Series 4 > William Melrose in China, 1845-1855

125
1850
She is a good vessel from all I can learn, not so fast as the Magellan
of course but I believe a good sailer. She was the best to be had
at any rate, and we are so far lucky in getting her as I believe the
same party who has chartered the James Watt would have taken
her if disengaged; at least I know he applied to the same house
for a vessel of much the same sort, which was engaged for
London. I had great hopes of the cargo at first, especially when I
got your letters bringing such good advices, but the rate of ex¬
change and so many vessels going to Cork have rather damped my
courage.
You are rather hard on me about the Gunpowders and the
gunpowder plot; however, I won’t blow up about it. By hook and
by crook and hard work I have got rid of from 6,000 to 7,000 boxes
of them, and as exchange has gone up so much, I am glad I have
done so. ‘We may I see be happy yet. ’ I am glad you think all the
purchases have turned out so well. We must take care, though, and
look out for a reverse, which you say may soon happen.
I think I can see from people out here that they think we have
been doing well; and I think they have an idea that we have been
much more fortunate than we really have, which they are quite
at liberty to think, especially as I thought some of them sneered a
little at me at first, as if I had come out to buy one or two chops
a year, and that perhaps very badly. Within the last two years the
sneer has amazingly softened down; and I might, I think, if I like,
now indulge in a sneer at some of them. Of course this is betwixt
ourselves.
Easy has soon followed Helen’s example and I am glad they are
both so well and both the young ones.
You enquire about the converts to Christianity in China. I am
afraid there are very few sincere ones. There are a good many said
to be Christians (Catholics) up at the north. I may be speaking
rashly but I would not trust much to their belief in it. I don’t think
they can understand it. The basis of the Christian religion is affection
and love, and I think the Chinamen have so little of those feelings
and put so little value on them that it must take a long time to
make them understand the principal feature in our religion: Our
Saviour making a voluntary sacrifice of himself for love. I think
a ‘nigger’ a much more hopeful subject for conversion than a