The Washington union. [volume] (City of Washington [D.C.]) 1857-1859, 1858-05-27
THE CHINAMAN- YEK-AND HIS VOYAGE
5l1ssnsil tan rs,n's TO CALCUTTA. aH1
pondenes Of the London Tines

os0 ~ .i0.n Correspondence Of the London rmesl
nBulIg 90 81 : CALCUTTA BIvER March IT, 1858
In his personal appearance Yek is very stout and
rather tall man. about five eleven with the long
thin Chinese mousache and beard remarkably receding
forehead skull in which what the phrenologist calls
veneration is much developed certain degree OF TO
tundy behind the ear and moderate development Of
the back head Shorn nearly the crown, and very
thiny covered with hair in that part where the Chinese
mostly cultivate their hair, Mandarin offers every
facility for Genealogical examination His tail is very
palty very short and very thin The smallest poker
in China has better tail than her highest Mandarin
His face ia heavy There is chin than you
ally in Chinaman jowf and jaw indicative of
will and obstinaey The nose is long and fat the
trils forming side Of very 0btuso angle. Seen in
profile the is very remarkabe and very ugly in
the front face this the most sm expression Of the man
countenance, Is mtgated The eye-that round, slit
Monaghan eyeAs the most expressive feature Of the
who sitting opposite to me- and looking rather suspi
ciously at as writing. In his ordinary
mood there only look Of shrewdness and quick
ming in this the only mobile festure of his face but
have seen him in the turning moments of his life when
those eyebas gared with terror and with fury He has
large protrudng mouth, thick lips and very black
teeth, for he remarks sit has been the custom
OF his family to use toothbrush. 1t Is, however
very common custom in Chinese families any
may who walks the streets of Canton and notices
the coolies aud small traders at their ablutions idi
No habit of looking at Kek deadens the feeling of
pulson which the expression of his huge face inspires
The English public by this time familiar with his
lures chiefly through profile sketched by Major Crea
lock at the moment when he brought in prisoner.
The original sketch is the most striking likeness
saw fgti atNa ~ 81 ts@ ~. rfA'tffr q"
There is strong will there is dogmatic perseverance,
there mmoyable inert resistance, but there is
tive courage in that face, in that heart When Capt
Key seized him his vast shook with terror, and
he completely lost all presence of mind Perhaps this is
not to be much wondered at Fifty bluejackets, with
drawn swords and revolvers dancing round him
like madmen fourishing their cntlasses throwing up
their hats and cheering at the top Of their voices He
might well believe that his last moment But
man who had sent many thousands to their great
count might be expected to meet his fate with dign
ty Yek not equal to this. He shook, he made ges
turas of submission he denied his identity, he would
have fallen had not Capt. Key held him up In the
presence Of the admiral his fright concealed by
assumption of impudence When Capt Hall took him
board the Infexble he trembed violently he went
up the ladder, and when board he eagerly inquired
whether he was to be put to death AS he had
ascerained that 1t was not custom to kill pris
ones he seemed quite coptented As he had previously
considered his death certain so he became convinced
of his absolute security GiN tHtf
At first he treated Mr. Aabaster the Interpreter APP
pointed to attend him. with infinite rudeness and
tempt He as magnificent and theatrical in his
to Lord Elgns message communicating to him that he
to go to Calcutta He refused all conversation,
telling MIR Aabaster that he knew he was spy putov
him to reE,os& all he might say. Mr. Alabaster, Of
course replied that he was not spy but public SER
want and that Yek himself great officer must know
that it his duty to report to his superors In
of the earliest interviews had with him careful
make him understand the functions which was dis
charging Mr.. Asbaser exhibited to him copy of The
Times at the size whereof he seemed greatly astonshed
told him that the learned men Of the western world
were much perplexed upon questions of Chinese govern
ment and philosophy, and that should consider myself
fortunate if he thought fit through inform them
upon these subjects At this time his reply usually
either grunt or grin ne answered my appeal with
grunt. ssatt ft n H-i} Fasa
This uncomfortable state of suspicion gave way under
the judcous treatment of the high authorities When
he found that Lord Egn took no notice of him unless
rttnas
fort--when he saw that, while treating him with all
spoc end doing all he could for his convenience Capt
Brooker paid no attention to where he sat- what he
wore, or how he demeaned himself he discovered
that wished 10 make him sign any treaty to
question 6im upon topics which he declined to enter
eupon he gradually relaxed think that before we left
Hong Kong he had recognised his position and had
convinced himself that the treatment he received was
only the respect accorded to prisoner of high rank
whose power for good for evil had passed away He
gave up playing the high Mandarin eonyersed with af
liability upon Indifferent subjects preferred request fora
daily raton OF six pounds of fresh pork presented por
ton of his stock of oranges to the ward room ess and
begged to be allowed to send for full supply Of Chinese
.t0baocos - sas - - t8a 3 sn.Esr w2l - alf
Up to this time the only occasions upon which He
manifested any vivacy upon DISCUSSIONS to his
food His Chinese cook sent for and arrived atthe
last moment with great stores of Chinese comestbes to
his mlpenas sattAetion. Visitors annoyed him He
pretended to be- shocked at the dress of
an Englah hdy He kept his eyes studiously turned
from her. and remarked afterwards that her throat was
in an Tau news % drese YeI
was scandAizcd that women should bedgowns was
proper but that they should be painted in their bed
gowns was as scioas. iitl ~ Akhli3NAt
Yek ia In his private life very respectable Chnaman
He entirely free from all suspicion of those detesable
hsoits common to his comtrymen, and for which even
the virtuo Keying was but too notorious He smokes
no opium his ordinary drink is only tea he uses
ssumshu only q medicine. He has sent his only wife,
under the projection Of his father to his native village
He spoke q his ooDcubnes but al could not tell how
Ia ~4ulA L. 49,