News from the Sea III
Buenos dias,
Back to Porto after five years and got baked in the roaring heat. Last
time, when we called in on our way sailing from China to England, the
ancient port offered a real delight as we meandered into many a distillery
on the southern shore of Rio Douro to learn and to have a taste of Sandman,
Offlay, and other port, a 19 degree liquor made of the grapes from this
region. This time, we discovered museums with air-con.
Drinking a glass of iced Coke in an ornate 18th century building, images
floated up, the red drink in front of me suddenly turned into my favourite
port, and time flashed back 500 years. In an equally magnificent house,
ladies and gentlemen had just finished supper. The men went into a large
room with soft, comfortable sofas around a fireplace, and sat down. The
host passed on a bottle of Tawny, a red port that would have been kept in
the barrel for more than five years before bottling. The longer a Tawny is
kept, the richer the taste, and, the pricier. Time for serious conversation
in the subjects of politics, economics and the like. The latest interests
were focused on the discoveries of other continents and their treasures.
By 1503, Columbus from Genoa, Italy, financed by Queen Isabella of Castile
in Spain, had discovered the New World, i.e., America, which they thought
was India and called the locals Red Indians. Later a Portuguese sailor
from Sines, Vasco de Gama, discovered the sea route to India, and called the
locals Indianas. He had also circumnavigated Africa, and regarded Cape of
Good Hope, originally called Cape of Storms, the end of the world.
Between Columbus, and de Gama, The Spanish and Portuguese had discovered all
other continents except Autralia. No wonder that they decided to divide the
world into two, one half each, save arguments.
What would our gentlemen have been talking about during the party in the
gorgeous house in Porto, the birthplace of Prince Henry, known as Henry the
navigator?
Lord Juliao: (The man had a broad voice, full of enthusiasm.) So there are
more to the New World then to meet the eye. But what are we going to do
with all our discoveries? The Red Indians in America, the Indians in Asia,
and the Blacks in Africa are such a backward lot. Dont you agree that it
is our duty to sort them out and make use of the vast resources theyve got?
Lord Guia: (A close ally to King Manual I, and was considered the brain
behind all political reforms.) You are right to say that these people dont
have much as we do here, but it would take generations to educate them.
Besides, what is the benefit of putting all our efforts into making other
peoples our equals? Theyd become our best enemies and that would keep our
good King awake all night, (He chuckled.) and us too.
Lord Flusses: (The host.) Oh, thats not what we want, is it? To be
always on the lookout. How boring! Though, (He quickly looked over to Lord
Juliao.) I have to say that I find Lord Juliaos moral capacity impressive!
They raised their glasses for Lord Juliao, who felt so good about himself
and didnt pursue his moral imperative any longer.
As it turned out, the Portuguese made the Azores, Madeira, and Brazil crown
colonies. In 1882, Brazil declared independence. Today, 55% of the
population of the former colony is White, descendents of European
immigrants; Mixed, 22%; Black, 12%; others, 11%. (The Chambers
Encyclopaedia, CHAMBERS HARRAP, 2001). Population of the Red Indians,
unknown.
Thank goodness that John Cabot (also from Genoa) set off from Bristol in
1497 and reached New Foundland instead of Cathy, i.e. China. King Henry
VII of England had sponsored him to find easier trade routes with China as
the Silk Road was having problems at the time. By 1503, following the
overseas adventures (between 1403 -1433) led by the Chinese Admiral Zheng
He, on missions of goodwill, the Emperors of the Ming dynasty had decided
that there were no worthy trading partners outside China and closed the
door. From then on, the Chinese civilization started to disintegrate. My
ancestors in the 16th century would not have been able to cope with the
European imperialists. As it approved later, when the door was opened
temporally in the 19th century to trade with Europe, the imperialists came
and what happened? Disaster!
Just as ships were built in Bristol to sail to Africa and take on slaves,
who were sold in America in exchange for sugar and tobacco, which were then
sold in Europe for money and goodies during the 16th - 18th century; opium
was grown in Myanmar/Burma, later a British colony, and sold in China for
Gold and Silver. The Qing dynasty Chinese tried to stop the opium trade by
burning opium ships and killing Christian missionaries. Oops! Queen
Victoria felt so strongly about it that she sent an armada to invade China.
The first Opium War, the Chinese defeated the British. The second, when six
other European countries and America joined the British, the Chinese did not
have a chance. Shanghai, Hong Kong, Macao, and a few other coastal cities
were made colonies of the eight countries.
As I understand from the very moving movie Ghandi, and the notice board
outside the Naval Club in Hong Kong which said, No dogs or Chinamen! it
must have been pretty awful to be colonized. So, I would cross my fingers
that the imperialists will not come back. But, things can change. What if
they did?
Leave the Asians and the Africans to get on with their own businesses!
After all, every human being on earth is entitled to a decent life! In
front of God, we are all equals! (Jane Eyre, 1847, Charlotte Bronte) In
front of Man, we are marked by prejudice! (News from the sea, 2003, Emily
Zhou Shu Rose)
Too much port. Lets have a look at the ladies in the beautifully decorated
house in 1503.
Not much was recorded of the kind of speech a lady would have made of that
time. But we can steal a glimpse of insight from Oscar Wildes play, The
Importance of Being Earnest.
Lady Bracknell (pencil and note-book in hand): I feel bound to tell you
that you are not down on my list of eligible young men, although I have the
same list as the dear Duchess of Bolton has. We work together, in fact.
However, I am quite ready to enter your name, should your answers be what a
really affectionate mother requires. Do you smoke?
Jack: Well, yes, I must admit I smoke.
Lady Bracknell: I am glad to hear it. A man should always have an
occupation of some kind. There are far too many idle men in London as it
is. How old are you?
Jack: Twenty-nine.
Lady Bracknell: A very good age to be married at. I have always been of
opinion that a man who desires to get married should know either everything
or nothing. Which do you know?
Jack (after some hesitation): I know nothing, Lady Bracknell.
Lady Bracknell: I am pleased to hear it. I do not approve of anything that
tampers with natural ignorance. Ignorance is like a delicate exotic fruit;
touch it and the bloom is gone. The whole theory of modern education is
radically unsound. Fortunately in England, at any rate, education produces
no effect whatsoever. If it did, it would prove a serious danger to the
upper classes, and probably leads to a revolution. And you know where that
has led the French
Alas, everyone I know who has been to France has loved it for its good life,
good food, good wine, good roads, good public services, well-behaved
children, etc. The French hasnt done very badly after all.
2003, we sat in the beautiful Baroque house, having iced Coke and coffee in
Porto, trying to summarize the progress human beings have made in the past
500 years. No more legalised slave or opium trades, there is globalisation.
Means of communication from pigeon letters to the Internet. More
decolonisation on earth, and an increase in space exploration.
Thousands of years ago, an African emperor looked across the ocean and said
to his men, There must be land like ours beyond the sea. And he sent
ships to sail west, some landed in South America. Today, we only know that
such foresight existed from literature carved on stones. The people who had
recorded their history? Long gone. Killed off by foreign diseases more
than anything else, apparently. What would happen if our planet were not
the only lucky one that has the ingredients for life? It would only be a
matter of time before a machine could take us everywhere we wished in the
universe. Quite fancy the idea of visiting other intelligent beings in
other galaxies. Would they like port? At least, we can raise a glass to
ourselves for the undying free spirit, the curiosity, and the courage, which
has led us to a certain degree of consciousness of who we are and where we
are. Cheers!!!
Emily
(Copyright Emily Zhou Shu Rose 2003)
https://blog.sina.com.cn/s/blog_491591f0010002qu.html (Chinese translation, part 1)