t Division I 3 Section^ ■C.5.9 No V-' i, taj-mamal from the river. FROM HONG-KONG TO THE HIMALAYAS THREE THOUSAND MILES THROUGH INDIA. ILLUSTRATED FROM ORIGINAL PHOTOGRAPHS. y BY E. WARREN CLARK. AMERICAN TRACT SOCIETY, 150 NASSAU STREET, NEW YORK. COPYRIGHT, 1880, BY AMERICAN TRACT SOCIETY. CHAP. I. The Island of Hong-Kong - page CHAP. II. Canton: The Metropolis of the “Middle King- dom” CHAP. HI. Prisons, Executions, and Excursions in China- CHAP. IV. A Trip through the Tropics CHAP. V. Calcutta and its Institutions CHAP. VI. Benares, the Sacred City of the Hindoos - CHAP. VII. Cawnpore and the Mutiny CHAP. VIII. Agra, and the Taj-Mahal CHAP. IX. Delhi, “The Rome of Asia”- CHAP. X. The Valley of Dehra-Doon CHAP. XL Three Weeks among the Himalayas CHAP. XII. Homeward Bound — - --- 9 25 53 8; I2I 158 196 218 238 278 305 340 LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS. The Taj-Mahal from the River Frontispiece, page i Map 7 Hong-Kong Harbor and Victoria Peak 13 Canton and the West River 23 Riding in a Wheelbarrow - 43 Room in a Chinese Mandarin’s House 77 Riding in the Palanquin — 109 Hindoo Temple and Tank 127 Hindoo Burning Place 139 American Mission Home, Calcutta — 147 The Bhistie, or Water-Carrier — 159 Tope of Sarnath 171 Temples at Benares 183 A Fakir 191 Brahmini Woman Going for Water 207 The Pearl Mosque 223 Gateway of the Taj-Mahal - - - 227 The Taj-Mahal 233 Mogul Palace at Gwalior — — 241 A Street in Delhi - - 247 Jumma-Musjid; Great Mosque of Delhi - 255 The Kootub-Minar 267 Lower Section of the Kootub-Minar 271 Elephants Carrying a Log - - - 283 Mission Station, Dehra-Doon 289 Elephants Travelling 297 S110W7 Range, from Laltiba 317 The Abode of Snow - - 323 Source of the River Jumna - 331 Tower of Silence, Bombay 347 Cave of Elephanta - - 353 Tanks at Aden, Foot of the Red Sea 361 Digitized by the Internet Archive in 2016 https://archive.org/details/fromhongkongtohi00clar_0 Hong- Kong to the Himalayas. CHAPTER I. THE ISLAND OF HONG-KONG. “ VoilX, Hong-Kong !” exclaimed the officer on board the French Messagerie steamer Hoogly, as we moved swiftly onward towards a bold, rocky island rising abruptly from the sea. It was a clear morning in March, and the early dawn brightened the eastern sky, sending a gleam of silvery lustre across the waters of the wide Pa- cific. Three days before, we had left the port of Shang- hai, with its long line of shipping and beautiful gar- dens, and sailed southward through the channel of Formosa, where naught could be seen save the dis- tant and indented coast-line of the “ Celestial Em- pire,” and curious Chinese boats with bamboo sails, lo FROM HONG-KONG TO THE HIM ALA VAS. rolling and pitching on the rough waves, through which they slowly ploughed their way. On the morning of the third day we passed through the narrow strait separating Hong-Kong from the mainland ; and the harbor, shipping, and colonial settlement were spread before us as a pic- turesque panorama. The island and city belong to Great Britain, having been ceded to that country by the Chinese government. The location of the island is a little north of the mouth of the Pearl River, and nearly one hundred miles from Canton. The city of Hong-Kong presents a beautiful appearance, rising by a succession of handsome terraces from the water’s edge towards the lofty “Victoria Peak,” whose rugged slope forms the background of the scene. Interspersed with the white fronts of residences and long lines of “hongs ” and warehouses, are gardens, and trees with heavy foliage, the dark green tints of which, together with the shadowy slope in the rear, combine to set off the light and airy appearance of the place to advan- tage. The island, as seen by one approaching it from the sea, has been compared to an “overgrown Gibral- tar;” but the peculiar type of architecture pre- THE ISLAND OF HONG-KONG. 1 1 sented by the buildings reminds one rather of the “Arcades” at Berne. No windows or doors are discernible, but every building has three balconies, with regular archways opening out towards the harbor. The sidewalks are covered ways, the roads are macadamized, the shops are high and spacious, and contain large assortments of foreign goods, and the general aspect is such as to impress one with the opulence and substantial character of the colony. The shipping in the harbor is less than at Shanghai ; nevertheless it comprises all varieties of craft, and the number of vessels daily arriving and departing from this port is surprising. Be- sides the extensive coasting trade — in which scores of native and foreign vessels are engaged, running to Amoy, Swatow, Foo-Chow, Ning Po, etc., on the north, and Manila, Macao, Saigon, Penang, and Singapore, on the south — this point is the termi- nus for some of the longest lines of steamers in the world ; viz., the Peninsular and Oriental Steamship Company, from Southampton, England ; the Mes- sageries Maritimes, from Marseilles, France ; the Holt’s line, from Liverpool ; and the Pacific Mail Steamship Company, from San Francisco. There are also mercantile lines of steamers run by private 1 2 FROM HONG-KONG TO THE HIM A LA YA S. companies to Calcutta, and engaged in the opium trade. With such an influx of commerce, raising it yearly in importance, it is no wonder that the barren rocks of Hong-Kong soon became beautified with the residences, villas, and business hongs of the foreign merchants, who (when the trade mo- nopolies were in their hands) lived here in the style and opulence becoming princes. Under British auspices, and the stimulus of foreign trade, quite a flourishing native settlement has sprung up also on the island. English rule usually carries security and prosperity wherever its authority is felt. American river-boats run daily between Hong- Kong and Canton, a distance nearly equal to that between New York and Albany, Nothing seemed more homelike than these side-wheel boats, where everything was characteristically American, and one might easily have imagined himself pushing up towards the wharves of Albany, rather than towards the dingy maze of oddities awaiting him in the most populous city of the Chinese Empire. Break- fast was served on board, in true Yankee style, as we steamed up the river ; and the beefsteak, fish- balls, hot muffins, and waffles, were in pleasing con- trast to the impressive, but “ Frenchy ” style on the Messagerie S. S, Hoogly. On the latter vessel THE ISLAND OF HONG-KONG. 15 we were served by French waiters with white gloves, swallow-tail coats, and white cravats, who presented palatable dishes with unpronounceable names in all the elegance of a Parisian caf^. The only points that were not truly American about our river steamer were the name “ Kiu Kian,” and the two big eyes painted on the side of the boat. The Chinese say that if “ boat have no eyes, no can see !” Therefore they paint great staring orbs, wide open, upon the prows of all their junks and smaller craft, and would scarcely feel secure in a “ blind boat ” that had no organs of vision. Out of respect to this strange prejudice, the foreign river-boats, plying between their ports, have gor- geously-painted eyes, in which the Chinese passen- gers have about as much confidence as they have in the pilot. Our boat glided up towards Canton with an easy, rapid motion, quite free from the usual rolling accompaniments of the sea. She was a pretty steamer, light and airy as a bird. Among the for- eign passengers were some Parsees, with curious coalscuttle hats and a separate eating-table ; and on the lower deck were five or six hundred Chinese, who paid only a dollar a head for a trip of ninety- eight miles. On public holidays, sometimes as many Rcng-Koof, ng, etr. 5 42 FROM HOiXG-KONG TO THE HI MALA VAS. Of the one hundred temples in Canton, that of Honam is the most celebrated for its historical associations and the beauty of its grounds. There is nothing so interesting in Canton, how- ever, as Canton itself. The streams of people pour- ing through the streets are an endless source of study. In other cities of the world the number of human beings often excites one’s amazement ; but in Canton the thoroughfares are so narrow and the population so compact, that the people simply swarm to and fro from morning till night. They are all dressed alike, or so nearly so, that fashion has little chance for change. The Chinese dress about the same from year to year and century to century. The plain blue blouse, the black plaited queue and dangling tassel, the smoothly-shaven head and blue silk cap, the little fan in hand, and noiseless shoes on the feet, are all that constitute the essential cos- tume of the upper classes. The coolies and lower classes are more poorly clad, and their heads are not shaven so neatly ; but none of them go so nearly naked as the corresponding classes among the Japanese. The means of locomotion in Canton are decided- ly limited. No omnibuses, horse-cars, carriages, or vehicles of any sort are to be seen ; not even a CHINESE *• PUSH-MAN ” CAR. CANTO A^. 45 truck or cart for carrying merchandise. The streets are too narrow to admit of any wheeled vehicles whatever ; the aristocracy are carried, therefore, in sedan-chairs, and all goods are transported on the shoulders of men. In China, coolies are cheaper than horses, and human labor replaces that of the beast of burden. The only conveyances I ever noticed (for city travel) were the rude wheelbarrows of Shanghai — like the one that is seen in the accompanying picture. Here a sort of framework is built over the clumsy wooden wheel, upon which one or two persons may sit as comfortably as the jolting char- acter of the cart will admit. A strap passing over the coolie’s shoulder is attached to the handles of the wheelbarrow. This primitive method of “ get- ting around ” is more convenient than would at first appear, though not nearly so pleasant as the Japanese jin-riki-sha (or one-man-power carriage), which is being slowly introduced at Shanghai. As for railroads in China, the people still have a strong prejudice against their introduction, and it will probably be a long time before royal permission is freely granted for their construction. In “ shopping ” at Canton, the tourist finds stores of one sort grouped together in the same street. 46 FROM HONG-KONG TO THE HIM A LA YAS. For example, an entire street is given up to the beautiful jade-stone ornaments, which are a spe- cialty in this place ; necklaces, bracelets, earrings, and exquisite carved work, made of agate, crystal, and jade-stone, are exposed for sale in great pro- fusion. Jade is very hard and heavy, difficult to cut, and very expensive. It is sawed into circular pieces by means of a fine wire, and is the most fashionable article of jewelry among the Canton belles ; the most popular color being that which shades from milky white to clear green. Another street was devoted to silk-weaving es- tablishments, where the most exquisite patterns and colors were produced from the rudest sort of ma- chines. The looms were located in the basement of the shop, as the dampness of the ground is said to impart a peculiar gloss to the silk. One opera- tor sat in a square hole in the ground and guided the threads, while another sat among the intricate maze of sticks, shuttles, and silk threads, the move- ments of which he directed with hands and feet over the head of the first operator. We purchased two pairs of silk slippers, which were the most brilliant in color and design we had ever seen. We also invested, before leaving Can- CANTON. 47 ton, in some beautiful “bird’s-beak jewelry,” and a few “ bird’s-nests” (at 50 cts. apiece), from which the Chinese make their famous bird’s-nest soup. The jewelry is carved, in the form of breastpins, earrings, etc., from the beak of a large bird found in the East Indies. The color of the beak is of deep amber or light orange, and the delicate workman- ship far exceeds any carvings in ivory. Flowers, figures, and artistic devices are produced with ex- quisite effect, and sometimes the whole forehead and beak are carved in one elaborate design of temples and picturesque landscapes. The “ bird’s-nests” purchased were not composed of sticks and straw, as some people may suppose, but consisted of a whitish sort of gelatine, brittle to the touch, insipid in taste, and about the size and shape of an ordinary clam-shell. These nests are found attached to the most inaccessible cliffs and rocks among the islands of the south China Sea, and are obtained with great difficulty by suspend- ing men and boys by ropes over the cliffs. After gathering the nests, they are carefully cleansed by picking off all the bits of feathers, etc., and are shipped to Canton, where the wealthy epicures pur- chase them, and make the soup which they con- sider a great delicacy. We did not make soup of 48 FROM HONG-KONG TO THE HIM ALA YAS. our bird’s-nests, however ; first, because it would cost about five dollars to make an average-sized dish ; and, secondly, because we could have produced a better flavor with five cents’ worth of gelatine and salt ! My missionary friend frequently offered to treat me by the wayside to various culinary commodities, exposed for sale in the restaurants, or boiling in open pots in front of the shops. I usually declined with dignified reserve on finding that the tempting joints of roast pork, as they appeared to be, were choice cuts of canine “bowwows” already cooked ; or that the other appetizing advertisements, sus- pended in front of the “restaurant,” were large rats (/) freshly caught, skinned, cooked, and hung up in rows by their tails. Snakes, “ nicely browned,” were also seen occasionally, instead of eels ; but notwithstanding these slight “ peculiarities ” of taste, the markets of Canton were unusually well supplied and clean. On the southern side of the city is a manufac- tory of Canton ginger and preserved sweetmeats. While making some purchases, the proprietor brought us the most delicious “samples” of pre- served fruits, plums, citrons, syrups, and delicate ginger-roots, served up in tiny little saucers. We CANTON. 49 smacked our lips over the discovery that Canton offers greater delicacies than rats and canines, and that, after all, its bill of fare may suit the most fas- tidious taste. Much of this ginger is exported to England and America. To stroll through the streets day after day, and watch the interesting processes and industries al- ways going on, was a continual source of amuse- ment and instruction. The glassblowers were spe- cially expert in their art, and fashioned ships, trees, and birds, with great dexterity, handling the most fragile articles of glass as though they were made of iron. The great varieties of porcelain and ceramic ware, and carved ivory and ebony, would repay hours of study. The silks, crapes, and embroider- ies, were of the most ingenious patterns and deli- cate texture. Goldbeaters, crystal carvers, block and type cutters, lacquer-ware manufacturers, and scores of other employments, kept one’s powers of observation exercised continually. One street was devoted to the sale of incense- sticks and sandal-wood ; another was lined with coffin-shops. Chinese coffins of peculiar construc- tion were displayed. They were formed of four thick slabs of wood, rounded on the outer surface 50 HOXG-KONG TO THE HIM ALA VAS. and strongly fastened together. They were made airtight, for the bodies are frequently kept a long time before burial, until some “ fung-shui,” or “lucky spot,” for interment is found. Near the coffin-shop street is a district where the dyeing process is ap- propriately conducted (!), and beyond this is the street occupied by blacksmith -shops. To go through this latter street at night was to enter a perfect pandemonium of sights and sounds. Bla- zing fires and blast-furnaces were in full operation, and red-hot bars of iron emitted a dazzling bright- ness as they were withdrawn from the glowing fur- naces. In the midst of the smoke and showers of sparks were the begrimed bodies of naked China- men, shining with perspiration, blackened with soot, and dancing like demons, while they struck scores of blows per minute upon the red-hot bars of iron. With the exception of this neighborhood, the great city presents at night an appearance of com- plete silence and solitude, in strange contrast to the busy hum and life of the daytime. No noisy promenading or boisterous behavior is possible, and the burglars have a poor chance in Canton. Soon after sundown, the narrow streets, in the business part of the city, are blockaded by upright bars and CANTOX. 51 fences placed at intervals of half a square or so, and utterly impassable to the late pedestrian, until he has rapped on the bars and told the Tartar watch- man who approaches what his name is and whither he is going ; then the functionary slowly opens the gate and allows him to pass. The stillness of the streets at night becomes almost oppressive. A mile may be gone over, at a late hour, without meeting a person, except the lonely watchmen, with their dark lanterns and long sticks ; and the benighted and belated traveller is kept waiting at successive gates, until his patience is well nigh exhausted, before the guard comes and permits him to pass. His feet echo on the stone pavement, under which the hollow drains are placed. The houses and shops are all closed with tightly-fitting shutters. Here and there a light glimmers through the cracks, and subdued sounds may be heard, either of Chinese voices, or of work that is still going on within. A strip of sky is seen above the irregular line of roofs, and a few stars twinkle over- head. The brick walls and wooden shutters rise up on either hand, and in front of each doorway a taper, or incense-stick, is burning before the house- hold shrine, in which a little image of the god of wealth, or of mercy, sits, and before whom packs of 6 Hon^ Kong, etc. 52 FROM HONG-KONG TO THE HIM A LAVAS. firecrackers have been exploded at sundown, the remains of which still clutter the sidewalk. These dumb images and burning tapers are the only things to be seen by the wayside, and a stran- ger would never suppose, while walking these de- serted streets at night, that he was in the very heart of the most populous city of the Chinese Empire. rJ^/SOA'S, EXECUTIONS, EXCURSIONS. S3 CHAPTER III. PRISONS, EXECUTIONS, AND EXCURSIONS IN CHINA. The French heroine Madame Roland, when led to the guillotine, exclaimed, “ O Liberty ! what crimes are committed in thy name !” The sorrow- ful truth thus expressed finds a fitting counterpart in the groans of the wretched captives, who, wait- ing in the loathsome prisons of Canton, come forth at last to the torturing ordeal of the mandarin who sits sternly in the “Hall of Justice,” and renders it the opposite of all that its name would rightly imply. The Chinese people designate their prisons as “ Hells,” and woe to the poor creatures thrown into them, whether they deserve their fate or not. I gained access to some of these prisons, and also inspected the torturing tribunal, the execution ground, the place of burial for criminals, and other localities, illustrating the means and ends of such justice as the vicinity of Canton affords. The first place visited was the receiving cell, where prisoners are incarcerated previous to their being brought 54 FROM HONG-KOXG TO THE HIM ALA VAS. forth for “ trial.” I was accompanied in my explo- rations by Dr. Kerr of Canton. We found a cage- like den with blackened bars, so deep and dark that it was difficult to see into it. But the jailer pulled back the rusty bolt, and I entered the cell, when my friend playfully turned the key of the lock upon me. In an instant I found myself surrounded by a crowd of fifty or sixty wretched-looking men, near- ly as naked as they were born, who were aston- ished at the ingress of such an unwonted visitor from the outside world, and began amusing them- selves by fingering me all over, to see what I was made of. The sultry, pent-up atmosphere of the place was very oppressive, and it was no wonder the poor fellows were unable to keep any clothes on. The room, or rather den, was twenty feet square, so that the inmates could scarcely lie down on the dirty floor. Black brick walls were on three sides, and a little hole in the roof, formed by re- moving two bricks, was supposed to admit light. Heavy wooden bars served as a grating, through which a little air and a glimmer of daylight were admitted. Here the prisoners, arrested on sus- picion only, are left in close confinement, bewailing their fate until brought before the mandarin for examination. This judicial farce is conducted with- PRISONS, EXECUTIONS, EXCURSIONS. 55 in an open court, situated close to the Kwong-chau- Fu, or local governor’s Yamun. The courtyard for the trial of criminals is sixty feet long, enclosed on all sides, and has a roof at the farther end, under which the judge and his assistants sit ; numerous secretaries and reporters are also ranged on either side, law-books are scat- tered about on the tables, waiters are in attendance, executioners squat sullenly near the wall, and every- thing is conducted with silent deliberation. As we entered the judgment-hall four persons were kneeling before the mandarin’s table, two of them having iron chains wound about their necks ; the latter had just been suffering some severe or- deal, and the various implements of torture were close at hand. Bamboo rods bent double were hanging on the wall, and were evidently well used ; ropes, thumbscrews, grooved sticks for pinching ankles and fingers, heavy iron chains for kneeling upon, and large wooden frames, or canques, with holes in the centre, through which the heads of culprits are thrust, form the ordinary furniture of these judicial halls. The article most in use was a narrow bench of thick wood, through which two holes were bored, one at each end : the accused is placed on this, his 56 FROM HONG-KONG TO THE HIM ALA YAS. pigtail pulled through one hole, and a rope pushed through the other ; his legs are then drawn up by the rope, so as to bend and cramp them, and he is enjoined to “ suffer or confess.” Some of the charges brought against the cul- prits were of a novel character. One young fellow was accused of disobeying his parents : he plead guilty and begged for mercy. The judge sentenced him to fifty blows with the bamboo and a short term of imprisonment. Even the death penalty is not unfrequently pro- nounced in China for continued disobedience to parents ; and I was told of one incorrigible youth, who, after repeated disobedience and unfilial con- duct, was publicly drowned by his parents in the river. Respect to parents, and reverence for one’s ancestors, are the primary requirements of civil and religious life in China ; and the politeness and deference resulting from it, among all classes of Chinese youth, might with profit be emulated by the “ Young America” of our own clime. The canque, or wooden collar, is not very pain- ful, but decidedly disagreeable : one fellow we met looked as if his head were stuck through the mid- dle of a barn-door. The wearer cannot feed him- self, is unable to lie down, and though he looks PRISONS, EXECUTIONS, EXCURSIONS. 57 comical enough, his condition becomes, after many days, quite a poor joke, at least for him. In Chinese law, the accused is presumed to be guilty unless he can prove his innocence ; this is Just the contrary to our ideas of law, in which a man is treated as innocent until he is proved guilty. No criminal can be condemned, however, until he confesses his crime. Of course, he will not confess if he can possibly avoid it ; torture is therefore em- ployed to help his judges in the matter. Truthfulness is not a very prominent element in the Chinese character, especially when personal interest would suffer thereby ; and the argument for torturing them is, that it is the only way to ex- tort from them a confession. That the innocent are sometimes unjustly forced to confess themselves guilty cannot be doubted ; but — as the cqmmission of crime makes men cowardly — the guilty will usu- ally give up, while the innocent hold out. Much depends, however, on the nerve and endurance of the unlucky victim. The prisons proper are of considerable extent, for many criminals are sent up to Canton from the interior of the country, and large accommodations are required. The main prison is situated on the “ Street of Benevolence and Love,” but is, on the S8 FROM HOXG-KOXG TO THE HIM ALA ] 'AS. whole, as unlovely a place as one could easily imagine. There is no regular building, but simply a vast collection of brick walls and huts. The rooms of the jailers and turnkeys are near the entrance, and seem dismal and comfortless ; narrow passages lead from them to smaller courts, paved with stone, containing cage-like stalls. These stalls contain fifteen or twenty men apiece, and in them they eat, sleep, and cook their own food. The doors are open in the daytime, and locked at night. The prisoners came streaming out of the stalls with their chains clanking on the stones, and were quite as free in gazing at us as we were in looking at them. Some were “hard cases,” and their shackles seemed quite becoming ; while others were pleas- ant and harmless, and appeared out of place in such an abode. Their cells contain a few raised boards, on which they sleep, and one or two cooking imple- ments. In each courtyard there is a well, and the open spaces contain little contrivances by means of which the more industrious are enabled to pursue such work as they have skill for, and they can thus get the means of improving their condition. The extortions practised upon prisoners by their jailers for the purpose of making money out of them, are quite common. Torture is frequently PJilSONS, EXECUTIONS, EXCURSIONS. 59 resorted to, and if the victim is known to be a per- son of any means, he must finally succumb to what- ever demands are made upon him. The processes are various for reducing him to terms. Sometimes he is “put to bed,” which means laid flat upon a plank platform, with grooved boards pressed upon the neck, wrists, and ankles, and fastened tightly through holes beneath the “ bed a long stick projects against the chin, throwing the head back, and in this condition he passes as many nights as his jailer pleases. For daytime amusement he is slung up on a horizontal bar by strings attached to his toes and thumbs. He may also kneel upon bits of broken crockery, holding his arms at right angles to his body ; when the arms can be held out no lon- ger, he gets a bamboo beating for letting them fall down. Prisoners who are poor and have no friends are stinted in their rations almost to starvation : nomi- nally they should be allowed three pounds of rice per day, but the jailer gives them about a third of it, and steals the rest. Persons who have friends and means to aid them are treated with more con- sideration. Some apartments of the prison were evidently occupied by individuals of the better class, and 7 Hong-Ko*i?. etc. 6o FROM HOi\G-KOXG TO THE HIM ALA VAS. more liberty was allowed them ; while other por- tions were crowded with large numbers of chatter- ing creatures, to whom the adv^ent of a foreigner was evidently a great and unexpected novelty. The compartments assigned for women were smaller than those for men, and were not so well filled. Some of the female prisoners were very respectable, and all took their fate resignedly, occu- P}’ing their time as best they could. One old woman, who was known to my compan- ion, we found lying sick and weak upon her bed of boards in one of the cage-like cells. She was a rel- ative of the chief in the Tai-Ping rebellion, and sole- ly for this reason she and her family were seized and thrown into prison, though none of them were engaged in the rebellion itself. For twenty years she has lingered in the dreary hole in which we saw her ; her son also was in a neighboring prison, and there was little hope that either of them would ever get out. When prisoners are condemned to death, they sometimes are not notified until an hour before the execution takes place. They are then marched to the Fu-t’ai Yamun, or Governor’s Office, where the death warrant is exhibited. Immediately their arms and legs are pinioned, they are placed in baskets PRISOiVS, EXECUTIONS, EXCURSIONS. 6i slung upon poles, and carried by coolies to the exe- cution ground. This is located in the midst of the new city, with a dense population about it. The open space is not fifty yards long, and is eight yards wide at one end, and less than five at the other ; yet this miserable patch of earth has soaked up the blood of more victims than any spot of equal size the world over. The number who have from time to time perished here is simply incredible. In 1855 it is reported that not less than fifty thousand rebels were beheaded, and within more recent years the average annual executions have reached nearly fif- teen hundred. The greater part of the sufferers have been members of the land-banditti gangs and river pirates, and many are those who formerly be- longed to the forces of the Tai-Ping rebels, and have since lived among the mountain fastnesses as professional brigands. Ordinary criminals con- demned for murder, robbery, arson, or other offen- ces, are carried to the grounds with a stick placed in their hair, on which is a piece of paper marked with their name, crime, and penalty. From twenty to forty persons are usually dealt with at once. The method in which they are conducted to the place of execution is thus described by the local guide-book: “Two magistrates precede the mourn- 62 FROM HOXG-KOXG TO THE HIM ALA VAS. ful procession, and take their seats in front of a shop which faces the execution ground, while the coolies, hurrying up the narrow passage, succes- sively jerk their burdens on the ground and retire. In the twinkling of an eye the sufferers are ranged in one or more rows, kneeling, the ligatures of the arms and legs causing the head to be stretched out almost horizontally. Not a sound is uttered, nor does the movement of a muscle betray, in most cases, the slightest consciousness of the fate im- pending over the silent pile. An assistant runs rapidly along the line, bringing each neck into the most effective position, and snatching away the ticket with which each man is marked. “ In less than a minute from the time the pro- cession first appears on the scene, the order to pro- ceed with the execution is given from the magis- trate’s bench, by loudly shouting the command, ‘ Pan ’ (execute !), and with the rapidity of thought the dull, crashing blows of the headsman’s sword are heard falling along the line. “A Cantonese executioner seldom requires to give a second stroke to sever the head completely from the body. “ In as many seconds as there are criminals to despatch, the inanimate bodies and gaping heads PRISON'S, EXECUTIONS, EXCURSIONS. C3 of the guilty wretches are lying bathed in pools of gore. Another quarter of an hour suffices to re- move the bodies in rough coffins to the criminal burying-ground outside the East Gate, the heads being usually carried off in cages, to be suspended in various localities, where the crime for which each suffered was committed.” There is a pottery warehouse at the side of the grounds, and when the executions are completed, potters continue their work, and fill up the space with their freshly-made ware. While thus encumbered with pottery, one would scarcely suspect that he stood on such an Acelda- ma of bloody associations. On groping along the wall, however, earthen jars may be seen, some of them containing heads all clotted and wet, and other jars are sealed up. One of my friends happened in this enclosure one day when forty criminals were brought in for execution. He turned pale and felt very nervous, and tried to get out ; but the gate was so quickly closed, that he was obliged to stand there and in- voluntarily witness the awful sight. In an incredi- bly short time forty heads lay gaping on the ground ; the gate was then opened, and the bodies were quickly removed. 64 FROM HONG-KOXG TO THE HIMALAYAS. After inspecting the torturing hall and the execution grounds, we visited the “ Temple of Horrors,” where various states of torment, in the Buddhist hell, are depicted with tragical effect. The idol at this temple is guardian of the city ; the shrines are visited by multitudes who offer their prayers, and keep busy the pedlers, fortunetellers, and quacks, who frequent the place. Near the gateway the stalls are ranged, representing various forms of punishment in the next world, prepared for the unfaithful who do not worship Buddha, pay the priests, and offer prayers and incense. The first stall depicts the process of transmigration, in w'hich men are turning into dogs, foxes, goats, and snakes. The manner in which their horns, hair, and tails begin to grow is ludicrous. In the second, a man is being ground up in a mortar, and the blood is spurting over the side. In the third, an unfortunate individual is boiling alive in oil, while two or three fiends stir him up, and still another is being placed under a red-hot bell. Beheading, beating, and sawing a man be- tween two upright boards, are other forms of pun- ishment. In most of the scenes, devils and demons are pulling the guilty victims down a hill to their miserable doom, while the faithful are escaping and PRISONS, EXECUTIONS, EXCURSIONS. 65 following the shaven-headed priests to the realms of Buddha. A large image of the “ Goddess of Mercy ” stands on the other side of the temple and in front of the altar. I waited, and watched the manner in which prayers were offered. A poor woman knelt upon the floor, and took up two oval pieces of wood lying at the foot of the altar, which fitted together in the shape of an egg. After repeating a certain number of prayers, she threw the two oval pieces upon the floor. Both of them fell flat-side up, show- ing the answer to be neither negative nor affirma- tive. More prayers, and more tapers of incense were lighted, and then she threw them down again. This time one fell flat-side down and the other flat- side up. This answer was satisfactory, but the woman, to make it doubly sure, shook a dozen in- cense-sticks in a bamboo case until one jumped out ; this she carried to the priest for an interpre- tation of its meaning. Some of the grim-looking idols have bits of red paper pasted over them, with names inscribed on each ; these papers were placed there by parents, who thus presented their children to the care and guardianship of their favorite deity. The “Temple of Horrors,” like the prison 66 FROM HONG-KONG TO THE HIM ALA YAS. and torturing hall, is located on the “ Street of Benevolence and Love !” and most of the streets in the neighborhood have similar inconsistencies in their nomenclature. The street of “ Refreshing Breezes ” is narrow, close, and perfumed with a va- riety of odors. The street of “ Accumulated Bless- ings ” did not show any extraordinary evidence of affluence ; but “ Old Clothes ” street was true to its name, and had. foreign goods in addition. The street of “ Ninefold Brightness ” was dark and dingy; and “Ascending Dragon” street sent up enough firecracker-smoke to float two or three dragons. “ Great Peace ” street possessed a pep- permint shop and distillery ; and the avenue of a “ Thousand Beatitudes ” exhibited sufficient pov- erty and distress to use up all the imaginary bless- ings which the name implied. The number of babies and children playing about in the “ Street of One Thousand Grandsons” showed that socially this prolific title was not inappropriately applied. In the southeastern corner of the old city is an immense enclosure known as “ Examination Hall.” Here triennial examinations are held, and ten thou- sand students, not unfrequently, present themselves at once, from different parts of the empire. There are 9,537 stalls, where the contestants are separately PEISOA’S, EXECUTIONS, EXCURSIONS. 67 confined during the examinations. At the farther end of the grounds are rooms where 3,000 officials, copyists, police, and servants, may be accommoda- ted. These rooms have high-sounding titles, simi- lar to the streets. At the “ Hall of Perfect Hon- esty” essays are handed in. At the “Hall of Re- straint ” the titlepage of each essay is sealed. The multitude of essays are finally examined in the “ Hall of Auspicious Stars here are private apart- ments for the imperial commissioners, the governor, the assistant examiners, and the scribes and copy- ists. A temple of Confucius, a library of Chinese classics, and a gate of literature are on the grounds. The “ Examination Hall ” covers several acres, and is the most extensive institution of the kind in the world. The students, who congregate here once in three years, are of all ages, young and old. They have already passed one examination in their own provinces, and here they come to be tested for the second degree. Each applicant is stripped, searched, and placed in a brick stall scarcely four feet square ; two plain boards serve as a table and seat. Pen, ink, and paper are furnished him, and a subject, or series of questions in Chinese classics, assigned, upon which an essay must be prepared. One day and night are allowed for writing. During this time 8 Hong-Kon?, etc. 68 FROM HOXG-KOXG TO THE HIM A LA VAS. no communication is permitted with the outside world, and the diet is just sufficient to keep the candidate from starvdng. There are three sessions, with three days’ interval between. The endless series of stalls, located on either side of the long stone walk, are kept quiet and closely guarded, while the busy workers within are silently preparing their essays. In the final examination of the essays, the standard is ver}'^ severe ; a mistake in a single character is sufficient to cause the whole to be re- jected. It is said that, out of the ten thousand con- testants, only seventy-five can secure the coveted degree. The remaining nine thousand, nine hun- dred and twenty-five must go back disappointed. The names of the successful students are publicly announced, with marked demonstrations of honor and respect. They are afterwards sent to Pekin, where a third competitive examination must be passed, which of course thins their ranks still more. The few, who finally get through this three- fold ordeal, are admitted to the highest literary class, from which all government appointments are made. China is perhaps the only countr}' possessing a literary aristocracy ; only those who have passed these examinations are eligible to public office. It PmSOA'S, EXECUTIOXS, EXCURSIONS. 69 has been suggested that this system of civil service might profitably be introduced into our own coun- try ; and when candidates for political office swarm at Washington, after a presidential election, they should be shut up and fed on bread and water for a few days, until they prove themselves capable of filling satisfactorily the positions so loudly claimed ! At a conference of missionaries in Canton, the proposition was made of preparing a brief state- ment of the doctrines of Christianity, in the form of a Chinese tract, and circulating it among the thousands of students who would attend the next triennial examination. Many of the most intelli- gent men, from remote sections of the country, would thereby be reached and influenced, and they could carry the tracts to their homes and to the people of their own provinces. The English and American missionaries at Can- ton seemed to me deeply in earnest in their work, yet gravely conscious of the extreme difficulties in their way in winning the Chinese to an intelligent acceptance of Christianity. The customs and ideas of paganism have had such full sway for scores of centuries, and the Chinese character is naturally so conservative, that progress in changing the prevail- 70 FROM HOXG-KOXG TO THE H/MALAYAS. '■ ing religious sentiment of the country is exceed- ingly slow. China stands as chief patriarch in the family of nations ; she has a history dating back to the time of the Deluge, and possesses a literature which flourished before the art of printing was known in Europe. The extent of her territory is larger than that of our own republic, and her population may be nearly ten times that of the United States. Her people are proud of their history and antiquity, as well as of their magnificent geographical facilities. Their country produces all that their frugal wants require, and they are in nowise dependent upon western nations. In ancient times the Chinese named their country the “ Middle Kingdom,” sup- posing (as the Romans did of the Mediterranean) that it was the middle of the earth. Confucius, the great Chinese sage, was contemporary with Socra- tes ; and his teachings have influenced the mindi and moulded the character of the Chinese during the past twenty centuries. Chinese civilization isj peculiar, when contrasted with Occidental ideas ; yet it has served its purpose well, and the people look with suspicion upon whatever threatens to dis- turb their social or religious system. It should not surprise us, therefore, that missions make little PIUSO.\’S, EXECUTIONS, EXCURSIONS. 71 progress at first, when we consider how reserved, conservative, and unsympathetic the Chinese are, compared with some other nations of the East. Rev. Mr. Preston took me to his preaching-ser- vice in a small hall on one of the principal streets. As soon as the doors were open, the people, attract- ed by curiosity, came in and seated themselves. He preached to them earnestly in the Chinese lan- guage, and was followed by a Chinese assistant, who continued the preaching an hour or so after we went away. Mr. Preston spoke the difficult lan- guage with wonderful facility, and I judge with accuracy ; he had labored here for over sixteen years, and told me he expected to work on in the same way until the end. Since my leaving Canton he has been taken away by death ; he was greatly respected by all who knew him. Dr. Happer has a large Presbyterian chapel in the city, where Sabbath service in the Chinese lan- guage is regularly conducted. The chapel was well filled, and the services were solemn and impressive. All the men sat on one side of the room, and the women on the other ; they were screened from each other by a wooden partition passing down the centre of the chapel. This was rendered necessary by Chinese etiquette and ideas of propriety. It 72 FROM HONG-KONG TO THE HIM ALA FAS. was a little novel to a new-comer, however, and I once took my seat innocently, by mistake, on the wrong side of the room ! Seeing the Chinese ladies somewhat astonished, I made a dignified retreat, and was safely piloted to the proper side by a fair member of Dr. Happer’s interesting family. The singing (considering the difficulties experienced in teaching music to the Chinese) was very fine, and the whole spirit of the service was beautiful. Other services, which I also attended, at the Wesleyan chapel and the English Missions, were interesting and encouraging, and showed that substantial mis- sionary work was really being accomplished. A work which greatly interested me in Canton, was the Medical Mission carried on by Dr. Kerr, and combining the benefits of the highest surgical skill with the free presentation of the gospel. The medical hospital was established by Dr. Peter Par- ker in 1839, and is largely supported by the foreign residents of Canton. It is greatly appreciated by the Chinese, whose knowledge of surgery is entirely inadequate to cope with certain prevailing forms of disease. I frequently went through the plainly-fur- nished wards of the hospital, and also witnessed many severe surgical operations. Cancerous and syphilitic complaints were very common, and the PJ^ISONS, EXECUTIONS, EXCURSIONS. 73 surgeon’s knife was kept in constant use ; but the unfortunates usually suffered with fortitude and patience. Chloroform was given in extreme cases, and the surprise and gratitude of each patient were great on waking up and finding that the terrible operation was all over. One woman, to whom I administered the anaes- thetic, while the doctor removed an unusually large cancer, was accompanied by her female friends, who stood in the courtyard holding up their hands tow- ards heaven and imploring the gods. On hearing that the operation was successful, their gratitude knew no bounds. Patients, after being healed, would manifest their thankfulness by bringing pres- ents and provisions to the doctor, whose larder was thereby kept well stocked. In passing through the woman’s ward, I noticed some lady-like persons with “little feet,” which were bound in the style prevalent among Chinese ladies. At my request, the doctor politely asked one of his fair friends to show me one of her feet ! He gravely explained to her that the modest exhi- bition would be a great novelty to me. She kindly handed me her shoe, which was about two and a half inches in length, and neatly embroidered. After removing her very ornamental, but peculiar- 74 HOXG-KOXG TO THE HIM ALA VAS. ly-shaped stocking, she proceeded slowly to un- wind the long black bandage with which her foot (or what remained of it) was tightly wound. The bandage was several yards in length, and under this were other colored strips. When all were re- moved, the foot had a wedge or stump-like appear- ance, that almost destroyed its identity. The heel was elongated, the instep highly arched, and the great toe was very prominent. The other toes were drawm in under the foot, and so tightly and perseveringly compressed, that the bones were ab- sorbed, and no vestige of the toes remained, but four flat pieces of skin. Although the foot was so small that one’s hand could easily cover it, the ankle was proportionately thickened, and the whole had an appearance far from beautiful. This strange custom of “ little feet ” has prevailed in China for centuries. The painful process of binding the feet is commenced at six or seven years of age, when the child’s foot is fully formed. The little girls present a pitiable sight, as they are sometimes seen on the street, richly dressed and attended by a ser- vant, but hobbling slowly along, crippled for life by this unnatural and cruel fashion. When the feet have been bound for several years, the young woman is forced to continue the habit ; for the PJUSO.YS, EXECUTIONS, EXCURSIONS. 75 - under side of the foot is rendered so sensitive and pinched, that she cannot stand up when it is left unbound. Medical missions have proved a most effective means of reaching the respect and appreciation of the Chinese, and indeed of all the Asiatics. Mod- ern surgery and medicine may just as well go with the gospel, as the gift of healing went with the apostles. In the joint work of curing men’s bodies and saving their souls, we have the example of the Great Physician, who not only taught the people, but “ healed all their diseases.” In presenting the benefits of modern surgical skill to the Chinese, we are all the better able to lead them into an accept- ance of the truth and teachings of Christianity. Connected with the dispensary is a chapel where preaching is conducted, while the patients and their friends are waiting. Their sense of gratitude for the kindness shown leads them to listen to the gos- pel gladly, because it has prompted such help and succor to their physical as well as their spiritual infirmities. While in Canton, the Chinese admiral made me several calls, and left his card, which was ten inches long, of bright red color, and had his name, “ Chow- Ching,” inscribed upon it. He invited me with Hong-Kong, etc. 9 76 FROM HONG-KONG TO THE HIM ALA YAS. much ceremony to visit his own house, where he wished to make many inquiries concerning the progress achieved by Japan in naval affairs during the past few years. War had very nearly arisen between the two countries, a short time before, on questions of dispute connected with the island of Formosa, and military and naval preparations had been made on a large scale. The war was happily averted, however, by Minister Okubo’s skilful di- jDlomacy at Pekin. The admiral sent his sedan- chair for me, and another for my friend who was to act as interpreter. The eight bearers carried us briskly through the city, clearing the way through the narrow and crowded streets by a peculiar cry that the people seemed to understand, for they slipped out of the road and into the nooks and cor- ners with far more meekness and respect than would have manifested itself had we tried the same style of rapid transit through a crowd in Broadway, N. Y. ! The sedan-chairs were carried on elastic poles, which gave an easy, springing motion as we jaunted along. The interior was furnished with silk curtains, bamboo slats, and a cosey little seat. The occupant can look out upon the world, without himself being seen. Arriving at the admiral’s house, ' 3 were ush- HOOM IN A CHINESE MANDARIN'S HOUSE. I^RISOiVS, EXECUTIOXS, EXCURSIONS. 79 ered into a reception-room, and seated upon mar- ble-topped chairs, which were cool, but not very soft. Tea was served on ebony tables, richly carved, and tiny opium-pipes were offered ; these we gravely declined. After the admiral had introduced his sons and friends, we all chatted around a table in the library, eating fruit and picking nuts. The admiral seemed quite scientific in his tastes, and chemistry was his favorite topic, especially that portion of it that pertained to the manufacture of explosives. He induced me to give him the receipts of various dangerous compounds for torpedoes, shells, fuse-compositions, and pyrotechnic displays ; and if he ever succeeded in making them after- wards, without blowing himself up, he was more fortunate than I had frequently been in my own laboratory. In this particular he probably learned that “ a little knowledge is a dangerous thing !” After an hour spent in talking over scientific and military matters, the admiral conducted me through his house, showing everything I cared to see, and even frightening his wife and the women who occupied the rooms up stairs by allowing me to peep in upon them while they sat embroidering or engaged in sundry domestic operations. The timid ladies ran away as fast as their “little feet” So FJ^OM HOXG-KOXG TO THE H IMA LA VAS. could carry them, and hid behind bureaus, bed- steads, and other articles of furniture ! The gen- eral appearance of a Chinese house is much more like the prevailing style in our own country than any Oriental residences I had seen. While the Japanese have no furniture whatever in their houses, the Chinese have their domestic arrangements very much like Europeans. The old admiral seemed to enjoy the fun of witnessing the astonishment and trepidation of the fairer members of his household as the unexpected visitor was presented to them. Notwithstanding his coaxing assurance that it was “all right,” they fled from me as they would from a ghostly apparition. The sons of the admiral and their wives all lived under the same parental roof, and yet domestic felicity seemed to prevail. They were happy and harmonious, and when our visit was over we retained quite a pleasant impression of the sights and surroundings of Chinese domestic life. The country about Canton is so flat that foreign residents desiring a change from the sultry atmo- sphere of the city, are forced to go eighty miles up West River, where fresh mountain scenery and a beautiful waterfall may be found. The latter is located within a deep gorge, surrounded by verdure- covered cliffs. I took a week’s excursion up the PIUSOiYS, EXECUTIOXS, EXCURSIONS. 8i river in company with a missionary friend, and studied the various phases of Chinese country life on the way. The tourist, having in mind the immense popu- lation of China, is surprised at the unsettled appear- ance of the country along the shores of the great rivers. Villages are few and far between, and iso- lated farmhouses in this region scarcely seem to exist. The reason assigned is, that towns situated on the river-bank would be insecure, owing to their liability to piratical attacks. They are built, there- fore, well inland, and we could see their tiled roofs clustered among the trees, or on some strong and elevated position. Large districts are thus ren- dered little better than waste land ; and when the people are asked why they do not cultivate the fields or use the hills for pasture, the reply is that their cattle or sheep would be stolen, and their iso- lated farmhouses would be plundered. Suspicion and insecurity appear to be the prevailing feeling, and for this cause the Chinese crowd together in the cities, instead of scattering through the coun- try. They cultivate every scrap of earth near the large towns, and manage to eke out a miserable existence, while whole acres lie untouched not many miles away. If the peasantry were better 82 FROM HOXG-KOXG TO THE HIM A LA i \IS. protected, and the farming districts were cultivated to their full extent, famine would not so frequently devastate and decimate the country. Lepers were seen occasionally, as we passed along the river bank. Not being allowed to live in the towns, they 'make little huts of branches and straw, and beg a few pence from boatmen and trav- ellers. We approached one lonely straw pile, that looked like a small haystack, from which a poor creature crawled out, extending his two stumps of hands for some pennies. His feet and hands were nearly gone, and his body was terribly emaciated, yet his face had a pleasant expression as he smiled and thanked us for the pennies we gave him. The leper village, which we had previously seen near Canton, contained scores of unfortunates, who crowded around us and exhibited all the stages of their terrible disease. Their faces and bodies were horribly disfigured, and some had lost their ears, noses, arms, and feet, which drop off or become absorbed as the disease progresses. Many of the children were healthy and playful ; but their pa- rents were lepers, so it was deemed only a question of time when they would become the same. When- ever a case of leprosy is discovered in the city, the person is removed to the leper village, where he FJ^/SOA'S, EXECUTIONS, EXCURSIONS. 83 must waste away his life with the slow and loath- some disease. As we approached the mountainous region near the waterfall, flocks of ducks and geese were seen, tended by small boys with long sticks. Bunches of feathers were fastened to the end of each stick, for beating the ducks into the water and keeping them together. The ducks and geese are raised here in great numbers ; the eggs are hatched by artificial heat, and the little fowls and big ones are led about and ■watched over by “ duck boys,” as sheep are cared for by a shepherd. Sometimes they are kept in duck-boats, which are long and flat. In the day- time the boat is moored near the bank of the river, and the ducks go off among the irrigated rice-fields. At sundown the duck-boy gives a shrill whistle, and all the feathered flock come floundering and quacking through the mud, and then plunge into the river. After swimming awhile, they follow their leader in 1 egular order, and march up an inclined board into the flat-boat. The boy then poles the duck-craft, with its cackling cargo, up the river to a place of safety. The following day the ducks go foraging again, and repeat the same swimming per- formance in the evening. The cattle in this region are as amphibious as 84 ^J?OM HOXG-KOXG TO THE HIM ALA VAS. the ducks. “ Water-buffaloes ” were seen rolling and tumbling about in the water in the same way as the rhinoceros. They are gray, stupid animals, and are used in ploughing instead of oxen. ‘ Pigs also predominated ; they ran wild, and wallowed in the mud. Women worked in the fields with long hoes, at the same time carrying babies slung on their backs in queer-shaped bags. After ascending several hundred feet among the hills, we came to the cataract, which dashes over the rocky cliff and falls into a deep oval basin below. Continuing up the hill, we came to the Buddhist temple and the monastery of “ Auspicious Clouds.” It is a solid building of stone, well kept, and pos- sessing all the usual paraphernalia of heathenism. The summit of the hill is 2,800 feet high ; near the top is the lake which supplies the fall with water. Returning towards Canton on the fifth day, we passed many curious craft upon the river. Most of the junks were heavily armed; some carried eight or a dozen cannon, and all appeared ready to fight. Our own boat was not backward in its little arma- ment. Over the table where we sat were stacked spears and swords, and near by were a couple of cannon. Our means of propulsion on the river was varied and suggestive. Six coolies tugged at a FJi/SO.VS, EXECUTJOXS, EXCURSIONS. 85 long rope, made of twisted bamboo, extending from a stout mast of the boat to the shore. The rope had six strands at the end, and each strand was attached to a canvas belt, through which a man put his head and shoulders ; the six coolies then ran along a pathway on the bank. This is called “tracking it.” Two other coolies “poled” on one side of the boat with long bamboo sticks, while on the other side a ninth coolie “sculled” with an oar made of two heavy pieces, spliced and resting on an iron pivot. The “captain coolie” steered with an oar in front or a rudder behind, as the exigencies of the case required, and directed his heterogeneous crew from the frail top of the boat. Whenever a fair wind occurred, the coolies were called on board, and two masts were raised in the shape of the letter V. Upon this an immense sail of bamboo matting was placed, like that used in cov- ering tea-chests, and with this filled by the wind we scud along at a lively rate. When darkness came on, all the boats and junks in the neighbor- hood clustered together at the most sheltered spot near the shore, and arranged themselves in the best position for mutual defence. A “ police boat,” with well-armed crew, and carrying heavy cannon, would usually be moored near the bevy of boats, and all Hong Kong, etc. 10 86 FROM HONG-KONG TO THE HIM ALA YAS. night long we could hear the tap of the drum, show- ing that the police were on the watch. If the much- feared “pirates” had really attacked us, however, they might have made short work of the promiscu- ous crowd of boats. When the Chinese can show a bold front, by numbering a great many cannon and making a great noise, they think themselves comparatively safe. But no pirates captured us on the trip, and the next day we landed below Sha-min, the beautiful and shaded grounds occupied by the English and French residents at Canton. A TRIP THROUGH THE TROPICS. 87 CHAPTER IV. A TRIP THROUGH THE TROPICS. In travelling around the world, no contrast or novelty strikes the tourist with more marked effect than the constant transition from ship to shore ; and from the settled-down sort of life on land back again to the new experiences and excitements of shipboard. One has no sooner accustomed himself to the place and habits of the country visited, and begun to really enjoy the new friends he has made, than — -presto ! change — he must leave them all, em- bark on the steamer, sail for other climes, and begin a new series of experiences among total strangers. The journey thus becomes a constantly-changing, yet ever-progressive panorama, with new scenes and new adventures unfolding at each successive step, until the “ globe-trotter ” (as the traveller who makes the Grand Tour is nicknamed in the East) feels convinced that both his mind and body have become charged with some new element of perpet- ual motion. One ocean is no sooner crossed, than another lies beyond ; and one continent has no 88 FROM HONG-KOXG TO THE HIM A LA VAS. sooner been explored, than still another awaits the onset of the intrepid and enthusiastic traveller. No part of the world appears to block one’s way so abruptly as the long reach southward of the Malay Peninsula. In most of the school-maps of Asia, it looks like a convenient “jumping-off place” appended to the southeastern corner of the conti- nent. But not until the tourist attempts to sail arotmd it, and finds the time and distance almost that of two trips across the Atlantic (and the fare double also), does he realize what a respectable voy- age it is. In going from Canton to Calcutta, for example, the distance in a straight line on the map appears short, for both cities are seen located a little below the twenty-fourth parallel of latitude. But, as China is not yet the land of railroads, the traveller is forced to sail nearly two thousand miles to the south, and after touching at Singapore, only one degree and a quarter from the equator, to turn northward and sail two thousand miles farther to Calcutta. By connecting the three points. Canton, Singapore, and Calcutta, with straight lines, it will be observed that, in sailing from the former to the latter, the traveller journeys over two sides of an equilateral triangle. But the trip is a very pleasant one, for it A TRIP THROUGH THE TROPICS. 89 takes one through the tropics, with all their fresh- ness, novelty, and variegated scenery. The steamer Hindostan, bound for Calcutta, was lying at anchor in the harbor of Hong-Kong as I arrived there, after bidding farewell to kind friends in Canton. My trunk was transferred to the steamer by a Chinese sampan, and after putting my stateroom in order, preparatory to the long voy- age, I looked around the city, and then visited some of the ships in the harbor. The United States flag- ship Hartford was riding gracefully at anchor, with spars trimmed and flag floating aloft. She seemed like an old friend, for I had frequently been on board of her in the harbor of Yokohama, and in- spected her heavy armament and neatly-kept decks. A sort of historic halo surrounded the old ship, to whose maintop Commodore Farragut was lashed during the naval action at Mobile. The vessel did excellent service during the civil war. I went on board the Hartford and called on Captain Harmony; he welcomed me cordially, and as we walked the deck he talked kindly and appreciatingly of a faithful Christian relative and friend of whose death we had learned by the last mail. The captain was called away to re- ceive Admiral Pen nock, who had just paid an offi- 90 FROM HONG-KOXG TO THE HI MALA VAS. cial visit to the Russian frigate. As the band played and the marines presented themselves in uniform, we expected to hear the salute of twenty- one guns usually paid as a compliment to the admi- ral, to which the Hartford would have replied with an equal number. But somehow the Russians were saving of their powder this time. Salutes were quite frequent, however, from the various ships-of- war. The Kearsarge was also with the Hartford at Hong-Kong. I went on board of her, and stroked with special pride and interest the big gun that is her chief boast. The vessel has been en- tirely rebuilt and repaired since the war. The Brit- ish iron-clad Audacious, sister-ship to the Iron Duke, reposed solidly on the water, looking as im- movable as a rock. She appeared the very picture of strength, with her heavy armor, splendid Arm- strong guns, and defiant man-of-war ensign flying at the stern. Two or three of the old line-of -battle ships were lying dismantled, covered with canvas roofing, and used as ammunition storeships. One of Holt’s large steamers came sailing up the bay, just arrived from Liverpool. On Sunday I attended service at the Cathedral of Hong-Kong. Chaplain Lewis of the Hartford preached the sermon, from the text, “ First the A TRIP THROUGH THE TROPICS. 91 blade, then the ear, then the full corn in the ear.” The singingwas very fine, especially one hymn, “For those in peril on the sea.” The well-trained choir and solemn strains of the organ rendered this hymn a well-timed and appropriate prayer, in which we all joined, for it was a special favorite in the far East. Several months afterwards, when in a terrific storm on the Arabian Sea, this verse was continu- ally coming to my mind, with the music that so beautifully gave it expression : “Eternal Father! strong to save. Whose arm hath bound the restless wave, Who bid’st the mighty ocean deep Its own appointed limits keep. Oh, hear us when we cry to thee For those in peril on the sea.” After church I walked across to the foreign cemetery, and was surprised at its extent and beauty. Many of the monuments were very elabo- rate and costly ; but hundreds of graves were un- marked by headstones, showing that many unknown persons, dying in a foreign land, had been brought and buried here. The steamer Hindustan sailed on Monday after- noon. All was bustle on board up to the time of 93 FROM HOXG-KOXG TO THE HI MALA YAS. departure; the captain was sick, and confusion reigned for awhile. The vessel was an opium- steamer, belonging to Sassoon Sons & Co., an In- dian firm. Coming from Calcutta, she carried a valuable cargo of opium, which is worth its weight in silver. Returning to Calcutta, she carried a few first-class passengers, general merchandise, and specie. It was no unusual occurrence for her to take back two hundred tons of silver. On this trip she carried five hundred Chinese in the steerage, bound for Singapore. The sailors were Chinese, and the servants and waiters were turbaned Hindoos. The south China Sea has usually a bad reputa- tion for storms, and I anticipated a rough time of it. But the voyage proved the calmest I had ever experienced. The sail down the bay was beautiful, and Victoria Peak was soon left far behind ; a smooth sea and cloudless sky lay before us. Day after day we went on, the ocean appearing like a limitless lake, and the water and sky touching all around the vast margin, both blue and peaceful, as though storms were never known here. At night the moon came up over the sea in full glory ; its broad, silvery pathway upon the water was superb. The heavenly constellations shifted somewhat as we approached the equator, and new stars came A TRIP THROUGH THE TROPICS. 93 continually into view. The Dipper gradually dwin- dled in size, and finally passed below the northern horizon. The north star also disappeared. Orion and the Pleiades seemed to move over us nearer than before, and went down in the west, while the “ milky way” was ever bright and beautiful. The Southern Cross was seen, and other trans-equato- rial constellations ; but the former disappointed me in its brilliancy, and none of the latter were equal in beauty and lustre to the starry clusters in our own hemisphere. The solitude of the sea appeared at times al- most oppressive as I sat alone on deck during the long moonlight evenings ; not a breath of air rip- pled the surface of the ocean, and the ship moved silently onward through the calm waste of waters, while scarcely a jar could be felt from the pulsation of her machinery. Hour after hour was lazily spent in brooding over the beauties of the scene, and in wondering, with Coleridge’s “ Ancient Mar- iner,” at the limitless e'xpanse before me. “ Alone on the wide, wide sea, So lonely ’twas, that God himself Scarce seemed there to be.” But the least enjoyable part of my reflections was that pertaining to a mysterious robbery, of 1 1 Uong-KoDg, etc. 94 FROM HONG-KONG TO THE HIMALAYAS. which I had been the victim a few days before. I had not been captured by the pirates who infest the high seas of this region, but some of the “land- sharks” of Hong-Kong harbor had gained access to my stateroom, and run off with quite a batch of pri- vate property. Just before the steamer sailed, while arranging my trunk and the articles in my room, the Hindoo steward called me away suddenly to dinner. Expecting to return in a few moments, I closed the trunk and merely removed a few articles from within reach of the window. Then I took a seat at the table, near the door of my stateroom. When I returned, everything appeared as I had left it, and not until the steamer was moving down the bay, and I went to find my large field-glass, did I discover the robbery. The thief had not touched the bulky articles, but had helped himself to my field-glass — a very valuable one, a large leather pocketbook, containing letters of introduction and others intrusted to me for delivery in India and London, and a canvas bag containing silver dollars and some gold pieces. He was also shrewd enough to steal the nickel-plated and ready-loaded revolver that reposed snugly on the money-bag ! Nothing vexed me so much as the loss of my letters, which had been intrusted to me by friends. A TRIP THROUGH THE TROPICS. 95 But, inasmuch as the rascal had evidently mistaken the pocketbook for money, and had kindly discon- tinued his search just at the moment when his hand w'as within a few inches of nearly two thousand dol- lars’ worth of English drafts, and my letter of cred- it, why, I thought I had better forgive him ! However, I reported the case to the first officer, who said nothing about it until the fourth day at sea, when he suddenly caused the whole ship to be searched. The Hindoo servants and Chinese pas- sengers were surprised at the unexpected descent made upon them ; but nothing was found. Had the thief been caught on board, it would have fared ill with him ; for the mode of punishment, which I saw illustrated once or twice on the voyage, was terrible. It consisted in stripping the culprit to the waist, and tying him up by the wrists to the rigging ; then fifty heavy blows were administered with a thick, knotted rope. The poor fellow might cry for mercy, but no mercy was ever shown. The first-mate vowed that if 7ny thief were captured, he would receive one hundred blows, and close con- finement for the rest of the voyage. But I afterwards learned that the fellow had slipped ashore as our ship was leaving Hong-Kong, and was caught by the police the next day as he 96 FROM HONG-KOXG TO THE HIM A LA YAS. was trying the same little game on another British steamer ! He was safely lodged in jail, and some of my property was found upon him. Although I lost the letters, etc., the money was returned to me in due time by the chief of detectives at Hong- Kong, who sent me a check for the full amount, which I received the day I arrived in Albany, N. Y., after my trip around the world ! I think the hon- esty and efficiency of the Hong-Kong detectives might profitably be emulated in some other police quarters nearer home ! We passed several large steamers on our way south, but lost sight of the Thales, another opium- steamer that left Hong-Kong with us, and which raced us all the way to Calcutta. A French vessel crossed our bows, bound evidently for Saigon, a short distance to the west. The Philippine Islands were passed about one hundred miles to the east ; of course we saw nothing of them. The fourth or fifth day out we observed land to the right of us ; it was the mountainous border of Anam and Cochin China, which forms a great promontory or shoulder projecting from the Asiatic coast. When it was left behind, no more land was seen until the even- ing of the sixth day, when one by one the islands of the archipelago began to appear. A TRIP THROUGH THE TROPICS. 97 Towards midnight we were slowly steaming along the channel leading to the inlet of Singapore. Now and then a solitary Malay fishing-boat floated lazily past, with peculiar-shaped sails and a flicker- ing light at the mast ; and at three o’clock the main lighthouse at the entrance of the straits was left behind. For twenty or thirty miles before reaching Singapore, the channel lies broad and well-defined between a long, fiat coast on one side, and an end- less succession of thickly-wooded islands on the other. As we moved silently along on a calm sea, with morning stealing upon us, and the luxuriant, tropical vegetation coming out by degrees on either side, it was like a dreamy panorama, which became more and more real as the full light of day came on. Our course, which heretofore had been directly southward, was now due west, and the water of the sea was gradually changing from dark blue to murky green. The neighborhood of Singapore had a sin- gular haze and rosy light hanging over it as we approached ; but this soon scattered, and the dis- tinct outlines of white, square-built houses, a church with tall spire, and thatched-roof native huts min- gled with lofty palms, cocoanut-groves, foliage rich and variegated, and all the softer shades of a tropi- cal clime, came out with great beauty, and seemed 98 FROM HO\G-KOXG TO THE HIM ALA YAS. like fairy -land compared with the monotonous views of the sea to which we had been for some days accustomed. A large number of junks, Malay boats, and small- er craft were anchored off the city, but steamers and vessels of large size pass around a promontory some distance beyond, where long lines of wharves and storehouses were seen. We were boarded by a pilot, who came in a light shell-boat, native made, manned by black men, wearing turbans around their heads, and with oars shaped just like broad, flat spears. As we approach- ed the wharf, little boats of various sorts dodged in and out about us. The first of these were simply shells of wood, like long troughs, made by hollow- ing out logs and sharpening their ends. They were propelled by short paddles in the hands of little black urchins, who came around to dive for pen- nies. Two or three were in each boat, and when pieces of money were thrown at them, over they went like ducks, always returning with a comical look of triumph on their dripping faces, and clutch- ing the pennies in one hand. Sometimes three youngsters would dive at once for a single penny. One plump little fellow, six years old, came so per- sistently to me for pennies, and scampered around A TRIP THROUGH THE TROPICS. 99 the deck so lively, that I could not resist the temp- tation of dropping him overboard ! He screamed a little, but took his ducking with good grace, and climbed into one of the dug-outs, where a few more pennies quieted his fears. Boats, rowed by long poles with round pieces of tin on their ends, like dinner-plates, pulled up towards us, filled either with corals and shells or delicious fruits. But soon we were in at the dock, and, jumping ashore, I bargained with a Malay driver for his car- riage. Of course he wanted two dollars, but I offered him thirty cents to take me two miles and a half to the city, and he gladly accepted. A nice little carriage it was, with a wee bit of a pony that trotted along at a lively rate, while I sat back like a nabob on the softly-cushioned seat. The road was good, and we made the dust fly, and soon en- tered the city, or rather the settlement. I dismissed the coachman, and ascended the sloping embank- ment of a fort behind the town. Here were ram- parts and old-fashioned guns, but the British flag was drooping on the staff, showing who held sway over the region. From the top of the embankment I gained a picturesque view of Singapore and its surroundings ; it was a rich treat in both novelty and beauty. In the distance, and bordering the 100 FROM HONG-KONG TO THE HI MALA YAS. opposite side of the straits, were the green isles of the Archipelago, or East Indies. The Straits of Malacca opened up to the right, a calm and silent sea lay in front, while to the left stretched the flat but cultivated expanse of country which forms the southernmost extremity of Asia. In the foreground was a green slope with short-horned cattle browsing upon it, and just below the pretty houses and villas of the settlement, almost hidden from sight amid the palms and rich vegetation which surrounded them. The roofs of the houses, both native and foreign, were made of brownish-red tiles, and though this gives an old-fashioned air to the place, yet it contrasts prettily with the bright green of the thick foliage. Singapore proper is not large, though it is con- siderably extended in either direction by long streets of dingy little houses. The latter are occupied al- most exclusively by Chinese immigrants, who come hither in vast numbers, and displace the aboriginal element, owing to their superior tact and skill, and aptness for all manner of work. “John Chinaman” is yet to be an important factor in the East, and is yearly making his quiet, simple influence felt more and more beyond the limits of the Celestial Empire. He goes to Australia to dig gold, cultivate the land. A TRIP THROUGH THE TROPICS. loi or turn his hand to anything and everything that offers ; he frequents the open ports of Japan, and becomes banker, trader, or “ compradore,” as suits his convenience ; he comes to Singapore, Penang, and other settlements near the straits, and glides into all the little nooks where he thinks an honest or dishonest penny can be earned ; he runs over to the Philippine Isles, and other places on the Pa- cific, and is the omnipresent sailor, cook, cabin-boy, or steward on all or nearly all the ships running from China westward to Europe, or eastward to California. His quiet, inoffensive ways make him easy to get along with, though he carries little civ- ilizing influence with him, and simply shows how he may mould himself to circumstances without bettering them very much. The weather was simply perfect ; that is, it was neither rainy nor bright, but nice and cloudy. A slight breeze was stirring, withal. The luxury of a cloudy day can be fully appreciated only by one in the tropics, where the sun has a power not easily understood in other zones, and the clouds serve as the best of shields. From the eminence I saw an extensive cocoanut grove in the distance, skirting the seashore. As it was not more than three miles away, I ventured to Hong-Kong, etc. 12 102 FROM HONG-KOXG TO THE HIMALAYAS. Stroll out to it, for cocoanut groves were something I had never before seen. Descending the embank- ment on which the fort is situated, I found my way slowly out of the settlement, and walked the road leading towards the seashore. Natives of both sexes, some black and some a tawny yellow, dressed in red turbans and petticoats, or wrapped in loose white robes, passed at various intervals and looked at me curiously. Finally, I arrived at the grove, and, entering, wandered alone among the beautiful maze of tall cocoanut-trees. A pathway led through the plantation, but no houses were near save one or two thatched sheds, about which a dark Malay could now and then be seen gathering sticks and dried palm branches. The trees were all loaded with rich clusters of cocoanuts, and the appearance of the grove was as peculiar as it was beautiful. The trunks of the trees were smooth and straight, and entirely devoid of branches. At the top, about thirty feet from the ground, long leaves were thrown outwards and upwards, each leaf being from four- teen to sixteen feet in length. The top of the tree was, therefore, like an immense plume, and just where the spreading stalks converge hung bunches of great green cocoanuts, each one larger than a man’s head. A single tree is pretty ; but a whole A TRIP THROUGH THE TROPICS. 103 forest has an effect particularly pleasant. A mul- titude of long, pendant stalks and waving leaves in- tersect each other in one vast network of green, and to the observer looking up they seem like a gigantic piece of tapestry. I sat down under a thatched roof, upheld by poles, close by a small pond, and watched the ap- proach of a thunderstorm whose mutterings could be heard from afar. I thought it would soon blow over, and resolved to wait and see it pass through the grove, trusting to my little retreat, ten feet square, to protect me from the pelting rain. Soon the big drops began to fall thickly ; the wind swept through the trees in gusts and squalls, causing the palm-plumes to rustle and sway to and fro, tossing their long, sword-like leaves into the air. Now and then a dried and brown stalk would come sailing down, its heavy butt striking the ground with a dull thump. The noise which the wind made in the grove was singular, being a kjnd of “ buzz,” as the sharp, stiff leaves rubbed violently against each other. No cocoanuts fell, as they were firmly attached by thick green stems. In fact, I wondered how they could ever be reached, until I saw a black, turbaned fellow with a sharp knife in his belt appear suddenly from a hut, and, taking hold of the trunk of a small tree, 104 FROM HOXG-KOXG TO THE HIM ALA VAS. begin to ascend like a monkey. The native had to hug the tree tightly as he neared the top, but when once there he jumped among the branches, and began chopping at the cluster of cocoanuts. A thunder-clap made me look away towards the storm, and the darkening sky told me that my little roof of thatched leaves would not keep me from a drenching if I were imprisoned there long. So, seeing an empty carriage passing along the road, I hastened out of the gate and stopped it. When fairly inside, the driver pulled up the little windows and shutters, and though he and the pony were thoroughly soaked, I was effectually protected. We rode back six miles to the steamer, and as we reach- ed it the storm cleared. Our vessel did not leave until five o’clock the next afternoon, so I improved the time by taking another excursion in a carriage to the beautiful Zoological and Botanical Garden, five miles from Singapore. As we were leaving the town, the carriage was delayed by an immense Chinese funeral procession, which occupied a long time in passing and blocked up the main street. The first part was composed of men carrying banners and playing on gongs, fifes, and various nameless musical instruments. A TRIP THROUGH THE TROPICS. 10 The sounds produced were strange and weird, and the combination of colors made by waving banners was exceeding brilliant. The hearse was gorgeously ornamented with curtain hangings of blue and gold, and the coffin with embroidered work of the same material. A special guard attended the hearse, and various in- signia were held up in front A large multitude of friends and retainers followed, all carrying blue and w^hite umbrellas ; it seemed as if the whole Chi- nese population had turned out on the occasion. Bringing up the rear was a troop of hired mourners dressed completely in white, with sheets thrown over their heads and held extended in front. Their wailing and crying seemed piteous, until we re- membered that they were paid for it. The proces- sion was followed by a line of empty carriages. We drove on, and passed a house where there had evidently just been a death. A long red cloth was stretched across the doorway, and a Chinese ceremony was going on before a little altar raised in front of the house. Incense was burning in abundance, and offerings were made of fruits, rice, and large cocoanuts. The neighbors had gathered around and seemed to be joining in the ceremony. On one side of the road a large field was liter- io6 FROM HONG-KONG TO THE HIMALAYAS. ally covered with white clothes, showing laundry processes on an extensive scale. In a stream flow- ing by stood black Malays, each with a large flat stone in front of him, against which he dashed the clothes with a force that did away with the neces- sity of soap and scrubbing. I bought a cocoanut on the road, tapped it, and drank the milk, but find- ing it doubtful for digestion, contented myself with eating a pineapple or two. I invested also in some large bananas. The coachman complained that they were too dear (two cents apiece). Pineapples are the cheapest, and, I think, the best fruit that can be obtained ; one does not tire of them so read- ily as of bananas. They grow wild all about this region, and may be obtained in the country districts at two for a cent. The average price for a very large one at Singapore is three cents. This brings them within the reach of all, and the poor people seem to relish them very much in the heat of the day. At home, one person scarcely thinks of eating a whole pineapple at once; but here it is just as com- mon as eating an apple is with us. For myself, I always thought an apple or orange was too small to be satisfactory, but a pineapple comes just up to the mark. It is juicy and high-flavored, easily eaten when properly peeled, and is here so fresh and A TRIP THROUGH THE TROPICS. 107 sweet that no such evil effects follow from over- indulgence as do in the case of bananas and cocoa- nuts. The entrance to the Botanical Garden was reach- ed ere long, and, leaving the carriage at the gate, I sauntered through the grounds for nearly three hours. The garden is very extensive, covering an area of several hundred acres ; it is laid out in walks, grottoes, groves, flower-beds, and clumps of shrubbery. Just on the outskirts are the English barracks, where troops are usually quartered. Flow- ers and ferns of species entirely new to me were seen in great profusion, and the woods were filled with fragrance and the songs of birds. A peculiar species of “ fan-palm ” flourishes here, remarkable for its shape and the size it attains. It is shaped like a great palm-leaf fan. Its flat stalks are joined at the base, just as in a fan of small dimensions, and it attracts the attention of a stranger by its characteristic shape and great size. In a small pond near the entrance were lilies with enormous leaves, several of which were like large green tea- trays, with edges turned up two or three inches. A very pretty lake is near the centre of the garden, and on its margin are fenced-in parks with spotted deer, black and white swans, tall gray storks, and io8 FROM HO NG-KONG TO THE HIMALAYAS. cranes with long necks. Wild ducks swim around a little island in the centre. Wire cages and en- closures are also found, with monkeys of all sizes, birds of bright plumage, ostriches, kangaroos, and parrots. The kangaroos are not pleasant creatures to look at, for their hind legs and long, thick tails seem out of proportion to the rest of their bodies. The parrots are large and have brilliant plumage of white, green, red, and purple colors. Two hideous birds are kept here. They have enormous beaks, too large for their little black and red bodies to support. Such creatures seem almost caricatures upon nature ; and why they were afflicted with such huge bills appears hard to understand, unless it were to furnish the Canton carvers with material for their exquisite “ bird’s-beak jewelry.” In returning to the steamer, various kinds of vehicles were met with, characteristic of tropical climes ; but none appeared more comfortable (at least for tbe rider) than the peculiar-shaped palan- quin, borne along briskly on the shoulders of four native bearers. The accompanying picture shows how easily the traveller may indulge in a quiet siesta while pursuing his journey in a warm, tropi- cal climate. After leaving Singapore we sailed northward PALANQUIN A TRIP THROUGH THE TROPICS. iii throuofh the Straits of Malacca. The route inter- vening between Singapore and Penang has the breadth of a sea, as Sumatra is scarcely visible, and very few small islands are seen ; but the low, flat, Malay coast is near at hand on the right for the whole distance. The second night after we left a fearful rainstorm came on. It poured in torrents for six hours, and the thunder and lightning were terrific. One tremendous crash came right over the ship, and some of us thought a mast had been struck. I was sleeping on the deck — or trying to sleep, rather, and as I had a thick awning above me, I tried to stay the storm out. But the floods of water came down with such force as to beat through everything, and this, combined with the continu- ous glare of the lightning, soon drove me below, drenched to the skin. The long night wore away, while the ship kept steadily on, not heeding the deluge descending upon it; in fact, the heavy rain seemed to beat down the sea entirely. When the sun had risen, the storm cleared, and we made up towards Penang Harbor, leaving a few islands on our left. A pilot came on board and directed our course along the shore, and we were soon anchored among the rest of the shipping. Penang is a small town situated on a flat prom- H''ng-Kr