CHAPTER XI.
Mr. W—— having been ordered by the Chinese Government to remove to Swatow, a seaport one hundred and eighty miles north of Hong Kong, our “chop”-life drew rapidly to a close, and one morning early in the month of June, 1862, we found ourselves en route for our new home, and once more on board the American steamer Spark, bound for Macao.
A few weeks previous to this time some Chinese pirates had taken passage at Hong Kong on board a small English steamer bound for Macao, and while on their way thither, in attempting to take the vessel, had killed one of the officers, besides injuring some of the passengers. In consequence of this, we found the large crowd of Chinese passengers on board the steamer properly secured below. There was also a small force of well-armed Malays, who not only guarded that part of the boat, but were also stationed at other exposed points, giving to the little vessel quite a warlike appearance. Each officer had one of Colt’s revolvers in his belt, and the foreign passengers were also armed; so that, although sailing under our own flag, we felt that we were not altogether among friends. The number of European passengers was, however, larger than usual, and in case of any difficulty, they would of themselves have constituted a very efficient force. In view of all this, and being at the same time aware that the Chinese pirates seldom attack foreigners unless they are greatly off their guard, we went on board with no real solicitude in reference to our safety.
We had sailed on quietly for several hours, and had made the Kumsing-moon Passage,—which, together with the neighboring islands, was formerly fearfully infested with pirates,—when, in consequence of an accident happening to our machinery, we were compelled to lie to and anchor for several hours. Soon after the vessel had stopped, Mr. Perry,—our Consul at Canton, and Mr. G——, both of whom were passengers,—discovered that the boat was on fire. At about the same time, and before the extent of the fire could be ascertained, a number of Chinese boats were seen to be bearing down upon us. We then began to fear that our engineers and firemen,—who were Chinamen,—might be in collusion with these boatmen, and that they possibly intended to take and plunder the vessel, in which case they would also capture the foreign passengers, and (as is their custom) keep us in durance until they received an exorbitant ransom. After the fire was subdued, it was two or three hours before we could get up steam sufficient to proceed on our voyage; but as soon as there was any likelihood of our doing so the native boats disappeared. This accident occurred just as it was announced to the passengers that tiffin was ready; and to Mr. Perry—who refused to go below to partake of it, until he could learn the nature and extent of the difficulty—we were providentially indebted for our safety. If there was any compact between the Chinese employées and the boatmen, it was thought that some signal must have been given the latter, indicating that there were too many armed foreigners and Malays on board to admit of their meeting with any success. In fine, whatever may have been the true state of the case, we learned, after reaching Macao, that we had strangely escaped the danger of steam as well as fire; it being then discovered that the boilers of our vessel had been so much burned as to be ruined, and that we had been mercifully preserved not only from apparent but from real perils.
Macao is exceedingly attractive in winter; but in June and the early part of July, when its gardens and lovely environs are brilliant with flowering trees, shrubs, and plants, it is one of the most charming places in the world. Few settlements in the East have as great a variety of shrubs and trees, for many of which the colony is indebted to the East India Company, who adorned their gardens and grounds with the finest that could be procured in India, and the various islands of the East. The beautiful nym—called the Pride of India—is here seen growing in the Government Park; and the gardens of the foreign residents are beautified with a variety of flowering trees, among which are the Bauhinia, Poinciania and Lagerstrœmias. The delicate, crape-like flowers of the latter are almost unequalled, and, as an ornamental tree, it has few compeers. Among the flowering plants, several species of hibiscus, the magnolia, plumoria, oleander, and jasmine flourish in great profusion; while of creeping plants, the Quisqualis Regina—which was in bloom—exceeded in elegance all the flowering vines we had seen in the East. The lotus, also, with its delicately tinted flowers, and the regal blossoms of the night-blooming cereus,—Cereus grandiflora,—both flowering in July, delighted us with their resplendent beauty.
The deliciously soft atmosphere of the bright evenings in early summer, at Macao, is unrivalled; and every one goes forth to enjoy “the quiet and the beauty of the scene.” The native Portuguese ladies—who rarely venture out in winter—then saunter in little groups along the beautiful Praya Grande, or, seated on the green (the Alameda) which adjoins it, may be observed quietly listening to the music of the military band. The whole circuit of the settlement is only eight miles, and yet there is a great variety of interesting points in the scenery,—the suburbs affording many charming walks besides that of the Praya. Among these, the finest and most desirable for enjoying the refreshing summer breezes, is the winding road which passes over the high ridge of cliffs that face the sea. This road—which skirts, in a part of its course, the finely curved shore of Cacilha Bay—is called the Estrada de Cacilhas. The pandanus, or screw-pine, grows in wild luxuriance at various points along its border, and the gullies that seam the steep hills around which it winds afford a variety of beautiful ferns. There are, also, at the more elevated points of this road fine sea views, where the air is always delightfully invigorating. The Estrada is therefore the favorite promenade of invalids, and foreigners generally, who, if they manage to exist through the exhausting heat of the tropical summer, may here be seen at evening in large numbers walking, or being borne around the cliffs in their sedan-chairs. The precipitous and rocky formation near the shore of this part of the peninsula, together with the old fortifications crowning the elevations which rise abruptly beyond, give the settlement, when approached from the sea, a formidable and ancient appearance.
In Macao—as in all communities under Roman Catholic rule—the festivals of that Church are celebrated with much display, and, being under the patronage of the Government, are very generally observed by the people. One of these festivals is known as Corpus Christi Day, on which occasion we witnessed the elevation of the host,—the procession being composed of the bishop, the high officials of the colony, with several orders of priests in their different habits, proved a most imposing pageant. The consecrated wafer was carried by the bishop,—assisted by some of the high dignitaries of the Church,—over whom a satin canopy was upheld by the first civilians of the colony. The procession, with its chanting priests, having issued from the Cathedral, marched through the streets amid the firing of salutes from the guns of the Guia fortress; the military, who were drawn up near where it was to pass, falling on their knees while their canopied bishop moved by, and the band, also,—although continuing to play,—assuming the same posture of adoration.
Hundreds of poor Chinamen were gathered to witness this august spectacle, most of whom were doubtless unable to perceive any difference between prostrating one’s-self before the host, or before their ancestral tablets and the gods of Buddha. It was a sad sight, and the more so, as these Romish priests and their people are looked upon by the Chinese as representatives of Christianity. Such displays, however, are well calculated not only to attract and gain the hearts of the Portuguese and the mixed races of the colony, but also those of many of the Chinese.
A small company, composed of the soldiers garrisoning the forts, constitute a military dancing troupe, who, at the festival of St. John, hold a sort of carnival which lasts through several evenings, and is thought by the Portuguese to add greatly to the festivities of the occasion. As this festival occurs in the month of June, we had an opportunity of witnessing some of these evening entertainments.
The whole troupe maintain, under all circumstances, a strict silence, and are called the “Mummers.” Accompanied by a ludicrously dressed harlequin, who directs the dancers and their changes by blowing a whistle, it is customary for them first to visit the governor and other high officials of the colony, where, upon the verandas, or in front of their residences, they perform beautiful fancy dances, which frequently terminate in fine tableaux. At every place a sum of money is given them, which is appropriated to a charity established expressly for the benefit of their regiment. The dancers are arrayed in fancy costumes, and preceded by musicians, who are also accompanied by men clad in antique armor. When marching through the streets by torch-light, they present quite an imposing as well as picturesque appearance, and their dances seem to have a fascinating influence which attracts all classes. To make a dancing troupe, however, an accessory to a Church festival, is, to one unused to any but a purely Protestant atmosphere, strangely out of place.
A handsome fête, or soirée musicale, commemorative of our national anniversary, was given at our consulate in Macao, on the evening of July Fourth, 1862. This proved to be the event of the season, and being detained until after it took place, we were happily among the invited guests. Mr. Nye’s spacious mansion is situated in the heart of the city, two or three rods back from the street,—its grounds forming a little park in the rear, and the whole enclosed by a wall which in front is twelve or fifteen feet in height. With the exception of the gateway, the entire face of this part of the wall and the columns ornamenting it were covered with the foliage and flowers of the quisqualis. On approaching the grounds, the evening of the fête, the first thing that attracted our attention was the display of hundreds of brilliant lights forming eight stars, which were arranged with charming effect against the dark green foliage on the walls, and illuminated the street, where a large crowd of Chinese, as well as Portuguese, had already been attracted to admire the scene. The Portuguese military band were playing our national airs as our sedan-chairs passed into the compound. From this a stately entrance led into a hall, and ascending a handsome staircase which conducted to the family apartments, we found ourselves in a small ante-room, furnished with a well-filled black-wood bookcase, an arrangement for hats and coats, and a few classical engravings. Here the band was stationed, and from this we entered another saloon situated in the middle of the mansion, which was furnished in fine taste, and contained some European and Chinese articles of vertu and art. Passing through this saloon,—upon the left side of which was the ladies dressing-room, and on the right the supper-room,—we entered the chief drawing-room, on either side of which, and leading out of it, a handsome room was also thrown open, making a suite of three, extending the entire length of the house. The concert was to be given in the centre room, where a grand action-piano had been placed for the occasion; but the arrangement of this apartment being purely classical, it only contained a few pieces of rare furniture, and some ornamental works of art. Its walls, however, were decorated with fine old paintings and engravings; and the rooms leading out of it—although simple and tasteful in arrangement—were furnished with large centre-tables of elegant workmanship, upon which were placed immense bouquets composed of superb tropical flowers. These were arranged by the Baroness Circal,—the wife of the Brazilian Consul,—who presented them to Mr. Nye, as an offering to his national festival. They were in porcelain vases of beautiful design, and were standing on mats made of Berlin wools done in our national colors.
Arched doorways and windows led from this suite of apartments into a spacious veranda about eighty feet in length by fifteen in width, and built the whole extent of the mansion. It was covered with a high arched roof, and enclosed with glass windows which were shaded with Venetian blinds. In the evening, however, both the windows and the blinds were removed, leaving only the high arches and pillars between. From this veranda a door led to an open terrace, which looked down upon a lawn beautified with flowering trees and shrubs, and leading to a little park containing a few deer. To the right was a flower garden, and to the left a large tank, in which were luxuriant lotus plants in full bloom. The terrace, which was simply covered with mats, was enclosed with a brick parapet three feet in height, the top of which was gay with pots of flowering plants. The arched windows and doorways leading from the veranda into the drawing-rooms were ornamented with wreaths of dark myrtle tastefully interspersed with delicate flowers, among which the quisqualis was prominent,—its lovely pendant fascicles contrasting with the rich shining green of the myrtle with distinguished effect. The dark and richly polished timbers running across the veranda, just under the curve of the roof, as well as the arched windows opening upon the terrace, were also decorated with garlands, and an elegant basket of exquisite flowers was suspended from the centre of each arch. At one end of the veranda the American flag was so draped as to form a background of stars for a large portrait of General Washington, which adorned the centre of the arch, and was the most conspicuous object at the fête. At the other end the “Stars and Stripes” together with the flags of Portugal, England and Brazil, were tastefully draped together, while the national colors of Portugal and Spain were prettily arranged just above the centre arches which led out upon the terrace. These, as well as various other national flags used in adorning the veranda, were embellished with chaplets of myrtle and flowers. Nothing could exceed the elegance of these decorations, nor the fine taste displayed in all the arrangements of the brilliantly lighted apartments. Twenty-six stars, which were also disposed among the trees about the grounds so as to have their dark foliage for a background, made, with those that illuminated the front wall, thirty-four, and showed conclusively the loyal sentiments of our Consul.
The Governor of the colony was absent at Peking, but all the other officials, and the Portuguese army officers, together with the foreign Consuls, were present, in full court-dress. The Baron Circal—who takes his title from the little town of Circal, in Portugal—was also present in full regalia, with a diamond star of the first magnitude making a brilliant display upon his left shoulder.
The Portuguese ladies, although elaborately arrayed and showing a decided taste for gay and striking colors as well as for ornaments, were in what a Portuguese writer, in describing the festival, called “simple toilettes.” The stateliness of both the men and women bordered frequently upon stiffness, and although some of the former were able to converse a little in English, the ladies knew nothing of the language. In fact, one rarely meets in Macao with a Portuguese lady who speaks English. Among the gentlemen there was a superabundance of goldlace and bright buttons, and, as at all entertainments given by foreigners in the East, they greatly outnumbered the ladies. The concert, which lasted until twelve o’clock, was performed by French and Italian artists from Hong Kong, and the music, consisting chiefly of selections from popular operas, was delightful. At the close of this musical entertainment, being requested to step out upon the terrace, we found the twenty-six stars—which were arranged among the trees, and during the evening had only been partially illuminated—beaming in full refulgence. Before we had more than cast a glance at this resplendent scene we were surprised at hearing distant martial music, and soon the military dancing troupe, accompanied by torch-bearers, was seen marching under the shadow of the trees that bordered the walk on the other side of the grounds. On reaching the lawn near the terrace, the musicians struck up a contra-dance, which being performed by that picturesque company amid the brilliant light of so many burning stars, and in a spot so charming, was quite enchanting. This agreeable surprise added more to the entertainment because it was so unexpected, and was a source of great enjoyment. As the troupe left the grounds, and while the band in the small saloon were playing our national airs, we were handed to the supper-room. The table was brilliant with flowers, whose superb arrangement, in connection with the display of fruits seen peeping out from beneath buds and blossoms, evinced much delicacy of taste and gratified one’s relish for the beautiful, while the elegant supper, refreshing the inner man, prepared the gayer portion of the company for the amusement that was to follow.
Directly after supper the veranda was cleared for dancing, and the spacious apartment being occupied throughout its entire extent, the coup d’œil of the long vista was very beautiful. Indeed the tasteful decorations of the room, together with the showy toilettes of the ladies, and the bright buttons and epaulettes of the gentlemen, produced a scene of rare splendor, and the few Americans present entered into the spirit of the festival with grateful alacrity. The fact that our country was in affliction only made us the more anxious to be known as loyal citizens of the Federal Government; therefore the toilettes of our countrywomen were slightly embellished with our national colors, while the gentlemen wore badges combining the same hues. After supper, some small photographs, taken from the portrait of Washington, which hung in the veranda, were distributed among the ladies, and gave much satisfaction. A French naval officer among the guests having also received one of these little pictures, remarked to me, with evident satisfaction,—“I, too, have one picture of Mr. Washington!”
In a description of this entertainment, which was written in Portuguese by the Secretary of the Colonial Government and appeared in the Government paper, there occurs the following passage in regard to this happy idea of our Consul:—
“Not willing to omit the smallest point of etiquette,—notwithstanding the picture of the great Washington was seen resting on the ensign of the United States, to preside over the feast, which was proceeding with great spirit,—still Mr. Nye offered a photograph of the hero to each of the ladies.”
Being gathered to celebrate the natal day of our nation at a time when a melancholy war was raging at home, the conversation naturally turned upon its condition and prospects, and the probable result of the rebellion. We have a pleasant and grateful remembrance of our intercourse with the English friends whose acquaintance we made in the East, and no one can more admire the social life of a well-bred and cultivated English family than we do. No people are more delightful, and no hospitality can be more charming; yet, with few exceptions, the English people met with abroad know so little of the true spirit, character and condition of the United States, and consequently have such vague, and not unfrequently monstrous ideas of our institutions and government, that when one discovers the reason for their erroneous opinions, it is vastly more amusing than annoying to hear them express their views in regard to our final destiny. It is therefore the better way, when brought into contact with this class of our cousins, to be quietly reticent; leaving them to learn, as they finally must, that being of their own stock, and not having any taint of the convict element which we fear flows in the veins of some of the Southern rebels, (whose States were originally penal colonies,) we not only can contend stoutly for a principle, but will also fight for it as patiently, persistently, and bravely, as they do.