X (")) B Cornell University 9 Library The original of tliis book is in tine Cornell University Library. There are no known copyright restrictions in the United States on the use of the text. http://www.archive.org/details/cu31924023257185 STREET OF BENEVOLENCE AND LOVE, CANTON. ORIENT AND OCCIDENT: a journey east From Lahore to Liverpool, MAJOR-GENERAL R, C- W. REVELEY MITFORD, Author of " To Cabul with the Cavalry Brigade." WITH ILLUSTRATIONS FROM SKETCHES BY THE AUTHOR. W. H. ALLEN & Co., 13, WATERLOO PLACE. MDCCCLXXXVm. \^| S^qGb " 1 shall tell you A pretty tale ; it may be you have heard it. ' But, since it serves ray purpose, I will venture ' To scale't a little more." Coriolanus. Act i, Scene I. CONTENTS. Chapter I. — INDIA. page. Lahore — Lucknow — Benares — Calcutta ... ... i Chapter II.— AT SEA. The Hooghly — Penang — Singapore — The " City of Fragrant Streams." ... ... ... ... 17 Chapter III.— CHINA. Hongkong — The Hotel — The Theatre — Victoria Peak — The Happy Valley ... ... ... 34 Chapter IV.— CHINA. Canton — The River — The City — Shops, Temples, and Pagodas — Fortifications — Horrors — Chinese Ladies ... ... ... ... ... 55 Chapter V.— JAPAN. Nagasaki — The People — The Town — The Flowers — Pappenberg — The Inland Sea ... ... 83 Chapter VI.— JAPAN. Kobe — Arima — Hot Baths — Our First Tea House — Shops and Sights^Kioto ... ... ... 97 Chapter VII.— JAPAN. Ceramics — Embroideries — Bronzes — Theatres — Lake Biwa — Exhibition ... ... ... 113 Chapter VIIL— JAPAN. Osaka — Nara — Daiboots — At Sea again 131 Chapter IX.— JAPAN. Yokohama — The Peerless Mountain — Nikko— Chiuzenji ... ... ... ... ••■ ••• 146 Chapter X.— JAPAN. Rough Travelling — Ikao — Tokio — Fetes — Tea ... 164 Chapter XL— JAPAN. The Tokaido — Miyanoshta and its Neighbourhood — Enoshima — Kamakura — A Japanese Fairy Tale 178 Chapter XII.— JAPAN. Tokio — The Castle — Asaksa — Varuna — Entertain- ments — Farewell to Japan ... ... ... 199 Chapter XIII.-^CALIFORNIA. Pacific Ocean — San Francisco — The Palace Hotel — The Fire Brigade — Railway Peculiarities... 217 ■Chapter XIV.— CALIFORNIA. The Yosemite VaUey — The Big Trees — The Grand Army-^A Ranche — Monterey ... ... ... 237 Chapter XV.— THE STATES. San Francisco to Lake Tahoe — Tallack — Across the Desert — Salt Lake City — The Mormons at Home ... ... ... ... ... ... 264 Chapter XVI.— THE STATES. The Rockies — Manitou — Colorado Springs — Denver — Chicago ... ... ... ... 284 Chapter XVII.— CANADA. Niagara — Toronto — The St. Lawrence — Montreal Quebec 304 m Chapter XVIII.— THE STATES. Lake Champlain and Lake George — Saratoga— The Hudson — Arrival at New York — Boston 320 Chapter XIX.— NEW YORK. The City— Brooklyn— The Harbour — The Stock Exchange — The " Wild, West " — Farewell to America — Home! ... ... ... ... 338 LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS. PAGE. A Street in Canton ... ... ... frontispiece. Tomb of Runjeet Singh ... ... ... . . 3 City Gate, Lahore ... ... ... ... 4 Scindiah's Ghat, Benares ... ... ... ... 12 Scene on the Ganges below Calcutta ... ... ig Cocos Isles ... ... ... ... ... ... 20 Penang, from the ship ... ... ... ... 22 Singapore Harbour ... ... ... ... ... 24 The Traveller's Joy ... ... ... ... 26 A Chinese Sedan-chair ... ... ... ... 35 The Theatre, Hongkong... ... ... ... 40 A Theatrical General ... ... ... ... 43 The Hero ... ... ... ... ... ... 45 Hongkong Harbour ... ... ... ... ... 49 Victoria Peak from Kowloon ... ... ... 53 Hongkong Police ... ... ... ... ... 54 Canton River ... ... ... ... ... 56 Temple Gateway, Canton ... ... ... ... 70 A Slipper-boat ... ... ... ... ... 80 Japanese Flower-seller ... ... ... ... 88 " La Haute Politesse " 90 The Bronze Horse ... ... ... ... ... 92 PAGE. Pappenberg ... ... ... ... .*. 94 The Inland Sea ... ... ... ... ... 96 A Blind Shampooer ... ... ... ... 98 " The Waving Scarf " ... ... ... ... 99 The Road to Arima ... ... ... ... 100 A Moosmi 102 Arima ... ... ... ... ... ... 104 Japanese Boat ... ... ... ... ... 106 View from Ya- Ami's Hotel, Kioto ... ... no The Great Bell ... ... ... ... ... 113 Megane-bashi ... ... ... ... ... 114 Draper's Shop... ... ... ... ... ... 116 The Ballet... ... ... ... ... ... 122 Frequent Visitors ... ... ... ... ... 125 The Innocent Monkeys ... ... ... ... 128 A Japanese Garden- ... ... ... ... ... 131 Nature and Art ... First siffht of Nara ... 133 134 Nara Village and Tea-house ... ... ...» 136 A Pedlar's Stall " 140 A Village Belle 142 The Bluff, Yokohama ... ... ... ... 147 " Sayonara ! " ... ... ... ... ... i^g The Pilgrims' Road ... ... ... 1^0 Suzuki's Hotel, Nikko ... ... ... ... 1^2 A Temple Roof ... ... ... ... ... lex Tomb of the " Great Shogun ".. . ... ... irQ The Idol Avenue ... ... ... ... ... jrg PAGE. A Doubtful Luxury ... ... ... ... i6i Prayer-wheel ... ... ... ... ... ... 162 Bronze Lantern ... ... ... ... ... 164 Votive Buddha 166 A Japanese Waiter ... ... ... ... 172 Pounding Grain 179 Hakon6 182 View from Otomitoge ... ... ... ... 187 Enoshima ... ... ... ... ■•• ■•• 190 Daiboots ■ 193 Kamakura ... ... ... ... ■■■ ■•• 194 The Guardians of the Gate 205 A Daimio "n Court Dress 206 Ringing the Temple Gong 213 A Japanese Artist 216 Californian Miner's Hut 235 The Cathedral Spires 237 Nevada Falls .: 239 An Irrigation- Well ... ... ... ... 24 t Forest Giants ... ... ... ... ... ... 250 Swimming- Bath, Monterey ... ... ... 261 Cypress Point... ... ... ... ... ... 262 Tallack, Lake Tahoe ... ... ... ... 268 Indians of the Sierras ... ... ... ... 270 The Great Salt Lake ... ... ... ... 274 Salt Lake City 275 The Mormon Tabernacle ... ... ... 276 Castle Gate 285 CHAPTER I. INDIA. LAHORE LUCKNOW BENARES CALCUTTA. HE cold weather of 1885-86 was nearly over, and the troops which had gone to the great Camp at Delhi from the Upper Punjab and Trans-Indus had all passed back again by road or rail when we started from Lahore on our long-contemplated tour, which was to complete our journey round the world, and take us back to old England by routes hitherto little travelled, and which consequently added the charm of the unknown to the novelty of the unseen. What a contrast Lahore presents now to my first experience of it, more than thirty years ago ! Then there were mud walls and^^thatched roofs, where now rise fine public and private buildings of burnt brick E 2 LAHORE. or grey sandstone — then there were few trees and no grass, where now are stately avenues and beautiful lawns, and gardens — then the toys of the Sikh youngsters were wooden sword and shield, to be soon exchanged for steel and buffalo-hide ; now they play with pen and ink. and their one ambition is wealth— then the only means of reaching Lahore were mairching, or slowly creeping along the dusty road in a " dooly " ; now the iron horse has not only reached Lahore, but even far Peshawur — then an English letter was six weeks or more on the road, while now it accomplishes its journey in three. One thing only is unchanged ; the dreary, dismal canton- ment of Meean Meer, with its baking hot weather and oven-like barracks, its boiling rainy-season and marrow-chilling winter, its sorry bungalows and brackish water, is still the dread of every regiment in the Bengal Presidency — with what good reason its teeming grave-yards and overflowing hospitals too sadly show. It can boast of the finest church and the most prosperous cemetery in India ! Tradition asserts that " Old Charley Napier," who selected the site for the cantonments, rode out one morning for the purpose, and that his favourite horse stumbled while cantering over the deserted Mahommedan grave-yard at Meean Meer. The hot-tempered old warrior swore he would go no farther, so this deadly TOMB OP MAHARAJA BBNJEET SINGH, LAHORE. PUBLIC BUILDINGS. 3 spot became the home (in too many cases the last ! ) of the chief garrison of the Punjab. Lahore is one of the very few places in India in which any permanent trace of our occupancy would remain fifty years hence, supposing we were to leave the country to-morrow ; here the record would be kept by the fine cathedral which is rapidly approach- ing completion under the fostering care and personal supervision of the Bishop of the Diocese, Dr. French, whose own career in the country is one long story of Christian courage and noble self-sacrifice. This building will divide the interest of future visitors with the old fort in the city, though I fear our western architecture cannot vie in beauty of conception or magnificence of material with the shrines enclosed in those battlemented walls. The " Jumma Musjid," or Great Mosque, the beautiful armory, and, chief of all, the fairy-like tomb of Runjeet Sing, with its marble domes and gilded spires, mark an era in Indian architecture whose most glorious culmination is seen in the Jumma Musjid at Delhi and the unapproach- able Taj Mahil at Agra. It is painful to turn from these grand edifices to the railway station, which, though well and solidly constructed of red sandstone, presents to the eye a hideous mixture of Eastern and Western styles — Norman towers and Indian minarets — the gateway of a county jail with the B 2 4 LAHORE. architrave of a Hindoo temple — a fortress without and a booking-office within ! However, in spite of its uncouth appearance, it answers its purpose as a commodious and even comfortable point of departure. After going through the tedious ceremonies of taking tickets {signed by the booking-office Baboo ! ) and booking luggage, we settled ourselves in the carriage, and at 6.18 p.m. a puff and snort from the engine announced that we had actually started on our long journey, taking with us from Meean Meer Station the valued good wishes of old and dear friends. We had plenty of room in the first class, but the second-class carriages are frequently, and the third- class always, crowded with natives, though by no means of the poorest orders. Many of the richest bankers and shop-keepers use them in order to save a small sum ; while, on the other hand, chiefs hke Holkar, Scindia and other princes, have their own private saloon-carriages, and often engage special trains as well. The varied scenes at the different stations are always interesting and amusing; the brilliant colours of turbans and robes, quaint and cumbrous bundles of bedding or clothes, bedsteads, chairs, stacks of sugar-cane, hawkers' trays full of cakes, fruit, or sweetmeats, shoes or slippers, brass- ware or wood carvings, make an everchanging RAILWAY TRAVELLING. 5 kaleidoscope by day ; while at night the never- ceasing crowd stumbles about on the platforms under meagre oil-lamps placed at long intervals, that only make the darkness more felt ; and by day or night the harsh native voices, shouting to know where " brother Ram Singh," or " Imam Bux — ah ! " has hidden himself, form a varied chorus in thorough keeping with the motley sight. I must say that our Indian subjects are wonderfully amenable to authority, and the head-man of a village, the owner of many rupees and acres, will allow himself to be pushed and pulled, ranted and raved at, by a jack-in-office holding the same position as an English porter ; but let the " chuprassies," as they are called, beware of a native soldier ! He is a " servant of the Queen," and heartily despises all who do not wear our Sovereign's uniform. We are off at last, and soon darkness sets in, -and we make ourselves comfortable for the night. This consists in spreading blankets, sheets, and " rezais," or quilts, on the broad cushioned seats which slide out six or eight inches from the side so as to make wider couches, while others let down from the roof and form upper berths. This is really the most comfortable way of travelling by night which I have ever met with, and is greatly superior to the much- 6 SIKH PROPHECY. vaunted but insufferably stuffy Pullman sleeping cars used in America. The line as far as Saharunpore was very shaky from need of fresh ballasting — by-the-bye there is a strange story about the ballast used on this hne. During the -sanguinary conflicts between the Sikhs and Mussulmans, when the latter endeavoured, unsuccessfully, to crush the strange new faith, the two sons of one of the chief Gooroos, or religious leaders of the Sikhs, were given as hostages to the Mussulmans, by whom they were perfidiously put to death in the great city of Sirhind, not far from Umballa. When the news of their murder reached the Gooroo, he rose up in wrath and anguish and cursed the Mussulmans, saying that their power should be destroyed by a nation from beyond the sea, who would scatter the bricks of Sirhind from the Sutlej to the Indus. At Delhi, in 1857, the English " from beyond the sea," destroyed the last remnant of Mussulman rule in India ; but the latter part of the prediction seemed as far from fulfilment as ever, (though our Sikh soldiers, when passing Sirhind on the march or on furlough, would always carry away a few bricks to throw on the road,) when, in 1868, while the railway was being made from Umballa, close to the Sutlej, to Lahore, it was decided to use the ruins of Sirhind as ballast, and LUCKNOW. 7 the material was found sufficient to continue the line to Attock on the Indus. Thus the Gooroo's prediction has been literally carried out ! Passing Saharunpore with its famous mango-groves and horticultural gardens, Meerut, Allyghur, and other large cantonments and civil stations, including Cawnpore of sad and bloody memory, we at length reached our first resting-place, Lucknow. Here a visit was paid to the grave of one of England's noblest sons and greatest soldier-heroes — Ilodson of Hodson's Horse — and we were much pleased to find this and other graves of those who fell during the siege in excellent order, each tomb surrounded on three sides by brick walls, the fourth, or front bemg filled in by an iron railing or wall with iron gate. Triple rows of palm-trees have been planted round each enclosure, and were now about a foot high. I hope others who, like myself, take a deep personal interest in these hallowed spots, may read these lines and know that the municipality of Lucknow shows such a just appreciation of those who died for their country in her hour of danger. The grave with which we were especially concerned is on the edge of the Martiniere park, and near the palace-tomb called La Martiniere after its builder, Claude Martine, who made a fortune in the service of the old Kings of Oude. This fantastic building 8 LUCKNOW. presents a curious mixture of Mussulman and Italian architecture, and consists of a central domed hall like a mosque, under which repose the bones of the founder, and two large wings semi-circular in shape, the facade ornamented by plaster casts of Roman and Grecian statues. It is approached by a broad flight of steps with lions at the angles of the balustrades, and reminds the visitor somewhat of St. Peter's at Rome. In front of the building is a large tank, from the centre of which rises a tall column as a special memorial of Claude Martine, who also left a considerable sum of money to endow a school for Eurasian children. This good work is still carried on in his palace under very able super- vision, and many lads are annually sent into Government employ or private trade, with sound educations and fair chances of success in life. We next visited the Wingfield Park, a public garden well laid out with verdant lawns, bright flower-beds, trees and shrubs. It was difficult to beheve that this and other park-hke open spaces, looking so green and peaceful now, had been occupied by the closely-packed, squahd huts and murderous scoundrels through whose midst I had often ridden during and after the siege in 1858. The famous Residency buildings have, with good taste, been preserved intact, save for a stanchion THE RESIDENCY. 9 here and there to support a falhng arch or crumbling wall ; but the surrounding grounds are laid out in lawns and flower-beds and most carefully tended ; their trim beauty forms a strong contrast to the grim and war-worn ruins which looked down on the suffering and slaughter of so many brave men and noble women. The marks of cannon-shot and bullet are thickly spread over and through the masonry ; and though much of the buildings is now clothed with creepers, enough still remains bare to show many a sign of- the fierce struggle between the loyal few and the rebellious many — one side urged on by maddening lust and religious fury, the other grimly fighting for more than life, for the glory of our country and the honour of our women. Tablets let into the walls record the chief events of that ever-memorable defence on the very spots where they occurred : one shows the room in which good and brave Sir Henry Lawrence received his death-wound ; another points out the " tykhana," or underground cellar-hke apartment in which the soldiers' wives of H.M.'s 32nd Regiment were placed for safety, though even here the deadly missiles found their victims, as is shown by the stones in the neighbouring cemetery, where the deaths from shot and shell of loving wives and sisters, of young mothers and tender babes, are all too frequently recorded. It is a place filled with lO LUCKNOW. sad and noble memories of untold suffering and unrewarded heroism ; perhaps the most touching of all the epitaphs is the short, modest, soldierly line which, at his own request, alone marks the leader's tomb : " Here lies Henry Lawrence, who tried to do his duty." The chief public buildings of the King's time are in thorough repair, and infinitely cleaner than they ever were under their former masters ! Many are occupied by the Government, and one of the chief palaces, the Furhad Buksh, is used as a museum, where can be seen in carefully arranged cases specimens of local produce, handiwork and art ; the latter principally consist of poor imitations of Cashmere silver-gilt ware, and very good clay models of natives, fruit, leaves, &c. The royal emblem, which may be heraldically described as " two fish rampant," is seen on all the buildings, especially on the great Imambira in the Hooseinabad quarter, where also are found many of the royal standards — gilt or golden hands mounted on staves, like the old Roman eagles, and carried in front of the King on state occasions. In this Imambara is an immense room, said to possess the widest flat ceiling, unsupported by pillars, in the world ; in the centre of the marble pavement are the representations of the tombs of Hussun and CHANGES. 1 1 Hoossein, the two sons of the Prophet killed at Kerbela ; these are covered with plates of solid silver, as also are the small table or stool for the Koran, and the pulpit from which the officiating priest thunders the dogmas of Mahomed. Near the silver railing which surrounds the tombs stand several very handsome candelabra of the same metal, offerings of the Mussulman grandees of Oude. The iron and stone bridges over the river Goomtee still remain, but the bridge of boats has disappeared, and in its stead (emblem of the new dispensation !) a massive railway-viaduct spans the stream, and stretches its arches over the low-lying ground on the left bank. Other significant changes have also taken place : the Chutter Munzil Palace is now the Lucknow Club ; the enclosure of Secundra Bagh where over two thousand mutineers lay dead after the fierce onslaught of the 93rd Highlanders and Sikhs, is now a quiet corner for a picnic ; the wide dome of the Shah Nujjuf which re-echoed the shouts of Peel's victorious tars, now repeats the Moollah's murmured prayers ; and the corridors of the Kaiser Bigh, the royal palace of the King, deserted by their crowds of courtiers, nobles, jugglers, and courtezans, are rarely trodden save by the foot of some native care-taker or European traveller. After revisiting as many of the points of interest 12 BENARES. as our time permitted, we quitted Hill's comfortable hotel, and started again by rail via Fyzabad, or Ajoodhia, the ancient capital of Oude, for Benares. The train proceeded smoothly but slowly, so that we had ample, time to glance at the many royal or saintly tombs, stately domes, graceful minarets and ruined mosques which are thickly scattered along the route, especially round Fyzabad itself, where they form beautiful pictures with back-grounds of fine tamarind-trees for vyhich the locality is famous. Night soon came on, and when we again looked out at early dawn, it was to see the Hindoo spires of the Holy City instead of the Mussulman domes of Luckilow. The people of Benares are the very reverse of the " Great Unwashed," judging from the countless swarms of bathers on the banks of the sacred Ganges, though I hardly think that washing in such muddy water can be altogether conducive to cleanliness ! The best view of the city is from the opposite (right) bank of the river, as seen by the traveller arriving from Calcutta and Allahabad. For about a mile the northern (left) shore is considerably raised, so that the city appears to stand on a hill, and its river-face is buttressed by an almost unbroken succession of flights of stone steps descending from the town above to the water's edge, and forming the celebrated THE GHATS. I 3 " GhS.ts." Above these steps tower the spires of many temples devoted to different members of the Hindoo Pantheon, some perfectly plain, others profusely carved and ornamented, whilst at frequent intervals the religious character of the buildings is profanely though most picturesquely broken by the intrusion of a noble's palace, or a wealthy banker's summer-house built out into, and frequently over- hanging, the sacred stream ; these buildings, differing in style of architecture, material and colour, add their ever-varying effects to the scene — masonry, stucco, stone, and marble — red, white, blue, rich brown a,nd lavish gold appear to vie with each other in producing a bewildering yet entrancing coup d'czil on which we should never tire of gazing, did not the heat and glare of the sun drive us to seek cool rooms and shady verandahs. At the Burning-Ghats, which are places specially set aside for purpose of cremation, are abundant stacks of wood, and attendants well skilled in the art of human cookery ; we saw several pyres in full blaze while the mourners sat round and discussed the virtues of the deceased, or, more probably, the amount of his estate. This holiest city of the Hindoos is characteristically dominated by a Mahomedan mosque, whose graceful minarets and swelling domes rise conspicuously above 14 BE1*ARES. the spires of tbe pagan temples ; certainly when the followers of the Prophet conquered a city they took good care to publish the fact, and admitted no doubt as to who had the upper hand ! It is a great pity that we do not learn , the lesson from them. The river-side palaces are generally too new-looking ; and Scindia's, the finest of them all, shows this want of mellowness, most conspicuously, even more than the handsome, but still newer Queen's College further inland. Men and women bathe together indiscrimi- nately, the brilliant dresses of the latter adding much to the beauty of the scene. Many large house-boats, called " budgerows," are moored along the bank, which is further ornamented (?) by fields of huge mushrooms ; on closer inspection, these turn out to be umbrellas of matting, under which the bathers sit and smoke between their dips. Many perform their ablutions on wooden piers projecting into the water, but these are probably residents ; most of the pilgrims prefer to stand in the sacred but muddy stream, where with closed eyes they mutter prayers to holy Mother Gunga, dashing handfuls of water over-head and chest to emphasize their invocations. The Rajah of Umraoti's batbing-ghat is flanked by two peculiar stone erections with projecting beaks, like the ancient Greek rostra ; Gao Ghat is so called from the stone figure of Siva's bull, "gao," which is CALCUTTA.. 15 placed on the top step, and all the buildings are enlivened by the flights of blue pigeons, which nest in the holes left by the scaffold-poles, when these are not stopped up by nail-headed bosses of stone, projecting diamond- shaped from the walls. Very few trees are visible, and these are invariably the sacred banyan. At some of the ghMs are stacks of the red sandstone slabs used for facing the buildings. Near the lower (eastern) end of the town is a very graceful white temple, and a short way above it is a peculiar red one, built by the father of the infamous Nana. As the railway bridge was not yet open for traffic, we crossed the river by a bridge of boats, in itself one of the most peculiar and picturesque objects in an Indian river scene, and reached the railway station on the south bank ; this view of the city reminded us of Malta. From Benares an uninteresting railway journey of nearly twenty-four hours took us to the terminus at Howrah, and a short drive across the Hooghly Bridge landed us iri Calcutta on the morn- ing of March 13th. We soon plunged into the divertissements of the capital. Fortunately the weather, though most unpleasantly hot, waS not absolutely killing, and several sharp storms of wind and rain brought temporary relief. The view of Calcutta from the large park-like "Maid4n" {Anglice, "pliin,") is very 1 6 CALCUTTA. Striking. The wide stream of the Hooghly crowded with shipping stretches along one side of the green- turfed expanse, with the barracks and bastions of Fort William to break the line of middle-distance ; next the fine buildings of the Bank of Bengal and Government offices show above the trees, with the long pillared front and domed roof of Government House as a central object ; thence the deep verandahs and walled gardens of Chowringhee (the fashionable quarter,) carry the eye to the tall spire of the Cathedral, rising from a fine group of trees at the end of the Maidan opposite to Government House ; near the Cathedral frowns the heavy block of moated masonry known as the Central Jail, and a line of trees forms a connecting link with the foliage on the river bank, and completes the panorama. THE CHAPTER II. AT SEA. HOOGHLY FAREWELL TO INDIA PENANG- SINGAPORE. UR preparations and other business occupied a fortnight, and it was not till the 28th that we found ourselves on board the Taisang, and realised that we were bidding farewell to India. Our vessel was one of Jardine Mathison & Co.'s opium steamers, and was very comfortably fitted and well found ; her captain and other officers were pleasant companions and thorough sailors ; and, last but by no means least, she owned a bull-dog of most ferocious appearance and amiable temper. I say " she " owned the dog, for he did not seem to belong to anyone in particular, and only had Taisang on his collar. At g a.m. we left our moorings, and C l8 GREAT CYCLONE. slowly steamed down the crowded river, the last sound audible from the city being that of the church bells ringing for the Sunday morning service. We first passed Fort William on our left, the heavy guns frowning through the green-turfed embrasures, and the Union Jack waving from the flagstaff overhead. On our right lay the gorgeous flower-beds and tall palm-trees of the Botanical Gardens, where grows the largest banyan-tree in the world, though its mighty spread was sadly diminished by the great cyclone which visited Calcutta in 1864, destroying buildings, sinking vessels, tearing up trees by the roots, and hurling huge ships out of the river on to the mainland ; I remember a photograph of the P. and O. steam-ship Bengallying high and dry in afield into which she had been carried over an embankment by the raging force of the wind, and out of which she hg,d to be dug by hundreds of coolies with . spades and mattocks. After passing the Gardens, attention was again diverted to the left bank by the gaudily-painted walls and fantastic gilt ornaments and kiosks of the King Oude's Palace, where that dethroned potentate led a life of effeminate debauchery in the midst of a rabble of courtiers, servants, and hangers-on of every shade of rascality. This group of buildings was the Alsatia of Calcutta, the resort of every scoundrel who had THE HOOGHLY. 1 9 reason to dread the police, and the consequence was that almost all the magnrficent houses in the neighbouring suburb of Garden Reach were standing empty, though they used formerly to be the favorite residences of the official and mercantile grandees. While passing the palace we noticed several large flights of pigeons circling over its pinnacles ; these were great pets of the ex- King, and were regularly drilled by their keepers, advancing, wheeling, retiring, dispersing, and re-forming by word of command. It is said that a " field day " with ;these aerial troops was the only lure which could tempt the tottering old sensualist beyond the walls of his harem. The ships decreased in numbers as we left the city farther behind us, but we still passed crowds of barges for river navigation, all well protected by awnings ; also picturesque native boats with high poops and mat-built cabins, carrying maize, plantains and pump- kins from the fertile but feverish Soonderbuns at the mouth of the river to the metropolitan market. Dark- ness came on as we approached the wide mouth of the Hooghly, and we anchored for the night, as here were many dangers from treacherous current and from shifting sand. Next morning we weighed anchor at daylight, and stood out to sea ; nothing occured to break the restful monotony of the voyage down the Bay of Ben- C 2 20 YOUNG CHINA. gal until the 31st, when we passed the palm-covered shores of the Cocos Isles, an outlying part of the Andaman group, and our last ghmpse of "India's coral strand." Amongst our first-class passengers was a young Chinese merchant belonging to a Penang firm with three branch houses in Calcutta, trading in opium, saltpetre, and nutmegs. He wore his pigtail coiled round his head like a " basket-plait," was very quiet and unobtrusive, smoked horribly rank cigars, and read an extremely difficult melodrama with the frequent aid of an English dictionary, as the poor boy said that most of the words were " velly hard." I once asked him whether he still adhered to the religion of his ancestors ; his reply would have annihilated a missionary, it was, " We used to practise the Buddhist religion, but now that we have become civilized we have none ! " By-the-bye, we always spoke of him as a boy, but found afterwards that he was a middle-aged man with a large family. The diminutive stature, smooth faces, and delicate features of many of the upper- class Chinese make them look absurdly young. The sea was calm and oily-looking and the heat oppressive until the 2nd of April, when we had heavy rain with thunder and high wind ; at 7 o'clock the next morning we anchored in Penang harbour, and i,l> o iS- m h s 3 a I PENANG. 2 1 the crew were busy and noisy taking in cargo up to midnight. The full nam€ of this place is " Pulo Penang," which in Malay means " Beech-nut Island." It is fifteen miles along by nine in width, and rises in the centre to a height of 3,000 feet, forming a wood- ' crowned hill on which the European inhabitants have their dwellings, the business offices being in the town below : their houses are all of wood, and are raised several feet from the ground on piles — partly on account of the damp, and partly to prevent the inroads of snakes, scorpions, and other unwelcome visitors, of which the island contains a ',' large and varied assort- rrient." The roads are very pretty, running through groves of fine palm-trees, among which gleam the brightly-painted native houses, blue, yellow, and scarlet. We met plenty of Chinese, and also numbers of jinrikshas ; as these last will be frequently referred to in these notes, I may as well pause here to describe them. The jinriksha is a conveyance now in common use in China, the Straits, and the Hill stations of India, though of Japanese origin. Imagine the body and hood of a bath-chair mounted between a pair of wheels considerably higher and lighter than those in ordinary use, and provided with a pair of shafts united in front by a cross-bar in lieu of the guiding-wheel and handje, reduce the substance 22 PENANG. to the lightest possible degree, put a sturdy cooly between* the shafts, and you have the hansom-cab of China and Japan. In spite of their fragile appear- ance these httle vehicles are very tough and will bear an immense deal of hard work, as we often experienced in Japan, the riders frequently showing more signs of breaking down than their flimsy-looking but elastic carriages. The Straits Settlements can also boast of very good hackney carriages, boxes on wheels with a door in the middle of each side, and seats like a cab— the " palki gharri " of India, but infinitely cleaner ; well- fitting Venetians keep out the sun, and the driver sits, not on the box, but on a board placed across the shafts in closest proximity to the tail of the sturdy, well-fed, willing little pony which draws the convey- ance. These carriages have arched roofs, which is also an improvement on the Indian pattern. During our drive we passed a few pagodas remarkable neither for size nor beauty, and returned to the wharf by Market Street, the principal thoroughfare, gay with Chinese sign-boards and coloured or gilt shop- fronts, but smelhng poisonously of bad fish. The north-eastern point of the harbour is marked by a very lofty flag-staff from which the British ensign waves over the low stone ramparts of Fort George, a Vauban's star-fort mounting four smooth-bore guns SINGAPORE. 23 and a sentry-box, of very awe-inspiring aspect — especially the sentry-box. Our arrival was warmly welcomed at Penang as we brought a large supply of vegetables, chiefly cabbages ; these sell for a quarter or half a dollar each. This reminds me that we have left the land of the rupee and entered the realm of the Mexican dollar, value 3s. 4d. ; this currency holds good till we leave Japan (the Japanese " yen " being equivalent to the Mexican dollar) : the American coin is just now reckoned at 4s. 2d. ; but, of course, all these values are ruled by the much-vexed " silver question." At 5 P.M. on the 4th, we weighed anchor and steamed away to the south for Singapore. Our course lay along the low, densely-wooded shore of the Malay peninsula, and the hot land-breeze bore on its heavy wing the damp, fetid odour of the mangrove swamps which fringe the coast, and harbour snakes and alligators as deadly and dangerous as those which infest the lagoons of Florida or the bayous of New Guinea. Heavy rain fell during the night, and at day-light we began to pass many small islands, which continued to break the coast-line till, at g.30 a.m., we moored to the wharf at Singapore. The long and intricate passage leading to the harbour is very pretty, winding through clusters of fairy islets, some uninhabited, others dotted with the SINGAPORE. 25 and who was picked up insensible shortly afterwards by our people. A new fort is being built to defend the town and harbour, which lie at the southern end of an island twenty-seven miles long by fourteen in breadth, divided by a narrow, tortuous strait from the territory of the Sultan of Johore. The garrison consists of six companies of a British infantry regiment (the Buffs were there during our visit), and a very fine body of Sikh police, who are sufficiently well-paid to make the service popular in spite of the dreaded sea-voyage. Shortly after mooring we chartered ' a carriage of the same description as those at Penang, very neat and slightly gaudy, green fringe everywhere, yellow tassels to red window-blinds, blue and white striped cushions, and a purple "chowry" or fly-whisk, tucked into the hat-straps under the roof. This magnificent vehicle was drawn by a fast but wilful pony which shied violently at starting, and no wonder ! for the object of his fear was a very fat woman voluminously draped in red and yellow, waving her arms in a spasmodic attempt to jump over a gutter. The small steed soon recovered his equanimity, and we started on our voyage of discovery. The road first passed through an ugly mangrove-swamp, then, rising, became very pretty. 26 BOTANICAL GARDENS. with groves of different palms of which the one called " Traveller's Joy " is most peculiar ; the stem, a smooth shaft of purest green, rises to the height of thirty feet or more, and is crowned by a fan of leaves, like those of the plantain, springing from the top of the trunk, and so regularly disposed as to have an artificial appearance ; when the stem is tapped fresh sweet water gushes out,- hence its name. We passed the Tanglyn Barracks, occupied by the Buffs, and following a pretty road metalled with red stone or gravel and bordered with bright green turf and neatly-trimmed cane hedges, eventually reached the Botanical Gardens, of which Singapore is justly proud. Well laid out, picturesquely planted and beautifully kept, with many a strange tree and gorgeous flower, these gardens would please a Scotchman and enrapture a botanist. The turf here, as everywhere in this all but equatorial island, is most brilliantly green, and the foliage rampantly luxuriant, as is but natural with a vertical sun and almost daily rain-fall. In one corner of the gardens is an orchid-house, consisting only of a roof to protect the beautiful inmates from the tropical down- pour, no walls being required to retain the heat • under this ornamental shed, for it is nothing more flourish many curious ferns and orchids. THE TEAVEME^., JOT PAW, SINGAPORE. ^-'^ A TROPICAL SHOWER. 27 Two things only in this magnificent park did not claim our admiration — the roses, which are very poor and consumptive-looking, and the furious rain ; without warning the latter cut short our pleasant wanderings and pitilessly drove us to the shelter of our carriage, which was driven through the descend- ing sheets of water along more well-kept roads, past two-storeyed villas with deep verandahs, past Government House, past long lines of wooden dwellings, generally painted yellow or bright blue ; we often caught tantalizing glimpses through the rain of tea-shops and temples, bungalows and bazaars ; we crossed streams on plank bridges, snatched kaleidoscopic impressions of carved and gilded Chinese doors, gray police-courts, brown and terra-cotta restaurants, joss-houses, drinking-booths, swarming Chinese coolies, clattering jinrikshas, chattering Malays, and dripping umbrellas of every hue in or out of the rainbow, till at length we crossed the gangway, and were glad to change our soaked garments and rest our colour-wearied eyes in the comfortable cabins of the Taisang. The rain gave us that greatest of all boons in a hot climate — a cool night and sound sleep. While we were at breakfast a Spanish transport passed with troops for Manila, and afterwards I went with one of the officers of the Taisang to the signal station on a 28 ALLIGATORS. hill above the wharf, whence we obtained a fine view of the harbour and island. The bright blue sea and luxuriant vegetation, frequently, broken by the brilliantly toned rocks, show that Chinese colouring with its vivid tints and glaring contrasts is far truer to nature than we are inclined to admit ; the hues of soil, buildings, foliage, turf, and apparel are all much more intense, I may say glaring, than we are accustomed to see in our northern latitudes, the sunshine more brilliant and the sky more blue. The sluggish Singapore River crossed by three wooden bridges runs through the town, its muddy stream debouching into the feverish mangrove- swamps where swarms of alligators make their home. One of these monsters lately killed a Malay woman at a small bathing-place on the bank, and was shot next day by our fellow-passenger from Penang ; on opening it one of its victim's arms was found and recognised by a bracelet still round the wrist. The original Malay inhabitants do not form half of the present population, which is very largely composed of Chinese, Madrassees, and their offspring by native women, who are called respectively " Babas " and " Klings " ; the latter — a miserable set — appear to be universally despised. The native boats are very quaint ; some stand so high out of the water as to appear to float on, not in SINGAPORE. 29 it ; otheis are very fast sailers, their flat lateen canvas enabling them to keep very close to the wind : amongst these the Malay proas rank first for speed, sea-worthiness, and' rascahty, for the pirates always ^mploy^these ^vessels. Many boats came alongside laden with ^the queer shells one sees on cottage chimney-pieces at home, also fine branches of coral and huge sponges. The boatmen — all Malays — are very clever in the management of their awkward-looking craft, and paddle their barges or canoes at a great pace, using double- bladed paddles for the latter. Singapore is said to be very healthy for children and snakes — especially the latter, of which there are many species, some most venomous. Amongst these the " hamadryad " is the most dreaded, hanging from branches in the forest and striking at the faces of passers-by. We also heard of pythons thirty feet in length, but fortunately did not meet any of these monsters — my personal experience ,^only extends to the musquitoes, which were truly awful. "" To-day we tasted mangosteens for the first time ; this much-prized fruit is purple in colour, like a ripe fig, with occasional greenish stripes, spherical, hard as a cricket ball, and from two to three inches in diameter ; a calyx of thick green lobes surrounds the 30 FRUIT. base, and the apex is marked by a small rose-Shaped excrescence, the number of petals corresponding with that of the divisions of the pulp within. The rind, or shell, is very thick, and offers considerable resistance to a knife ; it is deep riiadder-coloured inside, and contrasts strongly with the pure pellucid white of the pulp. The flavour is peculiarly and pleasantly airomatic, more resembling that of a good custard-apple than anything else, and quite unlike any English fruit. We took a supply of these on board, as well as pine-apples and bananas, or plantains, as they are invariably called in the East. Singapore is also famous for a large fruit called " doryan," which is described as being like a jack- fruit not only in size and appearance, but also in smell ; so we were glad to find that it was not in season. We took four hundred Chinese on board here, and often watched them. Much of their time was passed in playing cards, dice, or dominoes ; they are most inveterate gamblers. Their meals also attracted much attention; one party, or "mess," of eight excited great interest when, after exchanging low bows all round, they seated themselves on sturdy bamboo stools round a small table ; a small basin of rice was placed by each man's elbow, and then, with much ceremony, the servant deposited a large bowl QUEER COMPANY. 3 1 of fish and meat mixed together in the centre. The chop-sticks were used to pick pieces out of the bowl, roll them in_ the rice, ahd then convey them to the mouth, nothing being touched with the fingers. The waiter frequently received a bonne houche from the chop-sticks of one or other of the party, and joined freely in the conversation. These Chinese fellow-passengers were a continual source of interest and amusement ; their quaint faces, queer customs, and pecuhar occupations could be studied at one's ease from the break of the poop. The pig-tail is the cherished ornament of Chinese manhood, and is worn in many fashions — hanging down to the heels, twisted tightly round the head, gracefully festooned round the neck, or bunched up into a sausage-shaped chignon— while the colour of the ribbon plaited into it tells a tale to the initiated ; black is used for ordinary occasions, red shows that some good fortune has happened to the wearer, a son born, a fortune achieved, or a danger escaped ;, white is the badge of mourning, and blue is the sign that the wearer is "under a vow," either of pilgrimage or fasting, or of some other religious observance. Their hats were evidently collected from the dust- heaps of Europe, though some of the more wealthy wore the neat little national " biretta " with its ilower-shaped scarlet button that we see in Chinese 32 HONG KONG. paintings, which looked much more suitable and infinitely more artistic than the battered billy-cocks and ragged straw hats of the majority. One big very fat man had~a|fearful scar cutting deep in between his ribs, and extending from his spine to his arm-pit. He told me (through the ship's Chinese cook who condescended to act as interpreter,) that it was caused by a piece of bursting shell in an engagement with pirates, and as only Government vessels use shells, I concluded that he had been one of the pirates. We were told a very characteristic story of the embarkation of a Chinese regiment lately. Each man came on board carefully carrying his umbrella, pillow and fan ; but the rifles and belts were tied up in bundles and flung into the hold anyhow ! Nothing occurred to break the monotony of our voyage : on the night of the 13th April we anchored at the entrance to Hongkong harbour (which vessels are not allowed to enter after dark without a pilot), and waited for daylight to approach the "City of Fragrant Streams," the poetical but inappropriate translation of its name. All Chinese names have a meaning, e.g. Shanghai is " near the sea " ; Canton (properly " Quantung," ) " City of Rams," or " City of the Genii " ; Pekin "Royal Throne." Hongkong, until lately, had an HONGKONG. 33 unenviable reputation for unhea'thiness, which was attributed to the malarious exhalations thrown off by the disintegrated granite from the many excavations in the hill-side ; these were consequently discontinued, and the town became much more healthy, but whether on this account or from the introduction of purer water, is still a moot point with the doctors. CHAPTER III. CHINA. HONGKONG THE HOTEL THE THEATRE VICTORIA PEAK-^THE- HAPPY VALLEY. T six o'clock on the following morning our vessel was moored to the wharf at West Point, and was immediately wedged in to the jetty by a mass of queer-shaped junks of all sizes, from little toy- boats of five or six feet long, their bows cocked up out of water by the weight of the one man in the stern, to sea-going vessels of three or four hundred tons — low-prowed, high-pooped, totter- ing craft to look at, but capable of weathering a typhoon which would inevitably destroy the most scientifically built ship ever turned out of our dockyards. While we were watching them, many HONG-KONG CHAIE. HONGKONG. 35 put out t<-i sea for fishing, each preluding its departure by a discharge of crackers in honour of the Queen of Heaven, who is the goddess of sailors, and whose image is erected in a niche at the stern of every Chinese boat, while the bows are ornamented with an immense pair of painted eyes ; the reason given for the latter being, " If ship no have eye, then how can see where go ? " As soon as the fishing fleet had departed, we landed for our first walk in China, and were immediately beset by an army of jinriksha and chair-men who crowded the Praya, or quay, along which we strolled. There are several handsome merchants" offices here, and a very pretty sailors' church ; but what most interested us were the crowds of Chinese with their quaint costumes and quainter faces, and the hucksters' shops full of strange fish and neat basket-work. We returned on board for breakfast, and to bid adieu to the Taisang and her pleasant officers. A couple of jinrikshas soon took us to the Hongkong Hotel, a very fine building managed by a most obliging American, Mr. Horace Greeley, and admirably managed too. A nasty drizzling rain fell all the way, and our biped nags were obliged to put on their waterproofs, which consisted of a sort of Inverness cape made of straw tied at the neck and D 2 36 HONGKONG. round the waist ; on their heads they wore huge cane hats, hke umbrellas in size and shape, with a small cane circle inside to fit the head, and two handles coming under the ears, and tied with strings beneath the chin. These hats, which are generally worn by the Chinese lower classes, are often three feet in diameter, and their yellow glazed-calico covering makes them look like travelling-bath covers. In narrow streets these hats have to be tilted on one side to enable the wearers to pass each other ; the owner's name is frequently painted in black or gilt characters on the roof. Many of the principal shops and stores have pillared arcades in front of them, especially those in Queen's Road, the main thoroughfare running parallel to the Praya but higher up the hill, here the colonnades are almost continuous, giving a handsome appearance to the street and protecting the pedestrian or flaneur from sun and rain. All the native shops, many of which are very handsome, have long sign-boards hung perpendicu- larly at their doors, painted some rich or brilliant colour, and bearing the owner's name and trade in gilt embossed Chinese letters. Jinrikshas and sedan- chairs are innumerable; but during the whole day I only saw four ponies, three of which were saddled (one for a lady), and one in the shafts of a small tea- JACK ASHORE. 37 cart where it looked very unhappy. The scarcity jf animals (except dogs) is one of the striking features of Hongkong. It was most amusing to see a lot of English man- of-war's men going about in jinrikshas, singing, cheering, and larking. They were always in pairs, and never seemed to consider themselves quite safe unless one had hold of the coolie's pigtail, which the said coolie seemed thoroughly to understand. I watched two stalwart tars embarking in one of these conveyances ; as soon as they were seated, and the coolie had picked up the shafts, one of them hailed him with, " Tug ahoy ! Pass the tow-line aft ! " on which the grinning Chinaman handed the end of his plait to one of his passengers, and they started on their voyage. The Queen's Road is crossed at frequent intervals by side-streets affording pretty peeps of the harbour and shipping on one hand, while on the other they become wooded lanes leading steeply upwards in the direction of Victoria Peak, and give many a quaint view of the upper town built in steps on terraces cut in the foot slopes of the hill. Some of the houses have most picturesque projecting or overhanging wooden balconies, carved in all the lavish profusion of Chinese decorative art, often brilliantly painted, and all looking clean and bright in spite of the damp. 38 HONGKONG. dull day. One of the strange street sights was a pig being carried on a man's back in a bolster-shaped basket, out of the ends of which his head and tail hung in a ludicrously helpless way. At dinner we had frog curry, which was decidedly good ; with the curry a china tray was handed round, divided into compartments filled with strange condiments, several sorts of chutnee, Bombay ducks, green ginger, almonds, onion chips, dried and ground cocoa-nut, walnuts,' cloves of garlic, and mace. The waiters were, of course, all Chinese, dressed in blue night- gowns, black skull-caps with small red buttons, loose blue trousers, white socks and the usual black cloth shoes, with thick, noiseless, white felt soles. I should think these shoes would be admirable wear for attendants in a sick room. Punkahs hung overhead, but were not needed yet ; in fact, one never-failing source of astonishment to us was the coolness and comfort of Hongkong as compared with Calcutta at this season, although the latter is the more northerly of the two places. "We paid many pleasant visits, and received many kind invitations during our -stay ; but certainly the most amusing of our experiences was an evening at the Chinese theatre, on the i6th April. Before visiting any of these places of public amusment it is usual to give notice through the authorities as GOING TO THE THEATRE. 39 the ordinary performances have to be considerably "Bowdlerized" before they are fit for production before Western Barbarians, especially if there are any ladies in the party. I need hardly say that this refers to the action, and not to the dialogue, which, of course, is utterly unintelligible to all foreigners but those who, from close study and long practice, have mastered this most difficult of existing languages. I had called on the gentleman who fills the office of dramatic censor, and who most kindly and courteously promised to send one of his native subordinates to be our cicerone, a prior engagement preventing him from coming himself; accordingly, at g p.m. a card was brought to our table in the hotel dining-room bearing the legend, " Wat Pak-tai, Registrar General's Department," and was followed by a very dignified Chinaman, who appeared to wear the same common blue night-gown and cap as our waiters, though feminine opinion decided that the materials were very much more costly, and the " cut " more elaborate, while on his sleeves his crest or badge was embroidered in gold. Starting in the ubiquitous jinrikshas, our party of five proceeded at racing pace through the sloppy streets, up hills and down alleys, over bridges and under archways, amongst puddles, pigtails, and paper lanterns — till at length we reached a dimly-lighted 40 HONGKONG. entrance, where we left our conveyances and ascended a bare stone stairway with iron raihngs. Passing through a tortuous passage we were shown into a " private box " in the gallery, facing the stage, and provided with a dozen cane-bottomed arm-chairs. Directly beneath us was the pit, or rather parterre, and on each side were lower galleries, all densely packed with shaven-pated and pigtailed Chinese in their sombre dark-blue or black garments. The side-galleries are the cheapest parts of the auditorium, and contained the " gods." Many of the audience smoked pipes or cigarettes throughout the perform- ance, and most were provided with fans ; but all were very quiet and well-behaved, and the Chinese tobacco is so light that the ladies of our party were not in the least incommoded by it. Directly in front of us was the stage, occupying one entire side of the large square building, the wall above being decorated with gilt scrolls, dragons, and other monsters in plaster ; some of the audience (perhaps friends of the actors) stood or squatted on each side of the stage itself, and a Sikh policeman's scarlet turban and silver-plated badge formed a point of colour amid the dark groups. In the centre was a sort of kiosk, or canopy, with two flaring, unshaded gas-lights of five burners each hanging in front of it ; these were the only lights in the house. The stage 1 i m g THE THEATRE. 4 1 was covered with squares of dirty matting, and under the kiosk sat the musicians, armed with fifes, guitars, drums, a cow's horn and a huge pair of brass cymbals, which played a conspicuous part in the performance, and seemed to fill up the gap whenever an actor missed his cue or forgot his part. Open doors at the back of the orchestra communicated with the green- room, and served for the exits and entrances, though the actors frequently varied this by merely mixing with the side-groups on the stage. The kiosk had a carved and gilded fagade like a shop-front, and the stage-properties consisted only of two small rough plain deal tables and two rush-bottomed chairs, some sticks, and strips of coloured calico. As our eyes became more accustomed to the dim light, we saw that the side-galleries were almost exclusively occupied by women and children. During the greater part of the performance the fifes and guitars kept up a monotonous recitative in a minor key, broken at intervals by the banging of the drums and the deafening clash of the cymbals, which com- pletely drowned the voices of the actors. Many of these wore huge and most palpably false beards, and one (I believe he represented an executioner) had his face chalked or painted ash-colour, like the King of Terrors in a mediaeval picture. They all spoke in a high, monotonous falsetto, which occasionally broke 42 HONGKONG. down into a growl. The " scenery " was changed by coolies, and consisted in several re-arrangements of the two chairs and tables, which were sometimes covered with red or green cloth, and in altering the coloured strips of calico on the sticks, each strip bearing the name of the scene in gilt Chinese characters, such as " Battle-field," " Garden," " Emperor's Palace," " Road to Pekin," &c. The chief characters were a father and mother, their son (the hero), the Emperor and his courtiers, and two rival generals, besides a host of " supers " — soldiers, attendants, officials, nuns, and others. The play begins in the hero's home, and he appears as a youth of eighteen or so, the " child of poor but honest parents," from whom he is torn by two ruffians of ferocious aspect, who are crimps collecting recruits for the Imperial Army. The audience expressed great disapprobation of this high-handed proceeding, and groaned at the crimps heartily. As soon as their son has disappeared, the parents indulge in the usual conjugal recriminations. The mother announces her intention to commit suicide, and for this purpose ascends a lofty rock (consisting of one of the chairs put on a table), and the father is so horror-struck that he falls fainting on the ground, or perhaps he does it to avoid interfering with his wife's meritorious intention. However, the latter. A THBATEICAl OKNESAC. THE THEATRE. 43 woman-like, takes a mean advantage of her husband's insensibility, descends from the terrible .rock, and disappears round the corner ; that is, she joined the audience at one side of the stage, where she sat down and had a smoke. The scene then changes (by the simple plan of sub- stituting a fresh strip of calico) to a battle-field ; the Emperor is seen addressing his Generals, but promptly disappears before the commencement of the fight, which is waged with fearful slaughter, the armies being represented by four men in bell-shaped helmets and red coats, six in chintz uniforms, six in yellow and red, and a few in blue and red. The Generals are gorgeously got up in very handsomely- embroidered long robes, loose girdles, full red silk trousers and white felt shoes, large brass or gilt helmets like young pagodas, with broad discs like brass shovels behind the ears, and wings on their shoulders to mark their high rank. Each General raises his left foot as high as he can, and then gives a great kick up with his right. This acrobatic performance is so frequently repeated during the play that we ask Mr. Pak-tai to explain it ; and he tells us that it represents " getting topside of horse." The battle commences by the rival armies marching round each other for some time in concentric circles, utter- ing a babel of sounds — squeaks, howls, and screams, a 44 HONGKONG. melange of peacocks, cats, jackals, crows and ravens — to the accompaniment of the " full band ; " then each General kills all the other's men, and a terrific single combat ensues between the survivors, who hack at each other fiercely, with two or three pirouettes between each blow. At length one of the Generals is wounded, and is about to receive the coup de grace when in the very nick of time the hero rushes in, receives the blow on his shield, and finishes the battle and the enemy by giving the rebel leader a tremendous poke in the region of the commissariat (tremendous applause from the audience) . All, including the slain, join in a triumphal march, and " exeunt " through the doors at the back. The scene next changes (in the same simple style as before) to a nunnery, into which the hero's mother has been received. She appears accompanied by an attendant nun, and after some conversation, in which they appear to advocate an advanced version of " Woman's Rights," her husband comes in to pray at the shrine to which the nunnery is attached. He goes to the altar and presents his prayer, written on a long strip of lucky red paper, and subsides into meditation. The wife takes the prayer from the altar, reads it, and recognises her husband ! They are on the point of rushing into each other's arms when the attendant nun reminds her mistress of her convent vows, and THE HERO OF THE TH1.ATBICAL PIKCB. THE THEATRE.- 45 the re-attached couple part with tears and howls of a truly heart-rending description. Scene IV. — Enter the hero in the gorgeous costume of a Mandarin, to which rank he has been elevated by the Emperor for saving his General's life ; he is followed by an attendant who carries a lofty, cylindrical, crimson silk umbrella over his head. He takes his seat on a sort of throne to receive petitions, a large notice over his head bearing the Chinese equivalent for " Court of Justice," in gold characters on a scarlet ground. By-the-bye, this sitting down was quite one of the points of the play, and caused fresh amusement each time the hero repeated it. The movements were very sudden and jerky, and as if done by machinery, or at a word of command " by numbers," as a drill-sergeant would say : " one," draw up in front of chair ; " two," drop on to seat; "three," jerk up again; "four," spread knees very wide ; " five," retake seat ; " six," sprawl out feet sideways as far as they will reach. His mother enters to present a petition several yards long, and flops about the stage in a most laughable manner, presumably to show her shyness and emotion at finding herself in the august presence of the Mandarin, on whom she always turns her back ! Two attendants try to put her straight, but she jumps and kicks and squeals like a pig whenever 46 HONGKONG. they touch her, till at length they drop both her and the attempt, and she is bundled out of court, while her petition is handed to her son. He comes to the front of the stage and sits on a chair, with his feet turned out as if he were trying to do a " spread eagle " on skates, and begins to read the scroll. Evidently the writing is not copper-plate, for he mouths, shouts, gesticulates wildly, and jumps up and squats down again when he comes to an extra hard word. Just as he succeeds in mastering the contents of the paper, his parents enter together ; he recognizes them and prostrates himself at their feet, to the evident consternation of his followers, who think their lord must be decidedly cracked to behave thus to such a very common-looking couple. However, all ends well, with a general recognition, embraces, and a " walk round " for the whole party; the performance concluding with the bastinado and execution of the two crimps who had ventured to enlist a future Mandarin, and who come on the scene just in time for the ends of justice and themselves. Many of the dresses were very handsome, both in material, colour, and embroidery ; the mother (who, like all the other female characters, was a man,) wore a sort of paletot of yellow satin, on which large claret-velvet stars were appliques with gold thread ; THE THEATRE. 47 lavishly-embroidered epaulettes over long loose white sleeves matching the white skirt ; hair drawn off the face and plaited in many tails, which were confined by a large gilt clasp or brooch put on lengthways at the back of her head ; large ear-rings ; very highly-rouged cheeks ; long nails, and squeaky falsetto voice. This costume was slightly altered by changing the white sleeves and jupon for blue ones when she became a nun. During the second courtship she wore the ordinary blue gown of the country with a collar in several rows of large Vandykes — blue outhned in gold and pale pink — reaching down to the shoulders, and loose hair. Her last dress of all was a robe of honour, a mass of bright colours and gold embroidery. The son's dress, on becoming a Mandarin, was very handsome, a loose long gown, presumably of white satin ground, bearing an elaborate complication of large gay roses in gold and looking-glass, framing a many-rayed scarlet sun on the breast, a hundred-eyed peacock in natural colours on the lower part of the square front, or apron, and other brilliant monsters on the back. The audience were exceedingly well-behaved ; they laughed heartily at many jokes which perhaps it was as well we could not understand, and applauded frequently by waving their fans and clap- ping their hands. Trays of refreshments were 48 HONGKONG. continually carried about amongst the crowd, which left in a quiet and orderly manner at the conclusion of the performance. We followed some Chinese ladies out, and watched the " small-footed ones " being picked up on their attendants' backs, carried over the mud, and popped into their litters. Their dresses seemed to be the universal black and blue robes, but their coiffures differed ; some wore large pins at the side of the chignon, others had white horse- shoe shaped head-dresses attached to the back of the head with bunches of very stiff artiiicial flowers set low on each side. There were many children in the theatre, looking like queer miniatures of their parents, in exact imitation of whose dresses their little clothes were made. The indispensable fan, when not in use, was stuck under the collar of the robe at the back of the neck. On the 17th April we visited the Pubhc Garden which, in point of beautiful position, luxuriant foliage and glowing wealth of blossom, is a veritable Garden of Eden. The rank, jungly look of tropical vegetation is conspicuously absent. The azaleas were past their finest bloom, but some bushes still showed masses of white, pink, lilac, and crimson blossoms, while the various lilies were in the full pride of their stately beauty. We went on to the Kennedy Road, a wide level, and admirably kept promenade cut out of the BUILDINGS. 49 hill-side well above the town, of which and the harbour it commands a beautiful panorama. Many sorts of pines, shrubs, tree- and other ferns grow on the banks and below the road, especially near the Royal Artillery Mess-house, from which one of the best views is obtained ; but the finest of all is from the upper verandah of Government House. At night, when town and harbour are outlined by the numerous lamps and the vessels show their thousand scintillating lights, the scene is quite fairy-like. By- the-by, Government House presented a very pleasant and English appearance after the bare cold walls and drab-matted floors of Calcutta. We came down the hill past the fine three-storeyed Murray Barracks, and found the Northamptonshire (58th) Regiment at drill on their cramped parade-ground ; but they and we were soon driven to shelter from a heavy shower, which we succeeded in escaping in Ah-Fong's photo- graphic establishment, where we saw many good " proofs '" of Eastern success in Western art. The day following was Sunday, and we attended morning service in the Cathedral ; a very bare build- ing both as regards decoration and congregation, and therefore presenting a marked contrast to the Calcutta Cathedral in which we last heard service. The organ was fairly played, and the singing pretty good. Two young Chinese were present, one in the body of the E 56 HONGKONG. Cathedral, and the other in the chancel with some English school-boys. In the afternoon we went up Victoria Peak, the highest point of the ridge which, forms the backbone of the island. The road is excellent, and easily rideable with tolerable ponies ; but the Chinese animals are said to be bad for any but level ground, as they trip when going up-hill, and drag their hind feet in descending anything like a steep place. The pretty harbour and dockyard called Aberdeen look well from the Peak. We crossed the watershed at the " Gap," and looked down on the other side of the island to the fishing village of Pokfoolum and the many islets stretching away to the far horizon, some dotted with cottages, others marked by the solitary summer residence of some Mandarin ; but the greater number were uninhabited and even un-named. The views on all sides from this vantage-ground are very beautiful sea-scapes, and, fortunately, the afternoon was tolerably clear for the first time since our arrival. We found the wind on the Peak very chilly ; the thermometer is usually from six to nine degrees lower tha,n in the town, 1,200 feet below, and punkahs are never required. The slopes are very steep, covered vath coarse grass from which the granite-rock con- tinually crops up. Trees are gradually clothing the hill-sides, but they are all hand-planted, and there PUBLIC GARDENS. 5 I were none on the island until we took possession of it. A tramway is being made from the town to the Peak, up which carriages will be drawn by a stationary engine, and thus render the houses on the ridge more accessible. The band of the 58th played in the Public Gardens from g to 10 o'clock in the evening ; the music was very good, but an accompaniment of very loud and deep-voiced frogs from the neighbouring fountain had a rather strange effect ! The grounds were illumi- nated by Chinese lanterns, which threw their softened light on a motley assemblage of soldiers, sailor^, and civilians, European and Indian, Chinese and Japanese. Several women of both these latter nations were present, and were mainly distinguishable by their nether garments, the Chinese belles wearing loose trousers, while the Japanese had skirts. The sailors represented most of the Western sea-faring races, and when the band stopped the Babel- mixture of tongues was very striking. On the 19th we engaged our cabin on board the P. and O. steamship Thibet, starting for Japan on the 25th. These P. and O. vessels sail alternately with the Messageries Maritimes, the two lines carrying the weekly mail to Japan. We also went to see the " Happy,; Valley," a small plain surrounded by hills. The former, which is by no means pretty, forms the E 2 52 HONGKONG. race-course of Hongkong; and on the slopes of the latter are the cemeteries — Protestant, Catholic, Mussulman and Parsee. The Protestant burial- ground is very beautiful, and is, in fact, a well- kept landscape-garden laid out in terraces, with shrubberies and flower-beds, palms and evergreens, amongst which the carefully-tended tombs lose their grimness without forfeiting their solemnity. The earlier graves are placed close together, but those of later date are scattered about in picturesque nooks and corners, which show refined taste and loving care in the selection. Over some of the head- stones and memorial crosses a beautiful white passion- flower is trained, with a very happy effect. The Roman C^itholic enclosure is not so neat or pretty, which is unusual. The Naval Hospital is well-placed on a height over-looking the valley, and is approached by a picturesque and shady road. Some sports were in progress on the Mall, to which the Sikhs of the police-force and Lascars of the Artillery gave quite an Indian flavour. The road along the hill above West Point passes many good private residences, with beautiful terraced flower gardens. Some of these houses have queer names ; one, at which we joined a merry dinner- party, was called " Typhoon Top-side." Here I heard a very interesting account of the death of the I u s Q KOWLOON. 53 Prince Imperial given by an officer who was much attached to him, and who was the first to find the body. The Prince was a good horseman, and remarkably quick at mounting ; on this occasion he was riding a very fidgety horse, and when the alarm was given he clutched at the holsters, which came away as the horse swerved firom him, and the few seconds' delay thus caused was fatal. All his wounds were received in front, proving that he died a true soldier's death — facing the foe. One of our mornings when the rain was less than usual was spent in visiting Kowloon, a small peninsula on the opposite side of the harbour, and the only bit of the mainland belonging to us in this neighbour- hood. Here there are some pretty villas, and a very fine building of grey stone occupied by the Harbour Police. The city and beautiful harbour with their mountainous background are well seen from this point, but the bitter cold wind (on the 20th April ! ) prevented our staying long to enjoy the view. On our return we passed under the bows of H.M.S. Sapphire, the Admiral's flag-ship, which is painted white, as are all our men-of-war on this station, and, in fact, east of the Mediterranean. In the afternoon we prowled about the Chinese shops, and at one I examined some native swords ; these were very heavy, sharp as razors, and apparently 54 HONGKONG. well tempered, but badly balanced ; the hilts have no guards, and are very long — evidently for use with both hands. The prices asked were enormous — one hundred dollars (nearly £17) for a very common weapon, and three times as much for one little better. ^.? BONG-KONG POLICE, CEINESD AND SIKH. CHAPTER IV.— CHINA. CANTON THE RIVER THE CITY SHOPS, TEMPLES AND PAGODAS FORTIFICATIONS HORRORS — EXECUTIONS CHINESE LADIES. N the 2 1st we left Hong Kong in the Ameri- can-planned but Chinese-built river steamer White Cloud for Canton, as we wished much to see a real, typical, Chinese City, and all agree in saying that Canton answers that description as fully even as Pekin, with the advantage of being much more accessible. The White Cloud was named after the mountain which forms the principal object in Chinese paintings of Canton, and which is almost as great an object of veneration to the people of the Southern Province as Fiiji-yama to the Japanese. Our vessel had a large saloon with couches round its sides, a small ladies' cabin, and an all-pervading and overpowering 56 CANTON. smell of opium from the many Chinese passengers. Our course led us through a many-islanded sea to the wide, low-banked mouth of the Canton River, which we entered after dark. I believe we reached the landing-stage at i a.m., and I know that soon after day-break we were aroused by a strange crackling sound, to find ourselves moored to the left bank of a muddy, slow-flowing stream, about as wide as the Thames at Westminster Bridge, and studded with thousands of quaint, antediluvian craft, from the large sea-going junks with their three masts and huge sails of heavy matting, distended and reefed by eight or ten transverse bamboos, to the little "_sampans," or slipper-boats, as they are called by Europeans. These are just like a shoe, the toe (bow) sometimes tipped with brass, and almost resting on the water, while the stern, like a fashionable lady's heel, stands up in absurd disproportion ; the whole is roofed with three matting covers on arched wooden frames, which slide into each other, and complete the likeness to a lady's slipper. Under the high-raised roof aft stand the rowers, usually the captain of the craft and his wife sometimes wife and daughter, or a couple of the latter for these girls are all expert rowers. Some of the larger craft were driven by a single paddle-wheel at the stern, worked by the feet of sixteen or twenty men, and all had immense rudders pierced like ship's THE RIVER. 57 gratings, while the small boats were steered by sculls most skilfully managed. Every vessel, large and small alike, had an eye painted on each side of the bow, and a little shrine aft containing an image of the ^ueen of Heaven, with a joss-stick burning in front of the idol ; the noise which had aroused us so early was caused by the crackers let off to pro- pitiate the goddess before commencing the labours of the day. The average number of craft of all sizes in the Canton River is estimated at ten thousand ; but it is quite impossible for a mere spectator to pro- nounce on the accuracy of this calculation, as the vessels are perpetually crossing and re-crossing, darting out of sight and re-appearing, massing, dis- persing and circling like water-beetles on a pool. On our arrival a message had been sent on shore to secure the services of Archdeacon Gray's old servant, " Ah Cum," reputed to be the best guide here ; but he had been retained by Prince Louis Napoleon, so he could only come on board to present his elaborate ivory ticket, pay his respects, express his regrets in very fair English, and introduce his substitute, who rejoiced in the name of " Ah Poo " and the brains of a fool ; but, unfortunately, we did not find out the latter fact until it was too late to change. On landing we found sedan-chairs waitiijy for us, with heavy roofs and curtains which we at once 58 CANTON. abolished on account of their obstructing the view. Ah Poo strongly objected to this, but, as his com- mand of English was only slightly greater than our knowledge of Chinese, we could not comprehend his arguments, but stuck to our own arrangement. It was afterwards explained to us that we were really rash in removing the covers, as the Chinese might have taken our doing so for bravado, and in that case ill-treatment and very possibly death would have been the consequence ! We did not understand the risk we ran until we got into the lower quarters, or " back streets," and there, I confess, I felt uncomfort- able, with a lady to protect and an umbrella as my sole weapon ! But to return to our expedition. We were carried through narrow and tortuous streets, or rather passages, from six to twelve feet wide, irregu- larly and unevenly paved with flag-stones ; on each side were shops gaily decorated with myriads of coloured sign-boards, a foot wide and from eight to twenty feet high, hanging from the balconies above or embedded in stone foundations below, painted in rich, bright hues — vermilion, umber, blue, green, or marbled — and bearing the owner's name and trade in raised characters of gold, crimson or black. The thronged and busy passages were densely crowded with a jostling, moving, humming, shouting mass of celestials, seething and simmering in the furnace of SHOPS. 59 work and business, heaving and teeming with life and labour, wonderful to see and sickening to smell ! The shops were clean and orderly, opening deep back from the street, as if their ground-tax were regulated by frontage, not area. They were hardly oriental in style, except that they had no glass fronts but were open to the street. On one side was a counter, behind which stood the attendants ; the walls were occupied by shelves - on which the goods were neatly arranged, often with glass doors in front of them ; the cashier's desk was surrounded by an elaborately carved and handsomely gilt screen ; and at the further end of the shop, like a scene in an extravaganza, was a gaily-painted and brightly- illuminated shrine, with tapers, joss-sticks, and vases of artificial flowers. Great taste was shown in the arrangement of their wares by the china-dealers, fruiterers, and some of the mercers. In many of the shops the attendants were taking their morning meal, seated at a table in the middle, some being completely dressed and others almost the reverse. There was no touting for custom, and no notice was taken of us save an occasional " Chin-chin " from some merchant who had probably frequently fleeced the Western barbarians, and wished to repeat the operation. Each street seemed to be in the main devoted to one class of goods ; but fruit stalls displaying sugar- 6o CANTON. cane, oranges, plantains, red plums, chesnuts, shad- docks, and a few mangoes and pomegranates ; meat purveyors with shelves and hooks loaded with pork, poultry, and puppies ; tobacco-merchants' stands and cake-seller's trays, seemed to wedge themselves into impossible corners among hardware and haber- dashery, furniture and fans, like the irrepressible gamim in a well-dressed crowd. Barbers do a very good business in shaving, shampooing, smoothing and plaiting the tails of their customers ; these tails are frequently increased by the addition of " switches " of false hair hanging round the walls, and are always finished off and tied with silk. To our thinking the cares of the toilet might be extended with advantage to the finger-nails of the upper classes, which are allowed to grow like Nebuchad- nezzar's, and are often shielded with metal tips. Many shops sold artificial flowers mounted in bunches and on frames for decorating the temples, or the painted and tinselled shrines which hung across the streets like scenes for a theatre ; and at many of the street-corners (somewhat after the fashion of the Madonnas in Roman Catholic towns,) were bas-reliefs of battle-scenes deeply carved in wood and painted brown or stone colour. At other counters were ornaments like hair-pins with spade-shaped gold ends inlaid with kingfishers' SHOPS. 6 1 feathers. The article to be decorated is prepared by deeply scoring the metal in the direction of the laminae, which are then cemented in, one by one, as closely as in the original feather, and afterwards covered with a very hard silicate varnish. At the silk mercers" we were shown handsomely embroidered many-plaited petticoats, worked cushions, and the hideous but inevitable tea-cosey. Many stalls were occupied by lapidaries and engravers n