History of a voyage to the China Sea

Front matter

A VOYAGE ro THE CHINA SEA. HISTORY OE ii wtaghb ro THE CHINA SEA. By JOHN WHITE, METTTENANT IN THE UNITED STATES NAVI Piodesse quam conspic BOSTON : WFXLS AND LILLY, COURT-STRP.ET 1823. DISTRICT OF MASSACHUSETTS, TO WIT: District Clerk's Office. BE it remembered, lhat on the second day of December, A. D. 1823, in the forty-seventh year ofthe Independence of the United States of America, Wells & Lilly ofthe said District, hare deposited in this Office the title of a Book, the Right whereof they claim as Proprietors, in the Words foUowing, to -wit .— *' History of a Voyage to the China Sea. By John White*, Lieutenant in the United States Navy. Prodesse qnam conspici. In Conformity to the Act of the Congress of the United States, entitled, '* An Act for the Encouragement of Learning, by securing the copies of Maps, Charts, and Books, to the Authors and Proprietors of such Copies, during the times therein mentioned " and also to an Act entitled, (l An Act supplementary to an Act, entitled, An Act for the Encouragement of Learning, by securing the Copies of Maps, Charts, and Books, to the Authors and Proprietors of such Copies during the times therein mentioned ; and extending the benefits thereof to the Arts of Designing, Engraving, and Etching Historical and other Prints.*- JNO. W. DAVIS, Clerk of the District qf Massachusetts.

ADVERTISEMENT.

. X his volume was not originally intended for publica tion, but Avritten as a Memoir to be deposited in thc ar chives of the " East India Marine Society of Salem." Some of the author's friends, however, who had read the manuscript, (among whom was the Hon. John Pickering, who kindly assisted him with advice) conceived it of suffi cient general interest to be published, and it is according ly submitted, ' with all its imperfections upon its head." The very respectable and flattering list of subscribers obtained in his native place, when proposals were first issued, gave birth to hopes of more general patronage • but these hopes have been but very partially realized, and the proceeds of the subscription list will scarcely defray the expences of publication. As a proof that no fault on his part has delayed the appearance of tlie work, the principal part of the manuscript was read by some of his friends two and a half years ago.

Chapter 1

Leave the Land — Snow Storm — Attacked by a Portuguese ship — Arrival at, and description of, St. Salvador — Passage to Batavia — Abrolhos Bank — Description of, and remarks on, Tristan d'Acunha — Jonathan Lambert — Passage of the Cape — Arrival at Batavia - - - 1

Chapter V

Mandarin's visit on board — Local descriptions — Fishing weirs — Native vessels — Subsequent visits of Mandarins — Roguery of the Natives — Siamese Junks — Faithless FAGE 129 147 Vi CONTENTS. and mysterious conduct of the Chiefs — Departure from Canjeo ----.,----52

Chapter VI

Description of the coast of Cochin China — Pulo Ciecer de Mer — Trading and fishing vessels — Pulo Canton — Arrival at Cham-Callao — Departure from Cham-Callao — Arrival at Turon — Interview with the Chiefs — Description of Turon and Bay — Departure from Turon Bay — Historical and Geographical description of Cochin China — Bishop Adran - - - 73

Chapter X

Animals — Reptiles — Vegetable productions — Naval Architecture — Ignorance of the Luconians respecting Cochin China — Arrival ofthe Marmion — Monsoons and seasons — Imposing ceremonies— Dramatic representations — Murder — Sensual indulgences — Departure from Manilla VH PAGE 185 CONTENTS.

Chapter XI

Passage across the China sea — Arrival at Vung-tau — Canjeo — Local anecdotes — Pagoda — Roguery and chicanery of the natives — Permission from Chiefs at Canjeo to proceed up the river — Permission from the Governor of Saigon to proceed to the City ... - 167

Chapter XII

Progress up the river of Don-nai — Visit from officers of government — The Seven Months — Features of the country — Fish concert — Ladrones — Remarks on the river — Coral ledge — Alligators — Hydrostatic phenomenon — Violent squall — Arrival at the city of Saigon

Chapter XIII

Visit to the shore — A native dwelling — Arrival of the Marmion — Female merchants — Local scenery and descriptions — Preparations to visit the authorities on shore — Presents - 201

Chapter XIV

Landing at Saigon and progress through the City — Royal Palace — Citadel — Reception by the acting Governor — Topographical description of Saigon and its environs — Elephants — Abundance in the bazars — Fruits — Rudeness of the natives - - - - - - 218

Chapter XV

Population of Saigon — Style of building— Missionaries- Christians — Cemetery — Naval arsenal— Gigantic timber — War gallies — Founderies — Topographical descrip- FAGl 232 289 VJ11 CONTENTS. tions — New River — Ceremony of measuring the ships — Debauchery of the natives — Extortionate exactions — Letter to the king's admiral — Presents to the king — His anti-commercial and despotic character

Chapter XVI

Productions of the country — Wild beasts — Remarkable anecdote of a tygress — Money — Coins — Weights and measures — Manufactures — Chinese population — Ruinous policy of the king — Royal city of Hue — Regal succession — Fears of the Christians .... 248

Chapter XVII

Dress of the inhabitants of Saigon — Female costume, habits, &c. — Physical courage of the natives — Armour, &c. — Inundations — Residence on shore — Rapacity of the merchants — Delusive conduct of the acting Governor — Padre Antonio — Bishop Adran — Pagoda — Religion and Superstition — Viceroy — Government — Crimes and Punishments — Population — Chinese commercial agents — Native duplicity — Visit from the acting Governor — His conduct 268

Chapter XVIII

Perplexing coin — Vexatious and flagitious conduct of the government officers — A serpent — Stoned by the natives — Return to the ships — Unsuccessful stratagem — Filthy food of the natives — Diseases — Funeral ceremonies — Music — Sculpture — Painting — Dramatic exhibitions — Padre Joseph — Arrival of the viceroy — Presentation — Presents — Humiliating obeisances of inferiors — Kaleidoscope — Punishment of delinquent soldiers rACF CONTENTS.

Chapter XIX

Letter from Monsieur Vannier — Aqua Ardiente, a great rogue — Reptiles — Meteorological remarks — Aerial temperature — Mandarin of letters visits on board — Visit the viceroy — An entertainment — Favourable impressions made by the Viceroy's manners — Domingo, a native Christian — Bezoar stone — Cautery — Mode of travelling — Fires — Games— Athletic exercises — Poisoning— Viceroy's wives — Diabolical machinations of linguists and government officers — Cambodian ambassador — Fleet of gallies — Viceroy's galley ----- 309

Chapter XX

Visit from a Lady of Rank — Contract for Cargoes, anl permission from Government to take them — New difficulties — Commence taking Cargo — More villany — A pirate galley — Macao ship robbed in 1804 — Aqua Ardiente's rascality — Additional preparations for defence — Narrative of an attack on an English ship, and her narrow escape — King's proposed contract for Cargoes to be brought him — Fears of Father Joseph for the Christians 330-

Chapter XXI

Finish taking cargo — A discovery — Preparations for departure — Final settlement, and payment of sagouetes, and other impositions — Take leave of the Viceroy — Royal seals — Regal palace — Departure from Saigon — Canjeo — Vung tau — Departure from Vung-tau — Arrival at Batavia — Mode of preserving health of seamen — Departure from Batavia — Touch at the Isle of France — Arrival of ship Marmion — Departure from the Isle of France — Passage of the Cape — A hurricane — Arrival in the United States - - DIRECTIONS TO THE BINDER FOR PLACING THE PLATES. 1. Frontispiece — Map of the Don-nai river. 2. Traders of the Northern and Southern provinces . face page 57 3. Tonquinese Traders 82 4. Scene on the Don-nai river ....... 210 5. Viceroy of Don-nai's State Galley 327 6. Specimen of Chinese characters — to follow Father Joseph's letter in Appendix. No. 1 , 362 _> VOYAGE TO THE CHINA SEA.

Chapter I

Leave the Land — Snow Storm — Attacked by a Portuguese ship — Arrival at, and description of, St. Salvador — Passage to Batavia — Abrolhos Bank — Description of, and remarks on, Tristan d'Acunha — Jonathan Lambert — Passage of the Cape — Arrival at Batavia. — VJn Saturday the 2d day of January 1819 we sailed from Salem, and the next day had a severe gale, with snow, from the north-east. On the 4th of February crossed the Equator. On the 9th of the same month, in the afternoon, being in latitude of 5° 50' south, and longitude 29° 20' west, two sail of ves sels were descried ahead, standing in the same di rection with ourselves. We took little further notice of this incident, (as at this time of general peace the whole navigation of the world was in motion,) than to observe that we were approaching them rapidly, which excited a consequent emotion of exultation at the superiority of our sailing.

At sunset we had approached so near as to see their hulls, which indicated a prospect of soon pass ing them. The evening, being pleasant, was passed on deck in conversation relative to past events, and in speculations on the future ; resources which seamen are often fain to adopt to relieve the tedium and monotony of a voyage. At 1 1 o'clock the two vessels, which had been obscured from our view bj the darkness of the evening, were now perceived to be quite near. We saw that they were large ships, and that our course would lead us between them, and quite near the windward one ; on our near approach to which, on passing, and just while we were about to hail her, her crew poured, or intended probably to pour into us, the contents of their two stern chase guns. We were much surprised at this, and hailed them, demanding their reason for firing at us ; but so great was the confusion of voices on board the stranger, that we could not be heard.

We were rapidly passing them, and, as we ranged along, were successively saluted with five more guns, charged with grape, as we found by the shot which came on board, without however doing the least damage ; we found by their language that they were Portuguese, and conclu ded that they mistook us for a Patriot privateer, and by the small report of their guns, and imbecility of the fire, it was apparent that they must have been a long time charged, or their powder bad ; perhaps both. As we had not deviated from our course during this rencontre, had reduced no sail, and sailed much faster than our uncivil neighbour, we were soon out of his reach, and little further no tice was taken of the affair by us, than occasionally regretting that our own guns had not been mounted at the time, which we conceived would have effec tually prevented him from having all the exercise on his side.

As we were at peace with all the world, it had not been considered necessary to take them on deck till we approached the straits of Sunda, and they were at this moment silently recli ning on the ballast below. On the 11th February, in lat. 1 ] ° 4' south, and long. 31° 35' west, our main mast was discovered to be badly sprung, and it was deemed unsafe to proceed on our voyage, without repairing it ; as it could not well be done at sea, we determined to repair immediately to Saint Salvador, in the Bay of all Saints, which was our nearest port, where we arrived on the 15th. The city of Bahia, or St. Salvador, is situated on a peninsula, which bounds, on the south side, the picturesque, safe, and capacious bay of All Saints, and is said to contain one hundred thousand inhabitants, thirty thousand of which are white, and the residue negroes and mulattoes.

It is divided into the upper and lower towns, the latter of which is occupied by mechanics, traders, and the lower classes of the people ; it is at the foot of a precipitous hill, skirts the harbour, and is mean and dirty. Here are situated the counting houses and stores of the Brazil Company, and of the merchants who reside in the upper town, (which is on the summit of the hill,) in handsome villas, commanding exten sive prospects of the sea, the neighbouring coasts, and the circumjacent country, with the picturesque bay, crowded with vessels of all nations, spread, like a map, at their feet. The upper town, which is approached by zig zag roads on the face of the precipice, is tolerably regularly built. On each side of the great square are situated the palaces of the governor and the archbishop, with many su perb public buildings, and the splendid mansions of the nobility and opulent gentry.

The streets are well paved, and the churches, built of the most costly materials, are crowded with decorations of immense value, the voluntary contributions of superstitious devotees and zealous fanatics. The climate is healthy, the air salubrious and balmy, the soil kind and productive, and the com forts and necessaries of life abundant. The principal articles of export are gold and silver, jewelry, precious stones, sugar, rum, coffee, hides, jerked beef, cocoa, dye-woods, and tobacco ; the latter is a monopoly of the crown, and is said to produce a great re venue. Timber for ship-building is here found in great abundance, and of very superior qualities, and the science of naval architecture has been carried to as great a degree of perfection as in any part of the world; the artists of Bahia having produced some as fine and complete models of maritime beauty, in their Brazil ships, as any country can boast.

Their articles of import from the United States, with which a brisk trade has of late years been carried on, are principally dried and pickled fish, flour, but ter, cheese, lumber, cabinet work, carriages, shoes, hats, &c. From Europe, besides some ofthe above articles, they receive woollen, cotton, linen, and silk stuffs, cutlery and fire-arms, wines, brandy, and vari ous fancy articles. A coasting trade is pursued with the neighbouring provinces, and they have established a lucrative commerce with the East Indies. Most of the fruits which are produced within the tropics, are found in the market, and a particular kind of orange, of large size and delicious flavour, without seeds, is here only indigenous. All Portuguese vessels, sailing from St. Salvador to Rio de Janeiro, are obliged to take with them a quantity of this fruit for the use of the roy al family.

The inhabitants, like the Portuguese in general, are great bigots, and not very favorably disposed to wards protestants, but the American and English residents, of which latter there are many, form a ve ry agreeable society among themselves. The thermometer in the shade, at noon, ranged from 83° to 86° of Fahrenheit during our stay here. The latitude of Cape St. Salvador, the extreme point ofthe peninsula, (on which is situated Fort Ca bo, commanding the entrance between it and the isl and of Taporica or Itaparica, which bounds the west side of the channel) is 12° 58' south, and the longitude 38°. 13' west. From the Cape an extensive bank of coral projects out to the south and south east ; its extreme outer verge being a little more than two miles from the land, it is said not to have less than four fathoms of water on it, though by the ripplings, caused by the rapidity of the tide over it, a stranger would suppose it to be much shoaler.

There is little or no variation of the compass here. On the 22d, having completed our repairs, and laid in a fresh stock of water and provisions, we sailed from St. Salvador. On the 25th we crossed the Abrolhos bank, our approach to which was indicated by the temperature of the water, and our arrival on it by the lead. Our shoalest water was 21 fathoms, coarse grey and yel low sand, broken shells and coral. On thc 12th of March we saw and passed the island of Tristan d'Acunha, through many shoals of kelp and other marine plants. This island, from re cent circumstances, has acquired some celebrity, and excited no small degree of interest ; and this it was, of which, in the year 1811, Jonathan Lambert of Sa lem took formal possession, issued a proclamation in dicative of his right to the soil, and invited navigators of all nations, whose route might lie near the island, to touch at his settlement for the refreshments need ed on a long passage, and which, he anticipated, his industry would draw from the earth, and the adjacent sea ; and he signified his readiness to receive in payment whatever might be most convenient for his visitors to part with, that could be any way useful to him in his solitary abode.

For the purpose of being able to fulfil his engagements, he took with him to the island various implements of husbandry, seeds of the most useful culinary plants which grow in the United States, and, touching at South America, he there procured seeds, scions, &c. of many tropical plants, the fruits of which, he hoped, would not only be a very agreeable acquisition to his little colony for food, but would furnish an abundant supply to ships which might visit his establishment. He was also furnished with a variety of fishing apparatus, for which he found great use ; for in no part of the world are fish in greater plenty, of more delicious flavour, or taken with greater facility, than at this isl and. The shores abound in seals, sea-lions, sea-ele phants, and other amphibious animals ; and the cliffs and precipices are the resorts of innumerable flights of aquatic fowls, such as albatrosses, penguins, pin tados, silver-wings, cape-hens, and various other kinds, which abound in the antarctic regions ; in the interiour, wild hogs and goats are found.

The spot on which Lambert fixed his residence was the larg est of a group of three islands, named Tristan d'A cunha, after the Portuguese discoverer ; the other two are situated six or seven leagues south-westerly, and are called respectively Nightingale and Inacces sible. They are all very high, mountainous, and rug o-ed; and the appearances of deep chasms, abrupt precipices, and various substances scattered about. which bear indisputable marks of the action of fire, indubitably indicate the volcanic origin of these isl ands. Tristan d'Acunha, excepting the peak, is clothed with verdure, and some trees of considerable size grow in the vallies ; the other islands of this group are barren, and present a very inhospitable aspect; a few stinted shrubs are seen in some places, clinging to the sides of the deep fissures through which the mountain torrents rush during occasional rains, or the melting of the winter snows, which at times crown the rugged peaks of these alpine islands.

The island of Tristan d'Acunha affords abundance of good fresh water; the bay or indentation called the road, though scarcely deserving that name, is si tuated on the north side of it, having deep water ve ry near the shore, with a bottom of slimy black sand, and the bank of soundings is very precipitous, by which vessels are in danger of drifting from the an chorage with an off shore wind, and with a sudden gale on shore, (which is not unfrequent,) the hazard of shipwreck would be imminent. These reasons should deter vessels from anchoring, and induce them to lie by while their boats are on shore. A beautiful cascade of limpid water rushes from the mountains, and falls into a large basin near the landing place, from whence there is an outlet to the sea, through which it escapes over a bed of polished pebbles, and mingles with the ocean.

In water ing, boats lie near the beach, and through a hose receive the water from this stream, without removing the casks. Some difficulty is experienced in approaching the shore by means of the vast quantities of kelp, or trumpet-weed, of immense size, which extend a considerable distance into the sea, and no small effort is necessary to overcome the resistance presented by this obstacle. Lambert and his associates had resided here nearly two years, and already had their industry been crowned with great success : they had collected a number of the skins of seals, sea lions, &c. and a con siderable quantity of oil, from the same animals. The soil, congenial to the growth of the various kinds of plants, which they had naturalized there, had begun to reward their toils with a plentiful crop of roots, fruits, and pulse, and they were made happy in the fruition of their hopes, and in the flattering prospects of future independence, which were spread be fore them.

In the midst of the enlivening feelings which per vaded their minds on the success of their undertaking, a melancholy incident took place, which rent asunder the bonds of this little society, and spread desolation over their domains. This was no less than the death of Lambert, the soul of their enterprize ; he is reported to have been drowned, while on a visit to one of the adjacent islands. Disheartened by this unfortunate occurrence, by which they were de prived of an intelligent leader, and distrusting their own powers to prosecute their original designs to a favourable issue, they shortly after this event quitted the island in a ship which touched there ; and in 1814 their huts were found falling to the ground, their enclosures in ruins, and every part of this once flourishing establishment marked with the devastations of time and neglect.

Tristan d'Acunha has since that period excited some attention, from the circumstance of its occupa tion in 1816, by a company of British troops, from the Cape of Good Hope, as an outpost of the army of surveillance stationed at St. Helena, the rugged and gloomy prison of Napoleon Bonaparte ; but this garrison was soon withdrawn, for the most obvious reasons, and which it is astonishing had not previous ly occurred to the projectors of this measure, and prevented its adoption. The most prominent reasons were, (among many others,) that the island of Tristan d'Acunha could in no way facilitate the es cape of Bonaparte from St. Helena, and that the an chorage was so bad that no vessels could lie there in safety, which latter objection was most painfully ex emplified to them, in the shipwreck, and total loss of a sloop of war, with nearly all her crew, on the isl and, a short time previous to its abandonment by them.

The latitude of the peak of Tristan d'Acun ha, is given at 37° 6' south, and longitude 11° 44' west : more recent observations give the longitude of the cascade at 12° 2' west, and the latter, by that most able and intelligent navigator Horsburgh,isconsidered to be correct. The variation of the com pass is about 10° westerly. We had the usual winds and weather experienced in passing the Cape of Good Hope, and in running up our Easting, which we did in the latitude of about 40° south. April 14th, we passed the islands of St. Pauls and Amsterdam, without seeing them howev er, the weather being very hazy ; and on the 4th of May, in the morning, we saw Java head, at noon en tered the straits of Sunda, and on the 9th anchored jn Batavia roads.

Chapter II

Departure from Batavia — Straits of Banka — Attacked by Pirates — Arrival at, and description qf, Mintow — Island of Banka — Description of Pirate Proas — Commerce qf Banka. Having replenished our stock of water and fresh provisions, and despatched some business which had called us to this place, we sailed on the 18th, and pursued our course for the ultimate destination of our outward voyage. On the 22d, having crossed the Java sea, we saw the island of Lucepera, at the southern entrance of the straits of Banka, and on the following day we entered those straits. The weather which had been very sultry, since our leaving Batavia, had now become almost intolerable from the great heat ; so that the heavy squalls of rain which we experienced every night, although accompanied with terrific thunder and lightning, were welcomed by us, for the refreshing coolness which attended them.

At 1 1 o'clock, A. M. on the 24th, being abreast of Fourth Point, and contiguous to the mouth of the Pa lamban river, which falls into the straits of Banka, from the island of Sumatra, we discovered three large Proas, as the Malay vessels are called, in the offing, standing for us, and as it was nearly calm, they. with the assistance of their oars, soon approached sufficiently near for us to discover that they were full of men, and had each two banks of oars, with a barricado built across their forecastles, above a man's height, and projecting out several feet beyond the gunwale, or top of the vessel, on each side, in the centre of which was a round perforation or embrasure, through which projected the muzzle of a large can non. One of these vessels was larger than the others, wore a long pendant of blue and white longitudinal stripes, and acted as commodore, and they each wore a flag of a blue or dark green ground, with a white border at the mast, and on the upper and lower edg es, but none at the fly.

We counted on one side of this boat thirty-seven oars, and presuming both sides equal, she was propelled by seventy-four oars ; the other two, we thought, were about one quarter part less, giving them in the aggregate one hundred and eighty-five oars. These formidable and hostile ap pearances immediately designated them to us as a squadron of those piratical proas, which infest, more or less, all these straits between the Indian and Pa cific oceans and the China sea, who are always on the watch for small or defenceless vessels, and who, emboldened by some late successes, have ventured to attack even men of war ; and so serious have been their depredations upon the commerce of the East, of late years, and so shocking to humanity their sa vage cruelty to their prisoners, (massacring imme diately all the Lascars, or native sailors on board the captured vessels, and putting to death, with the most lingering and agonizing tortures, all the Europeans or whites,) that merchant vessels seldom navigate singly those seas, but associate together for mutual protection against these barbarians, who are principally Malays.

As their intention was evidently to attack us, preparations were made to repel them. It being nearly calm, they possessed a great advantage over us by means of their oars, in point of manœuvring, and kept their heads or barricadoes constantly presented to us ; they approached with a great appearance of resolution till nearly within range of our guns, when they began to slacken and kept aloof. probably for the purpose of reconnoitring. With a view of ascertaining their distance from us, we gave them a shot from a six pounder which fell somewhat short of them ; immediately, as if electrified by this salute, every oar was set briskly to work? and they made directly for us, with every appearance of determined courage, tossing up the water with their oars, which moved without the least regularity, and assumed the appearance of the legs of a centipede in rapid motion.

They were permitted to approach, within fair reach of our guns, when a broadside was given them of three six pounders. The shot of one passed over them, that of another dropped just under the quarter of the largest, and the third, striking the water a few yards short of her, bounded over her barricado, and was lost to our view. A great confusion was caused on board the squadron, by this specimen of our gunnery, and the two smaller vessels pulled alongside of the commodore, where they lay for some time ; we had now drifted by the current into shoal water, upon a sand that lies at some distance from the Sumatra side of the straits, when fortunately a breeze sprung up in the eastern quarter, and we were compelled to make a tack to the southward, to clear the shoal. A body of dark and dense clouds had been collecting for several hours, in the south, and now had approached quite near us, in the shape of a squall.

Our course to avoid the shoal, before mentioned, had led us about three miles to the southward of the enemy, who were still lying inactive, and we could perceive that the commodore had his mast down. The squall now came down upon us with a fresh breeze, we im mediately made all sail in our course, which was within a short distance of the pirates ; on our approach to them, we prepared to give them another broadside with grape, langrage and double round, but they thought proper to retire as we passed. Being unwilling to have charged our guns to no purpose, we could not resist the impulse, which their piratical conduct had produced, and with a view to put our security beyond all question, to give them one more broadside, the shot striking round them like hail. The trucks of our gun carriages had been made of a species of wood, which grows in the island of Su matra, and was chosen for that purpose on account of its great hardness, but another essential quality, that of being tough, and not liable to split, had been overlooked in the selection, for which omission we were on this occasion considerable sufferers; one of our guns had already become useless, in consequence of the brittle qualities of the trucks, and two of the others were much injured, and our pleasure was by no means enhanced, on perceiving our enemies, who we afterwards found had been repairing damages, make all sail in pursuit, and keep up a constant fire upon us, which we returned, till our guns were all dismounted and lay on deck.