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FISHING JUNKS.

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to death upon the deck-an impression confirmed, on hastening up, by seeing streams of blood immediately under the main yard. It was a relief, therefore, to learn the truth, melancholy as it is; for there is hope for the poor fellow in this case, while there could have been none in the other. It was necessary to amputate the limb still higher than the spot at which it had already been severed, and the surgeon feels much anxiety as to the result.

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The weather continued to be more and more boisterous, till we were again well nigh in a tempest; and for a few moments before day-break this morning, I was apprehensive of a terrific consummation of our disasters. After an almost sleepless night, from the excessive rolling of the ship, I was awaked suddenly by an alarm on deck, accompanying the loud exclamation of the commanding officer to the man at the helm, "hard a port! hard a port!— quick, quick" followed by several rapid orders, and immediately afterwards by a slight concussion of the ship against something, and again by a second, that brought every one in the ward-room upright in his berth. "She will strike, sir—she will strike!” were the next words heard from the midshipman of the forecastle, and I was expecting a tremendous crash of the Vincennes on the shore, when a quartermaster made his appearance with a light, and as another and still heavier blow was felt against the bow of the ship, checked the alarm of the ward-room by informing us that instead of running on shore ourselves, two fishing junks, in the darkness of the night, and sleep of their owners, had run upon us;

292

FIRST SIGHT OF THE CHINESE.

but fortunately without being sunk-the first not having appeared to sustain any injury, and the second only the loss of a small mast.

We hove to immediately, and hoisted lights till daybreak; but heard nothing from the boats, and presume they suffered little damage. I was early on deck. Though no land was in sight, the whole horizon was studded with these craft--the only habitations of tens of thousands along the Chinese coast. Two are always in company, lying to under the same quantity of sail, attached to each other by hawsers, and dragging nets between them. They are long, rude looking structures, having one mast of considerable size in the centre, and another very small far aft, with an elevated stern and pointed prow, over which, in place of the bowsprit in our fishing smacks, is a wooden anchor. On either side of the bow a large eye is painted, to keep a look out as it is said, but without always answering the purpose of proper vigilance, as was proved by the incident of the night—and which might have eventuated in a horrible catastrophe to those trusting their safety to such a watch.

On coming up with some of them, we soon had ocular demonstration of being in a new quarter of the globe. They all contain numbers of people-apparently whole families, men, women, and children, a cadaverous set, shrewd and cunning in their expres sion, seemingly good-natured, and highly delighted to see our fine ship rushing by, so near to their tossing craft, that we might almost have leaped on board.

ASPECT OF THE ISLANDS.

293

At eleven o'clock we made the "Pedra Branca," a large white rock, a principal landmark in approaching one of the channels along the coast, leading to the entrance of the river on which Canton stands. These channels are formed by numerous shoals and islands, edging the mainland. One of the largest called the Grand Lema, was in sight at twelve; and shortly after a whole group, nearer the continent; lofty points of which were also seen rising beyond them in the distance. A pilot and comprador, or purveyor, boarded us early in the afternoon; and before nightfall we were once more at anchor off a small island called Loo-chow. All the islands in sight are exceedingly barren-scarce any more than lofty rocks covered with sand and ashes.

Fleets of fishing-boats are at anchor in many places close along the shore, forming floating villages, without the appearance of any other habitations, except a single hamlet opposite us, on Loo-chow. To this the pilot and comprador belong. It wears but an indifferent aspect, scarce better than that of a poor fishing village at the Sandwich Islands. The first sounds heard from it were those of the Gong, proclaiming, as was supposed, the hour of evening sacrifice for when the pilot was asked, what it meant, he replied, "Josh-Josh!"-a corruption of the Portuguese "Dios." The sounds did not differ from those of a large drum; and the associations, connected with their rapid and monotonous tones, were those of sadness at the delusion and sin of so great a portion of the human family, as belong to this idolatrous empire.

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Two days after the date of my last letter, we came to anchor in the roads of Macao; and after a few days in that place and a hasty visit to Canton, are once more at sea on our passage to Manilla.

Macao is a Portuguese city, situated on a peninsula of a large island of the same name. It is a walled town, well defended, and contains a large population, including Chinese residents and foreigners. The harbor is good for small vessels, but ships of the class of the Vincennes can only lie in the open roads, at a distance of two or three miles from the landing; rendering the communication with the shore inconvenient and at times unpleasant.

It is the summer residence of the merchants of Canton, and the only place where foreign ladies are permitted to land: of course gentlemen, who have their families with them, are under the necessity of living there. Aware that Dr. Morrison was an inhabitant of this place, I early renewed the acquaintance I had the pleasure of forming with him in London in 1826, and was most cordially received by Mrs. Morrison and himself into their family. The privilege

CAVE OF CAMOENS.

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and happiness of enjoying the hospitality of such a house, and the society of such friends, especially in a land of strangers, cannot be too highly appreciated, and can never be forgotten.

Captain Finch soon became domiciliated with Dr. Bradford of Philadelphia, in the establishment of Mr. Latimer, a merchant of Canton, from the same city; while all the officers of the ship received every polite and kind attention from other foreign residents, including Mr. Plowden, the chief of the honorable East India Company's Factory, and other gentlemen connected with the service.

The town is well built, cleanly, and handsome; and we spent our time very agreeably, the few days that could be given to the enjoyment of its society. A principal object of interest and curiosity within the place is a grotto, or rather niche in a rock, in which Camoens is said to have completed the Lusiad. It is on the summit of a hill, in the midst of a garden and grounds tastefully laid out and well kept, commanding delightful views of the city and of its inner and outer harbors, and might well be supposed a haunt of the muses. I visited it twice-once in company with Captain Finch and Lieutenant Magruder, and a second time with Mr. Hoyt.

The library and museum of the East India Company, an aviary of splendid birds belonging to Mr. Beal an English resident, and a small Chinese temple, were also visited by us with much gratification.

The distance from Macao to Canton is about seventy miles. After considerable difficulty and delay,

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