Part 2 — A Great Curiosity Coming to this Port--A Yankee Speculation

New York Daily Tribune

February 6, 1847, p.1

It appears that a new visitor may shortly be expected in these parts:

Novel Speculation.--An enterprising Yankee at Canton has recently built a Chinese Junk of 300 tons fitted and rigged entirely after the Chinese mode, which he intends taking to New York, loading her with every species of China knicknacs, curiosities, etc. to be sold on board after arrival off that city. He takes also a Chinese crew, a theatrical and juggling company, males and females, and everything curious, illustrative of the manners and customs of the Celestials.

The junk will have canvas sails and a Christian rudder to make her suitable for the long voyage, but upon arrival at the Narrows, every thing foreign will be replaced by Chinese articles, mat sails, clumsy rudder and all, and the junk anchor off the city in her entire oriental costume and build, where she will remain as a show shop, sale room and mountebank exhibition. It is expected she will make the passage in five months.

The cost of the whole affair will be about $30,000, and the “cute” proprietor will undoubtedly realize a large fortune. After having exhausted the United States, he has been offered $30,000 to deliver his junk in England. The Manhattanese will stare as broadly at the strange sight of a cruiser from the flowery land sailing up their noble river, as did the aborigines when old Hendrick Hudson astonished their unsophisticated senses by a display of his Dutch canvas in their bay. The junks are said to be good sea boats, and nothing worse than delay is feared in the voyage. We only wonder some one never thought of it before.