A 697,662
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Tappan Presbyterian Association
LIBRARY.
Presented by Mrs. Atterbury.
From Library of Rev. John G. Atterbury, D.D.
4891...
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PART OF TARTARY
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H
E
A great part of the country
around Pekin is employed
in the production of Culina -
ry vegetables and a variety
of fruits.
The Emperor's
palace and
gardens of
Yuen-min-yuen
Hai tin
PEKIN 88 N
A
I
Queng-ur-ling
Cola-choa-ven
Wan ka yen
Ching-chan ven
668N
Liou king fong
pe-keou
5th Sept. 6804
You-chin sa
Kiou-sona chan
Min yu kien
3rd
!
Hoa-zeou-kien
2nd
Nan chut sui
Lin-koo
-
15th
TONG TCHOO - FOO
86N.
San-tchuan
86 N.
Jesiwo
13th +
88N
The country perfectly level abounding
with Trees, and richly cultivated.
When ho
l'ei Ho
Zhe-hol
8th
This part of the a untry flat and covered with varicus
species of Millet beans and Plants producing seeds for Oil.
12th
To this place the Tide flows.
68
Yun-tsin
83 N.
PROVINCE
Garden grounds
on each side of
the river for a
considerable
distance.
PE
70 O
th
เบยบ
TIEN-SING-FOO
OF
+10 87N.
th
699Ang.
Oct.13th
70N.
650
88N
Sa lou-poo tien
Ta-koo
Eu ho or Yun.
o Tai-voan-tchuan
Mouth of the Pei Ilo
Si koo
T
th
47 O
口 ​Tchang-quang-ton
The Anchorage of the Lion
Hindostan &c.
TCHE
Chief culture Wheat and Millet
Pau-tou
Siao-tchuan
Tiang -he
Tchin shien
15 70N..
47 0
jiN.
LEE
Tsan-tchoo
Whei-lung-wan
+16th.
a Soang-hou
53 0
Nan-pi-shien
68 N.
4 21st
48 O
4
Tong-quang-shien
+17th 68 N.
53 O
Sang-yuen
PH
GULPH
OF
PE-TCHE-LEE
A SKETCH OF A JOURNEY
*
from ZHE-HOL in TARTARY by land
TO PEKIN AND
from thence by water
TO HANG-TCHOO-FO0 IN
CHINA.
by Barron
A Scale of English Miles.
100
90
80
70
60
50
40
30
20
10
5
20
A Scale of Chinese Lys
500
450
400
350
300
250
200
150
100
50
✪ 10 20 30 40 50
Mi-a-tau
TEN-TCHOO -Foo
From Pekin to Tong tchang foo, the country
Te-tchoo
470
is perfectly flat, and not a Stone of any de·
-scription is to be met with
OR
PEKIN
19th 68N.
50 O
68 N.
500
Fou-tsin-shin
Immense fields of Wheat and Cotton
on each side of the river.
Lin-sin-tchoo
• Quei-sha-wan
Here the grand Canal commences
and terminates at Hang tchee foc.
68N.
Liang-shi-tsin'
22 nd
520
68 N.
FOO denotes a city of the 1º order
no
tchoo
Note The termination
shien
•
Considerable Towns.
Fillages
3rd
The figures express the temperature of places at the time when passed shewn
by Farenheits Thermometer in the shade
© At sun rise and Nal 2 in the afternoon
Halling places
Sluices across the Canal
-Bridges
d?
t
The
PROVINCE
OF
23rd
53 O
★ Nan-pin-shicn
TONG-TCHANG-FOO
The ground between this place and the Lake lining
is hilly and blue Mountains appcar at a distance.
¤ Co-tsin
68 N.
24th
Lan-san-tsin
י
:
Von-shing shien
540
Cotton and Wheat the principal produce
of this part of the Country ·
grand
Imperi
70N.
S
H A N
N
- TUN G
Lum-whang-miau
th
25
46
74 N
Luen-ho
Tsin-jin-tchoo
ori-ning-tehoo
YEN-TCH00-FOO
Inhabitants about these Lakes
chienu employed in nishing &
are famous for training the
pelicans used for that purpose.
:
26th
52 O
û-ning-
Hoo
Tou-shang-hoo or
Nan-shang-hoo
*
........
་ ་་ཡསྩ
པ་
Morafs
+28 th
28th
54 O
Shin-isch
Soo-tze ho or the
4 Rivers
70N
29
Quei
tchang-hoo
45 O
Whang-Ho
66N.
■ Ta-ul-tchuan
or Yellow River
30th
450
Loma-hoo
67 N.
31st
Sou-tsin shien
The Country in the vicinity of the Yellow
River is extremely populous & a great
traffic appears to be carried on.
Hong-tse-Hoo
Si-ou-quang ho
520
PROVINCE
O F
Kao-ycou -Нес
Meridian of Pekin
K. I ANG
NAN
NAN-KIN
68N. Nov.1st
angia-tchuan
Tchin-tchiang-pou
HOIN-GAN-FOO
68N
540
Pao-yng
!: Дес
Pao-yng-shien
580´
Coast
}
Point Lav-co-tao
Bay of
Ki-san-seu
PROMONTORY OF SHAN-TUNG
41°
40°
39°
38°
1
t
!
very mountainous and barren on the Sea Coast
37°
C.Cower
Macaringy
Staunton's Island
Ka-ti-nac
YELLOW
The Mouth of the Yellow River
66.N.
This part of Kiang nan included between the twe
Kao-yeou-tchoo great rivers Whang ho and Yang tse kiang ho and
between the Canal and the Sea coast is intersected
- Sau poo
530
Mantoo
in every direction by rivers and canals banked in
by immense labor to prevent inundations
64 N.
4th
YANG-TCHOO-FOO
54.0
tchoo
Kioa
Sea
The
TCHING KIANG-FOO
VG-
64.N.
Tang-pou
5th
Tang yang shien
Yang-tsé-kiang ho
560
The Mouth of the Yang-tec kiang
TCHANG
-TCHOO -FOO
Large fields of the Cotten plant.
+6
60 O
o hia ve quan
Published April the 1291796.by George Vixl.
Tsong-Ming
68.N.
SOU-TCHOO -F00
7
Ou kiang-shien
680
The western side of the Tai-heo is
bounded by a very romantic and
fertile country whose mountains are
cultivated to their very tops. A great
part of the province of Tehc-tchiany
appears to be cultivated with Mulber-
-ry trees for the food of the Silk worm
70 N.
Whang-ping
Rice grounds abound in the vicinity
8th
640
of this Lake
KIA-SHING-FOO
Tong shiang shien
Shi-ming-shien
70N.
540
Tang-si
HANG-TCHOO -(FOO
683.
Tchen tang tchiang-ho
See hoo or Western lake
of the
lostan
་
SEA
36°.
35°.
34°
り
​33.
32°
31°
Engraved by BBaker, Islington.
45
50
A GENERAL CHART, on MERCATOR'S PROJECTION, to shew the TRACK of the LION and HINDOSTAN from ENGLAND to the
to the GULPH of PEKIN in CHINA, and of their return to ENGLAND,
with the
the statement of the BAROMETER and THERMOMETER, containing also the limits of the CHINESE EMPIRE, as extended by the Conquests of the present Emperor CHEN - LUNG.
30
15
ов
RELAND
AND
ENGLAN
GERMAN
OCEAN
مركم
15
BALTIC
SEA
HOLLAND
30
PRUSSIA
R
OPE
45
PART
60
75
O F
THE
90
RUSSIAN
105
E
M
PIRE
120
China
Stanavoi
untains
135
Sea of
Othotsk
that divide the
of Svanski
Selenga
River
Baikał
Lake
two
Empires
。 Selenjinsk
of
Rufsia
and
➡Ñiptchoy for zinsk
Miakta where the Russian
Strade with China is
Mai
Mai-chin
or the City) or Com
carried on
Sorcommerce
Russians Saghal
River
KALKA S
ELEUTH
These mountains are supposed
to be the highest land upon the
surface of the earth
Amour or the
TARTARS OF DAVORI
Yacsa now in rufins
destroyed byTreaty
eula or black.
HUMA-REE
river of the
Government
of
Tartars
rtars & Ya-lung-kia
Government
TARTARS |
O F
C
of
Cor-tchin
MONGOUS
H I
Ze-hol
Tsi - tehi -car
Government
of
Kee-rin
´S TARTARS
A
Tchin-vang.
or Moukdeng
Leão tune.
Dragon Criver
YU PEE
Sing-kaihoo
ANCIENT
MANTCHOO TARTARS
the Conquerors of Ching
Chinese
or the
TCHIN
Outer bank of
Newfoundland
NOR
Var. 21° gó
1
~Sept est
T.59! B.29 Go>- Scilly1,
English Channel
Is Hight
Ghernse
2nd Oct!
T62 2
BAY OF
FRANCE
26T.63 B.30
BISCAY
T
HER
N
C.Ortegal
CFinistre
stre
© & c
12th
Corvo Flores
Azores oi
Fayal
Western Isles
Pico
St Mary
St Michael
SPAIN
Lisbon
C.Vincent
Cadiz
Straits of Gibraltar
A
Far:15:10
T
Var: 13:10
Tar.129 1
Varn: 50
Aug. 5th T77 B.30,14
Far, 10910
O
L
A N
T
୯ E A
Porto Santo 8
Madeira
Desertas
I
C
18th T73B30.0
Lancerota
Canary Islands
Palma
·Ferro
28th
Toneril
Canaria
eritte
Var 18:0
T73B30 17
N
o 3. c
Varw°20
Track of the 'Squadron from China towards -
Far.16:30
MOROCÈ
TEZ
E U
Corsica
GERMANY
Gulph of Venice
ITALY
Minorca
Majorca
M
E D
T
Sardinia
E
R
ALGIERS
TUNIS
BARBARY
ZUENZIGA
GREAT D'ESERT OF
ZAN HAGA
HUNGARY
Sicily
'orinthe
Marmora
Sea of Azot
BLACK
SEA
Candia
R
A
Cyprus
A
N
S E
E
4
N
TRIPOLI
ZAARA
St
Cape de Verde
StAntonio
Far:14:40
Vincent
Vicholars
Jarago
Bonavista 1802 B.29.96
Vest Jager Mave
T78B30 04
29
28 T78B30,04 8T80B.29.97
Sal
SENEGAL
Novst
A
F
R
I C
Mayo
CVerde
CRexo
【OWER
EGYPT
This part of Tartary is inhabited by wandering
tribes of people known by the name of Kerghis
laissacks governed by their own Khans
River Irish
Little
Chains
Mountains
of
Mountains
or Altai
Mountains
Horde of Kerghis Caitsacks KAKMUC CAISSACK
Lake Zaissan
OR HASSAČK
= under the protection of Rus
-
Mouths
- sia but not tributary to it
Lower Horde of
of the
Volga
Se'a
CASPIAN
Dahistan
Tur
SE
omania
01
Enot tributary-
Chintere
Kerghis Cailsacks fubject to the Empire of
Elevated plains
The Great Horde of Sabounding with Lakes
Kerghis Caif'sacks
Chinag
OLOTH
OR
Lake Tenghis
'On
on
TAR
TARS
the
Lake
of
to Russia
REN
Sone of these Lakes
horders
or
TARTARS
Estands the City of Ely.
Aral
Boundary
ان
TARTA
OF
Åsent from China
'E
M PI
TURKISTAN Emperor of
OF
Shirvan
-ARMENIA
Ghelan
TURKEY
Media
Euphrates
Desert of Arabia
Tigris
Bussora
Perfi an
ARTARS - Settlement or the Tourgouth - to which exiles are
- Tartars upon the river Ely
-granted to them by the present
-China in the -TARTARS
LITTLE BUCHARIA
Aksoo subject to the Empire of
subject to the Empire of China year 1771
Black fandy Desert of Khievà
Korkan
Gaur
"Desert of Margiana
PERSIA
Gulph
ARABIA
R
E D
E
A
UPPER
EGYPT
River Nile
GREAT BUCHART
subject to China
Samarcond
anciently Scythia
Cashgar,
M.Imans
intra Imaum fackshan
Balk
LITTLE
THIBET
The Indian “Tancaisus
Caflupere
R.Indus
- The great Desert of Shamo called
China anciently Scythia cxtra Imaum
or Tvarkan
SEIKS
Moulan
OLOTHS OR ELEUTHS
- of the Desert Ta-sha-hai-
-
ELEUTHS OF
Hoo HoO NOR
subject to China
Sources of the:
Yellow river
Yang-tse-kiang
or Great Sea of Sand - gource of the
Jubject to the Empire of China
S
Source of theşiva
THIBET
called by the Chinelo
TSANG
Lassa
Himinalch
NAPAUL
Delhi
IDE
Agra
BOOTAN
Patna
River Ganges
Burampooter
Silhet
Estern
frontier
RE
also Cobi
See fan
Pekin
Ortous
Pe-tche
-Lee
Shan see
Shen se e
Se
tch'uen
50
40
Sea
of
or
25th
of
Corea
Corea
Whang Hai Kingdom
Shan tung
Whang ho et Yellow Liver
Hoo-qu
Ho- nan
Aang
Yang-tse kiáng
Yellow Sea tributary to
China
Tung Hai
Chusan Is
July 9th
32th
OL
Eastern
BENGAL
alcut
Calcutta
Rasalhad
Mouths
or the
Indus
Gulph or Cutch™
Gulph of Gambay
ARABIA N
'RATTI
HIND O OSTAN
HVW
Bombay
NIZAM
CARNATIC
CIRCARS
Masulipatam
Ᏼ
Madras
Mouths of the
Ganges
BAY
E N
OF
Mia-tsee
Tartars
Koei tehoo
or Hindoostan
Meckley
Yun
AVA
Arecan
nan
Tung quin
now added to.
Cochin Ching
&tributary
to China
PEGT
tributary to LAOS
China
Ava
Mouths of the
SLAM
G А
L
Atribu·
tary
to
Great
China
Andaman
B
Trinquemaley
C.Comorin
Nicobar
Islands
andy
Ceylon
I
N D
I
A
N
Gulph
of
Siam
CAMBODIA
Quang - see
fee
Kiang leg
Quan tung
19
Gulph
of
Tung-quin
6th June
Imon
Bay
COCHIN CHINA
Paracels
auton
Tche
tehiang
Foo
tehien
24th
Pedro Branco
Pratas
8th March
S&Esprit
Shoals
and Rocks
C.Bujador
Macclesfield
Feld
Shoal
27.9
Tai wan
usually called
Formosa
Sea
Botel Tabago
Bashee Islands
Balbayanes F
Luconia
O'
Parella
*T82 B.29,go
Gair de terre
Fecir de mer
Cambodia river
Pul Sapata
Pulo Condore
Manila
Luzon
Mindoro
Palawan -
or Paragua
Banguay Peak,
Balumbangan
Leoo-keoo
Islands
tributary to
China
ABYSSINIA
Arabia Felix
Straits of Babelmandeb
Socotera
A
BENN I N
ETHIOPIA
England
18th T 80 B3 0
GU I
Varuº10716th
NE
Gold Coast
Ivory Coast
Var:100
(15th T.82 °B. 29,95
(Palmas
Three points
CFormosa
Gulph of Guinea
Fur. 8:5
Fur.7°5
St Thomas I.§
9th Far.110
•S!Matthews 1.
Annabon 1.°
Ferdinando
Noronha
CS!Roque
•
Rat Island
© & c
LOANGO
CONGO
ZANGUE BAR
AJAN
Moka
Zanzibar
Quiloa
ADEL
Several
Banks,Rocks &
Islands
SE
E A
Goa
Little Andaman
}
.8
во
Pulo Nias
Malaya or Malacca”
of Malacca
Sumatra
B
Ther: 84ºB 29 93
Anambas
BORNE O
P.Lingen
P.
Tavo
7Islands
Banca
Islands
of Japan
Majindanao
Pelew Islands
Sooloo Archipelago
Celebes I.
Gilolo I.
Sumbawa
Sumbal.
Timor
Timor I.
NEW
GUINEA
30
20
10
10
40
30
20
10
()
10
Ascension ∞
√22 ?T 82 ºB 30
AMER
BRAZIL
ICA
C.St August
-tine
Est Salvador
or Bahia
Var: 0.40
S
OUT
Pur.3:57
Van.15:45
H
no
E
Tw July
R
N
SHelena
16 FT.64 B30, 26
20
7.S! Thoma
CFrig
Janeiro
29
19
Spirith
Santo
Tur: 4:30
thT77 B.29,79
th Dee!
Martin Vas rocks
1.Trinidado •
A TL A
NT I
30
O
C
E
A
N
Far: 5º15
26th T70 B.30.06
Track of the Squadron from England towards China
40
45
ვი
Tristan d'Acunha
15
Alvarez doubtrid
Goughs Island
situation doubtù
-Tur: 1910
Far: 19:30
Var 2020
T.62ºB.30.16
ANGOLA
BENGUE LA
COUNTRY
of the
CAFFRES
SOFALA
Sofala
Melinde
Mosambique
Channel
Comoro
Johanna 1.
Mohilla
Mayotte
MADAGASCAR
CAmbrose
Antongil Bay
L.S!Mary
Bourbon I
Exorientes
Delagoa Bay
O
CE
A
N
Round I.
Mauritius or
Isle de France
Bank er
Malha
Bank of
Corgedes
Roderiquez I.
May 5th Var 9:30
T792 B30.02
Var3:40
Track or the Squadron from China towards England
Tar: 8:5
28th T80 ½ B.30,02
Cloats T
Bencoolen
Straits of Sunda
-1pril 20th
Keeling or
Cocos Is
situation very uncertain
probably the same as the
Keeling or Cocos I
Var:118
0 & c
Far: 14:15
10th
Billiton
Lucipara
Thousand Iº
"“: Batavia
Bantam
Madwa
Java
24th Fur010 T.85 B.29,90
Christmas I.
Var: 2º40
Far: 340
Tryal rocks
situation not well
ascertained
Track or the Squadron from England towards China
Targ:25
© & c
17
B30.10
7th T70º B 30,10
Macassar
Straits or Bali 4
ABali
tor Lomboc
Lombock
St or Allas.
It of
NEW
Augustin
CS¹Mary
Var. 23 20
Port Dauphin
Var 186
12th Fur:25:10
Fur: 22° 30
Saldanha B.
Table B.
Cof Good Hope
Far: 24°30 © & C
O & C
© & o
9th
Far:21:0
T61.B.29.92
Junegro
Var:21:30
15
COUNTRY
Tar: 25.15
Port Natal
of the
HOTTENTOTS
Mossel B
Lagullas
Banky
Lagullas Bank
26th T66: B. 30,10
19th
Dangerous rocks nearly even with the surface of the Sca
seen by different vessels in this parallel
3rd Feby
T58.B.29,80
23.70
Tar: 2710
* &© Tar 23°37
Far:25:0
th
St Paul &
Amsterdam
o & c
16th
Fin:27:40
Far: 29836
3/0
45
60
75
Tar:12. 35
HOLLA N D
1
NE W
SOUTH
WALE S
20
30
40
90
105
120
135
Tsin-yuen-shim
SKETCH
of a JOURNEY from
HANG - TCHOO-FOO
ΤΟ
QUANG-TCH00-FOO
OR
CANTON IN CHINA
by J.Burrow.
A Scale of English Miles
200
90
80
70
60
50
40
30
20
10
A Scale of Chinese Lys.
500
450
400
350
300
250
200
150
100
50
FOO denotes a city or the 1 order
tehoo
The termination shien
D
Considerable Towns
Villages
2nd
3rd
The figures express the temperature of places, at the time when
paſsed,shewn by Farenheits Thermometer in the shade.
M.at 8 o'clock in the morning and N. at 2 in the afternoon.
+ Halting places
Sluices across the Canal
-Bridges do
0
Rice and leguminous plants are
chiefly cultivated in this level part
of the country.
LIN-KLANG-FOO
PROVINCE
OF KIANG-NAN
Ouang-kiang-shien
GAN-KIN-FOO
★ Tong-liou-shien
The whole country around this Lake is nothing
but a swamp for many leagues and will admit
of no kind of cultivation notwithstanding it is
very populous, every dry patch of ground having
a village upon it. The inhabitants subsist almost
entirely by fishing.
Swampy
ground
Euran
canal 47M.
Suci -
hung
по
from
Pekin
The
Yang-tse-kiang.
usual
route
TCHE-TCHOO FOO
Cantn
M
YANG-TCHOO-FOO
by this
River.
to
Vou-hou-shien
TAI PING-FOO
*
TCHING KIANG-FOO
NANKIN
TCHANG
TCHOO-FOO
Tong-lo-shien
Tai-hoo
KIA-SHING-FÒQ
HANG-TCHOO-FOO
See hoo or latern lake
Nov.13
Fou yang shien
60 M.
66 N.
ho
tan
whian
th
30°
These ranges of mountains
are in a high state of cultiva -
tion, the banks of the river are
crowded with villages, and the
population appears to be very
62M
Tchien
great
YEN-TCHOO-FOO
67N.
16th
60M
This beautiful vale abounds with
Mulberry, Camphor & Tallow trees .
64.
Long-you-shien
Plantations of Tea be·
-ing the first seen on the
journey
18
54M
57624fi
17th
62N
Eu-shan-shien
21st
2nd
23rd
Tchung-sia-tow
a-shi
Lin-shi
56M
6N
20
52M
60N.
Tchang san shien
Tsau pin
PART OF
Plantations
of Sugar Canes
of Mulberry &
orange
trees.
THE
Several thousand acres of these mountains
have lately been planted with firs.
58N. The mountains are planted with
*+24th
young trees, the rallies with
grain and pulse .
TCHE
Wan-kia-tow
55N.
Lung-tsin
56N
NAN-TCHANG-FOO
Lau-sui
29
48M
The face of the country almost
covered with lakes, canals and
rivers;extensive fishery carried on.
47 MC
.0
□ Sheut-ze
Ngan-gin shien
27
Numerous villages and a vast popu -
canal
KOANG-SIN-FOO
Pang-lo-pou
60N.
Ko-yung-shien
56 M
60N.
lation Various manufactories of ear
1. 9.
577.
鱼
​then ware, bricks and tiles,carried on Tallow trees
48M
·2.48M
25th Ho-kicu
along the banks of the river.
in' great plenty
20
58N
30Tony-shing-shin
"Tchang-tcheu
47M
Ing-tai
PRO
V
N
C
E
O F
K
Kai-poo
■ Whang-sia-too
56N
Decast
Kia-kiang-shin!
47 M.
55N.
San-kia-tanfa
I
A
شد انتقاد
б u v ṛ Y
2nd
ho
Kai-shui-shicn
Kan.
Sin-too-shim or
Sin-kan-shien
Extensive plantations of the Sugar Canes.
Great quantities of the Camphor tree.
N
G
SEE
Abundance of rice cultiva ·
Koue kin-chien-ted in this populous part
of the country.
KI-NGAN-FOO
Yuen-ghin tau
Tai-ho-shicn
Loto wan
14 3rd
52M.
° Pei-kia-tsun
56N.
Quan-gan-shin
Fung-shu-koo
• Ou-so
This part of the
of the country
zir very picturesque. The mountains
are covered with plantations of the Shrub called the Camellia
Sesanqua from the nut of which is cxpressed very fine Oil
much esteemed by the Chinese.
PROVIN
JE
Mien-tchen
Between Tai ho shien and Ka
tchoo foo are several rapid ralls,
which part of the river the Chi-
-nese call Shee pa-tan or the eight -
-cen Cataracts.
59
Eu tchai a
60M
Abundance of Wheat and Sugar Canes pro San-kia-koo
-duced in this part of the country .
These mountains are crowded with
villages and extremely popu · »
-lous. The chier' culture is rice,
wheat cotton and the Camel ·
lia Sesanqua .
68N.
+65N.
丘
​Liang-koo
KAN-TCHOO-FOO
47th
54M.
Nan
Sin-tchin a 60M
8th+
66
-kan shien
68N
56M
NAN-GAN-FOO
9th
M:Me lin
Du tung
NAN-SHEUN-FOO
54M
th
66N.
60N.
52M
1200 fui-tsin
TCHAU-TCHOO-FOO
TCHO
60N.
Coal mines
13th
The mountains cultivated with the Camel
-lia Sesanqua and larch tirs; the vallies
with Tobacco, pulse and other vegetables.
50M
14
th
51M
53M
ho
Several Coal mines in these mountains .
Pei-kiang
Tobacco and the Camellia -
Sesanqua much cultivateð.
Quang yin-miau a curious temple within
In-te-shin the body of a huge excavated rock.
62N.
These rude ranges of barren rock are
almost incapable of any cultivation .
The tide flows to the foot of these moun·
-tains very nearly; from whence toward
the Southward not a hill or the smal
-·lest rise is visible.
63N.
+16th
61M.
San-shui-shien
63 N.
Si-nan •
17th
Garden grounds
The whole of this part of the country is intersected by num
-berless rivers, and produces abundance of rice.
+18th 65N.
Rice
grounds
19th
I
The neighbourhood of this city is famous for
the produce of the Varnish tree.
PROV I N CE
O F
Q
UAN G -
TU
QUANG-TCHOO -FOO
OR CANTON
mean of 20 days
56 M.
1
657.
Rice grounds
Macao
{Typa
UN N G
Published April the 121796.by George Nicol.
Meridian
of Pekin
FOOT CHIEN
Sca
Coast
1
OF
29°
PROVINCE OF
TCHIANG
The
STRAIT OF FORMOSA
ཎྞཨ,, སྱཱ !、?
22°
Engraved by BBaker, Islington.
23°
24°
25°
26.
27°
28°
10
$
31°
Theiane's
AN
AUTHENTIC ACCOUNT
OF
AN EMBASSY
FROM
THE KING OF GREAT BRITAIN
TO THE EMPEROR OF CHINA;
INCLUDING
CURSORY OBSERVATIONS MADE, AND INFORMATION
OBTAINED, IN TRAVELLING THROUGH THAT
ANCIENT EMPIRE, AND A SMALL PART
OF CHINESE TARTARY.
TOGETHER WITH A RELATION OF THE
VOYAGE UNDERTAKEN ON THE OCCASION BY HIS MA -
JESTY'S SHIP THE LION, AND THE SHIP HINDOSTAN,
IN THE EAST INDIA COMPANY'S SERVICE, TO THE
YELLOW SEA, AND GULF OF PEKIN; AS WELL AS OF
THEIR RETURN TO EUROPE;
WITH NOTICES OF
The several places where they stopped in their way out and home; be-
ing the Islands of Madeira, Teneriffe, and St. Jago; the Port of Rio
de Janeiro in South America; the Islands of St. Helena, Tristan
d'Acunha, and Amsterdam; the Coast of Java, and Sumatra, the
Nanka Isles, Pulo-Condore, and Cochin-china.
TAKEN CHIEFLY FROM THE PAPERS OF
HIS EXCELLENCY THE EARL OF MACARTNEY, Knight
of the Bath, His Majesty's Embassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary to
the Emperor of China; Sir ERASMUS GOWER, Commander of the Ex-
pedition, and of other Gentlemen in the several departments of the Embassy.
BY SIR GEORGE STAUNTON, BARONET,
Honorary Doctor of Laws of the University of Oxford, Fellow of the Royal
Society of London, his Majesty's Secretary of Embassy to the Emperor of
China, and Minister Plenipotentiary in the absence of the Embassador.
IN THREE VOLUMES.
Folume the First.
LONDON:
PRINTED FOR G. NICOL, BOOKSELLER TO HIS
MAJESTY, PALL-MALL.
MDCCXCVII.
"
1
}
1
1
}
gift
Tappan Presb. Cas
4-18-1932
ADVERTISEMENT.
THE following sheets were composed in obedience to the
public voice. The circumstances that led to an Embassy to
China, the preparations that were made, the route that was
pursued, the countries that were visited, the transactions
that took place, all excited a curiosity, which the Minister,
who originated the measure, was well disposed to gratify.
And it was thought most likely to be satisfactory that the ma-
terials for this purpose should be entrusted to a person who
bad been himself acquainted, from the beginning, with every
particular of the expedition; and who, afterwards, was pre-
sent at every thing that passed during the progress of it.
He bas endeavoured to acquit himself of this duty, with all
the diligence that the ill health under which he laboured
would allow, in the expectation that, from other necessary
delays, the Public would not have to wait for his part of
the performance; and in the bope, likewise, that his efforts
would be received with greater allowance, than if he had
come forward from the suggestions of his own mind, and
with a consciousness of talent and literary attainments,
which might enable him to defy the severity of criticism.
་
**
1
1
1
TABLE OF CONTENTS
OF THE
FIRST VOLUME.
CHAPTER I.
OCCASION OF THE EMBASSY.
INTRODUCTION.-Privileges granted by the Chinese
government to the Portugueze, who were the first Euro-
peans that visited China by sea.- Favour shewn to the
Dutch, in consequence of certain services rendered by them.
-Missionaries for the propagation of Christianity in China
promote the interest of their respective countries-general
character of the missionaries.-First attempt of the Eng-
lish to establish a commercial intercourse with the Chinese
at Canton, through the means of the Portugueze at Macao,
as taken from a manuscript account of the expedition-how
English treated by the Portugueze-quarrels with the
Chinese government-hostile attacks—unfavourable impres-
sion of the English on the minds of the Chinese-ostensible
motives of the latter for permitting foreign nations to trade
to Canton—their indifference as to foreign trade-griev-
vi
TABLE OF CONTENTS.
ances suffered by Europeans, and more particularly by the
English, at Canton-such grievances unknown to the Em-
peror-necessity of representing them to him-first sug-
gestion of an Embassy-strengthened by a consideration of
the relative situation of China and neighbouring possessions
of the English in Hindostan—additional motives.—Fatal
accident at Canton-misrepresented at the court of Pekin-
critical state of trade to Canton-its importance—account
of the first introduction of tea in Europe-rapid increase of
its consumption in England.-Possibility of securing an in-
timate connection with the Chinese empire-advantages of
such a connection--plan of the present Embassy-cautions
to be observed in the choice of an Embassador.
page 1 to 33.
CHAPTER II.
PREPARATIONS FOR THE EMBASSY.
Thoughts on patronage-safely exercised in favour of
popular characters-instanced in the case of Lord Ma-
cartney-his conduct in former situations-appointed Em-
bassador to China.-All the persons composing the Embassy
recommended by him-names, qualifications, and stations
of most of them-difficulty of filling up the appointment of
interpreter-two Chinese qualified for that purpose found
at Naples, and brought to England.-Interpreters useful
in the selection of presents for the Emperor-nature of
them, Intention of the Embassy announced in a letter
TABLE OF CONTENTS.
vii
雌
​from the Chairman of the East India Company, sent by
Commissioners to Canton-extract of that letter-false
alarm taken at the secret views of the Embassy by one of the
diplomatic corps.—Real intent of such mission, as appears
in his Majesty's private instructions to his Embassador-
also in his letter to the Emperor of China.-Discretionary
powers given to the Embassador to visit other countries in
the East-All the persons belonging to the Embassy meet at
Portsmouth in readiness to embark-their general dis-
position.
page 34 to 59.
CHAPTER III.
PASSAGE TO MADEIRA. NOTICES OF THAT ISLAND.
Ships sail from Portsmouth-Jackall tender separated
from them-are forced to anchor in Torbay.-Conveniences
experienced in large ships-reflections on the situation of
passengers at sea-sea-sickness-midshipmen.-Ships de-
part from Torbay-nautical remarks.-Arrival and recep-
tion at Madeira-road and anchorage of Funchal-cursory
remarks upon the island-story of an Englishman, the sup-
posed discoverer of Madeira--survey of the island by John-
stone-indolence of the stronger, and industry of the weaker
sex-agriculture-produce of Madeira-chief trade in
hands of the English—their hospitality-introduce free-
masonry at Funchal-that fraternity persecuted till relieved
by an edict from Lisbon-influence of the clergy on the de-
cline-population of the island-diseases most frequent-
骨
​I
:
viii
TABLE OF CONTENTS.
excursion to the crater of an extinct volcano-geological re-
marks.-Defences of Madeira-its military establishment.
-Ships depart from Funchal.
CHAPTER IV.
page 60 to 96.
PASSAGE TO TENERIFFE; TO ST. JAGO.
TO ST. JAGO. NOTICES
OF THOSE ISLANDS.
Conjectures relative to the origin of islands lying off
the coast of Africa-currents running between them.-
Different appearances of the peak of Teneriffe-coast of
that island.-Road of Santa Cruz.-Peril to which the
gallantry of Admiral Blake must have exposed him there in
the last century-general view of Santa Cruz and neigh-
bourhood-conversation between a native of the island and
a gentleman of the Embassy.—Excursion into the country—
inland capital-females imprisoned there.-Excursion con-
tinued to the town of Oratava.-General use of British
manufactures.-Journey towards the peak-Tempestuous
weather-return without attaining the summit-some ac-
count of the town and port of Oratava.-Narrative of
Mr. Johnstone's successful ascent to the peak.-Inhabitants
of the island supplied with ice throughout the year from
neighbourhood of the peak-Religious habits of the people.
-Escape of a young lady from a convent during the pre-
parations for her taking the veil.-Wealth of the bishop of
the Canary islands-his application of it--character.---
TABLE OF CONTENTS.
ix
Commerce of the Canaries.-Revenue of the crown-mo-
nopolies.-Volcanic appearances of Teneriffe-extent—
climate.-Descendants of original inhabitants, very few-
causes of their decrease.—Canary birds—population of the
several Canary islands.-Route to the Cape de Verde islands.
-Arrival at Port Praya in the island of St. Jago-dis-
tress of an English sailor found upon the beach-his account
of the wretched state of the island from drought-general
view of the port and neighbourhood-vegetation-tree of
vast size.-Miserable condition of the governor, inhabi-
tants, and cattle, in all the Cape de Verde islands-present
reduced population-some account of harbours in these
islands.-Geological remarks in the island of St. Jago-
town of St. Fago in ruins.-Vessels in Port Praya.-
Scene of action between Admiral Suffren and Commodore
Johnstone.-Instance of political morality.-Monopoly of
slave trade in St. Jago-little value of money there.-
Ships sail from Port Praya.
CHAPTER V.
page 97 to 159.
PASSAGE OF THE LINE. COURSE ACROSS THE AT-
LANTIC.
HARBOUR, CITY, AND COUNTRY OF
RIO DE JANEIRO.
Observations on the relative position of the African and
American continent.-Precautions observed by commander
of the Lion for the preservation of his crew.-Reflections
TABLE OF CONTENTS.
on origin of ceremony in crossing the Line—how performed:
-Remarks on winds and currents in crossing the Atlantic.
Island of Frio.-Directions for entering into, and obser-
vations on, harbour of Rio de Janeiro-general view of
city and harbour of Rio-shops full of British manufac-
tures—cause of unhealthiness of Rio-gay disposition of
its inhabitants-external ceremonies of religion observed-
dress, manners, customs-public walks-botanic garden→→
cochineal insect, and plant on which it feeds, with manner
of preparing the dye-manufactory for whale oil-slave
trade-situation and disposition of those imported into Rio.
-Character of original inhabitants of the Brazils-face of
the country behind Rio, and its produce.-Valley of Tijuca.
-Division of the Brazils into several governments-con-
dition of each-productions-grievances of the settlers
conspiracy formed by some of the principal among them
alteration in their disposition-views of independence.
False policy of Portugueze government towards the Brazils.
-Defences and military establishment of Rio-attention of
viceroy to the Embassador-imminent danger of the Lion
in sailing out of the harbour.-Departure.
page 160 to 215.
!
TABLE OF CONTENTS.
xi
CHAPTER VI.
PASSAGE TO THE SOUTHERN PART OF THE AT-
LANTIC, AND OF THE INDIAN OCEAN. VIEW
OF THE ISLANDS OF TRISTAN
D'ACUNHA IN
THE FORMER, AND THOSE OF
OF ST. PAUL AND
AMSTERDAM IN THE LATTER.
Uniformity of the winds within and near the tropics-
preparations made against bad weather apprehended beyond
them.-Uncommon effects of sea-sickness on one gentleman on
board the Lion.-Languor bow avoided by passengers at
sea-occupations.-Distinctions observed in ships of war.
-Arrival at, and view of, islands of Tristan d'Acunha-
part, probably, of a chain of subaqueous mountains.-Plans
formerly in contemplation for forming a settlement on Tristan
d'Acunha.-Ships proceed from thence to the eastward.-
Currents near the Cape of Good Hope-hard gale of wind.
-Arrival at the islands of St. Paul and Amsterdam-
men unexpectedly perceived on the latter.-Narrative of
Perron and his companions-their occupation there-abun-
dance of seals and sea lions.—Dimensions of a cove opposite
the anchorage-boiling springs round its sides—a great
crater-whole island volcanic-part still in a state of in-
flammation—extent of the island-fish and fowl abundant.
-Perron conducts some of the gentlemen round the island-
in the mean time is despoiled of part of his property—Ships
depart from island of Amsterdam.
page 216 to 257.•
xii
TABLE OF CONTENTS.
1.
CHAPTER VII.
ENTRANCE INTO THE STRAITS OF SUNDA.—VISIT
TO BATAVIA AND BANTAM IN THE ISLAND OF
JAVA.-VIEW OF THE SOUTHERN EXTREMITY
OF THE ISLAND OF
SUMATRA.PASSAGE
THROUGH THE STRAITS OF BANKA TO PULO-
CONDORE.
1
Lion and Hindostan separate in attempting to discover
vessels bound for Europe.-Symptoms of scurvy make their
appearance in the crews-pains taken against it.-View of
islands on entering into the straits of Sunda.-Different
parts of the earth differently produced.-Gradations in the
scale of animated nature.-Aquatic animals-marine sub-
stances.-Ships proceed to Batavia-reception of Embassa-
dor there-dispatches from Commissioners at Canton,
favourable to the views of the Embassy-contents communi-
cated to the Dutch government-entertainment given by
Governor General-beautiful appearance of country imme-
diately about Batavia-yet extremely unhealthy to Euro-
peans-saying on the occasion-diseases to which Europeans
are subject there-state of the atmosphere-little diminu-
tion of the heat at night-uniformity of temperature favour-
able to the preservation of the teeth-singular custom of
Javanese with regard to theirs-difficulty of filling em-
ployments by proper persons-necessity of procuring military
recruits from Germany-their miserable condition at Ba-
TABLE OF CONTENTS.
xiii
tavia-defence and military establishment there-commerce
of that place with China-climate not hostile to Chinese
settlers-industry and moderation of the latter, contrasted
with indolent and luxurious lives of the Dutch who reside
there-how the latter spend their time-manners, dress,
and disposition of the Dutch ladies at Batavia-how power
of the Dutch maintained.—State of the native Javanese—
of imported slaves-these chiefly females-Emperor of
Java's female military guard-other sovereigns in Java
-passion of Javanese for gaming-fatal consequences-
running a muck-Revolt of the Chinese settlers against the
Dutch government-many of them put to death-apology
made to the Emperor of China-remarkable reply of his
Imperial Majesty-Chinese at Batavia retain their native
customs-instanced in the veneration for their ancestors,
and manner of burying their dead-utility of Chinese set-
tlers at Batavia.-Descendants of Portugueze in Batavia
retain their language, but change their religion for that
of Calvin.-Dutch management of the spice trade.-De-
scription of the nutmeg plant-clove-cinnamon-pepper-
areca nut-report of Upas, or poison tree-Mangosteen,
and other fruits.-River of Batavia abounding in croco-
diles-superstitious notions of the Javanese concerning
them-similar to those of the Egyptians-culture about
Batavia-description of the town-population of Batavia,
and of the districts round it belonging to the Dutch.-
Ships sail from Batavia.-Lion struck upon an unknown
rock-necessity of purchasing the Clarence as a tender.—
On return to straits of Sunda, unexpectedly find there the
xiv
TABLE OF CONTENTS.
F
Fackall brig-some of the gentlemen survey the mouth of
the straits—ascertain longitude of several places-in one
place discover caves filled with the swallow nests, highly
prized in China-Javanese method of taking those nests.-
Description of Malays on the coasts of Java and Su-
matra-instance of apparent civilization in these people,
followed by another of savage inhumanity-various remarks
in the straits of Sunda-visit to Bantam-entertainments
of the Javanese-luxuriance of vegetation in Java.-
Squadron sails for the straits of Banka.—Floating islands.
-Mines of tin in the island of Banka, profitable to Dutch
East India Company.-Arrival at Pulo-condore-bay on
eastern side described-latitude and longitude of the island
ascertained by observation-inhabitants-dread of the
squadron-desert their houses-leave in one of them a letter
for the squadron-answer from the squadron, with a pre-
sent left in the same place-bad weather-danger in a boàt
-accident on board the Hindostan-departure of the
squadron.
page 258 to 360.
TABLE OF CONTENTS,
XV
CHAPTER VIII.
COCHIN-CHINA,
Sickly state of the squadron.-Turon bay in Cochin.
china a desirable place to refresh at-route thither-pilot
taken out of a boat upon the coast of Cochin-china-his
astonishment and alarms-directions for entering into Tu-
ron harbour-where squadron anchors-suspicion of hostile
intentions on the part of the squadron-late revolutions in
Cochin-china-arrival of a person of rank from the sove-
reign of the neighbouring country, with presents to the Em-
bassador-harbour and town of Turon-dinner given by
the Governor of the place-agility of the natives-shittle-
cock played with the feet-ingenuity of natives exemplified
-method of purifying sugar-transfer of females on easy
terms-oppressive conduct of the upper, humiliating situa-
tion of the lower ranks-music cultivated in Cochin-china
—entertainment and play given to the Embassador-British
manufactures in use among the natives-how supplied—
military establishment of the country-elephants trained for
war-killed for food-precious metals found in the moun-
tains of Cochin-china-other commodities-seldom brought
down to the plains since the troubles-inhabitants of the for-
mer a different race from the latter-of these the dict-
dress-industry-corrupt judicature.-Curious insectfound
near Turon-description, and geometrical admeasurement,
xvi
TABLE OF CONTENTS.
of that harbour-climate-periodical inundations-danger
of trading to coast of Cochin-china without a protecting
settlement-instanced in the narrow escape of a vessel sent
thither from Bengal.-Description of the island of Callao.
—Advantages of a settlement at Turon.-Death of the
purser of the Lion-master of the Lion detained for some
days by the natives in an attempt to explore some part of
the country-his account of what he saw and suffered.-
Extent of Cochin-chinese dominions.-Departure of the
squadron announced to the sovereign of Turon-further
presents from him.-Squadron sails. page 361 to 429.
į
EMBASSY TO CHINA.
CHAPTER I.
OCCASION OF THE EMBASSY.
Ir has justly been observed, that the interests
and pursuits of so active and opulent a portion
of the community as is engaged in trade through-
out the British dominions, occupy, at all times,
much of the attention, and, in the proper spirit
of a commercial nation, influence many of the
measures of the government. It was naturally
supposed, therefore, when the determination was
known of sending an embassy to China from
Great Britain, that it was undertaken for com-
mercial purposes. In fact, the intercourse be-
tween the two countries was carried on in a man-
ner that required a change. No ciscumstance had
occurred, either when it was first attempted by
the English, or since it has been established, that
could tend to place it on a more advantageous
footing for them. The natives of other European
countries, who undertook to trade in China, were
generally, in this respect, more fortunate.
VOL. I.
B
1
1
2
EMBASSY TO CHINA.
The Portugueze were the first who frequented
the Chinese coasts upwards of two centuries ago,
and about the period of their most brilliant ex-
ploits, as well as of the fame which necessarily
followed them. They had rendered such signal
services to the empire of China, that, in return,
lands for building a town, near to a safe harbour
at the southern extremity of the country, with se-
veral collateral advantages, were granted to them;
and notwithstanding the decline of their power
and reputation has gradually led to an encroach-
ment upon their privileges, the recollection of a
long and useful connection contributes to procure
them still, on the part of the Chinese, a more
familiar and confidential reception, and, indeed,
a marked preference, in particular instances, be-
fore other Europeans.
The Dutch, in consequence of assistance sup-
plied by them for the reduction of a formidable
rebel, named Coshing-ga, whose fleets infested
the eastern coasts of China towards the middle
of the last century, were, for a time caressed by
the established government; and invited even to
Pekin, where the first emperor of the Man-choo
Tartar race was then sitting on the throne. His
successor, the great Cam-hi, or, as more accu-
rately pronounced, Caung-shee, during a long
EMBASSY TO CHINA.
3
and prosperous reign, received, very favourably,
any foreigners skilled in such arts and sciences
as were better understood in Europe than by his
own subjects. He admitted many of those fo-
reigners into his service and confidence; and
employed some of them in political negotia-
tions. They all happened to belong to different
religious societies of the Roman Catholic per-
suasion, founded in different parts of the con-
tinent of Europe; and were men, who being
inspired with zeal for the propagation of the
principles of their faith among distant nations,
had been sent abroad for that purpose by their
respective superiors. Several of those who ar-
rived in China, acquired considerable esteem
and influence, as well by their talents and know-
ledge, as by uncommon strictness of morals, dis-
interestedness, and humility: qualities and a
conduct that leave little room for clashing, at
least in temporal affairs, with the views of other
men; and command the veneration even of those
who are not disposed to imitate the example.
By means like these, they not only gained prose-
lytes to their religion, but gave a favourable im-
pression of the countries from whence they came:
thus, and by personal solicitations, serving the
cause of such of their countrymen as were en-
B 2
4
EMBASSY TO CHINA.
gaged in pursuits of commerce in any Chinese
port.
But the English had no opportunity of ren-
dering themselves acceptable by public services;
nor had they any other means of securing respect
for their character, or protection for their trade.
Mercantile speculations, to other distant coun-
tries, from England, had indeed been encou-
raged, and assisted by the special countenance
and recommendation of the sovereign upon the
throne.
66
Queen Elizabeth," according to the history
of commerce," in the last year of the sixteenth
century, sent out John Mildenhall over land
from Constantinople to the court of the Great
Mogul for obtaining certain privileges for the
English, for whom she was then preparing a
"charter. He was long opposed by the arts
"and presents of the Spanish and Portugueze
Jesuits at that court; and it was some years
"before he could entirely get the better of them."
It is recorded, that the same wise princess wrote.
strong recommendatory letters to the emperor of
China, to be delivered by the chiefs of an expe-
dition intended for that country in her time;
but misfortunes at sea prevented the ships from
ever arriving there. Nor does it appear that any
1
EMBASSY TO CHINA.
5
regular trade was afterwards attempted with that
empire, to which the Portugueze seem to have
long arrogated the exclusive privilege of resort-
ing, until the year 1634, when a truce and free
trade to China, and all other places where the
Portugueze were settled in India, was agreed
to between the viceroy of Goa and several Eng-
lish merchants, to whom a license for trading to
the East Indies had been granted by King Charles
the First, notwithstanding the exclusive charter
of Queen Elizabeth to others.
Several ships were fitted out by these grantees,
under the command of Captain Weddell, who
thought it sufficient, in consequence of the
of the agree-
ment made at Goa, to bring letters for the go-
vernor of Macao, in order to be effectually assist-
ed in his projected intercourse with the Chinese
at Canton. But according to the manuscript
account of that voyage, which seems to have
been drawn up without disguise, "the procura-
"dor of Maccow soon repaired aboard the prin.
cipal ship of the English, and said, that for
"matter of refreshing, he would provide them ;
but that there was a main obstacle to their
"
66
trading, which was the non-consent of the
Chineses, who, he pretended, held his (the
Portugueze) people in miserable subjection.
6
EMBASSY TO CHINA.
"The English determined, however, to discover
"the river of Canton; and fitted out a barge
"and pinnace with above fifty men, which, af-
"ter two days, came in sight of the mouth of
"the river, being a very goodly inlet, and ut-,
66
terly prohibited to the Portugalls (Portu-
gueze) by the Chineses, who do not willingly
"admit any strangers to the view of it, being
the passage and secure harbour for their best
jounckes, both of war and merchandize; so
"that the Portugal traffic to Canton was only
"in small vessels, through divers narrow shoal-
"ed straits, amongst many broken islands ad-
86
""
joining to the main. The barge anchoring
for a wind and tide to carry them in, a jouncke
of those that accustom to fish was descried
early in the morning, whom Thomas Robin-
"son followed, (a tedious chase by reason of
"their many oars) hoping to have found some
"aboard that might have stood either of a pilot
or interpreter; but finding neither, having
"used them with all courtesy, dismissed them,
"contrary to their timorous expectation; and
"afterwards, for the same causes, and with the
"same success, spake with another; but after a
delay of several days a small boat made to-
"wards the pinnace; and having told some
↓
EMBASSY TO CHINA.
7
(6
refreshing, signs were made to carry some of
"the English to Canton, and bring them to the
speech of the mandarines; which the boatmen
accepted of: but the next day, the pinnace be-
66
66
66
ing under sail with a fair wind and tide, after
having passed by a certain desolate castle, a
“fleet of about twenty sail of tall jounckes, com-
"manded by the admiral of the sea's deputies,
passing down from Canton, encountered the
English; and, in courteous terms, desired
"them to anchor, which accordingly they did;
" and presently John Mounteney, and Thomas
Robinson, went aboard the chief mandarine,
"where were certain Negroes, fugitives of the
Portugalls, that interpreted.
66
66
66
"At first the Chinese began somewhat rough-
ly to expostulate what moved them to come
thither, and discover the prohibited goods, and
“concealed parts and passages of so great a
prince's dominions? also, who were their
""
pilots? Thomas Robinson replied that they
"were come from Europe, to treat of such ca-
<<
pitulation, as might conduce to the good of
"both princes and subjects, hoping that it might
"be lawful for them, as well as for the inhabi-
"tants of Maccow, to exercise a free commerce,
"paying duties as the others; and as for pilots,
8
EMBASSY TO CHINA.
+
66
they had none; but every one was able, by
"his art, to discover more difficult passages than
they had found. The Chinese hereafter began
"to be more affable, and, in conclusion, appoint-
"ed a small jouncke to carry up Captain Carter,
"John Mounteney, and Thomas Robinson, or
"whom else they pleased, to the town (of Can-
ton), if the English would promise that the
pinnace should proceed no further; for though
"each of these vessels was well furnished with
"ordnance and treble manned, yet durst they
not all to oppose her in
her in any hostile way. The
same night Captain Carter, Thomas Robin-
son, and John Mounteney, left the pinnace,
"with order to expect their return; and, being
“embarked in a small jouncke of thirty tons,
46
proceeded towards Canton, with intent to de-
"liver a petition to the viceroy, for obtaining of
“license to settle a trade in those parts. The
"next day they arrived within five leagues of
"Canton, whither it seems the rumour of their
"coming, and fear of them, was already ar-
"rived; so that they were required in a friendly
"manner to proceed no further, but to repair
"aboard their own ships, with promise of as-
sistance in the procuring of license for trade,
if they would seek it at Maccow by the solici-
EMBASSY TO CHINA.
9
❝tation of some they should find there; and
"would instantly abandon the river: the which
“(having satisfied themselves with this disco-
66
very, and willing to remove the anxiety which
"their long absence might breed in the rest of
"the fleet) they readily performed. In a little
time the Portugalls' fleet of six small vessels
"set sail for Japan; upon whose departure it
"was expected that license of trade would have
"been permitted, according as they still had
"borne in hand the English; but being then
❝ freed of their conceived fear lest Captain Wed-
• dell and his men should have surprised their
"vessels, they instantly flouted the simple cre-
(4
dulity (the inseparable badge of folly) of the
nation; and, at last, having assembled a coun-
"cil of purpose, sent the English a flat denial.
“The same day at a consultation called aboard
"the admiral (Weddell) to that purpose, Cap-
"tain Carter, John Mounteney, and Thomas
66
Robinson, delivered to the whole council, to-
gether with a draught of the river, the sum of
"their attempts, success, and hopes; which be-
ing well pondered, it was generally consented,
"that the whole fleet should sail for the river of
"Canton. They arrived, in a few days, before
❝ the forementioned desolate castle; and being
*
10
EMBASSY TO CHINA.
"now furnished with some slender interpreters,
they soon had speech with divers mandarines
"in the king's jounckes, to whom the cause of
"their arrival was declared, viz. to entertain
"" peace and amity with them, to traffic freely as
"the Portugalls did, and to be forthwith sup-
plied for their monies, with provisions for
"their ships: all which those mandarines pro-
""
mised to solicit with the prime men resident
"at Canton; and in the mean time desire an ex-
"
pectation of six days, which were granted;
"and the English ships rode with white ensigns
on the poop; but their perfidious friends, the
Portugalls, had in all that time, since the re-
turn of the pinnace, so beslandered them to the
"Chinese, reporting them to be rogues, thieves,
beggars, and what not, that they became very
jealous of the good meaning of the English ;
insomuch that, in the night time, they put
forty-six of iron cast ordnance into the fort
lying close to the brink of the river; each
"
f
"6
piece between six and seven hundred weight,
" and well proportioned; and after the end of
"four days, having, as they thought, sufficiently
"fortified themselves, they discharged divers
"shot, though without hurt, upon one of the
"barges, passing by them, to find out a con-
EMBASSY TO CHINA.
11
E
""
* venient watering place. Herewith the whole
fleet, being instantly incensed, did on the sud-
den, display their bloody ensigns; and, weigh-
ing their anchors, fell up with the flood, and
birthed themselves before the castle, from
whence came many shot; yet not any that
"touched so much as hull or rope; whereupon,.
"not being able to endure their bravadoes any
longer, each ship began to play furiously upon
them, with their broadsides: and, after two or
three hours, perceiving their cowardly faint-
ing, the boats were landed with about one
´´ hundred men; which sight occasioned them,
" with great distractions, instantly to abandon
•
66
2:6
<<
the castle and fly; the boats' crews, in the
"mean time, without let, entering the same, and
displaying his Majesty's colours of Great Bri-
"tain upon the walls, having, the same night,
66
46
put aboard all their ordnance, fired the coun-
cil-house, and demolished what they could.
"The boats of the fleet, also, seized a jouncke
"
laden with boards and timber, and another
"with salt. Another vessel, of small moment,
"was surprised, by whose bout a letter was sent to
'the chief mandarines at Canton, expostulating
"their breach of truce, excusing the assailing of
the castle, and withal, in fair terms, requiring
1
12
EMBASSY TO CHINA.
f
"the liberty of trade. This letter, it seems, was
"delivered; for, the next day, a mandarine of
"no great note, some time a Portugal Christian,
"called Paulo Noretty, came towards the ships
"in a small boat with a white flag, to whom the
English having laid open
the injuries received,
"and the sincere intent they had to establish fair
“ trade and commerce, and were no way willing
66
66
6
(but in their own defence) to oppose the China
"nation, presented certain gifts, and dismissed
"him to his masters, who were some of the chief
“mandarines, riding about a point of land not
"far from the ships, who being, by him, duly
“ informed thereof, returned him again, the same
night, with a small jouncke, and full authority
"to carry up such, as should be appointed, to
Canton, there to tender a petition, and to con-
"clude further upon the manner of their future
proceedings. John Mounteney and Thomas
Robinson passed up the river, and, the next
<<
66
66
2
evening, arrived at the city, anchoring close
"under the walls, in sight of the palace of
Champin, the admiral-general, and, on the
"morrow, having procured a petition to be for-
mally drawn up, by means of the said Noretty,
they were called ashore, and, passing through
“ a treble guard, and, at length, coming in sight
66
1
EMBASSY TO CHINA.
13
1
"of the chiefs assembled, they were willed, ac-
cording to the custom of the country, to kneel;
"and Thomas Robinson, holding the petition
"at large extended upon his head, delivered it
"to Noretty to carry up to Champin; the con-
"tents whereof be so reasonable, as before speci-
fied, he presently consented unto, and promised
"his utmost assistance; blaming the treachery
"of the Portugalls, whom he taxed as authors,
by their slanders, of all the precedent incon-
"veniences: they returned from Canton fully
"
satisfied, and hereupon the Chinese guns were
"landed and delivered into their hands; their
jounckes freely dismissed, and a seeming peace
" on all sides ensued."
The whole of this relation marks the mode-
ration of the Chinese towards strangers, or, per-
haps, the weak and unsteady administration of a
declining dynasty; but shews, at the same time,
under what adverse auspices, the English were
first introduced in China: these rash adventurers
appearing as if not belonging to any nation, or
avowed by any power, and misrepresented by
those on whom they had placed dependance; nor
had they been preceded by any English traveller,
actuated by motives of piety or curiosity, who
might announce, at least, the name of his coun-
14
EMBASSY TO CHINA.
try to some advantage. It continued to be so
little known, even after the English had begun
to traffic at Canton, that they were long distin-
guished, only, by the contemptuous appellation
of Hoong-mow-zhin, which, as nearly as can be
translated, may answer to that of carotty-pated
race.
When the vast increase of the shipping of the
English at Canton, and the eclat of their victo-
ries in Hindostan, as well as their conquest of
the Philippine Islands in the Chinese seas, had
attracted the attention of the court of Pekin, the
answers, to inquiries concerning them, from the
missionaries, being the only Europeans to be con-
sulted there, probably partook of the national
and religious prejudices imbibed, until of late,
by persons of that description, against the Eng-
lish. It must have required a long course of
very reserved and cautious conduct on their part,
to efface any unfavourable impressions given of
them by other natives of Europe. But with such
a conduct it was sometimes difficult to reconcile
the independent spirit and freedom of action, re-
sulting from the nature of the British govern-
ment; and which might, however justifiable,
have sometimes worn the appearance of presump-
tion in the of the supercilious and arbitrary
eyes
EMBASSY TO CHINA.
15
magistrates of China, especially when observ-
able in persons of a mercantile profession, which
happens to be the lowest class in estimation there.
Its more frequent, and worse consequences pro-
ceeded from the abuse of liberty in the vulgar
and uninstructed minds of British seamen, and
other persons in inferior stations. Their passions
and caprices, being in great measure unrestrain-
ed, they exhibited such scenes of excesses and
irregularities as were peculiarly disgusting and
offensive to a people, whose minutest actions are
controlled by specific regulations.
From these causes, of all foreigners frequent-
ing the port of Canton, the English were cer-
tainly depicted in the most unfavourable colours
to the government of the country; and probably
treated with the greatest rigour upon the spot. And
thus the imperial officers, under whose immediate
inspection they were placed, were in little danger
of reprehension for any ill treatment of their
persons, or impositions upon their trade. Their
complaints were considered as frivolous or ill-
founded; and attributed to a restless and unrea-
sonable disposition. Effectual measures were,
likewise, taken to avoid a repetition of their re-
monstrances, by punishing such of the natives as
were suspected of having assisted in translating
16
EMBASSY TO CHINA.
the papers which contained them, into the lan→
guage of the country. The few English, who
were in any degree acquainted with that lan-
guage, being necessarily brought forward for the
purpose
of communicating their grievances, be-
came particularly obnoxious; and this circum-
stance contributed to deter others from any at-
tempt to acquire it; and, indeed, to teach it to
them was found to be a service of some danger.
They were, thus, under the necessity of trusting
entirely to the native merchants themselves, with
whom they had to deal; and who found their
account in acquiring, at least, as many English
words as were necessary for carrying
carrying on their
mercantile concerns. Besides, the vast supe-
riority of rank, over all merchants, assumed by
persons in authority in China, became an ob-
stacle to all social or familiar intercourse between
them, and the only Englishmen who went there.
And, notwithstanding a British factory had been
established upwards of an hundred years, not
the least approach was made towards that assimi-
lation of manners, dress, sentiments, or habits,
which, in similar institutions elsewhere, tends
so much to facilitate the views of commerce, as
well as to promote the comforts of those imme-
diately engaged in it.
}
1
EMBASSY TO CHINA.
17
!..
{
Under such circumstances, the ancient preju-
dices against all strangers, always great in pro-
portion as there is little communication with
them, could scarcely fail to continue in their
full force those prejudices, not only operating
upon the conduct of the Chinese, but reduced
into a system, supported on the fullest confi-
dence in the perfect state of their own civiliza-
tion; and the comparative barbarism of every
other nation, suggested the precaution of making
regulations to restrain the conduct of all Eu-
ropeans frequenting their coasts; as if aware of
the necessity of preventing the contamination of
bad example among their own people. One port
only was left open for foreign ships; and, when
the season came for their departure, every Eu-
ropean was compelled to embark with them, or
leave, at least, the Chinese territories: thus aban-
doning his factory and unfinished concerns, un-
til the return of the ships in the following year.
There was little scruple in laying those restric-
tions on foreign trade, the government of China
not being impressed with any idea of its impor-
tance to a country including so many climates,
and supplying within itself, all the necessaries,
if not all the luxuries, of life.
Tho the natives, immediately engaged with
G
VOL. I.
18
EMBASSY TO CHINA.
1
foreigners in mercantile transactions, have been
very considerable gainers by such an intercourse,
the body of the people is taught to attribute the
admission of it, entirely, to motives of humanity
and benevolence towards other nations standing
in need of the produce of China, agreeably to
precepts inculcated by the great moralists of the
empire; and not to any occasion or desire of
deriving reciprocal advantage from it.
For a considerable period, indeed, there was
little demand for European goods at the Chinese
markets; and the consequent necessity of paying
for the surplus value of their commodities in mo-
ney, an object so desirable for nations which may
often have occasion to remit cash elsewhere, was
thought, in China, where such a want seldom
could occur, to be productive of little other al-
teration than to increase the relative weight of
the metal representing property; and which in-
crease was in that respect considered rather an
inconvenience than a benefit.
With such an opinion of foreign trade,
those, who presided over it, being indifferent to
its progress, and suffering it, rather than seeking
for it, there was a very slender chance of fa-
vourable attention, or even common justice, to-
wards the strangers who carried it on; espe-
EMBASSY TO CHINA.
19
cially the English at Canton, who had not the
faculty of asserting their own cause upon the
spot; and were entirely without support at the
capital, where their hardships might be re-
dressed. They were, in fact, subjected to many
oppressions in their dealings, and insults upon
their persons. They did not, however, conceive
that such treatment was authorized by the Em-
peror of China, or even known to him; and
therefore several of the East India Company's
agents, employed in the Chinese trade, suggested
the propriety of an embassy to his Imperial Ma-
jesty, to represent their situation, in the hope
that he might issue orders for the removal of the
grievances under which they laboured. Intelli-
gent men, who had resided at Pekin, and being,
as mathematicians or artists, in the service of the
court, had occasionally an opportunity of ob-
serving the disposition of those who composed
it, were of opinion that such a measure, pro-
perly supported, could not fail of having a good
effect. The English, hitherto, were scarcely
known there, except through the prejudiced me-
dium of their adversaries or rivals. Those who
resided at Canton were merely considered as in-
dividuals, who, not having been recommended,
or expressly avowed by their own sovereign,
C 2
20
EMBASSY TO CHINA.
A
might not be thought entitled to any particular
protection. It was urged, that a British Embas-
sador would be a new spectacle; and his mission
a compliment, that would probably be well re-
ceived. Upon general reasoning, it appeared,
that every motive of policy or commerce, which
led to the maintenance of ministers from Great
Britain, at European courts, and even in Turkey,
applied, with equal strength, to a similar esta-
blishment, if practicable, at Pekin. The trade
between the subjects of the two countries amount-
ed, annually, to some millions sterling; and,
tho the kingdom of Great Britain be distant se-
veral thousand miles from the capital of the
Chinese empire, the dependent territories of
each state approached each other within about
two hundred miles, on the side of Hindostan.
Much of the intermediate space between the
eastern boundary of the British government of
Bengal, and the western limits of the Chinese
province of Shen-see, was occupied by petty
princes, frequently at variance with each other;
but intimately connected with, or dependent
upon, one or other of their two powerful neigh-
bours. Such a relative situation must, in the
common progress of events, give rise, as has al-
ready been experienced, to discussions, which
EMBASSY TO CHINA.
21
might, without the interposition of persons in a
public and confidential character, lay the foun-
dation of dangerous differences between the two
courts.
A similar evil appears not less to be appre-
hended, in the course of an extensive commercial
intercourse, in another extremity of China. An
accident, indeed, happened at Canton, not many
much en-
years ago, which is said to have very
dangered the continuance of its foreign trade.
On some occasion of compliment, or rejoicing,
the guns were fired from one of those vessels
which navigate between the British settlements
in India and Canton, but not in the employ-
ment, or under the regulations or discipline,
of the English East India Company: through
want, no doubt, of sufficient precaution on the
part of those who directed the firing, two Chi-
nese were killed in a boat, lying near the vessel,
in the river of Canton. The crime of murder is,
certainly, less frequent, and excites sensations of
deeper horror in China, where it is never par-
doned, than it does in many parts of Europe.
The viceroy of the province, feeling the utmost
indignation at the supposed atrocity, or wanton-
ness, of an act, by which an European deprived
two Chinese of life, instantly demanded the per
22
EMBASSY TO CHINA.
son of the gunner who committed the fact, or of
him who ordered it; the latter, already, had ab-
sconded; and the former, merely acting in obe-
dience to his superior, was consequently.consi-
dered as guiltless by the English factory, and
was endeavoured to be protected by it. Remon-
strances were made, stating the unfortunate event
to have been entirely accidental. Nevertheless
the viceroy, prepossessed by an ill opinion of
the English, as prone to every kind of wicked-
ness, would not be satisfied without a victim to
expiate the mischief that had happened, and in-
sisted upon the man's being delivered up to
him; and, to secure that object, seized upon the
person of one of the principal supercargoes,
This extraordinary step alarmed the other fac-
tories, and united them with the English, as in
a common cause. The European ships, then ly-
ing in the Canton river, were in considerable
number and force; their commanders and the
individuals of the factories seemed to collect to-
gether, and to dispose themselves for resistance
to the intentions of the viceroy; who imme-
diately ordered vast numbers of his troops to
line the banks of the river, and prepared to ob-
tain his purpose by compulsion. He was, per-
haps, the less cautious or backward in taking this
f
L
EMBASSY TO CHINA.
23
strong measure, as its justification would depend
upon his own statement of the facts to the Emperor,
who might thus easily be brought to feel resent-
ment, and approve of vengeance against the Eng-
glish; they having, at the Imperial court, no
means of disputing the representation of the vice-
roy, or of averting the execution of his designs,
Extremities were avoided only by the delivery of
the unhappy gunner, with some vain hope that
he should not be made to suffer.
If any conflict had taken place, the loss of
those who might fall on both sides, upon the oc-
casion, would not, perhaps, be the only ill con-
sequence resulting from it. Very serious appre-
hensions were entertained, lest the Chinese go-
vernment, which easily takes alarm, and foresees
the possibility of the remotest evils, should be
disposed to prevent effectually the return of such
a scene; and avoid the chance of exposing the
lives, or disturbing the tranquillity, of its sub-
jects, by putting a total stop to foreign trade.
It is not merely the privation of the profit
that would be sustained by the East India Com-
pany, or of the duties payable to the state, that
would be felt by the cessation of the trade to
China; nor even the stagnation, in this respect,
in the sale of British manufactures in that coun
ཨ*སྙེན་
24
EMBASSY TO CHINA.
try; where the East India Company, by sacri-
fices which individuals could not make, have:
succeeded in carrying it to an unexpected extent.
Notwithstanding the violence of the shock,
which such a stoppage would create, other open-
ings might gradually be struck out for com-
merce; which will generally be found to make
its way, and flourish, at length, under the au-
spices of a good government, nearly in propor-
tion to the capital, industry, and ingenuity of
the people inclined to carry it on.
But, independently of every consideration of
gain, it happens, in fact, that one of the chief
articles of import from China, and not to be had
elsewhere, was become a necessary of life in
most of the ranks of society in England. Until
teas, of similar qualities with the Chinese,
could be procured from other countries, in equal
quantities, and at as reasonable a price as they
were then imported from China, no precaution
was to be neglected, which could secure the
usual supply of that article from thence, while
the desire of its daily use continued undimi-
nished in Great Britain.
of
Tea, it is true, was not known in any part
Europe before the commencement of the last
century. Some Dutch adventurers seeking,
า
EMBASSY TO CHINA.
25
about that time, for such objects as might fetch a
price in China, and, hearing of the general
usage, there, of a beverage from a plant of the
country, bethought themselves of trying how far
an European plant, of supposed great virtues,
might also be relished by the Chinese, and
thereby become a saleable commodity amongst
them; and, accordingly, introduced to them the
herb sage, so much once extolled by the Saler-
nian school of physic, as a powerful preserva-
tive of health: the Dutch accepting, in return,
the Chinese tea, which they brought to Europe.
The European herb did not continue, long at
least, in use in China; but the consumption of
tea has been gradually increasing in Europe ever
since. In England, about the middle of the last
age, the infusions of it were already sold in
houses of public entertainment; and became an
object of taxation to the legislature. The annual
public sales of teas, by the East India Company,
did not, however, in the beginning of the pre-
sent century, much exceed fifty thousand pounds
weight, independently of what little might be
then, perhaps, clandestinely imported. The
Company's annual sales, now, approach to
twenty millions of pounds; being an increase of
four hundred fold, in less than one hundred
26.
EMBASSY TO CHINA.
years, and answers to the rate of more than a
pound weight each, in the course of the year,
for the individuals of all ranks, sexes, and ages,
throughout the British dominions, in Europe
and America.
No substitute, that could be offered, would
prevent the sudden deprivation of an article, in
such universal consumption and request, from
being considered as a calamity. Steps have, in-
deed, been taken for the purpose of introducing
its cultivation in those parts of the British terri-
tories in Hindostan, of which the soil and cli-
mate are supposed most congenial to its growth;
and in the island of Corsica, a small plantation
of it is said, actually, to be flourishing; but at an
expence, in the preparation of it, exceeding the
value of the produce. The probability is, how-
ever, strong, that the supply of this article, at a
reasonable price, may, at a future time, be se-
cured without depending upon the will of a fo-
reign power. But prudence required to guard
against its failure in the mean time, by endea
vouring to form such a connection with the
court of Pekin, as might, in its consequences,
tend to place the British trade to China upon a
less precarious, and more advantageous footing,
than hitherto it had stood; as well, also, as to
EMBASSY TO CHINA.
27
prevent the difficulties, and allay the jealousies,
which the intrigues and misrepresentations of
the respective dependents or allies of China and
Great Britain, might be likely to occasion on
the side of Hindostan.
It was not to be expected that such a connec-
tion could, on a sudden, be brought about; or
its objects be at once completed. The court of
Pekin was understood to be guided by maxims
peculiar to itself; little fond of a promiscuous in-
tercourse with foreign states, and inclined, in
some measure, to consider its subjects as placed
in the vale of happiness, where it was wise to se-
clude them from a profane admixture with other
men. The exception to such a rule was not
likely to be made, at once, in favour of a nation,
of whose wealth, enterprize, and power, the Em-
peror and mandarines were sufficiently persuaded;
but of whose virtues they had little heard.
A succession of British subjects, residing in a
dignified station at Pekin, whose cautious con-
duct and courteous manners would be calculated
to gain the esteem of the upper, and the respect
of the lower classes of the Chinese, might, by
dissipating their prejudices, and conciliating their
good will, produce the confidence necessary to a
$8
EMBASSY TO CHINA.
desirable alliance with them. The admittance of
such, however, in the first instance, might be a
matter of some difficulty and hazard. A British
subject in the service of the East India Com-
pany, who had attained the language of the
country, by having been sent to Canton at a
very early age, and had remained long in it, was
punished, by express order from Pekin, for hav-
ing attempted to penetrate to that capital, with a
view of presenting, in obedience to his supe-
riors, a memorial of grievances from the British
factory.
It was presumed, that better success might at-
tend an envoy of rank, invested with a royal
commission, which commands respect in every
civilized society; and a person of noble birth,
and distinguished merit, undertook to make the
experiment. He was accompanied by gentlemen
of ability and knowledge; but the expedition
was interrupted by his premature decease in the
course of the voyage out. This event retarded,
but did not prevent, the prosecution of the mea-
sure originally intended. Fresh circumstances
occurred to press its execution. A more compre-
hensive view, also, was taken of the subject;
and considerations of humanity and philosophy
1
EMBASSY TO CHINA.
29
were superadded to those of policy and com-
merce. Among the transactions which give
lustre to the present reign, some of the most me-
morable were the voyages undertaken under the
immediate auspices of the Sovereign, whereby
the boundaries of science were enlarged, and the
globe was circumnavigated, without the incen-
tives of gain or conquest. But advantages were
obtained more durable, and more worthy of ele-
vated minds. One man, chosen by government,
as fitted for arduous undertakings, by intrepidity
and judgment, as well as by the extent of his ac-
quirements, was enabled to make considerable
improvements in navigation and geography;
and, after successive trials, to determine points
of much previous doubt and curiosity, as well as
of general importance; while another, stored
with the knowledge of whatever former na-
turalists had observed, and making, for the sake
of further researches, a voluntary sacrifice of the
enjoyments of fortune, at an early age, to en-
counter the extremities of opposite climates, and
the perils of unknown routes, succeeded in en-
riching the history of nature in its several de-
partments. Enterprizes such as these were so
much above the usual course of things, and the
motives of ordinary actions, that, in the midst of
1
30
EMBASSY TO CHINA,
war, they were held sacred by an admiring
enemy; and, without solicitation, were excepted
from the danger of the hostile attacks, to which
every other English property, and person were
exposed.
As individuals, growing into affluence, derive
just praise from generous exertions in behalf of
the community; so kings and nations, in pros-
perity, cannot, with greater glory, avail them-
selves of their situation, than by directing a part
of their attention towards enlightening mankind;
and promoting the general happiness of the hu-
man race. Nor is such a conduct barren of direct
advantage to those who hold it: no state can
flatter itself with abounding so much in the
riches of nature, or of being already arrived to
such perfection in the arts of applying them to
the purposes of life, as not to be susceptible of
any further augmentation or improvement. If
countries, little advanced in civilization, are ca-
pable of sometimes supplying valuable informa-
tion, it is probable that much more might be col-
lected, from the recorded or traditional expe-
rience of the most ancient society, and the most
populous empire existing amongst men.
The few, who had hitherto found means to
penetrate into China, had contributed rather to
EMBASSY TO CHINA.
31
?
raise the attention of other persons, than to
satisfy their inquiries. Of the accounts given of
it, some were contradictory, and some suspi-
cious; but all concur in ascertaining that, in re-
spect to its natural and artificial productions, the
policy and uniformity of its government, the lan-
guage, manners, and opinions of the people,
their moral maxims, and civil institutions, and
the general economy and tranquillity of the state,
it is the grandest collective object that can be
presented for human contemplation or research.
The obstacles to a familiar investigation of it
arose, no doubt, on the part of the Chinese go-
vernment, from the fancied danger of communi-
cating with strangers prone to disturbance or
immorality. This opinion could be corrected
only by such strangers affording examples of a
contrary tendency.
But it might not be safe to trust to the effect,
of examples of ordinary rectitude, without the
concomitant qualifications for moving in a scene
so novel, and amidst prejudices so inveterate.
An Embassador once admitted, the success of the
general plan would, certainly, much depend on
the impression he and his attendants would
make, during his journey through the country;
and his visit to the court. If he should have the
Karel Mdee, výtline-
32
EMBASSY TO CHINA.
•
method of rendering himself acceptable to the
people; if he could gain the good opinion of the
mandarines; thus operating, in fact, a favourable
change in the ideas that had been entertained of
the nation which had sent him; and, lastly,
could excite a wish for the regular residence of
succeeding ministers contrary to the former
usages of the Chinese, the immediate object of
this first attempt would be accomplished, and
a firm foundation laid for the attainment of
every good which might result from an intimate
intercourse with all parts of China. This, how-
ever, could only be the work of time, and might
be retarded by aiming at too much in the begin-
ning. Some of the most judicious directors of
the East India Company, tho perfectly aware of
all the hardships under which its commerce la-
boured at Canton, but feeling how much more.
the Company would suffer by its absolute dis-
continuance, recommended the utmost precaution
to be used in the early periods of negotiation; lest,
by eagerly contending for the redress of griev
ances, or prematurely insisting upon further pri-
vileges, the government of China should take
alarm or offence; and think it time, effectually, to
prevent the danger of encroachment, or dispute,
by shutting its ports entirely against foreigners.
EMBASSY TO CHINA.
33
tary
It behoved the British administration, there-
fore, to select a person of tried prudence, as well
as of long experience in distant courts and coun-
tries, to enter upon a business of such delicacy
and difficulty; and who would be contented with
securing future success, without enjoying the splen-
dour of instant advantages. It was an office, of
which it could not be suspected that it would be
conferred through personal favour, or parliamen-
influence. The minister, indeed, had already
in several instances of great and responsible em-
ployments connected with the East India Com-
pany, shewn the example of recommending, from
the sole consideration of the qualifications requi-
site to fill them; and appointments the most va-
luable and important were made where they were
neither solicited nor expected. A proper person
was thus, in like manner, to be sought for on
the present occasion; but some time elapsed be-
fore the choice was ultimately fixed.
VOL. I.
D
i
:
34
EMBASSY TO CHINA.
CHAPTER II.
:
PREPARATIONS FOR THE EMBASSY.
HOWEVER flattering patronage may be considered
to a minister, it becomes, on occasions of import-
ance, a duty nice and difficult to perform. He is
not more answerable for the measures he adopts,
than for the choice of those to whom he confides
their execution. As to the former, he may have
credit given to him for the exercise of his judg-
ment without any particular predilection; but, in
suiting persons to employments, it behoves him,
in order to escape censure, to be equally on his
guard against his own partialities, and the soli-
citations of his most intimate connections; and
he finds himself perfectly secure, only, when his
private opinion coincides with the general voice.
Such was the case in the appointment of an
Embassador to China. Lord Macartney was in
the number of those whose reputation was esta-
blished for talent, integrity, and an aptitude for
business. Few men had been tried in a greater
variety of situations; and he was, perhaps, the
only man whose conduct (on his return from a
EMBASSY TO CHINA.
35
high station in India) the opposite parties in the
legislature, united in applauding; and his friends
enjoyed the satisfaction of hearing his eulogy pro-
nounced, on the same day, from the mouths of
the two great opposing leaders in the House of
Commons. While he was formerly his Ma-
jesty's Envoy at Petersburg, he concluded, with
that court, a commercial treaty to subsist for
twenty years, on such advantageous conditions,
that the sovereign of Russia, at length, perceiving
the balance to be too much in favour of Great Bri-
tain, refused, for a considerable time, to renew it.
His Lordship had other occasions, afterwards, to
exert both address and prudence, for the public
advantage, in different quarters of the globe. He
had since, indeed, declined the government-general
of Bengal, of which the power and the profit exceed,
no doubt, that of any other within the recommen-
dation, or the gift, of ministry. But a visit to the
court of Pekin was, on other accounts, so uncom-
monly inviting; it presented so much to an ar-
dent and inquisitive mind, that, upon the first
intimation, he readily engaged in the attempt.
go-
His Lordship made no stipulation with
vernment, on accepting this employment; but
Mr. Dundas, Secretary of State, who planned
and undertook the whole of this measure, and to
{
D 2
36
EMBASSY TO CHINA.
1
whom, whatever advantage may ultimately result
from its adoption, must, certainly, be attributed,
very readily offered to allow a friend of Lord
Macartney, (who, in negotiating the
peace with
Tippoo Sultaun in 1784, had some opportunity
of acquiring experience) to accompany his Lord-
ship as his Majesty's Secretary of the Embassy,
and eventual successor to the Embassador. His
Lordship's recommendations were accepted in
other department of the Embassy.
every
By what route the expedition should proceed
to China, could not long admit a doubt. Tho
Pekin lies on the same side of the equator as
London, with a difference of only eleven degrees
of latitude; and tho a direct line from one capital
to the other, passes over very little sea, and
through countries which nature has rendered
pleasant, and where the atmosphere is mild and
healthy yet the state of human civilization,
through this long tract of 5790 English miles,
is, in many parts, too imperfect to admit of tra-
velling with ease, safety, or dispatch. The pas-
sage by sea, therefore, was alone found practi-
cable, notwithstanding it is so circuitous, as to be
more than thrice the actual distance between China
and Great Britain.
On this occasion the First Lord of the Admi-
EMBASSY TO CHINA.
37
ļ
ralty, thinking one of his Majesty's ships could
not be better employed in time of peace, deter-
mined that a sixty-four gun ship should carry the
Embassador out and home; and was pleased, also,
to leave it to Lord Macartney to nominate the com-
mander. This nomination was far from being a
matter of indifference; for, beside the proper qua-
lifications to conduct any very long voyage, with
safety and comfort to the passengers and crew, still
more might, possibly, be requisite in an under-
taking in which a new tract of sea was to be ex-
plored; as it became a part of the plan to sail di-
rectly for the harbour next to the capital of China,
through the Yellow sea and the gulf of Pekin, for
of ten degrees of latitude, and more than
half that quantity of longitude; of no part of
which there was any recorded account, by Eu-
ropean navigators. As this sea is, except at its
entrance, bounded by the eastern and northern
a space
coasts of China, and by those of Tartary and
Corea, dependent on that empire, no fairer oc-
casion could offer for penetrating into it, and
adding so much to marine knowledge, without
creating suspicion, or giving offence, to the court
of Pekin; since the avowed and justifiable object
of the mission led directly through it. Besides,
nothing could be more expedient than to pursue
"
38
EMBASSY TO CHINA.
this route in preference, on the present occasion,
to that of landing at Canton, in the southern ex-
tremity of the Chinese empire, and proposing to
proceed from thence, through the interior of the
country, to the capital, at the distance of about
one thousand and four hundred miles. For it
was, certainly, more desirable to avoid than run
the risk of the delays which, in so long a jour-
the Embassador might be made to undergo;
the obstacles that might be thrown, purposely, in
ney,
his
way; and the intrigues, for which so long a
journey would afford ample opportunities. Such
intrigues were to be expected on the part of the
magistrates and inhabitants of Canton, from their
apprehension that the Embassy would, eventu-
ally, affect the situation of the former, on a re-
presentation of their oppressions, or the profits of
the latter, in their exclusive trade with foreigners.
To every branch of the sea service Captain,
now Sir Erasmus Gower, was known to be fully
equal. Independently of the military exertions
of this spirited and able officer, he had, twice, at
early age, been round the world, having suf-
fered, and materially contributed to surmount,
the vast variety of evils incident to such perilous
and protracted voyages; by which his mind was
inured to, and provided with resources against,
EMBASSY TO CHINA.
39
the accidents of untried routes. At Lord Macart-
ney's desire, he was appointed to the command
of the Lion man of war, and gratified with the
choice of his own officers, whom he selected from
a personal knowledge of their merit. Numberless
applications were made to serve under him upon
the present interesting occasion; and young gen-
tlemen, of the most respectable families, glowing
with all the ardour and enterprize of youth, were
admitted in the Lion, considerably beyond the
customary complement of midshipmen.
A military guard was allowed, also, to attend
the person of the Embassador, as practised in
Eastern embassies; seldom, indeed, for the pur-
poses of safety, but as adding dignity to the mis-
sion. Lord Macartney's guard was not numerous,
but consisted of picked men from the infantry, as
well as from the artillery, with light field pieces,
the rapid exercise of which, agreeably to the recent
improvements, together with the various evolu-
tions of the men, might, in these respects, convey
some idea of the European art of war, and be an
interesting spectacle to the Emperor of China;
who is said to pride himself as a conqueror of ex-
tensive territories, and of many Tartar tribes. It
was, however, an indispensable precaution, to
determine on maintaining strict discipline among
4,0
EMBASSY TO CHINA.
these men, with a view, especially, of prevent-
ing them from committing excesses of any kind;
which, of however slight consequence elsewhere,
might appear so scandalous in the eyes of the or-
derly Chinese, as to confirm the prejudices, al-
ready imbibed, against the English.
This object was secured by putting the guard,
chosen for this purpose, under the command of
an attentive and good officer, Major, now Co-
lonel, Benson; assisted by Lieutenant, now
Captain, Parish; and Lieutenant, now Lieu-
tenant-Colonel, Crewe. It will appear, in the
course of this work, that Captain Parish, who
is a very able draughtsman, has contributed to
the gratification of the curiosity of the public,
by the sketches he took of some remarkable ob-
jects throughout the route. There were, indeed,
attached to the Embassy, a painter and a draughts-
man by profession, of whose merit sufficient
cimens will accompany the present publication.
In Doctor Gillan, the Embassy was provided
with a skilful physician: a circumstance desir-
able, not only for persons destined to pass through
a variety of climates, but also, from the conside-
ration that, after his arrival in China, the suc-
cessful exercise of his profession among a people,
supposed to be far behind Europeans in every
spe-
EMBASSY TO CHINA.
41
kind of science, might excite their admiration as
well as gratitude; and thus contribute to advance
the general purposes of the mission. The Doctor
was likewise deeply versed in chemistry, which
being the foundation of many of the arts most
useful in society, the knowledge of it capacitates
for judging and comparing to what degree of per-
fection they are carried in the different countries
where they are attempted. Doctor Scot, a gen-
tleman of abilities and experience, was appointed
to be surgeon, having long served in that capacity
in the navy.
Doctor Dinwiddie and Mr. Barrow, both con-
versant in astronomy, mechanics, and every other
branch dependent upon the mathematics, were
likely to be useful upon such an expedition as
the present.
Mr. Acheson Maxwell, who had formerly re-
sided in India with Lord Macartney, and was
much in his confidence, was taken from one of
the public offices to serve, now, as Secretary to
his Lordship, in conjunction with Mr. Edward
Winder, a young gentleman from the university.
Mr. Henry Baring, lately appointed a writer
in the East India Company's service, was allowed
to accompany the Embassy to Pekin, as qualified
to improve his residence there, to the
purpose of
42
EMBASSY TO CHINA.
becoming afterwards more serviceable to his em
ployers, at Canton.
In the train of the Embassador, also, was a
page, of years too tender not to have still occa-
sion for a tutor, who was a foreign gentleman of
parts and erudition; and, it will be seen that,
neither he or his pupil proved useless to the
public.
It is to be regretted, that to this list cannot be
added any professed naturalist, who might have
made the most of the opportunities for observa-
tion, which such a voyage afforded. The young-
est of the party was, perhaps, the least ignorant
in this respect. Mr. Afzelius, a Swede, then in
England, and eminent for his knowledge in most
branches of natural history, was once intended
to be employed on this occasion; but he, already,
had engaged himself to go to the new settlement
at Sierra Leone, on the coast of Africa.
The zeal of naturalists was not, however, want-
ing; and two botanic gardeners were provided,
one at the public charge, and one at the expence
of an individual of the Embassy, for the purpose
of collecting specimens of whatever productions
nature might furnish in the course of the expe-
dition.
One office more was still vacant, which was as
EMBASSY TO CHINA.
43
necessary, as it was difficult to fill up; that of
Chinese interpreter and translator. No man, ca-
pable of that employment, then existed through-
out the British dominions. From what is men-
tioned in the first chapter, less surprise will be
felt that the supercargoes of the English East
India Company return, after several years resi-
dence in China, without having made any pro-
ficiency in the language. One man, Mr. Flint,
who had been an exception to the rule, and con-
tinued his attachment to the country, tho he had
been imprisoned, and afterwards banished by the
Chinese government, for attempting to reach Pe-
kin, was lately dead in England. Another, of
the name of Galbert, a native of France, who
had long resided at Canton, where he applied
with great assiduity to the acquisition of the
Chinese tongue, was to have been employed as
interpreter on a preceding occasion; but died
before the present.
It was by no means advisable to depend on
finding fit persons at Canton for serving in that
capacity. Some of the natives there had just
enough of an European language, either Portu-
guese or English, to interpret for foreign mer-
chants, in mere matters of sale and purchase; but
would be embarrassed to make out a conversation
44
EMBASSY TO CHINA.
}
५
upon any other subject; nor is the dialect of the
Chinese, usually spoken by them, intelligible at
Pekin; and experience had taught to doubt as
much of their fidelity as of their knowledge. Re-
course, therefore, was rather to be had to a search
upon the continent of Europe, for such trust-
worthy persons, returning from China, as had
happened to acquire the language of the manda-
rines, during their residence in that country; or
for the few Chinese who had left it, and had since
learned any of the European languages; if either
such were, any where, to be found. It was known
that, of the missionaries who are publicly tole
rated at Pekin, under the immediate protection
of the Emperor, it seldom happens that any are,
afterwards, allowed to leave the country; but
others, who penetrate in disguise into it, have
occasionally returned home. Some Chinese men
of letters had found their way to Rome, where
they were employed in the care and examination
of Chinese books and manuscripts in the Vatican;
and zeal for Christianity had founded a college at
Naples, dedicated to the education of young Chi
nese, whom the European missionaries contrived
to get away from China.
Among all these, whether any were fit and
willing to be employed, upon the present occa
!
EMBASSY TO CHINA,
4.5
sion, was, indeed, uncertain; but it was the best
resource. And, accordingly, the intended Se-
cretary of the Embassy set out in quest of such,
in January, 1792. He directed, first, his route
to Paris, where two foundations for foreign mis-
sions still subsisted, the Maison de Saint Lazare,
and the Maison des Missions Etrangeres. The
former was said to contain, at that time, none
who had ever been in China. At the Missions
Etrangeres was one, who had returned, near
twenty years before, from thence. He retained
but a faint remembrance of the language, and
was not disposed to visit that distant country
again, upon any terms.
It was necessary, therefore, without delay, to
pursue the journey, at a most inclement season,
over the Alps, to Italy. Tho it happened that
the learned Chinese of the Vatican were no
longer in existence, a visit to Rome was, in
other respects, of use. By the means of Cardinal
Antonelli, prefect of the congregation for propa-
gating the faith, letters of powerful recommenda-
tion were obtained to the Italian missionaries in
China, as well as to the curators of the Chinese
college at Naples. On arriving, soon after, at
this capital, the college was found to contain se-
veral young men from China. Some had al-
46
EMBASSY TO CHINA:
ready resided in that college many years; and
the Latin and Italian languages were sufficiently
familiar to them. Due care had been, at the
same time, taken, that they should not, by disuse,
forget their own: they being all intended for the
priesthood, and to be sent back to undertake the
cure of the souls of their countrymen, of the
same faith, as well as to endeavour at persuading
others to embrace it. A few having completed
their education, and, being in sacred orders,
were ready for embarkation; but the curators of
the college, true to the purport of its original in-
stitution, and watchful, like matrons against
temptations in the way of young persons under
their care, were particularly cautious by what
conveyance to trust their pupils, lest any cir-
cumstance should happen, in the course of it, to
divert them from their pious destinations.
By the assistance, however, of Sir William
Hamilton, his Majesty's minister at Naples, who
had on some former occasion obliged the college,
and of Don Gaetano d'Ancora, a respectable
Neapolitan in the confidence of the curators,
every scruple was removed; and two Chinese,
of amiable manners, and of a virtuous and can-
did disposition, as well as perfectly qualified to
interpret between their native language and the
C
3
EMBASSY TO CHINA.
47
Latin or Italian, which the Embassador under-
stood, accompanied the Secretary of the Em-
bassy, on his return to England, in May, 1792,
in order to embark for China.
They began, early, to be of use in suggesting,
from what they knew and recollected of their
own country, some of the fittest preparations for
an expedition thither. In the choice of presents,
according to Eastern manners indispensable, for
the Emperor and his court, they mentioned what
they thought might be most acceptable. On this
head something, also, was to be collected from
what was known to be in the greatest demand,
and to bring the highest profit, at Canton. Ex-
traordinary pieces of ingenious and complicated
mechanism, set in frames of precious metal,
studded with jewels, and producing, by the means
of internal springs and wheels, movements ap-
parently spontaneous, had, often, borne exces-
sive prices. They were, indeed, of no sort of
use; but the imagination of the governing man-
darines had been struck by them; and an inti-
mation often followed to the native merchants to
procure them, no matter at what price. This
mandate it was dangerous to disobey; and the
machines were afterwards accepted, formally, as
48
EMBASSY TO CHINA.
gifts; or a sum, small and disproportionate to
the cost, was given in return for them, in order
that the transaction might have the appearance
of a common purchase. Toys of this kind, or
sing-songs, according to the corrupt jargon of
Canton, to the enormous value of, at least, a
million of pounds sterling, were, in this man-
ner, introduced by private traders into China.
Most of these expensive articles found their way,
finally, into the palaces of the Emperor, and his
ministers. Having been obtained by the manda-
rines of Canton for little other consideration
than the promise of protection to their inferiors,
they were, after a short time, transmitted without
reluctance, by them, to Pekin, in the hope of
thereby securing the favour of their superiors.
It would have been vain to think of surpass-
ing, in public presents of this kind, either as to
workmanship or cost, what had already been
conveyed to China through private channels;
and it was to be hoped that the momentary gra-
tification, produced by those gaudy trifles, had
been satiated by the accumulation of them. But
it was thought that whatever tended to illustrate
science, or promote the arts, would give more
solid and permanent satisfaction to a prince,
EMBASSY TO CHINA.
49
whose time of life would, naturally, lead him to
seek, in every object, the utility of which it was
susceptible.
Astronomy being a science peculiarly es-
teemed in China, and deemed worthy of the atten-
tion and occupation of the government, the latest
and most improved instruments for assisting its
operations, as well as the most perfect imitation
that had yet been made of the celestial move-
ments, could scarcely fail of being acceptable.
Specimens of the best British manufactures,
and all the late inventions for adding to the con-
veniences and comforts of social life, might
answer the double purpose of gratifying those to
whom they were to be presented, and of exciting
a more general demand for the purchase of si-
milar articles.
The East India Company appointed one of
the largest and most commodious ships in their
service, under the command of an experienced
and judicious officer, Captain Mackintosh, to
carry out those presents, together with such per-
sons, belonging to the Embassy, as could not be
conveniently accommodated on board the Lion.
A smaller vessel was, also, provided as a ten-
der.
Intelligence being frequently conveyed from fo-
VOL. I.
E
50
EMBASSY TO CHINA.
:
reign ports to China, an account of these prepara
tions could not fail of reaching it before the Embas-
sador. It became proper, therefore, to take an ear-
ly opportunity of announcing the Embassy, regu-
larly, to the Chinese government: thus securing
the effects of first impressions; lest, otherwise,
the undertaking might, through error or design,
be made to assume a warlike or suspicious ap-.
pearance, and the Embassador's reception, there-
by, be rendered dubious. Three commissioners
had lately been selected by the East India Com-
pany, among their most approved servants, to
regulate their affairs at Canton. To these it was
entrusted to communicate, there, with due so-
lemnity, the intended mission of Lord Macart-
ney, and to deliver a letter, expressive of this in-
tention, from Sir Francis Baring, then Chairman
of the Court of Directors, in so public a manner
to the Viceroy of Canton, as to prevent the pos-
sibility of its being kept from the knowledge of
the Emperor, if such should be the Viceroy's
inclination.
In this letter Sir Francis stated that," his
"most gracious Sovereign, having heard that
"it had been expected his subjects, settled at
“Canton, should have sent a deputation to the
"court of Pekin, in order to congratulate the
EMBASSY TO CHINA.
51
#
66
Emperor on his entering into the eightieth
66 year
of his age, but that such deputation had
"not been immediately dispatched, expressed
great displeasure thereat; and, being desirous
"of cultivating the friendship of the Emperor
"of China, and of improving the connection,
"intercourse, and good correspondence between
"the courts of London and Pekin, and of in-
creasing and extending the commerce between
"their respective subjects, had resolved to send
"his well-beloved cousin and counsellor Lord
46
Macartney, a nobleman of great virtue, wis-
dom, and ability, as his Embassador extraor-
dinary and Plenipotentiary to the Emperor of
China, to represent his person, and to ex-
press, in the strongest terms, the satisfaction
"he should feel if this mark of his attention
06
and regard should serve as a foundation to es-
"tablish a perpetual harmony and alliance be-
"tween them; and that the Embassador, with
his attendants, should soon set out upon the
66
68
voyage; and, having several presents for the
Emperor, from his Britannic Majesty, which,
“from their size, and nicety of mechanism,
"could not be conveyed, through the interior of
China, to so great a distance as from Canton
"to Pekin, without the risk of damage, he
"C
E 2
52
EMBASSY TO CHINA.
"should proceed, directly, in one of his Ma-
jesty's ships, properly accompanied, to the
port of Tien-sing, approaching, in the first
"instance, as near as possible, to the residence
"of the Emperor of China." And Sir Francis
ends the letter by "requesting the information,
"thus given, to be conveyed to the court of
"Pekin, trusting that the Imperial orders
"would be issued for the proper reception of
"the King of Great Britain's ships, with his
Embassador and suite, as soon as they should
appear at Tien-sing, or the neighbouring
66
"'
coasts."
The presents mentioned in that letter were,
indeed, so choice and valuable, as, to some
persons, to denote a very extraordinary purpose.
The members of the diplomatic corps, who con-
sider it as a duty incumbent upon them to be
alive to every transaction of the government
where they are directed to reside, were particu-
larly attentive on this occasion. One of these,
who still held to the exploded prejudice of
the jealousy of commerce, not being, it seems;
aware that the world was wide enough for all
who chose to embark in that kind of life, and
that it flourished best by reciprocation, failed
not to attribute to the British administration:
EMBASSY TO CHINA.
53
and East India Company, a design of engrossing
the total trade of China, by the exclusion of all
other foreigners; and proposed a counter em-
bassy, to avert the evil. So far, however, was
the impracticable project of an attempt at a mo-
nopoly of the Chinese commerce removed from
the mind of those, who thus were suspected of it,
that the republic of the United Provinces being
then in alliance with Great Britain, and coming
next to it in the proportion of the traffic carried
on with the Chinese, a communication of the in-
tended Embassy was expressly made to the states
general of that republic, with offers of service, to
be performed by the Embassador, in case that
any circumstance, in the commercial position of
the Dutch factory at Canton, should call for his
particular interposition.
scope of the
The general scope
present mission can-
not, indeed, be better ascertained than by his
Majesty's private instructions to his Embas-
sador, signified to him through one of the
Secretaries of State; in which it is observed,
that "a greater number of his subjects, than of
any other Europeans, had been trading, for a
"considerable time past, in China; that the
“commercial intercourse between several other
* nations and that great empire had been pre-
54
EMBASSY TO CHINA.
66
ceded, accompanied, or followed, by special
"communications with its sovereign. Others
"had the support of missionaries, who, from
their eminence in science, or ingenuity in the
arts, had been frequently admitted to the fami-
liarity of a curious and polished court, and
"which missionaries, in the midst of their
<<
66
66
cares for the propagation of their faith, were
"not supposed to have been unmindful of the
“ views and interest of their country; while the
English traders remained unaided, and as it
66
66
were, unavowed, at a distance so remote as to
"admit of a misrepresentation of the national
"character and importance; and where, too,
"their occupation was not held in that esteem,
“which might be necessary to procure them
، ،
safety and respect;" that, "under these cir-
"cumstances, it became the dignity and cha-
"racter of his Majesty to extend his paternal
regard to these his distant subjects, even if the
"commerce and prosperity of the nation were
"not concerned in their success; and to
"claim the Emperor of China's protection for
them, with that weight which is due to the
requisition of one great sovereign from ano-
ther;" that, "a free communication with a
66
66
""
""
people, perhaps the most singular upon the
EMBASSY TO CHINA.
55
66
globe, among whom civilization had existed,
"and the arts been cultivated, through a long
series of ages, with fewer interruptions than
66
36
elsewhere, was well worthy, also, of being
sought by the British nation, which saw with
pleasure, and with gratitude applauded, the
"several voyages undertaken already, by his
Majesty's command, and at the public ex-
pence, in the pursuit of knowledge, and for
"the discovery and observation of distant coun-
"tries and manners;" but that, "in seeking to
improve a connection with China, no views
were entertained except those of the general
"interests of humanity, the mutual benefit of
"both nations, and the protection of commerce
"under the Chinese government.'
66
66
In the same spirit, it is said in his Majesty's
letter to the Emperor of China, that," the na-
"tural disposition of a great and benevolent so-
Ivereign, such as his Imperial Majesty, whom
"Providence had seated upon the throne for the
good of mankind, was to watch over the peace
"and security of his dominions; and to take
pains for disseminating happiness, virtue, and
knowledge among his subjects; extending the
"same beneficence, with all the peaceful arts, as
"far as he was able, to the whole human race.'
C$
66
56
EMBASSY TO CHINA.
!
That his Britannic Majesty,
impressed with
"such sentiments from the very beginning of
his reign, when he found his people engaged
66
(
in war, had granted to his enemies, after ob-
taining victories over them in the four quarters
"of the world, the blessings of peace, upon the
"most equitable conditions;" that," since that
tr
66
period, not satisfied with promoting the pros-
perity of his own subjects, in every respect,
and beyond the example of all former times,
he had taken various opportunities of fitting
"out ships, and sending, in them, some of the
"most wise and learned of his own people, for
"
the discovery of distant and unknown regions;
"not for the purpose of conquest, or of enlarg-
ing his dominions, which were already suffi
66
66
66
66
66
ciently extensive for all his wishes, nor for the
purpose of acquiring wealth, nor even for fa-
vouring the commerce of his subjects; but for
"the sake of increasing the knowledge of the
habitable globe, of finding out the various
productions of the earth; and for communi-
cating the arts and comforts of life to those
parts, where they had hitherto been little
"known; and" that he had since sent ves-
“sels, with animals and vegetables most useful
to man, to islands and places where, it ap-
46
G
EMBASSY TO CHINA.
57
peared, they had been wanting;" that "he
“had been still more anxious to inquire into the
arts and manners of countries, where civiliza-
“tion had been improved by the wise ordi-
"nances and virtuous examples of their sove-
"reigns, through a long series of ages; and felt,
"above all, an ardent wish to become acquainted
"with those celebrated institutions of his (Chi-
nese) Majesty's populous and extensive em-
pire, which had carried its prosperity to such
"a height, as to be the admiration of all sur-
❝rounding nations." That "his Britannic Ma-
jesty being then at peace with all the world,
"no time could be so propitious for extending
"the bounds of friendship and benevolence, and
"for proposing to communicate and receive the
"benefits which must result from an unreserved
“and amicable intercourse between such great
and civilized nations as China and Great
"Britain.'
>>
The object of the Embassy was, indeed, so
little confined to mercantile concerns at Canton,
that Lord Macartney had discretionary authority
to visit, beside China, every other country (in
that division of Asia which may be termed the.
Chinese Archipelago), from whence utility or
important information was to be derived; and
58
EMBASSY TO CHINA.
he had, accordingly, embassadorial powers ad-
dressed to the Emperor of Japan, and the King
of Cochin-china, as well as a general commission
to all princes and states, where he might have
occasion to touch in the Chinese seas.
At length, every thing being ready, and the
ships at Portsmouth, all those, who were to ac-
company, or attend the Embassador, to the
amount of near one hundred persons, including
some musicians and artificers, beside soldiers
and servants, joined his Excellency there in Sep-
tember, 1792, in order for embarkation; and
meeting all together, perhaps, for the first time.
They were, in future, to compose, in effect, one
family, united by a common destination, and by
the ties of interest and duty. Independently of
those whose thoughts were concentrated in "the
"care of living," and who were passive and in-
different to all things else, the rest might be con-
sidered as entering into a new period of existence.
They had just quitted their former stations, old-
est habits, and most close connections, to engage
in a hazardous, but interesting, enterprize. They
were not Argonauts, indeed, actuated by the hope
of obtaining a golden fleece; but, impelled by the
strong incentive of curiosity, and eager to indulge
the spirit of inquiry, they already contemplated
EMBASSY TO CHINA.
59.
China at a distance, while objects and topics,
occupying the attention, and agitating the minds,
of those about them, and formerly their own,
seemed to lose the interest they had hitherto ex-
cited; and a more captivating, tho distant pro-
spect, appeared rising from the horizon to take
possession of their thoughts.
They, thus, willingly withdrew from the con-
sideration of Europe, and its events; and felt no
regret, except where the affections of nature in-
tervened, when it was announced that the wind
and weather were favourable for departure.
60
EMBASSY TO CHINA.
CHAPTER III.
PASSAGE TO MADEIRA. NOTICES OF THAT
ISLAND.
THE Lion and Hindostan, having on board the
Embassador and his suite, set sail from Ports-
mouth on the 26th of September, 1792, as did
also the Jackall brig, intended to serve as a tender
to the Lion. At this season of the year, when
the earth's relative position to the sun occasions
equal day and night throughout the globe, and
the change of the sun's declination is most rapid,
a sensible effect is frequently produced, likewise,
upon the atmosphere, in which sudden and vio-
lent commotions, termed equinoctial gales, ren-
der navigation, at this period, more hazardous
than at any other. But the degree of improvement
to which the nautical art is brought, at present,
and the expertness and hardihood of those who
practise it, enable them to combat, successfully,
tempests happening at a distance from the shore,
wherever, according to the marine phrase, there
is plenty of sea room; and leave them little ap.
1
EMBASSY TO CHINA.
61
prehension, at any season, if the moment of set-
ting off be fair.
The course of the voyage to China, imme-
diately from Portsmouth, leading, in the first
instance, through the British Channel to the
westward, required a wind, which is observed to
blow there less frequently than others, and for a
shorter continuance. Sir Erasmus Gower availed
himself of such a wind, therefore, as soon as
it took place; and the Embassador, anxious to
have the whole benefit of it, to clear the Chan-
nel, resisted his inclination, notwithstanding the
invitation sent to him to stop at Weymouth,
where their Majesties then were, with most of
the royal family. The weather, however, did
not long continue moderate: the ships, in the
darkness of the night, soon lost company of the
tender, and they were, themselves, forced to take
shelter in Torbay. In the delay of a couple of
days here, which an adverse wind made neces-
sary, the arrangements for the future voyage were
made, to the general satisfaction.
They, who measure the inconveniences to be
felt in traversing the ocean in modern times, by
the specimen of what most persons, not accustom-
ed to the sea, often suffer during their passage in
small and crowded packets, between England and
62
EMBASSY TO CHINA.
the Continent, would be agreeably disappointed
on embarking in such ships as were now in the
service of the Embassy, where every comfort was
provided. In the Lion, notwithstanding its be-
ing burthened with the baggage and usual incum-
brances of travellers, as well as with warlike stores,
and those required for navigation, likewise every
article of sustenance for four hundred men, in-
cluding passengers and crew, for a considerable
time to come, together with the materials requi-
site to prepare such articles for use, yet room was
left for procuring several of the advantages of a
dwelling upon land.
land. A considerable
space was
allotted, and distributed into regular apartments,
and separate chambers, for the principal passen-
gers and officers, where they might partake of
society, or withdraw to privacy, at their option;
and the deck formed an open area, sufficiently
spacious and convenient to allow the enjoyment
of air and exercise. Even that sickness, so little
dangerous, but so excruciating, to which
persons
first going to sea are subject, particularly in small
vessels, is less felt in those of considerable size,
and in fewer instances. It, generally, happens
likewise that men bound on a distant expedition,
conscious of the length of time during which, tho
they are constantly moving forward, they are to
1
1
1
EMBASSY TO CHINA.
63
move in the same vehicle, dispose their minds to
render it as pleasant to themselves as possible, as
well as to be reconciled to what they cannot alter
for the better.
It must be confessed, indeed, that landsmen,
reflecting on their situation when at sea, may be
sometimes conscious of their inferiority to those,
under whose direction they have placed them-
selves, on this new element. Unacquainted with
the structure of the capacious and complicated
machine that holds them, and on whose solidity
and successful movements depends the preserva-
tion of their lives, as well as their arrival at the
place of their destination; idle and unintelligent
spectators of the methods and efforts practised to
forward and regulate those movements for the
common good; necessarily passive and obedient
to those who understand and act upon the occa-
sion; they may, at times, regret their own tem-
porary inutility, and dependence. Such im-
pressions, however, probably, are slight and
transitory; and scarcely damp that happiness of
which a passenger's life at sea is certainly sus-
ceptible. Whatever was his situation before he
quitted land, it cannot be amended, now, by the
further application of his thoughts to the means
of effecting such an alteration; and the train of
64
EMBASSY TO CHINA.
his labours and solicitudes, at least, suspended, his
mind experiences that calm and rest, to which it
had, perhaps, been hitherto a stranger. Now sa-
tisfied with receiving and communicating the gra-
tifications of social converse, or partaking in any
amusement which fancy may suggest; without
being disturbed by the common cares and ordi-
nary incidents of the voyage; and implicitly
confiding in the skill and diligence of those to
whose management it had been entrusted; as lit-
tle affected by the apprehension of calamities, to
which all voyages are liable, while no accident
intervenes to present danger to the imagination,
as by the consciousness of mortality in the full-
ness of health; he is entirely open to the enjoy-
ment of the present hour: until the view of other
shores shall stimulate to fresh pursuits, and agi-
tate again his breast with hopes and fears.
Of the passengers in the Lion and Hindostan,
very few felt severely from sea sickness, notwith-
standing the roughness of the weather. A dis-
tinction appeared, upon this occasion, in the
temperaments of men, which nothing in their
appearance could have previously denoted. The
two gentlemen who were now most sick, were of
an adult age, of a frame sufficiently robust, had
generally been healthy, and had already been at
EMBASSY TO CHINA.
65
sea; while another, the honourable Mr. West,
who was going in the Lion, in his
way to try
the
climate of Madeira for a consumption, to which
he has fallen since a victim, was not affected by
the utmost motion of the ship. None of the
midshipmen, though they had no other lodging,
by the regulations of the navy, than that of swing-
ing in hammocks over the coilings of the cables,
near that part of the ship which is called the cock-
pit, and where hot and confined air, and even,
sometimes, noisome scents, might be apt to pro-
voke nausea in the stomach, seemed to suffer from
sea sickness; though some of them were of very
tender years, now on their first voyage, and of a
constitution apparently delicate. They, proba-
bly, were preserved, in some measure, from every
complaint, by their extraordinary activity and
exertions in the performance of their new duty,
and by the elevation of their spirits, on being li-
berated from the shackles of a school, and grati-
fied with a subordinate authority in the ship.
They were the first to ascend the tops of the
masts, or to clamber on the beams, called yards,
suspended across them, holding only by a rope,
and in such apparent peril, that a young specta-
tor, reflecting on the quick alarms of maternal
tenderness, exclaimed, in the language usually
F
VOL. 1.
66
EMBASSY TO CHINA.
spoken to the Chinese interpreters,--si matres
nunc viderent! were their mothers to see them in
that posture!
On the first of October the ships set sail again,
taking their last departure out of England, from
Torbay, and stretching over from the hilly coast
of Devonshire, came soon within view of Britany,
and the flat isle of Ushant, after which they saw,
for nine days, no land. However usual such a
situation is to every navigator, since the inven-
tion of the mariner's compass, it is an awful
spectacle to him, who gets into it for the first
time; and the mind contemplates, with some de-
gree of admiration, the ingenuity of man, in ap-
plying the quality of a particular fossil (which
under a certain form, and properly suspended,
points always towards the same portion of the
heavens) to the purpose of directing his way
through the trackless ocean. When out of sight
of land a pleasurable sensation is always felt on
meeting with other vessels. Several were per-
ceived availing themselves of the same wind to
go different routes; but the English having then
no enemy to apprehend or to attack, the progress
of the present voyage was not impeded by efforts
to approach to, or avoid them; and Sir Erasmus
Gower continued to steer, with favourable gales,
EMBASSY TO CHINA.
67
in a direction parallel to, tho not in sight of
Spain, Portugal, the Straits of Gibraltar, and
the northern part of Africa.
Sir Erasmus observed, that "all ships bound
"from Europe for the island of Madeira, will
"discover that their way is influenced by a cur-
"rent or set, from the Western ocean into the
Bay, formed between Ushant and Cape Finis-
" terre, and into the Mediterranean, and, as well
"as his observations, in five visits to Madeira,
"could enable him to ascertain, such current
"should be estimated to set south-east, about
“eleven miles in fifty leagues."
The ships, steering their course agreeably to
this estimate, and assisted for the correction of
the log reckoning, as to longitude, by several
time-keepers and lunar observations, found them-
selves on the tenth of October in sight of the
islands of Porto Santo and Madeira. When
abreast of Porto Santo, Madeira appeared as one
great mountain, whose summit was hidden in
the clouds. Shortly, afterwards, appeared three
very small islands, called the Desertas, of which
the two most distant were little better than pointed
rugged rocks. The third, called the Table De-
serta, was elevated, but flat, and in some state of
F 2
EMBASSY TO CHINA.
68
cultivation. Near it is a singular rock rising
perpendicularly out of the sea.
i.
""
66
Sir Erasmus advises "all ships bound for the
"island of Madeira to endeavour to make or
'steer for Porto Santo, and then proceed for the
Brazen-head, or eastern point of the road of
Funchal, the capital of the island, by going
between it and the Desertas, off the northern-
"most of which is a high rock, frequently mis-
"taken for a sail. The passage is about nine
“miles wide, but without soundings, except in
66
66
very deep water, close to Madeira. The lati-
❝tude of the road is thirty-two degrees thirty-
"seven minutes thirty seconds north, and the
longitude, ascertained by several eclipses of the
satellites of Jupiter, and by an eclipse of the
sun on the fourth of June, 1788, is seventeen
degrees five minutes west of Greenwich. The
compass had eighteen degrees thirty-five mi-
nutes variation to the westward of the pole.
"The tide flows, at the full and change of the
moon, north-north-west and south-south-east;
""
66
• 6
46
86
spring tides rise perpendicularly seven feet;
neap tides five feet. The flood sets to the east-
"ward. The regulations of the port require all
ships, before, or immediately on anchoring,
"6
EMBASSY TO CHINA.
69
66
any
"to send to acquaint the governor of the island
"with an account of what they are, and their
"reasons for stopping there. Men of war are
"not to send their boats to vessels coming into
"the road, until they are visited by the pratique-
boat, or boat whose business is to inquire lest
infectious disorder should be on board.
"The same is to be observed respecting vessels
"that are departing, which are not to be boarded
"after the visiting officer has been to search for
"natives leaving the island clandestinely, and
"for prohibited goods. English men of war sa-
"lute with thirteen guns, after receiving an as-
"surance of a return of an equal number.
Ships' boats may land on the beach during
the summer months; but when there is no
landing of goods to make it necessary, it is
better to be avoided, at all seasons, both for
the safety of the boats, which are driven by a
"violent surge on a shingly shore, and for pre-
venting the common men from having the op-
66
portunity of frequenting the disorderly houses
"in the neighbourhood of the beach, and drink-
ing the pernicious spirituous liquors vended
"thereabouts. The landing near the Loo rock,
being defended from the surge, is very safe and
“easy; and tho there are cottages near to it, the
66
70
EMBASSY TO CHINA.
"boat's people may easily be kept from them.
"Caution is necessary, likewise, against the
"shore boats coming on board, under pretence
"of selling fish, fruits, and vegetables; for their
"chief object is the sale of the worst spirituous
66
liquors, and often concealed goods. Fresh
beef, water, and vegetables are to be procured
"here for the ship's company, and are sent on
“board in boats belonging to the place.
"The British government allows the contrac-
"tor five shillings a ton for water, and sixpence
"a pound for beef, for the use of the crews of
66
his Majesty's ships of war. The contract wine
"is of a weak quality, and will not keep: and
"the price is sixteen pounds for a ton, contain-
ing one hundred and twenty gallons. A fleet
"of twenty sail of men of war may be amply
supplied with refreshments here, if their stay
"should not exceed ten days.
66
"The road is open from the west to the south-
"south-east. The winds blow strongest here
"from south-west to south-east. Ships obliged
"to anchor in the winter in Funchal road should
"be very attentive to the dark gloomy appear-
ance of the weather to the southward, with a
"swell setting in; for it is very dangerous re-
maining at anchor with those prognostics:"
¡
EMBASSY TO CHINA.
71
It has been thought a harbour might be con-
structed, tho at a considerable expence, by unit-
ing the Fort de Ilheo, commonly called the Loo
castle, with a rocky neck of land that jets into
the water towards it, distant about one hundred
and twenty yards. The depth of water, through
this narrow passage, is from six to seven fa-
thoms so that it would require an immense
mass of stone work, of which the materials are,
indeed, at hand, to withstand the heavy sea,
which almost perpetually tumbles in when the
wind is blowing from the southward; and which
has frequently been known to break over the Loo
castle, a height presumed to be no less than
eighty feet. Such a harbour would, indeed,
contain but a very few vessels, beside the craft
employed in carrying commodities from the ca-
pital to the smaller ports, and bringing from
thence to it the produce of the island. During
the stormy season, those vessels moor within the
Loo rock, and are secured by additional cables
to the shore; and thus, when tempests threaten,
they are entirely left to take their chance, being
quitted by the crew, who seek refuge upon land.
The island of Madeira, at first view, appeared
rocky, barren, and uncultivated; but its beauties
expanded to the eye on a nearer approach; and
72
EMBASSY TO CHINA.
be
nothing could be more picturesque and inviting,
than the appearance of Funchal and its adjacent
hills, when observed from the ships at anchor.
The town is situated in the midst of a verdant
valley, in which churches and other buildings,
white on the outside, being interspersed, make
an agreeable contrast with the ever-green trees
and plantations. Spring and summer may
said to be the only seasons, as it is known that
the cold or heat here are seldom so great as to
be unpleasant. During the Embassador's stay,
Fahrenheit's thermometer was from sixty-nine
to seventy-two degrees, in the shade, at noon. It
is seldom found to exceed seventy-five degrees in
the autumn, in the middle of the vintage; and,
in January, it is about sixty-four in Funchal,
tho the tops of the hills, in sight above it,
are then covered with snow. The ships having
left England in the beginning of October, when
vegetation, in some instances, already began to
fade, and to announce the speedy droop of na-
ture, its wild luxuriance in Madeira was the
more striking, to natives of northern regions,
landing, so soon afterwards, on that island.
The whole creation seemed there alive. Myriads
of insects were buzzing in the air; swarms of
lizards moving along the ground in every direc-
EMBASSY TO CHINA.
73
tion. Scarcely a plant without fruit or flower;
every tree in leaf; some of the humble herbs
of Europe growing here into the habit and size
of shrubs. Nothing appeared languid or declin-
ing, except, perhaps, man might be so con-
sidered. Most of the common people had dark
complexions, forbidding features, were under the
middle size of Europeans, with little of the spirit
and activity of the original inhabitants of Africa,
or of the colder parts of Europe. The offspring
of the latter, transferred to southern countries,
often become, it seems, enervated and listless.
Every honour and attention, due to the repre-
sentative of a friendly and powerful sovereign,
was paid, by order of the Portugueze Governor,
to the Embassador, as well on board the Lion, as
on his going ashore, and after he was landed.
His Excellency declined a military guard; but
yielded to the solicitation of the Governor to
partake of an entertainment, which was indeed
sumptuous; and to which also were invited, be-
side the gentlemen in the suite of the Embassador,
and officers of the Lion and Hindostan, the
merchants of the British factory, the chief of
ficers of government and of the garrison, and se-
veral of the principal inhabitants of the island,
in all about two hundred persons; but not one
74
EMBASSY TO CHINA.
་
lady was present, except, in the beginning, the
Governor's daughter, about ten years old, who
was dressed in all the formality of a woman,
and did the honours of the table without embar-
rassment; and at the desert, which was laid out
in fresh and cool apartments, when the Gover-
nor's wife presided, she being too much in-
disposed to be present at the whole entertain-
ment. She was addressed by the name of Donna
Louisa, and her daughter by that of Donna Ma-
ria, it seeming to be the custom of the Portu-
gueze of rank, to use only the baptismal name
preceded by a title, tho they bear several sur-
names. The Governor had those of Pereira,
Forjas, and Coutinho, probably belonging to
the most distinguished families from which he
was descended.
In the hall of the government house was
painted the popular and interesting, but doubt-
ful, story of the first discovery of Madeira by an
Englishman, called Robert Macham, who lived
towards the end of the reign of the third Edward.
This man, it is said, of obscure birth, had fallen
in love with a young damsel, called Anne d'Ar-
fet, of exquisite beauty, and of a noble family,
which, disdaining so low an alliance, tho Ma-
cham had gained her affections, obtained a war-
t
}
f
I
EMBASSY TO CHINA.
75
rant from the king to keep him in a prison, until
the lady was persuaded to marry a nobleman,
who took her immediately to his seat near Bris-
tol. Macham, sometime afterwards, being re-
leased, found means to convey the lady on board
a vessel provided to carry them to France. A
storm suddenly arising, and the ship being ill
manned, they were driven far to sea, and tossed,
for thirteen days, at the mercy of the waves, out
of sight of any land. At length, however, they
thought they descried something like it, which
redoubling their efforts to approach, they per-
ceived an island, overgrown with wood. The
vessel was soon at anchor; and Macham and
the lady, with a few attendants, went on shore,
and sought shelter by building a kind of hut un-
der the branches of a large spreading tree. In
the course of the night a tempest drove the vessel
from her anchors, and carried her to the Bar-
bary coast, where she was wrecked, and the sea-
men made captives by the Moors. The lady was
so affected by this fresh disaster, that she died in
a short time; and Macham, through grief, soon
followed her. Their attendants, rendered despe-
rate by the loss of their conductor, quitted the
island, and betaking themselves to their open
boat, put out to sea, without knowing even what
76
EMBASSY TO CHINA.
ļ
course to steer. After a series of adventures,
these men fell in with a Spaniard, who, de-
lighted with their story, communicated it to
Gonzales Zarco, sent by the king of Portugal on
a voyage of discovery, and prevailed upon him
to sail in search of the island. However imper-
fectly its situation had been described by the
English sailors, it was in a little time found out
by him.
The particulars of this story have, indeed, the
testimony of Alcafarado, a contemporary author,
who, at the instance of Henry, Prince of Portu-
gal, composed a book entitled, A Relation of the
first Discovery of the Island of Madeira; but
De Barros, the Livy of the Portugueze, ascribes
it entirely to Gonzales Zarco and Tristan Vas.
Another native of Great Britain, Mr. Wil-
liam Johnstone, lately a merchant in Madeira,
who joined the pursuits of science to the avoca-
tions of his profession, by an union less rare in
the present than in any former age, made a geo-
metrical survey of this island. He found it to be
in the form of, nearly, a parallelogram, the
mean length of which, from west-north-west
to east-south-east, was about thirty-seven miles,
and mean breadth eleven miles, containing an
area of four hundred and seven square miles,
►
EMBASSY TO CHINA.
77
or two hundred and sixty thousand four hundred
and eighty acres. It is divided into thirty-seven
parishes, and is said to contain about eighty
thousand inhabitants; so that there are near two
hundred persons for every square mile, and, on
an average, every individual might possess up-
wards of three acres of land.
A great part of Madeira, however, seems in-
capable of cultivation; the sides of the hills be-
ing steep and rugged, and almost destitute of
soil. The waters, in their descent from the
mountains, form a number of narrow vallies, in
all of which small patches of cultivated ground
appear, and in many of them pleasant little vil-
lages are situated. The sides of the hills are so
thinly covered with soil, that necessity has com-
pelled the cultivators to endeavour to add to it,
by breaking such pieces of the scattered rock, as
contain vegetable matter, into smaller parts, over
which the rills, from the heights, being made to
flow, the fragments soon are found to crumble
and become a fertile mould. This is, perhaps,
the strongest instance of their industry. Indo-
lence is predominant, particularly with the men;
who often lie basking in the sun, or stretched at
their length upon their floors, while their wives
and daughters are sent to the distance of some
78
EMBASSY TO CHINA.
miles, up the mountains, to cut down broom,
which they carry in loads to Funchal, where it
is bought for fuel. These women, notwithstand-
ing the roughness of the roads, travel constantly
barefooted. The poorness of their food, consist-
ing chiefly of pumpkins and salt fish, added to
the severity of their labour, and the warmth of
the climate, give them the appearance of age at
an early period of life.
The chief produce of the island is the grape,
from which are made, annually, upon an average,
nearly twenty-five thousand pipes of wine of one
hundred and twenty gallons each; half of which
is exported to England, North America, and the
East and West Indies; the remainder is con-
sumed by the natives, in its original state, or in
that of spirit distilled from it. The grape of
Madeira is generally white, and produces a juice
of the same colour; but there are others which
yield a deeper coloured juice, forming a red
wine, called Tinto, of which a mixture with the
former, in a small proportion, serves to give it
a darker tinge.
There is, likewise, a red skinned
grape, called
Bastarda, of which the juice is white. In some
few soils another grape is raised, remarkably
rich and sweet, from which is produced the ce-
EMBASSY TO CHINA.
79
lebrated Malmsey wine. Of this the average
quantity made is said to approach five hundred
pipes, and sells at about sixty pounds a pipe.
Of the other wine, which, in contradistinction,
is called dry or hard Madeira, the highest price
charged, when new, to dealers in that article,
seldom exceeds thirty-two pounds a pipe. From
other persons, according to the custom in every
branch of trade, a larger sum always is de-
manded. For old wine an addition of twenty
shillings a pipe, or more, is made for every year
it has been kept, as an equivalent for leakage,
evaporation, and interest of the capital remaining
unemployed. The average price on every kind
of wine is fourteen pounds, or thereabouts; and
reduces the whole export value considerably un-
der two hundred thousand pounds; part of which
serves to pay for manufactures from Great Bri-
tain, flour and salt fish from America, and corn
from the western isles, belonging, as well as
Madeira, to the crown of Portugal.
It is not uncommon for the merchants of Ma-
deira to purchase British goods, brought there,
at the rate of twenty-five per cent. profit on the
original price, as set forth in the bill of parcels.
The bill, indeed, is sometimes altered in the pas-
sage between England and Madeira, and higher
BO
EMBASSY TO CHINA.
}
prices annexed, as having been paid for every
article. This unwarrantable practice is so well
known, as to have given the name of salt-water
invoices to such fabricated accounts; by which,
however, the consumers are the only sufferers,
as the Madeira merchant puts, generally, the
same proportionate advance, beyond what he
pays, on the commodities he has for sale.
The government of Portugal imposes a duty
upon all imports into Madeira, except provi-
sions, as well as upon wine exported; and le-
vies, likewise, internal taxes: yet the whole is
said to net no more than eight thousand pounds,
after all the civil and military expences are
defrayed. The profits, accruing from that island,
are undoubtedly more considerable to Great Bri-
tain than to its parent state, in consequence of
the trade carried on to it, and the British factory
settled in it, consisting now of upwards of twenty
commercial houses, and whose acquired fortunes
centre in Great Britain. Other nations share but
little with them in the Madeira trade. Even the
Portugueze, who have attempted to vie with
them, are seldom found to prosper, having, it is
supposed, less commercial knowledge, as well,
probably, as a smaller capital and credit, and
fewer foreign connections.
EMBASSY TO CHINA.
81
The British merchants attach to their interest
the cultivators of the vine, by supplying in ad-
vance to all their wants, in the intervals of
the vintage, and in the seasons when it fails.
Their dealings with the Portugueze inhabitants
of Funchal must also be extensive; indepen-
dently of which, there does not appear much so-
cial intercourse between them.
Enough, however, has subsisted to introduce,
among the latter, those associations of affected
secrecy, called fraternities of Free-masons, which
in England are devoted, certainly, to good fel-
lowship; and frequently, promote the purposes
of charity; but in countries where, from the na-
ture of the government, freedom of conversation
is constrained, such societies may favour, from
the privacy of their meetings, an unreserved
communication of sentiment, rendered, on that
account, suspicious.
The Roman Catholic clergy, observing the
fervour of devotion slackened among the laity,
to the degree of rendering it difficult to recruit
their convents with proper subjects, were apt to
attribute so alarming a decline of zeal to the pro-
pagation of free-thinking among Free-masons,
and applied to the arm of the inquisition for
their punishment and expulsion. A persecution
VOL. I.
G
82
EMBASSY TO CHINA.
ensued against many of the principal Portugueze
resident in Madeira, which was likely to be
attended with very serious consequences, had
not the present minister of foreign affairs at Lis-
bon, the Chevalier de Pinto, a man of a liberal
mind, and much in the confidence of the Prince
of Brazils, regent of the Portugueze dominions
during the indisposition of his mother, procured
an edict, by which it was ordained, that "all
"the inquisitors and judges of the tribunal of
"the inquisition should, as soon as any infor-
"mation were given to the said tribunal, imme-
diately investigate the same; and, when the
66
66
6
culprit was in custody, should appoint advo-
"cates for the defence of the aforesaid culprit;
" and whenever sentence should be pronounced
against him, the proceedings should be sent,
immediately, under cover, to the secretary of
"state, Don Jose de Scabra, in order to be pre-
"sented to the regent, that his highness might
"determine thereupon what he should think fit;
"and that the proceedings should be so sent
"within two months after seizure of the cul-
prit, it not being the regent's intention that
'any Portugueze subject should suffer for years
"in a rigorous prison."
The spirit that dictated this edict, as well as
EMBASSY TO CHINA.
83
the provisions it contains, are found sufficient to
arrest the tyranny of the inquisition. Nor is it
upheld, as formerly, by the superstitious attach-
ment of the people; even the women are said to
be less religious. None have taken the veil in
Madeira during the last twenty years. The in-
fluence of the Portugueze clergy was formerly
without bounds: they governed every private
family. Something of this
sway was still
ceptible at the governor's entertainment, where a
forward and drunken friar walked round the
tables, commanding attention, and impertinently
interfering, without interruption or reprimand.
per-
The British factory has always been protected
against any attacks of the inquisition; and is on
good terms with the governor and chief judge, to
each of whom a small salary, by way of compli-
ment, is allowed, out of a contribution levied by
the factory, on the freight of goods from Eng-
land, and on wine exported by them. This con-
tribution is authorized, in part, by an act of the
British parliament, and partly by an internal re-
gulation of the factory, and serves to support
such British seamen, as happen to be left through
sickness, or any other accident, on the island, as
well as to pension such of its own body, as shall
G 2
84
EMBASSY TO CHINA.
have, through misfortunes, declined in their cir-
cumstances..
The commercial houses in Madeira are all
open for the reception of the passengers, stop-
ping for refreshments there, in their way to Asia
or America, if they bring the slightest introduc-
tion from any friend in Europe; and when the
ships arrive in fleets with many passengers,
there is a continued round of entertainments and
festivity: the houses are spacious in proportion.
Hospitality of this kind, so little known in
crowded European cities, at the same time that
it brings business to the merchant, is peculiarly
grateful to strangers landing from a voyage; and
often an intimacy quickly ensues between the
host and guests, to be suddenly, however, broken
off by a call announcing the departure of the
ships; and with little likelihood of being re-
newed, as Madeira lies far out of the track of the
same persons on their return home.
Amongst the food most relished at Madeira,
is the hog; these animals are permitted to range
wild amid the mountains, when young, after
being marked by their respective owners; they
feed on nutritious roots, frequently of the fern;
and are afterwards hunted and caught by dogs.
EMBASSY TO CHINA.
85
In the neighbouring isle of Porto Santo, par-
tridges, with which that island abounds, are
caught alive by the inhabitants, stationing them-
selves round where the covies spring, and chas-
ing them on all sides, until the birds, alarmed
wherever they attempt to rest, are at length ex-
hausted with fatigue, and suffer themselves to be
taken by their pursuers.
No noxious animal is known to exist in Ma-
deira: no serpents, whether venomous or inno-
cent; no hares, or foxes: no oysters or herrings
on the coast; other fish not rare. But the great-
est consumption among the poor is of the salted
cod, imported from America. Its excessive use
contributes, it is supposed, together with other
bad provisions, to the scorbutic eruptions on the
skin, so common among the lower orders of the
people here. They are much afflicted, also, with
rheumatisms. The middle and higher classes are
subject to paralytic affections, supposed to be oc-
casioned by indolence, repletion, and want of
sufficient exercise. The small-pox is said to be
most dangerous in summer; inoculation is rare
on account of religious scruples. Intermittent
fevers are not known upon the island, where,
indeed, there are no marshes to produce them;
the country is too hilly, and high winds are too
86
EMBASSY TO CHINA.
frequent, to admit the stagnation of noxious va-
the
pours; gusts, coming down the mountains
upon the town of Funchal, are so violent as
sometimes to unroof the houses; to prevent
which, recourse is had to the awkward shift of
placing heavy stones upon the tiles, without at-
tending to the danger of their rolling off upon
the people in the streets. This peril, or any
other, does not, however, deter gallants from
giving, according to the custom of the mother
country, nightly serenades under the latticed
windows of the fair.
The town, notwithstanding the advantage of
streams running down the streets, is not kept
clean. It is, in other respects, improving. An
almeyda, or mall, with handsome rows of trees,
has been lately finished there, through the in-
fluence of the present governor. He, sometimes,
has encouraged other buildings, by procuring
subscriptions for that purpose, from the princi-
pal Portugueze inhabitants, as well as the fo-
reign merchants; in the payment of which the
latter, only, are found punctual.
The town is said to contain about fifteen thou-
sand people. The population and cultivation of
the country are upon the increase. The seasons,
however, are uncertain, and the crop, sometimes,
EMBASSY TO CHINA.
87
fails; the expence of tillage thus brings the far-
mer, occasionally into debt; but the laws of the
country, tho they seize the property of debtors,
do not retain their persons in confinement.
The culture of the sugar cane, as more con-
genial to tropical climates, is in a great degree
abandoned in Madeira. The cane grows here to
the height of about eight feet, and in form re-
sembles a common reed, with a jointed stem, and
leaves springing from the joints. The middle
of the stem furnishes the best and sweetest juice.
There were also a few trees of the true cinnamon,
with three-ribbed scented leaves, and a thin fra-
grant bark.
In an excursion to the eastern part of the
island, by some gentlemen of the Embassy,
from Funchal, the road was found, in the be-
ginning, to be steep and craggy up the hills;
afterwards it was confined to a narrow pathi,
bounded on one side by a perpendicular rock,
and open on the other to a dreadful precipice.
The path is, indeed, in many parts impassable,
except to those who go on foot, or ride on mules
well trained to travel over it, and who are per-
fectly surefooted. The party arrived, at length,
upon an open plain, adorned in many places
with the flowering myrtle and box tree, growing
88
EMBASSY TO CHINA.
wild, and the whortleberry shrub, which, tho
in England it does not exceed in height the dimi-
nutive heath growing in its neighbourhood, is
here become a bush of no inconsiderable size.
At the east end of the island they saw the crater
of an extinct volcano, about four hundred yards
in diameter, around the sides and in the bottom
of which, were scattered fragments of the lava,
In the rainy season the waters had lodged in the
bottom of this crater; but it was at this time dry,
and almost entirely covered with the herb penny-
royal.
To Doctor Gillan it appeared that "there
"had been several craters in the island, and
“that eruptions had taken place from them at
66
66
various and very distant intervals. This was
particularly manifest at a place near the Brazen-
head, where might easily be counted twelve dif-
ferent eruptions of lava from a neighbouring
"crater. The strata, or layers of lava, were all
distinguished from each other by the follow-
66
66
ing regular arrangement: first, the bottom part
"was hard solid lava, scientifically termed, com-
pact lava; secondly, over the layer of compact
lava, lay a layer of cellular lava; thirdly, next
came the scoriæ, partaking of the nature of
pumice stones; and, lastly, the volcanic ashes,
66
66
EMBASSY TO CHINA.
89
"The second eruption lay arranged in the same
"order above the first; and every other to the
"twelfth eruption.
6.6
66
"A deep excavation furnished in one place
"an opportunity of observing, that the bottom
rock, on which the first layer of compact lava
rested, was chiefly an iron ore, composed of
calx, or mineral of iron and of clay. From
"which circumstances it was inferred, that this
"rock had never been exposed to any high de-
"gree
of heat: otherwise the iron would have
been fused, and, by its specific gravity, would
"have descended to the lowest part, and left the
"loose clay upon the surface; and, also, that
"the layers of superincumbent lava had flowed
"from a crater of a date more recent than the
formation of the ore. It would be difficult to
"conceive how these appearances could have
been produced, had the whole island, origi-
nally, been formed by volcanic fire, and
thrown up from the bottom of the ocean. It
contains, indeed, much matter which has not
undergone, or, at least, bears no marks of, the
"action of fire. Beside the iron ore, already
"mentioned, quartz undecomposed and very
compact, has been in several places found, and
high up the hills.
66
6
go
EMBASSY TO CHINA.
"The chain of the highest mountains of Ma-
"deira has hardly any volcanic appearance.
"The clouds envelope, frequently, their tops,
" and from them descend all the streams and ri-
"vulets of the island. Their antiquity is marked
$6
by the deep chasms or gulfs they have form-
ed, in their descent, between the ridges of the
"rocks, during the long lapse of time they have
"continued to flow. In the beds of these rivu-
"lets are found pebbles of various sizes, and
large rounded masses of silex, such as are usu-
ally found in the beds of many similar tor-
"rents in the Alps. The soil, also, of the fields
"and pasturage grounds appears exactly the same
"as those of the continent, where no volcanic
"fire has ever been suspected. It is likewise to
“be observed, that no lava of a glassy nature has
"been discovered in Madeira, nor any perfect
pumice stone; circumstances, which both in-
dicate, that not the highest degree of heat had
been suffered here: but it is probable that the
bay or beach of Funchal is a segment of a large
"crater, the exterior part of which has sunk into
the sea; for, in the first place, the shingles or
"blue stones upon the beach are all of compact
"6
C
lava; secondly, tempestuous weather throws
always upon the shore larger masses of the same
!
}
EMBASSY TO CHINA.
91
“blue lava stone, and, also, a quantity of cellu-
"lar lava, approaching to pumice stone in tex-
"ture, but much heavier, and not fibrous; and
66
lastly, the Loo rock, and landing place oppo-
"site to it, to the westward of Funchal bay, as
"well as that on which the Fort St. Jago is con-
structed, are evidently perpendicular fragments
"of the edges of the crater, which have hitherto
"resisted the action of the sea, by having been
better supported, or having more closely ad-
"hered together, tho much worn by the violence
"of the surge. They bear not the least resem-
"blance to the neighbouring rocks a little within
"shore."
As far, indeed, as every external appearance
and every examination into the bowels of the
earth can warrant a reasonable conjecture, the
body of the island of Madeira may be considered
as the summit of a primary mountain, from
whence, at several subsequent periods, volcanic
matter was exploded; and the smaller islands of
Porto Santo and the Desertas were, originally,
joined to it; but have, in the variety of convul-
sions which nature has undergone, been sepa-
rated from it, and the intermediate spaces have
been covered with the sea.
The rocky shore of the island of Madeira, and
92
EMBASSY TO CHINA.
""
the violent surge constantly beating on it, form a
natural defence against invasion. What art has
added at the capital, which extends three quarters
of a mile along the beach, and nearly half a mile
in depth, consists, as Captain Parish observed,
in four small forts. One situated at the eastern
extremity of the beach of Funchal, with a per-
pendicular height rising immediately in its
"rear. This fort stands so low as to be exposed
"to the fire of shipping; altho an opportunity
"offered of occupying an height close to it,
"where might be erected a very commanding
"work. This fort is called St. Jago. That of
"St. Lorenço, within two hundred yards of the
"western extremity of the town, is an irregular
"work, whose greatest length is about one hun-
"dred yards, and its breadth nearly as much.
46
It has three small bastions and a battery to-
"ward the sea, and flanking the beach. This
"is occupied as the residence of the governor.
"A third, called Peak castle, is situated at the
"north-west angle of the town, upon a hill, dis-
"tant about half a mile from the shore. It is
very difficult of access from the southward;
but if the hill above it were once gained, no
formidable resistance could be expected from
it, as it is completely overlooked. The fourth
"
""
EMBASSY TO CHINA.
93
"fort stands upon the Loo rock, higher than the
largest ships, but by no means sufficiently so,
"to warrant the disposition made upon its sum-
mit. The guns are crowded together en bar-
bette; and the little parapet, over which they
"look, appears unequal to resist a cannon shot.
"The beach may further be defended by a di-
"rect line of musquetry from a low line built
46
wall, on which a few guns are mounted at in-
"tervals, and which has occasional projections
that afford small flanks. This line appears in-
adequate for defence, when troops are covered,
"in their landing, by men of war; but the con-
stant surge, upon the beach, would prove a
powerful assistant in obstructing the manage-
"ment of boats in an attempt to land. It is said
that a very convenient landing-place may be
"
found about two miles to the westward of
Funchal bay, round the Pico de Cruz, perhaps
“at Praya. From hence two roads lead directly
"to Funchal; one ascending the hill for a short
distance, then descending into the valley under
the Peak castle, from which it is enfiladed.
"The other keeps the shore, and would, per-
haps, be preferred, as less exposed to the fire
" of the Peak castle, and as being sheltered, in
66
:
:
!
94
EMBASSY TO CHINA.
a great degree, by the intervening buildings,
"from the fire of St. Lorenço.
66
"The line wall, extending from the sea to the
height on which is situated Peak castle, is not
❝of a better construction than that of the beach,
"and, being destitute of cannon, would make
"but a feeble resistance. The Peak castle seems
"to afford the principal defence; it is well built,
“ and in tolerable repair. Its walls are of a con-
“siderable height; but it has no ditch; and it is
66
completely commanded from the rear. About
"twelve guns are mounted on it, of different ca-
"libres and constructions, generally, very old
66 guns of English make. Such, too, are all the
"cannon of the place; and their carriages are
66
quite out of repair. Most of the merlons are of
"stone, generally, from two and a half to three
"feet thick. In the Peak castle there is a small
66
66
armory, containing about one hundred and
fifty stand of arms, and three brass field pieces
* of English construction.
"The forces on the island are, of regulars one
"hundred and fifty artillery, and as many in-
fantry; with two thousand militia, who are
66
occasionally under arms. They are formed
“into two battalions, and are obliged to clothe
!
!
!
{
EMBASSY TO CHINA.
95
46
"themselves in uniforms: also, ten thousand ir-
regular militia, who are not so clothed or ex-
"ercised; but who, on consideration of their be-
ing at no expence on that account, are obliged
"to repair highways, to take charge of the sig-
nals, and to do duty in the garrisons. They
"are divided into three districts, each com-
"manded by a colonel; and subdivided into
companies, with a captain and lieutenant to
"each."
66
The regular troops are partly composed of
natives of Angola, a Portugueze settlement on
the coast of Africa. They are pressed into the
service from amongst the most idle and disor-
derly inhabitants of the place. Angola is, as
well as Madeira, one of the vast number of the
conquests achieved, or discoveries and settle-
ments made, in Africa, Asia, and America,
by the subjects of one of the smallest and weak-
est kingdoms now in Europe; but under the
auspices of the most enterprizing princes that
history has recorded. Their remaining posses-
sions are so scattered throughout the ocean, that
there will be yet occasion to stop at some of
them, in the course of the present voyage.
It is necessary for ships bound on a distant
expedition, especially men of war, whose crews
96
EMBASSY TO CHINA.
in
are so much more numerous than those of mer-
chant vessels, to touch, on account of health,
occasionally, at different places on their route,
in order to procure fresh meat and vegetables for
the people, and to recruit the stock of fresh water,
and of wood for fuel. These objects were attained
for the Lion and Hindostan within a single week.
The Jackall tender, which lost their
company
the Channel, had not, indeed, yet joined them.
But the Embassador was desirous to pursue his
route without loss of time. His Excellency and
the gentlemen of the Embassy, intent upon the
object of arriving soon in China, quitted, with
less regret, their amusements, and acquaintance,
and the continuation of their inquiries, in Ma-
deira. And, instructions being left for the Jack-
all to proceed without delay to Port Praya in the
island of St. Jago, they embarked from Funchal
on the eighteenth of October, 1792.
1
EMBASSY TO CHINA,
97
CHAPTER IV.
PASSAGE TO TENERIFFE; TO ST. JAGO. NOTICES
OF THOSE ISLANDS.
OPPOSITE to, and not far from, the coast of
Africa, are several clusters of islands, and of
rocks, besides those mentioned in the preceding
chapter, situated in different degrees of latitude,
and near enough to the continent to be, by theo-
rists, supposed to have, at a vastly remote period,
been joined to it; and they may still be consi-
dered as appendages, in some sort, of it.
The first cluster, which occurs in a southerly
course from Madeira, consists of little more than
rocks, called the Salvages, and are carefully to
be avoided. Within one day's farther sail, lie
those islands which are generally understood to
be what the ancients called the Fortunate Isles,
from the abundant productiveness of the soil, as
well as the salubrity and delightfulness of the
climate. They have since changed that signifi-
cant appellation, tho without losing their good
qualities, to that of the Canary Islands; and
they now belong to the crown of Spain.
VOL. I.
H
98
EMBASSY TO CHINA.
Next to them in succession come, tho at a
considerable distance, the Cape Verde islands,
so called from their vicinity to a continental cape
of that name; which cape and islands are sub-
ject to Portugal. One of these is St. Jago, where,
according to Sir Erasmus Gower's directions for
the Jackall tender, she was to follow him; and,
in order to allow her more time to overtake him
there, as well as for the purpose of procuring a
supply of better wine for the seamen of the Lion,
than Sir Erasmus could get in Madeira at the
contract price, he determined to touch, in his
way to St. Jago, at the town of Santa Cruz in
the island of Teneriffe, one of the Canaries.
The course thither was due south, sometimes,
and always southerly: in this course the weather
was sensibly growing warmer; and the pas-
sengers and crews, tho in respect of time ap-
proaching to the winter months, felt as if winter
were flying from them. The winds, which hi-
therto since the ships left England, as well as
there, were variable, began gradually to partake
of that steady and uniform direction from the
eastward, which denote the regular trade winds,
so contrary to those which are the emblem of
change.
The effect of the wind's impulsion upon ships
EMBASSY TO CHINA.
99
is known to be measured by the simple con-
trivance of a thin, flat and triangular piece of
wood, which continuing motionless in the sea
wherever it is thrown, whence it is called a log,
marks, by the celerity of the ship's receding from
it, how quickly she is driven by the wind. If a
greater progress be found to have been made,
than is denoted by this admeasurement, the dif
ference proves a current or progressive motion of
the sea, independently of the agitation of its
waves, which, from whatever cause it may pro-
ceed, is found frequently to take place. Sir
Erasmus Gower observed, in proceeding to Te-
neriffe, a constant current setting to the south-
ward, at the rate of a third of a mile an hour,
equal to twenty-two miles in the distance between
that island and Madeira.
$6
Captain Mackintosh, of the Hindostan, "who
"had made twenty passages in this route, ge-
nerally experienced a current from the thirty-
"ninth degree of latitude to that of the Canaries.
"In this part of the ocean he formerly found,
"from repeated and accurate observations, that
"this current set three degrees fifty minutes east-
“south-east. He found it strongest opposite to
"the entrance into the Mediterranean, or Straits
"of Gibraltar; and in one voyage, the current
:
H 2
100
EMBASSY TO CHINA.
"was computed by his time-keeper to set about
forty miles a day. This current inclines more
southerly as it approaches to the Canaries. It
"strikes on the coast of Barbary, and takes,
"about Cape Bojador, different and opposite
"directions, near in shore, one part running to
"the northward towards the Mediterranean, and
"the other to the southward, along the coast, to-
"wards the Equator.”
On the twentieth of October the island of Te-
neriffe was perceived by the people of the Lion,
appearing through the haze. The ships did not
approach the land till the afternoon of the next
day, and it was found that the island, when first
observed, was eighteen leagues distant from the
ships. The Peak, or utmost top of Teneriffe,
vying in altitude with the highest lands of the
ancient continent, did not appear, as the ships
approached from the north-east, to answer to the
idea of that lofty eminence, which the imagina-
tion was prepared to find. The towering hills,
indeed, which are close to it, on that side, took
away from its apparent height; but a passenger
on board the Lion, remembering to have seen it,
from sea, on the opposite or south-west side of
the island, describes it as rising perpendicularly
from the ocean, making its elevation by three
EMBASSY TO CHINA.
101
successive ranges of light clouds, like streaks
across it, one above another, between each of
which it was distinctly perceptible, until, at last,
it hid its summit in the uppermost of them.
Sir Erasmus Gower observes, that "the north-
"east of Teneriffe, called Punto de Nago, ap-
"peared, at about four leagues distance, to be a
steep bluff point, very like the Brazen-head
going into Funchal, except that it is higher.
"The land, to the north or north-west, was
rocky and very irregular, with perpendicular
peaks, and three rocky islands, of a middling
height, detached, near a mile, from the main
"land. When the ship was nearly abreast of
"the north-east end of the island, its southern
"extremity was perceived sloping very gradu-
، ،
ally to a low point, known by the name of
"Punto Prieta. The island, called the Grand
Canary, was scen lying to the south; and, to
"the south-east, the road and town of Santa
Cruz, in Teneriffe, seven or eight miles from
"Punto de Nago. Tho that point looked like a
rugged rock, the other hills had trees and ver-
"dure to their very tops." Sir Erasmus Gower
mentioned, that
the Lion anchored in twenty
fathoms, the south-east point of the island
open, a sail's breadth, with the castle point
6 C
102
EMBASSY TO CHINA.
bearing south-west by west, and the north-east
"end of the island east by north half north,
"distance off shore about one quarter of a mile.
"The anchoring ground is, in general, very
bad; it is advisable, therefore, for ships that
"call at this place, in the winter months, merely
"
*
for the purchase of refreshments, not to come to
"an anchor, but to stand off and on, sending a
“boat on shore, to go through the necessary
"forms with the governor, and to order the sup-
plies to be put on board. The little additional
trouble, and seeming inconvenience of this
mode, are sufficiently made up by the preser-
“vation of the cables, the safety of the ship, and
exemption from anxiety. Even in the summer
"months it is necessary to buoy the cables, and
"to moor with as little cable as possible. The
66
"
place is defended by batteries and a line of
musquetry towards the sea; the shore is fen-
❝ced with rocks and large stones; and the surge
"is constantly so high as to render it almost in-
"accessible to boats. There is a good mole or
pier, projecting into the sea, where boats may
“land in all seasons; at its extremity is a bat-
tery of four brass guns. The pier is likewise
"defended by a well built square fort, which
66
appears in good condition. About eighty
EMBASSY TO CHINA.
103
66
yards to the southward of the pier is a creek
among the rocks, where goods are landed in
"mild weather. There are forts and small bat-
"teries to the northward and southward of the
mole, extending half a mile each way. They
"are all of them close to the sea shore. The
"force of each is from two to four
guns. The
"militia consists of all persons capable of bear-
ing arms in the island. The regular troops,
including artillery, do not exceed three hun-
"dred men.
Beside the defences of art, and those already
mentioned to be furnished by nature, another
arises from the evident danger to which hostile
ships must be exposed, as the wind is scarcely
ever favourable to get away from the land, and
escape the fire of the batteries on shore, in case
of failure of success. To this danger did the gal-
lant Admiral Blake, in the desire of doing his
country service, render himself liable, in a war
with Spain, in 1657, when he attacked a fleet of
Spanish galleons, lying in this road, nearly
equal to his own in strength, independently of
the powerful protection from the shore. Tho he
actually succeeded in destroying the whole of the
enemy's chips, and, by a sudden and uncommon
chare of wind, was enabled to bring all his own
104
EMBASSY TO CHINA.
off safe, it is difficult to view the scene of action,
and consider the circumstance, generally, occur-
ring there, without joining to the admiration of
the bold attempt and successful event, some por-
tion of the anxiety which is felt for a peril still
impending.
، ،
66
"The latitude of the road of Santa Cruz was
observed, by Sir Erasmus Gower, to be twenty-
eight degrees twenty-eight minutes north; its
longitude, by the time-keeper, sixteen degrees
"twenty-six minutes west of Greenwich, and
"the variation of the compass seventeen degrees
thirty-five minutes to the westward of the pole.
"The tide rises perpendicularly six feet.
"
66
According to the regulations of the port,
"there should be no communication between the
ships and shore, from the setting to the rising
"of the sun. It is, also, prohibited to fire the
66
morning or evening gun on board; tho it
"was done by a small French frigate, then ly-
66
66
66
ing in the road, under the national colours.
English men of war do not salute, because the
Spaniards are forbid to make a return. Beef,
"mutton, pork, goats, poultry, fruits, and ve-
**getables are very good and reasonable; and,
"for ships bound to the southward and requir
ing refreshments, this place has
many advan-
66
EMBASSY TO CHINA.
105
"tages over Madeira; particularly the wine, to
❝ be had by contract for the ship's company, is
“of a much stronger quality, and at a much
cheaper rate. A pipe, containing one hun-
"dred and twenty gallons, does not exceed ten
pounds."
The shipping of the necessary supply of wine,
for the Lion, was likely to take up two or three
days; and several of the passengers from that
ship, and some passengers and officers of the
Hindostan, took the opportunity of this delay to
go on shore, in order to visit as much of the
island as they could. The town of Santa Cruz,
which is pleasantly situated, did not present to
them the crowds of people, or scenes of business
perceptible in Funchal; but it appeared better
laid out, more open, cleaner, and more comfort-
able. The well-built pier stretched out into the
sea, the conveniences contrived for safe and easy
landing near it, the handsome almeyda, or mall,
along the
quay, shaded with several rows of
trees, the fountain adorned with marble statues
in the square, all apparently of late construc-
tion, denote a government attentive to the im-
provement of the place. The hills, above Santa
Cruz; are neither so high, nor overhang so im-
mediately the town, as those behind Funchal,
106
EMBASSY TO CHINA.
which, as being the last place that the present
party visited, was now more readily the object
of comparison in their minds. They found the
walks and rides, in the neighbourhood of Santa
Cruz, more level and agreeable; they seemed to
breathe a lighter, purer, air than usual, and felt
they were in a fortunate island. Of these feelings
there could not be a more lively instance than in
the concurring expressions of regret, which fell
from every mouth, that Mr. West, in whose re-
covery every one took interest, had not come
on, to take the benefit of a climate so seemingly
superior to that of Madeira where he staid.
Mr. Hickey" ascended the craggy mountains
"to the northward of the town, in hope of get
ting an advantageous view of the Peak, but
"was prevented by the clouds with which it
"was wholly enveloped. The rocks upon those
"hills appeared to be volcanic; and among
"them a variety of natural caves were formed,
"which serve for places of occasional rest, and
66
shelter, to the labouring people in the season
"of cultivation. The culture is carried up to
"the tops of these mountains, the soil being
supported, in successive stages, by walls or
heaps of stone. A peasant, whom Mr. Hickey
met, with a fowling-piece in his hand, and
66
CC
66
EMBASSY TO CHINA.
107
* with whom he conversed in Spanish, informed
him, that the produce of these mountains was
"corn, beans, and a grass which served as fod-
“der for the cattle. At this season nothing re-
46
66
mained, except dry stubble. In the adjacent
hills, some very singular combinations ap-
peared of craggy heaps and cliffs, and, below,
"a tremendous precipice. A variety of wild
66
odoriferous herbs were scattered around; and
66 some, of a powerful and forbidding smell. La
Figuera de India, called commonly in English
"the prickly pear tree, bears here a valuable
66
fruit, not easily, indeed, to be plucked or
"eaten. But the obliging peasant, already men-
“tioned, overcame the difficulty by means of a
"tuft of grass, with which he enveloped the
fruit, to guard his fingers from the prickles
"with which it was covered; and, cutting cau-
66
66
tiously away the rind, laid open the pulp,
"which was very agreeable to the taste, uniting
"the flavour of the fig, the winter burgundy
The peasant, in
ss
pear, and the water melon.
"the course of conversation,
"received opinion, that the
mentioned, as a
island contained
"rich mines of gold, but that the King of Spain
❝had ordered the search for them to be discon-
66
tinued, lest, as the peasant added, they should
108
EMBASSY TO CHINA.
86
prove a temptation to the English to render
"themselves masters of the island.
The principal party from the ships proceeded
another way into the country; and after a ride
of a few miles, upon the slope of a considerable
hill, arrived at the capital of the island, called
St. Christophé de Laguna, where, however, no
lagoon or lake remains. Here still are held the
courts of justice, tho the governor now resides at
Santa Cruz. The chief inhabitants of the prisons
of the capital were young females, of the lower
classes of society, who were accused of inconti-
nency; the temptations to which crime the soft-
ness of the climate renders them little capable of
resisting, notwithstanding the rigour with which
it is pursued by the ecclesiastical jurisdiction.
grapes,
In the markets was a profusion of red
scarcely any white, tho the wine, exported from
Teneriffe, be generally of the latter colour. The
season of the vintage is always that of cheerful-
ness and activity, and the people, in the streets,
seemed to partake of such a disposition. This
city is situated on an eminence, in a fertile plain
of considerable extent. Beside vines, it bears
wheat, Indian corn, potatoes, and a species of
bean not unlike a lupin. From grounds, still
higher, water is conveyed to a variety of foun-
EMBASSY TO CHINA.
109
tains in Laguna, as at Santa Cruz, in an aque-
duct composed of wooden troughs, and sup-
ported by poles fixed into the earth.
To the plain, above mentioned, succeeded a
ridge of hills, of gentle ascent, from the summit
of which were easily traced the windings of a
pleasant valley, stretching to the westward, along
the feet of a range of hills that separate it from
the sea coast. The town of Ticoronté, and nu-
merous little villages, formed a scene agreeable
and picturesque. The bosoms of the moun-
tains were all well cultivated; and their more
rugged sides were chiefly covered with the spon-
taneous plants of warm regions, such as the bo-
tanists call the Cacalia Kleinia, the Agave Ame-
ricana, the Cactus Tuna, beside others of little
ornament or use.
A heavy shower of rain overtook the travel-
lers, amid these mountains, a little before noon;
and one of the inhabitants of a village, where
they took shelter, told them that a similar
shower falls about the same hour there almost
every day throughout the
year.
From thence the party descended towards a
rich and extensive vale, lying between an am-
phitheatre of mountains and the sea. At the
bottom of these mountains, out of which rises-
110
EMBASSY TO CHINA.
the Peak of Teneriffe, is the villa or city, and
about three miles distant, on the sea coast, is the
puerto, or seaport, of Orotava. The first is inha-
bited, chiefly, by persons of landed property in
that neighbourhood; and at the second is car-
ried on a considerable degree of commerce, prin-
cipally for the exportation of wine. It is, chiefly,
as at Madeira, in the hands of a few British com-
mercial houses, which import, in return, the
manufactures of Great Britain.
The consumption of British goods, in the re-
motest places, among the Spaniards, as well as
the Portugueze, easily accounts for the vast de-
mand from the warehouses of London, and
seems to render that capital, in a commercial
sense, the metropolis of the world.
From Orotava the ascent of the mountain, to-
wards the Peak of Teneriffe, is generally at-
tempted. The time of the year, late in October,
was, indeed, unfavourable to such an undertak-
ing. The cold, in the mountains, at this season,
was described by the natives, in the neighbour-
hood, to be intolerable; and snow and hail now
fell frequently with such suddenness and violence,
as to overwhelm those who were exposed to them.
Still, however, the ascent was not declared to
be impossible. If the two succeeding days, at
EMBASSY TO CHINA.
111
the expiration of which it was necessary to join
the ships at Santa Cruz, should luckily prove
fair, and the weather calm, the object, it was
hoped, might be attained. The opportunity, to
the same persons, would not probably recur;
and they determined to try their chance: deem-
ing the progress they might make, however in-
considerable it should prove, towards the summit
of the mountain, a gratification superior to what
any other excursion could afford.
The morning of the twenty-third of October
was serene, and promised a good day. Fahren-
heit's thermometer, near the sea side, was at se-
venty-six degrees in the shade. The huge cone
of the Peak, towering above a bed of fleecy
clouds, seemed to overhang the city of Orotava,
tho at the distance of several miles. The party
set out, about noon, and proceeded for some
time through a pleasant vale, mostly covered
with vineyards, which produce a sweet and
able wine: they soon began to ascend the moun-
tain, along the sloping side of a deep valley, al-
most entirely covered with a grove of large ches-
nut trees. On the edge of the mountain were
thinly scattered a few solitary huts, partly, hid
in the thick shrubbery which surrounded them.
After passing the valley of chesnut trees, the
agree-
112
EMBASSY TO CHINA.
party presently arrived at the summit of the
first, called the Green, mountain, on which there
was a level plain of considerable extent, covered
with heath growing several feet high, and inter-
spersed with myrtle, laurel, and whortleberry
shrub (vaccinium), all in great luxuriance; but
no cultivation was attempted there by man; nor
was indeed, thereabouts, any human habitation.
At the termination of this plain commenced a
second mountain very different, in appearance,
from the former. Its steep sides were craggy and
barren. The road lay along a dangerous ascent
on the brink of precipices. Little verdure ap-
peared but what was afforded by the Spanish
broom and cytisus, which seemed to thrive in
the rocky surface of lava with which this moun-
tain was almost covered. A few pine trees were
thinly scattered on its sides. Several wild goats
were found thereabouts, being the only quadru-
ped observed to dwell upon those mountains.
The party continued to ascend, by rugged
and narrow paths, depending chiefly for their
safety on the surefootedness of their mules, till
they arrived at a watering place in the hollow of
a huge rock, under the shade of a solitary pine.
Notwithstanding the real and apparent perils of
this road, one of the attendants of the party, an
1
EMBASSY TO CHINA.
118
artificer belonging to the Embassy, deserves to
have his name (of Thibaut, a native of Turin),
recorded, for the instance, he afforded, of in-
flexible constancy, in adhering to the instruc-
tions he received, tho excessively difficult to exe-
cute, in such a situation: as a mathematical in-
strument maker, and acquainted with the nature
of barometers, he was charged with the care of
carrying one, intended for the purpose of ob-
serving, by the degree of descent of the quick-
silver in the tube freed from air, how much the
height of the column of the atmosphere, over
such part of the said fluid as was exposed to its
pressure, was diminished by the elevation of the
mountain above the horizon; and, consequently,
ascertaining the exact measure of such eleva-
tion, or the mountain's height. It was necessary,
in order to preserve, for this purpose, the baro-
meter from injury, to hold it in a steady, uni-
form manner. Thibaut, with his attention fixed
entirely on this object, holding the instrument
with one hand against his breast, and the bridle
loosely with the other, suffered his mule to follow
her own pace, without changing his posture, or
moving the barometer (whatever were his fears or
dangers), on any alarm or accident that occurred.
In an account that is given of the last preced-
VOL. I.
I
114
EMBASSY TO CHINA.
1
ing journey up these hills, with a philosophical
apparatus, mention is made of two barometers,
which had successively been provided, having
been broken before they could be used. The pre-
sent party, by Thibaut's steadiness, were enabled
to find that they had ascended, late in the after-
noon, near six thousand feet above the town they
quitted in the morning. Even such an elevation,
tho the weather then was hazy, enlarged, consi-
derably, their prospect, and gave them, as it
were, a greater command of land and sea. Some
little time before, when the sun was bright, and
already behind the Peak, the shadow of the lat-
ter, perfectly formed on the ocean, and gradually
lengthened, and extending to the horizon, form-
ed a picture, not more uncommon than grand
and striking, to the beholders. But now the
mountain began to be overcast with clouds; from
the hollows which intervened between the basis
of the great cone and the second mountain, on
which the travellers then stood, arose, rapidly, as
if bursting from deep and vast boiling cauldrons,
various impetuous gusts of wind, forcing and
combating with each other, and seeming to forbid
any approach towards them. On this part of the
mountain the ascent was by no means steep, but
the ground was strewed with volcanic matter
EMBASSY TO CHINA.
115
not, however, of that spongy texture on which
vegetation, in the form of a lichen, in so few
years, appears on the sides of mount Vesuvius.
Throughout this second mountain, were exca-
vations resembling small craters of extinct volca-
noes. It became now more difficult to trace out
the usual path, as the evening was set in. The
cold began to be unpleasant, the thermometer
having fallen twenty-six degrees. The guides
and muleteers proposed to halt here for that
night, at least; deeming it dangerous to move
on. Promises and menaces were used to engage
them to proceed; they did so for another hour,
in which, however, little progress was effected.
It then began to rain, the cold to become more
intense, and the wind more violent. But the tra-
vellers were yet distant from their intended rest-
ing place, usually known by the name of La
Estancia dos Ingleses, the resting place of the
English. Thither they were anxious to arrive,
in order to attain, the next forenoon, if practi-
cable, the summit of the cone. But the guides,
who perceived a tempest then approaching, in
which they declared the unsheltered traveller,
infallibly, must perish, insisted on stopping where
they were, under the brow of a projecting rock,
which diverted, in some degree, the current of
I 2
116
EMBASSY TO CHINA.
*
the wind. One of the party tried the experiment
of proceeding on his mule, as far as he was able,
up the hill; but soon finding it was utterly im-
possible to resist the impetuosity of the storm, re-
turned to his companions, in order to provide for
the night, in the manner the least uncomfortable
in their power. They had been supplied with
abundance of refreshments from Orotava; but no
tent was to be found there to rest in
upon the
mountain. This circumstance, however unplea-
sant, could not deter them from the undertaking;
they had now no other resource than that of strew-
ing the bare ground, near them,with leafy branches
of the Spanish broom, by way of beds, to sleep on.
There was little shelter from the wind, and none
against the rain, which, tho not violent, was fre-
quent. The air also was keen and cold; the ther-
mometer at forty-five degrees; but the branches
of the cytisus, growing on this dreary mountain,
proved to be excellent fuel, and tho green, pro-
duced, readily, a blaze; the wind, indeed, which
blew in eddies, drove the flame, sometimes, to a
distance from the travellers' resting place, who
lost, thus, its influence in their favour, and,
sometimes, turned it to their faces, so near as
to scorch them. At times, however, they had
opportunities of contemplating, as they lay un-
EMBASSY TO CHINA.
117
der the grand canopy of heaven, the awful scene
around them. The moon, then in its second
quarter, shone, at intervals, very brilliant; the
zenith happened to be clear, towards which the
Peak upreared its high and tapering point, and,
as the
eye descended down the slanting sides of
that immense cone, it perceived that the base was
lost in black rolling clouds, which, whirling im-
petuously from thence into the vallies far below,
reached, at last, the ocean, over which some re-
mained suspended, while others seemed incorpo-
rated with its waters.
On the approach of day the party rose, little
refreshed by sleep, and their clothes dripping
with the rain which had fallen upon them. The
summit of the mountain on which they stood,
appeared only at a little distance, but the weather
was extremely boisterous; and the wind drove
with violence heavy drops of rain. The point of
the upper cone, or Sugar-loaf, was clear, but the
large conical frustum, which supported it, was
enveloped in thick clouds, rolling, in continued
succession, along its sides, and hurled rapidly
from thence into the vallies between the hills,
against which they were impelled, and quickly
condensed into rain.
Of the party some concurred with their guides
in proposing to abandon the project of going far
118
EMBASSY TO CHINA.
ther; but Doctor Gillan, Doctor Scot, Mr. Bar,
row, and Mr. Hamilton of the Hindostan, had
the firmness to persevere in the attempt of ascend-
ing, still, as high as possible; while the rest
turned their eyes, readily, back to Orotava, ex-
cept, indeed, a boy little more than eleven years
old, who, not disheartened by the sufferings of
the preceding day and night, saw himself, with
evident reluctance, separated from his more ad-
venturous companions, to follow the retrograde
steps of the person who had the care of him. Of
the two guides, belonging to the party, one con-
ducted the gentlemen going to Oroṭava, who, as
they descended from the mountain, which proved
to them so dreary and inhospitable, experienced
a most rapid change of climate as they approached
to the genial and comfortable atmosphere below
such change being little less than if, in that short
space of time, they had suddenly been trans-
ported, from the icy coast of Greenland, into the
warm latitudes of the Pacific Ocean: so much
quicker is the transition, with regard to its effect,
in a vertical than in an horizontal direction.
y;
Before these travellers got to the seaport of
Orotava, they passed through the city, or upper
town, of the same name, neatly built of stone, on
an irregular surface. They took the dimensions
of a remarkable dragon's-blood tree growing near
EMBASSY TO CHINA.
119
:
it; to which tree any of the same kind in Madeira,
tho there thought large, were, comparatively, but
striplings its trunk measured, at the height of
ten feet from the ground, thirty-six feet in girth;
at the height of fifteen feet, this trunk divided it-
self into about a dozen branches, sprouting regu-
larly, as from a centre, in an oblique direction,
upwards, like the subdivisions of an umbellife-
rous plant, all of equal dimensions, and produ-
cing, at their extremities only, thick and spongy
leaves, resembling, but much smaller than, those
of the common aloe. Concerning this tree there
was a tradition, current in the island, that it ex-
isted, of no inconsiderable dimensions, when the
Spaniards, made the conquest of Teneriffe, about
three centuries ago; and that it was then, what it
still is, a landmark, to distinguish the bounda-
ries of landed possessions near it.
The gentlemen who wished to pursue their jour-
ney upwards, were accompanied by the second
guide. This man was one of the very few remain-
ing of the descendants of the Guanches, or ori-
ginal inhabitants, and sole possessors of the island,
when first invaded by the Spaniards in the fifteenth
century. He still retained some characteristics
of that ancient race: he was a tall, strong-boned
man, little less than six feet high, and walked
120
EMBASSY TO CHINA.
erect and firm, the near his grand climacteric,
or upwards of sixty years of age; the lineaments
of his countenance were strongly marked; his
eyebrows high and arched, his cheek-bones pro-
minent, his nose somewhat flattened, and his
lips of a thickness approaching to those of the
blacks of Africa.
With this man the four gentlemen, above-
named, according to Mr. Barrow's relation,
66
soon gained the summit of the mountain from
"whence the great cone arose, which, being of
"ten covered with snow, procured, among an-
"cient writers, the name of Nivaria for the
"whole island. On this summit was another
"extensive plain, not clothed, like the Green
"mountain, with perpetual verdure, but loaded
"with irregular huge masses of black lava,
“scattered round, not the least trace of vegeta-
"tion being visible on this dreary waste, except
"now and then a solitary cytisus, peeping, with
"its feeble and half-withered branches, through
6 the fissure of the rock. The violence of the
“wind continued; the rain increased; and the
very apex of the Peak began to be obscured with
“clouds. At length, it became equally difficult
“for the mules, to stem the current of the wind,
and for the riders to keep their seats.
EMBASSY TO CHINA.
121
L
They already, however, had ascended about
** two thousand feet above the place where they
"had passed the night; but now the muleteers
"became refractory, and endeavoured to prevent
any exertions for forcing the animals to go on."
"the cold was piercing (the thermometer at thir-
*
ty-six degrees) and together with the sleet, al-
"most took away the power of holding steadily
"the reins. In the course of this tempest. Mr.
“Hamilton was literally blown off his horse.
"Doctor Scot, who happened to be well mounted,
pushed boldly forward towards the basis of the
cone, till he was lost, to the rest, in the thick-
"ness of the mist. Doctor Gillan endeavoured
"to follow, but the wind, actually, forced his
"mule to the edge of a steep precipice, where,
66
fortunately, she fell into a bed of volcanic
“ashes, or both must, inevitably, have gone
"down the precipice, and perished. No effort
66
could, afterwards, stimulate the mule to move
"forwards a single step. Another ran under the
"shelter of a large mass of lava, where she equal-
""
ly remained immoveable. The resource now
" left, was to tie all the horses and mules to the
neighbouring rocks (for the muleteers and
guide had already disappeared) and to pro-
ceed, on foot, along a valley, whose ascent
$6
122
EMBASSY TO CHINA.
1
"was gradual, to the bottom of the great pyra
"mid, from whence the Peak arose, as from a se-
“cond cone. But the plan, after repeated efforts
"to proceed, soon proved to be impracticable.
"The surface being a continued layer of light
pumice stones and ashes, the body sunk, con-
siderably at every step, and a dust issued from
"the pressure, emitting a sulphureous and suf-
focating smell, which obstructed respiration.
"The tempest, at the same time, raged with
66
a
augmented violence; the thermometer was
"down to the freezing point: the drops of rain
"fell half congealed, and were observed to have
<< saltish taste. Under all these circumstances,
"the difficulty of getting farther on, to persons
"now exhausted, was found to be unsurmount-
“able; and, having done all that was possible
for them, no alternative remained. They
66
went back to the place where they left their
"cattle, whose faces were no sooner turned down
"the hill, than they scampered away at a rate as
"difficult to restrain, as it was before to push
"them forward.
66
The party, presently, got into the midst of
very dense clouds, whose contents were dis-
charged upon them in torrents of heavy rain,
“which fell, without intermission, during the
66
EMBASSY TO CHINA.
123
"remainder of the descent, for about three hours.
"Soon afterwards the weather cleared
up,
and
"the upper part of the Peak appeared covered
" with snow.
They scarcely had arrived at Orotava when
Doctor Gillan was obliged to take to his bed
with a fever, occasioned by the fatigues he had
undergone; but care and rest, in the hospitable
house of Mr. Little, soon restored him. The
other gentlemen lost the memory of their suffer.
ings, in the morning, by partaking of a ball
with some agreeable English and Spanish ladies,
the same evening, in Orotava. The next day
the tra ellers returned to Santa Cruz..
The excursion to the Peak, which was, at this
season, so fatiguing in the attempt, and so im
practicable in the execution, occasions much less
difficulty or hardship at another. In a manu-
script account of a visit to that place, by the
same Mr. Johnstone, who is described in a
a pre-
ceding chapter, as having surveyed Madeira, it
is mentioned that, being at Teneriffe, in the sum-
mer time, and having the opportunity of pró-
viding tents and other necessaries for such an
undertaking, as well as leisure to go through it
without hurry, little was suffered in accomplish-
ing it. His party slept, the night before they
124
EMBASSY TO CHINA.
attained the summit of the Peak, about the spot
which terminated the labours of the succeeding
travellers. "There," it is said. " they encamped
"on ground covered with pumice stone, a stream
"of lava on each side; in front, a barren plain;
"the island of Grand Canary bearing south-east,
66 as if rising out of an immense field of ice,
"formed by the clouds below them. About four
"o'clock next morning, the first of August, the
"moon shining bright, and the weather clear,
"they began to ascend a kind of path, along the
“first great frustum, leading to the smaller and
higher Sugar-loaf. The passage was steep and
66
EC
disagreeable, being covered with pumice stone,
"which gave way at every step. In about an
❝ hour they got to the Alta Vista, where it was
necessary to climb over the lava, leaping from
"one large stone to another, till their arrival at
"the foot of the Sugar-loaf. It was now about
"half past five. The horizon, to the south-east,
"was very clear, and the rising sun a beautiful
"object. Here they rested, on a small flat, about
"five minutes, but did not allow themselves to
cool, the air being so very penetrating.
66
They then began to ascend the Sugar-loaf.
“This was by much the most fatiguing part;
“it being exceedingly steep, and wholly con-
EMBASSY TO CHINA.
125
66
sisting of small pumice stones, so that the foot,
"at ever step, sinks and slides back. They
"were obliged to take breath, repeatedly. It
"was little more than six o'clock when they got-
66
upon the summit of the Sugar-loaf. At this
"time the clouds had gathered about a mile and
" a half perpendicular below. They were thick,
" and had a very striking effect, appearing like
"an immense extent of frozen sea, covered with
"innumerable hillocks of snow, above which
"the islands of Grand Canary, Palma, Gomera,
"and Hierro or Ferro, raised their heads. On
"the sun's getting a little higher, the clouds dis-
persed, and opened to the view the coast around.
"The colours, hoisted on the Peak, were distinct-
""
66
ly seen, by gentlemen in Orotava, through their
telescopes.
"The prospect from the Peak is romantic and
"extensive, no other hill being of a height to in-
"tercept the view. The coast is perceived all
"round, and a distinct idea of the island formed.
"The north-west coast appears to be well culti-
"vated; but the south-east seems dreary and
barren. Within the summit is an excavation,
"or cauldron, not less than eighty feet in depth;
"into which the gentlemen descended, and ga-
"thered some sulphur, with which the surface is
126
EMBASSY TO CHINA.
7
"mostly covered. In many parts the foot cat-
"not rest upon the same spot above a minute,
"the heat penetrating quickly through the shoe.
"Smoke issues frequently from the earth. Just
"under the surface is a soft reddish clay, so hot
“that the hand introduced into it must instantly
be withdrawn. In the cauldron the sulphu-
"reous odour is very offensive; but on the ridge
"it may be easily endured.
''
"From this place they saw the town of Santa
Cruz, and the shipping in the road, which is
"a distance, in a direct line, of about twenty-
"five miles. A second barometer was here re-
ceived, to supply the place of another broken
"in the ascent. But it was found that some of
66
"L
the quicksilver had escaped; and, therefore,
"no dependence was to be placed on any obser-
"vations by it. They continued two hours and
a half upon the summit of the Peak, without
feeling any inconvenience from heat or cold.
Soon after sun-rise the thermometer, in the
shade, was at fifty-one degrees. They descend-
"ed the Sugar-loaf, in a few minutes, running
"the whole way, which was found to be the best
"mode.
68
"At the foot of the Peak there were several
"caverns, in the midst of lava, some filled with
EMBASSY TO CHINA.
127
“fine water, extremely cold, and frozen at the
edges of the caverns. Others, in the winter,
66
are filled with snow, over which the sun never
"shines; and, thus, snow continues in them
throughout the year. Here they remained till
night.
66
66
"Mr. Johnstone, recollecting a difference of
"about six miles in the calculation of the latitude,
"as given by Captain Cook, and as it is laid
"down in the collection of requisite Tables for
"the Nautical Ephemeris, was willing to ascer-
"tain the same; and, taking an observation of
"a fixed star, found that the latitude was within
"a mile of what Captain Cook had asserted it to
"be. Some time before, Mr. Johnstone, when
"on board ship in the offing of Orotava, took
"the angles, made by a line from the horizon to
"the summit of the Peak, at two different spots,
“and, measuring the distance between them by
"the log, determined the perpendicular height
"of the Peak to be two thousand and twenty-
"three English fathoms, being nearly the same
"as Monsieur de Borda had calculated from à
"base measured upon land. From the compa-
❝rative observations of Monsieur de Borda's ba-
66
rometers, upon the Peak, and by the sea side,
"the mountain's height came within two fathoms
128
EMBASSY TO CHINA.
"of the geometrical measurement. Mr. John
"stone computed, likewise, the distance of the
"Peak from the seaport of Orotava to be ten
"thousand one hundred and eighty fathoms, or,
nearly, eleven miles and a half, bearing south
forty-eight degrees west. The variation of the
compass was sixteen degrees to the westward of
"the pole."
66
66
The storm, experienced on the Peak of Tenes
riffe by the present party, and which impeded
their ascent at that time, was felt severely in the
roads of Santa Cruz. "The winter appeared to
"be there set in," as Sir Erasmus Gower ob-
serves; "but its approach was considered prema-
"ture by at least a month. Several merchant
❝ vessels drove, or were dragged, from their an-
66
choring ground, together with their anchors
"others parted, or broke their cables. The Hin-
"dostan lost two anchors, and, had the gale con-
"tinued, might have been in danger of driving
against the rocks. The Lion happened to lie,
66
66
66
probably, in the best place; as she neither
drove, nor did her cables suffer any injury,
"tho no precaution had been taken to secure
"them."
;
At Orotava the only vessel lying in the road
was obliged to slip her cable, as is the practice in
EMBASSY TO CHINA.
129
bad weather there, especially when the wind
blows strongly from the northward. The road
is entirely open in that quarter; and the surge
drives with such violence against the shore, that
a boat can seldom land. The waves have been
known to break over the tops of the houses, stand-
ing at some distance from the beach; and the
wine, exported from thence, is usually shipped
by floating off the pipes containing it.
There had been a convenient port on the
north-west coast of the island, called Garrachica,
until the last eruption from the Peak in 1704,
which continued, at intervals, for two months,
when, by the volcanic matter rolling down on
that side of the mountain, the port was complete-
ly filled up, and houses are now erected where
ships rode formerly at anchor.
The height of the great mountain of Teneriffe,
where the intense cold produces ice in plenty,
gives the inhabitants, of the warmer climate be-
low, the opportunity of using that substance to
cool the wines for their own consumption. This
is collected by the peasants, in winter, near the
summit of the Peak, and preserved in caves,
near the Estancia dos Ingleses, where the great
cone begins to rise; from whence it is brought,
VOL. I.
K
130
EMBASSY TO CHINA.
1
in the summer, to Orotava, and other places on
the coast.
Within a mile of the seaport of Orotava is a
collection of living plants from Mexico, and
other parts of the Spanish dominions in Ame-
rica. From hence they are to be transplanted
into Spain. It is an establishment of some ex-
pence, and, whatever may be its success, it shews
a laudable attention, on the part of that govern-
ment, to the promotion of natural knowledge.
The exterior practices of devotion, in every
dependency of Spain, where the inquisition
reaches, absorb, however, much of that leisure
which might, otherwise, be employed for the
purposes of instruction. Religion seems to be
the principal business of the gentry of both sexes.
Ladies of rank are seldom seen out of their own
families, except in the churches at mass, at ma-
tins, and vespers. The unmarried reside in
convents, and are often cajoled to take the veil,
by those who are already nuns professed, not-
withstanding the bitter repentance which many
of these feel for the vows themselves had made.
The escape of an intended victim to devotion
made some noise, about this time, in Teneriffe.
A young lady, during her noviciate, had, by
1
131
EMBASSY TO CHINA.
uncommon accident, the opportunity of seeing a
youth, who inspired her with a passion incon-
sistent with her former views of religious retire-
ment. Notwithstanding the apparent freedom
left to novices to alter their intentions, it is, in
fact, as unsafe as it is rare. This young novice
manifested no symptoms of reluctance in pursu-
ing her original vocation, and preparations were
made for the awful ceremony of taking the last
solemn vow to renounce the world.
On such occasions it is the custom to throw
open the gates of the convent, in order to satisfy
the public, that the ladies within them are equal-
ly at liberty to quit it altogether, or to continue
within its walls. When the day arrived, which
was to seal her doom, and resign her for ever to
the cloister, her relations and friends assembled,
as is usual, to be present on the occasion. In
the crowd of the spectators was the young gen-
tleman, who was disputing with heaven the fair
victim. After solemn exhortations from the
pulpit, that now the final moment was arrived,
when she was to devote herself to God, abandon-
ing all sublunary considerations, as well as
all ties of affection or of blood, or instantly to
quit the holy place, she then inhabited, for ever,
she stretched out her hand to the youth, who
K2
132
EMBASSY TO CHINA.
advanced quickly to receive it, and hurrying
with her directly from the church, while the
priests, the nuns, her relations, and the people,
stood motionless with astonishment, the happy
pair got soon safely to a place, where they were
married.
The present bishop of the Canary islands re-
sides, usually, at the city of Palmas in Canaria.
But his revenues, which are not less than ten
thousand pounds a year, are distributed, almost en-
tirely, in acts of charity and beneficence through
out all the islands. To this humane disposition
he, however, joins the rigour of ecclesiastic dis-
cipline; and encourages the observance of cere-
monies of piety, by offers of indulgence to those
who practise them. He, who shall kneel publicly
before the shrine of San Bernardo in the square
of Santa Cruz, and repeat so many times aloud
the prayers of Pater noster and Ave Maria, may
receive a dispensation exempting him, for forty
days, from many of those obligations which the
Spanish church, more rigid than its parent Rome,
imposes on its votaries, as a test of their obe-
dience, and generally exacts, under penalty of
damnation, in case of failure.
The observance of religious duties is little in-
terrupted in the Canaries by pursuits of com-
EMBASSY TO CHINA.
133
merce. Foreign ships seldom touch at any of
them, except
Teneriffe; the produce of which is
chiefly exported from Santa Cruz. It consists,
principally, in white wine, of which about
twenty-five thousand pipes annually are made in
the island. Part is sent to the Spanish settle-
ments in South America; the English take off a
considerable quantity, in return for manufac-
tures; and the North Americans, in payment of
corn, staves, horses, and tobacco. The last ar-
ticle is contraband, and smuggled, chiefly, into
Ticoronté, which, from the circumstance alone
of its sandy beach, where the boats with pro-
hibited goods can in the night approach and
leave it without difficulty or delay, is lately in-
creased in size, and become rich, Tobacco or
snuff is in universal use; and that, which is le-
gally imported, is sold by government at a pro-
fit so enormous, that the temptation to introduce
it, clandestinely, is irresistible. The royal mo-
nopoly extends even to orchilla, a weed used in
dying. It is a minute vegetable, of the lichen
kind, growing chiefly upon rocks, of a loose tex-
ture, and produces a beautiful violet blue colour.
The total net revenue of the crown, after de-
fraying the expences of administration, of all the
Canary islands, amounts to about sixty thousand
134
EMBASSY TO CHINA.
pounds a year. The monopolies, not the taxes,
are considered to be the principal grievance of
the inhabitants. The sugar cane was cultivated
formerly among them more than it is at present,
One sugar plantation in Teneriffe, which had
been worked by a thousand slaves, is now very
much reduced in labourers and produce.
Doctor Gillan, in his excursion through the
island of Teneriffe, remarked, "that the ap-
pearances in it, for volcanic formation and ori-
66
66
gin, are more numerous and more striking
“than in Madeira. All the stones of the beach,
"all the ground and rocks in the neighbour-
"hood of Santa Cruz are, manifestly, volcanic.
"6
There was abundance of compact and cellular
"laya; but none of a glassy nature, or pumice,
"except in the neighbourhood of the Peak. He
"examined the stones in the bed of the torrent,
"and at the bridge built across it, between Santa
“Cruz and Laguna, as well as those which con-
"stituted the pavement of the road up the hill.
“The whole were of compact lava, of the same
"kind and composition as those with which the
66
Appian way in Italy, and the streets lately
"discovered of Pompeia, were paved, and such
as are used for paving the streets of Naples.
"The buildings of Santa Cruz and of Laguna
EMBASSY TO CHINA.
135
“exhibited no stone of any other kind. On in-
"6
66
quiry it appeared that the lime, used for build-
ings, was brought from some of the neighbour-
ing islands; no limestone being found in Te-
"neriffe.
66
Every circumstance, hitherto, argued in fa-
"vour of a volcanic formation, except the form
"of the mountains, whose irregular ridges, de-
clivities, and ascents, appeared very different
"from what mountains, produced entirely by
"volcanoes, usually exhibit; in the open plain,
""
beyond Laguna, on the Orotava side, the soil
"was not in the least volcanic, but composed of
“fine mould, or what is commonly called virgin
“earth; a mixture of clay, vegetable earth, and
"sand. There were several deep rivulets along
"the side of the road. The beds, then, hap-
pened to be dry; and opportunities offered, in
"two places, of observing hollows, at least,
thirty feet deep they exhibited no volcanic
"
66
66
66
appearance whatever. Immediately under the
superficial soil was a layer of deep loam; next,
one of tough clay; and all below, was an ir-
regular mixture of clay and sand. About two
“ miles further on, the hills were contiguous to
"the road. They consisted of layers of indu-
“rated clay, and clay and iron ore, similar to
136
EMBASSY TO CHINA.
"those discovered in Madeira: they bore no
"marks of the action of fire.
}
About three miles nearer to Orotava, at a
village situated on the summit of a hill, the
"volcanic appearances again began, and conti-
"nued, without interruption, to that town. The
"stones and shining sand, upon the beach, are
"all volcanic; and from thence to the Peak
66
every rock and stone, that lay upon the sur-
"face, and the surface itself, are the pure pro-
❝ductions of volcanoes. The glassy lava, the
"true pumice stone, begins to be found only
"about the great basis of the Peak. There is in
"the island no pure flint, or sandstone. Its
“mountains are of two sorts; one, evidently,
"volcanic; the other, primary, and composed
"of indurated clay, or of clay and calx of iron.
"In the low plains there are layers of loose
"sand and soft argillaceous earth.
Teneriffe is about seventy miles in length,
and its mean breadth is about twenty-two miles;
its surface amounts to one thousand five hundred
and forty square miles, having, at an average,
about sixty-five persons to the square mile. The
number of acres is nine hundred and eighty-five
thousand six hundred, which is, upon an average,
about ten acres to every individual in it, the
EMBASSY TO CHINA.
137
number of inhabitants being calculated to be
nearly one hundred thousand, of whom, how-
ever, there is, annually, a drain to the Spanish
colonies in South America, to increase the num-
ber of foreign settlers there, for the purpose of
counterbalancing the multitudes, still remaining,
of the natives, and for supporting the dominion
of the Spaniards over them. The poor of Tene-
riffe are persuaded easily to migrate, as the
pro-
prietors of the land do not give them sufficient
employment throughout the year; and they have
not the resource of manufactures, except a trifling
one in silk, chiefly, stockings. The price of la-
bour is under a shilling a day; and, beside corn
and roots, the principal food of the common
people is confined to cod-fish, caught on the
neighbouring coast of Africa, or imported from
North America.
Yet the people are not much subject to disease;
and instances of longevity, even to an hundred
years, are said not to be rare amongst them.
The air is dry and pure. The variations of the
thermometer seldom exceed fourteen degrees, from
sixty-eight to eighty-two, in the inhabited
part
of the island. It remained at seventy-two while
the Lion continued at Santa Cruz.
The race of the Guanches, or aborigines of
138
EMBASSY TO CHINA.
Teneriffe, is now almost extinct. They have not
been, like the natives of South America, much
diminished, by cruel treatment from their con-
querors; but a society of people, less refined,
always dwindles in the neighbourhood of one
which is more so. The former, cramped in their
possessions and excursions, daily repining at
their dependence, and putting no limits to their
indulgence in spirituous liquors, which the de-
leterious arts of their neighbours furnish at an
easy rate, become gradually enervated in body
and mind; and their race disappears, at length,
from the surface of the earth. The very few
Guanches, who remain, are entitled to some very
trifling stipend, as a price of the submission of
their ancestors, from the court of Spain, which
they punctually, and with some sensations of
pride, annually demand. Many of the dead bo-
dies of those Guanches have been found in per-
fect preservation, in an erect posture, placed
against the sides of caves dug into the moun-
tains, the bodies wrapped round with several
folds of goats' skins.
The native Canary bird is of a greyish co-
lour, with some yellow feathers on his breast,
which increase in size and number as the bird
older. But the Canary birds, usually sold
grows
EMBASSY TO CHINA,
139
in England, are mostly bred in Germany, and,
by domestication, are much altered from the
wild natives of the Canaries; and their notes are
less pleasing.
Teneriffe, tho not the largest, is probably the
most fertile of the Canary islands, as far as can
be inferred from the inferior population of the
others. The population of the Grand Canary
island, according to the best accounts, amounts
to no more than forty thousand inhabitants; that
of Palma to thirty thousand; Forteventura ten
thousand; Lancerota eight thousand; Gomera
seven thousand; and Hierro, or Ferro, fifteen
hundred. This last island is the most to the
westward of the Canaries, and, indeed, the most
western part of the old world; and was once,
among geographers and navigators, a spot of con-
siderable importance; as, by general consent, it
was considered as the first meridian, from which
the degrees of longitude were reckoned, as those
of latitude are from the Equator. But observa-
tories having been since erected in England and
France, the astronomers of those countries have
preferred to calculate the longitude as beginning
at the respective places where they made their ob-
servations; and, now, it is generally reckoned
from Greenwich or from Paris.
140
EMBASSY TO CHINA.
ני
On the twenty-seventh of October the Lion
and Hindostan continued their route from Santa
Cruz towards Port Praya in the island of St.
Jago. They met, immediately, with the trade
winds which are already mentioned to blow over
the ocean, constantly, from the eastward. The
ships were thus, quickly, wafted beyond that
portion of the globe, which was considered as
dividing the temperate from the torrid, and un-
inhabitable, zone. And the latter certainly would
merit that appellation, were it not for those re-
gular breezes which moderate the heat.
į
"In this passage currents, also, as in the
former, were observed by Sir Erasmus Gower;
"6 but their direction was various. The weather
"was hazy, and the wind steady, impelling the
ships at the rate of fifty leagues, or one hun-
"dred and fifty nautical miles a day. In the
is
66
66
morning of the first of November, the isle of
Bonavista, one of the Cape de Verde's, came
"in sight. About this time the weather be-
"came extremely sultry; and there was an un-
"healthy humidity in the air, which threw the
body into a state of languor. The thermometer
kept between eighty-two and eighty-four de-
grees. They left Bonavista to the north-west,
"about the distance of eight or nine leagues.
EMBASSY TO CHINA.
141
"On the north-east end of that island was a
hill, which, from its conical and truncated
66
shape, had the appearance of having been a
"volcano. There was another, much higher,
"near the south-west end, with high land to the
"westward of it. The sea coast, on the south-
"east side, was guarded by rocks; but towards
"the south-east end the shore was much co-
vered with white sand. There did not seem to
" be any cultivation
cultivation or inhabitants on that side.
"The latitude of Bonavista was sixteen degrees
"six minutes north, and the longitude twenty-
"two degrees forty-seven minutes west from
"Greenwich. Variation twelve degrees thirty-
"six minutes to the westward of the pole.
"The afternoon of the second of November
brought the isle of May in sight. The north-
"east end of it was extremely low, little above
the level of the sea, with a covering of white
sand, not always easily discoverable in the
night. The land rises, gradually, till it ar-
"rives at a volcanic mountain; to the south-
"west of which was irregular ground; and
"soon followed a high disorderly peak, much
more lofty than the volcanic cone. The
66
island was left to the north-west about ten
"miles.
Its latitude was fifteen degrees ten
142
EMBASSY TO CHINA.
"minutes north; its longitude twenty-three de
grees five minutes west of Greenwich. The
"variation of the compass was here twelve de-
grees west.
"At six o'clock of the following morning the
island of St. Jago appeared; and, at noon, the
"Lion anchored in Praya bay, in seven fathoms
"water, the church bearing north-north-west
half west, and the north-east end of a small
60
island, in the bay, north-east. The bottom
"there is better than at a depth of twelve or
"fourteen fathoms, beyond which it is uncer-
"tain and rough. The bay is open to the wind
"from south-east to west by south; but it is
"never supposed to blow here so hard, or to
bring in so much sea, as to endanger a ship's
66
66
continuing to ride at her anchors steadily.
"The latitude of the bay is fourteen degrees fif-
ty-six minutes north, and the longitude twen-
ty-three degrees twenty-nine minutes west. The
"variation of the compass is twelve degrees forty-
eight minutes west. The tides, in the full and
፡፡
<"
change of the moon, rise nearly five feet
"perpendicular. English men of war salute
"with eleven guns, on an assurance of a return
"of an equal number.
"This bay had, for several years, been fre-
EMBASSY TO CHINA.
143
quented by ships bound to the southward, as
"bullocks, sheep, hogs, goats, poultry, and fruits
"were abundant and reasonable. Fish was, like-
wise, taken by the seine, which is a large net,
"cast into the sea, and hauled afterwards ashore,
supplying enough, at once, for whole ships'
companies. An excellent kind of rock-cod
"was, likewise, caught from the rocks with rod
" and line.
66
The island bore, now, from the ships' decks a
brown appearance; but the verdure of the large
waving leaves of the cocoa-nut, and date, trees,
growing in the sand behind the beach, still gave
some cheerfulness to the prospect; as soon, how-
ever, as the ships' boats had landed, a ghastly
figure, walking hastily along the shore, announ-
ced the desolate situation of the island.
It was an English sailor, who had served on
board a Dutch East Indiaman, but had been left,
by some accident, behind at St. Jago. The
island, he said, was in an absolute state of fa-
mine. Little or no rain had fallen there for
about three years before. The rivers were, al-
most all, entirely dry. The surface of the earth
was, in general, naked of any herbage. The
greatest part of the cattle had already perished,
not less through drought, than want of food. Of
144
EMBASSY TO CHINA.
want.
the inhabitants many had migrated; many were
famished to death. The narrator was himself a
striking specimen of the misery he described.
Tho he had not been long upon the island, he
had already severely suffered by the general
He had no occupation on shore. He
had no money. Of the scanty stock of a com-
mon seaman's clothes, the chief articles had
quickly been exchanged for roots or any thing
eatable, to support life. English ships that had
called at Praya bay, since his arrival, refused to
take him on board, on account of his having gone
into foreign service. By a humane regulation of
the British navy, every British sailor left in fo-
reign ports by British ships, whether warlike or
mercantile, is received on board any of his Ma-
jesty's ships which touch there. This poor man
was in a predicament which deprived him of that
resource. He found himself on that element, on
which nature had, indeed, intended him to con-
tinue, but which denied him, now, its comforts;
and he seemed to cast his longing eyes, in vain,
towards that other, to which he had dedicated his
life.
At the end of the sandy beach, turning to the
right of St. Jago, close to the rock, and at the foot
of an elevated plain, were the remains of a once
EMBASSY TO CHINA.
145
neat and elegant chapel of the Romish church,
erected, probably, in that spot, by the grateful
piety of some person saved from shipwreck. The
decay of such a building, in a settlement of Por-
tugueze, resembling the monuments of a religion
now no more, was, in itself, no slight symptom
of the general devastation.
On the elevated plain, just mentioned, was
the hamlet, rather than the town, of Praya, the
residence of the governor-general, for the crown
of Portugal, of the Cape de Verde on the main
land of Africa, and of the Cape de Verde islands
opposite to it. This hamlet consisted of about
one hundred very small dwellings, one story
high, scattered on each side of the plain, which
extended near a mile in length, and about the
third of a mile in breadth; and fell off, all round,
to the neighbouring valleys and to the sea. Not
being commanded by any neighbouring emi-
nence, it was a situation capable of defence; the
fort, however, or battery, was almost in ruins;
and the few guns mounted on it were mostly ho-
ney-combed, and placed on carriages which scarcely
held together. It was understood at St. Jago, that
the militia there consisted of three regiments, of
about seven hundred men each, chiefly officered
by Mulattoes and Negroes; not above ten white
L
VOL. I.
146
EMBASSY TO CHINA.
officers in the whole: one of them was the inn-
keeper. The best building was the jail; and the
next, the church, at which officiated a priest, who
was a dark-coloured Mulatto, or the mixed off-
spring of a black parent and a white one.
The Governor dwelt in a little wooden bar-
rack, pleasantly situated at one extremity of the
plain, looking down a valley over a grove of co-
coa-nut trees, and having a view of the bay and
shipping. He received the Embassador with all
due honours, on his landing, advancing a consi-
derable way from his house, to meet and conduct
his Excellency to it. On such occasions, it was
usual to offer wine and other refreshments; but
none appeared on the Governor's table, for a rea-
son not to be controverted. He partook of the
general wretchedness, arising from the dreadful
drought, which had so long prevailed, and ren-
dered the country, nearly, as barren as a rock.
Yet the island appeared covered with a layer of
vegetable soil. The general surface was suffi-
ciently level to retain any moisture that fell upon
it; and from its centre rose mountains, of a height
which promised to stop, and condense, from the
passing clouds, any water they might hold in va-
pour. No change had been observed in the steady
current of the winds, blowing from the east, which
EMBASSY TO CHINA.
147
are common to tropical climates. Yet the fre-
quent showers, which were observed by the first
navigators who touched there, induced them to
give the island the name of Pluvialis.
What were the uncommon circumstances that
took place in the atmosphere of that part of Africa,
to which the Cape de Verde islands lay contiguous,
or, in the vast expanse of continent, extending to
the east behind it, and from which this direful
effect must have proceeded, (as they happened
where no man of science existed, to observe or
to record them,) will therefore remain unknown ;
nor is theory bold enough to supply the place of
observation. Whatever was the cause, which
thus arrested the bountiful hand of nature, by
drawing away the sources of fertility, it was ob-
servable, that some few trees and plants perse-
vered to flourish with a luxuriance indicating
that they still could extract from the arid earth
whatever portion of humidity it was necessary
to derive from thence for the purpose of vegetable
life, tho it was denied to others.
Beside the trees of the palm kind, already
mentioned to be verdant amidst the burning
sands, nothing, for example, could be more rich
in flower, or abound more with milky, tho cor-
rosive juice, than the asclepias gigantea, growing
L 2
148
EMBASSY TO CHINA.
plentifully about, several feet high, without cul-
ture, indeed, but undisturbed, it being of no
avail to cut it down in favour of plants that would
be useful, but required the aid of more moisture
from the atmosphere. The jatropha curcas, or
physic nut tree, which the French West Indians,
with some propriety, call bois immortel, and plant,
on that account, in the boundaries of their estates,
appeared as if its perpetuity was not to be affected
by any drought. Some indigo plants were still
cultivated with success, in shaded vales, together
with a few cotton shrubs. Throughout the coun-
try some of those species of the mimosa, or sen-
sitive plant, which grow into the size of trees,
were most common, and did not appear to lan-
guish. In particular spots the annona, or sugar
apple tree, was in perfect verdure. The borassus,
or great fan palm, lifted, in a few places, its lofty
head and spreading leaves with undiminished
beauty. In a bottom, about a mile and a half
behind the town of Praya, was still growing,
in a healthy state, what may be called, for size,
a phenomenon in vegetation, a tree known to
botanists by the name of adansonia, and in Eng-
lish called monkey bread tree. The natives of
St. Jago call it kabisera; others, baobab. Its
trunk measured, at the base, no less than fifty-
!
EMBASSY TO CHINA.
149
six feet in girth; but it soon divided into two
great branches, one rising perpendicularly, and
measuring forty-two feet in circumference. That
of the other was about twenty-six. By it stood
another of the same species, whose single trunk,
of thirty-eight feet girth, attracted little notice
from the vicinity of its huge companion.
But the annual produce of agriculture was
scarcely to be found. The plains and fields,
formerly productive of corn, sugar-canes, or
plantains, nourished by regular falls of rain,
now bore little semblance of vegetation. Yet
in the small number of plants, which survived
the drought, were some which, from the speci-
mens sent to Europe, were found to have been
hitherto unknown. Vegetation quickly, indeed,
revived wherever, through the soil, any mois-
ture could be conveyed.
The governor's secretary invited some of the
gentlemen from the Lion to his garden, distant
about two miles, inland. They were very agree-
ably surprised with a view of a small clear rivulet
(issuing from a source at the bottom of some rocks)
shaded by, as well as nourishing, a fine fig tree;
not that of Europe with rough and deep indented
leaves, but another species, with entire long leaves,
and of which the fruit, then plucked off the branches
150
EMBASSY TO CHINA.
by hands stretching over the fountain, was per-
fectly delicious. Wherever the rivulet was made
to run, every species of vegetable near it flourish-
ed. Here, among others, was planted the maniota
or cassada tree, of which the juice, expressed from
the root, is a deadly poison, while the root itself
is salutary food, as is also the sediment, deposited
from the poisonous juice, being the substance sold
in England under the name of tapioca. The ri-
vulet soon, however, fell into a bottom, from
whence the adjoining grounds were no longer ir-
rigated; but it supplied many of the principal
inhabitants of Praya, who sent that distance to
get good water. The cattle, near it, were relieved
from thirst, and the fields adjoining were like a
bleach ground, from the quantity of linen, washed
in the little stream and dried close to it. In the
secretary's garden was a lofty cocoa-nut tree, filled
with fruit, growing round the upper extremity of
its single trunk, near the origin of its great spread-
ing leaves. The trunk, in rising, declines some-
what from the perpendicular, and has joints, at
short distances, like the sugar cane. To get at
the fruit, a man ties a rope about his ankles, so
as to leave a space of about a foot between them.
The man, generally a Negro, thus prepared, with
his arms embraces the tree, while he rests upon
EMBASSY TO CHINA.
151
the joints, not with his feet, but by
the con-
rope
necting them. His body thus supported, he lifts
his arms higher; and thus, successively, raising
his hands and feet, quickly arrives at the spot
from whence he can reach, and throw down, the
fruit to the spectators below. The shell is lined
with a white and almost solid substance, pleasing
to the taste, but difficult to be digested in the sto-
mach. Within this substance is contained a thin
subacid liquor, peculiarly grateful in hot climates.
The shell serves, in ordinary use, for a drinking
vessel; and is of so compact a substance, as to im-
bibe little of any fluid poured into it. Outside
the shell are strong fibres, frequently twisted into
ropes, which are chiefly used in lieu of those of
hemp, in the countries which produce this tree.
The secretary, who was a Portugueze subject,
and a native of Brazil, had some taste for science,
and had attached himself to botany, which may
be thought a proof, or instance, of that branch of
knowledge extending where others are little cul-
tivated. The general calamity of the island was
attended with aggravated disappointment to the
botanist, whose researches were, necessarily, stop-
ped by the little variety of objects to examine.
Some of the party, who had visited the secreta-
ry's garden, made, afterwards, a longer excursion,
152
EMBASSY TO CHINA.
crossing the country, to the town and former
capital of the island, and which is also called
St. Jago. The soil, as far as they went, had all
the appearance of natural fertility, and bore the
marks of extensive tillage, but looked as if it had
been ravaged by fire, or by an enemy laying all
things waste. They saw some cattle, lank, in-
deed, and scarcely capable of moving; but the
cause of astonishment was, that they should still
remain in existence, with the little food they could
draw from the scorched surface of the earth. The
party traversed one small river, not quite dried
up, but shallow, and losing itself among the peb-
bles of the broad bed over which, formerly, it
rolled. An overhanging mountain appeared as
if it had been cleft in twain; and one half had
been swept away by the violence of some torrent.
On arriving at the boundary of an elevated plain,
they entered a fort, in ruins, originally meant to de-
fend the steep descent towards the town of St. Jago,
which is situated in the bottom of a vale, formed
between the plain just mentioned, and a high hill
opposite to it: this vale seemed to have been scoop-
ed out by the force of a violent torrent, rolling
along with it great rocks, which stood in its pas-
sage, and emptying itself with them into the sea.
Thus a small, irregular, and unsafe harbour was
EMBASSY TO CHINA.
153
formed by those rocks, while the current itself is
diminished into a stream so small and sluggish,
that it cannot clear its mouth from the sands which
the tide throws in, and by which it is almost
choked up. On each side of this little stream are
the remains of dwellings of considerable solidity
and size; and the fragments of glass lustres, still
hanging from the ceilings of some of the princi-
pal apartments, denote the elegance or riches that
were once displayed in this, now deserted, place.
Not above half a dozen families remain in it at
present; the rest abandoned it, or perished.
Here was still, however, an attempt at a slight
manufactory of striped cotton slips, the same as
are made in the other parts of the island, for the
use of the Africans on the main, who pay for
them in slaves, clephants' teeth, and that gum
which is generally called arabic.
Amidst the ruins of St. Jago the party found
a Portugueze, to whom one of them was recom-
mended, and who received them with the most
cordial hospitality in his house, and treated them
with every species of tropical fruits from his gar-
den, lying on each side the river. He had been
a navigator, and informed them that the isle of
Brava, one of the Cape de Verde's, was a fitter
and safer place for ships to call at, for water and
156
EMBASSY TO CHINA.
Cook. These ships were soon joined by others,
coming froin Nantucket, in America: their mas-
ters announced that they were all bound for the
coast of Brazil and the Faulkland islands, to carry
on the whale fishery there. The Dunkirk vessels
were manned, chiefly, by English sailors, were
full of English goods, and were supposed to be-
long to adventurers in London, and to be really
intended to try a trade, under French colours,
with the Spanish coasts of Chili and Peru.
Praya bay was rendered somewhat interesting,
too, by having been, not long before, the scene
of action between the English and French squa-
drons, under the respective commands of Com-
modore Johnstone and Admiral de Suffren. The
latter, in attacking the British ships of war and
Indiamen in a neutral port, committed a gross
violation of the rights of nations. Some time af-
terwards, while commanding the French fleet in
the East Indies, he complained to one of the pre-
sent passengers in the Lion, who went in a flag
of truce on public affairs to the French head quar-
ters, of the conduct of the British admiral autho-
rizing a small French vessel to be taken out, by
force, from the neutral port of Tranquebar, be-
longing to the Danes, on the coast of Coroman-
del; and being reminded of the example he had
EMBASSY TO CHINA.
157
set at Praya, he replied, that "
"the object, in the
"former instance, was too trifling to make it
“worth the infraction of a public law." Such
are the maxims of political morality.
The Portugueze maintain no force, at St. Jago,
capable of insuring a proper respect to their flag
there; and so far are they from drawing any re-
venue from the place, that supplies are sent to it
from Portugal. None of these islands are, indeed,
encouraged by the regulations of the parent state.
A trade for slaves from Africa is established at
St. Jago; and that trade is a monopoly to the
crown. The governor derives his chief profit
from the sales of cattle to the ships who call
there; and of the amount of those sales he claims
a moiety. Such is the state of the inhabitants,
without any regular cominunication with other
countries, that their sole dependence for a supply
of whatever their own island cannot afford, is
upon vessels stopping, casually, there. They set
little value upon money, which might lie long
useless in their hands; preferring to barter
whatever they have to sell, for a return, princi-
pally, of corn or clothing, rather than any quan-
tity of specie that would be offered to them.
The
very scanty provisions they had to dis-
pose of, to the Lion and Hindostan, could be no
158
EMBASSY TO CHINA.
}
inducement to delay. The water, too, was nei
ther good, nor easy to be had: it was drawn from
wells, and that which afforded the most tolerable
was about five hundred yards distant from the
beach. Sir Erasmus Gower advises "to draw
"it very early in the morning, as it is afterwards
soon disturbed by the neighbouring inhabi-
"tants, who take much of it away. It is not less
66
necessary, for the preservation of the seamen,
"to avoid employing them in the middle of the
day, as the weather is extremely sultry, the
thermometer seldom under eighty-five degrees,
and often above ninety. It had, formerly, oc-
"curred, to prefer the coolness of the night, to
"roll the casks of water to the beach, and to float
"them off to the boats, lying at anchor at some
little distance on account of the violence of the
66
""
surge; but the experiment has been fatal, whole
boats' crews dying in consequence of it." Mr.
Jackson, master of the Lion, had an idea of sink-
ing casks in the beach, near the sea, almost up
to the brim, with holes in their bottoms and
sides, by which means the casks would soon fill,
he thought, with good water, filtered through
the sand. And such an experiment may be, cer-
tainly, worth making, where good water is not,
otherwise, to be had, or is too far distant. But
EMBASSY TO CHINA.
159
the Lion and Hindostan were not driven to the
necessity of this trial, having a sufficient reserve
of water to the place where they next proposed to
stop, for such refreshments as St. Jago could not
afford. They had been, already, five days in
Praya bay, and the Jackall tender did not ap-
pear. It was, therefore, now determined to pro-
secute the voyage without her; and on the eighth
of November the ships set sail from the island of
St. Jago.
។
160
EMBASSY TO CHINA.
CHAPTER V.
PASSAGE OF THE LINE. COURSE ACROSS THE AT-
LANTIC.
HARBOUR, CITY, AND COUNTRY OF
RIO DE JANEIRO.
No
part of the African continent, from the
neighbourhood of which the Lion and Hindos-
tan were now directing their route, extends so
much to the westward as that which lies near the
imaginary line called the Equator, or almost
equidistant from the two poles; nor, on the other
hand, does the land of South America any where
advance, or swell, as it were, so much out to
meet the ancient continent to the eastward, as
within a few degrees of the same line. Thus the
waters of the Atlantic are, hereabouts, brought
within narrower bounds than either to the north-
ward or to the southward; and as, over what thus
may comparatively be called a strait, the winds
blow almost perpetually from the eastward, it
is not improbable that vessels may, at different
times, have been driven from the old to the new
continent.
Across this tract of ocean it is usually observed
EMBASSY TO CHINA.
161
that the winds, blowing easterly from the conti-
nent of Africa, alter their direction as they ap-
proach very near the opposite continent of Ame-
rica; and take a course between the north and
west. Such winds are too favourable not, oc-
casionally, to be sought for by vessels in their
way to, or round, the Cape of Good Hope,
which lies to the south-east. The settlements on
the coast of South America afford also those re-
freshments in abundance, which ships sometimes
fail of finding in other places; as was the case
with the Lion and Hindostan at St. Jago.
The friendly port of Rio de Janeiro promised
every advantage; and these ships bent their
course that way on leaving the Cape de Verde's.
The weather continued for some time hazy and
very sultry. Many of the seamen, who suffered
in Praya bay, were still indisposed on board.
There was neither much rain, nor lightning to
clear the atmosphere. Under these circumstances
mortality often rages; and ships of war, thronged
with men, frequently lose no inconsiderable
portion of their complement. The humid heat
between decks, where seamen are often crowded,
and the impurities, sometimes suffered by their
carelessness to be accumulated, tend not a little
to their destruction. But Sir Erasmus Gower
M
VOL. I.
pro-
162
EMBASSY TO CHINA.
established such methods and regulations for en-
suring cleanliness, and a constant circulation of
fresh air, throughout the ship, as, with other
precautions, contributed materially to preserve
his people. Every part of the Lion was washed
carefully with vinegar; and sulphur was burnt
whenever it was practicable. Ventilators of dif
ferent constructions, worked by hand, and ap-
plicable to the different parts of the ship, were
placed wherever they could be put in use. The
men's hammocks,with their bedding, were brought
upon deck at a fixed hour every morning, and
left in the open air till the approach of night,
except when showers of rain made it necessary
to put them under cover. Columns of fresh air
were conveyed through every part of the ship,
and close even to the keel, by the means of wind-
sails, or cylindrical tubes of canvas, of about two
feet diameter, open at both ends, and extending
through the hatchways, from above the upper to
below the lowest deck. Near the upper extremity
of this canvas tube is a slit or opening in its side,
which is always turned towards the quarter from
whence the wind, at that time, blows. Attention
was paid, likewise, to the people's diet, by mix-
ing with their animal food as great a proportion
of vegetable matter as could be provided. No spi-
EMBASSY TO CHINA.
163
rituous liquors were distributed or allowed,
without a due admixture of water with them.
The water itself, which is apt to acquire a putrid
taste and smell in the hogsheads that contain it,
was prepared for use by being put in jars open to
the air, and by being passed repeatedly through
a tin cylinder, pierced with holes; which is
found to free it, in great measure, from its noxi-
ous and disagreeable qualities.
The steadiness of the trade wind, not only re-
gular in its direction, but generally likewise in
its strength, left little to occupy the hands, or
attention, of the seamen, as to the manoeuvres of
navigation. But they were kept in moderate and
healthful exercise by other means: some in
working the several ventilators, some in clean-
ing out every apartment and division of the ship;
the carpenters and armourers, with several as-
sistants, were employed in making or repairing
whatever was deficient in their departments;
some splicing cordage, and converting what
could not any longer be used as such, into
oakum; many more in sewing new sails, or
piecing those that happened to be torn; and
some, likewise, in mending their own apparel:
combining, thus, the economy of individuals
with that of the public service: and, on these
M 2
164
EMBASSY TO CHINA.
occasions, the ships' decks exhibited the appear-
ance, in some sort, of a dockyard, sail-loft, or
other busy manufactory.
By such means as these the men gradually re-
covered; and were prepared to enjoy the festi-
vities usual on the passage of the Line. No
doubt, the entrance into another hemisphere,
when it first was made, must have been an event
arresting the attention, and filling the minds of
those, in every station, who were witnesses of it.
And the commander who, for the first time, had
the good fortune to cross the Line, probably in-
dulged his crew in testifying a joy he must have
sincerely felt himself. The lower orders of man-
kind, who know little of life except its labours,
are not easily forgetful of any occasion, recur-
ring to them so seldom, of enjoying a momen-
tary gleam of happiness and independence. It
reconciles them to subsequent subordination,
and, even, suffering. They seldom abuse the in-
dulgence thus allowed them; and frequently
tire, in a little time, of what they entered upon
with so much eagerness, and conceived to be
productive of so much pleasure; and, feeling
that idleness ceases soon to be enjoyment, re-
turn with resignation, and real comfort to their
wonted occupations. The amusements, on this
EMBASSY TO CHINA.
165
occasion, consisted chiefly in dressing up a sailor,
of a good figure and manly countenance, in the
supposed proper habit of the sea god, Neptune,
armed with a trident, and his garments dripping
with the element submitted to his power. He
stood at the ship's head, as if he were rising out
of the ocean, and demanded, with an audible
voice, what was the ship thus encroaching upon
his dominions? An answer being given from
the quarter-deck, where the Embassador, Sir
Erasmus Gower, the officers and passengers, all
stood, announcing the ship's name, and purport
of the voyage, Neptune, with his attendants
properly accoutred, stepped with great solemnity
towards them, and, with some words of compli-
ment to his Excellency, presented him a fish
(lately caught) as part of the produce of the
deity's domains. His godhead was treated by all
with great respect; and becoming offerings of
silver were voluntarily made to him, for himself
and his companions, by those who had crossed
the Line before; but were exacted as a just tri-
bute from those who attempted it for the first
time, under penalty of going through ceremo-
nies, not a little ludicrous, and promotive of much
broad laughter among the initiated in those
teries. They concluded with a plentiful repast,
mys-
166
EMBASSY TO CHINA.
accompanied with the music of the bagpipe, and
copious, tho not excessive, libations of exhilarat-
ing liquor.
In the neighbourhood of the Line, a stagnated
atmosphere often suffers the equinoctial heat to
act in full force upon the human frame; but, in
the present voyage, there was very little calm.
The south-eastern breeze was steady, and the
weather pleasant: yet the horizon appeared
nearer to the eye; and the arch of the sky seem-
ed to form but a small segment of a circle. The
clouds descended to the proximity of the ocean;
and, in several places within sight at once, they
seemed to dip down towards it, and attract a
part of its contents in the form of water spouts,
the drops rising, apparently, and meeting the
bending cloud. All the vessels that were ob-
served traversing this part of the ocean, were
traders between Portugal and its African settle-
ments, on the one hand, and its opulent colonies
in the Brazils, on the other; as if, here, both
sides of the Atlantic, exclusively, belonged to
that crown. Few birds were seen throughout this
passage; and few fish were caught. The sailors,
enjoyed, however, the pleasure of destroying an
enemy, in harpooning a shark, several feet long,
whose wide gaping jaws and numerous rows of
1
EMBASSY TO CHINA.
167
teeth denoted the voraciousness of its nature.
On dissection, its breast was found to contain
no lungs, and as if destined only to be a peri-
cardium, or bony inclosure for the heart; the
five spiracles, or openings behind its head, com-
municating simply with the gills situated near
the jaw. One beautiful dolphin, which was haul-
ed on board, afforded an opportunity of observ-
ing how wonderfully this fish varies its colours,
from yellow to blue and purple, in the agonies
of death.
66
"The temperature," as Sir Erasmus Gower
observed," of the climate improved, feelingly,
"as the ships receded from the coast of Africa;
yet
the thermometer kept at eighty or eighty-
"one degrees. The sea was smooth; the cur-
"rents frequent, setting as often to the south-
"ward as to the northward. The north-east
"wind began to abate about the ninth degree
"north from the Equator: then the wind be-
came more easterly, and sometimes drew to
،،
66
the southward of east. The Equator was
"crossed in the twenty-fifth degree of western
longitude from Greenwich; with a fresh
“ breeze from the south-east, Ships, in crossing
"the Equator, must be determined by the winds
"which the season of the year produces. When
168
EMBASSY TO CHINA.
"the sun is far to the southward of the Line,
"the south-east winds begin in seven degrees of
latitude north, which force vessels, sometimes,
"as far as the twenty-seventh degree, or more,
"of western longitude, before passing the Equa-
"tor. When the sun is to the northward, the
"Line may be crossed in a longitude much
"more eastern, the winds then blowing gene-
66
rally from the north-east. In the present in-
"stance, it continued to blow from the south-
"east quarter, not varying more than to the
"east-south east, till the ships arrived at the se-
"venteenth degree of latitude south of the Equa-
"tor, when the wind, being influenced by the
"land of the Brazils, came first to the north-
"east, and then changed, gradually, to the north-
"north-west, until the land appeared in latitude
66
twenty-two degrees forty minutes south. Pre-
"vious to that period, pains were taken to find
"out the Abrolhos shoal, as laid down from
the authority of Lord Anson and several cap-
❝tains of Indiamen; but no bottom was found,
on sounding twice with a line of two hundred
66
fathoms, first, in latitude sixteen degrees eigh-
"teen minutes south, and in longitude thirty-
"six degrees five minutes west, and the se-
“cond time, in eighteen degrees thirty minutes
EMBASSY TO CHINA,
169
“south, and thirty-six degrees fifty minutes west
longitude. In latitude twenty-two degrees
south, and longitude forty degrees thirty-four
"minutes west, the colour of the water was per-
"ceived to indicate soundings, which, on trial,
"were found at the depth of thirty-three fa-
thoms. The weather was not then clear; but
soon afterwards, on the twenty-ninth of No-
"vember, the land of the Brazils was seen at
"the distance of ten leagues. Thus was the
voyage performed, from England to South
America, in one day less than two months.
If, from this time, nineteen days, during
which the ships were at anchor at Madeira,
Teneriffe, and St. Jago, be deducted, it will
66
66
66
66
(
be found, that each day's sailing must, upon
"an average, have exceeded one hundred and
fifty miles, and that the whole passage was as
quick as had been remembered. The land,
" which had been seen, lay to the northward of
“the island called Frio, and was very high and
66
irregular, having remarkable peaks, with white
"vertical streaks, resembling, at a distance, cas-
cades of water, or veins of marble. Steering
southerly towards Frio, a small island is per-
"ceived, of a moderate height, detached from
the main land about three miles; and there
170
EMBASSY TO CHINA.
appears a clear passage between it and the land,
"The island of Frio lies about south-west, eight
leagues from the former. The shore between
"them seems perfectly free from danger. The
"land of Frio is high, with a hollow in the
"middle, which gives it, at a distance, the re-
"semblance of two separate islands. The pas-
sage.
between Frio and the continent is about
"a mile broad, and seems clear from shoals.
"The latitude is thirty-two degrees two minutes
south; longitude, by observations, forty-one
degrees thirty-one minutes forty-five seconds
"west. In sailing westward towards Rio de Ja-
"neiro, the shore is perceived to be covered with
“white sand; the land irregular and high, with
two or three small islands near it.'
Captain Mackintosh, from experience, recom-
mends to ships, bound for the harbour of Rio de
Janeiro, "after getting in with Cape Frio, instead
of steering along shore, to shape their course be-
"tween south-west and south-west by west, for
"twelve or fourteen leagues. To this distance the
. land wind extends. The forenoons, in general,
"are calm, but almost every afternoon a fresh sea
"breeze sets in from the south-west. It is proper
"to steer, in a direct course, from hence to the
small islands lying under the great inclining
EMBASSY TO CHINA.
171
Sugar-loaf on the western side of the entrance
"into Rio harbour. From these small islands
"the wind will carry the ship to the opposite side
"of the harbour's mouth, where the fort of
"Santa Cruz is situated, and which may be ap-
proached within fifty yards, and from thence,
"safely and quickly, into harbour." Captain
Mackintosh adds, that in his first voyage to
"this place, by keeping in shore, he spent five
days of very unpleasant and troublesome na-
vigation before he could get into the harbour;
whereas, by the method now laid down, he
came the same distance in much less than twen-
ty-four hours, and with great ease and satis-
faction."
Sir Erasmus Gower observes, that "the en-
"trance of the harbour will shew itself by disco-
vering the castle or fort of Santa Cruz, and a
“small fortified island, called Fort Lucia, nearly
"
“ abreast of it. Between these is the channel into
"the harbour, near a mile wide; both shores
are steep; that of Santa Cruz is perpendicular,
"there being six fathoms in the wash of the sea.
The narrowness of the channel causes strong
"tides; but as the sea breeze blows fresh, they
"do not impede entering into the harbour. In
“going in, it is best to keep mid channel, or
172
EMBASSY TO CHINA.
even nearer to Santa Cruz. About four miles
“outside the harbour's mouth, the depth of wa-
66
$6
ter is eighteen and nineteen fathoms, which
will decrease, gradually, to eight or seven;
and this, being the shallowest part, may be
"called the bar, which is about two miles out-
side the fort. The water again deepens, on ap-
proaching to Santa Cruz, to seventeen and
eighteen fathoms; nor will less be found in
the fair
way of the great road. Large ships
may moor in shoaler water; but that depth, or
thereabouts, is more advisable, as such a situa-
“tion affords the full advantage of the sea breeze,
"as well as that of avoiding the insects, which
66
66
66
are very troublesome when nearer to the shore.
"The Lion anchored in eighteen fathoms, the
Sugar-loaf bearing south by east half east;
"the castle of Santa Cruz south-east by south;
"a convent on an eminence over the south part
"of the city south-west by west; one mile and
"a half from the landing-place opposite the vice-
roy's palace.
"Before a ship attempts to enter into the har-
"bour, it will be proper to send a boat, with an
"officer, to the castle of Santa Cruz, who will
"be conducted, from thence, to the palace of
"the viceroy, to give him information of the
!
EMBASSY TO CHINA.
173
ship's arrival, and the occasion of her calling.
"The ship's colours should, also, be hoisted
6 ،
early, unless the pratique, or usual visiting
“boat from shore, be already on board; a vessel,
< (
pass
even of the Portugueze nation, attempting to
the fort, will be hailed, and peremptorily
desired to anchor, until permission be granted
for proceeding. Every particular of the ship,
her condition, force, destination, and wants,
are required to be declared, under the signa-
"nature of the captain; after which every in-
86
dulgence and assistance are readily promised
"to be given; but the ship's people are not suf-
"fered to land, at any place, except at the stairs
opposite the palace; and a military officer or
soldier, generally, attends every person from on
board, while he remains on shore. Guard-
boats, also, surround the ship, to prevent
landing, except when and where permitted.
"And those regulations are still more rigidly
"enforced with regard to mercantile vessels than
"to ships of war. In the inner harbour, formed
by an island called Ilheo dos Cobras, or ser-
pent island, are proper wharfs for heaving
ships down by; but the mode of doing it
66
66
alongside hulks is now preferred. In the
"same harbour all ships anchor which are load-
174
EMBASSY TO CHINA.
ing or unloading goods, or want repairing;
"but the outer is the more healthy situation.
"The latitude of Rio is twenty-two degrees
66
fifty-four minutes south, and longitude forty-
"two degrees forty-four minutes west from
"Greenwich. Variation of the
Variation of the compass four
degrees fifty-five minutes to the westward of
"the pole. The tide flows seven hours and a
half, and rises about five feet and a half per-
pendicular. Fahrenheit's thermometer, during
"the Lion's stay, was between seventy-seven
"and eighty-two degrees."
46
Rio de Janeiro is scarcely to be excelled for
the capaciousness and security of its harbour, or
its convenience for commerce, and the richness
and fertility of the circumjacent country. The
entrance into it, from the sea, is bounded, on one
side, by the leaning cone already mentioned,
measuring seven hundred feet in height, and by
the huge mass of granite, supporting the castle
of Santa Cruz, upon the other; and is inter-
rupted, near the middle, by the little island on
which Fort Lucia is erected. On entering into
the harbour, it was found to enlarge to a width
of three or four miles, and to penetrate in several
branches, farther than the eye could reach. It is
interspersed with many islands, some entirely
EMBASSY TO CHINA.
175
green, and some covered with batteries or habi-
tations. The shores of the harbour were diver-
sified and embellished with villages, farms, and
plantations, separated by rivulets, ridges of the
rocks, indentures of little sandy bays, or the
skirtings of a forest; the whole terminated, in
distant prospect, by an amphitheatre, or screen
of mountains, rising in a vast variety of rude and
fantastic forms, but covered with trees to their
very summits.
Within four miles of the harbour's mouth is
situated, on the west, the city of St. Sebastian,
usually called Rio, built on a projecting tongue
of land; but all the ground behind it is broken
into hills and rocks, with woods, houses, con-
vents, and churches on their tops. A convent
of Benedictines, and, also, a fort commanding
the town, are situated upon the extreme point
jetting into the harbour; opposite to this point
is the Ilheo dos Cobras, or serpent island, be-
tween which and the town is a narrow channel,
sufficiently deep, however, for the passage of the
largest ships. Upon the island are a dockyard,
magazines, and naval storehouses; and round its
shores are the usual anchoring places for the
shipping which frequent this port. Beyond the
town the harbour begins to widen considerably,
176
EMBASSY TO CHINA.
and resembles a large lake with many islands
upon
its surface. Rio is said to be vastly im-
proved within a few years past. The houses are
built, in many parts, of hewn stone. The streets,
generally straight, are well paved, with the ad-
dition of footpaths, and the narrowness of some
of them proves a convenience in such a hot cli-
mate, on account of the shade. In the squares
are refreshing fountains, which supply the water
conveyed to them by an aqueduct of considerable
length; for, notwithstanding its name, the town of
Rio has no river, close to it, of
any note. This
aqueduct is carried over vallies by a double row of
arches, one placed above another it is a structure
of much ornament to the town; tho, perhaps, the
water might as effectually be brought to it by
pipes. The present aqueduct does not imply an
ignorance, among the Portugueze, of the hydro-
static law, that water always rises to its level; no
more do the many structures of the same kind
near Rome, afford just grounds for such suspi-
cion with respect to the ancient Romans; for
show and magnificence were, as well as utility,
the objects of public works. A guard constantly
attends at the fountains throughout Rio, to regu-
late the distribution of the water, which, pro-
bably, is scanty, as there are people a long time
EMBASSY TO CHINA.
177
waiting with buckets for their share. A sufficient
proportion of the water from the fountain upon
the quay, opposite the palace, is allotted for the
use of the shipping, and is conveyed to the casks,
remaining in the boats, by means of a woollen or
canvas tube, called a hose, stretching from the
fountain to the cask. Sir Erasmus Gower, ob-
serving that the water was remarkably good, and
kept better at sea than any other, attributed the
contrary opinion of Captain Cook to some acci-
dental impurities remaining in the casks he filled
with it.
The shops of Rio were full of Manchester
manufactures, and other British goods, even to
English prints, both serious and caricature. A
Portugueze merchant, settled here, reflecting on
the advantages gained by the country which had
furnished those supplies, observed, that the pros-
perity both of Portugal and its dependencies re-
dounded chiefly to the benefit of England. The
benefit, probably, has been reciprocal; for every
thing, at least at Rio, denoted the thriving con-
dition of the place. The exterior appearance of
individuals was that of ease and comfort; their
dwellings, for the most part, were in good con-
dition, many
of them large, and generally well
calculated for the climate; the magazines and
VOL. I.
N
178
EMBASSY TO CHINA.
markets well stored with merchandize; new
buildings going on of a public and private na-
ture; tradesmen busily employed; and, beside
the aqueduct and fountains, already mentioned,
with which the city was adorned, it had also some
public walks; and upon the beach, opposite the
palace, was built a spacious quay of granite, of
which material, found indeed upon the spot,
many more of the principal buildings were con-
structed.
This place is said, however, to be unhealthy;
and instances of longevity are very rare. The
unhealthiness may arise more from local and
temporary circumstances, than from the neces-
sary influence of the climate. The town is si-
tuated, for the most part, upon a plain, sur-
rounded on all sides, except opposite the harbour,
by hills generally covered with thick forest trees,
which not only prevent a free circulation of the
air, but render it humid in the mornings and
evenings; for the moisture evaporated while the
sun is up, condenses after it is set, and the de-
scending vapour falls upon the town in the form
of a fog or drizzling rain. Of these damp nights,
preceded by scorching days, putrid and inter-
mitting fevers must often be the consequence. It
is too common a spectacle to see, even among
EMBASSY TO CHINA.
179
Europeans, as well as native whites and negroes,
that dreadful disease, the elephantiasis, which
destroying the sound texture of the integuments
of the human frame, swells, and distorts, and
discolours wherever it attacks, enlarging the pa-
tient's misshapen limbs to the bulk of those of
the huge animal, the resemblance to whom, in
that particular, occasioned the appellation this
horrid disorder has received.
Not only the vicinity of the woods must be
noxious, but likewise that of water, by being suf-
fered to stagnate in marshes, near the town, tho
they might easily be drained, or filled with earth.
Strangers, particularly, feel their tormenting
consequences in the infinite swarms of musqui-
toes, or large gnats, which attack them for some
time after their arrival. A long residence here,
however, brings about some alteration in the
body, which guards it against those insects; not
that the skin ceases to be sensible of their sting;
but either it is no longer liable to be penetrated
by them, or it no longer affords juices attractive
to their taste. This is not the only annoyance
to strangers, in the night, at Rio; for there, as
in Lisbon, according to the observation of Lord
Kaims, the wheels of carts are purposely con-
structed to make a most harsh and croaking
N 2
180
EMBASSY TO CHINA.
noise, to prevent the devil from harming the
cattle that are yoked to them. The fertile powers
of the imagination could scarcely have devised a
more effectual method of producing a horrid din.
No real or fancied danger, however, curbs the
propensity of all classes of society here towards
gaiety and pleasure. There are three convents
for men, and two for women in this place; but
little is said to be practised, in any of them,
of the austerity and self-denial supposed to
be intended by their original institution. Tho
the conquest of the country originally was un-
dertaken with the professed intention of con-
verting the natives to Christianity, and ample
endowments have been made for maintaining
friars to preach the gospel to those infidels; yet
not one of the former was now engaged in such
a troublesome, unsafe, and, perhaps, hopeless
enterprize. Indeed a few Italian missionaries
residing here took pains to send amongst the
Indians such of that tribe who frequent Rio,
as they were enabled to gain over to their faith,
by presents as well as by persuasion, in order,
by that means, to endeavour at converting the
Indians dispersed throughout the country. Nei-
ther the friars nor the nuns of this place seemed
at all disposed to run into the gloomy excesses of
EMBASSY TO CHINA.
181
devotion: and nothing could be more sprightly
than the conversation of the latter with strangers
at the convent grates. The men were, certainly,
not corrupted by the writings of free-thinkers.
No such exist in the language of the country;
and few Portugueze are acquainted with any
other. There were but two booksellers in Rio.
Their shops contained only books of medicine
and divinity. But the religious system, which
held its empire there with such happy effects so
long, bore now some resemblance to a machine,
of which the spring, by its own internal work-
ing, was slackened at length, and wearing out.
No inquisition, or tribunal of the holy office,
as it is called, was established in the Brazils.
The ceremonies of religion were, however, re-
gularly kept up, and even multiplied. In the
day time bells and sometimes sky-rockets an-
nounced, at every hour, some solemnity per-
forming in the churches; and after sunset the
streets were crowded with processions. At every
corner was stuck up, in a glass case,
a glass case, the image
of the Virgin Mary, to which homage was re-
gularly paid by those who passed along.
When walking abroad, men of the lower
classes generally wore cloaks. Those of the
middling and higher ranks never appeared with-
182
EMBASSY TO CHINA.
out swords. The ladies wore their hair hanging
down in tresses, tied with ribands, and adorned
with flowers; their heads were uncovered. They
were very regular in their visits to the churches,
both at matins and vespers: at other times they
were generally seated at their windows or balco-
nies. Many of them had fine dark eyes, with
animated countenances. They amused them-
selves, in the evenings, in playing on some kind
of musical instrument, chiefly the harpsichord
or guitar. The doors and windows, at these
hours, were thrown open for the admission of
cool air. If a stranger should stop to listen to
the music, it often happened that the father, hus-
band, or brother of the lady who was playing,
stept out and politely invited him to walk in.
It was not infrequent, also, for ladies to have
bunches of flowers in their hands, which they
would sometimes exchange with gentlemen as
they were passing by. This might be in imita-
tion of the Lisbon ladies, who on particular
days, which are called days of intrusion, throw
nosegays from their balconies at persons walking
under them. Instances, indeed, of the momen-
tary abandonment of feminine reserve may be
traced to ancient times; and it must be acknow-
ledged, that much was related of the extreme
1
EMBASSY TO CHINA.
183
forwardness of some of the ladies at Rio. Some
of the men were accused of much worse practices,
in yielding to depraved and unnatural appetites.
Among the more innocent pleasures of both
sexes were operas, plays, and masquerades, ex-
cept when suspended on account of the indis-
position of the queen of Portugal. Company
often met at a public garden situated by the sea
side, and at one extremity of the town. This
garden was laid out in grass plats, shrubberies,
and parterres, interspersed with spreading trees,
together with arched alcoves or bowers of wooden
frame-work, painted green, and decorated with
passion-flowers, jessamines, and other fragrant
plants. In these recesses during the dry season
year, the
gay society of Rio, after taking
exercise in the evening in the walks, and often
after hearing songs and music, sat down to par-
take of banquets, accompanied, sometimes, by
music and fire-works; and the company in this
manner often protracted their pleasures far into
the night. Towards the middle of the garden
was a large fountain of artificial rock work, with
figures of two alligators, of no mean sculpture,
spouting water into a marble bason, in which
aquatic birds, well imitated in bronze, appear-
ed sportively indulging themselves. At a little
of the
+
184
EMBASSY TO CHINA.
distance from this fountain was another imita-
tion, which seemed a work of supererogation.
Much expence and labour were employed to re-
present, in copper, painted green, the papaye
tree, a vegetable natural to the climate, and of
easy and quick growth.
On the side of this garden next the sea was a
terrace of granite, in the middle of which was
also a fountain, with a marble statue of a boy
holding in one hand a bird, from whose bill
water gushed into the bason underneath, while
from the other hung a label, with the following
words, sou util ainda brincando, implying his being
useful even in his playfulness.
At the extremities of the terrace were two neat
square buildings like, what in England are call-
ed, summer-houses. In one, the walls were de-
corated with paintings representing views of the
harbour, and particularly of the whale fishery that
used to be carried on within it, until the large
black whale, which formerly frequented it, was
disturbed and driven away, in consequence of
the increased concourse of shipping. The ceil-
ing of this summer-house was ornamented with
various designs, and the cornice exhibited the
several species of fish peculiar to the country,
all in their proper shades and colours, the whole
EMBASSY TO CHINA.
185
in shell-work. The ceiling of the other building
was composed of devices wrought in feathers;
and along the cornices were portrayed the most
beautiful of the birds proper to the Brazils, curi-
ously arranged in their natural plumage. On
the walls were eight large paintings, ill executed
indeed, but descriptive of the principal produc-
tions to which that country was indebted for its
opulence, including views of the diamond and
gold mines, shewing the manner in which they
were worked, and the objects of their search
separated from the earth in which they were ori-
ginally enveloped; of the cultivation of the sugar
cane, with the processes for extracting its juice,
and granulating it into sugar; of the manner of
collecting the small animals which produce the
cochineal, and preparing the rich dye from them;
of the culture of the manioc, with the process of
making cassada, which is the root of that plant
after the poisonous juice it contained is expressed
from it, and tapioca, which is the fine sediment
deposited at the bottom of the same venomous
juices, after being suffered to settle for some
time; and of the culture and preparation of cof-
fee, rice, and indigo. In this garden, which
was called the passao publico, were exhibited
shews for the amusement of the people; and its
188
EMBASSY TO CHINA.
"the insect it covered increasing rapidly in size,
"till the largest is nearly equal to a grain of rice.
With this increase of size they decrease in
"motion, and when arrived at their full growth,
..
66
""
""
they adhere to the leaf in a torpid state. At this
period they are taken from the plant for use;
but, if suffered to remain, will deposite their
young, as already mentioned. Amongst the
"clusters of these insects, enveloped in their cot-
“ton, there are several cells of a cylindric form,
standing perpendicularly on the surface of the
"leaf. These cells are the chrysalides or coc-
coons of the male, and out of which the wings,
"in their nascent state, make their first appear-
ance, and are visible about three days before
"the perfect insect is produced. It enjoys its
66
66
66
existence, in that state, only three or four days,
during which it impregnates the females. The
plant, on which this insect feeds, is called
"at Rio, orumbela, a species of the cactus or
prickly pear, and, probably, the cactus opun-
tia of Linnæus. The leaves are thick and
fleshy; the upper side more flat, or even
"concave, than the opposite; are somewhat
"of an oval form, growing without stalks, but
66
rising one immediately from the other's edge,
"as well as from the stem, and armed with round
1
EMBASSY TO CHINA.
189
6 C
and tapering prickles, about an inch, or nearly
"so, in length. These plants grow, sometimes,
"to the height of twenty feet; but they are ge-
nerally prevented from rising above eight feet,
which is a size more convenient to the manu-
"facturer, and at which the leaves are thought
"to contain juices most nutritious to the insects.
"The young leaves are of a dark green, but in-
"cline towards a yellow colour as they advance
"in age. The internal substance of the leaf is
“of the same colour with its exterior surface. It
to discern when any insects are upon
the plant; they first appear like a white powder
thinly spread upon its flat or hollow side,
"which is marked, soon afterwards, with small
66
65
is
easy
protuberances of the same white downy sub-
"stance, already said to resemble the finest cot-
"ton.
66
"Another insect is found upon the cactus,
"and is supposed to feed upon the coccus or
cochineal insect; in its perfect state it bears a
strong resemblance to a four-winged insect,
“called ichneumon; but, on examination, is
"found to be a fly with two wings only. The
64
larva, or caterpillar of this fly, insinuates itself
"into the cotton with which the coccus is enve-
loped, and is scarcely distinguishable from the
190
EMBASSY TO CHINA.
"latter, except that it is a little more elongated,
"with somewhat longer legs, and that the cot-
“ton does not stick to it, whereas from the coc-
"cus it is with difficulty separated. When this
fly is prepared to change its skin, it creeps out
6
of the cotton upon the naked part of the leaf,
"increases quickly in its bulk, and its colour
66
66
changes from that of a bright red to a clear
yellow, with rings of brownish spots about its
body. In a few days it becomes torpid; but,
"soon afterwards, contracting its rings with vio-
"lent agitation, it deposites a large globule of
46 pure red colouring matter; after which it im-
mediately hangs itself upon the prickles of the
leaf, and becomes a chrysalis, out of which
issues, shortly, the perfect fly. From the cir-
"cumstance of the colouring matter being de-
posited by this insect, previous to its change
"into the chrysalis state, it might be inferred,
66
66
66
that any other insect, feeding on the same plant,
"would be productive likewise of the same co-
louring matter. Yet the leaf itself constantly
gave out, only, a transparent gelatinous fluid,
perfectly colourless. The fruit, indeed, or fig
"of the cactus, when ripe, contains a scarlet juice,
"which colours some of the excretions of those
"who eat it.
""
EMBASSY TO CHINA.
193
ļ
"The profit to the Portugueze at Rio, from the
cochineal, is inconsiderable, owing to an error
"in the preparation. Twice or thrice a week
"the slaves, appropriated to this employment,
go among the cactus plants and pick off, care-
66
fully, with a bamboo twig shaped somewhat
"into the form of a pen, every full grown insect
"
they can find, with many not yet arrived to
"their perfect state; the consequence of which
is, that the plants are never half stocked with
insects, many of the females being destroyed
"before they had deposited their young. The
natives of Mexico
pursue a method very diffe-
"rent. As soon as the periodical rains are over,
"and the weather is warmer, as well as drier,
they fix, on the prickles of the cactus leaves,
"
small parcels of the finest moss, serving as
"nests to contain, each, ten or a dozen full
44
66
grown female insects. These, in the course of
a few days, bring forth an innumerable tribe of
"young, spreading themselves over the leaves
"and branches of the plant, till they become at-
"tached to those spots which they find most fa-
"vourable for supplying nutritious juice; where,
soon acquiring their full growth, they remain
66
motionless, and then are gathered off for use ;
"a sufficient number being always left for the
192
EMBASSY TO CHINA.
1
66
production of new broods. The insects are
soon converted into cochineal by a very simple
process; but if, in corporal sufferance, the poor
"bectle feels a pang as great as when a giant dies,
}
this process is not more simple than it is cruel.
"The insects, which were collected in a wooden
bowl, are thickly spread, from thence, upon a
“flat dish of earthen ware, and placed alive over
"a charcoal fire, where they are slowly roasted
"until the downy covering disappears, and the
46
aqueous juices of the animal are totally evapo-
"rated. During this operation the insects are
"
stroy
constantly stirred about with a tin ladle, and,
sometimes, water is sprinkled upon them, to
prevent absolute torrefaction, which would de-
the colour, and reduce the insect to a coal;
but a little habit teaches when to remove them
from the fire. They then appear like so many
dark round reddish grains, and take the name
of cochincal, preserving so little the original
"form of the insect, that this precious dye was
46
66
long known and sought in Europe before na-
"turalists had determined whether it was an ani-
"mal, vegetable, or mineral substance. The gar-
"den at Rio does not, annually, produce above
thirty pounds weight of this commodity; tho
"by proper treatment, from the same number
EMBASSY TO CHINA.
193
of plants, ten times the quantity might be
"obtained. At Marica and Saquarima, both
places contiguous to Cape Frio, are consider-
able plantations of the cactus, which are pro-
pagated easily from cuttings set into the earth
during the cold and rainy season, tho they af-
"terwards thrive least where excluded from the
"sun. The insects breed and are collected in
dry weather, from October until March. The
(2
preparation of cochineal is encouraged by the
"trade being laid open, which had formerly been
"a monopoly to the crown.'
Beside this species of manufacture in the neigh-
bourhood of Rio, another, of which an exclusive
privilege was given to a company paying one-
fifth of its profits to the crown, was carried on
within the harbour, and opposite to the town.
Thither was brought, for the purpose of being
converted into oil, the blubber or firm fat of the
black whales, no longer, indeed, caught, as for-
merly, close to it, but on shores more free from
the busy haunts of men. The whale-bone or car-
tilages of the jaw were, also, properly separated
and cleansed here, before they were sent to Eu-
rope. The white whale, which supplies the sper-
maceti, is often sought for as far as the Pacific
Ocean. An English ship from those seas was
YOL. I.
194
EMBASSY TO CHINA.
lately come into Rio harbour for refreshments.
She had taken sixty-nine whales, each worth,
upon an average, two hundred pounds. Some
are of a size to fetch one thousand. The recent
discovery that the muscular part of animals is
convertible into a matter similar to spermaceti,
may, perhaps, hereafter diminish the profits of
those distant adventures.
In another part of the harbour of Rio, not far
from the town, at a place called Val Longo, are
the warehouses for the reception, and preparation
for sale, of the slaves imported, chiefly, from
Angola and Benguela on the coast of Africa.
This spot was appropriated to the purpose of
cleansing, anointing, fattening, rendering sleek
and saleable, and concealing the defects of, this
class of beings, who seemed little sensible of the
humiliation of their condition. About five thou
sand were usually sold, every year, at Rio, out
of twenty thousand purchased for the whole of
the Brazils. The average price was about twenty-
eight pounds sterling each. Before they were
shipped from Africa, a duty of ten thousand reis
a head is paid to the queen of Portugal's agent
there. The whole amounted to about sixty thou-
sand pounds a a year, which goes into her privy
purse, and is not considered as part of the public
I
EMBASSY TO CHINA.
195
revenue. In the whole of the Brazils there were
supposed to be, at least, six hundred thousand
slaves, born in Africa, or descended from those
who were. The whites were computed to amount
to about two hundred thousand. The proportion
of blacks to whites in the town of Rio was sup-
posed to be much greater, there being in it at least
forty thousand of the former, including such as
had been emancipated, to about three thousand
of the latter.
Whatever may be the suffering of slaves, un-
der taskmasters upon plantations, those residing
in the town wore no appearance of wretchedness.
The human frame feels indeed fewer wants, and
is therefore exposed to fewer miseries, in a warm
climate than in a cold one. In the latter, a
dwelling to shelter from the inclemency of the
weather, garments for the body, and artificial
heat in winter, are almost as necessary as food
to any thing like comfortable existence. These
articles may, with less inconvenience, be dis-
pensed with, or a sufficiency of them more easily
be provided, in tropical climates; even as to food,
the spontaneous bounty of nature supplies it more
readily in warmer than in colder countries; and
in the latter, fermented liquors, to be procured
only by art and labour, are sometimes requisite;
O 2
196
EMBASSY TO CHINA.
whereas, within the tropics, every stream sup-
plies what, in most cases, is there more grateful,
as well as salutary. The West India slave has
not, therefore, much to envy the peasants of many
European kingdoms. The plantation slaves in
the Brazils have two days out of seven for their
own purposes, which is more than is allowed in
the West India islands. The slaves in the Brazils
were upbraided for being addicted to stealing and
lying; which indeed appear to be the vices of
their condition every where. This condition is
hereditary through the mother, and is not con-
fined to colour. There were many at Rio in that
state, of every tinge between black and white.
The Africans seemed naturally of a
tive disposition, easily reconciled to their situa-
tion, and enjoying fully whatever share of plea-
sure happened to come within their reach. They
seldom sought intoxication as a resource against
poignant feelings, or for the purpose of stifling
reflections upon
their misery. They were fond
of dancing and music; and the black drivers of
hackney chaises at Rio were, in the intervals of
leisure, often heard playing on the guitar upon
their stands. Many slaves were the property of
the crown, of whom about ten thousand were
employed in the diamond mines, where a stone
a gay
and ac-
EMBASSY TO CHINA.
197
had been lately found larger and more precious,
it is said, than any that the Empress of Russia
has purchased, or indeed that have hitherto been
discovered. Several slaves were also attached to
convents. The Benedictines alone had a thou-
sand upon their plantations. The monks of this
order, being very opulent, exercised offices of
charity; but delighted more in those of hospi-
tality. They pressed the Chinese interpreters,
belonging to the Embassy, as priests of the same
religion, to reside in the convent with them, dur-
ing their stay at Rio; and entertained them very
handsomely. The Benedictine fathers, in the
number of their slaves, had an opportunity of
observing that the offspring, from the connection
between blacks and whites, were generally en-
dowed with much intelligence and ingenuity.
Some of these they bred up carefully, and in-
structed with such success, as to think them-
selves no longer obliged to send persons to the
universities of Portugal for a literary education.
These friars mentioned, with some degree of tri-
umph, that a person of a mixed breed had been
lately promoted to a learned professorship at
Lisbon.
The original inhabitants of the Brazils were
found not to be reducible to a state of slavery,
198
EMBASSY TO CHINA.
or even to the domestic habits of civilized so-
ciety. Children of some of those Brazilians had
been taken into Portugueze families, and uncom-
mon pains bestowed upon their education, out
of motives of speculative curiosity, as well as
those of benevolence and humanity; but so in-
tractable, it is said, their nature proved, that they
constantly returned to their original habits of sa-
vage life, without retaining any of the principles
which might restrain their passions or caprices.
These people, tho poor, seldom offered them-
selves for hire, and were as seldom coveted by
the Portugueze, except for rowing boats, in which
they were remarkably expert. In their persons
they generally were somewhat under the middle
size, muscular, stout, and active, of a light brown
complexion, black, strong, uncurling hair, with
very little beard, and long dark eyes, which dis-
covered no mark of imbecillity of intellect. Nor
did the turn of their features convey any charac-
ter of meanness or vulgarity; but, on the con-
trary, their looks and expression were intelligent
and distinct. They seemed to find an irresistible
charm in the enjoyment of boundless freedom;
and, nourishing, probably, an hereditary and
implacable antipathy to the invaders of their
country, they shun and withdraw from the con-
1
"
།
EMBASSY TO CHINA,
199
siderable settlements of the Portugueze; but mas-
sacre individuals, without remorse, wherever
they are found scattered or unprotected. Much
of the coast between Rio and Bahia was still in-
habited or frequented by them, which circum-
stance prevented any regular communication, by
land, between those two places.
In the vicinity of the town of Rio the roads
were not passable many miles for carriages. In
an excursion from thence to the westward by
Mr. Barrow and two other gentlemen of the Em-
bassy, accompanied by a Portugueze inhabitant
of Rio, it appeared that little industry was ex-
erted thereabouts in the cultivation of the soil, or
improvement of the country. It consisted chiefly
in raising garden vegetables for the whites, and
rice and manioc for the blacks. Wheat was
found to grow in other parts of the Brazils, with
an increase beyond what is known in Europe.
The corn mill, used by them, was of a simplicity
of construction worthy of being described. One
of them happened to be erected on a stream close
to the forest, which the gentlemen of this party
meant to penetrate: a wheel, a few feet only in
diameter, was placed horizontally, much below
the current of a stream, as it fell from a steep
bank, and was received in hollows, ten or
200
EMBASSY TO CHINA.
twelve in number, so obliquely scolloped into
the upper rim of the wheel, as to impel it to a
quick rotatory motion, while its upright shaft,
passing through an opening in the centre of an
immoveable millstone above the wheel, but of a
narrow diameter, was fixed to a smaller mill-
stone, which, forced round with the motion of
the wheel and dependent shaft, crushed between
it and the larger stone beneath, the grain insi-
nuated between them from a hopper. Thus that
effect was produced, by the means of one wheel
only, which is generally the result of a much
more expensive and complicated machinery. It
is said that a similar mill is in use in the Crimea.
The forest, already mentioned, was found to
abound in palms and mastic wood, also mangoe
and guoyava trees, and ferns growing to the size
of trees, beside many other
other vegetables, never ob-
served before by those who were then travelling
through it. Of these, it is to be hoped that, a
full description will soon appear in a botanical
work, upon the plants of this country, promised
by a Franciscan friar who resided long in Rio,
and gives, quaintly enough, the name of Flora
Fluminensis to his intended publication. The
ipecacuanha plant, growing at St. Catharine's
within the government of Rio, will there also
EMBASSY TO CHINA.
201
probably be described. At present, tho its root
hath been so long in use, as a valuable article in
medicine, to what class, or kind, or species, in
the botanical system it belongs, is not yet ac-
curately known. At the request of one of the
gentlemen of the Embassy a messenger was sent
to St. Catharine's for a specimen of it. What
was brought was an herbaceous plant, about
three feet high, with a single stem, and lanceo-
lated leaves but as it was not then either in
flower or seed, its proper character could not be
ascertained.
There was at Rio a collector of birds and in-
sects, who, among other curious articles, had the
palamedea, or anhinga, with a strong nail or
spur at each flexure of its wings, and a horp,
of about six inches length, growing from its fore-
head; a bird very rarely to be seen in the cabi-
nets of Europe. The size and vivid hue of many
of the flowers, throughout the forest, and the
gaudy plumage of the birds, which came occa-
sionally in sight, were indeed striking. The
woods, it is said, abound in snakes, some ex-
tremely large and formidable, But their hissing
noise sets the hearer on his guard, and they sel-
dom, without provocation, advance to an attack.
No sound, however, was heard to alarm the
pre-
202
EMBASSY TO CHINA.
1
sent travellers. The people of the country go
about, indeed, every where with all the indif
ference of security; their minds little affected by
- the apprehension of an evil, tho near to them,
and of which they had often heard, as they had
never experienced it in their own persons in
like manner as the danger, for example, from the
bite of mad animals in Europe, notwithstanding
the dreadful instances which, at a particular sea-
· son, are known frequently to happen, disturbs not
the thoughts, nor interrupts the occupations or
amusements, of those most exposed to so dread-
´ful a calamity.
The forest, above described, led to the culti-
vated valley of Tijouca, situated, as it were, in
the bottom of a funnel, being surrounded on all
sides by mountains, excepting to the southward,
where a small opening admitted an arm of the
sea. The valley was watered by a clear stream,
which, on first entering into it, was precipitated
down a steep and broad rock of granite, forming
a magnificent cascade. Very little labour ap-
peared necessary in the plantations of Tijouca,
It was no uncommon sight to meet with indigo,
manioc, coffee, cacao or chocolate trees, sugar
canes, plantains, and orange and lime trees, all
growing promiscuously, and some spontane-
EMBASSY TO CHINA.
203
ously, in the space of twenty square yards. Cof-
fee and indigo were the principal objects of at-
tention. The temperature of the valley was ex-
cessively hot, owing to its confined situation,
and the reflection of the sun's rays from the sides
of the mountains, which in many places were
rocky. Fahrenheit's thermometer, about four in
the afternoon, stood, in the shade, at eighty-
eight degrees. The party took shelter at the house
of a friend of their Portugueze companion. Here
they were hospitably treated, and passed the
night. The warmth of the weather removed all
necessity of bedding. A neat woven mat with
an elastic pillow were placed upon a platform,
raised somewhat from the floor; and there the
guests reposed, with no covering but night-
gowns.
Several districts of the government of Rio
pro-
duced cotton, sugar, coffee, and cacao or choco-
late, rice, pepper, and tobacco, in great abun-
dance. That of Rio Grandé yielded plenty of
excellent wheat. The vine grew in great perfec-
tion; but the grape is not suffered to be
pressed
for wine, as such a process might interfere with
the sale of the same article from Portugal. The
whole of the Brazils was divided into eight in-
dependent governments, beside that of Rio de
204
EMBASSY TO CHINA.
Janeiro, of which the governor retained the name
only of viceroy of the Brazils. The others were
those of Para or Amazons, Maragnon, Fernam-
bucca, Bahia, Santo Paulo, Matto Grosso, Mi-
nas Geraes, and Minas Goyaves. Formerly
Bahia dos Todos os Santos was the principal
seat of government and chief mart for commerce
in the Brazils; but the discovery and improve-
ment of the gold and diamond mines, within
about one hundred leagues of Rio de Janeiro,
and communicating immediately with it, gave a
decided preponderancy to the latter. But all the
provinces were growing fast into opulence and
importance. They manufactured, of late, several
of the most necessary articles for their own con-
sumption; and their produce was so consider-
able, that the balance of trade began to be al-
ready in their favour; and remittances of bul-
lion were made to them from Europe, in return
for the overplus of their exports beyond their
imports.
In the administration of the Marquis de Pom-
bal, so long prime minister in Portugal, these
colonies were delivered from some monopolies
and restraints which had contributed to depress
them. The parent state was again accused by
them of jealousy at their present progress to-
EMBASSY TO CHINA.
205
wards wealth, and consequent power and inde-
pendence; which it was endeavouring to smother
and repress by new restrictive and injurious re-
gulations. But the people began to consider
themselves as children too robust to be strangled
in the cradle; and that the crown of Portugal
must either transfer the seat of its empire to the
Brazils, or leave them to take their chance, to
unfold and exert their native powers, uninflu-
enced by the authority, and unrepressed by the
terror of a distant sceptre. They seemed to in-
quire, with an uncommon degree of interest, into
the progress of the French revolution, as if they
foresaw the possibility of a similar event among
themselves. This was, however, before the ac-
counts of the sanguinary horrors, which took
place in the progress of it, had disgusted every
feeling mind from any inclination to follow its
example.
The project of removing the seat of the Portu-
gueze government to the Brazils was once, in
fact, seriously in contemplation with the Mar-
quis de Pombal, when that country was invaded
by the Spanish forces in 1761, and calculations
were made, and precautions taken, as to the
number of vessels necessary to transport across
the Atlantic the royal family, with the principal
206
EMBASSY TO CHINA.
officers of the court, and their several attendants.
This project vanished with the danger that gave
rise to it; and the Brazils continued to be con-
sidered as a colony destined, exclusively, to en-
rich the parent state.
The duties which the agents of the latter le-
vied upon the importation of goods from Lisbon
and Oporto, at Rio de Janeiro, were twelve per
cent. upon the value of each article. The chief
duties paid at Lisbon, on the commodities of the
Brazils, were as follow: upon gold, one per cent.;
coffee, eight per cent.; sugar, rice, and skins,
ten per cent.; indigo, twelve per cent.; planks,
seventeen per cent.; and rum, four dollars on
every pipe of one hundred and eighty gallons.
All that kind of wood, commonly called red or
Brazil wood, and also all large ship timber was
claimed as the property of the crown. One-fifth
of all the gold extracted from the mines was ex-
acted also by the government; and whenever
any diamonds happened to be found in a gold
mine, it was no longer allowed to search there
for that metal; all diamond mines being seized
as, exclusively, belonging to the crown. Every
manufacture amongst them was said to be dis-
couraged by the government; tho many, already,
were established. Such was the change wrought-
EMBASSY TO CHINA.
207
lately there in the minds of men, that some noble
Portugueze disdained not to be concerned in
those manufactures. One gentleman of consider-
able rank had lately erected a rice work close to
Rio, in which he employed sixty slaves in pre-
paring that grain for use. He had been a mili-
tary officer, and could never have taken greater
pleasure in shewing the regular evolutions of his
soldiers under arms, than he feels at present in
shewing the mills by which he frees the grains of
rice from the pellicle closely adhering to them.
However, there appeared nothing particular in
his method, except the use of siliceous sand, of
which the small sharp angles are found to assist
materially in the operation; which being over,
the sand was easily separated from the grain by
sieves, with apertures sufficiently large to suffer
it to pass through them, but impervious to the
grains of rice. The same gentleman bred his eld-
est son to commerce, as likely to be the most im-
portant profession in the Brazils; nor did this
disposition appear singular. Trade was already
rising there above the many impediments thrown
in its way from home, and even several mechani-
cal employments began to be exercised.
The people of Rio had been, of late, prohi-
bited from working up even the gold of their own
208
EMBASSY TO CHINĂ.
mines; and the tools and instruments, used by
the artificers for such purposes, were seized and
confiscated by the strong hand of arbitrary power.
Yet notwithstanding the monopolies, prohibi-
tions, and heavy taxes, the whole revenue from
the Brazils, was not said to be equal to a million
sterling, of which the expences of their govern-
ment consume about a third. The taxes were se-
verely felt, particularly in the interior provinces,
where the carriage and transit duties increased the
price of every article so enormously, that a bot-
tle of port wine, for instance, cost ten shillings
sterling to the consumer.
The rising spirit of the people, little patient
of the hardships imposed upon them by the mo-
ther country, led, not long since, to a conspi-
racy at Minas Geraes, remarkable, and indeed
formidable, as some of the principal officers of
the government there, both laity and clergy, en-
tered into it. It appears that the troops sent from
Portugal were seldom afterwards called home.
The civil officers, except the viceroy, were allow-
ed also to be stationary. These persons, tho na-
tives generally of Portugal, soon changed their
original affection for the mother country into an
attachment to that, where they were likely to
spend their days; and were sometimes tempted
EMBASSY TO CHINA.
209
to sacrifice to their own, the interest of their em-
ployers. Their views, on the present, occasion,
were discovered in time to prevent the intended
fatal conséquences; but it was found necessary to
march a considerable number of troops, from the
coast, into the back country, to maintain tran-
quillity: good policy, as well as clemency, con-
fined capital punishment to one only of the con-
spirators. The rest were banished to the Portu-
gueze settlements on the coast of Africa.
Whatever difficulties the Portugueze may be
likely to encounter in securing their American
possessions against internal enemies, they seemed
to have taken no mean precautions against any
foreign attack. With regard to Rio, Captain
Parish remarks, that " Portugal, from the rela-
tively low state of its military and marine es-
tablishments, might find it impracticable to
convey succour to that distant colony, after
being once engaged in a war with any Eu-
66
ropean power; and must, therefore, provide
"for its defence independently of any hope of
"further assistance. The best constructed forti-
"fications would, perhaps, be insufficient to an-
a purpose; for tho amply garrisoned
"and supplied, it could not be expected to hold
"out many weeks against a well conducted siege,
66
swer such
VOL. I.
P
J
210
EMBASSY TO CHINA.
""
"undertaken with an adequate force. It is per-
haps on this account that the Portugueze have
"not erected here any very considerable work.
"The defences of the place consist in several
"small forts and batteries, detached from each
other, but so disposed as to throw every´im-
<"
86
pediment in the way of an enemy, on his en-
tering the harbour, and on his subsequent at-
tempts upon the shore. Should he, however,
succeed in both, the military establishment of
"the country is such as to enable it, with a good
"position, to face him in the field. This esta-
“blishment consists of two squadrons of cavalry,
"two regiments of artillery, six regiments of in-
fantry, two battalions of disciplined militia,
“beside above two hundred disciplined free Ne-
groes; making, in the whole, a body of, at
“least, ten thousand men, exclusively of a very
"numerous registered, but undisciplined, mi-
،
litia, of whom a considerable proportion is in
"the city and its neighbourhood. The entrance
"of the harbour, which is scarcely a mile from
.66
66
point to point, is crossed in every direction
by heavy batteries. Ships, too, in returning
"their fire, would have to labour under the dis-
"advantage of a swell, occasioned by the bar,
"which runs across, but outside, the harbour's
EMBASSY TO CHINA.
211
"mouth. The fort of Santa Cruz is a work of
"some strength, and the principal defence of the
harbour. Its general height is from twenty-
"four to thirty feet. It mounts twenty-three
guns towards the sea, and thirty-three to the
"westward and northward. It stands upon the
"low point of a smooth rock, from the body of
"which it is separated by a fissure ten or twelve
"feet in width. It is flanked by batteries to the
"eastward and westward; and is seen and pro-
((
، ،
tected by a regular front for musquetry, which
"runs between the hills. The guns of the fort
of Santa Cruz, and others, were fired on the
birthday of the Queen of Portugal, and, from
their report, were judged to be heavy pieces, not
less, perhaps, than four-and-twenty pounders.
The defence of the city of Rio is supposed to
depend, chiefly, on the works erected on the
Serpent island. The highest part of it, which
looks towards the town, is about eighty feet
above the water. On it is constructed a small
square fort. The island lowers gradually on
"the eastern side to the water's edge, and is oc-
66
66
66
cupied by an irregular stone line, having occa-
sional flanks. It is, however, low, in some
parts not more than eight feet above the rock;
and it has no ditch. The length of the island
P 2
212
EMBASSY TO CHINA.
"is about three hundred yards: it mounts forty-
"six guns, twenty of these facing the south and
"south-east, and the remainder looking to the
66
66
opposite points. The parapet wall, now build-
ing along the front of the town, will afford a
good line for musquetry and light guns.
Whatever may be the political fate of Rio de
Janeiro, its natural appearance must always at-
tract notice. It certainly presents bold features
to the view. Its harbour, mountains, woods, and
rocks, seem to be upon a grand scale. Its pro-
ductions flourish with the vigour and freshness
of youth. Nothing looks naked, arid, or de-
caying.
Doctor Gillan noticed that "the high conical
"rocks, at the entrance of the harbour of Rio,
"and the surrounding hills, were all of granite,
"in which the only circumstance remarkable was
"the large proportion of feld-spath it contained.
66
66
About two miles within the harbour, on the
"south-west side, was one high rock, entirely
composed of columnar masses, bearing the re-
❝ semblance of basaltes. It rested upon clay. In
"all the quarries of granite it is found incum-
"bent upon clay and sand. There were three
"
species of granite here. The first, red-colour-
ed, soft, and shivery. The second, deep blue-
EMBASSY TO CHINA.
213
coloured, harder, and of a closer texture; and
“the last, of a whitish shining colour, contain-
ing much of mica, and little feld-spath; its
"" texture soft, and incapable of a good polish."
The gentlemen of the Embassy, in their ob-
servations, were indulged with greater liberty
than is usually allowed at Rio to any strangers.
The viceroy sent his own barge to convey them
round the harbour, and made an offer of any
other civility in his power. He testified a de-
sire of shewing every mark of respect and atten-
tion to the Embassador; received him with dis-
tinguished honours on his coming on shore; pro-
vided proper accommodations for him and his
suite; and offered a guard to attend upon his
person. His Excellency, who had been much
indisposed at sea, recovered his health on shore
within a fortnight; and, anxious to arrive at the
place of his destination, still so distant, returned
on board before the ships were entirely provided
with all the necessaries for the prosecution of the
voyage. The Portugueze agent, however, now
got every thing ready very quickly. Wood, wa-
ter, and provisions were supplied in such quan-
tities, as to supersede the necessity of stopping at
the Cape of Good Hope; and to enable the ships
to continue their route, with little delay or de-
214
EMBASSY TO CHINA.
viation, to the Chinese seas. They weighed
their anchors on the seventeenth of December,
1792.
Ships sailing from Rio de Janeiro seldom
work out of the harbour against the wind blow-
ing from the sea; but move in the mornings, for
the benefit of the land breeze, at which time the
harbour empties itself of the mass of water thrown
into it by the sea wind at night. This reflux is
stronger, often, than the wind. Its course is along
the bays on the eastern shore, and it afterwards
sets upon the point of Santa Cruz. The Lion
was carried into that part of the stream where it
ran with the greatest impetuosity. The ship bore
directly towards the rock, and, in continuing to
move, must have struck upon it speedily. The
alarm instantly spread among those who best
could judge of the imminence of the danger. One
of the officers let fall the words, there is an end to
the expedition! To those who had set their hearts
on its accomplishment, which was indeed the
case of most persons embarked in the undertak-
ing, no spectacle could be more afflicting than
the prospect now exhibited, and no consequence
more painful than what was foreseen to follow
from it. The ship was approaching to the rock
so nearly as to be already in the wash of the sea,
EMBASSY TO CHINA..
215
}
or in the waves which dash against the shore,
when, fortunately, the anchor held, which had
been lowered from the ship, and saved her. She
was afterwards warped out by boats. On sound-
ing near the rock, it was found to be nearly per-
pendicular, and that the ship's sides might have
struck against it, without the keel's touching any
bottom.
216
EMBASSY TO CHINA.
CHAPTER VI.
PASSAGE TO THE SOUTHERN PART OF THE ATLAN
TIC, AND OF THE INDIAN OCEAN. VIEW OF THE
ISLANDS OF TRISTAN D'ACUNHA IN THE FOR-
MER, AND OF THOSE OF ST. PAUL AND AMSTER-
DAM IN THE LATTER.
IN
In a former chapter it was observed that the
wind, which in European climates is found to
be so variable, that an idea of inconstancy is ge-
nerally conveyed by a comparison with it, ceases
to have that quality between and near the tropics.
The steady motion of the atmosphere in those
parts, with an uniform tendency from the east-
ward to the westward, which renders voyages in
the latter direction so certain and expeditious,
becomes a most serious obstruction to a return
by the same route. It was the observation of
these unchangeable gales, that so much alarmed
the crew of Columbus's ship, when he went in
quest of the western world. They feared that
this wind, tho so favourable to his present pur-
suit, would prevent them from revisiting their
country; and their resentment was so strongly
EMBASSY TO CHINA.
217
excited against him, that all the firmness of his
mind, and resources of his genius, were neces-
sary to preserve him from its fatal consequences.
On his return home he judged that, instead of at-
tempting to stem, in the same track, the force
of winds so constantly adverse to his retrograde
course to Europe, it would be expedient to pro-
ceed nearly upon the same meridian, from the
equator, till he could get again into the variable
winds, of some of which he might avail himself,
to gain the port from whence he originally had
sailed. And this is the rule which since has
been mostly followed in voyages to the eastward.
Tho the influence of the land of South America
often counteracts, in some degree, the general
tendency of the trade winds, that effect is more
conspicuous at a still greater distance than Rio
from the line; and the Lion and Hindostan re-
moved accordingly, from thence, in a southerly
direction, till they arrived in thirty-seven de-
grees of southern latitude, where the westerly
winds are found to prevail in most seasons, and
to favour a direct course to Asia. In those lati-
tudes distant from the line, the winds are fre-
quently as boisterous as they are variable. Every
precaution was taken to guard against their ill ef
fects, by putting the ships, while they remained
218
EMBASSY TO CHINA.
in the harbour of Rio, in a proper condition to
bear foul weather, by all the means which art
could furnish, and some of which could not be
applied at sea. It is certain, that few of the mis-
fortunes which happen upon that element really
are inevitable. From neglect, or dangerous eco-
nomy, vessels frequently venture out, ill-found,
the ocean, as if it were not capable of being
disturbed by storms; and are in danger of perish-
ing, if in this state they are overtaken by bad
weather.
upon
Every part of the Lion was carefully exa-
mined; whatever injury, however trifling, had
been suffered in the course of the voyage out, was
solidly repaired. The standing rigging, or those
rope-ladders by which the sailors ascend to the
summits of the masts, and which, being firmly
fixed and stretched on each side from the hull or
body of the ship to the masts' sides, keep them
steady in their places, is apt to become slack by
the influence of the tropical heat. This was set
up, or contracted anew, to answer its original pur-
pose. Some of the suspected masts were changed,
and others fished, as it is called, or strengthened
by planks fastened by cordage round them. The
sails which had been thinned and weakened by
use, and were no longer fit to resist rude blasts,
:
៩
EMBASSY TO CHINA.
219
being now properly fair weather sails, were laid
by for similar occasions, and replaced by canvas
yet unworn. These precautions were not found
useless; and prevented disasters which the sud-
den gusts, that in this part of the
voyage were
experienced, would otherwise have probably oc-
casioned.
During the continuance of strong gales, gen-
tlemen who had suffered by sea sickness, and
whose constitutions were so peculiar as not to be
much fortified by the habit of being at sea, were
again affected by the increased agitation of the
ship by the waves. One person, himself of the
medical profession, and who had observed others
labouring under the usual attack and symptoms
of sea sickness, perceived a few circumstances so
uncommon in his own case, that he did not
think it altogether uninteresting to describe his
situation. "He felt," he said, "at first a sick-
"ness in his stomach, followed by a reaching,
when he threw up whatever he had taken into
"it; then green, and afterwards yellow bile;
"to which succeeded a thick, mucilaginous, in-
sipid fluid, which he considered to be the
gas-
tric juice, and, lastly, grumous blood. Before
"he vomited the last, he felt a sensation as if
"his stomach were twisting together, and which
220
EMBASSY TO CHINA.
motion, he supposed, produced the hemorrhage.
"Had the blood proceeded from the lungs, he
judged, it would have been spumous, or mixed
"with air bubbles. He felt constantly a nausea
"in his mouth; his salivary glands swelled, and
"the saliva became thickened and vitiated. His
"mind grew indifferent to all things, either
past
or future, and even to his existence. Regret
"and hope were equally extinct within his breast.
"His head felt light and sore, and as if its sutures
"were separated from each other. It likewise
ached; and he had alternate sensations of vio-
“lent heat, and chilling cold. He thought he
"felt the inversion of the peristaltic motion, and
“of its actual tendency upwards from the intes-
"tines to the mouth. Whatever he swallowed
he returned with no alteration of it in the sto-
"mach. The bare mention of food, solid or
liquid, was loathsome to him." Another of
the passengers continued, likewise, but in a less
degree, to be affected by every violent motion of
the ship. The rest not only bore the voyage
well, but were, in general, healthy, and in good
spirits. Their minds were not corroded with
sent cares; and they had an object of desire con-
stantly present to their imagination, and to which
they were every day approaching. It was soon
pre-
EMBASSY TO CHINA.
221
discovered, that the only way to avoid that lan-
guor, which hangs upon passengers sometimes
for want of occupation, was for each to fix him-
self a task, the performance of which would em-
ploy every moment of his leisure. The young
est of them followed the example of the midship-
men, in endeavouring to become acquainted with
every mast, yard, rope, and sail belonging to the
ship, as well as the manoeuvres of her manage-
ment, and the theory of navigation. He was em-
ployed likewise, as well as a few other gentle-
men, in obtaining from the Chinese interpreters,
some instruction in the language of the country
where they hoped to arrive soon; most of the
rest had recourse, for amusement and infor-
mation, to books, of which the Embassador,
Sir Erasmus Gower, and another person on
board, had provided a considerable store. Most
moments of recreation were passed upon the
quarter-deck, where every one appeared with
all the regularity and decorum of a public
walk.
!
In a ship of war the rank of every person
be-
longing to it is maintained with appropriate dis-
tinctions, and proper subordination constantly
observed. That side of the deck which the
current of the wind first strikes, or what is
222
EMBASSY TO CHINA.
called the windward side, is always considered
as the post of honour. This side is reserved for
the captain, who is an absolute monarch, while
on board; and also for his lieutenants, the mas-
ter, surgeon, purser, and cabin passengers. The
opposite, or leeward side, is free for midshipmen,
surgeon's and master's mates, and a few other
petty officers; while the main deck and forecastle,
or fore part of the ship, are occupied by the re-
mainder of the crew. On most fair evenings the
Embassador's band of music, consisting of
very
good performers, and sometimes joined by ama-
teurs, entertained a numerous audience, with
little more interruption than in a public concert-
room ashore. The manoeuvres of the ship were
generally carried on with little noise; and very sel-
dom with any of those imprecations which for-
merly were deemed necessary to enforce obedience.
The navigation was continued in the parallel
of thirty-seven degrees for some days, with a fa-
vourable breeze, as was expected, from the west-
ward. On the thirty-first of December, 1792,
the islands of Tristan d'Acunha came in sight,
the largest bearing that name only; the others
subdistinguished by the appellations of Inacces-
sible, and Nightingale islands.
as Sir Erasmus Gower observes,
، 6
Inaccessible,"
"seems to
EMBASSY TO CHINA.
228
"deserve that name, being a high, bluff, as
"well as apparently barren, plain, about nine
"miles in circumference, and has a very forbid-
*
'ding appearance. There is a high rock detach-
"ed from it at the south end. Its latitude is
thirty-seven degrees nineteen minutes south;
its longitude eleven degrees fifty minutes west
from Greenwich. This rude looking spot may
be seen at twelve or fourteen leagues distance.
Nightingale island is irregular in its form,
"with a hollow in the middle, and is about
66
،
16
seven or eight miles in circumference, with
"small rocky isles at its southern extremity. It
"is described as having anchorage on the north-
"east side. Its latitude is thirty-seven degrees
twenty-nine minutes south; and longitude
eleven degrees forty-eight minutes west from
"Greenwich. It may be seen at seven or eight
leagues distance. The largest of those three
islands, which, comparatively, may be called
"the great isle of Tristan d'Acunha, is very
high, and may be seen at twenty-five leagues
"distance; it seems not to exceed in circumfe-
"rence
66
rence fifteen miles. A part of the island to-
"wards the north rises perpendicularly from the
sea to a height apparently of a thousand feet,
A level then commences, forming
""
or more.
224
EMBASSY TO CHINA.
،
what among seamen is termed table land, and
extending towards the centre of the island;
"from whence a conical mountain rises, not
unlike in appearance, to the peak of Teneriffe,
"as seen from the bay of Santa Cruz. Boats
<
were sent to sound, and to examine the shore
❝ for a convenient place to land and water. In
* consequence of their report, the Lion stood in,
“and came to anchor in the evening on the
"north side, in thirty fathoms water, one mile
"from the shore; the bottom black sand with
"slime; a small rock, off the west point, bear-
66
ing south-west by south, just open with the
"western extremity of the island; a cascade,
"or fall of water, emptying itself upon the
66
"
beach, south by east. All the shore, from the
southern point to the eastern extremity, ap-
"pears to be clear of danger, and steep, except
"the west point, where there are breakers about
"two cables' length, or near five hundred yards,
"from the shore. The ship, when anchor-
ed, was overshadowed by the dark mass of
that portion of the island whose sides seemed
"to rise, like a moss-grown wall, immediately
from the ocean. On the right the elevation
"was less rapid, and between the rising part and
"the sea was left a flat, of some extent, covered
EMBASSY TO CHINA.
225
with sedge-grass, interspersed with small
shrubs, which, being perfectly green, looked
"from the ship, like a pleasant meadow, watered
by a stream that fell, afterwards, from its banks
the beach. The officers, who went ashore,
reported that the casks might be filled with
fresh water by means of a long hose, without
moving them from the boats. The landing
place thereabouts, was also described as being
(T
((
upon
safe, and superior to any other that had been
"examined. From the plain the land rose, gra-
dually, towards the central mountain, in ridges
covered with trees of a moderate size and
height. The coast abounded with sea lions
"and seals, penguins and albatrosses. One of
"the latter was brought on board, his wings
measuring ten feet from tip to tip; but others
are said to have been found much larger. The
6
coast was covered with a broad sea weed, se-
veral fathoms long, and, deservedly, by na-
turalists, termed gigantic fucus. Some good
"fish was caught with the hook and line.
C
The accident of a sudden gust, by which
"the anchor was, in a few hours, driven from
"its hold, and the ship forced out to sea, pre-
“vented the island from being explored, as was
intended. It is probable that had the Lion
VOL. I.
ļ
226
EMBASSY TO CHINA.
"anchored in twenty, instead of thirty fathoms.
"water, the anchor would have held firmly.
"Some advantage was obtained, however, from
66
coming to this place. The just position of
“those islands, in respect to their longitude, was.
❝ ascertained by the mean of several time-pieces,
“to be about two degrees to the eastward of the
""
place, where they are laid down in charts,
"taken from observations made at a period when
"the instruments, for this purpose, were less ac-
"curate than at present. The spot where the
"Lion anchored was determined, by good me--
“ridional observations, and by accurate time-
66
pieces, to be thirty-seven degrees six minutes
"south latitude, and eleven degrees forty-three
"minutes west longitude from Greenwich. The
66
compass had seven degrees of variation west-
"ward from the pole. Fahrenheit's thermometer
"stood at sixty-seven degrees. It was useful also
"to have ascertained that a safe anchorage, and
(6
plenty of good water, were to be found here.
"Those islands are certainly worthy of a more
"particular inquiry; for they are not fifty
leagues from the general track of vessels bound
“to China, and to the coast of Coromandel, by
"the outer passage. In war time, an excellent
"rendezvous might be settled there, for ships
EMBASSY TO CHINA.
227
"that wanted no other supply but that of water.
"When circumstances require particular dis-
66
patch, it is practicable to come from England
“to Tristan d'Acunha, without stopping in the
way; and afterwards to the end of the voyage
" to India or China."
These islands are separated by a space of about
fifteen hundred miles from any land to the west-
ward or northward of them. They are situated
in that part of the southern hemisphere, in the
neighbourhood of which a continent, to balance
the quantity of land in the northern hemisphere,
was once expected to be found; but where it has
been since discovered that there is none. Of what
extent, however, the bases of those islands are
under the surface of the sea, cannot be ascer-
tained; or whether they may, or may not, be
sufficient to make up for the defect of land ap-
pearing above water. Navigators report, that to
the eastward of them are other small islands, dif-
fering not much in latitude, such as Gough and
Alvarez islands, and the Marsouines; as well as
extensive shoals, lying due south of the most
southerly point of Africa, and extending easterly
several degrees. That all these together form a
chain, some of subaqueous, and some of supera-
queous mountains; but all connected by their
Q 2
228
EMBASSY TO CHINA.
roots, is, perhaps, a conjecture less improbable,
than that they should separately arise, like tall
columns, from the vast abyss.
A settlement in Tristan d'Acunha is known
to have been twice in the contemplation of ad-
venturers; but not as yet to have been car-
ried into execution. One had the project of ren-
dering it a mart for the change of the light ma-
nufactures of Hindostan, suited to hot climes,
for the silver of the Spanish settlements in South
America; in the route between which places it
is conveniently situated. The other plan meant
is only as a suitable spot, for drying and pre-
paring the furs of sea lions and seals, and for ex-
tracting the spermaceti of the white or long-nosed
whale, and the whale-bone and oil of the black
species. Whales of every kind were seen sport-
ing hereabouts, particularly near the setting of
the sun; their enormous snouts rising sometimes
above the waves, with a fountain spouting through
an aperture in the skull. Sometimes their curved
huge backs appeared like rocks in the middle of
the ocean; and at other times they spread their
tails like fans, and flapped them upon
the sur-
face of the water. The sword-fish was likewise
often seen; and these spectacles attracted the
more notice, as little else occurred to diversify
EMBASSY TO CHINA.
229
the scene. One vessel only, a Spanish brig, bound
for the River de la Plata, was met between Rio
and Tristan d'Acunha.
On the fifth of January, 1793, the Lion crossed
the meridian of London, at a distance, however,
from that capital, of about ninety degrees of lati-
tude, or six thousand two hundred and fifty-five
miles nearer to the antarctic circle and southern
pole. Sir Erasmus Gower observed, that “through-
out the whole of this passage from Rio, as well as
"farther on to the eastward, within four degrees
"of the Cape of Good Hope, a small current set
(6
(C
constantly to the south-eastward, which was
proved by solar and lunar observations, as
well as by time-pieces. The ships did not ap-
proach that Cape nearer than ninety leagues.
for three degrees to the westward, and as many
"to the eastward of it, the current set strongly
"to the westward. When opposite the Cape,
"the ships steered more southerly, to get into
"the latitude of forty degrees south, so as to
"avoid the shoals laid down in Mr. Dalrymple's
4.6
charts, near the parallel of thirty-eight degrees
"of southern latitude, and extending in detached
66
spots as far as twenty-five degrees to the east-
"ward of the Cape, as well as some islands,
"said to be in the track of vessels bound to Bo-
230
EMBASSY TO CHINA.
66
tany Bay, and little distant from the route to
"China. When within two hundred leagues of
"the islands of St. Paul and Amsterdam, in the
"Indian ocean, the ships returned to the latitude
of thirty-eight degrees forty minutes south, and
"continued in it, until those islands came in
sight, which was on the first of February, 1793.
C
"In the passage from Tristan d'Acunha birds
"and fish were seen in considerable numbers;
"whales almost every day. In the high south-
ern passage, nearly forty-one degrees south la-
titude, the wind was between the north-west
"and south-west, blowing strong; the north-
"west wind producing fogs and rain, and the
"south-west wind clear and cold weather. Only
one hard gale was experienced the whole way,
"which was to the eastward of Madagascar. It
begun from the north-east, and ended at the
66
، ،
66
south-west, blowing violently in all directions,
"and occasioning an uncommonly confused sea,
"so that the ship laboured much, and frequently
"rolled the gunwale, and part of the quarter-
deck, under water, the masts forming an an-
gle with the horizon of about fifty degrees.
There was also a very great swell from the
south-west, during the whole passage, fre-
'quently without any apparent reason. As soon
66
EMBASSY TO CHINA.
231
66
66
"as the ships approached within about thirty
leagues to the westward of St. Paul and Am-
sterdam, a few seals and penguins were ob-
served. The sea became subject to tides or
"currents. One day's observation gave twenty
"miles northing. On the evening of that day,
"a boat was sent to know what easting or west-
"
66
ing might be added to that northing; but re-
ported, on its return, that the current set due
south, near a mile an hour; which was con-
"firmed by the observation next day at noon.
The mode of discovering a current, in a boat,
is by sending it at some little distance from the
ship, and then letting down a weight, often an
iron pot, to a considerable depth (about two
hundred fathoms) into the sea, which weight is
thus found to answer the common purpose of an
anchor, and keeps the boat from any progressive
motion, currents being seldom found below ten
fathoms. Any light body, thrown from the boat
upon the surface of the sea, too thin and flat to
receive any impulsion from the wind, must, if it
be moved only by a current, of which it
is easy to observe the tendency, and measure the
velocity.
moves,
The weather was now moderate and warm,
suitable to the season, it being the month of Janu-
232
EMBASSY TO CHINA.
ary, which in this hemisphere is a part of summer.
They who reside usually on the other side of the
equator, must here dissociate some ideas, which
had been hitherto connected in their minds.
Thus, pleasantness and vigour must be trans-
ferred from May to December; and he who
wishes to describe a chilling and uncomfortable.
aspect, must point directly to the south; while
on the contrary, the north revives his hopes of
cheerfulness and warmth.
•
The islands of St. Paul and Amsterdam were
perceived, lying in the same degree of longitude,
the one about seventeen miles to the northward
of the other. The Dutch navigators are said to
have given the name of Amsterdam to the north-
ern, and of St. Paul to the southern island; and
Captain Cook conforms to that appellation. Most
other English navigators, and particularly Messrs.
Cox and Mortimer, reverse the names, calling
the southernmost Amsterdam, and the other St.
Paul. That which is to the south, and to which
the Lion was now nearest, is high land, but con-
siderably less so, than the island of Tristan
d'Acunha. It appeared barren and destitute of
trees; smoke issued from many parts of it. As
the ship approached the shore, two human fi-
gures were perceived to be moving on the land;
EMBASSY TO CHINA.
233
upon
they immediately made signals, waving a hand-
kerchief tied to a pole, held by one of them in
his hands, and both running along the cliff, as
if endeavouring to keep up with the ship, as she
moved forwards. It was conjectured, that those
two persons might be the survivors of some ship-
wreck this desert coast; and a strong in-
terest was excited in their favour, sufficient to
determine upon stopping for them, even if no
intention had previously been taken to pay a vi
sit to the place; and it was deemed fortunate,
that the Lion should be thus the means of reliev-
ing two men from the wretchedness they must
feel, in so desolate a spot. The sequel of this
work will, however, shew, that the Lion may
have been probably the occasion of prolonging
their detention in it. A boat was quickly dis-
patched for them, as well as to sound for an-
chorage. The boat had scarcely left the ship,
when the two men were observed to descend from
the cliff, towards the beach, and to prepare them-
selves as if to swim off to the boat. But this was
prevented by the violence of the surge, which
rendered the efforts of those men, as well as of
the boat to approach them, utterly ineffectual at
that moment. There seemed, however, no danger
in sailing along the island, except at the north-
234
EMBASSY TO CHINA.
north-east end, from whence runs a low rocky
reef, a part of which was conspicuous above
water, and a part discoverable by sea weed, which
grows upon, and rises from, the rocks; the
whole extent being about half a mile.
When the ships came abreast of the castern
side of the island, a prodigious indenture in the
land appeared, somewhat in the form of a funnel
or inverted cone, at the bottom of which was
perceived a cove, or large bason of water, com-
municating by a narrow and shallow opening
with the sea. Opposite to this opening, the Lion
anchored in twenty-five fathoms water, about a
mile from shore, on a bottom of black sand and
mud. Here, by a boat entering into the bason,
it was perfectly easy to get on shore. As soon as
the gentlemen from the Lion landed, they were
received, not only by the two men they had dis-
covered on the heights, but by three others who
were their companions; and of whom their chief,
or superintendant, who was an intelligent and
communicative Frenchman, of the name of Per-
the following account. He said, that
two, beside himself, were natives of France; the
other two of England; the latter bred in the
British navy, but afterwards become Americans,
sailing usually out of Boston; that they came
ron, gave
EMBASSY TO CHINA.
235
last from the Isle de France, and were left by the
vessel to which they belonged, the joint property
of Americans and Frenchmen, about five months
since, upon this island, for the purpose
of pro-
viding a cargo of twenty-five thousand seal skins
for the Canton market, which they hoped to com-
plete in about ten months more, having already
procured near eight thousand. The vessel had
been fitted out at the Isle de France, in the In-
dian ocean; and was now gone to Nootka sound,
on the north-west coast of America, with a view
of bringing a quantity of sea-otter skins to Chi-
na; and afterwards of calling for the cargo of
seal skins at this place, to be carried to China
likewise; proceeding thus, alternately, to Nootka
and Amsterdam island, as long as the owners
found their account in it.
The Chinese, it seems, have a particular art
in dressing seal skins, depriving them of the long
and coarser hair, leaving only the soft fur, or
underdown, and, at the same time, rendering the
skin or leather thin and pliant. The price of
those skins at Canton differed from one to three
dollars, or more, according to their quality, and
the demand for them at the time. The trade was,
probably, well worth following, to judge by the
eagerness with which such an assemblage of per-
236
EMBASSY TO CHINA.
any
sons had engaged in it. Perron had a share in
the general adventure; but the people with him
were paid in proportion to their expertness and
diligence. Nothing but the prospect of consi-
derable advantage could be supposed to induce
human beings to reside fifteen months toge-
ther in a country so unpromising, and which
their occupation in it rendered so disgusting.
They killed the seals as they found them basking
in the sun, upon the stones every where along
the shore, and round the large bason aheady
mentioned. As the skins alone were their ob-
ject, they left the carcasses on the ground to pu-
trefy at leisure, strewed in such numbers as to
render it difficult to avoid treading on them in
walking along. A shocking spectacle was thus
exhibited at every step, while the smell infected
the atmosphere around. The people, thus em-
ployed, were, for the most part, remarkable for
the squalor and filth of their persons, clothes,
and dwelling. Yet none of them seemed anxious
to catch at an opportunity of abandoning the place,
before the business for which they came there
was completed; and one of them, an English-
man, had been there for some time on a former
adventure. The signals and apparent anxiety of
two of these people, on the hills, which attracted
EMBASSY TO CHINA.
237
so much the notice of the Lion, were occasioned
by the novelty of the sight, at that time, to them,
and the desire of inducing the ship to stop, with-
out, perhaps, any distinct object of gratification.
The seals, whose skins are thus an article of
commerce, are found here in greater numbers in
the summer than in the winter, when they ge-
nerally keep in deep water, and under the weeds,
which shelter them from the inclemency of the
weather. In the summer months they come
ashore, sometimes in droves of eight hundred or
a thousand at a time, out of which about a hun-
dred are destroyed, that number being as many
as five men can skin and peg down to dry,
in the course of a day. Little of the oil, which
these animals might furnish, is collected, for
want of casks to put it in; part of the best is
boiled, and serves those people instead of butter.
The seal of Amsterdam is the phoca ursina of
Linnæus. The female weighs, usually, from se-
venty to one hundred and twenty pounds, and is
from three to five feet in length; but the male is
considerably larger. In general they are not shy:
sometimes they plunge into the water instantly
upon any one's approach; but, at other times,
remain steadily on the rocks, bark, and rear
themselves up in a menacing posture; but the
!
238
EMBASSY TO CHINA.
blow of a stick
upon the nose seemed sufficient to
dispatch them. Most of those which come ashore
are females, in the proportion of more than thirty
to one male. Whether, in those animals, nature
has fixed on such an apparent disproportion be-
tween the two sexes, or whether, while the ſe-
males have occasion to seek the shore, the males
continue in the deep has not hitherto been ascer-
tained by any observations here. In the winter
season great numbers of sea lions (phoca leonina),
some eighteen feet long, crawl out of the sea
upon the causeway, making a prodigious howl-
ing noise. Even the hollow mournful cry of the
seals may be distinctly heard at the anchorage,
which is a mile distant from the shore. It is
thought that both seals and sea lions are some-
what less numerous here of late, since the place
has been frequented by vessels for the purpose
of getting their skins. Whales abound upon this
coast in the winter season. In the summer they
go into deeper water, and at a farther distance
from the land.
The cove or bason, on the border of which
the seal-catchers had erected a rude hut, was
nearly in the form of an ellipse. On the side ad-
jacent to the sea, its bank was low, composed of
rounded stones, and divided in the middle by a
EMBASSY TO CHINA.
2.39
shallow communication with the sea, of recent
date, as Van Vlaming, a Dutch commander,
who visited this place in 1697, reports that there
then was none, the intermediate causeway being,
at that time, entire, and at least five feet high
above the surface of the sea. Close to this cause-
way, interrupted now, the land on each side rises
suddenly from the bason, and is continued round
it to the height of, at least, seven hundred feet by
trigonometrical admeasurement. At the same
time it is so steep, as to form an angle with the
horizon of about sixty-five degrees. The longest
diameter across the surface of the water in this
funnel was about one thousand one hundred
yards, and the shortest eight hundred and fifty.
The circumference, by the water's edge, was about
three thousand yards, or a mile and three quar-
ters nearly; the upper circumference of the fun-
nel must, consequently, exceed two miles. In
almost every part of the slanting sides of this
funnel near the water's edge, and in the cause-
way dividing it from the sea, several springs of
hot water were discovered. Fahrenheit's thermo-
meter, which stood in the air at sixty-two de-
grees, on being immersed into one of those hot
springs, ascended immediately to one hundred
and ninety-six degrees. In another, it rose to
240
EMBASSY TO CHINA.
two hundred and four; and in a third, on ap-
plying the bulb of the thermometer to a crevice
out of which a small stream issued, in less than
a minute it rose to the boiling point. On various
trials, in several springs, it was found that the
general standard of heat, was that of two hun-
dred and twelve degrees, when the bulb of the
thermometer was applied to the fissure from
whence the water issued; and that if a kind of re-
servoir was formed round the spring, the water
in it would generally remain about the tempera-
ture of two hundred and four degrees. The bason
abounded with tench, bream, and perch; and
the same person, who, with a hook and line, had
caught some of these fish in the cold water of the
bason, might, with the same motion of his hand,
let them drop into the hot adjoining spring,
where, in fact, they were boiled, in the space of
fifteen minutes, and fit for eating. A regale of
this kind was much relished by some of the gen-
tlemen from the Lion and Hindostan. It is easy
to get at the boiling water in the causeway, by
removing a few stones wherever a steam, arising
from among them, denoted the heat beneath. In
some places large beds of mosses, known by the
name of marchantia and lycopodium, were grow-
ing in great luxuriance; out of which, as well,
EMBASSY TO CHINA.
241
indeed, as from several fissures in the great
great fun-
nel, issued a considerable quantity of smoke. A
part of the moss being torn off, some thin hot
mud was discovered underneath, in which the
bulb of the thermometer being immersed, the
quicksilver ascended, in the tube, to the boiling
point. By applying the ear to the ground, a
noise like that of bubbling water was distinctly
heard. In many places veins of vitrified matter
were observed to run perpendicularly from the
water's edge, through substances that had been
burned, but not fused; and some of the rocks
contained several beautiful pieces of zeolite.
Within two hundred yards of the causeway,
and connected with it, is a curious insulated rock
or cone, consisting of several horizontal layers
of matter, some approaching to vitrification,
others more distant from that state, but all in-
dicating the operation of heat; and all the
ap-
pearances seemed to confirm the assertion of
Doctor Gillan that "the island of Amsterdam
"was the product of subterraneous fire; and bore
"evident marks of volcanic eruption in every
66
part of it. On the west and south-west sides.
"there are four small cones, regularly formed,
"with craters in their centres, in which the
❝lava and other volcanic substances, have every
VOL. I.
R
242
EMBASSY TO CHINA.
66
appearance of recent formation. The heat
continue; still so great, and such a quantity
"of elastic vapours issues through numberless
"crevices, that there can be no doubt of their
66
having been; very lately, in a state of eruption.
"In a thermometer, placed upon the surface,
"the quicksilver rose constantly to one hundred
"and eighty degrees, and when sunk a little in-
"to the ashes, it advanced to two hundred and
"twelve degrees. It certainly would have risen
،
still higher, but the scale being graduated only
"to the point of boiling water, and the length of
"the tube proportioned to that extent, the thermo-
“meter was immediately withdrawn, lest the in-
"creasing expansion of the quicksilver should
"burst the glass. The ground was felt tremulous
"under the feet; a stone thrown violently upon
it returned a hollow sound; and the heat was
"so intense, for a considerable distance around,
"that the foot could not be kept for a quarter of
"a minute in the same position, without being
"scorched. But the great crater on the eastern
side, now full of water, is by far the largest
66
""
66
here, or perhaps elsewhere, and is of an asto-
nishing size, considerably exceeding in diame-
"ter those of Etna or Vesuvius. The quantity
"of
of matter to be thrown up, which required se
s♦
EMBASSY TO CHINA.
243
"wide an orifice for its passage, and the force
with which such matter was impelled, in order
"to overcome the resistance of the superincum-
t
เ
bent earth and sea, must have been, indeed,
prodigious.
"This vast crater, according to the usual
"method of computing the antiquity of volca-
"
noes, must have been formed at a very remote
period. The lava all around its sides is much
decomposed, and has mouldered into dust,
" which lies on the surface, in many parts, to a
"considerable depth. The decomposition has
supplied a rich soil for the long grass, grow-
'ing on the sides of the crater; and has even
spread over most parts of the island. The fi-
"brous roots of the grass, extending in all di-
"rections through the decomposed lava, and
"volcanic ashes, and mixed in a decaying state
"with the vegetable mold, produced from the
"annual putrefaction of the leaves and stalks,
have formed a layer of soil, several feet deep,
"all over the island. But as it has nothing,
except its own weight, to compress it together,
"it is of a light spongy texture, with very little
cohesion, and, in many places, furrowed and
"intersected by the summer rains, and the tor-
"rents occasioned by the melting of the snow,
16
R 2
244
EMBASSY TO CHINA.
"which lies upon it, in the winter, from three
"to four feet thick, in all those places where the
“subterraneous heat is not great enough to pre-
"vent its accumulation. In some parts these
* furrows and cavities are deeper than the level
"of the common channel. Hence they serve
"the purpose of small natural reservoirs. The
"water flows into them from all the neighbour-
،
(
66
ing ground; and as their sides are shaded, and
almost covered over by the leaves of the long
grass, growing from their edges in opposite
directions, the rays of the sun are excluded,
"and very little is lost by evaporation. These re-
servoirs, however, are very small, and but few
in number; the largest could not contain more
"than three or four hogsheads of water; and
"there is none else to be found, except in the
،،
springs on the sides of the large crater.
"The soil every where being light and spon-
gy, and full of holes, formed in it by sea-birds
"for nests, is very troublesome to walk upon;
"the foot breaks through the surface, and sinks
deep at every step; a circumstance which ren-
"ders the journey across the island uncommonly
fatiguing, although it be scarcely three miles
"from the edge of the great crater to the opposite
"west side. There is one place, near the centre
EMBASSY TO CHINA.
245
""
"of the island, extending about two hundred
yards in length, and somewhat less in breadth,
"where particular caution is necessary in walk-
ing over it. From this spot a hot fresh spring
"is supposed to derive its source, finding its
"
way through the interstices of the laya to the
great crater, and bursting out a little above the
"water covering its bottom. The heat in this
66
upper spot is too great to admit of vegetation.
"The surface is covered with a kind of mud or
paste, formed from the ashes, moistened by
"steam constantly rising from below. When
the mud is removed, the vapour issues forth
with violence, and in some parts copiously.
“This mud is so hot, that a gentleman who, in-
advertently, stepped into it, had his foot se-
66
verely scalded by it. The same causes, which
"have prevented vegetation on this spot, have
"had the same effect on the four cones recently
thrown up.
Their surfaces are covered with
"ashes only; nor is there the least appearance
" even of moss on the surrounding lava, for the
production of which there does not appear to
"have elapsed a sufficient length of time since
"the cones were formed; but this is not the case
with the lava of the great primary crater; for
in those parts of it where the edges are more
246
EMBASSY TO CHINA.
perpendicular, and where, consequently, the
mouldering decomposed earth, having no basis
"to support it, slides down the sides of the rock,
pretty long moss was generally found growing
،
""
upon it. All the springs or reservoirs of
"hot water, except one only, were brackish.
One spring derives its source from the high
ground, and ridges of the crater. The water
in it, instead of boiling upwards through the
"stones and mud, as in the other springs, flows
"downward with a considerable velocity, in a
86
small collected stream. Its temperature has
"been found not to exceed one hundred and
"twelve degrees. The hand could be easily
kept in it for a considerable time. It is a
66
pretty strong chalybeate. The sides of the
"rock whence it issues, and of the cavity into
"which it falls, are incrusted with ochre de-
"C
posited from it. This is the water used by
"the seamen dwelling upon the island. They
"feel no inconvenience from its use; and habit
"has reconciled them to its taste. When the
great crater is viewed from the high ground,
"it appears to have been originally a perfect
"circle; but to have been encroached upon by
C
66
the sea on the eastern side, where the flood
tide strikes violently. The rocks of lava,
EMBASSY TO CHINA.
247
"which formed the edge of the crater on that
side, have fallen down. The depth of the
"water in the crater is about one hundred and
seventy feet, rendering the whole height of the
crater, from the bottom to its upper ridge, near-
ly, if not quite, nine hundred feet. The lofty
rocks, forming this ridge, are the highest parts
"of the island, which seem to have been origi-
66
nally produced by the melted lava, flowing
"down on all sides from hence. Thus there is
"a gradual slope from the edges of the crater to
"the sea and the lava, tho very irregular, and
"
lying in mixed ruin and confusion immediate-
ly around the crater, assumes a more uniform
appearance at some distance, layer resting re-
gularly upon layer, with a gradual declivity
"the whole way down to the sea. This dispo-
"sition of the layers is particularly observable
in the west side, where they happen to termi-
nate in an abrupt precipice. The eruptions
that took place, at different periods, appear
"here distinctly marked by the different layers
" that are found with regular divisions between
them, the glassy lava being undermost; the
compact, next; the cellular lava next above;
"over it the volcanic ashes and lighter substances,
248
EMBASSY TO CHINA.
"and a layer of vegetable mold covering the
"whole."
The island appears, indeed, in such a state of
volcanic inflammation, that from the ships'
decks at night were observed, upon the heights
of the island, several fires, issuing out of the cre-
vices of the earth, more considerable, but in other
respects resembling somewhat the nightly flames
at Pietra Mala, in the mountains between Flo-
rence and Bologna, or those near Bradley in
Lancashire, occasioned by some of the coal pits
having taken fire. In the day nothing more than
smoke could be perceived.
The island of Amsterdam lies in thirty-eight
degrees forty-two minutes south latitude, and in
seventy-six degrees fifty-four minutes longitude
east of Greenwich. The variation of the com-
pass in the great crater was nineteen degrees fifty
minutes westward of the north pole. Fahren-
heit's thermometer, during the Lion's stay, about
sixty two degrees. The length of the island
from north to south is upwards of four miles, its
breadth from east to west about two miles and a
half, and its circumference eleven miles, compre-
hending a surface of about eight square miles, or
five thousand one hundred and twenty acres, al-
EMBASSY TO CHINA.
249
most the whole of which is covered with a fertile
soil. The island is inaccessible except on the
east side, where the great crater forms a harbour,
the entrance to which is deepening annually,
and might, by the aid of art, be made fit for the
passage of large ships. The tides run in and out
at the rate of three miles an hour, and rise per-
pendicularly eight or nine feet on the full and
change of the moon. Their direction is south-
east by south, and north-east by north. A
northerly wind makes the highest tide. The
water is eight or ten fathoms deep almost close
to the edge of the crater. The Englishman who
had been, for the second time, upon the island,
gave a very unfavourable account of the weather
during the winter months. In the summer
months it was acknowledged to be very fine,
and easterly winds uncommon; but the winter
was always boisterous, with hail and snow, and
a great swell produced by winds blowing con-
stantly from the north-west or south-west quar-
ters. In those times, he said, a whirlwind was
sometimes seen to sweep off the surface of the
water in the crater, and to raise it in vast sheets
to the very top of the surrounding sides, already
mentioned to be found by admeasurement no
250
EMBASSY TO CHINA.
!
less than seven hundred feet in perpendicular
height.
The small vessel, in which the present inha-
bitants of the island were brought to it in the
preceding September, remained either at anchor
or in the offing for eight weeks; during the whole
of which time, a boat was able to land only
twice; and, in consequence, they were left with
such a scanty supply of provisions, that they
must have perished, had not the island furnish-
ed them with plenty of fish and fowl. They
stood most in need of vegetable food; but beside
what was given to them from the Lion and Hin-
dostan, the gardeners planted potatoes and other
vegetables round their hut, which may prove a
seasonable relief to them, or to their successors
upon the island: a circumstance the more de-
sirable from its lying in the track of ships for
China, as well as of those bound, by the outer
passage, to the eastern side of Hindostan.
The sea supplies this island with excellent fish,
particularly a kind of cod, which was equally
relished whether fresh or salted. Cray fish was
in such abundance on the bar across the entrance
into the crater, that at low water they might be
taken by the hand. At the anchorage of the
EMBASSY TO CHINA.
251
ships the people took them by letting down into
the sea baskets, in which were baits of sharks'
flesh. In a few minutes, the baskets being drawn
up, were found half filled with cray fish. Hooks
and lines speedily procured a change of diet for
a week. This circumstance was the more extra-
ordinary as sharks and dog-fish, of uncommon
size, abounded in the same place, which are
known to be so voracious, and such enemies to
all other fish. One shark was caught measuring
eleven feet in length, and near five in circumfe-
rence. In his maw was found a penguin entire,
an animal classed by all naturalists among birds,
but certainly partaking much of the fishy tribe,
not only by its frequent residence in the water,
which renders it a prey to sharks, but by its
scale-like feathers, and its fin-like wings. The
species here found in vast abundance, often bask-
ing and standing erect on the rocks, in company
with the seals, is distinguished by Linnæus by
the name of chrysocoma, having large yellow fea-
thers, forming two semicircles over the eyes, like
eyebrows.
Of all the birds which frequent this spot, so
extraordinary in its origin, formation, and ap-
pearance, not one is common to the same degree
เ
252
EMBASSY TO CHINA,
of latitude in the northern hemisphere. Of the
larger kind were several species of the albatross;
on examining one of which, distinguished by the
name of exulans, it was found that instead of hav-
ing only the rudiments of a tongue, as supposed
by naturalists, it had one equalling half the length
of the bill. The yellow-billed albatross is not
quite so large as the former; but the brown alba-
tross is of a greater bulk. The specimen of the
latter, carried on board the Lion, weighed six-
teen pounds, the expansion of its wings was
nine feet, the plumage particularly thick upon
the breast. The albatross finds a difficulty in
raising itself on a sudden into the air; but is
obliged to start from a precipice, or to run a
considerable way upon the ground, in order to
acquire an impetus or quantity of motion suffi-
cient to lift him on the wing. When in the
water he makes several efforts before he can rise
out of it. Another large bird is likewise com-
mon here, called the great black petrel, and is
the procellaria equinoctialis of Linnæus; it is the
determined enemy of the albatross, whom it at-
tacks always, whenever it finds him on the wing,
but quits as soon as the albatross takes to the wa-
ter, which is his constant refuge in such ren-
EMBASSY TO CHINA.
253
counters. This petrel is a fierce and voracious
animal; tho one of them soon grew tame on
board the Lion, eating quietly the garbage and
offals set before it; and seemed to take great de-
light in bathing in a tub of sea water; and it
was, therefore, often indulged in that luxury.
This bird is a still more fatal enemy to the blue
petrel of Amsterdam, or procellaria forsteri, than
to the albatross. It devours only the heart and
liver of the former, leaving the rest untouched.
Hundreds of them, thus eviscerated, were found
lying upon the earth throughout the island.
They hide themselves under ground in the day-
time, in order to escape, if possible, from their
destroyer. Sometimes, indeed, in that situation,
they make a noise, by which they are discovered.
At night they come abroad, and thence are term-
ed night birds by the people at Amsterdam; but
being fond of flocking to any light, they fall into
another snare laid for them by the seal-catchers,
who kindle torches for that purpose, and kill
multitudes of them. They constitute indeed the
principal food of these people, who think it very
good. This blue petrel is about the size of a
pigeon. Another petrel, of a much smaller size
and darker colour, frequents this island likewise.
254
EMBASSY TO CHINA.
}
It is often observed upon the ocean in bad weather,
and is therefore called the stormy petrel; or in
the sailors' language, allusive to some witch's
story, now forgotten, Mother Cary's chicken.
The prettiest of the feathered tribe, inhabiting or
visiting Amsterdam, was the silver bird, or sterna
hirundo, about the size of a large swallow or swift,
with a forked or swallow tail. The bill and legs
are of a bright crimson colour, the belly white,
the back and wings bluish ash-colour. This bird
subsists chiefly on small fish, which it picks up
as they are swimming near the surface of the
water. Mr. Maxwell shot a silver bird flying;
and as it fell, a fish of about three inches long
was found held crosswise by its bill. These birds
range about in very
considerable numbers, and
with no apprehension of danger. Whenever a
young one was taken, the others kept fluttering
about the captor for a considerable time, making
all the noise they could, and seeming to threaten
as if they meant to strike or dart upon his head,
in order to frighten and force him to give up his
prize.
In the tour which some of the gentlemen from
the Lion made of this small but singular island,
they were accompanied by Perron, the chief of
EMBASSY TO CHINA.
255
the seafaring men then resident upon it, who
very readily offered to conduct them, as he was
acquainted with the path leading up the side of
the hill or funnel, by which alone it was possible
to ascend it; and even there not without labour,
and some risk. Above, there was found a level,
extending about a mile; afterwards, a gradual
declivity towards the sea, to within fifty yards,
where the ground ends in a precipice, inacces-
sible from below, except in one place, to which a
path communicates with the high land. By this
the seal-catchers are enabled to pass to the shore,
when the direction of the wind induces the seals
to seek protection from the roughness of the water
on the opposite side. When the party returned
to the eastward of the island where the ships had
been at anchor, they were perceived to be pre-
paring for departure; and the gentlemen, who
felt themselves indebted to Perron for his com-
plaisance and attention to them on their little
tour, as well as for his ready communication of
whatever he had observed during his stay upon
the island, had the mortification to find that he
had, for his reward, been despoiled, during his
absence with them, of no inconsiderable propor-
tion of the skins, which must have cost so much,
to a man of his decent manners and disposition,
}
256
EMBASSY TO CHINA.
to collect. While he was away from the hut
where they were kept, some persons from the
ships, suspected to be above the rank of common
seamen, brought spirituous liquors ashore, which
was a temptation too strong for the other seal-
catchers to resist. They first began to bargain
upon reasonable conditions, except offering a pro-
perty not their own; but when once they had
tasted the rum in sufficient quantity to affect their
understanding, they lessened the heap of skins
with a profusion which knew no bounds; and
Perron had to regret his good nature to strangers,
which gave the opportunity of thus injuring him,
and to lament the arrival of English ships at the
place of his abode. Sir Erasmus Gower, who
felt much indignation when he heard the story,
ordered a general search to be made for the skins
thus unwarrantably acquired. Some were found;
and it was intended to leave them at Canton; for
the Lion was already under sail from Amsterdam
before he could know the fact. How subsequent
events rendered this determination vain, will
hereafter be related to the reader.
St. Paul's, or the island lying in sight, and
to the northward of Amsterdam, differed in ap-
pearance materially from the latter. It presented
no very high land, or any rising in a conic.
EMBASSY TÓ CHINA.
257
form. It was overspread with shrubs and trees
of a middling size. It was said to abound with
fresh water; but had no good anchorage near it,
or any place of easy landing. The ships lost
sight of both those islands, on the evening of the
second of February, 1793.
}
VOL. I.
S
258
EMBASSY TO CHINA.
}
CHAPTER VII.
ENTRANCE INTO THE STRAITS OF SUNDA. VISIT
TO BATAVIA AND BANTAM, IN THE ISLAND OF
JAVA. VIEW OF THE SOUTHERN EXTREMITY OF
THE ISLAND OF SUMATRA. PASSAGE THROUGH
THE STRAITS OF BANKA TO PULO CONDORE.
AFTER having sailed in high southern latitudes
during as much of the year 1793 as had hitherto
been spent, and traversed an ocean of more ex-
tent than is found continuous within the boun-
daries of Europe, but in a part where there was
no likelihood of meeting any vessels, the Embas-
sador and other passengers of the Lion and Hin-
dostan began, at length, to indulge the hope of
getting soon into a track, where they might ob-
tain intelligence, through the homeward bound
ships from China, of the impression which the
notification of the Embassy had made there.
Those ships generally find it necessary to deviate
to the southward of the direct route, in order to
get into latitudes where the winds are most
favourable for a passage home. The Lion and
Hindostan were, indeed, still considerably to
EMBASSY TO CHINA.
259
the southward of such a route; but in making
an oblique course to the north-east, in order to
get into the Straits of Sunda, there was a proba-
bility that they would meet the homeward bound
hips, sailing in the opposite direction, from the
Straits' mouth. The wind did not always favour
the intention of the former; and, sometimes,
blew from the very point towards which they
wished to steer. It soon, however, changed, not
indeed entirely to the opposite point; but to
that, from whence it came, in the nautical phrase,
upon the quarter, in which situation, as the wind
could be brought to act upon many more sails,
than if it struck merely upon the stern in the ex-
act direction of the vessel's course, it produces a
more considerable effect; and the Lion's motion
was so accelerated as to go no less than two hun-
dred and thirty-nine miles on the day she re-
turned within the tropics, being more than had
been before accomplished, in an equal time,
during the whole voyage.
While the breeze was fresh, the weather, not-
withstanding the sun's vertical heat, was always
pleasant. The tropic birds, remarkable for their
very high flight, and their long tail feathers,
began to appear again; and the porpoises to play
upon the waters; while the flying fish were seen
S 2
260
EMBASSY TO CHINA.
in numbers, escaping only from their finny pur-
suers, to become a prey to the winged tribe, that
was watching to dart upon them as soon as they
rose above the water. Several water-spouts were
now observed; some resembling jet d'eaus, al-
most reaching to the lowered clouds, some not
unlike the blowing of a whale.
The ships spread more than usual from each
other, in order to embrace a greater extent of the
horizon, and thereby have a better chance of es-
pying any vessel which might be steering from
the Straits of Sunda towards Europe. Most per-
sons in the Lion and Hindostan prepared for such
a meeting, which could be only of short conti-
nuance, by writing letters to send to their con-
nections and friends at home; an occupation
which recalled, for a moment, their distant cares,
and renewed all their sensations of friendship
and affection. In the ardour of searching for
other ships, the Lion and Hindostan, who had
kept so constantly together, in passing through
upwards of a hundred degrees of latitude, and
still more of longitude, separated, by some acci-
dent, now for the first time. Each pursued his
route for North Island, being the accustomed
rendezvous in the Straits of Sunda.
The disadvantage of a long continuance at sea
EMBASSY TO CHINA.
261
became now apparent, from the scorbutic symp-
torns which began to affect several of both the
crews, notwithstanding the measures taken for
the preservation of their health, which have been
already mentioned; to which may be added the
use of anti-scorbutics, such as the mixture of sour-
crout, or pickled cabbage, in their food; and the
occasional distribution amongst them of the es-
sence of malt. They were much gratified by the
indulgence allowed them of tobacco. It was
hoped that the air of land, to which they were
now approaching, and the use of fresh vegetables
to be found there, might prove still more effec-
tual remedies. The officers of the Lion expect-
ed when they got into the twentieth degree of
south latitude, and the hundredth degree of east
longitude, or upwards, from Greenwich, that the
appearance of weeds, land birds, or of fish fre-
quenting shores, would have indicated the neigh-
bourhood of land, as Cloat's island and the Tryal
rocks are laid down thereabouts in several charts;
but no such traces were perceived until they were
within seven degrees of the latitude of the Line,
and somewhat more than one hundred and three
degrees east longitude, when they saw a very small
island, which they supposed to be that which is
called Clapp's island, not above seven or eight
262
EMBASSY TO CHINA.
miles in circumference; but it is high enough to
be seen, in clear weather, at the distance of as
many leagues. The next day, being the twenty-
fifth of February, 1793, they came in sight of the
most westerly point of the island of Java, called
Java head; and, soon afterwards, saw Prince's
island at the entrance of the Straits of Sunda.
The great island of Sumatra by its south-east,
and that of Java by its north-west, extremity,
approaching to each other, form those straits be-
tween them, which are interspersed with a num-
ber of small isles; the whole displaying a scenery,
inferior indeed in grandeur to that of the lofty
range of mountains round the harbour of Rio de
Janeiro, but scarcely to be exceeded in the soft-
ness, richness, and gaiety of its appearance. The
two great islands, first mentioned, which are low,
and in some places marshy, near the shore, rise
afterwards in a gradual slope towards the interior
of the country, admitting in their ascent every
variety of situation, and all the different tints of
verdure. Of the smaller islands, a few have steep
and naked sides, such as one in the middle of the
strait, which the English navigators have distin-
guished, on that account, by the name of Thwart-
the-way, and two very small round ones called,
from their figures, the Cap and Button; but most
EMBASSY TO CHINA.
263
upon
of the others are entirely level, founded
beds of coral, and covered with trees. Some of
these islands are surrounded with a white sandy
beach, visited frequently by turtle; but most of
them are adorned with thick shrubbery to the
water's edge, the roots being washed by the sea,
or the branches dipping into it; and on the out-
side are shoals, in which a multitude of little
aquatic animals are busied in framing calcareous
habitations for their residence and protection.
Those fabrics gradually emerge above the surface
of the water, and, at length, by the adventitious ad-
hesion of vegetable matter, giving birth to plants
and trees, become new islands, or add to the size of
those already produced by the same means.
is impossible not to be struck with the diversified
operations of nature for obtaining the same end,
whether employed in originally fixing the granite
foundation of the Brazils, or in throwing up,
by some sudden and subsequent convulsion, the
island of Amsterdam, or in continuing to this
hour, through the means of animated beings, the
formation of new lands in the Straits of Sunda.
It
One of these coralline productions is North
Island, where the Lion found the Hindostan at
anchor. The latter met, near the mouth of the
Straits, with one of the East India Company's
264
EMBASSY TO CHINA.
ships returning home from China. She had
brought dispatches from the Company's Com-
missioners at Canton to the Embassador, which,
after the ship had waited ten days for his Excel-
lency at Batavia, were left there for him. On
the Lion's proceeding, together with the Hin-
dostan, to that place, the voyage was found to
resemble a short trip of pleasure. The sea was
perfectly smooth; and its surface studded with
innumerable clusters of coral islands. The sub-
stance of which they are composed is in a hard
state, and similar to rock; but in various places
considerable quantities of zoophytes were drag-
ged from the sea, some of a fleshy, and some of
a leathery texture. Of the corals there were vast
masses, and of various species, the madrepora,
cellipora, and tubipora, of different shapes, flat,
round, and branched; and, as to colour, brown,
white, and blue; and all these colours not un-
frequently in the same specimen; but none red,
except the tubipora musica.
Of the prodigious variety of aquatic animals,
independently of those which produce the coral
islands, a large proportion is doomed to move
only along the bottom of the sea, of which the
most numerous here were the sea urchin, star
fish, and the holothuria. Others are still more
EMBASSY TO CHINA.
265
confined in their movements than the common
oyster, whose shells are not immoveably fixed to
a particular spot, but are sometimes transported
from one bank to another, by the impulse of tides
or currents, or other motion of the waters near
them; whereas there are animals of a similar
kind, which, beside being inclosed in a bivalve
shell, are imbedded, with the shell itself, in a
large mass of calcareous rock, having only a
sufficient play for the hinges, that the valves may
open, and shut upon whatever prey the passing
waves casually waft towards them. These are
some, among the many instances, of the regular
gradations of animal life, from rapid motion and
exquisite sensibility, to the borders of mere ve-
getable irritability; where those two kingdoms
of nature seem to meet, and to be confounded
together. The coral rocks above the surface,
on which vegetation flourished, were many of
them so small, as to contain each only a single
stem, like a vessel's mast, upon it; the whole of
them presenting, to a distant view, the appear-
ance of several fleets of shipping. Within one
of these clusters, distinguished, from its num-
ber, by the name of the Thousand Islands, the
Lion and Hindostan anchored, during the night.
The sky was clear, and the stars shone with sin-
266
EMBASSY TO CHINA.
gular lustre. Those of the first and second mag,
nitude, might be observed, distinctly, rising from
the horizon, or descending beneath it; and their
amplitudes, or distances from the east or west
points, might have been taken as accurately as
that of the sun or moon. The southern constel-
lations of the centaur, cross, and
argo, seemed to
form a brighter portion of the firmament than
any which the
eye can reach from high northern
latitudes.
The ships arrived on the sixth of March in Ba-
tavia road, which lies in six degrees ten minutes
south latitude, and in one hundred and six degrees
fifty-one minutes eastern longitude from Green-
wich; the variation of the compass about half a de-
gree to
to the westward of the pole. In this passage to
Batavia there are several shoals. Beacons are fixed
on some to point out the danger; others are not
even noticed in the marine charts made by the
Dutch, at an early period of their settlement on
this coast; and are supposed to be collections of
coral, formerly lying deeper, but which, by con-
tinual accretion, have risen nearer to the surface.
That there is some increase of land, from other
causes, at the entrance of Batavia, is evident from
an inspection of the plan of that city, taken about
a century and a half ago, of which a copy is in-
EMBASSY TO CHINA.
267
serted in Ogilby's account of the Dutch embassy
to China. According to this plan the principal
fort or citadel of Batavia was situated close to the
beach, and a double row of piles driven a consi-
derable way, perhaps a mile, out into the shallow
sea, to denote the safest passage to be between
them; whereas now there is land, and even a
row of houses on one side, to the very extremity
of those piles. This increase was, however,
greatly assisted, if not chiefly effected, by human
industry, exerted in banking up the earth washed
from the mountains by the river, which is much
more steep and rapid at its origin than where it
empties itself into the sea.
A circular range of islands protects the road
of Batavia from any heavy swell, and renders it
a safe place for ships to anchor in: and it is large
enough to contain all those that double the Cape
of Good Hope. The great number of Dutch ves-
sels lying before the city was alone sufficient to
announce it to be their principal place of trade,
as well as the seat of their chief government in
Asia. The Chinese junks, also, so ill calculated
for long voyages, which were at anchor in the
road, already indicated the vicinity of that em-
pire. Few of the buildings of the city of Batavia
were perceptible from the road, except the dome
268
EMBASSY TO CHINA,
of the great church; the rest being chiefly hid-
den, as well as shaded, by the large leaves of
lofty palms, and other high and spreading trees.
the
The Embassador, after having been compli-
mented on board, on the part of the Dutch go-
vernment, was received on shore with distin-
guished honours; tho his mission had created
there strong alarms, No account, it seems, had
reached Batavia of the liberal communication,
and proffer of service, made to the States General
by the administration of Great Britain, upon
occasion of the Embassy. When these were now
announced by the Embassador to the Governor
and Council, the secret apprehensions that had
been entertained by them were frankly acknow-
ledged; as well as the intention of their agents
at Canton to join in counteracting his Excellency
there as much as lay in their
vernment of Batavia was made sensible that there
was room enough for the commerce of both na-
tions; and the Council immediately determined
to send instructions to Canton for uniting with,
instead of opposing, the efforts of the Embassa-
dor; from whence it was to be hoped that every
European nation, trading to China, would be
benefited in the end. The dispatches his Excel-
lency received here from the Commissioners of
power. The go-
EMBASSY TO CHINA.
269
the English East India Company at Canton,
augured favourably for his honourable reception
at the court of Pekin. The Commissioners men-
tioned that "having applied to two of the principal
Chinese merchants to solicit an audience from
"the Fouyen or Governor of Canton, in the ab-
sence of the Viceroy of the province, in order
"to deliver a letter to him from the Chairman
"of the Court of Directors of the East India
(6
Company; those merchants readily guessed
that the letter related to the Embassy, of which
"the rumour had spread amongst them; and
"expressed some degree of apprehension lest the
"measure might, in its consequences, affect the
trade, property, or personal security of the
native merchants of Canton; but that the Com-
missioners assured them that it would rather
"be productive of good than of ill consequences
"to all the trading part of the community; that
$
the motives of the Embassy were anxiously in-
"quired into, on the part of the officers of go-
“vernment, as a preliminary step to the audi-
"ence required by the Commissioners, who de-
"clared that nothing further was intended than
"to effect a stricter friendship between the courts
of London and Pekin, and an increase of that
"intercourse, which had been carried on for so
270
EMBASSY TO CHINA.
66
many years, to the advantage of both nations?
"that this explanation was probably satisfactory,
"as the day for their reception was fixed at an
earlier period than could have been expected,
"from the procrastinating and superstitious tem-
per of the Chinese; that a message was after-
"wards, however, sent by the Governor to learn
"the rank and situation of the person from
whom the letter came; and whether he was a
"servant of the King, and held an office under
"
his seal; that in answer it was said, that the
letter, tho not written by an immediate ser-
"vant of the King, was sent to the Viceroy
"with his Majesty's knowledge, to announce
"the approach of his Embassador to Pekin;
"that in consequence, however, of the letter not
having been written by an immediate officer
"of the crown, nor to be delivered by persons.
in its service, but in that only of the Com-
pany, objections arose to the intended form of
"their reception; but as any contest about ce-
66
remony might have been followed by a refusal
to receive the letter, till an answer could be
"obtained from Pekin, which was a subterfuge
"that the Hoppo, or mandarine more iminedi-
ately connected with Europeans, and interested
"in preventing representations of any kind from
66
EMBASSY TO CHINA.
271
66
reaching Pekin, betrayed a disposition of urg-
ing to the Fouyen, it was determined to deli-
"ver the letter in any manner that might be
prescribed. It became necessary, likewise, to
"communicate its contents; and it was with no
"small trouble and difficulty that the Chinese
merchants, who were the only interpreters,
"could be brought to comprehend the particu-
"lars of the letter, and the real object of the
Embassy. The want of a competent linguist,
"and the necessity of encouragement to attain
66
66
"
(
the Chinese language, under the obstacles to
be encountered in such a pursuit, were, per-
haps, never so apparent as on this occasion:
and the English commissioners could not but
"lament the want of an interpreter of their own
เ
nation, capable of conceiving and rendering
the spirit of the letter, and of carrying on with
advantage a conference both delicate and im-
portant. That it ended, however, in a pro-
"mise that the letter should be forwarded to the
66
"(
66
"6
Emperor; and the result made known to them
through the Chinese merchants. That accord-
ingly, some time afterwards, his Imperial Ma-
jesty's pleasure was published upon the sub-
“ject, in an edict declaring his satisfaction at
“the intended Embassy; and giving orders that
272
EMBASSY TO CHINA.
66
pilots should be properly stationed to conduct
"the ships, in which the Embassador and the
pre-
"sents from the King of Great Britain were ex-
pected, into the port of Tien-sing, or any other
they might think more convenient, or prefer."
The Commissioners added, that "the impression
looked for from the Embassy had already taken
place on the officers of government at Canton.
"Less interruption to foreign trade, and a more
66
"
ready attention to the representations of the
"Commissioners, were very apparent; and the
Hoppo was already said to have in contempla-
“tion to abolish the extravagant charges at Ma-
cao, by which means one of the principal
impositions upon foreigners would be sup-
pressed."
66
66
The communication of these dispatches to the
Batavian government, which felt now a common
interest in the present Embassy, occasioned ad-
ditional festivities to those with which it was in-
tended to celebrate the anniversary of the birth
of the Prince of Orange, Stadtholder of the
United Provinces. His high office and com-
manding influence, particularly in the affairs of
the East India Company of that country, placed
upon the level of a sovereign; and his se-
rene highness was much more the object of
him
EMBASSY TO CHINA.
273
respect and apparent attachment than the States
General, tho nominally his superiors. The
mingled taste and united luxuries of a Dutch and
Eastern entertainment, to which the Embassador
and his suite were all invited, were displayed
upon the occasion. It was given at the house
of the Governor-general, a little way out of
town; the road to it led through an avenue of
trees, bordered by canals, near which, on one
side, the humours of a Flemish fair were exhi-
bited, for the amusement of the people; and, on
the other, upon such a large cart as is supposed
to be the original scene of dramatic performances,
appeared several Chinese actors, whom some of
the Governor's new guests would have preferred
stopping to observe, rather than to partake of the
sumptuous banquet within doors. This banquet
was preceded by a ball, and accompanied by il-
luminations and fire-works in the garden, which
seemed multiplied by reflection from the several
pieces of water that covered a great proportion of
the ground; nor did the company separate till
near the morning.
Notwithstanding these occasional scenes of
merriment, implying the enjoyment of health and
vigour, the greatest number of the Dutch settlers
in Batavia, such as were commonly seen at their
T
VOL. I.
.
274
EMBASSY TO CHINA.
doors, are met with in the streets, appeared
wan, weak, and languid, as if labouring with
the "disease of death." Their place of resi-
dence, indeed, is situated in the midst of swamps
and stagnated pools, from whence they are every
morning saluted with "a congregation of foul
"and pestilential vapours," whenever the sea
breeze sets in, and blows over this morass. The
meridian sun raises from the shallow and muddy
、canals, with which the town is intersected, dele-
terious miasmata into the air; and the trees with
which the quays and streets are crowded, emit
noxious exhalations in the night. The sudden
transition likewise from a cold northern region
to the middle of the torrid zone, without the
adoption of the habits requisite in the latter, must
render the human frame more liable to be af
fected by any causes of disease.
Doctor Gillan understood that "there were
"but few examples of strangers remaining in
"Batavia long without being attacked by fever,
"which is the general denomination, in that
"C
1
place, for illness of every kind. Europeans,
"soon after their arrival, first become languid
"and feeble; and in a few weeks, sometimes in
"
a few days, are taken ill. The disorder, at
"first, is commonly a tertian ague, which, after
1
EMBASSY TO CHINA.
275
"two or three paroxysms, becomes a double ter-
tian, and then a continued remittent, that fre-
quently carries off the patient in a short time.
Many fall victims to the second or third fit;
"but in these cases a constant delirium, and a
great determination of the blood to the brain
accompany the other symptoms. In some it
begins in a quotidian form, with regular inter-
"missions for a day or two; and then becomes
a continued remittent, attended with the same
"fatal consequences as the former. The Peru-
"vian bark was seldom prescribed in any stage
"of the disease; or it was given in such small
،،
56
quantities as to be productive of little benefit.
"No change was made in the diet or regimen of
"the patient, and the chief, or rather the sole
"medicine administered, was a solution of cam-
phor in spirit of wine, of which a table spoon-
"ful was taken, occasionally, in a glass of water.
"The practitioners of physic in Batavia, where
"the presence of the most skilful certainly was
(6
necessary, not having had the advantages of a
"medical education, were satisfied, as to theory,
"with considering the nature of the fever as be-
ing to rot and corrupt the human frame; and,
as to practice, that camphor being the most
powerful antisceptic known, it was proper to
Te
276
EMBASSY TO CHINA.
}
"trust to it, by a rule more simple even than
Moliere's, and to exhibit it in every variety
66
and period of the complaint. The intermittent
"fever does not, however, prove always fatal;
"but continues, in some instances, even for
66
many years; and the patient becomes so fami-
"liarized to it, as scarcely to think it a disease;
"and in the intervals of its attack, attends to his
“affairs, and mixes in society. A gentleman, in
"that predicament, conversing upon the nature
"of the climate, observed that, in fact, it was
"fatal to vast numbers of Europeans who came
"to settle there; that he lost many of his friends
66
every year; but for his part, he enjoyed ex-
"cellent health. Soon after, he called for a nap-
“kin to wipe his forehead, adding, that this was
"his fever day; he had a shocking fit that morn-
ing, and still continued to perspire profusely.
66
66
66
Upon being reminded of his late assertion of
being always healthy, he replied he was so,
"with exception of those fits, which did not pre-
"vent him from being generally very well; that
"he was conscious they would destroy him by
66
degrees, were he to remain in the country
long; but that he hoped his affairs would en-
“able him to leave it before that event was likely
"to take place. Those fits are always followed
EMBASSY TO CHINA.
277
by obstructions, and hard swellings in the
"bowels. Their increase is regular and gra-
dual; and he that is attentive to their progress,
may almost calculate how long he has yet to
"live. It is supposed that of the Europeans, of
"all classes, who come to settle in Batavia, not,
66
always, half the number survives the year.
"The place resembles, in that respect, a field of
battle, or a town besieged. The frequency of
"deaths renders familiar the mention of them,
"and little signs are shewn of emotion or surprise
"on hearing that the companion of yesterday,
“is to-day no more. It is probable, female Eu-
66
ropeans suffer less at Batavia than the men.
"The former seldom expose themselves to the
"heat of the sun, make frequent use of the cold
bath, and live more temperately than the other
66
" sex.
Of the fatal effects of the climate upon both
sexes, however, a strong proof was given by a
lady there, who mentioned, that out of eleven
persons of her family who had come to Batavia
only ten months before, her father, brother-in-
law, and six sisters, had already paid the debt of
nature. That there are constitutions, however,
so formed, as to be little affected by causes fatal
to many others, appeared in particular instances;
278
EMBASSY TO CHINA.
2
1
such as that of the gentleman who was governor-
general when the Lion was at Batavia. He had
been upwards of forty years in the country, was
a man of great application to business, and took
no uncommon precaution for the preservation of
his health such also was one of the counsellors
of the Indies, as the members of this
government
are entitled, at whose house the Embassador, and
two persons of his suite, resided, and were enter-
tained with equal hospitality and splendour while
they remained ashore. This gentleman's house
was generously open to all strangers'; nor did he
set them the example of abstemiousness in hist
own person. Both he and the governor were not
only exempt from sickness, but even from any
kind of languor, so frequently experienced by
others in every part of the torrid zone, as well as
at Batavia. There were other gentlemen of habits
less robust, but whose active minds were not af-
fected by the climate. Even learning was culti-
vated in the midst of more profitable occupations.
An observatory had been erected here, which,
indeed, was now neglected; but an academy of
sciences and literature still subsisted. Among
other marks of attention paid to the Embassador,
diplomas were presented to him and to one of his
suite, as members of the academy, together with
EMBASSY TO CHINA.
279
sets of the volumes hitherto published by it. One
of the members of the council, who had formerly
resided as chief of the Dutch commerce at Japan,
had in contemplation to publish a description of
that country, for which his situation and inge-
nuity enabled him to collect very interesting ma-
terials.
The Embassador's host had a very curious
collection in the several departments of natural
history. He made
He made presents to his guests of seve-
ral specimens. Among them was a beautiful
pheasant, which, on being sent to England, and
shewn to a gentleman of acknowledged eminence
in all branches of zoology, Doctor Shaw of the
British Museum, he was of opinion, that "this
superb pheasant was a bird which, from every
“examination of the writers on ornithological
subjects, appeared to be yet u
undescribed. None
"of the species mentioned by Linnæus, and
"Mr. Latham, could in any degree, be supposed
"to relate to this. The species to which it seemed
"to be most nearly allied, in point of general ha-
"bit or appearance, was the phasianus curvirostris,
66
or Impeyan pheasant; an East Indian bird, de-
"scribed and figured both in Mr. Latham's Or-
nithology, and in the Museum Leverianum.
280
EMBASSY TO CHINA.
"From that bird, however, it differs very con-
siderably. The tail of the latter being in a mu-
"tilated state, it was scarce possible to determine,
"with absolute precision, whether it should be
"referred to that subdivision of pheasants, which
" contains those with long or cuneiform tails, or
“those with rounded ones, as in the Impeyan
66
""
66
66
pheasant. The general colour of this most
elegant bird was black, with a gloss of blue,
or what, in the language of natural history,
may be termed chalybean black, or black ac-
companied by a steel-blue lustre. The lower
part of the back was of a peculiarly rich colour,
"which, according to the different directions of
"the light, appeared either of a deep ferruginous,
"or of the brightest fiery orange-red. This beau-
"tiful colour passed in the manner of a broad
66
zone, round the whole body; but on the ab-
"domen, was of a much more obscure appear-
"ance than on the back, as well as somewhat
"broken or irregular, especially on the sides.
"The throat was furnished with a large, and
"somewhat angular, pair of wattles, uniting
with the bare spaces on the cheeks. The fea-
"thers on the top of the head, which was of a
'lengthened form, ran a little backward, so as
EMBASSY TO CHINA.
281
to give the appearance of an indistinct occipital
crest. The beak was remarkable for a more
lengthened and curved aspect, than in any other
"bird of this genus, except the Impeyan phea-
"sant. The feathers on the neck, back, and
"breast, were rounded, and of the same shell-
"like or scaly habit, as those of the turkey. The
C
legs very stout, and were armed with a pair of
"extremely strong, large, and sharp spurs. Both
legs and beak were of a pale colour. Whether
"this bird be really new or not to the ornitholo-
gists of Europe, it may at least be affirmed
with safety, that it had never been properly
described; nor can the character of any species,
hitherto introduced into the books of any sys-
"tematic naturalist, be considered as a just or
competent specific character of the present bird.
"It may be called the fire-backed pheasant; and
"its essential character may be delineated in
"the following terms: black pheasant with a
steel-blue gloss; the sides of the body rufous;
"the lower part of the back fiery ferruginous;
“the tail rounded? the two middle feathers,
pale yellow brown.
The eye looks in the country here in vain for
the common animals and vegetables, which it had
been accustomed every day to meet in Europe.
282
EMBASSY TO CHINA.
The most familiar bird about the house of the
Embassador's host was the crown bird, as it was
called at Batavia, which was not however the
ardea pavonina of Linnæus, but the columba cris-
tata, having nothing, except its crest, in com-
mon with the former. The same gentleman had
also, at his country house, some large cassowary
birds, which, tho long in his possession, and
having the appearance of tameness, sometimes
betrayed the fierceness of their nature, attacking
with their strong bill those who approached too
near them. The vegetation of the country is
likewise new. Even the parterres in the gardens
are bordered, instead of box-wood, by the Ara-
bian jessamine, of which the fragrant flowers
adorn the pagodas of Hindostan. The Dutch,
who are so fond of gardens in Holland, have
transferred that taste, where it can, certainly, be
cultivated with more success, and indulge it to a
great extent at their houses a little way from the
city of Batavia; but still within that fenny dis-
trict, concerning which, an intelligent gentleman
upon the spot used the strong expression, that
the air was pestilential, and the water poisonous.
Yet the country is
every where
where so verdant, gay,
and fertile; it is interspersed with such magni-
ficent houses, gardens, avenues, canals, and draw-
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EMBASSY TO CHINA.
283
bridges; and is so formed in every respect to
please, could health be preserved in it, that a
youth coming just from sea, and enraptured with
the beauty of every object he saw around him,
but mindful of the danger there to life, could not
help exclaiming, "what an excellent habitation
"it would be for immortals!"
The most tolerable season here is from March
or April, to November; when the rains begin,
and last the rest of the year. The sea breeze sets
in about ten o'clock in the morning, and conti-
nues till four or five in the afternoon. It be-
comes then calm till seven or eight, when the
land breeze commences, and continues at inter-
vals till day-break, followed by a calm for the
remaining hours of the twenty-four. Fahren-
heit's thermometer was, in Batavia road, during
the Lion's remaining there, from eighty-six to
eighty-eight degrees, and in the town, from
eighty-eight to ninety-two degrees; but its va-
riations by no means corresponded to the sensa-
tions produced by the heat on the human frame;
the latter being tempered by any motion of the
air, which circumstance has little effect upon the
thermometer. Nor are the animal sufferings here,
from heat, to be measured by its intenseness at
any given moment of the day, but by its persist-
:
284
EMBASSY TO CHINA.
ing through the night; when, instead of dimi
nishing, as it does in colder countries, sometimes
twenty degrees, it keeps generally here within four
or five of what it attains in the shade, when the
sun is at its highest elevation.
The native Javanese derive, however, one ad-
vantage at least, from an atmosphere not subject
to the vicissitudes of temperature experienced in
the northern parts of Europe, where diseases of
the teeth are chiefly prevalent; as they are here
entirely exempt from such complaints. Their
habit of living chiefly on vegetable food, and of
abstaining from fermented liquors, no doubt con-
tributes to this exemption. Yet such is the ca-
price of taste, that jet black is the favourite co-
lour, and standard of beauty, for the teeth, amongst
them; comparing to monkies those who keep them
of the natural colour. They accordingly take care
to paint, of the deepest black, all their teeth, ex-
cept the two middle ones, which they cover with
gold leaf. Whenever the paint or gilding is
worn off, they are as attentive to replace it on the
proper teeth, as the belles of Europe are to purify
and whiten theirs.
The general reputation of the unhealthiness of
Batavia for Europeans, deters most of those, who
can reside at home with any comfort, from com-
1
EMBASSY TO CHINA.
285
ing to it, notwithstanding the temptations of for-
tunes to be quickly amassed in it. From this cir-
cumstance it happens, that offices and professions
are often necessarily entrusted to persons little
qualified to fill them. One of the clergymen, and
the principal physician of the place, were both
said to have originally been barbers. The United
Provinces furnish even few military recruits. The
rest are chiefly Germans, many of whom are said
to have been kidnapped into the service. Tho
nominally permitted, after a certain length of
time, to return home, they are, in fact, com-
pelled to enlist for a longer time; the pay being
too scanty to allow them to save enough to defray
the expence of their passage to Europe. The go-
vernment is accused of the barbarous policy of
intercepting all correspondence between those
people and their mother country; by which
means they are deprived of the consolation of
hearing from their friends, as well as of the
chance of receiving such assistance, as might
enable them to get home. One of these miserable
men availed himself of an opportunity, which of-
fered accidentally, of addressing, in his native
German language, a gentleman of his own coun-
try belonging to the Embassy. He was in the
utmost agitation, lest he should be observed hold-
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286
EMBASSY TO CHINA.
វ
ing converse with a person not under the Dutch
government's control; and conjured him, in a
few words, uttered with all the energy of heart-
felt anguish, to forward a letter he meant to write
to respectable relations he had in Germany. Un-
fortunately for this wretch, he had not then the
letter ready; and he had never once afterwards
the opportunity of delivering it. The duke of
Würtemberg, in consequence of a bargain with
the East India Company in Holland, had lately
sent one of his regiments to Batavia; but a large
proportion, both of officers and men, died within
a twelvemonth.
Every man who comes to settle in Batavia
must take up arms in its defence. One of the
Counsellors of the Indies, after mentioning all
the pains taken by him and his colleagues in go-
vernment, for guarding the settlement against ex-
ternal attacks, frankly acknowledged that their
chief dependance was upon the havock which the
climate was likely to make amongst the enemy's
forces. Captain Parish thought, likewise, that
"the most effectual protection of that settlement
"from an European enemy proceeded from its
"climate. Its fortifications were, by no means,
"such as would be deemed formidable in Eu-
rope; but when the difficulties were considered
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EMBASSY TO CHINA.
287
"of forcing the
46
66
""
passage of the river, or of land-
ing troops on other parts of the island, it might,
perhaps, be thought of greater strength than it
would, at the first view, have credit for. The
"defences of the river were the water fort, situ-
"ated at its entrance, having, mounted or dis-
mounted, fourteen guns and two howitzers.
"It consisted of a parapet, originally well con-
"structed, retained by a wall; but the parapet
"was much neglected, and the wall nearly de-
stroyed by the constant working of the sea.
"This fort was protected on the land side by a
"noxious swamp, and towards the sea, on the
"north-west, by extensive flats, over which even
"boats could not pass. The only good approach
was that by the channel, which it sees and de-
"fends. The next work upon the river was on
"the west shore, about a quarter of a mile from
"the water fort. It is a battery mounting seven
guns, bearing down the river. Opposite to
"this was a battery of six guns, facing the river;
"and two to the eastward. This formed one
"flank of a line that occupied the low land to
"the north-east of the town. The line was a low
breast-work of earth, that was scarcely disco-
"verable. The canals which intersect the town
'joined the great canal, or river, at the distance
1
288
EMBASSY TO CHINA.
"of half a mile from the entrance. Below the
66
..
junction a boom was laid, of wood, armed with
iron spikes. A little above was the castle, a
regular square fort, but without ravelins or other
“outworks. It had two guns mounted on each
flank, and two, or sometimes three, on each
"face they were not en barbelte, nor properly
“en embrasure, but in a situation between both,
having both their disadvantages, without the
66
66
advantage of either. The wall was of masonry,
"about twenty-four feet high. It had no ditch;
"but a canal surrounded it at some distance. It
“had no cordon. The length of the exterior side
"of the work was about seven hundred feet. The
"town is rectangular, three quarters of a mile
CC
long, and half a mile broad, inclosed by a
"wall of about twenty feet in height. Small
56
projections were constructed, of various forms,
"at intervals of about three hundred and fifty
"feet. These generally mounted three guns each.
"It was also surrounded by a canal, having
"several sluices. At short distances from the
"town, three or four small star forts of earth were
" erected in particular passes, perhaps for defence
66 against the inhabitants of the island.
"The establishment of regular troops was one
"thousand two hundred Europeans, of whom
1
EMBASSY TO CHINA.
289
!
،،
on
*three hundred were to be artillery, the rest in-
fantry. But as it was found impossible,
"account of the climate, to keep the number
complete, recourse was had to the natives, of
whom five hundred were employed; so that
the establishment of European regulars was
"reduced to seven hundred. There were also
three hundred volunteers of the town, who
were formed into two companies; but they
were not disciplined. Their regulars were very
"numerous, consisting of enrolled natives of
Java, who were never embodied, and of Chi-
K6
( 6
(7
nese, of whom the Dutch were so jealous, as
“to arm them with lances only. Much depen-
dence was not to be placed on the exertions of
either of these bodies, in favour of the Dutch;
"and as they lose many of their European troops
every year, their establishment appeared too
"small for any effectual resistance. The chief
"protection of their ill-manned vessels lying
*r
here, must be from the fortified island of On-
"rust, well situated to command the channel
"that affords the principal passage into the road.
"The work upon that island was of a pentagonal
form; its bastions were small and low, not
more than twelve feet the highest, and not
always connected by curtains. A few batteries
VOL. I.
U
290
EMBASSY TO CHINA.
}
""
66
were lately constructed on the outside of this
work, that bore towards the sea. On these and
"on the bastions, about forty guns were mount-
ed in different directions. South of these was
"another island, at the distance of a few hun-
dred yards, on which two batteries, mounting
together twelve guns, had been lately erected."
The castle is built of coral rock, brought from
some of the adjoining islands, composed of that
material; and has the advantage of a fortification
of brick, in which cannon ball is apt to bury it-
self without spreading splinters, or shattering the
wall. A part of the town wall is built of lava,
which is of a dark blue colour, of a very hard
dense texture, emits a metallic sound, and re-
sembles, very much, some of the lava of Vesu-
vius. It is brought from the mountains in the
centre of Java, where a crater is still smoking.
No stone, of any kind, is to be found for many
miles behind the city of Batavia. Marble and
granite are brought thither from China, in ves-
sels belonging to that country, commonly called
junks, which generally sail for Batavia from the
ports of the provinces of Canton and Fokien, on
the southern and south-east coasts of that empire,
laden chiefly with tea, porcelain, and silks.
In these junks great numbers of Chinese come
EMBASSY TO CHINA.
291
constantly to Batavia, with exactly the same views
that attract the natives of Holland to it, the de-
sire of accumulating wealth in a foreign land.
Both generally belonged to the humbler classes
of life, and were bred in similar habits of in-
dustry in their own country; but the different
circumstances that attend them after their ar-
rival in Batavia put an end to any further re-
semblance between them. The Chinese have,
there, no way of getting forward but by the con-
tinuance of their former exertions in a place
where they are more liberally rewarded; and by
a strict economy in the preservation of their
gains. They have no chance of advancing by
favour; nor are public offices open to their am-
bition; but they apply to every industrious oc-
cupation, and obtain whatever either care or la-
bour can accomplish. They become, in town,
retailers, clerks, and agents; in the country they
are farmers, and are the principal cultivators of
the sugar-cane. They do, at length, acquire for-
tunes, which they value by the time and labour
required to earn them. So gradual an acquisition
makes no change in their disposition, or mode of
life. Their industry is not diminished, nor their
health impaired. The Dutch, on the contrary,
who are sent out by the Company, to administer
U 2
292
EMBASSY TO CHINA.
their affairs in Asia, become soon sensible that
they have the power, wealth, and possessions of
the country at their disposal. They who survive
mount quickly into offices that are lucrative, and
not, to them, laborious. Their influence, like-
wise, enables them to speculate in trade with vast
advantage. The drudgery and detail of business
are readily undertaken by the Chinese; who, like
the native Banyans and Debashes in Calcutta and
Madras, are employed as subordinate instruments,
while their principals find it difficult, under
such new circumstances, to retain their former
habits, or to resist a propensity to indolence and
voluptuousness, tho often attended with the sacri-
fice of health, if not of life. Convivial pleasures,
among others, are frequently carried to exccss.
In several houses of note throughout the set-
tlement, the table is spread in the morning at an
early hour: beside tea, coffee, and chocolate,
fish and flesh are served for breakfast; which is
no sooner over, than Madeira, claret, gin, Dutch
small beer, and English porter, are laid out in
the portico before the door of the great hall, and
pipes and tobacco presented to every guest, and a
bright brass jar placed before him to receive the
phlegm which the tobacco frequently draws forth.
This occupation continues sometimes, with little
EMBASSY TO CHINA.
293
per-
interruption, till near dinner time, which is
about one o'clock in the afternoon. It is not
very uncommon for one man to drink a bottle of
wine in this manner before dinner. And those
who have a predilection for the liquor of their
own country, swallow several bottles of Dutch
small beer, which, they are told, dilutes their
blood, and affords plenty of fluids for a free
spiration. Immediately before dinner, two men
slaves go round with Madeira wine, of which
each of the company takes a bumper, as a tonic
or whetter of the appetite. Then follow three
females, one with a silver jar containing water,
sometimes rose water, to wash; a second with
a silver bason and low cover of the same metal,
pierced with holes, to receive the water after being
used; and the third with towels for wiping the
hands. During dinner a band of music plays at
a little distance: the musicians are all slaves;
and pains are taken to instruct them. A consi-
derable number of female slaves attend at table,
which is covered with a great variety of dishes ;
but little is received, except liquors, into stomachs
already cloyed. Coffee immediately follows din-
ner. The twenty-four hours are here divided, as
to the manner of living, into two days and two
nights; for each person retires, soon after drink-
294
EMBASSY TO CHINA.
ing coffee, to a bed, which consists of a mattrass,
bolster, pillow, and chintz counterpane, but no
sheets; and puts on his night dress, or muslin
cap and loose long cotton gown. If a bachelor,
which is the case of much the greatest number,
a female slave attends to fan him while he sleeps.
About six they rise, dress, drink tea, take an air-
ing in their carriages, and form parties to spend
the evening together to a late hour. The morn-
ing meetings consist generally of men, the ladies
seldom choosing to appear till evening.
Few of these are natives of Europe, but many
are descended from Dutch settlers here, and are
educated with some care. The features and out-
lines of their faces are European; but the com-
plexion, character, and mode of life, approach
more to those of the native inhabitants of Java.
A pale languor overspreads the countenance, and
not the least tint of rose is seen in any cheek.
While in their own houses, they dress like their
slaves, with a long red checkered cotton gown
descending to the ankles, with large wide sleeves.
They wear no head dress, but plait their hair,
and fasten it with a silver bodkin on the top of
the head, like the country girls in several can-
tons of Switzerland. The colour of their hair is
almost universally black; they anoint it with the
EMBASSY TO CHINA.
295
oil of the cocoa nut, and adorn it with chaplets
of flowers. When they go abroad to pay visits,
or to take an airing in their carriages, and parti-
cularly when they go to their evening parties,
they dress magnificently, in gold and silver
spangled muslin robes, with a profusion of jewels
in their hair, which, however, is worn without
powder. They never attempt to mold or regu-
late the shape, by any fancied idea of elegance,
or any standard of fashion; and, consequently,
formed a striking contrast with such few ladies
as were lately arrived from Holland, who had
powdered hair and fair complexions, had con-
tracted their waists with stays, wore large head
dresses and hoops, and persevered in the early
care of forcing back the elbows, chin, and shoul-
ders. Every native lady is constantly attended
by a female slave handsomely habited, who, as
soon as her mistress is seated, sits at her feet be-
fore her, on the floor, holding in her hands her
mistress's gold or silver box, divided into com-
partments, to contain areca nut, cardamom seeds,
pepper, tobacco, and slatked lime; all which,
mixed together in due proportions, and rolled
within a leaf of betel, constitute a masticatory of
a very pungent taste, and in general use. When,
in the public assemblies, the ladies find the heat
296
EMBASSY TO CHINA.
disagreeable, they retire to free themselves from
their costly but inconvenient habits, and return,
without ceremony, in a more light and loose at-
tire; when they are scarcely recognizable by
strangers. The gentlemen follow the example,
and throwing off their heavy and formal dresses,
appear in white jackets, sometimes indeed adorned
with diamond buttons. The elderly gentlemen
quit their periwigs for night-caps. Except in
these moments, the members of this government
have always combined their personal gratifica-
tion, with the Eastern policy of striking awe into
vulgar minds, by the assumption of exterior and
exclusive distinctions. They alone, for instance,
appear abroad in crimson velvet. Their carriages
are distinguished by peculiar ornaments. When
met by others, the latter must stop, and pay
homage to the former. One of the gates of the
city is opened only to let them pass. They cer-
tainly succeed in supporting absolute sway over
a vast superiority in number of the descendants
of the original inhabitants of the country, as well
as of the slaves imported into it, and of the Chi-
nese attracted to it by the hope of gain; those
classes, tho healthy, active, and as if quite at
home, readily obeying a few emaciated Euro-
peans such is the consequence of dominion once
EMBASSY To china.
297
acquired; the prevalence of the mind over mere
bodily exertions, and the effect of the combina-
tion of power against divided strength.
The native Javanese are in general too remote
from civilization, to have any wants that are not
easily satisfied in a warm and fertile climate.
No attempt is made to enslave their
persons; and
they find the government of the Dutch less vexa-
tious than that of others, who divide some share
of the sovereignty of the island with them. The
Sultan of Mataran rules to the east, the Emperor
of Java in the centre, and the King of Bantam to
the west; while the coast and effective power al-
most entirely belong to Holland. Those other
sovereigns are descended from foreigners also;
being Arabians, who imported the Mahometan
religion into Java, and acquired the dominion of
the country; a few inhabitants in the mountains
excepted, who have preserved their independence
and their faith, and among other articles, that of
the transmigration of souls. According to the
Dutch accounts, nothing can be more tyrannic
than those Mahometan rulers. The Emperor is
said to maintain his authority by an army of
many thousand men, dispersed throughout his
territories, beside a numerous female guard about
is person. These military ladies are trained,
98
EMBASSY TO CHINA.
it seems, to arms, without neglecting those ac-
complishments which may occasion a change in
the occupation of some among them, rendering
them the companions, instead of being the at-
tendants, of his Imperial Majesty. This singular
institution may owe its origin to the facility of
obtaining recruits, if it be true, as the same ac-
counts pretend, that the number of female births
exceeds, very considerably, that of males in
Java.
Most of the slaves are imported into it from
Celebes and other eastern islands. They do not
form a corps; or have any bond of union. Nor
is the general conduct of their owners towards
them calculated to aggravate the misfortune of
being the property of others. They are not forced
to excessive labour. They have sufficient suste-
nance; but many of the males among them, who
had formerly, perhaps, led an independent life,
till made captives in their wars, have been found
to take offence against their masters, upon very
slight occasions, and to wreak their yengeance
by assassination. The apprehension of such an
event is among the motives for preferring, at Ba-
tavia, female slaves, for every use to which they
can be applied; so that the number purchased of
them much exceeds that of the other sex. The
EMBASSY TO CHINA,
299
slaves when determined on revenge often swallow,
for the purpose of acquiring artificial courage,
an extraordinary dose of opium, and soon be-
coming frantic as well as desperate, not only stab
the objects of their hate, but sally forth to attack,
in like manner, every person they meet, till self-
preservation renders it necessary to destroy them.
They are said in that state to be ruuning a muck,
and instances of it are not more common among
slaves, than among free natives of the country,
who, in the anguish for losing their money, ef-
fects, and sometimes their families, at gaming, to
which they are violently addicted, or under the
pressure of some other passion or misfortune,
have recourse to the same remedy, with the same
fatal effects.
A fondness for play, and a fondness for opium,
are not uncommon among the Chinese also at
Batavia; but the habits of restraint and modera-
tion in which they are bred, and the cautious
principles instilled into them, cub their dispo-
sition, and prevent them from falling into the
same excesses. They are, indeed, much more
capable of conceiving formidable designs against
the government, and in the year 1740 a consi-
derable number of Chinese, residing in different
parts of the country, joined in a revolt under the
goo
EMBASSY TO CHINA.
command of a man, who said he was descended
from an Emperor of China; and who, being
joined also by several Javanese, attacked Batavia,
but was repulsed. A fire, some days afterwards,
took place among the Chinese buildings in that
city, and several of the owners were accused of
opposing, with arms, the extinguishment of it,
with a view, as was attributed to them, of the
conflagration's spreading to the whole town, that,
in the confusion, they might assassinate the
Europeans, and become masters of the place.
The alarm was such, that the Dutch government
gave instant orders to put all the Chinese heads
of families to death; and the sailors from the
vessels in the road were brought ashore, and in-
duced, for the sake of plunder, to share in put-
ting this bloody edict into execution. The unfor-
tunate Chinese made not the least resistance. This
dreadful deed was not approved by the directors
of the Company in Holland; and much appre-
hension being entertained that the fact would ex-
cite the indignation of the Emperor of China,
deputies were sent to him the following year, to
apologize for the measure, as founded upon ne-
cessity. Those deputies were agreeably surprised
on finding that the Emperor calmly answered,
that he was little solicitous for the fate of un
66
EMBASSY TO CHINA.
301
worthy subjects, who, in the pursuit of lucre,
"had quitted their country, and abandoned the
tombs of their ancestors."
For those, however, of their ancestors, whom
they have lost since their emigration to Batavia,
the survivors seem to have the utmost veneration.
A considerable tract of ground is set apart for
their remains; and much expence incurred in
erecting monuments to their memory. Every fa-
mily above indigence has a separate vault, ge-
nerally surrounded by a wall, in the form of a
horse-shoe, raised obliquely, so as that the open-
ing of the shoe is level with the ground; and op-
posite to that opening is the door into the vault,
upon which are several columns of inscriptions.
When a Chinese of note here dies, his nearest
relations announce the melancholy event, in
form, to all the branches of the family. The body
is washed, perfumed, and dressed in the best ap-
parel of the deceased. The corpse is then seated
in a chair; and his wives, children, and rela-
tions, fall down before it and weep. On the third
day, it is put into a coffin, which is placed in
one of the best apartments, hung for the occasion
with white linen cloth, the colour, with them, of
mourning. In the middle of the apartment au
altar is erected, and on it the portrait of the
302
EMBASSY TO CHINA.
deceased is placed, with incense burning near it.
The sons stand on one side of the coffin, dress-
ed in white coarse linen, and making every sign
of sorrow; while the mother and female relations
are heard lamenting behind a curtain. On the day
of burial, the whole family assembles, and the
corpse is conveyed to the grave with much so-
lemn pomp. Images of men and women, rela-
tions of the family, (as amongst the ancient Ro-
mans) and even of animals, together with wax
tapers and incensories, are carried first in the
procession. Then follow the priests with musical
instruments, and after them the corpse upon a
bier, attended by the sons of the deceased, clothed
as before in white, and leaning upon crutches,
as if disabled, through grief, from supporting
themselves erect. The female relations are carried
in chairs, hung with curtains of white silk, con-
cealing them from view; but their lamentations
are distinctly heard; and other women are hired,
who are trained to utter shrieks still louder and
more piercing; which last is also a custom still
retained in some parts of Europe. Previous to
the funeral, a table with fruits and other eatables
is laid before the corpse, and wax figures of ser-
vants placed on cach side, as attendants upon it.
The Chinese are said to be now again as nu-
EMBASSY TO CHINA.
803
merous as ever in and about Batavia; for however
imminent the danger, to which the Dutch allege
they were exposed by the intended former insur-
rection of this people, and however cruel and un-.
justifiable the Chinese consider the conduct of the
Dutch towards them, at that time, the occasion
they have for each other has brought them again
together; and it is acknowledged by the latter,
that the settlement could scarcely subsist without
the industry and ingenuity of the former. It is
said, indeed, that also in the Philippine islands
the natives can be turned to little use; and the
Spaniards are so indolent, that the Chinese there
are as numerous and as necessary as in Java.
Both those European nations, falling into the
faults, may share the fate, of their predecessors,
the Portugueze. There is a race of the latter still
remaining at Batavia; many of them are artifi-
cers, and servants in families. Even the ladies
here not only speak the language of the country,
and the Dutch, but find it convenient, likewise,
to learn Portugueze, which, continuing still to
be understood in most of the old Furopean settle-
ments in Asia, shows how deep a root that nation
had taken during its prosperity in this quarter of
the world. Their language now has survived
their dominion, and even their religion here;
304
EMBASSY TO CHINA.
their descendants having gradually embraced the
Calvinistic tenets of the government; a singular
instance, perhaps, of Portugueze prayers and
congregation out of the pale of the popish com
munion.
It is a plain indication of the inhabitants of the
interior parts of Java not being able or inclined
to consume many imported and costly manufac-
tures, that the shops of the capital are not like
those of Rio de Janeiro, for example, which con-
tain complete assortments of the most curious
manufactures, for the use of the numerous and
thriving Portugueze in the inner settlements;
whereas at Batavia, there are few other than bro-
kers' shops, dealing in inferior goods, and second-
hand articles. But there are large storehouses
for holding the rich products of the Molucca or
spice islands, to be distributed from hence to the
rest of the world; beside coffee, pepper, sugar,
and arrack, produced upon the spot. The nut-
meg, mace, and clove, so long confined to the
very small islands of Ternate, Banda, and Am-
boyna, are, no doubt, capable of being cultivated
in other soils; but the Dutch Company, in order
to preserve that trade entirely to themselves, and
to prevent even their own commodities from
overstocking the market, which might affect their
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EMBASSY TO CHINA.
305
price, fell upon a most extraordinary measure,
which was the establishment of persons appointed
with strict instructions, and considerable means
of execution, under the name of extirpators, for
the purpose of actually rooting out, from every
place where they could penetrate, the trees which
bear these grateful and valuable productions,
except on such small spots, and in such few
numbers, as promised to secure the exclusive
property and sale of them to the contrivers of a
project thus calculated to counteract the bountiful
intent of nature. The nutmeg had been accord-
ingly destroyed by the extirpators in all the Mo-
luccas, except Banda; and a dreadful eruption of
a volcano in that island, a very few years ago,
so effectually buried in its ashes, or otherwise in-
jured the vegetable productions there, that, for
some time, no slight apprehension was enter-
tained of a great diminution in the supply of
that valuable spice, and of the Dutch Company
consequently becoming losers by their inordinate
thirst of gain. But their delegates are become
now so much more liberal, that one of them gave,
from the medical garden at Batavia, a young
growing nutmeg plant, and a nut, in a state sup-
posed capable of germination, to a person be-
longing to the Embassy, who committed it im-
X.
VOL. I.
1
306
EMBASSY TO CHINA.
mediately to the care of a gentleman, then bound
for England, in order to be put in his Majesty's
rich botanical garden at Kew; from whence, had
the plants succeeded there, this tree might have
been propagated in the British plantations in the
West Indies; in like manner as the coffee tree
was transplanted to the French West Indies, in
the beginning of the present century, from a very
few specimens in the botanic garden at Paris.
The nutmeg plant, however, suffered in the pas-
sage, and was left at St. Helena.
The nutmeg tree is a beautiful vegetable. The
stem, with a smooth brown bark, rises perfectly
straight. Its strong and numerous branches pro-
ceed regularly from it in an oblique direction
upwards. They bear large oval leaves pendulous
from them, some a foot in length. The upper
and outer surface of the leaf is smooth, and of a
deep agreeable green. The under and inner sur-
face is marked with a strong nerve in the middle
of the leaf, from the foot stalk to the point; and
from this middle nerve others proceed obliquely
towards the point and edges of the leaf; but what
distinguishes most this inner surface, is its uni-
form bright brown colour, without the least in-
termixture of green, and as if strewed all over
with a fine brown powder. The whole leaf is
EMBASSY TO CHINA.
307
characterized by its fragrant odour, sufficiently
denoting the fruit which the tree produces. This
fruit, when fresh, is about the size and figure of
a common nectarine. It consists of an outward
rind, between which and the inward shell, is
found a reticulated membrane, or divided skin,
which, when dried, is called the mace. What is
known by the name of nutmeg, is the kernel
within the shell, and is soft in its original state.
The same medical garden at Batavia contains
a clove tree. The clove is only the germ of the
fruit with the flower cup containing it. The leaf
is oval, smooth, small, narrow, tender, and aro-
matic. The camphor tree bears leaves not un-
like those of the clove, but stronger, and toge-
ther with every other part of the tree smells of
that substance; it is extracted, by boiling, in
common water, the root, trunk, branches, and
leaves, when the camphor, rising to the surface
of the boiling water, is easily separated from it.
The cinnamon tree may be distinguished, not
only by the three nerves which always regularly
divide the inner surface of its oval leaf, but also
by the same fragrant smell, which issues on
bruising any part of the leaves or branches of the
tree, that is known to be afforded by its bark.
pepper, which is observed to grow always
The
X 2
308
EMBASSY TO CHINA.
best very near to the equator, is a creeping plant
or vine, generally supported on a living tree. Its
leaves, which are of a dark green colour, are not
very unlike those of the common hazel, but are
extremely pungent. The pepper grows in clus-
ters, like the
grape, but of a much smaller size.
It is a species of the pepper plant that affords the
leaf called betel, chewed so universally by the
southern Asiatics, and serving for the inclosure
of a few slices or bits of the areca, from thence
erroneously called the betel nut. The areca nut
tree is among the smallest of the tribe of palms,
but comes next in beauty to the mountain cab-
bage tree of the West Indies; the latter differing,
chiefly in its size and amazing height, from the
areca nut tree, the diameter of whose jointed
trunk seldom exceeds four inches, or height, twelve
feet. But the symmetry of each is perfect; the
columns of a temple cannot be more regular than
the trunk, which rises without a branch, while
the broad and spreading leaves which crown the
top, form the ornamented capital. The areca
nut, when dried, has some similitude in form
and taste to the common nutmeg, but is of a less
size.
Concerning the supposed upas, or poison tree
of Java, of which the account by Foersch attract-
EMBASSY 309
1
TO CHINA..
ed little notice, at least in England, till it was.
admitted in a note to Doctor Darwin's celebrated.
poem
of the Botanic Garden, inquiries were made
by Doctor Gillan, and others belonging to the
Embassy. Foersch had certainly been a surgeon
for some time in Java, and had travelled into
some parts of the interior of the country ; but his
relation of a tree so venomous as to be, destruc-
tive, by its exhalations, at some miles distance,
is compared there to the fictions of Baron Mun-
chausen, or as a bold attempt to impose upon the
credulity of persons at a distance: yet as it was
thought a discredit to the country to be suspected
of producing a vegetable of so venomous a qua-
lity, a Dutch dissertation has been written in
refutation of the story. It appears from thence
that information was requested, on the
part of
the Dutch government of Batavia, from the Ja-
vanese prince, in whose territories this dreadful
vegetable was asserted to be growing; and that
the prince, in his answer, denied any knowledge
of such a production. Rumphius, indeed, a re-
spectable author in natural history, of the last
century, mentions a tree growing at Macassar, to
which he gives the name of toxicaria; and re-
lates that not only the red resin contained a
deadly poison, but that the drops falling from
310
EMBASSY TO CHINA.
the leaves upon the men employed in collecting
this resin from the trunk, produced, unless they
took particular care in covering their bodies,
swellings and much illness; and that the exhala-
tions from the tree were fatal to some small birds
attempting to perch upon its branches. But
many of the particulars of this account, however
far removed from that of Foersch, are given not
upon the author's own observation, and may
have been exaggerated. It is a common opinion
at Batavia that there exists, in that country, a ve-
getable poison, which, rubbed on the daggers of
the Javanese, renders the slightest wounds incur-
able; tho some European practitioners have of
late asserted, that they had cured persons stab-
bed by those weapons; but not without having
taken the precaution of keeping the wound long
open, and procuring a suppuration. One of the
keepers of the medical garden at Batavia assured
Doctor Gillan, that a tree distilling a poisonous
juice was in that collection; but that its qualities
were kept secret from most people in the settle-
ment, lest the knowledge of them should find its
way to the slaves, who might be tempted to make
an ill use of it. In the same medical garden,
containing, it seems, hurtful, as well as grateful,
substances, is found also the plant from whence
#
I
EMBASSY TO CHINA.
311
is made the celebrated gout remedy, or moxa of
Japan, mentioned in the works of Sir William
Temple; it is nothing more than that species of
the artemisia, hence called moxa, of Linnæus,
which is converted, by a more easy process than
would answer with other plants, into a kind of
soft tinder, capable, when set on fire, of acting
as a gentle caustic, and continuing to burn with
an equal and moderate heat.
The whole country abounds with esculent
fruits: and unlike the northern regions, whose
soil apparently is barren during the tedious sea-
son of the winter, and brings little to maturity
till towards autumn, the presents of nature, with-
in the tropics, are distributed in plenty through-
out the whole circle of the year. In March,
among other fruits, the mangosteen was ripe. It
abounds in Java, where it is considered as the
most delicious of all fruits. It is rarely found,
in the warmest latitudes, to the northward of the
equator, and is neither in the West Indies, or
on the continent of India. It is about the size
of a nonpareil apple, and consists of a dark-red,
thick and firm rind, containing from five to se-
ven seeds, of which a white pulp that covers.
them, is the only part that is eaten. It is of a
delicate subacid taste; not much differing from,
812
EMBASSY TO CHINA,
but preferable to, the same sort of substance, in-
closing the kernels of the sour sop in the West
Indies. Pine apples are planted here, not in
gardens, but in large fields; and are carried, like
turnips, in heaps, upon carts to market, and
sold for considerably less than a penny each,
where money is cheaper than in England. It
was a common practice to clean swords, or other
instruments of steel or iron, by running them
through pine apples, as containing the strongest
and cheapest acid for dissolving the rust that co-
vered them. Sugar sold for about five pence a
pound. All sorts of provisions were cheap;
and the ships' crews fed on fresh meat every
day.
In a place so low, warm, and marshy, the
number of noxious reptiles must undoubtedly be
considerable; but not many accidents happen
from them. The lacerta iguana, or guana, thọ
chiefly a land animal, differs not much, in its
exterior form, from the lacerta crocodilus, or cro-
codile, which frequents the canals and rivers of
this country. The former, however, is a harmless,
the other, a most voracious animal. It certainly
is an object of fear; and, by no very uncommon
transition of sentiment, gradually becomes an
object of veneration; and offerings are made to
EMBASSY TO CHINA;
313
it, as to a deity. When a Javanese feels him-
self diseased, he will sometimes build a kind of
coop, and fill it with such eatables as he thinks
most agreeable to the crocodiles. He places the
coop upon the bank of the river or canal, in the
perfect confidence that, by the means of such
offerings, he will get rid of his complaints; and
persuaded, that if any person could prove so
wicked as to take away those viands, such per-
son would draw upon himself the malady, for
the cure of which the offering was made. The
worship of the crocodiles is indeed a folly among
men of an ancient date; as Herodotus, in that
part of his history styled Euterpe, expressly says,
that "among some of the Egyptian tribes the
"crocodiles are sacred, but regarded as enemies
among others. The inhabitants, in the envi
"rons of Thebes, and the lake Moeris, are firm-
ly persuaded of their sanctity; and both these
"tribes bring up and tame a crocodile, adorning
"his ears with ear-rings of precious stones and
6 6
gold, and putting ornamental chains about his
"fore feet. They also regularly give him vic-
<6
tuals, offer victims to him, and treat him in
"the most respectful manner while living, and,
"when dead, embalm and bury him in a conse-
!! crated coffin.
<
314
EMBASSY TO CHINA.
To this superstition, it is possible that the ob-
servation inay have contributed, of the few acci-
dents which happen, notwithstanding the vora-
ciousness of those animals, without reflecting
upon the unwieldiness of their bodies, or in-
flexibility of their necks, and consequent diffi-
culty of turning in pursuit of prey. The presence
of them does not prevent the natives, as well as
the slaves of both sexes at Batavia, from plung-
ing promiscuously, once or twice a day, into the
river and canals. Those canals are continued
through the country, to the foot of the mountains,
many miles distant from the coast. The principal
cultivation there is rice; and so much does the
climate yield to culture, that this production
may be seen, at the same time, in the various
stages of its growth; at first, its tender leaves just
peeping above the water which inundates the soil;
in its second stage, with its withering tops, in
consequence of having been transplanted, and
before the second spring of vegetation has taken
effect; and in its last stage, when the ears are
bending with the weight of the ripened grain.
Rice happened to be uncommonly scarce when
the Lion was at Batavia; but it was still sold un-
der a penny for a pound weight. In the ground
ploughed for the purpose of planting it, the fur-
EMBASSY TO CHINA.
315
rows appeared to consist as much of water as of
soil. Buffaloes are always employed in this la-
bour, for which they are peculiarly adapted,
being almost an amphibious animal, in the sense
of delighting in water, and remaining to the neck
in ponds or rivers, except when obliged to quit
them in search of food. Of these animals, there
are two species or varieties here; the most com-
mon are of a slight make, the skin of a dirty dun
colour, very thinly covered with hair; the head
elongated, and muzzle pointed; no dewlap; and
the horns uncommonly long, turned so much
backwards, that the animal must rather but like
a ram, than toss with them like a bull. The
other buffalo varies much in the colour of its skin
and hair, with the latter of which it is more
thickly covered; it has short, nearly erect, horns,
a strong neck, larger limbs, and appears of a
wilder nature; having few specific qualities in
common with the first, except the propensity of
keeping in the water. The buffaloes are yoked
to carts, with which they wade, with infinite la-
bour, through deep and miry roads, running
parallel to others kept in excellent order, but re-
served for the carriages of gentlemen, leading to
their country seats. Of these, many, indeed,
now are empty, the number of new comers not
316
EMBASSY TO CHINA.
being sufficient to replace those who die, or hast-
en to escape from a country, where they might
otherwise be retained for ever.
In the districts round Batavia, immediately
subject to the Dutch, it is calculated that near
fifty-thousand Javanese families are settled, con-
taining six persons, upon an average, to a family,
or three hundred thousand persons in the whole.
The city of Batavia, including the suburbs, con-
tains near eight thousand houses, Those of the
Chinese are low, and crammed with people,
The Dutch houses are well built, clean, and spa-
cious, and their construction, for the most part,
well suited to the climate. The doors and win-
dows are wide and lofty. The ground floors are
covered with flags of marble, which being sprin-
kled frequently with water, give a pleasant cool-
ness to the apartment; but a considerable propor
tion of those was untenanted; which denoted
a declining settlement. Among other circum-
stances which announced the same, were those of
the Company's vessels lying useless in the road,
for want of cargoes to fill, or men to navigate
them; no ships of war to protect their com-
merce, even against pirates, who attacked their
vessels sometimes in the sight of Batavia road; an
invasion threatened from the Isle of France; the
EMBASSY TO CHINA.
317
place in no condition of defence, particularly
against an enemy less affected by the climate than
Europeans; sometimes as many of the troops in
hospitals as fit for duty; commissioners expected
from Holland to reform abuses. Such a com-
mission, implying a general suspicion, could not
be welcome; nor was it quite certain whether, in
some minds, its arrival, or that of the enemy, was
deprecated the most cordially.
In the midst of such gloomy prospects their
attention to their guests was not diminished. The
Embassador being indisposed, he was pressed to
spend some time at one of the Governor's houses,
at a considerable distance from town, and in a very
pleasant and healthy spot, amidst the mountains.
But he thought it his duty to proceed upon his
mission, as soon as the ships were supplied with
what they wanted; and he embarked from Batavia
on the seventeenth of March, in order to be ready
to enter into the Straits of Banka as soon as the
monsoon, or periodical current of the wind,
blowing in these seas for about six months with
a northerly, and six with a southerly direction,
should be favourable for vessels bound to China
from the southward. The change, which is
dual, begins frequently to take place about this
time.
}
gra-
1
318
EMBASSY TO CHINA.
The Lion in her passage from Batavia, touched
upon a new or unnoticed knoll, with three fa-
thoms depth of water over it. This knoll did not
exceed the size of a long boat, with six or seven
fathoms water all round it. From this spot the
westernmost windmill on the Careening island
bore south-south-east; and the hospital on Pur-
merent island south-east by east.
As the ship
touched by the stern, the guns at that extremity
were moved forward towards the head; the kedge
or small anchor was carried out, and the ship was
warped or towed towards it, and got clear without
any damage. Had the knoll risen nearer to the
surface, the accident might have been attended
with serious consequences; and the want of a
tender, such as the Jackall was meant to be, was
now much felt, as she might have preceded the
larger ships, and sounded the depth of water in
any unknown or suspected place. The Com-
pany's Commissioners at Canton had destined
two small vessels belonging to the Company for
this purpose; but in their late dispatches to the
Embassador, received by him at Batavia, they
expressed their regret that those vessels were stili
otherwise employed. It appeared that even
should the Jackall join, another vessel would
still be useful; and the Embassador sent back to
EMBASSY TO CHINA.
819
'
Batavia to purchase such a one as the service re-
quired; to which, as a mark of respect to Ad-
miral the Duke of Clarence, he gave his Royal
Highness's name.
The little squadron immediately proceeded to-
wards the opening which leads to the Straits of
Banka. The island of Sumatra, on its eastern
side, forms the western side of those Straits, as
its southern extremity forms the northern side of
the Straits of Sunda. Nearly in the angle made
by those last mentioned Straits, and with a view
into those of Banka, is situated North Island,
already mentioned as the rendezvous agreed upon
in case of separation. The depth of water is very
irregular near that island, the water shoaling, in
some spots, in one cast, from twelve to seven fa-
thoms, and in others, from seven to four. This
irregularity was often observed throughout the
Straits; beside what was occasioned by shoals of
coral so very near the surface as to be easily dis-
tinguished by the whitened sheet of water over
them.
Very soon after the Lion's return to this spot,
the long lost Jackall came into sight. It had been
conjectured that in the stormy night, in which
she lost company of the ships, or in her attempt
afterwards to follow them, she had metwith some
320
EMBASSY TO CHINA.
severe misfortune. She had been manned by a
part
of the Lion's crew; and their former com-
panions, who knew not then of Great Britain's
being at war, could not have even the consola-
tion of supposing their friends, tho captive, yet
alive. The joy of seeing her was very general;
she had, in fact, been damaged in the beginning
of the voyage, returned into port to repair; and
afterwards used every diligence to join the ships.
She was obliged to stop, for refreshments, a few
days at Madeira, where she arrived a short time
after the Lion had left it. She pursued the latter
to St. Jago, which she reached, likewise, some
days too late. From thence to North Island she
did not come once to anchor. She was what na-
vigators call a good sea-boat, being compactly
built, and little liable to perish. by mere foul
weather; but neither did she afford much shelter
against the hardships of a rough voyage, or make
her way so quickly as larger vessels against vio-
lent waves. Her provisions were damaged by
salt water; and her crew was reduced to a very
scanty pittance when she joined the Lion. Mr.,
now Lieutenant, Saunders, who commanded her,
got much credit for his conduct throughout the
voyage..
She was very soon ready to accompany the
EMBASSY TO CHINA.
321
Lion, but the monsoon was still adverse; this
circumstance was the more regretted, as the crews
of both ships now began to be very sickly. Their
commanders had, indeed, the satisfaction of hav-
ing past six months, from leaving Portsmouth,
without losing a man, out of six hundred per-
sons. Such a circumstance seldom happens any
where. The proportion of deaths, in a similar
period, in the healthiest spot ashore, is, at least,
one to every hundred, and in London two. It
must be confessed, however, that the seeds of
dangerous diseases had taken root among the
crews. The evil consequences of a sea life, and
of a hot climate began to show themselves; and
the number of persons on the sick list increased
considerably. The ships often moved to diffe-
rent parts of the coasts of Java and Sumatra, in
order to find out the healthiest and coolest spot,
where they might wait for the lavourable moment
of proceeding further.
It occurred to the mathematical gentlemen, on
board the ships, to employ their leisure in mea-
suring a base on shore, (they having the advan-
tage of an excellent instrument for taking angles,)
in order to ascertain the accuracy of the former
charts of the northern entrance into the Straits of
Sunda. With this view a level beach on the Su-
VOL. I.
Y
322
EMBASSY TO CHINA.
matra shore, nearly opposite to the usual place
of anchorage, was chosen as most convenient for
the purpose.
The northern extremity of the
base commenced near the watering place; and
was continued from thence to the distance of
eighteen chains sixty-five links, or four hundred
and ten yards, making with the meridian an an-
gle of twenty-eight degrees. From hence it was
prolonged, as nearly in the same direction as the
trending of the shore would allow, twenty-five
chains, or five hundred and fifty yards further.
From the extremities of this base, sets of angles
were taken, with a considerable degree of accuracy,
by a theodolite of Mr. Ramsden's, and the situa-
tions of North Island, Pulo Sina close to it, the
anchorage of the Lion and Hindostan, the three
islands close to each other called the Sisters, and
Pulo Coppia were hence determined. Pulo Si-
na, Pulo Coppia, and one of the Sisters were
afterwards used as stations to ascertain the east-
ern and western points of Thwart-the-way, But-
ton Island, and Nicholas Point on the Isle of
Java, as also to verify the situations of the first
mentioned places, as they had been determined
from the first base. The Hindostan being about
to quit her station at North Island, and stand
over to Nicholas Bay, on the north side of Java,
EMBASSY TO CHINA.
323
à good opportunity offered for extending the sur-
vey
from Nicholas Point to the southward, as far
as Angeree Point.
羊
​V
The ship having brought to in the bay, the
latitude of her anchorage was found by a meri-
dional altitude of the sun, and the bearing of
North Island taken carefully with a compass,
mounted with a pair of sights to direct the eye,
commonly called an azimuth compass; and, in
order to obtain the distance of the ship from
Pulo Salier, a small island in the bay, with more
precision than merely by computation, the deck
of the Hindostan, from stem to stern, was as-
sumed for a base; from each extremity of which,
angles were observed with two sextants at the
same instant of time; and the distance calculated
from thence trigonometrically. The ship being
very near the island, this method was sufficiently
correct. The latitude of Pulo Salier, was found
to be five degrees, fifty minutes, thirty seconds,
south of the equator; and its longitude, by an
immersion of the first satellite of Jupiter ob-
served through two telescopes placed on the
island, proved to be one hundred and five de-
grees, fifty-six minutes, thirty seconds east, on
computing by the apparent time of the immersion
Y :
324
EMBASSY TO CHINA.
of the satellite at Greenwich, as given in the
Nautical Ephemeris.
The latitude of Nicholas Point was found to
be five degrees, fifty minutes, forty seconds
south; and the longitude, deduced from the a-
bovementioned observation of Jupiter's satellite,
one hundred and five degrees, fifty-four minutes,
thirty seconds east. From various intersections
and observations, the latitudes of the following
places were determined; and their longitudes.
deduced also from the said observation.
South Latitude.
East Longitude.
Java Head
6° 47' !!
104° 50' 30"
The three Sisters 5 42
105 41 36
Thwart-the-way
5 55
105
43
North Island
5 38
105 43 30
Angeree Point
6 2
105 47 30
Cap
Button
5 58 30 105
105 48 30
5 49
105 48 30
The rate of going of the several time-keepers
was easily ascertained ashore, by observing, on
subsequent nights, the appearance of any of the
fixed stars in a particular point of the heavens.
On the occasion of one of those observations, an
alarming circumstance occurred. As Dr. Din-
EMBASSY TO CHINA.
325
widdie was going to apply his face close to a tree,
in order to be ready, in the proper position, to
observe a passing star, while some other person
was to have his eye upon the time-keeper, a
snake, of no mean length, which had crept along
the trunk of the tree, and within the bark that
had been loosened from it, luckily shewed its
head soon enough to put the gentlemen on their
guard, and fix upon another tree for pursuing
their observations.
They had afterwards occasion to visit the
small islands of the Cap and Button, differing
much in appearance from the level islands already
mentioned; being so steep and rugged, that it
was difficult to get ashore upon them. At a little
distance, they might be mistaken for the remains
of old castles, mouldering into heaps of ruins,
with tall trees already growing upon the tops;
but, at a nearer view, they betrayed evident marks
of a volcanic origin. Explosions from subterra-
neous fires, produce, for the most part, hills of
a regular shape, and terminating in truncated
cones; but when from a subaqueous volcano,
eruptions are thrown up above the surface of the
sea, the materials, falling back into the water,
are more irregularly dispersed, and generally
leave the sides of the new creation, naked and
326
EMBASSY TO CHINA.
:
misshapen, as in the instance of Amsterdam,
and of those smaller spots called, from some re-
semblance in shape, the Cap and Button.
In the Cap were found two caverns, running
horizontally into the side of the rock; and in
these were a number of those birds' nests, so
much prized by the Chinese epicures. They
seemed to be composed of fine filaments cemented
together by a transparent viscous matter, not un-
like what is left by the foam of the sea, upon
stones alternately covered by the tide, or those
gelatinous animal substances found floating on
every coast. The nests adhere to each other,
and to the sides of the cavern, mostly in rows,
without any break
break or interruption. The birds
grey swallows,
with bellies of a dirty white. They were flying
about in considerable numbers; but they were so
small, and their flight so quick, that they escaped
the shot fired at them. The same nests are said
also to be found in deep caverns, at the foot of
the highest mountains in the middle of Java, and
at a distance from the sea, from which the birds,
it is thought, derive no materials, either for their
food, or the construction of their nests; as it does
not appear probable they should fly, in search of
either, over the intermediate mountains, which
that build these nests are small
·
EMBASSY TO CHINA.
327
are very high, or against the boisterous winds
prevailing thereabouts. They feed on insects,
which they find hovering over stagnated pools
between the mountains, and for catching which,
their wide-opening beaks are particularly adapt-
ed. They prepare their nests from the best rem-
nants of their food. Their
Their greatest enemy is the
kite, who often intercepts them in their passage
to and from the caverns, which are generally
surrounded with rocks of grey limestone, or
white marble. The nests are placed in horizon-
tal rows at different depths, from fifty to five hun-
dred feet. The colour and value of the nests de-
pend on the quantity and quality of the insects
caught, and, perhaps, also on the situation where
they are built. Their value is chiefly determin-
ed by the uniform fineness and delicacy of their
texture; those that are white and transparent
being most esteemed, and fetching often in China
their weight in silver. These nests are a consi-
derable object of traffic among the Javanese; and
many are employed in it from their infancy.
The birds having spent near two months in pre-
paring their nests, lay each two eggs, which are
hatched in about fifteen days. When the young
birds become fledged, it is thought time to seize
upon their nests, which is done regularly thrice
328
EMBASSY TO CHINA.
a year, and is effected by means of ladders of
bamboo and reeds, by which the people descend
into the cavern; but when it is very deep, rope
ladders are preferred. This operation is attended
with much danger; and several break their necks
in the attempt. The inhabitants of the moun-
tains generally employed in it, begin always by
sacrificing a buffalo; which custom is constantly
observed by the Javanese, on the eve of every ex-
traordinary enterprize. They also pronounce
some prayers,
prayers, anoint themselves with sweet-scent-
ed oil, and smoke the entrance of the cavern
with gum benjamin. Near some of those caverns
a tutelar goddess is worshipped, whose priest
burns incense, and lays his protecting hands on
every person preparing to descend into the ca-
vern. A flambeau is carefully prepared at the
same time, with a gum which exudes from a tree
growing in the vicinity, and is not easily extin-
guished by fixed air or subterraneous vapours.
The swallow, which builds those nests, is de-
scribed as not having its tail feathers marked with
white spots, which is a character attributed to it
by Linnæus; and it is possible that there are
two species, or varieties, of the swallow, whose
nests are alike valuable.
Nothing seemed to be known about these nests.
EMBASSY TO CHINA.
929
at the southern extremity of Sumatra ; at least by
such of the natives as visited frequently the ships,
having fruits and other vegetables for sale; of
whom some came in boats, of which both ends
were alike made sharp, with a moving rudder to
each, in order to be ready to steer backwards or
forwards with equal ease; and others in canoes,
so narrow as to have outriggers on the side to pre-
vent their oversetting. Each of these canoes was
managed by a single person, using an oar widen-
ed at both ends, to serve the purpose of paddling
alternately on each side. The boats, as well as
the canoes, were manned by a people who reside
chiefly along the coasts of most of the islands in
the Chinese seas, and are known by the general
name of Malays, having a language and manners
common to them all. The southern extremity of
Sumatra is peopled, but very thinly, by a set of
them who seem to lead an indolent and miser-
able life. Their dwellings near the shore were
nothing more than sheds, in which they could
not stand upright; their garments did not extend
very much beyond the waist. Such a condition,
indeed, which in most parts of Europe would
imply the utmost wretchedness, is guarded by the
climate from any actual suffering.
339
EMBASSY TO CHINA.
po-
Several large tracts of land in that neighbour,
hood are covered only with a long coarse grass,
growing wild upon a soil similar to that which
produced the surrounding woods, and had there-
fore, probably, been cleared from trees by human
industry; but, being now abandoned to sponta-
neous vegetation, seemed to imply a former
pulation greater than the present. No degree of
devastation or decline can be, indeed, surprising,
if the inhabitants were in a constant state of hos-
tility, which is to be inferred from the caution
still subsisting amongst them, of never going,
tho otherwise half naked, without being armed.
A people that is poor, is not apt to purchase what
is superfluous; that is lazy, to labour for what
is useless; or, in a hot climate, to carry what is
cumbersome, without necessity. The weapon
worn by them is a criss, or dagger, which, to
render it still more fatal to those whom they
may wound, they are said to steep in some poi-
sonous juice of vegetables. They appeared ge-
nerally of a low stature, brown complexion,
with broad faces, large mouths, strong black
hair, and very little beards, which, as it appears,
they carefully pick out with pincers. Few of
those who were seen by the passengers of the
EMBASSY TO CHINA.
331
Lion and Hindostan had countenances which
indicated any control of the mind over the sen
sual or vulgar passions.
Some degree of considerate civilization must,
however, have directed their conduct in the fol-
lowing instance. Sir Erasmus Gower, previous
to his departure for Batavia, caused a board to
be nailed to a post, erected on the Sumatra beach,
on which board were written directions for the
Jackall, in case she should call there in his ab-
sence. On his return, he perceived that the board
had been taken down; and the nails, which, it
seems, were valuable to the Malays, carried away.
And here a mere savage would have rested satis-
fied with the gratification of his own wants, and
little solicitous about the object for which the
board had been placed there by strangers; but
the Malay, willing to reconcile that object with
his own, took care, after removing the nails,
to replace the board with wooden pegs; and it
was found in this condition, inverted indeed,
through ignorance of the language written on it.
That letters are not absolutely unknown amongst
them, was evident from the circumstance of some
gentlemen of the Lion meeting, as they were
walking through the woods, in a conspicuous
path, two lines, probably in the Malay language,
332
EMBASSY TO CHINA.
cut upon the thin bark of a bamboo, tied across
a post.
One of the seamen of the Lion, who by chance
was left alone on shore, with no inconsiderable
quantity of linen to be washed, and who strolled
unthinkingly to a neighbouring village, was hos-
pitably treated and assisted; but such is the pre-
cariousness of the manners and principles of this
people, that the very next day some of the Ma-
lays murdered one of the most valuable artificers
belonging to the Embassy, who went with a small
bundle of linen in his hand to wash in a part of
the river a little above the shore. This man was
as remarkable for the ingenuity of his mind as for
a thoughtlessness of conduct, which rendered the
former of little use to his own welfare. Beside
being an excellent workman at his own trade of
a joiner and cabinet-maker, he knew enough of
several others to supply occasionally the want of
those who had been bred to them; and was there-
fore highly useful in situations, like the present,
where artificers must be scarce. He had seen
better days; but the good humour and merry
disposition, which he still retained, rendered
him a favourite with the crew; and few deaths
would have occasioned, so much as his, a detes-
tation against the authors of it. This part of
EMBASSY TO CHINA.
333
Sumatra was under a sort of subjection to the
King of Bantam, who resided near the town
of that name, on the opposite coast of Java.
It was determined to denounce the murder to
him; for tho the perpetrators, or cause, or man-
ner of it, could not be pointed out, yet the in-
fluence of his authority might produce a disco-
very leading to a punishment of the guilty. The
Malays upon this part of the coast were fearful
of reprisals upon them from the ships, and ap-
peared no more; but they alleged that the fact
was committed, not by any of the inhabitants
thereabouts, but by pirates, who sometimes stop-
ped there for water. These pirates are Malays
also, but chiefly from the more eastern islands,
who sail in boats armed with four or six guns
cach, or more, and going together in numerous
fleets, had of late taken several vessels, some be-
longing to the Dutch; and some to the English
settlements in India, called country ships, as not
trading out of Asia. Many of these had been
obliged to be at the expence of hiring marines, or
armed men, to be kept on board for their better
protection against those priates, whose vessels,
being of a smaller size, and drawing little water,
can use their oars in calms, and when they meet
a superior force, often take shelter in the deep
€
334
EMBASSY TO CHINA.
recesses in the south-east extremity of Sumatra;
the whole of which is little more than a forest of
mangroves, growing out of a salt morass.
The mangrove extends its roots, if they may
be so termed, in a curve direction into the water
from different parts of the trunk, forming arches
to some distance, until they reach the bottom co-
vered by the sea. To these roots, or inverted
branches, oysters and other small shell-fish are
found frequently to adhere; and this circum-
stance has given rise to the assertion, sometimes
hazarded, of oysters growing upon trees. The
baneful atmosphere and nightly fogs, hanging
upon such a marshy soil, must extend their in-
fluence to North Island, lying in its neighbour.
hood, and to the shipping at anchor near it. In
the evening the clouds usually hung low, and
narrowed the horizon, there being no general or
rapid motion of the atmosphere to dispel them.
The darkest of these clouds were charged with a
large quantity of electric matter, which shewed
itself in vivid sparks of lightning almost inces-
santly; but thunder was seldom heard, it bearing
but a small proportion to the lightning that was
seen. The phosphoric light perceived upon strik-
ing with the oar, or otherwise, upon the surface
of the sea, was certainly occasioned by lucid par-
EMBASSY TO CHINA.
335
ticles spread upon it; and upon touching with
the hand a wave, several of those particles re-
mained perceptible some time upon the skin.
They did not render the sea at night more bril-
liant than the myriads, on shore, of the fire-fly,
called by entomologists lampyris; whose sparks
are emitted from the two last circles of the abdo-
men, which appears to be affected as if by a kind
of alternate respiration of the insect, the abdomen
filling and darting light at every inspiration.
The meteor called a falling star is supposed to be
seldom observable within the tropics; but some
were now seen here moving with much less ce-
lerity, and disappearing much less suddenly than
is generally observed in the temperate zones.
Tho Fahrenheit's thermometer seldom rose in
the shade above eighty-five or eighty-six degrees,
yet the air felt as if it came out of an oven; it
produced inertness and debility even in the most
healthy; and to this want of usual agility was,
in some degree, attributed the misfortune, which
happened now for the first time, of losing two of
the seamen, who fell from the masts or yards
into the sea and were drowned.
The squadron determined to quit their present
station, in hope of finding a better at Nicholas
point, which is the most northerly of Java.
336
EMBASSY TO CHINÀ.
They found it, in fact, free from swamps and
fogs; the land and sea breezes constant, and the
air generally clear, with very fine weather, while
deluges of rain were observed to fall on the op
posite shore. Tho the passage through the Straits
towards China, or from it, be sometimes quicker,
by keeping on the Sumatra side than on that of Java,
the delay of a day or two is well compensated by
the greater safety of the crew. The distance from
North Island to Nicholas point is about eighteen
miles, and the course north-west and south-east.
From Nicholas bay, proceeding easterly, the
next is the bay of Bantam, famed formerly for
being the principal rendezvous of the shipping
from Europe in the East. Bantam was the great
mart for pepper and other spices, from whence
they were distributed to the rest of the world.
The chief factory of the English, as well as
Dutch, East India Company was settled there.
The merchants of Arabia and Hindostan resort-
ed to it. Its sovereigns were so desirous of en-
couraging trade, by giving security to foreign
merchants against the violent and revengeful
disposition of the natives, that the crime of mur-
der was never pardoned when committed against
a stranger, but might be commuted by a foreigner
for a fine to the relations of the deceased. This
EMBASSY TO CHINA.
337
place flourished for a considerable time; but the
Dutch having conquered the neighbouring pro-
vince of Jacatra, where they since have built Ba-
tavia, and transferred their principal business to it;
and the English having removed to Hindostan
and China, and trade, in other respects, having
taken a new course, Bantam was reduced to a poor
remnant of its former opulence and importance.
Other circumstances have accelerated its decline.
The bay is so choked up with daily accessions of
new earth washed down from the mountains, as well
as by coral shoals extending a considerable way
to the eastward, that it is inaccessible, at present,
to vessels of burden; even the party who went
there from the Lion in her pinnace, was obliged
to remove into a canoe, in order to reach the
town. A fire destroyed most of the houses there;
and few have been since rebuilt. With the trade
of Bantam the power of its sovereign declined.
In his wars with other princes of Java he called
in the assistance of the Dutch; and from that
period he became, in fact, their captive. He re-
sides in a palace, built in the European style,
within a fort garrisoned by a detachment from
Batavia, of which the commander takes his
orders not from the King of Bantam, but from
a Dutch chief or governor, who lives in another
Z
VOL. I.
338
EMBASSY TO CHINA.
fort adjoining the town, and nearer to the sea
side. His Bantamese majesty is allowed, how-
ever, to maintain a body of native troops, and
has several small armed vessels, by means of
which he maintains authority over some part of
the south of Sumatra. His subjects are obliged
to sell to him all the pepper they raise in either
island, at a low price, which he is under con-
tract with the Dutch to deliver to them at a small
advance, and much under the marketable value
of that commodity. The present king joins the
spiritual to the temporal power, and is high
priest of the religion of Mahomet; with which
he mingles, indeed, some of the rites and super-
stitions of the aboriginal inhabitants of Java;
adoring, for instance, the great banyan, or In-
dian fig tree, which is likewise held sacred in
Hindostan, and under which religious rites
might be conveniently performed; in like man-
ner as all affairs of state are actually transacted
by the Bantamese, under some shadowing tree,
by moonlight. Upon application to his majesty,
through the Dutch chief, he immediately dis-
patched two of his armed vessels to Sumatra,
with orders to search for the perpetrators of the
murder lately committed there; and some time
after the ships had left this neighbourhood, in-
EMBASSY TO CHINA.
339
telligence was received that one of the guilty
persons was discovered and executed.
In Nicholas bay was a convenient rivulet for
watering; and at a little distance from the shore
a village, where buffaloes, poultry, fruit and
other vegetables were to be purchased at a reason-
able rate. Fresh provisions were served daily to
the Lion's crew; the decks and beams washed
with vinegar, and an allowance of it given to the
men; fires made to air the ship; and the venti-
lators kept constantly at work. It was likewise
found advantageous to send the invalids and con-
valescents from the ships ashore, to take air and
exercise every day; the same was done at Angeree
point, situated to the southward of point Nicholas,
where the Dutch had a small battery of four
guns, near a Malay village. Here indigo was
manufactured from the leaf, growing in the neigh-
bourhood. A bar at the mouth of the river at.
Angeree prevents the freedom of its current, and
the lee of the indigo vats, thrown into it, must af
fect its good qualities; which circumstances render
it inferior, as a watering place, to Nicholas bay.
The lowest order of the people on the coast
did not appear to be obliged to perpetual labour,
for the mere preservation of their existence; but
had leisure, means, and disposition for amuse-
Z 2
340
EMBASSY TO CHINA.
ments of different kinds. One of the Malay en-
tertainments consists in the display of the various
attitudes and postures of the same actor under
different masks. By dint of exertions and of long
practice, he had acquired such a power over the
exterior muscles of his body, as to give to each
an independent voluntary motion. Whenever
his contortions were so uncommon as to excite
the wonder, and obtain the applause of the spec-
tators, the performer immediately felt the effect
of it, by the quantity of the small copper coin, in
use among them, which came showering at his
feet. The Malay spectators were very numerous,
and armed, as usual, with their crisses; their
emotions, on observing any extraordinary feat
upon the stage, were lively and instantaneous;
and some of the Europeans seated amongst them
were not altogether free from apprehension, lest
the bustle were preparatory to a treacherous attack
upon them.
Notwithstanding this ill disposition of the
natives, the British seamen got soon into the ha-
bit of trafficking familiarly with them: some
laid out a part of their dearly earned wages,
in
buying from them monkies, particularly the
simia aygula of Linnæus, whose forehead always
seems as if combed back in a toupee with fashion-
EMBASSY TO CHINA.
341
able care; and has cheeks capable of considerable
distension, usually called alforges, in which he
crams, for future use, such provisions as he can-
not immediately consume. Others preferred a
bird called a mino, which is not unlike a jackdaw
in form and size; but remarkable for a yellow
ruff or naked membrane round its neck; and is
supposed to be the aptest of all birds to emit and
articulate sounds in imitation of the human
voice. The fish called by the sailors skip-jack,
was sometimes an amusement to them. It is the
blennius ocellatus of the naturalists, having eyes
uncommonly prominent, and is seen frequently
skipping upon the surface of the water, near the
shore. No part of the Straits of Sunda abounds
with esculent fish; and the Malays were driven
often to feed on the young or smaller species of
the shark, which is too rank to be eaten by
choice. The presence of sharks is supposed to
frighten other fish away; tho no place supplies a
greater quantity of the best kind than the `road
before the island of Amsterdam, where were also
numerous and very large sharks. Another
cause which often drives particular fish away,
takes place in the Straits of Sunda; the frequency
of vessels passing through, both European and
Asiatic, of all sizes. But the adjoining lands on
¿
342
EMBASSY TO CHINA.
either side are sufficiently fertile to compensate
for such a scarcity, by their ample produce. Not
only the cultivated soil abundantly repays the
labourer's toil, but much of the spontaneous
growth comes forth at once, or easily is rendered,
fit for the nourishment of man. The woods
yield fruits, many of which, tho eatable, are,
from the abundance of others, generally neglect-
ed. Some gentlemen of the Lion, without pene-
trating far from the shore, observed a fruit some-
what of the size and form of the pear, which was
never offered for sale, but of which the natives
ate; it grew immediately from every part of a
tall stem, and not merely from the trunk and the
thickest part of the principal branches, like the
fruit of the cacao, or chocolate, or the jack and
bread-fruit tree.
It was difficult to get far into the Java forests,
from the quantity of underwood, and the vast
number of creeping plants, which form a sort of
net, supported by other trees, and are impass-
able without an instrument to cut them. Some
of them were, likewise, of great strength. One
trailed along the ground, in the manner of some
of the convolvulus kind, with a stalk about an
inch in diameter throughout, and of a length ex-
ceeding an hundred feet. The heat, for want of
EMBASSY TO CHINA.
343
a current of air, was, sometimes, suffocating; and
when near marshy ground, the mosquitoes or
gnats were extremely tormenting. In some open
spots were found webs of spiders, woven with
threads of so strong a texture, as not easily to be
divided without a cutting instrument; they seem-
ed to render feasible the idea of him, who, in the
southern provinces of Europe, proposed a manu-
facture from spiders' threads; which is so ridicu-
lous to the eyes of those who have only viewed
the flimsy webs such insects spin in England.
The eye was often delighted with the sight of
trees in superb blossom, and with the beautiful
plumage of the birds; some of which, however,
instead of charming with their notes, threw out
a hissing sound, that the alarm of serpents
gave
about to dart their venom. In these excursions,
the gentlemen seldom felt the inconvenience of
rain. The dry season was set in; and the wind
began to render it practicable for the ships to
make some way, tho slowly, towards the Straits
of Banka; and it was determined to attempt it
without delay.
Two ships from China arrived, indeed, in the
middle of April after a short passage, which im-
plied, that the monsoon continued still unfa-
vourable for going there, at least quickly. Those
344
EMBASSY TO CHINA.
ships brought a confirmation of the former fa-
vourable accounts from China, and furnished a
desirable opportunity of writing to Europe. Very
soon afterwards the winds were so far shifted, as
to encourage the Lion to set sail; but the current
ran still to the south-west, often upwards of two
miles an hour, while the breezes were so light,
and so much interrupted by calms, that little ad-
vance was made; and the anchors were often
lowered, to prevent the ships from being driven
back, till the twenty-sixth of April, when the
current began to change its direction to the east-
south-east, and the next day to the north-east,
half a mile an hour. Of the slight airs that blew,
the utmost advantage was taken by crowding sail,
as much as the Lion could be made to carry. On
each side were studding-sails, spreading much
beyond the hull; and above the main-top-gallant-
royal sail, which is the fourth in number one
above another from the deck, and diminishing
from thence successively in size, was a fifth
small sail of a triangular form, and from its great
elevation, called a sky-scraper, which was not
without effect. While the squadron was at
anchor within three miles of the Brothers, which
are two small islands covered with trees, and
surrounded with coral reefs, an opportunity
EMBASSY TO CHINA.
345
offered for determining, with accuracy, their
latitude; which is five degrees eight minutes
south, and their longitude, one hundred and six
degrees four minutes east. About this place
several whales were seen, for the first time since
the ships had parted from the island of Amster-
dam.
On the twenty-eighth, the hills on Banka
island were perceived above the haze, which hid
the lower grounds. The Clarence and Jackall
were ordered to lead, and soon gave notice of the
water's shoaling to three fathoms, which forced
the Lion to come to anchor for a short time.
The Hindostan got aground to the north-west of
the small island of Lucipara. A large cable, or
hawser, was immediately sent and fixed from
her to the Lion, now under sail, and rowing
boats were ordered to assist. In the efforts of the
Lion to drag the Hindostan from the shoal, the
cable, tho six inches in circumference, soon
snapped; but not till the Hindostan was already
loosened from the rock; and she got clear soon
afterwards.
The eastern coast of Sumatra was constantly
in sight; and the sea, to a certain distance, was
rendered muddy and less salt, by the quantities.
of fresh water poured from the large rivers of that
346
EMBASSY TO CHINA.
island, charged with earth washed from the ad-
joining grounds. Detached pieces of the land
were also seen sailing along, first driven by the
force of the river's stream, and afterwards by the
wind or current. They were literally floating
islands, torn from the parent shores by the vio-
lence of the floods; and the roots of the trees or
shrubs growing on them must have been closely
matted and interwoven together, as well as loaded
with much compact and heavy earth, to form a
kind of ballast for steadying the drift, and keep-
ing the stems of the trees in a perpendicular po-
sition.
On the thirtieth the squadron came to anchor
near to the southernmost of the three Nanka isles,
lying close to the western shore of the island of
Banka. This latter island is noted throughout
Asia for the same cause, its tin mines, to which
England owed its celebrity in Europe in very
ancient times, before its arts and arms had spread
its fame throughout the globe. Banka lies oppo-
site to the river Palambang, in the island of Su-
matra, on which the sovereign of Banka, posses-
sor also of the territory of Palambang, keeps his
constant residence. He maintains his authority
over his own subjects, and his independence of
the neighbouring princes, in great measure, by
EMBASSY TO CHINA.
347
the assistance of the Dutch, who have a settle-
ment and troops at Palambang; and enjoy the
benefit of a contract with the King of Banka for
the tin which his subjects procure from thence;
and which, like the King of Bantam, in regard
to pepper, he compels the miners to deliver to
him at a low price, and sells it to the Dutch at a
small advance, pursuant to his contract. Those
miners, from long practice, have arrived at much
perfection in reducing the ore into metal, em-
ploying wood as fuel in their furnaces, and not
fossil coal, or coak, which is seldom so free from
sulphur as not to affect the malleability of the
metal. It is sometimes preferred, therefore, to
European tin, at the Canton market; and the
profit upon it to the Dutch company, is suppos-
ed not to be less any year than one hundred and
fifty thousand pounds.
"C
Sir Erasmus Gower observed, that it was
very desirable for ships to stop at the Nanka
isles, as wood for fuel is conveniently procured
“ from thence; and the water thought preferable,
"for keeping, to any before discovered by the
""
squadron in those seas. It discharges itself
"from three small rills into a deep reservoir. A
"cask was sunk, with holes in it, at a little dis-
"tance from the reservoir, into which the water
348
EMBASSY TO CHINA.
66
"was conveyed perfectly pure and clear. At
high water the distance of rolling did not ex-
"ceed ten yards. At low water it was an hun-
dred; but the rolling ground was good, and
6 6
what is material in that sultry climate, the
people employed in filling the casks were per-
fectly shaded, as well as for a part of the roll-
ing distance. The tide rises and falls about
"eleven feet, and flows once only in the twenty-
"four hours; at least during the ships' stay there.
"The latitude of the road is two degrees twenty-
"two minutes south, and the longitude one hun-
"dred and five degrees forty-one minutes east.
"This place is perfectly sheltered from south-
"west by south to the north-west; and there can
"be no high sea with any wind, as the land is
but at a short distance in the open points."
<
On sailing in a boat round the largest of those
small islands, a belt of trees was perceived, of a
lighter green and younger growth, than the wood
which it encircled; and on landing, this belt was
found to have shot up from land yet moist, and
scarcely recovered from the sea. In several spots
throughout the island were discovered fragments
of hæmatites, or blood stone, in a circular form,
and including a hollow, partly lined with sand,
which appeared to have succeeded to a liquid, at
EMBASSY TO CHINA.
349
one time, boiling in these natural cauldrons.
The sea was very shallow close to those petty
islands, and heaps of stone mixed with iron ore
were, in many places, seen just rising above the
surface, without the least covering of vegetation,
and as if, at no very remote period, vomited up
by the force of subaqueous fire.
The squadron sailed from the Nanka isles on
the fourth of May. A shoal is described as lead-
ing almost from them to a rock, with little water
over it, called Frederick Henry, from a ship of
that name, which had been wrecked upon it
some years ago. It was material to ascertain its
exact position, that it might not be the occasion
of a like misfortune to others; but the Clarence
and Jackall brigs, and six boats were employed
in seeking for it in vain; so that they must have
been very unlucky in the search, or the general
accounts of its situation must have been defective.
It is most likely that, tho those several vessels
might have missed the rock, they would have
touched the shoals, which are represented to ex-
tend from it to the neighbourhood of the Nanka
isles, of which, however, they perceived no
trace. The squadron continued its route, and
crossed the line on the tenth of May, in longi-
tude one hundred and five degrees forty-eight
350
EMBASSY TO CHINA.
minutes east. Sir Erasmus mentions that "the
"observations at noon discovered that a current
"had set the ships half a degree to the north-
“ward; which circumstance was to be expected
from the accounts given in Mr. Dunn's Direc-
66
tory." The same author adds, indeed, that at
this season it sets likewise to the westward; but
on making the land of Pulo Lingen, it was found
that it had really set east-north-east twenty-seven
miles in the twenty-four hours.
The equinoctial line crosses Pulo Lingen,
which is a considerable island, remarkable for a
mountain in its centre, terminating in a fork like
Parnassus; but to which the unpoetical seamen
bestow the name of asses' ears. Every day pre-
sented new islands to the view, displaying a vast
variety in form, size, and colour. Some isolated,
and some collected in clusters. Many were
clothed with verdure; some had tall trees grow-
ing on them; others were mere rocks, the resort
of innumerable birds, and whitened with their
dung. The weather was often, in this passage,
squally, with thunder, lightning, and heavy
rain. The squadron was frequently obliged to
anchor. The sea was seldom deeper than eight
fathoms. Fahrenheit's thermometer was from
eighty-four to ninety degrees in the shade; and
།
EMBASSY TO CHINA.
351
the heat sometimes so overcoming, that few,
either of the passengers or crews, enjoyed perfect
health. Some of the passengers removed from
one ship to the other, by way of change, which
was not entirely useless. Several of the seamen
were afflicted with a dysentery, which, being
contagious, was alarming to the rest, and left
little hope of its being subdued, until the dis-
eased were removed from the ships to some con-
venient shore, which might afford good air and
fresh provisions.
Pulo, or island of, Condore had the advan-
tage of convenient anchoring-places in either
monsoon; and accordingly the squadron stopped
there, on the seventeenth of May, in a spacious
bay on the eastern side of the island; and came
to anchor at the entrance of its southern extremity,
as the water shoaled there to five fathoms and a
half, occasioned by a bank which stretches across
two-thirds of the entrance. It was found after-
wards, that beyond the bank there is a safe pas-
sage to the inner part of the bay, the north of
which is sheltered by a small island lying to the
eastward. The whole of the bay is formed by
four small islands, which approach so nearly to
each other, as to appear, from several points, to
join. They all seem to be the rude fragments of
352
EMBASSY TO CHINA.
primitive mountains, separated from the great
continent in the lapse of time. The principal
island is eleven or twelve miles in length, and
about three in breadth. It is in the form of a
crescent, and consists of a ridge of peaked hills.
Its latitude, as calculated from a meridional ob-
servation, is eight degrees forty minutes north
from the equator; and its longitude, according to
a good chronometer, is one hundred and five
degrees fifty-five minutes east from Greenwich.
Mr. Jackson, who sounded in the bay, happened
to land on one of these islets, where he found a
turtle's nest upon the beach, containing several
young just hatched, with a sort of placenta ad-
hering to their bellies. Each of these young
turtles, capable of growing to the weight of
several hundred pounds, did not exceed a very
few ounces now, and was but an inch and a half
in size.
The English had a settlement on Condore
until the beginning of the present century, when
some Malay soldiers in their pay, in resentment
for some unjustifiable treatment, murdered their
superiors, with the exception of a very few who
escaped off the island, where no Europeans have
since resided. At the bottom of the bay was a
village situated close to a fine sandy beach, with
EMBASSY TO CHINA.
353
a long range of cocoa-nut trees before it, and it
was defended from the north-east sea by a reef
of coral rocks, within which was good anchorage
for small vessels, and an easy landing for boats.
A party went on shore, with the precaution,
however, of being armed, as large canoes were
espied within the reef, which might have been
Malay pirates. Several of the inhabitants came
to the beach, and with the appearance of much
urbanity of manners, welcomed them on shore;
and conducted them to the house of their chief.
It was a neat bamboo cabin, larger than the rest.
The floor was elevated a few feet above the
ground, and strewed with mats, on which were
assembled as many men as the place could hold.
It was apparently on the occasion of some festi-
val, or pleasurable meeting. There was in one
of the apartments, an altar decorated with images;
and the partitions hung with figures of mon-
strous deities; but the countenances and deport-
ment of the people conveyed no idea of religious
awe, and no person was seen in the posture of
prayer or adoration. A few spears stood against
the wall with their points downwards, together
with some matchlocks and a swivel
gun. The
dress of those people was composed chiefly of
blue cotton, worn loosely about them; and their
VOL. I.
A a
$54
EMBASSY TO CHINA.
flat faces and little eyes, denoted a Chinese origin
or relation. Several long slips of paper, hanging
from the ceiling, were covered with columns of
Chinese writing. One of the missionaries, who
was of the party, could not, however, in any de-
gree
understand their conversation; but when the
words were written, they instantly became in-
telligible to him; tho their colloquial language
was altogether different from what is spoken in
China, yet
the characters were all Chinese; and
the fact was clearly ascertained on this occasion,
that those characters have an equal advantage
with Arabic numbers, of which the figures con-
vey the same meaning wherever known, whereas
the letters of other languages denote not things,
but elementary sounds, which combined vari-
ously together, form words, or more complicated
sounds, conveying different ideas in different
languages, tho the form of their alphabet be the
same.
The inhabitants of Pulo Condore were, it
seems, Cochin-Chinese, with their descendants,
who fled from their own country, in consequence
of their attachment to one of its sovereigns, de-
throned by several of his own subjects. It was
proposed to purchase provisions here; and the
people promised to have the specified quantity
!
EMBASSY TO CHINA.
355
ready, if possible, the next day, when it was in-
tended, if the weather should be favourable, to
land the invalids. The next morning was fair in
the beginning; and a party of pleasure was made
from the Hindostan to a small island close to
Pulo Condore. They were scarcely arrived upon
it when the weather began to lower; and the boat
set off on its return, in order to reach the ship be-
fore the impending storm should begin. But it
overtook them before they got half-way. One of
the company was a boy, whose father had been
prevented by indisposition from being of the
party, and was now anxiously looking, from the
deck of the Hindostan, for the return of the boat.
He perceived it sometimes above the waves; and
it sometimes disappeared behind them.
most indifferent spectator, if any could be indiffe-
rent, doubted whether the boat must not be over-
whelmed in such a sea, as now suddenly was
raised; while the distracted parent was ardently
wishing to be in the boat, as if his presence there
could have allayed the tempest. The cockswain,
or helmsman of the boat, guided it, however,
with such address, keeping her bow steadily to
the approaching wave, which otherwise must
have filled and sunk her, that she reached the
ship; then, however, rolling so deeply, that the
The
A a 2
356
EMBASSY TO CHINA.
boat had again a narrow escape, from being sunk
or dashed to pieces against the greater vessel's
sides.
As soon as the weather became fair, messen-
gers were dispatched on shore, to receive, and
pay for, the provisions promised. When they
arrived at the village, they were astonished to
find it abandoned. The houses were left open;
and none of the effects, except some arms, that
had, on the first visit, been perceived within
them, or even of the poultry feeding about the
doors, were taken away. In the principal cabin
a paper was found, in the Chinese language, of
which the literal translation purported, as nearly
as it could be made, that "the people of the
"island were few in number, and very poor, yet
66
66
honest, and incapable of doing mischief; but
felt much terror at the arrival of such great
ships, and powerful persons; especially as not
being able to satisfy their wants in regard to
"the quantity of cattle, and other provisions, of
"which the poor inhabitants of Pulo Condore
"had scarcely any to supply, and consequently
"could not give the expected satisfaction. They
(c
therefore, through dread and apprehension,
"resolved to fly, to preserve their lives. That
they supplicate the great people to have pity
86
EMBASSY TO CHINA.
857
"on them; that they left all they had behind
“them, and only requested that their cabins
66
66
might not be burnt; and conclude by prostrat-
ing themselves to the great people a hundred
"times."
The writers of this letter had probably re-
ceived ill treatment from other strangers. It was
determined that they should not continue to think
ill of all who came to visit them. On their re-
turn they were, perhaps, as much surprised to
find their houses still entire, as their visitors had
been, who found they were deserted. Nothing
was disturbed; and a small present, likely to be
acceptable to the chief, was left for him in the
principal dwelling, with a Chinese letter, signi-
fying that "the ships and people were English,
"who called merely for refreshment, and on fair
"terms of purchase, without any ill intention;
being a civilized nation, endowed with prin-
ciples of humanity, which did not allow them
"to plunder or injure others, who happened to
"be weaker or fewer than themselves." It was
not likely that this letter would be read while the
ships continued in the bay, during which time
they who fled would, no doubt, be fearful to re-
turn. It was, beside, advisable to hasten where-
ever the invalids might meet on shore with the
358
EMBASSY TO CHINA.
comforts which Pulo Condore, it seems, could
not afford. The signal was given for weighing
anchor on the eighteenth of May.
In all large ships the anchor is raised by
means of a capstan, or machine fixed in the keel
or bottom of the ship, and rising above the upper
deck, where it has sockets made in its sides,
breast-high, for the occasional insertion of wood-
en bars, with which the men turn the capstan
round, coiling about it at the same time a rope,
called a messenger, as connecting the capstan
with the great cable, bent to the anchor then in
use. Upon the present occasion the weather hap-
pened to be again squally, and the ground being
tough in which the Hindostan lay, the anchor
was difficult to raise, and therefore several soldiers
of the Embassador's guard, who were in the Hin-
dostan, assisted the seamen in pressing upon the
bars. In the midst of their efforts the messenger
happened suddenly to snap. The anchor, partly
hauled up, fell back with increased velocity, and
whirled the capstan so rapidly about, that the
bars, each about six inches square, and sixteen
fect long, shot, in all directions, violently from
their sockets; prostrating every man within their
reach with irresistible force. One of the bars
made its way across the cuddy, or dining par-
}
EMBASSY TO CHINA.
859
lour, to the door of the great cabin. The quar
ter-deck was strewed with people groaning with
their wounds. Most of the crew had been em-
ployed that day upon the capstan. How many
might be killed or maimed could not instantly
be ascertained; but such was the impression on
the captain's mind, who was viewing the
the opera-
tion from the poop, that tho there then happened
to be three medical gentlemen on board, he cried
out that they should first attend to the fractured
limbs, leaving other accidents to be inspected
afterwards. The consternation was indeed greater
than on a day of battle, for which people have
generally some previous preparation, and expect
to derive honour or profit in compensation for
the danger. No man, however, by this disaster,
lost his life; many of the seamen accustomed to
the manoeuvres on ship-board, and possibly
aware of the accidents which attend them some-
times, were quick enough to avoid being hurt;
but few escaped among the soldiers. Particular
care was immediately taken of such as had been
struck; and the ten men whose limbs were bro-
ken, or who otherwise were wounded, gradually
recovered. The accident detained, for some time,
the Hindostan at anchor, till the squall increasing,
the cable parted from the anchor, which thus
360
EMBASSY TO CHINA.
was lost, and the ship was driven out to sea. The
wind blew hard; and it was with difficulty that
the brigs stood out the gale. As soon as it was
over, in the evening of the eighteenth of May,
the whole squadron steered away to the north,
ward.
EMBASSY TO CHINA.
361
CHAPTER VIII.
COCHIN-CHINA.
HAD
AD even the south-west monsoon already set
in regularly, and favourably for a passage imme-
diately to the northern parts of China, it would
not have been yet advisable to take advantage of
it, as the debilitated state of the Lion's crew, and
the contagious disorder that was spread amongst
them, rendered it, previously, necessary to seek
the first safe and convenient place for removing
the sick ashore, wherever fresh provisions could
be procured, and where they could breathe a
dry
and uncontaminated atmosphere. It was no slight
trial of the constitutions of men, born in a cold
climate, to have been thrice already, in the
course of a few preceding months, placed under
the sun's vertical
rays. Their stay at Batavia,
tho short, had likewise an evil influence upon
their health; and the eastern shore of Sumatra,
to the noxious vapours of which they had occa-
sionally been exposed in some part of the Straits
of Sunda, as well as in passing through those of
Banka, was, perhaps, not less injurious. Beside
362
EMBASSY TO CHINA.
the dysentery, which it was difficult to prevent
from spreading through a crowded ship, several
of the people were afflicted with diseases of the
liver. Others, without any previous indication
of complaint, were seized with violent spasms,
from which it was difficult to recover them; and
the heat was so oppressive, at night as well as in
the day, that the men at work between decks,
particularly in the spirit rooms, were known
sometimes to faint away, tho the ventilators
were constantly kept in use to introduce fresh
air. Out of three hundred and fifty men on
board the Lion, one hundred and twenty were,
at times, in the list of patients.
From the reports of former voyages, relativo
to the different places not very distant from Pulo
Condore, Turon bay in Cochin-china promised
the most advantages, as to safety for the ships,
and shelter and provisions for the men. The
squadron steering for that bay, came, on the
evening of its departure from Pulo Gondore,
within sight of the southern extremity of that
part of the great continent which may, properly,
be called Chinese; near to which extremity lies
Cochin-china. The first small kingdom, or
territory, from the southernmost point, being
called Cambodia; the second Tsiompa; and the
EMBASSY TO CHINA.
363
third Cochin-china. It is recorded to have form-
ed, anciently, a part of the Chinese empire; but
on the Mongul invasion of China, from Tartary,
in the thirteenth century, the Chinese governor
of the southern peninsula, containing Tung-quin
to the northward, and Tsiompa and Cambodia
to the southward, of Cochin-china, took the op-
portunity of setting up the standard of indepen-
dence. He and his posterity resided in Tung-
quin. In process of time, the Tung-quinese go-
vernor of Cochin-china imitated the example
that had been set by the ancestor of his sovereign,
and erected, likewise, his government into a
kingdom. But both he and his former master
continued to acknowledge, at least, a nominal
vassallage to the Chinese empire; and, occasion-
ally, paid homage at the court of Pekin. Even
this slight connection with China, rendered it
more interesting to the persons belonging to the
present Embassy.
The squadron did not come within view of
any part of Cambodia; but in a manuscript ac-
count of a voyage to that country, made in 1778,
and which appears to have been accurately drawn
up, it is mentioned, that" the point of Cambo-
dia, as well as the whole coast from thence to
"the western branch of the great Cambodia
364
EMBASSY TO CHINA.
" river, is covered with underwood, and exceed-
ingly low. The sea is so shallow, that, at the
"distance of five or six miles from the shore,
"the water was seldom deeper than four fathoms;
"and nothing much larger than a boat, could
approach within a couple of miles." It is not
unworthy notice, by what slow gradations the
land, in this southern extremity of Asia, sinks
into the deep, in the same manner as does the
southern extremity of the island of Sumatra;
itself, perhaps, a detached portion of the same
great continent.
Tsiompa, more elevated from the sea than
Cambodia, was seen by the squadron on the
nineteenth of May, as well as Tiger island near
it, and, the next day, two islands called Pulo
Cambir de Terre, and Pulo Cecir de Mer.
Tsiompa presented, to the naked eye, the pro-
spect of a fine and well cultivated country,
gently sloping from the sea, and beautifully di-
versified with pasture grounds and fields of corn;
but, on examining more attentively, by the help
of telescopes, all that pleasing and luxuriant ap-
pearance vanished; leaving only, in its room,
immense tracts of pale and yellow sand, the
smooth surfaces of which were interrupted by
ledges of dark rocks, raising their naked heads to
EMBASSY TO CHINA.
365
a considerable height. The elevated ridges shew-
ed, in various places, alternate masses of white
and black, like the streaked skins of tigers, shin-
ing conspicuously when the sun's beams struck
those shores. The sea, near to them, was
upon
so translucent, that the eye could easily discern,
from the stern gallery, the bottom of the rudder.
In twelve degrees fifty minutes north latitude,
was a cape called Varella, behind which a moun-
tain rose, remarkable for having a high rock,
like a tower, on its summit. To the northward
of this rock lay Quin-nong, or Chin-chin bay,
much frequented by the vessels of the country.
According to the manuscript last quoted, "it is
"an excellent harbour, where vessels
(
may be
sheltered from every wind. The entrance to
"it is very narrow; but the want of a sufficient
depth of water, must oblige ships of large bur-
den to wait till high water, to get in. It lies
"in thirteen degrees fifty-two minutes north
"latitude.'
On the twenty-second of May, Pulo Canton,
otherwise called Pulo Ratan, came in sight, bear-
ing the semblance of two islands, at some dis-
tance, being high at both extremes and low in
the middle. It was the only island lately seen,
en which there was much appearance of cultiva-
1
366
EMBASSY TO CHINA.
tion. A north-west current drove the squadron
nearer, than was intended, to that island, there
happening at the moment to be little wind.
The ships had been, now some time, abreast
of the kingdom of Cochin-china. The passage
between its shore, and a vast multitude of small
islands and rocks, called the Paracels, forming a
lengthened cluster lying north and south for near
four hundred miles, was not without some peril;
and required no inconsiderable caution, to guard
against the effect of easterly currents, which drive
towards the rocks in calms; as well as, in the
opposite case, against the violent tempests, which,
in these seas, are called typhoons, as they are
hurricanes in the Atlantic; both resembling each
other in the extreme violence of the wind, and in
the sudden shifting of its direction. Some pre-
vious appearances of the weather denote the pro-
bable approach of those typhoons to the attentive
navigator; and give him time to prepare his ship
against their fury. These prognostics were ob-
served to take place, in some degree, on the even-
ing of the twenty-third of May. An uncommon
redness of the sky at sunset, and a hazy atmo-
sphere succeeded to a fine clear day. The quick-
silver fell suddenly in the barometer. After the
sun had descended below the horizon, a thick
EMBASSY TO CHINA.
367
black cloud arose out of the north-east quarter,
tinged, in parts, with a deep fiery red colour,
which was luminous round the edges. Presently
afterwards the whole horizon was covered over
with clouds; and the storm was expected, mo-
mently, to burst. The precaution was, conse-
quently, taken of lowering the ship's masts and
yards, and spreading very little sail, in order
that the wind should have less to act upon; and
every thing was, in the seaman's phrase, made
snug. The clouds, however, after some time,
dispersed. The quicksilver ascended after a few
violent squalls, and the next morning ushered
in fine weather; and shewed, at a distance, an
opening in the land, which was conjectured to be
Turon bay, with an island to the southward of
it, called Cham Callao or Campello.
Many canoes were seen fishing between the
ships and land. The nearest were hailed, in
order to get, from among the fishermen, some
one who might pilot the squadron into the bay.
But these not caring to approach strange vessels,
immediately made sail and scudded away directly
before the wind. One of those canoes was, how-
ever, at length overtaken by a boat, dispatched
from the Hindostan; and a fisherman was con-
veyed on board. He was an old man, with
点
​368
EMBASSY TO CHINA.
sunken eyes, his head thinly covered with a few
grey straggling hairs, and a countenance haggard
with age and terror. He left, in his boat, two
young men, probably his sons; for, as he was
extremely apprehensive of intended mischief,
when the messenger from the ship insisted upon
taking some one person from the canoe, he pre-
ferred freeing them from the danger, tho by ex-
posing himself to it. When he got to the Hin-
dostan, he appeared as if petrified at the sight of
the spacious deck, the great guns, the number of
people, and above all, at the height of the masts,
from which he could scarcely withdraw his eye,
as if fearful lest they should fall upon him. Of
the Chinese on board, none could render them-
selves intelligible to this poor man, or understand
a word of what he uttered. Questions were writ-
ten in the Chinese character before him; but he
made signs to testify that he knew not how to
read or write. The sound of the words Cochin-
china and Turon, were perfectly unknown to
him; these names not having been given by the
inhabitants of the country; but by early Euro-
pean navigators and geographers. He repeatedly
threw himself upon his knees and wept, not-
withstanding the pains taken to soothe and satisfy
him: and when, in the working and tacking of
EMBASSY TO CHINA.
369
the ship, her head happened to be turned from
the land, his alarms increased, and he fell into
an agony of grief, imagining there was an inten-
tion to quit the coast, and carry him off for ever.
Victuals were offered to him, of which he ate
reluctantly and sparingly; but when a few Spa-
nish dollars were put into his hands, he shewed
he had a knowledge of their value, by carefully
wrapping them up in a corner of his tattered
garments. After repeated efforts, he was made,
at length, to comprehend the object for which he
had been brought on board; and, being now
somewhat tranquillized, he pointed out the en-
trance into the bay of Turon, which is not
readily perceived by strangers. The only chart,
known to have been published, of that part of
the coast, was merely a rough sketch, taken by
some officers of the Admiral Pocock Indiaman,
that had been accidentally driven there, by stress
of weather, many years ago; but it gives no in-
formation or instruction how to enter into the
bay, and was afterwards found to be erroneous
in many respects.
In making this part of the coast, from the
southward, the most remarkable object, that at-
tracts attention, is a group
group of
massy marble
rocks, that look like an enormous castle, appear-
VOL. I.
B b
370
EMBASSY TO CHINA.
ing to be insulated; and not unlike, tho much
larger than, the rock of Dunbarton castle, rising
perpendicularly from the Clyde in Scotland, A
few miles to the northward of this Cochin-
chinese pile of rocks, is a bold and elevated pro-
montory, surmounted by two peaks, one much
higher than the other. To a stranger, the en-
trance into Turon bay would appear to lie be-
tween the mass of rocks first mentioned, and this
elevated promontory; but these objects are join-
ed, in fact, by a low and narrow isthmus. The
entrance to the bay is round the north-eastern-
most point of this peninsular promontory, which
was now called, by the squadron, Lion point;
not only in compliment to his Majesty's ship,
but on account of some faint or fancied resem-
blance, which a rocky bluff, jutting from the
point, bears to a lion couchant, when seen at a
little distance.
The Cochin-chinese fisherman, by way of de-
scribing where the Hindostan ought to anchor,
bent his left arm to represent the mountains
which overlooked the bay, and dropped down
the fore-finger of his right hand, to mark the re-
lative proper spot for anchoring; but tornadoes
or sudden squalls of wind from different points,
and accompanied by lightning and thunder,
EMBASSY TO CHINA.
371
drove the ships again to sea; nor were they able,
safely, to come to an anchor, within the bay, till
the twenty-sixth of May. The old Cochin-
chinese was now dismissed, with a compensation
for his fright, as well as for his services. When
he was carried to the shore, he jumped from the
boat almost with the alertness of youth, and,
hastening away, came never, afterwards, near
the ships.
Sir Erasmus Gower, "moored the Lion in
"seven fathoms water, the north-west point of
"the bay bearing north-east by north, an island
" in the mouth of the bay, north, the watering
place on the peninsula, east by north; Cam-
""
86
pello isle, which is seen over the isthmus,
"south-east by east, a river on which the town
"of Turon is situated, south-south-east half east.
"The peninsula bore some resemblance to Gi-
“braltar, which name was henceforward given
"to it by the squadron. The channel into the
bay is round the north-east end of Gibraltar,
""
""
having a large lump of an island to the north.
"All the coast is safe to approach, shoaling the
"water gradually from twenty to seven fathoms."
The first consideration, after having come to
anchor, was to seek for a place to put the sick
and invalids ashore. A spot was quickly found
Bb 2
372
EMBASSY TO CHINA.
}
under Gibraltar hill, near the Lion's station,
where the ground was perfe tly dry, the neigh-
bourhood free from swamps, and a clear stream
of water running behind the tents which were
pitched for the men. Pains were taken, after
their departure, to purify the ship from all traces
of contagion; and a message was about to be sent,
at the same time, to the town of Turon, which
lay upon a river falling into the bay, to an-
nounce the occasion of the squadron's stopping
in it, and to request a supply of fresh provisions
at reasonable and customary rates. But the Lion
was scarcely at anchor, before an officer from
shore came on board, for the purpose of learning
every particular relative to the squadron, the
appearance of which, it seems, had spread alarm.
The vessels that usually resorted there, were
either junks from different parts of China or
trading vessels from Macao of an European make,
but small, and without any warlike appearance.
Of the former there were none actually in the
bay; and of the latter one brig only. Ships like
the Lion and Hindostan were seldom seen there.
Beside these, and the Jackall and Clarence which
attended them, a fifth vessel soon followed into
Turon bay. She was under Genoese colours;
but, chiefly, manned by Englishmen. She had
EMBASSY TO CHINA.
373
着
​found the squadron in the straits of Sunda, and
kept company with it, occasionally, afterwards.
2
The whole appeared particularly formidable
to the people on shore, from a cause which the
commander of the Macao brig explained. He
mentioned that Turon, with a considerable part
of the kingdom of Cochin-china, was then sub-
ject to a young prince, nephew of an usurper,
whose antagonist, the descendant of the former
sovereigns of the country, was still in possession
of some of the southern districts of the kingdom,
and was in daily hope of such succours, from
Europe, as might enable him to recover all the
possessions of his ancestors. His family had,
occasionally, shewn kindness to European mis-
sionaries, and tolerated the exercise of the Chris-
tian religion among their subjects. The prin-
cipal of those missionaries, who had been digni-
fied with the title of Bishop by his holiness the
Pope, was afterwards sent by his Cochin-chinese
majesty as his embassador to the court of France,
where an uncommon degree of interest was taken
in the young prince of Cochin-china, whom the
bishop had conducted to Europe with him. Suc-
cour was promised for the re-establishment of
his house; and in case of success, benefit
would, no doubt, have accrued to the commercè
374
EMBASSY TO CHINA.
of the French. Measures were in preparation
for sending out effectual aid, when the extraor-
dinary events at home put an end to the expedi-
tion, and deprived the generous monarch, who
had ordered it, of the power of assisting either
others or himself. Some individuals, however,
from France did join the legitimate king of
Cochin-china, and gave hopes of further assist-
ance. These hopes were often repeated by way
of encouragement to his partisans; and his ene-
mies, in possession of Turon bay, began to be
apprehensive lest the squadron now at anchor in
it, should, in fact, be come with hostile inten-
tions against them.
But a communication was soon opened between
the officer who came on board and the Chinese
interpreters, in the same manner as had been
effected at Pulo Condore, by means of the written
characters of the Chinese language. The neutral
and pacific disposition of the squadron was an-
nounced, its general object declared, and a re-
quest made for the supply of its immediate wants.
For the first two or three days, however, véry
little was obtained. Few boats approached the
ships with provisions for sale, tho it be usual to
do so, in great numbers, in most harbours. The
market on shore was very scantily supplied; and
EMBASSY TO CHINA.
375
extravagant prices demanded for every article.
It was obvious that the governing magistrate of
the place, who, it seems, had instantly dispatched
a messenger to the capital, with an account of
the arrival of the squadron, and for instructions
how to act, had, in the mean time, checked the
sale of all provisions.
A person of some rank soon arrived at Turon,
who delivered very handsome compliments from
his master to the Embassador. He came in a
large decked galley, of a light and sharp con-
struction, formed for quick sailing. The rowers,
who were very numerous, rowed in an erect pos-
ture, and pushed the oars from them, making
short and frequent strokes. A state cabin was
erected, on the middle of the deck, painted in
lively colours; each end of the galley was deco-
rated with streamers of different colours and
figures. The state cabin was, on the outside,
surrounded with spears, and various ensigns of
authority. The principal officer, who came in
her, was dressed in loose robes of silk, had the
polished manners of cultivated society, and was
attended by a Chinese interpreter. His galley
was followed by nine boats, calculated for carry-
ing burdens, and full of rice and other provi-
sions, animal and vegetable, as presents, for the
376
EMBASSY TO CHINA.
use of the passengers and crews. From that mo
ment the markets were plentifully supplied, and
the prices reasonable. The governor of the dis-
trict came, also, on board to pay his respects,
invited the Embassador and his suite ashore, and
proposed to keep an open table for them con-
stantly. Every mark of attention was shewn
henceforward; and every effort made to cultivate
the best understanding with his Excellency and
the squadron.
Overtures were made for the purchase of arms
and ammunition; and it was easy to perceive that
any assistance given to the cause of the prince,
then reigning at Turon, as well as at the capital
and northern parts of the kingdom, would have
been willingly purchased on any terms. His
situation, indeed, was very far from being secure.
Beside the province of Donai, or southern part
of Cochin-china, which had reverted to the
ancient family of its sovereigns, Quin-nong, or
the middle province of the kingdom, was in the
hands of the late usurper of the whole. He had
entrusted to his younger brother the care of his
conquests to the northward; but the latter avail-
ed himself of his command, first to invade the
neighbouring kingdom of Tung-quin, with com-
plete success, notwithstanding the assistance given
EMBASSY TO CHINA.
377
to the latter by the Chinese, and then declared
himself sovereign both of Tung-quin and Co-
chin-china, intending to wrest, for his own use,
from his elder brother, whatever the latter still
possessed of that kingdom, as well as whatever
part had been recovered by the lawful sovereign.
This new usurper was an able warrior, and had
formed vast projects of conquest, even of some
Chinese provinces; he was one of those politi-
cians to whom all means are equally eligible that
can contribute to their successes. He died in
the midst of them in September, 1792. Of his
sons he left the eldest, who was illegitimate, in
the government of Tung-quin. The youngest,
who was his legitimate offspring by a Tung-
quinese princess, was at Turon at the time of his
father's death. He instantly assumed the reins
of government, as lawful successor to his father,
while his elder, but illegitimate brother, retained
possession of Tung-quin, and claimed a right to
the whole of his father's conquests.
The state of rebellion or civil warfare in
Cochin-china had begun upwards of twenty
years before, in the course of which so very
many of the combatants were slain, the country
was so exhausted, and the surviving parties so
balanced, that, at this time, no considerable
378
EMBASSY TO CHINA.
enterprize was undertaken by any of them; tho
each was busy in preparing new plans for the
support of himself and the overthrow of his ene-
mies. In the mean time the people began, in
some degree, to breathe; but had the kingdom
even been more settled, the Embassador did not
think it would have been proper to enter into
any sort of negotiation, or even to present the
credential letters, with which he had been en-
trusted for that kingdom, before he had delivered,
in the first instance, those he had in charge for
the Emperor of China. His Excellency, there-
fore, determined to confine himself to messages
of compliment and respect, and to a return of
presents for those he had so seasonably received
for the use of the squadron. An uninterrupted
communication was continued to be maintained
with the people of Turon; but not without some
marks of mistrust, and consequent watchfulness,
on both sides.
The bay of Turon was found to deserve, more
properly, the name of harbour. Its entrance is
neither so narrow, nor so capable of being de-
fended, as the port of Rio de Janeiro, described
in a former chapter; nor, within, is it so deep or
spacious; but it is, nevertheless, among the
largest, as well as safest, harbours known. It is
1
EMBASSY TO CHINA.
379
per-
deeply scolloped or indented, so as to afford
fect shelter, in some or other of its inlets, from
whatever point of the compass the most violent
wind may blow. The bottom is mud, and the
anchorage safe throughout. In common weather,
ships may so lie as to have the advantage of the
sea wind, coming in at the harbour's mouth,
and over the narrow isthmus already mentioned,
from the hours of three or four in the morning,
to the same hours in the afternoon. The land
wind succeeds very quickly, and continues almost
the rest of the twenty-four hours. The ships
have all the benefit of its coolness as it descends
from the mountains, without passing over sands;
noris it contaminated by blowing across marshes.
A small island, within the harbour, is nearly
surrounded with such deep water as to admit of
vessels of all kinds lying close to it, in order to
heave down and be refitted. The sea is smooth
throughout the harbour. Between the moun-
tains, overhanging it, are vallies in which rice
is cultivated, and buffaloes are reared, with much
success.
The harbour abounds with fish. In some of
the boats the fisherman, his wife, and children,
continue with him, sheltered under a circular
roof instead of a flat deck. Round the young
380
EMBASSY TO CHINA.
children's necks are tied broad pieces of gourd
or calibash, to keep their bodies afloat and their
heads from sinking, in case of their falling over-
board. As often as the fishermen come on shore,
they implore their deities for the safety of their
families, and their success in fishing, by erecting
small altars to them among the branches of large
trees, or other elevated places, on which they
make offerings of rice, sugar, and other victuals,
and burn short pieces of odorous and consecrated
wood.
At the southern extremity of the harbour is
the mouth of the river which leads to Turon
town. On the point, which separates the river
from that harbour, is a watch-tower, consisting
only of four very high pillars of wood, over
which a slight roof is laid, and a floor is fixed
upon cross posts into the pillars towards their
upper ends. To this floor the watchman ascends
by a long ladder, and there he can readily see,
through the harbour's mouth, any vessels to the
northward, and those which are to the southward
over the isthmus. Near the watch-tower is an
office where the boats and small vessels, going
into the river, are stopped to be examined. The
river is about two hundred yards in width, and
its current into the bay is sufficiently strong to
EMBASSY TO CHINA.
381
work itself a channel in the bank of sand, accu-
mulated at its entrance into the harbour. On
each side of this channel the sand is raised so
high as, at low water, to be uncovered by the
sea; and on this sand was seen, for the first time
throughout the present voyage, that celebrated
bird, vulgarly called the pelican of the wilder
ness, whose gullet, bill, and wings, seem to be
much beyond the proportionate size of its body,
which is, however, equal to that of the largest
turkey. It frequents only waters where fish
abound; of which its presence argues plenty.
The depth of the water in the river was upwards
of two fathoms. One Chinese junk, and several
Cochin-chinese large boats were at anchor in
the river, and others passing through it. The
land on its western bank, on which the town of
Turon lay, about a mile above its mouth, sloped
down to the water's edge; and the naked infants,
of two years old and upwards, came, from the
houses built among the shrubbery growing upon
its borders, and played and swam like duck-
lings in the water.
Turon, to which, as well as to the river and
harbour, the natives give the name of Han-sán,
was little better than a village, but is said to have
been, during the peace and prosperity of the
382
EMBASSY TO CHINA.
country, a more considerable place. The houses,
which were low and chiefly built of bamboo,
and covered with rushes, or the straw of rice,
were, except about the market-place, interspersed
with trees. Many of the best buildings are in
the centre of gardens planted with the areca-nut
tree, and various other pleasing or useful shrubs.
Behind the town were groves of oranges, limes,
plantains, and areca-nut trees, in the midst of
some of which were houses, and in others only
remains of buildings. The opposite side of the
river was divided into fields, surrounded by
fences, and cultivated with tobacco, rice, and
sugar-canes. The market in the town was plen-
tifully supplied with all the vegetable produce
of tropical climates, as well as with large quan-
tities of poultry, particularly ducks; and, among
other fowls, the black-bellied darter, a kind of
bird so called from its supposed propensity to
dart its sharp and long beak at any shining ob-
jects near it, particularly into any eye turned
towards it; on this account those animals are
brought to the Turon market with their eyelids
sewn together, to deprive them of the oppor-
tunity of discerning the eyes of those who come
to purchase them.
There were no shambles or places containing
EMBASSY TO CHINA.
383
the separated parts of animals killed for sale. At
an entertainment, however, given by the chief of
the place to a party from the ships, many of the
dishes, or rather bowls, upon the table, were
filled with pork and beef, cut into small square
morsels, and dressed with a variety of savoury
sauces; other bowls contained stewed fish, fowls,
and ducks; and many had fruits and sweetmeats,
The number of bowls, piled in three rows, one
above the other, exceeded certainly an hundred,
Before each person were placed boiled rice, to
serve instead of bread; and two porcupine quills,
by way of a knife and fork. The spoons were
made of porcelain, somewhat in the form cf
small shovels, After dinner an ardent spirit,
made from rice, was served in small cups
around. Wine does not seem to be in use, or
known; tho vines are said to grow spontaneously
in the mountains. Had the art of stopping the
fermentation of vegetable juices, before they
passed from the vinous state, been understood by
them, it is probable that it would be, in most
instances, preferred to distilled liquor, to the
use of which this people seem to be much ad-
dicted. More of this Cochin-chinese spirit, not
ill resembling what is called, by the Irish,
whiskey, was drank by the host than by his
384
EMBASSY TO CHINA.
guests; tho the former, by way of setting a good
example, filled his cup to the brim, in a true
European style of joviality, and, after drinking,
turned
up his
cup, to shew he had emptied it
to the bottom. He afterwards accompanied the
gentlemen in a short walk, and conducted them
to an occasional theatre, where a comedy had
been ordered by him, upon the occasion, of
which the mirth was excited, chiefly, as well as
could be inferred from the gestures of the actors,
by the peevishness of a passionate old man, and
the humours of a clown, who appeared to have
no small degree of merit in his way. The place
was surrounded with crowds of people, and many
of them perched upon the boughs of adjoining
trees, from whence they might see, at an open
part of the building, the spectators within doors,
about whom they were, in this instance, more
curious than about the actors upon the stage.
As the gentlemen were returning from this
entertainment, they were requested, by signs, to
stop while an aged lady, with some difficulty,
walked from her house towards them. She had
heard that Europeans were passing by; and, not
having before seen any, seemed anxious to take
the opportunity, which might not offer again in
her time. She approached them with looks of
EMBASSY TO CHINA.
385
eager curiosity, but with much gentleness of
manners, and a countenance implying a willing-
ness to apologize for the freedom she took, to stop
and
gaze at them. She observed, with great at-
tention, their figures, dress, and countenances,
and appeared perfectly to enjoy a spectacle so
new to her. She, at length, retired, signifying
her thanks to the gentlemen for their complai-
sance, and with all the marks of satisfaction, at
being gratified in one of the most ardent wishes.
remaining in her mind.
Those gentlemen's own attention was soon
afterwards arrested, by a singular instance of
agility, in some Cochin-chinese young men.
Seven or eight of them, standing in a circle,
were engaged in a game of shittlecock. They
had in their hands no battledores. They did
not employ the hand or arm, any way, in strik-
ing it. But, after taking a short race, and
springing from the floor, they met the descend-
ing shittlecock with the sole of the foot, and
drove it up again, with force, high into the air.
It was, thus, kept up a considerable time; the
players seldom missing their stroke, or failing to
give it the direction they intended. The shittle-
cock was made of a piece of dried skin rolled
round, and bound with strings. Into this skin
Cc
VOL. I.
386
EMBASSY TO CHINA.
were inserted three long feathers spreading out
at top, but so near to each other, where they
were stuck into the skin, as to pass through the
holes, little more than a quarter of an inch
square, which are always made in the centre of
Cochin-chinese copper coins. Two or three of
these served as a weight at the bottom of the
shittlecock, and their sound gave notice to the
players, when it was approaching to them.
It is not at sportive games alone, that these
ingenious and active people apply their feet as
others do their hands. The lower, and, at least,
some of other ranks, generally, go barefooted;
and their toes have, thus, freer motion, and more
contractile power than those which are always
inclosed in shoes; and serve, jointly with the
foot, as auxiliaries to the hand and fingers in
the exercise of many trades, particularly that
of boat-builders. The boats, commonly in use
among them, consist of five planks only, joined
together without ribs or timbers of any kind.
Those planks are bent to the proper shape, by
being exposed some time to a flame of fire; they
are brought to a line at each end, and the edges
are joined together with wooden pins, and stitch-
ed with bamboo split into flexile threads; and the
seams afterwards smeared with a paste made with
EMBASSY TO CHINA.
387
{
quick-lime, from sea shells, and water. Others
are made of wicker work, smeared all over and
rendered water-tight by the same composition as
is used for the former. The owners affect to
paint eyes upon the heads of all those boats, as if
to denote the vigilance requisite in the conduct
of them. They are remarkable for standing the
sudden shock of violent waves, as well as for being
stiff upon the water, and sailing expeditiously.
The boat belonging to the chief of the district,
was built upon the same plan, but on a larger
scale, had a carved and gilt head, bearing some
resemblance to that of a tiger; and a stern orna-
mented with sculpture, and painted with a varie-
ty of designs in lively colours. In these boats
the principal sitters are generally at the stem,
instead of being near the stern, as is the custom
in Europe.
The Cochin-chinese seemed sufficiently dex-
terous and attentive, tho with scarcely any prin-
ciples of science, to make, on any substances
which promised to be of use or comfort to them
in private life, such trials and experiments, as
were likely to produce beneficial results. In the
culture of their lands, and in the few manufac-
tures exercised amongst them, they were not be-
hind nations where the sciences flourish; and,
Ac 2
888
EMBASSY TO CHINA.
in some instances, they have fallen upon pro
cesses not used elsewhere, tho more convenient
or effectual than those which are. In purifying
sugar, after the gross syrup had been drained
from it, and it was become already granulated
and solid, they sometimes placed it in layers of
about one inch in thickness and ten in diameter,
under layers of equal dimensions of the herbace-
ous trunk of the plantain tree; the watery juices
exuding from which, and filtrating through the
sugar, carried down with them all the dross
which had been boiled up with it, leaving the
pure sugar crystallized and white. It was then
very light, and almost as porous as a honey-
comb. When dissolved, it left no sediment at
bottom. This method appears, certainly, to be
an improvement on the usual mode, elsewhere,
which consists in pouring the sugar, as soon as
granulated, into vessels of the form of inverted
cones, and placing a layer of wet earth upon the
upper surface of the sugar. That upper surface
is, thus, indeed, much purified; but never so
perfectly as in the Cochin-chinese method. The
grain of the sugar is more broken, and the in-
verted point of the loaf always retains more
dross than, does its base, to which the filtrating
liquid had been more immediately applied. It
EMBASSY TO CHINA.
389
is not very probable, that the management of the
sugar cane and its juices, by the Cochin-chinese,
is much more tedious, difficult, or expensive than
what is pursued elsewhere; because the sugar
made by them, and brought to the open market-
places in the neighbourhood of the manufacture,
was sold at prices considerably inferior to what
are demanded in any other part of the world,
where that commodity is produced.
1
Tho these people possessed not, scientifically,
the art of reducing the metallic ore into the metal,
they had attained the practice, for example, of
making very good iron, as well as of manufac-
turing it afterwards, into match-locks, spears,
and other weapons. Their earthen ware was
very neat. Their dexterity appeared in every
operation they undertook. It was applied, in-
deed, sometimes to improper purposes. Many
of them made little ceremony of appropriating,
privately, to themselves, whatever suited them
in the possession of another; nor were they much
disconcerted by detection.
They were liberal in their turn; and in in-
stances, too, where few others are disposed to
generosity. Wives and daughters were said to
be transferred on easy terms, and with little
scruple. All affairs of gallantry seemed, indeed,
390
EMBASSY TO CHINA.
to be treated by them very lightly. These ob-
servations must, however, be considered as ap-
plicable, principally, to the more numerous, but
lower classes of the people; and among them, to
those who were so situated as to have most inter-
course with strangers; while the upper orders
were more comprehensive in their injustice, and
more exclusive in their enjoyments; exercising
their power over the weaker sex, in confining
their many wives, and over the people in a va-
riety of oppressions, which neither the inferior
was emboldened to resist, by depending upon
his right; nor the superior deterred from con-
tinuing, by a consciousness of doing wrong; as
if no principle of religion, or maxim of morality,
had been inculcat d among them in support of
justice, or for putting any limit to authority.
Subordination was strongly marked by prostra-
tions and other exterior acts of abject humiliation
to those in power.
Tho a great inequality of conditions tends, in
some instances, to the cultivation of such of the
fine arts, as happen to be esteemed, because it
provides means for their encouragement, there
did not appear among the Cochin-chinese the
least traces of painting or of sculpture; but they
had made some proficiency in music. The Em-
EMBASSY TO CHINA.
391
+
bassador was induced to accept of an entertain-
ment, given on shore on the fourth of June,
being his Britannic Majesty's birthday. On this
occasion a grand dinner was provided. After
which a play was performed, in a style superior
to any that had been hitherto exhibited. The
piece appeared to be a kind of historical opera,
in which were the recitative, the air, and the
chorus, as regular as upon the Italian stage.
Some of the female performers, were by no
means despicable singers. They all observed
time accurately, not only with their voices, but
every joint of their hands and feet was obedient
to the regular movement of the instruments.
Both their string and wind instruments were
very rude, but formed on the same principles,
and with a view to produce the same effect, as
those of Europe. Such, however, is the force of
habit and national attachment, that the perform-
ance of the musicians, in the service of the
Embassador, which was very grateful to the Eu-
ropean ear, was not much relished by the Co-
chin-chinese.
The building, in which the Embassador was
received, appeared to have been erected on the
occasion. The inside was hung with printed
cotton of British manufacture; and the soldiers,
392
EMBASSY TO CHINA.
attending upon the governor of the district, who
gave
the entertainment, had outside vests of dark
red cloth, which likewise, probably, came from
England. The Portuguese of Macao, who chief-
ly carry on whatever trade is still subsisting in
the ports of Cochin-china, buy up the refuse
goods of the Canton market, which they dispose
of here to great advantage, tho they sometimes
are made to suffer many impositions from the
governing people of the country.
The Cochin-chinese soldiery were generally
armed, beside sabres, with pikes of vast length,
ornamented with tassels of hair dyed red, which
colour no subject, except in the service, or by the
order, of the sovereign, was allowed to use in
dress or equipage. The Embassador's guard
which attended his Excellency on shore, beside
firing a salute in honour of the day, went through
several military evolutions, to the admiration,
not only of the surrounding multitude, but of
the native troops.
Notwithstanding the decrease of population
throughout the country, in the course of a long
civil war, the number of men in arms was said
to be still considerable. At Hué-foo, the capital
of the kingdom, about forty miles to the north-
ward of Turon, thirty thousand men were re-
EMBASSY TO CHINA.
393
ported to be kept in garrison, and regularly exer-
cised with muskets and match-locks every day.
Their generals relied much also upon the use of
elephants trained for war. With this view
figures of soldiers are placed in ranks before the
war-elephants, who are taught to attack them
with great fury, seizing them with their trunks,
tossing some of them in the air, and trampling
others under their feet. The elephant, however,
like most other animals who subsist entirely on
vegetable food, is naturally gentle, except where
pains are taken to train them to acts of violence,
or when provoked by great personal injury. The
keeper of this huge animal is generally a boy,
who rides upon his neck and governs him with
ease; and the nice touch and contractile power of
the lips of his flexile proboscis, render it, in some
instances, equal to the human fingers in adroit-
ness.
Cochin-china is among the few places where
elephants serve for food. They were considered
as a perfect dainty there. When the king, or any
of his viceroys in the provinces, has one of these
animals slaughtered for his table, pieces of it are
distributed about to persons of rank, as gratifying
marks of favour. Buffalo is preferred to other
beef. Milk is not used as food; nor is milking
394
EMBASSY TO CHINA.
any animal customary in the country. Yet the
people have been driven to dreadful shifts for
any kind of sustenance, during the famine which
the destroying armies of contending tyrants had
frequently occasioned; and human flesh is said
to have been, sometimes, sold in the open mar-
kets of the capital.
The neighbouring Tung-quinese had taken,
at one time, the advantage of the rebellion in
Cochin-china, and invaded the northern pro-
vinces, in which the capital is situated, and dur-
ing the short period of their possession, they
plundered whatever valuable they could find;
and, in particular, as much of the precious me-
tals as they could discover. A great proportion
of what then escaped has been sent since to
China, in return for the necessaries of life sup-
plied by the junks from thence, the wretched in-
habitants being often compelled to that resource,
as their cultivated lands were laid waste, and
their manufactories destroyed. Before these cala-
mitous events, gold was particularly plentiful in
the country. Gold dust was found in the rivers,
and their mines abounded in the richest ore, So
pure as to require only the simple action of fire
to extract it. Much of it was used in decorations
of dress and furniture. The hilts and scabbards
1
EMBASSY TO CHINA.
89.5
of their swords were frequently ornamented with
plates of beaten gold. Payments were made in
it to foreign merchants, in ingots, each weighing
about four ounces.
Be..
Mines of silver were formerly less known, or
so little worked, that it was imported from
abroad and exchanged for gold, upon terms of
considerable advantage to the importers. More
mines of silver have, however, lately been dis-
covered; or a less expensive method of refining
it has been practised. It was become the prin-
cipal medium of exchange for merchandize from
abroad, and was paid in ingots of very pure
metal, each weighing about twelve ounces.
fore the troubles in Cochin-china, great quan-
tities of gold were brought from the hills in dust,,
and bartered by their rude inhabitants for rice,,
cotton, cloth, and iron. It was from them also
that the sweet-scented aguila or eagle wood, so
valued in the East, was brought, as well as quan-
tities of pepper, wax, honey, and ivory; but the
communication between those hills and the low
lands had, in a great measure, been cut off for
several years past. The latter chiefly produce
rice, areca nut, betel leaf, tobacco, cinnamon,
silk, cotton, and above all, sugar, which
may be
396
EMBASSY TO CHINA.
considered as the principal staple commodity of
the country.
The original inhabitants of Cochin-china had
retired to the chain of mountains bordering upon
it to the westward, and those which separate it
from Cambodia, when the ancestors of the pre-
sent possessors of the plains invaded the country
from China, in like manner as the ancient Bri-
tons, when attacked from Italy and Germany,
betook themselves to the mountains of Wales.
The mountaineers of Cochin-china are repre-
sented as a rude and savage people, differing by
their coarse features and black complexions, as
much as in their manners, from the well-looking
and less dark complexioned lowlanders, who
were considered as a courteous, affable, and in-
offensive race, before the subversion of the ancient
government, and mutual violence and treachery
had loosened every principle of society, and
roused the passions of avarice and ambition,
which the convulsions of the country gave too
many opportunities of indulging. The ancient
simplicity of manners still, however, subsisted
among the cultivators of the soil. The counte-
nances of the peasants were, for the most part,
lively and intelligent. The women, who were
EMBASSY TO CHINA.
397
more numerous than the men, were actively em-
ployed in works of husbandry. Their cabins
were clean and sufficiently commodious for a
people whom the climate enables to spend, out
of doors, most of the time not allotted to repose.
Of rice, which is the most general object of
cultivation, beside that species which requires to
be sown in lands that are afterwards inundated,
there is another known in Cochin-china, called
sometimes mountain rice, which thrives in dry
light soils mostly on the sides of hills, and open-
ed by the spade, nor does it require more mois-
ture than the usual rains and dews supply,
neither of which is frequent at the season of its
vegetation. Rice is of still more importance to
this people, here, than bread is to Europeans, as
the former require, with that grain, a very tri-
fling relish of spices, oil, or animal food. Their
principal indulgence is in spirituous liquors,
tobacco, areca nut, and betel leaf; of the two last
articles, mixed with a little paste of lime and
water, they are extravagantly fond. These in-
gredients are obtained at easy rates, being pro-
duced
the spot.
Persons of both sexes,
upon
and of all ranks, chew the areca nut with betel,
and smoke tobacco. A silken bag, suspended
from the girdle, containing those ingredients in
1
398
EMBASSY TO CHINA.
separate divisions, constitutes a necessary part of
dress. Every man, who can afford it, is attended
by a servant, whose office is to follow his master
with his apparatus for smoking. The gentle-
man carries only a small case, or purse, for his
areca nut and betel, generally slung over his
shoulder, with an ornamented 'riband hanging
down to his waist.
The custom of smoking, to which the men
are more addicted than the women, affords a sort
of occupation that prevents the irksomeness of
total inaction, without requiring exertion or oc-
casioning fatigue. It is, therefore, often pre-
ferred to more useful, but laborious employment;
and, except occasional efforts, made under par-
ticular circumstances, indolence was prevalent
among the men; while the women were assidu-
ously employed in domestic occupations, or in
the labours of agriculture. In towns they served
frequently as agents or brokers to merchants from
foreign countries, living with them at the same
time as their concubines; and, in both respects,
they were remarkable for their fidelity. Concu-
binage was supposed to be no dishonour; and,
in this instance, there seemed to be less diffe-
rence in the morals of the two sexes than in Eu-
rope. The exterior difference between the sexes
EMBASSY TO CHINA.
399
appeared also less glaring; for the dresses of both
were nearly of the same form. They consisted
of loose robes, with small collars round the neck,
and folding over the breast, with large long
sleeves, covering the hands. People of rank, espe-
cially the ladies, wore several of these gowns,
one over the other: the undermost reached the
ground; the succeeding ones were each shorter
than that immediately under it. They were
often of different colours, the display of which
made a gaudy appearance as the wearer walked
along. Linen was not known amongst them.
They had, next the skin, vests and trowsers of
slight silk or cotton. Turbans were frequently
worn by the men; and hats, sometimes, by the
women, but never caps. The most richly dress-
ed of either sex used no shoes.
In the dress of the Europeans nothing attract-
ed more the attention or admiration of the Co-
chin-chinese than manufactured ornaments of po-
lished steel. Steel hilted swords were vastly
coveted by the military men. This class held
the first rank in the country. Next came the
judges; but the abuse of power in the former was
not greater than in the latter; and among the
several hardships, suffered by all classes, were
the bad practices in the establishments intended
400
EMBASSY TO CHINA.
for the administration of justice. Causes were
tried, indeed, with much formality, and an ap-
parent desire to find out the truth, in order to a
fair decision; yet, in fact, a favourable decree
was generally purchased by a bribe. Presents
were accepted from both parties; but the richest
was most likely to be successful.
Among objects of natural curiosity accident
led to the observation of some swarms of uncom-
mon insects busily employed upon small branches
of a shrub, then neither in fruit or flower, but
in its general habit bearing somewhat the ap-
pearance of a privet. These insects, each not
much exceeding the size of the domestic fly, were
of a curious structure, having pectinated appen-
dages rising in a curve, bending towards the
head, not unlike the form of the tail feathers of
the common fowl, but in the opposite direction.
Every part of the insect was, in colour, of a per-
fect white, or at least completely covered with a
white powder. The particular stem, frequented
by those insects, was entirely whitened by a sub-
stance or powder of that colour, strewed upon it
by them. The substance or powder was supposed
to form the white wax of the East. This sub-
stance is asserted, on the spot, to have the pro-
perty, by a particular manipulation, of giving,
EMBASSY TO CHINA.
401
in certain proportions, with vegetable oil, such
solidity to the composition as to render the whole
equally capable of being molded into candles.
The fact is ascertained, indeed, in some degree,
by the simple experiment of dissolving one part
of this wax in three-parts of olive oil made hot.
The whole, when cold, will coagulate into a
mass, approaching to the firmness of bees' wax.
Considering Cochin-china in a general view,
it must be allowed to be excellently well adapted
to commerce. Its vicinity to China, Tung-quin,
Japan, Cambodia, Siam, the Philippines, Bor-
neo, Sumatra, and Malacca, renders the inter-
course with all these countries short and easy.
The commodious harbours with which the coast
is intersected, and particularly that of Turon,
afford a safe retreat for ships of any burden,
during the most tempestuous seasons of the
year.
In the neighbourhood of Turon, and along
the adjoining coast, the winds have been found
variable all the year, as, indeed, they are close
in with most lands, the periodical winds losing
their influence near the shore. The captain of
the Pocock Indiaman, whom necessity had com-
pelled to go into Turon in the month of Novem-
ber, during the north-east monsoon, was very
apprehensive of engaging with that coast, which
Dd
VOL. I
402
EMBASSY TO CHINA.
22
he considered as a lee-shore at that season of the
year; but experience shewed him that there was
little to be feared.
The country is supposed, in general, to be
healthy, the violent heat of the summer months
being tempered by regular breezes from the sea.
September, October, and November are the sea-
son of rains. The low lands were then frequent-
ly and suddenly overflowed by immense torrents
of water, which descended from the mountains.
The inundations took place, generally, once a
fortnight, and lasted for two or three days at a
time. These inundations happening about the
full and change of the moon, seemed to indicate
the influence of that satellite in the determina-
tion of their periods. In December, January,
and February, there were also frequent rains,
brought by cold northerly winds, which distin-
guished this country, by having a winter, from
most others so near to the equator.
The inundations had the same effect here, as
the periodical overflowings of the Nile, and ren-
dered this country one of the most fruitful of the
globe. In many parts the land produced three
crops of grain in the year. Its most valuable
produce, beside the precious metals, consisted in
pepper, cinnamon, sugar, silk, and cotton, which
1
EMBASSY TO CHINA.
403
were readily given, by the natives, in exchange
for a variety of European manufactures; and, ac-
cordingly, several of the principal commercial
nations of Europe, trading to the East, had con-
siderable intercourse with the Cochin-chinese,
and their neighbours the Tung-quinese. But
nothing is now to be seen in any of their har-
bours except their own galleys, a few Chinese
junks, and now and then a small Portugueze
vessel from Macao. The ravages of civil war
have, no doubt, contributed to drain the sources
of commerce; and the want of security and pro-
tection to foreigners, inclined to trade there,
must impede its revival.
Not only large sums have been demanded for
permission to trade, as well as arbitrary duties
levied on goods carried there for sale, and a va-
riety of presents exacted by all persons in power
or office, with whom the foreign merchants had
to deal; but sometimes the vessel and whole
cargo
have been attempted to be cut off. Of this
a strong instance is recorded, among the manu-
scripts of the East India Company, to have
happened in the year 1778.
Two English vessels were sent from Bengal,
"with a view to open a trade in the peninsula
"of Cochin-china, upon certain fixed condi-
Dd2
404
EMBASSY TO CHINA.
"tions. For this purpose a gentleman was de、
puted by the government of Bengal, with
66
powers to treat with the rulers of the country,
"He was well received where he first stopped
"in the southern provinces, from whence he was
"invited to Hué-foo, the capital, then in the
66
hands of the Tung-quinese, where assurances
"were given that the cargoes on board might
"be disposed of to advantage. One only of the
"vessels could get over the bar, which lies at
"the mouth of the river leading to it, while the
largest remained in Turon harbour. Some of
"the goods were landed at Hué-foo, where the
agent for their sale, as well as the Bengal en-
voy, resided for some time. Presents were
made, as usual, to the principal officers of ga-
"vernment, and part of the cargo was sold,
"when the envoy discovered that the viceroy,
"allured by the hope of obtaining a valuable
booty, had issued orders for seizing the per-
"sons of all the English ashore, and for con-
"6
66
fiscating the vessel and cargo. The English
"at Hué-foo just had time to get on board, when
troops surrounded the dwelling they had left.
"Their safety required, that they should sail
away as fast as possible; but it was extremely
dangerous to attempt crossing the bar, at the
EMBASSY TO CHINA.
4°5
inclement season which was then, in Novem-
ber, set in. The vessel had been nearly lost
in crossing it, on her arrival, in the finest
weather, tho she had then been assisted by the
boats, and people of the country. The north-
"east monsoon, now at its height, blew directly
" up
the river. A message was sent to the
vessel, lying in Turon bay, to come to the
"mouth of the river, or to send boats and people
"to assist her consort, in attempting to get over
"
the bar, in any moment, when the weather
should prove moderate, or the wind shift to
"a less unfavourable point. In the mean time
they had accounts, that the chests and pack-
ages, they had been obliged to leave behind
"them at Hué foo, were broken open by Tung-
quinese soldiers, and the contents carried off.
"Soon afterwards they perceived armed gallies
"full of men, dropping down with the tide, and
making no other use of their oars, than to pre-
serve a proper direction for boarding the Eng-
“lish vessel. Had they been suffered to come
६०
along side, she must have inevitably been taken.
"The gallies were, therefore, hailed, and desired
"to keep clear of the ship; they continued,
"however, to approach, without returning any
answer; and were stopped only in consequence
406
EMBASSY TO CHINA.
1
"of guns being fired at them from the vessel.
"Batteries now began to be erected, by the people
ashore, in order to prevent her escape.
، ،
"In the mean time an European linguist came
"with a message from the viceroy, to assure the
English of the continuance of his friendship;
that the ill treatment they had suffered was
"without his consent, or participation, and that
" he earnestly desired an accommodation. After
66
، ،
delivering this message, the linguist taking the
English envoy aside, said to him, that tho
"such was the fair speech that had been ordered
"to be made to him; yet it was incumbent upon
6
66
the English to be constantly on their guard,
as
the Tung-quinese were manning more gal-
lies, in order to take the vessel. A civil
"answer was returned to the viceroy, and a de-
"mand made of the property, that had been
"seized at Hué-foo. Promises were soon sent
"that it should be restored, and an interview
requested. The person, however, by whom
"these promises were conveyed, privately men-
❝tioned the insincerity of such professions, and
that, in fact, hostile preparations were carrying
"on against the vessel.
66
66
""
"On the twenty-fourth of November, the
weather appearing moderate, the captain of the
EMBASSY TO CHINA.
407
ship moved her nearer to the river's mouth,
“about a mile above the spot where a prodigious
high surge broke across the bar. On each
bank of the river, thereabouts, were crowds of
people busied in bringing down guns, fascines,
"and stores, and in erecting batteries, which,
notwithstanding every effort to interrupt them,
were soon completed, and began to play upon
"the vessel, tho with little effect. They were
inexperienced in the management of guns, and
took, as yet, bad aim. They ceased firing
66
66
66
56
during the obscurity of the night; but in the
"course of it the vessel was exposed to another
danger; a heavy swell drove her from her
(:
anchors, and several violent shocks announced
"that she was striking upon the ground; and it
was to be dreaded that she soon would come to
pieces. Fortunately, however, it happened to
"be low water; when the ride rose,
rose, she got off
"without damage. But the boat on which the
people's ultimate hopes were placed for pre-
'serving their lives, in case of an accident to
"the vessel, broke loose and was seen no more.
"In the morning an English boat was per
"ceived by them, outside the bar, attempting to
get in, and was known to be that which was
expected to come to their assistance from
408
EMBASSY TO CHINA.
"Turon. Their spirits were elated by this in-
""
cident; but their joy was of short duration; for
"the boat, after rowing to and fro, at the back
"of the surge, in search of the proper channel,
unfortunately, made choice of a part where it
"broke with the greatest violence; and no sooner
had she entered it, than she disappeared. The
deepest consternation, immediately, became
"visible in the countenances of all aboard. The
(6
Tung-quinese, to express their joy at the ac-
"cident, fired with redoubled fury from their
"batteries at the ship. Regardless of the dan-
ger, every eye on board appeared fixed with a
66
melancholy steadfastness on the place where
"the boat had overset. In about an hour the
"heads of two persons were discovered, swim-
ming towards the vessel, and they soon reach-
"ed her. The rest of the boat's crew were
" drowned or killed by the Tung-quinese, who
"had the cruelty to fire at them, when in the
"water, with small arms.
""
"In a short time the vessel suffered consider
ably from the batteries on shore. The night
brought some respite from this danger, but,
by affording time to the people to reflect on
"their situation, served rather to increase than
"to alleviate their anxiety. The vessel had
EMBASSY TO CHINA.
409
already received considerable damage in her
"hull and rigging. She was riding by the only
"anchor which remained, that could be depend-
"ed on; and expedients for deliverance were
sought in vain. There was little hope of
safety in proposing an accommodation; and
66
yet nothing else remained to be done. A
"white flag was accordingly hoisted; and signs
made to some of the Tung-quinese to come on
"board. They, on their part, immediately be-
"
gan to pull down the war flag displayed on
"their batteries; they were perceived to assemble
“in consultation at the grand battery; and a
"
boat attempted to come on board, but was ob-
liged to put back by the high sea. The Tung-
quinese, waiting probably for orders from the
viceroy, suffered the vessel to remain unmo-
lested the whole day. In the evening the
"wind so far changed as to render it possible to
16
get out. The anchor was accordingly weighed
"as soon as it was dark, and the sails set in pro-
"found silence. There was, indeed, but a slen-
"der chance of finding the way, in the obscurity
"of the night over a dangerous bar, through a
"channel not more than sixty yards wide. At
66
one moment the vessel's head was close upon the
"breakers of the sea, when luckily her sails were
410
EMBASSY TO CHINA.
66
taken aback, and she avoided them. A little
"before midnight she crossed the bar. The
Tung-quinese, then perceiving that the vessel
was giving them the slip, kept up a brisk fire
till long after she had got out of the reach of
their guns."
เ
Similar instances have, probably, occurred to
other nations, which determined them to abandon
the trade of Tung-quin and Cochin-china alto.
gether. The French, it is said, aware of the in-
security of trading to those countries without
some independent settlement, had, formerly, in
contemplation to purchase the small island of
Callao, lying a few miles to the southward of
Turon. Such a circumstance rendered that
island, in some measure, interesting; and Cap-
tain Parish and Mr. Barrow went in the Jackall
tender to visit it, but under injunction to avoid
giving any kind of offence or alarm to its in-
habitants.
"On approaching the north-east coast of
“Callao," according to Mr. Barrow's account,
66
and standing well in towards it, they stretched
along the eastern shore of the island, towards
"the southward, near enough to perceive that,
"on that side, from the northern to the southern
66
extremity, there was no landing-place what-
:
EMBASSY TO CHINA.
411
range
"ever, the shore consisting of a continued
"of immense rocks, rising, in some places, per-
"6
"
pendicularly out of the sea, and, in others,
overhanging it in such a manner as to render
"it completely inaccessible. About half a mile
"from the southernmost point of Callao was a
small rocky islet, round which they sailed, not
caring to venture the brig through the passage
"formed by it and Callao; tho, from the
appear-
"ance of the two shores, and the depth of water
"
46
abreast of the opening, it scarcely could be
doubted but that the largest ships might have
passed through without
،،
any risk.
Having hauled round the rocky islet, they
"began to open out the south-west coast of Cal-
lao, which soon discovered itself to be of a very
"different nature from that of the opposite side,
being covered with verdure, and indented with
" a number of small sandy bays, in all of which
there was the appearance of safe and con-
"venient landing. They stood in towards the
largest of those bays. Near the shore were
distinguishable a number of houses, and, not
far from them, several boats, some afloat,
“others hauled upon the beach; and beyond the
66
66
village, lands in cultivation. The water shoal-
412
EMBASSY TO CHINÁ.
66
ing, very suddenly, from nine to five fathoms,
"it was thought advisable to let go the anchor.
"The two projecting points, forming the bay,
"bore north seven degrees west, and north thirty-
"six degrees east; the latter about a mile and
"a half distant. It was afterwards found that
the vessel had been brought to just upon the
point of a bank, that stretched out about a mile
"from the extreme points of a small island to
"the westward of Callao, and bearing from the
"anchorage north twenty-six degrees west, and
"north sixty-six degrees west.
"The brig had been scarcely brought to
"anchor, and the sails clewed up, before they
"observed eight very large two-masted gallies,
"and a few smaller ones standing out of the
bay, apparently with an intention of coming
"towards the Jackall; but they had no sooner
"cleared the points that form the bay, than they
"hauled their wind, and stood along shore to-
"wards the northern extremity of the island,
" and having reached a passage between it and
"a small islet lying to the westward of it, they
"furled their sails, and, with their oars, brought
"all the gallies into a regular line ahead, oc-
cupying the whole passage. The brig hoisted
86
EMBASSY TO CHINA.
413
English colours, on the idea that some of the
"people might recognize them, as similar to
"those flying in the harbour of Turon.
The gallies, however, still kept their posi-
tion; while the Jackall's boat landed at the
"bottom of the bay, on a fine sandy beach, upon
the margin of which stood a small, but very
66
pleasant village, built chiefly of bamboo. None
"of
of the natives had appeared upon
the beach,
"' nor were seen about the houses; and on enter-
86
ing into them, it was discovered that the
village was deserted. The doors of the houses
were all left open; and several domestic ani-
"mals were feeding before them. After some
"time a person was perceived lurking among
"the neighbouring trees, who, finding he was
observed, came forward with reluctance, and
" evident marks of fear.
"some distance, he fell
While he was yet at
upon his knees, and
“touched the ground with his forehead several
"times. On approaching to him it was noticed
"that the first joint of every one of his fingers
"and toes were wanting, and as if twisted off by
"violence; it was possible that he might have
"thus been treated by way of punishment for
"some crime; and that he was considered as the
"fittest person to be exposed to the supposed
414
EMBASSY TO CHINA.
danger of watching the movements of the stran-
gers coming ashore. In a little time some
others, hidden in the thickets, finding that no
"mischief was suffered by the first, ventured
"out. None of them could understand the Chi-
"nese interpreter, and not being able to read
""
66
or write, there was no conversing with them
by the medium of the Chinese characters.
"Recourse was had to hieroglyphics; and rude
figures were drawn of the articles which were
proposed to be purchased; and this method
succeeded tolerably well; poultry and fruits
were brought for sale, for which high prices
"were given, purposely to conciliate the good
"will of those islanders. There were very few
"of them present on it, the principal inhabitants
having embarked, it seemed, in their gallies
"on the brig's approach to the island. They
"who remained grew soon familiar; and one
C
old man pressingly invited the strangers to his
house, situated upon an eminence, at a little
distance. On arriving there, he introduced
"them to his wife, an old woman, who, after
recovering from her astonishment at the sight
"of figures so different from those she had ever
been accustomed to behold, laid, in a neat
"manner, before them some fruits, sugar, cakes,
EMBASSY TO CHINA.
415
and water. On departing from the house, this
"decent and hospitable couple made signs to
testify their desire of seeing them again.
"To avoid exciting suspicion or alarm among
"the people, which any considerable apparatus
"of instruments, or operations on shore might
"have created, Captain Parish and Mr. Barrow
took with them, only, a small pocket sextant
"and compass. With these, at the southern-
"most point of the bay, they observed the ne-
66
cessary angles and bearings without being
noticed; and rowed on board, taking notes of
"the soundings all the way. A second set of
angles was observed on board the Jackall at
66
66
anchor, from which and the former, the chart
"of Callao and the adjacent islets was con-
structed. And in order to ascertain the dis-
tance of the brig from the shore, as a curately
"as circumstances would allow, the angle of the
'altitude of her mast above the surface of the
"water was taken from the shore, from whence
"her distance was deduced trigonometrically.
By estimating the motion of the boat on its
"return to the vessel, and noting the time em-
ployed in it, the distance resulting from thence
"was found to correspond, very nearly, with
"that which was obtained by calculation from
416
EMBASSY TO CHINA.
"the angular altitude of the vessel's mast. The
height of the southern peak of Callao was
"found by observing the angles of its altitude
"with a sextant, at eight different stations, as-
"sumed at as many equal intervals of time, on
"their way to the vessel. They also had an
"opportunity of determining the latitude of the
island, by a meridional altitude of the sun;
" from which, and the bearing of the peak from
"Turon harbour, taken with an azimuth com-
66 pass, the relative positions of those two places
63 were marked down in the chart.
66
66
66
Callao, as it is called by its inhabitants,.
"but more generally known to Europeans under
the name of Campello, lies opposite to, and
about eight miles to the eastward of, the
"mouth of a considerable river on the coast of
Cochin-china, on the banks of which is situ-
"ated the town of Fai-foo, a place of some note,
not far from the harbour of Turon. The
bearing of the highest peak of Callao from
"this harbour is about south-east, distance thirty
"miles. The extreme points of the island lic
"in latitude fifteen degrees fifty-three minutes,
"and fifteen degrees fifty-seven minutes north;
"the greatest length is from north-west to south-
"east, and is somewhat about five miles, and
EMBASSY TO CHINA.
417
66
"the mean breadth two miles. The only inha-
"bited part is on the south-west coast, on a slip
"of ground rising gently to the east, and con-
"tained between the bottom of a semilunar bay,
" and the mountains on each side of it. Those
"mountains, at a distance, appear as if they
"formed two distinct islands. The southern
"mountain is the highest, and is, about fifteen
"hundred feet. The lower grounds contain
"about two hundred acres. This small, but
enchanting spot is beautifully diversified with
"neat houses, temples, clumps of trees, small
"hillocks swelling from the plain, and richly
decorated with shrubbery, and trees of various
kinds; among which the elegant areca, rising
like a Corinthian column, is eminently con-
spicuous. A rill of clear water, oozing from
"the mountains, is contrived to be carried along
"the upper ridges of the vale, from whence it
"is occasionally conveyed through sluices, for
"the purpose of watering the rice grounds, and
(
((
appeared, tho then in the dry season, fully suf-
"ficient for every purpose for which it could be
"wanted.
"The houses, in general, were clean and de-
cent; a few were built with stone, and covered
E e
VOL. 1.
418
EMBASSY TO CHINA.
"with tiles. One, probably the mansion of the
"chief person of the island, was inclosed by a
"stone wall, and the approach to it was through
C
<
""
a gateway between two stone pillars. The
house was divided into a number of apart-
ments, of which the arrangement did not seem
"to want either taste or convenience. This
66
(6
building stood at the head of the principal
village, which consisted of about thirty habi-
"tations built of wood, chiefly the bamboo.
"Behind the village, and on the side of the hill,
was a cave, accessible only by one way, through
"an irregular range of rocks. Within the cave,
but near its mouth, was a small temple, com-
manding a view of the whole vale. Several
"other temples were dispersed over the plain,
all of which were open in front, with a colon-
"nade before them of round wooden pillars,
painted red and varnished. The number of
66
早
​"houses on the island scarcely exceeded sixty.
"Behind every house, not immediately in the
principal village, were inclosures of sugar
“canes, tobacco, and other vegetables, growing
“in great luxuriance. The mountains were co-
"vered with verdure, and seemed well calculated
"for rearing goats, of which the island produced
"a few.
7
EMBASSY TO CHINA:
419
"Beside the principal bay, there were several
sandy inlets, with small patches of level ground
"behind them. Boats might easily land in
**
any of these inlets, but a communication be-
"tween them, by land, appeared to be exceed‐
ingly difficult, if not entirely prevented, by the
steep and rugged ridges which separated them
" from each other. On this account very slight
works, and an establishment of a few men,
56
.
only, would be requisite for the defence of the
island, a great part of its coast having been, as
"was already noticed, impregnably fortified by
The depth of water in the bay and
road was sufficient for ships of any burden,
"and there was perfect shelter from every wind
"' nature.
66
except the south-west, to which quarter it was
directly open. The short distance, however,
"from the continent in that direction would al-
ways prevent the sea from rising high, tho it
might not be sufficiently near to break the
"force of the wind.'
The want of shelter in the south-west monsoon
would soon induce the French, were they once
in possession of Callao, to seek for a further set-
tlement near it, upon the main land of Cochin-
ching. The coast abounds with navigable rivers.
Ee2
420
EMBASSY TO CHINA.
In settled times several hundred junks, from forty
to one hundred and fifty tons burden, from the
different ports of China, frequented those of Co-
chin-china, to procure cargoes, chiefly, of areca-
nut and sugar, the last article alone equalling
annually about forty thousand tons. They paid
for these cargoes in a few manufactures of China;
but, for the greatest part, in silver. The dis-
tance is very short between the two countries,
and the voyage made in four or five days with a
favourable monsoon; and, as these junks leave
their own ports almost in ballast, it is probable
that they would, readily, bring teas, or other
articles in demand among Europeans, for a tri-
fling freight to Cochin-china. It being generally
understood that no duties are levied in China on
articles of trade exported by its own subjects on
their own vessels, possibly the French might
have had in contemplation to be able, by the
means of a settlement on the coast of Cochin-
china, to procure Chinese articles at a cheaper
rate than could be obtained by any foreigners
trading immediately to China, where the duties
and exactions, amounting, upon an average,
about ten thousand pounds upon every consider.
able ship and cargo, must materially affect the
to
EMBASSY TO CHINA.
421
price of the exported articles, and enable those
exempted from them to be sold at a lower rate in
Europe. While, indeed, the jealousy of fo-
reigners continues so great in China as to confine
their trade to Canton, the method of carrying it
on by their own vessels, sailing between their
own ports and Cochin-china, might be desirable,
especially if the European manufactures could
by those means, as is likely, be imported, not
into Canton only, but into other Chinese ports.
Until such jealousy shall be done away by a more
familiar communication with the government of
China, which must be followed by the vent of
an immense quantity of foreign manufactures
throughout the whole empire, the mode of ob-
taining their commodities, and supplying them
with those of Europe, through their own people,
might certainly be more advantageous and secure,
as well as more agreeable to them, than by the
present method of foreigners going immediately
amongst them.
If, from these considerations, a solid settle-
ment in Cochin-china were to be productive of
advantage to any European nation, it must pe-
culiarly be so to Great Britain; because, beside
the opening it would make for the sale of its own
422
EMBASSY TO CHINA.
manufactures, among the people of the country,
the British possessions in Hindostan would be
sure of a very considerable demand from thence
for their productions,
After about a fortnight's stay in Turon har-
bour, preparations were made by the squadron for
their departure. The monsoon was now become
steady and favourable for a quick passage to the
coast of China. The invalids from the Lion, who
had been ashore, were returned aboard in better
health, and the ship was freed from all traces of
any contagious distemper. One loss, however,
was sustained about this time, which was sin-
cerely regretted by the passengers and crew. Mr.
Tothill, purser of the Lion, was obliged, while
she lay at Batavia, to go frequently ashore, for
the purpose of procuring provisions and other
necessaries for the ship's use. On these occa-
sions he underwent much fatigue, and was often
exposed to the sun's raging heat. He had after-
wards some gouty complaints, and considered
his late indisposition as a continuance of them.
The symptoms did not appear alarming; nor
was he confined to his bed; and he thought him-
self, latterly, as in a mercantile phrase he ex-
pressed it, a thousand per cent. better than he had
EMBASSY TO CHINA.
423
been: the same night he died. Mr. Tothill had
formerly been round the world with Sir Erasmus
Gower, and chose to accompany his friend upon
the present occasion; tho he had quitted a sea-
faring life several years before.
About this period a circumstance, of another
kind, created some temporary uneasiness. Mr.
Jackson, master of the Lion, who was, during
the whole voyage, assiduous in observing the
soundings, and making other nautical remarks,
especially in places little navigated before by Eu-
ropeans, had
gone upon a similar pursuit in one
of the ship's boats, along the eastern shore of the
peninsula of Turon. He did not return at night
as was expected; nor were any tidings had of
him the next day; his friends were naturally
alarmed about him. He might have perished in
consequence of a sudden squall having overset
the boat. The various accounts of the treacheries.
and cruelties, which had been committed against
strangers on this coast, recurred to the mind
this occasion; and it was possible also that
a discussion might take place upon the subject
with the acting government of the country, which
might be tedious and unpleasant. A rumour
soon reached the ship that Mr. Jackson, his
upon
+
424
EMBASSY TO CHINĄ.
}
boat, and crew, had been seized, and detained at
a distance from Turon; and soon afterwards it
was acknowledged by a Cochin-chinese man-
darine, who came on board, that some foreigners
were detected and stopped in the attempt of pene-
trating, in the night time, up one of the rivers,
in an unwarrantable, or, at least, in a suspicious
manner. On their being claimed by the Em-
bassador, a promise was made that they, together
with their boat and effects, should be restored.
They returned in a few days on board; after
having undergone considerable fatigue, and much
ill treatment from the inferior officers, into whose
hands they fell. In other respects, the accident
was attended with the advantage of furnishing an
opportunity of knowing the actual state of that
part of the country through which Mr. Jackson
was conducted.
He mentioned that, " desirous to survey the
"eastern coast of the peninsula of Turon, he pro-
66
ceeded along shore till he got to the isthmus
point, when the sea breeze set in. He then
"made for the entrance of Fai-foo river, oppo-
"site Callao island, and knowing that it was a
"branch of a larger river, of which another
branch, at a little distance, fell into the har-
EMBASSY TO CHINA.
425
"bour of Turon, he determined to return by
"
66
that way to the ship; that after going through
"several windings of the river, for upwards of
twenty miles, he arrived, about eight o'clock
" at night, before a large town, built along the
"bank of the river, where he stopped about a
66
66
couple of hours, at the end of which time two
men, each having a lighted bamboo in his
hand, made signs to him to go ashore. They
“called out, also, to two armed gallies, which
were near the boat, to take hold of it. Upon
"this he went on shore, and was received by a
guard of fourteen men, who conducted him to
66
""
"6
a house in the town, where he staid during the
"remainder of the night. After some noisy
"debate the next morning, among the persons
"who seemed to direct the others, one of them
"went off in a great hurry; while Mr. Jackson
and the boat's crew were moved to a fort a
little way beyond the town, where they were
confined, handcuffed, and treated with great
inhumanity, till the arrival of a person of
authority above the rest, who appeared very
"much displeased at such behaviour. These
prisoners were afterwards marched for two
days, several miles through the country, ex-
""
66
426
EMBASSY TO CHINA.
66
posed to the scoffs and menaces of their con-
"ductors and the people; until at length they
"reached their boat, and embarked for Turon
"harbour.
"The country, Mr. Jackson added, to the
"south-west of Turon, and as far as he could
observe, in that direction, was level and fertile.
"The soil was chiefly clay, mixed with sand of
"a reddish colour. He met with many rivers
"and canals, full of boats of various sizes.
"There were junks of about one hundred and
""
thirty tons. They lay before a town of about
"three-fourths of a mile in length, built of red
"bricks. All the large buildings were much
damaged in many places, as if by violence.
"The town was about twelve miles from the
، ،
66
sea, and twenty-four from that of Turon or
Hansan. He passed through two other con-
"siderable towns. In one of them was a plenti-
"ful market, from daylight until noon, abound-
66
ing chiefly in rice of different qualities, yams,
"sweet potatoes, greens of various kinds, pump-
kins, melons, sugar in round white cakes,
<<
66
sugar-canes, poultry, and hogs. In the mar-
ket were stalls made of bamboo, with shops
for the sale of cloths and other goods. The
EMBASSY TO CHINA.
427
"country appeared very populous, and the
people, both male and female, very indus-
56
❝ trious.
"Their fields were separated, not by fences,
“but by narrow paths running between them.
“To the grounds, which could not be watered
"6
by the rivers, water was conveyed in jars,
"carried by the cultivators of the soil. The
"land was ploughed by two buffaloes yoked
$ 6
together; the plough seemed to be made of
"wood alone. The fields planted with sugar-
cane, were more extensive than any others.
"The sugar sold in the markets for about three-
66
halfpence a pound. Every other article equally
cheap; cotton was very plentiful. The chil-
"dren were employed in picking it out of the
66
pod, and the women in spinning and weaving
"it into a coarse cloth, mostly dyed with indigo.
66
The horses were small, but spirited and active.
They had also asses and mules, and innumer-
"able goats. The people appeared to be very
"much oppressed by persons in office, and by
"the soldiers, whose behaviour was that of bru-
"tal savages. Their arms were chiefly long
pikes, spears, and cutlasses, exactly resembling
"those in English ships of war. He saw no
428
EMBASSY TO CHINA.
"
66
cannon; but many wall-pieces with wide bell
"muzzles. The roads were little wider than
pathways are in Europe. Nor did he see any
carriages or machines, which would require
"broad roads to move upon."
""
The whole of the Cochin-chinese dominions,
since Tung-quin has yielded to the arms of the
late usurper, fills the space between the twelfth
degree of northern latitude, and the tropic of
Cancer; but their breadth do not amount to two
degrees of longitude. They are bounded to the
westward by a long chain of mountains, which
border, on the other side, on the kingdoms of
Laos, Siam, and Cambodia. The sea washes
Cochin-china and Tung-quin to the east; the
former has Tsiompa to the southward, and the
latter the Chinese province of Yunnan to the
northward of it. The whole comprehends about
ninety-five thousand square miles.
Soon after Mr. Jackson's return to the Lion,
the speedy departure of the squadron was an-
nounced to the officers of the Cochin-chinese go-
vernment, which was followed by a compli-
mentary message from the reigning prince, ac-
companied by a second present of provisions,
particularly of rice, in such a quantity beyond
EMBASSY TO CHINA.
429
what the squadron could consume, that a part of
it was sent to the Company's factory at Macao.
The Embassador, after proper compliments and
thanks, signified his intention of returning to
Cochin-china, if practicable for him, after he
had been at the court of Pekin. The squadron
sailed from Turon on the sixteenth of June
1793.
END OF THE FIRST VOLUME.
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