Nov. 22, 1858.] FROM SHANGHAI TO THE GULF OF PECHELI. 57 



first burst upon tlie Chinese quietude of its existence as the pioneers 

 of a new order of things ; and I am sure not the most sanguine 

 among us could have anticipated that such a magnificent European 

 colony would have been created in so short a space of time — that 

 where no foreign keel had ever before floated, an import and 

 export trade in European bottoms, amounting to the value of 

 (26,774,018?.) twenty-six millions seven hundred and seventy-four 

 thousand odd pounds ! would now exist,* and that at the same time 

 the native trade and native craft would show no apparent diminu- 

 tion. Yet it is so. Where a low, unhealthy marsh existed, dotted 

 with squalid Chinese abodes, a fine quay, or bund, is now seen ; 

 such a quay as would put you, who live on the banks of Father 

 Thames, to the blush! — handsome houses, gardens, yachts, mail 

 steamers, and steam-tugs — a thousand indications, in short, of the 

 wealth and prosperity of the commercial community. 



The naval officer, contemplating such a scene of prosperity and 

 wealth, replete with high promise to all the world, suddenly created 

 on the footprints left by his profession, may, at any rate, without 

 egotism, say that its labours have not been in vain ; and as I turned 

 my back upon Shanghai towards the fresh unbroken ground north of 

 the Yang-ze, the hope naturally arose that our labours might be 

 equally prolific in benefits to Great Britain and China. 



The weather, whilst we had been in Shanghai, was beautiful ; 

 the north-east monsoon had lost its keen edge, while the sun was not 

 yet too hot to wear blue clothing, or to admit of brisk exercise ; spurts 

 of wind from south and south-east had occurred for the last month, 

 and taking advantage of it, two divisions of the Chinese grain junks 

 had already started for Pekin : the first division, with some eight 

 thousand tons of rice, &c., had arrived at the capital ; the second 

 division started about the time we arrived in the river, and when 

 the Chinese officials at Shanghai learned the possibility of hos- 

 tilities, the greatest anxiety was expressed lest we should occasion 

 a famine in the North and in Pekin by intercepting these supplies. 

 The rebellion in the valley of the Yang-ze-kiang, the occupation 

 of Ching-kiang-fu on the Great Canal, and the unruly Hoang-Ho, or 

 Yellow Eiver, having left its bed and taken some other course, had 

 all combined to force the old canal traffic between Northern and 

 Southern China into a coasting trade ; and it said a good deal for 

 the energy and nautical enterprise of the Chinese that they had thus 



* The Custom House returns for 1857, published at Shanghai by the head of 

 the Anglo-Chinese Customs, Mr. H. N. Lay, show for 1857, 16,239,696^. 

 general trade; opium, 5,243,288/.; treasure, 4,846,260/.; copper coin, 444,774/. 

 Total, 26,774,018/. 1!1 



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