LIEUTENANT FORBES'S CHINA AND LABUAN.
Ale. FORBES was employed in China and Borneo from 1842 to 1847, sometimes in movement, sometimes stationary : when duty permitted,
he occupied himself in collecting coins, making excursions, and study- ing the Chinese and their institutions both from life and books. The re- sults of his observations he has thrown together in the volume before us; which, though somewhat deficient in the art of narration, and rather sailor-like in the treatment of topics and the management of style, con- veys, so far as it goes, as lively and good an impression of the Chinese as any publication that we know of.
Although Mr. Forbes appears to have been much about the coasts and seas of China, and explored the country, especially in the neighbour- hood of the great commercial emporium of Shanghae, he only gives an incidental narrative of travel or adventure when necessary to support his generalizations. This necessity, however, continually arises ; for he ar- ranges his subject under distinct heads,—such as Shanghae, Chinese Agri- culture, the Military, the Naval Service, and so forth ; and enforces his general descriptions by particular instances. Thus, his chapter on Diet is illustrated by the account of a crack dinner he enjoyed with some friends at a first-rate restaurant's in Shanghae, under the auspices of a native gentleman officially connected with the Consulate : his observa- tions on the military service are supported by anecdotes drawn from the war. It must not be understood that Five Years in China is a complete account of the country, the people, and their institutions ; it is only a series of sketches relating to them. Neither does it contain much if anything absolutely new to those who are read in the best works that have appeared on the subject : but its information is very fresh and lifelike, in despite of many faults of composition. The book also ex- hibits the Chinese during the operation and after the conclusion of a crisis that must have been a heavy blow to their national vanity and self-opinion. In some sense the defects of the author add to the value of the book. That which in reference to Europe would be obvious and commonplace is interesting as applied to China; and the everyday life of the people, as shown in the streets, the shops, and other places of public resort, is of more interest than an elaborate and learned account ; espe- cially if the everyday pictures be done graphically, as is the case with those of Lieutenant Forbes, even when literal.
The opinion of our observer is very favourable to the Chinese, when
you get at them ; for he properly observes, that to judge of the people by the rabble of Canton, or any other frequented sea-port, would be like pronouncing a decision on the English nation from the habitués of Wap- ping. His facts do not, however, extend beyond good-nature, civility, and hospitality, while, as regards the honesty of the shopkeepers, they are rather against the Celestials; but that roguery is perhaps in " the way of business." The antiquity and the extent of their civilization are notorious, as well as the duration of their empire; but these facts have never been so mach impressed upon us as by the Five Years in China, although neither the matter of the book nor the mind of the author is much in this vein. Without going to the extent of the French Encyclopaedists as to the antiquity, wisdom, good government, and so forth, of the Chinese empire, we cannot deny that Europe is indebted to China for many of the most important arts and inventions; upon some of which we have not improved to this day; and in irrigation, if not in any other, we are far behind them. Ages of peace in China have not only prevented improve- ments in their own old weapons and system of war, but have deteriorated them. The very contrary has happened in Europe ; where the stimulus of continual wars and the great advance in mechanical inventions have changed the weapons themselves, and almost the principles of the military art. Hence, in the late war the Chinese system was encountered in its decay, by a new and more powerful system in its vigour. It is possible, however, that this may not always continue; and the late war with the comparatively small and poor state of Lahore indicates how tough a cus- tomer the Chinese, with their wealth and population, might be found in future contests, if they could make up their minds to submit to Euro- pean discipline. Mr. Forbes even thinks they might be formidable with- out it.
"In a Chinese camp of the present day there is little or no discipline. This should not be the case where merit alone (at least so say the edicts) can make a military mandarin, all alike rising from the ranks. I have given these few ex- amples from the events of the late war, but am not of opinion that such a state of things will always exist, or that the Chinese in future will prove a contemptible enemy. Two hundred years of almost uninterrupted peace may have relaxed their discipline; but, from the care that, at the time of my departure, was being bestowed on the repairs of fortifications, embodying regiments, drilling recruits, the size and strength of the men, and the enormous population to draft from, I am inclined to think that a few years of active hostilities would teach them the art of war, and enable them on land to defy invasion by any power in Europe."
The permanence of their state and their character is also another point to which full consideration has not been given in a philosophical spirit. The Chinese empire has outlasted all the civilizations of the ancient world, (for we have just alluded to the cause of our late successes); yet, notwith- standing this long endurance, they now are in some points equal to Eu- rope, perhaps in all if we do not persist in judging them by our own standard. In anno Domini I, when classical civilization was at its zenith if not in its decline, the Chinese had reached the triumph of civil- ized business--paying debts with paper money, or at least with leather; it is more than probable, that besides silks, printing, gunpowder, the mariner's compass, suspension-bridges, and other arts, we are indebted to the Chinese, instead of the Jews, for letters of credit. While modern Europe was struggling for birth in the deepest night of the dark ages, and England just emerging from the Heptarchy, the Chinese drank tea, and--sure proof of civilization—their Government taxed it. Mr. Forbes seems to think that even for Punch and puppet-shows we are indebted to China ; neither England nor France nor Naples can furnish such ac- commodation for all our wants, as are brought home to the Chinese by ambulant or open-air professors. The following scenes are taken from Shanghae and its neighbourhood.
CHINESE AGnimmvs.
Punch is all in his glory, native and to the customs born, though his birth- Place, like that of Homer, may be a subject of controversy. Yet I am afraid that to China belongs the glory of having produced Pan-tse,—that is, the son of an inch: from thence it seems he found his way into Italy under the name of Poll- cinello, but resumed his old appellation on his further travels.
As soon as the effects of the war were over and the trades began to recollect, Punches in numbers flocked in, and were great favourites among the sailors. Gong and triangle answered the purposes of drum and pan-pipes. The twang of voice, " roity toity," was the same that I have often heard on Ascot Heath; Judy, mad with the same harsh usage from her loving lord; Toby too was there: but the Devil introducing a huge green dragon to devour him, bones and all, was the only innovation of importance. Immediately under a huge highly-painted scene of a battle stands a fellow with inflated cheeks, trying to ontsound a gong which he is beating with all his might; under the picture are small holes for ocular demonstrations of the mysteries with- in; and the beaded form of some juveniles shows that all his wind and noise is not expended for nothing,---which may mean, " Look a little further, and you will see the discomfiture of the Barbarian Eye, by the son of Heaven's General his Ex- cellency How-now, Master-General of Ceremonies, Director of the Gabel, and Tamer of the Sons of the Western Ocean."
In addition to the shops, the frequented streets and populous villages are sup- plied with travelling trades of every kind besides; the tea-gardens and. squares are filled with astrologers, necromancer's, fortune-tellers, peep-shows, jugglers, Punch, dentists, quacks—in short, all the drags on the purse to be found in other countries. The most useful of these is the walking restaurateur. His appara- tus is of the most compact order, all lightly balanced on his back with one hand, while with the other he teams a fire, and goes from place to place crying his va- rious prepared dishes,,until his progress be arrested by some hungry traveller. His whole apparatus, which may be six feet high by nine feet long, is almost en- tirely made of bamboo. Besides the one in which he walks, there are two per- pendicular divisions: on the top of that before him are the basins, plates, &C. ; then the supply of wood, below which is the fire-place and kitchen, consisting of an iron pan, covered over by a wooden tub, and let into light plaster-work upon the fire: thus he boils, stews, or fries, according to the taste of the customer: in the other division are the meats, vegetables, &c.; besides a quantity of gaudy china-ware, containing the dried herbs, peppers, &c. required. For a very trifling sum, the labourer can here procure a hearty meal without leaving his work, as the restaurateur hovers about all places where most needed. • • • The dentist no sooner pitches his tent on arriving than he unfolds to the ad- miring crowd a huge scroll, on which, at the left side, are set forth his home, place of birth, &c.; the rest of the scroll speaks of his fame and skill in cleaning, curing, and extracting teeth, and knowledge of the mouth in general: if this fad to obtain a customer, he opens box after box, producing hundreds of human teeth, on which he lectures; declaring each large and more decayed tooth to have be- longed to a prince, duke, or high mandarin, who honoured him with his patron- age and saved himself from the most terrific tortures. Should a bystander at last be attracted and offer his mouth for inspection, the instruments are produced, and if extraction be required it is done with much expertness: he shows the instru • went to the crowd, describes its use and power, and, as an illustration of it, draws the tooth, while the sufferer imagines he is merely going to show how he would do it: if planning is required, he exhibits his instruments one by one each, keeps up a chant and lecture alternately. After the operation is'perform and turi:, he recommends his powders: I tried several, and detected a strong mixture of camphor in all. Thus he continues; until, having remained a short space without a customer, he packs up and moves to another convenient spot. • * * In a quiet little nook, perfectly apart from the noise of the street or garden, sits under a tree or awning the chess-player; he either teaches the art or offers to play, and has much custom in both. The principles of the game are much the same as with as, though the board differs materially, and the men are in shape like draughtsmen, bearing the characters indicating the rank of the pieces, thus —Ma, a horse, answers to a knight, and Ping, a soldier, to a pawn, &c. * • • But the most novel travelling trade that I met with, was that of the circulating librarian, with a box filled with little pamphlets of dramas, tales, and romances. He goes the circuit of the town, and leaves, brings away, or exchanges his books, as the case may be, bringing information and tittle-tattle home to every man's door. His trade is not a bad one, as his stock costa very little, and is in some demand.
CHINESE AGRICULTURE.
If there be one thing that the genius of this extraordinary people bas brought nearer to perfection than another, it is the cultivation of the soil. The economy of their agriculture is beautiful; the whole country presents the appearance of one continued garden: no large commons starving a few miserable horses, nor parks and chases laid waste for the special purpose of breeding rabbits, are to be mat with: the land is meant to feed and clothe the people, and to that use its powers are directed. Not an inch of soil is lost that can be made useful by the most la- borious andapparently unpromising industry, save only such parts as are set aside for burial-grounds. Swamps are drained by canals, which carry the snper throes waters where they are tarried to profitable account in enriching land that otherwise would not be productive. Hills are terraced to the summits, and the banks of rivers and shores of the sea recede and leave flourishing farms to re- ward the enterprise of man. I know nothing that would be likely to be more valuable from this country than the report of an experienced and scientific farmer, could such be induced to bestowa short time in travelling to China and making its agriculture his study.
Lieutenant Forbes was employed at Borneo during the treaty which ended in the cession of Labuan. He also assisted at taking posses- sion of the island ; remained there for some time, and explored the court- try, discovering its veins of coal. His accounts of Borneo and Litman are bat slight ; the history of late events not so fall as has lately been published. His picture of the Sultan, however, is the best we have met
with : Lieutenant Forbes saw him when he had aside his state. The account of Labuan is our only one.
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