New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1869-04-20
CHINA.

CANTON, February 10, 1852.
Tho distance between Hong Kong and Canton by
boat ia g5 miles and the passage is usually made IN
rom five 70 AK hours Fulton and his followers may
Take credit for this however for the native craft
Aro DAYS and sometimes weeks in making the pas
KsRe. The boats of the Hong Korg. Canton, and
Macao Steamboat Company, Familiarity known as the
%Amercan Line" leave nothing to be desired on the
bart of those patronizng them. nor indeed, may
add by those owning them. This Company was
organized in 1866, with capital of $4,000, to run
tne of steamers between Hong Kong and Canton
and between Canton and Macao. They commenced
Operations with three steamers, which NUMBER ln
1895, was increased TO five. Direct communication
between Canton and Macao not proving remuhera-
Eve the latter line has been discontinued Dy TINS
Company, their steamer withdrawn, and an indie
Dandent steamer now makes tri-weeky trips. AT
tho outstart the Company had warm opposition
from the well known house Of Russell e. Co., but by
an arrangement effected in 1867 with that firm this
companv are now in undisputed possession of this
valuable trade and to Judge bv their last report
fairly coming money" They claim to have
ried during 1867, 1858 Chinese passengers l,55S
Europeans, and treasure to the amount of $92l135O
upon which the Company has per cent. In addition
TO this they have transported during the period
1900 chests Of opium Upon this business the Com
pany have netted profit of $4,000, sum eqnal 10
k7k per cent upon their paidup capital of S16oVVa
gathering manifest surely for two steamboat routes
6n foreign waters aggregang but $50 miles in length
and operated with but three steamers ana YET ths
forms but small fraction of the passenger, 1Ielght
and treasure traffic between these points, WDlcn Is
still largely conducted through the agency OF hatVe
craft; and such are the frugal habits and nexPen-
sve modes of life Of these wonderful people ana so
pertinaciOus they in holding to ancient pIaciee
and CUSTOM that in spite of the great saving III tme
and CONSEQUENT saving OF money Wmch the raplu
transit by steam affords them in the transportation
of their prolific crops and varied merchandise Tears
ara entertained by some foreign merchants IudU
they will vet discard all our boaSted Improvements
Rnd seek to mOnopOlize the inland carrying trade.
But the day for that has, In my opinion, passed by
never 60 return The foreigner In China has already
too firm a footing in tins important department OF
We LETT Victoria and its lovely harbor on the
steamer Kiang-l0Ong, literally "rlyer-dragon," on
the morning of February !, and reached Wham-
poa shortly after midday. Between the two cities
IOtbing more than commonplace interest presents it.
Nef until the steamer passes the island OF hing
famous in the early colonial days as an anchorage
nor cOntraband opium traders when the B0cca Iigrs
hbe Fumun of the natives but better Known TO for
eiRn travellers and readers the Bogue Forts. rise to
view. The blocks of granite which still lay about
A-Mung-Hoy Point mark the destruction caused by
khe British guns in 1886. Beyond these now dllap-
dated Notifications the river banks assume the char
acteT and appearance of auvlal flats cultivated IN
many naces with rice and sugar-cane, reminding
of old familiar scenes on the Savannah River and on
the Mississippi, between Baton Rouge and the Ballze
Several of these wonderful structures, common all
over China, call pagodas, are now seen for the hrst
Kline since leaving the coast. browning the SUBMITS
pf the surrounding hills Following the course OF
the river which here curves to the west, the eye
rests upon the forest OF Junk masts which surround
"Wbam-po-a-aln bawls the mate who afterward
Discover to be an old North River steamboatman,
and instantly the decks alive with Cinnamon,
many of whom land here. Wishing TO avoid the
crowd I obtain permission TO land higher mp the
stream and amuse myself in taking parting glance
al the settlement Here we have genuine piece of
Cbina-rather common ware perhaps, but real China
nevertheless The little squalid, hybrid, amphibiOus
looking settlement at which the big Mclean boat"
as the natives call our big walking-beam steamer
calls to put off and To take on passengers is hthy
and repnlsiye beyond description. But how thor
Dughly Chinese. The tenements are unlike anything
TO be found anywhere IN the wide world. They are
SnOstly bamboo, and stand on piles or stills. The
doors windows and Chimneys are all wide open, and
as they face the river at level considerably below
our steamers decks an excellent opportunity IS al
dorded the royager for studying the domestic econ
omy of John Cinnamon and company. Cairo Ill., or
Napoleon Ark when the Ohio or Mississippi River
IS "up' are the only places on the North American
sentiment can liken IT to- The bulk of the pOpua-
fiOn-and such q population as only CHINA can
produce-seemed TO be floating one; The in
boats-aud seem to have much the best of
Whampoa with all their household goods and
gods around them. Though born the water.
aud accustomed TO float through life, it were, upon
the bosom of their maternal stream, they are by no
means waterproof. Nautical disaster and shlpwreck
frequently overtake them. The terrible typhOOn OF
1862 which swept the river from Canton to Hong
Kong drowned 10000 of these Door creatures IN one
hour. In that fearful gale they and their chopstcks
found wateTy grave together.
Z At WhampOa, l was joined by my old friend Capt
Hector of the Even and brother officer, and to-
eetber we made the ascent of the remaining twelve
miles of river IN q boat and arrived III Canton
early the following morning.
One great advantage the traveller in China has over
his fellow voyager in other countreshe need never
waste valuable time in hotel hunting Such lnStltu-
4ons do exist but their whereabouts are dlihcnt 10
ascertain and being patronized only by natives. who
live mainly rice cak and tea, they oher no IN,
ducements 20 the carnivorous foreigner accustomed
80 the princely style OF hvlng so common among
Europeans of almost every grade at the open ports OF
The empire letter of introduction VIII generally
secure him friendly reception, and all necessary at
tention during his stay AT least TINS was my ext
nv wandering life will be those brought home with
Spe from my tour through China.
y The Province of QuantunR, IN wncn canton Is STU
mated ON account of having been for long time the
only one of the - to which foreigners had access had
almost become synonymous with emma althOugh
but little more known OF ~ than OF the OtheIs
except in the neghbOThoOd Of Canton, ana along the
course of the Peh-Kiang, from Nanhuing-chan 10
that city. 80, ~,
northeast by Fuhkien: south by the ocean, and
west and northwest by Kevangsi. ~
Its area is not far from that OF the state OF new
York aud its facilities for internal navigation ana
an extensive coasting trade are unusually great Tor
while its coast line NEARLY LOO miles In length ex-
tending from Namah Island III Fuh-klen, 10 COchln-
Cbina affords many excellent harbors its river com.
municates with the regions on the west, north. ana
east beyond its borders. Silk, RICE sugar, Tobacco
fruits, and vegetables constitute ITS principal pro-
ductjons Lead iron, and coal are abundant
The Chu- Kiang. or Pearl River, upon which Can
ton is situated formed by the union OF three rivers
known as the Si-Kiang. Peh-Kiang, and Han-klang,
or West North and East rivers. The two first unite
at point called Sanshwui, west OF Canton, and the
East Joins them at Whampoa. The country drained
by these rivers is estimated TO be 800 600 square miles
in extent and most of their channels are naVigabe
for boats 10 all the large towns III this and the ad-
joining Province of Quangs. -J ,
Before closing this letter wish 70 say lew WORDS
about the American missions in China and the work