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by a few, as the French is in our own country; but the Bonzes, or priests, who are also schoolmasters, teach the boys their native language, which is a dialect of the Japanese, and is rather soft and harmonious; and they have nothing of that hesitation in utterance, or appearance of choking, which is observed in the former, often requiring the action of the hands to assist the tongue. The orders and records of government are in their own, or Japanese character; but they have books in the Chinese language.

They burn the bodies of their dead, and deposit their bones in urns, (at least in our neighbourhood,) in natural vaults, or caverns of the rocks along the sea-shore. The graves of the few Chinese residents here are formed in their own style.

Crimes are said to be very unfrequent among them; and they seem to go perfectly unarmed, for we observed no warlike instruments of any description; and our guns, shot, and musquetry, appeared to be objects of great wonder to them. It must have been the policy of the Chinese to disarm them, for it appears that, in the first instance, they defended themselves nobly against their attacks, as well as those of the Japanese. Not even a bow or arrow was to be seen; and, when they observed the effect of fowlingpieces in the hands of some of the gentlemen, they begged they might not kill the birds, which they were always glad to see flying about their houses; and if we required them to eat, they would send in their stead an additional quantity of fowls on board every day. An

order was immediately issued by the commanding officer to desist from this sort of sporting.

The people of Tatao and the north-east islands are reported to have been in possession of books previous to the Chinese attack on Grand Lewchew, and to have been even more polished than in the principal island. Tatao and Kiki-ai are said to produce a sort of cedar, termed kienmou by the Chinese, and iseki by the inhabitants, which is considered incorruptible, and brings a great price, the columns of the palaces of the grandees being generally formed of it.

A remarkable production is found on this island, about the size of a cherry-tree, bearing flowers, which, alternately on the same day, assume the tint of the rose or the lily, as they are exposed to the sun-shine or the shade. The bark of this tree is of a deep green, and the flowers bear a resemblance to our common roses. Some of our party, whose powers of vision were strong (assisted by vigorous imaginations) fancied, that by attentive watching, the change of hue from white to red, under the influence of the solar ray, was actually perceptible to the eye; that they altered their colour, however, in the course of a few hours was very obvious.

The vessels of these islands, in the general appearance of their hulls and plan of rigging and sails, are precisely the same as we had observed throughout the whole of our track from the Gulf of Pe-tche-lee to Napa-kiang. They had, in common use, canoes hollowed from the trunk of a tree, much the same in shape as those

of

of other parts of the world where they are employed, and of sufficient size to contain easily from six to eight or ten people. For purposes of heavier burden, they had boats strongly built, and rather flat-bottomed.

In these boats they brought our water, bullocks, and other stock, on board. The water was not sent in barrels, but in open tubs, and baled from these into our casks.

A few days previous to our leaving the island, intimation was sent that a man of the first distinction (said to be one of the princes, and nearest heir to the crown) intended paying a visit to the ship. He was carried down to the mouth of the little river, opposite to the anchorage, in a close chair, or palanquin, amidst an immense concourse of people, who had flocked from all parts to this spot. He embarked in great state, in their own boats, with their flags flying; and was saluted, on his approach to the ships, by seven guns from each, and received on board the Alceste, with every possible mark of respect and attention; the rigging being manned, and the officers in full dress. He was above the usual size of the Lewchewans, and had rather more of the European cast of countenance. His robe was of a dark pink-coloured silk; the cap rather lighter, with bright yellow lozenges on it. In his mien and deportment there was much dignified simplicity; for, although his carriage was that of a man of high rank, it was totally unmixed with the least appearance of hauteur; and his demeanour was, altogether, extremely engaging.

As he passed along the decks, his own people saluted him by kneeling; clasping the hands before their breasts and bowing the head. He examined minutely every thing about the ship, and seemed equally pleased and surprised with all he saw. After joining in a sumptuous collation in the cabin, he took his leave with the same honours as when he came on board, having previously invited the captain and officers to an entertainment on shore. The day appointed for this feast happening to be the 25th of October, the anniversary of our venerable sovereign's accession to the throne, a royal salute was fired, at sun-rise, by both ships; at noon the standard was hoisted, the ships dressed in colours, and another salute fired; after which the boats with their flags flying, containing the captains and every officer that could possibly be spared, proceeded into Napa-kiang.

They were received precisely as on the former occasion, except that the number of grandees was greater, and there appeared a higher degree of state. The prince received the party at the gate, and conducted them into the hall. Three tables were laid close to each other; the first for the great man and the captains, the second for the superior officers, and the third for the young gentlemen. This prince, or chief, did the honours of his own table, occasionally directing his attention to the others; but a man of some rank was added to each of them for the purpose of seeing the strangers properly treated, as well as to pass and proclaim the toasts; and for this purpose they were allowed to be seated, all the rest standing

round

round the room, but, at the same time, joining heartily in the general mirth and glee. The healths of our king and Royal Family were toasted with much respect, and the anniversary of his majesty's accession was a day of real jubilee at Napafoo. The sovereign of Lewchew, the queen and princes, were proposed by our party; whilst our hosts (never deficient in politeness) toasted the wives and children of their friends the Engelees. In dining on board the ship, Captain Maxwell had given confectionary to those who were married, in parcels, proportioned to the number of children they had; and on this occasion they returned the compliment; in the distribution of which the greybeards were highly amused on observing some of the young midshipmen acquiring at once wives and large families.

Some personal presents from the captains were on this day offered to the chiefs, consisting of various articles as before, adding some damask table cloths, and elegantly cut decanters and glasses, which they seemed greatly to admire. Specimens of their manufactures in cloth were sent on board the ships in return.

At their departure, the prince attended the party nearly to the landing-place; and, when about to take his leave, two small additional presents (at the suggestion of Captain Hall) were given to him, as memorials. One was a very neat pocket thermometer (the use of the larger ones having been explained to him on board,) and the other a cornelian seal set in gold, with a ribband attached to each; they were hung round his

neck; and the ceremony, being in public, had the appearance of investing him with an order, with which he seemed to be highly gratified. As the boats shoved off from the landing-place, the crews, whom they had handsomely entertained, gave them three cheers, which they returned in their own style of salutation; and in this manner followed the boats along the pier, to the mouth of the river. They had sent on board the ship a great number of coloured paper lanterns, for the purpose of illuminating her at night, in honour of our king. This was done after dark, the lanterns being regularly ranged along the yards and rigging, the maindeck ports illuminated, sky-rockets thrown up, and blue lights burnt at the yard-arms, bowsprit, and spanker-boom ends, with a feude-joie of musquetry, thrice repeated round the ship. The whole had a very brilliant effect from the shore, where thousands of the natives had collected to view this display.

The occurrences of this day, so novel and remarkable, will often be recalled with delight by all who witnessed the pleasing scene of two people differing widely in national manners, language, and dress; distinct, in fact, in every thing that is exterior, yet so harmoniously united in hearty goodwill and convivial friendship.

The period of our departure being now fixed, all the stores were embarked on the evening of the 26th October. The next morning, as the ships unmoored, the Lewchewans, as a mark of respect, arrayed themselves in their best apparel, and, proceeding to the

temple,

temple, offered up to their gods a solemn sacrifice, invoking them to protect the Engelees, to avert every danger, and restore them in safety to their native land! In the manner of this adieu there was an air of sublimity and benevolence combined, by far more touching to the heart than the most refined compliment of a more civilized people. It was the genuine benignity of artless nature, and of primitive innocence. Immediately following this solemnity, our particular friends crowded on board to shake hands, and say "Farewell!" whilst the tears which many of them shed, evinced the sincerity of their attachment.

NARRATIVE OF THE SHIPWRECK.

A course was now shaped to avoid the numerous rocks and shoals, not well defined, which lie in that part of the Chinese sea more immediately to the westward of the Philippines, and to the north-westward of Borneo; and having by the 14th passed the whole, and got into the usual track for the passage of either the Straits of Banca or Gaspar, it was resolved to proceed through the latter, as being more direct and less subject to calms than the former, and considering them equally safe, from the latest surveys and directions being on board, some of them by those who had personally examined them. At day-light in the morning of the 18th we made Gaspar Island, exactly at the time expected, and, passing it, stood on for the straits. As is customary in approaching any coast or passage whatever, but more especially one that all are not familiarly ac

quainted with, the utmost precaution was taken by keeping the leads going in both chains, men looking out at the mast-heads, yard-arms, and bowsprit end; the captain, master, and officer of the watch, on whom the charge of the ship at such a time more particularly devolves, having been vigilantly on deck during the whole of the previous night and this morning. Steering under all these guarded circumstances, the soundings exactly corresponding with the charts, and following the express line prescribed by all concurring directions to clear every danger (and the last danger of this sort between us and England), the ship about half-past seven in the morning struck with a horrid crash, on a reef of sunken rocks, and remained immoveable!

It was very soon indeed but too evident that any attempt to move her would be attended with the most fatal consequences; for, on each side of the rocks on which she hung, the water deepened from ten to seventeen fathoms immediately around her; and, from the injury received, she must have gone down in a few minutes, had she forced her way over this narrow reef. The best bower anchor was therefore let go, to keep her fast; and the pumps were soon abandoned, being clearly of no avail.

The boats were hoisted out, and Lieutenant Hoppner, with the barge and cutter, ordered to proceed with the embassador and suite; and all those not essentially required, to the nearest part of the island, which seemed about three miles and a half distant. Meanwhile every exertion was used by

the

the captain and officers, who remained by the ship, to secure what provisions and stores could be obtained; a task of considerable labour and difficulty, for all was under water, which now rose above the orlop-deck.

When she struck, the tide must have been rising, for towards the afternoon it fell outside, and consequently inside the ship several feet; thereby enabling us to save ourselves from absolute starvation by laying hold of some articles of provender which floated up, assisted by divers, and which the boats were employed in convey ing to the shore. A raft was also constructed, on which were placed the heavier stores, with some baggage, and towed towards the island. By the return of those boats which carried his Excellency on shore we learnt the very great difficulty of effecting a landing, the mangrove trees growing out to a considerable distance in the water; and it was not until after ranging alongshore for nearly three miles from the place they at first attempted, that a small opening appeared, through which, by scrambling from rock to rock, they at last obtained a footing on terra firma. Here, by cutting away a quantity of the smaller jungle at the foot of a hill (for the island was completely overgrown with wood), a space was cleared away, where, under the shade of the loftier trees, they bivouacqued for that day and night.

On board the ship the work went on with activity, endeavouring to save whatever might be most useful on such an occasion; but, as the tide rose, the swell of VOL. LIX.

the sea lifting her from the rocks, she dashed on them again with such violence, as to render it necessary about midnight to cut away the topmasts. At day-light, on Wednesday the 19th, Mr. M'Leod landed with two men who had been severely wounded by the fall of the masts, and with a report from the captain to Lord Amherst. The spot in which our party were situated was sufficiently romantic, but seemed at the same time the abode of ruin and of havoc. Few of its inhabitants (and among the rest the embassador) had more than a shirt or pair of trowsers on. The wreck of books, or, as it was not unaptly termed,

a literary manure," was spread about in all directions; whilst parliamentary robes, court-dresses, and mandarin habits, intermixed with check shirts and tarry jackets, were hung around in wild confusion on every tree.

On his lordship being informed that no fresh water had as yet been obtained from the ship, and that it was barely probable some might be got by scuttling the lower deck, he desired every body might be called around him, and ordered that a gill of that which had been sent on shore the day before (what happened to be on deck in the dripstones and water-jugs), with half that quantity of rum, should be equally served out to every man without distinction, and, taking his own share with perfect good humour, afforded to others an example of calm fortitude; and a cheerful readiness to share in every privation, which never fails on such occasions to have a powerful and beneficial effect, more 2 F especially

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