Kathay: A Cruise in the China Seas Part 13

A powder boat laying almost under our bows was robbed, the powder removed, and its keeper carried away, without exciting any attention; so silently was the act performed.

As we were leaving for Macao, the clipper ship Witchcraft came in, disabled, as I have recorded in a previous chapter.

Whilst at Macao, this time, a very extensive fire occurred, amongst China houses near the Bazaar. About thirty were destroyed, and a great many goods. A silk merchant's loss was considerable. So frightened was the fellow, that he removed his goods into a house that was afterwards burned, his own shop escaping; literally "jumping out of the frying-pan into the fire."

On the nineteenth of December, ordered again to Whampoa, to relieve our consort, and protect American interests from that imaginary wolf, the rebellion. Christmas day pa.s.sed by there gloomily, and the new year commenced unprofitably.

Went up to Canton, to witness a theatrical performance, by amateurs, and was delighted. The room was well fitted up, and the appointments excellent. The play was, "The Schoolfellows,"--a beautiful little drama, by Douglas Jerrold, I believe; and it was admirably cast. Mr. Murray as Tom Drops--a good-hearted, liquor-loving _vaut-rien_--was inimitable. He was waiter and hostler to a village inn; and the scene in which he, upon wine being called for by a customer, produces, condemns, and consumes, a bottle of the "_black seal_" was the perfection of acting, the different phases of ebriety were well portrayed, and in the course of the play, additional red patches appeared upon his face, to show the effects of his habits.

Box and c.o.x was the after-piece; and Mr. Clavering as _Mrs._ Bouncer, was the very beau-ideal of a landlady, "fair, fat, and forty." The prologue was excellent, and well delivered, and the amateur company had just reason to be proud of their performance.

Having been favored with a copy of the opening address, I transcribe it.

Of course, it loses much from the effect given by its composer in its delivery.

"Fair ladies, and kind friends, who deign to smile On our attempt an hour to beguile, I'm hither by the actors sent, to pray A gentle judgment on a first Essay.

They bid me state, their novel situation Has set their hearts in such strange perturbation, They dare not raise the curtain till they've pleaded First, for the pardon will be so much needed.

I'm shocked to say, it sounds so of the oddest, Our ladies want much practice to look modest; The rough, strong voice, ill suits with feelings tender, And 'tis such work to make their waists look slender!

As for the men, the case is little better; Some, of the dialogue scarce know a letter: All unacquainted with each cla.s.sic rule, We feel we've need enough to go to school; And trembling stand, afraid to come before ye, And of the Schoolfellows to tell the story.

Yet need this be? I see no critic here; No surly newspaper have we to fear; Our scenery may be bad, but this is certain, Bright decorations are before the curtain, Under whose influence, you may well believe, We do not sigh for Stanfield, grieve for Grieve!

Yet not too far to carry innovation, And to comply with settled regulation, Prompter we have, our memories to ease; But our best prompter is, the wish to please.

Then kindly say, to stumblers in their part, What they have _got_, was surely got _by heart_; And each, surrounded by his friends, so stands, He will meet nought but kindness at their hands."

The Stanfield and Grieve, upon whose names the happy alliteration is made, are supposed to be celebrated English scene painters. But although the scenery meets with disparagement in the prologue, yet it was very superior; and the interior of the old schoolhouse, with the names of the boys cut into the oaken pannels of the door, and on which Jasper points out to Horace their initials intertwined, was a perfect picture.

Having gone thus far, I cannot omit a notice of Mr. Benjamin Sears'

impersonation of the aged schoolmaster, Cedar. The dignity and simplicity of the character combined, was rendered by him in such a manner as almost to bring back those forgotten tears, drawn forth in olden times by that masterpiece of acting of Harry Placide's, in Grandfather Whitehead.

"Our Ladies," who required so much practice "to _look_ modest," had become perfect in that requisite before the upraising of the curtain; and the young gentlemen cast in those characters sustained them with much tact, and knowledge of the demeanor of well-bred ladies: so much so, indeed, that after they had got through their parts, they were added, still in character, to the galaxy of "decorations before the curtain;" and the only _faux pas_ I noticed was by "Marion," who, in being led to her seat in the dress circle, was about to take an unladylike step ever an obstruction, which her (?) innate modesty checked with the impulse.

After the performance, all the characters attended a fancy dress ball in their stage costume; and the pseudo ladies found partners in every dance, and won many hearts by their grace and beauty.

Had also a performance in the "Reach," by the crew of H. B. M. steamer Salamander. The larboard side of the forecastle was allotted to them; and they gave a drama "adapted to their stage," by one of their number called the "Smuggler," which they produced with good effect. The performance was, as they gave out, "under the distinguished patronage of the American and Her Majesty's officers."

But in spite of all these distractions, our delay was barely supportable; and watching the course of the muddy river, the following lament was penned:

Oh! swiftly flows thy dusky tide, Dark river, onward to the sea; And little doth thy current bide The thousand things that float on thee!

From off thy sh.o.r.e a weed is cast-- Swiftly, in thy resistless sway, In eddying currents, sweeping past, 'Tis borne, unheeded, far away.

Like thine, the sweeping tide of Time, Rolls onward ever to the sh.o.r.e Of that uncertain, unknown clime, From which it may return no more;

And on its flow, my brittle life Drops down, uncared for, to _that_ sea, Where, 'midst the dark waves' stormy strife, It soon shall sink, and cease to be.

CHAPTER XXIV.

Commodore arrives at last--Preparations for a Start--Delay --Washington's Birthday--The Clipper Challenge--Prisoners from her--Homeward Bound!--Reflections on Leaving--Case of Small-Pox--Second visit to Anger.

The flag-ship being now daily expected, we unmoored, and came down to Macao, awaiting her arrival in the outer Roads. Lay there, rolling, with occasional trips on sh.o.r.e, until the fourth of February, when the Commodore's broad pendant hove in sight. He anch.o.r.ed in the roads: and after we had reported, ordered us, by signal, to accompany him to Hong-Kong. Here we anch.o.r.ed, and remained until the squadron were all a.s.sembled, when we were ordered back to Macao, to take in provisions for the voyage home, and remove the invalids from the hospital. This accomplished, we returned again to the rendezvous, to receive our final orders, which were to relieve us from duty on the station, and send us home!

Were delayed by the investigation of a mutiny on board the American clipper ship Challenge, the ringleaders being then in custody in the Hong-Kong jail, and the case before the United States Consul.

Washington's birthday came round again whilst we remained in the harbor of Hong-Kong, and was celebrated by our squadron, the guns of which made quite a noise in the ears of the descendants of those who had once denounced him as a rebel.

Took an opportunity to look at the "Challenge." She is an immense vessel, 243 feet long, with 43 feet beam, and over 2,000 tons burthen, but so beautifully proportioned as not to appear above 1,200. Her spars are immense, and she spreads a _cloud_ of canvas. Depend upon it, she will not belie her name, but with any kind of a chance, is destined to make a voyage, which she may confidently _challenge_ the navies of the world to beat!

On the twenty-fifth of February, the prisoners from the Challenge were sent on board, six in number; and at 6 bells P. M. got up anchor, and fired a parting salute, which was returned by the Commodore, gun for gun. Exchanged cheers with the squadron, made an evolution in the harbor, by way of "salaam," and then stood out, with studding-sails set, homeward bound!

There is a sort of unexpressed concern, a kind of shock, that sets one's heart ajar at leaving even the most unpleasant people and places, says one who ought to know, for he had travelled much, and I could not help agreeing with him, as we took our departure: There was but little to regret in leaving China. I had formed few ties there. The places and people (with but few exceptions), if not unpleasant, were at least indifferent. Yet I must admit this unexpressed and inexpressible concern, as our vessel glided out of the harbor of Hong-Kong, towards home.

But we had a long pa.s.sage before us, and much water to sail through, ere we reached our homes. The China and the Java seas had to be traversed ere the Straits of Sunda gave us a pa.s.sage to the Indian Ocean, whose bosom we had to plough until the southern point of Africa pa.s.sed, the Atlantic could be pressed by our keel;--and then not the Ocean of our hemisphere: for many degrees of longitude must be tracked, before we could set them down as West; and the imaginary "Line" divided us from the Northern Ocean, in which lay our port.

Took our departure from the "Ladrone Islands" at 8 o'clock on the night of the twenty-fifth, and the next day at meridian, we had made 128 miles on a S. S. West course. Weather fine; beautiful, easy sailing, with the wind abeam.

On the twenty-seventh, wind hauled ahead, and we only got eighty-eight miles out of the ship in the last twenty-four hours; and for the last two days of February had a dead beat--a thing altogether unlooked for in the China Sea at this season.

On Thursday, eleventh of March,--sea time,--at meridian, we were thirteen miles south of the Line, in long. 107 22' 55'' east; being the third time of our "crossing" it. A few days previous to this a case of small-pox had broken out, one of the prisoners having contracted the disease in Hong-Kong, where it had been raging to some extent. This was rather a serious matter in a small and crowded ship at sea; but he, being placed in the lee quarter boat, and a strong N. E. monsoon then prevailing, after a while recovered, no contagion having been communicated to the ship's company.

The Island of Saint Barbe was pa.s.sed on the morning of the last date. It is a beautiful island, uninhabited, and as near the line as can be.

On St. Patrick's day, 17th. March, came to anchor at Anger, where we stopped for a supply of water and wood. I have described this place in an earlier chapter, and on landing found the town without much change.

The Banyan tree still there, with the Dutch flag above it, and the string of half clad Malays on their usual walk between it and the Bazaar. The former mansion of the Governor had been destroyed by fire, and a new Governor had been installed, who occupied the house formerly used as a hotel. He was absent on official duty, but his Secretary did the honors of reception.

Naturally looking round for our old friend, the Dutch landlord, found him in a smaller house, his only customer; had expected to have heard that he had fallen a victim to his love for "schnapps," but here he was as blooming as ever, and as much addicted to his national liquor--certainly gin appeared to have agreed with him.

Took possession of his quarters at once, and ordered a supper, of which some _slap-jacks_ was the only dish eatable. Composed ourselves for the night, on a mattress hauled from his own bed, with expectation of a more comfortable breakfast, which, with the addition of eggs, and the omission of slap-jacks, was a fac-simile of the evening meal.

There was one thing peculiar about the eggs, which I would recommend be introduced into the United States, viz., to have the date of the time in which they were laid marked upon the sh.e.l.l, as he had, only proposing that the marker be sworn as to the correctness of the date; in which case the Dutchman would have perjured himself, I fear.

Had a splendid bath, by favor of the Secretary, in the Governor's bath-house, which was large enough to swim in, and constantly supplied with fresh water by the same aqueduct that brings it to the shipping.

Our compradore gave us a treat of mangusteens, delicious fruit, and then the cornet being hoisted at the fore, the signal for sailing, repaired on board, having spent twenty-four hours very pleasantly again at Anger.

CHAPTER XXV.

No Musquitoes at Anger--The Land of the East--A Sketch-- Advantages of Anger--Dolce-far-Niente--Island of Java-- Batavia--Bantam--Comparison between Anger and Singapore.

A peculiarity about Anger is, that there are no musquitoes there, and very few of the noxious vermin that destroy the romance of tropical climes. It does very well in poetry, to pen, in pretty phrase, the query of your acquaintance with the

"Land of the orange and myrtle;"

but they are more than _poetically_ "emblems of _deeds_ that are done in their clime," and gastric derangement from the former fruit, with cutaneous affections from the sweet-scented vine, are not the only proofs of a change in the properties of the Garden of Eden. "Latet anguis in herba," of the most inviting natural lawn, and of its gayest flowers, truly has the poet said, "the trail of the serpent is over them all." The East is called the "land of the sun," and justly too, for he reigns supreme there, and if you defy his power, soon brings you to your senses, or rather deprives you of them, by a _coup de soleil_. Evading his beams you seek the covert of a grateful shade, where the spreading palm, with parasol-like leaves, forms romantic shelter, the cocoa-nut in its triple cl.u.s.ter hanging invitingly in its crotch; away high up upon its straight and graceful stem, birds of magnificent plumage are flitting from tree to tree, making the grove vocal with their notes; monkeys, mischievous, but not considered dangerous, dance overhead upon the boughs, and with comic antics provoke a smile. With gentle breezes wafting perfumes such as Gouraud never was gladdened with in his most happy ambrosial dreams, and glimpses of the blue sky, seen partially through the waving foliage, which gently moves with a composing sound, reminding you that "Heaven is above all," you close your eyes, about to sink into the arms of the "twin sister" of that mysterious deity, who bears you thither, when--wiss-s-rattle, crack--down comes a cocoa-nut, denting the ground within two inches from whence you had just jerked your happy head, which had it hit would have transferred you from the arms of one "twin" to the other; and a malicious monkey scampers off chattering and grinning, as if he had performed a feat worthy of his prototype--man!