THE
'FAN KWAE' AT CANTON
THE
'FAN KWAE' AT CANTON
BEFORE TREATY DAYS
1825-1844
BY
AN OLD RESIDENT
KEGAN PAUL, TRENCH, & CO., 1 PATERNOSTER SQUARE
1882
PREFACE.
During the days of Old Canton, the Middle Kingdomdeigned to suffer the presence of a small numberof 'foreign barbarians' on the banks of the Choo, orPearl River. Their residences consisted of Factoriesbuilt expressly for them, and originally destined one foreach nationality. They were contiguous, except whereseparated by three streets of narrow dimensions whichled from the suburbs of the city to the river which ranin front of them.
No other port than that of Canton was open, norhad there been one since 1745, and no foreigner waspermitted on any pretext to enter the country or eventhe city outside of which he lived. The actual relationsof the Chinese Government with Western nationsconsequent upon the treaties have caused such anentire change from the old mode of transacting business,as well as in the life then led by the few foreignresidents at Canton, that a narration of the peculiarconditions of both (as they were) is now, as a Chineseofficial would say, placed 'on record.'
Paris: March 31, 1882.
OLD CANTON.
Even the departure of a vessel from New York forCanton in 1824 was a rare occurrence. Neither had ityet become fashionable to place the accent on the lastsyllable in the name of that distant port. It would haveappeared pedantic. Years after, only, did it become ton!As the ship cast off, the neighbouring wharves werecrowded with lookers-on, national and private flags wererun up to the mastheads of sea-going craft lying near.
Cheers were heard as she glided into the river, andthe ship 'Citizen,' Captain E. L. Keen, passed SandyHook in the evening of October 9 of the above year,bound to the Central Flowery Land. Friends andrelations who had accompanied us thus far now tookleave, and returned to the city in the pilot boat, steamtugs not having yet come into existence.
The 'Citizen,' of 498 tons was one of seven ships[1]owned by Mr. Thomas H. Smith, of New York,who had been for many years engaged in the Chinatrade. She had already made two voyages to Canton,and before leaving on her present one, had been newlycoppered and 'thoroughly' overhauled, the betterto withstand the westerly gales she was likely to encounter[2]on her return passage off the Cape of Good Hopein the winter season. The crew consisted of thirty-twomen and boys, with two officers. One of the latter, thesecond officer, as well as Captain