The Chinese navy as described by the missionary Charles Gützlaff in his book published in 1834

The missionary Charles Gützlaff stayed for several years in China and published in some books what he saw and or his opinions dealing with the daily life in China and the foreign influence. His comments are of importance for the fact there isn’t much known about the Chinese navy in her sailing period. For the Chinese steam navy is for instance much more known, including an extensive book dealing with this topic. Obviously, all comments I found until now, dealing with the Chinese sailing navy are negative!

P. 41: “The Chinese navy is very extensive, numbering, perhaps, one thousand sail, small and large ships included ; the menof-war, however, are mere junks, which mount a few cannon, but they have no very large vessels. There are generally three high-admirals, Shwuy-sze Tebuh, who command the imperial navy. Their ignorance of naval tactics is such, that even the merchant-junks are superior to the imperial cruisers, which are commonly at a loss to know how to act in any case of emergency. In 1832 a Canton man-of-war having been driven down the coast, and finally into a Cochin-Chinese harbor, the king of Cochin-China had the humanity to furnish it with a pilot and two of his junks, without the. aid of which they would not have been able to return to Canton. In 1829 a government frigate was sent from the Fuh-keen province to Formosa; strong north-easterly gales forced her down the Formosa channel; she could neither retrace her way nor make the land; but after much beating about she arrived at Ligor, in Siam. There are many naval stations on the coast, of which Canton, Amoy, and Ningpo are the principal. Their squadrons generally remain in harbor, or cruise about for a few days only. The author once witnessed an attack of a pirate upon a merchant-junk. Five men-of-war were at anchor at the distance of three miles observing the contest, but they did think it worth their while to hasten to the assistance of the suffering party. Piracy, which many years ago, was carried on to a very

P. 42: great extent, could never be put down by the united efforts of the imperial fleet; wearied with their vain efforts, they at length bought over the chiefs, made them mandarins of high rank, and thus put a temporary stop to the atrocities daily committed upon defenceless traders. Whenever European ships sail along the coast the naval officers receive orders to drive them away, and not to allow them to come to an anchor for one moment. Yet the united squadrons of several harbors could never muster so much courage as to compel a single ship to get under weigh; on the contrary, the terror which a single ship inspires is so great that the Chinese fleet will rather retreat than come to an encounter. I have frequently been an eye-witness of their utter dismay at the sight of well-mounted guns on board the ships; they have never shown any inclination to provoke the commanders to discharge one broadside, but always endeavored to soothe the fierce temper of the barbarians.”

Source

Reverend Charles Gützlaff. A sketch of Chinese history, ancient and modern: comprising a retrospect of the foreign intercourse and trade with China. New York, 1834.