Thanks to the fact that nowadays more and more books are digitized we are
able to read books that are some times for decades no longer available for the
public for several reasons. That's quite a pity while these books contains
useful information while the archives are destroyed, incomplete or nor
accessible. Sirr started in 1846 with texts for this book which were first
partly published in the Dublin University Magazine.
p. 49:“Few people have had the good fortune to visit a Chinese war-junk,
more especially the feminine portion of her Britannic Majesty's subjects; and
we will proceed to give a full, true, and particular account of our
introduction to one of the fire-avenging dragons, or war-junks, appertaining to
the Emperor of the Celestial Empire. Whilst at Whampoa, we became acquainted
with the second mandarin, who was about twenty-five years of age, and a
goodlooking fellow enough, who invited us to go on board his ship, and inspect
the wonders thereof; we thought our lucky star in the ascendant, and eagerly
accepted the invitation. If it were not beneath our manly dignity to be pleased
at the prospect of going on board a bond fide war-junk, never before visited by
an Englishman, guess the delight at the idea; and the impatience for the time
to arrive, manifested by our womankind - the watch was looked at constantly,
doubts expressed as to matches being always right”. “The day arrived, and with
it the mandarin, who came on board our ship, ostensibly to see if we were
coming, but in reality, to offer to purchase our never mind what relation,
suffice it to -say, the lady was an Englishwoman. This proposition nearly
determined us to abandon the inspection of the war-junk, as our indignation was
excited, and we were very wroth indeed with the mandarin.” … “Upon learning
that it was not the custom of British gentlemen to traffic in ladies, the
mandarin expressed his deep regret, and offered numberless apologies,
entreating, as we would not sell the lady, that we would allow him to purchase
her watch and chain. We were fully convinced that the mandarin did not intend
any insult by these proposals,
p. 50: as he was totally unacquainted with Europeans' habits and customs;
observing that her feet were uncrippled, he concluded that she was a handmaid,
and could not reconcile this fact to his mind, that women are not sold by us.”
…. “Having fully satisfied our mind as to the real character of these
proposals, we acceded to the mandarin's courteous and pressing invitation to return
his visit, and our new friend rowed off from our vessel to his junk in a
twelve-oared boat. One of our friends who accompanied us on this occasion,
declared that if the mandarin had offered to purchase any part of his family,
that he would have taken the money, but not delivered the goods; and the idea
is rich. When our boat came alongside the war-junk, our friend, who was on
deck, made signs for us to wait; this delay, it afterwards appeared, arose from
the fact that the first mandarin had in the interim arrived on board, whom it
became necessary to consult as to our reception according with his ideas of
propriety; after a short time had elapsed, we were ushered on deck, to which we
ascended by a very rudely constructed ladder. We found an immense number of
Chinese sailors on board, leading us to conclude that this junk was more
numerously manned, in proportion to her size, than the ships of our navy; we
were conducted by my friend into the cabin, which we entered by descending two
or three steps
p. 51: from the main deck; the end of this cabin, comprising the whole
breadth of the stern, was occupied as a joss-house, in which was the deity, who
takes Chinese mariners under his especial protection; before whom joss-sticks
were burning, whilst the shrine was most gaudily decorated with silken
lanterns, streamers, and tinsel ornaments. On either side, there were two
smaller cabins, apparently devoted to the use of the first and second
mandarins, from one of which walked forth, with majestic gravity, the first
mandarin, clad in embroidered silken robes and velvet cape, who was a very
fine-looking man, of commanding and stately appearance, with a remarkably
intelligent countenance, and about thirty-six years of age; but his composure
was slightly ruffled, as he almost started back, apparently amazed at seeing
our fair companion. The gentlemen of the party stood up and saluted as the
first mandarin entered, but he motioned us to be re-seated, and would not
himself take a seat until we had resumed ours, when he sat down on one side of
the table, opposite to the lady, and directed tea and sweetmeats to be
produced, an order which was instantly complied with.” … “It is a marvel to us,
and appeared then and now most extraordinary, that this mandarin, a man of high
rank, belonging to a nation holding females in absolute contempt, should so far
deviate from prejudice and custom as to rise and present a cup of tea to the
lady, leaving the second mandarin to hand it to us; and that was done with the
same degree of courtesy with which a similar act would have been performed in
Europe. There was no door, partition,
p. 52: or screen of any kind to the large cabin, which lay exposed to the
view of all on deck. Finding that the inferior officers and crew were pressing
forward and crowding the steps leading to the cabin to stare at us, the first
mandarin rebuked them in a very peremptory tone, ordering them to stand back,
and which order was reluctantly obeyed. . The crew did not appear to be under
the same discipline that prevails on board our men-of-war; but possibly they
might be so, according to Chinese notions, or they might have been startled out
of the observance of strict etiquette, by the unwonted apparition of our party,
on board a war-junk belonging to his Celestial Majesty.”
p. 55: “After we had finished our pipes, the first mandarin conducted us
over his junk, evincing the utmost pride in the display, evidently deeming the
arrangements, appointments, and various appendages, unexceptionable in every
respect. The mandarin constantly took our hands between his, knocking them
against his chest, at the same time bending his body forward, retaining our
hands between his own, he led us forward, round and about each gun, pausing
constantly, for expressions of satisfaction and admiration ; and we endeavoured
as much as possible, to impress him with the idea of our wonder and
acknowledgment of his attention. This junk was of the first class, as two
mandarins were on board her; she was a two decker, having thirty guns on each deck,
which varied in their form, calibre, and construction to a considerable extent;
some of these guns were of a much more modern construction than others, four of
them were evidently very ancient, and appeared to be highly prized by the
mandarin: two guns were of brass, and were well finished; these brass guns, as
well as the ancient ones, were regarded by the mandarin with great pride, as he
directed our attention towards them. The guns on both decks corresponded in
variety: and they were all firmly fixed, it never being contem-
p. 56: plated, that any occasion could. arise, when it would be desirable to
change their elevation or position; this arrangement was in accordance with the
Chinese system of gunnery, as it is their practice only to fire the gun which
happens to be pointed nearest to the object to be struck, never thinking it
essential to bring several guns to bear upon the same object. A variety of
national warlike weapons of destruction were hung about, such as pikes,
two-bladed swords, axes, and spears, issuing from the centre of a half moon or
crescent, on the end of a bamboo handle ten feet in length; one blow or thrust
from this formidable weapon would speedily cut short by at least a head, a
fellow's troubles and torments in this world; bows, arrows, and smaller
offensive instruments filled Up the spaces left between the larger weapons. The
crew were not in uniform, and were distributed about the lower deck in messes,
engaged either in cooking or eating; the offensive effluvia, noise, filth, and
dirt were most essentially Chinese, our oral and olfactory organs rebelled
against various sights and sounds, most vigorously.
p. 57: In a day or two after our visit this war-junk weighed anchor, and was
relieved by another, which saluted her on her departure with a number of guns.
In every war-junk, as well as in all other vessels, the Chinese perform a
religious ceremony morning and evening, by burning pieces of paper and
joss-sticks, accompanied with the beating of gongs and ear-splitting yells in Anglo
Chinese this is termed chin-chining joss, the larger the junk or boat is, the
greater is the amount of noise, as the gongs are more numerous and of greater
size; and previously to the sailing of a ship, this rite is performed with much
greater ceremony than on other occasions. The Chinese mariner then procures a
large white cock, without blemish or defect, the head is cut off, the bow of
the vessel besmeared with blood, whilst the carcass is thrown into the sea, the
head being burnt before the idol; by this sacrifice, they hope to propitiate
the marine deities, and insure a favourable breeze with success attendant on
their voyage; no Chinaman on sea or land, is more energetic and punctilious in
these offerings, than the pirates which infest the China seas…”.
Source
Henry Charles Sirr. China and the Chinese: their
religion, character, customs, and manufactures, vol. 1, London, 1849.
