M. N. HANHART LITH. PRINTERS
VIEW ON THE ISLAND OF POO-TOO.
(NEAR CHUSAN.)
LONDON; LONGMAN & CO. 1848
One day, strolling in the country about four miles from Chusan, we fell in with a very pretty little house surrounded with trees. The courtesy usually shown to the English at Chusan induced us to enter it, that we might inspect the premises. Its owner, a mandarin, was absent, but his major-domo took us over the whole house. The round doors and oyster-shell windows amused us greatly. The garden was ornamented with artificial rocks, studded with flowering shrubs, with great taste. There were two or three grottoes, in one of which was a joss; and an arbour of lilacs and laburnums, in full bloom, gave a charming appearance to the whole. Thanking the Chinaman for his civility, we went away, much pleased with the mandarin's country retreat.
During our stay at Chusan we had made a party to go to the island of Poo-too, but we were hurried away sooner than we expected, and our design was frustrated. I will, however, give a description of the island of Poo-too, as described to me. This island is about forty miles from Chusan, and is inhabited solely by priests. These being condemned to a life of celibacy, no woman resides on the island, which is covered with temples of all descriptions, many of them very handsome, but one in particular, which was built by the emperor. The island is not large, and is laid out like a vast garden, with squares and walks, bridges, &c.
We left Chusan, and soon afterwards anchored off the mouth of the Ningpo River, which is only thirty miles to northward and westward of the Chusan isles. The first object of interest before us was the famous joss-house fort, which gave us so much trouble at the capture. General D'Aguilar and Captain Mundy being about to visit the city of Ningpo, a party of us obtained a week's leave of absence for the same purpose. We landed in a ship's boat at Chinghae, a small but tolerably fortified town, which, however, needs no description. There we obtained a covered Chinese boat, in which we put our beds and blankets, intending to live on board her during our stay at Ningpo. Starting with a fair wind and tide, by noon we were within five miles of the city, which is built about forty miles up the river. The banks of the river appeared to be highly cultivated, and the river was crowded with boats of all descriptions, some going up with the tide, others at anchor, waiting for the tide to change, to go in an opposite direction. The first that we saw of Ningpo was a low wall, from the middle of which rose a tall pagoda. This, with innumerable masts of the vessels lying off the town, was all that was visible: nor could we discern much more on a nearer approach. Threading the crowd of vessels which filled the river, on our left we could only see the wall and battlements of the town, the before-mentioned pagoda soaring above every thing. To the right, on the side of the river opposite to the town, were several detached houses, surrounded with low shrubberies; behind these was the Chinese country, and then the eye wandered over countless paddy fields, until it at last rested upon some faint blue mountains in the distance.
Among the houses on the right was that of the vice-consul, Mr. Thorn. Anchoring our boat as near to his landing-place as possible, we made arrangements for the night, it being then too late to pay him the accustomed visit. We had, however, scarcely spread our mattresses, and put some supper on the fire, when we were hailed by a Chinese boy, and requested to come on shore. Ignorant from whence the invitation might come, but nothing loath, we hauled our boat to the jetty, and, landing, followed young pigtail, who ushered us through a court-yard into a house of tolerable dimensions, agreeably arranged according to English ideas of comfort. In five minutes more we were introduced to Mr. Mackenzie, an English merchant, who, having been informed of our arrival, had sent for us to request that, during our stay at Ningpo, we would make his house our home. We would not tax his hospitality so far as to sleep at his house, having already made our own arrangements; but we willingly accepted his kind offer of being his guests during the day, and proved our sincerity by immediately sitting down to an excellent dinner, and in the evening we retreated to our boat. The next morning we breakfasted with our host, and then crossed the river, to inspect the city. Having landed at one of the gates, we hired a sort of sedan chairs, which were carried by two athletic Tartars, and proceeded to examine a very remarkable building called the Ruined Pagoda. I shall give Dr. Milne's description of it, taken out of the Chinese repository, as I think it will be better than my own:—
"We bent our steps to the Tien-fung, called by foreigners the Ruined Pagoda. Foreigners make for it as soon as they enter the east gate. After shaping their course in a south-east direction through numberless streets, it abruptly bursts upon the view, rising 160 feet above their heads, and towering high above the surrounding houses. The pagoda is hexagonal, and counts seven stories and twenty-eight windows. Above every window is a lantern, and when the pagoda is illuminated, the effect is very brilliant. This building is in much need of repair, and is daily becoming more dilapidated. It has already deviated many feet from the perpendicular, and might not unaptly be described as the Leaning Tower of Ningpo."
Dr. Milne thus describes the view from the summit:—
"The entire city and suburbs lay beneath us; the valley of Ningpo, with its hamlets and villages, hills and rivers, on every side; and away in the distance, on the one hand chains of lofty mountains, the