Page images
PDF
EPUB

Birmingham cutlery or Yorkshire broadcloth is on its road to the interior, whilst the Arrierro's long string of mules are crawling up cuestas or shuffling over the plains. They will arrive, that suffices the South American merchant is happy. Now imagine him an irritable Englishman, fidgetting, and abusing the roads, the mules, the muleteers, and the country, and disgusting every one with his impatience and petulance. Therefore, let it be borne in mind that this apparent apathy in some portions of the American Continent arises from (wise) causes, over which we have no control. The transit of goods in many states must ever remain a long and tedious process, but it does not follow on that account that there should not be a great commerce. The slow mule, and the

fast locomotive are equally sure in the end.

Let our merchants look to the point, that, when the produce of the interior does reach a point fit for embarkation, that means are at hand to carry it to the neighbouring state, and make the necessary exchange.

Why in the name of all that is reasonable should Brazil import American flour when the stream of the Marranon could brink down the corn and pulse of the Ecuador, where abundant crops and lack of consumers obliges the granaries to be thrown open to the public, in order that room may be made for the coming harvest.

Peru produces wine and spirits, whilst the Eastern States imports largely the most execrable compounds from Europe. Peru imports chocolate from Manila, whilst her near neighbour cannot find a market for cocoa. The forests of Guayaquil rot, and yet in Peru a tree is a curiosity, and wood high priced.

The Buenos Ayrean carefully collects dried manure for fuel, whilst coal admirably adapted for all culinary purposes abounds in Chili, and the Straits of Magellan.

(To be completed in our next.)

NOTES ON A VISIT TO CHANG-CHOW-Foo.

LEFT the ship in the gig with Capt. F. E. Johnston (waiting with me an opportunity to join H.M.S. Scout,) and a party of thirteen at 3h. 45m. A.M. At 5 A.M. we left Amoy in two large Chinese boats, hired for the occasion, and proceeded up the Chang River to visit the city of Chang-chow-foo. At 7h. 30m. passed on our right (the proper left bank of the Chang) the village of Hychong. We had here ten feet water, the tide having commenced flood at 4 A.M. at Amoy; but apparently being about two hours later in the river. The banks of the river were covered with mangrove bushes, and the river from this to the city, a distance of about twenty-five miles runs through a rich alluvial plain, from about fifteen to eighteen miles in width.

At the base of various hills we saw the acacia, banyan, and lichee, and NO. 6.-VOL. XVIII. 2 Q

at a very slight elevation the pine in considerable straggling numbers, whilst the summit of the hills and distant mountains, presented the appearance of cracked clay and dry detached boulders of black decomposed granite. The mouth of the river in which we then were is the northern one, and is about a mile wide. The villages are numerous and built of clay with tile roofs. Many tileries are on the banks of the river. The only quadruped we saw was the buffalo, which is used for many purposes. There are several fishing boats but few trading junks.

At 8h. 30m. we passed Chung-tow, left bank, no bottom 15 feet. 9h. 24m. Paukchow (left bank) river about 200 yards wide. Here we saw some boats fishing in a peculiar manner,—a number of boats, in this instance fourteen, being divided and drawn up on opposite sides of the river in two lines, they advanced to meet each other, a man standing with a casting net in the bow of each, who, when the lines nearly touched simultaneously threw their nets, and were each rewarded by a haul of

fish.

At 9h. 50m. passed Laoutoill, a large and populous village; 10h. 30m. across the Delta we saw the town of Chaubai about three miles distant, off which several junks' masts were visible; 10h. 50m. we passed the place where the Chang divides to form the Delta; 11h. passed a fort on the right bank of the river, celebrated as the retreat and stronghold of the Pirate Coxsinga.

11h. 40m. passed Tienton on both sides of the stream. It seems principally employed in the manufacture of tiles and bricks. Near it were several groups of trees with the bamboo in most graceful luxuriance. At noon we passed Aoopooang or rather Peealau, the landingplace for the former village; at which a Spanish Roman Catholic Missionary of the Dominican order has established himself since 1842, and having built a chapel has converted to the Romish faith above 500 Chinese, at the lowest computation. His name is Francisco Zea. At 1h. 50m. we came in sight of the new bridge over the Chang. It consists of nineteen large stone buttresses built in the stream, which at high water is about 14 feet deep, with a rise and fall of 8 feet. They are about 28 feet apart, and joined by long flat slabs of granite, making a bridge about 580 feet long, and 14 feet wide; a small open parapet about a yard high is the only finish, but several guard-houses are built on it. About half a mile higher up is the old bridge, which we had not time to inspect. I was told it has 26 spans, the river being no wider than at the new bridge. The houses mentioned by Du Halde have been taken down owing to the weakness of the structure. On our arrival just below the new bridge, a crowd of Chinese assembled to stare at the new comers, but upon being addressed by Mr. Pohlman, (the same American emissary who accompanied M. Hedde when here with M. Lagraine,) who speaks the language with fluency, they made way for us, to land. To shew the good feeling they bore to us, I may mention, that one of the crowd expressing some surprise at a pair of gloves which I wore; I gave them to him. He put them on and held up his hands

amidst shouts of laughter from the assemblage; he then passed them on to another, who having tried them on, with much honesty came to return them, which I declined, being aware that honesty of purpose and cleanliness of hands are not synonymous terms in Chinese. The mandarins sent a body of police to escort us lest the crowd should be troublesome, but though generally surrounded by from 600 to 1000 people, they neither were inconveniently inquisitive nor impertinently curious.

We went to the sugar factories, the staple commodity of this place, in which are twenty-five factories, producing yearly about 30,000 picul cwt.; 35,625 sugar candy of a fine quality; and 50,000 picul cwt. 56,875 brown sugar. Some coarse black tea of an inferior quality is exported. There is also a tobacco factory, and one for making crystals for spectacles.

We went to a high hill within the walls, and had a bird's eye view of the city, and then walked round a quarter of the wall between two gates. The wall has four gates, is about 25 feet thick, and 35 feet high, with a parapet about 7 feet high, in good repair. On the quarter round which we walked, we saw eleven pieces of ordnance in bad order.

Population by guess about 80,000, very few poor were seen, and hardly any suburb. We started for the ship about 6h. 50m. P.M. and reached her at 3h. 30m. A.M., having been absent about twenty-three hours and a half.

NOTES ON VANCOUVER ISLAND.

THE present state of the settlement at Nisqually is much the same as it was during Capt. Duntze's long visit in 1846. The only apparent effect produced by the recent Indian outrages at Waiilatpu being the preparation of a stockade defended by two bastions, which is now in the course of erection round the principal buildings. This, though long in contemplation, has been hastened by the spirit which the success of this massacre has excited in the Indian population.

Doctor Tolmi, the head of the establishment, deeming it prudent to be prepared against any similar piece of infatuation on the part of his excitable neighbours, for though the greatest confidence prevails amongst these people in the integrity and power of the Hudson Bay Company's servants, even to them, and especially to the American settlers scattered in the neighbourhood, they are apt to boast of the above exploit; and to hint at the possibility of a similar occurrence in Louis County. This is treated by Dr. Tolmi as mere Indian bravado, but in the isolated American settlers it has produced a feeling of anxiety that has driven the greater part of them back to the Columbia.

Several thriving settlers still remain within a little distance of the fort; and at a place called Newmarket, twenty or thirty miles south

west of Nisqually, two French priests, Pere Blanchet and another, are erecting a chapel, and establishing a mission for the conversion of the Indians. A saw and grist mill has also been erected on the falls of a small river (the Tacalamish) close to, and a large extent of ground cultivated in the vicinity by five American families, whose cattle and produce only require a market for their disposal, more than sufficient for the consumption of themselves and families being raised the first year. These people all complained of the unwholesomeness of the Williamette Valley, where they were first settled, and praised the climate of Louis County as the healthiest they had met since leaving the United States. The greatest improvement in the Nisqually produce is in the breed of their sheep and cattle, the former especially, both in size and quality coming much nearer to the character of the English stock than they did two years ago.

The reports which reached me respecting the Columbia were, owing to Mr. Douglas's absence of too ill-defined a character for quotation, but from what I could collect there seemed to be a general feeling that a removal of their establishments to Vancouver Island would be 'ere long in contemplation. Dr. Tolmi intends to devote the summer of next year to examining the capabilities of the eastern side of that island. In the meanwhile he rigidly asserts the Company's right guaranteed in the Treaty, by warning off and insisting upon the removal of any Americans who attempt to settle within the limits they have claimed as their cattle walks. This has been always quietly complied with as yet, and the greatest cordiality exists between the American citizens and the Company's servants, on whom they are mainly dependant for most of their necessary stores and supplies.

My departure was delayed till the 25th by au accident, which nearly proved fatal to Mr. Gordon, assistant-surgeon of this ship, who got bewildered in the woods, and for three days baffled all our attempts to trace him: he was at last discovered by some of the Indians we had sent out, in a very exhausted state, having travelled more than twelve miles in a straight line without finding food or water. We arrived at Victoria about midnight on the 27th, the weather still as thick as it was when we left, but a fresh wind partially clearing the air the next day.

On the 29th we ran round to Cormorant Bay, and on the 7th commenced beating down the Straits, and arrived at Neah Bay on the night of the 9th, examining the coast as much as the unsettled state of the weather would permit. On the 10th it blew a fresh gale from the eastward, accompanied with heavy rain and thick weather, but the anchorage is well secured from such winds, though exposed to the north-west. The two following days proving fine I filled up with wood and water, and on the 13th, having completed my observations, started for San Francisco.

Previous to leaving the Straits I must give you a short account of the present state of the establishment at Victoria; though I am aware there can be little to add to the information already supplied by Capt. Courtenay, of H.M.S. Constance.

Since 1846 considerable additions have been made to the buildings, and the stockade now includes all the goods stores, and extends 450 feet by 330. The dairy also has been much improved, and a breed of cattle introduced, which supplied us with excellent meat during our stay. Butter in considerable quantities is salted for exportation as well as salmon; large quantities of which, as well as grain, are sent to the Sandwich Islands and Russian settlements to the northward. A good substantial wooden bridge bas been thrown across the narrows above Victoria, and a road cut to a saw mill, now in the course of erection on a small stream that runs into the head of Esquimalt harbour. This road has been nearly destroyed by the extensive fires which have this year prevailed in the woods, but the increasing importance of this place, and its value as a secure harbour, will soon lead to its being re-opened.

Subjoined is a list of the Indian population in the Straits and Puget Sound according to the last census, allowing a decrease of one-fifth for the effects of the late mortality amongst them from the measles, influenza, &c., which has made great havoc this year.

The tribes of Indians that inhabit Vancouver Island, with the number of men, women, and children of each, viz.:—

1 Songes 700 inhabiting the south-east part of the island.

2 Sanetch 500

3 Kawitchin 1763

north-east sixty miles, north-west of Mount Douglas.

country north-west of Sanetch territory to the entrance of Johnson's straits.

4 Uchulta 1000 Kawitchin country in ditto.

5

Nimkis 500 Uchulta country

6 Quaquiolts 1500 Nimkis country

[merged small][ocr errors]

7 Neweetg 500 At north-west entrance of Johnson's Straits. 8 Quacktoe 1000 Woody part north-west coast of the island. 9 Nootka 1600 Of that name on the west coast.

10 Nitinat 1200

11 Klay quoit 1100 12 Soke

[ocr errors][merged small][ocr errors][merged small]

100 East point of San Juan to the Songes territory.

Total 11,463

Besides the harbours of Esquimalt, Victoria, Nootkarand, St. Juan, there are four more on the east coast of the island, viz. Shuchartee, Beaver, McNeills, and Beaver Cove. At McNeills harbour the coal district lies.

Fraser River is navigable to a distance of about eighty miles from its entrance, and the depth of water varies from 2 to 10 fathoms.

The only river at present known, as being any way navigable on Vancouver Island is that of Nimkis which the natives ascend in their light craft to a distance of about twenty miles from the sea coast.

We have not as yet kept a correct register of the weather by thermo

« ՆախորդըՇարունակել »