Inside Canton. Melchior Yvan

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      Published by Good Press, 2021

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      EAN 4064066442729

Table of Contents

       INSIDE CANTON.

       CHAPTER I.

       CHAPTER II.

       CHAPTER III.

       CHAPTER IV.

       CHAPTER V.

       CHAPTER VI.

       CHAPTER VII.

       CHAPTER VIII.

       CHAPTER IX.

       CHAPTER X.

       CHAPTER XI.

       CHAPTER XII.

      ​

INSIDE CANTON.

       Table of Contents

CHAPTER I.

       Table of Contents

      THE FAI-TING — CHINESE GAMBLING — QUAIL FIGHTS AND CRICKET-MATCHES — THE TCHOU-KIANG.

      The discussion of the articles of the treaty between France and the Celestial Empire rendered frequent communications necessary between the French ambassador and the viceroy of the two Kuangs. During these repeated interviews, the two diplomatists contracted a genuine friendship. The agreeable manners and the distinguished attainments of the French representative charmed the Imperial commissioner, and the latter behaved with so much frankness and good-nature, that he gained the esteem and affection of M. de Lagrené. Ki-in, with characteristic nobility, gave no special marks of his consideration and attachment for the emissary of the French Government, until the discussion of diplomatic affairs had been brought to an end. Then, in words full of Chinese atticism, he begged our ​plenipotentiary to visit the capital of his kingdom, in order to continue, as he said, an acquaintance which had become so agreeable to him. M. de Lagrené accepted this invitation. The Mandarin Pan-se-Chen placed at his disposition one of the houses, or rather one of the palaces, which he possesses at Canton. But the cordial politeness of the mandarins did not cease here; they also invited MM. Barnard d'Harcourt, Callery, and myself to accompany the French minister on his journey.

      Chinese customs often expose Europeans, and above all European ladies, to surprises of a very embarrassing nature; for this reason, M. de Lagrené requested the interpreter and the physician of the embassy to precede him, in order to overlook the preparations that were to be made for his reception.

      We took our passage on board a faï-ting, and started for Canton five days before M. de Lagrené. The faï-tings, which the English call "fast boats," and the Portuguese lorchas, are excellent vessels, of about fifty tons, well built, good sailers, and doing the same duty that is performed on our coasts by steamers. When we arrived on board, Callery led me to the mainmast.

      "Can you read?" he said.

      "Why, yes," I replied.

      Then, pointing maliciously to an inscription in Chinese, he said, "Well, then, read that."

      ​"The joke is not bad," I said, with a laugh; "but read it yourself, you mongrel Chinaman."

      "I will read it, then—‘Take care of your purses.’ Do you understand?"

      "Perfectly well. I like tke style of the notice; it is plain, concise, and direct, and moreover it appears called for," I added, casting my eyes upon my travelling companions.

      There were forty passengers on board the faï-ting. There were costumes of all kinds: coolies in blue chams and straw hats; sailors in brown chams, with pig-tails twisted round their heads; boys in white chams; students in long flowing robes, wearing on their heads caps like those worn by French abbés, and surmounted by tassels of gold. The commander of the lorcha, dressed like the sailors, came towards us, and told us that our boys had placed our baggage in the general room, where we should find ourselves very comfortable. Indeed, according to the Chinese custom, we had sent on board of this floating omnibus of the Celestial Empire a mattress, a bolster, a mat, and a mosquito curtain.

      "But are there not two stern cabins?" inquired Callery.

      "Decidedly," said the Chinese; "but they are occupied by two merchants from Nankin."

      This positive answer rendered it useless for us to endeavour to obtain private rooms, and we ​entered the general saloon. This apartment is at the rear of the vessel. It forms a long square, and is furnished with tables, seats without backs, and lanterns suspended from the ceiling. There are two doors, one at each end, and several steps above the lower deck. Over one of the entrances, that of the fore-deck, there is a long inscription, in which the wonderful qualities of the vessel are enumerated—its great quickness, its superior construction, the experience of the captain, and the skilfulness of the sailors. Our boys, like persons who knew their business, had taken possession of two corners, and, by way of avoiding all possible discussion, had arranged our mattresses as if we intended to lie down directly we arrived. We lauded their zeal, and after warning them not to lose sight of our luggage for a single instant, returned to the deck.

      This took place towards the end of October, some days after our return from San-Cian, the celebrated island where St. Francis Xavier died three centuries before. The sky was so pure and transparent that it resembled a dome of crystal; the wind was fresh, as the sailors say, and the waves danced joyfully. A squadron of fishing vessels and faï-tings were preparing to depart at the same time; on the right, on the left, before us and behind us, the sound of the gong was heard; then there was a firing СКАЧАТЬ