Directory_and_Chronicle_1850 — Page 78

1850.

Journal of Occurrences.

55

of crews, masters are held responsible for payment of their washing. The usual charge is one dollar for each seaman for the first month or part of a mouth, and fifty cents for each subsequent month or part of a month, of a ship's stay.

VII. Seamen being strictly prohibited from going to Canton and on shore, bum-boats are to be permitted tu come alongside the ships in reasonable numbers, at meal times, at the gangways only, to sell clothes and other necessaries. Dealers have been cau. tioned against giving credit, inasmuch as no debt exceeding in amount five shillings, in- curred by any seaman can be recovered until the period of his service shall have been concluded.

VIII. All masters or other persons in charge of vessels about to leave this anchorage shall give notice thereof in writing to the consular agent, and hoist a blue-peter at least twenty-four hours before the time of intended departure, unless he shall think fit from a sufficient cause to dispense with the observance of this regulation.

IX. Every British subject arriving at this port, not borne on the muster roll of any British ship, and intending to reside here, is required within a reasonable time to enrol himself in a register kept at the consular office for the respective districts: and if any British subject conveyed to this port in a British vessel, shall, prior to the departure of such vessel from the dominions of the emperor of China, be found requiring public relief, such vessel will be held responsible for the maintenance and removal of such distressed British subject.

X. Any individual appealing from the decision of the consular agent, is required to forward his appeal unsealed and under cover to the consular agent for transmission to the consul.

XI. All fines are payable in ready money. Dollars locally termed chopped are received by weight at the rate of 7.17 tacia to 10 dollars, and the dollar is received at the ex- change of 44. 2d.

The Consular Agent takes this opportunity to make the following remarks -Ist. On Sunday there is usually an opportunity of attending divine service

2d. To avoid expos- ing European seamen, it is advisable to engage a sampan, or Chinese boat, for pulling up to Canton and about the anchorage 3d. To prevent pilfering, a particular watch ought to be kept on Chinese in and about a ship when discharging and loading small and loose packages. 4th. Bathing in the middle of the stream, unless at slack water, is highly dangerous. 5th. Insubordinate conduct being most frequently occasioned by drinking intoxicating liquors to excess, and if these be excluded, masters would have comparatively little trouble in maintaining good order amongst the crews, it is recom- mended to them to arrange to watch each other's versels, and to make siguals when boats come under the bows or sterns. At nieal times, when bumboats are perinitted at the gangways, vigilance is necessary also, though the precautions taken should not be vexatious to the crew. 6th. The consular agent having little leisure for correspondence, all persons at this anchorage baving business with him, are requested to transact it personally. 7th. Pilots may be obtained at First Bar. 8th. The consular agent is an-

person his duty without fear or favor, and to treat all persons courteously who

xious to

have recourse to him ; but having frequently come in contact with very unreasonable individuals, who have not hesitated to misrepresent him most grossly, and to treat him with marked disrespect, he feels reluctant to fine any one on this account if it can be avoided, and with this view intimates that the law gives him ample power to cause his official authority to be respected.

ALEX. BIRD, British Consular Agent.

Whampao, 3d November, 1849.

The U. S. sloop of war St. Mary's, 20 guns, bearing the broad pendant of Commodore Voorhees arrived in these waters on the 31st, from Honolulu. Her officers are as follows: Commodore, Philip F. Voorhees. Lieutenants, John B. Marchand, C. A. R. Jones, Wm. E. Boudinot, A. C. Rhind. Acting Master, David Ochiltree. Surgeon, Samue! L. Addison. Purser, Cameron Anderson. Lieut. of Marines, F. B. McNeill. Commodore's Secretary, Dabney C. Wirt. Midshipmen, David L. Braine, Felix Grundy, Joseph L. Breeze, Edward T. Williams. Boatswain, John Crosby. Sailmaker, Wm. B. Fugitt. Carpenter, C. W. Babbitt. Gunner, J. Brown. Purser's Clerk, James Conway. Executions among the Chinese. The number of criminals who undergo capi- tal punishment at Canton usually amounts to several hundreds annually, but no governor-general has in recent years equaled the present incumbent in the nuni- ber of persons whom he has sentenced to the sword; during the last year there have been nearly 400 executions, though it should be remarked that criininala can not be capitally punished at any other city in the province besides Canton, with the exception of Kiungchau fú in Háinán. The place of execution in Can- ton might perhaps be called a public square, but it rather resembles a vacant lot