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diff --git a/44261-0.txt b/44261-0.txt new file mode 100644 index 0000000..78bd983 --- /dev/null +++ b/44261-0.txt @@ -0,0 +1,3818 @@ +*** START OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK 44261 *** + +Transcriber's note: + +Inconsistency in hyphenation and spelling is as in the original. + +In this etext a 'breve' is represented with:- + +a - [)a] + +i - [)i] + +o - [)o] + +u - [)u] + +Chapter Sidenotes are placed at head of chapter. + +Inline Sidenotes are placed as close as possible, and marked [sn: (2 v.)] + +.... + + +[Illustration: frontispeiece] + + + + + HISTORY + OF + THE PIRATES + + WHO + INFESTED THE CHINA SEA, + + FROM 1807 TO 1810. + + TRANSLATED FROM THE CHINESE ORIGINAL, + WITH + NOTES AND ILLUSTRATIONS, + + BY + CHARLES FRIED. NEUMANN. + + + LONDON: + + PRINTED FOR THE ORIENTAL TRANSLATION FUND, + And Sold by + J. MURRAY, ALBEMARLE STREET; + PARBURY, ALLEN, & CO., LEADENHALL STREET; + THACKER & CO., CALCUTTA; TREUTTEL & WÜRTZ, PARIS; + AND E. FLEISCHER, LEIPSIG. + + + 1831. + + + + + LONDON + Printed by J. L. Cox, Great Queen Street, + Lincoln's-Inn Fields + + + + + TRANSLATOR'S PREFACE. + + +Conquerors are deemed successful robbers, while robbers are +unsuccessful conquerors. If the founder of the dynasty of the Ming had +failed in his rebellion against the Moguls, history would have called +him a robber; and if any one of the various robber-chiefs, who in the +course of the two last centuries made war against the reigning +Manchow, had overthrown the government of the foreigners, the official +historiographers of the "_Middle empire_" would have called him _the +far-famed, illustrious elder father_ of the new dynasty. + +Robbers or pirates are usually ignorant of the principles concerning +human society. They are not aware that power is derived from the +people for the general advantage, and that when it is abused to a +certain extent, all means of redress resorted to are legitimate. But +they feel most violently the abuse of power. The fruit of labour is +too often taken out of their hands, justice sold for money, and +nothing is safe from their rapacious and luxurious masters. People +arise to oppose, and act according to the philosophical principles of +human society, without having any clear idea about them. Robbers and +pirates are, in fact, the opposition party in the despotical empires +of the East; and their history is far more interesting than that of +the reigning despot.[1] The sameness which is to be observed in the +history of all Asiatic governments, presents a great difficulty to any +historian who wishes to write a history of any nation in Asia for the +general reader. + +The history of the transactions between Europeans and the Chinese is +intimately connected with that of the pirate chiefs who appeared from +time to time in the Chinese Sea, or Southern Ocean. The Europeans +themselves, at their first appearance in the _middle empire_, only +became known as pirates. Simon de Andrada, the first Portuguese who +(1521) tried to establish any regular trade with China, committed +violence against the merchants, and bought young Chinese to use them +as slaves; and it is known that it was the policy of the _civilized +foreigners_ from the "Great Western Ocean" (which is the Chinese name +for Europe) to decry their competitors in trade as pirates and +outlaws. + +The footing which Europeans and Americans now enjoy in China, +originated from the assistance given by the Portuguese to the Manchow +against the Patriots, otherwise called pirates, who would not submit +to the sway of foreigners. Macao, the only residence (or large prison) +in which foreigners are shut up, is not considered by the Chinese +Government as belonging exclusively to the Portuguese. The Dutch, on +not being allowed to remain in Macao, complained to the Chinese +Government, and the authorities of the middle empire commanded the +Portuguese to grant houses to the newly arrived _Holan_ or Hollander, +"since Macao was to be considered as the abode of _all_ foreigners +trading with China." The edicts concerning this transaction are stated +to be now in the archives of the Dutch factory at Macao. + +It is one of the most interesting facts in the history of the Chinese +empire, that the various barbarous tribes, who subdued either the +whole or a part of this singular country, were themselves ultimately +subdued by the peculiar civilization of their subjects. The Kitans, +Moguls, and Manchow, became, in the course of time, Chinese people; +like the Ostro, and Visigoths, and Longobards--Romans. But we may +remark, that both the Chinese and the Roman civilization under the +Emperors recommended itself to the conquerors, as connected with a +despotism which particularly suited the views of the conquerors. +Though this large division of the human race, which we are accustomed +to call _Tatars_, never felt a spark of that liberty which everywhere +animated the various German nations and tribes, and the Khakhans, in +consequence of this, were not in need of any foreign policy to enslave +their compatriots; yet it may be said, that neither Moguls nor Manchow +were able to establish a despotic form of government which worked so +well for a large nation as that of the Chinese. + +The extremes of both despotism and democracy acknowledge no +intermediary power or rank. The sovereign is the vice-regent of +heaven, and all in all; he is the only rule of right and wrong, and +commands both what shall be done in this world and thought of +concerning the next. It may be easily imagined, that the Jesuits, on +their first arrival in China, were delighted with such a perfect +specimen of government according to their political sentiments. They +tried all that human power could command to succeed in the conversion +of this worldly paradise. The fathers disguised themselves as +astronomers, watchmakers, painters, musicians, and engineers.[2] They +forged inscriptions[3] and invented miracles, and almost went to the +extent of canonizing Confucius. But this cunning deference to Chinese +customs involved the Jesuits in a dispute with their more pious but +less prudent competitors; and notwithstanding all the cleverness of +the Jesuits, the Chinese saw at last, that in becoming Roman Catholic +Christians they must cease to be Chinese, and obey a foreign sovereign +in the _Great Western Ocean_. Toland affirms, that the Chinese and the +Irish, in the time of their heathen monarch Laogirius, were the only +nations in which religious persecutions never existed;[4] this praise +now refers exclusively to Ireland. Roman Catholicism is at this moment +nearly extinguished in China. To become a Christian is considered +high-treason, and the only Roman Catholic priest at Canton at the +present time, is compelled to hide himself under the mask of +shopkeeper. In their successful times, during the seventeenth century, +the Roman Catholic Missionaries published in Europe, that no nation +was more virtuous, nor any government more enlightened than that of +the Chinese; these false eulogies were the source of that high opinion +in which the Chinese were formerly held in Europe. + +The merchants and adventurers who came to China "to make money" found +both the government and people widely different from descriptions +given by the Jesuits. They found that the Chinese officers of +government, commonly called Mandarins, would think themselves defiled +by the least intercourse with foreigners, particularly merchants; and +that the laws are often interpreted quite differently before and after +receiving bribes. The Europeans were proud of their civilization and +cleverness in mercantile transactions, and considered the inhabitants +of all the other parts of the world as barbarians; but they found, to +their astonishment and disappointment, the Chinese still more proud +and cunning. We may easily presume that these deluded merchants became +very irritated, and in their anger they reported to their countrymen +in Europe that the Chinese were the most treacherous and abandoned +people in the world,[5] that "they were only a peculiar race of +savages," and required to be chastised in one way or another; which +would certainly be very easy. Commodore Anson, with a single +weather-beaten sixty-gun ship, in fact, set the whole power of the +Chinese Government at defiance. + +The Translator of the History of the Pirates ventures to affirm, that +the Chinese system of government is by far the best that ever existed +in Asia; not excepting any of the different monarchies founded by the +followers of Alexander, the government of the Roman Prætors and of +Byzantine Dukes, or that of Christian Kings and Barons who reigned in +various parts of the East during the middle ages. The principles of +Chinese government are those of virtue and justice; but they are +greatly corrupted by the passions and vices of men. The greater part +of their laws are good and just, though the practice is often bad; but +unfortunately this is generally not known to the "Son of Heaven." It +is the interest of the Emperor to deal out justice to the lowest of +his subjects; but, supposing it were possible that one man could +manage the government of such an immense empire, who either could or +would dare to denounce every vicious or unjust act of the officers +employed by government? The Chinese themselves are a clever shrewd +sort of people; deceit and falsehood are, perhaps, more generally +found in the "flowery empire" than any where else; but take them all +in all, they rank high in the scale of nations, and the generality of +the people seem to be quite satisfied with their government; they may +wish for a change of masters, but certainly not for an entire change +of the system of government. + +There has existed for a long period, and still exists, a powerful +party in the Chinese Empire, which is against the dominion of the +Manchow; the different mountainous tribes maintain, even now, in the +interior of China, a certain independence of the Tay tsing dynasty. +The Meao tsze, who were in Canton some years ago, stated, with a +proud feeling, that they were _Ming jin_, people of Ming; the title +of the native sovereigns of China before the conquest of the Manchow. +It is said, that the whole disaffected party is united in a +society--generally called the _Triade-Union_--and that they aimed at +the overthrow of the Tatars, particularly under the weak government of +the late Emperor; but the rebels totally failed in their object both +by sea and land. + +It has been falsely reported in Europe, that it is not allowed by the +laws of China to publish the transactions of the reigning dynasty. It +is true that the history written by the official or imperial +historians is not published; but there is no statute which prohibits +other persons from writing the occurrences of their times. It may be +easily imagined that such authors will take especial care not to +state any thing which may be offensive to persons in power. There is, +however, no official court in China to regulate the course of the +human understanding, there is nothing like that tribunal which in the +greater part of the Continent of Europe is called the _Censorship_. +Fear alone is quite sufficient to check the rising spirits of the +liberals in the middle empire. The reader, therefore, should not +expect that either the author of the "History of the Rebellions in the +Interior of China," or the writer of the "Pacification of the +Pirates," would presume to state that persons whom government is +pleased to style robbers and pirates, are in reality enemies of the +present dynasty; neither would they state that government, not being +able to quell these rebellions, are compelled to give large +recompenses to the different chiefs who submit. These facts are +scarcely hinted at in the Chinese histories. The government officers +are usually delineated as the most excellent men in the world. When +they run away, they know before-hand that fighting will avail nothing; +and when they pardon, they are not said to be compelled by necessity, +but it is described as an act of heavenly virtue! From what we learn +by the statements of a Chinese executioner, we should be led to form a +bad opinion of the veracity of these historians, and the heavenly +virtue of their government; for it is said, that one Chinese +executioner beheaded a thousand pirates in one year.[6] + +The author of the following work is a certain _Yung lun yuen_, called +_Jang sëen_,[7] a native of the city or market town _Shun tih_, eighty +le southerly from Canton. The great number of proper names, of +persons and places, to be found in the "_History of the Pacification +of the Pirates_," together with the nicknames and thieves' slang +employed by the followers of Ching y[)i]h, presented peculiar +difficulties in the translation of _Yuen's_ publication. The work was +published in November 1830 at Canton; and it is to be regretted, for +the fame of the author in the _Great Western Ocean_, that he used +provincial and abbreviated characters. I will not complain that by so +doing he caused many difficulties to his translator, for a native of +_Shun tih_ would not trouble himself on that point; but I have reason +to believe that the head schoolmaster of Kwang tung will think it an +abomination that Yung lun yuen should dare take such liberties in a +historical composition. Schoolmasters have a greater sway in China +than any where else, and they like not to be trifled with. These are +particularly the men, who, above all others, oppose any innovation or +reform; scholars, who presume to know every thing between heaven and +earth: and they may certainly satisfy every man, who will rest +satisfied by mere words. These learned gentlemen are too much occupied +with their own philosophical and literary disquisitions, to have any +time, or to think it worth their notice, to pay attention to +surrounding empires or nations. If we consider the scanty and foolish +notices which are found in recent Chinese publications regarding those +nations with which the Chinese should be well acquainted, we cannot +but form a very low estimate of the present state of Chinese +literature. How far otherwise are the accounts of foreign nations, +which are to be found in the great work of Matuanlin! It will, +perhaps, be interesting to the European reader to learn, what the +Chinese know and report concerning the nations of _Ta se yang_, or the +_Great Western Ocean_. I therefore take an opportunity here to give +some extracts from a Chinese publication relative to European nations, +printed last year at Canton. + +The _fifty-seventh book_ of the _Memoirs concerning the South of the +Mei ling Mountains_, contains a history of all the Southern barbarians +(or foreigners); and here are mentioned--with the _Tanka_ people and +other barbarous tribes of Kwang tung and Kwang se--the _Siamese_, the +_Mahometans_, the _French_, _Dutch_, _English_, _Portuguese_, +_Austrians_, _Prussians_, and _Americans_. The work was published by +the command of Yuen, the ex-Governor-General of Canton, who is +considered one of the principal living literary characters of China, +and it consists chiefly of extracts from the voluminous history of +the province Kwang tung, published by his Excellency:-- + + _The Religion of the Hwy hwy, or Mahometans._ + + "This religion is professed by various sorts of barbarians who + live southerly beyond _Chen ching_ (Tséamba, or Zeampa), to the + _Se yu_. Their doctrines originated in the kingdom of _Me tih + no_ (Medina). They say that heaven is the origin of all things; + they do not use any images. Their country is close to Tëen choo + (India); their customs are quite different from those of the + Buddhists; they kill living creatures, but they do not eat + indiscriminately all that is killed; they eat not hog's flesh, + and this is the essence of the doctrine of Hwy hwy. They have + now a foreign pagoda (_fan t[)a]_), near the temple of the + compassionate saint (in Canton), which exists since the time of + the Tang. It is of a spiral form, and 163 cubits high.[8] They + go every day therein to say prayers." + +By the kindness of Dr. Morrison, the translator had the pleasure to +converse with a member of the Mahometan clergy at Canton. He stated, +that in the Mosque at Canton is a tablet, whereon it is written, that +the religion of the Prophet of Mecca was brought to China, _Tang ching +yuen san nëen_, that is, in the third year of the period called _Ching +yuen_, under the Tang dynasty, _i.e._ 787 of our era.[9] The compilers +of the _Memoirs_, &c. have taken their extract from the historical +work of _Ho_ (4051, M.); they seem not to have any knowledge of +Matuanlin, where the Arabs are spoken of under the name of _Ta she_. +See the notes to my translation of the Chronicle of Vahram, p. 76. +During the time the translator was at Canton, there arrived a pilgrim +from Pekin on his way to Mecca. + + _The Fa lan se, Francs and Frenchmen._ + + "The _Fa lan se_ are also called _Fo lang se_, and now _Fo lang + ke_. In the beginning they adopted the religion of Buddha, but + afterwards they received the religion of the _Lord of Heaven_. + They are assembled together and stay in _Leu song_ (Spain?); + they strive now very hard with the _Hung maou or red-haired + people_ (the _Dutch_), and the _Ying keih le_ (_English_); but + the _Fa lan se_ have rather the worst of it. These foreigners, + or barbarians (_e jin_) wear white caps and black woollen hats; + they salute one another by taking off the hat. Regarding their + garments and eating and drinking, they have the same customs as + the people of Great _Leu song_ and Small _Leu song_ (_Spain_ + and _Manilla_)." + +This extract is taken from the _Hwang tsing ch[)i]h kung too_, or the +_Register of the Tribute as recorded under the present dynasty_ +(_Memoirs_, l. c. p. 10 v., p. 11 r.). I am not sure if _Ke tsew_ +(10,869) _keu_ (6,063) _Leu song_, can really be translated by the +words--_they are assembled together and stay in Leu song_. The use of +_tsew_ in the place of _tseu_ (10,826) is confirmed by the authorities +in Kang he; but does Leu song really mean Spain? The Philippinas are +called Leu song (Luzon), from the island whereon Manilla is, and in +opposition to Spain (_Ta Leu song, the great L. s._), _Seao Leu song_, +_the small Leu song_. It may be doubted whether _Leu song_ without +_Ta_, _great_, can be taken for Spain. The Chinese have moreover +learned from Matthæus Ricci the proper name of Spain, and write it +_She pan ya_. The Dutch, the English, and the Germans, are, from a +reddish colour of their hair, called _Hung maou_. This peculiar colour +of the hair found among people of German origin, is often spoken of by +the ancient Roman authors; as for instance in Tacitus, Germania, c. +4. Juvenal says, Sat. XIII. v. 164, + + Cærula quis stupuit Germani lumina? _flavam + Cæsariem_, et madido torquentem cornua cirro? + +It would carry us too far at present to translate the statements of +the Chinese concerning the Portuguese and Dutch. Under the head of _Se +yang_, or Portugal, may be read an extract of the account of Europe +(Gow lo pa) the Chinese received by Paulus Matthæus Ricci (_Le ma +paou_). The Chinese know that the European Universities are divided +into four faculties; and his Excellency Yuen is aware of the great +similarity between the ceremonies of the Buddhists and those of the +Roman Catholic church (l. c. 17 v). The present Translator of the +"History of the Pirates" intends to translate the whole of the 57th +book of the often-quoted Memoirs, and to subjoin copious extracts of +other works, particularly from the _Hae kw[)o] hëen këen l[)u]h_, or +"Memoirs concerning the Empires surrounded by the Ocean." This very +interesting small work is divided into two books; one containing the +text, and the other the maps. The text consists of eight chapters, +including a description of the sea-coast of China, with a map, +constructed on a large scale, of the nations to the east, the +south-east, and the south; then follows a topography of Portugal and +Europe generally. Concerning England we find:-- + + _The Kingdom of the Ying keih le, or English._ + + "The kingdom of the _Ying keih le_ is a dependent or tributary + state[10] to _Ho lan_ (Holland). Their garments and manners in + eating and drinking are the same. This kingdom is rather rich. + The males use much cloth and like to drink wine. The females, + before marriage, bind the waist, being desirous to look + slender; their hair hangs in curls over the neck; they use a + short garment and petticoats, but dress in a larger cloth when + they go out. They take snuff out of boxes made from gold and + threads." + +This extract is taken from the "_Register of the Tribute as recorded +under the present dynasty_." + + "_Ying keih le_ is a kingdom composed of three islands: it is + in the middle of four kingdoms, called _Lin yin_:[11] _Hwang + ke_, the _yellow flag_ (Denmark), _Ho lan_, and _Fo lang se_. + The _Great Western Ocean_ (Europe) worships the Lord of Heaven; + and there are, firstly, _She pan ya_ (Spain), _Poo ke[)u]h ya_ + (Portugal), the _yellow flag_, &c.; but there are too many + kingdoms to nominate them one by one. Ying keih le is a kingdom + which produces silver, woollen cloths,[12] camlets, _peih ke_, + or English cloth, called long ells,[13] glass, and other things + of this kind." + +This extract is taken from the _Hae kw[)o] hëen këen l[)u]h_, book i. +p. 34 v. 35 r; and I am sorry to see that in the "Memoirs" it is +abbreviated in such a manner that the sense is materially changed. + + "_Ying keih le_," says the author of the _Hae kwo hëen këen + l[)u]h_ (l. c.), "is a realm composed out of three islands. To + the west and the north of the four kingdoms of _Lin yin_, the + _Yellow flag_, _Holan_, and _Fo lang se_, is the ocean. From + Lin yin the ocean takes its direction to the east, and + surrounds _Go lo sse_ (Russia); and from Go lo sse, yet more to + the east, _Se me le_ (Siberia?). Through the northern sea you + cannot sail; the sea is frozen, and does not thaw, and for this + reason it is called the _Frozen Ocean_. From Lin yin, to the + south, are the various empires of the _Woo_ and _Kwei_ (_Crows_ + and _Demons_), and they all belong to _the red-haired people_ + of the _Great Western Ocean_. On the west and on the north + there are different barbarians under various names; + + * * * * * + + but they are, in one word, similar to the Go lo sse (Russians), + who stay in the metropolis (Pekin). It is said that the _Kaou + chun peih mow_ (?) are similar to the inhabitants of the + _Middle Empire_; they are of a vigorous body and an ingenious + mind. All that they produce is fine and strong; their + attention is directed to making fire-arms. They make researches + in astronomy and geography, and generally they do not marry. + Every kingdom has a particular language, and they greet one + another by taking off the hat. They worship," &c. (The same as + p. xxx.) + +My copy of the _Hae kw[)o] hëen këen l[)u]h_ was printed in the +province _Che keang_, in the year 1794. + + "In the narrative regarding foreign countries, and forming part + of the history of the Ming, the English are called _Yen go le_; + in the _Hae kw[)o] hëen këen l[)u]h_, Ying ke le (5272, 6950); + but in the maps the name is now always written _Ying keih le_ + (5018, 6947). In expressing the sound of words we sometimes use + different characters. This kingdom lies to the west of _Gow lo + pa_ (Europa), and was originally a tributary state to Ho lan + (Holland); but in the course of time it became richer and more + powerful than _Ho lan_, and revolted. These kingdoms are, + therefore, enemies. It is not known at what time the Ying keih + le grasped the country of North _O m[)o] le kea_ (America), + which is called _Kea no_ (Canada). Great _Ying keih le_ is a + kingdom of Gow lo pa (Europe.)[14] In the twelfth year of _Yung + ching_ (1735), they came the first time to Canton for trade. + Their country produces wheat, with which they trade to all the + neighboring countries. They are generally called _Keang he[)o]_ + (that is, English ships from India, or country ships), and + there arrive many vessels." + +This extract is taken from the _Tan chay hëen këen l[)u]h_, and it is +all that we find regarding England in the Memoirs concerning the south +of the Mei ling Mountains (p. 18 r. v.). In the latter extract, the +author appears to confound the country trade of India and China with +that of the mother country. England is again mentioned in the notice +regarding Me le keih (America), taken out of Yuen's History of Canton. +It is there said, that the Me le keih passed, in the 52d year of Këen +lung (1788), the Bocca Tigris, and that they then separated from the +Ying keih le (p. 19 r.) At the end of the extract concerning the +Americans (p. 190) we read the following words: + + "The characters which are used in the writings of these realms + are, according to the statements of _Ma lo ko_, _twenty-six_; + all sounds can be sufficiently expressed by these characters. + Every realm has large and small characters; they are called _La + ting_ characters, and _La te na_ (Latin) characters." + +It is pleasing to observe that his Excellency Yuen had some knowledge +of Dr. Morrison's Dictionary. In the third part of his Dictionary, Dr. +Morrison has given, in Chinese, a short and clear notice concerning +the European alphabet. Yuen seems to have taken his statements from +this notice, and to have written the name of the author, by a mistake, +_Ma lo ko_, for _Ma le so_, as Dr. Morrison is generally called by the +Chinese. + _The Man ying, the Double Eagle, or + Austrians._ + + "The _Man ying_ passed the Bocca Tigris the first time in the + 45th year of Këen lung (1781), and are called _Ta chen_ + (_Teutchen_). They have accepted the religion of the Lord of + Heaven. In customs and manners they are similar to the Se yang, + or Portuguese; they are the brethren of the Tan ying, or + _Single eagle kingdom_ (Prussia); in difficulties and distress + they help one another. Their ships which came to Canton had a + white flag, on which an eagle was painted with two heads." + +This extract is taken from the History of _Yuen_. I take the liberty +to observe, that the Chinese scholar must be careful not to take the +_Sui chen_, or _Chen kw[)o]_ (the Swedes), for the _Ta chen_ (the +_Teutchen_). In the _Memoirs_, l. c. p. 19 v., we read the following +notice on the _Chen kw[)o]_ (the Swedes): + + "The _Chen_ realm is also called _Tan_ (Denmark) realm, and now + the _yellow flag_. This country is opposite to that of the _Ho + lan_, and a little farther off from the sea. There are two + realms called _Sui chen_, and they border both on the _Go lo + sse_, or Russia. They passed the Bocca Tigris the first year of + Këen lung (1765)." + + _The Tan ying, the Single Eagle or Prussians._ + + "The Tan ying passed the Bocca Tigris the 52d year of Këen lung + (1788.) They live to the west and north of the Man ying + (Austrians). In customs and manners they are similar to them. + On their ships flies a white flag, on which an eagle is + painted." + +This last extract is also taken from the History of Canton, published +by his Excellency Yuen. + +If we consider how easily the Chinese could procure information +regarding foreign countries during the course of the two last +centuries, and then see how shamefully they let pass all such +opportunities to inform and improve themselves, we can only look upon +these proud slaves of hereditary customs with the utmost disgust and +contempt. The ancient Britons and Germans had no books; yet what +perfect descriptions of those barbarian nations have been handed down +to us by the immortal genius of Tacitus! Montesquieu says, that "in +Cæsar and Tacitus we read the code of barbarian laws; and in the code +we read Cæsar and Tacitus." In the statement of the modern Chinese +regarding foreign nations, we see, on the contrary, both the want of +enquiry, and the childish remarks of unenlightened and uncultivated +minds.[15] + + + + + YING HING SOO's PREFACE. + + +In the summer of the year _Ke sze_ (1809),[16] I returned from the +capital, and having passed the chain of mountains,[17] I learned the +extraordinary disturbances caused by the _Pirates_. When I came home I +saw with mine own eyes all the calamities; four villages were totally +destroyed; the inhabitants collected together and made preparations +for resistance. Fighting at last ceased on seas and rivers: families +and villages rejoiced, and peace was every where restored. Hearing of +our naval transactions, every man desired to have them written down in +a history; but people have, until this day, looked in vain for such a +work. + +Meeting once, at a public inn in Whampo,[18] with one _Yuen tsze_, we +conversed together, when he took a volume in his hand, and asked me to +read it. On opening the work, I saw that it contained a _History of +the Pirates_; and reading it to the end, I found that the occurrences +of those times were therein recorded from day to day, and that our +naval transactions are there faithfully reported. Yuen tsze supplied +the defect I stated before, and anticipated what had occupied my mind +for a long time. The affairs concerning the robber _Lin_ are described +by the non-official historian _Lan e_, in his _Tsing y[)i]h ke_, viz. +in the _History of the Pacification of the Robbers_.[19] Respectfully +looking to the commands of heaven, _Lan e_ made known, for all future +times, the faithful and devoted servants of government. Yuen tsze's +work is a supplement to the History of the Pacification of the +Robbers, and you may rely on whatever therein is reported, whether it +be of great or little consequence. Yuen tsze has overlooked nothing; +and I dare to say, that all people will rejoice at the publication. +Having written these introductory lines to the said work, I returned +it to Yuen tsze.[20] + +Written at the time of the fifth summer moon, the tenth year of Tao +kwang, called K[)a]ng yin (September 1830). + +A respectful Preface of _Ying hing Soo_, from _Peih keang_. + + + + + KING CHUNG HO's[21] PREFACE. + + +My house being near the sea, we were, during the year _Ke sze_ of Këa +king (1809), disturbed by the Pirates. The whole coast adjoining to +our town was in confusion, and the inhabitants dispersed; this lasting +for a long time, every man felt annoyed at it. In the year _K[)a]ng +yin_ (1830) I met with _Yuen tsze yung lun_ at a public inn within the +walls of the provincial metropolis (Canton). He showed me his +_History of the Pacification of the Pirates_, and asked me to write a +Preface to the work; having been a schoolfellow of his in my tender +age, I could not refuse his request. Opening and reading the volume, I +was moved with recollections of occurrences in former days, and I was +pleased with the diligence and industry of _Yuen keun_[22] The author +was so careful to combine what he had seen and heard, that I venture +to say it is an historical work on which you may rely. + +We have the collections of former historians, who in a fine style +described things as they happened, that by such faithful accounts the +world might be governed, and the minds of men enlightened. People may +learn by these vast collections[23] what should be done, and what not. +It is, therefore, desirable that facts may be arranged in such a +manner, that books should give a faithful account of what happened. +There are magistrates who risk their life, excellent females who +maintain their virtue, and celebrated individuals who protect their +native places with a strong hand; they behave themselves valiantly, +and overlook private considerations, if the subject concerns the +welfare of the people at large. Without darkness, there is no light; +without virtue, there is no splendour. In the course of time we have +heard of many persons of such qualities; but how few books exist by +which the authors benefit their age! + +This is the Preface respectfully written by _King chung ho_, called +_Sin joo min_,[24] at the time of the second decade, the first month +of the autumn, the year _K[)a]ng yin_ (September 1830) of Tao +kwang.[25] + + + + + THE + HISTORY + OF + THE CHINESE PIRATES. + + + + + BOOK FIRST. + + +[sd: (1 r.)] There have been pirates from the oldest times in the +eastern sea of Canton; they arose and disappeared alternately, but never +were they so formidable as in the years of Këa king,[26] at which time, +being closely united together, it was indeed very difficult to destroy +them. Their origin must be sought for in Annam.[27] [sd: (1 v.)] In the +year fifty-six of Këen lung (1792), a certain Kwang ping yuen, joined by +his two brothers, Kwang e and Kwang kw[)o], took Annam by force, and +expelled its legitimate king Wei ke le.[28] Le retired into the province +Kwang se, and was made a general by our government. But his younger +brother Fuh ying came in the sixth year of Këa king (1802) with an army +from Siam and Laos,[29] and killed Kwang ping in a great battle. The son +of the usurper, called King shing, went on board a ship with the +minister Yew kin meih, and Meih joined the pirates, Ching tsih, Tung hae +pa, and others, who rambled about these seas at this time. The pirate +Ching tsih was appointed a king's officer, under the name of _master of +the stables_. [sd: (2 r.)] King shing, relying on the force of his new +allies, which consisted of about two hundred vessels, manned with a +resolute and warlike people, returned in the twelfth moon of the same +year (1803) into that country with an armed force, and joined by Ching +tsih, at night time took possession of the bay of Annam. The legitimate +king Fuh ying collected an army, but being beaten repeatedly, he tried +in vain to retire to Laos. + +Ching tsih being a man who had lived all his life on the water, behaved +himself, as soon as he got possession of the bay of Annam, in a +tyrannical way to the inhabitants; he took what he liked, and, to say it +in one word, his will alone was law. His followers conducted themselves +in the same manner; trusting to their power and strength, they were +cruel and violent against the people; they divided the whole population +among themselves, and took their wives and daughters by force. The +inhabitants felt very much annoyed at this behaviour, and attached +themselves more strongly to Fuh ying. [sd: (2 v.)] They fixed a day on +which some of the king's officers should make an attack on the +sea-side, while the king himself with his general was to fight the van +of the enemy, the people to rise _en masse_, and to run to arms, in +order that they should be overwhelming by their numbers. Fuh ying was +delighted at these tidings, and on the appointed day a great battle was +fought, in which Ching tsih not being able to superintend all from the +rear-guard to the van, and the people pressing besides very hard towards +the centre, he was totally vanquished and his army destroyed. He himself +died of a wound which he received in the battle. His younger brother +Ching y[)i]h, the usurper, King shing, and his nephew Pang shang, with +many others ran away. Ching y[)i]h, their chief, joined the pirates with +his followers, who in these times robbed and plundered on the ocean +indiscriminately. This was a very prosperous period for the pirates. So +long as Wang pëaou remained admiral in these seas, all was peace and +quietness both on the ocean and the sea-shore. [sd: (3 r.)] The admiral +gained repeated victories over the bandits; but as soon as Wang pëaou +died, the pirates divided themselves into different squadrons, which +sailed under various colours. There existed six large squadrons, under +different flags, the _red_, the _yellow_, the _green_, the _blue_, the +_black_, and the _white_. These wasps of the ocean were called after +their different commanders, _Ching y[)i]h_, _Woo che tsing_, _Meih yew +kin_, _O po tai_, _Lëang paou_, and _Le shang tsing_. To every one of +these large squadrons belonged smaller ones, commanded by a deputy. Woo +che tsing, whose nick-name was _Tung hae pa_, the _Scourge of the +Eastern Sea_,[30] was commander of the _yellow_ flag, and Le tsung hoo +his deputy. Meih yew kin and Nëaou shih, who for this reason was called +_Bird_ and _stone_, were the commanders of the _blue_ flag, and their +deputies Meih's brethren, Yew kwei and Yew këe. [sd: (3 v.)] A certain +Hae kang and another person Hwang ho, were employed as spies. O po tai, +who afterwards changed his name to _Lustre of instruction_,[31] was the +commander of the _black_ flag, and Ping yung ta, Chang jih këaou, and O +tsew he, were his deputies. Lëang paou, nicknamed Tsung ping paou, The +_jewel of the whole crew_, was the commander of the _white_ flag. Le +shang tsing, nicknamed _The frog's meal_, was the commander of the +_green_; and Ching y[)i]h of the _red_ flag. Every flag was appointed to +cruise in a particular channel. There was at this time a gang of robbers +in the province Fo këen, known by the name of Kwei këen (6760, 5822); +they also joined the pirates, who became so numerous that it was +impossible to master them. We must in particular mention a certain +_Chang paou_, a notorious character in after-times. Under Chang paou +were other smaller squadrons, commanded by Suh ke lan (nicknamed _Both +odour and mountain_) Lëang po paou, Suh puh gow, and others. Chang paou +himself belonged to the squadron of Ching y[)i]h saou, or the _wife of +Ching y[)i]h_,[32] so that the red flag alone was stronger than all the +others united together. + +[sd: (4 r.)] There are three water passages or channels along the +sea-shore, south of the Mei ling mountains;[33] one goes eastward to +_Hwy_ and _Chaou_[34]; the other westward to _Kao_, _Lëen_, _Luy_, +_Këung_, _Kin_, _Tan_, _Yae_ and _Wan_;[35] and a third between these +two, to _Kwang_ and _Chow_.[36] The ocean surrounds these passages, and +here trading vessels from all the world meet together, wherefore this +track is called "_The great meeting from the east and the south_." The +piratical squadrons dividing between them the water passages and the +adjoining coasts, robbed and carried away all that fell into their +hands. [sd: (4 v.)] Both the eastern and the middle passage have been +retained by the three piratical squadrons, Ching y[)i]h saou, O po tae, +and Leang paou; the western passage was under the three others, +nicknamed _Bird and stone_, _Frog's meal_, and the _Scourge of the +eastern sea_. Peace and quietness was not known by the inhabitants of +the sea-coast for a period of ten years. On the side from _Wei chow_ and +_Neaou chow_[37] farther on to the sea, the passage was totally cut off; +scarcely any man came hither. In this direction is a small island, +surrounded on all sides by high mountains, where in stormy weather a +hundred vessels find a safe anchorage; here the pirates retired when +they could not commit any robberies. This land contains fine paddy +fields, and abounds in all kinds of animals, flowers, and fruits. This +island was the lurking-place of the robbers, where they stayed and +prepared all the stores for their shipping. + +[Sidenote: 1807.] + +[sd: (5 r.)] Chang paou was a native of Sin hwy, near the mouth of the +river,[38] and the son of a fisherman. Being fifteen years of age, he +went with his father a fishing in the sea, and they were consequently +taken prisoners by Ching y[)i]h, who roamed about the mouth of the +river, ravaging and plundering. Ching y[)i]h saw Paou, and liked him so +much, that he could not depart from him. [sd: (5 v.)] Paou was indeed a +clever fellow--he managed all business very well; being also a fine +young man, he became a favourite of Ching y[)i]h,[39] and was made a +head-man or captain. [sd: (5 v.)] It happened, that on the seventeenth +day of the tenth moon, in the twentieth year of Këa king (about the end +of 1807), Ching y[)i]h perished in a heavy gale, and his legitimate wife +_Sh[)i]h_ placed the whole crew under the sway of Paou; but so that she +herself should be considered the Commander of all the squadrons +together,--for this reason the division Ching y[)i]h was then called +_Ching y[)i]h saou_, or _the wife of Ching y[)i]h_.[40] Being chief +captain, Paou robbed and plundered incessantly, and daily increased his +men and his vessels. He made the three following regulations:-- + + First: + + _If any man goes privately on shore, or what is called + transgressing the bars, he shall be taken and his ears be + perforated in the presence of the whole fleet; repeating the + same act, he shall suffer death._ + + Second: + + [Sidenote: 1807.] + + _Not the least thing shall be taken privately from the stolen + and plundered goods. All shall be registered, and the pirate + receive for himself, out of_ _ten parts, only two; eight parts + belong to the storehouse, called the general fund; taking any + thing out of this general fund, without permission, shall be + death._ + + Third: + + [sd: (6 r.)] _No person shall debauch at his pleasure captive women + taken in the villages and open places, and brought on board a + ship; he must first request the ship's purser for permission, and + then go aside in the ship's hold. To use violence against any woman, + or to wed her without permission, shall be punished with death._[41] + +[Sidenote: 1807.] + +That the pirates might never feel want of provisions, Chang paou +gained the country people to their interest. It was ordered, that +wine, rice, and all other goods, should be paid for to the villagers; +it was made capital punishment to take any thing of this kind by force +or without paying for it. For this reason the pirates were never in +want of gunpowder, provisions, and all other necessaries. By this +strong discipline the whole crew of the fleet was kept in order. + +The wife of Ching y[)i]h was very strict in every transaction; nothing +could be done without a written application. Anything which had been +taken, or plundered, was regularly entered on the register of the +storehouse. [sd: (6 v.)] The pirates received out of this common fund +what they were in need of, and nobody dared to have private possessions. +If on a piratical expedition any man left the line of battle, whether by +advancing or receding, every pirate might accuse him at a general +meeting, and on being found guilty, he was beheaded. Knowing how +watchful Chang paou was on every side, the pirates took great care to +behave themselves well. + +The pirates used to call the purser, or secretary of the storehouse, +_Ink and writing master_; and they called their piratical plunder only +_a transhipping of goods_. + +[Sidenote: 1807.] + +There was a temple in _Hwy chow_ dedicated to the _spirits of the three +mothers_,[42] near the sea-coast, and many came thither to worship. The +pirates visited this place whenever they passed it with their vessels, +pretending to worship; but this was not the case--they thought of +mischief, and had only their business to attend. Once they came with the +commander at their head, as if to worship, but they laid hold on the +image or statue to take it away. [sd: (7 r.)] They tried in vain from +morning to the evening,--they were all together not able to move it. +Chang paou alone[43] was able to raise the image, and being a fair wind, +he gave order to bring it on board a ship. All who were concerned in +this transaction feared to find, from the wrath of the spirit, their +death in the piratical expeditions. They all prayed to escape the +vengeance of heaven. + +[Sidenote: 1808.] + +On the seventh moon of the thirteenth year, the naval officer of the +garrison at the Bocca Tigris,[44] Kw[)o] lang lin, sailed into the sea +to fight the pirates.[45] Chang paou was informed by his spies of this +officer's arrival, and prepared an ambush in a sequestered bay. [sd: (7 +v.)] He met Kw[)o] lang on a false attack, with a few vessels only; but +twenty-five vessels came from behind, and the pirates surrounded Kw[)o] +lang's squadron in three lines near Ma chow yang.[46] There followed a +fierce battle, which lasted from the morning to the evening; it was +impossible for Kw[)o] lang to break through the enemy's lines, and he +determined to die fighting. Paou advanced; but Lang fought exceedingly +hard against him. He loaded a gun and fired it at Paou, who perceiving +the gun directed against him, gave way. Seeing this, the people thought +he was wounded and dying; but as soon as the smoke vanished Paou stood +again firm and upright, so that all thought he was a spirit. The pirates +instantly grappled Kw[)o] lang's ship; Paou was the foremost, and Leang +po paou the first to mount the vessel; he killed the helmsman, and took +the ship. The pirates crowded about; the commander Kw[)o] lang engaging +with small arms, much blood was shed. [sd: (8 r.)] This murderous +battle lasted till night time; the bodies of the dead surrounded the +vessels on all sides, and there perished an immense number of the +pirates. Between three and five o'clock the pirates had destroyed or +sunk three of our vessels. The other officers of Kw[)o] being afraid +that they also might perish in the sea, displayed not all their +strength; so it happened that the pirates making a sudden attack, +captured the whole remaining fifteen vessels. Paou wished very much that +Kw[)o] lang would surrender, but Lang becoming desperate, suddenly +seized the pirate by the hair, and grinned at him. The pirate spoke +kindly to him, and tried to soothe him. Lang, seeing himself deceived in +his expectation, and that he could not attain death by such means, +committed suicide,--being then a man of seventy years of age. Paou had +really no intention to put Kw[)o] lang to death, and he was exceedingly +sorry at what happened. [sd: (8 v.)] "We others," said Paou, "are like +vapours dispersed by the wind; we are like the waves of the sea, roused +up by a whirlwind; like broken bamboo-sticks on the sea, we are floating +and sinking alternately, without enjoying any rest. Our success in this +fierce battle will, after a short time, bring the united strength of +government on our neck. If they pursue us in the different windings and +bays of the sea--they have maps of them[47]--should we not get plenty to +do? Who will believe that it happened not by my command, and that I am +innocent of the death of this officer? Every man will charge me with the +wanton murder of a commander, after he had been vanquished and his ships +taken? And they who have escaped will magnify my cruelty.[48] [sd: (9 +r.)] If I am charged with the murder of this officer, how could I +venture, if I should wish in future times, to submit myself? Would I not +be treated according to the supposed cruel death of Kw[)o] lang?" + +[Sidenote: 1808.] + +At the time that Kw[)o] lang was fighting very bravely, about ten +fisher-boats asked of the major Pang noo of the town Hëang shan,[49] to +lend them the large guns, to assist the commander; but the major being +afraid these fishermen might join the pirates,[50] refused their +request. And thus it happened, that the commander himself perished with +many others. There were in the battle three of my friends: the +lieutenant Tao tsae lin, Tse[)o] tang hoo, and Ying tang hwang, serving +under the former. Lin and Hoo were killed, but Hwang escaped when all +was surrounded with smoke, and he it was who told me the whole affair. + +[Sidenote: 1808.] + +On the eighth moon the general Lin fa went out as commander to make war +against the pirates; but on seeing that they were so numerous, he became +afraid, and all the other officers felt apprehensions; he therefore +tried to retire, but the pirates pursued after, and came up with him +near a place called Olang pae.[51] [sd: (9 v.)] The vessels in the +front attacked the pirates, who were not able to move, for there +happened to be a calm. But the pirates leaped into the water, and came +swimming towards our vessels. Our commander not being able to prevent +this by force, six vessels were taken; and he himself, with ten other +men, were killed by the pirates. + +[Sidenote: 1808.] + +A very large trading vessel called Teaou fa, coming back laden with +goods from Annam and Tung king,[52] had a desperate skirmish with the +pirates. Chang paou, knowing very well that he could not take her by +force, captured two ferry boats, and the pirates concealed themselves +therein. [sd: (10 r.)] Under the mask of ferrymen the pirates pursued +after, and called upon Teaou fa to stop. Fa, confident in her strength, +and that victory would be on her side, let the ferrymen come near, as if +she had not been aware of the deceit. But as soon as the pirates laid +hold of the ropes to board her, the trader's crew made a vigorous +resistance, and the pirates could not avail themselves of their knives +and arrows--guns they had not--the vessel being too large. There were +killed about ten hands in attacking this vessel, and the pirates retired +to their boat; a circumstance which never happened before. + +[Sidenote: 1809.] + +On the second moon of the fourteenth year, the admiral _Tsuen mow sun_ +went on board his flag vessel, called Mih teng, and proceeded with about +one hundred other vessels to attack the pirates. They were acquainted +with his design by their spies, and gathered together round Wan +shan;[53] the admiral following them in four divisions. [sd: (10 v.)] +The pirates, confident in their numbers, did not withdraw, but on the +contrary spread out their line, and made a strong attack. Our commander +looked very lightly on them, yet a very fierce battle followed, in which +many were killed and wounded. The ropes and sails having been set on +fire by the guns,[54] the pirates became exceeding afraid and took them +away. The commander directed his fire against the steerage, that they +might not be able to steer their vessels. Being very close one to the +other, the pirates were exposed to the fire of all the four lines at +once. The pirates opened their eyes in astonishment and fell down; our +commander advanced courageously, laid hold of their vessels, killed an +immense number of men, and took about two hundred prisoners. There was a +pirate's wife in one of the boats, holding so fast by the helm that she +could scarcely be taken away. [sd: (11 r.)] Having two cutlasses, she +desperately defended herself, and wounded some soldiers; but on being +wounded by a musket-ball, she fell back into the vessel and was taken +prisoner. + +[Sidenote: 1809.] + +About this time, when the red squadron was assembled in Kwang chow wan, +or the Bay of Kwang chow, Tsuen mow sun went to attack them; but he was +not strong enough. The wife of Ching y[)i]h remained quiet; but she +ordered Chang paou to make an attack on the front of our line with ten +vessels, and Leang po paou to come from behind. Our commander fought in +the van and in the rear, and made a dreadful slaughter; but there came +suddenly two other pirates, Hëang shang url, and Suh puh king, who +surrounded and attacked our commander on all sides. [sd: (11 v.)] Our +squadron was scattered, thrown into disorder, and consequently cut to +pieces; there was a noise which rent the sky; every man fought in his +own defence, and scarcely a hundred remained together. The squadron of +Ching y[)i]h overpowered us by numbers; our commander was not able to +protect his lines, they were broken, and we lost fourteen vessels. + +[Sidenote: 1809.] + +Our men of war, escorting some merchant vessels, in the fourth moon of +the same year, happened to meet the pirate nicknamed _The Jewel of the +whole crew_, cruizing at sea near a place called Tang pae ke[)o], +outside of Tsëaou mun. The traders became exceedingly frightened, but +our commander said: "This not being the red flag, we are a match for +them, therefore we will attack and conquer them." Then ensued a battle; +they attacked each other with guns and stones, and many people were +killed and wounded. [sd: (12 r.)] The fighting ceased towards the +evening, and began again next morning. The pirates and the men of war +were very close to each other, and they boasted mutually about their +strength and valour. It was a very hard fight; the sound of cannon and +the cries of the combatants were heard some le[55] distant. The traders +remained at some distance; they saw the pirates mixing gunpowder in +their beverage,--they looked instantly red about the face and the eyes, +and then fought desperately[56] This fighting continued three days and +nights incessantly; at last becoming tired on both sides, they +separated. + +[Sidenote: 1809.] + +[sd: (12 v.)] On the eighth day of the fifth moon the pirates left their +lurking place, attacked Kan chuh han, and burned and plundered the +houses. On the tenth they burned and plundered Kew këang, Sha kow, and +the whole sea-coast; they then turned about to Këe chow, went on shore, +and carried away fifty-three women by force. They went to sea again the +following day, burned and plundered on their way about one hundred +houses in Sin hwy and Shang sha, and took about a hundred persons of +both sexes prisoners. + +[Sidenote: 1809.] + +On the sixth moon, the admiral Ting kwei heu went to sea. Wishing to +sail eastward, but falling in with heavy rains for some days, he stopped +near Kwei këa mun,[57] and engaged in settling concerning his ballast. +On the eighth day of this moon, Chang paou, availing himself of the bad +weather, explored the station in a small boat and passed the place. Ting +kwei was right in thinking that the pirates would not undertake any +thing during these heavy rains; but he was careless regarding what might +happen after it. [sd: (13 r.)] Indeed, as the weather cleared up on the +morning of the ninth, Chang paou appeared suddenly before the admiral, +and formed a line of two hundred vessels. Ting kwei having no sails +ready, and all the ships being at anchor, could by no means escape the +pirates. The officers, being afraid of the large number of the enemy, +stood pale with apprehension near the flagstaff, unwilling to fight. The +admiral spoke to them in a very firm manner, and said: "By your fathers +and mothers, by your wives and children, do your duty; fight and destroy +these robbers. Every man must die: but should we be so happy as to +escape, our rewards from government will be immense. Should we fall in +the defence of our country, think that the whole force of the empire +will be roused, and they will try by all means to destroy these +banditti." [sd: (13 v.)] They now all united together in a furious +attack, and sustained it for a long time: Ting kwei fired his great +guns,[58] and wounding the ringleader, nicknamed _The Jewel of the whole +crew_, he fell down dead. + +[Sidenote: 1809.] + +The pirates were now at a loss how to proceed; but they received +succour, while the force of our commander diminished every moment. About +noon Paou drew nearer to the vessel of Ting kwei, attacked her with +small arms, and sustained a great loss. But Leang po paou suddenly +boarded the vessel, and the crew was thrown into disorder. Ting kwei +seeing that he was unable to withstand, committed suicide; while an +immense number of his men perished in the sea, and twenty-five vessels +were lost. + +[Sidenote: 1809.] + +[sd: (14 r.)] Our former deputy-governor Pih ling was about this time +removed from his situation in the three _Këang_ to become +governor-general of the two Kwang.[59] People said, now that Pih comes +we shall not be overpowered by the pirates. Old men crowded about the +gates of the public offices to make enquiries; the government officers +appeared frightened and held consultations day and night, and the +soldiers were ordered by a public placard to hold themselves ready to +march. "Since the death of Wang pëaou," it was said, "all commanders +were unfortunate. Last year _Kw[)o] lang lin_ was killed in the battle +at _Ma chow_; _Tsuen mow sun_ was unlucky at _Gaou kow_, _Url lin_ ran +away like a coward at _Lang pae_, and now _Ting kwei_ has [Sidenote: (14 +v.)] again been routed at _Kwei këa_. If the valiant men let their +spirits droop, and the soldiers themselves become frightened at these +repeated defeats, the pirates will certainly overpower us at last; we +can really not look for any assistance to destroy them. We must try to +cut off all provisions, and starve them." In consequence of this, all +vessels were ordered to remain, or to return into harbour, that the +pirates might not have any opportunity to plunder, and thus be destroyed +by famine. The government officers being very vigilant about this +regulation, the pirates were not able to get provisions for some months; +they became at last tired of it, and resolved to go into the river +itself.[60] + +[Sidenote: 1809.] + +The pirates came now into the river by three different passages.[61] +[sd: (15 r.)] The wife of Ching y[)i]h plundered about Sin hwy, Chang +paou about Tung kwan,[62] and O po tae about Fan yu[63] and Shun tih, +and all other smaller places connected with Shun tih; they were together +explored by the pirates, who guarded the passage from Fan to Shun. + +[Sidenote: 1809.] + +On the first day of the seventh moon, O po tae came with about a hundred +vessels and burnt the custom-house of Tsze ne. On the second day he +divided his squadron into four divisions, extending to Peih këang, Wei +yung, Lin yo, Sh[)i]h peih, and other villages. The _Chang lung_ +division[64] surrounded the whole country from Ta wang yin to Shwy sse +ying. The _Ta chow_, or large-vessel division, blockaded Ke kung +sh[)i]h, which is below the custom-house of Tsze ne. The pirates sent to +the village Tsze ne, demanding ten thousand pieces of money[65] as +tribute; and of San shen, a small village near Tsze ne on the right +side, they demanded two thousand. [sd: (15 v.)] The villagers differed +in opinion; one portion would have granted the tribute, another would +not. That part who wished to pay the tribute said: "The pirates are very +strong; it is better to submit ourselves now, and to give the tribute +that we may get rid of them for awhile; we may then with leisure think +on means of averting any misfortunes which may befall us. Our villages +are near the coast, we shall be surrounded and compelled to do what they +like, for no passage is open by which we can retire. How can we, under +such circumstances, be confident and rely on our own strength?" + +[Sidenote: 1809.] + +The other part, who would not grant the tribute, said: "The pirates will +never be satisfied; if we give them the tribute now, we shall not be +able to pay it on another day. If they should make extortions a second +time, when should we get money to comply with their demands? Why should +we not rather spend the two thousand pieces of money to encourage +government officers and the people? [sd: (16 r.)] If we fight and happen +to be victorious, our place will be highly esteemed; but if, what heaven +may prevent, we should be unlucky, we shall be everywhere highly spoken +of." The day drew to its end, and they could not agree in what they +should determine on, when one villager arose and said: "The banditti +will repeatedly visit us, and then it will be impossible to pay the +tribute; _we must fight_." + +[Sidenote: 1809.] + +As soon as it was resolved to resist the demands of the pirates, weapons +were prepared, and all able men, from sixteen years and upwards to +sixty, were summoned to appear with their arms near the palisades. They +kept quiet the whole of the second day, and proceeded not to fighting; +but the people were much disturbed, and did not sleep the whole night. +[sd: (16 v.)] On the following day they armed and posted themselves on +the sea-coast. The pirates, seeing that the villagers would not pay the +tribute, became enraged, and made a severe attack during the night; but +they could not pass the ditch before the village. On the morning of the +fourth, O po tae headed his men, forced the ditch, took the provisions, +and killed the cattle. The pirates in great numbers went on shore; but +the villagers made such a vigorous resistance that they began to +withdraw. O po tae therefore surrounded the village on both sides, and +the pirates took possession of the mountain in the rear; they then threw +the frightened villagers into disorder, pursued them, and killed about +eighty. After this the pirates proceeded with their van to the +sea-shore, without encountering any resistance from the front. [sd: (17 +r.)] The villagers were from the beginning very much alarmed for their +wives and daughters; they collected them in the temple and shut it up. +But the pirates being victorious, opened the temple, and carried the +women by force all away on board ship. One pirate set off with two very +fine women; a villager, on seeing this, pursued after and killed him in +a hidden place. He then took the women and carried them safe through the +water,--this was a servant. A great number of the pirates were killed +and wounded, and the villagers lost about two thousand persons. What a +cruel misfortune! it is hard indeed only to relate it. + +[Sidenote: 1809.] + +On the third day of the moon the people of Ta ma chow, hearing that the +pirates were coming near, ran away. The pirates plundered all that was +left behind, clothes, cattle, and provisions. [sd: (17 v.)] On the sixth +day they came so far as Ping chow and San shan. On the eighth they +retired to Shaou wan, made an attack upon it on the ninth, but could not +take it. On the tenth they ascended the river with the tide, went on +shore, and burned Wei shih tun. On the eleventh day they came to our +village, but retired again at night on command. On the twelfth they +attacked Hwang yung, and left it again on the thirteenth. They retired +on the fourteenth, and stopped at Nan pae. On the fifteenth they sailed +out of the Bocca Tigris,[66] and on the twenty-sixth attacked the ships +which bring the tribute from Siam,[67] but were not strong enough to +capture them. [sd: (18 r.)] On the twenty-ninth they attacked the places +Tung hwan and Too shin, and killed nearly a thousand men. + +[Sidenote: 1809.] + +The pirates tried many stratagems and frauds to get into the villages. +One came as a country gentleman to take charge of the government guns; +another came in a government vessel as if to assist the village; after +which they on a sudden attacked and plundered all, when people were not +aware of them. One pirate went round as a pedlar, to see and hear all, +and to explore every place. The country people became therefore at last +enraged, and were in future always on their guard. If they found any +foreigner, they took him for a pirate and killed him. So came once a +government officer on shore to buy rice; but the inhabitants thought he +was a pirate and killed him. There was every where a degree of +confusion, which it is impossible to explain. + +[Sidenote: 1809.] + +On the sixteenth day of the seventh moon, the pirates attacked a +village near Tung kwan. [sd: (18 v.)] The villagers knowing what would +happen, made fences and palisades, and obstructed the passage with large +guns. Armed with lances and targets they hid themselves in a secret +place, and selected ten men only to oppose the pirates. The pirates +seeing that there were so few people, went on shore to pursue them. As +soon as they came near the ambuscade the guns were fired; the pirates +became alarmed and dared not advance farther. Not being hurt by the +fire, they again advanced; but three pirates presuming that there was an +ambush, thought of retreating, and being very hard pressed by the enemy, +they gave a sign to their comrades to come on shore. The ten villagers +then retired near the ambush, and when the pirates pursued them, about a +hundred were killed by their guns, and the whole force of the banditti +was brought into disorder. [sd: (19 r.)] The villagers pursued them +killing many; those also who had been taken alive were afterwards +beheaded. They captured one small and two large vessels.[68] + +[Sidenote: 1809.] + +On the eighteenth day of the eighth moon the wife of Ching y[)i]h came +with about five hundred vessels from Tung kwan and Sin hwy, and caused +great commotion in the town Shun tih, Hëang shan, and the neighbouring +places. The squadron stopped at Tan chow, and on the twentieth Chang pao +was ordered to attack Shaou ting with three hundred vessels. He carried +away about four hundred people, both male and female; he came also to +the palisades of our village, but could not penetrate inside. [sd: (19 +v.)] The twenty-first he came to Lin tow, and the twenty-second to Kan +shin; he made an attack, but could not overpower the place; he then +returned to Pwan pëen jow, and lay before its fence. The inhabitants of +Chow po chin, knowing that the pirates would make an attack, assembled +behind the wall to oppose them. The pirates fired their guns and wounded +some, when the villagers ran away. The pirates then went on shore, but +the villagers crowded together and fired on them; the pirates cast +themselves on the ground, and the shots passed over their heads without +doing any harm. Before the gunners could again load, the pirates sprang +up and put them to death. Out of the three thousand men who were in the +battle, five hundred were carried away by the pirates. One of the most +daring pirates, bearing the flag, was killed by the musket of a +villager; a second pirate then took the flag, and he also was killed. +The pirates now pressed against the wall and advanced. [sd: (20 r.)] +There was also a foreign pirate[69] engaged in the battle with a +fowling-piece. The pirates assembled in great numbers to cut the wall +with their halberts, but they were disappointed on seeing they could not +attain their object in such a manner. The pirates lost their hold, fell +down, and were killed. The engagement now became general, and great +numbers were killed and wounded on both sides. The villagers at last +were driven from their fortifications, and the pirates pursued them to +_Mih ke_, or _the rocks about Mih_, where they were hindered from going +farther by foggy weather; they retired and burned about twenty houses, +with all they contained. On the following day the pirates appeared again +on the shore, but the inhabitants made a vigorous resistance, and being +driven back, they retired to the citadel _Chih hwa_, where a thousand of +them fought so hard that the pirates withdrew. [sd: (20 v.)] It was +reported that ten of them were killed, and that the villagers lost eight +men. On the twenty-third the wife of Ching y[)i]h ordered O po tae to go +up the river with about eighty vessels: he stopped at Show ke and Kung +shih. On the twenty-fourth Chang paou and Po tae divided this district +between themselves, and robbed and burned all. Pao had to plunder the +north part to Fo shin; he carried away about ten thousand stones of +rice,[70] and burned down about thirty houses; on the twenty-fifth he +went to Se shin. O po tae came and burnt San heung keih; he then +plundered Hwang yung, and came to Këen ke, but did not make an attack +against it. He afterwards returned and laid waste Cha yung. + +[Sidenote: 1809.] + +[sd: (21 r.)] On the twenty-sixth Chang paou went up the river to Nan +hae[71] and Lan sh[)i]h. In the harbour of the place were six rice +vessels; and as soon as Paou was in Lan sh[)i]h he made preparations to +capture these vessels. The military officer, seeing that the pirates +were numerous, remained however on his station, for the instant he would +have moved, Paou would have attacked and captured him. Paou proceeded +then against the village itself; but the officer Ho shaou yuen headed +the inhabitants, and made some resistance. The pirates, nevertheless, +mounted the banks; and the villagers seeing their strength, did not stay +to fight--they became frightened and ran away: all the others ran away +without making any resistance: [sd: (21 v.)] Ho shaou yuen alone opposed +the banditti with a handful of people; but he at last fell fighting, and +the pirates burnt four hundred shops and houses, and killed about ten +persons. After the pirates had retired, the inhabitants held in high +esteem the excellent behaviour of Ho shaou yuen; they erected him a +temple, and the deputy-governor Han fung performed sacrifices to his +memory. + +[Sidenote: 1809.] + +Shaou yuen was commanding officer in the citadel of Lan shih; he was of +an active spirit, and erected strong fences. Before the pirates arrived, +this was his daily discourse when he spoke to the people: "_I know that +I shall be glorified this year by my death_." Half the year being +already passed, it could not be seen how this prophecy was to be +fulfilled. When the pirates came, he encouraged the citizens to oppose +them vigorously; he himself girded on his sword and brandished his +spear, and was the most forward in the battle. He killed many persons; +but his strength failed him at last, and he was himself killed by the +pirates. The villagers were greatly moved by his excellent behaviour; +they erected him a temple, and said prayers before his effigy. It was +then known what he meant, that "he would be glorified in the course of +the year." Now that twenty years are passed, they even honour him by +exhibiting fire-works. I thought it proper to subjoin this remark to my +history.[72] + +[Sidenote: 1809.] + +On the twenty-seventh, Lin sun mustered about forty vessels, and went +out to fight with the pirates in order to protect the water passage. +[sd: (22 r.)] He remained at Kin kang (which is near Shaou wan hae), hid +himself westerly of that place the whole day, and removed then to Tsze +ne. Chang paou ordered his vessels to remove to Shaou ting, and his men +to go on shore in the night-time. Sun, seeing with sorrow that the +pirates were so numerous, and that he could not make any effectual +resistance, ran away eastwards and hid himself at Peih keang. At +daylight the following morning the pirates sailed to Tsze ne to attack +our commander, but not finding him, they stopped at Shaou ting; for +this being the time when the autumnal winds begin to blow, they were +afraid of them, and made preparations to retire. But we shall soon find +the different flags returning to the high sea to fight both with +extraordinary courage and great ferocity.[73] + +[Sidenote: 1809.] + +[sd: (22 v.)] On the twenty-ninth they returned to plunder Kan shin; +they went into the river with small vessels, and the inhabitants +opposing them, wounded two pirates, which all the pirates resented. They +next came with large vessels, surrounded the village, and made +preparations to mount the narrow passes. The inhabitants remained within +the intrenchments, and dared not come forward. The pirates then divided +their force according to the various passes, and made an attack. The +inhabitants prepared themselves to make a strong resistance near the +entrance from the sea on the east side of the fence; but the pirates +stormed the fence, planted their flag on the shore, and then the whole +squadron followed. The inhabitants fought bravely, and made a dreadful +slaughter when the pirates crossed the entrance at Lin tow. The +boxing-master, Wei tang chow, made a vigorous resistance, and killed +about ten pirates. The pirates then began to withdraw, but Chang paou +himself headed the battle, which lasted very long. The inhabitants were +not strong enough. [sd: (23 r.)] Wei tang was surrounded by the pirates; +nevertheless that his wife fought valiantly by his side. On seeing that +they were surrounded and exhausted, the father of the lady[74] rushed +forward and killed some pirates. The pirates then retired in opposite +directions, in order to surround their opponents in such a manner that +they might not escape, and could be killed without being able to make +any resistance; and thus it happened, the wife of Wei tang being slain +with the others. + +The pirates now pursued the inhabitants of the place, who cut the bridge +and retired to the neighbouring hills. The pirates swam through the +water and attacked the inhabitants, who were unable to escape. [sd: (23 +v.)] The whole force of the pirates being now on shore, the inhabitants +suffered a severe loss,--it is supposed about a hundred of them were +killed; the loss of the pirates also was considerable. + +[Sidenote: 1809.] + +The pirates went in four divisions to plunder; they took here an immense +quantity of clothes and other goods, and carried away one thousand one +hundred and forty captives of both sexes. They set on fire about ten +houses; the flames could not be extinguished for some days; in the whole +village you could not hear the cry of a dog or a hen. The other +inhabitants retired far from the village, or hid themselves in the +fields. In the paddy fields about a hundred women were hidden, but the +pirates on hearing a child crying, went to the place and carried them +away. [sd: (24 r.)] _Mei ying_, the wife of Ke choo yang, was very +beautiful, and a pirate being about to seize her by the head, she abused +him exceedingly. The pirate bound her to the yard-arm; but on abusing +him yet more, the pirate dragged her down and broke two of her teeth, +which filled her mouth and jaws with blood. The pirate sprang up again +to bind her. Ying allowed him to approach, but as soon as he came near +her, she laid hold of his garments with her bleeding mouth, and threw +both him and herself into the river, where they were drowned, The +remaining captives of both sexes were after some months liberated, on +having paid a ransom of fifteen thousand leang or ounces of silver. + +[Sidenote: 1809.] + +Travelling once to Pwan pëen jow I was affected by the virtuous +behaviour of _Mei ying_, and all generous men will, as I suppose, be +moved by the same feelings. I therefore composed a song, mourning her +fate: + + Ch[.e]n k[.e] k[=i]n se[=a]ou hë[)e], + Chúy sz[=e] ch[=u]ng soó mëèn. + T[=a]ng sh[=e] shw[)u]y fàn le[)i]h, + Y[=e]w nèu t[)u]h n[=a]ng ts[=u]y; + Tsë[)e]n h[=e]u[)e] y[=i]ng kwáng në[)e],[75] + Yu[=e]n ke[)u] yu[=e]n shw[)u]y we[=i]. + Shw[=u]y hw[)a]n p[=o] shàng heà, + Y[=i]ng lëe sháng pèi hw[=u]y. + +[Sidenote: 1809.] + + Cease fighting now for awhile! + Let us call back the flowing waves! + Who opposed the enemy in time? + A single wife could overpower him. [sd: (24 v.)] + Streaming with blood, she grasped the mad offspring of guilt, + She held fast the man and threw him into the meandering stream. + The spirit of the water, wandering up and down on the waves, + Was astonished at the virtue of _Ying_. + My song is at an end! + Waves meet each other continually. + I see the water green as mountain Peih, + But the brilliant fire returns no more![76] + How long did we mourn and cry![77] + + + + + BOOK SECOND. + + +[Sidenote: 1809.] + +[sd: (1 r.)] On the thirteenth day of the ninth moon our Admiral Tsuen +mow sun mustered about eighty vessels to go to Shaou wan, and obstruct +the passage. The pirates heard of these preparations, and on the night +of the fourteenth every vessel of the different flags was ordered to go +to Shaou wan. Their order was, that being within ten le from the place, +they should stop and prepare themselves to begin the battle when it was +dark. [sd: (1 v.)] From the first night watch the cannon began to fire, +and only ceased with daylight. At the end of the day the cannon were +again roaring without any intermission, and the country people mounted +on the green Lo shang, to look at the progress of the fight. They saw +the wrecks of vessels floating on the sea, the waves were rolling, the +bullets flying, and the cries of dying people mounted to the skies. The +vallies re-echoed the noise; beasts and birds[78] started alarmed, and +found no place where they might repose themselves. The vessels were +thrown into disorder, and our army was pressed down by the overpowering +force of the enemy. Our commander lost four vessels, but the palisade +before the village could not be taken, by which means it was protected +against pillage. Our admiral said, "Since I cannot conquer these wicked +pirates, I will blow myself up." [sd: (2 r.)] In this manner the admiral +and many other officers met their death. + +[Sidenote: 1809.] + +On the twenty-fifth the pirates went to Hëang shan and to great Hwang +po;[79] they took possession of the inside and the outside passage of +Hwang po, so that the boat-people,[80] who stay outside on the coast, +retired and came up to the town with their boats. The military officer +Ting gaou ho being made acquainted with the arrival of the pirates, +requested ten fishing boats from the town Hëang shan to assist the +citizens and to help them in opposing the enemy. He posted himself +before the town to protect it. [sd: (2 v.)] Ting gaou behaved valiantly +on the river; he headed his small fleet of fishing boats and opposed the +pirates. There was incessant fighting day and night; but at last the +numerous vessels of the pirates surrounded him on all sides, and Ting +gaou ho received a severe wound in the back. He then addressed his +comrades in the following words: + + "Being on the military station before this town, it was my intention + to destroy the pirates, and for this reason I united with all the + principal men to oppose them, without considering my own + safety;--joyful I went to oppose the enemy. But not being able to + destroy this immense number of banditti, I am now surrounded with + all my principal men; and being deficient in power, I will die. + Death could not move me, but I fear the cruel behaviour of the + banditti; I fear that if the battle come to its highest summit, our + fathers and mothers, our wives and sons, will be taken captives. + [sd: (3 r.)] United with the principal men of the town, we cannot + destroy the pirates, neither protect the country, our families, nor + our own firesides,--but the circumstances being desperate, we must + do our utmost."[81] + +[Sidenote: 1809.] + +They now again rushed against the pirates and killed many of them; but +their strength being exhausted, the ten fishing boats were taken, and +great Hwang po given up to be plundered. The citizens retired to their +intrenchments, and made such vigorous resistance that the pirates +could not make them captives. Chang paou therefore ordered O po tae +and Leang po paou to make an attack on both sides, on the front and +the rear at once; so the citizens sustained a great defeat, and about +a hundred of them were killed. A placard was then posted up in the +town, admonishing the citizens that they being unable to resist the +enemy, must, under these cruel circumstances, send messengers to make +terms with the pirates. [sd: (3 v.)] This being done, the pirates +withdrew. + +[Sidenote: 1809.] + +The wife of Ching yih then ordered the pirates to go up the river; she +herself remaining with the larger vessels in the sea to blockade the +different harbours or entrances from the sea-side; but the government +officers made preparations to oppose her. There were about this time +three foreign vessels returning to Portugal.[82] Y[)i]h's wife attacked +them, took one vessel, and killed about ten of the foreigners; the two +other vessels escaped. The Major Pang noo of Hëang shan about this time +fitted out a hundred vessels to attack the pirates; he had before hired +six foreign vessels, and the two Portuguese ships, which had before run +away, united also with him. Y[)i]h's wife, seeing that she had not +vessels enough, and that she might be surrounded, ordered a greater +number to her assistance. [sd: (4 r.)] She appointed Chang paou to +command them, and sail up the river; but to keep quiet with his squadron +till he saw the Chang lung, or government vessels come on. On the third +of the tenth moon the government vessels went higher up the river, and +Chang paou following and attacking them, the foreign vessels sustained a +great loss, and all the other vessels then ran away. The foreigners +showed themselves very courageous; they petitioned the mayor of Hëang +shan to place himself at the head of the foreign vessels, to go and +fight the pirates. [sd: (4 v.)] Pang noo having for some time considered +their request, inspected on the tenth of the same month the six foreign +vessels, their arms and provisions, and went out into the sea to pursue +the pirates. + +About this time Chang paou had collected his force at Ta yu shan near +Chih leih ke[)o], and the foreign vessels went thither to attack him. +About the same time the admiral, Tsuen mow sun, collected a hundred +vessels, and joined the foreigners to attack the pirates. On the +thirteenth they spread out their lines, and fought during two days and +two nights, without either party proving victorious. On the fifteenth +one of the officers went forward with some large vessels to attack the +pirates, but he was very much hurt by the fire of the guns; his vessel +was lost, and about ten men were killed and many others wounded,--after +this, the whole fleet retired. They however again commenced fighting on +the sixteenth, but being unable to withstand the pirates, one vessel +more was lost.[83] + +[Sidenote: 1809.] + +[sd: (5 r.)] The Admiral Tsuen mow sun was exceedingly eager to destroy +the pirates, but he was confident that he was not strong enough to +vanquish them, and he spoke thus to his people: "The pirates are too +powerful, we cannot master them by our arms; the pirates are many, we +only few; the pirates have large vessels, we only small ones; the +pirates are united under one head, but we are divided,--and we alone are +unable to engage with this overpowering force. We must therefore now +make an attack, when they cannot avail themselves of their number, and +contrive something besides physical strength, for by this alone it is +impossible for us to be victorious. [sd: (5 v.)] The pirates are now all +assembled in Ta yu shan, a place which is surrounded by water. Relying +on their strength, and thinking that they will be able to vanquish us, +they will certainly not leave this place of retirement. We should +therefore from the provincial city (Canton) assemble arms and soldiers +as many as we can, surround the place, and send fire-vessels among their +fleet. It is probable that in such a manner we may be able to measure +our strength with them." + +[Sidenote: 1809.] + +In consequence of this determination all commanders and officers of the +different vessels were ordered to meet on the seventeenth at Chih leih +ke[)o], to blockade the pirates in Ta yu shan, and to cut off all +supplies of provisions that might be sent to them. To annoy them yet +more, the officers were ordered to prepare the materials for the +fire-vessels. These fire-vessels were filled with gunpowder, nitre, and +other combustibles; after being filled, they were set on [Sidenote: (6 +r.)] fire by a match from the stern, and were instantly all in a blaze. +The Major of Hëang shan, Pang noo, asked permission to bring soldiers +with him, in order that they might go on shore and make an attack under +the sound of martial music, during the time the mariners made their +preparation. On the twentieth it began to blow very fresh from the +north, and the commander ordered twenty fire-vessels to be sent off, +when they took, driven by the wind, an easterly direction; but the +pirate's entrenchments being protected by a mountain, the wind ceased, +and they could not move farther on in that direction; they turned about +and set on fire two men of war. The pirates knowing our design were +well prepared for it; they had bars with very long pincers, by which +they took hold of the fire-vessels and kept them off, so that they could +not come near. [sd: (6 v.)] Our commander, however, would not leave the +place; and being very eager to fight, he ordered that an attack should +be made, and it is presumed that about three hundred pirates were +killed. Pao now began to be afraid, and asked the _Spirit of the three +Po_, or old mothers, to give a prognostic. The _P[)u]h_, or lot for +fighting, was disastrous; the _P[)u]h_, or lot to remain in the easterly +entrenchment, was to be happy. The _P[)u]h_, or lot for knowing if he +might force the blockade or not on leaving his station to-morrow, was +also happy,[84] three times one after another. + +[Sidenote: 1809.] + +There arose with the day-light on the twenty-second a light southerly +breeze; all the squadrons began to move, and the pirates prepared +themselves joyfully to leave their station. About noon[85] there was a +strong southerly wind, and a very rough sea on. As soon as it became +dark the pirates made sail, with a good deal of noise, and broke through +the blockade, favoured by the southerly wind. About a hundred vessels +were upset, when the pirates left Ta yu shan. But our commander being +unaware that the pirates would leave their entrenchments, was not +prepared to withstand them. [sd: (7 r.)] The foreign vessels fired their +guns and surrounded about ten leaky vessels, but could not hurt the +pirates themselves; the pirates left the leaky vessels behind and ran +away. After this they assembled outside at Hung chow in the ocean. + +[Sidenote: 1809.] + +Notwithstanding that the pirates had broken through the blockade, Tsuen +mow sun desisted not from pursuing them; he followed the pirates into +the open sea in order to attack them. On the fifth of the eleventh moon +he met the pirates near Nan gaou, and prepared his vessels[86] to attack +them. The pirates spread out all their vessels one by one, so that the +line of their fleet reached the forces of our commander; they then tried +to form a circle and surround our admiral. [sd: (7 v.)] Our commander, +in order to prevent this, divided his force,--he separated from him +eighty vessels, which had orders to join him afterwards. Before they +united again, a great battle took place between the two fleets; the +firing lasted from three till five in the afternoon; our crew fought +exceedingly hard and burnt three pirate-vessels. The pirates retreated, +and our navy declined pursuing them, because it would carry them too far +out of the way. Our crew being still elated at this transaction, the +pirates on a sudden returned, roused them out of their sleep and +constrained them to fight a second time. The commander had no time to +make preparations, so that two vessels were burnt by the fire of the +pirates, and three were captured. + +[Sidenote: 1809.] + +[sd: (8 r.)] At the time when Chang paou was blockaded in Chih leih +ke[)o], and was afraid that he should not be able to come out again, he +sent to O po tae, who was at Wei chow, to rescue him. His message was in +the following words:--"I am harassed by the government's officers +outside in the sea; lips and teeth must help one another, if the lips +are cut away the teeth will feel cold. How shall I alone be able to +fight the government forces? You should therefore come at the head of +your crew, to attack the government squadron in the rear, I will then +come out of my station and make an attack in front; the enemy being so +taken in the front and rear, will, even supposing we cannot master him, +certainly be thrown into disorder." + +Ever since the time Paou was made chieftain there had been altercations +between him and O po tae. Had it not have been out of respect for the +wife of Ching y[)i]h they would perhaps have [Sidenote: (8v.)] made war +against each other. Till now they only showed their mutual dislike in +their plundering expeditions on the ocean, and in consequence of this +jealousy Po tae did not fulfil the orders of Paou. Paou and his whole +crew felt very much annoyed at this conduct, and having been able to +break through the blockade, he resolved to measure his strength with +Tae. He met him at Neaou chow, and asked him: "Why did you not come to +my assistance?" + +[Sidenote: 1809.] + +O po tae answered: "You must first consider your strength and then act; +you must consider the business and then go to work. How could I and my +crew have been sufficient against the forces of the admiral. [sd: (9 +r.)] I learnt your request, but men being dependent upon circumstances, +I could not fulfil it; I learnt your request, but I was dependent on +circumstances, and men cannot act otherwise.[87] And now concerning this +business--to give or not give assistance--am I bound to come and join +your forces?" + +Paou became enraged and said: "How is this, will you then separate from +us?" + +Tae answered: "I will not separate myself." + +Paou: "Why then do you not obey the orders of the wife of Ching y[)i]h +and my own? What is this else than separation, that you do not come to +assist me, when I am surrounded by the enemy? I have sworn it that I +will destroy thee, wicked man, that I may do away with this soreness on +my back." + +[Sidenote: 1809.] + +There passed many other angry words between them, till they at length +prepared to fight and destroy each other. Chang paou was the first to +begin the battle; but having fired his guns, and being deficient in +strength, Tae went against him with all his well prepared forces. [sd: +(9 v.)] Paou was not able to make any effectual resistance to his enemy; +he received a severe defeat, he lost sixteen vessels, and three hundred +men were taken prisoners. The prisoners were all killed from mutual +hatred. + +O po tae remained then at the head of his forces without any opposition, +since Paou withdrew. There was now a meeting held under these banditti; +when Chang jih kao arose and said: + +[Sidenote: 1809.] + +"If Paou and we should again measure our strength against each other, +our force will not be found sufficient; we are only one to ten. It is +to be feared that they will collect all their forces together to +exterminate us. They may on a sudden come against us and make an +attack,--our small body must certainly be in fear of their vast number. +There is _Leang po paou_, an experienced pirate on the sea; if he should +on a sudden turn his vessels against us, there is not one among us who +would be able to resist him. [sd: (10 r.)] He is a very zealous +worshipper of the spirit of the three Po or Mothers, and protected by +them; nay, and protected by them in a supernatural manner. But if we +perform sacrifices, they remain without shadow and echo.[88] And then it +may also be added that we are no more able to withstand with our short +arms their long ones, than dogs are able to chase fierce tigers. But do +we not every where see government placards inviting us to submit, why do +we not then send somebody to make the offer? The government will pardon +and not destroy us sea-monsters,[89] and we may then reform our previous +conduct. Why should we not therefore come to a determination to that +effect?" + +Fung yung fa said: "How then if government should not trust our word?" + +[Sidenote: 1809.] + +[sd: (10 v.)] Chang jih kao answered: "If government should learn that +we recently fought Chang paou, and destroyed the banditti,--it would be +hard indeed if that were not enough to make them trust us?" + +Go tsew he said: "If government should not act towards us, as it is +stated in the placard, after having made our submission, we may then +again use violence. But they will hear, that we attacked the others, +like fishes their food; that we alone made a beginning in destroying the +pirates, and then tendered our submission,--they will feel that they can +employ us to destroy the other pirates. He who is not of the same +opinion as mine may let his hand hang down." + +O po tae was of the same opinion, and the purser was ordered to frame +the offer of submission to government. The petition concerning the offer +was couched in the following terms: + +[Sidenote: 1809.] + + [sd: (11 r.)] "It is my humble opinion that all robbers of an + overpowering force, whether they had their origin from this or any + other cause, have felt the humanity of government at different + times. Leang shan who three times plundered the city, was + nevertheless pardoned and at last made a minister of state.[90] Wa + kang often challenged the arms of his country and was suffered to + live, and at last made a corner-stone of the empire. Joo ming + pardoned seven times Mang hw[)o]; and Kwan kung three times set + Tsaou tsaou at liberty.[91] Ma yuen pursued not the exhausted + robbers; and Y[)o] fei killed not those who made their submission. + [sd: (11 v.)] There are many other instances of such transactions + both in former and recent times, by which the country was + strengthened and government increased its power. We now live in a + very populous age; some of us could not agree with their relations, + and were driven out like noxious weeds. Some after having tried all + they could, without being able to provide for themselves, at last + joined bad society. Some lost their property by shipwrecks; some + withdrew into this watery empire to escape from punishment. In such + a way those, who in the beginning were only three or five, were in + the course of time increased to a thousand or ten thousand, and so + it went on increasing every year. Would it not have been wonderful + if such a multitude, being in want of their daily bread, should not + have resorted to plunder and robbery to gain their subsistence, + since they could not in any other manner be saved from famine? It + was from necessity that the laws of the empire were violated, and + the merchants robbed of their goods. [sd: (12 r.)] Being deprived + of our land and of our native places, having no house or home to + resort to, and relying only on the chances of wind and water, even + could we for a moment forget our griefs, we might fall in with a + man-of-war, who with stones, darts and guns, would blow out our + brains." + + "Even if we dared to sail up a stream and boldly go on with anxiety + of mind under wind, rain, and stormy weather, we must every where + prepare for fighting. Whether we went to the east, or to the west, + and after having felt all the hardships of the sea, the night dew + was our only dwelling, and the rude wind our meal. But now we will + avoid these perils, leave our connexions, and desert our comrades; + we will make our submission. The power of government knows no + bounds; it reaches to the islands in the sea, and every man is + afraid and sighs. Oh we must be destroyed by our crimes, none can + escape who opposeth the laws of government. [sd: (12 v.)] May you + then feel compassion for those who are deserving of death; may you + sustain us by your humanity!" + +[Sidenote: 1809.] + +The chief officers of government met joyfully together at Canton. The +governor-general of the southern district ever loved the people like +himself; and to show his benevolence he often invited them by public +placards to make submission:--he really felt compassion for these +lower sort of men, who were polluted with crimes. The way of +compassion and benevolence is the way of heaven, which is pleased with +virtue; it is the right way to govern by righteousness. Can the bird +remain quiet with strong wings, or will the fish not move in deep +water? Every person acts from natural endowments, and our general +would have felt compassion even for the meanest creature on earth, if +they would have asked for pardon. He therefore redeemed these pirates +from destruction, and pardoned their former crimes.[92] + +[Sidenote: 1809.] + +After this period the country began to assume a new appearance. [sd: (13 +r.)] People sold their arms and bought oxen to plough their fields; they +burned sacrifices, said prayers on the top of the hills, and rejoiced +themselves by singing behind screens during day-time. There were some +people who endeavoured to act with duplicity, and wished to murder the +pirates, but the general on seeing the petition said to his assistants: +"I will pull down the vanguard of the enemy to use it for the +destruction of the remaining part. I may then employ it against the +over-spreading power of the pirates; with the pirates I will destroy the +pirates. Y[)o] fu mow destroyed in this manner Yang tay: let us not act +with duplicity, that we may the better disperse their comrades and break +their power; let us therefore accept their submission." + +[Sidenote: Jan. 1810.] + +In the agreement it was stipulated that the ships should assemble +together in the open sea near Kwei shen hëen[93] to make their +surrender. The Governor-general was to come to that place[Sidenote: (13 +v.)] to receive O po tae, his vessels, his men, and all other things +which were pointed out in the petition. The Governor-general being +exceedingly pleased, ordered his adjutant Kung gaou to examine the list. +He found eight thousand men, one hundred and twenty-six vessels, five +hundred large guns, and five thousand six hundred various military +weapons. The towns Yang keang and Sin gan were appointed for this people +to live in.[94]--This happened in the twelfth month of the fourteenth +year of Këa king--and so the black squadron was brought into subjection. +O po tae changed his name to _He[)o] bëen_, "The lustre of instruction," +and the general made him a Pa tsung[95] to reward his services in +defeating Chang paou. + +[Sidenote: 1810.] + +[sd: (14 r.)] On the twelfth moon Chang paou went with his different +squadrons into the river and attacked Ke chow. It was near the end of +the year, and the pirates assembled along the mountain ridge Laou ya[96] +to make a festival: they made a great noise during the night with +crackers, and their gongs were heard at a great distance.[97] At +daybreak the flags were spread out, and the drums sounded; they were +cheerful the whole day; they eat and drank and made a great noise, which +was heard many les off. + +[Sidenote: 1810.] + +On the second day of the same month they attacked the village, and on +the third day about ten men went on shore. The villagers made their +escape, so that the pirates could not take them. [sd: (14 v.)] Having +some time before made preparations to fortify Ma king yun.[98] they now +retired to it. The pirates knowing that the villagers were well provided +for defence, waited until they had every thing ready. On the fourth the +pirates landed; it was in vain that the villagers opposed them, they had +two men wounded, and were finally defeated. The Governor-general ordered +Ching chuy loo to proceed at the head of a large body of soldiers to the +town Shun tih, and prepare for an attack. Meeting the pirates at Ke +chow, the Major attacking them on a sudden, the pirates sustained a +great loss, and returned to their vessels. The Major also was struck by +a shot from a musket. There were daily skirmishes at the neighbouring +places; the inhabitants were generally defeated and ran away. The Major +Loo came with his forces and placed them on the sea-coast behind the +intrenchments of Sin ne, to protect them against the fire of the enemy. +The guns of the pirates were directed against the place, the bullets +fell in Sin ne, but without hurting any one, which again calmed and +encouraged the inhabitants. [sd: (15 r.)] The pirates coming a second +time before Ke chow and Ta leang, and not being able to accomplish their +designs, thought fit to retire. + +[Sidenote: 1810.] + +The wife of Ching y[)i]h, on seeing that O po tae was made a government +officer after his submission, and that he did well, thought also of +making her submission. "I am," said she, "ten times stronger than O po +tae, and government would perhaps, if I submit, act towards me as they +did with O po tae." But remembering their former crimes, and the +opposition they made to many officers, these pirates were apprehensive +and felt undetermined in their resolutions. [sd: (15 v.)] A rumour went +about, that the red squadron wished to tender their submission, and, in +consequence, the vigilant magistrates hearing of this, invited them to +do so. The magistrate of Tsze ne, Yu che chang, ordered a certain Fei +hëung chow to make enquiries about the matter. Fei hëung chow was a +physician of Macao, and being well acquainted with the pirates, he was +not in need of any introduction to obtain access to them. This was the +ground on which Yu chi chang particularly selected him, when he tried to +bring the pirates to submission. + +When Fei hëung chow came to Paou, he said: "Friend Paou, do you know why +I come to you?" + +Paou.--"Thou hast committed some crime and comest to me for protection?" + +Chow.--"By no means." + +[Sidenote: 1810.] + +Paou.--"You will then know, how it stands concerning the report about +our submission, if it is true or false?" + +Chow.--"You are again wrong here, Sir.[99] What are you in comparison +with O po tae?" + +Paou.--[sd: (16 r.)] "Who is bold enough to compare me with O po tae?" + +[Sidenote: 1810.] + +Chow.--"I know very well that O po tae could not come up to you, Sir; +but I mean only, that since O po tae has made his submission, since he +has got his pardon and been created a government officer,--how would it +be, if you with your whole crew should also submit, and if his +Excellency should desire to treat you in the same manner, and to give +you the same rank as O po tae? Your submission would produce more joy +to government than the submission of O po tae. You should not wait for +wisdom to act wisely; you should make up your mind to submit to the +government with all your followers. I will assist you in every +respect,--it would be the means of securing your own happiness and the +lives of all your adherents." + +[Sidenote: 1810.] + +_Chang paou_ remained like a statue without motion, and Fei hëung chow +went on to say: [sd: (16 v.)] "You should think about this affair in +time, and not stay till the last moment. Is it not clear that O po tae, +since you could not agree together, has joined government. He being +enraged against you, will fight, united with the forces of the +government, for your destruction; and who could help you, so that you +might overcome your enemies? If O po tae could before vanquish you quite +alone, how much more can he now when he is united with government? O po +tae will then satisfy his hatred against you, and you yourself will soon +be taken either at Wei chow or at Neaou chow. [sd: (17 r.)] If the +merchant-vessels of Hwy chaou, the boats of Kwang chow, and all the +fishing-vessels unite together to surround and attack you in the open +sea, you will certainly have enough to do. But even supposing they +should not attack you, you will soon feel the want of provisions, to +sustain you and all your followers. It is always wisdom to provide +before things happen; stupidity and folly never think about future +events. It is too late to reflect upon events when things have happened; +you should, therefore, consider this matter in time!" + +Paou held a deliberation with the wife of Ching y[)i]h, and she said: +"The Doctor Chow is certainly right in all that he says; Paou may agree +with him." Paou then asked the Doctor: "Have you any commission about +this matter, or not?" The Doctor answered, "How could I trifle with the +sentiments of government; this would be declared an improper behaviour. +[sd: (17 v.)] Neither can I see through the intentions of the wife of +Ching y[)i]h nor through those of the officers of government; you can +clear up all doubts, if you will collect your vessels about Shao kë[)o], +outside the Bocca Tigris, you may yourself hear the orders." + +[Sidenote: 1810.] + +Paou consented to this proposal, and the Doctor returned to Yu che +chang. Yu che chang acquainted the Governor-general with this matter. +The general was anxious to meet the pirates and to clear the western +passage, as he had already cleared the eastern passage; he therefore was +very happy at hearing the offer of surrender. The magistrate of Tsze ne, +Yu che chang, took the government proclamation and went to the pirates +to see how things stood. The wife of Ching y[)i]h on seeing Yu che +chang, ordered Chang paou to prepare a banquet. Chang paou explained his +intentions. Yu che chang remained the whole night on board ship, and +stated that government was willing to pardon them, and that they had +nothing to fear after having made their submission. [sd: (18 r.)] Paou +was very much rejoiced at this; and on the next morning he went with Yu +che chang to inspect the vessels, and ordered all the captains to pay +their respects to the government officer. The wife of Ching y[)i]h +stated to Yu che chang that it was her earnest wish to submit to +government; and Chang paou himself assured the officer of his firm +intention to surrender without the least deceit. The governor then +ordered Yu che chang to visit the pirates a second time, accompanied by +Pang noo, in order to settle all with them regarding their submission. +Chang paou requested that those pirates who had been condemned to death +should be placed in ten vessels, in order that he might ransom them. Yu +che chang reported this, and the Governor said: "It shall be so, whether +Chang paou submit himself or not. But being exceedingly desirous that +the pirates may surrender, I will go myself and state my intentions, to +clear up all doubts." + +[Sidenote: 1810.] + +[sd: (18 v.)]He ordered the Doctor Fei hëung chow to acquaint the +pirates with his design. The Governor-general then embarked in a vessel +with Pang noo and Yu che chang to meet the pirates, where they were +assembled;--their vessels occupied a space of about ten le. On hearing +that the Governor-general was coming, they hoisted their flags, played +on their instruments, and fired their guns, so that the smoke rose in +clouds, and then went to meet him. From the other side the people all +became alarmed, and the Governor-general himself was very much +astonished, being yet uncertain what could be the meaning of all this +alarm. Chang paou, accompanied by the wife of Ching y[)i]h, by Pang +chang ching, Leang po paou, and Soo puh gaou, mounted the governor's +ship, and rushed through the smoke to the place where the governor was +stationed. [sd: (19 r.)] The Governor-general on seeing Paou and his +followers falling on their hands and knees, that they shed tears on +account of their former crimes, and sued penitently for their lives, was +induced by his extreme kindness to declare that he would again point out +to the rebels the road to virtue. Paou and his followers were extremely +affected, knocked their heads on the ground, and swore that they were +ready to suffer death. But the Governor replied: "Since you are ready to +submit yourselves with a true heart, I will lay aside all arms and +disperse the soldiery; to say it in one word, I give you three days to +make up a list of your vessels and all your other possessions. Are you +satisfied with this proposal or not?" Paou and his followers said "_yes, +yes_," and retired accordingly. + +[Sidenote: 1810.] + +It happened that about the same time some Portuguese vessels were about +to enter the Bocca Tigris, and that some large men-of-war took their +station at the same place. The pirates became exceedingly alarmed at +this fleet, and apprehended that the Governor had made an agreement with +the foreign vessels to destroy them. [sd: (19 v.)] They immediately +weighed their anchors and steered away. On seeing the pirates running +away, Pang noo, Yu che chang, and the others, not knowing what could be +the reason of all this, became afraid that they might have changed their +mind, and that an attack on the Governor was contemplated. All parties +became frightened that the meeting had failed, and made preparations to +go off. The inhabitants of the neighbouring country hearing of this, ran +away, and the Governor-general himself went back to Canton. + +[Sidenote: 1810.] + +When the pirates ascertained that the foreign vessels were traders going +into the river, and that the Governor-general had no communication with +them, they again became pacified. But considering that the +Governor-general went back to Canton without the business of their +submission being quite settled, they held a consultation together and +Paou said: [sd: (20 r.)] "His Excellency is gone back, and probably in +doubt about our intentions; if we tender our submission again, his +Excellency will not trust us, and if we do not submit we shall insult +the good intentions of government. What is to be done under these +circumstances?" + +The wife of Ching y[)i]h said: "His Excellency behaved himself towards +us in a candid manner, and in like manner we must behave towards him. We +being driven about on the ocean, without having any fixed +habitation;--pray let us go to Canton to inform government, to state the +reason of the recoiling waves, to clear up all doubts, and to agree on +what day or in what place we shall make our submission. His Excellency +may then explain to us whether he will come a second time to accept our +submission, or whether he will decline it." + +[Sidenote: 1810.] + +The whole crew was of opinion, that "the designs of government were +unfathomable, and that it would not be prudent to go so hastily on." But +the wife of Ching y[)i]h replied: [sd: (20 v.)] "If his Excellency, a +man of the highest rank, could come quickly to us quite alone, why +should I a mean woman not go to the officers of government? If there be +any danger in it, I will take it on myself, no person among you will be +required to trouble himself about it." + +Leang po paou said: "If the wife of Ching y[)i]h goes, we must fix a +time when she shall return. If this time be past without our obtaining +any certain information, we should collect all our forces and go before +Canton.[100] This is my opinion; if you think otherwise, let us retire; +but let me hear your opinion?" They all answered: "Friend Paou, we have +heard thy opinion, but we think it rather better to wait for the news +here on the water, than to send the wife of Ching y[)i]h alone to be +killed." This was the result of the consultation. + +[Sidenote: 1810.] + +[sd: (21 r.)] Yu che chang and Fei hëung chow, on seeing that nothing +was settled about the submission to government, became alarmed, and sent +Chao kaou yuen to Chang paou to enquire what was the reason of it. On +learning that they ran away from fear of the foreign vessels, Yu che +chang and Fei hëung chow made another visit to the pirates, in order to +correct this mistake. + +"If you let slip this opportunity," said they, "you will not be +accepted, perhaps, should you even be willing to make your submission. +The kindness of his Excellency is immense like the sea, without being +mixed with any falsehood; we will pledge ourselves that the wife of +Ching y[)i]h, if she would go, would be received with kindness." + +The wife of Ching y[)i]h said: "You speak well, gentlemen; I will go +myself to Canton with some other ladies, accompanied by Yu che chang." + +Chang paou said, laughingly: [sd: (21 v.)] "I am sorry his Excellency +should have any doubt regarding us, for this reason, therefore, we will +send our wives to settle the affair for us." + +When the wives and children appeared before him, the Governor-general +said to them: "You did not change your mind, but ran away, being +deceived by a false impression; for this reason I will take no notice of +it. I am commanded by the humanity of his Majesty's government not to +kill but to pardon you; I therefore now pardon Chang paou." + +[Sidenote: 1810.] + +In consequence of this, Chang paou came with his wives and children, and +with the wife of Ching y[)i]h, at Foo yung shao near the town of Hëang +shan to submit himself to government. Every vessel was provided with +pork and wine, and every man received at the same time a bill for a +certain quantity of money. Those who wished it, could join the military +force of government for pursuing the remaining pirates; and those who +objected, dispersed and withdrew into the country. This is the manner by +which the red squadron of the pirates was pacified. + +[Sidenote: 1810.] + +[sd: (22r.)] After the submission of Chang paou, the Governor-general +said: "Now that we have cleared, both the eastern and the middle +passage, we are ready to reduce the pirates of the western passage." He +held a consultation about this matter with the deputy-governor Han fung, +and then ordered the principal officer of the public granary, Mwan ching +che, and the military commandant of Luy chow foo, Kang chow foo, and +Këung chow foo, called Chuh url kang g[)i]h,[101] to proceed at the head +of the forces and drive the pirates away. It was presumed that they +would retire more westerly to Annam; a message was therefore sent to the +king of that country to have ready an armed force to repulse the +pirates, whenever they should appear on the rivers or on the +mainland.[102] Chang paou was ordered on the vanguard. + +[Sidenote: 1810.] + +By the tenth day of the fourth moon the vessels and the crew were quite +ready, and fell in on the twelfth of the same month with the yellow flag +quite alone at Tse sing yang. Our commander valiantly attacked this +squadron, and defeated it entirely. [sd: (22 v.)] The captain Le tsung +chaou, with three hundred and ninety of his people, were taken +prisoners. Meeting a division of the green flag, consisting of ten +pirate vessels, our commander attacked them. The pirates being afraid, +ran away; but our commander pursued after and killed them. Those who +were taken alive were beheaded. + +[Sidenote: 1810.] + +On the tenth day of the fifth moon the Governor-general went to Kaou +chow to make preparations for fighting. Our commander pursued after the +pirates with a great and strong body of troops; he met Neaou sh[)i]h url +at Tan chow, and they fought a great battle. Neaou sh[)i]h url saw that +he was not strong enough to withstand them, and tried to escape; but the +Major, Fei teaou hwang,[103] gave orders to surround the pirates. [sd: +(23 r.)] They fought from seven o'clock in the morning till one at noon, +burnt ten vessels, and killed an immense number of the pirates. Neaou +sh[)i]h url was so weakened that he could scarcely make any opposition. +On perceiving this through the smoke, Chang paou mounted on a sudden the +vessel of the pirate, and cried out: "I Chang paou am come," and at the +same moment he cut some pirates to pieces; the remainder were then +hardly dealt with. Paou addressed himself in an angry tone to Neaou +sh[)i]h url, and said: "I advise you to submit, will you not follow my +advice, what have you to say?" Neaou sh[)i]h url was struck with +amazement, and his courage left him. Leang po paou advanced and bound +him, and the whole crew were then taken captives. + +[Sidenote: 1810.] + +[sd: (23 v.)] Seeing that Neaou sh[)i]h url was taken, his elder brother +Yew kwei would have run away in all haste; but the admirals Tung and +Tsuen mow sun pursued, attacked, and took him prisoner. The government +officers Kung gao and Hoo tso chaou took the younger brother of Neaou +sh[)i]h url, called Mih yew keih, and all the others then made their +submission. Not long after this the _Scourge of the eastern ocean_ +surrendered voluntarily, on finding himself unable to withstand; the +_Frog's meal_ withdrew to Luzon or Manilla. On the twentieth of the same +month, the Governor-general came to Luy chow, and every officer was +ordered to bring his prizes into the harbour or bay of Man ke. There +were taken fighting five hundred pirates, men and women; three thousand +four hundred and sixty made their submission; there were eighty-six +vessels, two hundred and ninety-one guns, and one thousand three hundred +and seventy-two pieces of various military weapons. [sd: (24 r.)] The +Governor-general ordered one of his officers to kill[104] the pirate +Neaou sh[)i]h url with eight others outside the northern entrance of Hae +k[)a]ng hëen,[105] and to behead Hwang h[)o] with one hundred and +nineteen of his followers. The _Scourge of the eastern sea_ submitting +himself voluntarily was not put to death. + +[Sidenote: 1810.] + +There was much talk concerning a man at Hae k[)a]ng hëen, whose crime +was of such a nature that it could not be overlooked. When this man was +carried away to suffer death, his wife pressed him in her arms, and said +with great demonstration of sorrow, "Because thou didst not follow my +words, it is even thus. I said before what is now come to pass, that +thou fighting as a pirate against the officers of government would be +taken and put to death. This fills my mind with sorrow. [sd: (24 v.)] If +thou hadst made thy submission like O po tae and Chang paou, thou +wouldst have been pardoned like them; thou art now given up to the law, +not by any power of man, but by the will of fate." Having finished these +words, she cried exceedingly. The Governor-general was moved by these +words, and commuted the punishment of that pirate into imprisonment. + +In this manner the western passage was cleared from the green, yellow, +and blue squadrons, and smaller divisions. The rest of the pirates, who +remained about Hae k[)a]ng, at Hae fung, at Suy ke and H[)o] poo, were +gradually destroyed.[106] The Governor-general ordered Chuh url kang +g[)i]h and Mwan ching che to go with an armed force and sweep away those +pirates, who hid themselves in the recesses of Wei chow and Neaou chow. +And thus finished this meritorious act of the _Pacification of the +pirates_. + +[Sidenote: 1810.] + +[sd: (25 r.)] By an edict of the "Son of Heaven," the Governor-general +of Kwang tung and Kwang se _Pih, ling_ was recompensed for his merits. +He was created a secondary guardian of the Prince, allowed to wear +peacock's-feathers with two eyes, and favoured with an hereditary title. +The services of the different officers and commanders were taken into +consideration, and they received adequate recompenses. Chang paou was +appointed to the rank of Major; Tung hae pa, or, the Scourge of the +eastern sea, and all others, were pardoned, with the permission to +retire wherever they wished. From that period till now ships pass and +repass in tranquillity. All is quiet on the rivers, the four seas are +tranquil, and people live in peace and plenty. + + + + + APPENDIX. + + +The Translator supposing that the readers of the _History of the +Chinese Pirates_ might perhaps find it interesting to compare the +account of the followers of _The wife of Ching y[)i]h_, drawn up by an +European, with the statements of the non-official Chinese historian; +he has therefore thought fit to subjoin a _Narrative of the captivity +and treatment amongst the Ladrones_, written by Mr. Richard +Glasspoole, of the Hon. Company's ship _Marquis of Ely_, and published +in _Wilkinson's Travels to China_. The Translator in vain endeavoured +to obtain another Narrative, regarding the Chinese pirates, which is +said to be printed in an English periodical. + + + _A brief Narrative of my captivity and treatment amongst the + Ladrones._ + +On the 17th of September 1809, the Honourable Company's ship Marquis +of Ely anchored under the Island of _Sam Chow_, in China, about twelve +English miles from Macao, where I was ordered to proceed in one of +our cutters to procure a pilot, and also to land the purser with the +packet. I left the ship at 5 P.M. with seven men under my command, +well armed. It blew a fresh gale from the N. E. We arrived at Macao at +9 P.M., where I delivered the packet to Mr. Roberts, and sent the men +with the boat's-sails to sleep under the Company's Factory, and left +the boat in charge of one of the Compradore's men; during the night +the gale increased.--At half-past three in the morning I went to the +beach, and found the boat on shore half-filled with water, in +consequence of the man having left her. I called the people, and baled +her out; found she was considerably damaged, and very leaky. At +half-past 5 A.M., the ebb-tide making, we left Macao with vegetables +for the ship. + +One of the Compradore's men who spoke English went with us for the +purpose of piloting the ship to _Lintin_, as the Mandarines, in +consequence of a late disturbance at Macao, would not grant chops for +the regular pilots. I had every reason to expect the ship in the +roads, as she was preparing to get under weigh when we left her; but +on our rounding Cabaretta-Point, we saw her five or six miles to +leeward, under weigh, standing on the starboard-tack: it was then +blowing fresh at N. E. Bore up, and stood towards her; when about a +cable's-length to windward of her, she tacked; we hauled our wind and +stood after her. A hard squall then coming on, with a strong tide and +heavy swell against us, we drifted fast to leeward, and the weather +being hazy, we soon lost sight of the ship. Struck our masts, and +endeavoured to pull; finding our efforts useless, set a reefed +foresail and mizen, and stood towards a country-ship at anchor under +the land to leeward of Cabaretta-Point. When within a quarter of a +mile of her she weighed and made sail, leaving us in a very critical +situation, having no anchor, and drifting bodily on the rocks to +leeward. Struck the masts: after four or five hours hard pulling, +succeeded in clearing them. + +At this time not a ship in sight; the weather clearing up, we saw a +ship to leeward, hull down, shipped our masts, and made sail towards +her; she proved to be the Honourable Company's ship Glatton. We made +signals to her with our handkerchiefs at the mast-head, she +unfortunately took no notice of them, but tacked and stood from us. +Our situation was now truly distressing, night closing fast, with a +threatening appearance, blowing fresh, with hard rain and a heavy sea; +our boat very leaky, without a compass, anchor or provisions, and +drifting fast on a lee-shore, surrounded with dangerous rocks, and +inhabited by the most barbarous pirates. I close-reefed my sails, and +kept tack and tack 'till day-light, when we were happy to find we had +drifted very little to leeward of our situation in the evening. The +night was very dark, with constant hard squalls and heavy rain. + +Tuesday the 19th no ships in sight. About ten o'clock in the morning +it fell calm, with very hard rain and a heavy swell;--struck our masts +and pulled, not being able to see the land, steered by the swell. When +the weather broke up, found we had drifted several miles to leeward. +During the calm a fresh breeze springing up, made sail, and +endeavoured to reach the weather-shore, and anchor with six muskets we +had lashed together for that purpose. Finding the boat made no way +against the swell and tide, bore up for a bay to leeward, and anchored +about one A.M. close under the land in five or six fathoms water, +blowing fresh, with hard rain. + +Wednesday the 20th at day-light, supposing the flood-tide making, +weighed and stood over to the weather-land, but found we were drifting +fast to leeward. About ten o'clock perceived two Chinese boats +steering for us. Bore up, and stood towards them, and made signals to +induce them to come within hail; on nearing them, they bore up, and +passed to leeward of the islands. The Chinese we had in the boat +advised me to follow them, and he would take us to Macao by the +leeward passage. I expressed my fears of being taken by the Ladrones. +Our ammunition being wet, and the muskets rendered useless, we had +nothing to defend ourselves with but cutlasses, and in too distressed +a situation to make much resistance with them, having been constantly +wet, and eat nothing but a few green oranges for three days. + +As our present situation was a hopeless one, and the man assured me +there was no fear of encountering any Ladrones, I complied with his +request, and stood in to leeward of the islands, where we found the +water much smoother, and apparently a direct passage to Macao. We +continued pulling and sailing all day. At six o'clock in the evening I +discovered three large boats at anchor in a bay to leeward. On seeing +us they weighed and made sail towards us. The Chinese said they were +Ladrones, and that if they captured us they would most certainly put +us all to death! Finding they gained fast on us, struck the masts, and +pulled head to wind for five or six hours. The tide turning against +us, anchored close under the land to avoid being seen. Soon after we +saw the boats pass us to leeward. + +Thursday the 21st, at day-light, the flood making, weighed and pulled +along shore in great spirits, expecting to be at Macao in two or three +hours, as by the Chinese account it was not above six or seven miles +distant. After pulling a mile or two perceived several people on +shore, standing close to the beach; they were armed with pikes and +lances. I ordered the interpreter to hail them, and ask the most +direct passage to Macao. They said if we came on shore they would +inform us; not liking their hostile appearance I did not think proper +to comply with the request. Saw a large fleet of boats at anchor close +under the opposite shore. Our interpreter said they were +fishing-boats, and that by going there we should not only get +provisions, but a pilot also to take us to Macao. + +I bore up, and on nearing them perceived there were some large +vessels, very full of men, and mounted with several guns. I hesitated +to approach nearer; but the Chinese assuring me they were Mandarine +junks[107] and salt-boats, we stood close to one of them, and asked +the way to Macao? They gave no answer, but made some signs to us to go +in shore. We passed on, and a large row-boat pulled after us; she soon +came along-side, when about twenty savage-looking villains, who were +stowed at the bottom of the boat, leaped on board us. They were armed +with a short sword in each hand, one of which they laid on our necks, +and the other pointed to our breasts, keeping their eyes fixed on +their officer, waiting his signal to cut or desist. Seeing we were +incapable of making any resistance, he sheathed his sword, and the +others immediately followed his example. They then dragged us into +their boat, and carried us on board one of their junks, with the most +savage demonstrations of joy, and as we supposed, to torture and put +us to a cruel death. When on board the junk, they searched all our +pockets, took the handkerchiefs from our necks, and brought heavy +chains to chain us to the guns. + +At this time a boat came, and took me, with one of my men and the +interpreter, on board the chief's vessel. I was then taken before the +chief. He was seated on deck, in a large chair, dressed in purple +silk, with a black turban on. He appeared to be about thirty years of +age, a stout commanding-looking man. He took me by the coat, and drew +me close to him; then questioned the interpreter very strictly, asking +who we were, and what was our business in that part of the country. I +told him to say we were Englishmen in distress, having been four days +at sea without provisions. This he would not credit, but said we were +bad men, and that he would put us all to death; and then ordered some +men to put the interpreter to the torture until he confessed the +truth. + +Upon this occasion, a Ladrone, who had been once to England and spoke +a few words of English, came to the chief, and told him we were really +Englishmen, and that we had plenty of money, adding, that the buttons +on my coat were gold. The chief then ordered us some coarse brown +rice, of which we made a tolerable meal, having eat nothing for nearly +four days, except a few green oranges. During our repast, a number of +Ladrones crowded round us, examining our clothes and hair, and giving +us every possible annoyance. Several of them brought swords, and laid +them on our necks, making signs that they would soon take us on shore, +and cut us in pieces, which I am sorry to say was the fate of some +hundreds during my captivity. + +I was now summoned before the chief, who had been conversing with the +interpreter; he said I must write to my captain, and tell him, if he +did not send an hundred thousand dollars for our ransom, in ten days +he would put us all to death. In vain did I assure him it was useless +writing unless he would agree to take a much smaller sum; saying we +were all poor men, and the most we could possibly raise would not +exceed two thousand dollars. Finding that he was much exasperated at +my expostulations, I embraced the offer of writing to inform my +commander of our unfortunate situation, though there appeared not the +least probability of relieving us. They said the letter should be +conveyed to Macao in a fishing-boat, which would bring an answer in +the morning. A small boat accordingly came alongside, and took the +letter. + +About six o'clock in the evening they gave us some rice and a little +salt fish, which we eat, and they made signs for us to lay down on the +deck to sleep; but such numbers of Ladrones were constantly coming +from different vessels to see us, and examine our clothes and hair, +they would not allow us a moment's quiet. They were particularly +anxious for the buttons of my coat, which were new, and as they +supposed gold. I took it off, and laid it on the deck to avoid being +disturbed by them; it was taken away in the night, and I saw it on the +next day stripped of its buttons. + +About nine o'clock a boat came and hailed the chief's vessel; he +immediately hoisted his mainsail, and the fleet weighed apparently in +great confusion. They worked to windward all night and part of the +next day, and anchored about one o'clock in a bay under the island of +Lantow, where the head admiral of Ladrones was lying at anchor, with +about two hundred vessels and a Portuguese brig they had captured a +few days before, and murdered the captain and part of the crew. + +Saturday the 23d, early in the morning, a fishing-boat came to the +fleet to inquire if they had captured an European boat; being answered +in the affirmative, they came to the vessel I was in. One of them +spoke a few words of English, and told me he had a Ladrone-pass, and +was sent by Captain Kay in search of us; I was rather surprised to +find he had no letter. He appeared to be well acquainted with the +chief, and remained in his cabin smoking opium, and playing cards all +the day.[108] + +In the evening I was summoned with the interpreter before the chief. +He questioned us in a much milder tone, saying, he now believed we +were Englishmen, a people he wished to be friendly with; and that if +our captain would lend him seventy thousand dollars 'till he returned +from his cruize up the river, he would repay him, and send us all to +Macao. I assured him it was useless writing on those terms, and unless +our ransom was speedily settled, the English fleet would sail, and +render our enlargement altogether ineffectual. He remained determined, +and said if it were not sent, he would keep us, and make us fight, or +put us to death. I accordingly wrote, and gave my letter to the man +belonging to the boat before-mentioned. He said he could not return +with an answer in less than five days. + +The chief now gave me the letter I wrote when first taken. I have +never been able to ascertain his reasons for detaining it, but suppose +he dare not negotiate for our ransom without orders from the head +admiral, who I understood was sorry at our being captured. He said the +English ships would join the mandarines and attack them.[109] He told +the chief that captured us, to dispose of us as he pleased. + +Monday the 24th, it blew a strong gale, with constant hard rain; we +suffered much from the cold and wet, being obliged to remain on deck +with no covering but an old mat, which was frequently taken from us in +the night, by the Ladrones who were on watch. During the night the +Portuguese who were left in the brig murdered the Ladrones that were +on board of her, cut the cables, and fortunately escaped through the +darkness of the night. I have since been informed they run her on +shore near Macao. + +Tuesday the 25th, at day-light in the morning, the fleet, amounting to +about five hundred sail of different sizes, weighed, to proceed on +their intended cruize up the rivers, to levy contributions on the +towns and villages. It is impossible to describe what were my +feelings at this critical time, having received no answers to my +letters, and the fleet under-way to sail,--hundreds of miles up a +country never visited by Europeans, there to remain probably for many +months, which would render all opportunities of negotiating for our +enlargement totally ineffectual; as the only method of communication +is by boats, that have a pass from the Ladrones, and they dare not +venture above twenty miles from Macao, being obliged to come and go in +the night, to avoid the Mandarines; and if these boats should be +detected in having any intercourse with the Ladrones, they are +immediately put to death, and all their relations, though they had not +joined in the crime,[110] share in the punishment, in order that not a +single person of their families should be left to imitate their crimes +or revenge their death. This severity renders communication both +dangerous and expensive; no boat would venture out for less than a +hundred Spanish dollars. + +Wednesday the 26th, at day-light, we passed in sight of our ships at +anchor under the island of Chun Po. The chief then called me, pointed +to the ships, and told the interpreter to tell us to look at them, for +we should never see them again. About noon we entered a river to the +westward of the Bogue,[111] three or four miles from the entrance. We +passed a large town situated on the side of a beautiful hill, which is +tributary to the Ladrones; the inhabitants saluted them with songs as +they passed. + +The fleet now divided into two squadrons (the red and the black)[112] +and sailed up different branches of the river. At midnight the +division we were in anchored close to an immense hill, on the top of +which a number of fires were burning, which at day-light I perceived +proceeded from a Chinese camp. At the back of the hill was a most +beautiful town, surrounded by water, and embellished with groves of +orange-trees. The chop-house (custom-house)[113] and a few cottages +were immediately plundered, and burnt down; most of the inhabitants, +however, escaped to the camp. + +The Ladrones now prepared to attack the town with a formidable force, +collected in row boats from the different vessels. They sent a +messenger to the town, demanding a tribute of ten thousand dollars +annually, saying, if these terms were not complied with, they would +land, destroy the town, and murder all the inhabitants; which they +would certainly have done, had the town laid in a more advantageous +situation for their purpose; but being placed out of the reach of +their shot, they allowed them to come to terms. The inhabitants agreed +to pay six thousand dollars, which they were to collect by the time of +our return down the river. This finesse had the desired effect, for +during our absence they mounted a few guns on a hill, which commanded +the passage, and gave us in lieu of the dollars a warm salute on our +return. + +October the 1st, the fleet weighed in the night, dropped by the tide +up the river, and anchored very quietly before a town surrounded by a +thick wood. Early in the morning the Ladrones assembled in row-boats, +and landed; then gave a shout, and rushed into the town, sword in +hand. The inhabitants fled to the adjacent hills, in numbers +apparently superior to the Ladrones. We may easily imagine to +ourselves the horror with which these miserable people must be seized, +on being obliged to leave their homes, and every thing dear to them. +It was a most melancholy sight to see women in tears, clasping their +infants in their arms, and imploring mercy for them from those brutal +robbers! The old and the sick, who were unable to fly, or to make +resistance, were either made prisoners or most inhumanly butchered! +The boats continued passing and repassing from the junks to the shore, +in quick succession, laden with booty, and the men besmeared with +blood! Two hundred and fifty women, and several children, were made +prisoners, and sent on board different vessels. They were unable to +escape with the men, owing to that abominable practice of cramping +their feet: several of them were not able to move without assistance, +in fact, they might all be said to totter, rather than walk. Twenty of +these poor women were sent on board the vessel I was in; they were +hauled on board by the hair, and treated in a most savage manner. + +When the chief came on board, he questioned them respecting the +circumstances of their friends, and demanded ransoms accordingly, from +six thousand to six hundred dollars each. He ordered them a berth on +deck, at the after-part of the vessel, where they had nothing to +shelter them from the weather, which at this time was very +variable,--the days excessively hot, and the nights cold, with heavy +rains. The town being plundered of every thing valuable, it was set on +fire, and reduced to ashes by the morning. The fleet remained here +three days, negotiating for the ransom of the prisoners, and +plundering the fish-tanks and gardens. During all this time, the +Chinese never ventured from the hills, though there were frequently +not more than a hundred Ladrones on shore at a time, and I am sure the +people on the hills exceeded ten times that number.[114] + +October the 5th, the fleet proceeded up another branch of the river, +stopping at several small villages to receive tribute, which was +generally paid in dollars, sugar and rice, with a few large pigs +roasted whole, as presents for their joss (the idol they +worship).[115] Every person on being ransomed, is obliged to present +him with a pig, or some fowls, which the priest offers him with +prayers; it remains before him a few hours, and is then divided +amongst the crew. Nothing particular occurred 'till the 10th, except +frequent skirmishes on shore between small parties of Ladrones and +Chinese soldiers. They frequently obliged my men to go on shore, and +fight with the muskets we had when taken, which did great execution, +the Chinese principally using bows and arrows. They have match-locks, +but use them very unskilfully. + +On the 10th, we formed a junction with the Black-squadron, and +proceeded many miles up a wide and beautiful river, passing several +ruins of villages that had been destroyed by the Black-squadron. On +the 17th, the fleet anchored abreast four mud batteries, which +defended a town, so entirely surrounded with wood that it was +impossible to form any idea of its size. The weather was very hazy, +with hard squalls of rain. The Ladrones remained perfectly quiet for +two days. On the third day the forts commenced a brisk fire for +several hours: the Ladrones did not return a single shot, but weighed +in the night and dropped down the river. + +The reasons they gave for not attacking the town, or returning the +fire, were, that Joss had not promised them success. They are very +superstitious, and consult their idol on all occasions. If his omens +are good, they will undertake the most daring enterprizes. + +The fleet now anchored opposite the ruins of the town where the women +had been made prisoners. Here we remained five or six days, during +which time about an hundred of the women were ransomed; the remainder +were offered for sale amongst the Ladrones, for forty dollars each. +The woman is considered the lawful wife of the purchaser, who would be +put to death if he discarded her. Several of them leaped over-board +and drowned themselves, rather than submit to such infamous +degradation.[116] + +The fleet then weighed and made sail down the river, to receive the +ransom from the town before-mentioned. As we passed the hill, they +fired several shot at us, but without effect. The Ladrones were much +exasperated, and determined to revenge themselves; they dropped out of +reach of their shot, and anchored. Every junk sent about a hundred men +each on shore, to cut paddy, and destroy their orange-groves, which +was most effectually performed for several miles down the river. +During our stay here, they received information of nine boats lying up +a creek, laden with paddy; boats were immediately dispatched after +them. + +Next morning these boats were brought to the fleet; ten or twelve men +were taken in them. As these had made no resistance, the chief said he +would allow them to become Ladrones, if they agreed to take the usual +oaths before Joss. Three or four of them refused to comply, for which +they were punished in the following cruel manner: their hands were +tied behind their back, a rope from the mast-head rove through their +arms, and hoisted three or four feet from the deck, and five or six +men flogged them with three rattans twisted together 'till they were +apparently dead; then hoisted them up to the mast-head, and left them +hanging nearly an hour, then lowered them down, and repeated the +punishment, 'till they died or complied with the oath. + +October the 20th, in the night, an express-boat came with the +information that a large mandarine fleet was proceeding up the river +to attack us. The chief immediately weighed, with fifty of the largest +vessels, and sailed down the river to meet them. About one in the +morning they commenced a heavy fire till day-light, when an express +was sent for the remainder of the fleet to join them: about an hour +after a counter-order to anchor came, the mandarine-fleet having run. +Two or three hours afterwards the chief returned with three captured +vessels in tow, having sunk two, and eighty-three sail made their +escape. The admiral of the mandarines blew his vessel up, by throwing +a lighted match into the magazine as the Ladrones were boarding her; +she ran on shore, and they succeeded in getting twenty of her guns. + +In this action very few prisoners were taken: the men belonging to the +captured vessels drowned themselves, as they were sure of suffering a +lingering and cruel death if taken after making resistance. The +admiral left the fleet in charge of his brother, the second in +command, and proceeded with his own vessel towards Lantow. The fleet +remained in this river, cutting paddy, and getting the necessary +supplies. + +On the 28th of October, I received a letter from Captain Kay, brought +by a fisherman, who had told him he would get us all back for three +thousand dollars. He advised me to offer three thousand, and if not +accepted, extend it to four; but not farther, as it was bad policy to +offer much at first: at the same time assuring me we should be +liberated, let the ransom be what it would. I offered the chief the +three thousand, which he disdainfully refused, saying he was not to be +played with; and unless they sent ten thousand dollars, and two large +guns, with several casks of gunpowder, he would soon put us all to +death. I wrote to Captain Kay, and informed him of the chief's +determination, requesting if an opportunity offered, to send us a +shift of clothes, for which it may be easily imagined we were much +distressed, having been seven weeks without a shift; although +constantly exposed to the weather, and of course frequently wet. + +On the first of November, the fleet sailed up a narrow river, and +anchored at night within two miles of a town called Little Whampoa. In +front of it was a small fort, and several mandarine vessels lying in +the harbour. The chief sent the interpreter to me, saying, I must +order my men to make cartridges and clean their muskets, ready to go +on shore in the morning. I assured the interpreter I should give the +men no such orders, that they must please themselves. Soon after the +chief came on board, threatening to put us all to a cruel death if we +refused to obey his orders. For my own part I remained determined, and +advised the men not to comply, as I thought by making ourselves useful +we should be accounted too valuable. + +A few hours afterwards he sent to me again, saying, that if myself and +the quarter-master would assist them at the great guns, that if also +the rest of the men went on shore and succeeded in taking the place, +he would then take the money offered for our ransom, and give them +twenty dollars for every Chinaman's head they cut off. To these +proposals we cheerfully acceded, in hopes of facilitating our +deliverance. + +Early in the morning the forces intended for landing were assembled in +row-boats, amounting in the whole to three or four thousand men. The +largest vessels weighed, and hauled in shore, to cover the landing of +the forces, and attack the fort and mandarine-vessels. About nine +o'clock the action commenced, and continued with great spirit for +nearly an hour, when the walls of the fort gave way, and the men +retreated in the greatest confusion. + +The mandarine vessels still continued firing, having blocked up the +entrance of the harbour to prevent the Ladrone boats entering. At this +the Ladrones were much exasperated, and about three hundred of them +swam on shore, with a short sword lashed close under each arm; they +then ran along the banks of the river 'till they came a-breast of the +vessels, and then swam off again and boarded them. The Chinese thus +attacked, leaped over-board, and endeavoured to reach the opposite +shore; the Ladrones followed, and cut the greater number of them to +pieces in the water. They next towed the vessels out of the harbour, +and attacked the town with increased fury. The inhabitants fought +about a quarter of an hour, and then retreated to an adjacent hill, +from which they were soon driven with great slaughter. + +After this the Ladrones returned, and plundered the town, every boat +leaving it when laden. The Chinese on the hills perceiving most of the +boats were off, rallied, and retook the town, after killing near two +hundred Ladrones. One of my men was unfortunately lost in this +dreadful massacre! The Ladrones landed a second time, drove the +Chinese out of the town, then reduced it to ashes, and put all their +prisoners to death, without regarding either age or sex! + +I must not omit to mention a most horrid (though ludicrous) +circumstance which happened at this place. The Ladrones were paid by +their chief ten dollars for every Chinaman's head they produced. One +of my men turning the corner of a street was met by a Ladrone running +furiously after a Chinese; he had a drawn sword in his hand, and two +Chinaman's heads which he had cut off, tied by their tails, and slung +round his neck. I was witness myself to some of them producing five or +six to obtain payment!!! + +On the 4th of November an order arrived from the admiral for the fleet +to proceed immediately to Lantow, where he was lying with only two +vessels, and three Portuguese ships and a brig constantly annoying +him; several sail of mandarine vessels were daily expected. The fleet +weighed and proceeded towards Lantow. On passing the island of Lintin, +three ships and a brig gave chase to us. The Ladrones prepared to +board; but night closing we lost sight of them: I am convinced they +altered their course and stood from us. These vessels were in the pay +of the Chinese government, and style themselves the Invincible +Squadron, cruizing in the river Tigris to annihilate the Ladrones! + +On the fifth, in the morning, the red squadron anchored in a bay under +Lantow; the black squadron stood to the eastward. In this bay they +hauled several of their vessels on shore to bream their bottoms and +repair them. + +In the afternoon of the 8th of November, four ships, a brig and a +schooner came off the mouth of the bay. At first the pirates were much +alarmed, supposing them to be English vessels come to rescue us. Some +of them threatened to hang us to the mast-head for them to fire at; +and with much difficulty we persuaded them that they were Portuguese. +The Ladrones had only seven junks in a fit state for action; these +they hauled outside, and moored them head and stern across the bay; +and manned all the boats belonging to the repairing vessels ready for +boarding. + +The Portuguese observing these man[oe]uvres hove to, and communicated +by boats. Soon afterwards they made sail, each ship firing her +broadside as she passed, but without effect, the shot falling far +short: The Ladrones did not return a single shot, but waved their +colours, and threw up rockets, to induce them to come further in, +which they might easily have done, the outside junks lying in four +fathoms water which I sounded myself: though the Portuguese in their +letters to Macao, lamented there was not sufficient water for them to +engage closer, but that they would certainly prevent their escaping +before the mandarine fleet arrived! + +On the 20th of November, early in the morning, discovered an immense +fleet of mandarine vessels standing for the bay. On nearing us, they +formed a line, and stood close in; each vessel as she discharged her +guns tacked to join the rear and reload. They kept up a constant fire +for about two hours, when one of their largest vessels was blown up by +a firebrand thrown from a Ladrone junk; after which they kept at a +more respectful distance, but continued firing without intermission +'till the 21st at night, when it fell calm. + +The Ladrones towed out seven large vessels, with about two hundred +row-boats to board them; but a breeze springing up, they made sail and +escaped. The Ladrones returned into the bay, and anchored. The +Portuguese and mandarines followed, and continued a heavy cannonading +during that night and the next day. The vessel I was in had her +foremast shot away, which they supplied very expeditiously by taking a +mainmast from a smaller vessel. + +On the 23d, in the evening, it again fell calm; the Ladrones towed out +fifteen junks in two divisions, with the intention of surrounding +them, which was nearly effected, having come up with and boarded one, +when a breeze suddenly sprung up. The captured vessel mounted +twenty-two guns. Most of her crew leaped overboard; sixty or seventy +were taken immediately, cut to pieces and thrown into the river. Early +in the morning the Ladrones returned into the bay, and anchored in the +same situation as before. The Portuguese and mandarines followed, +keeping up a constant fire. The Ladrones never returned a single shot, +but always kept in readiness to board, and the Portuguese were careful +never to allow them an opportunity. + +On the 28th, at night, they sent in eight fire-vessels, which if +properly constructed must have done great execution, having every +advantage they could wish for to effect their purpose; a strong breeze +and tide directly into the bay, and the vessels lying so close +together that it was impossible to miss them. On their first +appearance the Ladrones gave a general shout, supposing them to be +mandarine vessels[117] on fire, but were very soon convinced of their +mistake. They came very regularly into the centre of the fleet, two +and two, burning furiously; one of them came alongside of the vessel I +was in, but they succeeded in booming her off. She appeared to be a +vessel of about thirty tons; her hold was filled with straw and wood, +and there were a few small boxes of combustibles on her deck, which +exploded alongside of us without doing any damage. The Ladrones, +however, towed them all on shore, extinguished the fire, and broke +them up for fire-wood. The Portuguese claim the credit of constructing +these destructive machines, and actually sent a dispatch to the +Governor of Macao, saying they had destroyed at least one-third of the +Ladrones' fleet, and hoped soon to effect their purpose by totally +annihilating them. + +On the 29th of November, the Ladrones being all ready for sea, they +weighed and stood boldly out, bidding defiance to the invincible +squadron and imperial fleet, consisting of ninety-three war-junks, six +Portuguese ships, a brig, and a schooner. Immediately the Ladrones +weighed, they made all sail. The Ladrones chased them two or three +hours, keeping up a constant fire; finding they did not come up with +them, they hauled their wind and stood to the eastward. + +Thus terminated the boasted blockade, which lasted nine days, during +which time the Ladrones completed all their repairs. In this action +not a single Ladrone vessel was destroyed, and their loss about thirty +or forty men. An American was also killed, one of three that remained +out of eight taken in a schooner. I had two very narrow escapes: the +first, a twelve-pounder shot fell within three or four feet of me; +another took a piece out of a small brass-swivel on which I was +standing. The chief's wife[118] frequently sprinkled me with +garlic-water, which they consider an effectual charm against shot. The +fleet continued under sail all night, steering towards the eastward. +In the morning they anchored in a large bay surrounded by lofty and +barren mountains. + +On the 2nd of December I received a letter from Lieutenant Maughn, +commander of the Honourable Company's cruizer Antelope, saying that he +had the ransom on board, and had been three days cruizing after us, +and wished me to settle with the chief on the securest method of +delivering it. The chief agreed to send us in a small gun-boat, 'till +we came within sight of the Antelope; then the Compradore's boat was +to bring the ransom and receive us. + +I was so agitated at receiving this joyful news, that it was with +considerable difficulty I could scrawl about two or three lines to +inform Lieutenant Maughn of the arrangements I had made. We were all +so deeply affected by the gratifying tidings, that we seldom closed +our eyes, but continued watching day and night for the boat. On the +6th she returned with Lieutenant Maughn's answer, saying, he would +respect any single boat; but would not allow the fleet to approach +him. The chief then, according to his first proposal, ordered a +gun-boat to take us, and with no small degree of pleasure we left the +Ladrone fleet about four o'clock in the morning. + +At one P.M. saw the Antelope under all sail, standing toward us. The +Ladrone boat immediately anchored, and dispatched the Compradore's +boat for the ransom, saying, that if she approached nearer, they would +return to the fleet; and they were just weighing when she shortened +sail, and anchored about two miles from us. The boat did not reach her +'till late in the afternoon, owing to the tide's being strong against +her. She received the ransom and left the Antelope just before dark. A +mandarine boat that had been lying concealed under the land, and +watching their man[oe]uvres, gave chace to her, and was within a few +fathoms of taking her, when she saw a light, which the Ladrones +answered, and the Mandarine hauled off. + +Our situation was now a most critical one; the ransom was in the hands +of the Ladrones, and the Compradore dare not return with us for fear +of a second attack from the mandarine boat. The Ladrones would not +remain 'till morning, so we were obliged to return with them to the +fleet. + +In the morning the chief inspected the ransom, which consisted of the +following articles: two bales of superfine scarlet cloth; two chests +of opium; two casks of gunpowder; and a telescope; the rest in +dollars. He objected to the telescope not being new; and said he +should detain one of us 'till another was sent, or a hundred dollars +in lieu of it. The Compradore however agreed with him for the hundred +dollars. + +Every thing being at length settled, the chief ordered two gun-boats +to convey us near the Antelope; we saw her just before dusk, when the +Ladrone boats left us. We had the inexpressible pleasure of arriving +on board the Antelope at 7 P.M., where we were most cordially +received, and heartily congratulated on our safe and happy deliverance +from a miserable captivity, which we had endured for eleven weeks and +three days. + + (Signed) RICHARD GLASSPOOLE. + + CHINA, December 8th, 1809. + + + _A few Remarks on the Origin, Progress, Manners, and Customs of the + Ladrones._ + +The Ladrones are a disaffected race of Chinese, that revolted against +the oppressions of the mandarines.--They first commenced their +depredations on the Western coast (Cochin-China), by attacking small +trading vessels in row-boats, carrying from thirty to forty men each. +They continued this system of piracy several years; at length their +successes, and the oppressive state of the Chinese, had the effect of +rapidly increasing their numbers. Hundreds of fishermen and others +flocked to their standard; and as their number increased they +consequently became more desperate. They blockaded all the principal +rivers, and attacked several large junks, mounting from ten to fifteen +guns each. + +With these junks they formed a very formidable fleet, and no small +vessels could trade on the coast with safety. They plundered several +small villages, and exercised such wanton barbarity as struck horror +into the breasts of the Chinese. To check these enormities the +government equipped a fleet of forty imperial war-junks, mounting from +eighteen to twenty guns each. On the very first rencontre, +twenty-eight of the imperial junks struck to the pirates; the rest +saved themselves by a precipitate retreat. + +These junks, fully equipped for war, were a great acquisition to them. +Their numbers augmented so rapidly, that at the period of my captivity +they were supposed to amount to near seventy thousand men, eight +hundred large vessels, and nearly a thousand small ones, including +row-boats. They were divided into five squadrons, distinguished by +different coloured flags: each squadron commanded by an admiral, or +chief; but all under the orders of A-juo-chay (Ching y[)i]h saou), +their premier chief, a most daring and enterprising man, who went so +far as to declare his intention of displacing the present Tartar +family from the throne of China, and to restore the ancient Chinese +dynasty. + +This extraordinary character would have certainly shaken the +foundation of the government, had he not been thwarted by the jealousy +of the second in command, who declared his independence, and soon +after surrendered to the mandarines with five hundred vessels, on +promise of a pardon. Most of the inferior chiefs followed his example. +A-juo-Chay (Ching y[)i]h saou) held out a few months longer, and at +length surrendered with sixteen thousand men, on condition of a +general pardon, and himself to be made a mandarine of distinction. + +The Ladrones have no settled residence on shore, but live constantly +in their vessels. The after-part is appropriated to the captain and +his wives; he generally has five or six. With respect to conjugal +rights they are religiously strict; no person is allowed to have a +woman on board, unless married to her according to their laws. Every +man is allowed a small berth, about four feet square, where he stows +with his wife and family. + +From the number of souls crowded in so small a space, it must +naturally be supposed they are horridly dirty, which is evidently the +case, and their vessels swarm with all kinds of vermin. Rats in +particular, which they encourage to breed, and eat them as great +delicacies;[119] in fact, there are very few creatures they will not +eat. During our captivity we lived three weeks on caterpillars boiled +with rice. They are much addicted to gambling, and spend all their +leisure hours at cards and smoking opium. + + + THE END. + + + LONDON: + + Printed by J. L. Cox, Great Queen Street, + + Lincoln's Inn Fields. + + + + + FOOTNOTES: + + +[1] The Chinese have particular histories of the robbers and pirates +who existed in the _middle empire_ from the most ancient times; these +histories form a portion of every provincial history. The three last +books (the 58th, 59th, and 60th) of the _Memoirs_ _concerning the +South of the Meihling Mountains_ (see the Catechism of the Shahmans, +p. 44) are inscribed _Tsing fun_ (10,987, 2,651), and contain the +Robber history from the beginning of Woo wang, of the dynasty Chow. +The Memoirs only give extracts of former works; the extracts to the +three last books are taken from _the Great History of Yu[)e]_, or +Province of Kwang tang (_Yu[)e] ta ke_), from _the Old Transactions of +the Five Realms_ (_Woo kw[)o] koo sse_), _the Old Records of Yang +ching_, a name of the ancient city of Kwang tung (_Yang ching koo +chaou_), _the Official Robber History_ (_Kw[)o] she y[)i]h shin +chuen_), &c. + +[2] We are chiefly indebted to the Jesuits that the Russians had not +conquered part of China about the middle of the seventeenth century. +See the passage of Muller in Burney's Voyages of Discovery to the +North-East Passage, p. 55. The Manchow destroyed the Chinese patriots +by the cannon cast by the Rev. Father Verbiest.--Le Comte, Nouvelles +Observations sur la Chine. + +[3] We have a learned dissertation, pleading for the authenticity of +the famous inscription of _Se ngan foo_, by a well-known Sinologue. +May we not be favoured with another _Oratio pro domo_ concerning the +many crosses which had been found in Fuh këen, and on the "Escrevices +de Mer, qui estans encore en vie, lors mesme qu'elles estoient +cuites?" See Relation de la Chine par Michel Boym, de la Compagnie de +Jesus, in Thévenot, et Relations de divers Voyage, vol. ii, pp. 6 and +14. + +[4] _Toland_, History of the Druids, p. 51.-- + + "This justice, therefore, I would do to Ireland, even if it had + not been my country, _viz._ to maintain that this tolerating + principle, this _impartial liberty_ (of religion), ever since + unexampled there as well as elsewhere, _China excepted_, is far + greater honour to it," &c. + +Never was a man more calumniated than Confucius by the Jesuit Couplet. +_Confucius Sinarum Philosophus_ was printed in the year 1687, shortly +after Louis XIV. abolished the Edict of Nantes, and persecuted the +most industrious part of his subjects. The Jesuit is bold enough to +affirm, in his _Epistola Dedicatoria ad Ludovicum magnum_, that the +Chinese philosopher would be exceedingly rejoiced in seeing the piety +of the great king. + + "_Quibus te laudibus efferret, cum haeresin, hostem illam + avitae fidei ac regni florentissimi teterrimam, proculcatam et + attritam, edicta quibus vitam ducere videbatur, abrogata; + disjecta templa, nomen ipsum sepultum, tot animarum millia + pristinis ab erroribus ad veritatem, ab exitio ad salutem tam + suaviter (!) tam fortiter (!), tam feliciter (!) traducta._" + +[5] Toreen's Voyage behind Osbeck, II. 239, English translation. + +[6] The Canton Register, 1829, No. 20. + +[7] _Jang sëen_ is his Tsze, or title. The numbers which are to be +found on the margin of the translation, refer to the pages of the +Chinese printed text. + +[8] The cubit at Canton is 14 inches 625 dec. Morrison, under the word +_Weights_, in his Dictionary, English and Chinese. + +[9] We see by this statement that Couplet is wrong in saying +(_Confucius_ Sinarum philosophus. Proemialis declaratio, p. 60): +"Mahometani, qui una cum suis erroribus ante annos fere _septingentos_ +(Couplet wrote 1683) magno numero et licentia ingressi in Chinam." + +[10] This statement is so extraordinary, that the Translator thought +it necessary to compare many passages where the character _sh[)u]h_ +(8384 M.) occurs. Sh[)u]h originally means, according to the _Shw[)o] +w[)a]n_, _near, joining_; and _Sh[)u]h kw[)o]_, are, according to Dr. +Morrison, "small states attached to and dependent on a larger one: +tributary states." The character _sh[)u]h_ is often used in the same +signification in the 57th book of our work. The description of the +Peninsula of Malacca begins (Mem. b. 57, p. 15 r.) with the following +words: "_Mwan l[)a] kea_ (Malacca) is in the southern sea, and was +originally a tributary state (sh[)u]h kw[)o]) of _Sëen lo_, or Siam; +but the officer who there had the command revolted and founded a +distinct kingdom." In the war which the Siamese some years back +carried on against the Sultan of Guedah, they always affirmed that the +King of Siam is, by his own right, the legitimate sovereign of the +whole peninsula of Malacca, and that the Sultan must only be +considered as a rebel against his liege. The statement of the Chinese +author, therefore, corroborates the assertions of the Siamese. + +[11] On the _General Map of the Western Sea_ (_Se hae tsung too_) _Lin +yin_ takes the place of Sweden. I cannot conceive what can be the +cause of that denomination. _Lin yin_, perhaps, may mean the island +_Rugen_? + +[12] The common word for cloth, _to lo ne_, seems to be of Indian +origin; it is certainly not Chinese. The proper Chinese name is +_jung_. + +[13] _Peih ke_ is written with various characters. See Morrison's +Dictionary, under the word Peih, 8509. + +[14] The syllable _lo_ is not in the Chinese text, as it is supposed, +by a mistake of the printer. + +[15] It may be remarked, that Cosmas, about the middle of the sixth +century, had a better idea concerning the Chinese empire, or the +country of _Tsin_, than the Chinese have even now of Europe. Such an +advantage was it to be born a Greek and not a Chinese. Cosmas seems +very well informed concerning the articles of trade which the Chinese +generally bring to Serendib, or Serendwîpa (Ceylon). He remarks, that +farther than China there exists no other country; that on the east it +is surrounded by the ocean; and that Ceylon is nearly as far from the +Persian gulf as from Tziniza or China. See the description of +Taprobane, taken from the Christian Topography, and printed in +Thévenot, "Relations de divers Voyages," vol. i. pp. 2, 3, and 5. The +Chinese about Canton have a custom of ending every phrase with a long +_a_ (_a_ is pronounced like _a_ in Italian) which is merely euphonic, +like _yay_ (11980) in the Mandarine dialect. If a Chinese should be +asked about his country, he would answer according to the different +dynasties, Tsin-a, Han-a, Tang-a, Ming-a, &c. _Tsin-a_ is probably the +origin of _Tziniza_. It is a little strange that Rennel takes no +notice of the statements of Cosmas. (See the Geographical System of +Herodotus I. 223, Second Edition, London, 1830.) Is it not very +remarkable, that this merchant and monk seems to have also had very +correct information concerning the north-west frontier of China, and +of the conquest which the Huns (in Sanscrit H[=u]na) have made in the +north-west part of Hindostan? He reckons from China, through Tartary +and Bactria to Persia, 150 stations, or days' journies. About the time +of Cosmas, an intercourse commenced between China and Persia. + +[16] In prefaces and rhetorical exercises, the Chinese commonly call +the years by the names employed in the well-known cycle of sixty +years. The first cycle is supposed to have begun with the year 2697 +before Christ. In the year 1804, the ninth year of Këa kïng, was the +beginning of the thirty-sixth cycle.--Histoire générale de la Chine, +XII. p. 3 and 4. + +[17] The _Mei ling_ mountains, which divide the province Kwang tung +from the province Këang se. See Note in the beginning of the History +of the Pirates. + +[18] The place where European ships lie at anchor in the river of +Canton, and one of the few spots which foreigners are allowed to +visit. + +[19] I translate the Chinese words _Wae she_, by _non-official +historian_, in opposition to the _Kw[)o] she_, or _She kwan_, the +official historiographers of the empire. Both _Yuen tsze_, author of +the following History of the Pirates, and _Lan e_, author of the work +which is referred to in the preface, are such _Public historians_, who +write--like most of the historians of Europe--the history of their own +times, without being appointed to or paid for by government. + +_Lan e_ gives the history of the civil commotions under Këa king, +which continued from the year 1814 to 1817, in six books; the work is +printed in two small volumes, in the first year of Tao kwang (1820), +and the following contains the greater part of the preface: + + "In the spring of the year _Kea su_ (1814), I went with other + people to Peking; reaching the left side of the (Mei ling) + mountains we met with fellow travellers, who joined the army, + and with many military preparations. In the capital I learned + that the robber _Lin_ caused many disturbances; I took great + care to ascertain what was said by the people of the court, and + by the officers of government, and I wrote down what I heard. + But being apprehensive that I might publish truth and falsehood + mixed together, I went in the year _Ting chow_ (1817) again to + the metropolis, and read attentively the imperial account of + the _Pacification of the Robber-bands_, planned the occurrences + according to the time in which they happened, joined to it what + I heard from other sources, and composed out of these various + matters a work in six books, on the truth of which you may + rely." + +_Lan e_ begins his work with the history of those rebels called +_T[.e]en le keaou_ (_the Doctrine of Nature_). They were divided into +eight divisions, according to the eight Kwas, and placed under three +captains, or chiefs, of whom the first was called _Lin tsing_--the +same _Lin_ who is mentioned in the preface of _Soo_. These followers +of the doctrine of Nature believed implicitly in an absurd book +written by a robber, in which it was stated, that the Buddha who +should come after Shakia (in Chinese called _Me l[)i]h_, in Sanscrit +_Maëtreya_) is in possession of three seas, the _blue_, the _red_, and +the _white_. These seas are the three Kalpas; we now live in the +_white_ Kalpa. These robbers, therefore, carried _white_ banners. +_Tsing y[)i]h ke_, B. i., p. i. + +[20] The Translator thinks it his duty to observe, that this preface, +being printed in characters written in the current hand, he tried in +vain to make out some abbreviations; he is, therefore, not quite +certain if the last phrase beginning with the words: "_Yuen tsze has +overlooked nothing_," &c. be correctly translated. + +[21] The names of authors of Prefaces, as well as of works themselves, +which are not authorized by government, are often fictitious. Who +would dare to publish or recommend any thing under his own name, which +could displease any of the officers of the Chinese government? The +author of the following Preface has a high-sounding title: "He, whose +heart is directed towards the people." + +[22] _Keun_, or _Tsze_, are only titles, like those of _Master_ and +_Doctor_ in the European languages. _Keun_ is, in the Canton dialect, +pronounced _Kwa_, which, placed behind the family names of the _Hong_, +or _Hing_ (3969) merchants, gives _How qwa_, or _How kwa_, _Mow kwa_, +&c., which literally means "Mr. How, Mr. Mow." + +[23] I presume that the author of the Preface alludes to the +_twenty-three_ large historical collections, containing the official +publications regarding history and general literature. I have brought +with me from Canton this vast collection of works, which are now +concluded by the _History of the Ming_. It must be acknowledged that +no other nation has, or had, such immense libraries devoted to history +and geography. The histories of ancient Greece and Rome are pamphlets +in comparison with the _Url shih san she_ of the Chinese. + +[24] See the first Note to this preface. + +[25] In the original Chinese now follows a sort of Introduction, or +Contents (_Fan le_), which I thought not worth translating. It is +written by the author of the _History of the Pacification of the +Pirates_, who signs by his title _Jang sëen_. + +[26] This prince was declared Emperor on the 8th February 1796, by his +father the Emperor Këen lung, who then retired from the management of +public affairs.--Voyage of the Dutch Embassy to China, in 1794-5; +London edition, I. 223. Këa king died on the 2d of September 1820, +being sixty-one years of age. His second son ascended the Imperial +throne six days after the death of his father; the years of his reign +were first called _Yuen hwuy_, but soon changed to _Taou +kwang_--_Illustrious Reason_. Indo-Chinese Gleaner, vol. iii. 41. + +[27] Annam (Chinese, Annan) comprehends the country of Cochin-China +and Tung king. There have been many disturbances in these countries +within the last fifty years. The English reader may compare the +interesting historical sketch of modern Cochin-China in Barrow's +_Voyage to Cochin-China_, p. 250. + +[28] The origin of this family may be seen in a notice of Cochin-China +and Tung king by father Gaubil, in the "Lettres Edifiantes," and in +the last volume of the French translation of the Kang m[)u]h. Annam +had been conquered by Chinese colonies, and its civilization is +therefore Chinese. This was already stated in Tavernier's masterly +description of Tunking, "Recueil de plusieurs Relations," Paris, 1679, +p. 168. Leyden, not knowing Chinese, has made some strange mistakes in +his famous dissertation regarding the languages and literature of +Indo-Chinese nations. Asiatic Researches, vol. x. 271, London edition, +1811. + +[29] In Chinese _Lung lae_ (7402, 6866 Mor.); this name is taken from +the metropolis of this kingdom, called by the European travellers in +the beginning of the seventeenth century, _Laniam_, _Laniangh_, or +_Lanshang_. Robt. Kerr, General History and Collection of Voyages and +Travels, Edinburgh, 1813, vol. viii. 446, 449.--The Burmas call this +country Layn-sayn; "Buchanan on the Religion and Literature of the +Burmas." Asiatic Researches, vol. ii. 226, London edition, 1810, 4to. +The kingdom of Laos was conquered about the end of the year 1828, by +the Siamese; the king, his two principal wives, his sons, and +grandsons, amounting in all to fourteen persons, were cruelly killed +at Bangkok. The Protestant missionaries, Thomlin and Guzlaff, saw nine +of the relations of the king in a cage at Bangkok, the 30th of +January, 1829. The First Report of the Singapore Christian Union, +Singapore, 1830, Appendix xv. Is _Lang lae_ a mistake for _L[)u]h +lae_, which is mentioned in the _Hae kw[)o] hëen këen_, p. 214? There +occurs no _Lung lae_ in this work; where the Indo-Chinese nations are +described under the title _Nan yan she_; i.e. History of the Southern +ocean. + +[30] People living in the same state of society, have usually the same +customs and manners. It is said of the celebrated _Buccaneers_, that +they laid aside their surnames, and assumed nicknames, or martial +names. Many, however, on their marrying, took care to have their real +surnames inserted in the marriage contract; and this practice gave +occasion to a proverb still current in the French Antilles, _a man is +not to be known till he takes a wife_. See the Voyages and Adventures +of William Dampier, and History of the Buccaneers, p. 87. Women cut +the characters for common Chinese books; and, therefore, the Chinese +say, so many mistakes are found in ordinary publications. The +character _pa_ (8123) in _Tung hae pa_ is by such a mistake always +written _p[)i]h_ (8527). + +[31] He called himself Hëo hëen (3728, 3676,) after having received a +recompense from government for his robberies. See p. 75. + +[32] Our author anticipates here a little; this will be clear by a +subsequent paragraph, p. 13. + +[33] _Shan_ is a mountain in Chinese; _Ling_ is a chain of mountains +or _sierra_. The Chinese geographers say, the Mei ling mountain +branches out like a tree; and they describe in particular two, the +south-east and the south-west branches from Canton. They speak +likewise of Woo Ling, or five sierras, in reference to five different +passes by which these mountains are divided; but there are now more +passes. See a compilation, already quoted, regarding Canton, made by +order of the former governor _Yuen_, and printed at Canton last year, +1830, in eighty books, under the title _Ling nan y ung shuh_: i. e. +_Memoirs regarding the South of the Sierra_, book 5. vol. ii, p. 1. + +[34] The Chinese possess itineraries and directories for the whole +empire, for every province, and for every large town or place; I shall +therefore always extract the notices which are to be found in the +_Itinerary of the Province Kwang tung_ (_Kwang tung tsuen too_,) +referring to the places mentioned in our text. + +_Hwy_ is _Hwy chow foo_, from Pekin 6365 le, and easterly from Canton +400 le; one town of the second, and ten towns of the third rank are +appended to this district-metropolis. The whole district pays 14,321 +leang, or tael. Here is the celebrated _Lo fow_ mountain. Lo fow +consists really of two united mountains, of which one is called _Lo_ +and the other _Fow_, said to be three thousand six hundred _chang_ in +height, or 36,000 feet (?). The circumference is about 500 le. Here +are the sixteen caverns where the dragon dwells, spoken of in the +books of the Tao sect. You meet on these mountains with bamboo from +seventy to eighty feet in circumference. Kwang tung tsuen too, p. 5v. + +_Chaou_ is _Chaou chow foo_, from Pekin 8,540 and easterly from Canton +1,740 le; eleven towns of the third rank belong to it. The whole +district pays 65,593 leang, or tael. A tael is equal to 5.798 decimal, +troy weight; and in the East-India Company's accounts the tael of +silver is reckoned at six shillings and eightpence sterling. _Foo_ is +the Chinese name for the first class of towns; _Chow_ for the second, +_Hëen_ for the third. I sometimes have translated _Chow_ by +district-town, and _Hëen_ by borough, or market-town. + +[35] _Kaou_ is _Kaou chow foo_, from Pekin 7,767, north-west from +Canton 930 le; the district, and five towns of the third class, paying +together 62,566 leang, are dependent on the district-metropolis. + +_Lëen_ is _Lëen chow foo_, from Pekin 9,065, from Canton 1,515 le; the +district and two towns, paying together 1,681 leang, are dependent on +the district-metropolis. + +_Luy_ is _Luy chow foo_, from Pekin 8,210, westerly from Canton 1,380 +le; the district and its towns, paying together 13,706 leang, are +dependent on the district-metropolis. + +_Këung_ is _Këung chow foo_, the capital of the island _Hae nan_ or +Hainan, from Pekin 9,690, south-west from Canton 1,680 le; three +district towns, and ten towns of the third class, paying together +89,447 leang, are dependent on this capital. There is a town also +called _Këung shan hëen_, and both town and capital take their name +from the mountain _Këung_. + +_Kin_ is _Kin chow_, dependent on _Lëen chow foo_, and far from it 140 +le. + +_Tan_ is _Tan chow_, a town of Hainan, south-west from the capital 370 +le; the area of the town is 31 le. + +_Yae_ is _Yae chow_, a town of Hainan, southerly from the capital of +the island 1,114 le. About this town many pirates have their +lurking-place. This circumstance may have caused the mistake of +Captain Krusenstern, stating that in A.D. 1805, the pirates who infest +the coast of China had obtained possession of the whole island of +Hainan. + +_Wan_ is _Wan chow_, a town of Hainan, in a south-easterly direction +from the capital of the island 470 le. + +[36] _Kwang_ is _Kwang tung s[)a]ng_, or the metropolis of the +province Kwang tung (Canton). Ten departments (foo), nine districts +(chow), and seventy-eight towns of the third class (hëen), are +dependent on the provincial city, and pay together in land-tax +1,272,696 leang, excise 47,510 leang, and in other miscellaneous taxes +5,990 leang. The import duties from the sea-side with measurement of +foreign vessels is said in the _Kwang tung tsuen too_, p. 3v, to +amount to 43,750 leang. All duties together of the province of Canton +amount to 1,369,946 taels, about £450,000. The lists of population +gave last October (1830) 23,000,000 (?) for the whole province, and we +now see that the Chinese pay less duties (every inhabitant about +fourpence halfpenny) than the population of any country of Europe. I +received the population lists from _Ahong_, an intelligent Chinese, +well known to the English residents at Canton. Distance from Pekin +about 6,835 le. + +The subject concerning the population of China, and the amount of the +_land-rent_, the _poll-tax_, and other miscellaneous taxes, is +surrounded by so many difficulties, that the writer of this dares not +to affirm any thing about these matters until he has perused the new +edition of _Tay tsing hwy tëen_. For the present he will merely +remark, that in book 141, p. 38, of the said work, the population of +China Proper for the year 1793 is reckoned at 307,467,200. If we add +to this number the population of Chinese Tartary, it will certainly +amount to the round number of 333,000,000, as reported by Lord +Macartney. + +_Chow_ is _chow king foo_, from Pekin about 4,720, north-west from +Canton 360 le. There is certainly some mistake in the Chinese +Itinerary; how could Canton be only 6,835, and Chow king foo 7420 le? +The imperial edition of the Tay tsing hwy tëen (book 122, p. 6 v.) +only gives 5,494 le as the distance from Canton to Pekin; there seems +to be a different sort of le. The district and eleven towns of the +third class, paying together 162,392 leang depend on the district +metropolis. + +With the aid of the Chinese Itineraries and the new edition of the +_Tay tsing hwy tëen_ (printed 1797, in 360 large volumes) it would be +an easy task to compile a "Chinese Gazetteer." + +[37] I found no particulars concerning these two small _islands_ (Chow +signifies island) in the Canton Itinerary; and I looked in vain on the +great map of the Chinese sea-coast in the Hae kw[)o] hëen këen for +their position. + +[38] The town _Sin hwy_ is south-west from Canton 230 le; its area is +138 le (?) and the taxes amount to 28,607 leang. This place suffered +much from the pirates. I find no proper name for the river on which +Sin hwy lies in the Chinese maps, it is merely called _Këang_, river. +Near this place is the island where the last emperor of the Sung cast +himself into the sea (1280). + +[39] The word _pe_ (8335) cannot be translated in any European +language. It means a vice common in Asia. + +[40] The pirates probably made use of the term _saou_ (8833) and not +of _tse_ (10575), because _saou_ written with a different character +(8834), is the general term for boats and ships. _Paou_ must be +considered as the lieutenant or first minister of Mistress _Ching_, +she being herself of the family _Sh[)i]h_. + +[41] It will be very interesting to compare the regulations of Paou +with those of the Buccaneers. When these pirates had got a +considerable booty, each person, holding up his hand, solemnly +protested that he had secreted nothing of what he had taken.--Voyage, +l. c. p. 95. + +[42] The _San po_ (8788, 8608) are national spirits, and, as it seems, +not connected with Buddhism; there is a great variety in the number of +these good old mothers, who by the different emperors have been +declared saints, or spirits, for the Emperor of China is likewise the +pope in his empire. Dr. Morrison has an interesting article on these +old women in his Canton Vocabulary. _Kang he_ mentions only two _Po_ +(s. v.), who may be considered as spirits. This is a character of +which the Buddhists are very fond; perhaps the translator may be +wrong, and that _San po_ is merely the Sanscrit word _Swayam-bhú_. + +[43] Our author shews every where his partiality for Chang paou. + +[44] The author said just before that the dominion of the pirates in +the Chinese sea lasted about ten years; but he only describes the +transactions of the last three years, when their power and strength +was at the highest point. He begins to give particulars from the 7th +moon of the 13th year of Këa king, which corresponds nearly to the +beginning of September 1808. + +[45] There are three wretched forts at the Hoo mun, the mouth of the +Canton river, which could scarcely hinder any European vessel from +passing through. + +[46] One of the islands marked upon European maps is called _The +Ladrones_: these Ladrones, so called from the pirates, have all +particular names on Chinese maps. + +[47] In the first preface of the Hae kw[)o] hëen këen it is +particularly stated, that the map of the sea-coast of China became +first known to its editor by the expeditions against the pirates. + +[48] There are, as is stated in my preface, some vulgar or provincial +characters in this history; here (p. 1.) occurs a character not to be +found in Kanghe, composed out of the fifty-sixth radical and the group +Leaou or Lew (7061, 7203). My whole library being locked up in the +Custom-house, I am not able to consult a dictionary of the Canton +dialect, therefore the meaning of these characters can only be guessed +at by etymology. The etymology of the characters gives sometimes a +better meaning than any dictionary, and sometimes it may entirely +mislead us; there is no reliance on etymology. Usage is the only +master of the Chinese, as of all other languages. + +[49] Hëang shan is a considerable place between Macao and Canton. I +passed this town in the beginning of October 1830. Distance from +Canton 150 le in an eastern direction. + +[50] It was, as we have before stated, the policy of Chang paou to +befriend himself, when possible, with the lower sort of people. + +[51] Here the author himself says _Te ming_ (9955, 7714) "name of a +place." To find out the names of places and persons, and distinguish +the titles of the different officers employed by government, is often +a very difficult task. The last character in the name of this place, +_pae_, is very seldom found; it is the fourth character of the +division of eight strokes, rad. 177.--See Kanghe. O is, in the Canton +dialect, commonly pronounced like A, in Italian. + +[52] These are large vessels with windows, from 200 to 500 tons; they +are called by Europeans by the Chinese name, in the Canton dialect, +junks; _chuen_ is the Mandarin pronunciation. The foreign trade of +Cochin-China and Tung king is almost exclusively with China, that to +Siam, Singapur, and Malacca, being inconsiderable. The Cochin-Chinese +government tried some years ago to open a regular trade with Calcutta; +but this undertaking partly failed on account of the heavy duties on +foreign sugar in the possessions of the East-India Company. Sugar is a +great article of export in Cochin-China and Siam. + +[53] On the large map of the coast of China from Corea to +Cochin-China, called _Yuen_ (12542) _hae tsuen too_, this place is +called _Lao wan shan_, "the old ten thousand mountains," and is +exactly opposite to the Bocca Tigris in a direct southerly direction. + +[54] The sails of Chinese vessels are often called Mats, for they are +really nothing else than matting. + +[55] _Le_: this itinerary measure, as we have remarked, is different +in different parts of the empire; it is generally considered that 250 +le make a degree of latitude. + +[56] This they did probably to look more ferocious. Plutarch observes +of Sylla, that "the ferocity of his aspect was heightened by his +complexion, which was a strong _red_, interspersed with spots of +white." + +[57] _Mun_ means an _entrance_ or _mouth_; few of these places are to +be found, even in the particular maps of the province Kwang tung in +the _Tay tsing hwy teen_. + +[58] _Paou_, the first character of 8233, is in our own history always +used in the signification of _cannon_. The word meant in former times +an engine for throwing stones, and so it is used in the history of the +Han dynasty. This gave rise to the opinion that the Chinese had guns +and gunpowder long before its discovery in Europe. How could these +extraordinary engines have escaped the discriminating genius of Marco +Polo, had they existed in China? + +[59] The three provinces which have Këang (5500) in their name the +same as the two Kwang, Kwang to the east (tung) and Kwang to the west +(se), are usually united under one governor and one deputy governor. + +[60] Previously they robbed only in the open sea, outside the Canton +river. + +[61] The river discharges itself by many channels into the sea. + +[62] _Tung kwan hëen_ is easterly from Canton 150 le, its area amounts +to 180 le, and pays 44,607 leang land-rent, or taxes. There are many +small islands belonging to the district of Tung kwan. + +[63] _Fan yu hëen_, near Canton. The place where European ships anchor +belongs to this Hëen; its area amounts to 140 le, and pays 48,356 +leang. I looked in vain for some notices regarding the many small +villages which are to be found in the sequel of the page. Some of them +are merely mentioned in the Itinerary of the province Canton. The +reader may compare the account of Richard Glasspoole in the Appendix. + +[64] These are names of different sorts of Chinese vessels or junks. + +[65] In the original Kin (6369). Kin cannot be the common cash (Tung +pao) for then the sum would be too trifling--8 to 900 are to be got in +Canton for a Spanish dollar. If Kin were used for dollar, or tael, +which is very probable, the sum is enormous. Richard Glasspoole states +that the pirates demanded indeed ten thousand dollars!--See the +Appendix. + +[66] _Hoo mun_. The following notice on the Chinese tiger is taken +from the geography of Mookden, and translated by Father Amiot. Eloge +de la ville de Moukden par Kien long, p. 249. "Au-delà de nos +frontières (Mookden), il y a une espèce de tigre, dont la peau est un +fort beau blanc, sur lequel il y a, par intervalles, des taches +noires. Ces espèces de tigres sont plus méchants et plus féroces que +les autres." Father Amoit adds, that these tigers are called _Hoo_ by +the Chinese, and _Tasha_ by the Manchow. + +[67] The Chinese geographers and historians are very well acquainted +with Siam; there is an interesting description of this empire in the +Hae kwo hëen këen, p. 21, and in the 57th book, p. 13, of the memoirs +concerning the south of the Mei ling mountains. That Siam acknowledges +the supremacy of China, was known to the most early European +travellers. Cluver says (in his Introductio in omnem Geographiam +Wolfenbuttelæ, 1694, 4to., p. 473), that "Rex Siamensis irruptione +crebriori Tartarica pressus, Chano denique Chinensi sese beneficiarium +aut vasallum submisit." Mendez Pinto, who was in that country in the +year 1540, states that the king of Siam acknowledged the supremacy of +China; Bernhardi Vareni Descriptio regni Japoniæ et Siam; Cantabrigiæ +1673-8, p. 128. + +[68] It is impossible to translate the names of vessels of different +descriptions. The large are the Chang lung, or great dragon vessels +which by the Chinese law are forbidden to be used by any private +person; these are the Mandarin, or government vessels. The pirates +nevertheless had such vessels, as likewise the daring smugglers, who +bring the opium from Lintin, or Linting, to Canton. The amount of the +opium trade in the port of Canton was, in the year 1829-30, equal to +12,057,157 Sp. dollars. + +[69] One of the English sailors, who had been taken prisoner. "The +pirates frequently obliged my men to go on shore and fight with the +muskets, which did great execution; the Chinese principally using bows +and arrows. They have match-locks, but use them very +unskilfully."--See Appendix. + +[70] A shih, or stone, contains four keun: a keun thirty kin or catty, +the well known Chinese weight: a catty is equal to one pound and a +third English. + +[71] _Nan hae hëen._ Its area amounts to 278 le, and it pays 63,731 +leang. The European factories in Canton lie in this district, and the +monastery opposite to the factories is usually from the name of the +district called the _Hae nan sze_, the temple of Hae nan. The district +of every place is called by the name of the place, and we must +therefore speak of the town and district Nan hae. + +[72] This simple note of the Chinese author better illustrates the +religion of China than many learned dissertations. All the deities, +those of Greece and Rome, of China and India, are derived from two +sources; both the powers of nature and highly gifted human beings were +deified. These powers of nature, and the virtues and vices of men +being in every community nearly similar, the same gods and goddesses +are found everywhere; only their external form and shape is different. +Every province, every town, and every village of China has its +particular tutulary saint, or god, and on the day of his festival his +effigy is carried in public. There is no essential difference in this +respect between China and those countries where Roman Catholicism is +yet in its highest vigour. The effigies of the Chinese gods and +goddesses are all of the human shape; they have no monsters like India +and Egypt, under which it was once the fashion to seek for +extraordinary wisdom and astonishing science. Lucian has already taken +the liberty of laughing at these deities, and at the writers, the +prophets, and sophists, who try to find some sense in all this vulgar +display of nonsense, by which the people are deluded. Lucian de +Sacreficiis s. f. where he laughs at the Jupiter with a ram's head, at +the good fellow Mercurius with the countenance of a dog, etc. [Greek: +Krioprosôpon men ton Dia, chynoprosôpon de ton beltison Ermên chai ton +Pana holon tragon], etc. See the pleasant story of Jupiter with the +ram's head in Herodotus, II. 42. + +[73] The strong winds (Tay fung) in the Chinese sea begin about the +middle of September, or just before the equinox. + +[74] It is not stated in the Chinese text, whose father rushed +forward, whether it was the father of the lady, or of Wei tang chow. + +[75] I must again remark that there is a false character in our text: +it should be Në[)e], 7974 in the Tonical Dictionary of Dr. M. + +[76] I am compelled to give a free translation of this verse, and +confess myself not quite certain of the signification of the poetical +figures used by our author. _F[=u]ng_ signifies a hollow pyramid +filled with combustibles; _y[=e]n_ signifies the smoke caused by +combustion; _tse[=a]ng_ signifies the spar or yard in a boat or ship, +to which the sail is attached, and _ying_ is shadow. It seems that the +author alludes to the spar or yard-arm, at which _Mei ying_ was +fastened by the pirate; but what he means by _shadow_ I do not really +know, perhaps _ying_ is in the place of _Mei ying_. + +[77] The Chinese characters are printed like the other portion of the +work. I have divided them according to the verses. Only the first +eight lines have a regular metre of five feet, or words, and as the +author himself says, his song is then at an end; but the language +still remains poetical, and for that reason it was thought proper to +divide also the remaining lines like verses. Every word must be +considered as consisting of one syllable or sound, even if we write it +with three or four vowels. Poetry is perhaps more esteemed in China, +than in any other country in the world. The late governor-general of +Kwang tung and Kwang se, his Excellency Yuen, published the poems of +his daughter, who died when only nineteen years of age. Most of the +emperors of China wrote verses, and I have, if I remember rightly, an +imperial collection printed at the command of Këa king of many +volumes, containing the poetry of the crowned heads of China. The +reader may easily imagine that the Chinese have many works on poetry; +I am also in possession of a Chinese _Gradus ad Parnassum_ in ten +large volumes, in which are to be found, divided under different +heads, all the fine expression and poetical images of the classical +poets. Mr. Davis has given some excellent specimens of Chinese poetry +in his elegant dissertation on that subject. + +[78] Verbally "monkeys and birds," a sort of birds which according to +Dr. Morrison are something similar to our crows. + +[79] In the memoirs concerning the south of the Mei ling mountains, +three books (from 9-11 incl.) are filled up with a description of the +seas, rivers, and lakes, of the province of Canton. Book ninth begins +with a general description of the Chinese seas, and of the different +entrances from the sea-side; then follows a particular description of +the sea near Canton and Hainan, and of the different Tides at various +places. The mariner would certainly be gratified by a translation of +this part of the work. The translator has often remarked the +extraordinary phenomenon of the fiery appearance of the sea, during +his residence in China. In the before-mentioned work, b. ix. p. 5 v, +we read the following notice concerning this phenomenon: + + "_The fire in the sea_: It happens sometimes that sea waves + have such a luminous appearance, as if the whole sea were full + of fire. If you cast any thing into the sea, it becomes + luminous like a star; but you do not see this during moonlight. + Wood having in itself no fire, receives a fiery appearance, + after having been passed through the water." + +In b. x. p. 10 r. Whampo is said to be seventy le from the sea +custom-house of Canton. In this extract foreigners are in general very +unfavourably spoken of. Amongst other things we are told, "that +foreigners or barbarians drink so much strong liquor that they are not +able to stand on their feet; they fall down intoxicated, and before +having had a sound sleep, they cannot rise again." It is also remarked +in the same article that many people assemble together at Whampo, to +attend the trade with the foreigners; the reason probably why our +author calls it "the Great." The reader will remember what has been +said on Hëang shan in a former note; I will only here add the remark +of Martini, "that in his time the principal and most wealthy merchants +lived in that place." (Thévenot, Rélations de divers voyages, iii. +167.) + +[80] It is well known that a great part of the population of China +live on the water, and they are generally called _Tan_ (9832) +people;--a word which in the Canton dialect is pronounced _Tanka_. +They are quite a separate race, and harshly dealt with by the Chinese +government. There exist particular works concerning the history, the +customs and laws of these boat-people. They more than once opposed the +despotic regulation of their masters, and government was always afraid +they might join the pirates. The history of the southern barbarians in +the often quoted _Memoirs_, &c. begins with a description of the _Tan +jin_, or _Tanka_ people, and it is there said that they are divided +into three different classes. The description of their customs and +manners is very interesting, and I hope soon to lay it before the +English reader. It has been supposed that the name _Tanka people_ is +derived from the form of their boats, which is similar to an _egg_; +but _Shw[)o] w[)a]n_, as quoted in Kang he, explains the word only by +_Nan fang e yay_, Barbarians of the southern region. There exist +different forms of this character, but I think we should not presume +to make an etymology of a Chinese character without being authorized +by the Shw[)o] w[)a]n, the oldest and most genuine source of Chinese +lexicography. + +[81] In the Chinese text is _King king_ (the character is composed out +of radical _fire_ and _ear_), on which is to be found an interesting +critical observation in Kang he, s. v. b. viii. p. 119r. In no other +oriental language has there been so much done by the natives for the +foreign student as by the Chinese. + +[82] The most common denomination for Portugal is now Se yang kw[)o], +or more correctly _Siao se yang kw[)o]_. "The small realm in the +western ocean; Europe is called _Ta se yang_." (See Preface.) I thought +it here more proper to translate _E_ by _foreigner_, than by +_barbarian_. In a Chinese history of Macao, we find various +particulars regarding the Portuguese. The description of the +Portuguese clergy and the Roman Catholic religion is the most +interesting part of this curious publication. It consists of two +parts, or volumes. + +[83] It would be interesting to read the Portuguese version of these +skirmishes. A history of these skirmishes was printed at Lisbon, but I +could not procure this publication. The reader may compare the +statements of Richard Glasspoole in the Appendix. + +[84] The Chinese are very much accustomed to consult the P[)u]h, or +sort. There exists various ways, according to the ideas of the +Chinese, of asking the divinity whether any undertaking shall prove +either fortunate or not. The translator has seen different modes of +casting lots in the temples of the suburbs of Canton. The reader may +find an interesting description of casting lots in the "Histoire du +grand Royaume de la Chine;" à Rouen 1614-8, p. 30. There is much +useful information to be found in this work; but it would be curious +to learn in what Armenian works ("escritures des Armeniens") it is +stated, that "St. Thomas came through China in his voyage to the +East-Indies" (l. c. p. 25)! + +[85] _Woo_ (11753) _how_; _Woo_ is the time between eleven and one +o'clock of the day. The Chinese divide the day into twelve _she shin_, +or great hours; the European twenty-four hours of the day are called +_seaou she shin_, little hours. We learn by a passage of Herodotus +(Euterpe 109), that the Greeks in his time also divided the day into +twelve parts; Herodotus also adds that the Greeks received this +division of time from the Babylonians.--See Visdelou in the Supplement +to the "Bibliothèque Orientale," by Herbelot, under the word _Fenek_. + +[86] _Me teng_ is a particular sort of junk. + +[87] These speeches seem to be rhetorical exercises of the Chinese +historian; the antithesis is a figure very much used in Chinese +rhetoric and poetry, and a great part of their poetry consists merely +of such antitheses. + +[88] That is--they are of no effect at all. I, however, thought it +proper to retain the strong figure of the original. + +[89] The author forgets in his rhetorical flourishes, that it is a +pirate himself who speaks to pirates. The Chinese characters for "sea +monster" are to be found in M 2057; "_King e_ is used figuratively for +a devouring conqueror of men," says Dr. Morrison. + +[90] The author has here the expression _tung-leang_ (11399) _pillar_, +in its proper and figurative sense. He probably chose this expression +to make, according to Chinese sentiments, a fine rhetorical phrase. +_Leang_ in the beginning of the phrase corresponds to the sound and +the form of the character to _Leang_ at the end: Leang shan san kë[)e] +ching y[)i]h, mung g[)a]n shay url king ts[)o] tung-leang. There is +also something like a quibble in the second phrase; Wa kang, _Bricks +and mountain ridge_ is transformed into Choo sh[)i]h (1223) or a +_corner-stone_, just as Leang-shan, _mountain bridge_ is into +tung-leang, or _pillar_. + +[91] O po tae alludes to well known events in Chinese history. On +Tsaou tsaou see Dr. Morrison, 10549 in the tonical part of the +Dictionary. + +[92] I confess that it was not an easy matter to translate these +rhetorical exercises and poetical phrases, by which the author is +evidently anxious to draw a veil over the weakness of the empire. The +Chinese scholar will certainly pardon any mistake which might occur in +this poetical or furious prose--to use the expression of Blair in his +_Lectures on Rhetoric_. + +[93] _Kwei shen_ is a Hëen or town of the third rank, and dependent on +the district metropolis Hwy chow foo; it is near to Hwy. Its area +amounts to thirty-seven le, and pays in taxes 26,058 leang. It is +stated in the _Itinerary of Canton_ (Kwang tung tsuen too, p. 5. v.) +that the situation of this great town makes it a place of danger; +being close to the sea, Kwei shen is exposed to sudden attacks from +pirates. + +[94] _Yang keang_ is a town of the third rank, and dependent on its +district metropolis Chow king foo; distant from Chow king foo in a +southerly direction 340 le. Its area amounts to twenty-nine le, and it +pays 12,499 leang in taxes. + +_Sin gan_ is a town of the third rank, and dependent upon Kwang chow +foo; distance from Canton in a north-east direction 200 le. Its area +amounts to fifty le, and pays in taxes 11,623 leang. There are three +towns in the district of Canton, whose names begin with _Sin_, new; +_Sin hwy_, _The New Association_; _Sin ning_, _The New Repose_; and +_Sin gan_, _The New Rest_. Kwang tung tsuen too p. 3 v. 4 v et r. 8 r, +_Ning_ (8026) is now always written without sin or heart, being the +_ming_ or proper name of the reigning emperor. By a mistake it is +stated in the Indo-Chinese Gleaner (iii. 108.), that _Ning_ was the +proper name of Këa king. The proper name of the reigning emperor is +considered sacred, and must be spelled differently during his +life-time. + +[95] A Pa tsung, a kind of inferior military officer, says Dr. +Morrison, under the word pa, (8103.) + +[96] _Laou ya_, _Laou ya kang_, the mountain ridge of Laou ya, is +fifteen le from the town of the third rank called _Sh[)i]h ching_. +Shih ching hëen belongs to the district Kaou chow foo. Kwang tung +tsuen too, 16v. 9r. + +[97] Crackers made of gunpowder, and the gong, are used at every +Chinese festival. + +[98] The name of a temple which Europeans commonly call a Pagoda. + +[99] Keun in Chinese, Kwa according to the Canton pronunciation. It is +true it is somewhat awkward to speak of Madam Ching and Mr. Paou, but +it may be remarked that the Chinese use their familiar expressions +_foo_ or _keun_ in the same manner as we use Mr. and Mrs. + +[100] In the text is only Chow (1355); but I think it must here be +taken for the city or town of Canton. + +[101] About the towns which are mentioned in our text, the reader may +compare the notes to the first book. It is quite impossible to +ascertain by the text alone if there was only one military officer +appointed for all these places or not. In the latter case it would be +necessary to read Chuh url and Kang g[)i]h; but we see by p. 95 that +Chuh url kang g[)i]h is the name of _one_ commander. + +[102] Tung king and Cochin-China now form one empire, under the name +of Annam or Annan. The king of this country acknowledges the supremacy +of the Chinese emperor, and sends every year a tribute to Pekin. The +time of the reign of every king is known by an honorary title, like +that of the emperors of China. The honorary title of the period of the +reigning king, to whom the message was sent, was _Kea lung_ (good +fortune), the younger brother of _King ching_, called by his proper +name _F[)u]h ying_ (according to the Chinese Mandarin pronunciation): +he is often mentioned in the beginning of the first book of our +_History of the Pirates_. The king, commonly called Kea lung, died +Feb. 1820, in the 19th year of his reign. His son, who still reigns, +mounted the throne on the third day after his father's death, assuming +the words _Ming ming_ (Illustrious fortune), as the designation of his +reign. See the "Indo-Chinese Gleaner," vol. i. p. 360. It was falsely +reported that Ming ming was murdered some days after his succession to +the throne (Indo-Chinese Gleaner, l. c. p. 416), and this report is +stated as a fact in the generally very accurate work, Hamilton's +East-India Gazetteer, vol. i. p. 430. The reader may find some +interesting particulars concerning the present state of Cochin-China, +in the Canton Register 1829, No. 13. Chinese influence seems to be now +predominating in that country. + +[103] _Teaou_ (10044) in our text is written with a vulgar character. + +[104] Chih (Kang he under radical 112. B. vii. p. 19 r.) seems to +indicate that they have been put to death by cutting one member after +another. + +[105] Hae k[)a]ng is a town of the third rank and dependent on the +district metropolis Luy chow foo. Luy chow foo is westerly from Canton +1380 le. Hae kang is near to its district metropolis _Kwang tung tsuen +too_, p. v. 9 v. See the Notes, p. 9, of this work. + +[106] _Hae fung_ is a town of the third rank, and dependent on the +district metropolis Hwy chow foo. It is in a north-east direction from +its district metropolis 300 le. Its area contains forty le, and pays +17,266 leang in taxes. + +_Suy ke_ is a town of the third rank, and dependent upon the district +metropolis Luy chow foo; distance from Luy chow foo in a northerly +direction 180 le. + +_H[)o] poo_ is a town of the third rank, and dependant on the district +metropolis Lëen chow foo. This town is near to the district +metropolis, has an area of thirty le, and pays 7,458 leang in taxes. +_Kwang tung tsuen too_, p. 6 r. p. 9 v. + +[107] _Junk_ is the Canton pronunciation of _chuen_, ship. + +[108] The pirates had many other intimate acquaintances on shore, like +Doctor _Chow_ of Macao. + +[109] The pirates were always afraid of this. We find the following +statement concerning the Chinese pirates, taken from the records in +the East-India House, and printed in Appendix C. to the _Report +relative to the trade with the East-Indies and China_, in the sessions +1820 and 1821 (reprinted 1829), p 387. + + "In the year 1808, 1809, and 1810, the Canton river was so + infested with pirates, who were also in such force, that the + Chinese government made an attempt to subdue them, but failed. + The pirates totally destroyed the Chinese force; ravaged the + river in every direction; threatened to attack the city of + Canton, and destroyed many towns and villages on the banks of + the river; and killed or carried off, to serve as Ladrones, + several thousands of inhabitants. + + "These events created an alarm extremely prejudicial to the + commerce of Canton, and compelled the Company's supercargoes to + fit out a small country ship to cruize for a short time against + the pirates." + +[110] That the whole family must suffer for the crime of one +individual, seems to be the most cruel and foolish law of the whole +Chinese criminal code. + +[111] The Hoo mun, or Bocca Tigris. + +[112] We know by the "History of the Chinese Pirates," that these +"wasps of the ocean," to speak with _Yuen tsze yung lun_, were +originally divided into six squadrons. + +[113] In the barbarous Chinese-English spoken at Canton, all things +are indiscriminately called _chop_. You hear of a chop-house, +chop-boat, tea-chop, Chaou-chaou-chop, etc. To give a bill or +agreement on making a bargain is in Chinese called _ch[)a] tan_; +ch[)a] in the pronunciation of Canton is _chop_, which is then applied +to any writing whatever. See Dr. Morrison's English and Chinese +Dictionary under the word _chop_. + +[114] The following is the _Character of the Chinese of Canton, as +given in ancient Chinese books_: "People of Canton are silly, light, +weak in body, and weak in mind, without any ability to fight on land." +The Indo-Chinese Gleaner, No. 19. + +[115] _Joss_ is a Chinese corruption of the Portuguese _Dios_, _God_. +The Joss, or idol, of which Mr. Glasspoole speaks in the _San po +shin_, which is spoken of in the work of Yuen tsze. + +[116] Yuen tsze reported the memorable deed of the beautiful _Mei +ying_ at the end of the first book of his history. + +[117] The _Chang lung_ vessels. + +[118] Probably the wife of Ching y[)i]h, whose family name was +Sh[)i]h, or stone. + +[119] The Chinese in Canton only eat a particular sort of rat, which +is very large and of a whitish colour. + +........ + +Transcriber's note: + +Inconsistent hyphenation and spelling is as in the original. + +In this etext a 'breve' is represented with [)i] and the same for + + + + + + +End of the Project Gutenberg EBook of History of the Pirates Who Infested +the China Sea From 1807 to 1810, by Various + +*** END OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK 44261 *** |