About the 1st of February we experienced a very heavy gale. We were obliged to take our boats in on deck, heave-to, and secure things generally. The steward, not having taken this precaution in regard to his crockery, etc., found it suddenly coming through the pantry door as the ship gave a sudden lurch. The floor was finely strewed with broken dishes, tea, coffee, molasses, and sundry other articles, gloriously mixed in one heterogeneous mass.
On Sunday, February 6th, we sighted Gad’s Rock; also the southern point of the island of Formosa. The next morning the northern Bashee Islands were in sight, bearing W.N.W. Found our reckoning to be latitude 21° 27´ N., longitude 121° 31´ E.
Chinese Fishermen.—Pedro Blanca.—Preparing for Port.—Chinese Pilots.—Beating up the Passage.—Hong Kong.—“Hail Columbia.”—The “Susquehanna.”—Stars and Stripes.—Chinese Merchants.—Washerwomen.— Bumboats.—Dick Simpson and John Chinaman.—Chinese mode of Trading.—Sanpan.—A floating Community.—Boston Jack.—Victoria, its Situation, Streets, etc.—Chinese Barbers.—Fortune-tellers.— Policemen.—Chinese New-year.—A busy Time.—Firing a Salute.—Arrival of Governor BONHAM.—English Barracks.—Churches.—Hotels.—Dog or Horse?—Visit from Men-of-war’s-men.—Tom and the Lieutenant.— Commodore Perry.—Midshipmen.—Visit to the Barracks.—Theatre.— Fort.—Make some Purchases.—Counterfeit Money.—Tricks of the Chinese Merchants.—Females.—Gambling.—Cut-throats.—Short-tailed Gentlemen.—Chinese Funeral.—Marriages.—Education.—Ouang Ouci Yuen.—Infanticide.—Twenty-second of February.—Chinese Artists.— Their Powers of Imitation.—Sam Shu.—Domestic Life of the Chinese.— Food.—Temple, or Joss House.—Worship of Idols.—Joss Sticks.—Tom as a Yankee Naval Officer.—Chinese Men-of-war.—Pirates.—Chinese Theatre.—Masonic Temple.—The Bethel.—Chinaman and his Shoes.—The Arrest, Trial, and Acquittal.—Departure for Sea.
Wednesday, February 9th, brought us in close proximity to the land of the Celestials, as the numerous fishing-junks bore testimony. The same day we sighted Pedro Blanca, which is an island lying near Hong Kong. At 10 A.M. commenced bending the cables, and making other preparations for coming to an anchor. As we neared the land we saw great numbers of pilot-boats steering for us, one of which soon reached us; the pilot came on board, with his long tail, or queu, hanging behind him, and presenting a comical contrast to an old Yankee “Hard-a-lee.” He wanted the moderate sum of forty dollars for taking us into port. Captain Ewer was not so easily gulled as that, and soon gave the old fellow to understand that if he wished to pilot us in for twenty dollars he could do so, and if not he could leave immediately. This brought him to his senses, and he very quickly accepted the offer, as numerous other pilot-boats were in sight, and he knew that he would be underbid if they had an opportunity to do so.