess the advantage of having been written at the times and places to which they refer, may not prove unacceptable. In these pages will be found no detailed account of our military operations* The despatches were then too recently written ; and the Author has no confi- dence in histories composed so close upon the events they pr^end to narrate, that proper testimonies and authorities cannot have been consulte'd. This opinion has been strengthened by the recent instance of an officer, who has described events which occurred since his departure from the scene of action, just as a grave historian would state facts established on the best authority. The writer relates that the General displayed his humanity by stopping the slaughter at the repulse of the Chinese before Ningpo. The circumstance in itself was not improbable, for the General was always exceedingly humane. But, unfortunately, being absent at Chusan, he heard of the attack and repulse at the same time, and had no opportunity to display humanity on the occasion. However, I will leave to others the task of exposing the errors prevalent on the subject of the attack on Ningpo, because I was not there myself. I have only noted the error to which I could myself bear witness. I the less regret having written so little about our active operations, because I know the public take little interest in our engagements with the Chinese. It has been the misfortune of the troops in China, that ever since the success of Sir Hugh Gough before Canton, and the subsequent arrival of the Admiral and Plenipotentiary, our operations in China have been a succession of victories* Had we had an army unaccountably destroyed in winter quarters, or had our ladies fallen into the hands of the Chinese, our proceedings would have at once awakened greater interest, and been viewed in a more favourable light. But in China we did not permit our ladies to approach the scene of operations. Quietly settled in India, or, at the nearest, in Hongkong and Macao, they ran little chance of interesting the British public, or of ornamenting a Tartar sera- glio. Deprived of female society, we were truly " outer barbarians," and lost all interest in fair eyes. iv PREFACE. We must, however, make an exception in favour of those who have duly es- tablished their claims to be lions by having lived in cages. Mrs. Noble,*espe- cially, was highly, though unintentionally, honoured by the Chinese, being taken for nothing less than the sister of the Queen of England. By the by, the con- tempt in which the Chinese at that time held us, may be judged of by their treat- ment of what they considered so illustrious a personage. But if Europeans in China are comparatively uninteresting, there can be no doubt that the case is very different with regard to the Chinese themselves, and their very flow^ery land ; and it is under this impression, as already stated, that this small volume, which concludes with a few remarks on our past and future policy in China, has been published. As Mr. Pickwick said of his stockings, so the Author may say of these pages, — ** Have you any objections to these letters as letters ?" — for they pretend to no higher character. THE LAST YEAR IN CHINA. My dear LETTER I. On board the " Kyd," Penang Harbour, 23d August, 1841. I embarked at Madras on the evening of the 10th, and we sailed at half past six the following morning, with a favourable land-breeze for a start. We had a few passengers for Penang and Singapore : but I was the only one bound for China. The rest of our passengers consisted of native convicts and monkeys, — these last the property of the sailors. The convicts, thirty-one in number, we have landed here, and they will be employed by government chiefly, I believe, as at Madras, in road-making. Many of them have, together with their names, the word " murder'^ branded on their foreheads. There was no escort required on board ship, and they had (except now and then as a punishment) only chains on their legs. Such is the contempt of Europeans for natives. The first part of our voyage was quick. We passed the Nrcobar Islands early on the 15th, where the captain and part of the crew of " The Pilot" were mur- dered last year; but the four next days we made but little progress, owing to calms and light variable winds. On the following days we saw successively the Brothers, Bouton, Pera, Laddas, and Lancavas Islands, &c. ; and at last the Malay coast and Penang. The last two days, or rather nights, were enlivened by squalls from the Sumatra coast, which did not affect us, there being little or no sea in these straits. We lay to, however, the night before anchoring, for some hours. Still our voyage has been a good one, considering the season of the year. We anchored about four o'clock on the afternoon of the 21st, after a voyage of ten days and nine hours. The " Vansittart," a ship of the same ton- nage as ours (1400), started three days before us, and arrived twenty-four hours after us. She may, however, yet be the first in China, as she starts in a couple of days, and our stay is uncertain. The ransoming of Canton by the Chinese, of which I have just heard, makes me fear the possibility of my arriving too late: but I console myself with thinking on the happily inflexible stupidity of the brother of the sun. It is impossible, I should think, now to obtain peace without an embassy to China, to undeceive the poor emperor as to the victories he has gained: and if the embassy can go no other way, we must send to the Gulf of Pechele an escort of 10,000 men. Penang is a very rainy place. Its own hills and those of the opposite coast attract all the clouds, and when they have collected a sufficient quantity, roll them on the plains and waters below. Between showers it is very close. The night before anchoring, we had two squalls and very heavy rain. The second found me lying, bathed in perspiration, and drove me out of bed to avoid a more ordinary bath. 6 THE LAST YEAR IN CHINA. At the landing-place the Major and I got into a palanquin carriage, to set off for the house where we were to tiff — some two or three miles. These Penang carriages have no seats for the driver, who runs alongside of his horse, which he holds by a string or rope. Their ponies come from Atcheen, and go very- fast. To the eye they are not comparable in strength to the Pegu; yet those which I saw yesterday showed no deficiency in that quaUty. In driving along, I was first struck by the unusual greenness of the grass, which in Madras generally resembles hay. The heavy rain, which falls plenti- fully in Penang, accounts for the difference. The roads are good and wonder- fully numerous, diverging in every direction. The hedges of the dwarf bamboo, in some places regularly cut like an English boundary hedge, give a great appearance of comfort, and might be easily introduced into Madras,* to the great improvement of our garden houses. At the roots of these hedges, the little pine-apple trees are growing, and when the fruit is ripe they must give a gay and picturesque effect to the roads. Cocoa-nut trees abound, but the great pro- duction of the island is the nutmeg tree, which meets the eye in ^very direction. The tall rabustan tree, the fruit of which tastes like an acid gooseberry, and is enclosed in a prickly scarlet shell, is also a picturesque object. But the mangosteen (don't imagine, from its name, it has any resemblance to the mango) is the delicious fruit of Penang. The shell is of a reddish brown colour, of the size of a small apple, and rather thick. The fruit in the inside is equally delicate to sight and taste, being very white and luscious. Potatoes will not grow in Penang, and to an Englishman this is generally a great evil. There is, however, plenty of other vegetables, for those to whose gastronomical happi- ness a potato is not a sine qua non. Owing to the too great moisture, cattle, it is said, do not flourish. Meat is indifferent, and people live chiefly on fish and poultry. There are some huge buffaloes here used ip draught, which are the largest I have yet seen, not even excepting the more hideous, long-nosed, black monsters of the Nilgherry Hills. There is a kijld of grass used in thatching here which appears very dry and combustible, but which, I was assured, would with difficulty burn. I ventured the solution, " no wonder, when it is always raining here 1" * *• * * * # * # # The view on entering the harbour of Penang was much admired by our pas- sengers: but, unfortunately for its charms, it reminded me of the West Indian harbours — of Grenada — of St. Vincent — and (above all) of Trinidad; with which, in point of beauty of scenery, poor Penang can bear no comparison. The inhabitants of this last, on the other hand, may almost vie with the negroes in hideousness. Of this I will only observe that, in comparison of the Malays, Siamese, &c., who form the bulk of this population, the few Chinese I observed amongst them appeared positively handsome, spite of shaved crowns and long tails. Yet the former people are not so dark as the Hindoos, and perfectly fair when compared with the negroes. The Chinese hatsf and umbrellas made of leaves, which appear to be common to the different nations here, and particularly to the peasants working in the field, have a picturesque effect; and from their shape and size it would appear that the Pcnangees are not indifferent to the preservation of their complexions. Considering that Penang, alias Prince of Wales's Island, is not much more than half the size, and not a tenth of the importance of Barbadoes, I think you will have had enough of it for one bout. I may, if we remain a vv^eek longer, send a further account. * Where it is almost impossible to make a hedge of any sort grow well. t These hats in China are worn only by the agricultural peasants while working in the field. PENANG. LETTER IL " General Kyd," off Pcnang, 29th August, 1841. I HAVE just come on boai'd to write you a letter, for we are to sail to-morrow, and a vessel, " The Clarissa," arrived here yesterdjfy, which goes in a few days to Madras, and will take this, though not in time I fear for the next overland. On the 23d inst. I wrote to , but that letter will probably also go to Madras by the " Clarissa." I hope to find lots of letters awaiting my arrival at Singapore. Since I wrote to , I have made two inland expeditions, one to the Great Tree, and another to the top of the Government Hill of Penang. Nay, I had almost forgotten to mention another, the first inland expedition I made, viz. to an estate called Glugar, the property of a Mr. . Mr. H of the 24th N. I. drove me out in his palanquin carriage. The pony — an obstinate little devil — gave great trouble going, and greater in returning. Indeed, on the way home, he stopped quite suddenly; and nothing being able to urge him on, it was necessary to take him out of the shafts, and to send for another, which had been posted half way. It was raining hard, and my companion got wet through while urging, belabouring, and finally unharnessing the pony. I spent an agreeable day at Glugar, where there was no lack of amusement; archery, billiards, and, in the afternoon, riding. I have not seen, in India, so pretty an estate as Mr. 's. The forest of clove and nutmeg trees — the undulating grounds — the sea — Province Wellesley not far beyond — the Penang Hill behind, with its thick jungle of large trees, and its mountain road — all these formed a scene of great beauty. In the afternoon three or four of the party mounted Atcheen ponies; but unluckily we went to the stables and dismounted there, for the remounting was no joke and not easy of accomplishment. The little brutes kicked, reared, and struck at their would-be riders, with the fore legs as well as the hind. We had a good gallop nevertheless, though the rain put an early stop to it. Returning, to escape a ducking, we overtook a herd of cattle : the latter were set off at speed by the huge dogs of the grey and bloodhound breed, which accompanied us ; but by charging at full gallop we gained the lead at last, and so escaped the not improbable chance of a counter-charge. These Atcheen ponies are fast and strong, but vicious and refractory. There was a large dinner party in the evening. The house, itself comfort- able, and even luxurious, is built in a picturesque fashion. The dining room, flanked by billiard rooms on either side, is entirely open towards the entrance steps. This would not be tolerable in Madras from the heat and glare ; but here the grass and foliage are green and pleasant to the eye. The following day we heard and read the news of the ransoming of Canton, of which, as I was, alas ! not present, you will know as much as I do without my assistance. I fear (or rather I ought to fear) that this ransoming of Canton will contribute rather to prolong than to terminate the war : because the Emperor will never be suflfered to believe that we could have taken it; and the descendant of the sun will probably be told that celestial arms (not terrestrial gold) repulsed the presumptuous barbarians. A day or two after, Lieutenant H and I visited the Great Tree. Part of the way we went in his vehicle and the rest on pony-back — a pretty ride. The tree is on the slope of a hill, so we had no great ascent to make. I recognised it as the Great Tree directly I saw it; though I had been told that even at a little 8 THE LAST YEAR IN CHINA. distance it would not look so large as it is. It is believed to be a species of dammer tree. The natives call it the milk tree; because, when bruised with a stick, a milky or rather creamy substance, very white and soft, and somewhat glutinous, makes its appearance. It is said to be thirty feet round the base (I think it is more), one hundred and ten feet up to the first branch, and at that height still twenty-one feet round. It has not many branches left, and it is said to be dangerous to stand under the tree in windy weather. The trunk is very straight, like a huge mainmast. It is decidedly worth going to see, though seven miles from the harbour. From the spot there is a fine view of the island and sea ; and the ride to it forms an agreeable morning excursion. My last expedition was to the Great Hill yesterday. I went with Mr. H , driving to the foot of the hill and riding up it. The road winds through a forest of trees of gigantic dimensions ; and which appear the greater from a comparison with their dwarfish brethren of the Carnatic and Mysore. The little pony I rode carried me wonderfully well up and down, the road up being more than three miles long. The brow of the hill is not, I am told, more than 2£00 feet above the sea ; nor did I find any great difference of temperature between it and the plains.* But it was a very hot day ; and besides, I was too lately on the Nilgherry Hills not to be disappointed with the highest in Penang. The view of the island however, was very pretty, though it appeared marvellously small at that distance. The bungalow of Mr. Bonham (the governor of the Straits) had been lent to one of our party. We picnicked in it ; and passed the day in seeing the three or four other bungalows on the hills. They are all uninhabited at this (the rainy) season of the year; but are pretty little wooden buildings, especially that of Mr. Bonham. After breakfasting and dining on the hill, we prepared to return ; but delayed on account of^the rain, which commenced pouring in the afternoon. Finding at six that there appeared no chance of its clearing up, and being all of us quite unprepared to pass a night on the hill, we were obliged to set out on our steep slippery descent and get soaked through. The drive home from the foot of the hill, in our wet clothes, was no pleasant business to Mr. H and myself; for the remaining three of thehill party rode all the way to their homes. When I got to my young host's house, I washed myself with brandy and water (having no eau de Cologne on shore) ; and by this means I feel sure I escaped a very severe cold. The Madagascar steamer # # # * touched there day before yesterday on its way to China. # * *"* * * * Note.— On its way to the north of China the " Madagascar" steamer was burnt, and the crew and officers forced to land on the hostile coast. They were made prisoners, and though not injured (owing to their wearing no uniforms, and aflfecting to be traders), they were not over-well treated. They were finally marched to Canton without distinction of ranks; and there liberated, chiefly through the munificent kindness of Mr. Matheson, who advanced the money demanded as ransom, and provided the officers with clothes. One of the officers told me that, when he arrived at Canton, he was covered with vermin. The full account of this adventure would be almost as interesting as that of the previously becaged prisoners. * I am told there is usually ten degrees difference. PENANG. LETTER III. Singapore, 15th September, 1841. We did not sail from Penang till the 31st August, or, rather, we did not try till then ; for, thanks to contrary winds and tides, we did not lose sight of that pretty island till the 4th instant, anchoring the best part of every twenty-four hours. Indeed, during the whole of the way down, we anchored every night, on account of the shoals and banks, light winds, and capricious tides. A small vessel, more daring, ran aground in the night ; so the prudence of our captain found favour in our eyes. The mosquitoes have been as an Egyptian plague to me all through the Straits. At first, I used to kill a half dozen in my cabin of a morning, by way of getting an appetite for breakfast; but, finding the sport too hot, I have transferred the task to my servant. But it is of no use attacking such a hydra-headed monster. It is no consolation to hear leather-skinned old Indians assure you it is a sign of sweetness of blood, especially as it always brings on sourness of temper. I feel I could fight hke — a Tartar, I was going to say ; but that simile is exploded, since it appears the Tartars won't fight at all. But I really feel I could fight despe- rately in any spot where mosquitoes abound. They never seem to tire of me, and despise such proverbs as " too much of a good thing," " enough's as good as a feast," &c. Even now while I am v^riting, I am duly armed with a towel gracefully thrown over my (whack ! whack !) shoulder, to keep off these anti- literary Vandals; and ever and anon I make a swinging blow through the air at my incessant tormentors. You can imagine my discomfort, and not won- der if my style should be rambling (whack ! whack !) and incoherent. But if it is bad by day, it is torture at night; and 1 have hardly got a good night's rest since leaving Madras. I have slept two or three times wrapt in my cloak on the hard deck ; but, as one of the ship's officers observed, there is small rest on such a couch. We never lost sight of the Malay coast on the passage here from Penang ; and we had a distant view of the town of Malacca. Several ships were in sight every day; but our " Kyd" beat them all, when fairly sailing in company. I thought our lady passenger amiable and clever; she has come to Singapore to join her husband. The loss of her children, how- ever, is to me great gain. I am the only passenger going on to China. By the news from China, I fear I shall be too late to join the expedition ; and though it will not be my fault, it is still a great misfortune. However, I am not so superstitious as one of the quartermasters of this ship, who wishes to quit her, chiefly because he has had no luck since he came on board, having amongst other things run a nail into his foot; as though all the nails in the world were in the poor "Kyd." This fellow is a stout, resolute-looking animal; but it only shows the schoolmaster has much to do among sailors yet. Our approach to Singapore was as tedious as our departure from Penang. We were some four or five days coming the last hundred miles, anchoring half each day, and almost every night. When, we got among the islands, which cluster round this harbour, we were nearly twenty-four hours going about a couple of knots an hour through the water, without advancing to our destina- tion; but, on the contrary, receding. The tides seemed to be always against us. Kinally we anchored in this harbour on the 12th. 10 THE LAST YEAR IN CHINA. I have just slain a mosquito on my hand, by allowing the rascal time to insert, but not to extract, his poisonous proboscis. In comparison with Penang, Singapore is a flat barren sandbank. On the other hand the commerce here is very great, the fine harbour being full of ship- ping, and the river, v^hich winds through the town (and which only does not remind me of Venice, because 1 never was there), is full of boats and barges. The town is large and well built, with some respectable public buildings. It is also the seat of the government of the Straits, and the entrepot of all eastern commerce. The roads are not the worse for the flatness of the country. By far the greater number of merchants and shopkeepers here are Chinese, whose fathers or grandfathers have emigrated from the flowery land. The population is chiefly Malay, of course ; but there are great numbers of Chinese of the lower orders. I judge chiefly by observation, knowing no residents, except the few to whom my worthy captain has introduced me. LETTER IV. Singapore, 15th Sept. 1841. * * * I have told what a long passage ^e had from Penang to this place. It was enlivened, however, occasionally, by severe Sumatra squalls, which come on very suddenly. * **- * * * * # # I am sorry for this delay, but have had so many lessons of patience lately, that I am getting quite philosophical. There has been (on the 21st ult.) a terrible typhoon in China, dismasting a great number of vessels, while several have been wrecked and others lost, and a great many lives lost too. The Chinese pro- phesy another for the 31st inst. ; but I hope they will turn out to be mistaken. We are taking up a lot of spars here, on a speculation which the late disasters will probably render successful. Singapore is a great place for spar-making. The tree used is the peon, pecu- liar, they say, to this coast. It is very hard and good ; the spars of our " Kyd" are made of it. I never mentioned before that we had a fine view of Mount Ophir, a few days before our arrival here. At first all but the highest point was hid by clouds ; in the course of a few hours the clouds rolled away, and the whole was clearly visible, that is, all except the base, which could not be seen, the mountain being 70 miles oflTat the time. You may suppose there was no appearance of gold or even gilt at that distance. It looked beautifully blue in its " mountain majesty ;" au reste, it was as like any other great mountain, as one pea is to another. The fruits of Singapore are chiefly obtained from Malacca, its own sandy soil not being very productive. The mangosteens do not taste so well as those of Penang; but they are nearly out of season. The Malays, though ugly in face, are finer fellows in figure and height than any orientals I have yet seen. They are said to be brave, fierce, and very vin- dictive. The Chinese, with their bald heads, flat moon-faces, and long tails, have notwithstanding a comparatively civilized appearance. There appears to be a far greater European society here than at Penang; SINGAPORE. H and indeed there is every evening a congregation of carriages at a place called the Course, in humble imitation of an Indian presidency. But the regiment here has no band; for Company's regiments are not obliged to have bands, and con- sequently often prefer the monthly jingling of a few more rupees to any music whose sweetness is gained at their expense.* The Atcheen ponies here are no better than at Penang. On setting off, or rather on trying to set off, in a palanquin carriage to call on the Governor, the pony declined going on at all ; and after he had backed till we were on the point of being upset, my companion and I got into another vehicle, which more hap- pily reached its destination. , * ^ ^. * ^ * * *• * Yesterday evening, o-ne of the firm I have mentioned in a former letter wished to drive us to the Course in a pony phaeton; but the ponies had no such wish, and, after plunging and rearing for a quarter of an hour, smashed the pole of the carriage. Defend me from Atcheen ponies ! Most of tha Chinese merchants and shopkeepers here speak English very well, as did Tonkong of Penang, well known by his Anglicized appellation of "Tom King." I got a most exquisite cup of tea, though wkhou^t milk, the other evening from a jolly old China merchant named Puntyan. The Chinese do not use sugar with their tea. A vessel of war, " The Nimrod," is just come in from Calcutta, on its way to the north of China. I wish I knew the captain, and could get a passage. We are already five weeks from Madras,. while (innocent soul!) talks of the three iveeks- passage to Chi'^^a as likely to do me good! We have been thirteen days coming from Penang — about 250 miles ; yet that was one day better than the average passage at this season. Besides the- delay caused by light winds and dangerous shoals, all large ships are obliged tp, leave Penang by the north passage, the south being too shallow ; and thus, if the wind is favour- able for the passage down the Straits, it is unfavourable for- leaving the island, and vice versa. LETTER V. The " Kyd," Singjvpore, 16th Sept. 1841. % We got rid of our convicts here (and not at Penang as I hacf believed and hoped), as well as all the passengers excepting myself. The roads at Singapore are very good, and are said to be greatly improved and multiplied in the course of the last two years, the result chiefly of convict labour, which does such wonders at Madras also. Road-making, though hard, is by no means unhealthy work, as the monthly medical returns of the Madras convicts so employed ( * * * ) fully testified. If I recollect right, the average sick was considerably less than among the sepoys. But it^ rr^ia^t be owned that paid the subject much attention, having a peCulidtp taste for planning * In saying the Company's regiments in India are often without bands, no reflection is meant to be cast on them. In India the reason is well known. Here I may as well remark, that a Company's reginjent has a far smaller complement of European officers than a Queen's; and a great many of them are absent on the staff, and therefore indifferent to a band. I should be sorry if the bands were optional in Queen's regiments; many, I fear, would cease to have them. 12 THE LAST YEAR IN CHINA. roads ; and every resident in can bear witness to the success of his exertions. The evening before last, the captain, the , and myself went to see some opium-smokers. There had been, evidently, for two or three days a Chinese festival, and this was the closing, but apparently most important day. As we passed through the streets, which were crowded with Chinese, we saw large tables laid out in the middle of the road, and scaffoldings at the sides raised to a great height, all covered with offerings arranged with the greatest neatness, and illuminated with huge wax tapers of various colours interspersed wath blue and white flags. We stopped to look at one of the tables. The Chinaman* smiled, but did not appear at all offended at our .curiosity. The offerings consisted of large cakes, fowls, heads of hogs, and all kinds of fruit and confectionery. At one end of the loaded oblong table was a row of the tiniest tea-cups made of china (about the size of those used for children's toys in England) filled with the celestial beverage, which formed part of the offerings. The fruits, plantains, mangosteens, &c., were formed into tall thin pillars for the corners and sides of the tables. All the offerings w^ere transfixed by little thin joss sticks, which were lighted at one end, and burnt down like a fusee, only much slower.f I also observed a very lofty scaffolding, which was viralled round on three sides and filled with men, I presunne Buddhist priests. The Chinese at Singapore are the sons or descendants of emigrants from the flowery land, and are said to be thorough-bred — only intermarrying among one another; which, if true, proves that females contrive to emigrate from China in greater numbers than is usually supposed at home. Our Chinese guide — who had been lent us by that (errors in orthography excepted) respectable old China merchant, Puntyan — now led us to the great temple, at one end of a court-yard, which we entered through a large gate. The temple, however, was very simply ornamented, and had nothing very peculiar to excite or gratify curiosity. At one side of the court-yard was a gigantic scaf- folding, covered with the usual oblations. I am told all these offerings are duly devoured at the close of the festival, thus showing that these proceedings are only sacrifices in one sense of the word. Our guide now took us to the opium-smoking divan, whose frequenters of course are of the very lowest orders. The first we went to see was a small narrow room, at one end of which a long-tailed clerk was writing in a book — keeping an account, doubtless, of what he was selling. There were about ten smokers lying with a very little clothing on a platform raised two feet above the floor, and which occupied nearly all the space. These men had not been long at their amusement, 1 suppose; for they did not appear very much affected by it. The second smoking-house we visited presented a more interesting, that is, a more disgusting, sight. Some of the smokers appeared to be quite inebriated by the drug, particularly one man, who was sitting near the door on a stool, but who had done smoking. His arms and legs hung down as if they did not belong to him ; and he leered on us with meaningless, but very good-natured smiles. The effect of excess in opium is more like idiocy, than ordinary intoxication. It steals away the brain like drink, but does not substitute fire, as the latter often appears to do. These poor wM*elches were very civil, and seemed some indif- ferent and others amused at our curiosity. I saw one of them urge another to make haste and give a whiff', on observing that I was in a hurry to go out, yet wished to see how this man, who was more horrid-looking than any of the rest, went through the process. I would not consent to go to any more shops. * Chinese it should be, but Chinaman was the term commonly used by the expedition. t The principal ingredient in these joss sticks is, I grieve to say, manure. SINGAPORE. 13 The lower orders of Chinese* consider opium the first necessary of life, and class it (I am told) before rice, which to them is more than bread to us. It is a very expensive article, and the indulgence in it must consume nearly all the wages of the working classes. To prove still further the fascination of this drug, it is only necessary to describe the laborious process of smoking to those who have no servants. The smoker then takes out a little lump on the point of a wire (resembling a straightened hair-pin) and lights it at a candle. He then forces the melted sub- stance into the bowl, and inhales its steam in one long suction; and when that is puffed out, he has again to take to his wire, and to repeat the former process, before he can enjoy another whifF. A rich man would, I suppose, of course em- ploy a servant to keep constantly burning his opium for him, otherwise the opera- tion is very tedious. A gentleman told me that opium-smoking at Singapore is confined to the dregs of the people. I suspect, however, that the upper class of Chinese, here, smoke it in secret; just as many an old lady takes a quiet cordial at home, and throws the blame of a consequent red nose on the sun if it is sum- mer, or on the frost if winter. All I have heard of the civility and good-breeding of the Chinese is certainly borne out by my experience at this place. From that respectable moon-faced stout little gewtleman, Puntyan, who is the pink of politeness, down to the poor opium-smokers, I met with nothing but civility and attention. As for Puntyan, if you had seen him present me his fan, when I was sitting near him, and com- plaining of the heat, it was done with such a grace, you would have agreed with me, that he is the Chesterfield of Singapore; and his tea is so exquisite, that I always feel inclined, nautically speaking, to make it tea time, when I cross his threshold. ***** «• # A vessel of war, " The Nimrod," has left this harbour this morning, and will join the expedition as soon as she can. I wish I had known the captain; I would have asked for a passage in her. But all is pre-arranged. LETTER VI. "General Kyd," Singapore, ] 7th Sept. 1841. ***##** He rejoiced the very cockles of my heart this morning, by telling me that by the latest accounts the fleet is to winter at Chusan, and will not go farther north, should such a course be necessary, till spring. So there is, I trust, no fear of my being too laie for any advance on the flowery capital. Sir Henry Pottinger has commenced operations with spirit. Though the fleet and army will winter at Chusan, Sir Henry proceeds at once to the north for the purpose, if possible, of immediately communicating with the Son of heaven, whose head has been too long above the clouds, for the noise we have made in the southern part of his dominions to have distinctly reached his elevated ears. Whether or no he will descend to admit the envoy to his presence is uncertain. But Sir Henry's refusal at Canton to admit any functionary to treat with him, unless directly authorized by the Emperor, may show that celestial personage that it is time to yield, or to make preparations for a great war. * This remark applies only to Singapore. 14 THE LAST YEAR IN CHINA. H Captain Elliot is on his way to England, and it is a matter of speculation here what sort of reception he will meet with at home. All Anglo-Indians storm against him and his policy. By defending the latter I have sometimes exposed myself at * * * * to a torrent of male and female elo- quence, edged with sarcastic observations of my being left in a woful minority. All I used to maintain was this : — When the first troubles broke out in China, a large party in England, and probably a much larger in other countries, con- demned our proceedings as most unjust and most wicked. But Captain Elliot's patience, his wrongs, his humanity, his readiness to negotiate, have long been contrasted with the violence, cruelty, treachery, and falsehood of the Chinese; so that, from the English having been the injuring, they have become the injured party. They have shown the greatest reluctance to come to extremities; and thus when they do so come, they can strike with the greater decision and effi- cacy. The necessity of the war is nov^ almost universally acknowledged, and other nations have comparatively ceased to interest themselves about the matter. No real time appears to have been lost, for the military preparations of the Chinese are very inefficient. The role of pacification is over, and Captain Elliot goes; while Sir Henry comes out to relieve him, and to act as the avenger. * * # # # * * As for me, though I do not expect it as certain, I shall not -be surprised if Captain Elliot is very well received by the ministers at home. The six millions of dollars extracted from Canton may also help to procure him golden opinions. He is excessively popular personally, even with those who, allowing him to be accomplished and brave, deny him any share of judgment or decision; — two quaUties somewhat necessary in war and politics. # * # * * * * The hope of seeing Peking next spring has filled me with exuberant spirits. I am as happy as a king or an opium-smoker, though the heat here is truly pro- digious; not that the thermometer is very high (it is only 84 in my cabins), but the air is sultry and close. Notes. — 1. The first part of this letter was written in the mistaken idea that Sir Henry Pottinger had succeeded to all Elliot's power, and could control the military operations, — a mistake of which the public generally seem now to be hardly disabused. 2. The ministry was changed before Captain Elliot reached England ; but previous to going out, the late ministers appointed him consul general to Texas. 3. Lest some should fancy that officers were either accommodated with, or accustomed to pay for, two cabins, I must explain the conclusion of this letter, by informing them that, being the only passenger, the cabin next to the one I had originally taken was placed at my disposal by the captain. During the greater part of the expedition, in the regular transports, subalterns were consi- dered very fortunate, if not doubled up in a cabin apparently not large enough to contain even one person. This, it must be recollected, was no temporary incon- venience. This fraction of a den formed their principal barracks for many months. HONG KONG. LETTER VIT. On board the 'i Sulimany" Transport, Hong Kong Harbour, 13th October, 1841. The " Kyd" came no nearer to this place than the Laura Island, eight miles off, where it anchored, I believe, for a day, and has gone on to Whampoa. Oh, such a tedious passage we have had from Singapore! To give you an idea of it, I send you some journal extracts ; and I think you w^ill allow it would not be easy in the same space of time to cram more squalls and calms. Note. — The author does not think the journal extracts alluded to would be interesting to the general reader. With the exception of a small attempt at mutiny — a water spout — a piratical craft — and considerable anxiety at times from sunken rocks, whose locality was not accurately settled in the chart, — the voyage was remarkable only for its length, and the almost daily squalls and calms. Somewhere in this sea the head-quarters of the 37th Madras native infantry perished the year before : the colonel amongst them. LETTER VIII. On board the " Sulimany" Transport, Hong Kong, 16th Oct. 1841. Here Lam in the hospital ship of the fleet, in a miserable little cabin of a transport; with nothing to do, and with no prospect of having any thing to do for some time. Another captain and myself are the only representatives (ex- clusive of servants, sick, and convalescents) of the * * regiment on board this vessel, both our companies being in the " David Malcolm" transport, where all the subalterns are doubled up two in a cabin. Our head-quarters are on board the " Futty Salam," under the command of Col. . Col. being * * * * of the expedition went with the force to Chusan, whither a detachment of * * , under the command of Major , also went, — or rather was to be left to winter at Amoy ; for the dreadful loss from disease sustained by the * * at Chusan last year made Sir Hugh Gough unwilling to take the regiment to the scene of its former misfortunes. The hospital here is under the charge of Dr. of ours, — a clever doctor, and agreeable man. A captain and subaltern of the 49th, left in charge of their men, and the captain and officers of the transport, complete the number of our mess on board the Sulimany. ff tP tP Tp W- vt* tP Excepting a few guards on shore, the force left here is in the harbour, and distributed amongst five or six transports. Including schooners and ten-gun brigs, we have also some five or six vessels of war. * * # * *• # * The wretched remains of the 37th Madras N. I. are chiefly in barracks on shore; that is, in hastily-built huts of sticks and rushes, where they are dying very fast. Indeed, if our loss through the enemy has hitherto been trifling, that by sickness has been frightful. Nearly half the 26th, last year, was either buried 16 THE LAST YEAR IN CHINA. in Chusan, or shipped off to die elsewhere, all in the course of seven or eight months. The greater part of the men are recruits, and yet there is no means of drilling them ; and indeed they scarcely ever go on shore, owing to the dis- tance. The 26th are just beginning ball practice, which will take each of the companies ashore three different times. ******* The harbour here is very fine. It is enclosed by the mainland of China, and a number of islands. One of the titles of the Emperor of China is " King of Ten Thousand Islands,"' to which he is better entitled than to most of those he assumes. High rugged hills meet your eyes in every direction, resembling some of the least productive of the West Indian Islands. Hong Kong is a much safer harbour than Macao. Indeed, at the latter place vessels are never considered as secure any part of the year. Government is building at Hong Kong houses for the magistrate and other public officers, gaols, guard-houses, &c. But nothing has yet been decided on in respect to permanent barracks. It is expected that the Macao merchants will swarm to Hong Kong as soon as its permanency as a British settlement is established beyond a doubt. ******* None but men-of-war can go up to the north at this dangerous season of the year, the monsoon being against us. Two vessels tried about a month ago. Both (the "Nerbuddah" transport and the Madagascar steamer) were wrecked. The crew of the latter have fallen into the hands of the Chinese. The deputy superintendent of the trade, Mr. Johnstone, has been left in charge of the government of Hong Kong. The principal business, however, in the present infant state of the colony, falls, it is said, on Captain Caine, the chief magistrate, who enjoys a great reputation for talent and activity. Vt* t(^ VP vF TS* Tt* TP I trust he will be permanently appointed by the home government. ' ********* The whole force left here at present, including the sick, is about 500 men, under the command of (local) Major-General Burrell, Lieutenant-Colonel of the 18th Royal Irish. Nearly all the 18th, 49th, and 55th, a detachment of the 26th, and the detachments of the Royal and Madras artillery have gone to Amoy and Chusan. I have no means of getting very accurate information on these subjects at present ; but it would appear the whole force in China is about 2500 bayonets, and with these a hope of putting an end to the war is still entertained by some. ***** * * * * At this place we are well, and cheerfully supplied by the Chinese boats, with their sails made of mattings. They go very fast, and are very well managed. Most of the people talk a little English, and are very good-humoured, and ready to laugh and joke when encouraged. ISth October. — Since writing the above, I have been several times on shore at Hong Kong. The bazaar there is not worth much: except some Chinese curiosities and fruits, there is nothing to supply one's wants. I hope to go on leave to Macao for a few days with Captain * * * *, and there I understand, the shops are very good. Our necessaries of life are supplied from Cowloon, a mandarin station on the mainland ; which looks as if the gentry there did not wish to starve us into despair. A vessel has arrived from Amoy, where a detachment of the 26th and a wing of the 18th were left as a garrison, — about 600 men. We hear that Ningpo and Chusan have been also taken; not, however, with- out loss on our side. When a garrison is left at Ningpo, and Chusan is occupied, our stupendous force wilfbe divided into four armies, averaging about 600 men each. HONG KONG. 17 The troops at Amoy are well off for provisions ; from which it is hoped those now at Chusan will be better supplied than when last there. The expedition to China is almost entirely an affair of Queen's troops. The Bengal Volunteers are reduced to less than 160 men; and the 37th Madras Regiment, the only regular native corps in China, is a mere skeleton — continues sickly, and consequently nearly useless. A captain of the regiment told me they had been worked too hard. Either no native troops should have been sent, or treble the number, if the intention was by giving them the unhealthy duties to save the lives of the Europeans. Notes. — 1. The mortality of the 26th at Chusan occurred long before Sir Hugh Gdugh arrived and assumed the command at China. The care he always took of the sicic, and the attentions he paid to them, render it highly probable that had he been at Chusan at the period in question, the mortality there would have been of far less fearful extent. 2. Many of the British merchants did not wait for the long-delayed sanction of government to the permanent occupation of Hong Kong. Ten months after the date of the above letter, the author was two days again on shore at Hong Kong. Never had he before witnessed so great a change in so short a time. The island, which when he first left it appeared like a rugged desert, was now, on the one side of it, covered with European habitations ; while the native bazaar had equally improved Both in appearance and in reality, thanks chiefly to Mr. J. 3. In mentioning the general opinion regarding Captain Caine, it must be borne in mind that when this letter was written the island had scarcely any European inhabitants, and that the chief business was to preserve order and administer justice amongst the Chinese, — a duty naturally devolving on the chief magistrate. Mr. Johnstone's duties were then chiefly in, or with reference to, Macao. As shown in the previous note, a few months altered the aspect of Hong Kong, and of course gave even in this island many additional labours to its acting governor. 4. It is perhaps unnecessary, even for civilians in England, to say that the words " native troops" occurring frequently in these letters, means Sipahis, and not Chinese recruits ; and that the words " the natives," when not applied to soldiers, means the Chinese, and not Indians. It seems a misnomer to speak of the Sipahis in China as the native troops ; but it must be recollected that " na- tive" is part of their style and title, to distinguish them from European troops. LETTER IX. Macao, 25th October, 1841. I have worn out my feet in walking on the stony, worse-than-Paris pavings of Macao; so I am resting this morning, and will write you a long letter. Having obtained leave till the end of the month from my floating prison at Hong Kong, for the purpose of going with Captain C to Macao, we started on the night of the 21st instant in a little brig ("The Thistle") placed at C.'s disposal by a Chinese merchant, — the first Chinese owner, I believe, of an English vessel. It had been a very fine brig, and still sails well. In other respects, indeed, all praise of it must be of a retrospective nature. Indeed on our arrival here we heard it had been sold as a condemned vessel. At this season of the vear the 8 X8 THE LAST YEAR IN CHINA. wind is usually very favourable for going to Macao from Hong Kong ; and on going on board we expected to awake next morning anchored at our destination. We found ourselves, however, only abo\jt eight miles from Hong Kong, having been becalmed nearly all the night. Luckily, though not expecting to require it, we had a small stock of provisions on board ; and at half past eight we had just commenced attacking a good breakfast on deck, when a squall came on suddenly. The not half-eaten breakfast was obliged to be sent away ; and the squall in- creasing to a gale, a prospect of misery was before us. The sails oT the brig were rotten, the ropes worse, and the vessel itself exceedingly likely to leak. Fortunately we had on board the captain of the " Sulimany" transport, to whom C , at my request, had given a passage to Macao. He is (besides being a gentlemanly well-connected young man) known to be a very good seaman. He also knew — what the rest of us did not — of the condemnation of the vessel; and, besides, saw that we were very likely to lose sails, and spars, if not masts. Meantime we cracked along at a great rate among the islands to the south of the large island Lantou ; from the valleys of which last puffs occasionally came down with the force of hurricanes. The young man in charge of the vessel was evidently an indifferent sailor, and his mate, though active, not much more skilful. Our hands were few, five or six Manilla men and some Chinese boys; and, what was worse, the wind began to head us. At last, on Captain M of the " Sulimany" being appealed to for advice, he gave his voice for an immediate return to Hong Kong ; but we had not gone far in our retrograde voyage, before the eddy wind from the eastern part of Lantou came against us ; and the captain of the brig, thinking the wind was once more favourable to Macao, proposed trying it. But, luckily. Captain M knew the freaks of the Chinese Boreas better; and at nine at night we were once more anchored at Hong Kong; and I were both sea-sick the latter part of the voyage. I thought I had out-grown or out-sailed sea-sickness, as it was some three years since 1 had been sea-sick before. To console us for our return to Hong Kong, we found that H. M. S. had not only been obliged to put back, but had lost and torn some sails, &c. Captain M. and I returned to the " Sulimany," and the chief magis- trate to his house at Hong Kong, after a hapless voyage of more than twenty- four hours. Next morning, however, nothing daunted, we again started in the " Thistle" at a quarter past ten, and arrived safely here at a quarter past four, a good voyage of six hours. This was owing to the skill of Captain M., who in fact took command of the vessel and brought us straight by the shortest cut to Macao, keeping close to Lantou whilst amongst the islands'. This passage is marked in some charts as unsafe ; but it appears safe enough when the captain is well acquainted with the dangers to be avoided. These consist principally of two rocks, generally submarine. In the bay of one of the numberless islands we saw some two or three hun- dred Chinese fishing boats, all at anchor together. At the S. W. point of Lantou we saw, on a height, the remains of an old walled fort, supposed to have been one of the haunts of the famous Coninga the pirate, to whose political principles, some say, we are now giving the honour of British sanction and imitation. Subsequently, to our right, we saw Lintin at the mouth of the Canton river, an island with whose name we are now so familiar.* Our little brig, drawing but a few feet of water, was enabled to anchor at the distance of only half a mile from the landing place at Macao, instead of four or five miles off among the shipping in this dangerous roadstead. The town, which is unlike every thing I had seen before, has rather an im- * Lintin has long been the seat of opium traffic. 1 MACAO. 19 posing appearance from the harbour, which appearance is no doubt strengthened by the Portuguese forts that command the latter. ***** * * Macao is, politically speaking, a very curious place. The Portuguese have a great many privileges ; they have their ovirn governor, and a garrison of some 400 men, and rule themselves. ******* I saw yesterday the Portuguese army, the numerous guards deducted, return- ing from mass at the great church. The men have by no means a despicable appearance. They are in general as dark as Mussulmen in the Carnatic : and indeed I was told that some of the recruits were actually Mussulmen. The Portuguese fair ones (or rather hrown ones) seem never to stir abroad ; though they may be seen in the balconies of their houses in the cool of the evening. If you look up, they get behind the Venetians, to pretend to hide them- selves, and to take a peep at you. I have not yet seen a pretty face among them. Indeed, pretty ladies seldom hide themselves: to be seen is with them even a greater pleasure than to see. The venerable fathers of the convent, with their cocked or (as C calls them) cocked-up hats and long black gowns, and a lot of hooded nuns, may be seen abroad occasionally, the latter doubtless on their way to and from mass. Among these last I have seen one, or perhaps two, pretty pale faces, not more. The English merchants here, though hospitable and friendly, cannot enjoy much society. A recent importation of English ladies has swelled the amount of these links of social hapiness to twelve, and another shortly expected will complete the baker's dozen. It is an astonishing fact (considering they are English) that these ladies are not all at daggers drawn with one another. In- deed, as the Portuguese are too poor to associate much with the English, our fair countrywomen are obliged to keep on tolerable terms with each other — a sad and cruel necessity, no doubt. The English merchants feel very unsettled while awaiting the decision of the home government respecting the permanent occupation of Hong Kong. The majority are, I think, in favour of the latter, place as the seat, or rather depot, of their trade. On the other hand, some, considering the vicinity of Macao to the Canton river, dwell on the advantages of adhering to the established order of things. The fact is, the merchants are splendidly housed here, though only as renters : otherwise the superior advantages of living under their own govern- ment, and having such a harbour as that of Hong Kong, would be unanswer- able arguments in favour of the latter place. I have now been a fortnight in China, and have hitherto found the weather and climate very changeable. One day, soon after my arrival at Hong Kong, my thermometer rose in the shade to near 90°. The next day it was never above 78°. On the morning of our first attempt to reach this place we commenced (for we never finished it) our breakfast on deck in our shirt sleeves. An hour or two after the squall had sprung up, my cloak over a pilot jacket was insuf- ficient to keep me warm. In short, if you would consult your health and com- fort in China, you may sometimes in the morning be clad as in a calm on the line, and in the afternoon of the same day as if passing the winter in Siberia. These sudden changes are very trying to delicate constitutions, and sometimes not a little so even to strong ones. To this, as well as to exposure to damp and to the sun, the sickness and mortality of the troops last year in Chusan may, I believe, be partly attributed. I will now conclude this letter ; but before leaving Macao I will write a long account of the Chinese, as I have and shall have here observed them ; for in Hong Kong the population is chiefly composed of poor fishermen and very small so THE LAST YEAR IN CHINA. shed owners. Their habitations can scarcely be called houses. ** Chinchin" — i. e. good-by, in Macao-Chinese. Notes. — A few months after this letter was written, the number of English ladies both in Macao and Hong Kong w^as greatly increased, chiefly by the pre- sence of the wives of the officers and soldiers of the expedition. None were allowed to follow their husbands to the scene of operations. In the description given of the changeableness of weather experienced by the author on his first arrival in China, he has no idea, of course, of asserting that such changes are constantly felt throughout the year. The seasons at which the hot weather begins to break up and the cold to set in, and vice versa, are said to be the unhealthiest periods at Macao, the weather being generally very settled during the remainder of the year. Anglo-Indians are sometimes sent there for their health. The cold bracing winter is doubtless the attraction. Moreover in Macao they are still considered within the boundary that entitles them to half their pecuniary allowances. LETTER X. Macao, 28th Oct., 1841. UK * The Portuguese government has the right to try Chinese as well as Portuguese and Englishmen, and has more power than I had been led to suppose by books alluding to the subject. The Chinese controlling power is a very curious one, if I am to believe what I am told here. When the Mandarins are dissatisfied with any proceedings of the Portuguese government, they issue orders to their people not to work for the Portuguese. This strike, it is said, gives the Manda- rins the victory on such occasions. But as far as I can learn, collisions of that sort seldom occur now-a-days. The English merchants only rent houses here: but since they have been forced to retire from Canton and to reside in this place, Macao has risen from an almost ruined to a very flourishing condition. The Portuguese as well as Chinese thrive on British wealth and industry ; and both will suffer when Macao is aban- doned for Hong Kong. The English merchants in China are very hospitable, and keep up the charac- ter of merchant princes: the houses they rent here are very large, and elegantly furnished, at least those in which married ladies are found. There are no very fine buildings, architecturally speaking, except the ruins of the ancient San Paulo church ; of which, however, the front alone is standing. It was once the finest Christian church in the East. Yesterday morning I went with Dr. L to see the Casa gardens — one of the lions of this place. It is formed out of what was once the gardens of the Dutch and English factories. It is small, and in the European style. It aflJbrded, however, no shelter from the midday sun, and yesterday, though so late in the year, the thermometer, in the shade, stood at 81°. We were broiled, in spite of a thin silk umbrella. The garden is such a one as almost every English or Ger- man town can boast of. The want of shade is attributed to the devastations of the typhoons, which perform here the same part as hurricanes in the West Indies, to which the leanness of the horses used to be ascribed. The cave of Camoens — that in which he composed a part of the Lusiad — is MACAO. 21 naturally a picturesque object, formed by three irregular gigantic stone blocks, such as Homer's deities might have pelted each other with. One of these blocks seems to have fallen on the two others, and thus formed a cool cave with two entrances. The Portuguese, with their devices and plaster and ornaments, have spoiled its sylvan graces. To crown their absurdity, they have clapped a round summer-house on the top ! Yesterday evening Mr. L took us to see Mr. Beale's aviary ; and I can assure you even a smatterer in ornithology would have been enraptured. We saw splendid gold and elegant Argus pheasants, and a magnificent bird of Para- dise, a bird very seldom seen alive. I was most delighted with some dear little Mandarin ducksy whose wings, backs, breasts, and heads are of different, yet sober quaker-like colours. Of the fine arts, painting is enthroned at Macao : our countryman Chinnery is supposed to be the greatest of Eastern painters. ^ -Jfi ^ "% ^ ^ ^ He almost worships Sir E ; * * * we became good friends. He certainly paints and draws beautifully ; but I cannot say whether he takes good likenesses. I read in a certain Indian journal the description of some scenery which was said to be " worthy of the pen of a Byron and the pencil of a Chin- nery," a juxtaposition of names which rathet astonishes an Englishman. Chinese artists abound. Some — the pupils of Chinnery — are very respectable performers. Lunquah is the first ; but he is gone to Canton. They take accu- rate likenesses, and will make copies of paintings to resemble the originals to such a degree that none but an artist can tell the difference. They don't know how to flatter yet ; but English dollars will one day teach them that profitable art. A lady at Macao was having her portrait drawn. As the work proceeded, she expressed her strong dissatisfaction at the performance. " Spose," said the pain- ter, " you smile a little: he lookee better." 'Tvvas vain ; for when the '^pigeon"* was done, the indignation of the fair one was so great and so disagreeably ex- pressed, that the irritated artist naively exclaimed, " If handsome face no got, how handsome face can make ?" English artists could teach him. tP "Tt* 7f* tP ^' Tt* 7t^ It is difficult to know what teas to select. One merchant prefers Souchong, another Pouchong, another Houlong, another Pickwick mixture, &c. &c. The last I have mentioned is composed of Souchong and Peckho. I have selected the last, because I am told it is the one most generally preferred by the English. ** * * * *- # * * It received its name of " Pickwick mixture" after a tea-taster in the service of Mr. Jardine, who first composed it. This tea-taster bore the sobriquet of Mr. Dickens's inimitable hero, from a physical and mental resemblance to that cor- pulent and amiable individual. ******** * Trade goes on very slowly at Whampoa. The Chinese demand enormous prices for their teas. Some think the taking and burning of Canton will improve the trade ! What would the advocates of free trade think of such a nostrum in the science of political economy? I feel sure that this is not the general wish of the British merchants: but the open advocacy of such a measure, yb?- the brnefit of trade, proves what a Shylock-spirit the thirst for gain infuses into some mindjjf. Shopping in Macao is a laborious operation. Curiosities are easily procured ; not so European or Eastern articles of clothing and comfort. The Chinese * The word ^'■pigeorC is Anglo-Chinese for " business — a word which the Chinese cannot pro- nounce. The constant use of the former between the Chinese and English is one of the drollest things which first strikes a stranger. 22 THE LAST YEAR IN CHINA. almost invariably take less than they ask of a foreigner, but always more than is fair. If you are polite, they are insolent ; if you are cold and contemptuous, they are civil and obliging.* Those, however, who know Englishmen, will generally behave respectfully, and may be civilly treated. A man with a disagreeable expression of countenance waited on us with some things, and commenced business with an impudent and supercilious air. But Captain C soon brought him down, by treating him with the utmost con- tempt, and ordering him to decamp. The man instantly became quite humble, especially when he learnt that we were mandarin soldiers, and not to be bullied. However, this ill-favoured mortal was not the less disposed to cheat us. He asked extravagant prices for every thing. Unfortunately for him, Mr. Alfred River Labtat, formerly C 's servant, was present while we were discussing the pigeon (it's a hungry phrase), and exposed the roguery. We bought nothing of him. Before he left the house, however, being alone with the African, the Chinaman said to him, " Why you such fools ?" " How so ?" responded the other. " Why, s'pose you no talkee, I sell that pigeon and you get cumshaw" which, in Hindoostanee, means a present.f By w^ay of reply, Mr. Alfred Rivers LabtatJ took up a stick and cudgelled John Chinaman out of the house. One of the greatest annoyances in dealing with the Chinese is the'coin. Some dollars they object to take, apparently because they have a new appearance, and others because they are too old. The fact is, they are great rogues in Macao ; and, as they often try to pass off baa money, they suspect foreigners of a similar intention towards them. In walking about Macao, strangers are usually armed with good sticks, as it is considered imprudent to be out late without some means of self-defence. C was once saved from being thrashed and robbed at Macao by the ener- getic use of his Pr.nang lawyer, — an excellent advocate, who got him off safe both in limbs and pocket, and asked no fee. A Penang lawyer is made of the root of a tree that grows in the pretty island whose name it bears; and it is found of greater use in squabbles than an English lawyer — hov\jever much of a stick the latter may be. I saw to-day at the office of the Deputy Superintendent of trade, the magnifi- cent picture, by Sir Thomas Lawrence, of George IV. in his coronation robes, which was brought here from Canton for safety. Its interest in my eyes arose chiefly, however, from the recollection of the insolent conduct of the Fooyen of Canton, who sat with his back to it, after orderinor the curtain, which covered it, to be removed. Notes. — In a correspondence with Captain Smith of H. M. S. " Druid," Don A. da Silveira Pinto, the then governor of Macao, in allusion to the Portuguese Government, speaks of " the peculiar situation of this establishment, where every thing must perish, if the Chinese were to withdraw our means of subsistence." In one of the gardens outside Macao, I for the first time heard the epithet " fanqui," foreign devils. It was applied by a woman to C. and myself. Mandarin ducks are not always of the sombre hue described in the preceding letter. I have since seen them of very gay colours, which shows how necessary it is to guard' against first impressions even where ducks are concerned. * The reasons of the difference of manners between the Chinese in their own country and the Chinese at Singapore, who live under British rule, are too evident to require being detailed at length. t He probably took Mr. L for an East, instead of a West, Indian. X In such names did the African rejoice. HONG KONG. 23 LETTER XL On board the " Sulimany," Hong Kong Harbour, 5th Nov. 1841. I left Macao on the 30th, at noon, in a small bark called the Cowasjee Family; and in spite of strong contrary winds, the next morning, at JO o'clock, found me once more in my floating prison in this harbour. We are anxiously expecting news from Chusan by H. M. brig " Larne." As yet we have only rumours, which state our loss in taking the island to be trifling, but to include an ensign. I was sorry to leave Macao and a comfortable house ; where our old fat little compradore provided for all our wants. Imagine a round flat face, •with one squinting and one bleared eye, with a mouth perpetually grinning, joined without a neck to a punchy figure; add a long black twisted tail hanging from a half-shaven crown, — and you have our compradore. Wh^n we spoke to him, it was, necessarily, in such phrases as " Olo man fetchee one piece tailor," &c. When we wanted him we said to one of the Chinese boys, " Fetchee he olo man." He worked very l^rd for C and myself in the way of commissions, and provided good biSkfasts. As to dinners, the hospi- tality of the merchants saved him all trouble in that respect. There are no carriages in Macao. Ladies and even gentlemen going to their houses of business, ride in sedan chairs. Horses by no means abound. Tp ^ TT Vp vr ^ TV" Since the British colours first waved on the celestial shores, the position of the English in Macao is wonderfully altered, as our merchants well know. They are no longer afraid of being insulted by the long-tailed race, but walk about as haughtily as on the Continent of Europe, proud of their country, and the respect it inspires ; whereas a few years back, if smitten pn the one cheek, they were ready to offer the other, and that not from any niotive of Christian charity. The mall in Macao is the Pray a Grande — the great paved walk along the beach. Near this, and at the foot of a grand flight of steps, leading to the church of San Francisco, there is a green spot, where, till of late years, the Portuguese used to dance on summer evenings and moonlight nights. What a pretty sight it must have been ! the town, the hills, the sea, and the islands bounding their spacious ball-room, instead of the four small walls and sufl^ocating heat of a London party. Imagine, too, the Chinese looking on in wonder, and who, in that pale light, might pass for monkeys, but for the different locality of their tails' origin. All this is a tale of times gone by. When the English merchants, expelled from Canton, were obliged to settle at Macao, manners underwent a change. We assuredly carry doubt, dulness, and disgust wherever we go. The Por- tuguese no longer dance in the open air ; but both swains and signoras stroll out on moonlight evenings, and often, I am told, pass whole nights guitaring and singing in the open air on the hills. For increase of wealth and comfort, however, the Portuguese are much in- debted to the influence of British capital ; but the government is considered b^ the English merchants as very ungrateful. When, two years ago,4he English were obliged to leave Macao, and betake themselves to the harbour of Hong Kong, it was in consequence of private in- formation from the Portuguese Government, that it was unable to protect them from the Chinese. In its public proclamations, however, it announced the inten- M THE LAST YEAR IN CHINA. tion of supporting the ancient ally of Portugal. Nevertheless, when the English merchants left Macao, the governnfient claimed credit from the Mandarins for havino- sent them away. Such are the present representatives of the com- panions of Vasco de Gama. The government of Macao is below all criticism. It is said that some of the senate cannot write their own names, but they can thwart the Governor, who is a very respectable officer. Lucky it is for them that European politics will always prevent our attacking what is called the brightest jewel in the Portuguese crown. I would not give much for the other jewels if that is true. But should it ever be necessary, a subaltern and sixty men will be all the force required to accomplish the conquest. Barracks are going to be erected to the south of Hong Kong, to contain 200 Europeans as an experiment of the salubrity of the place. These wooden tenements are already made, and only require to be transported. I expect to form part of the first garrison, and should be glad to be on shore. The island is of a most irregular shape — about eight miles long ; in some parts three, in others six miles broad. It is very hilly, with Httle cultivation. Note. — The word Mandarin is of Portuguese origin, and not Chinese, as so many persons even of the Expedition fancied. From our frequent use of the word, I am convinced that the ClM||ese at Ningpo and other places to the north fancied the word to be English fWofficer. They generally called the English officers Mandarins, when trying to describe or when addressing them. The healthiness of Hong Kong as a location for troops has long been a matter of doubt and dispute. One thing is, I believe, quite certain, that neither European nor Hindoo native soldiers will ever enjoy good health there in wooden houses. The account given in the preceding letter of the size and shape of Hong Kong is probably very inaccurate. At that period the island had never been any thing but nautically surveyed. LETTER XII. Hong Kong Harbour, 26th Nov. 1841. ******** H. M. brig •' Pelican" arrived here the night before last, and is to sail for the north to-morrow at daybreak. I am ordered a passage in her. She touches at Amoy, which I am very glad of, as I like seeing as much as I can of China. We shall be upwards of a month before reaching Chusan, and nothing but a vessel of war is at all sure of making that island at this season of the year — beating up against the monsoon. Yesterday morning at daybreak, not being aware of the Pehcan's arrival on the previous night, I accompanied a party to the south side of Hong Kong. The object was a magisterial visit to Chuckchuen at Tytam Bay, on the part of Captain . We were seven gentlemen, officers and merchants. We had a number of Indian servants, an escort of twelve native infantry soldiers, and two of the 2()ih as policemen. • We walked, by the time we returned home, from twelve to fifteen miles, up and down steep hills, and occasionally on rugged, sharp, slippery, stony paths. The south side of Hong Kong is far more picturesque and less bleak than the north. The villages we saw, unlike the mat huts in the harbour, are exceedingly neat in appearanft^ with blue-tiled, white-walled houses. These are (at least in Chuckchuen) joined together like a little town. KOLONGSU ISLAND. 25 But on a nearer approach the senses of sight and smell are any thing but flat- tered. Salt fish, evidently very stale, predominates. One is reminded of Byron's contrast between being in Lisbon and seeing it in the distance — and still more of Coleridge's lines on Cologne. I arrived at Chuckchuen about ten minutes before our party, and had a levee of Chinese. Some smiled, others scowled and looked sulky. In all great curiosity was visible. Mothers brought out their children to look at me. I was a regular lion ; and, being without my coat or waistcoat, and terribly burned and heated, I dare say I looked very barbarian- like indeed. The island of Hong Kong is, apparently, one mass of rock hills, with long but very narrow valleys, widening towards the sea. These patches are mostly under cultivation, chiefly paddy fields and some vegetables. The wind on the tops of the hills towards the south blew very cold, and had a very bracing efl^ect upon me. The south side of the island will be the healthiest and pleasantest location, though on account of the good harbour, business will be transacted in the north. On my return from our arduous walk, I found that the " Pelican" had arrived the night before. I feared I was too late for her, but I am glad to find she will not start till to-morrow. Note. — Instead of one month, as anticipaflRn the preceding letter, the " Peli- can" was nearer two in reaching her destination. The voyage was in the strongest and most violent period of the N. E. monsoon. IE «Pe LETTER XIII. Kolongsu Island, opposite Town of Amoy, 9th December, 1841. The ""Pelican" anchored here yesterday afternoon on the 12th day from leaving Hong Kong. Considering the heavy monsoon we encountered, this is by no means slow work, and we have left behind us the two transports which started a few days before us. So much for the advantages of a man-of-war ; now for the disadvantages. In consequence of Col. of the being also a passenger (as was also a captain of the same corps) I lost what I otherwise should have had — half the captain's cabin, as he himself told me. The rest of the cabins (if they indeed deserve the name) are filled with the oflicers of the ship. My cot was therefore swung amongst the middies, but even there space was wanting to secure the most moderate share of comfort. One day or rather night will give a sample of the whole of my voyage, which has certainly been the ne plus ultra of discomfort. My cot was slung so close to the bulkhead, that at every movement of the ship I bumped against it. On the other side the ham- mock of a middy or mate bumped against me. Lastly, over my head, the extremity of the blanket of another hammock (swinging astern of me, but rather higher) was continually falling over my face, and at limes half-blinding me. To remedy this, I was more than once compelled to put up my hands and tuck up my neighbour's bed. Nor was this all. Under my cot was placed a gigantic middy's chest, or rather the gigantic chest of a middy — sole repository of his huddled goods and chatties. On the corner of this chest my cot occasion- ally lighted, and even through my mattrass I felt the corner of the box. Had I remained there well and good ; but the roll immediately following, instantly re- moved me with a jerk, which threatened to pitch me on my neighbour. This soon became beyond endurance ; so I crawled out with my bedclothes huddled about me, and made the best of my way to the gunroom. 4 26 THE LAST YEAR IN CHINA. The 1st lieutenant in vain has tried to make me more comfortable. There no space in the little sixteen-gun brig; and space is a thing difficult to create.* I sleep oftener in the gun-room than in my hammock. 7f* ^ Tt" ^ Vr vP Vr A detachment of the 26th is here, as also one of the 18th Royal Irish. The troops are not in Amoy, but in the small island of Kolongsu immediately oppo- site. Amoy is less than a mile off, and appears to be a very neat well-built town. The houses occupied as officers' barracks belonged, I am told, to Man- darins. They are one story high and very comfortable, since the officers have built fire-places in some of the apartments. The numerous tiny court-yards are paved with large flag-stones, and many are ornamented with flowers, tanks with gold fish, &c. Some of the doorways are double-folded. Some of the entrances to the passages are formed in the shape of a coffin with the small end down- wards, others are circular, and others again are of fantastic shapes. * # * ' * # # * They have excellent markets here — poultry and vegetables abound. •Tt* VT Vt^ ^ tP tP tP The. military force here, in round numbers, including officers, consists of 150 of the 26lh Cameronians, 380 of the 18th Royal Irish, 2 brass field guns and 2 mortars, with 30 artillery men, and sappers and miners — total 560 men, under the command of Major Johnstone^^he Cameronians. With the exception of ague idflpKld form, which is very general among the soldiers, no complaints are made of the climate, and there is very little serious disease.f The naval force here consists of three vessels of war, exclusive of the "Pelican" and two transports for the troops. The war vessels are all small except the " Druid" frigate ; and it is generally considered that small vessels are the most serviceable on this expedition. i The officers at Amoy have got small ponies something like, but notJmink so strong as those of Atcheen. Yesterday before we arrived they JmBi races, chiefly for the purpose of amusing the men ; and by all accounts theP^emed to have been very successful in their object. The Chinese, however, took no interest therein. A* ^ III On board the " Pelican." I had not been four hours on shore, when our captain made his appearance, with Colonel , to tell us we were to go on board, as by order of the senior naval officer he was to sail immediately. We had delayed at Amoy to take in water; but it fortunately happened that a supply in Chinese boats was imme- diately available, and thus four hours sufficed to take it on board instead of the twenty-four we had expected to be detained. The harbour of Amoy is very good. The fortifications though numerous, and the batteries though powerful, are useless from the absence of cross-fires and flank defences. The positions can be turned with little danger from artillery. The Chinese complain that we do not attack them fairly in front, so at least the story goes, though I think it is too good to be true. We are out at sea, and the ship is beginning to roll; so I shall now finish, merely deprecating any criticism on my description of such a flying visit as this to Amoy, or rather Kolongsu. * In illustration of the crowded state of the steerage, I one nig-ht overheard a mate angrily desire a middy to " keep his foot off the other's face, or he would bite ilT t When the hot weather set in, the following year, the troops at Araoy became sickly. I NINGPO, 27 Note. — The Author in this letter forgot to mention the enormous fleet of large trading junks at anchor before the town of Amoy, which had a very picturesque as well as novel appearance. The square bows and the lofty stern of these vessels are doubtless, from the frequent representations of them, famiHar to most readers. All Chinese vessels are furnished with eyes at the bows, that they may see their way. LETTER XIV. Ningpo, 19th Jan. 1842. I We started from Amoy on the 9th December, as I told you in my last. But we were obliged by the weather to return to the offing on the 10th, and were off again on the 11th. The afternoon of the 12th found us again at anchor in Chimmoo Bay, or 12 miles, I believe, to ll^north of Amoy. The monsoon blew very hard, as indeed it did with only wt/hj intermissions the greater part of our voyage. Our plan was to keep along the coast, and anchor if possible when the tide was against us. Still we often made leeway in the night. One or two days we tacked over to Formosa and back ; but we did not find the wind less strong, and did findihe sea much higher. There were a great many trading junks, and a few English vessels at Chimmoo Bay. While at anchor there, sqme Chinese came on board with bags of dollars to buy opium ! They had been hoaxed by one of the merchant brigs in the bay, who had told them we had lots of halls. So we had, but of iron not opium. A good deal of opium trading is carried on at Chimmoo ; but a mate of a merchant ship informed us that, for the last five years, European traders have not landed at Chimmoo, in consequence of an affray, in which some Chinese were killed. We sailed again on the 17th, anchored again at Tsongboo dn the 19th, off again on the following day. On the 21st we anchored among the Lamget Islands, and remained there till the morning of the 31st, as it blew very hard the whole time. The weather was too hazy for an accurate observation. Not knowing the real name of the place where we were. Captain christened it Christmas Bay, in honour of Christmas Day, which we passed there — no merry Christmas I assure you. Provisions were getting so short that the ship's com- pany was placed on reduced allowance, and our private stock in the gunroom was rapidly getting (not beautifully) less. Certain hints were dropped of a pro- bable return to Amoy ; but we were not reduced to that sad measure. It was not thought advisable to go on shore at Christmas Bay, so that I recollect no important incident there, except that Jacko, the captain's monkey, fell overboard, was carried very fast to leeward, but contended with the water till the jolly-boat picked him up. The evening of the 8d January found us at anchor at White Dog Island, lat. 25° 57'. There the captain went on shore and brought off four bullocks, paying the Chinese what they asked, though afterwards they wanted more. All of us, from the captain to the cabin-boy, rejoiced on this fresh beef for three days ; and, but for our hurry to be off again, we might have obtained an abundance of poultry. The night after leaving this place the purser was accidentally on deck, and said * * * * * " Is not that land ahead 1" It was close to us by all accounts, and a live minutes' later discovery would have been too late for 28 THE LAST YEAR IN CHINA. the ship and most of her company. The man at the foretop was punished for his neglect. It was about this time that we made for two days the experiment, previously alluded to, of tacking over to Formosa. On the 6th of January we anchored about 27° lat. On the 8lh we anchored, lat. 27° 33'. The nights of the 9ih and 10th found us successively at anchor. On the 13th, at night, we anchored near the cluster of islands to the south of, and about thirty miles from, Chusan. The weather had already become very cold. Of the eight persons, none very young, who formed the gunroom mess, four of us had chilblains. Since I left school I have had none so bad. On the 14th we anchored among the Chusan Islands ; and on the 15th finally among the men-of-war at Chusan. On the 16th the Admiral arrived here from Ningpo in the steamer " Nemesis," and hoisted his flag in the ♦' Wellesley," one of the three line-of-battle-ships (two- deckers) at present at Chusan. There I waited on him, and obtained an order for a passage in the "Nemesis," which proceeded to Chimhac on the 17lh in three hours. On the 18th, yesterday, I came up the Ningpo river in a Chinese boat in two hours and a half with the tide — distance about fourteen miles ; thus having seen all our stations in ChjgMJkfore joining here. I landed twice at Chusan. flBrarst time, the first thing observed was a human skull — a bad omen if one was superstitious, which thank God I am not. The batteries defending the entrance of the harbour and the landing at Chusan would be strong if attacked in front ; but as they dan easily be taken in flank, they are nearly useless. <<|» Tinghai, the capital of Chusan, is a very flourishing town. The sljpps are all open, and the inhabitants appear cheerful and happy under British protection. It has a most abundant market — pigs, poultry, vegetables, and, above all, fish. The streets are well paved with flags, and the city is inclosed by a wall and gates, as is the case, I believe, with all Chinese towns. There is a fine joss- house or temple in the city, adorned with a great number of gods and goddesses. One goddess, of huge proportions, has a small puppet in its arms.* Indeed this group of half-painting and half-sculpture reminded me of ihe Madonna de la San Sisto at Dresden ; not, however, from the beauty of its execution. The whole building had a Roman Catholic appearance. The gods and goddesses were much carved, and were inlaid as if all the colours of the rainbow had been taxed, and some more. The best statues were simply carved (out of wood I suppose) and richly gilt. Some of these were really well done. We supposed they re- presented the sages of China. They had Chinese countenances, and many of them appeared to he expounding like orators. Of the gods, I can call to mind two monsters sitting ; one with a lyre, and one with a huge drawn sword in his hand. Our friend of the lyre was any thing but an Apollo in appearance; and though he smiled, it was in such sort as to disgust rather than to please. The swordsman had huge round eyes, and looked very savage indeed. In one of the court-yards in front of the temple, we ascended to look at a large bell. There are many larger in England ; but this was very handsomely carved in the Chinese fashion. We also saw at the joss-house a school of literati (apparently) sitting at a long table. Most of them were middle-aged men. They had a president, who beat time with a stick on a scarlet thing not very unlike the top of a huge skull, while the rest followed him in a monotonous sing-song perusal of some work, all * On the author's second visit to Chusan, the puppet or infant had disappeared. NINGPO. 29 having small pamphlets in their hands.* They did not take much notice of my fellow-passengers and myself. Though part of the 55th were quartered for nearly six weeks in this temple, we could not observe that any damage had been done even to the gilded sages above noticed ; a fact greatly to the credit of British discipline. The garrison of Chusan at present consists of about 400 men, with five vessels of war and several transports. The thermometer had fallen there as low as 20°. Here at Ningpo it has been down to 16°, and once even to 11°, I am told. Of Chinhai, at the mouth of the Ningpo river, I did not see much, for, half an hour after 1 arrived there, I set off with others in Chinese boats for Ningpo. We had not gone a mile when we discovered, thanks to Mr. Medhurst the interpreter, that the boatmen feared the tide would not serve long enough to take us to Ningpo. As it was getting late, it was thought best to return to Chinhai. * * * I had no time to see the place, but passed a very pleasant evening with the 55th, whose head-quarters are stationed there. The next morning (yesterday) five long Chinese boats started together; two containing artillery invalids, and the rest, four military and two naval officers. We sailed up the riv^er to Ningpo with the tide, distance about thirteen miles. We were two hours and a half coming.f * * * The river winds a good deal in long bends. The banks are very flat, ll|||M|e mountains rise in many direc- tions around. The tops of some were covIBi with snow. It was a very fine day. LETTER XV. Ningpo, 28th Jan. 1842. The general opinion seems to be, however, that no treaty of a nature to be depended 'on will ever secure half our demands till these are enforced by an army at the gates of Peking. With 8000 men, Sir Hugh would soon accom- plish this. The fleet and boats would bring us within a week's march of the capital of China. The country is too thickly peopled, and we should come too suddenly on the natives, to permit the enemy to adopt ihe system of laying waste the lands ; while the towns and villages, as far as present experience and analogy teaches, are so numerous, that good quarters for troops can never be wanting. The carriage of baggage, owing to the want of good roads and carts, would, it is expected, be the greatest difficulty; but, with Peking so near, that would scarcely be an insurmountable obstacle. The Emperor and his ministers will not, it is generally supposed, be brought to reason, so long as we confine our attacks to the outskirts of this great empire. The Viceroy of this province in a letter to his Celestial Majesty speaks of us as afraid of quitting the protection of our ships' guns, and as quite unfit for inland operations. The Chinese should no longer be allowed to lay this flattering unction to their souls. The monsoons here are sad causes of delay in military operations, and in keep- ing up communications and supplies. The vessels of war and the transports * I was subsequently informed this was a religious not literary class. t We raced each other the whole way, tacking either in the centre of the stream, or towards the banks, according as each directing officer imagined the strength of the tide to lie. 30 THE LAST YEAR IN CHINA. being ordered for the most part to touch at Amoy on their way up here, pass inside instead of outside of Formosa, meet the concentrated force of the N. E. monsoon, that blows down the Formosa channel as through a funnel, eight or nine months of every year, and have besides but Utile room to beat against it. The consequence is, that the length of the voyage up is more than doubled. The 's project of destroying Ningpo, was objected to by the General and Admiral. The natural supposition is that by burning Ningpo we should have made inveterate foes of 300,000,000 of people, who would snatch a resolution from despair. Besides, we profess to be at war only with the Emperor and his ministers ; why then wreak our vengeance on the defenceless inhabitants of a conquered town? , however (whom I have not yet seen, and who is gone to Macao), is a most popular character with the army and navy — his 'pen- chant for energetic measures, even of somewhat an indiscriminate nature, find- ing much greater favour than the vacillations of his predecessor. The reports here confirm what I heard in the south, regarding the talents and the accomplish- ments of Captain . He is said to be " an excellent seaman," " a clever fellow," " an amusing companion," " an intrepid man," every thing except a diplomatist. This is an expedition in which personal activity is as necessary as mental qualifications ; for in this war the General and his staff are on foot. True, there are a few ponies here, and at ChMjM but they cannot well be embarked when we move, nor be procured at a^Wew place on the coast, until success will have rendered them useless in a military point of view. An officer having a moderate regard for his neck, will seldom be found riding in these narrow slip- pery streets, at least out of a walk ; and from what I saw in my only trip into the country, riding is still more useless there, except, perhaps, as a relief on a march. The roads I have seen consist of a narrow paved bank with paddy fields on each side, and are so far safer than the streets, that if you fall it will only be into very watery mud. The troops are very comfortably quartered, the markets well supplied with fish, poultry, pigs,|fine pheasants, venison, cabbages, carrots, onions, kids, goats, and beef, &c. I have mentioned kids, goats, and beef last, because the beef is lean and tasteless, and for kids and goats I entertain an antipathy, in their edihie capacity. The Chinese bread is very good, particu- larly when toasted. Every morning before breakfast the General takes a walk through the market ; and every afternoon he walks all round the ramparts of the city wall, whose paving time has rendered so uneven, that I find it necessary to look to every step I take. This circle is nearly five miles. The town is in shape more like a lady's fan than any thing I can think of. It is nearly surrounded by water, and has six gates. But I have filled the half sheet I prescribed for myself. Note. — The officers were in the habit of going to market, and buying for themselves. On one occasion, the General being present, a Chinese held out a small basket to tempt us, whose contents were two small fat white woolly pup- pies. We laughed, and he heartily joined, being already, I believe, fully aware of our prejudices^ and having only made the offer in joke. The bonne-houche was doubtless picked up by some native. i NINGPO. 31 LETTER XVI. Ningpo, 30th January, 1842. The 26th have not yet arrived, but are hourly expected. We anxiously hope that the new ministry will have sent out ample reinforcements of troops without delay, in order to bring this war to a speedy and honourable termination. I dare say you would like to have a description of Ningpo. The town is nearly five miles round, defended by a high wall, with a rampart, parapet, and banquette. In shape, Capt. likens it to a fan, and I think that is as good a simile as can be found. It has six arched gates, all protected by guard-houses. What with rivers and canals (which last traverse part of the town) Ningpo is surrounded by water within thirty feet of its walls, except a small part, where a portion of the suburbs lies on the inner side of one of the rivers. The ram- parts are high, and upon them generally^jjee carriages might, I think, go abreast ; but the greater part of the rampUP are apparently wider than when first constructed, from the gradual effect of time. The whole mass is propped by huge square buttresses, placed in the interior sides at considerable intervals. There are also occasional square projections or towers, meant, doubtless, to represent bastions, and to afford flank defences ; but they are few in number, and not well constructed. The solid portion of the ramparts is doubtless of earth, and is rendered com- pact by large stones. In short, Ningpo does not appear to differ materially from the old feudal towns of Europe.|MBut the Chinese guns are superior to those of our feudal times. Many of them, indeed, are very good ; but these are supposed to be of very recent construction. The view from the ramparts towards the interior presents generally, beyond the rivers, the endless paddy fields of China, dotted here and there with villages ; while a picturesque range of lofty hills bounds the prospect. A small portion of the town itself near the ramparts is laid out in paddy fields, at present under water. There has been little or no frost, but a good deal of rain, since I arrived. The longest street, running from the east to the west gate, is, I believe, considerably above a mile in length ; but its breadth is such that, generally speaking, only three persons can walk com- fortably abreast in it. The houses of the best streets are generally two stories high. The headquarters' house is a large private building in the shape of two squares, of two stories high, and with two paved court-yards. My apartments are on the ground floor of the inner court. My bedroom, which is also my sit- ting-room, is very comfortably furnished with tables and chairs, not very dif- ferent from those of Europe. The bed itself is in a recess of what may be best described as a room within a room. I have also a fine row of presses of red- painted and varnished wood, curiously locked with a bolt in the centre of a bright circular metal plate a foot and a half in diameter. The rim of this plate is in- laid after the fashion in which the Chinese excel. The light of day struggles into my room through thin white oiled paper, which has (as it requires) a great deal of thin framework to support it. The apartments must always be gloomy in the winter months. Chimneys are things unknown to the Chinese apparentlv. They will have to thank us for the introduction of such earthly comforts into their celestial empire. Iron pans of charcoal are what they use : one of these is generally burning in my apartment. They have a tendency to give head- 32 THE LAST YEAR IN CHINA. ache, and to stupefy; but perhaps, medically speaking, they purify the air, and counteract the effects of the surrounding wet paddy fields. Many of the offi- cers' private rooms, and all the messes, have fireplaces now. There is a very comfortable one in the General's dining-room, which it is no joke to sit before during dinner. I have been several times to the suburbs across the river lead- ing to Yuyaou. No shops were shut up there, as on this side the river, and trade appeared far more active. I went with Captain and Lieutenant , all of us armed ; a necessary precaution. I remarked considerable reluc- tance to deal with us. Probably the people are awed by emissaries from the mandarins, who cannot easily enter the town itself, at least in great numbers. I went to buy stuff to make up a warm jacket after the pattern * # ** * I pur- chased two yards of blue Russian broadcloth at three dollars a yard, and a sheepskin for four dollars ; which has been made into a comfortable and hand- some jacket by a Chinese tailor, after the model lent me by Captain . Like the natives of India, the Chinese are very accurate copyists. While in one of the shops in the suburbs one of the crowd that followed us threw some orange peel, which struck my cap : but when we turned round the offender had vanished. Another day I was insulted again in a lonely passage of the outskirts of the town itself. I avenged myself by a few blows with the flat of my sword ; but I did no execution, owing to a reason I have since met with in " Davis's China;" viz. "I^ummer the nether garment is loose, and not unlike ancient Dutch breeches ; BJPRb winter an indescribable pair of tight leg- gings are drawn on separately over all, and fastened up to the sides of the per- son, leaving the voluminous article of dress above mentioned to hang' out behind in a manner that is any thing but pleasant." In the instance I have mentioned, if not ornamental, this phenomenon was highly useful to my flying foe. I might as well have beaten a pillow. I have always carried a good stick since then, being determined to break the noddle of the next Chinaman who shall trespass on my dignity. They are a most insolent race. Still it is no doubt galling to have foreign barbarians strutting as lords, ^^pre a short time ago their only quarters were cages. Mr. Gutzlaff is at present attached to the personal staff of the General as in- terpreter ; but is, in fact (under Sir Hugh), magistrate, head of the police, &c. He is very clever, and a pleasant companion. He is truly an example that knowledge is power. No other Englishman in Ningpo knows Chinese. The want of interpreters is very much felt. The scattered state of the force limits one to each station of the north, and gives them great authority; and they are men quite unused to command. For aught we can tell, many of their pro- ceedings may be highly impolitic as regards the speedy success of the expe- dition. The Chinese having refused or neglected to pay the tax of one million of dollars set on Ningpo, the prize agents have commenced seizing the stores of pice in the suburbs, under protection of an armed party. The labour of carrying away such treasure may be guessed, when you think that one dollar is equal to 1000 pice. They are packed in strings, which pass through the centre of the coin. Twenty-five dollars' worth forms a load for two Chinamen. The ope- ration of lading the junks commenced a few days ago, and will, it is expected, take a month to complete. Hopes are still entertained that the Chinese mer- chants will come forward and redeem their pice with the demanded silver. If they do not, the tax will of course be increased to compensate the trouble of carrying it away in copper. I went with Captain G , the other day, to see the pice stores. An officer just returned told us there was a very great crowd, and that he was very glad to get away. Another officer hoped we should return safe. I did not more than haif like it. At breakfast I had heard the translation NINGPO. 33 by Mr. Gutzlaif of a letter to the Emperor, from Yihking, governor-general of this province. This gentleman promises to send the emperor the heads of Pot- tinger, Gough, and Parker, and professes his intention of eating their bodies while sitll alive, and afterwards sleeping in their skins. I hope this is a figurative mode of expression ; but it struck me that if Captain G gind myself fell into Yih- king's hands, he might sleep in our skins — en attendant our superiors'. How- ever, when we crossed the river, we found the street and passages leading to the stores cleared of Chinese by means of a very few sentries placed one at each, corner of the streets. Behind these sentries, the mob looked on very peaceably and timidly. At the store itself was a captain's guard, the grenadier company of the 18th Royal Irish. The prize agents were superintending the removal of the coin, which we saw placed in very even regular piles. The bags of pice were carried by Chinamen and Hindoos down to4he river's side, and deposited in two junks placed along- side of a temporary pier of planks, on which walked a single British sentinel. The Hindoo and Mussulman followers of our army being far weaker than the Chinese, were chiefly employed in keeping the latter up to their work. One of Itethem I saw lathering a Chinese porter as if he were a donkey ; and, donkey- like,, he appeared in patience and indifference : thanks partly to the lot of jackets he had on, one over the other, according to the winter fashion of China. Se- veral of the porters had been flogged for secreting some of the coin about their persons, which they contrived to do in spiteJlP* the vigilance with which they were watched, and the great weight and small value of the article purloined. There are several fine josses or temples here of Buddh and Confucius, though not perhaps so curious as the one I saw at Chusan. In the town, near the east gate, are the remains of the prison in which Captain Anstruther and Mrs. Noble were encaged.. Nothing remains but part of the walls. It appears to have been a huge building, with a court yard in the centre. The greater part of the house has been converted.into fire-wood. It was not fitting that such a monu- ment of our disgrace should cont)i|ue to exist. The troops here are chiefly quartered in josses (temples), not far from the house of the general and head-quarters' staff. The inhabitants of Ningpo are said to amount to 300,000. I suppose, of course, that the suburbs are included; yet I cannot believe the amount to be so great. After Macao, and even in com- parison of Tinghae, the capital of Chusan, the shops of Ningpo appear to me poor, and comparatively empty.. The approaching festival of the Chinese new year (which Mr. Gutzlaff tells me commences in ten days' time) may partly account for this ; but it is evident there is more mandarin influence at work here than at Chusan. On the 27th instant, „in consequence of intelligence received by Mr. Gutzlaff from his native police. Major Fawcett, and a party of forty men of the 55th, were ordered out to take some robbers three miles the other side of the suburbs. I obtained leave to accompany this party, which included a subaltern of the 55th and an assistant surgeon. We left the town by the east gate; and the Major and I had much trouble to get our ponies over the river, and were finally obliged to tow them over, — they swimming. This, and recrossing the river on our return, formed the really arduous part of our duty. When we had passed the suburbs, we followed the side of a canal some two or three miles on a narrow paved bank, and over occasional small stone bridges, some of them with flights of steps, and all with two or three steps at least, up and down which the ponies walked as quietly as you or I would.' Paddy fields lined each side of the canak Neatly tiled villages, with roofs of a picturesque bluish gray, were to be seen in all directions ; and fine bold mountains bounded the distant prospect. The police led us at least a quarter of a mile away from the canal to a small village, and pointed out the offending houses. Mr. G. had furnished the commanding officer 5 34 THE LAST YEAR IN CHINA. 1 with a few written energetic sentences, to point out his orders to the head of the police; but we sadly wanted an interpreter with us. From several things I remarked, I opine these police to be very great rogues. We found nothing of any value. We brought away three prisoners, after taking precautions to sur- ' round the house, as if the place had been full of robbers. They should be called thieves, for robbers is too grand a name for such unarmed wretches. However, the bulk of the rogues had doubtless escaped, leaving only the old and the slow ; and the military force was necessarily less on account of the robbers than of the people generally, who cannot approve of the justice of the barbarians, whom they probably as yet regard as a higher class of thieves. LETTER XVII. Ningpo, 12th Feb. 1842. Since I wrote last the 26th hav^arrived, and the force is ready to commence operations as soon as the weatheftecomes mild and settled — probably a month hence. Through the medium of we receive nothingbut warlike rumours oC;the grand intentions of the enemy, and occasional offers to join us on the part of some of the people. A few days ago, a self-styled messenger from the Imperial Commissioner came and gave himself up. He said he was sent to know our terms ; on report- ing which to the commissioner, a high mandarin with full powers to treat would be sent. G. persists in saying the Emperor will never make peace. The messenger was detained here till the arrival of the admiral from Chusan, and then ^dismissed with the information (which they had had long before), that we should treat with no one who had not full powers direct from the Emperor. The messenger was alow mandarin, familiarly styled " Captain White;" which sobriquet he received when sent at a former period of the expedition. GutzlafF, who is very accurate in military titles, will have him to be only a corporal, — construing it as an addi- tional insult in Yihking to send a corporal to treat of peace between two great nations. The probability is, that, judging us by themselves, no mandarins of rank would trust themselves in our hands ; and so they sent the corporal, who knew our character well, as a feeler. A few days ago, I volunteered on a second expedition to a house where some soldiers were said to be concealed in disguise. The military party consisted of a subaltern and twelve soldiers. Gutzlaff's police accompanied us. The house was in the outskirts of the suburb, beyond the west gate, and close to a canal. I saw nothing in it of a military character, unless some huge jars of rice in the process of becoming shamshu deserve the name — a liquor to which our soldiers at least are sadly partial. We took four prisoners. The police then commenced plundering. One fellow was soon clothed in the spoils of the Chinese heroes. We pointed out this rascal to the head of the police, who, with his myrmidons, had been no better employed. He assumed a virtue, if he had it not — made the licensed thief disgorge, and deprived him of his wooden police badge of office. Finding no arms, papers, nor any thing suspicious, we returned the property seized by the police to the weeping woman of the house, and marched away NINGPO 35 with our prisoners, who were tied together hy their tails. When any one of them neglected to keep up, his head was propelled forward in a ludicrous man- ner. Whether these men were really soldiers or not, neither Mr. Gutzlaff nor myself could ever find out. A mob of Chinese, chiefly young men and boys, followed us out and back to the city on our heroic enterprise. I have volunteered no more, though another party was, a few days later, sent out, and returned with equally unsatisfactory results. One thing is certain, the police are a sad set of rogues. I accompanied to Chinhae the other day, going and returning with the tide. From the top of the Artillery Hill we could plainly see the pagoda of Ningpo (a distance of nine or ten miles as the crow flies). I found this, by my compass, to bear W. S. W. of Chinhae. There is, by the bye, a very fine view from the top of the Ningpo pagoda. This country would be very favourable to a small army that wished to con- fine its operations to the defensive ; but is very unfavourable for offensive mea- sures. Manoeuvring and strategy would be almost as impossible as the pursuit of an enemy when vanquished, so numerous and intricate are the canals and rivers. On the plains of Pekin, I should think, this would be otherwise. An army might there be surrounded and destroyed. The day before yesterday was the Chinese new year's day. All the shops were shut up for several days preceding, ancj^the streets nearly empty. A few of them are beginning to re-open. The greatest ornaments of Ningpo are the numerous stone arches (or rather porches, as there is no arch) ornamented with figures of men, animals, flowers, &c., in alto relievo, as neatly cut as if on wood. Specimens of these should, if possible, be carried to England. If the artists could only draw as well as the Greeks and Romans, these carvings would be the wonder of the world. But there is less of genius than of indefatigable labour observable in every thing that is Chinese. They appear to be a patient, laborious, good-natured people, without genius or originality, ambitious to equal, but without the wish to surpass, their ancestors. I dare say you will have been surprised at my silence regarding the women of China. I have not seen twenty since I arrived at Ningpo, and all those of the lowest class, and mostly very old or very young. Yet all have small feet, unlike Macao, where the lower orders, generally, have not been inoculated with this miserable fashion. I bought, the other day, the best specimen of indigenous drawing I have seen in Ningpo, no ninth wonder, I assure you. It represents a young lady apparently stretching herself, as if sleepy, though she is not in a recumbent posture. The shopman asked three dollars for it; I offered him one in a tone of indifference, and turned to something else. He then asked two. Just before quitting the shop, I again offered one. He then came down to " one dollar one rupee," a favourite sum of theirs, to show, I suppose, their extensive knowledge of the English language. I left the shop, but had not gone half a dozen yards, when half a dozen voices shouted, *' Leilo ! one dollar;" so I did return, and carried off the drawing. In traffic the people of Ningpo are not unlike their countrymen at Macao — Arcades ambo ! The Chinese, who behave so cowardly in a body, individually expose their lives for trifles. Many have been shot while getting over the walls with most trifling articles — several for attempting to rob the pice stores, though each man could carry away but a small portion as to value. 160,000 dollars worth of pice has been carried off by us, being the whole of the store mentioned in my former letter. We shall be obliged to carry off other stores, the ransom money coming in but slowly, and in driblets, in spite of the 36 THE LAST YEAR IN CHINA. exertions of Mr. Gutzlaff, at whose suggestion the ransom was fixed uponj instead of the seizure of one-tenth of fiscal property. Note. — The ransom never was paid. What little was obtained was cession to arguments, the strength of which lay neither in logic nor reason. LETTER XVIII. / Ningpo, 24th Feb. 1842. " Arma virumque cano" which means, I hear nothing but wars and rumours of wars. The Chinese, emboldened by our forced stay in winter quarters of four months, appear to be at last really marching upon us in great force. My next letter * # # ^jn contain I hope, the news of a great victory, and I will not send this till after it has taken place, unless our expectations are baulked, and the valiant preparations of the Chinese end figuratively and not literally in smoke. The general does not wish to make any permanent advance for a month, in order not to expose too much the health of his young troops, and also to await the arrival of the troops from Amoy. Besides that " corporal White," mentioned in my last letter, we have (since) had another messenger, a Canton linguist, who spoke very tolerable English, after the Canton fashion. This man only remained one night. I had several conversations with him. He said, •' Chinese soldier no can fight — small man- darin no wish to fight — Chinese soldier no w^ish to fight — great mandarin make him — Emperor make great mandarin fight. — 'Spose English drive out emperor, then have English emperor." All these were answers to my questions. " No English emperor," said I. " If we drive away Tartar emperor, we will give you a Chinese emperor." He replied, " All good 'spose can have China em- peror. / hear many say tfiaV "You come," I continued, " talkee, talkee, to make English sleepy, sleepy." He laughed, and said he was a nobody merely sent to see if we would offer terms. He also said, " Ihear China soldier talkee, talkee, and I laugh," putting his hand before his mouth to show he had laughed in his sleeve, and not openly, at the boastings of his compatriots. /. "Englishman no want to hurt Chinaman except Chinaman attack_ Englishman." He. " I know, g'pose Chinaman wounded — hurt, English doctor he cure himj China soldier cut wounded man throat, that very bad." He pretended to know nothing of his predecessor, the corporal, whom h( greatly surpassed in manners and modesty. /. " How can commissioner send one piece man, and then send ~* 7^ c c «:«:. <1 ' r ^ (tO^ i^Tiyt < <& ■ tC <^<< gigj' < «»'■• ■«' X < C i2 <^ «^< <^*^ «^ V r < cA ^ rc c-c