■». i » jj fl »ci» < M >li M >W i »i ' * ( i.' ' i>* » »*»e*w» 'a a : i H 9iMg6i. - ; w^:^jfi 'T.Js-^S'. iS'S'G, M>. ■jLCt'X^ 4^ U' ^yvui^xy^ t /(z^,^^-(Ui<- x-^LC'*-^^ ^^ h>^ l.^cji^-^^'-'^-'^^J^ <-t^ ^, ^- L.U.t. l.L CATITAV, YOSEMITE VALLEY D0TTING8 ROUND THE CIRCLE. BY BENJAMIN ROBBINS CURTIS, FELLOW OF THE AMERICA.JJ GEOGRAPHICAL SOCIETY. SEVENTH EDITION. BOSTON: HOUGHTON, MIFFLIN AND COMPANY. New York; 11 East Seventeenth Street. COPYEIGHT, 1876. Bt JAMES R. OSGOOD & CO. OAMBAIDOE : PRINTED AT THE EIVERSFDE PRESS. TO ANDREW nSKE, WHO ACCOMPANIED ME IN THE MAJORITY OF THESE 'WANDEEINGS, AS A TOKEN OP GRATITUDE FOE THE CONTINUAL PLEASUEE HIS COMPANIONSHIP AFFOSDED MS. PREFACE TO THE SIXTH EDITION. To this edition of Dottings I have added a chapter of miscellaneous material. I hope it will interest those who are already familiar with the book, as well as those who now for the first time make its acquaintance. B. H. C. Boston, September, 1879. PREFACE It has been said of one of the greatest minds that the world has ever produced, that " he dotted round the circle of human knowledge." With all due mod- esty for making use of the comparison, I offer to the public these "Dottings," made in a journey around the world. Starting immediately after my graduation at Harvard, I set out upon a tour of the world, equipped with a large number of desirable letters of introduction. By their means I was presented to some of the prominent people in the East, and by their kind favor I was shown what was deemed by them worthy of notice. The result of my observations I now lay before the public. In the course of such rapid travel it cannot be expected that any deep political or ethnical investi- gations have been attempted. I simply offer a pano- ramic picture of several of the chief countries of the world. viii PREFACE. I have said but little in regard to my wanderings in Europe. So much has been written of Italy and France and England, that I have merely noted my arrival in the different cities, and the impressions I derived from the most important. If I can interest any to such a degree that they wdll wish to see for themselves these wonders of the world so imperfectly described, I shall feel happy in the thought that my past pleasure will be experienced afresh by others. B. R. C. Boston, October, 1876. CONTENTS. CHAPTER I. Page From Boston to Salt Lake City 1 Departure. — A Sunday at Niagara Falls. — Detroit. — Chicago. — St. Louis. — A Freshet on the Plains. — Denver. — Up the Rocky Moun- tains on a Cow-Catcher. — Central City. — Idaho Springs. — Chey- enne. — Ogden. — Arrival at Salt Lake City. CHAPTER II. From Salt Lake Citt to the Yosemite Valley .... 19 Salt Lake City. — An Interview with Brigham Young. — A Bath in the Great Salt Lake. — Ogden to Stockton. — Starting for the Yosemite. — Four Days on the Road. CHAPTER III. From the Yosemite Valley to the Pacific Ocean .... 36 Excursions in the Yosemite. — Stockton to San Francisco. — The " Chi- nese Quarter." — Embarkation for Japan. CHAPTER IV. Across the Pacific to Japan 54 The P. M. S. S. Co.'s Great Republic. — My Fellow- Passengers. — The Long Sea -Voyage. — Arrival at Yokohama. CHAPTER V. From Yokohama to Yedo 68 Yokohama. — A Japanese Theatre. — Inoshima. — Daibutsu. — Kama- kura. — The Railroad to Yedo. X CONTENTS. CHAPTER VI. Yedo 87 Description of the City. — Shiba. — Atago Yama. — Uyeno. — Asakusa. CHAPTER VII. Yokohama to Shanghai 101 Yokohama to Kobe. — Osaka. — The Inland Sea. — Across the Yellow Sea to China. — Shanghai. — " Chin-chin-ing the Moon." CHAPTER VIII. Shanghai to Pekin 115 Shanghai to Che-foo. — A Storm in the Gulf of Pe-chi-li. — Tien-tsin. — Overland to Pekin. — A Chinese Inn. — Arrival at the Capital. CHAPTER IX. Pekin to the Great Wall 130 Consultations with the Ministers. — Starting for the Great Wall. — The Bell Temple. —Wan-shou-san. — The Ming Tombs. —The Great Wall. CHAPTER X. Pekin 148 The City. — The Llama Temples. — The Temple of Heaven. — Curio Street. — The Imperial College and Observatory. — The Marble Bridge. — The Roman Catholic Cathedrals. CHAPTER XI. Pekin to Canton 159 Return to Shanghai. — Amoy. — Canton. — Buddhist Temples and other Objects of Interest. CHAPTER XII. Canton to Batavia 184 Macao. — Fan-tan Gambling. — Hong Kong. — Singapore. — Crossing the Equator. — Arrival at Batavia. CHAPTER XIII. Java to Ceylon 200 Batavia. — Buitenzorg. — An Inland Trip. — Embarkation for Ceylon. Arrival at Point De Galle. CONTENTS. xi CHAPTER XIV. Ceylon 210 Point De Galle. — Colombo. — Kandy. — The Royal Apartments on the Serapis. — The Preparation of the Coffee- Berry. — The Prince of Wales. CHAPTEE XV. Ceylon to Calcutta 222 Negapatam. — Pondicherry. — Madras. — Masulipatam. — Coconada. — Vizagapatara. — Bimlipatam. — Gopolpore. — False Point. — Dia- mond Harbor. — Arrival at Calcutta. CHAPTER XVI. Calcutta to Benares 231 Christmas Eve in Calcutta. — Illumination in Honor of the Prince of Wales. — Benares. — The Ghats and Temples. — Burning the Dead. — Sarnath. CHAPTER XVII. LucKNOW, Cav^npore, and Delhi 250 Lucknow. — The Residency, and the Mutiny Days of 1857. — Curious Buildings. — Cawnpore. — Wheeler's Entrenchment and the Slaugh- ter Ghat. — Delhi. — The Fort and Palace of the Moguls. — The Jama Musjid. — The Kootub. — A Nautch Dance. — The Story of the Siege. CHAPTER XVIII. Agra and Bombay 283 The Taj of Agra. — The Pearl Mosque. — The Fort. — The Tomb of Akbar the Great. — Bombay. — The Tower of Silence. — The Caves of Elephauta. — Embarkation for Egypt. CHAPTER XIX. Up the Red Sea to Cairo ' . . 292 Aden. — Heat on the Red Sea. — Suez. — Across the Desert to Cairo. — Egyptian Mosques. — Excursion to the Pyramids. — The Dancing Dei-vishes. — Arrival at Alexandria. CHAPTER XX. Alexandria to Florence 310 Alexandria. — Pompey's Pillar. — Cleopatra's Needle. — The Catacombs. — Across the Mediterranean to Brindisi. — Arrival at Florence. xii CONTENTS. CHAPTER XXI. Italy to France 315 Florence. — Naples. — Rome. — Venice. — Milan. — Turin. — Arrival at Paris. CHAPTER XXII. Paris, London, and Boston 323 Notes on Paris and the French. — Arrival in London. — Embarkation at Liverpool. — The Cunard Steamship Russia. — New York to Boston. CHAPTER XXIII. The Dancing-Girls of Japan 330 Translation from Tasi. — Feng-Shui. — Translation of Passport to Peking. — Shakyamuni Gautama Buddha, — Tit for Tat. LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS. — » 1. El Capitax, Yosemite Valley {Frontispiece). Page 2. Japanese Peasant-Woman. . . , . . . 72-73 3. Gateway at Shiba 92-93 4. Chinese Mandapjn and Wife 110-111 5. PASSPOP.T to Pekin and the Great Wall .... 124 - 125 6. A Street in Pekin 148-149 7. A Chinese Police-Coukt 154-155 8. Official Card of U. S. Consul at Canton . . . 166 - 167 9. A Chinese Execution 170-171 10. Interior of a Buddhist Temple, Canton . . . 182-183 11. A View in Buitenzorg, Java 202-203 12. The Burning Ghat, Benares 242-243 13. H. H. the Maharaja of Bhurtpore, Ministers and Suite 276-277 14. Egyptian Dancing-Girl 298-299 / DOTTINGS ROUND THE CIRCLE, CHAPTER I. FROM BOSTON TO SALT LAKE CITY. Departure. — A Sunday at Niagara Falls. — Detroit. — Chicago. — St. Louis. — A Freshet on the Plains. — Denver. — Up the Rocky Mountains on a Cow-Catcher. — Central City. — Idaho Springs. — Cheyenne. — Ogden. — Arrival at Salt Lake City. 1875, June 30. — Leaving Boston at 9 P. m. (by the Boston and Albany Eailroad), I reach New York City at half past five o'clock the next morning. July 3. — After spending two days in New York City and vicinity, I leave the Grand Central Depot at 10 a. m. (by the Hudson Kiver Eaiboad) for Albany, where I have agreed to meet F , my college classmate and travelling companion. The weather is fine, but decidedly warm ; but in spite of this, the journey along the bank of the Hudson is full of interest. The mountains rising from the opposite shore of the river, covered with a delicate bluish haze, look picturesque and refreshingly cool; while the different steamers passing up and down, with here and there a sail-boat for variety, keep the eye continually occupied. We reach Albany at two DOTTING S ROUND THE CIRCLE. o'clock, and I find I have an hour to wait before the " special express" on which F is coming will arrive from Bos- ton. The time passes quickly by, and promptly at three o'clock the "special" appears, with F standing on the platform of the front car, waving his hat joyously. Soon after this we start for Niagara Falls via Eochester. Of course we have the traditional wedding couple on board ; and of course the gentleman alights at every third station, eager to pour the entire contents of the refreshment-table into his wife's lap. As evening draws on (of course) the lady, be- coming weary, rests her head lovingly and confidingly on her husband's shoulder, and, with his arm encircling her, they sit absorbed in themselves, forgetful of the outside world; while (of course) all the other passengers regard them with looks of half-pitying contemjDt. The train stops at Utica for supper, and we are soon again on our way. A grand railroad this New York Central, with its four broad tracks, its com- fortable cars, its powerful engines, and its numberless trains ! We are rushing continually on, through broad cultivated fields stretching away into the distance, past populous towns and cities, or, now leaving civilization for a time, we plunge into a thick wood, or dash round a sharp cutting in the rocks, and stop suddenly at some manufacturing village, whose in- habitants all turn out to give us a welcome. At 10.30 P. m. we reach Eochester, and here we must change cars for Niagara Falls. At 2 A. M. we arrive at our destination, and are shown o r5 CIS FROM BOSTON TO SALT LAKE CITY. 3 to very comfortable rooms by the sleepy-looking clerk of the International, and, lulled by the ceaseless roar of the Falls, I drift into unconsciousness, thinking what a great State New York is, in which one can travel by express-train from ten o'clock one morning to two o'clock of the following, without leaving its limits. Julij 4- — The ninety-ninth anniversary of our country's in- dependence, though falling on a Sunday, is here ushered in by ringing of bells and an occasional fire-cracker ; the younger portion of the community, however, evidently reserving itself for the morrow. After breakfast F and I start on foot for the Falls, successfully and completely routing the continu- ous attacks of the hackmen and guides by my truthful reply, " I have been here before," which stops each one's impor- tunities, and apparently affects them as the sign of the cross does the Evil One. After wandering through Prospect Park we descend by the inclined railroad, and are ferried across the river to the Canada side by a remarkably muscular Charon of French descent. Two wedded couples accompany us ; and when our little boat has reached the middle of the stream, the mighty roaring cataract above us, the clouds of rising spray, and the swiftly flowing river give great alarm to the ladies, and enable the husbands to exhibit themselves in the most heroic aspects. On the Canada side we are surrounded by traders of all kinds ; but we have been wisely warned against purchasing, as a heavy duty is exacted by the United States DOTTING S ROUND THE CIRCLE. authorities as soon as the article purchased is carried over the border. Indeed, one gentleman got thus into quite a se- rious difficulty; for having bought a tablecloth at a Canadian store, he was charged a large per cent by the United States customs officers ; and, not deeming it worth such an additional sum, he was returning with it to the shop where he had pur- chased it, when he was halted on the other side by the Cana- dian officials, who declared that it was a product of the United States, and requested him to deposit the usual duty before bringing it into their country. The gentleman, however, suc- ceeded in convincing them that he had bought it in Canada, and he returned it to its original owner, declaring that he wanted to have nothing further to do with the ill-fated article. After wandering along the Canadian side, we return by the new suspension-bridge, and, after an afternoon passed in quiet, seek sleep t-o prepare us for the journey of the morrow. July 5. —' We leave Niagara Falls at 1 p. m. by the Michi- gan Central and Great "Western Eailroad, and, after a some- what tedious and rather uninteresting day's journey, we arrive in Detroit at 10 p. m., and drive at once to the Russell House for the night. To-day we made our first trial of a " hotel-car " ; and although the dinner is hot and the food well cooked and of good quality, still the dust and cinders pretty effectually spoil the repast; for, as the kitchen occupies a large share of these hotel-cars, it is almost impossible to keep the windows closed. FROM BOSTON TO SALT LAKE CITY. 5 July 6. — As Detroit is familiar to one of us, and as we are obliged to be in San Francisco by August 1 to take the steamer for Japan, and as there are, moreover, many new places which we wish to visit on the way, we decide to make no stop of any length at present, and a very hasty survey of Detroit is all that we can allow ourselves. Detroit has many fine business blocks, and "Woodward Avenue con- tains some of the handsomest residences in the West. The large lake steamers lying at the docks give to the city an air of extended commerce which is very impressive. We leave Detroit at 9.30 a. m. by the Michigan Central Eailroad, and when we have travelled about two hours the aspect of the country through which we are passing has be- come thoroughly " Western." On both sides of the railroad the fences between the fields are far less numerous than in New England, probably indicating that these long stretches of rich grain are the property of a single proprietor. The towns and villages, too, look fresh and new, and the tall, keen- looking men, standing about in top-boots and flannel shirts, are strange objects to our Eastern eyes. At Kalamazoo our train rushes through a thick cloud of grasshoppers, who flutter and spread themselves over everything they meet, making it evident what serious damage they are capable of inflicting to crops over which they pass. At 7 P. m. we come in sight of Lake Michigan, and for nearly an hour our train runs close to the water, until, having rounded a curve, we see a great DOTTING S ROUND THE CIRCLE. city spread out before us; clouds of smoke are pouring forth out of tall chimneys; the spires of churches stand out against the sky; our train rattles across several switches, rushes into a perfect labyrinth of tracks, gives a long shrill whistle, and at last comes to a stand-still; we alight and set foot in Chi- cago. In 1833 Chicago was the name applied to a few houses near Fort Dearborn. In 1840 it had a population of 4,000; at present it has about 400,000. "We enter one of the many omnibuses standing near the station, and soon have obtained most comfortable quarters at the Palmer House. July 7. — After a refreshing sleep and most excellent break- fast, we walk out through the principal business street of the city. What a rush and whirl and hurry everywhere ! Everybody walks rapidly along, rarely looking in each other's faces, each mind intent on its own business ; each man, ap- parently, eager to get to a particular place before his neighbor, each fearful lest a moment's delay may upset his plans for- ever. This feverish haste is, it seems to me, far more notice- able than in New York itself. Some idea of the extent and variety of the trade of Chicago may be formed from the fol- lowing : " In 1872 about 70,000,000 bushels of grain came to ^market, with 1,000,000,000 feet of timber, 400,000 cattle, 1,900,000 hogs, and 3,000,000 sheep. Enormous elevators shoot the grain into the vessels at the rate of 10,000 tons a day; one vessel can be filled in twenty minutes." FROM BOSTON TO SALT LAKE CITY. / In the afternoon we take a carriage and drive about the city. The private residences, even on IVIichigan Avenue, do not satisfy my expectations. Many of the houses are built of wood, and a large majority of them look hastily constructed. The people of Chicago, however, can congratulate themselves on their fine " Boulevards," and the sight of them make me remember with regret how much Boston is in need of similar drives for her citizens. "We drive next to the building con- taining the complicated and ponderous machinery which draws water from a point two miles out in the lake, for the use of the city ; and, standing near this mass of iron, it hardly seems possible that it owes its very existence and movement to the comparatively small ^objects called men that circulate at its feet! From the neighboring tower a fine bird's-eye view of the city can be obtained. We leave Chicago at 8 P. M. by the Chicago, Alton, and St. Louis Eailroad, and reach St. Louis, our next objective point, at nine o'clock the following morning, after travelling with fearful rapidity. July 8. — After breakfasting at a comfortably late hour at the Southern Hotel, we walk out to see the new bridge over the Mississippi Pdver, and find it truly a wonder of engineering art and mechanical construction. We make a hasty survey of some of the principal streets of St. Louis, which seems to contain characteristics of both Northern and Southern cities; but as the heat is very oppressive, we soon 8 DOTTINGS ROUND THE CIRCLE. return to the hotel, and endeavor to keep as cool as we pos- sibly can, sitting quietly in doors. We had intended to travel without change from St. Louis to Denver, but, owing to a recent " wash-out " on the North- Missouri Eailroad, we find that we shall be obliged to travel to Kansas City by the Missouri Pacific Eaiboad, and change there on to the Kansas Pacific Eailroad, which will carry us to Denver. So at 8 P. m. we arrive at the station of the Mis- souri Pacific Eailroad, and enter the Pullman car only to find that our section (which we have previously engaged) is oppo- site a very colony of individuals. A mother with an elderly daughter, two small boys, a baby, and a maid, give all the rest of the passengers a mathematical as well as practical puzzle to decide how they intend to stow themselves for the night in places for a third of their nimiber. The enigma is soon solved, however, by the mother remarking in a loud tone of voice that " she hopes some gentleman will give her a lower berth or take some of her children ! " Before F or myself are called upon to immolate our night's rest on the altar of politeness, the conductor enters and informs us that our section is the corresponding one in the car ahead; so we leave the other gentlemen to attend to the lady's clearly- expressed wish, and make our way forward, congratulating ourselves that we shall now " have peace " : but it is not to be. We find in our section in this car a young mother with a little girl and a very young baby, the latter of whom, over- FROM BOSTON TO SALT LAKE CITY. 9 come probably by tiie excessive lieat and want of sleep, is crying heartily. This family gre merely occupying our sec- tion till their own is prepared for the night; and this being accomplished, they retire, and we take possession. The poor baby cries all through the night with unfailing regularity, and when, at last, morning breaks, I am amazed to see the mother offer her children a breakfast of cold chicken, pickles, and Washington pie ! Jidy 9. — "We reach Kansas City at 8.30 a. m., and find the train for Denver waiting near by on the Kansas Pacific Rail- road. We start at ten o'clock, and soon after are rushing over the desolate prairies.* Far as the eye can see, on either side of the train stretches one flat, unbroken, barren waste of land, with scarcely a living thing to break the intense silence and dreadful monotony. Once in about two hours the train halts at a " station," — consisting of one dwelling-house, a saloon, and a few lazy-looking Indians, — and, after taking in a fresh supply of water and coal, we leave all this behind us, with no great regret. Wearied with the monotony, I go forward on to the engine, and persuade the engineer to let me ride with him. From here I can at least see all that the country has to show. Once, as we dash along, a great eagle rises majestically in front of us, hovers a moment near by as if filled with a sort of sad wonder at being driven away from his * In fact, in all my after-travel to San Francisco I did not find any more dreary, lonely, and uninteresting country than from Kansas City to Denver. 10 DOTTINGS ROUND THE CIRCLE. solitary haunt, and then floats gracefully off. A little farther along we scatter a herd of antelopes, which bound quickly aside. Having paused for half an hour at a characteristic " station " to discuss some dangerous-looking compounds called " dinner," we continue our journey. The afternoon wears wearily away ; we stop again for " supper " ; the sun sets in a mass of dark clouds, and a storm is evidently upon us. Soon the rain begins to patter down on the car-roof, accom- panied by thunder, lightning, and hail. Still we rush on. Outside the car windows all is thick darkness, and the rain- drops striking against the glass can plainly be heard above the noise of the train. I look over at F ; he is fast asleep, and I strive to foUow his example. July 10. — We are due in Denver at 6 p. m. ; but at the station where we halt for dinner we receive the annoying news by telegraph that the thunder-storm of yesterday has washed away two bridges between us and Denver, and a long delay is inevitable. To add to our misfortunes, it begins to rain again heavily, and a more desolate-looking car's company can hardly be found. Fortunately, however, we are halted at a little place (called Hugo) where food can be obtained. Another afternoon passes; evening closes in. What a com- fortless position ! Standing still away out on a desolate prairie in a drenching rain, — drenching, for the roof of our Pullman leaks badly, and all we can do is to follow the porter's advice and " wait till it swells " ! FROM BOSTON TO SALT LAKE CITY. II July 11. — Sunday morning dawns, however, clear and cool ; and it seems as if Nature is determined to show us as bright a face as possible after her gloomy aspect of yesterday. After breakfasting on what the place affords, we stroll about and endeavor to pass the time as best we can ; and I cannot help thinking how differently we are spending Sunday from those in Boston : for, instead of the musical church-bells, we hear only the discordant sounds from pigs, poultry, and cattle ; and, instead of the throngs of well-dressed people bound to the different churches, we see only a few weary passengers, and an occasional Indian riding along on a mustang. By dinner- time we find that our unexpected and prolonged stay at Hugo has somewhat exhausted its culinary resources; and for this, as well as other reasons, we are delighted to hear, about 2 P. Ji., that the bridges have been repaired, and that we can proceed. After travelling slowly for one hundred and five miles, we finally arrive at Denver at 8 P. M., having been on the road from Kansas City fifty-eight hours ! Every one coming to Denver hears, long before his arrival, of its excellent hotels, the best, indeed, between St. Louis and Salt Lake City, — the Grand Central, the Interocean, the Sargent House, and others. Not knowing, of course, exactly where they are located in the city, he will be somewhat surprised, immediately on his arrival at the station, to see directly opposite, across the square, a row of small ivoodeji hotels, each one bearing one of these well-kno%vn names, its namesake being in reality 12 DOTTING S ROUND THE CIRCLE. located in a distant part of the town; and, unless one is on the lookout for this deception, it may happen that you take up your abode in one of these catchpennies before you dis- cover your mistake. This state of things should be sup- pressed by the municipal authorities. July 12. — We spend the morning in walking about the city, which is very pleasantly situated on the south bank of the South La Platte Eiver, with the snow-capped peaks of the Eocky Mountains rising in the distance around it. The town covers a large amount of ground, but does not seem to possess a very large number of inhabitants. Denver is re- markable for the many elegantly appointed billiard and drink- ing saloons and cigar-stores that meet you at every turn. The climate is cool and delif^htful. We leave Denver at 3.30 P. M. by the Colorado Central Eailroad for a short stay among the Eocky Moimtains, bound first for Central City. After riding for about an hour, we change cars on to a narrow- gauge railroad, and from this point the scenery is of the very wildest description. The road itself, built as it is along the banks of streams, and through cuts in the solid rock which now rises so high above your head that it almost shuts out the sky, is a tribute to man's superiority to the obstacles na- ture has placed in his way. As we stop a minute before a very steep ascent, I go forward and ask permission of the engineer to ride by his side, believing that one cannot ob- tain an adequate view of the magnificent scenery through FROM BOSTON TO SALT LAKE CITY. 13 which we are about to pass while sitting in the cars. The engineer, however, says that, as the road is narrow-gauge, the cab is only just big enough for himself and the fireman. " But," says he, " many Eastern men ride up this canon on the cow-catcher." After assuring me that it is perfectly safe, as he can by ilo means travel at express rate, he places a broad board on the cow-catcher ; and, when I have taken my seat, with my hand firmly grasping the signal-flag, the engine gives a shrill whistle, and off we start. For the first five minutes I really enjoy my novel manner of locomotion. " This," said I, " is the very place of all others from which to view the mountains ! ^ — to be pushed slowly up the gorge with nothing hefore you on the track, a towering mass of rocks on the one hand, and on the other, far below, a quickly flowing stream, hissing and gurgling over stones and fallen trees and old mill-wheels. Another five minutes passes by. I begin to speculate as to what will happen to me if, getting a little dizzy, I leap off the engine. If I spring aside to the right, I shall be crushed between the train and the towering rock; if I jump to the left, I shall be dashed to pieces on the stones of the stream far below. The result will be the same in either case, — death. Still the quickly-throbbing engine pushes me on. As we pass through a village the inhabitants turn out and stare at the engine, amazed at the novel figure-head that it carries. The village is left behind : we are again alone, making our way up the canon ; the hot breath of the engine 14 DOTTINGS ROUND THE CIRCLE. stifles me ; the continual swaying from side to side affects my head ; I call aloud to the engineer, but the sound of my voice is drowned in the roar of the wheels. I try to grasp the little flag-staff more firmly; it turns in its socket, and I am com- pelled to trust to my hold on the bars of the cow-catcher. I do not know how long I can endure this. I almost feel that I may faint. A village is in sight ! Do we stop ? Yes, for our engine gives a loud whistle, the breaks are put down, the wheels turn more slowly; we come to a stand-stilL I leap off the engine and seek the engineer. " How far have we travelled since I got on to the engine ? " "Eight miles," is the reply. Eight miles ! I return to the car, much to F 's satisfac- tion, who tells me that he happened to look out of the car window, a little while before, and, as the engine slowly rounded a curve, he was amazed to see me sitting bolt up- right on the cow-catcher. At eight o'clock we arrive at the terminus of the railroad, a small mining town called "Black Hawk," where we find, waiting in the thick mist that has spread itself over everything, a comfortable omnibus bound for Central City and the Teller House, which latter spot, the best hotel in the vicinity, is to be our shelter for the night. The road winds directly up the mountain-side, and all along the way, a full half-mile, we pass straggling houses and mining buildings, with a saloon at every turn in the road. The inhabitants, however, seem to be a sturdy, honest-look- FROM BOSTON TO SALT LAKE CITY. 1$ ing set, and the best of order prevails everywhere. We reach the Teller House about 8.45 o'clock, and find ourselves in a very comfortable-looking hotel, surrounded by a small mining village, with high mountain-peaks rising in every direction. July 13. — After an early breakfast we ascend a neighbor- ing spur of the mountain, and the view in every direction is wonderful. On all sides, and stretching away off into the distance, countless peaks, many snow-capped, thrust their heads upward, while a thin bluish haze floats around them, brought out into stronger relief by the excessive clearness of the air elsewhere. We visit a gold-mine near by, and find the miners very intelligent and polite. At eleven o'clock we take the outside seats on the stacje bound for Idaho Springs, a neighboring town noted for its warm springs, where also you strike the direct railroad back to Denver. Going down a mountain in Colorado on a stage-coach is no light matter! The stage-driver shuts down the brake, and after taking a firm hold of the reins and giving a general caution to the passengers, "lets her run" away down to the foot, arriving there generally in perfect safety, but dashing and whirling round sudden turns in the road in a most alarming manner. The excellent stories, however, that one hears from these eccentric specimens of humanity almost excuse their apparent recklessness. We arrive at Idaho Springs at noon, and go at once to take a bath in the waters for which the place is celebrated. We 1 6 DOTTING S ROUND THE CIRCLE. have our choice of a tuh or swimming-bath, and both prefer the latter. "We find this to consist of a large square room made into a sort of tank, with about five feet of water always in it, a pipe letting the water in, and another discharging it continually. The water is always very warm; the medicinal properties may be determined from the following analysis : — Carbonate of soda 30.80 Carbonate of lime .... 9.52 Carbonate of magnesia . . . .2.88 Carbonate of iron . . . . 4.12 Sulphate of soda 29.36 Sulphate of magnesia . . . . 18.72 Sulphate of lime . . . . .3.44 Chloride of sodium . . . . 4.16 Chlorides of calcium and magnesia, each a trace. Silicate of soda . . . . .4.08 Grains 107.00 After dinner we take another stage-coach and drive to the railroad station, and soon after start in the cars for Denver. We have gone only about a hundred feet when a sudden and loud hissing sound, together with a peculiar grating motion of our car, causes every passenger to rush out of the train and look eagerly down the road in the direction of the un- usual phenomena. We see before us our engine lying on its side in the water of the stream by which runs the railroad, the track twisted and broken up for a short distance, but all the cars standing safely in their places. The hissing sound FROM BOSTON TO SALT LAKE CITY. 1/ is caused by the steam from the engine rushing out directly into the water. Soon the engineer (brave fellow !), who has gone down with his machine, emerges from the dehris, a little but not seriously hurt. The fireman jumped before the en- gine struck the water. On going up to it I find that the broken mass of wood and iron was yesterday the very engine on whose cow-catcher I had ridden up the Colorado canon ! Another train is telegraphed for, which soon after backs up on the other side of the accident, and we are soon on our way to Denver, which we reach at 6.30 o'clock, and once more are quartered at the Grand Central Hotel. July IJp. — At 7 A. M. we say good-by to Denver, and start by the Denver Pacific Eailroad for Cheyenne to meet the Union Pacific Eailroad, which will carry us farther west. The day is very hot, the country flat and uninteresting, and we are glad when, at twelve o'clock, we reach Cheyenne and sit down to dinner. At 1.15 p. m. the Western train comes along, and, having engaged a section in the Pullman, we soon after start for Ogden. The prairie through which we are now passing is far more picturesque than that near Denver. The grass is greener, the land is undulating, and the landscape is frequently broken. Prairie-dogs gaze at us from their little mounds, and the graceful antelopes raise their delicate heads in calm con- templation as we rush by. At 8 P. m. a beautiful full moon rises over the prairie, and, taking advantage of a slight delay while the engine is taking in coal, I go forward, and, having 1 8 DOTTING S ROUND THE CIRCLE. easily obtained the engineer's permission, ride by his side {in the cah) for about an hour, the clear moonlight pouring over everything, making the night almost like day. July 15. — After another long day in the cars we reach Ogden at 5.30 p. m., and find we have forty minutes to wait before the branch train will start for Salt Lake City. Ogden is the terminus of the Union Pacific Eailroad and the starting- point of the Central Pacific Eailroad. Here, too, is the point of departure of the Utah Central Eailroad, which runs to Salt Lake City. Ogden is situated at the foot of some high and very picturesque mountains, and the air is exceedingly fresh and exhilarating. Three companies of soldiers from the United States military post at Salt Lake City are just leaving Ogden to proceed farther west to the scene of some recent Indian disturbance, and the full fighting-equipments of the men, the sharp commands of the officers, and the encouraging cheers from the lookers-on, carry one back, in memory, to the terrible days of our war. Soon after six o'clock we start for Salt Lake City on the Utah Central Eaih'oad. On either side of us a flat sandy desert stretches away into the distance. Soon we come in sight of the Great Salt Lake, whose unruffled waters, dull and metallic colored, are lighted up by the beams of the setting sun. At eight o'clock we reach Salt Lake City, and drive at once to the Townsend House, a hotel kept by a Mormon who takes great pains to give explicit information and even letters of introduc- tion to strangers who take up their abode with him. SALT LAKE CITY TO THE YOSEMITE VALLEY. 19 CHAPTER II. FEOM SALT LAKE CITY TO THE YOSEMITE VALLEY. Salt Lake City. — An Interview -with Brigham Young. — A Bath in THE Great Salt Lake. — Ogden to Stockton. — Starting for the Yosemite. — Four Days on the Road. July IG. — '\^^lat a peculiar place ! The streets are broad and shady; the houses, mostly built of wood, are set a little back from the roads, and each one possesses its own plot of ground, where flowers or vegetables are cultivated. A city ? No; rather a great caravanserai in the centre of a burning desert. The roofs of the houses are flat, and little gardens are sprouting from them, forming pleasant resting-spots for evening- time. The men look coarse and ill-educated, the women stupid, and the little children neglected. One can hardly believe he is in an American city. A strange moral atmosphere pervades the place. The passers-by seem filled with the consciousness of a Presence which is ever at their doors, whose laws they must obey, whose continual supervision they cannot escape. The situation of Salt Lake City is extremely picturesque. It lies at the foot of the Wahsatch Mountains, whose snow- capped hills contrast beautifully with the deep blue of the sky. Considering its desert surroundings, it is well called by 20 DOTTING S ROUND THE CIRCLE. " the Saints " the " Eden " of the land. The population is about thirty thousand. A United States military post, Tort Douglas, overlooks the whole city, which could soon be laid low by the powerful guns which seem to be continually watching it. Immediately after breakfast we go to the Mormon Taber- nacle, situated in the centre of the city, not far from Brigham Young's house. On arriving at tlie grounds of the Tabernacle, we stop at a little lodge, where a guide — the custodian of the place — meets us and conducts us about, giving us full in- formation in regard to every point of interest. The Tabernacle is a very large building, " oblong in shape, having a length of 250 feet from east to west, by 150 feet in width. The roof is supported by forty-six columns of cut sandstone, which, with the spaces between, used for doors, windows, etc., constitute the wall. From these pillars or walls the roof springs in one un- broken arch, forming the largest self-sustaining roof on the con- tinent, with one notable exception, — the Grand Central Depot in New York City. The ceiling of the roof is 65 feet above the floor. In one end of this egg-shaped building is the organ, — the second in size in America. The Tabernacle is used for church purposes, as well as for other large gatherings of the people. With the gallery, which extends across both sides and one end of this immense building, it will seat 8,000 people." We Avalk up on to the stage and sit down among the seats of the Elders. These form a semicircle directly in front of the organ ; while a large chair in the extreme foreground, covered SALT LAKE CITY TO THE YOSEMITE VALLEY. 21 with a coarse fiir rug, is the throne of the Prophet, or " the President," as he is usually called. To stand on the stage and look across over the almost countless rows of benches gives one a very good idea of the wonderful size of the hall ; and when every seat is filled with "the congregation of the faithful," the sight must be very impressive. The entire exterior of the gallery is adorned with texts and maxims derived from various sources, the sentiments being partly Scriptural, partly political, and partly simply practical. They are as follows, each one being in large capital letters : — OBEDIENCE IS BETTER THAN SACRIFICE. SUFFER LITTLE CHILDREN TO COME UNTO ME. WE THANK THEE, O GOD, FOR A PROPHET. KEEP YOUR ARMOR BRIGHT. GOD BLESS OUR TEACHERS. BE TEMPERATE IN ALL THINGS. IF YE LOVE ME, DO MY WILL. HOLINESS TO THE LORD. WHAT HATH GOD WROUGHT. OUR OWN MOUNTAIN HOME. UNITED WE STAND, DIVIDED WE FALL. HEIRS OF THE PRIESTHOOD. FEED MY LAMBS. DO WHAT IS RIGHT. OUR CRUCIFIED SAVIOUR. THE MOTHERS IN ISRAEL. UNION IS STRENGTH. KNOWLEDGE IS POWER. THE DAUGHTERS OF ZION. OUR MARTYRED PROPHET. GOD AND OUR RIGHT. 22 DOTTINGS ROUND THE CIRCLE. ZIOX IS GROWING.] IN GOD WE TRUST. OUR LIVING ORACLES. THE KINGDOM IS OURS. THE HOLY PRIESTHOOD. UTAH'S BEST-CROP CHILDREN. BRIGHAM OUR LEADER AND FRIEND. HAIL TO OUR CHIEFTAIN. PROVIDENCE IS OVER ALL. CHILDREN, OBEY YOUR PARENTS. PRAISE THE LORD — HALLELUJAH! HONOR THY FATHER AND MOTHER. THE KINGDOM OF GOD OR NOTHING. GLORY TO GOD IN THE HIGHEST. THE PIONEERS OF 1847. Having finislied the perusal of this pot-pourri of precepts, "we leave the Tabernacle, and make our way across the grounds to the site of the proposed Temple, of which the foundations only are laid. The Mormon Elders are building this Temple from the tithes received from the people, — for every Mormon is obliged to bestow a tenth part of his entire income upon the church, — and as these vary in amount greatly from year to year, the progress of the building has thus far been very slow, and it is doubtful if it will ever be completed. The proposed dimensions of the Temple are, at the foundations, 99 x 186| feet. The Mormons intend it for a building in which they can perform the rites and ceremonies peculiar to their religion ; the Tabernacle, as I have said, being only a place for general worship and assembly. SALT LAKE CITY TO THE YOSEMITE VALLEY. 23 We visit next the "Warm Springs, situated at tlie foot of the "Wahsatcli jMountains, about a mile from the centre of the city, AYe find here a swimming-bath, similar to the one at Idaho Springs. An analysis of these springs was made some years ago by Dr. Charles T. Jackson of Boston. The usual temperature is 102° Fahrenheit. We now set out for Brigham Young's residence, to present a letter of introduction to him which we have received from a gentleman in Boston who has been instrumental in build- ing the railroad from Ogden to Salt Lake City. Our way lies through the business portion of the town, and we are very much struck with the strange appearance of several things around us. Salt Lake City is, as I have said, situated at the foot of the Wahsatch ]\Iountains, and the clear water from the neighboring hills is conducted down the sides of the prin- cipal streets in broad wooden troughs, which never serve, as do the gutters in our Eastern cities, as a repository for general waste, but are kept thoroughly clean by the citizens, who look to thehi for a daily supply of pure water. I saw a little boy lie flat down on the sidewalk, and, putting his mouth into the gutter, enjoy as pure and refreshing a draught as can be obtained anywhere in the world. This swiftly running water keeps the air cool and fresh, and tempers the summer's heat. We see painted over many stores a large eye, wath the following motto : " Holiness to the Lord." This is the dis- tinguishing mark of the Mormon merchants, and is assumed 24 DOTTINGS ROUND THE CIRCLE. at the special command of President Young, who endeavors to keep all the trade of the city in the hands of this "Zion's Co-operative Mercantile Institution." We have now arrived at the outer gate of Brigham's residence, and we pause a moment to examine it. It consists of a very large and curious stone house connected with several w^ooden buildings, in which dwell the Prophet's wives; the left-hand one con- taining many odd-looking peaked windows, the whole sur- rounded by a high wall. There are three entrances. Over the left-hand gate is* a large stone beehive, — the emblem of the Mormons; over the middle and chief gate rests a great stone lion stretched at full length; while a stone eagle, with extended wrings, surmounts the right-hand doorway. A por- ter is always in attendance at the middle gate, and having showed our letter of introduction to President Young (as weU as one to Bishop John Sharpe, which we also have), he informs us that we have come too early, as " the President does not breakfast till eleven, and does not receive tiU half-past one." He teUs us, however, that if we wiU call again later we will be received. So we return to the hotel for dinner. Having finished our dinner, we set out again for the " Eesi- dency," followed by the respectful and admiring glances of all the attaches of the hotel, who evidently consider us of much importance, since we are actually to be received by the high authority of the place. Arrived at the main gateway, we are met by the porter, who conducts us under the sleeping SALT LAKE CITY TO THE YOSEMITE VALLEY. 2$ lion into a sort of office, where many clerks, some of them sons of the " President," are busily at work on the affairs of Mormondom. Our guide, having seated us here, vanishes into the interior of the buildincj. Eeturningr soon after with a solemn face, he bids us, in a pompous manner, to follow him. "We pass through the office into a wide hall, and cross- ing this, our guide halts us opposite a sort of double door, which evidently leads into the apartment of the Prophet. When our conductor decides that we have composed our- selves sufficiently to go into the presence of his master, he throws open the folding-doors in a manner which is intended to be impressive, and, bowing low, motions us to advance. We find ourselves in a long, high-studded room, plainly but comfortably furnished, at the upper end of which are seated a sort of semicircle of portly men, while a very large, elderly man with gray hair, distinguished from the others by a cer- tain air of firmness and command, is seated a little apart from the rest in a large arm-chair. As we enter he rises, and when the genuflections of our little conductor have ceased, Brigham Young (for it is he) comes forward and greets us politely. Having presented us to Bishop John Sharpe and some other bishops whose names I do not catch, Brigham leads us to a sofa and converses with us pleasantly for about five minutes. He inquires especially about the gentleman who has given us our letter of introduction, questions us in regard to our proposed travels, and answers our interrogations in re- 26 DOTTING S ROUND THE CIRCLE. gard to Salt Lake City. At this point, thinking that we have remained long enough, we rise to take our leave. The bishoi^s all bow politely, we acknowledge their salutes, write our names in a large "visitors' book," and receive Brigham's autograph in return, shake hands with the " President," and bid him farewell ; the little mannikin guide reappears, bows low, throws open the folding-doors, and ushers us out. We emerge from the dazzling light of the presence of the Prophet into the light of day. Brigham Young is now seventy-five years old; and though evidently the possessor of a strong constitution, he yet gives one the impression of being a very feeble man. His mouth is his remarkable feature ; with closed lips it looks like a vice, and makes one feel certain that he always executes what he decides upon. July 17. — We breakfast at six o'clock, and at seven o'clock take a train on the Utah Southern Eailroad for a little settle- ment on the Great Salt Lake, called Lake Side. We wish to examine the lake more particularly, and also desire to bathe in its peculiar waters. The Utah Southern Eailroad has lately been opened by Brigham Young. It is a narrow- gauge road, and extends southward from Salt Lake City for about thirty miles. The road runs directly across the desert ; and the surrounding country, besides being flat and very uninteresting, swarms at this season with mosquitoes, that fall upon us without mercy. After travelling about two hours, SALT LAKE CITY TO THE YO SEMITE VALLEY. 2/ the train stops at Lake Side. This consists of a small hotel, built directly on the water's edge, a long pier near which is a little steamboat, and several bathing-houses. Going up to the hotel, we sit down on the piazza, and, after conversing awhile with the proprietor, turn our attention to the lake, an immense sheet of water, one hundred miles long and forty miles broad ! To-day it lies before us with scarcely a ripple on its surface. No fish leap up out of its depths, no insects scurry along its top. It is a dead sea. A naturalist, a corre- spondent of a New York paper, who has come to the hotel to make scientific investigations in the vicinity, assures us that he has repeatedly tested the waters. "No living thing," says he, "is there but the egg of a little fly, which is depos- ited near the surface of the water." We take a bath in the lake. The water is so dense that it is impossible to sink, and so salt that it causes the eyes and even the skin to smart terribly. One can easily lie ex- tended on the surface. When you lift your feet from the depths you might imagine you had trodden on a mass of india-rubber, so great is the buoyancy. We leave Lake Side at noon, and arrive back at Townsend's in time for dinner. We have decided not to stay over Sunday, as there will be very little of interest in the Tabernacle. Neither Brigham Young nor Bishop John Sharpe are to preach. So at 4 p. m. we say farewell to the Saints, and, taking the afternoon train on the Utah Central Eailroad, arrive at Ogden in time 28 DOTTINGS ROUND THE CIRCLE. to connect with the train to the West on the Central Pacific Railroad. A pouring rain has set in, and while F is securing our section in the Pullman car, I am standing on the platform among a mass of trunks, vainly endeavoring to attract the attention of the baggage-master. At last every- thing is ready; the passengers have taken their seats, the baggage is checked and aboard, the engine gives a farewell scream, and we are off. We start ahead, skirt the northern shore of the Great Salt Lake, and disappear in the darkness. July 18. — We pass through, to-day, broad prairies over which blows continually a fine alkali dust, very disagreeable to the eyes and intensely annoying to all the lady passengers. We stop at a "station" for dinner. Here we first make acquaintance with the Chinese waiter. A grotesque-looking Oriental stands between F and myself, and after enumer- atincc the different articles on the bill-of-fare w^ith astonishing volubility and without the slightest change of countenance, and being told that we will both take roast-beef, he goes to the side of the room and shouts out to his fellow-countrymen below, " Eoastee-beef twice." Truly " the heathen Chinee is peculiar." Juhj 19. — Early this morning the passengers all crowd the platforms of the cars eager to see "The Horn," a deep chasm between two mountains, along the top of one of which our railroad is built. Far down below, fifteen hundred feet be- neath us, runs what appears to be a small brook, — in reality SALT LAKE CITY TO THE YOSEMITE VALLEY. 29 a stream over fifty feet wide ! The beauty of the spot is ahnost indescribable. The iminense mass of rich foliage on either side of the chasm, the valley between, looking like a mere strip far below, and the many mountain-peaks which rise in various directions, all combine to produce an idea of immensity and far-extending space which is very im- pressive. The piece of railroad, indeed, on Avhich we are now running, has a history in accordance with the wildness of the spot. The roadway ^^lls first dug out and fashioned by men let down in baskets from a higher point near by, and several lost their lives through the breaking of the rope while going to or coming from the scene of their daily labor. The scenery, indeed, from this spot to Sacramento City is one continuous panorama of exquisite views, broken only by the frequent snow-sheds (built for the protection of the road in the winter season) wliich line the sides of the hills. We reach Sacramento City at 9.30 o'clock, and after making only a short pause continue our journey, and amve at Stockton, our point of departure for the Yosemite A^alley, at noon. Here we leave the train and proceed to the Yosemite Hotel for lunch. Stockton, situated on the San Joaquin Eiver, contains a population of about twenty thousand. The city carries on a large gTain trade, has several hotels, over a dozen churches, and many fine public buildings. While on our way from Ogden to Stockton we found three gentlemen, who, like our- 30 DOTTINGS ROUND THE CIRCLE. selves, are bound to the Yosemite, and with whom we are very much pleased to make the trip. These are JMessrs. H and R of Boston, and Mr. S of the West. There are two distinct routes to the Yosemite Valley. The tourist can either leave the Central Pacific Eailroad at Stock- ton, go by a branch railroad to ]\Iilton (thirty miles away), where he will find a coach bound for the Yosemite, eighty-one miles distant, passing on the way the great trees of Calaveras County (considered the large# of • the two groups of the West) ; or one may alight from the Central Pacific Ptailroad at Lathrop, go by a branch road to Merced, a distance of fifty-eight miles, and complete the journey to the Yosemite by stage, as before, a distance here of ninety-two miles, on a road lately constructed. If he selects the latter route he will pass the great trees of the Mariposa group. We decided to go by the Milton and Calaveras route, but to hire a three- seated covered wagon, and driver, and perform the journey, as it were, by ourselves. Having changed our money into gold, for California has always preserved a gold basis, we dine at the hotel, and soon after, about seven o'clock, a wagon, such as I have described, appears, drawn by four powerful horses, and guided by a driver "who has made the trip eighteen times this season, sir " ! AYe put on board a very moderate allowance of baggage; the idlers in front of the hotel gaze at us curiously, almost sympathetically, as if knowing well the various hardships we shall have to undergo; the driver SALT LAKE CITY TO THE YOSEMITE VALLEY. 3 1 gathers up his reins, cracks his long whip, and we rattle off in a great cloud of dust. The road lies directly across the prairie, and the full moon, shining brightly over everything, makes the country almost as light as if it was the sun itself. Our evening ride is delightful, and at midnight we nimble into Milton, a small town which has been recently swept by fire and a tornado, and draw up before the Tornado Hotel (called so from the town's calamity), only to find that the landlord, probably not being in the habit of receiving guests at this hour, has closed his house for the night; but a shrill, weird scream from our driver (in imitation of the screech-owl) quicldy rouses him, and, as we intend to continue our journey very early on the following morning, the whole party sepa- rate for the night, JuIt/ £0. — According to orders, our landlord rouses us at four o'clock, and after a cup of coffee (as we intend to stop for breakfast on the road), we start again on our way, getting in motion thus early, because, while the journey from ]\Idton to the " Big Trees " of Calaveras usually occupies parties two days, on their way to the Yosemite, we being somewhat in haste, have decided, by changing horses at a point thirty-four miles away, to ^-isit the trees and return to the main road the same day. Our track lies through a very wild and pictu- resque district, with scarcely a house anywhere about us. We pass great numbers of quail, pigeons, and "jack-rabbits," be- sides magpies and hawks innumerable. About noon we stop 32 DOTTING S ROUND THE CIRCLE. for a short rest at a small mining town whose principal citi- *zen is soon in conversation with us. He says he was origi- nally from Boston; but as he left that city twenty-five years ago, we find that he does not retain a very lively interest in regard to his former residence. Soon after this we reach Murphy's Camp, a mining town where we are to change horses for the Calaveras trees, and to which we intend to return for the night. After a wait of fifteen minutes, we start off with fresh horses and at once begin the ascent of the mountain, on the summit of which are the great trees. The dust is terrible and the heat intense. After grinding along for four hours, w^e reach the summit of the mountain, and see at once that even all the outlying trees, at a distance from the giants themselves, are of far more than ordinary size. We emerge from the wood^ into an open avenue, and see ahead of us " The Sentinels," — two of the big trees which stand one on each side of the road leading up to the hotel. What immense fellows ! The mind almost fails to grasp their proportions, almost refuses to accept the testimony of the eye. We reach the hotel at last, and having turned our at- tention to dinner (for we have eaten very little since morning), we walk out into the neio;hborin with tinkling bells tied to their wings, wheel round and round over our heads, and 158 DOTTINGS ROUND THE CIRCLE. the various sounds of the city below come up to us pleas- antly from afar. At last the sun sinks down behind the hills, long lines of men and animals pass in through the closing gates, and taking a last look around us, — for we have planned to leave Pekin on the morrow, — we descend to the street and return to our hotel. .-i PEKIN TO CANTON. 1 59 CHAPTER XI. PEKIN TO CANTON. Eettjrn to Shanghai. — Amoy. — Canton. — Buddhist Temples and other Objects of Interest. October 3. — At half past seven this morniug, having placed our baggage in carts and obtained donkeys for ourselves, we bid farewell to Pekin and start for Tung-chow. We have decided to return to Tien-tsin by boat; for, dropping down the river with the current, the distance to Tien-tsin (one hundred and twenty -five miles) is easily accomplished in two days, and is, of course, far less fatiguing than the long horse- back ride. We reach Tung-chow at noon, and find that our servant, whom we sent on ahead, has already engaged a " house- boat," and four men who are to row us doAvn stream. We start immediately, and having skirted the town, are soon glid- ing along through a flat, thinly cultivated country, while the measured sound of the oars alone breaks the silence around us. These " house-boats " contain a sort of cabin, in which four persons can sleep, and in another part of the boat is a small kitchen, which our servant superintends. The crew disappear at night into a locker in the bow. They have solemnly prom- l60 DOTTING S ROUND THE CIRCLE. ised us to work, in turn, through the night; at 2 A. M. I am awakened by loud, confused shouts. Starting up, I find that our craft is tied securely to the bank of the river, and the crew are nowhere to be seen. The New-Yorker is calling fiercely to our servant, who, in turn, delivers our complaints to the half-unconscious crew down below. At last three of them appear, and, receiving a fresh volley of abuse with Oriental stolidity, they untie the boat and work steadily till morning. October 5. — We reach Tien-tsin at seven o'clock this morn- ing, and find the steamer Shing King lying at her moorings, ready to start on the morrow. AVe go at once on board, and are delighted to be again in charge of Captain Hawes, October 6. — We start at ten o'clock. Among the passengers are the English Commission, who are bound to Yiin ISTan via Shanghai, to inquire into the circumstances of Margary's death. The Honorable Mr. Grosvenor (whom we met in Pekin) is the chief, and to him I owe much information in regard to the curious people in whose country we are traveUiug. Our fellow-citizen, Mr. E. S. Eussell, is also on board. October 7. — We arrive at Che-foo at 10 A. M., and remain till afternoon. We are joined here by several passengers, amoncr whom is ]\Ir. William Evarts of ISTew York. October 9. — At eight o'clock this evening we come in sight of Shanghai, after a smooth and pleasant run from Che-foo. As we move slowly up the river, the bright lights along the PEKIX TO CANTON. l6l " Bund " and in the various residences make us almost be- lieve that we are approaching a city of our owii land. Odohcr 13. — Ever since our start we have planned to go from Shanghai to Foo-chow, and thence to Canton and Hong Kong. We have several letters of introduction to Foo-chow, and wish especially to make the acquaintance of Commis- sioner Drew, a Harvard graduate, who has been in the em- ploy of the Chinese government for twelve years. We find, however, that we shall be unable to make satisfactory connec- tions with the steamers for Hong Kong, and we are therefore obliged to give up a visit to Foo-chow. As we wish to reach India during the Prince of Wales's visit (and have much to see on the way), we decide to take passage on a steamer which is to start for Canton to-morrow at daybreak, and we are therefore compelled to leave undelivered several letters of introduction to people in Shanghai. At midnight we go on board the steamer Glcngyle, bound for Amoy and Canton. The Glcngyle is a fine vessel of thirteen hundred and seventy-five tons, and, with wind and tide in our favor, we move rapidly down the Wang-poo Eiver and enter once more the Yellow Sea. Only three passengers besides ourselves are on board. October 16. — At daybreak this morning we are off Amoy. On our left we can dimly see Formosa. Around us are a score of swiftly sailing junks, whose piratical owners are always on the lookout for disabled vessels, which they plun- 1 62 DOTTING S ROUND THE CIRCLE, der without mercy. Indeed, our captain tells us that we are in the most dangerous waters of the Chinese seas. The course, he says, is but imperfectly marked on the chart ; hidden rocks abound, and the various pirate-junks, for which the region is noted, are perpetually hovering in the neighborhod. If a steamer strikes a rock, the passengers are often obliged to fight their way ashore. We change our course and approach Amoy. On our right is the reef of rocks where the steamer Hector was wrecked a few weeks before, and we can plainly see the remains of the deck rising above the waves. We come to anchor between the native town of Amoy and the little island Koo-limi-soo, where the foreign population dwell. Amoy is a picturesque place, containing, however, but little of interest to the traveller. It is distant five hundred miles from Hong Kong, and contains a small foreign population and about two hundred thousand natives. We go ashore and make our way through the dirty streets to the custom-house, where we find Mr. Spinney (a recent Harvard graduate), who is employed by the Chinese govern- ment. Afterwards we obtain a guide and walk about the city. Amoy is by far the dirtiest place we have j'et seen. The natives are quite different in appearance from their coun- trymen in the ISTorth. They wear hea^y turbans, which give them a fierce, piratical look. Here one may buy necklaces and bracelets, exquisitely carved from olive-stones. A stranger PEKIN TO CANTON. 163 should, hoM'ever, invariably refuse the specimens first offered in the shops, as the hest goods are only brought out when the inferior are rejected. Here, too, are lace and silk factories, and large quantities of artificial flowers are exported every year to various parts of the Empire. In the afternoon Mr. Spinney comes aboard to return our call. He says his work in the custom-house is continuous and rather uninteresting at present, but as soon as he obtains a little knowledge of the language he shall progress more rapidly. At midnight we weigh anchor, and in the light of a full moon resume our journey to Canton. October 18. — At five o'clock this morning the first officer rouses me and informs me that the ship is just entering the harbor of Hong Kong. Going quickly on deck, the scene in the early morning light is very beautiful. The sun has not yet risen, and the various lights of the town shine clearly forth from the base of the hill, which rises perpendicularly eighteen hundred feet. As soon as we drop anchor we are surrounded by multitudes of sampans, on the lookout for em- plo}Tnent. We intend to visit Hong Kong on our return from Canton and Macao, and at ten o'clock we are once more on our way, steaming rapidly up the Chu-kiang, or Pearl River, past beautiful scenery on each side of us, while gayly painted junks and fishing-boats are tossed up and down un- ceremoniously by our steamer's waves. At one o'clock we 1 64 DOTTING S ROUND THE CIRCLE. pass the Boca or Bogue forts, the scene of a conflict between the English and the Chinese in 1857. Beyond, on our left, is Whampoa, where heavily loaded vessels are obliged to an- chor, on account of the shallowness of the stream above. At five o'clock we reach Canton and anchor opposite Shamien (the foreign reservation), in the midst of a perfect flotilla of junks, "flower-boats," "snake-boats," and sampans. These boats are the homes of a large portion of the population of the city. Women and young girls take the place of the men (who for the most part are employed elsewhere), and mothers with their babies strapped on their backs wield a long oar with wonderful muscular power. Often, too, the mothers tie their very youngest children to the deck by a long cord, while those of a few years tumble about with a bamboo float fas- tened around them, which serves at once for clothing and life- preserver. Canton Eiver swarms wdth life. Eegular streets are formed by the "house-boats," which are placed side by side, and the multitude of men, women, children (of all ages), dogs, ducks, and chickens that are packed away in them for the night is appalling ! The little children, however, are won- derfully well-behaved, and look healthy and contented. In- deed, I have never seen better behaved babies than those in China. Early in the morning, as I have said, they are either strapped to their mothers' backs, or tied by a cord to the deck, and no further notice is taken of them, — a fact they seem to be perfectly well aware of, and hence do not seek to attract attention. PEKIN TO CANTON. 1 65 Canton is distant ninety miles from Hong Kong and eighty from Macao. It contains a population of one million in the city proper, while two hundred and fifty thousand live in boats. A large foreign popidation still dwell on the reserva- tion, but the number has been considerably diminished of late years, owing to the stagnation of trade. Canton is situ- ated in exact accordance with the rules of Fcng-Shui. " It is placed in the very angle formed by two chains of hills running in gentle curves towards the Bogue, where they almost meet each other, forming a complete horseshoe. The chain of hills known as the "SMiite Clouds represent the dragon, whilst the undulating ground on the other side of the river forms the white tiger."* October 19. — We go ashore soon after breakfast. F and I are cordially received by Messrs. Eussell & Co., to whom we have letters ; while Mr. U and our English companion are comfortably installed at the house of the Commissioner of Customs. Indeed, letters of introduction are absolutely neces- sary in Canton, as the place contains only one second-rate hotel. The house of IMessrs. Eussell & Co. stands on the site of the old East India Company's Factory, destroyed by a mob in 1856. Our host kindly places his private boat at our disposal, and we return to the Ghngylc for our trunks. Having obtained them, we bid the captain and officers fareweU.-f* • Eitel's Feng-Shui. + It -was farewell indeed. The Glengyle returned safely to Shanghai, and 1 66 DOTTINGS ROUND THE CIRCLE. After landing our baggage we spend the rest of the day in walking slowly about the city. "We find, on all sides, vast quantities of ivory and sandal-wood articles, many handsome cups of silver and gold, covered with grotesque designs, while silk goods of the best quality can be bought at very reasonable prices. In the course of our wanderings we enter a large em- porium of fire-crackers, and I perceive that I am in tbe very store whence comes a certain brand of fire-crackers, — the Golden Dragon Chop, — which was always the favorite among my companions at home. Opposite the house of Messrs. Eus- sell & Co. I see the warehouse containing the prepared ginger which is exported from Canton in large quantities. October 20. — "With a guide in advance, we start this morn- ing for a walk through the city, intending to visit some of the chief objects of interest. The streets of Canton are scarcely wide enough for two sedan-chairs to pass along, but, contrary to the usual state of things in China, the thorough- fares are really very clean. Large painted signs, suspended perpendicularly, and gorgeous lanterns, improve the outward appearance of the houses and stores ; and in spite of the vast crowds of people hurrying liither and thither, the best of order prevails. Every one seems to treat his neighbor with courteous consideration; oftentimes when, on account of the on her next trip down the coast to Amoy she struck on Namoa Island (off Amoy), on November 9, and sank in seven minutes. Captain Camell, several under-officers, and many of the crew were drowned. PEKIN TO CANTON. 167 excessive narrowness of the streets, two coolies carrying a heavy burden meet two other coolies similarly loaded, and produce for the moment a complete block, one pair quickly moves aside for the others, while a large crowd at each end pau-umzeu, out iwo poor wretcnes are even now nnaer tne influence of the drug. The room is similar in appearance to the one we visited in San Francisco. From here we proceed to the Temple of the Five Hundred Genii, called in Chinese Wa-la7n-tsz\ Canton contains one hundred and twenty-four 1 66 DOTTING S ROUND THE CIRCLE. After landing our baggage we spend the rest of tlie day in walking slowly about the city. We find, on all sides, vast quantities of ivory and sandal-wood articles, many handsome cups of silver and gold, covered with grotesque designs, while order prevails. Every one seems to treat nis neignoor witn courteous consideration; oftentimes when, on account of the on her next trip down the coast to Amoy she struck on Kamoa Island (off Amoy), on November 9, and sank in seven minutes. Captain Camell, several under-officers, and many of the crew were drowned. PEKIN TO CANTON. i 1 67 excessive narrowness of the streets, two coolies carrying a heavy burden meet two other coolies similarly loaded, and produce for the moment a complete block, one pair quickly moves aside for the others, while a large crowd at each end quietly wait till the road is clear, without any pushing or ill-temper, so often seen at home. We visit first the markets, where we see, dressed and ex- posed for sale, rats, cats, and puppies, besides various other articles of food. As we are passing a native restaurant, the proprietor lifts the cover from a sort of stew, at the same time calling my attention to it, in hopes of alluring me to taste. " What b'long ? " I inquire. " This b'long cat-hash," he replies, at the same time stirring up the mess with a long chopstick. I shake my head in disgust. The proprietor looks at it with delight, but remarks philosophically, " Some people likee, some people no likee ! " " Yes," I reply, " me no likee." And I walk on. From here we make our way to a silk-weaving establish- ment, and can but wonder how such beautiful fabrics origi- nate in such disagreeable quarters. We then stop in at an opium-den. Owing to the early hour of the day, it is thinly patronized, but two poor wretches are even now under the influence of the drug. The room is similar in appearance to the one we visited in San Francisco. From here we proceed to the Temple of the Five Hundred Genii, called in Chinese Wa-lam-tsz\ Canton contains one hundred and tw^enty-four 1 68 DOTTING S ROUND THE CIRCLE. temples and other religious edifices. This Temple of the Five Hundred Genii is full of small gilded images, five hundred in number, which are placed around a large room' called the Hall of the Saints. Beyond, is the " Triple Eepresentation of Buddha," and near by stands a figure of the Emperor Kien- lung, who reigned from A. D. 1736-1796. In the immediate vicinity of the temple, also, is a beautiful marble pagoda, about thirty-five feet high. Our guide takes us next to the Temple of Longevity, called in Chinese Cheung-shau-tsz\ where we are shown a colossal figure of Buddha in a recumbent position. We now leave the Chinese city proper, and enter the Tartar city, and soon arrive at the Tartar city temple, called in Chinese Kivong- hau-tsz'. Here are three colossal images of Buddha, about twenty feet in height, and two small granite pagodas of great antiquity. This temple was built A. d. 250. Continuing our way, we visit next the Flowery Pagoda, called in Chinese Fa-t' ap-liLk-yung-tsz\ This building is over two hundred feet in height, and from its summit we obtain a fine view of the city. On our way back we stop at the Mohammedan Mosque, said to have been founded by Arabian voyagers in a. d. 850. It is called in Chinese Kwong-t'a'p-wai-sJiing-tsz'. Having re- moved our shoes, we enter, but, except some rich carpets and a few curious tablets, it contains little of interest. We finish our morning's tour by an inspection of the Temple of the Five Genii. The Chinese name is 'Ng-sin-hun. Here there PEKIN TO CANTON. 169 is much that will well repay investigation. As we enter we see a large idol. This is the supreme god of the Tuuists. Kear by is a very large bell, which was struck by a cannon- ball from an English man-of-war during the bombardment of the city, in 1857. The bell is said to have been placed in this temple hundreds of years ago, and a prophecy was then uttered, declaring that evil would fall upon the city when the bell gave forth sound. "While doing our best to accept this statement, we are led by our guide to a little court- yard of the temple, in which is a large rock, with a curious impression on its surface, somewhat like the print of a gi- gantic foot. This is declared by the priests to be the mark of the divine Buddha. Before passing out w^e are shown five stones which represent five holy rams, from which Canton is said to have derived the name of the " City of Eams." From here we return to Ki-clwng (Eussell & Co.'s residence). After tiffin and a good rest we set out again. Embarking in our host's boat (for every merchant possesses a well-built boat for the use of his establishment), we are rowed rapidly across the river to the great Honam Temple, called in Chi- nese Hai-cliong-tsz\ It was built about A. D. 1675, by the son-in-law of the Emperor Kang-hi. Among the various idols is an image of Koon-yam (the Japanese Kuanon), the Hearer of Prayers. A handsome pagoda, of white marble, stands in the main hall. Near the temple, in an adjoining building, are some sacred pigs, enormously fat, kept by the priests as I/O- DOTTING S ROUND THE CIRCLE. an example to the people to obey the command of Buddha, forbidding the destruction of a single living creature. For the same reason a quantity of fish are fed daily in an arti- ficial pond near by.* Going now through the temple grounds, we are conducted to an immense urn, in which the ashes of the priests belonging to the temple are placed after crema- tion. Our guide assures us that the urn now contains the ashes of eighteen hundred and thirty-two. As we retrace our steps by one of the halls of the temple, we see the priests at supper. Several act as waiters, and walk round the room, filling each one's bowl with an uninviting stew of a sort of herb. The long line of priests with their flowing robes — not too clean — and shaved heads, eating rapidly with chopsticks, is not a pleasant sight. They offer us some refreshment, but we shudder and decline. Having returned to the boat, we recross the river and make our way to the Execution Ground, called Tin-tsz^-ma- fau. A more dismal spot from which to make exit from the world could hardly be obtained. On landing from the river, we are led through a neglected garden into a small plot of ground, enclosed on one side by a high mud-wall, and on the other by the rear of a pottery manufactory. This is the * I have been told, however, that Buddhists allow themselves to eat fish, on the ground that they themselves do not actually put them to death ; for, having removed a fish from the water, it dies without any interference from man. ^ X PEKIN TO CANTON. 171 Execution Ground of tlie city. A narrow alley connects it with one of the principal streets. Several skulls are strewn about; and in the centre of the place a large pool of clotted blood, and a head covered with a piece of matting, give cer- tain evidence that some criminal has very recently paid the penalty of his crimes. On inquiring, we are told that a man was executed only twenty-four hours before. At one end of the Execution Ground are two tall upright poles on which the heads of notorious malefactors are displayed. As we are leaving the grounds we meet the executioner, — a fat, happy- looking native, calmly smoking his pipe. Our guide addresses him respectfully. He tells us that he receives for his ser- vices "half-dollar one piecee," and is evidently satisfied with his lot. We ask to examine his official sword, but he replies that it is kept in the neighboring Yamen, and only brought to him when a criminal is to be killed. Leaving this place of death, we follow our guide to the city prison. Here we are inmiediately surrounded by a crowd of miserable prisoners, some chained together, others with a ball and chain on their legs, all of them clamorous for a few "cash." Among the convicts is a wretched woman who has poisoned her husband. For this deed she is to be cut into thirty-six pieces on the Execution Ground. The Chinese be- lieve that if the body is deprived of any member or part at or before death, that very portion will be lacking in the next world; consequently there is no worse punishment, in their 1/2 DOTTINGS ROUND THE CIRCLE. opinion, apart from the physical pain, than to undergo a separation of limb from limb. A gentleman who witnessed this terrible torture told me that nothing could be more in- human; for, beginning with the extremities, the less vital parts are lopped off, until the victim either dies from pain and loss of blood, or endures the agony till the heart itself is destroyed. We next visit the Examination Hall, called in Chinese Kung-un. This contains about 8,G50 cells, in which the can- didates are locked and left entirely alone for two days, till their answers to the given questions have been handed in to the authorities. Similar examinations are held at certain times in all the provinces and districts, and by means of these, and a final and much more severe one held triennially at Pekin, various high offices of the Empire are apportioned. Any one may be a candidate for the lowest or district ex- amination. If he passes this and is still ambitious, he must then apply for the provincial examination, and the chosen few from each province strive in the Imperial examination at Pekin for the button of a powerful mandarin, or some other magistracy, and sometimes return as rulers of the prov- ince from whence they came. "We now proceed to the Temple of Horrors, called by the Chinese Shing-wong-miu. It contains a large number of fig- ures, which were made to represent the tortures of the wicked in hell. About a dozen small chambers, enclosed by a sort PEKIN TO CANTON. 1/3 of wooden wicker-work, are filled with devils who are caus- ing sinful wretches to pay the penalty of crimes committed in the body. In one room an unfortunate man is exhibited jammed in a wooden vise ; in another, several imps have just thrown their victim into a pot of molten lead; in an- other, they are slowly strangling a man; while in each com- partment a large statue of the Devil himself looks down joy- fully on the various performances. This temple is evidently regarded with awe by the common people, for we saw little knots come up in turn and gaze through the bars with a look of horror on their faces. On our way back we visit the water-clock, called Tung-u- tik-lau, a very old and curious machine. Then, striking rapidly down a side street to the river, we call a sampan, and are soon landed at the dock of Piussell & Co.* In the various Buddhist temples that we have visited in China I have observed an entire absence of that reverent and heart-felt worship which is noticeable in Japan. The priests and people perform the ceremonies of their sect with an air of decided carelessness, regarding them evidently as forms which must be discharged to insure their safety in the world to come. The buildings themselves, and the various sacred utensils, are ill kept and neglected. The service in a Buddhist temple is astonishingly similar * The temples and other objects of interest in Canton are so located, that, with a good guide, one may visit the majority in a single day. 174 DOTTING S ROUND THE CIRCLE. to the form of worship in a Eoman Catholic church. Pro- cessions of priests march up and down, swinging censers, and bowing before richly decorated altars on which are several tapers burning dimly. A little bell or gong, struck from time to time, increases the resemblance. The following graphic description of a Buddhist temple I copy from a most inter- esting pamphlet, recently published, which I obtained in Hong Kong : — * "As you turn towards the principal entrance to the build- ing, you remark, a yard or two in advance of the flight of steps leading up to it, figures of crouching lions carved in stone and resting on pedestals, placed on either side. You will be told that these are emblems of Shakyamuni, whose cognomen Shakyasimha (lit. Shakya, the lion) indicates that he is, by his moral excellence, the king of men, as the lion by his strength is the king of the beasts. Perhaps your guide will even quote a passage from his sacred scriptures, 'As a lion's howl makes all animals tremble, subdues elephants, arrests birds in their flight, and fish in the water, thus Buddha's utterances upset all other religions, subdue all devils, conquer all heretics, and an-est all the miseiy of life.' "If it is a sunny day you will find gathered on the en- trance steps a motley assembly ; priests and beggars, lying lazily in the sun, or engaged in entological pursuits, mending their * Buddhism ; its Historical, Theoretical, and. Popular Aspects. By Ernest J. Eitel, M. A., Ph. D. PEKIN TO CANTON. 175 clothes, cobbling their shoes, cleaning their opium-pipes, smoking, gambling, and so forth, and your appearance will be the signal for a general clamor for an alms-offering in the shape of a foreign cent, or they will offer their services as guides. But if it should happen to be a feast day the steps and the whole open space in front, with the comt-yards in- side, will be crowded to excess by a busy multitude, men, women, and children, who have come to worship or to con- sult the oracle, hawkers of fruit and other edibles, booths with fancy articles of all kinds, stalls opened by druggists, wandering doctors, fortune-tellers, tents for the purpose of gambling, in short, a complete fair, which pushes its lumber and its clamor close to the very altars of the divinities wor- shipped inside the central temple. "As you enter the front door, a martial figure, with defy- ing mien, armed to the teeth and sword in hand, confronts you. It is the image of Veda, the patron and protector of monasteries. Inside the door there are to the right and left niches for the spirits of the doorway, who are supposed to keep out all evil influences, and for the Kaga (dragon) spirits, who are looked upon as the tutelary deities of the ground on which the sacred buildioQ-s are erected. "Having passed the first court-yard, you are led through a second gateway, when your eye is arrested by four gigantic images, two being placed on either side of the gateway, guard- ing, as it were, with flaming eyes, the entrance to the sane- 176 DOTTING S ROUND THE CIRCLE. tuary beyond. Your guide will inform you that they are the demon-kings of the four regions (Tchatur Maharadjas), who guard the world against the attack of evil spiiits (Asuras) ; that each of them is posted on a different side of the central mountain (Meru), engaged in guarding and defending with the assistance of larije armies under their command the corre- sponding quarter of the heavens. You will find incense lighted at the feet of these giants, and the images themselves almost covered with slips of paper, containing either a record of vows to be performed in case of prayer answered by these heroes, or a record of thanks for favors already bestowed. For you will be told, or may witness it, perhaps, with your own eyes, that these demon-kings are daily worshipped by the common people, who ascribe to them the power of healing all those diseases, and of preventing or averting all those calami- ties, which are supposed to be the work of evil spirits. "After crossing a second court-yard you reach the princi- pal temple by ascending a small flight of steps. On entering this building you see before you five little altars placed in a row, with a small image on each ; and if it is the hour of prayer you may find a number of priests in full canonicals, resembling so many Eoman Catholic priests, chanting their monotonous litanies and responses to the sound of bell and a sort of wooden drum "Step nearer. You need not fear to give offence or to disturb the devotion of men, who, whilst mechanically con- PEKIN TO CANTON. 177 tinning their monotonous litany and chanting their responses, will stretch out a hand to examine the texture of your clothes, to receive an alms, or offer to light your cigar or criticise in whispers the shape and size of your nose. Glance over the shoulder of one of those priests and examine his 'manual of daily prayer.' It is neatly printed in large-sized, full-bodied native type and in the native character, hut totally unintelli- gible to him, for it is Sanskrit, pure grammatical Sanskrit, systematically transliterated, syllable by syllable. Listen to him, as he chants, rhythmically indeed, but in drowsy monoto- nous voice : ' Sarva tathdgatd schamdm Samdvasantu Inuld- hyd huddhyd siddhyd siddhyd hodliaya lodhaya vibodhaya vibodhaya mochaya vimochaya vimochaya sodhaya sodhaya vi- sodhaya visodhaya Sariiantdm mochaya Samanta^ etc., etc. Poor feUow, he has not the slightest idea of the meaning of these words, though he may have been chanting these San- skrit prayers day after day for ever so many years. But he has a notion that these strange sounds have some magic effect, beneficial for himself and for the salvation of his soul. There is, however, tolerably good sense in the words of his prayer which reads, when translated, as follows : ' May all the Tatha- gatas (i. e. Buddhas) take up their abode in me ! ever teach, ever instruct, ever deliver with all knowledge ! with all knowl- edge deliver, deliver, completely deliver! purify, purify, pu- rify, completely purify ! deliver, deliver all living crea- tures ' ! etc. 178 DOTTINGS ROUND THE CIRCLE. " Pass on from these poor deluded souls that grope in the darkness for the light of a Saviour whom they know not Visit some of the smaller buildings; you will probably see in one of them a fine marble pagoda reaching to the very rafters of the roof. It is built in strict Indian style, taste- fully decorated, and forms the receptacle of some sacred relic. There may be in it perhaps a hair of Buddha, or a tooth, or a particle of his robe, or some relic of one of his disciples. There also prayers are offered, and sacrificial offerings of flow- ers, candles, and incense, presented by the people, who, true to the fetichistic habits of their forefathers, ascribe mirac- ulous healing powers to such relics But suppose you retrace your steps through the various temples you have visited, you will find it interesting to have a look at the apartments occupied by the priests. They have most of them their own cells, but dine together in one large hall, which, together with the kitchen and its enormous rice-boilers, are worthy a visit. The abbot has his private rooms, apart from the cells of the priests. You may find him willing to receive you, but you will be astonished if you enter his rooms ex- pecting to find there the same primitive simplicity and econ- omy which you noticed when passing through the apartments allotted to the use of the priests, and which reminded you so strongly of the internal arrangements of a Eoman Catholic monastery. A modern abbot takes it generally very easy. If his monastery is not too far from any centre of foreign PEKIN TO CANTON. 179 commerce, he will show you with pride a collection of articles de hue. He has watches and clocks of foreign manufacture, photographs of less than questionable decency, and he is generally not only a confirmed opium-smoker, but considers himself a good judge of champagne, port, and sherry. His attendants are invariably laymen, relatives of his own, who may have no intention whatever to take the vows. But the same abbot may also have a jDrinting-press with movable types, likewise of foreign manufacture, and you may see it turning out neat reprints of the most popular portions of the Buddhist scriptures, or little tracts and pamphlets of local reputation. " After a visit to the gardens, which are generally well kept and which abound in curious specimens of artificial training, after a passing glance at the place where the bodies of de- ceased priests are burned, and the tomb which covers their ashes, you return through the labyrinth of galleries and courts. In one of the latter you may now notice a series of little chambers, popularly called chambers of horrors, containing statuary representations of the various tortures supposed to be employed in the various compartments of hell. For your guide will tell you, with a sly hit at yourself, that all those who do not believe in Buddhism, or violate its command- ments, will after death be reborn in hell He will inform you that there are underneath our earth eight large hells of extreme heat, eight more of extreme cold, again eight hells l8o DOTTINGS ROUND THE CIRCLE. of utter darkness, and on the edge of each universe ten cold hells ; but as each of these hells has many antechambers and smaller hells attached, all being places of torture, there are in reality altogether over a hundred thousand of such cham- bers of horrors. A pleasant prospect to heretics like yourself, your priest "will add. " On passing out through the gate, your eye may perhaps be arrested by a crowd of people surrounding a number of pigs wallowing in the richest food thrown before them. You will also notice in a conspicuous position near these pigs a poor- box, into which the people drop their offerings of money. "What is it all about ? Look at the inscription affixed to that box in large staring letters, ' Save life ! ' The greatest Buddh- ist commandment is that which forbids the takinsf of life. All life, human as well as animal life, is absolutely sacred in the eyes of the Buddhist devotee. The killing of animals for the purpose of food is a heinous offence. Still more so is the love of cruelty which leads the strong to prey upon the weak, and enables the sportsman, the fox-hunter, the deer- stalker, the pigeon-shooter, in heathen and Christian countries, to derive a horrible enjoyment from the piteous sufferings of poor dumb animals. These pigs are therefore exhibited by the priests to remind the people of this greatest of all Buddh- ist commandments But, on the other hand, it is ridic- ulous to compare this Buddhist commandment, 'thou shalt not take life,' with the religion of Him who would not break PEKIN TO CANTON. l8l the bruised reed nor quench the smoking flax, and to give the pahn — as some European admirers of Buddhism have actually done — to this Buddhist ideal of charity. Just ask your guide whether the Buddhist church, which so laudably extends its charity even to the brute creation and assiduously feeds sacred pigs in its monasteries, exerts herself to amelio- rate the condition of poor suffering humanity. He will have to acknowledge that no hospitals, no asylums for the blind, the deformed, the destitute, have ever been founded by a Buddhist community. Alms, indeed, are encouraged, but they are to be bestowed on the worthiest, — on the priest, the clois- ter, the church, — and thus the current of charity is diverted from the destitute or outcasts of society, whose very destitu- tion is, according to the Buddhist scriptures, a proof of their unworthiness, to the worthiest on earth, to the community of priests, who are bound to receive the gifts bestowed, in order that the faithful may acquire merit, though forbidden by the self-renouncing principles of their creed to retain them for their private advantage. Thus it was brought about that the Buddhist priests take to feeding sacred pigs. A Buddhist Peabody, therefore, would be doing the correct thing if he were to throw all his humanitarian efforts with all his money — before the swine. "Well, you have visited a fair specimen of the popular pan- theon of Northern Buddhism. AVhat is the result ? , . . . Ancient Buddhism knows of no sin-atoning power; it holds 1 82 DOTTINGS ROUND THE CIRCLE. out to the troubled, guilty conscience no prospect of mercy, no chance of obtaining forgiveness, no possibility of justifica- tion, allowing not even so much as extenuation of guilt under any circumstances whatever It is a science without in- spiration, a religion without God, a body without a spirit, unable to regenerate, cheerless, cold, dead, and deplorably barren of results." October 21. — We call this morning on the American con- sul (our fellow-passenger on the Great RejpuUic). He invites us to come to the consulate at three o'clock in the afternoon and be present at his formal reception of the Viceroy. As we have no right to wear an official costume, we are obliged to decline. We promise, however, to dine at the consulate on the morrow. We dine in the evening with Commissioner Hart, brother of Commissioner James Hart of Pekin. October 32. — Colonel Lincoln, the American consul, has kindly invited us to come to his house at four o'clock this afternoon, and, in company with himself and family, to spend an hour on the river and return afterwards to dinner. All the foreign consuls have large, comfortable boats, with well- protected cabins; and the flags of the different countries float gracefully over the sterns. All thanks to Mrs. Lincoln, for the first time in my travels I see my country's representative suiTounded by attendants appropriately dressed. Mrs. Lincoln has presented to the crew of her husband's official boat a very simple but tasteful uniform, of which they are very proud. It PEKIN TO CANTON. 1 83 consists of a white sailor's shirt with a broad blue collar on which are stars, blue trousers, and a broad-brimmed straw hat with American Consul printed on the ribbon. Besides these articles, each man has a handsome red sash tied around his waist. Small matters like these make a great impression on the Chinese mind. The common people judge largely of the importance of a foreign country by the size of its consu- late, its interior arrangements, of which they hear through the servants, and by the appearance of the attendants of the rep- resentative when they accompany their master about the city. While other nations seem to recognize this, — as is proved by the marked dress of their servants, the spaciousness of their legations, and the precision wdth which their households are conducted, — America pays but httle attention to the quar- ters or maintenance of those she sends abroad. After a very pleasant row on the river and a visit to a large joss-house lately erected, we return to the consulate for dinner. To-morrow we leave Canton and continue our journey to Macao. In Canton one sees thorough Chinese life. The peo- ple are more interesting than the inhabitants of the North. They are more agreeable and kindly to foreigners, their streets and dwellings are far cleaner, and they are farther advanced in the peculiar arts of their race. Pekin is a barbarous en- campment on the frontier of civilization. Canton is a bus- tling city which brings continually before the mind thoughts of the past, the present, and the future. 1 84 DOTTING S ROUND THE CIRCLE. CHAPTER XII. CANTON TO BATAVIA. Macao. — Fan-tan Gambling. — Hong Kong. — Singapore. — Crossing the Equator. — Arrival at Batavia. October 23. — At half past seven this morning we bid fare- well to our kind hosts and go on board the steamer Sparh, bound for Macao. Just before we start a graceful row-boat draws near, propelled by a neatly dressed crew and steered by a foreigner. It is Commissioner Hart, who has come to wish us good-speed. Soon our vessel is under weigh. Hav- ing passed Wliampoa, I perceive that the door leading to the steerage is locked, while a native of Manilla, armed with pistols and a huge cutlass, walks up and down continually before it. An armed man, likewise, patrols the upper deck. I am informed by the captain that these precautions are necessitated by the quantities of pirates that infest the waters between Canton and Macao. He says, furthermore, that every Chinese passenger is searched as he comes aboard, and all suspicious-looking baskets, bundles, and packages are thoroughly overhauled, in order that any concealed weapons may be brought to light. " About two years ago," says he, " the Sparh one morning CANTON TO BATAVIA. 1 85 left Canton with a large number of Chinese steerage-passen- gers bound for Macao. Whampoa was passed in safety, and the Spark had reached the broad portion of the river and was steaming rapidly along, when several junks were observed headed directly for the vessel. This excited no remark, how- ever, but a blast of the whistle was given as a notification of the steamer's approach. It was noon. The captain was at dinner ; the only passenger was sitting idly on deck, and the quartermaster at the wheel was steering the vessel easily through the calm water without need of assistance. Suddenly a body of natives rushed up from the steerage, poured over the upper deck and fell upon the foreigners without mercy. The captain was literally cut to pieces. The passenger was mortally wounded and left for dead, and several of the crew who resisted were killed by their fellow-countrymen. Imme- diately the junks (which were previously noticed) approached the Spark, and another score of rascals climbed over the side. The captors, however, were unable to make off with their prize. They were ignorant of the practical use of the ma- chinery. Having therefore plundered and stripped the vessel from stem to stern, they decamped in the junks and made for the nearest land. The Chinese who were left on the Spark succeeded in bringing the vessel to Macao. The out- rage was promptly reported to the authorities ; the pirates were pursued, and several that were captured were executed. Since that time all steamers on these waters post a guard in bow and stern." 1 86 DOTTING S ROUND THE CIRCLE. At 5 p. M., after a smooth and delightful trip, we reach Guia light, and come in sight of the curious pink, yellow, and brown buildings, which give to Macao such a strange appearance, — so different from anything we have seen for the past few months. As soon as we have landed we make our way to the Eoyal Hotel, followed by a string of Portu- guese beggars, who are even more importunate than China- men. Macao was settled by the Portuguese in A. D. 1547; and though this nation has held it ever since, and filled it with her own citizens and soldiery, still China has always insisted that it is in reality under her dominion. A lovely place it is, with a long curved beach, and with boldly rising hills around, on whose summits fleecy clouds rest constantly. In front of the town are several islands. The typhoon of September, 1874, did great damage to the town and harbor, but the traces of the disaster are nearly removed. The hotel is built on a long curved street, Praya Grande, which follows the bend of the beach. The trade of Macao has departed. The coolie traffic alone remains. In the Chi- nese quarter, however, the stores are as thronged as in Can- ton. Undoubtedly in time the whole place wiU have fallen into the hands of the Chinese. The few Portuguese officials who are obliged to reside here come with reluctance. A social circle scarcely exists. The place is lifeless in part, and the busy multitude of Chinamen only brings before the minds of the foreigners the terible loneliness of their lot. CANTON TO BAT AVI A, 18/ Soon after dinner we take sedan-chairs and visit the great fan-tan establishment. Fan-tan is a gambling game which is played continually in Macao, both by foreigners and Chinese. The Portuguese government receives one hundred and fifty thousand dollars a year as a license from the proprietors of the gambling-houses. Every Saturday evening the steamers from Canton and Hong Kong bring many for- eigners to try their luck on the fan-tan table. Here all is eagerness, animation, and excitement, — a dangerous agent to banish loneliness and ennui. The game is played as follows : a flat piece of lead, per- fectly square and a foot in length and breadth, is placed in the middle of the table. The banker — a keen-looking China- man — thrusts his hand into a pile of " cash," and, grasping as many as he can, lays them down on the table in sight of the players. The players than stake certain sums on 1, 2, 3, or 4, laying their money opposite the sides of the square so numbered. Taking now two chopsticks, the banker slowly counts off the " cash," pushing aside four at a iwie, and the number of the last count which finishes the pile — four, three, two, or one, whatever may end it — determines the winning side of the lead square. As the banker evidently cannot be sure of the number of "cash" which he takes in his hand from time to time, and as moreover the stakes are not depos- ited till the handful of " cash " is placed on the table, it is hardly possible for the players to be imposed upon. When 1 88 DOTTING S ROUND THE CIRCLE. the bank pays, however, it gives three times the amount of the stake less a discount of eight per cent, — a commission which in the end must pay the proprietors very largely. The foreigners play fan-tan in a room at the top of the house, while the Chinese (who are inveterate gamblers) re- main down below. The same fan-tan table is used, however, by both parties. A basket is let down by a cord from the foreigners' room; the money is placed in the basket, with a ticket indicating the number which the player has selected, and the w^hole is then lowered to the table. At the conclu- sion of a play, if the foreigner has won, his gains are hoisted up in the basket. We prefer to witness the game in the lower room, and we spend a half-hour with great interest watching the Chinamen of all grades betting eagerly on every play. Several coolies and common servants are here risking dollar after dollar of the only money they own in the world, — the result of weeks of saving. If they lose, having no more with which to play, they quietly withdraw; but if they wan, their good fortune only incites them to higher stakes. Peering eagerly into the heap of "cash," as each division of four is swept aside, they determine accurately the number of the last count long before the banker himself announces it. We are standing near a Chinaman, — probably a messenger or house servant, — who has been playing steadily for many minutes. He has lost continually, and has nearly arrived at CANTON TO BATAVIA. 1 89 the end of his resources. His money is all gone, but he . places a small silver watch in the hands of the banker, who tells him it may represent one silver dollar. The player, being apparently satisfied with this estimate of its worth, lays it down by the side of the lead square marked 1 and awaits the result of the count. Several other Chinamen, thinking this man must have some good reason for trusting his last piece of property to this number, follow his example by placing their bets by the side of the watch. The banker slowly sweeps the " cash " from the table, four at a time, the owner of the watch following each movement of the chop- sticks with eyes almost starting out of their sockets. When more than half has been counted off, an expression of delight fills his face, and when, soon after, one odd "cash" remains from the lot and he receives back his watch and nearly three dol- lars besides, he is the picture of happiness and is congratu- lated loudly by the other players on his good fortune. Soon after this little drama we return to the hotel. October 24. — After breakfast this morning we visit the large garden now owned by Lourenqo Marques, containing the grotto of the poet Camoes, where he is said to have composed some of his best known works. Following a path which runs through thick tropical vegetation, we come to a little hill, on the summit of which is a grotto which overlooks the sea. In this grotto is a bust of Camoes bearing the following inscrip- tion: "Luiz De Camoes; Nasceo 1524, Morreo 1580." Out- 190 DOTTINGS ROUND THE CIRCLE. side the grotto are several tablets with various poetical in- scriptions; one signed "Bowring, July 30, 1849," being par- ticulurly appropriate : — SONNET TO MACAO. "Gem of the Orient Earth and open sea, Macao ! That in thy lap and on thy breast Hast gathered beauties all the loveliest Which the sun smiles (on) in his majesty! "The very clouds that top each mountain's crest Seem to repose there, lingering lovingly. How full of grace the green Cathayon tree Bends to the -breeze, and now thy sands are prest "With gentlest waves, which ever and anon Break their awakened furies on thy shore ! Were these the scenes that poet looked upon Whose lyre, though known to fame, knew misery more? "They have their glories, and Earth's diadems Have nought so bright as genius' gilded gems." After dinner we visit the church of Our Lady of Sorrows, situated on the top of a hill overlooking the town and harbor. A curious wooden cross stands in front of the church, said to have been erected by a sea-captain, who, being caught, many years ago, in a typhoon off Macao, vowed to plant a cross in front of this church made from the mainmast of his vessel, and carry the mast up the hill on his back, if he was per- mitted to reach the shore in safety. In the vestry of the church there is a picture which shows the ship in the storm and distress which occasioned the vow. CANTON TO BAT AVI A. I9I We next visit the Protestant chapel, where we find a tablet to the memory of James B. Endicott, a native of Danvers, Massachusetts ; Mr. Endicott was long well known in Macao, and died here in 1870. In the neighboring graveyard rests Morrison, the first Protestant missionary who ever came to China. A stone near by bears the following inscription: "In memory of Lord John Henry Churchill, son of George, 5"" Duke of Marlborough." At sunset we make our way round the Portuguese fort to the high hill on which stands the liohthouse. At the foot of the hill we enjoy a refreshing swim ; the water is warm and delightful. From here we scramble up to the top of the hill to the lighthouse, and are kindly shown over the premises by the Portuguese in charge. October 25. — We leave Macao at half past seven this morn- ing in the steamer Po-ivan, and reach Hong Kong at noon. Hong Kong (Island of Sweet Water) was seized by the Eng- lish in 1842 in return for the destruction of opium by the Chinese, and for various insults to British residents at Can- ton. Hong Kong is built on an island, and the town is planted at the base and on the side of the precipitous Victoria Peak, which rises perpendicularly for eighteen hundred feet It is said that one can drop a stone from the summit into the main street of the town below. The population of Hong Kong is made up of different nationalities, and varies so continually that it is impossible to state it exactly. In round numbers, it 192 DOTTING S ROUND THE CIRCLE. is about one hundred and thirty-five thousand. The foreigners number about three thousand five hundred ; the rest of the population consist of Chinese, Portuguese, and Parsees. The harbor is large and convenient, and is full of steamers and sailing-vessels from all parts of the world. The warehouses of the merchants are commodious and well built; the private residences and villas, nestling in different parts of the hill, form agreeable retreats after the toil of the day; to the left, a densely populated Chinese quarter recalls to your mind that you are still in the immediate vicinity of the Celestial Empire. Over the post-office, in the centre of Hong Kong, are these words : " As cold waters to a thirsty soul, so is good news from a far country." October 27. — Except the ever-pleasant society of the foreign residents, there is very little in Hong Kong of special inter- est to the traveller. When he has climbed Victoria Peak, and visited the Happy Valley and the Public Gardens, he may continue on his way. We planned to start for Manilla at once, but a typhoon is raging on the neighboring waters, and furious wind and constant rain indicate to us its resist- less power. The departure of the Manilla steamer is there- fore postponed, and the thick weather obliges us to remain in-doors. October 28. — HeaAy rain continues without cessation. We dine in the evening with Mr. W. Seymour Geary, of Oly- phant & Co., whose house is finely situated on the hill. CANTON TO BAT AVI A. 1 93 October 30. — The rain continues. We are very glad to meet one of our fellow-passengers of the Chxat RepuUic, who is a merchant here in Hong Kong. Thanlvs to his kindness, we have enjoyed for several days the hospitality of the new club-house, a fine structure in the Gothic style. We hear also of the three United States army officers who crossed the Pacific with us. They are expected here in about ten days. On account of the rain and wind, the Manilla steamer is again delayed ! If we w^ait longer we may be obliged to omit some portion of our proposed Indian travel; so we de- cide to continue our way to Singapore, and proceed from there to Java. The regular mail-boat of the Peninsular and Oriental Steamship Company has just left Hong Kong. An- other will not start for a week; we take passage, therefore, on the steamer Ahhotsford, bound for Singapore direct, and at 5 P. M. w'e move slowly out of the harbor of Hong Kong, with a vovage of fourteen hundred miles before us.* * I take this opportunity to thank the American Consul, D. Bailey, Esq., for his many kindnesses, official and personal. I have something to say here in regard to the 0. & 0. S. S. Co. Having collected various Japanese and Chi- nese curiosities, I desired to have them reach my fiiends in Boston by Christ- mas. I therefore decided to send them by steamer to San Francisco, and have them forwarded across the continent by rail. This method is, of course, far more expensive than carriage on a sailing-vessel, but, as I have said, I wished the articles to reach my friends at Chri.stmas-time. The agent of the 0. k 0. S. S. Co. assured me that the boxes would not he opened in San Francisco (as they were accompanied by a full consular certificate), but would be forwarded promptly in bond to Boston. Believing him to be reliable, I left the articles 194 DOTTING S ROUND THE CIRCLE. October 31. — The sea is very rough, and we pitch and roll from morning till night, to the decided injury of the crockery and to the great annoyance of everybody. Captain Patterson, a thorough Scotchman, pays us the most continual and thought- ful attention, and the different of&cers of the ship exert them- selves in many ways to make our voyage pass pleasantly. Novemher 5. — We are now within three hundred miles of Singapore. The sea is calm and stiU, the sky is clear, and the sun is uncomfortably warm. We are well into the tropics ! Novemher 6. — At two o'clock this morning a fierce squaU sweeps over us. Dark clouds suddenly cover the bright moon and clear sky. For an hour and a haK our steamer struggles on against a fierce wind and heavy sea. The first ofiicer is on the watch, and I come on deck and go up with him on to the bridcje. Lio-htnincj flashes around us, the thunder rumbles, and at last a heavy rain faUs. Soon the moon shines clearly forth again, the clouds roU aside, — the storm has washed itself away. At 1 P. M. we pass the lighthouse which marks the en- trance to Singapore Straits, and our course is immediately in his hands. The result was as follows : On their arrival at San Francisco, the boxes were opened, tlwroughly overhauled, and laid aside. In response to frequent letters from my friends in Boston (whom I had notified), they were finally started along. They reached Boston January 22d ! As an example of our present tariff, I will mention that my curiosities were valued at $ 250 ; the government exacted a duty of $100.50. CANTON TO BATAVIA. 195 altered to the westward. At five o'clock we can see in the distance the large warehouses that front the harbor of Singa- pore. On our right hand are thick groves of cocoa-nut trees, surrounded by tropical vegetation that seems to shut out the very light itself. At six o'clock we reach our wharf, and long before the vessel is made fast it is sun-ounded by light canoes, paddled by small Malay boys who dart liither and thither, callinir out to us in broken English to toss them small coins, for which they promise to dive. And dive they do ! Hardly can a coin touch the water — thrown purposely a long distance from the canoes — before three or four have dropped from their boats, eager to seize the money before it sinks to the bottom. One even brought up a cent from the very bottom, which we had tossed in an unexpected direction. Novemher 7. — Singapore, the capital of the Straits settle- ments, is situated one degree north of the equator. It was founded in 1819, and transferred by the Indian government to the Crown in 1867. The population is about one hun- dred thousand, of whom eight hundred are English, Americans, and Europeans. Singapore is on one of the great highways of the world. Steamers from all directions touch here con- stantly, and it is a regular stopping-place for the mail-boats of the Peninsular and Oriental, and Messageries Maritimes Companies. Singapore contains representatives of nearly every race of men on the globe. Here one may see, besides English, Americans, Germans, and French, Chinese, Malays, 196 DOTTINGS ROUND THE CIRCLE. Persians, Arabians, Jews, Turks, and Indians. The business part of the town contains many fine buildings, and the large and comfortable dwellings of the merchants are pleasantly situated in the suburbs. The town possesses a large Episcopal church, several massive government buildings, and a spacious residence occupied by the governor. A strong fort over- looks the harbor. There are many beautiful gardens, and ex- cellent roads in the vicinity, while an unchanging and agree- able climate, luxurious tropical vegetation, and a profusion of delicious fruit combine to render Singapore a most enjoya- ble residence for man. "We visit the English church — it is called a cathedral — in the morning. In the afternoon we walk out to the Bo- tanical Gardens, situated about three miles from the centre of the town. These gardens contain tropical plants of various kinds, a menagerie of deer, monkeys, bears, and other animals, and an extensive aviary.* Novemher 9. — We are kindly introduced at the English club. In the evening we dine with the partners of GilfiUan, Wood, & Co., at their pleasant house in the suburbs. JVovemher 10. — We receive permission from Mr. Whampoa, an influential Chinese merchant, to visit his large and curious * We have had a narrow escape. The " P. & 0." mail steamer wliich we just missed at Hong Kong reached Singapore after a dangerous passage in a typhoon. Tlie steamer for Java which connected with it is just reported lost. CANTON TO BATAVIA. 197 gardens, situated about two miles from the city. Mr. AVham- poa is a man of importance in Singapore, being even a member of the Legislative Council. His gardens are laid out in strict Chinese style, but they contain many trees and plants well worth seeing. Here is the traveller's palm, which, being tapped, yields very drinkable water. Here too are banana and lemon trees ; tea, coffee, aloe, and pineapple plants ; pummelo and cocoa-nut trees, and many others. In the evenincf we dine with the firm of Boustead & Co. November 11. — At 10 P. M. we go on board the Dutch steamer Bciiula, which is advertised to start for Batavia at daybreak to-morrow. Novcmhcr 12. — The sea is very smooth ; the atmosphere, though very warm, is not oppressive ; but a sort of tropical languor compels us to sit idly, watching the thickly wooded shore of the island of Sumatra, which seems to be ever glid- ing away. It is 6 p. M. AVe are crossing the equator. Our captain tells us we are now upon it. I gaze over the ship's side in a vain endeavor to discover that black line which seemed such an absolute reality in the school-days of my earliest youth. November 13. — The boats of the Netherlands India Steam- ship Company are decidedly uncomfortable. The state-rooms are small and stuffy, the food is rarely varied and is always carelessly prepared and uninviting. Each captain is allowed 198 DOTTINGS ROUND THE CIRCLE. — I - — ^ a certain sum with whicli to provision his boat, and either the sum is far too small, or a boat's menu is diminished in direct ratio to the amount an economizing captain reserves from the money advanced. Besides this, a corps of absolutely untrained and stupid Malay boys attempt to wait on the passengers, but only get in everybody's way. I hear that some French steamers are soon to be put on the line be- tween Singapore and Batavia. For the public's sake I hope they will appear speedily. Novemher 14- — At noon to-day we come to anchor off Java, and soon a small steamer comes alongside to take us up the narrow canal which is the only approach to Batavia from the harbor. The Banda is anchored two miles from the town; and although we have bought tickets for Batavia, (which we supposed would carry us there), we are obliged to pay another fare to the small steamer, unless we wish to re- main at a long distance from land. This is an outrage ; and although I heard several protesting against it, yet the nui- sance has been suffered to continue so long, that no one is willing to be the first to challenge it. We are landed at the custom-house. Passing through, we find a score of small barouches in waiting, drawn by small but powerful ponies. We are driven through broad streets, past spacious residences and warehouses. Horse-cars rumble along by our side. A canal — the delight of the Dutch — runs parallel with the principal street, in which multitudes CANTON TO BATAVIA. I99 of Malays are bathing, or conducting a general laundiying establishment. Large niunbers of handsome equipages are going in various directions, driven by Malay coachmen in stylish liveries, topped by curious gayly painted tin hats. Behind the vehicles two footmen stand, dressed in the same costume as the drivers ; and as the turnouts rattle by at the tremendous speed for which the place is noted, the whole effect is very striking. Groves of cocoa-nut trees are scat- tered here and there throughout the city, and bread-fruit and other tropical productions gTOW in every other garden- plot. The Malays are a very healthy-looking race, and very few beggars are to be seen in the streets. At six o'clock we walk to the parade-ground to hear the military band. We are surprised to find a large concourse of foreigners in carriages or on horseback, the ladies in ele- gant toilets, and nearly everybody without hat or head-cover- ing of any sort, — for the sun always sets at six o'clock, and the city is then cool and delightful. On the parade-ground is a monument erected in memory of the battle of Waterloo, — a bronze lion on a high pedestal The music is excellent, and we can hardly realize — with all the fashion and civili- zation that surrounds us, and with the strains of the "Blue Danube " in our ears — that we are on an island below the equator, far away from the chief habitations of men. 200 DOTTING S ROUND THE CIRCLE. CHAPTER XIII. JAVA TO CEYLON. BataVia. — BtriTENZOEG. — An lNLA>rD Trip. — Embarkation for Ceylon. — AEPavAL AT Point De Galle. Noveniber 15. — The population of Batavia is about one hundred thousand. It possesses, besides its many private resi- dences and warehouses, an opera-house, several very ordinary hotels, a fine museum, and a handsome residence occupied by the governor-general. The climate is hotter than our very warmest summer day, and no one walks out in the middle of the day, for the sun has a very dangerous power. Many sorts of fruits can be obtained, and all may be eaten with safety, except the pineapple, which, in Java, is exceedingly hurtful. We present a letter of introduction, this morning, to Diim- meller & Co. As there is very little of interest in Batavia itself, we plan to start for the interior of the island on the morrow. Messrs. Diimmeller & Co. give us much informa- tion in regard to our proposed inland journey, and, after some further conversation, we call at the adjoining office of the American Consul, P. Nickerson, Esq., of Boston. As we enter the consulate, we remark the absence of the American flag. Mr. Nickerson tells us that, at the special request of the Dutch JAVA TO CEYLON. 20I government, no foreign flag is displayed by the different con- suls; for the Dutch wish the natives to continue to believe that the Dutch flag alone is the emblem of power throughout the world. In the afternoon we visit the large museum, where may be seen a collection of ancient Javanese gods, weapons, agricultu- ral utensils, and so forth. In the evening we go to the opera. It is the opening night of a French company which has re- cently arrived. The theatre is not large, but is excellently ventilated and well-lighted. The orchestra is satisfactory, and the scenery is passable. Many ladies are present in full evening dress. A black frock or cut-away coat seems to be considered sufficient by the gentlemen, and our swaUow-tails are therefore somewhat conspicuous. The ladies are not re- markable for beauty, but the majority are ablaze with jewels, and their toilets are as elaborate as one could find in any cap- ital of the world. The programme bears the following notice : " Avec la per- mission de 31. le B^sident." The first piece performed is "Le Chalet"; this is followed by the excellent little opera "Les Noces de Jeannette." Noveynler 16. — A railroad connects Batavia with Buiten- zorg, distant thirty-seven miles. We leave Batavia at half past seven and reach our destination at ten o'clock. Buiten- zorg, besides being itself a place of remarkable beauty, is the usual starting-point for Sing-dang-laya and the high moun- 202 DOTTINGS ROUND THE CIRCLE. • tains near bv. The Hotel Bellevue at Buitenzorsf is built on the summit of a hill, and, standing on the back piazza, the visitor sees before him one of the most beautiful views that the island affords. At the foot of the hill a winding river flows between tall groves of cocoa-nut trees, and through the very thickest tropical foliage ; a cloud-topped mountain rises boldly in the distance. On its summit are found the curious bird's-nests which are so largely exported for food. In the afternoon we visit the extensive gardens of the gov- ernor-general. These gardens contain a large assortment of tropical j)lants, a pretty lake, and broad lawns on which sev- eral hundred spotted deer wander about. Here is the deadly upas, and a large specimen of the rubber-tree. The gov- ernor's residence is a spacious white stone building with two wide wings running out from the central portion. Several paths are for the use of the governor alone, and conspicuous signs in Dutch command the visitor not to enter them. The palace and gTOunds are guarded by a garrison of Dutch soldiers, and as we walk along we meet that saddest of all proces- sions, — a military funeral. To the soldier, in time of peace, death in this distant spot must be hard indeed! November 17. — We rise at five, and soon are rattling over an excellent road in little carriages drawn by three ponies, bound for Sing-dang-laya. After travelling for about an hour through a well-cultivated country, we stop for breakfast at a small town called Gadok. Although the hotel is full of guests, L JAVA TO CEYLON. ' 203 no proprietor can be found. The united efforts of our party in English, French, Italian, and German fail to obtain any response from the different people about the house, and, as we do not talk Dutch, we are almost in despair, when at last a young man appears who speaks English. This gentleman calls a native who seems to be manager-in-chief of the estab- lishment, and we are soon properly served. After breakfast we continue our way. The road runs for miles through exten- sive coffee plantations. At eleven o'clock we stop for UJiti- at a native inn kept by an old Malay woman called Ma-mina. Many travellers stop here in the course of a year, and the old woman cooks remarkably well after the Dutch style. Native and foreign officials, going to the interior or coming back to Batavia, halt for an hour at this inn. The dinner-table is com- pletely covered with names and initials, and it is evidently the custom of travellers to leave these " footprints on the sands of time," in order that succeeding patrons, "seeing, may take heart again," when almost despairing over the long delay of the meal. As we are about to leave, having finished tiffin, a native official, with gold-lace on uniform and hat, drives up. Having greeted us courteously in his own language, he calls for a glass of water. The servant who brings it to him stops with the tray at some distance off, and hands the water respectfully, bending his body almost to the ground with the most remark- able gesture of deference I have ever seen, as if a nearer ap- proach would defile the magnate. 204 DOTTINGS ROUND THE CIRCLE. Leaving the inn we drive on for about a mile and stop at a little path which strikes through thick woods, and, having left the carriages, we follow a guide up the mountain-path, passing through the very ideal of a tropical forest. The foliage is so luxuriant that it seems superabundant; the ferns and grasses astonish us ; and beautiful vines and masses of exquis- ite creepers, winding around the rich trees, bear witness to nature's productive power when unchecked by cold and frost. This fertility, however, is not confined to the vegetable world. Animal life keeps pace with it. Deadly snakes, small creep- ing reptiles, and poisonous insects lurk in the depths of the most beautiful plants; and man, dwelling in this lovely spot, finds himself opposed by multitudes of enemies which the very luxuriance of the favored latitude has brought forth. After a half-hour's walk we emerge on to the bank of a small lake which covers the crater of an old volcano, extinct for the past eighty years. The lake is called Te Laga Varna. A wall of exquisite foliage, three hundred feet high, rises from its opposite shore. Having returned to the carriages, we proceed for about six miles, and stop at two o'clock at a little hotel near Sing- dang-laya, where we intend to spend the night, in order to meet and talk with Mr. Carlo Ferrari, a great sportsman, who has lived in Java for many years. We are sorry to hear from ]\Ir. Ferrari that we have come to Java in a very poor season for good sport; but he kindly offers to accompany us JAVA TO CEYLON. 205 for a few days if we wish to make an expedition in search of a tiger. About 11 P. M. a party of native dancers come to the hotel and perform to an interested audience. Three men, sitting cross-legged on the ground, furnish the music, which consists of a drum, a fife, and a pair of peculiar cymbals. A large torch is stuck in the gTound, and the dancers, men and women, — the latter very strikingly dressed in many- colored native cloths, — circle round and round the light to the sound of the music, gliding towards each other, meeting, bowing low, swaying from side to side, and finally separating entirely, aU the time chanting a peculiar refrain, which is even heard above the shrill and discordant sounds of the in- struments. Java, as I have said, abounds in deadly insects and rep- tiles. Besides the centipedes and scorpions, which are very numerous, there is a very dangerous worm, long and thin like a horsehair, which crawls into men's ears from pillows and elsewhere, and produces deafness and often death by its sting. If the worm can be extracted from the ear, no serious danger need be anticipated. If it has penetrated too far, however, the victim lingers for days in great pain, till death ends his sufferings. Large tarantulas are frequently found suspended over a bed, and there is a species of wasp whose stins causes excessive inflammation. To a traveller making a tour into the interior of Java, the 206 DOTTING S ROUND THE CIRCLE. following Malay words will be useful, spelled phonetically : — They are, of course, Fork Garfu. Knife . . Picho. Spoon Tsenoch. Napkin . . Tserbatr. "Water Ire. Plate . . Peering. Bread Eoti. Eice . Nasci. •'-'oo • • • • Tulor. Sugar . . Gular. MHk. Susu. Noveinbcr 18. — Two of our party, Mr. U. of New York, and our English companion, decide to accompany Mr. Ferrari on a tiger hunt. The prospect of sport, however, is so doubt- ful and the probability of discomfort so unquestioned, that F and I decline to accompany the others. As the hotel at Buitenzorg is far more comfortable than our present habitation, and as Mr. Ferrari assures us that we have al- ready observed the characteristic scenery of the island, w'e do not wish to travel farther inland. F , however, is anxious to ascend a neighboring mountain, and promises to follow me to Buitenzorg on the morrow. Bidding farewell, therefore, to the two who are to remain in the island, I set out for Buitenzorg, which I reach at noon. Novemher 19. — F arrives from Sing-dang-laya at 7 P. M., JAVA TO CEYLON. 20'] and we make preparations to return to Batavia early to-mor- row mornincr. November 20. — "VYe reach Batavia at ten o'clock this morn- ing. Our steamer starts at 8 A. m. to-morrow. The day is very warm, and after arranging for our departure, we keep in- doors till the cool of the eveninj^ renders walkins; acrreeable. Novemher 21. — At half past seven we go on board the steamer Amhoina* bound for Singapore, and think wdth dis- may of the three days that we shall be obliged to pass in the hands of the Netherlands Steamship Company. The Amhoina is fully as uncomfortable as the Banda, and the food is even less varied and more disagreeable. Novemher 23. — We arrive back at Singapore at 6 p. M., after a smooth passage from Java. Novemher 24-. — 1 have a long talk with Major Studer, American Consul. It is the same old story. His salary is hardly sufficient to allow him to live like a gentleman. The consulate of the United States of America consists of two small rooms in a hotel ! Novemher 26. — At 10 A. m. we embark on the fine steamer Tigrc of the Messageries Maritimes Company. About forty- five passengers of different nationalities are on board. We start at noon on our voyage of fourteen hundred miles, for As we were in Batavia only for a few hours on our return from the in- terior, we were unable to bid farewell to Messrs. Diimmeller & Co., and to the American Consul. 208 DOTTING S ROUND THE CIRCLE. r and I intend to leave the ship (which is bound for Marseilles) at Point De Galle, to visit some of the chief points of interest in Ceylon. Novemher SS. — At 5 P. M. we pass Acheen Head, a prom- ontory which marks the limits of the Straits of ^lalacca, now the scene of a war between the natives and the Dutch, and soon after our ship is rolling from side to side under the influence of the long swell of the Indian Ocean. The Tigj'e makes an average day's run of three ^ hundred miles, and we expect to reach Ceylon December 1. November 30. — A grand concert, vocal and instrumental, was given by several of the passengers this evening, in aid of a poor Scotch widow who is travelling home with two children, whose entire capital consists of two pounds sterling. Selections from a few well-known operas were pleasingly rendered, after which a magic-lantern amused the company for a while, and at the end of the evening a collection was taken up, which amounted to somewhat over tw^enty pounds, — a very god-send to its recipient. The officers deserve great credit for their kind efforts, and the performers may well feel that they have done a good action. December 1. — At eleven o'clock this morning w^e come in sight of the coast of Ceylon, which stretches far away to the right. Thick groves of cocoa-nut trees cover the shore for miles, and the luxuriant foliage of the land closely resembles Sumatra and Java. At 4.30 p. m. we can plainly see, far JAVA TO CEYLON. 209 ahead, the shipping in the harbor of Point De Galle, and soon after, having obtained a pilot, we drop anchor off the town, just as the guns from the EngUsh fort announce the arrival of the Prince of Wales at Colombo, a town seventy miles to the north. As the steamer rounds the green promontory which marks the entrance to the harbor of Point De Galle, a most beautiful picture presents itself. On the right, groves of cocoa- nut trees, surrounded with thick foliage, afford refreshing shade to a little cluster of native huts, which, with their thatched roofs, look tropical and primitive. On the left, a tall light- house rises boldly from a high ledge of rocks over which the sea tumbles and breaks, leaping upwards every little while in high clouds of spray. In front lies the town, running from the sea-shore to the summit of a hill, and sheltered completely behind the guns of the English fort, which cover every ap- proach to the harbor. In the distance is Adam's Peak, which rises to a height of seven thousand four hundred feet. The native inhabitants of Ceylon are Singhalese and Tamils. As soon as a steamer comes to anchor it is surrounded by multitudes of long, narrow boats called catamarans, each with two huge outriggers, to which is attached a thick log, which moves along near the surface of the water, and steadies the whole craft. Indeed, these canoes are so narrow that, with- out this balancing-log, it would be impossible to navigate them. 2IO DOTTINGS ROUND THE CIRCLE. CHAPTER XIV. CEYLON. Point De Galle. — Colombo. — Kandt. — The Eoyal Apartments on the Sekapis. — The Pkeparation of the Coffee-Beery. — The Prince of Wales. December £ — Point De Galle — so called \)j the Portu- guese wlien they had possession of the island — contains a population of about seven thousand. Besides the beautiful scenery in the vicinity, there is very little of interest to the traveller. We wish, therefore, to press on to Colombo, but, on account of the unexpected arrival of the Prince of Wales, it is impossible to obtain places in the regular stage which runs between the two towns. The Prince and suite have changed their route, owing to reports of cholera from the southern coast of India, which they had planned to visit before coming to Ceylon. The steamer Socotra, of the British India Steamship Company, is fortunately in the harbor, bound for Bombay via Colombo, and we promptly engage passage for the latter place. As the boat will not start till 5 p. ]\r., we have the day to look about us. Soon after breakfast we take a carriage, and drive for an hour over a fine road running through groves of cocoa-nut CEYLON. 211 and palm-trees, with beautiful ferns and flowers on all sides. On our way back we stop at the foot of a hill on whose sum- mit stands a large Catholic church. As we are walking up the hill on our way to the church, we pass a small school- house in which about fifty Singhalese boys are studying Eng- lish and the usual elementary branches under the care of a benevolent-looking old gentleman, himself of Singhalese de- scent. As we pause a moment at the door, the old gentleman comes out and invites us politely to step in and witness a reci- tation, — an offer which we gladly accept. The class is en- gaged in a reading-lesson, and the old master, placing us behind his desk, — on which lies a pliant rattan, — hands us the book, — the Third Eeader, — and opening at the well- known story of Solon and Crcesus, calls on the head boy to begin. The Singhalese boys read very correctly and intelli- gently, and at the conclusion of the exercise the master exam- ines them on the subject-matter of the lesson. Although several of his questions touch on broad principles of ethics, the boys show excellent appreciation of the text, one bright little fellow doing uncommonly well. Soon after this we take our leave, and having visited the new church, we return to the hotel. About five o'clock we go on board the Socotra, which starts immediately for Colombo. December 3. — At five o'clock this morning we come in sight of Colombo, and at seven o'clock we anchor off the town, within a stone's throw of the steamer Serapis, which is 212 DOTTING S ROUND THE CIRCLE. carrying the Prince of Wales on his travels. The Serapis and the companion steam-yacht Osborne lie inside of a half- circle of English gun-boats which attend them, — the Un- daunted, Raleigh, Nareissus, Immortalite, and Ncivcastle. We call a native boat and are rowed quickly ashore. On landing at the jetty we find it completely decorated in honor of the Prince's arrival. The whole wharf is one mass of flacfs, mottoes, and insignia, placed on a background of green plants in which various kinds of fruits have been cleverly entwined. Tall green arches sj^an the streets, each proclaiming the town's welcome to the Prince, and declaring the people's loyalty to the royal family. All the chief buildings bear gayly painted sentences of welcome, " God bless the Prince of Wales," " Wel- come to Albert Edward," and so forth. The day is a holiday, no business is transacted, crowds fill the streets; and although the Prince left this morning for Kandy (seventy-four miles inland), the enthusiasm does not seem to have abated. The hotel is packed with a mass of thirsty Englishmen, all calling for the cooling brandy and soda to which they are so accus- tomed at home ; and the popping of soda-water bottles, min- gling with the many different voices, produces an absolute din. We succeed, however, in obtaining rooms at "royal visit prices," and, as we are too late to catch the afternoon train to Kandy, we spend several hours in walking about Colombo. Colombo, the capital of Ceylon, is situated on a peninsula, CEYLON. 213 surrounded on three sides by the sea. It has a popula- tion of one hundred and twenty thousand. The town con- tains many fine business blocks and large warehouses. The residence of the governor, Eight Honorable "W. H. Gregory,* is especially noticeable. Outside the walls are the dwellings of the Dutch and Portuguese. On the right of the town is the Pettah, or black town, occupied by the natives. To the left stretches a beautiful beach, over a mile long, beside which runs an excellent carriage-road. Colombo is well garrisoned, and several batteries face the sea. The climate of Ceylon is very warm, but much cooler than that of Java. December 4- — -^^ 2 P. M. we drive to the railroad station, and soon are on our way to Kandy. The railroad was started in 1859 by the late governor. Sir H. Ward. It runs through the thickest vegetation of the island, and for twelve and a haK miles ascends an incline of one in forty-five, rising to an altitude of seventeen hundred feet at a station called Kadu- ganava. The journey to Kandy occupies nearly five hours. This time is required, as the train must go very slowly for the last third of the way. The cars wind over mountains, through long tunnels, and along the verge of appa' ently inac- cessible heights, from which one can look far down into the vaUeys below. Indeed, this portion of the line somewhat re- sembles a part of the Central Pacific' Kailroad of California. The day is rainy, and we can look down on to the tops of * Now Sir W. H. Gregory. 214 DOTTINGS ROUND THE CIRCLE. large clouds which are floating over the valleys beneath us. On each side of the road is a sort of fence, recently constructed, formed of plants with different fruits placed at little distances apart ; and every station is hung with flags and mottoes, wel- coming the Prince of Wales, who yesterday passed over the road with his suite. We reach Kandy at seven o'clock in a pouring rain ; and as all the carriages are engaged elsewhere by the crowds who have followed the Prince, we are obliged to hire two Singha- lese to carry our valises, and we ourselves, having borrowed a native umbrella, follow our guides to the hotel. On our arrival at the Queen's Hotel (a wretched inn, an outrage on the name it bears), we learn that the Prince has departed for an elephant hunt, farther inland, and will not return to Kandy, but is to be received by the people of Co- lombo next Monday afternoon. To-day is Saturday, so we decide to spend Sunday in Kandy, and return to Colombo in time to witness the passage of the Prince through that city on his way to open the Agricultural Grounds. December 5. — Kandy, the old residence of the native kings of Ceylon, is situated in a valley surrounded by beautiful hills, and on the bank of a small lake. It now contains many European dwelling-houses and public buildings. The governor's palace, the library, and the English church are the most important. It contains a population of ten thousand. Yesterday, in the old Hall of the Eangs, the descendants of CEYLON. 215 the conquered princes paid homage to the son of their queen. After breakfast we visit "Lady Horton's Walk," a wide path which winds up a neighboring hill, from whose summit a fine bird's-eye view of Kandy may be obtained. From here we go the Dalada, or the Temple of the Tooth, a curious Buddhist structure, built to protect a veritable tooth of the great Buddha, which is here carefully preserved by the priests. This tooth is only exhibited once a year at a gi-eat religious festival ; and though it was yesterday brought out for the in- spection of the Prince of Wales, it has already been returned to its secluded resting-place, and the priests refuse to exhibit it to us. The Temple of the Tooth is a curious piece of archi- tecture and weU worth a careful study. Decemlcr 6. — We take the seven-o'clock train for Colombo, which, on account of the numbers who have come to Kandy to see the Prince and are now returning, is unusually long and crowded. Twenty-eight cars and two engines — the long- est train ever on the road — toil slowly down the mountain, and it is fully one o'clock — an hour and a half behind time — when we reach the station at Colombo. On our arrival at the hotel we find that the Prince is delayed in camp, and will not enter Colombo till to-morrow afternoon. After lunch we walk to the sea-shore, and engage a ca- tamaran, and balancing ourselves on its narrow seat, we order 2l6 DOTTING S ROUND THE CIRCLE. the Singhalese to row us out to the Serapis, the Prince's ship. As soon as we set foot on board, we send our cards to the officer of the deck with a request to be permitted to visit the "royal apartments." A polite and affirmative an- swer is at once returned, and a seaman is detailed to conduct us to the door of the Prince's dining-room and put us in charge of the Prince's steward, who alone has charge of the apartments during the absence of the royal party. The steward conducts us first over the dining-room. This is a large apartment in the stern of the ship, luxuriously furnished, out of which lead several smaller chambers, two of which are for the exclusive use of the Prince. The din- ing-room contains a beautiful table and handsome sideboard. All the furniture is marked with the Prince's crest and the letters A. E. The steward leads us around the table, saying, "The Prince of Wales sits there, the Duke of Sutherland there, Sir Bartle Prere here," and so on. Passing now into the parlor (which is, indeed, only separated from the dining- room by a mast of the ship), we see before us a large picture of the Queen, and near by a most beautiful one of the Prin- cess of Wales. Around the room are fine maps, and on the tables are the latest books upon India and Ceylon. A mail has evidently been lately received, for a score of letters are lying on a little secretary, the majority of which are directed to Sir Bartle Prere. Our guide shows us next through the private apartments CEYLON. 217 of the Prince. We examine with interest his famous swivel- bed. In his little parlor adjoining is an Indian dagger, cov- ered with jewels, which was presented to the Prince by some native ruler. Books and pamphlets of travel and science are scattered about, showing that the royal visitor endeavors to post himself thoroughly in regard to the different countries he is passing through. Having paused a moment in the room of the Duke of Sutherland, we follow our conductor to the smoking-room. This apartment is a gem. It is situated on the main deck, elegantly furnished, and enclosed by large plate-glass windows, which command an extended view in all directions. Having retraced our steps to the outer door of the dining-room, we are again put in charge of the seaman who has waited for us, and the steward instructs him to show us over the other portions of the ship. We visit the stables where the fine horses of the Prince are kept. Each animal has his name painted over his stall. Near by are the cattle and poultry for the use of the Prince, and opposite is the kitchen where his own food is specially prepared. After examining the quarters of the regular ofiicers and seamen of the vessel, we take our leave, and return to Co- lombo. Viewed from the water, the Serapis presents a huge appearance ; but it is necessary to walk through the ship and examine it in detail, before a just idea of her immense ca- pacity can be formed. 2l8 DOTTING S ROUND THE CIRCLE. December 7. — In company with Captain V. Hoskioer, of the Eoyal Danish Engineers (our fellow-passenger on the Tigre from Singapore, and bound also to Calcutta), we visit this morning an old Hindoo temple of most curious architec- ture, situated in the Pettah. This building is well worth a visit, but seems to be little known by the European inhabi- tants. Erom here we drive to the large coffee warehouses of Armitage Brothers, and are very politely shown over the establishment by the overseer, who explains fully, as we walk about, all the details of the process required to bring the coffee into a condition for market. The coffee-berries are first spread out over large "barbecues," — wide, flat surfaces hardened with asphalt, — to be dried by the sun; after which they are placed in a sort of mill called a "peeler," where large wheels strip off the two skins that cover each berry, — the outer skin and the silver skin. When these have been removed, the coffee-berries are thrown into "feeders," which blow awa}'" all dust and chaff that remains, after which "sizers" receive them. These "sizers" are sieves of different sizes which separate the large berries from the small, and also remove any gravel or foreign matter that may have become mixed with them. When all these operations are finished, the coffee is placed in bags, and is once more poured out, to be examined by native women whose business it is to search for and remove all imperfect berries that can be found. This being done, CEYLON. 219 the coffee of the best quality is ready for the market. The imperfect berries, however, are collected together and sold also, but of course at a much lower price.* On our return to the city we go to the office of the British India Steamship Company to inquire about the Calcutta steam- er. The office, however, is closed, and the agents have very carelessly omitted to put up a notice in regard to their boat. On inquiring at the post-office we are told that the steamer has arrived, and is to leave in half an hour, and that the mails have just been sent aboard. This seems conclusive, so we return at once to the hotel, give up our rooms, and hav- ing placed our luggage in charge of coolies, make our way in company with Captain Hoskioer to the wharf. Having engaged a boat at "royal visit prices," we spend half an hour in the fierce tropical sun endeavoring to find the steamer Tatna, which we finally discover has not yet arrived in the harbor! "We are obliged to return to the hotel (after en- gaging another squad of coolies for the trunks), and we arrive there hot and tired, only to find that our places have been filled by others. The head steward, however, very kindly gives us his room, and we accept it with thanks, being en- tirely upset in our arrangements by the neglect of the agent to inform us of the steamer's movements. The total product of the coffee crop of the world for 1874 is estimated at about 900,000,000 pounds, of which amount the United States imported, in 1875, over a third, or 317,970,665 pounds. 220 DOTTING S ROUND THE CIRCLE. The Prince of Wales has returned to Colombo, having left his hunting-grounds at an early hour this morning, and at half past four this afternoon he is expected to pass through the city to open an agri-horticultural exhibition, for which great preparations have been made. The decorations along the streets, which were erected in honor of his landing, have been added to and improved; new arches have been built, fresh greens have been placed here and there, and everything possible has been done to make the second welcome even more cordial than the first. By three o'clock the street lead- ing from the governor's house (where the Prince resides dur- ing his visit) to the Agricultural Grounds is lined with thousands of people, Europeans and natives, all eager to see the Prince as he passes by. A remarkable crowd it is ! Here one can see a group of Singhalese or Tamils, in the very scant costume of their race, side by side with a little knot of Londoners in frock-coats and tall hats ; while near by are some native women in all the glory of silk dresses, Indian shawls, and bare feet! Police inspectors gallop up and down, thunder angrily at natives who straggle through the lines, and endeavor to hide their excitement and embar- rassment in the heights (rather than the depths) of their pith helmets. At last, at about five o'clock, four lancers appear, followed by two carriages, in the foremost of which, dressed in cool light garments and surrounded by some of his suite, sits the Prince of Wales, raising his hat from time CEYLON. 221 to time in response to the cheers which greet him on all sides. The immense concourse of natives, however, do not utter a sound. The outspoken welcome comes entirely from the Europeans. The Singhalese and Tamils gaze wonderiugiy at the Prince's carriage, look into each other's faces, and turn half disappointedly away. A gentleman in the crowd who understands the Singhalese language discovers the cause. The natives (who associate great outward- adornment with the name of prince) expected that the son of their Queen would come to them in a gorgeous chariot, with a crown of gold on his head, and arrayed in splendid robes. Instead of this he appears like any other of their European masters. Their hearts are loyal to him, but their eyes are not satisfied. 222 DOTTINGS ROUND THE CIRCLE. CHAPTER XV. CEYLON TO CALCUTTA. NeGAPATAM. — PONDICHERRY. — MADRAS. — MaSULIPATAM. — COCONADA. — ViZAGAPATAM. — BiMLIPATAM. — GOPOLPORE. — FaLSE PoINT. — DIAMOND Harbor. — Arrival at Calcutta. Decemher 8. — The steamer Patna, bound for Calcutta, ar- rives early this morning. We go on board at noon with Captain Hoskioer, and at two o'clock bid farewell to Ceylon. Decemher 11. — At noon to-day we sight the southern coast of India, and at one o'clock our ship drops anchor off Negapa- tam, a place of very little interest to the traveller, which came into the possession of the English in 1783. Having received a little cargo, brought from the shore by natives in large, clumsy scows, we continue our way. Decemher 12. — At daybreak this morning we arrive at Pondicherry. This town is the capital of the French East Indian temtory. It is situated eighty-eight miles south of Madras, and has a population of thirty thousand. Our ship is to receive the French governor, and carry him to IVIadras to pay his respects to the Prince of Wales, who is now on his way thither. As the governor will not embark till evening, we have ample time to land and examine the town. Calling CEYLON TO CALCUTTA. 223 a native boat, we are soon set down on a fine beach, near which runs a hard, wide avenue. The town itself is w^ell laid out and pleasantly situated, its excellent roads being especially noticeable. We find here hotels, caf(5s, an opera-house, a Catholic cathedral, forts, a dock-yard, and lighthouse. The governor's residence is in the centre of the town, and is a spacious building. Multitudes of little carriages are about the streets, propelled by natives from behind, and used here as the jinrikisha in Japan. This vehicle is called a pushpush. At noon we return to the steamer, and at five o'clock a salute from the fort announces the departure of the governor for our vessel. Soon a large row-boat comes aloncrside, with the French flag at bow and stern, and the governor, — a pleas- ant-looking old gentleman, — his aide-de-camp, private secre- tary, and several servants, leaving the boat amid " tossed oars," are received at the gangway by our captain (himself an old naval officer) with all due etiquette and ceremony. In a few moments we are under weigh. DecemJjcr 13. — At five o'clock this morning we anchor off Madras, and, early as it is, the governor of Pondicherry, in full court dress and accompanied by his suite, leaves the steamer, and is rowed quickly ashore by the servants of one of the English officials. It is necessary for him to land thus early, as the Prince of Wales is expected to arrive at the railroad station at eight o'clock, and the governor is one of the Com- mittee of Eeception. 224 DOTTINGS ROUND THE CIRCLE. A resident of Madras, who comes aboard our steamer, tells us of an amusing mistake recently made by the English offi- cials in regard to the arrival of the governor of Pondicherry. It was believed in Madras that the governor would take pas- sage in the regular mail-boat of the French Messageries Mari- times Company. When that vessel appeared, therefore, two days ago, a salute was fired from the English fort, and a com- pany of soldiers were drawn up on the wharf in readiness to receive the governor. Soon a little boat left the steamer and was rowed rapidly towards the town. On its arrival a gen- tleman stepped out and walked slowly up the steps of the wharf. The soldiers presented arms, the commanding officer advanced respectfully, and the cannon roared from the town. The gentleman who had just landed was evidently surprised. Pausing near the commanding officer, he raised his hat with a polite and interrogating " Monsieur ? " The Englishman in his turn was mystified. Then, sus23ecting some mistake, he said, " Are you not the governor of Pondicherry ? " "'No, sir," replied the stranger in excellent English, "I am the purser of yonder vessel, and his Excellency is not on board." The cannon ceased quickly, the soldiers retired, and all Madras lauQ-hed. IMadras, formerly called Fort St. George, is the capital of the Madras presidency, and contains a population of four hun- dred thousand, of whom four thousand are Europeans. Ma- dras is distant seven hundred and sixty-four miles from CEYLON TO CALCUTTA. 225 Bombay and one thousand and sixty-two miles from Calcutta. An immense number of vessels arrive at Madras in the course of a year, and the yearly imports and exports of the city aver- age eight million pounds. Calling a ilasiillah boat, we are rowed skilfully through the high surf to the beach. The town presents a very gay ap- pearance. All the chief buildings are hung with flags and adorned with mottoes of welcome to the Prince of Wales, and the streets are filled with crowds of natives and Euro- peans eager to catch sight of his Eoyal Highness. Great arches have been erected, similar to those in Ceylon, but more elaborate and costly. Our steamer is to remain till afternoon, and we have the mornincj before us. Taking a carriaire we visit some of the chief objects of interest in the city. We drive first to the People's Park, a large public garden con- taining an extensive menagerie. Here are monkeys of all kinds, lions, panthers, leopards, wild-cats, hyenas, a tiger, and a rhinoceros. From the gardens w^e proceed to the Central Museum, founded in 1851, which contains a large collection of ancient Indian stone work, old agricultural implements, and extensive ornithological cabinets. After lunch we visit a large Juggernaut car. The En'dish have forbidden the na- tives to use them as of old.* On our return to the steamer we find our passenger-list considerably increased. Among the * In a bookstore in this city we found for sale Dr. John Todd's Student's Manual 15 226 DOTTING S ROUND THE CIRCLE. late arrivals is Mr. Ashbury, M. P., and the Marquis of Kil- dare, eldest son of the Duke of Leinster, grandson on his mother's side of the second Duke of Sutherland, and grand- nephew of Lord Francis Egerton. Dcceviber llf,. — The sea is very high to-day, and our ship runs through frequent storms of rain. At 7 P. M. we anchor off Masulipatam, three hundred and fifteen miles north of Madras. This town was taken by the English in 1759. The place contains no harbor, and the neighboring waters are so shallow that steamers are obliged to lie nearly three miles from land. Decemler 15. — "We remain off Masulipatam till 4 P. M., while our steamer is unloading and receiving cargo. Decemler 16. — We reach Coconada, our next stopping-place, at 8 A. M. Coconada, situated near the Godavery Eiver, con- tains a population of eighteen thousand. Its harbor is rapidly filling up with immense quantities of silt, brought down by the river. Continual dredging is necessary, and even now steamers are obliged to anchor nearly four miles from land. A canal, ninety miles long, joins the neighboring deltas of the Godavery and Kistna Eivers. Coconada contains exten- sive cigar manufactories and castor-oil works. Our steamer is to remain tiU evenij^g, and several of us engage a large native boat and sail to the town, the voyage occupying over an hour. Ascending the canal for a short distance, we disembark at the house of the agent of the CEYLON TO CALCUTTA. 22/ British India Steamship Company, who also is the American Consul. This gentleman receives us very politely, furnishes us with a guide to conduct us over the cigar and castor-oil estahlishments, and kindly invites us to tiffin with him on our return. Leaving the agent's house, we follow our guide to the cigar manufactory near by, where we are shown the different processes of cigar-making. Afterwards, we visit the castor-oil works. All the details of this business are fully explained to us, and we see the oil itself pouring out from the press in which the beans are placed, and running into large casks. After a thorough boiling it is ready for shipment. After tiffin we engage carriages, and drive to a large Hin- doo temple about four miles distant, which, in its outward adornment, is ample evidence of the religious sanction which was given to debauchery of the wildest description. On our return to the town we find the Steamship Company's steam-launch about to start for our vessel, and we are thus saved a long; and tedious cruise in a native boat. At mid- night we resume our course. December 17. — At noon to-day we anchor off Vizagapatam, four hundred and ninety-one miles from Madras. The town is built at the base and on the side of a hill, near the sum- mit of which is a curious mosque. The inhabitants adorn boxes and other articles with porcupine quills, which they offer to strangers. Proceeding on our way we reach Bimlipatam at six o'clock. 228 DOTTINGS ROUND THE CIRCLE. This town is sixteen miles from Vizagapatam. It contains little of interest to the traveller. December IS. — At 4 p. M. we leave Bimlipatam and con- tinue our journey. Decevihcr 10. — At four o'clock this mornincr one of the O passengers rouses me, and we go on deck, where we obtain a fine view of the constellation of the Southern Cross. At eight o'clock we anchor off Gopolpore, a small settlement in. a sandy plain. "We go ashore and spend an hour at the bungalow of the Steamship Company's agent. December 20. — "We reach False Point at noon to-day ; and after taking on board several passengers and a small amount of cargo, we leave for Calcutta. December 21. — At 5 p. m. we come to anchor in the Hooghly Eiver off Diamond Harbor, thirty miles from Cal- cutta. "We are obliged to lie here all night, as the tide will not allow us to ascend the river till to-morrow. December 22. — "We continue our voyage at daybreak, and soon are meeting continually steamers and sailing-vessels bound in all directions. The Hooghly runs for one hundred and twenty-five miles from the Ganges to the sea. At its mouth its width is eight miles. Above Diamond Harbor, however, it is not more than three quarters of a mile wide. In several places the shores are quite high and picturesque. At ten o'clock we pass the palace of the King of Oudh, who is kept here as a political prisoner by the English. The CEYLON TO CALCUTTA. 229 buildings are lofty and the grounds extensive. After turn- ing around a little bend in the river just above the palace, we come suddenly among a fleet of vessels, representing, I may almost say, all nations. The amount of shipping around us is astonishing ! Soon, as our steamer picks her T\'ay care- fully along, M'e see ahead, above the multitudes of masts, the tall spires and domes of the buildings in the city ; and higher up the river, the wide bridge across the Hooghly, thronged with men, horses, and vehicles, gives us the final assurance that we have arrived at one of the great commercial centres of the world. I cannot take leave of the Patna, in which I have trav- elled so long, without offering my grateful acknowledgment to Captain Street for the uniform kindness and attention which he showed us, and for his continual efforts to make the voyage pass pleasantly, — a result which I can assure him he accomplished. On landing at Calcutta, we go at once to the Great Eastern Hotel, and find accommodation awaiting us, as we have tele- graphed for places several days previously, knowing that the arrival of the Prince of "Wales (who is to reach Calcutta to- morrow) will produce the usual crowd and confusion. This settled, we drive to our bankers for our letters (which await us in goodly numbers), and afterwards set out to present sev- eral letters of introduction. The Prince of Wales (as I have said) is expected to-morrow, and the streets are full of arches 230 DOTTINGS ROUND THE CIRCLE. and festoons of welcome, and grand preparations are on foot for the illumination wliich is to take place Christmas eve. Besides this, large placards announce the holiday attractions of Calcutta's three theatres, and I see the veteran actor Charles Matthews advertised to appear in several of his specialities. Soon after our return to the hotel. General Litchfield, the American Consul, comes to our room and invites us infor- mally to dinner. We pass a very pleasant evening at the consulate, and are very glad to meet again Generals Upton and Forsythe and Major Sanger, with whom we crossed the Pacific and from whom we parted in Japan. CALCUTTA TO BENARES. 23 1 CHAPTER XVI. CALCUTTA TO BENARES. Christmas Eve in Calcutta. — Illumination in Honor of the Prince of Wales. — Benares. — The Ghats and Temples. — Burning the Dead. — Sarnath. December S3. — Calcutta (called so from Kali, a goddess ; and Cuttah, a temple) is situated on the east bank of the Hooghly, about one hundred and ten miles from the mouth. The place has been in the possession of the English since 1664 The middle of the city is in the form of a square, with the Maidan, or Park, in the centre. Here is Govern- ment House, the residence of the Viceroy. Near by is the Town Hall, Hospital, Court House, and the new Post Office, the latter situated on the site of the famous Black Hole. The native quarter is thickly inhabited, and contains bazaars, Hindoo pagodas, and Mohammedan mosques. At the north end of the town are jetties for sea-going steamers. The streets of Calcutta are wide and clean, and the whole city, including the native quarter, is excellently drained. The entire population amounts to one million, of whom twenty thousand are Europeans. The thermometer rarely falls below 52°, and seldom exceeds 100°. 232 DOTTING S ROUND THE CIRCLE. The leading English papers published in Calcutta are TJie Friend of India, The Englishman, The Indian Daily Neu's, The Calcutta Olserver, The Indian Public Opinion, Tlie Chari- vari. Besides these there are several native papers and periodicals. The residence and grounds of the Viceroy occupy twelve acres. Here are statues of Wellesley, Dalhousie, and Har- dinge. Near by is a column to the memory of Sir David Ochterlony. Across the Maidan is Fort William. The city is well lighted with gas, and reservoirs at Barrackpore furnish an ample supply of water. Calcutta possesses many colleges, a University founded in 1857, and the Imperial Museum, where the Industrial Exhi- bition of 1869 was held. One third of the entire trade of India is done in the city of Calcutta. After breakfast this morning we visit Fort William, and are greatly pleased with the excellent barracks provided for the soldiers. After a walk through Eden Gardens we return to the hotel, and find a ticket awaiting us, kindly sent by General Litchfield, admitting us to Prinsep's Ghat, where the Prince of Wales is to laud at four o'clock this afternoon. As F is suffering from a severe cold, and as I am en- gaged to dine at six o'clock with a Boston merchant, we do not make use of it. December 2Ji^ — The Prince of Wales arrived yesterday after- noon, and the streets are crowded with natives and Europe- CALCUTTA TO BENARES. 233 ans, hurrying this way and that, and the authorities are giving the last touches to the various parts of the coming illumination. Countless rows of little glass lamps, of various colors, full of cocoa-nut oil, have been suspended on every public building; all the private dwelling-houses are likewise adorned; and the tall arches covered with emblems, the fre- quent transparencies that are to be seen in all directions, and the masses of lamps and gas-jets wreathed in different devices, all assure a most brilliant effect. It has been ar- ranged that the Prince and party shall leave Government House at dusk, and drive through the principal streets to witness the illumination; and as soon as the Prince is well on his way, all other carriages may follow in procession. General Litchfield has most kindly offered F and me seats in his carriage; and as P is unfortunately unable to leave the hotel on account of his cold, I walk out, about half past five, in company with Dr. Von Scherff, a gentleman who is making a tour of the world, and we make our way past a long line of vehicles filled with a most brilliant as- semblage, waiting for the royal party to appear. We soon find the carriages of General Litchfield. In the large barouche are seated General Litchfield and wife. Generals Upton and Porsythe, and Judge M'Crae of California. Eoom is found here for Dr. Von Scherff, and Major Sanger and I take seats in the little brougham behind. It is now dusk, and we have hardly taken our places, 234 DOTTING S ROUND THE CIRCLE. when, through the rapidly increasing darkness, the different buildings begin to shine out with their broad borders of light. The effect is magnificent ! The evening is perfectly calm and still; hardly a breath of air is stirring; and as building after building rises forth out of the darkness, — all the doors and windows and roofs indicated by dazzling lines of light, — we seem to be gazing on some strange aerial city whose houses are mere outlines, like imaginary geometrical figui-es utterly devoid of substance. Promptly at six o'clock the Prince and suite drive by, followed by a company of Sepoys in brilliant uniforms, rid- ing at full gallop with drawn swords. After waiting about ten minutes, all the carriages fall into line, and we drive for over an hour through the principal streets, lined with myriads of wondering natives, past countless brilliant devices, and building after building all ablaze with light. The rich cos- tumes of Indian princes, the jewelled trappings of their horses, the handsome equipments of the native soldiers, and the curious costumes of the common people, all combine to form a scene from fairy-land, a picture from the Arabian Nights ! Calcutta is remarkably well situated for an exhibition of this sort. The city contains so many broad, open squares, that the many tall buildings when illuminated can all be seen to good advantage, and at the same time the eye can take in the general effect of the whole. It is hard to say CALCUTTA TO BENARES. 235 where the most pleasing results were produced^ but I think it is generally conceded that the new Imperial Museum out- shone everything else. This tall building is not yet com- pleted, but the deficiency was temporarily made good by the erection of a skeleton mansard-roof, which was hung with rows of lamps. The front of the structure bore in large letters of light, " God bless the Prince of Wales." The Ochterlony monument seems to me to deserve the next place. The base was surrounded with rows of lamps ; a single string of lamps was wreathed gracefully round the column from bottom to top, like a circlet of roses ; and two brill- iant electric lights blazed forth from the little gallery at the summit. After witnessing the illuminations, we drive to the house of one of the leading American merchants, to spend the re- mainder of Christmas eve. Nearly all the Americans in the city are present. Soon after twelve we wish each other a "merry Christmas," and perform a solemn toast to our distant friends. Since my arrival in Calcutta I have been frequently to the American Consulate, and have had considerable conversation with General Litchfield in regard to it. The building is of good size and well situated. Indeed, it is the least objection- able of any consular residence that I have yet seen. The establishment, however, needs a large staff of servants. Cal- cutta contains so many English, and other foreigners, that 236 DOTTINGS ROUND THE CIRCLE. social festivities are very frequent. Travellers from all parts of the world arrive constantly, and the representatives of their countries must entertain them at least to some degree. In short, the city holds such an important position, politically and commercially, that all nations should give their chosen representatives full power and means to administer their in- terests in the Lest possible way. General Litchfield informs me that the salary of the consulate is quite insufficient to enable him to discharge the various social obligations which are continually arising. 0, for our country's sake, may future travellers find a change ! Legislators who vehemently support propositions of retrenchment in the consular service think, no doubt, that they are working the United States a benefit by thus effecting a " saving." I have seen with my own eyes that the country loses the money fifty times over. When a congressman gives his vote for such a measure, he is doing incalculable harm, not only to the consular body itself, but also to every citizen of the United States who values his country's reputation in foreign lands. December 25. — Christmas day! and everything about us like summer. What is Christmas without snow ? There can be no Santa Claus here for children, no sleigh-rides, no softly falling flakes which cover all unsightly spots and make the earth look clean and pure. Such festivals must make the dwellers in this distant land long all the more for home. CALCUTTA TO BENARES. 237 At 7 A. M. I join, by appointment, several American gentle- men whom I met last evening, who have promised to show me some "jungle riding." I am furnished with a large Aus- tralian horse. The others, similarly mounted, lead the way. Off we dash, straight into the jungle, across ditches and low walls, which are easily cleared by my companions, but which demand a style of riding which I have never practised in America. However, I manage to keep up with them fairly w-ell, and we return about ten o'clock, after a very enjoyable airing. F . and I have decided to push on to Benares. There is but little in Calcutta of peculiar and special interest to the traveller. Benares, the most holy city in India, teems with curiosities. General Litchfield has kindly offered to procure us tickets for the ball at Government House, and for the approaching Chapter of the Order of the Star of India. To witness these we shall be obliged to remain here another week. Dr. Von Scherff starts to-night for Benares, and w^e are glad to accompany him. Having therefore bade farewell to our kind friends, we drive across the river to the Ho"\vrah station, and leave Calcutta on the night mail at half past ten, on the East Indian Eailway. December 2G. — We rush along all day at a tremendous speed, past small villages and broad fields stretching far away on either side. We pass great numbers of fat snipe and wild pigeons, which are very tame, and which do not seem to be 238 DOTTING S ROUND THE CIRCLE. at all disturbed by our rattling express. Great hawks, too, perched on the telegraph-poles, look at us half sleepily, as if certain of not being interfered with. At every station sev- eral natives walk up and down by the cars, shouting, "Panee, panee" (water). The accommodations on the East Indian Eailway might be far better. Even the first-class coaches are dirty and uncomfortable. After a tiresome day's travel, at six o'clock we reach a sta- tion called Mogul Serai, where it is necessary to change cars for Benares, which is six miles distant on a branch road. Having shifted our various parcels, we start again in about an hour ; and when we have safely accomplished five miles of the six, our engine breaks a connecting-rod and the train comes to a stand-still. We are told by the guard that an- other engine has been telegraphed for, but it is not probable that it will arrive before an hour. As we feel sure we can accomplish the remaining distance in much less time on foot, we leave the train and walk into Benares, like the countless pilgrims who annually visit its holy precincts. We have hardly reached the station, however, when the train slowly draws up, the engine having in some way recovered itseK. We take carriages (garees), and crossing the Ganges on the Bridgre of Boats, are soon installed at Clark's Hotel. December ^7. — Benares is situated on the left bank of the Ganges, four hundred and seventy-five miles, by rail, from Calcutta, Its population amounts to about one hundred and CALCUTTA TO BENARES. 239 seventy-four thousand. It is regarded by the natives as the most holy city in India. Multitudes of pilgrims flock to Be- nares annually, and aged priests, expecting soon to die, hasten hither to rest their bones . in the city's sacred soil. Indeed, men guilty of the foulest crimes believe that a visit to Benares, and a solemn worship at some of its numberless shrines, will bring forgiveness for their sins and will assure the safety of their souls hereafter. As far back as the middle of the sixth century Benares must have been a city of importance in many ways ; for it was to the Tsipattana Vihara, or monastery, now called Sar- nath, that Shakyamuni, the Great Buddha, came at that time, and, seating himself under a tree, preached for the first time the famous doctrines of Dharma and ISTirvana, which have been since embraced by four hundred millions of people. Before this period Benares was the centre of Hindooism and chief seat of its authority. "Benares is a city of no mean antiquity. Twenty-five centuries ago, at the least, it was fa- mous. When Babylon was struggling with Nineveh for su- premacy, when Tyre was planting her colonies, when Athens was growing in strength, before Eome had become known, or Greece had contended with Persia, or Cyrus had added lustre to the Persian monarchy, or Nebuchadnezzar had captured Jerusalem, and the inhabitants of Judaea had been carried into captivity, she had already risen to greatness, if not to glory. Nay, she may have heard of the fame of Solomon, and 240 DOTTING S ROUND THE CIRCLE. have sent her ivory, her apes, and her peacocks to adorn his palaces; while partly with her gold he may have overlaid the Temple of the Lord."* Soon after breakfast we engage a guide and make our way to the Man-Mandil Ghat and ascend some steps near by which lead up to the Observatory, erected by Eaja Jay Singh towards the end of the seventeenth century. On our way we pass several ancient idols, some being in the form of monkeys representing the god Hanuman. A flag floats from the top of a high staff near by, in honor of the Eaja of Jeypore, — the present proprietor of this part of the city, and the descend- ant of Eaja Jay Singh. In the lane leading from the Ghat is the temple of Dalbhyeswar, the god who controls the rain. The imao-e is at the bottom of a cistern in the middle of the temple; for the people believe that the god must be con- tinually drenched with water if a favorable answer is expected to their prayers for rain. This deity is also known as the Poor Man's Friend, and it is said that needy men, by visiting his shrine, will have their wants relieved. The great poverty throughout the city is an unfavorable evidence of the power of the god. Near by is Sitala, the goddess of small-pox. On entering the Observatory, the first instrument we see is the Bhittiyantra, or Mural Quadrant, which consists of a wall eleven feet high and nine feet one and a quarter inches broad, in the plane of the meridian. This is used to ascer- * Kev. M. A. Sherring, M. A., LL. B. CALCUTTA TO BENARES. 24 1 tain the sun's altitude and zenith distance; also the sun's greatest declination, and the latitude of the place. Near by are two large circles, one made of stone, the other of lime; and also a large stone square. It is said that these were used for the purpose of ascertaining the shadow of the gnomon cast by the sun, and the degrees of azimuth ; but every mark upon them is destroyed. Another immense instrument is called Yantrasamrat (prince of instruments), the wall of which is thirty -six feet in length and four and a half feet in breadth, and is set in the plane of the meridian. One extremity is six feet four and a quarter inches high, and the other twenty-two feet three and a half inches. By this instrument the distance from the meridian, the declination of any planet or star, and the sun, and the right ascension of a star, may be discovered. Here, also, is a double mural quadrant, and, to the east, an equinoctial circle of stone. At a little distance off is the Chakrayantra, an in- strument used for finding the declination of a planet or star. Near this is another large instrument called Digansayantra, by which the degrees of azimuth of a planet or star may be found. To the south is another equinoctial circle. Having inspected the Observatory, and returned to the ]\Ian-]\Iandil Ghat, we procure a boat and are rowed slowly along in front of the vast number of curious buildings which rise from the various Ghats to a height of fifty or sixty feet, and contain five, six, and sometimes seven stories. This view 242 DOTTING S ROUND THE CIRCLE. of the city from the river is picturesque to the highest de- gree. The different towers, temples, mosques, and palaces, of Hindoo and Saracenic styles, stretch along the river- bank, and rise to the summit of a lofty cliff over a hundred feet high. In the holy waters of the Ganges hundreds of people are bathing; while others, who have performed their morning ablutions, are worshipping at some of the numerous shrines in the vicinity, or are conversing with pious Brah- mins, — called Sons of the Ganges, — who, seated under im- mense palm umbrellas, exhort the people or expound theo- logical dogmas. Near our boat a dead body is floating slowly along on the surface of the water, and a greedy vulture, perched upon it, is tearing it to pieces w^ith evident enjoyment. Opposite, on the shore, a family is making prep- arations to burn a father or brother lately deceased ; near by several stone altars mark the spot of the now abolished suttee. Looking at this varied scene, as our boat glides slowly along with the current, we involuntarily forget the present, and are transported in thought into the past. Here modern progress does not seem to be known. The presence of the railroad and telegraph is forgotten ; steamboats may never have been ; we are witnessing peculiar rites and ceremonies, which have been continued by generation after generation for hundreds and hundreds of years. In regard to the dead body floating down the Ganges, the CALCUTTA TO BENARES. 243 explanation is easy. When a poor man dies, if his family or friends cannot afford to purchase wood for his burning (which is very expensive), they singe the upper lip or the face of the dead, and throw the body into the Ganges. It is firmly believed that the body of the dead must have some contact with fire, or the soid will not be at rest. This became so frequent, that the Enghsh government were obliged to forbid it for sanitary reasons; but in spite of the prohibition the nuisance still continues to some degree. We stop our boat opposite the Burning Ghat, where, close to the water's edge, the dead are burned. We have arrived at the beginning of the funeral ceremonies of a man. The body, wrapped in white cloth, is carried by the relations on a rude litter, and is thrust, feet foremost, into the muddy waters of the Ganges. When it has been completely submerged in the sacred stream, the cloth over the face is removed, and a relative carefully shaves the deceased. After this, it is placed on a funeral-pyre, and wood is piled around and over it. The nearest relative then takes a large handful of straw and light twigs, and kindling the bunch at the sacred fire kept ever burning by the Domra near by, he walks slowly round and round the corpse, touching it on the forehead each time as he passes, in token of farewell. Having circled it thus for five times, he thrusts the torch amongst the loose wood of the pyre, and soon after the whole mass is in a blaze. When the body is consumed, the ashes are scattered in the 244 DOTTING S ROUND THE CIRCLE. Ganges, and the soul of the departed is at rest. The crema- tion of women is similar, in general, to the above, but a colored cloth is always used to cover the body. Leaving our boat, we proceed to Manikarnika, the famous Hindoo well. It is said to have been dug by the god Vishnu with his discus, and the deity, instead of water, filled it with the per- spiration of his own body, and called it Chakrapushkarini. Soon after, the god Mahadeva arrived, and, looking into this weU, beheld in it the beauty of many suns, which so de- lighted him that he promised Vishnu to grant him whatever gift he might desire. Vishnu replied that his wish was that Mahadeva should always reside with him. Mahadeva was so pleased with this request, that his body shook with joy, and from the violence of the motion an ear-ring called Manikar- naka fell from his ear into the water of the weU. From this occurrence the well is called Manilvarnika. On each of the four sides of the well is a series of steps leading down into the water. The seven lowermost steps are said to have been made by the god, and to be without juncture; and although several joinings are visible, it is held by the Brahmins that these are only superficial, and do not penetrate the stones. In a niche on the north side is a figure of Vishnu ; and on the west side, near the mouth of the well, is a row of six- teen little altars on which pilgrims lay offerings to their ancestors. The water of this well is believed to possess the power to wash away every sin. It is a stagnant pool, full CALCUTTA TO BENARES. 245 of waste and decay, and the odors which constantly arise from it are sickening. The sinner, descending the steps, throws some of the liquid over his body, and comes forth forgiven. Even murderers are thus fully absolved from their guilt. Our guide next shows us a large round slab, called Cha- rana-paduka, which projects from the pavement. In the middle of it is a stone pedestal, the top of which is inlaid with marble, and contains two indentations, which ai*e said to be the impressions of the feet of the god Vishnu when he alighted to worship the god Mahadeva. From here we make our way past Sindhia Ghat and the Eaja of Nagpore's Ghat (the former of which is continually sinking into the bed of the river), and then, re-entering our boat, we are rowed to Panchganga Ghat, where we dismiss it. This Ghat is often thronged with pilgrims, for it is believed that five rivers meet at this spot, although only one can be seen. "We ascend the Ghat, and amve at the lofty mosque of Aurungzebe. This is the highest building of the city, and its tall tapering minarets invariably arrest the eye. These minarets, eight in number, are one hundred and forty-seven feet in height (reckoning from the floor of the mosque), and eight feet in diameter at the base. They lean fifteen inches from the perpendicular. They were originally some fifty feet higher than they now are, but they were shortened in conse- quence of exhibiting signs of weakness and insecurity. From 246 DOTTING S ROUND THE CIRCLE. the summit of one of the towers we obtain a fine view of Benares and its suburbs. Leaving the river-bank, we push our way through the narrow streets, thronged with natives of all castes, — all with curious marks on their foreheads, placed there daily by the priest of the temple at which they worship, — past vener- able Brahmins, and numbers of sacred bulls who wander hither and thither unchecked. Indeed, travellers are foolish if they endeaA^or to hinder them, for the bulls are believed to be deities, and to oppose a deity would soon create great disturbance. After five minutes' walk, we enter the principal business street, called Purana Chauk, and make our way to the store of Baboo Debi Parsad, to inspect his extensive stock of shawls and cloths, magnificently embroidered with gold and silver. Proceeding, we enter the long narrow street called Chauk-hambha, where beautifully enchased vessels of brass and copper are to be found. We finish the morning with a visit to the Nepalese Temple, which rises from the banks of the Ganges not far from the Man-Mandil Ghat, This temple is so peculiarly Indian, that it is utterly unfit for a lady to visit. After tiffin we set out again, and visit first the elephants of the Eaja of Vizianagram,« whose palace is in Benares. We are told by our guide that if we will send our cards to the EaJ9,'s secretary, we shall be permitted to ride one of the elephants ; but we have so much else to accomplish, that we CALCUTTA TO BENARES. 247 decline. We proceed first to the temple at Durga Kund. The neighboring buildings, the temple grounds, and the walls and housetops in the vicinity literally swarm with monkeys. These are believed to be gods and goddesses, and are. care- fully fed by persons specially appointed. Before we reach the temple grounds, multitudes of them come scampering along the wall, and, sitting down in a line, chatter at us in token of welcome. We stop at the entrance-gate to purchase a few handfuls of grain, and, passing in, we are soon surrounded by the diminutive proprietors. What a nuisance they must be in the neighborhood ! Indeed, the magistrate of Benares removed a large number of them to the jungle, a few years ago. It is said that they steal constantly in all directions, and injure the surrounding property in various ways. The whole place is given up to these creatures, and they certainly seem delighted with their lot. We now retrace our steps to the city, and stop at the famous Well of Knowledge, called Gyan Kup, in which, as the natives believe, the god Shiva resides. Multitudes visit this weU, and cast in flowers and other gifts, and the odor which comes from this putrid mass is disgusting. We soon after arrive at the Golden Temple, or Bisheshwar, dedicated to the god Shiva, whose image is the lingum, a conical stone set on end. The god of this temple is the supreme deity of Benares, and holds sway over all other gods in the city. The dome and tower are covered with thin plates of gold. 248 DOTTING S ROUND THE CIRCLE. spread over thick plates of copper overlaying the stones be- neath. This decoration was furnished by the late Maharaja Eunjeet Singh of Lahore. The temple itself was built by Ahalya Bai, Maharanee of Indore. Passing once more through the narrow streets of the city, we next visit the famous "Well of Fate, called Kal-Kup. In the roof of the temple which surrounds this well is a square hole, and the rays of the sun, passing through this opening at twelve o'clock, strike upon the water in the well below. At noon, multitudes of people visit the well ; and any who cannot trace their shadows in the fatal water will surely die within six months from that instant. " The general igno- rance respecting the explanation of this daily phenomenon does not speak much for the scientific knowledge of the Hindoos, or even for their common-sense."* As the after- noon is now far advanced, we return to the hotel for dinner. Decefnher 28. — Soon after breakfast we set out for the famous ruins at Sarnath, situated about four miles from the city. These ruins are universally believed to be portions of buildings erected in the sixth century before Christ, and they are said to have been standing during the early ministry of the Great Buddha. These ruins consist of two towers, — situated about half a mile apart, — and of walls and founda- tions of other structures, which have been lately excavated. "The great Stupa, called Dhamek, is a solid round tower, * Eev. M. A. Sherring. CALCUTTA TO BENARES. 249 rdnety-tliree feet in diameter at base, one hundred and ten feet in height above the surrounding ruins, and one hundred and twenty-eight feet above the general level of the country. The foundation or basement, which is made of very large bricks, has a depth of twenty-eight feet below the level of ( the ruins, but is sunk only ten feet below the surface of the country."* There is one other tower at Sarnath. It is situated about two thousand five hundred feet to the south of Dhamek, and was once called Chaukandi, but is now called Lori-ki-kudan, or Lori's Leap, for a Hindoo named Lori leaped from its summit and lulled himself. The ruin consists of a mound of solid brick work, seventy-four feet in height, on the top of which is an octagonal building twenty-three feet high, built to commemorate the ascent of the mound by the Em- peror Humayun, son of the great Baber, who began his reign A. D. 1531. We return to the hotel for tiffin, and at 2 P. M. we leave Benares on the Oudh and Eohilkund Eailway, bound for Lucknow. ♦ For full information in regard to this interesting ruin, see Report of Major-General Cunningham, printed in the Journal of the Asiatic Society of Bengal, Volume XXXII. 250 DOTTINGS ROUND THE CIRCLE. CHAPTER XVII. LUCKNOW, CAWNPORE, AND DELHI. LucKNOw. — The Residenct, and the Mutiny Days of 1857. — CuRiors Buildings. — Cawnpore. — Wheeler's Entrenchment and the Slaugh- ter Ghat. — Delhi. — The Fort and Palace of the Moguls. — The Jama Musjid. — The Kootub. — A Nautch Dance. — The Story of the Siege. December 29. — We reach Lucknow at half past six this morning, after a most uncomfortable night on the road. The outer air was very cold, and the "accommodation" in the first-class cars scarcely deserves the name. We drive at once to Hill's Hotel. The cold is intense, the atmosphere is excessively damp and penetrating, for the sun has not yet risen. Hill's Hotel is kept in a large rambling building built by Nasir-ud-Din Haidar for the son of his Prime Minister, Ptoshan-ud-Daulah, who was Commander-in-Chief of his Maj- esty's army. The dining-room is long and lofty, and bears traces of elaborate decoration. Lucknow is situated on the banks of the Gumti, a river which empties into the Ganges beyond Jampur. The city is about three hundred and fifty feet above the level of the sea. It is distant seven hundred and eighty-one miles from Calcutta by rail, and contains a population of two hundred LUCKNOW, CAWNPORE, AND DELHI. 25 1 and seventy-three thousand ; it extends over thirteen square miles. Lucknow was founded by the Hindoos. In A. D. 1160 the city was captured by Sayad Salar, a Mohammedan. The modern town contains three quarters, — the native portion, built by Akbar the Great in the middle of the sixteenth cen- tury ; the court suburb, built by Asoof-ud-Dowlah in 1775 ; and lastly, to the north and west, the country-houses of the ex-king (deposed in 1856, and now confined at Calcutta), the residences of the English officials, and the cantonments of the troops. Immediately after breakfast we procure a guide and pro- ceed to the ruins of the Eesidency, situated about half a mile from the hotel. This is one of the most historically interesting spots in India, and stands as an unchanged me- mento of the mutiny of 1857 ; bearing witness at once to deeds of the most heroic courage and endurance, and to suf- ferings rarely equalled in the history of the world. The native revolt did not spread to Lucknow till the 29th of June. On the morning of that day Sir Henry Lawrence learned that a body of rebels was advancing upon the city, and on the following morning a picked portion of the gar- rison marched out to meet them. This force consisted of 500 infantry, 40 mounted volunteers, 120 native troops, a detail of artillery manned by native gunners, and an eight-inch how- itzer drawn by an elephant. Having marched six miles from 252 DOTTINGS ROUND THE CIRCLE. the city, the Englishmen were astonished to find a complete army, composed of an irresistible force of all arms, drawn up in order of battle. The native artillerymen, on the side of the English, at once deserted their guns ; the howitzer was imme- diately captured by the enemy; the small British force was speedily surrounded ; Colonel Case of the Thirty-second and nearly a hundred of his men were killed ; and, but for the continual efforts of the mounted volunteers, and the strange omission on the part of the enemy to seize or destroy the Iron Bridge, every man would have been slain. One hundred and seventy-two Europeans were killed or wounded, including thirteen officers, — more than half the entire number, — and the survivors had scarcely time to blow up the Machi Bhawan Eort, when they found themselves completely besieged in the grounds of the Eesidency. The siege began on the 1st of July. The garrison consisted of nine hundred and twenty- seven Europeans, and seven hundred and sixty-five natives, two hundred and thirty of whom soon deserted. On the 4th, the brave Lawrence expired, killed by a shell thrown from his own lost howitzer, which entered a room in the Eesidency where he was writing a despatch. The sufferings of the besieged were terrible. Deaths occun'ed from day to day. "When, on the 26th of September, Havelock arrived to their relief, the entire garrison numbered only eleven hun- dred and seventy-nine, the loss having been chiefly among Europeans. Of nine officers of the Bengal artillery, five had LUCKXOW, CAWNPORE, AND DELHI. 253 fallen ; eleven ladies and fifty-three children had been slain, or had died of sickness and privation ; and from this time till the 17th of November (the date of the final relief by Sir Colin Campbell), one hundred and twenty-two more of the old garrison and four hundred of Havelock's men died. The ladies and non-combatants left on the 19th of November; and on the night of the 22d, the Eesidency and grounds were evacuated in silence, and the different positions on the road to the Dilkusha abandoned in turn. On arriving at the Dil- kusha the women were hospitably received, the sick w^ere tenderly nursed, and here poor Havelock, w'orn out with care and fatigue, soon after died, leaving Sir James Outram to watch the rebels in the Alimi Bagh. Sir Colin Campbell conducted the survivors in safety to Allahabad, which they reached on the 7th of December. The above is a hurried narration of the bare facts ; but it is impossible for the pen to fill out the sad picture. " Gaz- ing to-day upon the peaceful garden-scene, one cannot realize the terrors and tumult of those frigrhtful months. One must be content with imagining the roar of artillery and the rattle of small arms, kept up incessantly from before sunrise for more than three hours daily by an investing swarm of a hundred thousand relentless savages ; the lull of the weary noonday ; the resumption of hostilities in the long afternoon at a season when Europeans in India are wont to shield themselves from the depressing glare or plunging rain, and 254 DOTTING S ROUND THE CIRCLE. rest within cool bouses ; the sallies, the rallies, the mines and countermines ; the explosions of roofs, the downward rushes of crumbling masonry ; and, worst of all, the slow decay of wounds and epidemics, sustained in crowded rooms, amid a plague of flies, with insufficient food ; finally, the in- cessant monotony of daily funerals. Small-pox was prevalent ; women brought forth children only to bury them ; Pole- hampton, the chaplain, after being shot through the body, died of cholera, which seems to have been chronic, especially among non-combatants ; officers were on several occasions shot by the sentries inadvertently ; some few even committed suicide. But despair was the exception ; and the general en- durance deservedly received the admiration of the world." * Leaving the main road, we pause at the gate of the Eesi- dency, called the " Baillie Guard," from Colonel Baillie, one of the old British Eesidents, who built it as a defence to the Eesidency in the early part of the present century. The stones of the archway are riddled with shot and shell, bear- ins: ^^^tness to the fierce and incessant cannonade which was poured upon the whole place. Passing in, the large ruined building on the right is the Eesidency proper, in which Lawrence received his death-wound. In the cellars under- neath many women and children lived during the whole siege. Adjoining is a watchtower where man after man was shot down. On the left is Dr. Favrer's house, the under- * H. G. Keene's Handbook to Lucknow. LUCKNOW, CAWNPORE, AND DELHI. 255 crrouud rooms of which also harbored women and children. These buildings, with the exception of portions of the walls, are completely battered to pieces. Near by is a cross erected to the memory of Sir Henry LawTcnce. This monu- ment is very unsatisfactory in itself, and, considering that the whole place as it stands to-day is a glorious remembrance of the hero, this little decoration, perched on the highest hill in the gTounds, is unnecessary and in bad taste. To the north stood the Eedan battery which commanded the Iron Bridge (already mentioned). This was held through- out the whole siege by Lieutenant Lawrence of the Thirty- second Foot. The next house was occupied by Mr. Martin Gubbins, C. S., and was defended by Major Ashton, Forty- first X. I. Near by is the Brigade Mess-house, and, to the right, the famous Sikh Square, blown up by the rebels. We now come to the Cawnpore battery. This was exposed to the hottest fire of the enemy, and was considered so dan- gerous that it was held by volunteers, or by men detailed from day to day according to the roster. A neighboring post was guarded by sixty-five boys from the Martiniere school. In the adjoining cemetery rests Lawrence. His tombstone bears the following inscription : — Here Lies Henry Lawuexce Who tried to do his duty.* May the Lord have mercy on his soul. Born 28 June 1806. Died July 4 1857. * These were his last words. The succeeding sentence seems out of place. 256 DOTTING S ROUND THE CIRCLE. Leaving the Kesidency we call a garry and are driven to Hosenabad. Passing under a curious gate, built in the Sara- cenic style, we enter a large quadrangle, at the upper end of which is the main building. This is a large edifice with pol- ished marble floor and vaulted dome. It contains a great collection of mirrors, chandeliers, and all sorts of crlitterinji ornaments. To the left is a white building intended as a copy of the famous Taj of Agra. From here we proceed to the Lall Baradari. This was the Public Hall of Ptcception of the old native rulers. On the death of the old King Nasir-ud-Din, in July, 1837, the Queen Dowager declared that a youth named Munna Jan was the heir to the throne. This the British denied, and insisted that the succession devolved upon the uncle of the late king, an old man named jNIahomed Ali. The Queen Dowager and the pretender, accompanied by multitudes of followers, entered the Lall Baradari and ascended the throne. The English com- mander, Colonel Low, with his soldiers, surrounded the build- ing, and sent word to the Begum that if the hall was not evacuated in fifteen minutes the soldiers would be ordered to storm the premises. No notice of this was taken, and a com- pany of the Thirty-fifth dashed into the hall. As they ad- vanced with fixed bayonets they saw themselves reflected in a large mirror hanging behind the throne, and, believing that an opposing band was charging towards them, they poured a fierce volley into the looking-glass. This put the mob to flight. LUCKNOW, CAWNPORE, AND DELHI. 257 The Begain and her j^^otege were arrested and the old uncle was proclaimed king. To the Lall Baradari, also, came Lord Canning to meet the Talukadars of Oudh, and to announce to them the forgiveness of the Queen of England and the terms of their future allegiance. "We visit next the curious Chattar Manzal, or Umbrella-house, so called from a grotesque gilt ornament which crowns the summit. This was the harem of the King Xasir-ud-Din. In the time of the mutiny it was surrounded by a high wall, which was originally intended to secure the retirement of its inmates. During Havelock's advance it was the scene of a severe cannonade. The best rooms are now used for the United Service Club, the Theatre and Assembly Eooms, and the Public Library. We now arrive at the Kaisar Bacrh. Passing under a crate over which are the double fish, the family arms of the founder, we cross a court-yard and soon reach the group of buildings erected in 1850 by Wajid Ali Shah, at a cost of eight hundred thousand pounds sterling. As to the architecture, the effect of the whole is spoiled by the gaudiness of the decorations. Mr. Keene calls it "a, stucco Lou\Te, in which Italian and Moorish styles blend in a manner that is more grotesque than graceful; and where gilding and ochre and whitewash tend to give a strange appearance of the theatre to the 'residency' of this Oriental Gerolstein." We visit now the Kadam Ptasul, a plain tomb-like struc- 258 DOTTING S ROUND THE CIRCLE. ture covered with a dome. It is called Kadam Rasul, or Apostle's Step, from the fact that it is said to contain a stone marked with the sacred footprint, and brought from Mecca. It was built by the first king of Oudh, Ghazi-ud-Din Haidar. In the mutiny it was held first by the rebels, but was cap- tured without difficulty by General Campbell. Our guide thus laconically describes the scene : " English out of sight, rebels walk about; English come up, rebels run away." Continuing our way we reach Sikandar Bagh, a large walled enclosure called after the Sikandar Begum. To the right of the gate is a place where the wall was breached during the advance of Sir Colin Campbell, on the 16th of November, 1857. The Xinety- third Highlanders, with some British and Sikh Infantry, rushed in and bayoneted the enemy. iSTear by is Wingfield Park, caUed after Sir Charles Wingfield, M. P., a former Chief Commissioner. We next visit the Martiniere. This is the former residence of General Claude Martin, a native of Lyons, who, after a very varied career, died in Lucknow in 1800, leaving over four hundred thousand pounds, the larger portion of which he bequeathed to the cities of Lucknow, Lyons, and Calcutta, for the foundation of schools. General Martin also left special directions that his tomb should be erected in one of the apart- ments of this building, knowing that Musulmen would then never violate the premises. His body rests in a vaulted chamber in the basement. The building is used as a boys' LUCKNOW, CAWNPORE, AND DELHI. 259 school. It is a large and curious structure, with numerous statues on the outside. In front, near a lake, is an Ionic column. The Dil Kusha, or Heart's Delight, is our next stopping- place. This was built for a residence by the Nawab Saadat in the early part of the century. It was captured from the rebels in 1857 by Colonel Hamilton of the Seventy-eighth. To this place (as I have said) the rescued garrison were carried from the Eesidency. ■\Ye finish our tour of the city by visiting the Alum Bagh. This was erected by King Wajid Ali as an occasional residence for a favorite wife. It consisted of a large pavilion and several adjoining buildings." It was captured by Havelock from the rebels on the 23d of September. It then became a convales- cent depot. Here Havelock was buried; and here Sir James Outram remained, after it was found necessary to evacuate Lucknow, till the final relief in March, 1858. On our way back to the hotel we walk through the prin- cipal business street of the town. Here we find several arti- cles for which the place is noted, — caps and slippers exquis- itely embroidered in gold and silver, and a pattern of " bangles " which is only produced in this city. We leave Lucknow at 8 p. m. and reach Cawnpore at mid- night. December 30. — Cawnpore is situated on the Ganges Eiver, six hundred and eighty-four miles from Calcutta and forty- 26o DOTTING S ROUND THE CIRCLE. two miles from Lucknow. It contains a population of one hundred and sixteen thousand. It is now an important mili- tary station, and carries on an extensive trade. A railroad bridge over the Ganges is soon to take the place of the pres- ent bridge of boats. The story of Cawnpore in the mutiny days wiU always give a sad but deep interest to the place. In the year 1852, Bajee Eao, the last Peishwa of the Mahratta confederacy, died, leaving all his property to his adopted son, Dhoondoo Punth, commonly called Nana Sahib. The government of Lord Dalhousie, however, at once an- nounced that the titular dignity had ceased, and, though Nana Sahib should inherit the property, the pension and official salute of the Peishwaship would be discontinued. For the next five years Nana used every effort to change this decree, and, smarting under a sense of wrong, he heard of the outbreak at Delhi with joy, and, being on intimate terms with the English, knew that he was in a position to obtain as complete revenge as his long-continued and un- noticed injuries seemed to demand. On the morning of the 6th of June, 1857, the native troops mutinied and marched out to Kalianpur, the first stage on the Delhi road, evidently with the intention of eventually joining the main body of mutineers. The English garrison, under the command of Sir Hugh Massey Wheeler, consisted of the following force : one battery of six guns, with LUCKNOW, CAWNPORE, AND DELHI. 26 1 fifty-nine men ; sixty of the Eighty-fourth Infantry ; seventy- four invalids of the Thirty-second ; and fifteen of the First Madras Fusiliers. The native troops consisted of the Second Cavalry, the First, Fifty-third, and Fifty-sixth N. I., and the native gunners attached to the battery. The entire European population numbered seven hundred and fifty souls. Sir Hugh Wheeler took his followers, combatant and non- combatant, into a refuge that he had prepared for them in the depot-barracks, standing where the new church is now built. These consisted of two long barracks of one story each, each built for the accommodation of one company. One was thatched, both were surrounded wdth verandas, and the inner walls were of brick, a foot and a half in thickness. Around this shelter a trench was dug, and the earth thrown up to form a parapet about five feet in height. The guns pointed through openings, and were entirely without protec- tion. The whole place was about two hundred yards square, and was armed with ten field-pieces of different calibres. Provisions had been obtained calculated to last for thirty days. It was now the Nana's turn. Although he had been for the last few years continually petitioning for a restoration of his predecessor's honors, he had always used such tact that the English, so far from regarding him as an enemy, put him in charge, at this critical period, of the arsenal, magazine, park, and treasury! Thus extraordinarily favored by fortune. 262 DOTTING S ROUND THE CIRCLE. his revenge was easy. Following the rehels who had de- parted to Kalianpur, he quickly persuaded them to return and attack the British at once, instead of proceeding to their fellow-mutineers at Delhi. On the very day that Sir Hugh Wheeler entered the entrenchment, the Nana declared his rebellion. Summoning an overwhelming body of natives, he surrounded the little band of Europeans on all sides, and formally opened the siege on the 7th of June. For three dreadful weeks the little garrison struggled on. With many sick and dying, without medicines or hospital stores, and short of ammunition, they were subjected to a continual bombardment from without, and to hunger and dis- tress within. The brave men, however, did not suffer them- selves to be simply besieged. Many sorties were made, and several of the enemy's guns were spiked and captured. Deaths, however, occurred frequently. Men, women, and children sank under the prolonged sufferings; and when, on the 26th, the Nana offered to treat, the survivors accepted the proposition. It was agreed that the Europeans should depart, under the Nana's escort, to Allahabad, and boats were provided to convey them thither. The scenes that followed are well de- scribed by Keene: "On the fatal morning of the 27th of June, the survivors proceeded to embark. It is not possible to dwell upon the events connected with this episode with calmness. The facts far exceeded all that the imagination LUC KNOW, CAWNPORE, AND DELHI. 263 could conceive. Immediately on the embarkation of the de- luded and now helpless people who left the enclosure in the early dawn of the morning, there followed the most dastardly piece of treachery that has perhaps ever been perpetrated. Only a portion of the party had taken their places in the boats, when, by previous arrangement, the boatmen set the thatched coverings of the boats on fire, and rushed on to the bank. A heavy fire of grape and musketry was then opened on the Europeans. Out of thirty boats, two only managed to start ; one of these was shortly swamped by round-shot, but its passengers were enabled to reach the leading boat. Of those on board the other twenty-eight boats, some were killed, some drowned, and the rest brought back prisoners. Of the fugitives who quitted their weak position but a few hours before, only fifty had contrived to escape for the time, though it was in the case of the larger portion only to die shortly after. The boat they occupied was under an incessant gall- ing fire from both banks, but it pursued its course till it grounded at the distance of six miles. All the night of that eventful and trying day continued the struggle for life, amid hopes and fears of which we can form but a very slight con- ception. Early on the following morning the miserable occu- pants of the frail bark managed to push on till the boat again grounded. They were again attacked, and a number were killed; but the assailants were driven off, and retired to Cawnpore. The Nana then immediately despatched two 264 DOTTINGS ROUND THE CIRCLE. complete regiments in pursuit. As it was found impracticable to move the boat, a party of fourteen landed to drive back their assailants, which they did most effectually. Of these fourteen but four survived, — one now Colonel Mowbray Thompson, — to tell * the story of Cawnpore ' ; those left in the boat were brought back and shared the subsequent fate of all the others At last came the order to cease from slaughter, and the miserable survivors were driven off." How different the scene of this massacre, as it lies before us to-day ! The little temple near the water's edge (near which was the ambush) still stands, riddled with bullets, as if bearing witness to the dastardly deeds ; near by, however, are several neat bungalows ; the Ganges flows peacefully along on its course ; natives are leading cattle to drink in its waters ; a party of boatmen are chanting their peculiar monotone as they endeavor to pull their boat out of the stream ; and the calm quiet and serenity which seem to per- vade the spot are greatly in contrast to the rattle of artillery, the groans of the wounded and dying, and the exultant shouts of the treacherous natives, the remembrance of which will always bring a pang to every civilized nation in the world. On the site of Wheeler's entrenchment now stands the Memorial Church. This edifice is in the Romanesque style, and is built of brick and stone in the form of a cross, with a tapering belfry at one end. The interior contains a beau- tiful wheel- window and one or two memorial windows ; and LUCKNOW, CAWNPORE, AND DELHI. 265 many tablets are placed on the walls, erected to different victims of the mutiny. In short, the church is both pleasing and displeasing ; satisfactory in part, and yet disappointing in several details. It was originally intended to defray the cost by private subscription, but a large portion of it has been paid by the government. H. H. the ^laharaja of Jodh- pur has contributed white marble slabs for the flooring of the chancel; a handsome brass lectern has been given by Mrs. W. C. Plowden ; and the employes of the East Indian Railway have presented a sum of money in memory of those of their body who fell in the siege. Two tablets in the interior of the church should be men- tioned ; one for its peculiar sadness, the other for its appro- priateness. The first reads : " In memory of Mrs. Moore, Mrs. Wainright, Miss Wainright, Mrs. Hill, forty-three sol- diers' wives, and fifty-five children murdered in Cawnpore in June, 1857." The other tablet commemorates the death of a score of officers and soldiers, and underneath it are the words, "Vengeance is mine, I will repay, saith the Lord." The last act in the Cawnpore tragedy remains to be told. Of aH the multitude that started down the river in boats, four only, as I have said, escaped. The other survivors were driven to the quarters of the Nana. The women and chil- dren were placed for the time in a building called the Savada Kotee; the men were shot on the parade-ground. About ten days later there was a general move nearer the 266 DOTTING S ROUND THE CIRCLE. town. The Nana took up his quarters in a house used as a hotel ; the women and children, with some officers who had been lately captured elsewhere, were put into a house near the bank of the river, called Beebeeghur. Coarse food and furniture were given them, and the women were ordered to grind corn. Here they remained till the 15th of July. The sufferings of these poor creatures can only be imagined. A Bengalee apothecary attended them for a few days, and his journal (afterwards found) proves that births and deaths were fre- quent among them. A thorough subsequent investigation satisfied the English officials, however, that dishonor was not added to the other horrors of those fearful days. On the 11th of July, the prisoners were joined by other unfortunates. Colonel Smith of the Tenth N. I., with a party of refugees of both sexes, was captured the day before at Bithoor, passing down the river in a boat from Futtehgurh. These, to the number of fifty-five (chiefly women and chil- dren), were put in the palace at Bithoor for the night. On the next day they were obliged to march over twelve miles in the fierce sun, to receive sentence from the Nana at Cawnpore. Colonel Smith and Judge ' Thornhill, with the women and children, were thrown into the Beebeeghur, already crowded with the other captives. The rest of the men were immediately shot. The Nana's triumph, however, was nearly over, and he LUCKNOW, CAWNPORE, AND DELHI. 267 signalized the close of liis power by one of the most fright- ful acts of vengeance that has ever been chronicled in his- tory. Soon after the capture of Colonel Smith, the English obtained possession of Futtehpore. On the morning of the loth, a fresh disaster to the natives occurred at Aoung. The news of the steady advance of the avenging British was brought to the Nana early in the afternoon of the same day. The Nana and his suite gathered in council to determine what disposition should be made of the prisoners. The mat- ter was soon decided ; the captives were to be put to death. At sundown four of the male prisoners were (at the special order of the Nana) taken out of the Beebeeghur and murdered on the high road. Then the general slaughter was begun. Volleys were first fired into the Beebeeghur through the doors and windows ; and then the savages, rushing in among the captives with drawn swords, completed the fiendish massacre. At length the work was finished, and the doors were closed. The Nana was living in an old hotel within fifty yards of this house. It is said that he ordered a nautch, and passed the night in feasting and revelry. At daybreak he ordered the Beebeeghur to be cleared. It is estimated that it contained nearly two hundred dead bodies. These were stripped, and the majority cast into a well near by. The remainder were hurled into the Ganges. Mr. Sherer, who arrived at Cawnpore soon after the sup- pression of the rebellion, says in his report : " Thence we 268 DOTTING S ROUND THE CIRCLE. were directed to the Beebeeghur and well. And then broke upon our eyes that dreadful spectacle, over the very idea of which there are still broken spirits and widowed hearts mourning terror-stricken in distant England There were no dead bodies, except in the well The well was narrow and deep ; and, looking down, you could only see a tangled mass of human limbs entirely without clothing." As soon as order was restored. Lord Canning resolved to erect a memorial on this sad spot. Mr. C. B. Thornhill, at that time Commissioner of the Division (who had lost two brothers in the mutiny), was placed in charge of the work. He was commanded to devise a structure that should protect the fatal well and preserve its site ; while the Viceroy, at his own expense, ordered a memorial statue of Baron ]\Iaro- chetti. The result is as follows : on a pedestal built over the well is a large figure of the Angel of Pity. A Gothic wall with iron doors surrounds the premises. Near by is a well-kept garden. The statue is pleasing and appropriate, but the curious wall around it is cheap looking and unnecessary. Over the portal of the door is this inscription : " These are they which came out of great tribulation " ; and around the well are these words : " Sacred to the perpetual memory of the great company of Christian people, chiefly women and children, who near this spot were cruelly massacred by the followers of the rebel Xana Dhoondoo Punth of Bithoor ; and cast, the LUCK NOW, C AWN PORE, AND DELHI. 269 dying with the dead, iuto the well below, on the 15th day of July, 1857." We leave Cawnpore at half past two on the East Indian Kailway. Decemher 31. — At seven o'clock this morning we come in sight of Delhi. The first view of the city from the railway is very picturesque. Before us are the high walls of strong fortifications, tall columns, and bulbous domes. Indeed, the railway itself, after crossing the Jumna on a strong girder- bridge, and passing directly through the old fort of Suleem- gurh, rushes close to the great Eed Castle of Shahjuhau, and finally lands the traveller in the neighborhood of the Queen's Grardens. The present city of Delhi was founded in 1631 by Shah- juhan. It is built within red granite walls, forty feet high, and seven miles in circumference. The city is situated on the Jumna Eiver, one thousand and nineteen miles north- west of Calcutta, and eight hundred and seventy miles from Bombay. It contains a population of one hundred and fifty thousand. The city was ravaged by Nadir Shah in 1739, who took one hundred and twenty million pounds of spoil back to Persia. The fall of the nominal sovereigns of Delhi was succeeded September 1, 1858, by a proclamation of au- thority from the Queen of England. After breakfasting at the United Service Hotel, we set out for a tour of the city, accompanied by Baboo Budree Das, 270 DOTTING S ROUND THE CIRCLE. one of the proprietors of the hotel, a very intelligent Hindoo of high caste, who speaks English perfectly, and is thoroughly posted on all points of interest in and around Delhi.* Pass- ing out of the southeast or Delhi Gate, we drive southward, with the Jumna Eiver on our left, bound for Feerozahad. After a drive of a half-hour we arrive at the Kotila, of Feeroz Shah Toghluk, with the stone pillar. This is situated in the midst of ruins, and is a single shaft of sandstone, about forty-two feet high, and covered with inscriptions. The ruins of the palace of Feeroz surround it. The old city of Feeroz was about six miles long and two broad, and is said to have contained a population of one hundred and fifty thousand. From here w^e proceed to another portion of Feerozahad, called Indraput. "We visit next Homayoon's tomb. It was begun by this emperor's widow, Hajee Begum, and completed by his son; it is said that two hundred workmen were employed upon it for sixteen years, and that its total cost was fifteen lacs of rupees ($ 750,000). It is built of red stone in the form of a square, with a fine marble dome, and contains a large central hall. Here, in 1857, Major Hodson and Lieutenant Mac- dowell shot the two sons of the Ex-King Bahadoor Shah, * Let me, however, warn travellers not to advance this man any money for expenses on the road, but to pay all such themselves, for the way the Baboo distributes rupees among the populace must give them the idea that those he is serving are princes in disguise. LUCKNOW, CAWNPORE, AND DELHI. 27 1 who had taken refuge in this place after the mutiny. The side chambers contain the tombs of several of the house of Timoor. Continuing our way we arrive at the tomb of Shah Niza- moodeen. In regard to this man there is much uncertainty. He served under the Emperor Ala-ood-deen Khilji towards the end of the thirteenth century. He is said by some to have been a sorcerer ; by others, a member of the dangerous Secret Society of Khorasan ; and it is even alleged that he was the founder of Thuggism. The first building in this cemetery contains the tomb of the foster-brother of the great Akbar. It is a fine marble hall supported by pillars, which form graceful groined arches. On each side is a carved screen of white . marble. Next comes the tomb of Nizamooden. This is surrounded by a veranda of white marble, and the sarcophagus is en- closed by a marble screen. At the head of the grave is a stand with a koran. Not far off is the tomb of Juhanara Begum. The sarcoph- agus is likewise enclosed by a marble screen. Juhanara was the daughter of the Emperor Shahjuhan. She is said to have been a woman of remarkable talents and virtues. She was the sister of Dara Sheko, heir-apparent to Shahjuhan, who was murdered by his younger brother Aurungzeb, who then deposed his father and proclaimed himself emperor. Juhanara refused to reside at the court of her wicked brother, but re- 272 DOTTING S ROUND THE CIRCLE. mained with her father at Agra. It is believed that she was removed to Delhi and murdered at the command of Aurun^-- o zeb. On her tomb are these words, said to have been written by herself: "Let no rich coverlet adorn my grave; this grass is the best covering for the tomb of the poor in spirit, the humble, the transitory Juhanara, the disciple of the holy men of Cheest, the daughter of the Emperor Shahjuhan." The top of the gTave is covered with a growth of coarse grass. The carved marble screen around it is an exquisite piece of work- manship. Near by is the Bowlee, or well-house, a large, deep tank of water, into which little boys jump from great heights, for small coins. Turning now to the east, we set out for Toghlukabad. After riding for a little distance in the carriage, we are obliged to change our conveyance, as the road is only suitable for native bullock-carts, called tavj'ahs. These vehicles are drawn by two bullocks, who travel at the rate of ten miles an hour ; but the tanjahs are but little better than the terri- ble Chinese carts, and I advise travellers who wish to visit Toghlukabad to accomplish the last part of the way on horseback. Toghlukabad, the massive citadel of the Emperor Toghluk Shah, was begun a. d. 1321, and finished two years later. The fort is built on rising ground, and is a half-hexagon in shape, with three faces of three quarters of a mile in length each, and a base of one mile and a half, the whole circuit LUCKNOW, CAWNPORE, AND DELHI. 273 being nearly four miles. It is constructed of immense blocks of stone, is surrounded on several sides by water, and the rampart walls are pierced with loop-holes for light and de- fence. The fort has thirteen gates, and contains a well cut in the solid rock to a depth of eighty feet; inside the walls, too, are the ruins of the founder's palace, and many ruined houses. Standing on the citadel, one realizes the important position the fort held in the past. In the distance is Delhi; and at our feet a beautiful grassy plain, where, indeed, the Prince of Wales is to hold a grand review in about two weeks. Opposite ns is the tomb of Toghluk Shah. Leaving the fort, we cross over to the tomb. The two are connected by a causeway six hundred feet long. The tomb itseK is built of stone, ornamented with white marble. It is a square of sixty-one and one half feet exteriorly ; the walls are twenty-one and one half feet thick, thirty-eight and one half feet high, with a slope of seven and one half feet from top to bottom. The total height to the top of the domed roof is seventy feet, and the pinnacle is ten feet more. Each of the four sides has a lofty doorway with a pointed arch. Within are three tombs, said to be those of the old king, his wife, and his son and successor. The latter was a very cruel and unjust monarch; and his successor, the good Feeroz Shah, obtained, after long efforts, a paper signed by all whom his predecessor had wronged, declaring their full forgiveness. This he deposited in the late king's tomb near 274 DOTTING S ROUND THE CIRCLE. his right hand, that, in the resurrection day he might appear with it before the judgment seat. The following are the words of Feeroz Shah himself in regard to it : "I have taken pains to discover the surviving relations of all persons who suffered from the wrath of my late lord ; and having pen- sioned and provided for them, and for those who had heen maimed by order of the late Sultan, have caused them to execute deeds, declaring their satisfaction, duly witnessed; these being placed in a chest have been deposited at the head of the tomb of the said Sultan, in the hope that God of his infinite mercy will take compassion on my departed friend." As the sun is sinking fast, w^e turn our faces towards Delhi, and after another dose of bullock-cart, we rejoin our carriage and arrive at the hotel in time for dinner. Before leaving the hotel in the morning, we gave orders to the proper persons to prepare a nautch for us this evening, as we wished to witness this curious dance. At 8 p. m. we leave the hotel, and, accompanied by the Baboo, make our way through a labyrinth of streets to a hall brilliantly lighted, containing a sort of stage, on which chairs are placed for us. The native musicians sit at one end, several Indians with torches are standing near by, and the dancing-girls are grouped at the side. Their dresses are elaborately embroidered with gold and silver, and countless bangles of gold and silver are on their wrists and ankles. Silver rings, connected by silver chains, are worn on their toes. Long veils, beautifully em- LUCKNOW, CAWNPORE, AND DELHI. 275 broidered, are thrown loosely over their heads or twisted around their bodies. Now the musicians strike up a slow, mournful refrain. The torchbearers advance, and throwing the fitful light on the dancers, cause the bright dresses of the latter to sparkle like masses of jewels. The dance is begun with a measured, grace- ful step ; the glittering figures wind in and out, advance, retreat, and move from side to side, their dark faces and barbaric garments forming a weird scene. Now one of them steps before the others, and, placing a cup on the ground, circles round and round it, now rushing towards it with eagerness, then, with hand outstretched to seize it, moving back hurriedly with an expression of fear on her face. The music is rapid and shrill, and wild bursts from time to time seem to caU on the dancer to taste the fatal draught. It is " Temptation " enacted. At last the girl leaps forward, throws her veil from her, and dances towards the cup. The music grows even more rapid, her bosom heaves, and, with uplifted arms, she sinks within the charmed circle, grasps the cup with utter abandonment, and drains it to the bottom. 1876, Januanj 1. — We start this morning for the Fort and Palace of the Moguls. This fortress was built at an expense of fifty lacs of rupees ($2,500,000), and was not finished for twenty years. It is about a mile and a quarter in circumfer- ence, and contained originally about a dozen buildings, of which the most important still exist. 276 DOTTINGS ROUND THE CIRCLE. We go first into a large hall open at three sides, and sup- ported by rows of red sandstone pillars. On the right-hand side (as we stand looking up the hall) is a marble staircase leading up to a throne, covered with a canopy which is sup- ported on four pillars of white marble. The throne is raised about ten feet from the ground. The wall behind the throne is covered with mosaic work in precious stones, the majority of which have been removed. This work was done by Austin de Bordeaux. Continuing our way to the left we enter the exquisite Hall of Audience, which once contained the celebrated Peacock Throne, worth six million pounds sterling, which Nadir Shah took away in 1739. This hall is supported by graceful marble pillars, beautifully inlaid with precious stones in floral designs ; and the upper sections, the ceiling, and the cornices are gilt. The room is long and wide, the marble columns are massive and finely wrought, and the decoration is most elaborate. I do not believe it has its equal in the world. The white marble platform on which the Peacock Throne rested is still here. On the cornices at each end can still be deciphered the famous inscription, in flowing Persian charac- ters : " Ugur furdoosee buroo-i-zumeen ust, humecn ust, humeen ust, humceii ust" (And, oh, if there be an Elysium on earth, it is this, it is this, it is this"). "The Palace of Shahjuhanabad, in the short space of its existence, has witnessed many startling scenes, mostly tragic. LUCKNOW, CAWNPORE, AND DELHI. 277 Here, in 1716, the Scottish surgeon, who cured the Emperor Furrokh Shur on the eve of his marriage, was rewarded by that permission for his employers to estabhsh a factory and to maintain a territory of thirty-eight towns on the banks of the Hooghly, which was the foundation of the 'Presidency of Fort William,' and all that has since sprung therefrom. Gabriel Hamilton was thus the liomme necessaire of the Brit- ish Indian Empire. Here, on the 31st of March, 1739, the degenerate JMuhumud Shah entered the Throne-room with the fearful Nadir Shah of Persia, and sipped his coffee on the Peacock Throne. Next day, the invaders massacred the citi- zens before 'the dark and terrible eye' of their leader, as he looked on from the roof of Eoshun-ood-dowlah's Mosque. The Peacock Throne was then broken up, and Nadir returned to Persia with plunder valued at eighty millions sterling in the value of the day. Less than ten years after, the Abdalee Chief of Cabul, Ahmud Khan, repeated the cruel lesson and despoiled the palace of much of its remaining wealth. In 1759 the work was completed by the Mahrattas, under Su- dasheo Eao Bhao, marching to their ruin at Paniput ; when .... the plating was torn down from the ceihng of the Throne-room. In 1788 the sanctity of the imperial halls was further violated by the cannon-shot of Gholam Kadir, and shortly after by his actual presence. Here he lay and smoked his hookah on the faded substitute of the Peacock Throne; and here he, with his own hands, shared in the torture of the 2/8 DOTTING S ROUND THE CIRCLE. royal family and the blinding of the helpless old Emperor Shah Alum. Here, on the 15th of September, 1803, as the sun was setting, the long cavalcade of Lake defiled into the Am-Khas, where the blinded chief of the house of Timoor was found ' seated under a small tattered canopy, the remnant of his royal state, with every external appearance of the misery of his condition.' And lastly, here in May, 1857, the last representative of the Great Moguls, a not unwilling tool in the hands of the Company's mutinous soldiery, consented to the butchery of helpless women and children."* We go next to the Jama Musjid, the great Mosque of Delhi, and the finest in India. It is built on a rocky height to the westward of the Palace, and is constructed of white marble and red sandstone, with three domes and two mina- rets. It stands in a splendid court-yard, four hundred and fifty feet square, and is reached by handsome marble steps. The mosque itself is two hundred and one feet long, one hun- dred and twenty feet broad, and one hundred and fifty feet high. The roof is supported by beautiful marble pillars, and the marble floor is divided into spaces for the worshippers. At each end are marble screens behind which the women knelt. It is said that five thousand workmen were constantly em- ployed on this mosque for six years. It was completed A. D. 1658, the same year in which its founder, Shahjuhan, • Keene'a Handbook to Delhi. LUCKNOW, CAWNPORE, AND DELHI. 279 was deposed. In a building near the mosque we are shown various relics, — a shoe of Mahomet, a hair from his beard, and a very old Koran. On our way back to the hotel we pass through the famous Chandnee Chouk, or Street of Light, where the chief shops are situated. Here we find a profusion of beautifully embroi- dered shawls, jackets, cloaks, and caps, for which Delhi is noted. The jewellers' stores are well worth visiting, and we examine with interest a saddle-cloth, intended for the Prince of Wales, which is covered with precious stones of all kinds. After ti^7i we set out for the Kootub, a wonderful tower about eleven miles distant from the centre of the city. As we ride along we pass first the Juntur Muntur, or Observa- tory, constructed for the Emperor Mohummud Shah in A. D. 1730, by Jay Singh, Eaja of Jeypore. Farther on, on the other side, is the tomb of Sufdur Jung ("Piercer of Battle Eanks"). The Kootub is a red stone tower two hundred and thirty- eight feet high, and sloping from a diameter of forty-seven feet at the base to one of scarcely nine at the summit. It is divided into five stories, of which the first and last make up one half, the second, third, and fourth the other half, of the total height. The three lower stories are surrounded with carved scrolls containing verses from the Koran, and the name and praises of the founder. 280 DOTTING S ROUND THE CIRCLE. The literal meaning of Kootub is Polar Star, The tower was begun by Kootub-ood-deen Aibuk, the lieutenant of the Ghorian conqueror of India, towards the end of the twelfth century. It was not completed, however, till the middle of the reign of his successor. The tower is exquisitely propor- tioned. A winding staircase leads up to the top, whence an extensive view may be obtained. Near the Kootub is a remarkable gateway built by Ala- ood-deen in the fourteenth century. The faqade is covered with delicate chiselling, and, viewed from a little distance, the tracery is wonderfully beautiful Near by is a plain iron pillar, twenty-two feet high, with six Sanscrit lines cut upon its western face, indicating that it was erected in the fourth century of the Christian era. Several other interesting ruins are in the vicinity. Eetracing our steps we reach Delhi in time for dinner. A few words in regard to the mutiny in this city. Early on the morning of the 11th of May, 1857, the revolted troopers of the Third Bengal Cavalry crossed the bridge of boats and entered the city. The entire native garrison quickly joined them, and the foreigners were at once attacked, Simon Era- ser, the Eesident, Captain Douglas, Commander of the Palace Guard, with the Chaplain and his daughter, were kiUed at the main gate of the citadel; Colonel Eipley and other offi- cers of the Seventy-fourth N. I. were shot in front of their own men; the magazine was captured; and the Europeans, LUCKNOW, CAWNPORE, AND DELHI. 28 1 men, women, and children, were pursued by a frantic mob and shot down as they ran. The magazine, however, was bravely exploded by Willoughby and Forrest, and many Eu- ropeans escaped across the Jumna and arrived safely at Meerut. On the 8th of September operations were begun to retake the city. Troops under John Lawrence had arrived, and, best of all, came the great John Nicholson. For five days the gunners of England beat upon the northern walls with- out ceasing. On the evening of the 13th two practicable breaches were reported by the Engineer officers, one at the Cashmere Bastion, the other at the Water Gate. At day- break of the 14th the roar of artillery suddenly ceased. Ac- cording to previous agreement the Sixtieth Eifles sprang forth with a cheer to cover the advance, and Salkeld and Home of the Bengal Engineers stepped forward with non-commis- sioned officers, buglers, and powder-carriers, to blow up the Cashmere Gate. The scene that followed is thus described by an eye-witness. Colonel Medley, R E. : " Followed by the storming party, one hundred and fifty strong. Home and his party reached the outer gate almost unseen. With difficulty they crossed the ditch, and having laid their bags, retired unharmed. It was now Salkeld's turn. He also advanced with four other bags of powder and lighted port-fire, but the enemy had seen the smallness of the party and the object of their approach. A deadly fire was poured upon the little 282 DOTTINGS ROUND THE CIRCLE. band from the open wicket not ten feet distant. Salkeld laid his bags, but was shot through the arm and leg, and fell back on the bridge, handing the port-fire to Sergeant Burgess, bidding him light the fuse. Burgess was instantly shot dead in the attempt. Sergeant Carmichael then ad- vanced, took up the port-fire, and succeeded in the attempt, but immediately fell mortally wounded. Sergeant Smith, see- ing him fall, advanced at a run, but finding that the fuse was already burning, threw himself into the ditch In another moment a terrific explosion shattered the massive gate, the bugle sounded the advance, and then with a loud cheer the storming party was in the gateway, and in a few minutes more the Cashmere Gate and Main Guard were once more in our hands." All the survivors were recommended for the Victoria Cross. Salkeld, however, died of his wounds ; and Home, coming out unhurt from this terrible ordeal, fell soon after in a small engagement. General Nicholson, after leading his column over the breach by the side of the Cashmere Gate, was shot while urging his men towards the Burn Bastion. On the fifth day, however, the whole city was in the hands of Sir Archdale Wilson. January £ — "We leave Delhi at half past eleven this morning, and reach Agra at 7.30 P. M. We drive at once to Harrison's HoteL AGRA AND BOMBAY. 283 CHAPTER XVIII. AGEA AND BOMBAY. The Taj of Agra. — The Pearl Mosque. — The Fort. — The Tomb of Akbar the Great. — Bombay. — The Tower of Silence. — The Caves OF Elephanta. — Embarkation for Egypt. January 3. — Agra is situated on the west "bank of the Jumna Eiver, one hundred and thirty-nine miles southeast from Delhi, nine hundred and six miles from Calcutta, and seven hundred and fifty from Bombay. It contains a popu- lation of one hundred and forty-three thousand, and has a considerable trade in cotton and salt, which are sent down the Jumna in boats to Mirzapore and Calcutta. The city was named from agur, a salt-pan, much salt hav- ing been made in the place by evaporation. It was founded by Akbar the Great in the middle of the sixteenth century, and is particularly interesting to travellers on account of the Fort, the Taj, and the Pearl Mosque. We begin our day's tour with a visit to Sikundra, the tomb of. Akbar the Great. This is a square building of red stone with five stories, the upper one being of white marble, and crowned by four small kiosques. The tomb was built by Juhangeer, the son and successor of Akbar. It is said to 284 DOTTING S ROUND THE CIRCLE. have cost fifteen lacs of rupees. A beautiful garden sur- rounds it, full of orange, banana, tamarind, mango, palm, and peepul trees. A high, red stone wall encloses the grounds, "vrith a lofty gateway in the centre of each of its sides. On the summit of the mausoleum is a white marble sar- cophagus, exquisitely sculptured, and placed in the centre of a large chamber open to the sky. Ninety-nine titles of the Creator are on the tombstone, and at the head and foot are the salutations of the school or faith of Akbar, "Allaho Akbar! Jilli Julali Hoo ! " The real tomb which covers the remains is in a vault below the floor of the building. The hall is about thirty-eight feet square, and the ceiling is of blue and gold plaster. Stand at a little distance from the building, opposite the main gateway. From here one can appreciate the beauty of the whole. On either side of the wide stairway are two minarets. The different red stone stories rise one above an- other, surmounted by the beautiful chamber of white marble ; at each corner of the upper terrace are two marble turrets with gilded domes which flash and glitter in the sun ; around us is the luxuriant garden, filled with bright sunlight and patches of shade, while a deep and impressive silence per- vades this abode of the dead. We next visit the Fort situated in the town. This is a lofty structure of red stone, with walls about seventy feet in height and a mile and a half in circumference. It is said. AGRA AND BOMBAY. 285 however, that their strength is more apparent than real, and that the stone of the works is only veneered over banks of sand and rubble. Passing over the moat on a drawbridge, we pass through a curious gateway, and crossing a court- yard enter the Dewan-i-Am, or Public Audience Hall. This chamber is one hundred and ninety-two feet in length and sixty-four in breadth. The traces of the emperor's throne are still to be seen, and near by is a slab of marble on which Akbar stood when administering justice. At the side, over- looking the river, are beautifully decorated chambers, formerly occupied by the ladies of the court. The remains of an ex- tensive system of water-pipes are still shown ; and underneath a little building near by is a large hoivlee, or well-house, whose interior walls are covered with little mirrors. These well-houses were designed for cool retreats during the heat of the day. The fort was captured by Lord Lake in 1803, The Motee Musjid, or Pearl Mosque, is the most beautiful building on the premises. It is of white marble, standing on a lofty sandstone platform, and has three delicate domes of white marble. " It is a sanctuary so pure and stainless, revealing so exalted a spirit of worship, that I felt humbled as a Christian to think that our noble religion has never inspired its architects to surpass this temple to God and Mahomet." * From here we drive to the Taj. Arrived at the premises, * Bayard Taylor. 286 DOTTINGS ROUND THE CIRCLE. we pass through a splendid gateway of sandstone, covered with inscriptions from the Koran in white marble. Proceed- ing, we enter a beautiful garden with rich trees, shrubs, and flowers, and many fountains. At the farther end, above the rich foliage, rises a marble building of dazzling whiteness. Its proportions are so graceful that it seems to be but lightly resting on its foundations, and its dome is so delicate that it is almost transparent. While gazing on the structure the eye assures the mind that this is absolute perfection. We ascend some wide marble steps and reach a white marble platform. Crossing this, we arrive at the door, a gem of delicate carving and tracery. We descend into the vault containing the sarcophagi of Shah Juhan and his queen, — Moomtaz-i-]\Iahal, The Light of the World. The tombs are exquisitely adorned with bloodstone, agate, carnelian, and jewels, inlaid with great taste. They are surrounded with an octagonal screen of marble, covered with different designs worked with precious stones. The roof and walls of the chamber are pure white blocks of marble, and the echo that is returned here is wonderful. I have seen many different buildings, many handsome structures, many varied styles of architecture ; never have I beheld one which fills me with such delight as this Taj MahaL January 4- — "^e leave Agra at half past five this morn- ing, with a long railroad journey befpre us. AGRA AND BOMBAY. 28/ January 6. — I reach Bombay at half past eleven this morning. F left the train at Jubbulpore to spend a night at the "Marble Eocks." He is to rejoin me to-morrow. After obtaining my letters I drive to the Esplanade Hotel, an immense iron structure lately erected. Bombay is distant fourteen hundred and seventy miles, by rail, from Calcutta, and seven hundred and seventy-five miles from Madras. The English obtained the place as part of the dowry of the Princess Katherine of Portugal, when she was married to Charles II. This monarch ceded it to the East India Company in 1669. It contains a population of about seven hundred thousand, and carries on an extensive trade. The city now contains many handsome buildings, wide streets lighted with gas, and a horse railroad. It is excellently drained; and Malabar Hill, overlooking the town, is covered with picturesque bungalows. Multitudes of Parsees, with tall black-paper hats, are constantly seen on the streets. They are very thrifty and industrious, and many of them have amassed large fortunes. January 7. — F arrived to-day. In the afternoon we visit the curious and repulsive Tower of Silence, the strange cemetery of the Parsees. On the top of a lofty hill, remote from the town, is a garden surrounded by a high wall. A long flight of steps winds up to the summit of the hill. In the centre of the garden is a low, square building without any roof. It contains one chamber, in which is a sort of iron 288 DOTTINGS ROUND THE CIRCLE. altar formed of round bars of iron joined together. When a Parsee dies the body is taken solemnly to this Tower of Si- lence, strapped upon the iron altar, and left entirely exposed to the air in the open chamber. These people do not follow the custom of cremation or of burying, but believe that the body should be placed above ground, and suffered, undis- turbed, to return to the elements of which it was made. Therefore, having secured it to the iron altar, they leave it in the open air, and, shutting the outer gate, allow Nature to deal with their dead as she will. Their theory, however, is never carried into effect. Scarcely is a body fastened to the altar when, from aU the neighboring trees, multitudes of vultures spring into the air, and, scenting their coming banquet from afar, wheel round and round the summit of the hill in a thick, dark flock. As soon as the outer gate is shut, they swoop upon their senseless prey, and, tearing off pieces of flesh, group themselves on the neighbor- ing wall, and finish their repast at their leisure before the very faces of the relatives of the deceased. This shocking scene is repeated so frequently, that the Brit- ish government has decided to command the Parsees to bury their dead in the usual way. None but Parsees can enter the garden. Koyal visitors and high officials are, however, admitted. The custodian informs us that we cannot pass the gate. He says that the Prince of Wales was the only foreigner who has obtained admission for AGRA AND BOMBAY. 289 years. Assuming a dignified air and raising my voice, I reply, "AVehave travelled a long way from home. We are Bach- elors of Arts and we wish to see the inside of your cemetery." The Parsee is puzzled. He sees we are strangers, and has evidently never heard of our declared rank. Seeing a smile on F 's face, he suspects something. Shaking his head, he declares that we must send our names to the secretary of his Sect, and inform him that we are Bachelors of Arts. This, he says, may admit us. It is needless to say that we do not follow his advice. At 6 p. M. we meet, by appointment, My. E. Lord, of Lyon & Co., who drives us along the beach road to the centre of Mala- bar Hill, where he has a delightful house. A fine sea-view is obtained here, and the air is cool and refreshing. January 9. — Having engaged a small steam-launch we start about seven o'clock for the Caves of Elephanta, situated on Garapuri Island, about eight miles from Bombay. This is a specimen of the numerous cave-temples found in various parts of India. Here we see large chambers hollowed out of the rocky cave, regular rows of sculptured pillars, and rude statues of various divinities. The chief object of interest in Elephanta, however, is the Hindoo Trinity, an immense head with three faces, cut out of a single piece of rock, represent- ing Shiva, Vishnu, and Buddha. "When the Prince of Wales was in Bombay this cave was illuminated, and the effect must have been very picturesque. 290 DOTTINGS ROUND THE CIRCLE. January 10. — Two steamers are lying in the harbor bound for Suez. One is the regular mail-boat of the P. and . 0. S. S. Co., which is due at Suez in twelve days; the other is an Italian steamer, very comfortable in appearance, and said to be an excellent boat. She does not, however, run on schedule time, and on this account the fare is much less than by the mail-boat. I prefer, however, to take the fast steamer, while F champions the other. He reminds me that we are in no hurry to reach Egypt ; assures me that the Italian boat wiU arrive at Suez but a very few days after the other; and tells me that we will make quite a saving in our fare, — a powerful inducement to a traveller. To this I answer that we have already travelled many thousand miles on the sea. I am anxious to accomplish this voyage as speed- ily as possible. To do this I am willing to pay a higher fare. Moreover, it is quite uncertain when the Italian steamer will reach Egypt. She may stop for cargo or passengers along the Eed Sea, and take several weeks to accomplish the voyage. All that I say is of no avail. F remains firm in his preference. "We both see that our arguments are powerless with the other. "We fix matters as follows : F is to em- bark on the Italian steamer, and I on the mail-boat. His steamer is due (as far as is now known) at Suez two days after mine. I promise to wait for him in Cairo, when we wiU continue our tour. At 3 P. M. we bid each other farewell. I embark on the AGRA AND BOMBAY. 29 1 English steamer and F goes on board of the Italian. At five o'clock we weigh anchor. Behind us is F 's steamer, which has not yet started. India disappears in the distance. Once more I am on the water with a long voyage before me, but, for the first time, with no fellow-countryman at my side. 292 DOTTING S ROUND THE CIRCLE. CHAPTER XIX. UP THE RED SEA TO CAIRO. Aden. — Heat on the Eed Sea. — Suez. — Across the Desert to Cairo. — Egyptian Mosques. — Excursion to the Pyramids. — The Dancing Dervishes. — Arrival at Alexandria. January 11. — The Per a is the flag-ship of the Peninsula and Oriental Squadron, her commander, Captain Methven, being the oldest officer in the company's service. She is a fine large vessel, and the captain pays the most continual atten- tion to the comfort of passengers intrusted to him. Be- sides this, he keeps a most watchful eye upon every portion of the ship, and satisfies himself by thorough and frequent inspections that his orders are carried out and proper care taken. We have but few passengers, for people seldom re- turn to England in the cold weather after living for a year or more in the warm climate of India. I am the only American on board, and I am obliged to endure continual (good-natured) allusions to the " Bird of Freedom," " the Stars and Stripes," and "The Ideal Yankee." January 17. — After a swift run across the Arabian Sea, we reach Aden at daybreak this morning ; and while the steamer is coaling the passengers have time to visit the UP THE RED SEA TO CAIRO. 293 town. Aden is situated on a rocky peninsula near the en- trance to the Eed Sea. It is owned by the English, and would be an important naval station in case of war. It has a population of about twenty-one thousand, the majority of whom are natives. A small trade is carried on with the in- terior of Arabia and with the opposite ports in Africa. It is a stopping-place for the Peninsula and Oriental boats, and for the steamers of the Messageries Maritimes Company. Hardly a tree is to be seen in the place, and the neighborhood is lonely to the last degree. The natives present a very curious appearance. They stiffen their hair with a sort of yellow earth, which gives the head the exact look of a large mop. Ostrich-feathers and coral may be bought here in large quantities, but no one should think of giving the prices demanded. We leave Aden at 11 A. m., and at 7 P. m. are opposite Perim, in the Eed Sea. January 18. — At noon to-day the strong, favorable wind dies completely away, and leaves us gasping for breath. No one who has not experienced it can imagine the heat which frequently prevails on the Eed Sea. There seems to be ab- solutely no air to breathe. The steamer's smoke rises slowly, and hangs about the smoke-stack in a dense cloud, moving neither to the riwht hand nor to the left. The sun beats down fiercely upon the awnings stretched over the decks ; the passengers are all siezed with a burning thirst, and soda- 294 DOTTINGS ROUND THE CIRCLE. water and ale are in great demand. I can now appreciate the story, often told, that ships navigating this water in July or August are sometimes obliged to turn round and run backwards to get a little air ! How we should enjoy some of the January blasts that are probably now whistling over America ! January W. — "We are revived ! A fresh breeze is blowing in our faces, tossing up great waves against the ship, and considerably retarding our progress ; but better, far better withal, than the furnace-heat of yesterday. January '22. — At five o'clock this morning one of the passengers kindly comes to my state-room, and calls to me to come on deck and look at the range of mountains among which is Sinai. Going up stairs, I find several of the pas- sengers already assembled, the majority provided with glasses, or small telescopes, all earnestly gazing at a group of snow- capped hills which rise boldly from the desert. The beams of the rising sun shine full on the white summits, and cast a beautiful rosy light over the whole. A more intensely desolate place I have never beheld. Besides the mountains, only a wide expanse of blue water and far-stretching sand is to be seen, and an eternal silence seems to hold possession of the spot. At midnight we arrive off Suez, but are obliged to wait till daylight before going up to the dock. January 23. — At daybreak this morning we are again in UP THE RED SEA TO CAIRO. 295 motion, and at nine o'clock the ship is securely tied to the wharf. All of us are thankful to be once more on land. Those of us who are bound for Cairo find that we shall be obliged to wait till to-morrow before proceeding on our jom-ney, as the only train from Suez has started. We there- fore decide to spend the time at the Suez Hotel As soon as we set foot on shore we are surrounded by swarms of Arabs, dozens of whom urge us to make use of at least fifty donkeys at once ; while whole platoons and relays insist upon bearing off all our baggage, and, having made a most minute division of the whole among themselves, we are dragged to the hotel by a regiment of guides, while the vast army of bassase-carriers moves on in front, and we make our way throucfh streets lined with natives all demanding hacJcsheesh at the same time. I am rejoiced to reach the hotel, and, shutting the door of my room as quickly as possible, I listen with dismay to the loud chorus of voices outside roaring forth the terrible word hacJcsheesh. Suez is situated on a sandy tract of land at the head of the Eed Sea. It is distant thirteen hundred and eight miles from Aden, and twenty-nine hundred and seventy-two -miles from Bombay. It owes its present size entirely to the canal, which has necessitated the erection of warehouses and dwell- ings, and has attracted thither a much larger European popu- lation than the place ever woidd have obtained otherwise. The inhabitants number about fifteen thousand. In the im- 296 DOTTING S ROUND THE CIRCLE. mediate vicinity of Suez is shown the spot where (it is said) the Israelites crossed the Eed Sea. Excursions may be made also to the Well of Moses, Mount Sinai, and Mount Horeb. At best, however, Suez is uninteresting and desolate. Later ' in the day, when the throng outside my window has dispersed, I take a long walk with a fellow-passenger through the town and across the desert. We pass a large camp of Nubian soldiers, waiting for transport-ships to take them to the seat of war in Abyssinia. A dress-parade is in progress; and although the manual of arms is not very well mastered by the majority, still the many different companies of dusky soldiery uniformed in white with red fezes form a picturesque scene. January 2^. — We start at eight o'clock this morning for Cairo, distant two hundred and twenty-four miles. The cars of the Egyptian Eailway are very dirty and uncomfortable, and very little attention is paid to the specified running time. Just before we start, our compartment is surrounded with the usual multitude of Arabs howling for hacksheesh, to whose de- mands we, of course, pay no attention. Suddenly, however, a determined-looking Arab forces his way to the window, and gaining the attention of one of my companions, stretches out his hand for alms, prefacing his request as follows : " You kicked me yesterday, — backsheesh ! " It seems that my friend was yesterday wearied most to death by this fellow's importu- nities, and finally, refusals producing no effect, kicked him UP THE RED SEA TO CAIRO. 297 out of his path. The Arab then vanished without a word, but appeared this morning, as I have related, to urge his claim for hachsheesh, to which he considered himself entitled, owing to his previous maltreatment. As the fact is indispu- table, my friend tosses him a sixpence, which entirely satis- fies him, and having salaamed he departs, his countenance beaming with joy. The railroad runs directly across the desert, and the journey is very uninteresting. After changing cars and lunching at Zagazig, we continue our way, reach Cairo at 5.40 P. M., and drive at once to Shepheard's Hotel. The different hotels in Cairo send carriages to the station to meet the daily trains, and it is the custom for travellers to hand their baggage- receipts to the hotel people, who assure its speedy arrival at the chosen hotel. I advise everybody, however, to collect their baggage themselves before leaving the station, as one of my companions was obliged to circulate around the city in search of a stray valise, thereby losing his dinner, his peace of mind, and probably his temper. Jamiary '25. — Cairo (Italianized from El Kahirah, The Vic- torious) contains a population of three hundred and seventy- five thousand, of whom twenty thousand are foreigners. The Khedive has greatly improved the city, and the European quarter contains many handsome residences, hotels, a public garden, and a fine opera-house. Soon after breakfast I jump on a donkey, and having ob- 298 DOTTINGS ROUND THE CIRCLE. tained an intelligent dragoman to act as my guide and inter- preter during my stay in the city, I make my way through the narrow streets to my bankers, where I am glad to find several letters. From here I proceed to the Citadel, the largest mosque in Cairo, built on the highest ground in the city, from which a splendid view is obtained in all directions. This mosque was founded by Saladin in 1176, and its domes and minarets can be seen from almost every part of the city. Standing on the front balcony, a splendid panorama is spread out before me. Far away to the left the dark waters of the Nile can be distinguished, winding through fertile fields; at my feet is Cairo; while in the distance the Sphinx and the " everlasting Pyramids " rise boldly from the boundless desert. The interior of the mosque is plain, and in short the whole building is not to be compared to the exquisite structures in India; and to one familiar with the latter, the Egyptian are decidedly disappointing. Passing into the neighboring gardens, I am shown the spot where Emir Bey leaped his horse over the wall to avoid being killed, with his brother Mamelukes, in the massacre of March, 1811. Two other mosques worthy of a visit are the mosque of Kait-Bey, and of Emii* Akhor. A cannon is fired from the Citadel every day at noon. After lunch I pay a visit to the bazaars. Here everything is very Oriental in appearance. The streets are full of tail men with flowing garments and long beards, who exactly resemble one's idea of the old patriarchs. The remarkable UP THE RED SEA TO CAIRO. 299 costume of the peasant-women who walk the streets so com- pletely covered that only their eyes are visible; the elegant carriages rattling along, through the half-closed blinds of which a woman of some Pacha's harem, closely veiled, can be seen; the thi'ongs of donkeys, and the multitudes of men with red fezes, — all form a moving panorama which holds the atten- tion of the stranger far longer than one might suppose. Shepheard's (now Zech's) Hotel is the most largely fre- quented of any in Cairo, in spite of its new and pretentious rival, — an immense structure lately erected opposite the Pub- lic Gardens. At dinner at Shepheard's one may see a most varied and cosmopolitan gathering. The English are largely in the majority, but close by a lord or duke a " free American citizen" is often located, while Frenchmen, Italians, and Ger- mans are scattered in various directions. An incident occurred here which well illustrates the different lights in which Ameri- cans are regarded by their English cousins. The conversation among a party of English had turned upon America, and one young man declared in a loud tone of voice that "no Ameri- can can be a gentleman." Before any of our nationality could reply, a very beautiful Scotch girl, who was sitting directly opposite the oracle, overwhelmed him with a storm of righteous indignation. " How can you say such a thing ? " said she. "Some of the most perfect gentlemen I ever met are Ameri- cans ! " This sudden reproof, coming from such a beautiful source, completely silenced our traducer, who soon after with- 300 DOTTING S ROUND THE CIRCLE. drew from the table. A vote of thanks was tendered our coun- try's champion for so heroically defending our reputation, and we assured her that her name should be preserved in the archives of the State Department. I was present this evening at a representation of ''Aida" at the opera-house, which, in point of scenery and costume, was really marvellous. The scene of " Aida," as is well known, is laid in the vicinity of Cairo, and the costumes must, therefore, be Eg>i)tian. Here, however, the di^esses were gorgeously real, the scenery was exquisite, and the effect of the whole was astonishingly beautiful. The opera-house itseK is built on the Continental plan ; but four boxes in the second tier, heavily curtained with lace, behind which some of the inmates of the Khedive's harem may be dimly seen, recall the fact that although I am in the midst of some modern cul- ture and refinement, I have not yet left behind me one of the most disgraceful customs of antiquity. January 26. — Soon after breakfast, to-day, I procure a donkey and set out for Boulac, the port of Cairo, one mUe distant, which contains a large museum of Egyptian antiq- uities and curiosities. Here also are the mosques of Sinan- ceyeh and Abu-1-Ele, the latter remarkable for its picturesque minarets. Boulac itself is about one mile long and one half ^ miLe broad, and is a very dirty town, containing about twenty thousand inhabitants. I remount my donkey, and proceeding to the Nile am UP THE RED SEA TO CAIRO. 301 ferried across in a native boat to the Nilometer opposite. The point where we land is said to be the spot where Moses was found in the bulrushes. The Nilometer is an instru- ment for measuring the depth of the Nile. It consists of a square tank cormected with the river by a narrow canal. The sides of the tank are marked off into divisions, and from the height of the water in the tank at any time an estimate is made of the average depth of water in the river at that particular season. Leaving the Nilometer, my guide leads me through a laby- rinth of narrow, dirty streets, and, having at last arrived at the end of a particularly unclean alley, we dismount and make our way into a curious and very old Catholic church, full of ancient paintings, and containing also a most interest- ing old Bible. Having examined this place, we retrace our steps and I return to the hotel for lunch. I spend the after- noon in wandering through the bazaars, where the ever- changing crowds afford me continual amusement. JamiarT/ 27. — No news from F ! His steamer should have arrived at Suez two days ago. At nine o'clock this morning I -set out with two other gentlemen for the Pyramids. The Khedive has built a broad and good road thither, and the distance — about ten miles each way — can be accomplished in one of the numerous barouches which are always to be found in the vicinity of the hotels. The road is shaded with trees, and passes over 302 DOTTING S ROUND THE CIRCLE. the new bridge across the Nile near the ferry at old Cairo, a neighborhood thronged at all hours with multitudes of men, women, and children, camels and donkeys, while the various groups around the different cafes form a striking picture. When we are about four miles from our destination, our carriage is surrounded by squads of Arabs of all ages and heights, who, running at full speed, accompany us on our way, all eager to help us ascend the Pyramids. As we pro- ceed, the number of our self-appointed menials is continually increased, and, finally, we descend near the base of Cheops in the midst of a swarming army of desperate-looking sons of the desert, all clamoring loudly for the wished-for employ- ment. Having arrived at the foot of the Great Pyramid, we are obliged to parley with an old Arab Sheik, who — for what reason no one seems to know — enjoys a sort of royalty from every traveller who ascends to the top. Having prom- ised the Sheik that his demands shall be attended to on our return to earth, and having selected four of the frantic mul- titude wlio surround us, we are marched in triumphal array towards Cheops, two Arabs in front dragging each of ns along, while two more follow close behind in readiness to push us up on to the enormous blocks of stone of which the Pyramids are composed. Mark Twain well says, that each stone " is as large as a dinner-table " ; and it actually takes the combined exertions of the four Arabs, pushing and pulling, to get the visitor to the top. After enduring this UP THE RED SEA TO CAIRO. 303 torture for about five minutes, I am so completely exhausted that I am obliged to rest, and sinking down on to a broad stone, I look down at my companion, an old gentleman of over fifty years of age, — for my other comrade, having ascended once before, utterly refused to submit to the pummelling again, — whom I see toiling bravely up from stone to stone, pausing at frequent intervals to rest. My drooping spirits having been revived by a few swallows of water admin- istered by a small boy who accompanies us with an earthen bottle, I once more am put into motion by my attendant demons, who haul me over stone after stone, chanting at the same time the following suggestive chorus, "Arab very good man ! Arab very good man ! " As I am too weak to dispute this at once, I allow them to remain for the time in the belief that I acquiesce in their assertion. At last, after a further ten minutes' work, and a slight rest, I surmount the topmost stone, and with a wild whoop, the Arabs set me down on the summit. This is a flat surface, thirty-two feet square. It is covered with the names and initials of travellers from all parts of the world, and the monogram of the Prince of Wales is very conspicuous. The view from this point is very fine. Directly in front, only a little distance off, is the smaller pyramid of Cephrenes ; near by is the Sphinx ; while in the distance stretches on one side the burning sands of the desert, and on the other the fertile valley of the Nile. Having surveyed the prospect at my leisure, I begin to 304 DOTTING S ROUND THE CIRCLE. wonder why the old gentleman does not appear, and, going to the edcje, I look down towards the base. Far below me I see a group of figures, who resemble dwarfs, slowly descend- ing, while one in the middle, with a long white rope tied round his waist, is being lowered down from stone to stone by the others. I conclude from this that the old gentleman has given up the ascent in espair, and, indeed, so it proves. While standing on the summit, the Arabs beseech me to allow them to run down the Great Pyramid and up the side of Cephrenes, — a feat which they promise to accomplish in an incredibly short space of time if sufficient inducement is offered. I decline, however, and express a wish to descend. This opera- tion is far less arduous than the ascent, but even in this the assistance of the Arabs is necessary. Having reached the foot, aching in every bone, I signify my desire to enter the pyramid and explore the inner chamber where the sarcoph- agus was originally deposited. This also is a task of no slight discomfort. The entrance itself is only between four and five feet high; and after stooping low and passing in, I find a series of worn foot-holes, by which I descend rapidly down a narrow passage one hundred and seven feet long. This passage is perfectly dark, but the guides light a couple of candles (after obtaining a promise of extra hachsheesJi), which serve to show the cavities in which one must place his foot. Having arrived at the end of the descent, I am pushed and pulled by the Arabs over a huge bowlder which seems to UP THE RED SEA TO CAIRO. 305 have been the seal to the inner chamber, and from here an . ascent begins, part of which must be accomplished on hands and knees. At last I find myself in a long narrow apartment, called the Great Gallery. Here I discover the old gentleman, leaning against the wall, looking very faint, and fanning himself with his hat, and surrounded by a hevj of Arabs, who are taking advantage of his exhaustion to fiercely de- mand bacJcsheesJi ; and so persistent are they, that the old gentleman is obliged to give them something to make them leave him for a few moments in peace ; and on my arrival I find him recklessly dealing out shillings to the rascals, who receive each donation with a whoop of fiendish delight. Proceediug a little farther, I reach the Queen's Chamber, the roof of which is composed of huge blocks w^hich have been most ingeniously joined together. In the eastern end of this room is a niche, where the stones have been broken by Arabs in search of treasure. Eeturning to the Great Gallery I am shown a narrow, funnel-shaped passage called the "Well. This leads down to another chamber, where the body of the builder is believed to have been originally laid. As the old gentle- man wishes to get into the outer air as soon as possible, and as I have had enough crawling for one day, we do not descend to this spot. Having returned to our carriage we come to a financial set- tlement with the old Sheik and his minions, and after much useless conversation at last make matters satisfactory. "We 306 DOTTINGS ROUND THE CIRCLE. then visit the Sphinx, which does not quite answer my ex- pectations; and after spending a few moments inspecting a ruined tomb near by, we return once more to our carriage, where lunch is awaiting us. While discussing our meal we are pressed upon from all sides by Arabs who offer to sell us all sorts of "antiquities" (large quantities of which are manu- factured in England), and who urge us also to allow them to " run up the Great Pyramid and down again for one shilling," — a feat which they promise to accomplish in eight minutes or forfeit the money. As we hardly believe it can be done in this time, we give the word to a fine-looking, athletic fellow, and off he starts. It is wonderful to see the agility with which he rises from stone to stone, and he reaches the top, apparently with the greatest ease, in just four minutes. His descent is as rapidly accomplished, and he arrives back at our carriage in seven minutes and a haK from the time of his start ! We now turn our horses towards Cairo, and after retracing our steps for some time, stop near the banks of the Nile and leave the carriage to inspect a dalmbeyeh, or Nile boat, in which parties ascend the river. These are long wide crafts, fitted up with some degree of comfort ; but a large and ilierry party must be required to make the time pass pleasantly. Continuing our way we reach the hotel in time for dinner. January 28. — Still no news of F . It is probable that his steamer has been detained at some port to receive extra cargo or passengers. UP THE RED SEA TO CAIRO. 307 I go to-day to the Tombs of the Mamelukes, which are by no means equal to the stately marble cenotaphs of the old Indian Eajas. At three o'clock I pay a visit to the temple of the Dancing Dervishes. Passing up a narrow alley I emerge into a small court-yard, on one side of which is an insignifi- cant-looking building with a small door at one end, by which my guide bids me enter. I find myself in a room about thirty feet by twenty, with a gallery running round the walls, part of which, separated and covered by a wooden lattice-work screen, is devoted to any ladies of the harems who may wish to observe the sacred rites. Nearly the whole floor of the temple is enclosed by a wooden circular railing, inside of which are standing about thirty men of all ages, with long flowing garments, shaved heads, and curious hats. About twenty-five spectators from the world at large are standing round the rail- ing, on the outside, waiting for the worship to begin. In about five minutes a tall, very old man with a long beard enters the room from a side door, and marches slowly into the mystic circle. AU the other priests remain standing till he has seated himself on a Turkish rug at the upper end of the apartment. As soon as the chief priest is seated, the rest all sit down around him, — the whole assemblage forming a large circle, — and bowing their heads low over their laps they remain thus motionless for nearly five minutes. Finally the chief priest rises, and making one solemn bow to the others, walks slowly round the room, all the rest bending low 308 DOTTINGS ROUND THE CIRCLE. as he passes. Having completed the circuit of the room, the old fellow starts on another round, this time followed by all the other priests, each one falling into line as the procession passes him. When the chief priest has once more reached his rug, he leaves the others to proceed without him, and sit- ting down, sinks his head on his breast and relapses into deep meditation. The other priests walk completely round the room twice more, after which they all return to their places and stand motionless for several minutes. At last the priest who is on the right of the patriarch steps forward, makes him a low bow, and crosses over to his opposite neighbor, to whom he performs a similar obeisance. He then stretches both arms straight out before him and suddenly begins to spin round and round, his long petticoats standing out like a bell around his feet. Scarcely is he well under weigh when the priest next in order goes through the same ceremonies, and, like the first, is soon twirling round and round with extended hands. All the priests, likewise, are soon in motion, with the exception of the patriarch, whose years evidently prevent him from join- ing in the dizzy whirl. After witnessing this incessant spinning for some time, and learning from my guide that there is nothing further of inter- est to be seen, I call a carriage and set out for Heliopolis, the ruins of the ancient On, situated about seven miles from the city. On the way we pass the tomb of Malek Adel, the brother of Saladin. Near Heliopolis a very old sycamore-tree UP THE RED SEA TO CAIRO. 309 may be seen, under which the Holy Family are said to have rested on their flight into Egypt; but this legend has been pronounced impossible by naturalists, who declare that the tree is only two hundred years old. The only trace of Heli- opolis is a solitary obelisk, sixty-two feet high, covered with curious hieroglyphics. January 29. — As F has not yet arrived, and as there is no of&ce of the steamship company in Cairo, I decide to push on to Alexandria to make inquiries of the agent. Leav- ing Cairo, therefore, at eight o'clock this morning, I reach Alexandria, distant one hundred and sixty-two miles, at noon, and go to Abbat's Hotel. 310 DOTTING S ROUND THE CIRCLE. CHAPTER XX. ALEXANDRIA TO FLORENCE. Alexandria. — Pompey's Pillar. — Cleopatra's Keedle. — The Cata- combs. — Across the Mediterranean to Brindisi. — Arrival at Florence. January SO. — Alexandria, situated on very low, sandy- land, has a population of two hundred and fifty thousand, nearly one half of whom are foreigners. The native quarter of the city consists of narrow, dirty streets, lined with mul- titudes of wretched houses. Near the shore of the new harbor, where the Europeans dwell, are fine large warehouses, hand- some residences, hotels, and churches. The site of the ancient Pharos is now occupied by a modern lighthouse. The cele- brated library, which contained seven hundred thousand vol- umes, stood near the present British consulate. Cleopatra's Needle, Pompey's Pillar, and the Catacombs are objects of interest for the traveller of to-day. Here St. Mark was martyred, and here, too, some of the most eminent fathers of the Church were born. Soon after my arrival yesterday, I went to the office of the Austrian Lloyd Steamship Company to inquire about the vessel on which F took passage. I was told by the ALEXANDRIA TO FLORENCE. 3II agent that the steamer reached Aden two days late, but nothing has been heard from her since that time. She is therefore long over-due at Suez. In conversation last evening with an Englishman at the hotel, I was assured that it would be foolish to set out for the Holy Land at present, as the rainy season is not yet over, and tent-life would be unendurable. Moreover, the telegraph reports snow and rain at Constan- tinople ; and as I have so lately come from the tropics, I dare not expose myseK to cold weather. In short, my future movements are entirely uncertain, and I know not what to decide. I attend the English Church this morning, and hear a sermon from Bishop Gobat of Jerusalem. In the afternoon I procure a donkey and a guide, and set out for Pompey's Pillar. This is a shaft of red granite, sixty-eight feet high, and nine feet in diameter at the bottom. Two British naval officers and an English lady are said to have ascended to the top by means of a strong kite and a succession of ropes, but the story can hardly be believed. Why the pillar bears Pompey's name has never been determined. From here may be seen Lake Mareotis, which connects the Nile with the Mediterranean. I now proceed to Cleopatra's Needle, situated near the coast. This is a single red granite block, seventy feet high, .and seven and a half feet wide at the base. Its four faces are adorned with three lines of hieroglyphics. The cen- 312 DOTTINGS ROUND THE CIRCLE. tral bears the name of Thothmo III. It is said that the lateral lines were sculptured in the time of Sesostris. This piUar is one of four erected originally at Heliopolis, and brought hither by one of the Caesars. Another is now in Paris; and a third, given to the English, has not yet been removed, but is lying neglected in the sand. January 31. — I call this morning at the steamship office. No further news has been received from F 's steamer. What shaU I do ? I do not wish to stay longer in this city ; the fleas alone are sufficient to urge my departure. I am unable, as I have said, to visit Palestine or Constantinople at present. I decide, therefore, to cross over to Italy. The steamship Pera (which carried me from India) has been delayed in the Suez Canal, but is to leave for Brindisi to-morrow, and I conclude to continue my journey in the care of her good captain. I leave a letter for F explaining my de- parture, and urging him to inform me promptly of his arrival in Egypt. Before going aboard the steamer, I visit the Catacombs, situated about three miles from the city. Having arrived at my destination, I descend (accompanied by several officious Arabs with pine-torches) into a spacious circular chamber from which a series of subterranean galleries extend on all sides into the hill. The recesses for the mummies are plainly to be seen, but the mummies themselves have been removed. On my return to the hotel I collect my luggage and go ALEXANDRIA TO FLORENCE. 313 on board the steamship Peru, which is anchored off the town. February 1. — "We start at eight o'clock this morning, and are soon out of sight of land. Among the passengers are Lord and Lady Francis Cunningham, Captain Hoskioer (from whom I parted in Calcutta), and Mr. and Mrs. Charles Matthews. February 3. — We run, to-day, close to the island of Can- dia, which with its snow-capped hills looks exceedingly picturesque. Towards evening the sea becomes very rough, and the ship tosses about incessantly. A cold head wind greatly impedes our progress. February If,. — At daybreak this morning the flat shores of Italy can be seen, and at nine o'clock we enter the harbor of Brindisi, the ancient Brundisium, at the end of the old Via Appia. The modern town contains about twelve thou- sand inhabitants. At half past one I leave on the special express for Bologna, where I must change cars for Florence, to which city I am bound. For many miles the railroad runs parallel to the blue waters of the sea. Our train rushes past groves of olive-trees, and through picturesque towns musical with chiming bells, with ancient monasteries and old castles perched on the topmost crag of overhanging hills. At Foggia, where we stop for supper, several of our fellow- passengers leave us to branch off to Eome or Naples. We reach Ancona at midnight. 314 DOTTINGS ROUND THE CIRCLE. February 6. — At five o'clock this morning our train moves into the long covered station at Bologna, where I alight for "breakfast. At seven o'clock I am again on the road, with seventy-one miles still to accomplish. The weather is cold and disagreeable. Flurries of snow dash against the car- windows, and swift streams, running down the mountain-side, add sharpness to the air. The scenery around us is most beautiful, but long tunnels continually break the view. At last, at noon, the train leaves the hills and moves slowly out on to a plain. A fair city lies before us. It is hdla Firenze with its Duomo, its Campanile, and its slowly flowing Arno. ITALY TO FRANCE. 315 CHAPTER XXI. ITALY TO FEANCE. Florence. — Naples. — Rome. — Venice. — Milan. — Turin. — Arrival AT Paris. February 12. — For a week I have wandered about this in- teresting city, ever finding fresh delights on all sides. Edward Everett says: "There is much in every way in the city of Florence to excite the curiosity, to kindle the imagination, and to gratify the taste." True indeed. The Campanile, the Duomo, and Santa . Croce ; the Pitti and Ufiizi galleries, with their wonderful paintings and sculpture; the curious Palazzo Vecchio; the venerable Ponte Vecchio, and the other grace- ful bridges that span the Arno ; the quaint houses and ever- var3dng street scenes, — all afford continual amusement and instruction. In the afternoons I walk slowly along by the Arno, and watch the gay crowds hurrying to the Cascine Promenade. There is a young noble, the representative of a long line of ancestors whose names are written in history, driving a splendid equipage at full speed. Behind him fol- lows sedately the heavy carriage of an old countess, with the family crest emblazoned on the panel. There goes an American guiding ten horses hitched tandem ; while on 3l6 DOTTING S ROUND THE CIRCLE. the foot-path in front of me are senators, officers, and peasants. Later, when the sun is nearly out of sight, I walk up the hill to the old church of San Miniato. At my feet are the thickly clustered houses of Florence, with the Arno and its bridges ; in the distance are beautiful hills studded with mon- asteries and old fortresses; afar off, the snow-capped Apen- nines shine dazzlingly forth against the pure blue sky. On my way back I pass several Dominican monks hurrying along to their evening service at a neighboring chapel, whose bell sounds clearly through the evening air. Below in the city, I stop and wait for a few minutes with uncovered head, while a dead man is carried by on a bier, followed by a long pro- cession of Brothers of IMisericordia with their long black cloaks and masks. A peasant-girl, closing the shutters of an humble shop near by, is chanting, half unconsciously, an evening hymn. The gas-lamps on the Lung' Arno form glittering lines of light. The rattling cabs are at rest ; while the drivers, standing near their vehicles on the street-corners, are giving the horses their feed, or are discussing with animated gestures the latest news from the Vatican, or the last action of the Italian senate. A mantle of repose has descended upon the city, and the massive walls of its ancient palaces are covered with silence and gloom. February 15. — To-day I received a letter from F ! His ill-fated steamer has at last reached Suez. In regard to his ITALY TO FRANCE. 3^7 voyage he says : " I have not yet told you the cause of our delay. On our arrival at Aden the captain found orders await- ing him to go up to Jeddah (in the Red Sea) and take aboard some pilgrims returning from the feasts at Mecca. So up to Jeddah we went and stopped there a day, and took five hun- dred of these creatures on our deck. You may imagine that there was not very much room for the first-class passengers to walk about; and when a storm came on, and the forward part of the deck was almost constantly under water, the wretches had to be moved aft, and then the captain's bridge was the only thing left to us for two days. In addition to this, on account of having pilgrims on board, we were obliged to go into quarantine at a small town called Wedge (about two hundred miles from Suez), and there we stayed for four days "We really ran a gTcat risk; for althoiigh we had no cholera, we had small-pox on board We were allowed to leave on the morning of the fourth day." F is now making preparations to start up the Nile, and it is doubtful if I rejoin him. March 2. — I leave Florence at half past seven this morn- ing for Xaples. March 3. — I reach Naples at daybreak, this morning. I am unable to obtain accommodation at the Tramontana Hotel (well situated on high ground), but I am received near by at the Nobile, a new hotel. Here I find two college friends, G. W., of Boston, and W. C. S., of Brooklyn. They amved 3l8 DOTTING S ROUND THE CIRCLE, last evening, and we agree to explore the neighborhood to- gether. After breakfast we set out. We visit Baiee, Pozzuoli, the villas of Caesar and Cicero, old Eoman temples, Mount Solfatara, the Baths of Nero, Lake Avernus, and the Cavern of the Sibyl. In an old ruined temple we witness the taran- tula dance. On our way back we stop at Virgil's tomb. March 4- — We set out this morning for Pompeii and Cas- tellamare. Leaving the railroad at Torre Annunziata we visit Pompeii, where we remain till afternoon. At four o'clock we continue our way, and reach Castellamare at sunset. The Qui- sisana Hotel, situated on a high hill overlooking the town, is a healthy and comfortable residence. March 5. — We drive, this morning, to Sorrento on the fine road which runs along the bluffs close to the sea. The view on all sides is superb. On our arrival at Sorrento we find it is use- less to embark for Capri, for a fog is rolling in from the sea. We explore the town and return to Castellamare in the afternoon. March 6. — We spend the day in the Musuem at Naples. March 8. — Yesterday my friends embarked for Athens and Constantinople.* They urged me to accompany them, but I have had enough of the sea for the present. I leave, to-day, for Piome. With Naples and her en\arons I am charmed. The inhabitants of Southern Italy are more interesting than As they were returning to Italy, some weeks afterwards, their steamer collided with an English steamer and sank immediately. My friends, how- ever, were saved. ITALY TO FRANCE. 319 their fellow-countrymen of the North. Here one sees more picturesque costumes and more beautiful faces. The laughter and animation of the people accords well with the blue skies and the bright sunlight. I leave Naples at haK past two, and reach Eonie at 8 p. m. March 13. — Modern fashion makes of Kome in the winter season a cosmopolitan dwelling-place, a gay city, whose im- mense hotels afford shelter for the multitudes who meet each other at balls and parties, and who visit, en x>assant, the rich antiquities around them. Stand in the centre of the Forum ; before you are two great establishments whose walls are but a stone's-throw from the historic ground. Along the neighboring street roll hand- some equipages with liveried footmen. Thus surrounded, it is hard to repeople this spot in imagination, — to recall the sena- tors hurrying over this very pavement to the senate-house; the consuls with their attendants; and the multitudes who once stood in this very place listening to the wonderful elo- quence of Cicero. Never have I seen a city of the past suf- fering such continual transformations from the hand of the inexorable present. I have visited the chief objects of interest in the city. I continue my way northward to-morrow. Returning to my hotel I pass the church of the Capuchin monks. I enter, and, accompanied by one of the brothers, I descend to the vaults beneath, fiUed with a ghastly assemblage. Here are ranged 320 DOTTINGS ROUND THE CIRCLE. the skeletons of brothers long dead. Wrapped in the robes of their order, with their cowls drawn over their grinning skulls, and their bony fingers clutching their rosaries, they stand as hideous sureties to the monks of death's never-failing memory. Around the walls are patterns formed of bones. " Shall you be placed here when you die ? " asks another visitor of our conductor. " Yes," he replies stolidly (and point- ing among the horrible group), "we shall all lie there." March l^-. — Leaving Eome this morning at ten o'clock, I reach Florence at seven. March 16. — I continue my journey and reach Venice at 5 P. M. The cars leave me on the brink of a broad canal, in which many long, narrow, black gondolas are hurrying up and down, while a score lie close to the station waiting, like so many cabs, to convey passengers and their luggage to the different hotels. I enter one, and in a minute more I am in the middle of the Grand Canal, skimming along with the most delicious sensation of ease that can be imagined. Soon we turn off into another "street," and, moving almost on a level with the lower stories of the houses, draw up at last by the broad stone steps reaching from the hotel door into the water. It is astonishing how still the city is. There are of course no horses or carts, and the only sound is the mo- notonous " swish " of the gondoliers' paddles, accompanied from time to time by warning shouts as the sharp prows turn suddenly round the corner of an old palace. ITALY TO FRANCE. 321 Soon after dinner I step from the hall of the hotel into a gondola, and am soon deposited at the foot of the steps lead- ing to the Teatro Fenice, and in a moment more I am on the floor of one of the largest theatres in Italy. The opera is "Hamlet"; the audience is numerous, well dressed, appre- ciative, and critical. March 17. — Having obtained an intelligent guide, I spend the day in visiting the well-known points of interest in the city. I wander over the Piazza S. Marco and the Doge's palace ; I pause in the great square, and see the pigeons coming in myriads to be fed at a window, and in the square itself; then I proceed to the mosaic manufactory, stopping on the way at the church of Santa Maria Gloriosa di Frari. From here w^e go to the palace of the present Prince Jova- nelli, after which I visit the churches of Gli Scalzi (the bare- footed Carmelites) and Santa Maria della Salute. Finally I ascend to the chamber at the top of the Campanile, whence a grand view can be obtained of this wonderful water-city. There is something about Venice, with its old palaces, its canals and gondolas, its stillness, — almost intense, — that makes it seem truly like a city of the past ; modern fashion has not yet — to outward appearance — invaded it, and swept away, as from Piome, the mysterious atmosphere of antiquity. March 18. — I leave Venice at eight o'clock this morning, and reach Milan at 5 P. M. The new Hotel Confortable is a credit to its name. 322 DOTTINGS ROUND THE CIRCLE. March 19. — To-day is Sunday, and I visit the great Cathe- dral, — immense, beautiful, impressive. As I stand in a dis- tant corner, under a magnificent stained-glass window, a procession of priests and choir-boys is marching slowly round near the high altar, chanting a solemn Lenten miserere. I cannot see the singers, but the clear voices (without organ accompaniment), the interior dimness of the Cathedral, relieved only by the soft light admitted by colored windows, and the various groups of peasants bowed low before the different shrines, — together produce in my mind a feeling of perfect calmnesss and awe. From the Cathedral I proceed to the old Dominican Priory (used by the Austrians, at one time, as a stable), where is Leonardo da Vinci's "Last Supper." Leaving Milan at 4 p. M., I arrive at Turin at half past eight. March 20. — Continuing my journey, I leave Turin at 9 A. M. The cars are crowded, and when we arrive at Modena, and change into others, the accommodation is quite insufficient, and we are packed in like bales of goods. March 21. — Passing through the Mont Cenis Tunnel, we reach. Paris at eight o'clock this morning. PARIS, LONDON, AND BOSTON. 323 CHAPTER XXII. PARIS, LONDON, AND BOSTON. Notes on Paris and the French. — Arrival in London. — Embarkation AT Liverpool, — The Cunard Steamship Eussia. — New York to Boston. April 21. — I have been living for a month in a French family near the Arc de Triomphe. I have improved my knowledge of the language, and have obtained a little insight into the life of these remarkable people. How different are their manners and customs from our own ! Small matters of frequent occurrence in America are not comme il faut here ; yet these, I think, are more than overbalanced by abomina- tions which would not be permitted for a day in our coun- try. The excessive politeness of the multitude is only on the surface, and these courtly manners are often far more deceptive and dangerous than the disagreeable but honest brusqueness of a New England farmer. The moral sense of the people is strangely distorted. Sin is called by another name, and vice is concealed under such apparent refinement, that he who applies a harsh term to it is deemed a boor. The family in which I have been living, however, is com- posed of people who are highly cultured and thoroughly 324 DOTTINGS ROUND THE CIRCLE. agreeable ; and yet, withal, tlieir ways are not ours. I have heard and read much about the French boys. I witnessed the other day in this family an occurrence which testifies well to at least one little representative of the nation, Edmond is a boy of seven years of age. Several weeks ago I promised him that he should accompany me some evening to the American circus. Since that time he has had it continually before his mind, and all day yesterday (the time finally agreed upon) he was in a state of the most intense excitement. Now, Edmond's father is a physician ; and when we sat down to dinner last evening, he told his wife in German (which Edmond does not understand) that he could not allow his son to expose himself to a cold fog, which had spread itself over the city. How to break this doleful news to his little boy he could not determine ; he knew that it would almost break the child's heart, for he had looked for- ward to the entertainment for weeks. For his own sake, however, something must be said to him at once. Instead of telling him bluntly (as some parents do) that he could not go, and assigning no reason therefor, he called the child from the dinner-table to the piazza outside. The rest of us remained in silence, awaiting the result of the conversation. The father was evidently explaining his reasons to his son. The firm low tones of the one contrasted with the tremulous but respectful inquiries of the other. At last the father finished, leaving the decision of the matter in his son's hands. PARIS, LONDON, AND BOSTON. 325 Together they returned to the dining-room. The little boy's lip was trembling, but his teeth were firmly shut together. He was making a manly effort to appear calm. There was silence for a minute ; then the mother spoke : " Have you told Edmond why you do not wish him to go ? " " Yes," re- plied her husband ; " and what do you decide, my child ? Will you give this up and go some other time ? " For a moment he hesitated. Then brushing the tears from his eyes he answered in a low despairing tone, " Out, mama." Upon this the old grandfather speaks : " 3fo7i enfant" he says, " vous avez Men fait, et je vous donnerai un franc pour voire petit porte-monnaie." " I will add one, too, my child," says the father ; and I also join in the reward. The boy takes the money and puts it in his little purse. Even then, however, the remembrance of the lost circus causes his eyes to fill with tears ; but turning quickly to us, he says, " Merci grand- papa, merci papa, merci monsieur " (to me) ; then holding his purse up to his mother, he cries out, " Regardez, mania, re- gardez ! " His disappointment is forgotten, and his present pleasure compensates him for his pain. Paris is covered with the exquisite beauty of spring. The skies overhead are deep blue, the sunlight pours over every- thing, and the streets are thronged with gay promenaders and handsome equipages. All the world goes to the Bois in the afternoons, and the different theatres offer most varied entertainments for the evenings. The cafes are crowded, and 326 DOTTINGS ROUND THE CIRCLE. the Boulevards are lined with little tables where people sit and drink coffee, and discuss the news of the day. There is something about this Paris life which is weari- some. The whole place seems given up to pleasure, and the goddess of Gayety perpetually rules supreme. May 8. — I leave Paris at 8 P. m. for London via Calais and Dover. May 17. — I have been constantly occupied since my ar- rival in visiting the well-known objects of interest in the city. To-day I witnessed a debate in the House of Com- mons. Calling on Mr. Ptussell Sturgis, I was introduced by him to Mr. Kirkman Hodgson, M. P., who kindly gave me his card, which admitted me to the lobby, where Mr. Hodgson met me, and conducted me to the gallery. I was astonished to see the members sitting with their hats on; but the speakers were attentively listened to, and the quiet and decorum that prevailed was a contrast to the confusion that one often finds in the House of Eepresentatives at Washington. May 19. — Leaving London at ten o'clock this morning, I reach Liverpool at 1 p. m. May W. — The Cunard steamship Russia is advertised to sail at noon, and passengers are requested to be on board the steam-tender with their ba^crao-e at ten o'clock. Leavinsr the Adelphi Hotel shortly before that hour, I find many passengers and much baggage already on the little steamer, waiting to be conveyed to the larger vessel, which is anchored PARIS, LONDON, AND BOSTON. 327 off the city. At ten o'clock we leave the wharf, and are soon alongside of the great ocean steamer. Now the con- fusion begins. The passengers pour over the ship's side in haste, with bags and bundles in their hands, and rush pre- cipitately to the cabin to find their state-rooms. The sailors from the large steamer descend into the tender, and, grasping the passenger's trunks, carry them to the deck of the Russia, and toss them down in a heap, with a carelessness that would put to shame an American baggage-smasher. A very expensive gun wliicli I carried on board in a case I found lying underneath a heavy trunk, which had been thrown upon it by some thoughtless seaman. At last we are under way, and a comparative amount of order is established. May 21. — We reach Queenstown at nine o'clock this morning, and remain off the town till 1 P. M. Having re- ceived the late mails and a few passengers, we continue our voyage. May 24- — For four days I have watched with delight the wonderful discipline which has been impressed upon the navigators of this ship. For four days I have endured with ever-increasing disgust the disorder that reigns in the dining- cabin at meal-times. On deck the sailors perform their duties with a quiet precision which assures the traveller that the company fully appreciate the responsibility of the many human beings committed to their care. Captain Cook him- seK is perpetually on the watch, and nothing is left undone 328 DOTTINGS ROUND THE CIRCLE. that human efforts can accomplish. The interior management of the ship is, as I have said, far from satisfactory. We have by no means our full complement of passengers, and yet at table it is difficult to get attention. Besides this, the food — of good quality itseK — is often carelessly prepared and un- inviting. The waiters hurry hither and thither noisily, drop plates and dishes with loud clatter, and do not seem to work with any system or under any directing eye. The Chinese waiters on the Pacific Mail Steamers, governed by an American head-steward, put these English assistants to shame. The dinners, instead of being served slowly in courses, are put for the most part upon the table in a disorderly heap, and a mere pretence is made of pausing between the fish, meat, and dessert. In short, the company have obtained such a just reputation for excellent seamanship, that they care very little about the comfort of passengers. Any complaints made in regard to the minor details of the ship are answered with the remark that safety is placed before ease. " In long years of navigation on the dangerous Atlantic," they say, " we have never lost a passenger. We cannot allow considerations of comfort to interfere with the proper care of life." It seems to me that these two departments are by no means inconsistent with each other. In aU my travels round the world, over many oceans and seas, I have never seen steamers more carefully navigated than the boats of the Cunard Company; I have only seen their system equalled in PARIS, LONDON, AND BOSTON. 329 one case, — the Fera of the Peninsula and Oriental Company, commanded by Captain Methven. But, on the other hand, I have only once seen their equal in bad table management, — on the boats of the Netherlands India Company, running from Singapore to Java. There is no reason why the excellent care of the deck should be the only recommendation of the Cunarders. If the comfort of the passengers was more re- garded, these steamers would be the patterns of the world. As it is, they are far from deserving the title. May 30. — We are in sight of land ! Early this morning America was seen by the lookout. At one o'clock we pass Sandy Hook. Continuing our way we see beautiful green fields, and pleasant-looking houses perched on the neighbor-: ing hills. We see our country's flag floating over buildings in the distant city, and flying from the countless crafts w^hich pass up and down by our side. At 5 P. M. we reach the dock, and, soon after, I am once more in my native land. June 5. — Having visited the Exposition at Philadelphia, I leave New York this morning at ten o'clock for Boston. The journey is quickly accomplished. At 5.40 the train moves slowly into the station, and comes to a stand-still. I have travelled around the world, and, thank God, have reached my home in safety. 330 DOTTINGS ROUND THE CIRCLE. CHAPTER XXIII. THE DANCING-GIRLS OF JAPAN. [A paper read before the Papyrus Club, April 5, 1879.]* The Dancing-Girls of Japan. — Translation from Tasi. — Feng-Shtti. — Translation of Passport to Peking. — Shakyamuni Gautama Buddha. -^TiT for Tat. A SHORT time ago I was requested by one of the Executive Committee to write an article to be read at this meeting of the Papyrus Club. Piemembering the pleasure that the contribu- tions of other members had given me at past reunions, I replied that I would do what I could to amuse the Club, and would endeavor to prepare an essay; and I inquired if my friend could suggest a subject. He answered that it would be well. * When I entered the parlors of the Club on the above evening, before going in to dinner I was informed by one of the members that a Japanese gentleman of culture and position was our guest on that occasion. I immediately sought an introduction to him, told him frankly of the paper I had prepared, and requested him to state freely if the discussion of such a subject would be distasteful to him. He answered that he should be veiy glad to hear a paper on the John Nuge by a foreigner : "It is a national dance," said he, "and has been practised in Japan without change for countless years. It is a curiosity well worth investigation and criticism." I had the pleasure, soon after, of sitting next to this gentleman at dinner. Wlien the time came for my essay, he listened with attention, and, at its close, he was called upon by the president to criticise it, which he did thor- oughly and kindly ; and he related the supposed origin of the dance, which I am unable to fully recall. THE DANCING-GIRLS OF JAPAN. 33 1 for me to write about "something in my line," and proposed that I should read to the Club an original thesis on some legal subject. I thanked him and withdrew to consider. On reflec- tion it seemed to me decidedly doubtful if I could prepare a legal paper that would be of interest to the Club. It is possible, thought I, that with the aid of Mr. Fearne's excellent treatise, I might reo-ale the Club with a discussion of the doctrine of the Contingent Eemainder, or of an Executory Devise; but I was afraid that I might meet the same reception as that attorney who argued this subject before a certain judge for a whole mornin":, and besjan it agjain in the afternoon with the remark, "I will continue if the Court please," and was overwhelmed with the reply, " You may continue, sir, hut the Court does not please'' Besides, I reflected, my essay at best must be biassed. There are only two subjects on whicli the legal profession are unanimous : first, that business is dull ; and second, that it is a pity to alloM' any more men to become lawyers. In short, I decided that a legal essay was out of the question. When, therefore, I announce to you that my subject for this evening is The Dancing-Girls of Japan, I wish to assure you, and especially my friend of the Executive Committee, that this is not " in my line." I am not a professor in this branch, neither do I wish or expect to administer to any morbid or prurient tastes. For even if I had such an unworthy desire, I am confident it would not be reciprocated by the members of the Papyrus Club. But as I was fortunate enough to pass 332 DOTTING S ROUND THE CIRCLE. some time in Japan during a recent journey around the world, I propose to give you an account of some strange sights to which I was introduced soon after my arrival in the land of the Mikado. After a pleasant voyage across the Pacific in the summer of 1875, I landed at Yokohama on the 26th day of August. I shall not here detail my first impressions of Japan, or my doings in Yokohama and Yedo. For an account of these I refer you to a work which Mr. Ticloior * will be happy to supply you with in any reasonable quantity. Suffice it to say, that the even- ing before my departure from Yokohama for a trip through the famous Inland Sea, I was sitting at the English Club engaged in conversation with an American merchant, a resident of Yo- kohama, when the following conversation ensued : " Do you leave to-morrow ? " said my friend. " Yes," I replied. " And on what steamer?" I mentioned the name unconcernedly, when he leaped to his feet, crying out, " You 're in luck. is the purser of that boat ; one of the best fellows on the line. I '11 introduce you to him, and 1 '11 tell him to show you a John Nuge at Nagasaki." I thought I should be delighted to be presented to John Nuge — whoever he might be — and I thanked my friend for his kind proposal. About four o'clock of the afternoon of the next day I went aboard the steamer, which was lying in the harbor of Yokohama, with steam up and about to start. True to his promise, my friend soon appeared, and, seeking the purser of the vessel, pre- * Of Houghton, Osgood, h Co. A member of the Club. THE DANCING-GIRLS OF JAPAN. 333 sented me to him. This purser was a tall Southerner who had been an officer in the Confederate army, and, subsequently, a little of everything. He received me very cordially, and told me to command him in any way I might desire. Just before leaving us, my friend took the purser aside, and whispered to him, — loud enough for me to hear, — " Get him up a John Nuge at Nagasaki." The purser answered that nothing would give him more pleasure. The bell then rang to announce our departure, and my friend returned to the town. After a pleasant run through the Inland Sea, stopping at the interesting town of Kobe, which is close by Osaka, the old capital of Japan, on a pleasant September afternoon our steamer approached Nagasaki. The town is built at the foot of a semi- circle of high hills. At the base is what is called the Bund, or quay. Near by are the warehouses and stores, and above, stretching upwards, and nestling among the beautiful hills, are the cool and picturesque residences of the inhabitants. Our steamer dropped anchor between a United States man-of-war and a German frigate. It was just after sunset, and the water was without a ripple. From one direction floated the strains of the Star-Spangled Banner ; from the other, the Watch on the Rhine. Then lights began to twinkle along the Bund, and in the houses on the hilL Suddenly our reverie was broken by the steamer's gong announcing supper, — and we were re- called to the realities of life. Immediately after supper we observed the purser engaged in 334 DOTTING S ROUND THE CIRCLE. earnest conversation with his native servant. His fluent Japanese periods were frequently interrupted with energetic gestures towards the shore, and to a part of the town built upon the side of the hill. The Japanese listened with the closest attention, and at the conclusion of the purser's remarks his countenance relapsed into a broad grin ; and nodding his head incessantly, and smiling to himself, he called a sampan, — a native boat for carrying passengers, — and was rowed quickly ashore. Then the purser approached us, and informed us that he had made all the necessary arrangements for a John Nii^ge, and would accompany us to the town in haK an hour. We promised to be ready at that time. Promptly at half past seven the purser summoned a sampan, and we pushed off for the town. Our party consisted of my two American fellow-travellers, a German merchant on his way to Hongkong, the purser, and myself. On landing at the Birnd the purser conducted us through the narrow streets, and past the curious houses, until, after a partial ascent of the hill, he stopped us at the door of a long and high house whose upper windows were brilliantly lighted. A few hurried words in Japanese to the doorkeeper obtained us admission. A native servant led us up a steep flight of stairs into a sort of anteroom, where we were met by an old woman who talked Japanese very fast in a very high key. Again the persuasive tones of the purser secured us attention, and soon the old woman was bowing and saluting each of us in turn, to which we responded THE DANCING-GIRLS OF JAPAN. 335 as the forms of the country required. Then, at a word from the old woman, a sort of slide was pushed back, and we were ushered into a long hall, brightly lighted, and with many paper- covered windows thrown open to admit the cool night-breeze from the sea. Around the upper end of the hall — to which we were immediately conducted — was a kind of divan, in front of which was spread a collation, consisting of several dishes of very peculiar food, and cups of the native saki. Near the door by which we had entered, a group of native musicians were seated cross-legged on the floor, tuning and twanging their curious instruments in preparation for the melody about to begin. In another part of the room was a bevy of dancing-girls, some of whom were continually passing in and out by a door near by. These girls were all young, and were very graceful, and pleasing in countenance and general appearance. The oldest was twenty-three ; the youngest was seventeen. They were dressed in the ordinary costume of their country, and all wore the usual house-slipper of braided straw. The old woman now addressed them in a few loud and shrill remarks, whereupon they all bowed to us and greeted us with some polite remark of welcome. They then came forward, and asked us to be seated on the divan at the upper end of the room, and immediately proceeded to pass to us the various articles of food, of which they invited us to partake. Suddenly the old woman clapped her hands; the girls all scampered off into an adjoining room ; a burst of harsh sound 33^ DOTTINGS ROUND THE CIRCLE. came from the musicians ; and soon the dancers reappeared, each with a bright scarf wound tightly about her. Then the musicians struck up a slow, irregular refrain ; the girls formed themselves into two long lines, and the dance began. It was a sort of slow promenade, backward and forward, and now winding in and out; and, as they danced, first one side and then the other chanted the following refrain: — John Nuge ! * John Nuge ! John, John, Nuge, Nuge ! Yokohama, Hakodate, Nagasaki, Hoi ! which signified, " stranger, we dance you the John Nuge,. We welcome you to our shores. Is it your pleasure that dancing- girls should appear before you from Yokohama, or Hakodate, or Nagasaki ? " And as they danced they clapped their hands in time to the music, which sometimes waxed fast and furious, and each struck the open palm of her vis-a-vis in regular measure. Woe to that girl who hit her neighbor's hand out of time ! A forfeit must then be paid, which I should not recommend as an addition to our games of forfeit in this country. For, as soon as a dancer missed, she was obliged, as a penalty for her carelessness, to remove some one article of her dress; and as the music often came by fits and starts it was not long before several unfortu- nates were found. The first laid aside her shoes, the second a • John has a sound between our word John and Yon. Nuge is pronounced Nu-ae. THE DANCING-GIRLS OF JAPAN. 33/ haudsome head-dress, and the third the beautiful tortoise-shell comb which confined her hair. But, as the dance went on, more mistakes were made, and the consequences became more serious ; garment after garment was forfeited until one of the dancers was reduced to a single robe or costume — and then she was out of the game. Gathering up her clothes, she retreated in haste to the dressing-room, followed by the shrill cries of the musicians and the laughter of the rest of the dancers. She, however, was soon followed by others. The one who remained most clothed to the end was the victor, and was rewarded by the approving shouts of all the native spectators. It was fully an hour and a half before the game was won. The victor was a fine-looking woman from Hakodate, — famous for its dancing-girls. She was left, however, in a decidedly neglige state of apparel. At the conclusion of the dance our hostesses reappeared, dressed with great care, and invited us again to partake of the collation, which we were obliged for the most part to decline. Then, after a speech of thanks from the purser's native servant, — which we dictated, — we withdrew, leaving our fair entertainers to themselves. We had witnessed a peculiar sight; but there was nothing coarse or immodest about the whole affair. The JoJm Nuge is a national dance, and was performed with as much care and precision as an old minuet. The dancers did their utmost to avoid making a mistake, and it was evident from the intense 33^ DOTTINGS ROUND THE CIRCLE. interest expressed by the native musicians, who watched every girl with the closest scrutiny, that a real trial of skill was goincr Do on. Moreover, when an unfortunate mistake demanded a forfeit it was paid modestly and regretfully. The majority of Japanese women are naturally refined and delicate; and although I have sometimes been surprised at certain occur- rences I have observed in the families of these people, I have plamly remarked the innocent unconsciousness which attended them. A TEANSLATION FEOM TASI. As a general rule, travellers in distant countries return home with many curiosities which they have gathered from place to place. Among some mementos that I collected in Japan is a curious old keg, or wooden vessel, which was once used by the natives to carry small quantities of food and drink when journeying from place to place. It is about two feet high, and divided into compartments ; the two upper being for food, and the lower, which is provided with an outlet, for wine. The keg is adorned with a rude landscape representing the neighborhood of the Inland Sea, with a little village built at the base of low hiUs, which two travellers on horseback have just reached. On one side is a long inscription in Japanese characters. Not long ago, a Japanese gentleman was spending an even- I I A TRANSLATION FROM TASI. 339 ing with me, and I asked him to translate the inscription. He said it was an extract from the writings of one of their old poets, Tasi by name ; and as his words are very appropriate to this old "picnic-basket," I append my friend's translation, slightly amended. keg, where shall I now journey with thee ? To the coun- try, or to the seashore ? Hill and valley and lake are each lovely in themselves, but to the thirsty traveller without wine there is no pleasure. Here is a keg with wine. How shall I pass my solitary holiday ? keg, thou art carried by travellers from place to place at all seasons. Thy presence fills my mind with pleasant images. In the early spring, through the wav- ing branches of the willow-trees I hear the warbling nightingale. In summer the cool breeze gently wafts away the fog, and the sight of bamboos refreshes my eyes. In the autumn I see the bright moon shining in her full orb, and smoke wreathing upwards from a peasant's humble cot. In the winter I see families gathered cosily at the fireside, while the blinding snow beats upon the roof. How appropriate that saying of our forefathers, "Wine, thou art better than a thousand medicines ! " 340 DOTTING S ROUND THE CIRCLE. FENG-SHUI* What is Feng-shui? This is a question which has been asked over and over again for the last thirty years. Ever since foreigners were allowed to settle down on the confines of the strange empire of China, this same question has been cropping up continually here and there. When purchasing a site, when building a house, when pulling down a wall, or raising a flag- staff, residents in the Treaty Ports have encountered innu- merable difficulties, and all on account of Feng-shui. When it was proposed to erect a few telegraph poles, when the con- struction of a railway was urged upon the Chinese govern- ment, when a mere tramway was suggested to utilize the coal-mines of the interior, Chinese officials would invariably make a polite bow and declare the thing impossible on ac- count of Feng-shui. When, thirty years ago, the leading mer- chants of the Colony of Hongkong endeavored to place the business part of the town in the so-called Happy Valley, and to make that part of the island the centre of the whole town, they ignominiously failed on account of Feng-shui. When the Hongkong government cut a road, now known as the Gap, to the Happy Valley, the Chinese community was thrown into a state of abject terror and fright, on account of the disturbance which this amputation of the dragon's limbs * See pages 142 and 165.' FENG-SHUI. 341 would cause to the Feng-shui of Hongkong; and when many of the engineers, employed at the cutting, died of Hongkong fever, and the foreign houses already built in the Happy Valley had to be deserted on account of malaria, the Chinese triumphantly declared, it was an act of retributory justice on the part of Feng-shui. When Senor Amaral, the Governor of Macao, who combined with a great passion for constructing roads an unlimited contempt for Feng-shui, interfered with the situation and aspects of Chinese tombs, he was waylaid by Chinese, and his head cut off; and the Chinese called this dastardly deed the revenge of Feng-shui. Surely there must be something in Feng-shui, if it drives the lowest classes of Chinese to commit a foul murder, and is eagerly availed of by ministers of state, as a satisfactory excuse for their own unwillingness to further the progress of trade and civilization. What is Feng-shui ? Sinologues looked through the Chinese classics for an answer to this question, searched through their dictionaries, and found none. Merchants asked their com- pradores and house-boys, What is Feng-shui? but the replies they got were rather obscure and confused, and at best they were told that Feng-shui means "wind and water," and is so called " because it 's a thing like wind, which you cannot com- prehend, and like water, which you cannot grasp." But, strange to say, Chinese constantly assert that for- eigners know all about Feng-shui. When mortality was 342 DOTTINGS ROUND THE CIRCLE. frightful among the Hongkong troops quartered in Murray- Barracks, and the Colonial Surgeon proposed the planting of bamboos at the back of the buildings, the Chinese justly- remarked that this measure was in strict accordance with Feng-shui ; and when it was found that disease was actually checked thereby, they looked upon it as a proof of the vir- tues of Feng-shui. "When foreign residents of Hongkong began to build villas in Pok-foo-lum (which Feng-shui declares to be the best site of the island), when the government began to build a reservoir there, when tanks w^ere built on the north side of Hongkong, and the hillside studded with trees, when the cutting of earth was forbidden in places where there is much decomposed rock, the Chinese in all of these cases supposed foreigners to know more about Feng-shui than they would tell, and the surveyor-general was put down as a profound adept in Feng-shui. Why, they say, there is Gov- ernment House, occupying the very best spot on the northern side of the island, screened at the back by high trees and gently shelving terraces, skirted right and left by roads with graceful curves, and the whole situation combining everything that Feng-shui would prescribe, — how is it possible that for- eigners pretend to know nothing of Feng-shui? Well, if Feng-shui were no more than what our common sense and natural instincts teach us, Chinese Feng-shui would be no such puzzle to us. But the fact is, the Chinese have made Feng-shui a black art, and those that are proficient in this art FENG-SHUL 343 and derive their livelihood from it, find it to their advantage to make the same mystery of it with which European alchemists and astrologers used to surround their vagaries. Every resident of China, however, acquires by a few years' practical intercourse with the Chinese a tolerably clear idea of what Feng-shui is, and most of my readers no doubt know that, practically speak- ing, it is simply a system of superstition, supposed to teach people where and when to build a tomb or to erect a house so as to insure for those concerned everlasting prosperity and happiness. The system of Feng-shui is of comparatively modern origin. Its diagrams and leading ideas are indeed borrowed from one of the ancient classics, but its method and practical applica- tion are almost wholly based on the teachings of Choo-he and others, who lived under the Sung dynasty (a. d. 1126-1278), and whose commentaries to the classics are read in every school. Choo-he's mode of thinking has in fact been adopted by modern Confucianism, and forms the philosophical basis of the whole system of Feng-shui. According to Choo-he there was in the beginning one ab- stract principle or monad, called the " absolute nothing," which evolved out of itself the " great absolute." This abstract prin- ciple or monad, the great absolute, is the primordial cause of all existence. When it first moved, its breath or vital energy, congealing, produced the great male principle. When it had moved to the uttermost it rested, and in resting produced the 344 DOTTINGS ROUND THE CIRCLE. female principle. After it had rested to the utmost extent, it again moved, and thus went on in alternate motion and rest without cessation. When this supreme cause thus divided itself into male and female, that which was above constituted heaven, and that which was beneath formed the earth. Thus it was that heaven and earth were made. But the supreme cause having produced by evolution the male and female prin- ciples, and through them heaven and earth, ceased not its con- stant permutations, in the course of which men and animals, vegetables and minerals, rose into being. The same vital en- ergy, moreover, has continued to act ever since, and continued to act through those two originating causes, the male and female powers of nature, which ever since mutually and alternately push and agitate one another, without a moment's inter- mission. Now, the energy animating the two principles is called in Chinese K'e, or the breath of nature. When this breath first went forth and produced the male and female principles and finally the whole universe, it did not do so arbitrarily or at random, but followed fixed, inscrutable, and immutable laws. These laws or order of nature, called Li, were therefore ab- stractly considered prior to the issuing of the vital breath, and must therefore be considered separately. Again, considering this Li, or the general order of the universe, the ancient sages observed that all the laws of nature and all the workings of its vital breath are in strict accordance with certain mathe- FENG-SHUI. 345 matical principles, which may be traced and illustrated by diagrams, exhibiting the numerical proportion of the universe, called Su, or numbers. But the breath of nature, or the K'e ; the order of nature, called Li ; and the mathematical proportions of nature, called Su, — these three principles are not directlyj cognizable to the senses ; they are hidden from view, and only become manifest through forms and outlines of physical nature. In other words, the phenomena of Xature, her outward forms of appearance, constitute a fourth branch of the system of natural science, called Ying. Now these four divisions — Li, or the general order of nature ; Su, her numerical proportions ; K'e, her vital breath or subtle energies ; and Ying, her forms of appearance — constitute what is popularly called the sys- tem of Feng-shui. We now come to the doctrine of nature's breath. Nature, as I have had occasion to remark before, is looked upon by the Chinese observer as a living, breathing organism, and we cannot be surprised, therefore, to find the Chinese gravely dis- cussing the inhaling and exhaling breath of nature. In fact, with the distinction of these two breaths, — the expanding breath, as they call it, and the reverting breath, — they explain almost every phenomenon in nature. Between heaven and earth there is nothing so important, so almighty and omnipresent, as this breath of nature. It enters into every stem and fibre, and through it heaven and earth and every creature live and move and have their being. Nature's breath is, in fact, but the 346 DOTTINGS ROUND THE CIRCLE. spiritual energy of the male and female principles. Thus, at the commencement, the congelation of the transforming breath of nature is the change from nothing into being of the male prin- ciple. The exhaustion of the transforming breath of nature is the change from existence to non-existence of the female principle of nature. When, therefore, in the beginning, these two principles first issued from "the great absolute," it was then that nature's breath first went forth. But at first nature's breathing was confused and chaotic, so that for some time heaven and earth were not divided ; but when nature's breath reverted, and exhalation and inhalation regularly succeeded each other, heaven and earth, the male and female principles, were divided, and everything in nature was produced in its proper order. Even now, whenever the breath of nature first advances or expands, something like an unshapen foetus is created, which constitutes the germlike beginning of future developments. This shapeless incipient origin of things being light and pure, but not yet possessing any determinate form, belongs to the male, and may be called the superior principle of nature ; but when the determinate shape has been assumed, it manifestly presents itself to view, and constitutes the exact form of things, possessing body, color, shape, and manner. This, being hea^7■, gross, and cognizable to human senses, belongs to the female, and may be called the inferior prin- ciple ; or, in other words, one advancing and one reverting breath, regularly succeeding each other, are the condition of FENG-SHUI. Z47 the constant succession of growth and decay, of life and death, in the physical world. The two breaths of nature are, however, essentially but one breath. The male and female principles, uniting, constitute the beginning of things ; when they disperse they cause decay, dissolution, and death. Sometimes they disperse and again unite. Thus, after their termination they again commence, which constitutes the principle of reproduction, going on throughout nature without intermission. As to the breath that pervades human beings, the energies of nature must here also sometimes get exhausted, and death is that which no man can avoid. At death the grosser parts of man's animal soul descend and return to earth, but the finer parts of his spiritual nature diffuse and expand throughout the w^orld and become either a cloud or a light that appears occasionally, wiU-o'-the- wisps, or ignes fatui, or such like, or a fragrant vapor that sometimes, nobody knows how, affects men's senses and causes them to feel dull, sad, and depressed. Now, this breath of nature, with its constant pulsations, with its ceaseless permutations of expansion and contraction, shows itself in the varied conditions of the atmosphere in a sixfold form, being the originating cause of cold, heat, dryness, moist- ure, wind, and fire. These are sometimes called the six breaths of nature. These six breaths then produce, under the com- bined influence of the five planets and the five elements, the twenty-four seasons, which are therefore generally called the 348 DOTTINGS ROUND THE CIRCLE. twenty-four breaths of nature. The breath of nature allied to the element wood, and guided by Jupiter, produces rain ; com- bined with the element metal, and ruled by Venus, the breath of nature produces fine weather ; joining the element fire, and influenced by Mars, the breath of nature produces heat ; sup- ported by the element water, and ruled by jVIercury, the breath of nature produces cold; and with the help of the element earth, and influenced by Saturn, it causes wind. This is the whole system of Chinese meteorology. But the question now arises, How can we, quite apart from the general working of nature's breath, determine, with refer- ence to any given locality, whether there is a favorable or unfavorable breath there, or any breath at all ? In general, the existence of a pernicious breath will betray itself by outward indications. Wherever there is a hill or moun- tain abruptly rising up from the ground, and running up in bold straight lines, or which shows an exceedingly rugged, rough appearance, without any gradual slopings, there is dangerous breath there. Generally speaking, all straight lines are evil indi- cations, but most especially when a straight line points towards the spot where a site has been chosen. Even suppose you have found a place where both the dragon to the left and the tiger to the right are curved each like a bow, but from the side of each ridges are running down in straight lines, resembling each an arrow laid on a bow, that would be an absolutely dangerous configuration. Or suppose you have found a place FENG-SHUL 349 abounding in good auspices, but some distance opposite you there is a straight-running ridge or water-shed, or say a railway embankment, by no means pointing in the direction of your site, but running across your frontage in a straight line, there would be caused by this line a deadly breath, ruining all your fortunes and those of your descendants. As straight lines of ridges or chains of hills are supposed to produce malign influences, thus it is also with creeks, canals, or rivers that run off in straight lines. Water is in the Feng- shui system always looked upon as the emblem of wealth and affluence. Where the water runs off in a straight course, it will cause the property of people dwelling there to run off and dis- sipate like water. Tortuous, crooked lines are the indications of a beneficial breath, and wiU serve to retain the vital breath where it exists. Another indication of the existence of a malign breath are detached rocks and boulders, unless they are screened and cov- ered by trees and bushes. There are many instances given in geomantic books of tombs situated near rocks and loose boulders ; but the latter being screened by dense vegetation and shaded by high trees, the tomb in question exercised for genera- tions the most beneficial influence, heaping rank, honor, wealth, longevity, progeny, and so forth upon the families whose ances- tors were buried there. But by and by unbelief in Feng-shui, or avidity, or the hatred of a malicious enemy caused the trees to be felled, and the shrubs which screened the boulders to be 350 DOTTINGS ROUND THE CIRCLE. cut down, whereupon immediately sudden disgrace and mis- fortunes came upon those families ; they were deprived of their rank, of their emoluments, their wealth was scattered, and their descendants had to go out upon the highways of life to beg and starve. Hongkong, with its abundance of rocks and boulders scattered about on the hillside, abounds accordingly in malign breath, and the Chinese think our government very wise in endeavor- ing to plant trees everywhere on the hill to screen these harbin- gers of evil. But the most malicious influence under which Hongkong suffers is caused by that curious rock on the edge of the hill near Wanchai. It is distinctly seen from Queen's Eoad East, and foreigners generally see in it Cain and Abel, Cain slaying his brother. The Chinese take the rock to represent a female figure which they call the bad woman, and they firmly and seriously believe that all the immorality of Hongkong, all the recklessness and vice of Taip'ingshan, are caused by that wicked rock. So firm is this belief impressed upon the lowest classes of Hongkong that those who profit from immoral prac- tices actually go and worship that rock, spreading out offerings and burning frankincense at its foot. None dare to injure it, and I have been told by many otherwise sensible people that several stone-cutters who attempted to quarry at the base of that rock died a sudden death immediately after the attempt. Now, all these evil influences, whether they be caused by straight lines of hills or watercourses or by rocks and boulders. FENG-SHUI. 351 can be fended off or counteracted. The best means to keep off and absorb such noxious exhalations is to plant trees at the back of your abode, and keep a tank or pond with a constant supply of fresh water in front of your house. This is the reason why in South China every village, every hamlet, every isolated house, has a little grove of bamboos or trees behind and a pond in front. A pagoda, however, or a wooded hill, answers the same purpose, and for this reason the Heights of Canton, with their five-storied pagoda, are supposed to fend off the evil breath of nature and to protect the whole city. Another device to keep off malign in- fluences is to place opposite your house gate a shield or octag- onal board with the emblems of the male and female principles or the eight diagrams painted thereon, and to give the pathway leading up to your front door a curved or tortuous direction. Lions carved in stone or dragons of burnt clay also answer the same purpose, and may be placed either in front of a building or on the top of the roof ; but by far the best and most effective means is to engage a geomancer, to do what he says, and to pay him well A subject that calls for attention here is the form and shape of the hills, especially the outlines of their summit. I have re- marked above that the summits of hills and mountains are the embodiment of certain heavenly bodies. It is therefore one of the first requirements of a geomancer that he should be able to tell at a moment's glance which star is represented by any given mountain. As to the planets and their counterparts on earth, 352 DOTTING S ROUND THE CIRCLE. the rules by which each mountain may be referred to the one or other of the five planets are very simple. If a peak rises up bold and straight, running out into a sharp point, it is iden- tified with Mars and declared to represent the element fire. If the point of a similarly shaped mountain is broken off and flat but comparatively narrow, it is said to be the embodiment of Jupiter and to represent the element wood. If the top of a mountain forms an extensive plateau, it is the representative of Saturn, and the element earth dwells there. If a mountain runs up high, but its peak is softly rounded, it is called Venus and represents the element metal. A mountain whose top has the shape of a cupola is looked upon as the representative of Mercury, and the element water rules there. ISTow of course, where there are several mountains or hills in close proximity, it is all-important to find out whether the planets and the elements, which these mountains individually represent, form a harmonious peaceful union ; for the luck of a place depends in a great measure upon this, that the planets and elements influencing it should be friendly or allied to each other, either producing each other or indifferent to each other. Suppose there is, close to a hill resembling Jupiter, and there- fore representing the element wood, another with the outlines of ^lars and corresponding to the element fire, it is manifest that this is a most dangerous conjunction. For instance, the peak of Hongkong, presenting the outlines of Jupiter, is under the influence of wood. Now, at the foot of the peak there is FENG-SHU I. 353 the hill called Taip'ingshan, with the outlines of Mars, and there- fore the representative of fire. Now, a pile of wood with fire at the bottom, — what is the consequence ? Why, it is no w^onder that most fires in Hongkong occur in the Taip'ingshan district. We see, therefore, it is most important to consider not only to which planet each hill or mountain belongs, but also the mutual relation, friendly or destructive, of the several planets and elements represented by the different peaks. In general, the association of ideas connected with the outlines of hills and mountains is of great importance. For instance, if a hill resembles in its general contour the form of a broad couch, then its influence will make your sons and grandsons die a premature and violent death. If you build on a moun- tain which resembles a boat turned bottom upwards, your daughters will always be ill, and your sons spend their days in prison. If a mountain reminds one in its general outlines of a bell, whilst at the top there are the outlines of Venus, such a mountain will cause the seven stars of the Great Bear to throw a deadly light upon you which wiU render you and all the members of your family childless. Most dangerous are, also, hills that resemble the one or other of the following objects : a basket, a ploughshare, the eye of a horse, a turtle, a terrace, a meadow. The deepest root of the Feng-shui system grew out of that excessive and superstitious veneration of the spirits of ancestors which, though philosophical minds, like that of Confucius might 354 DOTTING S ROUND THE CIRCLE. construe it on an exclusively moral basis as simply an expres- sion of filial piety, was with the mass of the Chinese people the fruitful soil from which the poisonous weed of rank super- stition sprang up in profusion. Ancestral worship naturally implied the idea that the spirit of deceased ancestors could and would somehow influence the fortunes of their descendants. This superstitious notion, the existence of which can be shown in the most ancient records of Chinese thought that we possess, is the moving spring and leading instinct of the whole Feng- shui system. Feng-shui has a legal status in China. When there is any- where in China a dispute between people on the ground of alleged interference with and disturbance of the Feng-shui aspects of a grave or house, the judicial tribunals of China wiU entertain the claim, examine into its merits, and decide the case on the presumption that Feng-shui is a reality and a truth, not a fiction. Feng-shui has even a political status in China. When a rebellion breaks out in any of the eighteen provinces, the first step invariably taken by the government is not to raise troops, but to despatch messengers instructed to find out the ancestral tombs of the several leaders of the rebellion, to open the tombs, scatter their contents, and desecrate the graves in all possible ways. For this is supposed to be the surest means of injuring the prospects and marring the possible success of the rebels. Again, when land had to be ceded to the hated foreigner up and down the China coast, as a so-called foreign concession, the Chinese FENG-SHU I. 355 governmeiit would invariably select a spot condemned by the best experts in Feng-shui as one that combined a deadly breath with all those indications of the compass which imply dire calamities upon all that settle down there and their children's children. If the spot had not to be ceded by treaty, it would be pointed out to the unsuspecting foreigner as the only one open for sale ; and anyhow the ignorant barbarian sceptics would become the supposed dupe and laughing-stock of the astute Chinaman. Witness, for instance, the views held by intelligent Chinese with regard to the island of Sha-meen, the foreign concession, so to say, of Canton. It was originally a mud flat in the Canton River, in the very worst position Feng-shui knows of. It was conceded to the imperious demand of the foreign powers as the best available place of residence for foreigners ; and when it was found that the Canton trade, once so prodigious, would not revive, would not flourish there, in spite of all the efforts of its supporters, — when it was discovered that every house built on Sha-meen was overrun as soon as built with white ants, boldly defying coal tar, carbolic acid, and all other foreign appli- ances, — when it was noticed that the English Consul, though having a special residence built for him there, would rather live two miles off in the protecting shadow of a pagoda, — it was a clear triumph of Feng-shui and of Chinese statesmanship. Powerful, however, as Feng-shui is, it is by no means an insuperable barrier to the introduction of foreign civilization 356 DOTTING S ROUND THE CIRCLE. in China; for it possesses an extraordinary amount of flexi- bility. It may be turned and twisted by sldlful manipulation to suit almost any combination of circumstances. The most calamitous formation of country, the most portentous accumula- tion of deadly breath or ill-starred influences, can be rectified by skill and unsparing exertion, so that all e\dl influences are either fended off or turned into instruments of blessing. Money, therefore, will go a long way to remove obstacles or collisions with Feng-shui. But it is a dangerous weapon, and will, if once employed, call forth an endless array of claims for money to compensate Feng-shui damages. The only powerful agent likely to overthrow the almost univer- sal reign of Feng-shui in China I conceive to be the spread of sound views of natural science, the distribution of useful knowledge in China. There is one truth in Feng-shui, on which both this Chinese system of natural science and our Western views of physics are based. It is the recognition of the uniformity and universality of the operation of natural laws. There is one great defect in Feng-shui, which our Western physicists have happily long ago discarded. This is the neglect of an experi- mental but at the same time critical survey of nature in aU its details. Let this defect be supplied by a full and popular expo- sition of the aforementioned uniformity and universality of the laws of nature ; let correct views be spread regarding those continually interchanging forces of nature, — heat, electricity, magnetism, chemical affinity, and motion ; — let these views be FENG-SHUI. 357 set forth in as forcible and attractive but popular a form as Choo-he employed, and the issue of the whole cannot be doubtful. The fires of science will purge away the geomantic dross, but only that the truth may shine forth in its golden glory. I began with the question : What is Feng-shui ? I may properly conclude by putting the same question again. What is Feng-shui ? My readers will probably agree with me in the remark that Feng-shui is the foolish daughter of a wise mother. It starts with a few notions of astronomy, or rather astrology, hazy and obscure, but respectable enough, consid- ering that it was more than two thousand years ago that the Chinese took hold of them. It is based on a materialistic scheme of philosophy, which had studied nature, in a pious and reverential yet in a very superficial and grossly supersti- tious manner, but which, trusting in the force of a few logical formulae and mystic diagrams, endeavored to solve all the problems of nature, and to explain ever}i:hing in heaven above and on the earth below with some mathematical categories. The result, of course, is a farrago of nonsense and childish absurdities. The whole system of Feng-shui may contain a bushel of wisdom, but it scarcely contains a handful of common sense. What is Feng-shui, then ? It is simply the blind gropings of the Chinese mind after a system of natural science, which gropings, untutored by practical observation of nature and trusting almost exclusively in the truth of alleged ancient 358 DOTTINGS ROUND THE CIRCLE. tradition and in the force of abstract reasoning, naturally left the Chinese mind completely in the dark.* A striking example of the power of Feng-shui in China has recently occurred. When I was in Shanghai, a railroad was in process of construction to the town of Woosung, distant twelve miles. The road was built entirely by English capital. The Chi- nese government had absolutely refused from the first to have anything to do with it ; and it was only after repeated attempts and manifold discouragements that the English themselves had obtained permission to proceed. The road was opened in the fall of 1877, and was at once a financial success. But it could not contend against Feng-shui. A serious remonstrance went forth to Peking from the common people who dwelt near the line of the road. "The terrible shrieks of the rushing mon- ster," they declared, "disturb the souls of our dead by day. And at night long trails of fire, from the iron fiend, spread death and desolation over our land." And soon after came the news by cable, " The Chinese have destroyed the Woosung railway." * From a course of lectures delivered at Hongkong by Professor Eitel of the London Missionary Society. SHlKYAMUNI GIUTAMA BUDDHA. 359 SHAKYAMUNI GIUTAMA BUDDHA.* [See page 173.] In our present -world there have appeared already seven great Buddhas, the last and greatest of whom was, however, Shakyamuni Gautama Buddha. But before Shakyamuni was bom a Buddha, he had appeared on this earth at least five hun- dred and fifty times, descending perhaps first in a flash of light- ning, then maybe vegetating as a humble plant, reborn again as a worm, again perhaps reborn as a snake, then as a beast, a bird, and so forth. Thus in five hundred and fifty successive stages of transmigration he worked his way up from the lowest forms of existence to the highest, through the various kingdoms of nature, through the different classes of sentient beings, then among the human race from the lowest caste to the highest, and through all the various degrees of intellectual and religious saintship, exhibiting all the time, in every particular walk of life in which he appeared, the utmost unselfishness, absolutely seK-denying and self-forgetting love and charity, constantly sacrificing his life for the benefit of other creatures, animate and inanimate. At last he was reborn in a certain heaven whence all Buddhas come down to earth. Knowing that he was now to be reborn on earth as a Buddha, he goes M'ith the assistance of some * Buddhism munbers among its followers 400,000,000 people. 360 DOTTINGS ROUND THE CIRCLE. other devas through the whole court ahnanac of Indian princes and princesses, and finally selects the king of Kapilavastu and his young bride for his parents. In accordance with this choice, this virgin bride, whose name, Maya, bears a curious resemblance to that of the mother of our Saviour, gives birth to a son, whilst a host of heavenly beings hasten to the spot, and flashes of light announce to all the universe the birth of a Buddha : peace on earth and good-will toward men. The new-born babe is forthwith baptized, and an old saint, called Asita, appears, like the Simeon of the gospel, takes him in his arms, and with tears in his eyes predicts the child's future destinies. He does so, however, by a phrenological examination of the baby's skull, on the top of which he re- marks a curious bump, the indisputable indication of future Buddhaship, In further confirmation of his assertions he points out altogether eighty remarkable features of beauty, and especially a complete network of delicate tracery on the child's skin, where he observes a series of thirty-two ornamental sym- bolic designs most conspicuous on the palms and soles of the baby. In fact, this wonderful child must have come into the world tattooed like a North American Indian. A few years afterwards the baby is presented in a temple, when, lo and behold, all the statues and idols there rise and prostrate themselves before him. When seven years old, teachers are engaged for him, but the teachers find, to their astonishment, that he knows more than they can teach him. I SHAKY AMUNI GAUTAMA BUDDHA. 361 and retire dumfounded. As gymnastic exercises seem then to have formed part of an Indian school education, he was taught gymnastics, and excelled all competitors by strength of muscle. He threw a large elephant to a considerable distance, and shot an arrow so deep into the solid ground that it laid bare a fountain of water. But he, the most beautiful, the most learned, the most power- ful of men, came to sad grief through women. He got mar- ried, and all Buddhistic traditions agree in stating that it was the experiences with the ladies of his harem which dis- gusted liim with the whole world and put him into such a misanthropical mood, that when he once, on a solitary walk, met with a decrepit old man, a young man writhing in the agonies of disease, a dead corpse, and — by way of striking con- trast — a jolly-looking friar, he suddenly ran away from house and home and fled into the wilderness, and became a friar too. In vain he endeavored to regain his peace of mind by soli- tude, fasting, and self-torturing ascetism. He tried all the prescriptions of Brahminism and Shivaism, — all in vain. When he was reduced by fasting and hunger to the last stage of exhaustion, Satan himself appeared to tempt him in various ways to a career of ambition and self-glorification and finally to a life of sensual pleasure ; but by keeping his mind fixed on the idea of the utter unreality of all earthly things he con- quers all such temptations. Steeped in a sort of ecstatic meditation, he remains seated 362 'DOTTINGS ROUND THE CIRCLE. under a tree a whole night, when at last he reaches the goal of absolute intelligence ; he recognizes clearly that misery is a necessary attribute of sentient existence, that the accumulation of misery is caused by the passions, that the extinction of passion is possible through fixed meditation, and finally that the path to this extreme meditation results in the absorption of existence which would be a state of unlimited happiness. With the attaining of this fourfold truth he has freed himself from the bondage of sense, perception, and self, he has broken with the material world, he lives in eternity ; in one word, — he has become a Buddha. Forthwith he leaves the wilderness, when some "wise men from the East" appear and make him some offerings. He collects some disciples and begins — what must have been a perfectly novel thing in his time — a course of public open-air preaching. He wanders about from place to place, preaches in -season and out of season, proclaiming everywhere that all earthly things are vanity and vexation of spirit. By the irresistible force of his soul-stirring eloquence he gTadually founds a new sect, a new religion. For everywhere crowds of fanatic followers gather round him, men of all ranks and all classes; all take the vow of perpetual chastity and voluntary poverty ; all follow him about, clad in rags, begging and preaching. Women also flock to him, but for a long time he refuses to admit them to the vows, for he is no advocate of women's SHlKYAMUNI GAUTAMA BUDDHA. 3^3 rights, and laid down the doctrine, which has ever since been retained by Buddhism, that a woman's highest aspiration should be to be reborn as a man. One of his favorite disci- ples, who is to the present day adored as the principal patron of female devotees, persuaded him, however, to found an order of sisters of charity, thus giving women at least a chance of salvation. In this way the foundation was laid for an ecclesi- astical organization, built up on the idea that man and woman must, in order to be saved, become first priests and nuns. Extra ecclcsiam nulla salus. Buddha is said to have wandered through the length and breadth of India and through Ceylon, preaching everywhere the doctrine of universal misery, and employing' the terrors of transmigration and hell to induce rich and poor to lay aside all other pursuits and to devote themselves exclusively to the salvation of their souls, to religious meditation, to enter the church, to become priests and nuns. To give weight to his authority he also worked miracles. But his miracles (as afterwards those of his disciples) were more like tricks of jugglery. He did not heal the sick, he did not recall the dead to life, but he showed himself suddenly sitting cross-legged in mid-air, he divided his body into many portions, each shedding forth luminous rays, or he transported himself through the air hither and thither, to show that purely spiritual meditation can break through all the chains of mate- rial laws, that the spirit is independent of matter. 364 DOTTINGS ROUND THE CIRCLE. On the other hand, he, the son of a king, associated daily with the lowest and the outcast, went about in rags, begging his food from door to door, and proclaiming everywhere, in the face of that powerful caste-spirit of India, that his religion was a religion of mercy for all. As a teacher he displayed great liberality and tolerance, adopting, for instance, all those deities which were decidedly popular, though he indeed assigned them a signally inferior position in his system ; for the holy man, he used to say, is above the gods. Those Brahmanic and Shivaitic sects, however, which were plainly immoral he attacked and fought against with all weap- ons at his command, conquering generally more through superi- ority of magic power than through logical argumentations. He remodelled almost every Brahmanic dogma, so far as it was necessary, in order to destroy its pantheistic character, for which he substituted his down-right atheism. But it is signifi- cant that he placed every Brahmanic doctrine in a new light by the preponderance of ethical treatment, which characterized his teaching to the almost total exclusion of pure metaphysics. In this way he labored for a series of years. But not satis- fied with spreading his religion on earth, he is also said to have ascended up into the heavens and to have gone down to hell, to preach everywhere the way of salvation. Towards the end of his life he is said to have been glorified, or, as the Buddhist tradition literally calls it, baptized with fire. He was on a mountain in Ceylon, discoursing on reli- SHAKYAMUNI GAUTAMA BUDDHA. 3^5 gious subjects, when suddenly a flame of light descended upon him, and encircled the crown of his head with a halo of light. When he felt his end drawing near, he turned his way to Kushinagara, northwest of Patna. Heaven and earth began to tremble, and loud voices were heard, all living beings groan- ing together and bewailing his departure. On passing through Kushinagara a poor workman offered him his last meal, and though he had just refused the offerings of the highest and richest, he accepted this offer, to show his humility, as he said, " for the sake of humanity." Immediately afterwards he said to his disciples, " Stand up, let us go, my time is come." He went out to a spot where eight trees in groups of two were planted together. Eesting on his right side, he gave his final instructions to his disciples, reminded them of the immortality of the spiritual body, and then gave himself up to contem- plation. Passing through the various degrees of meditation which cor- respond to the various tiers of heaven, he lost himself in Nirvana, and thus his earthly career was ended. His disciples put his remains into a golden coffin, which immediately grew so heavy that no power could move it. But suddenly his long deceased mother, Maya, appeared from above, bewailing her son, when the coffin lifted itself up, the lid sprang open, and Shaky- amuni appeared with folded hands saluting his mother. Afterwards, when his disciples wanted to perform the ceremony of cremation, they discovered that his body was incombustible 366 DOTTING S ROUND THE CIRCLE. by ordinary fire ; but suddenly a jet of flame burst out of the mystic character inscribed on Buddha's breast and reduced his body to ashes. The latter were eagerly collected and received thenceforth almost divine worship, being carried to all Buddhist countries, and for safe-keeping deposited in pagodas expressly built for this purpose. Attentive readers will have noticed in this roufrh sketch of Buddha's life many details coinciding with incidents of the life of our Saviour as reported by the gospels. Shakyamuni Buddha — we are told — came from heaven, was born of a virgin, welcomed by angels, received by an old saint who was endowed with prophetic vision, presented in a temple, baptized with water, and afterwards baptized with fire ; he astonished the most learned doctors " by his understanding and answers"; he was led by the spirit into the wilderness, and, having been tempted by the devil, went about preach- ing and doing wonders. The friend of publicans and sinners, he is transfigured on a mount, descends to hell, ascends up to heaven, — in short, with a single exception of Christ's crucifix- ion, almost every characteristic incident in Christ's life is also to be found narrated in the Buddhist traditions of the life of Shakyamuni Gautama Buddha. And yet this Buddha lived and died 543 years before Christ ! Are we to conclude, then, that Christ — as a certain sceptic would make us believe — went to India during the 18 years which intervened between his youth and manhood, and re- SHAKYAMUNI GAUTAMA BUDDHA. 367 turned, 30 years old, to ape and reproduce the life and doings of Shakyamuni Buddha? Or are we, who believe in Christ's originality, driven to the miserable subterfuge of assuming (as some Jesuit fathers do) that the devil, foreknowing the several details of the promised Messiah's life, anticipated him and all the details of his life by his own caricature in Shakya- muni Buddha ? Unfortunately for the sceptic who would delight in proving Christ to have been the ape of Buddha, it can be proved that almost every single tint of this Christian coloring, which Buddhist tradition gives to the life of Buddha, is of compara- tively modern origin. There is not a single Buddhist manu- script in existence which could vie, in antiquity and undoubted authenticity, with the oldest codices of the gospels. Besides, the most ancient Buddhist classics contain scarcely any details of Buddha's life, and none whatever of those above-mentioned peculiarly Christian characteristics. Hardly any of the above- given legends, which claim to refer to events that happened many centuries before Christ, can be proved to have been in cir- culation earlier than the fifth or sixth century after Christ. After his death a general assembly of the faithful was called, and the legends assert that then and there the sayings and teachings of Buddha were collected, sifted, and fixed in a triple canon, by the three principal disciples of Shakyamuni.* • From Eitel's Lectiires on Buddhism. 368 DOTTINGS ROUND THE CIRCLE. TEANSLATION OF PASSPORT TO PEKING.* The Imperial authorities of China, through the Honorable the Tao-tai of the city of Tientsin, hereby accord permission to Mr. Curtis, a citizen of the United States of America, to proceed with his attendants from said Tientsin to Pekincc. Said Curtis solemnly promising on his part to make no disturbance on the way. This Passport shall remain in force one full year. The Honorable the Tao-tai of Tientsin requests all subjects of the Chinese Empire to exercise courtesy and kindness to the bearer. For know ye, that all who carry our official passports need not fear trouble. If stopped or molested let the bearer show our official seal to the nearest Mandarin. This Passport must be recorded at the Yamen at Peking. Ordered by the Emperor the 21st of the 8th month f and sealed on the above date at the Yamen at Tientsin. TIT FOR TAT. In the summer of 1875 the Secretary of War, in accordance with a resolution of Congress, detailed three eminent army offi- cers to proceed across the Pacific to Japan, and thence home by way of China, India, Persia, &c. The object of this Com- * See page 124. t September 21. The Chinese year begins in February. TIT FOR TAT. 369 mission was to visit and inspect the forces and armament of Asiatic countries, and also to witness the grand review of the Anglo-Indian Army, which was to take place before the Prince of Wales, at Delhi, in January, 1876. It was my good fortune to find, on my arrival in San Fran- cisco, that these gentlemen were to be my fellow- passengers on the "Great Eepublic"; and their society greatly enhanced the pleasin-e of the voyage. I parted from them in Japan, not to meet them again till my arrival in Calcutta, when that city was all ablaze with excitement on account of the presence of the Prince of Wales. The United States officers were pro- vided with special credentials from our government, and of course were received and entertained everywhere with the greatest ceremony and distinction. While I was in Calcutta, one of these officers told me an incident of their visit to Hongkong which is well worth repeating. They were dining one evening with the English governor of that place, at Government House, and a very dis- tinguished company had been gathered together to meet them. Towards the close of the dinner, during a momentary lull in the conversation, the governor, turning to one of them, said, loud enough for everybody to hear, " General , I suppose that you have already travelled far enough from home to appreciate the truth of the saying that ' the sun never sets on England's dominions.'" As in duty bound, all the English were pleased, "and the laugh went round." Then everybody 370 DOTTINGS ROUND THE CIRCLE. waited eagerly for the Yankee's reply. And they did not have long to wait. The clear, calm voice of General soon broke silence : " Yes, your Excellency, we have observed it, and we can tell you the reason. The sun never sets on England's dominions because the AlmighUj is afraid to trust an Englishman in the dark." This straight hit was, withal, so courteously given that it could not cause offence. The governor and all the guests laughed heartily, and the next morning the Hongkong journal related the anecdote with delight. INDEX. Abbat'3 Hotel, 309. Abbotsford, the, 193. Abu-1-Ele, mosque of, 300. Acheen Head, 20S. Adelphi Hotel (Liverpool), 326. Aden, 293. Agra, 283. Agur, 283. Ahmud Khan, 277. Aida, 300. Akbar the Great, 283. Ala-ood-deen Khilji, 271. Albany, 1. Alexandria, 310. Alum Bagh, 258. Amboina, the, 207. Amoy, 162. Ancona, 313. Angel of Pity, 268. Antelopes, 17. Arabian Sea, 292. Arched Rock, 107. Armitage Brothers, 218. Arno, 315. Asakusa, 97. Ashbury, Mr., M. P., 226. A-shton, Major, 255. Asoof-ud-Dowlah, 251. Atago Yama, 94. Aurungzebe, mosque of, 245. Avernus, Lake, 318. Avery, Minister, 132. Awa, 94. B. BaHADOOR SH.4.H, 270. Baiaa, 318. Baillie Guard, 254. Bajee Rao, 260. Baldwin, Major, 81. Banda, the, 197. Bank of California, 44. Batavia, 198. Beebeeghur, 266. Beggar's Bridge, Pekin, 151. Benares, 238. Bettos, 76. Bhittiyantra, 240. Bimlipatam, 227. Bird, Lieutenant, 81. Bisheshwar, 247. Black Hawk, 14. Black Hole, Calcutta, 231. Black Rock, 116. Blodset, Rev. Henry, D. D., 154. Boca Forts, 164. Bologna, 313. Bombay, 287. Bordeaux, Austin de, 276. Boston and Albany Railroad, 1. Boston, departure from, 1. Boston, return to, 329. Boulac, 300. Boustead and Company, 197. Bowlee, 272. Brigade Mess-house, 255. Brindisi, 313. Buddhist temples, 173. Budree Das, Baboo, 269. Buitenzorg, 202. Bulls, sacred, 246. Burgess, Sergeant, 282. Bum Bastion, 282. Cairo, 297. Calaveras trees, 32. Camoes, grotto of, 189. CampbeU, Sir Colin, 253. Candia, 313. Canning, Lord, 257. Canton, 166. Cape King, 55. Capuchins, 319. Carmichael, Sei^jeant, 282. Case, Colonel, 252. Cashmere Bastion, 281. Castellamare, 318. Castor-oil factory, 227. Catacombs, 312. Catamarans, 209. Cawnpore, 259. Cawnpore battery, 255. Cawnpore, mutiny at, 260. Centipedes, 205. Central City, 14. Cephrenes, 303. Ceylon, 208. Chakrapushkarinl, 244. Chakrayantra, 241. Cham-ping-chow, 141. Chandnee Chouk, 279. Charana-paduka, 245. Chattar Manzal, 257. Chaukandi, 249. Chauk-hambha, 246. Che-foo, 116. Cheops, 302. Cheyenne, 17. Chicago, 6. Chicago, Alton, and Sfc Louis Railroad, 7. Chicago water-works, 7. "Chin-chin," 126. " Chin-chin-ing the moon," 112. 372 INDEX. Chinese ooal-heavers, 64. Chinese inn, 125. Chinese theatre, 113. Chinese theatre, San Francisco, 50. Chinese quarter, San Francisco, 48. Chu-Kiang, 163. Cliung-how, 120. Cliurcliill, Lord Jolin Henry, 191. Citadel Mosque, Caii-o, 298. Clark's Hotel, 238. Clarke, 108. Cleopatra's Needle, 311. Cliff House, 46. Cloud's Rest, 40. Cobb, Captain, 53. Coconada, 226. Coffee-berry (preparation of), 218. Colorado Central Railroad, 12. Colombo, 211. Confortable, Hotel, 321. Cong, 126. Cook, Captain, 327. Copperopolis, 42. Cowcatcher, a ride on a, 13. Crane's Flat, 35. Cunard Steamship Company, 328. Cunningham, Major-General, 249. Cunningham, Lord Francis, 313. Curio Street, Yokohama, 74. Dahabeteh, 306. Daibutsu, 80. Dalada, 215. Dalbhyeswar, 240. Dalhousie, 232. Dancing Dervishes, 307. Dara Sheko, 271. Debi Parsad, 246. Delhi, 269. Delhi, mutiny at, 280. Denver, 11. Denver Pacific Railroad, 17. Detroit, 4. Detsiraa, 108. Dhamek, 248. Dharma, 239. Dhoondoo Punth, 260. Diamond Harbor, 228. Digansayantra, 241. Dilkusha, 259. Divers, Malay, 195. Domra, 243. Douglas, Captain, 280. Drew, Commissioner, 161. Diimmeller and Company, 200. Durga Kund, 247. E. East Iitoian Railway, 237. Eden gardens, 232. Egerton, Lord Francis, 226. Egyptian Railway, 296. El Capitan, 40. Elephauta, Caves of, 289. Emir Akhor, mosque of, 298. Emir Bey, 298. Endieott, James B., 191. Esplanade Hotel, 287. Evarts, William, 160. Examination Hall, Canton, 170. Execution Ground, Canton, 170. False Point, 228. Fan-tan, 187. Farley, Gustavus, Jr., 102. Father of the forest, 33. Fayrer, Dr., 354. Feerozabad, 270. Feeroz Shah Toghluk's Kotila, 270. Feng-Shui, 142. Ferrari, Carlo, 204. Florence, 315. Flower-boats, 164. Flying-fish, 61. Foggia, 313. Formosa, 161. Forrest, 281. Forsythe, General, 59. Fort Douglas, 20. Fort William, presidency of, 277. Eraser, Simon, 280. Funeral (Chinese), 149. Furrokh Shur, 277. Fusiyama, 65. Puttehpore, 267. G. Gadok, 202. Ganges River, 241 . Ganges, Sons of the, 242. Garapuri Island, 289. Geary, Mr. W. Seymour, 192. German Legation, Pekin, 155. Ghazi-ud-Din Haidar, 258. Gholam Kadir, 277. Ghorian, 280. Gilfillan, Wood, and Company, 19a Glacier Point, 40. Glengyle, the, 161. Godavery River, 226. Golden Gate, 46. Golden Temple, Benares, 247. Gopolpore, 228. Grand Central Hotel, Denver, 11. Grasshoppers, 5. Great BeU, Pekin, 134. Great Eastern Hotel, Calcutta, 229. Great Republic, the, 55. Great Salt Lake, 27. Great Wall of China, 147. Gregory, Sir W. H., 213. Grosvenor, the Hon. Mr., 132. Gubbins, Mr. Martin, C. S., 255, Guia Light, 186. Gumti River, 250. Gyan Kftp, 247. Hachiman Temple, 82. Hai-lung-tan, 137. Hai Quang Tsu, 121. Hajee Begum, 270. Hakone Mountains, 95. Half Dome, 40. Hall of Audience, Delhi, 276. Hall, Mr. C. P., 70. Hamilton, Gabriel, 277. INDEX. 373 Hanuraan, 240. Hardinge, 232. Harris, Captain, 102. Harrison's Hotel, Agra, 2S2. Hart, Commissioner James, 1S4. Havelock, 252. Hawes, Captain, 115. He-batchi, 73, Hector, the, 162. Heliopolis, 308. Hill, Mrs., 265. Hill's Hotel, Lucknow, 250. Hillyar, Mr., 131. Hodgson, Mr. Kirkman, M. P., 326. Hodson, Major, 270. Homayoon's tomb, 270. Home, 282. Hong Kong, 191. Hooff, Mr. L. B., 102. Hooghly River, 228. Horeb, Mount, 296. Horn, the, 28. Ho-see-woo, 125. Hoseuabad, 256. Hoskioer, Captain V., 218. Hotel du LomTe, Yokohama, 67. House-boats, Canton, 16-t. House-boats, Tung-chow, 159. Howrah Station, 237. Hudson River Railroad, 1. Hugo, 10. Hunter, Mr. George, 107. Idaho Springs, 15. Illumination at Calcutta, 233. Irmnortalite, the, 212. Imperial College, Pekin, 155. Indore, Maharanee of, 248. Indraput, 270. Inland Sea, 106. Inoshima, 77. International Hotel, Niagara FaUs, 3. Iron Bridge, 252. Irwin, Mr. Richard, 100. Jama Musjid, 277. Jampur, 250. Japan, 66. Japanese, costume of the, 71. Japanese theatre, 72. Java, 198. Jay Singh, 240. JejTJore, Raja of, 240. Jinrikisha, 66. Jodhpur, Maharaja of, 265. Jubbulpore, 287. Juggernaut car, 225. Juhanara Begum, tomb of, 271. Jumna River, 269. Jungle riding, 237. Juntur Muntur, 279. Kadam Rasdl, 257. Eadzusa, 94. Kaisar Bagh, 257. Kait-Bey, mosque of, 298. Kalamazoo, 5. Kalianpur, 260. Kal-Kup, 248. Kamakura, 81. Kandy, 240. Kansas City, 9. Kansas Pacific Railroad, 9. Katasi, 77. Kearsarge, the, 116. Khoi-asan, Secret Society of, 271. Kildare, Marquis of, 226. Kistna River, 226. Knowledge, Well of, 247. Kobe, 103. Koo-lum-soo, 162. Kootub, 279. Kootub-ood-deen Aibuk, 280. Kuanon, 9S. Lady Horton's Walk, 215. Lahore, Maliaraja of, 248. Lake Side, 26. Lall Baradari, 256. Lawrence, epitaph of, 255. Lawrence, Lieutenant, 255. Lawrence, Sir Henry, 251. Lincoln, Consul, 182. Lingum, 247. Litchfield, General, 230. Liverpool, 326. Llama Pagoda, 147. Llama temples, 150. London, 326. Lone Mountain, 46. Lord, Mr.E., 2S9. Lori-ki-kMan, 249. Low, Colonel, 256. Lucknow, 250. Lucknow, mutiny at, 25L Lung' Amo, 316. Lyon and Company, 289. M. Macao, 186. Macao, sonnet to, 190. Macdowell, Lieutenant, 270. Machi Bhawan Fort, 252. Madras, 223. Mafus, 121. Mahadeva, 244. Mahomed Ali, 256. Mahrattas, 277. Malabar Hill. 287. Malek Adel, tomb of, 308. Mamelukes, 298. Mamelukes, tombs of the, 307. Ma-mina, 203. Manikarnika, 244. Man-Mandil Ghat, 240. Marble Bridge, Pekin, 157. Marble Rocks, 287. Mareotis, Lake, 311. Margary, Augustus Raymond, 122. Marques, LourenQo, 189. Martin, General, 258. Martiniere School, 258. Maaulipatam, 226. 374 INDEX. Masullah boats, 225. M'Crae, Judge, 233. Medley, Colonel, 231. Meerut, 2S1. Memorial Church, Cawnpore, 264. Merced River, 36. Methven, Captain, 292. Michigan Central Railroad, 4. Milan, 321. Milton, 31. Ming tombs, 142. Mint, Japanese, 105. Mirzapore, 283. Misericordia, 316. Missouri Pacific Railroad, & Modena, 322. Moguls, Palace of the, 275. Mogul Serai, 238. Mont Cenis Tunnel, 322. Moomtaz-i-Mahal, 2S6. Moore, Mrs., 265. Mormon Tabernacle, 20. Mormon Temple, 22. Morrison, 191. Motee Musjid, 285. Mount Starr King, 40. Muhumed Shah, 277. Munna Jan, 2.16. Murphy's Camp, 32. N. Nadir Shah, 269. Nagasaki, 108. Nagpore, Raja of, 245. Nana Sahib, 260. Nankow, 145. Nankow Pass, 146. Narcissus, the, 212. Nautch Dance, 274. Nawab SaaJat, 259. Negapatani, 222. Nepaulese Temple, 246. Nero's Baths, 318. Netherlands India Steamship Company, 197. Nevada Falls, 38. Netvmstle, the, 212. New York Central Railroad, 1. New York City, 1. New York City, return to, 329. Niagara Falls, 2. Nicholson, John, 281. Nickerson, Consul, 200. Nilometer, 301. Nirvana, 239. Nizamooden, tomb of, 271. Nobile Hotel, 317. North Dome, 40. Oakland, 43. Observatory-, Pekin, 155. Occidental Hotel, San Francisco, 44. Ochterlony, Sir David, 232. Ogden, 18. Olyphant and Company, 111. On, 308. Opera House, Cairo, 300. Opium den, 50. Oregonian, the, 102. Osaka, 104. Osborne, the, 212. Otsuru, 96. Oudh and Rohilkund Railway, 249. Oudh, King of, 228. Our Lady of Sorrows, 190. Outram, Sir James, 253. Palm, Traveller's, 197. Palmer House, Chicago, 6. Panchganga Ghat, 245. " Panee," 238. Paniput, 277. Papenberg, 107. Paris, 323. Parsees, 287. Patna, the, 222. Patterson, Captain, 194. Peacock Throne, Delhi, 276. Pearl Mosque, Agra, 285. Pe-chi-li, Gulf of, 117. Peiho River, 118. Pekin, 148. Pekin, overland route to, 124. Peninsula and Oriental Steamship Company, 202. Pera, the, 292. Perim, 293. Pettah, 213. Plowden, Mrs. W. C, 265. Point De Galle, 210. Pompeii, 318. Pompey's Pillar, 311. Pondicherry, 222. Poo-Kwo-fan-tia, 129. Po-rcan, the, 191. Pozzuoli, 318. Priest's, 34. Prince of Wales, 220. Prinsep's Ghat, 232. Purana Chauk, 246. " Pushpush," 223. PjTamids, 301. QUEENSTOWN, 327. Quisisana Hotel, 318. R. Raleigh, the, 212. Ralston, Mr. William C, 44. Redan Battery, 255. Red Sea, 293. Residency, 251. Richardson, Ex-secretary, 107. Ripley, Colonel, 280. Roman Catholic Cathedrals, Pekin, 157. Rome, 319. Russell and Company, 111. Russell House, Detroit, 4. Russell, Mr. R. S., 136. Russia, the, 326. St. Louis, 7. Baki, 73. S. INDEX. 375 Sakura-yu, 95. Saladin, 298. Salkeld, -281. Salt Lake City, 18. Sampans, (36. San Francisco, 43. Sanger, JLgor J. P., 59. San Miniato, 316. Santa Croce, 315. Sarnath, 248. Savada Kotee, 265. Sayad Salar, 251. Scorpions, 205. Seals, 46. Scavcr. J. W., the, 61. Serapis, the, 216. Sesostris, 312. Seward, Consul-General, 111. Shah Alum, ^TS. Shalijuhanabad, Palace of, 276. Shalijuhan, castle of, 269. Shah Nizamoodeen, tomb of, 27L Shanghai, 110. Sharpe, Bishop John, 25. Shepheard's Hotel, Cairo, 297. Shepherd, Colonel Eli, 117. Sherer, Mr., 267. Shiba, 91. Shinagawa, 94. S/iing-Kitig, the, 112. Shintoism, 83. Shiva, 247. Shobey, 74. Sibyl's Cavern, 318. Sikandar Bagh, 258. Sikh Square, 255. Sikundra, 2S3. Sinai, 294. Sinanceveh, mosque, 800. Sindhia'Ghat, 245. Singapore, 195. Singhalese, 209. Singhalese School, 211. Sitala, 240. Smith, Colonel, 266. Smith, Sergeant, 282. Snake-Boats, 164. Socotra, the, 210. Solfatara, 318. Sonora, 33. Sorrento, 318. Southern Cross, 228. Southern Hotel, 7. South Promontory, 116. Spark, the, 184. Sphinx, 303. Stockton, 29. Street, Captain, 229. Studer, Consul, 207. Sturgis, Mr. Russell, 326. Sudasheo Rao Bhao, 277. Suez, 295. Sufdur Jung, 279. Sumatra, 197. Taj M.\h.\i,, 285. Taku Forts, 118. Tamils, 209. Tanjahs, 272. Tarantula, 205. Tartar Wall, 157. Te Laga Varna, 204. Temple of Heaven, Pekin, 153. Tentoji, 106. Thompson, Colonel Mowbray, 264. Thornliill, Judge, 266. Thornliill, Mr. C. B., 268. ThoUimo III., 312. Three Brothers, 40. Thuggism, 271. Tientsin, 119. Tigre, the, 207. Timoor, 278. Toghlukabad, 272. Tokaido, 76. Torii, 83. Torre Annunziata, 318. Tower of Silence, 287. Tramontana Hotel, 317. Treaty Ports, Japan, 75. Trinity, Hindoo, 289. Tsipattaua Vihara, 239. Tung-chow, 159. Turin, 322. Twinem, Commissioner, 121. Tycoons' Residence, 105. TJ. Undaunted, the, 212. Union Pacific Railroad, 17. United Service Hotel, Delhi, 269. Upton, General, 59. Utah Central Railroad, 18. Utah Southern Railroad, 26w Uyeno, 96. Venice, 320. Vernal Falls, 38. Viceroy's palace, 232. Victoria Peak, 191. Virgil's Tomb, 318. Vishnu, 244. Vizagapatam, 227. Vizianagrara, Raja of, 246. Vocabulary, Malay, 206. Von Brandt, Minister, 132. Von Scherlf, Dr., 233. W. Wade, Sir Thomas, 131. Wah.satch Mountains, 23. Wainwright, Miss, 265. Wainwright, Mrs., 265. Walsh, Hall, and Company, 70. Walsh, Mr. Robert, 104. Wang-poo River, 109. Wan-shou-san, 135. Wash-out, 10. Wanl, Sir H., 213. Water Gate, 281. Wellesley, 232. Well of Moses, 296. Whampoa, 164. Whampoa, Mr. 196. Wheeler, Sir Hugh Massey, 260. White-pigeon-paper, 51. William, Fort, 232. WiUoughby, 281. 376 INDEX. Wilson, Sir Archdale, 282. "Win^'field Park, 258. Wingfield, Sir Charles, 258. "Woodward Uaideus, 47. Yang-tse-Kiang, 109. Yang-tsiu, 125. Yautrasauirat, 241. Yedo, 87. Yellow Sea, 109. Yodogawa River, 104. Yokohama, 08. Yoseiuite Valley, 36. Young, Brigham, 25. Young, Brigham, residence of, 24. Yung Lo, tomb of, 142. Z. Zagazig, 297. Zion's Co-operative Mercantile Institution, 24. INDEX TO CHAPTER XXIII. Buddha, origin of, 359 : birth of, 360 ; early life, 360, 361 ; renounces the world, 361 : begins his ministry, 362 ; death and resurrection, 365, 366. Dancing-girls, the, of Japan, 330. Fens^-shui, general remarks upon, 340-343; de'finition of, 343-345 : effect of, 345-353 ; legal and poetical status of, 354 - 356 ; recent example of, 358. John Nnge, a national dance, 330 : description of the, 335, 336 : song of the, .336 ; forfeits in, 336, 337. PapjTus Club, the, 330. Passport, translation of, 368. Tasi, translation from, 338. Tit for Tat, 368. ^ ■J 'i RARE BOOK COLLECTION THE LIBRARY OF THE UNIVERSITY OF NORTH CAROLINA AT CHAPEL HILL Travel G440 .C97 1880 \^^^^ - NO»>>i ^^!^| •^ -« *v *v ^.V^'^V *\ v