News from Whampoa (September, 1848)

Source: The Friend. Honolulu. September, 1848. Page 67.

China.—A correspondent under date of 14th May, thus writes us from Whampoa:— "Everything is at present quiet in China, still no one knows when or how soon there may be an outbreak. The feeling among foreign residents is, that they are living in the crater of a volcano. The Chinese are decidedly hostile to all 'barbarians,' and they show their hostility in many ways very annoying. During the past week the English Consul issued a circular, authorizing English merchants, to pay no more duties for the present to the Chinese, on the ground, that they had violated the treaty.— The consul has made certain demands which I think will be complied with. I am informed that the course taken by the consul has the sanction of the Governor."

Cruise of the Constellation (February, 1845)

Source: The Friend. Honolulu: February, 1845. Page 22.

The following synopsis of this cruise we copy from the Baltimore American: 

"The U. S. ship Constellation, Commodore Kearney, sailed from Boston December 9th, 1840, and visited Rio de Janeiro, Cape of Good Hope, Johanna, Qiullah Battno, Penang and Singapore; and leaving Singapore February 5th, 1842, beat up the China Sea, touched at Ceicer de Mer, and arrived at Macao March 22d, 1842. 

During the time the Constellation remained on the China station, the following ports were visited, viz:—Macao, Hong Kong, Whampoa, Manilla and Amoy. 

The Constellation was the first American ship of war that entered the inner waters, having passed both bars of the Canton river, and anchored at Whampoa. Leaving China May 22d, 1843, the ship reached the Sandwich Islands July 7th, and, after visiting the islands of Oahu and Hawaii, sailed for Monterey August 28th. The ship anchored in Monterey Bay September 15th, and sailed for Valparaiso September 29th, which port the reached November 29th, 1843.

After remaining twenty-five days in port she sailed for Callao, and arrived there January 9th, 1844. She left Cullao on the 20th of January, and, after a pleasant passage of 52 days, unaccompanied by any incident of serious nature, anchored in Rio de Janeiro on the 12th of March, completing a cruise of three years from the date of her departure thence, on her cruise of circumnavigation. 

The Constellation arrived at Norfolk in 41 duys from Rio, having been absent from the United States three years, four months and twenty-two days. During her cruise, she logged, in 491 days at sea, 158,000 miles. Commander S. F. Dupont took passage in the ship at Rio de Janeiro."

Hong Kong, Wine and Beer (February, 1845)

Source: The Friend. Honolulu: February 1, 1845. Page 22. 

Writes a correspondent from Hong Kong, November 20, 1841. "This part of the world is a great beer and wine drinking part, and those who cannot get wine and beer, take samshoo and brandy. Hundreds go home on account of ill health, caused for the most part by their wine-bibbing, and even if they do not go, are exposed to fevers and agues, and other ailments. Much of the frightful mortality among the troops and population of Hong Kong last year was caused, or aided by the convivial habits of the sufferers."

China (February, 1845)

Source: The Friend. Honolulu: February, 1845. Page 21-22. 

The Natches, which arrived hereon Saturday, has completed a voyage round the globe in nine months and eighteen days, having left this on the 14th January last. She proceeded by the Cape of Good Hope to New York, in 95 days, where she discharged, took in a new cargo and sailed 20th May, returning by Cape Horn to Valparaiso in 71 days, the shortest paasage ever made. The run from Lima was accomplished in 65 1-2 days. Her previous voyage by the same route occupied nine months and twenty two days, or four days longer.— Hong Kong Register. 

The wife of the Rev. J, L. Shuck, Baptist Missionary at Hong Kong, died about the first of Dec. Capt. Engle, master of the American bark Valparaiso, died in China about November 10. He will be remembered at the Islands as having commanded the American ship Hopewell, Philadelphia. 

Mr. S. W. Williams, printer and agent of the American B. C. F. Missions in China, sailed for the United States November26th, but expects to return.

The French Commissioner to China, has concluded a treaty, similar, as report says to that between the U. S. and China.

Currency in China (July, 1857)

Source: Pacific Commercial Advertiser. Honolulu: July 23, 1857.

European and American merchants have ever experienced much difficulty in obtaining the current coin with which teas, silks, &c., may be paid for in China. With the exception of bars silver, or lumps, called “shoes of Sycee,” the Chinese use no current silver coin in their commerce between themselves. They buy and sell by the TAEL, a measure of value equal to about $1.75-100 of our money, and of weight about one ounce and a third. They are so suspicious of all foreign coin, that in their trade with foreigners they will receive no other than the Carolus Dollars, and it is believed that at this time nearly the entire issue of that coin by the Spanish mint is in China.

Efforts have been repeatedly made to induce the Chinese Government to establish a mint of their own, but in vain: for it is alleged on their part, that the government suffer from peculation, and the people from a debasement of the precious metal.

The mandarins have often issued their edicts at all dollars (silver) should be received in trade, but the Chinese merchants have paid no attention to it, and have uniformly refused to part with their produce for any other than those of the Carolus pillar and stamp. Even those with the head and signet of Ferdinand, are not accounted receivable at par.

The consequence is, that the Carolus dollar has become the standard of foreign currency in China, and exchange on Europe and the United States is always regulated by that standard.

These inconveniences have so much embarrassed foreign trade that the English Government of the Hong Kong merchants have ascertained the idea of establishing a mint for striking dollars in all respects in weight and fineness to the Carolus- and the foreign merchants of all nations there have joined in memorials to that end. But it does not appear that this course of procedure would overcome or obviate existing difficulties, for the prejudices of the Chinese against all foreign coin, with the exception of the Carolus dollar, would not be removed. 

Generally silver, whether in the form of coin or in “shoes,” or lumps, is paid and received by weight. The chopped dollar -or Spanish dollar which is so cut up by the marks of Chinese traders that it cannot be told in the reign it was cast- is more valuable than the Mexico: and the fair and unmarked Carolus dollar more valuable than either; although each may be of the same weight.

It requires 108 taels weight of Mexican dollars to buy a 100 taels weight of Sycee, or pure silver; 101 taels weight of chopped dollars to buy 109 taels of Sycee; and only 74 taels of Carolus dollars to buy the same weight of Sycee.

If there is all this difference in the fineness of those several coins, we believe the Chinese have been the first to discover it. We incline to the opinon that the difference is to a great extent imaginary; and that it is attributable not so much to a difference in the actual values, as to the unconquerable prejudices of that remarkable people. 

This condition of the currency in China accounts for the enormous rate of exchange at Shanghae. Nearly two dollars in the formed drafts on England or the United States are required to propose one unbroken or unmarked dollar of the Carolus camp at that place. The necessity of a common currency there is very great, but we shall be slow to believe that it can be afforded by an English mint at Hong Kong, certainly not until the Chinaman's exclusive love of the Carolus dollar can be updated. 

-N.Y. Journal of Commerce.

*Lumps of silver cast in the form of the thick soled shoes usually worn by the Chinese women. 

Notes of the Week: From China (Cholera Epidemic in Shanghai, 1863)

Source: The Pacific Commercial Advertiser. Honolulu: October 15, 1863. 

The ship Asa Eldridge arrived from Shanghae last Saturday, with the passage of about 43 days. By her we learn that the Cholea was prevailing very extensively at that port, and that there had been over 30,000 deaths from the plague in the city and its vicinity. So rapid was the disease that within twelve hours, and frequently within four hours, after it attacked persons, they were corpses. Of course no physicians or medicines could have provided for such an emergency, and the plague had its own way. It was found impossible to take care of the dead in the whole city and vicinity were one vast sepulchre. Dead bodies were daily seen floating down the river past the city, the same river from which the inhabitants obtained their drinking water. What will our Honolulu people think of this when talking of the unhealthiness of our city? So hot was it in Shanghae that foreigners could not venture out in the sun after 9 o’clock A.M., and business of almost every kind was suspended. Many of the merchants and foreign residents were leaving the city either temporarily or permanently, and we heard a gentleman say that ten thousand dollars a year would not tempt him to return and live there. This account may be too highly colored, and when the cool season returns, the plague will doubtless disappear and Shanghae regain its usual state of healthiness and trade. Over two hundred foreign vessels were in port when the A.E. left. 

Rebel Steamers in Chinese Waters (1864)

Source: The Pacific Commercial Advertiser. Honolulu: March 19, 1864. 

The Tribune says: Our London correspondence contains some precise information on a point of importance, which has as yet attracted little or no attention. The news in a nutshell is this: at this moment there is a fleet of six rebel war steamers in Chinese waters. These vessels were fitted out in England by Sherod Osborne, an English naval captain. The crews were recruited among the officers and men of her Britannic Majesty's Navy. They were under contract to the Chinese Government, but when they reached China a disagreement arose between Osborne and the Chinese authorities, and the vessels were not delivered but thrown on the market and sold at auction- Osborne, officers, crew, guns and all -to Jeff Davis. It is intimated, not unnaturally, that Osborne had some slight expectation of reaching this result when he left England. Funds for the purpose are said to have been provided in part by the sale of the rebel ram in the Clyde. There are now but few American ships in East Indian waters, and it is thought that these, being thus thrown in company with rebel pirates, may be destroyed previous to an attack being made on San Francisco. In order to show their respect for British neutrality, the British crews take an oath of naturalization as citizens of the Confederacy when the flag changes. If, therefore, San Francisco should happen to be burned and plundered, John Bull washes his hands of all responsibility.