we entered another fine bay, remarkable for having three
entrances, and called Galong Bay. The coast is ex
tremely bold and rocky, covered with low, stunted
shrubs, and there is deep water almost close in shore.
Horsburgh's description and directions were found to be
quite correct ; except that the village, of which he
speaks, could not be found any where at the present
time. The bay is one of great extent ; and the two
rocky islands, called the Brothers, between which are
the channels leading into it from the westward , are bold
and striking objects.
As we proceeded further into the bay, the appearance
of its shores improved ; the steep, picturesque moun
tains on all sides being clothed with wood , from their
summit to the water's edge. The only perfect shelter
for ships from the south -west is under a low island,
called Middle Island , inside the Brothers, where there
is a fine, sandy beach, but not very deep water . Of
course there is perfect shelter from the north -east, and
you have always the advantage of three entrances into
the bay .
Having steamed quite round the bay, the Nemesis
went out again by the broadest passage , between one of
the Brothers and the main island, and continued to coast
490 BAY OF YIN - LIN - KAN .
along a bold , rocky shore, until we entered the beautiful
bay of Yin-lin-kan . The entrance to this is not broad,
but sufficiently so for ships to work in, and then it ex
pands into a fine, bold bay, having plenty of water in all
parts. On proceeding to its furthest extremity, we
found the entrance of what Horsburgh calls a lagoon ;
at its entrance it has all the appearance of a lagoon,
and it is not until you get up quite to its extremity
(which you are able to do in boats) that you find a river
of tolerable size flowing into it.
The great bay or harbour of Yin-Lin-Kan is by far the
best of all those that were visited on this coast. There
is fine anchorage in smooth water, perfectly protected
from all winds ; indeed, the sea outside cannot even be
seen when you are fairly inside the bay. Several large
fishing -junks, of the better kind, were at anchor there ;
and the shores were bold and picturesque .
Having found our way into what appeared to be the
mouth of the lagoon, it was determined to stand in, if
possible, to explore it further. The entrance was nar
row, and the passage tortuous ; but, by observing the
character of the shores on either side, together with the
varying shades of colour in the water, and with two
good men in the chains, and one out on the jib-boom,
the channel into it was found without much difficulty,
the water being deeper than was expected. Fishing
stakes were seen in several places, so that it seemed
probable that a town or village was not far off. The
lagoon, or expanded river, was now found to turn round
to the right, or westward , and several small junks were
at anchor near a few huts upon the shore. The appear
EXPLORING PARTY . 491
ance of the country was very peculiar, looking very
like a flooded valley, about half a mile in breadth ,
the shores rising up on either side with a rather steep
ascent, but leaving some low ground at the edge of the
lagoon.
The steamer continued to push her way on for about
one mile and a half or two miles, through a shallow
channel, until she had passed a double line of long fish
ing -stakes, one on either side. The water was now too
shallow to proceed further, and the tide was falling, so
that it was necessary to retrace our steps into deeper
water, where she anchored for the night.
On the following morning, at daylight, the weather
being very unsettled and hazy, Captain Hall determined
to take his cutter and pinnace, and proceed to the ex
tremity of the lagoon , nearly a mile distant, in the hope
of finding a river, or probably some town or village, not
far off. The crews were well armed , in case of a sur
prise; and we also took our double- barrelled guns, in
the hope of getting a shot or two at some game. As
we approached the end of the lagoon, the water became
very shallow , and the passage difficult to find . We saw
what appeared to us to be deer and pheasants, in abun
dance, along the edge of the mountains, on either side ;
but time was too precious and the water too shallow
(it being quite low water) to permit us to land where
we most wished .
At length , after carefully searching for aa considerable
time, we found a distinct entrance to a river, nearly at
the right hand corner of the end of the lagoon . It was
not easy to make it out at first ; as the banks, which
492 EXPLORING PARTY .
were low, were thickly covered with mangrove shrubs.
The country expanded into a broad , open valley, beyond
which well-wooded hills could be seen on every side.
Cocoa -nut trees were growing in abundance ; and here
and there we could descry, in the distance, small, rich,
green spots of cultivated ground, which made us think
that we should find inhabitants not far off. We had no
difficulty in ascending the river, but discovered no ha
bitations or appearance of cultivation on its banks. The
bare roots of the mangroves on either side, standing
out exposed into the river, served to show by their
marks that the water sometimes stood much higher
than it then was, and that floods occasionally took
place.
At the distance of about two miles from the entrance,
we came to a narrow , wooden - plank bridge, close to
which were two small junks, or decked boats. One of
our boats was sent higher up to explore ; but the river
was found divided by a small island, a little above the
bridge, and the water was so shallow that the pinnace
could not proceed without difficulty . Accordingly,
having left a part of the men in charge of the boats at
the bridge, and another party, consisting of an officer
and six men , being ordered to follow at an interval of
less than half an hour, Captain Hall and myself, accom
panied by four men , well armed , set out to explore the
country. We soon fell into a well -beaten, sandy cart
track , which surprised us not a little, as we had hitherto
seen nothing of the kind in China. It has been already
noticed that carts were found to be in use in the island
of Formosa ; and it was also known that they were to
CHINESE CARTS . 493
be met with in the northern parts of China, in the
neighbourhood of Pekin .
After pursuing our way along this sandy track for
about a mile, we entered a fine cocoa-tree wood, with
several neat little cottages built in the midst of it ; and
presently we heard a creaking, or rather squeaking
noise, which seemed to be nearing us . It was soon
found to proceed from three bullock -carts, rudely built
of poles, covered round with matting, and drawn by
buffaloes instead of bullocks. They had more the ap
pearance of large bales of goods than of carts ; the
wlieels were made of solid wood , and the axletree was
fixed in the wheel (as at Formosa ), but turned round
under the body of the cart, causing a loud, squeaking
>
noise at each revolution. It could be heard a long way
off, and somewhat resembled the scraping of a bad violin ,
although probably by native ears it was considered a
very agreeable sound.
Several teams of buffaloes were passed , dragging
timber down to the river-side, which must be found in
abundance in this neighbourhood, and of good quality ;
an important consideration for ships driven into the bay
of Yin -Lin -Kan by stress of weather.
We soon emerged into a fine, level, grassy plain ;
upon which, at intervals, clusters of shrubs and young
trees were passed . Small green parroquets seemed to be
very numerous. The soil, however, was poor and sandy;
but the mountains which bounded the plain, or expanded
valley, were covered with wood ; while, lower down to
wards the river (or what appeared to us to be its pro
bable course ), grass- lands and paddy-fields varied the
4.94 AN EXPLORING PARTY .
landscape. We were surprised, however, at seeing so
few people ; and, compared with China Proper, the
country appeared to us very thinly populated .
The autumnal tints were still fresh upon the foliage,
although it was past Christmas-day ; and the variety of
the trees, and the peculiar conical shape of some of the
mountains, thickly covered with wood to their very
summits, combined to give additional interest and no
velty to the character of the country. Perhaps it
struck us the more forcibly, from being different from any
thing we had recently seen in China Proper. It was
curious to notice the gradations of verdure, according
to the height above the valley. At the bottom every
thing was brown and autumnal, at the top it was all
green and youthful, while between the two were all the
intermediate stages. Ilere again we thought we could
distinguish deer and pheasants in the woods along the
mountain sides.
Gradually the plain became contracted, and we en
tered a regular sort of narrow cart-road , overhung with
trees, and cut at least two feet below the surface, as if
the better to give protection from the sun's rays. This
soon led us to some rich paddy-fields, in the neighbour
hood of a village, around which were gardens planted
with the sweet potato and other vegetables, and appa
rently cultivated with great care. The village or rather
hamlet was very inconsiderable ; and we passed on with
out halting, in the hope of reaching some town of con
sequence. The valley continued to get narrower, and
our road was now sheltered with trees.
A walk of about four miles further brought us to
AN EXPLORING PARTY . 495
another considerable village, where we halted for an
hour, and took refreshment in a large public tea-shop.
The villagers crowded good -humouredly round us, and
betrayed little fear, although we were all well armed .
We only saw two really poor people amongst them , and
they looked as if they were just let out of prison. As
usual, our dress, appearance, arms, and every little trifle
we carried about us, attracted great attention and cu
riosity. They had probably never seen Europeans before ;
and when we fired off a musket to please them , their asto
nishment was indeed great, although it had only a flint,
and not a percussion-lock . Their wants were few , and
the necessaries of life appeared easily obtained ; there
were some decent shops in the village, and, us usual,
plenty of people who could read and write.
Altogether the whole appearance of the country gave
one the idea of a newly - colonized spot. We saw no
goats or cows , but plenty of capital pigs and poultry .
We still thought that there might be some considerable
town not far off; and by the help of a small vocabulary,
written in Chinese (which of course they were able to
read ), we ascertained that there was one some miles off,
the direction of which was pointed out to us. After
some hesitation we determined to proceed ; and at
length we reached the extremity of the valley, where
there was merely a footpath , running sometimes be
tween low hills, at other times through a dense scrub,
until at length we crossed the bed of a river, with a fine
rocky bottom and a rapid stream . Here we halted to
refresh ourselves with a cool draught, when suddenly a
whole posse of people descended the hill on the other
496 EXPLORING PARTY .
side, and began to cross the river ; some were carried
in sedan -chairs (mandarins, probably ), some were led
with chains round their necks, while others had chains
round their legs ; there were also several attendants ;
and one great man rode on horseback. They had almost
reached the middle of the river before they observed us,
and naturally looked somewhat alarmed at our appear
ance . We saluted them , and then passed on .
Our road now lay among hills, and the ground was
broken and tiresome. We ascended one hill, which was
paved all the way with large rough stones, and we con
cluded we must be near the town we were in search of ;
and the novelty of the adventure stimulated us to go on ,
although the heat was great, and we had still the whole
distance to travel back again . We now ascended a
steep eminence aa little out of the road , from which we
obtained a magnificent view of the country, with a fine
plain just beyond the hills, bounded by the sea in the
distance. We could see no town , but there could be
little doubt that it lay somewhere in the beautiful plain
beneath us.
Having regained the principal path, we proceeded
some way further along the side of a wooded mountain ,
until we reached an inn by the road side. Here again
we got tea, and smoked our cigars, on perfect good
terms with the Chinese, our fellow -travellers . A con
sultation was now held . It seemed probable that
the town we were attempting to reach was that of
Lychew, upon the sea-coast, about ten or twelve miles
from the capital of the island. The day was already
far advanced, and we had still about twelve miles to get
AN EXPLORING PARTY . 497
back again to our boats. Moreover, we thonght it very
likely that by returning at once we should meet the
sedan -chairs empty, and the horse without its rider,
returning to the town, after having escorted their pri
soners, and thus we should manage to get ourselves
carried back to our boat. We determined , therefore,
not to proceed further, although we much longed to
descend into the valley beyond .
It surprised us that, considering we were without
doubt the first Europeans who had been seen in that
part of the country , the people showed not the slightest
rudeness or troublesome curiosity. They all seemed
much more taken up with the appearance of one of the
black Kroomen, who attended us, than with the Euro
peans ; but there was no noise or shouting, as would
perhaps have been the case among an English mob, had
they suddenly met with aa red man or a blue man, who
would certainly not have been less an object of curiosity
to them than a jet-black Krooman to the Chinese of
Hainan .
After proceeding two or three miles on our way back,
we fortunately met the sedan - chairs and the horse re
turning. We soon made them halt, and tried to come
to terms for them to carry us all the way down to our
boats. Captain Hall mounted the horse without any
ceremony ; but the poor fellows who had charge of it
cried so lustily, and from their manner made us believe
that they would be so terribly punished, that at last they
were allowed to proceed unmolested .
Next came a grand dispute about the sedan-chairs,
rickety old things made of bamboo, but we soon got
VOL . II . K K
498 CHINESE SEDANS.
into them (there were only two, just one for each ), and
held out a dollar ; but between fear and disinclination
to the job, the men set us down, and left us in the
lurch . However, as we kept possession of the chairs,
we had the best of the bargain, though it was not a
very pleasant prospect for us to sit there until it should
please the men to carry us on. At length, after some
deliberation among themselves, they agreed to carry us
for a dollar each, and away we went, greatly enjoying
the fun .
On reaching the village at which we had before halted,
they set us down again, in order to rest themselves, and
tried every means to persuade us to alight, and take
some tea ; but we were rather too old travellers to be
taken in by such tricks, and continued to keep posses
sion of our chairs. At length, finding they could not
get rid of us, they made up their minds to carry us on
the whole way, and trotted off nimbly enough. The
easy, measured step of the Chinese bearers, who carry
the poles upon their shoulders, one on either side, with
a cross piece joining them together, and resting upon
the back of the neck, is by no means disagreeable ; and
considering the rudeness of the construction of the
chairs, we were surprised that the motion was so plea
sant.
Presently we fell in with the other party which had
been desired to follow us, and received a very good
account of the civility they had met with from the
people. Indeed, they stated that they had overtaken
a respectable-looking Chinaman on horseback, as they
were marching along, who, seeing a young midshipman
CHINESE POLITENESS. 499
of the party, among so many stout men, very gallantly
dismounted, and offered him the use of his horse, in
timating by his manner and gestures that he was too
young to walk so far. This little piece of attention was
the more remarkable, as horses are seldom used by the
Chinese, and are usually only found in the hands either
of people of rank or of great wealth . On reaching a
road which branched off to the left, the polite gentleman
resumed his horse and disappeared.
At length we reached the beautiful cocoa-nut wood
near the river, and refreshed ourselves with the milk of
the fresh nuts, under the shade of the trees, which were
here growing to a very great height.
Having regained our boats, we found a number of
Chinese collected round them , but no violence or insult
had been offered ; indeed, the peasants had brought
down fowls and ducks for sale. I had also purchased
one of the pretty little green and blue parroquets of the
country, together with the little cage to which it was
chained ; but the bird was so wild and untameable, that,
after keeping it for some days on board ship, it managed
to make its escape .
It has been already mentioned that we found timber
brought down to the river side when we first landed,
and, to our surprise, we now saw a number of large
strong wooden coffins, but for what purpose we could
not ascertain.
It was now almost sunset, and the tide was just be
ginning to turn , so that we descended the river rapidly,
and, as we emerged from it into the lagoon , it was
christened Hall's River, with our last glass of cherry
K K 2
500 PHUYEN HARBOUR.
brandy, a little of which we had taken with us for the
journey.
As it was still nearly high -water, the appearance of
the lagoon was much more striking than it had been in
the morning, and we could see plenty of game coming
out of the woods, to feed upon the little green patches
at the foot of the hills. But not a single human habi
tation could be discovered . We soon reached the steamer
again, and instantly getting under weigh, proceeded out
of the lagoon , or Inner Harbour, as it is called upon
the Admiralty chart.
It should here be remarked that the entrance to the
outer harbour or basin of Yin-Lin-Kan, as laid down in
the chart, is much too broad, and the bay too open ;
at least, such is the impression from what we re
member of the very moderate breadth of the entrance,
and of the appearance of the basin when inside of
it. There was a heavy swell outside, the result of the
strong breezes which had prevailed for several preceding
days.
We now stood across the Gulf of Tonquin, towards
the coast of Cochin -China, which we kept in sight all
the way down. On the 29th we ran into the large and
beautiful basin , called by Horsburgh, Phuyen Harbour,
in latitude 13°, 23 ', N. , with aa view to ascertain its cha
racter and capabilities, which could be done with very
little detention. The importance of an accurate know
ledge of the best harbours for ships to run into, in the
China Sea, in case of need , cannot be overrated, now
that there is every probability of a great increase in
the number of merchant ships passing up and down.
PHUYEN BASIN . 501
The great Phuyen Basin, which in fact contains three
excellent harbours, is accurately described by Hors
burgh. We steamed round it in all directions, and
were struck with its beauty, and the perfect shelter it
affords. The soundings were very regular, from twelve,
to five and a quarter, and four and a half fathoms. The
Buoy Rock, which is the only danger, is distinctly seen
above water, at ebb -tide, looking precisely like what
its name indicates. As we came out again at high
water, it was found covered . It lies about half way
up the first or outer harbour, at the distance of half to
one -third of a mile from the northern shore .
Just at the entrance to this harbour, near its south
ern shore, stands the high, abrupt, rocky island, called
Nest Island, which, although there is deep water close
in, on either side, has a coral reef running out from its
western extremity. The three harbours are, first,
Xuandai, on the southern shore, round Nest Island ;
next, Vunglam , on the north -western side, about a mile
and aa half further up ; and lastly, Vung -chao, at the end
of the basin .
Nothing can exceed the beauty and security of the
spot, shut in on all sides, like a large lake, the shores
being bold and mountainous, but not much wooded .
Further inland, to the westward, the country appeared
fertile and well cultivated , but not laid out in terraces
along the hill sides, as in most parts of China-Proper,
but divided into small fields with hedgerows round
them , putting one very much in mind of some parts of
England.
502 CHINESE BURIAI :-GROUND .
We were disappointed in not finding a town of some
size along the shores of the basin ; but, as the soil is
there generally poor, while there was evidently a rich
valley a little in the rear to the westward, we concluded
that it was probably situated in that more favoured
spot. There were however two hamlets, one on either
side of the extremity of the bay, situated in the midst
of a fine cocoa-nut wood ; and in a little bay in the east
corner we found a very extensive burial-ground, with a
number of large tombs, and a small chapel. We could
learn nothing of its history, but concluded that it was
the cemetery for wealthy people belonging to some town
not far distant. We landed, and rambled among the curi
ous tombs, different in appearance from those either
of the Chinese or the Malays. There were a few fisher
men's huts in the neighbourhood, but the people were
poor and ill-clothed, and their features far from pre
possessing. The men were small in stature, and in
every respect an inferior-looking people to the inhabi
tants of Hainan .
A vast number of large, well -built fishing -boats were
sailing about the great basin , built very sharp at both
ends, and of great length. They carry an enormous
sail , very broad , but not high, cut square, but yet not
like a lug-sail . It was made of a strong kind of grass
cloth. As this powerful sail must of course endanger
the safety of their long narrow boat, they adopt a cu
rious mode of counterbalancing it, so as to keep the
boat upright. A long straight stout spar is run out to
windward from the middle of the vessel, and upon this
SINGULAR BOATS . 503
three or four men (more or less according to the
strength of the wind ,) crawl out, and sit upon the ex
tremity, dangling their legs over the water in a manner
not to be envied . From long habit, they sit there very
contentedly, for a length of time, almost entirely naked,
and appear to think that no other kind of ballast is
needed. If the wind were suddenly to change, they
would probably get a ducking, by their own weight
bearing down the boat, with such a lever. But, as the
monsoon blows pretty regularly here, they are not
afraid of sudden changes. If they have occasion to
put about, the men all come in first, and then rig out
the spar upon the opposite side, crawling out upon it
again as before.
Two or three better kind of vessels were seen , dif
ferently rigged , something like our lattine- rig, and
they looked and sailed remarkably well. The people
did not appear at all afraid of the steamer, although
they looked on , in evident wonder, as she moved so
steadily through the harbour.
The same afternoon, we pursued our voyage ; and on
the 5th of January reached Singapore, whither the rest
of the division had preceded us. The arrival of the Ne
mesis had been anxiously looked for, as it was feared
that some accident might have happened to have caused
her detention so long ; but it was precisely to avoid
accidents that she had come down along the coast so
leisurely. She steamed into Singapore, decorated with
a number of Chinese flags, and was cheered by several
of the transports as she passed. The next day, nearly
all the rest of the squadron set sail again, leav
504 MALACCA .
ing the Nemesis to follow, as soon as her fuel was
completed .
On the evening of the 12th, the Nemesis again pur
sued her voyage ; and, on the 14th at daylight, anchored
in the shallow open bay of Malacca. The view of the
town and coast from the bay is striking ; there is a
Malay look about it, and much less of the European
character than in Singapore. There is a rich flat belt
of country along the coast, thickly covered with cocoa
nut trees ; while a hill adjoining the town, upon which
there is the ruin of a church, with a flag - staff, and a
saluting battery, forms a marked point in the prospect.
Every thing at Malacca distinctly indicates the “ tem
pora mutantur” of bye-gone days ; the dull stillness
of the town, the mixture of Dutch countenances, mo
dified by long descent in a tropical country, the fallen
off" look of the public buildings, point out the little
value which is set upon Malacca in the present day. The
kind attentions of the governor, however, induced us to
pay a short visit a few miles into the interior, where we
obtained a splendid view of a fine, rich, well-wooded ,
and well-watered country. We were evidently in the
favoured regions of the spice plantations.
We had just arrived in time to disturb a nest of Ma
lay pirates, who had landed the day before, and had
robbed one of the neighbouring villages, killing or
wounding several of the inhabitants. The steamer's
boats were immediately sent away manned and armed,
at the governor's request, and accompanied by a large
hired boat, carrying a strong body of police. A search
warrant had been obtained, for the purpose of examin
PENANG . 505
ing two or three small junks which had recently come
into the bay, but nothing suspicious was found on board .
The boats then pulled off towards two islands several
miles distant, where it was thought the pirates might
lie concealed, but nothing was discovered. The matter
was then left entirely in the hands of the police, and the
steamer's boats returned.
The same evening we again pursued our voyage to
wards Penang, or Prince of Wales's Island , the so-called
Gem of the Eastern Seas . Our course was taken as close
along shore as was possible ; and instead of passing
through the narrow channels between the sands in the
middle of the straits, we pushed through the Calam
Strait, just above the Parcellar Hill, and found the
passage broad and safe, the shores on both sides being
bold and well wooded .
On the 17th, we reached the truly beautiful island
of Penang, a spot which becomes the more striking
the oftener it is seen , and anchored in a small sandy
bay close to the fort, inside the Dido, 20, under the
command of the Honourable Captain Keppel . Enough
has already been said of this lovely spot, in the early
part of this work . Its clean and regular town , its ex
cellent roads, beautiful villas, and rich plantations of
spices of all kinds, and of cocoa-nuts, added to the
picturesque beauties of the landscape on every side,
cannot be forgotten by any who have visited them .
The hospitality and good feeling of the inhabitants
of Penang cannot be exceeded . There is a considerable
population of Chinese upon the island (in addition to
Malays, Indians, and Europeans,) who besides being
506 THE TRUMPET BEETLE .
excellent mechanics, enter largely into the cultivation
of spice-trees, and often become not only honest and
useful tenants, but actual proprietors of small planta
tions. It is worth remembering that, from its geogra
phical position, there is not half an hour's difference in
the rising and setting of the sun, at Pinang, throughout
the whole year .
There is one curiosity in natural history very common
on this island , which I had never seen elsewhere ; viz .
the trumpet beetle. Although not large itself, it has
a long trumpet-shaped proboscis, or kind of feeler, from
which it emits so loud and long a sound, among the
woods by the mountain's sides, that you can scarcely
believe that any insect could possibly send forth such
a tone. It gave one more the idea of the sound which
a bird might utter, such for instance as that of the bell
bird, or the whip-bird, or the laughing jackass (verna
cularly called) met with in New South Wales.
One of the largest trees on record is to be found at
Penang. It is one hundred and thirty feet high to the
first branch, and thirty -six feet round in the largest part.
After a few days' detention at Penang, to complete
some necessary repairs and to take in coal, we bade
adieu, with many regrets, to that lovely island , and
coasted along all the way towards the entrance of the
Moulmein river, at the mouth of which we found the
Endymion at anchor, having Sir Hugh Gough and staffon
board. Having delivered the despatches and letter-bags,
we proceeded up the river in charge of a pilot, for the
purpose of getting coal . The river was found broader
and deeper than had been expected, well wooded on both
THE BURMAH FRONTIER. 507
sides ; indeed, a great quantity of valuable timber is
exported from Moulmein , and large ships are built
there extremely well and cheap. The H. C. steamer
Tenasserim was built in this river after the model of
The Queen, built in England, and has answered ex
tremely well .
Two of H. M. brigs were at anchor off the town,
besides two small vessels and gun -boats belonging to
the East India Company. Moulmein was garrisoned
by a force of about 4,000 men, including one European
regiment. It is the frontier town of Burmah, on its
southern side, lying just opposite Martaban , where it
was said the Burmese had collected a large army just
before we made peace with China ; probably with no
friendly feeling towards us. The town itself is in its
infancy, but has made great progress within the last
few years. There is a magnificent view of the sur
rounding country, and of the river both above and
below , and also of the distant town of Martaban, from
the top of a high conical hill, upon which are several
curious temples built after the Burmese fashion. The
town must be considered rather as a large frontier mili
tary station than as a place of trade, and the soil is
generally poor and sandy.
By the kindness of the Governor, who politely lent
us some of the Commissariat elephants, we were ena
bled to make an excursion to see the very remarkable
caves, distant about fifteen miles from the town . We
had to ascend the river in a boat, for some miles, when
we landed on the opposite side, where the elephants
were in readiness for us. The sun was excessively hot,
508 SINGULAR CAVERNS .
so that umbrellas were necessary. As elephant- riding
was quite new to us, and the animals themselves, more
over, were only accustomed to carry heavy burdens, it
was no easy matter to mount them at all, even when
they had knelt down. At last, however, we contrived
to scramble up by the tail , making use of it as a rope.
After a ride of seven or eight miles, we came to
several isolated wooded rocks of great height, standing
up on the surface of an extensive plain, unbroken by
any other objects. They were covered more or less
with wood, from the base to the summit, the trees
growing to a great height among the crags, in a man
ner which made you wonder how the soil in which they
grew could have come there. The caverns were very
large and deep, showing a beautiful stalactitic forma
tion. The effect was extremely beautiful, when lighted
up with blue lights, putting one very much in mind of
the blue grotto on the island of Capri, in the bay of
Naples ; indeed , you could fancy that the sea had only
recently retired from these caverns, so fresh was the
appearance of their walls. They were certainly well
worth seeing. In the cooler part of the evening, we re
turned to our boats, and soon reached Moulmein again .
On the following day, having completed the neces
sary quantity of coal, we descended the river, and
steered our course direct for Calcutta, which we reached
on the 6th of February. We passed a great many of
our old friends, the transports, waiting for tugs to tow
them up, and arrived off Fort William , just at the most
fashionable hour for the promenade along the river side.
The steamer was decorated with numerous Chinese
ARRIVAL AT CALCUTTA . 509
flags, and several officers had come up from on board
the transports, who were anxiously looking out for
their friends upon the banks. Having passed quite up
above the fort, among all the shipping, we returned
down towards the principal landing-place, attracting
the attention and curiosity of thousands, who were col
lected to look at the Nemesis, of which they had heard
so much. A salute was fired, which was returned by
the fort; and there at length quietly lay the Nemesis,
resting from all her toils.
Of Calcutta, the City of Palaces, and of the kindness
and hospitality of its inhabitants, little need be said .
Great honours were done to those who had fought for
their country, in China and Affghanistan ; and balls,
dinners, illuminations, and fêtes of all kinds, were the
order of the day.
The last service performed by the Nemesis, under
her old Commander, was to convey Lieutenant-General
Sir Hugh Gough and his staff up the river to Bar
rackpore, to review the garrison stationed there ; in
cluding the remnant of the Bengal Volunteers recently
returned . It was an excursion of duty, but in reality
not less one of pleasure.
We may now bid adieu to the Nemesis . Sufficient
evidence has been given of the vast ntility of iron
steamers of moderate size, in service upon an enemy's
coast . The danger which some have apprehended
from the rusting of the rivets by which the iron
plates are fastened together, or from their starting,
through the concussions to which the vessel may be
liable, was proved to be almost totally unfounded. The
corrosion of her bottom can be prevented to a great
510 CONCLUSION .
extent, by constantly painting it with red lead, an ope
ration which is much facilitated by the ease and safety
with which a flat- bottomed iron vessel can be laid
ashore. It must not be forgotten, however, that bar
nacles adhere more readily and firmly to an iron
vessel, than they do to one coppered over.
At Calcutta, the Nemesis was docked and examined,
before being sent round to Bombay for a thorough re
pair. She was pronounced to be in a perfectly fit state
to perform the voyage, without risk ; and she ulti
mately arrived safely at Bombay, under the command
of Lieutenant Fell, I. N., who carried her successfully
through the intricate passage between Ceylon and the
mainland . At Bombay, the Nemesis was docked ;
and the following extract of a letter, dated Bombay,
June 19, 1843, will surprise those who are unac
quainted with the durability of iron steamers : — “ The
Nemesis has been for some time past in our docks,
and I have carefully examined her. She displays in
no small degree the advantages of iron . Her bottom
bears the marks of having been repeatedly ashore ;
the plates are deeply indented in many places, in
one or two to the extent of several inches. She
has evidently been in contact with sharp rocks, and
one part of her keel-plate is bent sharp up, in such
a way as I could not believe that cold iron could
bear ; indeed , unless the iron had been extremely
good, I am sure it would not have stood it with
out injury. Her bottom is not nearly as much cor
roded as I expected to have found it, and she is as
tight as a bottle.”
Y
APPENDIX .
A.
BRITISH SQUADRON IN CHINA AT THE TERMINATION
OF THE WAR .
H. M. Ship Cornwallis 72 , ( Captain P. Richards) bearing the
flag of Vice - Admiral Sir W.
Parker, G.C.B. , Commander-in
>
Chief.
...
Blenheim 74, (Captain Sir Thos. Herbert , K.C.B.)
bearing the flag of Rear- Admiral
Sir Thos . Cochrane, C.B.
...
Vindictive .
50, Captain J. T. Nicholas.
Blonde . 42 , T. Bourchier, C.B.
...
Thalia 44 , C. Hope.
...
Endymion 44 , The Hon . F. W. Grey .
... Cambrian . 36, ...
H. D. Chads , C.B.
Calliope 28 , A. L. Kuper, C.B.
North Star 26, Sir James E. Home, Bart .
Herald 26 , J. Nias, C.B.
Dido .
20, ...
The Hon . H. Keppel .
...
Pelican 18 , Commander, P. Justice .
Modeste .
18 , R. B. Watson .
Harlequin 18, Hon . F. Hastings.
..
Columbine 16, W. H. A. Morshead .
...
.E . P. Halsted .
... ...
Childers 16 ,
Clio 16, E. N. Troubridge.
512 BRITISII SQUADRON IN CHINA .
H. M. Ship Hazard 16, Commander, C. Bell.
...
Wanderer 16, G. H. Seymour.
Serpent 16, W. Nevil .
Wolverine 16 , J. S. W. Johnson .
Cruiser .
16 , J. Pearce .
Hebe .
4, Wood .
... Algerine .
10, Lieut . W. H. Maitland .
Royalist 10 , P. Chetwode .
... ... ...
Minden , Hospital, Captain M. Quin .
Belleisle, Troop ship , J. Kingcome .
Apollo ...
Commander, C. Frederick .
...
Jupiter Master Com . G. B. Hoffmeister.
Jas . Sprent.
... ... ...
Rattlesnake ...
Sapphire J. R. Fittock .
Alligator R. Browne .
SURVEYING VESSELS.
H. M. Schooner Starling Commander, H. Kellett .
... Brig Plover R. Collinson .
STEAMERS -WOOD .
H. M. St. Ves . Driver , Commander , Harmer.
Vixen , H. Boyes .
H. C. St. Ves . Ackbar, Commodore , J. Pepper, I.N.
...
Sesostris, Commander , H. A. Ormsby , I.N.
...
Auckland, R. Ethersey, I.N.
...
Queen , Master Commanding, W. Warden .
......
Tenasserim , A. P. Wall .
Memnon , Commander, F. T. Powell , I.N.
Hooghley Master Commanding, — Ross.
STEAMERS -- IRON .
H. C. St. Ves. Proserpine, Commander Hough , R.N.
... Nemesis , Lieut . W. H. Hall , R.N.
Phlegethon, J.J. M'Cleverty, R.N.
J. J. Tudor, R.N.
...
Pluto
...
Medusa, ...
H. Hewitt, I.N.
BRITISH TRADE IN CHINA . 513
B.
GENERAL REGULATIONS
UNDER WHICH THE BRITISH TRADE IS TO BE CONDUCTED AT THE FIVE
PORTS OF CANTON, AMOY, FOOCHOWFOO, NINGPO,
AND SHANGHAI.
1. Pilots .
WHENEVER a British merchantman shall arrive off any of the
five ports opened to trade, viz. Canton, Foochowfow, Amoy, Ningpo,
or Shanghai, pilots shall be allowed to take her immediately into
port ; and, in like manner, when such British ship shall have settled
all legal duties and charges, and is about to return home, pilots
shall be immediately granted to take her out to sea, without any
stoppage or delay.
Regarding the remuneration to be given these pilots, that will
be equitably settled by the British Consul appointed to each par
ticular port, who will determine it with due reference to the distance
gone over, the risk run, &c .
II. Custom -house Guards.
The Chinese Superintendent of Customs at each port will adopt
the means that he may judge most proper to prevent the revenue
suffering by fraud or smuggling. Whenever the pilot shall have
brought any British merchantman into port, the Superintendent of
Customs will depute one or two trusty Custom- house officers, whose
duty it will be to watch against frauds on the revenue . These will
either live in a boat of their own , or stay on board the English ship,
a
as may best suit their convenience . Their food and expences will
be supplied them from day to day from the Custom-house, and they
may not exact any fees whatever from either the Commander or
Consignee. Should they violate this regulation, they shall be
punished proportionately to the amount so exacted .
VOL . II . LL
514 REGULATIONS OF
III. Masters of Ships reporting themselves on Arrival.
Whenever a British vessel shall have cast anchor at any one of
the above-mentioned ports, the Captain will, within four and twenty
hours after arrival, proceed to the British Consulate, and deposit
his ship's papers, bills of lading, manifest, &c. in the hands of the
Consul ; failing to do which, he will subject himself to a penalty of
>
two bundred dollars.
For presenting a false manifest, the penalty will be five hundred
dollars .
For breaking bulk and commencing to discharge, before due per
mission shall be obtained, the penalty will be five hundred dollars,
and confiscation of the goods so discharged.
The Consul, having taken possession of the ship's papers, will
immediately send a written communication to the Superintendent of
Customs, specifying the register tonnage of the ship, and the par
ticulars of the cargo she has on board ; all of which being done in
due form , permission will then be given to discharge, and the duties
levied as provided for in the tariff.
IV . Commercial Dealings between English and Chinese Merchants.
It having been stipulated that English merchants may trade with
whatever native merchants they please, should any Chinese mer
chant fraudently abscond or incur debts which he is unable to dis
charge, the Chinese authorities, upon complaint being made thereof,
will of course do their utmost to bring the offender to justice ; it
must, however, be distinctly understood, that if the defaulter really
cannot be found, or be dead , or bankrupt, and there be not where
withal to pay, the English merchants may not appeal to the former
custom of the Hong merchants paying for one another, and can no
longer expect to have their losses made good to them .
V. Tonnage Dues.
Every English merchantman, on entering any one of the above
mentioned five ports, shall pay tonnage - dues at the rate of five mace
her register ton, in full of all charges. The fees formerly levied on
entry and departure, of every description , are henceforth abolished .
BRITISH TRADE IN CHINA . 515
VI. Import and Export Duties.
Goods, whether imported into, or exported from , any one of the
above-mentioned five ports, are henceforward to be taxed according
to the tariff as now fixed and agreed upon, and no further sums are
to be levied beyond those which are specified in the tariff ; all duties
incurred by an English merchant vessel, whether on goods imported
or exported , or in the shape of tonnage-dues, must first be paid up