Springfield globe-republic. (Springfield, Ohio) 1884-1887, 1885-03-22
CHINESE AS SAILORS.
What an Old Trading Captain Has
to Say of Their Capabilities
Not Very Good Sailors, but Have
Plenty OF Pluck and Endurance
-Junks worthless-Chiness
pots.


Capt. Davis OF the steamship Pembroke.
shire has had years Of experience in trading
at Chinese ports, and has employed the Chi
namen regularly on board his ship in various
capacities. In speaking Of the characteristics
of the Chinese when afoat, he said yesterday
that they are unexcelled as firemen on board
steamers, They work twelve hours out of
twenty-four in the stokehole, where the tenn
perature averages over 100 degrees constantly.
The lab or Of shoveling ccal is very severe.
As sean en- on deck and aloft they are not so
good. they have the physical strength to
pull on rope, but they are not sailors.
"How will they compare with Frenchmen
in that respect!' was asked.
They are not as good sailors, out they
have greater endurance
Have they any pluck!'
"Plenty Of it in defending themselves
about decks The white sailors do not i'm
pose on them aboard ship. They can take
their own part every time. If you compare
them in t. is respect with Frenchmen / should
say that in stand-up fight the Chinan,an
would knock out his opponent But when
you come to man a ship with Chinese and
expect them to make first-ciass crew, you
find yourself in a bad predicament The
Chinese navy has no show whatever against
tlsc ETtuCu- 1uclT navy u tOIIpoeU VI BWO
classes of ships, the iron steamers and tho
Junks. The junks 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 dot So far they
have served as conins for their crews, who
were drowned after they had surrendered
Many Of the iron steamers were built in Eng
land. They were constructed on excellent
v.y-i nd
are armed with heavy modern guns. White
men were engaged to train the crews. But
with all that the ships and the crews are not
a match for the great ironclads of the French
feet The number of iron steamers in the
Chinese navy is very large. They have
launched six or eight gunboats themselves at
Shanghai the past year, to my knowledge.
These boats were built under the direction Of
European and American naval architects.
They are frst-class of their kind, but they
are too small. China has no hope at ssa."
"Are there many men among the erewsp
@No. They have never had moro than
three or four to q ship, say a master, . chief
officer, and q gunner. These have bsso
gotten rid of rapidly the past year."
What do the Chinese sailors look hksf"
The captain called to passing officer.
Soon a roupd-faced Celestial clothed .s K
inst from a laundry cana tr,otfin, .Ion1 ~
stopped at the door OF the cbart-room. Ther.
he smiled verv cheerfullv and saluted nv
bobbinr his head down and punching II
right fore finger up past the hr;m Of , blue
cloth can Then he stood stiu viii his tne.a
and toes turned In, his hands limp, and with
the knuckles to the front, and his shoulaeg1
crowdine his lungs yery hard Tbe captain
laughed. The spectacle was eomical
aArs all the Chinese sailor, like tbatip
GHe is q yery good Chinaman. Kong Asinr
can give auy white man on the shin A rood
tussle if forced to itn
aYou have seen the Chinese troousr
~Yes. They are uniformed in the hues Of
the rainbow, besides black and white. Imae-
inc 100 laundrymen in scarlet blouses and
royal.purple trousers drawn ND in line. ad-