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YALE UNIVERSITY
LIBRARY

1949

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JShfrardd for Bcadleys JlZustrated JHfe £ Travels of General G-ra-nt

THE

TRAVELS

OP

GENERAL GRANT.

This work is designed to furnish a complete account of the remarkable
journey and experiences of General Grant, in fact to take the reader with
him in his celebrated tour around the world. — To look in upon the
splendors of royal courts to which he was everywhere so
cordially welcomed — to view at leisure the greatest won
ders and richest beauties of foreign lands— to witness
the high honors paid to this representative of the
United States of America, etc., etc., etc., etc.

Hon. J. T. HEADLEY,

Autluyr of "Napoleon and his Marshals," "Washington and his Generals," "Sherman
and his Campaigns," "Farragut and our Naval Commanders," "Sacred
Mountains," "Achievements of Stanley," etc., etc.

PROFUSELY ILLUSTRATED.

Published by
NEW WORLD PUBLISHING CO.,
Philadelphia, Pa.,
i88r.

ENTERED ACCORDING TO ACT OF CONGRESS.

PRESS OF FRANKLIN PRINTING HOUSE, 88 HUDSON ST., PHILA.

PREFACE,

THE present work has been undertaken in the belief that a countless
number of General Grant's friends desire to have a full and com
plete account of his remarkable tour aroupd the world in a cheap and
compact form. The people have a right to be informed of this great
event in the life of a man to whom they are indebted for so much,
and whom they elected to be their Chief Magistrate. But this they
cannot be unless these events are put in a shape that places them within
their reach. The costly work, entitled ' ' Around the World with Grant, ' '
got up with so much elegance and taste, was not intended for the
great mass of the people, but for the select few who can indulge in
such luxuries. Leaving all such works to those who can afford it,
the great reading public desire, and are entitled to have, a careful
account, and within reasonable limits, of all the things they wish to
know about the foremost American of the age. In giving this, I have
been compelled, in a part of the work, to use, to a certain extent, the
letters of the Herald's correspondent. He, however, did not accom
pany him in his European travels till the better part of them was fin
ished ; hence, I am indebted for my material for that portion to for
eign newspapers, and letter-writers, and my own notes of travel in
places which he visited, not to this correspondent.
In the Orient, however, I am indebted to those letters for nearly
everything relating to General Grant personally j but his tour was such a
hasty one, that, under any circumstances, he could get only a partial
glimpse of important places, and could but omit many objects that
give to them their attraction ; but this view was restricted still more,
iii

IV

PREFACE.

greatly to his regret and that of his friends, by so much of that
limited time being taken up with public receptions, and dinners, and
fetes, which he was compelled in courtesy to attend. Hence, the
correspondent has felt it to be his duty to fill up what was lacking
in personal observation, by resorting to the descriptions of other
travelers, in order that the reader may get an intelligent idea of
those places which he visited.
This was eminently proper and right, and I have taken the same
liberty, and used freely the information I have collected from other
travelers, and from the notes of friends.
Thus it will be seen that we occupy entirely different fields in part,
and where we work the same, do it in a different manner. 'There
is room and demand for both works, for, as we said, they appeal
to an entirely different class of purchasers, and, in a great measure,
to a different class of readers.
J. T. Headley.

TABLE OF CONTENTS.

CHAPTER I.

General Grant resolves to visit Europe and obtain rest — England discusses how
to receive Hm — His departure — The voyage — A deputation from Ireland
waits on him — His reception at Liverpool — His reception by the Mayor — Ex
amines the docks and visits other principal places of interest — Lunches with
the mayor and goes to Manchester — His reception — His first long speech — '
Tour of the place — Enthusiasm of the people — Factory girls honoring him —
Reception at Leicestershire — At Bedford — Arrival in London — Introduction
to the Prince of Wales — The Duke of Wellington gives him a banquet — An
unceremonious reception by the Prince of Wales — Civilities of the queen —
Description of entertainments by ladies — Private letter of Grant— The free
dom of the city of London given him — His speech — A private dinner — Fire
works — Humor of Grant — Banquet by Trinity College — Visits the queen at
Windsor Castle — Receives a deputation of workingmen — A banquet at the
United Service Club — Dinner at Liverpool  3

CHAPTER II.
A run to the Continent — Reception at Ostend — Visits Ghent — Arrives at
Brussels — The king of Belgium calls on him — Gives him a banquet^Goes
to Cologne — A sail up the Rhine — The castellated Rhine — Wiesbaden —
Humorous description of its hot springs — Frankfort-on-the-Main — Ham
burg — Les Bains — The Roman camp— Opening a grave 2000 years old —
Dinner of the grand duke — The black forest — Baden — Switzerland — Inter-
Iachen — Geneva — Lays the corner-stone of a church — Grant's speech at
lunch  The vale of Cbamouni — The Alps — The Simplon pass — Reception
at Lake Maggiore — Speech — Visits northern Italy — Resting at Ragatz — ¦
Alsace and Lorraine — Visits Scotland — Presented with the freedom of the
city of Edinburgh — His speech — Visits celebrated spots — The Tay bridge —
His opinion of hand-shaking — Visits the Duke of Sutherland — Reception
at Thurso Castle — Glasgow presents him with the freedom of the city —
Interesting ceremonies — The home of Burns — Guest of the Duke of Argyle —
Pleasant intercourse  41
CHAPTER III.
Grant visits the manufacturing and rural districts of England — Grand ovation
on Newcastle Moor — An English description of Grant — He visits Sunder
land  Sheffield — His opinion on free trade — A great iron plate rolled in his
presence  Description of it — Visits Shakespeare's home and Anne Hathaway's
cottage, Leamington — Reception in Burmingham — Grant's speech — Visits
Brighton  One side of England that Grant did not see— Its suffering
masses  6°
V

VI TABLE OF CONTENTS.

CHAPTER IV.

Grant visits Paris — Calls on MacMahon — The American colony — He makes
his home with it — Sight-seeing — A dinner and brilliant reception by the
American minister — Interviewed by a French reporter — Dinner by the
American residents — Time passing pleasantly — Brilliant fete given by Mrs.
Mackay — Paris never gayer — Grant embarks for the Mediterranean — Gib
raltar — Africa — The Bay of Naples — Cold weather — Castle of San Martin —
Ascent of Vesuvius..  ; 
CHAPTER V.

75

General Grant starts for Egypt — Enters on new scenes — Alexandria — His re
ception — Meets Stanley — Wanders thrcujh the city — His photograph taken
— Starts for Cairo — Meets old West Point schoolmates — Interview with the
Khedive — The pyramids — Up the Nile — Run aground — Life on the river —
Meeting of friends — Siout — Dinner at the consul's — American missionaries
— Sweet repose — Girgel and iriends — Abydos — A poor horse — Arab boys
and donkeys — The journey — The ruins — Their antiquity— Digging for the
tomb of a god — Grant climbs to the sitting-room of King Menes — Dinner in
the ruins  no
CHAPTER VI.
Ancient Thebes — The wonder of the world — Luxor — Reception of Grant — ¦
A sombre view — A Yankee manufacturing relics for sale — English barbar
ism — The temple — The statue of Memnon — Donkey boys and water girls —
Mrs. Grant's interference to protect the latter — The singing statue — The
temple of Medeemet — Grant a nimble climber — The king's private room —
A lunch in the ruined sanctuary — Mrs. Grant's vain attempt to pay off the
water girls — A state dinner — Jesse Grant teaches the minstrels — Karnae —
The great temple — A wilderness of ruins — Grant and his party photographed
among them — Grant a fast traveler — Kench — Home-life of the people —
A stupid interview with the pasha — Visit to the German consul — A beautiful
description of daily life — Anonan — Nubia — A coal-black governor in Parisian
costume — Mrs. Grant bargains for some ostrich feathers — A curious scene —
A visit to Philadelphia — A noble horse — Philadelphia Oziris and Isis —
Egyptian mythology — The return — Memphis — Cairo  133
CHAPTER VII.
Grant starts for Jerusalem — Jaffa — The house of Simon the tanner — Plain of
Sharon — An uncomfortable night — Grant in the rain — Kiyath Jearim  ¦
Jerusalem — A public reception — Grant's disappointment — Too much atten
tion — The road to Mount Calvary — Garden of Gethsemane — Bethany  ¦
Jacob's well — Nazareth — Damascus — A second paradise; — Visits Constanti
nople — Mr. Layard's reception — Mosque of St. Sophia — Achmet — Dogs of
the city— Sera Scutari — A wonderful history — The sultan presents Grant
two beautiful Arab steeds — Golden Horn — Greece — Reception by the king 
Beautiful women — Athens — Its sights and ruins — The Acropolis — Illumina
tion of the Parthenon in honor of Grant — A grand spectacle  Battle
fields — Grant starts for Rome  _ l62
CHAPTER VIII.
In Rome— Grant visits the Colosseum — View from its top — The ancient cr.pi-
tai — St. Peter's — Sight-seeing— Private invitations — Dines with the kinr? 
Received by the Pope— The road to Florence — Florence — Urnzi Palace 
The Pitti Gallery — Ducal Palace — Character of the people — A convenient

TABLE OF CONTENTS. v{{
custom — Pisa— Venice — Its origin — Its gondolas — Bridges— Pleasant sights
— Gondola sailing — The arsenal — Journey to Milan — The city — Its wonder
ful Cathedral — Painting of the Lord's Supper — Starts for Paris — A great
change — The National Exhibition — Starts for Northern Europe — Holland —
The Hague — A grand review — Lunches with the king's uncle — Rotter
dam — Amsterdam — A magnificent dinner by the leading merchants — The
great ship canal — Starts for Berlin  192
CHAPTER IX.
Grant at Berlin — Calls on Gortschakoff — The European Congress — Calls on Bis
marck — The interview — A talk about Sheridan — Interchange of views about
the attempt to assassinate the emperor — Grant's opinion of Communism prin
ciples, and the way he would deal with assassins — Dinner of the American
minister — Review of the Prussian army in a rain-storm — Grant's opinion of
the bayonet as a weapon — -Lunch with Prince Hohenzollern — Dinner with
Bismarck — Interesting conversation  219
CHAPTER X.
Grant at Hamburg — The city — -Waited upon by the Senate — A trip on the
Elbe — A quiet Fourth of July dinner — Speech of Grant — Dinner of the
merchant princes — Attends the races — Copenhagen — Enthusiastic reception
at Guttenberg — Christiania — Strong drink of Norway and Sweden — A primi
tive journey into the Northern country — A jolly ride — Peasant life — Invited
by King Oscar to the royal palace — Stockholm — Peasants of Dalecarlia  231
CHAPTER XI.
Grant starts for Spain — Biarritz — San Sebastian — Tolosa — Journey to Vittoria —
Interview with Castelar — Vittoria — Interview with the king — A frank con
versation — Approach to Madrid — The royal palace — The Escurial — Grant
witnesses the attempt to assassinate Alfonso — Portugal — The royal family
— The king's father's second wife a Bostonian lady — Interview with
the king — Visits Don Fernando's Palace at Cintra — -The king an au
thor — Offers Grant the Grand Cross of the Tower, and Sword of
Cordova — Its great Cathedral — Seville — Its gay people — Their loose morals
— The Alcazar — Government tobacco factory— A contrast — The Exchange —
The Cathedral — Sherry-wine — Cadiz — Its beautiful women — Gibraltar — Lord
Napier's hospitality — Review of troops — Gibraltar as the key to the Mediter
ranean — Visits Pau — Asked to take part in a fox-hunt — A public dinner —
Returns to England — Visits Ireland — Reception at Dublin — Given the free
dom of the city — A grand banquet — Grant's speech — Insolence of Cork —
Visits Derby — Enthusiasm of the people — Visits Belfast — His reception —
Sees but one side of Ireland  257
CHAPTER XII.
Grant starts for India — Crossing the desert by railroad — Suez on the Red Sea —
Aden — On the Indian Ocean — The voyage — Reception in Bombay — Descrip
tion of the people — Servants — the Parsees — Burning the dead — Hospital for
animals  Public dinners — A visit to the Parsee school — Grant views Bombay
 Cave of Elephanta — Reception of the Parsees — Journey to Agra Bhurtpoor
 The mahrajah — Grant lodged in an old palace — Jumping men — Agra —
Pearl mosque — The Taj — The most beautiful building in the world — Its ap
pearance by moonlight — A farewell dinner — Departure for Delhi — Re-

v;ji TABLE OF CONTENTS.
ceived by troops under arms — Description of Delhi — A ride through it — The
tomb of Hameyun — Delhi in the mutiny — Heroic deeds — The Prince of
Wales' visit— Palace of the Grand Mogul — His throne — The Peacock Throne.. 28 1
CHAPTER XIII.
Visit to Jeypoor — School of industry — Visits the tigers — The royal stables —
The palace — Audience of the mahrajah — A Nautch dance — A game of
billiards with the mahrajah — An Oriental leave-taking — Col. Grant has a
boar hunt — Lucknow — Cawnpoor — A horrible massacre — A ghastly specta
cle — A fearful oath of vengeance — Havelock relieves the garrison at Luck-
r.ow — A touching scene — Allahabad, the city of God — Pilgrims bathing —
Benares the holy city — A strange stroll through it — Funeral pyres — Hindoo-
ism — The three capitals of India — Reception at Calcutta — A picnic on the
Hoogly — The scavengers of Calcutta — Original mode of sprinkling streets—
Burham — Reception at Rangoon — The great Pagoda — Character of the king
— Hindoo caste — Buddhism — Elephants loading and unloading vessels —
Rangoon  313
CHAPTER XIV.
Grant visits Siam — An insignificant kingdom — Letter from the king to General
Grant — The Gulf of Siam — -Anniversary of the surrender of Lee — Sleeping
on deck — A surprise — Vexatious delay at the mouth of the port — A misera
ble night — The king's representative comes on board — The royal letter — A
narrow escape — The sail to Bangkok — Appearance of the city and river—
The Great Pagoda — Reception — Interview with the regent — Audience with
the second and first kings — A state dinner — The king expresses a warm friend
ship for General Grant — Description of the city — Religion of the Siamese —
A descriptive letter — An account by an American'traveler — Siamese climate,
and scenery, and people — Its grand Pagoda — Wealth of Siam — Ceremonies
attending child-birth and marriage — Cremation of a royal personage — Influ
ence of missionaries  355
CHAPTER XV.
Reception at Penang — Grant's views of Chinese emigration — Starts for Canton —
Arrival at Canton — Visit to the viceroy — A Chinese proclamation — The
American king — Is carried in a green chair to the prince regent's — The pro
cession and the crowd — Its striking appearance — Opinions of the American
barbarians— The reception — The departure — Curious names of the streets — A
lunch with the missionaries — A state dinner at the viceroy's — Macao — Grotto
of Camoens — Return to Hong Kong — Swattow — A curious present — Amoy —
Reception there — Interview with the British Minister to Peking — Reception
on board an American vessel — Letters from the king of Siam — The viceroy —
King of the Sandwich Islands — Reception in Shanghai — Torchlight proces
sion — Traveling in wheelbarrows — Tien-tsin — Up the river to Peking — Hong
Chow — Grant Carried to Peking in an imperial chair — Entrance to Peking — ¦
Card of the prince regent  389
CHAPTER XVI.
A visit to the prince regent — An interesting interview — The English Univer
sity — Address of a Chinese youth in English — The prince regent returns
Grant's visit — Is asked to mediate between China and Japan — A striking
picture — Description of the city — Returns to Tien-tsin — Visit of the viceroy —
Discusses with Grant the Chinese question — Japan and the Loochoo Islands — ¦

TABLE OF' CONTENTS. ix

Grant's views of the Presidency — A parting dinner — A radical innovation —
The final departure and leave-tauing — A impressive scene— The last words
of Grant  411
CHAPTER XVII.
Grant determines to visit the Great Wall of China— Various plans of going —
Resolves to take the trip by sea — Takes the " Richmond" — First sight of the
Wall — Its appearance — Return trip — Reception at Chefoo — Entrance to
Nagasaki — Grand reception — The jinrikshaw — A State dinner — Speech of
General Grant — The citizens give him a grand dinner after the fashion of the
old Damios — A curious bill of fare — Fire-works and illumination — Singing
girls — The scenery — Drive home  459
CHAPTER XVIII.
Tokio or Yedo — Landing in Yokohama — Arrival at Tokio — Address to General
Grant — His response — A refinement of courtesy — The Fourth of July the day
he was received by the emperor — Drive to the Imperial Palace — Description
of it — Japanese cabinet — The emperor and empress — General Grant's reply — •
Address of the empress to Mrs. Grant — The latter's response — Fourth of July
celebration — Speech of Mr. Bingham — Reply of General Grant — Illumina
tion — Review of the Japanese army — An Imperial breakfast — A private in
terview between Grant and the emperor  481
CHAPTER XIX.
The home set apart for General Grant — Description of the palace — Its gardens.
— Grant's daily life here — Palace economies— Summer ihouses — Courtesies
and ceremonies — An earthquake — Introduction of the cholera — The em
peror takes breakfast with General Grant — Talk about Japan — A representa
tive government — European policy in the East — Statesmanlike views of
Grant — The questions of Foo-Choo — Education in Japan — Grant as a peace
maker  502
CHAPTER XX.
Mode of traveling in Japan — A ride through the city — A trip into the interior —
Colossal image of Buddha — Fleet two-legged horses — Tea-house — The royal
road to Japan — A new mode of transportation — Description of the people—
Fusiyama — A queer ride through the streets of Tokio — Great changes in
Japan in the last quarter of a century — Extent of the empire — Customs of
the people — Honest beggars — America cannot keep out of the Eastern
question  518
CHAPTER XXL
General Grant resolves to leave Japan — Where shall he go ? — Plans proposed—
Preparing for home — Purchasing souvenirs — Custom- House apprehensions —
Homesickness — General Grant and Mr. Iwakura — Politics — Memoirs of the
beautiful— Memories of the ancient days — Working in clay — An earthquake. 532
CHAPTER XXII.
A dinner with the prime minister — A Japanese dinner — Farewell hospitalities
— Martial songs — Dinner with Prince Dati — Trip to his house — A pleasant
time — American hospitalities — Grand party at the' consulate — Taking leave

TABLE OF CONTENTS.

of the mikado — The audience of leave — Address of General Grant, and the
emperor's reply — Mrs. Grant and the empress — Mr. Bingham thanks the mi
kado — The last night in Tokio — Last conversations — Farewell to Tokio —
Farewell to Japan — Parting adieus  552
CHAPTER XXIII.
Grand reception of General Grant at San Francisco — Magnificent display — An
exciting scene — Ovation at the hotel — Reception of the citizens at the mayor's
office — Visits the Produce Exchange — Lunches with General McDowell — ¦
Reception of a Chinese deputation — Grant's speech — Reception at Oakland
— Attends the fair at Santa Clara — His reception  57g

LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS.

PAGE
Frontispiece, Portrait of General Grant, Steel  Full Page
The Prince of Wales  10
Westminster Abbey  Full Page 14
Presenting the Freedom of London  Full Page 19
Banquet with the Lord Mayor  Full Page 25
Interior of Trinity College  27
Prince Albert Memorial  Full Page 28
General Grant entertained by Queen Victoria at Windsor Castle  Full Page 31
Throne Room  34
Buckingham Palace  Full Page 35
Epping Forest  37
Horticultural Garden  Full Page 39
Coblentz  42
On the Rhine  43
Ancient Castle  44
Deserted Castle  44
Alpine Peaks  48
Peasant Life in Switzerland  Full Page 49
Village among the Alps  5°
Rural Scene in Italy  52
Edinburgh Castle  54
Costume of Scotch Highlander  58
Oxford as you approach  64
Anne Hathaway's Cottage  65
Warwick Castle  66
Penhurst Church  67
English Mill  68
Briggate — the Five Points of London  72
Marshal McMahon  76
Garden of the Tuilleries  77
Place de la Concorde  78
Pont des Arts  80
Versailles  Full Page 81
The Petit Trianon  82
Temple of Love  82
The Queen's Swiss Cottage  83
The Farm-House  84
The Dairy  84
The Gallery of Malmaison  85
Bed-Chamber of Josephine  86
Tomb of Napoleon  92
Palace of the Luxembourg  93
Tower of St. Jacques  94
Crater of Vesuvius  96
Pompeiian Ruins  I0°
House of Diomede  i°i
11

XJJ LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS.

The Forum of Justice  io2
Stromboli  io7
Malta  .'.  full Page 108
Bas-Relief of Cleopatra  "'
Irrigating Machine on the Nile  JI"
Pyramid and Sphinx  Full Page 117
The Queen's Chamber  Il8
Interior of the Pyramid  •  ll9
The Arab Captain  I20
A Nile Dahabeeah  I22
Hassan  I26
Thebes  Full Page 133
View of the Ruins  '34
Ruined Temple  J35
Ruined Gateway at Karnac  :  13^
Entrance to the Temple  137
Statues of Memnon  14°
Avenue of Sphinxes  143
Egyptians of the Better Class  147
Palm-Tree  15°
Head of First Cataract  154
Egyptian Lady  155
Alexandria  163
View of Jerusalem  Full Page 166
Modern Bethlehemites  Full Page 169
Church of the Holy Sepulchre  17°
Gethsemane  171
Bethany  I72
Nazareth  175
Mosque of St. Sophia  179
Interior of Mosque of St. Sophia  180
Sultan's new Palace  182
Grant's Arabian Stallions, presented by the Sultan of Turkey  Full Page 183
Marble Staircase in the Palace  185
The Golden Horn  187
The Parthenon  Full Page 188
Rome  Full Page 193
Pamfili Doria Villa  Full Page 195
Palace of the Caesars  196
Guido's Beatrice de Cenci  198
Florence  Full Page 199
Venus de Medici  Full Page 201
An Italian Garden  Full Page 204
Rialto Bridge  205
Pisa  Full Page 207
Venice  Full Page 209
Ferro Palace  Full Page 21 1
Milan  Full Page 213
Emperor of Germany  220
Interview with Prince Bismarck  221
Prince Von Otto Bismarck  ,  224
Prince Gortschakoff.  240
Winter Palace of the Imperial Family  Full Page 242
Art Gallery, St. Petersburg  Full Page 245
Chateau De Peterhoff.  lull Page 247
Russian Post-House  248
Russian Peasants  249
View of the Kremlin  250

LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS. xjjj
„T. „ TAGS
Wine- Press  255
Court of Lyons, Alhambra Palace  \  .'..'!!.'.'. .'..!  264
A Moorish Lady  .................Full Page 266
Rural Festivities  269
Grafton Street, Dublin  274
Bauqueting-Room  275
Custom-House, Dublin  277
Parsee of Bombay  286
Hindoo Temple  Full Page 289
Sacred Cow of India  290
Town Hall, Bombay  291
Cave of Elephanta  Full Page 295
Agra  298
The Marble Palace  299
The Taj Mahal  Full Page 301
Interior of the Taj — The Tombs  303
Main Entrance to Delhi  306
The Kootub Minor  Full Page 307
Indian Porter  309
Indian Soldier  311
NautchGirl  316
Indian Musicians  Full Page 317
Mahrajah of Benares  318
Buddhist Garden  Full Page 321
A Harem Scene  325
Memorial Chapel  Full Page 326
Sedan Chair  331
Goddess Kali  332
Scenes on the Ganges  333
Buddhist Funeral Urn  334
Buddhist Car of Juggernaut  336
Banyan, or Sacred Tree of India  339
Surf at Madras  341
Rangoon  342
View of the Pagodas — Eagle Hill  Full Page 345
Cenotaph Memorial to the dead  349
Temple of 500 Gods  350
Type of the Lower Class  352
View of Bangkok  361
Present Second King  370
Reigning First King  370
A Son of the First King  371
The Great Tower  Full Page 379
A few of the Sons of the late First King  382
Building for Incremation of a Royal Personage  Full Page 384
Grant carried in the Royal Chair — Eight bearers  Full Page 393
Chinese Smoking-Room  396
Illuminations  400
Custom-House, Shanghai  Full Page 402
Chinese Punishment  403
Tien-tsin  404
Chinese Teacher in winter costume  420
Chinese Play  434
Chinese Soldiers  436
Chinese Image of Bud  437
Chinese Bonze (Priest)  438
Chinese Fruit Seller  Full Page 439
Interpreter  44'

xiv LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS.
PAGE
Chinese Fishing  443
Chinese Sale of Prayers  453
Gong in a Chinese Temple  455
Chinese Trading Junk  461
Grand Canal, Yedo  Full Page 483
Royal Carriage — Japan  487
Japanese Soldiers  488
Japanese House of the Better Class  Full Page 519
Japanese Street  520
Japanese Bed  ,,  524
High Priest  53 r
Native of Nagasaki  553
Japanese Minister's Dinner  554
Japanese Musicians  ;  561
The "City of Tokio" entering the Golden Gate  Full Page 583
Grand Reception at Saa Francisco  ,,,,  Full Page 587

-e^ga-

TRAVELS OF GENERAL GRANT.

CHAPTER I.
GENERAL GRANT RESOLVES TO VISIT EUROPE AND OBTAIN REST — ENGLAND DISCUSSES
HOW TO RECEIVE HIM — HIS DEPARTURE — THE VOYAGE — A DEPUTATION FROM
IRELAND WAITS ON HIM — HIS RECEPTION AT LIVERPOOL — HIS RECEPTION BY THE
MAYOR — EXAMINES THE DOCKS AND VISITS OTHER PRINCIPAL PLACES OF INTEREST
— LUNCHES WITH THE MAYOR AND GOES TO MANCHESTER — HIS RECEPTION — HIS
FIRST LONG SPEECH — TOUR OF THE PLACE — ENTHUSIASM OF THE PEOPLE — FAC
TORY GIRLS HONORING HIM — RECEPTION AT LEICESTERSHIRE — AT BEDFORD — AR
RIVAL IN LONDON — INTRODUCTION TO THE PRINCE OF WALES — THE DUKE OF
WELLINGTON GIVES HIM A BANQUET — AN UNCEREMONIOUS RECEPTION BY THE
PRINCE OF WALES — CIVILITIES OF THE QUEEN — DESCRIPTION OF ENTERTAINMENTS
BY LADIES — PRIVATE LETTER OF GRANT — THE FREEDOM OF THE CITY OF LONDON
GIVEN HIM — HIS SPEECH- — A PRIVATE DINNER — FIRE-WORKS — HUMOR OF GRANT
— BANQUET BY TRINITY COLLEGE — VISITS THE QUEEN AT WINDSOR CASTLE — RE
CEIVES A DEPUTATION OF WORKINGMEN — A BANQUET AT THE UNITED SERVICE
CLUB — DINNER AT LIVERPOOL.
GENERAL GRANT, having finished eight years
of public life as President, and sixteen altogether
since he entered the army at the commencement
of the war, felt the need of relaxation and complete free
dom from all care, in order to recruit his energies, that
had been so severely taxed for so long a time. To ac
complish this, he determined to visit, as he had long
desired to do, the Old World, study its governments,
and see their practical operations for himself, and enjoy
the freedom and rest which travel gives to the overtasked
mind. In selecting a steamer to carry himself and party
to Liverpool, he chose the "Indiana," one of the
only American line of steamships crossing the Atlantic.
The announcement of his intended visit awakened the
liveliest interest .in England, where he was first to land,
and it was agitated in all the papers whether the court
esies tendered him should be those accorded to a

. ' TRA VELS OF GENERAL GRANT.
sovereign ruler or a private citizen. Van Buren and
Fillmore had both been received simply as distinguished
American citizens. At length, Lord Beaconsfield an
nounced that he should be received as a sovereign. The
Times devoted a leader to the manner of his reception,
while other papers discussed the point of etiquette
whether on his arrival he should call first on the Duke
of Cambridge, the Field-Marshal, Commander-in-Chief,
or the first visit should be paid by the latter. Grant,
however, felt very little concern about such matters,
being quite content to be let alone and travel without
restraint. On May 1 7th, the day fixed for his departure, after a
breakfast given him by Mr. Childs, General Grant and
party, accompanied by several distinguished gentlemen,
passed down the Delaware to embark on board the ship,
heralded all the way by shouting crowds, that lined the
banks, waving handkerchiefs and banners.
A lunch was served on board the " Magenta," at which,
toasts were given and speeches made. In reply to an ad
dress by Mayor Stokley, Grant was much overcome, and
said that he was wholly inadequate to properly respond
to all the kind words that had been uttered. At 2.40 the
"Indiana" was boarded thirty-five miles from Philadelphia,
and a salute of twenty-one guns fired, when, amid deafen
ing cheers and the blowing of whistles, she steamed away,
with her prow turned oceanward.
The voyage of eleven days was rough and stormy,
which affected all the party, to a greater or less extent, ex
cept Grant himself, who was as impervious to the ocean
as he was to the storms of war. Smoking and chatting
with the passengers, and joining in all their amusements,
he was a general favorite. A gale was blowing as the
vessel approached Queenstown, and a heavy sea running.

TRA I'ELS OF GENERAL GRANT. ,.
Grant was leaning over the taffrail smoking his cigar
and watching the waves, when a steamer from Cork,
with a large deputation aboard, steered alongside to
tender him the hospitalities of the city. They were
received on board and conducted to the captain's cabin,
where a formal reception took place, and a flattering
speech was made to the ex-President and renowned
military chieftain. A cordial invitation was extended to
him to visit Ireland, promising him a warm and enthusi
astic reception in all its cities. The latter thanked them
in a short speech, and though declining their invitation
to visit Ireland then, promised to do so in a short time.
The deputation then steamed away toward Liverpool,
sending back cheers over the water as they departed.
The "Indiana" kept on her way and reached Liverpool
harbor in the afternoon. She was covered with flags,
and all the flags in port, of every nationality, were flung
to the breeze, presenting a magnificent spectacle, while
cheer after cheer from the thousands that crowded the
wharves, rolled over the water. Grant, with uncovered
head, acknowledged the honor paid him. As he stepped
on the pier with the wife of the consul-general, of
London, on his arm, the ground fairly shook to the deaf
ening shouts that rent the air.
A cordon of police immediately closed around him,.
while the mayor of the city advanced, reading an address .
of welcome, to which Grant replied in a few fitting
words. The crowd which surged around and expected to see
a man adorned with all the trappings with which European
royalty is decorated on great occasions, were disappointed
in seeing only a short, plain man, dressed in ordinary
civilian's dress. He and his wife then entered the mayor's
state carriage, and drove to the Adelphi hotel, followed
17

^ TRAVELS OF GENERAL GRANT.
by a long line of carriages and a cheering crowd. The
English papers in announcing his arrival, loaded him with
compliments, and his military deeds were referred to in
terms of the highest praise. The next morning he took a
carriage and made the tour of Liverpool, visiting all its
principal objects of interest, and calling *>n the mayor.
He then drove to the docks, which he examined with
great minuteness and contrasted them with the shabby
appearance of those in New York.
About one o'clock he returned to the town hall, to
lunch with the mayor. To the toast proposed by the
latter in his honor, he said a few words expressing his
gratification at the good feeling existing between the two
countries, and in turn proposed the health of the mayor,
mayoress and ladies of Liverpool.
The next day he started for Manchester, where similar
honors and demonstrations awaited him. The mayor
read an address, to which Grant replied in the longest
one he had ever made, and which was received with un
bounded applause. He had listened to the compliments
of the mayor and his expressions of goOd-will toward
this country, with as much composure and apparent in
difference to the fact that he was the target of 10,000
eyes, as if he had been smoking his cigar, in his own
head-quarters, and when it was ended, arose and said in
a clear and distinct voice :
" It is scarcely possible for me to give utterance to
the feelings evoked by my reception upon your soil
from the moment of my arrival in Liverpool, where
I have passed a couple of days, until the present moment.
After the scene which I have witnessed in your streets,
the elements of greatness, as manifested in your public
and industrial buildings, I may be allowed to say that no
person could be the recipient of the honor and attention

TRA VELS OF GENERAL GRANT.

you have bestowed upon me without the profoundest
feeling. Such have been incited in me, and I find myself
inadequate to their proper expression. It was my origi
nal purpose on my arrival in Liverpool to hasten to Lon
don, and from thence proceed to visit the various points
of interest in the country. Among these I have regarded
Manchester as the most important. [Hear.] As I have
been aware for years of the great amount of your manu
factures, many of which find their ultimate destination in
my own country, so I am aware that the sentiments of
the great mass of the people of Manchester went out in
sympathy to that country during the mighty struggle in
which it fell to my lot to take some humble part. The
expressions of the people of Manchester at the time of
our great trial incited within the breasts of my country
men a feeling of friendship toward them distinct from that
felt toward all England, and in that spirit I accept, on the
part of my country, the compliments paid me as its rep
resentative, and thank you."
Luncheon followed, at which, in a reply to a toast of
the mayor, he said with a smile, "that Englishmen had got
more and longer speeches out of him than his own country
men, but they were poorer simply because they were
longer than he was accustomed to make."
Mr. Jacob Bright, M. P., being called on for a speech,
said: "No guest so distinguished has ever before visited
Manchester. General Grant is a brave soldier and he has
pursued a generous, pacific policy toward the enemies he
had conquered. He should be honored and beloved, and
deserved the hearty reception he would certainly receive
throughout the realm." Mr. Bright touched upon free
trade, and said, "he hoped and believed that the time would
come when a free interchange of products would take place'
between the two great nations of common kindred."

8

TRAVELS OF GENERAL CRANT.

After the banquet, General Grant was introduced to
the assemblage, and a general handshaking followed. In
the evening he visited the Theatre Royal, and afterward
attended for a short time at the Princess Theatre, where he
saw the actor J. L. Toole. His reception at both places
was very enthusiastic.
The next morning he arose early, and accompanied by
several members of the Common Council, made a tour of
the place and out to the chief manufacturing district, be
ing followed by cheers whenever recognized by the people.
In the afternoon he departed for the London station, ac
companied by the mayor and his wife, and other distin
guished personages, at which, to his surprise, he saw a vast
crowd of factory girls assembled in their working-dresses,
who sent up a loud huzza as he appeared. Entering the
drawing-room car, he had hardly taken his seat when the
bell rung, and the lightning-train moved out of the sta
tion, followed by thundering cheers, and sped through the
country, while cultivated fields, huge black chimneys of
factories and smiling farms seemed to flit by him like
shadows. The first stopping-place was Leicestershire, and as the
train glided up to the station, he saw it hung all over
with bunting, the doorway being crowned with the flags
of England and America, intertwined and hanging in
graceful festoons down the sides. As it stopped, rich
bouquets to Mr. and Mrs. Grant were sent in by the
ladies that crowded the platforms. Here, as at Liverpool
and Manchester, the mayor and Common Council met
him with an address of welcome, and offering the hospi
talities of the town. Grant replied in his usual manner,
and remarked on the antiquity of the town, its foundation
by King Lear, and as the resting-place of the bones of
Richard III, the hero of Bosworth Field. The mayor, in

TRA VELS OF GENERAL GRANT. Q
return, expressed the wish that he would visit them again,
and go over these old landmarks of the place, to which
Grant replied that he hoped to have that pleasure at
some future time. Lunch was then served, ancVa general
introduction took place. The party then re-entered the
car, the signal was given, and the train moved out and
again flew over the country to Bedford, where the same
ceremonies were performed, the mayor calling him the
" Hannibal of the American armies," and praying that he
might long live to enjoy the honors and rewards which
would be heaped upon him. Grant, in reply, asked to be
excused from making a speech, and caused much merri
ment by hinting at the propriety of doing as many others
did in various positions in life, obtain a substitute to
do his speaking. Flowers and flags were also in abund
ance here, amid which were interspersed mottoes refer
ring to some of his renowned battle-fields.
At the terminus of the Midland Railroad — St. Pancras
station — he was met by Mr. Pierrepont, our Minister to
England. Entering his carriage, he was driven to the
residence of the latter, in London. The next day the
Prince of Wales was introduced to him at the Epsom
races. He now entered on a week of extraordinary festivities,
such as were never before got up to any one but a
crowned head. Occupying no longer an official position,
being nothing more than a simple American citizen, they
were a remarkable exhibition of honor to the man.
The Duke of Wellington gave him a grand banquet at
the Apsley House. The guests were Mrs. and General
Grant, Count and Countess Gleichen, Lord and Lady
Abercromby, Lord and Lady Churchill, Marquises
Tweeddale, Sligo and Ailesbury, Earl Roden, Viscount
Torrington, Lords George Paget, Calthorpe, Houghton,

IO

TRA VELS OF GENERAL GRANT.

Strathnairn, the Marchioness of Hertford, Countess of
Hardwicke, Countess of Bradford, Lady Wellesley, Lady
Emily Peel and Lady Skelmersdale, Miss Wellesley and

:^$A
THE PRINCE OF WALES.
a number of others well known to the London world of
high social life.
The banquet was served up in the famous Waterloo
Chamber, where the old Iron Duke loved to meet the
war generals of 1815, on the 18th of June, every year,

TRA VELS OF GENERAL GRANT. j T
and celebrate the anniversary of the great battle which
forever closed the fortunes of Napoleon Bonaparte.
Here, overlooking Hyde Park, and within view of his
own statue, at the entrance to the park, at Hyde Park
corner, the old duke presided over the annual banquet,
reviewing the events of the momentous times when the
supremacy of Great Britain was hanging in the balance,
with strong probabilities of the scale turning against her.
The Waterloo Chamber has been closed a good deal
since the death of Arthur Wellesley, for the present duke
and duchess have spent most of their time, when in Eng
land, at the lovely estate in Winchelsea, which was pre
sented to the eminent soldier by the crown after the close
of the great European wars. This chamber was hung
with celebrated paintings, some of them commemorating
great events in the Iron Duke's life, and among them a
life-size portrait of Napoleon, whom he overthrew at
Waterloo. It was a dramatic incident that the conqueror of Lee
should meet in this revered chamber the descendant of
the conqueror of Napoleon the Great. General Grant
was given precedence in the honors of the evening,
escorting the Duchess of Wellington to supper, and
afterward escorting her to the reception, at which were
present the Duke and Duchess of Cleveland, the Duke
and Duchess of Sutherland, the Duke and Duchess
of Manchester, and many of those already mentioned
above. No speeches were made, and the brilliant, gor
geous affair passed in stately quietness. It was such a
sight as the tanner-boy had hitherto only dreamed of,
and would have turned a less well-balanced head than
his. The next day the Prince of Wales gave him a private
audience at Marlborough House, introducing him in a

12

TRAVELS OF GENERAL GRANT.

familiar, home-like manner to the various members of his
household. The queen waived the usual necessary cere
monies of presentation to court, and extended to him and
his wife invitations to all the court entertainments. This
was an almost unprecedented honor. There is something
almost appalling in the following list of engagements
which General Grant made at this time :

June 3. Visit to Westminster
Abbey. June 5. A reception given by
Minister Pierrepont to the Min
istry and foreign ambassadors.
June 6. Dine with Earl Carnar
von. June 6. Evening. Attend royal
concert at Buckingham Palace.
June 7. Dine with Lord Hough
ton. June 8. Dine with* the Duke of
Devonshire. June 9. Dine with the Marquis
of Hertford.
June 9. Attend a reception at
the Hertford mansion.
June n. Dinner given by his
daughter, Mrs. Sartoris.
June 12. Attend Ascot races.
June 13. Remain at the Sarto
ris family house in the country.
June 14. Remain at the Sarto
ris family house in the country.
June 15. Attend at Guildhall to
receive the freedom of the city of

London and attend the banquet
given in his honor the same even
ing by the Lord Mayor.
June 16. Dine with the Prin
cess Louise at Kensington Pal
ace. June 18. Dine with the Earl o
Beaconsfield and members of the
Cabinet in Downing Street.
June 20. Dine with the Mar
quis of Hertford.
June 20. Evening. Attend the
Queen's ball at Buckingham Pal
ace. June 21. Dine with the Prince
of Wales at Mr. Pierrepont's resi
dence. June 23. Dine with the Prince
of Wales, probably at Marlborough
House. June 26. Dine with the Duke
of Cambridge at Pierrepont's.
June 27. Dine withLord Derby.
June 27. Evening. Attend con
cert given by the Queen at Buck
ingham Palace.

General Grant was asked at a supper, what was the
comparison between English racing, as he had seen it on
the day of the Oaks at Epsom, and the races in America.

TRA VELS OF GENERAL GRANT. T -
He said, with a smile, " There is an impression abroad
that I am a great horse racer, fond of horses and know
all about races ; but, on the contrary, I really know noth
ing of racing, having seen only two races — one at Cincin
nati in 1865, and at the opening of Jerome Park in 1867.
I feel, therefore, that I am not qualified to judge of the
comparison. Thus far I like London very much. I have,
however, accepted so many engagements that I shall be
compelled to alter my plans and remain here until the
27th, when I shall visit Ireland."
He attended service at Westminster Abbey, on which
occasion, an eloquent sermon was preached by Dean
Stanley, who took as his text Genesis xxvii, 38 : "And
Esau said unto his father, hast thou but one blessing, my
father ? Bless me, even me, also, O my father ! And
Esau lifted up his voice, and wept." In the course of his
sermon he alluded to ex-President Grant, saying, " that in
the midst of the congregation there was one of the chief
est citizens of the United States, who had just laid down
the sceptre of the American Commonwealth, who by his
military prowess and generous treatment of his comrades
and adversaries had restored unity to his country. We
welcome him as a sign and pledge that the two great
kindred nations are one in heart and are equally at home
under this paternal roof. Both regard with reverential
affection this ancient cradle of their common life."
A lady, writing from London, says of Grant's reception
in England at this time:
"The world moves! Whatever England's feelings may
be toward America, to General Grant, the head of the
conquering American army, she is now in the highest
degree friendly. Thus far the journey of the hero of
Appomattox has been as triumphant as Sherman's march
to the sea. Pro-slavery Liverpool from the top of its

WESTMINSTER ABBEY.

TRA VELS OF GENERAL GRANT. T -
cotton bales welcomed, with civic honors, the man who
made cotton bales scarce in that port some twelve to
fifteen years ago. Manchester burst into enthusiasm
over the gallant American soldier, who stopped the whir
ring and clicking music of her cotton jennies during the
same period. When entering the theatre there the per
formance paused for the moment, the orchestra struck up
' Hail Columbia,' and the operatives in the gallery, many
of whom had gone on' short commons during the rebellion,
cheered vociferously. So much for the blessed operation
in England of that law of change which is the law of
Nature. "In honoring Grant the English feel that they are hon
oring the most distinguished citizen of the United States.
Thus it comes about that society is preparing to kill the
fatted calf in his honor, and several other emblematic
abnormally adipose animals besides. The Prince of Wales
gives a dinner in his honor on the 2istinst. The queen
returns to Windsor next week from her Highland refuge
at Balmoral, and will show the ex-President some royal
hospitality." The crowd of carriages, the brilliantly-lighted • rooms,
the array of distinguished noblemen and soldiers, the glit
ter of diamonds and display of costly dresses, made these
public receptions scenes of dazzling splendor. An
American lady, who was present, thus describes the re
ception at the American Minister's house, in- which the
simple American citizen, dressed in plain clothes, was the
central figure :
"Our road is through the quiet of great West End
.squares and long, silent streets, where the rich and the
'puissant abide in palatial homes. We find ourselves in
St. James's, and at last the carriage turns into the great
quadrangle of Cavendish Square, with its railed-in patch

i6

TRA VELS OF GENERAL GRANT.

of verdure in the centre and towering mansions on the
four sides. All this is dimly seen now, for the night has
wrapped the square in shadows, save where ruby gleams
of subdued brightness stream through the closely-drawn
scarlet silk curtains of the grand old mansion, wherein
dwells Minister Pierrepont.
"There is a line of carriages before the door, each
quickly depositing its load of beauty and distinction, and
driving away. A solid framework has been built over
the pavement, supporting an awning. The entire path
way is covered with scarlet carpet. A number of defer
ential link-bearers, wearing scarlet tunics, move about
opening carriage-doors and turning on the light of bull's-
eyes or square, old-fashioned lanterns, so that no tiny
foot in satin shoon shall make a false step.
" Beyond in the street, and lining the portal on each side
as closely as the special policemen on duty would allow,
are massed in groups detachments of England's poor and
hungry, to get a glimpse of the fairy-land, wherein abide
riches, beauty, high birth and distinction won by sword,
pen or pencil. We have, as we pass in, but a glance,
alas ! for those in the street, with the officious policemen
pushing them back into the shadows beyond ; but I can
hear one ask an officer, as he recedes :
"'W'ichis'im!'"'Oo?' (gruffly).
"'Graunt'
""E'shin a hour.'
"Wide stood the hospitable doors, inside of which,
ranged on either side of the hallway, stood statuesquely
or bowed obsequiously to welcome and direct the guests,
a gorgeous army of footmen in liveries of blue and gold,
and showing in silken hose those wondrous padded calves
at which jocund Thackeray laughed, and whose fair pro-

TRAVELS OF GENERAL GRANT. I7
portions whimsical Leech so often depicted in Punch.
The second glance, after entering the doors, brings
to the eye a beautiful vision of rich colors, and to the
sense the perfumes of a thousand flowers. Flowers
everywhere ! From ground to roof, peeping in clusters of
brilliant blooms from amid cool frameworks of rich greens,
they glow in the mellow light of the chandeliers like gems,
until their fragrance seems a thing almost palpable.
Amid the surging crowd of guests, some in gay military
or diplomatic uniform, Grant is the central figure, con
trasting strangely, by his plain dress and unassuming
manner, with the brilliant, dazzling display around him.
Every one remarks how well he looks. Surrounded by
fine specimens of English manhood, through whose sturdy
veins courses the bluest blood, the robust form and rosy
face of Grant are conspicuous in their healthy appear
ance." The following private letter, written by him at this time
to Mr. Childs, will be read with interest, as showing how
he was affected by all this display, and the manner in which
he had been everywhere received :
London, Eng., June 19th, 1877.
My Dear Mr. Childs : — After an unusually stormy passage for any
season of the year and continuous seasickness generally among the pas
sengers, after the second day out, we reached Liverpool Monday after
noon, the 28th of May. Jessie and I proved to be among the few-
good sailors. Neither of us felt a moment's uneasiness during the
voyage. I had proposed to leave Liverpool immediately on arrival and pro
ceed to London, where I knew our Minister had made arrangements
for a formal reception, and had accepted for me a few invitations of
courtesy, but what was my surprise to find nearly all the shipping in
port at Liverpool decorated with flags of all nations, and from the
mainmast of each the flag of the Union was most conspicuous.
The docks were lined with as many of the population as could find

i8

TRAVELS OF GENERAL GRANT.

standing-room, and the streets to the hotel where it was understood
my party would stop were packed. The demonstration was, to all
appearances, as hearty and as enthusiastic as in Philadelphia on our
departure. The mayor was present with his state carriage to convey us to the
hotel, and after that to his beautiful country residence, some six miles
out, .where we were entertained at dinner with a small party of gentle
men, and remained over night. The following day a large party was
given at the official residence of the mayor, in the ci^y, at which there
were some one hundred and fifty of the distinguished citizens and
officials of the corporation present. Pressing invitations were sent
from most of the cities of the kingdom to have me visit them. I
accepted for a day at Manchester, and stopped a few moments at
Leicester, and at one other place. The same hearty welcome was
shown at each place, as you have, no doubt, seen.
The press of the country has been exceedingly kind- and courteous.
So far I have not been permitted to travel in a regular train, much less
in a 'common car. The Midland road, which penetrates a great por
tion of the island, including Wales and Scotland, have extended to
me the courtesy of their road and a Pullman car to take me wherever
I wish to go during the whole of my stay in England. We arrived in
London on Monday evening, the 30th of May, when I found our
Minister had accepted engagements for me up to the 27th of June,
having but a few spare days in the interval.
On Saturday last we dined with the Duke of Wellington, and last
night the formal reception at Judge Pierrepont's was held. It was a
great success, most brilliant in the numbers, rank and attire of the
audience, and was graced by the presence of every American in the city,
who had called on the Minister or left a card for me. I doubt whether
London has ever seen a private house so elaborately or tastefully deco
rated as was our American Minister's last night. I am deeply indebted
to him for the pains he has taken to make my stay pleasant, and the
attentions extended to our country. I appreciate the fact, and" am
proud of it., that the attentions I am receiving are intended more for
our country than for me personally. I love to see our country honored
and respected abroad, and I am proud to believe that it is by most all
nations, and by some even loved. It has always been my desire to
see all jealousy between England and the United States abated and
every sore healed. Together they arc more powerful for the spread of
commerce and civilization than all others combined, and can do more

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PRESENTING THE FREEDOM OF THE CITY OF LONDON. GRANT SIGNING THE RECORD.

TRA VELS OF GENERAL GRANT. 2 T
to remove causes of wars by creating moral interests that would be
so much endangered by war.
I have written very hastily and a good deal at length, but I trust
this will not bore you. Had I written for publication, I should have
taken more pains.
U. S. Grant.
But perhaps the most stately and imposing of all the
ceremonies got up in his honor, was that in which the
freedom of the city of London was conferred on him.
"This is the highest honor that can be paid by this
ancient and renowned corporation. . The freedom of the'
city was presented in a gold casket. The obverse cen
tral panel contains a view of the Capitol at Washington,
and on the right and left are the General's monogram
and the arms of the Lord Mayor. On the reverse side
is a view of the entrance to the Guildhall and an inscrip
tion. At the end are two figures, also in gold, represent
ing the city of London and the Republic of the United
States. These figures bear enameled shields. At the
corners are double columns, laurel-wreathed, with corn
and cotton, and on the cover a cornucopia, as a
compliment to the fertility and prosperity of the United
States. The cover is surmounted by the arms of the
city of London, and in the decorations are interwoven
the rose, the shamrock and the thistle. _ The casket is
supported by American eagles in gold, standing on a
velvet plinth decorated with stars and stripes.
" The ceremonies attending the presentation of the
freedom of the city of London are stately and unique.
Guildhall, one of the most ancient and picturesque build
ings in the city, was specially prepared for the occasion,
and 800 guests were invited to the banquet, a considera
ble proportion of them being ladies. There were the
members of the Corporation, the American Minister, the

22 TRAVELS OF GENERAL GRANT.
Chancellor of the Exchequer, members of Parliament
and representatives of the American colony resident in
London. On arriving at the Guildhall the General was
received by a deputation of four aldermen, with the chair
man and four members of the City Lands Committee,
including the mover and seconder of the resolution pre
senting the freedom. This deputation conducted the
General to his place in the Common Council on the left-
hand of the Lord Mayor. The passage leading to the
library was guarded by a detachment of the London
Brigade.* The routine of business being over the Cham
berlain arose and addressed General Grant in quite a
lengthy speech, in which he spoke of the two countries,
¦ of Grant's military achievements and the distinguished
position he had held as President of a great Republic, and
expressed the wish that he might enjoy his visit and
closed, ' Nothing now remains, General, but that I should
present you an illuminated copy of the resolutions of this
honorable Court, for which, an appropriate casket is in
the course of preparation, and in conclusion offer you, in
the name of the honorable Court, the right hand of fellow
ship as a citizen of London.' To this Grant replied:
Tt is a matter of some regret to me that I have
never cultivated the art of public speaking, which might
have enabled me to express in suitable terms my grati
tude for the compliment which has been paid to my
countrymen and myself on this occasion. Were I in the
habit of speaking in public, I should claim the right to
express my opinion, and what I believe will be the opinion
of my countrymen when the proceedings of this day shall
have been telegraphed to them. For myself, I have been
very much surprised at my reception at all places since the
day I landed at Liverpool up to my appearance in this
—  3  _  „
""•John Russel Young.

TRA VELS OF GENERAL GRANT. 2 ,
the greatest city in the world. It was entirely unexpected,
and it is particularly gratifying to me. I believe
that this honor is intended quite as much for the country
which I have had the opportunity of serving in different
capacities, as for myself, and I am glad that this is so,
because I want to see the happiest relations existing, not
only between the United States and Great Britain, but
also between the United States and all other nations.
Although a soldier by education and profession, I have
never felt any sort of fondness of war, and I have never
advocated it except as a means of peace. I hope that we
shall always settle our differences in all future negotiations
as amicably as we did in a recent instance. I believe
that settlement has had a happy effect on bath countries, ,
and that from month to month, and year to year, the tie
of common civilization and common blood is getting
stronger between the two countries. My Lord Mayor,
ladies, and gentlemen, I again thank you for the honor
you have done me and my country to-day.' "
Grant then subscribed his name to the roll, containing
a list of all the honorary freemen. A lunch was then
served, at which the Lord Mayor proposed the health of
General Grant — to which the latter made the following
happy reply : " My Lord Mayor and Gentlemen : Habits
formed in early life and early education press upon us as
we grow older. I was brought up a soldier — not to
talking. I am not aware that I ever fought two battles
on the same day in the same place, and that I should be
called upon to make two speeches on the same day under
the same roof is beyond my understanding."
He seemed to be in a peculiarly genial humor this day,
for a little later at a rather private dinner given in the
Crystal Palace, Mr. Hughes, in proposing the health of
General Grant intimated that no speeches were required.
18

2, TRA VELS OF GENERAL GRANT.
The latter slowly arose and said : " Nevertheless I must
express the gratification it gives me to hear my health
proposed in such words, by 'Tom Brown of Rugby.' " In
the evening a grand display of fireworks was given, in
which one of the pieces was an excellent likeness of him
self drawn in blazing lines against the sky. Grant looked
at it without changing a muscle or uttering a word, but
as it faded slowly away, and the Capitol rose in blazing
outlines in its place, flashing, burning in mid-heaven, he
quietly turned to Lady Ripon, sitting beside him, and
said with a smile: "They have burnt me in effigy and
now they are burning the Capitol."
On the 25th, he attended a banquet given by the cor
poration of Trinity College, at which the Prince of Wales
presided. The guests were some of the most distin
guished men of England. The prince made a speech, in
which he complimented Grant highly, and said it gave
him and the queen the greatest pleasure to see him the
guest of the country. The Earl of Carnarvon toasted
him, and said they delighted to honor their distin
guished guest, not merely for the high position he had
held, but because he represented the good-will and affec
tion that ought to subsist between the two countries.
Grant replied in a happy speech, in which he said that
he had been more impressed than on any other occasion.
He thought that there would be no speeches or toasts,
and was surprised to find both. He thanked the Prince
of Wales for his remarks, and drew a contrast between
the politics of the two nations, and said that he would
imitate the chaplain who had made a short speech. He
uttered not a word too much or too little, and showed
himself a better representative of the nation than many
of those who prided themselves on their oratorical
powers.

BANQUET WITH THE LORD MAYOR OF LONDON.

TRA VELS OF GENERAL GRANT.

27

But the crowning event of his visit to England was his
reception by the queen, at Windsor Castle. The details
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INTERIOR OF TRINITY COLLEGE.

of this visit have not been made public, as it is an old
custom to treat everything as sacred that transpires

28

TRA VELS OF GENERAL GRANT.

THE ALBERT MEMORIAL.

TRA VELS OF GENERAL GRANT. 2g
within the palace. The following, however, constituted
the outward ceremonies of this very ceremonial affair :
Dinner was served in the (oak) room, according to
custom, which reserves St. George's Hall for State ban
quets. The party was small, because etiquette requires
that the queen shall converse with every guest.
The introductions were made as follows : Minister
Pierrepont, advancing, introduced General Grant; then
Lord Derby stepped forward with Mrs. Grant. The
queen shook hands with them, while the ladies in waiting
simply bowed.
This formality at an end, the gentlemen led the way to
the Oak Room. The queen sat at the head of the table.
On her right were respectively Prince Leopold, Princess
Christian and General Grant ; on her left Prince Chris
tian, Princess Beatrice and Minister Pierrepont. Then
came the Duchess of Wellington, Lord Elphinstone and
Mrs. Pierrepont ; Lord Derby and Mrs. Grant ; the
Duchess of Roxburgh and Lord Biddulph ; the Countess
of Derby and Jesse Grant.
During dinner the band of the Grenadier Guards,
under Dan Godfrey, played in the quadrangle. The
enjoyment of the party was unconstrained, the queen
taking a prominent part in the lively conversation, during
which all kinds of topics were discussed, American and
English, political and social. The Princess Beatrice is a
brilliant conversationalist, and she was particularly inter
esting on many American social topics, which she thor
oughly understood.
-Most of the ladies were all dressed in black with white
trimmings, owing to the deaths recently of the Queen of
Holland and the Duke of Hesse Darmstadt. The queen
was attired in a similar style, but her toilet comprised a
very magnificent array of diamonds.

,Q TRA VELS OF GENERAL GRANT.
After dinner the queen's party proceeded to the cor
ridor for the purpose of enabling the visitors to examine
it more closely. Here they met another party from the
Octagon, and a lively conversation ensued, during which
Her Majesty talked with every person present.
At about ten o'clock Her Majesty shook hands and
retired. In the evening, Grant and Minister Pierrepont played
whist with the Duchess of Wellington and Roxburgh, the
ex-President and Minister both playing badly.
The next day a deputation of forty men, each repre
senting a different trade, and representing altogether
about one million English workingmen, waited on ex-
President Grant, at Consul-General Badeau's house, and
presented him an address, welcoming him to England,
and assuring him of their good wishes and deep regard
for the welfare and progress of America, where British
workmen had always found a welcome. Impromptu
speeches were then made by various members of the
deputation, all of which were extremely cordial.
General Grant replied as follows: "In the name of my
country, I thank you for the address you have presented
to me. I feel it a great compliment paid my Government
and one to me personally. Since my arrival on British
soil I have received great attentions, which were intended,
I feel sure, in the same way for my country. I have had
ovations, free hand-shakings, presentations from different
classes, from the Government, from the controlling- authori-
ties of cities, and have been received in the cities by the
populace, but there has been no reception which I am
prouder of than this to-day. I recognize the fact that
whatever there is of greatness in the United States, as
indeed in any other country, is due to labor. The laborer
is the author of all greatness and wealth. Without labor

GENERAL GRANT ENTERTAINED BY QUEEN VICTORIA AT WINDSOR CASTLE.

TRA VELS OF GENERAL GRANT.
there would be no government or no leading class or
nothing to preserve. With us labor is regarded as highly
respectable. When it is not so regarded it is because
man dishonors labor. We recognize that labor dishonors
no man, and no matter what a man's occupation is, he is
eligible to fill any post in the gift of the people; his occu
pation is not considered in selecting whether as a law
maker or as an executor of the law. Now, gentlemen, in
conclusion, all I can do is to renew my thanks for the
address, and repeat what I have said before, that I have
received nothing from any class since my arrival which has
given me more pleasure." After the speech there was an
informal exchange of courtesies and the deputation then
withdrew. In the evening he attended a banquet given him by the
"United Service Club," presided over by the Duke of
Cambridge, in which the latter toasted him in a short
speech. Grant's reply was briefer still. In all these
royal and princely entertainments he never lost his
Amercian simplicity, or indulged in fulsome laudations of
the aristocracy or of English institutions.
Natural, easy, and always remembering he was the
representative of his country, he played his part in the
palaces of England as well as he had on the battle-fields
of his country. But it is useless to describe all the din
ner parties he attended. The invitation to the renowned
Buckingham Palace, the city residence of the queen, was
a special honor. But it required a constitution of iron
to long keep upthis round of receptions, and dinners, and
fetes, and he, without regret, saw the time draw near when
he should take his departure and put an end to these
regal entertainments.
I have made no allusion to the sight-seeing done by
Grant while in London, for it would be as tiresome as a

TRA VELS OF GENERAL GRANT.

table of statistics. The vicinity and suburbs of the city
are well worth a visit — Epping Forest, so renowned of
old and still furnishing grand woodland views ; Richmond

TRA VELS OF GENERAL GRANT.

37

Park ; Greenwich ; Crystal Palace, at Sydenham, crowded
with its objects of interest ; Kensington, with its horticul
tural garden, and many other places. Within the city,

38

TRA VELS OF GENERAL GRANT.

probably the three buildings most attractive are the
British Museum, the Tower, and Westminster Abbey, on
which volumes might be written.
Grant, it will be remembered, when he landed at Liver
pool, promised the mayor that he would accept an invita
tion to dinner given by the city. This, after some other
entertainments similar to those we have chronicled, he
put down for the 28 th. Some two hundred and fifty
guests sat down to the richly-loaded table. After dinner
the mayor proposed the health of General Grant in a
toast to which, after the band had played "Hail Columbia,"
the latter relied :
" Mr. Mayor and Gentlemen : You have alluded to
the hearty reception given to me on my first landing on
the soil of Great Britain, and the expectations of the
mayor that this reception would be equaled throughout
the island have been more than realized. It has been far
beyond anything I could have expected." (Cheers.) "I
am a soldier, and the gentlemen here beside me know
that a soldier must die. I have been a President, but we
know that the term of the presidency expires, and when
it has expired he is no more than a dead soldier."
(Laughter and cheers.) "But, gentlemen, I have met
with a reception that would have done honor to any
living person." (Cheers.) "I feel, however, that the
compliment has been paid, not to me, but to my country.
I cannot help but at this moment being highly pleased at
the good feeling and good sentiment which now exist be
tween the two peoples who of all others should be good
friends. We are of one kindred, of one blood, of one
language, and of one civilization, though in some respects
we believe that we, being younger, surpass the mother
country." (Laughter.) " You have made improvements
on the soil and the surface of the earth which we have

HORTICULTURAL GARDEN.

TRA VELS OF GENERAL GRANT.
not yet done, but which we do not believe will take us as
long as it took you." (Laughter and applause,) " I
heard some military remarks which impressed me a little
at the time — I am not quite sure whether they were in
favor of the volunteers or against them, I can only say
from my own observation that you have as many troops
at Aldershott as we have in the whole of our regular
army, notwithstanding we have many thousands of miles
of frontier to guard and hostile Indians to control. But
if it became necessary to raise a volunteer force, I do
not think we could do better than follow your example.
General Fairchild and myself are examples of volunteers
who came forward when their assistance was necessary,
and I have no doubt that if you ever needed such ser
vices you would have support from your reserve forces
?-nd volunteers, far more effective than you can conceive."
(Cheers.)

TRAVELS OF GENERAL GRANT. .,

CHAPTER II.
A RUN TO THE CONTINENT — RECEPTION AT OSTEND — VISITS GHENT — ARRIVES AT
BRUSSELS — THE KING OF BELGIUM CALLS ON HIM — GIVES HIM A BANQUET — GOES
TO COLOGNE — A SAIL UP THE RHINE — THE CASTELLATED RHINE — WIESBADEN —
HUMOROUS DESCRIPTION OP ITS HOT SPRINGS — FRANKFORT-ON-THE-MAIN — HAM
BURG — LES BAINS — THE ROMAN CAMP — OPENING A GRAVE TWO THOUSAND YEARS
OLD — DINNER OF THE GRAND DUKE — THE BLACK FOREST — BADEN — SWITZERLAND
— INTERLACHEN — GENEVA — LAYS THE CORNER-STONE OF A CHURCH — GRANT'S
SPEECH AT LUNCH — THE VALE OF CHAMOUNI— THE ALPS — THE SIMPLON PASS —
RECEPTION AT TAKE MAGGIORE — SPEECH — VISITS NORTHERN ITALY — RESTING AT
RAGATZ — AI.SACE AND LORAINE — VISITS SCOTLAND — PRESENTED WITH THE FREE
DOM OF THE CITY OF EDINBURGH — HIS SPEECH — VISITS CELEBRATED SPOTS — THE
TAY BRIDGE — HIS OPINION OF HAND-SHAKING — VISITS THE DUKE OF SUTHER
LAND — RECEPTION AT THURSO CASTLE — GLASGOW PRESENTS HIM WITH THE
FREEDOM OF THE CITY — INTERESTING CEREMONIES — THE HOME OF BURNS —
GUEST OF THE DUKE OF ARGYLE — PLEASANT INTERCOURSE.
GENERAL GRANT, after the feverish excitement
attendant on the continual round of public fetes
and receptions, and the constant strain on his
physical strength, resolved to go where he could enjoy a
little repose and secure that rest which he had sought by
o-oing abroad, and which it seemed destined he should not
obtain. He therefore turned his steps toward the Con
tinent to rest for awhile amid the sublime scenery of the
Alps. Having celebrated the Fourth of July in a dinner at
our Minister's, accompanied by his wife and son, and
General Badeau, he left London for Ostend. On his
arrival there he found the royal car awaiting him, to
transport him to Brussels. So, after receiving the con
gratulations of the municipal authorities, he next morning
started for the Belgium capital. Stopping for awhile at

,2 TRAVELS OF GENERAL GRANT.
the ancient town of Ghent to visit the various points and
objects of interest in it, he proceeded to Brussels, where
he arrived Friday evening, at six o'clock.
The next morning, after paying a visit to our Minister,
Mr. Merrill, he visited the Hotel de Ville, and added his
name to the list of famous men who have inscribed their
names in the " Book of Gold," as it is called. The next
day the king called on him, at his hotel, and conversed

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COBLENTZ.
with him for some time. The day after, Grant returned
the visit, and in the evening attended a banquet, given in
his honor by His Majesty.
Tired of banqueting, he, the next day, July 9th, left for
Cologne, in the king's railway carriage, where, as usual,
the authorities waited on him. He visited the famous
cathedral, which, after being left unfinished for centuries,
now, for the first time, reveals the great and grand de
sign of the architect. Making the most of his time, he,

TRA VELS OF GENERAL GRANT.

43

the next forenoon, took a sail up the Rhine as far as
Coblentz, where " The castled-crag of Drachenfels
Frowns over the wide and winding Rhine,
Whose breast of waters boldly swells
Between the banks which bear the vine ;
And hills all rich with blossomed trees,
And fields which promise corn and wine,
And scattered cities crowning these,
Whose far white walls along them shine."
Castles line
the shore, vine
yards deck the
rocky slopes,
mountains jostle
mountains, each
crowned with
hoary ruins tow
ering one after
another, while
the Rhine flows
at their base,
not in a broad, ||
straight current
like the Hudson,
but in wide, f§i|ig
graceful curves
as it speeds
toward the sea.
For sixty miles
from Coblentz to
Mayence the
river is lined ontherhine.
with ruined
castles perched on almost inaccessible heights. Be-

44

TRA VELS OF GENERAL GRANT,

tween are dismantled convents and churches, sweet
villages and smiling vineyards, making this portion of
the river, called
the Castellated
Rhine, beautiful
beyond descrip
tion. Added to
this there is some
wild legend at
tached to all these old castles, once occupied by
lawless barons who took toll of all passers-by on the
river. Around their crumbling walls have rung the clash of
arms, and in their dungeon cells the brave and beautiful
have languished.

ancient castle.

,.*sffiaffi.*^.„

= / - -i ' •

DESERTED CASTLE.

" Beneath those battlements, within these walls
Power dwelt amidst her passions ; in proud state
Each robber chief upheld his armed halls,
Doing his evil will, nor less elate
Than mightier heroes of a later date."
At Mayence, Grant left the river and went over to Wies
baden, once the Saratoga of Germany, in whose luxurious

TRA VELS OF GENERAL GRANT.

45

gambling-rooms fair ladies and proud men often spent
nights in maddening excitement of " rouge et noir," and
where many who sat down at evening rolling in wealth, the
next morning found themselves paupers. The great
curiosity of the place is the hot springs, around which
every morning crowds may be seen gathered, swinging
their glasses in the air to cool the water sufficiently to be
drank. It tastes for all the world like chicken broth.
Sir Francis Head said, after visiting them, " If I were to
say while drinking the water, one hears in one's ears the
cackling of hens, and that one sees feathers flying before
one's eyes, I should certainly greatly exaggerate ; but
when I declare that it exactly resembles very hot chicken
broth, I only say what De Granville said, and what in fact
everybody says respecting it, and certainly I do wonder
why the common people should be at the inconvenience
of making bad soup when they can get much better from
nature's great stock-pot, the Kochbrunnen at Wiesbaden.
At all periods of the year, summer and winter, the tem
perature of this broth remains the same ; and when one
remembers that it has been bubbling out of the ground
and boiling over in the very same state certainly from
the time of the Romans, and probably from the time of
the flood, it is really astonishing what a most wonderful
apparatus there must exist below, what an inexhaustible
stock of provisions to insure such an everlasting supply
of broth, always formed of the eight or ten ingredients,
always salted to exactly the same degree, and always
served up at exactly the same heat.
One would think that some of the particles in the recipe
would be exhausted; in short, to speak metaphorically,
that at last the chickens would be boiled to rags, or that
the fire would go out for want of coals, but the oftener
one reflects on this sort of subjects, the oftener the old-
19

,£ TRAVELS OF GENERAL GRANT.
fashioned observation is forced upon the mind, that
let a man go where he will Omnipotence is never
from view." This water, like that of most mineral springs,
is good for everything; for those too fat and those too
lean, for those too hot and those too cold, for all ages
and conditions and sexes.
The next day the party went to Frankfort-on-the-Main,
where Grant was received with acclamations by the people,
and a public dinner and ball given in his honor by the
American residents of the place. In the morning he went
to Hamburg les Bains, where a committee of Americans
received him, and thence drove to Salburg to visit the re
nowned Roman camp there, which covers 700 acres. It is
under the charge of the Prussian Government, and in honor
of Grant's visit, Professor Jacobi and Captain Fischer, who
have the care of it, opened one of the graves, more than
two hundred of which have been opened since the camp
was discovered, a hundred and fifty years ago. Nothing
but the ashes of a Roman soldier was found in this one,
where he had reposed for nearly two thousand years.
They then drove back to Hamburg to dinner, during which,
the Grand Duke's band played for them. After dinner,
Grant with his party, strolled through the beautiful gardens
of the Kursaal, with its fountains which sparkled and
flashed in the brilliant lights that illuminated every part of
it. At eleven, he returned to Frankfort, having crowded
much sight-seeing into a single day. He remained here
visiting some of the famous vast wine cellars, and the next
day, on Sunday, left for Heidelburg. After a brief visit
to its University, he went to the Black Forest, made
famous in Napoleon's campaigns, and then to Baden, the
present chief watering-place of Germany, and till lately,
the most noted resort of respectable gamblers in the world.
He was everywhere received with distinction. He now

TRAVELS OF GENERAL GRANT. ah
turned his steps toward Switzerland, in whose cool
retreats he could rest from the fervid heats of the latter
part of July.
At Lucerne and Berne the people flocked to see him,
and the town authorities gave him public welcome. At
last he. seemed to get out of the great toiling, busy world,
when he entered the secluded little valley of Interlachen,
resting at the very feet of the snow-clad Jaugfrau, tower
ing nearly fourteen thousand feet into the heavens — a
form of beauty, as well as awful majesty. By very con
trast it makes the sweetvalley lying unconscious at its base
sweeter still, and a day in it amid its lovely shaded walks,
when just out of the great world, is like a day in Para-
-dise. Grant and his party enjoyed it as those only who
are weary of endless ceremony can enjoy it.
On the 26th of July, he arrived at Geneva, lying at the
foot of the classic Lake Leman, whose blue waters
Byron's song has rendered immortal. Here the same
public honors awaited him that had been accorded him
ever since he first set foot on the shores of the
Old World. It would be a mere repetition to speak
of them, or to give the addresses always delivered
on such occasions. One incident quite out of the
¦ordinary routine, occurred here during his visit that
gave it a peculiar interest. An Episcopal church, to be
built on a site given by an American citizen, was just
having its foundations laid, and General Grant was asked
to lay the corner-stone. There was a quiet gathering of the
American citizens at the Hotel Beau Rivage, and headed
by several Protestant clergymen, they formed a procession
and marched to the place. After prayer, music and an
address, a box, containing various American and Swiss pa
pers and coins, was placed under the foundation, and
Grant struck the stone with a mallet and declared it well

48

TRA VELS OF GENERAL GRANT.

laid in the name of the Father, Son and the Holy Ghost
After this there was a lunch, at which addresses were de
livered and thanks paid to Grant. The latter replied in
a short speech, saying : " I have never felt myself more
happy than among this assembly of fellow-republicans
of America and Switzerland. I have long had a desire
to visit the city
where the Ala
bama claims.
were settled
= without the ef-
? fusion of blood,
i and where the
| principle of in-
1 ternational arbi
tration was es
tablished, and
which I hope
will be resorted
to by other na
tions, and be
the means of
continuing
peace to all
¦mankind." From Geneva
he went first to
the vale of
Chamouni, lying at the foot of Mont Blanc and amid the
most sublime scenery of the Alps. A night in this
secluded valley, sleeping amid such gigantic forms of na
ture, is one to be remembered forever. The mighty
shadows that fall over it give it a sombre aspect which even
the moon and stars cannot change, and the awful solitude

ALPINE PEAKS.

TRAVELS OF GENERAL GRANT.

49

5°

1 TRAVELS OF GENERAL GRANT.

seems deeper from the sound at long intervals of falling
avalanches in the far-off abysses. There is something weird,.
too, in the smooth, round top of Mont Blanc, lifting itself
nearly three miles into the heavens till the stars seem to-
rest upon it. It stands silent and grand, while all around,,
splintered pinnacles, inaccessible crags and precipices are
piled in wild confusion.
The feeling of strangeness is not lessened by the
dawn, for with the first streak of light there steals through

A VILLAGE AMONG THE ALPS.
the valley the mellow sounds of the Alpine horn as the
shepherd leads his goats to their mountain pasturage.
As it was too late in the season for the party to go into
Southern Italy, where the month of August is the most
deadly of all the year to travelers, it was resolved to visit
its northern portions and if possible, at some future time
go to Rome and Naples. Having chosen the Simplon
Pass, their road lay through the Valais, along the beauti
ful shores of the Rhone just before it enters Lake Leman,

TRAVELS OF GENERAL GRANT. e I
that has been made classic by Voltaire, Rosseau, Byron
and others. Picturesque hamlets and villages cluster
along its banks, and the white walls of the castle of Chil-
lon are reflected in its blue waters.
" Lake I,eman lies by Chillon's walls —
A thousand feet in depth below
Its massive waters meet and flow,
This much the fathom line was sent
From Chillon's snow-white battlement."
The highway over the Simplon, a mountain over 10,000
feet high, is a monument at once of skillful engineering
and of Napoleon's genius. It is thirty-six miles long and
twenty-five feet wide the entire length. It took six years
to complete it, although 30,000 men were employed in
its construction.
The colossal nature of the work may be imagined
when it is stated that six hundred and eleven bridges,
some spanning fearful abysses were erected — ten galle
ries through the solid rock, and twenty houses of refuge;
while though mounting to the region of eternal snow, its
average slope is only a fraction over an inch a foot. After
leaving the Rhone at Brieg, the road plunges at once
into the heart of the Alps ; now skirting fearful abysses,
now crawling beneath gleaming glaciers, and now enter
ing covered ways built to protect the travelers from de
scending avalanches, and again shooting out on a bold
spur, revealing sweet pasturages and smiling villages, and
the winding Rhone spread out like a map below. When
near the top you turn, and looking straight down through
a terrific gorge, see a village in the valley of the
Rhone that seems only a good rifle-shot from where you
stand. On inquiring its name, you are told it is Briegr
that you left hours ago, and which, by the road you have
come, is nearly twenty miles distant. The summit of the

52

TRA VELS OF GENERAL GRANT.

pass is a dreary field of snow and ice, girded round with
drearier rocks. Here at the hospice the traveler is glad
to rest and refresh himself with the bread and wine of
fered by the kind-hearted monks, and watch the gambols
of the Saint Bernard dogs, so well known for the skill
and courage they show in rescuing travelers from the
snow. The descent on the other side is still more grand
and awful, especially the gorge of Gonda, with its gallery
nearly six hundred feet long, cut through the solid rock,
while perpendicular precipices seem to reach the clouds

>-v -:

RURAL SCENE IN ITALY.
above, and descend to unfathomed abysses below. The
railroad which passes through a tunnel miles in length be
neath this summit, piercing the highest point, if possible
exhibits a still more daring feat of engineering than the
highway, and whether creeping under the overhang
ing cliffs, or leaping the awful chasms, fills the traveler
with feelings of awe, and sometimes of terror. Both
God and man have wrought here on a wondrous scale.

TRAVELS OF GENERAL GRANT. - -
Arriving at Lake Maggiore, on the farther side, Grant
found the inhabitants waiting to receive him. He was sere
naded at his hotel, and in the evening a concert was given,
followed by a display of fire-works that was grand and
imposing, from the surrounding scenery, which they
lighted up ; the towering snow-clad Alps on one side, and
Lake Maggiore with the Borromean Islands on the other.
An address was made by the mayor and an officer
who had served under Garibaldi. Grant replied through
an interpreter, saying he felt grateful for the reception
given him ; praised the people whom he had seen ; spoke
in admiration of the sublime and beautiful scenes that
had met his eye at every turn, and concluded with the
declaration, " there is one Italian whose hand I wish
especially to shake, and that man is Garibaldi." This
was received with tremendous applause by the people.
The same attention was shown him in his rapid tour
through Northern Italy. We say rapid, for on the 1 4th of
August, he was back in Switzerland, resting in the quiet
little village of Ragatz on the Tamina, where it enters the
Rhine, and where he passed some days to enjoy its repose
and the baths, for which it is celebrated. From thence he
descended the Rhine again, and visited Alsace and Lor
raine, which have been the fields on which so many battles
have been fought for twenty centuries, and lately made
still more famous for the part they bore in the tremen
dous struggle between France and Germany, and whose
present condition enlists so deeply the sympathy of the
world. He, however, made a short stay here, and proceeded
at once to Scotland to make the visit which he had
promised. Of course, the same public demonstrations
were made here that had been made everywhere.
The freedom of the city of Edinburgh was presented to

54

TRA VELS OF GENERAL GRANT.

him by Lord Provost Sir James Falshaw, in Free Assembly
Hall. Two thousand persons were present. In reply to

EDINBURGH CASTLE.

the Lord Provost's speech, General Grant said:
" I am so filled with emotion that I scarcely know how

TRAVELS OF GENERAL GRANT. cc
to thank you for the honor conferred' upon me by making
me a burgess of this ancient city of Edinburgh. I feel
that it is a great compliment to me and to my country.
Had I the proper eloquence I might dwell somewhat on
the history of the great men you have produced, on the
numerous citizens of this city and Scotland that have
gone to America, and the record they have made. We
are proud of Scotsmen as citizens of America. They
make good citizens of our country, and they find it profit
able to themselves. I again thank you for the honor you
have conferred upon me."
Three cheers were then given for the youngest
burgess. A round of visits and entertainments followed so alike
in character to each other, and to those he had previously
received in England, that it would be monotonous to
describe them. Of course, he visited all the chief places
of public interest in and around Edinburgh — the Com
mercial Bank ; Walter Scott's birthplace ; the Castle of
Holyrood ; the Palace where Queen Mary lived, and
the room from which Rizzio, her youthful lover was
dragged and murdered; the house where John Knox,
the great preacher, lived; Arthur's seat, etc. In the even
ing the Lord Provost gave him a dinner of state, and on
Saturday he visited the famous Tay Bridge, the follow
ing long account of which appeared in the Scottish
papers. On their way the party visited a training-ship,
containing 350 boys. The terms on which they are re
ceived, and the education and discipline they undergo,
are very much like those of our own school-ship.
" From the training-ship they embarked, with the boy-
band on board the tug, and went to the Tay Bridge.
Here the engineer, for the contractors, Mr. A. Grothe,
narrated in detail the principal points connected with the

56

TRAVELS OF GENERAL GRANT.

erection of the structure, and expressed great pleasure
that General Grant should appear just as the bridge was
finished completely enough to cross, and the rails were
nearly all laid. The last supporting column had been
set up the day before. Here the General and party were
handsomely entertained at lunch by the Tay Bridge
people. General Grant, being something of an educated
engineer, desired to go out upon the bridge, so the whole
party were put into a workman's car and taken across.
The Tay Bridge is the longest in the world. It is not as
elaborate or expensive as the St. Louis bridge, only
longer. It extends two miles over water, and a quarter
of a mile over land. The object of its construction was
to avoid the frequent and sometimes very severe storms
encountered by passengers over the North British Rail
road, as well as to lessen the running time and increase
the capacity for traffic over the railroad. At present the
running time is three, and sometimes as much as four
and five hours between Edinburgh and Dundee, thirty
miles. The passengers are obliged to change cars twice
— once when they cross the Frith of Forth, and once
when they cross the River Tay. These and the storms
that beat in from the German Ocean are great incon
veniences and annoyances to the traveler. The Tay
Bridge is expected soon to remove one great obstacle;
and in five years the bridge in course of construction by
the same railroad company will remove the other. The
Tay Bridge was commenced July 22d, 1871. It consists
of eighty-five spans, varying in length from sixty-seven
to two hundred and forty-five feet. Of the latter dimen
sions there are thirteen, which are eighty-eight feet above
high water. The rise and fall of tide varies from twelve
to seventeen feet. In appearance the bridge is light and
graceful, and, viewed from a distance, it looks too light

TRAVELS OF GENERAL GRANT. cy
for its purpose, but when inspected closely it is found
firm enough for any load that can be taken over it, even
in the most violent gale. It cost $1,500,000. It is not
covered or ornamented at all."
On the train, while passing from one place to another
around Edinburgh, a friend asked Grant if he did not
tire of so much hand-shaking. " Yes," he said, " I was
under the impression that there was no such custom here ;
but in England the habit is as strong as in America. I
think hand-shaking a great nuisance, and it should be
abolished. In 1865 it was awful with me; I thought I
could hardly survive the task. It not only makes the
right arm sore, but it shocks the whole system and unfits
a man for writing or attending to other duties. It de
moralizes the entire nervous and muscular system.
None but a strong man could go through as much of it
as I did in 1865. If Mr. Tilden, who, you know, is old
and not very strong, had been elected, he would have
been obliged to decline the hand-shaking business to a
great extent, because I don't think his system would bear
the strain of the amount of it that would have been ex
pected of him. The most laborious and injurious hand
shaking is where you stand on an elevation and reach
down. A man cannot stand much of that."
On Tuesday, the 4th of September, he visited the
Duke of Sutherland, at Dunrobin, and spoke warmly of
the manner of his reception, and expressed great pleas
ure at the information the duke gave him. of agricult
ural affairs in Scotland, and of the way he managed his
own vast estates. He afterward attended the hb'rticult
ural fair at Dornock, and the next day, accompanied by
the duke, went to Thurso Castle, where he was met by
a volunteer guard, and an address was presented by the •
town authorities. The same formalities occurred at In-

58

77?^ VELS OF GENERAL GRANT.

verness, which he next visited, in which the provost said
that the Highlanders had a claim upon him, as a well-
known Highland clan bore that name. At Elgin and Wick
public receptions and addresses were gone through.
On the 13th of September, he arrived at Glasgow and
was presented with the freedom of the city, A formal
and compliment
ary address was
made to him, in
which he was
called the Wel
lington of Amer
ica, and highly
praised for his
ready forgive
ness of the
Southern people
and his freedom
from all those
petty feelings of
vengeance
which disgraced
so many North-
ern political
leaders. In con
clusion, he was
f o rmally re
ceived as a bur
gess and guild
brother of the
COSTUME OF SCOTCH HIGHLANDER. dty and rQyal
burgh of Glasgow. He followed in a short address, in
which, after thanking the Common Council and express
ing his gratification at the manner in which he had been

TRAVELS OF GENERAL GRANT. tn
everywhere received, said jocularly : " I find that I am
being made so much a citizen of Scotland it will be a
serious question where I shall go to vote." This sally
was received with uproarious laughter and applause.
The next day he visited Ayr, the home of Burns, and
then made a rapid tour of the country in the neighbor
hood of Loch Lomond, and thence to Inverary, where he
was the guest of the Duke of Argyle, who was the un
swerving friend of the North during our civil war. This
created a common bond of sympathy between the two
and made their intercourse exceedingly pleasant and
familiar, which left a lasting impression on General
Grant.

6q TRA VELS OF GEAERAL GRANT.

CHAPTER III.
GRANT VISITS THE MANUFACTURING AND RURAL DISTRICTS OF ENGLAND — GRAND
OVATION ON NEWCASTLE MOOR — AN ENGLISH DESCRIPTION OF GRANT — HE
VISITS SUNDERLAND, SHEFFIELD — HIS OPINION ON FREE TRADE — A GREAT IRON
PLATE ROLLED IN -HIS PRESENCE — DESCRIPTION OF IT — VISITS SHAKESPEARE'S
HOME AND ANNE HATHA WAY'S COTTAGE, LEAMINGTON — RECEPTION IN BIRMING
HAM — GRANT'S SPEECH — VISITS BRIGHTON — ONE SIDE OF ENGLAND THAT GRANT
DID NOT SEE — ITS SUFFERING MASSES.
GRANT having visited most of the chief cities of
England, now returned thither to get some knowl
edge of its rural and manufacturing districts.
Hearing of his expected visit to their region, the work
ingmen of Northumberland and Durham determined to
give him a grand ovation on the town moor of New
castle, on Saturday afternoon, the 2 2d of September.
Twenty-two trade societies participated in a procession,
which occupied twenty minutes in passing a given point.
The number of persons present on the moor was esti
mated at from forty to fifty thousand. The demonstra
tion has no precedent since the great political meetings
at the time of the Reform Agitation. Mr. Thomas Burt,
member of Parliament for Morpeth, presented an eulo
gistic address to General Grant, who said he thanked the
workingmen for their very welcome address, and thought
this reception was the most honorable he could meet
with. Alluding to what Mr. Burt had said concerning the
late civil war, General Grant declared he had always
been an advocate of peace, but when war was declared,

TRAVELS OF GENERAL GRANT. gl
he went to the war for the cause which he believed to be
'right, and fought to his best ability to secure peace and
safety to his nation. In regard to the relations between
America and England, the General said that friendship
now existed between the two countries, which he fully
believed was increasing, and which would, in common
with industry and civilization, increase in the future.
On the same day the mayor and Town Council of
Gateshead presented the ex-President with a congratu
latory address. General Grant expressed pleasure at
his enthusiastic reception in all the towns of the north of
England, and said he was glad the good feeling between
England and America was warmer to-day than it had
ever been.
A banquet was given in honor of him, in the evening,
by the Mayor of Newcastle. In response to a toast to
his health, the General said his reception in Newcastle
exceeded anything he had expected, and had been the
warmest and best he had had or could have had.
The Chronicle, after speaking of the immense throng,
and the banners, and bands, and rush, and roar of the
mighty multitude, in their efforts to get a look at General
Grant, thus describes his appearance : " Looking as much
like an ordinary Tyneside skipper as possible, open-
browed, firm-faced, blunt, bluff, and honest, and unas
suming, everybody at once settled in his own mind that
the General would do."
The cheers became warmer and warmer as that quiet,
strong, thoroughly British face grew upon them, and as
they increased, General Grant, who at first merely
touched his hat to the multitude, bared his head as an
unmistakable everybody-joins-in-it hurra roared out from
fifty thousand throats, and rattled up to the astonished
birds circling overhead. Referring to his speech it says :

g2 TRAVELS OF GENERAL GRANT.
"The vast concourse, still rushing up from the turnpike,
and which now musters at least eighty to a hundred*
thousand, estimate the unheard speech after their own
thoughts, and applaud every now and again with might
and main. When the General finishes, everybody who
has not yet shouted feels it incumbent to begin at once,
and those who have bellowed themselves hoarse make
themselves still hoarser in their endeavors to come up to
the demands of the situation. Hats are waved with a
self-sacrificing obliviousness to the affection subsisting
between crown and brim which is beautiful to witness.
And right in the centre of the crowd, little shining rivu
lets glistening on his ebony cheeks, and his face glowing
with intense excitement, the whole soul within him shin
ing out through his sable skin like a red-hot furnace seen
through a dark curtain, stands a negro, devouring Grant
with a gaze of such fervid admiration, and respect and
gratitude that it flashes out the secret of the great liber
ator's popularity."
In the evening there was the usual banquet with toasts
and speeches, and an exceptional long address by Mr.
Cowen, member of Parliament, in which he discussed the
war, the Pilgrim Fathers, and our literary men. On the
24th Grant went to Sunderland by invitation to lay the
corner-stone of a new museum about to be erected
there, where there was also a procession of workingmen
and various benevolent societies, with addresses and a
luncheon with toasts and more addresses, followed in the
evening by a display of fire-works. The next day he
visited the glass-works of Hartley & Co., and the day
after went to Sheffield, and was received by the alder
men and councilors in great state; the former being
dressed in scarlet, and the latter in purple. In reply to
the mayor's address, Grant spoke of the reputation of

TRAVELS OF GENERAL GRANT. 6^
Sheffield manufactures over the world, and said, " I think
the first penknife I ever owned, away out in the western
part of Ohio, was marked Sheffield. I do not know
whether it was counterfeit or not, but it gave them a good
market." In the manufacturing districts the question of
free trade is paramount, and the speaker and the banners
could not help alluding to it. Grant in reply said : " In
the matter of free trade, I would hardly be able to speak
upon that subject without some preparation. It must be
recollected, however, that the country which I had at one
time the honor of representing, has gone through a great
war and contracted a great debt in suppressing a rebel
lion. That makes it necessary to raise- a large amount
to support the running expenses of the Government, and
to pay the interest on the debt which is owing in foreign ,
countries to a very large extent. It is impossible to raise
these revenues from internal sources. The protective
tariff is a matter scarcely heard of now in the United
States, though it was a common subject of talk years
ago. The reason it is scarcely mentioned now is that the
revenue from imports is regarded simply as one of the
means of raising the necessary money to pay the interest
upon the national debt and the other expenses incident
to the carrying on of the Government, and if we were to
abolish the revenue from imports, the foreign bondhold
ers would very soon cry out against us because we failed
to pay the interest on the bonds which they hold."
(Laughter.) "We get along rapidly enough in that di
rection, and we will compete with you in your manufac
tures in the markets of the world."
On the 27th, he visited the cutlery works of Rogers &
Sons, and thence went to the Cyclops Iron and Steel
Works, where an iron frame plate for locomotives was
rolled in his presence. He mounted a platform where

^4

TRA VELS OF GENERAL GRANT.

be could get a good view of the gigantic operations.
"The plate was for an Austrian ship-of-war, and the mass

OXFORD AS YOU APPROACH.

of "iron to compose it when put into -the furnace, weighed
twenty-six tons. Said the Sheffield Telegraph:
" On the furnace doors being opened, only those whose
eyes are accustomed to the scene could view anything.

TRA VELS OF GENERAL GRANT.

65

within it beyond a white mass of burning material. A
crane traveling overhead, however, carried a pair of huge.
tongs to the mouth of the furnace ; they were thrust.
within it, and with the help of the engines the heap of
seething metal was drawn forth upon an iron lurry. The
heat in the mill was now tremendous, and the majority of
the strangers were endeavoring to shield their eyes fronti
the blinding glare
of the material,
and at the same
time seeking to
protect their
faces from the
heat. The lurry
was hastened to
the rolls, and at
the first passage
a shower of fire
was ejected as
the iron ran
through ; at the
same time the
dross running
from the sides
of the plate as
whey does from a
cheese. In eight
minutes, after
being several times passed and repassed through thed
gigantic rolls, the operation was concluded. As the
General left the mill he was again heartily cheered."
A banquet in the famous Hall of the Cutlers' Company
followed at which the toasts and speeches were a.
repetition of those in other places. The next morn-

ANNE HATHAWAY'S COTTAGE.

66

TRAVELS OF GENERAL GRANT,

Pullman palace car, where he
to Shakespeare's home, Strat-

ing Grant went in his
had passed the night,
ford-upon-Avon. Oxford, to which he had been invited, lies near the route,
and is distinguished for the beauty and magnificence of its
buildings, and its University, consisting of twenty colleges,
of which Trinity is one, and five halls. Here he visited the

WARWICK CASTLE.

thurch where the great delineator of human nature lies
buried ; looked on the Avon, along whose banks the poet
had wandered in strange musings, and stood in the gram
mar school room where the previous youth obtained his
scanty education. As he left the latter, he asked a holi
day for the school assembled there, which was granted.

TRAVELS OF GENERAL GRANT.

67

He also drove over to Shotley to see the cottage of
Anne Hathaway, that Shakespeare's love has made
immortal. The next day he and his party went to Leam
ington, the pleasantest of all the fashionable watering-
places of England. London and Liverpool having set
the example of a public reception, every town and hamlet
of England had to follow their example, much to the dis
comfort and annoyance of Grant. It was well enough in
the great cities, but to have the mayor and common
council of every provincial town get up a display, and

make speeches, and talk bombastic nonsense, was tedious
in the extreme.
It was but seven miles from here to Kehilworth Castle,
made immortal by Walter Scott, and but two to War
wick Castle, its turrets and battlements rising out of a sea
of green foliage, one of the finest in England, and cele
brated for its armory.
Grant now took a tour through the Midland counties
to get an idea of the agricultural condition of England.
The gently rolling ground, separated by green hedges
and cultivated like a garden, presented a striking con-

68

TRA VELS OF GENERAL GRANT.

trast to our agricultural districts. Nothing can be more
charming than the rural districts of England — they must
be seen not described — and Grant enjoyed them keenly.
Everything is different from ours. There are no new
wooden churches as here, but old stone ones, half hid
among the trees, covered with ivy. All are different, but
Penhurst Church perhaps represents as fairly as any one
the great proportion of them.

ENGLISH MILL.

So with everything else. Fresh mills with their rough
dams are nowhere found as in our country, but old,
quaint structures, with surroundings that make them
picturesque. This pleasant trip was succeeded by a rest with his
daughter at Southampton, but on the 1 6th of October
he redeemed his promise, made some time previous, to pay

TRA VELS OF GENERAL GRANT.

69

a visit to Birmingham. The reception and ceremonies
were like all others with one exception, an address by
Mr. A. O'Neill in behalf of the international arbitration
union, in which allusion was made to Grant's efforts
to see that the rights of the Indians were secured. Grant
in reply gave utterance to the following noble senti
ments :
" Members of the Midland International Arbitra
tion Union : I thank you for your address. It is one
that gives me very little to reply to, more than to ex
press my thanks. Though I have followed a military
life for the better part of my years, there was never a
day of my life when I was not in favor of peace on any
. terms that were honorable. It has been my misfortune
to be engaged in more battles than any other general on
the other side of the Atlantic ; but there was never a
time during my command when I would not have gladly
chosen some settlement by reason rather than by the
sword. I am conscientiously, and have been from the
beginning, an advocate of what the society represented
by you, gentlemen, is seeking to carry out ; and nothing
would afford me greater happiness than to know, as I
believe will be the case, that, at some future day, the
nations of the earth will agree upon some sort of con
gress, which shall take cognizance of international ques
tions of difficulty, and whose decisions will be as binding
as the decision of our Supreme Court is binding on us.
It is a dream of mine that some such solution may be
found for all questions of difficulty that may arise be
tween different nations. In one of the addresses, I have
forgotten which, reference was made to the dismissal of
the army to the pursuits of peaceful industry. I would
gladly see the millions of men who are now supported
by the industry of the nations return to industrial pur-

yQ TRA VELS OF GENERAL GRANT.
suits, and thus become self-sustaining, and take off the
tax upon labor which is now levied for their support."
After an inspection of the elaborate works and exqui
site specimens of manufacture, the invariable lunch, with
toasts and speeches, followed.
Grant now returned to London, and for a time passed
a more quiet life, but in December he made a promised
visit to Brighton, the most famous watering-place in
England, and containing the largest aquarium in the
world. He now proposed to close up his journeys in England,
and pay his long-deferred visit to France, deferred on
account of the political agitations in Paris, in which the
question of a republic entered so largely.
But, though he had seen so much of England, he
had seen only one side of it, aristocracy and royalty,
represented by Windsor Castle and Blenheim House.
The other and most important to one who would really
understand that monarchy, and be able to form a correct
judgment regarding the working of its political system
and the stability of its institutions, he did not see. He
saw royalty, and aristocracy, and wealth, and distinguished
men, but not that vast half-starved and ignorant class
that form half of the Englisii population. . He saw the
great manufactories and their wealthy proprietors, but
not the dirty hovels and their half-starved inmates. He
saw the workingmen assembled by thousands in their gala-
dress, but not their families living on a few pence a week.
He was told of the vast amount of coal produced in cer
tain districts, but was not told of the suffering, and crime,
and ignorance its production entailed. He should have
descended into the coal-pits, where the half-naked children
and youths, of both sexes, live no better than swine, and
witnessed a condition of things to which the former state

TRA VELS OF GENERAL GRANT.

7>

of slavery at the South was luxury. He was drawn
through magnificent parks without thinking that only

72

TRA VELS OF GENERAL GRANT.

about thirty thousand men owned the greater part of the
land of England, of which hundreds of thousands of acres
was as useless to the starving people as though it were
an unbroken wilderness. He saw magnificent churches
and cathedrals, but not the want and suffering produced
by maintaining them. The people are taxed to death to
support the state, and beggared to support the church.

BRIGGATE— THE FIVE- POINTS OF LONDON.
It was a magnificent country to ride through, but where
were the school-houses of New England ?
One day devoted to the reading of the reports of the
various commissioners appointed by Parliament to in
vestigate the condition of the people in regard to educa
tion in the manufacturing districts and those working in
the collieries, would make all this magnificent display a
shameless mockery, and it would require an effort not to
believe he was reading the description of a barbaric peo-

TRAVELS OF GENERAL GRANT. j ,
pie, and he would wonder not that chartism once made
this strong monarchy reel, but that the people do not at
once rise and overthrow it.
Ruskin says, "Though England is deafened with spin
ning-wheels, her people have no clothes ; though she is
black with digging coal, her people have no fuel, and
they die of cold ; and though she has sold her soul for
gain, they die of hunger." This picture is drawn with
very few lines, but how terrible it is. In reading the
magnificent displays and lavish expenditures that have
characterized Grant's receptions, one can hardly believe
it to be true — but, alas, it is !
It staggers one, to hear a member of Parliament declare
on the floor, that out of 5,242 persons he visited in a
single country town to ascertain their condition, 136 were
subsisting upon six-pence a head per week, 291 on ten and
a half-pence, 500 on one shilling, 4,859 on one shilling
and six-pence, 1,500 on one shilling and nine-pence, 812
on two shillings and two-pence, so that the poorest had
less than one penny a day to live on, while the best had
but about three-pence half-penny. This state of desti
tution he said was not confined to one section, but it pre
vailed all through the country. Five-sixths of the total
number mentioned, had scarcely a blanket to cover them;
eighty-five families were sleeping on chaff beds and wood
shavings. This is a mere specimen of a score of such
statements that might be given. Said Sidney Smith:
"There is, no doubt, more misery and acute suffering
among the mass of the people of England, than there is
in any kingdom of the world, but then they are the great,
unwashed, dirty, disagreeable, importunate persons.
There are thousands homeless, houseless, breadless,
friendless, without shelter, raiment or hope in the world;
millions uneducated, only half-fed, driven to crime and

- . TRA VELS OF GENERAL GRANT.
every species of vice, which ignorance and destitution
bring in their train to an extent entirely unknown to the
less enlighted, the less free, the less favored, and the less
powerful kingdoms of Europe." Said the Quarterly
Review, "In the road which the English laborer must
travel, the poor-house is the last stage on the way to the
grave." The bare statistics, as they have appeared from
time to time in official reports, furnish the sadest reading
under the sun. Hence we say that one side of England,
and that the .most important one, Grant in traveling
through it never saw. And yet the unseen, uncounted,..
half-starved, desperate masses are vet to settle the des
tiny of this proud Empire.

TRA VELS OF GENERAL GRANT.

75

CHAPTER IV.
GRANT VISITS PARIS— CALLS ON M'MAHON — THE AMERICAN COLONY — HE MAKES HIS
HOME WITH IT — SIGHT-SEEING — A DINNER — BRILLIANT RECEPTION BY THE
AMERICAN MINISTER — INTERVIEWED BY A FRENCH REPORTER — DINNER BY THE
AMERICAN RESIDENTS — TIME PASSING PLEASANTLY — BRILLIANT FETE GIVEN BY
MRS. MACKAY — PARIS NEVER GAYER — GRANT EMBARKS FOR THE MEDITERRANEAN
— GIBRALTAR — AFRICA — THE BAY OF NAPLES — COLD WEATHER — CASTLE OF SAN
MARTIN — ASCENT OF VESUVIUS.
FRANCE having gone through her struggle, and
rejoicing in a republican victory, the time seemed
appropriate for Grant to make his long contem
plated visit to Paris, where he arrived on the 24th of Oc
tober, accompanied by his wife and son. The yacht
" Victoria," in which he sailed, landed at Boulogne, where
the authorities formally received him and welcomed him
to the shores of France. After a pleasant conversation
with a member of the French Senate, who entered rather
largely into the peculiar phases of French politics, Grant
took the train for the metropolis. On the way the Gene
ral studied closely the scenery through which he passed
along the route, noted the principal industrial sections,
and especially observed the wonderful agricultural re
sources of the country. He spoke a great deal about
the financial policy at home, declaring emphatically on
the silver question, saying he was bitterly opposed to the
demonetization scheme, which was only another phase of
repudiation. He next talked about the war, the relations
of the United States with Mexico and St. Domingo.
Our Minister, Mr. Noyes, and a few distinguished
American gentlemen, received him at the station, and as

76

TRAVELS OF GENERAL GRANT.

soon as he entered the saloon, richly carpeted for the
occasion, he was loudly cheered. They then drove to
the Hotel Bristol, where apartments had been provided

MARSHAL McMAHON.

for him. After dinner he smoked his cigar, as usual, and
retired early to bed.
The next day dawned dismally, for the rain was coming

TRA VELS OF GENERAL GRANT.

77

down in torrents. It did not prevent, however, distin
guished Americans and Frenchmen from calling, and it
was a succession of carriages from an early hour till noon.
At two o'clock, Grant, with his wife and son, accom
panied by Mr. Noyes and the secretary of legation, called
on General McMahon, who, with the Duchess of Magen
ta, received them cordially. A frank, cordial, informal
conversation between these two distinguished military

GARDEN OF THE TUILERIES.

chieftains followed. At its close, McMahon invited him
to dine with him at the Elysee on the following Thurs
day. The Americans in Paris form a colony, of which the
minister is the centre. A history of its doings and mode:
of passing time is quite curious, but out of place here.
This colony took possession of Grant during the month
he remained in Paris. That he should have made his
social home, while in the city, with it, was most natural.
In England he met everywhere his mother-tongue, and

21

A

TRA I ELS OF GENERAL GRANT.

in all public ovations and banquets he not only heard it
spoken, but he could reply in it, while here all this was
reversed. Formal state receptions can be conducted
very well through interpreters, but dinner-parties, ban
quets, or anything that partakes of a social- character
cannot. Hence, General Grant's life outside of these
few public ceremonies, was confined to his intercourse
with this "American Colony" and sight-seeing, of which
the latter was by far the most important.

PLACE DE LA CONCORDE.
But to follow him in this, and describe what he saw,
would be simply to republish a hand-book. The Palace
of the Tuileries — almost destroyed in the communist war,
and now decreed by the Government to be pulled entirely
down — the garden in front, the Place de Concorde, the
Champs Elysee, Arc de Triumph, stretching from east to
west in the heart of Paris, form the most remarkable
features of the city. The Palace of the Tuileries, now in
ruins, for a long time the home of the kings of France,

TRAVELS OF GENERAL GRANT. ~Q
and the city residence of Napoleon, was about one thou
sand feet in length and faced the garden of the same
length, but more than twice as broad. From the terrace
on the west end you look westward on the Place de la
Concorde, separating it from the Champs Elysee. This is
750 by 525 feet, and in its centre now stands the obelisk
of Luxor, a present from the Pasha of Egypt.
On this spot stood the guillotine during the great
French revolution, on which perished Louis XVI and
Marie Antoinette, the Duke of Orleans, Josephine's first
husband, Beauhamais, and finally Robespierre himself —
besides nearly three thousand persons of more or less
distinction, both men and women. Looking still west, the
eye travels down the Champs Elysee, the most charming
spot in the world, its drives, and avenues, and groves
stretching for a mile and a quarter to the Triumphal Arc
de l'Etoile, springing with its white arch 1 50 feet above
the sea of green foliage — the whole distance gay with
equipages and laughing people. It was built by Napo
leon to commemorate his victories, and is one of the
largest triumphal arches in the world. Twelve grand
boulevards start from here and traverse Paris ; also, com
mences here the Avenue de l'lmperatrice, 1,300 yards
long and 1,000 wide, leading into the Bois de Boulogne,
the most magnificent park in the world — four miles long
and two broad, with artificial lakes and islands, hippo
drome and race course. Here can be seen, any pleasant
day, the most splendid equipages of Paris. And then there
comes the Alle Long Champe, and Theatre des Fleurs,
where ballets are performed, and the scenery is all real,
water, trees, sky and grottoes. To start from the
Tuileries and pass westward as we have described is an
episode in one's life, and he gets an idea of what gay,
wealthy, tasteful Paris is, more than in any other way.

3o

TRA VELS OF GENERAL GRANT.

Paris being cut in twain by the Seine, as London is by
the Thames, is spanned by twenty-seven bridges, connect
ing the two sections, and though those in both cities are
beautiful, the tasteful designs and light airy character of
those of Paris show the difference between the cities of
one country and the other. Among those spanning the
Seine the Pont des Arts is one of the most light and airy,

PONT DES ARTS.

being reserved for foot passengers alone. It consists of
eight arches, 141 yards in length by thirty-three feet
broad. Among the many palaces of France, that of
Versailles is the most noted and the most historic, al
though it does not belong to Paris proper, being twelve
miles distant from the city. It is impossible to give in a
brief space a description of this palace, or rather of what
it contains. Its seven miles of rooms and galleries, filled
with works of art, is a day's work to walk through, while
an account of what they contain would fill a volume.

TRAVELS OP GENERAL GRANT.

82

TRAVELS OF GENERAL GRANT.

But there is one gallery that would naturally interest
Grant more than any other — the Grandes Galerie des Bat-

THE PETIT TRIANON.

tailes, which is 400 feet long, and devoted to pictures repre
senting the great battles of France for the last 1 ,400 years.

TEMPLE OF LOVE.

The paintings that adorn it are a history in themselves.
The great and little Trianon and gardens attached to

TRA J ELS OF GENERAL GRANT.

83

them are very beautiful. Everywhere are lovely walks,
parterres of flowers, vases, colonnades, fountains, statues,
groves and beautiful avenues, bordered with long lines of
evergreen trees, forced by the pruning knife to grow into
fantastic shapes. Marie Antoinette is especially associated
with these gardens, having added greatly to their beauty.
Whether as the humiliated wife, the triumphant mother
or the unpopular queen, she was always the presiding
genius of this Eden in the garden of Versailles. In the

m

¦SI pWiil'

HBIGiBa

THE QUEEN'S SWISS COTTAGE.
garden of the Little Trianon she built the Temple of
Love and numerous rustic cottages. The charming Swiss
cottage,, built for herself on the border of the lake, being
the prettiest of them all.
The entrance to the, cottage was decorated with rare
shrubs in boxes and climbing flowers. Inside the cottage
everything was complete for carrying out the role of
peasants, in which the queen and her ladies often in
dulged. Outside nothing was lacking ; it had its farm-

84

TRA VELS OF GENERAL GRANT.

house, its sheepfold, its dairy, in white marble, and little
barns for storing the harvest, etc. This miniature farm,

THE FARM-HOUSE.
however, could not be called a profitable investment, for
the cows, hens and pigeons were entertained in a style

¦HHllS^i.

THE DAIRY.
of luxury that made the milk more costly than cham
pagne, and an egg worth its weight in silver.

TRA VELS OF GENERAL GRANT.

85

The palace was the royal residence till the Tuileries
was built, and has been the scene of more gayety and
more vice and witnessed more terrible scenes, probably
than any other palace in the world.
Malmaison, also out of Paris, being ten miles distant,
was a place to interest such a man as Grant, for it was
not only the favorite residence of Josephine, but here
Napoleon planned some of his greatest battles, and here
he remained five days after his last abdication.

THE GALLERY OF MALMAISON.

But we cannot enumerate all the objects of interest
that invited and received his attention in Paris. Even
such an inveterate sight-seer as he will get tired after
awhile and seek rest. The arches, and domes, and
towers, and churches, and gardens — the palace of the
Corps Legislative, with its council chamber — the gay
boulevards, and restaurants, and theatres, and amuse
ments of every kind combine to make Paris the gayest
city in the world.
He enjoyed this sight-seeing all the more that his life

86

TRA VELS OF GENERAL GRANT.

in this gay metropolis was, in reality, more quiet than
it had been for a long time. Of course there were
public dinners, receptions and banquets. The dinner
given by President McMahon passed off like all other
public dinners. The one given by the American minister.
Mr. Noyes, was a very recherche affair and drew together
many of the most distinguished men of Paris.

BED-CHAMBER OF JOSEPHINE.
The reception in the evening was still more brilliant,
and President McMahon was among the guests, and
remained a long while beside General Grant, indeed,
receiving with him the members of the diplomatic corps
and state officials.
The ex-President did not escape the ubiquitous inter
viewer by being in Paris, and speaking only English.
The following account of an interview is from the pen of
one attached to the well-known paper, The Figaro:
" The American General, who has been the guest of
Paris for the past two days, is generally considered the
most taciturn man in the world. To him Count Von

TRA VELS OF GENERAL GRANT.

87

Moltke, whom the Germans call the Great Silent, is quite
a talker, since they often get from him speeches of fifty
or sixty lines, while tlie longest speech which Grant is
ever remembered to have made was that pronounced the
day after he was first nominated President of the United
States. Here it is in all its simplicity. The General
appeared upon the balcony of the hotel where he was
staying. Below; in the street, more than ten thousand
persons were awaiting a speech. Reluctantly removing
the cigar he was smoking, and raising it slightly between
the first and second fingers of his right hand, he said:
* Gentlemen, I am very glad to see you.' Then he made
a bow, as much as to say, I hope you will not expect any
thing more from me now. On another occasion he found
the means of being even more concise. One of his sol
dier friends, who is said to be almost as reserved as him
self, was commissioned to present the General with an
elegantly-engraved gold cup, in the name of the soldiers
who had served under him. The warrior was introduced
into the Grant household, bearing the cup in question.
He quietly placed the cup upon a sideboard, remarking :
' That's the cup.' The President looked at it in a dreamy
sort of a way, and after the lapse of a few seconds, re
plied : ' Thank you.' Then he offered his companion in
arms a cigar. The two veterans sat down, and, facing
each other, smoked away in silence, while the deputation
of soldiers waited in vain outside for the speech which is
usual on such occasions.
" I was aware that the General was of this peculiar
turn, and I was not a little exercised concerning the kind
of interview I was to have in response to my application
of Thursday night, which he consented to with the best
grace -imaginable.
"The General's courier, M. Jacques Hartog, a very

gg TRAVELS OF GENERAL GRANT.
pleasant and agreeable young man, introduced me. Gen
eral Grant was sitting near the corner of the fireplace.
Facing him, upon a large divan, sat Mrs. Grant and her
son. The latter is a young mail of twenty to twenty-five
years, having almost as meditative and reflective an air
as his father. He is, I am told, a great mathematician.
The General arose and extended to me his hand. The
physiognomy of the brave General, to whom I had the
honor to be presented, was very curious to observe. I
do not think, for example, that there is upon earth any
being whatever who, under whatever circumstances, could
flatter himself as having seen made upon this enigmatic
figure, the shortest, the slightest, the most momentary
impression. We Frenchmen possess, in order to char
acterize this kind of figure, a word which I would not
employ if I thought it would constitute a want of respect,
this is tete de bois — wooden head. Ulysses Grant pos
sesses this peculiarity in the highest degree, that which,
after all, is perhap's a quality and a resource for a soldier
or a statesman. I know, through a friend of the General,
that this phenomenal imperturbability is never relaxed,
even for a second, even in circumstances the most grave
and perilous. This friend has seen him under fire,
mounted on his grizzly mare, as celebrated in America as
the white horse of Napoleon has been in France, and
there was always the same figure, impassible, indifferent.
During a series of battles, which lasted for ten or twelve
days, and which cost the Federals nearly sixty thousand
men, Grant slept at night, after having smoked an enor
mous number of cigars, for eight hours at a time, as
peaceably as an infant, rose in the morning and dressed,
then began to give his orders about in the same way a
city merchant arranges his bills. Never have circum
stances more grave, never has heavier responsibility rested

TRA VELS OF GENER 4L GRANT. gQ
upon a man than General Grant has experienced, yet a
word of anxiety, trouble or discouragement was never
known to escape him. They called Wellington the Iron
Duke. The Americans might well have entitled Ulysses
S. Grant the Steel General. As I saw him at the Hotel
Bristol, and much as he must have been fatigued by his
journey, General Grant had the appearance of a man still
very vigorous. His shoulders are massive, broad, and
his body has a marked tendency to embonpoint. The
General, moreover, gives a very good account of himself,
for he said laughingly to a friend yesterday, that he con
gratulated himself on not having changed for ten. years.
•'Yes, and I have gained forty-five pounds in weight.'
His beard, which is closely cropped, has commenced to
turn gray. His hair is perfectly black. His complexion,
slightly bronzed, gives the General a Germanic aspect,
although he comes of pure American stock.
" The conversation commenced in English about Paris,
which the General now visits for the first time in his life.
I inquired what his first impression was. He replied to
me, with much good sense and precision, to the effect that
he was unable to form an opinion, as he had ridden from
the railroad depot (gare) to the hotel in a covered car
riage, and was unable to see anything but the cushions
in the vehicle.
" ' But, General, have you not paid a visit to Marshal
McMahon ? How did you find our President ? '
" 'We were unable to comprehend each other.'
" ' How was that ?' I said with astonishment.
" ' Simple enough. I didn't understand a word of
French; the Marshal does't know a word of English.
He bowed to me; I bowed to him. He extended his hand
to me ; I extended mine to him. Then all was over.'
" ' Then the interview only lasted a minute.'

QO TRA VELS OF GENERAL GRANT.
" ' No, I remained a few minutes to speak with Mme.
McMahon, and I was delighted, for she speaks English
admirably. I was, indeed, astonished that a French lady
should speak so beautifully. The Marshal has a fine
mein, and has the air of an honest man.'
"As it seemed to me the General was in good humor,
and in a vein for talking, I risked, without great hopes of
success, however, a question on politics as follows : ' Gen
eral, as you have been, like our Marshal, President of a
Republic, and you have been in an analogous situation to
his — that is to say, at variance with the legislative power,
I am sure the public would be curious to know your
opinion upon the present crisis.'
"The General, at this question, which I confess having
put with temerity, had what I will call a 'time' of silence.
He did not express the slightest astonishment, and, in
the same tone as before, looking continually at the
carpet, said: 'I am not a Frenchman; I am an American,
and, as the Atlantic separates us, I have not studied the
question in any such way that I should dare to give my
opinion on it.'
" I then recalled to mind what had been told me of
the manner in which Grant acted with reporters in
America when he was in power. He received them
whenever they wished ; then, when they broached poli
tics he drew cigars from his pocket, offering one to
his interlocutor, and then commenced to smoke in silence.
To get a word out of him after this, there was but one
means left; speak to him about his horses. I therefore
(somewhat changing the tactics of the Americans) quitted
the domain of politics by asking the General if he pro
posed staying long in Paris. 'If this horrible rain con
tinues,' said he, 'I shall leave forthwith. If not I shall
remain here during the whole of the month of November.'

TRAVELS OF GENERAL GRANT. nj
" Another silence. Then he continued : ' I have always
been very curious to know France, and Paris especially.
The impression I had coming from Boulogne was that it
was a fine country, well cultivated and had a happy air.'
"Another silence. 'The railroads of France are much
better than ours. The service is made with more pre
caution, and the roads are well built.' Then the General
recounted some details concerning his journeys in Eng
land, and upon the enthusiastic and sympathetic recep
tion he had received. He seemed to have great pleasure
in recalling these facts. I do not think it of sufficient
interest to reproduce these remarks for the French public.
"After having seen Paris,' said he, 'I shall go to Spain,
Italy and Egypt, where I hope to pass the greater part
of the winter.'
" The conversation lasted about fifteen minutes, and
comprised the pauses of this great taciturn. I thought
liiat this was a great deal, and that already I had
occasioned the General to expend a good many words,
so I took my leave, thanking him for the condescen
sion with which he entertained me."
Another banquet almost, if not quite equal in extrava
gant display and in the distinguished guests attending it,
was that given by the American residents of Paris.
Toasts were given and several speeches made, a lengthy
one by Mr. Noyes, highly eulogistic of General Grant,
to which the latter replied in a few brief words of thanks,
and two others by Marquis de Lafayette and Rocham •
beau — both descendants of those distinguished French
men who bore so conspicuous a part in our Revolution
ary War.
Grant, on this occasion, was dressed in full uniform
and having on his famous Galena sword with the names
of all the battles on it in which he was engaged — from

92

TRAVELS OF GENERAL GR"ANT.

Palo Alto to Chattanooga — the hilt being incrusted with
diamonds. His time passed very pleasantly in the gay French
capital. To-day he would call on Prince Orloff, to-mor
row on a rich banker, or be invited out to dinner, while
the sights to be seen were almost endless. In the morn
ing he usually visited the Herald bureau, where he
would sit for an hour and smoke while reading the news
papers. If not engaged to make or receive some formal
call, he would visit the Tuileries and stroll through its
galleries rich in
paintings, or
visit the great
Sevres man
ufactory. It
was with singu
lar feelings he
stood in the
Hotel des In-
valides, built for
the worn-out
soldiers of
France, and
gazed on the
tomb of Napoleon, surmounted by his cocked hat and
sword, worn at Eylau. It might well remind him of the
vanity of all earthly greatness. A drive through the Bois
de Boulogne, or along the Champs Elysee and under the
Arc de Triomphe would make any day seem bright.
The Louvre, with its garnered works of art, and the
Luxembourg, across the Seine, built by Maria de Medicis,
with its gallery of art and gilded salons, had for him the
deepest interest, while those localities that told of revo
lution moved him more than written history. The Tower

TOMB OF NAPOLEON.

TRAVE-LS OF GENERAL GRANT.

93

of St. Jacques is one of its monuments, being all that is
left of the church torn down by the mob. He was de
lighted with the view of Paris from the heights of Mont-
martre. One of the most select dinners and brilliant fetes
got up for him in Paris, was given by Mrs. Mackay, wife
of " Bonanza," as she was called, from the enormous
wealth of her husband, who owns some of the richest,

PALACE OF THE LUXEMBOURG.

mines in California. The house where the affair took
place cost 1,500,000 francs, and the furniture 500,000
francs. It looks out upon the Place d'Etoile, and is a
splendid residence. The garden was brilliantly illumi
nated and decorated with national flags, and with em
blems set in thousands of gas jets. The orchestra, con
sisting of thirty-six musicians, was stationed on a pavilion
built out from the house in front of the Rue Tilsit. A
dozen footmen, in liveries of crimson and gold, lined the

22

94

TRA VELS OF GENERAL CRANT.

entrance and stairway. The carriages occupied the cause
way in front. The vestibule, staircase and passage-ways
were profusely decorated with flags and beautiful flowers.
The rooms were magnificent. Everything that money
could supply and elegant taste select was there to add to
the beauty and impressiveness of the scene. Indeed,
nothing was omit
ted that boundless
wealth could sup
ply to make it the
most magnificent
event of the season.
A succession of
«Sp5if more brilliant din-
yTjll it i , .
eft ners and fetes
jjjj never took place in
gay and brilliant
Paris than was got
up in honor of the
distinguished
American. The
farewell dinner was
given by an emi
nent banker.
The American
steamer "Vandalia," detailed by our Government for
his use, arrived at Ville-Franche on the 1 3th of De
cember. Grant, with his wife and son, went on board,
and as the steamer slowly moved away, all the Ameri
can ships in the harbor greeted him with cheers. As
they entered the Straits of Gibraltar, Grant looked with
profound interest on the grim, old fortress, tunneled
out of the solid rock, rising almost fifteen hundred feet
into the air. It was a history in itself, with the low-lying

TOWER OF ST. JACQUES.

TRAVELS OF GENERAL GRANT. Q-
and gray shores of Africa on the one side, and the lofty
summits of the Grenadian Mountains on the other. The
stout ship went bowling along over the blue waves of the
Mediterranean, and on the morning of the 1 7th came in
sight of the Bay of Naples, with Mount Vesuvius in'- the
background, sending its tall column of smoke silently
toward heaven.
The Bay of Naples is celebrated the world over for its
beauty, but that beauty is seen from the shore more than
from the sea. It is true, the islands at its entrance are
very beautiful, and so is the semicircular sweep of the
shore, with the background of St. Elmo and Vesuvius.
At the time the " Vandalia" arrived, the weather should
have been like ours in early October, before the foliage
has changed, but, unfortunately, it was cold and cheerless.
T e old phrase, " Vedi Napoli e poi moir " — " See Na
ples, and then die" — did not seem very appropriate, as
Grant buttoned his coat around him, and his wife gath
ered her wraps about her, as they entered the boat and
were rowed ashore.
Determined to lose no time, he had thus hastened
ashore before the authorities knew of his arrival, to have
a quiet drive through the city. Accompanied by his wife,
he climbed to the Castle of San Martin, now a museum,
with barracks attached. They spent nearly an hour in
examining the various curiosities, in which Mrs. Grant
seemed to take more interest than the General ; so little,
in fact, did he think of the collections, that when the guide
showed him the portrait of the man who gave the collec
tion to Naples, he dryly remarked, in English : " Well, if
I had a museum like this, I would give it to Naples, or
anybody who would take it." But the view from this
elevated position was worth the trouble of the ascent.
Below lay Naples, with its beautiful sea line; beyond

96

TRA VELS OF GENERAL GRANT.

the bay, with Capri and Ischia slumbering_ in the
blue waters, while inland rose Vesuvius, with its ever
lasting plume of smoke swaying in the wind. The chill
air, however, robbed the scenery of half its charms ; but,
in compensation, reduced the number of beggars, by
keeping them on the sunny side of the walls, protected
from the wind.
Returning to the ship, the party contented themselves
with looking at Vesuvius through a spy-glass and read-

CRATER OF VESUVIUS.
ing themselves up as to the best' and most economical
manner of spending their time to see the most of Naples
and its objects of interest in the few days they could give
to it. Grant decided that, first of all, they should ascend
Vesuvius, and gave his orders for an early start next
day. But, alas, his arrival had been announced, and the
forenoon was spent in receiving officials in dashing uni
forms, so that it was late before he could set out.
Taking a carriage they rattled out of the city, along a

TRAVELS OF GENERAL GRANT. qj
perfect road, passing and meeting donkeys with their
loads and all sorts of vehicles, conspicuous among them
the two-wheeled platform — a sort of a truck, drawn by a
donkey, and loaded with a half a dozen laughing, chatting
Italians. Passing through Portici, where is the royal
palace, which Murat, while king of Naples, fitted up with
great splendor, they hastened on, and at length arrived
at the place where horses and donkeys are taken for the
ascent. Here a scrambling and quarreling among the
numerous guides commenced, each extolling the merits
of his donkey or horse, while beggars, swarming like the
locusts of Egypt, helped to swell the Babel. At last they
got mounted and began the long and toilsome ascent. The
animal that Grant bestrode was not one he would pick
out for a Vicksburgh campaign, still as he could do no
better, he had to be content. His experience of Italian
beggars had been very limited, but here it was to be en
larged to a degree that he did not anticipate. He inno
cently thought by laying in a large stock of small coin, he
could easily satisfy their importunities, and be left alone.
He had to learn, however, that generosity, instead of
lessening their number, increased it fourfold. A reputa
tion for open-handedness in Naples is fatal to all comfort.
Scatter your coin among a half a dozen to get rid of
their importunity, and in fifteen minutes you will have a
dozen screaming bundles of rags after you, rolling in the
dirt to attract your attention, or yelling " per carita."
Satisfy these, and in fifteen minutes more you will have
two dozen, and so on, till their number will be legion.
If General Grant had stayed a month in Naples and gone
on in the liberal way he began here at the base of Mount
Vesuvius, at the end of that time he would have had a
procession at his heels every time he stepped out of his
hotel large enough for a king's escort, but of a kind that

98

TRA VELS OF GENERAL GRANT.

would have astonished the beholder. He now soon found
his stock of coin exhausted, and began to borrow of his
companions, but it would have taken the bank of England
to have stopped the clamor.
The ascent of the mountain is for some time gradual,
the road passing through vineyards from which the wine
called Lachryma Christi (tears of Christ) is made. But
the scene gradually grew drearier until they came to the
region of pure lava, where the imagination begins to have
conceptions of the scenes that have passed here. There
spreads, black, barren and rough, the motionless stream
of lava just as it cooled in its slow and troubled march
for the sea. Here it met an obstacle, and rose into a
barrier ; there it fell off into ridges, that cracked and
broke into fragments till the whole inclined plane that
spreads off from the base of the mighty pyramid that in
closes the crater appears as if the earth had been vio
lently shaken till all the large loose portions had risen to
the surface. Sometimes you can trace for some distance
a sort of circular wall of cooled lava, behind which the
red-hot stream had gathered and glowed like a brow of
wrath. Through this barren tract the road was a narrow
path that looked as if it might lead to the gates of death.
As the eye wanders over this dreary, desolate tract, it in
voluntary looks up to see its end, when it encounters the
column of smoke steadily ascending from the barren
peak, telling in language more emphatic than words, of
the slumbering power that wrought this wild ruin. The
party toiled slowly on through this dreary region until
they came to the Hermitage, as it is called, where they
halted for lunch. Grant had started with the intention of
climbing the last peak to the crater and look down into
its sulphurous depths; but the formal calls on shipboard
had delayed his departure till now it was getting late in

TRA VELS OF GENERAL GRANT. onyy
the afternoon, while the cold wind from this altitude
pierced to the very bones, and he had to be content with
a view of the beautiful landscape below him instead of
gazing down into the bowels of the earth ; and what a
panprama presented itself. At their feet slept the city of
Naples, with its palaces and towers, basking in the sun
shine, while far inland, till the eye grew dim with the pros
pect, swept away the whole campagna felice, " happy
country," dotted with villages, fields and vineyards with
out end. To crown all, there spread the beautiful Bay of
Naples, with the blue islands of Capri and Ischia and the
bluer waters of the Mediterranean, stretching away till
sea and sky melted together on the far-off horizon.
It was dark when the carriage containing the party
rolled again through the streets of Naples down to the
bay, where the lights of the ship welcomed them to rest
and food once more.
The next day, the General visited the ruins of Pompeii,
twelve miles from the city. The road passes through
Torre del Greco and the ancient Oplante — by houses of
the poor — furnishing sights to be found nowhere else in
the world. Here would sit a row of ragged, dirty women
so engaged in looking at heads that the passing of the
equipage did not arrest them ; there an urchin sitting on
the ground with his head between the knees of a woman
busy with his head, and behind her a third performing the
same kind service for her — a laughable yet disgusting
picture. In another direction would stand a man with a
plate in one hand, while from the other lifted over his
head, which was thrown back to a horizontal position,
hung long strings of macaroni, that disappeared down
his neck like young snakes in the throat of their mother.
The streets of Torre del Greco were cut through lava
that once rolled over the town, and houses were built on

IOO

TRA VELS OF GENERAL GRANT.

it looking black and fresh as if it had not been cooled for
more than a month.
At length the "city of the dead" was reached where a
guide met them, who spoke English and informed Grant
that he had acted as a guide to Sheridan when he visited
Pompeii; moreover, was a soldier himself; all of which
important information had, of course, its due effect om
Grant. Pompeii is not dug out of the ground below the

POMPEIIAN RUING.

surface like Herculaneum, but is excavated from the side
of a hill composed of the ashes and cinders that buried
it, and you enter it as you would a walled town, with the
sky bending over you. But to go into all the details of
a visit and enumerate the various objects that arrest the
attention, would be only a thrice-told tale. There is the
house of the rich aristocrat Diomede, with its many pillars,
mosaic floor, and damp, dark wine-cellar, where the bones

TRAVELS OF GENERAL GRANT.

IOI

of his family were found, who had fled there for safety
from the storm of ashes and fire that was falling on the
doomed city. There against the side of the wall, amid
the earthen jars, was the shape of the breast and head and
outstretched arms of a woman, who had fallen against it
in helpless terror. Nothing remained but the bones and
jewels to tell the story of her sufferings and death
agony. You leave this strange house, and wander amid the
crumbling and broken fragments of what was once a
great city. You
follow the wheel-
worn streets — the
ruts in the stones
cut there by the
gay chariots when
Christ was walking
by the Sea of Gal
ilee, and see where
there were baths,
and dressing, and
dining-rooms, and j
work-shops where
the living multi
tude had moved,
and luxuriated,
and toiled. There
were tombs that
were themselves entombed ; rooms for washing' the
dead where the living were suddenly buried, un
washed and uncoffined ; beer-shops with the marks
of the tumblers still fresh on the marble counter;
mill-stones that still turned to the hand as they turned
2,000 years ago. There, too, were the brothel, and theatre,

HOUSE OF DIOMEDE.

102

TRAVELS OF GENERAL GRANT.

and dancing-hall, conspicuous to-day as they were
then. There, too, stands a tavern with the rings yet
entire, to which the horses were fastened, and where
the bones of a mother and three children were found
locked in each other's arms. Temples were overthrown
with their altars, on which smoked the sacrifices to the
gods to whom they prayed in vain. Columns fallen
across each other in the courts, just as that wild hurricane

Jmggfmi

1111'

THE FORUM OF JUSTICE.
had left them, pieces of the architrave blocking' up the
entrances they had surmounted, told how fierce the shock
and wild the overthrow had been.
Here stands the house of a wealth)- poet with the gar
nished apartments forming in their silence a part in a
greater drama than he had ever conceived ; there the
palace of a rich man with mosaic floors representing
battle scenes, precious stones imbedded in the pave-

TRAVELS OF GENERAL GRANT. IO-
ments of the long corridors, attesting the unbounded
wealth of the owner.
There, t»o, stood the Temple of Eupiles, the Court of
Justice, the Forum and the Market-place, everything
belonging to a great and opulent city but the inhabitants.
Streets and buildings were alike empty, and the stillness
that reigns falls like a shadow on the spirit. Standing
outside the view is perhaps still more impressive. You
look back on the disentombed city, and beyond it on Vesu
vius, standing solemn, grand and lonely, sending up its
steady column of smoke, a perpetual tombstone over
the dead at its feet. You. can see the track of the lava
in its wild and fiery march for the sea, and imagine just
how the cloud of ashes and cinders rose from the summit
and. came flying toward the terror-stricken city. Foot
after foot it piled itself in the streets, over the thresholds
and above the windows, till it reached twenty or thirty
feet above the tops of the houses, and the gay and pleas
ure-loving and licentious city lay buried as century after
century rolled by, till nearly seventeen hundred years
rolled away before the first opening was made into the
hill that covered it.
Outside is the amphitheatre, large enough to hold fif
teen or twenty thousand spectators. Here were the
lion's dens bordering the area where gladiatorial shows
were exhibited. Some have thought that the people were
assembled here at the overthrow of the city, but this
could not be ; the inhabitants of a city so dissolute and
, careless as this could not gather to a place of amuse
ment when such dire portents were in the air for days
before the eruption. Spectres seemed to line the moun
tains as the mist boiled up from its trembling sides, and
it reeled above the sea of fire that was boiling under,
struggling for freedom. It was no time for amusement,

IO, TRAVELS OF GENERAL GRANT.
but for consternation and terror, and thousands sought
safety in flight.
It is customary for the Italian authorities when a very
distinguished man visits Pompeii, to have a house dug
open, which ever afterward bears his name. An order
was therefore given to have one exhumed for Grant.
Chairs were brought for him and his wife, and some of the
officers of the " Vandalia," and the solemn work commenced.
But nothing of importance was discovered ; the bones of
no inmate rewarded the toil of the workmen ; two or three
bronze ornaments and a loaf of bread wrapped in a cloth
and a few fragments of something that could not be made
out, were all that was found. The officer who had con
ducted the excavation, proposed to open another, but one
of the officers of the "Vandalia," who was both tired and
hungry, said he thought it would be better to excavate a
beefsteak. Grant, who all this time had been quietly smoking his
cigar while the workmen uncovered the house, agreed
with him, and thanking the director for his courtesy,
adjourned outside to a restaurant, and Pompeii and its
solemn ruins were forgotten in the comforts of a modern
dinner. Grant's visit was a flying one, and embraced as little of
Southern Italy as his one over the Alps to Northern
Italy did of that section of this most renowned penin
sula of the world. He did not go to Psestum and its
ruined temples, among the most ancient and myste
rious that still stand on the earth ; nor to Baiae, on
the other side of Naples, made immortal by Virgil,
and was once the resort of the poets, philosophers
and emperors of Rome, in their leisure hours, and
even now is covered with ruined temples, dedicated
to Venus, Apollo, Mercury, Diana, etc., to say nothing.

TRAVELS OF GENERAL GRANT. IOr-
of the historic harbor of Msesenum, nor did he follow
the usual route of travelers that land at Naples, and
go back to Rome, the mother of empires and early
civilization, whose very ruins are grander than modern
art. This was reserved until he returned from Pales
tine. He tarried only between three and four days in Na
ples, and then took ship for Palermo, and landed on the
23d of December, when the city was gay and jubilant in
preparations for Christmas festivals. The next day a
delegation from American vessels in port waited on him
to pay their respects. It was a gay morning, such as no
one sees except in sunny Italy. The city seemed filled
with bells, whose merry peels rung over the bay till the
whole atmosphere was filled with sweet chimes, and
everywhere and around the ship multitudinous voices
seemed to be shouting a merry Christmas. The sound
fell on the ears of Grant and his party as some sweet
memory, half-sad, half-joyful, comes back on the heart,
and the thoughts of home brought to each face an ex
pression that seemed vibrating between a smile and a
tear. At noon the prefect came on board and was saluted
with fifteen guns. He remained only a few minutes to
tender to Grant the hospitalities of the town ; but the
latter had had enough of ceremony and wished quiet, and
so declined them with thanks. In the afternoon he went
ashore with the captain, and sauntered about the town
for three or four hours, seeing the sights and enjoying
the gayety and abandon of the people. It was not a
sunny Italian day, for the capricious rains came down
in short, sudden showers, but he did not seem to notice
them, and continued his walk without even raising his
^umbrella.

io6

TRAVELS OF GENERAL GRANT.

The Christmas dinner aboard ship, given by the
ward room officers, was, perhaps, the most home-like and
enjoyable thing to Grant than anything that had occurred
since he left his native shores. The vessel was gay with
evergreens, and as Grant sat down surrounded in this
strange land by only his countrymen, all his reserve
seemed to forsake him, and he gave himself up like a
boy to the abandon and enjoyment of the day. Said
Young, who was present, " As he sat under the green
boughs of the Christmas decoration, the centre of our
merry company, it seemed as if he were as young as any
of the mess, a much younger man by far than our junior
Dannenhower, who looks grave and serious enough to
command all the fleets in the world. Mrs. Grant was in
capital health and spirits, and quite enchanted the mess
by telling them, in the earliest hour of the conversation,
that she already felt when she came back to the ' Van
dalia ' from some errand on shore as if she were coming
home. I wish I could lift the veil far enough to show
you how much the kind, considerate, ever-womanly and
ever-cheerful nature of Mrs. Grant has won upon us all ;
but I must not invade the privacy of the domestic circle.
She was the queen of the feast, and we gave her queenly
honor." There were no speeches, but a quiet home-like
dinner, followed by a stroll on deck, with cigars, to look
on the fire-works that were set off on the various ships
in the harbor.
Since Garibaldi overthrew the Bourbon King of
Naples, and the unification of Italy, Sicily has felt the
spirit of the age, and various modern improvements have
been made, and among them the laying out of several
new avenues, one of which bears the name of Lincoln.
A stroll through the streets of Palermo, is full of interest

TRA VELS OF GENERAL GRANT.

107

from the associations that are awakened, though no very
striking objects present themselves. Grant's visit was
very short, for the anchors were weighed next day, and
the " Vandalia's " prow turned for Malta. Next morning
they passed Stromboli, but it was so enveloped in rain
and mist that only its dim outline could be seen. Through
the narrow Straits of Messina, past Scylla and Charybdis,

STROMBOLI.

the terror of the ancients, and past Messina, sleeping
white and beautiful on the margin of the sea, past Rhe-
gium, the same Rhegium to which Paul said, " we fetched
a compass and came ;" last of all past Etna, rising nearly
11,000 feet out of the blue sea, its summit covered with
snow, all day long in sight, and standing silent and grand
in the cloudless sky, they kept on through the Mediterra
nean. Malta was reached on the 28th, one of the strongholds
of which, with Gibraltar, gives England such a preponder-

io8

TRAVELS OF GENERAL GRANT.

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TRAVELS OF GENERAL GRANT. I(_g
ance of power in the Mediterranean. The vessel swung
to her moorings alongside an huge iron-clad of the British
navy, and fired her salute of twenty-one guns, which were
no sooner answered than the Duke of Edinburgh, com
manding it, presented himself.
Grant received him courteously, and after presenting
the gentlemen standing by his side, led the way to the
cabin, where they engaged in conversation for nearly an
hour. On leaving, the duke invited General Grant and
his family to his palace, at San Antonio, some four miles
from town. They accepted the invitation, and drove out
to it under a glowing sun. Luncheon and a stroll
through the orange groves followed.
Grant next visited the governor, and was received in
state, a regiment of soldiers being drawn up in front of
the palace, to do him honor. Then came a state dinner,
after which all went to the opera, the orchestra playing
the "Star Spangled Banner" as the General entered the
door, the music almost drowned by the thundering cheers
with which he was received. Invitations crowded on
Grant here, but he declined them all, and spent the time
in strolling about the place. The day after he embarked
on the " Vandalia," which once more turned her prow sea
ward, and amid the music of the bands on board the
"Triton" playing our national airs, passed out of the
harbor and took her leave of Malta.
23

, lo TRAVELS OF GENERAL GRANT.

CHAPTER V.
GENERAL GRANT STARTS FOR EGYPT — ENTERS ON NEW SCENFS — ALEXANDRIA — HIS.
RECEPTION — MEETS STANLEY — WANDERS THROUGH THE CITY — HIS PHOTOGRAPH
TAKEN — STARTS FOR CAIRO — MEETS OLD WEST POINT SCHOOLMATES — INTERVIEW
WITH THE KHEDIVE — THE PYRAMIDS — UP THE NILE — RUN AGROUND — LIFE ON
THE RIVER — MEETING OF FRIENSS — SI OUT — DINNER AT THE CONSUL'S — AMES ICAN
MISSIONARIES — SWEET REPOSE — GIRGEL AND FRIENDS — ABYDOS — A POOR HORSE
—ARAB BOYS AND DONKEYS — THE JOURNEY — THE RUINS — THEIR ANTIQUITY-
DIGGING FOR THE TOMB OF A GOD — GRANT CLIMBS TO THE SITTING-ROOM OF KING
MENES— DINNER IN THE RUINS.
GENERAL GRANT had now cut loose from
Western civilization to enter on that of the
Orient, with different scenes, different nation
alities and different social and political systems. His
voyage through the Mediterranean had awakened entirely
newer feelings than those he had experienced in the
capitals of Europe. Africa, with its ancient history, its
modern barbarism and desert wastes, were on one side
the shores of the grandest empire of the world, with its
remarkable military history; and Greece, the home of
heroes and the fine arts, and so long the centre of refine
ment and literature, on the other. This inland sea washed
lands laden with grander associations and more beautiful
memories than those of any other portion of the civilized
world, and finally laved the shores of the Holy Land.
As he approached the low-lying coast of Egypt, with
out a single hill or elevation on which the eye could rest,
he felt that he was entering on an entirely new world,
As the vessel neared the narrow, intricate channel lead
ing to the port of Alexandria, a crowd in boats gathered

TRAVELS OF GENERAL GRANT.

m

around the vessel, yelling and shouting in their strange
dialect. It was with strange feelings that he first set foot on
shore at Alexandria,
and remembered that
he was in the land of
the Pharaohs, out of
which tlie mighty host
of the Israelites moved
with Moses at their
head, guided by a pil
lar of fire and cloud;
the land of the pyra
mids — monuments of
the oldest civilization
of the world. Every
thing was now changed
— climate, the aspect
of nature, the people,
the very animals were
all different, and the
mind, with one bound,
leaped from the pal
aces and splendor of
European courts to
vast, untrodden des
erts and grand, myste
rious views. Instead of
elegant carriages, cam
els in caravans were
slowly moving through
the streets, bound for
the desert plains. Cleopatra's Needle and Pompey's
Pillar pointed not only heavenward, but far back into

BAS-RELIEF OF CLEOPATRA.

. j 2 TRA VELS OF GENERAL GRANT.
the ages. Grant, however, had but little time for reflec
tion. His arrival was expected, and the American con
sul, and vice-consul, and governor, together with all the
missionaries, came on board before he landed, and as
each was saluted according to his official rank, the roar
of guns for a long time prevented all conversation. The
governor, in the name of the khedive, offered him a
palace in Cairo and a special steamer to take him up the
Nile, and departed.
That very afternoon Grant returned the official visit,
and landed amid the thunder of guns, while the crew
of the " Vandalia" manned the yards, and rent the air
with hurras, which were answered back by all the
Egyptian vessels in port. A guard of honor received him
and conducted him to the pasha's palace. Led into
a spacious apartment they were seated according to their
rank on divans, while the pasha offered them, with great
dignity, cigarettes. Grant, who was ever ready to smoke,
would have preferred a substantial cigar, but was not unwil
ling to take these as a substitute. In the intervals of
puffing out the smoke, a conversation of mutual compli
ments was carried on — the pasha complimenting Grant,
and the latter, the land of Egypt. A short time being
spent in this way, a servant entered, bearing little porce
lain cups about the size of an egg, in beautiful filigree
cases, and containing a hot drink spiced with cinnamon.
This being drunk, conversation was resumed — the pasha
speaking with Oriental dignity and slowness, and Grant
replying with his usual taciturnity ; it was not very bril
liant or animated, and probably about as little was said in
the following five minutes, as ever passed between two
men who wished to be particularly polite and entertaining.
The ceremony being over, Grant and his party arose
and filed slowly and solemnly down the stairs, saluted by

TRA VELS OF GENERAL GRANT. j j ,
the servants, and the visit was over, much to the relief of
the distinguished guest, to whom the whole thing had
been a serious farce. At evening, Grant and his wife
dined with the vice-consul, and there met the African
traveler Stanley, fresh from his wondrous journey across
the "Dark Continent." Grant had sent to have him
come on board the " Vandalia," but the latter did not
receive the letter. The two had a long and interesting
conversation, and Grant listened with the deepest interest
to the account of his wonderful discoveries. To a toast
that was given him he replied in a neat speech, in which
he said it was the proudest moment of his life to find
himself seated beside the distinguished guest of the
evening. The next morning he continued his journey
to England to report in person the result of his great
expedition. Dinner over, the General returned on board
the vessel and passed the night. The next day, Sunday,
he proposed to take a quiet stroll through the town, like
any other private traveler and, unobserved, study the
character and manners of the people as well as get an
idea of the place. Free from continental formalities he
wandered hither and thither as his fancy led him, till
he was lost in a labyrinth of streets. This was his con
stant custom in traveling, and is the best way to get a
thorough knowledge of any city. He wandered as far
as Cleopatra's Needle, and after viewing the graceful
shaft, returned to luncheon. The next day was a quiet
one on board ship. Being requested to sit for his photo
graph, he seated himself on deck — surrounded by his
family, with the officers of the ship on either side, and
was thus taken, the picture to be kept by the latter as a
memento of the occasion. The next day, he started for
Cairo. It formerly took three days to reach it from Alex
andria, buf now, by rail, the distance can be made in four

r T , TRA VELS OF GENERAL GRANT.
114
hours. A special train was placed at his disposal, and
accompanied by the principal officers of the " Vandalia,"
wound along the Nile and soon came in sight of the
pyramids, rising solemn and grand in the distance, those
massive, mysterious creations of the ancient Egyptian
kings. Mrs. Grant seemed filled with the romance of
the scenery and the objects they passed, while he studied
the country closely and remarked in a very matter-of-fact
way : " That some portions of it resembled very much our
Western prairie." Imagination was almost entirely left
out in his composition, and he looks at everything in a
plain, practical manner.
As the train entered the station at Cairo at 3 o'clock,
Grant found a carpet-way laid for him to walk upon,
while a guard with a group of cavaliers stood ready to
receive him. As Grant cast his eye over them he recog
nized under their Oriental costume and Egyptian uniform
old army friends, and he exclaimed : " There is Loring
whom I have not seen for thirty years — there is Stone
who must have been dyeing nis hair to make it so white."
He knew that they were high officers in the khedive's
army, and was expecting to meet them, though it was
hardly probable he would, after such a lapse of time and
in such a strange uniform, recognize them.
Stone, who received such harsh criticism for the affair
at Ball's Bluff, stood high in the khedive's estimation and
in his army, and he now entered the car as his repre
sentative, to welcome Grant to Egypt. The meeting was
a strange one in that far-off land, but Grant was glad to
speak to this foreign representative in his own tongue
and talk something besides what court etiquette de
manded. Loring was a rebel officer, and had fought
Grant in the recent civil war, but the latter, glad to see a
familiar face, forgot all that and shook him warmly by

TRA VELS OF GENERAL GRANT. , T -
1 '5
the hand. They had been West Point boys together
and this meeting, almost under the shadow of the pyra
mids, could not be otherwise than a pleasant and cordial
one. The consul-general gave a dinner, at which the usual
toasts and speeches were made. A formal call was now
made on the khedive, which he returned the next day.
The General received him, accompanied by his secretary
of foreign affairs, and welcomed him in the grand saloon,
where Mr. Grant also received His Highness. The
officers of the "Vandalia" were present, and their
- striking uniforms, the picturesque costumes of the khe
dive and his attendants, and the splendid, stately decora
tions of the room in which they assembled, made the
group imposing. In the course of this conversation
General Grant spoke of General Stone, now chief of staff
to the khedive. He said he had known General Stone
from boyhood, and did not think he had his superior in
our army ; that he was a loyal and able man, and he was
pleased to see him holding so important a command. The
khedive said he was very much pleased with General
Stone, that he found him a most useful and a most able
man, especially fitted to organize troops, and had made
him a member of his privy council. At the close of the
interview General Grant escorted the khedive to his
carriage. Official calls were then made upon the two
sons of the khedive, who at once returned the calls, and
so ended the official duties.
Though Cairo had its objects of interest, they were of
little consequence compared to those which the banks of
the Nile furnish. Still, it will well repay the traveler for
a sojourn of many days. It is a gay and bright city, and
the new quarters occupied by foreigners are handsomely
built, and make it resemble a European city. The climate

n6

.TRAVELS OF GENERAL GRANT.

is delightful, while the great number of foreigners one
meets at the " New Hotel" makes him feel as if he were
at Saratoga or Newport. The streets are picturesque,
and filled with fine horses, and carriages, and diminutive
monkeys, and sober camels — all equally at home, as they
bear their respective burdens to their destinations. You
cannot stir a step without being hailed by a sharp little
boy, asking if you don't want a donkey. If he happens
to know that you are an American, he will say that he
has a capital one, and that his name is " Yankee Doodle."
The traveler can hardly believe, as he walks the solid
streets and sees the massive buildings that every stone

IRRIGATING MACHINE ON THE NILE.

and brick of which the gay city is built was brought there
on the backs of donkeys and camels.
But the greatest sight in the neighborhood of Cairo is
the pyramids, only eight miles distant. Though the time

TRAVELS OF GENERAL GRANT.

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TRA VELS OF GENERAL GRANT.

of their erection is lost in the dim ages of antiquity, they
are a marvel and a mystery to-day, and will be to the end
of time. One is overawed as he looks at that of Cheops,
which Herodotus says it took
1 20,000 men twenty years to build,
and which is so massive that its
base covers eleven acres, while its
top rises nearly five hundred feet
into the heavens. By whom and
for what purpose these heavy
structures were built, at such an
enormous expense of time and
labor, is only conjecture. One
gets some idea of the enormous
mass of stone in this great pyra
mid, when it is stated that there is
enough stone in it to lay a wall a
foot and a half broad and ten feet
high around all England, a dis
tance of 883 miles. They were
built before Moses was born, nay,
before Jacob came down into
Egypt; and Joseph, doubtless,
showed them to his brethren as one
of the wonders of that land, over
which he was ruler, second only to
the king. The summit of Cheops
is a platform about thirty feet
square, from which is seen a
splendid view of the surrounding
country. Before you is the Nile, which can be traced for
miles, winding its way through a carpet of verdure, on
which are scattered numerous villages, with Cairo and
its minarets in the distance. The entrance to this, the

Gallery leading to the chamber
of the Queen.

TRA VELS OF CENERAL GRANT.

II9

largest of the three pyramids, is on the northern side,
from which you make a sharp descent through a long gal
lery, until you reach a massive block of granite obstruct
ing the passage. Up one side of
this you are helped by the guides
and then continue through an
other gallery, rising at about an
angle of twenty-five degrees.
The length of this passage is
about one hundred and twenty-
five feet, the end of which is much
enlarged and divided into two
galleries, on one side of which is
a large opening called the well.
This was formerly a gallery com
municating with a lower corridor,
but it is now practically closed.
Of the two galleries just men
tioned, the first leads to what is
called the chamber of the Queen,
and the second is the Grand gal
lery, which rises to the centre of
the pyramid, until it reaches a ves
tibule leading to the chamber of
the Sarcophagus. Here the royal
remains were deposited in a sarco
phagus of red granite, part of
which still remains, the remainder
having been chipped off piece by
piece and carried away as relics,
so that it is fast disappearing, and probably in time, not
even a fragment will be left to mark where the royal re
mains were placed. But while this change is going on
in the inside, the outside ever remains the same. Centu-

Gzand Gallery.

120

Travels of- general grant.

ries have rolled over them, leaving no mark of their slow
passage. Nations and dynasties, and generations of men
have come and gone, the very face of the earth under
gone a change, yet there these mountains of stone
stand, and will stand, till time shall be no longer.

UP THE NILE.
Grant, having determined to ascend the Nile as far as
the first cataract,
and visit the an
cient ruins near its
banks, the khedive
placed a steamer at
his disposal, and
sent Mr. Brugseh,
one of the Direct
ors of the Egyp
tian Museum, and
hence knew all that
can be told about
Egyptian antiqui
ties, to accompany
him. Three offi
cers of the "Vanda
lia" also joined the
party, together with
the consul-general
and his attendant,
Hassan. As they
embarked on the
steamer and mov
ing out into the stream, many friends came on board to
see them off, bringing bouquets of flowers for Mrs.

THE ARAB CAPTAIN.

TRA VELS OF GENERAL GRANT. j ? \
Grant. While preparations were being made to start,
Grant sat in one corner of the cabin talking with Stone
and Loring about old times in the army, and the officers
who had become famous. At length, all being ready,
adieus were made and the steamer shot away up the
turbid Nile. It was the 1 6th of January, but a summer
air was around them and a summer sky above them.
The Arab captain sits in the middle of the boat and
shouts to the steersman or two men who lean over the
prow and strike their poles down to sound the depth,
and shcut back. A pilot is of no use, for the ever-shift
ing bed of the stream allows no permanent channel to be
cut. It was a strange and dreary sail up this mysterious
river, whose waters bathe ruins that are almost coeval
with man. For two or three hours the boat glided along,
while the passengers gazed on the low, green banks that
swept rapidly by, when suddenly the wheels stopped.
They first thought that some disaster had happened, but
shipwreck on the Nile is not a very dangerous thing.
They had only run aground. This got to be of such
common occurrence, that it served hardly to break up
the monotony of the voyage.
When evening came, or soon after sunset, the captain
having selected the spot to tie up for the night, ran the
boat ashore, when the crew landed and driving posts into
the soft clay, tied up. As if by magic a group of
Bedouins appeared on the bank, and having gathered
together a heap of combustible matter, set fire to it and
squatting on the ground, kept watch till morning, or pre
tended to. It was all the same, as they got the same pay.
The days and nights that followed were a repetition of
this first, except when Grant wished to visit a ruin they
were passing, when the boat was run ashore. Each one
breakfasted when he liked, except when some object of

122

TRA VELS OF GENERAL GRANT.

interest was to be visited. Grant is early astir, and if any
one wishes to accompany him he must be on time. He
waits for no one, but with his Indian helmet on, wrapped

in silk to protect him from the heat of the sun, he starts
at the appointed hour. But when nothing is to be seen,
all lounge lazily on deck, or lean over the sides of the

TRAVELS OF GENERAL GRANT. j 2 ,
vessel and watch the polemen sounding the bottom, or
young Grant firing at a wandering crane or pelican,
when his father dryly suggests that he had better go
ashore and fire at the poor camel toiling along the bank
under his heavy load. Sometimes he sits for a long time
wrapped in silence, the rest following his example, and
then again, as his mind wanders back to the past, he
begins to talk on some subject or event connected with tlie
war or his administration, when all listen with eager
attention. Sometimes Brugseh descants on the antiquities
of Egypt till his listeners catch his enthusiasm. One
day a dahabeeah, tlie regular Nile boat, hove in sight, and
overhauling it they found on board a friend of Grant, Mr.
Drexel. Other friends were met on their way back to
the living world, all full of anxious inquiries as to what
had happened since they left the land of railroads, and
steamboats, and newspapers. They thus passed idly up
the river, and the morning of the 19th, just three days
after they started, came to the town of Siout, or Assiout,
as some call it. We have a vice-consul there, and tokens
of their coming had been sent, as could be seen by the
flags which decorated the bank, and the crowd on the
shore. Siout is the capital of Upper Egypt, and is a city
of 25,000 inhabitants. The city is some distance back
from the river, and grew into importance as the depot of
much of the caravan trade from Darfour. Upon arriving,
the vice-consul and his son came on board and were pre
sented to the General. Congratulations were exchanged.
The name of the consul here is Wasif el Hayat.
They rode into the town and through the bazaars. All
the town seemed to know of their coming, for wherever
they went, crowds swarmed around them, and they had
to force their donkeys through masses of Arabs and
Egyptians of all ages and conditions, some almost naked —

l2± TRAVELS OF GENERAL GRANT.
crowds crying for baksheesh or pressing articles of mer
chandise upon them. The bazaars are narrow covered
ways, covered with matting or loose boards, enough to
break the force of the sun. The stores are little cubby
holes of rooms, in front of which the trader sits and calls
upon you to buy. The town had some fine houses and
mosques, but in the main it was like all towns in Upper
Egypt, a collection of mud hovels. They rode beyond
the town to the tombs built in the sand, and climbed the
limestone rock on donkeys. This was the first evidence
of the manner of sepulture in the olden time. These
desert rocks of limestone were tunneled and made into
rooms, and here the mummied dead found rest. The
chambers appointed for them were large and spacious,
according to the means of the deceased. In some they
entered there was a chamber, an antechamber, and some
times connecting chambers. There were inscriptions on
the walls but they had been defaced.
The American consul invited the party to his house.
As they approached the building, lanterns lined the streets,
with servants in the invervals, holding up blazing torches,
while a transparency was over the door, with the words :
" Welcome, General Grant." As they passed in the court
yard rockets and colored lights lit up the scene, while the
way into the house was covered with gorgeous carpets
and rugs. At the door the consul met the General in
true Oriental style, kissing his hands as he clasped them,
and then touching his own heart, lips and brow. They here
met also the governor and Rev. L. R. Alexander, one of
the professors in the missionary college, under charge of
the United Presbyterian Church. A sumptuous dinner
followed, of some twenty courses. At the close the son
of the consul proposed the health of General Grant in a
<». toast, and in clear, good English, pronounced a glowing

TRA VELS OF- GENERAL GRANT. j 2 -
eulogy on America, closing with one on Grant. The
latter made a short reply, saying that nothing in his
whole trip had so impressed him as this generous, unex
pected welcome in Egypt. Coffee, conversation and
cigars followed, and Mrs. Grant had a long and pleasant
chat with the young wife of Mr. Alexander about home
and home friends. As evening drew on, the company
separated with mutual expressions of pleasure at the
interview, and Grant and his party mounted and rode
through the glooming to the boat on the Nile, accom
panied by torch-bearers, over the desolate plain. A
bright moon was sailing through the cloudless heavens,
lighting up the surrounding landscape, and adding still
more to the dreariness, and strangeness of the scene.
This lazy life on the Nile was the first real rest of any
length that Grant had enjoyed, for the ceaseless round of
entertainments, speeches and hand-shakings had been
almost as great a strain on him as his public life at home.
But here it was a complete abandonment of all care and
thought. The monotonous ripple of the water against
the boat, the balmy air, the quiet, drowsy shores, all
tended to lull the feelings into repose, while the strange
and new objects around him, and stranger language,
removed him far off from all the exciting topics that had
so long occupied him. Their very memory seemed like
a dream, and he abandoned himself without restraint to
the quieting influence around him. The occasional
monuments of the past, rising out of the desert, served
only to deepen the dream, and remove still farther all
those things that had burdened his mind.
There was one thing whose enjoyment never ceased,
the beauty of the atmosphere and the sky. Before sun
rise you hear the ropes released from the shore strug
gling back to the ship. You see the torches flashing up
24

126

TRA VELS OF GENERAL GRANT.

and down the bank, noting the preparations for de
parture, and you have only to open your eyes to see the
heavens in all their glory, the stars and constellations — to
see them again, as it were, embossed on the dark, brown
river. You hear the cries of the sailors at their posts
and answering cries from the shore, and the boat pulls
herself together like a
strong man gathering for
a race, and you are away.
On the 2 i st, they
hauled up to the bank at
the town of Giegel, where
they found Admiral
Steedman and Mr. Davis,
of Boston, whose daha-
beeah was fast aground.
A pleasant interview fol
lowed, and the evening
was wearing away in
mutual inquiries and
reminiscences of home,
when the admiral's drag
oman entered and re
ported the river was
rising, and they must
take advantage of it to get afloat, and they hurried away.
The party was to start from here early next morning
to visit Abydos, " the cradle, the fountain-head of all
civilization," whose first king, Mendez, reigned 4,500
years before Christ, or hundreds of years before Abraham
came to Egypt. It was quite a long ride to the ruins,
and the orders had been given to be ready at eight
o'clock. Grant was first on deck, followed soon after by
his wife, while the rest straggled up not more than half

HASSAN.

TRAVELS OF GENERAL GRANT. I27
awake. But as the General waits for no one, he went
ashore prompt on time, and tlie loiterers were compelled
to hurry after him, some of them with their half-eaten
breakfast in their hands, which they nibbled as they hur
ried up the bank. A crowd of Arabs and donkeys
awaited them, the former making a perfect babel with
their vociferous cries as each extolled the peculiar and
excellent qualities of his own diminutive animal, often so
small, that a good-sized man on the back of one could
almost touch the ground with his feet. Hassan managed
the selection, which at last was completed, and the party
prepared to set out, while two camels, loaded with refresh
ments for a breakfast in the ruined temple, went ahead.
The pasha had provided Grant with a horse, but so poor
a one, and with such a shambling gait, that he was half
inclined to be rude enough to decline the courtesy and
take instead a lively little donkey.
Each person had two Arabs as an escort, one on each
side of him, whose chief employment was to whisper, and
talk, and soundly thrash by turns the donkey the travelers
bestrode. Mrs. Grant would not stand this and o,rdered
a halt, when she told the astonished Arabs they must stop
beating the donkeys, accompanying the orders with the
most terrible threat she could utter to the poor wretches,
viz., that unless they did, they should have no baksheesh —
not a farthing — at the end of the journey. This was
effectual, but they compensated themselves by keeping up
a running fire of conversation with the travelers, the
burden of which was, as far as it was intelligible, " Good
donkey," "Good morning," "Yankee Doodle," and utter
ing their own names. In the intervals they would try to
drive a trade with fragments of mummy cloth or mum
mies, which they had stolen from the tombs. Their
donkeys were named, for the time being, according to the

I2g TRAVELS OF GENERAL GRANT.
nationality of the rider, hence, " Yankee Doodle," was the
popular name among these. Over the cracked and bar
ren land that was baked and parched, because the Nile
had failed to overflow its banks this year, over burning
sands, dry irrigating ditches and along roads that looked
as if they had not been mended since the time of Moses,
they pushed their way. They were in the land of the
sun, and soon his rays came down with scorching power.
Each one had provided himself with a head covering or
protection to suit his fancy, and padded straw hats,
helmets covered with silk, etc., gave them a picturesque
yet odd look as they straggled through the country.
If a donkey fell into a hole, all the rider had to do was
to walk off over his head and let him help himself up.
At last the ancient temple was reached, and they dis
mounted and entered. Brugseh was now in his element,
and he discoursed eloquently of this ancient ruin. He
said that although India and China pretended to go far
ther back than this temple, it was only in tradition, and
therefore not reliable, but here were monuments that
could not lie, and there could be no doubt that right
here under their feet once flowed the fountain of civiliza
tion which has enriched tht \ world. Engraved on stones
are the names of seventy-: ax kings, reaching back from
Lethi, who built this temple, 1400 years before Christ, to
3,000 years farther back in the ages. Here on a stone
dug up only a little over ten years ago from the sand,
is cut in clear, distinct characters, what makes a continu
ous history of Egypt, from this time till Moses, corroborat
ing where there is any connection with it the sacred
account. They wandered over the buried city which the
khedive was excavating, and saw from the ruins, that it
had been built on a grand, magnificent scale. But the
most remarkable thing about these excavations is the

TRAVELS OF GENERAL GRANT. I2
search after the tomb of the god Osiris, who, by Egyp
tian tradition from time immemorial, was buried here.
The discovery of the burial-place of a god, would, under
any circumstances, be an event of great importance, and
to suppose it possible, raises a laugh in a modern, prac
tical man. But when it is remembered that the Cru
saders shed oceans of blood to rescue the tomb of the
Saviour of mankind from the hands of the infidel, and that
to-day to save the tomb of Mahomet from desecration, the
plains of Asia would swarm with more than a million of
men devoted to death, it should not seem so strange that
the Egyptians desire with irrepressible longings to find
where is the sepulchre of their god Osiris. But how
they should give such a definite character to this god,
who was once torn to pieces and went through so many
changes and is so intimately connected with Isis, it is
difficult to perceive, and we are inclined to doubt whether
such a learned man as Brugse'h did not give an undue
prominence to this project of his patron the khedive.
He may be mistaken, too, in making these inscriptions so
much more veritable history than tradition. How does
he know that the monarch who traced the dynasty to
which he belonged to such remote antiquity did not put
on imperishable stone tradition and only tradition ? What
he calls reliable record, . viz., tradition on stone, may be
no more reliable than oral tradition. One thing; however,
is certain, that this city had passed its glory before Thebes
had an existence, and that the sand that covers it,
covers the dynasties that reach back almost to the flood —
covers the earliest human civilization, and a portion of
the most important part of human history.
" There had been some trouble in the neighborhood —
riots, arising out of the bad Nile and taxes. So, a guard
was given the party, consisting of one soldier, whom they

£ ,0 TRAVELS OF GENERAL GRANT.
called Boss Tweed. He was a fat and ragged fellow, with
a jolly face. It was quite a walk to the ruins, which was over
hills and ridges of burning sand. The courier went to the
village to see if the camels had come bearing the luncheon
— a subject that was of more value to his practical mind
than the tomb of a dethroned deity. It was an interesting
walk, as it was the first real glimpse of the desert and of
an ancient city. The General and the reporter found
themselves together climbing the highest of the mounds.
It was rather an effort to keep their footing on the slip
pery sand. Beneath was one excavation forty or fifty
feet deep. You could see the remnants of an old house
or old tomb ; millions of fragments of broken pottery all
around. You could see the strata that age after age had
heaped upon the buried city. The desert had slowly
been creeping over it, and in some of the strata were
marks of the Nile. For years, for thousands of years,
this mass, which the workmen had torn with their spades,
had been gathering. The city was really a city of tombs.
In the ancient days the devout Egyptian craved burial
near the tomb of Osiris, and so for centuries their re
mains were brought to Abydos from all parts of Egypt.
This fact gives special value to the excavations, as it gave
'A special solemnity to the view. As they stood on the ele
vation, talking about Egypt and the impressions made
upon them by the journey, the scene was very striking.
There was the ruined temple ; here were the gaping
excavations filled with bricks and pottery. Just beyond
were rolling plains of shining sand — shining, burning
sand — and as the shrinking eye followed the plain and
searched the hills there was no sign of life, nothing
except, perhaps, some careering hawk .hurrying to the
river. It was the apotheosis of death and ruin, a fit
mantle for the sepulchred city below."

TRA VELS OF GENERAL GRANT.

*3»

From the contemplation of these hoary ruins, and the
grave and solemn thoughts they inspired, they come
down to a very practical employment. The correspond
ent says : " We were now told that the camels had come
and the luncheon was ready. We sat around our modest
table and feasted — feasted in the temple sacred to the
memory of Osiris, and built by the pious munificence of
Sethi, the king who rests with God^ After an hour's rest
we went back again very much as we came, and pro
ceeded on our way to the ruins of the ancient city of
Thebes."

j, 2 TRAVELS OF GENERAL GRANT.

CHAPTER VI.
ANCIENT THEBES — THE WONDER OF THE WORLD — LUXOR — RECEPTION OF GRANT —
A SOMBRE VIEW — A YANKEE MANUFACTURING RELICS FOR SALE— ENGLISH BAR
BARISM — THE TEMPLE — THE STATUE OF MEMNON — DONKEY BOYS AND WATER
GIRLS — MRS. GRANT'S INTERFERENCE TO PROTECT THE LATTER — THE SINGING
STATUE — THE TEMPLE OF MEDCEMET — GRANT A NIMBLE CLIMBER — THE KING'S
PRIVATE ROOM — A LUNCH IN THE RUINED SANCTUARY — MRS. GRANT'S VAIN
ATTEMPT TO PAY OFF THE WATER GIRLS — A STATE DINNER — JESSE GRANT
TEACHES THE MINSTRELS — KARNAC — THE GREAT TEMPLE — A WILDERNESS OF
RUINS — GRANT AND HIS PARTY PHOTOGRAPHED AMONG THEM — GRANT A FAST
TRAVELER — KENCH — HOME-LIFE OF THE PEOPLE — A STUPID INTERVIEW WITH
THE PASHA — VISIT TO THE GERMAN CONSUL — A BEAUTIFUL DESCRIPTION OF
DAILY LIFE — ANONAN — NUBIA — A COAL-BLACK GOVERNOR IN PARISIAN COSTUME
— MRS. GRANT BARGAINS FOR SOME OSTRICH FEATHERS — A CURIOUS SCENE — A
VISIT TO PHILADELPHIA — A NOBLE HORSE — PHILADELPHIA OZIRIS AND ISIS —
EGYPTIAN MYTHOLOGY — THE RETURN — MEMPHIS — CAIRO.
THE next morning the steamer was untied from
the bank, and kept on up the river toward the
ancient city of Thebes, once the wonder of the
world. If Homer can be relied on as an historian, it once
covered both sides of the Nile, had a hundred gates and
contained 300,000 inhabitants. Here was the Temple of
Memnon and the colossal statue of the same name.
Dr. Pocock, in speaking of Thebes, says : " That ven
erable city, the date of whose destruction is older than
the foundation of other cities, and the extent of whose
ruins and the immensity of whose colossal fragments still
offer so many astonishing objects, that one is riveted to
the spot, unable to decide whither to direct his steps or
fix his attention. And no wonder, for they extend along

ws

ii/iit

SUA^ilJ

sBB*v' Ifeiw

Wmmm

11

¦HI' ¦ ' Ml

ir-fM-A-

134

TRA VELS OF GENERAL GRANT.

the Nile for eight miles on both sides, reaching back to
the mountains, both east and west, making a circuit
twenty-seven miles wide. History has no record of this
marvelous city, whose ruined architecture puts to shame
the ghest triumphs of modern art. Its glories live in
poetry and fiction, that have survived the work of human
hands, and they would be regarded as merely the creation
of the imagination, did not the ruins remain to show that
the brightest flights of fancy fall far short of the reality.

VIEW OF THE RUINS.

The mighty city has crumbled to ashes, and where once
gorgeous equipages, and a gay and busy population
thronged the streets, are now only a few scattered vil
lages, consisting of miserable huts, built in the courts of
the old magnificent temples, presenting a sad commen
tary on the improvement of the present over-past ages.
As the boat moved slowly toward the site of this ancient
city, nothing but distant, low, brown mountains, and
parched fields, and patches of desert sand, met the eye,
and the question arose, " where is Thebes ?" At length

TRA VELS OF GENERAL GRANT.

135

two lonely columns rose beside a clump of trees, outlined
in the clear air against the blue sky, they were the
colossal statues of Memnon, reared long before Moses
was born. But as they move on, mile after mile of mag
nificent portals, adorned with beautiful sculpture, forests
of columns and long avenues of colossal statues greet the
eyes, filling the beholder with wonder at the enormous
wealth, power and grandeur of a people and a civilization

RUINED TEMPLE.

that lived before present history began. Passing Karnac,
the largest temple found in Egypt, they went on about a
quarter of a mile to the village of Luxor, groveling
amid the grand and mighty ruins of the ancient Luxor.
They discover that they are expected, for from a stone
building are flying the American and Brazilian flags,
raised by the respective consuls who live in this modern
capital of Upper Egypt. There were five or six Nile

TRAVELS OF GENERAL GRANT.

GATEWAY AT KARNAC.

boats in the river, which also had their little flags out,
while to complete this imoosing reception in this ancient

TRAVELS OF GENERAL GRANT.

137

glory of the world, two soldiers on the roof fired a half
a dozen shots from their muskets, as a salute. The plank
was then run ashore, and the vice-consul and governor
came aboard and welcomed General Grant to the city.
A lunch at the consulate followed, and then all mounted to
the roof to look over the site of the ancient city. The
sun was stooping low over the western desert, and all
that could be seen was a narrow valley between two
brown hills, a few dirty villages, and here and there a
colossal ruin, throwing its long and silent shadow over
the buried city and the mouldering generations of un
known ages.

ENTRANCE TO THE TEMPLE.

Sauntering about the town, they were shown a house
where an American lived for fifteen years, making not
wooden nutmegs, nor wooden clocks, but mummy-lids,
hieroglyphic inscriptions, idols and relics of all kinds to
suit the purchaser, which now, doubtless, adorn many a
private collection, and are looked upon with wonder by
the curious, as genuine relics of the past.
The chief object of interest here is the temple, which is
now desecrated by Arab cottages, and worse than all, by

138

TRAVELS OF GENERAL GRANT.

the English consulate, put up here in one of the grandest
ruins in the world, defacing and disgracing it. This is a
fair sample of English barbarism throughout the East.
Anything English is sacred, whether it be a work of
modern art, ancient ruins, social customs or political
rights, while all these in other nations are totally dis
regarded. If perchance some ancient relic is looked
upon as valuable, it is appropriated, so that what of an
tiquity England wants she seizes, and what she does not
want to transport home she considers so much useless
rubbish. This temple is not so large as the one at Carnac, but
of superior architecture and in a better state of preserva
tion. The entrance to it is most imposing, with its col
umns of rose-colored granite rising ioo feet into the
air. Sculptures cover one of the wings, representing
a great victory gained by the ancient Egyptians, consist
ing of 1,500 human figures, 500 on foot, and 1,000 in
chariots. In the morning, after Grant's arrival, it was determined
to visit the statues of Memnon. The party consisted of fif
teen, properly, but with the donkey-boys and water-girls,
and a sheik and several soldiers, it was swelled when it
left the farther bank of the river to quite a caravan.
Grant, standing on Orchard Knoll, in Chattanooga, with
three armies awaiting his bidding for the decisive hour,
and then carrying Missionary Ridge amid shouts, and
yells, and torrents of blood, and Grant heading a train of
miniature donkeys, slowly wandering over the desert
plain in search of a ruin, presented as wide a contrast as
a western town and Thebes, the glory of Egypt.
At first all the romance and sentiment these great sur
roundings awakened were taken away by the screams of
the donkey-boys and the importunities of the water-girls

TRA VELS OF GENERAL GRANT. j .,„
running beside the animals. Hassan, at last, began to
lay about among the latter with a whip, which aroused all
the American woman in Mrs. Grant, and she summarily
ordered Hassan before her and peremptorily forbade him
beating the girls. He, in reply, assured her that he did
not intend to hurt them — he wished solely to frighten
them. But the way they laughed at and eluded him
showed that he did not even do this. It was, however,.
all arranged on a strictly business basis, which Mrs.
Grant had come to understand perfectly well. She told
Hassan to inform the water-girls, and donkey-boys, and
peddlers of relics,, that if they did not keep behind and out
of the way they would, at the close of the day, receive
no baksheesh. This was the strongest kind of moral sua
sion and Hassan's whip after that was not called into
requisition. Still, woman like, every now and then a
dusky maiden, under the pretense of offering water,
would steal up to the side of one of the travelers and
press a bargain in such a way that there was no re
sisting her.
In this matter of fact, unromantic, unsentimental way
they came to Memnon. It was a terrible leap, from these
modern ragged Arabs to these statues, clad with the
mouldering garments of centuries and believe in the his
tory attached to them. But their solemn aspect, as they
stood in their lonely silence and grandeur, were sufficient
to drive away all skepticism and make them forget don
key-boys, water-maidens and covetous, fawning Arabs
alike. It is true but little was left of these historic
statues without a history. It is not worth while to trace
the fabulous career of Memnon amid the mythology of
the ancients. Of the two statues erected to his memory,
one, it is said, uttered a joyful sound when the sun arose
and threw his first beams upon it and sung a mournful.

140

TRAVELS OF GENERAL GRANT.

refrain when it set. How much truth is mixed with this
tradition it is impossible to say, but it is not probable that

such a strange story should have been a pure invention
and, as such, traveled down through the centuries. It is

TRAVELS OF GENERAL GRANT. fzn
far more likely that by some curious mechanism or con
trivance, for which the Egyptians from the remotest ages
have been remarkable, so much so that even in the time
of Moses they were able to imitate miracles and perform
all sorts of magical wonders, they made the top of
this great statue an yEolian harp, a musical instrument of
some sort, that played when the sunbeams first struck it
and last left it. It is far more easy to believe this than
that the whole story is a pure fiction.
The statue is now a solitary monolith, only some fifty
feet high — the base being partly buried in the earth. It
is over eighteen feet across the shoulders, and sixteen
feet and a half from the top of the shoulder to the elbow.
Not all the convulsions that have shaken the earth, and
overturned and buried cities, have been able to overthrow
this wonderful statue. It is true the lips, if they ever
spoke, are now mute, and the strange strains that from
its top came and went with the god of day are heard no
more. Yet its silence is more moving than song, and a
voice from the dim mysterious past comes down to us far
more eloquent than words, and says things of deeper im
port than it then did as a god to the superstitious people.
After riding round and round it to take in its vast dimen
sions, and resting for half an hour under its shade, that
was like resting under the shadow of the centuries, the
party struck across the country, to visit the temple of
Medinet Haboo. Their road lay through ruins, each one
a history in itself, and reached at length this temple which,
containing the rooms in which the great Rameses
lived, brought the remote past nearer, for they re
vealed somewhat the home-life of the ancient kings.
Still, climbing up the ruined stairways of stone, and
wandering through vast and desolate chambers that had
• not been occupied for more than two thousand years,
¦S

I a 2, TRAVELS OF GENERAL GRANT.
gave a poor idea of how kings lived in the time of Moses.
It looked as if none but a sailor could climb to the king's
private chamber, but Grant mounted the steep and rug
ged ascent, with the nimbleness of youth, and was rewarded
by seeing the picture of the king himself, sitting in his own
room, as he sat thousands of years ago, and playing a
game of draughts, with a lady who is holding a lotus
flower to his nose. This quiet domestic scene caused the
imagination to leap at a single bound over the interven
ing ages and look with a familiar eye on the home-life of
the Pharaohs.
At length, weary with their long climbing, they went
down to the ancient sanctuary, and there, where men and
women had worshiped thousands of years ago, eat their
luncheon as unconcernedly as though in a western
forest. As they left the ruins they came upon the don
key-boys and girls bearing water to drink, and ragged
relic-sellers, importunate as ever, who, forming in the
same procession that they did in the morning, followed
them back to the river. Here Mrs. Grant, in the kind
ness of her heart, called all the water-maidens around
her to distribute baksheesh among them. She little
dreamed what an uproar she was going to raise. All
attempts to preserve order and distribute her small coin
equitably was out of the question. They rushed upon
her and screamed, and almost rolled over each other as
they reached out toward' her purse. The confusion did
not lessen as each received her portion, but grew louder,
for the more they got the more they clamored, until at last
she had to give it up, and turn her purse over to Has
san. In a few minutes order was restored, and the dis
tribution went on quietly — thanks to the eloquence and
argumentative force of Hassan's stout stick, the blows of
which fell around him thick and fast. '

TRAVELS OF GENERAL GRANT.

U3

Returning to Luxor, Grant at first determined not to
go to the state dinner, to which he had been invited, and
sent his regrets, for he was tired and dusty, and needed
rest. But the Arab vice-consul felt so bad about it, and
especially so as it was well known that he had not refused
the invitations of other vice-consuls of Egypt, that he
changed his mind and went. Some of his retinue being
in full uniform, however, received all the attention on
the way meant for him, for it never occurred to these
simple creatures that the short, plain man, in plain
clothes, could be the " King of America."

AVENUE OF SPHINXES.

It was a sumptuous dinner, course following course,
only to be taken away untasted. Music in the mean
while floated through the hall, from Arab minstrels, who
showed considerable skill. The leader, a blind man, had
an instrument resembling a violin, made of the cocoa-
nut shell, which he placed ont the ground, and played
with a bow. But whether he played love songs or re
cited narratives, there was always the same sad refrain
which winds up all the music of the children of the desert
— a sort of echo of their sad life. Jesse Grant endea-

j *a TRA VELS OF GENERAL GRANT.
vored to teach them some modern airs, and among them
the " Marseillaise," but the stirring, rousing strains of this
martial air found no echo in their bosoms, and hence no
expression in their instruments.
The next morning they visited Karnac, only about a
mile and a half distant, on the same side of the river with
Luxor. These, the greatest and most magnificent ruins
of Egypt cannot be properly seen in one day, but must
be visited again and again before the imagination can
begin to conceive or the mind embrace their vastness
and beauty.
The chief temple, standing about a half a mile from
the river, is 370 feet broad and 50 feet deep, with a tower
140 feet high. An avenue 200 feet long, lined with
statues and sphinxes, led up to the main entrance, which
conducts you to a court 275 feet by 329. Of the ap
proach to this great temple, the Howadji says : "The great
temple fronted the westward. The eye follows the line
of the great central building, the nucleus of all the rest,
backward to the desert. It is lost in the masses of
sand-buried foundations and prostrate walls which sur
round it. Separate pylons fronting the four winds
stand shattered and submerged. Sharply two obelisks
pierce the blue air. The northern gateway stands lofty
and alone, its neighboring walls leveled and buried.
The eastern gate, toward the desert, was never com
pleted. It is only half-covered with sculptures. The
blank death of the desert lies gray beyond it. Karnac
has grim delight in that neighboring grimness. From
each gate, but the desert one, stretched an avenue of(
sphinxes, southward to Luxor, northward to a raised
platform on the hills, westward to the river. Through
the great western gateway across the court, with one
solitary column erect over its fallen peers, which lie their

TRAVELS OF GENERAL GRANT. j ,-
length, shattered from their bases in regular rows, as if
they had been piles of millstones carefully upset, we enter
the great hall of Karnac ; shall I say the grandest ruin
in the world. A hundred and thirty-four columns, thirty
feet in circumference, rise in silent majesty around you,
speaking of a wondrous past, on which the light of his
tory will never shine."
But mere statistics and figures give no conception of
these vast ruins ; they cannot be described, they must be
seen to be felt — it is a wilderness of architecture and art
which the ages have heaped together.
After wandering hour after hour amid the gorgeous
desolation, where ruined colonnades, half-buried statues,
sculptured walls and prostrate columns, meet the eye at
every step till it becomes wearied and the heart over
whelmed, they sat down in the shade of a column to rest.
A carpet was spread over a sculptured fragment for Mrs.
Grant and, while luncheon was being prepared, they all
had their photographs taken sitting in one group. Grant
¦was taken with his pith helmet on swathed in silk, giving
but a partial view of his face ; Mrs. Grant near him
turning from the sun ; Jesse holding an Arab child, and
the others, each in his own costume and in such attitude
as he chose.
Grant made no stay amid these ancient ruins. A fast
traveler, he paused nowhere only long enough to get a
general impression of the objects he visited. He traveled
neither as an antiquarian, poet or historian, but to see
the most that could be seen in a given time. In Europe,
he studied carefully the workings of the different political
systems as compared with our own, but soon as he cut
loose from western civilization the different governments
required no study to understand them. Semi-barbarism
is the same the world over.

j .g TRAVELS OF GENERAL GRANT.
So he made but this one flying visit to Karnac and
then went steaming up the Nile again. Stopping where
the fancy took him, he kept on toward the first cata
ract, where the journey was to terminate One of the
places they stopped to see was the town of Keneh, about
a mile from the shore. Having tied up to the bank, they
took donkeys, which were already there — the owners
having seen the smoke of the steamer in the distance — and
rode over the barren plain. It was a year of " bad Nile,"
its annual overflow not having occurred, so that otherwise
fruitful fields were parched and desolate — a sad picture
that foreshadowed a picture still more sad, of people suf
fering from famine. The sand blew across the road as
the travelers pushed on toward the place unannounced.
Not having been expected, they wandered around at will
and saw more of the real life of Egypt than ever before.
They saw women grinding corn just as they are described
grinding it in the Bible ; potters at work making pottery as
they did in the time of Jeremiah — indeed, all seemed
primeval and unchanged since the days of the patriarchs.'
A few coin would give them free entrance into the
private houses, and they saw in the only way it can be
seen, the real home-life of the people ; after all, of vastly
more consequence than the magnificent ruins in the
sombre shadow of which they live. The following ac
count of one house they visited, of which all the others
are but duplicates, will give a better idea of life in Upper
Egypt than anything else.
"The house was a collection of rooms; the walls made
of dried mud and bricks. It was one story high, thatched
with straw. The floor was the ground. The walls were
clay. In one room was the donkey, in another the cow —
a queer kind of buffalo cow, that looked up at us as we
went in. In another room slept the members of the

TRAVELS OF GENERAL GRANT.

147

EGYPTIANS OF THE BETTER CLASS.
family. There was neither bed, nor chair, nor table.
They slept on the ground or on palm leaves, like the

148

TRAVELS OF GENERAL GRANT.

donkey. They sat on the ground for meals, and ate out
of the same dish. The woman was sitting over a fire,
on which she was roasting some kind of grain. The
children were sprawling about her. The woman was a
Copt, and not doomed to Moslem seclusion. The father-
stood at the door, grinning and waiting for baksheesh.
The welcome was as cordial as possible, but I suppose
there were not a thousand slaves in the South, who were
not better housed than these free Egyptian citizens.
Their life was virtually that of a. savage, but they all
seemed happy and cheerful enough. In this land, Nature
is the friend of the poor. You can sleep on the ground
every night of the year secure from rain. You can array
yourself in the scantiest of raiment, free from cold. You
can live on dates and sugar cane, and, as far as the- mere
ailments that come from want and misery with us are
concerned, they are not known in Egypt The people
are well made, well formed, with unusual powers of en
durance, and naturally light. I would like to see any of
our laboring men at home, run up and down the Pyramid
of Cheops in eight minutes, as I saw an Arab do for a
franc. And we have no damsels among our own dear,,
tender, lovely maidens at home, who could run at your
donkey's side for miles and miles,, balancing a pitcher of
water on their heads, and showing no signs of fatigue."
But this free, unfettered and satisfactory way of seeing;
the common life of the people, was brought to an end by
a messenger from the pasha (for this little town had also*
its pasha), who had heard of Grant's arrival, and sent to
invite him to come to the palace. The General was
vexed at this interruption of one of those strolls which
were his delight, but in his good nature he could not re
fuse the invitation, and so took his way to the palace.
The pasha, like all Orientals, was entirely unaccustomed

TRA VELS OF GENERAL GRANT. 1 . Q
to the American direct, rapid way of doing business, and
found his guest at his door before he was prepared to
receive him. The result was, that Grant had to wait
some time for his host to appear. It was annoying to be
compelled to sit on a divan waiting the appearance of
this petty mayor of a barbaric town, but he bore it
patiently, and at last the pasha appeared in full uniform
as a general, a stout, gray-mustached, g ood-looking man.
The usual compliments were exchanged through an
interpreter, when, in the same formal way, the pasha told
Grant what he already knew, that the weather was rather
indifferent. The latter, to vary this conversation, which was
doubly stupid from having to be interpreted, while the two
looked unmeaningly at each other, expressed his regret
that the people were suffering from the "bad Nile,"
and hoped for a change. When this was translated with
becoming formality and gravity, the pasha threw up his
eyes sanctimoniously, and replied with true Mohammedan
philosophy, " If God wills it, and may He will it." Grant
having had enough of this useless ceremony, proposed to
continue his walk, when the pasha offered to accompany
him, and they sallied forth together. On their way they
called on the German consul, because they could not
help it, as he waylaid them and insisted on their being his
guests. He lived in quite magnificent style for this part
of the world, and gave them coffee in porcelain cups in
cases of silver and gold, and pipes with amber stems,
flashing with diamonds. These two visits of ceremony
used up the time, and the party rode back through a
storm of sand to the boat — the General on one of the
pasha's donkeys.
Resuming their dreamy journey, they pushed on up
the historic river — now past old ruins and now date and
palm-trees on the shore — the same bright sky overhead

*5<>

TRA VELS OF GENERAL GRANT.

and clear atmosphere around them, bringing distant ob
jects near, while morning and evening seemed to rival
each other in beauty. The description of one day will
give a vivid description of all the charming days that
made up this delightful journey. "The clouds had
been following us all
the afternoon, throw
ing their fleecy can
opy over the plains
of Thebes. Not
ominous, black
clouds, big with rain
and thunder and
bringing awe, but
light, trailing clouds,
hanging over the
heavens like gossa
mer. There was the
desert, coming
almost down to the
river — grudging the
Nile even the strip
of green which
marked the line of
the telegraph. There
was the desert — vast,
wide, barren — with
no vestige of life
beyond a belated
peasant driving his camel, or a flock of birds hurry
ing as we came. So the clouds were a comfort,
and we watched them at their play grateful for
anything that took our thoughts from the scene of

PALM TREE.

TRA VELS OF GENERAL GRANT. T ,- j
endless and irretrievable desolation. Then as the sun
went down there came the struggle between coming
night and the stern, burning majesty of the eternal mon
arch of nature. The pearls and grays became crimson
and saffron. The sun shot forth his power in a sunburst
of light. There were ridges of crimson and gold, lumin
ous and flashing that it might almost seem to burn and
hiss like flames in the forge. Then came the tranquil
blue — blue of every shade — every conceivable tin-t of
blue — from that which Murillo threw into the eyes of the
wonder-stricken Madonna in the supreme moment of her
joy, to the deep violet blue, which tells of the passion, the
patriotism and the revenge of Judith. The struggle still
went on, but the victory was not with the sun, and it only
remained for him to die as became a great king. The
palm grew dim in the shadows. The flaming tints of
crimson, and scarlet, and gold became brown and dark.
The desert flushed with purple — with the purple' of
wine — and it seemed as if old Egypt's kings spoke from
the desert that was once their throne, proclaiming
their sovereignty. All that was left was the green
that had become black, and the desert that had become
black, and the glorious sky above, with the glory of
conquering night ; and about us this land of eternal sum
mer, beautiful even in death — beautiful with the beauty
of death."
Asswan, the frontier station of old Egypt, and the
boundary of Nubia, and the goal of their journey, was
at last reached. It is a pretty town of about four thou
sand inhabitants. Its governor, though coal-black, was
dressed in the latest Parisian fashion, furnishing a striking
contrast to th Arabian officers heretofore met with.
He, however, seemed uneasy in his dress, as though un
familiar with it. He received the General with great

, r - TRA VELS OF GENERAL GRANT.
A2
courtesy, and the usual salutations followed. This place
was formerly a quarry and furnished stones for many of
the obelisks, temples and tombs now in ruins. It is 580
miles from Cairo and 730 from the Mediterranean, and is
the neatest-looking town they saw in the whole distance.
Asswan, the Greek Syene, being at che head of navi
gation proper of the Nile, is a great depot for the com
merce of the tropics ; and donkeys, driven by naked boys,
laden with tropical fruits, and camels with their heavy
burdens, throng the place. The bazaars furnish a great
variety of objects of interest to the European, but Mrs.
Grant was drawn thither by the ostrich feathers which,
obtained from the wild bird, are much finer than those
plucked from the tame birds in South Africa. She had
seen the filth, and raggedness, and want of the Egyp
tians — had learned from bitter experience how pertina
cious young Arabs were for baksheesh, and she was
now to see how an Oriental can drive a bargain. Select
ing a bunch she told Hassan to ask the price. Twenty-
four dollars (our money). "Twenty-four dollars!" re
peats Hassan in a rage and tossing back the feathers
contemptuously to the seller. " But," said Mrs. Grant,
picking up the feathers and remembering what a price
they would bring in New York, " I don't think this such
an exorbitant price, for they are very fine feathers — be
sides the man looks poor and probably sells but few
feathers and has a family to support," and so on. But
Hassan has a character to support, also, and that would
be ruined if he allowed one of these Arab Jews to cheat
him, and tells her that they always ask two prices, though
never expecting to get only the lowest and often not that.
Hassan at once strikes an attitude and harangues the
crowd, appealing to them if this is not an attempt to
rob; and grows wrathy and eloquent together. The man

TRAVELS OF GENERAL GRANT.

!53

replies in the same strain, and a war of words ensues.
Finally, in a pause, this son of the desert puts on a
gracious air and, in a tone of great respect, asks, " What
would the gracious lady give?" "Four Napoleons," is
the answer. The merchant looks up, his face expressing
mingled grief and astonishment. He snatches away the
feathers, strikes an attitude, and then pours forth a tor
rent of eloquence over their beauty. He holds them up
to the light and exclaims, " See how they shine, behold
their tints — white, gray and black !" He waves them up
and down like a plume and bursts forth, " Such feathers
were never seen in Asswan ; if they came from the far
desert, they would be cheap at a hundred Napoleons."
Pausing to take breath he looks around in triumph on
his audience and with a mute appeal to them if it is not so.
Mrs. Grant is convinced that the man is really in
earnest, and suggests that they had better look else
where. " No, no," said Hassan ; " wait a little, and he
will take the four Napoleons." It is his turn, and the
feathers are denounced in good, strong Arabic, as a
fraud, hardly fit to give away, and much better can be
got for less than four Napoleons. And so the war of
words goes on, until Hassan at last tells Mrs. Grant that
she can have the feathers for four Napoleons. The mo
ney" is paid over, and the party take their leave, satisfied
with their experience in driving a bargain with an
Egytian merchant.
, Philse, lying just above the first cataract, is a small
island on the Nile, about four hundred yards long, and
some five miles from Asswan or Syene. While pre
paring to start, the governor came, bringing a letter of
welcome from Gordon, who was placed over the vast ter
ritory conquered by Baker, and held for the khedive, in
order to put a stop to the slave trade from the interior

j r^ TRAVELS OF GENERAL GRANT.
and promote commerce in the tropics. Grant was in high
spirits ; for, instead of having a miserable donkey to be
stride, the governor had provided him with a beautiful Ara
bian steed, beautiful even here, where the horse reaches
such perfection. He scans his points with the air
of a connoisseur, hardly looking at the gorgeous trap
ping that bedeck the high-spirited animal. As he vaulted
to the saddle and felt the lithe motion beneath him his

HEAD OF FIRST CATARACT.

eyes sparkled, and for the time he forgot Philae . in the
noble steed he bestrode.
Sami Bey, one of his retinue, became very anxious
about the safety of the General, as the animal began to
prance beneath him, and expressed his fears. But Grant,
who feels once more at home, smiles good-naturedly, and
says : "If I can mount a horse, I can ride him, and all the
attendants can do, is to keep away."
As the procession passed on they soon crossed the line
into Nubia, when a sudden change appeared in the in
habitants. The veil which the Egyptian women wear was
thrown aside, and instead of the brown skin and straight
hair of the Arab, there appeared the pure African, with
woolly hair. The women sat and spun in the shade, while

TRA VELS OF GENERAL GRANT.

155

the children, stark naked, played around. Says the elo
quent Howadji:* " Girdled with the shining Nile, Philae is
an austere beauty. Isis, like it, sits solemn-browed, col
umn crushing column, pylons yet erect and whole sides
of temple courts yet standing, with perfect pillars, huge,
dreary, wherein grandeur is yet grand. It is strange to
see human traces so lovely in a spot so lonely. Seen
from the shore, a band of goldenest green surrounds the
island. The steep bank is lithe with lupin and flowering
weeds, palms are tangled,

as they spring, with vines
and creepers, dragon-
flies float sparkling all
over it, and being the
sole verdure in that
desolation, the shores of '¦
Philse are gracious as j
the blue sky after storms, f
Its surface is a mass of
ruin. But the great
temple of Isis yet stands,
although it is shattered,
and a small Hypethral
temple overhangs the

It is not inarttc-
ruin, but while

EGYPTIAN LADY

river.
ulatewhole walls and architraves remain, several build
ings are shattered and their fallen walls are blended.
Philse was the holy land of Egypt. Thither sailed pro
cessions of higher purposes in barques more gorgeous
than now sail the river, and deep down, gazing in the
moonlit Nik, the poet shall see the vanished splendor
of a vanished race, centering solemnly here like priestly

*Mr. Curtis.

156

TRA VELS OF GENERAL GRANT.

pomp around an altar. Hither, bearing gifts, came kneel-
ing Magi, before they repaired to the Bethlehem manger.
And kings not forgotten of fame unkinged themselves
before a kinglier. For the island was dedicated to
Osiris, the great god of the Egyptians, who were no';
idolators as far as appears, but regarded Osiris as the in
carnation of the goodness of the unalterable God of gods.
" Isis was the daughter of Time, and the wife and sister
of Osiris. Hermes was their child, and they are the
Trinity of Philae. Osiris and Isis finally judged the dead,
and were the best beloved god of the ancients, and the best
known of the moderns. Very beautiful is Isis in all Egyp
tian sculptures. Tenderly tranquil her large, generous
features, gracious her full-lipped mouth, divine the dignity
of her mien. In the groups of fierce fighters, and priests,
and beasts, and bird-headed gods that people the walls, her
aspect is always serene and solacing, the type of the fem
inine principle in the beast and bird chaos of the world.
" The ruins are stately and imposing, and one range of
thirty columns yet remain. The capitals, as usual, are of
different flowers. The lotus ceacia, and others, are
wreathed round and among them. You will be grave at
Philae, but with a gravity graver than that of sentiment,
for it is the deadness of the death of the land that you will
feel. The ruins will be to you the remains of the golden
age of Egypt, for hither came Thales, Solon, Pythagoras,
Therodotus and Plato, and from the teachers of Moses
karned the most mystic secrets of human thought.
Ptolemy and Cleopatra walked these terraces and sought
shelter from this same sun, in the shade of these same
columns ; dreamed over the calm river, at sunset; by moon
light drained their diamond-ringed goblet of life and love,
then, embalmed in sweet spices, were laid dreamless in
beautiful tombs."

TRAVELS OF GENERAL GRANT, j ch
This is a view of Philae, as seen by a poet and dreamer,
and yet, perhaps the truest view. We give another, by
the writer of Grant's travels, who accompanied him, which
exhibits in a striking manner the different views taken by
a poet and a matter-of-fact correspondent of the press.
One describes things as the imagination paints or recalls
them ; the other, as the practical man, or, in other words,
as the modern newspaper editor looks upon them. Wide
apart as they are, yet both are true, and both have a les
son equally valuable. The newspaper correspondent says :
"Philae is not specially interesting as a temple, after
you have seen Thebes and Abydos. I can think of noth
ing useful to say about it except that as a ruin it is pic
turesque. Nature comes as an aid. The temples we
have been visiting have been mainly in the sand, on the
desert. But here we are in volcanic regions. Around
us are piles of granite rock. The island is green, and the
date palms salute us as we pass. There are flowers, and,
instead of bulging and sliding through sand, we step trip
pingly over Stones and turf. In the sanctuary we note
three young Germans eating lunch. We pass to the
other bank to see the cataract. This is one of the fea
tures of the Nile. The river here spreads into various
channels and runs over rocks. One channel is used
for vessels ascending the stream, the other for vessels
descending the stream. The one before us is not more
than a quarter of a mile long. The river is narrow,
the banks are steep, and the stream rolls and dashes like
a sea, the waves lashing the banks and roaring. I should
call the cataract simply a narrow, heavy sea. The danger
in navigating is from the rocks and being dashed against
the banks. It is a relief, fresh from 500 miles of easy,
placid sailing, the river as smooth as a pond, to see it in.
this angry mood. While we are here, we note men
26

j-g TRAVELS OF GENERAL GRANT.
swimming toward us, each man on a log, with a garment
tied to the head. They are natives, who propose to run
the rapids for our amusement. They swim, or rather,
hold on to a log, and propel themselves into the current.
It is hazardous enough, for the current sweeps like a tor
rent, and the least want of nerve would dash the swimmer
against the rocks. But they go through bravely enough
and come out into the smooth water below. Each swim
mer, carrying his log on his shoulder and drawing his
single garment around his shivering loins, comes for
baksheesh. Hassan makes the payments, but the crowd
becomes so clamorous and aggressive, and would proba
bly carry off Hassan, bag and all, but for the governor,
who restores order with his stick. We return to our
donkeys, ^having had an interesting but rather wearying
day. And in the morning, before we are up, our boat
has turned its prow, and we are going home."
On their way back, they stopped at Siout, where two
missionaries came on board and told them the news.
They learned that since they had been cut off from the
world, Russia had taken Adrianople; Derby had re
signed, and England was to go into the European con
ference, ready for war. " I begin to think," said Grant,
when he heard it, " that England may go in." As he ex
pected to visit Turkey soon, some one remarked, that he
might offer the sultan his services. " No," he replied, "I
have done all the fighting I care to do, and the only
country I shall fight for, is the United States." At last
they came in sight of the minarets of Cairo, when they
stopped to visit Memphis, the last royal residence of
genuine Egypt, the abode of the Pharaohs, where Abra
ham took Sarah, and the king fell in love with her. But
the magnificent city has long since crumbled to dust, and
even its ruins have almost entirely disappeared. But

TRAVELS OF GENERAL GRANT.

159^

lately, under the direction of the khedive, excavations ¦
have been made, and the tombs of the sacred bulls have
been discovered.
" It was believed in the Egyptian mythology, that the god'.
Osiris came to earth, and allowed himself to be put to
death, in order that the souls of the people might be
saved. After his death there was a resurrection, and the
immortal part of him passed into a bull — called Apis.
The bull could only be known by certain signs written m
the sacred books, and kept by tradition. These signs were
known to the priests. When they found the calf bearing"
these marks, he was fed for four months On milk, in a
house facing the. rising sun. He was then brought to
Memphis and lodged in a palace, and worshiped with
divine honors. The people came to him as an oracle.
When he passed through the town, he was escorted with
pomp, children singing hymns in his honor. The greatest
care was taken of his life. At the end of twenty-five
years, unless natural causes intervened, the reign of Apis-
came to an end. Another calf was found, bearing the
sacred signs. The bull was marched to the fountain of
the priests and drowned with ceremony. He was em
balmed and buried in the tombs, which we visited at
Memphis. The ride to Memphis was a pleasant one, a
part of it being through the desert. We passed close to'
the pyramid of Memphis, which is only an irregular, zig
zag mass of stones. Brugsch tells us it is very old, but
with no especial historical value. The ruins of Memphis.
are two or three tombs, and the serapeum or mausoleum:
of the sacred bulls. One of the tombs was opened,,
and we went through it, noting as we had so often before
the minuteness and care of the decoration. There were
other tombs, but to prevent the modern travelers from
breaking them to pieces, they were covered with sand.

5 60 TRA VELS OF GENERAL GRANT.
What a comment upon our civilization, that Egypt can
¦only preserve her tombs and monuments from Christian
vandals by burying them !
" We entered a long arched passage, with parallel pas
sages. Candles had been placed at various points. On
¦each side of this passage, were the tombs. Each tomb
was in its alcove. The bull was placed in a huge granite
sarcophagus, the surface finely polished, and covered
with inscriptions. These coffins were stupendous, and it
is a marvel how such a mass of granite could have been
moved through this narrow channel, and into these
arches. We lit a magnesium wire, and examined one or
two very carefully. The tombs had all been violated by
the early conquerors, Persians and Arabs, to find gold
and silver. In most cases, the cover had been shoved
aside enough to allow a man to enter. In others, the
sides had been broken in. The inside was so large, that
four of our party climbed up a ladder and descended.
There was room for three or four more. There were
tombs enough to show that the bull had been worshiped
for centuries."
As they steamed down to Cairo, Grant regretted that
his visit had been so hurried, but it was too late to make
any change in his plans. Here the khedive met him
again, and took him a drive around the city, in which a
pleasant conversation was carried on about the voyage
up the Nile, and various topics connected with the future
of Egypt. Grant little dreamed then, that before he had
finished his tour around the world, his distinguished host
would be compelled to abdicate his throne, and be
.shorn of his power.
Grant, having handsomely rewarded the captain of the
steamer, and given presents to all the crew and at
tendants, bade good-bye forever to the boat in which he

TRAVELS OF GENERAL GRANT. Tg,
had spent so many pleasant days, and prepared to join
the " Vandalia " at Alexandria, and turn his face toward
Jerusalem.

l(j2 TRAVELS OF GENERAL GRANT.

CHAPTER VII.

SRANT STARTS FOR JERUSALEM — JAFFA — THE HOUSE OF SIMON THE TANNER — PLAIN
OF SHARON — AN UNCOMFORTABLE NIGHT — GRANT IN THE RAIN — KIRJATH JEARIM
— JERUSALEM — A PUBLIC RECEPTION — GRANT'S DISAPPOINTMENT — TOO MUCH AT
TENTION — THE ROAD TO MOUNT CALVARY — GARDEN OF GETHSEMANE — BETHANY
— JACOB'S WELL — NAZARETH — DAMASCUS — A SECOND PARADISE — VISITS CONSTAN
TINOPLE — MR. LAYARD'S RECEPTION — MOSQUE OF ST. SOPHIA — ACHMET — DOGS OF
THE CITY — SERA SCUTARI — A WONDERFUL HISTORY — THE SULTAN PRESENTS
GRANT TWO BEAUTIFUL ARAB STEEDS — GOLDEN HORN — GREECE — RECEPTION BY
THE KING— BEAUTIFUL WOMEN — ATHENS — ITS SIGHTS AND RUINS — THE ACRO
POLIS—ILLUMINATION OF THE PARTHENON IN HONOR OF GRANT — A GRAND
SPECTACLE — BATTLE FIELDS — GRANT STARTS FOR ROME.

A

FTER a month's sojourn on the little steamer of
the Khedive of Egypt, Grant felt almost as if he
were at home, when he found himself once more
on the good steamer " Vandalia." As they steamed out of
Alexandria, and were once more afloat on the broad Medi
terranean, it seemed as if they had entered a new world.
The sea that had hitherto proved stormy, was now calm
and beautiful, and it was like moving over a lake, as they
steered for the Holy Land. But all this beauty vanished
as they entered the dilapidated port of Jaffa — the Joppa of
the Bible, and the old port of Jerusalem, where the cedars,
and gold, and precious stones were landed for the Tem
ple of Solomon. They scrambled up the steep banks,
1 50 feet high, through a crowd of shouting, filthy Arabs,
and passing along the dirtiest street in the world, at
length reached the vice-consul's house.
A feeble attempt was made to honor his arrival by
erecting a little archway of flowers over the road, sur
mounted by the inscription, "Welcome to General Grant."

TRAVELS OF GENERAL GRANT.

163

It was a laughable contrast to the brilliant receptions that
had hitherto marked his journey, but quite as acceptable.
This was a forbidding and matter-of-fact entrance enough
to the Holy Land;
and, but for the
Jerusalem in ad
vance, would
have been suffi
cient to dampen
the most ardent
imagination. Grant, whose
time was limited,
always seized the
first opportunity
to become ac
quainted with
every place he
visited, and at
once set out to
find the house of
"Simon the tan
ner, by the sea
side," made im
mortal by having
been once occu
pied by Peter.
The miserable
town was soon
exhausted of all
its sights worth
seeing, and the party prepared to set off for Jerusalem.
Part of the officers of the "Vandalia" determined to ac
company them. Three clumsy, open wagons were pro-

1 64

TRAVELS OF GENERAL GRANT.

vided, each drawn by three horses abreast, into which they
mounted, and at four o'clock in the afternoon, drove out
of the place, stared at by a gaping crowd, and began to
cross the Plain of Sharjan, decked with lilies and orange-
groves, ladened with yellow fruit, and almond-trees, just
coming into bloom. It was a pleasing contrast to the
burning desert-sands of Egypt, which they had just left.
Even the rain, which was steadily falling, could not darken
the beautiful panorama that spread out before them. Be
sides, they were in the Holy Land, and bound for Jerusa
lem, around which clustered such thrilling associations.
At sunset they reached Ramleh, and put up for the
night in a miserable inn that reminded Grant of some of
his head-quarters during his campaign at Vicksburg.
The party huddled together in a large room, which com
bined dining-room, parlor and kitchen all in one — the
servants eating in one corner, while eggs were frying in
another. Here they sat till the captain returned from
his required, though unwilling call on the governor, when
they all went to bed, or rather to sleep, in one room, the
four beds in it having such a suspicious look that the
benches along the walls were preferred to them. The
arrangement was to start at six o'clock in the morning, and
General Grant, who was always ready to march, was the
first up. Mounting their rough wagons, thrv pushed on for
Jerusalem, only some twenty miles distant All now was
excitement and expectation, for far away, the blue moun
tains of Judea stretched along the horizon. The rain was
still falling, and Grant, who had been able to find a horse,
rode unprotected through it. One of the party offered
him an umbrella, but he declined it, as well as the proposi
tion to wrap a handkerchief around his neck, declaring
that it was nothing but a mist, and galloped ahead. Says
Mr. Young:

TRAVELS OF GENERAL GRANT. I 65
" The road becomes rough and stony, and the carts go
•bumping, thumping, dumping along, over the very
worst road, perhaps, in the world. But there is not one
who, in the spare moments when he is not holding on to
the sides of the cart lest there might be too precipitate an
introduction to the Holy Land, does not feel that it is one
of the most agreeable and most comfortable trips ever
made. The summits of the hills glisten with the white,
shining stone, which afar off looks like snow. In some
of the valleys are clusters of olive-trees. The fertility of
Palestine lies in the plain below. Around and ahead is
the beauty of Palestine — the beauty of Nature in her
desolation — no houses, no farms, no trace of civilization
but the telegraph poles. Now and then a swinging line
of camels comes shambling along, led by a Bedouin."
Still pressing on in the rain, they pass the ruins of Gezr,
and at intervals an abandoned stone guard-house, the
soldiers having been called away to fight the Russians.
At eleven o'clock they stopped to lunch. It was a misera
ble lonely building they were shown into, and a damp
chamber, where, on a primitive pine table, they spread the
lunch, which they luckily had carried with them. Having
finished their hasty repast, they pushed on over hills that
kept growing higher — and along roads that became
rougher — some walking, preferring it to the bumping
and thumping of the rude wagons. A little way off stood
Kirjath Jearim, where the ark rested for twenty years, and
beyond, the Valley of Ajalon, where the sun stood still to
let Joshua conquer in a greater battle than Grant ever
fought. Then came the deep valley through which runs
a rapid brook, where David killed Goliath, and with stones
enough in it to have supplied the slings of a hundred
thousand Davids.
At last, but one series of heights separated them from

1 66

TRAVELS OF GENERAL GRANT. "

TRAVELS OF GENERAL GRANT.

167

Jerusalem, on the summit of which the Crusaders caught
the first sight of the Holy City and fell on their faces and
wept, while like the murmur of the sea swelling into the
thunder-sound of billows breaking on the shore, went up
tlie mighty shout, "Jerusalem ! Jerusalem !" Just then a
horseman was seen galloping toward them, and pulling
rein beside General Grant informed him that a public re
ception awaited him. His face darkened, for he had
hoped to be left alone to his own thoughts when he en
tered the Holy City. But it could not be helped — a body
of cavalry was now seen approaching, with deputations
from Greeks, and Jews, and Armenians, and Americans —
a veritable "army with banners." Horses had also been
sent forward, and among them the pasha's own white
Arab steed, with housings of gold ; so, instead of passing
on up the heights and gazing down on Jerusalem with
the silent devotion of a pilgrim to the Holy Land, Grant
was compelled to stop and have coffee and cigars, and
change all this dreamy excitement and anxious longing
into a most matter-of-fact affair.
They rode about a mile through a suburb, the highway
lined with people. " The General passes on, with bared
head, for on both sides the assembled multitude do him
honor. They see through the mist a mass of domes and
towers, and the heart beats quickly, for they know they
are the domes and towers of Jerusalem. There are
ranks of soldiers drawn in line, the soldiers presenting
arms, the band playing, the colors falling. 'They passed
through a narrow gate, the gate that Tancred forced with
his Crusaders, and under the walls of the Tower of David,
and the flag that floats from the pole on the consulate
tells them that their journey is at an end and that they
are within the walls of Jerusalem."
But, not thus, with trumpets braying, and banners

I 68 TRA VELS OF GENERAL GRANT.
floating, and the rabble shouting, would one with commoii
feelings of devotion or common sensibilities wish for the
first time to enter the Holy City, but silent and solemn,
and with " shoes from off his feet." Barbaric music and
infidel shouts are a poor compensation for the solemn
memories and overwhelming emotions that should fill the
heart and subdue the whole being at such a time. And
so did Grant feel it. To him, who for the first time gazed
on the towers and domes of that Zion of old and where in
later days Jesus of Nazareth walked, all this was a most
miserable farce. But this was not all, visits of ceremony
must be paid before he could visit one sacred spot — the con
suls came with complimentary speeches — the bishops and
patriarchs came and blessed the General and his house,
and, to crown all, the pasha offered him his band of fifty
pieces, to remain with him and amuse him with their bar
baric music. One would rather never see Jerusalem if
he were to be surrounded with such display and in the
midst of such tumult, and so Grant thought. He did not
wish to offend the pasha, who meant only kindness by
his offer, and he compromised the matter by accepting
the offer of the band for an hour in the evening when he
dined, and dispensed with their presence the rest of the
time. Having intended to stay in Jerusalem but three
days, all ceremonies interfered with his time and hence
lessened his enjoyment. He, however, dined with the
pasha, who treated him with great kindness. In the
morning, he, with his wife and American friends, stole
away and took the road up which Christ toiled — bearing
His own cross — on His way to Calvary. Although tradi
tion, by pointing out every step of the way and marking
it with some relic, sadly shakes one's faith, yet he cannot
doubt that it is the road His weary feet trod — that on that
hardened way He sunk under His cross — up that hill He

TRA VELS OF GENERAL GRANT.

169

MODERN BETHLEHEMITES.

170

TRA VELS OF GENERAL GRANT.

toiled, followed by the shouting rabble, while His mother-
with other holy women stood afar off and wept, and there.
was the very spot on which the Lord of Glory died for
man. On this spot stands the Church of the Holy Sep-

CHURCH OF THE HOLY SEPULCHRE.

ulchre — the most interesting of all the holy places — cov
ering, as is generally believed, both the place of cruci
fixion and the place of Christ's burial. The flippant
young Syrian who led the way — the ragged beggars

TRA VELS OF GENERAL GRANT.

171

crowding after, asking for alms — the monuments of super
stition on either side, could not obscure all this. The pre
tended locality pointed out where He first sunk under the
cross and where He addressed the women, and the spot
where He fell the second time, and the very place where
Veronica wiped the blood from His brow with the napkin,
and the corner of the house where He paused in agony,
and the dent in the rock made by His hand as He leaned.

GETHSEMANE.

wearily against it, and the corner where Simon of Cyrene
took the cross and bore it on, and the hovel of the beg
gar who asked for alms — these and other fabled spots
that throw a suspicion over the whole, cannot change the
face of nature and destroy faith in that. Mount Calvary
still stands as it stood 1 800 years ago ; the same sky
bends over it, and right there on that summit rung out
the bitter cry, " My God ! my God ! why hast thou for
saken me ?" and there, too, fell in calm, low accents, " It

172

TRA VELS OF GENERAL GRANT.

is finished !" All the fables invented to make the scene
more real cannot change the Mount of Suffering.
All these little accessories supplied by superstition;
were passed unheeded by General Grant. But when in
the Garden of Gethsemane, where his Lord and the
Lord of all mankind prayed in agony till the blood fell in
great drops to the ground, he was shown the olive-trees
under which He knelt in prayer alone, he said he could

BETHANY.

believe it, for their appearance showed, from what he had
seen of trees in California, they could easily be 1800
years old. The pictures and the fabled spots that disfigured
and belittled the Via Dolorosa, and all the traditions that
distroyed instead of strengthened faith, could not change
these gnarled and twisted olive-trees that bore silent tes
timony to their age, and said by their hoary trunks in
language more impressive than words, "we witnessed

TRA VELS OF GENERAL GRANT. x 7 ,
the agony that the sins of tlie world wrung from the
heart of the Son of God, till there burst in the midnight
air, 'Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from me! "
Oh, what a burlesque it was when the monk who accom
panied them, gathered flowers from the tree of agony
and presented them to Mrs. Grant, and twigs for the
General, to be kept as mementos of that awful place.
Every spot was holy ground, for the footsteps of the Son
of God hallowed all the way and it needed not man's
invention to increase its sanctity. If superstition would
only leave Mount Olivet, the Garden of Gethsemane and
Mount Calvary alone, in their naked simplicity, how sub
lime they would look. After they had visited these con
secrated spots, says the writer accompanying Grant :
"We kept on over the hill, over a fearful road, to the
village of Bethany. It was here that Jesus lived when
He preached in Jerusalem. Here was Lazarus, His
friend, whom He called from the tomb. Here lived
Martha and Mary, whom Jesus loved — Martha who served
Him at supper and Mary who chose the better part. We
ride under the overhanging ruins of the dwelling in which
Jesus found home, shelter, friendship, love ; where He
came for peace after the hard day's work in Jerusalem.
We walk around Bethany — which is only a collection of
ruins and hovels — passing over the graveyard where
Lazarus was buried. We continue along the road that
leads to Jerusalem again, not over the mountain, but the
one sloping near its base. It was over this road that
Jesus rode when He entered Jerusalem on an ass. We
are told also that here it was that David passed in sorrow
when pursued by the ungrateful Absalom. But out
thoughts are not with David, and we pause at the
head of the hill, where Jerusalem comes in view. It was
here that Jesus wept over Jerusalem and prophesied its
27

j _ . 77?^ VELS OF GENERAL GRANT.
destruction, and we can well n imagine the beauty of the
fair city as it nestled on the hillside — the temple dazzling
all eyes with its glory, while its battlements and walls
attested its strength and power. Then we kept on down
the Valleyof Jehoshaphat and over the brook and around
the city to another entrance called the Damascus Gate.
It was only from thence a short walk to our hotel. The
walk had been a weary one, but no one felt weariness,
for every memory it awakened was a memory of the
noblest moments in our lives, and every step we had
taken had been over hallowed ground."
There was one more spot that Grant felt he must visit
before he left the Holy Land, and that was Nazareth, the
home of the Saviour's childhood. As he set out on his
journey, all the representatives of Jerusalem turned out
to pay their respects and bid him good-bye. The little
party gave their last look to the Holy City, as they
turned their faces toward Shiloh, and traveled along the
road once trod by prophets, and on through Nablous,
where was Jacob's well, on which Jesus sat and spoke
to the woman of Samaria of that water of which if a man
drinks, he shall never thirst.
Scarcely halting here, he kept on through Nain, and
through the same streets the funeral procession passed,
carrying a bier on which lay the only son of his mother,
and she a widow, and where it stopped at the bidding of
the voice which even the winds and waves obeyed, and
at whose word the dead arose a living man. Through
Endor he passed so rapidly that it came and went
almost like the ghost of Samuel, called up by the witch
at the bidding of Saul, and at last, weary and jaded,'
looked down on Nazareth, sleeping amid the rich foliage
of Palestine. The road leading down to it was so steep
that most of the party dismounted and walked, leading

TRA VELS OF GENERAL GRANT.

r75

their horses. There humble Nazareth stood, just as it
did when Jesus was a child, and there were the same
streets His little feet trod, as he walked with His mother
to the Synagogue. As one looks on the quiet houses
and the people coming and going on their daily business,
it seems impossible that the youthful Christ grew up
amid these very scenes. It is difficult to imagine that
here, in this humble, remote village, amid such a popula-

NAZARETH.
tion, the Prince of Peace, the mighty Redeemer, lived and
played as a boy. All the objects, all the scenery and occu
pations of men are so common and familiar, that it is hard
to associate them with such solemn, awful events as have
made them immortal. Tradition here, as everywhere
else, have created spots that have no existence except
in tradition.
You are shown where the virgin lived, and a cave in

176

TRAVELS OF GENERAL GRANT.

which Christ hid Himself once from his persecutors; but
of these, Grant, like every intelligent traveler, made little
account — it was enough that he was in Nazareth.
The delay here was short, for the travelers were
bound for Damascus, and pushed on. Although, as they
wound over the hills, they were no longer reminded at
every step that they were treading on ground hallowed
by the footsteps of the Son of God, yet they knew they
were passing along a road that Saul traveled when he.
was arrested by the blinding light and voice from
Heaven. At last they reached the heights that over
look Damascus, and what a glorious scene of beauty
burst upon them. This city, so old that Abraham speaks
of it, lies in a plain nearly eighty miles in circumference,
the whole a perfect garden in its cultivation. A sparkling
stream, the " Golden River," flows through it, while the
houses of the city stand amid a wealth of foliage of date
and palm-trees, and beautiful gardens. The picture it
presents in the full spring-time, smiling there under the
sun and sky of Palestine, is indescribably beautiful. It is
said that the Mohammedan prophet, when he came in
sight of it, was so enraptured, that he stopped, and said,
that as man could enter only one paradise, he would
turn back from this one to secure the other, and did.
Slowly the travelers wound down into this ancient city,
through which still stretches, as it did 1 800 years ago, the
street " Straight," where the blind Saul put up, to whom
Ananias was directed to go and restore his sight again.
As Grant and his companions rode through the streets,
the beauty of the city as seen from a distance departed,
for the houses in the main were shabby-looking, though
inside they were adorned with all that wealth can supply.
There are very few objects of interest to be seen in this
city, around which history gathers so much of greatness

TRAVELS OF GENERAL GRANT. -j-hj
and grandeur. There is the castle, about three-quarters
of a mile in circumference, a hospital and, chief of all, the
mosque of Omeiyades with its three minarets, beautiful
specimens of Oriental architecture, representing the
Pagan, Saracenic and Christian styles. Its marble floor
is covered with Persian rugs, and beautiful marbles adorn
its walls, while tradition says the head of John the Bap
tist, inclosed in a golden casket, is built into its founda
tions. Its chief attraction, however, is that it presents to
the traveler a true Oriental mart, as it has existed for ages,
unchanged. It is untraversed by railroads and modern
improvements in the way of transportation, and great
caravans come and go as they did a thousand years ago.
Fifteen hundred camels, guarded by a small army of
soldiers, wind their way into the city at stated intervals
from Bagdad, and similar numbers from other points.
Cotton clothes, handkerchiefs, slippers, copper kettles,
horse-shoe nails, tobacco pipes, spiceries, shawls and the
rich fabrics of Surat are brought through Bagdad, and
other articles from Tripoli, and cotton stuffs, leather,
soap, etc., are received in exchange, so that this ancient
inland city presents a busy scene. Unchanged by the
changing world around it, it is purely an Oriental city of
the past centuries.
Nearly a hundred and forty miles from Jerusalem, its
nearly a quarter of a million of people live on as their
ancestors have done from time immemorial, and are to
day the same people, with the same customs and habits
that existed when Saul went there to persecute the
Christians, and there is about as much friendship now
between Moslems and Christians as there was then be
tween Jews and Christians.
Grant made a short stay in the ancient city, which was
not so removed from the outside world that his fame had

! ^g TRA VELS OF GENERAL GRANT.
not reached them, for wild Arab chieftains came from a
long distance to see the great warrior of, to them, an
almost fabled land.
He now turned his footsteps toward Beyrout, where
the " Vandalia" awaited his arrival. Embarking here, he
directed his course to Constantinople. Fortunately, he
arrived there after the war with Russia had closed and a
treaty had been signed. TURKEY.
IT was the 5th of March when he entered Stamboul.
Received as usual, by our diplomatic representatives
here, he was immediately waited upon by the Amer
icans stopping in the city. Fortunately, the peculiar
situation of the sultan at this time prevented him from
making a military display such as had invariably been
gotten up to welcome General Grant — much to the latter's
delight, for they had become extremely irksome to him.
Among the most pleasant of the visits to General Grant,
was the one made by the British minister, Mr. Layard,
the renowned explorer of Nineveh, who afterwards gave
him a grand reception, which was attended by both native
and foreign officials in full court-dress, and which made a
brilliant assemblage.
The time of General Grant's visit was the most dis
agreeable month of the year, in Turkey, for it rains and
snows by turns, while to complete the disagreeableness of
the climate, a cold fog blows up from the Black Sea,
against the penetrating power of which ordinary clothing
furnishes no protection. Even those scavengers of the
city, the ownerless dogs, seemed to feel the influence of
the weather and skulked about with less ferocious as
pects. The history of this city is too well known to be re
peated here. The number of public buildings to be seen

TRA VELS OF GENERAL GRANT.

179

is not large. There are the palaces of the sultans,
among them the palace of the last sultan, and numberless
mosques, more or less imposing. The Mosque of St.
Sophia, built originally as a Christian church, by Justinian,
is the most remarkable one, costing, it is said, $3,000,000,
which in our time and country, would be near $20,000,000.
It is in the form of a cross, 269 feet in length by 143 feet
in breadth, and surmounted by a flattened dome, rising
180 feet above the ground. There are, besides, several

rittBK

MOSQUE OF ST. SOPHIA.

cupolas and four minarets, added by the Turks, making
in all a very imposing pile. Within, rise large columns
from a floor of variegated marble, and magnificent bronze
gates extend themselves. Near it is the beautiful Mosque
of Achmet, with its six minarets. Grant, -in wandering
through these, saw scattered around silent worshipers
seemingly devout and sincere as Christians in a Christian
church. One of the objects that peculiarly attract for
eigners, is the bazaars, where every imaginable article

i8o

TRA VELS OF GENERAL GRANT.

from every portion of the globe can be found, and where
all the life and activity of the city is concentrated, for the
narrow streets seem deserted compared to the throngs
that congregate here. Although it had not yet re
covered from the gloom cast over it by the war, still the
cafes and restaurants of the city, thronged by natives and
foreigners, presented an animated appearance. The war
was a great topic of conversation, and General Grant
and the American war, with its armaments and guns, be-

mm £3Wi
H M°
-fS#i^l^^Sf#£A^
INTERIOR OF MOSQUE OF ST. SOPHIA.
came a subject of discussion wherever he appeared.
One of the chief features of Constantinople — viz.: the
cemeteries — Grant did not visit, owing to the stormy
weather. For the same reason, the Bosporus, with its
light caiques and beautiful shores, possessed little at
traction. Women waddling along, veiled up to their
eyes, met him at every turn. The dogs, gaunt and
hungry, roam at will, though each community is con
fined to its own ward, and if a daring cur ventures into

TRA VELS OF GENERAL GRANT.

181

the domains of another, he is quickly hustled out like an
unregistered voter. After sunset, stillness like midnight
in any other city, settles on the streets.
General Grant made the tour of sight-seeing in rather
a dreary manner, owing to the cold, damp and stormy
weather. Many of the invitations extended to him he
was compelled to decline, as he could give only a few
days to the place. He took long walks through Pera,
the European portion of the capital, situated on the oppo
site side of the port, the inhabitants of which consider
themselves quite apart from the Turk^, though composed
of natives of almost every other civilized nation in Europe.
Although the confusion and anxieties attending the
close of the war prevented the sultan from showing that
attention that he otherwise would have done, he directed
the master of ceremonies to present the General with an
Arab horse from the. imperial stables. Accordingly a
number were led out, and one out of the 570 which com
posed the imperial stud, was chosen and set aside for him.
A second was afterward selected, and the two transferred
to the care of the American Legation, by whom they
were dispatched to the United States. One is a
dappled gray of fair size, and having all the traits
characteristic of the Arabian blood — small, well-set,
restless ears, wide, pink nostrils, and large, soft eyes,
waving mane, and long tail reaching almost to the ground,
and a skin of such delicacy that the stroke of a lady's
whip is sufficient to draw blood. The other stallion has
all these points. He is an iron gray, with a white star
on his forehead and white hind feet. When the long
forelock falls over his forehead the large black eyes have
all the expression of a Bedouin woman's. Their gait is
perfect, be it either the rapid walk, the long, swinging trot
or the tireless, stretching gallop, while a rein of one

182

77?^ VELS OF GENERAL GRANT.

thread of silk is enough to guide their delicate mouth.
Let one of these Arabs in the mad rush of a charge or a
flight lose his rider, and that instant the docile steed will
stop as though turned to stone. These horses are of the
famous Saktan race, the purest Arabian blood, only found
in and near Bagdad. The dapple gray is appropriately
named Djeytan (the Panther) and the iron gray Missirli
(The One from Cairo), which cognomen he derives from
having been bought at Cairo, though foaled at Bagdad.-

"SjSSS

SULTAN'S NEW PALACE.

But it would take a much longer time than Grant had to
spare to see all this wonderful city, which contains, with its
beautiful suburbs and all, nearly eight hundred thousand
inhabitants. One of these, Scutari, the great rendezvous
of the caravans from Asia, built on several hills, with its
mosques, minarets and palaces, and the sultan's new pal
ace, deserves an article by itself. A sail round the " Golden
Horn," as the port is called, is a delightful trip and the

GENERAL GRANT'S ARABIAN STALLIONS— THE GIFT CiF 1 HE SULTAN OF TURKEY.
Engraved expressly and exclusively for the " Life and Travels of General Grant," from a photograph by Ecriber & Sons, of Philad'a. Copyrighted according to Act of Congress

TRAVELS OF GENERAL GRANT.

185

I

BPKl

H,

view from the Seraglio worth seeing in any other sea
son of die year, except in early spring. On this account
Grant kept away from the water whose shores form one
of the chief pictures in the many that surround S'tam-
boul. A volume might be written on this wonderful city,
founded by Constantine in the year 338, on the ruins of
Byzentium, which he overthrew, and named by him. It
has been besieged 
twenty-four times, IfiA"
and the inhabitants
were thrown into
the wildest consterna
tion a few weeks be
fore Grant's arrival,
lest the Russian ar
mies pressing toward
it, should lay siege to
, it for the twenty-fifth
time. Formerly, it
was defended by
strong walls and for
tresses, but these, es
pecially from the land
side, are in a dilapi
dated condition, and
could offer no long
resistance to a for
midable army with heavy siege guns. Its long siege and
final overthrow by the Crusaders is one of the most stir
ring events in human history, and there is not a great city
now standing on the earth around which clusters such
stirring events and which has played such an important
part in the history of the race.
Grant, having finished his hasty visit, took his depar-

HM!

m

sMMPii

BH

mmmmi

Iff91

MARBLE STAIR-CASE IN THE PALACE.

jgg TRAVELS OF GENERAL GRANT.
ture for Greece. Bidding adieu to the host of friends
assembled to shake his hand for the last time and bid
him God speed, he sailed out of the Golden Horn and
through the far-famed Straits of Dardanelles, and steered
for the Piraeus, some six miles from Athens.
GREECE.
Arriving here, he took the railroad for this ancient seat
of learning, passing the whole distance through vine
yards, olive-yards and fig plantations. Modernized, and
with its ancient glory all gone, still
" Cold is the heart, fair Greece ! that looks on thee,
Nor feels as lovers o'er the dust they loved."
General John Meredith Read, our Minister at Athens,
and American travelers, were there to welcome him.
The usual ¦ invitations to dinners and fetes succeeded,
most of which he was compelled, for want of time, to
decline. The king and queen gave him a grand recep
tion, at which all the foreign representatives and distin
guished men of the city were present. Never in the
palaces of England or Paris did he see such graceful
costumes or such beautiful women, for, though the ancient
type of beauty, which has been fixed forever in marble by
Grecian art, has changed, the classic lines remain which
distinguish Grecian ladies from those of all other lands.
Grant was the centre of this galaxy of beauty, and com
pliments were showered on him from every side.
While the people of Athens retain much of their ancient
beauty, they never for a moment forget their ancient
glory. Even the modern streets that have been laid out
bear the names of Minerva, yEolus and Hermes, which
bring back the days of old.
Athens is situated in a most beautiful plain, with ridges

TRA VELS OF GENERAL GRANT

I87

rising here and there, on one of which is built the Acro
polis or citadel, surmounted by the world-renowned Par
thenon, built of
white marble, 220
feet in length and
one hundred feet
in breadth. This
hill and its grand
and almost per
fect ruin, rose be
fore Grant which
ever way he turn
ed, and had he had
his own way, not
many hou rs would
have passed be
fore his feet had
pressed it. But
he was requested
to delay his visit
until preparations
could be made by
the Government
to illuminate it, as
it is occasionally
done to very dis
tinguished nation-
al guests. It
would have been
much better to
have waited till
God illuminated
the glorious ruin by the silvery light of the moon.
But there were other places to visit — Mars' Hill, with

i88

77?^ VELS OF GENERAL GRANT.

TRA VELS OF GENERAL GRANT.

189

the Areopagus on its summit, where Paul delivered
his eloquent sermon to the wdndering Athenians, who at
last had heard "some new thing" worthy of their
philosophic minds, and the Erectheum, ninety feet in
length ; the Propylaea ; the Temple of Theseus, with its
thirty-four Doric columns, standing as they stood a thou
sand years ago ; the Prison of Socrates ; the Temple and
Theatre of Bacchus ; Grotto of Apollo and Pan, and
numberless other places, made classic by early history,
art and mythology.
Just outside of the city rise sixteen Corinthian columns,
sixty feet high, on a raised platform — the remains of the
Temple of Jupiter Olympus. There was enough to
occupy every moment of Grant's time, and he made
good use of it.
At length the evening for the grand illumination of the
Parthenon came, and Grant, with a large escort, rode up
the steep sides of the Acropolis. The once grand and
beautiful Temple of Minerva stood before him, its mag
nificent ruins outlined against the darkening sky. Two
hundred and seventeen feet long, ninety-eight broad and
sixty-five feet high, with its columns, and colonnades, and
statues, and gold, it was once the admiration, as its ruins
now are the wonder of the world.
Grant sat in the gathering gloom and gazed long and
intently upon it, while the ages rolled back and brought
up the past with its glory, when those broken pavements
resounded with the feet and voices of worshipers, and
that whole hill-top was crowded with structures on which
were lavished all that art and wealth could bestow.
While he stood gazing, absorbed with the feelings that
magnificent ruin always excites in the beholder, it sud
denly blazed up with a thousand Bengal fires till broken
wall and column seemed to waver to and fro in the daz-

x Q0 TRA VELS OF GENERAL GRANT.
zling light, as they were drawn in lines of fire against
the dark background of the sky. The jutting walls and
columns in the foreground were ablaze with light, and
contrasted weirdly with the darkness of the deep recesses
in the distance. Ruined architecture and broken cornices
stood out in the darkness, revealing every crack which
time had made and every fracture in the fluted columns,
till the whole magnificent structure seemed an airy vision.
Ever and anon new fires were kindled in some remote
nook or corner, producing new effects. It was doubtless
a magnificent spectacle as an exhibition of fireworks, but
the Parthenon was no place for them. They would have
been equally superb at a funeral and quite as appropriate.
It was wholly in keeping with this pyrotechnic display,
that out of the blazing structure should come the sound
of laughter as those who helped to get up the show
laughed and chatted together. It, however, furnished a
fair representation of modern, frivolous Greece, in con
trast with the earnest, thoughtful Greece of old.
The mighty past rises suddenly before one at every
step in Athens, for you walk where Demosthenes, and
Socrates, and Plato walked, and Pericles, and Lycurges,
and Alcibiades lived, and Homer sang, and art in ruin is
greater than modern art in its perfection.
Grant, after exhausting Athens proper, rode over the
country to visit some of the famous battle-fields of
Greece, to Thermopylae, where Leonidas and his Spartan
band set an example to patriotic heroes for all time, to
where the mountains look on Marathon Bay and Mara
thon on the sea, and he could say:
"Where'er we tread 'tis haunted, holy ground,
No earth of thine is lost in vulgar mould,
But one vast realm of wonder spreads around,
And all the Muses tales seem truly told —

TRAVELS OF GENERAL GRANT. j„j
Till the sense aches with gazing to behold
The scenes our earliest dreams have dwelt upon :
Each hill and dale, each deepening glen and wold
Defies the power which crushed thy temples gone ;
Age shakes Athen's towers but spares gray Marathon.''
But this visit, so full of glorious memories and so re
plete with enjoyment to the eyes as well as to the heart
and soul, at length drew to a close, and Grant, bidding
his friends a warm adieu, joined once more his ship and
turned his course toward Italy, to see "what he had passed
by on his former visits, and long before he reached Rome
the mighty dome of St. Peter's, towering in the heavens,
told him where^ lay the Imperial City.
28

192

77?^ VELS OF GENERAL GRANT.

CHAPTER VIII.
IN ROME — GRANT VISITS THE COLOSSEUM — VIEW FROM ITS TOP — THE ANCIENT CAPI-
TAL — ST. PETER'S — SIGHT-SEEING — PRIVATE INVITATIONS — DINES WITH THE
KING — RECEIVED BY THE POPE — THE ROAD TO FLORENCE; — FLORENCE — UFFIZI
PALACE — THE PITTI GALLERY — DUCAL PALACE — CHARACTER OB THE PEOPLE — A
CONVENIENT CUSTOM — PISA — VENICE — ITS ORIGIN — ITS GONDOLAS — BRIDGES-
PLEASANT SIGHTS — GONDOLA SAILING — THE ARSENAL — JOURNEY TO MILAN— THE
CITY — ITS WONDERFUL CATHEDRAL — PAINTING OF THE LORD'S SUPPER — STARTS
FOR PARIS — A GREAT CHANGE — THE NATIONAL EXHIBITION — STARTS FOR NORTH
ERN EUROPE — HOLLAND — THE HAGUE — A GRAND REVIEW — LUNCHES WITH THE
KING'S UNCLE — ROTTERDAM — AMSTERDAM — A MAGNIFICENT DINNER BY THE
LEADING MERCHANTS — THE GREAT SHIP CANAL — STARTS FOR BERLIN.
IMMEDIATELY on Grant's arrival, the aid-de-camp
to the king called on' him, and soon after Cardinal
McCloskey, and every facility offered him by both
church and state to see all that the city contained worth
seeing. One enters Rome for the first time with strange
feelings, for his feet press the dust of a dead empire — the
grandest the world has ever seen. The modern houses
that inclose the ancient ruins gives vividness to the pic
ture, and makes the past more real.
One of the first objects that General Grant sought out
was the Colosseum, one of the grandest ruins in the
world, and once capable of seating 30,000 people. Its
only dome is the sky, and the spectacle, when these seats,
rising in circular rows one above . another, were filled,
must have been an imposing one. As you stand in the
vast area, which, with the building, covers five acres, and
look up on these ruined seats and remember that where
you stand stood, and fought, and died gladiators, "butch
ered to make a Roman holiday," the imagination is

TRA VELS OF GENERAL GRANT.

193

, qA TSA VELS OF GENERAL GRANT.
overwhelmed at the strange and mighty past that rises
before it. From the vast concourse Roman applause has
thundered,- and ".hie habet" been shouted down to the
spot your feet press as the blood spouted from the poor
wretch's heart. Oh, what wild heart-breakings had that
arena seen ! From its ruined top old Rome lies all around
you ; the Basilica of Constantine, the Capitoline Hill, the
Roman Forum, the Arch of Titus, the hill where stood
the Palace of the Caesars, and where long since
"The barbarian has stabled his steed,"
while far away stretches the Campagna, with its long lines
of ancient aqueducts that supplied the imperial city with
water. Grant and his party drove over the old Rome that
lies without the modern walls, reminded at every step
of what Rome was in its glory. Tombs, and ancient
baths, and fragments of temples, and broken columns
are scattered around, attesting the grandeur of the
imperial city, of which the present one is a mere- frac
tion. Looking on such past greatness and power, the
traveler recalls the words of the poet as he mused over
the same desolation :
" Such is the moral of all human tales,
'Tis but the same rehearsal of the past —
First freedom, then glory ; when that fails,
Wealth, vice, corruption, barbarism at last.
And history, with all her volumes vast,
Hath but one page."
Among the many beautiful villas, both in and around
the city, that of the Villa Pamphilla Doria is one of the
most extensive and beautiful, the grounds of which are
over four miles in circumference. But nothing of old
Rome interests the traveler more than the ancient capi-

TRA VELS OF GENERAL GRANT.

195

196

TRAVELS OF GENERAL GRANT.

tol. A noble flight of steps brings you to the top of
the Capitoline Hill, the buildings on which were designed
by Michael Angelo. They stand in the form of a paral

lelogram, with the main flight of steps at one end. At"*
the bottom of the steps is the old Roman mile-stone, that
marked the first mile of the Appian way. At the top are
two statues of Castor and Pollux standing beside their

TRAVELS OF GENERAL GRANT. jg«
horses ; in the centre of the parallelogram is the bronze
equestrian statue of Marcus Aurelius, the only one that
has been handed down from antiquity. It was once
covered with 'gold. When it stood in front of the Late-
ran, it was an important object in the festivities that
celebrated Rienzi's elevation to the rank of tribune.
Amid the rejoicings of that memorable day wine was
made to run out of one nostril and water out of the other.
At the farther end stands " the Palace of the Senators,"
while the two side palaces are filled with busts, statues
and paintings, and among them the bronze wolf, "the
thunder-stricken nurse of Rome," which, whether ever
struck by lightning or not, has one leg partly melted off.
Here, too, is the famous Dying Gladiator, one of the finest
statues of antiquity.
What a sudden change in the feelings it creates to step
from this grand and suggestive monument of the past into
the great structure of modern Rome, St. Peter's. As you
go over the Tiber past the Castle of St. Angelo, you
suddenly find yourself in front of the magnificent structure.
In the centre of the noble area an ancient obelisk arises
amid sparkling fountains, while a fourfold- colonnade,
surmounted by 192 statues, sweeps down in- two great
semicircles toward you. Ascending the magnificent
flight of steps, Grant entered the main body of the
church, and stood awe-struck, not only at the vast ampli
tude around him, but the stupendous columns and the
wealth of statuary that lean out on every side, as if art
had exhausted itself in adorning this great temple. The
men and women look like insects creeping over the floor,
and are almost lost in the vastness of the encircling space.
As you approach the bronze canopy and gaze up into the
solemn dome of mosaics circling away four hundred feet
into the heavens, you exclaim : " It is enough." But all

i g8

TRA VELS OF GENERAL GRANT.

description is powerless to give any adequate conception
of this wonderful building. There is no need of giving.
dimensions, it is necessary only to say that you could pile,;
twelve Trinity churches into it, and have considerable
room left to walk about in. You could put two of them,
under the dome, and
leave the nave and both
side-aisles unoccupied.
Rome is full of ob
jects of curiosity and,,
mementos of ancient
glory, which Grant
visited, among them
the works of Michael
Angelo, Raphael, Gui-.
do, Correggio and others
great artists, which are
gathered here. It was
one continual round of
sight-seeing, and Grant ,
is a tireless sight-seer.
There was no end to
the invitations he N re
ceived to visit private
museums, nor were
public honors wanting. King Humbert gave a magniV.
ficent dinner to him, at which the chief dignitaries of the
city were present. The Pope also gave him an audience;.
and treated him with the marked courtesy due to so dis
tinguished a man.
The time which Grant devoted to Rome was too short
to allow him to fully appreciate it. In such a hurried
visit, the vast number of objects of interest are so crowded,
together that one can carry away distinct impressions of

GUIDO'S BEATRICE DeCENCI.

77?^ VELS OF GENERAL GRANT.

199

200 TRA VELS OF GENERAL GRANT.
but very few. A whole winter is short enough, to see it
properly. The road from here to Florence runs through
a beautiful country, and fields festooned with grape vines
and vineyards, and orange, and lemon, and olive groves
come and go on the sight till at last the sweet Vale of Arno
is reached, and the garden of Italy, with its world- renowned
dome bursts on the view. There are but few buildings
in the city to attract especially the traveler, and it is re
nowned almost entirely for the grand works of art that
are collected here, and which must be seen, not described.
Grant's first visit was to the Uffizi Palace, and the mo
ment he struck the outer gallery he entered a world of
art. But the gem of the palace is the Tribune, a circular
room in which are gathered some of the finest efforts of
human genius. Here stands the Venus de Medici,
Titian's Venus, and in another gallery is Titian's Flora,
and Raphael's Fornarino ; but it is useless to name even
the artists whose works, famous throughout the World,
adorn its walls. The Pitti gallery in the Ducal Palace,
which he next visited, contains, perhaps, as a whole, the
finest collection of paintings in the world, and weeks
could be spent here, each day revealing some new beauty
and awakening a new delight. In the cabinet of antique
bronzes is an eagle of the Twenty-fourth Roman Legion,
that long ago, when Rome was in her glory, soared amid
the din and smoke of battle.
Florence he found very different from Rome in the
character of its people. The ruins of the latter city seem
to have subdued the feelings, and but little of that light-
heartedness which distinguishes the Italians is found there.
Here there are no ruins, but instead flowers on every
side, and works of art; and the inhabitants seem to
catch the spirit of their cheerful surroundings and laugh
and chat with the merriment of children.

-¦"¦  '  ™ggg|gj|jgj  i  mn  .iUiiii.iii.ii  IBIIU.MB
aw  ~.~ =^

VENUS DE MEDICI.

TRAVELS OF GENERAL GRANT. „^-203
The custom, here of putting a marble tablet over the
door where some distinguished character has lived or
died saves one a world of trouble, and as you pass along
you see where Dante was born, Corinne lived, and
Americus Vespucius made it his home. Of all these
monuments of men that once lived here, none has greater
attractions than Galileo's tower and the house in whiph
the great astronomer lived. The Duomo Baptistry and
Campanille are worth going a long way to see, but it is
wearisome to describe them. From the wonderful cupola
of the former, Michael Angelo took his design for the
dome of St. Peter's. The prettiest view of Florence is
from Fiesole, perched on a hill-top, from whence you look
down on the gardens of Florence and the rich vale of the
Arno, through which -the river winds in sparkling, graceful
curves. The Cascine is the " Central Park " of Florence
and, like it, toward evening is thronged with carriages and
filled with gay talkers.
The King of Italy having taken up his first residence
here, it was supposed that he intended to make it the
permanent capital of Italy, and vast improvements were
commenced involving great expense, which has made it
more like an American city in one respect than any other
in Italy — in its public debt. Grant lost the imposing
ceremonies of Holy week at Rome, which were close at
hand, and stayed here only long enough to see the com
mencement of them at the Duoma.
From here it is a short run to Pisa, once the rival of Flo
rence, now dilapidated and forlorn, and worth visiting only
for the imposing group of buildings composed of the
Duomo Baptistry, Campo Santo and leaning tower — the
Campo Santo and sacred field being composed of dirt
brought from the Holy Land. Grant received from the
authorities and distinguished men of Florence the atten-

204

TRA VELS OF GENERAL GRANT.

AN ITAUAN GARDEN.

TRA VELS OF GENERAL GRANT.

205

tion bestowed on him everywhere, while the Americans,
who are always found here in great numbers, crowded
around him with, delight, and when he left for Venice
gathered around the depot, and as the train moved out
sent up cheer after cheer. Nothing can be pleasanter
than to travel through Italy in the spring of the year, for
the country is like a continuous garden, in which peasants,
|snale and female, are at work in picturesque costumes.
The air is soft and balmy, the sky blue as sapphire and
aseems to bend
in joy over all
} this beauty, and
ione feels it a
'luxury merely
¦ to live.
mi. When the
Huns and
Lombardsoverrun the
\: Roman empire,
|some six hun-
dred years
Rafter Christ, the
inhabitants o f
Nforthern Italy

RIALTO BRIDGE.

pook refuge
on a vast collection of little islands, separated from
the main-land by a narrow arm of the sea, and
iflhere founded Venice. How many of these islands
there are it is hard to say, some making the number
Benty-two and others ninety. They are connected by
450 ^bridges, the largest of which, is the famous
Rialto, consisting of a single arch 187 feet long.
Hence its streets are canals, and its coaches gondolas

206

TRAVELS OF GENERAL GRANT.

and boats. It became a great maritime power, and accu
mulated vast wealth in the time of the Crusades. ; It is
filled with magnificent churches and palaces, many of
'them fast sinking to ruin. It was the 23d of April when
Grant crossed the great bridge connecting the city with
the main, and entered it, where he was received in
state by the authorities and welcomed heartily by all the
Americans stopping there. After the formal reception
and congratulatory speeches were over, which were be
coming a dreadful bore, Grant drove to his hotel and
passed the evening in looking out upon the water and
boats gliding by filled with gay and merry passengers,
mingled with whose laughter would ever and anon come
snatches of song; The glancing lights, the gloomy,
shadowy palaces and the starry sky overhead made a pic
turesque scene there on the Adriatic. There are many
things worth seeing in Venice, but nothing so attractive
and curious as Venice itself. There are many piazzas or
places in Venice, but only one, St. Mark's, which deserves
the name. This is surrounded by arcades and orna
mented with two lofty columns. Here, too, stands the
famous Church of St. Mark's, where tradition says the
bones of Mark the Evangelist rest. The church is of
the Byzantine style and ornamented inside with all the
magnificence of Oriental taste and wealth. Grant and his
party spent much of their time in the gondolas, sailing up
and down the streets' and under the countless bridges
that span them at every turn, among which was the
Bridge of Sighs, where one stands,
" With a prison and a palace on each hand."
They visited the Arsenal, built on an island and sur
rounded by high walls and towers, in which, in her
days of maritime greatness, Venice had everything

TRAVELS OF GENERAL GRANT.

209

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2IO TRAVELS OF GENERAL GRANT.
necessary to fit out a fleet — docks, magazines, manufacto
ries of cordage and sails, magazines, cannon foundries and
forges. The city has a strange and eventful history, and
though its commerce seems to be reviving, the days of its
commercial greatness are gone forever. There are many
objects of beauty in the city, but nothing is so pleasant
as to glide along the water between the houses and
palaces, and see the gay boat-loads and receive the greet-'
ing of passers-by, and Grant enjoyed it much the three
days he remained here.
As usual, the Americans assembled to bid him good-|
bye, and wafted their good wishes after him, as he started
for Milan, and passing through the country, now clothed
in its richest green, next day arrived in the city, where:;;
he ' was received by the authorities with the usual for-;
malities and complimentary speeches.
There was nothing in Milan to detain Grant long.
The Marengo Gate is beautiful, but especially interest
ing from the battle once fought near by, which it is
designed to commemorate, and so are the Place d' Armes.
and the promenade ; but the chief attraction is the Cathe^
dral, next to St. Peter's the most imposing religious
edifice in the world. It is a Gothic structure, built of
pure white marble, which, in the sunlight, shines with
dazzling splendor. Its foundations were laid 500 years
ago, and while its vast dimensions astonish the beholder,,
he is lost in admiration of the exquisite perfection of the
work ; 4,000 statues adorn the exterior alone, requiring an
expenditure of labor and money almost incalculable. If
the exterior amazes you, the elaborate interior, resting
on fifty-two marble columns, charms you.
To get the full effect of this wonderful cathedral, one.
needs to go there at vespers, and standing under the lofty
nave, amid that wilderness of white columns, watch the

TRA VELS OF GENERAL GRANT.

211

FF.RRO PALACE

2 1 2 TRA VELS OF GENERAL GRANT
evening sunbeams streaming through the windows of
stained glass, and listen to the pealing organ as the
solemn notes steal out under the lofty arches and die
away in the distant shadows.
In Milan is the original, world-renowned painting of
Leonardo da Vinci, representing the Lord's Supper,
But it is fading away in the dampness of the atmosphere,
and its original beauty is now best seen in the copies and
engravings which are everywhere to be found.
Grant's stay in Milan was short, for he was in a hurry
to reach Paris, as the World's Exhibition was to open in
a few days. Everything was now to be changed, and he
was to pass at a single bound from ancient civilization
to modern — the Parthenon was to give place to the
buildings for the exhibition of modern industry; statues
and paintings of ravishing beauty to McCormick's
reapers ; the columns of Karnac to improved pumps, and
the Bridge of Sighs to designs of railroad bridges, and
ancient sepulchres to modern engines, and the silent
world of the past to the din, and hurry, and clangor, and
excitement of the present.
His journey to Paris was evidently heralded; for, at
all the stations the officials were ready to offer him every
civility and furnish him the best carriages, and he was
whirled on to the French capital surrounded with every
comfort a traveler could desire.
He arrived there on the 7th and was immediately
waited on by Mr. McCormick, the American commis
sioner for the great exhibition, and .asked to name a day
when it would be convenient for him to visit it. He men
tioned Saturday and on that day he, with a large party
of friends, made the tour of the different departments,
everywhere treated with marked distinction, and in the
American department greeted with enthusiasm by his

^ii*;tl-3;|lfcWltlll

TRAVELS OF GENERAL GRANT. 2 1 5
countrymen, who were proud of their representative
man. Paris was full of Americans who vied with each
other to show him attention, and he was overwhelmed
with invitations. Among other things, to show their ad
miration for him, they planned a magnificent 4th of July
fete in the Bois de Boulogne, at which he should be the
honored guest. But that was nearly six weeks ahead,
and he could not spend all that intermediate time in Paris.
A few days sufficed to see all he wished to see in the ex
hibition, while he did not care to revisit the great points
of interest he saw a few months before. Much less did
he desire to spend the time in a constant round of dinners
and fetes. He longed once more to be in the open coun
try and on the wing, for there was more rest in that than
in the gay dissipation of Paris, and he started for the
northern countries of Europe. He first went to Holland,
the country of unbroken platitude. The green fields of
spring and sight of peasants in picturesque costumes
along the road and at work were a relief after the bustle,
and turmoil, and excitement of the French capital. But
the country is flat and interesting chiefly in that it lies
below the sea at high tide. It is everywhere hemmed in by
dykes, which should they ever give way would submerge
farms, towns, cities and men alike, and prove a second
deluge to the inhabitants. It is crossed by canals to
carry off the superfluous water, which are also used as
means of communication by neat little boats that are con
stantly traversing them. Of course, these dykes are
closely watched for any incipient leak, for the least aper
ture, if allowed to remain unstopped for a short time,
would, by the tremendous pressure from without, soon be
come a huge rent, through which the water would rush
with such fury as to defy all resistance. Doubtless, a
great calamity will happen here some day, but the inhabi-

2l6

TRA VELS OF GENERAL GRANT.

tants, born and reared there generation after generation
below the sea level, live as careless and merry as those
at the foot of Vesuvius and Etna.
The engineering work by which these lakes and sub
merged lands were pumped dry, after the dykes were
built, is something wonderful, as is the present effort to
drain its great inland sea.
The people are thrifty and neat, and take pride in their
cattle. The lands that have been reclaimed from the sea
are very rich and fertile, yielding abundant pasturage.
Apparently insignificant as Holland is in size, it has a
history of which it may be proud.
Grant did not stop on the way, but speeding on over
the monotonous level, at length reached the Hague, the
residence of the court. Here, as everywhere else, for
malities had to be gone through with and fetes given, to
show in what estimation the distinguished guest was held.
Among others, a grand review was got up — the last thing
he could wish, for the inside of a single farm-house would
have been a far more welcome spectacle. Prince Freder
ick, the king's uncle, has a superb country-seat a mile and
a half from the city, to which he invited General Grant, and
gave him an elaborate luncheon. The museum, in which
are many pictures of the great masters, was the chief
attraction to Grant here. That visited, there was not
much to delay him. Invitations came pouring in from
other cities, but he declined them, and having paid a visit
of ceremony to the court, he left for Rotterdam, where he
found that a great many Americans had taken up their
residence. Here was found the true Dutchman exhibit
ing both the phlegm and enterprise of the Dutch nation.
This famous seaport is triangular in shape, the longest
side being about a mile and a half, and is surrounded
with water, and intersected by canals large enough to re-

TRAVELS OF GENERAL GRANT.

217

ceive ships, so that it presents a complete intermingling of
masts and houses, much as New York would, if at inter
vals ship-canals were cut from the East to the North Rivers,
and filled with vessels. But to have these spanned with
draw-bridges, constandy cutting off foot-passengers and
vehicles, would not be borne as patiently by the Yankee
.as it is by the Dutchman.
The streets are quite picturesque, and where the old
houses are painted all sorts of bright colors, have an odd
look. Grant visited some of the churches, but lingered
the longest in the museum, famous for its fine col
lection of paintings. The burgomaster gave him a
grand dinner, in which the toasts and speeches abounded
with good feeling toward the United States. Grant and
the genuine Dutchman are alike in one thing which
should create a bond of sympathy between them — both
like to smoke much and talk little.
From here the journey to Amsterdam was a short one,
though it showed what the result would be if the Zuyder
Zee should once break through the barriers that shut it
out from all those fair farms and peaceful villages. The
ground on which the city stands is so low that most of the
houses are built on piles — the noble building, the Stadt
House, 282 feet along, standing on 13,659 piles. The
borders of the city on the land side form a large semi
circle. Within this are several smaller semicircles of
canals, one within the other, each growing shorter as they
open in the Amstel or Wye River. The leading mer
chants of the city gave the General a sumptuous dinner,
with the ever-monotonous yet ever-repeated toasts and
speeches, a fashion that will probably never grow old.
He examined with great interest the ship canal that con
nects Amsterdam directly with the North Sea. Before
this was built, vessels had to unload in order to enter the

2I0 TRAVELS OF GENERAL GRANT.
harbor. It is fifty miles long and over one hundred and
twenty-four feet broad at the surface. The high tides of
the sea supply it with water, so that its only locks are
tide-locks at each extremity. It is wide enough for two
frigates to pass each other. A grand collation was given
Grant on his visit, by one of the directors. A short trip was
made to Haarlem, and to the church of St. Bavon, where
one of the grandest organs in the world was played in
his honor, and then he started for Berlin.

TRAVELS OF GENERAL GRANT. 2Ig

CHAPTER IX.
BRANT AT BERLIN — CALLS ON GORTSCHAKOFF — THE EUROPEAN CONGRESS — CALLS
ON BISMARCK — THE INTERVIEW — A TALK ABOUT SHERIDAN — INTERCHANGE OF
VIEWS AB0U1 THE ATTEMPT TO ASSASSINATE THE EMPEROR — GRANT'S OPINION
OF COMMUNISM PRINCIPLES AND THE WAY HE WOULD DEAL WITH ASSASSINS 
DINNER OF THE AMERICAN MINISTER — REVIEW OF THE PRUSSIAN ARMY IN A
RAIN-STORM — GRANT'S OPINION OF THE BAYONET AS A WEAPON — LUNCH WITH
PRINCE HOHENZOLLERN — DINNER WITH BISMARCK — INTERESTING CONVERSA
TION.
GENERAL GRANT had given a fortnight to Hol
land, more time than he probably would, had it
not been for the attempt to assassinate the Em
peror of Germany and the consequent uncertainty for a
time whether the shock to his system would prove fatal.
When all danger was passed, he at once started for
Berlin, and reached it on the 26th of June. Mr. Taylor,
our minister, escorted him to the city, having gone sixty
miles to Stendahl to meet him. True to his plan of
travel, he, as he always did, when he could break away
from the ceremonies of a public reception, started off in
the evening for a quiet stroll among the people, who saw
in him only a common stranger. This course he pursued
every day while he stayed — now leisurely walking along
the great promenade Unterden-Linden, and now pene
trating to the remotest streets, to observe the manners
and customs, and learn the character of the common peo
ple, as they exhibited themselves in their every-day life.
He called on General Gortschakoff, because he was so ill
with the gout that he could not call on him.
The famous European Congress, on the affairs of Tur-

220

TRA VELS OF GENERAL GRANT.

key, was in session here at this time, with many of the
members of which he interchanged calls, as old acquaint
ances made in his travels in Europe. Among the first
callers was Prince Bismarck, who, not finding him in, left
his card, and called the second time with like ill-success.

EMPEROR OF GERMANY.

Grant then sent a note, saying that he would call on the
prince at any hour he would name. The latter appointed
that afternoon at four o'clock.
A few minutes before the time, Grant slowly sauntered
through the Frederick Place, and walked quietly into the

TRA VELS OF GENERAL GRANT.

221

court-yard of the palace. The sentinel had been told of his
expected arrival, and seeing the group of strangers, natu
rally inferred that he must be among them and presented
arms. But a look of astonishment was on his face when
he saw no carriage or liveried servants, only a plainly-
dressed and ordinary-looking man, walking leisurely
across the court-yard, smoking a cigar. Surely this can
not be the ex- President of the United States, and one of

INTERVIEW WITH PRINCE BISMARCK

the most renowned generals of the age. It was a new reve
lation to him. Grant carelessly threw away the stump of
his cigar as he answered the salute and advanced to the
door. Suddenly two servants fling open the door and
he passes into the spacious marble hall. The next mo
ment the renowned prince, who is really emperor of Ger
many, comes forward in a free and easy manner, with both

222 TRAVELS OF GENERAL GRANT.
hands extended to meet him. His hair is almost white, and
there is a look of weariness on his lion-like face, which
reveals in every line the sagacious, intrepid and right
kingly man. As he seizes Grant by the hand he says in
a frank, cordial tone, " Glad to welcome General Grant
to Germany." The latter replied, that nothing in his
German tour had given him so much pleasure as to meet
him. Bismarck said he was surprised to see him so
young a man, but on comparing their ages, it was found
that he was but seven years younger than the prince.
" This," remarked the latter, laughing, " shows the advan
tage of a military life, for here you have the frame of a
young man, while I feel like an old man." Grant smiled
and replied, that he had arrived at that period of life
when no greater compliment could be paid him than to
say he looked like a young man. By this time Bismarck
had led him to a chair yi his private study or library, that
looked out on a beautiful park. One of the first ques
tions of the prince was about General Sheridan, saying,
"the General and I were fellow-campaigners in France, and
we became great friends." Grant replied, that he had re
ceived letters from him recently, and* that he was quite well.
" Sheridan," said the prince, " seemed to be a man of
great ability." " Yes," answered Grant, " I regard Sheri
dan not only as one of the great soldiers of our war, but
as one of the great soldiers of the world — as a man who is
fit for the highest command No better general than Sheri
dan ever lived." " I observed," said Bismarck, " that he had
a wonderful quick eye. On one occasion, I remember, the
emperor and his staff took up a position to observe a
battle. The emperor himself was never near enough to
the front, was always impatient to be as near the fighting
as possible. 'Well,' said Sheridan to me as we rode.
along, ' we shall never stay here, the enemy will in a short

TRAVELS OF GENERAL GRANT. 22,
time make this so untenable that we shall all be leaving
in a hurry. Then while the men are advancing they will
see us retreating.' Sure enough, in an hour or so the
cannon-shot began to plunge this way and that way, and
we saw we must leave. It was difficult to move the em
peror, however ; but we all had to go, and," said the
prince, with a hearty laugh, " we went rapidly. Sheridan
had seen it from the beginning. I wish I had so quick
an eye."
The conversation then turned on the Congress in ses
sion in the city, when Bismarck remarked that he was
sorry his necessary attendance on it prevented him from
showing him around Berlin. He told him, also, that the
emperor was sorry that, he could not see him, as the
doctors had peremptorily forbidden him to see any one.
Grant expressed his regret that he could not have that
honor, but regretted still more the cause of it, and hoped
he would entirely recover. Bismarck remarked : " You
know he is a very old man." "That," replied Grant,
"adds to the horror one feels for the crime." Bismarck
then spoke of the emperor, his kindliness of heart, and
winning and generous disposition, expressing his wonder
that any one should desire to take his life. Grant said
it was the same with Lincoln — one of the kindest-hearted
men that ever lived, yet killed by an assassin, and added
that the influence which aimed at the emperor's life was
an influence that would destroy all government, all order,
all society, republics and empires.
" In America," he said, " some of our people are, as I
see from the papers, anxious about it. There is only one
way to deal with it, and that is by the severest methods.
I don't see why a man who commits a crime like this, a
crime that not only aims at an old man's life, a ruler's
life, but shocks the world, should not meet with the severest

224

TRA VELS OF GENERAL GRANT.

punishment. In fact," continued the General, "although
at home there is a strong sentiment against the death
penalty, and it is a sentiment which one naturally
respects, I am not sure but it should be made more severe
rather than less severe. Something is due to the

PRINCE VON OTTO BISMARCK.
offended as well as the offender, especially where the
offended is slain."
" That," said the prince, " is entirely my view. My con
victions are so strong that I resigned the government of
Alsace because I was required to commute sentences of

TRAVELS OF GENERAL GRANT. 22e
capital nature. I could not do it in justice to my con
science. You see, this kind old gentleman, that emperor
whom these very people have tried to kill, is so gentle
that he will never confirm a death sentence. Can you
think of anything so strange that a sovereign, whose ten
derness of heart has practically abolished the death pun
ishment, should be the victim of assassination, or
attempted assassination ? That is the fact. Well, I have
never agreed with the emperor on this point, and in
Alsace, when I found that as chancellor I had to approve
all commutations of the death sentence I resigned. In
Prussia that is the work of the minister of justice ; in Alsace,
it devolved upon me. I felt, as the French say, that some
thing was due to justice, and if crimes like these are
rampant they must be severely punished."
To which, Grant, in his usual quiet, undemonstrative
way, replied : " All you can do with such people is to kill
them." A sentiment to which, as Carlyle says, your
"rose-water" philosophy gentlemen will object, but one
to which every careful reader of history will say amen.
As was most natural, Bismarck assented to this, and
then remarked that the emperor was especially sorry
that he could not in person show General Grant a review,
and that the crown prince would give him one. " But,"
said the prince, "the old gentleman is so much of a
soldier and so fond of his army that nothing would give
him more pleasure than to display it to so great a soldier
as yourself."
Grant accepted the crown prince's invitation to a
review for next morning, but with a smile continued :
" The truth is, I am more of a farmer than a soldier. I
take little or no interest in military affairs, and although I
entered the army thirty-five years ago and have been in
two wars, in Mexico as a young lieutenant, and later, I

22g TRAVELS OF GENERAL GRANT.
never went into the army without regret and never re
tired without pleasure."
" You are so happily placed," said the prince, " in
America that you need fear no wars. What always
seemed so sad to me about your last great war was, that
you were fighting your own people. That is always sb-
terrible in wars, so very hard."
" But it had to be done," said the General.
" Yes," said the prince, " you had to save the Union
just as we had to save Germany."
" Not only to save the Union, but destroy slavery,"
answered the General.
" I suppose, however, the Union was the real senti
ment, the dominant sentiment," said the prince.
" In the beginning, yes," said the General ; " but as
soon as slavery fired upon the flag it was felt, we all felt,
even those who did not object to slaves, that slavery
must be destroyed. We felt that it was a stain to the
Union that men should be bought and sold like cattle."
Our Minister, Bayard Taylor, gave a public dinner to
Grant, at which the usual toasts and mutual compliments
were given, and was altogether a pleasant affair. But the
subsequent review of the Prussian army was not quite so
agreeable. It had been arranged to take place at half •
past seven in the morning. Unfortunately the day was;
ushered in with a pouring rain, and some one suggested
that it should be postponed. But Grant, though so
hoarse that he could scarcely speak, and totally unfit to
be exposed to such weather, would not hear of it, as. the
troops were already in motion.
The place selected was the Tempelhof, a large open
field outside of Berlin. When General Grant drove on
the ground in a palace carriage he was met by the
general commanding the Berlin troops, and a large staff.

TRAVELS OF GENERAL GRANT. 227
Ahorse was in waiting for him, but he was suffering so much
from a cold and chill, that he would not mount. The
rain kept pouring down while the wind swept in fierce
gusts over the field, driving it into the carriage of General
Grant with such fury, that he was in a short time com
pletely drenched. The brilliant pageant soon became
dismally sombre, and all wished it was well over, but
still cavalry, infantry and artillery moved on amid the
storm, while the bursts of music made miserable harmony
with the wild howl of the wind and the roar of the lashing
rain. A sham fight with all the movements of a real
batde, skirmish line, and flank attack was gone through
with amid the wildest shouts and cheers.
Grant complimented the troops, but said he questioned
very much whether in modern war the sabre or bayonet
was of much use, for they added to the weight which the
soldier had to carry, and so far impaired his efficiency.
He thought that pistols in the hands of the soldiers would
be far more effective than bayonets when they came to
close quarters. Major Ingil, who accompanied him, said
he could not agree with him, and cited instances in which
the bayonet had decided the victory. Grant replied that
was true, but the instances were- so rare that they could
not furnish a rule ; and, for his part, he would take away
the bayonet as so much useless weight, and let the sol
diers use the butt-end of their muskets instead.
After the sham fight there was a grand review, and the
dripping army, infantry, cavalry and artillery defiled be
fore Grant, who stood with uncovered head, the rain
beating pitilessly upon it. It was very beautiful and
grand, no doubt, but the rain destroyed the effect, and
both Grant and the soldiers were glad when each were
permitted to seek shelter from it.
They then drove to the military hospital, and aiter-

22g TRAVELS OF GENERAL GRANT.
wards to the quarters of a cavalry regiment, commanded
by the Prince of Hohenzollern, where lunch was served,
toasts drank and speeches made ; but, as they had to be
made through an interpreter, they lost much of their
point and interest.
The lunch over, Grant returned to his hotel, at which
Bismarck soon after called on him, when the former pre
sented him to his wife. The prince speaking English
well, a pleasant conversation followed, and at two o'clock
he took his leave, saying that he must go to the Congress.
The next day he invited General Grant and his wife to
dinner, where they met many distinguished guests. After
It was over all retired to an ante-chamber, overlooking a
beautiful park, and while Mrs. Grant and the princess
had a quiet tete-a-tete, Bismarck and Grant sat down by a
window together and had a long conversation, Grant, in
the meantime, puffing his cigar, while Bismarck betook
himself to his pipe, saying that the doctors had forbidden
him to smoke cigars.
The following sketch of this interview we quote entire
from the pen of a correspondent :
" If I had any skill in drawing, I should like to sketch
the scene between Grant and Bismarck. The chancellor
— I came near saying the old chancellor, but I was think
ing of his grave and wan face, and forgetting that he is a
young man, as chancellors go — had lying stretched before
him, one faithful friend, a black Danish dog of the hound
species. This dog has made a place for himself in the
affections of Berlin. He has full run of the palace, and
took as much pains as the prince to make himself agree
able to his guests. He and the prince are inseparable
companions, and there is a story that when Prince Gort
schakoff came one day to see Bismarck, the dog made an
anti-Russian demonstration against the Russian's legs.

TRAVELS OF GENERAL GRANT. 229
Arl Berlin laughed over the story, which is too good to
be denied. But on this occasion the Danish hound was
in the most gracious mood.
"The General and the prince talked mainly upon the
resources of the two countries. The contrast between
the two faces was a study ; for I take it, no two faces, of
this generation, at least, have been more widely drawn.
In expression, Bismarck has what might be called an
intense face, a moving, restless eye, that might flame in
an instant. His conversation is irregular, rapid and au
dacious, with gleams of humor, saying the oddest and frank
est things, and enjoying anything that amuses him so
much that frequently he will not, cannot finish the sen
tence for laughing. Grant, whose enjoyment of humor
is keen, never passes beyond a smile. In conversation
he -talks his theme directly out with care, avoiding no
detail, correcting himself if he slips in a detail, exceedingly
accurate in statement, and who always talks well, because
he never talks about what he does not know. You note,
in comparing the two faces, how much more youth there
is in that of Grant than of Bismarck. Grant's face was
tired enough a year ago, when he came here fresh from
that witches' dame of an Electoral Commission ; it had
that weary look which you see in Bismarck's, but it has
gone, and of the two men, you would certainly deem
Grant the junior by twenty years.
"Mr. Taylor, the American Minister, was evidently
impressed with the historical value of the meeting of
Grant and Bismark. He remembered a German custom
that you can never cement a friendship without a glass of
old-fashioned schnapps. There was a bottle of a famous
schnapps cordial among other bottles. I am afraid to
say how old it was, and the minister said, ' General, no
patriotic German will believe that there can ever be
3°

2-70 TRAVELS OF GENERAL GRANT.
lasting friendship between Germany and the United
States, unless yourself and the prince pledge eternal
amity between all Germans and Americans, over a glass
of this schnapps.' The prince laughed, and thanked the
minister for the suggestion. The schnapps was poured
out, the General and prince touched glasses, the vows
were exchanged in hearty fashion, and the prince, rising,
led Mrs Grant through the hall."
Perhaps there was no interview held by General Grant
with a distinguished public personage, so free from all
formality and restraint, as this. Mrs. Grant's intercourse
with Bismarck's wife was equally unrestrained.
Although the Congress being in session and many
distinguished personages were in the city, it did not seem
to lessen the attention paid to the great American. In
vitations were pressed upon him, many of which he was
compelled to decline. The Americans in the city, like
those in Paris, hoped to get up a grand Fourth of July
celebration, at which the presence of Grant would be
secured, and thus give it great eclat.

I I i

TRAVELS OF GENERAL GRANT. 2nX

CHAPTER X.
GRANT AT HAMBURG — THE CITY — WAITED UPON BY THE SENATE — A TRIP ON THK
ELBE — A QUIET FOURTH OF JULY DINNER — SPEECH OF GRANT — DINNER OF THK
MERCHANT PRINCES — ATTENDS THE RACES— COPENHAGEN — ENTHUSIASTIC RE
CEPTION AT GUTTENBERG — CHRISTIANIA — STRONG DRINK OF NORWAY AND SWE
DEN — A PRIMITIVE JOURNEY INTO THE NORTHERN COUNTRY — A JOLLY RIDE — .
PEASANT LIFE— INVITED BY KING OSCAR TO THE ROYAL PALACE — STOCKHOLM —
PEASANTS OF DALECARLIA.
BUT this was not to his taste, and he slipped down to
Hamburg, on the Elbe, and passed the day there in a
quiet, informal way. The distance from Berlin is
about one hundred and seventy miles and the road passes
through a rather uninteresting country. He reached Ham
burg on the 2d of July, and the entrance into the busy,
bustling, thriving town, with its omnibuses, and hacks, and
trucks, was like one into an American city. There was no
display here or formal ceremonies on his arrival, and he
drove to the consul's house and had a quiet dinner. Then
came the inevitable cigar and a stroll through the irregu
lar but perfectiy clean and orderly streets. Hamburg, it
is well known, was one of the free cities of the old Han-
seatic confederation, and is governed by four burgomasters
and twenty-four councilors, and, though belonging, to the
German Empire, still enjoys many of its ancient muni
cipal rights and privileges.
In the morning, a deputation from the senate waited on
General Grant and taking him in a small steamer showed
him the docks and basins, etc., of the harbor, and ran a
short distance up and down the Elbe. Although the trip

2,2 TRAVELS OF GENERAL GRANT.
was a pleasant one, much of its beauty was marred by
the low-lying clouds and the down-pouring rain. In the
evening, the senate gave him a dinner at the Zoological
Gardens, where the usual complimentary toasts were
given and speeches made.
The next day was the 4th of July, and early in the
morning a Prussian band serenaded the General at his
hotel. He afterward drove out to the country residence
of the vice-consul, and spent the afternoon in strolling
through the woods and talking with Americans who had
come out there to meet him and have a quiet dinner with
him at a country hotel near by. There was about thirty
guests in all, and it was a thoroughly American dinner
and enjoyed greatly by the General, who felt more at
home than he had for a long time. The consul, Mr.
Wilson, presided, and in giving the toast to Grant, spoke
of him as having saved the country. The latter replied
to it in the following happy manner :
" Mr. Consul and Friends : I am much obliged to you
for the kind manner in which you drink my health. I
share with you in all the pleasure and gratitude which
Americans so far from home should feel on this anniver
sary. But I must dissent from one remark of our consul,
to the effect that I saved the country during the recent
war. If our country could be saved or ruined by the
efforts of any one man we should not have a country, and
we should not be now celebrating our Fourth of July.
There are many men who would have done far better
than I did under the circumstances in which I found
myself during the war. If I had never held command -,
if I had fallen ; if all our generals had fallen, there were
ten thousand behind us who would have done our work
just as well, who would have followed the contest to the
end and never surrendered the Union. Therefore, it is 3

TRAVELS OF GENERAL GRANT. 2,,
mistake and a reflection upon the people to attribute to
me, or to any number of us who held high commands,
the salvation of the Union. We did our work as well
as we could, and so did hundreds of thousands of
others. We deserve no credit for it, for we should have
been unworthy of our country and of the American name
if we had not made every sacrifice to save the Union.
What saved the Union was the coming forward of the
young men of the nation. They came from their homes
and fields, as they did in the time of the Revolution, giving
everything to the country. To their devotion we owe the
salvation of the Union. The humblest soldier who car
ried a musket is entitled to as much credit for the results
of the war as those who were in command. So long as
our young men are animated by this spirit there will be
no fear for the Union."
Some dancing followed, and then he drove to the rail
way station, greeted with fire-works in the woods along
the route.
The next day, Baron Von Ohlendorf, one of the mer
chant princes of the city, gave him a luncheon, at which
the Prussian Minister was present, and the leading
wealthy merchants of Hamburg. Afterwards, much
against Grant's wishes, he was taken in a pouring rain to
see the races, but did not remain long, and returned to
his hotel.
There are some old, quaint buildings in Hamburg, but
nothing of particular interest to detain the traveler long.
The chief attraction is its clean, bright streets, and its
society, and mode of living, and general appearance, and
thrift of the place — evidently, a pleasant place to live in.
The next day Grant and his party left for Copenhagen,
noted for its fine squares, fine houses and handsome men
and women. Canals are here, as in Amsterdam and

2 , . TRA VELS OF GENERAL GRANT.
Hamburg, in the very heart of the city, in which vessels-
are moored. Situated on the Island of Zealand, it is sur
rounded by water. It is the capital of the smallest of the
European kingdoms, yet has a history equal in import
ance to the largest.
The genius of Thorwaldsen pervades Copenhagen, and
his works are seen in the churches, and in the museum
named after him, in which are gathered 300 of his works.
It has also large libraries, a splendid university, a fine
arsenal, and an ethnographic museum, in which are gath
ered antiquities of all ages, even those showing the cus
toms and manners of men living before history began.
The Palace of Fredericksberg; is an imposing building,
standing in the middle of a grand park, a short distance
from the city.
Grant, however, stayed here only long enough to get
a bird's-eye view of the people, and bidding his friends
a hearty adieu, took a steamer, and crossing the Callegat
Sound, entered the port of Gottenburg amid the waving
of flags from every ship and shallop in it. He had ex
pected to post on to Christiania, but the reception of this
once decayed but now thriving town of 40,000 souls was
so enthusiastic, that he was persuaded to stay over the
day and visit the various portions of the city and receive
the honors that were waiting to be paid him.
The next morning he started for Christiania, the capital
of Norway, and noticed with peculiar pleasure that the
peasants along the way had decorated their rural homes-
with flags, in expectation of his coming. Ten thousand
people were assembled on the quay to receive him, while
flags waved, and cheer after cheer from these hardy sons
of the North made the welkin ring. This was no formal
ceremonious reception by king or municipal authorities,
but the spontaneous greeting of the people. Grant was

TRA VELS OF GENERAL GRANT. 2 , ,-
taken by surprise by it, and even his imperturbable face
worked with the emotions that filled his heart.
Christiania is beautifully situated on the water, and this
day when the sky was clear, the air fresh, and white caps
were dancing over the glittering Fjord, presented a
charming appearance. The moment a man enters Nor
way, he enters a land of strong drink. It is a little sin
gular, that the farther you go toward the equator, the
milder the stimulating drinks that are used, and the
nearer you approach the Arctic regions, the stronger they
become. Here they drink before eating a fiery liquor
called corn brandy, to whet their appetites, and after it is
over, to digest their food, and enough of it to upset the
strongest American head, but the effects of which this
cold northern blood is able to resist. The people are
frugal and honest, and altogether a sturdy race. Modern
civilization and modern improvements have not wholly
removed the traits of the old Norsemen, Goths and
Huns, that once overrun and changed Southern Europe.
They do not change their customs easily, and heat their
houses to-day, as they did a long time ago, with porcelain
stoves, fed by pine and birch wood. The history of
Sweden and Norway are blended, and of great interest to
the student, but far too extended to be entered on here.
Charles XII and Gustavus Vasa are immortal names
in military history, while in daring explorations by sea
these northern nations took the lead. But Grant had
little time and inclination to trouble himself about the
past of these old Norsemen, he wanted to look on the
present. Of course there was more or less interest at
tached to the public building, library, university, etc., of
Christiania, but these were soon exhausted, and a project
entirely new, and which was to furnish one of the most
pleasant episodes in Grant's tour around the world, was

22,6

TRA VELS OF GENERAL GRANT.

here set on foot — nothing more or less than an inland
trip northward toward the land of the reindeer and the
Laps. Here there were no railroads or royal convey
ances, not even stage coaches. Up through the peasant
land, the rural districts, and over the rough and hilly
roads, the mode of traveling was primitive, and if Gen
eral Grant and his party wanted to get out of conven
tional life and see the Norseman in his -mountain home,
and picturesque valleys, and pastoral independent life,
he must betake himself to it, because on the route he pro
posed to take there were but two modes of conveyance,
or rather we should say, so far as comfort was concerned,
but one. This was essentially an American sulky — that is,
a clumsy, heavy one, with the seat sunk farther down
between the wheels than ours, a little frame behind
attached to the axle-tree for the baggage, that must not be
more than a good-sized hand trunk, on which a boy or
girl having charge of this one horse or pony could set,
and take care of it, sulky, team, and driver and all. There
is another mode of conveyance — something like an Eng
lish " seat-cart," which some of the travelers preferred —
for several Americans had joined the party — that is, pre
ferred for the first few miles only, and hence does not
need a description. A pony, not a horse, is attached to
these sulkies and the passenger drives. One can imagine
with such rattle-traps for conveyances, what a comical
spectacle Grant and his party presented as they started
on their northern inland tour. State ceremonies, royal
carriages, deafening salutes, dazzling equipages, stately
dinners, formal speeches and bands of music were
exchanged for a free, wild rattle-to-bang drive through
the country of Norway. It does not require any
stretch of the imagination to conceive the jolly appear
ance of this crowd of one-horse, or rather one-pony

TRA VELS OF GENERAL GRANT.

237

vehicles, scurrying over the hills and through the pic
turesque valleys of Norway. It was a merry, jolly ride, in
which there was racing and laughter, and jesting without
end. General Grant, in a low two-wheeled vehicle, drawn
by a small pony, with a little boy clinging like grim death
to the seat, behind him, and rattling at the rate of five
miles an hour over the stony roads, and up and down the
steep hills of Norway, was somewhat of a contrast to
the tame, dignified personage in Windsor Palace or
Bismarck's carriage, yet to him a most pleasant one.
It was thoroughly an American party, and altogether
formed a sort of helter-skelter caravan, as they scurried
through the country.
Here and there the party was known, as the news of
their journey had preceded them, and peasant girls were
dressed out in their gayest costumes, bringing mountain
strawberries and wild flowers to sell. In others, the men
and women, unconscious of the presence of distinguished
strangers, were busy at work in the fields — men and
women alike, with their scythes and rakes, gathering in
the fragrant hay. Rugged mountains, with here and there
an opening between, revealing the sparkling waves of the
North Sea, came and went, their bare, solemn tops
contrasting strangely with the waving fields at their base,
while over all bent the clear Northern summer sky, and
all around was the fresh and invigorating air. Past the
rude dwellings of the peasants, past quiet hamlets and
rustic churches, with their simple graveyards, the party
sped on, enjoying every mile and every hour of this new,
fresh life.
To Grant, wearied with formal receptions, ceremonies,
dinners and monotonous reviews, it was like an escapade
from school. He would like to have gone on in this ex
hilarating atmosphere, with this fresh life about him,

2->3 TRAVELS OF GENERAL GRANT.
to the land of the Laps and the reindeer, but he had,
with military precision, mapped out his journey and fixed
the time for his arrival in St. Petersburg, and so was
compelled to turn about and direct his course back to
Christiania. Norway is a great resort for English sportsmen, espe
cially for those who like salmon-fishing, and Grant en
countered many of these, who invited him to join them,
but he declined, knowing as little about fishing as he did
about music.
King Oscar invited him to the royal palace, and those
formal visits of ceremony which had come to be as
regular as a bill of fare at a restaurant, were gone through
with, and then he started by rail for Stockholm, the capi
tal of Sweden. All along the route it was known that
General Grant was on board, and hence everywhere
there were displays of flags, and in some of the villages
triumphal arches, bearing on them, " Welcome to General
Grant," while the country people thronged the depots to
get a glimpse of the great American chieftain.
It was night, even in these long days of this northern
latitude, before the train reached the capital, for they do
not run here with lightning-like speed as they do in
America and England. But the road being superbly laid
and the cars admirably fitted up for comfort, this could
be dispensed with, especially as it gave the General a
better opportunity to see the country through which they
passed. The city, handsome in itself, appears still more
beautiful from its situation on three islands, or, perhaps,
more accurately stated, with its suburbs on seven, which
rise irregularly from the water. Built like Venice, on the
water, it is connected by a great number of bridges.
Looking clown on it from the higher grounds, land and
water are blent and tall ships are seen sailing among

TRAVELS OF GENERAL GRANT. 2\a
church spires and houses, while, in the distance, mountain
summits roll along the sky, furnishing a grand back
ground to the whole. A busy population throng the
streets, and one is struck with the number of beautiful
women and their graceful walk. Stockholm has its
palaces, museums, libraries, etc., which interest more or
less the traveler. In the National Museum are many
relics that stir the heart with the memories they awaken,
and among them the blood-stained clothes of the great
Gustavus Adolphus, which he wore on the fatal field of
Lutzen, and the hat of Charles XII, which he wore
at Frederickshall when, as he was leaning against a
parapet, a cannon-ball crashed through his head. They
found him dead in the same position in which he was
standing when the ball struck him — his hand on his
sword. The royal palace, with its lower portion of pol
ished granite, and its upper of brick, stuccoed, is a superb
structure and is considered second to none in Europe,
unless it is Versailles. One of the sights peculiar to
Stockholm is the women from Dalecarlia, who come down
from their mountain homes to earn money for a future
dowry, when they shall return to their native villages to
be married. Like the peasantry in the Neapolitan king
dom, they delight in costumes of various bright colors—
a scarlet petticoat, green or blue jacket, red stockings,
and some coquettish head-dress. In Italy, however, they
present a more picturesque appearance than here,,as they
work in the green fields between the rows of grain, while
in Stockholm they do the common work of men in the
streets, even mixing mortar, turning themselves into hod-
carriers tending the masons on the houses. The king
extended to Grant royal hospitalities, and everything was
done to make his short stay in the capital pleasant. He,
however, soon exhausted its special objects of interest

J' 2 ,0 TRA VELS OF GENERAL GRANT.
and took boat for St. Petersburg, 400 miles distant across
the Baltic. As the boat entered Cronstadt, the forts that
frown about it thundered forth a salute, while the vessels

PRINCE GORTSCHAKOFF.

of war hung out their flags. The reception on shore was
short, and then Grant and his party embarked on board
a steamboat and steamed up the Neva to St. Petersburg,

TRA VELS OF GENERAL GRANT 2 . j
one of the grandest cities of Europe. On their arrival,
they were met by our minister, Mr. Stoughton, and soon
after Prince Gortschakoff and other officers of the court
called on him and welcomed him in the name of the emper
or, and fixed an audience with the latter for the next day.
At the appointed hour Grant drove to the palace, and
was received by the emperor with great cordiality, who
conversed some time with his guest, and seemed particu
larly interested in our Indians, both as to their treatment
by the Government, and their probable destiny. The
interview being ended, the emperor accompanied Gen
eral Grant to the door, and spoke of the friendly rela
tions that had always existed between Russia and
America, adding, "and as long as I live nothing shall be
spared to continue this friendship." Grant replied in
suitable terms, saying, that although the two Govern
ments were unlike, the American people were in sympa
thy with Russia, and he trusted always would be.
The Grand Duke Alexis called on him, notwithstanding
the slight the newspapers pretended the President put on
him when in this country, and inquired about the manner
of Custer's death, whom he knew and admired. The
longest interview was with Prince Gortschakoff, the two
chatting and smoking together like old acquaintances,
discussing European and American politics by turns, the
General giving him much new information about the
latter. It is a little singular, that the greatest despotism
on earth, and the greatest republic, should be on more
cordial terms of friendship with each other than with
those countries most like them in their political systems.
Gortschakoff is now over eighty years old, a time of life
when an American disappears from public affairs, and yet
his mind is keen and active as that of Bismarck's himself.
St. Petersburg, as we said, is a magnificent city, with the

242

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Neva running through it and supplying it with pure water.
' Both banks are lined with palaces, and churches, and
towers glittering with gold, and beautiful gardens. The
imperial gardens are on its banks, from which you have
an extended view of the stream winding through this
gorgeous frame-work. It is vain to attempt to describe
the beauty and grandeur that meets one as he walks the
spacious streets. The most splendid churches are St. Isaac's
and our Lady of Kazan — the latter, which is dedicated to
the great Russian saint, is a massive structure, its nave
and cupola resting on fifty-six granite columns, with
bronze capitals. The floor is of different kinds of mar
ble, the steps to the choir of porphyry, with a silver balus
trade. There is not space to speak of the towers of the
admiralty, and of the fortress covered with plates of pure
gold. The- Winter Palace of the emperor is an imposing
pile of buildings, with its suites of halls filled with
marbles, precious stones, pictures and works of art.
Some idea of this most magnificent palace in the world
may be formed when it is remembered that in the winter
it is occupied by 6,ooc people belonging to the emperor's
household. Adjoining it, and connected by galleries, is
the Hermitage, built by Catherine as a place to retire
from public business, and where in the coldest weather
reigns perpetual spring. We will not attempt tc describe
"the marble palace," nor that of Prince Labanoff, nof Alex
ander's obelisks and the equestrian statue of Peter the
Great which adorn its open squares, nor the public institu
tions, theatres, etc. The drosky, the cab of St. Petersburg,
is one of the distinguishing features of the city, and is
seen at every turn, those of the officers going at Jehu
speed along the streets.
The emperor placed his yacht at Grant's disposal, and
he made a trip in it to Peterhof, some fifteen miles out of

2 , , TRAVELS OF GENERAL GRANT.
the city, which bears the same relation to St. Petersburg
that Versailles does to Paris. But the description of
palaces becomes as monotonous and wearisome as see-.
ing them. They differ very little from each other, ex
cept in the amount of wealth lavished upon them — use
less as residences — mere monuments of kingly- extrava
gance, built out of the- money rung by taxes from the
toiling millions. When one remembers how much deprA
vation and want these costly piles have produced, and'
goes from their gilded halls to the pinched, hard-working
masses, he does not wonder at Communism or Nihilism,
and feels that some day the oppressed and suffering mil
lions will make a bonfire of them. A visit was made to
the Russian man-of-war, " Peter the Great," and Grant
was received with a salute of twenty-one guns, while the
band struck up national airs. He then kept on down the
beautiful Neva to Cronstadt and sailed through the
Russian fleet. Each vessel, as he approached, run up the
Stars and Stripes — the sailors manned the yards till the
rigging was black with men, sending cheer after cheer
over the water. It was a spirited, animated scene. This
magnificent city with its palaces and churches, is built on
a swamp ; its very foundations, like those of Cairo, being
brought from a distance. Of course, it is fiat and the
spacious streets run on a dead level. Nevskoi Prospekt
is Broadway and Fifth Avenue combined — elegant shops
and palatial residences succeeding each other, while the
sidewalks are thronged with fashionable ladies and
gentlemen. General Grant enjoyed his drives through
the capital more than his visits to palaces. But the
English quay is the fashionable part of St. Petersburg,"]
and here the houses resemble palaces. It is a very
religious city, if one can judge by the number of churches
and the worshipers that throng them, and though the

TRAVELS OF GENERAL GRANT.
a- A

247

248

TRA VELS OF GENERAL GRANT.

national religion is Greek, there are vast numbers of Jews,
Mohammedans and Christians in it. St. Petersburg, how
ever, to be seen in all its glory, should be visited in
winter when the Neva is frozen over and sledges with
costly robes fill the streets. Having seen the finest
churches, and visited its chief public buildings, and enjoyed
the hospitality of the city, Grant bade his many friends
adieu and started for Moscow, lying some four hundred
miles distant almost in a straight line.
The railroad between St. Petersburg and Moscow

RUSSIAN POST-HOUSE.

was built by two American engineers, named Winans
and Wilson. They laid it out at first as they would one
in this country, so as to take in the principal places on
the way, for the double purpose of benefiting the people
and increasing the traffic. But, when the plan was shown
the emperor, he drew a straight line between the two
cities, and said: "Lay out the road on that line," and
they did so. Cuts, and chasms, and hills were of no ac
count to the imperial will.
This single anecdote illustrates strikingly the difference

TRA VELS OF GENERAL GRANT.

249

' between a republic and a despotism. In the former, a road
is built to accommodate the people, in the latter to please
the monarch. The road is well built and admirably
equipped, but it runs through a desolate, forbidding
country, where the larch and the birch-trees alternating,
are the most conspicuous objects on the vast plains. The
rate of speed is fixed at thirty miles an hour, so that the
running time from St. Petersburg to Moscow is but little
over thirteen hours ;
yet it was ordered
that, including stop
pages, twenty hours
should be allowed for
the train that carried
General Grant, thus
allowing some seven
hours to rest and eat.
What would the
Americans say, if five
hours were allowed
forstoppages between
Albany and Buffalo ;
and, yet, who will as
sert that the Russian
mode of traveling is
notmore sensible than
ours. There the train
waits for the passengers to take a quiet breakfast and
dinner without hurry or # anxiety, and they are made.
thoroughly comfortable. Here a man stows away his
food a good deal as a farmer loads his hay-cart in a
thunder-storm, and thus injures his health, and loses the
pleasure of a quiet dinner and the comfort of good diges
tion.

RUSSIAN PEASANTS.

TRA VELS OF GENERAL GRANT..
25O The country presented a striking contrast to one stretch
ing between two great cities in this country, and resembled
a prairie more than anything else. The condition of the
ignorant, stolid peasantry seems but little improved by
their emancipation from serfdom. The women do most
of the work in the fields, keeping up a low chant as they
toil at the scanty crop, and present a sorry contrast to
the magnificent palaces of the capital.
The stations are about the only comfortable-looking

VIEW OF THE KREMLIN.

buildings on the road till you get near Moscow, where
the country becomes thickly populated, and cottages, and
gardens, and pleasure-grounds enliven the landscape. A
crowd at the depot awaited the train, and greeted its
arrival with cheers, while officials pressed forward to pay
their respects to the distinguished traveler.
This ancient capital is built on a spacious plan, gardens
and grounds separating the houses, which resemble cot
tages, from out of which in the centre of the city rises the
towers of the world-renowned Kremlin. As one looks

TRA VELS OF GENERAL GRANT. 2 - j
at this pleasant, well-built city, the mind involuntarily
turns back to the memorable year of 1812, when Napo
leon entered it with 1 50,000 men, and took up his abode
in this stately pile, only to be soon driven out by the all-
devouring flames, and recalls the sublimity and terror of
that great sacrifice by which the people arrested the con
queror and turned his victory into the most disastrous
defeat the world has ever witnessed.
As he stood, on that terrible night three miles off, in a
building whose walls and windows were so hot from the
wild conflagration that he could not bear his hands on
them, he saw his army and his empire fading from view.
Here he was to winter, and then march on the Russian
capital, but now, advance was impossible, with winter so
near, and retreat only was left, but what a retreat ! What
a picture it was that this mighty genius was looking at
that night, through the hot windows on the conflagra
tion that was in the end to wrap and engulf his fortunes.
Still the awful destiny which this sublime act of self-
sacrifice involved, could not make the victor forget the
grandeur of the scene, and he says : " It was the spectacle of
a sea and billows of fire, and sky, and clouds of flame,
mountains of red, rolling flame, like immense waves of the
sea, alternately bursting forth and elevating themselves to
skies of fire, and then sinking into oceans of flame below.
Oh! it was the most grand, the most sublime, the most
terrific sight the world ever beheld!'
The mighty army of 600,000 men that had crossed the
Nieman, a few months before, disappeared like the mist
of the morning, and the star of Napoleon's destiny, that
no cloud could dim, sunk to gleam but once more before
it disappeared forever. Amid the devastating flame that
laid Moscow in ashes, the Kremlin stood unmoved.
The attempt to blow it up, when it was seen the fire had

252

TRAVELS OF GENERAL GRANT.

spared it, proved abortive, and it stands to-day, nearly all
there is remaining of Moscow's ancient greatness, though
in nine years after the city's destruction all signs of her
misfortune had disappeared. This citadel embraces about
two miles in circumference, and within its wall are palaces,
cathedrals and churches, the arsenal and treasury, mon
asteries, museums and buildings of various kinds, the
attempt to describe which, only bewilders one. But the
crowning glory is the Tower of Ivan Veliki, 250 feet
high, with its forty bells of various sizes that fill, when set
going, the surrounding country with their clang.
The largest weighs sixty tons, but vast as are its
dimensions, it is a mere steamboat bell, compared to the
one standing at the foot of the tower, on which it once
swung, and with its iron tongue spoke with a voice that
made the massive structure tremble. Its supports having
been burned away by a fire, it fell to the earth and was
cracked, so that its thunderous tone will be no more
heard. It remained buried in the earth where it fell a
hundred years, and then was raised and placed on a
granite pedestal, the monarch of all bells that ever were
cast. It is over twenty-five feet high and sixty-seven feet
in. circumference, and weighs 400,000 pounds, and is now
used as a chapel. What it must have cost, one can
imagine when it is stated that the mere material alone
of which it is made is worth nearly $2,000,000.
From the top of the Kremlin 160 cupolas and towers
can be counted. In the arch of the St. Nicholas gate is
a picture of St. Nicholas, which is said to possess miracu
lous power. Princes and peasants alike take off their
hats as they pass under it, and so must you.
On the principal street of the city, and along it, are the
finest buildings and shops, and the palaces of the nobility.
The promenades and drives are fine. The carriage most

TRA VELS OF GENERAL GRANT. 2c?
used is a four-wheeled wagon, without springs, to which
a horse is hitched in shafts, with one horse on each side
of him. Over the middle one is a high yoke, to which
bells are attached. The horse in the shafts trots, making
the bells jingle, while the outside ones gallop.
The Chinese town, as it is called, is a vast expanse of
shops, the owners of which usually seem more interested
in a game of draughts than in selling goods.
The four days that Grant had given to Moscow passed
pleasantly. A drive to the emperor's villa, at Sparrow
Hill, from which you see the city spread out like a pano
rama, and strolling through the markets, and visiting
churches, and watching the daily flow of life through the
streets, filled up all the short time he had to spare. He
now started for Warsaw, the capital of Poland that was.
The distance is 6<5o miles, but the road goes through an
uninteresting country, save that it presented, with its
hamlets, and houses, and people, a new phase of life.
Hardly halting here, he kept on to Vienna, where he
arrived at night, on the 18th of August, and found all
the members of the embassy and many American citizens
waiting at the station to receive him.
The next day, Count Andrassy, the First Minister of
the Council, with many leading men, met him by appoint
ment at the American Legation. In the evening he
dined with the count, and on the 20th had an audience
with the king, at the Palace of Schoenbrunn, and on the
following day, with his wife, dined with him and the em
press. The next day the American minister gave a
diplomatic dinner, which was attended by all the minis
ters of foreign nations, and was followed in the evening
by a grand ball.
Vienna is a fresh, bright city, with magnificent streets,
lined with as splendid stores as those of Paris. The

2-4 TRAVELS OF GENERAL GRANT.
Stephenplatz was visited, where are the Church of St.
Stephen's and the Archbishop's Palace. The bell of the
Cathedral was cast from 180 cannon, taken from the
Turks, and weighs 40,000 pounds. Half way up the
tower a watchman always stands with a telescope in his
hand, to give the alarm of fire. From the top a superb
view of the city is had. Palaces and churches, museums
of natural history, and imperial royal picture gallery and
arsenal, by turns received Grant's attention. The pic
ture gallery is very extensive, and contains many paint
ings by the great masters.
The environs of the city furnish also many attractions,
•among others Baden, fourteen miles distant, famous for
its baths, which Grant visited. So many invitations were
¦showered on him here that he overstayed the time which
he had allotted to his visit, and for once" he ordered a halt
in his military march through Europe. It was short,
however, and he was soon off for Munich, called the
Athens of Germany. It is a quaint-looking city, priding
itself chiefly on its magnificent street, called the Ludwig
Strasse, and its famous beer, of which, in Bavaria, there
are 10,000 manufacturers, in a population of less than
5,000,000. Ten thousand breweries in New York would
be considered a rather large allowance by the temperance
people of the State, yet you may here travel for days and
not see a tipsy man.
Munich contains many monuments, chief of which is
the bronze statue of Bavaria, sixty feet high, and stand
ing on a granite pedestal thirty feet#high. Its public
library, next to that of Paris, is the largest in the world,
containing 800,000 volumes and 33,000 manuscripts, be
sides 300,000 engravings. Munich is a fine city, and, with
the exception of Florence and Madrid, contains the finest
collection of works of art in the world.

TRAVELS OF GENERAL GRANT. 255
Bound for Switzerland, Grant stopped only long
enough to get a general impression of it, and kept on to
Augsburg, and thence to Ulm, where Mack, in 1805, sur
rendered the entire army to Napoleon. Halleck com
pared Grant's Vicksburg campaign to this one of
Napoleon's against Ulm, but we see only small resem
blance. It was more like that great commander's first
Italian campaign.
At last they reached Schaffhausen, where Grant had
(been before, and so made no stay, but crossing this por
tion of Switzerland, entered - AA§l ^tA=^
France near Besancon, noted
for its watches. At the close
of the third day he reached
Lyons, known chiefly for its
silk manufactories. Long
•columns of black smoke
rising from tall chimneys
told them before they reached
it, of St. Etienne, the Sheffield wine-press.
of France, and was the first great French manufacturing
town Grant had ever visited. A short halt was made at.
the Vichy Springs, and then the party sped on through
various towns, making a short stop at Perigueux, where
monuments are erected to Fenelon and Montaigne.
There was not much, however, to interest the traveler
on this route, until they reached the wine country, on
their way to Bordeaux. Rich cultivated fields, green
Hl-tops crowned with vineyards', happy-looking homes)
gay parties dancing on the village green in their light
costumes, on some fete, came and went in bright succession,
making the journey one of the most pleasant and agree
able he had yet taken. Like the peasants of Naples, the
country people delight in costumes in which caps, and

256

TRA VELS OF GENERAL GRANT.

bodices, and skirts are all of different colors, and present
a gay appearance as they contrast with the green foliage
of the vineyards, amid which they chatter and laugh as
though they had never heard of care. It takes about
fifteen men and women together, to tend two and a half
acres of vineyard, and bring the grapes to the press and
prepare the wine. The pressing is very like that of an
old-fashioned cider-press in our country. Everywhere
wine was urged on our travelers, always accompanied
with the declaration that it was harmless as water, and if
Grant had sampled all that he v was asked to, he would
have been a second Bacchus, before he reached Bordeaux.
This city is situated on the Garonne, which is here 2,600
feet broad, and sixty feet deep, and lined with quays,
three miles long. It is famous for its wines, of which,
England and Russia take the greater part of the best
quality ; Paris and Holland the second and third, and the
United States, the third and fourth and fifth qualities,
though the latter gets some of the best. Grant visited
the vast wine-cellars and brandy store-houses, with much
interest. There are some fine churches in Bordeaux,
and the Exchange, Archiepiscopal Palace and theatres
are good specimens of modern style of architecture. The
inhabitants are very proud of their principal street, the
Chapeaux Rouge. The hospitalities of the city were
enjoyed by General Grant, but he could not prolong his
stay, for a letter reached him here from King Alfonso of
Spain, inviting him to make him a visit.

TRA VELS OF GENERAL GRANT.

257

CHAPTER XI.
(RANT STARTS FOR SPAIN — BIARRITZ — SAN SEBASTIAN — TOLOSA — JOURNEY TO VIT
TORIA— INTERVIEW WITH CASTELAR — VITTORIA — INTERVIEW WITH THE KING—
A FRANK CONVERSATION — APPROACH TO MADRID — THE ROYAL PALACE; — THE
ESCURIAL — GRANT WITNESSES THE ATTEMPT TO ASSASSINATE ALFONSO— PORTUGAL
—THE ROYAL FAMILY — THE KING'S FATHER'S SECOND WIFE A BOSTONIAN LADY —
INTERVIEW WITH THE KING — VISITS DON FERNANDO'S PALACE AT CINTRA — THE
KINO AN AUTHOR — OFFERS GRANT THE GRAND CROSS OF THE TOWER, AND SWORD
OF CORDOVA — ITS GREAT'CATHEDRAL — SEVILLE — ITS GAY PEOPLE — THEIR LOOSE
MORALS — THE ALCAZAR — GOVERNMENT TOBACCO FACTORY — A CONTRAST — THE
EXCHANGE — THE CATHEDRAL — SHERRY WINE — CADIZ — ITS BEAUTIFUL WOMEN —
GIBRALTAR — LORD NAPIER'S HOSPITALITY — REVIEW OF TROOPS — GIBRALTAR AS
THE KEY TO THE MEDITERRANEAN — VISITS PAU — ASKED TO TAKE PART IN A FOX
HUNT — A PUBLIC DINNER — RETURNS TO ENGLAND — VISITS IRELAND — RECEPTION
AT DUBLIN — GIVEN THE FREEDOM OF THE CITY — A GRAND BANQUET — GRANT'S
SPEECH — INSOLENCE OF CORK — VISITS DERBY — ENTHUSIASM OF THE PEOPLE —
VISITS BELFAST — HIS RECEPTION — SEES BUT ONE SIDE OF IRELAND.
HE started immediately, stopping on his way at
Biarritz, beautifully situated on the Bay of Bis
cay. It is famous chiefly for having been chosen
by the late French emperor as a seaside residence, and
where he built him a house. It was a favorite resort of
Eugenie in her girlish days, and the place was selected
to please her. The quaint costumes of the people and
their peculiar habits interested Grant more than anything
else in his short stop.
As the train, next day, drew up to the station at Iran,
just over the borders, draped with flags, a general of the
king met Grant and welcomed him in the name of His
Majesty, saying that he was directed by him to place a
special carriage at his disposal. It was accepted with
thanks, and the train kept on to San Sebastian, whose

258

TRA VELS OF GENERAL GRANT.

walls have again and again been reddened with human
blood during the Napoleonic wars. Here Grant was
presented to the town officials, and then sped on toward
Tolosa. As he approached the station, a squad of sol
diers presented arms, and then the train kept on, winding
in and out among the hills. At length it left the defiles
through which it had crept its way, and skirting the side
of a great hill, with the peaks of the Pyrenees in full view,
passed the summit, and dashing down the farther side,
exchanged the wild scenery of the mountains for smiling
villages and cultivated fields that stretch on to Vittoria.
At a station near the city Grant was waited upon by
several officers of high rank, sent to conduct him to the
king, who was several miles in advance, at Vittoria. Al
fonso solved the vexed question respecting the rank and
character in which Grant should be received, by directing
that he should be received as a captain-general of the
Spanish army. The latter, hearing that ex-President
Castelar was on the platform, about to start for San Se
bastian, sent word that he would like to know him. Cas
telar came at once, and a short, but interesting conversa
tion followed. The former thanked him for his friendship
for the United States and his noble sympathy with the
North during the rebellion, and said there was no man in
Spain he was more desirous of seeing. His short presi
dency of Spain was a stormy one, but by his firm hand
and masterly eloquence, maintained the integrity of the
Spanish Government, though he had not the sympathy of
a European nation, and was confronted by both Carlism
and Communists north and south. With a promise to
see each other again at Madrid, the two ex-presidents
parted, and the trains sped onward.
As the party entered Vittoria, a rain was falling, but
the town having been turned into a camp, the whole

TRA VELS OF GENERAL GRANT.

259

space in front of the hotel at which Grant put up was filled
with booths and alive with dealers, mostly women in quaint
basque costumes. All the officials were ready to receive
him, who informed him that the king would see him next
morning. Accordingly, the next morning he entered the
modest little palace, where His Majesty resided when in
the place, and was escorted into an ante-room filled with
officers of high grade, and then passed into a library,
where the king awaited him.
As he advanced to greet him, Grant saw before him a
fair-faced youth, only twenty years of age, with a downy
mustache and a frank, open, almost boyish way with
him. Yet withal, there was a certain dignity in his man
ner as he led Grant to a seat, and said how glad he was
to see him, and that he felt honored that he should come
to Vittoria, as otherwise he would have missed his visit.
He had read all about him he said, both as a great Gene
ral and President, and admired him greatly and had been
very curious to see him. Grant expressed his thanks,
complimented him in turn, and spoke of the sympathy the
death of his wife created 'in America. The king said he
had seen this in the American newspapers, and had been
deeply touched by it. His marriage, he said, had been
one of love entirely, for he and the queen had been en
gaged ever since he was fifteen years old. They had
been very happy together, and she had helped him bear
the burdens of his kingly office, which were extremely
irksome to him. Grant replied that the eight years of
his Presidency had been the most harassing and weary
ones of his whole life. The young king said, while his
wife lived, he found in her a solace to all his cares, but
now as she was gone, his only comfort and relief was to
be actively engaged the whole time in labor. The inter
view was characterized by the utmost frankness on tlje

26o TRAVELS OF GENERAL GRANT.
part of the young king, who seemed glad to find one to
whom he could open his whole heart. The fair-browed
youth of twenty and the gray veteran of fifty-six, pre
sented a striking contrast, yet a pleasing picture, as they
sat side by side in that home-like library.
From Vittoria Grant went direct to Madrid, the ap
proach to which is forbidding and gloomy. Being situ
ated on a high, barren plain destitute of trees, its suburbs
have a dreary, desolate look. Among its objects of
interest is the royal palace, an immense pile of buildings,
470 feet square, and 100 feet high, and occupying, with
its gardens, nearly eighty acres. Its ceilings are magni
ficently frescoed, and the throne-room is gorgeous.
Adjoining it, is the royal coach-house, containing 125
carriages of every size, pattern and color, from Queen
Joan's carved carriage, 350 years old, to the trotting
wagon of New York. On the southern side is the
armory, the most interesting one in the world. But the
only real great attraction is the royal picture gallery,
500 feet long. The catalogue alone, of all the great
paintings gathered here, amazes one, while it would take
weeks to see them properly. Many of its public build
ings and palaces are very fine, but its public promenade
will not compare with Central Park. Mr. Lowell, our
minister, gave General Grant the usual public dinner.
He visited the "eighth wonder of the world," the Escurial
Palace, which takes about an hour and a half to reach,
over a rough, stony road. It was built by Philip II, for
a convent, but was occupied by him as a palace till his
death. It cannot be described, one can only say it is 700
feet long and 564 broad, and built of solid granite, and
took twenty years to finish it. It stands on an eminence
2,700 feet above the level of the sea, commanding a wide
prospect. The chapel is plain, solemn and sombre, 325

TRAVELS OF GENERAL GRANT. 2 6 1
feet long, 270 feet wide and 330 high. The royal tomb
is gorgeous deyond description. You descend to it by
marble steps, while the walls beside you and the ceiling
above you are jasper. The walls surrounding the tomb,
which is thirty-eight feet high, are of jasper, porphyry and
precious marbles. The four rooms which used to be
¦occupied by Queen Isabella, in summer, though small,
cost a million and a half of dollars. After wandering
through it and mounting to the top for the wonderful view
it commands, Grant returned to Madrid.
A day or two after occurred the most noticeable inci
dent of his visit— «-the attempted assassination of the king
while a royal procession was passing through the city.
Grant was standing, at the time, at the window of his
hotel, looking across the great plaza, watching the pro
gress of the cavalcade, when he saw the smoke of a pistol
in the crowd and the confusion that followed as soon as
it was learned that the king had been fired at. He had
already booked himself for Lisbon by the night train
which left at seven o'clock, and hence could not in person
present his congratulations to the king on his narrow es
cape, and express that sympathy which he felt. But to
the minister of state, Sehor Silvera, who, notwithstanding
the excitement attending the attempt to assassinate the
king, with true Castillian courtesy accompanied him to
the railway station, he expressed his regrets that he could
not call in person on the king, but requested him to con
vey to him his sincere congratulations that he had es
caped the assassin's bullet. He then entered the train
and sped off for Portugal.
The king, Don Luis, is forty years old, and is second
cousin to the Prince of Wales, while the queen is the
youngest sister of the king of Italy. His father's second
wife was a Bostonian lady, and though her marriage with

262 TRAVELS OF GENERAL GRANT.
the royal family was not recognized, she is treated with
great honor. She was a singer and came to sing in Lis
bon, where Don Fernando fell in love with her and mar
ried her. She is called the Countess d'Edla, and is
much respected by all. She escorted Grant through the
halls of the palace and seemed exceedingly gratified that
she could pay such attention to one of her own country
men. The king, on learning that General Grant had arrived
in Lisbon, came to the city to meet him, and at once gave
him and his wife an audience at the palace. The king,
after greeting the General in the splendid audience
chamber, led him into an inner apartment, away from
the ministers and courtiers who were in attendance on
the ceremony. They had a long conversation relative
to Portugal and the United States, the resources of the
two countries and the means to promote the commercial
relations between them. The next evening there was
a dinner at the palace in honor of the General, the minis
ters and the leading men of the court being in attendance.
The king conversed with the General about other themes,
and wanted him to go with him and shoot. It seems the
king is a famous shot. But the General's arrangements
left him no time to accept this courtesy.
Lisbon is not a very attractive place, though it has a
superb situation. It stands on several low hills, almost
every one of which is crowned with a convent or church
that looks like a palace, while the cathedral, of Moorish
architecture, is well worth a visit. It has some fine
squares and streets, though, as a rule, the latter are nar
row, crooked and dirty.
Don Fernando talked to Grant about California and
the Pacific coast, and said he should like to visit it, and
finally gave him a warm invitation to visit his palace at

TRA VELS OF GENERAL GRANT.

263

Cintra, some fifteen miles from Lisbon. He gladly ac
cepted it, for it is one of the sights especially worth see
ing in Portugal, while the drive to it is delightful. The
interior of the palace is not unlike that of many others,
but the outside effect, and the view from the top are
wonderful. It is built on the summit of a rocky, isolated
hill, 3,000 feet high. From its base, the descent to the
village is gradual, and passes all the way through exquis
ite gardens. On the other side you look from the dizzy
height, almost sheer down to trees and rocks piled at the
bottom in chaotic confusion. Beyond, the chasm slopes
up green, rich fields, while beyond lie the Torres Vedras,
and still farther is the blue sea, stretching away till it
melts in the distant horizon. The Tagus winds at your
feet toward the ocean, through forests and hills, while
palaces, and fields, and gardens dot the landscape.
Having feasted on this glorious landscape, Grant
and his party mounted their donkeys, and rode through
the woods and gardens, to Montserrat, where the
Englishman, Beckford, built a magnificent chateau, but
which is now owned by a wealthy English merchant
named Cook. The grounds are unequaled, and the view
from the chateau almost as fine as that from Cintra.
The old Alhambra of the Moors also claimed a visit.
All day long Grant and his party wandered amid the
beauty of the place, strolled through the village, and finally,
tired and hungry, sat down to dinner at a hotel. As the
evening sun sunk behind the western sea, they resumed
their carriages, and drove back to Lisbon to attend a re
ception at the king's. The king, it seems, is quite a liter
ary man, having translated "Hamlet," the "Merchant of
Venice" and "Richard III," into Portuguese, and was then
engaged on "Othello." If he succeeds in rendering ef
fectively the plays of this great English dramatist into
32

264

TRA VELS OF GENERAL GRANT.

his own language, he will do what no Frenchman has
been able to do. He presented Grant with his " Hamlet,"
and offered to present him also the grand cross of the

TRAVELS OF GENERAL GRANT.

265

"Tower and Sword," to show his appreciation of the
honor he had conferred on him by this visit. The latter
thanked him, but declined it, on the ground of there being
a law against officials receiving decorations, and though
he was not one now, having been President, he had
rather not receive it, but said he appreciated the compli
ment, and would always remember it with gratitude.
One of the principal sights of Lisbon is the great
aqueduct, that crosses the valley north-east of the city,
bringing water like the old Roman aqueduct, some twenty
miles distant into it.
Grant next started for Cordova, which he reached after
a long and tedious ride, late in the evening in a pouring
rain, and took up his quarters in an indifferent Spanish
inn. But no time was to be lost for sight-seeing, and
after a rest he went to the theatre, and then took a stroll
thfough the streets, to witness the people in their every
day dress. It is beautifully situated on the Guadalquivir,
but it is now a dark and gloomy town, with narrow, dirty
streets, and having no important public buildings or
squares, and little to detain the traveler.
It is famous as being the old Moorish capital, when it
contained 200 mosques, and palaces without end. It still
has its magnificent cathedral, built when the Arabs ruled
Spain, and which is 540 feet long and 387 broad, and di
vided by 450 pillars into 1 7 aisles lengthwise and 2 7 trans
verse ones. It is eighty miles from here to Seville, the
capital of Andalusia, famed for its beautiful women. The
distance is made in five hours, at the rate of sixteen miles
an hour.
Seville might be called the Naples of Spain, both for
its lovely climate and the gayety of its people. The sun
shines here every day in the year, and its air is soft and!
voluptuous as its women.

266

A MOORISH LADY.

TRAVELS OF GENERAL GRANT.
"The feast, the revel here abounds,
And young-eyed lewdness walks her midnight rounds.''

267

It is a disgrace for a married woman to have no
rlover but her husband. It is noted, also, for its deli
cious oranges. Bull-fights are one of the chief amuse
ments of the people. The women of Andalusia have
always been celebrated alike for their large, dark, pas-
donate eyes, their voluptuous forms and loose morals.
When it was the capital of Spain, a more gay and disso
lute city was not to be found on the continent. But
Seville is in the past. Still it abounds wi'th evidences-' of
its former greatness and is a place of importance, con
taining over one hundred and fifty thousand inhabitants.
The most remarkable building in it is the Alcazar, a
palace once the residence of the Moorish and Catholic
kings of Spain. Twenty-four arches lead into a court
ninety feet long and seventy wide, paved with marble.
In olden times, a hundred of the most beautiful virgins of
Seville were brought into this court every year to become
the wives of the monarch for a short time, and then be
married off to his officers of state. These old Moorish
palaces are not so interesting from the wealth that has
been lavished on them or their beauty, except so far as
they exhibit the rich old Moorish architecture and orna
mentation, but from the associations connected with them.
Here, for instance, are the apartments of Charles V —
here, the room in which Don Pedro murdered Abu Said
for the splendid jewels in his possession, one of which he
gave to the Black Prince, and is now one of the richest
jewels in the English crown — in another, Don Pedro's
brother Was stabbed to death. But the room in which
the children of Moorish kings played, and the apartments
of queens, and splendid halls, possess but little interest
compared with the private chapel of Ferdinand and Isa-

268

TRA VELS OF GENERAL GRANT.

bella, where the latter received Columbus. Here stood
the great explorer, with map in hand, and begged to be
allowed to find a new world, and here that world's repre
sentative now stood, while his imagination traveled back
over the centuries to that interview on which such mighty
destinies hung. But what a change comes over one as
he leaves this old palace, and in a few steps finds himself
in the great government tobacco factory — it is like drop
ping from the clouds to the ground. The building is
spacious, but has no Moorish architecture or romantic
associations. It is 660 feet long and 525 wide. Although
100 beautiful virgins do not enter its spacious rooms
as they used to enter the old Moorish palace near by,
you will find congregated there 5,000 young girls, all in
one room, working at tobacco, many of them beautiful
enough to sit to a Murillo, and keeping up a clatter as
constant and loud as the machinery of a cotton-mill and
making more scandal with their tongues than cigars and
cigarettes with their nimble fingers. Near this is the
Exchange, a beautiful building, but interesting chiefly be
cause it contains all the archives of Spanish South
America and correspondence of Cortez and Pizarro, to
gether with their portraits.
The Cathedral is one of the finest in Spain, 582 feet
long and 420 wide, standing on a raised platform, with a
court 150 feet wide. Here are fin a paintings, among
them several masterpieces of Murillo. It contains thirty-
seven chapels, on which is lavished untold wealth. One
could spend days here looking at the superb paintings
alone. The favorite promenade is along the banks of
the Guadalquivir, and with its charming walks and drives,
and horticultural and botanical gardens, is a charming
spot, made still more charming by the delicious climate.
It is ninety-four miles from here to Cadiz by way of

TRA VELS OF GENERAL GRANT.

269

Xeres, where sherry wine is made to the enormous
amount of 400,000 pipes a year — the- vineyards bearing

RURAL FESTIVITIES.

the grapes that produce it, embracing 800,000 acres. The
road to Cadiz lies along the banks of the Guadalquivir,

2y0 TRAVELS OF GENERAL GRANT.
and passes vineyards, and towns, and beautiful Andalu-
sian peasants, the whole way, and finally crosses the
narrow isthmus which connects the city with the main
land. It is almost an island with the sea washing it on all
sides, except where the narrow tongue of land suspends
it to the shore. It is believed to be the oldest city in
Europe, being founded 1,100 years before Christ. But
it is the verdict of all travelers that there are few sights
to be seen in Cadiz after you have seen its' beautiful
women,
" Prometheus like, from heaven she stole
The fire that through those silken lashes
In darkest glances seems to roll,
From eyes that cannot hide their flashes. ,
And as along her bosom steal
In lengthened flow her raven tresses,
You'd swear each clustering lock could feel,
And curled to give her neck caresses."
From Cadiz Grant went to Gibraltar, where the first
thing that greeted his eye was the American flag, flying
from one of our men-of-war in the harbor — a flag so dear
to him. At first it could not be easily distinguished, amid
the crowd of vessels, but as soon as it was, he ordered
the " Vandalia" to steam around it to greet it as an old
friend. The yards were manned, and rousing American
cheers were sent over the water. Captain Robeson
then came on board and took him on shore, where the
American consul and two officers of Lord Napier's staff
were waiting to welcome him in the name of the general
commanding. A high sea was running at the time, and the spray
of the waves dashed over them as they pulled toward the
wharf. A guard of honor upon it presented arms as
Grant landed, who drove at once to the house of
the American consul. Lord Napier had sent before an

TRAVELS OF GENERAL GRANT.

271

invitation for him to dinner on the evening of his arrival,
and so at seven o'clock, he went to the palace of the
governor, and was most hospitably and courteously re
ceived. Lord Napier had expressed a great desire to
see Grant, and already they had a sort of acquaintance,
for the former, who commanded and brought to such a
successful issue the campaign against Abyssinia, had sent
him King Theodore's Bible. His short stay was filled up
with a series of dinners — to-day he was at one given at the
governor's palace, to-morrow at the mess of the royal
artillery, and the next day at the consul's. Besides, Lord
Napier gave him a private dinner in his honor, in fact, he
spent most of his time while in Gibraltar in his company,
either in a review of the troops, or galloping along the
beach and over the hills. In the review of the troops,
Grant rode to the field in the company of Lord Napier,
while his wife, with the ladies of the consul's family, took
up their stations at the reviewing post. The bands played
American airs as a special honor to Grant, and the
troops behaved uncommonly well, in honor, Lord Napier
declared, of General Grant. The latter in reply said :
"I have seen most of the troops of Europe ; they all
seemed good ; I liked the Germans very much, and the
Spaniards only wanted good officers, so far as I could
see, to bring them up to the highest standard ; but these
have something about them — I suppose it is their Saxon
blood — which none of the rest possess ; they have the
swing of conquest."
There is really nothing to see in Gibraltar but the
rocky fortress, and when one has rode through the long
galleries cut out of the solid rock, and examined the case-
mated batteries, he has seen everything. The tenacity
with which England holds on to this fortress on Spanish
territory, which is so irritating to the Spanish govern-

272 TRAVELS OF GENERAL GRANT.
ment, is one of the most striking illustrations of "red
tapeism" in Europe. An idea once lodged in a European
head, cannot be eradicated "without a surgical operation."
Gibraltar is the gateway to the Mediterranean, says
England, and must be held at all hazards, for the sake
of our East India possessions, and this assertion which
being a fact once, she insists on being a fact still, when it is
the most transparent delusion that ever took possession
of a sensible government. Suppose England possessed
the fortifications at Ceuta, in Africa opposite, of what
earthly use could both be in defending the entrance to
the Mediterranean in these days of steam navigation.
The straits here are thirteen miles wide, and a hundred
steamers, moving independent of winds or currents, could
take the centre, and be six miles and a half from each
fortress, and pass and repass them without having the
paint on their hulls disturbed by the batteries.
, Grant now turned his footsteps back toward England.
He had intended to visit Pau, a great watering-place in
France, just over the boundaries of Spain, at the foot of
the Pyrenees, in his southward journey, but he could not
do so and be at Vittoria in time to meet King Alfonso,
and so he deferred it till his return. It is simply a water
ing-place, noted for its delicious air, and is frequented
mostly by English and Americans. He dropped in upon
it quite unexpectedly, and spent a few pleasant days
there, most of the time walking on the grand promenade
in front of the hotel, alone or with his wife, from which
he had a superb view of the Pyrenees, rising grand
and solemn high into the heavens, and rolling its blue
and lofty summits like billows along the southern
horizon. Mr. Douglas, an American, gave him a magnificent
dinner, at the close of which he toasted General Grant as

TRAVELS OF GENERAL GRANT. 2j~
"Unconditional Surrender" Grant. The latter, in reply,
said as he never succeeded in making speeches, he should
not try now, but would justify the epithet of Mr. Douglas,
by making an unconditional surrender, which sally was
received with laughter and cheers.
An English earl was here, who kept two packs of fox
hounds, and a hunt was got up in Grant's honor, and he
invited to take part in it. But he declined, saying : " I
would not care to jump all those ditches and fences, but
I suppose if I was in the hunt I could not resist the
temptation. When I was younger I used to go out of
my way for the purpose of finding a bit of a wall or fence,
merely for the pleasure of jumping it. I do not know
how it would be now, crossing the country. I suppose I
would go with the rest." He was interested in the intel
ligence shown by the horses, who, before leaping a fence,
would look over and see what was beyond. It was a
sensible decision, for he was not sure of his mount, and if
his horse had come down at a five-barred gate, although
he might have escaped without a broken neck, a bloody
nose and a black-and-blue eye at the next grand reception
would not have added to the dignity of the ex-President.
He now kept on to Paris, where he stayed only long
enough to dine with President McMahon, and then crossed
over to England.
Leaving his wife with her daughter, Mrs. Sartoris, at
Southampton, he made a short run over to Ireland, to
redeem his promise given to the committee which met him
at Queenstown, on his first arrival in Europe. Going by
the mail route, via Holyhead and Kingstown, he reached
Dublin on January 3d, and went to his hotel. On
arriving at the mayor's official residence, he was cheered
by a large crowd that had gathered to greet the
illustrious ex-President. The lord mayor, in presenting

274

TRA VELS OF GENERAL GRANT.

the freedom of the city, referred to the cordiality always
existing between America and Ireland, and hoped that in
America General Grant would do everything he could to
help a people who sympathize with every American
movement. The parchment, on which was engrossed! the
freedom of the city, was inclosed in an ancient carved bog-
oak casket.
Grant in a short speech expressed his appreciation of

I*

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« :

GRAFTON STREET, DUBLIN.

the honor conferred on him in being made a citizen of
Ireland. He then visited the Royal Irish Academy, in
Kildare Street, in company with Lord Mayor Barrington.
Here, after some time spent in inspecting the treasures of
ancient Irish art in gold, silver and bronze, Saint Patrick's
bell, and sacred cross, and O'Donnell's casque, the party
went to the building that was the old Parliament House.
It is now the Bank of Ireland. Trinity College was then
visited. The party was received by the Provost and

77?^ VELS OF GENERAL GRANT.

275

Fellows and escorted through the library, chapel and
halls of this venerable and majestic pile.
General Grant drove to the viceregal lodge of the
Duke of Marlborough, Phcenix Park, early in the after-
IP5a

BANQUETING-BOOM.
noon, where he had dejeuner with the viceroy. He
afterward visited the Zoological Gardens, then returned
to his hotel, where he rested a couple of hours.
In the eveninga grand banquet was given at the Mansion
House. The company rose and gave the Irish welcome
when the General's name was proposed. The latter
made in response the longest speech of his life, speaking
in a clear voice and being listened to with rapt attention.

276

TRA VELS OF GENERAL GRANT.

He referred to himself as now a fellow-citizen of Dublin,
and intimated, amid much laughter and cheering, that he
might return to Dublin one day and run against Barring-
ton for Mayor and Butt for Parliament. He warned
those gentlemen that he was generally a troublesome
candidate. Then, passing to serious matters, said :
"We have heard some words spoken about our coun
try — my country — before I was naturalized in another.
[Laughter.] We have a very great country, a prosperous
country, with room for a great many peopjle. We have
been suffering for some years from very great oppression.
The world has felt it. [Hear, hear.] There is no
question about the fact that when you have forty-five
millions of consumers such as we are, and when they are
made to feel poverty then the whole world must feel it.
[Applause.] You have had here great prosperity
because of our great extravagance and our great mis
fortunes. We had a war which drew into it almost every
man who could bear arms. When that great conflict
was going on we were spending one thousand million
dollars a year more than we were producing, and Europe
got every dollar of it. It made for you a false pros
perity. You were getting our bonds and promises to
pay. You were cashing them yourselves. That made
great prosperity and made producers beyond the real
necessities of the world at peace. But we finally got
through that great conflict, and with an inflated currency
which was far below the specie you use here. It made
our people still more extravagant. Our speculations
were going on, and we still continued to spend three
or four hundred millions of money per year more than
we were producing.
" We paid it back to you for your labor and manufac
tures, and it made you apparently and really prosperous.

TRA VELS OF GENERAL GRANT.

277

We, on the other hand, were getting really poor, but,
being honest, however, we came to the day of solid,
honest payment. We came down ^to the necessity of
selling more than we bought. Now we have turned the
corner. We have had our days of depression ; yours is
just coming on. I hope it is nearly over. [Hear, hear.]
Our prosperity is commencing, and as we become pros
perous, you will, too — [applause] — because we become
increased consumers of your products as well as our own.

CUSTOM-HOUSE, DUBLIN

I think it safe to say that the United States, with a few
years more such prosperity, will consume as much more
as they did. Two distinguished men have alluded to this
subject — one was the President of the United States, and
he said that the prosperity of the United States would be
felt to the bounds of the civilized world. [Applause.]
The other was Lord Beaconsfield, the most far-seeing
man, the one who seems to me to see as far into the

278

TRA l- ELS OF GENERAL GRANT.

future as any man I know — [applause] — and he says the
same as President Hayes."
In the meantime, the city of Cork had made itself the
laughing-stock of the world. Mr. Richmond, the United
States consul there, addressed a letter to the Council an
nouncing that General Grant would probably arrive in
Cork within a few days. Mr. Tracy, a Nationalist, pro
posed at the Council meeting that the letter should simply
be marked " read," and that no action should be taken.1
There was much silly debate afterwards, and it was re
solved not to receive Grant with any honors, on account
of his anti-Catholic feelings. All the world might honor
Grant, but little Cork was too grand and conscientious
to do so. Well, Cork made itself immortal, and Grant
did not see this second wonder of the world.
Oil Monday morning, January 6th, he started for Deny.
A storm of snow, and sleet, and rain set in, making the
day dreary; yet, at all the stations crowds were as
sembled, who cheered him, and, Irish like, pressed into
the carriage to shake hands with him.
He reached Deny at two o'clock, and was received
cordially by the mayor. At three o'clock, in a pouring
rain, he drove in state to the Town Hall, making his way
-with difficulty through the crowd that blocked his passage.
The mayor and Common Council received him in their
robes, and read an address, to which he responded briefly.
In the evening he attended a banquet given in his honor.
The next morning he started for Belfast in another
cold storm. On the way he was greeted at all the sta
tions with unbounded enthusiasm, the people everywhere
seeming determined to make up for the unprovoked insult
given him by Cork.
The train reached Belfast station at half-past two
o'clock, where the reception accorded him was imposing

TRAVELS OF GENERAL GRANT. 2yg.
and extraordinary. The linen and other mills had
stopped work, and the workmen stood out in the rain in
thousands. The platform of the station was covered
with scarlet carpet. The mayor and members of the City
Council welcomed him as he descended from the car amid
tremendous cheers. Crowds ran after the carriages con
taining the city authorities and their illustrious guest, and
afterward surrounded the hotel where the General was
being entertained in true Irish hospitality. The public
buildings were draped with American and English colors,
and in a few instances with Orange flags. Luncheon
was served at four o'clock, and the crowd with undaunted
valor remained outside amid a heavy snow-storm and
cheered at intervals. The feature of the luncheon was
the presence of the Roman Catholic bishop of the dio
cese, who was given the post of honor. The luncheon-
party numbered 1 70 — the mayor said he could have had
5,000. The Belfast speakers made cordial allusions to
many people in America, and were anxious to have
Grant declare himself in favor of free trade, but he, in
his reply, made no allusions to the subject, to the disap
pointment of many of those present.
Though Grant had seen the chief cities of Ireland, he
had not seen what constitutes its great attraction — its
picturesque lakes and the wild scenery of its rugged ses.-
coast. Nor had he seen the poverty, and want, and suf
ferings of the people, caused by the long, cruel, tyranni
cal oppression of the English Government. He heard
the cheers of the workingmen, but not their groans, and
little dreamed, while feasting at the banquets given him,
of the starvation and want that existed in the bog huts of
the peasantry. The sufferings of Ireland, growing out
of the English and Irish connection, have never yet been
fully recorded, and their history once truthfully written
33

28o

TRA VELS OF GENERAL GRANT.

would be the saddest in the world. To one at all
familiar with it, the festivities in honor of Grant seem like
wedding bells ringing over a grave. The millions of im
poverished Irishmen crowding and overcrowding our
shores to escape starvation at home attest the injustice
and oppression that have turned one of the most beauti
ful and fertile islands on the globe into the abode of
want, and poverty, and woe.

TRAVELS OF GENERAL GRANT'. 281

CHAPTER XII.
GRANT STARTS FOR INDIA — CROSSING THE DESERT BY RAILROAD — SUEZ ON THB
RED SEA — ADEN— ON THE INDIAN OCEAN — THE VOYAGE — RECEPTION IN BOMBAY —
DESCRIPTION OF THE PEOPLE — SERVANTS — THE PARSEES — BURNING THE DEAD-
HOSPITAL FOR ANIMALS — PUBLIC DINNERS — A VISIT TO THE PARSEE SCHOOL —
GRANT VIEWS BOMBAY — CAVE OF THE ELEPHANTS — RECEPTION OF THE PARSEES 
JOURNEY TO AGRA BHURTPOOR — THE MAHRAJAH — GRANT LODGED IN AN OLD
PALACE — JUMPING MEN — AGRA — PEARL MOSQUE — THE TAJ — THE MOST BEAUTIFUL
BUILDING IN THE WORLD — ITS APPEARANCE BY MOONLIGHT — A FAREWELL DIN
NER — DEPARTURE FOR DELHI — RECEIVED BY TROOPS UNDER ARMS — DESCRIPTION
OF DELHI — A RIDE THROUGH IT — THE TOMB OF HAMEYUN — DELHI IN THE
MUTINY — HEROIC DEEDS — THE PRINCE OF WALES' VISIT — PALACE OF THE GRAND
MOGUL — HIS THRONE — THE PEACOCK THRONE.
GRANT, after his return from Ireland, in January,
having learned that the American man-of-war
" Richmond," which was to carry him to India, had
not left the United States, he determined not to wait for it,
for he was told that it was not safe to be in India after the
first of April, and if he wished to see it at all, he must
be off at once. He therefore engaged passage in a French
steamer bound from Marseilles to Alexandria.
The party had changed somewhat, and now consisted
of General Grant and his wife, Colonel Frederick
D. Grant, Mr. Borie and Dr. Keating, of Philadel
phia, together with Mr. Young, the correspondent
of the Herald. They set sail the 24th of January,
at noon. Stopping for a few hours in Naples, they pro
ceeded over their old route on their way to Egypt the
year before, and on the seventh da^- dropped anchor just
outside of the harbor of Alexandria. The next morning
they hurried to the train, and were soon speeding across
the desert toward the Red Sea, a short time since crossed

2g2 TRAVELS OF GENERAL GRANT.
only by caravans of camels. Now the shrieking locomo
tive drags the heavy train over it, while the tall masts of
ships are photographed against the burning sky as they
slowly sail across the sandy plains in the great Suez
Canal. A crowd of donkeys and dirty Arab boys were
waiting at the station, and our travelers as soon as they
alighted were besieged as one is at a steamboat landing
in New York, with offers to carry baggage. It is a long
and tedious walk through a sandy lane to the hotel in
Suez. To their great disappointment, the steamer that
was to take them to India had not got through the canal,
and might be blocked up in it for forty-eight hours. In
despair for something to do to kill time, they mounted
donkeys and perambulated the town all the morning.
Noon came, and still no ship, and they were at loss what
to do next, when to their great relief, her tall masts
loomed over the desert, and soon she glided into port.
The baggage was now hurried on board, and by eight
o'clock the great engine began to throb, and they knew that
they were off for India. Wearisome days and hot night's
followed. For a long time the land kept in sight, the
low burning coast of Egypt on the one side, and the lofty
summits of Mount Sinai on the other, seeming, as they
rose so still and solemn in the blue sky, a fitting place
for the footstool of God as He descended amid thundei-
ings and lightnings to talk with man.
Why the sea is called the Red Sea, no one could de
cide, but they found it to be a hot one, midwinter though
it was, and it grew hotter every day. The wind blowing
from the scorching sands, heats not only the air, but the
water, so that it becomes a serious impediment to the
condensation of steam. Our travelers, each with his
peculiar head-dress on, to protect him • from the sun, pre
sented a picturesque and yet odd appearance, as they sat

TRA VELS OF GENERAL GRANT.

283

scattered around in the coolest places they could find —
some reading, some dozing, and others conversing. Mr.
Borie was disgusted, and told the Herald correspondent
to write him down a donkey for coming to such a place
at his time of life. A part of the time Grant was reading
up India and mapping out his course of travel.
On Sunday the Episcopal service was read, which
varied the monotony, and at last they passed the Island
of Perim, and soon after reached Aden, the barren, for
tified rock which commands the entrance to the sea, as
Gibraltar does that of the Mediterranean.
If it was hot before, it was blistering here in this ex
tinct crater, in which the volcano, when it subsided, ap
parently left all its heat behind. They barely touched
hereV but stayed long enough to hear of the resignation
of Marshal McMahon, and other events, which put them
in communication again with the outer world, and gave
them new themes to talk about.
As the steamer pushed off into the Indian Ocean, she
left the hot air of the desert behind her, and though the
light breezes gave little help to her progress, they made
life more endurable.
The sea was a dead calm on the morning of the 1 3th of
February, when the travelers from the deck of the " Vene-
tia," looking eastward, and shading their eyes with their
hands, saw the towers and minarets of Bombay. Grant
had supposed that at last he was reaching a port without
being announced. The public ovations had at first
wearied him, then palled on him, until at last they seemed
like an evil shadow, ever following him and interfering
with and breaking up his plans and defeating the very
object for which he traveled, and he congratulated him
self that his arrival in India, since his departure had been
so sudden, would not be known, and for once he would

284

TRA VELS OF GENERAL GRANT. ¦

be left to enjoy himself like an ordinary traveler. But he
was doomed to disappointment, for the ships in the har
bor were dressed with flags, and at the wharf was a large
crowd — soldiers, natives, Europeans. As they passed the
English flag-ship a boat came alongside with an officer
representing Admiral Corbett, welcoming the General to
India. In a few minutes came another boat bearing Cap
tain Frith, the military aid to Sir Richard Temple, Gov
ernor of the Presidency of Bombay. Captain Frith bore
a letter from the governor welcoming, the General to
Bombay, and offering him the use of the Government
House at Malabar Point. Captain Frith expressed the
regret of Sir Richard that he could not be in Bombay to
meet General Grant, but duties connected with the Afghan
war kept him in Sind. The consul, Mr. Farnham, also
came with a delegation of American residents and wel
comed the General and party.
As he ascended the steps, he was met by Brigadier-
General Aitcheson, commanding the forces, and other
officers and dignitaries. The volunteers presented arms,
the band played our national air, and the General, amid
loud cheers from the Europeans present, walked slowly
with uncovered head to the state carriage. Accompanied
by Captain Frith, who represented the governor, and at
tended by an escort ©f native cavalry, the General and
party made off to Malabar Point.
Grant had now entered on an entirely new life, and
was to see man under an entirely new aspect. If Con
stantinople seemed strange, and Egypt stranger still, he
was to find India strangest of all. The streets of Bom
bay swarm with life, but the people are not like any race
seen before. They are not white, nor black, nor red, but
are of a dark-brown color, the effect of which is the
greater, as they are generally clad in the garments which

77?^ VELS OF GENERAL GRANT.

285

nature gives them. The laboring class go half naked, or
more than half. It is only the house-servants that wear
anything that can be called a costume. The coolies, or
common laborers, have only a strip of cloth around their
loins, which they wear for decency, for in this climate they
scarcely need any garment for warmth. One thing which is
never omitted is the turban, or in its place a thick blanket,
to shield the head from the direct rays of the sun. But
there is nothing to hide the swarthy breast or limbs.
Those of a better condition, who do put on clothing, show
the Oriental fondness for gorgeous apparel by having
the richest silk turbans and flowing robes. The women
find a way to show their feminine vanity, being tricked
out in many colors, dark red, crimson and scarlet, with
yellow, and orange, and green, and blue — the mingling
of which produces a strange effect as one rides through
the bazaars and crowded streets, which gleam with all the
colors of the rainbow. The effect of this tawdry finery
is heightened by the gewgaws which depend from differ
ent parts of their persons. Earrings are not sufficiently
conspicuous for a Hindoo damsel, who has a ring of gold
and pearl hung in her nose ; which is considered a great
addition to female beauty. Heavy bracelets of silver also
adorn her wrists and ankles. Almost every woman who
shows herself in the street, though of the lowest condi
tion, and barefoot, still gratifies her pride by huge silver
anklets clasping her naked feet.
But these Asiatic faces, strange as they are, would not
be unattractive but for artificial disfigurements — if men
did not chew the betel nut, which turns the lips to a bril
liant red, and did not have their foreheads striped with
coarse pigments, which are the badges of their different
castes !
Imagine a whole city crowded with dark-skinned men

TRA VELS OF GENERAL GRANT.

and women thus dressed — or not dressed — half naked on
the one hand,
01 bedizened
like harlequins
on the other,
walking about,
o r perchance
riding in little
carriages
drawn by oxen
--a small breed
that trot off al
most as fast as
the donkeys in
Cairo — a n d
one gets a faint t--
idea of the pic-
turesqueness
of the streets
in Bombay.
But there is
one thing that f
simply aston
ishes one, and
that is the
number of ser
vants that are
waiting to at
tend to your
wants. You ^
cannot move \^c^
without meet- ^s^ vT^^
ing one with
his salaam. They start up from every quarter, pounce

PARSEE OF BOMBAY.

TRAVELS OF GENERAL GRANT. 2g„.
on you at every corner, meet you in every passage
way, till you are dismayed at the amount of Orien
tal attentions that you receive. This universal obse
quiousness is not confined to distinguished officials or
great men, but is shown to all travelers. Hence, to
General Grant this servile attention was simply over
whelming. As he went over to the post, one morning, to mail
some letters, like any other American, a small procession
accompanied him on his return. A scarlet servant ran
ahead to announce him, while a whole bevy followed
after. This is a perpetual annoyance, because it inter
feres so much with a man's freedom of action. It makes
him feel as if he was under some sort of police surveil
lance. Still, life passed away very pleasantly with Grant
and his party in their sumptuous apartments in the Gov
ernment House on Malabar Point, with the sea stretching
away in the blue distance. Everything in Bombay was
- new and strange. The Parsee, with his high hat, and his
children gay in green and scarlet costumes, and the tur-
baned Hindoo, seem like another race of men to the
plain, practical American.
Here alone, in all India, is found the fire-worshiping
Parsee. Morning and evening they turn to the rising and
setting sun, and lifting their hats from their heads, raise
their hands as if in prayer. A revolting application of
their principles is seen in their mode of disposing of the
dead. They cannot burn them, as do the Hindoos, lest
the touch of death should pollute the flames ; nor can
they bury them in the earth, nor in the sea, for earth, and
water, and air are all alike sacred. They, therefore, ex
pose the bodies of their dead to be devoured by birds of
the air. Outside of Bombay, on Malabar Hill, are three
or four circular towers — called The Towers of Silence,.

2gg TRAVELS OF GENERAL GRANT.
which are inclosed by a high wall, to keep observers at a
distance. When a Parsee dies, his body is conveyed to
the gates, and there received by the priests, by whom "it
is exposed on gratings constructed for the purpose.
Near at hand, perched in groves of palms, are the
vultures. As soon as a funeral procession approaches, ;
they scent their prey, and begin to circle in the air ; and
no sooner is a body uncovered, and left by the attendants,
than a cloud of black wings settles down upon it, and a
hundred horned beaks are tearing at the flesh. Such
are their numbers and voracity, that in a few minutes,.
every particle is stripped from the bones, which are then
slid down an inclined plane into a deep pit, where they
mingle with common clay. ; .
Compared with this, the Hindoo mode of disposing of.
the dead, by burning, seems almost like Christian burial.
It is a part of the Hindoo religion to be clean. Hence,
almost every temple has a bath within it. Indeed, in
passing along the streets, people, unembarrassed by your;;
presence, are seen washing themselves, some almost
naked. The religious ideas of the Hindoos show themselves in
other ways, which at least challenge our respect for their
consistency. In their eyes all life is sacred, the life" of
beast and bird, nay, of reptile and insect, as well as of
man. To carry out this idea they have established a
hospital for animals, which is one of the institutions of
Bombay. It is on a very extensive scale, and presents a
spectacle such as can be seen nowhere else in «the world.
Here, in an inclosure covering many acres, in sheds, or
stables, or in the open grounds, as may best promote
their recovery, are gathered the lame, the halt, and the
blind, not of the human species, but of the animal world —
cattle and horses, sheep and goats, dogs and cats, rabbits

TRA VELS OF GENERAL GRANT.

289

290

77?^ VELS OF GENERAL GRANT.

and monkeys, and beasts and birds of every description.
Even poor little monkeys forget to be merry, and look very
solemn as they sit on their perch. The cows, sacred as they
are, are not beyond the power of disease, and have a
most woe-begone look. Long rows of stables are CA,

SACRED COW OF INDIA.

with broken-down horses, spavined and ring-boned, with
ribs sticking out of their sides, or huge sores on their
flanks, dripping with blood. In one pen you will see a num
ber of kittens, that mew and cry for their mothers. The
Hindoos send out carts at night and pick them up wher
ever they have been cast into the street. Rabbits, whom

TRA VELS OF GENERAL GRANT.

29I

no man would own, have here a snug warren made for
them, and creep in and out with a feeling of safety and
comfort. In a large inclosure will be found some hun
dred dogs, more wretched-looking than the dogs of Con
stantinople — "whelps and curs of low degree."
The spectacle thus presented, is half touching and half
ludicrous. One cannot but respect the Hindoo's regard
for life, as a thing not to be lightly and wantonly de
stroyed. And yet they carry it to an extent that is absurd.
They will not take the life of animals for food, nor even
of creatures that are annoying or dangerous to them
selves. *
General Grant here, as everywhere else, was so cum-

TOWN HALL, BOMBAY.
bered by ceremonies, and his time so much occupied with
public dinners and receptions, that he could not see half
as much of Bombay as he wished. One might live a
year in this country with his time taken up in this way,
and know but little about it. Take, for instance, the fol
lowing employment of two days : Friday evening he at
tended the ball of the Volunteer corps, which, of course,
was a brilliant affair. Next morning he visited a rich
* Dr. Field.

2q2 TRAVELS OF GENERAL GRANT.
Parsee merchant, and was received with great cordiality,
he and his party being decorated by the host with
wreaths of jessamine flowers. In the afternoon he drove
to the Byculia Club, where he lunched, and then looked at
the races. In the evening, he went to a state dinner at
the Government House, where there were forty-eight
guests. He was toasted, and made a speech, in which
he said that he was carrying out a wish he had long en
tertained, of yisiting India. He was grateful for the
kind manner in which he had been received, and ex
pressed the wish that he might, in America, have the
pleasure in the future of returning the hospitality.
After dinner the guests strolled out on the veranda,
smoking and chatting, and looking off on the ocean beat
ing with a heavy monotonous roar at their feet.
The next day, he visited the Parsee school, and Mrs.
Grant the missions. At four, he went on board the Brit
ish flag-ship, to make a visit of ceremony to Admiral
Corbett. On his return, he visited the University, and
in the evening attended another state dinner. This was
succeeded by a levee of the leading native merchants and
citizens of the city, which was to wind up his visit to
Bombay, one of the greatest commercial emporiums of
the East. The island on which it is built is eight miles
long, and covered with country seats, and teems with a
population of more than half a million.
The week Grant passed in Bombay was almost like
one passed at home, for he was surrounded with English-
speaking people and had free access to a club where
English and American newspapers were to be found.
The windows of the Government House in which he lived
overlooked a race-course, where swift horses were con
stantly being exercised, while the teeming wharves made
the city look like a European port.

TRAVELS OF GENERAL GRANT. 2Q,
One day, an Englishman remarked : " It is odd that
Bombay and General Grant should be face to face, for
the General ruined Bombay." Then came the story of
the cotton mania which raged during the American war.
The cessation of the cotton supply of the United States
threw England back upon India and Egypt. The year
before our war, Bombay exported about $26,000,000
worth of cotton. During the war the average yearly ex
port was over $100,000,000. Here was a gain to Bom
bay, in four years, of $350,000,000, and this sudden ad
dition to the wealth of the city engendered every form of
speculation. Six hundred per cent, was a fair return for
one's investments in those days. If Lee and Grant had
fought a twenty years' campaign this might have con
tinued. But, in the spring of 1865, a telegram came an
nouncing that Lee had surrendered, and Bombay col
lapsed. The companies went to the wall. A firm of
Parsee merchants failed for $15,000,000, and before the
end of the year there was not one company remaining of
the hundred which had arisen during the war. And all
coming from a telegram which, on the afternoon of April
9th, 1865, General Grant, sitting on a stone by the way
side of Appomattox, wrote in pencil in his memorandum
book — " The army of Northern Virginia surrendered to
me this afternoon."
One of the last sights of Bombay that Grant visited
was the caves of the elephants. The island on which
they are found is seven miles from the city, and takes its
name from the gigantic statue of an elephant that once
stood on its shores. Landing, you find yourself at the
foot of a rocky hill, which, mounted by several hundred
steps, brings you to the entrance of a gigantic cave
or cavern, cut into the hill-side, with a lofty ceiling, pil
lared like a temple. The main hall, as it might be

2Q4 TRA J ELS OF GENERAL GRANT.
called, runs back a hundred and thirty feet into the
solid rock.
At the end of the great hall are the objects of worship
in three colossal images of Brahma, Vishnu and Shiva.
This is the Hindoo Trinity, and the constant recurrence
¦of these figures in their mythology shows how the idea
of a Trinity pervaded other ancient religions besides our
own. It is a question for scholars, whence came the
original conception of this three-fold personality in the
Divine Being. The age of this place of worship is not
known. A farewell dinner was given at the Government House,
and was a brilliant affair, but so much like all others of a
similar character, that we need not describe it, nor the
formal reception of the Parsees, who, with Hindoo and
native officers in full uniform, were, one after another, in
troduced to Grant. The next day, Tuesday, he bade
farewell to hospitable Bombay, and took the train for Agra.
To break up this long journey, a stop over for a day
was made at Bhurtpoor, to visit the ruins of Futtehpooi,
at Sikra.
As the train sped northward, now crossing broad
plains, and now slowly ascending the Ghaut Mountains,
every variety of scenery presented itself. In these long
stretches, of course, hundreds of villages were passed, but
these do not attract the eye nor form a feature 'in the
landscape, for the low mud hovels of which they are com
posed hardly rise above the level of the plain. There is
no church-spire to be seen rising, as from a New Engla'nd
village, nor even the dome or minaret of a mosque, for
you are not yet in the Mohammedan part of India.
One feature there is which relieves the monotony — the
railway stations are the prettiest out of England, s Sim
ply, but tastefully built, they are covered with vines and

wP^'i& I

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JUL

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BR H •'• PHBte

TRAVELS OF GENERAL GRANT. 2Q-
flowers, which with irrigation easily grow in this climate
in the open air at all seasons of the year. The railway
administration has offered prizes for the embellishment of
stations, so that the natives, who are fond of flowers, and
who are thus tempted by the hope of reward, plant roses
and trail vines everywhere, so that the eye is relieved
from the glare of the barren plain by resting on. a mass
of flowers and verdure.
The ride was long and tedious, but at last Bhurtpoor
rose to view, a most welcome sight. The mahrajah of
this petty province, of less than two hundred thousand
square miles, with a population of 749,000, prepared to
receive Grant with as much distinction as the Queen of
^England or the King of Siam. As the latter arrived,
dusty, and hot, and tired, at the station, he was greeted
with the sound of trumpets and roll of drums.
The mahrajah, a young man of about thirty years
of age, met him with a brilliant retinue. His regal look,
stern, haughty face and graceful bearing, gave him a
striking appearance. Not deigning to smile in his
haughty courtesy, he led the way to his forbidding, un
comfortable palace, where breakfast was served in state,
and the usual extravagant ceremonies that characterize
Oriental hospitality were gone through with. The whole
place is a mass of ruins ; the palace itself being given
over to picnic parties and visitors. General Grant and
his wife occupied the ruin known as the Birtral House, a
two-story ruin, built entirely of stone, and carefully and
elaborately ornamented. It might have once been a
harem or anything else, so far as tradition goes,, nor did
it matter so far as present comfort was concerned.
Provisions had been sent forward for them, and they
passed the night in this lugubrious place, cheered by the
cries of jackals and hyenas.
34

298

TRA VELS OF GENERAL GRANT.

The next morning they set out to view the ruins, whichv
embraced an area of seven miles in circumference. A

description of them would be unintelligible to the reader,
for they were a riddle to the travelers. One mosque, a

TRA VELS OF GENERAL GRANT.

299

noble, imposing ruin, its principal gateway, it is said,
being the finest in India, well repaid a visit. But the
guides could give no information respecting its history.
They were solicitous to show them a tank, into which
men jumped from a wall eighty feet high, and it was pro
posed that they should go and see the men jump. But
Grant refused, saying he did not wish to see any such
dangerous experiments. The rest, however, went. Leap-

THE MARBLE PALACE.

mg into the air, the men manage to keep erect, and
come down feet foremost, in safety.
The next day, Grant and his party took the train for
Agra, the heart of the once great Mogul empire, where
he was received in an imposing manner. The glo-ry of
Agra dates from the reign of Akbar the Great, but
it departed with the king of Delhi, the last royal de
scendant, who, being compromised in the great mutiny,

300

TRA VELS OF GENERAL GRANT.

ended his life as a state prisoner. It is impossible t'o fully
describe the various structures that once made it so
famous. There stands the palace, built of pure white
marble, the walls and domes glittering in the sun, and on
going through it, you pass over tessellated pavements
into apartments rich in mosaics and precious stones,land
look through windows half closed by screens of marble
so exquisitely carved, as to look like lace-work.
The pearl mosque is equally beautiful, of which Bishop
Heber said: "This spotless sanctuary, showing such a
pure spirit of adoration, made me, a Christian, feel hum
bled, when I considered that no architect of our religion
had ever been able to produce anything equal to this
temple of Allah."
But the Taj, said to be the most beautiful building in
the world, was the great object of interest in Agra.
It was late on Sunday afternoon, when, having for an
escort the English Judge Keene, they drove over to it.
It was built as a tomb by the Emperor Shah Jehar,.the
grandson of Akbar, for his wife, whom he loved with
an idolatrous affection. He had promised her, on her
death-bed, to erect to her memory such a mausoleum as
the world had never before seen. He kept his word,
and if the costliness and beauty of the tomb is a true
indication of the strength of his love, it was like that of
Jonathan for David, "passing the love of woman." It
cost, it is stated, exclusive of labor, $15,000,000. To-day,
with paid labor, it would cost $50,000,000. In this
country it could not have been built for probably twice
this sum. It is impossible to describe it — like St. Peter's
it must seen to be appreciated.
It stands on the banks of the Jumna, a mile below the
fort at Agra. As you approach it, it is not exposed'
abruptly to view, but is surrounded by a garden. You

TRAVELS OF GENERAL GRANT.

301

302

TRAVELS OF GENERAL GRANT.

enter under a lofty gateway, and before you is an avenue'
of cypresses a third of a mile long, whose dark foliage is
a setting for a form of dazzling .whiteness at the end.
That is the Taj. It stands, not on the level of your eye,
but on a double terrace ; the first, of red sandstone,
twenty feet high, and a thousand feet broad ; at the ex
tremities of which stand two mosques, of the same dark
stone, facing each other. Midway between rises the
second terrace of marble, fifteen feet high, and three
hundred feet square, on the corners of which stand four
marble minarets. In the centre of all, thus " reared in
air," stands the Taj. It is built of marble — no other
material than this of pure and stainless white were fit for
a purpose so sacred. It is a hundred and fifty feet
square (or rather it is eight-sided, since the corners are
truncated), and surmounted by a dome, which rises
nearly two hundred feet above the pavement below.
It is built, from foundation-stone to its lofty top, of the
purest marble, which, from its whiteness, looks as if but
just quarried. But that which distinguishes it from all
other buildings, and gives it a rare and ideal beauty, is
the union of majesty and grace. This is the peculiar
effect of Saracenic architecture. The slender columns,
the springing arches, the swelling domes, the tall minarets,
all combine to give an impression of airy lightness, which
is not destroyed even when the foundations are laid with
massive solidity. But it is in the finish of their struc
tures that they excelled all the world. Bishop Heber
said truly: "They built like Titans and finished like
jewelers." Within, beneath this pure white lofty dome,
in marble tombs that are almost transparent, set with
precious stones and covered with a tracery of vines and
flowers, sleep the Mogul emperor and his wife.
A visit to it, as to the Colosseum at Rome, by moonlight

TRAVELS OF GENERAL GRAN/.

3°3

is deemed necessary to comprehend its true beauty, and
as Grant and his party at night made a second visit, stand
ing in silence with the moonbeams flooding it, it seemed
like the creation of a dream, so white, soft and ethereal
did it lift itself there on the banks of the Jumna — " a
ftight-blooming cereus rising slowly in the moonlight."

INTERIOR OF THE TAJ— THE TOMBS.

Under the centre of the dome, which is fifty-eight feet
in diameter, and eighty feet in height, stands the two
tombs, inclosed by a screen of trellis-work of white mar
ble — a chef-d'oeuvre of elegance in Indian art. These,

-0 , TRA VELS OF GENERAL GRANT.
however, as is usual in Indian sepulchres, are not the true-
tombs ; the bodies being placed in a vault level with the
surface of the ground beneath plainer tombstones placed
exactly underneath those in the hall above. The light to this
hall is admitted only through double screens of white mar
ble trellis-work of the most exquisite design, and no words.
can express the chastened beauty of this chamber, seen in
the soft gloom of the subdued light, which reaches it through
the distant and half-closed openings that surround it.
The visit to Agra concluded in a dinner given by the
Agra Club, at which the mahrajah, a young prince six
teen years of age, who, under* the tutelage" of the British
Government, has learned. to speak English fluently, pre
sided. The province over which he rules contains a
population of a half a million," and yields about the same
number of dollars in revenue. The usual toasts at din
ner were given and the usual speeches made. After
ward, the General and prince played a game of • billiards,.
in which the former was beaten. A company of native.
players then gathered on the veranda and told stories.
for Grant's amusement, and gave charades and comedies
much after the fashion of Judy and Punch. The adieus
were at last spoken and Grant and his party prepared to
start for Delhi.
The next morning, before the dawn of day, while the
stars were still burning in the clear sky, they drove to-
the railroad station. As they drew near it, the word of
military command rang sharply out, the bands struck up
a martial air, colors drooped and the rattle of arms was
heard as they came to a present, while the cannon thun
dered out their salute. All their friends in Agra were
there awaiting them, and cheered them as the train roiled
out of the station. They reached Delhi weary and fagged
out, desiring rest and quiet ; but here, as everywhere

TRA VELS OF GENERAL GRANT.

305

else, there was the formal reception by the troops. The
General and his wife then drove to Ludlow Castle, the
residence of Colonel Young, the commanding officer,
while the rest of the party took up their quarters near
the railway station.
Delhi is a beautiful city in its general appearance, and
the houses of the wealthy and of Englishmen are spa
ciously built, to get air, but those of many of the natives
are huddled close together in small liouses, and rude
caves and huts of mud and stones. Thus beautiful roads,
gardens and pleasure-grounds contrast with squalor,
poverty and ignorance. Says a friend who visited it just
prior to Grant :
" Delhi is the Rome of the old Mogul empire. Agra
was the, capital in the time of Akbar, but Delhi is an
older city. It had a history before the Moguls. It is
said to have been destroyed and rebuilt seven times, and
thus is overspread with the ashes of many civilizations.
Its very ruins attest its ancient greatness. The plain
around Delhi is like the Campagna around Rome — cov
ered with the remains of palaces and mosques, towers
and tombs, which give credit to the historical statement
that the city was once thirty miles in circuit, and had
2,000,000 inhabitants.
" Though not a tenth of old Delhi in size, it has to-day
over one hundred and sixty thousand inhabitants. It is
surrounded by walls seven miles in extent. You enter
under lofty arched gateways, and find yourselves in the
midst of a picturesque population, representing all the
races of Southern and Central Asia. The city is much
gayer than Agra. Its shops are rich in Indian jewelry,
which is manufactured here, and in Cashmere shawls,
and other Oriental fabrics ; and in walking through the
Chandney Chook, the Broadway of Delhi, one might

306

TRA VELS OF GENERAL GRANT.

imagine himself in the bazaars of Cairo or Constanti
nople.

" The fort is very like that of Agra, being built of the
same red sandstone, but much larger, and incloses a

TRA VELS OF GENERAL GRANT

307

KOOTUB MINOR.

308 TRA VELS OF GENERAL GRANT.
palace which Bishop Heber thought superior to the
Kremlin. In the hall of audience, which still remains, stood
the famous Peacock Throne, which is estimated to have
been worth $30,000,000. Here the Great Mogul lived in
a magnificence till then unknown even in Oriental courts."
After a ride through it with Grant, the writer says :
" There are few cities in the world which have had a
more varied and more splendid career than Delhi. After
you pass from the English section a ride through Delhi is
sad. You go through miles of ruins — the ruins of many
wars and dynasties, from what was destroyed by the
Turk in the twelfth century to what was destroyed by
the Englishman in the nineteenth. The suburbs of Jerusa
lem are sad enough, but there you have only the memo
ries, the words of prophecy, and the history of destruc
tion. Time has covered or dispersed the ruins. But
Time has not been able to do so with the ruins of Delhi.
From the Cashmere Gate, for a ride of eleven miles, your
road is through monumental ruins. Among these stands
the Kootub Minar, claimed to be the highest pillar in the
world, built of red sandstone, fluted and divided into five
stages or stories, the base of each ornamented with a pro
jecting gallery and balustrade. Tombs, temples, mauso
leums, mosques in all directions. The horizon is studded
with minarets and domes, all abandoned and many in
ruins." Everywhere are the evidences of a great civilization in
former times, " Ruins, miles of ruins, on which the vul
tures only perch." The sand covers a greater part of
the ruins of Egypt, but here they lie upon the surface,
columns piled upon columns — mosque and palaces
blended together in one great wreck. Here where
now dwell scarcely a quarter of a million of people.
2,000,000 once lived and toiled. As you walk the streeU,

TRAVELS OF GENERAL GRANT.

309

strange sights meet you at every step ; ox-carts go
lumbering by, taking the place of omnibuses in modern
cities, the driver sitting on the tongue of the vehicle, and
urging the great unwieldy animals into a gallop by
twisting their tails ; burden-bearers stagger along under
weights that would crush an American porter; women
carrying water in stone jugs on their heads, as in the time
of Abraham, meet and pass you without turning to look
at you, while monkeys run
up the walls and stare and
chatter at you. The tomb
of Hamayun, vast in its
ruins, incloses eighteen
tombs, in which were laid
himself and five of the royal
line, together with eleven
friends and state officers.
But a greater event than the
burialof a king gives interest
to the place — it is the tomb
of a dynasty brought to a
close in the great mutiny of
1857. At Meirut, thirty miles *M
off, the Sepoys rose upon
their officers and massacred
them, and all the Europeans and women in the fort, and
then rushed upon Delhi to rouse the inhabitants to join
them. Yells and shouts rent the air, and soon the
streets ran with blood. One brave officer shut himself
up in the garrison, and when the mutineers, yelling
with rage, poured around it, and were about to burst
open the gates, fired the magazine, and blew him
self and a thousand natives into the air. The few troops
finding themselves cut off from the fort and powerless

INDIAN PORTER.

3To

TRA VELS OF GENERAL GRANT.

against the thousands crowding the streets and rending
the air with threats of vengeance, fled through the Cash
mere Gate. At a safe distance they rallied, and gathering
what reinforcements they could, intrenched themselves.
and held out through the summer, and in September,
with 7,000 men, determined to storm the city held by
60,000 native troops.
Planting their guns on the ridge, a mile or two distant,
they threw shells into the town, and as their fire took
effect, they advanced their lines nearer and nearer. But
they did not advance unopposed. Many of the Sepoys
were practiced artillerists and answered back with fatal
aim. Still, though the English ranks were thinned, they
kept pushing on ; they came nearer and nearer, and the
roar of their guns was louder and louder. Approaching
the walls at one point, they wished to blow up the Cash
mere Gate. It was a desperate undertaking. But when
was English courage known to fail ? A dozen men were
detailed for the attempt. Four natives carried bags of
powder on their shoulders, but as they drew within rifle
range, English soldiers stepped up to take their places,
for they would not expose their native allies to a danger
which they were ready to encounter themselves. The
very daring of the movement for an instant bewildered
the enemy. The Sepoys within saw these men coming
up to the gate, but thinking perhaps that they were
deserters, did not fire upon them, and it was not till
they darted back again that they saw the design. Then
came the moment of danger, when the mine was to be
fired. A sergeant advanced quickly, but fell mortally
wounded ; a second sprang to the post, but was shot
dead ; the third succeeded, but fell wounded ; the fourth
rushed forward, and seeing the train lighted, sprang
into the moat, the bullets whizzed over him, and the

77?^ VELS OF GENERAL GRANT.

3H

next instant a tremendous explosion threw the heavy
wall into the air.
Delhi was won, and the king fled for safety to this
tomb, and was captured, though surrounded by thousands
of his troops, by Captain Hodson, with fifty native cavalry.
But Delhi is now a quiet and loyal city. Here, forty
regiments, native and English, were mustered to receive
the Prince of Wales. There was the superb Sikh cavalry
and the heavy artillery drawn
by elephants which, as they
dragged the heavy pieces up
before the prince, trumpeted
him a salute.
One of the sights well worth
the traveler's visit is the pal
ace of the Grand Mogul,
where he dwelt in the time of
his power and glory. Grant
was taken there and found it
was now used as a fort for the
defense of the city, shorn of
all its ancient glory.
They were shown, also, the
throne of this great monarch.
They mounted by a nar
row stair-way, their guide indian soldier.
constantly warning them against stumbling. But when
they reached it, they found nothing left of its former
magnificence — a marble platform, nothing more, remained
to tell what it once was. This was so high, that a man
cannot reach it with his hands. From it, however,
a vast open plain could be seen, on which an army
might maneuver, and the sport of fighting elephants
be witnessed by the king. During the brief time

o j 2 77?^ VELS OF GENERAL GRANT.
that Grant occupied it, he saw beneath him instead of
all this Oriental display, only groups of English soldiers,
lounging about, who saluted him and stared at him and
the officers in attendance. From this hall of general
audience, he went to that of special audience. The
former was once beautifully inlaid with mosaics, but after
its capture, these were torn away by a British officer who
had the fragments made up into fancy articles, which
he sold to purchasers, realizing from the vandal act
some $2,500. This hall of special Sudience was famous
for containing the "Peacock Throne," but nothing except
its site remains. It is said to have cost $30,000,000.
Mr. Beresford, in his book on Delhi, says it was called
the Peacock Throne " from its having the figures of two
peacocks standing behind it, their tails expanded, and the
whole so inlaid with sapphires, rubies, emeralds, pearls
and other precious stones of appropriate colors, as to
represent life. The throne itself was six feet long by
four feet broad. It stood on six massive feet, which,
with the body, were of solid gold inlaid with rubies,
emeralds and diamonds. It was supported by a canopy
of gold, upheld by twelve pillars, all richly emblazoned
with costly gems and a fringe of pearls ornamented the
borders of the canopy. On the other side of the throne
stood umbrellas, one of the Oriental emblems of royalty.
They were formed of crimson velvet richly embroidered
and fringed with pearls. The handles were eight feet
high, of solid gold and studded with diamonds." The
ceiling of this hall was of solid silver. But the Persians,
Mahrattas and English have plundered it by turns, till
nothing remains.

TRA VELS OF GENERAL GRANT. 3 I 3

CHAPTER XIII.
VISIT TO JEYPOOR — SCHOOL OF INDUSTRY — VISITS THE TIGERS — THE ROYAL STABLES
—THE PALACE — AUDIENCE OF THE MAHRAJAH — A NAUTCH DANCE — a GAME OF
BILLIARDS WITH THE MAHRAJAH — AN ORIENTAL LEAVE- TAKING — COL. GRANT
HAS A BOAR HUNT — LUCKNOW — CAWNPOOR — A HORRIBLE MASSACRE — A GHASTLY
SPECTACLE — A FEARFUL OATH OF VENGEANCE — H AVELOCK RELIEVES THE GARRISON
AT LUCKNOW — A TOUCHING SCENE — ALLAHABAD, THE CITY OF GOD — PILGRIMS
BATHING — BENARES, THE HOLY CITY — A STRANGE STROLL THROUGH IT — FUNERAL
TYRES— HINDOOISM — THE THREE CAPITALS OF INDIA — RECEPTION AT CALCUTTA —
A PICNIJ ON THE HOOGLY — THE SCAVENGERS OF CALCUTTA — ORIGINAL MODE OF
SPRINKLING STREETS — BURMAH — RECEPTION AT RANGOON — THE GREAT PAGODA — ¦
CHARACTER OF THE KING — HINDOO CASTE — BUDDHISM — ELEPHANTS LOADING AND
UNLOADING VESSELS — RANGOON.
JEYPOOR lay on Grant's route to Delhi, but he did
not stop to visit it, and now returned to see its sights.
There is a school of arts and industry here, which
interested him much, as in traveling he is constantly ask
ing after the industrial resources of the country. Old
palaces and past glories attract him less than a new plow,
or any new implement of industry that shows the influ
ence of modern civilization and ideas on these worn-out
countries. This school, however, is devoted mostly to
the education of the natives into greater perfection in the
manufacture of enameled jewelry, for which Jeypoor is
specially celebrated. He went to the collection of
tigers, and saw a half dozen brutes, each of whom had a
mstory. Two or three were man-eaters. One enormous
creature had killed twenty-five men before he was taken,
and he lay in his cage quite comfortable and sleek.
Another was in a high temper, and roared and jumped
35

,J4 TRAVELS OF GENERAL GRANT.
and beat the bars of his cage. On returning to the resi
dency they found a group of servants from the palace on
the veranda, each carrying a tray laden with sweetmeats
and nuts, oranges and other fruits. This was an offering
from the prince, and it was necessary that the General
should touch some of the fruit and taste it and say how
much he was indebted to His Highness for the remem
brance. Then the servants marched back to the palace.
The mahrajah sent word that he would receive General
Grant at five. The mahrajah is a pious prince, a de
votee and almost an ascetic. He gives seven hours a
day to devotions, and partakes only of one meal a day.
When he is through with his prayers he plays billiards. He
is the husband of ten wives. His tenth wife was married
to him a few weeks ago, which he took not because he
wanted her, for he thought he had enough, but — as even
single marriages are made in Christian monarchies — from
political considerations alone.
They drove to the palace at four o'clock, and were
shown the royal stables. There were some fine horses
and exhibitions of horsemanship which astonished even
the General. They were shown the astronomical build
ings of Jai Singh II, which were on a large scale and
accurately graded. They climbed to the top of the
palace and had a fine view of Jeypoor. The palace itself
embraces one-sixth of the city, and there are 10,000
people within its walls — beggars, soldiers, priests, poli
ticians, all manner of human beings — who live on the
royal bounty. The town looked picturesque and cool in
the shadows of the descending sun. They visited the
quarters devoted to the household. All was dead.
Every part of the palace swarmed with life except this.
Word had been sent to the household that profane eyes
would soon be gazing from the towers, and the ladies

TRAVELS OF GENERAL GRANT. ,Ir.
went into seclusion. They strolled from building to build
ing — through reception-rooms, working-rooms, billiard-
rooms, high-walled, far apart — with stone walls and gar
dens all around ; space, air and sunshine. His Highness
had arisen this morning earlier than usual, to have his
prayers finished in time to meet the General. At five, pre
cisely, Grant and his party entered the court-yard leading
to the reception hall. The mahrajah came slowly down
the steps with a serious, preoccupied air, not as an old
man, but as one who was too weary with a day's labors to
make any effort, and shook hands with the General and
Mrs. Grant. He accompanied the General to a seat of
honor and sat down at his side. On the side of the
General sat the members of his party ; on the side of the
mahrajah the members of his cabinet. Dr. Handley
acted as interpreter. The prince said Jeypoor was hon
ored in seeing the face of the great American ruler, whose
fame had reached Hindostan. The General said he had
enjoyed his visit, that he was pleased and surprised with
the prosperity of the people, and that he should have felt
he had lost a great deal if he had come to India and not
have seen Jeypoor. The mahrajah expressed regret
that the General made so short a stay. The General
answered that he came to India late and was rather
pressed for time, from the fact that he wished to see the
viceroy before he left Calcutta, and to that end had pro
mised to be in Calcutta on March ioth.
His Highness then made a gesture and a troop of
dancing girls came into the court-yard. One of the fea
tures of a visit to Jeypoor is what is called the Nautch.
The Nautch is a sacred affair, danced by Hindoo girls of
a low caste, in the presence of the idols in the palace
temple. A group of girls came trooping in, under the
leadership of an old fellow with a long beard and a hard

316

TRA VELS OF GENERAL GRANT.

expression of face, who might have been the original of
Dickens' Fagin. The girls wore heavy garments embroi
dered, the skirts composed of many folds, covered)with
gold braid. They had ornaments on their heads and
jewels in the side of the nose. They had plain faces and
carried out the theory of caste, if there be anything in
such a theory, in the
contrast between
their features and
the delicate, sharply
cut lines of the
yilk hi?her class Bral>
baAl^ mins and the other
castes who sur
rounded the prince.
The girls formed in
two lines, a third
line was composed
of four musicians,
who performed a
low, growling kind
of music on un
earthly instruments.
The dance had no
value in it, either as
an expression of har
mony, grace or mo
tion. What it may have been as an act of devotion ac
cording to the Hindoo faith it is impossible to say. One,
of the girls would advance a step or two and then turn
around. Another would go through the same. This
went down the double line, the instruments keeping up
their constant din. The Nautch dance is meaningless.
It is not even improper. It is attended by no excitement,

NAUTCH GIRL.

;i3

TRA VELS OF GENERAL GRANT.

no manifestations of religious feeling. A group of coarse,
ill-formed women stood in the lines, walked and twisted'
about, breaking now and then into a chorus, which added
to the din of the instruments. This was the famous Nautch
dance, to be seen in Jeypoor with amazement, and to re
member as one of the sights in India. Either as an
amusement or a religious ceremony it had no value.
The mahrajah and his court looked on as gloomy as
ravens, while the Gene
ral wore that resigned
expression — resignation
tinted with despair —
familiar to those of his
Washington friends who
had seen him listen to
an address from the
Women's Rights Asso
ciation or receive a dele
gation of Sioux chiefs.
Still the whole scene
was striking, and
strange, and purely Ori
ental. Near the solemn-
looking prince stood his
equally solemn-looking
falconer with the falcon perched on his wrist, and on the
other side the prime minister in long, flowing, embroidered
robes, tall and lank, with the keen expression of a Jew on
his face. Next to him sat the prime minister, a chief of
the Brahmins, and consequently a most holy man and
keeper of the mahrajah' s conscience. He eats opium,
as many high and holy men do in India, and you see that
his fingers twitch restlessly. He is the favorite Brahmin
and conscience keeper of the mahrajah, receives large

MAHRAJAH OF BENARES.

TRAVELS OF GENERAL GRANT.

319

revenues from the temples, lives in a palace and is a
member of the king's council. The mahrajah sits as it
were soused back into his chair, his eyes covered with
heavy silver-mounted spectacles, very tired and bored,
looking at the Nautch girls as though they were a million
of miles away. He has been praying all day and has had
no dinner.
General Grant formed one of this stolid group, re
signed and patient, but still wondering when this stupid
dance would come to an end. At length, as the shadows
of evening began to fall, the prime minister made a sign,
and the dance stopped, and the girls vanished, and the
mahrajah led the way into the drawing-room, and thence
into the billiard-room.
The mahrajah plays billiards when he is not at prayers,
and was anxious to have a game with the General. The
latter played in an indiscriminate, promiscuous manner,
and made some wonderful shots in the way of missing
balls he intended to strike. Mr. Borie, whose interest in
the General's fortunes extends to billiards, began to
deplore those eccentric experiments, when the General
said he had not played billiards for thirty years. The
mahrajah tried to lose the game, and said to one of his
attendants that he was anxious to show the General that
delicate mark of hospitality, but he couldn't succeed.
A stroll through the beautiful gardens, with their rich
beds of flowers and choice trees, followed, and the prince,
with pride, pointed to the towers of his palace, gleaming
in the rays of the setting sun. As night came on a cool
ing breeze stole through the perfumed bowers, com
pleting, with its fragrance, this thoroughly Oriental scene,
made, if possible, still more beautiful by the dancing of
innumerable lights and torches which the servants
brought in to relieve the darkness

32O TRAVELS OF GENERAL GRANT.
Then came the leave-taking, solemn, as all such cere
monies are in the East. Repairing to the hall, now
ablaze with light, an attendant entered bearing a tray
filled with wreaths of the rose and jessamine. "The mah
rajah, taking two of these wreaths, put them on the
neck of the General. He did the same to Mrs. Grant
and all the members of the party. Then taking a string
of gold and silken cord, he placed that on Mrs. Grant as
a special honor. The General, who was instructed by
the English resident, took four wreaths and put them on
the neck of the mahrajah, who pressed his hands and
bowed his thanks. Another servant came, bearing a
small cup of gold and gems containing ottar of roses.
The mahrajah, putting some of the perfume on his fin
gers, transferred it to Mrs. Grant's handkerchief. With
another portion he passed his hands along the General's
breast and shoulders. This was done to each of the
party. The General then taking the perfume passed his
hands over the mahrajah's shoulders, and so concluded
the ceremony, which, in all royal interviews in the East,
is supposed to mean a lasting friendship. Then the
prince, taking General Grant's hand in his own, led him
from the hall, across the garden and to the gateway of
his palace, holding his hand all the time." The carriages
were waiting, and the prince took his leave, saying how
much he was honored by the General's visit. The cav
alry escort formed in line, the guard presented arms, and
they drove at a full gallop home. And so ended one of
the most interesting and eventful days in Grant's visit to
India. But the mahrajah's hospitality did not end here; he
had some fine jungles in his district; and proposed to get
up a tiger hunt for his distinguished guest. But this re
quired two or three days' preparation, and, as Grant

m

mmm

ABU

TRA VELS OF GENERAL GRANT.

325

could not spare the time, it was given up. But Colonel
Grant was resolved to have a taste of India sport, and so
a boar hunt was ordered, and with sixteen horsemen, two
camels, two bullock-carts and the beaters, he started out

A HAREM SCENE— TEA DRINKING.

at six o'clock in the morning on a grand hunt. Two pigs
were started, both of which the colonel succeeded in
spearing. It was then proposed to go after antelope, as
it was not yet noon.

!26

TRA VELS OF GENERAL GRANT.

Harems are common here among the wealthy mahrajahs,
nearly the same as in most Eastern countries where poly
gamy and concubinage are permitted or practiced. In
many places, however, the women are allowed the society
of their own sex, with far less restraint than is ordinarily
supposed, and they are prone to display before their vis
iting friends, with a great deal of pride, the wealth and
ornaments which have been given them.
The colonel was driven in one of the ox-carts within
fair range of a buck, and brought him down. Satisfied
with two pairs of boars' tusks and the horns of an ante
lope, as trophies, the colonel returned from his first hunt
in India. The mahrajah said that if the General would
remain two or three days, he would show him what his
jungles could produce in the way of tigers, bears and
leopards. Grant thanked him for his courtesy, but said
that he could not spare the time. The Prince of Wales
and Duke of Edinburgh, who had preceded him but a
short time, had more taste for such sport, and made
themselves quite famous as hunters.
Before making the long stretch of journey south
to Calcutta, Grant determined to cross over the country
and visit Lucknow, situated on a branch of the Ganges,
a spot so memorable in the history of the great mutiny
of 1857 and '59, and where such heroic deeds were per
formed. This is not the place to enter into the history of
that mutiny. The brave Havelock marched to Cawnpoor,
to relieve the 200 men, women and children held there as
prisoners ; and their horrible massacre, while his guns
were thundering on the walls of the city, have become a
terrible part of that history. The spectacle that met his
gaze as he marched into the abandoned place and entered
the room where they were kept, froze his blood with
horror. The pavement was swimming in blood, amid

TRAVELS OF GENERAL GRANT.

3-7

*This spot is one of the most pathetic in India, and, to quote the words of the
legend around the shrine, will forever be " Sacred to the perpetual memory of a
great company of Christian people, chiefly women and children," who lie beneath.

328

TRAVELS OF GENERAL GRANT.

which floated torn fragments of ladies and children's
dresses, and long crimson tresses, while in the adjoining
apartments, now empty, the blood stood an inch deep, in
which were swimming ladies' hats, collars, back-combs,
and portions of their underdress, and children's socks
and frills, while all around were the marks of bullets, and
on the wooden pillars deep gashes, from which hung long '
tresses of hair, carried there by the cruel sword, when it
cleft the flowing crown of woman. The mother, in the
fullness of her prime, the accomplished maiden, in her
beauty and bloom, and the babe in its budding loveliness,
had shrieked and died there together, butchered and
hacked like wild beasts. In one apartment a row of
women's shoes and gaiters were carefully placed along
the wall, filled with bleeding feet, and on the other side,
a row of children's shoes, filled with children's feet, all
arranged with devilish care and accuracy. But where
were the dead ? was the cry, almost the shriek of all.
In passing out of the building they saw arms and legs
sticking out of a well, and drawing nearer, found it full
of dead bodies. Stripped of their clothing, those 200
women and children had been pitched, the living on the
dead, into this well, till it was filled from bottom to top.
Oh, what a sight for brave men to look upon. They had
faced the deadly battery without flinching, and trod, with
out a nerve quivering, the battle-field heaped with the
slain, but at this sight they broke down, and wept like
children. But tears soon gave way to oaths of ven
geance, deep and terrible. As the Highlanders came to
one of General Wheeler's dead daughters tied naked to
the ground, having been subjected to treatment worse
than death, they sat down, and cutting off her hair, divided
it with pale countenances and wrathful eyes between them,
Each one then slowly counted the number of threads he

TRAVELS OF GENERAL GRANT. ,2Q
had, ana with a solemn, fearful oatn swore, that for each
hair one man should die. An oatii he more than kept.
No wonder the Government has reared a monument on
this spot, and laid out a memorial garden, while over the
fatal well stands an angel, in marble, having ¦ in his hand
the palm leaves of victory. From this place Havelock
led his men to the relief of the garrison at Lucknow,
whom the natives had doomed to a similar fate.
The account of the long siege, the prolonged suffering
and heroic endurance of that garrison, will never grow
old while the human heart heaves with sympathy.
Havelock's desperate struggle onward ; his advances, and
retreats to Cawnpoor, and last terrible charge through
the streets of Lucknow, and the wild rapturous meeting
of the deliverers and delivered; the thrilling cheers
rising over the shouts of the combatants and the roar of
cannon; the shrill notes of the bag-pipes of the High
landers, playing " the Campbell's are coming," (aye,
coming over the dead and dying to the rescue), fulfilling
their dreadful oath, all conspire to make that spot dear
to every true-hearted man.
Grant, as he stood on the ruins of the old residency, in
which the garrison was shut up, and looked off on the city,
could see the course Havelock took in his last desperate
march, as he forced his way through fire and blood to its
relief, and feel as all brave hearts feel 'at the deeds of
brave men. The next place of importance going south
was Allahabad "the city of God," standing at the junction
of the two sacred rivers, the Jumna and the Ganges,
and regarded by-all Hindoos as one of the holiest
places in the world, and hence, the religious re
sort to it from far and near, who come to bathe where
these holy waters meet, and thus wash away their sins.
On the 1 2th of January, it is said, that sometimes

,,0 TRAVELS OF GENERAL GRANT.
2,000,000 are assembled here, their white tents covering
the vast plain for miles. Some come on their hands and
knees, others drag themselves along on their bellies,
while others still, travel for days, measuring their length
like a measuring-worm. The Brahmins keep up these
festivals on account of the money it puts in their pockets,
for each pilgrim has to pay a tax before he is allowed to
bathe in the sacred water. It is one of the most aston
ishing sights in the world, to behold these infatuated men
and women crowd by tens of thousands into the water.
After the religious services are performed, and they are
cleansed from all sin, they begin to practice anew all
sorts of wickednesses, apparently to be ready for another
pilgrimage, and another cleansing. From here, it is about
seventy miles to Benares, the sacred city, par excellence
of the Hindoos.
As Grant arrived at the station, he found a guard
of honor awaiting him, who received him with a blare
of trumpets. Accompanied by the leading officials, he
walked down the line of the military with uncovered
head and entered a carriage, and was driven to the house
of the English commissioner. The night was clear, and
the full moon filled the whole dome of heaven with its
light, but its beams paled before the glare of lamps and
torches that lined the way. The blending of uniforms,
the British officers in scarlet, the native princes in rich
and flowing garments blazing with gems ; on One side
the line of armed men, on the other a curious crowd of
Indians — all combined to make the scene Oriental and
vivid. Benares is a city of priests, and out of a population of
less than two hundred thousand, there are about twenty-
five thousand Brahmins, who really govern the city,
owning all its temples, shrines, wells and streams, while

TRA VELS OF GENERAL GRANT.

33*

it is said there are one thousand four hundred and fifty-
four Hindoo temples.
When the Mohammedans conquered India, they en
deavored to drive Hindooism out of the country, but this
holy place still remains to be reverenced by all good
Hindoos. The Hindoo is a pantheist, and worships God
in animals of various kinds, not excepting the monkey,
a whole tribe having a temple to itself in the city.
The streets are so narrow that only in the widest can

SEDAN CHAIR.

even an elephant make his way. They are alleys — nar
row alleys, not streets — and as you thread your way
through them you feel as if the town were one house, the
chambers only separated by narrow passages. The ab
sence of carriages makes it a silent town — as silent as
Venice — and all you hear is the chattering of pilgrims

332

TRA VELS OF GENERAL GRANT.

moving from shrine to shrine. Many of the alleys, are
so narrow that two cannot walk abreast. The commis
sioner, Mr. Daniels, had provided sedan chairs for the
party to make the tour of the city. These chairs were
heavy, ornamented with gold and brass, mounted on
poles and carried on the shoulders of four bearers.
When the party
came to the outskirts
of the town, they
found chair-bearers
were waiting for
them, and the Gene
ral was told that he
might take his place.
But the idea of
swinging in a gaudy
chair from a pole,
with attendants be
fore and behind call
ing upon the people
to make way, was
too much for him.
He preferred to
walk. Mrs. Grant
was put in one chair,
and Mr. Borie in
another. The General and the rest of the party went
ahead on foot, the former unnoticed, Mr. Borie, in the
sedan chair, having a venerable appearance, being re
garded as the great man.
As they threaded their way through the alleys and
past the shrines that met them at every turn, the city
seemed to be at prayer. They entered a temple and
saw beggars all around them. On the walls — for the

GODDESS KALI.

TRAVELS OF GENERAL GRANT.

333

334

TRA VELS OF GENERAL GRANT.

temple is open — monkeys are perching, chattering and
skipping. Around the walls of the inclosure are stalls,
with cows and calves. These are sacred — held in rever
ence by the pilgrims, who feed, and caress, and adore
them. One or two are monstrous births, and they are
specially adored. The animals move about among the
worshipers, quite tame, somewhat arrogant. Mrs. Grant
was wearing a garland of flowers, which a child who sup
plied flowers to the worshipers had thrown over her
neck. One of the animals seeing the flowers, and know
ing them to be sav- ^^
ory, made a rush for /y_ \ "\$jK
the garland, and be
fore any one could
interfere, was
munching and tear
ing it in a deliberate
manner. One of
the police came to
the rescue, but it
was only after a
struggle that the
cow could be per
suaded to abandon
her meal. In the buddhist funeral urn.
centre was a hideous idol, before which a Brahmin was
muttering a prayer.
After they had visited several of the temples, they went
to the observatory of Raja Jai Singh, built at the close of
the seventeenth century, and looking down from its bat
tlements, saw the sacred river shining in the morning sun;
the teeming, busy hive of temples and shrines, from which
the hum of worship seems to arise ; masses of pilgrims
sluggishly moving toward the river to plunge into its holy

MM .nii-mr nir-'-Mryg

TRA VELS OF GENERAL GRANT. , , -
waters and be cleansed of sin. They were pointed out
the site of the holy well of Manikarnaki, dug by the god
Vishnu, consecrated by the god Mahadeva, whose waters
will wash away any sin and make the body pure. From
here they went down to the water, and, on board of a
steam launch, slowly steamed under the banks, and the
view of the city as seen from the boat was one of the
most striking the world can afford. Although the day
was not far advanced, the sun was out in all its power.
Here was the burning Ghat, the spot where the bodies of
the Hindoos are burned. No office is so sacred to the
dead as to burn his body on the banks of the Ganges.
As they slowly steamed along, a funeral procession was
seen bearing a body to the funeral pyre. Several slabs
were set around the burning Ghat, in memory of widows
who had burned themselves on that spot in honor of their
husbands, according to the old rite of suttee. They
passed the temple of the Lord Tavaka, the special god
who breathes such a charm into the ear of the dying that
the departing soul goes into eternal bliss ; also, the tem
ple built in honor of the two feet of Vishnu, and which
are worshiped with divine honors. They saw the Ghats
or steps erected by Sindia, an Indian prince, built in heavy
masonry, but broken, as by an earthquake, and slowly
going to ruin ; and the lofty mosque of Aurungzebe, nota
ble only for its two minarets, which, rising to 1 50 feet, are
the highest objects in Benares, and are a landmark for
miles and miles. Shrines and temples are passed without
number, the mere recital of whose names and attributes
would fill several pages. All this is lost in the general
effect of the city, as seen from the river.
Benares sits on the sacred river, an emblem of the
strange religion which has made it a holy city, and there
is solemnity in the thought that for ages she has kept her

33^

77?^ VELS OF GENERAL GRANT.

place on the Ganges ; that for ages her shrines have
been holy to millions of men ; that for ages the wisest, and
purest, and best of the Indian race have wandered as pil
grims through her narrow streets, and plunged them
selves as penitents into the waters to wash away their

sins.

Perhaps some one asks what is Hindooism or Brahmin-
ism, which is the faith, more or less modified, of more than

BUDDHIST CAR OF JUGGERNAUT.
half the human family. Practically it is, idolatry and
•jantheism combined, exhibiting many revolting and dis
gusting features, among which the most revolting are the
burning of widows on the funeral pyre with their dead
husbands, and the throwing of one's self, who is cursed
with an incurable disease, under the car of Juggernaut,
to be crushed to a jelly, and come out in the next sphere

77?^ VELS OF GENERAL GRANT.

337

sound and perfect in body, and the casting of children by
mothers into the Ganges, to propitiate their god. These,
however, will soon, under the influence of civilization and
the Christian religion, be remembered only as things of the
past. The philosophy of Hindooism is, that out of mil
lions of ages, after a million births, following each other
in long succession, at last man is cast upon the earth, but
only as a bird of passage, darting swiftly through life,
and then, in an endless transmigration of souls, passing
through other stages of being, till he is absorbed in the
Eternal All. Thus does man find his way at last back to
God, as the drop of water, caught up by the sun, lifted
into the cloud, descends in the rain, trickles in streams
down the mountain side, and finds its way back to the
ocean. So does the human soul complete the endless
cycle of existence, coming from God and returning to
God, to be swallowed up and lost in that boundless sea.
It is a twenty-four hours' ride from Benares to Cal
cutta, with scarcely a single object of interest on the
route. The land is poorly cultivated, while no forests re
lieve the monotony of the vast plain of the Ganges.
Camels yoked to the plow like oxen, and elephants work
ing in the fields with1 the sagacity of their farmer owners,
it is true, was a novelty. Grant arrived in Calcutta in
the morning, and was received by the American consul
with a guard of honor from the viceroy, and driven to
the Government House in a state carriage. India has
three capitals, Delhi, where once reigned the great
Mogul, and is the centre of the Mohammedan faith ;
'Benares, the Mecca of the Hindoos, and Calcutta, the
capital of the modern British Empire. The Empire of
India extends over a number of provinces, including
1,500,000 square miles, and 200,000,000 of people, and
is governed by the viceroy, who lives in Calcutta. For two

338

TRA VELS OF GENERAL GRANT.

centuries it was ruled by the East India Company for its
own benefit, and crimes, and cruelty, and lust, make that
long period a dark spot on the British escutcheon. Cal
cutta is called in the East the city of palaces, but it hardly
deserves the name, though many fine modern buildings
adorn it, such as the government house, town hall, court
house, currency office, custom-house, post-office, Dal-
housie Institute, St. Paul's Cathedral, etc., etc.
The annual convocation for conferring degrees of the
University, took place while General Grant was in Cal
cutta, and he, accompanied by Sir Ashley Eden, Lieuten
ant-Governor of Bengal, and Sir Alexander Arbuthnot,
the Vice-Chancellor, attended the convocation. The
General and the Bishop of Calcutta sat on the Vice-
Chancellor's right, and Sir Ashley Eden on his left. De
grees were conferred upon students from the \sarious
colleges throughout India, and the Vice-Chancellor made
a speech, which contained some interesting references to
education in India.
He then complimented Grant, and held him up to the
students as an illustration of what perseverance and
tenacity of purpose could accomplish. The viceroy,
Lord Lytton, had delayed his annual hegira to the Hima
laya Mountains in order to receive Grant. It must be
remembered that the viceroy goes every year to Simla,
on the first range of the Himalaya .Mountains, 1,200
miles distant, for the sake of the air. A similar custom
here would take our seat of government for that length
of time into the Rocky Mountains. Lord Lytton had
once been attached to the British legation at Washington,
under his uncle Bulwer, and hence he and Grant had
much to talk about in common. In the evening, there
was the inevitable state dinner, with toasts and speeches.
The next day, an excursion was made up the Hoogly

TRA VELS OF GENERAL GRANT.

339

twelve miles, to the viceroy's country seat at Barrackpore.
At the last moment, the viceroy found he could not go,
and deputized Sir Ashley Eden to act in his place. The
party was small but select that assembled at noon on
board the viceroy's yacht and began to ascend the river.
Landing in a burning sun, they had a long walk to a
marquee tent, pitched under a banyan tree, where a

BANYAN, OR SACRED TREE OF INDIA.

band was playing and servants preparing luncheon.
They returned in the evening just in time to be dressed
for a state dinner. When the dinner was over and Lord
Lytton escorted Mrs. Grant to the reception-room, the
halls were filled with a brilliant and picturesque assembly.
A company of native gentlemen looks like a fancy dress
ball. There is no rule governing their costumes. They
are as free to choose the color and texture of their gar-

34o

TRAVELS OF GENERAL GRANT.

ments as ladies at home. They were in loose gowns of
cool, flexible stuffs, that seemed to play and dally with the
heat, and as they streamed about in their airy, flowing,
fleecy gowns, they looked more sensible than we civilians
in our black evening dress, or the officers girded to the
throat with scarlet cloth and braid.
Among other distinguished guests was the young
prince of Burmah and his wife, who had fled, it was said,
to Calcutta to escape being put to death by the king, who
was murdering his relatives. The viceroy was now
obliged to leave for the mountains, but previous to his
departure, he had a long and most friendly interview with
Grant. There is one thing in Calcutta that strikes a stranger
as very peculiar, and that is the way the streets are
cleaned of garbage. After midnight, jackals have the run
of the city, and their cries, half human and half wild-
animal, make the night hideous, yet the inhabitants do
not mind it. With the early dawn they skulk away into
sewers and dark recesses. They have an original way
of watering the streets as well as cleaning them here. A
goat-skin filled with water and left open at the neck is
suspended by a strap over the neck of a coolie, who
walks along and with his hand dexterously squirts the
water right and left, and as many men are employed,
the work is well done.
A dispatch was received in Calcutta by General Grant
saying that the "Richmond," which he had been expecting
at Galle, had not passed the Suez Canal. All his plans
in visiting Asia had been based upon the move
ments of the " Richmond," and the hope that she would be
at some point on the Indian coast by the time he reached
Calcutta. Under this impression he had accepted invita
tions to visit Ceylon and Madras, and was planning an

TRA VELS OF GENERAL GRANT.

341

expedition into the Dutch islands. This news led to a
sudden and complete change in his plans, and he resolved
to leave India and move on to China in the first steamer.
Out of this resolution came the visit to Burmah, a country
that had not otherwise been in his programme. He left
Calcutta at midnight, in order to catch the tides in the
Hoogly, on board the steamer "Simla," of the British India

SURF AT MADRAS.
Navigation Company. The "Simla" was pleasant and
comfortable, and the run across the Bay of Bengal was
over a summer sea. The nights were so warm that it
was impossible to, sleep in the cabins, and they found as
good accommodations as they could lying about the deck.
They sailed up the river to Rangoon and arrived at
the wharf about noon. A fierce sun was blazing, and the

342

TRAVELS OF GENERAL GRANT.

whole landscape seemed baked, so stern was the heat.
Rangoon is the principal city of Burmah, and seen from
the wharf is a low-lying, straggling town. Two British

men-of-war were in the harbor, who manned their yards
in honor of the General. All the vessels in the stream
were dressed, and the jaunty little "Simla" steamed with

77?^ VELS OF GENERAL GRANT.

343

flags. The landing was covered with scarlet cloth, and
the American and British standards were blended. All
the town seemed to be out, and the river bank was
lined with the multitude, who looked on in their passive,
Oriental fashion at the pageant. As soon as our boat
came to the wharf, Mr. Aitcheson, the commissioner,
came on board, accompanied by Mr. Leishmann, the
American vice-consul, and bade the General welcome
to Burmah. On landing, the General was presented to
the leading citizens and officials and the officers of the
men-of-war. The guard of honor presented arms and
then all drove away to the Government House, a pretty,
commodious bungalow in the suburbs, buried among
trees. The Burmese look like Chinese, and the women are
not shut up as in India, but walk the streets like men. The
great object of curiosity in Rangoon is the Great Pagoda.
It stands on a hill, or rocky ledge, which overlooks the
city of Rangoon and the Valley of the Irrawaddy. It is
approached by a long flight of steps, which is occupied
by peddlers, lepers and blind men, who stretch out their
hands to ask for alms of those who mount the sacred hill
to pray. "The Pagoda is a colossal structure, with a
broad base like a pyramid, though round in shape, slop
ing upward to a slender cone, which tapers at last to a
•sort of spire over three hundred feet high, and as the
whole, from base to pinnacle, is covered with gold-leaf, it
presents a very dazzling appearance, when it reflects the
rays of the sun. A pagoda is always a solid mass of
masonry, with no inner place of worship — not even a
shrine, or a chamber like that in the heart of the Great
Pyramid. The tall spire has for its extreme point what
architects call a finial — a kind of umbrella, which the
Burmese call a 'htee,' made of a series of iron rings

344 ™R A VELS OF GENERAL GRANT.
gilded, from which hang many little silver and brass bells,
which, swinging to-and-fro with every passing breeze,
give forth a dripping musical sound. The Buddhist idea
of prayer is not limited to human speech ; it may be ex
pressed by an offering of flowers, or the tinkling of a bell.
It is at least a pretty fancy, which leads them to suspend
on every point and pinnacle of their pagodas these tiny
bells, whose soft, aerial chimes sound sweetly in the air, and
floating upward, fill the ear of heaven with a constant
melody. Besides the Great Pagoda, there are other
smaller pagodas, one of which has lately been decorated
with a magnificent 'htee,' presented by a rich timber
merchant of Maulmain."
The growth of Burmah, and especially the position of
Rangoon as a commercial centre, made a deep impres
sion upon General Grant, who found no part of his visit
to Asia so interesting as the study of the resources of
these countries and the possibilities of advancing Ameri
can commerce. There is no subject, he thinks, more
worthy of our attention as a nation than the develop
ment of this commerce in the East.
The capital of Burmah is Mandalay, the most misera
ble mass of habitations that ever assumed to be called a
city. There are no roads, no carriages, no horses, only
a few bullock carts. Yet the lord of this capital thinks it
a great metropolis, and himself a great sovereign, and no
one about him dares tell him to the contrary. He is an
absolute despot, and has the power of life and death,
which he exercises on any who excite his displeasure.
He has but to speak a word or raise a hand, and the
object of his wrath is led to execution. Suspicion makes
him cruel, and death is sometimes inflicted by torture or
crucifixion. Yet he is a very religious man in his way
and very orthodox. To an English gentleman that was

BIRD'S-EYE VIEW OF PAGODAS,

'. HILL-MADRAS PRESIDENCY.

TRA / ELS OF GENERAL GRANT.

349

presented to him, he said : " The English are a great
people, but what a pity that they have no religion." The
religion of Burmah is Buddhism, the faith of the teeming
millions of Eastern Asia. It would require a volume to
describe fully the different religions of this vast continent.
Mohammedans — the first Grant had encountered — believe
in one God, like the ancient Jews, and hence are not

CENOTAPH— MEMORIAL TO THE DEAD.

idolaters. The Hindoos are both Pantheists and idola
ters — their idols being uncouth monsters,1 while the
various forms of human sacrifices render their religion
something more than a foolish superstition — it is a
revolting crime. But neither the one nor the other pre
sents such an irresistible barrier to Christianity as caste.
The Hindoos are divided into four castes :

35°

TRA VELS OF GENERAL GRANT.

TRAVELS OF GENERAL GRANT. ,cx
ist. The Brahmins, who are chief of all created be
ings, teachers and priests for all others.
2d. The military class, forming the executive, or those
who administer the laws, as drawn up and interpreted by
the -Brahmins.
3d. The mercantile class.
4th. The servile class.
These distinctions are hereditary, descending from father
to son, and no one can either go higher or descend lower.
It has its rules, fixed as the laws of the Medes and Per
sians, one of which is, no one of a higher caste can eat
or drink with one belonging to a lower. If he does, he
becomes an outcast, despised by all. The poorest
Brahmin would consider himself defiled for all time were
he to eat with the Emperor of Russia, and the Governor-
General of India could not find the veriest beggar to ac
cept his hospitality.
Under such a social system, it can be easily seen what
difficulties the missionaries have to encounter. It is said
that railroads are doing more to break down caste than
anything else. The Hindoos find it pretty hard to travel
on them without eating and drinking with strangers.
Grant was now to see the workings of the third great
religion of the East, viz., Buddhism. The Buddhists have
their decalogue, or rather pentalogue, there being five
commandments in their code instead of ten, which
correspond in the main to the last five of those given to-
Moses. It was founded by Sakya Muni, who started
with the bold idea that man, by virtue and holiness, may
make himself God. His teachings form a commendable
code of moral laws. Of course, these have been changed
by expounders, and a thousand excrescences fixed on this
once simple faith.
There is no hereditary priestly class in Buddhism, and

352

TRAVELS OF GENERAL GRANT.

no caste. The priests do not marry, and deny themselves
all pleasures of the sense, live a monastic life, dress in
yellow gowns (yellow being a sacred color), shave their
heads and beards and walk barefooted. They live in
common, eat in common. When they sleep, it is in a sit
ting posture. They, go to church, pray, chant hymns,
make offerings to their gods — principal among them a
statue of Buddha — sometimes alone, sometimes with his
disciples. " The statue of Buddha holds the same position

TYPE OF THE LOWER CLASS.

in the temples of his faith that the statue of our Saviour
holds in the Catholic churches. The priests go in pro
cession. They chant hymns and prayers, and burn incense,
They carry strings of beads like the rosary, which they
count and fumble as they say their prayers. There is no
single solemn ceremony like the sacrifice of the mass.
Priests and people kneel before the images, surrounded
with blazing wax lights, the air heavy with incense. They
pray kneeling, with clasped, uplifted hands. Sometimes

TRAVELS OF GENERAL GRANT. , „ ..
3o3
they hold in their hands a rose, or a morsel of rice, or a
fragment of bread, as an offering. During their prayers
they frequently bend their bodies so that the face touches
the ground. There are convents for women. The
temples are places of rest and refuge. Hither come the
unfortunate, the poor, the needy, the halt and blind, the
belated traveler. All are received, and all are given food
and alms. As you walk into the temples it is generally
through a lane of unfortunates, in all stages of squalor
and wretchedness, abandoned by the world. Trays or
basins of iron are stretched along the road, in which at
tendants pour uncooked rice. Animal life is held sacred,
and a Buddhist temple looks like a barnyard, a village
pound and a church combined. Cows, parrots, monkeys,
dogs, beggars, children, priests, sight-seers, devotees — all
mingle and blend on a footing of friendliness, the animals
fearing no harm, the men meaning none. A Buddhist
priest will not kill an animal. His sacrifices do not in
volve bloodshed. Before he sits on the ground he will
carefully brush it, lest he might unwittingly crush an ant
or a worm. This respect for animal life is so strong that
some priests will wear a gauze cloth over mouth and
nostrils, lest they inadvertently inhale some of the smaller
insects which live in the air."
One of the curiosities of Burmah is the manner in
which elephants take the place of machinery in loading
and unloading on the wharves. In the timber-yards, both
at Rangoon and Maulmain, all the heavy work of drawing
and piling the logs is done by them. In one yard there
were seven elephants, five of which were at work. Their
wonderful strength came into play in moving huge pieces
of timber. A male elephant would stoop down, and run
his tusks under a log and throw his trunk over it, and
walk off with it as lightly as a gentleman would balance
37

354

TRA VELS OF GENERAL GRANT.

his bamboo cane on the tip of his finger. Placing it on
the pile, he would measure it with his eye, and if it pro
jected too far at either end, would walk up to it, and with
a gentle push or pull, make the pile even. If a still
heavier log needed to be moved on the ground to some
part of the yard, the mahout, sitting on the elephant's
head, would tell him what to do, and the great creature
seemed to have a perfect understanding of his master's
will. He would put out his enormous foot, and push it
along; or he would bend his head, and crouching half
way to the ground, and doubling up his trunk in front,
throw his whole weight against it, and thus, like a ram,
would " butt" the log into its place ; or if it needed to be
taken a greater distance, he would put a chain around it,
and drag it off behind him. He always knows when
Sunday comes, and takes his holiday.
The run down the coast of Burmah and through the
Straits of Malacca to Singapore was a pleasant one.
This is an English colony, situated on an island of the
same name, just at the extremity and close to the Malacca
peninsula. It is the touching-place of all steamers g6ing
eastward and westward, and here General Grant was to
take one and proceed to China. Instead of, however,
going on direct, he determined to make a flying visit to
Siam.

TRA VELS OF GENERAL GRANT.

355

CHAPTER XIV.
GRANT nSITS SIAM — AN INSIGNIFICANT KINGDOM — LETTER FROM THE KING TO
GENERAL GRANT — THE GULF OF SIAM — ANNIVERSARY OF THE SURRENDER OF
LEE — SLEEPING ON DECK — A SURPRISE — VEXATIOUS DELAY AT THE MOUTH OF THE
PORT — A MISERABLE NIGHT — THE KING'S REPRESENTATIVE COMES ON BOARD —
THE ROYAL LETTER — A NARROW ESCAPE — THE SAIL TO BANGKOK — APPEARANCE
OF THE CITY AND RIVER — THE GREAT PAGODA — RECEPTION — INTERVIEW WITH
THE REGENT — AUDIENCE WITH THE SECOND AND FIRST KING — A STATE DIN
NER — THE KING EXPRESSES A WARM FRIENDSHIP FOR GENERAL GRANT —
DESCRIPTION OF THE CITY — RELIGION OF THE SIAMESE — A DESCRIPTIVE
LETTER — AN ACCOUNT BY AN AMERICAN TRAVELER — SIAMESE CLIMATE, AND
SCENERY, AND PEOPLE — ITS GRAND PAGODA — WEALTH OF SIAM — CEREMONIES
ATTENDING CHILD-BIRTH AND MARRIAGE — CREMATION OF A ROYAL PERSONAGE —
INFLUENCE OF MISSIONARIES.
IT was a singular whim of Grant's, crowded as he was
for time, and with such important points to visit, that
he should have turned aside to visit the kingdom of
Siam, containing only 1 90,000 square miles, and with a
population probably not half as great as that of New
York, and that mixed up of three nationalities, without
literature, or even a respectable language ; without a
history, except that it rose into existence about six hun
dred years after Christ, and was allowed to live, because
it would be a worthless accession. But, as Burns says,
"a man's a man for a' that," so a king is a king for a'
that. The King of Siam evidently thought so, and con
sidered it would be a sad depreciation of its dignity if the
ex-President of the United States and the greatest mili
tary chieftain of the Western World should visit the
great empires of the East and pass his kingdom by. It
would not look well in future history to see it recorded
how this monarch and that emperor received and feted

356

TRA VELS OF GENERAL GRANT.

the distinguished traveler, and no mention made of the
honors paid him by the King of Siam, and he therefore
addressed the following letter to General Grant :
The Grand Palace, Bangkok, 4th February, 1879.
My Dear Sir: — Having heard from my Minister for Foreign
Affairs, on the authority of the United States Consul, that you are
expected in Singapore on your way 'to Bangkok, I beg to express the
pleasure I shall have in making your acquaintance. Possibly you may
arrive in Bangkok during my absence at my country residence, Bang
Pa In. In which case a steamer will be placed at your disposal to
bring you to me. On arrival, I beg you to communicate with His
Excellency, my Minister for Foreign Affairs, who will arrange for
your reception and entertainment. Yours, very truly,
Chulahlongkorn, R. S.
To General Grant, late President of the United States.
The letter of the king, which he had taken the trouble
to send all the way to Singapore, added to the opinion
expressed by the General, that when people really go
around the world they might as well see what is to be
seen, decided the visit to Siam. A dispatch had been
received from Captain Benham, commanding the " Rich
mond," that he would be at Galle on the 12th, which
would enable him to reach Singapore about the time that
he returned from Siam.
And so it was decided to go to Siam, and on the 9th
of April, General Grant and his party embarked at Singa
pore on board the little steamer " Kong Lee," and started
for the Gulf of Siam. This is a pretty body of water,
studded with green islands, but a very capricious, stormy-
one. Violent winds sweep over it, often rendering its
navigation disagreeable, if not dangerous. It provea so
on this occasion, and violent squalls arose, which knocked
the little steamboat around in a most inconsiderate man-

TRAVELS OF GENERAL GRANT. icy
ner. It had rained when they left Singapore, but the sea
was comparatively calm. It was supposed it would take
about four days to run to Bangkok, its capital. The
first night at sea was calm and beautiful, and the stars,
with the great constellation of the Southern Cross, came
out in brilliant splendor, and the party, seated on deck,
gazed in silent admiration on the sparkling dome that
bent so ^rightly above them.
Suddenly some one remembered that it was the anni
versary of the surrender of Lee. Fourteen years ago that
night Grant sat with Lee's letter in his hand, asking him
on what conditions he would receive the surrender of the
army under his command. What a contrast between
that night and this. Then, with a mighty army at his
back, and the fate of a great nation in his hands, he
pondered on the act that was to end the most fearful re
bellion the world ever witnessed, and place him among
the great military chieftains of the world and render his
name illustrious forever. To-night, with a few friends
around him, he was sitting quietly on the deck of a steam
boat, gliding over the waters of the Indian Ocean and
smoking his cigar, oblivious of all but the glorious
heavens above him.
Mr. Borie having intimated that he contemplated visit
ing Australia, New Zealand and New Guinea, and spend
ing the winter in the Pacific Ocean, Grant very gravely
argued the question with him, and showed how unwise
such a course would be. And so, as they gently rocked
over the star-lit deep, the hours wore on tiil the time for
retiring came. But the night was warm and the air soft
and delicious, and they concluded to sleep on deck. Mr.
Borie attempted to open a curious machine, intended for
a bed, made by a prisoner in the Rangoon jail, while the
servants brought up ordinary mattresses and placed them

358

TRA VELS OF GENERAL GRANT.

in a corner, or against a coil of rope, or anywhere they
could conveniently lie, for the rest of the party. Grant
and his wife lay down near the wheel, while another stowed
himself away under the binnacles, and a third in the gang
way. But sleeping on deck, though very pleasant in the
Bay of Bengal, is a very different thing in the Gulf of
Siam, for it is often interfered with by a change of
weather. It proved so in this case, for soon after mid
night, a man aroused them with the news that it was going
to rain. They woke up to find a total change in the
aspect of the heavens. The stars were gone and, in their
place, a black, ominous-looking cloud covered the sky, while
here and there scattering drops of rain foretold an ap
proaching storm. Mrs. Grant hurried into the cabin, fol
lowed soon after by the General and the whole party.
The captain, after scanning the sky, said it would not
rain, it was only wind, and most of the party stretched
themselves on deck again, laughing at those who had
fled to the cabin at the first alarm. Their laugh, how
ever, was of short duration, for in a few minutes the
rain came down in torrents, and so suddenly, that to
escape it, they had to leave beds, blankets and every
thing, and run for the cabin, but even then they did not
reach it till they were well drenched. Each succeeding
night was but a repetition of this first one — in the fore part
of the evening cool, refreshing breezes, making it de
lightful on deck, followed by a down-pour that drove
all into the cabin, till the trip to Siam was universally
voted a bore. At length, at ten o'clock in the morning,
they came to the mouth and the bar of the port, where
they expected to meet a tug to take them ashore. But
no tug came, and hour after hour they waited in vain.
It turned out, that having made a remarkably quick trip,
nobody was expecting them. The whole day passed idly

TRAVELS OF GENERAL GRANT. org
waiting, and evening came, and still no steamer appeared.
Night came down, and the lights gleamed from the
shore, and their patience became exhausted. But, at
nine o'clock, a pilot came on board, and, as the tide was
near its full, ordered the anchor up, intending to cross
the bar and be up to Bangkok in the cool of the morning.
But, after floundering about for an hour, the anchor was
again dropped. Grant heard the heavy plunge into the
water with feelings of disappointment, and the party
wished Siam was in another hemisphere.
The pilot had lost his way in the darkness, and was
rapidly going straight on shore, when the captain luckily
perceived it, and ordered the anchor down. To make
their misery complete, the rain came down in torrents,
the wind arose, sending the waves over the little craft and
down into the main cabin, which, with the rain, so deluged
it and the berths that all had to be huddled into the little
cabin and pass the night as they best could. The hours
wore wearily away and morning dawned, and every eye
was strained shoreward to see if the royal yacht was
coming down. Soon she appeared, with the American
flag at the fore and the royal colors of Siam at the main,
;and anchored near the steamer. A boat soon came along
side with the American consul on board and a represent
ative aiid aid of the king. The latter, after being pre
sented to Grant, by the consul, handed him the following
letter in a yellow satin envelope :
The Grand Palace, Bangkok, April nth, 1879.
Sir .¦ — I have very great pleasure in welcoming you to Siam. It is,
I am informed, your pleasure that your reception should be a private
one; but you must permit me to show, as far as I can, the high esteem
in which I hold the most eminent citizen of that great nation which
lias been so friendly to Siam, and so kind and just in all its intercourse
frith the nations of the far East.

360

TRA VELS OF GENERAL GRANT.

That you may be near me during your stay, I have commanded mj
brother, His Royal Highness the Celestial Prince Bhanurangsi Swang-
wongse, to prepare rooms for you and your party in the Saranrom
Palace, close to my palace, and I most cordially invite you, Mrs.
Grant and your party at once to take up your residence there, and my
brother will represent me as your host.
Your friend, Chulahlongkorn, R. S.
His Excellency General Grant, late President of the United States.
After this was read and interpreted to General Grant,
he and his party went on board the yacht in a pouring
rain, with the sea running so high and fierce that the boat,
as it approached the vessel, dashed against the paddle-
wheels, which were in motion. One of them struck the
boat and bore it under in spite of the struggles of the
boatmen to extricate it, and threatened, momentarily, to
go over and pitch all into- the turbulent waves, where it
would have been little less -than a miracle if some had
not perished. At length, however, it was pushed clear
of the wheel and righted, and Grant and his party,
drenched with the rain, were taken on board. They con
gratulated each other on their narrow escape and com
plimented Mrs. Grant highly on her courage and cool
behavior, when every moment they expected to be up
set in the angry sea, and beaten beneath the water by the
paddles. Fate evidently frowned on the trip to Siam.
The yacht at once got under way up the river, stopping
at Paknam long enough to send a message to the king,
at Bangkok, that General Grant was coming. The
miserable town was composed of huts, built of bamboo,
with a foundation of logs, to avoid the water, which often
overflows the banks of the river and floods all the country
round, so that the people are compelled to move about in
boats.

TRA VELS OF GENERAL GRANT.

36l

¦ The distance from the sea to Bangkok is some thirty
miles, but tlie sail up it was very monotonous, for the
rain came down in such torrents as to blot out the
shore most of the time, making the voyage dreary and
long. The banks appeared to be low and bushy, and hang
down into the water, as they do in the marshy regions of
the South. The rain lulled as they approached Bangkok,
which they reached late in the afternoon. Stopping a few

VIEW OF BANGKOK.

' minutes before the house of the consul, they kept on for
two or three miles till they came in front of the Interna
tional Court-house.
Bangkok lies on both sides of the river, and they
steamed on between the two rows of huts and houses till
they seemed endless, and were almost ready to believe
the statement of the natives, that the city contained a halt

362

TRA VELS OF GENERAL GRANT.

a million of inhabitants. There seemed to have been no
idea of similarity in architecture, for every style of builds
ing lined the shore, while large boats were plying about
in every direction, not rowed, but paddled by the natives,
keeping time to a short, loud shout of "Wah-wah!"'
There were houses, too, built on rafts and moored to the
shore, most of them stores, filled with their peculiar wares,.
on the floors of which the merchant was squatted, leisurely
smoking his pipe of opium, with no clothing on him but a
pair of loose-fitting trousers. They presented a strange
and uncouth sight, and seemed close akin to barbarians.
Great, clumsy junks were lying here and there at anchor,
with two great eyes in their prows, to let them see their
way on the sea — the natives believing that they are as
necessary to a ship as to a man.
At four o'clock Grant embarked in the royal gondola,
"seven fathoms long," and was slowly pulled to shore.
The guard presented arms, the cavalry escort wheeled into
line, the band played " Hail Columbia." " On ascending
the stairs, Mr. Alabaster, the royal interpreter, Captain
Bush, an English officer, commanding the Siamese Navy,
and a brilliant retinue were in waiting. The Foreign
Minister advanced and welcomed the General to Siam,
and presented him to the other members of the suite.
Then entering carriages, the General and party were
driven to the Palace of Hwang Saranrom, the home of
His Royal Highness the Celestial Prince. As they drove
past the barracks the artillery were drawn up in battery
and the cannon rolled out a salute of twenty-one guns.
On reaching the palace a guard was drawn up and
another band played the American national air. At the
gate of the palace Phra Sri Dhammason, of the foreign
office, met the General and escorted him to the door of
the palace. Here he was met by the king's private sec-

TRA VELS bF GENERAL GRANT.

3<>3

retary, and a nobleman of rank corresponding to that of
an English earl. At the head of the marble steps was
His Royal Highness the Celestial Prince, wearing the
decorations of the Siamese orders of nobility, surrounded
by other princes of a lesser rank and the members of his
household. Advancing, he shook hands with the General,
and offering his arm to Mrs. Grant, led the party to the
grand audience-chamber. Here all the party were pre
sented to the prince, and there was a short conversation.
The celestial prince is a young man, about twenty, with a
clear, expressive face, who speaks English fairly well, but,
during the interview, spoke Siamese, through Mr. Ala
baster, who acted as interpreter. The prince lamented
the weather, which was untimely and severe. However,
it would be a blessing to the country and the people, and
His Royal Highness added a compliment that was Orien
tal in its delicacy, when he said that the blessing of the
rain was a blessing which General Grant had brought
with him to Siam. The prince then said that this palace
was the General's home, and he had been commanded by
the king, his brother, to say that anything in the kingdom
that would contribute to the happiness, comfort or the
honor of General Grant was at his disposal. The prince
entered into conversation with Mrs. Grant and the mem
bers of the General's party. The General expressed
himself delighted with the cordiality of his welcome, and
said he had been anxious to see Siam, and he would have
regretted his inability to do so. The prince offered his
arm to Mrs. Grant, and escorted her and the General to
their apartments."
In the evening Grant dined with the celestial prince in
a quiet way, when the lengthy programme, mentioned
above, was submitted to him, that he might know before
hand all the honors that awaited him, and prepare himself

364

77?^ VELS OF GENERAL GRANT.

accordingly. The list was a most formidable one, and
Grant, on the plea that he was not on his own ship, and
hence could not command his own time, said that he must
return to Singapore by the mail steamer, which sailed on
Friday, thus giving only five days in Siam, and so some
dinners were dispensed with and two or three days' sight
seeing crowded into one. The truth was, that he had got
enough of Siam before he landed, and after the magnifi
cent ovation he had received in England and on the Con
tinent, the ostentatious display Of this king of a potato-
patch was irksome. Besides, it rained incessantly, so
that the water streamed into the court-yard and beat into
the windows of the palace set apart for his occupancy.
A visit was made to the regent, the conveyance being
a gondola, furnished after the Venitian fashion, which,
after passing up one canal after another — at this time
empty of all trading craft, by order of the king — at
length reached the palace, where the old regent, covered
with decorations, was waiting to receive him. He ad
vanced, shook hands with the General, and, taking his
hand, led him up-stairs to the audience-room of the
palace. A guard of honor presented arms, the band
played the "Star Spangled Banner," which was the first
time they had heard that air in the East, all the other
bands they had encountered laboring under the delusion
that our national air was " Hail Columbia." As the
General does not know the one tune from the other it
never made much difference so far as he was concerned.
The regent led the party into his audience-hall, and
placed General Grant on his right side while the rest
were all ranged about him on chairs. An audience with
an Eastern prince is a serious and a solemn matter. "It
reminded me somewhat of the Friends' meetings I used
to attend in Philadelphia years and years ago," says Mr.

TRA VELS OF GENERAL GRANT.

365

Young, "when the brethren were in meditation and wait
ing for tlie influence of the Holy Spirit." The Siamese
is a grave person. He shows you honor by speaking
slowly, saying little and making pauses between his
speeches. He eschews rapid and flippant speech, and a
gay, easy talker would give offense. I need not say that
this custom placed the General in an advantageous posi
tion. After you take your seat servants begin to float
around. They bring you tea in small china cups — tea of
a delicate and pure flavor, and unlike our own attempts
in that direction. They bring you cigars, and in the
tobacco way we noted a cigarette with a leaf made out of
the banana plant, which felt like velvet between the lips,
and is an improvement in the tobacco way which even the
ripe culture of America on the tobacco question could
with advantage accept. In Siam you can smoke in every
place and bafore every presence, except in the presence
of the king — another custom which, I need hardly add,
gave the General an advantage. The regent, after some
meditation, spoke of the great pleasure it had given him
to meet General Grant in Siam. He had long known
and valued the friendship of the United States, and he
was sensible of the good that, had been done to Siam by
the counsel and the enterprise of the Americans who had
lived there.
The General thanked the regent, and was glad to know
that his country was so much esteemed in the East.
There was a pause and a cup of the enticing tea and
some remarks on the weather. The General expressed
a desire to know whether the unusual rain would affect
the crops throughout the country. The regent said
there was no such apprehension, and there was another
pause, while the velvet-coated cigarettes and cigars passed
into general circulation. The General spoke of the

366

TRAVELS OF GENERAL GRANT.

value to Siam of closer relations with nations of the
outer world, and that from all their resources any exten
sion of relations with other nations would be a gain to
them. His Highness listened to this speech as Mr.
Chandler translated it in a slow, deliberate way, standing
in front of the regent and intoning it almost as though
it were a lesson from the morning service. Then there
was another pause, and some of us took more comfort
out of the tea. Then the regent responded : " Siam,"
he said, "was a peculiar country. It was away from
sympathy and communion with the greater nations. It
was not in one of the great highways of commerce. Its
people were not warlike nor aggressive. It had no desire
to share in the strifes and wars of other nations. It ex
isted by the friendship of the great powers. His policy
had always been to cultivate that friendship, to do nothing
to offend any foreign power, to avoid controversy or
pretext for intervention by making every concession."
He added that this course was not the result of timidity
but policy, and Siam was not so advanced, he said, as
some nations, but she had her own ideas, etc.
This was all very stately and dignified, and it is pleas
ant to know that Siam wanted to be on friendly terms
with us, and not mix herself up in our affairs, yet there
was something farcical about it, since Siam might declare
war against us and we hardly know it.
The interview with the second king was a mere repe
tition of this. Last of all came the audience with the
real king.
" His Majesty the first king of Siam and absolute sov
ereign is named Chulahlongkorn. This, at least, is the
name which he attaches to the royal signet. His name
as given in the books is Phrabat Somdetch Phra Para-
mendo Mahah Chulah-long-korn Klow. On the after-

TRA VELS OF GENERAL GRANT.

3^7

noon of April 14th, at three o'clock, General Grant and
party had tlieir audience with the real king of Siam. The
General and party went in state carriages and at the
door of the palace was met by an officer. Troops were
drawn up all the way from the gate to the door of the
audience-hall, and it was quite a walk before, having
passed temples, shrines, outhouses, pavilions and statelier
mansions, they came to the door of a modest building and
were met by aids of the king. A wide pair of marble
steps led to the audience-room and on each side of the
steps were pots with blooming flowers and rare shrubs.
The band in the court-yard played the national air, and
as the General came to the head of the stairs the king,
who was waiting and wore a magnificent jeweled decora
tion, advanced and shook the hands of the General in the
warmest manner. Then, shaking hands with Mrs. Grant,
he offered her his arm, and walked into the audience-hall.
The audience-hall is composed of two large, gorgeously-
decorated saloons, that would not be out of place in any
-palace. The decorations were French, and reminded you
of the Louvre. In the first hall was a series of busts of
contemporary sovereigns and rulers of States. The place
of honor was given to the bust of General Grant, a work
of art in dark bronze which did not look much like the
General and seems to have been made by a French or
English artist from photographs. From here the king
passed on to a smaller room beautifully furnished in yel
low satin. Here the king took a seat on a sofa, with
Mrs. Grant and the General on either side, the members
of the party on chairs near him, officers of the Court in
the background standing, and servants at the doors kneel
ing in attitudes of subrhission.
"The king is a spare young man, active and nervous in
his movements, with a full, clear, almost glittering black

,58 TRAVELS OF GENERAL GRANT.
eye, which moved about restlessly from one side to the
other, and while he talked his fingers seemed to be keep
ing unconscious time to the musical measures. When
any of his Court- approached him or were addressed by
him they responded by a gesture or salute of adoration.
Everything about the king betokened a high and quick
intelligence, and although the audience was a formal one
and the conversation did not go beyond words of courtesy
and welcome from the king to the General and his party,
he gave one the impression of a resolute and able man, full
of resources and quite equal to the cares of his station."
The audience at an end, the king led Mrs. Grant and the
General to the head of the stairs, and they took their leave.
"You are told that Bangkok is the Venice of the East,
which means that it is a city of canals. When the tides
are high you go in all directions in boats. Your Broad
way is a canal. You go shopping in a boat. You
stroll in your covered gondola lying prone on your
back, sheltered from the sun, dozing the fierce, warm
hours away, while your boatmen and other boatmen pass
ing and repassing shout their plaintive ' Wah-wah.' You
see the house of the Foreign Minister, a palace with a
terrace, a veranda and a covered way sloping toward the
river. You see a mass of towers and roofs surrounded
by a wall. This is the palace of the first king, the
supreme king, of Siam. Beyond is another mass of
towers and roofs where resides the second king. Happy
Siam has two sovereigns — a first king who does every
thing, whose power is absolute, and a second king who
does nothing excejot draw a large income. This second
king, oddly enough, is named George Washington, hav
ing been so named by his father, who admired Americans.
Finally they come to the royal landing and we note that
the banks are lined with soldiers."

TRAVELS OF GENERAL GRANT

369

The father did not name his son after our illustrious
Washington thoughtlessly or ignorantly, as a savage
might' do who had simply heard the name, for he was
not only an intelligent but educated man. An American
visited Siam during tlie administration of Buchanan, when
this George Washington was a young prince, and was
accompanied by him in his presentation to the father, and
says he was received with courtly politeness.
"He spoke good English," he says, "and spoke it
fluently, and knew how, with gentlemanly tact, to put his
visitor straightway at his ease. It was hard to believe,"
he says, " that I was in a remote and almost unknown cor
ner of the Old World, and not in the New. The conver
sation was such as might take place between two gentle
men in a New York parlor. On every side were evidences
of an intelligent and cultivated taste. The room in which
we sat was decorated with engravings, maps, busts,
statuettes. The book-cases were filled with well-selected
volumes, handsomely bound. There were, I remember,
various encyclopaedias and scientific works. There was
the Abbottsford edition of the Waverly Novels, and a bust
of the great Sir Walter overhead. There were two copies
of Webster's quarto dictionary, unabridged. Moreover,
the king called my particular attention to these two
volumes, and said : ' I like it very much ; I think it the
best dictionary, better than any English.' He had his
army, distinct from the first king's soldiers, disciplined
and drilled according to European tactics. Their orders
were given in English, and were obeyed with great
alacrity." "Captain Foote commanded our national vessel, then
visiting the port, and he became very much attached to
him, and when he heard of his promotion to admiral,
wrote him a long, friendly letter, and though we were

j/<

TRA VELS OF GENERAL GRANT.

PRESENT SECOND KING.

ignorant of the character and people of Siam, he was
thoroughly posted with regard to ours." The king had thought
much of this visit of
General Grant, and the
most careful preparations.
were made to receive
him. In order that these
should be complete and
carried out in all their
details, he had a long pro
gramme printed and
given to the appropriate
officers for their guid
ance. When General Grant
inquired about the indus
trial resources of Siam,
and spoke of the system
of education in our coun
try, and suggested that it
would be a good plan to
send some of his young
men to America, as other
nations had done, to be
educated, the king re
plied that he had intend
ed to do so, but circum
stances had prevented,
etc., etc.
The next morning the
reigning first king. king gave a State dinner.
The service was silver, the prevailing designs of it
being the three-headed elephant, which belongs to the

TRAVELS OF GENERAL GRAN'J.

37*

arms of Siam. It cost $50,000 in England. After sitting
three hours at the table, there came a pause, and then
a signal. The king
then arose and made
an address in Siamese,
that was afterward in
terpreted, in which he
expressed his pleasure
at seeing General
Grant, and passing a
high compliment on
him, proposed his
health. Grant, in re
ply, said, in a clear,
distinct voice :
" Your Majesty, La
dies and Gentlemen: —
I am very much
obliged to Your Ma
jesty for the kind and
'Complimentary man
ner in which you have
'welcomed me to Siam.
I am glad that it has
been my good fortune
to visit this country
and to thank Your
Majesty in person for
your letters inviting
me to Siam, and to
see with my own eyes
your country and your
people. I feel that it A SON OF THE F1KST K1NU'
would have been a misfortune if the programmeof my jour-

,72 TRAVELS OF GENERAL GRANT.
ney had not incmded Siam. I have now been absent from
home nearly two years, and during that time I have seen
every capital and nearly every large city in Europe, as well
as the principal cities in India, Burmah and the Malay Penin
sula. I have seen nothingthat has interestedme more than
Siam, and every hour of my visit here has been agree
able and instructive. For the welcome I have received
from Your Majesty, the princes and members of the
Siamese government, and the people generally, I am very
grateful. I accept it, not as personal to myself alone, but ,
as a mark of the friendship felt for my country by Your
Majesty and the people of Siam. I am glad to see that
feeling, because I believe that the best interests of the
two countries can be benefited by nothing so much as
the establishment of the most cordial relations between
them. On my return to America I shall do what I can
to cement those relations. I hope that in America we shall
see more of the Siamese, that we shall have embassies
and diplomatic relations, that our commerce and manu
factures will increase with Siam, and that your young
men will visit our country and attend our colleges as they
now go to colleges in Germany and England. I can
assure them all a kind reception, and I feel that the visits
would be interesting and advantageous. I again thank
Your Majesty for the splendid hospitality which has been
shown to myself and my party, and I trust that your
reign will be happy and prosperous, and that Siam will
continue to advance in the arts of civilization."
General Grant, after a pause, then rose and said: — "I
hope you will allow me to ask you to drink to the health
of His Majesty the King of Siam. I am honored by
the opportunity of proposing that toast in his own capi
tal and his own palace, and of saying how much I have
been impressed with his enlightened rule. I now ask

TRAVELS OF GENERAL GRANT. 173
you to drink the health of His Majesty, the king, and
prosperity and peace to the people of Siam."
This toast was drunk with cheers, the company rising
and the band playing the national air of Siam. The king
then led the way to the upper audience chamber, the
saloon of the statues. Here ensued a long conversation
between the king and the General and the various mem
bers of the party. Mrs. Grant, in the inner room, had a
conversation with the queen, who had not been at table.
In conversing with the General the king became warm
and almost affectionate. He was proud of having made
the acquaintance of the General and he wanted to
know more of the American people. He wished Amer
icans to know that he was a friend of their country. As
to the General himself, the king hoped when the General
returned to the United States that he would write the
king and allow the king to write to him, and always be
his friend and correspondent. The General said he
would always remember his visit to Siam ; that it would
afford him pleasure to know that he was the friend of
the king; that he would write to the king and always be
glad to hear from him, and if he ever could be of service
to the king it would be a pleasure.
An American gentleman visited Siam just previous to
Grant, and gives in a letter a very interesting account
of what he saw. He says : —
"The government of Siam is a monarchy and the king
is called the 'Sacred Lord of Heads,' 'possessor of
all,' and all property, as well as life, is at the will of
the king ; but kings have found that it is not quite safe
to be altogether arbitrary, and within a few years im
portant concessions have been made, and now all im
portant laws are submitted to a council of the first-
class, known as a phraya.

374

TRA VELS OF GENERAL GRANT.

"The government is quite unique in many respects.
There is a second king, who has a separate palace,
seraglio, officers, retainers, as well as soldiers, very
little inferior to the establishment of the first king.
The second king does not seem to take any part in
the government, but acts as a counselor only, and is
in no sense a co-ruler, and never becomes the successor.
His opinion and sanction are sought in all important
questions of state policy.
"The queen must be a native, and of royal blood. She
is supreme among hundreds of others. She has her own
court, in which the princesses appear. She has a great
number of female guards, who are in uniform and wear
arms. Her court is composed of about five thousand,
and by royal authority entirely subject to her control.
The queen never becomes regent, or takes any part
in the political affairs of the country, but she is treated
with the highest deference, and her opinion frequently
has great weight.
"There are more than a hundred temples in the city,
some of which are small and plain, but some are grand
almost beyond description. They are ornamented with
statues and gilded in the richest manner. The floor
of the principal one is covered with mats of silver, and
contains relics that are considered of fabulous worth
and are worshiped by thousands. One temple con
tains a jasper statue of Buddha; one contains an im
mense statue and ancient idol, 167 feet high, in the
human form. The toes of this idol are three feet long,
and the whole idol is covered with gold. This great
idol has a magnificent temple erected and maintained
expressly for it. It is a place where millions have
bowed down and worshiped, and where multitudes
still worship. In all these temples there are daily

TRAVELS OF GENERAL GRANT. ?je
offerings of incense, with thousands prostrated, offer
ing prayer. It is a vast expenditure of time and means,
but these people in their ignorance regard these offer
ings as very meritorious. They feel the heed of cleans
ing, and display a zeal and sacrifice to accomplish
their end that Christians would do well to imitate in
extending the truth.
"These people not only worship idols and gods, but
they worship animals, especially elephants. The white
elephant is the emblem of the kingdom of Siam and it is
the special object of worship. The famous white ele
phant that has been worshiped for more than one hun
dred years, recently died in the great temple in this city.
The elephant had a splendid palace, with a gold vessel
from which he took his meals, and a harness ornamented
with jewels and diamonds. At the funeral of this ele
phant over one hundred Buddhist priests officiated at the
ceremony. The three live white elephants led the way.
Thirty vessels were employed in the ceremony, and the
king, with his high nobles, received the mortal remains
of the dead elephant. The 60,000 floating houses were
adorned with flags, symbolical of the interesting scenes.
It was a grand display over a dead idol."
Grant's short stay in Siam and so much of the brief
period he remained there, being necessarily devoted to
public receptions and fetes, he could see little of the
people, or learn much of their peculiar customs. This
small kingdom has had formerly but little intercourse
with the outside world, and but little has been known
of it till recently. Its history has been nevertheless
an eventful one, and the rebellions, and revolutions, and
changes of dynasties in it have been accompanied by
some of the greatest atrocities and the most inhuman
cruelty that disgrace humanity. Its wars have been

376 TRAVELS OF GENERAL GRANT.
confined to a small territory, but have been none the
less barbarous.
Its history may be divided into Old and New Siam, the
latter, dating from the introduction of eastern civilization,
may be fixed in a general way at 1854. Great changes
have been wrought since then, and among the causes
that have produced them, may be placed not least the
influence of Christian missionaries. It is true that the
new, commenced, commercially, from the treaties made
at this date between Siam on the one side and Great
Britain and the United States on the other. But after
all, the change must, in the main, be attributed to that
great movement which unlocked the whole Oriental
world, and made China and Japan like newly-dis
covered countries to the civilized world. Siam, like
these two countries had, till then, been never explored,
but since that time travelers have visited almost every
portion of it. As we said, Grant's short visit allowed
him to see very little except the life of royal and dis
tinguished personages, which is as different from that of
the mass of the people as if they were types of different
civilizations. Till recently, the dress of the people was
simply a piece of linen tied around the middle of the
body, and there was no traveling in Bangkok except
by water. Now, carriages have been introduced, yet,
outside of the palaces, the customs and habits are those
of a semi-barbarous people. Still there is a charm about
Siam which every traveler feels.
Says one: "There is enough to see in Siam, if only it
could be described. But nothing is harder than to con
vey in words the indescribable charm of tropical life and
scenery ; and it was in this, in great measure, that the
enjoyment of my month in Bangkok consisted. Always,
behind the events which occupied us day by day, and

TRAVELS OF GENERAL GRANT. 377
behind the men and things with which we had to do, was
the pervading charm of tropical nature — of soft warm sky,
with floating fleecy clouds, and infinite depths of blue
beyond them ; of golden sunlight flooding everything by
day; and when the day dies its sudden death, of mellow
moonlight, as if from a perennial harvest moon ; and of
stars, that do not glitter with a hard and pointed radiance,
as here, but melt through the mild air with glory in which
there is never any thought of ' twinkling.' Always there
was the teeming life of land and sea, of jungle and of
river ; and the varying influence of fruitful nature, capti
vating every sense with sweet allurement."
Speaking of the wonderful pagoda, some two hundred
feet high, he says that every inch of its irregular surface
glitters with ornaments. Curiously wrought into it are
forms of men, and birds, and grotesque beasts, that seem,
with outstretched hands and claws, to hold it up. Two-
thirds of the way from the base stand four white elephants,
wrought in shining porcelain, facing one each way toward
four points of the compass. From the rounded summit
rises, like a needle, a sharp spire. This was the temple
tower, and all over the magnificent pile, from the tip of
the highest needle to the base, from every prominent
angle and projection, there were hanging sweet- toned
bells, with little gilded fans attached to their tongues ; so
swinging that they were vocal in the slightest breeze.
Here was where the music came from. Even as I stood
and looked, I caught the breezes at it. Coming from the
unseen distance, rippling the smooth surface of the swift
river, where busy oars and carved or gilded prows of
many boats were flashing in the sun, sweeping with
pleasant whispers through the varied richness of the
tropical foliage, stealing the perfume of its blossoms and
the odor of its fruits, they caught the shining bells of this

,7g TRAVELS OF GENERAL GRANT.
great tower, and tossed the music out of them. Was it
some dream of Oriental beauty that would presently
vanish ?
But the exterior was nothing to the interior, on which
untold wealth was lavished. There are long corridors
of marble shafts, white walls, with gilded eaves and
cornices, arched, lined with gold, doors of ebony, pearly
gates of iridescent beauty. It is true, you will find also
a great clumsy image, without form or proportion, but
the decorations are the finest specimens of art, of which
the Western world might be proud.
" Of course," says a traveler, " where so much wealth
is lavished on the public buildings, there must be great
resources to draw from ; and, indeed, the mineral wealth
of the country appears at almost every turn. Precious
stones and the precious metals seem as frequent as the
fire-flies in the jungle. Sometimes, as in the silver cur
rency, there is an absence of all workmanship ; the coin
age being little lumps of silver, rudely rolled together in
a mass and stamped. But sometimes, as in the teapots,
betel-nut boxes, cigar-holders, with which the noblemen
are provided when they go abroad, you will see work
manship of no mean skill. Often these vessels are
elegantly wrought. Sometimes they are studded with
jewels ; sometimes they are beautifully enameled in
divers colors. Once I called upon a noble, who brought
out a large assortment of uncut stones — some of them of
great value — and passed them to me as one would a
snuff-box, not content till I had helped myself. More
than once I have seen children of the nobles with no
covering at all, except the strings of jeweled gold 'that
hung, in barbarous opulence, upon their necks and shoul
ders ; but there was wealth enough in these to fit the
little fellows with a very large assortment of most fash-

TRA VELS OF GENERAL GRANT.

379

THE GREAT TOWER.

38o

TRAVELS OF GENERAL GRANT.

ionable and Christian apparel, even at the ruinous rate of
tailors' prices at the present day. To go about among
these urchins, and among the houses of the nobles and
the king's palaces, gives one the half-bewildered and
half-covetous feeling that it gives to be conducted by
polite but scrutinizing attendants through a mint. Surely,
we had come at last to
" ' Where the gorgeous East, with richest hand,
Showers on her kings barbaric pearl and gold.'
" Of course, of all this wealth the king's share was the
lion's share.
"Then, as for vegetable wealth, I do not know that
there is anywhere a richer valley in the world than the
valley of the Meinam. All the productions of the teem
ing tropics may grow luxuriantly here. There was rice
enough in Siam, the year before my visit, to feed the
native population, and to supply the failure of the rice
crop in southern China, preventing thus the havoc of a
famine in that crowded empire, and making fortunes for
the merchants who were prompt enough to carry it from
Bangkok to Canton. Cotton grows freely beneath that
burning sky. Sugar, pepper, and all spices may be had
with easy cultivation. There is gutta-percha in the
forests. There are dye-stuffs and medicines in the jun
gles. The painter gets his gamboge, as its name implies,
from Cambodia, which is tributary to their majesties of
Bangkok. As for the fruits, I cannot number them nor
describe them. The mangostene, most delicate and most
rare of them all, grows only in Siam, and in the lands .
adjacent to the Straits of Sunda and Malacca. Some
things we may have which Siam cannot have, but the
mangostene is her peculiar glory, and she will not
lend it."
The people though not free from the bias of a half-

TRAVELS OF GENERAL GRANT.

38l

savage people, are in the main, kind and inoffensive
—parents are very fond of their children and indulgent to
them. Nature is so bountiful, that it requires but little
labor to 'furnish the necessaries of life, while their scanty
clothing costs them comparatively nothing, and hence
they are naturally indolent.
They are neither industrious or economical, but are free
from the treacherous, murderous character of their neigh
bors the Malays. They are not destitute of acuteness
and wit, as their national proverbs show. Take for ex
ample the following :
" When you go into a wood, do not forget your wood-
knife. "An elephant though he has four legs may slip ; and a
doctor is not always right.
"Go up by land, you meet a tiger; go down by water,
you meet a crocodile.
"If a dog bite you, do not bite him again."
Between the luxury and splendor of the king's court
and the poverty of the common people, there is of course
the greatest and most painful contrast. The palaces of
the first and second kings are filled with whatever the
wealth and power of their owners can procure. The
hovels of the common peasants are bare and comfortless,
the furniture consisting only of a few coarse vessels of
earthenware or wicker-work, and a mat or two spread
upon the floor.
Peculiar ceremonies attend child-birth, marriages and
deaths. There is one custom pertaining to the former
that is strangley persisted in, though often attended with
fatal results. As soon as a child is born, the mother is
placed near a large fire to which she is exposed for weeks,
almost literally roasted, and all the while suffering in
tensely. Marriages take place early, so that there is

382

TRA VELS OF GENERAL GRANT.

sometimes five generations gathered around the head 01
a family. A traveler inquiring of the first king how
many children he had, replied : " I had twelve before I
entered the priesthood, and eleven since I came to the
throne." When a person dies, the whole family the moment the
breath leaves the bodv, break out into piercing shrieks
and lamentations, while they fling themselves at the feet

A FEW OP THE SONS OP THE LATE FIRST KING.
of the dead and kiss them, and utter tender reproaches
against themselves. The body is placed in a coffin cov
ered with gilded paper. After a day or two, the coffin is
removed, not through the door, but through an open
ing specially made in the wall, and is escorted thrice
round the house at full speed, in order that the dead,
forgetting the way through which he has passed, may not

TRAVELS OF GENERAL GRANT. ,g,.
return to molest the living. The coffin is then taken to a
large barge, and placed on a platform, surmounted by a
dais, to the sound of melancholy music. The relations
and friends, in small boats, accompany the barge to the
. temple where the body is to be burnt. Being arrived, the
coffin is opened and delivered to the officials charged with
the cremation — the corpse having in his mouth a silver
tical, less than seventy-five cents, to defray the expenses.
The face of the corpse is then washed with cocoanut milk.
It is then placed on the pile and the fire is kindled.
yhen the combustion is over, the principal bones are
jBjllected by the relatives and placed in an urn. The
garb of mourning is white, and is accompanied by the
shaving of the head. ' When a member of the royal family
dies, the funeral ceremonies are of a national character.
Those at the cremation of the first king, a few years ago,
are thus described by Sir John Browning.
"The building of the 'men,' or temple, in which the
burning was to take place, occupied four months ; during
the whole of which time between three and four hundred
men were constantly engaged. ' The whole of it was
-{executed under the personal superintendence of the
-'Kalahome.' " It would be difficult to imagine a more beautiful ob
ject than this temple was, when seen from the opposite
side of the river. The style of architecture was similar
to that of the other temples in Siam ; the roof rising in
the centre, and thence running down in a series of gables,
terminating in curved points.. The roof was covered
entirely with scarlet and gold, whilst the lower part of
the building was blue, with stars of gold. Below, the
temple had four entrances leading directly to the pyre ;
upon each side, as you entered, were placed magnificent
mirrors, which reflected the whole interior of the building.

384

TRA VELS OF GENERAL GRANT.

BUILDING FOR INCREMATION OF A ROYAL PERSONAGE.

TRA VELS OF GENERAL GRANT.

385

which was decorated with blue and gold, in the same
manner as the exterior. From the roof depended im
mense chandeliers, which at night increased the effect
beyond description. Sixteen large columns, running
from north to south, supported the roof. The entire
height of the building must have been 1 20 feet, its length
about fifty feet, and breadth forty feet. In the centre
was a raised platform, about seven feet high, which was
the place upon which the urn containing the body was to
be placed; upon each side of this were stairs covered
with scarlet and gold cloth.
" This building stood in the centre of a piece of ground
of about two acres extent, the whole of which ground was
covered over with close rattan-work, in order that visitors
might not wet their feet, the ground being very muddy.
"This ground was inclosed by a wall, along the inside
of which myriads of lamps were disposed, rendering the
night as light as the day. The whole of the grounds be
longing to the adjoining temple contained nothing but
tents, under which Siamese plays were performed by
dancing-girls during the day ; during the night transpa
rencies were in vogue. Along the bank of the river,
Chinese and Siamese plays (performed by men) were in
great force ; and, to judge by the frequent cheering of
the populace, no small talent was shown by the per
formers, which talent in Siam consists entirely in ob
scenity and vulgarity.
" All approaches were blocked up long before daylight
each morning by hundreds— nay, thousands of boats of
every description in Siam, sampans, mapet, ma k'eng, ma
guen, etc., etc.; these were filled with presents of white
cloth, no other presents being accepted or offered during
a funeral. How many ship-loads of fine shirting were
presented during those few days it is impossible to say."
39

386

TRA VELS OF GENERAL GRANT.

Imposing ceremonies attended placing the urn in the
building, where it remained for two days. The exterior
covering of this was of the finest gold, elegantly carved and
studded with innumerable diamonds, and was about five
feet high and two feet in diameter. On the day of burn
ing, this exterior covering is taken off, disclosing a brass
urn containing the body which rested on cross-bars at the
bottom. Beneath were all kinds of odoriferous gums.
"The first king having distributed yellow cloths to an
indefinite quantity of priests, ascended the steps which
led to the pyre, holding in his hand a lighted candle, and
set fire to the inflammable materials beneath the body.
After him came the second king, who placed a bundle of
candles in the flames ; then followed the priests, then the
princes, and lastly, the relations and friends of the de
ceased. The flames rose constantly above the vase, but
there was no unpleasant smell.
"His Majesty, after all had thrown in their candles,
returned to his seat, where he distributed to the Euro
peans a certain number of limes, each containing a gold
ring or a small piece of money; then he commenced
scrambling the limes, and seemed to take particular
pleasure in just throwing them between the princes and
the missionaries, in order that they might meet together
in the 'tug of war.'
"The next day, the bones were taken out and dis
tributed amongst his relations ; and this closed the cere
monies. During the whole time, the river each night
was covered with fireworks; and in Siam the pyrotechnic
art is far from being despicable."
There is much to interest the traveler in this small,
isolated kingdom, which has been thrown open to mis
sionaries. The history of missionary enterprise in this
country must be studied in order to get a proper concep-

TRA VELS OF GENERAL GRANT.

387

lion of its present condition. It is true, very few of the
Siamese have been converted — the converts being most
of them Chinese. It is a little singular, that while reli
gion has made slow progress, it has done wonders in
advancing the civilization of the people, especially that of
the nobles.
"Says an observant traveler: "There can be little
doubt with those who take a truly philosophical view of
the future of Siam, and still less with those who take a
religious view of it, that this advancement in civilization
must open the way for religious enlightenment as well.
Thus far there has come only the knowledge which
'puffeth up.' And how much it puffeth up, is evident'-
from the pedantic documents which used to issue from
the facile pen of his majesty, the late first king. A little
more slowly, but none the less surely, there must come
as well that Christian charity which ' buildeth up.' So,
every time the ' spicy breezes,' sweeping across the busy
river, wake the music of the innumerable pagoda bells,
they ring prophetic of the better day. Wiser and broader
views of missionary labor will, no doubt, prevail in time,
and increasing experience will suggest more practical and
efficient methods. But the faith and patience of the
zealous men and women who have labored now for forty
years in the name and in the spirit of Christ, has not been
and shall not be in vain. Those golden bells, swinging
over the high roofs of splendid temples, and of stately
palaces, over palm and banyan, and shining river and
crowded city, shall more and more
' Ring out the darkness of the land —
Ring in the Christ that is to be.'
Even if the work of the missionaries should cease to-day,
the results accomplished would be of immense and per-

388

TRA VELS OF GENERAL GRANT.

manent value. They have introduced Christian science.
They have made a beginning of Christian literature, by
the translation of the Scriptures. They have awakened
an insatiable appetite for Christian civilization. And the
end is not yet."

TRA VELS OF GENERAL GRANT.

389

CHAPTER XV.
UCEPTION AT PENANG  GRANT'S VIEWS OF CHINESE EMIGRATION — STARTS FOR CAN
TON — ARRIVAL AT CANTON — VISIT TO THE VICEROY — A CHINESE PROCLAMATION —
THE AMERICAN KING — IS CARRIED IN A GREEN CHAIR TO THE PRINCE REGENT'S —
THE PROCESSION AND THE CROWD  ITS STRIKING APPEARANCE — OPINIONS OF THE'
AMERICAN BARBARIANS — THE RECEPTION — THE DEPARTURE — CURIOUS NAMES OF
THE STREETS — A LUNCH WITH THE MISSIONARIES — A STATE DINNER AT THE VICE
ROY'S — MACAO — GROTTO OF CAMOENS — RETURN TO HONG KONG. — SWATOW — A
CURIOUS PRESENT — AMOY — RECEPTION THERE — INTERVIEW WITH THE BRITISH
MINISTER TO PEKING — RECEPTION ON BOARD AN AMERICAN VESSEL — LETTERS
FROM THE KING OF SIAM — THE VICEROY AND KING OF THE SANDWICH ISLANDS —
RECEPTION IN SHANGHAI — TORCHLIGHT PROCESSION — TRAVELING IN WHEELBAR
ROWS — TIENSTEIN — UP THE RIVER TO PEKING  HONG CHOW — GRANT CARRIED TO
PEKING IN AN IMPERIAL CHAIR — ENTRANCE TO PEKING — CARD OF THE PRINCB
REGENT.
AFTER Grant's return to Singapore he prepared
at once to prosecute his journey to China. He
was aware that the Chinese question in America
would be pressed on him, for he had a premonition of it
at Penang, as he came down the Straits of Molacca.
Stopping at this place for a day and a half a reception
was given him in the Town Hall with the usual address
and reply. At the close a deputation of Chinese mer
chants waited on him with another address, beautifully
illuminated on silk, in which, after complimenting him,
they referred to the laws passed against the Chinese by
Congress, and expressed the hope that he would use his
influence to have them abrogated. Grant in reply, said
that he knew nothing about the bill referred to, as it had
beer, passed since he left the United States. He would
not discuss the question then of Chinese emigration but

39°

TRA VELS OF GENERAL GRANT.

said the Chinese did not come to the United States as
the people of other nations — of their own free will, to
enjoy the benefits and the protection of the American
Government, to have the benefit of their industry, and
accept the responsibilities as well as the benefits of resi
dence in America — but as dependants, slaves of com
panies who brought them as merchandise, held them ih
practical bondage and enjoyed the fruits of their labor.
As a consequence the Chinamen in America was not a
member of our society, on the same footing with other races,
entitled to all the benefits of our laws, with chances for
improvement and prosperity, but the slave of a company.
He felt sure that the Chinese gentlemen who had hon
ored him with this address and who represented the
flourishing Chinese community of Penang would agree
with him that emigration to the United States under
those circumstances was not an advantage to us, and
was a wrong to the people who came under such degrad
ing conditions.
He took the steamer "Ashuelot" for Canton, which
lies on the Pearl River, some ninety miles from Hong
Kong, its real port at the mouth.
As they approached the Bogne forts, guarding the nar
rowest part of the river, the guns thundered forth their
salute, and a boat came alongside with mandarins, who
brought cards from the viceroy, the Tartar general com
manding the forces, and other officials. A gun-boat met
them to escort them to the city, and with the American flag
at the fore, followed them all the way, while the forts, which
they passed, fired salutes, and the troops in them paraded
with gay-colored flags which made the whole route like
an ovation.
It was nine o'clock before the lights of Canton were
seen in advance. As the ship cast anchor, all the gun-

TRAVELS OF GENERAL GRANT. ,gI
boats in the river burned blue lights and fired rockets,
while the landing was decorated with Chinese lanterns.
The American and French consuls and others came on
board to welcome Grant, and expressed their regret
that he had not arrived earlier, as the whole town had
been at the landing all the afternoon waiting to greet
him, but had now gone home to dinner. The next morn
ing salutes were exchanged between our yessel and a
Chinese gun-boat, the latter firing twenty-one guns, the
first time such a salute had ever been fired, and was in
tended as an especial compliment to the great American.
Grant remained at the consul's next day to receive
calls, while Mrs. Grant and others of the party strolled
through the streets to examine the shops, filled with
the curious wares of the Chinese. As Grant was neither
a king nor president, there was some doubt as to whether
he or the viceroy should call first. The former solved
the difficult question by saying that he would call on the
viceroy whenever he would receive him. The latter ap
pointed two o'clock, and sent word that as it was the cus
tom when the emperor visited the city to have all the
streets cleared and houses closed and the way lined with
soldiers, he would order the same to be done when he
passed through it. Grant replied that he preferred, to
see the people and would be better pleased to have no
such order issued. The viceroy, however, issued a
placard proclaiming that the American was coming to do
him honor, and they must all honor him. These placards,
instead of being posted up, were hawked about the
streets like newspapers. One, issued before Grant's ar
rival, began thus :
" We have just heard that the king of America, being
on friendly terms with China, will leave America early in
the third month, bringing with him a suite of officers, etc.,

,q2 TRAVELS OF GENERAL GRANT.
all complete on board the ship. It is said that he is
bringing a large number of rare presents with him, and
that he will be here in Canton about the 6th or 9th of
May." Then followed an account of the proceedings which would
probably take place on his arrival. Crowds gathered in the
gardens of the consulate waiting for the procession that
was to escort the " American king." All the officers of the
American vessel came, of course, in full uniform, blazing
in gold, and the Chinese stared first at one and then at
the other, to ascertain which was the " king," while the
" king " was all the while sitting on the piazza in a gray
summer coat and white hat, quietly smoking his cigar —
entirely overlooked by the gaping crowd, which could
recognize no rank unless by showy and rich trappings.
As the hour approached, the crowd grew larger and
larger and the excitement increased. A Tartar officer
arrived on horseback with a detachment of soldiers, who
formed under the trees and kept the crowd back. Then
came the chairs and the chair-bearers, for in Canton you
must ride in chairs and be borne on the shoulders of
men. Rank is shown by the color of the chair and the
number of attendants. The General's chair was a stately
affair. On the top was a silver globe. The color was
green, a color highly esteemed in China, and next in rank
to yellow, which is sacred and consecrated to the em
peror, who alone can ride in a yellow chair. The chair
itself is almost as large as an old-fashioned watch-box,
and is sheltered with green blinds. It swings on long
bamboo poles and is borne by eight men.
At last they got under way. First rode the Tartar
officer on a small gray pony, Then came the shouting
guard. Then General Grant in his chair of state. The
General wore evening dress, which was a disappointment

TRA VELS OF GENERAL GRANT.

393

, . TRA VELS OF GENERAL GRANT.
to the Chinese, who, now being able to pin him down be
cause of the chair in which he rode, expected to see him
a blaze of diamonds, and embroidery, and peacock fea
thers. The streets were thronged with the people to
witness the procession, their number amounting to
200,000 ; not noisy and clamorous, like an American
crowd, but silent, motionless and staring. It was three
miles to the vice-regal palace, and as the coolies who
carried the chair walked slow through the mighty con
course, Grant was an hour in reaching" it, moving all the
way through a sea of sober human faces. It was not
only a novel mode of traveling to him, but a strange and
novel sight.
The general impression of this Chinese multitude, of
the thousands of faces that passed before him, that
steaming afternoon, was of a higher and more intellec
tual cast than the same multitude in a European race.
There were not the strength, the purpose, the rugged
mastering quality which strikes you in a throng of Ger
mans or Englishmen, not the buoyant cheerfulness,
sometimes rough and noisy, which marks a European
crowd. The repose was unnatural. Our mobs have
life, animation, and a crowd in Trafalgar Square or Cen
tral Park will become picturesque and animated. In
Canton the mob might have been statues as inanimate as
the gilded ones in their temples. This repose, this si
lence, this wondering, inquiring gaze, without a touch of
enthusiasm, became almost painful. But there were
faces now and then seen that were startling in their
beauty. There were no bearded men, and the absence
of this badge of manhood gave the crowd an expression
of effeminacy — of weakness. The young men were, as
a general thing, handsome, especially those of rank, who
were known by their buttons, and -who gazed upon the

TRAVELS OF GENERAL GRANT.
barbarians with a supercilious and contemptuous expres
sion, very much as young men of the same class would
regard Sitting Bull or Red Cloud from a club window, as
the Indian chiefs went in procession along Fifth Avenue.
They were received with music, and the firing of can
non, and the beating of drums, simply because the vice
roy was in a gracious mood and deigned to give the bar
barian a sight of imperial Chinese splendor. But the
booming guns, the increasing crowds, the renewed lines
of soldiery; the sons of mandarins, the viceroy's guard,
under trees, and the open, shaded inclosure into which
the party were borne by the staggering, panting chair-
bearers, announce that they are at the palace of the vice
roy. The viceroy himself, surrounded by all the great
officers of his court, was waiting at the door. As General
Grant advanced, accompanied by the consul, the viceroy
stepped forward and met him with a gesture of welcome.
He wore the mandarin's hat, and the pink button, and
flowing robes of silk, the breast and back embroidered a
good deal like the sacrificial robes of an archbishop at
high mass.
Having introduced his various officials, he led Grant
into another room, where tea was served in small china
¦cups. After conversing with his distinguished guest
some fifteen minutes, he led the way into another room
opening on a garden filled with soldiers, where tables
were spread with sweetmeats, almonds, ginger, cocoanuts
and cups of tea and wine. A host of attendants ap
peared, who piled the plates with silver and ivory chop
sticks, in the place of knives and forks, which were about
the size of knitting needles. The viceroy, with his chop
sticks helped the General. This is true Chinese hospi
tality. Then followed wine, in which each guest was
pledged individually. Tea came at last, showing that the

39^

TRA VELS OF GENERAL GRANT.

visit was over, and they arose and left the mandarins
with heads bent as if in devotion, and arms extended and
entered their chairs, and soon disappeared amid the
foliage. It had been a weary, exciting day to Grant, and

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CHINESE SMOKING-ROOM.

he was glad to be once more back to the consulate and
his cigar.
As he had set apart only four days for this visit, these
public ceremonies took up so much of his time that he
had but little to devote to sight-seeing, nor was there
much to see, except this strange people, with their

TRA VELS OF GENERAL GRANT. 397
Strange civilization. The streets are narrow and com
mon, but they have high-sounding names — the Broadway
of Canton, being called " Benevolena ;" others are named,
"Peace," "Bright Cloud," "Longevity," "Early-bestowed
Blessings," "Everlasting Love," "One Hundred Grand
sons," "One Thousand Grandsons," "Five Happinesses,"
"Refreshing Breezes," "Accumulated Blessings," "Nine
fold Brightness," etc., etc. All the shops have little
shrines near the door dedicated to Tsia Shin, or the God
of Wealth, to whom the shopkeepers offer their prayers
every day, in which they have many imitators in our own
cities. There is no end to the temples and pagodas, but
they are not so fine as those of Japan, though there is
one of the "Five Hundred Gods," they possess but little
attraction. The consul gave a lunch to which all the missionaries
were invited, and it seemed quite like a home dinner. In
the evening, Grant and his party went to dine with the
viceroy in state. It proved a wearisome affair, and as
the party had no taste for bird's nest soup, fried shark-
fins, fishes' brains, whales' sinews, fishes' maws, and all
sorts of fungi stewed together; although some of the
dishes cost fifteen or twenty dollars apiece, and it was
not very appetizing. At the close, the viceroy bade
Grant farewell.
Grant visited Macao on his return, a Portuguese town,
having been occupied by them more than three hundred
years ago, so that the inhabitants are a mixture of Chinese
and Portuguese. It is handsomely situated, and looks
from the sea like an Italian city on an Italian bay ; but all
of interest to Grant here was the "grotto" and tomb of
the poet Camoen. The governor was too sick to see
him, and he strolled about the town for awhile, looking at
the strange people with their strange customs, and then

o TRA VELS OF GENERAL GRANT.
39»
returned to the " Ashuelot," and with a salute from the
Portuguese fort, steamed out of the beautiful bay.
He now returned to Hong Kong, to be present at a1
garden party, got up in his honor, and which was to be a1
brilliant affair. But a heavy rain set in, and it had to be
given up, as Grant could not wait, on account of other
engagements. He therefore spent Sunday quietly with
the governor.
In the morning, before he left, he was waited upon by
a Chinese deputation, with an address complimenting
him and expressing their gratification at having seen him,
to which he replied in a few fitting words. He then, ac
companied by the governor and some friends, was carried
in a chair to the wharf, where a guard of honor and all
the foreign residents awaited him, and who, as he stepped
into the launch, sent up loud cheers. The English gov
ernor accompanied him on board, who, when he took
his leave, was saluted with seventeen guns. The steamer
then turned her bow north, and hastened by a monsoon
that was blowing, sped rapidly along the coast toward
cooler latitudes.
On the 13 th, they reached Swatow, another of the
ports thrown open to foreigners. It is pleasantly situ
ated on the river Flan, and the view on approaching it
is beautiful and striking. There is nothing here to see,
but Grant landed and strolled an hour through the streets,.
followed by a dirty, gaping crowd. The Chinese gover
nor, however, called on him, and saying it was the custom,
in making calls, to bring a present, and as nothing was
more useful than food, he had brought a live sheep, six
live chickens, six ducks and four hams. Grant could not
do otherwise than accept them, but handed them over to
the servants, which made a feast for them.
Steaming out of port to the thunder of cannon, they

TRA VELS OF GENERAL GRANT. 399
¦ kept on to Amoy, another of the ports opened to foreign
trade. It is situated on an island some forty miles in
circumference, on the Dragon River, and has a picturesque
appearance as one approaches it. In addition to the
salute from the batteries here, came a more welcome one
from an American man-of-war in port. Landing, Grant
and his party strolled through the dirty streets, and then
returned to the vice-consul's to lunch. All the consuls
and the commanders of the American vessels were
present, together with Sir Thomas Wade, the English
minister, on his way to Peking, with whom Grant had a
long talk about China. At five o'clock he went aboard
the American man-of-war " Bangor," to attend a recep
tion. The vessel was decorated in the most gay and
tasteful manner, in honor of the guest. An hour later
he was on board his own vessel, which, as the sun was
going over the western hills, steamed down the river.
In the meantime, Grant's old friend, the king of Siam,
had not forgotten him, and he now received a letter from
him, in which he regretted that he had not been able to
do more to honor him, but hoped he would not forget
him, saying, that he should write him from time to time.
Grant replied that everything that could be desired had
been done for him, and that the recollection of his visit
was very pleasant, and that he should always be glad to
hear from him. He received also a letter from Kalakaua,
king of the Sandwich Islands, inviting him to make him a
visit, on his return across the Pacific Ocean. To this
Grant replied that it would give him great pleasure to do
so, but that he could not decide till he reached Japan and
learnt about the running of the steamers. The viceroy
of Canton also wrote him, expressing his gratifica
tion at having seen him, and wished him a prosperous
journey.

400

TRA VELS CF GENERAL GRANT.

The following paragraph in it, was the most important,
especially to Mrs. Grant.
" I have ventured to send a few trifles to your honored
wife, which I hope she will be so kind as to accept."

ILLUMINATIONS.

On the 1 7th the vessel steamed into the port of Shang-
hia, which is composed of two cities — the old, a walled

TRAVELS OF GENERAL GRANT. 40I
one, in which the Chinese, some one hundred and forty-
six thousand in number dwell, and the new one occupied
by less than two thousand foreigners. On approaching
the forts, the customary salutes were fired, and soon the
"Monneacy," an American man-of-war in port, clad in bun
ting from stem to stern, steamed alongside, with a commit
tee of citizens on board to welcome General Grant. A
lunch was served, and then the vessel slowly steamed up
toward the city, and when it neared the shipping, the various
men-of-war in the harbor had their yards manned, and
fired salutes, while the merchantmen, gay with bunting,
sent loud, cheers over the water. It was a gay and beau
tiful sight, and Grant enjoyed it much, as he stood on the
quarter-deck and bowed his thanks. The landing was
lined with 100,000 Chinese, not cheering, but quiet and
silent as usual. Stepping into the barge of the man-of-
war, Grant was rowed to land, amid the thunder of can
non, and conducted to a large store-house, decorated for
the occasion, and was received by the chairman of the
municipal council, accompanied by mandarins of high
rank, who presented him to the Chinese governor. The
usual complimentary speeches followed, when Grant was
escorted to a carriage, which was to convey him to the
consul. But the horses, frightened by the crowd, and
music, and cheers, and-firing of cannon, became restive,
and finally refused to go, when they were taken out, and
the volunteer guard that had escorted him, seized the
carriage and drew it, amid cheers to the consulate's, a
mile distant.
The next day, Sunday, was passed quietly, Grant and
his party attending service at the Cathedral. Monday he
dined with the consul, and afterward went to the house
of Mr. Cameron, of the Hong-Kong and Shanghai bank,
to witness the torchlight procession and illumination, got
40

402

TRA VELS OF GENERAL GRANT.

TRAVELS OF GENERAL GRANT.

403

up in his honor. All Shanghai was out of doors, and it
was a display worth seeing, for the Chinese excel in get
ting up fire-works. Land and water, houses and ships,
sea and sky, were in a continual blaze of variegated lights,
ling on a hundred thousand sober, upturned faces.
here were all kinds of fancy pieces, and transparencies,
and mottoes, among which was one "Washington, Lin-

CHINESE PUNISHMENT.

coin and Grant, three Immortal Americans !" Grant rode
along the river front, which was bright as day, to view
them, and at ten o'clock returned to the house of the
consul, and reviewed the torchlight procession, while the
bands played American airs, among which were the fa
miliar strains of "John Brown" and the "March through
Georgia." It was midnight when Grant drove back to

404

TRAVELS OF GENERAL GRANT.

the consulate's, to end one of the most remarkable days
of his Oriental tour.

Shanghai being one of the ports opened to foreigners,
by the^ treaty of 1842, has since that time sprung into
commercial importance. The "bund" or quay stretches

TRAVELS OF GENERAL GRANT. 405
for nearly two miles along the river, and serves not only
for commerce, but for a promenade and drive, and on it
are the finest buildings of the city. The old city is
exceedingly filthy, and no kind of vehicle can be used in
its streets, which are scarce seven feet wide. In the new
city foreigners are carried about in the customary chair
of the East, but the natives travel in wheelbarrows only.
The wheel is larger than in our barrows, and hence, runs
easier. When there are two passengers of equal weight it
is not a bad mode of slow travel, but when one is fat, and
the other lean, the pusher has to tip the barrow on one
side to keep the balance, which is not so pleasant, and
gives an odd look to the whole concern.
The Chinese population is nearly a million, and during
the rebellion, was twice that number. Police stations are
situated at intervals, where criminals are undergoing
different degrees of punishment — some confined in cages
are jeered and mocked by theVpassers-by — others wear
immense collars, made of two wide boards — others still
stand with their heads protruding out of the tops of cages,
made too high to let them sit down and too low to stand
up straight, and so in a half-crouching position they
remain days and nights. But the sights of the city, are
not many and soon exhausted.
General Grant was now bound for Peking, the great
city, not only of China, but of the Eastern World and
one which, from its interior location, has felt less the in
fluence of foreign innovation in its customs and views,
than any other Chinese city of importance. Tien-tsin is
its port, near the mouth of the Peiho River, which by the
channel is 180 miles distant from Peking, though straight
across the country, not more than eighty. The river, like
the Mississippi, runs through a low country, with muddy
banks, and winding in and out, varying in width from

4.06

TRA VELS OF GENERAL GRANT.

twenty to one hundred feet, and from ten inches to sixty
feet in depth.
Of course, the "Ashuelot," though especially built for
shallow rivers, could not go up such a stream. On horser
back was the quickest way to reach Peking, but this was
impracticable to Mrs. Grant. The cart, a clumsy vehicle,
was the next best way of traveling, and Mr. Holcomb
went in one to prepare the legation for General Grant's
arrival, but the latter and his party concluded to go by
boat. A hundred and eighty miles was a long pull, and
involved weary days and nights, but there seemed no
other way to see Peking.
General Grant's boat was what is called a mandarin's
boat — a large, clumsy contrivance, that looked, as it tow
ered over the remainder of the fleet, like Noah's ark.
It had been cleaned up and freshened, and was roomy.
There was two bedrooms, a small dining-room, and in
the stern what seemed to be a Chinese laundry house,
three stories high. The other boats were small, plain
shells, divided into two rooms and covered over. The
rear of the boat was given to the boatmen, the front to
the passengers. In this front room was a raised plat
form of plain pine boards, wide enough for two to sleep.
There was room for a chair and a couple of tables,
There was a special cooking-boat for Grant, that kept in
the rear, and was pulled up alongside at meal-times.
He expected to get away at daybreak, and was up and
ready to start, but you can no more hurry a Chinaman
than you can a Nile boatman, and it was noon before
they were off. Pushing their way through a wilderness
of junks, the little fleet finally got into clear water, and
began slowly to stem the sluggish current. Sometimes,
when the wind was fair, they moved by sail, and if the
boat run into the mud-bank the boatmen would go

TRA VELS OF GENERAL GRANT. .Q~
ashore and push it clear, and if it got aground heave it
off; and when the wind died away resort to their ^poles.
By:having relays it was arranged, much to the disgust of
the boatmen, to travel night and day, but whenever the
admiral who had charge of the fleet lay down to take a
nap, the boatmen did the same, and the boats came to a
stand-still. It was a tedious way of traveling, especially as the
shores offered little to attract the eye. Through fields of
waving wheat, and rice, and green meadows, and orchards,
they moved slowly on with a monotonous sameness, .that
was extremely irksome to such a rapid traveler as Grant.
He would relieve the tedium by now and then going
ashore and taking a stretch through the meadows. The
shallow river was very winding, and often by striking
across a bend he could get ahead of the boat.
During the day it was not only hot but dusty, while
the nights were so cool that they had to keep shut up in
their cages. Whenever the admiral waked up before the
boatmen did and found the fleet at anchor, there was a
storm of imprecation, and the latter would be immedi
ately put to their task, towing the boat along the bank
with the rope over their shoulders, while he trudged be
hind with a cudgel, calling them all sorts of hard names
in choice Chinese. Mrs. Grant, while the others yawned
and grumbled, and said many uncomplimentary things
about Peking, kept cheerful, and declared it was only a
picnic party taking a pleasant trip. To kill the time,
when it was not too hot, visits would be interchanged
between the boats. Sometimes the monotony was re
lieved by a fierce squall that could be seen coming over
the bending grass and trees, and then all was hurry and
confusion in getting the broad sail down. When the
wind was fair the boatmen would doze and the admiral

408.

TRA VELS OF GENERAL GRANT.

try to amuse his distinguished guest by marvelous stories
of his life. Once a sudden squall sent one of the boats
on its beam's end, which horrified the admiral and he de
clared that he would have the boatman's head cut off for
his negligence, or at least would give him 200 lashes.
The passengers interfered and said that as nobody was
hurt or even wet, he ought to let the poor fellow off, but
all they could do was to reduce the 200 lashes to 20,
which the unlucky fellow had to receive on his bare back,
while he lay stretched full length on the earth, one man
holding down his head, and another his feet. When it
was over he knelt before the mandarin, thanking him for
his mercy, and returned to his boat. Grant's boat was a
half a mile ahead and he knew nothing of the matter, or
the punishment would not have been inflicted. Thus
poling, and sailing, and towing by turns, the little fleet
crept on day and night, during which time the General
smoked almost incessantly. Whether listening to the
admiral's stories, or to snatches of old familiar songs,
sang by some of the party as they assembled on his boat
at night, bringing back thoughts of their far distant home,
the cigar always held its prominent place in the pro
gramme. At last, on the morning of the third day of this weari
some journey, they landed at the village of Tung Chow,
where traveling by water was to end. It was early in
the morning but the bank was lined with curious China
men, chattering and wondering.
The naval officers sat down to their breakfast, and
as they removed the slats in their boats, to let in .the
morning air, the whole operation of breakfast was wit
nessed by the people of the town. They gathered in
front and looked on in wonder, the crowd growing denser
and denser, more and more eager and amused. The

TRA VELS OF GENERAL GRANT.

409

knives, the forks, the spoons, the three officers perform
ing on eggs and coffee, and eating from plates without
chop-sticks, instead of gobbling rice out of the same
bowl — all this was the strangest sight ever seen in the
ancient and conservative town of Tung Chow.
Prince Hung, the prince regent, had sent down an
escort to convey Grant and his party into Peking, bringing
chairs, and horses, and donkeys, and mule-litters for the
baggage. Grant was carried in an imperial chair by
eight bearers, and took the lead, escorted by Tartar
troops. As the procession moved off, all the town turned
out of doors and stared at the sight never before seen —
of a barbarian carried in an imperial chair. Through an
uninteresting country, past villages that poured out their
inhabitants to gaze on them, and followed by naked chil
dren running and begging, the party moved slowly on.
They were five hours making the journey, so that it was
after midday when the walls and towers of Peking rose in
sight. As the procession passed through a stone arch
way it halted for a rew escort. Thi? quickly arriving it
moved on through Lhe lanes called Ltreets, enveloped in
a cloud of dust kicked up by the escort. At last, to their
great joy, they saw the American flag waving over the
legation, and knew that rest and comfort were near.
Here, shut out from the street by a wall, amid books and
flowers, Grant could enjoy his cigar without disturbance.
In the evening the Americans residing in the city called
on him, and Dr. Martin, president of the Chinese English
University, read a long address of welcome, to which
Grant replied in a pleasant, conversational tone, thanking
them all for the honor they had done him. The members
of the Cabinet had previously called on him, accom
panied by the military and civil governors of Peking.
The prince regent sent his card and said that His Imperial

,IO TRAVELS OF GENERAL GRANT.
Highness had charged him to present him all kind wishes
and to express the hope that his trip to China had been
pleasant. This was very gracious on the part of His
Imperial Highness, seeing that he was a child only seven
years old.

H^£^' i a

TRAVELS OF GENERAL GRANT. All

CHAPTER XVI.
| VISIT TO THE PRINCE REGENT — AN INTERESTING INTERVIEW — THE ENGLISH
UNIVERSITY — ADDRESS OF A CHINESE YOUTH IN ENGLISH — THE PRINCE REGENT
RETURNS GRANT'S VISIT — IS ASKED TO MEDIATE BETWEEN CHINA AND JAPAN — A
STRIKING PICTURE — DESCRIPTION OF THE CITY — RETURNS TO TIEN-TSIN — VISIT OF
THE VICEROY — DISCUSSES WITH GRANT THE CHINESE QUESTION — JAPAN AND THE
L00CHOO ISLANDS — GRANT'S VIEWS OF THE PRESIDENCY — A PARTING DINNER —
A RADICAL INNOVATION — THE FINAL DEPARTURE AND LEAVE-TAKING — AN IM
PRESSIVE SCENE — THE LAST WORDS OF GRANT.
GRANT did not request an audience with the
emperor, having no desire, as he told the
Chinese minister in Paris, to see or converse
with a mere boy. The next day he called on the prince
regent, and was received by him in a large, plainly- fur
nished room, in the centre of which was a table loaded
with Chinese food. Sitting down to this, the prince gave
Grant the post of honor, on his left hand. He then took
up the cards of those composing Grant's suite and asked
the rank and position of each one. He inquired what
Colonel Grant's uniform meant, as he saw his father had
none. He then asked if he was married and had children.
Being told that he had one, a daughter, he replied:
"What a pity!"
" In China, female children do not count in the sum of
numan happiness, and when the prince expressed his
regret at the existence of the General's granddaughter,
he was saying the most polite thing he knew. The prince
was polite to the naval officers, inquiring the special rank
of each, and saying that they must be anxious to return
home. It was a matter of surprise, of courteous surprise

4I2 TRAVELS OF GENERAL GRANT.
and congratulation on the part of the prince, that the"
writer had seen so many countries as the companion oi
the General, and he said that no doubt I had found things
much different elsewhere from what I saw in China.'
Beyond these phrases, the manner of which was as
perfect as if it had been learned in Versailles under
Louis XIV, the conversation was wholly with General
Grant. " The prince returned to his perusal of the face of the '
General as though it were an unlearned lesson. He
expected a uniformed person, a man of the dragon or
lion species who could make a great noise. What he
saw was a quiet, middle-aged gentleman in evening dress
who had ridden a long way in the dust and sun, and who
was looking in subdued dismay at servants who swarmed
around him with dishes of soups and sweatmeats, dishes
of bird's-nest soup, shark's fins, roast ducks, bamboo
sprouts, and a tea-pot with a hot, insipid tipple made of
rice, tasting like a remembrance of sherry, which was
poured into small silver cups. We were none of us
hungry. We had had luncheon, and we were on the
programme for a special banquet in the evening. Here
was a profuse and sumptuous entertainment. The din
ner differed from those in Tien-tsin, Canton and Shanghai,
in the fact that it was more quiet ; there was no display
or parade, no crowd of dusky servants and retainers
hanging around and looking on as though at a comedy.
I didn't think the prince himself cared much about eating,
because he merely dawdled over the bird's-nest soup and
did not touch the shark's fins. Nor, in fact, did any of
the ministers, except one, who, in default of our remem
bering his Chinese name and rank, one of the party
called Ben Butler. The dinner, as far as the General
was concerned, soon merged into a cigar, and the prince

GENERAL U. S. GRANT. ,T -
toyed with the dishes as they came and went, and
smoked his pipe.
| ."As princes go I suppose few are more celebrated than
Prince Kung. He is a prince of the imperial house of
China, brother of a late emperor and uncle of the present.
He wore no distinguishing button on his hat, imperial
princes being of a rank so exalted that even the highest
honor known to Chinese nobility is too low for them. In
place of the latter he wore a small knot of dark red silk
Braid, sewed together so as to resemble a crown. His
costume was of the ordinary Chinese, plainer if anything
than the official's. His girdle was trimmed with yellow,
and there were yellow fringes and tassels attached to his
pipe, his fan and pockets. Yellow is the imperial color,
and the trimming was a mark of princely rank. In ap
pearance the prince is of middle stature, with a sharp,
narrow face, a high forehead — made more prominent by
the Chinese custom of shaving the forehead and a chang
ing, evanescent expression of countenance. He has
been at the head of the Chinese Government since the
English invasion and the burning of the Summer Palace.
He was the only prince who remained at his post at that
time, and consequently when the peace came it devolved
upon him to make it. This negotiation gave him a Euro
pean celebrity and a knowledge of Europeans that was
of advantage. European powers have preferred to keep
in power a prince with whom they have made treaties
before. In the politics of China, Prince Kung has shown
courage and ability. When the emperor, his brother, died
in 1861, a council was formed composed of princes and
noblemen of high rank. This council claimed to sit by
the will of the deceased emperor. The inspiring element
was hostility to foreigners. Between this regency and
the prince there was war. The emperor was a child —

414

TRA VELS OF GENERAL GRANT.

his own nephew; just as the present emperor is a child.
Suddenly a decree coming from the child emperor was
read, dismissing the regency, making the dowager em
press, regent, and giving the power to Prince Kung. ¦
"This decree Prince Kung enforced with vigor, deci
sion and success. He arrested the leading members of
the regency, charged them with having forged the will
under which they claimed the regency and sentenced
three of them to death. Two of the regents were per
mitted to commit suicide, but the other was beheaded.
From that day, under the empresses, Prince Kung has
been the ruler of China."
The following is the substance of an interview with
this remarkable man: —
General Grant — I have long desired to visit China, but
have been too busy to do so before. I have been received
at every point of the trip with the greatest kindness, and
I want to thank your Imperial Highness for the manner
in which the Chinese authorities have welcomed me.
Prince Kung — When we heard of your coming we
were glad. We have long known and watched your
course, and we have always been friends with America.
America has never sought to oppress China, and we
value very much the friendship of your country and
people. The viceroy, at Tien-tsin, wrote of your visit to
him. General Grant- — I had a very pleasant visit to the
viceroy. He was anxious for me to visit Peking and see
you. I do not wish to leave Peking without saying how
much America values the prosperity of China. As I said
to the viceroy, that prosperity will be greatly aided by
the development of the country.
One of the Ministers — We know some of the wonder
ful things your railways have done.

TRA VELS OF GENERAL GRANT. 4A
Prince Kung — I suppose your railways and roads have
been a long time building ?
,fV General Grant — I am old enough — almost old
enough — to remember when the first railway was built
in the United States, and now we have 80,000 miles I
do not know how many miles there are under construc
tion; but, notwithstanding the arrest of our industries by
the war and the recent depression of trade, we have con
tinued to build railways.
Prince Kung — Are your railways owned by the
State ?
General Grant — It is not our policy to build roads by
the State. The State guaranteed the building of the
great road across the continent ; but this work is the re
sult of private energy and private capital. To it we owe
a great part of our material prosperity. It is difficult to
say where we would be now in the rank of nations but
for our railway system.
Prince Kung — China is not insensible to what has
been done by other nations.
A Minister — China is a conservative country, an old
empire governed by many traditions, and with a vast
population. The policy of China is not to move without
deliberation. General Grant — The value of railroads is to dissemi
nate a nation's wealth and enable her to concentrate and
, use her strength. We have a country as large as China —
I am not sure about the figures excluding Alaska, but I
think practically as large. We can cross it in seven days
by special trains, or in an emergency in much less time.
We can throw the strength of the nation upon any re
quired point in a short time. That makes us as strong
in one place as another. It leaves us no vulnerable
points. We cannot be sieged, broken up and destroyed

4-1 6

TRA VELS OF GENERAL GRANT.

in detail as has happened to other large nations. That,
however, is not the greatest advantage. The wealth and
industry of the country are utilized. A man's industry
in interior States becomes valuable because it can reach
a market. Otherwise his industry would be confined
necessarily to his means of subsistence. He would not
enjoy the benefits enjoyed by his more favored fellow-
citizens on the ocean or on the large rivers in communi
cation with the markets of the world. This adds to the
revenue of the country.
A Minister — That is a great advantage. China sees
these things and wants to do them in time.
Prince Kung — If the world considers how much China
has advanced in a few years it will not be impatient. I
believe our relative progress has been greater than that
of most nations. There has been no retrocession, and of
course we have to consider many things that are not
familiar to those who do not know China.
General Grant — I think that progress in China should
come from inside, from her own people. I am clear on
that point. If her own people cannot do it will never be
done. You do not want the foreigner to come in and
put you in debt by lending you money and then taking
your country. That is not the progress that benefits
mankind, and we desire no progress either for ourselves
or for China that is not a benefit to mankind.
The ministers all cordially assented to this proposition .
with' apparent alacrity.
General Grant — For that reason I know of nothing
better than to send your young men to our schools. We
have as good schools as there are in the world, where
young men can learn every branch of science and art.
These schools will enable your young men to compare
the youngest civilization in the world with the oldest, and

TRAVELS OF GENERAL GRANT. ,T -
I can assure them of the kindest treatment, not only from
our teachers but from the people.
-Prince Kung — We have now some students in your
American colleges.
General Grant — Yes, I believe there are some at the
college where one of my sons studied, Harvard.
Prince Kung — We propose to send others to your schools
and European schools, so long as the results are satisfac
tory. What they learn there they will apply at home.
General Grant — I understand China has vast mineral
resources. The viceroy at Tien-tsin told me of large coal
fields as yet undeveloped. If this is so, the wealth of
such a deposit is incalculable and would be so especially
in the East. America and England, have received enor
mous advantages from coal and iron. I would not dare
to say how much Pennsylvania, one of our States, has
earned from her coal and iron. And the material great
ness of England, which, after all, underlies her moral
greatness, comes from her coal and iron. But your coal
will be of no use unless you can bring it to a market, and
that will require railroads.
"The allusion to the influence the development of the
coal and iron interests of England had upon her great
ness seemed to impress the ministers, especially the Sec
retary of the Treasury, who repeated the statement, and
entered into conversation with one of his colleagues on
the subject. Prince Kung said nothing, but smoked his
pipe and delved into the bird's-nest soup. The dishes
for our repast came in an appalling fashion — came by
dozens — all manner of the odd dishes which China has
contributed to the gastronomy of the age. I am afraid
Prince Kung was more interested in the success of his
dinner, than in the material prosperity of the nation, and
with the refinement of politeness characteristic of the
4i

4i8

TRAVELS OF GENERAL GRANT.

Chinese kept piling the General's plate with meats and
sweatmeats, until there was enough before him to garnish
a Christmas tree. The General, however, had taken
refuge in a cigar, and was beyond temptation. You see
there is time for a good many things in a Chinese inter
view. What I have written may seem a short conversa
tion. But it was really a long conversation. In the first
place it was a deliberate, slow conversation. There was
a reserve upon the part of the Chinese. They were
curious and polite. • They had heard a great deal about
the General's coming. It had been talked over for weeks
in the Yamen. He was the most distinguished stranger
that had ever visited China. He had been the head of
the American Government, and it was a surprise that no
amount of discussion could appease, that having been
the head of the Government he should now come with all
the honors his own Government could give him. I am
afraid, also, the want of a uniform had its influence upon
the imagination of the Yamen, so that our interview
never lost its character of a surprise. General Grant, on
his part was anxious to do what he could to induce the
Chinese to come more and more within the limits of
European civilization. He had spoken in this sense to
the viceroy in Canton, to the viceroy in Tien-tsin, who
may be called the Wellington of China, and to all the of
ficials with whom he had come in relation. I do not sup
pose that he would have cared about it, or that he would
have allowed his visit to go beyond mere study and curi
osity, had he not seen that opportunities had fallen to
him such as had fallen to no other stranger who had ever
come to China. There was every disposition on the part
of the Chinese to be courteous to General Grant. But
they are a polite people, and courtesy requires no effort
and amounts to little. But the action of the naval au-

TRAVELS OF GENERAL GRANT. ,IC)
thorities, of the diplomatic and consular authorities, the
respect paid him by foreign representives, the extraordi
nary demonstration in Shanghai, all contributed to invest
the coming of the General with a meaning that the Chi
nese could not overlook. General Grant felt, not alone
as an American, but as a representative of the advanced
eivilization of the world, that this opportunity, like what
fell to him in Siam, was really a duty, and this accounts
for the earnestness with which he pressed upon Prince
Kung and the Yamen, the necessity of Chinese pro
gress. "Prince Kung did not enterwith enthusiasm into the talk
about material progress. It seemed as if the subject
bored him. But Prince Kung lives in the centre of politi
cal intrigue. He is the head of the government — the
regent — brother of one emperor and uncle of another,
the ruling member of the ruling house. The burning
question in Chinese politics is the influence of the for
eigner. Parties divide on this question as at home they
used to divide on the question of slavery, and when it
comes up, as it is always coming, Chinamen show temper,
as at home, an average statesman of either party would
show temper if you pressed him closely on the currency
question or State rights. Prince Kung is as far advanced
on the subject as you could expect from a Tartar states
man who had never seen the sea or a ship, who had
always lived in China — and nearly always in a palace —
who belonged to an alien governing race which held
China by force and prestige, and who' had behind him his
own Tartar class, who oppose all European customs. He
could not go as far as Li-Hung Chang, the viceroy at
Tien-tsin ; but the viceroy has had more opportunities of
seeing the world, and of knowing what good would come
to China from a progressive policy. The talk about the

420

TRAVELS OF GENERAL GRANT.

CHINESE TEACHER IN WINTER COSTUME.

improvement of
China, there
fore, at this inter
view, was mainly
on the part of
General Grant.
The part of the
conversation
which impressed
Prince Kung
most was the
suggestion that
real progress in
China, to be per-
manent, must
come from the
inside — from the
people them
selves. A re
mark of this kind,
so unlike the ob
servations gene
rally addressed
to Orientals by
the outside world,
was calculated to
make, as it did, a
deep impression.
" We could not
remain long
enough in the
Yamen to finish
the dinner, as we
had an engage
ment to visit the

TRA VELS OF GENERAL GRANT 421
college for the teaching of ah English education to young
Chinese. This institution is under the direction of Dr.
Martin, an American, and the buildings adjoin the Ya
men. Consequently, on taking leave of the prince, who
said he would call and see the General at the legation,
we walked a few steps and were escorted into the class
room of the college. Dr. Martin presented General
Grant to the students and professors, and one of the
students read the following address :
" General U. S. Grant, ex-President of the United
States: Sir — We have long heard your name, but
never dreamed that we would have an opportunity to
look on your face. Formerly the people of your South
ern States rebeled against your Government, and nearly
obtained possession of the land, but through your ability
in leading the national forces the rebel chief was cap
tured and the country tranquilized. Having commanded
a million of men and survived a hundred battles, your
merit was recognized as the highest in your own land,
and your name became known in every quarter of the
globe. Raised to the presidency by the voice of a grate
ful people, you laid aside the arts of war and sought only
to achieve the victories of peace. The people enjoyed
tranquility, commerce flourished, manufactures revived,
and the whole nation became daily more wealthy and
powerful. Your achievements as a civil ruler are equally
great with your military triumphs. Now that you have
resigned the presidency, you employ your leisure in visit
ing different parts of the world, and the people of all na
tions and all ranks welcome your arrival. It requires a
fame like yours to produce effects like these. We, the
students of this college, are very limited in our attain
ments, but all men love the wise and respect the virtuous.
We, therefore, feel honored by this opportunity of stand-

TRAVELS OF GENERAL GRANT.
ing in your presence. It is our sincere hope that another
term of the presidency may come to you, not only that
your own nation may be benefited, but that our country
men resident in America may enjoy the blessings of your
protection. " Wang Fengtsar, Tutor in Mathematics.
" Wen Hsii, Tutor in English.
" Na San, Tutor in English.
" On behalf of the Students of the Tunguon College.
"Kwang Sii, 5 y. 4 m. 16 d. — June 5th, 1879.
" The General, in response, said :
" Gentlemen : I am much obliged to you for your
welcome, and for the compliments you pay me. I am
glad to . meet you, and to see in the capital of this vast
and ancient empire an institution of learning based upon
English principles, and in which you can learn the
English language. I have been struck with nothing so
much in my tour around the world as with the fact that
the progress of. civilization — of our modern civilization-
is marked by the progress of the English tongue. I re
joice in that fact, and I rejoice in your efforts to attain a
knowledge of English speech and all that such a knowl
edge must convey. You have my warmest wishes for
your success in this and in all your undertakings, and my
renewed thanks for the honor you have shown me.
" Prince Kung was punctual in his return of the call of
General Grant. He came to the legation in his chair, and
was received by General Grant in the parlors of the lega
tion. Several officers from the 'Richmond' happened to
be in Peking on a holiday, and the General invited them,
as well as the officers of the 'Ashuelot,' who were at the
legation, to receive the prince. Among these officers
were Lieutenant Sperry, Lieutenant Patch and Master

TRA VELS OF GENERAL GRANT. . . ,
423
Macrae. As all the officers were in full uniform, the re
ception of the prince became almost an imposing affair.
The prince was accompanied by the grand secretaries,
and as soon as he was presented to the members of the
General's party, he was led into the dining-room, and we
all sat around a table and were given tea, and sweet
meats, and champagne.
" During this visit there occurred a remarkable conver
sation, which may not be without its effect on the politics
of tlie East. The general features of this conversation,
so far as they referred to general questions, I noted
down and send you :
Prince Kung — I am delighted to see you again, and
hope you have enjoyed your visit to Peking. It is a pity
that you have had such warm weather, for, in this season
Peking is always trying.
General Grant — I have found it warmer than in the
tropics, where we expected, of course, much warmer
weather than in this high latitude. I presume, however,
that you leave Peking when the warm season sets in, and
go to the sea-shore or the hills.
Prince Kung — No ; I remain here all the year round.
The business of the empire requires constant attention,
and can only be attended to at the capital. We manage,
however, to transact all of our important business early
in the morning. The hours before dawn are our important
hours. I rise at two o'clock in the morning. At the same
time we have business that often carries us late into the
afternoon. "Mr. Holcomb explained that all the audiences with
the emperor, or rather, with the empress dowagers, who
acted in the name of the young emperor, took place be
fore dawn, or about dawn, and that this was the most im
portant part of the prince's duties.

TRA VELS OF GENERAL GRANT.
4-24 General Grant — I want to thank you and the Yamen
for the handsome presents you sent to Mrs. Grant. It
was a delicate and unexpected attention, and Mrs. Grant
desires me to express her thanks.
Prince Kung — We did not wish you to leave China
without one or two souvenirs of the country, representing
those branches of industry and art in which our people
have won distinction. Our regret is that your stay is so
brief that we could not send Mrs. Grant something worthy
of her acceptance and worthy to be given to one held in
such high honor by China as yourself. I hope you will
also prolong your stay.
General Grant — I would be happy to remain longer
in China ; but the weather is so oppressive that I have
been compelled to abandon many of the excursions I-
proposed to myself when coming to Peking, and I have
made engagements with the Japanese Government to be
,in Japan at a certain time. I hear thai: arrangements
have been made in Japan consequent upon my coming, and
I do not wish to cause the authorities any inconvenience.
Prince Kung — How long do you propose to remain in
Japan ?
General Grant — That will depend upon what is to be
seen ; but I hardly think more than a month.
Prince Kung — You have been in China a month, I
think. General Grant — More than a month already ; and by
the time I leave it will be a good deal more than a month.
Prince Kung — I suppose you will stay some time in
Tien-tsin ?
General Grant — Two or three days. I have made
engagements for two days, and have promised the viceroy
to meet him on my return That engagement also com
pels me to leave Peking.

TRA VELS OF GENERAL GRANT. a2 e
Prince Kung — I am sorry you leave so soon for other
reasons. We are very anxious to have you with us be
cause China has never been honored before with the
presence of so illustrious a guest, and, apart from the
personal desire of all connected with the government to
do honor to one so well known in China, we wish to
show our kind feelings to the people of America in hon
oring one who has been the head of America. China
has always been treated well by your country, and never
more so than under your administration. We can never
forget the services rendered to us by Mr. Burlingame.
General Grant — The policy of America in dealing
with foreign powers is one of justice. We believe that
fair play, consideration for the rights of others, and re
spect for international law will always command the
respect of nations and lead to peace. I know of no other
consideration that enters into our foreign relations.
There is no temptation to the United States to adven
tures outside of our own country. Even in the countries
contiguous to our own we have no foreign policy except
so far as it secures our own protection from foreign in
terferences. Prince Kung — There is one question about which I
am anxious to confer with you. The viceroy of Tien-tsin
writes us that he has mentioned it to you. And if we
could secure your good offices, or your advice, it would
be a great benefit, not only to us, but to all nations, and
especially in the East. I refer to the question now pend
ing between China and Japan.
General Grant — In reference to the trouble in the
Loochoo Islands ?
Prince Kung — Yes ; about the sovereignty of Loo
choo and the attempt of the Japanese to extinguish a
kingdom which has always been friendly and whose sov-

426

TRA VELS OF GENERAL GRANT.

ereign has always paid us tribute, not only the present
sovereign, but his ancestors for centuries.
General Grant — The viceroy spoke to me on the
subject and has promised to renew the subject on my
return to Tien-tsin. Beyond the casual references of the
viceroy in the course of conversations on the occasion of
interviews that were confined mainly to ceremonies, I am
entirely ignorant of the questions.
Prince Kung — We all feel a great delicacy in referring
to this or any other matter of business on the occasion
of your visit to Peking — a visit that we know to be one of
pleasure and that should not be troubled by business.
I should not have ventured upon such a liberty if I had
not been informed by the viceroy of the kind manner in
which you received his allusions to the matter and your
known devotion to peace and justice. I feel that I should
apologize even for the reference I have made, which I
would not have ventured upon but for the report of the
viceroy and our conviction that one who has had so high
a place in determining the affairs of the world can have
no higher interest than furthering peace and justice.
General Grant — I told the viceroy that anything I
could do in the interest of peace was my duty and my
pleasure. I can conceive of no higher office for any man.
But I am not in office. I am merely a private citizen,
journeying about like others, with no share in the gov
ernment and no power. The government has given me
a ship of war whenever I can use it without interfering
with its duties, but that is all.
Prince Kung — I quite understand that, and this led to
the expression of my regret at entering upon the subject.
But we all know how vast your influence must be, not
only upon your people at home, but upon all nations who
know what you have done, and who know that whatever

TRA VELS OF GENERAL GRANT. , „
427
question you considered would be considered with patience
and wisdom and a desire for justice and peace. You are
going to Japan as the guest of the people and the em
peror, and will have opportunities of presenting our views
to the Emperor of Japan and of showing him that we
have no policy but justice.
General Grant — Yes, I am going to Japan as' the
guest of the emperor and nation.
Prince Kung — That affords us the opportunity that
we cannot overlook. The viceroy writes us that he has
prepared a statement of the whole case, drawn from the
records of our empire, and he will put you in possession
of all the facts from our point of view.
General Grant — The king of the Loochoo Islands
has, I believe, paid tribute to China as well as Japan ?
Prince Kung — For generations. I do not know how
long with Japan, but for generations Loochoo has recog
nized the sovereignty of China. Not alone during the
present, but in the time of the Ming emperors, the
dynasty that preceded our own, this recognition was un
challenged, and Loochoo became as well known as an
independent power in the East owing allegiance only to
our emperor as any other part of out dominions.
General Grant — Has Japan made her claim upon'
Loochoo, a subject of negotiation with China ? Has she
ever presented your government with her view of her
claim to the islands ?
Prince Kung — Japan has a minister in Peking. He
came here some time since amid circumstances of osten
tation, and great importance was attached to his coming.
There was a great deal said about it at the time, and it
was said that the interchange of ministers would be of
much importance to both nations. We sent a minister
to Japan, an able and prudent man, who is there now.

q 77?^ VELS OF GENERAL GRANT.
This showed our desire to reciprocate. We supposed,
of course, that when the Japanese minister came there
would be a complete explanation and understanding in
Loochoo. We welcomed his coming in this spirit and in
the interest of peace. When he came to the Yamen, and
we brought up Loochoo, he knew nothing about the sub
ject, nothing about the wishes or the attitude of his gov
ernment. We naturally inquired, what brought him
here as minister ? of what use was a minister if he could
not transact business of such vital consequence to both
nations and to the peace of the world. He said he had
certain matters connected with the trade of the two
countries to discuss — something of that kind. It seemed
almost trifling with us to say so. When we presented
our case he said that anything we would write or say he
would transmit to his government — no more. He was
only a post-office. When our minister in Japan pre
sented the subject to the authorities he had no better
satisfaction, and was so dissatisfied that he wrote to us
asking permission to request his passports and withdraw.
But we told him to wait and be patient and do nothing
to lead to war, or that might be construed as seeking
war on our part.
General Grant — Any course short of national humil
iation or national destruction is better than war. War in
itself is so great a calamity, that it should only be in
voked when there is no way of saving a nation from a
greater. War, especially in the East, and between two
countries like Japan and China, would be a misfortune—
a great misfortune.
Prince Kung — A great misfortune to the outside and
neutral powers as well. War in the East would be a
heavy blow to the trade upon which other nations so
much depend. That is one reason why China asks your

TRAVELS OF GENERAL GRANT. 429
good offices, and hopes for tho^e of your government
and of your minister to Japan. We have been told of
the kind disposition of Mr. Bingham toward us. Our
minister has told us of that; and one reason why we kept
our minister in Japan under circumstances which would
have justified another power in withdrawing him, was be
cause we knew of Mr. Bingham's sentiments, and were
awaiting his return. It is because such a war as Japan
seems disposed to force on China would be peculiarly
distressing to foreign powers that we have asked them
to interfere.
**" General Grant — How far have the Japanese gone in
Loochoo ?
Prince Kung — The king of the islands has been taken
to Japan and deposed. The sovereignty has been extin
guished. A Japanese official has been set up. We have
made a study of international law as written by your
English and American authors,- whose text-books are in
• Chinese. If there is any force in the principles of inter
national law as recognized by your nations, the extinction
of the Loochoo sovereignty is a wrong, and one that
other nations should consider.
General Grant — It would seem to be a high-handed
proceeding to arrest a ruler and take him out of the
country, unless there is war, or some grave provocation.
Prince Kung — If there was provocation, if Japan has
suffered any wrong in Loochoo that justified extreme
action, why does not her ambassador at our court, or
their own minister at home in dealing with our embassy
give us an explanation ? China is a peaceful nation.
Her policy has been peace. No nation will make more
sacrifices for peace, but forbearance cannot be used to
our injury, to the humiliation of the emperor and a viola
tion of our rights. On this subject we feel strongly, and

,,0 TRAVELS OF GENERAL GRANT.
when the viceroy wrote the emperor from Tien-tsin that
he had spoken to you on the subject, and that you might
be induced to use your good offices with Japan, and with
your offices your great name and authority, we rejoiced
in what may be a means of escaping from a responsibility
which no nation would deplore more than myself.
General Grant — As I said before, my position here
and my position at home are not such as to give any
assurance that my good offices would be of any value.
Here I am a traveler, seeing sights, and looking at new
manners and customs. At home I am simply a private
citizen, with no voice in the councils of the government
and no right to speak for the government.
Prince Kung [with a smile] — We have a proverb in
Chinese that "No business is business" — in other words,
that real affairs, great affairs, are mdre frequently trans
acted informally, when persons meet, as we are meeting
now, over a table of entertainment for social and friendly
conversation, than in solemn business sessions at the
Yamen. I value the opportunities of this conversation,
even in a business sense, more than I could any con
versation with ambassadors.
General Grant — J am much complimented by the
confidence you express, and in that expressed by the
viceroy. It .would afford me the greatest pleasure — I
know of no pleasure that could be greater — to be the
means, by any counsel or effort of mine, in preserving
peace, and especially between two nations in which I feel
so deep an interest as I do in China and Japan. I know
nothing about this Loochoo business except what I have
heard from the viceroy and yourself, and an occasional
scrap in the newspapers, to which I paid little attention,
as I had no interest in it. I know nothing of the merits
of the case. I am going to Japan, and I shall take plea-

TRAVELS OF GENERAL GRANT. ,,j
sure in informing myself on the subject in conversing
with the Japanese authorities. I have no idea what their
argument is. They, of course, have an argument. I do
not suppose that the rulers are inspired by a desire to
wantonly injure China. I will acquaint myself with the
Chinese side of the case, as Your Imperial Highness and
the viceroy have presented it, and promise to present it.
I will do what I can to learn the Japanese side. Then, if
I can in conversation with the Japanese authorities do
anything that will be a service to the cause of peace, you
may depend upon my good offices. But, as I have said,
I have no knowledge on the subject and no idea what
opinion I may entertain when I have studied it.
Prince Kung — We are- profoundly grateful for this
promise. China is quite content to rest her case with
your decision, given/as we know it will be, after care and
with wisdom and justice. If the Japanese Government
will meet us in this spirit all will be well. I shall send
orders to our minister in Japan to wait upon you as soon
as you reach Japan and to speak with you on the subject.
Your willingness to do this will be a new claim to the re
spect in which you are held in China, and be a continu
ance of that friendship shown to us by the United States,
and especially by Mr. Burlingame, whose death we all
deplored and whose name is venerated in China.
An allusion was made to the convention between
Great Britain and America on the Alabama question —
the arbitration and the settlement of a matter that might
have embroiled the two countries. This was explained
to His Imperial Highness as a precedent that it would be
well to follow now. The prince was thoroughly familiar
with the Alabama negotiations.
General Grant — An arbitration between nations may
not satisfy either party at the time. But it satisfies the

.,2 TRAVELS OF GENERAL GRANT.
conscience of the world, and must commend itself more
and more as a means of adjusting disputes.
Prince Kung — The policy of China is one of reliance
upon justice. We are willing to have any settlement
that is honorable and that will be considered by other
nations as honorable to us. We desire no advantage
over Japan. But, at the same time, we are resolved to
submit to no wrong from Japan. On that point there
is but one opinion in our government. It is the opinion
of the viceroy, one of the great officers of the empire,
and, like yourself, not only a great soldier, but an advo
cate always of a peaceful policy, of concession, compro
mise and conciliation. It is my own opinion, and I have
always, as one largely concerned in the affairs of the em
pire and knowing what war entails, been in favor of
peace. It is the opinion of the Yamen. I do not know
of any dissentient among those who serve the throne.
Our opinion is that we cannot, under any circumstances,
submit to the claims of Japan. We cannot consent to
the extinction of a sovereignty, of an independence thai;
has existed for so long a time under our protection. If
Japan insists upon her present position there must be
war. General Grant — What action on the part of Japan
would satisfy China ?
Prince Kung — We would be satisfied with the situa
tion as it was.
General Grant — That is to say, Loochoo paying trib
ute to Japan and China.
Prince Kung — We do not concern ourselves with what
tribute the king of Loochoo pays to Japan or any other
power. We never have done so, and although there is
every reason why an empire should not allow other na
tions to exact tribute from its vassals, we are content

TRAVELS OF GENERAL GRANT. ,,,
w:th things as they have been, not only under the dynasty
of my own ancestors and family, but under the dynasty
of the Mings. We desire Japan to restore the king she
has captured and taken away, to withdraw her troops
from Loochoo and abandon her claims to exclusive sover
eignty over the island. This is our position, other ques
tions are open to negotiation and debate. This is not
open, because it is a question of the integrity of the em
pire. And the justice of our position will be felt by any
one who studies the case and compares the violence and
aggression of Japan with the patience and moderation of
China. General Grant — I shall certainly see the viceroy on
my return to Tien-tsin and converse with him, and read
the documents I understand he is preparing. I shall also
when I meet the Japanese authorities do what I can to
learn their case. If I can be of any service in adjusting
the question and securing peace I shall be rejoiced, and
it will be no less a cause of rejoicing if in doing so I can
be of any service to China, or be enabled to show my
appreciation of the great honor she has shown to me
during my visit and of the unvarying friendship she has
shown our country.
"The prince spoke during this interview with great
animation. His voice is low and soft, and his gesticula
tions more those of an Italian than a Chinaman. At the
pauses in the conversation, while Mr. Holcomb was in
terpreting into English what had been said in Chinese,
the attendant would hand the prince his pipe, and, lean
ing back in his chair, he would take two or three whiffs.
Sometimes a thought would occur to him, and he would
again break into the translation, with a rapid and nervous
expression. When he spoke of China's resolve to de
fend her sovereignty, he showed emotion, something ex-
42

43 4

TRA VELS OF GENERAL GRANT.

traordinary in an Oriental, and mastering himself with a
sudden wrench, as though he were seizing the reins 01 an
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escaping steed, apologized for the impulse, and went on
with the conversation. Again, at the close of a rather

TRAVELS OF GENERAL GRANT. ,,r
fong speech, he said to the minister who sat next to him,
with a smile as he took his pipe: 'Mr. Holcomb will
never remember that much long enough to translate it,'
a doubt which amused the other ministers greatly. What
impressed me in the conversation of Prince Kung, in
distinction from other Oriental princes and statesmen
whom I have seen, was its picturesqueness. It was the
animated talk of a man of the world — an astute man,
swayed by his feelings, carried along by his will. An
Indian, or a Moslem prince, some of our friends in Hin-
dostan or Egypt, sat like expressions of fate, and drifted
through a conversation without a change of countenance.
You felt before you were through with the conversation
llmost as if you had been looking at some of the stone
faces in the recesses of Dendorah or the Elephanta caves.
"The prince's face lit up with the varying moods of his
mind. As he spoke he fanned himself, for the day was
cruelly warm, and when any point interested him he would
press his fan close upon the arm of the General and bend
§alf-closed, inquiring, resolute eyes upon the General's
face. He had a gesture or an expression that reminded
me of Edwin Booth, in the performance of Iago, in the
famous third act of 'Othello,' where the ancient has set
his poison to work on the Moor. There is a resemblance
letween the prince and Mr. Booth in form, manner and
Jjfcring, to which the flowing robes, looking theatrical in
our eyes, may have added, that occurred to some of us
as we listened to one of the most important conversations
that ever took place between a foreigner and a prince of
the imperial house of China. I have written down this
Conversation at length, so far as I can remember it, and
have tried to give you some idea of the accessories, be
cause of the historical value of the scene. I speak of
its historical value not as expressing my own opinions.

436

77?^ VELS OF GENERAL GRANT.

for opinions of mine on such a subject Would have no value
but those of men who know China well and have lived
here for years. 'General Grant's visit,' said one of these
to me to-day, 'has done more to break down the great

¥

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CHINESE SOLDIERS.
wall between her civilization and that of the outer world
than all that has ever been done by diplomacy'
"The prince, when he had finished his conversation drew
toward him a glass of champagne, and addressing Mr.

TRAVELS OF GENERAL GRANT. ,,-
Holcomb, said he wished to again express to General
Grant the honor felt by the Chinese Government at hav
ing received this visit. He made special inquiries as to
when the General would leave, the hour of his departure,
the ways and periods of his journey. He asked whether
there was anything wanting to complete the happiness of

CHINESE IMAGE OF BUD.

the General or show the honor in which he had been
held by China. In taking his leave he wished to drink
especially the health of General Grant, to wish him a
prosperous voyage, and long and honorable years on his
return home. This sentiment the General returned, and
rising, led the way to the door, where the chair of the

438

TRA VELS OF GENERAL GRANT.

prince and the bearers were in waiting. The other minis«
ters accompanied the prince, and on taking leave saluted
the General in the ceremonious Chinese style. The
prince entered his chair and was snatched up and carried
¦¦¦¦¦¦BGHnHHBMBM A " B - '' -frM

CHINESE BONZE (PRIEST).

away by his bearers, the guards hurriedly mounting and
riding after."
There is very little to see in Peking but the vast city
itself, which is, in reality, divided into two — the Chinese

TRAVELS OF GENERAL GRANT.

439

''RICWO

CHINESE FRUIT SELLER.

aaq TRAVELS OF GENERAL GRANT.
and Tartar — both surrounded by a wall. That of the
latter is lofty, and so thick that twelve horsemen can ride
abreast on the top. It has nine gates, with lofty towers
above them nine stories high, pierced with port-holes,
for the soldiers, while other towers occur at regular
intervals. The two form an exact square, and are, to
gether, eighteen miles in circumference. The streets are
straight, the principal one 1 20 feet wide and three miles
long, and lined with shops. But the most remarkable
thing about them is the vast multitude of men that pour
along them in a continuous stream. The city is a vast
human hive, and one wonders where all the people come
from, and what supports them. The houses are low, with
no superfluous apartments. One is devoted to sleeping,
and is filled with beds for all the members of the family,
separated only by mats suspended from the ceiling. It
has thirty-three temples, besides eight public altars of
heaven and earth, on the former of which the emperor
sacrifices in winter, and on the other in summer.
The short time allotted to Peking having expired,
Grant returned to Tien-tsin as he came, and was glad
when the long, monotonous journey was over. Here he
was called on by the viceroy in state, to whom the prince
regent had written a letter of instructions. He came
with a small army in his train, with banners, and gongs,
and drums, and was received with salvos of artillery and
strains of martial music, furnished by the ship. A vast
crowd followed him as he was borne up the steps of the
consul's house to the veranda, where Grant was await
ing him.
As the former stepped out of his chair, Grant advanced
and welcomed him, and led the way into a room where
tea and sweetmeats, after the Chinese fashion, were in
readiness. The services of an interpreter were soon

TRA VELS OF GENERAL GRANT.

441

brought into requisition, and the viceroy at once entered
on the Chinese question in California. Grant explained

INTERPRETER.

it at great length, going over the whole ground, and sta
ting all the embarrassments that the United States Govern-

. . 2 TRA VELS OF GENERAL GRANT.
ment labored under in regard to it. The viceroy said
that they had never lost their confidence in American
justice, and if there was any grievance respecting
Chinese emigration that the Chinese Government could
redress, it would be glad to do so, and added that he did
not wish the people to emigrate, and if he had his own
way would stop it. The whole question, Grant said, was
surrounded with difficulties, but that if emigration could
be stopped for five years, he thought' the question would
solve itself. One thing, however, was necessary — China
must stop the slavery system, so that emigration from
their country should be like that from other foreign coun
tries, free. The viceroy inquired also very particularly
about our torpedo system, saying: "that he had given
much attention to torpedo defenses, and watched with in
terest all the developments of the science in other nations.
He looked to America's important discoveries, and hoped
some time to see China avail herself of the services of
competent Americans.
"General Grant said that in this, as in other matters of
the greatest importance to the welfare of China, much ad
vantage would be gained by the advice and aid of
Americans, and of skilled men from other nations. Since
he came to China, he had learned a great-many things
about China in the way of the resources of the country,
that interested him. There seemed to be no end of the
resources of China, and it was a mistake in the authori
ties not to avail themselves of modern knowledge.
"The viceroy said that he had given much thought to
the development of the country. He had opportunities
of seeing the advantages of outside aid not enjoyed by
others who had not been so much in relations with for
eigners. There was an apprehension of foreign ideas>
and foreign aid, which he did not share. This came also

TRA VELS OF GENERAL GRANT.

443

from the conservatism of the people, and the fact that the
Government had to consider the peculiar conditions of

CHINESE FISHING.

empire, the vast population, and the existence of tradi
tions and customs that had grown for centuries.
"General Grant said that he had no confidence in any
development or progress that did not come from the

444 TRA VELS OF GENERAL GRANT.
people themselves. No other would be sound. But in
the matter of famines, of which he had heard so many
distressing stories since he came to China, it would be a
blessing to the people to have railway communications.
In America, there could be no famine such as had re
cently been seen in China, unless, as was hardly possible
in so vast a territory, the famine became general. If the
crops failed in one State, supplies could be brought from
others at a little extra expense in money and time. We
could send wheat, for instance, from one end of the coun
try to another in a few days. The same in case of inva
sion. The resources of the country in men and arms
could be massed in a short time, at any menaced point.
That gave a nation a great advantage. So in mineral
resources. The coal and iron of America, upon which
so much of the wealth of the nation depends ; the gold
and silver of the Pacific, which had played so great a part
in the welfare of the world, would be valueless without
railways. "This led to a long conversation, in which the viceroy
went over many of the points embraced in his talk with
Prince Kung. The viceroy said he was anxious to see China
introduce railways and telegraphs. Already he had a
telegraph of his own from the forts at the mouth of the
river to Tien-tsin. He would be glad also to have small
steamers on the Pehio River. He was sorry his opinions
on this were not shared by some of his colleagues. But
in time he hoped wiser opinions would prevail.
"The viceroy then referred to the questions at issue
between China and Japan, as to the occupation of the
Loochoo Islands by the latter power. Turning to, a
secretary he produced several maps and books — some in
Chinese and some in Japan on a large scale. The books
were copies of the treaties between the Chinese Empire

TRAVELS OF GENERAL GRANT. ..*
and other governments, in English and Chinese. The
viceroy began the conversation by saying that he had
received a letter from Prince Kung, asking him to lay
before the General the Chinese side of the Loochoo dis
cussion. Prince Kung had also written him of General
Grant's willingness to look into tlie question and give his
good offices to China.
"General Grant said that he had said to His Imperial
Highness that he was only a private citizen at home, with
no authority to enter into negotiations or to speak for
the government, Mr. Seward and Mr. Bingham, who
were ministers to the respective governments of China
and Japan, had only returned from home, and they may
have instructions from the administration. At the same
time, if any advice or aid he could give could serve the
cause of peace, he would be glad. He had a horror of
war, and there could be no greater calamity, both to
Japan and China, than war. He believed where there
was an honest difference of opinion between two countries
wisdom and patience could always adjust it.
"The viceroy said he knew that the General was not a
diplomatist nor an official. But for this purpose he might
say that neither was he an official. When he heard that
the General was coming to China his heart was glad,
for he felt that he could talk to him about Loochoo. If
the General chose to speak on the subject he would speak
with an authority greater than that of any diplomatist.
There were men to whose words nations would listen,
and the General was one of those men. His own gov
ernment was willing to put its case unreservedly in
his hands, and as he was going to see the mikado, a word
from him to that sovereign might serve the cause of
peace and justice.
" The General said if he could ever speak words with

446

TRA VELS OF' GENERAL GRANT.

such a result he would not hesitate to speak them. As
to the Loochoo question, he knew nothing beyond what
he had heard from Prince Kung. He might add that
since seeing Prince Kung he had conversed with Mr.
Seward and others and had heard their opinions. But he
felt that he knew only the Chinese case, or at least a hur
ried statement of the case, and he had no idea what his
view might be when he conversed with the Japanese.
" The viceroy opened a volume in Chinese, containing
the treaties, and read from an early treaty made when
Mr. Cushing was minister, in which the United States
held herself ready to offer her good services between
China and other powers in the event of any question
arising. He asked whether the General did not think
that the difference with Japan about Loochoo did not
come within the limits of the treaty.
" General Grant read over the clause and said he
thought it did.
" The viceroy then read from the Burlingame Treaty
assurances of the same character. He read from a treaty
between China and Japan engagements on the part of
the two countries not to invade the territory of the
others. He pointed out the existence of a treaty between
the United States and the Loochoo Island's, showing that
the American Government dealt with the Loochoo king
as an independent power. He then called the attention
of the General to the international law on the subject,,
and held that the course of Japan was one that called for
the intervention of outside powers. Otherwise there was
no use of that international law which foreign nations
were always quoting to China,
" General Grant said the argument seemed to be
sound, but it belonged to diplomacy. From the fact that
the viceroy quoted a treaty in which the United States

TRA VELS OF GENERAL GRANT. . . -
acknowledged the Loochoo Islands as an independent
power he supposed that China, in dealing with Japan, was
also willing to regard them as an independent power.
"The viceroy said as an independent power, certainly.
But to be entirely accurate Loochoo should be described
as a semi-dependent power. China had never exercised
sovereignty over the islands, and did not press that claim.
But China was as much concerned in the maintenance of
the independence of a power holding toward her coasts
the relations of Loochoo as in the integrity of her inland
territory. As a fnatter of fact, because of the great pow
ers allowed by China always to her provinces and de
pendencies the emperors had never exercised the rights
of sovereignty over Loochoo. As a matter of law and
right, however, the right was never alienated, and the
sovereigns of Loochoo always respected it by paying
tribute to China until Japan came in and forbade the
tribute. "General Grant asked if the sovereigns did not also pay
tribute to Japan.
The Viceroy — In this way. Before the revolution in
Japan, and the consolidation of the power of the princes
into the imperial power, the feudal lords had great au
thority. They did as they pleased. Perhaps none of
these lords were more powerful than the Satsuma princes.
These princes occupied the islands of Japan nearest to
Loochoo. To protect themselves from the raids and
exactions of the Satsuma princes the Loochoo people
paid tribute only to the princes, never to Japan. Well,
when the revolution came, and the powers of the princes
were absorbed, the emperor claimed that the payment of
tribute to the princes was recognition of the sovereignty
of Japan. That is the only claim that the Japanese have-
ever made.

448

TRA VELS OF GENERAL GRANT.

General Grant — And in the meantime tribute has
been paid to China.
The Viceroy — In the meantime and for centuries
before. General Grant — What was the nature of this tribute ?
The Viceroy — Nominal. The Loochoo kings always
received more from the emperor than they gave. For
centuries this has gone on.
General Grant — Did the Loochoo people have any
advantages from this relation that made them willing
tribute payers ?
The Viceroy — They always valued the relation with
China and we gave them special trade facilities.
General Grant — Have you any idea as to the feeling
of the people on the subject?
The Viceroy — They prefer the Chinese connection —
infinitely prefer the mild and friendly relations that have
subsisted for so many centuries to the destruction of their
government. General Grant — Is the sovereign a native ?
The Viceroy — He is a native.
General Grant — Does China claim the people or any
portion of the people as of her own race ?
The Viceroy — The people of Loochoo are not China
men, but we have an important part of the population.
It came in this way. During the Ming dynasty the em
perors came to know of the islands, and thought it would be
well to civilize them. Thirty or forty Chinese families, with
different surnames — good families — were selected and
sent to Loochoo to civilize the islands. Their descendants
are in Loochoo now. Consequently we have a special
claim over them.
" General Grant asked what was the progress of the
negotiations between China and Japan on the subject.

TRA VELS OF GENERAL GRANT. . ,g
"The viceroy answered that there were no negotia
tions. The Japanese sent troops to the islands and for
bade the payment of any more tribute to China. They
then commanded the king to abandon his government
and repair to Japan. The king was ill and said he could
not go to Japan. He was told that unless he was better
in a certain time, eighty days I think, he would be taken.
He was so taken. Representations were made to
Peking. We addressed remonstrances to the Japanese.
No response was made. Our minister was treated in a
manner that none but a people as patient as ours and as
averse to difficulties with other nations would tolerate.
Then we addressed the Japanese minister in Peking. He
had no instructions, no advice, no information. Japan
has treated the whole question as an accomplished fact,
as something dene, an accident about which we had noth
ing to say. A governor was appointed. Loochoo was
made an integral part of the Japanese Empire, and unless
something is done to restore things to their former posi
tion the world would see the extinction of a nation witli
which other nations had made treaties for no fault of its
own, and not as an act of war. If that could be done of
what value is international law ?
"General Grant thought it was unfortunate that then;
should have been no negotiations, so that some thread
could be found which could be taken up and pursued to
a harmonious and honorable result.
The Viceroy — We have strained every effort to open
negotiations. Apart from the feeling of wounded honor
;'n the Chinese mind at the sudden extinction of a nation
that has been friendly and tributary there are other
reasons. If you look at the map you will find that the
Loochoo Islands block the coast of China, that they spread
between our shores and the Pacific Ocean, and virtually
43

.eg TRAVELS OF GENERAL GRANT.
command all the channels of our commerce. Such a
command in the hands of a power like Japan is a menace
to our commerce. At any time it may be interrupted.
Then the Loochoo Islands come close to Formosa. We
have already had trouble about Formosa. The posses
sion of Loochoo brings Japan within a step of Formosa,
which is but a step from our coasts. These are considera
tions that, of course, concern China more than the other
powers, but when you add them to our unquestioned
rights under treaty law and international law, they will
explain our own feeling, and especially what you heard
from Prince Kung in Peking.
"General Grant asked if, in the absence of negotia
tions, the viceroy was in possession of any unofficial
information as to the views of the Japanese Government.
"The viceroy said from all he could learn, the mikado
was not in favor of any policy like that shown in the oc
cupation of Loochoo. But there was a party — among
-them men like the princes of Satsuma — who were urging
the Japanese to annexation. His own belief was that
if the foreign powers were to strengthen the mikado in
resisting the wishes of this party, its influence would die
out, and the Loochoo Islands be restored.
" General Grant wished to know if the viceroy had had
any expression from the foreign powers.
"The viceroy said he believed that Mr. Bingham, the
American minister, was friendly to the views of China.
He supposed so, at least, from the anxiety in Peking to
have Mr. Bingham return to Japan. Of the wishes of
the other powers he had no information beyond rumor.
"General Grant felt certain that Mr. Bingham would
consider the matter. He (Mr. Bingham) had just re
turned from home, and no doubt had been in conference
with Mr. Evarts. He would see Mr. Bingham as soon

TRAVELS OF GENERAL GRANT. »rX
as he reached Japan, and learn all the facts. He did not
know what he could do, or how far he would go until he
saw Mr. Bingham.
"The viceroy asked if the General found on reaching
Japan, that Mr. Bingham had given no attention to the
subject, or had formed opinions hostile to negotiation, he
would then pursue the matter.
"The General said the viceroy was supposing a condi
tion of things that could not exist. Mr. Bingham was an
able man, one who had,had large experience in affairs at
home — a conspicuous lawyer, especially fitted in every
way to enter into the consideration of a question resting,
as this appeared to rest, on treaty and international law.
"The viceroy still pressed the point, and asked whether
the indifference of the minister, which he only spoke of
as a possible thing, would prevent the General's giving
these good offices requested by Prince Kung.
"General Grant said, of course, if he found that so
important a question had been overlooked by the minis
ter, and if it was in a position where he, as a private gen
tleman, could aid the cause of peace, he would do all he
could. But he had every confidence in Mr. Bingham.
"The viceroy said this confidence was shared by the
Chinese. But Prince Kung and himself laid especial
stress upon the name and influence of the General. The
Loochoo question could not be considered as within
the range of diplomatic action. The Japanese had not
allowed it a diplomatic standing. Consequently there
was no chance of reaching a solution by the ordinary
methods of diplomacy. How can you talk to ministers
and governments about matters which they will not dis
cuss? But when a man like General Grant comes to
China and Japan he comes with an authority which gives
him power to make peace. In the interest of peace China

.C2. TRAVELS OF GENERAL GRANT.
asks the General to interest himself. China cannot con
sent to the position Japan has taken. On that point
there is no indecision in the councils of the government.
The viceroy had no fear of Japan or of the consequences
of any conflict which Japan would force upon China.
" General Grant said his hope and belief were that the
difficulty would end peacefully and honorably. He ap
preciated the compliment paid him by the Chinese Govern
ment. The viceroy and Prince Kung overrated his power,
but not his wish, to preserve peace, and especially to pre
vent such a deplorable thing as a war between China and
Japan. When he reached Japan he would confer with Mr.
Bingham and see how the matter stood. He would study
the Japanese case as carefully as he proposed studying
the Chinese case. He would, if possible, confer with the
Japanese authorities. What his opinion would be when
he heard both sides he could not anticipate. If the ques
tion took such a shape that, with advantage to the cause
of peace and without interfering with the wishes of his
own government, he could advise or aid in a solution, he
he would be happy, and, as he remarked to Prince Kung,
this happiness would not be diminished if in doing so his
action did not disappoint the Chinese Government."
The viceroy expressed his gratitude for all the kind
things he had said, and remarked that when he became
president again he hoped he would not forget them.
To this, Grant replied that he had no desire to be
president again ; the office imposed heavy burdens, and
it should now be filled by some other man who by his
services was entitled to it. In conclusion, the viceroy re
ferred to the proposed grand reception of him in Cali
fornia, to which Grant replied that he hoped it would be
abandoned, and he would like to time his arrival to avoid
it. It was a long and interesting conversation ; consist-

TRA VELS OF GENERAL GRANT.

453

ing on the viceroy's side of questions, and on the part of
Grant of imparting information respecting our own

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civilization and giving him good advice as to the future
policy in regard to China.

,ca TRAVELS OF GENERAL GRANT.
The "Richmond" had arrived at the mouth of the
Peiho River awaiting Grant's return, and he now pre
pared to leave Tien-tsin where, nothwithstanding the hot
weather, the time had passed pleasantly, for the viceroy
left nothing undone to make his stay agreeable. But the
crowning act of his hospitality was such a radical innova
tion of Chinese custom, that fifty years ago it would have
been thought sufficient to create a rebellion. This was
no less than giving a farewell dinner to Mrs. Grant, to
which the ladies of the American colony were invited tc,
meet her. This was verily a tumbling down of the
Chinese wall. It was a wonderful step in advanced
civilization, and foreshadowed greater reforms than any
imperial edict.
"You must remember the position in which woman if
held in China — her seclusion, her withdrawal from affairs,
from social life ; her relation to a society which acknowl
edges polygamy and the widest freedom of divorce — to
understand how radical a thing it was for the viceroy to
throw open the doors of his house and bring the foreign
barbarian to his hearth-stone. This dinner was arranged
for our last night in Tien-tsin, and in honor of Mrs. Grant.
The principal European ladies in the colony were invited.
Some of these ladies had lived in Tien-tsin for years and
had never seen the wife of the viceroy — had never seen
him except through the blinds of the window of his chair.
The announcement that the viceroy had really invited
Mrs. Grant to meet his wife, and European ladies to be
in the company was even a more transcendent event than
the presence of General Grant or the arrival of the band.
Society rang with a discussion of the question which,
since Mother Eve introduced it to the attention of her
husband, has been the absorbing theme of civilization^—
what shall we wear ? I have heard many expositions on

TRA VELS OF GENERAL GRANT.

455

this theme, but in Tien-tsin it was new and important
Should the ladies go in simple Spartan style — in muslin
and dimity, severely plain and colorless, trusting alone
to their graces and charms, and thus show their Chinese
sister the beauty that exists in beauty unadorned, or
should they go in all their glory, with gems, and silks, and
satins, and the latest development of French genius in

GONG IN A CHINESE TEMPLE.

the arrangement of their hair? It was really an import
ant question, and not without a bearing, some of us
thought, on the domestic peace of the viceroy. The
arguments on either side were conducted with ability, and
I lament my inability to do them justice, and hand them
over to the consideration of American ladies at home.
But that is a world in which I have always been as the

-g TRAVELS OF GENERAL GRANT.
blind, and I listened to various phases of the discussion
in a helpless mood, and tried to follow it in . vain. It
passed beyond me and entered into the sphere of
metaphysics, and became a moral, spiritual, almost a
theological theme, and was decided finally in favor of the
resources of civilization. The ladies went in all the glory
of French fashion and taste.
"The ladies came back from the vice-regal dinner about
eleven at night, and General Grant and party went im
mediately on board the 'Ashuelot.' There we spoke our
farewells to our kind friends and said our good-bye as
lovers are said to prefer doing — under the stars. Our visit
had been so pleasant, there had been so much grace, and
i curtesy, and consideration in our reception, that it was
with sincere regret that we said farewell. The viceroy had
sent word that he would not take his leave of General
Grant until we were on the border of his dominions and out
at sea. He had gone ahead on his yacht, and with a fleet
of gun-boats, would await us at the mouth of the river and
accompany the General on board of the 'Richmond.' We
left our mooring at three in the morning, and were
awakened by the thunder of the guns from the forts.
Orders had been given that the forts should fire
salutes as the General passed, that the troops should
parade and the vessels dress with flags. The day was
warm and clear, and there was Oriental splendor in the
scene as we slowly moved along the narrow stream and
saw the people hurrying from the villages to the river
side, and the smoke that came from the embrasures, and
the clumsy, stolid junks teeming with sight-seers, the lines
of soldiery and the many-colored pennants fluttering in
the air. The river widened as we came to the sea, and
about eleven o'clock we came to the vice-regal fleet at
anchor under the guns of the Waku forts. As we passed,

TRAVELS OF GENERAL GRANT. *ej
every vessel manned yards, and all their guns and all the
guns from the forts thundered a farewell. Two or three
miles out we saw the tapering masts of the 'Richmond,'
which, after so long a chase, had at last found General
Grant. The 'Ashuelot' answered the salute and steamed
over the bar at half speed, so as to allow the viceroy's
fleet to join us. The bar was crossed and the blue sea
welcomed us and we kept on direct toward the 'Rich
mond.' In a short time the white smoke was seen leap
ing from her deck. The sailors rushed up the sides and
we swung around amid the thunder of her guns. Then
Captain Benham came on board and was presented to
General Grant. The Chinese fleet came to an anchor, and
at noon, precisely, General Grant passed over the side
of the 'Ashuelot.' On reaching the 'Richmond,' the
General was received by another salute, all the officers
being on deck in full uniform. The American ensign
was run up at the fore and another salute was fired, the
Chinese vessels joining in.
" After the General had been received, the barge was
sent to the viceroy's boat, and in a few minutes was seen
returning with Li-Hung Chang, followed by other boats
carrying the high officers of his government. General
Grant received the viceroy, and again the yards were
manned and a salute of nineteen guns was fired. The
viceroy and his suite were shown into the cabin. Tea
was served, and Li-Hung Chang having expressed a de
sire to see the vessel he was taken into every part, gave
its whole arrangement, and especially the guns, a minute
inspection. This lasted for an hour, and the viceroy re
turned to the cabin to take his leave. He seemed loth
to go, and remained in conversation for some time.
General Grant expressed his deep sense of the honor
which had been done him, his pleasure at having met the

458

TRA VELS OF GENERAL GRANT.

viceroy. He urged the viceroy to make a visit to the
United States, and in a few earnest phrases repeated his
hope that the statesmen of China would persevere in a
policy which brought them nearer to our civilization — a
policy that would give new greatness to China, enable
them to control the fearful famines that devastated China
and secure the nation's independence. He repeated his
belief that there could be no true independence unless
China availed herself of the agencies which gave prestige
to other nations and with which she had been so largely
endowed by Providence. The viceroy was friendly,
almost affectionate. He hoped that General Grant would
not forget him ; that he would like to meet the General
now and then, and if China needed the General's counsel
he would send it. He feared he could not visit foreign
lands and regretted that he had not done so in
earlier years. He spoke of the friendship of the United
States as dear to China, and again commended to the
General and the American people the Chinese who had
gone to America. It made his heart sore to hear of theiir
ill-usage, and he depended upon the justice and honor of
our Government for their protection. He again alluded
to the Loochoo question with Japan, and begged General
Grant would speak to the Japanese emperor, and in se
curing justice remove a cloud from Asia which threw an
ominous shadow over the East. The General bade the
viceroy farewell, and said he would not forget what had
been said, and that he would always think of the viceroy
with friendship and esteem. So we parted, Li-Hung
Chang departing amid the roar of our cannon and the
manning of the yards, while the 'Richmond' slowly
pushed her prow into the rippling waves and steamed
along toward Japan."

TRAVELS OF GENERAL GRANT. »rn

CHAPTER XVII.
GRANT DETERMINES TO VISIT THE GREAT WALL OF CHINA — VARIOUS PLANS OF GOING
—RESOLVES TO TAKE THE TRIP BY SEA — TAKES THE "RICHMOND" — FIRST
SIGHT OF THE WALL — ITS APPEARANCE — RETURN TRIP — RECEPTION AT CHEFOO — ¦
BNTRANCE TO NAGASAKI — GRAND RECEPTION — THE JINRIKSHAW — A STATE DIN
NER — SPEECH OF GENERAL GRANT — THE CITIZENS GIVE HIM A GRAND DINNER
AFTER THE FASHION OF THE OLD DAMIOS — A CURIOUS BILL OF FARE — FIRE
WORKS AND ILLUMINATION — SINGING GIRLS — THE SCENERY-r DRIVE HOME.
GENERAL GRANT had planned a trip to the
Great Wall of China while in Pekin, and Mr.
Holcombe had made all the arrangements. The
Chinese Government had, with ready courtesy, given or
ders as to his treatment by the way, and the important
question as to how to go, had formed a living theme of
talk amid the depressing days of midsummer weather at
the Legation. " You can go on horseback or on donkeys;,
or in a cart, or in a mule litter, and when," says Mr.
Young, "we had nothing else to do, we went over the
merits and demerits of each form of conveyance. Our
old friend from the Nile — the donkey — whose achieve
ments gave us an exalted idea of his patience and endur
ance, .would have won the preference, but for the condition
of the roads, which seem not to have been mended since
the Tartar invasion. Mr. Holcombe told me he had
traveled all through Northern China, and in every form
of conveyance, and that ha found the most comfort in the
mule litter. I noticed, however, that much residence in
China, leads one to have moderate ideas on the question
of comfort, and so long as you can get on you are con
tent. Some of my rides in China were over roads and

. gQ TRA VELS OF GENERAL GRANT.
under circumstances that would have filled me with a
sense of wrong at home, and inspired me to write to the
newspapers, and denounce the authorities. But it was
what I expected to find in China, and, suppose one was
thumped about and bounced and jostled, it is a small
matter, especially when you are going around the world.
The mule litter is swung on poles, and carried by two
mules, one going ahead, the other behind. It is long
enough to enable you to recline. You creep In and
huddle up, and your mules dawdle away with you. Some
how it gave the impression of going to your own funeral.
The ordinary cart of the country, without springs, or
seats, or cushions, in which you sit with your legs curled
up, or dangling over the sides, is torture. If we had
made the trip we should have walked most of the way,
and had the carts and litters for smooth roads, and
fatigue, and other emergencies. The more the journey
was considered the less attractive it became. We were
under the cruel stress of unusually warm weather. The
thermometer was wandering about above the hundred
degree mark. To go at all we should have to travel at
night, and rest during the day. This consideration de
cided General Grant. His journey would be not alone
to see the Great Wall, but the people in the interior, and
especially to have a glimpse of Tartary. Travel by
night would prevent this, and so we gave up the journey."
"But," says the correspondent, "to come to China and
not see the Great Wall, would have subjected us to ad
verse criticism for the remainder of our lives. Conse
quently there was a relief to our susceptibilities, when we
were told that the Great Wall came to an end on the
seacoast on our way to Chefoo, and, with a favoring sea
we could run up and go on shore. This was resolved
upon, and as soon as the viceroy left us, the 'Richmond'

TRA VELS OF GENERAL GRANT.

46I

steamed slowly up the coast, the 'Ashuelot' going direct
to Chefoo. The contrast between the 'Richmond' and
the modest little 'Ashuelot,' was marked, and we had a
sense of abundant space, of roominess, of opportunities
for walking. But the 'Ashuelot' is a well-commanded
ship, and we left her with pleasant memories, and it was
not without a regret that we saw General Grant's flag
hauled down. It was our good fortune to have a smooth
sea, and when the morning came, we found ourselves
steaming slowly
along, the shores of
Northern China lin
ing the horizon.
Navigation in the
China seas is always
a problem, and the
coast past which we
were sailing is badly
surveyed. As a gen
eral thing, so care
fully has science
mapped and tracked
the ocean, that you
have only to seek
counsel from a vagrant, wandering star, and you will be
able to tell to the minute when some hill or promontory
will rise out of the waves. There was no such comfort on
the China coast, and the 'Richmond' had to feel her
way, to grope along the coast, and find the Great Wall
as best we could. Fortunately the day was mild and clear,
and we could steam close to shore. All the morning
we sailed, watching the shore ; the brown, receding hills ;
the leaping, jutting masses of rock; the bits of greenery
that seemed to rejoice in the sun ; the fishing villages in

CHINESE TRADING JUNK.

.g2 TRAVELS OF GENERAL GRANT.
houses of clay that run toward the shore. It was a
lonely sea. Heretofore, in our cruise on the China coast,
we had been burdened with company. The coasting
track is so large that junks were always in sight, junks
and fishing boats, and all manner of strange, clumsy
craft. If you are used to travel on the vast seas, where
a sail a week is a rapture, this presence of many ships is
a consolation. It takes away the selfishness of sea life,
and makes you think that you are a part of the real
world. But it is at the same time a trial to the sailor.
The junk is an awkward, stupid trap, and always crossing
your bows, or edging up against you. The Chinaman
thinks it good luck to cross your bows, and if he can do
so with a narrow shave, just giving you a clip with his
rudder as he passes, he has had a joyous adventure.
While creeping up the China coast we were always on
the watch for junks, but never ran one down. It was
trying, however, to naval patience, and we found it so
much better to be alone on the sea and look for our Great
Wall as well as we could, undisturbed by the heedless
ness of Chinese mariners.
"About two o'clock in the afternoon, Lieutenant Sperry,
the navigator, had an experience that must have reminded
him of Columbus discovering America. He had found
the Great Wall. By carefully looking through the glasses,
in time we saw it — a thick, brown, irregular line, that
crumbled into the sea. We steamed toward the beach,
and so gracious was the weather that we were able to
anchor within a mile of shore. All the boats were let
down, and as many as could be spared from the vessel
went ashore — the captain, the officers, sailors in their blue,
tidy uniforms, and an especial sailor with a pot of white
paint to inscribe the fact that the ' Richmond ' had visited
the Great Wall. The Great Wall is the only monument

TRAVELS OF GENERAL GRANT. .g.
I have seen which could be improved by modern sacri
lege, and which could be painted over and plastered
^without compunctions of conscience. From what I read
of this stupendous achievement, it was built under the
reign of a Chinese emperor who flourished two centuries
before Christ. This emperor was disturbed by the con
stant invasion of the Tartars, a hardy nomadic race, who
came from the hills of Mongolia and plundered his peo
ple, who were, indeed, afterward to come, if only the em
peror could have opened the book of fate and known,
and rule the country and found the dynasty which exists
after a fashion still. So His Majesty resolved to build a
wall which should forever protect his empire from the
invader. The wall was built : and so well was it done
that here we corne, wanderers from the antipodes, twenty
centuries after, and find it still a substantial, imposing, but
in the light of modern science a useless wall. I* is 1,250
miles in length, and it is only when you consider that dis
tance and the incredible amount of labor it imposed that
the magnitude of the work breaks upon you.
"Landing on a smooth, pebbly beach, studded with
shells, we found a small village and saw the villagers
grinding corn. The children, a few beggars and a blind
person came to welcome us. The end of the wall which
juts into the sea has been beaten by the waves into a
ragged, shapeless condition. There was an easy ascent,
however, up stone steps. At the top there was a small
temple, evidently given to pious uses still, for there was a
keeper, who dickered about letting us in, and the walls
seemed to be in order, clean and painted. The wall at
the site of the temple was seventy-five or a hundred feet
wide, but this was only a special width to accommodate
the temple and present an imposing presence to the
sea. Its average width at the surface is from twenty to

464

TRA VELS OF GENERAL GRANT.

twenty-five feet, varying at the base from forty feet to a
hundred. It is made of stone and brick, and, considering
that twenty centuries have been testing its workmanship,,
the work was well done.
" As a mere wall there is nothing imposing about the
Great Wall of China. It is interesting because it illus
trates the greatness of this wonderful empire in by-gone
ages, which could have constructed such a work over
mountains, across rivers and chasms, and through tangled
wildernesses. The late Mr. Seward said that the labor
which had builded the Great Wall would have built the
Pacific railways. General Grant thought that Mr. Seward
had underrated its extent. ' I believe,' he said, ' that the
labor expended on this wall could have built every rail
road in the United States, every canal and highway, and
most if not all of our cities.' The story is that millions
were employed on the wall ; that the work lasted for ten
years. We walked about on the top and studied its sim
ple, massive workmanship, and looked upon the plains of
Mongolia, over which the dreaded Tartar came. On one
side of the wall was China, on the other Mongolia. We
were at the furthest end of our journey, and every step
now would be toward home. There was something like
a farewell in the feeling with which we looked upon the
cold land of mystery which swept on toward the north —
cold and barren even under the warm sunshine. There
was something like a welcome in the waves as we again
greeted them and knew that the sea upon which we are
again venturing with the confidence that comes from long
and friendly association would carry us home to America,
and lighten even that journey with a glimpse of the land
of the rising sun.
" At five in the afternoon we were under way. The
ocean was smooth and settled into a dead calm — a bless-

TRA VELS OF GENERAL GRANT.

465

ing not always vouchsafed in the China seas. We ran
along all night across the gulf, and early in the morning
found oursfelves at Chefoo. Judge Denny had gone
ahead, Chefoo being within his consular jurisdiction, to
see that all preparations were made for the reception of
General Grant. Chefoo is a port, a summer watering-
place for the European residents of Shanghai and Tient
sin. It is situated on the northern side of the Shantung
promontory, in latitude 370 35'56" north and longitude 1 240
22' 33* east. Chefoo does not present an interesting ap
pearance from the sea. The hills rise and form a mod
erate background to the horizon, and on the hill was a
group of commodious houses, showing that the European
had put his foot here and was seeking the summer winds.
Chefoo was opened for trade in 1861, as one of the
results of the French and English expedition against
Pekin. The province of Shantung, of which Chefoo is
the open port, was for a long time one of the out-of-the-
way provinces of China. It is famous for its climate.
The health-seeking foreigner has discovered the dryness
of its atmosphere, the cool breezes which temper the
pitiless summer rays — the firm, bracing winds, which
bring strength with the winter. As Europeans come
more and more to China, Chefoo grows in value, and in
addition there is a trade especially in the bean pancake
which gives it a mercantile vitality. The bean pancake
is used as a fertilizer all over China, and is made by
throwing peas into a trough and crushing them under a
heavy stone wheel. The oil is pressed out, and what re
mains goes into the fields to give new life to the wheat
and tea. You can have an idea of the extent of trade
when you know that in 1877 the amount of beans and of
bean cake exported was more than a hundred million
pounds. There is a good trade in cotton, and the posi-
44

gg TRA VELS OF GENERAL GRANT.
tion which the town holds toward Japan, Corea and the
Pacific settlements of the Russian Empire, insure Chefoo
a commercial prominence on the China seas.' In winter,
when the Peicho River is frozen and communication with
Pekin is interrupted, Chefoo assumes new importance as
. the seaport of Northern China.
" At midnight, General Grant and party, accompanied
by Captain Benham, returned on board the * Richmond.'
There was one incident on the return of a noyel and pic
turesque character. According to the regulations of the
American navy, no salutes can be fired by men-of-war
after the sun goes down. But the ' Richmond ' was to
sail as soon as the General embarked, and before the sun
arose would be out at sea. So the Chinese gun- boats
sent word that they would fire twenty-one guns as Gen
eral Grant passed in his barge. The announcement
caused some consternation in the well-ordered minds of
our naval friends, and there was a grave discussion as to
what regulations permitted under the circumstances. It
would be rude to China not to return her salute. There
were especial reasons for going out of the way to recog
nize any honor shown us by the Chinese. Our mission
in those lands, so far as it was a mission, was one of peace,
and .courtesy, and good-will. Captain Benham, with the
ready ability and common sense which as a naval officer
he possesses in an eminent degree, decided that the
courtesy should be honored and answered gun for gun,
and that in so doing he would be carrying out in spirit at
least the regulations which should govern a naval com
mander. So it came to pass that Lieutenant-commander
Clarke found himself performing a duty which I suppose
never before devolved upon a naval officer, holding a
midnight watch with the gun crew at quarters, ready for
the signal which was to justify him in startling the -repose

TRA VELS OF GENERAL GRANT.

467

of nature on sea and shore with the hoarse and lurid
menace of his guns. General Grant's launch had hardly
moved before the Chinese gun-boats thundered forth, gun
after gun, their terrifying compliment. These boats have
no saluting batteries, and as the guns fired were of heavy
calibre the effect of the fire was startling and sublime.
The General's launch slowly steamed on, the smoke of
the guns rolling along the surface of the waves and cloud
ing the stars. When the last gun was fired there was a
pause, and far off in the darkness our vessel, like a phan
tom ship, silent and brooding, suddenly took life and a
bolt of fire came from her bows, followed swiftly by the
sullen roar of the guns. A salute of cannon under any
circumstances is an imposing sight. There is so much
sincerity in the voice of a cannon that you listen to it as
the voice of truth. The power it embodies is pitiless and
awful, and felt at night, amid the solemn silence of the
universe, it becomes indescribably grand. I have seen
few things more impressive and thrilling than the mid
night salute fired at Chefoo in honor of General Grant.
" So it came to pass that at midnight, in fire and flame —
the angry echoes leaping from shore to shore, and from
hill to hill, and over the tranquil waters of a whispering
sea — we said farewell to China. Farewell, and again
farewell to tbe land of poetry and romance, antiquity and
dreams, of so much capacity, of so little promise, whose
civilization is in some things a wonder to us and in others
a reproach. We are but as children in the presence of
an empire, whose population is ten times as large as ours,
whose dominions are more extensive, whose records have
gone back unbroked and unquestioned to the ages of our
mythology, whose influence has been felt in every part of
the World, whose religion, and culture, and achievements
excite the admiration of the learned, and whose conserva-

go TRA VELS OF GENERAL GRANT.
tism has stood the shock and solicitation of every age.
Ancient, vast, unyielding, impenetrable, China sits en
throned in the solitude of Asia, remembering that she
was in her splendor before the Roman empire was born,
and that her power has survived the mutations of every
age. What is her power to-day ? That is the question
of the nineteenth century, and it is a question which can
not be asked too seriously.
"There was no special incident in our run from China,
On the morning of the 21st of June, we found ourselves
threading our way through beautiful islands and rocks,
rich with green, that stood like sentinels in the sea, and
hills on which were trees and gardens, and high, com
manding cliffs, covered with green and smooth, tranquil
waters, into the bay of Nagasaki. Nagasaki ranks'
among the beautiful harbors in the world. But the beauty
that welcomed us had the endearing quality that it re
minded us of home. All these weeks we had been in
the land of the palm, and we were now again in the land
of the pine. We had seen nature in luxuriant moods,
running into riotous forms, strange and rank. We were
weary of the cocoanut and the brown, parched soil, of
the skies of fire, and forests with wild and creeping
things. It had become so oppressive that when our
course turned toward the north, there was great joy.
"The 'Richmond' steamed between the hills and came
to an anchorage. It was the early morning, and over the
water were shadows of cool, inviting green. Nagasakiy
nestling on her hillsides, looked cozy and beautiful, and,
it being our first glimpse of a Japanese town, we studied
it through our glasses, studied every feature — the
scenery, the picturesque attributes of the city, the ter
raced hills that rose beyond, every rood under cultiva
tion; the quaint, curious houses; the multitudes of flags

TRA VELS OF GENERAL GRANT. , r
469
which showed that the town knew of our coming, and
was preparing to do us honor. We noted, also, that the
wharves were lined with a multitude, and that the avail
able population were waiting to see the guest whom their
nation honors, and who is known in common speech as
the American Mikado. Then the 'Richmond' ran up the
Japanese standard and fired twenty-one guns in honor of
Japan. The forts answered the salute. Then the Japan
ese gun-boats and the forts displayed the American
ensign, and fired a salute of twenty-one guns in honor of
General Grant. Mr. W. P. Mangum, our consul, and
his wife came on board. In a short time the Japanese
barge was seen coming, with Prince Dati and Mr.
Yoshida and the govenor, all in the splendor of court
uniforms. These officials were received with due honors,
and escorted to the cabin. Prince Dati said that he had
been commanded by the emperor to meet General Grant
on his landing, to welcome him in the name of His Ma
jesty, and to attend upon him as the emperor's personal
representative so long as the General remained in Japan.
The value of this compliment can be understood when
you know that Prince Dati is one of the highest noble
men in Japan.
"At one o'clock on the 21st of June, General Grant, ac
companied by Prince Dati, Mr. Yoshida and the governor,
landed in Nagasaki. The Japanese man-of-war ' Kango,'
commanded by Captain Zto, had been sent down to Na
gasaki to welcome the General. The landing took place
in the Japanese barge.
" From the time that General Grant came into the wa
ters of Japan it was the intention of the government that
he should be the nation's guest. As soon as the General
stepped into the barge the Japanese vessels and the bat
teries on shore thundered out their welcome, the yards of

. 7Q TRA VELS OF GENERAL GRANT.
the vessels were manned, and as the barge moved slowly
along the crews of the ships in the harbor cheered. It
was over a mile from the ' Richmond' to the shore. The
landing-place had been arranged not in the foreign sec
tion nor the Dutch concession, carrying out the intention
of having the reception entirely Japanese. Lines of
troops were formed, the steps were covered with red
cloth, and every space, and standing-spot, and coigne of
vantage, was covered with people. The General's boat
touched the shore, and with Mrs. Grant on his arm, and
followed by the colonel, the Japanese officials and the
members of his party, he slowly walked up the platform,
bowing to the multitude who made this obeisance in his
honor. There is something strange in the grave decorum
of an Oriental crowd — strange to us who remember the
ringing cheer and the electric hurra of Saxon lands.
The principal citizens of Nagasaki came forward and
were presented, and after a few minutes' pause our party
stepped into jinrickshaws and were taken to our
quarters. "The jinrickshaw is the common vehicle of Japan. It is
built on the principle of a child's perambulator or an in
valid's chair, except that it is much lighter. Two men go
ahead and pull and one behind pushes. But this only on
occasions of ceremony. One man is quite able to manage
a jinrickshaw. Those used by the General had been sent
down from Tokio from the palace. Our quarters in Na
gasaki had been prepared in the Japanese town. A
building used for a female normal school had been pre
pared. It was a half mile from the landing, and the
whole road had been decorated with flags, American and
Japanese entwined, with arches of green boughs and
flowers. Both sides of the road were lined with people,
who bowed low to the General as he passed. On reach-

TRAVELS OF GENERAL GRANT. 7
ing our residence, the Japanese officials of the town were
all presented. Then came the foreign consuls in a body,
who were presented by the American consul, Mr. Man-
gum. After this came the officers of the Japanese ves
sels, all in uniform. Then came a delegation represent
ing the foreign residents of all nationalities in Nagasaki,
who asked to present an address."
'-«,»;. This, like all others, was very complimentary, for which
Grant returned his thanks, and expressed his gratification
at being able to visit Japan. The governor of the
province gave a state dinner, got up in French style, and
welcomed General Grant in a very neat speech, which
was made in Japanese.
This address was spoken in Japanese. At its close, an
.,, interpreter, who stood behind His Excellency during its
delivery, advanced and read the above translation. When
the governor finished, General Grant arose, and said :
-'' Your Excellency, Ladies and Gentlemen : You
¦¦ have here to-night several Americans who have the talent
of speech, and who could make an eloquent response to
the address in which my health is proposed. I have no
such gift, and I never lamented its absence more than
now, when there is so much that I want to say about your
country, your people and your progress. I have not been
an inattentive observer of that progress, and in America
we have been favored with accounts of it from my distin
guished friend, whem you all know as the friend of Japan,
and whom it was my privilege to send as minister — I mean
Judge Bingham. The spirit which has actuated the mis
sion of Judge Bingham — the spirit of sympathy, support
and conciliation — not only expressed my own sentiments,
but those of America. America has much to gain in the
East — no nation has greater interests — but America has
nothing to gain except what comes from the cheerful ac-

472 TRAVELS. OF GENERAL GRANT.
quiescence of the Eastern people and insures them, as '
much benefit as it does us. I should be ashamed of my
country if its relations with other nations, and especially
with these ancient and most interesting empires in the
East, were based upon any other idea. We have rejoiced
over your progress. We have watched you step by step.
We have followed the unfolding of your old civilization
and its absorbing the new. You have had our profound
sympathy in that work, our sympathy in the troubles
which came with it, and our friendship. I hope it may
continue — that it may long continue. As I have said
America has great interests in the East. She is your
next neighbor. She is more affected by the Eastern
populations than any other Power. She can never be
•insensible to what is doing here. Whatever her influence
may be, I am proud to think that it has always been ex
erted in behalf of justice and kindness. No nation needs
from the outside Powers justice and kindness more than
Japan, because the work that has made such marvelous
progress in the past few years is a work in which we are
deeply concerned, in the success of which we see a new
era in civilization and which we should encourage. I do
not know, gentlemen, that I can say anything more than
this in response to the kind words of the governor.
Judge Bingham can speak with much more eloquence and
much more authority as our minister. But I could not
allow the occasion to pass without saying how deeply
I sympathized with Japan in her efforts to advance,
and how much those efforts were appreciated in
America. In that spirit I ask you to unite with me in
a sentiment : ' The prosperity and the independence of
Japan.'" General Grant, a few minutes later, arose and said that
he wished to propose another toast — a personal one —

TRA VELS OF GENERAL GRANT.

473

the drinking of which would be a great pleasure to him.
This was the health of Judge Bingham, the American
minister to Japan. He had appointed the judge minister,
and he was glad to know that the confidence expressed
in that appointment had been confirmed by the admiration
and respect of the Japanese people. When a minister
serves his own country as well as Judge Bingham has
served America, and in doing so wins the esteem of the
authorities and the people to whom he is accredited, he
has achieved the highest success in diplomacy. The
Japanese minister, in a short speech, corroborated what
Grant had said about Mr. Bingham, which courtesy the
latter .acknowledged in a few appropriate words.
A day or two after, the citizens, not the officials of Na
gasaki, gave General Grant a dinner, not a Parisian one,
but such as the old Damios were accustomed to give.
An old temple in the heart of the city was selected as a
dining-hall, and about twenty guests sat down to the vari
ous tables — for every person had a table to himself. The
merchants who gave the dinner differed from Americans
in this respect — instead of being important personages
at the feast they waited on the tables, assisted by a small
army of attendants dressed in the old costume of the
Japanese. The bill of fare was almost a volume, and embraced
over fifty courses. The wine was served in unglazed
porcelain wine cups, on white wooden stands. The appe
tite was pampered in the beginning with dried fish, edible
seaweeds and isinglass, in something of the Scandinavian
style, except that the -attempt did not take the form of
brandy and raw fish. The first serious dish was com
posed of crane, seaweed, moss, rice-bread and potatoesj
which they picked over in a curious way as though they

474 TRA VELS OF GENERAL GRANT.
were at an auction sale of remnants, anxious to rummage
out a bargain. The soup when it first came — for it came
many times — was an honest soup of fish, like a delicate
fish chowder. Then came strange dishes, as ragout and
as soup in bewildering confusion. The first was called
namasu and embodied fish, clams, chestnuts, rock mush
rooms and ginger. Then, in various combinations, the
following: Duck, truffles, turnips, dried bonito, melons,
pressed salt, aromatic shrubs, snipe, egg-plant, jelly,
boiled rice, snapper, shrimp, potatoes, mushroom, cab
bage, lassfish, orange flowers, powdered fish, flavored
with plum juice and walnuts, raw carp sliced, mashed
fish, baked fish, isinglass, fish boiled with pickled beans,
wine and rice again. This all came in the first course,
and as a finale to the course, there was a sweetmeat com
posed of white and red bean jelly-cake and boiled black
mushroom. With this came powdered tea, which had a
green, monitory look, and suggested your earliest ex
periences in medicine.
It would be a mistake to suppose that this constituted
the bill of fare of this extraordinary dinner — it embraced
only the first course, out of twenty. When it was
finished, two of the merchants came forward and read a
complimentary address. Grant, in his short reply, after
returning the compliments offered him, said that he took
the dinner as a compliment coming, as it did, from the
citizens of Nagasaki, entirely unofficial. " That," said he,
" I take as an especial compliment, for while I am deeply
gratified for all that your Government is doing to render
my trip here agreeable and instructive, I have a peculiar
pleasure in meeting those who are not in authority, who
are the citizens of the country. I shall take away from
Nagasaki the most grateful remembrances of your hospi
tality and the most pleasant recollections of the place."

TRAVELS OF GENERAL GRANT. .y-
This short speech-making being ended, they sat down to
the second course, if possible, more complicated and ex
traordinary than the first, winding up with powdered tea
and sweetmeats, composed of white and red bean jelly-
cake and boiled black mushrooms. Human capacity has
its limit, and is about the same in a king as a peasant, and
it seemed to have reached its limit here when this second
course was finished. A little time was needed to settle
both before the third was entered upon, and all arose and
sauntered out of doors, where they could look down
upon the bay and the enfolding hills, over which the
sweet and placid night was drawing 'its curtains. Grant
could here enjoy the beautiful scene and his cigar at the
same time.
A trailing line of mist rises from the town and slowly
floats along the hillside, veiling the beauty upon which
you have been dwelling all the afternoon. The green
becomes gray, and on the tops there are purple shadows,
and the shining waters of the bay become opaque. The
ships swing at anchor, and you can see above the trim
masts and primset spars of the "Richmond," the colors of
America. The noble ship had sought a shelter near the
further shore, and as you look a light ascends the rigging
and gave token that those in command were setting the
watches for the night. Nearer us, distinguishable from
her white wheelhouse, rode the "Ashuelot," while ships of
other lands doted the bay. As you look, a ball of fire
shoots into the air and hangs pendant for a moment, and
'explodes into a mass of shooting, corru seating stars, and
you know that our friends in the town are rejoicing over
the presence of General Grant. From the other hills a
flame breaks out and struggles a few moments, and be
comes a steady asserting flame, and you know that, this
is a bonfire, and that the people have builded it to show

476 TRA VELS OF PENERAL GRANT.
their joy. Other bonfires creep out of the blackness, for
while you have been looking, night has come, and reigns
over hill, and valley, and sea, and green has become black.
Lines of light streak the town, and you see various dec
orations in lanterns, forming quaint shapes. One shapes
itself into the flag of America, another into the flag of
Japan, another into a triangle, another into a Japanese
word — the word in red lanterns, surrounded by a border
of white lanterns — and Mr. Yoshido translates the word
to mean a sentiment in honor of General Grant. These
lights in curious forms shoot up in all parts of the town,
and you know that Nagasaki is illuminated, and that
while here in this venerable temple the merchants have
assembled to give us entertainment, the inhabitants are
answering their hospitality with blazing tokens of appro
val. As you look below, on the streets around the temple,.
you see the crowd bearing lanterns, chattering, wonder
ing, looking on, taking what comfort they can out of the
festival in honor of the stranger within their gates. But
the feast is not over and this quiet night scene must be
abandoned for the dinner-table; candles have been
brought into the old temple and placed on a pedestal
before each table, while the walls have been draped
during this hour's recess with rich silks, embroidered
with gold and silver, and covered with curious legends of
Japan. The guests were scarcely seated, each at his own table,
before the merchant hosts came in, bringing meats.
They first advanced to the centre of the room to Grant,
and, kneeling, pressed their foreheads to the floor, and
then the course begins. There is no bread nor cham
pagne to help a man along with this second course; in
stead, a liquor made of rice, which was poured out of a
tea-pot into shallow lacquered saucers and drank like tea

TRAVELS OF GENERAL GRANT. 477
in an old New England town. A soup composed of
carp, and mushrooms, and aromatic herbs, comes in, but
it is too late for soup to any but a Japanese, whose diges
tive organs seem made of an entirely different material
from those of an American. Fish comes next, showing
evidently that the dinner, so far as an American under
stands dinner, has got to be all gone over again. Then
came sky-lark prepared with wheat-flour cake and gruel.
Soup of buckwheat and egg-plant followed these. Grant
looks at it, pushes it aside, and lights a cigar. This is a
dish he understands and is not afraid of, and enjoys it as
he looks out and sees the heavens ablaze with rockets,
weaving their fiery net-work of white, red and blue over
the summer sky. Now comes in a dish composed of sea
fish, garnished with a sort of mushroon, the roots of the
lily and pumpkin stems flavored, if it can be called fla
voring, with arrow-root and horse-radish. Grant's
investigations of these new dishes he keeps to himself
and eats what he likes, and makes up for all deficiencies
in a cigar.
More than four hours had now passed in trying to dis
pose of this Japanese dinner, when, to vary the entertain
ment, music was introduced. First came three girls,
daughters of the merchants who have given the dinner,
dressed in blue silk gowns, white collars and heavily-
brocaded pearl-colored sashes, and play, the chief instru
ment being a sort of harpsichord. It is an overture, after
which fourteen maidens enter, similarly dressed, and
ranging themselves under the rich tapestry, play also,
and sing in a monotonous tone, the song being carried
forward b"- a solo singer, the rest coming in at the chorus.
It is- an original song, composed for the occasion, the
theme being the glory of America and General Grant.
When it was finished, twelve dancing-girls entered, clad

478

TRAVELS OF GENERAL GRANT.

in crimson dresses, something like pantaloons, with
trains attached, which trip them as they walked. But the
director kept on his hands and knees, taking care that
they did not entangle the legs while the dancers attended
to their steps and graceful evolutions. After dancing
this sort of minuet, accompanied by a monotonous, low
thrumming upon the instruments, they filed out and a new
set entered, wearing masks resembling a large doll's face,
and carrying rattles and fans — the latter being used to
keep time with. These were followed by four other per
formers in blue robes, trimmed with gold, and carrying
long wands, entwined in gold and red, from which fell
festoons of pink blosoms, and danced a pantomime. All
this time the music kept playing no particular tune, yet
all the same to Grant, who knew little of music except
bugle-calls on the field of battle. The pantomime over,
eight children, hardly big enough to walk, toddled in,
dressed in white, embroidered in green and red, who went
through with a dance, mingled with contortions supposed
to resemble a dragon at play. But the feast was not
over. Another course now came in. First came ser
vants, bearing two trees, one of the pine, the other of the
plum. The plum-tree was in full blossom. One of these
was set on a small table in front of Mrs. Grant, the other
in front of the General. Another decoration was a cherry-
tree, surmounting a large basin, in which were living
carp fish. The carp has an important position in the
legends of Japan. It is the emblem of ambition and
resolution. But the description of this strange dinner in this old
temple becomes as monotonous as the dinner itself, and
how monotonous that must have been may be inferred
from the single fact, that seven different kinds of soup
were served, while in this country, it is considered ill-bred

77?^ VELS OF GENERAL GRANT. 479
to ask for even a second help of one soup. But dinners
vary in different parts of the world, and one is reminded
of the old Latin proverb, " degustibus nil est disputandum"
for it becomes evident there can be no disputing of tastes
in this world. Seven soups and twenty courses of food,
with any quantity of rice liquor, one would think was
enough. But the end was not yet. Fried snapper, a
fish that has already been served up in a half a dozen
different ways,* with shrimps, eggs, egg-plants, mashed
turnips come on, followed by five dishes of "shimedai,"
composed of strange ingredients, like the broth in the
witches' cauldron. The last crowning glory of the feast
was four dishes of sashimi, the striking delectable feature
of which was, live fish brought in and sliced, and served
while frisking about in the dish. After six or seven hours
spent in trying to make away with what ought to have
produced the Asiatic cholera, and which one wonders, as
he goes over the bill of fare, is not a permanent national
disease, the feast wound up with pears prepared with
horse-radish, and wheat-flour cake, and powdered ice.
The Japanese are not a large people, not nearly as large
as they ought to be if they can spend seven hours in
loading away such an astonishing amount of freight as
this bill of fare includes. But it must not be supposed
that General Grant quietly sat all this out, nibbling at the
dishes or progging them to find what they were made of,
for though he is called a stolid and imperturbable man,
he is anything but a patient one. It is true his impatience
does not exhibit itself in fretfulness of words and manner,
but in quietly removing the cause and of taking himselr-
out of the way of it. So, here long, ago he had left his
table vacant, and retired to the hill-top, on which the
temple stood, and with his cigar to soothe him, sat looking
placidly off upon the slumbering sea, thinking, perhaps,

QQ TRAVELS OF GENERAL GRANT.
of the strange scenes around him, and through which he
was passing, or the stirring events of his past life, or
dreaming of some quiet home in the future in his native
land. "All this time the music is in full flow, and the lights of
the town grow brighter with the shades of darkening
night, and some of the company have long since taken
refuge from the dinner in cigars, and over the low brick
wall and in the recesses of the temple grounds, crowds
begin to cluster and form, and below, at the foot of the
steps, the crowd grows larger and larger, and you hear
the buzz of the throng and the clinking of the lanterns of
the chair-bearers, for the whole town was in festive mood,
and high up in our open temple on our hillside we have
become a show for the town. Well, that is only a small
return for the measureless hospitality we have enjoyed,
and if we can gratify an innocent curiosity, let us think of
so much pleasure given in our way through the world.
As we drove home through the illuminated town, brilliant
with lanterns, and fire-works, and arches, and bonfires, it
was felt that we had been honored by an entertainment
such as we may never again expect to see."

TRA VELS OF GENERAL GRANT.

481

CHAPTER XVIII.
TOKIO OR YEDO — LANDING IN YOKOHAMA — ARRIVAL AT TOKIO — ADDRESS TO GEN
ERAL GRANT — HIS RESPONSE — A REFINEMENT OF COURTESY — THE FOURTH OF
JULY THE DAY HE WAS RECEIVED BY THE EMPEROR — DRIVE TO THE IMPERIAL
PALACE — DESCRIPTION OF IT — JAPANESE CABINET — THE EMPEROR AND EMPRESS —
ADDRESS OF THE EMPEROR — GENERAL GRANT'S REPLY — ADDRESS OF THE EMPRESS
TO MRS. GRANT — THE LATTER'S RESPONSE — FOURTH OF JULY CELEBRATION — •
SPEECH OF MR. BINGHAM — REPLY OF GENERAL GRANT — ILLUMINATION — REVIEW
OF THE JAPANESE ARMY — AN IMPERIAL BREAKFAST — A PRIVATE INTERVIEW
BETWEEN GRANT AND THE EMPEROR.
BUT the great event in General Grant's visit to
Japan was his reception at the capital, Tokio, as it
is now called, but better known as Yedo, and in
the old geographies, Jeddo. It lies at the head of the
bay of the same name, and about twenty miles from
Yokohama, the chief port of Japan. The scene which
the harbor presented on the day of Grant's arrival, was
one of the most brilliant ever witnessed.
" The day was clear and warm — a home July day tem
pered with the breezes of the sea. There were men-of-
war of various nations in the harbor, and as the exact
hour of the General's coming was known, everybody was
on the lookout. At ten o'clock our Japanese convoy
passed ahead and entered the harbor. At half-past ten
the 'Richmond' steamed slowly in, followed by the
'Ashuelot' As soon as the 'Monongahela' made out
our flag, and especially the flag at the fore, which denoted
the General's presence, her guns rolled out a salute.
For a half hour the bay rang with the roar of cannon and
was clouded with smoke. The 'Richmond 'fired a salu'.e
45

482

TRA VELS OF GENERAL GRANT.

to the flag of Japan. The Japanese vessels, the French,
the Russian, all fired gun after gun. Then came the
official visits. Admiral Patterson and staff, the admirals
and commaiiding officers of other fleets, Consul-General
Van Buren, officers of the Japanese navy, blazing in uni
form; the officers of the 'Richmond' were all in full
uniform, and for an hour the deck of the flag-ship was a
blaze of color and decoration. General Grant received
the various dignitaries on the deck as they arrived.
" It was arranged that General Grant ¦ should land at
noon. The foreign residents were anxious that the land
ing should be on the foreign concession, but the Japanese
preferred that it should be in their own part of the city.
At noon the imperial barge and the s^eam launch came
alongside the 'Richmond.' General Grant, accompanied
by Mrs. Grant, his son, Prince Date, Judge Bingham, Mr.
Yoshida, Captain Benham Commander Johnson, Lieu
tenant Stevens, Dr. Bransford, Lieutenant May and Pay
master Thomson — the naval officers specially detailed to
accompany him — passed over the side and went on the
barge. As soon as General Grant entered the barge
the 'Richmond' manned yards and fired a salute. In an
instant, as if by magic, the Japanese, the French, the
Russians, manned yards and fired salutes. The German
ship hoisted the imperial standard, and the English vessel
dressed ship. Amid the roar of cannon and the waving
of flags the General's boat slowly moved to the shore. As
he passed each of the saluting ships the General took oft
his hat and bowed, while the guards presented arms and
the bands played the American national air. The scene
was wonderfully grand — the roar of the cannon, the
clouds of smoke wandering off over the waters — the
stately noble vessels streaming with flags — the yards
manned with seamen — the guards on deck — the officers

TRAVELS OF GENERAL GRANT.

483

484

TRAVELS OF GENERAL GRANT.

in full uniform gathered on the quarterdeck to salute the
General as he passed — the music and the cheers which
came from the Japanese and the merchant ships — the
crowds that clustered on the wharves — the city, and over
all, a clear, mild July day, with grateful breezes ruffling
the sea.
"It was rather a long way to the Admiralty pier, but at
half-past twelve the General's boat came to the wharf.
There in waiting were the princes, ministers and the
high officials of the Japanese government. As the Gen
eral landed, the Japanese band played the American airs.
and Iwakura, one of the prime ministers and perhaps the
foremost statesman in Japan, advanced and shook his
hands. The General had known Iwakura in America,.
and the greeting was that of old friends. There were
also Ito, Inomoto and Tereshima, also members of the.
Cabinet ; two princes of the imperial family and a retinue
of officials. Mr. Yoshida presented the General and
party to the Japanese, and a few moments were spent in
conversation. Day fire-works were sent off at the moment
of the landing — representations of the American and
Japanese flags entwined. That, however, is the legend
that greets you at every door-sill — the two flags entwined.
The General and party, accompanied by the ministers
and officials and the naval officers drove to the railway
station. There was a special train in waiting, and at a
quarter past one the party started for Tokio.
"The ride to Tokio, the capital of Japan, was a little less
than an hour, over a smooth road, and through a pleas
ant, well-cultivated and apparently prosperous country.
Our train being special, made no stoppage, but I observed
as we passed the stations that they were clean and neat,.
and that the people had assembled to wave flags and
bow as we whirled past About two o'clock our train

TRA VELS OF GENERAL GRANT.

485'

entered the station. A large crowd was in waiting,
mainly the merchants and principal citizens of Tokio.
As the General descended from the train a committee of
the citizens advanced and asked to read an address.
The following was then read in Japanese by Mr. Fukuchi
and in English by Dr. McCartee:
'"Sir: On behalf of tlie people of Tokio, we beg to
congratulate you on your safe arrival. How you crushed
a rebellion and afterward ruled a nation in peace and
righteousness is known over the whole world, and there
is not a man in Japan who does not admire your high
character and illustrious careen Although the great
Pacific Ocean stretches for thousands of miles between
your country and ours, your people are our next neigh
bors in the East, and, as it was chiefly through your in
itiative that we entered upon those relations, and that
commerce with foreigners which have now attained such
a flourishing condition, our countrymen have always cher
ished a good feeling for your people and look upon them
more than on any other foreign nation as their true
friends. Moreover, it was during the happy times of
your presidency that the two countries became more
closely acquainted and connected, and almost every im
provement that has been made in our country may be
traced to the example and lessons received from yours.
For years past not only our minister, but any one of our
countrymen who went to your country, was received with
hospitality and courtesy. It is therefore impossible that
our countrymen should now forbear from giving expres
sion to their gratification and gratitude.
"Your visit to our shores is one of those rare events
that happen once in a thousand years. The citizens of
Tokio consider it a great honor that they have been
afforded the opportunity of receiving you as their guest,

og TRAVELS OF GENERAL GRANT.
and they cherish the hope that this event will still more
cement the friendship between the two nations in the
future. We now offer you a hearty and respectful wel
come. '"The Tokio Reception Committee.
"'The 3d July, L879.'
"General Grant said:
" ' Gentlemen : I am very much obliged for this kind re
ception, and especially for your address. It affords me:
great pleasure to visit Tokio. I have been some days in,
Japan, having seen several points of interest in the in
terior and on the inland sea. I have been gratified to<
witness the prosperity and advancement of which I had
heard so much, and in which my countrymen have taken,
so deep an interest. I am pleased to hear your kind ex
pressions toward the United States. We have no senti
ment there that is not friendly to Japan, that does not
wish her prosperity and independence, and a continuanee
on her part of her noble policy. The knowledge that
your country is prosperous and advancing is most grati
fying to the people of the United States. It is my sincere
wish that this friendship may never be broken. For this.
kind welcome to the capital of Japan I am again very
much obliged.'
"At the close of the address, the General was led to his
carriage — the private carriage of the emperor. As he
stepped out, several Japanese officials met him ; among
others was His Excellency J. Pope Hennessy, the British-
Governor of Hong Kong, whose guest the General had
been. The General shook hands warmly with the
governor, who said he came as a British subject to be
among those who welcomed General Grant to Japan.
Tlie General's carriage drove slowly in, surrounded by
cavalry, through lines of infantry presenting arms, through

77?^ VELS OF GENERAL GRANT.

487

a dense mass of people, under an arch of flowers and
evergreens, until amid the flourish of trumpets and the
beating of drums, he descended at the house that had
been prepared for his reception — the emperor's summer
palace of Eurio Kwan.
"The Japanese, with a refinement of courtesy quite
French in its way, were solicitous that General Grant
should not have any special honors in Japan until he had

ROYAL CARRIAGE— JAPAN.
seen the emperor. It was felt that as the General was
the guest of the nation he should be welcomed to the
nation by its chief. They were also anxious that the re
ception should take place on the Fourth of July. Their
imaginations had been impressed by the poetry of the
idea of a reception to one who had been the head of the
American nation, on the anniversary of American inde
pendence. But we discovered, as soon as we had left

gg TRAVELS OF GENERAL GRANT.
Nagasaki, that our visit to Tokio was timed for the 3d of
July, and for the reception at the palace on the Fourth.
The hour was fixed at two o'clock.
"The day was very warm, although in our palace on the
sea we have whatever breeze may be wandering over the
Pacific Ocean. General Grant invited some of his naval
friends to accompany him, and in answer to this invita
tion, Rear Admiral Patterson came, attended by Pay In-

JAPANESE SOLDIERS.
spector Thornton and Lieutenant Davenport, of his staff;
Captain A. E. K. Banham, commanding the 'Richmond;'
Captain Fitzhugh, commanding the ' Monongahela ;'
Commander Johnson, commanding the Ashuelot;' Lieu
tenant Springer and Lieutenant Kellogg. At half-past
one Mr. Bingham, our minister, arrived, and the party
immediately drove to the palace. The home of the em
peror is a long distance from the home of the General.

TRAVELS OF GENERAL GRANT. o
The old palace was destroyed by fire, and Japan has had
so many things to do, that she has not built a new one.
The road to the palace was through the section of Tokio,
where the old Daimios lived when they ruled Japan as
feudal lords, and made their occasional visits to the capi
tal. There seems to have been a good deal of Highland
freedom in the manners of the old princes. Their town
houses were really fortifications. A space was inclosed
with walls, and against these walls chambers were built —
rude chambers, like winter quarters for an army. In
these winter quarters lived the retainers, the swordsmen
and soldiers. In the centre of the inclosure, was the
home of the lord himself, who lived in the midst" of his
people, like a general in camp, anxious to fight some
body, and disappointed if he returned to his home with
out a fight. A lord with hot-tempered followers,- who
had come from the restraints and amenities of home, to
have a good time at the capital, and give the boys a
chance to distinguish themselves and see the world, would
not be a welcome neighbor. And as there were a great
many such lords, and each had his army and his town
• fortress, the Daimio quarter became an important part of
the capital. Some of the liouses were more imposing
than the palace — notably the house of the prince of
Satsuma. There was an imposing gate, elaborately but
tressed and strengthened, that looked quite Gothic in its
rude splendor. These Daimio houses have been taken
by the government for schools, for public offices, for vari
ous useful purposes. The Daimios no longer come with
armies, and build camps and terrorize over their neighbors
and rivals."
Grant's party drove through the Daimios' quarter and
through the gates of the city. The first impression of
Tokio is that it is a city of walls and canals. The walls

Ann TRA PELS OF GENERAL GRANT.
49° are crude and solid, protected by moats.- In the days of
pikemen and sword-bearers there could not have been a
more effective defense Even now it would require an
effort for even a German army to enter through these
walls. They go back many generations. In these lands
nothing is worth recording that is not a thousand years
old. Passing under the walls of an inclosure, which was
called a castle, they crossed another bridge, and came to
a modest arched gateway, which did not look nearly as
imposing as the entrance to the palace formerly occupied
by the great Prince Satsuma. Soldiers were drawn up,-
and the band played " Hail Columbia." The carriages
drove on past one or two modest buildings, and drew up
in front of another modest building, on the steps of which
the minister, Iwakura, was standing. The General and
party descended, and were cordially welcomed antr
escorted up a narrow stairway into an anteroom.
When you have seen most of the available palaces in
the world, from the glorious home of Aurungzebe to the
depressing, mighty cloister of the Escurial, you are sure
to have preconceived notions of what a palace should be,
and to expect something unique and grand in the home
of the long-hidden and sacred majesty of Japan.
The home of the emperor was as simple as that of a
country gentleman at home. In fact, many country gen
tlemen with felicitous investments in petroleum and silver,
would disdain the home of a prince who claims direct
descent from Heaven, and whose line extends far beyond
the Christian era. What marked the house was its sim
plicity and taste. You look for splendor, for the grand —
at least, the grandiose — for some royal whim like the holy
palace near the Escurial, which cost millions, or like Ver
sailles, whose cost is among the eternal mysteries. Here
you are in a suite of plain rooms, the ceilings of wood,

TRAVELS OF GENERAL GRANT. 49I
the walls decorated with natural scenery — the furniture
sufficient, but not crowded — and exquisite in style and
finish. There is no pretence of architectural emotion.
The rooms are large, airy, with a sense of summer about
them, which grows stronger as one looks out of the win
dow and down the avenues of trees. The grounds are
spacious and fine, even for Japan, and His Majesty, who
rarely goes outside of his palace grounds, takes what re
creation he needs within the walls.
"The palace is a low building, one, or at most, two
stories in height. They do not build high walls in Japan,
and especially in Tokio, where earthquakes are ordinary
incidents, and the first question to consider in building
up is how far you can fall. We enter a room where all
the ministers are assembled. The Japanese Cabinet is
a famous body, and tested by laws of physiognomy would
compare with that of any cabinet I have seen. The
prime minister is a striking character. He is small,
slender, with an almost girl-like figure, delicate, clean
cut, winning features, a face that might be that of a boy
of twenty or a man of fifty. The prime minister re
minded me of Alexander H. Stephens in his frail, slender
frame, but it bloomed with health and lacked the sad,
pathetic lines which tell of the years of suffering which
Stephens has endured, The other ministers looked like
strong, able men. Iwakura has a striking face, with lines
showing firmness and decision, and you saw the scar
which marked the attempt of the assassin to cut him
down and slay him, as Okubo, the greatest of Japanese
statesmen was slain not many months ago. That assas
sination made as deep an impression in Japan as the
killing of Lincoln did in America. We saw the spot
where the murder was done on our way to the palace,
and my Japanese friend who pointed it out, spoke in low

,_„ TRAVELS OF GENERAL GRANT.
492
tones of sorrow and affection, and said the crime there
committed had been an irreparable loss to Japan.
"A lord in waiting, heavily braided, with a uniform that
Louis XIV would not have disliked in Versailles, comes
softly in and makes a signal, leading the way. The Gen
eral, and Mrs. Grant escorted by Mr. Bingham, and our
retinue followed. The General and the minister were in
evening dress. The naval officers were in full uniform,
Colonel Grant wearing the uniform of lieutenant-colonel.
We walked along a short passage and entered another
room, at the farther end of which were standing the em
peror and the empress. Two ladies in waiting were near
them in a sitting, what appeared to be a crouching, atti
tude. Two other princesses were standing. These
were the only occupants of the room. Our party slowly
advanced, the Japanese making a profound obesiance,
bending the head almost to a right angle with the body.
The royal princes formed in line near the emperor,
along with the princesses. The emperor stood quite
motionless, apparently unobservant or unconscious of the
homage that was paid him. He is a young man with a
slender figure, taller than the average Japanese and of
about the middle height, according to our ideas. He has
a striking face, with a mouth and lips that remind you
something of the traditional mouth of the Hapsburg
family. The forehead is full and narrow, the hair and
the light mustache and beard intensely black. The color
of the hair darkens what otherwise might pass for a
swarthy countenance at home. The face expressed no
feeling whatever, and but for the dark, glowing eye,
which was bent full upon the General, you might have
taken the imperial group for statues. The empress, at
his side, wore the Japanese costume, rich and plain. Her
face was very white, and her form slender and almost

TRA VELS OF GENERAL GRANT. 40 ?
child-like. Her hair was combed plainly and braided
with a gold arrow. The emperor and empress have
agreeable faces, the emperor especially showing firmness
and kindness. The solemn etiquette that pervaded the
audience chamber was peculiar, and might appear strange
to those familiar with the stately but cordial manners of
a European court. But one must remember that the
emperor holds so high and so sacred a place in the tra
ditions, the religion and the political system of Japan that
even the ceremony of to-day is so far in advance of any
thing of the kind ever known in Japan that it might be
called a revolution. The emperor, for instance, as our
group was formed, advanced and shook hands with the
General." Says the correspondent : "That seems a trivial thing to
write about, but such an incident was never known in the
history of Japanese majesty. Many of these details ma>
appear small, but we are in the presence of an old and
romantic civilization, slowly giving way to the fierce,
feverish pressure of European ideas, and you can only
note the change in those incidents which would be un
noticed in other lands. The incident of the emperor of
Japan advancing toward General Grant and shaking
hands, becomes a historic event of consequence, and as
such I note it. The manner of the emperor was con
strained, almost awkward, the manner of a man doing a
thing for the first time, and trying to do it as well as pos
sible. After he had shaken hands with the General, he
returned to his place, and stood with his hand resting on
his sword, looking on at the brilliant, embroidered, gilded
company, as though unconscious of their presence. Mr.
Bingham advanced and bowed, and received just the
faintest nod in recognition. The other members of the
party were each presented by the minister, and each

,q4 TRAVELS OF GENERAL GRANT.
one standing about a dozen feet from the emperor, stood
and bowed. Then the General and Mrs. Grant were
presented to the princesses, each party bowing to the
other in silence. The emperor then made a signal to one
of the noblemen, who advanced. The emperor spoke to
him for a few moments in a low tone, the nobleman
standing with bowed head. When the emperor had fin
ished, the nobleman advanced to the General, and said he
was commanded by His Majesty to read him the follow
ing address:
"Your name has been known to us for a long time,
and we are highly gratified to see you. While holding
the high office of President of the United States, you
extended toward our countrymen especial kindness and
courtesy. When our ambassador, Iwakura, visited the
United States, he received the greatest kindness from
you. The kindness thus shown by you has always been
remembered by us. In your travels around the world,
you have reached this country, and our people of all
classes feel gratified and happy to receive you. We
trust that during your sojourn in our country, you may
find much to enjoy. It gives me sincere pleasure to re
ceive you, and we are especially gratified that we have
been able to do so on the anniversary of American inde
pendence. We congratulate you, also, on the occasion.'
"This address was read in English. At its close Gen
eral Grant said :
" ' Your Majesty-st-I am very grateful for the welcome
you accord me here to-day, and for the great kindness
with which I have been received, ever since I came to
Japan, by your government and your people. I recog
nize in this a feeling of friendship toward my country. I
can assure you that this feeling is reciprocated by the
United States ; that our people, without regard to party,

TRA VELS OF GENERAL GRANT. .q h
take the deepest interest in all that concerns Japan, and
have the warmest wishes for her welfare. I am happy to
be able to express that sentiment. America is your next
neighbor, and will always give Japan sympathy and sup
port in her efforts to advance, I again thank Your Ma
jesty for your hospitality, and wish you a long and happy
reign, and for your people prosperity and independence.'
"At the conclusion of this address, which was extem
pore, the lord advanced, and translated it to His Majesty
Then the emperor made a sign, and said a few words to
the nobleman. He came to the side of Mrs. Grant and
said the empress had commanded him to translate the
following address :
"T congratulate you upon your safe arrival after your
long journey. I presume you have seen very many interest
ing places. I fear you will find many things uncomfort
able here, because the customs of the country are so
different from other countries. I hope you will prolong
your stay in Japan, and that the present warm days may
occasion you no inconvenience.'
"Mrs. Grant, pausing a moment, said in a low, conver
sational tone of voice, with animation and feeling :
"T thank you very much. I have visited many coun
tries, and have seen many beautiful places, but I have
seen none so beautiful or so charming as Japan.'
"All day during the Fourth, visitors poured in on the
General. The reception of so many distinguished states
men and officials, reminded one of state occasions at the
White House. Princes of the Imperial family, prin
cesses, the members of the cabinet, and citizens, and high
officials, naval officers, ministers and consuls, all came ;
and carriages were constantly coming and going. In the
evening there was a party at one of the summer gardens,
given by the American residents, in honor of the Fourth

496

TRAVELS OF GENERAL GRANT.

of July. The General arrived at half-past eight, and was >
presented to the American residents by Mr. Bingham,
the minister. At the close of the presentation, Mr. Bing
ham made a brief, but singularly eloquent address.
Standing in front of the General, and speaking in alow,
measured tone of voice, scarcely above conversational
pitch, the minister, after words of welcome, said .
"Tn common with all Americans we are not unmindful
that in the supreme moment of our national trials, when
our heavens were filled with darkness, and our habitations
were filled with dead, you stood with our defenders in the
forefront of the conflict and with them, amid the con
suming fires of battle, achieved the victory which brought
deliverance to our imperilled country. To found a great
commonwealth or to save from overthrow a great com
monwealth already founded, is considered to be the
greatest of human achievements. If it was not your
good fortune to aid Washington, first of Americans and
foremost of men, and his peerless associates in founding
the Republic ; it was given to you above all others to aid
in the no less honorable work of saving the Republic from
overthrow.' Mr. Bingham continued his speech, saying :
' Now that the sickle has fallen from the pale hand of
Death on the field of mortal combat, and the places which
but yesterday were blackened and blasted by war have
grown green and beautiful under the hand of peaceful
toil ; now that the Republic, one and undivided, is
covered with the greatness of justice, protecting each by
the combined power of all — men of every land and every
tongue — the world, appreciating the fact that your civic
and military services largely contributed to these results,
so essential not only to the interests of our own country,
but to the interests of the human race, have accorded to
you such honors as never before within the range of

TRA VELS OF GENERAL GRANT. 497
authentic history have been given to a living, untitled and
unofficial person. I may venture to say that this grate
ful recognition of your services will not be limited to the
present generation or the present age, but will continue
through all the ages. In conclusion I beg leave again to
bid you welcome to Japan, and to express the wish that
in health and prosperity you may return to your native
land, the land which we all love so well.'
"In response, General Grant said:
'"Ladies and Gentlemen : I am unable to answer the
eloquent speech of Judge Bingham, as it is in so many
senses personal to myself. I can only thank him for his
too flattering allusions to me personally and the duty de
volving on me during the late war. We had a great war.
We had a trial that summoned forth the energies and
patriotism of all our people — in the army alone over a
million. In awarding credit for the success that crowned
those efforts there is not one in that million, not one
among 'the living or the dead, who did not do his share
as I did mine, and who does not deserve as much credit.
It fell to my lot to command the armies. There were
many others who could have commanded the armies bet
ter. But I did my best, and we all did our best, and in
the fact that it was a struggle on the part of the people
for the Union, for the country, for a country for them
selves and their children, we have the best assurances of
peace and the best reason for gratification over the re
sult. We are strong and free because the people made
us so. I trust we may long continue so. I think we have
no issues, no questions that need give us embarrassment.
1 look forward to peace, to generations of peace, and
with peace prosperity. I never felt more confident of the
future of our country. It is a great country — a great
blessing to us — and we cannot be too proud of it, too
46

498

TRA VELS OF GENERAL GRANT.

zealous for its honor, too anxious to develop its resources,
and make it not only a home for our children, but for the
worthy people of other lands. I am glad to meet you
here, and I trust that your labors will be prosperous, and
that you will return home in health and happiness. I
trust we may all meet again at home and be able to cele
brate our Fourth of July as pleasantly as we do to-night.'
"Dr. McCartee, who presided, made a short address,
proposing as a toast, 'The day we celebrate.' To this
General Van Buren made a patriotic and ringing response,
making amusing references to Fourth of July celebra^
tions at home, and paying a tribute to the character and
military career of General Grant. General Van Buren's
address was loudly applauded, as were also other speeches
of a patriotic character. There were fire-works and feast
ing, and after the General and Mrs. Grant retired, which
they did at midnight, there was dancing. It was well on
to the morning before the members of the American
colony in Tokio grew weary of celebrating the anniver
sary of our Declaration of Independence.
" The morning of the 7th of July was set apart by the
emperor for a review of the troops. Japan has made im
portant advances in the military art. One of the effects
of the revolution which brought the mikado out of his
retirement as spiritual chief of the nation, and proclaimed
him the absolute temporal sovereign, was the employ
ment of foreign officers to drill and instruct the troops,
teach them European tactics and organize an army. It
is a question whether a revolution which brings a nation
out of a condition of dormant peace, in which Japan ex
isted for so many centuries, so far as the outer world is
concerned, into line with the great military nations, is a
step in the path of progress. But an army in Japan was
necessary to support the central power, suppress the

TRA VELS OF GENERAL GRANT. »gn
Daimios' clans, whose strifes kept the land in a fever, and
insure some degree of respect from the outside world.
It is the painful fact in this glorious nineteenth century,
which has done so much to elevate and strengthen, and
so on, that no advancement is sure without gunpowder.
The glorious march of our civilization has been through
battle-smoke, and when Japan threw off the repose and
dream-life of centuries, and came into the wakeful, vigi
lant, active world, she saw that she must arm, just as
China begins to see that she must arm. The mili
tary side of Japanese civilization does not interest me,
and I went to the review with a feeling that I was to see
an incongruous thing, something that did not belong to
Japan, that was out of place amid so much beauty and
art. The Japanese themselves think so, but Europe is
here with a mailed hand, and Japan must mail her own,
or be crushed in the grasp.
"The Emperor of Japan is fond of his army, and was
more anxious to show it to General Grant than any other
institution in the empire. Great preparations had been
made to have it in readiness, and all Tokio was out to
see the pageant. The review of the army by the em
peror in itself is an event that causes a sensation. But
the review of the army by the emperor and the General
was an event which had no precedent in Japanese history.
The hour for the review was nine, and at half-past eight
the clatter of horsemen and the sound of bugles was
heard in the palace grounds. In a few moments the em
peror's state carriage drove up, the drivers in scarlet
livery and the panels decorated with the imperial flower,
the chrysanthemum. General Grant entered, accom
panied by Prince Dati, and the cavalry formed a hollow-
square, and our procession moved on to the field at a
slow pace. A drive of twenty minutes brought us to the

sqq TRAVELS OF. GENERAL GRANT.
parade-ground, a large, open plain, the soldiers in line,
•and behind the soldiers a dense mass of people — men,
women and children. As the General's procession slowly
turned into the parade-ground, a group of Japanese
officers rode up and saluted, the band played ' Hail Co
lumbia,' and the soldiers presented arms. Two tents had
been arranged for the reception of the guests. In the
larger of the two we found assembled officers of state,
representatives of foreign powers, Governor Hennessy,
of Hong Kong, all in bright, glowing uniforms. The
smaller tent was for the emperor. When the General
dismounted he was met by the minister of war, and
escorted into the smaller tent. In a few minutes the
trumpets gave token that the emperor was coming, and
the band played the Japanese national air. His Majesty
was in a state carriage, surrounded with horsemen and
accompanied by one of his cabinet. As the emperor
drove up to the tent, General Grant advanced to the car
riage-steps and shook hands with him, and they entered
and remained a few minutes in conversation.
" At the close of the review General Grant and party
drove off the ground in state, and were taken to the
Shila Palace. This palace is near the sea, and as the
grounds are beautiful and attractive, it was thought best
• that the breakfast to be given to General Grant by His
Majesty should take place here. The emperor received
the General and party in a large, plainly-furnished room,
and led the way to another room, where the table was set.
The decorations of the table were sumptuous and royal.
General Grant sat on one side of the emperor, whose
place was in the centre. Opposite was Mrs. Grant, who
sat next to Prince Arinagawa, the nearest relative to the
emperor and the commander-in-chief of the army."
A large number of distinguished men and officials were

TRAVELS OF GENERAL GRANT. -oi ,
also guests. "General Saigo, Minister of War; Vice-
Admiral Kawamusa, Minister of Marine; Mr. Inonye,
Minister of Public Works ; Mr. Tokadaifi, Minister of the
Imperial Household; Mr. Mori, Vice-Minister of Foreign
Affairs ; Mr. Yoshida, Envoy to the United States ; Mr.
Sagi, Vice-Minister of the Imperial Household ; Mr,
Yoshie, Chief Chamberlain ; Mr. Bojo, Master of Cere
monies; Prince Hachisuka, Prince Dati, Mr. Insanrm
Naboshima, Mr. Bingham and Mrs. Bingham ; Ho-a-Chang,
the Chinese Minister; Mr. Mariano Alvaray, Spanish
Charge d' Affaires ; Baron Rozen, Russian Charge d'
Affaires ; M. de Balloy, French Charge d' Affaires ; Gov
ernor Pope Hennessy and Mrs. Hennessy.
"The emperor conversed a great deal with General
Grant through Mr. Yoshida and also Governor Hennessy.
His Majesty expressed a desire to have a private and
friendly conference with the General, which it was ar
ranged should take place after the General's return from.
Nikko. The feast lasted for a couple of hours, and the
view from the table was charming. Beneath the window
was a lake, and the banks were bordered with grass and
trees. Cool winds came from the sea, and, although in
the heart of a great capital, we were as secluded as in a
forest. At the close of the breakfast cigars were brought
and the company adjourned to another room. Mrs.
Grant had a long conversation with the princesses, and
was charmed with their grace, their accomplishments,
their simplicity and their quiet, refined Oriental beauty.
At .three o'clock the imperial party withdrew and we
drove home to our palace by the sea."

,,02. TRAVELS OF GENERAL GRANT

CHAPTER XIX.

THE HOME SET APART FOR GENERAL GRANT — DESCRIPTION OF THE PALACE — ITS
GARDENS — GRANT'S DAILY LIFE HERE — PALACE ECONOMIES — SUMMER-HOUSES —
COURTESIES AND CEREMONIES — AN EARTHQUAKE — INTRODUCTION OF THE
CHOLERA — THE EMPEROR TAKES BREAKFAST WITH GENERAL GRANT — TALK
ABOUT JAPAN — A REPRESENTATIVE GOVERNMENT — EUROPEAN POLICY IN THE
EAST — STATESMANLIKE VIEWS OF GRANT — THE QUESTIONS OF FOO-CHOO — EDU
CATION IN JAPAN — GRANT AS A PEACE-MAKER.

THE palace of Enriokwan, which the emperor had
set apart for General Grant during his stay in the
imperial capital, was one of the homes of the
tycoon, but now belongs to the emperor, and yet has
nothing of Oriental magnificence about it.
"You approach the grounds over a dusty road that
runs by the side of a canal. The canal is sometimes in
ah oozing condition, and boats are held in the mud. You
cross a bridge and enter a low gateway, and, going a
a. few paces, enter another gateway. Here is a guard
house, with soldiers on guard and lolling about on benches
waiting for the bugle to summon them to offices of cere
mony. There is a good deal of ceremony in Enriokwan,
with the constant coming and going of great people, and
no sound is more familiar than the sound of the bugle.
You pass the guard-house and go down a pebbled way to
a low, one-story building, with wings. This is the Palace
of Enriokwan. Over the door is the crysanthemum, the
emperor's special flower.
"The main building is a series of reception-rooms, in

TRA VELS OF GENERAL GRANT.

5°3

various styles of decoration, notably Japanese. There
are eight different rooms in all, in any one of which you
may receive your friends. General Grant uses the small
room to the left of the hall as you enter. On ceremonial
occasions he uses the main saloon, which extends one-
half the length of the palace. Here a hundred people
could be entertained with ease. This room is a beautiful
specimen of Japanese decorative art, and you never be
come so familiar with it that there are not constant sur
prises in the way of color or form of design. Each of the
rooms is decorated differently from the others. The
apartments of General Grant and party are in one wing,
the dining-room, billiard-room and the apartments of the
Japanese officials in attendance in the other wing.
Around the palace is a veranda, with growing flowers in
profusion and swinging lanterns. The beauty of the
palace is not in its architecture, which is plain and inex
pressive, but in the taste which marks the most minute
detail of decoration and in the arrangement of the
grounds. "Enriokwan is an island. On one side is a canal and
embanked walls, on the other side the ocean. Although
in an ancient and populous city, surrounded by a teeming,
busy metropolis you feel as you pass into Enriokwan that
that you are as secure as in a fortress and as secluded as
in a forest. The grounds are large and remarkable for
the beauty and finish of the landscape gardening. In
the art of gardening, Japan excels the world, and I have
seen no more attractive specimen than the grounds of
Enriokwan. Roads, flower-beds, lakes, bridges, artificial
mounds, creeks overhung with sedgy overgrowths, lawns,
boats, bowers, over which vines are trailing, summer-
houses, all combine to give comfort to Enriokwan. If
you sit" on this veranda, under the columns where the

r04 77?^ VELS OF GENERAL GRANT.
General sits every evening, you look out upon a ripe and
perfect landscape, dowered with green. If you walk
into the grounds a few minutes you pass a gate — an
inner gate, which is locked at night — arid come to a
lake, on the banks of which is a Japanese summer-
house. The lake is artificial and fed from the sea. You
cross a bridge and come to another summer-house. Here
are two boats tied up, with the imperial crysanthemum
emblazoned on their bows. These are the private boats
of the emperor, and if you care for. a pull you can
row across and lose yourself in one of the creeks.
You ascend a grassy mound, however, not more than
forty feet high. Steps are cut in the side of the mound,
and when you reach the summit you see beneath you
the waves and before you the ocean. The sea at this
point forms a bay. When the tides are down and the
waves are calm you see fishermen wading about seek
ing shells and shell-fish. When the tides are up the
boats sail near the shore, and sometimes as you are
strolling under the trees you look up and see through
the foliage a sail float past you, firm and steady and
bending to the breeze.
"What impresses you as you look at Enriokwan
from the summit of your mound, is its complete seclu
sion. The tycoons, when they came to rest and breathe
a summer air tempered by the sea, evidently wished
to be away from the world, and here they could lead
a sheltered life. It is a place for contemplation and
repose. You can walk about in the grounds until you
are weary, and if you take pleasure in grasses and
shrubbery and wonderful old trees, gnarled and bend
ing under the burden of immemorial years, every step
will be full of interest. You can climb your mound
and commence with the sea — the ships going and com-

TRAVELS OF GENERAL GRANT. CQC
ing, the fishermen on the beach, the waves that sweep
on and on. If you want to fish, you will find poetry
of fishing in Enriokwan, for servants float about you
and bait your hook and guard what you catch, and
you have no work or trouble or worms to finger, no
scales to pick from your hands. If you care to read
or write, you can find seclusion in one of the summer-
houses. If it is evening, after dinner, you can come
and smoke or wander around under the trees and look
at the effect of the moonlight on the sea or the lake.
Whatever you do or wherever you go you have over
you the sense of protection. Our hosts are so kind that
we cannot leave the palace without an escort. You stroll
off with a naval friend from one of the ships to show the
grounds or hear the last gossip from the hospitable ward
rooms of the 'Ashuelot' or 'Richmond.' Behind you
comes a couple of servants, who seem to rise out of the
ground as it were. They come unbidden and carry trays
bearing water and wine or cigars.
" If you go into into one of the summer-houses they
stand on guard, and if you go on the lake they await
your return. The sense of being always under observa
tion was at first oppressive. You felt that you were
giving trouble. You did not want to have the responsi
bility of dragging other people after you. You especially
did not care about the trays laden with wine. But the
custom belongs to Enriokwan, and in time you become
used to it and unconscious of your retinues.
" You wonder at the number of servants about you —
servants for everything. There, for instance, is a gar
dener working over a tree. The tree is one of the dwarf
species that you see in Japan — one of the eccentricities
of landscape gardening — and this gardener files and clips
and adorns his tree as carefully as a lapidary burnishing

506

TRA VELS OF GENERAL GRANT.

a gem. ' There has been work enough done on that
tree,' said the General, ' since I have been here to raise
all the food a small family would require during the win
ter.' Labor, the General thinks, is too good a thing to
be misapplied, and when the result of the labor is a plum-
tree that you could put on your dinner-table, or a peach-
tree in fruition that might go into a water-goblet, he is
apt to regard it as misapplied. Here are a dozen men
in blue cotton dress working at a lawn. I suppose in a
week they would do as much as a handy Yankee boy
could achieve in a morning with a lawn mower. Your
Japanese workman sits down over his meadow, or his
flower-bed, or his bit of road, as though it were a web of
silk he was embroidering. Other men in blue are fishing.
The waters of the lake come in with the tides, and the
fish that come do not return, and much of our food is
found here. The sprinkling of the lawns and the roads
is always a serious task and takes quite an army for a
good part of the afternoon. One of the necessities of
palace economy is that you have ten times as many
about you to do service as you want, and ways must be
found to keep them busy.
" The summer-houses by the lake are worthy of study.
Japan has taught the world the beauty of clean, fine
grained natural wood and the fallacy of glass and paint.
I am writing these lines in one "of these houses — the first
you meet as you come to -the lake. Nothing could be
more simple and at the same time more tasteful. It is
one room, with grooves for a partition should you wish
to make it two rooms. The floor is covered with a fine,
closely-woven mat of bamboo strips. Over the mat is
thrown a rug, in which black and brown predominate.
The walls looking out to the lake are a series of frames
that can be taken out — lattice work of small squares,

TTrM VELS OF GENERAL GRANT. -Q7
t
covered with paper. The ceiling is plain, unvarnished
wood. There are a few shelves, with vases, blue and
white pottery, containing growing plants and flowers.
There are two tables, and their only furniture a large box
of gilded lacquer, for stationery, and a smaller one, con
taining cigars. These boxes are of exquisite workman
ship, and the gold chrysanthemum indicates the imperial
ownership. I have described this house in detail because
it is a type of all the houses that I have seen in the palace
grounds, not only at Enriokwan but elsewhere in Japan.
It shows taste and economy. Everything about it is
wholesome and clean, the workmanship true and minute,
with no tawdry appliances to distract or offend the eye.
" Our life in Enriokwan is very quiet. The weather
has been such that going out during the day is a discom
fort During the day there are ceremonies, calls from
Japanese and foreign officials, papers to read, visits to
make. If the evening is free the General has a dinner
party — sometimes small, sometimes large. To-night it
will be the royal princes, to-morrow the prime ministers,
on other evenings other Japanese of rank and station.
Sometimes we have Admiral Patterson or officers from
the fleet. Sometimes Mr. Bingham and his family.
Governor Hennessy, the British Governor of Hong
Kong has been here during a part of our stay. General
Grant was the guest of the governor during his residence
in Hong Kong and formed a high opinion of the gov
ernor's genius and character. The governor is a frequent
visitor at Enriokwhan, and no man is more welcome to
the General. Prince Dati, Mr. Yoshida and some other
Japanese officials live at Enriokwan and form a part of our
family. They represent the emperor and remain with the
General to serve him and make his stay as pleasant as
possible. Nothing could be more considerate or cour-

5o8

TRA VELS OF GENERAL GRANT.

teous or hospitable than the kindness of our Japanese
friends. Sometimes we have merchants from the bazaars
with all kinds of curious and useful things to sell.
" Sometimes a fancy for curiosities takes possession of
some of the party, and the result is an afternoon's prowl
about the shops in Tokio, and the purchase of a sword, or
a spear, or a bow and arrows. The bazaars of Tokio
teem with beautiful works of arc, and the temptation to
go back laden with achievements in porcelain and lacquer
is too great to be resisted, unless your will is under the
control of material influences too sordid to be dwelt upon.
Sometimes we have special and unique excitements, such
as was vouchsafed to us a few evenings since. Our party
was at dinner — an informal dinner — with no guests ex
cept our Japanese friends and Governor Hennessy.
While dining there was a slight thunder-storm, which.
gave some life to the baked and burning atmosphere.
Suddenly we heard an unusual noise — a noise like the
rattling of plates in a pantry. The lanterns vibrated, and
there was a tremulous movement of the water and wine
in our glasses. I do not think we should have regarded
it as anything else than an effect of the thunder-storm,,
but for Governor Hennessy. 'That,' he said, 'is an
earthquake.' While he spoke the phenomenon was re
peated, and we plainly distinguished the shock."
The cholera had been introduced into Japan by a Ger
man ship, whose commander insisted on coming into port
with the disease on board against the remonstance of the
Japanese Government. The captain declared that under
the treaty made with the foreign powers the latter alone
could decide as to what vessel should enter a Japanese
port, and sailed in and sent the cholera ashore to deci
mate the population.
When the Japanese authorities, indignant and grieved

TRA VELS OF GENERAL GRANT. cQg
at the outrage, asked Grant what they ought to have
done, after their remonstrance was treated with such
contempt, he replied : " You ought to have fired on the
vessel;" and every American will say that in that answer
he represented the American people. Of course, this
epidemic raging, through the islands, restricted Grant's
movements, and he kept very quiet at Enriokwan, which
the emperor had set apart for his special residence while he
remained at the capital, and yet every day had its amuse
ments and receptions, and the correspondent says :
"We read, and write, and walk about the grounds,
and fish, and set up late at nights on the veranda, talking
about home, about the East, about our travels, about
Japan. Japan itself grows upon us more and more, as a
most interesting study. The opportunities for studying
the country, its policy, the aims of its rulers, its govern
ment and its diplomacy, have been very great. In this
palace which I have been describing, there took place
-yesterday, one of the most important events in the
modern history of Japan — a long personal interview be
tween General Grant and the emperor. The circum
stance that an ex- President of the United States should
•converse with the chief of a friendly nation, is not in it
self an important event. But when you consider the
position of the efnperor among his subjects, the traditions
¦of his house and his throne, you will see the value of this
meeting, and the revolution it makes in the history of Japan.
The imperial family is, in descent, the most ancient in
the world. It goes back in direct line to six hundred and
sixty years before Christ. For more than twenty-five
•centuries, this line has continued unbroken, and the
present sovereign is the one hundred and twenty-third of
his line. The position of mikado has always been unique
:in Japan. For centuries the emperors lived in seclu-

_IO TRAVELS OF GENERAL GRANT.
sion at Kiyoto. The mikado was a holy being. No one
was allowed to look upon his face. He had no family
name, because his dynasty being unending he needed
none. During his life he was revered as a god. When
he died he was translated into the celestial presence.
Within ten years it was not proper that even his sacred
name should be spoken. That is now permitted, but
even now you cannot buy a photograph of the mikado.
It is not proper that his subjects should look upon his
face. When he first received a foreign ambassador (in
1868), his prime minister knelt at his side, while his no
bles sat around on mats where they could not see him.
"The first audience of General Grant with the em
peror, on the Fourth of July, was stately and formal.
The emperor, before our return from Nikko, sent a mes
sage to the General that he desired to see him informally.
Many little courtesies had been exchanged between the
empress and Mrs. Grant, and the emperor himself,
through his noblemen and ministers, kept a constant
watch over the General's comfort. General Grant re
turned answer that he was entirely at the pleasure of His
Majesty. It was arranged, consequently, that on the
10th of August, the emperor would come to the palace of
Enriokwan. "The day was very warm, and at half-past ten a mes
sage came that the emperor had arrived, and was await
ing the General in the little summer-house on the banks
of the lake. The General, accompanied by Colonel
Grant, Prince Dati, Mr. Yoshida and the writer, left the
palace and proceeded to the summer-house. Colonel
Grant wore the uniform of his rank. The remainder of
the party were in morning costume. We passed under
the trees, and toward the bridge. The imperial carriage
had been hauled up under the shade of the trees,, and the

TRA VELS OF GENERAL GRANT. e T j
horses taken out. The guards, attendants, cavalrymen,
who had accompanied the sovereign, were all seeking the
shelter of the grove. We crossed the bridge and en
tered the summer-house. Preparations had been made
fbr the emperor, but they were very simple. Porcelain
flower-pots, with flowers, and ferns, and shrubbery, were
• scattered about the room. One or two screens had been
introduced. In the centre of the room was a table, with
chairs around it. Behind one of the screens was another
table, near the window, which looked into the lake. As
the General entered, the prime minister and the minister
of the imperial household advanced, and welcomed him.
Then, after a pause, we passed behind the screen, and
were in the presence of the emperor. His Majesty was
standing before the table in undress uniform, wearing
only the ribbon of his order. General Grant advanced,
and the emperor shook hands with him. To the rest of
the party, he simply bowed, Mr. Yoshida acted as inter
preter. There was a pause, when the emperor said:
" ' I have heard of many of the things you have said to
my ministers in reference to Japan. You have seen the
country and the people. I am anxious to speak with you
on these subjects, and am sorry I have not had an oppor
tunity earlier.'
" General Grant said he was entirely at the service of
the emperor, and was glad indeed to see him and thank
His Majesty for all the kindness he had received in Japan.
He might say that no one outside of Japan had a higher
interest in the country or a more sincere friendship for
its people.
"A question was asked which brought up the subject
now paramount in political discussions in Japan — the
granting of an assembly and legislative functions to the
people. «

1 1 2 ^-^ p^t:.? of general grant.
" General Grant said that this question seemed to be
the only one about which there was much feeling in Japan,
the only one he had observed. It was a question to be
considered with great care. No one could doubt that
governments became stronger and nations more pros
perous as they became representative of the people.
This was also true of monarchies, and no monarchs were .
as strong as those who depended upon a parliament.
No one could doubt that a legislative system would be
an advantage to Japan, but the question of when and
how to grant it would require careful consideration.
That needed a clearer knowledge of the, country than he
had time to acquire. It should be remembered that
rights of this kind — rights of suffrage and representation
— once given could not be withdrawn. They should be
given gradually. An elective assembly, to meet in
Tokio, and discuss all questions with the ministry might
be an advantage. Such an assembly should not have
legislative power at the outset. This seemed to the
General to be the first step. The rest would come as a
result of the admirable system of education which he saw
in Japan.
"An expression of gratification at the treaty between
Japan and the United States, which gave Japan the right
to manage her own commerce, led to a conversation
about foreign policy in Asia. 'Nothing,' said the Gen
eral, 'has been of more interest to me than the study of
the growth of European and foreign influence in Asia.
When I was in India I saw what England had done with
that empire. I think the British rule is for the advantage
of the Indian people. I do not see what could take the
place of British power but anarchy. There were some
things to regret, perhaps, but a great deal to admire in
the manner in which India was governed. But since 1

. TRAVELS OF GENERAL GRANT.
left India I have seen things that made my blood boil, in
the way the European powers attempt to degrade the
Asiatic nations. I would not believe such a policy pos
sible. It seems to have no other aim than the extinction
of the independence of the Asiatic nations. On that sub
ject I feel strongly, and in all that I have written to
friends at home I have spoken strongly. I feel so about
Japan and China. It seems incredible that rights which
at home we regard as essential to our independence and
to our national existence, which no European nation, no
matter how small, would surrender, are denied to China
;ind Japan. Among these rights there is none so im
portant as the right to control commerce. A nation's
life may often depend upon her commerce, and she is
entitled to all the profit that can come out of it. Japan
especially seems to me in a position where the control of
her commerce would enable her statesmen to relieve the
people of one great burden — the land tax. The effect
of so great a tax is to impoverish the people and limit
agriculture. When the farmer must give a half of his
crop for taxes he is not apt to raise more than will keep
him alive. If the land tax could be lessened I have no
doubt that agriculture would increase in Japan, and the
increase would make the people richer, make them buy
and consume more, and thus in the end benefit com
merce as well. It seems to me that if the commerce of
Japan were made to yield its proportion of the revenue,
as the commerce of England, and France, and the United
States, this tax could be lessened. I am glad the Ameri
can Government made the treaty. I hope other powers
will assent to it. But whether or not, I think I know the
American people well enough to say that they have, with
out distinction of party, the warmest wish for the inde
pendence of Japan. We have great interests in the Pa-
47

c T 4 TRA VELS OF GENERAL GRANT.
cific, but we have none that are inconsistent with the
independence of these nations.'
" Another subject which arose in the course of the
conversation was national indebtedness. General Grant
said that there was nothing which Japan should avoid
more strenuously than incurring debts to European na
tions. So long as the government borrowed from its
own people it was well. But loans from foreign powers
were always attended with danger and humiliation.
Japan could not go into a European money-market and
make a loan that would be of an advantage to her. The
experience of Egypt was a lesson. Egypt was allowed
to borrow to the right and left, to incur an enormous
debt. The result is that Egypt has been made a de
pendency of her creditors. Turkey owed much of her
trouble to the same cause. A country like Japan has all
the money she wants for her own affairs, and any attempt
to bring her into indebtedness to foreign powers would
only be to lead her into the abyss into which Egypt has
fallen. " The General spoke to the emperor on this question
with great earnestness. When he had concluded he said
there was another matter about which he had an equal
concern. When he was in China he had been requested by
the prince regent and the viceroy of Tientsin to use his
good offices with the Japanese Government on the ques
tion of Loochoo. The matter was one about which he
would rather not have troubled himself, as it belonged to
diplomacy and governments, and he was not a diploma
tist and not in government. At the same time he could
not ignore a request made in the interest of peace. The
General said he had read with great care and had heard
with attention all the arguments on the Loochoo ques
tion from the Chinese and Japanese sides. As to the

TRA Vf. IS OF GENERAL GRANT e j ,-
merits of the controversy, it would be hardly becoming
in him to express an opinion. He recognized the diffi
culties that surrounded Japan. But China evidently felt
hurt and sore. She felt that she had not received the
consideration due to her. It seemed to the General that
His Majesty should strive to remove that feeling, even if
in doing so it was necessary to make sacrifices. The
General was thoroughly satisfied that China and Japan
should make such sacrifices as would settle all questions
between them, and become friends and allies, without
consultation with foreign powers. He bad urged this
upon the Chinese Government, and he was glad to have
the opportunity of saying the same to the emperor.
China and Japan are now the only two countries left in
the great East of any power or resources of people to
become great — that are even partially independent of
European dictation and laws. The General wished to-
see them both advance to entire independence, with the
power to maintain it. Japan is rapidly approaching such
a position, and China had the ability and the intelligence
to do the same thing.
"The prime minister said that Japan felt the most
friendly feelings toward China, and valued the friendship
of that nation very highly, and would do what she could.
without yielding her dignity to preserve the best relations.
" General Grant said he could not speak too earnestly
to the emperor on this subject, because he felt earnestly.
He knew of nothing that would give him greater pleasure
than to be able to leave Japan, as he would in a very
short time, feeling that between China and Japan there
was entire friendship. Other counsels would be given to
His Majesty, because there were powerful influences in
the East fanning trouble between China and Japan. One
could not fail to see these influences, and the General

5i6

TRA VELS OF GENERAL GRANT.

said he was profoundly convinced that any concession to
them that would bring about war would bring unspeak
able calamities to China and Japan. Such a war would
bring in foreign nations, who would end it to suit them
selves. The history of European diplomacy in the East
was unmistakable on that point. What China and Japan
should do is to come together without foreign interven
tion, talk over Loochoo and other subjects, and come to
a complete and friendly understanding. They should do
it between themselves, as no foreign power can do them
any good.
" General Grant spoke to His Majesty about the
pleasure he had received from studying the educational
institutions in Japan. He was surprised and pleased at
the standing of these schools. He did not think there
was a better school in the world than the Tokio school of
engineering. He was glad to see the interest given to
the study of English. He approved of the bringing for
ward the young Japanese as teachers. In time Japan
would be able to do without foreign teachers; but
changes should not be made too rapidly. It would be a
pity to lose the services of the men who had created
these schools. The men in the service of the Japanese
Government seemed to be, as far as he could learn, able
and efficient.
"I have given yoi the essential points of a conversa
tion that lasted for two hours. General Grant said he
would leave Japan with the warmest feelings of friendship
toward the emperor and the people. He would never
cease to feel a deep interest in their fortunes. He
thanked the emperor for his princely hospitality. Taking
his leave, the General and party strolled back to the
palace, and His Majesty drove away to his own home, in
a distant part of the city.

TRA VELS OF GENERAL GRANT. _ j
" In my letter from Nikko, I told of the conference that
had taken place between General Grant and the Japanese
ministers on the Loochoo case. I gave you also a com
plete history of the Japanese and Chinese versions of the
' difficulty. Minister Ito promised to present the views of
the General to the Cabinet, and have a further conference
with him.
"Yesterday afternoon, Mr. Icrakura, the junior prime
minister; Mr. Okuma, the finance minister; Mr. Ito, the
home minister, and Mr. Yoshida, the Japanese minister
to Washington, came to the Palace of Enriokwan and had
a long conference with the General. Colonel Grant and
the writer were present. The details of this conversa
tion it is not thought advisable to print. The conference
was long and interesting, and will be continued on the
return of General Grant from Hakone, where he goes in
the morning. There is, perhaps, no harm in my saying
that General Grant, while fully sensible of the embarrass
ment surrounding the question, was hopeful of a peaceful
solution. If war should come, it would be the result of
intrigues of foreign powers. Americans, I think, will be
glad to know that the General has used his great name
and vast authority with both Chinese and Japanese to
circumvent these intrigues and bring China and Japan to
a good understanding. He has labored for this on every
occasion and with unpausing zeal, and has received from
Mr. Bingham, our minister, a hearty and sincere support."

5'»

TRA VELS OF GENERAL GRANT.

CHAPTER XX.
-MODE OF TRAVELING IN JAPAN — A RIDE THROUGH THE CITY — A TRIP INTO THK
INTERIOR — COLOSSAL IMAGE OB BUDDHA — FLEET TWO-LEGGED HORSES — TEA-HOUiK
— THE ROYAL ROAD OF JAPAN — A NEW MODE OF TRANSPORTATION — DESCRIPTION
OF THE PEOPLE — FUSIYAMA — A QUEER RIDE THROUGH THE STREETS OF TOKIO —
GREAT CHANGES IN JAPAN IN THE LAST QUARTER OF A CENTURY — EXTENT OF THE
EMPIRE — CUSTOMS OF THE PEOPLE — HONEST BEGGARS — AMERICA CANNOT KEEP
OUT OF THE EASTERN QUESTION. •
THOUGH they do not travel in wheelbarrows in
Japan they have a mode of transportation quite
as original, the jinrikshaw, referred to in the last
chapter. This is a carriage drawn by man-power alone,
and is exactly like a perambulator, or baby-carriage en
larged, except it has two shafts like those of a one-horse
wagon, into which a coolie inserts himself and starts off.
Says one, who traveled into the interior in one of these
strange vehicles : —
" When one takes his seat in it he cannot help feeling at
first as if he were a big baby, whom his nurse had tucked
up and was taking out for an airing. But one need not
be afraid of it, lest he break down the carriage, or tire
out the steed that draws it. No matter how great your
excellency may be, the stout fellow will take up the thills,
standing where the pony or the donkey ought to be, and
trot off with you at a good pace, making about four miles
an hour. At first the impression was irresistibly ludicrous,
and we laughed at ourselves to see what a ridiculous
figure we cut. Indeed we did not quite recover our

TRAVELS OF GENERAL GRANT.

519

520

TRA VELS OF GENERAL GRANT.

sobriety during the three weeks that we were in Japan,
But after all it is a very convenient way of getting about,
and one at least is satisfied that his horses will not run
away, though he must not be too sure of that, for I some
times felt, especially when going down hill, that they had
got loose, and would land me with a broken head at the
bottom.
' '' In one of these we made the round of the city. We
first visited what is called the Summer Palace, though it
is not a palace at all, but only a park, to which the mi
kado comes once in a while to take his royal pleasure.

JAPANESE STREET.

There are a few rest-houses scattered about, where one,
whether king or commoner, might find repose; or stroll
ing under the shade of trees, and looking off upon the
tranquil sea. Next we rode to the Tombs of the Tycoons,
where, under gilded shrines, beneath temples and pago-

TRAVELS OF GENERAL GRANT c2I
das, sleep the royal dead. The grounds are large and
the temples exquisitely finished, with the fine lacquer
work for which the Japanese are famous ; so that we had
to take off our shoes, and step very softly over the
polished floors. Riding on through endless streets, our
friends took us to a hill, ascended by a long flight of
steps, on the top of which, in an open space, stood a
temple, an arbor and a tea-house. This point commands
an extensive view of Yedo. It is a city of magnificent
distances, spreading out for miles -on every side; and
yet, except for its extent, it is not at all imposing, for it is,
like Canton, a mere wilderness of houses, relieved by no
architectural magnificence — not a single lofty tower or
dome rising above the dead level. But, unlike Canton,
the city has very broad streets, sometimes crossed by a
river or a canal, spanned by high, arched bridges. The
principal business street is much wider than Broadway,
but it has not a shop along its whole extent that would
make any show even in 'the Bowery.' The houses are
built only one-story high, because of earthquakes which
are frequent in Japan, caused, as the people believe, by a
huge fish which lies under the island, and that shakes it
whenever he tosses his head or lashes his tail.
" A week's excursion into the interior gave a new phase
of Japanese life. Our way wound through a succession of
valleys, rich with fields of rice and barley, while along the
roads shrubberies, which at home are cultivated with great
care, grew in wild confusion — the visteria,the honeysuckle,
and the eglantine. The succession of hill and valley gave
to the country a variety and beauty, which, with the high
state of cultivation, reminded us of Java. As we mounted
the hills we had glimpses of the sea, for we were skirting
along the Bay of Yedo. After a few miles we came to an
enchanting spot, which bears the ambitious title of the

,-22 TRAVELS OF GENERAL GRANT.
Plains of Heaven, yet which is not heaven, and is not
even a plain — but a rolling country, in which hill and
valley are mingled together, with the purple mountains
as a background on one side and the blue waters on the
other. " As we rode along, I thought how significant was the
simple fact of such an excursion as this in a country,
where a few years ago no foreigner's life was safe. On
this very road, less than ten years since, an Englishman
was cut down for no other crime than that of being a
foreigner, and getting in the way of the high Daimio who
was passing. And now we jogged along as quietly, and
with as little apprehension, as if we were riding through
the villages of New England.
" On our way lies a town which once bore a great
name, Kamakura, where nine centuries ago lived the
great Yoritomo, the Napoleon of his day, the founder of
the military rule in the person of the shogun (or tycoon,
a title but lately assumed), as distinguished from that ot
the mikado. Here he made his capital, which was after-'
wards removed, and about three hundred years since
fixed in Yedo ; and Kamakura is left, like other decayed
capitals, to live on the recollections of its former great
ness. But no change can take away its natural beauty,
in its sheltered valley near the sea.
" A mile beyond, we came to the colossal image of Dai-
Buts, or Great Buddha. It is of bronze, and though in a
sitting posture, is forty-four feet high. The hands are
crossed upon the knees. We crawled up into his lap,
and five of us sat side by side on his thumbs. We even
went inside, and climbed up into his head, and proved by
inspection that these idols, however colossal and imposing
without, are empty within. There are no brains within
their brazen skulls. The expression of the face is the

TRAVELS OF GENERAL GRANT. c2,
same as in all statues of Buddlja : that of repose — pas
sive, motionless — as of one who had passed through the
struggles of life, and attained to Nirvana, the state of
perfect calm, which is the perfection of heavenly beatitude.
" It was now getting toward sunset, and we had still
five or six miles to go before we reached our resting-
place for the night. As this was the last stage in the
journey, our fleet coursers seemed resolved to show us
what they could do. They had cast off all their garments,
except a cloth around their loins, and straw sandals on
their feet, so that they were stripped like Roman gladi
ators, and they put forth a speed as if racing in the arena.
A connoisseur would admire their splendid physique.
Their bodies were tattooed, like South Sea Islanders,
which set out in bolder relief, as in savage warriors, their
muscular development — their broad chests and brawny
limbs. With no stricture of garments to bind them, their
limbs were left free for motion. It was a study to see
how they held themselves erect. With heads and chests
thrown back, they balanced themselves perfectly. The
weight of the carriage seemed nothing to them ; they had
only to keep in motion, and it followed. Thus we came
rushing into the streets of Fujisawa, and drew up before
the tea-house, where lodgings had been ordered for the
night. The whole family turned out to meet us, the
women falling on their knees, and bowing their heads till
they touched the floor, in homage to the greatness of
their guests.
" And now came our first experience of a Japanese tea
house.* This is like a baby-house. It is small, built en
tirely of wood, with sliding partitions, which can be drawn
like screens, to inclose any space "and make it into a
room. These partitions are of paper, so that, of course,
 " ~ * Dr. Field.

524

TRAVELS OF GENERAL GRANT.

the -chambers' are not, very private.
¦a

The same mate-
ri; rial is used • for
^J windows, and an
swers very well,
as it softens the
light like ground
glass. The bed
rooms are very
small, but scru-
mlously clean
nd covered with
vadded matting,
>n which we lie
own to sleep.
"The next
norning, as we
tarted on our

JAPANESE BED.
neering and is lined with gigantic

ourney.we came
ipon the Tokai-
lo, the royal road
if Japan, built
lundreds of
ears ago from
fedo or Tokio to
fflKioto, to connect
he political with
he spiritual capi-
al, the residence
»f the tycoon
vith that of the
nikado. It ex-
Hf .hibits a good deal
of skill in engi-
^ars that give it a

TRAVELS OF GENERAL GRANT. c2c
magnificent appearance. Along this the Damios used to
come in state to pay their homage to the tycoon at
Yedo. "At Odawara," says our traveler, "we dismissed our
men, as we had to try another mode of transportation ;
for though we still kept the Tokaido, it ascends the
mountains so steeply that it is impassable for anything
on wheels, and we had to exchange the jinrikshaw for the
kago — a kind of basket made of bamboo, in which a man
is doubled up and packed like a bundle, and so carried
on men's shoulders. It would not answer badly if he
had neither head nor legs. But his head is always
I: nocking against the ridge-pole, and his legs have to be
twisted under him, or 'tied up in a bow-knot' This is
the way in which criminals are carried to execution in
China ; but for one who has any further use for his limbs,
it is not altogether agreeable. I lay passive for awhile,
feeling as if I had been packed and salted down in a
pork-barrel. Then I began to wriggle, and thrust out
my head on one side and the other, and at last had to
confess, like the Irishman who was offered the privilege
of working his passage on a canal-boat and was set to
leading a horse, that 'if it were not for the honor of the
thing, I had as lief walk.' So I crawled out and unrolled
myself, to see if my limbs were still there, for they were
so benumbed that I was hardly conscious of their exist
ence, and then straightening myself out, and taking a
long bamboo reed, which is light and strong, lithe and
springy, for an alpenstock, I started off with my com
panions. We all soon recovered our spirits, and
• Walked in glory and in joy
Along the mountain side,'
till at nightfall we halted in the village of Hakone, a

526

TRA VELS OF GENERAL GRANT.

mountain retreat much resorted to by foreigners from
Yedo and Yokohama.
" One cannot go anywhere in Japan without receiving a
visit from the people, who, being of a thrifty turn, seize the
occasion of a stranger's presence to drive a little trade.
The skill of the Japanese is quite marvelous in certain
directions. They make everything in petto, in miniature,
the smallest earthenware ; the tiniest cups and saucers.
In these mountain villages they work, like the Swiss, in
woodenware, and make exquisite and dainty little boxes
and bureaus, as if for dolls, yet with complete sets of
drawers, which could not but take the fancy of one who
had little people at home waiting for presents. Besides
the temptation of such trinkets, who could resist the in
sinuating manner of the women who brought them?
The Japanese women are not pretty. They might be,
were it not for their odious fashions. We have seen
faces that would be quite handsome if left in their native,.
unadorned beauty. But fashion rules the world in Japan
as in Paris. As soon as a woman is married, her eye
brows are shaved off, and her teeth blackened, so that
she cannot open her mouth without showing a row of
ebony instead of ivory, which disfigures faces that would
be otherwise quite winning. It says a good deal for their
address, that with such a feature to repel, they can still
be attractive. This is owing wholly to their manners.
The Japanese men and women are a light-hearted race,.
and captivate by their gayety and friendliness. The
women were always in a merry mood. As soon as they
entered the room, before even a word was spoken, they
began to giggle, as if our appearance were very funny,
or as if this were the quickest way to be on good terms
with us. The effect was irresistible. I defy the soberest
man to resist it, for as soon as your visitor laughs, you

TRAVELS OF GENERAL GRANT. -,,,-
begin to laugh from sympathy; and when you have got
into a hearty laugh together, you are already acquainted,
and in friendly relations, and the work of buying and
selling goes on easily. They took us captive in a few
minutes. We purchased sparingly, thinking of our long
journey; but our English friends bought right and left,
till the next day they had to load two pack-horses with
boxes to be carried over the mountains to Yokohama.
"The next day was to bring the consummation of our
journey, for then we were to go up into a mountain and
see the glory of the Lord. A few miles distant is the
summit of Otometoge, from which one obtains a view of
Fusiyama, looking full in his awful face. We started with
misgivings, for it had been raining, and the clouds still
hung low upon the mountains. Our way led through
hamlets clustered together in a narrow pass, like Alpine
villages. As we wound up the ascent, we often stopped
to look back at the valley below, from which rose the
murmur of rushing waters, while the sides of the moun
tains were clothed with forests. These rich landscapes
gave such enchantment to the scene as repaid us for all
our weariness. At two o'clock we reached the top, and
rushed to the brow to catch the vision of Fusiyama, but
only to be disappointed. The mountain was there, but
clouds covered his hoary head! In vain we watched and
waited; still the monarch hid his face. Clouds were
round about the throne. The lower ranges stood in full
outline, but the heaven-piercing dome, or pyramid of
snow, was wrapped in its misty shroud. That for which
we had traveled seventy miles, we could not see at last."
On his return to Odawara, where he again took to the
baby-carriage, he says :
" Once more I was surprised and delighted at the
agility and swiftness of the men who drew our jinrik-

S28

TRA VELS OF GENERAL GRANT.

shaws. As we had but twenty-three miles to go in the
afternoon, we took it easily, and gave them first only a gen
tle trot of five miles to get their limbs a little supple, and
then stopped for tiffin. Some of the men had on a loose
jacket when we started, besides the girdle about the loins.
This they took off and wrung out, for they were dripping
with sweat, and wiped their brawny chests and limbs, and
then took their chop-sticks and applied themselves to their
rice, while we went up-stairs in the tea-house, and had our
soup and other dishes served to us, sitting on the floor
like Turks, and then stretched ourselves on the mats,
weary with our morning's walk, and even with the motion
of riding. While we were trying to get a little rest our
men talked and laughed in the court below as if it were
child's play to take us over the road. As we resumed
our places and turned out of the yard, I had the curiosity
to ' time ' their speed. I had a couple of athletic fellows,
who thought me a mere feather in weight, and made me
spin like a top as they bowled along. They started off
at an easy trot, which they kept up, without breaking,
mile after mile. I did not need to crack the whip, but at
the word, away they flew through villages and over the
open country, never stopping, but when they came to
slightly rising ground, rushing up like mettlesome horses,
and down at full speed. Thus they kept on, and never
drew rein till they came to the bank of a river, which had
to be crossed in a boat. I took out my watch. It was
an hour and a quarter, and they had come seven miles
and a half ! This was doing pretty well. Of course they
could not keep this up all day ; yet they will go thirty
miles from sunrise to sunset, and even forty, if spurred
to it by a little extra pay. Sometimes, indeed, they go
even at a still greater speed for a short distance. The
first evening, as we came into Fujisawa, I do not doubt

TRAVELS OF GENERAL GRANT. c2g
that the last fifteen minutes they were going at a speed
of ten miles an hour, for they came in on a run. This is
^magnificent, but I cannot think it very healthful exercise.
"In our second excursion about the city, as we had long
distances to traverse, we took two prancing bucks to
each jinrikshaw, who ran us such a rig through the streets
of Yedo as made us think of John Gilpin when he rode
to London town. The fellows were like wild colts, so
full of life that they had to kick it off at the heels. Some
times one pulled in front while the other pushed behind,
but more often they went tandem, the one in advance
drawing by a cord over his shoulder. The leader was so
full of spring that he fairly bounded over the ground,
and if we came to a little elevation, or arched bridge, he
sprang into the air like a catamount, while his fellow
behind, though a little more stiff, as a 'wheel-horse' ought
to be, bore himself proudly, tossing up his head, and
throwing out his chest, and never lagged for an instant.
C  was delighted, nothing could go too fast for her ;
but whether it was fear for my character or for my head,
I had serious apprehension that I should be 'smashed'
like Chinese crockery, and poked my steeds in the rear
with my umbrella, to signify that I was entirely satisfied
with their performances and that they need not go any
faster." No nation in the world has undergone such a transfor
mation in so short a time as Japan. It is only about twenty-
five years ago when Commodore Perry anchored his
fleet in the bay where no foreign ship was allowed to
anchor. Now you can sit in the windows of the Grand
Hotel, and see the bay covered with foreign shipping.
Japanese young men are educated abroad, and return
and walk the streets in European dress, and eat with
knives and forks instead of chop-sticks. A university for
48

r ,Q TRA VELS OF GENERAL GRANT.
young ladies has been established under the patronage
of the empress, in which American teachers are employed.
As America opened Japan, it is fitting that the emperor
should consult much an American like General Grant as,
to his future policy. It has a poulation of 20,000,000 and
the empire, embracing four large islands and nearly four
thousand smaller ones, has an area of 190,000 square
miles. Some of their customs are peculiar. They wear sandals
instead of shoes, which are held to the foot by a cord
passing between the first and second toes so that they can
be slipped on or off without effort. They wear no stockings,
yet they are afraid as chickens of getting their feet wet,
and are so fearful of a sprinkle of rain that they always
carry umbrellas with them. You will see scores of people
almost entirely naked, with high sandals or pattens on and
an umbrella over their heads so as not to be touched with
water. In the use of the plane and saw they draw them
toward them, instead of pushing them as we do. In
stabling their horses they tie them with their heads toward
the door, so that they approach them in front instead of
from behind — a good example to follow. The Japanese
are very fond of painting, though they seem to have no
idea of perspective. The beggars form a distinct pro
fession and, as beggars go, are fairly honest. You will
sometimes see in the front of a shop forty or fifty coppers,
hanging on as many nails, so that the beggars can help
themselves without disturbing the proprietor. They never
abuse this confidence by taking more than one, which is
the ordinary alms.
The sudden unveiling of this Eastern Empire at the
same time that our government extended itself to the
Pacific, thus bringing the two" countries into juxtaposition,.
is one of those unexpected results that are never antici-

TRA VELS OF GENERAL GRANT. - , f
pated, and the results of which no man can foretell. If
the last twenty years are to be taken as a gauge for the
future, the next twenty will find us, notwithstanding the
famous Monroe doctrine, mixed up inextricably with the
Eastern question. The foresight and calculation of diplo
matists will disappear before the march of events. Grant,
in the interest he has taken and the prominent part he
has played, in his short visit, in the politics of China and
Japan, is representing, in our opinion, more vital interests
— more vital to this country — than he or any one else
dreams of. That the United States will one of these days
have a word, and a most important one, to say in the
Chinese and Japan seas, where England has hitherto been
chief spokesman, we think no careful spectator of the
events of the last few years will doubt. The Monroe
doctrine is right in theory, but commerce will in the end
upset it, for interfering with foreign governments will be
the inevitable consequence of taking care of our own
interests and rights in the East.

TRAVELS OF GFNERAL GRANT.

CHAPTER XXI.
GENERAL GRANT RESOLVES TO LEAVE JAPAN — WHERE SHALL HE GO? — PLANS PRO
POSED — PREPARING FOR HOME — PURCHASING SOUVENIRS — CUSTOM-HOUSE APPRE
HENSIONS — HOMESICKNESS — GENERAL GRANT AND MR. IWAKURA — POLITICS —
MEMOIRS OF THE BEAUTIFUL — MEMORIES OF THE ANCIENT DAYS — WORKING IN
CLAY — AN EARTHQUAKE.
" "T "T 7"E had already stayed longer in the country
\/\ / than we had intended, but life was pleasant
" * in Tokio, and every day seemed to open a
new scene of beauty and interest, and we felt ourselves
yielding to the fascinations of this winning civilization.
The hospitality of our hosts seemed to grow in grace and
consideration, showing no sign of weariness. We be
came attached to our palace-home of Euriokwan, and
began to feel acquainted with the rooms, the curious
figures on the walls, the odd freaks in the way of garden
ing, the rustic bridges, the quaint and clean little sum
mer-houses, where we could sit in the afternoon and feel
breezes from the sea. The weather felt unusually warm,
and with the heat came the pestilence ; and, although in
Euriokwan we were not conscious of its presence, and
felt safe under the sheltering influence of the ocean, yet
it saddened the community and seemed to rest upon the
capital like a cloud, and we sorrowed with our friends.
There were trips to Yokohama, where our naval ships
were at anchor, and Yokohama itself was well worth
seeing, as an evidence of what the European had done in
making a trading camp on the shores of Asia. For,
after all, these Eastern European cities are but trading

TRA VELS OF GENERAL GRANT. r <, ,
camps, and remind you in many ways of the shifting
towns in Kansas and Nebraska during the growing rail
way days. Now that the time was coming when we were
to leave Japan, there were discussions as to where we
should go — discussions in which our good friend Admiral
Patterson took a leading part.
" The General did not care to go home ; or, perhaps, it
would be more accurate to say that he did not like to
leave anything unseen in Asia and the Pacific. As you
may, perhaps, have inferred from what I have written,
General Grant has become profoundly interested in these
lands and in the political problems their future involves.
I question if any one can see much of Asia without feel
ing that the politics of China and Japan must some day
become a paramount consideration for Americans. We
have discussed various routes that would bring us home
at Christmas or early in the spring. There is the Amoor
region, with a glance at Russian Siberia. This trip we
had almost resolved upon, but the temptations of Japan
have carried us beyond the time when we should go to
the North. Then it is the typhoon season, and typhoons
come sometimes unannounced in a whirl, and whatever
virtues our men-of-war possess, as typhoon ships they
lack experience. There is Australia, with the exhibition
under way, and some of our naval friends sketch a most
attractive programme that would take us to Melbourne,
and Sydney, and Valparasio, and Callao, and in time to San
Francisco. There is our visit to the King of the Sand
wich Islands — a promised visit — and this is finally resolved
upon. Admiral Patterson offers the ' Monongahela,' which
is under orders to return to America. To sail on the
'Monongahela,' however, would involve two or three
weeks longer in Japan, and so for the present we cannot
go to Honolulu. Our Japanese friends invent all kinds

e -•. TRA VELS OF GENERAL GRANT.
of schemes to detain us, and Mr. Yoshida is fruitful in
suggestions as to excursions to Kohe, Kioto, Hakodadi,
Osaka and other places famous in the history of Japan,
which the cholera had hitherto prevented us from seeing.
The cholera is everywhere, and precaution can no longer
avail. What with the friendly solicitations of the admiral
on the one side, and the Japanese on the other, it is diffi
cult to make up our minds to go home. Thatt however,
at the end of our debates, appears to be our only
course; and when it is found that we cannot leave for
Honolulu much before October, it is resolved to sail for
California in the first steamer that leaves.
"When it was finally determined to return, it was sur
prising to see how much we had to do. There was the
gathering together of the odds and ends of a long jour
ney— -the bundling up for home. Sticks from Malacca,
fragments of gauze from Dalhi, brass work from Benares,
bits of crockery from Peking — what you call your
'things' — assume a consequence that their importance
does not justify. When I started on my journey around
the world, one of the pleasures that I set apart for my
self, was that I would not buy anything; that I should not?
burden my mind with curiosities, nor allow any of the
porcelain or ivory manias to afflict me. There seemed
to be among many friends so much useful energy gone
to waste on crockery and bronze, that I resolved to make
a merit of my own self-denial, and bring bring back from
the East only a flush of radiant memories. But no vir
tue, however robust, can stand the temptations of Canton
and Yokohama, and I found myself taking an interest in
' things ' like other people, and going into silk shops and
fumbling the light and airy stuffs, which the genius of the
East has fashioned for woman's adornment, and studying
out the beauty of a saucer or a vase. And although I

TRA VELS OF GENERAL GRANT.

clung to my resolution valiantly, 'things' began to accu
mulate, and the great question of our latter days in Japan
was what should we do with them, and, moreover, what

536

TRA VELS OF GENERAL GRANT.

would the collector at the California Custom-House do
with them? I never knew that there was so much to in
terest you in the revenue Jaws, until I began to look up
the duties on a bit of 'old blue.' If any of my readers
do not know what 'old blue' means, I would advise them
never to learn. I happened at times to be the companion
of an honored friend, who has mastered the 'curio' ques
tion ; who knew bronze and ivory, silk, and clay, and iron,
and whose amusement was to run away from the hospi
talities of his Japanese hosts, and lose himself in a
suburb of Tokio, and prowl from shop to shop. 'You
see,' he would say, 'by doing this, we get away from the
range of the globe trotters, who ruin the market, and
give the people false ideas as to prices, and degrade the
taste of the sellers. Here we are in old Japan, and I
never pay more than one dollar for anything.' These
were interesting expeditions. We would dive into the
oddest out-of-the-way places in Tokio, and the people
would assemble from the neighborhood, and while we
were digging out some fragment of bronze or iron, or
testing the temper of some poor, dismantled Samauri's
sword, a wondering crowd would gather — men, women
and children — who stood, and watched, and chattered,
and when we went our way, followed after, until we began
to feel like street preachers. In one of these excursions
I came to know the mystery of 'old blue.' It seems that
I made a confession that I knew nothing about 'old blue;'
that I never saw any that I could remember ; that I took
a great deal for granted in the crockery question ; and
when my friends, who had manias on the subject, gave
way to their emotions, I allowed them to run on, thinking
of other things. 'What! never have seen old blue?'
was the response. 'Then you don't know the beauty that
the Chinese have been able to throw over their clay.

TRA VELS OF GENERAL GRANT. - . „
There is no old blue in Japan. There is none worth hav
ing in China later than the Ming dynasty. There is a
kind of blue called hawthorn blue, which is the rage in
London, and they say has sent its victims to the insane
asylum. There is a blue called blue after the rain, in
which the artist catches the peculiar color of the clouds
after a shower — a color that is not known in modern art
It is gone — a lost art — gone with so many of the curious
and wonderful things which the generations take with
them as they sweep on and on. When the Mings ruled
China, this art and other arts flourished, but since the
Tartars came, the ambition to excel has died out. Some
how art will only flourish under freedom. If you want to
be sure of your old blue, you must see that it has the
mark of the Ming dynasty.'
"The result of this conversation was that I found my
self the possessor of a bit of ' old blue,' which came with
the kind wishes of my friend, and which I shall treasure
for the giver. It is a small vase of white porcelain, with
blue figures traced upon it, types of Chinese life and
character. On the bottom is the mark of the Ming
dynasty. General Grant has thrown a good deal of sus
picion upon one's enthusiasm for the antique by circum
stantial narratives of a certain factory which flourishes in
Newark, N. J., whose owners declare large dividends — a
factory devoted to the manufacture of curios, where they
make antique and modern works of art, especially old
blue, and hawthorn blue, and blue after the rain, and
mark them with the Ming dynasty. But I believe in my
vase. I certainly believe in the reverent and friendly
spirit that sent it to my table ; and although if I were
buying 'old blue' from my own unaided experience I
would not give a large sum for such a vase, I know that
it is the result of my ignorance, and that I really have a.

g TRA VELS OF GENERAL GRANT.
treasure, something that the Chinese artisan labored over
with loving hand in the days of the Mings, before the
Tartar came to harden and desolate his land, and I ideal
ize it in various ways, and think myself into the belief
that it has a poetic beauty of its own. And this leads
me back to the revenue laws, and to wonder whether
Mr. Merritt will put the poetic value upon the vase, or
assess it at my own estimate of its worth. As I was
saying, I never knew how much there was to interest you
in the revenue laws until I began to look over my * tilings,'
and wonder what they will cost in New York. As to
taking them to California, no one would dream of it
You hear terrible stories of the California Custom-
House ; how the officers rummage your trunks and break
your vases, and make you pay a double valuation, and
have no respect for your word or even your oath ; and
how one independent American with a temper easily
heated took a Satsuma vase, a lovely work that cost him
$500, and dashed it to pieces before the eyes of the ex
ciseman rather than be taxed for more than its value. I
am afraid this is not a true story, but hope it is, as I like!
to read of anything original or eccentric, and you heaf
so many stories of revenue exactions that you become a
free trader. You think about your 'things,' and talk
about them so much that they assume princely propor
tions, and you begin to feel like a collector, that you have
exhausted the bazaars of the East and that you have
rare possessions, and not, as happens to me, only a few
odds and ends that have, as it were, trickled in upon you
as you wandered along, and will have no value when
they reach home but the value of the memories that sur
round them.
"After mature deliberation and taking everybody's
advice — and on this subject everybody is anxious to

TRA VELS OP GENERAL GRANT.

539

advise you — I concluded to send my ' things ' home by
the way of the Suez Canal direct to New York, and to
go to California in light marching order, and when the
excisemen came down upon me for curios, show them
only my clothes and a few volumes of useful information.
Somehow, even after the question had been settled and
was out of your mind, there was an irresistible fascina
tion in talking about your ' things.' I suppose the real
reason was that the talk about the 'things' led in an indi
rect way to a talk about home, and that we were all of us
just a little homesick, more than we would care to admit.
I have observed that people are apt to treat homesickness
as they would a love affair. They like to talk about such
emotions in other people but not in themselves. Take our
naval friends, for instance, who have been on this station for
some time. You never saw so much fortitude ! ' Home ' —
away with such a sentiment — it is not home but ' duty '
which animates a sailor, and since duty commits them
to the Asiatic coast, why of course ! But I observed all
the same that when the mail day grew near, and it was time
for the steamers to come in from the seas, that a strange
interest took possession of our naval friends, and you
heard only prayers for good weather and impatience
at the slow, lingering hours. Our naval friends are the
most patient of men. Weather, climate, pestilence — it
makes very little difference whether the winds blow high
or blow low, so that the mails come in. I fancied that we
talked about our ' things,' because it led to talk about
home and what people would say, and how affairs had
changed in our absence. We are none of us willing to
confess to a homesick feeling, except the colonel, who has
been avowedly homesick ever since we left Singapore, and
has announced that his travels are at an end, except over
the road that leads by the shortest and most direct route to

,-40 TRA VELS OF GENERAL GRANT.
General Sheridan's head-quarters in Chicago. I am sure
that not all the old blue made, either in China under the
Ming dynasty, or in General Grant's Newark curio
manufactory, would keep our gallant comrade over
another steamer from the performance of his duties at
the head-quarters of the Military Division of the Missouri.
As we are all going home together it makes little differ
ence, and I only allude to the colonel's military enthusi
asm because I like to see such a spirit among the young
officers in our army, and to hold it up for public notice
and commendation.
" Our last days in Japan were crowded with incidents
of a personal and public character. I use the word per
sonal to describe events that did not find their way into
the newspapers nor belong to public receptions. There
were constant visits to the General from members of the
cabinet — from Mr. Iwakura, especially, who came to talk
about public affairs. There were conferences on the Loo
choo question, when General Grant used his best efforts
to bring China and Japan to a good understanding.
What the effect of these conversations will be, history
alone can tell ; but I may add that the counsel which the
General has given in conversations with Mr. Iwakura and
the ministry, he has also given in writing, and very ear
nestly, to Prince Kung and Li-Hung Chang. Since hear
ing both sides of the Loochoo question — the Japanese
case and the Chinese case — General Grant has felt him
self in a position to speak with more precision than
when, in China, he heard only the Chinese story. Other
questions arose — questions connected with the industrial
and agricultural advancement of Japan. The General
pointed out to his Japanese friends the large area of fer
tile land awaiting cultivation, and how much might be
added to the wealth and revenues of the country if the

TRAVELS OF GENERAL GRANT. ,-41
people were induced to develop the whole territory.
This leads to a discussion of the land tax, so heavy a
burden to the people, and which the government is com
pelled to impose for revenue. If, instead of taxes on
land, the authorities could levy a tariff for revenue — such
a tariff as we see in Germany and France — then the tax
on land could be abated. This led up to the revision of
the treaties, the absorbing question in Japanese politics,
and which is no further advanced than it was when Mr.
Iwakura went to the treaty powers on his mission many
years ago. The General has always given the same
advice on the treaty question. One of the odd phases
of the English policy in the East is, that while England
allows her own colonies to do as they please in tariffs, to
have free trade or protection, she insists that Japan and
China shall arrange their imposts and tariffs solely with
the view of helping English trade. In other words, Japan,
an independent power, is under a duress that Canada or
Australia would never accept. This anomalous condition
of affairs will exist so long as the treaty remains, and
England has never shown an inclination to consent to any
abrogation of her paramount rights under the treaty.
General Grant's advice has been that Japan should make
a statement of her case to the world. She should show
the circumstances under which this treaty was made —
how her ignorance was used to put her in an unfortunate
and humiliating position. She should recall her own ex
traordinary progress in accepting and absorbing the
modern civilization ; that in doing this she has opened
her empire to modern enterprise and shown the best evi
dence of her desire to be friendly with the world. She
should recount the disadvantages under which this treaty
places her — not alone moral, but material, crippling and
limiting her resources. She should announce that the

542

TRAVELS OF GENERAL GRANT.

treaty was at an end, but that she was prepared to sign
the most favorable conventions that could be devised,
provided the treaty powers recognized her sovereign
independent rights. She should at the same time pro
claim her tariff, open her ports and the interior of her
country, welcome foreign capital, foreign immigration,
foreign labor, and assert her sovereignty. The objection
to this in the minds of the Japanese is that fleets may
come, and the English may bombard Tokio as they did
Simonoseki. "Tf there is one thing more certain than another,'
reasoned the General, ' it is that England is in no humor
to make war upon Japan for a tariff. I do not believe
that under any circumstances Lord Beaconsfield would
consent to such an enterprise. He has had two wars,
neither of which have commended themselves to the
English people. An Englishman does not value the
glory that comes from Afghan and Zulu campaigns. To
add to these a demonstration against Japan because she
had resolved to submit no longer to a condition border
ing on slavery, would arouse against Lord Beaconsfield
a feeling at home that would cost him his government
Just now,' the General advised, ' is the best time. Lord
Beaconsfield must soon go to the people. His parlia
ment is coming to an end, and even if he had adventur
ous spirits in his cabinet or in the diplomatic service dis
posed to push Japan, he would be compelled to ' control
them. Japan has a great many friends in England who
are even now making her cause their own, and who
would support her when she was right. More than all,
there is a widespread desire for justice and fair play in
England to which the Eastern nations, and especially
Japan, need never appeal in vain. Japan has peculiar
claims upon the sympathy "and respect of mankind, and

TRAVELS OF GENERAL GRANT. _ .
if she would assert her sovereign rights, she would find
that her cause met the approval of mankind.'
"Time will show how far this clear and firm advice
will be accepted by the Japanese. While a good deal of
politics was talked in these last days between the Gen
eral and the rulers of Japan, there were other and more
pleasant occupations. Attached to the palace was a
billiard-room, and here every morning would come trades
men from the bazaars of Tokio with cloths, and armor,
and swords, and all manner of curious things to sell or
to show. The hour after^ breakfast was our hour of
temptation. 'This,' said the emotional young lady as
she moved away from the piano, while Moore was singing
one of his love songs, ' this is not for the good of my
soul.' I used to think of this story when I went into the
billiard-room after breakfast to see the fresh invoices
from the bazaars. What a world of art, and of beauty,
and of taste, has been created by the genius of Japan !
Here is a scroll of silk on which the artist, with a few
daring lines, has drawn a history or a poem. Here is a
• morsel of bronze not much larger than a dollar. It was
formerly a sword ornament and looks like a trifle until
you closely examine it and see the fine touches — a sun
rise, a volcano, a flight of storks in the air, sea or stream,
all told on the smallest space, with touches of silver or
gold. Sometimes we had collections of toys and dolls,
for Japan is the paradise of children, and in nothing does
the genius of the people assert itself with more sincerity
than in devising pleasures for the little people.
"There is something tangible in Japanese toys. The
monkeys have real hair, and you can wool the dogs
about, and worry the cats without seeing them unravel
over the nursery floor. And the dolls! You take an
assortment of babies at home, and they seem to have

-44 TRAVELS OF GENERAL GRANT.
been cast in the same mould. They look alike, they have
no expression — the faces are dead, dull, flabby ; it will be
a mercy if they have noses or ears ; and the only way
the boys can be told from the girls, is by the way the
hair is parted. But what can you expect from a mighty
people, thinking of canals and railways? The genius of
America does not run to dolls, but to manifest destiny
and bonanza mines. The Japanese artist makes a doll
as though he loved it, and when he is through with the
toy, it is not alone a toy, but a story, or it may be a poem;
something to come home to the baby heart, to have joys
and sorrows, to be loved with the passionate love of in
nocence and childhood. Those were, indeed, our hours
of temptation, those after-breakfast hours in the billiard-
room\at Euriokwan. Especially in the matter of swords!
There is no place in the world where you can buy such
beautiful swords as in Japan. Until within the last few
years, every gentleman's retainer carried two swords — a
long and a short one. These weapons were the mark of
his rank — his badge of gentle life. He took pride in his
swords, and aimed to have them of the keenest temper,
and most exquisite adornment. But in the hour of
change, came a decree forbidding the wearing of the
swords, suppressing the two-sworded men, the Sumauri,
as they are called, as a class. So all that was left for the
abolished Sumauri, was to carry their swords to the ba
zaars and turn them into rice and fish. Consequently
the bazaars are now overstocked with swords and spears
of the finest workmanship, with scabbards of lacquer
and bronze, ingeniously worked in silver and gold. I
have looked at innumerable specimens, and never found
two alike. Each separate weapon seemed to be the ex
pression of an idea, and you never ceased to marvel at
the endless variety and sweep of the decorative art

TRAVELS OF GENERAL GRANT. r,r
"You felt also if you bought one of the swords that
you were investing in the antiquity and chivalry of Japan.
The two-sworded men are now as other people, and wear
plain clothes and work for their living and use civil
; language, which was not always their custom when Sir
Rutherford Alcock flourished. And yet, now that noth
ing is left of the poor Samauri but their swords, which
litter the bazaars and over which you haggle and chaffer,
trying to cheapen the weapon that for generations, per
haps, was the heirloom and the pride of a gentleman's
family — now that the Samauri no longer infest the streets
to worry British ministers and foreign merchants — I am
disposed to think kindly of them, and not feel as harshly
as Sir Rutherford's narrative would justify me in doing.
'It is rather a pity,' said Sir Harry Parkes, the British
minister, one day to the writer, 'that the Samauri were
abolished. They included in their ranks men of culture
and valor. They were the middle class — or one might
say the martial class — and were a kind of backbone to
the social system. Some of the old Samauri now hold
high places. I do not think they did any harm, and the
country would have been stronger with them.' I quote
this indulgent opinion of the British minister in justice to
the memory of the Samauri, and rather as an offset to the
unfavorable impression given of their character by Sir
Harry's predecessor. Mr. Senaul was in Japan when
the Samauri class were in power, and at the crisis of the
revolution which was to destroy their power, and he noted
that, while there was abroad a warlike, turbulent body of
men, he did not see one act of rudeness nor hear one
word of ill-temper. I take it one never feels more gener
ous toward his friends, more disposed to do them justice
and see the real virtues in their character, than when he
is attending a bankruptcy or executor's sale of their effects
49

546

TRA VELS OF GENERAL GRANT.

and possessing himself of their household gods for about
one-fourth their value. It awakens the hidden springs
of benevolence in your nature, and as I marvel at the
finish of these Samauri swords I think of all the kind
things possible about the poor, shorn gentlemen who once
bore them. One advantage about the sword-market in
Japan is that swords are cheaper than they will ever be
again, and they make capital presents. That is one of
the problems of travel — to find something unique and
valuable that you can buy cheap. What a pity it is
that you cannot make presents on the principle that Eng
land governs India — by prestige. When some maharajah
gives the Prince of Wales a diamond aigrette for his wife,
the prince knows he cannot give diamonds in return.
So the maharajah is declared to be a loyal and deserving
prince and has two guns added to his salute. The princv.
has the diamonds and the maharajah the guns, and both
are satisfied, the Indian more especially. Now, if a
traveler could only give his friends his good intentions
and have them accepted at their par value, what a relief
it would be, and what trouble it would save you in wonder
ing how so and so would be pleased with this or that, and
what heart burnings would be avoided when the various
idols of your existence came in after days to compare
your offerings and sit in judgment upon your affection.
" But while we had our hours of temptation in the
billiard-room, and struggles with conscience — the extent
of which, I am afraid, so far as some of us are concerned,
will never be known until the time cometh when all things
must appear — we had hours of instruction. Our hosts
were ever thinking of some new employment for each
new day. We grew tired in time of the public institu
tions, which are a good deal the same the world over,
and after we had recovered from our wonder at seeing

TRA VELS OF GENERAL GRANT.

547

Japan schools and work-shops like those we left behind
us, they had no more interest than schools and work
shops generally. The heat of the weather made going
about oppressive, and even the sea lost its freshness, and
when the tides went down and the breeze was from the
land the effect of the water was to increase the heat. Our
interest in earthquakes was always fresh, and whenever
the atmosphere assumed certain conditions our Japanese
friends would tell us that we might expect a shock. In
Japan the earthquake is as common a phenomena as
thunder-storms at home in midsummer, although there
are no laws that govern their approach. I have told you
of one experienced when we were all at dinner, and when
we owed it to Governor Hennessy that we discovered
there had been an earthquake. On that day it had
rained, and all that I remember specially was that in
walking about the grounds before dinner the air seemed
to be heavy and the sea was sluggish. A few mornings
before we left Euriokwan there was another experience.
Our hosts had sent us some workers in pottery to show
us the skill of the Japenese in a department of art in
which they have no superiors. One of the famous pot
ters had expressed a desire to show the General his
work. After breakfast we found the artisans arranged
in the large drawing-room. There was the chief worker,
a solemn middle-aged person, who wore spectacles. He
was dressed in his gala apparel, and when we came into
the room went down on his face in Japanese style. There
were three assistants. One worked the wheel. Another
baked the clay. A third made himself generally useful.
The chief of the party was a painter. We saw all the
processes of the manufacture, the inert lump of clay
goino- around and around, and shaping itself under the!
true, nimble fingers of the workmen into cups, and vases,

548

TRA VELS OF GENERAL GRANT.

and bowls. There is something fascinating in the labors
of the wheel, the work is so thoroughly the artisan's own,
for when he begins he has only a lump of mud and when
he ends his creation may be the envy of a throne-
room. "It seems almost like a Providence this taking the dust of
the valley and creating it — for the work is creation — and
we are reminded of Providence in remembering that
when the Creater of all fashioned His supreme work it
was made of clay. The decoration of the clay was inter
esting, requiring a quick, firm stroke. We were re
quested to write something on the clay before it went
into the furnace. General Grant gave his autograph and
the rest of us inscriptions written as well as we could
write with a soft, yielding brush. After the inscriptions
had been written the cups were washed in a white sub
stance and hurried into the furnace. When they came
out the fire had evaporated the coating and turned into
a gloss the tints of our writing and the painters' colors
had changed, and our inscriptions were fastened in deep
and lasting brown
"It was while we were watching the potters over their
clay, and in conversation with a Japanese citizen, who
spoke English, and came as interpreter about the pro
gress of the special industry in Tokio, that we heard a
noise, as though the joists and wooden work of the house
were being twisted, or as if some one were walking on
the floor above, with a heavy step. But there was no
second floor in Euriakwan, and I suppose the incident
would have passed without notice, if our Japanese friend
had not said, ' there is an earthquake.' While he spoke
we paused, and again heard the wrenching of the joists,
and the jingling of the glass in the swinging chandelier.
This was all that we noted. We walked out on the porch

TRAVELS OF GENERAL GRANT. ' 540
and looked at the foliage, and toward the sea, but al
though observation and imagination were attuned, we
saw nothing but an unusual deadness in the air, which we
might have seen on Broadway on a midsummer day.
These were our only earthquake experiences in Japan.
I have noted them, because an earthquake is always an
interesting subject, and because I was impressed with the
indifference shown by our Japanese friends toward this
supreme and awful manifestation of the power of nature.
This comes from the fact that earthquakes are rarely
severe in Japan. History tells of a fearful disaster, even
here, in imperial Tokio, not many years since.
"In conversing with some of our naval friends, who
had been in the West Indies, and seen our tropical
American earthquakes, I discovered that they did not
share the indifference of the Japanese toward the earth
quake. They felt toward it as experienced mariners
toward the sea — the more they saw of its power the more
they held it in awe. I was told that the prudent thing to
do when you hear the tremor of the earthquake, is to
rush out into the open air, and there remain until the
second shock spends its force. The earthquakes come
in twos, and generally give you warning. The houses in
Japan, however, seem to have been built for the fire and
the earthquake. They are put together in a loose, elas
tic manner, of light woods, so as to stand a great deal of
shaking. Even if they fell they would not do much
harm. As to fires, the custom is to have in each block of
houses one small fireproof building whither, in a case of
need, all in the neighborhood can hurry with their special
treasures. If Tokio were to burn what you would see
would be a wilderness of ruins, with fireproof buildings
at regular stations, containing the essential wealth of the
town. If the resident can afford it, he has his own spe-

55o

TRA VELS OF GENERAL GRANT.

cial fireproof building. But this is a luxury only enjoyed
by the rich.
"There were dinners and fetes, and many quiet, pleasant
parties during our last days at Euriokwan. The British
minister, Sir Harry Parkes, proposed an entertainment,
but we were about to sail, and every night and every day
we were engaged, and the General was compelled to de
cline Sir Harry's hospitality. There was a luncheon with
Mr. House, the editor of the Tokio Times, in a pretty
little house near the American legation, looking out on
the sea. I had known House years ago, more years I
am afraid than I care to remember, when he was among
the most brilliant of a noted group of young men, who
were then making their way in the world through the
attractive but not always fruitful fields of journalism. I
was glad to see him again, and although time had lain
his hand upon him, as I fear it had upon both of us, and
there was the suggestion of middle age, and care, and
labor, in his features, it had not dimmed the buoyancy,
the grace and the genius that made him in our early New
York times attractive and envied among men. House,
even in those days — it was before the rebellion ; Heaven
help us ! ages and ages ago ! — felt a singular interest in
Japan. He had fallen under the influence of Hildreth,
who had made Japan a study and gave us a look too wise
and true to be forgotten, as I am afraid it is. He became
familiar with the embassy, the tycoon's embassy, in i860,
and his interest in Japan deepened, and everybody was
surprised when they heard that he had left a career of
promise and renown to seek his love in the far East.
Since then, House has given himself to Japan with a
spirit that I might call the missionary spirit of self-abne
gation. He has fought her battles. He has defended
her name. He has endeavored to win her a place among

TRA VELS OF GENERAL GRANT.

551

tlie nations. He has accepted contumely and misrepre
sentation in her cause, for I found — how quickly you find
it out! — that if you take sides with the Eastern nations
in this far East you bring upon you the rancor of the
foreigners. You are as much an outlaw as Wendell
Phillips in anti-slavery days was an outlaw in Beacon
Street. You are not respectable. You are against the
interests of your own country. You are anxious to see
Japan close up again, and the foreigners driven into the
sea. You are bribed, bought, corrupted. You are pos
sessed of the devil. But House has held his place and
made his fight, and still makes it with all the brilliancy
of old days, and his name is a power in Japan. I have
ventured upon this allusion to his career, becaue I hap
pen to know a great deal about it, and I am glad to honor,
especially in my own craft, what seems to be a lofty and
self-denying spirit. And certainly nothing but that self-
denial which love alone can inspire would have induced
House to surrender the career he was enjoying when I
knew him in New York to bury himself in Japan."

552

TRAVELS OF GENERAL GRANT.

CHAPTER XXII.

A DINNER WITH THE PRIME MINISTER — A JAPANESE DINNER — FAREWELL HOSPI
TALITIES — MARTIAL SONGS — DINNER WITH PRINCE DATI — TRIP TO HIS HOUSE —
A PLEASANT TIME — AMERICAN HOSPITALITIES — GRAND PARTY AT THE CONSULATE
— TAKING LEAVE OF THE MIKADO — THE AUDIENCE OF LEAVE — ADDRESS OK
GENERAL GRANT, AND THE EMPEROR'S REPLY — MRS. GRANT AND THE EMPRESS —
MR. BINGHAM THANKS THE MIKADO — THE LAST NIGHT IN TOKIO — LAST CONVER
SATIONS — FAREWELL TO TOKIO — FAREWEL TO JAPAN — PARTING ADIEUS.

A

MONG the most pleasing incidents of our last
days in Tokio was a dinner with Sanjo, the prime
minister, who entertained us in Parisian style,
everything being as we would have found it on the
Champs Elysees — the perfection of French decoration in
the appointments of the house, and of French taste in the
appointments of the table.
'' Mr. Mori, who was formerly Japanese minister to the
United States, and is now vice-minister for foreign affairs,
and one of the strong and rising men in the empire, gave
a dinner and a reception. Here the General met most
of the men noted in literary and scientific pursuits. Mr.
Terashima, the foreign minister, also gave a dinner, which
was Parisian in its appointments. Mr. Yoshida enter
tained a portion of our party — the General not being able
to attend — in Japanese style. Among the guests were
Saigo, Ito and Kawamura, of the cabinet, and our good
friends and daily companions, Tateno and Ishibashi, of
the emperor's household, who have been sent by His
Majesty to attend upon the General and give him the
advantage of their knowledge of English.

TRA VELS OF GENERAL GRANT.

553

" We had had a stately Japanese dinner in Nagasaki,
when we were entertained after the manner of the old
Daimios, but with Mr. Yoshida we dined as we would
have dined with any Japanese gentleman of distinction if
we had been asked to his house in a social way. Mr.
Yoshida lives some distance from Euriokwan, in one of a
group of liouses built on a ridge overlooking the sea, on
the road toward Yokohama. There are grounds where
the master of the house in
dulges a fancy for garden
ing, a fancy which in no
place do you see it so per
fect as in Japan. The gar
dener in Japan is a poet.
He loves his trees, and
shrubs, and flowers, and
brings about results in
his treatment of them that
show new possibilities and
a new power of expression
in nature.
" Mr. Yoshida had a few
lanterns among his trees,
but beyond this modest bit
of decoration, just a touch of
color to light up the caverns of the night— there was no
display. Dinner was served in Japanese style. Our
host wore Japanese costume, and the room in which we
dined was open on three sides, and looked out on the
gardens. When you enter a Japanese house you are ex
pected to take off your shoes. This is not alone a mark
of courtesy, but of cleanliness. The floors are spotless
and covered with a fine matting, which would crack
under the grinding edges of your European shoes. We

NATIVE OF NAGASAKI.

554

TRA VELS OF GENERAL GRANT.

took off our shoes and stretched ourselves on the floor,
and partook of '
our food from
small tables a
few inches high.
The tables were
of lacquer, and
the dishes were
mainly of lacquer.
There is no plan,
no form, in a Ja
panese dinner,
simply to dine
with comfort. Of
the quality of
the food I have
not confidence
enough in my
judgment to give
an opinion. Din
ing has always
appeared to be
one of the misfor
tunes that came
with Adam's fall,
and I have never
been able to think
of it with enthu
siasm. I know
that this is a pain
ful confession, the
display of igno-
japanese minister's dinner. ranee and want
of taste, but it cannot be helped. I gave myself seriously

TRAVELS OF GENERAL GRANT.

555

to my dinner, because I am fond of Mr. Yoshida, and
wanted to pay him the compliment of enjoying his gra
cious and refined hospitality. Then I thought that it
would be something that I might want to write about.
But the dinner was beyond me. I cannot say that
I disliked it, and I liked it about as well as nineteen
out of twenty of the dinners you have in New York.
"It was picturesque and pleasing, and in all its ap
pointments so unlike anything in our close and compact
way of living that you felt somehow that you were having
a good time ; you felt like laughing, and if you gave way
- to your impulse it would have been to roll about on the
floor in the delight and abandon of boyhood. If you did
not want to eat you could smoke, and if not to smoke to
drink — and there was drinking, smoking and eating all
the time. Your attendants were maidens, comely and
fair, who knelt in the middle of the floor and watched you
with amusing features, fanning you and noiselessly slip
ping away your dishes and bringing new ones. They
were so modest, so graceful, that you became uncon
scious of their presence. They became, as it were, one
of the decorations of the dinner. They watched the
guests and followed their wishes, as far as comfort 'was
concerned. Beyond that I saw no word or glance of
recognition. At home your servants are personages
with all the attributes of human nature, and sometimes
in a form so aggravated that they become a serious care,
and you dine under fear in the presence of some oppres
sive responsibility. But our maidens might have been
sprites, they were so far from us, and at the same time
their grace and quickness made the mechanism of our
dinner smooth and noiseless.
" I have been trying to think of something concerning
this dinner that would be regarded as useful information. I

556 TRAVELS OF GENERAL GRANT.
am conscious of the absence of that quality in all that I have
Written about Japan. I would give the world if I could
only tell you how some of the soups were made and how the
ragouts were seasoned. But if I had been told I never
would have remembered and would have certainly written
it wrong, and so I am compelled to fall back upon my im
pression. My main impression was that we were having
a good time, that we were amusing ourselves, playing,
romping — not dining. I have never been upon the stage,
but I can fancy that if I • had taken part in a comedy I
should have had the same sensations with which I enjoyed
Mr. Yoshida's dinner — that I was having a merry time
and giving others a merry time. To chat and listen, to
lie prone on the floor and see the red lanterns among the
trees, to see the universe beyond, the calm and infinite
stars, to run into light and airy talk about music, and
books, and songs, and folk lore, to hear our friends tell
us of the martial songs of Japan, and chant for us some
of their stirring strains; to try and tell them something
of our own martial songs, what our soldier boys sang
during the war; to note the energy and conscientious
desire to please and give instruction with which the colonel
sang 'John Brown,' and 'Sherman's March Through
Georgia,' and 'Johnny Comes Marching Home' — these
are the impressions I recall. Neither the colonel nor
myself know anything about the words or music of these
songs, nor about. music in general, and would have given
a large part of our fortunes if for that evening at least
we had had any musical faculty. But what could we do ?
Our friends were curious on the subject and there was no
way of changing the theme, and we told them all we knew
— who John Brown was and what Sherman marched for,
and who Johnny was supposed to be. There was a line
in the Sherman song — something about the soldiers

TRA VELS OF GENERAL GRANT.

557

marching off with the turkey gobblers — which amused our
friends, although it was difficult to explain to them the
exact meaning of the word 'gobblers.' The colonel's
singing was mainly in heroic measure, and his tunes
seemed to run into the same key; but our friends were
interested, and in this fashion the evening passed on. A
good deal of the pleasure of the evening, no doubt, came
from the fact that we were all friends, good friends, anx
ious to please and be in each other's society. That would
add grace to a dinner of pottage and herbs, and when at
last the inevitable hour came it was late before we accepted
it, and when our carriage drove up to take us home we
took our leave of our host and of our Japanese friends
with regret, and the feeling that we had enjoyed our
evening as much as any we had spent in Japan.
"Another dinner, worth noting, for it was the last ex
pression of Japanese hospitality, was the entertainment
given to General Grant by Prince Dati. When the
'Richmond' arrived in the Bay of Nagasaki, and the
Japanese authorities came on board to welcome General
Grant to the empire, Prince Dati was at their head as the
emperor's personal representative. From that time
during our stay Prince Dati has been always with us.
The prince is about sixty years of age. Under the old
regime he was a Daimo, or feudal lord, of ancient family,
who had the power of life and death over his retainers.
When the change came, and the power of the lords was
absorbed by the mikado, and many of their rights an d
emoluments taken away, most of the Daimios went into
retirement. Some came to Tokio, others remained at
their country homes. The great princes, like Satsuma,
have ever since only given the government a sullen,
reserved obedience. You do not feel them in State
affairs. You do not see them. The authorities do not

558

TRAVELS OF GENERAL GRANT.

have the prestige of their influence and authority. They
are names in Japan, possible centres of rebellion, while
the forces of the State are in the hands of men who, a
few years ago, were their armor bearers and Samauri.
The Daimios appear to accept the revolution and give
allegiance to the present government of the mikado, but
their acceptance is not hearty. Some of them, however,
regard the revolution as an incident that could not be
helped, as the triumph of the mikado over the tycoon,
and altogether a benefit to the nation. Among these is
Prince Dati. His position in Japan is something like that
of one of the old-fashioned tory country lords in England
after the Hanoverian accession. His office in the State
is personal to the emperor. We have all become attached
to Prince Dati, and it seems appropriate that our last
festival in Japan should be as the guest of one who has
been with us in daily companionship. The prince had
intended to entertain us in his principal town-house, the
one nearest Euriokwan, but the cholera broke out in the
vicinity and the prince invited us to another of his houses
in the suburbs of Tokio.
" We went by water, embarking from the sea-wall in
front of Euriokwan. The sea was running briskly at the
time we started, and there was a little trouble in going
on board the imperial barge which had been sent to con
vey us. We turned into the river, passing the commo
dious grounds of the American legation, its flag weather
worn and shorn ; passing the European settlement, which
looked a little like a well-to-do Connecticut town, noting
the little missionary churches surmounted by the cross,
and on for an hour or so, past tea-houses and ships and
under bridges, and watching the shadows descend over
the city. It is hard to realize that Tokio is a city — one
of the greatest cities of the world. It looks like a series

77?^ VELS OF GENERAL GRANT. - -
of villages, with bits of green, and open spaces, and in
closed grounds, breaking up the continuity of the .town.
There is no special character to Tokio, no one tract to
seize upon and remember, except that the aspect is that
of repose. The banks of the river are low and sedgy, at
some points a marsh. When we came to the house of
the prince, we found that he had built a causeway of
bamboo through the marsh out into the river. His house
was decorated with lanterns. As we walked along- the
causeway all the neighborhood seemed to be out in a
dense crowd, waiting to see the General. Our evening
with the prince was very pleasant. He lives in palatial
style. He has many children, and children's children
have come to bless his declining years. He took an ap
parent pride in presenting us to the various members of
his family. Our dinner was served partly in European,
partly in Japanese style. There were chairs, a table,
knives, forks, napkins, bread and champagne. This was
European. There were chop-sticks, seaweed jellies, raw
fish, soups of fish and salvi. This was Japanese. There
was as a surprise, a special compliment to our nation —
a surprise that came in the middle of the feast — a dish of
baked pork and beans, which would have done honor to
Boston. Who inspired this dish and who composed it
are mysteries. It came into our dinner in a friendly way,
and was so well meant and implied such an earnest desire
to please on the part of the host that it became idyllic,
and conveyed a meaning that I venture to say was never
expressed by a dish of pork and beans since the ' May
flower ' came to our shores. The dinner over and we
sat on the porch and looked out on the river. In the
courtyard there were jugglers who performed tricks nota
ble for dexterity, such as making a fan go around the
edge of an umbrella and keeping a bevy of balls in the

56o

TRA VELS OF GENERAL GRANT.

air on the wing like birds. Then we returned home, part
of the way by the river, and, as the night had fallen in
the meantime and the sea was too high for us to venture
out in the boats, the remainder in carriages.
" Our last Japanese entertainment was that of Prince
Dati. There were others from Americans. Admiral
Patterson gave a dinner on board his flagship, the ' Rich
mond,' at which were present officers from our various
ships, the Japanese admiral, the minister and the consul-
general. The dinner was served on deck and our naval
friends gave us another idea of the architectural triumphs
possible in a skillful management of flags. We had the
band, which the lovers of musical art at home will be glad
to know is improving, although it has not mastered
' Lohengrin.' Lieutenant-Commander Clark, however, to
whose musical enthusiasm the band owes so much, in
formed me in confidence that if there was any virtue left
in the articles of war he would have his musicians go
through the 'Wedding March' at least before the cruise
was over. The dinner with the admiral was quite a family
affair, for the officers had been our shipmates and we
knew their nicknames, and the admiral himself had won
our friendship and respect by his patience, his care, his
courtesy, his untiring efforts to make General Grant's
visit to Japan as pleasant as possible. When the rain
began to fall and ooze through the bunting and drip over
the food it added to the heartiness of the dinner, for a
little discomfort like that was a small matter and only
showed how much we were at home, and that we were
resolved to enjoy ourselves, no matter what the winds or
waves might say. When the consul-general came he
brought with him rumors of a typhoon that was coming
up the coast and might break on us at any moment and
carry us all out to sea. This gave a new zest to our

TRAVELS OF GENERAL GRANT.

561

dinner, but the typhoon broke on Tokio, turning aside
from our feast, and when we returned on shore at mid-
nhdit the rain was over and tlie sea was smooth. There
& BO

562

TRA VELS OF GENERAL GRANT.

was a garden party at the consulate, brilliant and thronged,
said by the Yokohama press to be the most successful
fete of the kind ever given in the foreign settlement
The consular building in Yohohama is a capacious and
stately building, standing in the centre of a large square.
It ppens on the main street. The offices are in the lower
floor — the jail is an adjoining building. The building and
the grounds were illuminated with lanterns — festoons of
lanterns dangling from the windows and the balconies —
running in lines to the gate and swaying aloft to the cross-
trees of the flagstaff. A special tent had been erected
on the lawn and the band from the 'Richmond' was
present. The evening was clear and beautiful and every
body came, the representatives of the foreign colony, of
the consular and diplomatic bodies, of the local govern
ment, officers of our navy, with Admiral Patterson at the
head, members of the cabinet and high officials of the
Japanese Government. There was dancing, and during
the supper, which took place in the tent, there was a
speech from Consul-General Van Buren, in honor of
General Grant, in which he alluded to the approaching
departure of the General for home, and wishing him and
the rest of the party a prosperous and successful voyage.
To this General Grant made a brief response, and the
entertainment went on, far beyond midnight and into the
morning hours.
"On Saturday General Grant took his leave of the
emperor. An audience of leave is always a solemn
ceremony, and the court of Japan pays due respect to
splendor and state. A farewell to the mikado meant more
in the eyes of General Grant, than if it had been the or
dinary leave-taking of a monarch who had shown him
hospitality. He had received attentions from the sover
eign and people, such as had never been given. He had

TRA VELS OF GENERAL GRANT.

563

been honored, not alone in his own person, but as the
representative of his country. His visit had this political
significance, that the Japanese Government intended by
the honors they paid him, to show the value they gave to
American friendship, and their gratitude. In many ways
the visit of the General had taken a wide range, and
what he would say to the emperor would have great im
portance, because every word he uttered would be
weighed in every Japanese household. General Grant's
habit in answering speeches and addresses is to speak at
the moment, without previous thought or preparation.
"On several occasions, when bodies of people made
addresses to him, they sent copies in advance, so that he
might read them, and prepare a response. But he al
ways declined these courtesies, saying that he would wait
until he heard the addresses in public, and his best re
sponse would be what came to him on the instant. This
was so particularly at Penang, when the Chinese came to
him with an address, which opened up the most delicate
issue of American politics, the Chinese question. A
copy of this address had been sent to the Government
House for him to look over, but he declined, and his first
knowledge of the address which propounded the whole
Chinese problem, was when the blue-buttoned mandarin
stood before him reading it.
"The response was one of the General's longest and
most important speeches, and was made at once in a
quiet, conversational tone. The farewell to the emperor
was so important, however, that the General did what he
has not done before during our journey. He wrote out
in advance the speech he proposed making to His Ma
jesty. I mention this circumstance, simply because the
incident is an exceptional one, and because it showed
General Grant's anxiety to say to the emperor and the

_g . TRAVELS OF GENERAL GRANT.
people of Japan, what would be most becoming in return
for their kindness, and what would best conduce to good
relations between the two nations.
"At two in the afternoon the sound of the bugles and
the tramp of the horsemen announced the arrival of the
escort that was to accompany us to the imperial palace.
Mr. Bingham arrived shortly after, looking well, but a
little sad over the circumstance that the ceremony in
which he was about to officiate, was the close of an event
which had been to him the source of unusual pleasure —
the visit of General Grant to Japan. Prince Dati and
Mr. Yoshida were also in readiness, and a few minutes
after two of the state carriages came. General and Mrs.
Grant rode in the first carriage, Mr. Bingham, accom
panied by Prince Dati and Mr. Yoshida, in the second;
Colonel Grant and the writer in the third. Colonel
Grant wore his uniform, the others evening dress. The
cavalry surrounded our carriages, and we rode off at a
slow pace. The road was long, the weather hard and
dry, the heat pitiless. On reaching the palace, infantry
received the General with military honors.
"The prime minister, accompanied by the ministers for
the household and foreign affairs, were waiting at the
door when our party arrived. The princes of the impe
rial family were present. The meeting was not so stately
and formal as when we came to greet the emperor, and
have an audience of welcome. Then all the cabinet were
present; blazing in uniforms and decorations. Then we
were strangers, now we are friends. On entering the
audience chamber — the same plain and severely-furnished
room in which we had been received — the emperor and
empress advanced and shook hands with the General and
Mrs. Grant. The emperor is not what you would call a
graceful man, and his manners are those of an anxious

TRA VELS OF GENERAL GRANT.

565

person not precisely at his ease — wishing to please and
make no mistake. But on this farewell audience he
seemed more easy and natural than when we had seen
him before. After the salute of the emperor, there was
a moment's pause. General Grant then took out of his
pocket his speech, and read it as follows :
"'Your Majesty — I come to take my leave and to
thank you, the officers of your government and the peo
ple of Japan for the great hospitality and kindness I have
received at the hands of all during my most pleasant
visit to this country. I have now been two months in
Tokio and the surrounding neighborhood, and two pre
vious weeks in the more southerly part of the country.
It affords me great satisfaction to say that during all this
stay and all my visiting, I have not witnessed one dis
courtesy toward myself nor a single unpleasant sight.
Everywhere there seems, to be the greatest contentment
among the people ; and while no signs of great individ
ual wealth exist, no absolute poverty is visible. This is
in striking and pleasing contrast with almost every other
country I have visited. I leave Japan greatly impressed
with the possibilities and probabilities of her future. She
has a fertile soil, one-half of it not yet cultivated to man's
use, great undeveloped mineral resources, numerous and
fine harbors, an extensive seacoast abounding in fish of
an almost endless variety, and, above all, an industrious,
ingenious, contented and frugal population. With all
these nothing is wanted to insure great progress except
wise direction by the government, peace at home and
abroad, and non-interference in the internal and domestic
affairs of the country by the outside nations. It is the
sincere desire of your guest to see Japan realize all pos -
sible strength and greatness, to see her as independent
of foreign rule or dictation as any Western nation now

,566

TRAVELS OF GENERAL GRANT.

is, and to see affairs so directed by her as to command
the respect of the civilized world. In saying this I believe
I reflect the sentiments of the great majority of my
countrymen. I now take my leave without expectation
of ever again having the opportunity of visiting Japan,
but with the assurance that pleasant recollections of my
present visit will not vanish while my life lasts. That
Your Majesty may long reign over a prosperous and
contented people, and enjoy every blessing is my sincere
prayer.' "When General Grant had finished, Mr. Ishibashi, the
interpreter, read a Japanese translation. The emperor
bowed, and taking from an attendant a scroll on which
was written in Japanese letters his own address, read as
follows :
'"Your visit has given us so much satisfaction and
pleasure that we can only lament that the time for your
departure has come. We regret also that the heat of
the season and the presence of the epidemic have pre
vented several of your proposed visits to different places.
In the meantime, however, we have greatly enjoyed the
pleasure of frequent interviews with you ; and the cordial
expressions which you have just addressed to us in tak
ing your leave have given us great additional satisfaction.
America and Japan being near neighbors, separated by
an ocean only, will become more and more closely con
nected with each other as time goes on. It is gratifying
to feel assured that your visit to our empire, which
enabled, us to form very pleasant personal acquaintance
with each other, will facilitate and strengthen the friendly
relations that have heretofore happily existed between
the two countries. And now we cordially wish you a
safe and pleasant voyage home, and that you will on your
return home find your nation in peace and prosperity,

TRAVELS OF GENERAL GRANT. eg7
and that you and your family may enjoy long life and
happiness.' "His Majesty read his speech in a clear, pleasant voice.
Mr. Ishibashi at the close also read a translation. Then
the empress, addressing herself to Mrs. Grant, said she
rejoiced to see the General and party in Japan, but she
was afraid the unusual heat and the pestilence had pre
vented them from enjoying her visit. Mrs. Grant said
that her visit to Japan had more than realized her antici
pations ; that she had enjoyed every hour of her stay in
this most beautiful country, and that she hoped she might
have in her American home, at some early day, an
opportunity of acknowledging and returning the hos
pitality she had received in Japan.
"The emperor then .addressed Mr. Bingham, our min
ister, hoping he was well and expressing his pleasure at
seeing him again. Mr. Bingham advanced and said:
"'I thank Your Majesty for your kind inquiry. I
desire, on behalf of the President of the United States
and of the Government and people I represent, to ex
press our profound appreciation of the kindness and the
honor shown by Your Majesty and your people to our
illustrious citizen.' t
"His Majesty expressed his pleasure at the speech
of Mr. Bingham, the audience came to an end, and we
drove back to our home at Euriokwan.
" The audience with the emperor was the end of all fes
tivities ; for, after taking leave of the head of the nation,
it would not have been becoming in others to offer enter
tainments. Sunday passed quietly, friends coming and
going all day. Monday was spent in Yokohama making
ready for embarking. The steamer, which was to sail on
Tuesday, was compelled to await another day. On
Tuesday the General invited Admiral Patterson, Captain

568

TRAVELS OF GENERAL GRANT.

Benham, Commander Boyd and Commander Johnson,
commanding respectively the American men-of-war ' Rich
mond,' 'Ranger' and 'Ashuelot;' Mr. Bingham, General
Van Buren and other members of the Japanese Cabinet,
with the ladies of their familes, to dinner, our last dinner
in Japan. In the evening was a reception, or rather what
grew into a reception, the coming of all our friends —
Japanese, American and European — to say good-bye. The
trees in the park were hung with- lanterns, and fire-works
were displayed, furnished by the committee of the citizens
of Tokio. There was the band from the War Depart
ment. The night was one of rare beauty, and during the
whole evening the parlors of the palace were thronged.
There were the princes and princesses of the imperial
family, the members of the cabinet, the high officers of
the army and navy, Japanese citizens, ministers and con
suls. The American naval officers from four ships, the
' Monongahela ' having come in from Hakodadi, were in
full force, and their uniforms gave color to what was in
other respects a brilliant and glittering throng. It was a
suggestive, almost a historic assembly. There were the
princes and rulers of Japan. Sanjo, the prime minister,
with his fine, frail, almost womanly face, his frame like
that of a stripling, was in conversation with Iwakura, the
junior premier, whose strong, severe, almost classical
features are softened by the lines of suffering which tell
of ever-present pain. In one room Ito sits in eager talk
with Okuma, the finance minister, with his Hamlet-face
and eyes of speculation. Okuma does not speak Eng
lish, but Ito gives you a hearty American greeting. Mrs.
Grant is sitting on the piazza, where the fire-works can
be seen, and around are Japanese and American ladies.
Mr. Bingham, whose keen face grows gentler with the
frosty tints of age, is in talk with Sir Harry Parker, the

TRA VELS OF GENERAL GRANT.

569

British minister, a lithe, active, nervous, middle-aged gen
tleman, with open, clear-cut Saxon features, the merriest,
most amusing, most affable gentleman present, knowing
everybody, talking to everybody. One would not think,

JAPANESE MORMON.

as you followed his light banter and easy, rippling ways,
that his hand was the hand of iron, and that his policy
was the personification of all that was hard and stern in
the policy of England. This genial, laughing, plump

-yQ TRAVELS OF GENERAL GRANT:
Chinese mandarin, with his button of high rank, who ad
vances with clasped hands to salute the General, is Ho,
the Chinese ambassador, an intelligent gentleman, with
whom I have had many instructive talks about China.
His Excellency is anxious about the Loochoo question,
and, when he has spoken with the General, advances and
opens the theme, and hopes the good offices of the
General will go as far as his good wishes would have
them. Commander Johnson we are all especially glad tp
see, because he has just recovered from an illness that
threatened his life, and shows traces of disease in his
pale face and dented eyes. Captain Benham feels sad
over the General's departure, and has been expressing
his disappointment at not being able to take us to Aus
tralia. House comes in and joins an American group —
Dr. McCartee, E. T. Sheppard and General Van Buren.
McCartee is the foreign secretary of the Chinese em
bassy, an honorable and scholarly man, who has been
more than a generation in the East, and now that three
score years have been vouchsafed to him, feels like going
home. Few men have led a more modest and at the
same time more useful life than Dr. McCartee, and the
esteem in which he is held shows how much the Eastern
people desire to honor Americans who command their
respect. Mr. Sheppard, formerly an American consul at
Tien-tsin, now holding a high and confidential place in the
Japanese service, is a young man of ability, but does not
propose to remain in Japan much longer. He has a
Spanish castle in California, and means to go and live
there before he has quite fallen under the fascinations of
Eastern life.
" This man, with the swarthy features and full, blazing
eyes, who greets you with cordial, laughing courtesy, and
who reminds you a great deal in his manners and features

TR4 VELS OF GENERAL GRANT.

571

of General Sheridan, is the secretary of war, the famous
General Saigo, who commanded the Japanese expedition
to Formosa. The general is brother of that still more
famous Saigo — a great name and a great character —
who threw away his life in that mad and miserable Sat
suma rebellion. What freaks fate plays with us all ! It
was foreordained that this Saigo should be secretary of
war, and, directing the troops of the government, while
the other Saigo, blood of his blood, brother and friend,
should be in arms against the government. General
SaigfO is in conversation with Colonel Grant, with whom
he has become most friendly, and the colonel is telling
how a soldier lives on the plains, and what a good time
Saigo, and the other friends who form the group, would
have if they came to America and allowed him to be
their host and escort in Montana. The other friends are
notable men. The one with the striking features — a
thin face that reminds you of the portraits of Moltke, a
serious, resolute face that mocks the restless, dare-devil
eye — is Admiral Kawamura, the head of the navy, famous
for his courage, about which you hear romantic stories.
Inemoto, who is near him, is secretary of the navy. It
shows the clemency of Japan when you remember that
Inemoto was the leader of a rebellion against the govern
ment in whose cabinet he now holds a seat. He owes
his life, his pardon and his advancement largely to the
devotion and wisdom of one of the generals who defeated
him. That officer is now at his side listening to the
colonel's narrative — General Kuroda, minister of coloniza
tion. Kuroda looks like a trooper. In another group
you see Yoshida, with his handsome, enthusiastic face,
and Mori, who looks as if he had just left a cloister, and
Wyeno, fresh from England, where he has been minister,
whose wife, one of the beauties of Japan, is one of the belles

cj2 TRAVELS OF GENERAL GRANT.
of the evening, Inouye, minister for public works — all
noted men, and, as I have had occasion to observe before,
all young men. The men here to-night have made the new
Japan, and as you pick them out, one after the other, you
see that they are young, with the fire, the force and the
sincerity of youth. The only ones in the groups who appear
to be over forty are Sanjo and Iwakura. Sanjo has never
put any force upon the government, his mission has been
to use his high rank and lofty station to smooth, and recon
cile, and conciliate. As for Iwakura, although he did rhore
than any one else at the time, they say that he has ceased
to look kindly upon the changes, that his heart yearns for
old Japan, and that his eyes are turned with affection and
sorrow toward the lamented and irrecoverable past.
" One of the princes is off with the naval officers, and
is challenging Captain Benham and the officers to drink
champagne. But the captain has more confidence in the
water than the wine, and is trying to induce the prince to
come and see him once more on his ship. This prince
and the captain have become great friends — the prince
saying that Benham is his elder brother. You may not
have observed that among our naval officers are the lads
of the fleet, midshipmen and cadets. It is not customary
for the voung men to be included in official invitations.
That privilege belongs to higher rank. The young men,
however, are here to-night. I may as well say, because
Mrs. Grant invited them to come specially and see her.
She wanted to have the boys present, for she has boys of
her own, and knows that boys enjoy fire-works, and music,
and high society, beauty and conversation, and like to
show their uniforms as much as the captains and admirals,
which they will be some day. So the boys are here, and
float about Mrs. Grant in a kind of filial way, and have
voted her as a patron saint of every steerage in the navy.

TRA VELS OF GENERAL GRANT. ej-i
And, supper coming, groups go in various directions —
some with Mrs. Grant and the ladies to one room where
there are ices and delicate refreshments, and some, espe
cially the Americans, with Saigo, and Kawamura, and
Prince Dati, to drink a joyous toast, a friendly farewell
bumper to the colonel before he sails home. And this
special fragment of the company becomes a kind of
maelstrom, especially fatal to naval men and Americans
who are sooner or later drawn into its eddy. But the
maelstrom is away in one of the wings of the palace. In
the drawing-rooms friends come and go — come and go,
and give their wishes to the General and all of us, and
wander about to see the decorations of our unique and
most interesting dwelling, or more likely go out under
the trees to feel the cool night air as it comes in from the
ocean and note the variegated lanterns as they illuminate
the landscape, or watch the masses of fire, and flame, and
colors that flash against the dense and glowing sky, and
shadow it with a beauty that may be seen from afar —
from all of Tokio, from the villages around, from the
ships that sail the seas. Midnight had passed before our
fete was ended, before the last carriage had driven away,
and walking through the empty saloons the General and
one or two friends sat down on the piazza to smoke a
cigar and have a last look at the beauty of Euriokwan,
the beauty that never was so attractive as when we saw
it for the last time under the midnight stars.
" We were up and stirring in time, but our impedimenta
was on board the steamer, and there was really nothing
to do but breakfast and departure. The day of our leav
ing Japan was clear and beautiful, and, as the hour for
our going was early, the morning shadows made the air
grateful. While we were at breakfast the cavalry came
trooping into the grounds, and we could hear the notes

574

TRAVELS OF GENERAL GRANT.

of the bugle and the word of command. Officials, minis
ters and other friends came in to accompany the General.
Shortly after eight the state carriages came. We drove
slowly away, the cavalry forming around us, the infantry
presenting arms. We looked back and took our farewell
of Euriokwan, where we had passed so many happy
hours. It was like leaving an old home. The servants
swarmed on the veranda, and we felt sorry to leave be
hind us people so faithful and obliging. General Grant's
departure from his Tokio residence was attended with as
much ceremony as his arrival. Troops formed in double
line from the door of the palace along the whole line of
our route, even to the railway station. Military officers
of high rank rode with the cavalry as a guard of honor.
The crowd was enormous, and increased as we came to
the railway. The station had been cleared and additional
troops were posted to keep the multitude out of the way.
On entering the station the band played ' Hail Columbia,'
and we found our Japanese and American friends pres
ent, some to say farewell, but most of them to go with
us as far as Yokohama. The committee of citizens who
had received us were drawn up in line in evening cos
tume. The General shook hands with the members and
thanked them for their hospitality. Mr. Iwakura escorted
Mrs. Grant to the imperial car. Here were Mrs. Mori,
Mrs. Yoshida and other ladies. The Chinese minister
came just as we were leaving, and our train, which was a
long one, was filled with friends who meant to see us
embark. At twenty-five minutes past eight the train
pushed out from Tokio, the trOops presenting arms, the
band playing our national air, the people waving their
farewell, while the General stood on the platform and
bowed his acknowledgments. Our engine was draped
with the American and Japanese flags. Our train was a

¦ TRAVELS OF GENERAL GRANT. t-y-
special one, and stopped at none of the intermediate
stations. But as we whirled past each station we ob
served the crowds assembled to have a last glimpse of
the General. As we passed Kanagawa and came in
sight of Yokohama Bay we saw the ships dressed from
stem to stern with streamers, flags arid emblems. When
we entered the Yokohama station the crowd was
apparently as large as what we had left in the capital.
'*There were troops presenting arms, a band to play 'Hail
Columbia,' and the governor to, welcome us.
"The merchants and principal citizens, in European
evening dress, stood in line. The governor escorted Mrs.
Grant to her carriage, and we drove to the admiralty
wharf. The road was decorated with Japanese and
American flags, and when we came to the admiralty there
was a display of what are called day fire-works, an ex
quisite combination of gray and blue, of colors that do
not war with the sun, spreading over the sky gossamer
shapes, delicate tints, showers of pearl-like spray. There
in waiting, we found the Consul-General, Admiral Pat
terson, Captain Benham, Captain Fitzhugh, Commander
Boyd and Commander Johnson, who had come to escort
the General on board his steamer. The admiral was ac
companied by Lieutenants Wainwright and Davenport
of his staff. We remained at the admiralty several min
utes, while light refreshments were served. The Gen
eral then went on the admiralty barge, Mrs. Grant being
escorted by Admiral Kawamura, and amid the noise of
the exploding fire-works and strains of the naval band,
we pushed off. In the barge with the General and party,
were Sanjo, Iwakura, the members of the cabinet, Prince
Dati, Mr. Yoshida and Mr. Bingham. The admiral, with
his officers, followed after in the barge of the 'Richmond.'
We came alongside of the steamer, and were received

576

77e^ VELS OF GENERAL GRANT.

by Commodore Maury, who began at once to prepare for
sea. During the few minutes that were left for farewells
the deck of the 'City of Tokio' formed a brilliant sight.
Boats from the four men-of-war came laden with our
naval officers, in their full uniforms to say good-bye.
All of them were friends, many of them had been ship
mates and companions, and the hour of separation
brought so many memories of the country, the kindness,
the consideration, the goodfellowship they had shown us* '
that we felt as if we were leaving friends. Steamtugs
brought from Yokohama other friends. House had come
down from Tokio to say farewell, and to see the last of a
demonstration, that to him, as an American, was more
gratifying and extraordinary than anything he had seen
during his long stay in Japan.
"In saying farewell to our Japanese friends, to those
who had been our special hosts, General Grant expressed
his gratitude and his friendship. But mere words, how
ever warmly spoken, could only give faint expression to
the feelings with which we took leave of many of those
who had come to the steamer to pay us parting courtesy.
These gentlemen were not alone princes — rulers of an
empire, noblemen of rank and lineage, ministers of a
sovereign whose guests we had been — but friends. And
in saying farewell to them we said farewell to so many
and so much, to a country where every hour of our stay
had a special value, to a civilization which had profoundly
impressed us and which awakened new ideas of what Japan
had been, of her real place in the world and of what her
place might be if stronger nations shared her generosity
or justice. We had been strangely won by Japan, and
our last view of it was a scene of beauty. Yokohama
nestled on her shore, against which the waters of the
sea were idly rolling. Her hills were dowered with

TRA VELS OF GENERAL GRANT.

577

foliage, and here and there were liouses, and groves, and
flag-staffs, sentinels of the outside world which had made
this city their encampment. In the far distance, breaking
through tlie clouds, so faint at first that you had to look
closely to make sure that you were not deceived by the
mists, Fusiyama towered into the blue and bending skies.
Around us were men-of-war shimmering in tjhe sunshine,
so it seemed, with their multitudinous flags. There was
the hurry, the nervous bustle and excitement, the glow of
energy and feeling which always mark the last moments
of a steamer about to sail. Our naval friends went back
to their ships. Our Yokohama friends went off in their
tugs, and the last we saw of General Van Buren was a
distant and vanishing figure in a state of pantomime, as
though he were delivering a Fourth of July oration. I
presume he was cheering. Then our Japanese friends
took leave, and went on board their steam launch to
accompany us a part of our journey. The Japanese man-
of-war has her anchor up, slowly steaming, ready to carry
us out to sea. The last line that binds us to our anchor
age is thrown off, and the huge steamer moves slowly
through the shipping. We pass the 'Richmond' near
enough to recognize our friends on the quarter-deck —
the admiral and his officers. You hear a shrill word of
command, and seamen go scampering up the rigging
to man the yards. The guns roll out a salute. We pass
the 'Ashuelot,' and her guns take up the iron chorus.
We pass the ' Monongahela,' so close almost that we could
converse with Captain Fitzhugh and the gentlemen who
are waving us farewell. Her guns thunder good-bye,
and over the bay the smoke floats in waves — floats on
toward Fusiyama. We hear the cheers from the 'Ranger.'
Very soon all that we see of our vessels are faint and
distant phantoms, and all that we see of Yokohama is a
51

578

TRA VELS OF GENERAL GRANT.

line of gay and green. We are fast speeding on toward
California. For an hour or so, the Japanese man-of-war,
the same which met us at Nagasaki and came with us
through the Inland Sea, keeps us company. The Japan
ese cabinet are on board. We see the smoke break
from her ports and we hurry to the side of our vessel to
wave farewell — farewell to so many friends, so many
friends kind and true. This is farewell at last, our final
token of good-will from Japan. The man-of-war fires
twenty-one guns. The Japanese sailors swarm on the
rigging and give hearty cheers. Our steamer answers by
blowing her steam whistle. The man-of-war turns slowly
around and steams back to Yokohama. Very soon she
also becomes a phantom, vanishing over the horizon.
Then, gathering herself like one who knows of a long
and stern task to do, our steamer breasts the sea with an
earnest will — for California and for home."

fe e -c^fcr < g

TRAVELS OF GENERAL GRANT. cyg

CHAPTER XXIII.
i
BRAND RECEPTION OF GENERAL GRANT AT SAN FRANCISCO — MAGNIFICENT DISPLAY —
AN EXCITING SCENE — OVATION AT THE HOTEL — RECEPTION OF THE CITIZENS AT
THE MAYOR'S OFFICE — VISITS THE PRODUCE EXCHANGE — LUNCHES WITH GENERAL
M'DOWELL — RECEPTION OF A CHINESE DEPUTATION — GRANT'S SPEECH — RECEP
TION AT OAKLAND — ATTENDS THE FAIR AT SANTA CLARA — HIS RECEPTION.
IF General Grant's reception abroad had exceeded in
magnificence and splendor any ever before extended
to an American, his welcome home surpassed in en
thusiasm that ever before exhibited by the American peo
ple to one of their fellow-citizens. His voyage home had
been quiet, and he was wholly unprepared for the un
paralleled demonstration that awaited him.
The strain of anxiety in looking for three days for the
" Tokio," in which he had embarked, reached its utmost
tension on Saturday, September 20th. The continuous
waving of flags across the streets, the fading of floral
decorations and the complete stand-still of all business
had become wearisome and painful. It had been ar
ranged that the bell of the Merchants' Exchange should
ring as soon as the telegraph signaled that the steamer
"Tokio" was in sight. All the morning crowds had hung
around the harbor and filled all the streets — an idle, waiting
throng — but there was no sign of the steamer. The day
wore slowly on, every ear turned to catch the first clang
of the bell ; but noon came and went, and yet the iron
tongue that was to send such a wave of excitement over
the city hung silent and motionless. At last, at half-past
three, it spoke, its loud clang passing through the city

58o

TRA VELS OF GENERAL GRANT.

like an electric shock, transforming the quiet population,
in a moment, into a surging, shouting multitude. Bells
began to ring, steam-whistles to scream, and the thunder
of cannon to reverberate over the hills and harbor.
Thousands of men, women and children, on foot, in car
riages and on horseback, began to. pour out in the direc
tion of Presidio Heights, Point Lobos, Telegraph Hill
and every other eminence in the vicinity, eager to catch
the first glance of the incoming ship bearing the guest
for whose reception so great preparations had been
made, and whose arrival had been so anxiously antici
pated. Crowds hurried toward the wharves where the
steamers and yachts that were to take part in the nautical
pageant were lying.
At the moment the alarm, giving notice of the ap
proach of the " City of Tokio " was struck, the executive
committee, having charge of the demonstration, were in
session at the Palace Hotel, warmly discussing the ques
tion of carrying out the programme to-morrow in case
of the steamer's arrival in time, or deferring it until
Monday. The first stroke of the bell ended the discus
sion. It was three-quarters of an hour later than the
limit that had been previously determined upon, but it
was at once resolved to carry out the demonstration im
mediately. Immediately on receipt of the intelligence that the
steamer "City of Tokio" was nearing port, the reception
committee, consisting of Frank M. Pixley, ex-Senator
Cole, General Miller and R. B. Cornwall, repaired to the
tug " Millen Griffith," lying, with steam up, at the Pacific
Mail dock, and at once started to meet the incoming
steamer. The " Millen Griffith " stood well out to sea,
and several miles outside the Heads, met the " City of
Tokio " coming in. The tug drew alongside, and the

77?^ VELS OF GENERAL GRANT.

581

executive committee, quarantine officer, and customs of
ficials and a number of representatives of the press
boarded the steamer. No ceremony was observed, ex
cept a general shaking of hands, and after the committee
had announced the object of their visit, and informed
General Grant of the reception prepared for him, the
conversation became general as the " City of Tokio "
continued on her course. Soon after the government
steamer " McPherson," came alongside, and Major Gen
eral McDowell, commanding the Division of the Pacific,
accompanied by his staff, boarded the " Tokio," and re
joined his old comrade in arms.
While this was transpiring, the general committee of
arrangements, with several thousand invited guests, as
sembled on board the large side-wheel Pacific Mail
steamer, " China," and a number of smaller steamers,
while tugs took squadrons of the San Francisco and Pa
cific Yacht clubs in tow, and started down the channel.
In the meantime it seemed as though the whole pop
ulation of the city — men, women and children — had sought
positions from which a view of the naval pageant could
be obtained. Every eminence commanding the channel
was black with assembled thousands. Telegraph Hill
was a living mass of human bodies, and the heights be
yond Presidio, the Clay Street Hill, the sea wall at North
Point, and every pier head were covered with spectators.
The sun was declining in the west as the steamers and
yachts, gay with bunting, moved down the channel. Low
clouds hung along the western horizon. Mount Tamau-
lipas and the distant mountains, north of the bay, were
veiled in a mist, and Mission Hill and the seaward heights
of the peninsula were shrouded in a fog. But the chan
nel was unobstructed, and the bold outlines of the Golden
Gate rose sharply against the sky, while the bay itself,

582

TRAVELS OF GENERAL GRANT.

with the islands and shores of Alameda and Contra Costa,
was bathed in sunlight. From every flag-staff in the city
flags were flying, and the shipping along the city front
was brilliantly decked with ensigns, festooned flags and
streamers. The impatient crowds that covered the hill
tops, stood straining their eyes to catch the first glimpse
of the "Tokio." A hundred times the cry was raised,
" There she comes," as chance arrivals came in view be
tween the Heads.
It was half-past five o'clock when a puff of white smoke
from seaward, from off the earthworks back of and above
Fort Point, and the booming of a heavy gun announced
that the steamer was near at hand. Another and another
followed in rapid succession. Fort Point next joined in
the cannonade, firing with both casemate and barbette
guns, and the battery at Lime Point added its thunders
to the voice of welcome. In a few moments the entrance
to the harbor was veiled in wreaths of smoke, and as the
batteries of Angel Island, Black Point and Alcatraz
opened fire in succession, the whole channel was soon
shrouded in clouds from their rapid discharges. For
some time the position of the approaching ship could not
be discovered ; but shortly before six o'clock the outlines
of the huge hull of the " City of Tokio " loomed through
the obscurity of smoke and rapidly approaching shades .
of evening lit up by the flashes of guns, and in a few
moments she glided into full view, surrounded by a fleet
of steamers and tugs, gay with flags and crowded with
guests, while the yacht squadron brought up the rear,
festooned from deck to truck with brilliant bunting.
Cheer after cheer burst from the assembled thousands as
the vessels slowly rounded Telegraph Hill, and were
taken up by the crowds on the wharves and rolled around
the city front, hats and handkerchiefs being waved in the

TRA VELS OF GENERAL GRANT.

585

air. The United States steamer " Monterey," lying in the
stream, added the roar of her guns to the general wel
come, and the screaming of hundreds of steam-whistles
announced that the " City of Tokio " had reached her
anchorage. The crowds that had assembled on the hills and along
the city now, with a common impulse, began to pour
along toward the ferry landing at the foot of Market
Street, where General Grant was to land. The sidewalks
were blocked widi hurrying pedestrians and the streets
with carriages conveying the committees. The steamers
and yachts made haste to land their passengers, and in a
few minutes the vicinity of the ferry landing was literally
jammed with people, extending for blocks along Market
Street and the water front just in front of the landing,
the entrances to which were closed and guarded. A
space was cleared by the police and marshals into which
hundreds of carriages for use of the guests were crowded,
and outside of that space line after line of troops and
civic organizations were ranged, while the outside con
stantly increasing throng surged and pressed, excited
and enthusiastic, cheering at intervals, and waiting im
patiently for a first glimpse at the city's honored guest.
Within the gates of the ferry-house were assembled the
gentlemen charged with the duty of the immediate re
ception of General Grant, the Board of Supervisors
ranged on the left of the gangway, and Governor Irwin
and staff, and the executive committee, consisting of Gov
ernor-elect Perkins, W. H. L. Barnes, Samuel Wilson,
William T. Coleman, Tiburcio Parrott, J. P. Jackson,
John McComb, John Rosenfeld, Claus Spreckels, John
H. Wise, W. W. Montegu, occupied the right, Mayor
Bryant taking his position about half way down the centre
of the gangway.

586

TRA VELS OF GENERAL GRANT.

This greeting and the preparations made to receive
him as he approached the city affected him deeply, and,
reticent and undemonstrative as he is, his countenance
showed an appreciation of the ovation so grand and spon
taneous, and, his taciturnity overcame, he talked freely
to those beside him, expressing his appreciation of the
kindness of his fellow-citizens in welcoming him home
again'in such a brilliant manner.
It was after dark when he landed, which interfered much
with carrying out in full the programme that had been
marked out. After the mayor had welcomed him in a
brief address, to which the former replied still more
briefly, the gates were thrown open and the procession
formed in line and moved up Market Street. As the
carriage containing General Grant made its appearance
cheer after cheer went up from thousands of throats, while
the surging crowd pressed forward and swayed from side
to side in its efforts to obtain a passing glance of the
familiar lineaments of the Great Captain.
Amid the tremendous cheering of the crowd, discharges
of cannon, ringing of bells and screaming of whistles,
the procession moved slowly on. Bonfires blazed out at
the street corners, illuminations lit up every window and
the glare of Roman candles and electric lights made the
broad thoroughfare as bright as day. Under a contin
uous archway of flags, banners, festoons and draperies the
procession moved up Market Street to Montgomery and
turned down the latter street. Crowds blocked the side
walk; cheer after cheer rolled along the whole line of
march and almost drowned the martial strains of the
numerous bands. Broad ensigns tossed in the night wind,
glowing with the light of fire, and the glare of rockets and
fire-works. A light mist hovering over the city reflected
the light of the fire-works and illuminations until the

IpffMB E i- A - 81 .JiSHH

TRAVELS Oi- GENERAL GRANT. c8q
heavens seemed ablaze. Continuing the march the pro
cession moved through Montgomery Avenue and then to
Kearney Street. Here, if possible, the crowds were still
more dense and enthusiastic, and the display of fire-works,
electric lights, lime lights and every conceivable means of
illumination increased the brilliancy. On arriving at
Market Street the procession moved up a few blocks
and countermached to the Palace Hotel. Here a mag
nificent arch, forty feet in height, spanned New Mont
gomery Street, blazoned with the national colors and
bearing the inscription : —

S&GGCGQQeGGQQQGOGGCQeUQOQQ&QQQQOeoeSO

"WELCOME TO GRANT.
< ocogosoaqsooooaoogoTOooooopoooooooe*^^

At this point the carriage containing the General was
drawn up, while the procession marched in review, cheer
after cheer rending the air as division after division
passed by. At the conclusion of the review the various
organizations were dismissed, and General Grant was
conducted to his quarters in the Palace Hotel, which had
been especially prepared and furnished for'his reception.
As he approached the Palace Hotel, where apartments
had been secured for him, the scene was one#of surpass
ing beauty. Electric lights and 500 gas jets lit up the vast
interior with a brilliant glow,. and the dense throngs that
packed the court and filled the spacious balconies and
corridors surged to and fro in anxious expectancy of the
coming guest, whom the packed streets had detained.
At ten o'clock the wide doors were thrown open, and
a barouche containing General Grant was driven within
the building. He immediately dismounted, and crowding
his way through the packed mass of human beings, was

rg0 TRAVELS OF GENERAL GRANT.
hurried to his room. As he alighted, Mme. Fabbri and a
chorus of 560 voices opened. from one of the balconies
with an ode of welcome.
The crowd rushed after General Grant when he dis
mounted, leaving the singers for a moment almost with
out an audience, but being stopped in their mad chase by a
force of police, who blocked the way, they returned to the
court, being reassured by the announcement that the
General would appear on one of the balconies after he
had time to take off his overcoat.
After a chorus was rendered, in response to repeated
calls, he appeared on the balcony of the fourth floor and
bowed to the shouting crowd, immediately retiring. Still
the enthusiastic populace thronged the court and refused
to leave. Finally Mayor Bryant appeared and announced
that as soon as the General had finished his dinner he
would show himself. In a few minutes General Grant
appeared amid deafening and long-continued shouts.
Mayor Bryant called the crowd to order, and the Gen
eral, mounting a chair, which was passed over the heads
of the surrounding crowd, was again greeted with a suc
cession of cheers.
When the noise subsided he addressed them as fol
lows : —
" Fellow-citizens of San Francisco : — After twenty-
five years' absence I am glad to meet you and assure
you of my cordial thanks for the kind greeting you have
given me. I shall stay in your city long enough to greet
you more fully."
The General then withdrew amid prolonged and tre
mendous cheering, and the crowd at length reluctantly
scattered. The next day, Sunday, he passed at his hotel, but he
could not escape the throng of visitors that besieged his

TRAVELS OF GENERAL GRANT. -Q1
hotel, and he held a sort of levee all day. Two days after
he was formally presented to the citizens of San Francisco
in the mayor's office, which was used as a reception-room.
It was handsomely draped with flags, and before noon
the crowd began to assemble in front of it, and shortly
after the passage, steps and every point of advantage
were thronged with people. At the Market Street side
of the building there was also a large crowd awaiting
the arrival of the veterans to fire salutes from the sand
lots. As the hour for the reception approached, the
crowd grew denser, filling up the corridors and entrances
of the building. A squad of thirty policemen was de
tailed to keep the passages open. At a quarter to one
the veterans — Federal and Confederate — arrived upon the
sand lots, taking up a position near Market Street. The
first gun was fired at ten minutes to one, the other thirty-
seven guns succeeding each other at intervals of one
minute. The people massed along the line of Market
Street. After the salute the veterans fell into line, entered
the corridor, and marching down its length, counter
marched and took up a position, awaiting the arrival of
the General. A few minutes later the ex-President arid
party arrived at the McAllister Street entrance and were
greeted with cheers. The windows of the houses opposite
and the house-tops were crowded with people, who
waved handkerchiefs and sent up cheer after cheer as the
party alighted. As the General proceeded along the
pavement, escorted by the mayor, the enthusiasm broke
out afresh along the corridor. Running from the lower
entrance to the mayor's office were ranged the veterans,
posted in two lines. Their commander, Colonel Lyons,
stepped forward as General Grant and the mayor reached
the corridor, and said: "Now, boys, three cheers for your
old commander!" The veterans responded with enthusi-

t.g2 TRAVELS OF GENERAL GRANT.
astic hurras. The party then proceeded to the mayor's
office, where a committee of ladies were waiting to re
ceive Mrs. Grant and assist her. Mrs. Grant did not
arrive until some time after the General, who took up his
position in the centre of the room. The south-east
corner of the room was assigned to the ladies.
Directions were then issued to admit the multitude.
After a few of the the invited guests had been presented
to the General the crowd filed in, shook hands with the
city's guests, and passed out at the Market Street entrance
after presentation to Mrs. Grant. All the afternoon a
constant stream of visitors poured through the apartments,
and all were greeted with a hearty shake of the hand,
tlie General not adopting the suggestion of the mayor
that hand-shaking might be dispensed with on account of
the great rush, and expressing his opinion that he could
"fight it out on that line."
General Grant visited the Produce Exchange on the
24th of September, and witnessed a grand display of
cereals of the' Pacific coast, which no city in the world
could probably excel. He was much gratified at the ex
hibition and expressed, in a few words, his congratulations.
After that, . accompanied by General McDowell, a gov
ernment tug 'conveyed him to all the forts in the bay,
where he was received with military honors. Upon land
ing at Black Point, General McDowell's head-quarters,
the party was greeted by a salute, and the troops were
drawn up in line to receive General Grant at Gen
eral McDowell's residence. A collation was prepared,
and a formal reception tendered to the distinguished
guest. Among the prominent citizens present were
Governor Irwin and Governor-elect Perkins, ex-Governor
Stanford, ex-Governor Low, Senator Booth, Senator Sha
ron, ex-Senator Stewart, Justice S. J. Field, Judge Ogden

TRAVELS OF GENERAL GRANT. cQ~
Hoffman, D. O. Mills, and other distinguished citizens,
generally accompanied by their ladies.
Before the reception began, the General was visited by
the chief representatives of the Chinese community,
headed by their counsel a.nd the Chinese Vice-Consul,
who read the following congratulatory welcome :
"General — We feel deeply gratified that we were per
mitted to meet you face to face, and express to you how
sincerely we appreciate the fact that you have visited our
country, and consulted with its rulers, and become
familiar with the important features of both government
and people. It gives unbounded pleasure to learn that
you received a warm welcome, commensurate with the
high esteem your noble deeds fully entitled you to at the
hands of the Chinese authorities and people. Let us
hope that your visit will have a tendency to bring the
people of the oldest and youngest nations in still closer
friendly and commercial relations. The Chinese of Cali
fornia join with your countrymen in the acclaim, ' Wel
come home,' and add the sentiments that you may live long,
and, like the great Washington, be first in war, first in
peace and first in the hearts of your countrymen."
To this was added by the dignitaries : " To General
Grant — We join our voices to prolong the pean which
has girdled the earth, wafted over seas and continents.
Praises to the warrior and statesman most graciously
presented by the Chinese of California."
The General replied : " Gentlemen — I am very glad to
meet the representatives of the Chinese community and
receive this address. I have, as you say, just returned
from a visit to your country. It was a most interesting
visit, one that I shall always remember, and especially be
cause of the kindness and hospitality shown me by the
people and the authorities of China. For that I am

cg4 TRA VELS OF GENERAL GRANT.
grateful and glad of an opportunity of expressing that
gratitude so soon after my arrival at home. I hope that
the remark you made about China breaking down the
seclusion in which she has been shrouded for ages will
prove true in all senses, and that China will continue to
draw near to her the sympathy and the trade of the
civilized world. The future of China will largely depend
upon her policy in this respect. A liberal policy will en
large your commerce and confer great commercial ad
vantages upon the outside world. I hope that America
will have a large share in this. Again I thank you."
After presenting the address, Colonel Bee said that
Mrs. Grant had done more to break down the spirit of
domestic exclusiveness that reigned in China than the
warrior had done, by the honors shown her in Tien-tsin.
He begged that she would accept a small casket of ivory
as a memento of the occasion. The reception lasted till
six o'clock, the party returned to the city, and in the
evening attended Baldwin's Theatre.
The authorities of Oakland having invited General
Grant to visit their place, he appointed the 25 th. About
eleven o'clock the boat left the wharf at San Francisco,
having on board the General, Mayor Bryant, the Japan
ese consul and several distinguished citizens, together
with the Oakland committee.
As the boat approached the Oakland wharf a salute of
twenty-one guns was fired, under the direction of the
citizen committee. The wharf and the vessels lying along
side were gayly decorated. A large banner, on which
was inscribed the word " Welcome," was hung across the
entrance to the wharf. The party was met at the boat
by Mayor Andrus and the city officials.
The visit having been announced beforehand, brought
an immense crowd, not from San Francisco alone, but

TRA VELS OF GENERAL GRANT.

595

from Alameda, Santa Clara and Contra Costa Counties.
Trains and ferry steamers from every quarter were
crowded, and an hour before noon there were fully a
hundred thousand people in the city, sixty thousand more
than the regular population. When the General landed
at the foot of Broadway there was a general ringing of
bells and blowing of whistles. The magnificent principal
avenue of the city was crowded with pedestrians. Nu
merous country wagons also, bearing loads of grangers,
filled the causeways. The decorations were fully as
elaborate as those of San Francisco, and had the additional
advantage of the reception occurring by daylight.
The procession was marked by the usual character
istics of such displays. The local police force was at the
head, followed by infantry, dragoons, civic societies and
invited guests in carriages. By far the most touching
and pleasing feature was the ovation from the school
children. The procession passed through Fourteenth
Street, where, opposite the City Hall, nearly five thou
sand school children were assembled on either side of the
street. The procession halted, and General Grant'
alighted from his carriage and passed, arm in arm with
the president of the board of school directors, with bared
head, down one side of the street, returning on the oppo
site side to his carriage. The children cheered, waved
their tiny banners and strewed his path with flowers, and,
as he passed, showered bouquets upon him in profusion.
The General bowed and smiled as he passed along, while
among the elder spectators there were not wanting
evidences of emotion. After this demonstration the
General joined the procession and proceeded to the
pavilion, where he received the people. Mrs. Grant re
ceived the ladies at Tubbs' Hotel.

596

TRAVELS OF GENERAL GRANT.

An address of welcome was delivered by the mayor,
as follows : —
" General Grant — Your merited ovations have en
circled the world. They have been as grand and varied .
as the nations that have offered them, and yet among
them all there has been no more honest, sincere and
cordial welcome than the city of Oakland now extends to
you. This is pre-eminently a city of homes and of families,
of husbands and wives, of parents and children, of churches
and- schools. There is no tie more sacred than that of
family. At the family altar the fires of liberty are first
kindled, and there patriotism is born. Love of home, of
kindred and of country is the source and fourfdation of
our welcome to you, defender of our firesides and families."
The mayor than handed the General a roll contain
ing resolutions of greetings, adopted by the city author
ities. The General was then conducted to a carriage in
waiting. Carriages with the city council, citizen's com
mittee, board of supervisors, and citizens followed. When
all was in readiness, the carriage containing General
Grant and Mayor Andrus filed through the gates arid
passed the line of companies on review until it reached
the head of the procession.
Suspended across the avenue, where the children were
gathered, were three banners, the first inscribed, "Wel
come to General Grant, the City's Guest." The second
contained this quotation from General Grant's Des
Moines speech : — "The free school is the promoter of
that intelligence which is to preserve us a free nation."
In the third was the motto, "We strew these roses beneath
the feet of him who saved us from defeat."
After dinner, at Tubb's Hotel, General Grant addressed
the throng, as follows : —
" Gentlemen of the Two Armies and Navies — I am

TRAVELS OF GENERAL GRANT. eg 7
very proud of the welcome you have given me to-day.
I am particularly happy to see the good-will and cordiality
existing between the soldiers of the two armies, and I
have an abiding faith that this good -feeling will always
exist. Thus united we have nothing to fear from any
nation in the world. I am satisfied from my travels in
foreign lands, that no country will wish to meet us as a
united people. They will be perfectly willing to do us jus
tice without an appeal to arms, and as that is all that
Americans want, I am confident that our country has a
long career of peace and prosperity before her."
Soon after the speech the General took the cars at
Brooklyn station to return to the city. While waiting a
few minutes for the train an immense crowd gathered
round, anxious to get a last glimpse at the city's guest,
and a number of ladies made their way through all ob
structions to take him by the hand. A little girl who
could not succeed in reaching him, on account of the
crowd, was lifted above the heads of the people and
passed along to the General, who took her in his arms
and kissed her, amid the tumultuous cheers of the sur
rounding thousands.
A large number of citizens accompanied the party to
the wharf, taking leave of the General as he embarked
on the ferry to the city.
Dennis Kearney called at the Palace Hotel and sent up
his card to General Grant, but the General, declined to
receive him.
The annual fair of Santa Clara County was being held
at this time and the authorities invited him to attend.
The hour of departure was fixed at a quarter to eleven,
A. M., but, through some misunderstanding; Grant and
his party did not arrive at the station until some time
after, but, being accorded the right of way, they were
52

598

TRA VELS OF GENERAL GRANT.

hurried onward at the rate of sixty-two miles an hour.
At every station along the route citizens were assem
bled in their holiday attire to honor the General, but they
could get only a glimpse of the passing train, much to
their disappointment and the General's regret.
The reception at this place was warm and enthusiastic,
and as the city is built on a fine level valley, with very
wide streets, the procession and decorated buildings
made a magnificent picture. The school children had an
excellent opportunity for singing their hymns and throw
ing bouquets at the General, who seemed to enjoy the
proceeding very much. After passing through the city
the General and party was driven to the fair-grounds
with carriages, omnibuses, pedestrians, equestrians ac
companying them en route. The General and party were
assigned places on the Judge's stand, and before them
passed horses and cattle on exhibition, forming a mag
nificent display.
After the races, a reception followed, and a grand ban
quet. The address of Mayor Archer was full of telling
points, and as he is a Democrat of the family of Virginia
Archers, and during the war a Southern sympathizer, it
was more appreciated. The carriage in which rode the
General and the mayor, was drawn by four magnificent
gray horses, which were furnished by Captian Maddox,
formerly a Confederate officer under Forrest. On this
occasion, as in San Francisco, the Confederate and Union
soldiers of the war were united in the procession. There
were 30,000 people assembled to greet the General,
many of whom had come a distance of sixty miles.
In the evening the General was entertained by a num
ber of prominent citizens at a banquet at the Auzerais
House, and returned to San Francisco at half-past eleven
o'clock.

TRAVELS OF GENERAL GRANT. rgg
On the 29th of September, Grant received at Wood
ward Gardens the children of the public schools, 20,000
in number, who greeted his appearance with shouts that
drowned the roar of cannon without. His reply to the
address of the President of the Board of Education was
very brief, closing with the following words : "The greatest
danger to our people grows out of ignorance, and this
evidence of the universality of education is the best guar
antee of your loyalty to American principles." On the
same day he had a grand reception at Oakland, and in
his reply to the address of welcome, referred almost en
tirely to the different times he had visited the place, giv
ing the dates of each visit. This was to show, in a quiet
way, that the charges made against him, when running
for President, of dissolute habits, while residing there,
were wholly false, as the year given by his detractor as
the one he resided there, was before he had ever seen
the place.
Grant now departed for the Yosemite Valley, and was
greeted enthusiastically on the way. At Fresno City
he gave a brief reception to the citizens, and Union and
Confederate soldiers united in congratulating him on his
safe return to the country. The Mariposa brass band
crossed the mountains, a distance of thirty-six miles, to
join in the ceremonies, playino- " Hail to the Chief," as
they approached the hotel where Grant was stopping.
As they were rolling over the lower bridge of the Merced
River, in the Yosemite Valley, heavy blasts of powder
were fired by way of a salute, while all the residents and
tourists turned out to greet him. After a short rest,
Grant took a walk to view the stupendous scenery that
shuts in the valley, and in the evening had a formal re
ception. After visiting the principal objects of interest,
the party returned by way of the big trees to San Fran-

6oo

TRA VELS OF GENERAL GRANT.

cisco, preparatory to starting for Oregon. He left Califor
nia on the 9th, in the steamer " St. Paul." The boat was
gayly decorated, and as it steamed into Vancouver Bay,
on the evening of the 13th, a salute of twenty-one guns
was fired ; the barid struck up the " Conquering Hero
Comes," while from the entire population gathered on the
dock cheer after cheer rent the air.
Landing, the General entered the carriage of General
Howard, and, amid bonfires, and blazing torches, and
deafening shouts, drove to the latter's residence. The
Governor and various officers and members of the Legis
lature waited on him, and welcomed him in an appro
priate address, to which Grant made a brief reply, in
which he expressed his regret that he would be unable
to visit any other portion of the Territory. A formal re
ception took place in the evening, and the next day he
continued his route to Portland, where great preparations
were made to receive him. As the steamer approached
the city, about two o'clock, it was greeted with salvos of
artillery, ringing of bells, and screaming of whistles, and
as it moved up to the dock, the mighty multitude sent
up a great and prolonged shout. The mayor welcomed
him to Portland, to which Grant replied simply: "I
thank you." A procession was immediately formed, com
posed of the fire companies, troops and citizens, and
passed through the various streets to the hotel. In the
evening he attended a ball given by the George Wright
Post, at which, it was estimated, a thousand people were
present ; among whom were some of his old comrades in
arms. In the morning he left for the Cascades and returned
to be present at the Newmarket Theatre, to witness the
military drama " Ours." The following day he and his
party left for Salem, the capital of which he reached at

TRA VELS OF GENERAL GRANT.

60 1

half past eleven, and was met at the station by an im
mense crowd and a committee of reception. His recep
tion at this place was most enthusiastic. In the evening
he met the citizens in the Mechanics' Pavilion, which was
crammed with 8,000 people. Judge Strong delivered an
address of welcome, to which Grant made the following
response :
" Judge Strong, and Ladies and Gentlemen of Ore
gon and of the North-west : — I am proud of the reception
now tendered me. It is a pleasure to be back again near
the place where I enjoyed so much twenty years ago. I
am glad to note the evidence of your prosperity, and I
take it only as a beginning of the great improvement in
the near future. When I first came here, Washington
and Oregon were one territory, small in population but
large in area. Now you have one prosperous state and
a territory which I hope soon to see become a state.
" You have the soil and the climate to support a popu
lation sufficient for many states. In your remarks you
have alluded to the struggles of the past. I am glad that
they are at an end. It was never a pleasure to me that
they had a beginning. The result has left us a nation to
be proud of, strong at home and respected abroad. Our
reputation has extended beyond the civilized nations ; it
has penetrated even the less civilized parts of the earth.
In my travels I have noticed that foreign nations appear
to respect us more than we respect ourselves. I have
noticed the grandeur at which we have been estimated
by other powers, and their judgment should give us a
higher estimate of our own greatness. They recognize that
poverty, as they understand it, is not known with us, and
the man of comparative affluence with them is sometimes
no better clad or fed than our paupers. Nowhere are
there better elements of success than on the Pacific coast

<502 TRA VELS OF GENERAL GRANT.
Here those who fought on opposite sides during the war,
are now peaceably associated together in a country of
which they all have right to be proud. I thank you again,
through Judge Strong, for this reception."
The party then entered carriages, and, preceded by two
brass bands, started for the Chemetika Hotel. All the
school children had assembled, and as the carriage of
Grant passed through their ranks, cheer after cheer
greeted him. A reception followed, when dinner was
served, at which the mayor and General Grant made
short addresses.
All along the route crowds were assembled, and at
Oregon City, where the train stopped a short time, Mayor
Randall appeared on the platform and delivered an ad
dress. The crowd pressed forward to shake hands with
the General, and among them several soldiers who had
served under him, some saying, I was with you at Fort
Donelson, and others, I was with you at Chattanooga,
and Grant leaned forward and shook their hands warmly,
and seemed deeply moved.
In the evening he attended a grand sacred concert at
Turn Hall.
He now returned to San Francisco, where he arrived
on the 2 1 st The next day he left on the Vallejo boat
for Sacramento, accompanied by the reception committee
of the city, who had come on purpose to escort him. Ar
riving at Vallejo, he went on board the yacht " Nellie,"
and proceeded to Mare Island and inspected the govern
mental works there. He then took the train for Sacra
mento Crowds were gathered at all the stations on the
route and cheered him enthusiastically. At Sacramento
a vast assemblage of people awaited him, whose mighty
shouts, blending with the roar of artillery, made the
building tremble. Grant was escorted to a carriage by

TRAVELS OF GENERAL GRANT. gor.
Governor Irwin and Mayor Turner, when the procession,
composed of 16,000 people, took up its line of march,
passing through various streets all decorated with bunt.
ing, to Tenth Street, where he alighted and ascended a
large platform erected for the occasion. Here the pro
cession passed in review, followed by 3,000 school chil
dren. When the vast crowd had passed, Mr. Edgerton,
who, with other notables, crowded the platform, made an
address of welcome to Grant, who replied :
" If I were ever so accustomed to speaking, it would be
impossible for me to respond to the welcome which I
have just received. My modesty would not allow me to
say even what I should like to. With all my heart I
thank you, and I thank the citizens of Sacramento and
California for the welcome I have received at every place
that I have been in since I arrived on your coast
I have traveled some on this coast, and every place
where I have been I have met with the same hearty
reception. I can repeat to you what I have said
in other places, that of all the hospitality bestowed, all
the honors conferred, there is nothing that has been so
grateful to my heart as the reception I have received at
the hands of the people here I would not say what has
been done abroad. It has been all that could be done
for me. It has been*for the people I see before me, for
the people of this great country that is recognized abroad
as one of the greatest countries of the world If every
one of us could see other countries as I have seen them,
we would all make better citizens, or at least the average
of the citizens would be better. It is impossible for me
to say more, but I thank you again."
In the evening a grand reception was held in the capi-
tol  General Grant receiving in the assembly chamber
and Mrs. Grant in the senate hall.

604

TRA VELS OF GENERAL GRANT.

As they passed thither from the Golden Eagle -Hotel,
the whole way was ablaze with colored lights and fire
works, while the grounds around the building, packed
with 20,000 men, were bright as day, with innumerable
lights, made still brighter by a brilliant display of fire
works as the party passed the entrance. So dense was
the crowd that General Grant had to pass round by a
back way to get into the building.
As he entered it, fire-works, composed of an immense
bust of him, twenty feet high, flanked by columns sup
porting globes and American eagles, representing his
tour around the world, were set off, while cheer after
cheer made the welkin ring. Spanning the grand en
trance was a large arch, bearing the word "Welcome,"
formed of gas-jets, four feet long. The crowd was so
immense that only a part could get in to see the General.
The next morning he met, at one of the grammar schools,
the veteran soldiers and sailors, one hundred in number,
with whom he shook hands cordially. Three hundred
children then filed in, and gathering in front of him, sang
"America." After driving round the city and lunching
with the committee, he was driven to Pioneer Hall, where
he was formally presented with a certificate of member
ship. In receiving it, he made a few remarks, expressing
his gratification at being, made a member of their associ
ation, and repeated his encomiums of California. A
daughter of a member then advanced, and pinned on the
lappel of his coat the badge of membership, after which
each member was presented in person. From thence he
went to the Agricultural Park, to witness a military re
view and a sham battle. He returned to San Francisco
next day, and made preparations to start eastward The
night before his departure a magnificent banquet was
given him at the Palace Hotel. At eleven o'clock he

TRAVELS OF GENERAL GRANT. 6oq.
bade good-bye to his hospitable entertainers, and to the
Pacific Coast, where honors had been so lavishly heaped
upon him, from the hour his feet first touched it, in a few
simple remarks, in which he expressed his deep grati
tude for the attentions he had received, and closed
widi: "Gentlemen: In taking my departure, I want to thank
you all for the farewell reception given me this evening,
and to express the hope that, whether or not I am to
have the happiness ever to visit your city again, I shall at
least meet one and all of you elsewhere ; and if it
should not be in this life, that it may be in a better
country." An hour later he was speeding off toward the Rocky
Mountains. Arriving at Truckee Station, next day at
noon, he and his party took a wagon waiting for him,
drawn by six gray horses, and sped off toward Lake
Tahoe, followed by the cheers of the crowd. This was
fifteen miles distant, and the road passes through some
of the most beautiful and sublime scenery of this conti
nent. The bracing air, and the silence and solitude of
nature fell on his spirit like a benediction, and he re
marked how delightful it was, after the turmoil and ex
citement of the cities. He talked familiarly with the
driver, and at length took the reins, and for five miles
drove the six in hand at a slashing pace. After a short
sail on the lake, he entered an open carriage, so that as
the train slowly climbed the mountain, the lake with its
magnificent scenery lay spread out like a map before him.
Arriving at the summit, he took a carriage in waiting,
and was driven by Hank Mink, of Horace Greeley noto
riety, and the most noted driver on the Pacific coast, to
the capital of Nevada. His approach to Virginia City
was signaled from the Gold Hill station, and as he came

605 77?^ VELS OF GENERAL GRANT.
down a hundred whistles from the engines of the mines
made the hills echo, followed by the roar of twenty-
one guns, that seemed here, 6,000 feet in the air, like
thunder from heaven. A procession, composed of such
men as he had never before witnessed, closed up behind
his carriage, whose lusty, wild cheers came from earnest,
honest hearts. The contrast between the sublime and
terrific scenery around him and the plains of India, was
not more striking than that between the men of the old,
effete civilizations, and these rugged, bold, fearless dwell
ers of the mountains and the mines. Such an exhibition
these mountain tops never before witnessed, and Grant
enjoyed the reception more than any other given him in
his whole journey round the world. The next day he,
with his wife and son, Ulysses, descended one of the large
mines, under the direction of Colonel Fair and Mr.
Mackey. Descending 1,700 feet, they examined the
slopes, the General penetrating where the temperature
was painfully high ; yet he bore it with his usual equa
nimity, smoking his cigar in these gloomy depths with the
same equanimity he was wont to do on the battle-field.
Leaving the ladies at the first level, he descended 2,150
feet, being determined to see and understand the entire
workings and character of the mine, although the temper
ature was 1 200. On returning to daylight, they visited the
assay office, where a solid brick of gold and silver, four
inches long and two wide, suitably inscribed, was presented
to Mrs. Grant, as a souvenir of her visit. Grant now con
tinued his journey east, reaching Ogden, in Utah, on the
the 30th, where he was received by the Governor. He
stopped, however, but a. few minutes. Keeping on, he
reached Omaha on the 2d of November, where a banquet
was given him, and then passed on to his old home, at Ga
lena, where he arrived on the 5 th, and was received with

TRAVELS OF GENERAL GRANT. gQ7
wild enthusiasm, the band playing " Auld Lang Syne " as
he stepped from the car. What momentous changes had
taken place since he left his leather-store, eighteen years
before. Over what stormy battle-fields, broad seas and
strange land had he passed, and what strange emotions
must have crowded his heart as he sat by the old, familiar
hearth-stone, and looked back over the eventful road he
had traveled during those eighteen years.
A grand reception was given him at Chicago on the
1 2th, when the city was decorated with flags and a long,
enthusiastic procession passed through the streets. It
was distinctly understood that the reception should have
nothing of a political character about it, otherwise the
Democrats and Illinois National Guards would have noth
ing to do with it. The army of the Tennessee joined
with the citizens in honoring the distinguished guest.
Mayor Harrison welcomed him in a highly eulogistic
address, saying that his name would go down to posterity
joined with those of Washington, Jefferson, Jackson and
Lincoln, to which Grant replied :
" Mr. Mayor and Gentlemen of the Committee of
Reception of Chicago and Illinois : — I feel very much
honored by the .welcome which I am receiving at your
hands to-day. I feel highly honored by the pledge of
welcome which has been uttered by your worthy mayor,
which is something so personal to myself, it would hardly
be in good taste for me to respond to the language of it,
so it leaves, therefore, nothing for me to do but convey
my thanks to the committee of citizens of this city for the
hearty reception they have given me. To one allusion
to my reception abroad, I will say that in every case I
felt that it was a tribute to our own country. I will add
further that our country stands differently abroad in the
estimation of European and Eastern nations from what it

g0g TRA VELS OF GENERAL GRANT.
did a quarter of a century ago. At that time it was be
lieved we had no nation, it was merely a confederation of
states tied together by a rope of sand, and would give
way upon the slightest friction. They have found that it
was a grand mistake. They know that we now have a
nation, that we are a nation of strong, intelligent and
brave people, capable of judging and knowing our rights
and determined on all occasions to maintain them, against
either a foreign or domestic foe, and that is the reception
you, as a nation, have received, through me, while I was
abroad." In the evening the army of the Tennessee gave a re
ception at Haverly's Theatre. The room was beautifully
decorated with flags, and evergreens, and inscriptions, and
representations of Vicksburg, the battle-field near it, with
portraits of Thomas and Lincoln. The building was
crowded to repletion, and shook with thunders of applause
when Grant appeared on the stage. A banquet was
afterward given, at which General Grant, in reply to the
toast " Our country, her place among nations," after
speaking, as he did the day before, of our position among
the nations of the earth, and the prospect of future in
creased greatness as we still further developed the country,
said, in conclusion:
" I do not know anything that I can especially add to
what I have said, except in the way of advice, and that
is, let us be true to ourselves, avoid all bitterness and ill-
feeling, either on the part of sections or parties toward
each other, and we need have no fear in future of main
taining the stand we have taken among nations, so far as
opposition from foreign nations goes."
Noble words which but re-echo his noble, magnanimous
action at the close of the war ; words that administer a
reproof to those who would elect a party candidate on

TRA VELS OF GENERAL GRANT. fog
sectional feeling, and secure and maintain power by
kindling hate and fostering division instead of union.
" Our country " is his motto, and has ever been the rule
and guide of his life.
The various cities of the Union vied with each other
in their desire to honor General Grant, and invitations
came in from every quarter tendering him a public recep
tion, but he declined all for the present, except the one
from Philadelphia. From several causes this city had
become quite a home to him, not only from the close
relations some of its prominent citizens sustained to him
publicly, but from personal friendships and pleasant asso
ciations. The 1 6th of December was appointed for his
arrival. Hailed as usual all along the route from the
West, he received a hearty welcome at Pittsburg, where he
made a short address, in which he, for the first time, alluded
to public matters. Referring to the agitation of the
question of greenbacks as a legal tender, he simply ad
vised all his hearers to go home and get together all the
greenbacks they could, which was his plain, common-
sense way of saying don't trouble yourselves about the
currency question, it is taking care of itself. There was
more sound, political wisdom in that, than in all the long
speeches that have been made in and out of Congress.
Reaching Harrisburg in the evening of the 15th, he
remained in the Pullman car at the depot all night, and
next morning at six o'clock sped off for Philadelphia. It
was a cold and frosty day, but the air was clear and invigo
rating. He was received at Philadelphia by Mayor
Stokley, in a short address, to which he replied, simply :
"To you, Mr. Mayor and the good citizens of Phila
delphia, which has always been a home to me since I
became acquainted with its citizens, I return with great
pleasure."

gIO TRAVELS OF GENERAL GRANT.
When, about half past ten, Grant emerged from the
car, and was recognized by the assembled crowd, a great
shout arose, that was carried far into the city. The mayor
and his guest entered a six-in-hand barouche and drove
off to take the place assigned in the procession, which,
from daylight, had been forming on Broad and all the
streets leading into it between Market and Girard
Avenue. The other members of the party followed in
open carriages. As soon as the barouche reached the
point on Broad Street designated, the column closed up,
and about thirteen minutes past eleven began to move.
The procession was composed of fifteen divisions, each
representing the military and various industries of the
city, and was so immense that it took four hours to pass
a given point.
Much might be written about this triumphal journey,
whose itineracy led down Broad to the new public build
ings, thence around into Market, passing under an arch
bearing the. legend, " All Honor to the Hero of the
Nineteenth Century;" down Market to Fourth, through
which the column passed to Chestnut. The old Indepen
dence Flail was decorated and festooned from the pave
ment to the roof, and in front was the grand triumphal
arch spanning Chestnut Street, decorated with exquisite
taste, and showing the motto, " Philadelphia's Welcome
to the Patriot Nand Soldier," while the old bell rung out
its salute over the deafening shouts of the mighty multi
tude. Turning westward, the grand ovation of the day
was received during the progress of the procession up
this fashionable thoroughfare. First, the city's arch, a
glittering bower of flowers and flags, was passed ; then
the magnificent archway, stretching from house to house
and far outshining the former in beauty and massiveness,
built by Mr. Wanamaker. Upon this archway were five

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Missing Page

TRA VELS OF GENERAL GRANT.

613

hundred ladies. Far as the perspective effect permitted
the eye to see up the street was a fluttering forest of flags
and streamers. The route led down through Thirteenth
Street for a few squares, so that the column could be
brought to pass before the Union League Club's building,
on the corner of Broad and'Sansom Streets. Opposite
that point a reviewing stand was erected, at which General
Grant arrived at twenty-two minutes of three and alighted.
A very pretty incident occurred on Market Street, near
the corner of Seventh, and I believe it was the only note
worthy one of the march aside from the ovation. The
ropes along Market Street, which should have kept
back, the crowd, were very defective, and at the point re
ferred to had become broken down. A man of the mid
dle class (if it is proper so to speak in a republic) was
standing in the front with a mere mite of a child by his
side. As it happened, the barouche containing only the
mayor and his guest halted at this point, and the interest
was so centered in the city's visitor that the father lost
his hold upon the child. The little fellow walked across
the car-track and almost under the wheels before any
body appeared to notice the fact. Had the horses started
suddenly, the child would certainly have been knocked
down and probably run over. General Grant observed
it before anybody else, and, quickly leaning forward,
caught it by the arm and lifted, it first on the step and
then into the carriage. There for a few moments he sat
holding the two little hands together in one of his, after
which he returned it to the father, and the procession
moved off. It was a very pretty incident, one which
obviously occurring by pure accident served to show the
consideration of the General for the smallest and most
thoughtless of all the thousands who were gathered to do
him homage.

514 TRAVELS OF GENERAL GRANT.
In the evening the city was brilliantly illuminated, and
Independence Hall, blazing with its calcium lights, seemed
to say, this is but a symbol of the light of liberty which
once shone forth from here over all the land.
A grand dinner, given by George W. Childs, followed,
at which the following guests sat down :
General Sheridan, George S. Boutwell,
Dr. Da Costa, Mrs. Paul,
George Augustus Sala, J. S. Morgan,
Miss Stanley, Mrs. Sheridan,
A. J. Drexel, A. E. Borie,
Mrs. Cameron, Mrs. Grant,
Hamilton Fish, George W. Childs,
Mrs. Childs, Mrs. Sala,
General Grant, Mr. John Welsh,
Mrs. Borie, Mrs. Da Costa,
Edwards Pierrepont, J. D. Cameron,
Mrs. Drexel, James W. Paul,
U. S. Grant, Jr., George M. Robeson.
The next day passed more quietly. First on the pro
gramme was a visit to Carpenters' Hall, where an ad
dress of welcome, handsomely engrossed on parchment,
was presented him, to which General Grant replied:
" Gentlemen of the Carpenters' Company of the pres
ent day: It is with much pleasure that I accept the address
I see before me. I shall preserve it, and hand it down to
my children for preservation, and regard it as a very great
trophy, and one that will grow in estimation as time
passes — as long as our Republic lasts, which, it is hoped,
and I think we have the assurance of now, that it will be
as long as time lasts."
He next held a reception at Independence Hall, where
an immense crowd was assembled. After shaking hands

TRA VELS OF GENERAL GRANT.

6l5

with some two or three thousand, the General declared
himself tired, and would simply bow to the rest.
He next went to the Academy of Music to hear Pina
fore, much against his will, it was said. In the evening
he was the guest of the Mayor, where he gave another
reception to eight hundred invited guests, among whom
were Generals Sherman and Porter and the Judges of
the United States Court
The next day he visited the Grand Army head-quar
ters on Chestnut Street, where, after chatting and smok
ing with the officers a half an hour, he was presented
with their badge. In the evening the Grand Army of the
Republic gave him a camp-fire reception in the Academy
of Music, which was a most brilliant affair. Workmen
were engaged until a late hour in the afternoon in pre
paring the stage. At six o'clock a column of 400 veteran
soldiers formed at the junction of Eleventh and Chestnut
Streets, and marched to the Academy. The route was
illuminated with calcium lights. General and Mrs. Grant
and their friends occupied one of the proscenium boxes,.
and Mayor Stokley the other. General Hartranft pre
sided. Addresses, music and recitations of a martial
character followed, when General Grant, in reply to the
address of welcome by Governor Hoyt, said :
" Governor Hoyt and Comrades of the Grand Army
of the Republic : It is a matter of very deep regret with
me that I did not prepare something to say to you re
specting the welcome I received at your hands this even
ing. But really, since I arrived here, I have not had time,
and before that I had not given it a thought. But I say
to you all that during, the two years and seven months
since I left your city to encircle the globe, I have visited
every capital in Europe and most of the Eastern nations.
There is not a country I visited in that circuit where I
53

6IO travels of general grant.
did not find some of our members. (Applause.) In
crossing over our own land, from the Pacific to the At
lantic, scarcely a new settlement, scarcely a cattle ranche,
scarcely a collection of pioneers did I see that was not
composed almost entirely of veterans of the late war.
(Applause.) It called to my mind the fact that, while
wars are to be deplored, and unjust wars are always to
be avoided, they are not always attended with unmixed
evil. The boy who is brought up in his country home or
in his city home without any exciting cause to quicken his
wits, is apt to remain there, following the pursuits of his
parents, and never getting beyond them ; in many cases
never getting up to them. But when carried away by a
great struggle, in which such great principles are involved
as in our late conflict, it brings him to a wider view than
that of his home, and though his affections belong to the
home which he has left behind him, he only finds disap
pointment on his return, and strikes out for new fields,
and develops and prepares new domains for us and for
thousands who will follow us. Our ex-soldiers are be
coming the pioneers, not only of this land, but they are
extending its commerce and their knowledge of the
country in other lands, and when a brighter day shall
dawn for those countries in the East, America will step
in and share in their commerce, and all this is being
brought about through the exertions of the veteran
soldiers — I might say of the comrades of the Grand Army
of the Republic. (Great applause.)
" Comrades, having been compelled as often as I have
since my arrival in San Francisco to utter a few words,
not only to the soldiers, but to other classes, always
speaking without preparation, I was of necessity forced
to repeat, not in the same words, perhaps, but the same
ideas. What I want to impress upon you is, that you

TRAVELS OF GENERAL GRANT. gj-
have a country to be proud of, and a country to fight for,
and a country to die for if need be. (Great applause
and loud cheering). While many of the countries of
Europe give practical protection and pardon to their
citizens, yet no European country compares in the liberty
which it affords to particular individuals with our own.
In no other country is the young and energetic man given
such a chance by industry and frugality to acquire a
competence for himself and family as in America.
Abroad it is difficult for the poor man to make his way
at all. All that is necessary is to know this in order •
that we may become better citizens. Comrades, I thank
you for your welcome, and I regret that I am not pre
pared better to say what I would like to say to you."
The next day he visited the Chamber of Commerce.
The exchange room was tastefully decorated for the
occasion, and, as he entered, the band struck up "Hail
Columbia." He was welcomed in a speech by Mr.
Baily, president of the chamber, to which he replied as
follows :
" Mr. President and Gentlemen of the Exchange of
Commerce, or Commercial Exchange : Your president,
in the welcome address he has just read, has done me
more honor than I feel to be my deserts, but it is only in
keeping with the other receptions I have received at the
hands of Philadelphians of all classes — the commercial
class, the soldier, the ex-soldier and all the citizens. It
makes me feel very grateful to the people of Philadelphia
to be always so welcomed by them. In reference to the
remarks made about the extent of our commerce, my
visit abroad has enabled me to see how our trade may be
very much increased in the East. n Europe it is already
taken care of, and is increasing rapidly. The merchants
of our country have their correspondents all over Europe,

gjg TRAVELS OF GENERAL GRANT.
and they understand what is necessary to be done by
them to increase the trade in that quarter. But in the
East, America is just beginning to be known and appre
ciated. It has now a history which all the Eastern
nations are beginning to study and read, and with a more
familiar policy in the East our trade can be very much
increased. But we are badly represented abroad, and
will be badly represented until a policy is adopted of fix
ing the duties of our consuls. They are sent to the East
with salaries which will not support a man, let alone a
man of family. When he is sent out by the government
he is forbidden to do duty Any consul engaging in a
business, if reported at home, would be branded as an
unworthy citizen of the United States and unfit to be
their representative. The consuls of other nations abroad
are active in increasing the commerce of their respective
countries. They are all engaged in some commercial
business, and, of course, are thoroughly informed upon
all subjects necessary to know in order that the interests
of the countries they represent may be advanced. In
many instances no salary is fixed at all when a consul
is appointed to such a post ; all he can receive are simply
the fees, in many instances amounting to but a few hun
dred dollars at the best. As a consequence, at all such
posts our consul-general is obliged to appoint those to
act as consuls who are residents of the respective coun
tries. The case generally is that the person selected is
an Englishman, who pays no regard to the interests of
this nation, but devotes his energies to the benefit of his
own country. The remedy, in my judgment, would be
for Congress to authorize the consuls in the East to be
agents for manufacturing and commercial houses of the
United States, and say to the various chambers of com
merce of the country, that, ' if you will suggest men whom

TRAVELS OF GENERAL GRANT. 6lg
you are willing shall ?~t as consuls, they shall be ap
pointed,' and let them receive, in addition to their fees,
such a compensation as will enable the government to
get only able and energetic men to represent it. Now,
gentlemen, I had no idea of saying all this when I came,
and the only thing I can add is, I thank you for your
kind welcome."
After a few remarks by Mayor Stokley and Colonel
Forney, three cheers were given for the General, when he
returned to his hotel.
The grand ovation which the City of Philadelphia, with
its characteristic liberality and taste, had given General
Grant, ended in a farewell reception ball and banquet
given by the Union League Club, which was the most
splendid, brilliant affair ever witnessed in this country,
full two thousand people being present. It certainly out
shone any display made by the city in his honor. The
sidewalk in front of the building was covered by a
weather awning, rendering it possible for a large number
of carriages to arrive and deposit the guests of the club
at the same time. The approaches to the edifice were a
mass of evergreens, ferns and hardy plants ; indeed, all
the rooms of the first and second floors were handsomely
decorated with plants, cut-flowers, evergreens and bunt
ing. Mr. George H. Boker, President of the Union
League, met the party at the main entrance and escorted
General and Mrs. Grant to the parlor on the right, where
the reception was held for some two hours, when they
adjourned to the banqueting hall.
The ball was very brilliant, both because of the costumes
and the interior decorations of the hall in which it was
held. A large frame apartment was built over the entire
garden at the rear of the building, elevated to the level
of the main floor. The walls of this extemporized hall

620 TRA VELS OF GENERAL GRANT.
were tastefully draped, and a wall of evergreens, serving
as a screen, behind which the excellent band of music
was hidden, was utilized as a background for a* marble
bust of General Grant placed on a pedestal. High above
this bust, swaying in the currents of air which the
numberless gas-jets produced, floated a large cannon of
flowers, suspended by invisible wire. Tiny fountains of
perfumed water filled the air with their fragrance, and
colored lights, bowerlike garden-walks and the profusion
of flowers and brightly-hued plants seen on every hand
rendered the scene bewilderingly charming.
With this closing honor Grant ceased to be the guest of
Philadelphia, and after a brief visit to his aged mother in
New Jersey, he set out on his contemplated visit to the
West Indies and Mexico.
And here we take leave of the hero who not by words,
but stem deeds, saved the Union, won the highest
honor in the gift of the American people, and who, in
the course of this most memorable journey on record,
has been covered with glory by all the nations of the
earth.

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