CANTON, OLD
(2)
Continuation.
As previously promised, I give below some notes on early British contract with Canton, gleaned from the "Memoirs of William Hickey" (loaned to me by "Old Mortality"). As stated before, Mr. Hickey as a young man, visited the City of Rams in the year 1769.
He evidently was not much impressed with the Macao of those days when he touched there on the way to Canton. "Our sea pilot," he states, "having taken the ship into Macao roads, we there anchored to wait the arrival of a river pilot.
I, therefore, after dinner, went on ashore to this miserable place, where there is a wretched ill-constructed fort belonging to the Portuguese in which I saw a few sallow-faced, half-naked and apparently half-starved creatures in old tattered coats, that had once been blue, carrying muskets upon their shoulders, which like the other accoutrements were of a piece with their dress. These wretches were honoured with the title of "soldiers."
Satisfied with what I had seen, and nothing tempted by a printed board indicating the house upon which it was fixed to be The British Hotel, where was to be found 'elegant entertainment and comfortable lodging' I did not even take a look within.
In the afternoon of the day following the "Plassey" arrived at Whampoa, having taken thirty-three days on the trip from Madras, the shortest voyage ever made until then by an East Indiaman.
Whampoa says Hickey is pleasantly situated, having two islands close to the ships, one called Deans, upon which ships erect what is called a "Bankshall", being a lightly constructed wooden building from sixty to one hundred feet in length, into which the upper masts, yards, spars, sails, rigging and stores are deposited and previous to being re-embarked are all repaired and put into order."The other is called French Island, where the officers and sailors walk or amuse themselves at different games for exercise and pastime. Upon French Island all the Europeans who died are buried."
Next morning, after breakfast, Mr. Hickey together with the Captain and other officers, transferred themselves into Captain's barge and were rowed to Canton, some eighteen miles distant. Canton was Mr. Hickey's home for the following four months. This is his first impression of that city:
"The view of Canton as you approach it is strikingly grand and at the same time picturesque. The magnitude of the architecture must always surprise strangers.
About half-a-mile above the city suburbs, in going from Whampoa, is a wharf or embankment, regularly built of brick and mortar, extending more than half-a-mile in length, upon which wharf stands the different factories, or places of residences of the Supercargoes, each factory having the flag of its nation on a lofty ensign staff before it. They stood in the following order
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CANTON, OLD
( 2 )
Dontinuation.
As previously promised, I give below some notes on early British contract with Canton, gleaned from the "Memoirs of William Hickey" ( loaned to me by " Old Mortality ".). As stated before, Mr. Hickey as a young man, visited the City of Rams in the year 1769.
He evidently was not much impressed with the Macao of those days when he touched there on the way to Canton. "Our sea pilot " he states," having taken the ship into Macao roads, we there anchored to wait the arri- val of a river pilot..
I, therefore, after dinner, went on ashore to this miserable place, where there is a wretched ill-constructed fort belonging to the Portuguese in which I saw a few sallow-faced, half-naked and apparent- ly half-starved creatures in old tattered coats, that had once bben blue, carrying muskets upon their shoulders, which like the other accoutrements were of a piece with their dress. These wretches, were honoured with the title of " soldiers "
Satisfied with what I had seen, and nothing temp- ted by a printed board indicating the house upon which it was fixed to be The British Hotel, where was to be found ' elegant entertainment and comfortable lodging I did not even take a look within '
In the afternoon of the day following the " Plassey " arrived at Whampoa, having taken thirty-three days on the trip from Madras the shortest voyagle ever made until then by an East Indiaman.
# Whampoa
#
## says Hickey is pleasantly situated, having two islands close to the ships, one called Deans, upon which ships erect what is called a " Bankshall ",being a lightly constructed wooden building from sixty to one hun dred feet in length, into which the upper masts, yards, spars, sails, rigging and stores are deposited and previous to being re-embarked are all repaired and put into order.
"The other is called French Island, where the offi- cers and sailors walk or amuse themselves at different games for exercise and pastime. Upon French Island all the Europeans who died are buried."
Next morning, after breakfast, Mr. Hickey together with the Captain and other officers, transferred themselves into Captain's barge and were rowed to Canton, some eighteen miles distant. Canton was Mr. Hickey's home for the following four months. This is his first impression of that city:
" The view of Canton as you approach it is striking- ly grand and at the same time picturesque. The magnitude of the architecture must always surprise strangers.
About half-a-mile above the city suburbs, in going from Whampoa, is a wharf or embankment, regularly built of brick and mortar, extending more than half-a-mile in length, upon which wharf stands the different factories, or places of residences of the Supercargoes, each factory having the flag of its nation on a lofty ensign staff before it. They stood in the following order
196
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