Part 2

Additional interest was imparted to the occasion by the presence of twenty-six Chinese sailors. They had been brought to these shores contrary to their expectations and wishes, having shipped on board the "Junk" for Java, but were landed in New-­York. For the last month they have been inmates, and under the Christian influence of the Sailor's Home. About to depart on the morrow in the same vessel with the chaplain, there was an appropriate­ness in their public recognition, and their being commended to God in prayer. Lin King Chew, a converted Chinaman, who remains in this country, gave them a parting address, in which, as he has since explained, he exhorted them to be good, and told them about Jesus and heaven.

On Monday, the day being delightful, they were accompanied on board the Candace, and as far out as Sandy Hook, by the officers of the American Seamen's Friend Society, and other friends. Some of the owners of the bark, who have generously given the chaplain his passage, were also on board.

Before parting, the captain, officers and crew, with the brother beloved who has gone as a chaplain to that distant port, were commended to the care of Him who controls the winds and the waves.

When last seen, with all sails set, they were bounding over the waves towards China.

Arrest of a Celestial

Brooklyn Evening Star

October 8, 1847, p.2

ARREST OF A CELESTIAL.--Lin King Chew was arrested, charged with stealing a quantity of daguerreotype plates belonging to Peter N. Horsely. We trust there must be some mistake here, when compared with the very pleasing notice we read of the same party in Wednesday’s N.Y. Express.

Ling Keng Chow

New York Daily Tribune

October 19, 1847, p.2

LING KENG CHOW.--The Chinaman, who came over as a teacher to Rev. Dr. Cummings, missionary, was arrested, two or three weeks since, on a charge of stealing some Daguerreotype apparatus. It is said, however, with how much truth we know not that the accused bartered some things of Chinese manufacture for the articles in question, which were found in his trunk. The alleged owner of the Daguerreotype apparatus now admits, it is said, having received the Chinese things but contends that they were presents. It is to be hoped that at the trial, which for some cause was postponed on Saturday, the Court will see that the stranger in a strange land has justice done to him, and if it should appear that he obtained the apparatus by barter, even though he may possibly have got the best of the bargain, that his rights will be protected and amends made to him for the accusation and imprisonment. We put this hypothetically, of course, being unacquainted with the whole particulars. [Com. Adv.

Sailing of the Chinese Sailors, Belonging to the Cochin China Junk.

Dwight’s American Magazine, and Family Newspaper, for the Diffusion of Useful Knowledge and Moral and Religious Principles

3.46 (November 13, 1847): p.726-727

SAILING OF THE CHINESE SAILORS, BELONGING TO THE COCHIN CHINA JUNK.--The return of the Chinese sailors to their native land, in the bark Candace, Capt. Gardiner, on Monday, the 4th of October, having been arranged by the owners of the Chinese junk, they all attended the Floating Church of this city, on the preceding Sunday afternoon. It was interesting to see them there with the large number of other sailors who were then present, as some of them must come within the range of Bishop Boone's mission on their return to Shang-Hai,--and the impression of the church services could not fail of being remembered, and of producing a solemn effect on their minds. They were accompanied by Mr. Lin-King-Chew, a devoted Christian, as far as he understands Christianity, having embraced our religion through the instrumentality of some faithful missionary in his native land. His efforts in behalf of his countrymen, were chiefly directed to their spiritual welfare. He presented each of them a Testament in their own language, a portion of which he daily read and explained to them, while they were boarding at the Sailor's Home. Mr. Lin-King-Chew is a Chinese gentleman of education, and of distinction and property in his own country, who has been in New York about two months, learning our language, and who, since their difficulties, has very much interested himself in their welfare. Capt. and Mrs. Richardson, of the New York Sailor's Home in Cherry street, where they have been residing the last three weeks, at their request also accompanied them. From the paternal and maternal care they have experienced from them, they have expressed themselves, through their interpreter, in strong terms of gratitude. After divine service, Rev. Mr. Parker, the chaplain, presented each of them, 26 in number, with the Protestant Churchman of April, 1845, which contains two beautiful wood cuts, originally engraved for the Ladies' Magazine, of a view of the exterior and interior of the Ploating Church of this city, accompanied by an extended description of the Floating Church, and the efforts making in the Episcopal Church throughout America for the spiritual benefit of seamen. It was an impressive reflection, said Rev. Mr. Parker, (in a short statement he made to the congregation, after the benediction,) of the present circumstances of the interesting strangers who were then present, and who were to leave our shores on, the morrow, in the ship that lay alongside of the Floating Church, where they were, for cities under our feet on the other side of the globe, that though they saw before them persons who excited a deep curiosity, from their peculiar complexion, mode of dress and physiognomy, that they belonged to a race which, in numbers, at the present time, equalled one-third of the whole population of our earth.

On Monday, at 9 o'clock, the deck of the bark Candace was covered with ladies and gentlemen, and clergymen of several religious denominations, viz: Rev. Mr. Kidder, of the Methodist communion, Rev. Messrs. Spaulding and Loomis, Secretaries, and Rev. Mr. Parker, all members of the board of managers of the American Seamen's Friend Society, and their devoted friend and countrymen, Lin-King-Chew, who has been untiring in his kindness to them, in order to accompany them to Sandy Hook. Professor Loomis, the missionary to seamen in the port of Canton, recently appointed by that Society, was also there. A deeply affecting incident was there witnessed. During the progress through the Narrows to sea, a deputation from the Chinese sailors was sent by them to Capt. and Mrs. Richardson, then on board, begging them to take their friend and countryman, Lin King-Chew, to their house, the Sailor's Home in Cherry street, and take care of him while he was in America, as he was in a land of strangers, and they felt so much love towards their friend, that they could not leave him behind, unless they were sure he would be with those whose sympathy and kindness they had so recently experienced. It was truly an oriental idea expressed by one. He wished to take with him, and plant in China, the American "cry tree,"--meaning the willow, for he could not leave them without crying, and as it grew, he would be constantly reminded of his feelings when he left America.

The wind being light and ahead, it was necessary for the steamer Jacob Bell to take the Candace out as far as the lightship, 10 miles beyond Sandy Hook, and 23 miles from the city, that she might have a good offing. On reaching this distant place from the shore, it was observed that a little bird had left N. York with the ship, and was now perched on the end of one of the spars aloft, as if intending to make the voyage with her and the Chinese sailors to their homes.

Before the steamer left her, at the request of Capt. Gardiner, after the crew had been all assembled near the captain, and the Chinese sailors were arranged, Rev. Mr. Parker commended her crew, passengers, the Chinese sailors, with the Rev. missionary on board, to God's protection, in the beautiful prayer of the Liturgy for persons going to sea, concluding with the Lord's prayer and the benediction.

While the steamboat was sheering away, and the ship, in full sail, was hauling off, to hasten on her voyage, her bulwarks were lined by the 26 Chinese sailors, in tears at parting with their kind friends, Capt. and Mrs. Richardson, and their beloved countryman, Lin-King-Chew, whom they almost worshipped for his many acts of generosity, sympathy and friendship. The scene was truly worthy of an artist's pencil. The whole rail on the starboard side was lined with the swarthy figures of these bare-headed Mongolians, shaking their hands in the air, and looking towards the steamboat. The caps of the crew were flourishing aloft behind them, as they gave their three cheers, which were answered by the ladies waving their handkerchiefs, and the response of the gentlemen. When these had ceased, the Chinese sailors struck up their farewell song, which continued, in their harsh, cracked voices, till both vessels were so far separated that the sound died on the air.

In one hour a small speck on the horizon was all that was seen of the bark Candace and her interesting passengers. On the steamboat's return, her services were requested, by a signal set under the jib-boom of a ship aground, within the Hook, which for 24 hours had made ineffectual efforts by sails, and, as soon as it could be produced, by another steamboat, to get off. After breaking several large hawsers, and two hours' hard straining with steam, the Jacob Bell succeeded in hauling her off, and the passengers who accompanied the Candace reached the city at 6 o'clock in the evening.--/Express/.

Transcriber's Note, Part 2

Before the publication of this eBook, anyone interested in the personal account of the first Chinese traveler to the United States in the late 1840s had to rely on the first modern edition:

Lin Zhen 林鍼. "Xi hai ji you cao 西海纪游草 ." Zou xiang shi jie cong shu 走向世界丛书 [From East to West: Chinese Travellers Before 1911], edited by Zhong Shu He 钟叔 河, Yang Guo Zhen 杨国桢, and Zuo Bu Qing, 左步青, [vol 1], yue lu shu she 岳麓书社, 1985, pp.9-63.

Editors of this book (thereafter "the 1985 revised edition") used a privately-owned copy in China, which according to them passed down from the author to his family. One of the editors, Yang, discovered this obscure book in 1980 and, with his co-editors, edited and introduced it to the public in China and beyond. Without the 1985 revised edition, I, like others, would not have known this early Chinese traveler to the West and his interesting encounters, which include his observations of American society and technology, his rescue of 26 Chinese sailors from their abusive captain in New York, and his subsequent legal trouble.

Yet, even with this highly accessible 1985 revised edition, this eBook is worth producing for three reasons:

*1)* Editors of the 1985 revised edition substantially but silently revised the original text. To be sure, the transcription of the classical text into simplified Chinese, the new paragraphing, and the addition of punctuation are not unique to this edition but are standard practices in the reproduction of classical works in China. However, many of the silent editorial changes are questionable, including the substitution of "offensive" words (e.g. 夷 [barbarian] was changed to 洋 [foreign]); the replacement of variant characters; the “correction” of “wrong” information; and, above all, the change of the author’s name from 林綤㿝 (as printed in his original text) to 林鍼 without any editorial note. This kind of editorial changes may prevent the reader from appreciating the original publication’s historicity and nuances.

*2)* Besides the extant copy used by the editors of the 1985 revised edition, there is actually another one housed in the New York Public Library. Both are the traveler's original publications but there are significant differences between them. The 1985 revised edition's source, published in around 1867, has more front and end matter supplements, penned by the author's friends and supporters: an illustration, four pieces of complimentary remarks 題記, five forewords 序, twenty complimentary poems 題詩, and five postscripts 跋. By contrast, this eBook’s source, published much earlier in about 1850, does not have any illustrations, complimentary remarks or poems, and it only has two forewords and two postscripts. In fact, one of the forewords in this eBook’s source appears as a postscript in the 1985 revised edition’s counterpart. This may lead us to believe that the original publication had more than one edition, each of which might have different combinations of front and end matter supplements. This also confirms that this eBook’s source predated the 1985 revised edition’s counterpart since the latter includes supplements written and added after the publication of the former.

*3)* Although the 1985 revised edition has marginal annotations, a name index, and a glossary of proper noun translations to provide contextual information, it lacks any references to American primary sources that provide contemporary accounts of events related to the author’s encounters in the United States. Without these American newspaper and periodical reports, we would not even know that the author was called "Lin King Chew" (and by other transliterated names) in the United States; nor would we know the exact people and institutions his travel book refers to—let alone the wider context of his travel experiences.

This eBook, while building on the 1985 revised edition, takes a different approach. I hope to provide access to the original publication with less editorial mediation but more American context. My eBook, therefore, provides not only a transcription as faithful to the original book as digitally possible, but also pictures of each of its pages. Also included are select American press reports with hyperlinks to relevant parts of the traveler's account.

For more information, please see my online project at http://scalar.usc.edu/works/firstchinesetraveler/.

A note about the author’s names and the book title's translation

The author calls himself 林綤㿝景周 (Lin Shao Xiang Jin Zhou) or 林綤㿝 (Lin Shao Xiang) in his book, but those who wrote supplements simply call him [林]景周 ([Lin] Jin Zhou) . However, without any editorial note, the 1986 revised edition replaces 林綤㿝 (Lin Shao Xiang) with 林鍼 (Lin Zhen or Lin Qian) as the author's name. The latter does NOT appear in the original publication on which this eBook is based. To stay true to the author, I keep 林綤㿝 (Lin Shao Xiang) as his name.

Lin probably used the transliterated name “Lin King Chew” when he traveled to the United States. This name appears in several American press reports of the time, and it is phonetically close to one of his Chinese names, 林景周 (Lin Jin Zhou). The front cover of this eBook’s source has an inscription of another transliterated name: "Lin Kung King"; however, the Chinese counterpart for this transliteration, 林君 景, is not the author's correct name. I therefore adopt "Lin King Chew" as the author’s English name for this eBook. However, please note that American newspapers and periodicals of the time used other incorrectly transliterated names for Lin, including, for example, "Ling Keng Chow" and "Sin Ken Chem."

As for the book title, the front cover has an inscription of its English translation: “Reminiscences of Western Travels.” I do not know if it was Lin’s translation, which was a possibility. Since this is a good translation, I use it for this eBook’s English title.

TMT