CANTON, CHINA, _Aug. 20, 1851_.
We arrived at Whampoa, where the foreign shipping lies, some fourteen
miles below this city, and where we cast anchor. We were immediately
surrounded by a multitude of boatmen, and amongst the rest a host of
washerwomen, neatly dressed, with flowing pantaloons and a loose vest
which falls over the hips, and is made of blue or black cotton or
silk. They crowd around with commendations in their hands, and solicit
the preference at the extremely low rate of one dollar and a half per
hundred. You can judge of my surprise, who had paid five dollars for
the single dozen in California, which of itself was the strongest
evidence of the great disparity of population. The hair of the married
women is put up in an artistic manner, and the young girls wear the
long queue braided, but their heads are not shaved like those of the
men. The following day I came up to this city through a perfect fleet
of junks, and other boats, with their teeming population, the study of
whose habits and modes of life would occupy much time. It is computed
that there are eighty thousand boats, with a floating population of
four hundred thousand souls, upon the waters of the Canton River.
I was particularly struck with the appearance of the large junks with
their painted eyes at the bow, as the Chinese say, “_Suppose no have
eyes, no can see_.” The Mandarin War Boats carry fifty oarsmen, and
their broad-brimmed conical bamboo hats answer as a shield from the sun
and spears. The peculiar open stern which incloses the rudder and place
for ingress and egress, and the sudden manner in which they turn the
boats, surprised me; the neatness displayed on board the small ferry
and passenger boats, where families are born, live, and die upon their
native element, is without example. They are covered by permanent and
also sliding roofs of bamboo matting, and propelled mostly by women
with a scull-oar on a pivot at the stern. Some are nicely fitted up and
gilded, for parties of pleasure, and are really fine.
The foreign population of Canton is made up of about fifty persons of
different nations, mostly occupying a fine range of buildings, called
Factories, fronting a beautiful garden of about two acres square, with
high walls at the ends, and extending to the river; it is filled with
every variety of tropical trees, plants, and flowers, and affords a
delightful lounge upon Chinese settees, or a fine promenade upon its
cemented walks. In the centre is a neat Episcopal Chapel, and the
flags of three nations, ours being one of the number, are flying from
elevated flag-staffs. Adjoining the grounds is an extended boat-house
which contains the finest collection of race-boats of the most delicate
construction in the world, for the regattas of the English and American
residents, and for daily exercise, as it is not safe to penetrate into
the country; there are no drives, and in fact horses are rarely seen
or used, the dense population and low price of labor with the use
of the buffalo, supplying their places. The latter animal is nearly
amphibious, and gets a portion of his supplies in low grounds unfit for
cultivation; in fact the Chinese, being the most laborious, economical,
and indefatigable people perhaps in the world, cultivate every inch
of ground, as far as I can perceive in my excursions up and down the
river, and along the paddy or rice fields. I arrived opportunely for
the Festival of the Dead, but it reminded me more of the Fourth of
July at home, from the constant discharge of crackers and fireworks.
The flower boats, which are eighty to one hundred feet in length, with
cabins beautifully decorated, and literally overhung and festooned with
large, beautiful, vari-colored lanterns at night in long processions,
with the beating of gongs, and the playing of instruments, in sound
not unlike the Scotch bagpipe, produced a most singular effect. The
offerings, which are made to the deceased friends and burned in the
streets, are made to represent clothes, money, and other articles; and
the consumption of prepared folded paper of different colors, some of
gold and silver gilt, which are placed together by the masses and then
fired, is not a slight tax upon the people. An exhibition of this kind
took place at the angle of our house, and our coolies and servants were
among the group, after which copper coins, called cash, one thousand
two hundred to the dollar, were thrown out to the beggars who were
scrambling among the embers. I am indebted to the hospitalities of Wm.
Buckler, Esq., to whom I had letters, there being no hotel deserving
of the name, and have received many invitations and civilities at the
hands of other parties. The servants here are excellent, and anticipate
your every want.
I must describe mine to you. His face, as also the skin around his eyes
and ears, and his head to the crown, is well shaved; his long, black
hair falls plaited nearly to his ankles; his white frock or long vest
with sleeves, flows over his flowing pants of white grass linen; he
has white leggings attached to his turned up and embroidered shoes,
and tied at the knee, and they are perfect patterns of cleanliness,
although droll-looking objects.
The usual hour for tiffin, or lunch, is three in the afternoon, and
dinner is at seven in the evening. In accepting invitations out, custom
demands and admits in this hot climate, a full dress of white, the
round jacket included, and your servant to accompany you.
Canton contains probably a million of inhabitants. Ingress cannot be
obtained within the walls. I effected an entrance for a short distance,
but was soon expelled. The town outside is probably more interesting
than within, as the streets run parallel with the walls, and the
houses are built close up against them. They are ordinarily one or two
stories high, the latter class forming a hollow square inside, with
galleries surrounded by merchandise, and arranged for the display of
goods. The signboards run up and down, are gaudily painted in various
colors in Chinese characters, with tasteful lanterns at the entrance,
and in the narrow streets have a gay appearance.
The merchants, mechanics, and artisans, in their many occupations, can
hardly be described on paper. The latter are well clad in the costume
of the country, and mostly in black, and carry fans or umbrellas. The
laborers at this season have the upper part of the body exposed; they
carry their burdens suspended from the extreme end of a pliable round
shoulderpole, and cry out for space as they thread the dense throng
in the narrow passages. At certain hours at night, the gates of the
different quarters are closed, and the district is liable for any
robbery committed within it. If the culprit is found, his head is taken
off at the execution ground, in the open space within the heart of the
town outside the walls. Their punishments are most severe, some victims
being chopped in pieces, and some flayed alive. The ground was red with
gore as I passed through that quarter, from the recent execution of
fifteen men for treason; a revolt has lately taken place in one of the
provinces, and the rebels succeeded in destroying five hundred of the
celestial troops, with the exception of ten who escaped the ambuscade.
The object is to change the present dynasty. Since the late opium
war and treaty with the English, with the privileges of trading,
many advantages have been gained, and gradually the country will be
penetrated, and we shall know more of this peculiar and interesting
people, who boast of the highest civilization, and consider all
outsiders as barbarians. The maxims of Confucius, who is held in great
veneration, teach affection, and obedience towards parents, respect
for elder brothers, and esteem on their part for younger brothers. The
people are Boodhists in religion, and the doors and entrances of all
the shops have figures and offerings suspended, and incense tapers
burning night and morning, to keep off the evil spirits.
Temples and Joss Houses, where are placed the figures of their gods,
are seen frequently along the river bank, and the great Temple of
Honan on the opposite side of the river is extensive and very curious.
On entering the gate from the river side you pass under a line of shade
trees, and enter three temples in succession, with colossal figures of
Joss, seven in number, of giant form, in sitting postures, and in size
reminding me of the figures Gog and Magog, in London. The architecture
of the buildings is strikingly Chinese, with figures of lions and
dragons at the angles. The priests have their heads clean shaved, and
the beating of the kettle-drums of huge size, and the sound of their
instruments at hours of worship, are almost deafening. The contents of
some of the temples remind one of a museum, from the great variety of
armor and figures. The grounds attached to the temple of Honan contain
a pond for the cultivation of the sacred lotus, or water lily, and
granite monuments wherein repose the ashes of the priests, who are
buried in a small stone structure, which is inclosed on three sides,
within shady bamboo trees; the blackened and smoky chimney betokened
recent use. Eight noble fat hogs are within the inclosure of the
temple, and are represented to the faithful as immortal; in the event
of accident, however, others are in reserve.
Opium is freely used by the people, and the trade in it has increased
to a frightful extent, although contraband, the officials being engaged
in the traffic, so that the consumption has increased to twenty-five
millions of dollars per annum. This, in a population of three hundred
millions, is considered not to be a great excess, but it tells a sad
story on the constitution of an habitual smoker. The use of tea is of
course general, and spirit is distilled from rice. The Houqua gardens
belonging to the great merchant deceased, some few miles above the
city, are in good taste, with fish-ponds, artificial cascades and
grottoes, and a vast number of fruit trees, plants, and flowers,
peculiar to the climate.