Of the 'Outside' Chinese Merchants several were of much consideration, and of an integrity and intelligence in business unsurpassed by the mercantile classes of any other country. Such men were Washing, Cumwa, Linchong, Wo-Yun, Yeeshing, Keet-Chong, and others. An incident in relation to Yeeshing, serving as an illustration both of his honesty and unselfishness, may be related.
On the occasion of the great fire in 1822, enormous quantities of private property and of merchandise were destroyed, and opportunities offered when, without the possibility of discovery, the latter, particularly, could have been concealed and reported as having been consumed by the flames. Mr. John P. Cushing, of the house of Perkins & Co., had placed with Yeeshing 5,000 pieces of crapes to be dyed, whose value was about $50,000. There was, of course, no insurance upon them, nothing of the kind existing at Canton. A day or two after the fire Yeeshing entered Mr. Cushing's office, exclaiming,'Hae-yah! Hae-yah!' 'Well, Yeeshing,' enquired Mr. C., 'how fashion?' To which he replied, 'My have loosum my house, my shop—alla finishy, too muchee trub.' Mr. C. began to express his sympathy, with the conviction that he too was involved in the loss, when Yeeshing continued, 'My alla finishy, only when my take out you crape (to save it) hav loosum 84 peecee, how can my, no too muchee trub?' He had saved Mr. Cushing's crapes, but had lost his own dwelling and its contents, with an important quantity of his own goods and chattels, in doing so.
Keet-Chong, named above, possessed an estate on French Island, on which his family had resided for more than 800 years. It was of moderate extent, the dwelling spacious, and, as he used to say, 'all thing no have changee.' He showed me on one occasion his genealogical tree (which Chinese families keep with scrupulous care), and which ascended, according to it, to the Sung Dynasty (967 to 1281 A.D.). This dynasty immediately preceded the Yuen, or Mongol Tartar, family, the first emperor of which was Kublai Khan, grandson of 'Jengis Khan.'
The custom exists among Chinese of not using their family names in business, either for firms or individuals. They assume certain designations by which they are known, are responsible, and recognised by the authorities. As examples, Houqua, whose family name was Woo (from which How), was known commercially as 'Ewo.' Pwantingqua, whose family name was Pwān, was known as 'Tung Foo,' and the family name of 'Washing' was Moo. The choice of these names is singularly diversified and sometimes very droll. In passing through any business street you see on a small sign attached to a pillar at the side of a door such firms as 'Peace and Quiet,' 'Current Gains,' 'Collective Justice,' 'Perfect Concord,' 'United Concord.' I have seen 'Tan-E' (which means literally 'Solitary Idea'), 'Perfect Record,' 'Three Unities.' Where something of a more imposing nature is chosen—as, for instance, 'George and Thomas Sandbank, Sons and Nephews'—a double name, such as 'The Record of Perpetual Harmony,' would be adopted. One is struck with the use of short inscriptions on narrow sheets of red paper over doorways, at the foot of stairs, over weights and measures, everywhere and on everything almost. On entering an outer door you observe above it, 'May the Five Happinesses enter the abode' (longevity, riches, posterity, love of virtue, and a natural death), while within may be seen, 'May wealth flow in abundantly;' and not a bad one, 'For idle persons there is no admittance.' 'As wheels revolve, so may supplies and sales continue;' 'Customers come in numbers, like the gathering of clouds;' 'Here are sold superior goods, in whose prices there is no change;' 'Rich customers are perpetually welcome;' 'Daily may there be weighed 10,000 taels' (May the transactions amount to that sum); 'From a single cash, may 10,000 be derived' (these last two may be seen over scales and weights); and so each object has its peculiar, if not appropriate, device. You read on each one of a pile of water-tubs, 'The bucket of superlative peace;' on chests, 'The box of great tranquillity;' over inner doors, 'May happiness attend the opening of the door;' and over shelves and drawers, 'When opened, may prosperity follow;' at the top of a stairway, 'May the going up or down be calm and peaceful.' On the sterns and bows of boats and junks you may read, 'Prosperous gales and smooth seas' (which in Canton jargon is simplified to the usual expression 'Good wind, good water'); 'Grant favourable breezes;' 'A fair wind is riches;' 'The moon's rays shine upon and enliven the waters;' 'The dragon's head produces horns of gold' (an allusion to the bows of a junk, which are supposed to represent the head with the large eyes of the dragon), signifying, 'May the voyage be successful.'
The first foreign newspaper published at Canton was in 1827; it was called the 'Canton Register,' and was printed on a small hand-press lent for the purpose by Mr. Alexander Matheson, of the then house of Magniac & Co.[59] Its size was but a little more than that of a large sheet of foolscap. The editor, who himself was the first compositor, was a young American gentleman named Wood, of Philadelphia, and son of the celebrated tragedian. He was a person of great versatility, mentally and materially; he abounded in wit, was well read, and of no fixed purpose. Having ceased to be connected with the 'Register,' he entered the office of Messrs. Russell & Co. about the same time with young Irving, a nephew of Washington Irving. One day, one of our Parsee friends, Nanabhoy Framjee, came in for bills on London 'in small pamphlets' (moderate amounts each), and it was Wood's business to fill them up. Our office, one of three, was the general rendezvous of Russell & Co.'s captains, and on the day in question five or six of them were present, talking over purchases in carpenter's square of camphor-wood trunks, lacquered ware boxes, writing desks, &c. The bills having been made out were left on Mr. Low's desk for signature. Suddenly from the 'Tai-Pan's' office we heard a great shout of laughter, and that gentleman appeared. 'Wood,' said he, handing him one of the bills, 'I doubt if Baring's will accept this, or even Nanabhoy take it; read it over.' Wood did so, and to his confusion saw that B. B. & Co. were requested to pay to the order of Nanabhoy Framjee, Esq., 'one hundred lacquered ware boxes,' which in his absence of mind he had caught up from the skippers. Not very long after, Wood took up his quarters in the French Factory, and established a second newspaper, called the 'Chinese Courier,' which had but a short existence. Amongst his other accomplishments was that of sketching, for which he had a remarkable talent, and he was, moreover, a maker of verses! One evening at dinner at his house, several being at table, the conversation ran upon poetry, and some impromptu verses having been made, something led to a challenge to Wood to parody Byron's 'Know'st thou the land,' confining the words entirely to local matters and things. He accepted the challenge, and when we again met he read after dinner the following, on which we congratulated him, as being good for Canton!
Know'st thou the land where the nankin and tea-chest,
With cassia and rhubarb and camphor, abound?
Where oft in the Hongs, by the coolies' foul feet pressed,
They pack their Boheas in a way to astound?
Know'st thou the land where in vain you endeavour
To sell your fair longcloths or barter your yarn?
Where you fidget and fret, be you never so clever,
And find all your profits are going 'astarn'?
Know'st thou the land where the drug in its glory,
With cotton and betel-nut, govern the day?
Where Patna or Malwa's the theme of each story,
The life of each anecdote, solemn or gay?
Know'st thou the land where the fair, unprotected
By the lords of their destinies, wither alone?
Where woman's a slave, by her tyrants neglected,
And the only bright jewel they sigh not to own?
Where lips which were formed to breathe of devotion
To affectionate spouses or lovers provoke;
Instead of confessing their tender emotion,
Give forth all their sensitive feelings in smoke?
'Tis the land we now live in—the land that would shame
The world by its valour, invention, and worth;
Where the page of her history glows with the name
Of her sage,[60] and her warrior,[61] the pride of the earth;
Where tea is the potion great deeds to inspire,
And emperors deign (and if they, who will not?)
To watch the decoction, themselves, on the fire,
And write prosy odes to the 'pride of the pot.'
Tho' fairest Hwâ-Te[62] are thy gardens of flowers,
And sweet every blossom that flings to the breeze
Its perfume, decks with its tints thy gay bowers,
Or clings on its vine to thy moss-covered trees;
Yet fairer the lands we have all left behind us,
And gayer the flowers and purer the air.
Do we need in our exile this rhyme to remind us
Of the hearts that are glowing with love for us there?
Farewell then to tea-chests; the loosened sail flying
Expands to the breeze and chides our delay;
Now past is the parting, the 'chin-chin,' the sighing
Of all the poor 'devils'[63] who can't get away!
Wood and a brother resident, an Irishman named Keating, had at one time a 'little difficulty.' Mr. Augustine Heard acted for him, and Mr. James Innes, an 'old school' and eccentric Scotchman, for the latter. Much correspondence took place between them as to where the question should be washed out in 'blood.' One side chose French Island, at Whampoa; the other Lintin, as being beyond the interference of the Chinese authorities in case of 'accident;' but through the good sense of the 'best men,' and to the gratification of common friends, the dispute was arranged—because, as Wood said, 'There was no abbey in which to lay a body.' After a residence of nearly ten years at Canton, Wood removed to Manila, and established himself on a coffee and sugar plantation at Jala-Jala. His letters from this new abode were full of wit and mirthful to a degree, even in describing bad crops caused by visits from Messrs. Taiphoon, Drought, & Co., or the destruction of his fences by wild buffaloes, while he never could get a night's sleep from the many snakes of preposterous dimensions which made themselves 'at home' in his bungalow, and pursued the most 'harmless' of rats across the ceiling, up and down posts, and across the floors 'under his very eyes.' At length he quitted Jala-Jala and joined the office of Messrs. Russell & Sturgis, at Manila. Under their generous auspices and considerate kindness he ever after found there a home.
He was the first person to introduce the art of photography in Manila, and through his teaching many Mestizos[64] became proficients, and practise it now as a profession. He made one short visit to Europe, from which he returned delighted, and one to myself at Macao (thirty years after we first met at Canton). At length for poor Wood the 'tolling of the bell' was heard; he died, full of years, after an extraordinary life of great personal worth, great unsteadiness of purpose, and, as far as worldly success went, a great unsuccess.