Ports of the world - Canton/On Shameen Island

by the United States Bureau of Naval Personnel

ON SHAMEEN ISLAND

T SEEMS that the porters and sedan-chair coolies, who so valiantly stormed the steamboat at the landing, are to be disappointed after all, for arrangements have been made with the Victoria Hotel to send chairs and coolies for the passengers, and the early arrivals among the natives obtain only one or two patrons from the entire company of travelers on the ship.

The sedan chairs from the hotel are quickly occupied, the porters take up their burdens of luggage, and the travelers are carried along the Bund, across a bridge, and find themselves on the island of Shameen, which serves as a place of residence for a majority of the foreigners living and visiting in Canton.

The island of Shameen—"built on sand"—was constructed between the years 1859 and 1862 by joint action of the British and French. Slightly less than one-third of the island is under the control

 

Banyan Trees on Shameen Island, Canton

 

of the French while the remainder is governed by the British.

Before the French and British engineers began their task of improving the island and making it habitable for foreigners, Shameen was a low sand bank in the river and hardly in the category of places fit for human residence. But the ingenuity of the engineers transformed the island into a healthful, beautiful, residential district, and Shameen is now considered the best section of Canton, although as far as the picturesque is concerned it is surpassed by the native districts of the city.

Shameen is well protected against possible attacks by bandits or river pirates. The bridges leading to the island from the mainland are guarded day and night, while barbed-wire entanglements stand on the shores, evidently for the purpose of discouraging marauders from among the river population.

Natives are forbidden to go on the island unless permission is granted by the British or French, and the few natives who pass back and forth are searched for weapons by the guards at the bridges. Europeans, however, are seldom stopped by the sentries.

Probably the best view of Canton is obtainable from the island of Shameen, and many travelers prefer to see the city from across the river, rather than mingle with the natives in the hot, dusty streets or along the narrow passages of water which thread both the residential and business quarters of Canton.

But the stranger who has traveled all the way from the other side of the world to see something of manners and customs in Canton, does not hesitate to leave the hotel in Shameen, recross the river, and ride by sedan chair above the heads of the thrones in the streets; and when his individual tour of inspection is completed he can say with truth that he has had his hand on the heart of Canton and has felt the throb of life along its narrow streets and alleys and waterways. In seeing Canton he will have seen much that is typical of China—for the foreigner has not gained the foothold here that he has in Hongkong, and the Cantonese, for the most part, dress and act and speak as their ancestors did centuries ago. Only most of them have discarded the queue since the establishment of the Republic, and the feet of the women are not bound so generally as in the days of the Empire. But with very few other changes the major part of the population of Canton has

 

Figures Clothed with Growing Plants in the Gardens

 

played a conservative part in the game of life, displaying their respect for their forefathers by doing as then-forefathers did. If Americans were to follow the same custom, we would still be wearing powdered wigs, knee breeches, embroidered coats, ruffles, buckled shoes, and rapiers; or coonskin caps, leather coats, and leggings with buckskin fringes, moccasins, and carrying powder horns and long squirrel rifles—Daniel Boone style.