The Journal of Two Voyages Along the Coast of China in 1831-1832: The First in a Chinese Junk; the Second in the British Ship Lord Amherst; with Notices of Siam, Corea, and the Loo-Choo Islands; and Remarks on the Policy, Religion, Etc., of China |
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Common terms and phrases
admiral Amoy anchor anxious arrived Bankok barbarians Budha Budhism built Camboja Canton Canton province capital captain cargo Celestial Empire character China Chinese Chinese character Chinese tael Christianity CHRISTIANITY IN CHINA coast Cochin-China Confucius conversation Corea cultivated district emperor endeavored English enter eternal European favor foreign Formosa friendly friends Fuh-chow Fuhkeen gain Gospel harbor heaven hill houses idolatry idols inhabitants intercourse invited island Jesuits junks king labors land language Laos laws live Macao mandarin boats means merchants military Ming dynasty missionaries Monguls nation natives nese never Ning-po numerous object offered officers Pei-ho Peking port present priests principal promised province quantity rank received religion rice river sail sailors Saviour scarcely seemed sent Shang-hae ship shore showed Siam Siamese soon strangers superior Tartars Teen-tsin temple thing tion to-day told trade vessels village visited whilst whole wind
Popular passages
Page 152 - O'ER the gloomy hills of darkness, Look, my soul, be still and gaze ; All the promises do travail With a glorious day of grace. Blessed jubilee, Let thy glorious morning dawn.
Page 311 - ... existence. So general degradation in religion, makes it almost impossible that females should have their proper rank in society. They are the slaves and concubines of their masters — live and die in ignorance — and every effort to raise themselves above the rank assigned them, is regarded as impious arrogance. We should not mention this under the head of religion, did not Confucius designate to females an inferior station, and use every argument to render them mere cyphers in society.
Page 47 - When any alteration for improvement is proposed, they will readily answer, — If we adopt this measure we shall justly fall under the suspicion of barbarism. The most disgusting thing on board a junk is idolatry, the rites of which are performed with the greatest punctuality. The goddess of the sea is Ma-tsoo-po, called also Teen-how,
Page 50 - ... judgment, for having paid more attention to their dumb idols, than we have to the worship of the living and true God. The Chinese sailors are, generally, as intimated above, from the most debased class of people. The major part of them are opium-smokers, gamblers, thieves, and fornicators. They will indulge in the drug till all their wages are squandered ; they will gamble as long as a farthing remains ; they will put off their only jacket and give it to a prostitute. They are poor and in debt...
Page 77 - Amoy; they go to all the western ports of the island, and either return loaded with rice, or go up to the north of China with sugar. The rapidity with which this island has been colonized, and the advantages it affords for the colonists to throw off their allegiance, have induced the Chinese government to adopt restrictive measures, and no person can now emigrate without a permit. The colonists are wealthy and unruly ; and hence there are numerous revolts, which are repressed with great difficulty,...
Page 50 - ... in the drug till all their wages are squandered ; they will gamble as long as a farthing remains ; they will put off their only jacket and give it to a prostitute. They are poor and in debt ; they cheat, and are cheated by one another, whenever it is possible ; and when they have entered a harbor, they have no wish to depart till all they have is wasted, although their families at home may be in the utmost want and distress.
Page 107 - Chinese manufactures, but some also with European commodities — trade seemed to be brisk. The town, which stretches several miles along the banks of the river, equals Canton in the bustle of its busy population, and surpasses it in the importance of its native trade. The streets are unpaved, and the houses are built of mud ; but within they are well furnished, with accommodations in the best Chinese style. A great many of the shopkeepers, and...
Page 3 - Islands, Cochin China, and the islands of that Archipelago, on most of which are Chinese settlers, till you come down to the equinoctial line at Penang, Malacca, Singapore, and even beyond it on Java. Throughout all these regions, however dialects may differ, and oral languages be confounded, the Chinese written language is understood by all. The voyager and the merchant, the traveller and the Christian missionary, if he can ivrite Chinese, may make himself understood throughout the whole of eastern...
Page 30 - HwuyHwuy, or Triad society, implicit obedience is paid to their most exorbitant demands by every Chinese settler. ' Some years back, this society formed a conspiracy, seized upon some native craft at Bamplasoi, a place near the mouth of the Meinam, and began to revenge themselves upon their tyrants ; but falling short of provisions, they were forced to put to sea. Followed by a small Siamese squadron, they were compelled to flee, till contrary winds, and utter want of the necessaries of life, obliged...
Page 110 - The river is so thronged with junks, and the mercantile transactions give such life and motion to the scene, as strongly to remind one of Liverpool. As the land in this vicinity yields few productions, and the capital swallows up immense stores, the importations required to supply the wants of the people must be Very great."* The approach to this city from the eastward indicates its importance, and the change from the sparsely populated country lying along the banks of the Pei ho, to the dense crowds...