Two Years in China. Narrative of the Chinese Expedition, from ... April, 1840 till April, 1842, etc

Front matter

TWO YEARS IN CHINA. TWO YEARS IN CHINA NARRATIVE or THE CHINESE EXPEDITION FROM ITS FORMATION IN APRIL, 1840, TILL APRIL, 1842. Wtitt) an Sppcntitjr, CONTAINING THE MOST IMPORTANT OF THE GENERAL ORDERS & DESPATCHES PUBLISHED DURING THE ABOVE PERIOD. I!V D. McPHERSON, M.D. MADRAS ARMY, ATTACHED TO THE SERVICE OF HIS HIGHNESS THE NIZAM, AND LATELY WITH THE 37TH GRENADIER REGIMENT IN CHINA. " Lettre, lilche, hypocrite et charlatan; poli, complimenteur adroit, fourbe et fripon ; qui met tous les devoirs en etiquettes, toute la morale en simagrees, et ne connoit d'autre humanite" que les salutations et les reVere'nces." Rousseau, on the Chinese. LONDON SAUNDERS AND OTLEY, CONDUIT STREET. 1842. TO HIS EXCELLENCY LIE UT. -GENERAL SIR HUGH GOUGH, K.C.B. G.C.B. COMMANDER-IN-CHIEF OF MADRAS, AND OF THE LAND FORCES IN CHINA, THIS VOLUME is. WITH EVERY SENTIMENT OF RESPECT AND ESTEEM, Uctokat***, BY THE AUTHOR.

Preface

. The following work was planned and executed during a passage of six weeks between the ports of Hong-Kong and Madras, in those hours which the author could snatch from his professional engagements, and at a period when he laboured under repeated and severe attacks of sickness. His aim throughout has been to produce a simple and correct narrative of events, and in this he trusts that he* has succeeded. The chief portion of the work has been compiled from notes taken by himself at the period of the occurrence of the scenes detailed. Two papers published by the author, and now incorporated in this volume, have already ap-

PREFACE.

. peared in the " Chinese Repository," an excellent periodical, published at Macao, to the editor of which, as also to all who have furnished him with material for his work, he begs now to offer his best thanks. The author has to plead good intensions alone against the imperfect execution of the task. May, 1842. CONTENTS.

p. TWO YEARS IN CHINA, etc.

Chapter I

A general view of the character of the Chinese — Their repeated insults to British subjects — Immediate cause of the present rupture. It were no easy matter for a campaigner, or for one who comes on a mere casual visit to the outer regions of so vast an empire as China, to enter into anything like an acute analysis of the inhabitants of the land — that is, had he to depend solely upon his own chance resources and natural powers of discrimination. Much, it is true, may be acquired in the abstract ; much political duplicity and craft may come to light from among the upper classes * and much low B

Introduction

. cunning, and treachery, and selfishness, may be found lurking beneath the garb of the lower order, even where little had been previously dreamt of; but the time has now come, when this ex traordinary race are to be viewed no longer in this abstract form. A new era is breaking in the moral history of nations, and England, never tiring England, has thrust her hand forward to raise the curtain from scenes hitherto secret and unknown to all save the actors themselves ; while the other children of civilization sit watching, with intense anxiety, the result of her boldness. The audience will benefit ; let them not then in terfere. Few boys will venture into a haunted house, although it interfere materially with their comforts ; but how many would congregate to see the one bold adventurer daring to enter its precincts, and endeavouring to dissolve the spell !

But, as we have said, it were no easy matter to start on a subject of the nature of that in which we are now engaged, solely on the strength of our own experience ; we will therefore, without scruple, glance occasionally into the few works of well-versed travellers, and others, brought daily POPULATION OF CHINA. to our notice, to enable us to furnish a brief summary of such matters as will permit all lovers of light reading to take up the same position as ourselves, when first setting foot upon the Chi nese soil. The population of China Proper is estimated by Medhurst at 361,221,900, and that of For mosa as 1,000,000; yet one written character serves for the communication of thought through out this vast empire, and the laws of the imperial council are as easily read by the poorest as by the richest in China. • A glance into the lesser traits of their character will, indeed, tend to convince one that they really have been cast in a different mould from all other nations.

For instance : in matters of simple navigation the pilot tells us that his port lays west north, and that the wind is east-south ; and on explaining the use of the compass, he describes the needle as pointing south. In the common routine of literature, the moon shee, or teacher, reads the date of publication of his book as the fifth year, the tenth month, and third day. He commences at what we consider b PECULIARITIES OF THE CHINESE. the end of the book, and reads from the top downwards. The title is found on the edge of the leaves, and the marginal notes at the head of the page, and the volume has sometimes a heavy line in the middle of each leaf, which separates two works contained in it. When in the matter of simple social life, as on the death of a relative, they dress in white ; and on a marriage, nothing is to be heard but sobbing and crying ; and to crown the distinction between our own acknowledged axioms and theirs, the most learned men are of opinion that the seat of the human under standing is in the belly.

The motto selected for the title-page of this volume describes most correctly, in very few words, the true character of the Chinese, taken in a public point of view. Haughty, cruel, and hypocritical, they despise all other nations but their own ; they regard themselves as faultless. Next to the son of heaven, a true Chinaman thinks himself the greatest man in the world, and China, beyond all comparison, to be the most civilized, the most learned, the most fruitful, the most an cient—in short, the only country in the world. CUSTOMS. They style all foreigners barbarians, and they tell them, " We can do without you, but you cannot do without us ; if your country is so good, why do you come here for tea and rhubarb ?" No argument will induce a Chinaman to adopt a different style of reasoning. In private life they excel many other nations.

Here, indeed, do we find a direct contrast to the character given of them by the world. There are no castes among them, consequently the great barrier between man and man, so generally sub sisting among eastern nations, is altogether done away with, and the passing stranger is at all times welcome to partake of the poorest man's fare. Their food is plain and simple, — rice, fish, and vegetables are their stable articles ; at a pinch, however, nothing comes amiss, for they have the most accommodating stomachs imaginable. In the animal kingdom, anything from the hide to the entrails, and in the vegetable, from the leaves to the roots, is made available for the sup port of life. Frogs are common food ; young puppies are esteemed a delicacy, in the same way that lambs are in Europe ; and the flesh of the ADVANCEMENT IN THE ARTS. kitten is an expensive luxury, and only seen on the tables of the opulent.

Rats and mice are confined almost exclusively to the poorest people ; the flesh of these animals is daily to be seen in the public market, skinned, and otherwise prepared, hung up by dozens in long rows, with a piece of wood passed across from one hind leg to the other. The great majority of the population of China, obtain a livelihood by cultivating the soil, or by fishing. The Chinese seas are said to contain a far more abundant supply of fish, and superior in quality, to any found in the known world ; and the land yields a vast return to the laborious cul tivator. In the useful arts, the Chinese ages ago ex celled all other nations. The manufacture of paper and gunpowder, glass and porcelain ware, and the art of printing, were all known to them long before they came into use among us more civilized nations.

Their paper is chiefly manu factured from the bark of trees and from cotton. The Chinese respect their parents during life, and worship them after death. In fact, the wor- RELIGION. ship of ancestors is the religion of the great ma jority ; complete obedience to the father of a family is enforced in the most rigorous manner, the emperor being not only considered as the father of all his own subjects, but of the several sovereigns of Europe also ; and both from them and their people implicitand unconditional obe dience is claimed as a rightful due. All con sult their joss, or god, before commencing any undertaking of importance. If they have any material event in view, — to marry, to go on a journey, to conclude a bargain, to change a situation, &c, — it becomes necessary first to consult the superintending deity.

Many believe in the transfiguration of souls ; a common belief is, that if proper funereal honours have been paid to the departed, the soul leaves the body, and in three days after death joins that of their deceased pa rents ; whereas, if the body remains unburied, no change takes place ; to use their own words, " then same like one dog." As will be seen in the sequel, the Chinese are not a warlike race. Their industry and never ending perseverance enable them to build ex ten- ORDERS OF THE COMMUNITY. sive and powerful batteries ; their guns are in many instances equal to any of European manufacture ; but their gunners never calculated on the sharp practice employed so much to their cost during the past two years. The community of China are divided into four grades. The cultivation of the mind is the first and most honourable ; agriculture stands second on the list ; mechanical labour, third ; and trade or commerce, fourth, or lowest grade.

The peculiar views entertained by the Chinese of the inferiority of mercantile employment is, perhaps, some apology for the repeated insults so frequently cast on our British merchants, with whom they have hitherto disdained to treat on equal terms. Long before the lamented death of that esteemed nobleman, Lord Napier, and subsequent to his time, insults innumerable have been borne with impunity by the British nation. These are too well known to require detail here ; suffice it to say, that the Chinese, emboldened by the pacific temperament of our government, proceeded at length to the utmost extent, and not satisfied with imprisoning and threatening the lives of the CAUSE OF THE WAR WITH ENGLAND. whole foreign community, laid also violent hands on the British representative himself, claiming, as the purchase of his freedom, the delivery of the whole of the opium then in the Chinese waters — property to the amount of upwards of two millions sterling.

After a close imprison ment of two months' duration, during which period our countrymen were deprived of many of the necessaries of life, and exposed repeatedly, as in a pillory, to the gaze and abuse of the mob, no resource was left but to yield to the bold demands of the Chinese, relying with confidence on their nation for support and redress ; nor did they rely in vain, for immediately the accounts of the aggression reached London, preparations commenced for the Chinese expedition, the chief objects of which are supposed to be, — To obtain redress for imprisoning and insulting her Ma jesty's Plenipotentiary and subjects in China ; compensation for British property seized ; and direct official intercourse with the emperor.

Chapter II

The formation os the Expedition — Its strength and constitution — Its departure from India, and arrival at Chusan. It was supposed by Lord Palmerston and the other advisers of her Majesty that the mere pre sence of a force off the China coast would of itself be sufficient to awe the Chinese, and that they would at once submit to our demands with out its becoming necessary to proceed to hostile measures. Contrary, therefore, to the advice of the greatest general of the age, an " army of demonstration" only was directed to proceed to China. This army was formed by her Majesty's 18th, 26th, and 49th regiments, Madras Artil lery, and Sappers and Miners, and the Bengal Volunteer corps, in all about 3000 strong. The EXPEDITION AGAINST CHINA. naval portion of the force consisted of three line of battle ships, two frigates, carrying 44 guns, and fourteen other ships, carrying some 28 and some 18 guns.

There were also four armed steamers attached to the expedition. With this small force Great Britain had the audacity to suppose she could bring under subjection a nation, an idea of the immense population of which will be gained by the reflection that its present gene ration (according to Gutzlaff ) consists of nearly as many people as have lived in our small island since the creation of the world. So far back as the reign of Queen Elizabeth, when England gained for herself a name never to be erased from history, the highest naval and military commanders concurred in the opinion that a conjoint expedition is rarely well-conducted ; and I am confident that the heads of the present expedition will agree with me that this one has throughout been retarded by impediments which only can arise where two distinct authorities are employed to effect one end and purpose.

The force as detailed above rendezvoused at Singapore, in April, 1 840 ; and on the 4th of OCCUPATION OF CHUSAN July our troops were in possession of the island of Chusan, which they entered with little or no opposition. In passing by the mouth of the Canton river, her Majesty's Plenipotentiaries de tailed certain ships of the squadron to blockade that port, taking the main body of the force with them as near the seat of government as possible, so as to excite terror in the capital, and to enable them to carry on negotiations with at least the semblance of power to enforce their demands. The authorities at Ningpo were thun derstruck by the occupation of Chusan. The news rapidly reached Pekin, new governors and generals were appointed to take command of the provincial cities, to the support of which large reinforcements of troops were directed to pro ceed.

Our troops were landed on the island of Chu san in high health and spirits, and burning for active employment ; a natural distaste and disgust arose when the pacific nature of the expedition was discovered ; so great was the dread of excit ing a bad feeling and causing discontent among the natives, that our men were obliged to live in ENCAMPMENT OF THE TROOPS. their tents when there were thousands of houses available for that purpose ; and without regard to the health of the men, or consulting medical authorities on the subject, positions were laid out for the encampment of the troops. Parades and guard mountings in full dress, with a thermometer ranging from ninety to a hundred degrees, made the scene resemble the routine of garrison duty in India, and satisfied the heads of departments that they had there a body of hale and healthy men, who, at a moment's notice, were capable of performing any duty that fell to their lot. Alas ! how soon had they cause to alter their opinion.

Chapter III

Her Majesty's Plenipotentiaries proceed to the Pieho — Affair at Amoy — Battle of the Barrier — Sickness at Chusan. After the delay of several weeks, and the rejec tion of Lord Palmerston's letter by the provin cial authorities, and when all due arrangements for the comfort of our men on shore, and the protection of the coast, had been completed to the satisfaction of the authorities, Admiral Elliot, and his relative Captain Elliot, R.N., Chief Superintendent of Trade in China, joint plenipo tentiaries, proceeded with a small proportion of the squadron to the Pieho. The presence even of this force so near the capital caused no small alarm, and communications with the imperial INTERVIEW WITH KESHEN. government became at once respectful, courteous, and pacific. An imperial commission had been directed by the Emperor to proceed thither to meet them.

True to his time, Keshen waited their arrival, and received the plenipotentiaries with all due pomp and ceremony. The repeatedly rejected letter was at once received, a long private interview was held, after which the com pany were regaled with bird's nest and shark's fin soup, truffles (manufactured probably from puppies and kittens), fruits, and in fact every delicacy that China can produce, a full descrip tion of which will be found in that interesting little work published by a noble lord, entitled " Six Months with the China Expedition." That the arguments used by Keshen were amicable as well as convincing was certain, for soon after the interview our ships weighed anchor and returned to Chusan. Transports, laden with provisions and stores, were now daily arriving at Chusan. The merchants, availing themselves of the protection afforded by the presence of the force, sent their clippers with opium and British manufacture, INVENTION OF A NEW LANGUAGE. both of which, in a short time, found a ready sale among the natives.

The inhabitants of the capital city of Tinghae, who, on our first taking possession of the island, had deserted, gradually regaining confidence, returned. The peculiar attractions of the tolah (dollar) and loopea (rupee) quite won over the hearts of many. Strangers were by common consent called fokee, the Chinese word for friend; but when there were no interpreters, considerable difficulty arose in explaining matters, as where bullocks, fowls, &c, were required. This, how ever, gradually wore away; a language, " sui generis," was soon formed, the striking peculia rities of which consisted in imitating the sounds emitted by those animals. About this time the Blonde frigate (44), in sailing up the coast, went into the harbour of Amoy to deliver a chop, or official despatch, to the authorities there.

A boat, carrying a white flag, was sent on shore. Mr. Thom, the inter preter, landed to deliver the chop ; the latter, however, they would not receive, and on returning to his boat he was fired at by some soldiers who BOMBARDMENT OF AMOY. were drawn up on the beach, and who evidently had been sent for on seeing the boat approach. Mr. Thom succeeded in reaching the boat, upon which a brisk fire was now directed. Fortu nately, however, no serious injury was done. Guns from several batteries now opened upon the Blonde ; she immediately weighed, stood in, and picked up her boat ; then approaching as near the batteries as the depth of water would permit, skirting the edge of each, she gave the garrison repeated broadsides of canister, grape, and round shot, and then took her departure. Shortly after this, the Alligator, 28 guns, accompanied by the armed transport, Bræmer, were sent from Chusan with directions to make another attempt to send the chop on shore.

The same reception awaited them as the Blonde received. The Bræmer, when the firing commenced, think ing discretion the better part of valour, and her native crew saying that they were not paid for fighting, declined to approach within gunshot of the forts, and the Alligator, already wounded, soon became convinced of the inability of her remaining alone in the position she had taken c MILITARY HONOURS. up, took to sea also. The Chinese now boasted that on two different occasions they had driven off the barbarian ships. The affair they exag gerated into a great battle. It was reported to the Emperor that, after many hours of hard fighting, in which more than ten ships of war, and several fire-ships (steamers), belonging to the barbarians, were sunk and destroyed, victory was at length decided in favour of the celestial troops, with very trifling loss.

Honours, in the shape of peacocks' feathers, white, red, and blue buttons, were consequently showered down upon the victors. While affairs were thus proceeding on the coast, matters began to assume an alarming as pect at Macao, whither all the British merchants had resorted for further security. Commissioner Lin, by whose instigation our countrymen had been imprisoned in 1839, and who, on a former occasion, by his threats, had so intimidated the Governor of Macao as to oblige him to expel all the English from that city, aware that his career was drawing to a close, and hating the very name of Englishman, determined, if pos- LIN'S CUNNING. sible, thoroughly to exterminate them. For this purpose, he had recourse to the usual artifice and cunning of his nation. Under the cloak of friendship, he now expressed sorrow for all the mischief he had done, and pretended to grant great favours.

All this time he was collecting a large force in the proximity of Macao, of which he himself, it was generally believed, took the command. The town of Macao, it is necessary here to remark, is built on the peninsula of an island granted to the Portuguese for certain favours rendered, on payment to the Chinese of a rent equal to £300 per annum. On an isthmus, which connects the main body of the island with that small portion inhabited by the Portuguese, a high wall has been built. This wall runs across the isthmus, and is styled the barrier wall ; on it several guns are mounted, and on the Chinese side of the wall are barracks for troops. It was here, then, that Lin concentrated his forces — he strengthened his position on every side by sand-bag batteries. He detached daily his satellites into Macao to mark out the resic ACTION AT MACAO. dences of the English merchants.

The day, it was said, was fixed for the massacre. The un usual appearance of so many soldiers in the im mediate vicinity of Macao, and about the mer chant's houses, naturally caused suspicion and alarm. Reports soon reached the ears of the senior naval officer, which convinced him that firm and decided measures must at once be taken to drive the Chinese from their position. With his usual promptitude, Captain Smith at once prepared to attack them. Taking with him, therefore, two companies of the Bengal Volun teer Corps, H. M.'s ships Hyacinth and Larne, both 18 guns, and the Enterprise steamer, he proceeded to the barrier. The volunteers, and as many jacks and marines as could be col lected, were landed about a mile from, and on the Chinese side of, the barrier. The ships took up their positions, and at once opened their guns upon the batteries ; our troops on shore, when the firing had in a measure subsided, advanced and cut off the flight of the cowardly enemy ; some war-junks, on the opposite side of the isthmus to that held by us, cut their cables and SURPRISE OF THE INHABITANTS. put to sea — two of them, however, had been sunk by the shot from the Hyacinth.

Lin, it was supposed, had early in the day taken flight in an open boat to Canton by the back passage. Such was the activity with which Captain Smith put his resolves into execution, that the enemy were quite taken by surprise ; nor was it till after the firing had begun that the inhabitants of Macao became sensible of the presence of an armed force. That Captain Smith, by this gallant action, and the promptitude with which it was effected, was the means of saving the lives of the British community at Macao, there cannot be a doubt. The month of October had now commenced, aud each arrival from Chusan brought with it the most gloomy reports of the insalubrity of the island and the health of our men. This had long been foretold. It required no gifted soothsayer to prognosticate what the results would be, where men were placed in tents pitched on low paddy fields, surrounded by stagnant water, putrid and stinking from quantities of dead animal and ve getable matter.

Under a sun hotter than that SICKNESS AT CHUSAN. ever experienced in India, the men on duty were buckled up to the throat in their full dress coatees ; and in consequence of there being so few camp followers, fatigue parties of Europeans were daily detailed to carry provisions and stores from the ships to the tents, and to perform all menial employments, which, experience has long taught us, they cannot stand in a tropical climate. The poor men, working like slaves, began to sink under the exposure and fatigue. Bad provisions, low spirits, and despondency drove them to drink. This increased their liability to disease, and in the month of November there were barely 500 effective men in the force. A sort of infatuation seemed to possess the minds of the authorities. Medical men, as is often the case, were put down as croakers, their recommendations were neither listened nor attended to.

True, it was reported that the general was one day about to visit the hospitals, but when almost at the door of one, some pressing business called him away. Once, also, the Admiral and Captain Elliot were known to have walked through the hospital of H. M. 26th regiment. There were WANT OF HOSPITAL SHIPS. at that time upwards of 400 poor sick fellows on mats, stretched on the ground — many, alas ! never to rise from it. This melancholy sight called forth expressions of pity and compassion. The surgeon was directed to spare no expense — to procure everything he considered "necessary — to be unremitting in his exertions, and to make ap plication to the admiral direct if aught was wanted. The surgeon recommended that a ship should be laid apart as an hospital ship, and that another should be given to take a portion of con valescents to sea, for change of air.

Unfortu nately however, there were no ships available at that time ! We will bring this melancholy picture to a close, and trust that soon a change for the better will take place — that a new order of things will be established.

Chapter IV

Wreck of the Indian Oak and Kite Transports — Capture of Captain Anstruther. The transport, Indian Oak, sailed from Chusan in August, with despatches for the Governor- General, and in -October, a boat belonging to that ship reached the harbour of Chusan, bringing intelligence of her total loss on the coast of Lew Chew. The islanders treated the passengers and crew in the most friendly* manner, fully bearing out the character given them by Basil Hall. On the ship going on the rocks, the inhabitants collected in great numbers on the shore, offering every assistance to save the ship-wrecked crew — not to imprison, starve, and torture, but to feed and clothe them. Wandering along the beach, WRECK OF THE INDIAN OAK. they collected portions of the wreck, all of which they handed over to the owners.

They immediately set to work to build a ship, to enable them to leave the island, and on the arrival of H. M. ships Nimrod and Cruizer, which the Commodore had dispatched for the relief of the crew, the little craft was ready for sea, and actually conveyed them from the island of Lew Chew to Chusan ; nor would the hospitable islanders receive any reward for what they had done. Contrast the description of the above wreck with that of the Kite, armed transport, which took place about the same time on the coast of China. This vessel struck on a quicksand, in which she immediately sunk, as far as the main top-mast. To this the survivors clung for life, with the exception of the captain's wife, Mrs. Noble, Lieutenant Douglas, R N., and two cabin boys, who succeeded in getting into one of the ship's boats, but without sails and without food, and almost naked.

After tossing about for a couple of days, the boat drifted on shore. Here Mrs. Noble was forcibly separated from her com panions in misfortune : a heavy chain was put ILL USAGE OF MRS. NOBLE, round her neck, and by this she was dragged, bare-footed and bare-headed, through rivers and over rocks, a distance of upwards of twenty miles. Hungry and tired, she leant on her keepers for support. In passing through cities, the inhabitants crowded around her, hooting and yelling frightfully ; and when permitted to rest, the chain round her neck was fastened to a ring in the prison wall. The Chinese at Canton, at no time would permit an European woman to proceed up the river to the British factories ; and even from those who wTere brought to Macao they exacted a large fine for presuming to come to their country.

Here, therefore, where never European male nor female had ever trod, the appearance of Mrs. Noble caused the greatest excitement. Crowds from all parts flocked to see her. They examined her height, the size of her feet, the length of her hair, and, in short, scrutinized her most minutely. She, poor woman, suffering much both in body and in mind, for she had lost a husband and a child in the wreck, was obliged patiently to bear all ! When all appeared satisfied, she was placed in a cage one yard high, AND THE CREW OF THE KITE. three-quarters of a yard long, and half a yard broad. The chain round her neck was locked to the top, and heavy irons were placed on her hands and feet ; a long bamboo was then passed through the middle of the cage, at either end of which a man was placed. For two days and nights was she carried about in this cage, nor was she permitted to get out on any account whatever.