CO129-025 - Bonham - 1848 [7-8] — Page 148

146

of these villages derive by the creeks an increase of several thousands of the immense number of boats there

These people, usually denominated "Tanka" by the Chinese, form one of the four tabooed classes who are debarred from competing for academical honors, and consequently are ineligible to hold any civil office under government: they are a hardy, rough, dark-complexioned race, not particularly conscientious in their dealings with each other, and reputed pirates whenever opportunity favours them; in fact this character may be very safely given to all crews of boats on the Chinese coast, for I believe that none will lose an opportunity of pirating when they can!

The third, and last, class, "Hongkong boats", includes junks for the transmission of cargo in the harbor, watermen's boats, small sampans inhabited by the aged relatives of the crews of the absent fishing junks, and private boats hired by Europeans.

No regular account has ever been kept of the number of Chinese craft which anchor in the bays of the colony; it was at one time attempted through the medium of the district peace officers, as also to get some account of the native trades; but it proved a failure, the returns being so palpably incorrect in many particulars, that no credit could be given to their report; in fact it would be impracticable to keep any account of the arrival and departure of Chinese craft, or to obtain any return of imports or exports in Chinese vessels, unless individuals should be specially appointed by Government to perform that duty, as the boats and the people are naturally numerous and may be jealous of any interference in their mercantile transactions.

A fair estimate may, however, be formed of the number, from the following list of boats which anchored in the harbors of the Colony during the month of December, 1847, classifying those in the order which I have followed in this report.