Directory_and_Chronicle_1841 — Page 452

1841

Notices of Chusan.

433

stone walls. After a time, when the people of the island saw that they could dispose of their bullocks, goats, and poultry, profitably, and that the proper price was freely given, abundance of provisions came to market, and all these irregularities ceased. For the last three months of residence at Cliusan, there was a good display of all table requisites constantly brought, not only from the island itself, but from the neighboring islands, Ningpo, and other parts of the main ; Shantang cabbages, Nanking pears (of very good quality), Kéängse walnuts, Fuhkeën oranges, with all the vegetable products of the islands; as well as bullocks, milch goats, geese, wild and tame ducks, fowls, and abundance of fish; occasionally deer, pheasants, par· tridges, and snipe, were offered for sale at very moderate prices; on two or three occasions woodcocks were shot by some of the sports-

in their rambles over the hills.

men,

The people. At first great difficulty was experienced in obtaining cookies to perform the various duties required of them, and it often took'a morning's hard work, to collect a few men together; but after a while, finding that they were well and regularly paid, they flocked in great numbers to the city, so that any amount of able-bodied strong men could at once be procured.

1

1

On the whole it may be remarked, that the soldiers behaved with great propriety at Chusan, complete order and regularity being main- tained over them by their officers; some of the respectable Chinese householders expressed their surprise, that they had so little annoy- ance from the English soldiers, who, as they often said,' were so well behaved, and so very different from those of their own army, whà never let at an opportunity slip of enriching themselves at the ex- pense of those in whose city thay dwelt. On one or two occasions, when there were rumors of an attack, being made on the city, by Chinese soldiers to be sent from Ningpo, some of the friendly Chi nese were warned not on any account to allow the officers or soldiers of their own nation to secrete themselves on their premises, lest they should bring themselves into trouble; when they all said, that, far from wishing to harbor any of the soldiers, they would as soon take in the same number of the most arrant thieves, and that they knew their own interest far too well to do anything of that kind. Of those liouseholders who remained in their own dwellings, after the occupa- tion of the city, very few if any were at all molested, but retained their houses and property to the last; and if their buildings were wanted for barracks or hospitals, rent was paid for them according to valua- tion. Had the shopkeepers, &c., taken care of their goods at first.

VOL. X. NO. VII.

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