The Sun.
London, England, 1840-06-30 00:00:00

CHINA AND THE CHINESE.

(From the Baltimore American.)
ARRIVAL-MACAO -LINTIN-A TYPHON.
After a tedious voyage of one hundred and ten days,
the joyful cry of " Land, ho!" from the mast-head,
announced to us once more a glimpse of our mother
earth, and in an hour or two we were sailing along
the Straits of Sunda, with the romantic mountains
and valleys of Java on our right, burthening the
land-breeze with the perfume of their groves—so
welcome to our sea•worn senses. After a delay of a
few days, caused by adverse winds, we again lost
sight of land, and passed rapidly over the green
waters of the Java Sca, frequently called to the yes•
set's side to see some huge pieces of timber that bad
been torn from the adjacent island—or some tawny
snake twisting its striped and hideous form through the
almost waveless sea.

At the entrance of Gasper Strait we were again de-
tained by head winds for near a week, not wishing to
beat through so dangerous a pass. A leading wind at
last favoured us, and profiting by it with alacrity, we
soon found ourselves on the Chinese sea.

After a pleasant sail of a few days on our northward
course, we experienced one of those portentous calms,
always dreaded by the voyagers in the eastern seas,
scarcely a breath of air stirre the sails the entire day,
whilst thick, white, heavy clouds lay piled upon the
horizon, or shot up in tall spires or towers, solid as ma-
sonry against the blue and burning sky. The heat was
insufferable, no comfort—no coolness—no refreshing
water—and even after sunset until deep in the night,

the west was one broad sheet of crimson light and the
whole sky, even off to the limit of the eastern horizon,
reflected the blazing hue. These presages were under-
stood by our commander, who made everything snug for
the dreaded " Tyfoon," carrying such light ;ail as could
be easily handed at the approach of storm.
At length it came, with pitchy darkness, and driving
mist—torrents of rain, and sudden unsteady squalls oi
wind, shifting every minute from opposite quarters—
whilst, over all, roared the loud voiced thunder in its
deepest tones. In this dismal situation we remained
three days, entirely at the merey of the elements, until
nearly exhausted by watching and fatigue,—the sky
suddenly cleared off—the wind fell, and with a smooth
sea and gentle breeze we anchored at Lintin in the do-
minions of his Celestial Majesty, the Emperor of China.
The harbour of Lintin, of which we shall have occa-
sion to speak hereafter more particularly, was considered
by our commander safer than that of Macao, so that we
determined proceeding thence to the latter place in a
Chinese vessel belonging to our Coast Pilot for the pur-
pose of procuring a skilful navigator, and a " Chop" or
passport for our ship up the river.
After breakfast therefore next morning we embark-
ed in our pilot vessel, a boat 20 feet in length, with one
mast and a matting sail, crossed by strips of bamboo at
tlistanees of two feet apart along its surface, to the ends
of which small ropes were attached, and their ends fast-
ened in a knot near the tiller ; so that reeffing can be
performed by merely lowering the haulyards whilst the
ropes from the bamboo strips keep the sail under com-
mand like the braces on our yards.
In the centre of.the boat is a small elliptical frame over
which a matting is extended forming a comfortable cabin,
where, extended at full length, chatting, joking, dozing,
dreaming, we passed our voyage of twenty-five miles;
our boatmen quiet and agreeable enough for their sta-
tion, and desirous to render our passage as pleasant, and
what was better, as cool as possible.
Approaching the harbour of Macao and rounding the
for. on its south eastern promontory and the old monas-
tery thriisting out its pale walls among luxuriant her-
bage, we came near the beach, and were immediately
surrounded by crowds of Chinese boat girls chatting
at the top of their voices, and as eloquent and under-
standable as a flock of hungry seagulls over a dead
whale. They wanted to take us ashore in their little
boats they said—as ours drew toe much water, and they
wanted besides—a quarter of a dollar a piece ! We
chose the least ugly of the ducks, handsome there were
none, and in five minutes we leaped ashore again after
a voyage of 120 days. It required an effort to steaiy
our steps after " walking the water like a thing of life"
for four months. The joy of reaching land, of feeling
your mother earth, of seeing trees, houses, new faces,
lever
3'4 women, even a Chinese woman, is indescribable.
Sterne
Captive, notching hissticks, had holiday com-
e
iareerd n:h an Indian voyager, his prison was—on shore.
com-
pared
It was Sunday when • we arrived, and the chuurch-
going bells and belles were in full swing. The Chinese
shops were open, and their masters employed in buy-
ing and selling—..whilst at corners, and in shady nooks,