A Voyage round the World and visits to various foreign countries in the United States frigate Columbia, attended by her consort the sloop of war John Adams, and commanded by G. C. Read. ... Third edition

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■ :. ■ i ' ,;, i' I i I ! . DD ■ II X ! I I * !■■-«. I Reason's Glory- TUfflEi IPJHJSSIBK'T 1SMJ1°JBM©1B1 ©F CmiUSLA. From an original Chinese Painting*. A VOYAGE ROUND THE WORLD, AND VISITS TO VARIOUS FOREIGN COUNTRIES, IN THE UNITED STATES FRIGATE COLUMBIA; ATTENDED BY HER CONSORT THE SLOOP OF WAR JOHN ADAMS, AND COMMANDED EY COMMODORE GEORGE C. READ. ALSO INCLUDING AN ACCOUNT OF TIIE BOMBARDING AND FIRING OF THE TOWN OF MUCKIE, ON THE MALAY COAST, AND TIIK VISIT OF THE SHIPS TO CHINA DURING THE OPIUM DIFFICULTIES AT CANTON. AND CONFINEMENT OF THE FOREIGNERS IN THAT CITY- BY FITCH W. TAYLOR, ffija^lafn; to tje Squatiton. VOL. I. THIRD EDITION. NEW-HAVEN: PUBLISHED BY H. MANSFIELD NEW-YORK: D. APPLETON & CO., 200 BROADWAY. 1843. Entered a_™£<jiKgB[__St of Congress, by H. MANSFIELD, in the Clerk's Office of the District Court of Connecticut- TO Œommtrtjore ©frorije ®.

HeaU. Dear Sir : The late East India Squadron, in its circuit of the world under your command, has done honor to our coun try and professional credit to yourself. No voyage of equal length in distance and in time can be made, without encountering many hazards and circumstances of frequent difficulty. These have been met by yourself — the cruise successfully completed — and the purposes of the govern ment accomplished. Though it has not been my design to enter into all the details of the cruise of the East India Squadron, its action will be found sufficiently developed in the succeeding pages for the general reader. But it is as an acknowledgment of the invariable courtesy, which I have received from yourself during the voyage which has originated the following pages, that I beg you to ac cept these volumes, with the assurances of my great respect and esteem.

FfTCH W. Taylor. New- York, October, 1840. S E C T I O N I. The eve before sailin?. View of the two ships from shore. A bright omen. Author's adieus. The Lieutenant and miniature of his boy. An officer's farewell to his wife. Social sacrifices on the part of the officers of the Navy. The ships in the Roads. Lines to Mrs. R. The sailing of the ships from the Roads. Ships at sea. I shall never forget the sunset scene of the last even ing I spent on shore. The sky had been lowering with April showers, and the sun stood yet on his declining course behind the fleecy clouds, but, occasionally, broke forth again through the opening vistas of their dark layers, as if to assure us that life, even the most shaded, has its smiles as well as tears. The mild air, at this hour, touched the cheek as blandly as rests the head of lady on the down of velvet ; and since the slight peals of thunder, which had rolled far off and high above the city, the clouds had parted ; and now, here and there, the blue distance beyond them was seen, in its deepness and beauty.

Section II

Sailors' debts paid with the main-top-sail. Broad pennant saluted. System of signals. How to shoot an Indian. An acting appointment. Religious service at sea. Marine hymn. Dinner party at sea. Parting with the John Adams. The middle watch. Speaking a ship. Phosphorescent track of the Columbia at night. Music. Sunset. A seaman falling from aloft. Burial at sea. Its effect on a young Midshipman. A ship short of provisions, supplied. The John Adams again in company. The high peaks of Madeira descried. Distant view of the island on the eve of the squadron's arrival. " Thank heaven !" said a messmate, as the capes were disappearing, " our debts are all paid, at least, for two years to come." " Yes," added another, " paid with our main-top-sail." True it is, our sails are bearing us fast alike from creditor and debtor, from enemy, friend, and home.

As the broad blue pennant was run up, after we had left the last point of land low in the west, the John Adams fired a salute. The Commodore, by signals, directed our consort to take her position on our larboard quarter. As she came down to us, she exhibited a beautiful movement, gracefully gliding on her course, bowing, and courtesying, and coquetting, like a beauty aware of her charms, and knowing herself the object of admiration. She luffed up, as she laid her bows obliquely across our wake. Our first Lieutenant, with the trumpet in his hand, stood upon the tafferel of the ship, and as the Adams reached her nearest point, he spoke through the sounding tube : " The Commodore will send a boat aboard of you, sir." " Ay, ay, sir," was the sententious response of the of ficer, from the deck ofthe Adams.

The two ships came so nearly together, that the officers recognised each other, and touched their caps in acknowledgment of each other's courtesy. It is not an uninteresting sight to witness two ships, while tossed on the surges of the ocean, and beyond speaking distance, conversing with each other by means of signals. Every nation has its private signals. In war and in peace, the signal book is held sacred, and the signals are supposed to be known only to the commander of each vessel. In case of war, if a national vessel happen to be captured, the signal book is at once thrown overboard, before the victor can gain possession of it. Otherwise he might decoy into his power, by a knowledge of these private signs, other ships of the nation with which he is at war. The system of signals has never yet been brought to any great perfection, in practice, by any maritime power.

Since the introduction of numbers into telegraphic language, however, the communication by signals has been extended and facilitated ; and it has created a language that may be made use of as a more general means of communication between ships at sea, and from ships with the shore. Ten separate flags, with different devices in figure and colors, are used, as, 1,2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 0 ; the number of each being known by its device. The flags are read from the top downwards. Thus, if it is desired to make the number 15 to a distant ship, which however is sufficiently near to make out, with her glass, the emblems by which the numbers of the signal are known, the two flags which stand for No. 1 and No. 5 are set, at the gaff or other part of the ship, where the signal can most readi ly be made out by the distant vessel.

If the No. 152 is to be communicated, the flag representing No. 2 will be set beneath the two flags already mentioned. The signal book contains numbers from one to one thousand, more or less, and opposite each number is some nautical phrase, sentence, name of place, latitude, longitude, or other expressions, and sufficiently numerous and varied for most purposes. Therefore, when the number is made out by the distant vessel, a reference to the signal book will give the expression opposite to it, which it is the wish of one party to communicate to the other. Suppose, then, No. 15 of the signal book has opposite to it the word " yes ;" No. 16, the words "if wind and weather permit ;" No. 17, " Sunday ;" No. 18, " 2 o'clock ;" No. 19, " Will you dine with us 1" With these numbers we may illustrate the subject by a case which has already occurred on board our ship.

The Commodore, desiring to invite the Com mander of the John Adams to take dinner with him, di rects the flag-officer to have the signal No. 19 made, which is done by setting the two flags which stand for the numbers one and nine. This being read on board the Adams, an answering pennant, which means, " We have made out the number," is run up and again hauled down. The number ofthe first signal having been read, the second or No. 18, in like manner with the first, is made by th**** two flags representing one and eight. This answered, as being understood on board the other vessel, No. 17 is made by the flags No. 1 and No. 7. No further signals following from theColumbia,theCommanderof the Adams, by referring to the signal book, finds it to read, " No. 19. Will you dine with us ?" "No. 18. Sunday."

"No. 17. 2 o'clock." The Commander of the Adams, accepting the invitation, replies by making the numbers 16 and 15, which will read, " Yes, if wind and weather permit." Signals, in the night-time, are often made by lights of different colors, and by adjusting them in different positions, at various angles ; by rockets and by fires. The signal book of the navy has attached to it a heavy piece of lead, which would immediately sink it if thrown overboard. I quote, at random, the following numbers from the " American Signal Book," which is generally used in the American merchant service : "219. What are you about?" "313. A mutiny onboard." "716. If we have not immediate assistance." " 962. All's lost." "718. We will send assistance." " 188. Heave all aback." " 332. Mutinv is quelled." " 40. All's well."

"327. Adieu." " I tell you what," says Lieutenant W. (the subject of shooting the aborigines of our land being under discussion,) if you would kill an Indian, you must proceed somewhat after the manner of cooking a dolphin." " How is that ?" " Why, catch him first." It is not unusual for the young gentlemen of the ship to avail themselves of any innocent occasion for creating a smile at the expense of one of their messmates. As we left the Roads without the usual number of Lieutenants, it was presumed that some ofthe passed Midshipmen would receive acting appointments. By consequence, these young gentlemen were on tiptoe expectation for the announce ment of their acceptable good fortune. One of the Lieuten ants, a young gentleman of wit and worth, caught a pen at my desk, and scribbled an acting appointment for one of these expectants, for whom there was no doubt but that an acting appointment had been made out by the Commodore, who yet, for the present, retained the paper.

Having finished the fictitious appointment, it was regularly enclosed within the official fawn-colored envelope, and conveyed to the Master (who is a passed Midshipman) by the orderly, who generally bears the particularly offi cial messages from the Commodore. The orderly knock ed at the door of the Master, who was in his room, busily making out the reckonings of the day's sailing. " Come in, sir," echoed a voice from within, while the Lieutenant and some others were standing at a distance without to witness the effect. The Master's door was opened. The fawn-colored envelope acted like a spell. The Master dropped his figuring utensils, and hopped, into " the coun try" of the ward-room, as its open space is called, holding up his fawn-colored envelope and exclaiming in abundant exultation, in the possession of an acting Lieutenancy, " I writes no more of these Master's figurations, gentle men," shaking the fawn-colored, with three significant configurations above his head, and at the same time open ing the seal, read as follows : " U. S. Frigate Columbia, May 1st, 1838.

" Sra, — You are hereby appointed acting Jemmy Ducks of this ship until it shall please the Hon. the Secretary of the Navy, to confirm the appoint ment. " Very respectfully, your obedient servant, '"CORINTHIAN TOM,' " Commander in chief of all the U.S. poultry in the China seas. "To &c. &c." The joke went off with a round peal of laughter from Corinthian Tom ; and the same evening the acceptable appointments were distributed to the young gentlemen, so worthily deserving them, in view of the arduous duties which lay before them on a long and critical voyage. " What olden poet," it was asked at the mess-table to day, while an antique chicken was under both discussion and dissection, **** does one think of when masticating the drumstick of a tough one ?" " I have it," said another, as he gave the experimental answer, with a delicate morsel of the antique gentleman between his teeth.

"Chauser," was the reply, as the chewer took breath, to save him from premature exhaustion. r If these are trifles, they yet show that trifles are not always excluded from shipboard, any more than from the society of triflers on land. And they further show that men, thrown together within the narrow compass of a ward-room, with dispositions and tastes perhaps alike in no two instances, can yet make themselves agreeable and become true and lasting friends. The weather being fair on Sunday, we had divine ser vice on the upper deck. Such a service on board a man of-war is characteristic and interesting. At half-past ten o'clock, the decks of the ship having been cleared, as usual, and the men having been inspected at their quarters, they are piped, on Sunday morning, in their best dresses, to muster.

A frigate's company, in all, generally consists of five hundred persons. At the call to muster, the men take their position on the quarter-deck. In w*arm weather, they are generally dressed in white duck trousers, white shirts, with blue collars and bosoms. The broad blue collar is turned down, with a star upon each corner, and the blue bosom exposes three stripes of narrow white tape, edging the inserted blue. A black silk neck-cloth, beneath the over turned collar, is knotted on the bosom, or tied with a piece of white tape, leaving the neck open and exposed. A blue jacket, unbuttoned, polished shoes, with tarpaulin hat, or a lighter straw one in warm weather, complete the uniform and characteristic dress of an American seaman. The whole appearance of the sailors on this day is ex pected to be such as to pass the particular examination by the officers — an inspection which they invariably go through on this day, after the religious services are over — their names being called, one by one, as they pass from their positions in review directly before the officers, who still retain their places until the muster-roll is finished.

Should the shoes of any one of the men be found unpolished, or any portion of the dress be characteristic of negligence, the man is directed to stop at the mainmast. It is known that such an offence incurs a penalty of half a dozen lashes at the gangway, and most frequently it is inflicted. This tends to render the appearance of the whole crew strik ingly neat on the Sabbath, in their uniform sailor-dresses. AMERICAN TAR. And this requisite, as to particularity in dress, extends to the officers, who are expected to appear in their uniform, and with as great a care to neatness as is required of the men. The sailors thus placed upon the quarter-deck, the ma rines, about sixty in number, are next drawn up, in dou ble file, in full dress, on the larboard side of the ship, with the right of the division resting near the sailors on the quarter-deck, and stand, with their polished guns, at rest.

On the starboard side, opposite the marines, is the position of the officers of the ship ; and between them, with the officers on his left, and the marines on his right, and the sailors directly in front, on the quarter-deck, the Chap lain takes his position at the capstan, both as his desk and pulpit. The capstan in itself is an object of ornament on board a frigate, standing abaft the mainmast, and is generally inlaid with different devices of stars and other figures 6f brass, and always kept brightly polished. Over the top of the capstan, which is some four feet in diame ter, a flag is thrown, in preparation for the expected ser vice, and the platform on which the chaplain stands is al so covered with bunting. When the chaplain is in his position, the commanding officer stands near his left, with the other officers but a small distance still further at the left of the chief officer.

The deck is generally in this attitude when the Chap lain ascends the hatchway from his room, and takes his position at the capstan. The Commodore taking a book from the number, which are upon the capstan and before the Chaplain the others are distributed among the officers ; when the Chaplain begins the religious services according to the ritual of the Episcopal church. Surely no one can, for the first time, contemplate such a scene on the deck of a man-of-war, without interest — nearly five hundred souls, their persons attired in their neatest dresses, often deemed a rough people, but now exhibiting a beautiful aspect of propriety and neatness, and profoundest stillness, gathered for solemn worship on the decks of a majestic frigate, bounding yet fleetly on her way of ocean, yet, as if conscious of the solemn hour and the solemn scene upon her deck, scarcely once careening or pitching so perceptibly as to inconvenience the worshippers.

Around spreads the far blue deep, and above the fair blue sky ; and God is seen in the majesty and the beauty of both. The Chaplain commences the profound worship of the Eternal — it is continued — it ends. The service on these occasions is generally and pro perly abbreviated, and the sermon, it is expected, will be comparatively brief, as the officers and crew are standing throughout the service, uncovered, but beneath a spread awning, shading the entire deck when the weather is warm. Our services to-day, with little variations to meet the circumstances of the ship, now but eight days at sea, were conducted after the manner described. MARINE HYMN. O God, the suns were made by thee, And stars that arch the deep blue sea ; We course the waves beneath their light, And trace thy hand by day and night.

We hear the roar of ocean-surge, And know, for thee, the gale will urge ; And on the sea when rests the calm, The stilly breeze sleeps in thy palm. And when our ships ride on the deep, And waters only round us sweep, The heart then feels thy throne is high, And on the sailor rests thine eye. Then hear our worship, O our God, Who gemmed the heavens and seas laid broad ; Before thee now our hearts we lay, And in our sea-home temple, pray. The day was fine. The John Adams was seen on our larboard quarter, nearly within the sound of the Chap lain's voice. The sermon was delivered without inter ruption, save now and then a single flap of the wing of a sail was heard, and once, a suppressed order from the officer of the deck to the captain of the mizen-top. Captain Wyman, of the John Adams, was invited on board the Columbia, the succeeding day, to dine, together with the Commodore, with the ward-room mess.

It would be interesting to a landsman, to see one of the boats of a man-of-war, with all the confidence of security, passing from one ship to another, in mid ocean. Our ships, however, in this instance, are within a mile of each other, and the invitation to the commander of the Adams, was given by signal. Nor less a matter of sur prise, perhaps, would it appear to some of our friends, could they peep into our spacious ward-room, and mark the degree of neatness and taste with which a table is arranged for a dinner-patryj, on board our frigate. The manner of serving up a dinner in the ward-room, would in no way do discredit to a dining-hall on shore. The polished covers, the pure French china, the silver forks, the napkins and the damask table-cloths, covering a well polished mahogany table, all show no inconsiderable de gree of elegance ; and under the management of Dr. H., our tasteful caterer, presented, on this occasion, an ap pearance that would be respectable in any private par lor.

And then the different dishes, got up by French cooks, (heaven bless the French genius, when variety is desired,) are quite sufficient to satisfy the taste as well as the appetite. And fruits are always kept by the mess, and pastries are made per order of the caterer. In truth, one would hardly remember that he was not in the private dining-hall of a friend, if one happened to have his friends around him, the motion of the frigate not being sufficient to create any inconvenience, as may be sup posed, so far as the present occasion was concerned, as the tables were unlashed, and no article of the dishes moved from their position, otherwise than they would have been from the table of an unrocked dwelling of one's land-home. After a beautiful sunset last evening, May 14th, the sun clouded in, and the rain descended, at times, in tor rents.

It was so thick, that nothing could be seen five lengths of the frigate, ahead of her. The weather, as usual in the Gulf Stream, has been more or less rainy, but more favorable than is generally found to attend "a passage across it. At a half-hour by sun, a signal was made to the John Adams, for tacking ship. The Columbia changed her course gracefully, as the Adams still stood on her way, apparently directly by us, lining her beautiful form in distinct relief on the glorious sky, then illumined by the golden sunset behind her. But soon, when on our lar board quarter, she came up into the wind, and tacked with grace ; and the two coursers together, stood again on their equal and parallel track. We were still to gether during the middle-watch. But, this morning, the Adams is not to be seen. She can be descried nowhere upon the ocean, and probably will take good care not to get into our company again, if she can avoid it, until we shall reach Madeira.

It is generally deemed a pardonable offence, for one vessel sailing in company with another, and having a common rendezvous, to make her escape, if a plausible excuse can be rendered to the flag-ship. The mists and squalls of last night, were quite too good an opportunity for the Adams not to get out of sight. And doubtless they are in high glee this morning, at their good fortune, in being at liberty to trace their own way, without following the motions, in making and shortening sail, in mimic suit of the Columbia, to whose movements she has to accommodate herself. " By heavens," says an interesting small gentleman, on board the Adams, as he takes his seat at the mess-table this morning, " I managed it, gentlemen, last night, any how, ay?" with a small flourish or two of his finger, as he edges a little nearer the table, to commence a very short description of the movement and other things.

The John Adams had orders to stand for Madeira, if we parted company ; and having watered and taken in all necessary supplies, to stand on her way again, for Rio de Janeiro, unless the Columbia should be at Funchal, the capital of the island of Madeira, at the time of her reaching there. As I sought the deck, to-night, I saluted the officer of the watch, by touching my hat, as the usual ceremony of respect to the deck-officer, adding, " O Pilot, 'tis a fearful night, There's danger on the deep ; I'll come and pace the deck with thee, I do not dare to sleep." " Come," said the Lieutenant, " at the middle-watch, that is the hour we have for gentle memories." It was a lovely night, and not such as the poetry quot ed would lead one to suppose, but such as might awaken poetry in sentiment, in one who yet might never have made rhymes.

" And then," I said, " it is not with you, as the sailors say, that salt water washes away the recollections of home 1" " No," continued the officer of the deck. " Were I a young lady with a lover, I would command him to go to sea. I am sure his affections would be deepened in the long and deep memories which awake while he paces the deck in thehours of the middle-watch." " And how is it with you, Doctor ?" I asked, as the fleet surgeon joined our promenade. " Do you find that the briny mist washes away your soft musings of home, and wife, and the little ones ?" " Ah, sir," returned the surgeon, " I find it like a mor daunt of the chemist and the dyer, one ingredient of which is salt, and which they use to fix indelibly their colors. And yet I shut my eyes as much as possible to the visions which come up before me, in their every hue of love and home-associations."

" For myself," I added, " there was sufficient of the nausea about me, for four or five days, to make me think only of my uninteresting self; but I now cast my look over the waste of waters between me and those I love, and feast sadly but happily on the memories which winds and waves cannot bear from me." The watches of the ship are divided into eight, each Lieutenant, in turn, keeping the deck during one watch. He is called, for the time being, the officer of the deck; and through him, all orders are issued, and to him the care of the sailing of the ship is committed. The watches at night are from 8 till 12, called the first watch ; from 12 till 4, called the mid-watch ; from 4 till 8, called the morning watch. During these hours, if the wind is fair, the Lieutenant has much time for thinking, as may be the train of his feelings, in happy or in sorrowful musings.

And I can imagine how often the memories of home come up to the mind of the young Lieutenant, as he paces the deck, with the trumpet in his hand, alone ; occasionally casting up his eye to mark the trim of the sails, and issues, at one moment, an order to give a pull upon a brace, which serves to break in upon the train of his deepening memories. But he soon again renews his monotonous step, and the gentle recollections come over him, which transport him to those he loves, while he almost thinks himself in their embraces, in happy commune, until a sud den sigh comes from some sudden consciousness that it is but a dream ; and he wakes to the reality, that he is yet stemming on his long course, still away and away from the land of his home, the young companion of his bosom, and friends less near than she, but still dear in his delight ful and welcome loves.

On the morning of the 18th, a barque from Havre, bound to Baltimore, came down upon us, with most of her sails set, as we bore a little out of our course to meet her, that we might forward letters to our friends in the United States. A letter bag was soon prepared, and a boat low ered. Lieut. Turner and Mid. Sincler boarded the barque, as she lay off from us, with her sails aback, exhibiting a fine model of an American ship. It was a beautiful sight as the two ships lay aback, and a moment lingered on their separate courses, while the frigate's boat bounded on the surge, to bear our tokens of remembrances to friends and to communicate with a ship from a foreign land. As soon as our boat had left the barque, on her return to the frigate, a fog came up suddenly over the ocean, with a change of the wind to the west.

The barque filled away, and in a few moments was lost in the mists that swept over the sea ; and had our boat been delayed fifteen minutes longer, she might have been shut in by the fog ; while, however, in this instance, there would have been no danger, as she was within the hearing of our ship's bell. The scene was an interesting exhibition, re calling to the mind occurrences which often take place at sea when a boat has been despatched from the ship. The instances are many of a fog unexpectedly overtaking a boat, when, in the absence of a compass, the course be comes unknown. In such a case, the ship, having the bearing of the point from which the boat is expected, stands for her accordingly, and in most cases, by the discharge of guns and the sounding of the bell, the boat is recovered.

To-night, now after ten o'clock, our frigate presents a magnificent exhibition, while cutting her way of light through the dark ocean. Clouds hang thick above us, veiling star and moon from the sight; and the fresh breeze drives our gallant vessel twelve knots the hour on her course. She leaves in her wake a stream of light, which blazes forth in its mellow and spreading trail, like the tail of a comet lined on the blue heavens ; and before her the phosphorescent billow curves around her bow a mighty crest of ever rolling and flashing light. Beyond us, the illumined peaks of the waves, as they break, sail down in their silver sheets, to mingle their sheen of phosphorescence in the flood of glory, which the ship carries before her. How grand ! how beautiful ! I went far out upon the bowsprit to get a fairer view of her stem, buried, as it is, in its halo of glory, and throwing up its cascades of corruscating light.