1160. Foo Chow Foo. The ship John Temperley, 957 tons, Capt. R. LITTLE, R.N.R., belonging to Messrs. TEMPERLEY, CARTER, and DARKE, of London, took in at Foo Chow Foo, in September, 1863, 25,994 packages of tea, measuring for freight 1,633 tons of 50 cubic feet, which gives an average of nearly 16 packages to each ton. The John Temperley is 174 feet long, 34 broad, and 22 deep; 'tween decks 7 feet 2 inches. With this cargo of tea and 250 tons of stone ballast she drew 18 feet 4 inches aft, and 18 feet forward; her best trim is from an even keel to 3 or 4 inches by the stern. With a dead-weight cargo she is estimated to draw 21 feet. Capt. LITTLE observes that

the usual way of dunnaging a tea cargo in China, is to level the ballast even with the upper part of the keelson-in some cases a little higher, according to the form of the ship. The depth is further regulated by taking into consideration the distance from the under part of the lower deck to the surface of the ballast, so that a calculated number of tiers of chests may come in exactly, after the ballast is carefully levelled and rounded down towards the wings; this rounding is done to give the tiers the exact curve of the deck and beams. The distance is measured very precisely with rods, as the ballast is being levelled, and the Chinese stevedore will thus detect the projection of the smallest stone, which is immediately removed. The ballast is covered with half-inch boards, supplied for the purpose by the stevedores at a moderate rate. The ground tier or flooring chop as it is called in China, is then laid; the lower corners of the wing chests being kept 14 to 16 inches from the bilges of the ship. The wings are then filled in with ballast, which is levelled for the second tier, and covered with planks where that tier overlaps the first; the same as under the ground tier. The second tier is laid on the first, and the lower corners of the wing chests are carried out to about 8, 10, or 12 inches from the side, according to the form of the ship and the quantity of ballast required to be stowed away. It is then levelled as before, and the third tier laid; the wing chests are brought to within three or four inches of the sides, the intervening space being filled in with small ballast kept especially for that purpose. When this tier is completed, the hold, in the estimation of a practical and intelligent seaman, has an appearance worthy of being admiredthe surface looks like a splendid deck, flush from stem to stern. Above this tier the dunnage used is split bamboo interwoven trellisfashion, say from two to four inches thick. There is no dunnage of any kind between the sides or ends of the three lower tiers of tea chests and the ballast, which is always very hard stone or shingleporous sandstone or anything approaching to it being inadmissible. The pump-well, chain lockers, masts, &c., were dunnaged with halfinch boards the same as on the ballast under the ground tier chop. The lower deck was dunnaged with one-inch stuff; sides with split bamboo interwoven, same as below. No matting of any kind was used on the cargo in the main hold or in the 'tween decks. In stowing the tiers they are begun from the sides, and finished in the middle; see sketch. When fairly entered, two Chinamen get on and jamb them down in their places, after which the tier is beaten even at the edges with a heavy wooden mallet about one foot square, and the chests are squeezed in so tight that the wing (or end) chests take

the shape of the sides of the ship without injury to the packages, when properly stowed.

In August, 1864, the John Temperley took in at the same place 25,560 packages of tea, measuring 1,600 tons for freight and weighing 1,020,270 lbs., which gives an average of 40 lbs. P package, and of 637 lbs. to each freight ton of 50 cubic feet. On this occasion 300 tons of stone and shingle (50 tons more than before) were kept in, as the ship was rather tender on the previous voyage. With the cargo and ballast she drew 19 feet aft and 18 forward, and was consequently eight inches too much by the stern, and did not sail so well by a knot an hour as in 1863, when the passage was made in 125 days, being 28 days less than in 1864. However, after a ship is once filled up with tea there is no means of altering her trim, so that a master cannot be too careful in watching the draught while the ballast is being levelled. The John Temperley was so much out of trim now because heavy weather prevailed when the tea was taken in and it therefore became necessary to use great dispatch. There were no less than 1,400 tons alongside at one time, and while cargo was loading on both sides of the ship, ballast was discharging at both ends. It was therefore impossible to control the trim with any degree of certainty. The prevailing custom is to freight the flooring chop at 10s. ton less than the other parts of the cargo. The port charges and expenses at Foo Chow for a ship of 1,000 tons, are from $2,500 to $3,000; the principal items being tonnage dues and hire. of steam-tug. The former for the John Temperley was $575. The towage rates in 1864, by the Gorilla were

In the event of accident while engaged, causing detention of steamer, reasonable arrangements for demurrage will be made on board by the party in charge. These rates are for cargo on board and not per register ton. Shippers at Foo Chow make it imperative to employ tugs outward; one-third of this cost is paid by Chinese underwriters, none by English. There is a competent staff of European and American pilots for the outside navigation, and of Chinese for the river. The rates are, sea-pilotage, in or out, $3 per foot under 15 feet; over $4 per foot. River pilotage, up or

down, $1

foot. Exchange 4s. 9d.

dollar.

Teas are shipped all the year round at Foo Chow Foo, but the most busy time is from June (when the new teas come down the country) until the end of the year.

1161. The barque Caldew, Capt. R. N. CLARKSON, belonging to Messrs. JOSHUA WILSON and BROTHERS, of Sunderland, took in 14,100 packages of tea at Foo Chow Foo, sailed 30th July, 1867, and arrived in London 20th December. She registers 482 tons, is 187.3 feet long by 28.7 x 18.1; 'tween decks 7 feet. Her ballast consisted of 125 tons shingle, placed so as to meet the heights and width of the tiers; dunnage, thin lathwood and strips of bamboo, bilges 3 to 3 inches, sides 24. The intake at 50 cubic feet was 656 tons, and out-put at 40 feet, 706 tons. Her draught on departure 15 feet 10 inches aft, 15 forward; on arrival 15 feet 7 inches and 15 feet 3 inches; with 710 tons Sunderland coal, 17 feet and 16 feet 8 inches; best trim 16 feet and 15 feet 8 inches. Pilotage in at Foo Chow Foo $4 foot; out the same. The season of shipment of tea at Foo Chow Foo is in July. Capt. PENTREATH, City of Carlisle (see the article cotton), states that at Foo Chow Foo he shipped 1,340 tons of tea. "An unfair system exists there (and at Shanghai) which is that should a master begin to load at £4 per ton and 800 tons are shipped, and bills of lading at that rate are sent away; and then a West Country or other ship comes in and offers to take £3 5s., every ship in the place is compelled to take the lesser freight, even for the cargo in the hold, and the masters are obliged, before any more is shipped by the merchants, to give guarantees to accept the reduced rate. If there is a rise the vessel gets no advantage. This is sometimes avoided with small vessels when the agent is firm, but with a large vessel requiring 600 or 700 tons to complete, the master has frequently to submit to the absurd custom. Masters can sometimes make a compromise by paying 1s. 6d. per ton for towage to sea (from Shanghai) by which the shippers save a quarter per cent, local insurance-3s, 6d. pton."

1162. The barque Velocidade, Capt. JOHN WYVILL, belonging to Mr. HENRY WALKER, of St. Helen's Place, London, which registers 268 tons, and admeasures 120.7 × 22.3 × 14.3 feet, loaded at Foo Chow Foo in January, 1867, from Otago, New Zealand, 4,885 packages tea mostly quarter-chests and boxes, 250 cases Chinese preserves, (ginger &c.,) and 200 rolls matting. She was not full by 80 tons, and drew 11 feet aft, 10 feet 8 inches forward; her shingle ballast was 90 tons. With 380 tons coal, Newcastle, N.S.W., her draught was 14 feet aft, and 13 feet 2 inches forward; best trim at sea 12 feet aft, 11 feet 2 inches forward. For the Australian Colonies and New Zealand, the chests are all matted and secured with split rattans, the whole of which are allowed in the measurement for freight. There is usually a large proportion of quarter-chests and boxes for easy conveyance to the diggings. The consignees require all broken packages to be properly repaired. In China it is understood that very superior teas are not sent to Australia. The Velocidade loaded at Yokohama, Japan, in January, 1865, for New York; with 90 tons shingle ballast and 486 tons tea (40 cubic feet), she drew 11 feet 7 inches aft, 11 feet 1 forward. The tea was stowed by the chief officer; it was nearly all half-chests, matted and rattaned. The consignees were strict as to its condition; and broken packages were repaired before leaving the ship.

1163. Shanghia. The ship Dilkhoosh, Capt. W. S. GEDYE, R.N.R., belonging to Messrs. SMITH, FLEMING, and Co., of 18, Leadenhall Street, London, left Shanghai, 7th August, 1869, with 6,522 chests, 8,450 half-chests, and 3,872 boxes of tea-1,387 tons. The ballast, 310 tons of shingle, rose 2 feet 6 inches in the bottom; bilges 16, matted. She registers 816 tons, is 167.2 feet long, 32.4 broad, and 21.2 deep; 'tween decks 6 feet 9 inches. So laden she drew 18 feet 9 inches aft, and 18 feet 2 inches forward; and on arrival in London, 5th January, 1870, 18 feet aft and 19 forward; her best trim is six inches by the stern. Pilotage into Shanghai 95 taels, out 95 teals. The season of shipment of tea there is in June, July, and August. When the Dilkhoosh, on a former voyage, loaded at Foo Chow, the ballast was carried up two heights of chests; this voyage it was taken up three heights, by which space was gained rather than lost, and the ship was easier at sea. [The cotton season begins in October, when large vessels (at all times disliked here) have a choice of tea or cotton, but cannot load both, much risk of Chinese-packed cotton proving damp. handy size, if built of wood, generally command 10s. freight.

as there is still Tea ships of a ton more