Map to illustrate Fortune's wanderings in China
THREE YEARS' WANDERINGS
IN
CHINA.
CHAPTER I.
INTRODUCTION.—ERRONEOUS NOTIONS REGARDING CHINA.—NO CORRECT SOURCES OF INFORMATION.—INFORMATION GLEANED FROM THE CHINESE NOT TO BE DEPENDED UPON.—IMAGINATIVE POWERS OF AUTHORS ON CHINA.—PECULIAR TRAITS IN THE CHARACTER OF THE CHINESE.—REMARKS ON AGRICULTURE AND SOIL.—ON GOVERNMENT AND LAWS.—CHINA HAS BEEN RETROGRADING FOR MANY YEARS.—MY OWN EXPERIENCE.
When the news of the peace with China first reached England, in the autumn of 1842, I obtained the appointment of Botanical Collector to the Horticultural Society of London, and proceeded to China in that capacity early in the spring of the following year. In laying my travels and their results before the public, I beg to say at the commencement, that I have no intention of writing or "making" a "book on China." By this I mean such books as have often been issued from the press, professing to give a faithful and true account of the history of the Chinese from the earliest ages, and their earliest kings down to Taouk-wang and the present day, of the arts, sciences, religion and laws, and the social and moral condition of the people; whose authors, with true Chinese "Oula Custom," stand manfully by what the writers of other days have told them; and faithfully hand down to posterity, by the aid of the scissors and the pen, all the exaggerations and absurdities which have ever been written on China and the Chinese.
This celebrated country has been long looked upon as a kind of fairy-land by the nations of the Western world. Its position on the globe is so remote that few—at least informer days—had an opportunity of seeing and judging for themselves; and besides, those few were confined within the most narrow limits at Canton and Macao, the very outskirts of the kingdom, and far removed from the central parts or the seat of the government. Even the Embassies of Lord Macartney and Lord Amherst, although they went as far as the capital, were so fettered and watched by the jealous Chinese that they saw little more than their friends who remained at Canton. Under these circumstances much that was gleaned from the Chinese themselves relating to their country, was of the most exaggerated description, if not entirely fabulous. They, from the highest Mandarin down to the meanest beggar, are filled with the most conceited notions of their own importance and power; and fancy that no people however civilised, and no country however powerful, are for one moment to be compared with them. As an instance of this I may mention the following:—When the first steamer visited the coast of China, the Chinese in Canton and Macao did not exhibit the least surprise, but merely said "Have got plenty, all same, inside," meaning that such things were quite common in the interior of their country. Moreover, they cannot appreciate statistical inquiries; but always fancy that we have some secret motive for making them; or that the subject cannot be of the slightest importance, either to ourselves or others, and consequently do not trouble themselves about obtaining correct information.
I have been often much annoyed with this propensity of theirs during my travels in the country; and have had frequently to travel many a weary mile, merely because they did not think it worth their while to give me correct information. In fact, latterly I made a practice of disbelieving every thing they told me, until I had an opportunity of seeing and judging for myself.