Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1885-02-05
CHINESE SAILORS.
Ihey Have Plenty of Pluck and Endur-
ance and Fair Sailing Qualities.

Capt. Davis, of the steamer Penn
hrokeshire, has had years of g pcrience
III trading at Chinese ports. and has
employed the Cinnamon regularly on
board his ship in various capacities.
In speaking of the characteristics of
the Chinese when a1i0at. he said they
were unexcelled as tiremen aboard
steamers. They work twelve hours out
OF tWenty-fOur in the stORe-hOle, where
the temperature averages over 10 de-
greeS constantly, The labor Of shovel
ing coal Is very severe. As seamen on
deck and aloft they are not SO good.
They have the physical strength to pull
on rope, but they are not sailors
Chow will they compare with French
men IN that respect?" was asked.
"Ihey are not as good sailors, but
they have great endurance.
Have they any pluck?"
Plenty OF it in defending themselves
about decks. The white sailors do not
impose on them aboard ship. They
can take their own part every time. If
you compare them in this respect Wi h
Erenchmen. | should say that in a
stand-up fight the Chinaman would
knock out his opponent. But when
you come to MN ship with Chinese,
and expect them to make a first-class
crew, You find yourselves in bad pre-
dicament. The Chinese navy has no
show against the French. Their navy
IS composed of two classes of ships. the
iron steamers and the iunks. The iunks
are well represented by the pictures
you have seen in books of travel. They
are all armed with six or eight guns
each, but what can they do? So far
they have served for collins for their
crews, who were drowned after they
had surrendered. Many of the iron
steamers were built in England. They
were constructed on excellent princi-
piles, and are very Fl ships They
are armed with heavy modern guns.
White men were engaged to train the
crews But with all that the ships and
crews are not match for the great
irOn-clads of the French fleet. The
number of iron steamers in the Chin
csc navy is very large. They have
launched six or eight gun-boats them
selves at Shanghai during the past
year. These boats were built under
the direction of European and Ameri-
can naval architects. They are first
class of their kind, but they are too
small. China has no nope at sea-"
OH have seen the Chinese trOOps?'
Yes. They are uniformed in the
hues of the rainbow, besides black and
white. Imagine one hundred laundry
men in scarlet bloUses and royal-purpIe
fro Il
them company in pure white, then a
company in bright green. and then one
in light blue, and you have a Chinese
regiment. When they walk they lift
up their feet like cats in the snow. But
in spite of their peculiarities. they will
make it warm for the French on shore.
Their name is legion, and if their Off
GERS have profited at all by the instruc-
tons they have received in the last
twenty years, they will make a good
fight Judge of their pluck by what
| have seen of them. On shore in the
open field. they will have some chance
to show what they can do. They will
fight them rs they do singly when fore
ed to it, In these miserable iunks and
in the small steamers no one can hope
20 do anything but sink with flying
coIors.
'sDo the Chinese still believe in the
efficacy of stinkpots?''
Il think not. 1t is one of the few
weapons they have discarded as relics
of barbarism. but there is no doubt but
what they will try to strike terror into
TO the hearts of the enemy by making
loud and unearthly noises, just as VIC
used to read they did in the wars Of D
hundred years ago. A description of .
battle between Cinnamon and French
men. if described accurately and in de-
tail, would make very interesting read
ing. - Boston BHdget.