Kathay: A Cruise in the China Seas Part 4

CHAPTER VII.

Visit Hong-Kong--A beautiful Morning--Harbor of Hong-Kong --Settlement of Victoria--Line-of-battle s.h.i.+p Hastings-- Forecastle logic--An arrival from the Northern Seas--Her B. M. S. Herald--Salutes--Description of Victoria--Club House--Health of Hong-Kong--Death vacancies--Feasting and Fetes--Ball--Pic-Nic--Departure from Hong-Kong.

A visit to Hong-Kong had been some time in contemplation, and accordingly on Friday afternoon, twenty-ninth of November, we unmoored, and at three o'clock on Sat.u.r.day morning, weighed the remaining anchor, and drifted with the ebb towards the entrance of the Typa, but sticking fast on a mud bank, had to wait for the next tide, which luckily bore us off on the afternoon of the same day, when we got out and underway.

Upon one of the most beautiful mornings I had ever seen in this climate, Sunday, the first of December, we were approaching Hong-Kong harbor, with easy tacks, and came to anchor off the town at noon.

The harbor is a very fine one, having sufficient depth to float vessels of the largest size, which is indicated by its color, being of a beautiful blue, and forming a strong contrast to that of the Typa, and the waters around Macao, which are discolored by the debouchment of the Canton river.

It is very wide, and commodious, and completely locked by islands, making, I should think, a safe anchorage in the Tyfoong season.

Hong-Kong is also an island, and was ceded to the British by treaty with the Chinese. The settlement on it was called Victoria, but is generally known by the name of Hong-Kong; in fact, I believe you would puzzle some persons if you should call it by the former name. It extends over much ground, and a towering mountain in its rear, upon the base of which a portion of the town is built, has quite a romantic appearance.

Found in harbor Her British Majesty's line-of-battle s.h.i.+p Hastings, bearing the flag of Admiral Austen, and a number of merchantmen of all nations. One, which lay near us, with the Peruvian flag at her gaff, had painted upon her stern, "Iowa, of San Francisco," and I overheard a conversation between two of the men, on the subject of the apparent anomaly. A forecastleman, addressing a petty officer, inquired how she could hail from San Francisco, then belonging to the United States, and fly the Peruvian flag. "Why, look ye, you nincomp.o.o.p," was the reply, "can't there be more'n one Jack Jones on the purser's books, and wherefore shouldn't there be more than one San Francisco in the chart of the world? Doesn't it stand to reason, seeing it's a saint's name, and they're all Catholics along that coast, that they should have a Saint Francisco in Peru?"

This reasoning appeared conclusive, as the subject was dropped. But afterwards I learned that she had been purchased in California, and in a few days her nation was made known, by the word Callao filling the place of that of the Golden City on her stern: although her owner appeared to regret that he had been forced to change her flag, as, I understood, he thought he could have done better in an American bottom.

Upon the afternoon of the day of our arrival, H. B. M. s.h.i.+p Herald came in from the North Seas, on her return, having been six years out from England. No news of Sir John Franklin. Found her officers a fine, gentlemanly set, in excellent health and spirits, and apparently glad of a chance of thawing out.

On Monday saluted the Governor, twenty-one guns, which was returned from the "Murray Battery," a field work on sh.o.r.e, gun for gun. Afterwards gave the Admiral a salute of thirteen guns, returned by the "Hastings"

with fifteen. This appears to be a British Admiral's salute, although we, having no such rank in our service, are not allowed to give him more guns than we give to our highest naval officer, viz., a Commodore. It may be all correct and proper, considering we have no corresponding rank, but if our government would only view the matter in a proper light, and lay aside petty prejudice, it would put our navy officers upon a par with those of other nations, and by giving them a rank, if only in name, ent.i.tle them to the same honors!

What are these officers but representatives of our government abroad, and how are foreign nations to judge of us, but through the weight these officers bear? Appearances and display go a great way with semi-civilized nations!

But I tread upon ground I had intended to avoid, and must step back to a more neutral point--my narrative.

After saluting, official visits were paid to the Governor and Admiral, and I took an opportunity to view the settlement.

There is a striking difference between Macao and Victoria. Here the merchants are princes, and dwell in princely edifices; here is life in the streets, and people move about as if they had an object, and the stranger says at once, "Ah! here is civilization!"

It is true he may not witness the evidence that caused an observing traveller to make such an exclamation upon coming to a gallows; but that proof may not be wanting that human nature requires restraint in all its phases, he will see patrols of policemen with loaded clubs, and Sepoys, having a carbine, or small rifle slung across their shoulders, parading in great profusion.

Another difference will be remarked between this place and Macao, which is, whilst Macao presents its best features in approaching it from seawards, Victoria makes but little show from the water, and if a person were only to have seen it from the harbor, he would set it down as a very inconsiderable place. It is only when you land, and after walking up one of the narrow slips, you pa.s.s through a gate into the "Queen's Road," that any thing can be seen of the town. It is true, as I have before stated, that some fine houses may be noticed on the base of the mountain, but upon this road, the princ.i.p.al portion of the town is built, and that cannot be seen from the water, owing to the houses being built down to its edge, having their entrances from the "Road."

This avenue is wide, and well graded, having a fine carriage way and _banquettes_ for pedestrians on either side.

The houses are mostly built of a beautiful light-colored granite, and are of an imposing style of architecture. For a distance of nearly two miles along this princ.i.p.al thoroughfare, you come, every few rods, upon some public or private building that would do credit to any city. There are large, commodious barracks, hospitals, ordnance storehouses, interspersed with the dwellings of merchants, all built of this solid-looking building material.

But the pride of the colony should be its club-house, which is the finest looking building in the place of its style. It is very extensive, and built of blocks of granite, with a splendid front, a facade supported by a number of large granite pillars; and its interior arrangements correspond with its external appearance.

Ascending by steps from the street, you enter, from a wide portico, which extends along the entire front, upon a large open hall, in which are entrances to different apartments--billiard rooms, writing, smoking, and general reception rooms, and the superintendent's apartments. Two wide flights of stairs bring you to the upper story, or _au premier_ as the French would call it.

Here are a suite of rooms, extending along the whole front, in which are newspapers from all parts of the world, materials and tables for writing, and all kinds of couches, divans, &c., for lounging. You can step from these rooms upon a magnificent balcony, corresponding with the porch below, where you can enjoy such refreshments as you may be pleased to order, _al fresco_ if you choose.

Another large apartment is used as a restaurant, and in another place is a fine library. Upon the floor above are sleeping apartments, baths, &c., and the attic furnishes rooms for coolies and attendants.

Through the attention of our consul, we had the entree and use of this desirable place, and never did tired traveller enjoy the friendly welcome of an inn, after a weary journey, more than I did this hall of ease. Like the dove, I had found a resting-place from the waste of waters, and loth, very loth was I to return to my home upon the deep.

With all its attractions, however, Victoria will never become a desirable place of residence, on account of its insalubrity. Macao has very much the advantage over it in this respect, as indeed in every other, where natural causes are considered; and never was the difference between races so apparent as in the position and condition of these two settlements in China.

It cannot but be sickly in Hong-Kong in the summer season, and without entering into explanations of the cause, I merely state the fact, that during the summer of 1850, more than one-third of Her Majesty's fifty-ninth regiment were cut off by diseases incident to the climate.

And the remark of an officer attached to Her Majesty's service, that it was a fine place for _death vacancies_, has more truth than poetry in it, I trow.

We were feted and feasted here to our heart's content. Among those who were most forward to do us honor, I must mention our own Consul, and Mr. Burd, Consul of the Swedish government. These gentlemen, who did us so much good, need hardly blush for this publicity of their deeds.

The officers of the Hastings gave a grand ball, to which our officers were invited, whilst the "Heralds" proved by their kind attentions that their cruise in the hyperborean regions of the North, had in nowise chilled the warm current of their hearts.

A pic-nic had been gotten up for the eighteenth of December, but the arrival of the mail on that day prevented many from attending, who would otherwise have been glad to have explored the island in pleasant company. As we only waited for our letters, as soon as they were received we were forced to bid a reluctant adieu to hospitable Hong-Kong.

CHAPTER VIII.

China--Limited opportunities--The Chinese nation compared with others--Its antiquity--Magnitude of territory and practicability of laws--Supposed origin of the Chinese-- Fables of their early writers--Explanation of their exaggerations--Foundation of the Empire--Chinese traditions compared with sacred history--Similarity of events--Wise men of the East--Introduction of Buddhism--Arts and Sciences-- The Magnetic Needle--Discovery of Gunpowder--Origin of the name--China--Che-Hw.a.n.g-te, King of Tsin--Parallel between him and Napoleon--Religion--Confucius--The Taouists-- Buddhism--A Buddhist's idea of Heaven.

A chapter descriptive of China may not inappropriately fill up a period, during which I was ill and convalescent at Macao; although, for a person situated as I was, the attempt to describe the character of a people, covering such an extensive portion of the globe (having only had a peep at them through a few of their outermost ports, and these considerably Europeanized), is somewhat like the efforts of one to give an idea of Saint Peter's at Rome, after a single glimpse through its portals.

However, I may venture to speak of these people from what I have seen, fully aware that plenty of more potential pens, held by persons who have lived longer among them, and penetrated their country to a greater extent than I shall ever be able to do, have given their peculiarities to the public.

Another difficulty prevents a better knowledge of their forms and systems, and that is ignorance of their language, and the disposition of those with whom one can communicate to mislead and misinform the inquirer. For much as their interests may lead them to pretend to it, they really have but little respect for the "outside barbarian."

The Chinese are, not only numerically but comparatively, a great people, and their government (the oldest now known) a marvel and a wonder. As a nation, they have consistently carried on their system, whilst other congregations of people, arising successively upon the sea of Time, have spent their force and dashed their sparkling particles upon the sh.o.r.es of Oblivion. They, like the ocean, though occasionally vexed by storms and convulsions, still cover the expanse allotted to them.

The Egyptian, who held the Jew captive, became himself a slave. The "people of G.o.d," who broke through and displaced the nations of the plain, vainly opposing their pa.s.sage to the promised land, themselves at last dispersed, sought refuge throughout the world; when the "Holy City"

Jerusalem became in turn a prey to the Roman. And Rome, the mistress of the world! Rome, too, was blotted from the list of nations.

An empire, which, extending from ninety-eight to one hundred and twenty-three degrees of east longitude, and eighteen to forty-two north lat.i.tude; bounded on the north by Russia and Siberia, on the east by the great Pacific Ocean; south by the islands (many of them independent powers) which fill the China Sea, and disconnect it from the Indian Ocean; and westward by the independent Tartar nations, covering with its dependent provinces an area of five millions of square miles, of which only about one-fourth is included within the geographical limits of China proper, governs, at the present time, a population of four hundred millions of souls (a proportion of one-third of the estimated inhabitants of the globe), with a code of laws which has been handed down from the earliest ages of which we have a knowledge.

Situated on a continent, supposed to have been selected by the Creator as the spot on which to place the first of the human race; upon which, as is told in holy writ, at the Divine command, light first burst upon the world, it is singular that this part of Asia should so long have remained in darkness, and that even now conjecture loses itself in searching for the origin of this peculiar people.

If we take the first book of the Pentateuch for our guide, we must come to the conclusion, that in the confusion of tongues at the building of Babel, when the Lord said, as is described in the eleventh chapter of that book, "Let us go down and there confound their language, so that they may not understand one another's speech;" "and from thence the Lord did scatter them abroad upon the face of the earth;" that this nation formed a portion of those presumptuous builders, who, in their migrations, settled down upon the banks of the Yellow River, and there multiplying, gradually peopled this vast surface.

Their early traditions, indeed, appear to extend beyond the period of the flood, and from these the "dark idolater of chance," who would rejoice to prove that "Book of Books" a splendid fable, draws his deductions. But how he fails. The learned men of China, those held in the greatest repute amongst a people where such a reputation is not easily obtained, themselves admit, that the history of their empire in its infancy, is, for the most part, apocryphal, and that the myths of these early writers are only to be considered as such, and are not to affect its chronology.

Indeed, the character of the language, when it refers to superior powers, has such a tendency to exaggeration, as to afford great facilities to those who would construe it to suit this particular purpose.[1]

The Chinese historians speak of their Celestial Emperor, who reigned forty-five thousand years! They also name a Terrestrial Emperor, whose reign extended eighteen thousand years! And they had, in addition, a Human Emperor, who occupied the throne for the same period, in succession. There is then their fabulous period, which commences with the creation of man, when Pwan-Koo (First Man) was produced. After which the Celestial Emperor, Teen-Hw.a.n.g-She, "Imperial Heaven,"

settled the years, taking eighteen thousand years to perform this task. Succeeded by Te-Hw.a.n.g-She, "Royal Earth,"--who is said to have devoted the same period to fix the months. After Royal Earth comes Jin-Hw.a.n.g-She,--"Sovereign Man,"--who divided the land, and was forty-five thousand years about it.

Following the string of their traditions, we come down to two thousand three hundred and fifty-six years before Christ, when was founded the first dynasty,--that of Te-yaou,--according to their chronology, Hea being Emperor, or Chief, as De Guignes rationally supposes. This is about the time of the dispersion of the human family, and, I think, the proper date for the birth of this nation. Let that be as it may, there is a great similarity between their traditions and our sacred record.

Their first man was produced by superior power, and was placed over the inferior animals.