as was expected, after
taking in some provisions from the naval depot, weighed anchor, and
proceeded up the Canton River to Whampoa, where we moored ship in the
"American Reach" to undergo necessary repairs. Whilst these were going
on, I procured a "fast boat," and went up to Canton, about nine miles
above that part of the "Reach" in which we lay.

These boats--the "San-pan," or boat of this country--are used expressly
for the conveyance of passengers and their effects, and are kept
scrupulously clean for that purpose. They pull from three to six oars,
according to their size. The oarsmen are all seated forwards, whilst a
woman, generally with a child fastened to her back, both propels and
steers with a long oar from the stern, which she manages with great
dexterity, appearing to work harder, and with better effect, than her
lazy lord, (who has generally the bow oar,) at the same time keeping a
bright lookout ahead, and giving warning in her guttural chant of any
obstruction.

Passed two Pagodas, each of nine stories, and made a romantic cut-off,
via Lob Creek. Soon we came upon a large number of junks at anchor, with
huge manilla cables,--one of which our interpreter pointed out as "Salt
Junk." We had seen enough of that during our passage out, but this kind
of junk interested us; for a more clumsy piece of naval architecture
could hardly have been invented to annoy the eye of a sailor. With her
perpendicular masts of one stick, no bowsprit, only an opening where it
should be, to receive an anchor, made of part of a crooked tree; poop
sticking up like a game fowl's tail, and immense red and white eyes
painted on each bow:--for the Chinese sailor says: "No have eyes, how
can see? no can see, how can walkee?"--make such a picture of a thing to
float in, and wherewith to transport worldly effects, that the question
naturally arises, What would be the probable per centage a Chinese
underwriter would demand as premium to insure in such a bottom? Indeed,
I must do the memory of the patriarch Noah the justice to believe, that
his craft was put together with a better adaptation to the principles of
flotation than this, or it would never have lived through that gale of
forty days and forty nights, logged in the Good Book.

Soon, however, we came across some better-looking specimens, which we
were told were the "Mandarin," or "Search Boats," belonging to the
Chinese Customs. Their models appeared better adapted to "make walke