Five years in China : with some account of the great rebellion, and a description of St. Helena

Front matter

-f m yt

Reasons Glory "

THE LATE EMPEROR OF CHINA

Preface

Many, both friends and strangers, in different parts of the country, where I have conversed and lectured on China, have repeatedly urged me to make a book. I have at last made one, and here it is.

CONTENTS,

Chapter I. How We Went To China

Parting Exercises — Setting Sail — Occupations on the Ship— Sea-sickness — Sharks — Flying-Fish — Birds — Preaching — Route of Vessels to China — At the Equator — Cape of Good Hope — St. Paul's and Amsterdam— Hot Springs — Marryatt's Signals — Christmas Island — Straits of Sunda — Java and Sumatra — Malays, 25

Chapter II. How We Reached China

Anjer — Fruits — Purveyors — Banyan Tree — Dutch Fort — May lay Infants — " Osmond " — Mohammedans — Shock of an Earthquake — Java Sea — Straits of Banca — Tin Mines — Malay Pirates — China Sea— Beautiful Sunsets— A " School " of Whales— Coast of China- Chinese Sailors and their "Junks" — a Pilot — Hong-Kong, 35

Chapter III. How Hong-kong Appeared

How Great Britain came to own it — " Fragrant Streams " — British Dignity — Pleasant Reception— Town of Victoria— The Chinese Portion — " Coolies " — Foreign Buildings — The " Barracks " — The Church — Morrison Hill — " Happy Valley " — Morrison School — Mr. John Morrisey — Rev. Samuel Brown — Mr. William A. Macy — Rev- Charles Gutzlaff, D.D., 43

Vlll CONTENTS.

Chapter IV. Going To Canton

Leaving Hong-Kong — A Fellow PasseDger — Robbers — Dr. and Mrs. Sexton — Scenery along up " Pearl River " — Pagodas— Tombs — The 11 Bogue " or " Bocca Tigris " — Forts — Wharapoa — Boat-women— Boats — War-j unks — Flower-boats — More Pagodas — " Fan-kwei " — River Population— Proper Name of " Canton" — Appearance of the City — Foreign " Gardens," and *' Factories " — Peripatetic Merchants, Artisans, Tradesmen, and Mountebanks, 52

Chapter V. Something About Canton And Amoy

New Friends — Seamen's Bethel — Hospitals— Drs. Parker and Hobson — Leang Afa — Howqua's Gardens — General Description of Chinese Ornamental Gardens — Flowers and Shrubbery — Distorting and Dwarfing Trees — Honan Temple — Idols — Priests — " Sacred Pigs " — " did " and " New China Streets "— " Hog Lane "—Execution Ground — A Typhoon — Return to Hong-Kong— Up the Coast — Headwinds — Amoy — Opium Vessels — Fishing Boats — Batteries — 11 Queen Bess " — Native City — Ku-lang-su — Missionaries — Islands — Mouth of the Yang-tsz-kiang — " Child of the Ocean," 62

Chapter VI. Description Of Shanghai

River Hwang-pu — Appearance of the Country along its Banks — Foreign Town — Pleasant Reception — Mission Buildings — English Church — London Mission Premises — Yang-king-pang — Streets — French Consulate— Graves — Coffins — Geomancy — Repositories for Conine d-bodies— " Baby Towers " — City Wall— Gates— Coins — Currency— Buildings — Streets — Sewers — Offal — Shops — Pawnbrokers — Various Trades — Facilities for Missionary Work, 75

Chapter VII. The Houses They Live In

Materials used and Manner of Building — Floors — Oyster-shell Windows — Courts — Walls — Doors — Ornamental Work — Furniture — Idols — Ornaments — Wells — A Residence Procured — Servants —

CONTENTS. IX

Cooking — Learning to Talk — Native Politeness— Civilities — Mode of Serving Tea — Smoking Tobacco— Opium — Snuff — Forms of Salutation, * 90

Chapter VIII

CHINESE BEGGARS AND CHINESE COSTUMES. Beggary — Dead Bodies — Starvation — Benevolence of Foreigners — Gipsies — Extreme Suffering — Drowned — Loathsomeness and Filth — Regular Organization — • ' Beggar-King " — Regulations — Punishments — Beating — Cutting off the Queue — Description of the different Articles of Dress — Mode of Dressing the Hair — The Queue — Headbands — Hats and Caps — Long Nails — Use of Long Sleeves — Materials of Clothing — A Novel Thermometer — Winter Clothing — Boots and Shoes — Mode of indicating Official Rank — Yellow, the Imperial Color — Mark of Respect to Age — Binding the Feet of Females — Origin of the Custom, 99

Chapter IX. Chinese New Year

Worship in Temples — Costume — Gloves — Furs — Amusing Appearance of Children — " City Guardian's Temple " — Being taken for an Idol — Temple of Confucius — Burning Articles for the use of the Dead — Manner of Mourning — Immense number of Graves — General Appearance of surrounding Country — Tenanted Coffins kept in Dwellings — Coffins left unburied in the Fields — A Settlement of Beggars — Their Condition — Tricks to excite Compassion — The Blind — A Native little Girl — Religious Instruction — Discouragements — Encouragements, 113

Chapter X. What And How They Eat — Marriage

Vegetable Productions — Animal Food— Cattle — Poultry — "Shanghai Fowls " — Artificial Egg-hatching — Raising Ducks — Fishing — Eating Rats, Puppies, etc, — "Bird-nest Soup"— Shark Fins— Fruits — Peculiarities of Oranges and Persimmons — Other Fruits — "Japan Plum "—Nuts— Sugar— Modes of Cooking— Use of Oils— " Hen-Egg Cakes "—Abhorrence of Butter and Cheese— Native Names for these Articles— Milk— Mode of Eating— " Chopsticks "—Ideas

X CONTENTS.

of Politeness — A Chinese Feast — Great Number of Courses — An Intoxicating Drink — Manufacture of Salt, a Government Monopoly — Smuggling — Mode of Contracting Marriages — A " Go-between " — Betrothal — Marriage Ceremonies — Amusements, 126

Chapter XI. Notions Of Medicine And Disease — Punishments — Pau-shan

Medical Practice — Native Ideas of Medicines and Anatomy — Diseases — Smallpox — Singular mode of Inoculation — Letters — Chinese Names and Titles — Modes of Punishment — Beating — The " Cangue" — Great Severity and Barbarity — City Prison — " Squeezing " — The Wooden Cage — Modes of Capital Punishment — Beheading — Strangulation — Modes of Suicide — Its Object — Flaying Alive — Cutting to Pieces — A Trip to Pau-shan — Description of the City — High embankment — Battery — Cannon — Scene of a Battle —Chinese Bravery — Deification of a General after his Death, 139

Chapter XII. Preparation Of Tea-— Agriculture — Fuel

Modes of preparing " Green Tea" and " Black Tea" — Prussian Blue — Personal Observation — Signification of the different Names of Teas — Agricultural Implements — Two Varieties of Oxen — Culture of Rice — Mode of Manuring — Floating Gardens — Fuel — Wood — Coal — Hand and Foot Stoves — How Beds are warmed in Winter — The " Bamboo " or Cane — Its many Uses — Sedans — How made — Funeral Processions — Customs on such occasions, 151

Chapter XIII. Feast Of Lanterns — Famine — Funeral Rites

Tower of Lanterns— Fireworks — The " Dragon Lantern " — Origin of the Holiday — Superstitious Practices on that Day — Arrival of my Colleague at Shanghai— Famine — Extreme Suffering — Charity of Foreign Merchants — Worship of Ancestors — Rites for the Dead — Modes of burial— Ancient Tombs — " Mass for the Dead " — Change of Residence, , 161

CONTENTS. XI

Chapter XIV

Passages from my Journal — Birds— An Old Grave — A Liberal Allowance — Life on Boats — A Drowned Boy — Death of our Babe — Rev. Dr. Medhurst — A Trip into the Country — Monumental Tablets — Preaching and Tract Distribution — Death of the Emperor Tau- Kwang — "Reason's Glory" — Accession of Hien-Foong — Death of Empress Dowager — Beautiful Sentiments, 115

Chapter XV. Extracts From Journal

Building our Houses — Chapels— Schools — Birds — Tracts — Catechism — Medical Practice — Book Distribution — Conversation with an Idolater — A Sunday's Work — A Day in my Chapel — Synopsis of a Tract — Another Sunday — An Accident and Death — Removal of a Tumor from a Man's Nose — The " Tea-Gardens " — A Trip into the Country — A Crooked Stream — Mode of Planting Cotton — Preaching — A "Wheelbarrow Ride, 187

Chapter XVI. Chinese Language Schools Inventions — Oddities

Character of the Language — Number of Characters — Radicals — Illustration — Native Dictionaries — "Four Books" of Confucius — Other Classics and Writers — Literature — Spoken Dialects — "Pidjin-English " — Schools — Singular Mode of Studying and Reciting — School Text-Books—Manner of Writing— Of Book-Making— Printing — Gunpowder — Mariners' Compass — Chinese History — Their Ideas of other Countries — A Native "Map of the World" — Amusing Absurdities — Arithmetic — Book-Keeping — Literary Degrees — Corruption — Filial Respect — Seat of Intelligence — "Peking Gazette"— Postal Arrangement— Mode of Reckoning Time—" Time-Sticks," 205

Chapter XVII. Chinese Military — "all Souls' Day."

A Military Review — Their Uniform — Martial Music — Archers — An Incident — Fire- Arms — Match-locks — Jinjals — A Chastisement — Small Arms— Shields — Gymnastics — Rewards — "All Soul's Day " — Its Origin — Procession of Idols — They take an Airing in Sedans — Burning Gilt Paper to provide the Dead with Money — Address to the Multitude, 217

XI 1 CONTENTS.

Chapter XVIII. Infanticide — Charitable Institutions Religions

THEATRICALS OPPOSITES.

Infanticide — Causes — Extent — Foundling Hospital— Native Dispensary — Charity Schools — Three Forms of Idolatry — Confucius and his System — Mencius — Tauism — Buddhism — Time and Mode of its Introduction into China — Tenets — A Recluse — Ideas of a Future State — Resemblance to Romanism — Various Deities — Pagodas — Lung-hwa-tah — Native Theatricals — Odd Differences, 227

Chapter XIX. Incidents

A Foundling — Air-Castle Building — " Reckoning without the Host" — Disappointment — A Boat-Trip to Tsayn-so— Inundation — The City — Preaching and Tract Distribution — "Bread on the Waters," 240

Chapter XX

Chinese New Year again— Making Calls — Sending Presents — Fireworks — Kitchen gods — Visit from Schools — A benevolent Merchant — His Almoner — Spinning — An incident — Gratitude — Difficulties — Hope — Probable destiny of Shanghai — Drought — Procession of Rain Dragons — Chinese Theory of Rain — Proclamation — Solemnities — Crops, 250

Chapter XXI. A Trip To Bu-chau

Taking boat— Disguise— The " Gem Hill City "— " Pheasant Mound " — Variety of Junks and Boats — Grain Junks — Timber — Canals — Bridges — Temples — Pagodas — " Great Lake " — " Lion Hills " — " Hill Pools"—' 4 Tiger Den Hill "— " Thousand Men Rock"— Beautiful Shops and Streets— Return to Shanghai, 261

CONTENTS. Xiii

Chapter XXII. Singular Customs

Worship of Ancestors — Paper Money — Offerings to the Dead — A Wailing Widow— Shallow Grief— The " God of Wealth"— Offerings to it— Its Temple— " Man's Birthday "—The "Five Grains"— "Fuel" — "Rice" — " Mandarin's Day" — Influx of Paupers — " Opening the Seals" — Modes of asserting Innocence and Detecting Guilt — Forms of Oaths — Gods lose their Reputation — Practice of Weighing annually on the first day of Summer — Departure of Family for the United States, 272

Chapter XXIII. Journey To Nan-king, The Ancient Capital Of China

Signification of the Name — My Chinese Costume — Su-chau— Grand Canal — Custom House — Bridges — Boats — City of Vu-sih — Hills — Novel mode of Fishing — Fishing Cormorants — Grain-junks — City of Chang-chau — City of Tan-yang — Adventure with a Barber — Wheelbarrow ride— Face of Country — City of Chin-kiang-fu — Kin-shan, or Golden Island — Cast iron Pagoda, 285

Chapter XXIV. Journey To Nan-king Continued

Another Wheelbarrow Ride — Clear Water — A Night's Lodging — Summer Palace of a former Emperor — Stone Road — Modes of Conveyance — Approach to Nan-king — Tomb of an Emperor — Ancient City— Gates — Tartar City — Streets — Ox-cart — Site of Imperial Palace — Public Offices — The celebrated "Porcelain Tower" — A native description of it — A Donkey-ride — Face of Country — Terracing Hills— Modes of Irrigation, 298

Chapter XXV. What They Think Of Eclipses And Earthquakes

Native Astronomers — The Popular Theory — " Sun-Eating" — Worship of the Monster — Noises to frighten Him — An Earthquake— Its

XIV CONTENTS.

Effects — Native Theory — Ceremony of "Welcoming the Spring" —The " Spring Ox" — Presiding Deity of the Year" — A Procession —"Beating the Ox"— " Welcoming the God of Joy"— A Female Deity — Worship — Military Evolutions — Rewards, . . 811

Chapter XXVI. The Great Rebellion

Place of Origin — Progress — Title of the Leader— Strange Doctrines — Knowledge of Old Testament — Anxiety of Foreigners — Arrival of Hon. Humphrey Marshall — Bayard Taylor — Attempt of the " Susquehannah " — Failure — Successful Trip of the "Hermes" — Sir George Bonham — Chin-kiang-fu — Grand Canal — Grain for Peking — Capt. Fishbourne — An Attack from the Insurgents — Arrival at Nanking — Interview with the Insurgents — Their Books — A Second Attack — Fire returned — Return of the "Hermes" — Set out myself — Trip up the Yang-tsz-kiang — Appearance of the Country — Foo-shan — Occurrences at a Village — Our Native Assistant — Kiang-Yin — Pirates — Dead bodies — Burnt Junks — Running a Blockade — " Silver Island " — Its Temples — Destruction of Idols — Forlorn Priests — Timidity of Boatmen — Return to Shanghai, . . 325

Chapter XXVII. Second Trip To The Insurgent Camp

New Boatmen — Run the Blockade again — Refusal of Boatmen to Proceed — Going Alone on Foot — A "Levee" on the River-bank — A Foot-path — Approach to Fortifications — Difficult Progress — Obstructions — Entering the Fortress — A Strange Visitor — Appearance of the Insurgents — Motley Crowds — Arms and Defences — Condition of Chin-kiang-fu — Strange Sounds — General Lo — Awkward Mistake — Presenting him a Bag of Copies of the Gospels — The Costnme of the Soldiers — Morning Worship — Asking a Blessing — Unfortunate Coincidence — Attack by Imperialists — Suspected of being a Spy — Letter of General Lo — Cavalcade by Torchlight — Provisions — A Night on a War-Junk — Effort to remove Suspicion — Medical Relief— Extract from Journal, 339

CONTENTS. XV

Chapter XXVIII. History Of Tai-ping-wong, The Revolutionary Leader

Literary Examinations at Canton — Receives a Christian Tract — Has a Vision — Diligent Study — Renounces Idolatry — Returns to Canton — Receives Instruction — Disappears — When next Heard of — Persecuted — Self-defence— Numbers Multiply — The Miau-tsz — " Triad Society " — Singular Proclamations-"-Fanatical Errors — Form of Prayer — Present Condition, 361

Chapter XXIX. A Tyfoon — The Hills — Capture Of Shanghai

INCIDENTS.

A Tyfoon — Destruction of Property and Life — One of the Sufferers — A Trip to " the Hills " — Companions — Employment — " Seven Pearls " — " Four Streams " — Hills — Temples— Pagodas— Groves — Flowers and Shrubbery — A Mausoleum — A Leaning Tower — Fall of Shanghai — Bands of Outlaws — Murder of the Mayor — Distress and Alarm — Visit to the Bandit Chief — He accepts and makes public a Proclamation of Tai-ping-wong against Idolatry — Adventure with Robbers— A Brave Army, 3*72

Chapter XXX. The Voyage Homeward

Cause of leaving China — Departure in the " Torrent " — Capt. Copp — A Fine Run — A Terrible Tyfoon — Sea-sickness — Loss of my Chinese dress — Damages to the Ship — A Fellow-Passenger — Time for Reading — Sight of Islands — The Anambas — Splendid Sunsets—Crossing the Equator— The "Doldrums" — Winged Visitors — Reaching Java — Duties of Ship-Surgeon — Our Sable Cook — — Anjer — Strait of Sunda — Boats with Supplies — Turtles — " Mouse Deer " — Tedious Days — Storms — Calms — The Albatross — Porpoises — Whales — Sharks — Coast of Africa — Cape of Good Hope — Preaching on Ship-board — Christmas-day — Sabbaths at Sea — Two Summers in One Year — New Appearance of the Heavens — The " Magellan Clouds"— The " Southern Cross," 383

XVI CONTENTS.

Chapter XXXI

TWO DAYS AT ST. HELENA — PRISON OF THE FIRST NAPOLEON.

Appearance of the Island from the Sea — Batteries and Fortifications — "Ladder Hill" — "Pearce's Revenge" — Jamestown — the "Castle" — Promenade — Moat — Landing-Place — The Town — View from the Anchorage — "The Briars"— Ride to "Longwood" — General Descriptions — Yolcanic Origin — Flowers, Shrubbery, and Trees — Nadoleon's Tomb— Old Sally— "Vale of Arno "—Residence of Napoleon at "Longwood" — His Fishpond — "New House" — Sandy Bay Valley — " Plautation House " — Country Church — Return to Town — Rev. Dr. Bertram — Mission Chapel — Second Ride into the Country — " Francis' Plain " — "Rose Bower" — Astronomers — " Knollcombe " — Mission Cemetery — Return to Town — Sail from the Island, 394

FIVE YEAKS IN CHINA.

Chapter I. How We Went To China

Parting Exercises — Setting Sail — Occupations on the Ship — Sea-sickness — Sharks — Flying-Fish — Birds — Preaching — Route of Vessels to China — At the Equator — Cape of Good Hope — St. Paul's and Amsterdam — Hot Springs — Marryatt's Signals — Christmas Island — Straits of Sunda — Java and Sumatra — Malays.

We sailed from Boston on a gloomy Monday afternoon, the 24th of April, 1848. It was cloudy, and a raw, chilling wind was blowing from the northeast. Farewell religious services were performed on the deck of the little ship " Cleone," as she still lay alongside the wharf. The " Missionary Hymn " was sung, an earnest address delivered, and we all kneeled in prayer on the deck of the ship, with our heads uncovered to the sky. It was a solemn hour. Sad farewells were spoken, though none of our immediate relatives were present, but there were several friends who had shown us much attention and kindness during our sojourn of two weeks in Boston, while waiting for the ship. Ardent wishes for a safe and pleasant voyage were uttered ; Christian hearts beat with a sympathy which found expression mostly in looks and tears — words were few. The ship was unfastened from her moorings ; the ropes rattled through the pulleys ; the sails flapped angrily in the wind, while the sailors pulled them to their proper places, accompanying their exertions with a lively song, the chorus of which was, u Yo-heave-O, Yo-heave-O." Soon we were out in the harbor, and speeding on our way, while handkerchiefs were waved from the shore, and from the ship in reply, as long as they could well be seen. By and by the city disappeared, then the forts at the entrance to the harbor, then the islands ; and finally, nothing could be seen, save a long, dim outline of the mainland, like a dark, blue cloud in the distant horizon. We gazed and gazed upon it long and sadly, until at last, our loved native land — never before so tenderly loved as then — receded from the view — of one of us, forever* I strained my eyes till they ached, to catch one more glimpse of it, but all in vain. It seemed to me almost like dying ; for at that time I little expected ever to see that land again. I was keenly alive to the sacrifice I was making, but as I turned and went down into the cabin, I said to myself: "This is all for Christ;" and then I was comforted and content ; for it was but very little, after all, for Him who had done and suffered so much for me.

Our cabin was about ten by fourteen feet square, and seven feet high, with a sleeping apartment — - called, by way of irony, I suppose, a state-room — on

* Mrs. Mary Jane Jenkins, the wife of my colleague, Rev. Benj amin Jenkins, who died on the voyage back, four years after.

each side. These state-rooms were six feet long, four feet wide, and of the same height as the cabin. Each room had two berths, or shelves, for sleeping on, with pieces of plank about seven inches wide, on the outer side to keep you from falling out. The berths were two feet wide, which left you but two feet by six for washing and dressing. Such was our bedroom for four mortal months — my wife and myself occupying each a berth, and our infant, of six months, the space on the floor. My colleague, with his wife and two children, stowed themselves away (as the sailors would say) in the room opposite, of about the same dimensions. His two eldest boys had one of the three state-rooms that were on each side of the dining-cabin, on the deck, to which a flight of steps led from the centre of our cabin.

"We had a storm during the first night, to start upon, and the next morning found us all, except the youngest children, terribly sea-sick. Infants scarcely ever experience this malady, from which so few older persons are exempt. Several of us hardly left our berths, except for a few minutes at a time, for some days. "We were not able to go to the table, though fortunately we required but little food ; and yet our ill-natured captain grumbled at having to send us even that. He even had the carpet taken up, and left us on the cold bare floor. There we lay helpless, all huddled together down in our diminutive cabin. Those horrible days and nights rise up before me now, as about the gloomiest I have ever passed. After a week or two, however, we all recovered, the weather became pleasant, and we arranged things in our narrow quarters so as to become tolerably com-

28 FIVE YEAR3 IN CHINA.

fortable. The motion of the ship continued with greater or less violence throughout the entire voyage, except during calms, and sometimes then also, from what sea- faring men call a " ground swell ; but as we had passed through the initiation, we were not disagreeably affected by it. In our attempts to walk, our movements were often precisely like those of a man who has been drinking freely of something stronger than water. It was highly amusing to see one of the ladies or children, sent rolling or tumbling from one side of the cabin to the other ; and still more amusing when, sometimes at the table, a sudden lurch of the ship would empty plates of soup, or dishes of meat and gravy, into the laps of those who happened at the time to be sitting on the lower side ; or, to use the sea-phrase, to leeward. Only a few times during the voyage was the sea so rough that we could not sit at the table. Then we sat on the floor, braced ourselves against the sides of the cabin, by placing our feet against the table legs, or something else immovable, and took our food in our hands.

"We finally became so accustomed to our condition, that we could read and study much of the time ; the ladies could sew, and chat pleasantly together ; and the children could play almost as merrily as on land, except when our cross-grained captain would curse them for making a noise, or for being in the way. He had no children of his own. Sharks were often seen during the voyage, following the ship. One day we caught a small one with a large hook, baited with a piece of pork. As soon as he was pulled in on deck, the sailors, who always entertain the most bitter animosity against these terrible monsters, by whom so many of their comrades have lost life or limb, plunged their knives into him with hearty spitefulness. Flying-fish were frequently seen, and occasionally one would fly upon the deck of our ship. They are about the size of herrings, having the lateral fins elongated, so as to become wings. We also had the company of birds throughout the voyage. Sea-gulls, " Mother Gary's chickens," cape pigeons, and albatrosses were seen, some or other of them flying about the ship every day.

On the second or third Sunday after leaving Boston, we asked permission of the captain to have public service on the open deck of the ship, at which the sailors might be present. He consented, rather reluctantly. All the sailors who were " off duty " attended, dressed in their best attire, and seemed interested, or at least gratified. The first-mate was the most profane man I ever heard : nor did he regard the presence of the ladies. He attended the preaching but once, I think ; and the captain perhaps twice. On all subsequent occasions, they sat a little distance from us, around the corner of the cabin, reading novels or conversing. Finding that the service was so manifestly disagreeable and annojdng to the captain, we thought it prudent, after a few times, to discontinue it.

Gentle reader, if you are curious to know the general direction pursued by our vessel in order to reach China, just take a map, and trace a line from Boston, directly eastward, till you bring it near the Azores, or Western Islands. In that vicinity we fall in with the northeast trade- winds, which, as you know, blow constantly from that direction toward the equator. As you approach the equator, these winds become lighter aud lighter, and finally cease altogether. Then you have calms for several days, and sometimes weeks. During these, scarce a breath of air visits your burning cheek, night nor day. At noon the sun is exactly vertical ; and if you stand, at that hour, on the scorching deck, your form does not cast the least shadow. Often, the ocean — as far the eye can reach, that is, till the water is merged into the sky, in the far-away horizon — is like a " sea of glass," and reflects the rays of the tropical sun " as it were a sea of glass mingled with fire." What with drifting, patience, and occasional puffs of wind, you finally get across this enchanted region, and keep on the course you took from the Azores toward the coast of South America. We came within two hundred miles of Brazil, and vessels sometimes go near enough to see it, even while bound for China. Thence, still following the route of prevailing winds, you steer south of east, for the Cape of Good Hope. Ships going eastward, seldom go within sight of the Cape, but keep about two degrees to the southward, to avoid the adverse winds and currents that sweep around it from the east. When off the Cape, and one hundred and fifty miles south of it, we found, as is usual at that season of the year, which, though toward the last of June, is always midwinter in those latitudes — strong westerly winds. Borne on by these, at the rate of two hundred or more miles a day, for some three weeks, directly eastward, we find — near the coast of Australia — the southeast " trades," as (navigators call the trade-winds,) and then change our course to due north, steering for the western extremity of the island of Java. Remember, that in all this time — about three months — we had seen no land since leaving our native shores. In the Indian Ocean, about midway between the Cape of Good Hope and Australia, are two little solitary islands — St. Paul's and Amsterdam. Navigators who have visited them tell us, that on one there is a bold spring of boiling water, gushing from the rocks, and so near the shore, that they have caught fish from the sea, with a rod and line, and without moving a step have thrown them over and cooked them in the spring, before taking them from the hook. These islands are often seen by vessels in passing, but as the day on which we sailed by them was foggy and cloudy, we missed a sight for which our hearts longed, and for which our eyes were eagerly strained — a sight of much-wished-for land once more.

Almost ninety days — long and wearisome days and nights — had passed over our heads since we left Boston. It was a tiresome thing to see the sun come up out of the ocean, pass over our heads, and go down into the ocean again, for days, and weeks, and months — to see nothing but sea and sky, and sky and sea. The clouds above and the water around us, formed our scenery, now and then relieved by a passing ship, that would sometimes be just visible for a few hours in the distance. Occasionally we would fall in with one sailing in the same direction with ourselves, and would be in her company for several days. Sometimes we would come near enough one to the other, to enable us, with the help of the spy-glass, to ascertain to what nation she belonged, from her flag.

There are several systems of signals by which vessels can converse, as far apart as the flags of different colors, which represent certain words or ideas, can be distinguished. Those invented by Capt. Marryatt, of the British navy, are in most general use. A book, or key of explanation, accompanies each set of flags, and so, communication, of course to a limited extent, but sufficient for all necessary purposes, becomes comparatively easy. They are known throughout the maritime world as " Marryatt's Signals."

On the morning of the eighty-eighth day, our captain, who was a very skillful navigator, said to us : " About noon to-day, if you look directly ahead, you will see land : it is Christmas Island ; a small island about a hundred miles south of the western end of Java." All eyes were in requisition. I sat on the forecastle-deck, and was the first to discover it. Sure enough, there it was, a dim, cloud-like line, resting on the distant horizon, under the clear, blue sky ; for it was a bright, beautiful day, in perfect keeping with the joyous event. A moment more, and the welcome cry of " Land ! land !" was ringing through the ship. Hands were clapped for joy, while faces were beaming and hearts were beating with an ecstasy of delight. The land at first looked like a heavy mass of dark-blue clouds in the distance, resting on the heaving bosom of the ocean. Then it became more and more distinct, till at last it loomed up before us a high, rocky mountain islet, partly covered with a scanty growth of diminutive trees. We saw multitudinous flocks of birds about the island, and the waters near it were seen to be teeming with fish ; but they could not be induced to bite a hook ; probably because we had no fresh bait. Leaving Christmas