Page images
PDF
EPUB

pretty landscape far astern and getting into deep waters which were still disturbed by a strong north-east wind; and the recent gale had left a heavy swell that rolled with us to the southward, at times causing the vessel to work uneasily. We steered about W. by S.S., on which course the Lammocks Light was sighted at 12.45 a.m., bearing W by S., and at 1.45 a.m. we passed it at a distance of one and a-half miles to the southward, at which time the engines were reduced to half-speed, as the night was very dark, and we were nearing a most dangerous part of the coast, rocks being all around, and no lights to mark their place. Now one of Messrs. Butterfield and Swire's boats, which had been for some time following up, steamed past on our starboard side and went ahead, but only to arrive at Swatow an hour or two after us.

Cape Light was sighted right ahead at 2.30 a.m., and at 2 a.m. the Sugar Loaf Light bore W. by N. The wind now increased again, until 4.30 a.m., when it blew a fresh north-easterly gale with following sea, and the sky was cloudy and overcast. Then the ship was slowed down until passing the Cape of Good Hope, when we again went full speed ahead, and at 6.55 a.m. made fast to the buoy in Swatow, this run being accomplished in 14 hours 55 minutes. During the day very little work was carried on aboard, and in the afternoon the third officer and one of the engineers went for some distance up the Han river, in search of game, and returned in the evening with a very creditable bag.

Swatow is situated on the border of the Kwangtung province, 213 miles to the north-east of Canton, in lat. 23° 23′ N. and long. 116° 42' E., and was thrown open to foreign trade by the Earl of Elgin's Tientsin Treaty. It is the shipping station for the important commercial city of Chao-chou-fu, and several large and wealthy Hongkong firms have agencies at this port to which most of the cargoes of beans and beancake from Chefoo and Newchwang are brought, while the exports chiefly consist of sugar and oranges.

The coolie trade from Swatow also gives employment to a number of steamers, the coolies being carried to Singapore and Bangkok, whence they are drafted to the neighbouring plantations. The

Dutch planters in Sumatra have time after time endeavoured to establish this traffic between Swatow, Amoy, and Delhi direct; but have failed to do so, as Delhi is known to be a very unhealthy place-in fact, it is called the Chinaman's Grave, and coolies dread going there, and very few of those who do go there ever return. So that in many instances nefarious and altogether illegal measures have been resorted to by shippers and planters to procure coolies the former often offering from 300 to 400 dollars for each male adult; and in consequence the shippers mislead the poor natives and practically kidnap them away from the ports of Amoy and Swatow, whence most of the emigrants come.

The scenery and walks about Swatow are very picturesque; but to obtain an idea of their whereabouts it is necessary to go ashore, as the view from the harbour is most deceiving and even uninviting to strangers. Our steamer remained in harbour during the night, and next day shipped a large quantity of cargo-chiefly molasses in wooden tubs-before proceeding on her way. All being in readiness at four p.m., the usual formula of "clearing" was gone through, and we were soon speeding southward for Hongkong, where we arrived at eight a.m. next morning, after a most pleasant and instructive trip, that was much enhanced by the courteous attention and hospitality of the genial captain and officers.

I remained that night in Hongkong which we shall visit later on, and proceeded next day in the Messageries Maritimes Company's coasting steamer "Haiphong" to Hoihow.

XXII. HOIHOW AND KIUNGCHOW.

W

HEN HEN the "Haiphong" came to an anchorage in the Hainan Straits, off Hoihow, after a smart and smooth passage of eighteen hours from Hongkong, I soon found that the worst part of the journey had yet to be encountered in going ashore from the steamer.

The anchor had no sooner touched the bottom than about fifty flat-bottomed sailing sampans dashed alongside. They came sailing up as if intending to flatten their bows in against the ship's iron sides, and thus test the stability of the hard seasoned wood with which they are built. But such was by no means their intention, for, when within a few feet of the steamer, they suddenly shifted the tiller hard over, and turned round, as if on a pivot, within their own length. I soon found that the secret of this lay in the strong wooden centre-boards they so much depend upon on these occasions, and when sailing on a wind. I called the lowdah of one of the boats, and asked him through the five-fingered code and in "pidgin" English, how much he would charge to transfer my wife and self and our luggage to Hoihow.

He put up ten dirty fingers, and ejaculated the word "dolla.” I naturally enough remonstrated; then he turned from me with evident disgust, making use of some complimentary epithets which I fortunately did not understand. But he was a good honest fellow, no doubt, in his own estimation; for he soon returned with a benign smile illuminating his greasy countenance, and playfully held six dirt-begrimed fingers in close proximity to my nose. This time I turned away with evident disgust, which

evoked a hearty "haiya!" from this worthy man and his chief sail-raiser, who had now come up to support the waning interests of his master.

Well, after much fist-raising, haiyaing, and similar forcible language used in these controversies, they agreed to land us and our "traps" in Hoihow for two dollars, just exactly a fifth of what they asked at first, and just one dollar more than I ought to have paid. While we had been arguing the tide had been falling lower and lower, so that by the time we got to the "sand-spit," as it is called, it was nearly dead low water. We had now to cross a mud flat, extending about three miles, and covered with from two to twelve inches of water-the latter depth being only found in the proper channels which, through their intricate windings, none but the native boatmen know.

After sliding over these muddy flats, where grim-visaged shrimp collectors endlessly roam, ever patient, poor, expectant and resigned, we reached the first "gun-house," as my worthy conductor styled the first antiquated half-ruined fort that guards the river, just as the last streaks of light faded out of the cheerless sky. After passing another crumbling fort, we at length brought up before the Custom House-a most unimposing old Chinese building of doubtful age and sombre aspect. Here I was met by a gentleman, evidently of Dutch descent, who smiled at me, and gave me to understand that he filled the responsible post of Acting Harbour Master and Tide-surveyor. Having imparted this valuable information, he smiled again and placing his thumbs in the arm-holes of his waistcoat, called in a stentorian voice, calculated to impress one with the dignity of his position, to a number of half-terrified boatmen who came to my assistance. And this hospitable Acting Harbour Master, who had suddenly been transferred to that post from the subordinate position of 1st class Tide-waiter, sent a couple of them to guide me to my own private residence which the Commissioner of Customs had very kindly prepared for my reception.

This could only be reached, however, by tramping through a labyrinth of narrow odoriferous streets, where one's trouser-legs seemed to tempt the none-too-fastidious appetites of many hungry dogs, who hailed my arrival with howls of disapproval.

Hoihow is the seaport town of Kiungchow, the capital of Hainan; both of which are open to foreign residents and trade, Kiunchow being the residence of the Taotai, and the seat of the local government which also has jurisdiction over the opposite peninsula of Luchow. Hoihow was opened to foreign trade in August. 1876, and is situated in lat. 20° 3' N. and long. 110' 19' E., being the southernmost of all the Treaty ports of China. The interior of the island is inhabited by aboriginal tribes, known as the wild Loi people, much resembling those of Formosa, especially in their antipathy to the Chinese, to whom they are a constant source of trouble and anxiety. Several military expeditions have of late years been sent out to subdue them, but have always met with ignominious defeat. The chief exports of the island are sugar, sweet-potatoes, rice, tobacco, timber, and pigs; and the imports opium, cotton, and silk goods, kerosine oil, and medicines, The following interesting and instructive report was given of Hoihow by the late Mr. Colin Jamieson (Commissioner of Customs),

in 1881: :

"As for the future, it may be assumed with some confidence that the commerce here is capable of substantial augmentation, and, if general tranquillity is maintained, the cultivation of home produce will probably undergo, in course of time, considerable extension, leading-through increased exportation-to wider dealings in commodities from without; while, failing the opening of other Hainan ports, the tendency of trade must be to converge more and more towards Hoihow, as the advantages of carriage of goods by vessels of foreign rather than of native type becomes more generally recognized. Hoihow possesses the further advantage of being close to the mouth of the Pochung-ho, the principal river of Hainan-a stream which, taking its rise in the Limushan, is navigable by boats of 12ins. to 15ins. draught for a distance of some 60 miles from the sea. As an adverse influence, there must, on the other hand, be mentioned the slow but increasing, growth of the mud-flats in the harbour, between the anchorage and the shore, whereby the cargo-boat traffic is restricted to certain states of the tide. It will probably be found necessary at no distant date to take measures to arrest the progress of this

« PreviousContinue »