The Bennington banner. [volume] (Bennington, Vt.) 1858-1894, 1889-05-30
UP THE SEA OF CHINA.
Sailing Through Oriental Waters-Caughi
in TyphOOn-at Hong KOng-Native
Junks and Sam Pans-Glimpses of Life.
TapPrtAT

| ESPECIAL CORRESPONDENCE.
VICTORIA Hong Kong-It is a long
sail up the Chinese sea, for the maps, as
traced out in the school boys geography
do not give correct impressions of dis
tances in the eastern world. This sea
washes the shores of southeastern Asia
for more than two thousand miles, 1t
borders the coast of Siam and lower
China. II touches BDrneO, the Philip
pine Islands and Formosa. II forms the
gulf of Siam, at the head of which stands
ancient Bangkok. 1t merges itself into
the gulf of Tonquin, where the French
| fleet and arms a few years since estab-
lished a Gallo supremacy. 1t is studded
with islands of tropical luxuriance, and
is marred with dangerous coral reefs.
1t is scene of storms of peculiar ma
ture that are know as Typhoons, and is
not safe for navigation at all times,
Acting under telegraphic orders from
the admiral in command of the Aslatlc
station, our war ship was put in readi-
ness at Singapore, cOaled and provision
ed, and made haste to steam up the sea.
Like the conventional Arab who lives in
tent, and is supposed to retire from
sight on very short notice, our good chip
one morning at daybreak lifted her an
chor, fired her guns, slipped past the
shipping in tn harbor and put to sea.
For a few days under bright skies and
through emerald waters, she sped along
like living thing, and made good pro-
gress in the face of the strong trade.
winds that were blowing down the coast.
Everything seemed auspicious. The is
lands and reefs that are strewn at ran
dom over the waters, the hills of Anam,
and the mountain crests of the Chinese
shores marked out the coast line. The
island of H4Inan, with its green slopes
and rocky headlands, swept past in the
train of the flOwery kingdom.
When we were n the upper part OF the
sea, the indications of an approaching
s orm r, vealed themselves. The baron o
ettr began to fall, and kept falling.
The skies became threatening and sui
len The sea birds screamed and darted
through the air. The winds grew fitful
and changed to every point of the com
pass. 1t was clearly evident that the
ship had entered the arena of the dread.
ed typhoon, In few moments the
storm was raging in all its fu y. A ter
rifle gale, sweeping round and round in
A ci Gle, had burst upon us, before we
were hardly prepared for the encounter.
In heaving the ship to and working her
toward the outer edge of the storm, lay
the only safety for the vessel, Enough
storm sail was set to hold her head 10
the wind, her engines were run slowly,
and she was put on the tack, as indicated
by the movements of the typhoon, that
would tend to carry her away from the
perious vortex, For twenty hours the
ship lay tossing on the waves, while the
winds were Blowing furiously and the
sea was running h, avily. A mountain
like sea swept over the decks, tearing
one Of the boats from the davits and
carrying away sail, and crushed in the
pilot ports. Having spent their force,
the winds quickly subsidized, the rough
waters went down, and a bright sky and
calm sea followed the wake OF the
storm and attended the Juniata the resi
of the way.
In the light of morning, as we neared
the remote bound of the sea, the crest of
the mountains of Hong Kong came in
sight. 1t was Victoria Peak, the signal
station of the island from whose look
out the approach of incoming vessels is
made, that first greeted our "ision, The
island of Hong Kong is mere Jumb-
ling of mountains OF volcanic Origin, less
than ten miles in length, some Of the
peaks towering two thousand feet above
the sea. 1t lies league from the main
land, and stands guard over the Chinese
coast. The city of Victoria, its capital,
ia situated on the northern side at the
base of the mountains, looking out to-
ward the mainland. After rounding
the western side of the island, our ship
passed through the broad roadstead and
into the large harbOr, that is tianked by
rocky bluffs and sheltered from winds
and storm. The city extends down to
the water brink, and under the shadow
of the mountain peak presents charm
ing scene. With its beautiful streets
magnificent buildings and stirring marts,
the city of Victoria becomes type Of
an orien' al metropolis aroused from its
slumber. With a population of 1000,
nine tenths of whom are Chinese, and
with vast commerce with the world,
this is port of considerable interest at
which trade and travel seem to center.
The waters Of the bay are alive with
the shipping of all nations, men-of-war,
merchants ships and Chinese junks.
Myriads of sampans, as the smaller boats
are called, are moving about lesurely or
waiting at the landing places. The sam.
pans are a notable feature in the oriental
harbors and rivers. They are covere
boats, twenty five or thirty feet in
length, in which the owner lives with
his family, plying transport trade be-
tween the vessels and the shore. The
home of the family is in the after part OF
the boat, where large number of per-
SONS are sometimes crow ded into close
quarters. The passengers are slowed
away amidships, and in the bow an un.
covered deck is extended, on which the
boatman stands in directing his course.
The wife, or some competent person IN
the family able to take an oar, helps in
the propulsion, standing with face to-
wards the bow. When two oars are used
in the forward end of the boat, the row.
ers generally sit facing aft in the usual
way. For months and years together
whole families, men, women and child
rem, live purely nautical life and know
no other home than their boats.
In early days, as the story goes, when
the Chinese antipathes against the Cau-
cssan race were bitter and when law
was unavailing, a nighttime passed in a
sampan was perllous adventure. Many
were the travellers, setting out for their
ship at late hour, who never reached
their destination, The grim boatman
had no scruples against robbing his pas
senger and dropping him oveI board with a
stone about his neck. The crime was
concealed, and the business of the fer
ryman seemed to prosper. In later years
a greater security has been assured,
When belated traveller enters a sam.
pan at night, in returning to bis ship at
anchor, a guard on the wharf records
his name and destination. together with
the name and number of the boat, to
enable the police authorities to trace out
case of robbery and murder should il
occur. Although cOmpaI atively safe, a
solitary individual aboard a sampan,
with darkness about him. a sullen oars
man at the bow, the ghostly lights from
the grotesque junks 1irlng over the
water, the shores gliding away and with
his ship and friends barely in sight in
the gloom. must confess to feeling Of
unrest until he stands on his own deck
and u5der the flag of his own nation.
The appearance of an American mar.
of-war in the offing of Hong Kong, be-
fore the city of Victoria, is a signal to
the hordes of Chinese, whose boats put
out from the shore and cover the harbOr.
Swarms of washerwomen come crowd.
ing down upon her from all sides. They
scramble on ship beard in spite of all op-
position, over the rail and through the
gun ports. II fired from the fort on the
bluffs, they could not storm the good
ship more completely, In few MON
euts the decks are crowded with bevies
Of good looking Chinese & rls, whose ap-
neal for washing is not 10 be resisted
They know where TO find their most prof