Page 66 - Merchants and Mandarins China Trade Era

52.

Foreign wives who accompanied their husbands to China resided

1
at Macao. Until the late 1830 s very few American women were
among their number. Although other Western nationals outnum-

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' bered the Portugese at Macao by the 1820 s, this small minority
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retained all positions of political and economic power.
For the American merchants who spent most of their

time at Canton, Macao remained an oasis of beauty and serenity.

At Canton, they missed "the enjoyment of verdant scenery,

invigorating breezes, bodily recreation, and ladies' society"

of Macao. Instead, the combination of Canton's heat and

humidity, crowded and restricted conditions, constant bustle

and noise produced "a most disagreeable effect upon the mind .11 11

However Canton was the center of trade. Soon after arrival

at Macao, the merchants left to sail the seventy miles up to

Whampoa and Canton. This trip up the Pearl River was an

adventure in itself, often dangerous and at best uncomfortable.

There were two passages from Macao to Canton. One, known as

the Outer Passage, was a deep channel in the main river

restricted solely to cargo vessels going upriver to anchor at

Whampoa. The Chinese required foreigners traveling to Canton

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°For a discussion of the history and population of
Macao, see Andrew Ljungstedt, An Historical Sketch of the
Portugese Settlements in China and of the Roman Catholic
Church and Mission in C}1ina (Boston, 1836), pp. 10-14, 26-36.
Foreign residents, other than Portugese, who wished to reside
at Macao for an extended period had to obtain permission from
the Royal Governor. Letter, W. H. Low to S. Russell, Mar. 1,
1831, Library of Congress, Russell & Co. MSS.
11
Abeel, Journal, p. 20. Letters, N. Kinsman to R.
Kinsman, Nov. 22, 1843, and W. R. Lejee to N. Kinsman, Jan. 9,
1843, Salem, Essex Institute, Kinsman Family MSS.