Kathay: A Cruise in the China Seas Part 14

"Oh know you the land of the orange and myrtle?" where the Thug crawls cautiously with his strangling cord, and the tiger welcomes you with his feline fangs!

But Anger--please p.r.o.nounce it softly, as if written thus, Anjeer--Anger is not so bad as described in the foregoing sketch; as I have stated, there are no musquitoes there, and you are not much troubled with those b.u.mping, buzzing bugs, who "put out the light, and then put out _their_ light." Lizards crawl over the walls and ceilings, but they are harmless, and catch flies. I do not know how it is, and it may be thought a strange taste, but I rather affection the lizard. His frugal habits, his un.o.btrusive manners, and that cunning blink of his bright black eyes, have taken away that aversion which is a natural sentiment towards that species of animals "which crawl upon the belly;" and upon the whole, must confess I consider him, despite his ugly tail, a very proper _domestic_ animal; more so than many other gluttonous pets.

Tigers, it is true, are said to prowl about at night, seeking something to devour, but I never encountered one, else I might not have been here to write about them. Crocodiles infest the stream that winds around and about the Malay houses. But they do not appear to hold them in dread, for I have seen men, women, children and crocodiles in the same water, and at the same time. That they, the crocodiles, are not converts to Malthus, is pretty apparent, from the number of _tender_ infants they permit to be added to the census of the Malay population.

Upon the whole, there was something about Anger peculiarly pleasing to me; whether that it had been the "first of Eastern lands" I had trodden upon, or there could have been any thing conducive to the "dolce-far-niente" feeling in its atmosphere, but I felt as if I could have laid back and smoked segars in Mynheer's porch for the remainder of my days--

"The world forgetting, by the world forgot."

Don't know how long the feeling would have lasted had I indulged it _ad libitum_; but I certainly did enjoy the few hours pa.s.sed there in a kind of dreamy abstraction, which approached the pleasure of the opium-eater's reverie.

The Island of Java, sometimes called "Great," on account of Balie having once been called by the same name, is nearly five hundred miles in length, and a place of considerable importance in the commercial world; that part of it occupied by the Dutch, producing coffee, rice, and "straits produce." Batavia, the princ.i.p.al settlement, is a city of considerable importance, only about sixty miles by land from Anger, a communication being kept up by post between the two places. It is described as a very populous and beautiful city, but of a climate, at certain seasons, deadly to Europeans. The Governor-General of the Dutch possessions in the East Indies, resides at Batavia, and it is the depot of the Dutch trade. It is well known that the English possessed themselves of this place after the provinces had declared war against Great Britain, and lost more men during its short occupancy, by disease, than by the casualties of war. Bantam is also neighboring to Anger, with which a post route is also kept up; it was once a place of considerable importance, but has fallen into decay, Batavia obtaining its trade, and rising upon its ruins.

Anger itself, from its advantageous position in the Straits of Sunda, with an enterprising population, might become a place of considerable importance, and rival in time its neighbor, Sincapore, in the Straits of Malacca. It is now the stopping place for nearly every vessel pa.s.sing through these Straits for water and provisions, and there is nothing to prevent its becoming an emporium for the products of this fertile Island, excepting the short-sighted policy of the Dutch, who wishing to centre all the trade at Batavia, force the merchantmen to a sickly city for the pepper, coffee, rice, &c., raised upon it. Nothing is allowed to be exported from Anger, and when we wished to procure some coffee for use on board ship, found it only could be obtained in an underhand manner. If the English when they took possession of the island, had but made a settlement and retained this point, they would have found it greatly to their advantage, even more profitable than Sincapore.

CHAPTER XXVI.

Pa.s.s through Sunda Strait--H. B. M. S. Rattler--Catch the Trades--A learned opinion on Diaries--Extracts from Diary--Isle of France--Its Romance--Bourbon--Mauritius-- Cape of Good Hope--Description--Trouble in getting in-- Table Bay and Mountain.

In pa.s.sing through the Straits, after leaving Anger, H. B. M. screw propeller "Rattler" went up on her way to China. Did not envy her officers, nor feel at all inclined to exchange with them.

Ran out of the Straits with a fine leading wind, taking our departure from Java-Head at early daylight on the morning of the 19th of March; struck the "trades" at once, and held them to the 28th, when had made 1550 miles.

The distance run, by log, from Hong-Kong to Anger, was just nineteen hundred forty-five and three-fourth miles, making us at that time exactly three thousand four hundred and ninety-six on our way home. This was done in a little over thirty days, including stoppage.

The learned Baron of Verulam has said: "It is a strange thing in sea voyages, when there is nothing to be seen but sea and sky, that men should make diaries, and omit them in land travel, as if chance were fitter to be registered than observation." Now I have made my diary, both at sea and on sh.o.r.e, and copy from it:

_At Sea, Sunday, April 11th, 1852._--Have now run down to the southward of the Island of Madagascar, and are in the same longitude, having pa.s.sed the Isle of France, or the "Mauritius," and Bourbon safely.

Hurricanes prevail off these islands, but we have only had one small blow. Last Sunday caught a shark, about seven feet and a half long.

Some of the men ate part of him.

Beautiful "Isle of France," degraded into Mauritius by the Dutch in honor of their Stadtholder Maurice, but made celebrated by the pen of Bernardin St. Pierre, as the scene of the life, loves and "fate of Paul and Virginia, and consecrated by their tomb!" Creative power of genius, thus to const.i.tute an insignificant island, far, far away amongst the distant waves of the Indian Ocean, a shrine to which pilgrims shall resort in honor of true and young and ill-starred love!

Bourbon, too, the Island of Reunion--happy nomenclature--has also pleasant a.s.sociations connected with its name.

Madagascar, however, from its importance, is worthy of a pa.s.sing notice.

It is one of the largest islands known. It covers, in the Indian Ocean, the s.p.a.ces between lat.i.tudes 12 and 25 degrees south, and the longitudes 43 and 51 east of London; at a close calculation, has been found to fill up a superficies of over two hundred thousand square miles;--equal in extent to the Pyrenean peninsula, composed of Spain and Portugal. It has been but little explored; but treaties have been made with its reigning powers by both Great Britain and the United States.

_Monday, April 19th._--At sea, in lat.i.tude 35 13', about one degree south of the Cape. Have been prevented from making entries in diary by rough weather, and heartily joined the schoolmaster in his wish, that "if Britannia _ruled_ the waves, she would bring them more parallel to the '_Line_!'"

_Sunday, April 25th, 1852._--Are now off the Cape of Good Hope, called by its discoverer, Diaz, Cabo Tormentoso, or the Tormenting Cape, from the storms he encountered in its lat.i.tude. And well was it named, too, in our case; for here we are, with a wind right in our teeth, trying to beat up to Table Bay, and cha.s.seeing to the Cape, as if to a stationary partner.

Just sixty days from China, and have run by reckoning seven thousand one hundred and forty-five miles,--our course giving us five thousand one hundred and ninety-four and one-half miles from Anger.

On Friday night last, while becalmed off Cape Algulhas, caught a number of very fine fish on the Algulhas banks. One kind was called "Cape Salmon;" another species was known at Cape Town by the name of "King Clip."

On last Sunday, had made our calculations to be in Cape Town on the ensuing Tuesday, from the fine wind we had; but if we get in by next Tuesday, shall consider ourselves fortunate. Can appreciate the situation of Mynheer Vanderdecken now, and his anxiety to forward letters by pa.s.sing vessels. Shall take advantage of the steamer for England, at Cape Town, to forward some myself; which have hopes will be more fortunate in reaching their destination than the dispatches of the Flying Dutchman, pa.s.sing there, as they will, through the Colonial Post Office.

The Cape of Good Hope is not the most extreme point of Southern Africa, the before-mentioned Algulhas extending farther into the Southern Ocean.

Cape Town is to the westward of the Cape, upon an indentation called Table Bay. But I will now resume my diary, as we are approaching a place proper for it to be kept, according to the learned Lord Bacon. The next date is,

_Southern Atlantic Ocean, May 3d, 1852._--Since last entry have been into Table Bay, for water, and have been on sh.o.r.e at Cape Town. Are now, as above, in lat.i.tude 30 24' south, with the wind dead aft, heading up the Atlantic for home: and from our last departure, begin to say at last, "We're homeward bound!"

On Monday last, April 26th, came to anchor in Table Bay about 5 P. M., having spent that and the previous day in trying to get in.

The approach to Cape Town is interesting; Table Mountain, with its extensive flat top, forming a prominent feature.

Before you round the point, which shuts in the anchorage, and excludes a view of the town, leaving only the heavy brow of this mountain visible, you pa.s.s along a coast composed of a long sloping hill in the proportions of a lion _couchant_. It extends eastwardly and westwardly, and the "Lion's Head" is first seen as you approach from the eastward.

Upon the mount called thus, is a large rock, very similar in appearance to the outlines of a sculptured lion, of the Egyptian style of carving.

The hill gradually diminishing, makes a good representation of the mane and hinder parts of a reposing lion; on what is distinguished as "the Rump," is a signal station: along the part forming the flanks are distributed beautiful country-seats: rounding "the Rump," the town is visible, with Table Bay, and shipping.

Table Bay in itself is not very imposing; is a bad roadstead, and vessels intending to make any stay at the colony, go round to Simon's Bay, which is a safe roadstead within the larger one called False Bay.

Numerous windmills along the sh.o.r.e are remarkable objects, and prove the scarcity of water to grind the corn. It is a feature in the economy of Southern Africa, that streams, which are torrents at one season, become almost dry beds in the other.

Table Mountain, with the well laid out town at its base, flanked by "Devil's Peak" and "Lion's Head," makes a majestic, natural frame to a beautiful landscape. This singular mountain, before whose n.o.ble proportions the works of man sink into insignificance,--his dwellings appearing, from its summit, mere ant-hills,--is 3,582 feet above the level of the ocean; and for one thousand or more feet from its top descends on the north-east side perpendicularly, whilst the flat appearance of its lengthened surface completes the resemblance to the piece of furniture from which it receives its _soubriquet_.

The long even line, cutting the sky at right angles, was very pretty to look at while I was there. But a few weeks after, when aeolus spreads "the cloth," and invites the winds to a feast, then let the mariner, whose vessel may be caught in the bay beneath, beware. Forth from their revels they rush over its precipitous sides, and ships become their play-things, and man their prey!

CHAPTER XXVII.

Land at Cape Town--Hotels and Widows--Drive to Constantia --Description of Drive--Price of Wine--Manumission of Slaves--Seasons at the Cape--The Town through a Microscope, &c. &c.

Landed at Cape Town on a fine jetty, which projects some distance into the bay. This, with another about a mile above, are the only landing places. Stopped at "Parke's Hotel," at its head. This is kept by a widow lady, and a spruce dandy of a mulatto superintends its internal arrangements in the capacity of steward. There are two other hotels,--"The Masonic," and "Welch's,"--and a club-house. I believe all the houses of entertainment here have widows at their head--Sam Weller's injunction needed here--"Parke's" I know to be; "Welch's," I think, is; and two "Widows," at least in name, being man and wife with that appellation, spread forth the good things at "The Masonic;" and I have heard there are no _bereavements_ there.

After a fine bath,--my first care in every port,--took a stroll through the town. There is at the head of the street, on which the hotel was situated, a splendid wide avenue, planted with rows of majestic oaks, their branches meeting overhead. This extends over one mile; on one side of it is the Governor's Palace and grounds, cut off from vulgar feet by a moat, or walled ditch, and accessible by a small drawbridge from the avenue. Opposite is a Botanical Garden.

With a party from the ship, hired a splendid barouche and team, and drove out to "Constantia," about thirteen miles, where the wine is made.

It is a most beautiful drive, lined on either side by English country-houses, with surrounding grounds, intersected by broad avenues, smooth roads and walks, with green lawns spreading out around them, covered with close-clipped oak trees.

The drive was rather dusty, which somewhat detracted from its pleasure; but a shower of rain opportunely coming up, made the return more agreeable.

Pa.s.sed through a number of villages, among them Wynberg,--a nourishing, pretty place. Saw a great number of school-houses and churches; but taverns, "licensed to sell spirituous liquors," as appeared upon their signs, were most numerous on this road. A small chapel was being built, which, from its dimensions, supposed to be of the _established_ church, and no increase of congregation expected.

Visited the Vinery of S. Van Renen & Co., High Constantia. Was well received, although the coachman drove us to the wrong place; and we handed him a letter addressed to a Mr. Colyin, a neighbor, thinking it to be his place.

The grape season was over: wine had been all pressed and stowed away.

They gather the grape in March, but it is allowed to become almost a raisin on the stem before it is plucked. Tasted these wines; found them sweet and luscious, too much so for my palate. This peculiar flavor is caused by the condition of the grape when pressed.

_Prices of Constantia in Cask._

_Copied from a Table on the Card of S. Van Renen & Co._