jv^v f GLIMPSES OF THE UNUSUAL AROUND THE WORLD IGRA, [NDIA. The Taj Mahal from the Gateway. GLIMPSES OF THE UNUSUAL AROUND THE WORLD BY HOWARD S. F. RANDOLPH Illustrated with Photographs Taken by the Author THE STANHOPE-DODGE PUBLISHING COMPANY Larchmont, New York 1913 Copyright, 1913, by STANHOPE-DODGE COMPANY J. F. TAPLEY CO. HEW YORK SJfl V.c^^\^>X^^^ This little book is an attempt to tell briefly and informally my impressions of some of the places I visited, and a few of my experiences. It is written for my friends, many of whom have urged me to give them more than a passing account of what I saw and did. My trip zvas in no way out of the ordinary except in a few minor instances and I make pretensions neither to great knowledge of the countries I visited, nor to any information that cannot be found more accurately and more fully given in other travel books. It is, in other words, just a personal account of the pleasures I experienced, and which I want you to enjoy with me. -^ aUprtetmatf, 1313 CONTENTS CHAPTER PAGE I The United States i II Across the Pacific .... 14 III Japan and Korea 19 IV China 46 V Manila 61 VI Singapore and Java .... 66 VII From Singapore to Calcutta . 75 VIII India 79 IX Ceylon 100 X Egypt 106 XI Palestine and Syria . . .110 XII Constantinople and Greece . 121 XIII Italy and Sicily 128 Itinerary 134 ILLUSTRATIONS The Taj Mahal Frontispiece FACING PAGE Acoma 4 The Petrified Forests 6 Ruins of the Old Mission, San Juan Capistrano 10 The Yosemite Falls 12 A Room in a Japanese House 24 The Principal Street, Ikao 28 The Dai-butsu, Kamakura ... .1 A Diver, Enoshima t- ... 30 Waiting for the Emperors Funeral J The "Banqueting Hall," Seoul 44 ,} 46 . 48 A Street Scene, Mukden Residence of the American Consul, Mukden A Manchu The Avenue of Animals at the Ming Tombs, Nankow The Fallen Porker, Mukden The Temple of Heaven, Peking . . . A Bronze Lion in the Llama Temple, Peking. At a Railway Station, Peking 50 The Great Wall of China 52 Street Scenes, Manila 62 Washing Clothes, Java At an Inland Station, Java Rice Terraces, Java The Fighting-Cocks of the Sultan of Djoja- karta 68 ILLUSTRATIONS 76 FACING PAGE Boro-boedoer, Java . 72 A Water Carrier, Penang Workmen, Singapore . . A Little Chinaman, Penang "Baksheesh," Penang . . Temples and Shrines at the Base of the Shwe- Dagon Pagoda, Rangoon 78 The Burning Ghat, Benares 82 The Tomb of Ttimad-ud-daulah, Agra . . A Glimpse of the Taj Marble Screen 'in the Tomb of Salim Chishti Tomb of Salim Chishti, Fatehpur-Sikri The ^Saman Burg," Agra . . Detail of the Carving on the Taj Entrance* td the "Saman Burg" The Pearl Mosque, Agra . . The Kutab' Minar, Delhi . 88 Praying to a Lingham, Tanjore 94 "The Tank of the Golden Lilies," Madura \ ^ A Banyan Tree, Colombo J 84 86 A Dagoba, Anurhadhapura .} A "Guardian Stone," Anurhadhapura J Abou-Simbel 108 A Street Scene, Jerusalem 112 The Courtyard of an Old House, Bethlehem . 114 An Old Archway, Damascus 118 "Selamlik." The Sultan, Mohammed V, Con- stantinople 122 In the Colonnade of the Parthenon, Athens . 124 "Death" in the Ruins of the Cathedral, Mes- sina* 130 Glimpses of the Unusual Around the World Chapter I THE UNITED STATES A trip around the world it seems like a stupendous undertaking before starting out. On returning it seems but a simple jaunt after all, with no cause to fuss and fume about it. " Which place did you like best ? " is the question immediately flung at you by every- one you meet, with startling unanimity. Then you must explain that each country has its own attraction, its own peculiarities; just as " there is one glory of the sun, and another glory of the moon, and another glory of the stars," so each country has its own glory, and comparison is impossible. This little book is an attempt to show something of the attrac- tions of each of these countries, and to give a few glimpses of the unusual things encoun- tered. The trip started calmly enough, with visits to friends in Philadelphia, Baltimore and Chi- 2 GLIMPSES OF THE UNUSUAL cago. Denver after Chicago seemed the essence of all that was clean and quiet. Its public and private buildings are unusually beautiful, even though they have a " Wel- come " arch that is about as sincere as a door- mat with the same inscription. At Colorado Springs it snowed for three hours though it was the middle of June. The " Garden of the Gods " is beautiful, but much over-praised, and the ascent of Pikes Peak at five dollars a head is rather steep. Instead I went up to Cripple Creek, lured on by a circular that said " any attempt to reproduce in words the glory of that scene must be tawdry vulgarity," and then went on to prove the statement. Cripple Creek itself is a squalid shanty-town, but has a magnificent and extensive view of the Rockies. At quaint Albuquerque an artist spoke of Acoma, and persuaded me to visit it. Acoma is an Indian pueblo about eighteen miles from Laguna, a station beyond Albuquer- que on the Santa Fe. Laguna itself is an Indian pueblo, and the only room to be had there is at a Mr. Marmon's, one of the few white men of the town. The one train stop- ping here arrived at eleven o'clock at night, and at that hour Mr. Marmon was with diffi- culty aroused. He provides a room only for meals one goes to an old freight car on a switch, where an ex-waiter serves canned but- ter, canned milk and other delectables. THE UNITED STATES Marmon supplied a team and a driver an Indian, who proved at first rather uncommuni- cative. We drove directly over the prairie, with only the scantiest trace of a road. The wonderful rock formations excelled those of the " Garden of the Gods " in every way ex- cept color, for here the rocks were white and not red. Before reaching Acoma we passed the " En- chanted Mesa" an oval-shaped rock of enormous size, standing alone on the plain with sheer precipitous sides four hundred and fifty feet high. On this mesa the pueblo of Acoma was once supposed to have been sit- uated. The tradition is that there was but a single trail leading to the top, and that the falling of a large mass of rock one day made it impassable. All the inhabitants were at work in the fields below, with the exception of a few old women. They could not be rescued, and have haunted the mesa ever since. From this it gets its name, for the word trans- lated " enchanted " would be more properly rendered " haunted." Sturgis calls it the grandest rock in America: it is certainly one of the most impressive. Acoma was plainly visible from the " En- chanted Mesa," though three miles away; but it was some time before the outlines of the adobe buildings at the top of the three hun- dred and fifty foot mesa could be discerned. 4 GLIMPSES OF THE UNUSUAL Here a small Indian boy consented to act as guide. His only English consisted of the words " Gimme-mun," and this he was promptly christened. He led the way up a steep sandy trail, with most curious rock for- mations on either side. At the base we passed a natural corral with some Indians at work, who strenuously objected to being photographed. In some places the ascent was difficult, as the trail led over the face of the rock with but tiny ledges cut in for the feet. Another trail has recently been made by which horses can make the ascent. The top of the mesa was surprisingly level. Near by stands the cathedral, with walls sixty feet high and ten feet thick. Every particle of the material for this building had to be brought up from the plains below, and it took many years to build it. The dwellings, all of adobe, were two or three stories high, the en- trance being usually on the second floor, reached by a ladder. On the exterior walls hung meat and herbs. A host of young girls and children brought out specimens of their handiwork for sale mostly gaudily painted earthen dishes of crude pattern. As a bribe to be allowed to take photographs I bought several of these, gave some cookies to the children, and took out my camera only to find on looking up that I was absolutely alone! But I photo- as ^ - 6 2 3 O u >< w < s o u < o u o w H THE UNITED STATES graphed the buildings until stopped by an old woman who asked me if I had a permit. She said that one was absolutely necessary, that I could procure it from her, and finally brought the price down to seventy-five cents. Rather than continue parleying, I paid her the money, and took several more pictures. On a rock in the distance I spied two Indians ap- proaching, and knew instinctively that they wanted to speak to me. As they came nearer I found that my suspicions were correct. Im- mediately one of them who later said that he had been a student at Carlisle assumed an expression of great ferocity, and asked if I had a permit to take photographs. I told him of the incident with the Indian woman, but asked what they cost and where they could be procured. He answered that they cost two dollars, and could be obtained from the " Guv'nor," indicating the other man. On discovering that he was the " Guv'nor " I treated him with great deference, to mollify him as much as possible. They seemed to be puzzled by the fact that I had paid a woman for the privilege, but " Gimme-mun " evi- dently corroborated my statement, and finally they agreed that if I paid one dollar and a quarter more it would be all right. An old man led me to his house to get the change. The room was unusually large, about twenty- five by forty feet. A very old Indian woman 6 GLIMPSES OF THE UNUSUAL offered a chair, which, with a table covered with a piece of oilcloth, a few dishes, and a bed in a distant corner of the room completed the furniture. Everything was immaculately clean. Having received my change, I asked if I could continue photographing. But as I had committed a grave crime by taking a pic- ture without a permit in the first place, they determined that I must expiate by paying an- other dollar before taking more photographs. Having all I wanted, I refused, and was led politely to the top of the trail, and dismissed with a "good-by." Surely we do not have to leave our own country to experience all the thrills of foreign travel, including even the joy of " baksheesh " and " cumshaw." Adamana is said to have been named after the first settler and his wife. From here you drive over the desert to the Petrified Forests. These " forests " are various portions of the neighboring plain on which the petrified re- mains of primeval forests are found. Some of the trees lie as they fell; one has a gully underneath it, forming thereby a natural bridge; but most of the trees have broken into innumerable small pieces. The ground is strewn with these fragments, with colors of remarkable brilliancy, ranging from red, yellow and brown to blue and gray. The " hotel " was impossible ; so the trim 9 &4r THE PETRIFIED FORESTS, ARIZONA. An Old Log. The "Natural Bridge." THE UNITED STATES little Fred Harvey hotel at Winslow seemed especially inviting. On the way up to the Grand Canyon the next day it was interest- ing to watch the numerous rabbits and prairie dogs so abundant in this section. The " El Tovar " at the Grand Canyon is another Fred Harvey hotel, well adapted to its surroundings. It stands on the brink of the Canyon, and commands a wonderful view. Again description would be " tawdry vul- garity " : 2l vast chasm thirteen miles wide and hundreds of miles long, lined with mighty cliffs and towering peaks of fantastic shapes and magnificent coloring. Reds, yellows, grays and buffs predominated in myriad com- binations. It is a marvelous sight: truly awful, magnificent, and wonderful; but there was a lack to me or in me of something that made it appealing. But I find very few who share this feeling with me. Four days gave many variations of early morning and late afternoon light. The Bright Angel trail down to the river is seven miles long and descends in that distance nearly four thousand five hundred feet. A large part of the trail is on a narrow ledge less than three feet wide, with an unsympathetic cliff on one side and a yawning abyss on the other. The donkeys, trained to keep near the edge when ladened with goods, seem to delight in giving their passengers heart-failure. The Colorado 8 GLIMPSES OF THE UNUSUAL at the foot of the trail is a dirty brown river of terrific current. On reaching the top in the late afternoon I breathed a fervent " Never again." A good walker, equal to the distance and the steep climb, would not mind the trip at all, but from the back of a donkey it is certainly frightful. One's first impression of California in July, at any rate is of sand and burnt brown grass. Bleakness and brownness everywhere. The weather was downcast and forbidding, and the temperature varied ap- pallingly. Hot July weather in Los Angeles was succeeded by welcome grate fires in Santa Barbara, intense heat in Merced Valley, and cold blustering winds in San Francisco. In San Diego only did I enjoy weather comfort here climate and temperature were perfect. The Calif ornians who write the various ad- vertisements of all kinds are the happiest liars I have ever encountered. The use of the com- parative is unknown in description every- thing is in the superlative, regardless of truth and probability. Our own Eastern ad writers are fairly inventive, but these " Native Sons " make them look like a kindergarten class. Everything is the est in the world: the biggest, the oldest, the best, or the highest; so that you move along in a rarefied atmos- phere of glory until you trip on some simple THE UNITED STATES 9 fact and come plunging back to Mother Earth. A passing mention only can be made of the various places visited in my two weeks in Southern California. Tabulated, they were: Santa Barbara, with its lovely old mission ; Long Beach a second Coney Island, as are all the beaches near Los Angeles; Catalina with its glass bottom boats and submarine gardens great forests of gorgeous iodine kelp waving in the watery breeze, with bril- liantly colored fishes taking the place of birds ; San Diego with its beautiful harbor and bright future ; Tia Juana " Aunt Jane," a straggling village just over the border in Mex- ico; Pasadena a Ladies' Home Journal ideal village of doll houses and preciseness; Venice another beach, with an aquarium containing the uncanniest water animals imaginable : and the missions of San Luis Rey and San Juan Capistrano. These old missions are fascinating. San Juan Capistrano charmed me most old, fall- ing into decay, it kindles as many memories as a pressed rose. It breathes of dignity, of hos- pitality, of purity, of calmness and devotion, of high ideals and gallant chivalry. There is little of it left : the ruins of a large chapel, which fell during an earthquake about a century ago ; four arches with the old bells ; io GLIMPSES OF THE UNUSUAL a white arcade on the exterior; and a large patio or court, filled with the remnants of an old garden, and surrounded by a vine-clad arcade is about all that there is to be seen. I wandered around the buildings for a while, and then entered the patio through an archway covered with climbing roses. There I found a man painting. " This is an ideal spot, isn't it? " I asked. " Yes," he answered with a laugh, " but this painting isn't." He proved to be the resident priest, and was as interesting as the buildings among which he worked. He took me to the small chapel and through other buildings of the mission. Everything was falling into decay: but the climbing vines and roses the very unkempt- ness, breathed a spirit of peace and calmness seldom found in America, and which no restoration could hope to preserve. The Glenwood Mission Inn at Riverside is modeled after these old missions, copying something from each, and partaking of the spirit of all. It is unique. The atmosphere of the old missions is certainly preserved, though modified and modernized. It must approach the dream of the old Fathers them- selves. It is furnished with exquisite taste, and every detail is carefully carried out for instance, over the desk runs the legend, fsl T) : , m< MsSfflKKwm SAN JUAN CAPISTRANO, CALIFORNIA. Ruins of the Old Mission. THE UNITED STATES n "Ye canna expect to be baith grand and comfortable," while over the bell-boys' seat is, " Rest is the sweet sauce after labor." In the garden are exquisite semi-tropical plants and trees, with a few tame parrots strutting around. A loggia contains a won- derful collection of old and historic bells. But the chief glory of the house is the music room. Built like a chapel, with a fascinating cloistered walk around it, with carved Gothic pews, and priceless decorations from all parts of the world, it is the essence of good taste and harmoniousness. It was dusk as I entered. Someone was playing " Traumerei." The organ stopped, but from a high distant bell tower came the same haunt- ing refrain. At Redlands an old driver asked apropos of my admiration of the pepper trees if I were a New Yorker. I admitted it, but could not see the connection between the two sub- jects,; so asked why he thought so. " Oh," he said laconically, " all New York- ers like the pepper trees." Surely we are not alone in this apprecia- tion! At Merced it was necessary to change cars, and wait two hours with the mercury at 109 . 12 GLIMPSES OF THE UNUSUAL On the train to El Portal it reached 115 ! The train followed the course of the Merced River, which is in reality a good-sized brook, but as it was the first river I had seen in Cali- fornia that had any water in it at all I made no complaint. The Yosemite has all the charm and at- traction which the Grand Canyon lacked. Though not the torrents they were in May, the waterfalls were still beautiful, and the views of El Capitan and the Half Dome were magnificent. No, even the Enchanted Mesa, beautiful as it is, cannot rival these wonder- ful rocks. Another donkey-back excursion led past the Vernal and Nevada Falls to Glacier Point, with its marvelous view. Three thousand feet directly below us was Camp Curry, and we were surprised to see it in flames. From our lofty seat we had an excellent view of the efforts to extinguish the fire. Over seventy- five tents were burned, and much other dam- age done. A day's coaching over the dustiest road imaginable brought us to Wawona, and from here we drove to the Big Trees. The oldest /and tallest tree the " Grizzly Giant " is said to be eight thousand years old, though John Muir doubts if any of the trees are over five thousand years. It is three hundred and twenty-seven feet tall, and one hundred and THE YOSEMITE, CALIFORNIA. The Yosemite Falls. THE UNITED STATES 13 four feet in circumference at the base. But these trees, while wonderfully majestic, are so well proportioned, and so surrounded by other vast trees, that it is absolutely im- possible to get any real conception of their enormous size. Though tired by our trip of the day be- fore, it was necessary for us to take the stage for eleven hours, covering over fifty miles, to reach El Portal and the sleeper to San Fran- cisco. Never was a berth so comfortable. Four days in San Francisco gave but little time for sight-seeing, as it was necessary to make final preparations for sailing. The trip up Mt. Tamaplais was interesting, but not as much so as the ruins of the old city hall, about the only reminder of the earthquake left stand- ing. California has much that is beautiful, for which superlatives are needed. But let us hope that these " Native Sons " will learn to discriminate. Chapter II ACROSS THE PACIFIC The six days on the "Korea" from San Francisco to Honolulu passed very quickly. There was much that was different from an Atlantic liner the waiters, for instance, were all Chinese, and waited on the table in blue or white pa jama-like suits, while the men who wished to gamble did so playing fan-tan with the Chinese of the steerage. Among those whom later I grew to know better were the Rev. and Mrs. George M. Rowland, missionaries in Sapporo, Japan, and Mrs. Keator and her family, of Philadelphia, also making a trip around the world. The Hawaiian Islands have been so ex- tolled for their even climate that it was a real shock to find the heat very intense. Later, of course, I heard that it was an unprecedented summer ! August is not the best month to visit Hono- lulu, for, aside from the heat, few of the flowers and trees are in bloom ; but enough remained to indicate the variety and attrac- tion of these tropical plants. Large Royal Poinciana trees, a mass of scarlet blossoms, 14 ACROSS THE PACIFIC 15 formed one of the landscape's most striking features. Honolulu itself is not a particularly beauti- ful city, but its suburbs are delightful. Waikiki, about three miles out, is an attrac- tive residence section on the beach, with Diamond Head, a picturesque mountain, in the background. This beach is very famous, and is almost ideal. The incline is so gradual that one can walk out into the water for a long distance half a mile or over. This un- usual feature is the cause of the long, high, and regular breakers which enable the surf board to be used successfully. This surf board riding is fascinating to watch, and must be wonderfully exciting though few of the passing tourists are able to master it. The swimmers have a board about a foot and a half wide and six to eight feet long, rounded at one end, that they push ahead of them far out to sea. They turn, and wait for a large breaker. As it draws near they swim vio- lently, and if they are successful are pushed by the wave swiftly up to the beach without further effort. Great dexterity is shown in balancing ; some have all they can do to stand upright on the board, while experts turn somersaults, stand two on a board, or even carry a boy on their shoulders. A tenderfoot can get something of the thrill of this experience by taking a ride in 16 GLIMPSES OF THE UNUSUAL a surf-boat with five or six other passengers, manned by two husky kanakas. As the wave approaches everyone must paddle vigorously, and if you are lucky enough to be caught by the wave, the resultant ride is certainly ex- hilarating. The beach would be absolutely ideal for swimming, were it not for the coral, which is very abundant and extremely sharp. At Waikiki is the aquarium, with an eye- opening display of tropical fish. One is con- stantly reminded of the Irishman's first view of the giraffe " Begorry, there ain't no such animal. ,, The Hawaiian language is unusually musi- cal. Every vowel ends a syllable, and every syllable is pronounced. The alphabet has only twelve letters, but its variety does not seem to be curtailed thereby. Some of the names strike confusion to our palates at first such as Nuuanu Avenue and a fish at the aquarium called the " Uu " pronounced like the note of a cuckoo ! The most wonderful feature of the islands is the volcano of Mauna Loa. It has two craters; one of which, Kilauea, is always ac- tive. A night trip on a tiny boat from Honolulu to Hilo, on the island of Hawaii, followed by a thirty-mile auto trip on a good road through luxurious tropical jungles, brings you to the " Volcano House/' The crater of Kilauea lies before you a vast expanse of ACROSS THE PACIFIC 17 dried lava eight miles in circumference, and sunk six hundred feet below the level of the surrounding ground. In its time this whole area was a sea of molten lava, but now the active part is confined to a huge hole, seven miles from the hotel, called by the natives " Halemaumau " " The House of Everlast- ing Fire." From the hotel this reminds one of the guiding cloud of the Jews in the Wil- derness a pillar of cloud by day and a pillar of fire by night. Standing on the brink of Halemaumau after nightfall, after the dense smoke becomes in- visible the impression of the lake of fire is fascinating almost hypnotizing. It is a huge caldron of molten lava, splashing, hiss- ing, always angry, incessantly moving, with here a giant fountain of golden lava, and there a towering black island beaten on all sides until it cracks. But description can give little idea of it. Seething, boiling, spout- ing, snarling, it is always looking for a way of escape like a caged lion. It is hell incarnate. But with all its mighty power, its terrible feroc- ity, its cruelty and hunger it is neverthe- less sublimely beautiful. The lava rises some- times to within fifty feet of the surface, though when I was there it was about four hundred feet below. The voyage from Honolulu to Yokohama was uneventful. The boat, the " Shiny 18 GLIMPSES OF THE UNUSUAL Maru/' was a Japanese one, and was com- fortable and well managed. The voyage usually takes ten days, and is so scheduled, but we fortunately made it in nine, not count- ing August thirteenth, which was dropped in crossing the date line. Chapter III JAPAN AND KOREA The " Shiny o Maru" arrived in Yokohama on a boiling August day. The part of town first seen is far from attractive, though of course there is much to interest a new-comer in the appearance of houses and people. A jinrikisha ride through Theater Street in the evening gave a typical Japanese picture. Here were innumerable Japanese, the men wearing a long plain kimono and wooden san- dals, often with an American straw hat, and sometimes carrying a cane. The women, with their hair elaborately dressed, also wore long kimonos, sometimes floral, but more often plain, with beautiful obis or sashes. The street is wide and is lined with theaters and shops of all kinds. Above the shops hang gaudily painted signs with large Japanese characters. The shuffle of innumerable wooden clogs on a hard dirt road produces a sound quite distinct from any other, and impossible to describe. It gives the final realization to the fact that you are in a foreign country. The Rowlands asked me to go with them the next day to Karuizawa I did not need much 19 20 GLIMPSES OF THE UNUSUAL persuasion. Karuizawa is a little resort where many of the missionaries go for the summer, on account of its cool climate. Near it is the active volcano of Asama-yama of whose smoking top I caught but one glimpse; so cloudy was it during my stay. Here I met many of the missionaries, espe- cially at a large Baptist picnic attended by one hundred Baptists in all. For several years I had been correspond- ing with a Japanese boy named Toshio Tanaka, who lived at Maebashi, not far from Karuizawa. He had often asked me to visit him, and now sent another invitation, which not without misgivings I decided to ac- cept. He was not at the station when I ar- rived, for he had been out on the arrival of my telegram, but his family sent a servant to meet me. Through an interpreter he told me I was to wait, and soon Toshio came rushing up on his bicycle, panting and out of breath, his kimono flapping behind him. At first we had a little difficulty in understanding each other, but we were soon ensconced in jinrikishas and on our way to a Japanese hotel. Maebashi is a real Japanese city Karuizawa and Yokohama are largely inhab- ited by foreigners. But at Maebashi a for- eigner is still something of a curiosity. The houses were of one or two stories for the most part, and the roofs were tiled. The main JAPAN AND KOREA 21 streets on one of which ran a trolley line were wide, but the town was not attractive. The hotel was Japanese, but had had a few for- eign guests, and thought it knew exactly how to serve them. As I was with a Japanese, the son of one of the leading men of the town, I had every attention. At the door I removed my shoes, and shuffled up the stairs in bath-room slippers. The room was on the third floor, and was furnished with a low table and a few pillows. The floor was cov- ered with matting, and even slippers were tabooed here. My ideas of Japanese etiquette were rather vague, to say the least, in spite of a little coaching from Mrs. Rowland; so with lynx eyes I watched Toshio to do as he did. Later I discovered he was watching me rather intently, and ever since I have been won- dering if he were trying to imitate me. I am afraid that I shocked him many times that day more especially by abruptness of man- ner than by any real discourtesy, I hope. On ordering tea a servant brought out from the window seat a Satsuma tea set, later bring- ing it back with a covered Satsuma bowl. We drank our tea oh, so slowly, but no reference was made to the bowl. Once Toshio left the room, . and I looked in. It contained cake, but he did not offer it for some time. Then I took a piece in my chop sticks and carried it directly to my mouth 22 GLIMPSES OF THE UNUSUAL a terrible breach of etiquette. Toshio said " I am surprised to see you do so." Then he ordered dinner. This was a long and elaborate process. After endless bowing and scraping the servants left, to reappear later with the meal. It still remains the most remarkable one of my life! First we had Japanese pears and Japanese beer the pears tasting as much like apples as pears, or rather tasting like a combination of the two. Then two trays were brought in, each with two dishes. One dish was a bowl of ice, with a glass raft over it, on which rested a iew slices of raw fish. With the sauce pro- vided it was, contrary to my expectations, de- licious. In the other dish was ice cream, for- tunately served with spoons. Toshio would eat a little bit of the fish, wait a long time, eat a little ice cream, and wait some more; so I followed suit. These waits between mouthfuls became interminable. If I had been sure that he was living up to his Japa- nese customs I would not have been uneasy, but I was sure that he felt he was being very American. I had a lusty appetite, and the long waits between bites only served to whet it constantly. At length that course was finished. Two more trays were brought in, this time with fried brook trout and bamboo roots. After this came another course; pressed chicken JAPAN AND KOREA 23 and some other dish I have forgotten what. Then came a large plate of bread, a bowl of butter, mostly melted, and a large bottle. I asked what was in it. Toshio who had a very direct way of looking at you, his eyes wide open, his expression serious, almost tragic took up the bottle, smelled it solemnly, set it down and said : " I think it is soup." It was, but we did not indulge ! Then we took jinrikishas to his house. The grounds were large and contained sev- eral buildings, the largest of which was the residence itself. Toshio's room was on the second floor of a separate building this is customary for an eldest son and there I was led. In the middle of the room was a low table on which was a brazier with a burning coal, from which we lit our cigarettes. A Japa- nese girl about the homeliest that I saw in Japan came in bearing candies, and Toshio told me that she was his servant. Later an- other girl brought up a tray with tea. She fell to the floor and kow-towed, but not until she was leaving did Toshio mention the fact that she was his sister. Later his mother came up here again I made a grave breach of etiquette by rising. So later when his father came up I was schooled to remain seated and kow-tow. After the third time I was quite ready to stop, but as the father 24 GLIMPSES OF THE UNUSUAL showed no sign of weariness I must needs continue, wondering which of us should stop first. It was a very delicate point. Toshio himself was about eighteen, short, slight, frail, but very studious. His father was short and stout, with an extremely pene- trating eye. His mother was a refined Japa- nese woman, with a bright intelligent face. She was, in spite of her inability to speak Eng- lish, very much the courteous hostess. Later Toshio asked me if I would like to take a bath. Knowing that the Japanese bathe together, I asked if I might bathe with him, not being at all certain of doing the right thing if left to my own devices. He seemed pleased, and led me to a small room where we undressed, from which we entered the bath-room adjoining. It was about eight feet square, all of bamboo, with a tub in it about three feet square and three feet deep. The water in this tub was about 115 that is the usual temperature for Japanese baths. We seated ourselves on tiny stools, and threw buckets of this boiling water over ourselves. Then he asked me to get in the tub for- tunately I am used to hot baths and after I came out he got in. Then he asked me if I would like his servant to rub my back. Re- membering the female he had called his serv- ant I asked "Boy?" He said it was; so I acquiesced. To my complete surprise the girl y,M MAEBASHI, JAPAN. A Room in a Japanese House. Toshio Tanaka in his own room. JAPAN AND KOREA 25 entered and proceeded to rub my back vigor- ously. The hot water and the vigorous rub- bing relieved me of most of my cuticle, and some of my skin. I turned to Toshio and asked, " Am I very dirty? " Again that almost tragical expression, as he replied " Yes very ! " Later I found that u boy " was a gen- eric name in Japanese English for " servant." It was a very hot day, and I found it almost impossible to dry myself. Toshio told me to sit in the window to cool. When his sister passed a little later I was hardly embarrassed at all I was getting acclimated ! Toshio wanted to see me in Japanese clothes, and brought out some of his father's. The kimono was rather short, and not ex- pansive enough, especially when I sat on the floor. We went into the main room of the house, made quite large by throwing back all the shoji, and had more tea. My size seemed to be a source of amazement. At one time Mrs. Tanaka slapped her hip vigorously, and said something in Japanese, which Toshio translated : " My-e mother say you have very fine constitution." His father was so impressed that he opened the shoji leading into his office he is a surgeon so that he and his two patients, sitting around a huge brazier, could see me. Then he asked if he might weigh me, and led me to a funny little scale with a built-in chair on the platform. 26 GLIMPSES OF THE UNUSUAL Toshio announced with evident satisfaction that I weighed twenty-four pounds, but his satisfaction was nothing compared to mine. Needless to say the unit of measure was not pounds. We returned to Toshio's room after a while, and another guest was announced by Toshio in this remarkable manner : " An Indian comes. " I was prepared for most anything but an Indian! He proved to be an East- Indian from Malacca, who had lived in Paris, London, New York, and nearly all the large cities of the world. He spoke, besides his own language, French, English, German, Japanese, Chinese, Italian, and a little Turkish and Russian, but his English was by no means as good as Toshio's. He was short, with a rat-like head and a stringy long beard of per- haps a dozen hairs, and was dressed in Eng- lish clothes. Later Toshio's entire family re- turned to his room. When it was time for me to change my clothes and go back to the hotel, they showed no evidence of leaving, and I was at a loss what to do, until the " Indian," perceiving my difficulty, suggested that all but Toshio should wait downstairs until I was dressed! At the hotel the manager had prepared an American bed for me, much to my disgust, as I should have preferred a Japanese quilt. But I saw that I would give offense if I did JAPAN AND KOREA 27 not use the bed; so was led to another room by the manager, followed by Toshio, the " Indian," the wife of the manager, and most of the servants. The bed was an iron one, placed in the exact center of the room, with a hideous and close mosquito net over it col- ored purple and green. The sheet was a nar- row and short piece of white crepe, the only cover a quilt, though the night was stifling. The pillow was a towel stuffed with hay later I took one of the beautiful soft cushions off the floor in my room to use on my bed. I felt the bed, nodded approval which I did not feel and immediately everyone was in smiles, as if a momentous question had been solved. Then I made an appointment with Toshio for the next morning at six-thirty, and retired. It was too cool without the quilt, and too hot with it. After some hours I went to sleep, to be awakened the next moment, it seemed, by Toshio. It was five-thirty! He said he had come early, as the car we wanted to take, and which he thought left at seven- thirty, really left at seven. I dressed, and then he told me that the seven o'clock car would make us wait an hour at the transfer point; so that it would be better to wait for the eight o'clock car after all ! It was a dark, lowering day, and hot too. We took the trolley to Ikao, where we met 28 GLIMPSES OF THE UNUSUAL Miyakawa, a friend of Toshio's, who also spoke English. Ikao is a most interesting town, and is famous for its sulphur baths. Its main street is built on the side of a hill, and consists of steps for nearly its whole length. The houses, and their settings, are very picturesque. We took a walk in the morning, and in the afternoon started off for Haruna for in an unguarded moment I had said I wanted to go there. A slow drizzling rain set in, that dampened my enthusiasm and ardor greatly. We climbed straight up a mountain side, and the heat was intense. I tried to tell them that it was useless to go to Haruna on a day like this, that we wouldn't be able to see anything when we got there. But they were adamantine I had said I wanted to see it, and see it I must. If I had known the distance I would have stopped then and there, but they kept saying it was " only a little ways further " or " very near," until we had actu- ally walked the six miles to the lake. Of course we could see nothing; so then we had to turn around and walk back. But return- ing was not quite so bad, as I really knew how far I had to go, and most of the way was down hill. At Haruna were two hotels, each crowded with guests from Ikao hotels. We met boys running along the road carrying umbrellas to IKAO, JAPAN. The Principal Street. JAPAN AND KOREA 29 them imagine sending a boy six miles with an umbrella a paper one at that ! Some of the more fortunate guests had hammock-like chairs, carried by two coolies if the passenger were Japaxiese, but by four to six if he were a foreigner. The Japs looked very comfortable all snuggled up in this hammock, but the foreigners did not look so at all elbows and knees were particularly conspicuous. Per- haps I was not so badly off after all. The long trolley ride back to Maebashi in wet clothes did not make for comfort either, but one of those steaming hot baths in the hotel tub made me at peace with the world again. After dinner was served in my room, of course, as there is no public dining room I was very ready for bed. After returning to Yokohama a proposed trip with Toshio had to be canceled, for his grandfather, as he wrote " has become sick, and is going to danger." A letter from Toshio to a friend in America about my visit is too good not to give. Much allowance must be made in it for " Japanese politeness." Here is a portion of the letter: " I had a very happy and good Summer vacation last-year, because Mr. Howard, my intimate friend, came over to our country, and kindly visited my house. "He is a fine gentleman indeed; his eyes are large and clear, his nose is high and he has also a 30 GLIMPSES OF THE UNUSUAL tender smile in his face, which he always gives us when he speaks with us. He also speaks English eloquently, and I was taught a great deal of English languages while he was staying. Truely, I have never met with such a fine foreign gentleman in our country. My parents and Sister were very glad to see him, and wished him to stay as long as he could; but unfortunately they can not speak English nicely, they only talked with him in gesticulation. If they only could speak English nicely, they would be greatly pleased. We were very much surprised to see Mr. Howard was accustomed to the Japanese style very well. He knows well the Japanese polite- ness, he takes Japanese food and also smokes Jap- anese cigarettes. I have once heard from our English teacher that the people who live in your country are all sociable men, truly I found it in Mr. Howard. He is a very sociable man indeed, for this was for the first time I met with him in my life, but he talked with us as if he had known us from a child. I like very much such a man. Oh! what a happy Summer vacation I spent last year. If I shall have the pleasure of seeing you in our country this Summer, I shall be a very happy man in the world." The railway trip to Kamakura is through very pretty country, the rice fields and ter- races being especially attractive. At Kama- kura is the Dai-butsu, or Great Buddha. This marvelous bronze was cast about the middle of the thirteenth century. It has none of the exaggerations of so many of the other Buddhas, though of course Oriental in char- acter, and is really sublimely impressive. It JAPAN. Two views of the Dai-butsu, or Great Buddha, at Kamakura. A Diver at Enoshima. Waiting for the Emperor's Funeral. JAPAN AND KOREA 31 is almost fifty feet high, and is said to be the largest piece of cast bronze in existence. In its calm and dignity it cannot be surpassed : it certainly typifies all that is best in the religion it symbolizes. At Enoshima a few miles away is a cave highly revered by the Japanese, but of no great interest to foreigners. The island is attractive, though, and the fishermen and divers, with their small bodies but magnificent physiques, are well worth seeing. The Rowlands had given me a cordial in- vitation to visit them in Sapporo on the island of Hokkaido often called Yezo just north of Hondo, which is the largest and most important island. Of course I accepted, but on my way there made several stops. My first was a short one at Tokyo, where a long jinrikisha ride to the station from the hotel at night, through the narrow back streets, proved most interesting. The little glimpses of the homes and shops passed at this hour gave more of an insight into Japa- nese life than much daytime wandering, when the people were more confined to the labors of the day. Tokyo is said to cover one hun- dred square miles, and is the largest city of the East. A ride at night helps to make one realize its vast size. Sendai was the next stop, from which I visited Takayama and Matsushima. Taka- 32 GLIMPSES OF THE UNUSUAL yama is a delightful cottage colony of foreigners on the coast, amid picturesque sur- roundings. It is six miles from the railway station, and the charge for the jinrikisha ride is thirty cents. A friend I expected to find here was absent, and I was compelled to ac- cept the hospitality of absolute strangers, but old friends could not have been more cordial or kindly. Matsushima is one of the " San-kei " or " Three Great Sights " of Japan. It is a large bay studded with tiny islands of vol- canic tufa of weird and fantastic shape, with pines as weird and fantastic as the islands themselves a charming view not unlike parts of Lake George. It is a beautiful spot, but too-enthusiastic tourists are often dis- appointed here, having been led to expect something very exceptional. One of the islands approached by a bridge has little shrines cut in the rock, and a path leading over it in the picturesque way so dear to the heart of the Japanese gardener. The two-day trip from Sendai to Sapporo was tiresome for the most part. The " ferry " from Aomori to Hakodate takes four and a half hours the rest of the trip was by train. Hokkaido is of course much farther north than the rest of Japan and the climate is so much the cooler. It is not unlike New Eng- land in its trees, flowers and animal life, as JAPAN AND KOREA 33 well as in its climate. The Japanese have only recently settled here in any great num- bers, and the villages and the whole char- acter of the country are by no means typical of Japan. The houses, for instance, are quite unlike the fragile houses further south, as they have to be built very strong to resist the biting cold and the snows of severe winters. Sapporo, the capital of the island, is not an old city, having been officially created in 1870. It is well laid out, with unusually wide streets. On one of these streets I chanced on some policemen, leading four prisoners, who had inverted baskets over their heads to pre- serve them from the ignomy and disgrace of recognition. Mr. Rowland was anxious that I should see the Ainus, the aboriginal inhabitants of Japan. They are found now only in a few villages of Hokkaido, and are fast dying out: a few years will probably find them extinct. One of these villages is near Shiraoi. The Ainu men are short, like the Japanese, but more heavily built. Unlike the Japanese they are extremely hairy, and, with their full beards, are often very handsome. The women are far from handsome, as they tattoo the flesh for an inch around their mouths, ex- tending it up on their cheeks like a mustache. The effect is not very agreeable. Their houses are built almost entirely of thatch. In 34 GLIMPSES OF THE UNUSUAL several cases we saw large cages built outside the house, with a young bear cub inside. These are kept and fattened, to be later killed for a feast of a semi-religious nature. From Shiraoi we continued to the hot springs of Nobori-betsu. This is a favorite bathing resort of the Japanese. There are the usual volcanic activities a pool of boiling mud, spouting geysers, boiling springs, and an all-pervasive sulphur smell. The Japanese stand under streams of this water, which is actually boiling hot, and let it fall on their bare backs it is impossible to understand how they can become so inured to it. Returning, we stopped to visit a Japanese preacher. The amount of kow-towing a Japanese missionary has to do is beyond be- lief. I have seen it kept up, slowly and de- liberately, for ten minutes. Surely a strong spine and tough knees must be one of the re- quirements ! The time at Sapporo passed pleasantly, and all too quickly. Returning to the main island, I stopped off at Nikko, with its exquisite tem- ples. It is in itself a beauty spot its chief glory, aside from the temples, being the mag- nificent cryptomerias, huge trees of wonderful proportions, on the order of our cedars. On leaving Nikko a seven-mile jinrikisha ride is taken down a cryptomeria avenue it is one of the most beautiful sights of Nikko. JAPAN AND KOREA 35 The temples have a setting of brilliant green, broken by imposing flights of broad stone stairs. Beside the temples there are numer- ous lanterns, of bronze and stone; many ex- quisite gateways with marvelous wood carv- ings; toriis of wood and stone, and a pagoda. The torii is the familiar Japanese gateway, which is always placed in front of Shinto temples. The temples all through Japan are much alike: a large space open on three sides, with the altar or image in a shrine on the fourth side. Those at Nikko are very large, and are unusual in that some of them are covered with red lacquer. It is always raining in Nikko, which accounts for the beautiful shade of the foliage. It also accounts for the fact that I was unable to make the trip to Lake Chu- zenji. The funeral of the Emperor who, by the way, is never called the Mikado in Japan was held on the thirteenth of September at Kyoto. Through the kindness of a friend I went with a Toyko school. At noon, in full evening dress, with a wide band of crepe around my hat, I walked with the school to the place designated for it on the line of march. The funeral was to start at eight o'clock at night, but it was necessary to come so early to reserve our places. The route to be fol- lowed by the cortege was lined with torches 36 GLIMPSES OF THE UNUSUAL and with trees, from which long white streamers were hung. The police had given orders on every conceivable subject, from what to wear and where to stand to when to rise and what to eat! One of the rules was that each person should have a mourning badge many wore a little celluloid button with a picture of a black bow ! I saw one coolie stripped to the waist with a mourning band around his arm ! The rules ran into such detail as to make them ridiculous read- ing, but they served the purpose : the arrange- ments were admirable, and in spite of the enormous crowds there was no accident. My own costume was said to be absolutely obliga- tory for a foreigner, but never again do I ex- pect to wear evening dress in the daytime to a funeral. During the seven hours' wait there was much to attract the attention and help pass the time. At nightfall the torches were lit, and cast a bright but flickering light over the road. Shortly before eight the procession be- gan to pass us, and exactly on the hour a gun was fired, announcing that the cortege had left the palace. The first part of the procession consisted of soldiers and sailors, some of them from foreign countries, who passed by silently, with reversed arms. The road was covered with tan bark, and the procession passed almost without sound. The flickering JAPAN AND KOREA 37 lights, and the vast number of men with their silent tread made an unusually impressive ceremony even of this part of this strange funeral. Then came the Shinto priests in flowing robes, carrying symbols, such as bows, quivers, shields, gongs, and the like. Several bands went by also, playing a dirge adding to the weird effect by some shrill Japanese musi- cal instruments. Then came the catafalque, drawn by five oxen. The oxen were so sur- rounded by cow-herds that they could scarcely be seen. The catafalque was a wooden two- wheeled cart, not unlike an ice-wagon in ap- pearance. It was decorated, but the light was too dim to distinguish details. For an hour and a half after the passing of the catafalque the procession of soldiers con- tinued. On the way from Tokyo to Kyoto the train passes close to Fuji-yama. The mountain is a perfect cone, and is very beautiful no won- der the Japanese love it. On the way down I amused myself with the Tokyo Puck. It is a comic paper published by Japanese in English. It had a remarkable editorial on the Emperor's death. The spirit of the edi- torial was sincere enough, but its expression left much to be desired, and as for its use of the " pnglirh " language well, it speaks for itself. The type was evidently pied, to add 38 GLIMPSES OF THE UNUSUAL to the trouble. The following is an exact copy : TOKYO PUCK Tokyo, Ougust 20, 1912. CHEER UP Cheer up, friends ! True, our good and beloved empe ov is gone. But he is happiev in yondev ethersal height, at bast free from this awful heat of earthly summev. Besides dead, he is aleie doing an unexpected lot of good to the countug. Behoed ! thue is that interesting practical jokey kno coming in all soberness to atteud the imperial effect of his neutralising scheme of a few years ago. Ond nothing short of the sad event could haye dene that. In death he conguereth indeed ! Then there is a prowd prince of the pvoud hoase of Hohenzollern to represesent his proudev brothev in paying the last tribute to one who was once cari- catured as the sove and spirit of yellow peril! Of conse we mean it all will : this is ong mr pucki woy of soy it. Hey-ho ! Cheer up, lament not, f riwds ! Not down hue in this mundane worM. Rut up obove he shineth a light that illumines the hath of his eounty forevev. Theongh his death the voored has bocome more friendl to us. Even that young joiunal which, printed in pnglirh is pubhshei to serve continental pmposes, aud which calls reirlivg jafan indefeudeut journalism is paiynig tribntee to the dead Sovoreign, thnikng it a good form! Of cowse it is not nwel of a comfliment to be spokew of well by a mer- cenwy sheet of the kind. But that a journal of the kind should deem it proper seven to obseve good form, is a most eloquent testimony that thereis some- thing realy great and holy in his memory. Cheer up, friends, a good understauding is coming. JAPAN AND KOREA 39 Three days after the funeral there was an- other interesting ceremony in memory of the Emperor, but this one was Buddhist. The Nishi Hongwanji is a large Buddhist temple, the lower floor opening on three sides on a large porch. In the center of the fourth side was the shrine, lit by numerous tiny lamps and candles. On each side of the shrine were rooms, the decorations of the wall being solid gold relieved only by a brown kakemono and a spray of pine. In the center of the build- ing were four massive wooden pillars, sup- porting the roof. By these sat some priests, and the musicians. Behind, places were roped off for schoolgirls and dignitaries, and behind them again came the public. The priests began to file into the rooms at each side of the shrine. They were in gor- geous robes of changeable colors. The first had on a robe of salmon, red and gold. He was followed by others in royal purples, greens, yellows and browns. They seated themselves on the floor, facing the shrine. The exquisite hues of their robes, with the background of pure gold, gave a most won- derful effect it was as if a rare piece of Satsuma had come to life. Then priests of higher rank entered, who took seats nearer the shrine. The service was intoned, the priests rising and sitting often. At one time they walked to and fro in front of the shrines 40 GLIMPSES OF THE UNUSUAL carrying books from which hung three long silk cords. They would tear out leaves as prayers and cast them on the floor. At the close of the service the various dignitaries filed past, made their obeisance to the shrine, and offered up incense. This service was far more interesting and picturesque than the funeral, though it lacked the eeriness given by the night and the flickering torches. There are many interesting buildings and temples in Kyoto. The San-ju-san-gen-do is unique. It is a temple to Kwannon, the god- dess of mercy, and contains 33,333 images of her. It is a low unimpressive building nearly four hundred feet long. In it are one thou- sand gilt statues of the goddess rising in five tiers one behind the other. The effect is startling, if not particularly artistic. In the hands of the figures are numerous small statues that make up the total number of representations of the goddess. In another building is a large Dai-butsu in wood. It shows the head and shoulders only, and is re- markable chiefly for size, being in no other way comparable to the one at Kamakura. The Yasaka Pagoda has five stories, but the climb is worth while on account of the splendid view of Kyoto to be seen from the top. Near the temple of Kiyomizu is a small shed covering a great many small stone images JAPAN AND KOREA 41 of Jizo, each with a colored cloth bib and a pile of stones in its lap. Bereaved parents place these rocks here, in order to lessen the work of their children in the other world. A blessing is invoked by taking a dipper of water and splashing it all over the images, and it is interesting to watch the people old and young, men, women and children do this. From Kyoto to Miyajima the sleeper was truly amazing. Its price in the first place aroused my curiosity what kind of a berth could I get for thirty cents? It was like a series of couches pushed end to end and run- ning the length of the car. When lying down your head was over the feet of the man be- hind you, and in turn your feet were under the head of the man ahead of you! There was a row of these berths on each side of the car, and above them rows of upper berths of the same kind. The space allotted may have been enough for the short Japanese, but for a fairly tall American they were not alto- gether satisfactory. By letting my feet drape in the aisle I secured a good night's rest, in spite of difficulties. At Miyajima the object of most interest is the elaborate torii. It is painted red, and at high tide, when its base is covered by water, is one of the most picturesque things to be 42 GLIMPSES OF THE UNUSUAL seen in Japan. Near by is an interesting tem- ple and a little park that contains many doves, and a few tame deer. Much has been said of Japanese cleanli- ness. In person they are clean, but one has only to ride in a second-class Japanese coach to see how dirty they are in other ways. Built-in spittoons are most conspicuous in the center of the aisles, and form a constant stumbling block. The Japanese put every- thing on the floor of the train bags and bun- dles of all kinds, teapots, ashes, sandals, fruit skins everything, in fact, except their feet. At each station a diminutive boy comes in with a huge wet rag and washes off the floor, leaving it a little less encumbered, but decidedly moist and prone to gather dirt. It was a particularly beautiful moonlight night as I sailed from Shimonoseki. Lights twinkled on the shore, and everything was stilled. As the boat went on, a beautiful Fuji-like mountain sailed underneath the half moon. It was a fitting " sayonara " to Japan. But though the night began so auspiciously it did not continue so. The boat was small, and the passage was rough. The name of the boat the " Iki Maru " was not exactly re- assuring. All night long the boat tossed and rolled. It kept me awake, and the words of a half- forgotten song kept running through my head : " I've got a motta, always merry JAPAN AND KOREA 43 and bright," " Cheer up, Cuthbert, you'll soon be dead" and the rest of the inanity, over and over again but it helped to pass the time. Leaving Fusan the next morning a long train ride brought me to Seoul that night. Korea is now called Cho-sen by the Japanese. The Korean men dress in a long robe of stiff thin material reaching to the knees, and fas- tened by a large bow on the right breast. In color it is usually white, but may be a pale shade of pink, blue, or green. Under this is a white shirt, and full white trousers gathered at the ankles, with shoes of wood shaped like a canoe. On their head they wear a hat of stiff black cloth the exact duplicate of wire screening with a wide brim of the same ma- terial. A tiny pig-tail fastened into a knot on top of their heads shows through the hat, and the resemblance to a mouse in a trap is too strong not to be noticed immediately. The hat is held in place by two shoe strings that tie under the chin, the ends falling to their waist. Their beards are downy and meager, and the hat strings make them look longer than they really are. Add to this a pipe with a stem a yard long, and you have the complete picture of the Korean. The women's costume is also odd. Their dress is open horizontally in front, exposing the breasts, and they wear long coats of 44 GLIMPSES OF THE UNUSUAL bright colors, which though they have sleeves are always worn over the head with the arms flapping at the sides. One sees in- numerable naked children with abdomens that are almost spherical caused by a dis- ease, it is said, traceable to a rice diet. At Seoul by far the most interesting things were the natives themselves. They are ab- solutely different from the Japanese, and are a never- failing source of interest and amuse- ment. No comic opera would dare bring out a chorus dressed in real Korean clothes they would be hooted off the stage for being so un- true and unrealistic! The old North palace, which has not been used since the queen w r as murdered there in 1895, is magnificent though falling into ruin. The death of a member of the royal family al- ways necessitated a new palace the old one was desecrated. Walking in a straight line from the main gateway, one goes through court and palace in endless succession. The courts are stone paved, but have fallen into such a ruinous state that in one of them they were actually cutting the grass. Many of the gateways are exceptionally beautiful the wood carving and tile work being particularly attractive. At one side, surrounded by a moat filled with pond lilies, stood a beautiful build- ing called the " Banqueting Hall," but said to have been a hall for ceremonial dancing. JAPAN AND KOREA 45 The tomb of the murdered queen lies outside the town, and shows the arrangement typical of Chinese tombs, with some interesting carved stone figures. The trip from Seoul to Mukden takes seventeen hours. A fine new bridge crosses the Yalu, which is the boundary line between Korea and Manchuria. One wonders how long it will be before the Japanese have control of Manchuria also. Chapter IV CHINA On crossing the Yalu it becomes apparent at once that you are in China, for all of the na- tives are dressed in blue. This blue clothing seems to be universal in China, though of course it is much more prevalent in some parts of the country than it is in others. At Mukden it is necessary in order to visit the palace to procure a pass from your Consul. The American Consul lived in an artistic old house formerly a temple with much around that was quaint and curious. The palace in itself was not particularly in- teresting, but contained a marvelous collec- tion of old porcelain, and some valuable old embroideries. Mukden is a dirty city, with two wide streets meeting at right angles, a three-story tower standing at the junction. The Man- chus for of course we are in Manchuria are fine specimens of manhood ; big, husky fellows entirely unlike the small Chinese of the South. Once it was necessary to change a film in my camera. I was immediately sur- rounded by a large gaping crowd perfectly quiet, but tremendously interested. A uni- 46 3 MUKDEN, MANCHURIA. A Street Scene. The Residence of the American Consul. CHINA 47 formed policeman came hustling importantly up, but instead of dispersing the crowd he joined it, taking advantage of his authority to get a front place. To the passing tourist the principal business here seems to be hog deal- ing never have I seen so many hogs. On the streets are many butcher shops, and in front of each lie a dozen or so fat porkers, their feet tied together, awaiting their turn for execution. Two Manchus were carrying a dressed carcass down the street some- thing broke, and the body rolled through the dirt of the street. It did not increase one's appetite for pork. The railway trip from Mukden to Peking had to be broken at Shan-hai-kwan, unless a special train is taken that runs only once a week. At Shan-hai-kwan the Great Wall meets the sea, but reference to this will be made later. As the train reached Peking late at night, the magnificent wall and gateways made a wonderful silhouette in the moonlight. The walls of Peking are in some respects more impressive than the Great Wall itself, as they are considerably larger. The walls of the Tartar City are thirteen miles long, while those of the Chinese City, immediately to the south, must be nearly half that length. These walls are forty feet high, and are ex- tremely well built. The road on the top is 48 GLIMPSES OF THE UNUSUAL twenty feet wide, and from it splendid views of the city can be obtained. Peking is unattractive for the most part. The main streets are very wide, but extremely dusty and dirty. The Legation Quarter, which has been enlarged since the Boxer re- bellion, resembles in its architecture a Con- tinental city, and is by far the handsomest part of town with the possible exception of the Forbidden City, which few foreigners are al- lowed to enter. There are many ancient temples in Peking. Some of them might be exceedingly beautiful, but they are absolutely spoiled by the fact that the surroundings are neglected and un- cared for, and the temples themselves are dilapidated and filthily dirty. The Chinese will soon learn, as the Japanese already have, that it will pay, from a purely utilitarian standpoint, to take better care of their crum- bling monuments, in the increased number of tourists drawn thereby. The Altar and Temple of Heaven are in a large park-like enclosure in the Chinese city. The Altar consists of three white marble terraces, of which the lowest one is over two hundred feet wide. The balustrades and much of the stone work is beautifully carved. The Temple of Heaven stands on a similar series of terraces, and is a round building with an ancient blue tiled roof. The interior is CHINA 49 impressive, on account of its huge teak-wood columns. The Llama Temple is in the northern part of the Tartar City. The Llamas are a sect of Buddhist priests or monks, and wear the same yellow robes that were later to be seen in Burma and Ceylon. A service witnessed here was not unlike the Buddhist ceremony seen at Kyoto, though it was by no means so elaborate or picturesque. The temple itself was an old royal palace. Near by is the Tem- ple of the Great Buddha. This dilapidated and dirty building contains a figure of Buddha in wood, gaudily painted, and is remarkable for its height of seventy feet rather than for any artistic value. The Temple of Confucius is also near. In its Hall of Classics are copies of the Chinese classics carved in stone, in order to make sure of their preservation for future generations. In the courtyard of the temple is a pailow, a thin gateway of three flat arches, of bright green and yellow tiles contrasted with white marble, one of the most beautiful of its kind in China, The Summer Palace was unfortunately not open to visitors during my brief stay in Peking. The tombs of the Emperors of the Ming dynasty or the Ming Tombs, as they are generally called can be reached from Nan- kow, a little north of Peking, by ponies, or m a sedan chair. By pony the trip took si^ &nd So GLIMPSES OF THE UNUSUAL a half hours. The trail led across land ap- parently bacren, but in reality producing quite a little. Among other things I noticed corn, peanuts, and persimmon trees. A large and very beautifully carved white marble pailow with five openings marked the beginning of the " Holy Way," which continued over the country for miles to the tombs. After the pailow, but some distance beyond it, was a monument to one of the Ming Emperors, a building containing a stone shaft resting on the back of a gigantic stone tortoise. Im- mediately after this came the avenue of an- imals, in pairs, one on each side of the road, the first pair kneeling and the second stand- ing. They represented lions, rams, camels, elephants, fabulous animals, and horses, all carved from large blocks of stone. After these came various officials and priests, all standing, also carved from single blocks. The " Holy Way " continued for some distance beyond these, its outlines at times being scarcely discernible. Here it would be marked by a broken marble bridge further on by a piece of pavement, but finally no traces of it remained. In the distance the tombs could be seen, picturesquely situated at the foot of the mountains. They were not very near each other, and an inspection of them all would take several days ; so the tourist must be content with inspecting one. The CHINA 51 Tomb of Yung-Loh is typical, and is one of the largest and best preserved; and therefore is the one usually visited. The principal pavil- ion of this tomb was a huge hall two hundred feet long and half as wide, with many solid teak-wood pillars sixty feet high supporting the roof. At the rear of this pavilion was a large quadrangle, which led on the other side to a passage opening on a terrace, said to be directly above the real tomb, from which there was an extensive view of the country just passed through. The Great Wall is reached from Nankow by a railway which continues on to Kalgan. But the wall can be seen in all its glory at the Nankow Pass, near the station of Ching- lung Chiao. The pass is in the heart of the mountains, and is one of the main arteries into Peking from Mongolia. At Kalgan is another and outer wall, which is nearer the boundary between the two countries. Pictures of the Great Wall give little idea of its impressiveness. Imagine a wall avera- ging twenty-seven feet in height and thirty in width, extending for two thousand five hun- dred miles over the country not passing along the plains, but seeking the very hilliest places. It is older than the Christian era. Most of the wall near the Nankow pass is in excellent condition. Starting at the gate- way of the pass, the walls rise easily and 52 GLIMPSES OF THE UNUSUAL gracefully in both directions, twisting, turning, and disappearing, to reappear on a higher crest, and again on a taller mountain behind, as far as the eye can see. About every six hundred yards there is a watch tower jutting out from the wall, and relieving what might be otherwise a monotonous line. An Ameri- can army officer told me that the wall is re- markable in that it always makes use of the " military crest " in other words that it takes advantage of the formation of the ground so that an attacking army must climb a hill before reaching the wall itself. At Shan-hai-kwan, mentioned before, the wall was similar, but not so well preserved. I had asked an Englishman there how the Chinese guarded the wall, saying that they must have had watchers in the towers, who telephoned back to Peking at the approach of the enemy. " Oh," he answered, " but they didn't have telephones in those days." A camel and donkey caravan passed through the massive gateway. There was nothing about it indicative of modern civilization : caravans similar to it harve been passing through that gateway every day for two thou- sand years ! At the pass the foundations of the wall and the first ten feet of the superstructure are of large dressed granite blocks. Above these the walls are made of sun-dried bricks, about four CHING-LUNG CHIAO, CHINA. The Great Wall. CHINA 53 times the size of one of our bricks, and very heavy. A Chinaman took three of these huge bricks with him, saying he wanted them for his garden in Canton. He was dressed in European clothes, but his companion wore a gorgeous costume of heavy brocaded silk. The pajama-like trousers were light lavender in color, the coat a dark blue, and the sleeve- less jacket over that a plum black. At Peking and throughout the northern part of China the pig-tail was very much in evidence. At Shanghai it was rarer, and in Hong Kong and Canton it had practically dis- appeared. It is the symbol of the Manchu dynasty, and the absence of it in the South seems to show that the Republic is more popular there than it is in the North. The trip from Peking to Hankow by rail is a fascinating one through the heart of China. Strangely, ^he management of the road is French- even the time-tables are published in French. The trip takes forty hours on a special train running once a week. On arriving at Hankow I jumped in a rick- shaw (resembling the Japanese jinrikisha, but heavy and clumsy), and told the coolie to take me to the Terminus Hotel. He looked blank, but started off at full speed running for at least fifteen minutes. By this time I had be- come fully convinced that he did not know where I wanted to go, but as I knew of no 54 GLIMPSES OF THE UNUSUAL way to tell him, I thought it best to let him continue. Finally we stopped in front of a fine white house set well back among the trees, but without a sign of any kind. I felt sure it was not the hotel, but approached a short energetic young Englishman descending the path, and said: " Pardon me, but is this the Terminus Hotel ?" It did not take long to see that I had made a grievous mistake. His eyes flashed, and he drew himself up very dramatically and in- dignantly exclaimed: " No ! This is the British Consulate." Not till I reached the hotel did I realize the magnitude of my crime ! A short stay here sufficed to see the Bund a street running along the edge of the Yang- tse-kiang and the other sights of the town. Boarding a Chinese boat named the " Sai-wo" we sailed down the river for two days to Nanking. At Kiu-kiang the boat stopped for four hours, giving a splendid chance to visit this squalid Chinese town. A boy who spoke English a little a very little constituted himself my guide, and led me to some of the temples. They were not interesting, but the life of the people was very much so. Once, in a street running between two high walls, I almost stumbled on a leper. He had cast himself on the ground in the narrowest part CHINA 55 of the street, and his great open sores, ter- rible deformities, and whining pleas were all equally horrible. Continuing down the Yang-tse-kiang, it was amusing to see the Chinese board our boat from little craft waiting in the river, while we were still in motion. The excitement ran high at times, but large cargoes, both of passengers and freight, were changed amidstream with- out mishap. The shore north of the river was a dull flat plain as far as the eye could see in great contrast to the southern shore, which was very mountainous, the mountains often extending to the edge of the river. At Nanking the carriage drivers have a bat- tle over every passenger, and it was with dif- ficulty I finally procured one and reached the Bridge House Hotel. This little hotel, though very unpretentious, was remarkably clean, and the food good. Nanking was formerly a huge city, with a wall nearly as long as that of Peking. But now the greater part of the ground within the wall is farm land or forest. The little that is left of the city is huddled at one end, about five miles from the hotel. Here the old examination halls are still standing they have been destroyed at Pe- king and Canton and I was very glad to get a glimpse of them. It is only a matter of 56 GLIMPSES OF THE UNUSUAL a short time before these will be destroyed also. The halls consist of thousands of tiny cells arranged in rows, with a large central tower for watchers. The cells are only about two feet square, and have two shelves, one for a seat and the other for a desk. Twenty- five thousand people could be examined at once. It is said that they were sealed in these tiny rooms for days, and if a death occurred as not infrequently happened it was nec- essary to break down the wall to remove the body. Walking on the old wall, I saw in the fields below a boy in a filthy pool of water, hunting for lotus root with his feet. On finding a root he would dive down in this slimy water, remain submerged for alarming periods at times, and then would come up puffing and blowing, the root in his hand. Here also I met two soldiers, who led me, though we could not communicate by speech, through the fields to their camp. A sign near it said: " NO ADMITTANCE. HERE IS MAGAZINE." but they led on ; so I followed. At the " maga- zine M I met more soldiers who inspected me carefully, examining my camera and clothes. They offered me tea to drink, which I had to accept, though it was far from tempting. To CHINA 57 be frank, I think I afforded them as much amusement as they did me. At Shanghai, though it is a beautiful city, there is comparatively little for the tourist to see, if he is looking for Chinese life and cus- toms. But if one had to live in the East, Shanghai must be very attractive. The best English newspaper in the East is published here, and you are in constant touch with Europe and America. Shanghai has one famous sight, though the largest bar in the world ! The adjacent Chinese part of the city is very interesting, and a trip through the streets with their ivory, wood, and other shops is well worth while. Taking the " Bulow" to Hong Kong, in three days we entered that beautiful harbor. The city of Victoria Hong Kong being really the name of the island rises from the water's edge on terrace after terrace until the famous " Peak " is reached. This peak, though not very high, has a funicular road leading to the top, and commands a splendid view of the harbor and surroundings of Hong Kong. In summer it is used as a place of residence by the foreigners in Hong Kong. Canton is a few hours' journey up the Pearl River. It presents typical Chinese life the kind that you expected to see before you left 58 GLIMPSES OF THE UNUSUAL home, and failed to find in Peking. Here is a very kaleidoscope of colors. The streets are narrow, with many steps: the houses are for the most part two stories high, with forbid- ding walls, but occasionally an open door gives a vista of an attractive garden within. Most of the streets are lined with tiny shops, which sell almost everything. Great gaudy banners of all colors, a foot wide and yards long, with Chinese characters, hang from the upper stories. On bright days the street is spotted and flecked with sunshine, and the coloring is fascinating. One sees all kinds of Chinese men in gorgeous robes, others in plain ones, and coolies stripped to the waist, their brown arms and necks glistening in the occasional sunbeam. All are eager, all busy, all quick without undue haste. Women there are too, but by no means as many. I had expected a gloomy, forbidding people of threatening as- pect instead I found a happy, smiling peo- ple, content in their own way of life, but mightily curious about yours. The narrow streets and many steps prevent the use of car- riages or even of rickshaws; so sedan chairs carried by four to six coolies have to be used if you do not care to walk. It was, to me, by far the most fascinating of the Chinese cities. The Shameen is the foreign residence sec- tion of Canton. On an island connected with the city by two guarded bridges rise foreign CHINA 59 buildings in a delightful setting of semi- tropical trees and shrubs. The Bund here, with its beautiful overhanging shade trees on the water's edge, is most attractive. On the side toward Canton is an " entanglement " of barbed wire, and sand-bag barriers are in some of the principal streets. They make one real- ize that while all may seem peaceful and quiet, the resident foreigners are always ready to be on the defensive if necessary. On returning a stop was made at the Portuguese settlement of Macao. Won by the Portuguese while at the height of their power, and commercially still valuable, it has degenerated to a gambling and opium den. The boat arrived at one o'clock in the morning, and the Chinese made a terrible noise while disembarking. Thoroughly aroused, I could not get to sleep, and finally decided to dress and visit the town, though it was nearly three. Facing the boat was a three-story building covered with elec- tric lights, and there were many like it in other streets. These were all gambling halls, and it was interesting to watch the Chinese in them. At Macao are opium factories also. The drug has been excluded from China, but the Chinese can come here and get it. Macao is beautifully situated, and in the daytime has a quaint old-world charm, like a breath from a fragrant garden. It is so ab- solutely different from the Chinese cities you 60 GLIMPSES OF THE UNUSUAL have been visiting, that it is a great surprise. It seems more as if you were in Portugal than China, and the Portuguese policemen add to the illusion. All that is left standing of the old Cathedral is the fagade, and a flight of massive stone steps. This faqade shows an incongruous combination of Renaissance archi- tecture with Chinese symbols. But at night- fall the charm of Macao is dissipated, and it becomes again a den of gambling and vice. Shopping in Hong Kong and Canton is a great pleasure, but here is a timely word, copied verbatim, from a guide book: HINTS ON SELECTING AND PURCHASING This is one of the most fascinating experiences of the visitor to this City of curio shops where, owing to the perfect novelty of the scene sudden flights of reason are at times apt to leave fancy sole mistress of the situation, and, through her inaptitude for the re- sponsibilities, one discovers too late, how much bet- ter bargains might have been made. Chapter V MANILA The Yellow Sea is one of the roughest bodies of water on the globe, and the trip from Hong Kong to Manila and back had long been dreaded. I had to take a tiny boat the " Tean " ; on a large boat the trip is bad enough on a small one it is absolute misery. A few hours before reaching Manila the boat stopped at Merivales, to leave the steer- age passengers. As there had been consider- able cholera in China, they were compelled to remain here a week before being allowed to enter the islands. As soon as they landed they and their belongings were fumigated, and it was amusing to see the Chinese get back into their clothes, their pig-tails untied and hanging down their backs. Manila is not an old Filipino village, but was built by the Spaniards. The walls en- close a space of about two square miles, and this part of town is called " Intramuros," or the walled city. The houses are well built, and the streets clean. There are no less than ten cathedrals here, all of them old, and some quite beautiful. The wall has been broken down in places, to make wider entrances to 61 62 GLIMPSES OF THE UNUSUAL the town, and to admit trolleys. Formerly there was a moat outside the walls, but this has been rilled in, and part of it made into a broad boulevard. The walls, with an oc- casional sentry box jutting out from them, are very picturesque, and form one of the strik- ing features of Manila. Just outside the walls is the Luneta, a large open parkway. Band concerts are given here almost every evening at sunset, and great crowds, composed of all classes, come here at that time to hear the music and have a little social intercourse after the heat of the day. The new Manila hotel stands on one side of the Luneta, and the Army and Navy Club on the other. From the Luneta a broad avenue lined with beautiful trees leads past the walled city to the Pasig River. On the other side of the river is the distinctly business section of the town. The river itself is filled with odd craft, many of them being house boats, and each one has a vociferous rooster on its roof. The natives of Manila seem to have a large percentage of Spanish blood. The girls have pretty coloring, and wear brightly colored waists of stiff grass cloth, with enormous sleeves. The men wear a pa jama-like coat that looks most cool and comfortable to the collared foreigner. The heat was intense in the daytime, but MANILA, PHILIPPINE ISLANDS. Street Scenes. MANILA 63 after the extreme cold of Shanghai it was very welcome. But it did not tend to make one energetic; and as I had been traveling pretty strenuously I decided to take matters more easily here. The main beast of burden is the carabao, or water buffalo. They are large, lumbering creatures and move slowly, but are everywhere used. It is very common here to see a man walk- ing along the street carrying a rooster, for cock-fighting is the great sport of the country. The fights are held in round buildings of fair size, with a small arena in the center, and seats rising in circles around it. One section of these seats is reserved for the Chinese. Cruel-looking razor-edged blades are fastened to the rooster's gaff, and after the bets are placed the fight begins. While the waits be- tween rounds are long, the rounds themselves are usually short. They are over so quickly that there is little pleasure in watching them, for it seems more like a butcher shop than a sport. But the natives show great enthusiasm. One of the most interesting things in Manila is a drill to be witnessed every day at Bilibid Prison. In the center of the prison is a covered stand, with the various buildings radiating from it. All the prisoners about twenty-eight thousand when I was there can be seen from this stand at the time of the 64 GLIMPSES OF THE UNUSUAL drill. To the music of a prison band which played remarkably well they marched in fours from their respective buildings. Sud- denly the band played " The Star Spangled Banner," and the entire body of men saluted while the flag was being lowered. It was strangely impressive. After the salute they went through various calisthenic exercises, and then formed again and marched past the kitchen, each man receiving beef stew and a mess of rice. On Hallowe'en an all-night ceremony is held at Paco cemetery. In this cemetery the dead are not buried in the ground, but are placed in niches in the thick double walls which surround it. The relatives of the de- ceased keep watch near the tomb all night. Many and strange were the decorations. The whole place was brilliantly lighted by elec- tricity. But the ceremony seemed to be de- generating into a holiday merry-making fes- tival. On the trip up the Pasig River and through Lake Laguna to Los Bafios one passes many interesting native villages. The houses are made of nipa, thatched, and many of them stand on bamboo poles. At one village a boy boarded the boat selling hard-boiled eggs. I bought one, but I did not eat it. An unde- veloped chicken had almost complete posses- sion of the interior ! Later I learned that this MANILA 65 is called an " old egg," and is considered a great delicacy by the Filipino. Los Bafiyos is noted for its hot sulphur baths. But no description of Manila would be com- plete without a mention of its glorious sunsets. Imagine yourself on the Luneta at sundown, a gentle breeze coming in from the bay. In the distance the band is playing. The sky is a marvelous red that is reflected in the waters of the bay. Toward the right and left distant lofty palms are silhouetted against the bril- liant coloring of the sky, while directly in front may come a stray light from the island of Corregidor. Slowly the red turns to a deep orange, and then the sun sinks behind the horizon in a burst of golden glory. Surely these sunsets are the islands' greatest beauty. Chapter VI SINGAPORE AND JAVA It took four days on the " Prinz Eitel" to go from Hong Kong to Singapore. Here you come in contact with a black race; and dirty, skinny, ugly people do they look at first, after the clean, small, but well-proportioned Chinese. Not that the Chinese are left behind now on the contrary, they are very much in evidence, especially as rickshaw runners. But from here on you see them in decreasing numbers, and it is with regret that you see them pass. The population of Singapore is very mixed. Malays and Chinese predominate, but natives from all parts of India, Ceylon, Java and Siam are often seen. Although Singapore is within two degrees of the equator it is not so hot as might be expected, and the climate varies little. In this it has the advantage of the cities of India. Its public buildings are substantial and im- posing, and " Raffles Square " and other parts of the city are attractive. The inevitable Eng- lish botanical garden is present, but cannot compare with the gardens of Java or Ceylon. The carabao of Manila is here displaced by the zebu, with its peculiar hump and twisted 66 SINGAPORE AND JAVA 67 horns, which the natives often paint in bright colors. The market, with its native fruits and other products, and its native salesmen was worth a visit. In a big wicker basket I noticed a chicken that was having a glorious time peck- ing at all its mates. The owner noticed it too, and nonchalantly lifted the chick from the basket, broke its lower bill with his thumb, and threw it back. A short train trip through large rubber plantations brings one to the little principality of Johore, where one can visit the palace of the reigning prince. He was educated abroad, and his palace is a curious mixture of foreign and native ideas. At the hotels the beds are remarkable, in that they have only a lower sheet, with no cover of any kind, unless the " Dutch Wife " can be so considered. It is a soft round bolster-like object about four feet long, and lies lengthwise on the bed, but the manner of utilizing it is rather perplexing, and remains ever a mystery to the tourist. The bath-room has a huge jardiniere for a tub, about four feet across and correspondingly deep, which is filled with water. But do not make the mistake of trying to get into it you must simply splash water from it over yourself with the aid of a small tin bucket. The u Reijniersz " these Dutch names are 68 GLIMPSES OF THE UNUSUAL almost as unpronounceable as the Russian took but two days to go from Singapore to Tanjand-Priok, the port of Batavia in Java. At Batavia the heat was intense, but further back in the mountains it was very comfortable. During the week I was in Java and that is by no means long enough for this interesting island it rained constantly for the first four days, but by mistake gave three fairly clear days after that. It always rains in Java not showers, but heavy downpours except perhaps during the month of May. Batavia is divided into two parts. The southern part is the business section, and the northern part, called Weltvreden, is the resi- dential section. Through the middle of the city, on the main street, runs a canal, supposed to resemble those of Holland for Java, of course, has long been under the control of the Dutch. In these canals the natives bathe, and wash their horses and their clothes. Little one-horse carriages, in which the pas- senger has to sit riding backward, abound. They are easy to get in and out of, and are cheap, even if they are not particularly com- fortable. Buitenzorg is a short train ride from Weltvreden. Here are the famous botanical gardens, said to be the finest in the world, and especially noted for their collection of orchids. The gardens were lovely, and the < < > < SINGAPORE AND JAVA 69 trees and tree-ferns magnificent, but apprecia- tion was dulled by steady, heavy rain. Here a boy brought me a leaf I glanced at it but saw nothing unusual. As he persisted I looked at it again, and found that it was not a leaf at all, but an insect a perfect repro- duction of a leaf. The hotel here is beauti- fully situated on a cliff near the river, but we had to take the view on faith, as it was com- pletely hidden by the rain. At luncheon they served a " rice tabled This is a dish famous in Java, and it con- stitutes a whole meal. A deep soup plate is placed in front of you, and then various edi- bles are passed in bewildering succession. I can by no means remember all the dishes there must have been over thirty but some of them were hash balls, preserves, poached eggs, curry, jam, shrimps and other fish, " Irish " stew, and chicken, fried, boiled and fricasseed! The resultant concoction was re- markable, but it was also very good. At Garoet the bad weather continued, and prevented me from taking the " Papandayan " trip, the crater of one of the volcanoes with which the island abounds. But I did not see a single volcano while in Java, on account of the low clouds. At a native theater here the actors wore huge masks much like the faces made fa- miliar by their drawings and carvings. The 70 GLIMPSES OF THE UNUSUAL " dancing H was mostly posturing, with elaborate arm and finger motions, and a little rather vulgar by-play among the clowns com- pleted the performance. While at Garoet a large market was held, and it gave an unusual opportunity to study the natives. The women wear sarongs, pieces of cloth about three by eight feet, and sewed together at the ends. These have elaborately wrought designs, all done by hand, and are dyed deep shades of brown, orange, and red, and sometimes of blue. The men wear sarongs that are not sewed together, and have on their heads turbans made out of square pieces of cloth of similar color and design. It is interesting to see these sarongs being designed. The women are artists, and draw most elaborate designs free hand. One of the native musical instruments is made of bamboo, and is very crude. But as played by a band of boys, each holding two of these instruments of different sizes and tones, the effect is quite musical, even if a small one by itself does sound like a tinkling ice-water pitcher. At the hotel one of my eggs was bad there was no doubt about it. The manager apologized for it afterwards, by saying: "I am sorry that the egg was not very well." The trip from Garoet to Djokjakarta took all day. No trains travel at night in Java, and SINGAPORE AND JAVA 71 no matter in what part of the island you are the train you must take starts at daybreak. At one station it was necessary to add another car to our train. They uncoupled the last car, but no one had put on the brakes, and it rolled down the track for three miles. It took over an hour to get that wandering car back. The most distinctive feature of the land- scape are the rice fields. They extend in all directions, not only in the valleys, but also climbing the mountain in picturesque terraces, some of which are only a foot or two wide. Rice can only grow in water, and the sparkle of the water, the new green shoots of the rice, the extensive terraces, and the luxurious tropi- cal jungles form the greater part of the beauty of the scenery of the island. Near Djokjakarta or Dojkja, as it is usually called are the ruins of the temple of Prambanan. The temples though small, are distinctive, and are covered with carvings that show a high degree of artistic ability. Returning from Prambanan by auto, a broken bridge halted us. We crossed it safely on foot, and then had to go to a near-by house to telephone for another vehicle. It proved to be the home of a wealthy sugar planter, who received us cordially. A servant brought out cigars and refreshments, and kneeled to each one of us as he offered them, as every well-trained Javanese must. J2 GLIMPSES OF THE UNUSUAL The question of the treatment of the na- tives by a conquering nation is too big to be discussed here, but the Dutch seem to have solved it successfully. The natives are well treated and have a share in the government, but are constantly reminded that they are an inferior race, who must show obedience and respect to their conquerors. The Far-East- erners are much like children where they are kindly but firmly treated they show the greatest respect for their " parents." The policy of equality introduced by Americans in the Philippines although absolutely correct according to American principles is entirely unfit for these people, as yet. Perhaps some day they may " grow up," but they will surely be spoilt children if present conditions con- tinue. The Sultan's palace at Djokja is disappoint- ing, in that the beautiful native industries of the island are largely ignored, and the rooms are furnished with Early Victorian orna- ments perhaps of great value but certainly of doubtful beauty. Some of the rooms of the palace furnished throughout in native style were attractive. The Sultan is extremely fond of cock-fighting, and has about a hundred game cocks. Each of these has its personal attendant, and it is amusing to watch a lot of self-important game cocks strutting around T3 o 3 22 M-l < o > C/3 < H- rt tf m w