RETURN TO THE SOUTH OF CHINA.—THE CANTON RIVER DESCRIBED.—FORTS AT THE BOCCA TIGRIS.—PRODUCTIONS OF THE COUNTRY.—THE "SIGHING" WILLOW.—CULTIVATION OF THE NELUMBIUM.—BOATS ON THE RIVER.—THE BARBER'S BOAT, &C.—SPLENDOUR OF THE FLOWER BOATS.—APPEARANCE OF THE RIVER AT FESTIVALS.—ORDER WHICH PREVAILS IN THIS FLOATING CITY.—HOUSES BUILT OVER WATER.—CHINESE DEXTERITY IN SWIMMING AND DIVING.—FA-TEE GARDENS.—THEIR PLANTS.—OLD ACHING GETS A BAD NAME BECAUSE HIS SEEDS DO NOT GROW.—HE DOES NOT DESERVE IT.—ADVICE TO THE BUYERS OF SEEDS.—ENGLISH AND AMERICAN PUBLIC GARDENS AT CANTON.—CHINESE NEW YEAR.—ATTACKED AND ROBBED BY THE CHINESE.—A SUBSEQUENT ATTACK MADE UPON SOME OFFICERS OF THE ENGLISH GOVERNMENT.—THEIR LETTER TO HER MAJESTY'S CONSUL.
As the island of Chusan was my head-quarters in the north of China, I now proceeded thither with my collections from Shanghae, preparatory to sailing for Hong-kong and the southern ports of the country. The Chusan hills were now covered with snow, and the weather was piercingly cold. Large quantities of pheasants and water-fowl were daily brought to the markets by the Chinese, who found the English good customers. A small species of deer was also brought from the main-land, and frequently alive. Four or five fine pheasants were often to be purchased for a dollar, and duck and teal were also remarkably cheap: I believe from two to four rupees were generally given for a deer.
The officers of the troops stationed at Chusan, who were fond of shooting, obtained excellent sport by engaging Chinese boats and going across to the hills on the main-land, there being little game of any kind upon the island itself.
Having got all my things packed, I took a passage in a vessel bound for the South, and having a fair monsoon down the China sea, we arrived at Hong-kong in a few days, without any thing occurring worthy of notice. The various collections which I had made in the North were now put up in glazed cases and shipped for England.
As the south of China had been ransacked by former botanists, I could not expect to find much which was new or worthy of being sent home, and I therefore arranged to proceed north again in March or April, in order to have a whole season before me. In the meantime, as I had a few weeks to spare in the south, I determined on a visit to Canton and Macao, which are both within a short distance from Hong-kong.
The Canton river is certainly one of the most imposing and striking objects which the traveller meets with in this celebrated country. The sea, near its mouth, is studded all over with numerous islands, of which a good view is obtained in going over from Hong-kong to Macao: and in sailing from either of these places to Canton, we pass a succession of them, most of which are mountainous, having huge masses of rock and yellow gravelly clay protruding here and there through the surface, and but thinly covered with vegetation of any kind.
Sometimes however, in our progress, we obtained views of beautiful bays, with a few acres of level land near the shore, in the midst of which there are some pretty houses or huts, surrounded by a few trees and shrubs. In sailing amongst these islands one is apt to think that in the retirement of such places, far removed from the vicious world, and the "busy hum of men," the inhabitants must indeed be happy and innocent, having their few wants abundantly supplied by the rice which grows luxuriantly around their dwellings, and by the never-failing supply of excellent fish, which are easily caught in the sea. But these dreams of happiness and innocence are soon dispelled—these quiet villages abound with pirates, who frequently commit acts of the most cold-blooded cruelty, and render the passage between Hong-kong, Canton, and Macao an alarming and dangerous affair. Lorchas and other small vessels, with valuable cargoes on board, are frequently attacked, the crew and passengers murdered, and the vessels disabled or destroyed.
A few hours' sail, with a fair wind and tide, brought me in sight of the celebrated Bocca Tigris, the entrance to the Canton river. The forts destroyed during the war had been rebuilt on a more extensive scale; and, if manned with English soldiers, no hostile fleet in the world could pass them without being blown to pieces. I fancy, however, that the Chinese, although they have had a lesson in the art of war, which will make them more difficult to conquer in future, would still, with all their forts, afford, but a feeble resistance against the military and naval tactics of the English and other civilised nations of the West.
Inside the Bogue the river widens very much, and presents the appearance of an inland sea. The view now becomes beautiful and highly picturesque, the flat cultivated land near the shores forming a striking contrast to the barren hills on the outside of the forts; the mountains in the distance appear to encircle the extensive plain; and although, like the others, they are barren, yet they make a fine back-ground to the picture. A few miles further up the river, the shipping in Blenheim and Whampoa reaches come into view, and the celebrated Whampoa pagoda, with several more of less note, besides numerous other towers and joss-houses, all remind the traveller that he is approaching the far-famed city of Canton, one of the richest and most important in the celestial empire. The noble river, with its numerous ramifications, forms many islands, on one of which the small town or village of Whampoa is built.
Large quantities of rice are grown, both on the islands formed by the river, and on the flats on the main land. The tide is kept out by embankments, and the ground can be overflowed at will. These embankments are not allowed to lie idle, but are made to produce crops of Plantains. When the land is too high to be flooded by the tide, the water-wheel is brought into play, and it is perfectly astonishing how much water can be raised by this simple contrivance in a very short space of time.