attended to the accounts that generally have been given of these two
people, to meet with a comparison between the most polished and the most
barbarous, the wisest and the most ignorant of mankind; and I am
therefore the less surprized at at an observation made by the writers
of the Critical Review "that the foetus of the Hottentots may resemble
the Chinese, as the entrails of a pig resemble those of a man; but on
this topic our ingenious author seems to wander beyond the circle of his
knowledge." I hope these gentlemen will not be offended at my taking
this occasion to assure them that the comparison was not even then made
on loose grounds, although no inference was drawn from it, and that on a
closer examination, I am the more convinced of their near resemblance in
mental as well as physical qualities. The aptitude of a Hottentot in
acquiring and combining ideas is not less than of a Chinese, and their
powers of imitation are equally great, allowance being made for the
difference of education; the one being continually from his infancy
brought up in a society where all the arts and conveniences of life are
in common use; the other among a miserable race of beings in constant
want even of the common necessaries of life.
But as assertions and opinions prove nothing, I have annexed the
portrait of a real Hottentot, drawn from the life by Mr. S. Daniell, in
order to compare it with one of a Chinese, taken also from the life by
Mr. Alexander; and I have no doubt that a close comparison of these
portraits will convince the reader, as well as the reviewer, that the
resemblance I remarked to have found was not altogether fanciful.
[Illustration: _W. Alexander del^t T. Medland sculp^t_
_A Chinese_]
[Illustration: _T. Medland sculp^t S. Daniell del^t_
_A Hottentot_]
Indeed the people that have derived their origins from the same stock
with the Chinese, are more widely scattered over the Asiatic continent
and the oriental islands than is generally imagined. All those
numerous societies, known under the common name of Malays, are
unquestionably descended from the ancient inhabitants of Scythia or
Tartary; and it may perhaps be added, that their connection with the
Arabs and their conversion to Islamism first inspired, and have now
rendered habitual, that cruel and sanguinary disposition for which they
are remarkable; for it has been observed that the natives of those
islands, to which the baleful influence of this religion has not
extended, have generally been found a mild and inoffensive people; as
was the case with regard to the natives of the Pelew islands when
discovered by Captain Wilson.
The perusal of Mr. Marsden's excellent history of Sumatra leaves little
doubt on my mind that a Chinese colony at some early period has settled
on that island. This author observes that the eyes of the Sumatrans are
little, and of the same kind as those of the Chinese; that they suffer
their nails to grow long; that they excel in working fillagree, making
gunpowder, &c. that they register events by making knots on cords; that
they count decimally, write with a style on bamboo; that they have
little hair on their bodies and heads, which little, like the Chinese,
they extract. In their language, many words, I perceive, are similar;
and the corresponding words express the same idea in both languages; but
on etymological comparisons I would be understood to lay little stress,
for reasons which will be assigned in the sixth chapter. The similitude
of a religious ceremony is much stronger ground to build upon; and the
coincidence is sufficiently remarkable, that the manner practised by the
Sumatrans in taking a solemn oath should exactly agree with the same
ceremony which is used in giving a solemn pledge among the common
people of China, namely, by wringing off the head of a cock. Captain
Mackintosh told me that having once occasion to place great confidence
in the matter of a Chinese vessel, and doubting lest he might betray it,
the man felt himself considerably hurt, and said he would give him
sufficient proof that he was to be trusted. He immediately procured a
cock, and, falling down on both knees, wrung off his head; then holding
up his hands towards heaven, he made use of these words: "If I act
otherwise than as I have said, do thou, _o tien_, (Heaven) deal with me
as I have dealt with this cock!"
I have since been informed, from the best authority, that whenever, in
the course of the concerns of the British East India Company with the
merchants of China, it may be necessary to administer an oath to a
Chinese, the same ceremony is gone through of wringing off the head of a
cock, which is by them considered in a very serious light, a sort of
incantation, whose effects upon their minds are not unlike those
produced by supposed magic spells, once common in our own country, by
which the vulgar were persuaded that the Devil was to be made to appear
before them. In a Chinese court of justice an oath is never
administered. In a late affair, where a Chinese was killed by a seaman
of a British man of war, and the Captain was about to administer an oath
to two of his people whom he produced as evidences in a Chinese court of
justice, the chief judge was so shocked, that he ordered the court to be
instantly cleared.
The _Cingalese_ are unquestionably of Chinese origin. Those who are
acquainted with the Chinese manners and character, will immediately
perceive the very close resemblance, on reading Mr. Boyd's relation of
his embassy to the King of Candy. _Sin-quo_, kingdom of _Sin_, (from
whence Sina, or China,) are Chinese words; the termination is European.
So also is the name of the island Chinese, _See-lan_, _See-long_, or
_See-lung_, the Western Dragon, in conformity to an invariable custom of
assigning the name of some animal to every mountain.
Having no intention, however, to investigate minutely the extent of
Chinese navigation and commerce in ancient times, but rather to confine
my observations to their present state, I return from this digression,
in order to proceed on our voyage.
One of the small brigs, attending the expedition, was dispatched without
loss of time to the port of _Chu-san_, to take on board the pilots that,
agreeable to the order contained in the Imperial edict, were expected to
be found in readiness to embark. In some of the passages, formed by the
numerous islands, the currents ran with amazing rapidity, appearing more
like the impetuous torrents of rivers, swelled by rains, than branches
of the great ocean. The depth too of these narrow passages was so great
as to make it difficult, dangerous, and frequently impossible, for ships
to anchor in the event of a calm; in which case they must necessarily
drive at the mercy of the stream. As we approached, in the Clarence
brig, the high rocky point of the continent called _Kee-too_, which
juts into the midst of the cluster of islands, the wind suddenly failed
us; and the current hurried us with such velocity directly towards the
point, that we expected momentarily to be dashed in pieces; but on
coming within twice the length of the ship of the perpendicular
precipice, which was some hundred feet high, the eddy swept her round
three several times with great rapidity. The Captain would have dropped
the anchor, but an old Chinese fisherman, whom we had taken on board to
pilot us, made signs that it was too deep, and, at the same time, that
there was no danger, except that of the bowsprit striking against the
mountain. The Chinese vessels have no bowsprit. At this moment the lead
was thrown, but we got no soundings at the depth of one hundred and
twenty fathoms; yet the yellow mud was brought up from the bottom in
such quantities, that the Nile, at the height of its inundations, or the
great Yellow River of China, could not be more loaded with mud than the
sea was in the whirlpool of _Kee-too_ point. The current, in the Strait
of Faro, setting directly upon the rocks of Scylla, and the whirlpool of
Charybdis, those celebrated objects of dread to ancient navigators,
could not possibly have been more awfully terrific, though perhaps more
dangerous, than the currents and the eddies that boiled tumultuously
round this promontory of the Chinese continent, where,
"When the tide rushes from her rumbling caves
The rough rock roars, tumultuous boil the waves;
They toss, they foam, a wild confusion raise,
Like waters bubbling o'er the fiery blaze."
The second whirl removed us to a considerable distance from the point,
and, after the third, we were swept rapidly along in a smooth uniform
current. Our interpreter, a Chinese priest, who had been educated in the
college _de propaganda fide_ at Naples, was not quite so composed as his
countryman the pilot. The poor fellow, indeed, had nearly been thrown
overboard by the boom of the mainsail, in the first, which was the most
rapid, whirl of the ship; the same blow striking a sailor tossed his hat
overboard; and it afforded some amusement, in our supposed perilous
situation, to hear the different ejaculations of these two persons on
the same occasion. _Sanctissima Maria, est miraculum, est miraculum!_
exclaimed the priest, with great eagerness; whilst the sailor, rubbing
his head, and walking away, with much composure observed, _that the
d--n'd boom had carried away his fore-top-gallant cap!_
The Chinese, it seemed, had already been apprized of our arrival, for we
had not proceeded far before a large vessel bore down towards us, and,
hailing the brig in their own language, desired we would bring her to
anchor, and that they would conduct us early the following morning into
the harbour of Chu-san. Some of the officers came on board, were
extremely civil, and presented us with a basket of fruit; but they
affected to know nothing of the occasion that had brought us thither.
Our old fisherman took out of the sea, (among thousands that had floated
round out vessel) one of those animal substances which, I believe, we
vulgarly call _sea blubbers_ (Mollusca _medusa porpita_). If was at
least a foot in diameter. Having dressed it for his supper, and seeing
it wear the inviting appearance of a transparent colourless jelly, I was
tempted to taste it; but the effect produced by this, or the fruit, or
both, was a severe sickness, which continued for several days.
We weighed anchor at day-break, and, with a pleasant breeze, sailed in
company with the clumsy-looking _junk_, which, however, to the surprise
of our seamen, sailed quite as well as the smart-looking Clarence.
Having anchored before the town, in a spacious bason formed by several
islands, and paid the usual compliment of a salute, a few Mandarines
(officers of government so named by the early Portugueze from _mandar_,
to command) came on board. To every question that led to the main point
of our visit, these people gave us evasive answers, affecting the most
complete ignorance of every thing relating to the affairs of the
embassy. They said the _Tsung-ping_, or military governor of the island,
was then absent, but that he would return in the course of the day, and
would be happy to see us on shore the following morning. Chinese
etiquette, I suppose, required that a day should elapse before our
reception in form.
Accordingly, at an early hour in the morning the gentlemen of the
embassy, who had been sent on this business, went on shore, and were
received by the Governor with great politeness, and abundant ceremony,
in his hall of public audience, which, as a building, had little to
attract our notice. The usual minute enquiries being gone through,
which, it seems, Chinese good-breeding cannot dispense with, such as the
health of his visitors, of their parents and relations, and
particularly the name and age of each person, the object of our visit
was explained to him; and at the same time a hope expressed that there
would be no delay in getting the pilots on board. The old gentleman
appeared to be much surprized at such violent haste, and talked of
plays, feasts, and entertainments, that he meant to give us. Pilots,
however, he said, were ready to take charge of the ships, and to carry
them along the coast to the next province, where others would be found
to conduct them still farther. On being told that such a mode of
navigation was utterly impracticable for the large English ships, and
that such pilots would be of no use to us, he begged to be allowed the
remainder of the day to enquire for others. We little expected to have
met with any difficulties with regard to pilots, in one of the best and
most frequented ports in China, where, at that time several hundred
vessels were lying at anchor. The remainder of the day was spent in a
visit to the city of _Ting-hai_; but the crowd became so numerous, and
the day was so excessively hot, that before we had passed the length of
a street, we were glad to take refuge in a temple, where the priests
very civilly entertained us with tea, fruit, and cakes. The officer who
attended us advised us to return in sedan chairs, an offer which we
accepted; but the bearers were stopped every moment by the crowd, in
order that every one might satisfy his curiosity by thrusting his head
in at the window, and exclaiming, with a grin, _Hung-mau! Englishman_,
or, literally, _Redpate!_ Rather disappointed than gratified, we were
glad, after a fatiguing day, to throw ourselves into our cots on board
the Clarence.
When we went on shore the following morning, we found the military
governor, attended by a civil magistrate, by whom, after the usual
compliments, we were addressed, in a long oration, delivered apparently
with a great deal of solemnity, the intention of which was to convince
us that, as it had been the practice of the Chinese, for time
immemorial, to navigate from port to port, experience had taught them it
was the best. Finding, however, that his eloquence could not prevail on
his hearers to relinquish their own opinions on the subject, the
governor and he consulted together for some time, and at length resolved
that a general muster should be made of all the persons in that place,
who had at any time visited by sea the port of _Tien-sing_.
A number of soldiers were accordingly dispatched, and soon returned,
with a set of the most miserable-looking wretches I ever beheld; who
were thrust into the hall, and dropping on their knees, were examined in
that attitude, as to their qualifications. Some, it appeared, had been
at the port of _Tien-sing_, but were no seamen; others followed the
profession, but had never been at that port; and several were hauled in,
who had never set a foot on board a vessel of any description
whatsoever. In short, the greater part of the day was consumed to no
purpose; and we were about to conclude that we had a great chance of
leaving the central and much frequented harbour of _Chu-san_, without
being able to procure a single pilot, when two men were brought in, who
seemed to answer the purpose better than any which had yet been
examined. It appeared, however, that they had quitted the sea for many
years, and being comfortably settled in trade, had no desire to engage
in the present service; on the contrary, they begged on their knees that
they might be excused from such an undertaking. Their supplications were
of no avail. The Emperor's orders must be obeyed. In vain did they plead
the ruin of their business by their absence, and the distress it would
occasion to their wives, their children, and their families. The
Governor was inexorable; and they were ordered to be ready to embark in
the course of an hour.
This arbitrary proceeding of the Governor conveyed no very exalted ideas
of the justice or moderation of the government, or of the protection it
afforded to the subject. To drag away from his family an honest and
industrious citizen, settled in trade, and to force him into a service
that must be ruinous to his concerns, was an act of injustice and
violence that could not be tolerated in any other than a despotic
government, where the subject knows no laws but the will of the tyrant.
But we are yet on a distant island of the Great Empire, remote from the
fountain of authority; and delegated power, in all countries, is but too
liable to be abused. Besides, a Chinese might be impressed with
sentiments equally unfavourable of our government, were he informed of
the manner in which imperious necessity sometimes requires our navy to
be manned.
One consideration, however, might with safety be drawn from the
occurrences of this day, which was this, that long voyages are never
undertaken where they can be avoided; but that the commerce of the
Yellow Sea is carried on from port to port; and that the articles of
merchandize so transported must necessarily have many profits upon them,
before they come to the distant consumer; which may, in some degree,
account for the high prices many of the products of the country, as we
afterwards found, bore in the capital. In like manner was the inland
commerce of Asia conducted by caravans, proceeding from station to
station, at each of which were merchants to buy or exchange commodities
with each other, those at the limits of the journey having no connection
nor communication whatsoever with one another; which will partly explain
the ignorance of the Greeks with regard to the Eastern countries, from
whence they derived their precious stones, perfumes, and other valuable
articles.
The old Governor was evidently relieved from a load of anxiety at his
success; and the tears and entreaties of the poor men served only to
brighten up his countenance. From civility, or curiosity, or perhaps
both, he returned our visit on board the brig, which had been crowded
with the natives from morning till night, since her first arrival in the
harbour. The want of curiosity, which has been supposed to form a part
of the Chinese character, was not perceived in this instance; but it was
that sort of curiosity, which appeared rather to be incited by the
desire of looking narrowly at the persons of those who were to have the
honour of being presented to their Great Emperor, than for the sake of
gratifying the eye or the mind, by the acquirement of information or new
ideas. The vessel, although so very different from their own, was an
object of little notice; and although eager to get a transient glance
at the passengers, their curiosity was satisfied in a moment, and was
generally accompanied with some vague exclamation, in which the words
_Ta-whang-tee_ occurred; and the main drift of which seemed to imply,
"is this person to appear before our Great Emperor?" This was still more
remarkable in the crowd of _Ting-hai_; nothing scarcely was there heard
but the words _Ta-whang-tee_ and _Hung-mau_, the Emperor and the
Englishman.
The squadron had scarcely got under way, and cleared the narrow passages
between the islands into the Yellow Sea, when it was perceived how very
little advantage it was likely to derive from the Chinese pilots. One of
them, in fact, had come on board without his compass, and it was in vain
to attempt to make him comprehend ours. The moveable card was to him a
paradox, as being contrary to the universal practice with them, of
making the needle traverse the fixed points, and not the points
described on the card to move (by the needle being attached to the
card), as in those of Europe. The other was furnished with a compass,
about the size of a common snuff-box, being an entire piece of wood,
with a circular excavation in the centre, just large enough to admit the
vibration of a very fine steel needle, not quite an inch in length,
which, however, might be found sufficiently useful, in their short
voyages, by means of a peculiar contrivance for preserving the center of
gravity, in all positions of the ship, in coincidence nearly with the
center of suspension. Nor is it necessary, in so short and fine a
needle, to load one end more than the other, in order to counteract the
dip, or tendency that the magnetic needle is known to have, more or
less, towards the horizon in different parts of the world. The Chinese,
however, do not seem to have adopted their small needle from any
knowledge either of the variation, or of the inclination of the magnetic
needle. Although the needle be invariably small, yet it sometimes
happens that the margin of the box is extended to such a size, as to
contain from twenty to thirty concentric circles, containing various
characters of the language, constituting a compendium of their
astronomical (perhaps more properly speaking) astrological knowledge. As
numbers of such compasses are in the museums of Europe, it may not
perhaps be wholly unacceptable to give some notion of what these circles
of characters contain.
1. Central circle, or the needle.
2. 8 mystical characters denoting the first principles of matter,
said to be invented by _Fo-shee_, the founder of the monarchy.
3. The names of the 12 hours into which the day is divided.
4 and 5. Names of the circumpolar stars.
6. Characters of the 24 principal meridians or colures.
7. The 24 subdivisions or seasons of the year.
8. The characters of the cycle of 60 years.
9. Numerical characters relating to the above cycle.
10. Characters denoting the 28 signs of the Zodiac.
11. Certain astrological characters.
12. Eight sentences explanatory of the 8 mystical characters on the
second circle.
13. A different arrangement of the Chinese cycle.
14. Characters of the five elements.
15. Repetition of the characters on the eighth circle.
16. Repetition of the eighth circle.
17, and 18. Characters of obscure mythology.
19. Names of 28 constellations and their places in the heavens.
20. Relates to the sixth and fifteenth circles.
21. The world divided according to the sidereal influences.
22. Corresponds with the eighth and fifteenth circles.
23. Contains the same as the above with the addition of the
fourteenth circle.
24, and 35. Are inexplicable even by the Chinese.
26. An arrangement of certain characters and marks for calculating
lucky, unlucky, and neutral days.
27, is the same as the nineteenth, and surrounds the whole[5].
[5] If any argument were wanting to prove the originality of
the magnetic needle as used in China, the circumstance of their having
ingrafted upon it their most ancient and favourite mythology, their
cycles, constellations, elements, and, in short, an abstract of all
their astronomical or astrological science, is quite sufficient to
settle that point. Those who are acquainted with the Chinese character
will not readily admit that their long established superstitions should
be found incorporated on an instrument of barbarian invention.
The greatest depth of the Yellow Sea, in the track of the ships, did not
exceed thirty-six fathoms, and it was frequently diminished to ten
fathoms. The weather, as usually happens in shallow seas, was generally
hazy. In doubling the projecting promontory of the province of
Shan-tung, the land was hidden in thick fogs. And on these, fortunately,
dissipating, it was perceived that the whole squadron was within four
miles of the main land, and one of the ships close upon a rocky island.
The pilots were as ignorant of our situation as the meanest sailor in
the squadron. Proceeding to the westward, a capacious bay was
discovered. One of the pilots, after a minute examination of the land,
which was now clear, asserted that he knew the place very well; that it
was the bay of _Mee-a-taw_. The confidence with which he spoke, and the
vast concourse of people, crowding down towards the shore, as if
expecting our arrival, induced the Commander to steer directly into the
bay: but the depth of water diminishing to five fathoms, and land
appearing on every side, it was thought prudent to let go the anchor.
Several boats from the shore were presently along-side; and we were soon
convinced how little we had to trust to the knowledge of our pilots,
even within sight of land. We were informed that the bay was called
_Kee-san-seu_, and that _Mee-a-taw_ was, at least, fifteen leagues
farther to the westward.
The hills along this southern coast of the gulph of Pe-tche-lee have a
very peculiar character. They are all of the same form and nearly of the
same size, being regular cones with smooth sides as if fashioned by art,
and entirely detached, each standing on its proper base, resembling in
their shapes the summer caps worn by the officers of government; and
having, as yet, no European names, they were noticed in the journals by
the appellation of the first, second, third, &c., mandarin's bonnets.