----"All the deep
Is restless change." * * *
PREPARATIONS FOR THE NORTH.--AMOY.--WUSUNG,
AND WHAT BEFELL US THERE.
Whatever pretensions to beauty our ship may have possessed on leaving
England--and that she possessed some it is but fair to add--have been
greatly marred by the late voyage, and especially by the washing down we
encountered on the trip from Manilla. The effect has been to reduce our
once fairy and glistening hull to a jaundiced mass of rust and stains.
Therefore are we to go into "weeds." Black certainly gives an iron-clad
a more man-of-war look, and a more war-like effect, to say nothing of
the superior ease with which it can be kept clean.
January 22nd.--The Chinese new-year's day.--I should consider even such
a poor account of the Chinese as this professes to be very incomplete,
did it not contain something as to the manner the people observe the
festival of the new year. And just a word before I start. It must not be
supposed that I gained the information, if it be worthy to be classed as
such, on a first visit to Hong Kong. This part of my "journal,"
including the previous chapter, has received the corrections and
additions of nearly four years' experience.
The Chinese new year--a movable feast--depending, like all their
chronological measurements, on the motions of the moon, may occur as
early as it does this year, or it may fall as late as the middle of
February. It is to the celestials what Christmas day is to us, and is
observed by every true Chinaman most religiously: not, be it understood,
religiously in our and the common acceptation of the term--for China has
no religion--it possesses a gigantic superstition; but between a
superstition and a religion, I need scarcely add, a vast difference
exists. To the practical mind of John Chinaman, religious observances
are made to subordinate themselves to worldly interests.
During the time we have been on the station the Shanghai district was
once suffering from extreme drought. The rain-god was appealed to--still
no rain came. Well, what was to be done? This. The god was admonished,
that if rain came not within a certain period something terrible would
happen to him. Still no rain. The exasperated priests and people then
took measures to execute their threat. Putting a rope around the idol,
the people, with their united efforts, pulled him to the ground to
suffer further outrages at the hands of an ungrateful mob. Thus much for
their _religion_. But to continue.
The last month in the old year is spent in elaborate preparation for the
coming one. All arrears of business are made up, all accounts closed and
punctually discharged, whilst everyone works his hardest to increase his
stock of money.
At midnight on the last of the old year a bell is heard to toll, at
which signal everybody rushes into the streets, armed with squibs,
crackers, Catherine wheels, and other blatant pyrotechnical
compositions; and as each tries to outdo his neighbour in the din he
creates, the noise accompanying their discharge is the most satisfactory
possible. The temples and pagodas are brilliantly lighted with colored
lamps and colored candles, whilst similar candles and "joss-sticks," and
gold and silver paper, illumine the interiors of their, at other times,
grimy and dingy abodes. When morning arrives, the streets present a
curious spectacle--everybody seems to be shaking hands with _himself_. A
Chinaman, on meeting and saluting a friend, instead of seizing his hand,
as we should, clasps his own hands together, the right hand grasping the
left, which he sways up and down in front of his body.
Each person, too, is dressed in the newest and costliest dress he can
afford; and as there is but one universal fashion of garment in China,
everybody tries to surpass everybody else in the richness of the
material of which his clothes are made. The children, in particular,
come out well, the girls especially, with highly-rouged and powdered
cheeks and necks, gaudily decorated "queue" (for that appendix is not
confined to the one sex), and silk dresses of the most beautiful colors.
The whole scene has a very stage-like and brilliant effect.
It is worthy of remark, as shewing another trait in this truly
remarkable race, that though they manufacture a very fiery liquor
(called "_samshaw_") from rice, yet you will rarely see a drunken
Chinaman in the streets. As far as I can remember I have met with only
one such, and he a servant on board our ship, who had adopted a liking
for rum because, I suppose, it is the custom for a sailor to drink what
is issued to him.
The harbour, too, has its distinctive features on this gay and festive
occasion. Every junk is covered with great pennons of silk in the most
startling colors, whilst from every available space small oblong pieces
of paper, with characters written on them, flutter to the breeze. These
are "_joss-papers_," and contain prayers for wealth, prosperity, and (if
they have not one already) an heir, "_joss_" is the generic name they
give to their idols, and the whole ritual they call "_joss pidgin_." The
priests they name "_joss-men_," an appellation, too, they somewhat
irreverently bestow on our naval chaplains. One of the largest junks,
with a priest on board, and containing all the vessels and objects
pertaining to their ritual, makes the circuit of the harbour--the priest
meanwhile burning prayers and setting off crackers for a blessing on the
supply of fish for the ensuing year.
January 29th.--This evening the officers gave their first theatrical
entertainment on board, the acting of some of the characters being
pronounced above the average; one or two of the younger midshipmen, to
whom the parts fell, made very tempting and graceful ladies.
February 14th.--This day finds us at the back of the island preparing
for target practice. In one of the bays here is an admirable natural
target: a solitary rock rising perpendicularly from the sea, with a mark
painted on it, is a most interesting thing to fire at, for you can
observe the effect of your shot. Behind this rock sloped a hill, on
which were seated, though unknown to us, two Chinamen; the first
half-a-dozen rounds were so true that the unseen watchers had no
suspicion they were in dangerous quarters, or that it was possible that
even the Duke's marksmen were fallible; the seventh round disillusioned
them, for, from a slight fault in the elevation, the shot over-reached
the target and pitched so close to the Chinamen that stones and rubbish
came rattling down from everywhere about their ears; fear lent them
wings, and they scampered off like the wind. They may be running now for
aught I know, as when we last saw them the horizon seemed to be the goal
they were aiming at.
March 10th.--We were to have put to sea to-day had not a melancholy and
fatal accident changed the whole course of events. Richard Darcy, a
young seaman, whilst engaged on the crosstrees fell to the deck,
striking the rail on the topgallant forecastle in his fall. His body was
frightfully mangled and torn, his scull fractured, and all his limbs
broken. Mercifully he never regained consciousness. Next day we buried
him in the beautiful cemetery of Happy Valley, than which there are few
more picturesque spots in China; 'twas surely a poetic fancy which
inspired the Chinese with the term "_happy_" when naming this sylvian
vale.
In the afternoon we slipped from the buoy and steamed seaward for
tactics, returning the following day to prepare for going in dock.
March 26th.--The last day for our stay in Aberdeen. A special steam
launch had arrived from Hong Kong during the forenoon with all the élite
of the city to see the floating of our ship. However, they were doomed
to disappointment, for, on the tide reaching its highest, it was found
the ship refused to move, nor would she start, though every effort was
made to coax her. It was not until the next tide, assisted by a strong
breeze, that the ship once more rested in deep water.
With characteristic expedition and commendable zeal, our captain had the
ship ready for sea, and awaiting orders in the briefest possible time.
April 21st.--Early this morning that pleasant sound, the cable rattling
through the hawse, told us that we had bid good-bye to Victoria, for a
few months at least. A rather stiff breeze was blowing at the time--a
sufficient hint that we might possibly meet with something rash outside;
nor was the hint to be disregarded, for, scarcely had we cleared the
mouth of the harbour, when, what sailors call a "_sneezer_," accompanied
by a green sea in all our weather ports, met us as an introduction to
our northern cruise. So threatening was the look of the sky, and
remembering that in these seas old Boreas often indulges his fancy in a
gentle zephyr called a typhoon, it was deemed expedient to seek shelter
for the night.
On the third day out we reached Amoy, or rather the outside anchorage of
that harbour, to await daylight for the passage up to the town.
So far as the little island settlement forming the foreign concession
can make it so, Amoy is a pretty enough place; otherwise it is like all
other Chinese towns, and wont bear too close a scrutiny. It is built on
an island of the same name, and is walled in by several miles of
embrasured masonry; a fort or barracks on the beach, gay with pennons,
imparting a semi-military look to the place. Flags seem to play a most
important part in the usages of war amongst this nation, for, in
addition to the great banners of the mandarins and their subordinates,
every soldier bears one in the muzzle of his rifle, or stuck in a bamboo
over his shoulder.
Resuming our course, after a stay of about forty-eight hours, we next
touched at the island of White Dogs, off the port of Foo-Choo, the great
naval depôt and arsenal of China. The "Vigilant" had preceded us here to
embark the admiral for Foo-Choo, whilst we put to sea again.
April 30th.--At daylight we found ourselves amongst an archipelago of
picturesque and richly cultivated islands, one mass of greenery from
base to summit. The effect produced by the different tints of the
foliage was very fine indeed. Beyond a doubt the Chinese exhibit great
skill and economy in the gardener's art.
This was the approach to Chusan, the largest island of the group, at
which we anchored at noon. The place fell under a British attack in
1841, remaining in our possession until the more convenient and more
valuable island of Hong Kong was ceded to us in exchange. Before us lies
a considerable town called Tinghae, where are buried many of our poor
fellow countrymen and their families who fell victims to fever and the
attacks of a cruel enemy during the occupation. We found their graves in
a very neglected condition, many of the tombstones having been
appropriated by the inhabitants to prop up those architectural
abominations which it would be a libel to term houses. Admiral Coote
subsequently sent the "Modeste" down with orders to repair the burial
ground; the misappropriated stones were speedily restored to their
places by the blue-jackets, who dealt with the natives in a very summary
manner by wrecking their houses about their ears.
It was not long before a sleek old Chinaman, rejoicing in the imposing
Chin-English name of "_Chin-Chang-Jim-Crow_," came on board and
introduced himself as "me de bumboat"; he further explained that it was
so long since a man-of-war had been in that neighbourhood, that probably
he would experience some difficulty in procuring "_Chow_."
In the course of a day or so the admiral arrived from Ningpo, which was
the signal for our at once heaving up anchor and continuing our voyage.
We are now in the estuary of one of the noblest rivers of the world,
and the largest in China. It is estimated that this river, the
Yang-tsze-Kiang, "Son of the Ocean," brings seaward, annually, as much
solid matter as would make an island as large as Ireland! The
navigation of its mouth is extremely dangerous, on account of the
constantly-shifting sandbanks and consequent alteration of the channel.
Fortunately, the European pilots are very skilful in detecting these
changes. It is usual for large ships to drop anchor on this mud,
locally termed the "flats," until boarded by a pilot, who takes you
either to Wosung or Shanghai, according to your draught of water.
Wosung scarcely merits the name of town; perhaps with more accuracy it
might be termed a village. It is nevertheless, the head quarters of a
large junk fleet, and has one of the finest and strongest forts in China
to protect it from seaward. The place is interesting to us in one sense,
because in 1875 an English company obtained permission to construct a
line of rail from here to Shanghai.
China, with its four thousand years of existence, looked on this
innovation with a jealous eye, and would have pitched the whole concern
into the river, had she dared; unfortunately the line was carried near a
burying ground, and thus a ready excuse for stopping the work presented
itself. It was alleged that the noise would disturb the spirits of the
dead, of whom the Chinese are in ghostly fear. An almost similar
difficulty was met when the arsenal was built at Foo-Choo, and a
magnificent temple was actually erected in that city for the
accommodation of the refugee spirits.
To bring matters to a climax a man was run over by one of the trucks and
killed. The mandarins could no longer hold out against the popular
voice, and the whole plant was bought up by the Government for twice the
sum the projectors had spent about it.
This is the brief history of the first and, up to now, the only attempt
to introduce railways into China; but the late Kuldja difficulty, and
the ease with which the Russians had brought an army to their Siberian
frontier, have caused the Chinese to open their eyes to the advantage of
railways for strategic, if for no other purpose, and I believe a line is
already in contemplation between Tien-tsin and the capital.
Owing to a blunder on the part of the pilot, so some said, and some
others, in consequence of someone else's blunder, our anchor was dropped
too near a mud bank, with the result that when the ship swung to a firm
knot current, up she went high and dry. Means were at once taken to get
her off, but by the time all the necessary arrangements were
completed--and there was no time lost either--the tide had ebbed
considerably.
In the middle watch of this, the "Iron Duke's" first night on the
Chinese territory, the steel hawser was brought to the capstan, but a
piece of yarn would have been equally efficacious; for, under the
immense strain, it snapped like a bow string, and, as there was now
nothing to keep the stern in check, away she went broadside on to the
difficulty.
Meantime a telegram had been wired to the admiral at Shanghai, and next
day all the available help at that port came down the river to our
assistance; besides the "Vigilant," "Eyera," "Midge," and "Growler,"
there were two American war vessels, the "Monocasy" and "Palos," also a
Chinese paddle steamer.
On the third night a combined attempt was made to either haul us off or
to pull us to pieces. With all their tugging they effected neither the
one nor the other, and, had not nature "lent us a fin"--in the shape of
a breeze of wind--we might have been lying there to this day; a few
pulls on our hawsers and we had the satisfaction of feeling that the
dear old craft was once more on her proper element. The commander of one
of the American ships afterwards commenting on the difficulty
experienced in removing us, hailed our captain with "Guess, Cap'n, that
piece of machinery of yours is lumpy!" "Rather, Jonothan, I calculate."
Had we not floated to-day the alternative was rather consoling; nothing
less than the removal of all our heavy guns and spars.
Before our departure Shanghai was all astir at the visit of General
Grant of the United States. Ostensibly, the general is travelling
_incog._, but really as the representative of the United States, for he
flies the "stars and stripes" at the main, and gets a salute of
twenty-one guns wherever he goes. For some reason or other we did not
salute as he passed up the river.
May 22nd saw us clearing out of the dangerous precincts of the Shanghai
river and shaping our course across the turbid waters of the Yellow Sea
for pastures new--that is to say--for Japan. Under double-reefed canvas
and a nine knot breeze we sighted land in the vicinity of Nagasaki on
the 25th, and by evening our anchor "kissed the mud" in as lovely a spot
as ever mortal set eyes on. But I will reserve my eulogies for another
chapter.