Page 61 - Merchants and Mandarins China Trade Era

47.

of a ship's crew. With the growth of the large cormnercial

houses at Canton after 1826, business skill became as impor­

tant as seamanship. The China trade increased in size and

complexity until efficiency decreed the segregation of the

sailing and trading facets of the enterprise. The overwhelm­

ing majority of American residents at Canton were merchants,

who embarked on merchant vessels only to travel to their place
of employment. For these men life aboard ship often meant

many tedious and monotonous months.

The best account of such an experience was the diary

kept by Harriet Low, who was accompanying her aunt and uncle

to China, where the latter was to serve as chief of Russell

& Co. This young lady from Salem was nineteen years old when

she sailed to China. Her description of life aboard ship was

typical of those who preceded and followed her. For the most

part there was very little activity available to a passenger.

The three major pastimes were reading, writing (letters and

journals) and eating. Everyone took along an ample supply of

books and paper. Passengers could go on deck, but they could

not interfere with the business of the vessel. Like the crew

they were totally under the rule of the captain. Social con­

vention also precluded much association with those in the fore­

castle. Left mainly to amuse themselves, passengers came top­

side mostly for exercise. This activity entailed pacing the

deck, as there was nothing else to do aboard ship but sit.

Voyagers became careful observers of weather conditions. Their

journals and letters reflect careful and minute observations of