Baltimore commercial journal, and Lyford's price-current. [volume] (Baltimore, Md) 1840-1849, 1847-07-24

drriUal of q Chinese Junk.-We have read in
books description, and have seen pictures, and
models of, these wonderful vessels, but until this
morning, have never had ocular demonstrations
that such a craft fioated on the great waters.
This nondescript of vessels is now anchored at
Quarantine, Staten island, where she arrived last
night, and cast her wooden anchor. All the
seventy-fours and frigates, in the British or Anne
ncan Navy, if moored below, would not attract
half the notice Every person on the land and
on the water is astonished at her unique appear
ance. She is unlike ship, brig, schooner, sloop,
steamer, canal boat, any other craft. Her
stern appears like two or three poop decks, piled
one above the other, nearly fifty feet above the
water, and her rudder which is Lattice d, weighs
eight tons, and is in shape. something like, only
much larger than canal boats. 1t takes forty
men to steer her in gale OF wind. Her PROV is
nearly square and open in front with large
wooden anchor projecting out like figure head.
she has galleries or walks outside extending from
the stern TO mldships.
Her stern is nearly square, and she is gaudily
painted with figures. We learn from her COM
mander that it is two hundred and twelve days
since she left China. She has fuated, drifted,
aud sailed along, stopping at the Cape of Good
Hope aud st. Helena. She was bound to Eng
land, her captain being an Englishman, and the
speculation English, but IN consequence of the
long passage her course was altered and she put
into this port, where she will be exhibited for
several weeks. and then proceed her port of des
tinaton, in Britain. Her bottom is very foul,
which mas prevented somewhat her sailing. She
will have TO be placed on the sectional Dock to
be cleaned.
She has crew of about fifteen English and
fifty Chinese. 1t is singular sight TO see many
of the crew at work, nearly naked, and others in
the Chinese garb She is an excellent sea boat,
lies too and drifts with ease and safety; is about
seven hundred tons burihon, and has large
plus of provisions and wafer on hoard. The
commander states that he has experienced very
severe weather, particularly off this coast. The
passage has been nearly IA hundred days less than
he anticipated Her Accommodations within are
handsome and commodous, and she is filled with
curiosties descriptive of the country she came
from We do not know her name, and If we did ,
probably could not give it TO our readers The
ferry boats from Whitehall to the Island pass so
near her that persons can have fine view of her
She will come to the city in a few days.
Sir Francis Davis, Governor of Hong Kong
THE Chinese vessels, or junks, as they are
called. have been apty compared to their shoes;
and their form is so clumsy, and the absence of
keel is so important defect, that there is no
possibility OF any great improvement in their
construction, until the prejudice of the builders
shall be so tar overcome as TO change their plan
in these two fundamental points In order to
place the rudder, they think II necessary to split
the stern, which exposes the vessel to danger.
Their substitutes for tar and oakum are bad; Il
mixture oil and gypsum, and bamboo shavings.
Their common sails are mere mats, which are not
easily managed, but yet are fiat, and enable the
vessels to lie nearer the wind than ours. The
absence of keel, however, allows a monstrous lee
way. Their anchors strange to hear, are made OF
wood, though heavy kind, called by them feih
me, (ron woody They often carry loose cotton
topsaiis in light winds. They make no observa-
tions of the sun other heavenly bodies, but sail
by book OF directions and their compass. The
seamen worship the Queen of Heaven as their
protectress. and also their compass, which has red
cloth upon it, and kind of sacrifices made
before it. The sailors are some of the most aban-
doned of the people; each, however, have a share
in the junk and It's command.
MIR. Gutzlaf found them very much preiudi-
ced against all changes; and captain, because he
could not discover the depth Of the with a
se1tsnt condemncd it as an instrument "truly
! barbsrian,"-N. Y. Express, July 10.