the golden chersonese and the way thither-第10章

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as　its　summer　is；　the　average　rainfall　scarcely　exceeds　seventy…eight
inches；　but　it　is　hotter　than　Singapore　in　the　hot　season；　though　the
latter　is　under　eighty　miles　from　the　Equator。

The　causes　by　which　this　little　island；　which　produces　nothing；　has
risen　into　first…rate　importance　among　our　colonies　are；　that　Victoria；
with　its　magnificent　harbor；　is　a　factory　for　our　Chinese　commerce　and
offers　unrivaled　facilities　for　the　military　and　naval　forces　which　are
necessary　for　the　protection　not　only　of　that　commerce　but　of　our
interests　in　the　far　East。　It　is　hardly　too　much　to　say　that　it　is　the
naval　and　commercial　terminus　of　the　Suez　Canal。　Will　it　be　believed
that　the　amount　of　British　and　foreign　tonnage　annually　entering　and
leaving　the　port　averages　two　millions　of　tons？　and　that　the　number　of
native　vessels　trading　to　it　is　about　fifty…two　thousand；　raising　the
total　ascertained　tonnage　to　upward　of　three　millions　and　a　half；　or
half　a　million　tons　in　excess　of　Singapore？　To　this　must　be　added
thousands　of　smaller　native　boats　of　every　build　and　rig　trading　to
Hong　Kong；　not　only　from　the　Chinese　coasts　and　rivers；　but　from　Siam；
Japan；　and　Cochin　China。　Besides　the　〃P。　and　O。；〃　the　Messageries
Maritimes；　the　Pacific　Mail　Company；　the　Eastern　and　Australian　Mail
Company；　the　Japanese　〃Mitsu　Bichi〃　Mail　Company；　etc。；　all　regular
mail　lines；　it　has　a　number　of　lines　of　steamers　trading　to　England；
America；　and　Germany；　with　local　lines　both　Chinese　and　English；　and
lines　of　fine　sailing　clippers；　which；　however；　are　gradually　falling
into　disuse；　owing　to　the　dangerous　navigation　of　the　China　seas；　and
the　increasing　demand　for　speed。

Victorian　firms　have　almost　the　entire　control　of　the　tea　and　silk
trade；　and　Victoria　is　the　centre　of　the　trade　in　opium；　sugar；　flour；
salt；　earthenware；　oil；　amber；　cotton；　and　cotton　goods；　sandal…wood；
ivory；　betel；　vegetables；　live　stock；　granite；　and　much　else。　The　much
abused　term　〃emporium　of　commerce〃　may　most　correctly　be　applied　to　it。

It　has　five　docks；　three　slips；　and　every　requisite　for　making
extensive　repairs　for　ships　of　war　and　merchantmen。

It　has　telegraphic　communication　with　the　whole　civilized　world；　and
its　trade　is　kept　thereby　in　a　continual　fever。

It　has　a　large　garrison；　for　which　it　pays　to　England　20；000　pounds　a
year。　Were　it　not　for　this　force；　its　six　hundred　and　fifty　policemen；
of　whom　only　one　hundred　and　ten　are　Europeans；　might　not　be　able　to
overawe　even　as　much　as　they　do　the　rowdy　and　ruffianly　elements　of　its
heterogeneous　population。　As　it　is；　the　wealthier　foreign　residents；
for　the　security　of　their　property；　are　obliged　to　supplement　the
services　of　the　public　caretakers　by　employing　private　watchmen；　who
patrol　their　grounds　at　night。　It　must　be　admitted　that　the　criminal
classes　are　very　rampageous　in　Victoria；　whether　from　undue　and　unwise
leniency　in　the　treatment　of　crime；　or　whether　from　the　extraordinary
mass　of　criminals　to　which　our　flag　affords　security　is　not　for　a
stranger　to　say；　though　the　general　clamor　raised　when　I　visited　the
great　Chinese　prison　in　Canton；　〃I　wish　I　were　in　your　prison　in　Hong
Kong；〃　and　my　own　visit　to　the　Victoria　prison；　render　the　former
suspicion　at　least　permissible。

Hong　Kong　possesses　the　usual　establishment　of　a　Crown　Colony；　and　the
government　is　administered　by　a　Governor；　aided　by　a　Legislative
Council；　of　which　he　is　the　President；　and　which　is　composed　of　the
Chief　Justice；　the　Colonial　Secretary；　the　Attorney…General；　the
Treasurer；　and　four　unofficial　members；　nominated　by　the　Crown　on　the
Governor's　recommendation。

The　enormous　preponderance　of　the　mixed　Oriental　population　is　a　source
of　some　difficulty；　and　it　is　not　easy　by　our　laws　to　punish　and
destroy　a　peculiarly　hateful　form　of　slavery　which　is　recognized　by
Chinese　custom；　and　which　has　attained　gigantic　proportions　in
Victoria。　There　is　an　immense　preponderance　of　the　masculine　element；
nearly　six　to　one　among　the　Europeans；　and　among　the　Orientals　the　men
are　nearly　two　and　a　half　times　as　numerous　as　the　women。

As　Victoria　is　a　free　port；　it　is　impossible　to　estimate　the　value　of
its　imports　and　exports；　but　its　harbor；　full　of　huge　merchantmen；　and
craft　of　all　nations；　its　busy　wharves；　its　crowd　of　lighters　loading
and　unloading　by　day　and　night；　its　thronged　streets　and　handsome
shops；　its　huge　warehouses；　packed　with　tea；　silk；　and　all　the　costly
products　of　the　East；　and　its　hillsides　terraced　with　the　luxurious
houses　of　its　merchants；　all　say；　〃Circumspice；　these　are　better　than
statistics！〃＇

I。　L。　B。



LETTER　III

The　S。S。　Kin　KiangFirst　View　of　CantonThe　Island　of
ShameenEngland　in　CantonThe　Tartar　CityDrains　and
BarricadesCanton　at　NightStreet　PicturesquenessGhastly
GiftsOriental　EnchantmentsThe　Examination　Hall


S。S。　〃KIN　KIANG；〃　December　30。

You　will　remember　that　it　is　not　very　long　since　a　piratical　party　of
Chinese；　shipping　as　steerage　passengers　on　board　one　of　these　Hong
Kong　river　steamers；　massacred　the　officers　and　captured　the　boat。　On
board　this　great；　white；　deck…above…deck　American　steamer　there　is　but
one　European　passenger　beside　myself；　but　there　are　four　hundred　and
fifty　second…class　passengers；　Chinamen；　with　the　exception　of　a　few
Parsees；　all　handsomely　dressed；　nearly　all　smoking；　and　sitting　or
lying　over　the　saloon　deck　up　to　the　saloon　doors。　In　the　steerage
there　are　fifteen　hundred　Chinese　steerage　passengers；　all　men。　The
Chinese　are　a　noisy　people；　their　language　is　inharmonious；　and　the
lower　class　male　voices；　at　least；　are　harsh　and　coarse。　The　fifteen
hundred　men　seem　to　be　all　shouting　at　once；　and　the　din　which　comes　up
through　the　hatchways　is　fearful。　This　noisy　mass　of　humanity　is
practically　imprisoned　below；　for　there　is　a　heavy　iron　grating
securely　padlocked　over　each　exit；　and　a　European；　〃armed　to　the
teeth；〃　stands　by　each；　ready　to　shoot　the　first　man　who　attempts　to
force　it。　In　this　saloon　there　is　a　stand　of　six　rifles　with　bayonets；
and　four　revolvers；　and；　as　we　started；　a　man　carefully　took　the
sheaths　off　the　bayonets；　and　loaded　the　firearms　with　ball　cartridge。


Canton；　January　1；　1879。The　Canton　river　for　the　ninety　miles　up　here
has　nothing　interesting　about　it。　Soon　after　leaving　Hong　Kong　the
country　becomes　nearly　a　dead　level；　mainly　rice…swamps　varied　by
patches　of　bananas；　with　their　great　fronds　torn　to　tatters　by　the
prevailing　strong　breeze。　A　very　high　pagoda　marks　Whampoa；　once　a
prosperous　port；　but　now；　like　Macao；　nearly　deserted。　An　hour　after
disgorging　three　boat　loads　of　Chinamen　at　Whampoa；　we　arrived　at　the
beginning　of　Canton；　but　it　took　more　than　half　an　hour　of　cautious
threading　of　our　way　among　junks；　sampans；　house…boats；　and
slipper…boats；　before　we　moored　to　the　crowded　and　shabby　wharf。　If　my
expectations　of　Canton　had　been　much　raised　they　would　certainly　have
been　disappointed；　for　the　city　stands　on　a　perfectly　level　site；　and
has　no　marked　features　within　or　around　it　except　the　broad　and
bridgeless　tidal　river　which　sweeps　through　it　at　a　rapid　rate。　In　the
distance　are　the　White…Cloud　hills；　which　were　painted　softly　in
amethyst　on　a　tender　green　sky；　and　nearer　are　some　rocky　hills；　which
are　red　at　all　hours　of　daylight。　Boats　and　masts　conceal　the　view　of
the　city　from　the　river　to　a　great　extent；　but　even　when　from　a　vantage
ground　it　is　seen　spread　out　below；　it　is　so　densely　packed；　its
streets　are　so　narrow；　and　its　open　spaces　so　few；　that　one　almost
doubts　whether　the　million　and　a　half　of　people　attributed　to　it　are
really　crowded　within　the　narrow　area。　From　the　river；　and　indeed　from
any　point　of　view；　Canton　is　less　imposing　even　than　Tokiyo。　　Few
objects　rise　above　the　monotonous　level；　and　the　few　are　unimpressive。
There　are　two　or　three　pagodas　looking　like　shot　towers。　There　is　a
double…towered　Romish　cathedral　of　great　size；　not　yet　finished。　There
is　the　〃Nine…storied　pagoda。〃　But　in　truth　the　most　prominent　objects
from　the　river　are　the　〃godowns〃　of　the　pawnbrokers；　lofty；　square
towers　of　gray　brick　which　dominate　the　city；　play　a　very　important
part　in