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TEADE AND TEAVEL
FAE EAST;
RECOLLECTIONS OF TWENTY-ONE YEARS
PASSED IN
JAVA, SINGAPORE, AUSTRALIA,
AND CHINA.
BY G. F. DAVIDSON.
LONDON:
MADDEN AND MALCOLM,
LEADENHALL STREET.
3846.
LONDON :
PRINTED BY MADDEN AND MALCOLM,
8 LEADENHALL STREET.
PREFACE.
IKE following pages were written to beguile the
tediousness of a long voyage from Hong Kong to
England, during the spring and summer of 1844.
When I state, that the whole was written with the
paper on my knee, for want of a desk, amid continual
interruptions from three young children lacking
amusement during their long confinement on ship-
board, and with a perpetual liability to be pitched to
leeward, paper and all, I shall have said enough to
bespeak from every good-natured reader a candid
allowance for whatever defects may attach to the
composition. It is necessary, however, that I should
also premise, that the sketches are drawn entirely
from memory, and that the incidents referred to in
the earlier chapters, took place some twenty years
ago. That my recollection may have proved treache-
rous on some minor points, is very possible ; but,
whatever may be the merits or demerits of the work
in other respects, it contains, to the best of my know-
ledge and belief, nothing but truth in the strictest
sense of that term ; and, as imbodying the result of
my own personal observations in the countries visited,
1145806
11 PREFACE.
it may possess an interest on that account, not al-
ways attaching to volumes of higher pretensions.
My wanderings have been neither few nor short,
and, perhaps, verify the old proverb, that a rolling
stone gathers no moss. I have crossed the Ocean in
forty different square-rigged vessels ; have trod the
plains of Hindostan, the wilds of Sumatra, and the
mountains of Java ; have strolled among the beauti-
ful hills and dales of Singapore and Penang ; have had
many a gallop amid the forests and plains of Aus-
tralia; have passed through the labyrinth of reefs
forming Torres' Straits ; and have visited the far-
famed Celestial Empire. My first idea, in endeavour-
ing to retrace my journeyings and adventures, was,
that the personal narrative might serve to amuse a
circle of private friends. But the notices relating to
the openings for Trade in the Far East, and to the
subject of Emigration, together with the free stric-
tures upon the causes of the recent depression in our
Australian colonies, will, I venture to hope, be not
unacceptable to those who are interested in the exten-
sion of British commerce, and in the well-being of the
rising communities which form an integral part of
the mighty Empire now encircling the Globe.
Some parts of the work refer to coming events as
probable, which have since become matters of fact ;
but I have not deemed it necessary to suppress or
to alter what I had written. I am more especially
PREFACE. Ill
happy to find that my suggestions respecting Borneo
have, to some exten t, been anticipated ; and that the
important discovery of its coal-mines has been taken
advantage of by Her Majesty's Government in the
very way pointed out in observations written at sea
fifteen months ago. Since my arrival in England, I
have learned also, that the feasibility of the naviga-
tion of Torres 1 Straits from west to east, has struck
others more competent to form a correct judgment
than myself. Captain T. Blackwood, commander of
Her Majesty's ship, Fly, at present employed in sur-
veying the coast of New Holland, the Straits, and
parts adjacent, has expressed his determination, after
refitting at Singapore, to endeavour to enter the
Pacific Ocean, during the north-west monsoon, by
sailing through Torres' Straits from the westward. I
trust that this enterprising Officer will succeed in the
attempt, and thereby put beyond question the practica-
bility of the passage ; which would not only shorten the
distance between Australia and our Indian territories,
but contribute, more than any thing else could do, to
facilitate the transit of the Overland Mail to Sydney.
The Australians, I find, are still sanguinely bent upon
discovering an overland route from the present fron-
tiers of the Colony to Port Essington ; but, although
I heartily wish them success, my opinion, as expressed
in the subsequent pages, remains unaltered.
I observe, that the Singaporeans are already com-
IV PREFACE.
plaining of the decrease of the number of square-
rigged vessels that have visited their port during the
recent season, and of the falling-off of the Chinese-
junk trade, which they correctly attribute to the
opening of the trade with China ; thereby verifying
my predictions. I fear that they will have still greater
cause for complaint before twelve months shall have
rolled away. But the merchants of Singapore, it
gives me pleasure to add, are taking advantage of the
times, by entering upon the China trade, and seem
determined not to suffer loss, if they can help it, by
the effect of Sir Henry Pottinger's famous Treaty.
This is as it should be.
With these few remarks on the motives which have
induced me to write and give to the world the follow-
ing sketches, I now commit them to their fate ; trusting
that they may serve to beguile an hour, to some of my
numerous friends in the different parts of the world
they refer to, and that, to the reader unacquainted
with those countries, they may prove both useful
and entertaining. Before taking leave of the reader,
however, I must apologize for an unfortunate error
my printer has fallen into, (at p. 3 note *), in mis-
printing the name of Mr. Mercus, one of the best
men that ever ruled a Colony, whether Dutch or En-
glish. This name has been converted into Minns ;
and the error was not detected, till the sheet had
passed through the press.
PREFACE.
As for the critics. for any kind or friendly re-
marks they may make, I shall feel grateful; while
any of a contrary nature will neither surprise nor
displease me.
HULL, January 1846.
CONTENTS.
PREFACE P. 1
CHAPTER I.
JAVA.
FIRST IMPRESSIONS OF BATAVIA NARROW POLICY OF
THE GOVERNMENT DESCRIPTION OF THE TOWN AND
NEIGHBOURHOOD ROADS AND POSTING SYSTEM STATE
OF SOCIETY CLIMATE AND SEASONS TROPICAL FRUITS. 1
CHAPTER II.
JAVA.
SAMARANG A TIGER FIGHT JAVA PONEYS EXCURSION
TO SOLO WILD SPORTS DJOCKDJOCARTA REMAINS OP
THE ANCIENT PALACE IMPERIAL ELEPHANTS EXPERI-
MENT IN INDIGO-PLANTING JAVANESE EXECUTION A
PET BOA ALLIGATORS FOREST LABOUR SLAVERY IN
JAVA OPIUM-SMOKING TEA THE UPAS-TREE 16
CHAPTER III.
SINGAPORE.
ADVANTAGEOUS POSITION OF SINGAPORE CULTIVATION
OF THE NUTMEG AND COCOA-NUT ROADS AND SCENERY
MOTLEY POPULATION EUROPEAN RESIDENTS CHI-
NESE EMIGRANTS KLINGS SAMPAN-MEN PLACES OF
WORSHIP TIGERS 39
CHAPTER IV.
SINGAPORE.
TRADE OF SINGAPORE CHINESE TRADERS BUGIS TRADERS
SIAMESE AND COCHIN CHINESE ARAB SMUGGLERS
BORNEO TRADE WITH CALCUTTA COMMERCIAL PRO-
SPECTS . 53
CONTENTS.
CHAPTER V.
DUTCH SETTEMENTS.
DUTCH SETTLEMENT OF RHIO ISLAND OF BANCA BEN-
COOLEN PADANG CHINESE SLAVE-TRADE NATIVE
TRIBES OF SUMATRA PEPPER TRADE 73
CHAPTER VI.
MALACCA AND PENANG .... 94
CHAPTER VII.
CALCUTTA.
FIRST VIEW OF CALCUTTA STATE OF SOCIETY MERCAN-
TILE CHANGES UNPLEASANT CLIMATE SIGHTS AT AND
NEAR CALCUTTA IMPROVEMENTS IN TRANSIT AND
NAVIGATION CUSTOM-HOUSE NUISANCE PILOT SERVICE
CHARACTER OF THE BENGALEES RIVER STEAMERS . . 101
CHAPTER VIII.
NEW SOUTH WALES.
VOYAGE FROM SINGAPORE TO SYDNEY PORT JACKSON
FIRST IMPRESSIONS PRODUCED BY SYDNEY THE PUB-
LIC-HOUSE NUISANCE SYDNEY JURIES CATTLE-DEAL-
ERS TOWN IMPROVEMENTS LAWYERS, DOCTORS, AND
Cl.ERGY 117
CHAPTER IX.
NEW SOUTH WALES.
TOWNSHIP OF MAI TL AND THE PATERSON DISTRICT WIN-
TER SPORTS THE KANGAROO AUSTRALIAN HUSBANDRY
CONVICT SERVANTS BENEFIT OF ENFORCING AN
OBSERVANCE OF SUNDAY THE HOT SEASON 128
CHAPTER X.
NEW SOUTH WALES.
BUSH-RANGERS THE DROUGHT OF 1838-9 THE SETTLERS
TROUBLES ORNITHOLOGY OF AUSTRALIA ABORIGINAL
TRIBES.. 139
CONTENTS.
CHAPTER XI.
NEW SOUTH WALES.
THE HOT WINDS PROJECTED MAIL- ROAD FROM SYDNEY TO
PORT ESSINGTON SHEEP-FARMS GRAZING IN AUSTRA-
LIA HORSE-STOCK 155
CHAPTER XII.
NEW SOUTH WALES.
CAUSES OF THE RECENT DISTRESSES CONDUCT OF THE
BANKS MANIA FOR SPECULATION LONG-ACCOUNT
SYSTEM BAD SEASONS 169
CHAPTER XIII.
NEW SOUTH WALES.
ELEMENTS OF PROSPERITY STILL EXISTING HINTS TO THE
COLONISTS FUTURE PROSPECTS 132
CHAPTER XIV.
NEW SOUTH WALES.
CLASSES OF SOCIETY IN SYDNEY DISAPPOINTMENT OF
EMIGRANTS CHARACTERISTICS OF IRISH AND BRITISH
EMIGRANTS AVAILABLENESS OF CHINESE LABOURERS
AUSTRALIAN COAL MONOPOLY TORRES* STRAITS THE
BEST PASSAGE FOR STEAMERS BOTANY BAY PASSAGE
FROM SYDNEY TO BATAVIA 195
CHAPTER XV.
CHINA.
DESCRIPTION OF MACAO ITS MONGREL POPULATION
FREQUENCY OF ROBBERIES PIRACIES COMPRADORE
SYSTEM PAPUAN SLAVE-TRADE MARKET OF MACAO
NUISANCES SIR HENRY POTTINGER's REGULATION DE-
FENDED ILLIBERAL POLICY OF THE PORTUGUESE, AND
ITS RESULT BOAT-GIRLS BEGGARS PICTURESQUE
SCENERY ... . 216
CONTENTS.
CHAPTER XVI.
CHINA.
ADVANTAGEOUS POSITION OF HONG KONG THE OPIUM
TRADE IMPORTANCE OF THE STATION IN THE EVENT OF
A FRESH WAR CHUSAN HOW TO RAISE A REVENUE
CAUSES OF ALLEGED INSALUBRITY RAPID PROGRESS OF
THE SETTLEMENT PICTURESQUE SCENERY MARKETS
SANATORY HINTS 237
CHAPTER XVII.
CHINA.
FIRST VIEW OF CANTON DESCRIPTION OF THE EUROPEAN
QUARTER HOSTILE FEELINGS OF THE PEOPLE COM-
MERCIAL PROSPECTS OF CANTON AMOY FOO CHOW
NINGPO SHANG-HAE MR. MEDHURST RESULTS OF
THE TREATY WITH CHINA 266
CHAPTER XVIII.
NECESSITY OF APPOINTING BRITISH CONSULS IN THE
SPANISH AND DUTCH COLONIES NEW SETTLEMENT ON
THE WESTERN COAST OF BORNEO IMPORTANT DIS-
COVERY OF COAL ON THE NORTH-WEST COAST CON-
CLUDING REMARKS . . . 287
APPENDIX I.
PLAN FOR THE ACCELERATION OF THE CHINA MAILS
(Le. THEIR CONVEYANCE FROM SUEZ Vld CEYLON
TO HONG KONG direct) 299
APPENDIX II.
MEMORANDUM ON BORNEO, AND MR. BROOK'S SETTLEMENT
ON THAT ISLAND . ., . 391
TRADE AND TRAVEL
IN THE
FAR EAST.
CHAPTER I.
JAVA.
FIRST IMPRESSIONS OF BATAVIA NARROW POLICY OF THE
GOVERNMENT DESCRIPTION OF THE TOWN AND NEIGH-
BOURHOOD ROADS AND POSTING SYSTEM STATE OF
SOCIETY CLIMATE AND SEASONS TROPICAL FRUITS.
-CjARLY in the year 1823, I left England, quite a
youngster, full of life and spirits, bound for that so-
called grave of Europeans, Batavia. Of my passage
out, I shall say nothing more, than that it lasted
exactly five months, and was, in point of wind and
weather, similar to nine-tenths of the voyages made
to the same region.
Well do I remember the 5th of October 1823, the
day on which I first set foot on the lovely and mag-
nificent island of Java. How bright were then my
prospects, surrounded as I was with a circle of
anxious friends, who were not only able, but willing
& TRADE AND TRAVEL
also, to lend me a helping hand, and who now, alas !
are, to a man, gone from me and all to whom they
were dear. I was then prepared I might say de-
termined to be pleased with every thing and every
body. At this distance of time, I can scarcely re-
member what struck me most forcibly on landing ;
but I have a vivid recollection of being perfectly
delighted with the drive, in a light airy carriage
drawn by two spirited little Java poneys, from the
wharf to the house of the friend with whom I was to
take up my abode. The pluck with which those two
little animals rattled us along quite astonished me ;
and the novel appearance of every thing that met
the eye, so bewildered and delighted me, that I
scarcely knew how to think, speak, or act.
What a joyous place was Batavia in those days,
with every body thriving, and the whole town alive
and bustling with an active set of merchants from
all parts of the world ! The Dutch Government, at
that time, pursued a more liberal system than they
have of late adopted ; and, instead of monopolizing
the produce of the Island, sold it by public auction
regularly every month. This plan naturally attracted
purchasers from England, the Continent of Europe,
and the United States of America, who brought with
them good Spanish dollars to pay for what they pur-
chased; so that silver money was as plentiful in
Netherlands India, in those days, as copper doits have
IN THE FAR EAST. 6
since become. The enlightened individual who now
governs Java* and its dependencies, is, I have good
reason to think, opposed to the monopolizing system
pursued by his Government: his hands, however,
are tied, and he can only remonstrate, while the
merchants can but pray that his remonstrances may
be duly weighed by his superiors. Java exports one
million peculs ^ of coffee per annum, one million
peculs of rice, and one million peculs of sugar ; be-
sides vast quantities of tin, pepper, hides, indigo, &c.
Were its trade thrown open to fair competition, as
formerly, it is as certain that His Majesty the King
of the Netherlands would be a gainer, as that his
adopting the more liberal system would give satis-
faction to every mercantile man connected in any
way with his East-Indian possessions. The expe-
rience of the last three years ought to have taught
His Majesty this lesson; and we may hope he will
take warning from the miserable result of his private
speculations during that period.
Batavia is not the unhealthy place it has been
usually deemed. The city itself is certainly bad
enough ; but no European sleeps a single night in it
out of a twelvemonth.
From four to five o'clock every evening, the road
* 1845. His Excellency Mr. Minns, since dead.
t A pecul is a Chinese weight used all over the Eastern Archi-
pelago, and is equal to 1 33^ Ibs. avoirdupoise.
B 2
4 TRADE AND TRAVEL
leading from the town to the suburbs is thronged
with vehicles of all descriptions, conveying the
merchants from their counting-houses to their coun-
try or suburban residences, where they remain till
nine o'clock the next morning. These country resi-
dences are delightfully situated to the south of Ba-
tavia, properly so called, extending inland over many
square miles of country. Every one of them has a
garden (called here a compound) of considerable
extent, well stocked with plants, shrubs, and trees,
which serve to give them a lively and elegant ap-
pearance, and to keep them moderately cool in the
hottest weather. Servants' wages being very low
here, every European of any respectability is enabled
to keep up a sufficient establishment, and to repair
to his office- in his carriage or hooded gig, in which
lie may defy the sun. Many of them, particularly
Dutchmen, have an imprudent practice of driving in
an open carriage, with an umbrella held over their
heads by a native servant standing on the foot-
board behind his master.
Having resided several years in the suburbs of
Batavia, I have no hesitation in saying, that, with
common prudence, eschewing in toto the vile habit
of drinking gin and water whenever one feels thirsty,
living generously but carefully, avoiding the sun's
rays by always using a close or hooded carriage, and
taking common precautions against wet feet and
IN THE FAR EAST. 5
damp clothing, a man may live and enjoy life, too
in Batavia, as long as he would in any other part of
the world. Many people may think this a bold as-
sertion ; nevertheless, I make it without fear of con-
tradiction from any one acquainted by experience
with the country.
One great and invaluable advantage over all our
Eastern Colonies, Batavia, in common with every
part of Java, possesses, in the facilities that exist for
travelling from one part of the Island to another.
Throughout Java, there are excellent roads, and on
every road a post establishment is kept up ; so that
the traveller has only to apply to the post-master of
Batavia, pointing out the road he wishes to travel,
and to pay his money according to the number of
miles : he obtains, with a passport, an order for four
horses all along his intended line of route, and may
perform the journey at his leisure, the horses, coach-
men, &c. being at his command night or day, till he
accomplishes the distance agreed for. Thus, a party
going overland from Batavia to Samarang, a distance
of three hundred miles, may either perform the
journey in three days, or extend it to three weeks,
should they wish to look about them, and to halt a
day or two at various places as they go along. In
no part of British India is there any thing ap-
proaching to such admirable and cheap facilities for
travelling. And what an inestimable blessing they
6 TRADE AND TRAVEL
are to the Batavian invalid, who can thus, in a few
hours, be transported, with perfect ease and comfort,
into the cool and delightful mountainous regions of
Java, where he may choose his climate, by fixing
himself at a height varying from one thousand to
seven thousand feet above the level of the sea! Java,
from east to west and from north to south, is a
favourite region with me, and, I believe, with every
Englishman who ever visited it. Gin and brandy
have killed five-sixths of all the Europeans who have
died in Batavia within the last twenty years ; but
with pleasure I can add, that this destructive habit
has almost entirely disappeared: hence the dimi-
nished number of deaths, and the more robust and
ruddy appearance of the European inhabitants. The
surrounding country is both salubrious and beau-
tiful, rising gradually as you proceed inland, till you
reach Buytenzorg, forty miles S. S.E. of Batavia,
where the Governor-General of Netherlands India
generally resides, in a splendid palace, surrounded
with extensive and magnificent gardens. The cli-
mate is cool and pleasant, more particularly in the
mornings and evenings, and the ground is kept
moist by daily showers ; for it is a singular fact, that
scarcely a day in the year passes without a shower
in this beautiful neighbourhood.
Buytenzorg is a favourite resort of the merchants
of Batavia, who take advantage of the facilities for
IN THE FAR EAST.
travelling to visit it on the Saturday afternoon, re-
maining the whole of Sunday, and returning to town,
and to the renewal of their labours, on the following
morning. The scenery is magnificent ; and the view
(well known to every visiter) from the back verandah
of the inn, is the finest that can be imagined. Stand-
ing on the steps of this verandah, you have, imme-
diately under your foot, an extensive plain, tho-
roughly cultivated, sprinkled with villages, each vil-
lage being surrounded with evergreen trees, and the
whole almost encircled by a river. To the left of
this valley rises an extensive and picturesque moun-
tain, cultivated almost to the summit, and dotted
here and there with villages and gentlemen's houses.
Looking into the valley at early morn, you will see
the lazy buffalo, driven by an equally indolent
ploughman, dragging a Lilliputian plough through
the slimy paddy-field ; the lazy Javanese labourer
going to his work in the field ; the native women
reaping, with the hand only, and stalk by stalk, the
ripe paddy (rice) in one field, while those in the
next are sowing the seed; the adjoining fields
being covered with stubble, their crops having been
reaped weeks before. Upon the declivity of the
mountain is seen the stately coffee-tree, the planta-
tions of which commence about 1300 feet above the
level of the sea, and proceed up the hill till they
reach the height of 4000 feet. Nothing can be more
8 TRADE AND TRAVEL
beautiful than a full-grown coffee-plantation: the
deep green foliage, the splendid bright-red berry,
and the delicious shade afforded by the trees, render
those spots altogether fit for princes ; and princely
lives their owners lead. One is always sure of a
hearty welcome from these gentlemen, who are
ever glad to see a stranger. They give him the
best horse in the stable to ride, the best room in the
house to occupy, and express regret when his visit
is drawing to a close. I speak from experience,
having put the hospitality of several of them to the
test.
During my first stay at Batavia, from 1823 to
1826, the celebrated Java war broke out, the so-called
rebel army being headed by a native Chief of Djock-
djocarta, named Diepo Nogoro. Shortly after the
first outbreak, the then Governor-General, Baron
Vander Capellen, called on all Europeans between
the ages of sixteen and forty-five to serve in the
ftchuttery, or militia. An infantry and a cavalry
corps were formed, and I joined the latter, preferring
a ride in the evening to a walk with a fourteen-pound
musket over my shoulder. After a probation of
pretty tight drilling, we became tolerable soldiers,
on " nothing a day and finding ourselves," and had
the good town of Batavia put under our charge, the
regular troops being all sent away to the scene of
war. As I do not intend to return to the subject,
IN THE FAR EAST. 9
I may as well mention here, that the war lasted five
years, and that it would have lasted five years longer,
had Diepo Nogoro not been taken prisoner I fear by
treachery. I saw him landed at Batavia, in 1829,
from the steameV which had brought him from Sa
marang. The Governor's carriage and aides-de-
camp were at the wharf to receive him. In that
carriage he was driven to gaol, whence he was ba-
nished no one knows whither; and he has never
since been heard of. Such is the usual fate of Dutch
prisoners of state ! Diepo Nogoro deserved a better
fate. He was a gallant soldier, and fought bravely.
Poor fellow ! how his countenance fell as well it
might when he saw where the carriage drew up !
He stopped short on putting his foot on the pave-
ment, evidently unwilling to enter the gloomy-
looking pile ; cast an eager glance around ; and,
seeing there was no chance of escape, walked in.
Several gentlemen followed, before the authorities
had the door closed, and saw the fallen chief, with his
two wives, consigned to two miserable-looking rooms.
Java has been quite tranquil ever since.
The society of Batavia, at the time I am referring
to, was both choice and gay ; and the influence of my
good friends threw me at once into the midst of it.
The Dutch and English inhabitants did not then
(nor do they now) mix together so much as would,
in my opinion, have been agreeable and mutually
B 3
10 TRADE AND TRAVEL
advantageous. A certain jealousy kept the two par-
ties too much apart. Nevertheless, I have been
present at many delightful parties in Dutch families,
the pleasures of which were not a little heightened
by the presence of some ten or a dozen charming
Dutch girls. Charming and beautiful they certainly
are while young ; but, ere they reach thirty, a mar-
vellous change comes over their appearance: the
fair-haired, blue-eyed, laughing romp of eighteen
has, in that short period of ten or twelve years,
become transformed into a stout and rather elderly-
looking matron, as unlike an English woman of the
same age as one can well fancy. When I look back
on those gay and pleasant parties, and think how
few of the individuals who composed them are now
alive, the reflection makes me sad. What a different
class its English inhabitants of the present day are
from those of 1823 1826 ! I may be prejudiced in
favour of the former state of society ; but, in giving
the preference to it, I shall be borne out by any of
the few survivers who knew Batavia at both periods.
From 1823 to 1835, the Governor's parties were
thronged with our countrymen and countrywomen.
Let any one enter His Excellency's ball-room now-
a-days, and he will not meet with more than one or
two English of the old school, and not one of the
new. The causes of this change are obvious : it
arises from the different class of people that now
IN THE FAR EAST. 11
come out from Liverpool, Manchester, and Glasgow,
compared with the British merchant of former times,
and from the total deficiency of the most common
civility, on the part of our countrymen, towards the
many highly respectable, agreeable, and intelligent
Dutch families that form the society of the place.
It is with pain I write this ; but, as a citizen of the
world, who has seen a good deal of life, in recording
my sentiments on these matters, I cannot avoid
telling the plain truth as it struck me from personal
observation.
The vicinity of Batavia affords the most beautiful
drives ; and hundreds of vehicles, from the handsome
carriage and four of the Member of Council to the
humble buggy of the merchant's clerk, may be seen
every evening, from five till half-past six, that being
the coolest and best time for taking out-of-door
exercise. The roads are excellent, lined on both
sides with trees, which keep them shaded and cool
nearly all day. The scene is altogether gay, and
affords a gratifying indication of the wealth and im-
portance of this fine colony. By seven o'clock, the
drives are deserted ; and, immediately afterwards,
lights may be seen glittering in every dwelling in
the neighbourhood, while, in every second or third
house, the passer-by may observe parties of pleasure
assembling for the evening. The Dutch have adopted
the social plan of exchanging friendly visits in the
12 TRADE AND TRAVEL
evening, avoiding our more formal ones of the
morning. At these chance evening parties (if I may
so term them), the company are entertained with
music and cards, and other diversions ; and should
the visitor be too old to join the young folks in their
gayety, he will find one or two of his own standing
snugly seated in the far corner of the verandah,
where he is sure to be supplied with a good cigar
and the very best wine. These groupes are per-
fect pictures of comfort and content. With all his
good qualities, however, " John Dutchman " is jealous
of " John Bull," and cannot help shewing it, parti-
cularly in commercial matters. How short-sighted
his policy is, in this point of view, it would be no
difficult task to prove.
The pleasantest months of the year, in Batavia,
are, June, July, and August, when the sun is to the
northward. I have frequently found a blanket ne-
cessary at this season : indeed, the nights, through-
out Java, are generally sufficiently cool to allow the
European to enjoy a refreshing sleep, after which he
will find no difficulty in getting through a hot day.
The public health is generally very good from May
till September inclusive. In April and October,
strangers, particularly the recently arrived Euro-
pean, are apt to suffer from colds and fever, caused,
in a great measure, by the breaking-up of the
monsoon, which takes place in those months. In
IN THE FAR EAST. 13
November or December, the north-west monsoon
brings on the rains, which certainly then come down
in torrents, and render the city of Batavia a perfect
charnel-house for those poor Natives and Chinese
who are unfortunately compelled to remain in it.
I have seen it entirely flooded with water, to the
depth of four or five feet in some parts. The mal-
aria occasioned by the deposit of slimy mud left all
over the town by the water, on its retiring, causes
sad havoc among the poorer Chinese and Malays,
who reside in the lowest parts of the town, and inha-
bit wretched hovels. These floods seldom annoy the
inhabitants of the suburbs ; yet I well remember, in
the season of 1828, a friend of mine lay down on a
sofa and went to sleep, about eight o'clock in the
evening : at three next morning, he awoke with the
water just reaching his couch, much to his surprise
and no small alarm, till, on becoming collected, he
bethought him of the cause. The neighbouring
river had risen, from mountain rains, whilst he was
asleep, and had completely flooded his house, to the
depth of eighteen inches, together with the garden
and neighbourhood.
I know no market, east of the Cape of Good Hope,
better supplied with fruit than that of Batavia.
Among the choicest, I would name the mangistan, the
durian, and the pumaloe or shaddock. The first is un-
known beyond eight degrees from the Equator, and
14 TRADE AND TRAVEL
is, perhaps, the best fruit with which nature has
blessed the' tropical regions. It is about the size of
an orange, its rind of a dark purple, and its pulp
divided into parts like the contents of an orange, as
white as driven snow. Its taste I cannot attempt to
describe, knowing nothing to which I can compare
it. The best quality of the mangistan is its perfect
harmlessness. The patient suffering from fever,
liver complaint, consumption, or any of the nume-
rous ills that flesh is heir to, may, with perfect impu-
nity, cool his parched tongue with a dozen of this
delightful fruit ; and no one who has not been laid
on a sick bed within the tropics, can appreciate this
blessing. The rind, when dried, and made into tea,
is an excellent tonic, and is often successfully used
in cases of dysentery, by Native as well as European
practitioners. The durian is a favourite fruit with
most people who can overcome its smell, which cer-
tainly is no very easy matter. Natives of all classes
are passionately fond of this fruit, and almost subsist
on it when in plenty. Strange to say, goats, sheep,
poultry, and even the royal tiger, eagerly devour
the durian, of which I confess myself, notwithstand-
ing the aforesaid smell, an admirer, in common with
many of my countrymen. Its size is that of a cocoa-
nut, husk and all ; its rind is very thick, of a pale
green colour, and covered with strong sharp thorns ;
its interior is divided into compartments, each
IN THE FAR EAST. 15
of which contains three or four seeds about the
size of a pullet's egg ; these seeds are 'covered, to
the thickness of a quarter of an inch, with a pale
yellow pulp, which is the part eaten. The taste
resembles, according to the description of those
who like the fruit, that of a very rich custard,
and, according to those who have never succeeded
in overcoming their antipathy to the smell, that of a
mixture of decayed eggs and garlic. This fruit can-
not be eaten in large quantities with impunity by
Europeans, being of a very heating nature. With
me it never agreed ; nor do I remember a single
instance of its agreeing with my countrymen, when
eaten freely. Half a one is as much as most people
can manage at a time. The durian seeds, when
roasted, make an excellent substitute for chestnuts.
The shaddock of Java is a magnificent fruit, and
surpasses those of any other country with which I am
acquainted. In addition to these three prime fruits
of Java, I may mention the pine-apple, soursop,
rambutan, rose-apple, guava, dookoo, and sixty dif-
ferent kinds of plantain and banana. These, and
many others, thrive and abound on this favoured
island. With poultry, butchers' meat, fish, and vege-
tables, Batavia and Java generally are abundantly
supplied ; while the residents on its mountains may
enjoy strawberries and cream in perfection.
16 TRADE AND TRAVEL
CHAPTER II.
JAVA.
SAMARANG - A TIGER FIGHT JAVA PONEY9 EXCURSION'
TO SOLO WILD SPORTS DJOCKDJOCARTA REMAINS OF
THE ANCIENT PALACE IMPERIAL ELEPHANTS EXPE-
RIMENT IN INDIGO-PLANTING JAVANESE EXECUTION -
A PET BOA - ALLIGATORS FOREST LABOUR - SLAVERY
IN JAVA OPIUM-SMOKING - TEA - THE UPAS-TREE.
three and four hundred miles eastward of
Batavia, on the north coast of Java, is the small,
neat, old-fashioned town of Samarang, which, when
I visited it in 1824, was the residence of several
English merchants : now, there is only a single one
remaining, so completely has monopoly destroyed
mercantile enterprise ! The harbour is a safe one
in the south-east monsoon, but the reverse when the
north-west winds prevail. It is, however, constantly
visited by European shipping, which take cargoes of
coffee, sugar, rice, &c. &c., to all parts of Europe,
Australia, Singapore, and China.
The circumstance at this distance of time most
clear and distinct in my memory, in connection with
IN THE FAR EAST. 17
my .first visit to Samarang, is a tiger-fight, which I
will attempt to describe. The exhibition took place
on an extensive plain near the town, just after day-
break. A square of men, armed with the native
spear, was formed three deep, and one hundred yards
across. Inside this square was placed a box resem-
bling in shape a coffin, but much larger, containing
a royal tiger fresh from his native forests, which had
been brought to town the day previously for this ex-
press purpose. Imagine every thing ready, the square
formed, the box in its centre, and a silent multitude
looking on, some perched on trees, some on the coach-
boxes of the numerous carriages, others on horseback,
and thousands on foot ; whilst the native chief of the
district, with his friends, and the European officials of
the place, occupied a gay pavilion, placed in an ad-
vantageous situation for viewing the coming strife.
A native Javan, in full dress, is now seen advancing
into the square, followed by two coolies or porters,
one carrying a bundle of straw, the other a lighted
torch. The straw is thrown over the box, and the
torch-bearer stands ready to set fire to it at the end
where the tiger's head is, the box being too narrow
to permit his turning round in it. The leading
native then lifts a sliding door at the other extre-
mity of the box, carefully covering the opening thus
made with mats, to prevent the light from pene
trating, and inducing his royal highness to back
18 TRADE AND TRAVEL
out too soon. This operation completed, the straw
is set on fire. The native and his two coolies now
retire slowly, keeping time to Javanese music as
they make their way outside the square. By this
time, the fire has got fair hold of the box, filling it
with smoke, and the tiger begins his retreat, his
berth becoming rather warm. Presently, his hind
quarters appear issuing through the sliding doorway,
its covering of mat readily yielding to the pressure :
by degrees, his hind feet gain firm footing outside,
and his whole body is soon displayed. On appear-
ing, he seemed rather confused for a few seconds,
and, laying himself quietly down, looked all round
upon his foes, and gave a roar that made the welkin
ring, and my young heart quake a little. He then
rose, deliberately shook himself, turned towards the
rising sun, set off first at a walk, then at a trot,
which he gradually increased to a smart canter, till
within a few yards of the points of the spears
pointed at him ; he then came to the charge, and
made a spring that surprised me, and, I fancy, every
one present. I am afraid to say how high he leaped,
but he was on the descent before a single spear
touched him. This leap was evidently made with
the intention of getting clear over the heads of the
men and their spears too ; and he most certainly
would have accomplished it, had he not leaped too
soon, and fallen within the square, the height of the
IN THE FAR EAST. 19
spring being quite sufficient for the purpose. As it
was, when on the descent, the spears of the six
men nearest him being pointed at his breast, one of
them inflicted a frightful wound. On reaching the
ground, the noble beast struggled hard for his
liberty; but, finding his efforts of no avail, he
ultimately started off at full gallop to the opposite
side of the square, where he renewed his exertions,
though with less vigour than that displayed on his
first attempt, and with no better success. He then
galloped twice round the square, just at the point of
the spears. Not a man advanced to touch him, it being
the rule, that the tiger must come within the range
of the spears before they can be used. He was ulti-
mately killed while making a third attempt to
escape ; and thus ended the sport. His first charge
was very brilliant and exciting ; his second much
less so ; his third and last was very feeble.
Immediately after the tiger's death, the same cere-
monies were gone through with a leopard, who took
the spear-men rather by surprise, and, instead of
trying to leap over their heads, darted in under
their spears, got among their feet, and effected his
retreat, to the no small consternation of the sur-
rounding multitude, who soon scattered in all direc-
tions. He was, however, pursued by the men he
had baffled, and was killed under a bridge in the im-
mediate neighbourhood.
f
20 TRADE AND TRAVEL
Tigers are frequently pitted by the native chiefs
of Java against buffaloes, but I never was fortunate
enough to witness one of those conflicts. The buf-
falo is generally the conqueror, and is sure to be so,
if he succeeds in getting one fair butt at his adver-
sary, whom he tosses in the air, and butts again on
his fall. Occasionally, the tiger declines the combat
altogether, when his tormentors rouse him by the
application of lighted torches to the tenderest parts
of his body : but even this extreme measure has been
known to fail ; in which case the terrified animal is
withdrawn, and another is put forward in his place.
These are cruel pastimes, though they may be thought
not more so than dog-fighting and cock-fighting,
which were formerly so much practised in Britain ;
and not so barbarous as a pugilistic combat between
two hired brutes called prize-fighters.
The society of Samarang is neither so extensive
nor so attractive as that of Batavia : it is, however,
a pleasant and healthy place, notwithstanding its
proximity to an extensive swamp. Its safeguard
against the malaria we might naturally look for in
this situation, is the tide, which flows over the marsh
twice a day, and keeps it sweet.
During the Java war, a small volunteer corps of
cavalry was formed here, the members of which, in
their zeal, offered their services to join a party who
were proceeding to Damak, (a small village about
IN THE FAR EAST. 21
forty miles off, ) to put down a body of armed rebels.
Poor fellows ! they went out in high spirits, but trusted
too much to their unbroken horses, which took fright,
and threw them into inextricable confusion on hear-
ing the first volley. The sad consequences of this
rash though gallant day's work, were, the death of
seven young English gentlemen, all highly respected,
and sincerely regretted by their countrymen. They
were all personal friends of my own. I well re-
member the gloom which the intelligence cast over
the society at Batavia.
In and about Samarang may be collected any
number of the beautiful Java poneys, animals un-
surpassed for symmetry in any part of the world.*
The work they perform is beyond belief. Ten
miles an hour is the common rate of travelling post :
four of them are generally used for this purpose, and
the stages are from seven to nine miles, according to
the nature of the country. When within half-a-mile
of the first house where relays are kept, the native
coachman cracks his long, unwieldy whip, which can
be heard at a great distance. At this signal, the
grooms harness the four poneys whose turn for work
it is ; and, by the time your carriage halts under the
shed that crosses the road at every post-house, the
fresh poneys are to be seen 'coming out of the stable,
* The Java poney in Her Majesty's stable at Windsor, is certainly
no fair specimen, being the worst-favoured brute under the sun.
22 TRADE AND TRAVEL
all ready for the next stage. Your attention is then
attracted by a man with a stout bamboo, some eight
feet long, in his hand, full of water, which he pours
over the naves of the wheels, to cool them. By this
time, the tired poneys are unhooked, the fresh ones
put-to, and away rattles the carriage again with its
delighted passengers. I know nothing more exciting
and agreeable than a ramble amongst the mountains
of this favoured isle, under the direction of the post
establishment.
From Samarang, early in 1824, I posted with a
friend to Solo and Djockdjocarta, the ancient seats
of the Emperors and Sultans of this part of Java.
They are now shorn of their splendour; but they
still possess novelty enough to attract a stranger.
On our route, we visited some beautiful coffee-plan-
tations, and passed through the pretty and romantic-
looking village of Salatiga.* We had a splendid
view of the far-famed Gunung Marapi, or fire-moun-
tain ; and, on every side, we saw evidence of the
thriving condition of this magnificent part of Java.
At Solo, I was so fortunate as to be present at the
then Emperor's marriage; a scene which brought
painfully to mind the fallen state of the chiefs of
* A name derived from the Malay words, sallah, " a fault or
crime," and tiga, the numeral " three"; consequently meaning
the " third fault." How this pretty spot came by such a name, I
never heard.
IN THE FAR EAST. 23
this neighbourhood, by its being superintended by
the Dutch Resident at the Court. There were three
days' feasting, royal salutes from the imperial guard,
Javanese music, and dancing girls in great numbers ;
but I found the whole affair very fatiguing. Fallen as
was the Emperor's state at that time, it subsequently
became much more reduced, in consequence of his
having been found guilty of being secretly concerned
in the late war or rebellion. He has long since fol-
lowed his friend and coadjutor, Diepo Nogoro. A tool
of the Dutch Government now reigns in his stead,
who cannot even leave his house for twenty- four hours
without permission from the Resident at his Court.
One day, I accompanied a party of friends to see
the Emperor's tigers, a number of which animals he
generally had ready for exhibitions similar to those
already described. We found one very noble fel-
low confined in a house some fifteen feet square,
formed -of the trunks of cocoa-nut trees, placed about
five inches apart. On looking through, we saw the
tiger in the position usually chosen by a dog when
he wants to warm his face at the fire. Hearing our
approach, he stared us steadily in the face for about
a minute, and then made a spring at us, so suddenly
that he came with his whole force against the bars,
before we had time to move a step. The shock
shook the building, as well as our nerves, not a little,
though we were of course scatheless.
24 TRADE AND TRAVEL
At Solo, I first tasted the Javanese " Findhorn had-
dock," which is, in fact, a trout caught in the beauti-
ful Solo river. After being cleaned, it is wrapped
up in a bundle of rice-straw, which is forthwith set
on fire ; and as soon as the straw is consumed, the
fish is ready for eating, and really resembles in fla-
vour its celebrated name-sake.
In the neighbourhood of Solo, a bold sportsman
may find game to his liking, and willing natives to
guide him in his search after tigers, wild hogs, the
huge boa, deer, snipe, and quail. In pursuit of the
last, too many a fever is caught, through the impru-
dence of young men in staying out too late in the
day, and in keeping on their wet and soiled clothes and
shoes during their ride or drive home. A little at-
tention to such apparent trifles would save many a
valuable life. Deer and wild-hog are generally pur-
sued and shot by a party armed with rifles, who post
themselves along one side of a jungle, while a party
of natives advance from the opposite, driving the
game before them with long poles and shouting.
Great care must be taken by the sportsman, on these
occasions, not to fire too soon: if he fires into the
jungle, he runs the risk of shooting one of the bush-
beaters ; if to the right or left, he may plant his bul-
let in the breast of one of his companions. He must
reserve his fire till the game is fairly out of the
bush, and in rear of the line of rifles, when he may
IN THE FAR EAST. 25
turn round and deliver his charge. I recollect a
fatal accident happening near Salatiga, through a
gentleman's deviating from the strict rule, never to
change your position when once placed by the lead-
ing sportsman. A party were out after hogs by
moonlight, when one gentleman, thinking he heard a
noise as of an approaching porker on his left, very
imprudently got on his hands and knees to crawl
round in the hope of getting the first shot. The
sportsman stationed next to him got a glimpse of
him on the path, and mistaking him in the uncer-
tain light for a hog or other wild animal, fired his
rifle without a moment's hesitation, and mortally
wounded his unfortunate friend, who lived just long
enough to acknowledge his error, and to beg that no
blame might be attached to the individual who caused
his death. Poor fellow ! he paid dearly for his im-
prudence.
Solo is protected by a small fort, which is always
garrisoned by European troops, the Government
not choosing to trust native soldiers in that^ part of
the country. For this, no one can blame the Dutch ;
for the chiefs require looking after, and are apt to
give trouble. While the Island was held by the
British Government, a mutiny broke out at Solo
among the Bengal sepoys : on its suppression, it was
found they had been tampered with by these chiefs,
26 TRADE AND TRAVEL
and that numbers had been gained over to their
cause.
Nothing can exceed the hospitality of the Dutch
inhabitants of this part of Java: their houses are
always open to the stranger, of whom they think
too much cannot be made. The Resident's esta-
blishment is a splendid one, and to his liberality and
hospitality I can testify from personal experience.
Indeed, our countrymen, in many parts that I could
name, might, with great advantage to themselves
and to travellers in their districts, take lessons from
their Dutch brethren in office.
From Solo, I went to Djockdjocarta, distant forty
miles, in a gig. A kind friend having placed relays
of horses on the road for me, I performed the journey
with perfect ease, without the aid of a whip, in four
hours. The poney I had the last stage, was the best
little animal in harness I ever sat behind: he lite-
rally flew along the road. At one point, I came to
a bridge, which, as I could see at some distance, had
been broken, so as to render it impassable. While
meditating how I was to get across the river, not
knowing there was a ford in the neighbourhood, my
poney, which had come the road in the morning to
meet me, settled the question, by suddenly darting
off, through a gap in the hedge at the road-side, down
the river bank, at the top of his speed, and, before I
IN THE FAR EAST. 27
could collect my scattered senses, was across the
stream and up the opposite bank, to my no small
surprise and pleasure. He was a noble little animal,
of a mouse colour; and was originally purchased
from a native dealer for twenty-eight guilders (about
21. 6s. Sc?.).
At Djockdjocarta are to be seen many ancient re-
sidences of the Javanese Chiefs ; amongst others, the
celebrated Cratan or palace, the taking of which, in
1 S 12, cost General Gillespie a hard struggle. It is
surrounded with a high wall, which encloses an area
of exactly one square mile : outside the wall runs a
deep, broad ditch. The place could offer but a feeble
resistance against artillery, in which arm Gillespie
was deficient when he attacked and took it. Another
curious building is that in which the Sultans, in days
of yore, used to keep their ladies: it is composed
entirely of long narrow passages, with numerous
small rooms on each side ; each of which, in the days
of their master's glory, was the residence, according
to tradition, of a beautiful favourite. To prevent
the escape of the ladies, or the intrusion of any gal-
lants, the whole pile is surrounded with a canal, which
used to be filled with alligators : the only entrance
was by a subterranean passage beneath this canal, and
which ran under it for its whole length. When I
visited the place in 1824, the canal, passage, &c.
were all in good order, though the latter was getting
c 2
8 TRADE AND TRAVEL
damp from neglect; a proof that the masons and
plasterers of Java, in old times, must have been very
superior workmen.
Djockdjocarta was the birth-place of Diepo Nogoro,
and the scene of his earliest warlike movements
against the Dutch. So unexpected and sudden was
his first attack, that he caught the garrison napping,
and had them within his grasp before they knew he
was in the field.
In the Cratan, the Sultan had, in 1824, three noble
elephants, each kept under a separate shed. I went,
with three other visitors, to see those animals ; and
we passed sometime amusing ourselves by giving
them fruit and other dainties. We did not remark,
however, that one of our friends had been for some-
time teasing one of them, by offering him a plan-
tain, and constantly withdrawing it just as the poor
animal was laying hold of it with his trunk. We
had not gone twenty yards from the spot, when the
elephant's keeper approached, and gave him a couple
of cocoa-nuts, (minus the husk, but with the shells,)
part of his daily food, I presume. The elephant
took one of these, and, with a wicked look at the
gentleman who had been teasing him, threw the nut
at him with great force. Fortunately he missed his
aim. The nut struck a post within six inches of the
teaser's head, and was literally smashed : had it
struck where doubtless it was meant to do, it would
IN THE FAR EAST. 29
certainly have proved as fatal as an eighteen-pound
shot. So much for teasing elephants. We beat a
speedy retreat, not choosing to risk a second shot.
Djockdjocarta can hardly be called a town ; yet it
is more than a village. The houses of the European
inhabitants are much scattered, and many of them
occupy very pretty situations. The climate is deli-
cious ; and exercise on horseback may be taken with
impunity from six to nine A.M., and from three to
seven P.M. It is not uncommon to see Europeans
riding about during the intervening hours ; but this
is generally avoided by old residents.
A successful attempt was made here, by a country-
man of mine, in 1823, to grow indigo. The quantity
produced was limited, but the quality was excellent ;
and, but for some vexatious regulations of the Go-
vernment regarding the residence of foreigners in
this part of Java, which drove the spirited individual
alluded to from the neighbourhood, I have no doubt
he would speedily have realized a handsome fortune.
Since that period, indigo- planting has been carried
on in various parts of Java to a large extent. The
quantity produced annually is now about one million
and a half of pounds ; and the quality is such as to
command the first prices in the continental markets.
Indeed, the Bengal planters are becoming quite
jealous of those of Java.
Shortly before my arrival at Djockdjocarta, a
30 TRADE AND TRAVEL
daring house-robbery, by a band of Javanese, took
place in the neighbourhood. Six of the robbers
were afterwards caught, tried, convicted, condemned,
and executed a la Javnn on the scene of their crime :
they were tied hands and feet to separate stakes, and
krissed by a native executioner, who performed his
dreadful office so scientifically that his victims died
without a groan. The cool indifference with which
five of the unfortunates witnessed the execution of
the first sufferer, and successively received the kriss
in their own bosoms, was quite surprising, and
shewed with what stoical composure the Mohamme-
dan fatalist can meet a violent death.
The forests of Java are inhabited by the rhino-
ceros, tiger, black tiger, leopard, tiger-cat, boa-con-
strictor, and a variety of animals of milder natures.
The elephant is not found in its wild state in these
woods, though numerous in those of the neighbour-
ing island. I am not aware of any other animal that
may be called dangerous to man in these unrivalled
forests ; nor is there much to be apprehended from
occasionally coming in contact with either of those
above-named, though accidents happen now and
then. I have known a carriage and four attacked
on the main road between Batavia and Samarang,
by a tiger, and one of the poneys killed by the fierce
onset. This, however, is a rare occurrence, and can
happen only when the tiger is hard pressed for food ;
IN THE FAR EAST. 31
which is seldom the case in the woods of Java, over-
run as they are with deer, wild-hog, and other royal
game. The boa is harmless to man, unless his path
is crossed, when a speedy retreat is advisable. A
friend of mine in Samarang once kept one of these
monsters as a pet, and used to let him crawl all over
the garden : it measured exactly nineteen feet. It
was regularly fed twice a month, viz. on the 1st and
the 1 5th. On the first day of the month, a moderate-
sized goat was put into his house. The poor animal
would scream, and exhibit every symptom of extreme
terror, but was not kept long in suspense; for the
snake, after eyeing his victim keenly, would spring
on it with the rapidity of thought, coil three turns
round the body, and in an instant every bone in the
goafs skin was broken. The next process was, to
stretch the carcass to as great a length as he could
before uncoiling himself; then to lick it all over;
and he commenced his feast by succeeding, after
some severe exertion, in getting the goat's head
within his mouth. In the course of twenty minutes,
the whole animal was swallowed : the snake would
then lie down, and remain perfectly dormant for
three or four days. His lunch (as I may call it) on
the fifteenth of the month, used to consist of a duck.
This snake was given, in 1815, to Lord Amherst, on
his return from China, and reached the Cape in
safety : there it was over-fed to gratify the curious
32 TRADE AND TRAVEL
visitors, and died in consequence before the ship
reached St. Helena.
While on the subject of wild animals, I may men-
tion a leopard that was kept by an English officer in
Samarang, during our occupation of the Dutch colo-
nies. This animal had its liberty, and used to run all
over the house after its master. One morning, after
breakfast, the officer was sitting smoking his hookah,
with a book in his right-hand, and the hookah-snake
in his left, when he felt a slight pain in the left
hand, and, on attempting to raise it, was checked by
a low angry growl from his pet leopard : on looking
down, he saw the animal had been licking the back
of his hand, and had by degrees drawn a little blood.
The leopard would not suffer the removal of the
hand, but continued licking it with great apparent
relish, which did not much please his master ; who,
with great presence of mind, without attempting
again to disturb the pet in his proceeding, called to
his servant to bring him a pistol, with which he shot
the animal dead on the spot. Such pets as snakes
nineteen feet long and full-grown leopards are not
to be trifled with. The largest snake I ever saw
was twenty-five feet long, and eight inches in diame-
ter. I have heard of sixty-feet snakes, but cannot
vouch for the truth of the tale.
In my enumeration of animals dangerous to man,
I omitted the alligator, which infests every river and
IN THE FAR EAST. 33
muddy creek in Java, and grows to a very large
size. At the mouth of the Batavia river, they are
very numerous and dangerous, particularly to Euro-
peans. It strikes one as extraordinary, to see the
copper-coloured natives bathing in the river within
view of a large alligator : they never seem to give
the animal a thought, or to anticipate injury from
his proximity. Yet, were a European to enter the
water by the side of the natives, his minutes in this
world would be few. I recollect an instance that
occurred on the occasion of a party of troops em-
barking at Batavia for the eastward, during the Java
war. The men had all gone off, with the exception
of three sergeants, who were to follow in the ship's
jolly-boat, which was waiting for them at the wharf :
two of them stepped into the boat ; but the third, in
following, missed his footing, and fell with his leg in
the water, and his body over the gunwale of the boat.
In less than an instant, an alligator darted from under
the wharf, and seized the unfortunate man by the
leg, while his companions in the boat laid hold of
his shoulders. The poor fellow called out to his
friends, "Pull; hold on; don't let go"; but their
utmost exertions were unavailing-. The alligator
C3 O
proved the strongest, and carried off his prize. The
scene was described to me by a bystander, who said,
he could trace the monster's course all the way down
the river with his victim in his immense mouth.
C 3
34 TRADE AND TRAVEL
The inhabitants of Java are, generally speaking,
a quiet, tractable race, but rather lazy withal. The
Dutch Government could never have made the
Island produce half the quantity it now yields of
either sugar, coffee, or rice, without a little whole-
some coercion; coercion that seemed somewhat
tyrannical at first, but which has ultimately pleased
all parties concerned, and done wonders for Java.
If my memory serves me, it was in the time of
Governor Vandenborch that this system of coercion
commenced. The inhabitants of the villages, in
various parts of the Island, were compelled by an
armed force, when milder means had failed, to turn
out at day-light, and labour in the fields planted
either by Government itself or by Government con-
tractors, which naturally caused a great deal of
discontent; but, as the labourers were regularly
paid in cash for their day's work every evening,
they very soon became reconciled to a system that
not only provided amply for their families, but gave
them the means of indulging in their favourite
pastime, gambling. To this vice, all classes are pas-
sionately addicted ; and nothing is more common
than to see a gang of coolies sit down in the middle
of the road, and gamble for hours on the few pieces
they may have just earned for having carried a
heavy burthen a couple of miles. The inhabitants
of the districts in which the coercion I speak of has
IN THE FAR EAST. 35
been put in force, are now better satisfied with their
rulers than ever they were before.
The extent to which the growth of coffee and
sugar has been carried, has rather checked that of
rice, which has been twenty-five per cent, dearer the
last fifteen years, than during the preceding twenty :
it is, however, still cheap enough as an article of
food, though the price is too high to compete, in the
China or Singapore markets, with the produce of
Lombok, Bally, Siam, or Cochin China.*
Slavery still exists in Java, and every Dutch
family has its domestic slaves. The law forbids the
importation of fresh ones, and provides for the good
treatment of those now in bondage. It also pro-
hibits the slave-owner from separating a family ; so
that the wife and husband cannot be parted from
* By the last overland papers from Singapore (Sept. 1845),
I observe, the Dutch Government has been importing rice from
Pondicherry to Java; a proceeding quite unprecedented in my
time, and to be accounted for only by the extent to which the
cultivation of sugar, indigo, and coffee is carried, in order to satisfy
the constant demands on the colonies of the Netherlands for money.
To this cause may be added, however, the occurrence of one or two
dry seasons ; a rare phenomenon within the tropics, and attribu-
table, probably, in some degree, to the vast extent of country
recently cleared of forest and jungle to make way for the plough.
No policy can be so blind as that which compels the poor Javanese
to eat imported rice, while living in a country capable of yielding
food for all Europe.
r
Ob TRADE AND TRAVEL
each other, or from their children, except in the
case of a crime having been committed by a mem-
ber of the family. In that case, the guilty party is,
on application to the chief magistrate, put up to auc-
tion, and sold to the highest bidder. This, however,
is a rare occurrence, though I have witnessed such
sales. The slaves, knowing well the consequence of
an act of dishonesty, are cautious how they venture
to trespass on the rights of meum and tuum. I may
safely say, I have never, in all my wanderings, seen
a race of people better treated than the slaves of
Java: they are well fed and well clothed; and adults
of both sexes receive a monthly allowance of two
guilders (3s. 4d.) under the name of pocket-money.
This sum may seem small ; but, when we take into
consideration, that a free man can be hired for
eight guilders per month in Batavia, and for six in
the country, on which sum he has to feed and
clothe himself and his wife and children, it will be
sufficiently evident that the slave's allowance is
ample, his master feeding and clothing him and his
family. I object in toto to slavery in any form ;
but I confess I do not think the slaves of Java would
be benefitted, were their liberty given them to-
morrow.
The natives of Java are by no means free from
that prevalent Eastern vice, or luxury, opium-
smoking; and the Dutch Government derives an
IN THE FAR EAST. 37
immense revenue from the article. I have, in
various parts of the Eastern world, seen the evil
effects of opium-smoking ; but am decidedly of opi-
nion, that those arising from gin-drinking in Eng-
land, and from whisky-drinking in Ireland and
Scotland, far exceed them. Let any unprejudiced
European walk through the native towns of Java,
Singapore, or China, and see if he can find a single
drunken native. What he will meet with are, numbers
of drunken English, Scotch, and Irish seamen, literally
rolling in the gutters, intoxicated, not from opium,
but from rum and other spirits sent all the way
from England for the purpose of enabling her
worthy sons to exhibit themselves to Chinese and
other nations in this disgraceful light. That spirit-
drinking at home is no excuse for opium-smoking
abroad, I admit ; but I would recommend the well-
intentioned persons who have of late been raising
such an outcry on the subject of opium, to begin at
home, and attempt to reform their own countrymen :
they may then come to China with a clear con-
science, and preach reform to the poor opium-
smoker.
Among other improvements in Java, its rulers
have lately turned their attention to the cultivation
of tea, and with considerable success so far as regards
the quality, I have no means of ascertaining the
quantity of tea at present produced yearly ; but have
38 TRADE AND TRAVEL
no doubt it will, before long, become an important
article of export from the Island.
Before quitting Java, I must say a word about
the far-famed upas-tree. Such a tree certainly
exists on the island; but the tales that are told of
its poisoning the air for hundreds of yards round,
so that birds dare not approach it, that vegetation
is destroyed beneath its branches, and that man
cannot come near it with impunity, are perfectly
ridiculous. To prove their absurdity, a friend of
mine climbed up a upas-tree, and passed two hours
in its branches, where he took his lunch and smoked
a cigar. The tree, however, does contain poison,
and the natives extract the sap, with which they rub
their spear and kriss blades : wounds inflicted with
blades thus anointed, are mortal. Such I believe
to be the origin of the many fabulous stories that
have passed from hand to hand, and from generation
to generation, about the upas-tree of Java.
IN THE FAR EAST. 39
CHAPTER III.
SINGAPORE.
ADVANTAGEOUS POSITION OF SINGAPORE CULTIVATION
OF THE NUTMEG AND COCOA-NUT ROADS AND SCENERY
MOTLEY POPULATION EUROPEAN RESIDENTS
CHINESE EMIGRANTS KLINGS SAMPAN-MEN PLACES
OF WORSHIP TIGERS.
IN the month of May 1824, I returned from my
trip to the eastward, and was kept tightly ut work
in Batavia, till fate sent me wandering in July 1826.
Singapore was the first place I visited; and to it,
therefore, I must devote the next few pages of these
retrospective lucubrations.
Sir Thomas Stamford Raffles deserved a great
O
deal of credit and praise from the mercantile com-
munity of Britain, for having established this empo-
rium of trade. A more lovely or better situation
could not have been chosen; and its surprising
prosperity has more than realized its founder's
expectations, sanguine as they were. Since 1826,
I have resided some considerable time in Singa-
pore ; have witnessed its progress towards its pre-
sent nourishing condition ; and am sufficiently well
40 TRADE AND TRAVEL
acquainted with its trade and its inhabitants to enable
me to speak confidently respecting them. The
Island itself, though only seventy-six miles from the
Equator, enjoys a delightful climate, and is remark-
able for salubrity. Its proximity to the Line secures
frequent refreshing showers, and its foliage is in
consequence always in the full bloom of summer.
During an acquaintance with it of eighteen years,
I have never known a drought of more than three
weeks' duration. Its soil, with little tillage, pro-
duces the nutmeg, the clove, coffee, the cocoa-nut, the
sugar-cane, the pepper-vine, gambia or terra japo-
nica, and all the fruits common to Malacca and Java.
The East-India Company's regulations regarding
land checked, for a few years, the spirit of the agri-
culturist; but, within the last ten years, a few
spirited and praiseworthy individuals have laid out
considerable sums of money in nutmeg, coffee, sugar,
and cocoa-nut plantations. It is a somewhat doubt-
ful point, in my opinion, whether sugar or coffee
plantations on this island will ever pay; but, of the
nutmeg and cocoa-nut groves, I have the best opinion,
and think their proprietors have a very fair chance
of ultimately being well paid for their outlay. Of
the nutmeg gardens, that of Dr. Oxley's is by far the
finest on the island. This gentleman has spared
neither trouble nor expense in bringing his plants
forward, and has now five thousand of the very finest
IN THE FAR EAST. 41
nutmeg-trees I ever saw. Nothing can be finer than
their beautiful position, tasteful outlay, and luxu-
riant foliage. It is now eighteen months since I last
saw those trees : they were then just coming into
bearing; and they are now, I hope, paying their
spirited proprietor for his monthly outlay at all
events, though it may be a few years yet before
they return him interest for his money, and ade-
quate remuneration for his trouble.
A plantation of ten or fifteen thousand cocoa-nut
trees is a more valuable property than many people
imagine. As soon as they come into bearing, which
they do in five years from seed, they are worth
three-quarters of a dollar each per annum net profit,
after paying the labourers : thus, fifteen thousand of
them will yield their proprietor 10,250 dollars per
annum, (i.e. at the moderate calculation of 4s. 2d. to
the dollar, 2135/. 8s. 4c?. sterling,) a sum that would
cover all the outlay incurred during the five non-
productive years, and be a secure revenue to the
owner of the estate for ever, provided that he is
careful in replacing the old trees, as fast as they die,
with new plants.
My reasons for doubting the success of coffee-plan-
tations in Singapore are, that there is not sufficient
depth of soil for the tree, and that, if there were,
labour is too high to enable the planters to compete
with those of Java. As regards sugar, Singapore
42
TRADE AND TRAVEL
being a sugar-importing colony, its own produce
pays, on being imported into England, Ss. per
hundred- weight more duty than the, produce of
non-importing British colonies.* The high price of
labour is also against the sugar- planter. An able-
bodied labourer costs, in Singapore, four dollars per
month, while the same man can be had in the moun-
tains of Java for three guilders in money, and the
value of two in rice. Thus, the Singapore planter
pays more than double the rate of wages for his
labour; and, as his lands are not so rich as his
neighbour's, he stands, I fear, but a poor chance in
the competition with him.
To the eastward of the town of Sing-apore, extends
a considerable plain, on which the sugar and cocoa-
nut plantations stand. To the westward and inland
of the town, the country consists almost entirely of
* Since my arrival in England, an Act has been passed, removing,
in some measure, this bar to the prosperity of the Singapore sugar-
planter ; I allude to the recent reduction in the duty on all sugars,
excepting slave-grown. The Singaporeans are naturally anxious to
be allowed to send their sugars to the English market on the same
terms as their brethren of Prince of Wales' Island have lately been
permitted to do. This they can hardly expect, however, while they
continue to be such large importers of Siam and other foreign
sugars as they are and always have been. To require them to give
up this foreign trade, would do them far more injury than the
granting of their planters' petition would benefit them.
IN THE FAR EAST. 43
hill and dale ; and its aspect is very striking and
picturesque. On many of these miniature (for they
are but miniature) hills, stand pretty bungalows, sur-
rounded with nutmeg and fruit trees: they are
delightful residences, and have the very great ad-
vantage of cool nights, when the tired planter or
merchant can enjoy a sound sleep after the fatigues
of a hot day.
A great deal has been done for Singapore by
gangs of convicts from Bengal, Madras, and Bombay,
who, under an experienced and able superintendent,
have cut and made excellent roads, that now extend
east, west, north, and south, for several miles. Cut-
ting these roads has drained, and thereby rendered
available, large tracts of land that were recently
quite valueless : they also add much to the enjoy-
ment of the Singaporean, by enabling him to extend
his ride or drive of an evening. The scenery along
the different roads consists of hills and dales, covered
with the richest and most luxuriant foliage, with
here and there a clearing, where some industrious
China-man has squatted, in defiance of tigers and
East-India Company's regulations. Now that land
can be got on better terms than formerly, these
clearings are being purchased by Europeans of the
squatter, whose prior right the Government always
protects to the extent of a fair remuneration for his
labour, and are being turned into gardens or plan-
44 TRADE AND TRAVEL
tations. This drives back the squatter, who, like
his brethren all over the world, is ever willing to
sell and move further inland ; thus materially in-
creasing the extent of cleared land from year to
year. The primeval jungles of Singapore are so
thickly timbered and covered with underwood and
large, tough creepers, that the man who undertakes
to clear them has before him an Herculean task.
According to the best information I could obtain, it
requires a cash outlay of sixty dollars to clear a single
acre ; and even that large sum does not thoroughly
stump it (L e. clear off all the large roots and stumps
of the larger trees) for the planting of coffee, nut-
megs, or pepper. For these, however, this is less
necessary, as the plants are placed at a considerable
distance from each other : for sugar, it is very de-
sirable to have every stump taken out.
Swamps abound on the island: fortunately, they
are all salt-water swamps, and flooded daily by the
tide, which keeps them sweet, so that no one suffers
from residing in their neighbourhood.
A full description of the inhabitants of Singapore
would fill a volume, they are of so many countries.
Here may be seen, besides Europeans of different
nations, and Americans, the Jew, the Armenian, the
Persian, the Parsee, the Arab, the Bengalee, the
Malabaree, the China-man, the Malay, the Javanese,
the Siamese, the Cochin Chinese, with the native of
IN THE FAR EAST. 45
Borneo, of Macassar, and of every island of the
Eastern Archipelago ; all in the costumes of their
respective countries, and forming motley groupes
that can nowhere be surpassed. With the exception
of the Europeans, Americans, and Armenians, each
class occupies a distinct quarter of the town, mixing
but little with the rest, except in business hours,
when one and all may be seen in eager converse on
the all-important subject of money-making.
Europeans generally live in garden-houses in the
suburbs. The favourite situation is along the beach
to the eastward of the town, from which the mer-
chant has a full view of the harbour, as well as of
both its entrances, and can see every vessel that
comes or goes. Pleasant, however, as is this part of
the suburbs, it is gradually being deserted for country
situations, where the hot winds of July, August, and
September are not so much felt, and where the
nights are cooler than on the sea-shore. The houses
generally occupied by these gentlemen, are large
and roomy, with verandahs in front and rear, en-
closed with Venetian blinds : these are kept shut
from ten A.M. till four P.M., which darkens the house
so much that a visiter can with difficulty see his
host or hostess for two or three minutes after en-
tering a room, till the pupils of his eyes, contracted
by the glare on the road, expand, and enable him to
distinguish objects. This custom keeps the house
4G TRADE AND TRAVEL
wonderfully cool, and is universally adopted by new-
comers after the first few months of their residence.
The Chinese occupy the next best part of the town,
and many of them have built substantial and com-
modious houses. A portion of this class are the
descendants of Chinese who settled at Malacca two
hundred years ago : they have never been to China,
and speak Malay much more fluently than they do
their own language. Numbers of them keep their
families at Malacca, having superstitious objections
to a final removal far from the graves of their an-
cestors. The real Chinese emigrant looks on Singa-
pore only as a temporary home, and invariably re-
mits something every year, according to his means,
to his aged parents, wife, or sisters. He usually
consoles himself for his absence from his wife, by
taking to himself another of the country he resides
in : the offspring of this second marriage is always
properly cared for on the father's return to China,
where he probably takes the eldest boy to be
educated.
The Chinese junks bring annually to this part of
the world, from six to eight thousand emigrants,
ninety- nine-hundredths of whom land without a six-
pence in the world beyond the clothes they stand in.
The consequence of this is, that those who cannot
succeed in obtaining immediate employment, take
to thieving, from necessity ; and some daring gang
IN THE FAR EAST. 47
robberies are committed every year. They do not,
however, long continue this mode of life; for the
eight thousand new comers soon scatter, and find em-
ployment either on the Island, in the tin-mines of
Banca, or on the Malayan peninsula.
Ship-loads of these men have been sent to the
Mauritius, where they have given general satisfac-
tion ; and no better class of emigrants could be found
for the West Indies. A tight curb on a China-man
will make him do a great deal of work : at the same
time, he has spirit enough to resist real ill treat-
ment. All the mechanics and house-builders, and
many boatmen and fishermen of Singapore, are
Chinese.
Of the other inhabitants, the most numerous are
the Malabarees, who are principally employed as
shopkeepers, and are as knowing in the art of bar-
gain-driving as any tradesmen of London or Paris.
They generally go here under the denomination of
"Klings" an appellation synonymous, in the Singa-
pore vocabulary, with " scamp," to which I have no
inclination to dispute their title. The boats em-
ployed to carry cargoes to and from the shipping in
the harbour, are almost all manned by these Klings ;
and excellent boatmen they are. When pulling off
a heavily-laden boat, they cheer their labour by a
song, led, in general, by the steersman, the crew
joining in chorus. They are a willing, hard-working
48 TRADE AND TRAVEL
Trace, though rather given to shut their eyes to the
difference between meum and tuum. The original
Malay inhabitants of this Island are now the most
insignificant, both as to numbers and as to general
utility, of the many races that are found on it.
From this remark must be excepted, however, the
sampan-men, who are of great service to the mer-
cantile community. In their fast-sailing sampans
(a superior sort of canoe, peculiar to the place), they
go out ten, fifteen, and even twenty miles, to meet
any ship that may be signalized as approaching the
harbour. They are usually employed to attend a
ship during her stay here, few masters choosing to
trust their crews on shore in boats. Of late years,
reports have been in circulation of a suspected con-
nection between the sampan-men and the Malay
pirates in the neighbourhood ; but I question their
having any foundation in fact. Those Malay fami-
lies whose young men are thus employed as sampan-
men, are called Orang-Laut, or " People of the sea,"
from their living entirely afloat. The middle of the
river just opposite the town of Singapore, is crowded
with boats about twenty feet long by five wide, in
which these poor people are born, live, and die.
They are wretched abodes, but are preferred, from
long custom I fancy, by their inhabitants, who, if
they chose, could find room on shore to build huts
that would cost less than these marine dwellings.
IN THE FAR EAST. 49
Each different class of the inhabitants of the
Island have their own place of worship. The En-
glish Church, built in 1836 by a contribution from
the Government and a subscription among the
European inhabitants, is a handsome building in a
central situation, capable of holding four times as
many people as are likely to be ever collected within
it : it is neatly fitted up, but lacked a steeple, or even
a belfry. This deficiency, however, is about to be
supplied by a subscription raised at the suggestion
of the Bishop of Calcutta, during his last official visit
to this portion of his immense diocese.*
The Chinese pagoda is a splendid building, ac-
cording to the celestial taste in such matters, and is
really well worth seeing: the carving and general
fitting-ap of the interior are very beautiful, and sub-
stantial enough to make one believe they will last
a thousand years, as the Chinese say they will. In
the centre, the Queen of Heaven is seen decked forth
in robes of the most superb figured satin, richly
* Since this was written, the Chapel has been much improved,
and an elegant steeple added to it. There seems to be some fatality
attaching to Clergymen at Singapore. The last three incumbents,
Messrs. Burn, Darrah, and White, all died young, and of the same
complaint, namely, diseased liver. My own opinion is, that they
were all three too strict adherents to teetotalism. In warm climates,
a moderate and rather liberal allowance of wine, I believe to be
absolutely necessary.
D
50 TRADE AND TRAVEL
embroidered with gold ; robes that the wealthiest
dames of the proudest cities of Europe might envy,
but the like to which they never can possess. Her Ma-
jesty was brought from China ; and the owner of the
junk in which she came, would not receive a penny as
freight for the room she occupied. On her arrival
in Singapore harbour, the whole Chinese population
of the Island turned out to see her land, and paraded
her through the town, with all the noise they could
by any possibility extract from about a thousand
gongs. The building in which she has taken up her
quarters, cost 40,000 Spanish dollars, and does credit
to the Chinese workmen of Singapore. One day,
shortly after the building of this temple, I asked an
intelligent and wealthy Chinese, how often he went
to it. His answer, in broken English, ran thus :
" Sometime one moon, sometime two moon. Sup-
pose I want ask God for something, I go churchee.
Suppose I no want ask any thing, what for I go ?"
On my asking whether he never went to return
thanks for past favours, he seemed to think my
question a very silly one, and said, " No use."
The American Chapel is a remarkably neat little
building. Besides these, there is no other place of
worship in Singapore worthy of notice.
Before quitting the subject of the inhabitants of
this land of perpetual summer, I must mention one
class which the others would gladly get rid of:
IN THE FAR EAST. 51
I allude to the tigers of a large size which abound
here, and which, having cleared the jungles of wild-
hog and jackalls, and nearly so of deer, have lately
commenced preying on man, to whom they have
become a most formidable and dreaded foe. Were
I to set down the number of unfortunate individuals
who have, since 1839, been killed by these lords of
the forests, I should scarcely expect to be credited.
Let any one look over the newspapers of the Island
for the last five or six years, and they will tell him
a tale of horror that will make his blood freeze.
Many of the more distant gambia-plantations have
been deserted by their proprietors in consequence of
the ravages of these monsters. Government, in the
hope of remedying or mitigating the evil, offered a
reward of one hundred dollars for every tiger brought
in alive or dead ; but so dense are the jungles in
which they seek shelter, that their pursuers have
hitherto been far from successful. One is brought
in now and then, for which the captor receives his
reward, and sells the flesh for some forty dollars
more ; for the reader must know, that the flesh of a
tiger is readily purchased and eagerly eaten by the
Chinese, under the notion that some of the courage
of the animal will be thereby instilled into them.
Some time before I left the Island, a Malay fell in
with two tiger cubs in the woods, and captured one
of them : next day, he went back, like a fool, alone,
D2
52 TRADE AND TRAVEL
in search of the other, when the dam captured and
made a meal of him ; a lesson to his countrymen,
which has effectually cured them of meddling with
tiger- whelps. On another occasion, a China-man,
having set a trap for tigers, took a walk out about
midnight, to see if his plan had been successful. He
paid dearly for his temerity, being carried off by
some prowling monster ; and his mangled body was
found near the place a few days afterwards.
IN THE FAR EAST. 53
CHAPTER IV.
SINGAPORE.
TRADE OF SINGAPORE CHINESE TRADERS BUGIS
TRADERS SIAMESE AND COCHIN CHINESE ARAB
SMUGGLERS BORNEO TRADE WITH CALCUTTA COM-
MERCIAL PROSPECTS.
IHE trade of Singapore has, until within the last
three years, gone on increasing ; but it has now, in
the opinion of many people, reached its ultimatum.
The harbour is visited regularly by native vessels
from all the neighbouring islands, as well as from
the Continent; and I shall proceed to notice the
nature and value of their trade, respectively, class by
class.
And first as to the China junks. These unwieldy
vessels visit the Island in numbers varying from one
hundred and fifty to two hundred and fifty per
annum, their size ranging from fifty to five hundred
tons: they are manned and navigated entirely by
Chinese. They of course come with the monsoon,
and reach Singapore in the months of January, Fe-
bruary, and March. Their cargoes form a very
54 TRADE AND TRAVEL
material item in the trade of the place, and consist
of tea, raw silk, camphor, Nankin (both yellow and
blue), immense quantities of coarse earthenware,
and supplies of all kinds for the myriads of Chinese
that reside on this and the neighbouring islands.
The season of their arrival is one of great activity
in the Chinese bazaars, and gives an impulse to the
trade of the importer of Manchester and Glasgow
manufactures. Their commanders and supercar-
goes are cautious dealers, and usually sound the
market well before disposing of their commodities.
Sometimes, however, they overstand their market,
and suffer by refusing the first offers made. This
was particularly the case in the season of 1841, in the
article of tea, which fell in price with every over-
land mail that came in, making these wary men rue
their having declined the offers that had been made
them previously. Most of them are opium-smokers ;
and their countrymen, with whom they deal, take
care to keep them well supplied with this luxury,
and obtain many a good bargain from them when
under its influence.
The export cargoes of this class of vessels consist
principally of raw cotton, cotton yarn, cotton goods,
opium, beche-de-mer or sea slug, pepper, tin, rat-
tans, edible birds'-nests, deers' sinews, sharks' fins,
fish maws, &c. Of the first three articles, they have
of late taken annually the following quantities :
IN THE FAR EAST. 55
raw cotton, 20,000 bales of 300 Ibs. each; cotton
goods, 50,000 pieces of 40 yards each; opium, 2000
chests of 164 Ibs. each ; the aggregate value of which
I put down, in round numbers, at two millions of
dollars.
Many of the small junks that arrive with the last
of the north-east monsoon in April, are fast-sailing
craft, and come expressly for opium, to pay for which
they bring nothing but bullion : they take their de-
parture early in May, and smuggle the drug into
Canton by paying the usual bribe to the Mandarins.
All the large junks have sailed on their return
voyage by the end of June. Some few of them that
waited in 1841 till the middle of July, in the hope
of getting opium cheaper than their neighbours who
sailed earlier, encountered heavy gales in the Chi-
nese sea ; and one or two of them were lost with
valuable cargoes. This lesson has not been lost
upon their successors, who have since taken care to
run no such risks. Advantage is taken of the oppor-
tunity afforded by the return of these junks, every
season, by the Chinese residents, to make remit-
tances to their families in China; and the masters
of them are entrusted with their remittances, which
usually consist of money, though, occasionally, rice
and other useful articles are sent. The shipper pays
the master a per-centage on the sum transmitted ;
and instances of fraud on the part of the latter are
56 TRADE AND TRAVEL
extremely rare. A boy about fourteen years of age
whom I had as a servant in my house at Singapore,
used to ask me for a month's wages in advance, to
send to his mother in Macao. Hundreds of similar
instances might be adduced. This is one of the
bright traits in the Chinese character.
The native traders next in importance to the
Chinese, are the Bugis. These arrive in October
and November, bringing in their uncouth-looking
vessels, large quantities of coffee of very good quality,
gold-dust, tortoise-shell, native clothes (celebrated
all over the Archipelago for their durability), beche-
de-mer, deer-sinews, rice, &c. They come from
the different ports on the islands of Celebes, &c., but
principally from Macassar. They are a shrewd race,
but are no match for their Chinese competitors.
On the arrival of a boat, her hakodu (or com-
mander) lands with nearly every man on board ; and
he may be seen walking all over the place for a few
days before making any bargain. They are a trou-
blesome set to deal with, and require the exercise of
more patience than a European in these parts gene-
rally possesses. They are, however, always received
with a hearty welcome by the Chinese of the Island,
who, inviting them to be seated, immediately hand
round the sin-box (betel-nut, arica leaf, &c.) among
them ; and over this universal luxury, they will sit
and talk on business matters for hours, during which
IN THE FAR EAST. 57
time it may be fairly calculated that both host and
guests tell a lie per minute, without betraying by
their countenances the slightest consciousness of hav-
ing been thus engaged. This strange 'sort of preli-
minary negotiation goes on, probably, for a week ; at
the end of which the passer-by may see the contents
of the different Bugis boats entering the Chinese
shops or stores, as the case may be. On getting rid
of his import cargo, the Bugis trader takes a few
days more to rest and refresh himself, before he
begins looking round for a return cargo, which
usually consists of opium, iron, steel, cotton yarn,
cotton goods, gold thread, &c. He seldom or never
takes money away with him. On an average, two
hundred of these boats come to Singapore in the
fall of the year, each manned by about thirty men.
Their crews are not allowed to land armed with the
kriss or any other weapon; a wise precaution, as
they are rather too fond of having recourse to them
in the event of any quarrel or misunderstanding
with those with whom they deal. Notwithstanding
this salutary regulation, I have witnessed serious
disturbances, ending, on more than one occasion, in
bloodshed, between these traders and the bazaar shop-
keepers of Singapore. What I refer to occurred
many years ago, however, and is not very likely to
happen again, as the reins are kept much tighter
over them than of yore. They are essentially a
D3
58 TRADE AND TRAVEL
maritime people, and are not, as far as I have ever
heard, addicted to piracy. They generally sail in
small fleets, and are quite prepared to defend them-
selves against the common Malay pirate, who meets
a stout resistance when he meddles with them. Like
most, or, I may say, all the inhabitants of this part
of the world, they deal more or less in slaves ; and
it would not be difficult to prove their having sold
boys and girls in Singapore within these ten years,
though I firmly believe that the disgraceful traffic-
has been put an entire stop to of late. These men
visit, during the months in which the south-east
monsoon prevails, Torres Straits, and the numerous
islands in that neighbourhood, for the purpose of
gathering beche-de-mer and tortoise-shell. They
pick up, also, slaves from Papua (New Guinea), for
whom they find a ready market in Celebes. Our
settlement of Port Essington has long been a favou-
rite resort of the Bugis trader; and were the Go-
vernment to encourage Chinese and other settlers, by
giving them grants of land, to establish themselves
there, there can be no doubt that it would soon be-
come a very important place, instead of a mere
military station, or rather place of banishment, for
some fifty royal marines. As for its being a refuge
for shipwrecked seamen, I have never heard of an
instance of a crew of the numerous vessels annually
lost in Torres Straits seeking shelter there. This
IN THE FAR EAST. 59
state of affairs would be altered, however, were the
port thrown open to the commercial world. As it
is, a shipwrecked crew landing there, might have to
remain a twelvemonth for an opportunity to get
away again ; consequently, every seaman placed in
that unfortunate position, pushes on in his open
boat to the Dutch settlements on the island of
Timor.
Next in importance to the Bugis, I may rank the
, Siamese and Cochin Chinese traders, who arrive at
Singapore during the north-east monsoon. The
trade of these two countries used to be carried on
entirely in junks peculiar to each of them respec-
tively ; but the state of things has been materially
altered of late. The sovereigns of Siam and Cochin
China have recently built and fitted- out several
square-rigged vessels, those of Siam being com-
manded by Europeans, and manned by natives of
that country. These vessels are the private pro-
perty of the kings whose flags they bear, and are
loaded on their account and at their risk. Their car-
goes consist principally of sugar and rice, which find
ready purchasers in Singapore. The sugar of Siam
is of very superior quality, and is sent up in large
quantities to Bombay, whence it finds its way up
the Indus and the Persian Gulf. The rice of Siam
is a superior article, and has of late been sent in
considerable quantities to London. The grain is
bl) TRADE AND TRAVEL
liable to the disadvantage of not keeping so well as
that of Bengal or Java ; but this fault might, I think,
be obviated, partially at all events, by adopting the
Calcutta plan of putting a pound or two of rice-dust
and lime into each bag : this not only tends to pre-
serve the rice, but repels the destructive weavil ; a
little black insect that makes its appearance in wheat
and rice, in immense numbers, in those warm lati-
tudes.
The Cochin Chinese ships generally bring each four
thousand peculs of sugar, which is of three qualities ;
namely, sixteen hundred peculs of first quality, the
same quantity of second, and eight hundred peculs of
the third sort. The first two are good articles,
though not equal to the sugars of Siam. The car-
goes of these ships are so carefully put up, that I
have purchased and re-shipped them without open-
ing or weighing more than five bags out of each hun-
dred, and have never had cause to repent the confi-
dence thus placed in the seller, who is an employe
of His Cochin Chinese Majesty. In addition to sugar
and rice, the Siamese vessels bring gamboge and
cocoa-nut oil of a superior quality : the former is
bought up for the London and Continental markets,
and the latter for consumption in the Straits' settle-
ments. Notwithstanding the monopolizing system
of the sovereigns of the two countries just men-
tioned, the trade by junks is still carried on to a
IN THE FAR EAST. 61
limited extent : their cargo consists of the same
articles as the kings 1 ships bring ; and their owners
make money in spite of monopoly and of the iron
rod with which they are ruled.
At the commencement of the rupture between
Great Britain and China, His Siamese Majesty
thought proper to follow the example of his Celestial
Brother, and to interdict the trade in opium, which
used to flourish in his dominions. His proclamation
prohibiting the trade, came so suddenly upon the
parties concerned in it, and took effect so immedi-
ately, that many of the opium-traders went into his
capita of Bang-kok with their usual cargoes, in
utter ignorance of what had taken place, and found
their vessels seized, their cargoes confiscated, and
themselves put in irons and thrown into prison, where
they were kept till the interference of the Singapore
Government procured their release as British sub-
jects trading under the English flag. The restriction
on this trade has not yet been removed (1844) ; nor
is it likely to be, till the king finds himself in want
of money, when he will be glad to allow his subjects
to resume a traffic that yielded him a large revenue
in former days.
Siam produces teak timber of excellent quality,
which can be had on very reasonable terms ; and of
this, the ship-builders of Singapore do not fail to
take advantage. A portion of the Cochin Chinese
62 TRADE AND TRAVEL
trade is carried on in vessels so small and so frail,
that it is astonishing that men can be found to navi-
gate with them the dangerous Chinese Sea : they do
not exceed thirty tons burthen. Being wholly un-
provided with defensive weapons of any description,
many of them are annually taken by the Malay
pirates as soon as they make their appearance inside
Point Romania, at the mouth of Singapore Strait.
They are lateen-rigged with mat sails, are fast
sailers, hold a good wind, and have a very pretty
appearance when entering the harbour in fleets of
fifteen or twenty sail.
Singapore is annually visited by a large fleet of
vessels from all parts of Java : the most important
of these are what are commonly called Arab ships,
that is, ships fitted out and owned by Arabs residing
in Java. They carry the Dutch flag, are commanded
by Arabs, and manned by Javanese. If fame does
not belie them, these Arab commanders are notori-
ous smugglers. This is certain; that they take
goods from Singapore in exchange for the coffee,
sugar, rice, &c., which they bring from Java, and
that they give prices that would leave them no
margin for profit, if His Netherlands Majesty's
duties were paid on them. For this sort of illicit
trade, the coast of Java offers many facilities in its
numerous small rivers, with which the Arab ship-
master is intimately acquainted. The article of
IN THE FAR EAST. 63
opium, though strictly prohibited by the authorities
of Java, is taken by the Arabs from Singapore in
considerable quantities, notwithstanding the pains
and penalties attached to its being found on board
their vessels ; and smuggled into Java the drug
most undoubtedly is, let the Dutchmen boast of
their spies and custom-house establishment as they
will. These Arab ships are built of teak, ranging
from one hundred and fifty to five hundred tons
per register, and are altogether remarkably fine
vessels.
From the islands of Lombok and Bally, directly
eastward of Java, the market of Singapore receives
a large annual supply of rice of fair quality, a small
quantity of coffee, and some coarse native cloths, to
which I may add, a few good stout poneys. The
boats from these islands resemble those from Celebes,
and are sometimes classed among the Bugis trad-
ers: they carry back, as return cargoes, opium,
muskets, copper cash, a little gold and silver thread,
cotton yarn, and cotton manufactures. These
islands havet heir own Rajahs and laws, but are
narrowly watched and kept in check by their
neighbours, the Dutch.
Borneo, notwithstanding its vast extent and im-
mense internal wealth, has but a limited external
trade. Boats from Sambas, Pontianack, and Borneo
Proper, visit Singapore every year, from May till
64 TRADE AND TRAVEL
October, and bring with them black pepper, Malay
camphor, gold-dust, rattans, &c. Most wretched
boats they are, and, according to the accounts given
to me by their hakodas (commanders), very difficult
to keep afloat when laden. Little can be said in fa-
vour of the natives of the sea-coast of Borneo, which
is, and has been for ages, the haunt of pirates.
Many vessels, particularly native proas, have been
plundered, and their crews murdered or carried into
slavery, by the marauders of this inhospitable shore ;
and it is not twenty years since a visit to it was
considered as highly dangerous even in a well-armed
vessel. Whole fleets of piratical boats ascend from
time to time the rivers of this island, and plunder
the native villages, carrying off the females and
children as slaves, murdering the adult males, and
setting fire to the houses. The proceedings of these
vagabonds have received some severe checks, of late
years, from the operations of a spirited and enter-
prising individual, Mr. James Brooke, whose well-
known zeal and activity are beyond all praise. An
occasional visit also from one of Her Majesty's ships,
has done much good ; and the recent operations of
Capt. Keppel of the Dido, gave them a check they
will not soon get over. The ascertained existence
of extensive veins of coal on the banks of the river
of Borneo Proper, will render that neighbourhood of
great importance, on the completion of the line of
IN THE FAR EAST. 65
steam communication from Ceylon to Hong Kong,
via Singapore. I believe there is no doubt either as
to the large quantity of coal to be had there, or as to
its superior quality. But, upon the subject of Borneo,
I shall have a few words more to say hereafter.
The trade between Calcutta and the Straits' settle-
ments, is both extensive and important. Vessels
from the Hooghly visit Singapore throughout the
year, bringing large supplies of raw cotton, Indian
cotton goods, opium, wheat, &c. In return, they
carry back vast quantities of gold-dust, tin, pepper,
sago, gambia, and treasure. It is no unfrequent oc-
currence, to find the Singapore market pretty nearly
cleared of the circulating medium after the depar-
ture of two or three clippers for the " City of Pa-
laces." Indeed, treasure and gold-dust are, in nine
cases out of ten, the only safe remittance from the
Straits of Malacca to Calcutta ; and those who remit
in other modes, frequently sustain heavy losses, which
not only affect the individuals concerned, but check
the trade generally.
I have now given a rapid view of the principal
features of the native trade of Singapore, without
pretending to give a perfect account of it. Before
taking leave of this pretty little Island, I will add a
few general remarks upon its condition and pro-
spects. Its actual state, when I left it in 1842, was
far from being as prosperous as I could wish. An
66 TRADE AND TRAVEL
emporium of the trade of the whole of the Eastern
Archipelago, its aggregate imports and exports may
be estimated, in round numbers, at three millions
sterling per annum. Trade by barter is the system
generally adopted ; and notwithstanding long-conti-
nued exertions on the part of the European mer-
cantile community to establish the cash system, their
success has been so very partial, that nine-tenths of
the remittances to Europe and India in return for
goods consigned here for sale, are made in produce.
Severe losses have been sustained here, from time to
time, by the European mercantile firms, in conse-
quence of their giving credit, to an almost unlimited
extent, to Chinese and other dealers, many of them
mere men of straw. During last year, these losses
have amounted to very considerable sums. This
has led to renewed and more strenuous exertions to
establish a cash system, but, I fear, with indifferent
success. The present state of the bazaars is very
far from satisfactory : my last accounts state, that no
one knows who can be trusted. The natural conse-
quence of such a state of things is, a serious decrease
in the amount of sales ; and had it not been for the
demand for Glasgow and Manchester manufactures,
caused by the high price of those articles in China,
the importers would have had four-fifths of their
stocks left on hand.
Of the state of the public health in Singapore, I
IN THE FAR EAST. 67
am able to report most favourably. Let any one go
there and see the European residents of sixteen and
twenty years' standing, and he will be able to judge
for himself. During an intimate acquaintance of
eighteen years with this part of the world, I have
never known any endemic disease to prevail ; never
heard of more than one European dying of cholera,
or of more than three Europeans being attacked
with that disease ; never knew but one or two cases
of liver-complaint in which the sufferers had not
their own imprudence to thank for the attack ; and,
as far as my memory serves me, cannot reckon up
two deaths among the European inhabitants in that
long period. Some one may here whisper, " Look
at the state of your Singapore burying-ground."
My reply is, that it is filled by the death of numbers
who have, from time to time, arrived from Calcutta
and other parts of India in a dying state, and who
would have died six months sooner, had they not
come to breathe the pure air of Singapore. On this
point, I boldly challenge contradiction.
As to the commercial prospects of this Island, I
have some misgivings. The recent establishment,
by Her Majesty's Government, of the British colony
of Hong Kong, and the opening of the northern
ports on the coast of China, will, I fear, give its
commerce a check : indeed, it seems inevitable that
it should suffer from these causes. When we con-
68 TRADE AND TRAVEL
sider the vast importance of the Chinese junk-trade
to Singapore, and take into account the cheaper rate
we can supply them, now their ports are open, at
their own doors, with every commodity they require
from the Malay islands, the risk, trouble, and expense
they will save by supplying their wants or disposing
of their superfluities, in the harbours of Shang Hae,
Ningpo, Foo Chow, or Amoy, instead of undertaking
the long voyage to the Straits of Malacca for that pur-
pose, one is at a loss to conceive on what grounds
the sanguine expectation can rest, that the opening
of China will do Singapore no harm. Some of its
merchants evidently share in my anticipation, as they
have completed arrangements for forming establish-
ments at Hong Kong, in order to avail themselves
of the change they expect to take place in the course
of the trade. It will not be this year, nor, probably,
the next, that this change will take place ; but, that
it must ultimately come to pass, I can see no room
to doubt *
* Sept. 1845. Recent accounts from Singapore in some measure
confirm this view. It is noted, among other things, that the quan-
tity of tea imported by the Chinese junks in the season of 1844 45
was only 6000 quarter-chests; whereas, in that of 1843 44, the
imports exceeded twenty times that quantity. Camphor, however,
continues to come in as large quantities as ever. The opium-trad
again, has diminished three-fourths ; and my prediction that pepper
&c. would be carried to the northern ports of China in European
vessels,
IN THE FAR EAST. 69
In other branches of its trade, Singapore will,
probably, not suffer so much from the late arrange-
ments with China ; but it will suffer more or less. It
is extremely likely, that a large portion of the rice
of Bally and Lombok, the pepper of Borneo, and
the beche-de-mer of Celebes, will be carried direct
to China in European vessels, instead of passing, as
hitherto, through the hands of the Singapore mer-
chants. Whenever a new mart is opened, there is
no want of men, money, or ships to take advantage
of it ; and we can place pepper from Borneo, and rice
from Bally, in any port on the coast of China, for
less money, by carrying them there direct from the
place of growth, than the Chinese can by carrying
them from Singapore in their junks. These vessels
only make one voyage in the year ; whereas a square-
rigged vessel can make three with ease ; and it is on
account of the greater service performed by the latter,
that she can carry goods to market cheaper than a
junk. I repeat, therefore, that I think the trade of
Singapore has reached its maximum ; and that the
town has attained to its highest point of importance
and prosperity. Indeed, it is at this moment rather
over-built. A beautiful and healthy town, however, it
vessels, has been fulfilled, though, frofc this branch of commerce,
Singapore, or its merchants, will still derive benefit as carriers. The
Chinese of Singapore have taken up this trade with great spirit, and
will doubtless continue it.
70 TRADE AND TRAVEL
is ; and that it may not suffer materially or perma-
nently from the causes above mentioned, but continue
to prosper as formerly, is a wish that comes from
the very bottom of my heart.
Singapore is under a Governor, (who also rules
over Malacca and Penang,) Resident Councillors,
a Police Magistrate, and some half-dozen under-
strappers. The establishment is altogether an econo-
mical one, and, on the whole, well conducted. It has,
moreover, a Court of Justice, with civil, criminal, and
Admiralty jurisdiction, which is presided over by a
Recorder appointed by the Home Government. His
authority also extends over the neighbouring settle-
ments of Malacca and Penang. The Governor and
three Resident Councillors are members of this court.
In the absence of the Recorder, they can and do
hold court, and, in extreme cases, carry into execu-
tion sentences of death passed on their own respon-
sibility. The late Governor, the Honourable S. G.
Bonham, held the post for many years, and left the
Island with the good wishes of every inhabitant. To
his credit and honour be it said, that, out of the
many hundreds of civil cases tried and adjudicated
by him, I never heard of one in which his decision
was reversed, in the event of the parties petitioning
for and obtaining a new trial from the Recorder.
Such petitions, owing to the well-known love of
litigation inherent in the Asiatic character, were
IN THE FAR EAST. 71
very numerous ; but, in nine cases out of ten, the Re-
corder saw no reason to grant a new trial ; and the
few who succeeded in obtaining new trials, would
have been better off without them, as Mr. Bonham's
verdict was always confirmed.
Five, ten, fifteen years ago, the society of Singa-
pore was much more agreeable than it is now. Not
that the parties who composed it then, were more
pleasant people than the present residents ; but we
met oftener in those days, and were more sociable
when we did meet, and, perhaps, opened our doors
to the stranger oftener than is practised at the pre-
sent time. One is apt, however, to be biassed in
favour of the times and the people that seemed to
ourselves the most agreeable ; I shall therefore say
no more on this delicate subject.
The revenue of Singapore is more than sufficient
to pay its expenses : it arises principally from land-
sales and land-tax ; from farming out the privilege
of retailing opium and spirits ; from the rent paid
for public markets ; and from pawnbrokers' 1 licenses.
The sums derived from these sources are increasing
every year.
The local police' are paid, and roads and bridges
are maintained, from a fund raised by an assessed
tax of eight per cent, on the 'annual value of fixed
.property. From this fund, Mr. Tom C with-
draws a few thousand dollars occasionally, in order
72 TRADE AND TRAVEL
to build a new bridge or to make a new road ; a
proceeding that does not give entire satisfaction to
the rate-payers, and is indeed hardly fair towards
them, since the new bridges and roads render avail-
able large tracts of land that would otherwise be
valueless, and for which Tom C 's honourable
masters obtain a handsome price in consequence.
The inhabitants grumble at these proceedings, but
can do no more, the sole and whole management of
the fund in question being in the hands of the local
Government.
Singapore is a free port ; and vessels of all kinds
and from all nations come and go, without paying
one penny to Government in any shape. All that
is required of them is, to give in a list of the goods
they either land or ship. This regulation is intended
to enable the authorities to keep a correct state-
ment of the trade of the place ; but it is, I am sorry
to add, often evaded by ship-masters and their con-
signees, who seem to think that no trade can be
profitably conducted without a certain portion of
mystery attaching to it.
IN THE FAR EAST. 73
CHAPTER V.
DUTCH SETTLEMENTS.
DUTCH SETTLEMENT OF RHIO ISLAND OF BANCA BEN-
COOLEN PADANG CHINESE SLAVE-TRADE NATIVE
TRIBES OF SUMATRA PEPPER TRADE.
IN September 1826, I visited China for the first
time ; but, having recently paid that country a
much more extended visit, I shall reserve for a
future chapter my observations upon Chinese affairs ;
and shall now proceed to give an account of some
of the smaller Dutch colonies or settlements which
I visited about this time.
About forty miles to the eastward of Singapore,
on the island of Bintang (Star), is Rhio, a small
Dutch settlement, producing a large quantity of
gambia and some thirty thousand peculs of black
pepper per annum. The bulk of the former article
finds its way to Java, where it is extensively used
for dying purposes. Nearly all the pepper is . sent
to Singapore in small trading-boats, and is bought
up there for the London and Calcutta markets. My
visit to Rhio lasted only thirty-six hours, during
74 TRADE AND TRAVEL
which time I was too busy to be able to look much
about me ; but I have since frequently sailed past
the town, and through the beautiful strait of the
same name, and can vouch for it, that the lovers
of picturesque scenery will find objects in abun-
dance to attract their attention. Shortly after
entering Rhio straits from the southward, the navi-
gator is completely land-locked, and appears to be
sailing in a large lake, amid the richest possible
scenery; nor can he discern the slightest appear-
ance of an outlet from this fairy scene, till he is
within half a mile of the west end of the island of
Luborn, when, all at once, the view opens at that
part which leads him into the straits of Singa-
pore. Rhio has the character of being very healthy,
and, from its soil and position, might be rendered
productive. It is governed by a Dutch Resident,
and protected by a small garrison and fleet. Of
the activity of this little fleet against the neigh-
bouring pirates, I am glad to be able to speak most
favourably ; and I am bound to add a word in testi-
timony to its Commander's hospitality and kindness
to shipwrecked British seamen, which have been
frequently put to the test of late years, and have on
more than one occasion called forth from the Sin-
gapore Chamber of Commerce a vote and letter of
thanks.
Shortly after the establishment of Singapore, the
IN THE FAR EAST. 75
Dutch Government proclaimed Rhio a free port.
This measure, fortunately for us, was adopted rather
too late in the day to do any injury to the trade of
Sir Stamford Raffles's pet settlement, or much good
to its neighbour. It must be somewhat galling to
the good folk of Rhio, to see some hundreds of
vessels of all descriptions under the Dutch flag sail
past their harbour every year, bound for Singapore,
where they transact business to a large amount;
favouring this port, probably, with a short visit on
their return, for the purpose of purchasing a few
hundred peculs of gambia for the Java market.
On the north-east point of Bintang, is a dangerous
reef, on which the clipper-bark Sylph struck in
1835, and on which she lay for four months, defying
the fury of the north-east monsoon and the heavy
rolling swell from the Chinese Sea; thus proving
beyond a doubt the great strength of a teak-built
ship. An English ship in the same circumstances
would not have held together a week ; as was subse-
quently proved in the case of the Heber.
Mintow (Muntok according to the Dutch) is the
capital of the island of Banca, so long celebrated for
its tin-mines. This is a poor town, and very un-
healthy : it is situated on the west side of the island,
and faces the straits of Banca, having the low,
swampy shore of Sumatra opposite. When Banca
was occupied in common with the other Dutch
E 2
76 TRADE AND TRAVEL
colonies by the British, it proved fatal to nearly the
whole of the garrison. The Banca fever is, perhaps,
one of the most dangerous diseases with which man is
afflicted : those who are fortunate enough to recover
from it, are subject for life to severe nervous attacks
at the full and change of the moon. I well remem-
ber two gentlemen in Batavia, who could scarcely
lift their hands to their heads at these periods, though
twenty years had elapsed since they had had this
terrible fever. The Dutch troops still continue to
suffer severely from this cause ; and to be sent to
Banca from Java, is looked upon as the hardest lot
that can befall a soldier. Its tin-mines continue to
be very productive, and yield 60,000 peculs of pure
metal per annum. From this source, the Dutch
authorities derive a considerable revenue. They
employ Chinese miners, to whom they pay six
dollars for every pecul of tin delivered on the coast
in a pure state, which they sell readily in Java for
sixteen dollars per pecul ; thus getting ten dollars
clear profit, less about half a dollar per pecul, which
it costs to send the tin to Batavia for sale. As far
as I know, Banca yields nothing else ; and the rice
eaten by the Chinese miners, is sent regularly from
Java.
The rivers on this island are infested by very
large alligators, which, from the scarcity of food,
become highly dangerous. Their hunger drives
IN THE FAR EAST. 77
them sometimes to attack boats, as they are rowed
up the rivers ; and serious accidents occur from time
to time in this way. I could tell one or two mar-
vellous tales about the ferocity and bold attacks of
these river-monsters, but refrain from doing so, lest
they should lead the incredulous reader of these
rambling sketches to doubt my veracity. The
straits of Banca were at one time the resort of
numerous Malay pirates : the activity of the Dutch
cruisers has, however, rendered their once dange-
rous neighbourhood perfectly safe, so far as the
attacks of these marauders are concerned. I have
sailed many times through the straits of Sunda,
Banca, Rhio, Dryan, Malacca, and Singapore, since
1823, and have known some few European vessels
and many native proas taken ; but, in all my voyages
up and down, I never saw a boat or proa that I felt
certain was a pirate. I have, indeed, seen many
very suspicious-looking craft off Singin, and between
that island and the north end of Banca ; but, as they
never molested us, I am willing to let their charac-
ters pass free, so far as I am concerned.
The once thriving settlement of Bencoolen, (or
Fort Maryborough,) which I visited at different times
between 1828 and 1830, I found, even then, to have
declined very seriously from its former prosperity.
Previously to its transfer, in 1825, to the Dutch,
great exertions were made to render this settlement
<0 TRADE AND TRAVEL
important for its exportation of spices of all descrip-
tions; and, so far as regards nutmegs, mace, and
cloves, those exertions were eminently successful.
Planters and others, however, soon found that, on
the hauling down of the British flag 1 , and the hoisting
of the Dutch, their prospects underwent a very ma-
terial change, arising from duties and other charges
laid on the commerce of the place. Most of the
capitalists retired with the British establishment, of
which, indeed, they formed a part. A hard struggle
was maintained by those planters who remained
behind, but without success ; and the place is now
very little more than a station for a Dutch Assis-
tant-Resident and a small garrison.
Bencoolen harbour is a dangerous one, particularly
during the prevalence of the boisterous north-west
monsoon, which blows with such violence on this
part of the west coast of Sumatra. Ships generally
anchor close under the lee of Rat Island and reef,
where they find smooth water, unless the weather is
unusually severe. This anchorage is seven miles
from the wharf where merchandise is landed, and
considerable risk is occasionally incurred by the
cargo boats in making good this short distance. In
very stormy weather, ships and boats also are com-
pelled to seek shelter in Pulo Bay ; a vile, unhealthy
place situated about twelve miles south-east of Rat
Island, and surrounded with a low, swampy, agueish-
IN THE FAR EAST. 79
looking country. The Siamese suffer severely in
this harbour from fever and ague, and ship-masters
are glad to leave it as soon as the weather mode-
rates. In my time, there was a convenient covered
wharf at Bencoolen for landing goods, but not a
vestige now remains : it was originally built by the
English, and the Dutch have not cared to preserve
or replace it. In the present wretched state of the
settlement, indeed, it is of trifling consequence, since
little difficulty can be found by the few merchants
from Java who from time to time visit Bencoolen,
in landing the small quantities of goods they may
have to dispose of.
The climate of Bencoolen is the worst it has been
my fortune to encounter since I left Europe. The
land wind that sets in about seven P.M., is the most
trying breeze I ever encountered. To sit in an
open verandah when it is blowing, is quite out of
the question; at least with impunity. I tried the
experiment more than once, and never escaped with-
out a severe seizure of trembling something like
ague, within less than half an hour. The injurious
effects of this land wind may be traced to the swamps
between the hills in the vicinity of the town,
which, unlike those of Singapore, are formed by fresh
water, and are no better than stagnant puddles. In
passing over these, the wind becomes of course
charged with malaria, which it distributes in every
TRADE AND TRAVEL
house between it and the sea ; and woe betide the
European who fails to keep out of its way ! Most
places that I have visited, have a healthy, as well as
an unhealthy season. Bencoolen is an exception to
this rule, being unhealthy all the year through.
Even vegetation suffers here from the south-east
monsoon; and a nutmeg-plantation exposed to its
dry, parching influence, has the appearance of a
plantation of heather-brooms more than of any thing
else.* The natives do not appear to suffer from the
climate, but seem to be as healthy and long-lived as
Asiatics generally. Of the character of these natives,
I can say little that is favourable. They are indo-
lent, proud, though poor, gamblers, vindictive, and
far too ready with the knife on little or no provo-
cation ; they are very fond of dress, and not over
scrupulous how they gratify this taste ; for which
purpose I have known them have recourse to theft,
lying, robbery, and even murder. Had they one single
spark of energy in their composition, they might be
a thriving and contented people, possessing as they
do a boundless extent of rich virgin soil, which they
are too lazy to clear and cultivate. The place is
overrun with a race of petty Rajahs and other nobles,
* This remark applies to the side of the tree that faces the south-
east only. The north-west side is perfectly healthy-looking and
green, when its opposite is the very picture of blight and decay.
IN THE FAR EAST. 81
who are a social pest, being poor, and yet too proud
to strain a nerve to support themselves and their
families. Sir Stamford Raffles succeeded in rousing
the ambition of these men a little, by giving some of
them commissions in the local corps, which gratified
their taste for gay attire, and supplied them with a few
hundred rupees per month to keep up a little state.
From my sweeping reproach of the chiefs, I would
except these Radins* with whom I have spent many
pleasant evenings, and who really possessed gentle-
man-like feelings and tastes.
The transfer of this settlement to the Dutch (in
exchange for Malacca) in 1825, was a severe blow
and great disappointment to all the natives, both
high and low. At a meeting of chiefs held at the
Government house, at which the English and Dutch
authorities were both present, for the purpose of
completing the transfer, the senior Rajah rose to
address the assembly, and spoke to the following
effect : " Against this transfer of my country I pro-
test. Who is there possessed of authority to hand
me and my countrymen, like so many cattle, over
to the Dutch or to any other power ? If the English
are tired of us, let them go away; but I deny their
right to hand us over to the Dutch. When the
' M '**- -l-'n TJi rti-'iii'
* Radin, a noble next in rank, in the Malay world, below a
Rajah.
E 3
82 TRADE AND TRAVEL
English first came here, they asked for and got a
piece of land to build warehouses and dwelling-
houses upon. That piece of land is still defined by
its original stone wall, and is all they (the English)
ever got from us. We were never conquered ; and
I now tell the English and Dutch gentlemen here
assembled, that, had I the power, as I have the will,
I would resist this transfer to the knife. I am, how-
ever, a poor man, have no soldiers to cope with
yours, and must submit. God's will be done." This
was a bold, straight- for ward speech; but it was
thrown away upon the callous ears of the hearers.
Delivered in pure Malay, it sounded stronger than
in this translation. The speaker was an old man,
with whose power and will for mischief, in former
days, the British had good cause to be acquainted.*
The country round Bencoolen is, with the excep-
tion of the spice-plantations, covered with a thick
forest. The soil is rich, and, as I have said, might
* This chief will long be remembered in Bencoolen for his
reckless daring, when a desire of vengeance for any insult, real
or imaginary, stirred the devil within him. Many a midnight
murder was laid at his door, and with justice too, if I am not very
much mistaken. The last time I saw him, he was very near his
end, and spoke of his death as calmly and tranquilly as if he had
lived the purest life imaginable. He is long since in his grave, and
his family has sunk into insignificance. I do not believe a more
thorough villain ever walked the earth.
IN THE FAR EAST. 83
be turned to good account, by means of a small por-
tion of energy on the part of the natives. The forests
abound with the tiger and the elephant. The
former finds plenty of game to feed on, and, con-
sequently, seldom molests man. It is not an un-
usual occurrence for a single tiger to attack a herd
of cattle when grazing in the neighbourhood of
their owner's grounds : singling out his intended
victim, he pursues it to the last, without, in general,
attempting to injure any of the rest As soon as
the cattle see or smell the approaching tiger, they
become quite wild, and run at their full speed to-
wards their herdsman, whom they surround appa-
rently for their own protection, and continue in
great commotion, though without attempting to run,
till their enemy is either driven away, or has suc-
ceeded in capturing one of their number. The
elephant is here of a large size, and is occasionally
caught in snares by the natives for the sake of his
tusks, which I have seen weighing one hundred and
twenty pounds each. This huge animal is not dan-
gerous to man, unless his path is crossed, when,
particularly if a single male one, he becomes a
formidable neighbour. He is easily tamed ; but the
native here is too indolent to trouble himself with
the task. The only one I ever saw made use of, was
sent by the King of Acheen to Sir Stamford Raffles,
and was, in my time, the property of my friend, Mr.
84 TRADE AND TRAVEL
Robert Bogle. Strange stories are told of the power,
sagacity, and cunning of this monarch of the woods.
Among other feats, the natives say, it is not uncom-
mon for one elephant to lie down, and let another
stand upon his back, in order that he may reach
higher up a cocoa-nut tree, and have a better chance
of pushing it down. I tell the tale as it was told to
me, not caring to vouch for its truth.
Bencoolen is occasionally visited by the hill tribes
from the mountains in its neighbourhood : they come
down in bands of ten, fifteen, or twenty men, bring-
ing with them gold-dust to barter for opium. As
neither rice nor cocoa-nuts grow in the elevated
region inhabited by them, they usually bring also a
few bags of potatoes to exchange for those luxuries.
They are a hardy race of men, strongly built, of
middle stature, and have very thick black beards ; a
singular feature in an inhabitant of this island. I
am sorry to add, that they sometimes visit the coast
for other and less legitimate purposes than barter ;
and that their kidnapping children to make slaves of,
is no uncommon occurrence. Several instances of
this kind took place in 1829, within my certain
knowledge.
I have frequently heard it said, "Go where you
will, you are sure to find a rat and a Scotchman."
My having visited Bencoolen enables me to contra-
dict this aphorism ; for I there found abundance of
IN THE FAR EAST. 85
rats, one Englishman, and not a single Scot. I
must confess, however, that this is the only place
in which I have ever found the Englishman without
the Scot.
Cock-fighting is carried on to a great extent here,
and is indulged in by the natives, high and low. On
market-days, vast numbers of natives may be seen
wending their way to the cock-pit attached to each
market or bazaar, with one of the celebrated Malay
game-cocks under their arms. At the pit, some
hundreds of these birds may be seen in the hands of
the fanciers, who weigh and examine them thoroughly
before betting on them. As soon as the bets are ar-
ranged, the two birds first on the list are brought
into the centre of the pit, and armed by their own-
ers with a fearful spur about four inches long, of the
shape of a scythe, and as sharp as a razor. The
combat seldom lasts a minute, the first charge gene-
rally rendering one, and frequently both the com-
batants hors-de-combat, by inflicting on them mortal
wounds. Then begins the most disgusting part of
the scene. The owner of each bird takes him up,
blows into his mouth and eyes, and uses every exer-
tion to make the poor tortured victim give the last
peck to his adversary. Failing this last peck, the
battle is a drawn one. Bets are usually paid, parti-
cularly in the country, in gold dust, which is weighed
out in small ivory steelyards kept for the purpose.
86 TRADE AND TRAVEL
The Dutch, with their usual policy, derive a revenue
from every cock-pit within their boundary here.
For my own part, I am not inclined to blame them,
and think our revenue at all the three Straits' settle-
ments might be materially increased, and the scamps
of those places kept in better order, by having every
gambling-house in them registered and subjected to a
tax. To put a stop to gambling in any Asiatic town,
is beyond the power of man ; and the attempt to do
so, only drives the gamester to the secret haunts
where he may indulge his propensity, and where, I
fear, too often he becomes a witness of, if not a par-
ticipator in deeds of blood. As a grand juror in
Singapore, I have had evidence enough of this.
From Bencoolen, I proceeded to Padang, another
Dutch settlement, about two hundred miles up the
coast of Sumatra. Padang, as its name implies, is
situated in a plain, and is a very few feet above the
level of the sea ; yet, it is a healthy place. It was
once in possession of a considerable trade, but this
has diminished of late years, in most articles, except
coffee, of which I am told it now exports 60,000
peculs per annum. The harbour or anchorage is
about five miles from the mouth of the small river
on the banks of which the town stands, and is a dan-
gerous one in boisterous weather, having little or no
protection from the fury of the north-west monsoon.
The trade from Java to this part of Sumatra, con-
IN THE FAR EAST. 87
sists principally of rice, salt, native clothing, and a
few supplies for the European and Chinese inhabi-
tants of the place : in return, it sends coffee and
pepper. There is a disgraceful traffic carried on
between Padang and the island of Nias, a little fur-
ther up the coast, by Chinese, who visit that island,
and purchase hundreds of its inhabitants, for whom
they find markets all along the coast. Those brought
to Padang, are not, indeed, sold as slaves ; but they
are registered at the Resident's office, and held as
bond-debtors for different terms of seven, fifteen,
and even twenty years : during this servitude, they
are treated as slaves, but are free at its expiration ;
they have also the option of buying their liberty in
the meantime, if they can raise the means ; and the
proprietor is not at liberty to refuse a sum equiva-
lent to the value of the unexpired term of service.
This value is fixed thus : on the registering of a
debtor, a certain sum is put down as his value or
debt ; say 400 rupees ; of this sum, a certain pro-
portion, say 20 rupees, is placed to his credit for
every year he serves ; so that, if he serves his master
for five years, his debt is reduced to three hundred ru-
pees ; and this sum, the master is compelled to accept
as the price of his liberation. If a debtor has a
hard master, he is at liberty to induce another to buy
his services ; and the transfer cannot be declined, if
the sum due is forthcoming. These Nias people are,
88 TRADE AND TRAVEL
men and women, a much fairer race than Malays,
and speak a language of their own. Many of the
men become expert carpenters, bricklayers, black-
smiths, &c., which enables them to earn money and
purchase their freedom ; and for such skilled artisans,
the master can demand no more as the price of their
freedom than the balance due upon their services
I have seen boat-loads of these poor creatures landed
at Padang, consisting of old men, women, boys, girls,
and mere infants, looking wretched enough, and
marched off to the police-office to be registered and
sold. This is a black spot in the Dutch administra-
tion of affairs in Sumatra.
The proceedings of the Dutch on the coast of Su-
matra, are a sore subject to the Singaporeans, as
having interfered with their trade with the north-
west coast of the island. By means of the exten- ,
sion of the Dutch posts from Padang into the in-
terior, they compel the native to carry his coffee
thither, instead of taking it, as formerly, down the
Siak river, and thence to Singapore. This accounts,
in a great degree, for the increase in the export
of that berry from Padang, from thirty to sixty thou-
sand peculs per annum, between the year 1828 and
1838.
Padang is very subject to frequent earthquakes,
being surrounded with volcanic mountains. To look
at its houses, one would think that a single shock
IN THE FAR EAST. 89
would level the whole town. The best of them con-
sist of a frame of wood, each post standing on a
single stone, which is simply laid on the ground,
not let into it; the vacancies between the posts and
the cross-pieces of framework, are filled up with
lath and plaster; and the roof is almost invariably
of thatch. They resemble huge stools resting upon
stones, to keep the legs from sinking into the earth,
and look as if the first breeze would upset them. An
earthquake shakes them, and makes them vibrate,
but seldom or ever injures them ; whereas a brick
and mortar house, subjected to the same severe trial,
would certainly give way, unless it were of very
substantial workmanship. I have experienced se-
veral severe shocks of earthquakes, both here and
at Bencoolen, and at first felt very much disposed to
quit the house ; but custom reconciles one to almost
every thing, even to seeing your dwelling-house
dancing, or " Jumping Jim Crow"
Since the Dutch got possession of this part of
Sumatra, they have almost constantly been at war
with a neighbouring tribe of natives, who, from
their fanatical zeal in the cause of the Mohammedan
faith, have obtained the name of Padres; and the
war is called the Padre war. These men have occa-
sioned the Government a vast deal of trouble, and
cost it a mint of money, as well as many valuable
lives. When beaten in the field, they suddenly dis-
90 TRADE AND TRAVEL
perse and retreat to their mountain fastnesses, where
they remain to strengthen themselves, and watch
their opportunity to make a fresh attack on the
Dutch posts. In this manner they harass their op-
ponents, and occasionally inflict upon them a very
severe blow. I heard at Padang, that, when the
country was ceded to the Dutch, in 1818, these Padres
had said, they would never submit to their power;
and well have they kept their word.
Sumatra, were it under a European power, and
peopled as well as Java is, would soon rival that
island. Its soil is, for the most part, equally fertile,
and yields coffee, pepper, nutmegs, &c. Only a small
portion of the territory is subject to the Dutch : the
remainder is inhabited by various tribes, who speak
different languages, and mix but little together.
They are mostly an indolent people, and require
driving by their chiefs to make them work for a
day or two now and then. The comparatively
small produce exported from this large and fer-
tile island, is obtained almost entirely by forced
labour.
The pepper trade of the ports to the northward of
Padang, has ceased to be a profitable one, and is now
neglected. European shipmasters used to complain
bitterly of the roguery practised upon them by the
native dealers ; but who taught the native his roguish
tricks ? Who introduced false weights ? Who brought
IN THE FAR EAST. 91
to the coast 56lb. weights with a screw in the bottom,
which opened for the insertion of from ten to fifteen
pounds of lead, after their correctness had been tried by
the native in comparison with his own weights ? Who
made it a regular rule, in their transactions with the
native dealer, to get 130 catties of pepper to the
pecul, thus cheating him of thirty per cent, of his
property ? I challenge contradiction, when I assert,
that English and American shipmasters have for
thirty years been addicted to all these dishonest prac-
tices. The cunning and deceit of the native traders,
at the pepper ports of Sumatra, have been taught
them by their Christian visiters, and forced upon
them in self-defence. An acquaintance of mine, who
had made some purchases from a native, went on
shore next morning to receive the goods. When the
pepper was being weighed, he told the native clerk,
he was cheating. The man denied it, and told the
party he lied. The European raised his fist, and
threatened to chastise the native, who coolly put his
hand on his ever-ready kris, and said, " Strike, sir."
The raised hand dropped to its owner's side, and well
it was that it did so ; or the party would not have lived
to tell the tale of his having threatened the clerk of a
Sumatra Rajah. A large portion of the pepper used
to be paid for in dollars ; and it is a singular fact,
that, notwithstanding the number imported in this
way, no one ever saw a single dollar exported, or
92 TRADE AND TRAVEL
seems to know what becomes of them. It is gene-
O
rally supposed, that the Rajahs buy them, and that
they often die without revealing where their trea-
sure is deposited. Be this as it may, it is very diffi-
cult, under any circumstances, to extract a dollar
from the chiefs of this coast
The trader in this part of the world, works hard
for whatever he may earn, having to encounter much
severe weather, and to go through a heavy surf every
time he lands. Indeed, so heavy and dangerous is
the surf, that few ships 1 boats are fit to go through
it. The shipmaster generally rows to the back of it
in his own boat, and obtains one from the shore to
land in. Of this, the native does not fail to take ad-
vantage in the event of any dispute, knowing that
his customer cannot leave the shore without a boat,
to be had only through his influence ; and it is no
uncommon thing for the European to be detained all
night, and made to settle accounts in the morning
before going off. The coast of Sumatra, from Acheen
Head to Flat Point,(its two extremes in this direction,)
is a highly dangerous one, being iron-bound, with a
heavy surf and many reefs off it. I envy not the
man who has to make his voyage here against the
north-west monsoon. The Dutch are extending their
ports on the sea-board from Padang northward, and
will ere long reach Acheen Head ; when they will have
a struggle, if the Acheenese people possess a moderate
IN THE FAR EAST. 93
portion of their ancient gallantry and hatred of Eu-
ropeans.*
* Since my return home, I have seen an account of the proceed-
ings of two of Her Majesty's sloops on the coast of Sumatra from
Acheen eastward. Sir W. Parker, with his usual promptitude,
sent them there from Penang, to punish the perpetrators of some
acts of piracy lately committed on British vessels. The service has
been most effectually performed ; and the marauding native has been
taught, that, distant as he may be, punishment is the certain result of
meddling with the flag of England. The ships of war in and about
the straits of Malacca, would do much good to the commerce of their
country by an occasional visit to Acheen and the coast of Pedir.
There is nothing like the sight of a few eighteen-pounders for
keeping the domineering Malay Kajah in check.
1
94 TRADE AND TRAVEL
CHAPTER VI.
MALACCA AND PENANG.
MALACCA, which I first visited in 1829, and have re-
peatedly revisited, is completely shorn of its ancient
glory, and is no longer of the slightest importance,
either as a military position or as a trading mart.
Penang, at one end of the Straits, and Singapore at
the other, have destroyed its prosperity; and it is
now a poverty-stricken place, with little or no trade.
The town is built in the old Dutch fashion, each house
with its out-offices forming a square with a yard in
the centre. The Government offices are still held in
the ancient Stadt-House, a venerable pile built by
the worthy Dutch burghers some hundred and fifty
years ago, and retaining to this day its ancient fur-
niture of ebony, many pieces of which, by the way,
have lately supplied patterns for modern sofas and
other furniture. The European population is com-
posed almost entirely of the civil servants of the
Government and the military men, who reside prin-
cipally in the immediate neighbourhood of the town,
not liking their Malay neighbours well enough to feel
IN THE FAR EAST. 95
inclined to spread far into the country. Some few
attempts have been made, within the last fifteen
years, to establish nutmeg and other plantations at
Malacca; I fear, without much success. Not that
the trees do not thrive, but that labour is scarce,
owing to the prevailing indolence of the people in
this part of the world. Moreover, occasional dis-
turbances among: the natives render a residence on
o
the spot (without which little success can be ex-
pected) any thing but pleasant. The place is a bur-
then to the East-India Company, as its revenues do
not pay half its expenses.
The country round Malacca is mountainous, and
covered with large timber. In its neighbourhood
are several tin-mines, which yield a metal some
twenty per cent, inferior to that of Banca. This tin
finds its way, like every thing else in the Archipelago,
to Singapore, where it has of late fetched only thir-
teen dollars and a half per pecul.
There is a race of men at Malacca, who appear to
be the descendants of some natives of Malabar who
settled there a century ago, and Malay women ;
a bad breed certainly, and the men I speak of seem
to possess all the devilry of both races. Numbers of
them visit Singapore from time to time, bringing
among other things, thousands of the Malacca canes
which are so much esteemed in England. They have
other employments, if fame does not belie them, not
96 TRADE AND TRAVEL
quite so creditable to their characters. Here, also,
may be found many descendants of the old Portu-
guese inhabitants, who have here, as elsewhere all
over the East, degenerated sadly, and, but for their
dress, could not be distinguished from the other
natives, except that the latter are a much finer race.
These Portuguese are, for the most part, wretchedly
poor, and, apparently, will soon become extinct. Very
few of the descendants of the old Dutch inhabitants
are to be found here now : those still remaining are
principally shopkeepers, and are much more respect-
able in every way than their Portuguese fellow sub-
jects. Slavery, until lately, existed in a domestic
form in Malacca ; it has, however, been completely
done away with through the representations and
exertions of the late Governor, Mr. Bonham.
Malacca forms a pretty picture from the sea, and,
to the passer-by, seems an attractive spot : his disap-
pointment, on landing, however, would be great, and
few inducements to prolong his stay will be found,
excepting the climate. This, to the invalid from
Bengal, is a treat, on which I have heard many
expatiate in glowing terms after their return, with
renewed health, to Calcutta.
Penang, or Prince of Wales Island, is, perhaps, the
most beautiful of the three Straits settlements, though
it is certainly not the most salubrious, being occa-
onally visited by a very severe fever, which, in my
IN THE FAR EAST. 97
time, carried . off many of the European inhabi-
tants. *
Here, the nutmeg and the clove come to perfection ;
and the produce of Penang commands higher prices
in the London market, than the spice of any other
country with which I am acquainted. The estates of
Mr. Brown are the finest on the Island ; and the ho-
spitality of their proprietor is unsurpassed. Of late
years, the profits of spice-plantations have become
somewhat precarious, as the supply in the European
markets has exceeded the demand. This has turned
the attention of several of the leading people on the
Island to the sugar-cane, which thrives here well, and
is now to be seen covering large tracts which very
recently were lying waste. The sugar-planter here,
however, labours under the same disadvantage, as to
import-duty in England, as his brother planter of
Singapore, which, if not altered, will mar his prospects.
Strong representations on the subject have been
made to the Bengal Government, and (I believe) to
the Court of Directors, as yet without effect.
The revenue of Penang is derived from the same
sources as that of Singapore, but falls short of the
annual expenses of the place. This may be accounted
* At this moment, I cannot recal to recollection a single existing
resident of Penang who has not arrived there since 1329. The
Europeans of that time have all, or nearly all, been removed by-
death.
98 TRADE AND TRAVEL
for by the falling off in its trade, and the decrease
in its population, since the establishment of the last-
named settlement. It still retains a considerable
trade with Sumatra, the coast of Coromandel, and
Calcutta, but its direct trade with England is almost
entirely cut up. It is also the depdt for the tin col-
lected at Junkseylon, and other places on the Malay
coast immediately opposite. Altogether, however, the
establishment of Singapore has very much injured
Penang, and thinned its population, rendering its
houses of little or no value, and giving to its streets
a deserted appearance from which they will never
recover.
The plain on which the town stands, is bounded
on two sides by the sea, and, beyond the town, is
dotted over with pretty garden-houses : it is inter-
sected in all directions by good roads, which are lined
throughout with the prettiest of all hedges, composed
of the dwarf bamboo. Beyond this plain, the
country becomes hilly and covered with woods,
except a spot here and there, where the spice-planter
has made his clearing, and built his bungalow. On
the tops of several of these hills, which are higher
and more extensive than those of Singapore, may be
seen bungalows for convalescents, approachable only
by a bridle path, up which the stout little poneys of
the Island carry bravely the health-seeking or plea-
sure-seeking party. These spots are delightful resi-
IN 7 THE FAR EAST. 99
deuces; and the climate is cool enough at night to make
a blanket on the bed most welcome and comfortable,
I have my doubts whether these are fit places for the
invalid to resort to, particularly if his complaint be
of a pulmonary nature. Immediately after sunset,
the hill top is enveloped in a dense fog, which makes
every thing in the house feel damp, and which does
not disappear till ten A.M. next day. It were worth
while to ride up one of these hills, for the sole pur-
pose of watching the clearing off of the fog in the
morning : the visiter taking his stand in the veran-
dah about nine A.M., and looking down, in the direc-
tion of the plain, on the dense mass of fog hanging
over the town and suburbs, sees it by degrees clear
away like a curtain slowly withdrawn, and the houses,
roads, bridges, &c., appear below him as if springing
up there by magic. Add to this, the fleet of shipping
in the harbour, the opposite plains of Province Wel-
lesley, and the distant mountains towering in the sky
beyond, and a scene may be imagined, that can
scarcely be described ; at least, not by my feeble pen.
When I first visited Penang, Province Wellesley was
a wilderness, inhabited only by a thin Malay popula-
tion and numerous tigers.* It now wears another
and more pleasing aspect, large tracts of its fertile
* Although the jungles of Penang abound with tigers, I have
seldom heard of their preying on man, as they do in the neighbour-
ing settlement.
F 2
100 TRADE AND TRAVEL
soil having been cleared and brought under cultiva-
tion. I know no better spot for the culture of sugar ;
and if it does not pay the planter here, those of Penang
or Singapore have but a poor prospect.* Penang
harbour is a very commodious and safe one, formed
by the narrow strait between that island and
the main land. Ships of three hundred tons may
here lie within pistol-shot of the wharf in perfect
safety. I have never seen the phosphoric light occa-
sionally thrown out by salt-water, so brilliant as it is
here. I recollect being very much struck with it,
while sailing out of the harbour about eight o'clock P.M.
We had a fresh breeze, and each tiny wave looked like
a flash of very bright flame, while the ship's wake
resembled the tail of a brilliant comet, more than
any thing else. I leave the naturalist to account for
this.
* Oct. 1845. Penang has increased in importance since the
foregoing was written. Its sugar-planters have continued their exer-
tions with energy, sparing neither trouble nor expense to make their
plantations profitable investments. It gives me much pleasure to be
able to add, that their success seems certain, and that their perseve-
rance in petitioning Government on the subject of duties, has at
length been rewarded, as it ought sooner to have been.
IN THE FAR EAST. 101
CHAPTER VII.
CALCUTTA.
FIRST VIEW OF CALCUTTA STATE OF SOCIETY MERCAN-
TILE CHANGES UNPLEASANT CLIMATE SIGHTS AT AND
NEAR CALCUTTA IMPROVEMENTS IN TRANSIT AND NA-
VIGATION CUSTOM-HOUSE NUISANCE PILOT SERVICE
CHARACTER OF THE BENGALEES RIVER STEAMERS.
IN 1829, I visited for the first time the far-famed
city of Calcutta, and have since then paid it four
visits. So much, however, has been written about
the " City of Palaces," that it must be nearly as well
known to the English reader as London itself; and I
shall therefore say less respecting it.
The feeling I experienced on first making the
land at the mouth of the Hooghly, was extreme
disappointment. To a stranger coming, as I did,
from Java, Singapore, and Penang, nothing can have
a more dreary and desolate appearance than the
land about and below Kedgeree. The very sight is
almost enough to bring on the ague; and the abomi-
nably filthy water of the holy stream heightens the
feeling of disgust. From Kedgeree to Diamond
102 TRADE AND TRAVEL
Harbour, the view on the low banks of the river
improves but little. Above Diamond Harbour, the
river banks are somewhat higher, buildings are more
numerous, and the country appears more cleared
and brought under cultivation. On arriving at
Garden Reach, the stranger may begin to imagine
that not wholly without reason Calcutta has acquired
the proud title of the " City of palaces." From the
lower part of this Reach, on the right, the river
bank is laid out in large gardens, each with a hand-
some mansion in its centre; and the whole scene
speaks of opulence and splendour. Of late years,
these magnificent residences have been much neg-
lected, and what was once the most fashionable
part of the suburbs, has been nearly deserted by the
great folk. The reason assigned for this, is, that the
river, in very wet seasons, overflows its banks, breed-
ing malaria and fever, from which, at the time of
my second visit, the inhabitants suffered not a little.
For a year or two, these mansions stood empty;
but, when I last saw them, in 1840, they were nearly
all occupied by mercantile men, who find them plea-
sant retreats from the bustle of the city, and seem
willing to brave the chance of fever. On approach-
ing the head of Garden Reach, the stranger all at
once beholds Fort William and the town of Calcutta
spread out before him; and a splendid view it is.
Should he arrive in the month of November or
IN THE FAR EAST. 103
December, he will behold, perhaps, the finest fleet of
merchant shipping the world could produce. Here
are seen, besides the flag of Old England, those of
America, France, Holland, Spain, Portugal, and Ara-
bia. I must not forget to mention the floating
taverns or large passenger ships, which carry home
from twenty to forty passengers every voyage ; and
besides the fleet of large ships, the river presents
steamers, pleasure-boats, and native craft of all
sorts and sizes, from the gay budyerow, to the
wretched and more than half rotten dhingy. The scene
has, however, its drawbacks. The stranger is
shocked and disgusted at the sight of some half-
dozen dead bodies floating down the river, in all
stages of decomposition, some with a vulture perched
on them, gorging himself as he floats down the
stream on his hideous raft. Government has placed
people above the town, for the express purpose of
sinking dead bodies and similar nuisances ; but they
have not succeeded in effecting their object The
last time I went up the river, four human corpses
passed my boat between Kradd's Dock and Colvin's
Grant, a distance of two miles.
Nothing strikes the stranger, on landing for the
first time in Calcutta, so much as the extraordinary
aggregation of palaces and mansions, ordinary dwell-
ing-houses, warehouses, shops, bazaars, stables, huts,
and hovels, all mingled together in glorious confu-
104 TRADE AND TRAVEL
sion, a few streets forming the only exception. This
is a great eye-sore even to the old resident. I know
no part of the world where society is divided into so
many ranks and classes as it is here, nor where
pride and pomp hold their heads higher. To hear
some of the great ones of this city talk, you would
think they had sprung from a long line of princely,
or, at least, of noble ancestors. It is often observed,
however, that they seldom or never mention their im-
mediate progenitors, nor the whereabouts of their
birth-place, which, in nine cases out of ten, would be
found to be some humble cottage on the bank of a
modest brook in England, or burn in Scotland. The
more obscure or lowly their origin, the more difficult
of access they are generally found. The real gentle-
man is easily discovered by his superior breeding
and genuine urbanity.
In former days, a young man arriving at Calcutta
as a writer, had no difficulty in raising money by
borrowing from some wealthy drear; and many of
those very young men are still hampered with debts
they can never pay : though high in office, and en-
joying large salaries, they are tied to the country
by their creditors, to whom they are obliged to give
a large portion of their earnings. Times have now
changed, and the native has learned from dear-
bought experience, that the European is not always so
worthy of confidence as he at one time thought him.
IN THE FAR EAST. 105
When I first knew Calcutta, some half-dozen mer-
cantile firms swayed the trade of the place, and car-
ried every thing before them. Their influence with
the monied natives was great, and their command of
ready cash was proportionably large. This led them
into all sorts of wild speculations, and ultimately
proved their ruin, the whole of these houses having
failed (if my memory does not deceive me) before
the end of 1832. In spite of these failures, (which
ruined hundreds of widows and orphans,) the confi-
dence of the natives was not utterly shaken till
very recently, when another batch of similar misfor-
tunes took place, in which many of the old hands
were concerned under new firms. This has entirely
broken up the system, and scattered the commerce
of Calcutta among numerous smaller establish-
ments, setting the wits of the native capitalist to
work to find other employment for his cash. Many
of them have entered upon the opium trade, princi-
pally as speculators on the spot, who buy at the
public sales, and re-sell at a small profit ; preferring
this to running the risk of the China market. Pre-
viously to the mercantile break-up just mentioned,
the members of the leading firms were, with few
exceptions, as exclusive in their society as the lead-
ing civilians : their fall has upset these lofty pre-
tensions, and the mercantile society of the place
is much improved in consequence.
F 3
106 TRADE AND TRAVEL
For the hospitality of Calcutta I cannot say much ;
nor do I know a place where a friendless stranger
landing without good introductory letters, would
meet with a more chilling reception. I do not speak
from experience, having fortunately been properly
provided with credentials ; but I do not say it without
good authority. Of the hospitality of the military
gentlemen of the Presidency, and especially of the
Dum Dum Artillery, I have pleasure in reporting
more favourably. Calcutta has its theatre, its clubs,
its races, and its fox-hounds. On the race-course
may be seen some fine specimens of the Arab horse,
small compared to the English racer, but unsur-
passed for spirit and symmetry. Its amusements
and attractions, however, are so outweighed by its
wretched climate, that I would rather pass my days
growing sugar in Singapore, than live amid all the
splendour of this proud city.
From April to October inclusive, the weather is
oppressively hot, with a closeness in the atmosphere
that renders respiration difficult, and existence, with-
out a punkah, almost insupportable. I have sat for
days suffering from the heat, and longing for sun-set
in hope of relief which never came ; for, even through
the long night, the thermometer did not fall one de-
gree. This extreme heat is occasionally relieved by
a thunder-storm accompanied with a deluge of rain,
which clears the atmosphere, cools the burning soil,
IN THE FAR EAST. 107
and renders breathing an easy process. The Euro-
pean inhabitants have many ways of rendering the
interior of their dwellings cooler than the external
air; but, with all their means and appliances, they
are generally terribly exhausted before bed-time
comes. During this period, the European lady suf-
fers more than the gentleman, and, by the time the
cold weather approaches, looks haggard and woe-
begone. Children also suffer much during the sum-
mer. In November, the weather becomes cool, and
people begin to think of balls and other gayeties. The
winter, however, is not, in my opinion, a healthy
season, as the bills of mortality will indicate. A
heavy fog then settles over the city and neighbour-
hood every night, through which, at sun-rise, one can
hardly see ten yards, producing not a bracing cold,
but a chilling damp. This does not last all day, for
the heat is severe from ten A.M. till three P.M., even
in mid-winter. The lower class of natives suffer
much, and great numbers die during this season of
the year, as they are very careless, bathe in the river
daily as usual, and are too poor to make any change
in their dress, which is far from sufficient to protect
them from the damp nights. The wealthier native
wraps his shoulders in an ample cashmere shawl ;
but even he leaves his legs and the lower half of
his person with only summer clothing.
During the autumn, Calcutta is a very gay place,
108 TRADE AND TRAVEL
and makes up for its dullness during the summer.
This is the season for horse-racing, hunting, shoot-
ing, and theatrical amusements, into which the nu-
merous indigo-planters who come to town from their
plantations about this time, enter with spirit, if the
crops have been good and prices fair.
Among the sights in and around Calcutta, I would
recommend the visiter to make a point of seeing,
the Mint, the native Bazaars, the Dum Dum Artil-
lery Station, the Tshapoor Gunpowder Manufactory,
and Mr. Wakefield's farm at Acra. I mention these
as having been myself gratified with examining
them. The Mint is, perhaps, the finest in the world.
Captain (now Colonel) Forbes, who kindly shewed
me over every part of it, said, I think, they could
turn out 500,000 coins in twenty-four hours. In the
different bazaars, the stranger will find the most ex-
traordinary collection of commodities, Indian, Euro-
pean, American, Chinese, and of other countries, that
he could ever have conceived. The zeal of the dif-
ferent vendors in crying up and bepraising their own
goods at the expense of their neighbours, will amuse
him, while he will feel not a little surprised at the
cheapness of many European articles, such as crock-
ery, millinery, hosiery, &c. &c. Should he be a mili-
tary man, his visit to Dum Durn will delight him, that
station being the head-quarters of the Bengal Artil-
lery, and its officers are celebrated for their kindness
IN THE FAR EAST. 109
and hospitality to strangers. With my visit to
Ishapoor, I had every reason to be pleased. I not
only saw the whole process of powder-manufacture
on a very large scale, but met with a hearty wel-
come from Major Timbrel, of the Artillery, who at
that time superintended the establishment. The
river scenery near Ishapoor is much superior to
what it is lower down ; and a good view of the
pretty town of Chinsurah,* on the opposite bank of
the Hooghly, is commanded from Major Timbrel's
verandah. Acra farm is situated some twelve
or fifteen miles below Calcutta. 1 visited it as a
stranger, while waiting in a ship for the flood tide ;
and its proprietor gave me a most hospitable re-
ception. Mr. Wakefield has completely established
the practicability of curing meat all through the
year in this climate, so as to keep at sea for three
years. He told me, he killed 25,000 hogs per annum ;
and, on my asking whether he suspended operations
during the hot months, his reply was, " No, we go on
at all seasons." I can vouch for the goodness of the
hams, bacon, sausages, lard, &c. &c., which he ex-
ports, and shall be very glad if these remarks should
lead a purchaser to his door. The muddy creeks
near Acra farm swarm with alligators, (whether
* Chinsurah was, until 1825, a Dutch settlement; and we then
obtained it and Malacca in exchange for Bencoolen.
1 10 TRADE AND TRAVEL
attracted by the smell of blood or not, I cannot say,)
and they occasionally become very troublesome.
The day before my visit, Mr. Wakefield had had a
mortal combat with one sixteen feet long, which he
succeeded in destroying single-handed, and had
brought home in proof of his prowess.
One of the most remarkable objects in or near
Calcutta, is the celebrated Banian-tree in the East-
India Company's Botanical Garden on the banks of
the Hooghly, immediately opposite Garden Reach.
This tree is, without exception, the most splendid
vegetable production I ever saw: and its immense
size and great age may be judged of, when I men-
tion, that a friend in whom I place the utmost confi-
dence told me, he measured the circumference of the
space it shaded at noon-day, and found that, allowing
eighteen inches square per man, there was sufficient
room for eighteen thousand men to stand under the
shade of this venerable patriarch of the forest. This
could be effected, however, only by removing the
many stems of the tree which now occupy nearly
the whole space covered by the branches, and are so
numerous and thick, that it is impossible to trace the
parent one. It is a mighty tree, and worthy of the
proud place it occupies in the first botanical garden
in the world.
What a wonderful change a few short years bring
about in these days of improvement ! When I first
IN THE FAR EAST. Ill
knew Calcutta, there was no such thing as an over-
land conveyance for letters; and, as for sending a
ship to China against the monsoon, no one ever
dreamed of it. The whole world is now a witness of
the regularity of the monthly communication with
England vid the Red Sea ; and the passage to and
from China is made at all seasons of the year, in defi-
ance of monsoons and all other impediments. The
spirited owner and commander of the barque, " Red
Rover," has the credit of first shewing to the world,
that the north-east monsoon in the Chinese Sea was to
be conquered by perseverance in a small vessel : his
success exceeded, I believe, his own sanguine expec-
tations, and it is pleasing to add, that he was amply
rewarded in a pecuniary point of view for his exer-
tions. His example was soon followed by other
parties connected with the opium-trade; and the
communication between China, Calcutta, and Bom-
bay is now regularly kept up all the year through,
by as fine a fleet of clippers as ever rode the sea,
commanded by men who appear to defy the weather.
They make their passages in a wonderfully short
period of time, and stand high in the opinion of the
mercantile community of India. They are well
paid, as they deserve to be, for the trying work they
have to go through ; and many of them have recently
returned to their native country with comfortable, if
not ample independencies.
112 TRADE AND TRAVEL
Another improvement of great importance to the
trade of Calcutta, is the facility with which powerful
steamers can now be procured, to tow ships up and
down the Hooghly. Any one who has gone up and
down this river, must be aware of the dangerous
nature of its navigation, owing to the many mud
banks, shifting sands, and very rapid current ; and
must be sensible of the comfort of having a powerful
steamer towing ahead. The saving of time by
leaving the port under steam, is immense. I re-
member, on one occasion, overtaking, in thirty-six
hours from town, two ships that had left three weeks
before us. The number of lives saved every year
by these steamers, is beyond calculation. This is
now so well understood, that passengers make a
point of ascertaining whether a steamer is to be
employed, before taking their passage in any ship ;
and the under-writers willingly contribute towards
the expense thus incurred, considering themselves as
repaid by the great saving in what is called " River
Risk."
I have heard many complaints against Dutch Cus-
tom-houses, but the Customs in Calcutta, I can state
from my own knowledge, are far more troublesome
and unreasonable. Go to any Dutch Custom-house
in Netherlands India, and produce your invoice
through some known agent; your goods will be
cleared and passed without further trouble. At
IN THE FAR EAST. 113
Calcutta, no man's word is taken, but every package
landed or shipped must actually pass through the
Custom-house. Even opium purchased from Govern-
ment, and delivered to the purchaser from a Govern-
ment warehouse, is subjected to this annoying pro-
cess. Surely the authorities might allow merchan-
dize purchased from themselves, and delivered from
their own premises, to be taken direct to the wharf,
and put on board ship. A Custom-house officer
might accompany the drug, if it was deemed neces-
sary, and see it fairly afloat before leaving it. The
present arrangement involves a useless waste of the
merchant's time and trouble.
The Semaphore established from Kedgeree to Cal-
cutta, is of very great advantage to the shipping
interest of the place. Any vessel getting on shore,
or coming from sea in distress, can send intelligence
of her situation to town in fifteen minutes, and have
a steamer down to aid her in twelve hours.
It would hardly be fair to leave Calcutta without
saying a word in praise of the pilot service. The
pilots here are paid by Government, and are a highly
respectable body of men: they enter the service
when very young, as volunteers, and rise by degrees
to the rank of masters and branch pilots, the latter
being the highest grade. Branch pilots generally
command pilot brigs, which cruise off the mouth of
the Hooghly for the purpose of supplying vessels
114 TRADE AND TRAVEL
that come from sea with pilots to take them up the
river, and of taking the pilots out of ships bound to
sea. Master pilots, mates, and second mates are en-
gaged in taking vessels out and in, while the young-
sters are employed in heaving the lead, and studying
the navigation of the rivers. The whole service is
remarkably well conducted. The work undergone
by its members is very hard during the south-west
monsoon ; and they are generally short-lived. This
may be easily accounted for, in such a climate, by
their constant exposure to heat and rain, to say no-
thing of gales of wind and frequent sound duckings
from the spray of the sea.
The natives of Bengal are not favourites of mine :
they are much given to lying and thieving, and are
sad cowards. It is true, they are not pirates, like
the Malays ; but this is owing, I suspect, to want of
courage, more than of inclination. A Malay servant,
should his master threaten to strike him, will say :
" Cut my pay, sir, or turn me away if I am in fault,
but (emphatically) don't strike me." A Bengalee,
under similar circumstances, would cringe under his
master's feet, salaam to the ground, beg to be whip-
ped, but "Oh," would be his cry, "don't cut my
pay, sir." Nothing used to annoy me so much as
this excessive servility of the Bengalee servants:
they will do any thing for pice, pice ; that word
being repeated by them at least ten times oftener
IN THE FAR EAST. 115
than any other in their vocabulary. With all this,
they are lazy, and require more looking after than
any other servants I know. They certainly work for
little pay, but that little is sufficient to supply their
families with the necessaries of life, and to leave a
trifle to put by, if the head of the family does not
gamble. The palanquin-bearers are the most useful
men to a stranger : for thirty-five rupees (3/. 10s.) he
will get a palanquin and six men who will carry him
all over the town, a whole month, for that trifling
sum ; they will take him out in an evening, wait pa-
tiently in the street till he is ready to return home,
and be at his door by six the next morning, ready to
obey his orders. The drear, too, is a useful charac-
ter, but, generally, a sad scamp : he will conduct the
stranger all over this vast city, shew him where any
thing is to be had, pay his bills for him, and save him
a world of trouble ; which he makes answer his pur-
pose by deducting one pice, or about two per cent,
from every rupee you may order him to pay for you,
and by charging a moderate per-centage on what he
may be commissioned to procure for " Master." It
is astonishing how quickly these drears find out
when an old customer or "Master" returns to Cal-
cutta. I have been visited by mine within an hour
after reaching town. In one instance, I had come
up the river in an express boat, and had arrived as
soon as the mail ; but, presently, in came Master's
116 TRADE AND TRAVEL
circar, bowing low, and "hoping Master has had a
pleasant voyage, and made too much money."
The mighty current of the sacred Ganges is now
thoroughly conquered by all-powerful Steam ; and the
Indian officer ordered up the river to join his corps,
can now perform in three weeks, the journey that,
fifteen years ago, would have taken him as many
months. Never having travelled in the river steam-
ers, I can say nothing about the voyage ; but, from
their being constantly filled with passengers and
cargo, I presume they give entire satisfaction. The
fact of their carrying the European traveller so
much more rapidly than the native boats can do,
through the unhealthy Sunderbunds, is of itself suffi-
cient to induce every wayfarer to take advantage of
them.
IN THE FAR EAST. 117
CHAPTER VIII.
NEW SOUTH WALES.
VOYAGE FROM SINGAPORE TO SYDNEY PORT JACKSON
FIRST IMPRESSIONS PRODUCED BY SYDNEY THE
PUBLIC-HOUSE NUISANCE SYDNEY JURIES CATTLE
DEALERS TOWN IMPROVEMENTS LAWYERS, DOCTORS,
AND CLERGY.
CIRCUMSTANCES induced me, in the early part of
1836, to proceed to New South Wales, where I passed
three years ; at the expiration of which I returned to
the Straits in much better health than I had enjoyed
for years before.
The voyage from Singapore to Sydney, via Java
Head and Bass's Straits, occupies generally from
sixty to seventy days ; a much longer period than it
ought to do, considering the distance, but much time
and space are lost in getting southward from Java
Head. Crossing the south-east trade- wind, a ship
makes nearly as much wasting as she does southing,
and of course has all the former to run back again
on getting the westerly winds in the latitude of
38 to 40 south. We were unfortunate in this part
118 TRADE AND TRAVELS
of our voyage, and got no westerly winds till we
reached the forty-first parallel of south latitude :
from that point they took us to within a few miles
of the entrance to Bass's Straits, where we met
a strong easterly gale, which detained us several
days. This was in March ; and I would advise ships
bound from India to New South Wales, in the month
of January, February, or March, to go to the south-
ward of Van Diemen's Land altogether : they will
thus carry the strong westerly winds longer, avoid
the easterly gales that blow during these months in
Bass's Straits, and probably shorten their passage
ten or twelve days. Up the bold and iron-bound
shore of this mighty island, from its south-east
promontory to the heads of Port Jackson, we
ran with a strong southerly gale, and entered the
most magnificent of harbours after a seventy days'
passage.
The entrance into Port Jackson is between two
rocky heads, called, the North and South Head. As
"he former projects rather further into the Pacific
than the latter, and somewhat overlaps it, the stran-
ger would have some difficulty in finding his port,
were it not for the light-house on the South Head ;
but, even with this guide, the inexperienced eye can-
not perceive the entrance till right opposite it. We
ran in with a heavy sea outside, and had scarcely
got a ship's length inside the Heads, when we were
IN THE FAR EAST. 119
in water as smooth as a mill-pond. The steep black
rocks on our right looked fearfully near to us, but
the water is deep close to them, and no difficulty is
experienced in beating up to Sydney Cove, a distance
of six miles. The only danger in the way is a shoal
or reef, bearing the strange name of the " Sow and
Pigs" : on it, however, there is a light- vessel, so that
it may be safely passed, even at night.
Were all the fleets in the world congregated in
Port Jackson, they would not half occupy it. From
the Heads to a mile above Sydney Cove, there is a
succession of beautiful bays, with deep water close
to the rocks, and good anchorage in all directions.
The scenery is magnificent, though, to an eye accus-
tomed to that of Singapore, the green is not quite
brilliant enough. A succession of hill and dale, with
here and there a neat cottage perched on some rocky
point, the soil clothed with trees, the waters of the
many bays glistening in the sun, and the distant
view of the heights and windmills beyond Sydney,
form a picture that can scarcely be surpassed.
On landing in Sydney, the traveller from India is
ready to exclaim, Surely this is not a town some
seventeen thousand miles from England ! Every
thing reminds him of home: he sees English ser-
vants, English tradesmen, English shops ; in a word, a
regular English town, with its inns and every thing
conducted on the English principle. I took up my
120 TRADE AND TRAVEL
quarters with my family at the Pulteney Hotel,
where we were made very comfortable, and found
the terms moderate : the only thing that disappointed
us was, the smallness of the bed-rooms. Sydney is a
regularly built town, its spacious streets running at
right angles with each other. The houses are well
built, close to each other, with narrow fronts, and
generally three stories high. Here we have George
street, Prince's street, King street, Pitt street, Hyde
Park, the Surrey Hills, all recalling, by their appel-
lations, the mother country. Hyde Park, though it
comes far short of its namesake in London, is never-
theless a very pleasant spot for a promenade, being
nicely shaded by trees planted during Sir R. Bourke's
government, and is an ornament to the town. "Go-
vernment Domain " is a piece of ground in the rear
of the Governor's house, reserved by Government
for a garden and pleasure-grounds : it is tastefully
laid out, and intersected with numerous walks, which
are open to the public ; and many a pleasant party
is formed by the industrious classes, who have only
Sunday to spare for a little recreation in the open
air. The Surrey Hills are being fast covered with
gentlemen's houses, for which a better situation could
scarcely be chosen. Woolloomoolloo, or Darlinghurst,
as it is now called, is the favourite suburb, and boasts
of many handsome mansions, each with its garden.
Among these are the respective residences of the
IN THE FAR EAST. 121
Chief-Justice, the Bishop of Australia, and other
members of the elite of this metropolis. These
houses all command a fine view of the harbour with
its shipping and the surrounding scenery.
Sydney has its theatre, its club-house, its stage
and mail coaches, while steamers ply all about the
harbour, and up and down the coast; an immense
convenience to the inhabitants of the northern dis-
tricts of the Colony. It has a large and well-supplied
market, where the gardeners, farmers, &c. from the
neighbourhood collect their produce for sale, and
where, in good seasons, (that is, seasons in which
rain has been abundant,) the housekeeper may pro-
cure supplies on reasonable terms. There is also,
immediately outside the town, a hay and cattle mar-
ket, where large herds of cattle and flocks of sheep
are constantly for sale, and generally find ready
buyers among the numerous emigrants who are
daily landing on these shores.
The greatest drawback upon the prosperity of the
lower orders in Sydney, arises from the public-
houses, of which there are some three hundred,
nearly all filled, from morning to night, with men and
women, too often spending the last penny they possess
in the world. The magnitude of this evil may be
estimated from the fact, that, in 1838, the revenue
derived from ardent spirits and public-house li-
cences amounted to the enormous sum of 110,000/.
122 TRADE AND TRAVEL
sterling. No stranger can take a walk through
Sydney without remarking with astonishment the
number of these nuisances ; and the list of drunk-
ards exhibited at the police every Monday morning,
will increase his surprise and disgust. So enormous
is this evil on the sabbath-day, that bands of consta-
bles patrole the streets for the purpose of clearing
them of drunken men and women, whom they con-
sign to the " lock-up." These constables, by the way,
are extremely brutal in their manner of handling
any unfortunate wight that may fall into their hands ;
and I have been frequently disgusted at their barba-
rity. What better conduct, however, can be expected
from men, nine-tenths of whom either are or have
been convicts ? When I was at Sydney, the jail was
a most wretched place, not half large enough for the
many unfortunate beings it had occasionally to re-
ceive. A more commodious one has since been
erected, with space enough to allow of the separate
classification of debtors, highway robbers, bush-
rangers, and felons, which could not be always at-
tended to in the old building. The jail is cleared
four times a year by holding criminal courts. The
calendar is usually very heavy, and the crimes are
generally of a heinous nature. The prisoner has the
privilege of choosing whether he will be tried by a
civil or by a military jury. Many prefer the latter,
knowing that, whatever the verdict may be, it will
IN THE FAR EAST.
be a conscientious one. The civil jury is generally
composed of publicans, and is always chosen by the
Sydney scamps, in the hope that a chum or pal may
be found in the list, which is not unfrequently the
case. The hardest task the Attorney-General has to
perform, is, to get together a respectable jury. When
it is composed of civilians, the prisoner is sure to
challenge every respectable man in the box. By this
means, he generally succeeds in getting twelve men
sworn, of whom two or three are of the stamp he
requires, men that will, in vulgar phrase, " swear
through a six-inch plank" to get him off. It is no
uncommon case for Sydney jurors, on retiring to con-
sider their verdict, to exclaim that their minds are
made up, and that they will be d d if they will
give a verdict of guilty. Another source of trouble
to all persons concerned with a court of justice here, is
the extreme difficulty experienced in extracting truth
from witnesses. It is almost impossible to conceive
the effrontery with which nine-tenths of these men
will swear any thing : they invariably prevaricate and
contradict themselves when cross-examined, and are
not unfrequently sent from the witness-box to prison,
to take their trial for perjury. I remember, on one
occasion, seeing a father, mother, and three grown-
up daughters, who came into court to sustain a charge
against a farmer for an assault on one of the daugh-
ters, committed for perjury, while the prisoner was
G 2
124 TRADE AND TRAVEL
released without a stain on his name. The crime of
cattle-stealing, probably, comes oftener before the
Judges of New South Wales than any other, particu-
larly since the punishment for it has been changed
from death to banishment for life. When death was
the penalty, many graziers put up with their loss,
rather than prosecute the offender : now, the cattle-
stealer is shewn no mercy, from one end of the
Colony to the other. The Judge has no discretionary
power with this class of offenders, but, in the event
of a verdict of guilty, must pass the sentence of ba-
nishment for life. If the prisoner came free to the
colony, he is banished to Van Diemeri's Land : if, on
the other hand, he is an old convict, he is sent to
rusticate for the remainder of his days on Norfolk
Island. Whole droves of stolen cattle are, neverthe-
less, continually offered for sale in the neighbourhood
of Sydney, and ready purchasers are found for them,
the risk of being brought up as a receiver not being
so great as might be supposed. The regular cattle-
stealer has stations in the bush, where he collects his
ill-gotten herds, defaces and alters their brands, and
keeps them till the new brand has healed and as-
sumed the usual appearance ; he then boldly starts
for market in open day, and, though he may be
met by the former owners of the beasts he is
driving, he fears nothing, proof of identity being a
difficult task, when a P has been made into a B, and,
IN THE FAR EAST. 125
perhaps, three or four other brands have been
added.
During the administration of Sir Richard Bourke,
great improvements were made in the streets of
Sydney, particularly in the direction of the different
wharfs, from which the ascent used to be frightfully
steep. To remedy this evil, and at the same time to
improve the appearance of the town, Sir Richard cut
away the brows of the ridges, and filled up the hollows
with the rubbish. This proceeding caused a great
outcry among those persons who had property where
the cuttings took place, and whose dwellings, in some
cases, were many feet above the new level of the
street. In the course of time, these proprietors de-
scended from their airy posts, knocked down their
old unsightly tenements, cut down their ground to
the proper level, and built new and more sightly
houses ; so that the Governor's proceedings have im-
proved both the streets and the general appearance
of the town, as well as enhanced the value of the
property wherever the cuttings were made.
Sydney abounds with doctors, lawyers, and par-
sons, all of whom thrive here. The lawyer espe-
cially reaps a rich harvest among a population
notoriously fond of litigation, and prone to give
cause for it in various ways. As usual, however,
the supply has of late exceeded the demand ; and the
barristers do not now lounge in such stylish car*
12G TRADE AND TRAVEL
riages as they were accustomed to be seen in some
years ago. The medical men's harvest, a sickly sea-
son, is not a rare occurrence in Sydney, though the
Colony generally is remarkable for its salubrity.
The last summer I spent there, the deaths were very
numerous, and cast a gloom over the place. Influ-
enza and fevers were the prevailing complaints, and
were probably attributable to the dry, hot winds pre-
valent at the time, together with the badness of the
water in common use, and the intemperate habits of
the people. The want of a supply of good water is
much felt. Every house has its pump, but the water
is not fit for any thing but washing, and is, for the
most part, so hard, that soap will not dissolve in it.
Government had commenced laying pipes to supply
the town with this necessary article ; but, when I left
the Colony, they had not been brought nearer than to
within a mile; and I have not heard of their being
since carried any further. Water-carts go round,
selling water at a penny or sometimes three half-
pence per bucket, which is of a good quality.
Previously to the arrival of Sir Richard Bourke,
the clergy of the Church of England were the only
persons in the Colony that were authorized to marry,
to bury, or to christen. Sir Richard put an end to
this extraordinary state of affairs, by his celebrated
Church Act ; and now, every one may be married by
the minister of his own persuasion, and follow, in
IN THE FAR EAST, 127
religious matters, the dictates of his conscience.
Strange as it may appear, Sir Richard's proceedings
in this matter gave great offence to the magnates of
the Church of England ; and the Archdeacon went
home to remonstrate with Her Majesty's Govern-
ment on the subject. His Reverence took nothing,
however, by his motion, Lord Glenelg, the then
Secretary for the Colonies, highly approving of all
that had been done. But the Archdeacon returned
to the Colony a Bishop, and, when I left it, was busily
engaged in erecting a cathedral by public subscrip-
tion.
128 TRADE AND TRAVEL
CHAPTER IX.
NEW SOUTH WALES.
TOWNSHIP OF MAITLAND THE PATERSON DISTRICT WIN-
TER SPORTS THE KANGAROO AUSTRALIAN HUSBANDRY
CONVICT SERVANTS BENEFIT OF ENFORCING AN OB-
SERVANCE OF SUNDAY THE HOT SEASON.
r R o M Sydney, I proceeded northward, by steam, to
Maitland, on the river Hunter, and thence up the
country bordering on those pretty little rivers, the
Paterson and the Allyn.
Maitland puts a Scotchman in mind of the " lang
toon of Kirkaldy," consisting of merely one long
street. From its situation, at the head of the navi-
gation of the Hunter, and the centre of the very first
agricultural district of New South Wales, it is likely
to become a large, thriving, and important place.
The country in the immediate neighbourhood is flat,
and the soil rich, yielding most luxuriant crops of
wheat and Indian corn.
The season of 1838-39 was a poor one for the
IN THE FAR EAST. 129
farmer : flour rose in price to 60s. the cwt. ; and the
quartern loaf, before I left the Colony, was selling as
high as two shillings and eight-pence. This was a time
to test the fertility of the soil round Maitland, as well
as the benefit it derives from its proximity to the sea.
During this summer, the whole district was favoured
with occasional refreshing showers ; its crops were
forward, and the yield good ; and while crops in the
southern districts had failed from drought, the Hun-
ter-river farmers were sending their surplus produce
to Sydney for s:;le.
The township of Maitland is divided into two
towns or villages, called, East and West Maitland.
The former has been fixed upon as the site of the
town by Government, and the latter by the public,
who have, as usual, shewn more wisdom in their choice
than their masters have, inasmuch as they have
planted their town within a few hundred yards of
the head of the navigation ; whereas the Government
town is three miles further up the river, and is unap-
proachable by steamers, or even by small craft. The
two, however, will be joined together ere long, (most
likely they are by this time,) as they are rising ra-
pidly into importance. For the beauty of th^ coun-
try between Maitland and the sea, I cannot say much :
it used to remind me of Lower Bengal, being so very
flat, and, in some places, so low as to be frequently
flooded.
G 3
130 TRADE AND TRAVEL
Like the houses in almost all new towns, those in
Maitland form a motley assemblage of buildings of
all sizes, shapes, and colours. Many of the smaller
and inferior ones were, however, disappearing, even
in 1839 ; and more sightly as well as more commo-
dious buildings were rising up in their place. The
traveller will find comfortable accommodation at
either the Union or the Rose Inn ; and the charges
are moderate. He will also have the advantage of
meeting settlers from all parts of the neighbouring
country, from whom he will readily obtain any infor-
mation he may require. Frequent cattle-sales are
held here; and the beasts are, without trouble or
much expense, conveyed to Sydney by steam in
twelve hours.
The country from Maitland, going up the Pater-
son, is undulating and generally fertile ; particularly
the flat lands on the banks of the river. As you
proceed towards the village of Paterson, you observe
numerous prettily situated farm-houses with their
smiling gardens in front, and fields of wheat between
them and the river. At the village, the navigation
of this little river ceases ; and the country becomes
more a^id more hilly as you proceed higher up : the
banks of the river, however, maintain their high cha-
racter for fertility all the way to its source, and
many thriving establishments are seen as the tra-
veller pursues his journey. This part of New South
IN THE FAR EAST. 131
Wales, being so hilly, and consequently somewhat
humid, does not answer the sheep-farmer's purposes ;
but the grazier finds his cattle and horses thrive well
on these hills, and the agriculturist finds the valleys
yield him excellent crops of tobacco, wheat, and
maize. The first is becoming an article of great
importance to the Paterson farmer, and has helped
many of those gentlemen through the difficulties
from which the Colony has been recently suffering.
Land on the Upper Paterson was selling, in 1837,
at 20s. per acre, in lots of six hundred and forty acres,
of which not more than forty or fifty were arable
land, the rest being what is called here, common bush
land, thinly covered with trees, and affording tolera-
ble pasture for cattle. Purchasers of land at the
above-named rate, have, I believe, found their bar-
gains profitable, notwithstanding the heavy expense
they had to incur in clearing and fencing the arable
portion of it, in addition to the outlay for a dwelling,
out-offices, &c. The settler on a small farm of this
description is almost sure to do well, if he is indus-
trious, and provided that he keeps clear of that colonial
pest, the public-house. He will have very hard work
the first two years ; but his returns will well repay him
even in moderately favourable seasons, while, in good
times, they will be very profitable. A neighbour of
mine raised, in the season of 1 837-38, on eighteen acres
of fresh cleared land, a crop of tobacco, which he cured
132 TRADE AND TRAVEL
and manufactured into negro-head on the spot: it
yielded one hundred and fifty kegs of lOOlb. weight
each; and the whole was sold at Is. 4c?. per pound,
thus giving a total of 900/. This farmer had fifteen
hands, who, in addition to the tobacco, enabled him
to cultivate wheat and maize sufficient to supply the
farm, and to leave 200?. worth for sale. The outlay
for the twelve months, including every thing, did
not exceed 350?.; and I have shewn the returns to
have been 1100?. This slight sketch will afford an
idea of what an industrious farmer may do in the
Paterson district. As soon as he can collect a few
pounds, they may be profitably invested in the
purchase of some good cows, which will not only
supply him and his family with butter and milk,
but will pay well by their annual increase. In 1838,
stock was worth, in this neighbourhood, as under :
Cows, 5?. ; Fat Cattle, ll 10s. ; Working Oxen, 10/. ;
Brood Mares, 40?.; good Roadsters, 40?.; Sheep,
Ewes, 21., Wethers, 17,9. 6d. Things have changed
since that time : but more of this hereafter.
During the three years I resided in Australia, I
lived almost entirely on the banks of the Paterson,
and the reader may therefore depend upon the cor-
rectness of my information regarding every thing in
that neighbourhood. It bears a high character for
the salubrity of its climate ; and very justly so, ac-
cording to my experience. Not a member of my
IN THE FAR EAST. 133
establishment was ill the whole time we were there ;
nor do I recollect a serious case of illness among our
neighbours. The winter is mild, just cold enough
to make a fire comfortable ; while the fine frosty morn-
ings do great good to one who has arrived from India.
I used to enjoy them exceedingly, and invariably
walked out before breakfast to breathe the fine clear
air. The cold weather sets in in April, and continues
till September. This is the season to enjoy a gallop
in chase of that most extraordinary animal, the kan-
garoo. Notwithstanding that this part of the
country is rather hilly, the hardy horses manage
to carry their riders across it in safety. The river
abounds with wild duck at this season, as well as
with perch and a small fish here called herring, from
its resemblance to that fish. The settler may thus
not only find amusement for himself in shooting or
fishing, but may make a very agreeable addition to
his bush fare by his morning's ramble. The flesh
of the kangaroo is literally good, for nothing: the
tail makes very good soup, but the carcass of the
full-grown animal is otherwise of no value to the
European, though the native contrives to make an
occasional meal of it. The young kangaroo of two
or three months old, makes a tolerable substitute for
jugged hare, and is frequently on the tables of the
settlers. As population advances up the country,
the kangaroo retires. I have, however, seen some
134 TRADE AND TRAVEL
hundreds of a large size in their native woods, skip-
ping about, and bounding off on the approach of man.
The notion, that a kangaroo makes use of his tail in
leaping, is a mistaken one. I have watched them
bounding along a plain, and could see distinctly that
the tail never touched the ground. The female,
when pursued, will retain its young one in the pouch
with which nature has provided it, till very closely
pressed by the dogs : it will then drop the little one,
leave it to chance, and make off with increased speed.
A full-grown male (" old man," the aboriginals call
them) is more than a match for a single dog, and
will frequently severely punish a couple of assail-
ants before surrendering. These animals are easily
tamed, and make very pretty pets in a garden.
Speaking of a garden, we had an excellent orchard,
which supplied us with abundance of apricots,
peaches, nectarines, figs, green-gages, apples, pears,
and oranges, while the garden furnished many a dish
of strawberries : for gooseberries, the climate is not
cold enough.
In March and April, the farmer is busied in pre-
paring his fields for wheat-sowing, which ought to
be finished by the middle of May. Of this grain,
the ground here yields a fair crop, though not equal
to that usually reaped near Maitland : it is, however,
generally more than sufficient for the use of the dis-
trict, which may be called a grain-exporting one
IN THE FAR EAST. 135
Some farmers sow wheat oh land from which they
have just reaped a crop of Indian corn : this proves, I
need scarcely say, in the long run, very bad economy.
On a farm where wheat, corn, and tobacco are
grown, there is always abundance of employment for
old and young. Should field labour be suspended by
the inclemency of the weather, or by any other cause,
the farmer finds his servants full occupation in husk-
ing maize, threshing wheat, stripping, shifting, and
curing tobacco. I used to keep my convict-labourers
employed in light work, such as the above-mentioned,
till ten o'clock at night : this I had no right to exact ;
but my plan was, to keep a regular account current
with every convict on the place, giving him credit so
much for every extra hour he worked, and letting
him know, every Saturday night, how much was due
to him, which I allowed him to take out in any shape
but money or spirits. Giving him the former, would
have enabled him to procure the latter. It was gene-
rally taken out in tea and sugar; and I never had
the slightest trouble in settling these little accounts.
I had ten convicts assigned to me by Government ;
and I confess that I would rather have had those
men than most of the free emigrants that came to
the Colony. Over the convict, the master has great
power, the knowledge of which on the part of the
servant, with good treatment and a firm hand held
over him, will make him do a great deal of work.
136 TRADE AND TRAVEL
The Government allowance of rations does not in-
clude tea, sugar, or tobacco ; but most masters allow
two ounces of the first and last, and one pound of the
second per week ; which not only makes the men
contented, but gives the master more hold over them,
as they stand in fear of his stopping the indul-
gence in the event of misconduct. From my own
observation I should say, that nine-tenths of the mis-
doings amongst convict-servants, that one hears of in
New South Wales, arises from bad masters. What,
for instance, can be expected from men assigned to
a drunkard, who not only drinks himself, but makes
a point of inducing his servants, whether free or
bond, to take out their earnings in rum, of which he
has always a plentiful supply on hand ? What from
the servants of a master who neither pays any atten-
tion to the Sabbath himself, nor makes those under
him observe it; who, on the slightest provocation,
drags his men before the magistrate, and swears
literally to any thing, to have them flogged ; who
never affords them the slightest indulgence, and
whose whole aim is, to get the greatest possible
quantity of work out of them for the smallest possir
ble outlay ? Nothing tends more directly to promote
the good order of a farm, than mustering everybody
on it at noon on Sunday, for the purpose of read-
ing Divine service to them. Setting aside the moral
benefit that this practice may be supposed to pro-
IN THE FAR EAST. 137
duee, it puts an effectual stop to distant wandering
on that day. A man who has to appear cleanly
dressed on Sunday at noon, cannot stray far from
home either before or after that hour. On farms
where this custom is not kept up, the convict starts
at daylight for some haunt where spirits are to be
had, to pay for which he has most probably robbed
his master,' there he spends the day in riot and
ribaldry, and reels home about midnight in a state
that renders him very unfit for resuming his work
on Monday morning. The convict-servant soon
finds out what sort of a master he has to deal with,
and, to use their own slang, after trying it on for a
bit, in nine cases out of ten, he yields to circum-
stances. Two of mine tried a few of their old pranks
at starting ; but a timely, though moderate applica-
tion of " the cat," put an entire stop to them. It is,
however, useless to say more on this subject, as the
system of assigning servants to private individuals
has been done away with by orders from the Home
Government. The female convicts are much more
difficult to manage than the men, and often set their
masters at defiance : they are generally of the lowest
and most wretched class of women.
The summer sets in in October, and wheat harvest
begins in November. The weather then becomes
exceedingly hot, and the heat is occasionally in-
creased by the hot winds that blow from the north-
138
TRADE AND TRAVEL
west. These generally (I speak of what I have
observed on the Paterson) blow for three days suc-
cessively, with considerable violence, and do no small
injury to the farmer : they are very dry, make the
lips crack, and the skin feel as if about to crack ; and
should they come across a field of wheat just shewing
the ear, they would blight it to a certainty. After
expending their force for three days, they are
usually succeeded by a sharp southerly gale, which
is frequently accompanied with rain, and soon makes
every thing not actually blighted look green again.
Though the sun, during summer, has, apparently,
as much power as in India, I have never experienced
any injurious effects from it, though frequently ex-
posed to its rays all day, both on foot and on
horseback. The European labourer works in the
field here through the day, the same as in England,
and does not seem to suffer from the heat. During
the hot winds, indeed, he is liable to an almost
unquenchable thirst, to relieve which, he may drink
with perfect impunity a large quantity of sugar and
water; but those who have recourse to water only,
are sure to suffer for their imprudence, though not
seriously.
November and December are the busy months at
sheep-stations, all hands being then employed in
clipping the wool and preparing it for market.
IN THE FAR EAST. 139
CHAPTER X.
NEW SOUTH WALES.
BUSH-RANGERS THE DROUGHT OF 1838-9 THE SETTLER'S
TROUBLES ORNITHOLOGY OF AUSTRALIA ABORIGINAL
TRIBES.
ON the Paterson, we were never troubled with those
dangerous characters called in the Colony, Bush-
rangers. I can give no reason for their avoiding
this neighbourhood, but know that they did avoid it,
and that none of the residents in the district ever
gave them a thought. Other parts of the Colony
are not so fortunate; and loud complaints are con-
stantly being made, of want of protection against
those daring marauders. They are runaway con-
victs, who take to the bush, either to get clear of
hard masters, or from a love of old habits ; and, now
and then, they keep a whole county in a state of
alarm. Frequent instances of their daring occurred
during my residence in Australia, some of a fero-
cious character, while others tended more to excite
laughter. Three of those scamps visited, at noon-day,
140 TRADE AND TRAVEL
a settler's house, and, coolly walking in, called for
luncheon, and made themselves quite at home.
While thus regaling themselves, they happened to
see a violin hanging against the wall, and asked
their host, whether he could play. On being answered
in the affirmative, they made him strike up, while
they danced to his music. When tired of this amuse-
ment, they helped themselves to whatever struck
their fancy, and then went to the stable, picked out
three of the best horses, leaving their own tired
jades behind, and rode off. The master of the house
was the only person at home at the time, and was
unarmed; all his men were engaged in a distant
field; and he was threatened with instant death,
should he give the slightest alarm. Resistance,
therefore, was impossible. Such depredations have
latterly been much checked by the exertions of the
mounted police. This very efficient body is com-
posed of men drafted from Her Majesty's regiments
stationed in the Colony, who are mounted and dressed
at the expense of the local Government, and trained
for their work. They patrole the country in all
directions, and have captured and brought to justice
many of the most desperate Bush-rangers, as well
as given a check to the several organized bodies of
cattle-stealers.
Those parts of the Colony most distant from the
capital, are, naturally, most annoyed by bad cha-
IN THE FAR EAST. 141
racters of all description; and many of the set-
tlers trust to their own strength, more than to the
police, to defend their property. A friend of mine
residing in Wellington Valley, three hundred and
fifty miles west of Sidney, used to arm himself and
his groom, and sally out in search of any desperate
character he might have heard of as being in the
neighbourhood: he was more than once successful,
and became quite a noted man among the Bush-
ranging fraternity, who took good care to keep at a
respectable distance from him. Were some other
settlers blessed with as much nerve and courage as
the gentleman I allude to, Bush-rangers would soon
become less numerous.
A settler's life in an agricultural district, is plea-
sant enough, but it has its drawbacks. A season of
drought makes sad work in his fields, and among his
flocks. In the season of 1838-39, water became so
scarce, that many of the best pasture-lands in our
neighbourhood were of necessity abandoned, and the
sheep as weH as cattle were kept down on the banks
of the river, then reduced to a mere chain of pools,
the intervening channel being quite dry. The herb-
age was completely eaten up, and the trees in many
parts were cut down, in order that the hungry animals
might eat the leaves. One of my neighbours, to
save his flocks, turned them on his half-grown crop
of wheat, by which means he saved some thousands
142 TRADE AND TRAVEL
of sheep, but lost his wheat. Tens of thousands of
sheep and cattle, all over the country, died during
this season ; and grain crops failed everywhere,
except on the banks of my three favourite rivers ;
namely, the Hunter, the Paterson, and the Allyn.
There was scarcely a settler on either of these rivers,
that had not a little to spare ; while, in less favoured
parts of the Colony, the farmer had to pay enormous
prices for flour to feed his men ; and the cart-hire
came to nearly as much as the cost of the flour. I
knew one gentleman who despatched from Sydney
four drays loaded with stores for his stations near
Bathurst, each dray drawn by seven oxen; and so
great was the scarcity of water and fodder on the
road, that only four of the poor animals reached their
journey's end, the others having died on the road
from sheer starvation. Flour rose during this season
to 6Ql. per ton, and the quartern loaf in Sydney was
sold at 3s. 4d.
One of the greatest discomforts attendant upon a
summer's residence in the bush of Australia, arises
from the swarms of flies, large and small, that infest
the house. The large blow-fly is a serious nuisance :
many a good joint of meat they spoil, in spite of every
precaution. These insects find their way everywhere,
and destroy whatever they come near. In the dairy,
the greatest care is necessary to prevent these pests
from reaching the milk and butter, which they will
IN THE FAR EAST. 143
taint in a second. Scarcely less of a plague than the
swarms of flies, are the myriads of fleas which torment
the tired farmer, and cheat him out of many an
hour's sleep : these noisome disturbers are in the
soil, and not all the care the best housewife can
bestow, can diminish the number.
While on the subject of the settler's troubles, I
may mention, that the cockatoos annoy the farmer
in Australia, as much as the crows do in England :
they attack his wheat and maize when the grain is
ripening, by hundreds ; indeed, I may say, by thou-
sands; and it requires a very active watchman to
keep them from doing serious injury to the crop, not
so much from the quantity they eat, as from what
they destroy and scatter. These birds, which, by
the bye, furnish an excellent dish that occasionally
formed part of our dinner, are remarkably cunning :
while the flock are busily feeding on the farmer's
wheat, two of their number are left on some neigh-
bouring trees to keep watch ; these, on the approach
of danger, give a loud, shrill scream, which at once
puts the thieves to flight, and renders it very difficult
for the sportsman to get a shot at one of them. Be-
sides the common white red-crested cockatoo, the
woods are the home of the black species ; a rare bird,
that I have never seen elsewhere. Those brought to
Singapore by the Celebes traders, are a bastard spe-
cies. On what they feed, I am not aware, never
144 TRADE AND TRAVEL
having seen them in the wheat or maize fields.
During the winter months, neither white nor black
cockatoos are to be seen ; nor have I ever heard to
what place they migrate. The bird-fancier might
here make as beautiful a collection as I have ever
seen. The different varieties of the parrot tribe
are countless, and extremely pretty: the king-par-
rot, the lowrie, and the mountain parrot, are, perhaps,
the most beautiful. Then, there is the pretty little
diamond sparrow, so called from its size, its habits,
resembling those of the common sparrow, and its
plumage, which exhibits a diamond pattern of black,-
white, and blue. Of the hawk tribe, the varieties
are numerous : the largest is the eagle-hawk, which
now and then capies off a lamb from the flocks of
careless shepherds. Were I an ornithologist, I might
write a goodly volume on the birds of this country ;
but I must content myself with these few notices ;
not forgetting, however, to mention the stately black
swan, a bird becoming every year more rare.
We used frequently to be visited by tribes of the
aboriginal inhabitants of this vast continent. They
are, without exception, the most complete savages I
have ever come across. They have no homes, no occu-
pation beyond procuring food for the day, and think
nothing of to-morrow, which they literally leave to
take care of itself. They resist almost every attempt
to induce them to labour, and, if clothed to-day by some
IN THE FAR EAST. 145
good Samaritan, will, in all probability, appear naked
at his door to-morrow, having given away their
clothes to some convict, in exchange for a pound of
flour or an ounce of tobacco. In their habits, they
are literally wanderers on the face of the earth, shift-
ing their camp from place to place as game grows
scarce. In rainy weather, the only precaution I ever
saw them take, with a view to protect themselves
from wet, was the building a small hut, not much
larger than a bee-hive, constructed of the boughs of
trees, with a small aperture on one side, into which
the "black-fellow"* thrusts his head and shoulders,
and sleeps as sound as a top, his legs and the lower
half of his body being exposed to wind and rain. In
winter, they may be seen encamped round a fire after
their day's hunting, all naked, and stretched on the
ground, with their feet towards the fire; the men
smoking, if they have any thing to smoke, and the
wretched-looking women composing themselves to
sleep in the same natural state as their lords and
masters.f They suffer much, occasionally, from
* The name given to the aborigines in Australia.
t It is a singular fact, that the aboriginal natives of New South
Wales, as well as the cattle that roam at large in its woods, inva-
riably choose the top of a moderately elevated hill to sleep on during
the winter months. The reason is, that the hills are always warmer
than the valleys, and are consequently resorted to in winter ; while
the latter are chosen in summer as camping-ground by man and
H beast.
3 46 TRADE AND TRAVEL
hunger, and may then be induced to do a day's work
about the farm, for which they will consider themselves
well paid by a pound of flour and an ounce of to-
bacco each. This reward must not be given them,
however, till their work is done : give it beforehand,
and not a hand's turn will they do, but decamp at
once to enjoy their dinner. As soon as they have
eaten their bread, they light the pipes, and never
cease smoking till their tobacco is finished. Some
of the men are remarkably well made, and strong,
able-bodied fellows. One who spent a week now
and then in my kitchen, doing any thing the cook
told him, for the promise of a supper, was a tall,
good-looking fellow, named Jamie. They are one
and all christened in the bush by any European they
may ask for a name. A father applied to me one
day for a name for his little boy, and I forthwith
called him " Donald ; " at which the old man and the
rest of the tribe laughed heartily, saying, "All same
your horse." I had then a pony called Donald. To
beast. I have often been surprised, when riding about the bush in
winter, at feeling a current of warm air on the top of a range of
hills, having myself just ascended from the neighbouring valley
where the breeze was chilling. These warm breezes on the hill tops
blow from the north-west, and may be nearly related to the summer
hot winds, cooled en reaching the latitude of 34 in the winter sea-
son. Be that as it may, they are not strong enough to warm the
valleys, though their influence on the hills is very agreeable to the
traveller.
IN THE FAR EAST. 147
resume: Jamie was frequently clothed by me, and
was asked to sleep in the kitchen, or in one of the
out-offices, but all to no purpose : his clothes, he
never kept a week, and he invariably took his depar-
ture at sun-set to sleep in the open air. In our
district, I believe, the blacks were harmless people ;
but, on the Upper Hunter, on Liverpool Plains, they
have been not only very troublesome, but even dan-
gerous neighbours. Many settlers have suffered
severely from their depredations ; and several shep-
herds and stock-keepers have been murdered by
them. Would they content themselves with killing
a single bullock or two or three sheep, when suffer-
ing from hunger, one might excuse them; but I have
known twenty-five cows killed by a single tribe in
one night, the fat and kidneys taken away, and the
carcases left on the ground. This, to say the least of
it, was a mischievous waste of property; and such
proceedings naturally led the settlers to retaliate.
The consequences were serious, and led to extreme
measures, ending, in more than one instance, in
bloodshed. There seems to be no room for doubt,
that many of these poor creatures have been mur-
dered by stock-keepers on the mere suspicion of
being concerned in such crimes. This fact, however,
does not justify the Government in offering a hun-
dred pounds reward for the discovery of the offender,
when a black happens to be murdered by a white,
ii 2
148 TRADE AND TRAVEL
and only twenty-five pounds reward, when the mur-
derer is black, and the victim white.
What would my fair countrywomen say to the
" black-fellow's" mode of taking unto himself a wife?
On making up his mind as to the object of his
choice, he proceeds by night to the camping-ground
of the fair one's tribe ; searches her out among the
sleeping beauties ; deals her a blow on the head with
his club, (to which an Irishman's shillelah is a twig,)
and carries off the stunned and senseless wretch to
his own camp. This ceremony makes them man
and wife, and no further notice is taken of the
affair. The different tribes are constantly at war :
but I have never heard of any very serious conse-
quences arising from their feuds. The day of battle
is generally spent in painting themselves red, danc-
ing the war-dance in presence of their foes, "and,
probably, exchanging a few spears towards its close.
Their arms consist of spears, clubs, and the boome-
rang. The latter is a very extraordinary weapon,
which they throw to a great distance, making it
return to the thrower when it has described its revo-
lution, and probably hit some unfortunate wight on
the head in its course through the air. This weapon
is of hard wood, about three feet long, two inches
broad, a quarter of an inch thick, and in the form of
a crescent : it is thrown against the wind, and de-
scribes a circle in its course. The spear is of cane,
IN THE FAR EAST. 149
hardened by fire at the end, and is thrown with
great force and dexterity. No black who can by any
means obtain a tomahawk, is ever without one,
generally of English make : with this, they are very
expert at felling trees, and, with its aid, will climb a
tree which it would take two pair of arms to encircle.
The " black-fellow " cuts a small notch about three
feet from the ground ; in this, he inserts the toe of
one foot, holding on by one hand while he cuts
another hole three feet further up to receive the
other foot; and thus he proceeds till he reaches
the top. The dead trees of Australia, which are all
hollow, are a favourite resort of the opossum. In
search of them, the black-fellow will ascend a tree in
the manner just described; and there he will sit
while his companions below dig under the roots,
and light a fire, the smoke from which ascending the
trunk of the tree, as a chimney, speedily dislodges
the game. This is dexterously pounced upon by
" blacky," the moment its head appears peeping
from the aperture at the top of some of the branches.
I have never known the tomahawk thrown by them,
as it is by the Indian of America.
My family was once thrown into considerable
alarm by an ill-looking tribe of blacks who formed
their camp immediately in front of our cottage:
they were strangers, and had no business there. On
making inquiries about them, I found that they came
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from a neighbouring district, and were endeavouring
to evade the police, who were in search of them for
the murder of an unfortunate shepherd. Not at all
liking such neighbours, I took advantage of their
absence, one day, when they were gone kangaroo-
hunting, and set fire to their bee-hive huts. On their
return at sun- set, they took the hint, and we saw no
more of them.
Among these tribes, it is a rule, that blood must
be had for blood ; and this leads them, when one of
their number falls by the hand of a white man, to
kill the first European they happen to meet, in re-
taliation. It would scarcely be reasonable to expect
these ignorant savages to see the injustice of this
proceeding ; yet, it is hard, that an unoffending person
like the shepherd above referred to should be slaugh-
tered in revenge of the murder of a man he had
never seen.
The number of dialects, or apparently different
languages, spoken by the aborigines of Australia, is
very remarkable. Those residing in and about
Sydney cannot converse with those on the Hunter,
who, in their turn, are ignorant of the dialect spoken
on Liverpool Plains ; and this is the case throughout
the Colony. When Sir Edward Parry was manager
of the Australian Agricultural Company's affairs, he
made a tour of inspection through its estates, taking
with him some few black followers as guides. They
IN THE FAR EAST. 151
were not fifty miles from their home, when, to Sir
Edward's astonishment, he heard them speaking
English to their countrymen of the districts through
which they were passing. On inquiring the reason,
he was told, that the two parties were entirely igno-
rant of each other's language.
I never could make out the religious notions of
these aboriginal tribes, further than that they be-
lieve in a future state. They do not appear to have
much affection for their children, if one may judge
from the way in which they treat them; yet, the
mother bemoans the loss of one of her little ones
very piteously, daubs her face and arms with lime
in token of mourning, and spends many days in the
neighbourhood of the grave. In common with all
savage nations, the Australian blacks treat their
women ill. These poor creatures get the worst of
all their food, with the hardest of all their work ;
and are frequently very severely beaten by their
hard and ruthless taskmasters. Degraded as are
these aborigines generally, those in the immediate
vicinity of Sydney are a more abject race than their
more fortunate brethren who inhabit the distant
parts of the Colony. This may be partly, if not
wholly accounted for, by the facility with which
at Sydney they can obtain ardent spirits, to. procure
which they will do almost any thing. I have never
seen human beings elsewhere reduced to a state of
152 TRADE AND TRAVEL
such utter degradation and misery as these poor
people exhibit. To shew how much they dislike any
thing like labour, I may mention, that Government,
on one occasion, set aside a piece of land for a tribe
near Sydney, and had it cleared, tilled, and planted
with maize for their use, exacting from them a pro-
mise that they would tend the growing corn, keep it
clean, and gather the crop when ripe: they did
neither the one nor the other, but, when called on
to gather the grain that was to be their own, said, it
was too much trouble. The result was, that the
corn was plucked for them ; and no further attempt
was made to induce them to work.
Several praiseworthy individuals have from time
to time endeavoured to educate and civilize young
boys of this unhappy race. One was sent to Eng-
land, where he was kept at school till he was fifteen
years of age ; and he then returned to his native
country. He had not been two days on shore in
Sydney, when, meeting with some of his country-
men, he threw off his European clothing, and started
for the bush, whence there was no getting him back.
Like most savages, the natives are seldom if ever
known to express surprise or astonishment under
any circumstances. Shortly before leaving the
Colony, I saw a native, early in the morning, stand-
ing on one of the heights overlooking the harbour
of Sydney. On my asking what he was about, his
IN THE FAR EAST. 153
reply was : " I belong big river (300 miles distant) ;
first time come Sydney ; come here see ship ; budge-
rie su (pleasant sight) ; never see ship or salt water
before." This poor savage had come three hundred
miles on foot, assisting a drover with a herd of
cattle ; he had never before seen either the sea or a
ship in his life ; and yet there he stood, looking at
these, to him, most extraordinary objects, with a
countenance as placid and unmoved as if they had
been daily sights from his infancy. On questioning
him, I could extract nothing further from him : he
would not allow that he was astonished, but simply
repeated, "budgerie su." While idling away an hour
one day in the criminal court, I saw an aboriginal
black tried for murder. Nothing could exceed the
perfect indifference that he exhibited throughout the
whole scene. When called upon, through an inter-
preter, to plead guilty or not guilty, his reply was :
" I did it because he (the deceased) stole my wife."
He would not condescend to deny an act which he
considered himself justified in committing. This plea
of justification, the learned Judge directed to be taken
as one of not guilty ; and the result was, the prisoner's
acquittal.
Sir F. L. Mitchell, the Surveyor-General of New
South Wales, in his admirable journal of his three
celebrated expeditions into the interior of Australia,
has described the aboriginal inhabitants of that
H 3
154 TRADE AND TRAVEL
portion of the country named by him, "Australia
Felix," as a race of men altogether superior to those
found in other parts of this continent. This race
may, and probably will be found formidable neigh-
bours for the first settlers to encounter. Their
country, from the description given by its discoverer,
must be a very fine one ; and should it prove to be
regularly refreshed by rain, it will be an invaluable
addition to the Colony.
The fate of the tribes I have been endeavouring
to describe, is a melancholy one : they are fast dis-
appearing from the face of the earth; and one or
two more generations will, in all human probability,
see the last of them.
IN" THE FAR EAST. 155
CHAPTER XL
NEW SOUTH WALES.
THE HOT WINDS PROJECTED MAIL-ROAD FROM SYDNEY TO
PORT ESSINGTON SHEEP-FARMS GRAZING IN AUSTRA-
LIA HORSE-STOCK.
1 HAVE often heard the question raised in Australia,
Whence proceed the hot winds ? Hitherto, this in-
quiry has not, to my knowledge, been satisfactorily
answered. These winds invariably blow from the
north-west ; but the question is, Whence do they de-
rive the heat they are charged with ? In the months
during which they prevail, the north-west monsoon
is blowing in the Java sea, and thence all the way to
Torres' Straits; and northerly winds are prevalent
on the eastern coast of Australia. The weather in
those seas, at that season, is wet and cold for the
latitude ; consequently, the north-west wind, when it
first reaches the northern coast of Australia, is the
reverse of a hot one : whence, then, the heat it brings
with it to the thirty-fourth degree of south latitude ?
From Torres' Straits to this latitude, the distance is,
in southing alone, fifteen hundred miles, twelve
156 TRADE AND TRAVEL
hundred of which are entirely unexplored. I have
heard it suggested, that, in this space, may, and pro-
bably does exist, a great inland desert, the crossing
of which heats and dries the wind. Whether such a
desert does or does not exist, is a problem that may
not be solved for many years to come ; unless,
indeed, the expedition now in contemplation, for the
survey of the country in search of a practicable
overland route from Sydney to Port Essington,
should lead to its earlier solution. To this expedi-
tion, should it ever start, I wish every possible suc-
cess, though I have my misgivings as to its favour-
able result, and question the soundness of the judg-
ment that advises the undertaking at this time.
Supposing the route should prove practicable simply
as a mail line, is the Colony at present in circum-
stances to bear the expense of keeping it up ? The
object is, to have the overland Indian mail carried
from Singapore by steam to Port Essington, thence
to Sydney overland ; the distance being, in round
numbers, two thousand miles, three-fourths of the
way through an uninhabited and unknown country.
To keep up such a line, the outlay would be enormous,
and would far exceed any return that could be ex-
pected for the next fifty years. The good folks of
Sydney seem bent on trying it, however; and on
being refused pecuniary aid from the Government,
they resolved on carrying it through at their own
IN THE FAR EAST. 157
expense ; but they have since cooled in their ardour.
At least, I have not heard of the money being forth-
coming.*
I shall now proceed to offer a few observations
upon sheep and sheep-stations. A sheep-station is,
probably, the most desolate place at which a man
could be sent to pass his time. Fancy three men in
charge of one thousand sheep, which range over five
square miles of country, of which five miles those
three outcasts are literally the only inhabitants, and,
strange as it may seem, seeing but little of each
other. One is the watchman, who remains by the
hut all day, shifts the folds, and sleeps between them
at night, to protect their occupants from the prowl-
ing native dog: the other two are shepherds, who
start every morning at daylight, in different direc-
tions, each in charge of his flock ; they do not return
to the hut till sun-down, when they are tired, weary,
and eager for supper and bed. Thus, day after day,
and month after month, pass in solitary wretched-
* The expedition just alluded to has never been attempted ; and
I think very wisely. The great commercial crisis under which the
Colony of New South Wales, in common with all the Australian
Colonies, has been suffering of late, has given the Colonists other and
more pressing matters to think of ; and if they will take the advice
of one who wishes them well, they will look to some other route for
quicker communication with the Mother Country, than that via
Port Essington October, 1845.
158 TRADE AND TRAVEL
ness, relieved only on the Saturday for a couple of
hours, when a man with the week's rations arrives
at the station. These men live all the year round
on salt beef and bread, the latter baked by them-
selves : they have no change either of diet, of em-
ployment, or of any thing else ; for, be it known, a
really good sheep-station in Australia yields nothing
but grass and gum-trees, the soil being dry and poor.
A shepherd on the hills of Scotland, who returns
every night to his bothie, and finds a warm supper
cooked for him by some kind female hand, is a prince
compared to the exile of Australia, who comes home
tired and sleepy at sun-down, and may then either
chop wood to cook his meal, or go supperless to bed,
as suits his fancy. It is under these circumstances
that those unhappy connections are formed with
native women, the offspring from which are invari-
ably killed by the mother. Against these connections,
the present Governor has very properly set his face,
and positively interdicted them. Although he may
check, he cannot, however, do away with the evil;
w r hich leads not only to the murder of helpless in-
fancy, but to bloodshed and wrangling between the
whites and the blacks.
Sheep, when I arrived in Australia in 1836, were
in great request, and ewes with lambs at their feet
were worth 30s. each, while wool was at 2s. 2d. per
pound. In 1837-38 and 1838-39, stock of every kind
IN THE FAR EAST. 159
rose in price ; and in the former year, I paid as high
as 3/. per head for a flock of four hundred ewes with
lambs five months old at their feet. This purchase
was not a safe one ; it was made when I knew but
little of the value of stock, but acted under the advice
of others, and when the colony was in the very midst
of that wild career of mad speculation which has since
worked so much misery to thousands. I suffered
in common with many others who invested money
in sheep at the same time, and who left the Colony.
Nevertheless, I look upon sheep as one of the best
descriptions of stock in which a man can speculate,
provided that he keeps within reasonable bounds as
to price. Good ewes purchased from 20s. to 25s. per
head, will, nine times out of ten, pay their proprietor
from fifteen to twenty per cent, for his outlay. To
do this, they must of course be properly tended, and
be kept on what is here called, a good run, i. e. fine
dry pasture on rather an elevated tract of country.
The sheep-farmer ought to have a good homestead
in an agricultural part of the Colony, (this, in my
opinion, is indispensable to his success,) where he
may grow grain sufficient not only to render him
almost independent of bad seasons and high prices,
but, generally, to give him a few hundred bushels of
surplus wheat and maize with which to buy tea, sugar,
and clothing. Hundreds of sheep-farmers have of
late been ruined by having to purchase the actual
160 TRADE AND TRAVEL
necessaries for their stations on credit. Cash they
had none, being unwilling to part with even their
surplus stock at the miserably low prices alone ob-
tainable.
Another error that sheep-farmers fall into from
time to time, is, the allowing their establishments to
outgrow themselves, as it were, by not selling every
year's surplus stock. I have known establishments
become quite unmanageable from this cause, and
have heard large proprietors frequently say, they
were losers by holding so large a number of sheep :
still, they went on in spite of their own better judg-
ment, from year to year, without selling a single
head of stock. This loss attendant upon overgrown
establishments, arises as much from the difficulty of
getting good and trustworthy servants, as from any
other cause. The master's eye cannot be every-
where, and the overseer's is seldom to be trusted.
Lazy shepherds keep sheep in till ten A.M. in place
of turning them out at six. Idle watchmen shift the
folds twice a week, instead of every day. Fifty other
cases of this kind take place on a large sheep- farm,
that never could occur on a small establishment. In
damp weather, the watchman's neglecting to shift
the folds, is sure to do harm. One of its first evil
effects is to give the sheep toe-rot ; a troublesome
complaint that lames the animal, and is not easily got
rid of. Then, a careless shepherd will allow his flock to
IN THE FAR EAST. 161
stray on your neighbour's run, which may have been
fed over by scabby sheep the day before. If no rain
has fallen during the night, the disease is sure, in
that case, to be caught by the trespassers, as I can
testify from dear-bought experience. Scab, here, is
a very different disease from what the sheep-farmer
at home is acquainted with, and is much more diffi-
cult to cure. The remedies applied for it are severe,
and of a kill-or-cure description : indeed, it requires
a strong sheep to bear this application. Rubbing
with tar, as practised in Scotland, has been found
utterly useless.
In advising sheep-farmers to have a good agri-
cultural homestead, I am aware I am recommending
what hundreds have not the power to obtain. As
a general rule, however, it is a golden one ; and I
would adhere to it, even were I compelled to have
three hundred miles between my stations and the
homestead. Indeed, I have known those two esta-
blishments separated by two hundred miles.
Since 1838-9, sheep have been sold in New South
Wales as low as ninepence a head : this, however,
was under very extraordinary circumstances, and is
not likely to happen again ; more especially since
the proprietor has found out that, by slaughtering
the animal, and boiling down the carcase, he can get
3s. 6d. for the tallow it yields. During the recent
distresses, thousands of sheep have been disposed of
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in this way, the proprietors being so much reduced
as to be literally unable either to pay or to feed men
to look after their flocks. I know many parties who
purchased sheep between the years 1837 and 1840,
at the rates then current, at three years 1 credit,
paying ten per cent, per annum for the indulgence,
who, after keeping their purchases and their increase
for three years, were compelled, when their accept-
ances became due, to sell off original stock, increase,
and all, and then had not half enough to satisfy
their creditor. This, as I said before, arose from
peculiar circumstances, being caused by the prevail-
ing panic. I shall advert again to this subject, in
offering a few remarks upon the recent distresses
and their causes.
Now as to cattle. The English or Scotch grazier,
who has his cattle brought home and housed every
night, can have no idea of the sort of work his brother
grazier in Australia has to go through. Here, the
climate is so mild, that cattle are never housed, but
wander in the bush from year's end to year's end.
The proprietor of five hundred head of horned cattle,
must command the run of five thousand acres of
pasture-land, of fair quality, as the grass in the
woods of Australia is so thin, that it takes three
acres to feed a sheep, and ten for a bullock. He
generally employs two men, called stock-keepers, to
look after them : these are mounted, and ought to
IN THE FAR EAST. 163
employ their time in riding over and roundabout their
master's run, to see that his cattle do not stray, and
that his grass is not trespassed on by others. This,
however, is more than most of these gentry conde-
scend to do, many of them preferring the company of
cattle-stealers and other vagabonds, with whom they
are frequently leagued ; and if I may judge from the
money I have seen in possession of stock- keepers,
they share largely in the cattle-stealers' plunder.
With the exception of some twenty cows and calves
usually kept about the house, to give milk, which are
called the milking herd, the grazier sees nothing of
his herds but on muster-days, which occur twice a
year. For some time previously to muster-day, the
stock-keepers have been very busy drawing their
herds by degrees as near the stock-yard as possible ;
and when the day arrives, the whole are driven into
the yard to be inspected. All the yearlings are then
branded, and fat bullocks are picked out for sale or
slaughter. At this time, the stock-keeper and his
horse have no sinecure ; for the cattle they have to
collect, are as wild, and nearly as swift as deer ; so
much so, that a cattle-hunt in Australia is nearly as
much enjoyed by the young men as a fox-hunt in
Old England. Some breeds of cattle are much more
easily managed than others, being naturally quieter ;
but, generally speaking, the wild way in which the
;
164 TRADE AND TRAVEL
Australian herds are reared, makes them intractable
and troublesome.
In spite of all this thieving and trouble, however,
cattle-stock is a good investment for money in
ordinary times. In extraordinary times like the
last year or two, no investment is safe, except to the
man who can hold on till things mend. In 1838,
cattle were worth from 3/. 10s. to 5/. per head, for a
herd consisting of cows, steers, and heifers from one
to three years old, and calves under six months.
Very superior herds were worth more ; but I speak
generally. Since that time, thousands of cattle have
been killed and boiled down for their tallow. But
times are mending, and this stock, like every other,
is not likely to be again so unsaleable.
It is of the greatest possible importance to a gra-
zier, to have his herds near some place where there
is communication by water with Sydney. In this
respect, Hunter's river and Port Macquarie have
the pre-eminence over the rest of the Colony. The
possessor of fat cattle, in either of those districts, can
at all times send them to market by steam, without
their losing much flesh; whereas I knew in 1839,
when fodder was so scarce, a man having three
hundred head of beasts fit for the knife, running in
Wellington valley, which, could he have got them
into Sydney, would have brought Si per head ready
IN THE FAR EAST. 165
cash, but which were utterly valueless to him, from
the impossibility of driving them through a country
almost bare of pasture. Had this man been on the
banks of either of my favourite rivers, he could
have turned his cattle into cash in three days.
The wild way in which cattle are reared in Aus-
tralia, makes the young steer a troublesome animal
to break in for the plough; and then, the absurd
system of turning all the working bullocks into the
bush to feed after their day's work, adds very much
to the farmer's cares. These bullocks are very
cunning, and at daylight, when they well know the
ploughman will be after them, invariably conceal
themselves in some snug corner. I have had men
out for hours, looking for a team of bullocks in this
way, and have frequently been vexed to see them
return as late as noon with only half the number.
Were I again to turn Australian farmer, I would
stable my working cattle, keep a man to take care of
them, grow ten acres of Lucerne hay to feed them, save
their manure, (an article almost universally thrown
away in Australia,) get double work out of them,
and have the satisfaction of seeing my ploughs going
at regular hours, in place of being worried " from
July to eternity," as Sam Slick says, by having to
search for the cattle in the bush. It often struck
me, that the Australian grazier loses a chance of
making a good deal of money by neglecting his
1G6 TRADE AND TRAVEL
dairy produce. Had he a regular establishment in
the bush where his herds run, to milk the cows and
make butter and cheese, it would not only, in my
opinion, pay well for the trouble, but would make his
cattle much less wild. His having forty or fifty cows
brought home every evening to milk, would not
only make their calves quiet and tractable, but would
also compel the stock-keeper to be more active, would
keep him at his duty, and, I feel satisfied, would save
the proprietor a great deal in the course of the year.
The butter and cheese here are both of excellent
quality, and might be made in large quantities ; yet,
both are regularly imported into Sydney from the
Derwent (Van Diemen's Land) and Port Phillip ; a
state of things the settlers of New South Wales ought
to be ashamed of.
Many a fine cattle-run is rendered useless in dry
seasons, by want of water. Nature has provided, all
over the country, reservoirs (or tanks) for water,
which are filled by every heavy rain ; and their
contents last a long time : still, in a very dry season,
these fail ; and many a thirsty bullock loses his life
by tumbling, from excessive weakness, into one of
those pits. Some parts of the country have no
tanks, (or water-holes, as they are called,) except a
few muddy puddles at the foot of the hills, and thus
become unavailing sooner than other parts. This
inconvenience might in a great measure be remedied,
IN THE FAR EAST. 167
at trifling cost, by constructing dams at properly
chosen places in the ravines or gulleys that intersect
the hills from top to bottom, every two or three
hundred yards. In one instance, I have seen this
plan adopted with success. The owners of property
between Sydney and Paramatta are compelled to
make tanks, the water in the river being salt, and
that procured by digging wells being very little
better. Water, Water, is the cry, in dry seasons, all
over this otherwise highly favoured country; and
till the end of time, this want will prevent New
South Wales from becoming a densely populated
country.
The horse-fancier may invest a few hundreds very
profitably in the purchase of some really good brood
mares. From these, he will not only draw a good
return for his money, but will also derive a great
deal of pleasant pastime in superintending the break-
ing-in of his colts and fillies. Horse- stock, like
every other, has fallen much in price lately, but will
doubtless recover itself when times improve. I am
acquainted with more than one proprietor who has
made no inconsiderable sum of money by rearing
horses. There is a constant demand for them ; and
of late, a good market has been found in India for
those suited for cavalry.
Another profitable investment for money is to be
found, in Sydney, in the way of mortgage. Ten and
168 TRADE AND TRAVEL
twelve per cent, is paid regularly, and security given
of an undoubted character, security that has not in
one instance failed the mortgagee, even in the recent
desperate times. Large sums may be invested in
this way ; and for the absent capitalist, it is the mode
of investment I would recommend in preference to
any other. Bank Shares used to be in great favour
with monied men when I was in Australia. The
holders have, however, had a severe lesson since then,
having suffered seriously by some failures among
those establishments.
IN THE FAR EAST. 169
CHAPTER XII.
NEW SOUTH WALES.
CAUSES OF THE RECENT DISTRESSES CONDUCT OF THE
BANKS MANIA FOR SPECULATION LONG-ACCOUNT
SYSTEM BAD SEASONS.
1 WILL now proceed to offer a few remarks on the
causes of the late terrible distresses in New South
Wales, and on what I consider as the best means of
preventing the recurrence of such lamentable scenes.
The three main causes of those distresses were,
undoubtedly :
First, Harsh and illiberal conduct on the part of
the Banks.
Secondly, A wild speculation-mania that took pos-
session of the entire population.
Thirdly, The system that had obtained, of giving
long credit to purchasers of stock, &c.
While I look upon these three as the primary and
principal causes of by far the greater part of the
suffering the Colony has recently undergone, I must
specify another, though certainly a secondary cause ;
namely, two successive bad seasons. This last cause
170 TRADE AND TRAVEL
is, I am aware, by many persons, regarded as the
chief source of all their distresses and losses ; but I
think I can shew that those parties are wrong in this
opinion, which springs from their anxiety to frame
an excuse for their very imprudent speculations.
In the first place, then, I accuse the Banks of harsh
and illiberal conduct; and I will state my reasons
for this charge.
When I arrived in Sydney in 1836, the Banks,
without exception, but more particularly the Com-
mercial Bank (then under the management of a
would-be shrewd Aberdonian), were doing every
thing in their power to induce parties to open
accounts with them. Bills for discount were eagerly
sought after, and little attention was paid to the
respectability of the names of either drawer or
endorser. Cash-advances were publicly advertised
by the Commercial Bank. Parties, to my certain
knowledge, were stopped in the street by the Aber-
donian just alluded to, who solicited their business
with a very bland smile. In short, no stone was
left unturned by these money-seekers to add to their
half-yearly dividends. This system went on till the
latter end of 1839. I need scarcely say, that this
unbecoming and greedy canvassing for business,
tempted many an unwary merchant and settler to
venture beyond his depth, and ultimately led to ruin
and a prison. The amount of money represented by
IN THE FAR EAST. 171
absolutely valueless paper at this time, is quite
beyond calculation. Renewals were a matter of
course. Cash payments, even in part, were the reverse
of common. Bank-directors overdrew their accounts
with perfect impunity to a large amount ; and the
whole Colony seemed intoxicated with the fond
notion that the Banks would never fail them, and
that, in those fountains, they would at all times find
a never-ending supply of "the needful." In the
midst of this mad career, the day of reckoning came
suddenly upon them. The Banks took the alarm :
they began to think they had allowed the kite-flying
system to go too far ; and they commenced a system
of unparalleled harshness and oppression towards
their gulls. Cash advances were not merely stopped,
but those previously made were called in. Renewals
would no longer be accepted, even for half or a
quarter of the amount due ; and the unfortunate
" kite-flier" was, in hundreds of cases, ruined by the
very men who had in the most unprincipled manner
led him into the mire, and then left him.
The Banks now took up a position the very oppo-
site of that hitherto occupied by them ; and, instead
of trusting everybody, put no faith in any one. This
conduct ultimately recoiled upon themselves ; their
shares fell in value ; some of them became bankrupt,
while the others had a hard struggle to avoid that
catastrophe ; and the public lost all confidence in
i2
172 TRADE AND TRAVEL
banks and bankers. The worst part of the tale
remains to be told ; namely, that many widows and
orphans, whose all was invested in bank shares, were
utterly ruined and reduced to destitution by the
failures alluded to.
I come now to the second main cause of Australian
distress, viz. the speculation-mania that took pos-
session of the entire 'population of this fine Colony.
No one who did not witness the effects of this mania,
can imagine to what an extent it was carried.
Scarcely a day passed without one or more public
auctions of stock of all descriptions ; and not a sale
took place, that was not crowded with eager pur-
chasers. Many large stock-holders took advantage
of the high prices obtained at those sales, to sell off,
in the delusive hope that they would in this way be
enabled to retire from active life, and perhaps to
return to their native country. The terms offered
at those public sales, were such as to induce many
persons who never even dreamed of sheep or cattle
farming, to enter the market and purchase to a large
extent. These terms were, in general, something
like the following :
Ten per cent, on the fall of the hammer ;
Thirty per cent, by bill at twelve months ;
Thirty per cent, by bill at two years ;
Thirty per cent, by bill at three years : these bills
bearing interest at ten per cent, per annum.
IN THE FAR EAST. 173
I have seen tens of thousands of sheep and cattle
sold in this way, many of the buyers being men who
had never even seen one of the animals they were
bidding for, and who knew literally nothing about
the management of flocks and herds ; being tempted
to make the purchase by the long credit given. But,
strange to say, many old settlers were led, with their
eyes open, into extensive purchases at most exorbitant
rates, thinking that nothing could check the career
of splendid prosperity upon which the Colony was
then supposed to have entered. How dearly those
parties have paid for their folly, the world generally,
and their creditors in particular, well know. Besides
the numerous public sales of stock all over the Colony,
and the large amount of property that changed
hands on those occasions, many important private
sales took place about the same time. There was
not a sheep, cow, or horse in the Colony, too old or
too bad to find a purchaser ! Any thing would sell,
provided only that time was given to find the money.
Nothing could exceed the madness of the people,
buying, selling, and exchanging accommodation-paper
from end to end of the land. Then came the land-
jobbers, a set of sharks who did great harm. It was
a common practice with those jobbers, or rather
robbers, to apply to the Surveyor-General's depart-
ment, to have lots of land put up for sale, which they
were aware that certain landed proprietors could
174 TRADE AND TRAVEL
never allow to fall into the hands of strangers, and
then to go to the party whose estate the sale of the
land in question would injure, and demand a bribe to
stop their bidding against him. If this quietus was
refused, these scamps would attend the sale, and bid
the land up to some exorbitant price, knowing that
their victim must be the buyer. Land once adver-
tised by Government must be put up to auction ; and
the jobber's victim was obliged either to purchase, or
to run the risk of having a stranger sit down as the
proprietor of a few hundred acres in the midst of his
thousands. Another class of scamps used to attend
land-sales, who would conspire to keep down the
prices of lots they wanted, by not bidding against
each other, and by playing various other tricks, to
the detriment of the revenue. The Attorney-General
got hold of half a dozen of those gentry in 1839, and
prosecuted them for conspiracy. He obtained a ver-
dict of guilty against them, but assented to their
petition for a new trial. Again they were convicted,
and they were fined a hundred pounds each; the
Court telling them, that the penalty would have been
much heavier, had not the judge taken into considera-
tion their humble petition for mercy, and the heavy
expenses they had incurred in standing two trials.
This system of selling by auction and by private
sale, large herds of cattle and flocks of sheep at high
prices, went on till some of the twelve-month's paper
IN THE FAR EAST. 175
became due. Cash not being then forthcoming,
renewals were asked for in many instances, which
somewhat damped the ardour of speculation ; but the
wild career did not receive any very serious check,
till the two-years' paper began to come into play.
Very little cash could be got from the drawers, who
were, in many cases, obliged to bring a large portion
of their stock to the hammer, in order to meet their
acceptances for thirty per cent, of the purchase money.
This alarmed people. The price of stock began to
fall ; and, long before the three-years' paper became
due, ewes that had cost the buyers 3l. per head, could
be got for 7s. 6d.
Thus, many a poor fellow, after labouring hard for
three years to keep his flocks and their increase
together, had to part with the whole, and still had
not enough wherewith to satisfy his original creditors.
Hundreds of instances of this kind might be specified,
did I feel at liberty to publish names.
As to the operation of the third main cause of the
distress, the system that obtained, of giving long credit
to purchasers of stock, the evils arising from this
practice have been partly exposed in the foregoing
remarks; but I will proceed to point out a few
other evil consequences, as they occur to me. To
begin with one that more than once came under
my own notice ; many persons of property, trusting
to the long prices obtainable for stock of every
176 TRADE AND TRAVEL
description when sold on credit, and forgetting that
there was absolutely no cash price at the time,
deemed themselves much richer men than they were
in reality. Giving to their overseers the charge of
their country residences, they took and furnished
houses in Sydney for their families, set up their
carriages, and commenced a style of living far beyond
their means. This fact (the want of cash) came
upon them the moment the first half-year's bills for
rent, household supplies, &c., became due: these
proved to the deluded settler, that, though he had
flocks and herds, he had no money, nor could any be
got, except at a sacrifice. To a man, they had to sell
off and return to their estates, where dire necessity
has since compelled them to remain, and where, I
hope, renewed prosperity and common sense will
induce them to stay.
Another evil caused by the long-credit system,
was its inducing many persons to purchase stock for
the purpose of raising money upon it. This practice
was carried to a ruinous extent, and caused immense
distress in this way. A hundred head of cattle
might be parted with to day, by a needy settler, say,
at 3/. per head, six months' credit; the seller took the
buyer's note of hand for the purchase money, 300L,
which was immediately taken to the bank, and dis-
counted ; and the settler returned to his farm, satisfied
that he had made a good sale of his beasts. The
IN THE FAR EAST. 177
buyer, having no use for the cattle, re-sold them,
taking the second buyer's note for the money, which,
like that of the first, went at once to the bank. This
transaction was frequently repeated six or eight times,
before the cattle found a bond fide purchaser ; and it
was no uncommon thing, to find paper in the market
to the amount of ISQOl. or 2000/., the only repre-
sentative for which was the hundred head of cattle
originally sold by the settler ; the whole of the parties
concerned being, with the exception of the first
seller and the last buyer, mere men of straw. When
the six months expired, not a single bill of the six or
eight negotiated, was taken up, excepting, perhaps,
the last one : all the others had to be renewed ; and
it was the forcing the payment of such bills, that
ruined so many people, and ultimately shook the
credit of every bank in Australia.
The credit system also led many mercantile men
into speculations which they never would have
entered into under a wholesome system of trade.
From these many serious losses resulted, which have
led to ruinous failures. Any man with a hundred
pounds in his pocket, could get credit for a thousand ;
and numbers of adventurers of all descriptions, taking
advantage of the times, opened stylish shops well-
filled with goods bought on credit, carried on a
flourishing trade till within a few days of their bills
falling due, and then decamped, leaving their unfor-
i 3
178
TRADE AND TRAVEL
tunate and silly creditors to get paid from the wreck
of the stock left in the shop. I knew an auctioneer who
played this nefarious trick, leaving his creditors minus
the enormous sum of 70,000/. He did not, however,
long retain his ill-gotten wealth : how he got rid of it,
I do not know ; but I found him two years ago in Singa-
pore, where he kept a small grog-shop, and lived in
great wretchedness ; and I have since met with him
knocking about the streets of Macao, a disgrace to his
country in a foreign settlement. The credit system
ruined two thirds of the respectable auctioneers in
Sydney, and upset the Australian Auction Company,
absorbing every shilling of its paid-up capital.
In addition to the evils inflicted on this Colony by
these main causes, great losses were sustained by
settlers through their becoming shippers of their
own wool. At the time I speak of, wool was worth,
in Sydney, from 2s. Id. to 2s. 2d. per pound, and, in
England, some 6d. or 8d. more. These high rates
would not satisfy some settlers, who foolishly took
an advance upon their clips, letting them go home
on their own account, and at the risk of the agents
of the parties who advanced the money in Sydney.
In the meantime, wool fell in the English markets to
Is. and I5d. per pound. The nett proceeds of the
shipment did not nearly cover the advance made;
and the hapless shipper, already in debt to his agent
for supplies, and without a penny of cash at his
IN THE FAR EAST. 179
command, was called upon to make good the diffe-
rence, which he was unable to do. His agent, pressed
by others, must press him ; his flocks are brought to
the hammer, and sold at the now ruinous current
prices ; and he becomes a bankrupt. Dozens of cases
like this, occurred during the late wretched times.
I come now to the consideration of the bad seasons
of 1838-39 and 1839-40. While I maintain that they
were far from being the sole, or even the chief cause
of distress, I allow that they added to it very mate-
rially. To shew that they were not the sole cause,
I may mention, that, among my own personal friends
in the Colony, not one who avoided speculation and
putting his name on paper, has failed ; while those
who followed the stream have sunk, every one of
them. During those years, every thing the unfortu-
nate grazier had to sell, was cheap beyond all prece-
dent; while every article he was compelled to pur-
chase, was very dear. Tea, owing to the China war,
rose from 5l. to 15Z. per ha\f-pecul chest of hyson
skin. Flour of the very coarsest description could
not be had under from 3Ql. to 35/. per ton of two
thousand pounds weight, a colonial cheat, calling
two thousand pounds a ton ! Sugar and other neces-
saries were equally high; and many a poor settler
who had never refused his hard-worked servants
their tea, sugar, and tobacco, was compelled to stop
those indulgences.
180 TRADE AND TRAVEL
To the working-classes in Sydney and other towns,
the bad seasons were ruinous. Provisions were so
dear, that many a father of a family found his earn-
ings far from sufficient to provide food for his wife
and children. Building was almost entirely put a
stop to ; and thus, hundreds of industrious men were
thrown out of employment. To so serious an extent
did this distress reach, that Government was called
upon to afford pecuniary relief to the starving poor ;
a circumstance altogether unprecedented in Austra-
lian history.
So low had these evils sunk the Colony and all
its inhabitants, that failures of merchants and settlers
continued to be of almost daily occurrence up to the
end of the year 1843. No one durst push his neigh-
bour for payment of debt : were such a thing at-
tempted, an immediate surrender of his affairs to
the official trustee of the Insolvent Court, was the
consequence. Several of the first and oldest mer-
chants in the Colony have sunk under the long-
continued pressure; and, at the date of the last
accounts, more failures were looked for. These,
however, were expected as the result of old causes,
not of new or recent transactions.
Upon the whole, I am disposed to think, that Aus-
tralia has seen its darkest day, and that things are
likely soon to improve, if, indeed, they have not
already mended. The price of stock was looking
IN THE FAR EAST. 181
up ; and ewes that had actually been sold as low as
9d. each, were worth 7s. 6d. Men of capital lately
arrived from England with ready money, had com-
menced purchasing land and stock ; and their opera-
tions had given an impetus to affairs in general, that
could not fail to be beneficial.
rit nocr'
;.u ,ii y/o-iqu ot nooe ^bij
f\\i-tfT **rlT[^ h^bftBl'Tl '/'
182 TRADE AND TRAVEL
CHAPTER XIII.
NEW SOUTH WALES.
ELEMENTS OF PROSPERITY STILL EXISTING HINTS TO THE
COLONISTS FUTURE PROSPECTS.
JN OTWITHSTANDING the terrible shock from which
Australia has been suffering ever since 1839, I still
retain a high opinion of the Colony as an advan-
tageous field for the employment of the spare capital
of the mother country. The elements of prosperity
still exist, and require only a little nursing in order
to effect its recovery from the recent depression.
The emigrant with a capital of three or four thou-
sand pounds, must not, indeed, expect to make a
fortune in a few years; but he may with perfect
confidence look to make himself an independent man,
at a much more rapid rate than he could by means
of double that sum in England. If he is prudent,
nurses his capital, sticks to his business as a settler,
avoids tempting bargains of things he has no use for,
and, above all, refrains from obliging his neighbours
with the occasional loan of his name to a bill, I see
IN THE FAR EAST. 183
not what can by possibility prevent his succeeding
in such a country, even allowing that every third
season should prove one of drought. To the indus-
trious farmer with a small capital of 5001. or lOOOl.,
New South Wales offers a fine field : he can obtain a
hundred acres of the finest arable land in the world
on a clearing-lease, with two years free for the
clearing, and three or five years more on a moderate
rent. A capital even of 500Z. will enable him to
fence his land, build himself a bush-house and out-
offices, and maintain his family for two years ; by
which time it will be hard indeed, if he has not land
enough under crop to return him something hand-
some. I have known many settlers of this kind
thrive, and many others " go to the wall :" the former
had a small capital to start with, while the latter
commenced upon credit for the very bread required
for their families ; a plan I never knew to succeed.
Let but the settler stick to his business ; the mer-
chant be content with smaller profits than used to
satisfy him, and cease giving long credit to all and
everybody ; let the banker be less grasping, and not
quite so hard a creditor when he finds one of his
customers in difficulties or reverses ; let every one
avoid speculations out of his strict line of business,
and beware of accommodation-paper; and let the
lower and middle classes avoid the public-house ;
and there is nothing to fear for Australia. It has
184 TRADE AND TRAVEL
v
had a severe lesson administered to it, that ought to
be a warning to all its inhabitants for the future.
I have no hesitation in saying, that nine-tenths of the
evils from which the Colonists have suffered of late,
have arisen from their own imprudence, and that
these may be avoided in future by common caution,
in spite of dry seasons and occasional failures of
crops.
Now that colonization is extending up the coast
from Sydney northwards, and the inhabited parts of
the Colony already approach the tropic of Capricorn,
New South Wales ought, in a few years, to be a rice
and sugar-growing country. The soil on the banks
of the rivers in the neighbourhood of Moreton Bay,
is, from all accounts, equal to any thing hitherto
known in the Colony ; and the climate is very highly
spoken of. Should the winter there prove too long
or too severe for sugar-growing, (I do not see why
it should be so,) parties anxious to try the culture of
the cane as a means of making money, must in that
case just move a little further north. There is an
extensive field to explore, before they reach Torres'
Straits.
That New South Wales will become an extensive
wine-growing country, I conceive there is no room
to doubt. Its vineyards are magnificent, in every
sense of the word. I have visited several of them,
and was struck with the abundance and varietv of
IN THE FAR EAST. 185
their produce. Two proprietors of my acquaintance
have been for years in the practice of making wine
of different sorts, but principally of the lighter kinds
resembling the Rhenish. I can vouch for their
being very palatable, particularly during the summer
months. One of the gentlemen alluded to has also
made very good port wine and brandy.
The greatest drawback on the commerce of New
South Wales, is the deficiency of exports, the balance
of trade being greatly against the Colony. Its wool
and oil are what merchants have hitherto princi-
pally depended upon, though other exports are now
coming into play ; viz. cedar-timber, hides, tallow,
and salt provisions. Still, I do not think that, even
with these additions, the merchants of the Colony
can manage to make their exports equal in value to
their imports ; and were it not for the very consi-
derable sums drawn for on the Home Government,
by the military department, for the pay and provi-
sions of the troops, necessity would compel the
merchants of England to reduce their shipments to
Australia. The great fall in the price of the princi-
pal colonial staple, wool, has added very materially
to the difficulties arising out of this state of affairs,
by reducing the value of remittances made in that
artjcle to one half of what it used to be. The quantity
of wool increases, it is true, from year to year, but
not to such an extent as to counterbalance the fall in
{186 TRADE AND TRAVEL
price ; and it must be borne in mind, that, as fast as
the wool increases, so does the population, and con-
sequently the amount of imports in the shape of sup-
plies, which have all to be remitted for. Since the
opening of the coast of China to the commerce of
the world, (the result of our late struggle with that
country, a struggle so much condemned by those
who were ignorant of the merits of the case,) the
merchants of Sydney seem to have entertained the
idea, that their trade will benefit by the change. No
one would rejoice more than myself at their antici-
pations proving correct; but I confess my judgment
differs from theirs; and if we may judge by the
result of their trial shipments, which arrived prior to
my leaving China, it is to be feared they will find, to
their cost, that they have reckoned without their
host. The Sydney merchants, from what I have
heard, expect to find in China a market for horses,
cattle, and sheep, coarse woollens, wine, and salt
provisions. The first three have been tried, and the
experiment has proved an utter failure : the horses
were sent to Calcutta, not a purchaser being found
for one of them in Hong Kong. Cattle are out of
the question : they cannot be transported five thou-
sand miles to undersell the Chinese butcher, who
gives fifteen pounds of good beef for a dollar ab,out
3|d. per pound. This price, the Sydney speculator
cannot compete with, particularly as his beasts would
IN THE FAR EAST. 187
certainly land in poor condition after so long a voyage,
and either put him to the expense of fattening them,
or compel him to sell at the low price of lean cattle.
Sheep have also been tried by several ship-masters,
and did not answer: the last lot that came, were
slaughtered and sold in the market, the only way in
which they could be got rid of, and which would not
answer the purpose of a large importer. For coarse
woollens, a market may certainly be found in China ;
but whether a profitable one, or not, to the Australian
manufacturer, is, in my opinion, somewhat doubtful.
Labour is so much cheaper in Britain than it is in
Australia, that, I fear, the Sydney manufacturer
would have but a poor chance, when his goods came
into competition with those of Manchester, either in
the Chinese or in any other market. Whatever
kinds of goods may be required on the coast of China,
will soon be supplied from Manchester and Glasgow
at the lowest possible figure, the object of the manu-
facturers of those places being, I presume, a large
trade with moderate profits ; so moderate, indeed, as
to leave the Sydney manufacturer no chance of
competing with the means at the command of the
British manufacturer. Australian wool, like Indian
cotton, may be taken to England, be manufactured
there, and sent out and sold in China, or anywhere
else, for less money than it would cost the Sydney
capitalist to produce the manufactured article. As
188 TRADE AND TRAVEL
to wine, it will be a long time before New South
Wales has much to export ; and the limited Euro-
pean population of China will not consume a suffi-
cient quantity to be of importance to the Australian
vine-grower. The Chinese cannot be counted upon
as purchasers : they are not wine-drinkers, generally
speaking ; and the little they do consume, is manu-
factured to suit their own palates, in China.
For salt provisions, there is a considerable demand
in China, among the European shipping that visit
its ports : they must, however, be cheaper in Sydney
than they were in my time, to answer the purpose of
even a remittance. The Americans bring to China
excellent beef and pork, which they sell at ten and
twelve dollars (about 42s. to 54s.) per barrel of two
hundred pounds weight. If these prices will remu-
nerate the Sydney shipper, he may try his luck as
soon as he likes ; but he must not send an inferior
article : if he does, he will sink his capital. Cedar-
timber has been tried recently, and has answered
very well to a small extent : this, however, will last
only till the town of Victoria on the island of Hong-
Kong is completely built.
By every fresh outlet for surplus stock that can be
pointed out to the Australian grazier, we shall be
rendering him a substantial service. Sir Robert
Peel's new tariff will enable him to dispose of many
a spare fat bullock. Of this opening he has already
IN THE FAR EAST. 189
taken advantage, by sending trial shipments of salt
beef to England.
It appears to me, that the imports and exports of
Australia ought to be much nearer a balance than
they are. To bring about this desirable state of
things, it will be requisite to reduce the amount of
the imports, which may be effected by giving up
the importation of hams, bacon, cheese, butter, to-
bacco, and, in a great measure, grain. To see a
pastoral country like New South Wales importing
butter and cheese, is an anomaly, and only proves
the waste and carelessness of the owners of herds
numerous enough to supply all Europe with dairy pro-
duce. The importation of hams and bacon is another
absurdity and evidence of wasteful husbandry. >'f
have seen fruit, barn-sweepings, butter-milk, bran,
&c. &c. wasted about a farm in Australia, in quanti-
ties sufficient to feed and fatten a hundred pigs,
which would have kept the establishment in meat
for half the year. Indeed, it is a common saying in
the Colony, that the waste on one of its farms, would
make an English farmer's fortune. These may seem
minor articles, but vast sums of money are annually
paid for them to London dealers. Besides these, are
imported, pickles, preserved fruits, sweetmeats, shoes,
clothing, and a thousand other articles, every one of
which might be as well and as economically made
in the Colony, thereby saving thousands per annum.
190 TRADE AND TRAVEL
A coat or other article of dress can be made in
Sydney as well and as cheap as in London; and
though the cloth must be obtained from England,
there is no reason that the London tailor should
benefit by the making, when the Sydney one is in
want of work, and is willing to work as cheap as
his London brother. Employing colonial workmen
would keep vast sums of money in the country, that
now go out of it.
Tobacco and snuff ought never to be imported,
the Colony being quite equal to producing more than
sufficient for its own consumption. The quality of
colonial tobacco used to be complained of; but that
objection no longer exists. Moreover, people who
cannot complete their remittances for necessaries,
have no right to be nice in their choice of luxuries.
I am confident that I am within the mark, when I
say, that 50,000/. sterling per annum are paid to
Americans and others who import snuff and tobacco !
This is a sum assuredly worth saving, and which the
Colonists could easily save, by encouraging the growth
and consumption of their own produce.
After what I have written upon the subject of
Australian agriculture, I may be thought to be
making a bold assertion in saying, that the necessity
for the importation of grain might, in a great mea-
sure, be done away with in Australia. Nevertheless,
such is my opinion ; and I will proceed to give my
IN THE FAR EAST. 191
reasons. In the first place, there is a great waste of
wheat, as well as of every thing else, on every farm
in the Colony. There is no gleaning; and what
with the bad and careless threshing and the ill-
thatched and worse-built stacks, which admit the
rain, whereby thousands of bushels of wheat are
destroyed, the waste is beyond any one's conception
who has not actually witnessed it. In the second
place, there is not nearly so much wheat grown in
Australia as there might and ought to be. A simple
process of irrigation, such as the Chinese or the
Javanese, the machinery for which would not cost
5 L, and would employ only two men when in opera-
tion, applied to the wheat-fields in dry seasons once
a month, would save many a crop. All, or nearly
all the wheat in the Colony, is grown on the banks
of rivers, which, though they cease to flow in a sea-
son of drought, have always water in the deep parts
of the channel or " water-holes." It requires no ar-
gument to prove, that irrigation, in such situations,
is a very simple matter. Two Javanese, by means of
a long lever attached to a tall tree on the bank of a
river, with a large bucket and string at one end, and
a string to hoist up by at the other end, will keep a
small stream of water running over and fertilizing
the neighbouring paddy-fields all day long, without
fatiguing themselves. The Chinese water-wheel is
also a simple and cheap contrivance, and would throw
192 TRADE AND TRAVEL
up water enough, in two hours, to irrigate, or even to
inundate a tobacco or wheat-field. All that is wanted,
besides the labour of two men, is a series of wooden
troughs to convey the water from the river bank to
the highest part of the field, whence it is easily
guided over the other parts. A little attention to
irrigation might, in my humble opinion, very soon
make New South Wales independent of imported
wheat.
Another means of doing away with the importa-
tion of grain and flour, may be found in paying more
attention to the cultivation of maize. Large quan-
tities of it are grown at present, but they might
easily be doubled.* And here, irrigation would an-
swer splendidly, the drills forming such convenient
water-courses. Large as is the quantity of maize
grown in Australia, it is not used as food for man ;
why, I know not, but such is the fact ; and I have
known a convict turn up his nose when offered corn-
*I do not mean to say, that irrigating an acre of wheat or maize
would double the yield of grain, but that double the number of
acres now under the plough would in a few years, after the irriga-
ting system had been fairly tried and found to answer, be brought
under cultivation. In the neighbourhood of Bathurst, and in many
other parts of the Colony where rain is very uncertain, there are
thousands of acres of alluvial land lying waste, which, upon my
plan, would yield tens of thousands of bushels of wheat and
maize.
IN THE FAR EAST. 193
meal. Every one knows how extensively this article
is used in America, and how wholesome a food it is.
Were the Australian farmers firmly and unanimously
to determine upon making their dependents take at
least half their weekly allowance in maize-meal, in
place of wheaten flour, the latter would soon become
fond of it. There would then be an inducement to
extend its cultivation ; and the large sums of money
annually remitted to Van Diemen's Land, Valparaiso,
and Bengal, for wheat, would very shortly be reduced
to a small cipher.
To urge this most desirable object any further
upon the Colonists of New South Wales, would be
to insult their good sense. I will only express a
wish that they may at once adopt measures to equal-
ize their imports and exports, and that the few hints
here thrown out to them, may be of use.
The supply of tea and sugar to the Australian
Colonies, has, on the whole, been a profitable trade
to the parties engaged in it ; but it has, of late, been
overdone. The quality of the tea and sugar now
sent to Sydney, is far superior to what it used to be ;
and the coarser sorts of both are going out of use ; a
clear proof that the population are improving in
respectability. Formerly, nothing in the shape of
either article was too bad to send out to Australia.
Things have changed, however, and several speculators
have been serious losers within the last three years, by
194 TRADE AND TRAVEL
sending goods that would have suited admirably six
years ago. When I first went into the Bush, you
might visit a dozen of the most respectable houses
without being able to get any thing better than the
most common hyson-skin tea and very dark moist
sugar. A cup or two of the liquid made from these,
would poison an old Indian ; and I never ventured
to drink it. A friend of mine, who absolutely
dreaded being compelled to drink this stuff, used
always to carry a paper of good black tea in his
pocket, whenever he left his own house. He was in
the right, though often laughed at. Mauritius sugar
used to be the favourite at the time I speak of; but
now, Manilla, Singapore, and Batavia are looked to
for the supply of a better and cheaper article. From
Manilla the Colonists import small supplies of coffee,
chocolate, reed hats, and cheroots. Singapore and
Batavia send them, in addition to sugar, quantities
of rice, spices, Dutch gin, tea brought thither by
Chinese junks, planks, &c. &c. Singapore sends
also a ship or two annually to South Australia, Port
Philip, and Van Diemen's Land.
IN THE FAR EAST. 195
CHAPTER XIV.
NEW SOUTH WALES.
CLASSES OF SOCIETY IN SYDNEY DISAPPOINTMENT OP
EMIGRANTS CHARACTERISTICS OF IRISH AND BRITISH
EMIGRANTS AVAILABLENESS OF CHINESE LABOURERS
AUSTRALIAN COAL MONOPOLY TORRES' STRAITS THE
BEST PASSAGE FOR STEAMERS BOTANY BAY PASSAGE
FROM SYDNEY TO BATAVIA.
JLo obtain admission to good society in Sydney,
when my family first arrived there, was no easy
matter. Not that there was any lack of it in the
place, but the residents were, very properly, shy
of strangers, unless provided with testimonials as to
their respectability. Fortunately for us, a kind
friend in Singapore, who had been in New South
Wales, and knew the value of the favour he was
conferring, supplied us with a whole packet of intro-
ductory letters to the first families in the place ;
while we were further aided in the matter by my
old friend, Thos. Macquoid, Esq., then Sheriff of
the Colony. In a place like Sydney, where society
is formed of such varied and extraordinary materials
K2
196 TRADE AND TRAVEL
suspicion of strangers, on the part of the really respec-
table portion of the community, is natural enough ;
and those who have not been sufficiently wary in this
respect, have had cause to regret their want of cau-
tion. The tide of emigration is now bringing nu-
merous highly respectable families to Australia, as
well as thousands of hard-working, honest labourers,
while the importation of felons has ceased. This
state of things will, in time, do away with the ne-
cessity for such extreme caution and mistrust. It
will, however, take a number of years to clear the
Colony of the half-reformed villain who still hankers
after his old ways, of the emancipist, whom the law
looks upon as a reformed character, but whom expe-
rience has taught the world to look upon with a very
different eye, and of the convicts for life, who still
amount to thousands. Until the Colony is pretty
well weeded of such characters, society will not, and
cannot, dismiss the suspicion with which it is now
rendered necessary, by circumstances, to regard the
unintroduced stranger.
I found no lack of agreeable society, both male and
female, in any part of New South Wales that I visited.
In many instances, the conversation certainly turned
rather too much upon sheep and cattle; but this
ought to be excused, where ninety-nine hundreths
earn their daily bread by means of those animals.
In Sydney, we found the dinner and evening parties
IN THE FAR EAST. 197
highly agreeable, and composed of elegant, accom-
plished, and intelligent persons of both sexes. What
more can be said of any community ? During the
government of Sir Richard Bourke, an attempt was
made by him to introduce into his own parties some
emancipist families ; and on one occasion, the grand-
daughter of a late Sydney hangman actually made
her appearance at a ball at Government-house. This
fact being found out by the heads of families present,
a representation was made to His Excellency through
his aide-de-camp, and, after some show of oppo-
sition on the part of the Governor, a stop was put to
it. I do not mean to say that, among the class
called emancipists, consisting of persons who have
been convicts, there may not be found men and
women who have become thoroughly reformed and
fit to adorn society. This, however, is the exception,
not the rule. A large majority of the class in ques-
tion are quite unfit for any company but that of a
low pot-house.
Some of the most stylish equipages in Sydney
are the property of men who came to the Colony
with fetters on their legs. In them may be seen,
any and every day, gayly-dressed women, driving
about the town, shopping and lounging away their
idle mornings. Whether they are the wives, daugh-
ters, or mistresses of the owners of the carriages, it
is difficult to tell ; but the conclusion that every
198 TRADE AND TRAVEL
second one contains a mistress, would not be far from
the truth. Such is the society the unwary stranger
sometimes falls into, before he knows what he is
about ; nor does he become fully aware of the evil
consequences of his imprudence, till he finds out
with whom he has been associating, and that all
access to the really respectable society of the place
is closed against him. It is quite as requisite for a
stranger arriving in Sydney to be on his guard as to
his associates, as it is for residents to be careful whom
they may admit into their families.
There are many wealthy families in and near
Sydney, whose heads came as convicts to the Colony.
The days when such men could make rapid fortunes,
are gone by ; and the convict who looks for any thing
of the kind now-a-days, will find himself wofully
mistaken. There are too many respectable trades-
men in Sydney for ex-felons to have much chance ;
and the time when a shopkeeper would not conde-
scend to take a piece of cloth off his shelf to satisfy
a customer, but would point to a lot with his stick,
and ask, " Which will you have ?" has also gone by.
Every attention is now shewn to customers by
Sydney shopkeepers, some of whom are not a whit
behind their London brethren in the art of recom-
mending their wares.
New South Wales had been for many years a
British Colony, before any Israelites found their way
IN THE FAR EAST. 199
thither as free men ; and I have heard, that it was
the return of a Jewish convict with well-lined
pockets, that first attracted their attention to his
place of exile. Be this as it may, there are more
Jews than enough in Sydney now ; they are to be
found in every quarter of the town; and certainly,
they keep up their ancient character for perseverance
in search of their idol, money. I do not think, how-
ever, that I ever came across a Jewish settler : why
they seem to avoid that occupation, I know not.
It is common, in Australia, to hear persons talk
of the Colony as their adopted country, and so forth.
No faith ought to be put in these declarations ; nor
do I believe there is a family in the Colony, who do
not entertain some hope of once more seeing their
native land. During the time that high prices were
obtainable for stock, hundreds of settlers who were
wont to talk of their adopted country, used every
exertion to realize their property in order to return to
England. Many succeeded, and actually left the
Colony, rejoicing in the idea of once more planting
their foot on British ground. The exceptions to
this general rule, are to be found in the emancipist
class; in the persons of notorious scamps who could
not shew their face in respectable society in Eng-
land, and who have sense enough to know that they
are better off in the southern, than, by any chance,
they could be in the northern hemisphere.
200 TRADE AND TRAVEL
From extensive experience, I am convinced, that a
very large majority of emigrants are lamentably
disappointed on reaching the shores of Australia.
Not that I think they have cause for half the com-
plaints they make; but they have received, before
leaving home, such flattering representations of the
good fortune that is in store for them, that their
expectations are raised to a pitch far beyond the
probable, and disappointment is the natural conse-
quence. The tales told them prior to their embark-
ation, render them difficult to please on their arri-
val ; they demand exorbitant wages, and more rations
than they could possibly consume without waste;
and the consequence of this is, that many of them
remain weeks and months in Sydney, out of employ-
ment, living upon the little money brought from
home, although, in the meantime, eligible offers
may have been made them. This stay in Sydney
not only empties the emigrant's pocket, but breeds
idle habits, leading him to the public-house, where
his last penny is soon extracted from him. Then
comes want, with all the horrors of a starving wife
and family ; grown-up daughters are driven to pro-
stitution ; and the emigrant himself is ultimately com-
pelled to accept any offer made him in his degraded
state. This is no overdrawn or rare picture, as any
one acquainted with the subject can testify. Emi-
grants that come to the Colony in what are called
IX THE FAR EAST. 201
Government ships, and who are brought out at the
public expense, are provided for on their arrival, till
employment offers for them ; but, the moment they
are known to have refused a fair offer, Government
aid ceases. Even that circumstance, however, has
little or no effect upon the more stubborn of them,
who abate or yield in their demands only when com-
pelled by necessity. Many emigrants, from their
fondness for a town life, refuse good offers of em-
ployment in the country. Great evils arise from
this: one is, that it frequently happens, that
Sydney is overrun with idle labourers in search of
employment, while the settlers in the country are
all crying out for help. To such a height had this
evil risen, and to such distress were numbers of
infatuated men reduced by remaining idle in town,
that Government was recently applied to for its
interference, and actually paid the expense of sending
hundreds of men into the country, where they got
immediate employment, which they might have had
many months before, had they been reasonable in
their demands.
It is remarked all over the Colony, that the emi-
grants generally are very difficult to satisfy in the
matter of rations ; and that the man who had been
the worst fed at home, was the most difficult to please
abroad. An Irishman is generally found the chief
grumbler here ; a Scotchman ranks second ; while an
K3
202 TRADE AND TRAVEL
English peasant, who has all his life fared better
than either, is found, in Australia, to be most easily
satisfied. I do not attempt to explain or account for
this ; I have, however, not only frequently observed it,
but have heard my neighbours make the same remark.
I hired an Irish labourer and his wife, to whom I
gave the following pay and rations : 22l. a year to
the man ; 1 2l. a, year to his wife ; weekly between
the two, 14 Ibs. of beef, 20 Ibs. of flour, 3 Ibs. of
sugar, 6 ox. of tea, and 4 oz. of tobacco. With
this allowance, for half of which thousands of fami-
lies in England would be thankful, the couple were
not satisfied, and actually complained that they had
not enough to eat. It was summer time when they
came to my farm ; and they were warned, that the
blow-flies would destroy their meat, if it was not
covered up : they were too lazy, however, to take
the slightest care of it; and, as I saw their second
week's allowance lying on a table the day after it
was served out, covered with a mass of blow-flies, I
took them severely to task for their wanton waste
and neglect. But it was of no avail. And this
couple had lived upon potatoes and butter-milk all
their lives ! It is but just to add, that, on men-
tioning to a major in an Irish regiment, whom I
subsequently met in China, the difficulty usually
found in satisfying his countrymen in New South
Wales, he expressed his astonishment, and remarked
IN THE FAR EAST. 203
that the reverse was generally found to be the case
with Irishmen in the army.
Several ships with emigrants from the Highlands
and Islands of Scotland, arrived at Sydney during
the years 1838 and 1839. These people were, in
general, unwilling to accept of employment in any
shape, but preferred taking clearing-leases of small
patches of land on their own account. This plan,
many of them succeeded in carrying into execution,
much to the disappointment and annoyance of the
community at whose expense they had been brought
to the Colony ; and it was reasonably complained,
that these men, in place of supplying the labour-
market, as was intended, actually created an increased
demand for labour, by requiring aid in their own
operations before the first twelvemonth had passed
over them. Be this as it may, they are a hard-
working, industrious set of men ; and whether their
plans raise or depress wages, they have added mate-
rially to the quantity of grain grown in the colony.
Now that we have a footing in China, I would
draw the attention of the inhabitants of New South
Wales to Hong Kong for an unlimited supply of
cheap labour. There, by means of an agent on the
spot, they may procure thousands of able-bodied
labourers, who will go to Australia for five dollars
(22s. 6d.) per month, with their food. This rate of
pay is much lower than what is paid to European
204 TRADE AND TRAVEL
labourers ; and the ration of rice for the China-man
might be procured from Java, Bally, or Lombak,
and laid down in Sydney at (or under) three half-
pence per pound ; which is as cheap as No. 3 flour in
the most abundant seasons, and much cheaper than
that article usually is. For field-work, the China-
man is fully equal to the European labourer. I speak
advisedly, having tried them together, side by side,
for months at a time. In a recent Singapore paper
I find it stated, that the Home Authorities have
authorised an agent to treat for the transmission of
Chinese labourers from the Straits' settlements to
the West Indies ; and, from my knowledge of those
places, I have no doubt that thousands of men will
be induced to avail themselves of this new market
for their labour. Had New South Wales the same
permission from Government, she might be equally,
and probably more successful, because China-men
always prefer emigrating to a country having fre-
quent communication with their own. This advan-
tage, New South Wales possesses over the West
Indies, for as many as twenty or thirty vessels
annually leave Sydney for China. There would be
no difficulty in getting the Chinese labourer bound
for five years, his pay to begin from the day he
landed in Sydney, and his passage down to be paid
by his employer. This last charge would add 30s.
per annum to his wages ; but even then, he would
IN THE FAR EAST. 205
be the cheapest labourer within reach of the Austra-
lian farmer. Many gentlemen have turned their
attention to Bengal for a supply of labour. The men
procurable from that country, are not equal in physi-
cal strength to the China-men, nor are they to be had
for lower pay. I had six Bengal Coolies in my
employ in the Bush, and have no hesitation in
saying, that three China-men would have done their
work. The proper immigrant to obtain from Bengal,
if the Colonists choose to apply to that part of the
world, is the Pariah, the man of no caste, who will
eat any thing, apply himself to any kind of work,
even to the killing, curing, or eating a pig, and give
far less trouble than any of the high-caste men. The
best season for despatching ships with emigrants
from China to New South Wales, is from November
till February, both inclusive.
A source of vast wealth will open to Australia on
the expiration of the Agricultural Company's coal-
monopoly. That body, on its establishment in the
Colony, obtained the privilege of working coal for
thirty years, to the exclusion of all others. The in-
justice of granting such a privilege to a Company
who do not work more than one coal - mine,
when there are literally thousands on the eastern
coast of this Continent, is too obvious to require
comment. Many landed proprietors who have rich
veins of coal on their estates, are, under the present
206 TRADE AND TRAVEL
regulation, actually compelled to purchase the Agri-
cultural Company's coal for the use of their own
kitchens. It may well be imagined, that the money
is paid with a very bad grace. Up to the time I left
Sydney, the only coal-pit in operation was one at
Newcastle, at the mouth of the river Hunter. From
this source, an abundant supply of very fair quality
was obtained, for which, if I mistake not, 12s. per
ton was demanded at the pit's mouth. The Com-
pany's coal waggons descend the hill from the pit, by
an inclined plane, on iron rails, the descending wag-
gon dragging up the empty one. At the foot of this
inclined plane, a wharf or jetty runs a little way into
the sea, so that vessels of four or five hundred tons
burthen can haul alongside, and have their cargoes
shot by waggon-loads down their hatches. All this
is as it should be ; and when forty or fifty such pits
are in full work, Australia may expect to reap some
benefit from her mineral riches. The importance of
a never-failing supply of coal in these days of steam
travelling, is too evident to require a single word of
remark.
Talking of steam puts me in mind of the anxiety
felt in Australia to secure the advantage of the In-
dian Overland Mail, and of a plan for effecting their
object which I have frequently thought of. On the
arrival of the mail at Port Essington, from Singa-
pore, why should it not be sent to Sydney in a steamer
IN THE FAR EAST. 207
by sea, via Captain King's inner passage through
Torres' Straits, instead of adopting the far more ex-
pensive and uncertain overland route formerly men-
tioned ? This may seem a bold, and, to most people,
an extraordinary suggestion; the plan is, however,
in my opinion, practicable at all seasons of the year,
though more particularly so during the fine or south-
east monsoon. I have sailed through Torres' Straits,
and would not hesitate a moment to undertake to
carry a powerful steamer from Port Essington to
Sydney, through the admirably surveyed channel
just mentioned. During the south-east monsoon,
from April till September, the wind would be against
her; but she would have the benefit of moderate
and clear weather, and find no difficulty in seeing
and evading every danger. In the north-west mon-
soon, the steamer would have a fair wind, but hazy
weather, with frequent squalls to contend against.
The thick weather would undoubtedly be a disadvan-
tage, as it would render objects less easily distin-
guishable; but then, the strong north-west winds
and squalls would knock up a heavy sea, which would
make the water break on every reef, thereby render-
ing them easily both seen and heard in the thickest
weather. On the coast of Sumatra, I have heard
the breakers seven miles off. Allowing that they
can be heard half that distance, this would give a
steamer plenty of time and space to keep clear of
208 TRADE AND TRAVEL
them. Running in the night would, of course, be
out of the question in any season. It appears to me,
that there is as much real danger in beating through
the Palavvare passage in November and December,
which dozens of vessels do every year, as there pos-
sibly could be to a steamer in passing to and fro
between Port Essington and Sydney, at any season of
the year, by King's inner passage. The weather in
the Palaware, during the months I have mentioned,
is as thick and stormy as can well be imagined ; and
the reefs, shoals, and other perils of navigation are
numerous enough. The best route for passengers
proceeding to Australia from Suez, would be vid
Ceylon, whence a steamer would run down south-
south-east to the fortieth parallel of south latitude in
thirteen days, under steam : then she would get the
prevailing strong westerly winds, which would take
her under canvas to Hobart Town in ten or twelve
days: let her stop two days there to take in coal and
land passengers, and, in three days more, she would
be in Sydney. By this route, the passenger for
Sydney would find himself at his journey's end in
sixty-three or sixty-five days from Southampton,
while the mail vid Marseilles would be of four days
shorter date. I have my doubts, indeed, whether
New South Wales is in a position to bear the expense
of such a plan : it certainly could not be a profitable
venture for years to come ; and whether the Colonists
IN THE FAR EAST. 209
would be willing to be so much per annum out of
pocket, in the meantime, remains to be seen.
In describing Port Jackson, I omitted to notice
the neighbouring harbour, called Botany Bay, ori-
ginally discovered by Captain Cook, and subse-
quently abandoned for its rival. It is a noble
and beautiful bay, entered through a gap in the
cliff facing the Pacific. This being much wider
than that leading into Port Jackson, and the heads
not overlapping each other in the least, Botany
Bay is exposed to the fury of the easterly gales,
which renders it, during their prevalence, an unsafe
harbour. From its great width, I was induced to
suppose that this evil might be obviated by ships
seeking shelter behind the heads; but, on inquiry,
I learned, that the depth of water does not admit
of this: the water is shallow all round the bay,
which compels vessels to anchor a considerable
distance from the shore, and leaves them exposed
to the eastward. In short, as a harbour, it will not
bear comparison with Port Jackson. The name of
Botany Bay was given to it from the very great
variety and beauty of the native flowers found on
its shores. I am not botanist enough to describe
these flowers, but I noticed them with surprise and
admiration. I saw nothing else, however, to attract
any one to the neighbourhood : the soil is wretchedly
poor, principally covered with scrub, and, with the
210 TRADE AND TRAVEL
exception of a few spots in the hollows, utterly
valueless to the farmer. A few half-starved cows
only, belonging to Sydney families, and called the
town herd, may be seen picking up the poor and
scanty herbage. In this neighbourhood, the Sydney
hounds meet, and occasionally amuse their pro-
prietors, by chasing a miserable "native dog" to
death. The only buildings of any interest on the
shores of this bay, are, the monument built by the
French Government to the memory of the unfor-
tunate La Perouse, and a solitary mill on the banks
of a little stream that runs into it from the west-
ward. How this mill is employed in such a lonely
place, where no cultivation is to be seen, I cannot
imagine, but should not wonder if a few pounds 1
weight of tobacco and gallons of spirits found their
way into the Colony hereabout, without benefiting
the revenue.
In April 1839, I left the shores of Australia, with
my family, bound for Batavia and Singapore via
Torres' Straits. We had a fine run up the coast,
and made the celebrated Barrier Reef on the morn-
ing of the fourteenth day after leaving Sydney. We
were fortunate in finding a magnificent entrance into
the Straits, in latitude 12 18' South, and were fairly
inside the barrier by nine A. M. This entrance, which
is at least three miles wide, it is worth any ship's
while to seek for : it may be known by two small
IN THE FAR EAST. 211
rocks on the south side, as you enter, resembling
hay- cocks in shape and size : we saw them three
miles off, and they were the only objects visible
above water, on the portion of the Barrier within our
view. From our entrance, we had a fine run, and
found nothing to stop us for a minute (during day-
light), till clear of Booby Island at the western end
of the Straits, which we passed at 10 A.M. on the
seventeenth day from Sydney.
These celebrated Straits pick up and destroy some
half a dozen ships annually, and are so much dreaded
by underwriters, that they refuse to insure loaded
vessels through them. From my own observation,
and what I have heard from others who have passed
through Torres 1 Straits on various occasions, it ap-
pears to me, that a great proportion of this loss of
property arises from carelessness on the part of ship-
masters. The current in the Pacific Ocean runs very
strong to the north-west in the neighbourhood of the
Barrier ; and this current is often forgotten or not
sufficiently allowed for by ship-masters the night
before they expect to make the reef. At sun-down,
the night before we made it, we were eighty miles
from it ; we went under easy sail all night, and, from
the distance logged during the night, expected to
make the reef at noon, having made all sail at day-
light ; instead of which, we came suddenly on it at
8 A.M., thus having been thrown four hours out of
212 TRADE AND TRAVEL
our reckoning since sun-set the night before. Many
ships, by not heaving-to at all, or not doing so in
time, the night previous to making the reef, drift too
far to the northward during the night, miss the pas-
sage they were endeavouring to make, and are com-
pelled to run along the reef in search of another ; for
there is no getting back to the southward against
wind and current. This neglect throws many a
vessel up to the Murray Islands' passages, which are
notoriously the most dangerous, and are now gene-
rally avoided by shipping. Then there is hazy wea-
ther occasionally in those parts, even in the finest
months : during its continuance, no vessel ought to
approach the Barrier, though many are imprudent
enough to do so, and too frequently pay the penalty.
In the Barrier, there are many gaps, called " horse-
shoes," which, in thick weather, look like real en-
trances, the breakers at the bottom of them not
being visible from the ship. I have known many
vessels lost by taking a horse-shoe for a real entrance
in hazy weather. Other vessels get wrecked from
paying too little attention to the dangers that beset
them, after getting safe through the Barrier. There
are small patches of reef here and there, in the
middle of the many channels that run between the
main reefs : these pick up many vessels that might
be saved, were a careful look-out kept on board. I
could give instances of losses happening in each of
IN THE FAR EAST. 213
these ways ; but the careless have suffered so severely
from their neglect, that I would not hurt them by
naming the ships.
We had a fine run to Batavia, where we arrived in
thirty-one days from Sydney. A sail from Australia
to any part of the Malayan Archipelago, during the
south-east monsoon, is, perhaps, the pleasantest voy-
age a traveller could undertake : he has smooth
water and a fair wind all the way, with a constant
succession of magnificent scenery among the nu-
merous islands of perpetual summer with which
those seas are studded.
I have heard many seamen talk lightly of the
dangers of Torres' 1 Straits and the Barrier Reef, and
have known more than one of those over-confident
gentry subsequently wrecked there. For my own
part, I have a great awe of those dangers, and can
vouch for some ship's crews having the same feeling.
On our approach to the Barrier, our crew, which con-
sisted of as rattle-pated a set as sailors usually are,
were doubly active, obeyed every order with alacrity,
and so quietly, that the fall of a pin might have been
heard at any part of the ship. Some ships avoid
entering the Barrier towards sun- set : this precaution
is unnecessary, if they are sure that the entrance
they are approaching is a true one. Although, out-
side the Barrier, there are no soundings at a hundred
fathoms, a ship is not twice her own length inside it,
214 TRADE AND TRAVEL
before she is in good anchorage with eighteen to
twenty-five fathoms water. There, she may drop
her anchor, and ride in perfect safety till daylight
enables her to pursue her course. Were she to keep
outside all night, the current would drift her to the
northward, and compel her to seek a fresh entrance
next day. The Barrier Reef extends from the coast
of New Holland to that of Papua or New Guinea,
with numerous gaps or entrances in it, which appear
to be kept open by the current that, for six months
in the year, runs through them from the Pacific to
the Indian Seas, and in the contrary direction during
the other six. Notwithstanding this current, how-
ever, I think it extremely probable, that the indus-
trious coral insect, whose labours never cease within
the Tropics, will, sooner or later, fill up the entire
space, close Torres' Straits, and join those two
mighty islands, between which the Barrier Reef, or,
more properly, Reefs, now stand like a line of gigantic
stepping-stones. The gaps in the Reef, in and about
the ninth and tenth parallels of south latitude, are much
narrower than those further south, some of them being
not twenty yards wide ; which looks as if, agreeably
to my theory, the minute architect had commenced
operations on the coast of Papua, and was gradually
working his way southward. What a magnificent
line for a rail-road this Reef will then make, with the
boundless Pacific on one side, and the reefs and
IN THE FAR EAST. 215
islands of the Straits on the other ! What a splendid
thoroughfare would this highway form to New Gui-
nea, New Britain, New Ireland, and the countless
islands in their immediate vicinity ! But I shall be
thought to be looking rather too far into futurity.
On our passage from Booby Island to the Java
Sea, we passed through the Straits of Alas, which
run between the Islands of Lombak and Sambawa.
The scenery in these straits is very fine. On the
left, you have Lombak Hill, 7000 feet high, sloping
gradually from the peak to the sea, and covered with
thick forest. On the right, is the coast of Sambawa,
exhibiting the most extraordinary collection of sugar-
loaf hills I ever saw : they look as if they had been drop-
ped there at random in a shower. The whole collec-
tion would hardly be seen on the top of Lombak
hill. Half this island was laid completely waste in
1816, by an eruption of one of its volcanic moun-
tains : thousands of the inhabitants, with their cattle
and poneys, were killed ; and the effects are visible on
the spot to this day. Sambawa is celebrated for its
race of poneys, which are certainly very fine, spi-
rited little animals. Hundreds of them are brought
by the native boats every year to Batavia and Sin-
gapore, at both which places they meet with a ready
market.
21H TRADE AND TRAVEL
CHAPTER XV.
CHINA.
DESCRIPTION OF MACAO ITS MONGREL POPULATION
FREQUENCY OF ROBBERIES PIRACIES COMPRADORE
SYSTEM PAPUAN SLAVE-TRADE MARKET OF MACAO
NUISANCES SIR HENRY POTTINGER's REGULATION DE-
FENDED ILLIBERAL POLICY OF THE PORTUGUESE, AND
ITS RESULT BOAT-GIRLS BEGGARS PICTURESQUE
SCENERY.
1 HAVE referred, in a former chapter, to the occasion
of my first visit to the Celestial Empire. My last
visit took place shortly after Sir Henry Pottinger
had brought the Chinese to terms, off the city of
Nankin, and before the treaty had been ratified by
the Sovereigns of both countries. My stay there was
protracted till the ratification took place, the supple-
mentary treaty published, and Her Majesty's Consuls
stationed at each of the five ports, with the exception
of Foo Chow. I had thus an opportunity of wit-
nessing the first start of the free trade ; of which I
shall have a few words to say hereafter. I shall
now begin with Macao. This once celebrated Portu-
IN THE FAR EAST. 21?
guese settlement is built on two small hills of a pen-
insula about thirty-five miles below the Bocca Tigris,
or mouth of the Canton river : it is irregularly built,
the streets being very narrow and crooked, and, until
very recently, badly paved with rough granite stones
of all shapes, the corners generally pointing upwards,
as if to teach the inhabitants to walk with caution.
It possesses a healthy climate, though the summer is
very hot, the thermometer ranging in the shade from
85 to 90. Many of the houses occupied by the
wealthier portion of the inhabitants, are large, airy,
and convenient residences. Since the war with
China broke out, Macao, which had greatly declined
from its ancient importance, has thriven, and many
of its citizens have become wealthy in consequence of
the British trade to China being thrown by circum-
stances into its harbour. The local Government
have taken advantage of the times, to improve the
town, to re-pave the streets, to build a new and
handsome Custom-house, and to make other im-
provements at John Bull's expense. The Portuguese
inhabitants of Macao amount to about five thousand,
not two hundred of whom are of pure European
blood. The general population are, with few excep-
tions, of a mongrel breed; a mixture of Chinese,
Portuguese, and Negroes, which it is difficult to
describe. Nine-tenths of them are very poor, but all
of them are very proud, and fond of show and dress.
L
218 TRADE AND TRAVEL
It is quite amusing to see the pompous strut of the
men on a Sunday, as they walk to mass in their ill-
made silk coats, with gold-headed sticks in hand. Both
men and women are the worst-favoured race I ever
saw : their flat, unmeaning countenances, small, lack-
lustre eyes, strong, upright, black hair, resembling
hogs 1 bristles more than aught else, and yellow skins,
form a tout ensemble any thing but pleasing. The
men adopt the European fashions. The ladies wear
the mantilla; and the women of the poorer classes
wear a petticoat and small jacket, generally of
British chintz, with a mantilla of coarser material.
The very poorest of them may be seen, on Sunday
morning, going to mass in silk stockings. The
wealthier Portuguese reside in large and comfort-
able houses, but the lower orders inhabit wretched
hovels, and suffer very severely from sickness, par-
ticularly the small-pox; a scourge that carried off,
during the winter and spring of 1842-3, one thou-
sand people, just a fifth of the whole Portuguese
population. Their habits are idle and dirty. I am
not aware, indeed, of ever having seen a more filthy
town than Macao. No one seems to think that the
streets were made for any other purpose than to
serve as reservoirs for all the filth of the houses that
line them. Heaps of abominable rubbish are seen
here and there, which would be still more numerous,
were it not for the occasional heavy rains, which
IN THE FAR EAST.
219
wash down the steep streets, and carry off the accu-
mulated masses to the sea. A few days before
Christmas 1842, the town underwent a general
sweeping ; an event that did not take place again till
that time twelvemonth. The other inhabitants of
Macao are, Chinese, Negroes, and a few English and
Americans. The Chinese here are nearly all of the
lower orders, and, for the most part, are not over-
scrupulous how they get their living: in proof of
which I may mention, that four highway robberies,
accompanied with violent assault, took place in the
immediate neighbourhood, in open day, during the
stay of six weeks which I made there in the autumn
of 1842. The shopkeepers and boatmen are all
Chinese; and among them may be found some as
thorough-bred scoundrels as ever disgraced humanity.
During the year 1843, the following crimes were
perpetrated by Chinese in and about Macao: they
were clearly brought home to them, and, in all pro-
bability, do not form a tenth of what might with
justice be laid to their charge :
1. Mr. Sharpens lorcha (trading-boat), on her voy-
age from Macao to Canton, was piratically attacked
within ten miles of the former place, and plundered
of her cargo of opium ; Mr. Sharpe was murdered,
and five of his crew ; the rest, being Chinese, were
taken off by the pirates, (they subsequently proved
to be their associates,) and the lorcha was burned
L 2
220 TRADE AND TRAVEL
2. A lorcha bound from Hong Kong to Macao,
manned by Macao Chinese, and loaded with spice
and other valuable property, was carried off by her
crew, (who murdered an English doctor on board,)
the cargo plundered, and the vessel burned.
3. Another lorcha, bound from Macao to Hong
Kong, with a general cargo and two passengers, was
carried off in the same way, plundered, and then
burned : the unfortunate passengers (two respectable
young men ; one an Irishman, named Clark, the
other from Shetland, a Mr. Clunis) were in like
manner murdered.
4. A boat was sent off from Macao with a
box of treasure containing some 12,000 dollars,
under the charge of a Parsee clerk of the firm to
o
whom the money belonged. They left the shore at
two P.M., and the ship they were bound to was at
anchor only five miles off. The non-appearance of
the treasure which was expected on board, caused
the captain to go on shore to make inquiries about
five in the afternoon : his questions alarmed the
Parsee merchant, who had sent off the money and
his clerk at two. Strict inquiry was instituted, and
the result was, the certainty that the poor man had
been murdered and thrown overboard by the boat's
crew, who made off with the money.
5. A boat was sent from a ship in the harbour
called the Typa, to one in the outer roads, to trans-
IN THE FAR EAST. 221
ship fourteen chests of opium : the crew consisted of
four Chinese and one Lascar, with the second mate
in charge. The opium was taken in, and the boat
started on her return to the Typa about two P.M.
When about half way between the two harbours, the
four Chinese suddenly dropped their oars, seized the
mate and Lascar, stunned them with the boat's tiller,
and threw them overboard : their bodies were picked
up next day, and gave the first intimation of their
fate. Two of the pirates were subsequently caught
and executed ; but the property, worth 10,000 dollars,
was irretrievably lost
6. A British merchant in Macao sent an order
off to his ship in the Typa, to bring on shore,
in the course of the day, a box containing 6000
dollars : the money was put into a boat belonging to
the vessel at ten in the forenoon, and started for the
inner harbour, about an hour's pull. She was at-
tacked by a fast-pulling Chinese boat, when about
half way between the ship and the shore, and robbed
of the dollars ; but no violence was offered to the
crew, who were China-men. When this money was
being packed and put into the boat, some Chinese
sailors on board the ship were observed making
signs as if to some one at a distance : no notice was
taken of this circumstance at the time, though it
was remarked upon when too late.
I could enumerate other cases of a similar nature ;
222 TRADE AND TRAVEL
but these six are sufficient for my present pur-
pose.
The Chinese servants in the employ of Europeans
at Macao, Canton, and Hong Kong, are, without ex-
ception, the most consummate set of scamps it has
ever been my fortune to encounter. Their whole
study from morning to night and from night to
morning, is, how to cheat their masters. There is
not an article put upon the table, that is not charged
at four times its value. If you keep a cow, or even
a dozen cows, not one drop of milk can you obtain,
more than barely enough for daily use ; and should
any attempts be made to punish either the cow-
keeper or the head servant for their villany, ten to
one that your cows are poisoned before another week
passes over your head. This state of things might
be, in a great measure, put a stop to, were masters to
pay more attention to their domestic affairs ; but
most of the European merchants of China, being men
of wealth, and engaged in mercantile transactions of
great importance, deem such matters beneath their
notice ; and thus, the system goes on to the serious
loss and inconvenience of less wealthy men. I knew
one instance in which a housekeeper by perseverance
reduced his market-bill from 150 dollars per month
to 45 dollars ; but the consequence was, that his ser-
vants to a man left him : he could obtain no good
ones in their place, and was ultimately obliged to
IN THE FAR EAST. 223
give in. As a set-off against this crying evil, I may
mention the practice which prevails, of the compra-
dore (or head servant) becoming security for those
under him, and finding security on his own part to
a certain amount, varying according to circum-
stances ; so that, if any of the under- servants steal the
plate or any other property of their master's, the com-
pradore, as a matter of course, makes good its value.
The Negroes here, as in most other parts of the
world where they are met with, are slaves, poorly
fed, hard worked, and occasionally very severely
flogged. Every house in Macao occupied by a man
of any substance, has its slaves ; and the Govern-
ment is a large slave-holder. All the porters at the
Custom-house and other public offices are slaves.
These unfortunate creatures are brought from Papua
by Portuguese vessels, which pay an annual visit to
the settlements of their countrymen on the Island of
Timor. How they are obtained from Papua, I am
not aware; but that some hundreds of them are
carried to Macao every season, and sold there, is a
fact beyond contradiction. This abominable traffic
received a check last season (1843) from the Java
Government. It appears that a Portuguese barque
called the Margaretta, the owner of which was a
wealthy inhabitant of Macao, sailed from Timor for
Macao in the month of September, with some fifty
slaves on board, all children under ten years of age.
224 TRADE AND TRAVEL
Some accident compelled her to call at Batavia for
repairs, where her master reported the children as
having been sent by the authorities at Timor to
Macao, to be brought up in the Roman-Catholic
faith. The suspicions of the Dutch Authorities were,
however, awakened, and the proceedings of the Por-
tuguese ship-master were narrowly watched. A few
days only had elapsed, when he was detected in en-
deavouring to sell two of the unfortunate infants to
a Chinese for 500 guilders (42Z.) each. This led to
the examination of his bills of lading and other
papers, when it was found, that the children had been
regularly shipped and manifested as slaves. The
result was, the confiscation of ship and cargo, and the
liberation of the young captives, who, I presume,
(though I am not sure on the point,) ^were, as usual*
apprenticed out as domestic servants to families in
want of them. I gave the admiral on the China
station full particulars of this event ; and hope that
he will cause a sharp look-out to be kept on the
Portuguese vessels returning from Timor next
autumn.
The market of Macao is well supplied with game,
butchers' meat, pork, poultry, fruit, and vegetables :
all these might be had on very reasonable terms, if
the Chinese seller were allowed his own way ; but,
before he reaches the market from his home, he is
taxed and re- taxed by every 'petty rogue of a Man-
IN THE FAR EAST. 225
darin whose station he may happen to pass on his
way. On reaching the market, he is taxed again,
and is compelled to sell to the general dealer, who
squeezes him to the last cash, and re-sells at an exor-
bitant profit to the Englishman's compradore, who
charges his master, on a moderate calculation, four
times what he gave ; so that, by the time the En-
glishman's dinner is on his table, it costs him no
trifle. Game is plentiful only in winter, which sets
in in November. Wild ducks, teal, pheasants, par-
tridges, snipe, with an occasional deer, are to be
had, all fat and in prime order, at this season. The
Chinese bullock is a compact little animal, and, when
fattened, yields remarkably good beef.
Macao, like all Portuguese towns, is well stocked
with priests ; and were we to judge from the number
of them who are seen parading the streets, as, also,
from that of women constantly bending their steps
church-ward, the inhabitants must be a very devout
race. From seven in the morning till dusk, the
streets are rarely free from church-going ladies;
many of them followed by Negro slaves carrying
their kneeling-rugs and prayer-books. One of the
greatest nuisances in Macao is the perpetual ringing
or tolling of church-bells, day and night : as soon as
one stops, another begins ; and the sleep-killing ding-
dong is kept up at a rate that, in the warm nights
of summer, is enough to drive a stranger frantic.
L 3
226 TRADE AND TRAVEL
Every house has a watchman, who goes his rounds
from eight in the evening till daylight next morn-
ing, and, every half hour, beats a hollow bamboo
with a heavy stick, making noise enough to disturb
the soundest sleeper. This keeping a watchman is
neither more nor less than paying black-mail. Any
housekeeper who should seek to evade the imposi-
tion by doing without a guardian of the night, would
infallibly be plundered in a week or two, the thieves
being, most probably, conducted to his premises by
some neighbour's watchman.
The streets of Macao being narrow, rough, crooked,
and, in general, very steep, wheel-carriages of any
description are entirely unknown. Their place is
supplied by sedan-chairs of Chinese make, carried by
Chinese porters : these may be hired for a dollar
per day, and are very convenient, either in wet or in
extremely hot weather. The bearers, like those of
their profession in England, are apt to impose upon
strangers, who must be on their guard till they
become acquainted with the ways of the place.
Macao is infested with loathsome beggars, who
scruple not to expose their ulcerated legs, arms, &c.
for the purpose of exciting the charitable feelings of
the passer-by. They make a point of stopping at
the door of any shop in which they see a European,
whose ears they immediately assail with the most
discordant noise, by beating a hollow bamboo with a
IN THE FAR EAST. 227
stick ; a mode of annoyance which the law of China
allows, and which is carried on in Macao ; but, in the
neighbouring British settlement, an entire stop has
been put to it. This, they well know, will soon cause
the shopkeeper to give them a cash* or two, or his
customer to leave the premises. In China, no native
can turn a beggar from his door, till he has given him
something in the shape of charity : the merest trifle,
however, is sufficient to authorize the forcible ex-
pulsion of the applicant. I have seen as little as a
tea-spoonful of rice given on such occasions, when
the sulky and grumbling mendicant took his reluc-
tant departure towards the next door, where he
would, perhaps, meet similar treatment with a repe-
tition of " curses not loud, but deep."
The Portuguese of Macao made a great ado on Sir
Henry Pottinger's declaring their settlement, in as
far as British subjects were concerned, part of the
dominions of the Emperor of China : this, at first
sight, appeared strange to many people besides the
Macao citizens, but, when the subject received due
consideration, Sir Henry was found to be quite cor-
rect in the view he had taken of it. Macao is not
a Portuguese settlement, in the proper sense of that
word, but only a territory leased to that Power on
certain terms, for which an annual tribute or rent is
* One thousand of these make a dollar, so that the value of one
is less than a quarter of a farthing,
228 TRADE AND TRAVEL
paid to this day. The Chinese laws are in force
here ; their Mandarins levy duties, and tax every
article sold in its markets ; its porters, boatmen,
compradores, &c. require Chinese licenses, but not
Portuguese : in short, the Chinese are lords of the
manor, and the Portuguese are mere tenants, with
leave to build forts, and to levy certain duties on the
commerce of the place. Looking at the matter in
this light, every unprejudiced person must admit,
that Sir Henry Pottinger, in exercising the power
vested in him by Her Majesty's Government, and in
framing regulations for the wholesome restraint of
Her Majesty's subjects visiting China, (some of whom,
it may be remarked, are troublesome and very
unruly characters,) was perfectly right in including
the peninsula of Macao in the dominions of His Ce-
lestial Majesty. The Portuguese were very indig-
nant ; at least, they pretended to be so ; but it never
would have done, to allow British subjects, fleeing
from their creditors or from justice, to have an
asylum where they could safely evade the laws of
their own country, at a foreign station scarcely
forty miles from the new British settlement of
Hong Kong.*
* The present Governor of Hong Kong, Sir John Davis, has gone
even further than Sir Henry Pottinger, and has given notice to the
Authorities at Macao, that British subjects are no longer amenable
to their laws. This is as it should be, and as it ought to have been a
hundred years ago.
IN THE FAR EAST. 229
The trade of Macao was of very little importance,
and its revenues never paid its expenses, till the late
Chinese war broke out. Circumstances then drove
the British merchants from Canton, and nearly the
whole of them took up their abode in Macao, where
they continued till the Portuguese Government was
called upon by the Chinese to refuse them further
protection. They were then compelled to seek
shelter on board the shipping of their country, where
many of them remained for nearly twelvemonths,
till the course of events allowed of their returning
to Macao. Their presence soon attracted hundreds
of wealthy and respectable Chinese dealers, and quad-
rupled the trade of the place, as well as its revenue ;
which enabled the Portuguese Governor to make a
handsome remittance to Lisbon, in place of drawing
upon that city for some 40,000 dollars annually, as
he had hitherto been in the constant practice of
doing, to rebuild many of the public edifices, and
to improve the town generally, while it added much
to the wealth and comfort of almost every woman
and child in the place. This was a piece of good
fortune the Portuguese of Macao most certainly did
not deserve, their system, as regards foreign com-
merce, being as illiberal as can well be imagined.
During the time they were reaping this rich harvest
from British trade, British subjects were not per-
mitted to land or ship a single package of goods-
230 TRADE AND TRAVEL
nor to have their names entered in the Custom-
house books. On the arrival of a ship with goods
suited to the Macao market, the English consignee
was obliged to employ a Portuguese citizen to enter
and pass them through the Custom-house, before a
package could be landed. The duties, also, were
exorbitant ; and, strange as it may appear, they even
taxed money, which could not be imported without
paying one per cent. duty. I have elsewhere seen
an export duty put on treasure ; but the Macao Go-
vernment is the only one I ever knew to impose any
restrictions on the importation of a commodity which
most Governments, as well as individuals, are gene-
rally anxious to receive, in unlimited quantity, with-
out taxing those who bring it to them. No English
vessel was allowed to enter their inner harbour:
this privilege was reserved for Spaniards and Por-
tuguese. On one occasion, a small British schooner
of war was proceeding into this haven, her com-
mander never imagining that the restriction put on
the merchant vessels of his country could possibly
extend to Her Britannic Majesty's pennant : he was
mistaken, however, and the first battery he came
near, threatened to fire into him. The threat was of
course disregarded, and the little schooner, in de-
fiance of Portuguese batteries, quietly pursued her
way.
How this state of things could be so long put up
IN THE FAR EAST. 231
with by the British Government, it is hard to under-
stand. When one considers that Portugal owes its
very existence as a nation to England ; that Macao,
on more than one occasion, was saved from the fury
of a Chinese army and rabble, during the late war,
by British ships and men ; that nine-tenths of the
money that passes through its coffers, is English
money; that Portuguese citizens visiting the dif-
ferent ports of British India, are free to come and
go, land and ship their goods in their own names,
hold houses and other fixed property, and act in all
respects as British subjects, and as seemeth most for
their own interest ; when, I say, these facts are con-
sidered, one is utterly at a loss to conceive why
Great Britain should suffer her subjects to be
cramped in their mercantile pursuits by so very
insignificant a power as Portugal. Now that it is
too late, the Authorities of Macao have discovered
their error, and mended their manners, by opening
the inner harbour to British shipping, by allowing
British merchants to land and ship goods in their
own names, and by lowering the duties on several
articles of British manufacture. These changes,
which would have been accepted as boons two years
before, were adopted only when the Portuguese
found nearly every British merchant building ware-
houses and private dwellings in Hong Kong. Had
they been made prior to the commencement of those
232 TRADE AND TRAVEL
buildings, I have good reasons for supposing, that
many of them never would have been begun, their
proprietors having a great dislike to the new British
settlement on account of its reputed unhealthiness,
a reputation, I am sorry to say, it has too well
sustained. Dozens of houses in Macao are already
vacant ; dozens more will be so before another six
months shall elapse ; hundreds of families who have
depended on their house- rent and on money earned
in other ways from British subjects for their daily
bread, will be reduced to want ; many of them will
and must emigrate to Hong Kong ; and Macao, with
its streets of new houses, built in anticipation of the
continued residence of foreign merchants, will sink
into utter insignificance, and become as a place that
has been, but is no more. Its Governor will again
o
have to draw, for the means of paying the expenses
of the place, on his Royal Mistress at Lisbon, who
will then reap the well-merited reward of an illiberal
and short-sighted policy.
If a passenger, on his arrival at Macao, lands in
the inner harbour, he has to pass his baggage through
the Portuguese Custom-house, where it will be not
only thoroughly examined, but also, very probably,
plundered. A trunk of my own, which / saw carried
into this building along with several others, never
came out again : its contents were valuable, and
were much missed by my family. What became of
IN THE FAR EAST. 233
them, I know not ; but certain I am, that the Custom-
house authorities of Macao made away with them.
If the passenger chooses to land at the outer harbour,
he encounters the Chinese Custom-house, where he is
charged so much for each package, in the shape of
duty, and is allowed to pass on without bare-faced
robbery. Some sixteen years ago, this Chinese
Custom-house was in the practice of levying a dollar
per package on a passenger's luggage, a similar sum
on his wife, and on every female child, while the boys
passed free. This does not tell to the credit of Chi-
nese gallantry. Things are altered now, however ;
and ladies with their daughters are permitted to land
without let or hinderance.
When a foreign vessel anchors in Macao Roads, (a
very exposed anchorage by the way,) she is speedily
visited by three or four compradores' boats, which
come out in search of employment, and with offers to
supply the ship with fresh provisions, &c., during her
stay. The compradore is a very useful fellow, but, in
nine cases out of ten, a great rogue, who scruples not
to swell out his bill against the ship by various means
the reverse of fair. They all speak broken English.
In moderate weather, they go twenty or thirty miles
out to sea in quest of inward-bound vessels. The
first time I went to China, we were boarded by a
compradore' 's boat previously to making the land. A
fresh breeze was blowing at the time, before which
234 TRADE AND TRAVEL
the ship was going eight knots an hour : this, how-
ever, did not prevent the Chinese boatmen from
dashing alongside in very smart style, hooking on by
the fore-chains with their own rope, and disdaining
the aid of a line thrown from the vessel to hang on
by. Mr. Compradore appeared on the poop, " chin-
chinning," while we strangers were looking with ad-
miration at the activity of his men in the boat. The
captain engaged him to attend the ship, on which he
immediately started for Macao, and was alongside
again by daylight next morning, with a most wel-
come supply of fresh beef, vegetables, &c. In the
compradore s boat, passengers can generally get a
passage on shore, or, rather, to within a few hundred
yards of the beach. The boatmen are afraid to ap-
proach nearer, on account of the Mandarins, who are
apt to squeeze them, if they are seen landing foreign-
ers. The remaining distance is usually got over in
small iancea, or ferry-boats, numbers of which ply
about Macao in all directions, invariably guided by
women, called, from their mode of life, " Tancea-
girls." Poor things! They work hard for their
daily bread, being constantly exposed to the sun in
summer, and to cold in winter. They live in their
boats, which, at night, are snugly covered up with a
roof made of a bamboo frame, the interstices filled
up with thick matting, and, in the whole course of
their lives, never pass a night on shore. They are
IN THE FAR EAST. 235
said to be of a peculiar race, and never intermarry
with the real Chinese, who look down upon them
with contempt.
The scenery round Macao is striking, and some
of the views are particularly so : that from the hill
immediately behind the town, is perhaps the best.
From this spot you have a bird's-eye view of the
whole town, the beach, with its hundreds of large
and small Chinese boats, on your left ; further on, in
the same direction, Macao Roads with the foreign
shipping; while, beyond these, the islands of Ling-
ting, Lantow, and numerous others of smaller size,
are seen in the distance : to the right, you catch
an occasional glimpse of the numerous rivers and
arms of the sea, with numbers of picturesque
Chinese boats gliding about, literally among the hills
and dales ; and, here and there, a Chinese village is
seen, with its little patch of cultivation, its herds of
buffaloes and pigs, and countless groupes of little
Celestials. Casting your eye along this view from
north to south, you come to the harbour called
" Typa" in which there are generally some thirty or
forty vessels at anchor, and which, though an arm of
the sea, looks here like an inland lake. This view, on
a clear day, would delight the painter, though it has
one great deficiency, namely, the entire absence of
trees. The hills in the neighbourhood, far and near,
are completely bare. Such is Macao, a miserable,
236 TRADE AND TRAVEL
dirty, crowded town, rendered important for a while
by its locality, but now fast sinking back into its native
insignificance, owing to the gross stupidity of the
Portuguese Authorities, more than to any other cause.
Proceed we now to the new British settlement of
Hong Kong.
IN THE FAR EAST. 237
CHAPTER XVI.
CHINA.
ADVANTAGEOUS POSITION OF HONG KONG THE OPIUM
TRADE IMPORTANCE OF THE STATION IN THE EVENT
OF A FRESH WAR CHUSAN HOW TO RAISE A REVENUE
CAUSES OF ALLEGED INSALUBRITY RAPID PROGRESS
OF THE SETTLEMENT PORTUGUESE PENURY MARKETS
SANATORY HINTS.
MAYING spent twelve months in Hong Kong, I will
now endeavour to give an impartial sketch of its
situation as to trade, its importance in the event of
another Chinese war, and of its climate, general
appearance, and commercial progress.
Situated as this island is at the mouth of the
Canton river, and in the immediate neighbourhood
of an immense trade, one can hardly question the
prudence of the choice that fixed upon it for a
British settlement. It has not yet (July 1844) been
two years in our possession; and already its mag-
nificent harbour is crowded with the ships of Eng-
land, America, and other nations, while its ware-
238 TRADE AND TRAVELS
houses on shore are filled with the manufactures of
those countries, brought here direct from the places
where they are produced, to be distributed to the dif-
ferent Chinese ports recently opened to the commerce
of the world by the arms of Great Britain. Hundreds,
nay, thousands of Chinese boatmen, fishermen, por-
ters, bricklayers, carpenters, blacksmiths, shoemakers,
tailors, bakers, shopkeepers, &c., are already earning
their bread here. Since the ratification of Sir Henry
Po Winger's Treaty, and the confirmation of the ces-
sion of the Island as part and parcel of the
dominions of Queen Victoria, many wealthy Chinese
merchants have been making arrangements for the
establishment of branch-houses here ; and more than
one of them had, previously to my departure last
March, chartered British ships, and despatched them
to the northern ports, loaded with British goods. As
a depot for goods intended for the Chinese market, I
conceive the situation of Hong Kong to be unrivalled,
and, in this single point of view, of great importance.
On the arrival of a ship from London, Liverpool, or
Glasgow, with a general cargo of British goods, the
consignees unload them, and send the ship home
again with tea or such other produce as they may
have ready for her, storing and holding the goods in
readiness for any opening that may present itself :
such portion of them as may be suited for markets
in the immediate vicinity, are either sold on the
IN THE FAR EAST. 239
spot, or sent to Canton, while the rest is shipped off
in fast-sailing vessels, kept for the purpose of making
sure of their voyage against the monsoon, to Amoy,
Chusan, and other ports to the northward.
Great complaints used to be made at Canton and
Macao, because goods could not be landed, unless
they were sold, or the consignees chose to advance
the duty, and let the articles lie till an opportunity of
disposing of them occurred : in other words, the want
of a bonding system was universally felt and com-
plained of. The establishment of Hong Kong com-
pletely obviates this inconvenience, and enables the
ship from Great Britain or elsewhere to dispose of
her cargo in a few days after her arrival, and pro-
ceed home again, thus saving time, expense, and
trouble to an incalculable extent.
A decisive proof of the eligibility of Hong Kong
as a place of trade, and of its importance in the eyes
of the Chinese themselves, is afforded by the im-
mense sums paid by some of them for ground on
which to build Hongs, where they can deposit their
goods with safety, beyond the reach of their grasping
Mandarins. This advantage to a China-man is
something so new, and so far beyond any thing he
ever dreamed of enjoying, that I conceive the benefits
likely to accrue from it to Hong Kong to be incal-
culable.
Goods stored in Canton or Macao, the property of
TRADE AND TRAVEL
a China-tnan, were never safe in the event of their
owner getting into trouble with the Chinese Autho-
rities ; and, if the property of foreigners, they could
not be insured against fire, the risk arising from the
universal carelessness of the Chinese, and the conse-
quent very frequent occurrence of extensive conflagra-
tions, being considered too great by the underwriters.
Both these difficulties are completely obviated in
Hong Kong ; and every substantially built house and
warehouse, together with the property in them, were
insured against fire, previously to my quitting the
Island. One China-man had, in March last, com-
pleted buildings for the storage of property collected
from the different ports on the coast, on which up-
wards of 40,000 dollars had been laid out; and what
is more, they were already well filled.
As a convenient and safe depdt for opium, (a
trade, in my opinion, quite as legitimate and ho-
nourable as that in brandy, gin, and other spirits,)
Hong Kong is admirably situated: the purchaser
from the western ports, as well as from the north-
eastern, finds the distance he has to travel mode-
rate, and, on his arrival, has no one to dread, no
Mandarin daring to shew his face on shore. The
ships that bring the drug from India, here find a safe
and commodious harbour, where they can unload
their cargoes in open day, without hinderance or
molestation, and where they are not driven to the
IN THE FAR EAST. 241
necessity of carrying on their operations in the
dark. Were the opium-trade actually one of mere
smuggling, I would be as ready as any one to con-
demn it, and to raise my voice against those con-
cerned in it; but when one considers that not a
hundredth part of the quantity sold annually is really
smuggled, that ninety-nine chests out of every
hundred pay a heavy duty, (mis-called a bribe,) that
the Chinese Government derives from it indirectly,
but not the less certainly, a very considerable re-
venue, and finally, that large quantities of it are
known to be consumed within the walls of the im-
perial palace at Pekin, I confess I see no reason for
the clamorous indignation with which this traffic
has of late been assailed by European moralists. I
have said, that the Chinese Government derives a
considerable revenue from the opium trade ; and I
will prove it. A Mandarin who pays for his situa-
tion, and is left to make the most of it by squeezing
the inhabitants of his district, will give a great deal
more for an appointment where an extensive opium-
trade is carried on, than he would for any other. Know-
ing the handsome sums paid by the dealers in the
drug, to " make Mandarin shut eye," he hesitates not
for a moment about paying his Imperial Master in
proportion for the situation which puts him in the
way of reaping so rich a harvest. What is more ;
his said Imperial Master knows perfectly well what
242 TRADE AND TRAVEL
makes the situations in certain districts so much
coveted, and enables the parties to pay so high
for them. Away, then, with all the mawkish
cant about corrupting the morals and ruining the
health of the Chinese by selling them poison ! The
Chinese are just as capable of taking care of them-
selves as their would-be guardians are ; and as for
their morals, many of them lead lives that might be
copied with advantage to themselves and families, by
thousands of gin-drinking Englishmen. China is
decidedly an over-populated country. Opium-smok-
ing checks the increase, and thereby does good ; a
view of the question not altogether unworthy of
attention. Checking the increase of population in
this way is, at all events, better than adopting the
plan of drowning female infants ; not an uncommon
one in China.
The importance of Hong Kong in the event of
another Chinese war, (an event, in the opinion of
many, not very improbable,) cannot, I conceive, for a
moment be doubted. Should our merchants again
be expelled from the ports of China, they will here
find a safe asylum for their persons and property,
while their ships may ride in the harbour under the
protection of two or three of Her Majesty's ships in
perfect security, in defiance of all the marine of China.
Here also Her Majesty's Government may have
dep6ts of military stores, provisions, coals, &c., all
IN THE FAR EAST. 243
stored in perfect safety, in place of being kept, as
they were during the late war, in transports hired at
an enormous expense for the purpose. Now that
passages along the coast of China are made, even by
sailing vessels, at all seasons of the year, in defiance
of monsoons, a steamer sent from the seat of war
(wherever it might be) to Hong Kong, would be suf-
ficient, at any time, to procure ample supplies of
money, ammunition, and other stores for the army,
from India, if need be, in a few weeks. Every one at
all acquainted with the inconvenience and expense
suffered by the late Expedition for want of proper
and regular supplies, will appreciate the value of the
Island in this point of view. What was it that carried
off so many of the Cameronians and Royal Irish
stationed in Chusan during the first expedition to the
North? Not the climate of that beautiful island,
certainly ; for the troops that have since occupied it,
have been remarkably healthy ; and I saw four hun-
dred of them land at Hong Kong, en route to Eng-
land, much against their will, looking as rosy and
stout as if they had just come from home ! What
occasioned the mortality among the troops, was, the
want of a depot from which they could obtain sup-
plies to replace the putrid, ill-cured Calcutta beef and
other unwholesome stores that were served out to
convalescents, who died by hundreds for want of
nourishing food to restore their exhausted frames.
M 2
244 TRADE AND TRAVEL
The diseases from which those unfortunate soldiers
suffered, were originally contracted from improper
food and bad accommodation ; and all this took place
on a Chinese island overrun with cattle, pigs, and
poultry, and with the town of Ting Hae, deserted by
nine-tenths of its inhabitants, under their feet. The
Commander-in-Chief's over-scrupulous conscience
would neither allow the cattle to be purchased, nor
the empty houses in the town to be occupied by the
sick and dying. No better stores were to be had
nearer than Calcutta, a six months' trip to and fro !
So bad were the beef and pork, that I afterwards saw
hundreds of casks of both sold by public auction at
Singapore, for three quarters of a dollar (3s. 4jc?.)
per cask. The meat was used for manure, and the
barrels were used for firewood. The possession of
Hong Kong will prevent the possible recurrence of
any thing of this kind.
I am not prepared to say that Chusan would not
have been a better situation for a military depdt
than Hong Kong. Her Majesty's Government, how-
ever, thought proper to prohibit the permanent occu-
pation of the former, while that of the latter was
sanctioned, so that we have now no choice. For
mercantile purposes, the absolute and permanent
possession of both these islands would have been
highly advantageous. Chusan, I have never had the
good fortune to visit, but have invariably heard it
IN THE FAR EAST. 245
spoken of as a delightful place, in a high state of
cultivation, possessing an extensive commerce, with
fine harbours, and, lastly, with a numerous popula-
tion already made acquainted with the difference
between living under a free and enlightened Govern-
ment and under that of a despot. These people (if one
can credit even half of what one hears from them)
are, one and all, anxious that Great Britain should
retain their island, and seem to dread the day, now fast
approaching, when, according to the Treaty, it must be
evacuated by the British, consigning them again to the
tender mercies of the Celestial Mandarins. Several
English merchants have erected warehouses on
Chusan, in the hope that it will ultimately be retained
by Great Britain, or that the Chinese Authorities
will not object to their remaining on the Island sub-
sequently to its restoration to their Imperial Master.
I hope that their expectations may not prove fal-
lacious.
Hong Kong is a free port, and, in my opinion,
ought never to be otherwise than free. Let its
harbour be a refuge for the shipping of all nations,
and its stores will then be filled with their goods.
I would not encumber the commerce of this Island
with one single dollar of charges : no port- charges
ought for a moment to be thought of ; and, as for
import and export duties, the most moderate charges
of this kind would ruin the place. What brought
246 TRADE AND TRAVEL
Singapore forward so rapidly, was, the entire free-
dom of its trade. If Hong Kong is but treated in
the same way, its progress will be, if possible, still
more rapid than that of its sister settlement.
A revenue more than sufficient to remunerate
Government for the annual expenses of Hong Kong,
may be raised on the spot, without hampering its
commerce, by taxing the retail opium-trade, the re-
tail spirit-trade, carriages and horses, licensed gam-
bling-houses, rents from public markets, ground-rent
on building and other lots, and an assessment on rents,
say of five per cent. The revenue derived from such
sources in Singapore, is cheerfully paid, and it more
than pays the expenses of the place. That all the
houses in which opium is smoked, spirits are drunk,
and gambling is carried on, should be under a strict
surveillance, is absolutely necessary. To check either
the one or the other, is impossible ; and, as they are
legitimate objects for taxation, I see no reason why
Government should not derive benefit from them.
The opium-smoker and the rum-drinker pay as
much for the indulgence of their appetites, under
existing circumstances, as they would do, were the
privilege of supplying them farmed out to indivi-
duals, who would be responsible to the Authorities
for the good conduct of their establishments.
I should advocate the suppression of gambling-
houses in toto, did I not know the utter impossibi-
IN THE FAR EAST. 247
lity of effecting this among either a Chinese or a
Malay population. As their existence, then, must
be tolerated, and as they are, to my certain know-
ledge, the scene of robbery and murder, much more
frequently than persons unacquainted with the cri-
minal calendars in our Asiatic courts of justice sup-
pose, I say, let them be registered, taxed, and made
subject to the visits of the police at any hour of the
night or day. By the means I have pointed out, a
revenue amply sufficient for the purposes of the
Hong Kong Government might be raised; and I
should have no hesitation in undertaking to defray
every fraction of its expenditure, had I the privilege
of farming the opium-tax and the spirit-tax.
Of the climate of Hong Kong, I have little that is
favourable to report. Hitherto, it has been decidedly
inimical to the European constitution ; and hundreds
of our countrymen are already buried there. Last
summer (1843), from the first of August till the end
of October, a very malignant fever raged among all
ranks, and carried off soldiers, sailors, Government
servants, mercantile men, and tradesmen. There
were some peculiarities attendant upon this fever,
however, which I shall mention, in the hope that
my observations may lead future residents to be a
little more careful of their health, than most of the
present inhabitants have shewn themselves to be.
In the first place, then, the fever, with few excep-
248 TRADE AND TRAVEL
tions, was limited to particular localities. Secondly,
not one European female died of it, and only two
suffered from it severely. Thirdly, those who occu-
pied spacious upper-roomed, well-aired houses, almost
to a man escaped. Fourthly, those who exposed
themselves to the sun, suffered most. And, lastly,
the new comer from Europe was more subject to
take this terrible fever, which the medical men cha-
racterize as a mixture of the yellow fever of the
West and the bilious fever of the East Indies.
A stranger landing in Hong Kong, particularly if
coming from many parts of India, and acquainted
generally with tropical countries and climates, would
naturally, on hearing of its insalubrious climate,
express surprise, since he could see no exciting cause.
I have stated, that the fever attached itself to parti-
cular localities. These were, the eastern and western
extremes of the town of Victoria. At the eastern
end, to the eye the most delightful spot in or near
the town, there are several patches of paddy-fields,
situated in deep valleys between the hills, of limited
extent, but which, under this climate, seem to gene-
rate malaria in quantities quite disproportionate to
their size. In the morning, these valleys may be
seen, from the middle of the town, completely filled
with a dense fog, which rolls down from the neigh-
bouring heights immediately after sun-set, settles
upon them all night, and does not clear off till nine
IN THE FAR EAST. 249
or ten o'clock in the morning. I know of no other
reason why this neighbourhood should be unhealthy :
that it proved so last summer, the number of its
victims sufficiently testify. Of six gentlemen who
took up their quarters here, five died ; and the other
had a very severe attack of fever, from which he
ultimately recovered.*
The land at the western extremity of the town is
swampy, the grass, even on the declivities, being of
a rank, spongy nature, and quite unfit for any thing.
Here the Government built barracks, in which a
detachment of Her Majesty's 55th regiment was for
some time quartered : its ranks were decimated by
fever, which latterly became so virulent, that the
Authorities chartered shipping in the harbour, to re-
ceive the men still alive. Unfortunately, the poor
fellows, being weakened from the effects of the
summer, and having in all probability the seeds of
disease in them before they embarked, died afloat in
great numbers. It has been thought, that many
lives might have been saved at West Point Barracks,
had that building been raised off the ground so as to
* Since these remarks were penned, another summer has passed
over Hong Kong. Sickness and death have again prevailed there to
an unusual extent, and the neighbourhood just mentioned had its
victims ; amongst others, two English ladies whose husbands I had
cautioned, in March 1844, respecting the spot they were taking their
families to reside upon. The last mail from the East continues the
outcry against the climate.
M 3
250 TRADE AND TRAVEL
admit a free circulation of air under the rooms.
This, however, is but problematical, as the deaths
at the other end of the town took place in two-
storied houses.
From what I observed at West Point, there appears
to be a constant drain of water down the hills,
about six inches under the surface of the soil. This
water settles under improperly ventilated houses,
rots the beams, and throws up a crop of mildew in
every room, as I can testify from actual observation.
That no European female has fallen a victim to
this fever, is certainly a remarkable feature in its
history; but it must be borne in mind, that there
were no ladies residing in the immediate neighbour-
hood of the two localities just mentioned. Perhaps,
the Morrison Education Hill may be an exception,
where two families passed last summer. None of
the females suffered a day's illness, though a young
man living in the house, who was occasionally ex-
posed to the sun, caught the fever and died.
I have no doubt, (and I have heard others express
a similar opinion,) that regular habits and non-expo-
sure to the sun, are the principal causes to which
those Europeans who have escaped illness when their
friends and neighbours have sickened round them,
owe their preservation. The occupants of spacious,
two-storied, well-aired houses escaped, with only a
single exception, in the case of a young man who
IN THE FAR EAST. 251
probably brought on his illness by imprudent expo-
sure to the sun for hours together, although he
was repeatedly warned of the consequences. I know
several instances of families passing last summer in
houses of this description without any interruption
of health. My own household was composed of two
ladies, three children, myself, and a European fe-
male attendant: not one of us had an hour's illness
during all the hot weather ; yet we took no further
care of ourselves than is customary with people who
have resided for several years within the tropics.
That exposure to the sun in that zone is uniformly
prejudicial to the health of Europeans, does not
admit of a question ; but, in China, the sun's rays
seem to exert a more injurious effect than in most
other places I have visited. The residents in Hong
Kong, it is true, were somewhat careless in the
matter. Few, if any of them were provided with
carriages or other conveyance to protect them from
it when business called them abroad during the day ;
and it was quite common to see them moving about,
on foot and on horseback, with no other precaution
than an umbrella carried over the head, in spite of
the daily examples of parties suffering from such
imprudence.
The number of European inhabitants in Hong
Kong will this summer (1844) be trebled by the
removal of most of the merchants from Macao ; and
252 TRADE AND TRAVEL
the general health of the place will be anxiously
watched. Should it prove as bad as last summer,
(which God forbid,) it will drive many people away,
and injure the settlement irreparably. The prejudi-
cial effects of going into the sun might be avoided,
almost entirely, even by men of business, were they
to adopt the Calcutta system of note-writing. There,
a merchant seldom or never moves from his office ;
and when he does, it is in a covered vehicle. Let
the Hong Kong residents follow their example, and
their numbers will not be thinned as they have
hitherto been.
That the European fresh from home, full-blooded,
and in robust health, should be more liable to fever
than his acclimated countrymen, is not to be won-
dered at ; but many of the new comers might escape
disease by common prudence. Confident in their
strength of constitution, and wearied with a long
confinement on ship-board, they sally forth, day by
day, to take a walk, just as they would in England,
heedless of the fierce luminary that is pouring his
rays on their exposed heads, and bent only on
amusement or variety. A week of such folly (to
call it by no stronger name) has sufficed to bring
many a youth to a premature grave.
The weather begins to grow warm in China
O O
(I speak of Hong Kong, Macao, and Canton) about
the middle of April ; in June, it is oppressively hot ;
IN THE FAR EAST. 253
and during the following three months, which are
the most unhealthy, the thermometer in the shade
ranges from 85 to 90. This is a degree of heat that
ought not to be much felt by experienced Indians ;
and in Java, or in the Straits of Malacca, I should
not complain of it ; but there is a peculiarity, an
oppressiveness, in the heat of China, that makes
even respiration difficult, and excites such copious
perspiration as to weaken the frame. In October,
the weather becomes cooler, and, for the next five
months, is sufficiently cold to render fires a comfort
morning and evening ; and occasionally during the
whole day. Were it not for their winter, I know
not what would become of the European residents in
China : this season braces them up for the coming
summer, and, in short, saves their lives.
The progress made in Hong Kong since its occu-
pation as a British Colony, is astonishing, and per-
haps unsurpassed in the history of civilization.
Owing to the peculiar features of the locality in
which Victoria stands, that town has been extended
along the beach, till it is now upward of four miles
long, with three short streets extending a little way
up the hills about its centre. The Queen's road
extends along the beach the whole of this length, and
has been cut with great labour and expense. The
lots between this road and low-water mark are con-
sidered as the best for mercantile purposes, and are
254 TRADE AND TRAVEL
nearly all in the possession of mercantile men, who
have built, in most cases, handsome warehouses with
dwelling-houses above. There are, however, some
exceptions, a portion of the ground being occupied
by Chinese shopkeepers, who inhabit low ill-built
houses, which, as ground with water-frontage be-
comes more valuable, will have to give way to better
buildings, raised by a higher class, who will buy out
the present occupants. The lots on the south side of
Queen's Road are not so valuable as those opposite ;
nevertheless, they are nearly all in the possession of
inonied men, who will before long find it to their
advantage to level the many wretched buildings that
now disfigure the road, and to erect houses worthy
of a town bearing the royal name.
On my departure from the Island, building was
going forward in all directions, notwithstanding the
somewhat illiberal terms on which alone lots were
obtainable ; and I have no doubt that, by this time,
many smiling cottages adorn the hills in and near
the town, while more stately buildings rear their
prouder elevation on the level below.
House-rent, as might be expected, is very high,
and will probably continue so for ten years to come.
It took that time to reduce the rents in Singapore ;
and as I expect that Hong Kong will become a place
of still greater trade, and attract a larger European
population than the Straits'" settlement, I see no
IN THE FAR EAST. 255
reason that the owner of property in houses there
should not look for a handsome return for his outlay
for ten years, and for a fair remunerating price at the
expiration of that time. Something like a hundred
per cent, per annum has been got for the small
houses occupied by Chinese shopkeepers, while
twenty-five, thirty, and even forty per cent, is a
common return for substantially-built warehouses.
Some idea of the rapid progress which this settle-
ment has made, may be formed by the reader, when
I state, that one firm had laid out upwards of 40,000/.
sterling in building, and was still laying out more,
when I quitted it. This is, certainly, by far the
largest expenditure that has been made by any single
establishment: but many others have spent from
6000Z. to 10,000/. in a similar way ; and the outlay by
individuals on speculation, is by no means inconsi-
derable.
The Chinese population of Victoria and the neigh-
bourhood amounted, last January, to ten thousand
souls ; certainly not the choicest collection that could
be wished, as the number of robberies that take
place in and about the town sufficiently testify. This
evil the magistrates were, however, doing their best
to remedy ; and some scores of idle vagabonds had
been sent across the Channel dividing the Island from
the main land of China. Some of the chiefs of the
robber-gangs had been apprehended and set to work
256 TRADE AND TRAVEL
on the roads, in irons; a proceeding that alarmed
their confederates not a little. *
The general appearance of Hong Kong, from the
sea, is picturesque and curious. That part of the
Island on which the town is situated, is hilly, and, with
the exception of the few paddy-fields already men-
tioned, presents no level space on which to build.
The hills stretch completely down to the sea ; and
* An account of the capture of two of these scamps was given to
me by the chief magistrate, the day before I left Victoria, and was
to the following effect : A China-man in the pay of the police, though
never seen by any magistrate, came to the police compradore's
house one evening, and said : " If you will send two European con-
stables to a certain spot (which he named) at nine o'clock to night,
I will shew them where they will find two robber-chiefs smoking
opium and looking over their gains." This hint was immediately
communicated to the chief magistrate, who at once resolved to act
upon it, and sent the constables to the spot indicated. There, the
spy met them, masked, and made signs for them to be silent and
follow him. He guided them down past West Point upwards of a
mile, when he turned up the hill by a footpath, which, in half an
hour, brought the party to a small hut, through the crevices in the
wall of which a light was visible. To the door of this hut, the guide
significantly pointed, and instantly disappeared without uttering a
word. The constables took the hint, and burst the door open, when
they found what they had been led to expect ; two men smoking
opium, the room almost full of European clothing and other stolen
property, quite sufficient to convict the smokers of unfair play to-
wards the late owners of it. These men were of course secured ;
and the day I sailed from Hong Kong, I saw them at work on the
roads in irons. Their apprehension caused a complete cessation of
robberies for the time being, the sight of the noted chiefs on the
roads having terrified their followers.
IN THE FAR EAST. 257
Queen's Road has been formed by cutting away their
projecting spurs, throwing the earth into the sea in
front, filling up the gaps on each side the spur, and
thus forming a long strip of level. Above the level
of Queen's Road, many terraces have been cut in the
hills, upon which private dwellings have been
perched ; and to a person sailing into the harbour,
these look suspended on the hill side, and inaccessi-
ble. To speak the truth, the approaches to them are
not the most practicable ; particularly in rainy wea-
ther, when, from the clayey nature of the soil, they
become extremely slippery. Several water-courses
descend from these hills, forming miniature ravines
and a few water-falls, which have a pretty effect
after a day's rain. They occasionally wash away an
ill-built house ; but this is the fault of the clumsy
and foolish builders.
Many of these hills are covered with a hard, tough,
useless sort of whinstone, which adds considerably to
the expense of building on them. Others are well
stocked with granite, which the Chinese masons split
very neatly into any shape, by driving innumerable
wedges into the blocks. The adroitness with which
they do this, is quite surprising. The China pine
(or fir) grows all over Hong Kong ; but the young
trees no sooner attain the height of two or three feet,
than they are cut down by the natives, and carried
off in bundles to clean the bottoms of the countless
258 TRADE AND TRAVEL
boats that ply about the harbour. Thus, with one
or two exceptions, these hills are quite bare, and,
in winter more particularly, exhibit any thing but
a lively spectacle. In summer, their green
covering of coarse grass improves their appear-
ance.
The only thing that reconciles one to the site
chosen for building the town of Victoria, is its beau-
tiful harbour : in every other respect, the choice was
decidedly bad. A more awkward place on which to
erect a town, could not have been fixed upon ; and
its northern aspect adds, I_ suspect, to the unhealthi-
ness of the place, as it exposes the town to the cold
winds of winter, and completely shuts out the
southerly breezes of summer, which are so much
wanted to refresh the worn-out colonist There are
situations in the Island much more eligible for a
town, but their harbours are exposed, so that, when
we consider how well the shipping are protected in
Victoria bay, we feel disposed to allow that a better
choice could not have been made under all the cir-
cumstances.
The market of Hong Kong is well supplied with
fish, flesh, and fowl, vegetables, fruit, and game ; and
those who choose to take the trouble of seeing to it
themselves, may obtain supplies on reasonable terms :
those who leave these matters to their servants, are
of course robbed, and are apt, without making any
IN THE FAR EAST. 259
inquiry, to come to the conclusion, that every thing
here is dear. The retail price of every sort of pro-
visions is pasted up on the market-gate, once a week,
by authority of the magistrates, in Chinese and
English characters; so that the exorbitant rates
charged by compradores may be easily detected and
put a stop to. Chinese boats of all descriptions, sizes,
and sorts may be hired at every wharf, at any hour
from daylight till eight at night: their moving about
after that hour, is prohibited by the Authorities, who
had strong reason to suspect their being connected
with the gangs of robbers that occasionally land
from the opposite shore, commit some daring rob-
bery, and disappear again before daylight.
When the fleet of men of war and transports ar-
rived here, from the North, in October 1842, the
troops, amounting to upwards of fifteen thousand,
were regularly supplied, during their stay in the
harbour of Victoria, with fresh provisions, eggs,
&c. ; and no rise of prices took place. On the
departure of the fleet, the daily supply was reduced
by the Chinese to just sufficient for the consumption
of the place. No portion of the supplies for the
market is produced on the Island: the whole is
brought from the innumerable creek and river-banks
in the neighbourhood. It is to be hoped that this
state of things will, before long, be altered, since, as
matters now stand, the Cow Loon Authorities could,
2GO TRADE AND TRAVEL
at any time, deprive the inhabitants of Hong Kong
of their daily bread.
American, French, and English Missionaries are
already congregated in this infant settlement. The
first have built a neat little chapel, where Divine
service is performed every Sunday morning in the
Presbyterian form, and, in the evening, in Chinese.
The French Roman Catholics have built a stately and
handsome chapel with a good dwelling-house at-
tached to it : they have a large congregation among the
Irish soldiery and the Portuguese from Macao. The
English Missionaries had only just arrived with their
establishment from Malacca, and, when I left the
Island, had neither house nor chapel, but had com-
menced building. A chaplain of the Church of Eng-
land had arrived, appointed by the Home Govern-
ment: no English church, however, had even been
commenced, and the congregation meet every Sun-
day in a neat house, where, if they escape fever
during the summer, and colds and ague during the
winter, they ought to deem themselves very fortu-
nate.
Grog-shops and other resorts for the depraved and
idle, are already plentiful in Victoria. They are,
however, all closed on Sunday; and the sailor a-
shore, on liberty on that day, is fain to content him-
self with a walk along the road, during which he may
be heard muttering deep curses on the heads of those
IN THE FAR EAST. 261
who framed this (according to his notion) unjust and
tyrannical regulation.
Before concluding my remarks on Hong Kong, I
will add a few words on what I consider as the best
means to be adopted with a view to render the settle-
ment more healthy. Much must be done by the
Government ; and the rest may be left to the inhabi-
tants themselves.
In the first place, the paddy-fields at the east end of
the town must be thoroughly drained, and the cultiva-
tion of paddy in the neighbourhood entirely stopped.
Proclamations on this last subject had been published
in March last. That the draining of these lands
would decrease the quantity of malaria generated in
the valleys, there can be no doubt ; but, that it would
entirely do away with it, I deem very problematical.
At all events, it would not stop the volumes of fog
that descend from the hill-tops at sun-set, and com-
pletely envelop the valleys and the houses. Drain-
ing, indeed, would do good, and ought to be tried at
once. The owners of property in the neighbourhood
were very sanguine as to the result of the experiment.
More good, however, would be done in the way of
purifying the air of these valleys, by entirely re-
moving the small hill on which the Morrison Educa-
tion buildings stand. The task, at first sight, may
seem herculean ; but is not so in reality. Thousands
of men are to be hired in the villages on the oppo-
262 TRADE AND TRAVEL
site coast, who would gladly work for three dollars
(13s. 6d.) per month. Were a couple of thousand
of these put upon this job for a twelvemonth, there
would not be much of the hill left. The pecuniary
outlay would be considerable ; but the returns would
do much more than pay the interest on it. The base
of the hill itself is of considerable extent ; and the
earth carried from its top, if thrown into the sea at
its foot, would create a large level space for building,
that would yield quit-rent enough to render the
speculation (were the work undertaken by private
individuals) a highly profitable one. This hill com-
pletely shuts up the largest of the paddy-growing val-
leys ; and its removal would admit into it the easterly
and northerly breezes, which might do more than any
thing else towards preventing the descent of the fog.
There are other hills, near the one alluded to, that
might be levelled with great advantage to the neigh-
bourhood, as well as to the parties who might under-
take the task. In this case, there are individuals
ready to execute the work on their own private
account, who actually made offers to the Govern-
ment on the subject ; but their terms were rejected
by the Authorities, and the hills remain in statu quo.
The sea being very shallow at the base of these hills,
the space filled up by cutting them down, would be
very considerable, and the task by no means difficult.
Sir Stamford Raffles removed one at Singapore, in
IN THE FAR EAST. 263
size equal to the one known in Hong Kong as
Leighton's Hill, without incurring a shilling of ex-
pense to his Government. To the parties who
removed the soil, he gave the ground they had made,
charging them the same quit-rent that others paid
on the grants made to them.
At West Point, draining seems to be the only plan
that can be recommended to render the situation
more salubrious. Neither there nor any where else
in the Colony, is it safe to reside in houses having
only a ground-floor. Of those who have done so,
few have escaped the fever ; and still fewer of those
who caught it, recovered. Draining upon a large
scale, is the part of the work I would leave to the
Government : upon the inhabitants, I would impose
the task of making proper sewers all over the town.
The few that existed there last summer, were not
simply a disgrace to every person connected with
the place, but tended in no small degree to thin the
population by the abominable effluvia they threw
out. In the immediate vicinity of every house or
shop belonging to the Chinese, might be seen a col-
lection of impurities sufficient to create a pestilence
anywhere, much more in a place with the ther-
mometer frequently above 90 in the shade. The
assessment of five per cent, on all rents, would create
a fund sufficient to purify the town, to keep it clean,
to provide a regular scavengers 1 establishment, and,
264 TRADE AND TRAVEL
moreover, to pay night watchmen to protect the
property of its inhabitants from the gangs of rob-
bers that infest the place. Were these suggestions
carried out, if the citizens of Victoria were but
careful to avoid the sun, and if not a few would but
reduce by one-half their allowance of brandy-and-
water and cigars, I will venture to predict, that the
medical men of the place would have a comparative
sinecure.
Among other arrivals in Hong Kong during the
year 1843, were some fifty or sixty emigrants from
Sydney, (N. S. Wales,) consisting of mechanics of
different descriptions. They alleged, that the bad
times in Australia had driven them away. Poor
fellows ! I fear they have made a sad mistake in the
change they have sought. Here, they will find
times, for persons of their class, worse than those
they have had to complain of, a climate to contend
against, from which they have not the means of
protecting themselves, and hundreds of Chinese arti-
sans, who can afford to work for less than half what
they can live upon. Most of them were badly
housed ; and it was to be feared, that the end of
summer will see very many of their number in
their graves.
The colonists of New South Wales appear to hare
formed the most extravagant ideas of the benefit
they are to derive from the new settlement of Hong
IN THE FAR EAST. 265
Kong. With the exception of salt provisions, I know
of nothing they can send to the new settlement with
even a chance of profit; and the prices of these
must be lower than those ruling in Sydney by the
last accounts, to yield a profit. Some small lots of
timber have been found to answer ; but the demand
for this article will cease, when the buildings now in
progress in Victoria shall have been completed.
Cattle, horses, and sheep have been tried, and the
experiment has proved an utter failure.
266 TRADE AND TRAVEL
CHAPTER XVII.
CHINA.
FIRST VIEW OF CANTON DESCRIPTION OF THE EUROPEAN
QUARTER HOSTILE FEELINGS OF THE PEOPLE COM-
MERCIAL PROSPECTS OF CANTON AMOY FOO CHOW
NINGPO SHANG-HAE MR. MEDHURST RESULTS OF
THE TREATY WITH CHINA.
THE sail from Hong Kong to Canton is very inter-
esting, particularly to a stranger. The numerous
islands he passes, and the entirely new scenes that
everywhere attract his eye, cannot fail to delight
and amuse him. Here, the unwieldy Chinese junk ;
there, the fast-sailing Chinese passage-boat ; now and
then, the long snake-like opium-smuggler with his
fifty oars; innumerable fishing- boats, all in pairs,
with a drag-net extended from the one to the other ;
country boats of all descriptions passing to and fro,
their crews all bent on money-getting, yet, never
failing to cast a glance of mingled contempt and
scorn at the " Fan qui " ; the duck-boats on the river
banks, their numerous tenants feeding in the adja-
IN THE FAR EAST. 267
cent rice-fields ; a succession of little Chinese villages,
with groupes of young Celestials staring at him
with never-ending wonder; here and there, a tall
pagoda rearing its lofty head high above the sur-
rounding scenery, as if conscious of its great anti-
quity and of the sacred objects for which it was
built ; the Chinese husbandman with his one-handed
plough, drawn by a single wild-looking buffalo ;
smiling cottages, surrounded with orange and other
fruit-trees ; the immense fleet of foreign ships an-
chored at Whampoa ; these and a thousand other
objects, all equally strange and new, attract the
attention of the stranger as he sails up the "Quang
Tung" river. On nearing the city itself, he is still
more astonished and pleased with the sights that
literally confuse his ideas, making the whole scene
to seem the creation of magic, rather than sober
reality. Here, the river is absolutely crowded with
junks and boats of all sorts and sizes, from the ferry-
boat of six feet long, to the ferry-boat of a thousand
tons burthen. Long rows of houses, inhabited prin-
cipally by boat-builders and others connected with
maritime affairs, and built on the river, line its
right bank. Outside of these, are moored numerous
flat-bottomed boats with high roofs : these come
from the Interior with tea and ' other produce, and
resemble what I fancy Noah's Ark must have been,
more than any thing I have seen elsewhere. On the
N2
268 TRADE AND TRAVEL
.HIT Vi\
left bank, the shore is lined with boats unloading and
loading cargoes, while the different landing-places are
completely blocked up with ferry-boats seeking em-
ployment. The space in the centre of the river, is
continually crowded with boats, junks, &c. proceeding
up and down. The scene altogether is bewildering
to the stranger. Busy as the scene is, which the
Thames presents at London, its superior regularity
and order, in my opinion, prevent its coming up to
the scene I have just faintly traced, in the strange
and excited feelings it calls up. Amidst all this,
there is a constant clatter of tongues strongly re-
calling the confusion of Babel. A China-man never
talks below his breath ; and, if one may judge from
the loud tones in which the whole community express
their sentiments, whether in a house or shop or in
the street, the only conclusion that can be come to
is, that, in China, the word secret is not understood,
or rather, that the idea corresponding to that word
has no existence in their conceptions.
Of the immense city itself, the home of a million
of souls, what account can a traveller give, who has
seen little more of it than the portion inhabited by
foreigners? I must say a few words, however,
1 , . f T 1
about that part of it which I have seen.
I begin with the foreign factories. These build-
ings stretch along the left bank of the river about
three quarters of a mile, (or, rather, they did so, for
batten 11 * ,9SBJnoi1 woiim *{*iev iltr// ; 83riofa
IN THE FAR EAST. 269
one half of them have recently been destroyed by
fire,) and extend back about two hundred yards.
They are large, substantially built, and comfortable
houses; but those situated behind the front row,
must be (indeed I know they are) oppressively hot
residences in the summer season. The space be-
tween the factories and the river, is reserved for a
promenade, where foreigners may take a little recre-
ation after their day's work. Although but a limited
space, it is invaluable. Here, in the evening, may
be seen Englishmen, Americans, Frenchmen, Spa-
niards, Dutchmen, Portuguese, Parsees, Moslem,
and Hindoos ; all enjoying the evening breeze, and
talking over the affairs of the day or the news
brought by the last overland mail, while a crowd of
Chinese coolies surround the square, gaping with
noisy wonder at the strangers attired in all the cos-
tumes of Europe and Asia. The streets principally
resorted to by foreigners are, China Street (old and
new) and Carpenter's Square. In the former, a very
choice collection of Chinese articles may be pur-
chased, either in the way of curiosities or of valuable
merchandize. In Carpenter's Square, the new-comer
may fit himself out with everlasting trunks, dressing-
cases, &c. ; or, if in search of furniture, he may here,
in half an hour, furnish his house with well-made,
substantial articles. The houses in these streets are
all of two stories, with very narrow frontage, ground
270 TRADE AND TRAVEL
being valuable. A large quantity of timber is used
in their construction, which renders any chance fire
in this city so very destructive. The streets in
Canton are all very narrow, most of those I have
seen not exceeding six or seven feet in width : the
two China Streets are probably twelve feet wide.
The city does not cover half the space which a
European one with the same population would do.
Its streets, from their want of breadth, always ap-
pear, and indeed always are crowded; and the
unwary passenger is very liable to get knocked
down by some heavily laden porter running against
him, if he does not keep a sharp look-out. Like
Macao, it is infested with loathsome beggars, who
are, if possible, still more clamorous in their de-
mands for charity than those of that place. Here,
the stranger will be surprised to see dogs, cats,
and rats hawked about, dead and alive. I do not
say that these animals form the daily food of the
people of Canton, but they are daily and hourly
hawked about its streets, and purchased by the
poorer classes. The Canton market is, nevertheless,
remarkably well supplied with the good things of
this life ; and the European who cannot live and be
contented with the provisions procurable in it, must
be hard to please. By nine o'clock at night, this
huge city is perfectly quiet, and nine-tenths of its
inhabitants are wrapped in sleep. At either end of
IN THE FAR EAST, 271
each street is a gate, which is shut at that hour, and
ingress or egress put a stop to for the night. This
regulation, as may be supposed, is an excellent check
upon night robbers, whose peregrinations can extend
no further than the end of the street they live in.
Another equally salutary regulation is that which
makes the inhabitants of a street responsible for
each other's good conduct. Thus, if A's servant
steals any thing from B, A must make good the loss.
Prowling being put a stop to during the night, I
have seen robberies attempted and detected during
the day; and I certainly never saw a poor thief
treated elsewhere with such unrelenting cruelty. A
China-man seems to have no mercy for a thief;
nor is this feeling to be wondered at in an over-
peopled country, where all have to work for their
bread, and where idlers are sure to starve. Du-
ring the winter, in Canton, the lower classes
suffer severely from cold : they are poorly fed and
worse clothed : and hundreds of them may be seen
about the streets, shivering and looking the very
picture of absolute wretchedness. Amongst these, a
few old women may be seen sitting by the side of
the streets, earning a scanty subsistence by mending
and patching the clothes of people as poor as them-
selves. These poor women, having all undergone
the barbarous operation of cramping the feet during
infancy, are consequently unable to undertake any
272 TRADE AND TRAVEL
thing but sedentary employment to gain their bread.
The very small size to which the feet of some of the
Chinese females have been distorted by cramping
them with bandages during the first six years of
their lives, is almost beyond belief. I have seen a
full-grown woman wearing shoes, and walking in
them too, not more than 3 J inches long. Their walk
resembles that of a timid boy upon ice ; it is neces-
sarily slow ; and, indeed, some of them require the aid
of a staff in one hand, while they lean with the other
on the shoulder of a female attendant. The smaller
the eyes and feet of a Chinese beauty, the more she
is admired. I once asked a respectable China-man,
what he thought of this custom of cramping their
daughters' feet: his reply was, "Very bad custom."
On my inquiring further, whether he had any daugh-
ters, and whether their feet were treated in the same
way, he answered in the affirmative, but asserted, that
they had been subjected to the cruel ordeal by their
mother, against his will. He added, that, in a China-
man's house, where there were young girls, no peace
could be had, night or day, for their cries, which
lasted till they were six years old. He gave us a
reason for the mother's insisting on her daughter's
submitting to this long course of pain and suffer-
ing: "Suppose he no small foot, no man wantjee
make he number one wife." A respectable China-
man, it appears, always chooses a small-footed
IN THE FAR EAST. 273
woman for his principal wife, while, for Number
two, three, and four, he contents himself with ladies
whose feet are as nature made them, and who are
consequently more able to make themselves useful
in household matters.
The inhabitants of Canton and its vicinity have
displayed, since the war, more hostile feelings to-
wards Englishmen, than those entertained by the
natives of any of the northern ports. They still
affect to believe, that Sir Hugh Gough durst not
attack their city ; and it is, perhaps, to be regretted,
that he was hindered from shewing his strength on
that occasion. Several riots and two extensive fires
among the foreign factories, have taken place since
that time ; and it is the opinion of many persons,
that, before long, Canton will require a lesson such
as Amoy, Ning-po, and other places have received.
That the first of the two fires alluded to was the work
of incendiaries, there is no doubt ; and so well satis-
fied were the native Authorities upon this point, that
they made good the losses sustained by foreigners
on the occasion.
The proposal to grant land to foreigners in the
neighbourhood of Canton, for the site of country
residences, met with so energetic opposition from
the natives, that the Authorities did not venture to
carry the plan into execution. Inflammatory pla-
cards were posted all over the city, calling upon the
N 3
274 TRADE AND TRAVEL
people to protect their ancient rights, and threaten-
ing extermination to foreigners, and to the local
Authorities themselves, in the event of their com-
plying with the petition. It is probable, that the
wealthy men and others connected with the com-
merce of Canton, felt that the arrangements then
pending between Her Majesty's Government and that
of their Imperial Master regarding the commerce of
the two countries, would, if completed, affect their
old privileges and monopoly ; and that they adopted
the measures above-mentioned in order to shew
their displeasure. That their commerce will suffer
in consequence of the arrangements since brought
to an amicable conclusion, there can be no doubt ;
but it is not less certain, that Canton will continue to
be the centre of an extensive trade. Its merchants
must be content with a share of the loaf, in place of
monopolizing, as heretofore, the whole. The days of
Houg merchants and monopoly are at an end; and
the benefits derived from Free-trade will shortly
convince all but those connected with the late Hongs,
that the changes recently effected in the relations of
the Celestial Empire with other countries, are not
deserving of the abuse that has been so abundantly
lavished on them.
The far-famed Bogue Forts, I observed, in passing
up the river last March, to be rebuilt in the same
clumsy style as that of the fortifications which Sir
IN THE FAR EAST. 275
Gordon Bremmer knocked down. As a means of
defending the river against any thing but Chinese
junks, they are utterly useless ; and one cannot help
feeling surprised that so intelligent a people as the
Chinese did not take a lesson from the perfect ease
with which their forts were razed to the ground, and
build their new ones on a better plan. The scenery
at the Bogue is very pretty ; and the forts, if of no
other advantage, form a picturesque feature, viewed
while sailing past them.
Not having visited Amoy, Foo Chow, Ning-po,
Chusan, or Shang-Hae, I am unable to give any de-
scription of those places. I can, however, state what
I have heard about them, and give the mercantile
reader some idea of their importance as places of
trade.
Short as is the time that these ports have been
open to the commerce of Britain and other foreign
nations, many cargoes of Indian cotton, different
sorts of produce from Singapore and the islands of
the Malayan Archipelago, manufactured goods, con-
sisting of woollens, gray and white shirtings, chintz,
&c., from Manchester and Glasgow, have been ad-
vantageously disposed of at one or another of them.
Amoy has taken off several cargoes of Bengal and
Bombay cotton, at prices considerably higher than
those ruling at Canton. This branch of trade is
likely to increase, and is one that will interfere with
276 TRADE AND TRAVEL
Canton to a considerable extent. As a residence,
however, this place has a bad character in point of
healthiness : at least, the troops, both European and
Indian, suffered severely there from fever. They
were stationed on the island of Koo Loong Soo,
which is said to be more healthy than Amoy itself.
None of our merchants had visited Foo Chow, up
to the time of my departure from China ; nor had a
Consul been sent there; but this has, I presume,
since taken place. The city has been described to
me as large and populous, and the seat of a very ex-
tensive trade. It escaped the ravages of the late
war ; and its inhabitants may probably entertain a
similar idea to that which possesses the people of
Canton ; namely, that we were afraid to attack them.
Whether this notion will lead them to give Europeans
an indifferent reception, or not, remains to be seen.
Let us hope that they will act wisely in the matter,
and not bring down vengeance on their own heads.
Sir William Parker, by visiting their harbour in
Her Majesty's ship Cornwallis, proved to them
that they are not beyond the reach of European
shipping, as they at one time thought. Some diffi-
culty is experienced, I believe, in approaching Foo
Chow, owing to the strength of the currents in the
neighbourhood ; but, as a seventy-four-gun ship has
got over that difficulty, it is proved to be not an in-
surmountable one.
IN THE FAR EAST. 277
Ning-po is also a large and wealthy city, admirably
situated for trade, and surrounded with a beautiful
country. It stands some forty miles from the sea,
by the river, which is said to be navigable for ships
of considerable burthen even beyond the town. The
climate is salubrious, and the natives are quite awake
to the benefits likely to arise from a free intercourse
with Europeans. At this port, the first British vessel
bound for the northern ports of China, from England
direct, was loading, in March last, with tea and
other Chinese produce. By how many hundreds she
will ere long be followed, I leave the reader to ima-
gine. It is said by those who have visited this port,
that nothing can exceed the urbanity of the Chinese
Authorities and merchants, or their anxiety to do all
in their power to please and entertain European
strangers. This, doubtless, in part arises from the
severe lesson that was read them, on more than one
occasion, by Sir Hugh Gough ; a lesson which, it is
hoped, they will long remember. An extensive and
important trade is carried on between this place and
Chusan, by which means our manufactures will find
their way into that island, after its ports shall be
closed against our shipping. Here, Russian manu-
facturers are met with ; and a friend of mine informed
me, that, in a Chinese shop at Ning-po, he purchased
a few yards of superior Russian black broad cloth at
the very cheap rate of two dollars and a-half (Us. 3d.)
278 TRADE AND TRAVEL
per yard. This price seems lower than that at which
the British manufacturer could produce a similar
article. Samples of the cloth have been sent to
England, so that this question will soon be decided.
Shang-Hae, the most northern of the five ports
opened to foreign commerce, is, perhaps, the most
important of the whole five. I have undoubted au-
thority for asserting, that the number of Chinese
junks, of more than a hundred tons burthen, that
enter this port weekly, exceeds a thousand. The
same authority speaks of the busy scene that this
harbour daily presents, as quite beyond his powers
of description. Many British, American, and other
merchants have visited Shang-Hae since it became
an open port ; many cargoes of manufactures have
been disposed of there ; and already a considerable
export trade on foreign account has commenced. A
bold attempt was made by some influential and
wealthy merchants from Canton, to prevent the
mercantile men of the place from purchasing car-
goes from the foreigners : in this, they succeeded for
a time ; and the Canton men were in hopes they
should secure the northern trade for their own capi-
tal, as of yore; but they calculated beyond their
mark. The Shang-Hae men listened to the tales
that were told them, and kept aloof for some time,
till they saw that the Europeans were quite deter-
mined not to leave their harbour without effecting
IN THE FAR EAST. 279
sales. Suddenly they changed their minds, and said
to the Canton men : " If the ' Fan-quis ' are such a
wicked race, how comes it that you are so anxious
to have their trade to yourselves ?" In a week
afterwards, every foreign vessel in the river was
cleared of her cargo at remunerating prices.
Shang-Hae is the principal port in the Empire for
the export of raw silk. This fact is sufficient of
itself to proclaim the vast importance of the place.
The winter here, is described as being very severe ;
and the cold is said to be so intense, that hundreds of
the very poorest sort of natives perish in the streets
from its effect on their half-clad persons. The heat
of summer is also intense ; which renders the city
unhealthy, situated as it is in a low, swampy country.
Yet, I heard of no sickness among the Europeans
who passed last summer there.
The Missionaries have not been behind the mer-
chants in occupying Shang-Hae ; and Mr. Medhurst,
so well known for his extensive knowledge of Chi-
nese literature, had completed arrangements for
removing his family thither in the early part of the
present summer. He had previously visited the
place, avowing the object of his visit, and had found
no difficulty in procuring a commodious house, large
enough for the comfortable accommodation of his
family, as well as for a printing establishment, &c.
Mr. Medhurst has been a personal friend of mine for
280 TRADE AND TRAVEL
these twenty years ; and he will believe me when I
say, that I heartily wish him all the success in his
mission that he can wish for himself ; but, of his
success, I have my doubts.
As to the benefits likely to accrue to the commerce
of Great Britain from the Treaty lately concluded by
Sir Henry Pottinger with the Chinese Government,
I conceive there can be but one opinion, jalthough
the extent of those benefits is as yet uncertain.
When I express an opinion, not penned in haste or
without consideration, that the large quantities of
grey shirtings, white ditto, chintz, cotton yarn, long
ells, Spanish stripes, fine woollens, camlets, &c. now
purchased of the British merchants by the Chinese,
are likely, within the next three years, to be quad-
rupled, the manufacturers of my country will at
once perceive what this celebrated Treaty is likely to
accomplish for them.* We must, moreover, take
into consideration, the extra tonnage that will be
required to carry on this extended commerce ; the
number of seamen it will employ ; the consequent
bvibau'l G^rfi rif7/ nsKio nwcmfj ^Inabbwa ebtfrt A
* It must be borne in mind, that this was written at sea, before
I had any knowledge of the reception which Sir Henry Pottinger's
Treaty had met in Manchester and other manufacturing towns.
Their subsequent reception of Sir Henry himself, proves how well
satisfied they are with what he has done for them ; and the extent
of last summer's exports to China, demonstrates, beyond a doubt,
that I was not far wrong in my predictions.
IN THE FAR EAST. 281
increased demand for every description of stores
taken to sea for the use of ships and men ; the innu-
merable families that will thus be provided for ; and
the not improbable increased demand, over and above
quadruple the present, for the goods named, when
the new trade shall have had time thoroughly to
develop itself. Nor must we overlook the benefit
likely to result to British India, the cotton of which
has hitherto been supplied to the Chinese via Can-
ton : it will now be carried to their doors in British
vessels, and sold to them at far cheaper rates than
could have been afforded when sent in the former
round-about way. Taking this view of the case, it
stands to reason, that the demand will increase ; and
though the merchant of Bombay, Madras, or Cal-
cutta may not make larger profits than heretofore,
he will do a much larger business, employ double
the number of men and ships, and enjoy the pro-
spect of returning to his native country some few
years sooner than he dreamed of under the old
regime.
A trade suddenly thrown open with three hundred
millions of human beings, is not likely to be com-
pletely developed in three, four, or five years ; and I
conceive that I am within the mark, when I hold out
encouragement to my countrymen to quadruple their
shipments to China. In April, May, and June, 1843,
before the five ports of China were officially opened to
282 TRADE AND TRAVEL
foreign trade, and when visiting them was precarious,
an unusually large quantity of British and American
manufactures was poured into the China market.
Ship after ship arrived from the manufacturing
districts, with full cargoes; and the universal cry
was, " What is to be done with all these goods ?""
I can tell the public what became of them. They
were sold almost as fast as they arrived. Many of
them were purchased, for the northern ports, by
speculators, who, to a man, did well with them.
Prices not only kept up, in spite of the heavy import
duties, but actually continued to advance till the end
of the year, when they were twenty per cent, higher
than when all the cry was, " What is to become of
these goods ?" This spirited demand for goods at
Canton and Hong Kong, continued up to March last,
when I sailed from China. Whether the supply sent
out this season, has exceeded the demand, or not, I
have no means of ascertaining, while writing in the
middle of the Atlantic Ocean ; but I have no fear as
to the result of any shipments that may have been
made.
That the thanks of the mercantile world in ge-
neral, and of its members in Great Britain in parti-
cular, are due to Sir Henry Pottinger for the very
satisfactory conclusion to which he has brought the
recent disturbances with China, and to Sir Hugh
Gough and Sir William Parker for the gallant
IN THE FAR EAST. 283
manner in which the warlike portion of the work
was conducted, every unprejudiced man must allow.
Though Sir Henry had not left China when I sailed,
I presume that he will be in England before me vid
Egypt ; and nothing would give me greater pleasure
on my arrival, than to find that he had been rewarded
by his Sovereign by being made "Karl Nankin."
His career has been a brilliant one ; and that he may
live many years to enjoy the fruits of his exertions,
must be the wish of all that are likely to benefit
by them.*
Whether or not we are shortly to have another
Chinese war, is a problem I do not pretend to be
able to solve : there are various opinions on the sub-
ject ; but my own is, that every thing depends on the
foreigners themselves. If the Consuls and others
sent by Government to the five trading ports are firm
and resolute men, who will never suffer the slightest
infringement of the Treaty by the Chinese, without
an energetic remonstrance, if the captains of ships
of war stationed at the five ports are strict in main-
taining order among the masters and crews of the
shipping of their nation, if mercantile men take
care, on the one hand, to give no cause of complaint
* No such honour has been paid to Sir Henry, though his recep-
tion by his Sovereign, the Government, and the public, has been
such as must amply have gratified him and all his friends.
284 TRADE AND TRAVEL
by smuggling or otherwise, to the Chinese Authori-
ties, and, on the other hand, to put up with nothing
from them that is not borne out by the terms of the
Treaty; in short, if foreigners generally (under
which term I include every person not a Chinese) unite
together and stand up for the Treaty, the whole Treaty,
and nothing but the Treaty, I see no reason to sup-
pose that it may not work well, and for many years to
come. On the other hand, if Consuls vacillate in
their intercourse with the Chinese authorities, if
captains of ships of war permit irregularities in the
conduct of merchant seamen, and if foreign mer-
chants condescend to injure their fair fame by smug-
gling, in place of submitting to the very moderate
duties imposed upon their trade by the new Chinese
tariff, all and each of them must take the consequences
of their conduct ; and they may rest assured, that the
Chinese will always be ready to seize with avidity
the slightest opportunity afforded them for charging
foreigners with a breach of the Treaty. We must
hope that foreigners resorting to China for the pur-
poses of trade, or merely as travellers in search of
health or of strange sights, will be sufficiently aware
of the importance that is sure to be attached to their
conduct, to avoid giving the Chinese just cause of
complaint. Should they be careful on this point, and
should the amicable relations now existing between
IN THE FAR EAST. 285
ilVi r i''fA '\? \\\ !"> > : ^ fi ? r - r i?'. -"'"'"')' "O ' r ; ( - f; ': : ""' !:;"
the two countries remain uninterrupted, it will not
take many years to convince the intelligentChinese,
that intercourse with what they are pleased to term the
Barbarian nations of the earth, is not to be despised.
As for the result of another war, there cannot, I
imagine, be two opinions. That Great Britain would
be the victor, and the gainer too, after a struggle of half
a summer, is pretty certain ; and that she would make
the Chinese pay dearer for their temerity than they
were made to do before, seems probable, and would
be but just. The possession of Chusan and other
eligible mercantile positions on the coast, would open
fresh fields for the enterprise of our merchants, and
for the employment of hundreds of seamen and
others ; and the fleet and army, after satisfying the
Chinese that they were as able and as willing to fight
as ever, might, with great advantage to their country,
take a trip to Japan, and try to prevail on the ruler of
that terra incognita to open his ports to foreign com-
merce. I would tell the Emperor of Japan, You
shall either be my friend or my foe. If the former,
you must permit your subjects to trade with my
people ; and if the latter, you must try your strength
with me. While there are tens of thousands of un-
employed operatives in Great Britain, her rulers
should omit no opportunity of extending her com-
merce ; and their suffering the Japanese sullenly to
28G TRADE AND TRAVEL
exclude our shipping, while the Dutch enjoy the sole
privilege of trading to their country, seems to me
putting up with a state of things that ought not to
exist.
IN THE FAR EAST. 287
CHAPTER XVIII.
NECESSITY OF APPOINTING BRITISH CONSULS IN THE
SPANISH AND DUTCH COLONIES NEW SETTLEMENT ON
THE WESTERN COAST OF BORNEO IMPORTANT DIS-
COVERY OF COAL ON THE NORTH-WEST COAST CON-
CLUDING REMARKS.
IT appears to me, that British commerce in the East,
requires somewhat more care and attention from the
Authorities in the mother country, than they have
hitherto bestowed upon it. The trade carried on by
British subjects with the Philippines, Siam, and the
Dutch Colonies, is both extensive and important ; but,
not unfrequently, it suffers interruption from the
Government of those countries, to the serious loss
and inconvenience of the parties concerned. That a
Consul or other properly authorised functionary is
required to watch over the interests of British
merchants trading to Manilla, Bang-kok, Batavia,
Samarang, and Sourabaya in Java, and Padang on
the west coast of Sumatra, is evident to every person
at all acquainted with the trade of those places ; and
288 TRADE AND TRAVEL
I will add a few facts by way of satisfying those who
may be doubtful on the point.
In the first place, then, British subjects residing in,
or shipping resorting to Manilla, are subject to the
most arbitrary proceedings on the part of the Spanish
Government,* who order merchants from the place,
and ships from the harbour, at a day's notice, with-
out ever condescending to state their reasons for such
* This remark has recently been confirmed beyond the possi-
bility of denial, by the unjust and cruel sentence passed by the
Court of Justice in Manilla, on my esteemed friend, Mr. Robert
Diggles, who, after having been led into great expense, and kept
under the surveillance of the police for nearly two years, has been
tried as a criminal, and sentenced to pay a fine of two thousand
dollars, and banished the Philippines for six years. And for what, does
the reader suppose ? For kicking out of his house an impudent Spanish
tailor who had presented himself there during a ball given by Mr.
Diggles to Vice-Admiral Sir William Parker and Major-General
Lord Saltoun, during their visit to Manilla in Her Majesty's ship
Cornwallis.
From Lord Saltoun, on his return to Hong Kong, I received an
account of this matter ; and Mr. Diggles also sent me the particulars
in writing. From the testimony thus tendered to me by an eye-
witness whose word cannot for a moment be doubted, and by the
party principally concerned, in whose word I also place implicit
confidence, I have no hesitation in making this public declaration,
that Mr. Diggles has been partially, cruelly, unjustly, disgracefully,
and tyrannically dealt with by the Government of Manilla. A letter
I received yesterday from Singapore, gives room to hope that Mr.
Diggles's banishment has been remitted, which I should be glad to
hear confirmed, though it would be no adequate reparation for the
injury he has sustained. Hull, 1st November 1845.
IN THE FAR EAST. 289
proceedings. It was only the other day that the
British subjects residing in Manilla were, by an un-
looked for and arbitrary order of the Governor, de-
prived of the professional aid of the medical practi-
tioners of their own country then resident among
them. These professional men were not, indeed,
ordered to quit the place ; but they*were informed
by an official proclamation, that no medical man
would in future be permitted to practice in Manilla,
unless in possession of a diploma from the college at
Cadiz. This, of course, was equivalent to an order
to quit, as no English physician could be expected to
have such a document in his possession. A friend of
mine, writing to me on this occasion, represents the
act as tantamount to a sentence of death upon all
foreigners resident in the Philippines. While Spa-
nish surgeons are allowed to practice among their
countrymen in British Colonies, such a state of
things ought not for a moment to be suffered by the
British Government
Next, as to Siam. It is well known to every per-
son acquainted with the trade of that country, that
its Sovereign, in defiance of all treaties, monopolizes,
by unjust and tyrannical means, nine-tenths of the
commerce of his dominions ; that his agents watch for
and seize every boat that approaches the capital with
produce; that the produce so seized is carried to the
King's warehouses ; that he pays whatever price he
290 TRADE AND TRAVEL
pleases for the contents of the boat ; that the produce
so seized is very generally the property of other
persons, (frequently British subjects,) who have ad-
vanced money to the planter on his growing crop ;
that British and other shipping resorting to Bang-kok
for the purchase of produce, are compelled to buy
from the King on his own terms, or to leave the port
in ballast; and finally, that these proceedings are
in direct opposition to the terms of an existing Treaty
between Great Britain and Siam. A Consul at
Bang-kok, and a visit twice a year from one of the
ships of war cruizing in the China Sea and the Straits
of Malacca, would put an entire stop to His Siamese
Majesty's unwarrantable proceedings, as far as British
subjects are concerned. Let Americans and others
look after themselves.
Ill the Dutch Colonies, also, I can testify from
personal observation, the British merchant is very
frequently dealt with not less arbitrarily. The
Dutch Authorities are not content with prohibiting
the importation into their Colonies of warlike stores
and opium, (which they have an undoubted right to
do,) but their regulations render a ship seizable, that
enters their ports with either of those forbidden
articles on board. This seems unreasonably hard
and it puts the British merchant to expense an
trouble oftener than may be supposed. A ship
bound from London, Liverpool, or Glasgow, to
IN THE FAR EAST. 29
Batavia and Singapore, (a very common destination,)
dares not receive on board as freight, either a chest
of Turkey opium, or a single Birmingham musket.
If she does, she must give up all idea of calling at
Batavia, where she would be immediately seized,
for having such articles on board as cargo. Only four
years ago, the British barque Acdazeer, bound from
Bombay to China, with a cargo consisting of thirteen
hundred chests of opium, was dismasted in a gale in
the China Sea, and bore up for the port of Soura-
baya, which she entered in distress, for the purpose
of repairs, and for stores to enable her to prosecute
her voyage. My memory does not serve me so as
to enable me to state, whether the Acdazeer's visit to
Java was before or after the promulgation of the
law prohibiting ships with opium and warlike stores
entering any of the ports of Netherlands India ; but
I think it was before that regulation was made
public. Be that as it may, the ship was in distress ;
and, as a matter of course, her Commander thought
he was entering a friendly port. His astonishment
may be conceived, when he was ordered by the
Authorities to land all his cargo in the bonded stores,
before the slightest assistance could be rendered to
his vessel. What was to be done ? Resistance was
useless ; and to prosecute his voyage with a disabled
ship, impracticable. The cargo was accordingly
landed, and the vessel's repairs were proceeded with.
o 2
292 TRADE AND TRAVEL
When these were finished, the Commander reported
his being ready to receive his cargo on board again,
and to proceed on his voyage; when he was told,
that, before doing so, he must pay an entrepot duty
of one per cent, on the whole value. This he was
compelled to do ; and it amounted to the very con-
siderable sum of 1300/. All goods landed in bond
(or entrepot), in any of the ports of His Netherlands
Majesty's East-Indian territories, are subject to a duty
of one per cent, on being re-exported ; but who ever
heard of a ship that had put into harbour in distress,
being compelled to land her cargo, under the pretence
that it was to prevent the possibility of any portion
of it being smuggled, and of its commander being
afterwards told, that, as the goods had gone into
entrepot, the duty must be paid ?
These facts may be sufficient to shew, that the
appointment of Consuls at the different ports above
named, is urgently needed as a protection to the
British shipping visiting them. I have been told,
that the Spanish and Dutch Governments have re-
fused to receive or acknowledge Consuls in their
Eastern possessions. If this is the case, the evil
might be remedied by a note from Downing Street.
The other ports of Netherlands India are, perhaps,
not of sufficient importance, as regards English
commerce, to authorise the expense of Consular
appointments. If the opinion of so humble an indi-
IN THE FAR EAST. 293
vidual as myself could be supposed to reach the ears
of the British Premier, I would respectfully but ear-
nestly call his attention to the foregoing remarks.
Another subject to which I am anxious to call the
attention of the British Government, is, the advan-
tages presented by establishing settlements on the
north-western and western coasts of the Island of Bor-
neo. The proceedings of my friend Mr. Brook* at Sa-
rawak on the western coast, having been made public,
it is only necessary for me here to remark, that Mr.
Brook has already paved the way for the advan-
tageous settlement of a British Colony in his neigh-
bourhood, and to express a wish that Her Majesty's
Government may take advantage of his spirited and
praiseworthy exertions, and reward him for them.
The influence which he has obtained over the wild
and intractable natives (as they have been hitherto
deemed) of that part of Borneo, the service which he
has rendered to the mercantile interests of his
country by his exertions in the suppression of piracy,
the numbers of people whom he has induced literally
to turn their swords into ploughshares, and the
quiet, unostentatious way in which all this, and more
than all this, has been effected, are not less surprising
than creditable to his abilities, perseverance, and
public spirit.
* See Appendix II.
294 TRADE AND TRAVEL
The recent discovery of extensive veins of coal on
the banks of the river of Borneo Proper, is my chief
reason for calling public attention to the north-west-
ern coast of that island. The destruction by fire of
the British ship Sultana, on her voyage from Bombay
to China, and the subsequent imprisonment of Capt.
Page, his wife, officers, passengers, and crew, by the
Rajah of Borneo Proper, led to the discovery in ques-
tion. The Singapore Government, on hearing of
Capt. Page's captivity, sent a steamer to procure his
release ; and it was the captain of this steamer who
discovered the coal, several tons of which he col-
lected and used on board his vessel. He described
them to me as being of excellent quality for steamers,
and to be had in unlimited quantities by simply
digging away the upper crust of the earth to the
depth of six inches, under which the coals lie in
masses. He was moreover informed, by the natives
in the neighbourhood, (who, by-the-by, never use the
coals, though they knew that they would burn, and
called them " Batu Api" or fire-stones,) of the exis-
tence of much more extensive coal- veins a few miles
further up the river. He had not time to visit the
spot, but the natives assured him, that ships might
be loaded from the surface. Of the depth or extent
of the veins, they knew nothing; it is, however,
more than probable, that, on the application of
proper means, an unlimited supply of coals might be
IN THE FAR EAST. 295
obtained. The importance of such a supply, now
that Steam communication between Calcutta and
Singapore has been established, and that the line will
in all probability be shortly extended to China, re-
quires no demonstration. In the event of a regular
monthly overland mail being despatched from Hong
Kong, to join the Calcutta line at Point de Galle*
(Ceylon), it would not be out of the steamer's way,
to touch and coal at Borneo : thence proceeding to
Singapore, where she would not require coals, she
would take in the mail, and proceed on her voyage.
This plan would save the expense of forming a coal
depot at Singapore. All Her Majesty's steamers on
the coast of China might be supplied with fuel from
the same quarter, particularly as several empty ships
go to China every season in search of freights home-
ward, which would gladly call at Borneo en route,
and take in a cargo of coals, to be delivered at Hong
Kong, at a moderate rate per ton. To establish this
coal trade on a permanent footing, a treaty would
require to be entered into with the Sultan of Borneo.
This, I have no hesitation in saying, might be effected,
and the requisite arrangements made with the Bor-
neo Authorities by Mr. Brook, whose influence in that
quarter is deservedly all-powerful. An establishment
* 1846 ; now in full operation. Vide Appendix I. p. 303.
296 TRADE AND TRAVEL
s ''.i f-'t \ >{
placed there, the chief or superintendent of which
might be invested with Consular powers, would ma-
nage the coal business, and protect any unfortunate
shipwrecked British seamen from ill treatment si-
milar to that sustained by the captain and crew of the
Sultana. So many vessels have from time to time
disappeared and never been heard of, between Singa-
pore and China, as to render it far from improbable,
that there are numbers of British subjects now in con-
finement on the northern coasts of Borneo and Pa-
lawan. This probable or, at least, supposable case
furnishes an additional argument in favour of placing
some party, armed with power to protect such unfor-
tunate persons, in some convenient spot in the neigh-
bourhood. When I say, armed with power, I do not
mean that arms should be put into the hands of
those stationed to manage the coal-mines at Borneo,
but that their superintendent should be empowered
to use energetic language, and threats if need be, in
the name of the British Government. The magic of
a name is nowhere felt or understood more than
among these same savages ; in proof of which I may
mention, that the Rajah of Borneo Proper gave up
Capt. Page and his crew immediately on their being
demanded in the name of the Governor of Singa-
pore, though he had refused to listen for a mo-
ment to the proposals and demands previously con-
IN THE FAR EAST. 297
veyed by a well-armed schooner sent by Mr. Brook
from Sarawak to treat for the release of the Sul-
tana's people, on hearing of their captivity. Even
His Majesty of Siam stands in awe of the British
name ; and I could tell instances of his having paid
deference to a few lines from the Singapore Autho-
rities.
The ships of war in these seas are too much in
harbour ; they might be far better employed in
occasional visits to the different ports of Borneo,
Palawan, the eastern coast" of the Malayan Peninsula,
Siam, and Cochin China. Visits to those countries
twice or thrice a year, would not interfere in the
slightest degree with their regular duty ; it ought,
indeed, to form part of it ; and would be of incalcu-
lable value to British merchants,. The Authorities of
those different States, knowing that the visits of
British ships of war were to be regular and frequent
in future, would be cautious how they meddled with
British subjects. With all the gasconade common to
Orientals generally, the chiefs of the countries I
have mentioned, are cowards at heart, tyrants as they
are when opportunity offers; and they dread the
sight of a ship of war in their harbours. No better
check could be kept upon their conduct; and the plan
proposed would not cost Great Britain a shilling,
inasmuch as the ships required to carry it into exe-
cution, are in commission, and, as I said before, spend
o 3
298 TRADE AND TRAVEL
far too much time in port. Such a catastrophe as
the loss of the Golconda, with four hundred souls
on board, ought to be sufficient to call forth the
utmost exertions on the part of our naval officers in
the China Sea. This ship, a vessel of 800 tons, sailed
from Singapore in September 1840 (or 1841), bound
to China, with the head-quarters of the 37th Madras
Native Infantry on board, and has never since been
heard of. In my humble opinion, the China Sea and
its coasts ought to have been thoroughly searched
for any remains of this unfortunate ship, it being far
from impossible, that some of her people may be in
existence in Cochin China or on the neighbouring
coasts or islands. When the unfortunate barque
Fifeshire disappeared in the same mysterious way,
on the same voyage, three of her men turned up
from Cochin China, twelve months after she had
been given up and paid for by the underwriters.
No endeavour was made to trace the Golconda,
wherefore, let those explain, who had it in their
power to cause due search to be made. Being un-
able to divine their reasons, I hope, for their own
sakes, they were sufficient to quiet their own con-
sciences.
My wanderings are drawing near a close, and I
have little more to say. On our passage down the
China Sea, during the prevailing very light south-
erly winds of April, we exhausted a large portion of
IN THE FAR EAST. 299
our fresh stock; and for replenishing it and our
water we touched in Anjer Roads, of which, and
the village of the same name, I shall now give a
brief sketch.
Nothing can be prettier than the sail into Anjer
Roads from the northward, on a fine clear day. The
scenery is equal to any thing I have ever seen. On
your right, rises the high land of Sumatra, covered
with wood to the very summit, and exhibiting all
the different shades of green ; on your left, are St.
Nicholas Point and the high land of Java ; while the
two little isles called, "Cap and Button," add their
minute features to the landscape. The land in this
part of Java, though well wooded, is not covered
with timber so thickly as the opposite coast of Suma-
tra ; but, here and there, the scene is diversified by
a clearing, where the Javanese may be seen at work in
his rice-field, yam-patch, vegetable garden, or pinery.
In front, the island of " Thwart-the-way" (well
named, for it is right in mid-channel) relieves the
eye from the glare of the sea ; which, in these low
latitudes, is a matter of some moment ; while, further
seaward, may be seen towering far above the sur-
rounding objects, the islands of Pulo Bissie and
Crockatooa, both visible from a great distance, and
forming excellent land-marks for the mariner. On
nearing the anchorage, the pretty little village of
Anjer strikes the eye, its huts built in rows, and
300 TRADE AND TRAVEL
shaded by palms and other trees ; the Dutch Resi-
dent's house, the fort, and the wharf, are all in view ;
and further back, about a mile from the sea, may be
seen the tomb, erected by his shipmates, to the
memory of Dr. - , Assistant Surgeon of H. M. S.
Alceste. The inscription informs the stranger, that
Dr. - - died here on his return from China, after
the wreck of the Alceste. This tomb was the first
thing that attracted my attention when I landed at
Anjer in 1823, and has ever since been an object of
interest to me. Anjer is a very convenient place for
ships bound from China or Singapore for Europe to
touch at for supplies, although many ship-masters
avoid it during the prevalence of the north-west
monsoon, when it is a lee shore. I have anchored
there at all seasons of the year, and never found any
difficulty in getting out of the harbour ; but others
have been less fortunate, and have got among the
rocks. Here, the natives come off to passing ships,
and bring fowls at two rupees per dozen ; (a rupee
here is equal to Is. Sd. sterling;) ducks at three
rupees per dozen ; good-sized turtle one dollar each ;
yams one dollar per pecul of 133 Ibs. ; eggs one
dollar per hundred ; and other articles in proportion.
They are very fond of visiting an English ship, as
they generally get paid by her Commander in Spa-
nish or other dollars ; a coin held in universal estima-
tion in those parts. In my frequent visits to Anjer,
IN THE FAR EAST. 301
I have invariably met with a polite and hospitable
reception from the Dutch Resident, (the chief Civil
authority,) who has always been willing and ready
to render any aid in his power to strangers.
Anjer, with all its beauties of scenery, is said to be
unhealthy in the rainy season, when the showers and
thunder-storms are both frequent and heavy: its
natives are a puny race, and its European inhabi-
tants look pale and sickly ; so that, I suppose, it de-
serves the doubtful reputation generally given to it.
During my last ramble in the vicinity of Anjer, I
observed some natives at work in a plantation of
young plants which, at first sight, and from their
being sheltered from the sun by tall, wild-cotton
trees, I took for coffee. On inquiring of the overseer,
and looking more closely at the plants, I found they
were young cinnamon-trees. The attention of the
Dutch Government has long been given to the culti-
vation of this spice; and, from the very healthy
appearance of the plants just mentioned, I should
think that the ultimate success of the undertaking
was far from doubtful. It will not surprise me to see,
before ten years have elapsed, Java rivalling Ceylon
in cinnamon, as it is now competing with Bengal
in indigo.
The Strait of Sunda, in which Anjer is situated, is
certainly a beautiful channel for ships to sail through
in fine weather, though, from the strength of its
302 TRADE AND TRAVEL
currents, an uglier place in a dark, squally night could
scarcely be found. It used to be notorious for Malay
pirates, but has been, of late years, clear of those
pests.
Talking of pirates, I may mention my own good
fortune in never having fallen in with any of the
fraternity in the many voyages I have made in the
lake-like seas of the Malayan or Eastern Archipelago.
This, however, does not tend to prove their non-
existence in even recent days.
Having completed our stores at Anjer, we sailed
with a fair wind about 3 P.M. on the 14th May, and,
next morning, were rolling about in a heavy sea off
Java Head, (a bold and grand promontory forming
the south-west corner of the Island,) where I bade
adieu to my favourite sunny climes of the Far East.
APPENDIX I.
(See p. 295.)
303
PLAN FOR THE ACCELERATION OF THE CHINA MAILS (i.e. THEIR CONVEYANCE FROM SUEZ ,jii
CEYLON TO HONG KONG DIRECT)
SUBMITTED BY MR. HENRY WISE TO HER MAJESTY'S GOVERNMENT SEPT. 14, 1843, ADOPTED JUNE 20 1845
AND NOW IN ACTIVE AND SUCCESSFUL OPERATION.
Duties at Anchor.
s ^
&i 1^
.S .
8 to S
^-. o
si ^ i
|||S
TJ-a" 8 ,_,-
g 2 g
oo TS o
CD 4> C4 0)
.S .S ^ .S 2
g 13 8 3
C C ,3 fi M
o o o o
EH EH H H
* Receiving, at Ceylon, the Outward Overland Mail from England, and returning therewith to China.
, ' Jr 1 5 Borneo Co * 1 Mines would also serve to kee P the Hong-Kong, Singapore, and Peuang Stations supplied with Fuel for Steam Vessels carrying
Ebe Mails between Hong Kong and Suez direct.
Total
Interval.
|
IMOO 00
i . .
f
' -- s ""* |s a ,s
Interval
at Anchor.
t
Cq 51 to to IM
f As now performed by the Peninsular & Oriental Steam )
( Navigation Company, detention of 2 days included. . )
w all stoppages ....
H. M. Post-Office Packets ! '.
Regular course of Post
LONDON, and vice versd, by the proposed Route Days
}hina Correspondence, vid Calcutta and Bombay, during the )
om the 10th October 1841, to 6th May 1843 j
erence of Time in Favour of Proposed Route Days
">t
i-l rH
3 ^
i
to co oo <o
1
- :--
'TOO'H
I- ; ;
sariw 1 S ^ S3 25
Course.
O5 CO CO to
co co co i < r- -rH o
- 1 (N * -<J< CO (N *
<M Oi TH i 1 O <N O)
to to m co co co
cc cc tc !z; !5 15 oi
PROPOSED ROUTE from HONG KONG
LONDON, and vice versd.
. TO PULO LABUA
<T SINGAPORE.
. MALACCA...
. PENANG
. CEYLON* ...
-a 3 & s
: ' P3 ' 3 o N
o^ : : : : :^3 :m * 50
5 S : ' ' ' '.PS -'3 " 5>
ogw<j ; Q-T ;-s
w,j o oo jjj : : a J'"^
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^t^^t^^ ^MP^^^PH ^3^
^t^^H tyO[~~)(-3^'* J H "^ y i
304 APPENDIX I.
MEM. I have adopted an average rate of seven miles per hour
as a fair estimate of the speed that well-appointed Steam Vessels, of
moderate size and power, will be enabled to accomplish and main-
tain, throughout the proposed route, at all seasons of the year ; for,
during the whole distance from Penang to Aden, and vice versa, nei-
ther monsoon, from the course steered, becomes at any period a
directly adverse wind ; an advantage which the route hitherto ob-
served does not possess. Assuming that the Honourable East-India
Company continue the management of the Bombay line, and that
the Peninsular and Oriental Steam Navigation Company are encou-
raged to render their operations more comprehensive, by the esta-
blishment of Branch Steamers between Ceylon and Singapore, to
which latter Port Her Majesty's Steam Vessels on the China Station
could convey the Mails from Hong Kong, this all-important object
might, without difficulty, be attained. The advantages to the Straits'
Settlements, consequent on the adoption of improved arrangements,
require no comment ; and the practicability of effecting a very con-
siderable acceleration of the communication with China, is evident
from the simple fact, that the average interval which has occurred
in the transmission of letters from China, by the last twenty Over-
land Mails, (irrespective of the unfortunate July Mail from Bombay,)
exceeds the period occasionally occupied by fast-sailing ships, in
accomplishing the voyage vi'l the Cape of Good Hope.
LONDON, Sept. 14, 1843. HENRY WISE.
P.S. Oct. 9, 1843. The arrival at Suez, on the 16th ult., of the
H. C. S. Akbar, in forty-six days from Hong Kong, after accom-
plishing the passage down the China Seas, against the S.-W. mon-
soon, unassisted also by any previously arranged facilities for coal-
ing, exchange of Steamers at Aden, and other manifest advantages
requisite for the proper execution of this important service, con-
firms the correctness of my estimate for performing the voyage from
Hong Kong to Suez, or vice versa, viz. forty-three days, including
stoppages. H. W.
305
APPENDIX II.
MEMORANDUM ON BORNEO, AND MR. BROOK'S
SETTLEMENT ON THAT ISLAND.
MR. BROOK has no warmer admirer than myself;
and I trust the territory of Sarawak, which has been
ceded to him by the Sultan of Borneo, will eventually
become a flourishing British Colony.
The Government of this country cannot but be
fully alive to the value of such a point on the north-
west coast of Borneo with reference to the protection
and security of the vast trade carried on by British
subjects to and from China; not to mention the
great intrinsic advantages of an establishment on
one of the largest and most valuable islands in the
world. Little or nothing is yet known of the inte-
rior of this vast country ; but what we do know
already with regard to several portions of its coast
must lead us to the conclusion that it will one day
become of infinite importance in a political as well
as commercial point of view. There is reason to
believe that it contains the most rich, varied, and
extensive mineral deposits, and is capable of pro-
306 APPENDIX II.
ducing, in the greatest abundance, every variety of
tropical production, including some that appear to
be peculiar to its soil and climate. Protection from
the complicated evils of piracy and oppression is
alone wanting in order to stimulate the growth and
industry of the population, and to give a new aspect
to the face of this fertile region. The very fact of a
British Settlement being established would exercise
a most powerful influence in bringing together all
the elements of a rapid civilization amongst a people
at present the prey of ignorance, superstition, and
oppression. Considering the smallness of the means
at his disposal Mr. Brook has already done much :
the seeds have been sown, and, up to a point, nou-
rished by the force of his character ; for their further
development the influence of the British Govern-
ment unreservedly exercised, but with due caution,
is alone required.
As one of the very best means of defence against
riot or disturbance in a country like Sarawak, whether
held by Queen Victoria or by my friend Brook, I
would recommend the raising of a corps of Hill
Rangers, to be composed of 400 or 500 natives of
the country, in their native dress ; distinguished from
their countrymen simply by a belt thrown over the
shoulder, with S. H. R.* on a brass plate in the middle
t^nqin^joiLhL d isjij'.ni.-. q^m . . -.. :i' /
*i. ..Sarawak Hill Rangers.
APPENDIX II. 307
of it, and a small sword by their side ; the whole
under a European captain, four lieutenants, and a
dozen native jimedars. Ten guilders per month,
allowed as pay to each man, would secure the choice
of the population ; and no force would equal them for
the maintenance of peace in such a country. Sir
Stamford Raffles tried a similar plan at Bencoolen,
and found it answer admirably. I need say no more
in its favour. No better man exists for raising
and organizing such a corps, than Mr. Brook him-
self: witness his performances of a similar nature
during the Burmese war. These Hill Rangers must
be divided into companies, and should be stationed
at convenient places throughout the country, to keep
their eyes on evil-doers, and to act as police-men
more than as soldiers. Their captain must be loco-
motive, and superintend the whole corps.
I will now proceed to state my ideas as to the
way in which Mr. Brook can most profitably avail
himself of the extensive territory of Sarawak. In
the first place, he must have the whole District
competently and correctly surveyed, and laid out
in portions (not of square miles, New-South- Wales-
fashion, without any regard to natural boundaries,
but) of different sizes according to the topographical
features of the country. On the completion of this
survey, the plan or map should be lithographed,
to exhibit to parties intending to purchase or hold
308
APPENDIX II.
land. Mr. Brook should then publish in India his
intentions, giving a sketch of the facilities he can
offer, of the capabilities of the country, &c. &c. &c.
Tenants will not suit him, in my opinion, so well
as purchasers. The possession will be too un-
wieldy for him to hold, even as landlord : I speak
from my experience in Java. The purchasers he
wants, are men of capital, say from 5000/. to
10,000^. each, to whom he must give credit for the
land, and leave them unhampered to carry on their
operations. All lands fit for the growth of coffee or
sugar must be worked by these capitalists on their
own account: they must send to Java for expe-
rienced overseers, (Europeans,) to conduct the
works ; and to Bally, Lombok, or the Coromandel
coast, for labourers. The natives of the former two
are preferable, but, I fear, could not be obtained in
sufficient numbers. Not a China-man should be
employed on an estate of mine as a field-labourer,
though the Chinese answer remarkably well, under
Europeans, in sugar-mills. An experienced overseer
from Java will point out to them the best lands for
coffee and sugar, and the best modes of planting and
rearing both. It is also a very good plan, to con-
tract with a party to grow the cane, (the proprietor
helping him with small advances,) which the land-
lord engages to take at so much per thousand when
ripe, to be delivered at the mill door. The grower,
APPENDIX II. 309
in such cases, is generally a poor man, and require
aid for the first year, to buy buffaloes, ploughs, and
provisions. In Java, nine-tenths of the cane are pro-
duced in this way ; and the landlord saves both risk
and trouble by it. No cane, no pay, is the rule
there; so that, although the mill-owner may lose
his time in a bad season, he sacrifices no outlay.
The Chinese cannot be trusted to manufacture the
sugar: they are conceited bunglers at that work,
as stubborn as mules, and use too much lime, in
spite of all one can say or do to prevent it. Coffee
may also be planted by contract; though, in Java,
where men can be got for three guilders per month
and their rice, worth two guilders more, the plan is
not generally adopted.
A party purchasing land, ought to have it selected
so as to have portions of it fit for coffee, sugar, and
rice, and to try all three. In rice-cultivation, a dif-
ferent plan, however, must be pursued. In Java, a
proprietor of rice-land encourages as many people to
sit down on his property as he can possibly obtain ;
charges them no rent in money, but helps them each to
build a hut ; lends them money to buy two buffaloes ;
and gives them rations of rice and salt for the first
twelve months ; taking care, in the meantime, that
the man, his wife, and his children are as busy as
bees, planting and looking after a few rice-fields,
the more the better ; seeing also, that the family do a
310 APPENDIX II.
fair day's work, and as much as they are well able to
perform. From these fields, when harvest arrives, the
squatter will pay his rent. And then is the time that
the European overseer and his deputies require to
have their eyes open, in order to see that fair play is
dealt to the proprietor, who is entitled to one-fourth
of the crop, by way of rent, delivered in bundles of
paddy, at his barn-door, by the grower. The reaping
and binding must be watched, and the bundles be
counted on the field ; otherwise the grower will, pro-
bably, carry more than his share to his own barn, in
place of his master's. Now is the time, also, if the
season has been a favourable one, to make the squat-
ter pay off the whole, or a portion of his debt, for
the advance made to him early in the year. If he
gets well through the first year, he will, in all proba-
bility, take a liking to the place, and fix himself
there for good. One of the very best plans for at-
taching Javanese to their residence on an estate, is,
to see that lots of cocoa-nut and betel-nut trees are
planted in every desirable locality. With half a
dozen cocoa-nut trees, even in a bad season, a native
family will manage tolerably well; and in all my
wanderings among the Malayan islands, I never came
to a place where even a single cocoa-nut was not
current, like money, for its full value in rice. Another
great advantage arising to the proprietor from rice-
grounds well-occupied, is, that he is entitled, by im-
APPENDIX II. 311
memorial custom, to the labour of every male on the
estate one day in seven, in virtue of a sort of feudal law.
A friend of mine in Java, on whose estate were fifteen
thousand adults, seven thousand of whom were males,
had thus the command of the labour of one thousand
men per day/ree. On a new estate, these are the
men to clear jungle, to make roads, to trim coffee-
trees, and to take a turn with a hoe among the sugar-
canes, when the hired labourers are busy at crop
time, or when, from any other cause, labour may be
scarce.
Mr. Brook must take things leisurely. Let one
capitalist be established with a fair prospect, and he
will soon be followed by dozens, who will gradually
creep into the forests, and make the place a second
Java. Before these capitalists make their appear-
ance, however, he must, by every means in his
power, encourage squatters, and get them to work
on patches of rice-land, here and there. Let him
but treat those men kindly, help them through the
first year, and set them fairly on their legs; they
will then never leave the place.
Touching the diamond and gold mines which Mr.
Brook wants to work, I hardly know what to advise,
but think that his best plan would be, to get my
friend Tok Sing, or some other wealthy China-man
in Singapore, to procure him "head men," whom he
would secure, i.e. bind himself to make good any
312 APPENDIX II.
thing lost or stolen by them. This, of course, he
would not do gratis ; but his guarantee in such an
undertaking would be invaluable: his wealth is very
considerable, while his name and influence would be
beyond calculation useful.
Over every thing, Mr. Brook must himself keep a
watchful eye; and, above all things, he must keep the
peace. He must not attempt too much at first ; but
must raise his Rangers as they may be required ;
and, with his talent for such operations, a moderate
share of patience and perseverance, and sufficient
capital, all will go well, and he will meet with the
complete success that he so richly merits.
THE END.
WILLIAM WATTS, PRINTER, CROWN COURT, TEMPLE BAR.
1VHD
"*
JaB
UBftai.
