Bits of Old China
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Cornell University Library The original of tliis book is in tine Cornell University Library. There are no known copyright restrictions in the United States on the use of the text. http://www.archive.org/details/cu31924023225471 Cornell University Library DS 709.H94 3 1924 023 225 471 u /^ 't %/, <Dfi Cgtna BY THE SAME AUTHOR. THE 'FANKWAE' AT CANTON BEFORE TREATY DAYS. 1825-1844. With Frontispiece. Crown 8vo. cloth, s*. London : KEGAN PAUL, TRENCH, & CO. (gite of Ofi e^ina BY WILLIAM C. HUNTER AUTHOR OF 'OLD CANTON' LONDON KEGAN PAUL, TRENCH, & CO., i PATERNOSTER SQUARE 1885 Was OH \The rights of translation anJ of reproduction are reserved) PREFACE. The Fankwae spoken of in the following pages ceased to exist as a species by Treaty. The execution of the latter was his extinction, and since, no one can ' lay the flattering unction to his soul.' He has disappeared from ' the City of Rams,' ' which was his only habitat during the whole course of his existence, as effectually as the Deinotherium from the face of the earth. The species had but an ephemeral stay amongst the races of men, and it left no legitimate descendants. When therefore ethnologists in future ages would discuss its origin, its habits, and the colour of its hair, on this /a^fe^ feature only could they hope to build even a guess. What possible light could be hereafter thrown on that unique race of men of which, in Chinese History and it only, may be read such words as these, viz., ' This ghostly tribe of barbarians, which through the favour and cle- 1 ' mency of the Son of Heaven ' &c. &c. These uncouth beings, with fiery hair, full of unreasonableness and con- ! ceit ! These red-headed demons ' 'A strange people ' An ancient na:ii e for the city of Canton. vi PREFACE. who come to the Central Flowery Kingdom from regions of mist and storm, where the sun never shines ; whose ! ' heads and beards are of the colour of red ochre ' These wild, untamed men, whose words are rough, whose language is confused, whose manners are of an arro- ! gance ' And these are the only distinctive references to that now defunct race whose, existence was comprised between the year 1640 A.D. and the signing of the Treaty of Nankin in 1842. CONTENTS. PAGB A Conundrum ...,,. I Liberty Day ..,,.., 3 Dinner Hwa-Te at Gardens .... 7 Factory Square ...... 12 — . Trial of a Lascar Consoo House , 21 Doctor Cox's Visit to a Chinese Patient 3' Trying a Factory ..... 33 Fankwae Dinner, by a Chinese Guest . 35 Cards of a Confectioner, of a maker of Scented Beads and of Ink ...... 40 Letter from an Indian Firm .... 42 Howqua's Unique Joke ..... 43 Jade Stone ....... 43 Ming-Qua's Military Career .... 45 Bronze Vases and Tripods ..... 52 Capture of a Roman Catholic Courier 52 Visit of a Mandarin ..... 57 Black Dragon Tea ..... 62 Temple of Longevity ..... 63 Tomb of a Spanish Priest, Honam 68 Carpenters' Square ...... 72 Thomas Beale ...... 72 Pwan-Kei-Qua's Country House .... 78 Rebels at Tsang-Poo—Two Cantos of the Fokeiade ' 82 Mender of Broken China ..... 108 Public Debt ...... 116 Juries ........ 118 Public Schools ...... 120 Religion ....... 121 Democracy. ...... 122 Fankwae and Chinese Customs .... 124 * MS. auonymous. CONTENTS. ' Origin of the ' Middle -Kingdom Imperial Commissioner Ke-Ying ' . Perambulating Advertisement A Reward Card The Buffalo's Complaint Origin of the Dragon Boat Festival The Aborigines of China The Creation of Old China Macao—Old Residents . ""Remarkable Drought—Canton Beheading and Cutting in PiEcfes Quan-ShiNg's Opinion of the Loaves and Fishes The Shining Midday Tea Escaped Convicts from Sydney arrive at Canto> The Sea Screen Temple Card of a Gold Smelter . The 'Court Journal' . Le PfeRE Hue ..... Nankin Jack .... ' Massacre of Crew of the ' Navigateur Capture of Captain Gribble . Incidents of the War of 1842 Foundation of the City of Canton . Nine-storey Pagodas Card of a Crape Manufacturer Mohammedan Mosque—Canton ' ' Disaster to the Ship Troughton . On Building a Dwelling-house . Destructive Fire Anecdote of Confucius Origin of Printing in China . Hong and Security Merchants . Ground Plan of the Thirteen Factories Chinese New Year .... Origin of the Chinese written Language Jeems Canning and Corkscrew Bacchus . Singapore and Malacca, 1825 and r826 George Chinnery .... Canton Regatta Club . The suicide of Ke-Ying by a silken cord was a priviltgt granted to his connection with the Imperial Reigning Family, BITS OF OLD CHINA. That part of the suburbs of the city of Canton called the ' Thirteen Factories ' was the sole place where the Fankwae resided before Treaty days. It was assumed that life there was a heap of restrictions, a long con- flict with the authorities, of trials, of threats, of personal danger, and of a general uncertainty as to what the morrow might bring forth. Certainly we were told- to ' listen and obey,' to ' tremble,' and not ' by obstinacy and irregularity to court the wrath of the ' Imperial will ' ! Stereotyped phrases ! We were reminded from time to time that ' we were sojourning in the land on sufferance, through the benevolence of the Celestial dynasty, whose commiseration for the distant-coming barbarian,' &c. &c. ! Stereotyped phrases ! We were threatened and re-threatened with the ' direst penalties if we continued to sell foreign mud to the people, \yhereby they were ruined in health and plunged in inanition, while the precious metals oozed out of the country. Truly, forbearance could be no longer exercised ; ' and we continued to sell the drug as usu'al. Our receiving ships at Lintin were no longer to loiter at that anchorage, but ' forthwith to come into port or return to their respective countries.' The heart of the ruler of all within the Four B 2 BITS OF OLD CHINA. Seas was full of compassion. ' Yet now, no more delay could be granted, and cruisers would be sent to open ; upon them irresistible broadsides ' and in spite of these terrors the ships never budged. In whatever direction we looked, it might have been thought that our lives and liberties were not worth a ha'porth ! Except on fixed days, three times a month, we were ' forbidden to wander ; about, and never without a linguist ' but we walked when we pleased, and remained as long as we pleased, while on each occasion a linguist was the last person we ever saw. Every Fankwae was supposed to have left Canton at the close of each tea season, and to have sailed away for his own country, or at least to have gone to Macao, while he might never have been further from the Factories than Jackass Point. Each Factory was allowed eight Chinese to look after its inmates, to ' bring water, to sweep and to cook, and a compradore to keep all in order,' yet the number was unlimited. Smuggling between the Factories and the ships at Whampoa was prohibited under serious penalties, while those who were to guard against it, as the Hoppo's boatmen attached to each ship at Whampoa, and his officers in front of the Creek and Swedish Factories, were the mediums who for a fee relieved us of all embarrassment in the matter. We were ordered by the Regulations ' not to present a petition at the city gates in person, lest his Celestial Majesty's sacred glance should be turned from us,' but we went to the gates just the same, while the guard protected us from the crowd. The Mandarins would soon make their appearance, take us mildly to task for our ' wayward disregard of the will of the Son of Heaven,' and accept the petition ; a little pleasant conversation would pass between us, the officers SITS OF OLD CHINA. 3 would offer tea and accept cheroots, then retire, ordering theguard to be bambooedior letting us in, and we returned to the Factories exhilarated by the walk. And so, in numerous other ways, everything worked smoothly and harmoniously by acting in direct opposition to what we were ordered to do. We pursued the evil tenor of our way with supreme indifference, took care of our business, pulled boats, walked, dined well, and so the years rolled by as happily as possible. Life and business at Canton before Treaty days was in fact a conundrum as insoluble as the Sphinx. At the same time no one seemed over- anxious, in the words of a celebrated Chinese saying, ' to have been born in Soo-Chow, to live in Kwang-Tung, and to die in Liaow-Chow. It was sanctioned by ' old custom,' after everything ' was made shipshape and Bristol fashion ' on board ship ' at Whampoa, to give the crew liberty day ' at Canton. This one and only day of liberty would be talked about and looked forward to during the whole passage out, and all sorts of plans made to the end of getting rid of one month's pay ! Visions of yellow nankin trousers canvas shoes, and straw hats were mingled with black silk neckerchiefs, preserved ginger, and ricepaper paint- ings, as well as with ' strike a lights,' punk, and joss stick. The long wished-for day came at last ; the ship had ' been put in apple pie ' order, everything was squared by the lifts and braces, when one watch was entitled to a day on shore, the other one after a short interval. Taking advantage of a morning's flood, twelve or fifteen of the men, in charge of an officer, would leave the ship, all gotten up in clean apparel, and give way with a will ' 4 BITS OF OLD CHINA. for the goal of their desires.