New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1854-03-23
BAYARD TAYLORS LETTERS
VOYAGE UP TIE COAST OF CHINA

VOYAGE UP TIE COAST OF CHINA.
Edi,oria. Correspondence Of be y. Tribune
SHANGHAI China Tuesday, March %. 1888
left Hong Kong in the u. :. steamirigate Susquc-
hanna on the goth inst, for Macao, intending to spend
day at that place previous TO proceeding 10 Canton
But no enc knows vha. day may bring forth. upon
calling ON the l. : Commissioner, the Hon Humphrey
Marshall to whom had letters, he generously offered
70 attach NE 10 the Embassy, that might be able TO
accompany him to the seat OF war in the North. 10
rare an opportunity of seeing the most interesting por
ton Of China during the present remarkable crisis IN
the history of the Empire not to be neglected and
on the following morning again found my sell On board
the Susquehanns, listening to the hunders oil tue sa-
lutte which welcomed the Commissioner. Ii was worth
all NY long wanderings in foreign lands aud among
strange races experience the pride and satisfaction
of walking tho deck of national vessel, and hearing
again the stirring music of our national airs One must
drink deep of absence and exile To learn he tehuerss
of that regard TOR his native land. which at home les
latent and unsuspected at the bottom of MS nature
wan, no man for friend, whose heart will not beat
warmer AZ the sight of his country banner oatlng on
distant sea. -
appropriated To the use OF the Commissioner and his
sut. consisting OF DIR Peter Parker, Secretary OF lie
Cation Nj O. H. Perry Private Secretary ana my sell
We found in Capt Buchanan the Commander, all that
his reputation as gentleman and brave ana galaht
officer led TO anticipate; while the officers uhuer
his command Justified the high opinion had already
formed of our naval corps from the few whom 1t had
been INV good fortune to meet Under such auspices
the VOYAGE has been OF the most agreeable ever
made The comfort of the vessel, and the ease with
which she makes her way in head sea- are not TO be
overlooked in the list OF advantages were IL not Tor
her detective engne-but will our Government erer
have IN engine that s not failure the Sdsquehanna,
20 admirably appointed in other respects would be the
noblest steamer IN the world 90
We left Macao, about o'clock on the morning OF the
2l. and stood outward to past the Lemma Island
The dsy was warm and calm, aud the barren Chinese
coast was unobscured By cloud or vapor. IL Is bold
rugged shore Ddented with small bays ana estuares
and bounded b. fringe OF lofty iiandrocks, when are
for the most part uninhabitabe In IT'S general eal
ures il resembles the coast OF California but Is in re-
ality more sterile though hardly 50 in appearance
Toward evening we saw the pr0montory called Breaker
Point in the distance and during the night passed within
half a mile of the LamOck Islands The next morning
was dull and overcast. We were already wtnin tue
Straits OF Fuhsn or the Formosa Channel as it is now
called and had q strong head-wind. During the day
we had occasional gmses Of the Islands and promon
tores of the coast on left but too dark aud lndl
tnct 10 be satisfactory About noon, we passed the
headsnd Of Quemoy north of the Bay OF Annoy, which
Is one Of the FIVE ports opened TO foreign commerce
The English war Its commerce, however, Is next to
at Canton and Shanghai
On Monday afternoon the thirteen ship"recked ia.
panese who are on board the susquehanna were called
In body upon the quarterback, to pay their respects
IN the big mandarin" as they termed Col Marshall
They made very profound inclination OF the mead re-
moving their caps at the same time. Dr. Parker ad
dressed them in Chinese, which they did not uhdel-
stand when spoken but az the Chinese characters are
Known TO the japanese, (the same character slgning
the same thing in both languages be was enabled to
with them. They appeared cheerful and
in good condition. They were nearly all habted In
sailor costume with clothes which the officers and men
had given them It curious to note the variety OF
feature form and expression among these men, All Oh
whom belonged TO the same class There was one with
AN unusually broad face and dark complexion, who cor
responded with Goowains description OF the kurle IN
hsbitsnts Of the northern portion OF the Empire ihy
wore their ir short upon the crown and 'front.' Oh ,ne
head but hanging loose and long at the Dack anu saes
which Dr. Parker declared 70 have been the IormcI
Chinese custom shaven heads and long tails having been
introduced by the Msntchou dynasty lie ieatlresshd
expression Of these japanese was mucn better thah thst
of the corresponding elass Of Chinese The day follow
ing their presentation note written IN Chnese char-
scters was addressed BY them - Col Marshall II was
yerv frsementary and acOnic owing, no DOUBT 10 tne
small stock of characters in the writer possession
WAS addressed ON the envelope: To the American
Kiue-from thirteen japanese and the contents were
as follows: We thirteen japanese men, have fathers
mothers young brothers, old brothefs Wives cnafen
v You 90 TO Shanghai: 20 70 Japan
On "wednesday we continued to advance againsta
,tronc head wind catching but few and cloudy gmpses
If the coast During the day passed the mouth OF
he eastuary Of FoO-chow-foO, another OF the I'VE
ports Before night We had passed through the For
nosa Channel and were in the Tong Hal, or Eastern
.ea. which bounded b. China, Corea, the Japanese
Island of Kinsin and the LooChoo Archipelago. The
.ext morning we were of the province OF Che-Kian
Soon after sunrise we made small island called the
straw stack, and still further hesdland called Mush
oom Peak, from its shape, the sides being perpen
ocular and the summit slightly projecting over them
II the other extremity Of the promontory there
vas q tall isolated rock resembling pagodA- Inc
fternoon and foggy, and there were large
lumber Of fshinsjunks of the coast steam whistle
vas blown repeatedly signal for them to get out Of
he way.
On Friday there was dense fog, with frequent show
rs of rain and We saw no land until evening when we
made the rocks called the Brothers at the eastern end
II the Archipelago of Chusan. We had had no ooser
alton for day or two, but when the fog lifted and
bowed the rocks we were not a mile from our sup
,osed position The night set in dark and stormy and
q the tides and currents which prevail IN this part OF
he Archipelago are very uncertain, we felt our way in
he 70. into strait between the islands Of Chusan and
Thiu-sau. and came to anchor under the lee OF the
after II blew violently during the night but the gale
lad the effect Of clearing away the fog 90 that We were
ble 70 &c, under way again ~ daylight
led tlp .tcTu rOiLk q C.lr-s1n, and ra--