The Sun.
London, England, 1840-11-13 00:00:00

TING-HAE, OR CHUSAN.

The following accounts of this island, which the
British expedition to China are expected to attack, and
perhaps to occupy, will not be devoid of interest at the
present moment :
The Clarence proceeding towards Chusan, came in
the dusk of the evening to a long projecting promon-
tory, called Keeto point. It is the extremity of a chain
of mountains upon the Chinese Continent, composed
apparently of masses of granite. Round this point the
tide ran in whirling eddies, with a rapidity that would
force into its vortex a ship of the largest size, unless a
strong breeze enabled her to sail past it. Within a
hundred yards of the point the mud is brought up from
the bottom in such quantities as to excite alarm, lest the
ship should str;ke the ground, in those who are not
aware of the vast depth of water in this spot, which ex-
ceeds one hundred fathoms. A little to the southward
of the point, the Clsrtnce found good anchorage, in
seventeen fathoms, %here it. was thought prudent to re-
main that night, as the passages among the islands lead-
ing to Chusan were narrow and intricate. In conse-
quence of the regulations of the vigilant Government of
China a report of her approach had already reached
Chusan ; a Chinese vessel anchored near her, from
which an officer came on board to announce that the
next morning his barge should conduct the foreign ves-
sel into the harbour of Chusan, whither she was sup-
posed to be bound. She proceeded with the early morn-
ing's tide, aril after passing through several narrow
straits arrived in that harbour.

Between the Que-sans and Chusan harbour, through
a space of about fifty miles in length and thirty in
width, the number of islands exceeds three hundred. A
dangerous rock (not that of the Holderness already
mentioned), on which the Hindostan struck on her re-
turn to the southward, is met with in the passage to
Chusan harbour. By a'perusal of the manuscript jour-
nals of the English and East India Company's ships
which had sailed former:3r to Chusan it appears that
the Northumberland, in the year 1704, was the only
one on board of which it seems to have been known that
such a rock existed. In her log-book it is observed
that " they kept Keeto point open with Deer island, to
avoid a sunken rock that lay off Sarah Galley island,
which, and the flag-staff o❑ Chusan-hill, being both in
one, the ship is abreast of it."
The part of the harbour in which the Clarence an-
chored was distant about half a mile from a land-
ing-place, near the house of the Tsung-ping, or
military governor, who presided in this place, and
which bore from the brig north-east by north.
The depth of water was five fathoms. In this situa-
tion the four passages into the harbour were so shut
in that none of them were visible. It looked like a
lake surrounded by hills, and a person standing upon
the deck of the Clarence at anchor could scarcely point
out how she got there. The extent of the harbour from
north to south is little more than a mile, but it is near
three miles from east to west. The rise and fall of the
tides makes a difference of about twelve feet. The time
of high water at the full and change of the moon ap- I
pears to be about twelve o'clock. The tides, however,
arc very irregular, and vary according to the wind, and
the eddies produced by such a multiplicity of islands.
At the anchoring place of the Clarence the flood and
ebb ran in the same direction, within three points of the
compass, the current setting constantly between cast
and north-east by east ; and for the two days and nights
during which that vessel continued in the harbour her
head always pointed nearly to the same objects on the
shore. The circumstance of irregular tides had been
noticed in the manuscript. journal of the Stringer gal-
ley, in the year 1708, where it is mentioned that " in
the distance of two leagues among the Chusan Islands
the irregularities of the tides were such that there was
the difference of two hours in the time of high water in
the two places."
Among these numerous islands there are almost as
many valuable harbours or places of perfect security for
ships of any burden. This advantage, together with
that of their central situation, in respect to the eastern
coast of China, and the vicinity of Corea, Japan, Loo-
choo, and Formosa, attract considerable commerce, es-
pecially to Ningpoo, a city of great trade in the adjoin-
ing province of Chekeang, to which all the Chusan
islands are annexed. From one port in that province
twelve vessels sail annually for copper to Japan. _

Soon after the Clarence had anchored some civil and
military officers came on board to inquire the occasion of
her visit, which, being declared, it was settled that the
party should go ashore the next morning, and wait on the
Governor to make their demand. With these officers
came, to serve as interpreter, a Chinese merchant who
had formerly been connected in trade with the agents
of the East India Company, while they were allowed to
frequent that part of China. He still retained some-
what of the English language. By this man's account
the English had given no just cause of dissatisfaction in
this place, though they have been interdicted from it,
through the means, as is most likely, of the superior in-
fluence of the officers governing at Canton, who are
supposed to draw large sums from the accumulation of
foreign trade in that port, and perhaps also from the
increasing apprehension, on the part of the Chinese
Government, of the ill effects which might arise from
an unrestrained communication between foreigners and
the subjects of that empire in several of its ports at the
same time. The Chinese merchant still recollected
with pleasure the names of Mr. Fitzhugh and Mr. Bevan,
two of the Company's principal agents at Ningpoo and
Chusan, and indulged a hope that the English trade
would be again permitted there. Ha explained the
reason why a salute by the Clarence of seven guns was
answered by three only from the shore, by observing,
that among the regulations of economy in the Chinese
Government. no greater number is permitted to be fired
from the same spot on any occasion of compliment.
This circumstance led him to mention their rule in
saluting to point their guns always in the air ; adding,
that if such a caution had been practised by the English
the accident would not have happened at Canton, when
two Chinese were killed by a shot from an English ves-
sel on a rejoicing day, which endangered the continuance
of the British trade in China, and ended in the capital
punishment of the gunner ; the Chinese Government
taking it fcr granted that guns painted horizontally
must be really meant, whatever might be the pretence,
for mischief.

. .
by the effect of actions on the welfare of society, The party, thus obliged to defer their return to the
not on the welfare of the individual, what criminal Lion, went to view the city or wailed town of Ting-hai,
can match the authors of this terribly faulty logis. situated within a mile front the largo open village or
lation? suburb built along the shore. The way from one to the
Of CLont we shall quote but one proof of the otherwasovcr directions,aplait,int‘ezch
intersected with riv.uhlettsseraynd
inutility of protection, from the evidence of Mr. T.
ac tan noan gis
in ,
variousother purposes, for i vnt of separating the different'
Huine. He was asked— properties of individuals. Tho ground was cultivated
Does not every protection in some degree lessen the like a garden ; not a single spot was waste ; and the
efforts of the party protected to meet his competitors road, though good, was narrow, as if in order that as
in the market? and gave this answer—ln my opinion, little land as possible should be lost to culture.
from all I have noticed and heard, it has, in a most pe- The city walls were thirty feet high, and, like those
collar degree, that operation upon the human mind. It of a large prison, overtopped the houses which they
is rather before my own positive recollection, but in surrounded. Alorg the walls, at the distance of every
c3oversations long ago, with older men in the woollen hundred yards, were square stone towers. In the pars-
trade, I have learnt, that at the time of Mr. Pitt's pets were also embrasures, and holes in the merlons for
commercial treaty with France, the great import which archery ; but there were no cannon, except a few old
came upon us was the French broad cloths. Previous wrought-iron pieces near the gate. The gate was
to that, our own ordinary cloths were entirely protected double, within which was a guard-house, where military
by the prohibition of the other. They were of a uni- men were stationed ; and the bows and arrows, pikes,
form and very inferior character. In the first instance, and matchlocks, orderly arranged, were no doubt in-
the French cloths had 4 very great sale in this country ; tended for their use.
the habit was always to order a coat of French cloth ; of the towns of Europe, Ting-hai bore the resent-
and no tailor thousht of making out a bill without pit- blance most of Venice, but on a smaller scale. It was
tiog the words, ' Coat of French cloth :' and my infer- in some degree surrounded, as well as intersected, by
mant assured me that the habit of so charging lasted canals. The bridges thrown over them were steep, and
many years after there was scarcely a piece of French ascended by steps, like the Rialto. The streets, which
cloth came into the country. The manufacturers of this were no more than alleys or narrow passages, were paved
country, feeling the stimulus of a competition, soon set with square flat stones ; but the houses, unlike the Ve-
themselves seriously to work to see whether they could netian buildings, were low, and mostly of one story,
not make cloth as good as the French ; and the result The attention as to ornament in these buildings was 1
Y confined chiefly to roofs, which, besides having the tiles
has been that, up to a certain point, short of some very
exquisite productions, such as are hardly ever required that cover the rafters luted and plastered over, to pre-
in use, the English make cloths better for the price vent accidents from their ailing in stormy weather, were
than the French do, and consequently they have retained contrived in such a form as to imitate the inward bende
taofttehrtltmheodiene;
the trade to themselves. of the ridges and sides of canvas tents, or of the cover-
We
perhaps,allusi o allusion
may add that they have competed success- ins of skins of animals or other flexible materials affected
race had probably recourse
fully with the French and other -
tbryfn.dthhneecl
titreinrwnteonifwmhhte;riciastnifroleirdhmmu preferred,ateria Is,i
n
reign markets, and would, we believe, have retained
the supply of the German and other markets,
had 1 °before the erection of regular
the landowners not. most criminally and deliberately dwelling-houses. On
the ridges of the roofs were
ani-
annihilated their trade. We shall not extract more ,
orals, and other decorationsere • uncouth figures of
proofs that protection, as it is called, such protection The town was full of shots in i
c.ayt stone, or iron.
containing
as the cat gives the mouse, fondles and plays with of clothing, food, and furniture,chiefly articles
it to enjoy its struggles before it strikes the death vantage. Even coffins wen:l .displayed to full ad-
blow, has not answered the object of the short- lively and contrasting colours. PTheainted in a variety of
sighted Legislature in promoting the prosperity of including dogs, intended for food smaller quadtiuefle
ass,
the protected trade. When this truth is so palpa- poultry, exposed alive for sale, as
were,were as
fish in tubs of
ble in the case of each and all of our great staple i water,tiniea and eels in sand. The number of places where
productions ; when it is known to be equally true of and sticks of odoriferous wood were sold for
burning
the unprotected manufactures of Switzerland, which superstitious in their temples indicated no slight degree of
have made astonishing progress; and of the protected andtrousers were disposition in the
worn by both peo
s exple. Loose garmentses, but the men had
manufactures ofFranee which haveremained in aback- l hats of straw or cane which esvercd the head, their