We had spent a fortnight most pleasantly at Manila, when the painful intelligence was received, that the Asiatic or spasmodic cholera had suddenly made its appearance on board the Peacock. It has been already stated that the diarrhoea and dysentery were prevalent among the crew, on the passage from Angier to Manila. These diseases were ascribed, among other causes, to the want of bread and the substitution of yams, &c. The cholera could not have arisen from any want of cleanliness, for our ship, from her keelson to her royal truck, was kept thoroughly clean and in the finest order, both at sea and in port. The united causes which produced this malady were, probably, change of food, the great quantities of fruit used by the crew, and the arrival of the season of the year, (about the change of the monsoons in the bay,) which is generally unhealthy. The first case was in a sailor, named Peterson, sixty-three years old. He had made a hearty meal on bean soup, with pork, and about an hour afterward the first symptoms made their appearance; the evacuations became copious, coldness and insensibility supervened; the pulse became scarcely perceptible; the countenance livid, ghastly, and sunken; spasms attacked the lower extremities; and the surface was covered with a cold, clammy sweat. The surgeon administered six grains of opium, in three doses; bad symptoms increasing, fifteen drops of cajeput oil were given in brandy and water, and repeated in half an hour. After the last dose of opium there were no evacuations, but the spasms had increased, extended to the abdominal muscles, and caused such extreme distress, that it required three or four men to hold the sufferer in his hammock; his groanings and screamings were violent and frightful. In three or four hours the spasms ceased. Notwithstanding the internal and external use of the most powerful stimulants, the prostration increased, and, at four o’clock in the morning, he was happily relieved from all the pains and troubles of this life. Another case, was that of a seaman, named North; he was found at eight o’clock in the evening, lying on deck, totally unable to rise, from extreme prostration. Death had, apparently, struck an instantaneous and a heavy blow; the victim was already clutched in its most loathsome and terrific embraces; the evacuations were of the usual character; in a few minutes, the pulse was scarce perceptible; the surface, cold and covered with a viscid perspiration; the countenance, dreadfully sunken, livid, and cadaverous; respiration became laborious, and the sufferer was tortured with severe spasms, in all his limbs and the abdominal muscles, which caused indescribable distress. Notwithstanding every known remedy was applied, the spasms became more general and severe; the respiration more difficult; the distress more insupportable; the prostration increased until insensibility supervened, and death finally closed the terrific scene, eleven hours after the attack. I have selected but two, out of many cases, which will serve to show the terrific and appalling effects produced by one of the greatest scourges that ever visited the world.

Finding the disease fast spreading, and fearful that it might sweep off a large portion of the crew, orders were given to get the ship ready for sea, when sufficient provisions could be obtained, and to seek a more salubrious air and the chances of health, in the China sea. To be compelled to leave a comparatively healthy and pleasant abode on shore, for a floating hospital, tainted with a highly infectious atmosphere, was painful and dangerous, but such was our lot; for thirty sick-hammocks were slung on the starboard side of the gun-deck, when we weighed anchor, and a panic was visible in the countenances of nearly the whole crew. We finally, lost seven men, but many of those who were attacked and recovered, suffered from impaired constitutions, became the victims to other diseases, and eventually died.

We got under way towards sunset, on the second of November, and having passed close under the stern of his Britannic majesty’s ship Alligator, to take leave of Captain Lambert, her amiable and worthy commander, together with our friends, Messrs. Strachan, Sturges, and Edwards, of Manila, who were assembled on her quarter-deck for that purpose, the British flag being run up at our main; during this exchange of friendly salutations, we filled away with a fine breeze, and in about three hours, passed the island of Correjidor, and stood out to sea. For the two following days the wind was very light; on the third, we made cape Bolina.

Returning health was very visible among the crew in this short space of time: no new case of cholera occurred after we inhaled the invigorating and healthy ocean air. On the fifth day our barbarian eyes were blessed with a sight of the celestial empire, consisting of several islands. Seventy or eighty miles from land, we fell in with a great number of fishing junks, of clumsy construction, having the appearance of the antediluvian vessels exhibited in the old bibles, with mat or bamboo sails; they were always observed in pairs, having whole families of the “celestials” in them, dressed in the ordinary garb of common, dirty fishermen; generally without any covering to the head—but little to the back, and that in a most filthy condition. When within two leagues of the Lemma or Ladrone islands, a junk lowered her sails close to us, and in about five minutes, two of the “heavenly creatures” came on board, in a small skiff, offering themselves as pilots, being as guiltless of any knowledge of our language as we were of theirs; they were dressed in tan-coloured jackets and immense wide breeches, or rather petticoat trousers, reaching just below the knee, and wearing a greasy woollen cap—shirts have never been in fashion with them. They were very uncleanly in their persons, stout built, and healthy. Having stepped on board, the first words they uttered, were, “Capetany me peloto—you wanty peloto?” “Yes,” said the captain. “How muchy, how muchy, capetany, you gib?” taking at the same time, from the waistband of his trousers, twenty Chinese cash, and counting them in his hand, he said, “Dollar, dollar, so muchy, so muchy.” The captain counted out one half the number, which was the usual pilotage to Macao roads. The “celestial” then added three to the number, making thirteen, and the bargain was made, he not forgetting to ask, as is usual, for a bottle of samshew, (rum,) which he snugly stowed away in his bosom. Scarcely had he taken half a dozen strides up and down the deck, and pointed to steer more to port, before he asked for chow, chow, meaning something to eat, which, to his astonished eyes, was furnished forthwith, in a lordly dish, on a chest on the quarter-deck. He pointed occasionally to starboard or larboard, through the labyrinths of islands. In the course of four or five hours we anchored under the mountainous island of Lautavee, during the night. The pilot, having received his money next morning, with a countenance indicative of extreme happiness, and ascertained carefully, that every dollar was good, took his leave, having been almost useless. I went over to Macao the next morning, passing through a fleet of sampans, (small boats,) navigated by damsels, that one might almost deem amphibious, in which dwell whole families, in a most miserable condition. I landed close to the quay, leading to the Beach Hotel, kept by Markwick, an Englishman, fronting on Pria Grande, a public walk, without trees, facing the outer harbour and islands. The ship finally anchored at Linting, (Ling-ting,) which is eighteen miles from Macao, and twenty-five from the Bogue, or mouth of the river. This island was scarcely inhabited till 1814, when, in consequence of a dispute between the British and Chinese, the company’s ships remained here for some time. Population increasing, supplies of vegetables and beef became plentiful, and induced American and other ships to make it a place of rendezvous; but the importation of opium being prohibited, both at Canton and Macao, at this time, the vessels engaged in importing that article, repaired to this anchorage, when they found every facility through Chinese boats, to smuggle or to purchase it. This was the origin of the opium go-downs, as they are technically called, or receiving ships, for this and other articles for the Canton market. There are now, in 1832, from seven to eight ships engaged in this illegal traffic. Among this number there is one American vessel, the Linting, and occasionally there are two. In the commencement of the northeast monsoon, in October, ships repair to this place, where they usually lie to the end of April; when the southwest monsoon commencing, they remove to the north end of the island, where they stay six weeks, and then remove to Cap-sin-moon, (Cap-shuy-moon,) a more secure, but less convenient anchorage.[†] There are now six villages in Linting; in 1814, there were not more than sixty persons on the island; in 1821, not quite two thousand, and now, the estimate is upward of five thousand.

We found here, at anchor, about thirty sail of fine English and American ships. The next afternoon we landed on Linting, with a small party, at a miserable filthy village. From the hills, on the back part of the village, we obtained an extensive view of the bay, the extended surface of which was dotted with thousands of boats. The islands around are miserably barren, worn into deep furrows, along their broken, hilly sides; and, excepting a few terraces, formed along their base, on which upland rice and a few vegetables are grown, have altogether a desolate appearance. When we entered the village, (containing about twenty or thirty huts,) every man, woman, and child, turned out to see the barbarian ladies and gentlemen. A more ragged, filthy assemblage was, perhaps, never before seen. We hurried through, obliging them not to press too closely upon us, fearful some of their old acquaintance, apparently the rightful inheritors of their persons, might, contrary to our wishes, transfer themselves to us. The next evening, Captain Geisinger and myself went to Whampoa. Nothing worthy of notice took place on our passage, excepting that sacrifice was made at every Jos House we passed, by burning sacred paper at the bows of the boat, so that we might be favoured with a fair wind. The same ceremony was performed with the boats passing down, so that the god, or jos, was completely puzzled; and therefore it was occasionally calm. The wind, to show the impartiality of its director, would, at times, blow down the Taho, or Tigris, against us, then die away, and give us a partially fair wind.

As soon as the captain of the boat found it was coming aft, he placed some oranges before a hideous painted god, in the little altar, which all boats, ships, and shops, possess, lighted it up well, put some odoriferous matches in a vessel of sand, and set them on fire. “Now,” said he, “we sail hab fair win. Spose me tak care for Jos, Jos tak care for me.” I really thought the bargain a fair one; and both parties held honestly to their agreement, for we had a fair wind the remainder of the passage; but Jos, having a bad appetite, we “turned to” and eat up his supper, very much to the discomfiture of the captain.

It being Sunday, we attended a Bethel-meeting on board the ship Superior; the service being performed by the Rev. Mr. Stevens, who had just arrived from New Haven. We found, lying in Whampoa-reach, a great number of English and American vessels, extending from two to three miles. Whampoa, where the ships anchor, is between Dane and French islands, and part of the island of Whampoa. Foreigners are allowed to visit Danes’ island, but they are not allowed to visit the city of Whampoa, the suburbs being filled with vile wretches, who endeavour, upon every occasion, to create a quarrel, by using insulting language and throwing stones; and when they outnumber the foreigners, a hundred to one, they beat them with long bamboos, to the great risk of their lives. The land on Whampoa island, is generally very low, and banked, to keep out the tide. It is well cultivated with rice, cane, savo-root, and other vegetables. Several pagodas are in sight from the anchorage, and one that has been built “time out of mind,” is near the town of Whampoa, nine stories high.

At noon, we left the shipping for Canton, and in three hours arrived at the factories, situated near the river, in the suburbs of the city of Canton. The river was thickly covered with boats going in all directions, from the humble sampan to the gay and splendid mandarin boats, having streamers flying, gongs beating, and manned with a great number of oars. Numberless boats were fishing, with every sort of apparatus; others conveying the harvest of rice home, sculled by two long oars, each manned by six stout fellows, the perspiration running down their almost naked bodies in streams.

Every foot of land is cultivated or covered with buildings; boats, without number, are moored along its banks the whole distance; but within three or four miles of the factories, the crowd of vessels was prodigious. Large men-of-war junks, of a most unwieldly and primitive construction; flower-boats, kept for infamous purposes; pleasure-boats; marriage-boats; and boats which carry bands of comedians, were lying in all directions. Many of them have beautiful lattice-work sides, painted green, and gilt with good taste. All the vessels on the river have one distinguishing mark, an immense large eye on each side of the bow. “How can you see,” say the Chinese, “spose hab no eye?” Small ferry-boats, the residence of whole families, are constantly plying between the city, or rather the suburbs, and Houani; also, boats laden with tea and silk goods, from the interior or going to Whampoa; market, victualling, and pedlars’ boats; boats of a peculiar construction, laden with oil in bulk; others filled with coarse China ware, bamboo hats, and baskets; umbrellas, and beautiful lanterns, covered with various devices; and every thing that can be named, from silks and teas to fat pups, fish-maws, and trussed rats.

The factories, or hongs, for foreign merchants, are pleasantly situated, fronting the only open space of ground within the suburbs. They are generally built in a neat style, but with slight pretensions to architecture.

The city of Canton is built on a plain, encircled by a high wall, at the foot of barren hills. I looked into the city through three of the gates; the streets present a corresponding appearance to those in the suburbs, being extremely narrow, and paved with hewn granite; the tops of the houses nearly united, so that bamboo poles are laid across from roof to roof, on which awnings are spread to protect the inhabitants from the intense heat of the sun. The common houses are extremely filthy; there is no circulation of air through them. Notwithstanding the extreme narrowness of the streets, (only two persons can conveniently pass,) fish-mongers and butchers, victuallers, and venders of Jos paper and Jos sticks, &c., are permitted to encumber them; so that when a lady, or lordly mandarin passes, in a sedan-chair, or a cooly, with his burden, the cry of ly, ly, (make room, make room,) is constantly ringing in your ears, to the great annoyance of the passengers in the extremely thronged alleys. Oblong signs, of a vermilion colour, with large golden letters, line both sides of the streets, so as to hide the lower parts of the buildings: they make, notwithstanding, a very gay appearance. The basement story of every house, seems to have in it a shop filled with merchandise; and every third house, I believe, has some eatables for sale: bird’s-nests, fish-maws, shark-fins, dried oysters, muscles, deer-sinews, fish of all kinds, pork, beef, &c.

All kinds of strange compounds are cooked in the streets and are frequently made of vile materials, such as are never sold in any other country. Vast numbers of shops are filled with gilt paper—paper men, women, and beasts, of all sorts, with or without horns, and of frightful shapes; some with moveable goggle eyes, and moveable heads, painted of all colours, with mouths extending from ear to ear, intended for offerings to a temple or Jos-house. A small oven is built at every shop-door, in which to burn incense to their penates or household gods, and in every shop, house, boat, and junk, altars are erected, surrounded by a frightful paper Jos, ornamented with painted and gilt paper, and having odoriferous matches burning before it.

In company with an American missionary, the highly respectable and Reverend Mr. Bridgham, who has made great proficiency in the Chinese language, and is extending his researches in various ways, more especially in teaching a number of Chinese youths, &c., I paid a visit to the great idol temple of Honam, opposite the city, on the south side of the river, which is here about fifty rods wide.[†] This great temple and monastery contain one hundred and seventy-four priests. The general character given of these, by the Chinese, is, that they are great debauchees, gamblers, and common mendicants; like the criminals, their heads are close shaven, they not being suffered to wear the long braided queue; and they are held in no manner of respect by the people. The temple is said to be immensely wealthy. These priests are of the sect of Firk, or Budha, and the temple, or rather succession of temples, would, including the gardens, in which they raise large quantities of vegetable and other fruits, cover an area of twelve acres. Their diet is composed of fruits and vegetables. Meat and fowls being expressly forbidden them.

Entering under a gateway, guarded by strong wooden bars, we passed over a paved flagging, to what is called, “Hill Gate.” It retains this name, because the Budha priests affect to separate themselves from the rest of mankind, and to live among hills and mountains—hence, although a monastery be on a level plain, as it is here, the first gate leading thereto, is always called “Hill Gate.” From “Hill Gate,” we proceeded to the “Sea screen,” and from thence to the “Angler’s eminence;” the origin of the latter name, I could not ascertain. We proceeded onward to a building, having a roof similar to that seen on China ware, and which was placed transversely across the passage. The first objects which saluted our eyes, were two immense statues, in a standing position, occupying each side of the passage; they are called, “Huay Ha,” warriors; are not less than fifteen feet high, and present a most threatening aspect, having eyes nearly the size of a hat-crown, with a mouth of immense width, showing a long protruding fiery tongue; these frightful objects were painted in gaudy colours and gilt; before them were placed in white copper vessels—odoriferous matches in sand. They are thus placed, as guards to the temple of Budha. After passing a court-yard, similar to the first, I entered the pavilion or palace of the great celestial kings, containing four colossal statues, in a sitting posture, upward of twenty feet high, and gilt most fantastically, but having placid countenances. The roof is supported by thirty-two highly lacquered pillars. On the right and left, in two small pavilions, are two military demi-gods, guarding, as I suppose, the wings of the “great temple.” The principal hall or pavilion, which I now entered, is called “The great, powerful, precious palace,” and the “Golden coloured region;” fronting the entrance is the “Precious Budhas,” “The past,” “present,” and “to come,” being three large gilt images of Budha, called, in Chinese, Sam, Pow, and Fat. They are moderate in size, compared with the monsters in the rear of them. The artist aimed at giving them a benign aspect, and if immensely swollen cheeks, sleepy eyes, and a drunkard’s countenance, form the true expression of the milder virtues, it may here be seen to perfection. On each side of the hall, eighteen disciples of Budha, are arranged; they are kept well dressed, by the gilder and painter, and appear to be very attentive to certain tablets placed before them, covered with inscriptions.

Religious ceremonies are performed daily by the priests, before these divinities, dressed, generally, in long scarlet cloaks, with hoods, (similar in shape to those worn by the Roman Catholic priests when saying mass,) praying and kneeling occasionally, doing reverence with both hands, closed together flat, raised to the head, or lowered to the breast and waist; and sometimes prostrating themselves to perform the ko-tow or knock-head ceremony, by striking their foreheads on the ground. During the time, incense is burning before the altar, in the shape of economical matches, highly odoriferous, being as slender as a knitting-needle, and are placed in white copper vessels. The roof of this great temple is supported by forty-two red lacquered pillars, having on them gilt inscriptions. The ceiling and rafters are so painted as to give an agreeable effect. The hall is about a hundred feet square. Another temple, to which we proceeded, stands in the rear of the great hall; here is a single image of Amida Budha, in the Chinese language, called, “Omb-to-Fat.” In the rear of the hall is a white marble obelisk, having various idols carved upon it; in the room, immediately behind this, is the palace of the goddess “Koon-Yan,” who is much adored; she is considered Budha; for, as in Bengal, Budha is of either sex, according to the statues or images. This hall or palace has in it the same number of pillars as that possessed by the great temple—forty-two. There are four buildings erected on the right wing of these temples, and five on the left, but all detached. First, and on the right, is the place of a military demi-god; the second building, is a place for keeping alive domestic animals, pigs, fowls, ducks, and geese, agreeably to the leading doctrine of the sect, that no animal should be deprived of life; the devout send these animals to the temple, when they make or pay vows, or return thanks, for favours received. It is evident that the pious depositor of the hogs could not have been a descendant of the ancient tribes of Israel, or he would not have shown so much affection, as to put them out to board within the precincts of the holy temple, and keep a number of “celestials” in constant pay to attend to them. The third building contains the bookroom and printing-office. In the fourth, in an upper room, are more idols. The first, on the left, is a pavilion, containing a military demi-god; the second is a reception-room for visiters; the third contains the idol of “Te-song-Wang,” the king of Hades; the fourth holds the great bell; and the fifth is the chief priests’ apartments. In these, Lord Amherst and his suite were lodged, 1816 and 1817, on his return from an unsuccessful embassy to the court of Peking. Three other buildings close up the rear of the buildings, on the left wing, the book-house, treasury, and refectory; the latter was dark and dirty, and sent forth a compound of unpleasant smells. The kitchen, the utensils of which, experience has taught them the inutility of cleaning, from their after liability to dirt, resembled, in condition, the refectory, which latter contained only long wooden tables and benches. In the rear of the last temple, is the kitchen-garden, and a small pavilion, erected to the memory of a deer, attached to its master. On the left is a mausoleum, in which the ashes of burnt priests are deposited once a year; near to which is a little shabby house, where the ashes are kept in jars, till the time of the opening of the mausoleum. Farther on, in the garden, is the place in which the bodies of the priests are burned, in a small temple. Some priests, who possess a little property, direct their remains shall be buried and not burnt. The cloisters in the building, on the right and left of the temple, are small and gloomy; the walls are any thing but white, having a table, with a small altar, and a gayly-painted, ugly divinity on it; a wooden stool completed the furniture.

In one room a great number of tailors were at work, not for the poor and naked, but for these idle vagabonds. Passing through a small room, we were invited by a member of the holy priesthood, to take tea, which was served up to us in the Chinese style, being made in the same cup from which we drank it, and taken without sugar or milk. Eight or ten sweetmeats formed the repast, the holy brotherhood standing around us during the time, “thick as autumnal leaves in Vallambrosa,” curious, doubtless, to know if mortals and barbarians ate in the same way as the “celestials.”

There are not less than one hundred and twenty-four large and small temples in Canton; and in the province, thirteen hundred and twenty-seven. Public altars are here, in great number, dedicated to the gods of the land and of grain, of the wind and clouds, of thunder and rain, of hills, rivers, &c. At these, as in all the temples, sacrifices and offerings, consisting of various animals, fish, fowls, fruits, sweetmeats, cakes, and wines, are frequently presented, both by government officers and by private citizens. Numerous attendants are placed at the altars, within these temples of sacrifice, whose lives are devoted to the service of the idols. On the birthday of the gods, and at other times, processions are fitted out at the various temples; the images are borne in state through the principal streets in the city, attended by bands of musicians, priests, lads on horseback, girls riding in open sedans, old men and boys, bearing lanterns, incense, pots, flags, and other insignia; by lictors, with rattans, and soldiers, with wooden swords. In addition to these processions, the different streets and trades have their religious festivals, which they celebrate with illuminations, bonfires, songs, and theatrical exhibitions. Much extravagance is displayed on these occasions, each company and street striving to excel all its neighbours. The private and domestic altars, shrines crowded with household gods and daily offerings, of gilt paper, candles, incense, &c.; together with numberless ceremonies, occasioned by nuptials, or the burial of the dead, complete the long catalogue of the religious rites and institutions, which are supported by the people of Canton. The whole number of priests and nuns, (there are said to be a thousand of the latter,) is, probably, not less than three thousand, and the annual expense of the one hundred and twenty-four temples, may be put down, on a moderate estimate, at two hundred thousand dollars. An equal sum is required to support the annual monthly and semi-monthly festivals and daily rites, which are observed by the people, in honour of their gods.