"Kheiyin" - the junk of two oceans
"Kheiying" is a Chinese colored engraving. A pair of eyes were painted on the bow, and a huge rooster on the stern.
Later, rocking in the calm of the Chinese seas or carried smoothly by a favorable monsoon, we understood why junks travel so far.
Goncharov I. A., Frigate "Pallada", 1857
Goncharov I. A., Frigate "Pallada", 1857
Stories about ships. The two previous articles devoted to Chinese junks and their models generated considerable interest among readers of the VO website, although, traditionally, some viewed these ships as rather primitive "floating craft." Of course, given the region's general technological backwardness, these vessels were seemingly incomparable to European ones. The fact that they are perfectly suited to local conditions is somehow not particularly noticeable. Just as important is the fact that these vessels have existed unchanged for not hundreds, but thousands of years.
Moreover, it turns out that one Chinese junk even made a voyage across two oceans to New York, and then London. However, due to social backwardness, such voyages never became regular. Today, we'll tell the story of this unique voyage, not in our own words, but with a translation of an article from the British newspaper The Times.
Due to China's isolationist laws, selling Chinese ships to foreigners was prohibited. Therefore, when several Englishmen living in China decided to undertake such a voyage, an ocean-going junk was sold to them illegally. On December 6, 1846, the junk, named "Kheiying," set sail from Hong Kong with a crew of 30 Chinese and 12 Englishmen. The captain was Englishman Charles Kellett. On March 31, 1847, the "Kheiying" rounded the Cape of Good Hope, arrived at Saint Helena on April 17, and then headed north.
The Khein at anchor in New York Harbor. Samuel Bell Waugh (1814–1885). Museum of the City of New York
The junk was originally scheduled to sail directly to London, but a storm forced it to deviate significantly from its course. A shortage of water and provisions, coupled with the crew's discontent, forced Captain Kellett to sail for New York. In July 1847, the Khayin anchored off the southern tip of Manhattan Island, opposite what is now Battery Park. She remained there for several months, and every day, up to 7000 tourists boarded her—for a fee, of course—so the owners earned quite a bit of money from the show alone!
Meanwhile, a conflict arose on board between the Chinese and British crew. In September, seven Chinese sailors were arrested for assaulting Edward Revett, the mate. During their trial, the Chinese claimed that Captain Kellett had hired them for a voyage to Batavia (now Jakarta) for no more than eight months. Instead, the junk sailed for Europe and North America; when the sailors attempted to object, they were beaten with whips and threatened with execution. The sailors explained that they attacked the mate because he had failed to pay them the promised wages of $8 per month. The court found the sailors innocent and ordered the ship's owners to pay the Chinese their wages and cover their return journey.
In November 1847, the junk arrived in Boston and anchored at the mouth of the Charles River. As in New York, it welcomed crowds of visitors; on Thanksgiving Day alone, 4000–5000 people visited. Finally, on February 17, 1848, the junk set sail for England.
On February 28, the junk was caught in a storm, the waves washed the boats overboard, and the rudder and mainsail were damaged. Nevertheless, the "Kheiying" crossed the Atlantic in 21 days and reached Jersey on March 15, which, according to publications such as the Illustrated London News, was quite impressive even compared to the speed of American packet boats. British newspapers also noted the ship's excellent design: "...she has shown excellent seaworthiness; in storm-proofing ability she is equal to, and perhaps superior to, ships built in Great Britain." Even Queen Victoria deigned to visit the junk!
Charles Dickens, however, didn't like the junk. He called the "Kheiying" a "grotesque monstrosity" and a "floating toy shop." He also wrote that China was a backward country, where the best the local seafaring could do was paint two enormous eyes on the ship's bow so it could see where it was going, and hang up pieces of red rags during storms to calm the ocean's wrath. Well... So there you have it. "Even an old woman can make mistakes."
Well, now let's read in the original what the Illustrated London News wrote about this ship in 1848:
"This remarkable vessel is a junk of the largest class, and is said to be the first ship built by the Chinese to ever reach Europe or even round the Cape of Good Hope. The displacement of this junk is between 700 and 800 tons; its dimensions are: length - 45 meters; width - 10,7 meters. The bow rises 9 meters above the water, the stern - 13,5 meters.
She is built of teak, and, unlike European vessels, her planks are pinned together before the frames are installed. She has three ironwood masts: the main mast consists of a single, massive pole 90 feet long and is about 10 feet wide where it meets the deck. One of her distinctive features is the complete absence of rigging yards.
Its sails are made of sturdy matting, tied with strong bamboo poles at three-foot intervals, and are hoisted to the mast as a single sheet. The sail is enormous and made of woven rattan. The mainsail is gigantic, weighing nearly 10 tons, and hoisting it requires the entire crew two hours. The junk is equipped with three enormous anchors, made entirely of ironwood, with ropes made of rattan.
The rudder has a rather unusual design: it is supported by two large cables; two others extend from its lower end, completely beneath the ship's bottom, and are secured to each side of the bow. This rudder weighs over 7 tons: it can be raised at will using two winches located at the stern.
Perhaps the most striking feature, immediately noticeable, is the enormous height of the bow and stern; the former rises approximately 24 meters above the water's edge, the latter over 13 meters. In keeping with the distinctive beliefs of Chinese seafarers, the bow is adorned with enormous eyes to ensure the vessel's safe passage across the ocean. Both the interior and exterior of the Keiying are magnificently painted in the style of the Celestial Empire; and in its decor, as in all other respects, it offers a perfect contrast to the vessels of any other nation.
This junk was purchased around August 1818 in Canton by several enterprising Englishmen, who encountered considerable difficulties acquiring it due to Chinese laws, which strictly prohibited the sale of Chinese vessels to foreigners under penalty of death. Therefore, it was necessary to keep the ownership and destination of the "Kheiying" secret until its departure. The buyers were also forced to use various disguises to penetrate the interior of the country and complete the purchase.
She sailed from Hong Kong on December 6, 1840. The crew consisted of thirty Chinese and twelve Englishmen; a high-ranking mandarin was also on board; the ship was accompanied by a large concourse of boats and small craft preparing to leave the harbor. When news of her destination became known, a great deal of excitement arose in the colony: all walks of life gathered on board or ashore to see the first junk ever to attempt the voyage to Great Britain, and to see her make the journey.
On board for the occasion of the departure were His Excellency Sir John Davis, the Governor; Admiral Sir Thomas Cochrane and all the officers fleet, the commander, and most of the principal inhabitants; the vessel left the harbor under a salute from the warships, which was effectively repelled by Keying's guns. After a relatively favorable voyage, the vessel rounded the Cape of Good Hope.
On March 31, 1847, she survived a severe hurricane. During this, as on all other occasions, she proved herself to be an excellent seafaring vessel; her storm-hardiness was equal to, if not superior to, that of British-built vessels. She reached St. Helena on April 17, where she was visited by the governor and the commander of the naval station, as well as almost all of the island's inhabitants. After leaving St. Helena, her commander intended to head directly for London; however, unfavorable winds and currents blew her far off course toward America.
With provisions and water supplies aboard the Khaiying running low, and the crew becoming increasingly drunk and almost mutinous throughout the voyage, the captain deemed it necessary to head for New York. When the Khaiying entered port with flags raised, she was greeted by a large number of ships docked there. The curiosity of the townspeople was so great that for ten days after her arrival, up to 1000 people came aboard daily.
Articles and illustrations in the Illustrated London News
The "Kheyin" then sailed directly to London, arriving in St. Aubyn's Bay, Jarray, on March 16, having completed the coast-to-coast journey in twenty-one days—a relatively short time for an American packet ship. In the Atlantic, she encountered changeable weather, which resulted in minor damage. The junk arrived in Graveward on Monday, where we expect she will be repainted and put on public display the following day.
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