Embassy to the Eastern Courts of Cochin-China, Siam, and Muscat: In the U. S. Sloop-of-war Peacock, David Geisinger, Commander, During the Years 1832-3-4Roberts, Edmund
History
Embassy to the Eastern Courts of Cochin-China, Siam, and Muscat: In the U. S. Sloop-of-war Peacock, David Geisinger, Commander, During the Years 1832-3-4
Roberts, Edmund
Southeast Asia -- Commerce; Southeast Asia -- Description and travel
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.
[Sidenote: WHAMPOA ISLAND.]
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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