The wind did not serve to bring us round Great Lema Island. After
tacking several times, and beating about the headland from early in the
morning till two o’clock, the prospect of our being kept in a dangerous
position till after sunset, induced the captain to venture into Yat
Moon Pass, where we should have a direct run into Hong Kong harbor.
The pass between Great Lema and Ya Chou Island was narrow; in some
parts not more than two lengths of the vessel in width. A hidden rock
in the middle of the narrow passage led the captain to deliberate long
before he concluded to enter. Finally it seemed best to make the
venture, rather than beat around the point day after day. The wind
was blowing directly through the pass, the weather was fair, a run of
half an hour would bring us into open sea, beyond the reach of danger.
Accordingly we entered, keeping close to the starboard side, throwing
the lead all the way. The sailors amused themselves with trying to
throw pieces of coal ashore, which now and then they succeeded in
doing. The captain went aloft with his spy glass; we listened with
breathless interest to hear the result of his observation from step
to step, the word “steady” every few moments keeping up our courage.
Everything depended on our meeting a favorable wind at the other end.
Should it be blowing into the pass, or die away and leave us becalmed,
we should not prove to have mended our prospect. We gratefully
acknowledged the good hand of God in causing us to find that the wind
which brought us through the narrows blew in the same direction when we
reached the open sea.
Five miles out, two pilots hailed us from opposite points, each in
his rude sampan, their sails of matting and their oars combining to
bring each first to the ship. The wind favored one, who came astern
and caught a rope, which he nimbly climbed and came aboard. There was
a woman with an oar, sculling and steering, while her husband and one
or two boys and girls managed the sails. On her back her infant was
strapped, a boy sixteen months old, as we were informed. The little
fellow had to endure all the motions of his mother at the oar, peeping
over each of her shoulders by turns, and holding her neck with his
hands. This, we found, is the common mode of life among infants here,
children eight years old being harnessed to the employment of thus
carrying about their infant brothers and sisters.
Hong Kong, or Sweet Waters, is an island off the coast of China, east
of the entrance of the Canton river. It came into the possession of
the British by a treaty with China June 25, 1843. Its length from east
to west is eight miles; its breadth varies from two to six miles.
The surface is mountainous. There are good places of anchorage in
its waters. Violent winds are frequent. The population, which is not
far from forty thousand, is mostly Chinese. It is a free port. Among
the people in the streets are Parsees from Persia, who deal in the
productions of their country; and Sepoys from Hindostan, and elsewhere.
These are police officers and soldiers, intensely black, so much so
that one accustomed to the sight of an African negro with a tinge of
yellow in his complexion, looks at these Sepoys with admiration at
the unqualified blackness of their skin. They are, moreover, tall,
straight, well proportioned men. Some of the districts of Hong Kong
are Stanley, Pokfalum, Aberdeen, Victoria, of which the latter is the
principal, being the seat of government. Victoria Peak, overlooking the
harbor and vicinity, is about eighteen hundred feet high.
We went on shore to church, after our service with the sailors in
the morning, and attended worship at Rev. Dr. Legge’s chapel, known
as “Union Church.” It is a beautiful building, on an elevated spot,
with foliage of the bamboo trees around it. Over the speaker a punka
of blue silk was kept in motion by a coolie out of sight, making it
comfortable for the preacher. Good Dr. Duff protested against punkas
in the church as luxurious and worldly. After being in the East India
climate a while, he said, “I must have a punka over me when I preach
here.” I preached for Dr. Legge the next Sabbath morning, and five or
six other times, and went ashore again in the afternoon occasionally to
the chapel and once heard the Rev. Mr. Turner, a missionary sustained
by a British society, preach to a congregation of Chinese. I was struck
with their devout appearance in prayer. All was unintelligible till the
doxology, in Old Hundred.
English schools for Chinese youth, maintained here by the government,
one of them with over one hundred and fifty young men, taught by Mr.
Stuart, I had the pleasure of visiting, and was interested to hear the
native youths read well in English, with little Chinese accent.
One of the boys about fifteen years of age was pointed out to me as a
Japanese youth. The teacher told me that the custom of Japan obliged a
boy of his rank to wear a short sword in public. I saw the sword of
this youth in his desk, it being laid aside in the school room. One
could not help fancying that such an instrument would not generally be
a recommendation of the wearer as a playmate.