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East Sails West: The Voyage of the Keying, 1846–1855
Author:Stephen Davies (Author)
Publisher: Hong Kong University Press
Publication date: 2013-12-13
Language: English
Print length: 376 pages
ISBN-10: 9888208209
ISBN-13: 9789888208203
Book Description
In December 1846, the Keying, a Chinese junk purchased by British investors, set sail from Hong Kong for London. Named after the Chinese Imperial Commissioner who had signed away Hong Kong to the British, manned by a Chinese and European crew, and carrying a travelling exhibition of Chinese items, the Keying had a troubled voyage. After quarrels on the way and a diversion to New York, culminating in a legal dispute over arrears of wages for Chinese members of the crew, it finally reached London in 1848, where it went on exhibition on the River Thames until 1853. It was then auctioned off, towed to Liverpool, and finally broken up. In this account of the ship, the crew and the voyage, Stephen Davies tells a story of missed opportunities, with an erratic course, overambitious aims, and achievements born of lucky breaks―a microcosm, in fact, of early Hong Kong and of the relations between China and the West.
Review
“Davies presents a superbly written lively account of the junk Keying and its famous voyage from Hong Kong to New York and London. Being of a naval tradition himself and understanding the intricacies of marine voyages and naval architecture, the author re
“An erudite and scholarly account of a largely forgotten mid-nineteenth century verifiable voyage of the three-masted Chinese trading junk, Keying from Hong Kong to London via the Cape of Good Hope, New York and Boston, which will be of interest to all ma
“Davies has brought a little-known story of Chinese economic and cultural outreach to light. Rising above the heated controversies regarding just where and how far afield junks could and did travel, he presents an entertaining but carefully documented ta.
From the Back Cover
