Portage sentinel. [volume] (Ravenna, Ohio) 1845-1854, 1851-01-13
Notes on China.

.CaEton,a stranger IS struck with the bar.
rem appearance of the islands scattered a.
long the mouth Of the Boca TIgris. Hugh
masses of granite, surmounled by a dark
red sand sol in some places entirely
bare, in other places few shrubs and
blades of grass, widely separated. Yet
there is considerable population on these
islands; nnd wherever gorge or valley
separates the rocky mountains, a large
village has slood for nges. A few vegetu.
bles are all that The poor inhabitants can
gather from the sterile earth, and their
means OF subsistence are gathered from
the waters. Inhumerubla fishing boats
penetrate every inlet, and invest every
shoal, adopting every. conceivable means
Of securing the great variety Of fish that
abound in Chinese wa,ers. The common,
deceitful practice of entangliag them
with hook and line. is practiced III all its
forms. In shoal water, they have round
basket, with hole in the side, large out,
side, and diminishing until the angles al
most meet, about half wny inside. The
sharp points Of the spill, bamboo, pointing
upward, prevents the fish from getting
out. These are generally small fish, which
they get alive, and put in a small water
tight compartment, forwards, and used for
their own food us occasion requires. All
Chinese boats, large and small, are divided
into several water tight apartments. They
have another method Of catching fish,
much practlced on these islands, by fast
ening one end of their net, in horizon.
tai position, to stakes about one hundred
yards from shore. line is made fast to
the other end, and alta ached 10 a uindass
on shore The net Is then lowered down
in the middle, and by heaving on the
windlass several times day, they bring
the net to the surface Of the water, and
gather the fish into small boat. -~
The contrivance on shore is generally
placed on ledge of rocks projecting into
the sea. A rich bamboo but serves rs
shelter to the fshermans family; his
wants are few, the climate is mid, his diet
is simple, rice, some coarse dishes, the
indispensable cherslicks, a bench and
few mats. Great multltudes of the Chi.
nese are fishermen, principally those of
the Fanka race. If they accumulate, and
are able to buy larger boat, they easily
combine the trade of fishermen with. that
of piracy. Scarcely week passes bu,
some passage boat is robbed between
HongF ong and Macao or Canton. Mur-
der is often added 10 pillage, and Europe.
ans and Americans sometimes lose their
lives within sight of the harbor Of Hong
Kong. s- -saa-s-.---. ~-
At the Bogue, the entrance OF the Can
ton River, there is n commanding position,
which scientific skill might render almost
impregnahle. But the Chinese only erect
plain walls, thick below, tapering as .hey
ascend, and about breast high above
where the guns are placed There are
plenty of guns nt the Bogne, but most of
them old and in wretched condition; and
so miserable is the powder of the Chi
nese, that often the shot has not impetus
enough to do any injury at cables
length. The guns are mostly embedded
in logs of wood, or in solid stone.and they
fire away in one direction, incapable of
the simplest art in gunnery. ...-.-
AS we advance past the miserable for,i.
ications, rice fields begin to open on the
view, aid the ridges along the low lands
are covered with plar,alns Further up.
the view is beautiful; pagodas, built on
gentle elevations. tine decllvities on these
detached rising spots of ground, covered
by the neat,ca efully attended graves ofthe
Chinese, and in snme spots surrounded
by q luxurious vegetation of evergreens.
Notwithstanding the immense number Of
boats that pass TO and from Canton, you
may pass every trip within rifle shot of
large flocks Of wild geese. ..,
Il may not be universally known, that
no foreign ships go up the river as far as
Canton. They anchor at Whampoa, and
the cargo is brought down in lighters, or
chops, as they are called by the Chinese.
Great dispatch is used in loading ships,
and perhaps no class of laborers in the
whole Celestial Empire, work with so
much alertness as those who load ships al
Whampoa.. The existence Of foreign com.