12 CHINA'S UNPREPAREDNESS CHINA'S RESPONSE TO THE WEST 13 Modern France is again confused with Fo-lang-chi or the Portugal of the was the same as the Fo-lang-chi (Portugal)of the Ming period;that under Ming period.England and Sweden are recorded as countries dependent the influence of Matteo Ricci,the great Jesuit,the French had been induced upon Holland.In religious matters,the Portuguese-French are reported to to give up Macao to the Portuguese,even though France was ten times as have been Buddhist countries before they accepted Catholicism,and the strong.15 France,of course,had never held Macao.This whole cock-and- Pope is said to have come from Italy to present tribute in 1725. bull story probably illustrates the Paul Bunyan quality taken on by the The characterization of the Western barbarians stresses superficialities: legend of Matteo Ricci,who had already become the tutelary deity of "their flesh is dazzling white,and their noses are lofty ..their custom clocks in China (known popularly as Li-ma-tou p'u-sa). is to esteem women and think lightly of men.Marriages are left to mutual The lack of real intercourse.This vagueness of the Confucian mind re- arrangement.The men are violent and tyrannical and skilled in the use of garding the West was no doubt a product of lack of interest and lack of weapons.They wear short coats and tip their black felt hats as a sign of contact,combined with genuine distaste.Outland merchants on the fringe politeness.The Swedes and the Englishmen like to take snuff,which they of the empire were more often heard of than seen.Printed sources of in- carry in little containers made of golden thread." formation regarding them were few and out of date.As merchants they In view of the trouble which the Manchu court had already had with the were beneath attention,and as barbarians with powerful arms they were no British at Canton,the scant attention given to England is particularly note- doubt easier to forget about entirely.The Westerners in China had never worthy:"This barbarian people's clothing and adornment resemble those been numerous,and in the eighteenth century they were effectively quaran- of a country which is very wealthy.The males mostly wear wool and love tined.The decadent,part-half-caste community of Macao remained walled to drink wine.The females,when they have not yet married,bind their off on its peninsula;the Thirteen Factories at Canton were outside the waists,desiring that they be slender.They wear disheveled hair which hangs city walls,from which foreigners were excluded.All contact with foreign over their eyebrows,short clothing and layers of skirts.When they go out merchants was mediated through a special class of compradores,linguists, for a walk,then they add a big coat."1s shroffs and Chinese merchants,as well as through a special language. Rather curiously,space is devoted to central European countries like Semanticists have paid too little attention to this early international Hungary and Poland,whose people are said to resemble Mongols.The language of eastern Asia,known as pidgin,that is,business,English.This Hungarians ride on horseback,educate their women,and are rich in natural medium of communication was the bastard offspring of Portuguese,Chinese, resources of livestock and metals.Poland is very cold and the people wear and English,with numerous local additions.It followed the Chinese word furs.Presumably this sort of information was secured by the Chinese order,which fortunately agreed with that of English,and it included compilers from Russian rather than Cantonese sources.Russia is said cor- duplicatives like chop-chop (quick),in the Chinese fashion.From the rectly to have presented tribute in 1676 and to have made a boundary agree- Portuguese came words like joss (dios),which by the nineteenth century ment in 1689. produced "joss-pidgin man"for missionary.From the Anglo-Indian cul- The illustrations in this work are obviously copied by Chinese artists ture were added words like chit and tifin.In general this language from foreign originals.The Europeans have Chinese eyes,but authentic amounted to a translation of Chinese into a restricted international vocabu- Western costumes.One interesting sociological reference is to the "Black- lary.Since all aspects of life,from table-talk to homicide,and philosophy, devil slaves"(hei-kuei-nu)born in the islands beyond the seas,who serve were discussed during the East India Company period in this medium,it the Dutch.14 But the final effect,after the major states of Southeast Asia is small wonder that cultural understanding did not proceed more rapidly.b have been listed,is an utter and indiscriminate confusion among the bar- barians of England,France,Sweden,Japan,Borneo,Johore,Holland, b Pidgin English,being spoken and not written,changed rapidly with the passage of time.Carl Crow gives this Russia,Sungora,Cambodia,Spain in the Philippines,Java,Malacca,and Taipan: stop godown inside? Compradore:Lat (that)cargo be no can walkee just now.Lt man Kong Tal (the purchaser) Sumatra. he no got ploper sclew (security)." How long this confusion persisted was strikingly shown by the imperial Taipan:"How come you talkee sclew no ploper?My have sot sclew paper safe inside." commissioner Ch'i-ying in November 1844,just after he had negotiated bscondri ta hinternd paper be no can do.Lat sclew man he bave go Ningpo Comprado the treaties with Britain,the United States,and France which opened China Modern linguistic nhows the characteristic pidinEnglhofliked"(top to the West.No one in China should have been better informed than he setimetytmeme) 一fashion”(mric-fashion,bgw-fashion), about the barbarians.He explained to the emperor that France (Fo-lan-ksi) water,ooksee for look at or watch over,"more-proper for better,"have-talkee for said or told, oper"for better,"have-talkee"for said or told, was usually a question.and-answer dialogue12 CHINA'S UNPREPAREDNESS Modern France is again confused with Fo-lang-chi or the Portugal of the Ming period. England and Sweden are recorded as countries dependent upon Holland. In religious matters, the Portuguese-French are reported to have been Buddhist countries before they accepted Catholicism, and the Pope is said to have come from Italy to present tribute in 1725. The characterization of the Western barbarians stresses superficialities: "their flesh is dazzling white, and their noses are lofty . . . their custom is to esteem women and think lightly of men. Marriages are left to mutual arrangement. The men are violent and tyrannical and skilled in the use of weapons. They wear short coats and tip their black felt hats as a sign of politeness. The Swedes and the Englishmen like to take snuff, which they carry in little containers made of golden thread." In view of the trouble which the Manchu court had already had with the British at Canton, the scant attention given to England is particularly note￾worthy: "This barbarian people's clothing and adornment resemble those of a country which is very wealthy. The males mostly wear wool and love to drink wine. The females, when they have not yet married, bind their waists, desiring that they be slender. They wear disheveled hair which hangs over their eyebrows, short clothing and layers of skirts. When they go out for a walk, then they add a big coat." 13 Rather curiously, space is devoted to central European countries like Hungary and Poland, whose people are said to resemble Mongols. The Hungarians ride on horseback, educate their women, and are rich in natural resources of livestock and metals. Poland is very cold and the people wear furs. Presumably this sort of information was secured by the Chinese compilers from Russian rather than Cantonese sources. Russia is said cor￾rectly to have presented tribute in 1676 and to have made a boundary agree￾ment in 1689. The illustrations in this work are obviously copied by Chinese artists from foreign originals. The Europeans have Chinese eyes, but authentic Western costumes. One interesting sociological reference is to the "Black￾devil slaves" (hei-kuei-nu) born in the islands beyond the seas, who serve the Dutch.14 But the final effect, after the major states of Southeast Asia have been listed, is an utter and indiscriminate confusion among the bar￾barians of England, France, Sweden, Japan, Borneo, Johore, Holland, Russia, Sungora, Cambodia, Spain in the Philippines, Java, Malacca, and Sumatra. How long this confusion persisted was strikingly shown by the imperial commissioner Ch'i-ying in November 1844, just after he had negotiated the treaties with Britain, the United States, and France which opened China to the West. No one in China should have been better informed than he about the barbarians. He explained to the emperor that France (Fo-lan-hsi) CHIN A"S RESPONSE TO THE WEST 13 was the same as the Fo-lang-chi (Portugal) of the Ming period; that under the influence of Matteo Ricci, the great Jesuit, the French had been induced to give up Macao to the Portuguese, even though Franc~ was ten times as strong.15 France, of course, had never held Macao. This whole cock-and￾bull story probably illustrates the Paul Bunyan quality taken on by the legend of Matteo Ricci, who had already become the tutelary deity of clocks in China (known popularly as Li-ma-tou p'u-sa). The lack oj real intercourse. This vagueness of the Confucian mind re￾garding the West was no doubt a product of lack of interest and lack of contact, combined with genuine distaste. Outland merchants on the fringe of the empire were more often heard of than seen. Printed sources of in￾formation regarding them were few and out of date. As merchants they were beneath attention, and as barbarians with powerful arms they were no doubt easier to forget about entirely. The Westerners in China had never been numerous, and in the eighteenth century they were effectively quaran￾tined. The decadent, part-haH-caste community of Macao remained walled off on its peninsula; the Thirteen Factories at Canton were outside the city walls, from which foreigners were excluded. All contact with foreign· merchants was mediated through a special class of compradores, linguists, shroffs and Chinese merchants, as well as through a special language. Semanticists have paid too little attention to this early international language of eastern Asia, known as pidgin, that is, business,English. This medium of communication was the bastard offspring of Portuguese, Chinese, and Eqglish, with numerous local additions. It followed the Chinese word order, which fortunately agreed with that of English, and it included duplicatives like chop-chop (quick), in the Chinese fashion. From the Portuguese came words like joss (dios), which by the nineteenth century produced "joss-pidgin man" for missionary. From the Anglo-Indian cul￾ture were added words like chit and tiffin. In general this language amounted to a translation of Chinese into a restricted international vocabu￾lary. Since all aspects of life, from table-talk to homicide .and philosophy, were discussed during the East India Company period in this medium, it is small wonder that cultural understanding did not proceed more rapidly.b b Pidgin English, being spoken and not written, changed rapidly with the passage of time. Carl Crow gives this example from the more recent past: Taipan: "How fashion that chow-chow (miscellaneous) cargo he iust now stop godown inside?" Compradore: "'Lat (that) cargo he no can walkee iust now. 'Lat man Kong Tai (the purchaser) he no got ploper sclew (security)." Taipan: "How come you talkee sclew no ploper? My have got sclew paper safe inside." Compradore: "Aiyah I 'Lat sclew paper he no can do. 'Lat sclew man he have go Ningpo more far (i.e., absconded into the hinterland)." . Modern linguistic analysis shows the characteristic pidgin English use of suffixes like " - side" (top￾side, bund-side), "-time" (plenty-time, what-time), "-fashion" (,merican-fashion, how-fashion), ,,_ piecee" (three-piecee rickshaws) as well as the use of compounds like "chow-water" for drinking water, "look-see" for look at or watch over, "more-proper" for better, "have-talkee" for said or told, "makee-die" for die, etc., etc. Conversation in pidgin was usually a question-and-answer dialogue