LONDON: PRINTED BY SPOTTISWOODE AND CO., NEW-STREET SQUARE AND PARLIAMENT STREET
[1] Viz., 'The Huntress,' 'Beaver,' 'Europa,' 'America,' 'Maria,' and 'Mary Lord.'
[3] A poetical term for small-footed women.
[4] One of the most famous Chinese dynasties, 2nd and 3rd centuries A.D., from which the name 'children of Han.'
[5] _Bogue_ is a corruption of the Portuguese word _bocca_ (mouth). When the Portuguese first approached it, about 1525, the strong resemblance of the red sandstone eminence to the left of the narrow mouth of the Pearl River to a tiger's mouth, caused the exclamation, still perpetuated in its name, 'Bocca Tigre!' The Chinese name for it is 'the Lion's Gate.'
[9] Any Mandarin or official station was locally known as 'Chop-house.'
[10] The Chinese name for Sweden is Suy-Kwo.
[11] An assistant-magistrate. Up to 1848 Macao was under the joint government of the Portuguese and Chinese.
[12] At this time the ships' Compradores were engaged at Macao, and not at Whampoa.
[15] 'Man-ta-le'--Pigeon-English for 'Mandarin'
[18] The best quality of birds' nests was brought from Java. This 'whimsical luxury' was worth 4,000 Spanish dollars per picul of 133-1/3 pounds.
[27] One of our partners whom we had sent to London. Lord Byron once wrote of him to Murray as full of 'Entusymusy;' so we called him 'Tusymusy.'
[28] Their Chinese names were Tan and Tung, but these words not being readily distinctive to the foreign ear, they both became Tom, while 'Old' and 'Young' were added to suit their respective ages.
[30] The chief of a foreign house was known as 'Tai-pan.' The word signifies 'head manager.' The assistants or clerks were called 'pursers.' This word was undoubtedly taken from the office of 'purser,' whom the Chinese had only known as transacting business for the commanders of the East India Company's ships. The latter enjoyed the privilege of forty tons of space (English measurement) in each vessel homeward, which involved the presence at Canton of the 'pursers' to act for them in selling their outward and buying their homeward investments. The 'pursers' frequently hired a portion of a Factory (when to be had), and resided in it more or less while their ships were at Whampoa.